From 561b6e51754039fec0735725ea31f19283c9e8c2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lehlohonolo Mofula Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2026 01:54:12 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs: restructure README and document all supported Bible versions --- Bibles/AMP_2001.xml | 33615 +++++++++++++++ Bibles/MSG.xml | 33615 +++++++++++++++ Bibles/NASB.xml | 33616 +++++++++++++++ Bibles/NIRV.xml | 33617 ++++++++++++++++ Bibles/NLT.xml | 33617 ++++++++++++++++ ...le, New International Version\302\256.xml" | 33615 +++++++++++++++ Bibles/esv.xml | 33616 +++++++++++++++ README.md | 105 +- 8 files changed, 235397 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) create mode 100644 Bibles/AMP_2001.xml create mode 100644 Bibles/MSG.xml create mode 100644 Bibles/NASB.xml create mode 100644 Bibles/NIRV.xml create mode 100644 Bibles/NLT.xml create mode 100644 "Bibles/The Holy Bible, New International Version\302\256.xml" create mode 100644 Bibles/esv.xml diff --git a/Bibles/AMP_2001.xml b/Bibles/AMP_2001.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..258f32d --- /dev/null +++ b/Bibles/AMP_2001.xml @@ -0,0 +1,33615 @@ + + + + + IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. [Heb. 11:3.] + The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. + And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. + And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness. [II Cor. 4:6.] + And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. + And God said, Let there be a firmament [the expanse of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below] from the waters [above]. + And God made the firmament [the expanse] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so. + And God called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. + And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be collected into one place [of standing], and let the dry land appear. And it was so. + God called the dry land Earth, and the accumulated waters He called Seas. And God saw that this was good (fitting, admirable) and He approved it. + And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender] vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so. + The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. + And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. + And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs and tokens [of God's provident care], and [to mark] seasons, days, and years, [Gen. 8:22.] + And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so. + And God made the two great lights--the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars. + And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, + To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it. + And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. + And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in the open expanse of the heavens. + God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. + And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth. + And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. + And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. + And God made the [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and domestic animals according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it. + God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. [Ps. 104:30; Heb. 1:2; 11:3.] + So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. [Col. 3:9, 10; James 3:8, 9.] + And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth. + And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. + And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground--to everything in which there is the breath of life--I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. + And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. + + + THUS THE heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. + And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. [Heb. 4:9, 10.] + And God blessed (spoke good of) the seventh day, set it apart as His own, and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all His work which He had created and done. [Exod. 20:11.] + This is the history of the heavens and of the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens-- + When no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not [yet] caused it to rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground, + But there went up a mist (fog, vapor) from the land and watered the whole surface of the ground-- + Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being. [I Cor. 15:45-49.] + And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed, constituted). + And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired--good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing and calamity. [Rev. 2:7; 22:14, 19.] + Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [river] heads. + The first is named Pishon; it is the one flowing around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. + The gold of that land is of high quality; bdellium (pearl?) and onyx stone are there. + The second river is named Gihon; it is the one flowing around the whole land of Cush. + The third river is named Hiddekel [the Tigris]; it is the one flowing east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. + And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. + And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; + But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. + Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him. + And out of the ground the Lord God formed every [wild] beast and living creature of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name. + And Adam gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the air and to every [wild] beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him. + And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs or a part of his side and closed up the [place with] flesh. + And the rib or part of his side which the Lord God had taken from the man He built up and made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. + Then Adam said, This [creature] is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of a man. + Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall become united and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [Matt. 19:5; I Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:31-33.] + And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other's presence. + + + NOW THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? [Rev. 12:9-11.] + And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden, + Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. + But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, [II Cor. 11:3.] + For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity. + And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate. + Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apronlike girdles. + And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. + But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? + He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. + And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? + And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me--she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate. + And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (cheated, outwitted, and deceived) me, and I ate. + And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all [domestic] animals and above every [wild] living thing of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust [and what it contains] all the days of your life. + And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. [Gal. 4:4.] + To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your grief and your suffering in pregnancy and the pangs of childbearing; with spasms of distress you will bring forth children. Yet your desire and craving will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. + And to Adam He said, Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, the ground is under a curse because of you; in sorrow and toil shall you eat [of the fruits] of it all the days of your life. + Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. + In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return. + The man called his wife's name Eve [life spring], because she was the mother of all the living. + For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins and clothed them. + And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us [the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], to know [how to distinguish between] good and evil and blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever-- + Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. + So [God] drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep and guard the way to the tree of life. [Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19.] + + + AND ADAM knew Eve as his wife, and she became pregnant and bore Cain; and she said, I have gotten and gained a man with the help of the Lord. + And [next] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. + And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. + And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and for his offering, [Heb. 11:4.] + But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed. + And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected? + If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. + And Cain said to his brother, Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. [I John 3:12.] + And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? + And [the Lord] said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. + And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's [shed] blood from your hand. + When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast]. + Then Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. + Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land, and from Your face I will be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. + And the Lord said to him, Therefore, if anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark or sign upon Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. + So Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering], east of Eden. + And Cain's wife [one of Adam's offspring] became pregnant and bore Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch. + To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methusael, and Methusael the father of Lamech. + And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah and of the other was Zillah. + Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle and purchase possessions. + His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. + Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all [cutting] instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. + Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say; for I have slain a man [merely] for wounding me, and a young man [only] for striking and bruising me. + If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech [will be avenged] seventy-sevenfold. + And Adam's wife again became pregnant, and she bore a son and called his name Seth. For God, she said, has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him. + And to Seth also a son was born, whom he named Enosh. At that time men began to call [upon God] by the name of the Lord. + + + THIS IS the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of the offspring of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. + He created them male and female and blessed them and named them [both] Adam [Man] at the time they were created. + When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, after his image; and he named him Seth. + After he had Seth, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. + So altogether Adam lived 930 years, and he died. + When Seth was 105 years old, Enosh was born. + Seth lived after the birth of Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. + So Seth lived 912 years, and he died. + When Enosh was 90 years old, Kenan was born to him. + Enosh lived after the birth of Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. + So Enosh lived 905 years, and he died. + When Kenan was 70 years old, Mahalalel was born. + Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. + So Kenan lived 910 years, and he died. + When Mahalalel was 65 years old, Jared was born. + Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. + So Mahalalel lived 895 years, and he died. + When Jared was 162 years old, Enoch was born. + Jared lived after the birth of Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. + So Jared lived 962 years, and he died. + When Enoch was 65 years old, Methuselah was born. + Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God after the birth of Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. + So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. + And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him]. [Heb. 11:5.] + When Methuselah was 187 years old, Lamech was born to him. + Methuselah lived after the birth of Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. + So Methuselah lived 969 years, and he died. + When Lamech was 182 years old, a son was born. + He named him Noah, saying, This one shall bring us relief and comfort from our work and the [grievous] toil of our hands due to the ground being cursed by the Lord. + Lamech lived after the birth of Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. + So all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died. + After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + + + WHEN MEN began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, + The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose. + Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man, for he also is flesh; but his days shall yet be 120 years. + There were giants on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. + The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually. + And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart. + So the Lord said, I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom I have created from the face of the ground--not only man, [but] the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air--for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them. + But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord. + This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God. + And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + The earth was depraved and putrid in God's sight, and the land was filled with violence (desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power). + And God looked upon the world and saw how degenerate, debased, and vicious it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true direction. + God said to Noah, I intend to make an end of all flesh, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I will destroy them and the land. + Make yourself an ark of gopher or cypress wood; make in it rooms (stalls, pens, coops, nests, cages, and compartments) and cover it inside and out with pitch (bitumen). + And this is the way you are to make it: the length of the ark shall be 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits [that is, 450 ft. x 75 ft. x 45 ft.]. + You shall make a roof or window [a place for light] for the ark and finish it to a cubit [at least 18 inches] above--and the door of the ark you shall put in the side of it; and you shall make it with lower, second, and third stories. + For behold, I, even I, will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy and make putrid all flesh under the heavens in which are the breath and spirit of life; everything that is on the land shall die. + But I will establish My covenant (promise, pledge) with you, and you shall come into the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. + And of every living thing of all flesh [found on land], you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. + Of fowls and birds according to their kinds, of beasts according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind--two of every sort shall come in with you, that they may be kept alive. + Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and you shall collect and store it up, and it shall serve as food for you and for them. + Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him. + + + AND THE Lord said to Noah, Come with all your household into the ark, for I have seen you to be righteous (upright and in right standing) before Me in this generation. [Ps. 27:5; 33:18, 19; II Pet. 2:9.] + Of every clean beast you shall receive and take with you seven pairs, the male and his mate, and of beasts that are not clean a pair of each kind, the male and his mate, [Lev. 11.] + Also of the birds of the air seven pairs, the male and the female, to keep seed [their kind] alive over all the earth or land. + For in seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living substance and thing that I have made I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away from the face of the earth. + And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. [Heb. 11:7.] + Noah was 600 years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth or land. + And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. [Matt. 24:38; Luke 17:27.] + Of clean animals and of animals that are not clean, and of birds and fowls, and of everything that creeps on the ground, + There went in two and two with Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. + And after the seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth or land. + In the year 600 of Noah's life, in the seventeenth day of the second month, that same day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up and burst forth, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened. + And it rained upon the earth forty days and forty nights. + On the very same day Noah and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark, + They and every [wild] beast according to its kind, all the livestock according to their kinds, every moving thing that creeps on the land according to its kind, and every fowl according to its kind, every winged thing of every sort. + And they went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there were the breath and spirit of life. + And they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded [Noah]; and the Lord shut him in and closed [the door] round about him. + The flood [that is, the downpour of rain] was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased and bore up the ark, and it was lifted [high] above the land. + And the waters became mighty and increased greatly upon the land, and the ark went [gently floating] upon the surface of the waters. + And the waters prevailed so exceedingly and were so mighty upon the earth that all the high hills under the whole sky were covered. + [In fact] the waters became fifteen cubits higher, as the high hills were covered. + And all flesh ceased to breathe that moved upon the earth--fowls and birds, [tame] animals, [wild] beasts, all swarming and creeping things that swarm and creep upon the land, and all mankind. + Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils were the breath and spirit of life died. + God destroyed (blotted out) every living thing that was upon the face of the earth; man and animals and the creeping things and the birds of the heavens were destroyed (blotted out) from the land. Only Noah remained alive, and those who were with him in the ark. [Matt. 24:37-44.] + And the waters prevailed [mightily] upon the earth or land 150 days (five months). + + + AND GOD [earnestly] remembered Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind blow over the land, and the waters sank down and abated. + Also the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the gushing rain from the sky was checked, + And the waters receded from the land continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had diminished. + On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat [in Armenia]. + And the waters continued to diminish until the tenth month; on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the high hills were seen. + At the end of [another] forty days Noah opened a window of the ark which he had made + And sent forth a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters were dried up from the land. + Then he sent forth a dove to see if the waters had decreased from the surface of the ground. + But the dove found no resting-place on which to roost, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were [yet] on the face of the whole land. So he put forth his hand and drew her to him into the ark. + He waited another seven days and again sent forth the dove out of the ark. + And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a newly sprouted and freshly plucked olive leaf! So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the land. + Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, but she did not return to him any more. + In the year 601 [of Noah's life], on the first day of the first month, the waters were drying up from the land. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was drying. + And on the twenty-seventh day of the second month the land was entirely dry. + And God spoke to Noah, saying, + Go forth from the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives with you. + Bring forth every living thing that is with you of all flesh--birds and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the ground--that they may breed abundantly on the land and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth. + And Noah went forth, and his wife and his sons and their wives with him [after being in the ark one year and ten days]. + Every beast, every creeping thing, every bird--and whatever moves on the land--went forth by families out of the ark. + And Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean [four-footed] animal and of every clean fowl or bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. + When the Lord smelled the pleasing odor [a scent of satisfaction to His heart], the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination (the strong desire) of man's heart is evil and wicked from his youth; neither will I ever again smite and destroy every living thing, as I have done. + While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. + + + AND GOD pronounced a blessing upon Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. + And the fear of you and the dread and terror of you shall be upon every beast of the land, every bird of the air, all that creeps upon the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are delivered into your hand. + Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green vegetables and plants, I give you everything. + But you shall not eat flesh with the life of it, which is its blood. + And surely for your lifeblood I will require an accounting; from every beast I will require it; and from man, from every man [who spills another's lifeblood] I will require a reckoning. + Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God He made man. + And you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply on it. + Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, + Behold, I establish My covenant or pledge with you and with your descendants after you + And with every living creature that is with you--whether the birds, the livestock, or the wild beasts of the earth along with you, as many as came out of the ark--every animal of the earth. + I will establish My covenant or pledge with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood; neither shall there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth and make it corrupt. + And God said, This is the token of the covenant (solemn pledge) which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: + I set My bow [rainbow] in the cloud, and it shall be a token or sign of a covenant or solemn pledge between Me and the earth. + And it shall be that when I bring clouds over the earth and the bow [rainbow] is seen in the clouds, + I will [earnestly] remember My covenant or solemn pledge which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy and make all flesh corrupt. + When the bow [rainbow] is in the clouds and I look upon it, I will [earnestly] remember the everlasting covenant or pledge between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. + And God said to Noah, This [rainbow] is the token or sign of the covenant or solemn pledge which I have established between Me and all flesh upon the earth. + The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan [born later]. + These are the three sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was overspread and stocked with inhabitants. + And Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. + And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and he was uncovered and lay naked in his tent. + And Ham, the father of Canaan, glanced at and saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. + So Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon the shoulders of both, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. + When Noah awoke from his wine, and knew the thing which his youngest son had done to him, + He exclaimed, Cursed be Canaan! He shall be the servant of servants to his brethren! [Deut. 27:16.] + He also said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem! And blessed by the Lord my God be Shem! And let Canaan be his servant. + May God enlarge Japheth; and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant. + And Noah lived after the flood 350 years. + All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died. + + + THIS IS the history of the generations (descendants) of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sons born to them after the flood were: + The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. + From these the coastland peoples spread. [These are the sons of Japheth] in their lands, each with his own language, by their families within their nations. + The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt [Mizraim], Put, and Canaan. + The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. + Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first to be a mighty man on the earth. + He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord. + The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [in Babylonia]. + Out of the land he [Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, + And Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; all these [suburbs combined to form] the great city. + And Egypt [Mizraim] became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, + Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines), and Caphtorim. + Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth [the Hittites], + The Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, + The Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, + The Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites spread abroad + And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon as one goes to Gerar as far as Gaza, and as one goes to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. + These are the sons of Ham by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. + To Shem also, the younger brother of Japheth and the ancestor of all the children of Eber [including the Hebrews], children were born. + The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. + The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. + Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. + To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg [division], because [the inhabitants of] the earth were divided up in his days; and his brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. + The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha as one goes toward Sephar to the hill country of the east. + These are Shem's descendants by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. + These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, within their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. [Acts 17:26.] + + + AND THE whole earth was of one language and of one accent and mode of expression. + And as they journeyed eastward, they found a plain (valley) in the land of Shinar, and they settled and dwelt there. + And they said one to another, Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. So they had brick for stone, and slime (bitumen) for mortar. + And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower whose top reaches into the sky, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the whole earth. + And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. + And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them. + Come, let Us go down and there confound (mix up, confuse) their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. + So the Lord scattered them abroad from that place upon the face of the whole earth, and they gave up building the city. + Therefore the name of it was called Babel--because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth; and from that place the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of the whole earth. + This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was 100 years old when he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the flood. + And Shem lived after Arpachshad was born 500 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. + Arpachshad lived after Shelah was born 403 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. + Shelah lived after Eber was born 403 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. + And Eber lived after Peleg was born 430 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. + And Peleg lived after Reu was born 209 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. + And Reu lived after Serug was born 207 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. + And Serug lived after Nahor was born 200 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. + And Nahor lived after Terah was born 119 years and had other sons and daughters. + After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of [at different times], Abram and Nahor and Haran, [his firstborn]. + Now this is the history of the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. + Haran died before his father Terah [died] in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. + And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. + But Sarai was barren; she had no child. + And Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together to go from Ur of the Chaldees into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. + And Terah lived 205 years; and Terah died in Haran. + + + NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you. [Heb. 11:8-10.] + And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. + And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. [Gal. 3:8.] + So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. + Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the persons [servants] that they had acquired in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, + Abram passed through the land to the locality of Shechem, to the oak or terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. + Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your posterity. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him. + From there he pulled up [his tent pegs] and departed to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. + Abram journeyed on, still going toward the South (the Negeb). + Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive (intense and grievous). + And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know that you are beautiful to behold. + So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. + Say, I beg of you, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you. + And when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. + The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh's house [harem]. + And he treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and camels. + But the Lord scourged Pharaoh and his household with serious plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. + And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? + Why did you say, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and get away [from here]! + And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they brought him on his way with his wife and all that he had. + + + SO ABRAM went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South [country of Judah, the Negeb]. + Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold. + And he journeyed on from the South [country of Judah, the Negeb] as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, + Where he had built an altar at first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. [Gal. 3:6-9.] + But Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. + Now the land was not able to nourish and support them so they could dwell together, for their possessions were too great for them to live together. + And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land [making fodder more difficult to obtain]. + So Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I beg of you, between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are relatives. + Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, I beg of you, from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right hand, then I will go to the left. + And Lot looked and saw that everywhere the Jordan Valley was well watered. Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [it was all] like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. + Then Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and [he] traveled east. So they separated. + Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the [Jordan] Valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom and dwelt there. + But the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly great sinners against the Lord. + The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; + For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever. [Acts 7:5.] + And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then could your descendants also be counted. [Gen. 28:14.] + Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you. + Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt among the oaks or terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and built there an altar to the Lord. + + + IN THE days of the kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim, + They made war on the kings Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. + The latter kings joined together [as allies] in the Valley of Siddim, which is [now] the [Dead] Sea of Salt. + Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. + And in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him attacked and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, + And the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran, which is on the border of the wilderness. + Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat, which [now] is Kadesh, and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon-tamar. + Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela, that is, Zoar, went out and [together] they joined battle [with those kings] in the Valley of Siddim, + With the kings Chedorlaomer of Elam, Tidal of Goiim, Amraphel of Shinar, and Arioch of Ellasar--four kings against five. + Now the Valley of Siddim was full of slime or bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell (were overthrown) there and the remainder [of the kings] fled to the mountain. + [The victors] took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the supply of provisions and departed. + And they also took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods away with them. + Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew [one from the other side], who was living by the oaks or terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and of Aner--these were allies of Abram. + When Abram heard that [his nephew] had been captured, he armed (led forth) the 318 trained servants born in his own house and pursued the enemy as far as Dan. + He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and routed them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. + And he brought back all the goods and also brought back his kinsman Lot and his possessions, the women also and the people. + After his [Abram's] return from the defeat and slaying of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King's Valley. + Melchizedek king of Salem [later called Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine [for their nourishment]; he was the priest of God Most High, + And he blessed him and said, Blessed (favored with blessings, made blissful, joyful) be Abram by God Most High, Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth, + And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! And [Abram] gave him a tenth of all [he had taken]. [Heb. 7:1-10.] + And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons and keep the goods for yourself. + But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand and sworn to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth, + That I would not take a thread or a shoelace or anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. + [Take all] except only what my young men have eaten and the share of the men [allies] who went with me--Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. + + + AFTER THESE things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great. + And Abram said, Lord God, what can You give me, since I am going on [from this world] childless and he who shall be the owner and heir of my house is this [steward] Eliezer of Damascus? + And Abram continued, Look, You have given me no child; and [a servant] born in my house is my heir. + And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, This man shall not be your heir, but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir. + And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars--if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be. [Heb. 11:12.] + And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God). [Rom. 4:3, 18-22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23.] + And He said to him, I am the [same] Lord, Who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees to give you this land as an inheritance. + But he [Abram] said, Lord God, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it? + And He said to him, Bring to Me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. + And he brought Him all these and cut them down the middle [into halves] and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide. + And when the birds of prey swooped down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. + When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram, and a horror (a terror, a shuddering fear) of great darkness assailed and oppressed him. + And [God] said to Abram, Know positively that your descendants will be strangers dwelling as temporary residents in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and they will be slaves there and will be afflicted and oppressed for 400 years. [Fulfilled in Exod. 12:40.] + But I will bring judgment on that nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. [Acts 7:6, 7.] + And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old (hoary) age. + And in the fourth generation they [your descendants] shall come back here [to Canaan] again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full and complete. [Josh. 24:15.] + When the sun had gone down and a [thick] darkness had come on, behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between those pieces. + On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates--the land of + The Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, + The Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, + The Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. + + + NOW SARAI, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. + And Sarai said to Abram, See here, the Lord has restrained me from bearing [children]. I am asking you to have intercourse with my maid; it may be that I can obtain children by her. And Abram listened to and heeded what Sarai said. + So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her Egyptian maid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his [secondary] wife. + And he had intercourse with Hagar, and she became pregnant; and when she saw that she was with child, she looked with contempt upon her mistress and despised her. + Then Sarai said to Abram, May [the responsibility for] my wrong and deprivation of rights be upon you! I gave my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she was with child, I was contemptible and despised in her eyes. May the Lord be the judge between you and me. + But Abram said to Sarai, See here, your maid is in your hands and power; do as you please with her. And when Sarai dealt severely with her, humbling and afflicting her, she [Hagar] fled from her. + But the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness on the road to Shur. + And He said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, where did you come from, and where are you intending to go? And she said, I am running away from my mistress Sarai. + The Angel of the Lord said to her, Go back to your mistress and [humbly] submit to her control. + Also the Angel of the Lord said to her, I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be numbered for multitude. + And the Angel of the Lord continued, See now, you are with child and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael [God hears], because the Lord has heard and paid attention to your affliction. + And he [Ishmael] will be as a wild ass among men; his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him, and he will live to the east and on the borders of all his kinsmen. + So she called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing, for she said, Have I [not] even here [in the wilderness] looked upon Him Who sees me [and lived]? Or have I here also seen [the future purposes or designs of] Him Who sees me? + Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi [A well to the Living One Who sees me]; it is between Kadesh and Bered. + And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore Ishmael. + Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael. + + + WHEN ABRAM was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete). + And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly. + Then Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, + As for Me, behold, My covenant (solemn pledge) is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations. + Nor shall your name any longer be Abram [high, exalted father]; but your name shall be Abraham [father of a multitude], for I have made you the father of many nations. + And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. + And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting, solemn pledge, to be a God to you and to your posterity after you. [Gal. 3:16.] + And I will give to you and to your posterity after you the land in which you are a stranger [going from place to place], all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. [Acts 7:5.] + And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall therefore keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. + This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your posterity after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. + And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token or sign of the covenant (the promise or pledge) between Me and you. + He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether born in [your] house or bought with [your] money from any foreigner not of your offspring. + He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. + And the male who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant. + And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai; but Sarah [Princess] her name shall be. + And I will bless her and give you a son also by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her. + Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son? + And [he] said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before You! + But God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac [laughter]; and I will establish My covenant or solemn pledge with him for an everlasting covenant and with his posterity after him. + And as for Ishmael, I have heard and heeded you: behold, I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. [Fulfilled in Gen. 25:12-18.] + But My covenant, My promise and pledge, I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year. + And God stopped talking with him and went up from Abraham. + And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among [those] of Abraham's house, and circumcised [them] the very same day, as God had said to him. + And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. + And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. + On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son as well. + And all the men of his house, both those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him. + + + NOW THE Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks or terebinths of Mamre; as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day, + He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood at a little distance from him. He ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground + And said, My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant, I beg of you. + Let a little water be brought, and you may wash your feet and recline and rest yourselves under the tree. + And I will bring a morsel (mouthful) of bread to refresh and sustain your hearts before you go on further--for that is why you have come to your servant. And they replied, Do as you have said. + So Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly get ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and bake cakes. + And Abraham ran to the herd and brought a calf tender and good and gave it to the young man [to butcher]; then he [Abraham] hastened to prepare it. + And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had made ready, and set it before [the men]; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. + And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, [She is here] in the tent. + [The Lord] said, I will surely return to you when the season comes round, and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah was listening and heard it at the tent door which was behind Him. [Rom. 9:9-12.] + Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah as with [young] women. [She was past the age of childbearing]. + Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure and delight, my lord (husband), being old also? [I Pet. 3:6.] + And the Lord asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really bear a child when I am so old? + Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season [for her delivery] comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son. [Matt. 19:26.] + Then Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh. + The men rose up from there and faced toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. + And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do, [Gal. 3:8.] + Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him and shall bless themselves by him? [Gen. 12:2-3.] + For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised him. + And the Lord said, Because the shriek [of the sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous, + I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether [as vilely and wickedly] as is the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know. + Now the [two] men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. + And Abraham came close and said, Will You destroy the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) together with the wicked? + Suppose there are in the city fifty righteous; will You destroy the place and not spare it for [the sake of] the fifty righteous in it? + Far be it from You to do such a thing--to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as do the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth execute judgment and do righteously? + And the Lord said, If I find in the city of Sodom fifty righteous (upright and in right standing with God), I will spare the whole place for their sake. + Abraham answered, Behold now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. + If five of the fifty righteous should be lacking--will You destroy the whole city for lack of five? He said, If I find forty-five, I will not destroy it. + And [Abraham] spoke to Him yet again, and said, Suppose [only] forty shall be found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake. + Then [Abraham] said to Him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak [again]. Suppose [only] thirty shall be found there. And He answered, I will not do it if I find thirty there. + And [Abraham] said, Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak [again] to the Lord. Suppose [only] twenty shall be found there. And [the Lord] replied, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. + And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there. And [the Lord] said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. + And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. + + + IT WAS evening when the two angels came to Sodom. Lot was sitting at Sodom's [city] gate. Seeing them, Lot rose up to meet them and bowed to the ground. + And he said, My lords, turn aside, I beg of you, into your servant's house and spend the night and bathe your feet. Then you can arise early and go on your way. But they said, No, we will spend the night in the square. + [Lot] entreated and urged them greatly until they yielded and [with him] entered his house. And he made them a dinner [with drinking] and had unleavened bread which he baked, and they ate. + But before they lay down, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, all the men from every quarter, surrounded the house. + And they called to Lot and said, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know (be intimate with) them. + And Lot went out of the door to the men and shut the door after him + And said, I beg of you, my brothers, do not behave so wickedly. + Look now, I have two daughters who are virgins; let me, I beg of you, bring them out to you, and you can do as you please with them. But only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof. + But they said, Stand back! And they said, This fellow came in to live here temporarily, and now he presumes to be [our] judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them. So they rushed at and pressed violently against Lot and came close to breaking down the door. + But the men [the angels] reached out and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut the door after him. + And they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness [which dazzled them], from the youths to the old men, so that they wearied themselves [groping] to find the door. + And the [two] men asked Lot, Have you any others here--sons-in-law or your sons or your daughters? Whomever you have in the city, bring them out of this place, + For we will spoil and destroy [Sodom]; for the outcry and shriek against its people has grown great before the Lord, and He has sent us to destroy it. + And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will spoil and destroy this city! But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be [only] joking. + When morning came, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, Arise, take your wife and two daughters who are here [and be off], lest you [too] be consumed and swept away in the iniquity and punishment of the city. + But while he lingered, the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, for the Lord was merciful to him; and they brought him forth and set him outside the city and left him there. + And when they had brought them forth, they said, Escape for your life! Do not look behind you or stop anywhere in the whole valley; escape to the mountains [of Moab], lest you be consumed. + And Lot said to them, Oh, not that, my lords! + Behold now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your kindness and mercy to me in saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest the evil overtake me, and I die. + See now yonder city; it is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape to it! Is it not a little one? And my life will be saved! + And [the angel] said to him, See, I have yielded to your entreaty concerning this thing also; I will not destroy this city of which you have spoken. + Make haste and take refuge there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar [little]. + The sun had risen over the earth when Lot entered Zoar. + Then the Lord rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of the heavens. + He overthrew, destroyed, and ended those cities, and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. + But [Lot's] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. + Abraham went up early the next morning to the place where he [only the day before] had stood before the Lord. + And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and saw, and behold, the smoke of the country went up like the smoke of a furnace. + When God ravaged and destroyed the cities of the plain [of Siddim], He [earnestly] remembered Abraham [imprinted and fixed him indelibly on His mind], and He sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities where Lot lived. + And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters. + The elder said to the younger, Our father is aging, and there is not a man on earth to live with us in the customary way. + Come, let us make our father drunk with wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring (our race) through our father. + And they made their father drunk with wine that night, and the older went in and lay with her father; and he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she arose. + Then the next day the firstborn said to the younger, See here, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drunk with wine tonight also, and then you go in and lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring (our race) through our father. + And they made their father drunk with wine again that night, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she arose. + Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. + The older bore a son, and named him Moab [of a father]; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. + The younger also bore a son and named him Ben-ammi [son of my people]; he is the father of the Ammonites to this day. + + + NOW ABRAHAM journeyed from there toward the South country (the Negeb) and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he lived temporarily in Gerar. + And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah [into his harem]. + But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said, Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken [as your own], for she is a man's wife. + But Abimelech had not come near her, so he said, Lord, will you slay a people who are just and innocent? + Did not the man tell me, She is my sister? And she herself said, He is my brother. In integrity of heart and innocency of hands I have done this. + Then God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know you did this in the integrity of your heart, for it was I Who kept you back and spared you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not give you occasion to touch her. + So now restore to the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her [to him], know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours. + So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things; and the men were exceedingly filled with reverence and fear. + Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What have you done to us? And how have I offended you that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me what ought not to be done [to anyone]. + And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see [in us] that [justified] you in doing such a thing as this? + And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely there is no reverence or fear of God at all in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife. + But truly, she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father but not of my mother; and she became my wife. + When God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, This kindness you can show me: at every place we stop, say of me, He is my brother. + Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and restored to him Sarah his wife. + And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you. + And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given this brother of yours a thousand pieces of silver; see, it is to compensate you [for all that has occurred] and to vindicate your honor before all who are with you; before all men you are cleared and compensated. + So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, + For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. + + + THE LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised. + For Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time God had told him. + Abraham named his son whom Sarah bore to him Isaac [laughter]. + And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. + Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. + And Sarah said, God has made me to laugh; all who hear will laugh with me. + And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children at the breast? For I have borne him a son in his old age! [Heb. 11:12.] + And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. + Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking [Isaac]. + Therefore she said to Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac. [Gal. 4:28-31.] + And the thing was very grievous (serious, evil) in Abraham's sight on account of his son [Ishmael]. + God said to Abraham, Do not let it seem grievous and evil to you because of the youth and your bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said to you, do what she asks, for in Isaac shall your posterity be called. [Rom. 9:7.] + And I will make a nation of the son of the bondwoman also, because he is your offspring. + So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulders, and he sent her and the youth away. And she wandered on [aimlessly] and lost her way in the wilderness of Beersheba. + When the water in the bottle was all gone, Hagar caused the youth to lie down under one of the shrubs. + Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about a bowshot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the lad. And as she sat down opposite him, he lifted up his voice and wept and she raised her voice and wept. + And God heard the voice of the youth, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the youth where he is. + Arise, raise up the youth and support him with your hand, for I intend to make him a great nation. + Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the [empty] bottle with water and caused the youth to drink. + And God was with the youth, and he developed; and he dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer. + He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt. + At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, God is with you in everything you do. + So now, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my son or with my posterity; but as I have dealt with you kindly, you will do the same with me and with the land in which you have sojourned. + And Abraham said, I will swear. + When Abraham complained to and reasoned with Abimelech about a well of water [Abimelech's] servants had violently seized, + Abimelech said, I know not who did this thing; you did not tell me, and I did not hear of it until today. + So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a league or covenant. + Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock, + And Abimelech said to Abraham, What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set apart mean? + He said, You are to accept these seven ewe lambs from me as a witness for me that I dug this well. + Therefore that place was called Beersheba [well of the oath], because there both parties swore an oath. + Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army returned to the land of the Philistines. + Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. + And Abraham sojourned in Philistia many days. + + + AFTER THESE events, God tested and proved Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. + [God] said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you. + So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and then began the trip to the place of which God had told him. + On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. + And Abraham said to his servants, Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and come again to you. + Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on [the shoulders of] Isaac his son, and he took the fire (the firepot) in his own hand, and a knife; and the two of them went on together. + And Isaac said to Abraham, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. [Isaac] said, See, here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice? + Abraham said, My son, God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering. So the two went on together. + When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there; then he laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on the wood. [Matt. 10:37.] + And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son. [Heb. 11:17-19.] + But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am. + And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son. + Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering and an ascending sacrifice instead of his son! + So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided. + The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time + And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son, + In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies, [Heb. 6:13, 14; 11:12.] + And in your Seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice. [Gen. 12:2-3; 13:16; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Acts 3:25, 26; Gal. 3:16.] + So Abraham returned to his servants, and they rose up and went with him to Beersheba; there Abraham lived. + Now after these things, it was told Abraham, Milcah has also borne children to your brother Nahor: + Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, + Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. + Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. + And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. + + + SARAH LIVED 127 years; this was the length of the life of Sarah. + And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. + And Abraham stood up from before his dead and said to the sons of Heth, + I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. + And the Hittites replied to Abraham, + Listen to us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in any tomb or grave of ours that you choose; none of us will withhold from you his tomb or hinder you from burying your dead. + And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the Hittites. + And he said to them, If you are willing to grant my dead a burial out of my sight, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar for me, + That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns--it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me here in your presence as a burial place to which I may hold fast among you. + Now Ephron was present there among the sons of Heth; so, in the hearing of all who went in at the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, saying, + No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and the cave that is in it I give you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead. + Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. + And he said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, But if you will give it, I beg of you, hear me. I will give you the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there. + Ephron replied to Abraham, saying, + My lord, listen to me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver; what is that between you and me? So bury your dead. + So Abraham listened to what Ephron said and acted upon it. He weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. + So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre [Hebron]--the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and in all its borders round about--was made over + As a possession to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at his city gate. + After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah to the east of Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. + The field and the cave in it were conveyed to Abraham for a permanent burial place by the sons of Heth. + + + NOW ABRAHAM was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. + And Abraham said to the eldest servant of his house [Eliezer of Damascus], who ruled over all that he had, I beg of you, put your hand under my thigh; [Gen. 15:2.] + And you shall swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I have settled, + But you shall go to my country and to my relatives and take a wife for my son Isaac. + The servant said to him, But perhaps the woman will not be willing to come along after me to this country. Must I take your son to the country from which you came? + Abraham said to him, See to it that you do not take my son back there. + The Lord, the God of heaven, Who took me from my father's house, from the land of my family and my birth, Who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To your offspring I will give this land--He will send His Angel before you, and you will take a wife from there for my son. + And if the woman should not be willing to go along after you, then you will be clear from this oath; only you must not take my son back there. + So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. + And the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking some of all his master's treasures with him; thus he journeyed to Mesopotamia [between the Tigris and the Euphrates], to the city of Nahor [Abraham's brother]. + And he made his camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening when women go out to draw water. + And he said, O Lord, God of my master Abraham, I pray You, cause me to meet with good success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. + See, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming to draw water. + And let it so be that the girl to whom I say, I pray you, let down your jar that I may drink, and she replies, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also--let her be the one whom You have selected and appointed and indicated for Your servant Isaac [to be a wife to him]; and by it I shall know that You have shown kindness and faithfulness to my master. + Before he had finished speaking, behold, out came Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor the brother of Abraham, with her water jar on her shoulder. + And the girl was very beautiful and attractive, chaste and modest, and unmarried. And she went down to the well, filled her water jar, and came up. + And the servant ran to meet her, and said, I pray you, let me drink a little water from your water jar. + And she said, Drink, my lord; and she quickly let down her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink. + When she had given him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they finish drinking. + So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well and drew water for all his camels. + The man stood gazing at her in silence, waiting to know if the Lord had made his trip prosperous. + And when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold earring or nose ring of half a shekel in weight, and for her hands two bracelets of ten shekels in weight in gold, + And said, Whose daughter are you? I pray you, tell me: Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge there? + And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah and [her husband] Nahor. + She said also to him, We have both straw and provender (fodder) enough, and also room in which to lodge. + The man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord + And said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, Who has not left my master bereft and destitute of His loving-kindness and steadfastness. As for me, going on the way [of obedience and faith] the Lord led me to the house of my master's kinsmen. + The girl related to her mother's household what had happened. + Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the well. + For when he saw the earring or nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and when he heard Rebekah his sister saying, The man said this to me, he went to the man and found him standing by the camels at the well. + He cried, Come in, you blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have made the house ready and have prepared a place for the camels. + So the man came into the house; and [Laban] ungirded his camels and gave straw and provender for the camels and water to bathe his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. + A meal was set before him, but he said, I will not eat until I have told of my errand. And [Laban] said, Speak on. + And he said, I am Abraham's servant. + And the Lord has blessed my master mightily, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks, herds, silver, gold, menservants, maidservants, camels, and asses. + And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. + And my master made me swear, saying, You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, + But you shall go to my father's house and to my family and take a wife for my son. + And I said to my master, But suppose the woman will not follow me. + And he said to me, The Lord, in Whose presence I walk [habitually], will send His Angel with you and prosper your way, and you will take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house. + Then you shall be clear from my oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they do not give her to you, you shall be free and innocent of my oath. + I came today to the well and said, O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You are now causing me to go on my way prosperously-- + See, I am standing by the well of water; now let it be that when the maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, I pray you, give me a little water from your [water] jar to drink, + And if she says to me, You drink, and I will draw water for your camels also, let that same woman be the one whom the Lord has selected and indicated for my master's son. + And before I had finished praying in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her [water] jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, I pray you, let me have a drink. + And she quickly let down her [water] jar from her shoulder and said, Drink, and I will water your camels also. So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. + I asked her, Whose daughter are you? She said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the earring or nose ring on her face and the bracelets on her arms. + And I bowed down my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, Who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter to his son. + And now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master [showing faithfulness to him], tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right or to the left. + Then Laban and Bethuel answered, The thing comes forth from the Lord; we cannot speak bad or good to you. + Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has said. + And when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. + And the servant brought out jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and garments and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. + Then they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed there all night. And in the morning they arose, and he said. Send me away to my master. + But [Rebekah's] brother and mother said, Let the girl stay with us a few days--at least ten; then she may go. + But [the servant] said to them, Do not hinder and delay me, seeing that the Lord has caused me to go prosperously on my way. Send me away, that I may go to my master. + And they said, We will call the girl and ask her [what is] her desire. + So they called Rebekah and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. + So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse [Deborah] and Abraham's servant and his men. + And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, You are our sister; may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your posterity possess the gate of their enemies. + And Rebekah and her maids arose and followed the man upon their camels. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went on his way. + Now Isaac had returned from going to the well Beer-lahai-roi [A well to the Living One Who sees me], for he [now] dwelt in the South country (the Negeb). + And Isaac went out to meditate and bow down [in prayer] in the open country in the evening; and he looked up and saw that, behold, the camels were coming. + And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. + For she [had] said to the servant, Who is that man walking across the field to meet us? And the servant [had] said, He is my master. So she took a veil and concealed herself with it. + And the servant told Isaac everything that he had done. + And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. + + + ABRAHAM TOOK another wife, and her name was Keturah. + And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. + Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. + The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. + And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. + But to the sons of his concubines [Hagar and Keturah] Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them to the east country, away from Isaac his son [of promise]. + The days of Abraham's life were 175 years. + Then Abraham's spirit was released, and he died at a good (ample, full) old age, an old man, satisfied and satiated, and was gathered to his people. [Gen. 15:15.] + And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is east of Mamre, + The field which Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. + After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt at Beer-lahai-roi [A well to the Living One Who sees me]. + Now this is the history of the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham. + These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their births: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, + Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. + These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments (sheepfolds)--twelve princes according to their tribes. [Foretold in Gen. 17:20.] + And Ishmael lived 137 years; then his spirit left him, and he died and was gathered to his kindred. + And [Ishmael's sons] dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is before Egypt in the direction of Assyria. [Ishmael] dwelt close [to the lands] of all his brethren. + And this is the history of the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac. + Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Padan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean. + And Isaac prayed much to the Lord for his wife because she was unable to bear children; and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife became pregnant. + [Two] children struggled together within her; and she said, If it is so [that the Lord has heard our prayer], why am I like this? And she went to inquire of the Lord. + The Lord said to her, [The founders of] two nations are in your womb, and the separation of two peoples has begun in your body; the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. + When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. + The first came out red all over like a hairy garment, and they named him Esau [hairy]. + Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand grasped Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob [supplanter]. Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. + When the boys grew up, Esau was a cunning and skilled hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a plain and quiet man, dwelling in tents. + And Isaac loved [and was partial to] Esau, because he ate of Esau's game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. + Jacob was boiling pottage (lentil stew) one day, when Esau came from the field and was faint [with hunger]. + And Esau said to Jacob, I beg of you, let me have some of that red lentil stew to eat, for I am faint and famished! That is why his name was called Edom [red]. + Jacob answered, Then sell me today your birthright (the rights of a firstborn). + Esau said, See here, I am at the point of death; what good can this birthright do me? + Jacob said, Swear to me today [that you are selling it to me]; and he swore to [Jacob] and sold him his birthright. + Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils, and he ate and drank and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau scorned his birthright as beneath his notice. + + + AND THERE was a famine in the land, other than the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. + And the Lord appeared to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I will tell you. + Dwell temporarily in this land, and I will be with you and will favor you with blessings; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. + And I will make your descendants to multiply as the stars of the heavens, and will give to your posterity all these lands (kingdoms); and by your Offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, or by Him bless themselves, [Gen. 22:18; Acts 3:25, 26; Gal. 3:16.] + For Abraham listened to and obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commands, My statutes, and My laws. + So Isaac stayed in Gerar. + And the men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said, She is my sister; for he was afraid to say, She is my wife--[thinking], Lest the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she is attractive and is beautiful to look upon. + When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah his wife. + And Abimelech called Isaac and said, See here, she is certainly your wife! How did you [dare] say to me, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I thought, Lest I die on account of her. + And Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us? One of the men might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt and sin upon us. + Then Abimelech charged all his people, He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. + Then Isaac sowed seed in that land and received in the same year a hundred times as much as he had planted, and the Lord favored him with blessings. + And the man became great and gained more and more until he became very wealthy and distinguished; + He owned flocks, herds, and a great supply of servants, and the Philistines envied him. + Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had closed and filled with earth. + And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we are. + So Isaac went away from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. + And Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the names by which his father had called them. + Now Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living [spring] water. + And the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The water is ours. And he named the well Esek [contention] because they quarreled with him. + Then [his servants] dug another well, and they quarreled over that also; so he named it Sitnah [enmity]. + And he moved away from there and dug another well, and for that one they did not quarrel. He named it Rehoboth [room], saying, For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. + Now he went up from there to Beersheba. + And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will favor you with blessings and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham. + And [Isaac] built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants were digging a well. + Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzah, one of his friends, and Phicol, his army's commander. + And Isaac said to them, Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you? + They said, We saw that the Lord was certainly with you; so we said, Let there be now an oath between us [carrying a curse with it to befall the one who breaks it], even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you + That you will do us no harm, inasmuch as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed or favored of the Lord! + And he made them a [formal] dinner, and they ate and drank. + And they rose up early in the morning and took oaths [with a curse] with one another; and Isaac sent them on their way and they departed from him in peace. + That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, We have found water! + And he named [the well] Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba [well of the oath] to this day. [Gen. 21:31.] + Now Esau was 40 years old when he took as wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. + And they made life bitter and a grief of mind and spirit for Isaac and Rebekah [their parents-in-law]. + + + WHEN ISAAC was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, My son! And he answered him, Here I am. + He said, See here now; I am old, I do not know when I may die. + So now, I pray you, take your weapons, your [arrows in a] quiver and your bow, and go out into the open country and hunt game for me, + And prepare me appetizing meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat of it, [preparatory] to giving you my blessing [as my firstborn] before I die. + But Rebekah heard what Isaac said to Esau his son; and when Esau had gone to the open country to hunt for game that he might bring it, + Rebekah said to Jacob her younger son, See here, I heard your father say to Esau your brother, + Bring me game and make me appetizing meat, so that I may eat and declare my blessing upon you before the Lord before my death. + So now, my son, do exactly as I command you. + Go now to the flock, and from it bring me two good and suitable kids; and I will make them into appetizing meat for your father, such as he loves. + And you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat and declare his blessing upon you before his death. + But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Listen, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. + Suppose my father feels me; I will seem to him to be a cheat and an imposter, and I will bring [his] curse on me and not [his] blessing. + But his mother said to him, On me be your curse, my son; only obey my word and go, fetch them to me. + So [Jacob] went, got [the kids], and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared appetizing meat with a delightful odor, such as his father loved. + Then Rebekah took her elder son Esau's best clothes which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. + And she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. + And she gave the savory meat and the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob. + So he went to his father and said, My father. And he said, Here am I; who are you, my son? + And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn; I have done what you told me to do. Now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may proceed to bless me. + And Isaac said to his son, How is it that you have found the game so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord your God caused it to come to me. + But Isaac said to Jacob, Come close to me, I beg of you, that I may feel you, my son, and know whether you really are my son Esau or not. + So Jacob went near to Isaac, and his father felt him and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. + He could not identify him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. + But he said, Are you really my son Esau? He answered, I am. + Then [Isaac] said, Bring it to me and I will eat of my son's game, that I may bless you. He brought it to him and he ate; and he brought him wine and he drank. + Then his father Isaac said, Come near and kiss me, my son. + So he came near and kissed him; and [Isaac] smelled his clothing and blessed him and said, The scent of my son is as the odor of a field which the Lord has blessed. + And may God give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the earth and abundance of grain and [new] wine; + Let peoples serve you and nations bow down to you; be master over your brothers, and let your mother's sons bow down to you. Let everyone be cursed who curses you and favored with blessings who blesses you. + As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob was scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. + Esau had also prepared savory food and brought it to his father and said to him, Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that you may bless me. + And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he replied, I am your son, your firstborn, Esau. + Then Isaac trembled and shook violently, and he said, Who? Where is he who has hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate of it all before you came and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed. + When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great and bitter cry and said to his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father! [Heb. 12:16, 17.] + [Isaac] said, Your brother came with crafty cunning and treacherous deceit and has taken your blessing. + [Esau] replied, Is he not rightly named Jacob [the supplanter]? For he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing! Have you not still a blessing reserved for me? + And Isaac answered Esau, Behold, I have made [Jacob] your lord and master; I have given all his brethren to him for servants, and with corn and [new] wine have I sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son? + Esau said to his father, Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father! And Esau lifted up [could not control] his voice and wept aloud. + Then Isaac his father answered, Your [blessing and] dwelling shall all come from the fruitfulness of the earth and from the dew of the heavens above; + By your sword you shall live and serve your brother. But [the time shall come] when you will grow restive and break loose, and you shall tear his yoke from off your neck. + And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are very near. When [he is gone] I will kill my brother Jacob. + These words of Esau her elder son were repeated to Rebekah. She sent for Jacob her younger son and said to him, See here, your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you [by intending] to kill you. + So now, my son, do what I tell you; arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran; + Linger and dwell with him for a while until your brother's fury is spent. + When your brother's anger is diverted from you, he will forget [the wrong] that you have done him. Then I will send and bring you back from there. Why should I be deprived of both of you in one day? + Then Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth [these wives of Esau]! If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these Hittite girls around here, what good will my life be to me? + + + SO ISAAC called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him, You shall not marry one of the women of Canaan. + Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take from there as a wife one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. + May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you until you become a group of peoples. + May He give the blessing [He gave to] Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land He gave to Abraham, in which you are a sojourner. + Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Padan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother. + Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Padan-aram to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him, he gave him a charge, saying, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; + And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan-aram. + Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac his father. + So Esau went to Ishmael and took to be his wife, [in addition] to the wives he [already] had, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth. + And Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. + And he came to a certain place and stayed there overnight, because the sun was set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down there to sleep. + And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! + And behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father [forefather] and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying. + And your offspring shall be as [countless as] the dust or sand of the ground, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and by you and your Offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed and bless themselves. [Gen. 12:2-3; 13:16; 22:18; 26:4; Acts 3:25-26; Gal. 3:8, 16.] + And behold, I am with you and will keep (watch over you with care, take notice of) you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done all of which I have told you. + And Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it. + He was afraid and said, How to be feared and reverenced is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven! + And Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone he had put under his head, and he set it up for a pillar (a monument to the vision in his dream), and he poured oil on its top [in dedication]. + And he named that place Bethel [the house of God]; but the name of that city was Luz at first. + Then Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear, + So that I may come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God; + And this stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument) shall be God's house [a sacred place to me], and of all [the increase of possessions] that You give me I will give the tenth to You. + + + THEN JACOB went [briskly and cheerfully] on his way and came to the land of the people of the East. + As he looked, he saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was a big one, + And when all the flocks were gathered there, [the shepherds] would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water the sheep, and replace the stone on the well's mouth. + And Jacob said to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are from Haran. + [Jacob] said to them, Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor? And they said, We know him. + He said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, He is doing well; and behold, here comes his daughter Rachel with [his] sheep! + He said, The sun is still high; it is a long time yet before the flocks need be gathered [in their folds]. [Why not] water the sheep and return them to their pasture? + But they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together; then [the shepherds] roll the stone from the well's mouth and we water the sheep. + While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she shepherded them. + When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his uncle, Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of his uncle Laban. + Then Jacob kissed Rachel and he wept aloud. + Jacob told Rachel he was her father's relative, Rebekah's son; and she ran and told her father. + When Laban heard of the arrival of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him and brought him to his house. And [Jacob] told Laban all these things. + Then Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And [Jacob] stayed with him a month. + Then Laban said to Jacob, Just because you are my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be? + Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel. + Leah's eyes were weak and dull looking, but Rachel was beautiful and attractive. + And Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, I will work for you for seven years for Rachel your younger daughter. + And Laban said, It is better that I give her to you than to another man. Stay and live with me. + And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. + Finally, Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my time is completed, so that I may take her to me. + And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast [with drinking]. + But when night came, he took Leah his daughter and brought her to [Jacob], who had intercourse with her. + And Laban gave Zilpah his maid to his daughter Leah to be her maid. + But in the morning [Jacob saw his wife, and] behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Did I not work for you [all those seven years] for Rachel? Why then have you deceived and cheated and thrown me down [like this]? + And Laban said, It is not permitted in our country to give the younger [in marriage] before the elder. + Finish the [wedding feast] week [for Leah]; then we will give you [Rachel] also, and you shall work for me yet seven more years in return. + So Jacob complied and fulfilled [Leah's] week; then [Laban] gave him Rachel his daughter as his wife. + (And Laban gave Bilhah his maid to Rachel his daughter to be her maid.) + And Jacob lived with Rachel also as his wife, and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served [Laban] another seven years [for her]. + And when the Lord saw that Leah was despised, He made her able to bear children, but Rachel was barren. + And Leah became pregnant and bore a son and named him Reuben [See, a son!]; for she said, Because the Lord has seen my humiliation and affliction; now my husband will love me. + [Leah] became pregnant again and bore a son and said, Because the Lord heard that I am despised, He has given me this son also; and she named him Simeon [God hears]. + And she became pregnant again and bore a son and said, Now this time will my husband be a companion to me, for I have borne him three sons. Therefore he was named Levi [companion]. + Again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, Now will I praise the Lord! So she called his name Judah [praise]; then [for a time] she ceased bearing. + + + WHEN RACHEL saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I will die! + And Jacob became very angry with Rachel and he said, Am I in God's stead, Who has denied you children? + And she said, See here, take my maid Bilhah and have intercourse with her; and [when the baby comes] she shall deliver it upon my knees, that I by her may also have children. + And she gave him Bilhah her maid as a [secondary] wife, and Jacob had intercourse with her. + And Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son. + And Rachel said, God has judged and vindicated me, and has heard my plea and has given me a son; so she named him Dan [judged]. + And Bilhah, Rachel's maid, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. + And Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings [in prayer to God] I have struggled with my sister and have prevailed; so she named him [this second son Bilhah bore] Naphtali [struggled]. + When Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she gave Zilpah her maid to Jacob as a [secondary] wife. + And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob a son. + Then Leah said, Victory and good fortune have come; and she named him Gad [fortune]. + Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob [her] second son. + And Leah said, I am happy, for women will call me blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied); and she named him Asher [happy]. + Now Reuben went at the time of wheat harvest and found some mandrakes (love apples) in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray you, some of your son's mandrakes. + But [Leah] answered, Is it not enough that you have taken my husband without your taking away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Jacob shall sleep with you tonight [in exchange] for your son's mandrakes. + And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, You must sleep with me [tonight], for I have certainly paid your hire with my son's mandrakes. So he slept with her that night. + And God heeded Leah's [prayer], and she conceived and bore Jacob [her] fifth son. + Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maid to my husband; and she called his name Issachar [hired]. + And Leah became pregnant again and bore Jacob [her] sixth son. + Then Leah said, God has endowed me with a good marriage gift [for my husband]; now will he dwell with me [and regard me as his wife in reality], because I have borne him six sons; and she named him Zebulun [dwelling]. + Afterwards she bore a daughter and called her Dinah. + Then God remembered Rachel and answered her pleading and made it possible for her to have children. + And [now for the first time] she became pregnant and bore a son; and she said, God has taken away my reproach, disgrace, and humiliation. + And she called his name Joseph [may he add] and said, May the Lord add to me another son. + When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my own place and country. + Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know the work which I have done for you. + And Laban said to him, If I have found favor in your sight, I pray you [do not go]; for I have learned by experience and from the omens in divination that the Lord has favored me with blessings on your account. + He said, State your salary and I will give it. + Jacob answered him, You know how I have served you, and how your possessions, your cattle and sheep and goats, have fared with me. + For you had little before I came, and it has increased and multiplied abundantly; and the Lord has favored you with blessings wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own house also? + [Laban] said, What shall I give you? And Jacob said, You shall not give me anything, if you will do this one thing for me [of which I am about to tell you], and I will again feed and take care of your flock. + Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted animal and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. + So later when the matter of my wages is brought before you, my fair dealing will be evident and answer for me. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the sheep, if found with me, shall be counted as stolen. + And Laban said, Good; let it be done as you say. + But that same day [Laban] removed the he-goats that were streaked and spotted and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every black lamb, and put them in charge of his sons. + And he set [a distance of] three days' journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob was then left in care of the rest of Laban's flock. + But Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white in the rods. + Then he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred and conceived when they came to drink, + The flocks bred and conceived in sight of the rods and brought forth lambs and kids streaked, speckled, and spotted. + Jacob separated the lambs, and [as he had done with the peeled rods] he also set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark in the [new] flock of Laban; and he put his own droves by themselves and did not let them breed with Laban's flock. + And whenever the stronger animals were breeding, Jacob laid the rods in the watering troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed and conceive among the rods. + But when the sheep and goats were feeble, he omitted putting the rods there; so the feebler animals were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. + Thus the man increased and became exceedingly rich, and had many sheep and goats, and maidservants, menservants, camels, and donkeys. + + + JACOB HEARD Laban's sons complaining, Jacob has taken away all that was our father's; he has acquired all this wealth and honor from what belonged to our father. + And Jacob noticed that Laban looked at him less favorably than before. + Then the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your people, and I will be with you. + So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, + And he said to them, I see how your father looks at me, that he is not [friendly] toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. + You know that I have served your father with all my might and power. + But your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. + If he said, The speckled shall be your wages, then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said, The streaked shall be your hire, then all the flock bore streaked. + Thus God has taken away the flocks of your father and given them to me. + And I had a dream at the time the flock conceived. I looked up and saw that the rams which mated with the she-goats were streaked, speckled, and spotted. + And the Angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob. And I said, Here am I. + And He said, Look up and see, all the rams which mate with the flock are streaked, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban does to you. + I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you vowed a vow to Me. Now arise, get out from this land and return to your native land. + And Rachel and Leah answered him, Is there any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? + Are we not counted by him as strangers? For he sold us and has also quite devoured our money [the price you paid for us]. + For all the riches which God has taken from our father are ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it. + Then Jacob rose up and set his sons and his wives upon the camels; + And he drove away all his livestock and all his gain which he had gotten, the livestock he had obtained and accumulated in Padan-aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. + Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep [possibly to the feast of sheepshearing], and Rachel stole her father's household gods. + And Jacob outwitted Laban the Syrian [Aramean] in that he did not tell him that he [intended] to flee and slip away secretly. + So he fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the river [Euphrates] and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. + But on the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. + So he took his kinsmen with him and pursued after [Jacob] for seven days, and they overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. + But God came to Laban the Syrian [Aramean] in a dream by night and said to him, Be careful that you do not speak from good to bad to Jacob [peaceably, then violently]. + Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the hill, and Laban coming with his kinsmen pitched [his tents] on the same hill of Gilead. + And Laban said to Jacob, What do you mean stealing away and leaving like this without my knowing it, and carrying off my daughters as if captives of the sword? + Why did you flee secretly and cheat me and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and gladness and with singing, with tambourine and lyre? + And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons [grandchildren] and my daughters good-bye? Now you have done foolishly [in behaving like this]. + It is in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Be careful that you do not speak from good to bad to Jacob [peaceably, then violently]. + And now you felt you must go because you were homesick for your father's house, but why did you steal my [household] gods? + Jacob answered Laban, Because I was afraid; for I thought, Suppose you would take your daughters from me by force. + The one with whom you find those gods of yours, let him not live. Here before our kinsmen [search my possessions and] take whatever you find that belongs to you. For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen [the images]. + So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went from Leah's tent into Rachel's tent. + Now Rachel had taken the images (gods) and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban searched and felt through all the tent, but did not find them. + And [Rachel] said to her father, Do not be displeased, my lord, that I cannot rise up before you, for the period of women is upon me and I am unwell. And he searched, but did not find the gods. + Then Jacob became angry and reproached and argued with Laban. And Jacob said to Laban, What is my fault? What is my sin, that you so hotly pursued me? + Although you have searched and felt through all my household possessions, what have you found of all your household goods? Put it here before my brethren and yours, that they may judge and decide between us. + These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your she-goats have not lost their young, and the rams of your flock have not been eaten by me. + I did not bring you [the carcasses of the animals] torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss of it; you required of me [to make good] all that was stolen, whether it occurred by day or by night. + This was [my lot]; by day the heat consumed me and by night the cold, and I could not sleep. + I have been twenty years in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks; and you have changed my wages ten times. + And if the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread [lest he should fall] and Fear [lest he offend] of Isaac, had not been with me, surely you would have sent me away now empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and humiliation and the [wearying] labor of my hands and rebuked you last night. + Laban answered Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, these children are my children, these flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? + So come now, let us make a covenant or league, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me. + So Jacob set up a stone for a pillar or monument. + And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap, and they ate [together] there upon the heap. [Prov. 16:7.] + Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha [witness heap, in Aramaic], but Jacob called it Galeed [witness heap, in Hebrew.] + Laban said, This heap is a witness today between you and me. Therefore it was named Galeed. + And [the pillar or monument was called] Mizpah [watchpost], for he [Laban] said, May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent and hidden one from another. + If you should afflict, humiliate, or lower [divorce] my daughters, or if you should take other wives beside my daughters, although no man is with us [to witness], see (remember), God is witness between you and me. + And Laban said to Jacob, See this heap and this pillar, which I have set up between you and me. + This heap is a witness and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you, and that you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. + The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, and the god [the object of worship] of their father [Terah, an idolator], judge between us. But Jacob swore [only] by [the one true God] the Dread and Fear of his father Isaac. [Josh. 24:2.] + Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his brethren to eat food; and they ate food and lingered all night on the mountain. + And early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and pronounced a blessing [asking God's favor] on them. Then Laban departed and returned to his home. + + + THEN JACOB went on his way, and God's angels met him. + When Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's army! So he named that place Mahanaim [two armies]. [Gen. 32:7, 10.] + And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. + And he commanded them, Say this to my lord Esau: Your servant Jacob says this: I have been living temporarily with Laban and have stayed there till now. + And I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and women servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find mercy and kindness in your sight. + And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau; and now he is [on the way] to meet you, and four hundred men are with him. + Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups, + Thinking, If Esau comes to the one group and smites it, then the other group which is left will escape. + Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord Who said to me, Return to your country and to your people and I will do you good, + I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and loving-kindness and all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant, for with [only] my staff I passed over this Jordan [long ago], and now I have become two companies. + Deliver me, I pray You, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite [us all], the mothers with the children. + And You said, I will surely do you good and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. + And Jacob lodged there that night and took from what he had with him as a present for his brother Esau: + Two hundred she-goats, 20 he-goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, + Thirty milk camels with their colts, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 she-donkeys, and 10 [donkey] colts. + And he put them into the charge of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, Pass over before me and put a space between drove and drove. + And he commanded the first, When Esau my brother meets you and asks to whom you belong, where you are going, and whose are the animals before you, + Then you shall say, They are your servant Jacob's; it is a present sent to my lord Esau; and moreover, he is behind us. + And so he commanded the second and the third and all that followed the droves, saying, This is what you are to say to Esau when you meet him. + And say, Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me. + So the present went on before him, and he himself lodged that night in the camp. + But he rose up that [same] night and took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons and passed over the ford [of the] Jabbok. + And he took them and sent them across the brook; also he sent over all that he had. + And Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. + And when [the Man] saw that He did not prevail against [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him. + Then He said, Let Me go, for day is breaking. But [Jacob] said, I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing upon me. + [The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler]! + And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed. [Hos. 12:3-4.] + Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what [in contrast] is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And [the Angel of God declared] a blessing on [Jacob] there. + And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God], saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared and not snatched away. + And as he passed Penuel [Peniel], the sun rose upon him, and he was limping because of his thigh. + That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the hollow of the thigh, because [the Angel of the Lord] touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh on the sinew of the hip. + + + AND JACOB raised his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming and with him 400 men. So he divided the children to Leah and to Rachel and to the two maids. + And he put the maids and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. + Then Jacob went over [the stream] before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. + But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. [Luke 15:20.] + [Esau] looked up and saw the women and the children and said, Who are these with you? And [Jacob] replied, They are the children whom God has graciously given your servant. + Then the maids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. + And Leah also with her children came near, and they bowed themselves. After them Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed themselves. + Esau said, What do you mean by all this company which I met? And he said, These are that I might find favor in the sight of my lord. + And Esau said, I have plenty, my brother; keep what you have for yourself. + But Jacob replied, No, I beg of you, if now I have found favor in your sight, receive my gift that I am presenting; for truly to see your face is to me as if I had seen the face of God, and you have received me favorably. + Accept, I beg of you, my blessing and gift that I have brought to you; for God has dealt graciously with me and I have everything. And he kept urging him and he accepted it. + Then [Esau] said, Let us get started on our journey, and I will go before you. + But Jacob replied, You know, my lord, that the children are tender and delicate and need gentle care, and the flocks and herds with young are of concern to me; for if the men should overdrive them for a single day, the whole of the flocks would die. + Let my lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant; and I will lead on slowly, governed by [consideration for] the livestock that set the pace before me and the endurance of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir. + Then Esau said, Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me. But [Jacob] said, What need is there for it? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord. + So Esau turned back that day on his way to Seir. + But Jacob journeyed to Succoth and built himself a house and made booths or places of shelter for his livestock; so the name of the place is called Succoth [booths]. + When Jacob came from Padan-aram, he arrived safely and in peace at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, and pitched his tents before the [enclosed] town. + Then he bought the piece of land on which he had encamped from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. + There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel [God, the God of Israel]. + + + NOW DINAH daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out [unattended] to see the girls of the place. + And when Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he seized her, lay with her, and humbled, defiled, and disgraced her. + But his soul longed for and clung to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke comfortingly to her young heart's wishes. + And Shechem said to his father Hamor, Get me this girl to be my wife. + Jacob heard that [Shechem] had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field. So Jacob held his peace until they came. + But Hamor father of Shechem went out to Jacob to have a talk with him. + When Jacob's sons heard it, they came from the field; and they were distressed and grieved and very angry, for [Shechem] had done a vile thing to Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which ought not to be done. + And Hamor conferred with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem craves your daughter [and sister]. I beg of you give her to him to be his wife. + And make marriages with us and give your daughters to us and take our daughters to you. + You shall dwell with us; the country will be open to you; live and trade and get your possessions in it. + And Shechem said to [Dinah's] father and to her brothers, Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask of me. + Ask me ever so much dowry and [marriage] gift, and I will give according to what you tell me; only give me the girl to be my wife. + The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, [justifying their intended action by saying, in effect, we are going to do this] because Shechem had defiled and disgraced their sister Dinah. + They said to them, We cannot do this thing and give our sister to one who is not circumcised, for that would be a reproach and disgrace to us. + But we do consent to do this: if you will become as we are and every male among you be circumcised, + Then we will give our daughters to you and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you and become one people. + But if you will not listen to us and consent to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go. + Their words pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. + And the young man did not delay to do the thing, for he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was honored above all his family [so, ranking first, he acted first]. + Then Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their [enclosed] town and discussed the matter with the citizens, saying, + These men are peaceable with us; so let them dwell in the land and trade in it; for the land is large enough [for us and] for them; let us take their daughters for wives and let us give them our daughters. + But the men will consent to our request that they live among us and be one people only on condition that every male among us be circumcised, as they are. + Shall not their cattle and their possessions and all their beasts be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell here with us. + And all the people who went out of the town gate listened and heeded what Hamor and Shechem said; and every male was circumcised who was a resident of that town. + But on the third day [after the circumcision] when [all the men] were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's [full] brothers, took their swords, boldly entered the city [without danger], and slew all the males. + And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house [where she had been all this time] and departed. + [Then the rest of] Jacob's [eleven] sons came upon the slain and plundered the town, because there their sister had been defiled and disgraced. + They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the town and in the field; + All their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive, making spoil even of all [they found] in the houses. + And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have ruined me, making me infamous and embroiling me with the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites! And we are few in number, and they will gather together against me and attack me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my household. + And they said, Should he [be permitted to] deal with our sister as with a harlot? + + + AND GOD said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. And make there an altar to God Who appeared to you [in a distinct manifestation] when you fled from the presence of Esau your brother. [Gen. 28:11-22.] + Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the [images of] strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves and change [into fresh] garments; + Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to God Who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me wherever I went. + So they [both young men and women] gave to Jacob all the strange gods they had and their earrings which were [worn as charms against evil] in their ears; and Jacob buried and hid them under the oak near Shechem. + And they journeyed and a terror from God fell on the towns round about them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. + So Jacob came to Luz, that is, Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people with him. + There he built an altar, and called the place El-bethel [God of Bethel], for there God revealed Himself to him when he fled from the presence of his brother. + But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and the name of it was called Allon-bacuth [oak of weeping]. + And God [in a distinctly visible manifestation] appeared to Jacob again when he came out of Padan-aram, and declared a blessing on him. [Gen. 32:28.] + Again God said to him, Your name is Jacob [supplanter]; you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So He called him Israel [contender with God]. + And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock; + The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land. + Then God ascended from him in the place where He talked with him. + And Jacob set up a pillar (monument) in the place where he talked with [God], a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it and he poured oil on it. + And Jacob called the name of the place where God had talked with him Bethel [house of God]. + And they journeyed from Bethel and had but a little way to go to Ephrath [Bethlehem] when Rachel suffered the pangs of childbirth and had hard labor. + When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid; you shall have this son also. + And as her soul was departing, for she died, she called his name Ben-oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Benjamin [son of the right hand]. + So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. + And Jacob set a pillar (monument) on her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. + Then Israel journeyed on and spread his tent on the other side of the tower of Edar. + When Israel dwelt there, Reuben [his eldest son] went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob's sons were twelve. + The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. + The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. + The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali. + And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob born to him in Padan-aram. + And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre or Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. + Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. + And Isaac's spirit departed; he died and was gathered to his people, being an old man, satisfied and satiated with days; his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. + + + NOW THIS is the history of the descendants of Esau, that is, Edom. + Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon the Hivite, + And Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth. + Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; + And Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau born to him in Canaan. + Now Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his beasts, and all his possessions which he had obtained in the land of Canaan, and he went into a land away from his brother Jacob. + For their great flocks and herds and possessions [which they had collected] made it impossible for them to dwell together; the land in which they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock. + So Esau dwelt in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom. + And this is the history of the descendants of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. + These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, Esau's wife, and Reuel, the son of Basemath, Esau's wife. + And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. + And Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son; and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. + And these are the sons of Oholibamah daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon, Esau's wife. She bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, + Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Adah. + These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, Mizzah. These are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the chiefs born of Oholibamah daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Esau, that is, Edom, and these are their chiefs. + These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. + The sons of Lotan are Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister is Timna. + The sons of Shobal are these: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. + These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. + The children of Anah are these: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah [Esau's wife]. + These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. + Ezer's sons are these: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. + The sons of Dishan are these: Uz and Aran. + The Horite chiefs are these: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, Dishan. These are the Horite chiefs, according to their clans, in the land of Seir. + And these are the kings who reigned in Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites: + Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom. And the name of his city was Dinhabah. + Now Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. + Then Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. + And Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his stead. The name of his [enclosed] city was Avith. + Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah succeeded him. + Then Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the river [Euphrates] reigned in his stead. + And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his stead. + Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, and then Hadar reigned. His [enclosed] city was Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. + And these are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and places of residence, by their names: Chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom [that is, of Esau the father of the Edomites], according to their dwelling places in their land. + + + SO JACOB dwelt in the land in which his father had been a stranger and sojourner, in the land of Canaan. + This is the history of the descendants of Jacob and this is Jacob's line. Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's [secondary] wives; and Joseph brought to his father a bad report of them. + Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a [distinctive] long tunic with sleeves. + But when his brothers saw that their father loved [Joseph] more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace [in friendly greeting] to him or speak peaceably to him. + Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him still more. + And he said to them, Listen now and hear, I pray you, this dream that I have dreamed: + We [brothers] were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about my sheaf and bowed down! + His brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or are you going to have us as your subjects and dominate us? And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said. + But Joseph dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers [also]. He said, See here, I have dreamed again, and behold, [this time not only] eleven stars [but also] the sun and the moon bowed down and did reverence to me! + And he told it to his father [as well as] his brethren. But his father rebuked him and said to him, What is the meaning of this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow down ourselves to the earth and do homage to you? + Joseph's brothers envied him and were jealous of him, but his father observed the saying and pondered over it. + Joseph's brothers went to shepherd and feed their father's flock near Shechem. + [One day] Israel said to Joseph, Do not your brothers shepherd my flock at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them. And he said, Here I am. + And [Jacob] said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether everything is all right with your brothers and with the flock; then come back and bring me word. So he sent him out of the Hebron Valley, and he came to Shechem. + And a certain man found him, and behold, he had lost his way and was wandering in the open country. The man asked him, What are you trying to find? + And he said, I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, I pray you, where they are pasturing our flocks. + But the man said, [They were here, but] they have gone. I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. + And when they saw him far off, even before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. + And they said one to another, See, here comes this dreamer and master of dreams. + So come on now, let us kill him and throw his body into some pit; then we will say [to our father], Some wild and ferocious animal has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams! + Now Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands by saying, Let us not kill him. + And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit or well that is out here in the wilderness and lay no hand on him. He was trying to get Joseph out of their hands in order to rescue him and deliver him again to his father. + When Joseph had come to his brothers, they stripped him of his [distinctive] long garment which he was wearing; + Then they took him and cast him into the [well-like] pit which was empty; there was no water in it. + Then they sat down to eat their lunch. When they looked up, behold, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites [mixed Arabians] coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum [of the styrax tree], balm (balsam), and myrrh or ladanum, going on their way to carry them down to Egypt. + And Judah said to his brothers, What do we gain if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? + Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites [and Midianites, these mixed Arabians who are approaching], and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers consented. + Then as the Midianite [and Ishmaelite] merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the well. And they sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph [captive] into Egypt. + Then Reuben [who had not been there when the brothers plotted to sell the lad] returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit, and he rent his clothes. + He rejoined his brothers and said, The boy is not there! And I, where shall I go [to hide from my father]? + Then they took Joseph's [distinctive] long garment, killed a young goat, and dipped the garment in the blood; + And they sent the garment to their father, saying, We have found this! Examine and decide whether it is your son's tunic or not. + He said, My son's long garment! An evil [wild] beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. + And Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned many days for his son. + And all his sons and daughters attempted to console him, but he refused to be comforted and said, I will go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) to my son mourning. And his father wept for him. + And the Midianites [and Ishmaelites] sold [Joseph] in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain and chief executioner of the [royal] guard. + + + AT THAT time Judah withdrew from his brothers and went to [lodge with] a certain Adullamite named Hirah. + There Judah saw and met a daughter of Shuah, a Canaanite; he took her as wife and lived with her. + And she became pregnant and bore a son, and he called him Er. + And she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan. + Again she conceived and bore a son and named him Shelah. [They were living] at Chezib when she bore him. + Now Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn; her name was Tamar. + And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him. + Then Judah told Onan, Marry your brother's widow; live with her and raise offspring for your brother. + But Onan knew that the family would not be his, so when he cohabited with his brother's widow, he prevented conception, lest he should raise up a child for his brother. + And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He slew him also. + Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at your father's house till Shelah my [youngest] son is grown; for he thought, Lest perhaps [if Shelah should marry her] he would die also, as his brothers did. So Tamar went and lived in her father's house. + But later Judah's wife, the daughter of Shuah, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnath with his friend Hirah the Adullamite. + Then it was told Tamar, Listen, your father-in-law is going up to Timnath to shear his sheep. + So she put off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself up [in disguise], and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given to him as his wife. + When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot or devoted prostitute [under a vow to her goddess], for she had covered her face [as such women did]. + He turned to her by the road and said, Come, let me have intercourse with you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me that you may have intercourse with me? + He answered, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge (deposit) until you send it? + And he said, What pledge shall I give you? She said, Your signet [seal], your [signet] cord, and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her and came in to her, and she became pregnant by him. + And she arose and went away and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. + And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand; but he was unable to find her. + He asked the men of that place, Where is the harlot or cult prostitute who was openly by the roadside? They said, There was no harlot or temple prostitute here. + So he returned to Judah and said, I cannot find her; and also the local men said, There was no harlot or temple prostitute around here. + And Judah said, Let her keep [the pledge articles] for herself, lest we be made ashamed. I sent this kid, but you have not found her. + But about three months later Judah was told, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot, and also she is with child by her lewdness. And Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burned! + When she was brought forth, she [took the things he had given her in pledge and] sent [them] to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man to whom these articles belong. Then she added, Make out clearly, I pray you, to whom these belong, the signet [seal], [signet] cord, and staff. + And Judah acknowledged them and said, She has been more righteous and just than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he did not cohabit with her again. + Now when the time came for her to be delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb. + And when she was in labor, one baby put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and bound upon it a scarlet thread, saying, This baby was born first. + But he drew back his hand, and behold, his brother was born first. And she said, What a breaking forth you have made for yourself! Therefore his name was called Perez [breaking forth]. [Matt. 1:3.] + And afterward his brother who had the scarlet thread on his hand was born and was named Zerah [scarlet]. + + + AND JOSEPH was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain and chief executioner of the [royal] guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. + But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. + And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand. [Gen. 21:22; 26:27, 28; 41:38, 39.] + So Joseph pleased [Potiphar] and found favor in his sight, and he served him. And [his master] made him supervisor over his house and he put all that he had in his charge. + From the time that he made him supervisor in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the Lord's blessing was on all that he had in the house and in the field. + And [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph's charge and paid no attention to anything he had except the food he ate. Now Joseph was an attractive person and fine-looking. + Then after a time his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. + But he refused and said to his master's wife, See here, with me in the house my master has concern about nothing; he has put all that he has in my care. + He is not greater in this house than I am; nor has he kept anything from me except you, for you are his wife. How then can I do this great evil and sin against God? + She spoke to Joseph day after day, but he did not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her. + Then it happened about this time that Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the men of the house were indoors. + And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out [of the house]. + And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled away, + She called to the men of her household and said to them, Behold, he [your master] has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock and insult us; he came in where I was to lie with me, and I screamed at the top of my voice. + And when he heard me screaming and crying, he left his garment with me and fled and got out of the house. + And she laid up his garment by her until his master came home. + Then she told him the same story, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought among us came to me to mock and insult me. + And when I screamed and cried, he left his garment with me and fled out [of the house]. + And when [Joseph's] master heard the words of his wife, saying to him, This is the way your servant treated me, his wrath was kindled. + And Joseph's master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the state prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison. + But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy and loving-kindness and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. + And the warden of the prison committed to Joseph's care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever was done there, he was in charge of it. + The prison warden paid no attention to anything that was in [Joseph's] charge, for the Lord was with him and made whatever he did to prosper. + + + NOW SOME time later the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, Egypt's king. + And Pharaoh was angry with his officers, the chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers. + He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. + And the captain of the guard put them in Joseph's charge, and he served them; and they continued in custody for some time. + And they both dreamed a dream in the same night, each man according to [the personal significance of] the interpretation of his dream--the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison. + When Joseph came to them in the morning and looked at them, he saw that they were sad and depressed. + So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with him in his master's house, Why do you look so dejected and sad today? + And they said to him, We have dreamed dreams, and there is no one to interpret them. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me [your dreams], I pray you. + And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said to him, In my dream I saw a vine before me, + And on the vine were three branches. Then it was as though it budded; its blossoms burst forth and the clusters of them brought forth ripe grapes [almost all at once]. + And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup; then I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. + And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. + Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will again put Pharaoh's cup into his hand, as when you were his butler. + But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. + For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon. + When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also dreamed, and behold, I had three cake baskets on my head. + And in the uppermost basket were some of all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds [of prey] were eating out of the basket on my head. + And Joseph answered, This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. + Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head but will have you beheaded and hung on a tree, and [you will not so much as be given burial, but] the birds will eat your flesh. + And on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the heads of the chief butler and the chief baker [by inviting them also] among his servants. + And he restored the chief butler to his butlership, and the butler gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand; + But [Pharaoh] hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. + But [even after all that] the chief butler gave no thought to Joseph, but forgot [all about] him. + + + AFTER TWO full years, Pharaoh dreamed that he stood by the river [Nile]. + And behold, there came up out of the river [Nile] seven well-favored cows, sleek and handsome and fat; and they grazed in the reed grass [in a marshy pasture]. + And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river [Nile], ill favored and gaunt and ugly, and stood by the fat cows on the bank of the river [Nile]. + And the ill-favored, gaunt, and ugly cows ate up the seven well-favored and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. + But he slept and dreamed the second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came out on one stalk, plump and good. + And behold, after them seven ears [of grain] sprouted, thin and blighted by the east wind. + And the seven thin ears [of grain] devoured the seven plump and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. + So when morning came his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but not one could interpret them to [him]. + Then the chief butler said to Pharaoh, I remember my faults today. + When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker, + We dreamed a dream in the same night, he and I; we dreamed each of us according to [the significance of] the interpretation of his dream. + And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard and chief executioner; and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted them to us, to each man according to the significance of his dream. + And as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass; I was restored to my office [as chief butler], and the baker was hanged. + Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. But Joseph [first] shaved himself, changed his clothes, and made himself presentable; then he came into Pharaoh's presence. + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream and interpret it. + Joseph answered Pharaoh, It is not in me; God [not I] will give Pharaoh a [favorable] answer of peace. + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river [Nile]; + And behold, there came up out of the river [Nile] seven fat, sleek, and handsome cows, and they grazed in the reed grass [of a marshy pasture]. + And behold, seven other cows came up after them, undernourished, gaunt, and ugly [just skin and bones; such emaciated animals] as I have never seen in all of Egypt. + And the lean and ill favored cows ate up the seven fat cows that had come first. + And when they had eaten them up, it could not be detected and known that they had eaten them, for they were still as thin and emaciated as at the beginning. Then I awoke. [But again I fell asleep and dreamed.] + And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears [of grain] growing on one stalk, plump and good. + And behold, seven [other] ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. + And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. Now I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could tell me what it meant. + Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The [two] dreams are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. + The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears [of grain] are seven years; the [two] dreams are one [in their meaning]. + And the seven thin and ill favored cows that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears [of grain], blighted and shriveled by the east wind; they are seven years of hunger and famine. + This is the message just as I have told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. + Take note! Seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming. + Then there will come seven years of hunger and famine, and [there will be so much want that] all the great abundance of the previous years will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and hunger (destitution, starvation) will exhaust (consume, finish) the land. + And the plenty will become quite unknown in the land because of that following famine, for it will be very woefully severe. + That the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh and in two forms indicates that this thing which God will very soon bring to pass is fully prepared and established by God. + So now let Pharaoh seek out and provide a man discreet, understanding, proficient, and wise and set him over the land of Egypt [as governor]. + Let Pharaoh do this; then let him select and appoint officers over the land, and take one-fifth [of the produce] of the [whole] land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years [year by year]. + And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and lay up grain under the direction and authority of Pharaoh, and let them retain food [in fortified granaries] in the cities. + And that food shall be put in store for the country against the seven years of hunger and famine that are to come upon the land of Egypt, so that the land may not be ruined and cut off by the famine. + And the plan seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. + And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find this man's equal, a man in whom is the spirit of God? + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Forasmuch as [your] God has shown you all this, there is nobody as intelligent and discreet and understanding and wise as you are. + You shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall be governed according to your word [with reverence, submission, and obedience]. Only in matters of the throne will I be greater than you are. + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. + And Pharaoh took off his [signet] ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in [official] vestments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck; + He made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and [officials] cried before him, Bow the knee! And he set him over all the land of Egypt. + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. + And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph made an [inspection] tour of all the land of Egypt. + Joseph [who had been in Egypt thirteen years] was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went [about his duties] through all the land of Egypt. + In the seven abundant years the earth brought forth by handfuls [for each seed planted]. + And he gathered up all the [surplus] food of the seven [good] years in the land of Egypt and stored up the food in the cities; he stored away in each city the food from the fields around it. + And Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it could not be measured. + Now to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, bore to him. + And Joseph called the firstborn Manasseh [making to forget], For God, said he, has made me forget all my toil and hardship and all my father's house. + And the second he called Ephraim [to be fruitful], For [he said] God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. + When the seven years of plenty were ended in the land of Egypt, + The seven years of scarcity and famine began to come, as Joseph had said they would; the famine was in all [the surrounding] lands, but in all of Egypt there was food. + But when all the land of Egypt was weakened with hunger, the people [there] cried to Pharaoh for food; and Pharaoh said to [them] all, Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do. + When the famine was over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; for the famine grew extremely distressing in the land of Egypt. + And all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all [the known] earth. + + + NOW WHEN Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, Why do you look at one another? + For, he said, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; get down there and buy [grain] for us, that we may live and not die. + So ten of Joseph's brethren went to buy grain in Egypt. + But Benjamin, Joseph's [full] brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers; for he said, Lest perhaps some harm or injury should befall him. + So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who came, for there was hunger and general lack of food in the land of Canaan. + Now Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was who sold to all the people of the land; and Joseph's [half] brothers came and bowed themselves down before him with their faces to the ground. + Joseph saw his brethren and he recognized them, but he treated them as if he were a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. He said, Where do you come from? And they replied, From the land of Canaan to buy food. + Joseph knew his brethren, but they did not know him. + And Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them and said to them, You are spies and with unfriendly purpose you have come to observe [secretly] the nakedness of the land. + But they said to him, No, my lord, but your servants have come [only] to buy food. + We are all one man's sons; we are true men; your servants are not spies. + And he said to them, No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land. + But they said, Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest is today with our father, and one is not. + And Joseph said to them, It is as I said to you, You are spies. + You shall be proved by this test: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go away from here unless your youngest brother comes here. + Send one of you and let him bring your brother, and you will be kept in prison, that your words may be proved whether there is any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh you certainly are spies. + Then he put them all in custody for three days. + And Joseph said to them on the third day, Do this and live! I reverence and fear God. + If you are true men, let one of your brothers be bound in your prison, but [the rest of] you go and carry grain for those weakened with hunger in your households. + But bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be verified and you shall live. And they did so. + And they said one to another, We are truly guilty about our brother, for we saw the distress and anguish of his soul when he begged us [to let him go], and we would not hear. So this distress and difficulty has come upon us. + Reuben answered them, Did I not tell you, Do not sin against the boy, and you would not hear? Therefore, behold, his blood is required [of us]. + But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. + And he turned away from them and wept; then he returned to them and talked with them, and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes. + Then [privately] Joseph commanded that their sacks be filled with grain, every man's money be restored to his sack, and provisions be given to them for the journey. And this was done for them. + They loaded their donkeys with grain and left. + And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he caught sight of his money; for behold, it was in his sack's mouth. + And he said to his brothers, My money is restored! Here it is in my sack! And their hearts failed them and they were afraid and turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God has done to us? + When they came to Jacob their father in Canaan, they told him all that had befallen them, saying, + The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us and took us for spies of the country. + And we said to him, We are true men, not spies. + We are twelve brothers with the same father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan. + And the man, the lord of the country, said to us, By this test I will know whether or not you are honest men: leave one of your brothers here with me and take grain for your famishing households and be gone. + Bring your youngest brother to me; then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. And I will deliver to you your brother [whom I have kept bound in prison], and you may do business in the land. + When they emptied their sacks, behold, every man's parcel of money was in his sack! When both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. + And Jacob their father said to them, You have bereaved me! Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you would take Benjamin from me. All these things are against me! + And Reuben said to his father, Slay my two sons if I do not bring [Benjamin] back to you. Deliver him into my keeping, and I will bring him back to you. + But [Jacob] said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left [of his mother's children]; if harm or accident should befall him on the journey you are to take, you would bring my hoary head down to Sheol (the place of the dead) with grief. + + + BUT THE hunger and destitution and starvation were very severe and extremely distressing in the land [Canaan]. + And when [the families of Jacob's sons] had eaten up the grain which the men had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, Go again; buy us a little food. + But Judah said to him, The man solemnly and sternly warned us, saying, You shall not see my face again unless your brother is with you. + If you will send our brother with us, we will go down [to Egypt] and buy you food; + But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you. + And Israel said, Why did you do me such a wrong and suffer this evil to come upon me by telling the man that you had another brother? + And they said, The man asked us straightforward questions about ourselves and our relatives. He said, Is your father still alive? Have you another brother? And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down here? + And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. + I will be security for him; you shall require him of me [personally]; if I do not bring him back to you and put him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. + For if we had not lingered like this, surely by now we would have returned the second time. + And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so, now do this; take of the choicest products in the land in your sacks and carry down a present to the man, a little balm (balsam) and a little honey, aromatic spices and gum (of rock rose) or ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds. + And take double the [grain] money with you; and the money that was put back in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again with you; there is a possibility that [its being in your sacks] was an oversight. + Take your brother and arise and return to the man; + May God Almighty give you mercy and favor before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved [of my sons], I am bereaved. + Then the men took the present, and they took double the [grain] money with them, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. + And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house and kill an animal and make ready, for the men will dine with me at noon. + And the man did as Joseph ordered and brought the men to Joseph's house. + The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we came, so that he may find occasion to accuse and assail us, take us for slaves, and seize our donkeys. + So they came near to the steward of Joseph's house and talked with him at the door of the house, + And said, O sir, we came down truly the first time to buy food; + And when we came to the inn, we opened our sacks and there was each man's money, full weight, returned in the mouth of his sack. Now we have brought it back again. + And we have brought down with us other money to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks. + But [the steward] said, Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money. And he brought Simeon out to them. + And the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys provender. + And they made ready the present they had brought for Joseph before his coming at noon, for they heard that they were to dine there. + And when Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which they had with them, and bowed themselves to him to the ground. + He asked them of their welfare and said, Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive? + And they answered, Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive. And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance. + And he looked up and saw his [full] brother Benjamin, his mother's [only other] son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son! + And Joseph hurried from the room, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought privacy to weep; so he entered his chamber and wept there. + And he washed his face and went out, and, restraining himself, said, Let dinner be served. + And [the servants] set out [the food] for [Joseph] by himself, and for [his brothers] by themselves, and for those Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, according to the Egyptian custom not to eat food with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. + And [Joseph's brothers] were given seats before him--the eldest according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another amazed [that so much was known about them]. + [Joseph] took and sent helpings to them from before him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank freely and were merry with him. + + + AND HE commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. + And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money. And [the steward] did according to what Joseph had said. + As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. + When they had left the city and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good? [Why have you stolen the silver cup?] + Is it not my master's drinking cup with which he divines [the future]? You have done wrong in doing this. + And the steward overtook them, and he said to them these same words. + They said to him, Why does my lord say these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! + Note that the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal from your master's house silver or gold? + With whomever of your servants [your master's cup] is found, not only let that one die, but the rest of us will be my lord's slaves. + And the steward said, Now let it be as you say: he with whom [the cup] is found shall be my slave, but [the rest of] you shall be blameless. + Then quickly every man lowered his sack to the ground and every man opened his sack. + And [the steward] searched, beginning with the eldest and stopping with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. + Then they rent their clothes; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city. + Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, for he was still there; and they fell prostrate before him. + Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can certainly detect and know by divination [everything you do without other knowledge of it]? + And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we reply? Or how shall we clear ourselves, since God has found out and exposed the iniquity of your servants? Behold, we are my lord's slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found. + But [Joseph] said, God forbid that I should do that; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for [the rest of] you, arise and go in peace to your father. + Then Judah came close to [Joseph] and said, O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word to you in private, and let not your anger blaze against your servant, for you are as Pharaoh [so I will speak as if directly to him]. + My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother? + And we said to my lord, We have a father--an old man--and a young [brother, the] child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's [offspring], and his father loves him. + And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. + And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should do so, his father would die. + And you told your servants, Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you shall not see my face again. + And when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. + And our father said, Go again and buy us a little food. + But we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man's face except our youngest brother is with us. + And your servant my father said to us, You know that [Rachel] my wife bore me two sons: + And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since. + And if you take this son also from me, and harm or accident should befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow and evil to Sheol (the place of the dead). + Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life and his soul knit with the lad's soul, + When he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants will be responsible for his death and will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. + For your servant became security for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever. + Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant remain instead of the youth [to be] a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his [half] brothers. + For how can I go up to my father if the lad is not with me?--lest I witness the woe and the evil that will come upon my father. + + + THEN JOSEPH could not restrain himself [any longer] before all those who stood by him, and he called out, Cause every man to go out from me! So no one stood there with Joseph while he made himself known to his brothers. + And he wept and sobbed aloud, and the Egyptians [who had just left him] heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. + And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph! Is my father still alive? And his brothers could not reply, for they were distressingly disturbed and dismayed at [the startling realization that they were in] his presence. + And Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, I pray you. And they did so. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt! + But now, do not be distressed and disheartened or vexed and angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. + For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years more in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. + God sent me before you to preserve for you a posterity and to continue a remnant on the earth, to save your lives by a great escape and save for you many survivors. + So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. + Hurry and go up to my father and tell him, Your son Joseph says this to you: God has put me in charge of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay. + You will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be close to me--you and your children and your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all you have. + And there I will sustain and provide for you, so that you and your household and all that are yours may not come to poverty and want, for there are yet five [more] years of [the scarcity, hunger, and starvation of] famine. + Now notice! Your own eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I am talking to you personally [in your language and not through an interpreter]. + And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here. + And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. + Moreover, he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers conversed with him. + When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Tell your brothers this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, + And get your father and your households and come to me. And I will give you the best in the land of Egypt and you will live on the fat of the land. + You therefore command them, saying, You do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. + Also do not look with regret or concern upon your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. + And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, as the order of Pharaoh permitted, and gave them provisions for the journey. + To each of them he gave changes of raiment, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of raiment. + And to his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-donkeys laden with grain, bread, and nourishing food and provision for his father [to supply all who were with him] on the way. + So he sent his brothers away, and they departed, and he said to them, See that you do not disagree (get excited, quarrel) along the road. + So they went up out of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, + And they said to him, Joseph is still alive! And he is governor over all the land of Egypt! And Jacob's heart began to stop beating and [he almost] fainted, for he did not believe them. + But when they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived [and warmth and life returned]. + And Israel said, It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. + + + SO ISRAEL made his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba [a place hallowed by sacred memories] and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. [Gen. 21:33; 26:23-25.] + And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, Jacob! Jacob! And he said, Here am I. + And He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will there make of you a great nation. + I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you [your people Israel] up again; and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes [when they are about to close in death]. + So Jacob arose and set out from Beersheba, and Israel's sons conveyed their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. + And they took their cattle and the gains which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him: + His sons and his sons' sons with him, his daughters and his sons' daughters--all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt. + And these are the names of the descendants of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. + And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. + The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. + The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. + These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah. All of his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. + The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. + The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. + These are the sons of Zilpah, [the maid] whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. And these she bore to Jacob--sixteen persons all told. + The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. + And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. + And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. + These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob--fourteen persons in all. + The son of Dan: Hushim. + The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. + These are the sons of Bilhah, [the maid] whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. And she bore these to Jacob--seven persons in all. + All the persons who came with Jacob into Egypt--who were his own offspring, not counting the wives of Jacob's sons--were sixty-six persons all told. + And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob [including Joseph and Jacob himself], who came into Egypt, were seventy. + And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen and meet him there; and they came into the land of Goshen. + Then Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen; and he presented himself and gave distinct evidence of himself to him [that he was Joseph], and [each] fell on the [other's] neck and wept on his neck a good while. + And Israel said to Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen your face [and know] that you are still alive. + Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, I will go up and tell Pharaoh and say to him, My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. + And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been keeping livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have. + When Pharaoh calls you and says, What is your occupation? + You shall say, Your servants' occupation has been as keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers before us--in order that you may live in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. + + + THEN JOSEPH came and told Pharaoh, My father and my brothers, with their flocks and their herds and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan, and they are in the land of Goshen. + And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. + And Pharaoh said to his brothers, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers before us. + Moreover, they said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for your servants have no pasture for our flocks, for the famine is very severe in Canaan. So now, we pray you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen. + And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, Your father and your brothers have come to you. + The land of Egypt is before you; make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any men of ability among them, put them in charge of my cattle. + Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and presented him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. + And Pharaoh asked Jacob, How old are you? + Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are 130 years; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and they have not attained to those of the life of my fathers in their pilgrimage. + And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. + Joseph settled his father and brethren and gave them a possession in Egypt in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses (Goshen), as Pharaoh commanded. + And Joseph supplied his father and his brethren and all his father's household with food, according to [the needs of] their families. + [In the course of time] there was no food in all the land, for the famine was distressingly severe, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan hung in doubt and wavered by reason of the hunger (destitution, starvation) of the famine. + And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan [in payment] for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. + And when the money was exhausted in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, Give us food! Why should we die before your very eyes? For we have no money left. + Joseph said, Give up your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for [them] if your money is gone. + So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and [he] gave them food in exchange for the horses, flocks, cattle of the herds, and the donkeys; and he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. + When that year was ended, they came to [Joseph] the second year and said to him, We will not hide from my lord [the fact] that our money is spent; my lord also has our herds of livestock; there is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. + Why should we perish before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed [to plant], that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate. + And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field because of the overwhelming severity of the famine upon them. The land became Pharaoh's, + And as for the people, he removed them to cities and practically made slaves of them [at their own request], from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other. + Only the priests' land he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed pension from Pharaoh and lived on the amount Pharaoh gave them. So they did not sell their land. + Then Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. + At [harvest time when you reap] the increase, you shall give one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own to use for seed for the field and as food for you and those of your households and for your little ones. + And they said, You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord; and we will be Pharaoh's servants. + And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt--to this day--that Pharaoh should have the fifth part [of the crops]; it was the priests' land only which did not become Pharaoh's. + And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they gained possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. + And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so Jacob reached the age of 147 years. + When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and [promise to] deal loyally and faithfully with me. Do not bury me, I beg of you, in Egypt, + But let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place. And [Joseph] said, I will do as you have directed. + Then Jacob said, Swear to me [that you will do it]. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself upon the head of the bed. + + + SOME TIME after these things occurred, someone told Joseph, Behold, your father is sick. And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim [and went to Goshen]. + When Jacob was told, Your son Joseph has come to you, Israel collected his strength and sat up on the bed. + And Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz [Bethel] in the land of Canaan and blessed me + And said to me, Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you a multitude of people and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession. [Gen. 28:13-22; 35:6-15.] + And now your two sons, [Ephraim and Manasseh], who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine. [I am adopting them, and now] as Reuben and Simeon, [they] shall be mine. + But other sons who may be born after them shall be your own; and they shall be called after the names of these [two] brothers and reckoned as belonging to them [when they come] into their inheritance. + And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died at my side in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was but a little way to come to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. + When Israel [almost blind] saw Joseph's sons, he said, Who are these? + And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And he said, Bring them to me, I pray you, that I may bless them. + Now Israel's eyes were dim from age, so that he could not see. And Joseph brought them near to him, and he kissed and embraced them. + Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought that I would see your face, but see, God has shown me your offspring also. + Then Joseph took [the boys] from [his father's embrace] and he bowed [before him] with his face to the earth. + Then Joseph took both [boys], Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him. + And Israel reached out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands intentionally, for Manasseh was the firstborn. + Then [Jacob] blessed Joseph and said, God [Himself], before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac lived and walked habitually, God [Himself], Who has [been my Shepherd and has led and] fed me from the time I came into being until this day, + The redeeming Angel [that is, the Angel the Redeemer--not a created being but the Lord Himself] Who has redeemed me continually from every evil, bless the lads! And let my name be perpetuated in them [may they be worthy of having their names coupled with mine], and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them become a multitude in the midst of the earth. + When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand to move it to Manasseh's head. + And Joseph said, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; put your right hand upon his head. + But his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people and shall be great; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations. + And he blessed them that day, saying, By you shall Israel bless [one another], saying, May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. + And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I [am about to] die, but God will be with you and bring you again to the land of your fathers. + Moreover, I have given to you [Joseph] one portion [Shechem, one mountain slope] more than any of your brethren, which I took [reclaiming it] out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow. [Gen. 33:18, 19; Josh. 24:32, 33; John 4:5.] + + + AND JACOB called for his sons and said, Gather yourselves together [around me], that I may tell you what shall befall you in the latter or last days. + Gather yourselves together and hear, you sons of Jacob; and hearken to Israel your father. + Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning (the firstfruits) of my manly strength and vigor; [your birthright gave you] the preeminence in dignity and the preeminence in power. + But unstable and boiling over like water, you shall not excel and have the preeminence [of the firstborn], because you went to your father's bed; you defiled it--he went to my couch! [Gen. 35:22.] + Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel]; their swords are weapons of violence. [Gen. 34:25-29.] + O my soul, come not into their secret council; unto their assembly let not my honor be united [for I knew nothing of their plot], because in their anger they slew men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites], and in their self-will they disabled oxen. + Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. + Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down to you. + Judah, a lion's cub! With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, and like a lioness--who dares provoke and rouse him? [Rev. 5:5.] + The scepter or leadership shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes to Whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. [Num. 24:17; Ps. 60:7.] + Binding His foal to the vine and His donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washes His garments in wine and His clothes in the blood of grapes. [Isa. 63:1-3; Zech. 9:9; Rev. 19:11-16.] + His eyes are darker and more sparkling than wine, and His teeth whiter than milk. + Zebulun shall live toward the seashore, and he shall be a haven and a landing place for ships; and his border shall be toward Sidon. + Issachar is a strong-boned donkey crouching down between the sheepfolds. + And he saw that rest was good and that the land was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulder to bear [his burdens] and became a servant to tribute [subjected to forced labor]. + Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. + Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites at the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. + I wait for Your salvation, O Lord. + Gad--a raiding troop shall raid him, but he shall raid at their heels and assault them [victoriously]. + Asher's food [supply] shall be rich and fat, and he shall yield and deliver royal delights. + Naphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns. + Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well (spring or fountain), whose branches run over the wall. + Skilled archers have bitterly attacked and sorely worried him; they have shot at him and persecuted him. + But his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, [Gen. 48:15; Deut. 32:4; Isa. 9:6; 49:26.] + By the God of your father, Who will help you, and by the Almighty, Who will bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings lying in the deep beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. + The blessings of your father [on you] are greater than the blessings of my forefathers [Abraham and Isaac on me] and are as lasting as the bounties of the eternal hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was the consecrated one and the one separated from his brethren and [the one who] is prince among them. + Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at night dividing the spoil. + All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one according to the blessing suited to him. + He charged them and said to them, I am to be gathered to my [departed] people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, + In the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field of Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a cemetery. [Gen. 23:17-20.] + There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. + The purchase of the field and the cave that is in it was from the sons of Heth. + When Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his [departed] people. + + + THEN JOSEPH fell upon his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. + And Joseph ordered his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. + Then forty days were devoted [to this purpose] for him, for that is the customary number of days required for those who are embalmed. And the Egyptians wept and bemoaned him [as they would for royalty] for seventy days. + And when the days of his weeping and deep grief were past, Joseph said to [the nobles of] the house of Pharaoh, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, to Pharaoh [for Joseph was dressed in mourning and could not do so himself], saying, + My father made me swear, saying, I am about to die; in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me. So now let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will come again. + And Pharaoh said, Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear. + And Joseph went up [to Canaan] to bury his father; and with him went all the officials of Pharaoh--the nobles of his court, and the elders of his house and all the nobles and elders of the land of Egypt-- + And all the household of Joseph and his brethren and his father's household. Only their little ones and their flocks and herds they left in the land of Goshen. + And there went with [Joseph] both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. + And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond [west of] the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great lamentation and extreme demonstrations of sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and [Joseph] made a mourning for his father seven days. + When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians. Therefore the place was called Abel-mizraim [mourning of Egypt]; it is west of the Jordan. + Thus [Jacob's] sons did for him as he had commanded them. + For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought, along with the field, for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite. + After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brethren and all who had gone up with him. + When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Perhaps now Joseph will hate us and will pay us back for all the evil we did to him. + And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, Your father commanded before he died, saying, + So shall you say to Joseph: Forgive (take up and away all resentment and all claim to requital concerning), I pray you now, the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now, we pray you, forgive the trespass of the servants of your father's God. And Joseph wept when they spoke thus to him. + Then his brothers went and fell down before him, saying, See, we are your servants (your slaves)! + And Joseph said to them, Fear not; for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.] + As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day. + Now therefore, do not be afraid. I will provide for and support you and your little ones. And he comforted them [imparting cheer, hope, strength] and spoke to their hearts [kindly]. + Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived 110 years. + And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation; the children also of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph's knees. + And Joseph said to his brethren, I am going to die. But God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land to the land He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you]. + And Joseph took an oath from the sons of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and you will carry up my bones from here. + So Joseph died, being 110 years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + + THESE ARE the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: + Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, + Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, + Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. + All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. + Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. + But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, and the land was full of them. + Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. + He said to his people, Behold, the Israelites are too many and too mighty for us [and they outnumber us both in people and in strength]. + Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply more and, should war befall us, they join our enemies, fight against us, and escape out of the land. + So they set over [the Israelites] taskmasters to afflict and oppress them with [increased] burdens. And [the Israelites] built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. + But the more [the Egyptians] oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, so that [the Egyptians] were vexed and alarmed because of the Israelites. + And the Egyptians reduced the Israelites to severe slavery. + They made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar, brick, and all kinds of work in the field. All their service was with harshness and severity. + Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom one was named Shiprah and the other Puah, + When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live. + But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded, but let the male babies live. + So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing and allowed the male children to live? + The midwives answered Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and quickly delivered; their babies are born before the midwife comes to them. + So God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and became very strong. + And because the midwives revered and feared God, He made them households [of their own]. + Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son born [to the Hebrews] you shall cast into the river [Nile], but every daughter you shall allow to live. + + + NOW [Amram] a man of the house of Levi [the priestly tribe] went and took as his wife [Jochebed] a daughter of Levi. [Exod. 6:18, 20; Num. 26:59.] + And the woman became pregnant and bore a son; and when she saw that he was [exceedingly] beautiful, she hid him three months. [Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23.] + And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark or basket made of bulrushes or papyrus [making it watertight by] daubing it with bitumen and pitch. Then she put the child in it and laid it among the rushes by the brink of the river [Nile]. + And his sister [Miriam] stood some distance away to learn what would be done to him. + Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked along the bank; she saw the ark among the rushes and sent her maid to fetch it. + When she opened it, she saw the child; and behold, the baby cried. And she took pity on him and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children! + Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call a nurse of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you? + Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the girl went and called the child's mother. + Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed it. + And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she called him Moses, for she said, Because I drew him out of the water. + One day, after Moses was grown, it happened that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of [Moses'] brethren. + He looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. + He went out the second day and saw two Hebrew men quarreling and fighting; and he said to the unjust aggressor, Why are you striking your comrade? + And the man said, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid and thought, Surely this thing is known. + When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh's presence and took refuge in the land of Midian, where he sat down by a well. + Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. + The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. + And when they came to Reuel [Jethro] their father, he said, How is it that you have come so soon today? + They said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds; also he drew water for us and watered the flock. + He said to his daughters, Where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. + And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. + And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom [expulsion, or a stranger there]; for he said, I have been a stranger and a sojourner in a foreign land. + However, after a long time [nearly forty years] the king of Egypt died; and the Israelites were sighing and groaning because of the bondage. They kept crying, and their cry because of slavery ascended to God. + And God heard their sighing and groaning and [earnestly] remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. + God saw the Israelites and took knowledge of them and concerned Himself about them [knowing all, understanding, remembering all]. [Ps. 56:8, 9; 139:2.] + + + NOW MOSES kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back or west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God. + The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed. + And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. + And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I. + God said, Do not come near; put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. + Also He said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. + And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters and oppressors; for I know their sorrows and sufferings and trials. + And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]--to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. + Now behold, the cry of the Israelites has come to Me, and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. + Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. + And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? + God said, I will surely be with you; and this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain [Horeb, or Sinai]. + And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them? + And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you! + God said also to Moses, This shall you say to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has sent me to you! This is My name forever, and by this name I am to be remembered to all generations. + Go, gather the elders of Israel together [the mature teachers and tribal leaders], and say to them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt; + And I have declared that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey. + And [the elders] shall believe and obey your voice; and you shall go, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt and you shall say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now let us go, we beseech you, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. + And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go [unless forced to do so], no, not by a mighty hand. + So I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in it; and after that he will let you go. + And I will give this people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. + But every woman shall [insistently] solicit of her neighbor and of her that may be residing at her house jewels and articles of silver and gold, and garments, which you shall put on your sons and daughters; and you shall strip the Egyptians [of belongings due to you]. + + + AND MOSES answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you. + And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod. + And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he did so and it became a serpent [the symbol of royal and divine power worn on the crown of the Pharaohs]; and Moses fled from before it. + And the Lord said to Moses, Put forth your hand and take it by the tail. And he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand, + [This you shall do, said the Lord] that the elders may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has indeed appeared to you. + The Lord said also to him, Put your hand into your bosom. He put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. + [God] said, Put your hand into your bosom again. So he put his hand back into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored as the rest of his flesh. + [Then God said] If they will not believe you or heed the voice or the testimony of the first sign, they may believe the voice or the witness of the second sign. + But if they will also not believe these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water of the river [Nile] and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which you take out of the river [Nile] shall become blood on the dry land. + And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue. + And the Lord said to him, Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? + Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say. + And he said, Oh, my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of [some other] whom You will [send]. + Then the anger of the Lord blazed against Moses; He said, Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know he can speak well. Also, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be overjoyed. + You must speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do. + He shall speak for you to the people, acting as a mouthpiece for you, and you shall be as God to him. + And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs [that prove I sent you]. + And Moses went away and, returning to Jethro his father-in-law, said to him, Let me go back, I pray you, to my relatives in Egypt to see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. + The Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life [for killing the Egyptian] are dead. [Exod. 2:11, 12.] + And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. + And the Lord said to Moses, When you return into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all those miracles and wonders which I have put in your hand; but I will make him stubborn and harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. + And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn. + And I say to you, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn. + Along the way at a [resting-] place, the Lord met [Moses] and sought to kill him [made him acutely and almost fatally ill]. + [Now apparently he had failed to circumcise one of his sons, his wife being opposed to it; but seeing his life in such danger] Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it to touch [Moses'] feet, and said, Surely a husband of blood you are to me! + When He let [Moses] alone [to recover], Zipporah said, A husband of blood are you because of the circumcision. + The Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God [Horeb, or Sinai] and kissed him. + Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs with which He had charged him. + Moses and Aaron went and gathered together [in Egypt] all the elders of the Israelites. + Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. + And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites, and that He had looked [in compassion] upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. + + + AFTERWARD MOSES and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness. + But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. + And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us; let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. + The king of Egypt said to Moses and Aaron, Why do you take the people from their jobs? Get to your burdens! + Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens! + The very same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, + You shall no more give the people straw to make brick; let them go and gather straw for themselves. + But the number of the bricks which they made before you shall still require of them; you shall not diminish it in the least. For they are idle; that is why they cry, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. + Let heavier work be laid upon the men that they may labor at it and pay no attention to lying words. + The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. + Go, get straw where you can find it; but your work shall not be diminished in the least. + So the people were scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather the short stubble instead of straw. + And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Finish your work, your daily quotas, as when there was straw. + And the Hebrew foremen, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, Why have you not fulfilled all your quota of making bricks yesterday and today, as before? + Then the Hebrew foremen came to Pharaoh and cried, Why do you deal like this with your servants? + No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, Make bricks! And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people. + But [Pharaoh] said, You are idle, lazy and idle! That is why you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. + Get out now and get to work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the full quota of bricks. + And the Hebrew foremen saw that they were in an evil situation when it was said, You shall not diminish in the least your full daily quota of bricks. + And the foremen met Moses and Aaron, who were standing in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh. + And the foremen said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge, because you have made us a rotten stench to be detested by Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to slay us. + Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, O Lord, why have You dealt evil to this people? Why did You ever send me? + For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people, neither have You delivered Your people at all. + + + THEN THE Lord said to Moses, Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for [compelled] by a strong hand he will [not only] let them go, but he will drive them out of his land with a strong hand. + And God said to Moses, I am the Lord. + I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty [El-Shaddai], but by My name the Lord [Yahweh--the redemptive name of God] I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles]. [Gen. 17:1.] + I have also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their temporary residence in which they were strangers. + I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the Egyptians have enslaved; and I have [earnestly] remembered My covenant [with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]. + Accordingly, say to the Israelites, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will free you from their bondage, and I will rescue you with an outstretched arm [with special and vigorous action] and by mighty acts of judgment. + And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that it is I, the Lord your God, Who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. + And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand and swore that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord [you have the pledge of My changeless omnipotence and faithfulness]. + Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage. + The Lord said to Moses, + Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land. + But Moses said to the Lord, Behold, [my own people] the Israelites have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh give heed to me, who am of deficient and impeded speech? + But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the Israelites and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. + These are the heads of their clans. The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. + These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their births: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and Levi lived 137 years. + The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimi, by their families. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and Kohath lived 133 years. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations. + Amram took Jochebed his father's sister as wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and Amram lived 137 years. + The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. + The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. + Aaron took Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, as wife; she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. + Eleazar, Aaron's son, took one of the daughters of Putiel as wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their families. + These are the [same] Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, Bring out the Israelites from the land of Egypt by their hosts, + And who spoke to [the] Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt; these are that Moses and Aaron. + On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, + The Lord said to Moses, I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you. + But Moses said to the Lord, Behold, I am of deficient and impeded speech; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me? + + + THE LORD said to Moses, Behold, I make you as God to Pharaoh [to declare My will and purpose to him]; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. + You shall speak all that I command you, and Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. + And I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn and hard, and multiply My signs, My wonders, and miracles in the land of Egypt. + But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt and bring forth My hosts, My people the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. + The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth My hand upon Egypt and bring out the Israelites from among them. + And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded them. + Now Moses was 80 years old and Aaron 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + When Pharaoh says to you, Prove [your authority] by a miracle, then tell Aaron, Throw your rod down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent. + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. + Then Pharaoh called for the wise men [skilled in magic and divination] and the sorcerers (wizards and jugglers). And they also, these magicians of Egypt, did similar things with their enchantments and secret arts. + For they cast down every man his rod and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. + But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and stubborn and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hard and stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. + Go to Pharaoh in the morning; he will be going out to the water; wait for him by the river's brink; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. + And say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness; and behold, heretofore you have not listened. + Thus says the Lord, In this you shall know, recognize, and understand that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod in my hand the waters in the [Nile] River, and they shall be turned to blood. + The fish in the river shall die, the river shall become foul smelling, and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink from it. + And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, rivers, pools, and ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, in containers both of wood and of stone. + Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded; [Aaron] lifted up the rod and smote the waters in the river in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the waters in the river were turned to blood. + And the fish in the river died; and the river became foul smelling, and the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. + But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their enchantments and secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was made hard and obstinate, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. + And Pharaoh turned and went into his house; neither did he take even this to heart. + And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the [Nile]. + Seven days passed after the Lord had smitten the river. + + + THEN THE Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your entire land with frogs; + And the river shall swarm with frogs which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedchamber and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and upon your people, and into your ovens, your kneading bowls, and your dough. + And the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and all your servants. + And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, the streams and canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt. + So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. + But the magicians did the same thing with their enchantments and secret arts, and brought up [more] frogs upon the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the Lord, that He may take away the frogs from me and my people; and I will let the people go that they may sacrifice to the Lord. + Moses said to Pharaoh, Glory over me in this: dictate when I shall pray [to the Lord] for you, your servants, and your people, that the frogs may be destroyed from you and your houses and remain only in the river. + And [Pharaoh] said, Tomorrow. [Moses] said, Let it be as you say, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. + And the frogs shall depart from you and your houses and from your servants and your people; they shall remain in the river only. + So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord [as he had agreed with Pharaoh] concerning the frogs which He had brought against him. + And the Lord did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards and villages, and out of the fields. + [The people] gathered them together in heaps, and the land was loathsome and stank. + But when Pharaoh saw that there was temporary relief, he made his heart stubborn and hard and would not listen or heed them, just as the Lord had said. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the ground, that it may become biting gnats or mosquitoes throughout all the land of Egypt. + And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and there came biting gnats or mosquitoes on man and beast; all the dust of the land became biting gnats or mosquitoes throughout all the land of Egypt. + The magicians tried by their enchantments and secret arts to bring forth gnats or mosquitoes, but they could not; and there were gnats or mosquitoes on man and beast. + Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God! But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and strong and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes forth to the water; and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + Else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies] upon you, your servants, and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies], and also the ground on which they stand. + But on that day I will sever and set apart the land of Goshen in which My people dwell, that no swarms [of gadflies] shall be there, so that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. + And I will put a division and a sign of deliverance between My people and your people. By tomorrow shall this sign be in evidence. + And the Lord did so; and there came heavy and oppressive swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies] into the house of Pharaoh and his servants' houses; and in all of Egypt the land was corrupted and ruined by reason of the great invasion [of gadflies]. + And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Go, sacrifice to your God [here] in the land [of Egypt]. + And Moses said, It is not suitable or right to do that; for the animals the Egyptians hold sacred and will not permit to be slain are those which we are accustomed to sacrifice to the Lord our God; if we did this before the eyes of the Egyptians, would they not stone us? + We will go a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He will command us. + So Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Entreat [your God] for me. + Moses said, I go out from you, and I will entreat the Lord that the swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies] may depart from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. + So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. + And the Lord did as Moses had spoken: He removed the swarms [of attacking gadflies] from Pharaoh, from his servants, and his people; there remained not one. + But Pharaoh hardened his heart and made it stubborn this time also, nor would he let the people go. + + + THEN THE Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and tell him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + If you refuse to let them go and still hold them, + Behold, the hand of the Lord [will fall] upon your livestock which are out in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds and the flocks; there shall be a very severe plague. + But the Lord shall make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites. + And the Lord set a time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land. + And the Lord did that the next day, and all [kinds of] the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died. + Pharaoh sent to find out, and behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened [his mind was set] and he did not let the people go. + The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Take handfuls of ashes or soot from the brickkiln and let Moses sprinkle them toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. + And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast in all the land [occupied by the Egyptians]. + So they took ashes or soot of the kiln and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw them toward the sky, and it became boils erupting in sores on man and beast. + And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of their boils; for the boils were on the magicians and all the Egyptians. + But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, making it strong and obstinate, and he did not listen to them or heed them, just as the Lord had told Moses. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + For this time I will send all My plagues upon your heart and upon your servants and your people, that you may recognize and know that there is none like Me in all the earth. + For by now I could have put forth My hand and have struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. + But for this very purpose have I let you live, that I might show you My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth. [Rom. 9:17-24.] + Since you are still exalting yourself [in haughty defiance] against My people by not letting them go, + Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very heavy and dreadful fall of hail, such as has not been in Egypt from its founding until now. + Send therefore now and gather your cattle in hastily, and all that you have in the field; for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home shall be struck by the hail and shall die. + Then he who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses and shelters. + And he who ignored the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field. + The Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth your hand toward the heavens, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man and beast, and upon all the vegetation of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. + Then Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire (lightning) ran down to and along the ground, and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. + So there was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the weighty hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. + The hail struck down throughout all the land of Egypt everything that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail beat down all the vegetation of the field and shattered every tree of the field. + Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, was there no hail. + And Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time; the Lord is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong. + Entreat the Lord, for there has been enough of these mighty thunderings and hail [these voices of God]; I will let you go; you shall stay here no longer. + Moses said to him, As soon as I leave the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord; the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. + But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet [reverently] fear the Lord God. + The flax and the barley were smitten and ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax in bloom. + But the wheat and spelt [another wheat] were not smitten, for they ripen late and were not grown up yet. + So Moses left the city and Pharaoh, and stretched forth his hands to the Lord; and the thunder and hail ceased, and rain was no longer poured upon the earth. + But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more, and toughened and stiffened his hard heart, he and his servants. + So Pharaoh's heart was strong and obstinate; he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said by Moses. [Exod. 4:21.] + + + THE LORD said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart hard, and his servants' hearts, that I might show these My signs [of divine power] before him, + And that you may recount in the ears of your son and of your grandson what I have done in derision of the Egyptians and what things I have [repeatedly] done there--My signs [of divine power] done among them--that you may recognize and know that I am the Lord. + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country. + And they shall cover the land so that one cannot see the ground; and they shall eat the remainder of what escaped and is left to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field; + The locusts shall fill your houses and those of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen from their birth until this day. Then Moses departed from Pharaoh. + And Pharaoh's servants said to him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God; do you not yet understand and know that Egypt is destroyed? + So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh; and he said to them, Go, serve the Lord your God; but just who are to go? + And Moses said, We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds [all of us and all we have], for we must hold a feast to the Lord. + Pharaoh said to them, Let the Lord be with you, if I ever let you go with your little ones! See, you have some evil purpose in mind. + Not so! You that are men, [without your families] go and serve the Lord, for that is what you want. And [Moses and Aaron] were driven from Pharaoh's presence. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat all the vegetation of the land, all that the hail has left. + And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night; when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. + And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled down on the whole country of Egypt, a very dreadful mass of them; never before were there such locusts as these, nor will there ever be again. + For they covered the whole land, so that the ground was darkened, and they ate every bit of vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; there remained not a green thing of the trees or the plants of the field in all the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron in haste. He said, I have sinned against the Lord your God and you. + Now therefore forgive my sin, I pray you, only this once, and entreat the Lord your God only that He may remove from me this [plague of] death. + Then Moses left Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. + And the Lord turned a violent west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained in all the country of Egypt. + But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart more strong and obstinate, and he would not let the Israelites go. + And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness which may be felt. + So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and for three days a thick darkness was all over the land of Egypt. + The Egyptians could not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days; but all the Israelites had natural light in their dwellings. + And Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, Go, serve the Lord; let your little ones also go with you; it is only your flocks and your herds that must not go. + But Moses said, You must give into our hand also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. + Our livestock also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for of them must we take to serve the Lord our God, and we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there. + But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart stronger and more stubborn, and he would not let them go. + And Pharaoh said to Moses, Get away from me! See that you never enter my presence again, for the day you see my face again you shall die! + And Moses said, You have spoken truly; I will never see your face again. + + + THEN THE Lord said to Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more on Pharaoh and on Egypt; afterwards he will let you go. When he lets you go from here, he will thrust you out altogether. + Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man solicit and ask of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold. + And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was exceedingly great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and of the people. + And Moses said, Thus says the Lord, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; + And all the firstborn in the land [the pride, hope, and joy] of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of beasts. + There shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been nor ever shall be again. + But against any of the Israelites shall not so much as a dog move his tongue against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. + And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, Get out, and all the people who follow you! And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh will not listen to you, that My wonders and miracles may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. + Moses and Aaron did all these wonders and miracles before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's stubborn heart, and he did not let the Israelites go out of his land. + + + THE LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, + This month shall be to you the beginning of months, the first month of the year to you. + Tell all the congregation of Israel, On the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb or kid, according to [the size of] the family of which he is the father, a lamb or kid for each house. + And if the household is too small to consume the lamb, let him and his next door neighbor take it according to the number of persons, every man according to what each can eat shall make your count for the lamb. + Your lamb or kid shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; you shall take it from the sheep or the goats. [I Pet. 1:19, 20.] + And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall [each] kill [his] lamb in the evening. + They shall take of the blood and put it on the two side posts and on the lintel [above the door space] of the houses in which they shall eat [the Passover lamb]. [Matt. 26:28; John 1:29; Heb. 9:14.] + They shall eat the flesh that night roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. + Eat not of it raw nor boiled at all with water, but roasted--its head, its legs, and its inner parts. + You shall let nothing of the meat remain until the morning; and the bones and unedible bits which remain of it until morning you shall burn with fire. + And you shall eat it thus: [as fully prepared for a journey] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. + For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment [proving their helplessness]. I am the Lord. + The blood shall be for a token or sign to you upon [the doorposts of] the houses where you are, [that] when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. [I Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:28.] + And this day shall be to you for a memorial. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations, keep it as an ordinance forever. + [In celebration of the Passover in future years] seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven [symbolic of corruption] out of your houses; for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. + On the first day you shall hold a solemn and holy assembly, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn and holy assembly; no kind of work shall be done in them, save [preparation of] that which every person must eat--that only may be done by you. + And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall you observe this day throughout your generations as an ordinance forever. + In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread [and continue] until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. + Seven days no leaven [symbolic of corruption] shall be found in your houses; whoever eats what is leavened shall be excluded from the congregation of Israel, whether a stranger or native-born. [I Cor. 5:6-8.] + You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread [during that week]. + Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, Go forth, select and take a lamb according to your families and kill the Passover [lamb]. + And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood in the basin, and touch the lintel above the door and the two side posts with the blood; and none of you shall go out of his house until morning. + For the Lord will pass through to slay the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood upon the lintel and the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to slay you. + You shall observe this rite for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever. + When you come to the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this service. + When your children shall say to you, What do you mean by this service? + You shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He slew the Egyptians but spared our houses. And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. + The Israelites went and, as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. + At midnight the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. + Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. + He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites; and go, serve the Lord, as you said. + Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone! And [ask your God to] bless me also. + The Egyptians were urgent with the people to depart, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We are all dead men. + The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. + The Israelites did according to the word of Moses; and they [urgently] asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver and of gold, and clothing. + The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they asked. And they stripped the Egyptians [of those things]. + The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children. + And a mixed multitude went also with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. + They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought from Egypt; it was not leavened because they were driven from Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared for themselves any food. + Now the time the Israelites dwelt in Egypt was 430 years. [Gen. 15:13, 14.] + At the end of the 430 years, even that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out of Egypt. + It was a night of watching unto the Lord and to be much observed for bringing them out of Egypt; this same night of watching unto the Lord is to be observed by all the Israelites throughout their generations. + The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat of it; + But every man's servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then may he eat of it. + A foreigner or hired servant shall not eat of it. + In one house shall it be eaten [by one company]; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house; neither shall you break a bone of it. [John 19:33, 36.] + All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. + When a stranger sojourning with you wishes to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. + There shall be one law for the native-born and for the stranger or foreigner who sojourns among you. + Thus did all the Israelites; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. + And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, + Sanctify (consecrate, set apart) to Me all the firstborn [males]; whatever is first to open the womb among the Israelites, both of man and of beast, is Mine. + And Moses said to the people, [Earnestly] remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage and bondmen, for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten. + This day you go forth in the month Abib. + And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which He promised and swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty], you shall keep this service in this month. + Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread and the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. + Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, neither shall there be leaven in all your territory. + You shall explain to your son on that day, This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt. + It shall be as a sign to you upon your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. + You shall therefore keep this ordinance at this time from year to year. + And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He promised and swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, + You shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord's. + Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem by [substituting for it] a lamb, or if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn among your sons shall you redeem. + And when, in time to come, your son asks you, What does this mean? You shall say to him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage and bondmen. + For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and of livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. + And it shall be as a reminder upon your hand or as frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. + When Pharaoh let the people go, God led them not by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God said, Lest the people change their purpose when they see war and return to Egypt. + But God led the people around by way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites went up marshaled [in ranks] out of the land of Egypt. + And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for [Joseph] had strictly sworn the Israelites, saying, Surely God will be with you, and you must carry my bones away from here with you. [Gen. 50:25.] + They journeyed from Succoth and encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. + The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. + The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the [Red] Sea, before Baal-zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea. + For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, They are entangled in the land; the wilderness has shut them in. + I will harden (make stubborn, strong) Pharaoh's heart, that he will pursue them, and I will gain honor and glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. + It was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, What is this we have done? We have let Israel go from serving us! + And he made ready his chariots and took his army, + And took 600 chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. + The Lord made hard and strong the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, for [they] left proudly and defiantly. [Acts 13:17.] + The Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the [Red] Sea by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. + When Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked up, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and the Israelites were exceedingly frightened and cried out to the Lord. + And they said to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way and brought us out of Egypt? + Did we not tell you in Egypt, Let us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. + Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. + The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. + The Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to Me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward! + Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. + And I, behold, I will harden (make stubborn and strong) the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go [into the sea] after them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and horsemen. + The Egyptians shall know and realize that I am the Lord when I have gained honor and glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. + And the Angel of God Who went before the host of Israel moved and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before them and stood behind them, + Coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. It was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night to the Israelites; and the one host did not come near the other all night. + Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land; and the waters were divided. + And the Israelites went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. + The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. + And in the morning watch the Lord through the pillar of fire and cloud looked down on the host of the Egyptians and discomfited [them], + And bound (clogged, took off) their chariot wheels, making them drive heavily; and the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians! + Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and horsemen. + So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength and normal flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it [being met by it]; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians and shook them off into the midst of the sea. + The waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that pursued them; not even one of them remained. + But the Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. + Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. + And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people [reverently] feared the Lord and trusted in (relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord and to His servant Moses. + + + THEN MOSES and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea. + The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. + The Lord is a Man of War; the Lord is His name. + Pharaoh's chariots and his host has He cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are sunk in the Red Sea. + The floods cover them; they sank in the depths [clad in mail] like a stone. + Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. + In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrow those rising against You. You send forth Your fury; it consumes them like stubble. + With the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood fixed in a heap, the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. + The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. + You [Lord] blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; [clad in mail] they sank as lead in the mighty waters. + Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? + You stretched out Your right hand, the earth's [sea] swallowed them. + You in Your mercy and loving-kindness have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. + The peoples have heard of it; they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. + Now the chiefs of Edom are dismayed; the mighty men of Moab [renowned for strength], trembling takes hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away--little by little. + Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of Your arm they are as still as a stone--till Your people pass by and over [into Canaan], O Lord, till the people pass by whom You have purchased. + You will bring them in [to the land] and plant them on Your own mountain, the place, O Lord, You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. + The Lord will reign forever and ever. + For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. + Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing. + And Miriam responded to them, Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously and is highly exalted; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea. + Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea and they went into the Wilderness of Shur; they went three days [thirty-three miles] in the wilderness and found no water. + When they came to Marah, they could not drink its waters for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah [bitterness]. + The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? + And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There [the Lord] made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them, + Saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you. + And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters. + + + THEY SET out from Elim, and all the congregation of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they left the land of Egypt. + And the whole congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, + And said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from the heavens for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law or not. + On the sixth day they shall prepare to bring in twice as much as they gather daily. + So Moses and Aaron said to all Israel, At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out from the land of Egypt, + And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, for He hears your murmurings against the Lord. For what are we, that you murmur against us? + And Moses said, [This will happen] when the Lord gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumblings which you murmur against Him; what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. + And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of Israel, Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your murmurings. + And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud! + The Lord said to Moses, + I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites; speak to them, saying, At twilight you shall eat meat, and between the two evenings you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God. + In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay round about the camp. + And when the dew had gone, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a fine, round and flakelike thing, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground. + When the Israelites saw it, they said one to another, Manna [What is it?]. For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. [John 6:31, 33.] + This is what the Lord has commanded: Let every man gather of it as much as he will need, an omer for each person, according to the number of your persons; take it, every man for those in his tent. + The [people] did so, and gathered, some more, some less. + When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack; each gathered according to his need. + Moses said, Let none of it be left until morning. + But they did not listen to Moses; some of them left of it until morning, and it bred worms, became foul, and stank; and Moses was angry with them. + They gathered it every morning, each as much as he needed, for when the sun became hot it melted. + And on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each person; and all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses. + He said to them, The Lord has said, Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake and boil what you will bake and boil today; and all that remains over put aside for you to keep until morning. + They laid it aside till morning, as Moses told them; and it did not become foul, neither was it wormy. + Moses said, Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you shall find none in the field. + Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there shall be none. + On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. + The Lord said to Moses, How long do you [people] refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? + See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day the bread for two days; let every man remain in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day. + So the people rested on the seventh day. + The house of Israel called the bread manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. + Moses said, This is what the Lord commands, Take an omer of it to be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. + And Moses said to Aaron, Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept throughout your generations. + As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept [in the ark]. [Heb. 9:4.] + And the Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a habitable land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. + (Now an omer is the tenth of an ephah.) + + + ALL THE congregation of the Israelites moved on from the Wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and encamped at Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. + Therefore, the people contended with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you find fault with me? Why do you tempt the Lord and try His patience? + But the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst? + So Moses cried to the Lord, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me. + And the Lord said to Moses, Pass on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the rod with which you smote the river [Nile], and go. + Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at [Mount] Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. [I Cor. 10:4.] + He called the place Massah [proof] and Meribah [contention] because of the faultfinding of the Israelites and because they tempted and tried the patience of the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not? + Then came Amalek [descendants of Esau] and fought with Israel at Rephidim. + And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. + So Joshua did as Moses said and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop. + When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. + But Moses' hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. + And Joshua mowed down and disabled Amalek and his people with the sword. + And the Lord said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens. [I Sam. 15:2-8.] + And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is my Banner; + And he said, Because [theirs] is a hand against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. + + + NOW JETHRO [Reuel], the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. + Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after Moses had sent her back [to her father], + And her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom [ expulsion, or a stranger there], for Moses said, I have been an alien in a strange land; + And the name of the other was Eliezer [God is help], for the God of my father, said Moses, was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. + And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and his wife to the wilderness where he was encamped at the mount of God [Horeb, or Sinai]. + And he said [in a message] to Moses, I, your father-in-law Jethro, am come to you and your wife and her two sons with her. + And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed in homage and kissed him; and each asked the other of his welfare and they came into the tent. + Moses told his father-in-law all the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and all the hardships that had come upon them by the way and how the Lord delivered them. + Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness the Lord had done to Israel in that He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. + Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, Who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, Who has delivered the people [Israel] from under the hand of the Egyptians. + Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods. Yes, in the [very] thing in which they dealt proudly [He showed Himself infinitely superior to all their gods]. + And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices [to offer] to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. + Next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. + When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening? + Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God. + When they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and His laws. + Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that you are doing is not good. + You will surely wear out both yourself and this people with you, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it all by yourself. + Listen now to [me]; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You shall represent the people before God, bringing their cases and causes to Him, + Teaching them the decrees and laws, showing them the way they must walk and the work they must do. + Moreover, you shall choose able men from all the people--God-fearing men of truth who hate unjust gain--and place them over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, to be their rulers. + And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. + If you will do this, and God so commands you, you will be able to endure [the strain], and all these people also will go to their [tents] in peace. + So Moses listened to and heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. + Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. + And they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they decided themselves. + Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land. + + + IN THE third month after the Israelites left the land of Egypt, the same day, they came into the Wilderness of Sinai. + When they had departed from Rephidim and had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, they encamped there before the mountain. + And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, Say this to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: + You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. + Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine. + And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]. These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites. + So Moses called for the elders of the people and told them all these words which the Lord commanded him. + And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. + And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you and believe you and remain steadfast forever. Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. + And the Lord said to Moses, Go and sanctify the people [set them apart for God] today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes + And be ready by the third day, for the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai [in the cloud] in the sight of all the people. + And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, Take heed that you go not up into the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. + No hand shall touch it [or the offender], but he shall surely be stoned or shot [with arrows]; whether beast or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain. [Num. 24:8.] + So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified them [set them apart for God], and they washed their clothes. + And he said to the people, Be ready by the day after tomorrow; do not go near a woman. + The third morning there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. + Then Moses brought the people from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. + Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, for the Lord descended upon it in fire; its smoke ascended like that of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. + As the trumpet blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice. [Deut. 4:12.] + The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. + The Lord said to Moses, Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to gaze and many of them perish. + And also let the priests, who come near to the Lord, sanctify (set apart) themselves [for God], lest the Lord break forth against them. + And Moses said to the Lord, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You Yourself charged us, saying, Set bounds about the mountain and sanctify it [set it apart for God]. + Then the Lord said to him, Go, get down and you shall come up, you and Aaron with you; but let not the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break forth against them. + So Moses went down to the people and told them. + + + THEN GOD spoke all these words: + I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. + You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. + You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; + You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, [Isa. 42:8; 48:11.] + But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. + You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. + [Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). + Six days you shall labor and do all your work, + But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates. + For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes]. + Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you. + You shall not commit murder. + You shall not commit adultery. [Prov. 6:25, 26; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:24; Eph. 5:3.] + You shall not steal. [Prov. 11:1; 16:8; 21:6; 22:16; Jer. 17:11; Mal. 3:8.] + You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor. [Exod. 23:1; Prov. 19:9; 24:28.] + You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. [Luke 12:15; Col. 3:5.] + Now all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, and as [they] looked they trembled with fear and fell back and stood afar off. + And they said to Moses, You speak to us and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die. + And Moses said to the people, Fear not; for God has come to prove you, so that the [reverential] fear of Him may be before you, that you may not sin. + And the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. + And the Lord said to Moses, Thus shall you say to the Israelites, You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. + You shall not make [gods to share] with Me [My glory and your worship]; gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. + An altar of earth you shall make to Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name and cause it to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. + And if you will make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone, for if you lift up a tool upon it you have polluted it. + Neither shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness be not exposed upon it. + + + NOW THESE are the ordinances you [Moses] shall set before [the Israelites]. + If you buy a Hebrew servant [as the result of debt or theft], he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, paying nothing. [Lev. 25:39.] + If he came [to you] by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he came married, then his wife shall go out with him. + If his master has given him a wife and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out [of your service] alone. + But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go free, + Then his master shall bring him to God [the judges as His agents]; he shall bring him to the door or doorpost and shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him for life. + If a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant or bondwoman, she shall not go out [in six years] as menservants do. + If she does not please her master who has not espoused her to himself, he shall let her be redeemed. To sell her to a foreign people he shall have no power, for he has dealt faithlessly with her. + And if he espouses her to his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. + If he marries again, her food, clothing, and privilege as a wife shall he not diminish. + And if he does not do these three things for her, then shall she go out free, without payment of money. + Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. + But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God allowed him to fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee [for protection until duly tried]. [Num. 35:22-28.] + But if a man comes willfully upon another to slay him craftily, you shall take him from My altar [to which he may have fled for protection], that he may die. + Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. + Whoever kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or is found with him in his possession, shall surely be put to death. + Whoever curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. + If men quarrel and one strikes another with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but keeps his bed, + If he rises again and walks about leaning upon his staff, then he that struck him shall be clear, except he must pay for the loss of his time and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. + And if a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod and he [or she] dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. + But if the servant lives on for a day or two, the offender shall not be punished, for he [has injured] his own property. + If men contend with each other, and a pregnant woman [interfering] is hurt so that she has a miscarriage, yet no further damage follows, [the one who hurt her] shall surely be punished with a fine [paid] to the woman's husband, as much as the judges determine. + But if any damage follows, then you shall give life for life, + Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, + Burn for burn, wound for wound, and lash for lash. + And if a man hits the eye of his servant or the eye of his maid so that it is destroyed, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. + And if he knocks out his manservant's tooth or his maidservant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake. + If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be clear. + But if the ox has tried to gore before, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it closed in and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also put to death. + If a ransom is put on [the man's] life, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid upon him. + If the [man's ox] has gored another's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. + If the ox gores a manservant or a maidservant, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. + If a man leaves a pit open or digs a pit and does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, + The owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to the animal's owner, but the dead beast shall be his. + If one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide the price of it; the dead ox also they shall divide between them. + Or if it is known that the ox has gored in the past, and its owner has not kept it closed in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his. + + + IF A man steals an ox or sheep and kills or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep. + If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no blood shed for him. + But if the sun has risen [so he can be seen], blood must be shed for slaying him. The thief [if he lives] must make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. + If the beast which he stole is found in his possession alive, whether it is ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double. + If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution of the best of his own field or his own vineyard. + If fire breaks out and catches so that the stacked grain or standing grain or the field be consumed, he who kindled the fire shall make full restitution. + If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep and it is stolen out of the neighbor's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. + But if the thief is not found, the house owner shall appear before God [the judges as His agents] to find whether he stole his neighbor's goods. + For every unlawful deed, whether it concerns ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost thing at all, which another identifies as his, the cause of both parties shall come before God [the judges]. Whomever [they] shall condemn shall pay his neighbor double. + If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep and it dies or is hurt or driven away, no man seeing it, + Then an oath before the Lord shall be required between the two that the man has not taken his neighbor's property; and the owner of it shall accept his word and not require him to make good the loss. + But if it is stolen when in his care, he shall make restitution to its owner. + If it be torn in pieces [by some wild beast or by accident], let him bring [the mangled carcass] for witness; he shall not make good what was torn. + And if a man borrows anything of his neighbor and it gets hurt or dies without its owner being with it, the borrower shall make full restitution. + But if the owner is with it [when the damage is done], the borrower shall not make it good. If it is a hired thing, the damage is included in its hire. + If a man seduces a virgin not betrothed and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to become his wife. + If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equivalent to the dowry of virgins. + You shall not allow a woman to live who practices sorcery. + Whoever lies carnally with a beast shall surely be put to death. + He who sacrifices to any god but the Lord only shall be utterly destroyed. + You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. + You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. + If you afflict them in any way and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; + And My wrath shall burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless. + If you lend money to any of My people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, neither shall you require interest from him. + If you ever take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall give it back to him before the sun goes down; + For that is his only covering, his clothing for his body. In what shall he sleep? When he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious and merciful. + You shall not revile God [the judges as His agents] or esteem lightly or curse a ruler of your people. + You shall not delay to bring to Me from the fullness [of your harvested grain] and the outflow [of your grape juice and olive oil]; give Me the firstborn of your sons [or redeem them]. [Exod. 34:19, 20.] + Likewise shall you do with your oxen and your sheep. Seven days the firstborn [beast] shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. + And you shall be holy men [consecrated] to Me; therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs. + + + YOU SHALL not repeat or raise a false report; you shall not join with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. + You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you bear witness at a trial so as to side with a multitude to pervert justice. + Neither shall you be partial to a poor man in his trial [just because he is poor]. + If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. + If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying [helpless] under his load, you shall refrain from leaving the man to cope with it alone; you shall help him to release the animal. + You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his cause. + Keep far from a false matter and [be very careful] not to condemn to death the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the wicked. + You shall take no bribe, for the bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous. + Also you shall not oppress a temporary resident, for you know the heart of a stranger and sojourner, seeing you were strangers and sojourners in Egypt. + Six years you shall sow your land and reap its yield. + But the seventh year you shall release it and let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat [what the land voluntarily yields], and what they leave the wild beasts shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard and olive grove. + Six days you shall do your work, but the seventh day you shall rest and keep Sabbath, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your bondwoman, and the alien, may be refreshed. + In all I have said to you take heed; do not mention the name of other gods [either in blessing or cursing]; do not let such speech be heard from your mouth. + Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to Me. + You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before Me empty-handed. + Also you shall keep the Feast of Harvest [Pentecost], [acknowledging] the firstfruits of your toil, of what you sow in the field. And [third] you shall keep the Feast of Ingathering [Booths or Tabernacles] at the end of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. + Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God. + You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread [but keep it unmixed], neither shall the fat of My feast remain all night until morning. + The first of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. + Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep and guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. + Give heed to Him, listen to and obey His voice; be not rebellious before Him or provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgression; for My Name is in Him. [Exod. 32:34; 33:14; Isa. 63:9.] + But if you will indeed listen to and obey His voice and all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. + When My Angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I reject them and blot them out, + You shall not bow down to their gods or serve them or do after their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break down their pillars and images. + You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst. + None shall lose her young by miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. + I will send My terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people to whom you shall come, and I will make all your foes turn from you [in flight]. + And I will send hornets before you which shall drive out the Hivite, Canaanite, and Hittite from before you. + I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate [for lack of attention] and the wild beasts multiply against you. + Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and are numerous enough to take possession of the land. + I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the river [Euphrates]; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand and you shall drive them out before you. + You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. + They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. + + + GOD SAID to Moses, Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu [Aaron's sons], and seventy of Israel's elders, and worship at a distance. + Moses alone shall come near the Lord; the others shall not come near, and neither shall the people come up with him. + Moses came and told the people all that the Lord had said and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. + Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. He rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve pillars representing Israel's twelve tribes. + And he sent young Israelite men, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. + And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. + Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people; and they said, All that the Lord has said we will do, and we will be obedient. + And Moses took the [remaining half of the] blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words. [I Cor. 11:25; Heb. 8:6; 10:28, 29.] + Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up [the mountainside]. + And they saw the God of Israel [that is, a convincing manifestation of His presence], and under His feet it was like pavement of bright sapphire stone, like the very heavens in clearness. [Exod. 33:20-23; Deut. 4:12; Ezek. 28:14] + And upon the nobles of the Israelites He laid not His hand [to conceal Himself from them, to rebuke their daring, or to harm them]; but they saw [the manifestation of the presence of] God, and ate and drank. [Exod. 19:21.] + And the Lord said to Moses, Come up to Me into the mountain and be there, and I will give you tables of stone, with the law and the commandments which I have written that you may teach them. [II Cor. 3:2, 3.] + So Moses rose up with Joshua his attendant; and Moses went up into the mountain of God. + And he said to the elders, Tarry here for us until we come back to you; remember, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a cause, let him go to them. + Then Moses went up into the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. + The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day [God] called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. + And the glory of the Lord appeared to the Israelites like devouring fire on the top of the mountain. + Moses entered into the midst of the cloud and went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and nights. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Speak to the Israelites, that they take for Me an offering. From every man who gives it willingly and ungrudgingly with his heart you shall take My offering. + This is the offering you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, + Blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen and goats' hair, + Rams' skins tanned red, goatskins, dolphin or porpoise skins, acacia wood, + Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense, + Onyx stones, and stones for setting in the ephod and in the breastplate. + Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. [Heb. 8:1, 2; 10:1.] + And you shall make it according to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle or dwelling and the pattern of all the furniture of it. + They shall make an ark of acacia wood: two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. + You shall overlay the ark with pure gold, inside and out, and make a gold crown, a rim or border, around its top. + You shall cast four gold rings and attach them to the four lower corners of it, two rings on either side. + You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, + And put the poles through the rings on the ark's sides, by which to carry it. + The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it [that the ark be not touched]. + And you shall put inside the ark the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] which I will give you. + And you shall make a mercy seat (a covering) of pure gold, two cubits and a half long and a cubit and a half wide. + And you shall make two cherubim (winged angelic figures) of [solid] hammered gold on the two ends of the mercy seat. + Make one cherub on each end, making the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat, on the two ends of it. + And the cherubim shall spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, facing each other and looking down toward the mercy seat. + You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] that I will give you. + There I will meet with you and, from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the Testimony, I will speak intimately with you of all which I will give you in commandment to the Israelites. + Also, make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high [for the showbread]. + You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a crown, a rim or molding, of gold around the top of it; + And make a frame of a handbreadth around and below the top of it and put around it a gold molding as a border. + You shall make for it four rings of gold and fasten them at the four corners that are on the table's four legs. + Close against the frame shall the rings be as places for the poles to pass to carry the table [of showbread]. + You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. + And you shall make its plates [for showbread] and cups [for incense], and its flagons and bowls [for liquids in sacrifice]; make them of pure gold. + And you shall set the showbread (the bread of the Presence) on the table before Me always. [John 6:58.] + You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. Of beaten and turned work shall the lampstand be made, both its base and its shaft; its cups, its knobs, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. + Six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the lampstand out of the one side and three branches out of its other side; + Three cups made like almond blossoms, each with a knob and a flower on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms on the other branch with a knob and a flower; so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand; + And on the [center shaft] itself you shall [make] four cups like almond blossoms with their knobs and their flowers. + Also make a knob [on the shaft] under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand and one piece with it; + Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; the whole of it one beaten work of pure gold. + And you shall make the lamps of the [lampstand] to include a seventh one [at the top of the shaft]. [The priests] shall set up the [seven] lamps of it so they may give light in front of it. + Its snuffers and its ashtrays shall be of pure gold. + Use a talent of pure gold for it, including all these utensils. + And see to it that you copy [exactly] their pattern which was shown you on the mountain. [Heb. 8:5, 6.] + + + MOREOVER, YOU shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet [stuff], with cherubim skillfully embroidered shall you make them. + The length of one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; each of the curtains shall measure the same. + The five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. + And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the last curtain in the first set, and likewise in the second set. + Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain and fifty loops on the edge of the last curtain that is in the second coupling or set, so that the loops on one correspond to the loops on the other. + And you shall make fifty clasps of gold and fasten the curtains together with the clasps; then the tabernacle shall be one whole. + And make curtains of goats' hair to be a [second] covering over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. + One curtain shall be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; and the eleven curtains shall all measure the same. + You shall join together five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and shall double over the sixth curtain in the front of the tabernacle [to make a closed door]. + And make fifty loops on the edge of the outmost curtain in the one set and fifty loops on the edge of the outmost curtain in the second set. + You shall make fifty clasps of bronze and put the clasps into the loops and couple the tent together, that it may be one whole. + The surplus that remains of the tent curtains, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. + And the cubit on the one side and the cubit on the other side of what remains in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. + You shall make a [third] covering for the tent of rams' skins tanned red, and a [fourth] covering above that of dolphin or porpoise skins. + And you shall make the upright frame for the tabernacle of boards of acacia wood. + Ten cubits shall be the length of a board and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. + Make two tenons in each board for dovetailing and fitting together; so shall you do for all the tabernacle boards. + And make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side; + And you shall make forty silver sockets under the twenty boards, two sockets under each board for its two tenons. + And for the north side of the tabernacle there shall be twenty boards + And their forty silver sockets, two sockets under each board. + For the back or west side of the tabernacle you shall make six boards. + Make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the rear on both sides. + They shall be coupled down below and coupled together on top with one ring. Thus shall it be for both of them; they shall form the two corners. + And that will be eight boards and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets, two sockets under each board. + And you shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of one side, + And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the rear end of the tabernacle, for the back wall to the west. + And the middle bar halfway up the boards shall pass through from end to end. + You shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold to hold the bars and overlay the bars with gold. + You shall erect the tabernacle after the plan of it shown you on the mountain. + And make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, skillfully worked with cherubim on it. + You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold, with gold hooks, on four sockets of silver. + And you shall hang the veil from the clasps and bring the ark of the Testimony into place within the veil; and the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. + And you shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. + And you shall set the table [for the showbread] outside the veil [in the Holy Place] on the north side and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle. + You shall make a hanging [to form a screen] for the door of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, embroidered. [John 10:9.] + You shall make five pillars of acacia wood to support the hanging curtain and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five [base] sockets of bronze for them. + + + AND MAKE the altar of acacia wood, five cubits square and three cubits high [within reach of all]. + Make horns for it on its four corners; they shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. + You shall make pots to take away its ashes, and shovels, basins, forks, and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze. + Also make for it a grate, a network of bronze; and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. + And you shall put it under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will extend halfway down the altar. + And make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood overlaid with bronze. + The poles shall be put through the rings on the two sides of the altar, with which to carry it. [Num. 4:14, 15.] + You shall make [the altar] hollow with slabs or planks; as shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. + And you shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits long for one side; + Their pillars shall be twenty and their sockets twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their joinings shall be of silver; + Likewise for the north side hangings, a hundred cubits long, and their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their joinings shall be of silver. + And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten sockets. + The breadth of the court to the front, the east side, shall be fifty cubits. + The hangings for one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three sockets. + On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three sockets. + And for the gate of the court there shall be a hanging [for a screen] twenty cubits long, of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, embroidered. It shall have four pillars and four sockets for them. + All the pillars round about the court shall be joined together with silver rods; their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of bronze. + The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits and the breadth fifty and the height five cubits, [with hangings of] fine twined linen and sockets of bronze. + All the tabernacle's utensils and instruments used in all its service, and all its pegs and all the pegs for the court, shall be of bronze. + You shall command the Israelites to provide you with pure oil of crushed olives for the light, to cause it to burn continually [every night]. + In the Tent of Meeting [of God with His people], outside the veil which sets apart the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it burning from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute to be observed on behalf of the Israelites throughout their generations. + + + FROM AMONG the Israelites take your brother Aaron and his sons with him, that he may minister to Me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. + And you shall make for Aaron your brother sacred garments [appointed official dress set apart for special holy services] for honor and for beauty. + Tell all who are expert, whom I have endowed with skill and good judgment, that they shall make Aaron's garments to sanctify him for My priesthood. + They shall make these garments: a breastplate, an ephod [a distinctive vestment to which the breastplate was to be attached], a robe, long and sleeved tunic of checkerwork, a turban, and a sash or band. They shall make sacred garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to minister to Me in the priest's office. + They shall receive [from the people] and use gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine linen. + And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen, skillfully woven and worked. + It shall have two shoulder straps to join the two [back and front] edges, that it may be held together. + The skillfully woven girding band which is on the ephod shall be made of the same, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen. + And you shall take two onyx or beryl stones and engrave on them the names of the twelve sons of Israel; + Six of their names on one stone and the six names of the rest on the other stone, arranged in order of their birth. + With the work of a stone engraver, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel. You shall have them set in sockets or rosettes of gold. + And you shall put the two stones upon the [two] shoulder straps of the ephod [of the high priest] as memorial stones for Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names upon his two shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. + And you shall make sockets or rosettes of gold for settings, + And two chains of pure gold, like cords shall you twist them, and fasten the corded chains to the settings. + You shall make a breastplate of judgment, in skilled work; like the workmanship of the ephod shall you make it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and of fine twined linen. + The breastplate shall be square and doubled; a span [nine inches] shall be its length and a span shall be its breadth. + You shall set in it four rows of stones: a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle shall be the first row; + The second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond [so called at that time]; + The third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; + And the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. + And the stones shall be twelve, according to the names of the sons of Israel, like the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. + You shall make for the breastplate chains of pure gold twisted like cords. + You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold and put [them] on the two edges of the breastplate. + And you shall put the two twisted, cordlike chains of gold in the two rings which are on the edges of the breastplate. + The other two ends of the two twisted, cordlike chains you shall fasten in the two sockets or rosettes in front, putting them on the shoulder straps of the ephod; + And make two rings of gold and put them at the two ends of the breastplate on its inside edge next to the ephod. + Two gold rings you shall make and attach them to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod in front, close by where they join, above the skillfully woven girdle or band of the ephod. + And they shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the skillfully woven girding band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not become loose from the ephod. + So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them in continual remembrance before the Lord. + In the breastplate of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim [unspecified articles used when the high priest asked God's counsel for all Israel]; they shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord, and Aaron shall bear the judgment (rights, judicial decisions) of the Israelites upon his heart before the Lord continually. + Make the robe [to be worn beneath] the ephod all of blue. + There shall be a hole in the center of it [to slip over the head], with a binding of woven work around the hole, like the opening in a coat of mail or a garment, that it may not fray or tear. + And you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] around about its skirts, with gold bells between them; + A gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, round about on the skirts of the robe. + Aaron shall wear the robe when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes [alone] into the Holy of Holies before the Lord and when he comes out, lest he die there. + And you shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO THE LORD. [Exod. 39:30.] + You shall fasten it on the front of the turban with a blue cord. + It shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may take upon himself and bear [any] iniquity [connected with] the holy things which the Israelites shall give and dedicate; and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord [in the priest's person]. [Luke 24:44; Heb. 8:1, 2.] + And you shall weave the long and sleeved tunic of checkerwork of fine linen or silk and make a turban of fine linen or silk; and you shall make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer. + For Aaron's sons you shall make long and sleeved tunics and belts or sashes and caps, for glory and honor and beauty. + And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain and sanctify them [set them apart for God], that they may serve Me as priests. + You shall make for them [white] linen trunks to cover their naked flesh, reaching from the waist to the thighs. + And they shall be on Aaron and his sons when they go into the Tent of Meeting or when they come near to the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bring iniquity upon themselves and die; it shall be a statute forever to Aaron and to his descendants after him. + + + THIS IS what you shall do to consecrate (set them apart) that they may serve Me as priests. Take one young bull and two rams, all without blemish, + And unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil; of fine flour shall you make them. + You shall put them in one basket and bring them in [it], and bring also the bull and the two rams; + And bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting [out where the laver is] and wash them with water. + Then take the garments and put on Aaron the long and sleeved tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breastplate, and gird him with the skillfully woven girding band of the ephod. + And you shall put the turban or miter upon his head and put the holy crown upon the turban. + Then take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. + And bring his sons and put long and sleeved tunics on them. + And you shall gird them with sashes or belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on them; and the priest's office shall be theirs by a perpetual statute. Thus you shall ordain and consecrate Aaron and his sons. + Then bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon its head. + And you shall kill the bull before the Lord by the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And you shall take of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. + And take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage that is on the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. + But the flesh of the bull, its hide, and the contents of its entrails you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. [Heb. 13:11-13.] + You shall also take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram. + And you shall kill the ram and you shall take its blood and throw it against the altar round about. + And you shall cut the ram in pieces and wash its entrails and legs and put them with its pieces and its head, + And you shall burn the whole ram upon the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet and satisfying fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram; + Then you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ears of Aaron and his sons and on the thumb of their right hands and on the great toe of their right feet, and dash the rest of the blood against the altar round about. + Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments; and he and his garments and his sons and their garments shall be sanctified and made holy. + Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the appendage on the liver, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh; for it is a ram of consecration and ordination. + Take also one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord. + And put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and they shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. + Then you shall take them from their hands, add them to the burnt offering, and burn them on the altar for a sweet and satisfying fragrance before the Lord; it is an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration and ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion [Moses]. + And you shall sanctify (set apart for God) the waved breast of the ram used in the ordination and the waved thigh of the priests' portion, since it is for Aaron and his sons. + It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their due portion from the Israelites perpetually, an offering from the Israelites of their peace and thanksgiving sacrifices, their offering to the Lord. + The holy garments of Aaron shall pass to his descendants who succeed him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated and ordained in them. + And that son who is [high] priest in his stead shall put them on [each day for] seven days when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place. + You shall take the ram of the consecration and ordination and boil its flesh in a holy and set-apart place. + Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to ordain and consecrate them; but a stranger (layman) shall not eat of them because they are holy (set apart to the worship of God). + And if any of the flesh or bread for the ordination remains until morning, you shall burn it with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy (set apart to the worship of God). + Thus shall you do to Aaron and to his sons according to all I have commanded you; during seven days shall you ordain them. + You shall offer every day a bull as a sin offering for atonement. And you shall cleanse the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. + Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it [set it apart for God]; and the altar shall be most holy; whoever or whatever touches the altar must be holy (set apart for God's service). + Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old shall be offered day by day continually. + One lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb in the evening; + And with the one lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering [to be poured out]. + And the other lamb you shall offer at evening, and do with it as with the cereal offering of the morning and with the drink offering, for a sweet and satisfying fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. + This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you to speak there to you. + There I will meet with the Israelites, and the Tent of Meeting shall be sanctified by My glory [the Shekinah, God's visible presence]. + And I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar; I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me in the priest's office. + And I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. + And they shall know [from personal experience] that I am the Lord their God, Who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God. + + + AND YOU shall make an altar to burn incense upon; of acacia wood you shall make it. + A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its breadth; its top shall be square and it shall be two cubits high. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. + And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides round about and its horns, and you shall make a crown (a rim or molding) of gold around it. + You shall make two golden rings under the rim of it, on the two ribs on the two opposite sides of it; and they shall be holders for the poles with which to carry it. + And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. + You shall put the altar [of incense] in front and outside of the veil that screens the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony (the Law, the tables of stone), where I will meet with you. + And Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices; every morning when he trims and fills the lamps he shall burn it. [Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3, 4.] + And when Aaron lights the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. + You shall offer no unholy incense on the altar nor burnt sacrifice nor cereal offering; and you shall pour no libation (drink offering) on it. + Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it once a year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year shall he make atonement upon and for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord. + And the Lord said to Moses, + When you take the census of the Israelites, every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord when you number them, that no plague may fall upon them when you number them. [Rom. 8:1-4.] + This is what everyone shall give as he joins those already numbered: a half shekel, in terms of the sanctuary shekel, a shekel being twenty gerahs; a half shekel as an offering to the Lord. + Everyone from twenty years old and upward, as he joins those already numbered, shall give this offering to the Lord. [Matt. 10:24; I Pet. 1:18, 19.] + The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when [you] give this offering to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. + And you shall take the atonement money of the Israelites and use it [exclusively] for the service of the Tent of Meeting, that it may bring the Israelites to remembrance before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves. + And the Lord said to Moses, + You shall also make a laver or large basin of bronze, and its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it [outside in the court] between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and you shall put water in it; + There Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. [Tit. 3:5.] + When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, [John 13:6-8.] + So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die; it shall be a perpetual statute for [Aaron] and his descendants throughout their generations. + Moreover, the Lord said to Moses, + Take the best spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, of sweet-scented cinnamon half as much, 250 shekels, of fragrant calamus 250 shekels, + And of cassia 500 shekels, in terms of the sanctuary shekel, and of olive oil a hin. + And you shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer; it shall be a sacred anointing oil. + And you shall anoint the Tent of Meeting with it, and the ark of the Testimony, + And the [showbread] table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, + And the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver [for cleansing] and its base. + You shall sanctify (separate) them, that they may be most holy; whoever and whatever touches them must be holy (set apart to God). + And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify (separate) them, that they may minister to Me as priests. + And say to the Israelites, This is a holy anointing oil [symbol of the Holy Spirit], sacred to Me alone throughout your generations. [Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:3.] + It shall not be poured upon a layman's body, nor shall you make any other like it in composition; it is holy, and you shall hold it sacred. + Whoever compounds any like it or puts any of it upon an outsider shall be cut off from his people. + Then the Lord said to Moses, Take sweet spices--stacte, onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense, an equal amount of each-- + And make of them incense, a perfume after the perfumer's art, seasoned with salt and mixed, pure and sacred. + You shall beat some of it very small and put some of it before the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you; it shall be to you most holy. + And the incense which you shall make according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves; it shall be to you holy to the Lord. + Whoever makes any like it for perfume shall be cut off from his people. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. + And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and ability, in understanding and intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, + To devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, + And in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. + And behold, I have appointed with him Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and to all who are wisehearted I have given wisdom and ability to make all that I have commanded you: + The Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the mercy seat that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent-- + The table [of the showbread] and its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, + The altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the laver and its base-- + The finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the [high] priest and for his sons to minister as priests, + And the anointing oil and incense of sweet spices for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you shall they do. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, Truly you shall keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you [set you apart for Myself]. + You shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy to you; everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does work on the Sabbath shall be cut off from among his people. + Six days may work be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, sacred to the Lord; whoever does work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. + Wherefore the Israelites shall keep the Sabbath to observe it throughout their generations, a perpetual covenant. + It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and was refreshed. + And He gave to Moses, when He had ceased communing with him on Mount Sinai, the two tables of the Testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. + + + WHEN THE people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, [they] gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. + So Aaron replied, Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and daughters, and bring them to me. + So all the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. + And he received the gold at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it a molten calf; and they said, These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt! + And when Aaron saw the molten calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord. + And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. + The Lord said to Moses, Go down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; + They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, These are your gods, O Israel, that brought you up out of the land of Egypt! + And the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; + Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and that I may destroy them; but I will make of you a great nation. + But Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why does Your wrath blaze hot against Your people, whom You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? + Why should the Egyptians say, For evil He brought them forth, to slay them in the mountains and consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and change Your mind concerning this evil against Your people. + [Earnestly] remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self and said to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever. + Then the Lord turned from the evil which He had thought to do to His people. + And Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tables of the Testimony in his hand, tables or tablets that were written on both sides. + The tables were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. + And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. + But Moses said, It is not the sound of shouting for victory, neither is it the sound of the cry of the defeated, but the sound of singing that I hear. + And as soon as he came near to the camp he saw the calf and the dancing. And Moses' anger blazed hot and he cast the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. + And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. + And Moses said to Aaron, What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin upon them? + And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord blaze hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil. + For they said to me, Make us gods which shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. + I said to them, Those who have any gold, let them take it off. So they gave it to me; then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. + And when Moses saw that the people were unruly and unrestrained (for Aaron had let them get out of control, so that they were a derision and object of shame among their enemies), + Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoever is on the Lord's side, let him come to me. And all the Levites [the priestly tribe] gathered together to him. + And he said to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Every man put his sword on his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. + And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about 3000 men. + And Moses said [to the Levites, By your obedience to God's command] you have consecrated yourselves today [as priests] to the Lord, each man [at the cost of being] against his own son and his own brother, that the Lord may restore and bestow His blessing upon you this day. + The next day Moses said to the people, You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin. + So Moses returned to the Lord, and said, Oh, these people have sinned a great sin and have made themselves gods of gold! + Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--and if not, blot me, I pray You, out of Your book which You have written! + But the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him [not you] out of My book. [Dan. 12:1; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5.] + But now go, lead the people to the place of which I have told you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish I will visit their sin upon them! [Exod. 23:20; 33:2, 3.] + And the Lord sent a plague upon the people because they made the calf which Aaron fashioned for them. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your descendants I will give it. + I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite. [Exod. 23:23; 34:11.] + Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way. + When the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned and no man put on his ornaments. + For the Lord had said to Moses, Say to the Israelites, You are a stiff-necked people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would consume and destroy you. Now therefore [penitently] leave off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you. + And the Israelites left off all their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. + Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lord went out to [that temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp. + When Moses went out to the tent of meeting, all the people rose and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent. + When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the Lord would talk with Moses. + And all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the tent door, and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man at his tent door. + And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses returned to the camp, but his minister Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the [temporary prayer] tent. + Moses said to the Lord, See, You say to me, Bring up this people, but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, I know you by name and you have also found favor in My sight. + Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight. And [Lord, do] consider that this nation is Your people. + And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. + And Moses said to the Lord, If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here! + For by what shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight? Is it not in Your going with us so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the other people upon the face of the earth? + And the Lord said to Moses, I will do this thing also that you have asked, for you have found favor, loving-kindness, and mercy in My sight and I know you personally and by name. [Rev. 2:17.] + And Moses said, I beseech You, show me Your glory. + And God said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim My name, THE LORD, before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy and loving-kindness on whom I will show mercy and loving-kindness. [Rom. 9:15, 16.] + But, He said, You can not see My face, for no man shall see Me and live. + And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand upon the rock, + And while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. + Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, Cut two tables of stone like the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were on the first tables, which you broke. + Be ready and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. + And no man shall come up with you, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let flocks or herds feed before that mountain. + So Moses cut two tables of stone like the first, and he rose up early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone. + And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. + And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, + Keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation. + And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth and worshiped. + And he said, If now I have found favor and loving-kindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray You, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance. + And the Lord said, Behold, I lay down [afresh the terms of the mutual agreement between Israel and Me] a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels (wonders, miracles) such as have not been wrought or created in all the earth or in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord; for it is a terrible thing [fearful and full of awe] that I will do with you. + Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I drive out before you the Amorite, Canaanite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite. + Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant or mutual agreement with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in the midst of you. + But you shall destroy their altars, dash in pieces their pillars (obelisks, images), and cut down their Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah]; + For you shall worship no other god; for the Lord, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous (impassioned) God, + Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they play the harlot after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and one invites you, you eat of his food sacrificed to idols, + And you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters play the harlot after their gods and make your sons play the harlot after their gods. + You shall make for yourselves no molten gods. + The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt. + All the males that first open the womb among your livestock are Mine, whether ox or sheep. + But the firstling of a donkey [an unclean beast] you shall redeem with a lamb or kid, and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none of you shall appear before Me empty-handed. + Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest [on the Sabbath]. + You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. + Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. + For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire [and molest] your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year. + You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning. + The first of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a kid in his mother's milk. + And the Lord said to Moses, Write these words, for after the purpose and character of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. + Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. + When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face shone and sent forth beams by reason of his speaking with the Lord. + When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they feared to come near him. + But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and [he] talked with them. + Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all the Lord had said to him in Mount Sinai. + And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. + But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he took the veil off until he came out. And he came out and told the Israelites what he was commanded. + The Israelites saw the face of Moses, how the skin of it shone; and Moses put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with God. + + + MOSES GATHERED all the congregation of the Israelites together and said to them, These are the things which the Lord has commanded that you do: + Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day shall be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord; whoever works [on that day] shall be put to death. + You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day. + And Moses said to all the congregation of the Israelites, This is what the Lord commanded: + Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing and generous heart, let him bring the Lord's offering: gold, silver, and bronze; + Blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], fine linen; goats' hair; + And rams' skins tanned red, and skins of dolphins or porpoises; and acacia wood; + And oil for the light; and spices for anointing oil and for fragrant incense; + And onyx stones and other stones to be set for the ephod and the breastplate. + And let every able and wisehearted man among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: + The tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets or bases; + The ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; + The table and its poles and all its utensils, and the showbread (the bread of the Presence); + The lampstand also for the light, and its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; + And the incense altar and its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, the hanging or screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; + The altar of burnt offering, with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its base; + The court's hangings, its pillars and their sockets or bases, and the hanging or screen for the gate of the court; + The pegs of the tabernacle and of the court, and their cords, + The finely wrought garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the [high] priest and for his sons to minister as priests. + Then all the congregation of the Israelites left Moses' presence. + And they came, each one whose heart stirred him up and whose spirit made him willing, and brought the Lord's offering to be used for the [new] Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and the holy garments. + They came, both men and women, all who were willinghearted, and brought brooches, earrings or nose rings, signet rings, and armlets or necklaces, all jewels of gold, everyone bringing an offering of gold to the Lord. + And everyone with whom was found blue or purple or scarlet [stuff], or fine linen, or goats' hair, or rams' skins made red [in tanning], or dolphin or porpoise skins brought them. + Everyone who could make an offering of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord's offering, and every man with whom was found any acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. + All the women who had ability and were wisehearted spun with their hands and brought what they had spun of blue and purple and scarlet [stuff] and fine linen; + And all the women who had ability and whose hearts stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair. + The leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate, + And spice, and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. + The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all men and women whose hearts made them willing and moved them to bring anything for any of the work which the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done. + And Moses said to the Israelites, See, the Lord called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; + And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and wisdom, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge and all craftsmanship, + To devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, + In cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft. + And God has put in Bezalel's heart that he may teach, both he and Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. + He has filled them with wisdom of heart and ability to do all manner of craftsmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, of the embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do or design any skilled work. + + + BEZALEL AND Aholiab and every wisehearted man in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary shall work according to all that the Lord has commanded. + And Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab and every able and wisehearted man in whose mind the Lord had put wisdom and ability, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work; + And they received from Moses all the freewill offerings which the Israelites had brought for doing the work of the sanctuary, to prepare it for service. And they continued to bring him freewill offerings every morning. + And all the wise and able men who were doing the work on the sanctuary came, every man from the work he was doing, + And they said to Moses, The people bring much more than enough for doing the work which the Lord commanded to do. + So Moses commanded and it was proclaimed in all the camp, Let no man or woman do anything more for the sanctuary offering. So the people were restrained from bringing, + For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work and more. + And all the able and wisehearted men among them who did the work on the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], with cherubim skillfully worked on them. + The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits and its breadth four cubits; all the curtains were one size. + [Bezalel] coupled five curtains one to another and the other five curtains he coupled one to another. + And he made loops of blue on the outer edge of the last curtain in the first set; this he did also on the inner edge of the first curtain in the second set. + Fifty loops he made in the one curtain and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which was the second set; the loops were opposite one another. + And he made fifty clasps of gold and coupled the curtains together with the clasps so that the tabernacle became one unit. + And he made eleven curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. + The length of one curtain was thirty cubits and four cubits was the breadth; the eleven curtains were of equal size. + And he coupled five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves. + And he made fifty loops on the outmost edge of the curtain to be coupled and fifty loops he made on the inner edge of the second curtain to be coupled. + He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together into one whole. + He made a covering for the tent of rams' skins tanned red, and above it a covering of dolphin or porpoise skins. + He made boards of acacia wood for the upright framework of the tabernacle. + The length of a board was ten cubits and the breadth one cubit and a half. + Each board had two tenons (projections) to fit into a mortise to form a clutch; he did this for all the boards of the tabernacle. + And he made thus the boards [for frames] for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side, + And he made under the twenty boards forty sockets or bases of silver, two sockets under one board for its two tenons or hands, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. + For the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards + And their forty sockets or bases of silver, two sockets under [the end of] each board. + And for the rear or west side of the tabernacle he made six [frame] boards. + And two boards he made for each corner of the tabernacle in the rear. + They were separate below but linked together at the top with one ring; thus he made both of them in both corners. + There were eight boards with sixteen sockets or bases of silver, and under [the end of] each board two sockets. + He made bars of acacia wood, five for the [frame] boards of the one side of the tabernacle, + And five bars for the boards of its other side, and five bars for the boards at the rear or west side. + And he made the middle bar pass through halfway up the boards from one end to the other. + He overlaid the boards and the bars with gold and made their rings of gold as places for the bars. + And he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, with cherubim skillfully worked. [Matt. 27:50, 51; Heb. 10:19-22.] + For [the veil] he made four pillars of acacia [wood] and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four sockets or bases of silver. + And he made a screen for the tent door of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, embroidered, + And he made the five pillars of it with their hooks, and overlaid their ornamental tops and joinings with gold, but their five sockets were of bronze. + + + BEZALEL MADE the ark of acacia wood--two cubits and a half was the length of it, a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it. + He overlaid it with pure gold within and without and made a molding or crown of gold to go around the top of it. + He cast four rings of gold for its four corners, two rings on either side. + He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + He put the poles through the rings at the sides of the ark to carry it. + [Bezalel] made the mercy seat of pure gold, two cubits and a half its length and one cubit and a half its breadth. + And he made two cherubim of beaten gold; on the two ends of the mercy seat he made them, + One cherub at one end and one at the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim at its two ends. + And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces to each other, looking down to the mercy seat. [Heb. 9:23-26.] + Bezalel made the [showbread] table of acacia wood; it was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. + He overlaid it with pure gold and made a molding of gold around its top. + And he made a border around it [just under the top] a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the border. + And he cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. + Close to the border were the rings, the places for the poles to pass through to carry the [showbread] table. + [Bezalel] made the poles of acacia wood to carry the [showbread] table and overlaid them with gold. + He made of pure gold the vessels which were to be on the table, its plates and dishes [for bread], its bowls and flagons for pouring [liquid sacrifices]. + And he made the lampstand of pure gold; its base and shaft were made of hammered work; its cups, its knobs, and its flowers were of one piece with it. + There were six branches going out of the sides of the lampstand, three branches out of one side of it and three branches out of the other side of it; + Three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, each with a [calyx] knob and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the [opposite] branch, each with a [calyx] knob and a flower; and so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. + On [the shaft of] the lampstand were four cups made like almond blossoms, with knobs and flowers [one at the top]. + And a knob under each pair of branches, of one piece with the lampstand, for the six branches going out of it. + Their knobs and their branches were of one piece with it, all of it hammered work of pure gold. + And he made of pure gold its seven lamps, its snuffers, and its ashtrays. + Of a talent of pure gold he made the lampstand and all its utensils. [John 1:4, 5, 9; II Cor. 4:6.] + And [Bezalel] made the incense altar of acacia wood; its top was a cubit square and it was two cubits high; the horns were one piece with it. + He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides round about, and its horns; also he made a rim around it of gold. + And he made two rings of gold for it under its rim, on its two opposite sides, as places for the poles [to pass through] to carry it. + And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + He also made the holy anointing oil [symbol of the Holy Spirit] and the pure, fragrant incense, after the perfumer's art. + + + BEZALEL MADE the burnt offering altar of acacia wood; its top was five cubits square and it was three cubits high. + He made its horns on the four corners of it; the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. + He made all the utensils and vessels of the altar, the pots, shovels, basins, forks or fleshhooks, and firepans; all its utensils and vessels he made of bronze. + And he made for the altar a bronze grate of network under its ledge, extending halfway down it. + He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating to be places for the poles [with which to carry it]. + And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. + And he put the poles through the rings on the altar's sides with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks. + He made the laver and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the women who ministered at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; + Their pillars and their bronze sockets or bases were twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their joinings were silver. + And for the north side the hangings were [also] a hundred cubits; their pillars and their sockets or bases of bronze were twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their joinings were of silver. + But for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars and their sockets or bases were ten; the hooks of the pillars and their joinings were of silver. + And for the front, the east side, fifty cubits. + The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three and their sockets or bases three. + Also for the other side of the court gate, left and right, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three and their sockets or bases three. + All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. + The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their joinings of silver, the overlaying of their tops of silver, and all the pillars of the court were joined with silver. + The hanging or screen for the gate of the court was embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen; the length was twenty cubits and the height in the breadth was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. + Their pillars were four and their sockets of bronze four; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their joinings were of silver. + All the pegs for the tabernacle and around the court were of bronze. + This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle of the Testimony, as counted at the command of Moses, for the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the [high] priest. + Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses. + With him was Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, a skillful craftsman, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and in fine linen. + All the gold that was used for the work in all the building and furnishing of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. + And the silver from those numbered of the congregation was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, by sanctuary standards: + A beka for each man, that is, half a shekel, by the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who was counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. + The 100 talents of silver were for casting the sockets or bases of the sanctuary and of the veil; 100 sockets for the 100 talents, a talent for a socket. + Of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their tops, and made joinings for them. + The bronze of the offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. + With it Bezalel made the sockets for the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar and the bronze grate for it, and all the utensils of the altar, + The sockets of the court round about and of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and around the court. + + + AND OF the blue and purple and scarlet [stuff] they made finely wrought garments for serving in the Holy Place; they made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses. + And Bezalel made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen. + And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into wires to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and the fine linen, in skilled design. + They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, joined to it at its two edges. + And the skillfully woven band on it, to gird it on, was of the same piece and workmanship with it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses. + And they prepared the onyx stones enclosed in settings of gold filigree and engraved as signets are engraved with the names of the sons of Israel. + And he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of memorial or remembrance for the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded Moses. + And [Bezalel] made the breastplate skillfully, like the work of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen. + The breastplate was a [hand's] span square when doubled over. + And they set in it four rows of stones; a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle made the first row; + The second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; + The third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; + And the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. + There were twelve stones with their names according to those of the sons of Israel, engraved like a signet, each with its name, according to the twelve tribes. + And they made [at the ends] of the breastplate twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. + And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings which they put on the two ends of the breastplate. + And they put the two twisted cords or woven chains of gold in the two rings on the end edges of the breastplate. + And the other two ends of the twisted cords or chains of gold they put on the two settings and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, in front. + They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the inside edge of it next to the ephod. + And they made two [other] gold rings and attached them to the two shoulder pieces of the ephod underneath, in front, at its joining above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. + They bound the breastplate by its rings to those of the ephod with a blue lace, that it might lie upon the skillfully woven band of the ephod and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work all of blue. + And there was an opening [for the head] in the middle of the robe like the hole in a coat of mail, with a binding around it, that it should not be torn. + On the skirts of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet [stuff] and twined linen. + And they made bells of pure gold and put [them] between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe; + A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about on the skirts of the robe for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And they made the long and sleeved tunics woven of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, + And the turban, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the breeches of fine twined linen, + The girdle or sash of fine twined linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet embroidery, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold and wrote upon it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO THE LORD. [Exod. 28:36.] + They tied to it a lace of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord commanded Moses. + Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites had done. + And they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, its [frame] boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets or bases; + And the covering of rams' skins made red, and the covering of dolphin or porpoise skins, and the veil of the screen; + The ark of the Testimony, its poles, and the mercy seat; + The table and all its utensils, and the showbread (bread of the Presence); + The pure [gold] lampstand and its lamps, with the lamps set in order, all its utensils, and the oil for the light; + The golden altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the hanging for the door of the tent; + The bronze altar and its grate of bronze, its poles and all its utensils; the laver and its base; + The hangings of the court, its pillars and sockets or bases, and the screen for the court gate, its cords, and pegs, and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting [of God with His people]; [Exod. 29:42, 43.] + The finely worked vestments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests. + According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites had done all the work. + And Moses inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. And Moses blessed them. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting [of God with you]. + And you shall put in it the ark of the Testimony and screen the ark [of God's Presence] with the veil. [Heb. 10:19-23.] + You shall bring in the [showbread] table and set in order the things that are to be upon it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up and light its lamps. [Rev. 21:23-25.] + You shall set the golden altar for the incense before the ark of the Testimony [outside the veil] and put the hanging or screen at the tabernacle door. + You shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. + And you shall set the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. + And you shall set up the court [curtains] round about and hang up the hanging or screen at the court gate. + You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furniture, and it shall be holy. + You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; and consecrate (set apart for God) the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. + And you shall anoint the laver and its base and consecrate it. + You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. [John 17:17-19.] + You shall put on Aaron the holy garments, and anoint and consecrate him, so he may serve Me as priest. + And you shall bring his sons and put long and sleeved tunics on them, + And you shall anoint them as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. + Thus did Moses; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. + And on the first day of the first month in the second year the tabernacle was erected. + Moses set up the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and erected its pillars. + [Moses] spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded him. + He took the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark, and set the poles [in the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. + [Moses] brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen and screened the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded him. + Moses put the table [of showbread] in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the veil; + He set the bread [of the Presence] in order on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him. [John 6:32-35.] + And he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle. + Moses set up and lighted the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. + He put the golden altar [of incense] in the Tent of Meeting before the veil; + He burned sweet incense [symbol of prayer] upon it, as the Lord commanded him. [Ps. 141:2; Rev. 8:3.] + And he set up the hanging or screen at the door of the tabernacle. + [Moses] put the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting and offered on it the burnt offering and the cereal offering, as the Lord commanded him. + And Moses set the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. + And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. + When they went into the Tent of Meeting or came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And he erected the court round about the tabernacle and the altar and set up the hanging or screen at the court gate. So Moses finished the work. + Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God's visible presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle! [Rev. 15:8.] + And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. + In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites went onward; + But if the cloud was not taken up, they did not journey on till the day that it was taken up. + For throughout all their journeys the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel. + + + + + THE LORD called to Moses out of the Tent of Meeting, and said to him, + Say to the Israelites, When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of [domestic] animals from the herd or from the flock. + If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. [Rom. 12:1; Phil. 1:20.] + And he shall lay [both] his hands upon the head of the burnt offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the victim], and it shall be an acceptable atonement for him. [Heb. 13:15, 16; I Pet. 1:2.] + The man shall kill the young bull before the Lord, and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall present the blood and dash [it] round about upon the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. + And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and lay wood in order on the fire; + And Aaron's sons the priests shall lay the pieces, the head and the fat, in order on the wood on the fire on the altar. + But its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a sweet and satisfying odor to the Lord. [Eph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18; I Pet. 2:5.] + And if the man's offering is of the flock, from the sheep or the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without blemish. + And he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall dash its blood round about against the altar. + And [the man] shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. + But he shall wash the entrails and legs with water. The priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord. + And if the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then [the man] shall bring turtledoves or young pigeons. + And the priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. + And he shall take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. + And he shall split it open [holding it] by its wings, but shall not cut it in two. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet and satisfying odor to the Lord. + + + WHEN ANYONE offers a cereal offering to the Lord, it shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil over it and lay frankincense on it. + And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. Out of it he shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this on the altar as the memorial portion of it, an offering made by fire, of a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord. + What is left of the cereal offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire. + When you bring as an offering cereal baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil. + If your offering is cereal baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. + You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a cereal offering. + And if your offering is cereal cooked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. + And you shall bring the cereal offering that is made of these things to the Lord; it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the [bronze] altar. + The priest shall take from the cereal offering its memorial portion and burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord. + What is left of the cereal offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire. + No cereal offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven or honey in any offering made by fire to the Lord. [I Cor. 5:8.] + As an offering of firstfruits you may offer leaven and honey to the Lord, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet odor [to the Lord, for their aid to fermentation is symbolic of corruption in the human heart]. + Every cereal offering you shall season with salt [symbol of preservation]; neither shall you allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your cereal offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. [Mark 9:49, 50.] + If you offer a cereal offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for it of your firstfruits grain in the ear parched with fire, bruised and crushed grain out of the fresh and fruitful ear. + And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a cereal offering. + The priest shall burn as its memorial portion part of the bruised and crushed grain of it and part of the oil of it, with all its frankincense; it is an offering made by fire to the Lord. + + + IF A man's offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. + He shall lay [both] his hands upon the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw the blood against the altar round about. + And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, he shall offer the fat that covers and is upon the entrails, + And the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver which he shall take away with the kidneys. + Aaron's sons shall burn it all on the altar upon the burnt offering which is on the wood on the fire, an offering made by fire, of a sweet and satisfying odor to the Lord. + If his peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. + If he offers a lamb, then he shall offer it before the Lord. + He shall lay [both] his hands on the head of his offering and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood around against the altar. + And he shall offer from the peace offering as an offering made by fire to the Lord: the fat of it, the fat tail as a whole, taking it off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers and is upon the entrails, + And the two kidneys, and the fat on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver, which he shall take away with the kidneys. + The priest shall burn it upon the altar, a food offering made by fire to the Lord. + If [a man's] offering is a goat, he shall offer it before the Lord, + And lay his hands upon its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the altar round about. + Then he shall offer from it as his offering made by fire to the Lord: the fat that covers and is on the entrails, + And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver which he shall take away with the kidneys. + The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, offered by fire, for a sweet and satisfying fragrance. All the fat is the Lord's. + It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, If anyone shall sin through error or unwittingly in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and shall do any one of them-- + If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin which he has committed a young bull without blemish to the Lord as a sin offering. [Heb. 7:27, 28.] + He shall bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, and shall lay [both] his hands on the bull's head and kill [it] before the Lord. + And the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting; + And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of [it] seven times before the Lord before the veil of the sanctuary. + And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord which is in the Tent of Meeting; and all the rest of the blood of the bull shall he pour out at the base of the altar of the burnt offering at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And all the fat of the bull for the sin offering he shall take off of it--the fat that covers and is on the entrails, + And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver, which he shall take away with the kidneys-- + Just as these are taken off of the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. + But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung, + Even the whole bull shall he carry forth without the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on a fire of wood, there where the ashes are poured out. [Heb. 13:11-13.] + If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and it be hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done what the Lord has commanded not to be done and are guilty, + When the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the congregation shall offer a young bull for a sin offering and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. + The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord. + The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull's blood to the Tent of Meeting, + And shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, before the veil [which screens the ark of the covenant]. + He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar [of incense] which is before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting, and he shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering near the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And he shall take all its fat from the bull and burn it on the altar. + Thus shall he do with the bull; as he did with the bull for a sin offering, so shall he do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for [the people], and they shall be forgiven. + And he shall carry forth the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the congregation. + When a ruler or leader sins and unwittingly does any one of the things the Lord his God has forbidden, and is guilty, + If his sin which he has committed be known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish. + He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. + The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. + And he shall burn all its fat upon the altar like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; so the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. + If any one of the common people sins unwittingly in doing anything the Lord has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, + When the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. + The offender shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill [it] at the place of the burnt offering. + And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and shall pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. + And all the fat of it he shall take away, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord; and the priest shall make atonement for [the man], and he shall be forgiven. + If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish. + He shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering. + And the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and all the rest of the blood of the lamb he shall pour out at the base of the altar. + And he shall take away all the fat of it, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar upon the offerings made by fire to the Lord; and the priest shall make atonement for the sin which the man has committed, and he shall be forgiven. [Heb. 9:13, 14.] + + + IF ANYONE sins in that he is sworn to testify and has knowledge of the matter, either by seeing or hearing of it, but fails to report it, then he shall bear his iniquity and willfulness. + Or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether the carcass of an unclean wild beast or of an unclean domestic animal or of unclean creeping things that multiply prolifically, even if he is unaware of it, and he has become unclean, he is guilty. + Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever kind the uncleanness may be with which he becomes defiled, and he is unaware of it, when he does know it, then he shall be guilty. + Or if anyone unthinkingly swears he will do something, whether to do evil or good, whatever it may be that a man shall pronounce rashly taking an oath, then, when he becomes aware of it, he shall be guilty in either of these. [Mark 6:23.] + When a man is guilty in one of these, he shall confess the sin he has committed. + He shall bring his guilt or trespass offering to the Lord for the sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for his sin. + But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring for his guilt offering to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. + He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer the one for the sin offering first, and wring its head from its neck, but shall not sever it; + And he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. + And he shall prepare the second bird for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. + But if the offender cannot afford to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. + He shall bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar, on the offerings made by fire to the Lord; it is a sin offering. + Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven; and the remainder shall be for the priest, as in the cereal offering. + And the Lord said to Moses, + If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unwittingly in the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring his trespass or guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued by you in shekels of silver, that is, the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass or guilt offering. + And he shall make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing, and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass or guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. + If anyone sins and does any of the things the Lord has forbidden, though he was not aware of it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. [Luke 12:48.] + He shall bring [to the priest] a ram without blemish out of the flock, estimated by you to the amount [of the trespass], for a guilt or trespass offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for the error which he committed unknowingly, and he shall be forgiven. + It is a trespass or guilt offering; he is certainly guilty before the Lord. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + If anyone sins and commits a trespass against the Lord and deals falsely with his neighbor in a matter of deposit given him to keep, or of bargain or pledge, or of robbery, or has oppressed his neighbor, + Or has found what was lost and lied about it, or swears falsely, in any of all the things which men do and sin in so doing, + Then if he has sinned and is guilty, he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he secured by oppression or extortion, or what was delivered him to keep in trust, or the lost thing which he found, + Or anything about which he has sworn falsely; he shall not only restore it in full, but shall add to it one fifth more and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day of his trespass or guilt offering. + And he shall bring to the priest his trespass or guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued by you to the amount of his trespass; + And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for anything of all that he may have done by which he has become guilty. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall remain on the altar all night until morning; the fire shall be kept burning on the altar. + And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen breeches on his body, and take up the ashes of what the fire has consumed with the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. + And he shall put off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. + And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be allowed to go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order upon it and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. + The fire shall be burning continually upon the altar; it shall not go out. + And this is the law of the cereal offering: The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, in front of the altar. + One of them shall take his handful of the fine flour of the cereal offering, the oil of it, and all the frankincense which is upon the cereal offering, and burn it on the altar as the memorial of it, a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord. + And the remainder of it shall Aaron and his sons eat, without leaven in a holy place; in the court of the Tent of Meeting shall they eat it. [I Cor. 9:13, 14.] + It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. + Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as his portion forever throughout your generations, from the Lord's offerings made by fire; whoever touches them shall [first] be holy (consecrated and ceremonially clean). + And the Lord said to Moses, + This is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when one is anointed (and consecrated): the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a regular cereal offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at night. + On a griddle or baking pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is fried you shall bring it in; in broken and fried pieces shall you offer the cereal offering as a sweet and satisfying odor to the Lord. + And the priest among Aaron's sons who is consecrated and anointed in his stead shall offer it; by a statute forever it shall be entirely burned to the Lord. + For every cereal offering of the priest shall be wholly burned, and not be eaten. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. + The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it; in a sacred place shall it be eaten, in the court of the Tent of Meeting. + Whoever or whatever touches its flesh shall [first] be dedicated and made clean, and when any of its blood is sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that garment in a place set apart to God's worship. + But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken, and if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that vessel shall be scoured and rinsed in water. + Every male among the priests may eat of this offering; it is most holy. + But no sin offering shall be eaten of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be [wholly] burned with fire. [Heb. 13:11-13.] + + + THIS IS the law of the guilt or trespass offering; it is most holy or sacred: + In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the guilt or trespass offering; the blood of it shall the priest dash against the altar round about. + And he shall offer all its fat, the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, + And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe or appendage of the liver, which he shall take away with the kidneys. + And the priest shall burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to the Lord; it is a guilt or trespass offering. + Every male among the priests may eat of it; it shall be eaten in a sacred place; it is most holy. + As is the sin offering, so is the guilt or trespass offering; there is one law for them: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. + And the priest who offers any man's burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the hide of the burnt offering which he has offered. + And every cereal offering that is baked in the oven and all that is prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who offered it. + And every cereal offering, mixed with oil or dry, all the sons of Aaron may have, one as well as another. + And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be offered to the Lord: + If one offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thank offering unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. + With cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his sacrifice of thanksgiving with the sacrifice of his peace offerings. + And of it he shall offer one cake from each offering as an offering to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who dashes the blood of the peace offerings. + The flesh of the sacrifice of thanksgiving presented as a peace offering shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; none of it shall be left until morning. + But if the sacrifice of the worshiper's offering is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the morrow that which remains of it shall be eaten; + But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be [wholly] burned with fire. + If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, then the one who brought it shall not be credited with it; it shall not be accepted. It shall be an abomination and an abhorred thing; the one who eats of it shall bear his iniquity and answer for it. + The flesh that comes in contact with anything that is not clean shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. As for the meat, everyone who is clean [ceremonially] may eat of it. + But the one who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings that belong to the Lord when he is [ceremonially] unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people [deprived of the privileges of association with them]. + And if anyone touches any unclean thing--the uncleanness of man or an unclean beast or any unclean abomination--and then eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord's peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, You shall eat no kind of fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. + The fat of the beast that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn with beasts may be put to any other use, but under no circumstances are you to eat of it. + For whoever eats the fat of the beast from which men offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people. + Moreover, you shall eat no blood of any kind, whether of bird or of beast, in any of your dwellings. + Whoever eats any kind of blood, that person shall be cut off from his people. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Tell the Israelites, He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord; from the sacrifice of his peace offerings + He shall bring with his own hands the offerings made by fire to the Lord; he shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. + The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. + And the right thigh you shall give to the priest for an offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings. + The son of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for his portion. + For I have taken the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered from the Israelites, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their perpetual due from the Israelites. + This is the anointing portion of Aaron and his sons out of the offerings to the Lord made by fire on the day when they were presented to minister to the Lord in the priest's office. + The Lord commanded this to be given them of the Israelites on the day when they were anointed. It is their portion perpetually throughout their generations. + This is the law of the burnt offering, the cereal offering, the sin offering, the guilt or trespass offering, the consecration offering, and the sacrifice of peace offerings, + Which the Lord ordered Moses on Mount Sinai on the day He commanded the Israelites to offer their sacrifices to the Lord, in the Wilderness of Sinai. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments [symbols of their office], and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; + And assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + Moses told the congregation, This is what the Lord has commanded to be done. + Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. + He put on Aaron the long undertunic, girded him with the long sash, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod (an upper vestment) upon him, and girded him with the skillfully woven cords attached to the ephod, binding it to him. + And Moses put upon Aaron the breastplate; also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim [articles upon which the high priest put his hand when seeking the divine will concerning the nation]. + And he put the turban or miter on his head; on it, in front, Moses put the shining gold plate, the holy diadem, as the Lord commanded him. + And Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. + And he sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its base, to consecrate them. + And he poured some of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. + And Moses brought Aaron's sons and put undertunics on them and girded them with sashes and wound turbans on them, as the Lord commanded Moses. + Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. + Moses killed it and took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar round about with his finger and poured the blood at the base of the altar and purified and consecrated the altar to make atonement for it. + He took all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. + But the bull [the sin offering] and its hide, its flesh, and its dung he burned with fire outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses. + He brought the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. + And Moses killed it and dashed the blood upon the altar round about. + He cut the ram into pieces and Moses burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. + And he washed the entrails and the legs in water; then Moses burned the whole ram on the altar; it was a burnt sacrifice, for a sweet and satisfying fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration and ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. + And Moses killed it and took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. + And he brought Aaron's sons and Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, and the thumbs of their right hands, and the great toes of their right feet; and Moses dashed the blood upon the altar round about. + And he took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh; + And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer and put them on the fat and on the right thigh; + And he put all these in Aaron's hands and his sons' hands and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord. + Then Moses took these things from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering as an ordination offering, for a sweet and satisfying fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord; for of the ram of consecration and ordination it was Moses' portion, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and upon his sons and their garments also; so Moses consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments. + And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the Tent of Meeting and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecration and ordination, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. + And what remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire. + And you shall not go out of the door of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration and ordination are ended; for it will take seven days to consecrate and ordain you. + As has been done this day, so the Lord has commanded to do for your atonement. + At the door of the Tent of Meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, doing what the Lord has charged you to do, that you die not; for so I am commanded. + So Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lord commanded through Moses. + + + ON THE eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; + And he said to Aaron, Take a young calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, [each] without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. [Heb. 10:10-12.] + And say to the Israelites, Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without blemish, for a burnt offering, + Also a bull and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a cereal offering mixed with oil, for today the Lord will appear to you. + They brought before the Tent of Meeting what Moses [had] commanded; all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. + And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded you to do, and the glory of the Lord will appear to you. + And Moses said to Aaron, Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people; and offer the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded. [Heb. 5:1-5; 7:27.] + So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was designated for himself. + The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the altar's base; + But the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses. + And the flesh and the hide Aaron burned with fire outside the camp. + He killed the burnt offering, and Aaron's sons delivered to him the blood, which he dashed round about upon the altar. + And they brought the burnt offering to him piece by piece, and the head, and Aaron burned them upon the altar. + And he washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. + Then Aaron presented the people's offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people and killed it and offered it for sin as he did the first sin offering. [Heb. 2:16, 17.] + And he presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance. + And Aaron presented the cereal offering and took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the burnt offering of the morning. + He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, for the people; and Aaron's sons presented to him the blood, which he dashed upon the altar round about, + And the fat of the bull and of the ram, the fat tail and that which covers the entrails, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver. + And they put the fat upon the breasts, and Aaron burned the fat upon the altar; + But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses commanded. + Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them, and came down [from the altar] after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. + Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord [the Shekinah cloud] appeared to all the people [as promised]. [Lev. 9:6.] + Then there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. + + + AND NADAB and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord, as He had not commanded them. + And there came forth fire from before the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord. + Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord meant when He said, I [and My will, not their own] will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored. And Aaron said nothing. + Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel uncle of Aaron, and said to them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. + So they drew near and carried them in their undertunics [stripped of their priestly vestments] out of the camp, as Moses had said. + And Moses said to Aaron and Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons [the father and brothers of the two priests whom God had slain for offering false fire], Do not uncover your heads or let your hair go loose or tear your clothes, lest you die [also] and lest God's wrath should come upon all the congregation; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. + And you shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you. And they did according to Moses' word. + And the Lord said to Aaron, + Do not drink wine or strong drink, you or your sons, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; it shall be a statute forever in all your generations. + You shall make a distinction and recognize a difference between the holy and the common or unholy, and between the unclean and the clean; + And you are to teach the Israelites all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by Moses. + And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left, Take the cereal offering that remains of the offerings of the Lord made by fire and eat it without leaven beside the altar, for it is most holy. + You shall eat it in a sacred place, because it is your due and your sons' due, from the offerings made by fire to the Lord; for so I am commanded. + But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons' due, given out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the Israelites. + The thigh that is offered and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave for a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be yours and your sons' with you as a portion or due perpetually, as the Lord has commanded. + And Moses diligently tried to find [what had become of] the goat [that had been offered] for the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up [as waste]! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left alive, and said, + Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the Holy Place? It is most holy; and God has given it to you to bear and take away the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord. + Behold, the blood of it was not brought within the Holy Place; you should indeed have eaten [the flesh of it] in the Holy Place, as I commanded. + But Aaron said to Moses, Behold, this very day in which they have [obediently] offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, such [terrible calamities] have befallen me [and them]! If I [and they] had eaten the most holy sin offering today [humbled as we have been by the sin of our kinsmen and God's judgment upon them], would it have been acceptable in the sight of the Lord? [Hos. 9:4.] + And when Moses heard that, he was pacified. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + Say to the Israelites: These are the animals which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. [Mark 7:15-19.] + Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, any of these animals you may eat. + Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud or divide the hoof: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you. + And the coney or rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you. + And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you. + And the swine, because it divides the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud; it is unclean to you. + Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. + These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, these you may eat; + But all that have not fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers, of all the creeping things in the waters, and of all the living creatures which are in the waters, they are [to be considered] an abomination and abhorrence to you. [I Cor. 8:8-13.] + They shall continue to be an abomination to you; you shall not eat of their flesh, but you shall detest their carcasses. + Everything in the waters that has not fins or scales shall be abhorrent and detestable to you. + These you shall have in abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, for they are detestable: the eagle, the ossifrage, the ospray, + The kite, the whole species of falcon, + Every kind of raven, + The ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, every species of hawk, + The owl, the cormorant, the ibis, + The swan, the pelican, the vulture, + The stork, all kinds of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. + All winged insects that go upon all fours are to be an abomination to you; + Yet of all winged insects that go upon all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet with which to leap on the ground. + Of these you may eat: the whole species of locust, of bald locust, of cricket, and of grasshopper. [Matt. 3:4.] + But all other winged insects which have four feet shall be detestable to you. + And by [contact with] these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening, + And whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. + Every beast which parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you; everyone who touches them shall be unclean. + And all that go on their paws, among all kinds of four-footed beasts, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, + And he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you. + These also are unclean to you among the creeping things [that multiply greatly] and creep upon the ground: the weasel, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, + The gecko, the land crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. + These are unclean to you among all that creep; whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. + And upon whatever they may fall when they are dead, it shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or clothing or skin (bottle) or sack, any vessel in which work is done; it must be put in water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; so it shall be cleansed. + And every earthen vessel into which any of these [creeping things] falls, whatever may be in it shall be unclean, and you shall break the vessel. + Of all the food [in one of these unclean vessels] which may be eaten, that on which such water comes shall be unclean, and all drink that may be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. + And everything upon which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether an oven, or pan with a lid, or hearth for pots, it shall be broken in pieces; they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. + Yet a spring or a cistern or reservoir of water shall be clean; but whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean. + If a part of their carcass falls on seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean; + But if any water be put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it shall be unclean to you. + If any animal of which you may eat dies [unslaughtered], he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. + And he who eats of its carcass [ignorantly] shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening; he also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. + And everything that creeps on the ground and [multiplies in] swarms shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. + Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has more [than four] feet among all things that creep on the ground and swarm you shall not eat; for they are detestable. + You shall not make yourselves loathsome and abominable [by eating] any swarming thing that [multiplies by] swarms, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled by them. + For I am the Lord your God; so consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; neither defile yourselves with any manner of thing that multiplies in large numbers or swarms. [I Thess. 4:7, 8.] + For I am the Lord Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God; therefore you shall be holy, for I am holy. [I Pet. 1:14-16.] + This is the law of the beast, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and creeps on the earth and multiplies in large numbers, + To make a difference (a distinction) between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be unclean seven days, unclean as during her monthly discomfort. + And on the eighth day the child shall be circumcised. + Then she shall remain [separated] thirty-three days to be purified [from her loss] of blood; she shall touch no hallowed thing nor come into the [court of the] sanctuary until the days of her purifying are over. + But if the child she bears is a girl, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her periodic impurity, and she shall remain separated sixty-six days to be purified [from her loss] of blood. + When the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb a year old for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering to the door of the Tent of Meeting to the priest; + And he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female child. + If she is unable to bring a lamb [for lack of means] then she shall bring two turtledoves or young pigeons, one for a burnt offering, the other for a sin offering; the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean. [Luke 2:22, 24.] + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + When a man has a swelling on his skin, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes the disease of leprosy in his skin, then he shall be brought to the priest, to Aaron or one of his sons. + The priest shall look at the diseased spot on his skin, and if the hair in it has turned white and the disease appears depressed and deeper than his skin, it is a leprous disease; and the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. + If the bright spot is white on his skin, not depressed, and the hair on it not turned white, the priest shall quarantine the person or bind up the spot for seven days. + And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if the disease in his estimation is at a standstill and has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall quarantine the person or bind up the spot seven more days. + And the priest shall examine him again the seventh day, and if the diseased part has a more normal color and the disease has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption or a scab; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. + But if the eruption or scab spreads farther in the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. + If the priest sees that the eruption or scab is spreading in the skin, then he shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy. + When the disease of leprosy is in a man, he shall be brought to the priest; + And the priest shall examine him, and if there is a white swelling in the skin and the hair on it has turned white and there is quick raw flesh in the swelling, + It is a chronic leprosy in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not bind the spot up, for he is unclean. + But if [supposed] leprosy breaks out in the skin, and it covers all the skin of him who has the disease from head to foot, wherever the priest looks, + The priest shall examine him; if the [supposed] leprosy covers all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it is all turned white, and he is clean. + But when the raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. + And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean; it is leprosy. + But if the raw flesh turns again and becomes white, he shall come to the priest, + And the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased part is turned to white again, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who had the disease; he is clean. + And when there is in the skin of the body [the scar of] a boil that is healed, + And in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish white, and it is shown to the priest, + And if when the priest examines it it looks lower than the skin and the hair on it is turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of leprosy; it has broken out in the boil. + But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in it and it is not lower than the skin but appears darker, then the priest shall bind it up for seven days. + If it spreads in the skin, [he] shall pronounce him unclean; it is diseased. + But if the bright spot does not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. + Or if there is any flesh in the skin of which there is a burn by fire and the quick flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish white or white, + Then the priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the bright spot is turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of leprosy. + But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is not lower than the rest of the skin but is darker, then the priest shall bind it up for seven days. + And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; if it is spreading in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy. + But if the bright spot has not spread but is darker, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is the scar of the burn. + When a man or woman has a disease upon the head or in the beard, + The priest shall examine the diseased place; if it appears to be deeper than the skin, with yellow, thin hair in it, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a mangelike leprosy of the head or beard. + If the priest examines the spot infected by the mangelike disease, and it does not appear deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall bind up the spot for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest shall examine the diseased spot; if the mange has not spread and has no yellow hair in it and does not look deeper than the skin, + Then the patient shall be shaved, except the mangelike spot; and the priest shall bind up the spot seven days more. + On the seventh day the priest shall look at the mangelike spot; if the mange has not spread and looks no deeper than the skin, he shall pronounce the patient clean; he shall wash his clothes and be clean. + But if the mangelike spot spreads in the skin after his cleansing, + Then the priest shall examine him, and if the mangelike spot is spread in the skin, the priest need not look for the yellow hair; the patient is unclean. + But if in his estimation the mange is at a standstill and has black hair in it, the mangelike disease is healed; he is clean; the priest shall pronounce him clean. + When a man or a woman has on the skin bright spots, even white bright spots, + Then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots in the skin are a dull white, it is a harmless eruption; he is clean. + If a man's hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean. + And if his hair has fallen out from the front of his head, he has baldness of the forehead, but he is clean. + But if there is on the bald head or forehead a reddish white diseased spot, it is leprosy breaking out on his baldness. + Then the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased swelling is reddish white on his bald head or forehead like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body, + He is a leprous man; he is unclean; the priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his disease is on his head. + And the leper's clothes shall be rent, and the hair of his head shall hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, Unclean, unclean! + He shall remain unclean as long as the disease is in him; he is unclean; he shall live alone [and] his dwelling shall be outside the camp. + The garment also that the disease of leprosy [symbolic of sin] is in, whether a wool or a linen garment, [Jude 23; Rev. 3:4.] + Whether it be in woven or knitted stuff or in the warp or woof of linen or of wool, or in a skin or anything made of skin, + If the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in a skin or in the warp or woof or in anything made of skin, it is the plague of leprosy; show it to the priest. + The priest shall examine the diseased article and shut it up for seven days. + He shall examine the disease on the seventh day; if [it] is spread in the garment, or in the article, whatever service it may be used for, the disease is a rotting or corroding leprosy; it is unclean. + He shall burn the garment, whether diseased in warp or woof, in wool or linen, or anything made of skin; for it is a rotting or corroding leprosy, to be burned in the fire. + But if the priest finds the disease has not spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof, or in anything made of skin, + Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more. + And the priest shall examine the diseased article after it has been washed, and if the diseased portion has not changed color, though the disease has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire; it is a rotting or corroding [disease], whether the leprous spot be inside or outside. + If the priest looks and the diseased portion is less noticeable after it is washed, he shall tear it out of the garment, or the skin (leather), or out of the warp or woof. + If it appears still in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of skin, it is spreading; you shall burn the diseased part with fire. + But the garment, or the woven or knitted stuff or warp or woof, or anything made of skin from which the disease departs when you have washed it, shall then be washed a second time, and be clean. + This is the law for a leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of skin, to pronounce it clean or unclean. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + This shall be the law of the leper on the day when he is to be pronounced clean: he shall be brought to the priest [at a meeting place outside the camp]; + The priest shall go out of the camp [to meet him]; and [he] shall examine him, and if the disease is healed in the leper, + Then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet [material] and hyssop. [Heb. 9:19-22.] + And the priest shall command to kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over fresh, running water. + As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood, and the scarlet [material], and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird killed over the running water; + And he shall sprinkle [the blood] on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let go the living bird into the open field. [Heb. 9:13-15.] + He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water; and he shall be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, but stay outside his tent seven days. + But on the seventh day he shall shave all his hair off his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and his [body]; and he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and be clean. + On the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal offering, mixed with oil, and one log of oil. + And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting; + The priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt or trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. + He shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the sacred place [the court of the tabernacle]; for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the guilt or trespass offering; it is most holy; + And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt or trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. + And the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand; + And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord; + And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt or trespass offering [which he has previously placed in each of these places]. + And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him who is to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the Lord. + And the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterward kill the burnt offering [victim]. + And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the cereal offering on the altar; and he shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. + If the cleansed leper is poor and cannot afford so much, he shall take one lamb for a guilt or trespass offering to be waved to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering, and a log of oil, + And two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he can afford, one for a sin offering, the other for a burnt offering. + He shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing to the priest at the door of the Tent of Meeting, before the Lord. + And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt or trespass offering, and the log of oil, and shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. + And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt or trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. + And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, + And shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord. + The priest shall put some of the oil in his hand on the tip of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the places where he has put the blood of the guilt offering. + The rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord. + And he shall offer one of the turtledoves or of the young pigeons, such as he is able to get, + As he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the cereal offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before the Lord. + This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, who is not able to get what is required for his cleansing. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the disease of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession, + Then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, It seems to me there is some sort of disease in my house. + Then the priest shall command that they empty the house before [he] goes in to examine the disease, so that all that is in the house may not be declared unclean; afterward [he] shall go in to see the house. + He shall examine the disease, and if it is in the walls of the house with depressed spots of dark green or dark red appearing beneath [the surface of] the wall, + Then the priest shall go out of the door and shut up the house seven days. + The priest shall come again on the seventh day and shall look; and if the disease has spread in the walls of the house, + He shall command that they take out the diseased stones and cast them into an unclean place outside the city. + He shall cause the house to be scraped within round about and the plaster or mortar that is scraped off to be emptied out in an unclean place outside the city. + And they shall put other stones in the place of those stones, and he shall plaster the house with fresh mortar. + If the disease returns, breaking out in the house after he has removed the stones and has scraped and plastered the house, + Then the priest shall come and look, and if the disease is spreading in the house, it is a rotting or corroding leprosy in the house; it is unclean. + He shall tear down the house--its stones and its timber and all the plaster or mortar of the house--and shall carry them forth out of the city to an unclean place. + Moreover, he who enters the house during the whole time that it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening. + And he who lies down or eats in the house shall wash his clothes. + But if the priest inspects it and the disease has not spread after the house was plastered, he shall pronounce the house clean, because the disease is healed. + He shall take to cleanse the house two birds, cedar wood, scarlet [material], and hyssop; + And he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water, + And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet [material], and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times. + And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, the running water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet [material]. + But he shall let the living bird go out of the city into the open field; so he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean. + This is the law for all kinds of leprous diseases, and mangelike conditions, + For the leprosy of a garment or of a house, + And for a swelling or an eruption or a scab or a bright spot, + To teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law of leprosy. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + Say to the Israelites, When any man has a running discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean. + This shall be [the law concerning] his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge or has stopped [running], it is uncleanness in him. + Every bed on which the one who has the discharge lies is unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. + Whoever touches that person's bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. + And whoever sits on anything on which he who has the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. + And he who touches the flesh of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. + And if he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. + And any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean. + Whoever touches anything that has been under him shall be unclean until evening; and he who carries those things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. + Whomever he who has the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. + The earthen vessel that he with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. + When he who has a discharge is cleansed of it, he shall count seven days for his purification, then wash his clothes, bathe in running water, and be clean. + On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the Lord to the door of the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest; + And the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and [he] shall make atonement for the man before the Lord for his discharge. + And if any man has a discharge of semen, he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. + And every garment and every skin on which the sperm comes shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. + The woman also with whom a man with emission of semen shall lie, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until evening. + And if a woman has a discharge, her [regular] discharge of blood of her body, she shall be in her impurity or separation for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. + And everything that she lies on in her separation shall be unclean; everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. + And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. + Whoever touches anything she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. + And if her flow has stained her bed or anything on which she sat, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. + And if any man lie with her and her impurity be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. + And if a woman has an issue of blood for many days, not during the time of her separation, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her [regular] impurity, all the days of the issue of her uncleanness she shall be as in the days of her impurity; she shall be unclean. [Matt. 9:20.] + Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be as the bed of her impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as in her impurity. + And whoever touches those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. + But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall wait seven days, and after that she shall be clean. + And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the door of the Tent of Meeting; + He shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and he shall make atonement for her before the Lord for her unclean discharge. + Thus you shall separate the Israelites from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling My tabernacle that is in the midst of them. + This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has emissions of sperm, being made unclean by it; + And for her who is sick with her impurity, and for any person who has a discharge, whether man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean. + + + AFTER THE death of Aaron's two sons, when they drew near before the Lord [offered false fire] and died, [Lev. 10:1, 2.] + The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother he must not come at all times into the Holy of Holies within the veil before the mercy seat upon the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. [Heb. 9:7-15, 25-28.] + But Aaron shall come into the holy enclosure in this way: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. + He shall put on the holy linen undergarment, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his body, and be girded with the linen girdle or sash, and with the linen turban or miter shall he be attired; these are the holy garments; he shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. + He shall take [at the expense] of the congregation of the Israelites two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. + And Aaron shall present the bull as the sin offering for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house [the other priests]. + He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats--one lot for the Lord, the other lot for Azazel or removal. + And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer him as a sin offering. + But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel or removal shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over him, that he may be let go into the wilderness for Azazel (for dismissal). + Aaron shall present the bull as the sin offering for his own sins and shall make atonement for himself and for his house [the other priests], and shall kill the bull as the sin offering for himself. + He shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the [bronze] altar before the Lord, and his two hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil [into the Holy of Holies], + And put the incense on the fire [in the censer] before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon [the ark of] the Testimony, lest he die. + He shall take of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front [the east side] of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. + Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering that is for [the sins of] the people and bring its blood within the veil [into the Holy of Holies] and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. [Heb. 2:17.] + Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place because of the uncleanness of the Israelites and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so shall he do for the Tent of Meeting, that remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. [Heb. 9:22-24.] + There shall be no man in the Tent of Meeting when the high priest goes in to make atonement in the Holy of Holies [within the veil] until he comes out and has made atonement for his own sins and those of his house [the other priests] and of all the congregation of Israel. + And he shall go out to the altar [of burnt offering in the court] which is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar round about. + And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his fingers seven times and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. + And when he has finished atoning for the Holy of Holies and the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], he shall present the live goat; + And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over him all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions, all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat [the sin-bearer], and send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is timely (ready, fit). + The goat shall bear upon himself all their iniquities, carrying them to a land cut off (a land of forgetfulness and separation, not inhabited)! And the man leading it shall let the goat go in the wilderness. [Ps. 103:12; Isa. 53:11, 12; John 1:29.] + Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting and put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy of Holies, and leave them there; + And he shall bathe his body with water in a sacred place and put on his garments, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and that of the people, and make atonement for himself and for them. + And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn upon the altar. + The man who led the sin-bearing goat out and let him go for Azazel or removal shall wash his clothes and bathe his body, and afterward he may come into the camp. + The bull and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy of Holies, shall be carried forth without the camp; their skins, their flesh, and their dung shall be burned with fire. [Heb. 13:11-13.] + And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. + It shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month [nearly October] on the tenth day of the month you shall afflict yourselves [by fasting with penitence and humiliation] and do no work at all, either the native-born or the stranger who dwells temporarily among you. + For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord. [Heb. 10:1, 2; I John 1:7, 9.] + It is a sabbath of [solemn] rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves [by fasting with penitence and humiliation]; it is a statute forever. + And the priest who shall be anointed and consecrated to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments; + He shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, for the Tent of Meeting, and for the altar [of burnt offering in the court], and shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. + This shall be an everlasting statute for you, that atonement may be made for the Israelites for all their sins once a year. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, This is what the Lord has commanded: + If any man of the house of Israel kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp or kills it outside the camp + And does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to the Lord before the Lord's tabernacle, [guilt for shedding] blood shall be imputed to that man; he has shed blood and shall be cut off from among his people. + This is so that the Israelites, rather than offer their sacrifices [to idols] in the open field [where they slew them], may bring them to the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, to offer them as peace offerings to the Lord. + And the priest shall dash the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat for a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord. + So they shall no more offer their sacrifices to goatlike gods or demons or field spirits after which they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations. + And you shall say to them, Whoever of the house of Israel or of the strangers who dwell temporarily among you offers a burnt offering or sacrifice + And does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to the Lord shall be cut off from among his people. + Any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who dwell temporarily among them who eats any kind of blood, against that person I will set My face and I will cut him off from among his people [that he may not be included in the atonement made for them]. [Ezek. 33:25.] + For the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life [which it represents]. [Rom. 3:24-26.] + Therefore I have said to the Israelites, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who dwells temporarily among you eat blood. + And any of the Israelites or of the strangers who sojourn among them who takes in hunting any clean beast or bird shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust. + As for the life of all flesh, the blood of it represents the life of it; therefore I said to the Israelites, You shall partake of the blood of no kind of flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats of it shall be cut off. + And every person who eats what dies of itself or was torn by beasts, whether he is native-born or a temporary resident, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening; then shall he be clean. [Acts 15:20.] + But if he does not wash his clothes or bathe his body, he shall bear his own iniquity [for it shall not be borne by the sacrifice of atonement]. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, I am the Lord your God. + You shall not do as was done in the land of Egypt in which you dwelt, nor shall you do as is done in the land of Canaan to which I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes. + You shall do My ordinances and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. + You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances which, if a man does, he shall live by them. I am the Lord. [Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 10:4, 5; Gal. 3:12.] + None of you shall approach anyone close of kin to him to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. + The nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover; she is your mother; you shall not have intercourse with her. + The nakedness of your father's wife you shall not uncover; it is your father's nakedness. + You shall not have intercourse with or uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad. + You must not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; their nakedness you shall not uncover, for they are your own flesh. + You must not have intercourse with your father's wife's daughter; begotten by your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness. + You shall not have intercourse with your father's sister; she is your father's near kinswoman. + You shall not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, for she is your mother's near kinswoman. + You shall not have intercourse with your father's brother's wife; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife; you shall not have intercourse with her. + You shall not have intercourse with your brother's wife; she belongs to your brother. + You shall not marry a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to have intercourse; they are [her] near kinswomen; it is wickedness and an outrageous offense. + You must not marry a woman in addition to her sister, to be a rival to her, having sexual relations with the second sister when the first one is alive. + Also you shall not have intercourse with a woman during her [menstrual period or similar] uncleanness. + Moreover, you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her. + You shall not give any of your children to pass through the fire and sacrifice them to Molech [the fire god], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by giving it to false gods]. I am the Lord. + You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination. [I Cor. 6:9, 10.] + Neither shall you lie with any beast and defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman yield herself to a beast to lie with it; it is confusion, perversion, and degradedly carnal. + Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for in all these things the nations are defiled which I am casting out before you. + And the land is defiled; therefore I visit the iniquity of it upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants. + So you shall keep My statutes and My ordinances and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the native-born nor any stranger who sojourns among you, + For all these abominations have the men of the land done who were before you, and the land is defiled-- + [Do none of these things] lest the land spew you out when you defile it as it spewed out the nation that was before you. + Whoever commits any of these abominations shall be cut off from among [his] people. + So keep My charge: do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you and defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to all the assembly of the Israelites, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. [I Pet. 1:15.] + Each of you shall give due respect to his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths holy. I the Lord am your God. + Do not turn to idols and things of nought or make for yourselves molten gods. I the Lord am your God. + And when you offer a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. + It shall be eaten the same day you offer it and on the day following; and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. + If it is eaten at all the third day, it is loathsome; it will not be accepted. + But everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, for he has profaned a holy thing of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from his people [and not be included in the atonement made for them]. + And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to its very corners, neither shall you gather the fallen ears or gleanings of your harvest. + And you shall not glean your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather its fallen grapes; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am the Lord your God. + You shall not steal, or deal falsely, or lie one to another. [Col. 3:9, 10.] + And you shall not swear by My name falsely, neither shall you profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. + You shall not defraud or oppress your neighbor or rob him; the wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until morning. + You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall [reverently] fear your God. I am the Lord. + You shall do no injustice in judging a case; you shall not be partial to the poor or show a preference for the mighty, but in righteousness and according to the merits of the case judge your neighbor. + You shall not go up and down as a dispenser of gossip and scandal among your people, nor shall you [secure yourself by false testimony or by silence and] endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord. + You shall not hate your brother in your heart; but you shall surely rebuke your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. [Gal. 6:1; I John 2:9, 11; 3:15.] + You shall not take revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. [Matt. 5:43-46; Rom. 12:17, 19.] + You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your domestic animals breed with a different kind [of animal]; you shall not sow your field with mixed seed, neither wear a garment of linen mixed with wool. + And if a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave betrothed to a husband and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, they shall be punished [after investigation]; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free; + But he shall bring his guilt or trespass offering to the Lord to the door of the Tent of Meeting, a ram for a guilt or trespass offering. + The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt or trespass offering before the Lord for his sin, and he shall be forgiven for committing the sin. + And when you come into the land and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count the fruit of them as inedible and forbidden to you for three years; it shall not be eaten. + In the fourth year all their fruit shall be holy for giving praise to the Lord. + But in the fifth year you may eat of the fruit [of the trees], that their produce may enrich you; I am the Lord your God. + You shall not eat anything with the blood; neither shall you use magic, omens, or witchcraft [or predict events by horoscope or signs and lucky days]. + You shall not round the corners of the hair of your heads nor trim the corners of your beard [as some idolaters do]. + You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print or tattoo any marks upon you; I am the Lord. + Do not profane your daughter by causing her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry and become full of wickedness. + You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord. + Turn not to those [mediums] who have familiar spirits or to wizards; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. + You shall rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the old man and [reverently] fear your God. I am the Lord. + And if a stranger dwells temporarily with you in your land, you shall not suppress and mistreat him. + But the stranger who dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you; and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. + You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. + You shall have accurate and just balances, just weights, just ephah and hin measures. I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. + You shall observe all My statutes and ordinances and do them. I am the Lord. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Moreover, you shall say to the Israelites, Any one of the Israelites or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech [the fire god worshiped with human sacrifices] shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. + I also will set My face against that man [opposing him, withdrawing My protection from him, and excluding him from My covenant] and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his children to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name. + And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from the man when he gives one of his children [as a burnt offering] to Molech [the fire god] and they overlook it or neglect to take legal action to punish him, winking at his sin, and do not kill him [as My law requires], + Then I will set My face against that man and against his family and will cut him off from among their people, him and all who follow him to [unfaithfulness to Me, and thus] play the harlot after Molech. + The person who turns to those who have familiar spirits and to wizards, [being unfaithful to Israel's Maker Who is her Husband, and thus] playing the harlot after them, I will set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people [that he may not be included in the atonement made for them]. [Isa. 54:5.] + Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God. + And you shall keep My statutes and do them. I am the Lord Who sanctifies you. + Everyone who curses his father or mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or mother; his bloodguilt is upon him. + The man who commits adultery with another's wife, even his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. [John 8:4-11.] + And the man who lies carnally with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of the guilty ones shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon their own heads. + And if a man lies carnally with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have wrought confusion, perversion, and defilement; their blood shall be upon their own heads. + If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. + And if a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness and an outrageous offense; all three shall be burned with fire, both he and they [after being stoned to death], that there be no wickedness among you. [Josh. 7:15, 25.] + And if a man lies carnally with a beast, he shall surely be [stoned] to death, and you shall slay the beast. + If a woman approaches any beast and lies carnally with it, you shall [stone] the woman and the beast; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. + If a man takes his sister, his father's or his mother's daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked and shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people; he has had sexual relations with his sister; he shall bear his iniquity. + And if a man shall lie with a woman having her menstrual pains and shall uncover her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood; and both of them shall be cut off from among their people. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked his close kin; they shall bear their iniquity. + And if a man shall lie carnally with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless [not literally, but in a legal sense]. + And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless [not literally, but in a legal sense]. + You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out [as it did those before you]. [Lev. 18:28.] + You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I was wearied and grieved by them. + But I have said to you, You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, Who has separated you from the peoples. + You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable with beast or with bird or with anything with which the ground teems or that creeps, which I have set apart from you as unclean. + And you shall be holy to Me; for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. + A man or woman who is a medium and has a familiar spirit or is a wizard shall surely be put to death, be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, Speak to the priests [exclusive of the high priest], the sons of Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people [by touching a corpse or assisting in preparing it for burial], + Except for his near [blood] kin, for his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, + And for his sister, a virgin, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may be defiled. + He shall not even defile himself, being a [bereaved] husband [his wife not being his blood kin] or being a chief man among his people, and so profane himself. + The priests [like the other Israelite men] shall not shave the crown of their heads or clip off the corners of their beard or make any cuttings in their flesh. + They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. + They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or polluted or profane or divorced, for [the priest] is holy to his God. + You shall consecrate him therefore, for he offers the bread of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I the Lord Who sanctifies you am holy. + The daughter of any priest who profanes herself by playing the harlot profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire [after being stoned]. [Josh. 7:15, 25.] + But he who is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to put on the [sacred] garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose or rend his clothes [in mourning], + Neither shall he go in where any dead body lies nor defile himself [by doing so, even] for his father or for his mother; + Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary nor desecrate or make ceremonially unclean the sanctuary of his God, for the crown or consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the Lord. + He shall take a wife in her virginity. + A widow or a divorced woman or a woman who is polluted or profane or a harlot, these he shall not marry, but he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people, [I Tim. 3:2-7; Tit. 1:7-9.] + That he may not profane or dishonor his children among his people; for I the Lord do sanctify the high priest. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to Aaron, Any one of your sons in their successive generations who has any blemish, let him not come near to offer the bread of his God. + For no man who has a blemish shall approach [God's altar to serve as priest], a man blind or lame, or he who has a disfigured face or a limb too long, + Or who has a fractured foot or hand, + Or is a hunchback, or a dwarf, or has a defect in his eye, or has scurvy or itch, or scabs or skin trouble, or has damaged testicles. + No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish and is disfigured or deformed shall come near [the altar] to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire. He has a blemish; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. + He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things, + But he shall not come within the veil or come near the altar [of incense], because he has a blemish, that he may not desecrate and make unclean My sanctuaries and hallowed things; for I the Lord do sanctify them. [Heb. 7:28.] + And Moses told it to Aaron and to his sons and to all the Israelites. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to Aaron and his sons that they shall stay away from the holy things which the Israelites dedicate to Me, that they may not profane My holy name; I am the Lord. + Tell them, Any one of your offspring throughout your generations who goes to the holy things which the Israelites dedicate to the Lord when he is unclean, that [priest] shall be cut off from My presence and excluded from the sanctuary; I am the Lord. + No man of the offspring of Aaron who is a leper or has a discharge shall eat of the holy things [the offerings and the showbread] until he is clean. And whoever touches any person or thing made unclean by contact with a corpse or a man who has had a discharge of semen, + Or whoever touches any dead creeping thing by which he may be made unclean, or a man from whom he may acquire uncleanness, whatever it may be, [Lev. 11:24-28.] + The priest who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed with water. [Heb. 10:22.] + When the sun is down, he shall be clean, and afterward may eat of the holy things, for they are his food. + That which dies of itself or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, defiling himself with it. I am the Lord. + The priests therefore shall observe My ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby if they profane it. I am the Lord, Who sanctifies them. + No outsider [not of the family of Aaron] shall eat of the holy thing [which has been offered to God]; a sojourner with the priest or a hired servant shall not eat of the holy thing. + But if a priest buys a slave with his money, the slave may eat of the holy thing, and he also who is born in the priest's house; they may eat of his food. + If a priest's daughter is married to an outsider [not of the priestly tribe], she shall not eat of the offering of the holy things. + But if a priest's daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and returns to her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's food; but no stranger shall eat of it. + And if a man eats unknowingly of the holy thing [which has been offered to God], then he shall add one-fifth of its value to it and repay that amount to the priest for the holy thing. + The priests shall not profane the holy things the Israelites offer to the Lord, + And so cause them [by neglect of any essential observance] to bear the iniquity when they eat their holy things; for I the Lord sanctify them. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites, Whoever of the house of Israel and of the foreigners in Israel brings his offering, whether to pay a vow or as a freewill offering which is offered to the Lord for a burnt offering + That you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without blemish of the young bulls, the sheep, or the goats. + But you shall not offer anything which has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. [I Pet. 1:19.] + And whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord to make a special vow to the Lord or for a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock must bring what is perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish in it. + Animals blind or made infirm and weak or maimed, or having sores or a wen or an itch or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord or make an offering of them by fire upon the altar to the Lord. + For a freewill offering you may offer either a bull or a lamb which has some part too long or too short, but for [the payment of] a vow it shall not be accepted. + You shall not offer to the Lord any animal which has its testicles bruised or crushed or broken or cut, neither sacrifice it in your land. + Neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals obtained from a foreigner [who may wish to pay respect to the true God], because their defects render them unfit; there is a blemish in them; they will not be accepted for you. + And the Lord said to Moses, + When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain for seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And whether [the mother] is a cow or a ewe, you shall not kill her and her young both in one day. + And when you sacrifice an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. + It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the next day. I am the Lord. + So shall you heartily accept My commandments and conform your life and conduct to them. I am the Lord. + Neither shall you profane My holy name [applying it to an idol, or treating it with irreverence or contempt or as a byword]; but I will be hallowed among the Israelites. I am the Lord, Who consecrates and makes you holy, + Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, The set feasts or appointed seasons of the Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, even My set feasts, are these: + Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation or assembly by summons. You shall do no work on that day; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. + These are the set feasts or appointed seasons of the Lord, holy convocations you shall proclaim at their stated times: + On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. + On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. [I Cor. 5:7, 8.] + On the first day you shall have a holy``calling together;" you shall do no servile or laborious work on that day. + But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days; on the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no servile or laborious work on that day. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Tell the Israelites, When you have come into the land I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. + And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, that you may be accepted; on the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it [before the Lord]. + You shall offer on the day when you wave the sheaf a male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the Lord. + Its cereal offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord for a sweet, pleasing, and satisfying fragrance; and the drink offering of it [to be poured out] shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. + And you shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor green ears, until this same day when you have brought the offering of your God; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your houses. + And you shall count from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths; [seven full weeks] shall they be. + Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord. + You shall bring from your dwellings two loaves of bread to be waved, made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven, for firstfruits to the Lord. + And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs, a year old and without blemish, and one young bull and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their cereal offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, of a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Lord. + Then you shall sacrifice one he-goat for a sin offering and two he-lambs, a year old, for a sacrifice of peace offering. + The priest shall wave the two lambs, together with the bread of the firstfruits, for a wave offering before the Lord. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. + You shall make proclamation the same day, summoning a holy assembly; you shall do no servile work that day. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. + And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am the Lord your God. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, On the first day of the seventh month [almost October], you shall observe a day of solemn [sabbatical] rest, a memorial day announced by blowing of trumpets, a holy [called] assembly. + You shall do no servile work on it, but you shall present an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Also the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy [called] assembly, and you shall afflict yourselves [by fasting in penitence and humility] and present an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And you shall do no work on this day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. + For whoever is not afflicted [by fasting in penitence and humility] on this day shall be cut off from among his people [that he may not be included in the atonement made for them]. + And whoever does any work on that same day I will destroy from among his people. + You shall do no kind of work [on that day]. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. + It shall be to you a sabbath of rest, and you shall afflict yourselves [by fasting in penitence and humility]. On the ninth day of the month from evening to evening you shall keep your sabbath. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, The fifteenth day of this seventh month, and for seven days, is the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths to the Lord. + On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no servile work on that day. + For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord; on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation and you shall present an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work on that day. + These are the set feasts or appointed seasons of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to present an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a cereal offering, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its own day. + This is in addition to the Sabbaths of the Lord and besides your gifts and all your vowed offerings and all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord. + Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month [nearly October], when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days, the first day and the eighth day each a Sabbath. + And on the first day you shall take the fruit of pleasing trees [and make booths of them], branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick (leafy) trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. + You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year, a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month. + You shall dwell in booths (shelters) for seven days: All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, + That your generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. + Thus Moses declared to the Israelites the set or appointed feasts of the Lord. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Command the Israelites that they bring to you pure oil from beaten olives for the light [of the golden lampstand] to cause a lamp to burn continually. + Outside the veil of the Testimony [between the Holy and the Most Holy Places] in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. + He shall keep the lamps in order upon the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord continually. [Rev. 1:12-18.] + And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake [of the showbread or bread of the Presence]. + And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the table of pure gold before the Lord. + You shall put pure frankincense [in a bowl or spoon] beside each row, that it may be with the bread as a memorial portion, an offering to be made by fire to the Lord. + Every Sabbath day Aaron shall set the showbread in order before the Lord continually; it is on behalf of the Israelites, an everlasting covenant. + And the bread shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a sacred place, for it is for [Aaron] a most holy portion of the offerings to the Lord made by fire, a perpetual due [to the high priest]. + Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the Israelites, and he and a man of Israel quarreled and strove together in the camp. + The Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name [of the Lord] and cursed. They brought him to Moses--his mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. + And they put him in custody until the will of the Lord might be declared to them. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Bring him who has cursed out of the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head; then let all the congregation stone him. + And you shall say to the Israelites, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. + And he who blasphemes the Name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him; the stranger as well as he who was born in the land shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name [of the Lord]. + And he who kills any man shall surely be put to death. + And he who kills a beast shall make it good, beast for beast. + And if a man causes a blemish or disfigurement on his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: + Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused a blemish or disfigurement on a man, so shall it be done to him. [Matt. 5:38-42; 7:2.] + He who kills a beast shall replace it; he who kills a man shall be put to death. + You shall have the same law for the sojourner among you as for one of your own nationality, for I am the Lord your God. + Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they brought him who had cursed out of the camp and stoned him with stones. Thus the Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses. + + + THE LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, + Say to the Israelites, When you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath to the Lord. + For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits. + But in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. + What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap and the grapes on your uncultivated vine you shall not gather, for it is a year of rest to the land. + And the sabbath rest of the [untilled] land shall [in its increase] furnish food for you, for your male and female slaves, your hired servant, and the temporary resident who lives with you, + For your domestic animals also and for the [wild] beasts in your land; all its yield shall be for food. + And you shall number seven sabbaths or weeks of years for you, seven times seven years, so the total time of the seven weeks of years shall be forty-nine years. + Then you shall sound abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month [almost October]; on the Day of Atonement blow the trumpet in all your land. + And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his ancestral possession [which through poverty he was compelled to sell], and each of you shall return to his family [from whom he was separated in bond service]. + That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall not sow, or reap and store what grows of itself, or gather the grapes of the uncultivated vines. + For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat the [sufficient] increase of it out of the field. + In this Year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his ancestral property. + And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. + According to the number of years after the Jubilee, you shall buy from your neighbor. And he shall sell to you according to the number of years [remaining in which you may gather] the crops [before you must restore the property to him]. + If the years [to the next Jubilee] are many, you may increase the price, and if the years remaining are few, you shall diminish the price, for the number of the crops is what he is selling to you. + You shall not oppress and wrong one another, but you shall [reverently] fear your God. For I am the Lord your God. + Therefore you shall do and give effect to My statutes and keep My ordinances and perform them, and you will dwell in the land in safety. + The land shall yield its fruit; you shall eat your fill and dwell there in safety. + And if you say, What shall we eat in the seventh year if we are not to sow or gather in our increase? + Then [this is My answer:] I will command My [special] blessings on you in the sixth year, so that it shall bring forth [sufficient] fruit for three years. + And you shall sow in the eighth year, but eat of the old store of produce; until the crops of the ninth year come in you shall eat of the old supply. + The land shall not be sold into perpetual ownership, for the land is Mine; you are [only] strangers and temporary residents with Me. [Heb. 11:13; I Pet. 2:11-17.] + And in all the country you possess you shall grant a redemption for the land [in the Year of Jubilee]. + If your brother has become poor and has sold some of his property, if any of his kin comes to redeem it, he shall [be allowed to] redeem what his brother has sold. + And if the man has no one to redeem his property, and he himself has become more prosperous and has enough to redeem it, + Then let him count the years since he sold it and restore the overpayment to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his ancestral possession. [I Kings 21:2, 3.] + But if he is unable to redeem it, it shall remain in the buyer's possession until the Year of Jubilee, when it shall be set free and he may return to it. + If a man sells a dwelling house in a fortified city, he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year he may have the right of redemption. + And if it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house that is in the fortified city shall be made sure, permanently and without limitations, for him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not go free in the Year of Jubilee. + But the houses of the unwalled villages shall be counted with the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall go free in the Year of Jubilee. + Nevertheless, the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time. + But if a house is not redeemed by a Levite, the sold house in the city they possess shall go free in the Year of Jubilee, for the houses in the Levite cities are their ancestral possession among the Israelites. + But the field of unenclosed or pasture lands of their cities may not be sold; it is their perpetual possession. + And if your [Israelite] brother has become poor and his hand wavers [from poverty, sickness, or age and he is unable to support himself], then you shall uphold (strengthen, relieve) him, [treating him with the courtesy and consideration that you would] a stranger or a temporary resident with you [without property], so that he may live [along] with you. [I John 3:17.] + Charge him no interest or [portion of] increase, but fear your God, so your brother may [continue to] live along with you. + You shall not give him your money at interest nor lend him food at a profit. + I am the Lord your God, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. + And if your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a bondman (a slave not eligible for redemption), + But as a hired servant and as a temporary resident he shall be with you; he shall serve you till the Year of Jubilee, + And then he shall depart from you, he and his children with him, and shall go back to his own family and return to the possession of his fathers. + For the Israelites are My servants; I brought them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen. [I Cor. 7:23.] + You shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression), but you shall [reverently] fear your God. [Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1.] + As for your bondmen and your bondmaids whom you may have, they shall be from the nations round about you, of whom you may buy bondmen and bondmaids. + Moreover, of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy and of their families that are with you which they have begotten in your land, and they shall be your possession. + And you shall make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them shall you take your bondmen always, but over your brethren the Israelites you shall not rule one over another with harshness (severity, oppression). + And if a sojourner or stranger with you becomes rich and your [Israelite] brother becomes poor beside him and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's family, + After he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brethren may redeem him: + Either his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him, or a near kinsman may redeem him; or if he has enough and is able, he may redeem himself. + And [the redeemer] shall reckon with the purchaser of the servant from the year when he sold himself to the purchaser to the Year of Jubilee, and the price of his release shall be adjusted according to the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be counted as that of a hired servant. + If there remain many years [before the Year of Jubilee], in proportion to them he must refund [to the purchaser] for his release [the overpayment] for his acquisition. + And if little time remains until the Year of Jubilee, he shall count it over with him and he shall refund the proportionate amount for his release. + And as a servant hired year by year shall he deal with him; he shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression) in your sight [make sure of that]. + And if he is not redeemed during these years and by these means, then he shall go free in the Year of Jubilee, he and his children with him. + For to Me the Israelites are servants, My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. + + + YOU SHALL make for yourselves no idols nor shall you erect a graven image, pillar, or obelisk, nor shall you place any figured stone in your land to which or on which to bow down; for I am the Lord your God. + You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord. + If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, + I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field yield their fruit. + And your threshing [time] shall reach to the vintage and the vintage [time] shall reach to the sowing time, and you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. + I will give peace in the land; you shall lie down and none shall fill you with dread or make you afraid; and I will clear ferocious (wild) beasts out of the land, and no sword shall go through your land. + And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. + Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. + For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you, and establishing and ratifying My covenant with you. [II Kings 13:23.] + And you shall eat the [abundant] old store of produce long kept, and clear out the old [to make room] for the new. + I will set My dwelling in and among you, and My soul shall not despise or reject or separate itself from you. + And I will walk in and with and among you and will be your God, and you shall be My people. + I am the Lord your God, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should no more be slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect [as free men]. + But if you will not hearken to Me and will not do all these commandments, + And if you spurn and despise My statutes, and if your soul despises and rejects My ordinances, so that you will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant, + I will do this: I will appoint over you [sudden] terror (trembling, trouble), even consumption and fever that consume and waste the eyes and make the [physical] life pine away. You shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. + I [the Lord] will set My face against you and you shall be defeated and slain before your enemies; they who hate you shall rule over you; you shall flee when no one pursues you. [I Sam. 4:10; 31:1.] + And if in spite of all this you still will not listen and be obedient to Me, then I will chastise and discipline you seven times more for your sins. + And I will break and humble your pride in your power, and I will make your heavens as iron [yielding no answer, no blessing, no rain] and your earth [as sterile] as brass. [I Kings 17:1.] + And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit. + If you walk contrary to Me and will not heed Me, I will bring seven times more plagues upon you, according to your sins. + I will loose the wild beasts of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few so that your roads shall be deserted and desolate. [II Kings 17:25, 26.] + If by these means you are not turned to Me but determine to walk contrary to Me, + I also will walk contrary to you, and I will smite you seven times for your sins. + And I will bring a sword upon you that shall execute the vengeance [for the breaking] of My covenant; and you shall be gathered together within your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hands of the enemy. [Num. 16:49; II Sam. 24:15.] + When I break your staff of bread and cut off your supply of food, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall ration your bread and deliver it again by weight; and you shall eat, and not be satisfied. [Hag. 1:6.] + And if in spite of all this you will not listen and give heed to Me but walk contrary to Me, + Then I will walk contrary to you in wrath, and I also will chastise you seven times for your sins. + You shall eat the flesh of your sons and of your daughters. [II Kings 6:28, 29.] + And I will destroy your high places [devoted to idolatrous worship], and cut down your sun-images, and throw your dead bodies upon the [wrecked] bodies of your idols, and My soul shall abhor you [with deep and unutterable loathing]. [II Kings 23:8, 20.] + I will lay your cities waste, bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet and soothing odors [of offerings made by fire]. [II Kings 25:4-10; II Chron. 36:19.] + And I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. + I will scatter you among the nations and draw out [your enemies'] sword after you; and your land shall be desolate and your cities a waste. [Ps. 44:11-14.] + Then shall the land [of Israel have the opportunity to] enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies' land; then shall the land rest, to enjoy and receive payments for its sabbaths [divinely ordained for it]. + As long as it lies desolate and waste, it shall have rest, the rest it did not have in your sabbaths when you dwelt upon it. [II Chron. 36:21.] + As for those who are left of you, I will send dejection (lack of courage, a faintness) into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a driven leaf shall put them to hasty and tumultuous flight, and they shall flee as if from the sword, and fall when no one pursues them. + They shall stumble over one another as if to escape a sword when no one pursues them; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. + You shall perish among the nations; the land of your enemies shall eat you up. + And those of you who are left shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away like them. + But if they confess their own and their fathers' iniquity in their treachery which they committed against Me--and also that because they walked contrary to Me + I also walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies--if then their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they then accept the punishment for their iniquity, [II Kings 24:10-14; Dan. 9:11-14.] + Then will I [earnestly] remember My covenant with Jacob, My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham, and [earnestly] remember the land. [Ps. 106:44-46.] + But the land shall be left behind them and shall enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; and they shall accept the punishment for their sins and make amends because they despised and rejected My ordinances and their soul scorned and rejected My statutes. + And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn and cast them away, neither will I despise and abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break My covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. [Deut. 4:31-35; Jer. 33:4, 5, 23-26; Rom. 11:2-5.] + But I will for their sake [earnestly] remember the covenant with their forefathers whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord. + These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws which the Lord made between Him and the Israelites on Mount Sinai through Moses. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, When a man shall make a special vow of persons to the Lord at your valuation, + Then your valuation of a male from twenty years old to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. + And if the person is a female, your valuation shall be thirty shekels. + And if the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for the male twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels. + And if a child is from a month up to five years old, then your valuation shall be for the male five shekels of silver and for the female three shekels. + And if the person is from sixty years old and above, if it be a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels and for the female ten shekels. + But if the man is too poor to pay your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him who vowed shall the priest value him. + If it is a beast of which men offer an offering to the Lord, all that any man gives of such to the Lord shall be holy. + He shall not replace it or exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he makes any exchange of a beast for a beast, then both the original offering and that exchanged for it shall be holy. + If it is an unclean animal, such as is not offered as an offering to the Lord, he shall bring the animal before the priest, + And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so shall it be. + But if he wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to your valuation. + If a man dedicates his house to be sacred to the Lord, the priest shall appraise it, whether it be good or bad; as the priest appraises it, so shall it stand. + If he who dedicates his house wants to redeem it, he shall add a fifth of your valuation to it, and it shall be his. + And if a man shall dedicate to the Lord some part of a field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed [required] for it; [a sowing of] a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. + If he dedicates his field during the Year of Jubilee, it shall stand according to your full valuation. + But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall count the money value in proportion to the years that remain until the Year of Jubilee, and it shall be deducted from your valuation. + If he who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, then he shall add a fifth of the money of your appraisal to it, and it shall remain his. + But if he does not want to redeem the field, or if he has sold it to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more. + But the field, when it is released in the Jubilee, shall be holy to the Lord, as a field devoted [to God or destruction]; the priest shall have possession of it. + And if a man dedicates to the Lord a field he has bought, which is not of the fields of his [ancestral] possession, + The priest shall compute the amount of your valuation for it up to the Year of Jubilee; the man shall give that amount on that day as a holy thing to the Lord. + In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him of whom it was bought, to him to whom the land belonged [as his ancestral inheritance]. + And all your valuations shall be according to the sanctuary shekel; twenty gerahs shall make a shekel. + But the firstling of the animals, since a firstling belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate, whether it be ox or sheep. It is the Lord's [already]. + If it be of an unclean animal, the owner may redeem it according to your valuation, and shall add a fifth to it; or if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation. + But nothing that a man shall devote to the Lord of all that he has, whether of man or beast or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord. + No one doomed to death [under the claim of divine justice], who is to be completely destroyed from among men, shall be ransomed [from suffering the death penalty]; he shall surely be put to death. + And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. [I Cor. 9:11; Gal. 6:6.] + And if a man wants to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. + And all the tithe of the herd or of the flock, whatever passes under the herdsman's staff [by means of which each tenth animal as it passes through a small door is selected and marked], the tenth shall be holy to the Lord. [II Cor. 9:7-9.] + The man shall not examine whether the animal is good or bad nor shall he exchange it. If he does exchange it, then both it and the animal substituted for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. + These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. [Rom. 10:4; Heb. 4:2; 12:18-29.] + + + + + THE LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month in the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt, saying, + Take a census of all the males of the congregation of the Israelites by families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, head by head. + From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war you and Aaron shall number, company by company. + And with you there shall be a man [to assist you] from each tribe, each being the head of his father's house. + And these are the names of the men who shall attend you: Of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; + Of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; + Of Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; + Of Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; + Of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; + Of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; + Of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; + Of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; + Of Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran; + Of Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; + Of Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan. + These were those chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of thousands [the highest class of officers] in Israel. + And Moses and Aaron took these men who have been named, + And assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they declared their ancestry after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, + As the Lord commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai. + The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500. + Of the sons of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those numbered of them according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300. + Of the sons of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650. + Of the sons of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600. + Of the sons of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400. + Of the sons of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400. + Of the sons of Joseph: the sons of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500. + Of the sons of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200. + Of the sons of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400. + Of the sons of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700. + Of the sons of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500. + Of the sons of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go to war: + Those of the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400. + These were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his father's house. + So all those numbered of the Israelites, by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, able to go to war in Israel, + All who were numbered were 603,550. + But the Levites by their fathers' tribe were not numbered with them. + For the Lord had said to Moses, + Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number in the census of the Israelites. + But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its vessels and furnishings and all things that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle [when journeying] and all its furnishings, and they shall minister to it and encamp around it. + When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And the excluded [any not of the tribe of Levi] who approach the tabernacle shall be put to death. + The Israelites shall pitch their tents by their companies, every man by his own camp and every man by his own [tribal] standard. + But the Levites shall encamp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath upon the congregation of the Israelites; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony. + Thus did the Israelites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did. + + + THE LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + The Israelites shall encamp, each by his own [tribal] standard or banner with the ensign of his father's house, opposite the Tent of Meeting and facing it on every side. + On the east side toward the sunrise shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah encamp by their companies; Nahshon son of Amminadab being the leader of the sons of Judah. + Judah's host as numbered totaled 74,600. + Next to Judah the tribe of Issachar shall encamp, Nethanel son of Zuar being the leader of the sons of Issachar. + Issachar's host as numbered totaled 54,400. + Then the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon being the leader of the sons of Zebulun. + Zebulun's host as numbered totaled 57,400. + All these [three tribes] numbered in the camp of Judah totaled 186,400. They shall set forth first [on the march]. + On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the leader of the sons of Reuben being Elizur son of Shedeur. + Reuben's host as numbered totaled 46,500. + Those who encamp next to Reuben shall be the tribe of Simeon, the leader of the sons of Simeon being Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. + Simeon's host as numbered totaled 59,300. + Then the tribe of Gad, the leader of the sons of Gad being Eliasaph son of Reuel (Deuel). + Gad's host as numbered totaled 45,650. + The whole number in [the three tribes of] the camp of Reuben was 151,450. They shall take second place [on the march]. + Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they encamp so shall they set forward, every man in his place, standard after standard. + On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the leader of the sons of Ephraim being Elishama son of Ammihud. + Ephraim's host as numbered totaled 40,500. + Beside Ephraim shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the leader of the sons of Manasseh being Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. + Manasseh's host as numbered totaled 32,200. + Then the tribe of Benjamin, the leader of the sons of Benjamin being Abidan son of Gideoni. + Benjamin's host as numbered totaled 35,400. + The whole number [of the three tribes] in the camp of Ephraim totaled 108,100. They shall go forward in third place. + The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side [of the tabernacle] by their companies, the leader of the sons of Dan being Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + Dan's host as numbered totaled 62,700. + Encamped next to Dan shall be the tribe of Asher, the leader of the sons of Asher being Pagiel son of Ochran. + Asher's host as numbered totaled 41,500. + Then the tribe of Naphtali, the leader of the sons of Naphtali being Ahira son of Enan. + Naphtali's host as numbered totaled 53,400. + The whole number [of the three tribes] in the camp of Dan totaled 157,600. They shall set out last, standard after standard. + These are the Israelites as numbered by their fathers' houses. All in the camps who were numbered by their companies were 603,550. + But the Levites were not numbered with the Israelites, for so the Lord commanded Moses. + Thus the Israelites did according to all the Lord commanded Moses; so they encamped by their standards, and so they set forward, everyone with his [tribal] families, according to his father's house. + + + NOW THESE are the generations of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. + These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom Aaron consecrated and ordained to minister in the priest's office. + But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence and under the supervision of Aaron their father. [Lev. 10:1-4.] + And the Lord said to Moses, + Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. + And they shall carry out his instructions and the duties connected with the whole assembly before the Tent of Meeting, doing the service of the tabernacle. + And they shall keep all the instruments and furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and take charge of [attending] the Israelites, to serve in the tabernacle. + And you shall give the Levites [as servants and helpers] to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the Israelites. + And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall observe and attend to their priest's office; but the excluded [anyone daring to assume priestly duties or privileges who is not of the house of Aaron and called of God] who comes near [the holy things] shall be put to death. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites; and the Levites shall be Mine, + For all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast; Mine they shall be. I am the Lord. + And the Lord said to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, + Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses and by families. Every male from a month old and upward you shall number. + So Moses numbered them as he was commanded by the word of the Lord. + These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers' houses. + Of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites. + The males who were numbered of them from a month old and upward totaled 7,500. + The families of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle on the west, + The leader of the fathers' houses of the Gershonites being Eliasaph son of Lael. + And the responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the hangings for the door of the Tent of Meeting, + And the hangings of the court, the curtain for the door of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, its cords, and all the service pertaining to them. + Of Kohath were the families of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites. + The number of all the males from a month old and upward totaled 8,600, attending to the duties of the sanctuary. + The families of the sons of Kohath were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle, + The chief of the fathers' houses of the families of the Kohathites being Elizaphan son of Uzziel. + Their charge was to be the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen, and all the service having to do with these. + Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, and have the oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary. + Of Merari were the families of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these are the families of Merari. + Their number of all the males from a month old and upward totaled 6,200. + And the head of the fathers' houses of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail; the Merarites were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. + And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari was the boards or frames of the tabernacle, and its bars, pillars, sockets or bases, and all the accessories or instruments of it, and all the work connected with them, + And the pillars of the surrounding court and their sockets or bases, with their pegs and their cords. + But those to encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were to be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the full charge of the rites of the sanctuary in whatever was required for the Israelites; and the excluded [one not a descendant of Aaron and called of God] who came near [the sanctuary] was to be put to death. + All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000. + And the Lord said to Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. + You shall take the Levites for Me instead of all the firstborn among the Israelites. I am the Lord; and you shall take the cattle of the Levites for Me instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the Israelites. + So Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn Israelites. + But all the firstborn males from a month old and upward as numbered were 22,273. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Take the Levites [for Me] instead of all the firstborn Israelites, and the Levites' cattle instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine. I am the Lord. + And for those 273 who are to be redeemed of the firstborn of the Israelites who outnumber the Levites, + You shall take five shekels apiece, reckoning by the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs; you shall collect them, + And you shall give the ransom silver from the excess number [over the Levites] to be redeemed to Aaron and his sons. + So Moses took the redemption money from those who were left over from the number who were redeemed by the Levites. + From the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, 1,365 shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. + And Moses gave the money from those who were ransomed to Aaron and his sons, as the Lord commanded Moses. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + Take a census of the Kohathite division among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses, + From thirty years old and up to fifty years old, all who can enter the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. + This shall be the responsibility of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting: the most holy things. + When the camp prepares to set forward, Aaron and his sons shall take down the veil [screening the Holy of Holies] and cover the ark of the Testimony with it, + And shall put on it the covering of dolphin or porpoise skin, and shall spread over that a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in place the poles of the ark. + And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, the flagons for the drink offering, and also the continual showbread. + And they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet, and put over that a covering of dolphin or porpoise skin, and put in place the poles [for carrying]. + And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light and its lamps, its snuffers, its ashtrays, and all the oil vessels from which it is supplied. + And they shall put the lampstand and all its utensils within a covering of dolphin or porpoise skin and shall put it upon the frame [for carrying]. + And upon the golden [incense] altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of dolphin or porpoise skin, and shall put in place its poles [for carrying]. + And they shall take all the utensils of the service with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of dolphin or porpoise skin, and shall put them on the frame [for carrying]. + And they shall take away the ashes from the altar [of burnt offering] and spread a purple cloth over it. + And they shall put upon it all its vessels and utensils with which they minister there, the firepans, the fleshhooks or forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the vessels and utensils of the altar, and they shall spread over it all a covering of dolphin or porpoise skin, and shall put in its poles [for carrying]. + When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all its furniture, as the camp sets out, after all that [is done but not before], the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them. But they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the Tent of Meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. + And Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the continual cereal offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its utensils. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + [Since] the tribe of the families of the Kohathites [are only Levites and not priests], do not [by exposing them to the sin of touching the most holy things] cut them off from among the Levites. + But deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his work and to his burden [to be carried on the march]. + But [the Kohathites] shall not go in to see the sanctuary [the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies] or its holy things, even for an instant, lest they die. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Take a census of the sons of Gershon, by their fathers' houses, by their families. + From thirty years old and up to fifty years old you shall number them, all who enter for service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. + This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens [when on the march]: + And they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the covering of dolphin or porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the hanging or screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, + And the hangings of the court, and the hanging or screen for the entrance of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar [of burnt offering], and their cords, and all the equipment for their service; whatever needs to be done with them, that they shall do. + Under the direction of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all they have to carry and in all they have to do; and you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry [on the march]. + This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting; and their work shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the [high] priest. + As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and their fathers' houses; + From thirty years old up to fifty years old you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. + And this is what they are assigned to carry and to guard [on the march], according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the boards or frames of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets or bases, + And the pillars of the court round about with their sockets or bases, and pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories for service; and you shall assign to them by name the articles which they are to carry [on the march]. + This is the work of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their tasks in the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the [high] priest. + And Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and their fathers' houses, + From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the Tent of Meeting; + And those who were numbered of them by their families were 2,750. + These were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who did service in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the command of the Lord through Moses. + And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers' houses, + From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service to do the work of the Tent of Meeting, + Those who were enrolled of them, by their families, by their fathers' houses, were 2,630. + These were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered as the Lord commanded. + And those numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers' houses, + From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, + Even those who were numbered of them by their families, were 3,200. + These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the command of the Lord by Moses. + All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted by their families and by their fathers' houses, + From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and of burden bearing in the Tent of Meeting, + Those that were numbered of them were 8,580. + According to the command of the Lord through Moses, they were assigned each to his work of serving and carrying. Thus they were numbered by him, as the Lord had commanded Moses. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, + Command the Israelites that they put outside the camp every leper and everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is defiled by [coming in contact with] the dead. + Both male and female you shall put out; without the camp you shall put them, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell. + The Israelites did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the Israelites did. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is guilty, + Then he shall confess the sin which he has committed, and he shall make restitution for his wrong in full, and add a fifth to it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. + But if the man [wronged] has no kinsman to whom the restitution may be made, let it be given to the Lord for the priest, besides the ram of atonement with which atonement shall be made for the offender. + And every offering of all the holy things of the Israelites which they bring to the priest shall be his. + And every man's hallowed things shall be the priest's; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, If any man's wife goes astray and commits an offense of guilt against him, + And a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it is kept secret though she is defiled, and there is no witness against her nor was she taken in the act, + And if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife who has defiled herself--or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife though she has not defiled herself-- + Then shall the man bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; but he shall pour no oil upon it nor put frankincense on it [symbols of favor and joy], for it is a cereal offering of jealousy and suspicion, a memorial offering bringing iniquity to remembrance. + And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord. + And the priest shall take holy water [probably from the sacred laver] in an earthen vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. + And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and let the hair of the woman's head hang loose, and put the meal offering of remembrance in her hands, which is the jealousy and suspicion offering. And the priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings the curse. + Then the priest shall make her take an oath, and say to the woman, If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness with another instead of your husband, then be free from any effect of this water of bitterness which brings the curse. + But if you have gone astray and you are defiled, some man having lain with you beside your husband, + Then the priest shall make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman, The Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. + May this water that brings the curse go into your bowels and make your body swell and your thigh fall away. And the woman shall say, So let it be, so let it be. + The priest shall then write these curses in a book and shall wash them off into the water of bitterness; + And he shall cause the woman to drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her [to try her] bitterly. + Then the priest shall take the cereal offering of jealousy and suspicion out of the woman's hand and shall wave the offering before the Lord and offer it upon the altar. + And the priest shall take a handful of the cereal offering as the memorial portion of it and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water. + And when he has made her drink the water, then if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, the curse water which she drank shall be bitterness and cause her body to swell and her thigh to fall away, and the woman shall be a curse among her people. + But if the woman is not defiled and is clean, then she shall be free [from the curse] and be able to have children. + This is the law of jealousy and suspicion when a wife goes aside to another instead of her husband and is defiled, + Or when the spirit of jealousy and suspicion comes upon a man and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife; then shall he set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute on her all this law. + The [husband] shall be free from iniquity and guilt, and that woman [if guilty] shall bear her iniquity. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, When either a man or a woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, that is, one separated and consecrated to the Lord, + He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar of wine or of strong drink, and shall drink no grape juice, or eat grapes, fresh or dried. [Luke 1:15.] + All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing produced from the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. + All the days of the vow of his separation and abstinence there shall no razor come upon his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. + All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. + He shall not make himself unclean for his father, mother, brother, or sister, when they die, because his separation and abstinence to his God is upon his head. + All the days of his separation and abstinence he is holy to the Lord. + And if any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he has defiled his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day shall he shave it. + On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest to the door of the Tent of Meeting, + And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering and make atonement for him because he sinned by reason of the dead body. He shall consecrate his head the same day, + And he shall consecrate and separate himself to the Lord for the days of his separation and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass or guilt offering; but the previous days shall be void and lost, because his separation was defiled. + And this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation and abstinence are fulfilled. He shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, + And he shall offer his gift to the Lord, one he-lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for a peace offering, + And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread spread with oil, and their cereal offering, and their drink offering. + And the priest shall present them before the Lord and shall offer the person's sin offering and his burnt offering. + And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also its cereal offering and its drink offering. + And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings. + And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaven the hair of his separation and abstinence. + And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord; they are a holy portion for the priest, with the breast that is waved and the thigh or shoulder that is offered; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine. + This is the law for the Nazirite who has made a vow. His offering to the Lord, besides what else he is able to afford, shall be according to the vow which he has vowed; so shall he do according to the law for his separation and abstinence [as a Nazirite]. [Acts 21:24, 26.] + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to Aaron and his sons, This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them, + The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; + The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; + The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually). + And they shall put My name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them. + + + ON THE day that Moses had fully completed setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it and all its furniture, and the altar and all its utensils, and had anointed and set them apart for holy use, + The princes or leaders of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, made offerings. These were the leaders of the tribes and were over those who were numbered. + And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered wagons and twelve oxen; a wagon for each two of the princes or leaders and an ox for each one; and they brought them before the tabernacle. + Then the Lord said to Moses, + Accept the things from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service. + So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. + Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service; + And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron, the [high] priest. + But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were assigned the care of the sanctuary and the holy things which had to be carried on their shoulders. + And the princes or leaders offered sacrifices for the dedication of the altar [of burnt offering] on the day that it was anointed; and they offered their sacrifice before the altar. + And the Lord said to Moses, They shall offer their offerings, each prince or leader on his day, for the dedication of the altar. + He who offered his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. + And his offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. + The second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader [of the tribe] of Issachar, offered. + He gave for his offering one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. + The third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon. + The fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the sons of Reuben, offered. + His offering was one silver platter of the weight of 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. + The fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the sons of Simeon, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. + The sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad, offered. + His offering was one silver platter of the weight of 130 shekels, a silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, [and] five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. + The seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the sons of Ephraim, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, [and] five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud. + The eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of Manasseh, offered. + His offering was one silver platter of the weight of 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. + The ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, prince or leader of the sons of Benjamin, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni. + The tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons of Dan, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + The eleventh day Pagiel son of Ochran, leader of the sons of Asher, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran. + The twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali, offered. + His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; + One golden bowl of ten shekels, full of incense; + One young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + One male goat for a sin offering; + And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. + This was the dedication offering for the altar [of burnt offering] from the leaders of Israel on the day when it was anointed: twelve platters of silver, twelve silver basins, twelve golden bowls; + Each platter of silver weighing 130 shekels, each basin seventy; all the silver vessels weighed 2,400 shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. + The twelve golden bowls full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the bowls being 120 shekels. + All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, together with their cereal offering; and the male goats for a sin offering twelve. + And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar [of burnt offering] after it was anointed. + And when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the Testimony from between the two cherubim; and He spoke to [Moses]. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to Aaron, When you set up and light the lamps, the seven lamps shall be made to give light in front of the lampstand. + And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps of the lampstand to give light in front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And this was the workmanship of the candlestick: beaten or turned gold, beaten work [of gold] from its base to its flowers; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them. + And thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification [water to be used in case of sin] upon them, and let them pass a razor over all their flesh and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. [Num. 19:17, 18.] + Then let them take a young bull and its cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering. + You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and you shall assemble the whole Israelite congregation. + And you shall present the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites shall put their hands upon the Levites, + And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites and on their behalf, that they may do the service of the Lord. + Then the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites. + And you shall present the Levites before Aaron and his sons and offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. + Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites shall be Mine [in a very special sense]. + And after that the Levites shall go in to do service at the Tent of Meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. + For they are wholly given to Me from among the Israelites; instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites, I have taken the Levites for Myself. + For all the firstborn of the Israelites are Mine, both of man and beast; on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt [not of Israel], I consecrated them and set them apart for Myself. + And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the Israelites. + And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the Israelites to do the service of the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement for them, that there may be no plague among the Israelites if they should come near the sanctuary. + So Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the Israelites did thus to the Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning [them], so did the Israelites to them. + The Levites cleansed and purified themselves and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. + And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting with the attendance of Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they to them. + And the Lord said to Moses, + This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the work of the service of the Tent of Meeting, + And at the age of fifty years, they shall retire from the warfare of the service and serve no more, + But shall help their brethren in the Tent of Meeting [attend to protecting the sacred things from being profaned], but shall do no regular or heavy service. Thus shall you direct the Levites in regard to their duties. + + + THE LORD said to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, + Let the Israelites keep the Passover at its appointed time. + On the fourteenth day of this month in the evening, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and ordinances you shall keep it. + So Moses told the Israelites they should keep the Passover. + And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites did. + And there were certain men who were defiled by touching the dead body of a man, so they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. + Those men said to [Moses], We are defiled by touching the dead body. Why are we prevented from offering the Lord's offering at its appointed time among the Israelites? + And Moses said to them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of touching a dead body or is far off on a journey, still he shall keep the Passover to the Lord. + On the fourteenth day of the second month in the evening they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. + They shall leave none of it until the morning nor break any bone of it; according to all the statutes for the Passover they shall keep it. [John 19:36.] + But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, yet does not keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from among his people because he did not bring the Lord's offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear [the penalty of] his sin. + And if a stranger sojourns among you and will keep the Passover to the Lord, according to [its] statutes and its ordinances, so shall he do; you shall have one statute both for the temporary resident and for him who was born in the land. + And on the day that the tabernacle was erected, the cloud [of God's presence] covered the tabernacle, that is, the Tent of the Testimony; and at evening it was over the tabernacle, having the appearance of [a pillar of] fire until the morning. [Exod. 13:21.] + So it was constantly; the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. + Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, after that the Israelites journeyed; and in the place where the cloud rested, there the Israelites encamped. + At the Lord's command the Israelites journeyed, and at [His] command they encamped. As long as the cloud rested upon the tabernacle they remained encamped. + Even when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, the Israelites kept the Lord's charge and did not set out. + And sometimes the cloud was only a few days upon the tabernacle, but according to the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at His command they journeyed. + And sometimes the cloud remained [over the tabernacle] from evening only until morning, but when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed; whether it was taken up by day or by night, they journeyed. + Whether it was two days or a month or a longer time that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, dwelling on it, the Israelites remained encamped; but when it was taken up, they journeyed. + At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at [His] command they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord through Moses. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Make two trumpets of silver; of hammered or turned work you shall make them, that you may use them to call the congregation and for breaking camp. + When they both are blown, all the congregation shall assemble before you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And if one blast on a single trumpet is blown, then the princes or leaders, heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. + When you blow an alarm, the camps on the east side [of the tabernacle] shall set out. + When you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps on the south side shall set out. An alarm shall be blown whenever they are to set out on their journeys. + When the congregation is to be assembled, you shall blow [the trumpets in short, sharp tones], but not the blast of an alarm. + And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets, and the trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. + When you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then blow an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. + Also in the day of rejoicing, and in your set feasts, and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; thus they may be a remembrance before your God. I am the Lord your God. + On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year [since leaving Egypt], the cloud [of the Lord's presence] was taken up from over the tabernacle of the Testimony, + And the Israelites took their journey by stages out of the Wilderness of Sinai, and the [guiding] cloud rested in the Wilderness of Paran. + When the journey was to begin, at the command of the Lord through Moses, + In the first place went the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah by their companies; and over their host was Nahshon son of Amminadab. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon. + When the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and Merari, bearing [it] on their shoulders, set out. + The standard of the camp of Reuben set forward by their companies; and over Reuben's host was Elizur son of Shedeur. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Deuel. + Then the Kohathites set forward, bearing the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before they arrived. + And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set forward according to their companies; and over Ephraim's host was Elishama son of Ammihud. + Over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni. + Then the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their companies; and over Dan's host was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher was Pagiel son of Ochran. + And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was Ahira son of Enan. + This was the Israelites' order of march by their hosts when they set out. + And Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which the Lord said, I will give it to you. Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord has promised good concerning Israel. + And Hobab said to him, I will not go; I will depart to my own land and to my family. + And Moses said, Do not leave us, I pray you; for you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. + And if you will go with us, it shall be that whatever good the Lord does to us, the same we will do to you. + They departed from the mountain of the Lord [Mount Sinai] three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them during the three days' journey to seek out a resting-place for them. + The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they went forward from the camp. + Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, Rise up, Lord; let Your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate You flee before You. [Ps. 68:1, 2.] + And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands in Israel. + + + AND THE people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp. + The people cried to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire subsided. + He called the name of the place Taberah [burning], because the fire of the Lord burned among them. + And the mixed multitude among them [the rabble who followed Israel from Egypt] began to lust greatly [for familiar and dainty food], and the Israelites wept again and said, Who will give us meat to eat? + We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt and without cost, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. + But now our soul (our strength) is dried up; there is nothing at all [in the way of food] to be seen but this manna. + The manna was like coriander seed and its appearance was like that of bdellium [perhaps a precious stone]. + The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and it tasted like cakes baked with fresh oil. + And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell with it. + And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and in the eyes of Moses it was evil. + And Moses said to the Lord, Why have You dealt ill with Your servants? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You lay the burden of all this people on me? + Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that You should say to me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nursing father carries the sucking child, to the land which You swore to their fathers [to give them]? + Where should I get meat to give to all these people? For they weep before me and say, Give us meat, that we may eat. + I am not able to carry all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. + And if this is the way You deal with me, kill me, I pray You, at once, and be granting me a favor and let me not see my wretchedness [in the failure of all my efforts]. + And the Lord said to Moses, Gather for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you. + And I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take of the Spirit which is upon you and will put It upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not have to bear it yourself alone. + And say to the people, Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt. Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. + You shall not eat one day, or two, or five, or ten, or twenty days, + But a whole month--until [you are satiated and vomit it up violently and] it comes out at your nostrils and is disgusting to you--because you have rejected and despised the Lord Who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, Why did we come out of Egypt? [Ps. 106:13-15.] + But Moses said, The people among whom I am are 600,000 footmen [besides all the women and children], and You have said, I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month! + Shall flocks and herds be killed to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be collected to satisfy them? + The Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord's hand (His ability and power) become short (thwarted and inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word shall come to pass for you or not. [Isa. 50:2.] + So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and set them round about the Tent. + And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him and put It upon the seventy elders; and when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied [sounding forth the praises of God and declaring His will]. Then they did so no more. [Num. 11:29.] + But there remained two men in the camp named Eldad and Medad. The Spirit rested upon them, and they were of those who were selected and listed, yet they did not go out to the Tent [as told to do], but they prophesied in the camp. + And a young man ran to Moses and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying [sounding forth the praises of God and declaring His will] in the camp. + Joshua son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, My lord Moses, forbid them! + But Moses said to him, Are you envious or jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them! [Luke 9:49, 50.] + And Moses went back into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. + And there went forth a wind from the Lord and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall [so they flew low] beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits above the ground. + And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day and caught and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves round about the camp [to cure them by drying]. + While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote them with a very great plague. + That place was called Kibroth-hattaavah [the graves of sensuous desire], because there they buried the people who lusted, whose physical appetite caused them to sin. [I Cor. 10:1-13.] + The Israelites journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth, where they remained. + + + NOW MIRIAM and Aaron talked against Moses [their brother] because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite woman. + And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Has He not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. + Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle, kind, and humble) or above all the men on the face of the earth. + Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting. And the three of them came out. + The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the Tent door and called Aaron and Miriam, and they came forward. + And He said, Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make Myself known to him in a vision and speak to him in a dream. + But not so with My servant Moses; he is entrusted and faithful in all My house. [Heb. 3:2, 5, 6.] + With him I speak mouth to mouth [directly], clearly and not in dark speeches; and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses? + And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He departed. + And when the cloud departed from over the Tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron looked at Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous! + And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, I plead with you, lay not the sin upon us in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. + Let her not be as one dead, already half decomposed when he comes out of his mother's womb. + And Moses cried to the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech You! + And the Lord said to Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed for seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp for seven days, and after that let her be brought in again. + So Miriam was shut up without the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought in again. + Afterward [they] removed from Hazeroth and encamped in the Wilderness of Paran. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Send men to explore and scout out [for yourselves] the land of Canaan, which I give to the Israelites. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader or head among them. + So Moses by the command of the Lord sent scouts from the Wilderness of Paran, all of them men who were heads of the Israelites. + These were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; + Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; + Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; + Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; + Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea [that is, Joshua] son of Nun; + Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; + Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; + Of the tribe of Joseph, that is, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi son of Susi; + Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; + Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; + Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; + Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi. + These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to explore and scout out the land. And Moses called Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua. + Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, and said to them, Get up this way by the South (the Negeb) and go up into the hill country, + And see what the land is and whether the people who dwell there are strong or weak, few or many, + And whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they dwell in are camps or strongholds, + And what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is timber on it or not. And be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. + So they went up and scouted through the land from the Wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. + And then went up into the South (the Negeb) and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai [probably three tribes of] the sons of Anak were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) + And they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two [of them]; they brought also some pomegranates and figs. + That place was called the Valley of Eshcol [cluster] because of the cluster which the Israelites cut down there. + And they returned from scouting out the land after forty days. + They came to Moses and Aaron and to all the Israelite congregation in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh, and brought them word, and showed them the land's fruit. + They told Moses, We came to the land to which you sent us; surely it flows with milk and honey. This is its fruit. + But the people who dwell there are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, there we saw the sons of Anak [of great stature and courage]. + Amalek dwells in the land of the South (the Negeb); the Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country; and the Canaanite dwells by the sea and along by the side of the Jordan [River]. + Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it. + But his fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are stronger than we are. + So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. + There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. + + + AND ALL the congregation cried out with a loud voice, and [they] wept that night. + All the Israelites grumbled and deplored their situation, accusing Moses and Aaron, to whom the whole congregation said, Would that we had died in Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness! + Why does the Lord bring us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be a prey. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt? [Acts 7:37-39.] + And they said one to another, Let us choose a captain and return to Egypt. + Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of Israelites. + And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the scouts who had searched the land, rent their clothes, + And they said to all the company of Israelites, The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly good land. + If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. + Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow [of protection] is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not. + But all the congregation said to stone [Joshua and Caleb] with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting before all the Israelites. + And the Lord said to Moses, How long will this people provoke (spurn, despise) Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me [trusting in, relying on, clinging to Me], for all the signs which I have performed among them? + I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and will make of you [Moses] a nation greater and mightier than they. + But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for You brought up this people in Your might from among them. + And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are in the midst of this people [of Israel], that You, Lord, are seen face to face, and that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. + Now if You kill all this people as one man, then the nations that have heard Your fame will say, + Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to give to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness. + And now, I pray You, let the power of my Lord be great, as You have promised, saying, + The Lord is long-suffering and slow to anger, and abundant in mercy and loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation. [Exod. 34:6, 7.] + Pardon, I pray You, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your mercy and loving-kindness, just as You have forgiven [them] from Egypt until now. + And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to your word. + But truly as I live and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, [Isa. 6:3; 11:9.] + Because all those men who have seen My glory and My [miraculous] signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tested and proved Me these ten times and have not heeded My voice, + Surely they shall not see the land which I swore to give to their fathers; nor shall any who provoked (spurned, despised) Me see it. [Heb. 6:4-11.] + But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. + Now because the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + How long will this evil congregation murmur against Me? I have heard the complaints the Israelites murmur against Me. + Tell them, As I live, says the Lord, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you: + Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness--of all who were numbered of you, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me, [Heb. 3:17-19.] + Surely none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. + But your little ones whom you said would be a prey, them will I bring in and they shall know the land which you have despised and rejected. + But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. + And your children shall be wanderers and shepherds in the wilderness for forty years and shall suffer for your whoredoms (your infidelity to your espoused God), until your corpses are consumed in the wilderness. + After the number of the days in which you spied out the land [of Canaan], even forty days, for each day a year shall you bear and suffer for your iniquities, even for forty years, and you shall know My displeasure [the revoking of My promise and My estrangement]. + I the Lord have spoken; surely this will I do to all this evil congregation who is gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed [by war, disease, plagues], and here they shall die. [I Cor. 10:10, 11.] + And the men whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble and complain against him by bringing back a slanderous report of the land, + Even those men who brought the evil report of the land died by a plague before the Lord. [Heb. 3:17-19; Jude 5-7.] + But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the men who went to search the land, lived still. + Moses told [the Lord's] words to all the Israelites, and [they] mourned greatly. + And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, Behold, we are here, and we intend to go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned. + But Moses said, Why now do you transgress the command of the Lord [to turn back by way of the Red Sea], since it will not succeed? + Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, that you be not struck down before your enemies. + For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from following after the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you. + But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country; however, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. + Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country and smote the Israelites and beat them back, even as far as Hormah. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, When you come into the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, + And will make an offering by fire to the Lord from the herd or from the flock, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering or in your set feasts, to make a pleasant and soothing fragrance to the Lord, + Then shall he who brings his offering to the Lord bring a cereal offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil. + And a fourth of a hin of wine for the drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. + Or for a ram you shall prepare for a cereal offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. + And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, for a sweet and pleasing odor to the Lord. + And when you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, in fulfilling a special vow or peace offering to the Lord, + Then shall one offer with the bull a cereal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil. + And you shall bring for the drink offering half a hin of wine for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant and soothing fragrance to the Lord. + Thus shall it be done for each bull or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs or of the kids. + According to the number that you shall prepare, so shall you do to everyone according to their number. + All who are native-born shall do these things in this way in bringing an offering made by fire of a sweet and pleasant odor to the Lord. + And if a stranger sojourns with you or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasing and soothing fragrance to the Lord, as you do, so shall he do. + There shall be one [and the same] statute [both] for you [of the congregation] and for the stranger who is a temporary resident with you, a statute forever throughout your generations: as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. + One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, When you come into the land to which I am bringing you, + Then, when you eat of the food of the land, you shall set apart a portion for a gift to the Lord [called a heave or taken-out offering]. + You shall set apart a cake made of the first of your coarse meal as a gift [to the Lord]; as an offering set apart from the threshing floor, so shall you lift it out or heave it. + Of the first of your coarse meal you shall give to the Lord a portion for a gift throughout your generations [your heave or lifted-out offering]. + When you have erred and have not observed all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses, + Even all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses, from the day that the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations, + Then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly or in error without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant and soothing fragrance to the Lord, with its cereal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. + And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the Israelites, and they shall be forgiven, for it was an error and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their error. + And all the congregation of the Israelites shall be forgiven and the stranger who lives temporarily among them, because all the people were involved in the error. + And if any person sins unknowingly or unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. + And the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who commits an error when he sins unknowingly or unintentionally, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. + You shall have one law for him who sins unknowingly or unintentionally, whether he is native born among the Israelites or a stranger who is sojourning among them. + But the person who does anything [wrong] willfully and openly, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one reproaches, reviles, and blasphemes the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people [that the atonement made for them may not include him]. + Because he has despised and rejected the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. + While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man who was gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. + Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. + They put him in custody, because it was not certain or clear what should be done to him. + And the Lord said to Moses, The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. + And all the congregation brought him without the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Speak to the Israelites and bid them make fringes or tassels on the corners in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and put upon the fringe of the borders or upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. + And it shall be to you a fringe or tassel that you may look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, that you may not spy out and follow after [the desires of] your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to follow and play the harlot [spiritually, if not physically], + That you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy to your God. + I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. + + + NOW KORAH son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, + And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the Israelites, 250 princes or leaders of the congregation called to the assembly, men well known and of distinction. + And they gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, [Enough of you!] You take too much upon yourselves, seeing that all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you lift yourselves up above the assembly of the Lord? + And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. + And he said to Korah and all his company, In the morning the Lord will show who are His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him; him whom He has chosen will He cause to come near to Him. [II Tim. 2:19.] + Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company, + And put fire in them and put incense upon them before the Lord tomorrow; and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi. + And Moses said to Korah, Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi: + Does it seem but a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, + And that He has brought you near to Him, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you? Would you seek the priesthood also? + Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him? + And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and they said, We will not come up. + Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? + Moreover, you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you bore out the eyes of these men? We will not come up! + And Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, Do not respect their offering! I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them. + And Moses said to Korah, You and all your company be before the Lord tomorrow, you and they and Aaron. + And let every man take his censer and put incense upon it and bring before the Lord every man his censer, 250 censers; you also and Aaron, each his censer. + So they took every man his censer, and they put fire in them and laid incense upon it, and they stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. + Then Korah assembled all the congregation against Moses and Aaron before the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. + And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and will You be angry with all the congregation? + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the congregation, Get away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. + Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. + And he said to the congregation, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins. + So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. + And Moses said, By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I do not act of my own accord: + If these men die the common death of all men or if [only] what happens to everyone happens to them, then the Lord has not sent me. + But if the Lord causes a new thing [to happen], and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol (the place of the dead), then you shall understand that these men have provoked (spurned, despised) the Lord! + As soon as he stopped speaking, the ground under the offenders split apart + And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households and [Korah and] all [his] men and all their possessions. [Num. 26:10, 11.] + They and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol (the place of the dead); and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly. + And all Israel who were round about them fled at their cry, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. + And fire came forth from the Lord and devoured the 250 men who offered the incense. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Speak to Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning and scatter the fire at a distance. For the censers are hallowed-- + The censers of these men who have sinned against themselves and at the cost of their own lives. Let the censers be made into hammered plates for a covering of the altar [of burnt offering], for they were used in offering before the Lord and therefore they are sacred. They shall be a sign [of warning] to the Israelites. + Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers with which the Levites who were burned had offered incense, and they were hammered into broad sheets for a covering of the [brazen] altar [of burnt offering], + To be a memorial [a warning forever] to the Israelites, so that no outsider, that is, no one not of the descendants of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, lest he become as Korah and as his company, as the Lord said to Eleazar through Moses. + But on the morrow all the congregation of the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of the Lord. + When the congregation was gathered against Moses and Aaron, they looked at the Tent of Meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and they saw the Lord's glory. + And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces. + And Moses said to Aaron, Take a censer and put fire in it from off the altar and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them. For there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun! + So Aaron took the burning censer as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague was begun among the people; and he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. + And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed. + Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the matter of Korah. + And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, since the plague was stayed. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Speak to the Israelites and get from them rods or staves, one for each father's house, from all their leaders according to their father's houses, twelve rods. Write every man's name on his rod. + And you shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi [his great-grandfather]. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father's house. + You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before [the ark of] the Testimony, where I meet with you. + And the rod of the man whom I choose shall bud, and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the Israelites, which they murmur against you. + And Moses spoke to the Israelites, and every one of their leaders gave him a rod or staff, one for each leader according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. + And Moses deposited the rods before the Lord in the Tent of the Testimony. + And the next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and brought forth buds and produced blossoms and yielded [ripe] almonds. + Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the Israelites; and they looked, and each man took his rod. + And the Lord told Moses, Put Aaron's rod back before the Testimony [in the ark], to be kept as a [warning] sign for the rebels; and you shall make an end of their murmurings against Me, lest they die. + And Moses did so; as the Lord commanded him, so he did. + The Israelites said to Moses, Behold, we perish, we are undone, all undone! + Everyone who comes near, who comes near the tabernacle of the Lord, dies or shall die! Are we all to perish? + + + AND THE Lord said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear and remove the iniquity of the sanctuary [that is, the guilt for the offenses which the people unknowingly commit when brought into contact with the manifestations of God's presence]. And you and your sons with you shall bear and remove the iniquity of your priesthood [your own unintentional offenses]. + And your brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your [fore]father, bring with you, that they may be joined to you and minister to you; but only you and your sons with you shall come before the Tent of the Testimony [into the Holy Place where only priests may go and into the Most Holy Place which only the high priest dares enter]. + And the Levites shall attend you [as servants] and attend to all the duties of the Tent; only they shall not come near the sacred vessels of the sanctuary or to the brazen altar, that they and also you [Aaron] die not. + And they shall be joined to you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting--all the [menial] service of the Tent--and no stranger [no layman, anyone who is not a Levite] shall come near you [Aaron and your sons]. + And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and attend to the altar [of burnt offering and the altar of incense], that there be no wrath any more upon the Israelites [as in the incident of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram]. [Num. 16:42-50.] + And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the Israelites; to you they are a gift, given to the Lord, to do the [menial] service of the Tent of Meeting. + Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything of the altar [of burnt offering and the altar of incense] and [of the Holy of Holies] within the veil, and you shall serve. I give you your priesthood as a service of gift. And the stranger [anyone other than Moses or your sons, Aaron] who comes near shall be put to death. [Exod. 40:18, 20, 26.] + And the Lord said to Aaron, And I, behold, I have given you the charge of My heave offerings [whatever is taken out and kept of the offerings made to Me], all the dedicated and consecrated things of the Israelites; to you have I given them [as your portion] and to your sons as a continual allowance forever by reason of your anointing as priests. [Lev. 7:35.] + This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of the people, every cereal offering and sin offering and trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you [Aaron] and for your sons. + As the most holy thing and in a sacred place shall you eat of it; every male [of your house] shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you. [Lev. 22:10-16.] + And this also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to your sons and to your daughters with you as a continual allowance forever; everyone in your house who is [ceremonially] clean may eat of it. + All the best of the oil, and all the best of the [fresh] wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the Lord, to you have I given them. + Whatever is first ripe in the land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours. Everyone who is [ceremonially] clean in your house may eat of it. + Every devoted thing in Israel [everything that has been vowed to the Lord] shall be yours. + Everything that first opens the womb in all flesh, which they bring to the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be yours. Nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts you shall redeem. + And those that are to be redeemed of them, from a month old shall you redeem, according to your estimate [of their age], for the fixed price of five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. + But the firstling of a cow or of a sheep or of a goat you shall not redeem. They [as the firstborn of clean beasts belong to God and] are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood upon the altar and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet and soothing odor to the Lord. + And the flesh of them shall be yours, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are yours. + All the heave offerings [the lifted-out and kept portions] of the holy things which the Israelites give to the Lord I give to you and to your sons and your daughters with you, as a continual debt forever. It is a covenant of salt [that cannot be dissolved or violated] forever before the Lord for you [Aaron] and for your posterity with you. + And the Lord said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in the land [of the Israelites], neither shall you have any part among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites. + And, behold, I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance in return for their service which they serve, the [menial] service of the Tent of Meeting. + Henceforth the Israelites shall not come near the Tent of Meeting [the covered sanctuary, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies], lest they incur guilt and die. + But the Levites shall do the [menial] service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear and remove the iniquity of the people [that is, be answerable for the legal pollutions of the holy things and offer the necessary atonements for unintentional offenses in these matters]. It shall be a statute forever in all your generations, that among the Israelites the Levites have no inheritance [of land]. + But the tithes of the Israelites, which they present as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit; therefore I have said to them, Among the Israelites they shall have no inheritance. [They have homes and cities and pasturage to use but not to possess as their personal inheritance.] + And the Lord said to Moses, + Moreover, you shall say to the Levites, When you take from the Israelites the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the Lord, even a tenth of the tithe [paid by the people]. + And what you lift out and keep [your heave offering] shall be credited to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor or as the fully ripe produce of the vine. + Likewise you shall also present an offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you receive from the Israelites; and therefore you shall give this heave offering [lifted out and kept] for the Lord to Aaron the priest. + Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every offering due to the Lord, of all the best of it, even the hallowed part lifted out and held back out of it [for the Levites]. + Therefore you shall say to them, When you have lifted out and held back the best from it [and presented it to the Lord by giving it to yourselves, the Levites], then it shall be counted to [you] the Levites just as if it were the increase of the threshing floor or of the winepress. + And you may eat it in every place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your service in the Tent of Meeting. + And you shall be guilty of no sin by reason of it when you have lifted out and held back the best of it; neither shall you have polluted the holy things of the Israelites, neither shall you die [because of it]. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses and Aaron, + This is the ritual of the law which the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, upon which a yoke has never come. + And you shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her outside the camp, and she shall be slaughtered before him. + Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger and sprinkle it toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times. + The heifer shall be burned in his sight, her skin, flesh, blood, and dung. + And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet [stuff] and cast them into the midst of the burning heifer. + Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; afterward he shall come into the camp, but he shall be unclean until evening. + He who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening. + And a man who is clean shall collect the ashes of the heifer and put them outside the camp in a clean place, and they shall be kept for the congregation of the Israelites for the water for impurity; it is a sin offering. + And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. This shall be to the Israelites and to the stranger who sojourns among them a perpetual statute. + He who touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean for seven days. + He shall purify himself with the water for impurity [made with the ashes of the burned heifer] on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. + Whoever touches the corpse of any who has died and does not purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still upon him. + This is the law when a man dies in a tent: all who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean for seven days. + And every open vessel, which has no covering fastened upon it, is unclean. + And whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a dead man, or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days. + And for the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering, and the running water shall be put with it in a vessel. + And a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons who were there, and upon him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the naturally dead, or the grave. + And the clean person shall sprinkle [the water for purification] upon the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day, and on the seventh day the unclean man shall purify himself, and wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening. + But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water for purification has not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean. + And it shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity [upon another] shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. + And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening. + + + AND THE Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month. And the people dwelt in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there. + Now there was no water for the congregation, and they assembled together against Moses and Aaron. + And the people contended with Moses, and said, Would that we had died when our brethren died [in the plague] before the Lord! [Num. 16:49.] + And why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, we and our livestock? + And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of grain or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates. And there is no water to drink. + Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink. + So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as He commanded him. + And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock? + And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. [Ps. 106:32, 33.] + These are the waters of Meribah [strife], where the Israelites contended with the Lord and He showed Himself holy among them. + And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your kinsman Israel: You know all the adversity and birth pangs that have come upon us [as a nation]: + How our fathers went down to Egypt; we dwelt there a long time, and the Egyptians dealt evilly with us and our fathers. + But when we cried to the Lord, He heard us and sent an angel and brought us forth out of Egypt. Now behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on your country's edge. + Let us pass, I pray you, through your country. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink of the water of the wells. We will go along the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your borders. + But Edom said to him, You shall not go through, lest I come out against you with the sword. + And the Israelites said to him, We will go by the highway, and if I and my livestock drink of your water, I will pay for it. Only let me pass through on foot, nothing else. + But Edom said, You shall not go through. And Edom came out against Israel with many people and a strong hand. + Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. + They journeyed from Kadesh, and the Israelites, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. + And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, + Aaron shall be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land which I have given to the Israelites, because you both rebelled against My instructions at the waters of Meribah. + Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. + Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there. + And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. + And Moses stripped Aaron of his [priestly] garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the mountain top; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. + When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept and mourned for him thirty days, all the house of Israel. + + + WHEN THE Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the South (the Negeb), heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim [the route traveled by the spies sent out by Moses], he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. + And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. + And the Lord hearkened to Israel and gave over the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities; and the name of the place was called Hormah [a banned or devoted thing]. + And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way. + And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna. + Then the Lord sent fiery (burning) serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and many Israelites died. + And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that He may take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. + And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. + And Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole, and if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of bronze [attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze], he lived. + And the Israelites journeyed on and encamped at Oboth. + They journeyed from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. + From there they journeyed and encamped in the Valley of Zared. + From there they journeyed and encamped on the other side of [the river] Arnon, which is in the desert or wilderness that extends from the frontier of the Amorites; for [the river] Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. + That is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of [the branches of] the Arnon [River], + And the slope of the valleys that stretch toward the site of Ar and find support on the border of Moab. + From there the Israelites went on to Beer [a well], the well of which the Lord had said to Moses, Assemble the people together and I will give them water. [John 7:37-39.] + Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well! Let all sing to it, [Rom. 14:17.] + The fountain that the princes opened, that the nobles of the people hollowed out from their staves. And from the wilderness or desert [Israel journeyed] to Mattanah, + And from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, + And from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks down upon Jeshimon and the desert. + And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, + Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard; we will not drink the water of the wells. We will go by the king's highway until we have passed your border. + But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border. Instead Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel. + And Israel smote the king of the Amorites with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from the river Arnon to the river Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the boundary of the Ammonites was strong. + And Israel took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its towns. + For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as [the river] Arnon. + That is why those who sing ballads say, Come to Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and established. + For fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it has devoured Ar of Moab and the lords of the heights of the Arnon. + Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, O people of [the god] Chemosh! Moab has given his sons as fugitives and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites. + We have shot them down; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon, and we have laid them waste as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba. + Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. + And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they took its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. + Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. + But the Lord said to Moses, Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon. + So the Israelites slew Og and his sons and all his people until there was not one left alive, And they possessed his land. + + + THE ISRAELITES journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan [River] at Jericho. + And Balak [the king of Moab] son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. + And Moab was terrified at the people and full of dread, because they were many. Moab was distressed and overcome with fear because of the Israelites. + And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites at that time, + Sent messengers to Balaam [a foreteller of events] son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the [Euphrates] River, even to the land of the children of his people, to say to him, There is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth and they have settled down and dwell opposite me. + Now come, I beg of you, curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. + And the elders of Moab and of Midian departed with the rewards of foretelling in their hands; and they came to Balaam and told him the words of Balak. + And he said to them, Lodge here tonight and I will bring you word as the Lord may speak to me. And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam [that night]. + And God came to Balaam, and said, What men are these with you? + And Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, + Behold, the people who came out of Egypt cover the face of the earth; come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out. + And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed. + And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your own land, for the Lord refuses to permit me to go with you. + So the princes of Moab rose up and went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us. + Then Balak again sent princes, more of them and more honorable than the first ones. + And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak son of Zippor, I beg of you, let nothing hinder you from coming to me. + For I will promote you to very great honor and I will do whatever you tell me; so come, I beg of you, curse this people for me. + And Balaam answered the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. + Now therefore, I pray you, tarry here again tonight that I may know what more the Lord will say to me. + And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise up and go with them, but still only what I tell you may you do. + And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. + And God's anger was kindled because he went, and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him. + And the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way and His sword drawn in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the way. + But the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall on this side and a wall on that side. + And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she thrust herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it, and he struck her again. + And the Angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right hand or to the left. + And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam, and Balaam's anger was kindled and he struck the donkey with his staff. + And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you should strike me these three times? + And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have ridiculed and provoked me! I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you! + And the donkey said to Balaam, Am not I your donkey, upon which you have ridden all your life long until this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so to you? And he said, No. + Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell on his face. + And the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? See, I came out to stand against and resist you, for your behavior is willfully obstinate and contrary before Me. + And the ass saw Me and turned from Me these three times. If she had not turned from Me, surely I would have slain you and saved her alive. + Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. But now, if my going displeases You, I will return. + The Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men, but you shall speak only what I tell you. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. + When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab on the border formed by the Arnon [River], at the farthest end of the boundary. + Balak said to Balaam, Did I not [earnestly] send to you to ask you [to come] to me? Why did you not come? Am not I able to promote you to honor? + And Balaam said to Balak, Indeed I have come to you, but do I now have any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak. + And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. + And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent [portions] to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. + And on the following day Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Bamoth-baal; from there he saw the nearest of the Israelites. + + + AND BALAAM said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. + And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. + And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me; and whatever He shows me I will tell you. And he went to a bare height. + God met Balaam, who said to Him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram. + And the Lord put a speech in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak and thus shall you speak. + Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab. + Balaam took up his [figurative] speech and said: Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me; and come, violently denounce Israel. + How can I curse those God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced? + For from the top of the rocks I see Israel, and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the people [of Israel] shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned and esteemed among the nations. + Who can count the dust (the descendants) of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God], and let my last end be like theirs! [Ps. 37:37; Rev. 14:13.] + And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and here you have [thoroughly] blessed them instead! + And Balaam answered, Must I not be obedient and speak what the Lord has put in my mouth? + Balak said to him, Come with me, I implore you, to another place from which you can see them, though you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there. + So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim to the top of [Mount] Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + Balaam said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering while I go to meet the Lord yonder. + And the Lord met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak and speak thus. + And when he returned to Balak, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said? + Balaam took up his [figurative] discourse and said: Rise up, Balak, and hear; listen [closely] to me, son of Zippor. + God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good? + You see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse or qualify it. + [God] has not beheld iniquity in Jacob [for he is forgiven], neither has He seen mischief or perverseness in Israel [for the same reason]. The Lord their God is with Israel, and the shout of praise to their King is among the people. [Rom. 4:7, 8; I John 3:1, 2.] + God brought them forth out of Egypt; they have as it were the strength of a wild ox. + Surely there is no enchantment with or against Jacob, neither is there any divination with or against Israel. [In due season and even] now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought! + Behold, a people! They rise up as a lioness and lift themselves up as a lion; he shall not lie down until he devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain. + And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all. + But Balaam answered Balak, Did I not say to you, All the Lord speaks, that I must do? + And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I implore you; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there. + So Balak brought Balaam to the top of [Mount] Peor, that overlooks [the wilderness or desert] Jeshimon. + And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams. + And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + + + WHEN BALAAM saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as he had done each time before [superstitiously] to meet with omens and signs in the natural world, but he set his face toward the wilderness or desert. + And Balaam lifted up his eyes and he saw Israel abiding in their tents according to their tribes. And the Spirit of God came upon him + And he took up his [figurative] discourse and said: Balaam son of Beor, the man whose eye is opened [at last, to see clearly the purposes and will of God], + He [Balaam] who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered, he says: + How attractive and considerable are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel! + As valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the riverside, as [rare spice] of lignaloes which the Lord has planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. [Ps. 1:3.] + [Israel] shall pour water out of his own buckets [have his own sources of rich blessing and plenty], and his offspring shall dwell by many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. + God brought [Israel] forth out of Egypt; [Israel] has strength like the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his enemies, crushing their bones and piercing them through with his arrows. + He couched, he lay down as a lion; and as a lioness, who shall rouse him? Blessed [of God] is he who blesses you [who prays for and contributes to your welfare] and cursed [of God] is he who curses you [who in word, thought, or deed would bring harm upon you]. [Matt. 25:40.] + Then Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have done nothing but bless them these three times. + Therefore now go back where you belong and do it in a hurry! I had intended to promote you to great honor, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor. + Balaam said to Balak, Did I not say to your messengers whom you sent to me, + If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the command of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will, but what the Lord says, that will I speak? + And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, I will tell you what this people [Israel] will do to your people [Moab] in the latter days. + And he took up his [figurative] discourse, and said: Balaam son of Beor speaks, the man whose eye is opened speaks, + He speaks, who heard the words of God and knew the knowledge of the Most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered: + I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but He is not near. A star (Star) shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter (Scepter) shall rise out of Israel and shall crush all the corners of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth [Moab's sons of tumult]. [Matt. 2:2; Rom. 15:12.] + And Edom shall be [taken as] a possession, [Mount] Seir also shall be dispossessed, who were Israel's enemies, while Israel does valiantly. + Out of Jacob shall one (One) come having dominion and shall destroy the remnant from the city. + [Balaam] looked at Amalek and took up his [prophetic] utterance, and said: Amalek is the foremost of the [neighboring] nations, but in his latter end he shall come to destruction. + And he looked at the Kenites and took up his [prophetic] utterance, and said: Strong is your dwelling place, and you set your nest in the rock. + Nevertheless the Kenites shall be wasted. How long shall Asshur (Assyria) take you away captive? + And he took up his [prophetic] speech, and said: Alas, who shall live when God does this and establishes [Assyria]? + But ships shall come from Kittim [Cyprus and the greater part of the Mediterranean's east coast] and shall afflict Assyria and Eber [the Hebrews, certain Arabs, and descendants of Nahor], and he [the victor] also shall come to destruction. + And Balaam rose up, returned to his place, and Balak also went his way. + + + ISRAEL SETTLED down and remained in Shittim, and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab, + Who invited the [Israelites] to the sacrifices of their gods, and [they] ate and bowed down to Moab's gods. + So Israel joined himself to [the god] Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. + And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the leaders or chiefs of the people, and hang them before the Lord in the sun [after killing them], that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel. + And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you slay his men who joined themselves to Baal of Peor. + And behold, one of the Israelites came and brought to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and of all the congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting [over the divine judgment and the punishment]. + And when Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand + And went after the man of Israel into the inner room and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her body. Then the [smiting] plague was stayed from the Israelites. + Nevertheless those who died in the [smiting] plague were 24,000. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites, in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My jealousy. + Therefore say, Behold, I give to Phinehas the priest My covenant of peace. + And he shall have it, and his descendants after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites. [Ps. 106:28-31.] + Now the man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, a head of a father's house among the Simeonites. + And the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was head of a father's house in Midian. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Provoke hostilities with the Midianites and attack them, + For they harass you with their wiles with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor. + + + AFTER THE plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, + Take a census of all the [male] congregation of the Israelites from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel able to go to war. + And Moses and Eleazar the priest told [the people] in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, + A census of the people shall be taken from twenty years old and upward, as the Lord commanded Moses. And the Israelites who came forth out of the land of Egypt were: + Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; + Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. + These are the families of the Reubenites; and their number was 43,730. + And the son of Pallu: Eliab. + The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram chosen from the congregation who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah when they contended against the Lord. + And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died and the fire devoured 250 men; and they became a [warning] sign. + But Korah's sons did not die. + The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; + Of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. + These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200. + The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; + Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; + Of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. + These, the families of the sons of Gad according to their numbering, totaled 40,500. + The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. + And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. + And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. + These, the families of Judah according to their numbering, totaled 76,500. + The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; + Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. + These, the families of Issachar according to their numbering, totaled 64,300. + The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. + These, the families of the Zebulunites according to their numbering, totaled 60,500. + The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. + The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites (and Machir was the father of Gilead); of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. + These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; + Of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; + Of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. + Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters, and their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + These are the families of Manasseh, and their number was 52,700. + These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. + And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. + These, the families of the sons of Ephraim according to their number, totaled 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. + The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; + Of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. + And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman; of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. + These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and their number was 45,600. + These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. + All the families of the Shuhamites according to their number were 64,400. + Of the sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. + Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. + And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. + These, the families of the sons of Asher according to their number, totaled 53,400. + Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; + Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. + These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and their number totaled 45,400. + This was the number of the Israelites, 601,730. + And the Lord said to Moses, + To these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. + To a larger tribe you shall give the greater inheritance, and to a small tribe the less inheritance; to each tribe shall its inheritance be given according to its numbers. + But the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. + According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the larger and the smaller. + And these were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. + These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram. + Amram's wife was Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram Aaron, Moses, and Miriam their sister. + And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord. + And those numbered of them were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the Israelites, because there was no inheritance given them among the Israelites. + These were those numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. + But among these there was not a man of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai. + For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. + + + THEN CAME the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders, and all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, + Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among those who assembled together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin [as did all those who rebelled at Kadesh], and he had no sons. [Num. 14:26-35.] + Why should the name of our father be removed from his family because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brethren. + Moses brought their case before the Lord. + And the Lord said to Moses, + The daughters of Zelophehad are justified and speak correctly. You shall surely give them an inheritance among their father's brethren, and you shall cause their father's inheritance to pass to them. + And say to the Israelites, If a man dies and has no son, you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. + If he has no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brethren. + If he has no brethren, give his inheritance to his father's brethren. + And if his father has no brethren, then give his inheritance to his next of kin, and he shall possess it. It shall be to the Israelites a statute and ordinance, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And the Lord said to Moses, Go up into this mountain of Abarim and behold the land I have given to the Israelites. + And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your [departed] people as Aaron your brother was gathered, + For you disobeyed My order in the Wilderness of Zin during the strife of the congregation to uphold My sanctity [by strict obedience to My authority] at the waters before their eyes. [These are the waters of Meribah in Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin]. [Num. 20:10-12.] + And Moses said to the Lord, + Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation + Who shall go out and come in before them, leading them out and bringing them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep which have no shepherd. + The Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him; + And set him before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and give him a charge in their sight. + And put some of your honor and authority upon him, that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey him. + He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him before the Lord by the judgment of the Urim [one of two articles in the priest's breastplate worn when asking counsel of the Lord for the people]. At Joshua's word the people shall go out and come in, both he and all the Israelite congregation with him. + And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, + And he laid his hands upon him and commissioned him, as the Lord commanded through Moses. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Command the Israelites, saying, My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire, My sweet and soothing odor you shall be careful to offer to Me at its proper time. + And you shall say to the people, This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without spot or blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering. + One lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other in the evening, + Also a tenth of an ephah of flour for a cereal offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. + It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a sweet and soothing odor, an offering made by fire to the Lord. + Its drink offering shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb; in the Holy Place you shall pour out a fermented drink offering to the Lord. + And the other lamb you shall offer in the evening; like the cereal offering of the morning and like its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering made by fire, a sweet and soothing odor to the Lord. + And on the Sabbath day two male lambs a year old without spot or blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of flour for a cereal offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering. + This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. + And at the beginning of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without spot or blemish; + And three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram. + And a tenth part of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, for each lamb, for a burnt offering of a sweet and pleasant fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, and a third of a hin for a ram, and a fourth of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. + And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord--it shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. + On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord's Passover. + On the fifteenth day of this month is a feast; for seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. + On the first day there shall be a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no servile work that day. + But you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish to the best of your knowledge. + And their cereal offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil; three-tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram; + A tenth shall you offer for each of the seven male lambs, + Also one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you. + You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. + In this way you shall offer daily for seven days the food of an offering made by fire, a sweet and soothing odor to the Lord; it shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. + And on the seventh day you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no work befitting a slave or a servant. + Also in the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no servile work. + But you shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet, pleasing, and soothing fragrance to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old, + And their cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for one ram, + A tenth for each of the seven male lambs, + And one male goat to make atonement for you. + You shall offer them in addition to the continual burnt offering and its cereal offering and their drink offerings. See that they are without blemish. + + + ON THE first day of the seventh month [on New Year's Day of the civil year], you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no servile work. It is a day of blowing of trumpets for you [everyone blowing who wishes, proclaiming that the glad New Year has come and that the great Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles are now approaching]. + And you shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet and pleasing odor to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old without blemish. + Their cereal offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for a bull, two-tenths for a ram, + And one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs, + And one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you. + These are in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon and its cereal offering, and the daily burnt offering and its cereal offering, and their drink offerings, according to the ordinance for them, for a pleasant and soothing fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. + And you shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy [summoned] assembly; [it is the great Day of Atonement, a day of humiliation] and you shall humble and abase yourselves; you shall not do any work in it. + But you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord for a sweet and soothing fragrance: one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. See that they are without blemish. + And their cereal offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, + A tenth for each of the seven male lambs, + One male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering and its cereal offering, and their drink offerings. + And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no servile work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord for seven days. + And you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet and pleasing fragrance to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish. + And their cereal offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, + And a tenth part for each of the fourteen male lambs, + Also one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its cereal offering, and its drink offering. + And on the second day you shall offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without spot or blemish, + With their cereal offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by number according to the ordinance, + Also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its cereal offering, and their drink offerings. + And on the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + With their cereal offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by number according to the ordinance, + And one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its cereal offering, and its drink offerings. + On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + Their cereal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs shall be by number according to the ordinance, + And one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its cereal offering, and its drink offerings. + And on the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without spot or blemish, + And their cereal offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by number according to the ordinance, + And one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its cereal offering, and its drink offerings. + And on the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + And their cereal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by number according to the ordinance, + And one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its cereal offering, and its drink offerings. + And on the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + And their cereal and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by number according to the ordinance. + And one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its cereal offering, and its drink offerings. + On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; you shall do no servile work. + You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet and pleasing fragrance to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, + Their cereal offering and drink offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs shall be by number according to the ordinance, + And one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its cereal offering, and its drink offerings. + These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, besides the offerings you have vowed and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, cereal offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings. + And Moses told the Israelites all that the Lord commanded him. + + + AND MOSES said to the heads or leaders of the tribes of Israel, This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: + If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break and profane his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. + Also when a woman vows a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a pledge, being in her father's house in her youth, + And her father hears her vow and her pledge with which she has bound herself and he offers no objection, then all her vows shall stand and every pledge with which she has bound herself shall stand. + But if her father refuses to allow her [to carry out her vow] on the day that he hears about it, not any of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound herself shall stand. And the Lord will forgive her because her father refused to let her [carry out her purpose]. + And if she is married to a husband while her vows are upon her or she has bound herself by a rash utterance + And her husband hears of it and holds his peace concerning it on the day that he hears it, then her vows shall stand and her pledge with which she bound herself shall stand. + But if her husband refuses to allow her [to keep her vow or pledge] on the day that he hears of it, then he shall make void and annul her vow which is upon her and the rash utterance of her lips by which she bound herself, and the Lord will forgive her. + But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, with which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. + And if she vowed in her husband's house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath + And her husband heard it and did not oppose or prohibit her, then all her vows and every pledge with which she bound herself shall stand. + But if her husband positively made them void on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has annulled them, and the Lord will forgive her. + Every vow and every binding oath to humble or afflict herself, her husband may establish it or her husband may annul it. + But if her husband altogether holds his peace [concerning the matter] with her from day to day, then he establishes and confirms all her vows or all her pledges which are upon her. He establishes them because he said nothing to [restrain] her on the day he heard of them. + But if he shall nullify them after he hears of them, then he shall be responsible for and bear her iniquity. + These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter while in her youth in her father's house. + + + THE LORD said to Moses, + Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your [departed] people. + And Moses said to the people, Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian and execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian [for seducing Israel]. [Num. 25:16-18.] + From each of the tribes of Israel you shall send 1,000 to the war. + So there were provided out of the thousands of Israel 1,000 from each tribe, 12,000 armed for war. + And Moses sent them to the war, 1,000 from each tribe, together with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, with the [sacred] vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets to blow the alarm in his hand. + They fought with Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and slew every male, + Including the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba; also Balaam son of Beor they slew with the sword. [Num. 22:31-35; Neh. 13:1, 2.] + And the Israelites took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and all their cattle, their flocks, and their goods as booty. + They burned all the cities in which they dwelt, and all their encampments. + And they took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast. + Then they brought the captives, the prey, and the spoil to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the Israelites at the camp on the plains of Moab by Jordan at Jericho. + Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes or leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. + But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, who served in the war. + And Moses said to them, Have you let all the women live? + Behold, these caused the Israelites by the counsel of Balaam to trespass and act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a [smiting] plague came among the congregation of the Lord. [Num. 25:1-9; 31:8.] + Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who is not a virgin. + But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves. + Encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. + You shall purify every garment, all that is made of skins, all work of goats' hair, and every article of wood. + And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: + Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, + Everything that can stand fire, you shall make go through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water of impurity; and all that cannot stand fire [such as fabrics] you shall pass through water. + And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and you shall be clean; then you shall come into the camp. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Take the count of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation. + Divide the booty into two [equal] parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. + And levy a tribute to the Lord from the warriors who went to battle, one out of every 500 of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, and the flocks. + Take [this tribute] from the warriors' half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord. + And from the Israelites' half [of the booty] you shall take one out of every fifty of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, the flocks, and of all livestock, and give them to the Levites who have charge of the tabernacle of the Lord. + And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. + The prey, besides the booty which the men of war took, was 675,000 sheep, + And 72,000 cattle, + And 61,000 donkeys, + And 32,000 persons in all, of the women who were virgins. + And the half share, the portion of those who went to war, was: 337,500 sheep, + And the Lord's tribute of the sheep was 675; + The cattle were 36,000, of which the Lord's tribute was 72; + The donkeys were 30,500, of which the Lord's tribute was 61; + The persons were 16,000, of whom the Lord's tribute was 32 persons. + And Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord's offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And the Israelites' half Moses separated from that of the warriors'-- + Now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, + And 36,000 cattle, + And 30,500 donkeys, + And 16,000 persons-- + Even of the Israelites' half, Moses took one of every 50, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites, who had charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, came to Moses. + They told [him], Your servants have counted the warriors under our command, and not one man of us is missing. + We have brought as the Lord's offering what each man obtained--articles of gold, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, neck ornaments--to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord. + Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all the wrought articles. + And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds was 16,750 shekels. + For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. + And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord. + + + NOW THE sons of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan], and behold, the place was suitable for cattle. + So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, + [The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, + The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. + And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. + And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? + Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? + Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! + For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. + And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, + Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me-- + Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. + And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. + And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. + For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. + But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. + But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. + We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. + For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. + Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, + And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him + And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. + But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. + Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. + And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. + Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. + But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. + So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. + And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. + But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. + The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. + We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. + Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan--the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country. + And the sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, + Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, + Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. + And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, + Nebo, and Baal-meon--their names were to be changed--and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities they built. + And the sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. + And Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. + Jair son of Manasseh took their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. + And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name. + + + THESE ARE the stages of the journeys of the Israelites by which they went out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. + Moses recorded their starting places, as the Lord commanded, stage by stage; and these are their journeying stages from their starting places: + They set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the Israelites went out [of Egypt] with a high hand and triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, + While the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the Lord had struck down among them; upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments. + The Israelites set out from Rameses and encamped in Succoth. + And they departed from Succoth and encamped in Etham, which is at the edge of the wilderness. + They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, east of Baal-zephon, and they encamped before Migdol. + And they journeyed from before Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the [Red] Sea into the wilderness; and they went a three days' journey in the Wilderness of Etham and encamped at Marah. + They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there. + They set out from Elim and encamped by the Red Sea. + They journeyed from the Red Sea and encamped in the Wilderness of Sin. + And they traveled on from the Wilderness of Sin and encamped at Dophkah. + And they departed from Dophkah and encamped at Alush. + And they set out from Alush and encamped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. + And they departed from Rephidim and encamped in the Wilderness of Sinai. + And they journeyed from the Wilderness of Sinai and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah. + And they traveled on from Kibroth-hattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth. + And they journeyed from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah. + And they departed from Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-perez. + And they departed from Rimmon-perez and encamped at Libnah. + And they removed from Libnah and encamped at Rissah. + And they journeyed from Rissah and encamped at Kehelathah. + And they went from Kehelathah and encamped at Mount Shepher. + And they removed from Mount Shepher and encamped at Haradah. + And they set out from Haradah and encamped at Makheloth. + And they removed from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath. + And they departed from Tahath and encamped at Terah. + And they removed from Terah and encamped at Mithkah. + And they set out from Mithkah and encamped at Hashmonah. + And they traveled on from Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth. + And they journeyed from Moseroth and pitched in Bene-jaakan. + And they set out from Bene-jaakan and encamped at Hor-haggidgad. + And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and encamped at Jotbathah. + And they journeyed from Jotbathah and encamped at Abronah. + And they traveled on from Abronah and encamped at Ezion-geber. + And they removed from Ezion-geber and encamped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. + And they removed from Kadesh and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of Edom. + Aaron the priest went up on Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, the first day of the fifth month. [Num. 20:23-29.] + Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. + The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the South (the Negeb) in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the Israelites. + They set out from Mount Hor and encamped at Zalmonah. + And they set out from Zalmonah and encamped at Punon. + And they set out from Punon and encamped at Oboth. + And they traveled on from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab. + And they departed from Iyim and encamped at Dibon-gad. + And they set out from Dibon-gad and encamped in Almon-diblathaim. + And they traveled on from Almon-diblathaim and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. + And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. + And they encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab. + And the Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, + Tell the Israelites, When you have passed over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you and destroy all their figured stones and all their molten images and completely demolish all their [idolatrous] high places, + And you shall take possession of the land and dwell in it, for to you I have given the land to possess it. + You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. + But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them shall be as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land in which you dwell. + And as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses, + Command the Israelites, When you come into the land of Canaan (which is the land that shall be yours for an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries), + Your south side shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom, and your southern boundary from the end of the Salt [Dead] Sea eastward. + Your boundary shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin, and its end shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar and pass on to Azmon. + Then the boundary shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and it shall terminate at the [Mediterranean] Sea. + For the western boundary you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. + And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea mark out your boundary line to Mount Hor; + From Mount Hor you shall mark out your boundary to the entrance of Hamath, and its end shall be at Zedad; + Then the northern boundary shall go on to Ziphron, and the end of it shall be at Hazar-enan. + You shall mark out your eastern boundary from Hazar-enan to Shepham; + The boundary shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and shall descend and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth [the Sea of Galilee] on the east; + And the boundary shall go down to the Jordan, and the end shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its boundaries all around. + Moses commanded the Israelites, This is the land you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and the half-tribe [of Manasseh], + For the tribes of the sons of Reuben and of Gad by their fathers' houses have received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan at Jericho, toward the sunrise. + And the Lord said to Moses, + These are the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. + And [with them] you shall take one head or prince of each tribe to divide the land for inheritance. + The names of the men are: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; + Of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemuel son of Ammihud; + Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon; + Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki son of Jogli; + Of the sons of Joseph: of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel son of Ephod; + And of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel son of Shiphtan; + And of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan son of Parnach; + And of the tribe of the sons of Issachar a leader, Paltiel son of Azzan; + And of the tribe of the sons of Asher a leader, Ahihud son of Shelomi; + And of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel son of Ammihud. + These are the men whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan. + + + AND THE Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, + Command the Israelites that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and [suburb] pasturelands round about the cities' walls you shall give to the Levites also. + They shall have the cities to dwell in and their [suburb] pasturelands shall be for their cattle, for their wealth [in flocks], and for all their beasts. + And the pasturelands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall reach from the wall of the city and outward 1,000 cubits round about. + You shall measure from the wall of the city outward on the east, south, west, and north sides 2,000 cubits, the city being in the center. This shall belong to [the Levites] as [suburb] pasturelands for their cities. + Of the cities which you shall give to the Levites there shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee into; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. + So all the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; you shall give them with their adjacent [suburb] pasturelands. + As for the cities, you shall give from the possession of the Israelites, from the larger tribes you shall take many and from the smaller tribes few; each tribe shall give of its cities to the Levites in proportion to its inheritance. + And the Lord said to Moses, + Say to the Israelites, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + Then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer who kills any person unintentionally and unawares may flee there. + And the cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he has had a fair trial before the congregation. + And of the cities which you give there shall be your six cities for refuge. + You shall give three cities on this [east] side of the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. + These six cities shall be a refuge for the Israelites and for the stranger and the temporary resident among them; that anyone who kills any person unintentionally and unawares may flee there. + But if he struck him down with an instrument of iron so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. + And if he struck him down by throwing a stone, by which a person may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. + Or if he struck him down with a weapon of wood in his hand, by which one may die, and he died, the offender is a murderer; he shall surely be put to death. + The avenger of blood shall himself slay the murderer; when he meets him, he shall slay him. + But if he stabbed him through hatred or hurled at him by lying in wait so that he died + Or in enmity struck him down with his hand so that he died, he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him. + But if he stabbed him suddenly without enmity or threw anything at or upon him without lying in wait + Or with any stone with which a man may be killed, not seeing him, and threw it at him so that he died, and was not his enemy nor sought to harm him, + Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. + And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood and restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled; and he shall live in it until the high priest dies, who was anointed with the sacred oil. + But if the slayer shall at any time come outside the limits of his city of refuge to which he had fled + And the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge and kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood + Because the manslayer should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the high priest's death the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession. + And these things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. + Whoever kills any person [intentionally], the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. + Moreover, you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death. + And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, so that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. + So you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. + And you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell in the midst of the people of Israel. + + + THE HEADS of the fathers' houses of the families of the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the fathers' houses of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the fathers' houses of the Israelites. + They said, The Lord commanded [you] my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. + But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the Israelites, then their inheritance will be taken from that of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they are received and belong; so it will be taken out of the lot of our inheritance. + And when the Jubilee of the Israelites comes, then their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe to which they are received and belong; so will their inheritance be taken away from that of the tribe of our fathers. + And Moses commanded the Israelites according to the word of the Lord, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph is right. + This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: Let them marry whom they think best; only they shall marry within the family of the tribe of their father. + So shall no inheritance of the Israelites be transferred from tribe to tribe, for every one of the Israelites shall cling to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. + And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the Israelites shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the Israelites may each one possess the inheritance of his fathers. + So shall no inheritance be transferred from one tribe to another, but each of the tribes of the Israelites shall cling to its own inheritance. + The daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses. + For Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father's brothers. + They married into the families of the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. + These are the commandments and ordinances which the Lord commanded the Israelites through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [River] at Jericho. + + + + + THESE ARE the words which Moses spoke to all Israel [still] on the [east] side of the Jordan [River] in the wilderness, in the Arabah [the deep valley running north and south from the eastern arm of the Red Sea to beyond the Dead Sea], over near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. + It is [only] eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan's border; yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it]. + And in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the Israelites according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, + After He had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth [and] Edrei. + Beyond (east of) the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, + The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, You have dwelt long enough on this mountain. + Turn and take up your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South (the Negeb), and on the coast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. + Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them. + I said to you at that time, I am not able to bear you alone. + The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of the heavens for multitude. + May the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you as He has promised you! + How can I bear alone the weariness and pressure and burden of you and your strife? + Choose wise, understanding, experienced, and respected men according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you. + And you answered me, The thing which you have spoken is good for us to do. + So I took the heads of your tribes, wise, experienced, and respected men, and made them heads over you, commanders of thousands, and hundreds, and fifties, and tens, and officers according to your tribes. + And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the cases between your brethren and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger or sojourner who is with him. + You shall not be partial in judgment; but you shall hear the small as well as the great. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it. + And I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do. + And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us, and we came to Kadesh-barnea. + And I said to you, You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God gives us. + Behold, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has said to you. Fear not, neither be dismayed. + Then you all came near to me and said, Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us and bring us word again by what way we should go up and the cities into which we shall come. + The thing pleased me well, and I took twelve men of you, one for each tribe. + And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. + And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the Lord our God gives us. + Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God. + You were peevish and discontented in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, He brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. + To what are we going up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, The people are bigger and taller than we are; the cities are great and fortified to the heavens. And moreover we have seen the [giantlike] sons of the Anakim there. + Then I said to you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. + The Lord your God Who goes before you, He will fight for you just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, + And in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God bore you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place. + Yet in spite of this word you did not believe (trust, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord your God, + Who went in the way before you to search out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day. + And the Lord heard your words, and was angered and He swore, + Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land which I swore to give to your fathers, + Except [Joshua, of course, and] Caleb son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land upon which he has walked, because he has wholly followed the Lord. + The Lord was angry with me also for your sakes, and said, You also shall not enter Canaan. + But Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. + Moreover, your little ones whom you said would become a prey, and your children who at this time cannot discern between good and evil, they shall enter Canaan, and to them I will give it and they shall possess it. + But as for you, turn and journey into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea. + Then you said to me, We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us. And you girded on every man his battle weapons, and thought it a simple matter to go up into the hill country. + And the Lord said to me, Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not among you--lest you be dangerously hurt by your enemies. + So I spoke to you, and you would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and were presumptuous and went up into the hill country. + Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do and struck you down in Seir as far as Hormah. + And you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord would not heed your voice or listen to you. + So you remained in Kadesh; many days you remained there. + + + THEN WE turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the Lord directed me; and for many days we journeyed around Mount Seir. + And the Lord spoke to me [Moses], saying, + You have roamed around this mountain country long enough; turn northward. + And command the Israelites, You are to pass through the territory of your kinsmen the sons of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So watch yourselves carefully. + Do not provoke or stir them up, for I will not give you of their land, no, not enough for the sole of your foot to tread on, for I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession. + You shall buy food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them for money, that you may drink. + For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing. + So we passed on from our brethren the sons of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, away from the Arabah (wilderness), and from Elath and from Ezion-geber. We turned and went by the way of the wilderness of Moab. + And the Lord said to me, Do not trouble or assault Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot for a possession. + (The Emim dwelt there in times past, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. + These also are known as Rephaim [of giant stature], as are the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. + The Horites also formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave to them.) + Now rise up and go over the brook Zered. So we went over the brook Zered. + And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we had come over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the whole generation of the men of war had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. + Moreover the hand of the Lord was against them to exterminate them from the midst of the camp, until they were all gone. + So when all the men of war had died from among the people, + The Lord spoke to me [Moses], saying, + You are this day to pass through Ar, the border of Moab. + But when you come near the territory of the sons of Ammon, do not trouble or assault them or provoke or stir them up, for I will not give you any of the land of the Ammonites for a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession. + (That also is known as a land of Rephaim [of giant stature]; Rephaim dwelt there formerly, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, + A people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before [Ammon], and they dispossessed them and settled in their stead, + As He did for the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them, and they dispossessed them and settled in their stead even to this day. + As for the Avvim who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.) + Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it and contend with him in battle. + This day will I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples who are under the whole heavens, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you. + So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, + Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left. + You shall sell me food to eat and sell me water to drink; only let me walk through, + As the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites, who dwell in Ar, did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land which the Lord our God gives us. + But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might give him into your hand, as at this day. + And the Lord said to me [Moses], Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may succeed him and occupy his land. + Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. + And the Lord our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. + At the same time we took all his cities and utterly destroyed every city--men, women, and children. We left none to remain. + Only the cattle we took as booty for ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we had captured. + From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Valley, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was no city too high and strong for us; the Lord our God delivered all to us. + Only you did not go near the land of the Ammonites, that is, to any bank of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the Lord our God had forbidden us. + + + THEN WE turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. + And the Lord said to me, Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon. + So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his people, and we smote him until not one was left to him. + And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. + All these cities were fortified with high and haughty walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled villages. + And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every city--men, women, and children. + But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities we took for booty for ourselves. + So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon + (The Sidonians call Hermon, Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir), + All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. + For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the [gigantic] Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, using the cubit of a man [the forearm to the end of the middle finger]. + When we took possession of this land, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities. + The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob in Bashan, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is called the land of Rephaim [of giant stature]. + Jair son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called it after his own name, Havvoth-jair, so called to this day. + And I gave Gilead to Machir [son of Manasseh]. + And to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as the boundary of it, as far over as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, + The Arabah also, with the Jordan as its boundary, from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt [Dead] Sea, under the cliffs [of the headlands] of Pisgah on the east. + And I commanded you at that time, saying, The Lord your God has given you this land to possess it; you [Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh] shall go over [the Jordan] armed before your brethren the other Israelites, all that are able for war. + But your wives and your little ones and your cattle--I know that you have many cattle--shall remain in your cities which I have given you, + Until the Lord has given rest to your brethren as to you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord your God has given them beyond the Jordan. Then shall you return every man to the possession which I have given you. + And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Your own eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings [Sihon and Og]; so shall the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are going over [the Jordan]. + You shall not fear them, for the Lord your God shall fight for you. + And I besought the Lord at that time, saying, + O Lord God, You have only begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth that can do according to Your works and according to Your might? + I pray You, [will You not just] let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain country [with Hermon] and Lebanon? + But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, That is enough! Say no more to Me about it. + Get up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and behold it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. + But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over before this people and he shall cause them to possess the land which you shall see. + So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor. + + + NOW LISTEN and give heed, O Israel, to the statutes and ordinances which I teach you, and do them, that you may live and go in and possess the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you. + You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. + Your eyes still see what the Lord did because of Baal-peor; for all the men who followed the Baal of Peor the Lord your God has destroyed from among you, [Num. 25:1-9.] + But you who clung fast to the Lord your God are alive, every one of you, this day. + Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land which you are entering to possess. + So keep them and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. + For what great nation is there who has a god so near to them as the Lord our God is to us in all things for which we call upon Him? + And what large and important nation has statutes and ordinances so upright and just as all this law which I set before you today? + Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children-- + Especially how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people together to Me and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn [reverently] to fear Me all the days they live upon the earth and that they may teach their children. + And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. + And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. + And He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments, and He wrote them on two tables of stone. + And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you the statutes and precepts, that you might do them in the land which you are going over to possess. + Therefore take good heed to yourselves, since you saw no form of Him on the day the Lord spoke to you on Horeb out of the midst of the fire, + Beware lest you become corrupt by making for yourselves [to worship] a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, + The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, or of any winged fowl that flies in the air, + The likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth. + And beware lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, moon, and stars, even all the host of the heavens, you be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the Lord your God has allotted to all nations under the whole heaven. + But the Lord has taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to Him a people of His own possession, as you are this day. + Furthermore the Lord was angry with me because of you, and He swore that I should not go over the Jordan and that I should not enter the good land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance. + But I must die in this land; I must not cross the Jordan; but you shall go over and possess that good land. + Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. + For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. + When children shall be born to you, and children's children, and you have grown old in the land, if you corrupt yourselves by making a graven image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God, provoking Him to anger, + I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that you shall soon utterly perish from the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it but will be utterly destroyed. + And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. + There you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. + But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life. + When you are in tribulation and all these things come upon you, in the latter days you will turn to the Lord your God and be obedient to His voice. + For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you or destroy you or forget the covenant of your fathers, which He swore to them. + For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from one end of the heavens to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever occurred or been heard of anywhere. + Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you heard, and live? + Or has God ever tried to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? + To you it was shown, that you might realize and have personal knowledge that the Lord is God; there is no other besides Him. + Out of heaven He made you hear His voice, that He might correct, discipline, and admonish you; and on earth He made you see His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. + And because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them, and brought you out from Egypt with His own Presence, by His mighty power, + Driving out nations from before you, greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day; + Know, recognize, and understand therefore this day and turn your [mind and] heart to it that the Lord is God in the heavens above and upon the earth beneath; there is no other. + Therefore you shall keep His statutes and His commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God gives you forever. + Then Moses set apart three cities [of refuge] beyond the Jordan to the east, + That the manslayer might flee there, who slew his neighbor unintentionally and had not previously been at enmity with him, that fleeing to one of these cities he might save his life: + Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. + This is the law which Moses set before the Israelites. + These are the testimonies and the laws and the precepts which Moses spoke to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, + Beyond the Jordan in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the Israelites smote when they came out of Egypt. + And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who lived beyond the Jordan to the east, + From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, as far as Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), + And all the Arabah (lowlands) beyond the Jordan eastward, as far as the Sea of the Arabah [the Dead Sea], under the slopes and springs of Pisgah. + + + AND MOSES called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances which I speak in your hearing this day, that you may learn them and take heed and do them. + The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. + The Lord made this covenant not with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day. + The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mount out of the midst of the fire. + I stood between the Lord and you at that time to show you the word of the Lord, for you were afraid because of the fire and went not up into the mount. He said, + I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. + You shall have no other gods before Me or besides Me. + You shall not make for yourself [to worship] a graven image or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. + You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, + And showing mercy and steadfast love to thousands and to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. + You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in falsehood or without purpose. + Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. + Six days you shall labor and do all your work, + But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, or your manservant or your maidservant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the stranger or sojourner who is within your gates, that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. + And [earnestly] remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe and take heed to the Sabbath day. + Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. + You shall not murder. + Neither shall you commit adultery. + Neither shall you act slyly or steal. + Neither shall you witness falsely against your neighbor. + Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife, nor desire your neighbor's house, his field, his manservant or his maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. + These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He spoke not again [added no more]. He wrote them on two tables of stone and gave them to me [Moses]. + And when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders; + And you said, Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire; we have this day seen that God speaks with man and man still lives. + Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. + For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and lived? + Go near [Moses] and hear all that the Lord our God will say. And speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you; and we will hear and do it. + And the Lord heard your words when you spoke to me and the Lord said to me, I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have said well all that they have spoken. + Oh, that they had such a [mind and] heart in them always [reverently] to fear Me and keep all My commandments, that it might go well with them and with their children forever! + Go and say to them, Return to your tents. + But you [Moses], stand here by Me, and I will tell you all the commandments and the statutes and the precepts which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess. + Therefore you people shall be watchful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. + You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess. + + + NOW THIS is the instruction, the laws, and the precepts which the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land to which you go to possess it, + That you may [reverently] fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, and keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. + Hear therefore, O Israel, and be watchful to do them, that it may be well with you and that you may increase exceedingly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. + Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord]. + And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. + And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] + You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. + And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes. + And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates. + And when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you, with great and goodly cities which you did not build, + And houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out which you did not hew, and vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and when you eat and are full, + Then beware lest you forget the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. + You shall [reverently] fear the Lord your God and serve Him and swear by His name [and presence]. + You shall not go after other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are round about you; + For the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and He destroy you from the face of the earth. + You shall not tempt and try the Lord your God as you tempted and tried Him in Massah. [Exod. 17:7.] + You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His exhortations and His statutes which He commanded you. + And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, + To cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised. + When your son asks you in time to come, What is the meaning of the testimonies and statutes and precepts which the Lord our God has commanded you? + Then you shall say to your son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. + And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and evil, against Egypt, against Pharaoh, and all his household, before our eyes; + And He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in to give us the land which He swore to give our fathers. + And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to [reverently] fear the Lord our God for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. + And it will be accounted as righteousness (conformity to God's will in word, thought, and action) for us if we are watchful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us. + + + WHEN THE Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to possess and has plucked away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, + And when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you smite them, then you must utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, or show mercy to them. + You shall not make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son nor shall you take his daughter for your son, + For they will turn away your sons from following Me, that they may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and He will destroy you quickly. + But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and hew down their Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah] and burn their graven images with fire. + For you are a holy and set-apart people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. + The Lord did not set His love upon you and choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the fewest of all people. + But because the Lord loves you and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. + Know, recognize, and understand therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations, + And repays those who hate Him to their face, by destroying them; He will not be slack to him who hates Him, but will requite him to his face. + You shall therefore keep and do the instruction, laws, and precepts which I command you this day. + And if you hearken to these precepts and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love which He swore to your fathers. + And He will love you, bless you, and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your land, your grain, your new wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you. + You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. + And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew will He put upon you, but will lay them upon all who hate you. + And you shall consume all the peoples whom the Lord your God will give over to you; your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. + If you say in your [minds and] hearts, These nations are greater than we are; how can we dispossess them? + You shall not be afraid of them, but remember [earnestly] what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, + The great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall the Lord your God do to all the people of whom you are afraid. + Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. + You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is among you, a mighty and terrible God. + And the Lord your God will clear out those nations before you, little by little; you may not consume them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase among you. + But the Lord your God will give them over to you and will confuse them with a mighty panic until they are destroyed. + And He will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under the heavens; there shall no man be able to stand before you, until you have destroyed them. + The graven images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. + Neither shall you bring an abomination (an idol) into your house, lest you become an accursed thing like it; but you shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is an accursed thing. + + + ALL THE commandments which I command you this day you shall be watchful to do, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers. + And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. + And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. + Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years. + Know also in your [minds and] hearts that, as a man disciplines and instructs his son, so the Lord your God disciplines and instructs you. + So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and [reverently] fear Him. [Prov. 8:13.] + For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; + A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; + A land in which you shall eat food without shortage and lack nothing in it; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. + When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for all the good land which He has given you. + Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes which I command you today, + Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, + And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, + Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, + Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, but Who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock, + Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. + And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. + But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. + And if you forget the Lord your God and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. + Like the nations which the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. + + + HEAR, O Israel. You are to cross the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you are, cities great and fortified up to the heavens, + A people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, Who can stand before the sons of Anak? + Know therefore this day that the Lord your God is He Who goes over before you as a devouring fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall dispossess them and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you. + Do not say in your [mind and] heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out from before you, It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land--whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you. + Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your [minds and] hearts do you go to possess their land; but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out before you, and that He may fulfill the promise which the Lord swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + Know therefore that the Lord your God does not give you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a hard and stubborn people. + [Earnestly] remember and forget not how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. + Even in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, and the Lord was so angry with you that He would have destroyed you. + When I went up the mountain to receive the tables of stone, the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I neither ate food nor drank water. + And the Lord delivered to me the two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the Lord spoke with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. + And at the end of forty days and forty nights the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, the tables of the covenant. + And the Lord said to me, Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten image. + Furthermore the Lord said to me, I have seen this people, and behold, they are stubborn and hard. + Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under the heavens; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they. + So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. + And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. + I took the two tables, cast them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes. + Then I fell down before the Lord as before, for forty days and forty nights; I neither ate food nor drank water, because of all the sin you had committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. + For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure which the Lord held against you, enough to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me that time also. + And the Lord was very angry with Aaron, angry enough to have destroyed him, and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. + And I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust; and I cast the dust of it into the brook that came down out of the mountain. + At Taberah also and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the Lord to wrath. + Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you, then you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and you did not believe Him or trust and rely on Him or obey His voice. + You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you. + So I fell down and lay prostrate before the Lord forty days and nights because the Lord had said He would destroy you. + And I prayed to the Lord, O Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your heritage, whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. + Remember [earnestly] Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not at the stubbornness of this people or at their wickedness or at their sin, + Lest the land from which You brought us out say, Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to slay them in the wilderness. + Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm. + + + AT THAT time the Lord said to me, Hew two tables of stone like the first and come up to Me on the mountain and make an ark of wood. + And I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark. + So I [Moses] made an ark of acacia wood and hewed two tables of stone like the first, and went up the mountain with the two tables of stone in my [one] hand. + And the Lord wrote on the tables as at the first writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. + And I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord commanded me. + (The Israelites journeyed from the wells of the sons of Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried, and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead. + From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and then to Jotbathah, a land of brooks [dividing the valley]. + At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him and to bless in His name unto this day. + Therefore Levi has no part or inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God promised him.) + And I [Moses] stayed on the mountain, as the first time, forty days and nights, and the Lord listened to me at that time also; the Lord would not destroy you. + And the Lord said to me, Arise, journey on before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them. + And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, [that is] to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being, + To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? + Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth also, with all that is in it and on it. + Yet the Lord had a delight in loving your fathers, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. + So circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts; be no longer stubborn and hardened. + For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. + He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger or temporary resident and gives him food and clothing. + Therefore love the stranger and sojourner, for you were strangers and sojourners in the land of Egypt. + You shall [reverently] fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and by His name and presence you shall swear. + He is your praise; He is your God, Who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen. + Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of the heavens for multitude. + + + THEREFORE YOU shall love the Lord your God and keep His charge, His statutes, His precepts, and His commandments always. + And know this day--for I am not speaking to your children who have not [personally] known and seen it--the instruction and discipline of the Lord your God: His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm; + His signs and His deeds which He did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land; + And what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and chariots, how He made the waters of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued you, and how the Lord has destroyed them to this day; + And what He did to you in the wilderness until you came to this place; + And what He did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel. [Num. 26:9, 10.] + For your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord which He did. + Therefore you shall keep all the commandments which I command you today, that you may be strong and go in and possess the land which you go across [the Jordan] to possess, + And that you may live long in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. + For the land which you go in to possess is not like the land of Egypt, from which you came out, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot laboriously as in a garden of vegetables. + But the land which you enter to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water of the rain of the heavens, + A land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. + And if you will diligently heed My commandments which I command you this day--to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being-- + I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. + And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, that you may eat and be full. + Take heed to yourselves, lest your [minds and] hearts be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, + And the Lord's anger be kindled against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the land will not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly off the good land which the Lord gives you. + Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. + And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. + And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates, + That your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. + For if you diligently keep all this commandment which I command you to do, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him-- + Then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. + Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea [the Mediterranean] your territory shall be. + There shall no man be able to stand before you; the Lord your God shall lay the fear and the dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread, as He has said to you. + Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse-- + The blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day; + And the curse if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day to go after other gods, which you have not known. + And when the Lord your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. [Josh. 8:33.] + Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, where the sun goes down, in the land of the Canaanites living in the Arabah opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks or terebinths of Moreh? + For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you shall possess it and live in it. + And you shall be watchful to do all the statutes and ordinances which I set before you this day. + + + THESE ARE the statutes and ordinances which you shall be watchful to do in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you to possess all the days you live on the earth. + You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations you dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains and the hills and under every green tree. + You shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire; you shall hew down the graven images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. + You shall not behave so toward the Lord your God. + But you shall seek the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His Name and make His dwelling place, and there shall you come; + And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering of your hands, and your vows and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock. + And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. + You shall not do according to all we do here [in the camp] this day, every man doing whatever looks right in his own eyes. + For you have not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God gives you. + But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God causes you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about so that you dwell in safety, + Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause His Name [and His Presence] to dwell there; to it you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes and what the hand presents [as a first gift from the fruits of the ground], and all your choicest offerings which you vow to the Lord. + And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, and your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no part or inheritance with you. + Be watchful not to offer your burnt offerings in every place you see. + But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all I command you. + However, you may kill and eat flesh in any of your towns whenever you desire, according to the provision for the support of life with which the Lord your God has blessed you; those [ceremonially] unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the hart. + Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it upon the ground as water. + You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your new wine or of your oil, or the firstlings of your herd or flock, or anything you have vowed, or your freewill offerings, or the offerings from your hand [of garden products]. + But you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite that is within your towns; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. + Take heed not to forsake or neglect the Levite [God's minister] as long as you live in your land. + When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He promised you, and you say, I will eat flesh, because you crave flesh, you may eat flesh whenever you desire. + If the place where the Lord your God has chosen to put His Name [and Presence] is too far from you, then you shall kill from your herd or flock which the Lord has given you, as I [Moses] have commanded you; eat in your towns as much as you desire. + Just as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so you may eat of it [but not offer it]; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. + Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you may not eat the life with the flesh. + You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. + You shall not eat it, that all may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. + Only your holy things which you have [to offer] and what you have vowed you shall take, and go to the place [before the sanctuary] which the Lord shall choose. + And offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you may eat the flesh. + Be watchful and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. + When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and live in their land, + Be watchful that you are not ensnared into following them after they have been destroyed before you and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? We will do likewise. + You shall not do so to the Lord your God, for every abominable thing which the Lord hates they have done for their gods. For even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their gods. + Whatever I command you, be watchful to do it; you shall not add to it or diminish it. + + + IF A prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, + And the sign or the wonder he foretells to you comes to pass, and if he says, Let us go after other gods--gods you have not known--and let us serve them, + You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being. + You shall walk after the Lord your God and [reverently] fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and cling to Him. + But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has talked rebellion and turning away from the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage; that man has tried to draw you aside from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So shall you put the evil away from your midst. + If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own life entices you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods--gods you have not known, you nor your fathers, + Of the gods of the peoples who are round about you, near you or far away from you, from one end of the earth to the other-- + You shall not give consent to him or listen to him; nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him. + But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. + And you shall stone him to death with stones, because he has tried to draw you away from the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. + And all Israel shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall never again do any such wickedness as this among you. + If you hear it said in one of your cities which the Lord your God has given you in which to dwell + That certain base fellows have gone out from your midst and have enticed away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods--gods you have not known-- + Then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it is true and certain that such an abominable thing has been done among you, + You shall surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly and all who are in it and its beasts with the edge of the sword. + And you shall collect all its spoil into the midst of its open square and shall burn the city with fire with every bit of its spoil [as a whole burnt offering] to the Lord your God. It shall be a heap [of ruins] forever; it shall not be built again. + And nothing of the accursed thing shall cling to your hand, so that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as He swore to your fathers, + If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you this day, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God. + + + YOU ARE the sons of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead, + For you are a holy people [set apart] to the Lord your God; and the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all the nations on the earth. + You shall not eat anything that is abominable [to the Lord and so forbidden by Him]. + These are the beasts which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, + The hart, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. + And every beast that parts the hoof and has it divided into two and brings up and chews the cud among the beasts you may eat. + Yet these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud or have the hoof split in two: the camel, the hare, and the coney, because they chew the cud but divide not the hoof; they are unclean for you. + And the swine, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud; it is unclean to you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their dead bodies. + These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales you may eat, + And whatever has not fins and scales you may not eat; it is unclean for you. + Of all clean birds you may eat. + But these are the ones which you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the ospray, + The buzzard, the kite in its several species, + The raven in all its species, + The ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any variety, + The little owl, the great owl, the horned owl, + The pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, + The stork, the heron of any variety, the hoopoe, and the bat. + And all flying insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. + But of all clean winged things you may eat. + You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the stranger or the foreigner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to an alien. [They are not under God's law in this matter] but you are a people holy to the Lord your God. You shall not [even] boil a kid in its mother's milk. + You shall surely tithe all the yield of your seed produced by your field each year. + And you shall eat before the Lord your God in the place in which He will cause His Name [and Presence] to dwell the tithe (tenth) of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and your flock, that you may learn [reverently] to fear the Lord your God always. + And if the distance is too long for you to carry your tithe, or the place where the Lord your God chooses to set His Name [and Presence] is too far away for you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, + Then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place [of worship] which the Lord your God has chosen. + And you may spend that money for whatever your appetite craves, for oxen, or sheep, or new wine or strong[er] drink, or whatever you desire; and you shall eat there before the Lord your God and you shall rejoice, you and your household. + And you shall not forsake or neglect the Levite [God's minister] in your towns, for he has been given no share or inheritance with you. + At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase the same year and lay it up within your towns. + And the Levite [because he has no part or inheritance with you] and the stranger or temporary resident, and the fatherless and the widow who are in your towns shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. + + + AT THE end of every seven years you shall grant a release. + And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, for the Lord's release is proclaimed. + Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother [Israelite] your hand shall release. + But there will be no poor among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess, + If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to do watchfully all these commandments which I command you this day. + When the Lord your God blesses you as He promised you, then you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. + If there is among you a poor man, one of your kinsmen in any of the towns of your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your [minds and] hearts or close your hands to your poor brother; + But you shall open your hands wide to him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. + Beware lest there be a base thought in your [minds and] hearts, and you say, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand, and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and it be sin in you. + You shall give to him freely without begrudging it; because of this the Lord will bless you in all your work and in all you undertake. + For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hands to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor in your land. + And if your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. + And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed. + You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress; of what the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. + And you shall [earnestly] remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I give you this command today. + But if the servant says to you, I will not go away from you, because he loves you and your household, since he does well with you, + Then take an awl and pierce his ear through to the door, and he shall be your servant always. And also to your bondwoman you shall do likewise. + It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired servant he has served you six years; and the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. + All the firstling males that are born of your herd and flock you shall set apart for the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of your herd, nor shear the firstling of your flock. + You shall eat it before the Lord your God annually in the place [for worship] which the Lord shall choose, you and your household. + But if it has any blemish, if it is lame, blind, or has any bad blemish whatsoever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. + You shall eat it within your towns; the [ceremonially] unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a hart. + Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water. + + + OBSERVE THE month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. + You shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God from the flock or the herd in the place where the Lord will choose to make His Name [and His Presence] dwell. + You shall eat no leavened bread with it; for seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction--for you fled from the land of Egypt in haste--that all the days of your life you may [earnestly] remember the day when you came out of Egypt. + No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days; nor shall any of the flesh which you sacrificed the first day at evening be left all night until the morning. + You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns which the Lord your God gives you, + But at the place which the Lord your God will choose in which to make His Name [and His Presence] dwell, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice in the evening at sunset, at the season that you came out of Egypt. + And you shall roast or boil and eat it in the place which the Lord your God will choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. + For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God; you shall do no work on it. + You shall count seven weeks; begin to number the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. + Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give to the Lord your God, as the Lord your God blesses you. + And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and daughter, your manservant and maidservant, and the Levite who is within your towns, the stranger or temporary resident, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place in which the Lord your God chooses to make His Name [and His Presence] dwell. + And you shall [earnestly] remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be watchful and obey these statutes. + You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths for seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and wine vat. + You shall rejoice in your Feast, you, your son and daughter, your manservant and maidservant, the Levite, the transient and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. + For seven days you shall keep a solemn Feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses; because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the works of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. + Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed: + Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. + You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. + You shall not misinterpret or misapply judgment; you shall not be partial, or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. + Follow what is altogether just (uncompromisingly righteous), that you may live and inherit the land which your God gives you. + You shall not plant for yourselves any kind of tree dedicated to [the goddess] Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God which you shall make. + Neither shall you set up an idolatrous stone or image, which the Lord your God hates. + + + YOU SHALL not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep with a blemish or any defect whatsoever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. + If there is found among you within any of your towns which the Lord your God gives you a man or woman who does what is wicked in the sight of the Lord your God by transgressing His covenant, + Who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or moon or any of the host of the heavens, which I have forbidden, + And it is told and you hear of it, then inquire diligently. And if it is certainly true that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, + Then you shall bring forth to your town's gates that man or woman who has done that wicked thing and you shall stone that man or woman to death. + On the evidence of two or three witnesses he who is worthy of death shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. + The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from among you. + If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment--between one kind of bloodshed and another, between one legality and another, between one kind of assault and another, matters of controversy within your towns--then arise and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. + And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them and they shall make clear to you the decision. + And you shall do according to the decision which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be watchful to do according to all that they tell you; + According to the decision of the law which they shall teach you and the judgment which they shall announce to you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the verdict they give you, either to the right hand or the left. + The man who does presumptuously and will not listen to the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. + And all the people shall hear and [reverently] fear, and not act presumptuously again. + When you come to the land which the Lord your God gives you and you possess it and live there, and then say, We will set a king over us like all the nations that are about us, + You shall surely set as king over you him whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner, who is not your brother, over you. + But he shall not multiply horses to himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, since the Lord said to you, You shall never return that way. + And he shall not multiply wives to himself, that his [mind and] heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. + And when he sits on his royal throne, he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, out of what is before the Levitical priests. + And he shall keep it with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn [reverently] to fear the Lord his God, by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes and doing them, + That his [mind and] heart may not be lifted up above his brethren and that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left; so that he may continue long, he and his sons, in his kingdom in Israel. + + + THE LEVITICAL priests and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and His rightful dues. + They shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them. + And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. + The firstfruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first or best of the fleece of your sheep you shall give the priest. + For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name [and presence] of the Lord, him and his sons forever. + And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel where he is a temporary resident, he may come whenever he desires to [the sanctuary] the place the Lord will choose; + Then he may minister in the name [and presence of] the Lord his God like all his brethren the Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord. + They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what may come of the sale of his patrimony. [Jer. 32:6-15.] + When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of these nations. + There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or who uses divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, + Or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. + For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and it is because of these abominable practices that the Lord your God is driving them out before you. + You shall be blameless [and absolutely true] to the Lord your God. + For these nations whom you shall dispossess listen to soothsayers and diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so. + The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet (Prophet) from the midst of your brethren like me [Moses]; to him you shall listen. [Matt. 21:11; John 1:21.] + This is what you desired [and asked] of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die. + And the Lord said to me, They have well said all that they have spoken. + I will raise up for them a prophet (Prophet) from among their brethren like you, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I command him. + And whoever will not hearken to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. + But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. + And if you say in your [minds and] hearts, How shall we know which words the Lord has not spoken? + When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or prove true, that is a word which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. + + + WHEN THE Lord your God has cut off the nations whose land the Lord your God gives you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, + You shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess. + You shall prepare the road and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, so that any manslayer can flee to them. + And this is the case of the slayer who shall flee there in order that he may live. Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, for whom he had no enmity in time past-- + As when a man goes into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand strikes with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips off the handle and lights on his neighbor and kills him--he may flee to one of those cities and live; + Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer while his [mind and] heart are hot with anger and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him even though the slayer was not worthy of death, since he had not been at enmity with him previously. + Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three [refuge] cities. + And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He has sworn to your fathers to do, and gives you all the land which He promised to your fathers to give, + If you keep all these commandments to do them, which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three other cities to these three, + Lest innocent blood be shed in your land, which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and so blood guilt be upon you. + But if any man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, and attacks him and wounds him mortally so that he dies, and the assailant flees into one of these cities, + Then the elders of his own city shall send for him and fetch him from there and give him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die. + Your eyes shall not pity him, but you shall clear Israel of the guilt of innocent blood, that it may go well with you. + You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, which the men of old [the first dividers of the land] set. + One witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or any wrong in connection with any sin he commits; only on the testimony of two or three witnesses shall a charge be established. + If a false witness rises up against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, + Then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. + The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, + Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. + And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. + Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. + + + WHEN YOU go forth to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you. + And when you come near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the men, + And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies. Let not your [minds and] hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble or be terrified [and in dread] because of them. + For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you. [I Sam. 17:45.] + And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. + And what man has planted a vineyard and has not used the fruit of it? Let him also return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man use the fruit of it. + And what man has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her. + And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, What man is fearful and fainthearted? Let him return to his house, lest [because of him] his brethren's [minds and] hearts faint as does his own. + And when the officers finish speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders at the head of the people. + When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. + And if that city makes an answer of peace to you and opens to you, then all the people found in it shall be tributary to you and they shall serve you. + But if it refuses to make peace with you and fights against you, then you shall besiege it. + And when the Lord your God has given it into your hands, you shall smite every male there with the edge of the sword. + But the women, the little ones, the beasts, and all that is in the city, all the spoil in it, you shall take for yourselves; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you. + So shall you treat all the cities that are very far off from you, that do not belong to the cities of these nations. + But in the cities of these people which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes. + But you shall utterly exterminate them, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded you, + So that they may not teach you all the abominable practices they have carried on for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the Lord your God. + When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by using an ax on them, for you can eat their fruit; you must not cut them down, for is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you? + Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, that you may build siege works against the city that makes war with you until it falls. + + + IF ONE is found slain in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has killed him, + Then your elders and judges shall come forth and measure the distance to the cities around him who is slain. + And the city which is nearest to the slain man, the elders of that city shall take a heifer which has never been worked, never pulled in the yoke, + And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. + And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name [and presence] of the Lord, and by their word shall every controversy and every assault be settled. + And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, + And they shall testify, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. + Forgive, O Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow the shedding of innocent blood to be charged to Your people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be forgiven them. + So shall you purge the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. + When you go forth to battle against your enemies and the Lord your God has given them into your hands and you carry them away captive, + And you see among the captives a beautiful woman and desire her, that you may have her as your wife, + Then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and pare her nails [in purification from heathenism] + And put off her prisoner's garb, and shall remain in your house and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. + And if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go absolutely free. You shall not sell her at all for money; you shall not deal with her as a slave or a servant, because you have humbled her. + If a man has two wives, one loved and the other disliked, and they both have borne him children, and if the firstborn son is the son of the one who is disliked, + Then on the day when he wills his possessions to his sons, he shall not put the firstborn of his loved wife in place of the [actual] firstborn of the disliked wife--her firstborn being older. + But he shall acknowledge the son of the disliked as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he was the first issue of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. + If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or his mother and though they chasten him will not listen to them, + Then his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, + And they shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard. [Prov. 23:20-22.] + Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall cleanse out the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and [reverently] fear. + And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death and [afterward] you hang him on a tree, [Josh. 10:26, 27.] + His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God. Thus you shall not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance. [Gal. 3:13.] + + + YOU SHALL not see your brother's ox or his sheep being driven away or stolen, and hide yourself from [your duty to help] them; you shall surely take them back to your brother. [Prov. 24:12.] + And if your brother [the owner] is not near you or if you do not know who he is, you shall bring the animal to your house and it shall be with you until your brother comes looking for it; then you shall restore it to him. + And so shall you do with his donkey or his garment or with anything which your brother has lost and you have found. You shall not hide from [your duty concerning] them. + You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fall down by the way, and hide from [your duty concerning] them; you shall surely help him to lift them up again. + The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord your God. + If a bird's nest should chance to be before you in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother bird is sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother bird with the young. + You shall surely let the mother bird go, and take only the young, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. + When you build a new house, then you shall put a railing around your [flat] roof, so that no one may fall from there and bring guilt of blood upon your house. + You shall not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole crop be forfeited [under this ban], the seed which you have sown and the yield of the vineyard forfeited to the sanctuary. + You shall not plow with an ox [a clean animal] and a donkey [unclean] together. [II Cor. 6:14-16.] + You shall not wear a garment of mingled stuff, wool and linen together. [Ezek. 44:18; Rev. 19:8.] + You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your cloak with which you cover yourself. [Num. 15:37-40.] + If any man takes a wife and goes in to her, and then scorns her + And charges her with shameful things and gives her an evil reputation, and says, I took this woman, but when I came to her, I did not find in her the tokens of a virgin, + Then the father of the young woman, and her mother, shall get and bring out the tokens of her virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. + And her father shall say to the elders, I gave my daughter to this man as wife, but he hates and spurns her; + And behold, he has made shameful charges against her, saying, I found not in your daughter the evidences of her virginity. And yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city, + And the elders of that city shall take the man and rebuke and whip him. + And they shall fine him 100 shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he may not divorce her all his days. + But if it is true that the evidences of virginity were not found in the young woman, + Then they shall bring her to the door of her father's house and the men of her city shall stone her to death, because she has wrought [criminal] folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house. So you shall put away the evil from among you. + If a man is found lying with another man's wife, they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. + If a maiden who is a virgin is engaged to be married, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, + Then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and shall stone them to death--the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he has violated his neighbor's [promised] wife. So shall you put away evil from among you. + But if a man finds the betrothed maiden in the open country and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. + But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no sin punishable by death, for this is as when a man attacks and slays his neighbor, + For he came upon her in the open country, and the betrothed girl cried out, but there was no one to save her. + If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her and they are found, + Then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her; he may not divorce her all his days. + A man shall not take his father's former wife, nor shall he uncover her who belongs to his father. + + + HE WHO is wounded in the testicles, or has been made a eunuch, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord. + A person begotten out of wedlock shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall his descendants not enter into the congregation of the Lord. + An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation their descendants shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord forever, + Because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia against you to curse you. + Nevertheless, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because the Lord your God loves you. + You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. + You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother [Esau's descendant]. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a stranger and temporary resident in his land. + Their children may enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation. + When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, you shall keep yourselves from every evil thing. + If there is among you any man who is not clean by reason of what happens to him at night, then he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come within the camp; + But when evening comes he shall bathe himself in water, and when the sun is down he may return to the camp. + You shall have a place also outside the camp to which you shall go [as a comfort station]; + And you shall have a paddle or shovel among your weapons, and when you sit down outside [to relieve yourself], you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up what has come from you. + For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you. Therefore shall your camp be holy, that He may see nothing indecent among you and turn away from you. + You shall not give up to his master a servant who has escaped from his master to you. + He shall dwell with you in your midst wherever he chooses in one of your towns where it pleases him best. You shall not defraud or oppress him. + There shall be no cult prostitute among the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a cult prostitute (a sodomite) among the sons of Israel. + You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog (a sodomite) into the house of the Lord your God as payment of a vow, for both of these [the gift and the giver] are an abomination to the Lord your God. + You shall not lend on interest to your brother--interest on money, on victuals, on anything that is lent for interest. + You may lend on interest to a foreigner, but to your brother you shall not lend on interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land to which you go to possess it. + When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not be slack in paying it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and slackness would be sin in you. + But if you refrain from vowing, it will not be sin in you. + The vow which has passed your lips you shall be watchful to perform, a voluntary offering which you have made to the Lord your God, which you have promised with your mouth. + When you come into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you please, but you shall not put any in your vessel. + When you come into the standing grain of your neighbor, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain. + + + WHEN A man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a bill of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, + And when she departs out of his house she goes and marries another man, + And if the latter husband dislikes her and writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies, who took her as his wife, + Then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled. For that is an abomination before the Lord; and you shall not bring guilt upon the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. + When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken. + No man shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge. + If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the Israelites and treats him as a slave or a servant or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall put evil from among you. + Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that you watch diligently and do according to all that the Levitical priests shall teach you. As I commanded them, so you shall be watchful and do. [Lev. 13:14, 15.] + Remember [earnestly] what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way after you had come out of Egypt. [Num. 12:10.] + When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. + You shall stand outside and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. + And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight. + You shall surely restore to him the pledge at sunset, that he may sleep in his garment and bless you; and it shall be credited to you as righteousness (rightness and justice) before the Lord your God. + You shall not oppress or extort from a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is of your brethren or of your strangers and sojourners who are in your land inside your towns. + You shall give him his hire on the day he earns it before the sun goes down, for he is poor, and sets his heart upon it; lest he cry against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you. + The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers; only for his own sin shall anyone be put to death. + You shall not pervert the justice due the stranger or the sojourner or the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge. + But you shall [earnestly] remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. + When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. + When you beat your olive tree, do not go over the boughs again; the leavings shall be for the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. + When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. + You shall [earnestly] remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this. + + + IF THERE is a controversy between men, and they come into court and the judges decide between them, justifying the innocent and condemning the guilty, + Then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a certain number of stripes according to his offense. + Forty stripes may be given him but not more, lest, if he should be beaten with many stripes, your brother should [be treated like a beast and] seem low and worthless to you. + You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain. [I Cor. 9:9, 10; I Tim. 5:17, 18.] + If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, his wife shall not be married outside the family to a stranger [an excluded man]. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. + And the firstborn son shall succeed to the name of the dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. + And if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuses to continue his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. + Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. And if he stands firm and says, I do not want to take her, + Then shall his brother's wife come to him in the presence of the elders and pull his shoe off his foot and spit in his face and shall answer, So shall it be done to that man who does not build up his brother's house. + And his family shall be called in Israel, The House of Him Whose Shoe Was Loosed. + When men strive together one with another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband out of the hand of him who is beating him, and puts out her hand and seizes the other man by the private parts, + Then you shall cut off her hand; your eyes shall not pity her. + You shall not have in your bag true and false weights, a large and a small. + You shall not have in your house true and false measures, a large and a small. + But you shall have a perfect and just weight and a perfect and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. + For all who do such things, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God. + Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you had come forth from Egypt, + How he did not fear God, but when you were faint and weary he attacked you along the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear. [Exod. 17:14.] + Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you must not forget. + + + WHEN YOU have come into the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance and possess it and live in it, + You shall take some of the first of all the produce of the soil which you harvest from the land the Lord your God gives you and put it in a basket, and go to the place [the sanctuary] which the Lord your God has chosen as the abiding place for His Name [and His Presence]. + And you shall go to the priest who is in office in those days, and say to him, I give thanks this day to the Lord your God that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us. + And the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. + And you shall say before the Lord your God, A wandering and lost Aramean ready to perish was my father [Jacob], and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and numerous. + And the Egyptians treated us very badly and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage. + And when we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our [cruel] oppression; + And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with great (awesome) power and with signs and with wonders; + And He brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. + And now, behold, I bring the firstfruits of the ground which You, O Lord, have given me. And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God; + And you and the Levite and the stranger and the sojourner among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household. + When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce the third year, which is the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your towns and be filled, + Then you shall say before the Lord your God, I have brought the hallowed things (the tithe) out of my house and moreover have given them to the Levite, to the stranger and the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, neither have I forgotten them. + I have not eaten of the tithe in my mourning [making the tithe unclean], nor have I handled any of it when I was unclean, nor given any of it to the dead. I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me. + Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. + This day the Lord your God has commanded you to do these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall keep and do them with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being. + You have [openly] declared the Lord this day to be your God, [pledging] to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes and His commandments and His precepts, and to hearken to His voice. + And the Lord has declared this day that you are His peculiar people as He promised you, and you are to keep all His commandments; + And He will make you high above all nations which He has made, in praise and in fame and in honor, and that you shall be a holy people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken. + + + AND MOSES with the elders of Israel commanded the people, Keep all the commandments with which I charge you today. + And on the day when you pass over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall set up great stones and cover them with plaster. + And you shall write on them all the words of this law when you have passed over, that you may go into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. + And when you have gone over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, as I command you this day, on Mount Ebal, and coat them with plaster. + And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not lift up any iron tool upon them. + You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of whole stones and offer burnt offerings on it to Him; + And you shall offer peace offerings, and eat there and rejoice before the Lord your God. + And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly. + And Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, Keep silence and hear, O Israel! This day you have become the people of the Lord your God. + So you shall obey the voice of the Lord your God and do His commandments and statutes which I command you today. + And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, + These [tribes] shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have passed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph's [sons], and Benjamin. + And these [tribes] shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curse [for disobedience]: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. + And the Levites shall declare with a loud voice to all the men of Israel: + Cursed is the man who makes a graven or molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. All the people shall answer, Amen. + Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who moves [back] his neighbor's landmark. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who misleads a blind man on his way. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who perverts the justice due to the sojourner or the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who lies with his father's wife, because he uncovers what belongs to his father. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who lies with any beast. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who lies with his half sister, whether his father's or his mother's daughter. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who slays his neighbor secretly. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person. All the people shall say, Amen. + Cursed is he who does not support and give assent to the words of this law to do them [as the rule of his life]. All the people shall say, Amen. + + + IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. + And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God. + Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. + Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock. + Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough. + Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. + The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. + The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. + The Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. + And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. + And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. + The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. + And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them. + And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. + But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you: + Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the field. + Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading trough. + Cursed shall be the fruit of your body, of your land, of the increase of your cattle and the young of your sheep. + Cursed shall you be when you come in and cursed shall you be when you go out. + The Lord shall send you curses, confusion, and rebuke in every enterprise to which you set your hand, until you are destroyed, perishing quickly because of the evil of your doings by which you have forsaken me [Moses and God as one]. + The Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land into which you go to possess. + The Lord will smite you with consumption, with fever and inflammation, fiery heat, sword and drought, blasting and mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. + The heavens over your head shall be brass and the earth under you shall be iron. + The Lord shall make the rain of your land powdered soil and dust; from the heavens it shall come down upon you until you are destroyed. + The Lord shall cause you to be struck down before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them, and you shall be tossed to and fro and be a terror among all the kingdoms of the earth. [Fulfilled in II Chron. 29:8.] + And your dead body shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away. + The Lord will smite you with the boils of Egypt and the tumors, the scurvy and the itch, from which you cannot be healed. + The Lord will smite you with madness and blindness and dismay of [mind and] heart. + And you shall grope at noonday as the blind grope in darkness. And you shall not prosper in your ways; and you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to save you. + You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but not gather its grapes. + Your ox shall be slain before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away before your face and not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to help you. + Your sons and daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day; and there shall be no power in your hands to prevent it. [Fulfilled in II Chron. 29:9.] + A nation which you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your land and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually, [Fulfilled in Judg. 6:1-6; 13:1.] + So that you shall be driven mad by the sights which your eyes shall see. + The Lord will smite you on the knees and on the legs with a sore boil that cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. + The Lord shall bring you and your king whom you have set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall [be forced to] serve other gods, of wood and stone. [Fulfilled in II Kings 17:4, 6; 24:12, 14; 25:7, 11; Dan. 6:11, 12.] + And you shall become an amazement, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples to which the Lord will lead you. + You shall carry much seed out into the field and shall gather little in, for the locust shall consume it. [Fulfilled in Hag. 1:6.] + You shall plant vineyards and dress them but shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them. + You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory but you shall not anoint yourselves with the oil, for your olive trees shall drop their fruit. + You shall beget sons and daughters but shall not enjoy them, for they shall go into captivity. [Fulfilled in Lam. 1:5.] + All your trees and the fruit of your ground shall the locust possess. [Fulfilled in Joel 1:4.] + The transient (stranger) among you shall mount up higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. + He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. + All these curses shall come upon you and shall pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. + They shall be upon you for a sign [of warning to other nations] and for a wonder, and upon your descendants forever. + Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you], + Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things; and He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck until He has destroyed you. + The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you shall not understand, + A nation of unyielding countenance who will not regard the person of the old or show favor to the young, + And shall eat the fruit of your cattle and the fruit of your ground until you are destroyed, who also shall not leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your cattle or the young of your sheep until they have caused you to perish. + They shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you. + And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and in the [pressing] misery with which your enemies shall distress you. [Fulfilled in II Kings 6:24-29.] + The man who is most tender among you and extremely particular and well-bred, his eye shall be cruel and grudging of food toward his brother and toward the wife of his bosom and toward those of his children still remaining, + So that he will not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children which he is eating, because he has nothing left to him in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you in all your towns. + The most tender and daintily bred woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot upon the ground because she is so dainty and kind, will grudge to the husband of her bosom, to her son and to her daughter + Her afterbirth that comes out from her body and the children whom she shall bear. For she will eat them secretly for want of anything else in the siege and distress with which your enemies shall distress you in your towns. + If you will not be watchful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may [reverently] fear this glorious and fearful name [and presence]--THE LORD YOUR%(GOD-- + Then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary strokes and blows, great plagues of long continuance, and grievous sicknesses of long duration. + Moreover, He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. + Also every sickness and every affliction which is not written in this Book of the Law the Lord will bring upon you until you are destroyed. + And you shall be left few in number, whereas you had been as the stars of the heavens for multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. + And as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice to bring ruin upon you and to destroy you; and you shall be plucked from the land into which you go to possess. + And the Lord shall scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other; and there you shall [be forced to] serve other gods, of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. [Fulfilled in Dan. 3:6.] + And among these nations you shall find no ease and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot; but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes [from disappointment of hope], fainting of mind, and languishing of spirit. + Your life shall hang in doubt before you; day and night you shall be worried, and have no assurance of your life. + In the morning you shall say, Would that it were evening! and at evening you shall say, Would that it were morning!--because of the anxiety and dread of your [minds and] hearts and the sights which you shall see with your [own] eyes. + And the Lord shall bring you into Egypt again with ships by the way about which I said to you, You shall never see it again. And there you shall be sold to your enemies as bondmen and bondwomen, but no man shall buy you. [Hos. 8:13.] + + + THESE ARE the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. + Moses called to all Israel and said to them, You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land; + The great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. + Yet the Lord has not given you a [mind and] heart to understand and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this day. + I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out upon you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. + You have not eaten [grain] bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, that you might recognize and know [your dependence on Him Who is saying], I am the Lord your God. + And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. + We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. + Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may deal wisely and prosper in all that you do. + All of you stand today before the Lord your God--your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Israel, + Your little ones, your wives, and the stranger and sojourner in your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water-- + That you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, and into His oath which He makes with you today, + That He may establish you this day as a people for Himself, and that He may be to you a God as He said to you and as He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + It is not with you only that I make this sworn covenant + But with future Israelites who do not stand here with us today before the Lord our God, as well as with those who are here with us this day. + You know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came through the midst of the nations you crossed. + And you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. + Beware lest there should be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose [mind and] heart turns away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a [poisonous] root that bears gall and wormwood, + And lest, when he hears the words of this curse and oath, he flatters and congratulates himself in his [mind and] heart, saying, I shall have peace and safety, though I walk in the stubbornness of my [mind and] heart [bringing down a hurricane of destruction] and sweep away the watered land with the dry. + The Lord will not pardon him, but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall settle on him; the Lord will blot out his very name from under the heavens. + And the Lord will single him out for ruin and destruction from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law, + So that the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who shall come from a distant land, shall say, when they see the plagues of this land and the diseases with which the Lord has made it sick-- + The whole land is brimstone and salt and a burned waste, not sown or bearing anything, where no grass can take root, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and wrath-- + Even all the nations shall say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean? + Then men shall say, Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt. + For they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods they knew not and that He had not given to them. + So the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses that are written in this book. + And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land, as it is this day. + The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this law. + + + AND WHEN all these things have come upon you, the blessings and the curses which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, + And shall return to the Lord your God and obey His voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being, + Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion upon you and will gather you again from all the nations where He has scattered you. + Even if any of your dispersed are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and from there will He bring you. + And the Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will do you good and multiply you above your fathers. + And the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being, that you may live. + And the Lord your God will put all these curses upon your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecute you. + And you shall return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all His commandments which I command you today. + And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, of your cattle, of your land, for good; for the Lord will again delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers, + If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being. + For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off. + It is not [a secret laid up] in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it? + Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it? + But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it. + See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil. + [If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which] I command you today, to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land into which you go to possess. + But if your [mind and] heart turn away and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, + I declare to you today that you shall surely perish, and you shall not live long in the land which you pass over the Jordan to enter and possess. + I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live + And may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + + + AND MOSES went on speaking these words to all Israel: + And he said to them, I am 120 years old this day; I can no more go out and come in. And the Lord has said to me, You shall not go over this Jordan. + The Lord your God will Himself go over before you, and He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. And Joshua shall go over before you, as the Lord has said. + And the Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. + And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. + Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. + And Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong, courageous, and firm, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to possess it. + It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit--depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm]. + And Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. + And Moses commanded them, At the end of every seven years, at the set time of the year of release [of debtors from their debts], at the Feast of Booths, + When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses [for His sanctuary], you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. + Assemble the people--men, women, and children, and the stranger and the sojourner within your towns--that they may hear and learn [reverently] to fear the Lord your God and be watchful to do all the words of this law, + And that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn [reverently] to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you go over the Jordan to possess. + And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, your days are nearing when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, that I may give him his charge. And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. + And the Lord appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent. + And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers, and this people will rise up and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land where they go to be among them; and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. + Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them. And they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? + And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done in turning to other gods. + And now write this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the Israelites. + For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves and become fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise and scorn Me and break My covenant. + And when many evils and troubles have befallen them, this [sacred] song will confront them as a witness, for it will never be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants. For I know their strong desire and the purposes which they are forming even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swore to give them. + Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the Israelites. [Deut. 32:1-43.] + And [the Lord] charged Joshua son of Nun, Be strong and courageous and firm, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land which I swore to give them, and I will be with you. + And when Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, + He commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, + Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. + For I know your rebellion and stubbornness; behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death! + Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. + For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands. + And Moses spoke in the hearing of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were ended: + + + GIVE EAR, O heavens, and I [Moses] will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. + My message shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the light rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb. + For I will proclaim the name [and presence] of the Lord. Concede and ascribe greatness to our God. + He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are law and justice. A God of faithfulness without breach or deviation, just and right is He. + They [Israel] have spoiled themselves. They are not sons to Him, and that is their blemish--a perverse and crooked generation! + Do you thus repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Is not He your Father Who acquired you for His own, Who made and established you [as a nation]? + Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. Ask your father and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. + When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the Israelites. + For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob (Israel) is the lot of His inheritance. + He found him in a desert land, in the howling void of the wilderness; He kept circling around him, He scanned him [penetratingly], He kept him as the pupil of His eye. + As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, He spread abroad His wings and He took them, He bore them on His pinions. [Luke 13:34.] + So the Lord alone led him; there was no foreign god with Him. + He made Israel ride on the high places of the earth, and he ate the increase of the field; and He made him suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock, + Butter and curds of the herd and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and he-goats, with the finest of the wheat; and you drank wine of the blood of the grape. + But Jeshurun (Israel) grew fat and kicked. You became fat, you grew thick, you were gorged and sleek! Then he forsook God Who made him and forsook and despised the Rock of his salvation. + They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations they provoked Him to anger. + They sacrificed to demons, not to God--to gods whom they knew not, to new gods lately come up, whom your fathers never knew or feared. + Of the Rock Who bore you you were unmindful; you forgot the God Who travailed in your birth. + And the Lord saw it and He spurned and rejected them, out of indignation with His sons and His daughters. + And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. + They have moved Me to jealousy with what is not God; they have angered Me with their idols. So I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will anger them with a foolish nation. + For a fire is kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth with its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. + And I will heap evils upon them; I will spend My arrows upon them. + They shall be wasted with hunger and devoured with burning heat and poisonous pestilence; and the teeth of beasts will I send against them, with the poison of crawling things of the dust. + From without the sword shall bereave, and in the chambers shall be terror, destroying both young man and virgin, the sucking child with the man of gray hairs. + I said, I would scatter them afar and I would have made the remembrance of them to cease from among men, + Had I not feared the provocation of the foe, lest their enemies misconstrue it and lest they should say, Our own hand has prevailed; all this was not the work of the Lord. + For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. + O that they were wise and would see through this [present triumph] to their ultimate fate! + How could one have chased a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had delivered them up? + For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves judge this. + For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of [poisonous] gall, their clusters are bitter. + Their wine is the [furious] venom of serpents, and the pitiless poison of vipers. + Is not this laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? + Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, in the time when their foot shall slide; for the day of their disaster is at hand and their doom comes speedily. + For the Lord will revoke sentence for His people and relent for His servants' sake when He sees that their power is gone and none remains, whether bond or free. + And He will say, Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, + Who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, let them be your protection! + See now that I, I am He, and there is no god beside Me; I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand. + For I lift up My hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, + If I whet My lightning sword and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will wreak vengeance on My foes and recompense those who hate Me. + I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the foe. + Rejoice [with] His people, O you nations, for He avenges the blood of His servants, and vengeance He inflicts on His foes and clears guilt from the land of His people. + And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshea (Joshua) son of Nun. + And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, + He said to them, Set your [minds and] hearts on all the words which I command you this day, that you may command them to your children, that they may be watchful to do all the words of this law. + For it is not an empty and worthless trifle for you; it is your [very] life. By it you shall live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess. + And the Lord said to Moses that same day, + Get up into this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan which I give to the Israelites for a possession. + And die on the mountain which you ascend and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, + Because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin and because you did not set Me apart as holy in the midst of the Israelites. + For you shall see the land opposite you at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I give the Israelites. + + + THIS IS the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the Israelites before his death. + He said, The Lord came from Sinai and beamed upon us from Seir; He flashed forth from Mount Paran, from among ten thousands of holy ones, a flaming fire, a law, at His right hand. + Yes, He loves [the tribes] His people; all those consecrated to Him are in Your hand. They followed in Your steps; they [accepted Your word and] received direction from You, + When Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob. + [The Lord] was King in Jeshurun (Israel) when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. + Let [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, but let his men be few. + And this he [Moses] said of Judah: Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people! With his hands he contended for himself; but may You be a help against his enemies. + And of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Your Urim [by which the priest sought God's will for the nation] are for Your pious one [Aaron on behalf of the tribe], whom You tried and proved at Massah, with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; [Num. 20:1-13.] + [Aaron] who said of his father and mother, I do not regard them; nor did he acknowledge his brothers or openly recognize his own children. For the priests observed Your word and kept Your covenant [as to their limitations]. + [The priests] shall teach Jacob Your ordinances and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offerings upon Your altar. + Bless, O Lord, [Levi's] substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, and of those who hate him, that they arise no more. + Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between his shoulders. + And of Joseph he said: Blessed by the Lord be his land, with the precious gifts of heaven from the dew and from the deep that couches beneath, + With the precious things of the fruits of the sun and with the precious yield of the months, + With the chief products of the ancient mountains and with the precious things of the everlasting hills, + With the precious things of the earth and its fullness and the favor and goodwill of Him Who dwelt in the bush. Let these blessings come upon the head of Joseph, upon the crown of the head of him who was separate and prince among his brothers. [Exod. 3:4.] + Like a firstling young bull his majesty is, and his horns like the horns of the wild ox; with them he shall push the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. + And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your interests abroad, and you, Issachar, in your tents [at home]. + They shall call the people unto Mount [Carmel]; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall suck the abundance of the seas and the treasures hid in the sand. + And of Gad he said: Blessed is He Who enlarges Gad! Gad lurks like a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head. + He selected the best land for himself, for there was the leader's portion reserved; yet he came with the chiefs of the nation, and the righteous will of the Lord he performed, and His ordinances with Israel. [Num. 32:29-33.] + Of Dan he said: Dan is a lion's whelp that leaps forth from Bashan. + Of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord, possess the Sea [of Galilee] and [its warm, sunny climate like] the south. + Of Asher he said: Blessed above sons is Asher; let him be acceptable to his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. + Your castles and strongholds shall have bars of iron and bronze, and as your day, so shall your strength, your rest and security, be. + There is none like God, O Jeshurun [Israel], Who rides through the heavens to your help and in His majestic glory through the skies. + The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy! + And Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone in a land of grain and new wine; yes, His heavens drop dew. + Happy are you, O Israel, and blessing is yours! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of your help, the Sword that exalts you! Your enemies shall come fawning and cringing, and submit feigned obedience to you, and you shall march on their high places. + + + AND MOSES went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land--from Gilead to Dan, + And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah to the western [Mediterranean] sea, + And the South (the Negeb) and the plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, as far as Zoar. + And the Lord said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there. + So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, + And He buried him in the valley of the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor, but no man knows where his tomb is to this day. + Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated. [Deut. 31:2.] + And the Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. + And Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him; so the Israelites listened to him and did as the Lord commanded Moses. + And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, + [None equal to him] in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt--to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, + And in all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel. + + + + + AFTER THE death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' minister, [Deut. 34:4-8.] + Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. + Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses. + From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates--all the land of the Hittites [Canaan]--and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory. + No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. + Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. + Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. + This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. + Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. + Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, + Pass through the camp and command the people, Prepare your provisions, for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess. + And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, + Remember what Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God is giving you [of these two and a half tribes a place of] rest and will give you this land [east of the Jordan]. + Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall dwell in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but all your mighty men of valor shall pass on before your brethren [of the other tribes] armed, and help them [possess their land] + Until the Lord gives your brethren rest, as He has given you, and they also possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and possess it, the land Moses the Lord's servant gave you on the sunrise side of the Jordan. + They answered Joshua, All you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. + As we hearkened to Moses in all things, so will we hearken to you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. + Whoever rebels against your commandment and will not hearken to all you command him shall be put to death. Only be strong, vigorous, and of good courage. + + + JOSHUA SON of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as scouts, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho. And they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there. + It was told the king of Jericho, Behold, there came men in here tonight of the Israelites to search out the country. + And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out the land. + But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, Yes, two men came to me, but I did not know from where they had come. + And at gate closing time, after dark, the men went out. Where they went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them. + But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order there. + So the men pursued them to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone, the city's gate was shut. + Before the two men had lain down, Rahab came up to them on the roof, + And she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that your terror is fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. + For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the [east] side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. + When we heard it, our hearts melted, neither did spirit or courage remain any more in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. [Heb. 11:31.] + Now then, I pray you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a sure sign, + And save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all they have, and deliver us from death. + And the men said to her, Our lives for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you. + Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the [town] wall so that she dwelt in the wall. + And she said to them, Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers have returned; and afterward you may go your way. + The men said to her, We will be blameless of this oath you have made us swear. [The responsibility is now yours.] + Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall bring your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household into your house. + And if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. + But if you tell this business of ours, we shall be guiltless of your oath which you made us swear. + And she said, According to your words, so it is. Then she sent them away and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. + They left and went to the mountain and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned, who had searched all along the way without finding them. + So the two men descended from the mountain, passed over [the Jordan], and came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. + They said to Joshua, Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; for all the inhabitants of the country are faint because of us. + + + JOSHUA ROSE early in the morning and they removed from Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the Israelites, and lodged there before passing over. + After three days the officers went through the camp, + Commanding the people: When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being borne by the Levitical priests, set out from where you are and follow it. + Yet a space must be kept between you and it, about 2,000 cubits by measure; come not near it, that you may [be able to see the ark and] know the way you must go, for you have not passed this way before. + And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves [that is, separate yourselves for a special holy purpose], for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. + Joshua said to the priests, Take up the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people. And they took it up and went on before the people. + The Lord said to Joshua, This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. + You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. + Joshua said to the Israelites, Come near, hear the words of the Lord your God. + Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. + Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan! + So now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. + When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan coming down from above shall be cut off and they shall stand in one heap. + So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, + And when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were in the brink of the water--for the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest-- + Then the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt [Dead] Sea, were wholly cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. [Ps. 114.] + And while all Israel passed over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. + + + WHEN ALL the nation had fully passed over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, + Take twelve men from among the people, one man out of every tribe, + And command them, Take twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan from the place where the priests' feet stood firm; carry them over with you and leave them at the place where you lodge tonight. + Then Joshua called the twelve men of the Israelites whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. + And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God in the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, as is the number of the tribes of the Israelites, + That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, What do these stones mean to you? + Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever. + And the Israelites did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord told Joshua, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. + And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. + For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste. + When all the people had passed over, the ark of the Lord and the priests went over in the presence of the people. + And the sons of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the [other] Israelites, as Moses had bidden them; + About 40,000 [of these] prepared for war passed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle. + On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. + And the Lord said to Joshua, + Order the priests bearing the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan. + So Joshua commanded the priests, Come up out of the Jordan. + And when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet were lifted up to the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as they had before. + And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. + And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan Joshua set up in Gilgal. + And he said to the Israelites, When your children ask their fathers in time to come, What do these stones mean? + You shall let your children know, Israel came over this Jordan on dry ground. + For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over, + That all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may reverence and fear the Lord your God forever. + + + WHEN ALL the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no spirit in them any more because of the Israelites. + At that time the Lord said to Joshua, Make knives of flint and circumcise the [new generation of] Israelites as before. + So Joshua made knives of flint and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. + And this is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they came out of Egypt. + Though all the people who came out were circumcised, yet all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way after Israel came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. + For the Israelites walked forty years in the wilderness till all who were men of war who came out of Egypt perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the Lord; to them the Lord swore that He would not let them see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. + So it was their uncircumcised children whom He raised up in their stead whom Joshua circumcised, because the rite had not been performed on the way. + When they finished circumcising all the males of the nation, they remained in their places in the camp till they were healed. + And the Lord said to Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. So the name of the place is called Gilgal [rolling] to this day. + And the Israelites encamped in Gilgal; and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. + And on that same day they ate the produce of the land: unleavened cakes and parched grain. + And the manna ceased on the day after they ate of the produce of the land; and the Israelites had manna no more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. + When Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up, and behold, a Man stood near him with His drawn sword in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? + And He said, No [neither], but as Prince of the Lord's host have I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, What says my Lord to His servant? + And the Prince of the Lord's host said to Joshua, Loose your shoes from off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did so. [Exod. 3:5.] + + + NOW JERICHO [a fenced town with high walls] was tightly closed because of the Israelites; no one went out or came in. + And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho, its king and mighty men of valor, into your hands. + You shall march around the enclosure, all the men of war going around the city once. This you shall do for six days. + And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns; and on the seventh day you shall march around the enclosure seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. + When they make a long blast with the ram's horn and you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the enclosure shall fall down in its place and the people shall go up [over it], every man straight before him. + So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. + He said to the people, Go on! March around the enclosure, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord. + When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. + The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went. + But Joshua commanded the people, You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout! + So he caused the ark of the Lord to go around the city once; and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. + Joshua rose early in the morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. + And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord passed on, blowing the trumpets continually; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went. + On the second day they compassed the city enclosure once and returned to the camp. So they did for six days. + On the seventh day they rose early at daybreak and marched around the city as usual, only on that day they compassed the city seven times. + And the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. + And the city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the Lord [for destruction]; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. + But you, keep yourselves from the accursed and devoted things, lest when you have devoted it [to destruction], you take of the accursed thing, and so make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. + But all the silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. + So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout, and [Jericho's] wall fell down in its place, so that the [Israelites] went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. + Then they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. + But Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house and bring out the woman and all she has, as you swore to her. + So the young men, the spies, went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred and set them outside the camp of Israel. + And they burned the city with fire and all that was in it; only the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. + So Joshua saved Rahab the harlot, with her father's household and all that she had; and she lives in Israel even to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. + Then Joshua laid this oath on them, Cursed is the man before the Lord who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates. [I Kings 16:34.] + So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. + + + BUT THE Israelites committed a trespass in regard to the devoted things; for Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the things devoted [for destruction]. And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel. + Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up and spied out Ai. + And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Let not all the men go up; but let about two thousand or three thousand go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole army toil up there, for they of Ai are few. + So about three thousand Israelites went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai. + And the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and slew them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. + Then Joshua rent his clothes and lay on the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. + Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all only to give us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! + O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned to flee before their enemies! + For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name? + The Lord said to Joshua, Get up! Why do you lie thus upon your face? + Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. They have taken some of the things devoted [for destruction]; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own baggage. + That is why the Israelites could not stand before their enemies, but fled before them; they are accursed and have become devoted [for destruction]. I will cease to be with you unless you destroy the accursed [devoted] things among you. + Up, sanctify (set apart for a holy purpose) the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: There are accursed things in the midst of you, O Israel. You can not stand before your enemies until you take away from among you the things devoted [to destruction]. + In the morning therefore, you shall present your tribes. And the tribe which the Lord takes shall come by families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come by persons. + And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be [killed and his body] burned with fire, he and all he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he has done a shameful and wicked thing in Israel. [Josh. 7:25.] + So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. + He brought near the family of Judah, and the family of the Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. + He brought near his household man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. + And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession to Him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me. + And Achan answered Joshua, In truth, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this have I done: + When I saw among the spoils an attractive mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath. + So Joshua sent messengers, who ran to the tent, and behold, the spoil was hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. + And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and laid them out before the Lord. + And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. + And Joshua said, Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him and those with him with stones, and afterward burned their bodies with fire. + And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor or Troubling to this day. + + + AND THE Lord said to Joshua, Fear not nor be dismayed. Take all the men of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. + And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle [this time] you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it. + So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; [he] chose thirty thousand mighty men of strength and sent them forth by night. + And he commanded them, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. + And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as the first time, we will flee before them + Till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, They are fleeing from us as before. So we will flee before them. + Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. + When you have taken the city, you shall set it afire; as the Lord commanded, you shall do. See, I have commanded you. + So Joshua sent them forth, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people. + Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the men, and went up with the elders of Israel before the warriors to Ai. + And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of [it], with a ravine between them and Ai. + And he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city. + So they stationed all the army--the main encampment that was north of the city and their men in ambush behind and on the west of the city--and Joshua went that night into the midst of the ravine. + When the king [and people] of Ai saw it, they hastily rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle [at a time and place appointed] before the Arabah [plain]. But he did not know of the ambush against him behind the city. + And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten by them, and fled toward the wilderness. + So all the people in Ai were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. + Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. Leaving the city open, they pursued Israel. + Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. So Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city. + The men in the ambush arose quickly out of their place and ran when he stretched out his hand; and they entered the city and took it, and then hastened and set it afire. + When the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to the heavens, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. Then the Israelites who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. + When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again and slew the men of Ai. + And the others came forth out of the city against them [of Ai], so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And [the Israelites] smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. + But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. + When Israel had finished slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field and in the wilderness into which they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the sword until they were consumed, then all the Israelites returned to Ai and smote it with the sword. + And all that fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, including all the men of Ai. + For Joshua drew not back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. + Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He commanded Joshua. + So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap of ruins for ever, even a desolation to this day. + And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset, Joshua commanded and they took the body down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the city gate and raised a great heap of stones over it that is there to this day. + Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, + As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the Israelites, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man has lifted up an iron tool; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. + And there, in the presence of the Israelites, [Joshua] wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses. + And all Israel, sojourner as well as he who was born among them, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before that they should bless the Israelites. + Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, all that is written in the Book of the Law. + There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and little ones, and the foreigners who were living among them. + + + WHEN ALL the kings beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland and all along the coast of the Great [Mediterranean] Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites heard this, + They gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel. + But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, + They worked cunningly, and went pretending to be ambassadors and took [provisions and] old sacks on their donkeys and wineskins, old, torn, and mended, + And old and patched shoes on their feet and wearing old garments; and all their supply of food was dry and moldy. + And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, We have come from a far country; so now, make a covenant with us. + But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps you live among us; how then can we make a covenant with you? + They said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are you? From where have you come? + They said to him, From a very far country your servants have come because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt, + And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. + So our elders and all the residents of our country said to us, Take provisions for the journey and go to meet [the Israelites] and say to them, We are your servants; and now make a covenant with us. + This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we set out to go to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become moldy. + These wineskins (bottles) which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey. + So the [Israelite] men partook of their food and did not consult the Lord. + Joshua made peace with them, covenanting with them to let them live, and the assembly's leaders swore to them. + Then three days after they had made a covenant with [the strangers, the Israelites] heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them. + And the Israelites set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. + But the Israelites did not slay them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, [to spare them]. And all the assembly murmured against the leaders. + But all the leaders said to all the assembly, We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so now we may not touch them. + This we will do to them: we will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them. + And the leaders said to them, Let them live [and be our slaves]. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly, just as the leaders had said of them. + Joshua called the men and said, Why did you deceive us, saying, We live very far from you, when you dwell among us? + Now therefore you are cursed, and of you there shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. + They answered Joshua, Because it was surely told your servants that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the land's inhabitants from before you. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. + And now, behold, we are in your hand; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us. + So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the Israelites, so that they did not kill them. + But Joshua then made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place which He should choose. + + + WHEN ADONI-ZEDEK king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Jericho and its king as he had done to Ai and its king, and how the residents of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, + He feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. + So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, + Come up to me and help me, and let us smite Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites. + Then the five kings of the Amorites--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon--gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped before Gibeon to fight against it. + And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, Do not relax your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us. + So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the warriors with him and all the mighty men of valor. + And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand; there shall not a man of them stand before you. + So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having gone up from Gilgal all night. + And the Lord caused [the enemies] to panic before Israel, who slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that goes up to Beth-horon and smote them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. + As they fled before Israel, while they were descending [the pass] to Beth-horon, the Lord cast great stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah, killing them. More died because of the hailstones than the Israelites slew with the sword. + Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, be silent and stand still at Gibeon, and you, moon, in the Valley of Ajalon! + And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance upon their enemies. Is not this written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. + There was no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man. For the Lord fought for Israel. + Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. + Those five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave of Makkedah. + And it was told Joshua, The five kings are hidden in the cave at Makkedah. + Joshua said, Roll great stones to the cave's mouth, and set men to guard them. + But do not stay. Pursue your enemies and fall upon their rear; do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand. + When Joshua and the Israelites had ended slaying them until they were wiped out and the remnant remaining of them had entered into fortified cities, + All the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace; none moved his tongue against any of the Israelites. + Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me from the cave. + They brought the five kings out of the cave to him--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. + When they brought out those kings to Joshua, [he] called for all the Israelites and told the commanders of the men of war who went with him, Come, put your feet on the necks of these kings. And they came and put their feet on the [kings'] necks. + Joshua said to them, Fear not nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage. For thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom you fight. + Afterward Joshua smote and slew them and hanged their bodies on five trees, and they hung on the trees until evening. + At sunset Joshua ordered and they took the bodies down from the trees and cast them into the cave where the kings had hidden and laid great stones on the cave's mouth, which remain to this very day. + Joshua took Makkedah that day and smote it and its king with the sword and utterly destroyed everyone in it. He left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. [Josh. 6:21.] + Then Joshua and all Israel went from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked Libnah. + And the Lord gave it also and its king into Israel's hands, and Joshua smote it with the sword, and all the people in it. He left none remaining in it. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. + And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish and encamped against it and attacked it. + And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hands of Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day and smote it with the sword, and all the people in it, as he had done to Libnah. + Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua smote him and his people--until he had left none remaining. + From Lachish Joshua and all Israel went on to Eglon, laid siege to it, and attacked it. + And they took it that day and smote it with the sword and utterly destroyed all who were in it that day, as he had done to Lachish. + Then Joshua with all Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they attacked it + And took it and smote it with the sword, and its king and all its towns and everyone in it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it and all its people. + And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir and attacked it. + And he took it, with its king and all its towns, and they smote them with the sword and utterly destroyed everyone in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and its king. + So Joshua smote all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded. [Deut. 20:16.] + And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen even to Gibeon. + Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. + And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. + + + WHEN JABIN king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph, + And to the kings who were in the north in the hill country and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth and in the lowland and in the heights of Dor on the west; + To the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below [Mount] Hermon in the land of Mizpah. + And they went out with all their hosts, much people, like the sand on the seashore in number, with very many horses and chariots. + And all these kings met and came and encamped together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. + But the Lord said to Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow by this time I will give them up all slain to Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire. + So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the Waters of Merom and fell upon them. + And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them [toward] populous Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpah; they smote them until none remained. + And Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. + And Joshua at that time turned back and took Hazor and smote its king with the sword; for Hazor previously was the head of all those kingdoms. + They smote all the people in it with the sword, utterly destroying them; none were left alive, and he burned Hazor with fire. + And Joshua took all the cities of those kings and all the kings and smote them with the sword, utterly destroying them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. [Deut. 20:16.] + But Israel burned none of the cities that stood [fortified] on their mounds--except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. + And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock the Israelites took for their booty; but every man they smote with the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none who breathed. + As the Lord had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. + So Joshua took all that land: the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah [plain], the hill country of Israel and its lowland, + From Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and slew them. + Joshua had waged war a long time [at least five years] with all those kings. + Not a city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites, the people of Gibeon; all the others they took in battle. + For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, that [Israel] might destroy them utterly, and that without favor and mercy, as the Lord commanded Moses. + Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim [large in stature] from the hill country: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and the hill country of Israel. Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities. + None of the Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod [of Philistia] did some remain. + So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their allotments by tribes. And the land had rest from war. + + + NOW THESE are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and whose land they took possession of east of the Jordan, from the river Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward: + Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer on the edge of the Valley of the [river] Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, including half of Gilead; + And the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt [or Dead] Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah. + And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, + And ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all of Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. + These Moses the servant of the Lord and the Israelites defeated; and Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. [Num. 21; 32:33; Deut. 2; 3.] + These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their allotments, + In the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb--the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites: + The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; + The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; + The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; + The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; + The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; + The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; + The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; + The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; + The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; + The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; + The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; + The king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; + The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; + The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; + The king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one; + The king of Tirzah, one. In all, thirty-one kings. + + + NOW JOSHUA was old and gone far in years [over 100], and the Lord said to him, You have grown old and are gone far in years, and very much of the land still remains to be possessed. + This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites: + From the Shihor [River] which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, all of it counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, and those of the Avvites; + In the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah, which belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, + And the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon toward the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to the gate of Hamath. + As for all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians, I will Myself drive them out from before the Israelites; only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. + So now divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + With the other half-tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them: + From Aroer on the edge of the Valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city in the midst of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; + And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; + And Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah-- + All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and alone was left of the Rephaim [giants]; for these Moses had defeated and driven out. + Yet the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell among [them] still. + Only to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the sacrifices made by fire to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as He said to him. + And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites according to their families: + Their territory was from Aroer on the edge of the Valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city in the midst of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba; + With Heshbon and all its cities which are on the plain; Dibon, Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, + Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, + Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, + Beth-peor, Pisgah's slopes, and Beth-jeshimoth, + All the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated along with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who lived in the land. + Balaam son of Beor, the soothsayer, the Israelites also killed with the sword among the rest of their slain. [Num. 31:16.] + And the border of the Reubenites was the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites according to their families, with their cities and villages. + Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of the Gadites according to their families. + Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer east of Rabbah; + And from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir; + And in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth east of the Jordan. + This is the inheritance of the Gadites according to their families, with their cities and villages. + And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was allotted to them according to their families. + Their region extended from Mahanaim through all Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, + And half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir son of Manasseh for half of the Machirites according to their families. + These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. + But to the tribe of Levi, Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He told them. + + + THESE ARE the inheritances in the land of Canaan distributed to the Israelites by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of their tribes. + Their inheritance was by lot, as the Lord commanded Moses, for the nine and one-half tribes. + For Moses had given an inheritance to the two and one-half tribes beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them, + For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no part was given in the land to the Levites except cities in which to live, with their pasturelands for their livestock and for their possessions. + As the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites did, and they divided the land. + Then the people of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadesh-barnea. + Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout out the land. And I brought him a report as it was in my heart. + But my brethren who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. + And Moses swore on that day, Surely the land on which your feet have walked shall be an inheritance to you and your children always, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God. [Deut. 1:35, 36.] + And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years since the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness; and now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. + Yet I am as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so is my strength now for war and to go out and to come in. + So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke that day. For you heard then how the [giantlike] Anakim were there and that the cities were great and fortified; if the Lord will be with me, I shall drive them out just as the Lord said. + Then Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. + So Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. + The name of Hebron before was Kiriath-arba [city of Arba]. This Arba was the greatest of the Anakim. And the land had rest from war. + + + THE LOT for the tribe of Judah according to its families reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at its most southern part. + And their south boundary was from the end of the Salt [Dead] Sea, from the bay that faces southward; + It went out south of the ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, and went up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, and turned about to Karka, + Passed along to Azmon, went out by the Brook of Egypt, and ended at the sea. This was their southern frontier. + The eastern boundary was the Salt [Dead] Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern boundary was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan; + And the boundary went up to Beth-hogla and passed along north of Beth-arabah and [it] went up to the [landmark] Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. + And the boundary went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent to Adummim on the south side of the valley; and it passed on to the waters of En-shemesh and ended at En-rogel. + Then the boundary went up by the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom] at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite [city]--that is, Jerusalem; and the boundary went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. + Then the boundary extended from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and went on to the cities of Mount Ephron; then it bent round to Baalah, that is, Kiriath-jearim. + And the boundary went around west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the northern side of Mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, went down to Beth-shemesh, and then passed on by Timnah. + And the boundary went out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then bent round to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out to Jabneel. Then the boundary ended at the sea. + And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coastline. This is the boundary round about the people of Judah according to their families. + And to Caleb son of Jephunneh, [Joshua] gave a part among the people of Judah, as the Lord commanded [him]; it was Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron, [named for] Arba the father of Anak. + And Caleb drove from there the three sons of Anak--Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai--the descendants of Anak. + He went up from there against the people of Debir. Debir was formerly named Kiriath-sepher. + Caleb said, He who smites Kiriath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife. + And Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. + When Achsah came to Othniel, she got his consent to ask her father for a field. Then she returned to Caleb and when she lighted off her donkey, Caleb said, What do you wish? + Achsah answered, Give me a present. Since you have set me in the [dry] Negeb, give me also springs of water. And he gave her the [sloping field with] upper and lower springs. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah according to their families. + The cities of the tribe of Judah in the extreme south toward the boundary of Edom were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, + Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, + Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, + Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, + Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (Hazor), + Amam, Shema, Moladah, + Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, + Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, + Baalah, Iim, Ezem, + Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, + Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, + Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities were twenty-nine [later thirty-six] with their villages. + In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, + Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, + Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, + Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages. + Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, + Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, + Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, + Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, + Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages. + Libnah, Ether, Ashan, + Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, + Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages. + Ekron, with its towns and villages. + From Ekron to the sea, all that lay beside Ashdod, with their villages; + Ashdod, with its towns and its villages; Gaza, with its towns and its villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt, and the Great [Mediterranean] Sea with its coastline. + In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, + Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), + Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, + Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages. + Arab, Dumah, Eshan, + Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, + Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages. + Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, + Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, + Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages. + Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, + Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. + Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah; two cities with their villages. + In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, + Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages. + But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out; so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. + + + THE ALLOTMENT for the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel; + Then it went from Bethel to Luz and passed on to Ataroth, the border of the Archites. + And it went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the outskirts of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and ended at the sea. + The descendants of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. + The boundary of the Ephraimites according to their families was thus: on the east side their border was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon. + Then the boundary went from there to the sea; on the north was Michmethath; then on the east the boundary went out to Taanath-shiloh, and eastward to Janoah, + Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan [River]. + The border went out from Tappuah westward to the brook Kanah and ended at the [Mediterranean] Sea. This is the inheritance of the Ephraimites by their families, + With the towns set apart for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages. + But they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, and they became slaves required to do forced labor. + + + ALLOTMENT WAS made for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan because he was a man of war. + Allotment was also made for the other Manassites by their families--for the sons of Abiezer, of Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida, the male offspring of Manasseh son of Joseph by their families. + But Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters; their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + They came before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the leaders and said, The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance with our brethren. So according to the Lord's command, Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father's brethren. + So there fell ten portions to Manasseh besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, + Because the [five] daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his [five] sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the other [half] of the Manassites. + The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethah east of Shechem; and the border went along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. + The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites. + Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. The cities south of the brook lying among the cities of Manasseh belonged to Ephraim. But Manasseh's boundary went on north of the brook and ended at the sea. + The land to the south was Ephraim's and that to the north was Manasseh's, and the sea was the boundary; on the north Asher was reached, and on the east Issachar. + Also Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher [these six towns], their inhabitants and their villages: Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo. + Yet the sons of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. + When the Israelites became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out. + The tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given [us] but one lot and one portion as an inheritance when [we] are a great [abundant] people, for until now the Lord has blessed [us]? + Joshua replied, If you are a great people, get up to the forest and clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the Ephraim hill country is too narrow for you. + The Josephites said, The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who dwell in the valley have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and in the Valley of Jezreel. + And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, You are a great and numerous people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot + But the hill country shall be yours; though it is a forest, you shall clear and possess it to its farthest borders; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong. + + + AND THE whole congregation of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there; and the land was subdued before them. + And there remained among the Israelites seven tribes who had not yet divided their inheritance. + Joshua asked the Israelites, How long will you be slack to go in and possess the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? + Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them to go through the land and write a description of it according to their [tribal] inheritances; then they shall return to me. + And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph shall remain in its territory on the north. + You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. + But the Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them. + So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged them saying, Go and walk through the land and describe it and come again to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh. + And the men went and passed through the land and described it by cities in seven portions in a book; and they came again to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. + Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there [he] divided the land to the Israelites, to each [tribe] his portion. + And the lot of the Benjamites came up according to their families; and the territory of their lot fell between the tribes of Judah and Joseph. + On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan; then it went up to the shoulder of Jericho on the north and up through the hill country westward and ended at the Beth-aven wilderness. + Then the boundary passed over southward toward Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (that is, Bethel); then it went down to Ataroth-addar by the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon. + The boundary extended from there, and turning about on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south opposite Beth-horon, it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the tribe of Judah. This formed the western side [of Benjamin's territory]. + The southern side began at the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the boundary went on westward to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. + Then the boundary went down to the edge of the mountain overlooking the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim; and it descended to the Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and went on down to En-rogel. + Then it bent toward the north and went on to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth, which was opposite the ascent of Adummim, and went down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. + And it went on to the north of the shoulder [of Beth]-Arabah and down to the Arabah. + Then the boundary passed along to the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah and ended at the northern bay of the Salt [Dead] Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern border. + And the Jordan was its boundary on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin by their boundaries round about, according to their families. + Now the cities of the tribe of Benjamin according to [their] families were: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, + Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, + Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, + Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages; + Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, + Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, + Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, + Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite [city]--that is, Jerusalem--Gibeah, and Kiriath-[jearim]; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to their families. + + + THE SECOND lot fell to Simeon, to the tribe of the Simeonites according to their families; and their inheritance lay within that of the people of Judah. + And they had for their inheritance: Beersheba or Sheba, Moladah, + Hazarshual, Balah, Ezem, + Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, + Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, + Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; [making] thirteen cities and their villages; + Ain [with] Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; [making] four cities and their villages; + And all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, or Ramah of the Negeb. This was the possession of the Simeonites according to their families. + Out of the part assigned to the Judahites was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, for the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them. Therefore the tribe of Simeon had its inheritance in the midst of Judah's inheritance. + The third lot came up for the tribe of Zebulun according to their families. The border of its inheritance extended to Sarid. + Then its boundary went up westward and on to Maralah and reached to Dabbesheth and to the brook east of Jokneam. + And it turned from Sarid eastward to the border of Chisloth-tabor and it went out to Daberath and on up to Japhia, + Then passed eastward to Gath-hepher [Jonah's birthplace] and to Eth-kazin, and went on to Rimmon bending toward Neah. + The boundary circled on the north to Hannathon, ending at the Valley of Iphtah-el. + Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem; twelve cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the people of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. + The fourth lot fell to Issachar, to its people according to their families. + Their territory included: Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, + Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, + Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, + Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. + The boundary reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and ended at the Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages. + The fifth lot fell to the tribe of Asher according to their families. + Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, + Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal; and on the west it touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath. + Then it turned eastward to Beth-dagon, touching Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el northward to Beth-emek and Neiel, and continued in the north to Cabul, + Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to populous Sidon. + Then the boundary turned to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre; and it turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea--Mahalab, Achzib, + Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob; twenty-two cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. + The sixth lot fell to the tribe of Naphtali according to their families. + Their boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan. + Then the boundary turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and went from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan. + The fortified cities included Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, + Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, + Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, + Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities and their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages. + And the seventh lot fell to the tribe of Dan according to their families. + The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, + Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, + Elon, Timnah, Ekron, + Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, + Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, + Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the territory before Joppa. + The territory of the tribe of Dan had to be extended [because of the crowding in of the Amorites and Philistines]; so the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem (Laish) and took it and smote it with the sword and possessed it and dwelt there, and they called Leshem (Laish) Dan after Dan their [forefather]. [Judg. 1:34; 18:7-10, 27.] + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. + When they had finished dividing the land for inheritance by their boundaries, the Israelites gave an inheritance among them to Joshua son of Nun. + According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city for which he asked--Timnath-serah in the hills of Ephraim. And he built the city and dwelt in it. + These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel distributed by lot in Shiloh before the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land. + + + THE LORD said also to Joshua, + Say to the Israelites, Appoint among you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, + That the slayer who kills anyone accidentally and unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. [Num. 35:10ff.] + He who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city; they shall receive him to [the protection of] that city and give him a place to dwell among them. + If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, having had no hatred for him previously. + And he shall dwell in that city until he has been tried before the congregation and until the death of him who is the high priest in those days. Then the slayer shall return to his own city from which he fled and to his own house. + And they set apart and consecrated Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. + Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they appointed Bezer in the wilderness tableland from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. + These cities were for all the Israelites and the stranger sojourning among them, that whoever killed a person unintentionally might flee there and not be slain by the avenger of blood until he had been tried before the congregation. + + + THEN THE heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the Israelite tribes. + They said to them at Shiloh in Canaan, The Lord commanded through Moses that we should be given cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands (suburbs) for our cattle. + So the Israelites gave to the Levites out of their own inheritance, at the command of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs. + The [first] lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin thirteen cities. + And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh ten cities. + The Gershonites received by lot from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteen cities. + The Merarites received according to their families from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun twelve cities. + The Israelites gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasturelands (suburbs), as the Lord commanded through Moses. + They gave from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities here mentioned by name, + Which went to the families of the descendants of Aaron, of the Kohathite branch of the Levites, for the lot fell to them first. + They gave them [the city of] Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its pasturelands round about it. + But the city's fields and villages they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his own. + Thus to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasturelands (suburbs), and together with their suburbs, Libnah, + Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Holon, Debir, + Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh; nine cities, each with its suburbs, out of those two tribes. + Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon, Geba, + Anathoth, and Almon; four cities, each with its suburbs. + The cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen, with their suburbs. + The rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Levitical families were allotted cities out of the tribe of Ephraim. + To them were given, each with its pasturelands (suburbs), Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, as the city of refuge for the slayer, and Gezer, + And Kibzaim, and Beth-horon; four cities, each with its pasturelands (suburbs). + And out of the tribe of Dan, each with its pasturelands (suburbs), Eltekeh, Gibbethon, + Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon; four cities, each with its pasturelands (suburbs). + And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach, and [another] Gath-rimmon; two cities, each with its pasturelands (suburbs). + All the cities for the families of the remaining Kohathites were ten, with their pasturelands (suburbs). + And to the Gershonites of the families of the Levites they gave out of the other half-tribe of Manasseh the city of Golan in Bashan, as the city of refuge for the slayer, and Be-eshterah; two cities, each with its pasturelands. + Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath, + Jarmuth, and En-gannim; four cities, each with its suburbs. + Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon, + Helkath, and Rehob; four cities, each with its pasturelands. + And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, city of refuge for the slayer, and Hammoth-dor, and Kartan; three cities, each with its suburbs. + All the cities of the Gershonite families were thirteen, with their pasturelands (suburbs). + And to the families of the Merarites, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun were given Jokneam, Kartah, + Dimnah, and Nahalal; four cities, each with its pasturelands (suburbs). + And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz, + Kedemoth, and Mephaath; four cities, each with its pasturelands (suburbs). + And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead, as the city of refuge for the slayer, and Mahanaim, + Heshbon, and Jazer; four cities in all, each with its pasturelands (suburbs). + So all the cities allotted to the Merarite families, that is, the remainder of the Levite families, were twelve cities. + The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the Israelites were forty-eight cities in all, with their pasturelands (suburbs). + These cities all had their pasturelands (suburbs) around them. + And the Lord gave to Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and dwelt in it. + The Lord gave them rest round about, just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies withstood them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. + There failed no part of any good thing which the Lord had promised to the house of Israel; all came to pass. + + + THEN JOSHUA called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, + And said to them, You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. + You have not deserted your brethren [the other tribes] these many days to this day but have carefully kept the charge of the Lord your God. + But now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; so now go, return to your homes in the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the [east] side of the Jordan. + But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you: to love the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to and unite with Him and to serve Him with all your heart and soul [your very life]. + So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. + Now to one-half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave a possession on the west side of the Jordan among their brethren. So when Joshua sent them away to their homes, he blessed them, + And he said to them, Return with much riches to your tents and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. + So the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the [other] Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had been given possession by the command of the Lord through Moses. + And when they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar great to behold. + And the [other] Israelites heard it said, Behold, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the edge of the land of Canaan in the region [west] of the Jordan in the passage [belonging to us], the Israelites. + When the Israelites heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war on them. + And the [other] Israelites sent to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, + And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel; and each one was a head of a father's house among the clans of Israel. + And they came to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, + The whole congregation of the Lord says, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against the Lord? + Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed even now, although there came a plague [in which 24,000 died] in the congregation of the Lord, [Num. 25:1-9.] + That you must turn away this day from following the Lord? The result will be, since you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. + But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle resides, and take for yourselves a possession among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. + Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass in the matter of taking accursed things [devoted to destruction] and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone in his perversity and iniquity. [Josh. 7.] + Then the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel, + The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord, spare us not today. + If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if we did so to offer on it burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself take vengeance. + No! But we did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? + For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no part in the Lord. So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord. + So we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, + But to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we will perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord. + So we thought, if that should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we can reply, Behold the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you. + Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings, for cereal offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle. + And when Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation and heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites spoke, it pleased them. + Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, Today we know the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this trespass and treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord's hand. + Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the chiefs returned from the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the [other] Israelites, and brought back word to them. + The report pleased the Israelites and they blessed God; and they spoke no more of going to war against them to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites dwelt. + The Reubenites and Gadites called the altar Ed [witness], saying, It shall be: A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God. + + + A LONG time after that, when the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies round about, and Joshua had grown old and advanced in years, + Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, heads, judges, and officers, and said to them, I am old and advanced in years. + And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; for it is the Lord your God Who has fought for you. [Exod. 14:14.] + Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, with all the nations I have cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea on the west. + The Lord your God will thrust them out from before you and drive them out of your sight, and you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you. + So be very courageous and steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning not aside from it to the right hand or the left, + That you may not mix with these nations that remain among you, or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them. + But cling to the Lord your God as you have done to this day. + For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations; and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day. + One man of you shall put to flight a thousand, for it is the Lord your God Who fights for you, as He promised you. + Be very watchful of yourselves, therefore, to love the Lord your God. + For if you turn back and adhere to the remnant of these nations left among you and make marriages with them, you marrying their women and they yours, + Know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations from before you; but they shall be a snare and trap to you, and a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you. + And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. Know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one thing of them has failed. + But just as all good things which the Lord promised you have come to you, so will the Lord carry out [His] every [warning of] evil upon you, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you. + If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, if you serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land He has given you. + + + THEN JOSHUA gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders of Israel and their heads, their judges, and their officers; they presented themselves before God. + Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt in olden times beyond the Euphrates River, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, and they served other gods. + And I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates River and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his offspring. I gave him Isaac, + And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau. And I gave to Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. + I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it; and afterward I brought you out. + I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. + When they cried to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time [forty years]. [Josh. 5:6.] + I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you possessed their land, and I destroyed them before you. + Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam son of Beor to curse you. + But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I delivered you out of Balak's hand. [Deut. 23:5.] + You went over the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I gave them into your hands. + I sent the hornet [that is, the terror of you] before you, which drove the two kings of the Amorites out before you; but it was not by your sword or by your bow. [Exod. 23:27, 28; Deut. 2:25; 7:20.] + I have given you a land for which you did not labor and cities you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat from vineyards and olive yards you did not plant. + Now therefore, [reverently] fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. + And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. + The people answered, Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods; + For it is the Lord our God Who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, Who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the peoples through whom we passed. + And the Lord drove out before us all the people, the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for He is our God. + And Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. + If you forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good. + And the people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve the Lord. + Then Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve Him. And they said, We are witnesses. + Then put away, said he, the foreign gods that are among you and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel. + The people said to Joshua, The Lord our God we will serve; His voice we will obey. + So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. + And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was in [the court of] the sanctuary of the Lord. + And Joshua said to all the people, See, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord spoke to us; so it shall be a witness against you, lest [afterward] you lie (pretend) and deny your God. + So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. + After this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. + They buried him at the edge of his inheritance in Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. + Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the works the Lord had done for Israel. + And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the portion of ground Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of money; and it became the inheritance of the Josephites. + And Eleazar son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah [on the hill] of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim. + + + + + AFTER THE death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them? + And the Lord said, Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. + And Judah [the tribe] said to [the tribe of] Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my allotted territory, so that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your territory. So Simeon went with him. + Then Judah went up and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they smote 10,000 of them in Bezek. + And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites. + Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. + Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off had to gather their food under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. + And the men of Judah fought against [Jebusite] Jerusalem and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. + Afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill country, in the South (the Negeb), and in the lowland. + And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. The name of Hebron before was Kiriath-arba. And they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai. + From there [Judah] went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir before was Kiriath-sepher [city of books and scribes]. + And Caleb said, Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah, my daughter, as wife. + And Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife. + And when she came to [Othniel], she got his consent to ask her father for a [sloping] field. And she alighted off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What do you want? + And she said to him, Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the South (the Negeb), give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. + And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the Judahites from the City of Palms (Jericho) into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South (the Negeb) near Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people. + And [the tribe of] Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and utterly destroyed it. So the city was called Hormah [destruction]. + Also Judah took Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron--each with its territory. + The Lord was with Judah, and [Judah] drove out the inhabitants of the hill country, but he could not drive out those inhabiting the [difficult] valley basin because they had chariots of iron. + Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses said, and he expelled from there the three sons of Anak. [Josh. 14:6, 9.] + But the Benjamites did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; the Jebusites dwell with the Benjamites in Jerusalem to this day. + The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. + And the house of Joseph was sent to spy out Bethel. The name of the city formerly had been Luz. + And the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, Show us, we pray you, the way into the city and we will show you mercy. + When he showed them the entrance to the city, they smote the city with the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. + And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day. + Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or of Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their villages, but the Canaanites remained in that land. + When Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out. + Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. + Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them and were put to forced labor. + Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob; + But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out. + Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them. + The Amorites forced the Danites back into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down into the plain; + The Amorites remained fixed in Mount Heres [mountain of the sun], in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor. + And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock Sela and onward. + + + NOW THE Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And He said, I brought you up from Egypt and have brought you to the land which I swore to give to your fathers, and I said, I will never break My covenant with you; [Exod. 20:2.] + And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; but you shall break down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? + So now I say, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you. + When the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voice and wept. + They named that place Bochim [weepers], and they sacrificed there to the Lord. + And when Joshua had let the people go, the Israelites went every man to his inheritance to possess the land. + And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He did for Israel. + And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. + And they buried him within the boundary of his inheritance in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. + And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which He had done for Israel. + And the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. + And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger. + And they forsook the Lord and served Baal [the god worshiped by the Canaanites] and the Ashtaroth [female deities such as Ashtoreth and Asherah]. + So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He gave them into the power of plunderers who robbed them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their foes. + Whenever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them; and they were bitterly distressed. [Lev. 26:14-46.] + But the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of those who robbed them. + And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them. They turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not so. + When the Lord raised them up judges, then He was with the judge and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to relent because of their groanings by reason of those who oppressed and vexed them. + But when the judge was dead, they turned back and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, following and serving other gods, and bowing down to them. They did not cease from their practices or their stubborn way. + So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and He said, Because this people have transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and have not listened to My voice, + I from now on will also not drive out from before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, + That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not. + So the Lord left those nations, without driving them out at once, nor had He delivered them into Joshua's power. + + + NOW THESE are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not previously experienced war in Canaan; + It was only that the generations of the Israelites might know and be taught war, at least those who previously knew nothing of it. + The remaining nations are: the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. + They were for the testing and proving of Israel to know whether Israel would listen and obey the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by Moses. + And the Israelites dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites; + And they married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. [Exod. 34:12-16.] + And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. [Judg. 2:13.] + So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the Israelites served Chushan-rishathaim eight years. + But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel to deliver them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. + The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand and his hand prevailed over Chushan-rishathaim. + And the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died. + And the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + And [Eglon] gathered to him the men of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and they possessed the City of Palm Trees (Jericho). + And the Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. + But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man; and by him the Israelites sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. + Ehud made for himself a sword, a cubit long, which had two edges, and he girded it on his right thigh under his clothing. + And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. + And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried it. + He himself went [with them] as far as the sculptured [boundary] stones near Gilgal, and then turned back and came to Eglon and said, I have a secret errand to you, O king. Eglon commanded silence, and all who stood by him went out from him. + When Ehud had come [near] to him as he was sitting alone in his cool upper apartment, Ehud said, I have a commission from God to execute to you. And the king arose from his seat. + Then Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon's belly. + And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, for [Ehud] did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the dirt came out. + Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper room upon [Eglon] and locked them. + When [Ehud] had gone out, [Eglon's] servants came. And when they saw the doors of the upper room were locked, they thought, Surely he [is seeking privacy while he] relieves himself in the closet of the cool chamber. + They waited a long time until they became embarrassed and uneasy, but when he still did not open the doors of the upper room, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their master fallen to the floor, dead! + Ehud escaped while they delayed and passed beyond the sculptured [boundary] stones (images) and escaped to Seirah. + When he arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down from the hill country, with him at their head. + And he said to them, Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and permitted not a man to pass over. + They slew at that time about 10,000 Moabites, all strong, courageous men; not a man escaped. + So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had peace and rest for eighty years. + After [Ehud] was Shamgar son of Anath, who slew 600 Philistine men with an oxgoad. He also delivered Israel. + + + BUT AFTER Ehud died the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord. + So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-hagoiim [fortress or city of the nations]. + Then the Israelites cried to the Lord, for [Jabin] had 900 chariots of iron and had severely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. + Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time. + She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. + And she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded [you], Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun? + And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you at the river Kishon with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand? + And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go. + And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. [Fulfilled in Judg. 4:22.] + And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with 10,000 men at his heels, and Deborah went up with him. + Now Heber the Kenite, of the descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had separated from the Kenites and encamped as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh. + When it was told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, + Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him from Harosheth-hagoiim to the river Kishon. + And Deborah said to Barak, Up! For this is the day when the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Is not the Lord gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. + And the Lord confused and terrified Sisera and all his chariot drivers and all his army before Barak with the sword. And Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled on foot. + But Barak pursued after the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoiim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left. + But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. + And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear. So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. + And he said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. + And he said to her, Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, Is there any man here? Tell him, No. + But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent pin and a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and drove the pin through his temple and into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep from weariness. So he died. + And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent pin was in his temples. + So God subdued on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. + And the hand of the Israelites bore more and more upon Jabin king of Canaan until they had destroyed [him]. + + + THEN SANG Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam on that day, saying, + For the leaders who took the lead in Israel, for the people who offered themselves willingly, bless the Lord! + Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I will sing to the Lord. I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. + Lord, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens also dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. + The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, yes, yonder Sinai at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel. + After the days of Shamgar son of Anath, after the days of Jael [meaning here Ehud] the caravans ceased, travelers walked through byways. + The villages were unoccupied and rulers ceased in Israel until you arose--you, Deborah, arose--a mother in Israel. + [Formerly] they chose new gods; then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel? + My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord! + Tell of it--you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way. + Far from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates. + Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam. + Then down marched the remnant of the nobles, the people of the Lord marched down for Me against the mighty. + Out of Ephraim they came down whose root is in Amalek, after you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen. Out of Machir came down commanders and lawgivers, and out of Zebulun those who handle the pen or stylus of the writer. + And the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar was faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his heels. [But] among the clans of Reuben were great searchings of heart. + Why [Reuben] did you linger among the sheepfolds listening to the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. + Gilead remained beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan stay with the ships? Asher sat still on the seacoast and remained by his creeks. [These came not forth to battle for God's people.] + But Zebulun was a people who endangered their lives to the death; Naphtali did also on the heights of the field. + The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. Gain of booty they did not obtain. + From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. + The torrent Kishon swept [the foe] away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength! + Then the horses' hoofs beat loudly because of the galloping of [fleeing] valiant riders. + Curse Meroz, said the messenger of the Lord. Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty! + Blessed above women shall Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be; blessed shall she be above women in the tent. + [Sisera] asked for water, and she gave [him] milk; she brought him curds in a lordly dish. + She put her [left] hand to the tent pin, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer. And with the wooden hammer she smote Sisera, she smote his head, yes, she struck and pierced his temple. + He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead! + The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and wailed through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry? + Her wise ladies answered her, yet she repeated her words to herself, + Have they not found and been dividing the spoil? A maiden or two for every man, a spoil of dyed garments for Sisera, a spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil? + So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it rises in its might. And the land had peace and rest for forty years. + + + BUT THE Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years. + And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the Israelites made themselves the dens which are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. + For whenever Israel had sown their seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them. + They would encamp against them and destroy the crops as far as Gaza and leave no nourishment for Israel, and no ox or sheep or donkey. + For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came like locusts for multitude; both they and their camels could not be counted. So they wasted the land as they entered it. + And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried to the Lord. + And when they cried to the Lord because of Midian, + The Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites, who said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of bondage. + And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you and gave you their land. + And I said to you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed My voice. + Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak (terebinth) at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. + And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage. + And Gideon said to him, O sir, if the Lord is with us, why is all this befallen us? And where are all His wondrous works of which our fathers told us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian. + The Lord turned to him and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you? + Gideon said to Him, Oh Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. + The Lord said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man. + Gideon said to Him, If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You Who talks with me. + Do not leave here, I pray You, until I return to You and bring my offering and set it before You. And He said, I will wait until you return. + Then Gideon went in and prepared a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them to Him under the oak and presented them. + And the Angel of God said to him, Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock and pour the broth over them. And he did so. + Then the Angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes, and there flared up fire from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. + And when Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face! + The Lord said to him, Peace be to you, do not fear; you shall not die. + Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord is Peace. To this day it still stands in Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. + That night the Lord said to Gideon, Take your father's bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has and cut down the Asherah [symbol of the goddess Asherah] that is beside it; + And build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold with stones laid in proper order. Then take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down. + Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him, but because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. + And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the Asherah was cut down that was beside it, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. + And they said to one another, Who has done this thing? And when they searched and asked, they were told, Gideon son of Joash has done this thing. + Then the men of the city commanded Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it. + But Joash said to all who stood against him, Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for Baal, let him be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself because one has pulled down his altar. + Therefore on that day he called Gideon Jerubbaal, meaning, Let Baal contend against him, because he had pulled down his altar. + Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came together and, crossing the Jordan, encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. + But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him, and he blew a trumpet, and [the clan of] Abiezer was gathered to him. + And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and the Manassites were called to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. + And Gideon said to God, If You will deliver Israel by my hand as You have said, + Behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You have said. + And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the dew out of the fleece, he wrung from it a bowlful of water. + And Gideon said to God, Let not your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial only this once with the fleece, I pray you; let it now be dry only upon the fleece and upon all the ground let there be dew. + And God did so that night, for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. + + + THEN JERUBBAAL, that is, Gideon, and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was north of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. + The Lord said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel boast about themselves against Me, saying, My own hand has delivered me. + So now proclaim in the ears of the men, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him turn back and depart from Mount Gilead. And 22,000 of the men returned, but 10,000 remained. + And the Lord said to Gideon, The men are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. And he of whom I say to you, This man shall go with you, shall go with you; and he of whom I say to you, This man shall not go with you, shall not go. + So he brought the men down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, Everyone who laps up the water with his tongue as a dog laps it, you shall set by himself, likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink. + And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. + And the Lord said to Gideon, With the 300 men who lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others return every man to his home. + So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands, and he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his home and retained those 300 men. And the host of Midian was below him in the valley. + That same night the Lord said to Gideon, Arise, go down against their camp, for I have given it into your hand. + But if you fear to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp + And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the camp of the armed men. + And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east lay along the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand on the seashore for multitude. + When Gideon arrived, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat. + And his comrade replied, This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand God has given Midian and all the host. + When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped and returned to the camp of Israel and said, Arise, for the Lord has given into your hand the host of Midian. + And he divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers. + And he said to them, Look at me, then do likewise. When I come to the edge of their camp, do as I do. + When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, For the Lord and for Gideon! + So Gideon and the 100 men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when the guards had just been changed, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. + And the three companies blew the trumpets and shattered the pitchers, holding the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow [leaving no chance to use swords], and they cried, The sword for the Lord and Gideon! + They stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the [Midianite] army ran--they cried out and fled. + When [Gideon's men] blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every [Midianite's] sword against his comrade and against all the army, and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah by Tabbath. + And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian. + And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites and take all the intervening fords as far as Beth-barah and also the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together and took all the fords as far as Beth-barah and also the Jordan. + And [the men of Ephraim] took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan. + + + AND THE men of Ephraim said to Gideon, Why have you treated us like this, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian? And they quarreled with him furiously. + And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of [your big tribe of] Ephraim better than the vintage of [my little clan of] Abiezer? + God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger toward him was abated when he had said that. + And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the 300 men with him, faint yet pursuing. + And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. + And the princes of Succoth said, Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army? + And Gideon said, For that, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness! + And he went from there up to Penuel and made the same request, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had done. + And [Gideon] said to the men of Penuel, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. + Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army--about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the sons of the east, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. + And Gideon went up by the route of those who dwelt in tents east of Nobah and Jogbehah and smote their camp [unexpectedly], for the army thought itself secure. + And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and terrified all the army. + Then Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. + And he caught a young man of Succoth and inquired of him, and [the youth] wrote down for him [the names of] the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. + And he came to the men of Succoth and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you scoffed at me, saying, Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are faint? + And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth [a lesson]. + And he broke down the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city. + Then [Gideon] said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What kind of men were they whom you slew at Tabor? And they replied, They were like you, each of them resembled the son of a king. + And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not slay you. + And [Gideon] said to Jether his firstborn [to embarrass them], Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared because he was yet a lad. + Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise yourself and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna and took the [crescent-shaped] ornaments that were on their camels' necks. + Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us--you and your son and your son's son also--for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. + And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you. + And Gideon said to them, Let me make a request of you--every man of you give me the earrings of his spoil. For [the Midianites] had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites [general term for all descendants of Keturah]. + And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and every man cast on it the earrings of his spoil. + And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescents and pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains that were about their camels' necks. + And Gideon made an ephod [a sacred, high priest's garment] of it, and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel paid homage to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. + Thus was Midian subdued before the Israelites so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had peace and rest for forty years in the days of Gideon. + Jerubbaal (Gideon) son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. + Now Gideon had seventy sons born to him, for he had many wives. + And his concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. + Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. + As soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned again and played the harlot after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. + And the Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, Who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side; + Neither did they show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, in return for all the good which he had done for Israel. + + + NOW ABIMELECH son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem to his mother's kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, + Say, I pray you, in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you: that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one man rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. + And his mother's kinsmen spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother. + And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and foolhardy men who followed him. + And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself. + And all the men of Shechem gathered together and all of Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak (terebinth) of the pillar at Shechem. + When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, Hear me, men of Shechem, that God may hear you. + One time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us. + But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, by which God and man are honored, and go to wave over the trees? + Then the trees said to the fig tree, You come and reign over us. + But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go to wave over the trees? + Then the trees said to the vine (grapevine), You come and reign over us. + And the vine (grapevine) replied, Should I leave my new wine, which rejoices God and man, and go to wave over the trees? + Then all the trees said to the bramble, You come and reign over us. + And the bramble said to the trees, If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon. + Now therefore, if you acted sincerely and honorably when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved-- + For my father fought for you, jeopardized his life, and rescued you from the hand of Midian; + And you have risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, seventy men, on one stone and have made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the people of Shechem because he is your kinsman-- + If you then have acted sincerely and honorably with Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you; + But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the people of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the people of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech. + And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech his brother. + Abimelech reigned three years over Israel. + And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, + That the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers. + And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against [Abimelech] on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told to Abimelech. + And Gaal son of Ebed came with his kinsmen and moved into Shechem, and the men of Shechem put confidence in him. + And they went out into the field, gathered their vineyard fruits and trod them, and held a festival; and going into the house of their god, they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. + Gaal son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Were not the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul, his officer, servants of the men of Hamor the father and founder of Shechem? Then why should we serve him? + Would that this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech and say to him, Increase your army and come out. + When Zebul the city's mayor heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. + And he sent messengers to Abimelech slyly, saying, Behold, Gaal son of Ebed and his kinsmen have come to Shechem; and behold, they stir up the city to rise against you. + Now therefore, rise up by night, you and the men with you, and lie in wait in the field. + Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and set upon the city; and when Gaal and the men with him come out against you, do to them as opportunity permits. + And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the men with him, and they laid in wait against Shechem in four companies. + And Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood in the entrance of the city's gate. Then Abimelech and the men with him rose up from ambush. + When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, Look, men are coming down from the mountaintops! Zebul said to him, The shadow of the mountains looks to you like men. + And Gaal spoke again and said, See, men are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the oak of Meonenim [the sorcerers]. + Then said Zebul to Gaal, Where is your [big] mouth now, you who said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Are not these the men whom you have despised? Go out now and fight with them. + And Gaal went out ahead of the men of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. + And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded--even to the entrance of the gate. + And Abimelech lodged at Arumah, and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his kinsmen so that they could not live in Shechem. + The next day the men went out into the fields, and Abimelech was told. + He took his men and divided them into three companies and laid in wait in the field; and he looked and behold, the people were coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and smote them. + And Abimelech and the company with him rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the city's gate, while the two other companies rushed upon all who were in the field and slew them. + And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city and slew the people who were in it. He demolished the city and sowed it with salt. + And when all the men of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith [the god of Berith]. + Abimelech was told that all the people of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. + And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the men with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bundle of brush, picked it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men with him, What you have seen me do, make haste to do also. + So each of the men cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold and set [the stronghold] on fire over the people in it, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women. + Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and took it. + But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the people of the city--men and women--fled to it, shut themselves in, and went to the roof of the tower. + And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire. + But a certain woman cast an upper millstone [down] upon Abimelech's head and broke his skull. + Then he called hastily to the young man, his armor-bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword and slay me, so that men may not say of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. + And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed each man to his home. + Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech which he had done to his father [Gideon] by slaying his seventy brothers; + And all the wickedness of the men of Shechem God repaid upon their heads and caused to come upon them the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal. [Judg. 9:19, 20.] + + + AFTER ABIMELECH there arose to rescue Israel, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. + He judged Israel twenty-three years; then he died and was buried in Shamir. + After him arose Jair the Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years. + And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty towns called Havvoth-jair [towns of Jair] which to this day are in the land of Gilead. + And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. + And the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, served the Baals, the Ashtaroth [female deities], the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. + And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, + And they oppressed and crushed and broke the Israelites that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. + And the Ammonites passed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sorely distressed. + And the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, We have sinned against You, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals. + And the Lord said to the Israelites, Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines? + Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed and crushed you, you cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hands. + Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more. + Go, cry to the gods you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress. + And the Israelites said to the Lord, We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only deliver us, we pray You, this day. + So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and His heart became impatient over the misery of Israel. + Then the Ammonites were gathered together and they encamped in Gilead. And the Israelites assembled and encamped at Mizpah. + And the leaders of Gilead [the Israelites] said one to another, Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. + + + NOW JEPHTHAH the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was Jephthah's father. + And Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when his wife's sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman. + Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went on raids with him. + And after a time, the Ammonites made war against Israel. + And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob; + And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites. + But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble? + And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, This is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight the Ammonites and be our head over all the citizens of Gilead. + Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me, [understand that] I will be your head. + And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, The Lord is witness between us, if we do not do as you have said. + So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah repeated all he had promised before the Lord at Mizpah. + And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, What have you to do with me, that you have come against me to fight in my land? + The Ammonites' king replied to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land [which was not true] when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore, restore those lands peaceably. + And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the Ammonites + And said to him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. + But when [Israel] came up from Egypt, [they] walked through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. + Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let us, we pray, pass through your land, but the king of Edom would not listen. Also they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. + Then they went through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. + Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray you, through your land to our country. + But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. + And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. + They possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan. + So now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and should you possess them? + Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all the Lord our God dispossessed before us, we will possess. + Now are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever go to war with them? + While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon for 300 years, why did you not recover [your lost lands] during that time? + So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong to war against me. The Lord, the [righteous] Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites. + But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the message Jephthah sent him. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. + And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, If You will indeed give the Ammonites into my hand, + Then whatever or whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it or him up as a burnt offering. + Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. + And from Aroer to Minnith he smote them, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-cheramim [the meadow of vineyards], with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites. + Then Jephthah came to Mizpah to his home, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances! And she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. + And when he saw her, he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth [in a vow] to the Lord, and I cannot take it back. + And she said to him, My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what you have vowed, since the Lord has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, the Ammonites. + And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions. + And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. + At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She never mated with a man. This became a custom in Israel-- + That the daughters of Israel went yearly to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. + + + THE MEN of Ephraim were summoned together and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, Why did you cross over to fight with the Ammonites and did not summon us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire. + And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in a severe conflict with the Ammonites, and I when I called you, you did not rescue me from their hands. + And when I saw that you would not rescue me, I put my life in my hands and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me? + Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh. + And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites; and when any of those Ephraimites who had escaped said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No, + They said to him, Then say Shibboleth; and he said, Sibboleth, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites. + Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. + And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. + And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he gave [to husbands] outside his tribe, and thirty daughters [daughters-in-law] whom he brought in from outside his tribe for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. + Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem. + After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. + Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. + And after him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. + And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkey colts; and he judged Israel eight years. + Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. + + + AND THE Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. + And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. + And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold, you are barren and have no children, but you shall become pregnant and bear a son. + Therefore beware and drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean. + For behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. + Then the woman went and told her husband, saying, A Man of God came to me and his face was like the face of the Angel of God, to be greatly and reverently feared. I did not ask him from where he came, and he did not tell me his name. + But he said to me, Behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son, and now drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death. + Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, O Lord, let the Man of God whom You sent come again to us and teach us what we shall do with the child that shall be born. + And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. + And the woman ran in haste and told her husband and said to him, Behold, the Man who came to me the other day has appeared to me. + And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the Man and said to him, Are you the Man who spoke to this woman? And he said, I am. + And Manoah said, Now when your words come true, how shall we manage the child, and what is he to do? + And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Let the mother beware of all that I told her. + She may not eat of anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe. + And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, Pray, let us detain you that we may prepare a kid for you. + And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your food, but if you make ready a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. For Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of the Lord. + And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, What is your name, so that when your words come true, we may do you honor? + And the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful? [Isa. 9:6.] + So Manoah took the kid with the cereal offering and offered it upon a rock to the Lord, the Angel working wonders, while Manoah and his wife looked on. + For when the flame went up toward the heavens from the altar, the Angel of the Lord ascended in the altar flame. And Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground. + The Angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the Lord. + And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. + But his [sensible] wife said to him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a cereal offering from our hands, nor have shown us all these things or now have announced such things as these. + And the woman [in due time] bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew and the Lord blessed him. + And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in Mahaneh-dan [the camp of Dan] between Zorah and Eshtaol. + + + SAMSON WENT down to Timnah and at Timnah saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. + And he came up and told his father and mother, I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife. + But his father and mother said to him, Is there not a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she is all right in my eyes. + His father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, and that He sought an occasion for assailing the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. + Then Samson and his father and mother went down to Timnah and came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared against him. + And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. + And he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. + And after a while he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the body of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. + And he scraped some of the honey out into his hands and went along eating. And he came to his father and mother and gave them some, and they ate it; but he did not tell them he had taken the honey from the body of the lion. + His father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for that was the customary thing for young men to do. + And when the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. + And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you; if you can tell me what it is within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen undergarments and thirty changes of raiment. + But if you cannot declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen undergarments and thirty changes of festive [costly] raiment. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it. + And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not solve the riddle in three days. + And on the seventh day they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband to declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's household with fire. Have you invited us to make us poor? Is this not true? + And Samson's wife wept before him and said, You only hate me, you do not love me; you have put forth a riddle to my countrymen and have not told the answer to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told my father or my mother, and shall I tell you? + And Samson's wife wept before him the seven days their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him with entreaties. Then she told the riddle to her countrymen. + And the men of the city said to [Samson] on the seventh day before sundown, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle. + And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and slew thirty men of them and took their apparel [as spoil], and gave the changes of garments to those who explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. + But Samson's wife was [given] to his companion who was his [best] friend. + + + BUT SOME days later, in the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife, taking along a kid [as a token of reconciliation]; and he said, I will go unto my wife in the inner chamber. But her father would not allow him to go in. + And her father said, I truly thought you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is her younger sister not fairer than she? Take her, I pray you, instead. + And Samson said of them, This time shall I be blameless as regards the Philistines, though I do them evil. + So Samson went and caught 300 foxes or jackals and took torches and turning the foxes tail to tail, he put a torch between each pair of tails. + And when he had set the torches ablaze, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and he burned up the shocks and the standing grain, along with the olive orchards. + Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they were told, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he [the Timnite] has taken his [Samson's] wife and has given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. + And Samson said to them, If this is the way you act, surely I will take revenge on you, and after that I will quit. + And he smote them hip and thigh [unsparingly], a great slaughter; and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam. + Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and spread themselves in Lehi. + And the men of Judah said, Why have you come up against us? And they answered, We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us. + Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock Etam and said to Samson, Have you not known that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that you have done to us? He said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them. + And they said to him, We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me that you will not fall upon me yourselves. + And they said to him, No, we will bind you fast and give you into their hand; but surely we will not kill you. So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. + And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon [Samson], and the ropes on his arms became as flax that had caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. + And he found a still moist jawbone of a donkey and reached out and took it and slew 1,000 men with it. + And Samson said, With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have slain 1,000 men! + And when he stopped speaking, he cast the jawbone from his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi [the hill of the jawbone]. + Samson was very thirsty, and he prayed to the Lord and said, You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised? + And God split open the hollow place that was at Lehi, and water came out of it. And when he drank, his spirit returned and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore [the spring of him who prayed], which is at Lehi to this day. + And [Samson] judged (defended) Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. [Judg. 17:6.] + + + THEN SAMSON went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. + The Gazites were told, Samson has come here. So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, In the morning, when it is light, we will kill him. + But Samson lay until midnight, and [then] he arose and took hold of the doors of the city's gate and the two posts, and pulling them up, bar and all, he put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is before Hebron. + After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. + And the lords of the Philistines came to her and said to her, Entice him and see in what his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him that we may bind him to subdue him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver. + And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound to subdue you. + And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven fresh, strong gutstrings, still moist, then shall I be weak and be like any other man. + Then the Philistine lords brought to her seven fresh, strong bowstrings, still moist, and she bound him with them. + Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he broke the bowstrings as a string of tow breaks when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. + And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray you, how you might be bound. + And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. + So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And the men lying in wait were in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like [sewing] thread. + And Delilah said to Samson, Until now you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me with what you might be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven braids of [the hair of] my head with the web. + And she did so and fastened it with the pin and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the [weaver's] beam and with the web. + And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me in what your great strength lies. + And when she pressed him day after day with her words and urged him, he was vexed to death. + Then he told her all his mind and said to her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my birth. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man. + And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his mind, she went and called for the Philistine lords, saying, Come up this once, for he has told me all he knows. Then the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the money in their hands. + And she made Samson sleep upon her knees, and she called a man and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to torment [Samson], and his strength went from him. + She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him. + But the Philistines laid hold of him, bored out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with [two] bronze fetters; and he ground at the mill in the prison. + But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. + Then the Philistine lords gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands. + And when the people saw Samson, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the ravager of our country, who has slain many of us. + And when their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called [blind] Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them. They made him stand between the pillars. + And Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, Allow me to feel the pillars upon which the house rests, that I may lean against them. + Now the house was full of men and women; all the Philistine princes were there, and on the roof were about 3,000 men and women who looked on while Samson made sport. + Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, [earnestly] remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, and let me have one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes. + And Samson laid hold of the two middle pillars by which the house was borne up, one with his right hand and the other with his left. + And Samson cried, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself mightily, and the house fell upon the princes and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than they whom he slew in his life. + Then his kinsmen and all the tribal family of his father came down, took his body, and brought it up; and they buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel [that is, had defended the Israelites] twenty years. [Judg. 17:6; Heb. 11:32.] + + + THERE WAS a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. + And he said to his mother, The 1,100 shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed and also spoke about in my hearing, behold, I have the silver with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you by the Lord, my son! + He restored the 1,100 shekels of silver to his mother, and she said, I had truly dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it to you. + So when he restored the money to his mother, she took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made of it a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah. + And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod and teraphim and dedicated one of his sons, who became his priest. + In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. + And there was a young man in Bethlehem of Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there. + And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place, and as he journeyed he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. + And Micah said to him, From where do you come? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. + And Micah said to him, Dwell with me and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver each year, a suit of clothes, and your living. So the Levite went in. + And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to Micah as one of his sons. + And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah. + Then said Micah, Now I know that the Lord will favor me, since I have a Levite to be my priest. + + + IN THOSE days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no [sufficient] inheritance had been acquired by them among the tribes of Israel. + So the Danites sent from the whole number of their tribe five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and to explore it, and they said to them, Go, explore the land. They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. + When they went by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, Who brought you here? And what do you do in this place? And what have you here? + And he said to them, Thus and thus Micah deals with me and has hired me, and I am his priest. + And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God that we may know whether our journey will be successful. + And the priest said to them, Go in peace. The way in which you go is before (under the eye of) the Lord. + Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and feeling safe; and there was no magistrate in the land, who might put them to shame in anything or injure them; and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. + The five men came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, What do you say? + They said, Arise, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go and enter in and possess the land. + When you go, you will come to people [feeling] safe and secure. The land is broad [widely extended on all sides]; and God has given it into your hands--a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth. + And there went from there of the tribe of the Danites, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, 600 men armed with weapons of war. + And they went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan [camp of Dan] to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim. + And they passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house. + Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish said to their brethren, Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you have to do. + And they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and saluted him. + Now the 600 Danites with their weapons of war stood at Micah's gate. + And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up and entered the house and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. + And when these went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, What are you doing? + And they said to him, Be still, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel? + And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. + So they turned and departed and put the little ones, the cattle, and the baggage in front of them. + When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were Micah's near neighbors were called out and overtook the Danites. + They shouted to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, What ails you, that you come with such a company? + And he said, You take away my gods which I made and the priest, and go away; and what have I left? How can you say to me, What ails you? + And the men of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you and you lose your life with the lives of your household. + And the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. + And they took the things which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and feeling secure, and they smote them with the sword and burned the city. + And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and dwelt in it. + They named the city Dan, after Dan their forefather who was born to Israel; however, the name of the city was Laish at first. + And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. + So they set them up Micah's graven image which he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. + + + IN THOSE days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living temporarily in the most remote part of the hill district of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine [of inferior status than a wife] from Bethlehem in Judah. + And his concubine was untrue to him and went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem of Judah and stayed there the space of four months. + Then her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her [to her heart] and to bring her back, having with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. + And his father-in-law, the girl's father, [insistently] detained him, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there. + On the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and the [Levite] prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread and afterward go your way. + So both men sat down and ate and drank together, and the girl's father said to the man, Consent to stay all night and let your heart be merry. + And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him; so he lodged there again. + And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the girl's father said, Strengthen your heart and tarry until toward evening. So they ate, both of them. + And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you stay all night. Behold, now the day grows to an end, lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow get early on your way and go home. + But the man would not stay that night; so he rose up and departed and came opposite to Jebus, which is Jerusalem. With him were two saddled donkeys [and his servant] and his concubine. + When they were near Jebus, it was late, and the servant said to his master, Come I pray, and let us turn into this Jebusite city and lodge in it. + His master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah. + And he said to his servant, Come and let us go to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah. + So they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, + And they turned aside there to go in and lodge at Gibeah. And the Levite went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no man took them into his house to spend the night. + And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim but was living temporarily in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites. + And when he looked up, he saw the wayfarer in the city square, and the old man said, Where are you going? And from where did you come? + The Levite replied, We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the rear side of the hill country of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I am [now] going [home] to the house of the Lord [where I serve], and there is no man who receives me into his house. + Yet we have both straw and provender for our donkeys and bread and wine also for me, your handmaid, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything. + And the old man said, Peace be to you, but leave all your wants to me; only do not lodge in the street. + So he brought him into his house and gave provender to the donkeys. And the guests washed their feet and ate and drank. + Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, beset the house round about, beat on the door, and said to the master of the house, the old man, Bring forth the man who came to your house, that we may have intercourse with him. + And the man, the master of the house, went out and said to them, No, my kinsmen, I pray you, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man is my guest, do not do this [wicked] folly. + Behold, here are my virgin daughter and this man's concubine; them I will bring out now; debase them and do with them what seems good to you, but to this man do not so vile a thing. + But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and forced her forth to them, and they had intercourse with her and abused her all the night until morning. And when the dawn began to break, they let her go. + At daybreak the woman came and fell down and lay at the door of the man's house where her master was, till it was light. + And her master rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way; and behold, his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. + And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer [for she was dead]. Then he put her [body] upon the donkey, and the man rose up and went home. + And when he came into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his dead concubine and divided her [body] limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her [body] throughout all the territory of Israel. + And all who saw it said, There was no such deed done or seen from the day that the Israelites came up out of the land of Egypt to this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak [your minds]. + + + THEN ALL the Israelites came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah, from Dan even to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead. + And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot who drew the sword. + (Now the Benjamites [among whom the vile tragedy occurred] heard that the [other] Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) There the Israelites asked, How did this wickedness happen? + And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, replied, I came to Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. + And the men of Gibeah rose against me and beset the house round about me by night; they meant to kill me and they raped my concubine, and she is dead. + And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and [wicked] folly in Israel. + Behold, you Israelites, all of you, give here your advice and counsel. + And all the people arose as one man, saying, Not any of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his home. + But now this we will do to Gibeah: we will go up by lot against it, + And we will take ten men of 100 throughout all the tribes of Israel, and 100 of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000, to bring provisions for the men, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin they may do to them according to all the [wicked] folly which they have committed in Israel. + So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. + And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has been done among you? + Now therefore, give up the men [involved], the base fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel. But the Benjamites would not listen to the voice of their kinsmen the Israelites. + But the Benjamites out of the cities assembled at Gibeah to go out to battle against the other Israelites. + And the Benjamites mustered out of their cities at that time 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. + Among all these were 700 chosen left-handed men; every one could sling stones at a hair and not miss. + And the men of Israel, other than Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. + The Israelites arose and went up to the house of God [Bethel] and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall take the lead to battle against the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first. + Then the Israelites rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. + And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin and set the battle in array against them at Gibeah. + The Benjamites came forth out of Gibeah and felled to the ground that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. + But the people, the men of Israel, took courage and strengthened themselves and again set their battle line in the same place where they formed it the first day. + And the Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening and asked of the Lord, Shall we go up again to battle against our brethren the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Go up against them. + So the Israelites came near against the Benjamites the second day. + And Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah against them the second day and felled to the ground the Israelites again, 18,000 men, all of whom were swordsmen. + Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up and came to the house of God [Bethel] and wept; and they sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. + And the Israelites inquired of the Lord--for the ark of the covenant of God was there [at Bethel] in those days, + And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days--saying, Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjamites or shall we quit? And the Lord said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand. + So Israel set men in ambush round about Gibeah. + And the Israelites went up against the Benjamites on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah as at other times. + And the Benjamites went out against their army and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill some of the people as at other times, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country--about thirty men of Israel. + And the Benjamites said, They are routed before us as at first. But the Israelites said, Let us flee and draw them from the city to the highways. + And all the men of Israel rose out of their places and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel in ambush rushed out of their place in the meadow of Geba. + And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjamites did not know disaster was close upon them. + And the Lord overcame Benjamin before Israel, and the Israelites destroyed of the Benjamites that day 25,100 men, all of whom were swordsmen. + So the Benjamites saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to the Benjamites, because they trusted in the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. + And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah, and the liers-in-wait moved out and smote all the city with the sword. + Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke arise from the city, + The men of Israel should all turn back in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite and kill some of the men of Israel, about thirty persons. They said, Surely they are falling before us as in the first battle. + But when the [signal] cloud began to rise out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to the heavens. + When the men of Israel turned back again, the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster had come upon them. + Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel and fled toward the wilderness, but the battle followed close behind and overtook them; and the inhabitants of the cities destroyed those [Benjamites] who came through them in their midst. + They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and overtook and trod them down at their resting-place as far as opposite Gibeah toward the east. + And there fell 18,000 men of Benjamin, all of them men of valor. + And [the Benjamites] turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel picked off on the highways 5,000 men of them; they pursued hard after them to Gidom and slew 2,000 more of them. + So that all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. + But 600 men turned and fled to the wilderness to the rock Rimmon and remained at the rock Rimmon four months. + And the men of Israel turned back against the Benjamites and smote them with the sword, men and beasts and all that they found. Also they set on fire all the towns to which they came. + + + NOW THE men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin. + And the Israelites came to the house of God [Bethel] and sat there until evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. [Judg. 20:27.] + And they said, O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel? + And next morning the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. + And the Israelites said, Which among all the tribes of Israel did not come up with the assembly to the Lord? For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely die. + And the Israelites changed their purpose [and had compassion] for the Benjamites their kinsmen and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel today. + What shall we do for wives for those who are left, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives? + And they said, Which one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord? And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly. + For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the citizens of Jabesh-gilead was there. + And the congregation sent there 12,000 of the bravest men, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, also the women and the little ones. + And this is what you shall do; utterly destroy every male and every woman who is not a virgin. + And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins, who had known no man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. + And the whole congregation sent word to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon and invited them to be friendly with them. + And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; and yet there were not enough for them. + And the people had compassion on Benjamin, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. + Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin are destroyed? + And they said, There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe shall not be wiped out of Israel. + But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the Israelites have sworn, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin. + So they said, Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and south of Lebonah. + So they commanded the Benjamites, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, + And watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and catch every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin. + And when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, we will say to them, Grant them graciously unto us, because we did not reserve a wife for each of them in battle, neither did you give wives to them, for that would have made you guilty [of breaking your oath]. + And the Benjamites did so and took wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance and repaired the towns and dwelt in them. + And the Israelites left there then, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance. + In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. + + + + + IN THE days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, his wife, and his two sons. + The man's name was Elimelech and his wife's name was Naomi and his two sons were named Mahlon [invalid] and Chilion [pining]; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They went to the country of Moab and continued there. + But Elimelech, who Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. + And they took wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They dwelt there about ten years; + And Mahlon and Chilion died also, both of them, so the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband. + Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab how the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. + So she left the place where she was, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to Judah. + But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. + The Lord grant that you may find a home and rest, each in the house of her husband! Then she kissed them and they wept aloud. + And they said to her, No, we will return with you to your people. + But Naomi said, Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that may become your husbands? + Turn back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband tonight and should bear sons, + Would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; it is far more bitter for me than for you that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. + Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [good-bye], but Ruth clung to her. + And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law. + And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. + Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you. + When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more. + So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred about them, and said, Is this Naomi? + And she said to them, Call me not Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. + I went out full, but the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me? + So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. + + + NOW NAOMI had a kinsman of her husband's, a man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. + And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. Naomi said to her, Go, my daughter. + And [Ruth] went and gleaned in a field after the reapers; and she happened to stop at the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. + And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you! And they answered him, The Lord bless you! + Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this? + And the servant set over the reapers answered, She is the Moabitish girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. + And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from early morning until now, except when she rested a little in the house. + Then Boaz said to Ruth, Listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but stay here close by my maidens. + Watch which field they reap, and follow them. Have I not charged the young men not to molest you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn. + Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should notice me, when I am a foreigner? + And Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before. + The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge! + Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants. + And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine [mixed with oil]. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi]. + And when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. + And let fall some handfuls for her on purpose and let them lie there for her to glean, and do not rebuke her. + So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned. It was about an ephah of barley. + And she took it up and went into the town; she showed her mother-in-law what she had gleaned, and she also brought forth and gave her the food she had reserved after she was satisfied. + And her mother-in-law said to her, Where have you gleaned today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who noticed you. So [Ruth] told [her], The name of him with whom I worked today is Boaz. + And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who has not ceased his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is a near relative of ours, one who has the right to redeem us. [Lev. 25:25.] + And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, Stay close to my young men until they have harvested my entire crop. + And Naomi said to Ruth, It is good, my daughter, for you to go out with his maidens, lest in any other field you be molested. + So she kept close to the maidens of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law. + + + THEN NAOMI her mother-in-law said to Ruth, My daughter, shall I not seek rest or a home for you, that you may prosper? + And now is not Boaz, with whose maidens you were, our relative? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. + Wash and anoint yourself therefore, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. + But when he lies down, notice the place where he lies; then go and uncover his feet and lie down. And he will tell you what to do. + And Ruth said to her, All that you say to me I will do. + So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had told her. + And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then [Ruth] came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. + At midnight the man was startled, and he turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! + And he said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth your maidservant. Spread your wing [of protection] over your maidservant, for you are a next of kin. + And he said, Blessed be you of the Lord, my daughter. For you have made this last loving-kindness greater than the former, for you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. + And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do for you all you require, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of strength (worth, bravery, capability). + It is true that I am your near kinsman; however, there is a kinsman nearer than I. + Remain tonight, and in the morning if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good; let him do it. But if he will not do the part of a kinsman for you, then, as the Lord lives, I will do the part of a kinsman for you. Lie down until the morning. + And she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another; for he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. + Also he said, Bring the mantle you are wearing and hold it. So [Ruth] held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and laid it on her. And she went into the town. + And when she came home, her mother-in-law said, How have you fared, my daughter? And Ruth told her all that the man had done for her. + And she said, He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law. + Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he finishes the matter today. + + + THEN BOAZ went up to the city's gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came by. He said to him, Ho! Turn aside and sit down here. So he turned aside and sat down. + And Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. And they sat down. + And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, has sold the parcel of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. + And I thought to let you hear of it, saying, Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then say so, that I may know; for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am [next of kin] after you. And he said, I will redeem it. + Then Boaz said, The day you buy the field of Naomi, you must buy also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the dead man, to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance. + And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest [by marrying a Moabitess] I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it. [Deut. 23:3, 4.] + Now formerly in Israel this was the custom concerning redeeming and exchanging. To confirm a transaction, a man pulled off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the way of attesting in Israel. + Therefore, when the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself, he pulled off his sandal. + And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's from the hand of Naomi. + Also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his birthplace. You are witnesses this day. + And all the people at the gate and the elders said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily and get wealth (power) in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem. + And let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman. + So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord caused her to conceive, and she bore a son. + And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, Who has not left you this day without a close kinsman, and may his name be famous in Israel. + And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher and supporter in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him. + Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. + And her neighbor women gave him a name, saying, A son is born to Naomi. They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David [the ancestor of Jesus Christ]. + Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, + Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, + Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, + Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, + Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David [the ancestor of Jesus Christ]. + + + + + THERE WAS a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. + He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. + This man went from his city year by year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were the Lord's priests. + When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the sacrificial meat]. + But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children. + [This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless. + So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord's house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat. + Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons? + So Hannah rose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside a post of the temple (tent) of the Lord. + And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly. + She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head. + And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli noticed her mouth. + Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. + Eli said to her, How long will you be intoxicated? Put wine away from you. + But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord. [Gen. 19:34.] + Regard not your handmaid as a wicked woman; for out of my great complaint and bitter provocation I have been speaking. + Then Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him. + Hannah said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight. So [she] went her way and ate, her countenance no longer sad. + The family rose early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. + Hannah became pregnant and in due time bore a son and named him Samuel [heard of God], Because, she said, I have asked him of the Lord. + And Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. + But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives. + Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish His word. So Hannah remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. + When she had weaned him, she took him with her, with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin bottle of wine [to pour over the burnt offering for a sweet odor], and brought Samuel to the Lord's house in Shiloh. The child was growing. + Then they slew the bull, and brought the child to Eli. + Hannah said, Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying to the Lord. + For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him. + Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there. + + + HANNAH PRAYED, and said, My heart exults and triumphs in the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord. My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened wide over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. + There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You; there is no Rock like our God. + Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. + The bows of the mighty are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. + Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children languishes and is forlorn. + The Lord slays and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. + The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up. + He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them. + He will guard the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked shall be silenced and perish in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. + The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them will He thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge [all peoples] to the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to His king (King) and exalt the power of His anointed (Anointed His Christ). [Luke 1:46.] + Elkanah and his wife Hannah returned to Ramah to his house. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. + The sons of Eli were base and worthless; they did not know or regard the Lord. + And the custom of the priests with the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came while the flesh was boiling with a fleshhook of three prongs in his hand; + And he thrust it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh with all the Israelites who came there. + Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, Give the priest meat to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw. + And if the man said to him, Let them burn the fat first, and then you may take as much as you want, the priest's servant would say, No! Give it to me now or I will take it by force. + So the sin of the [two] young men was very great before the Lord, for they despised the offering of the Lord. + But Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child girded with a linen ephod. + Moreover, his mother made him a little robe and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. + And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman for the gift she asked for and gave to the Lord. Then they would go to their own home. + And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord. + Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel and how they lay with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. + And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. + No, my sons; it is no good report which I hear the Lord's people spreading abroad. + If one man wrongs another, God will mediate for him; but if a man wrongs the Lord, who shall intercede for him? Yet they did not listen to their father, for it was the Lord's will to slay them. + Now the boy Samuel grew and was in favor both with the Lord and with men. + A man of God came to Eli and said to him, Thus has the Lord said: I plainly revealed Myself to the house of your father [forefather Aaron] when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house. + Moreover, I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer on My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And I gave [from then on] to the house of your father [forefather] all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire. + Why then do you kick [trample upon, treat with contempt] My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded, and honor your sons above Me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel? + Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. + Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your own father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house. + And you shall behold the distress of My house, even in all the prosperity which God will give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. + Yet I will not cut off from My altar every man of yours; some shall survive to weep and mourn [over the family's ruin], but all the increase of your house shall die in their best years. [I Sam. 22:17-20.] + And what befalls your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be a sign to you--in one day they both shall die. [Fulfilled in I Sam. 4:17, 18.] + And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest (Priest), who shall do according to what is in My heart and mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed (Anointed) forever. [I Sam. 2:10.] + Everyone who is left in your house shall come crouching to him for a piece of silver and a bit of bread and say, Put me, I pray you, into a priest's office so I may have a piece of bread. + + + NOW THE boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in those days; there was no frequent or widely spread vision. + At that time Eli, whose eyesight had dimmed so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. + The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down + When the Lord called, Samuel! And he answered, Here I am. + He ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. Eli said, I did not call you; lie down again. So he went and lay down. + And the Lord called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I; you did call me. Eli answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again. + Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed to him. + And the Lord called Samuel the third time. And he went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. + So Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down. And if He calls you, you shall say, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. + And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel answered, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. + The Lord told Samuel, Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of all who hear it shall tingle. + On that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. + And I [now] announce to him that I will judge and punish his house forever for the iniquity of which he knew, for his sons were bringing a curse upon themselves [blaspheming God], and he did not restrain them. + Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for or purged with sacrifice or offering forever. + Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the Lord's house. And [he] was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. + But Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here I am. + Eli said, What is it He told you? Pray do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that He said to you. + And Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing. And Eli said, It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him. + Samuel grew; the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. [Josh. 23:14.] + And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. + And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of the Lord. + + + AND THE word of [the Lord through] Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines and encamped beside Ebenezer; the Philistines encamped at Aphek. + The Philistines drew up against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was smitten by the Philistines, who slew about 4,000 men on the battlefield. + When the troops had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that He may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies. + So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, Who dwells above the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of the covenant of God. + And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. + And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean? When they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, + The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! For such a thing has not happened before. + Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness. + Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; behave yourselves like men, and fight! + And the Philistines fought; Israel was smitten and they fled every man to his own home. There was a very great slaughter; for 30,000 foot soldiers of Israel fell. + And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. [Foretold in I Sam. 2:34.] + Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that day, with his clothes torn and earth on his head. + When he arrived, Eli was sitting by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man told the news in the city, all the city [people] cried out. + When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is this uproar? And the man came hastily and told Eli. + Now Eli was 98 years old; his eyes were dim so that he could not see. + The man said to Eli, I have come from the battle; I fled from the battle today. Eli said, How did it go, my son? + The messenger replied, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is captured. + And when he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. + Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, about to be delivered. And when she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. + And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, Fear not, for you have borne a son. But she did not answer or notice. + And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel!--because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. + She said, The glory is gone from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken. + + + THE PHILISTINES brought the ark of God from Ebenezer to Ashdod. + They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and set it beside Dagon [their idol]. + When they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. + But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had again fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and [his] head and both the palms of his hands were lying cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left him. + This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. + But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He caused [mice to spring up and there was] very deadly destruction and He smote the people with [very painful] tumors or boils, both Ashdod and its territory. + When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god. + So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let [it] be carried around to Gath. So they carried the ark of the God of Israel there. + But after they had carried it to Gath, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing an exceedingly great panic [at the deaths from the plague], for He afflicted the people of the city, both small and great, and tumors or boils broke out on them. + So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as [it] came, the people of Ekron cried out, They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people! + So they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people. For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. + The men who had not died were stricken with very painful tumors or boils, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. + + + THE ARK of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. + And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place. + And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but at least return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed [and healing granted you]. + Then they said, What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him? They answered, Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the Philistine lords, for one plague was on you all, even on your lords. + Therefore you must make images of your tumors and of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand from off you and your gods and your land. + Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had done wonders and made a mock of them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? + Now then, make and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which no yoke has ever come; and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. + And take the ark of the Lord and place it upon the cart, and put in a box at its side the figures of gold which you are returning to Him as a guilt offering. Then send it away and let it be gone. + And watch. If it goes up by the way of its own land to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance. + And the men did so, and took two milch cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. + And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. + And the cows went straight toward Beth-shemesh along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right or the left. And the Philistine lords followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. + Now the men of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. + The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there; and the men split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. + The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box beside it in which were the figures of gold and put them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices that day to the Lord. + When the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron. + And these are the tumors of gold which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the Lord: one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron; + Also the mice of gold was according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages. The great stone, on which they set the ark of the Lord, remains as a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. + And the Lord slew some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; He slew seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had made a great slaughter among them. + And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go away from us? + And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you. + + + SO THE men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to have charge of the ark of the Lord. + And the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim a very long time [nearly 100 years, through Samuel's entire judgeship, Saul's reign, and well into David's, when it was brought to Jerusalem]. For it was twenty years before all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. [I Chron. 13:5-7.] + Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth [female deities] from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. + So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. + Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you. + So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah. + Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. + And the Israelites said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines. + So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. + As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. + And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and smote them as far as below Beth-car. + Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he called the name of it Ebenezer [stone of help], saying, Heretofore the Lord has helped us. + So the Philistines were subdued and came no more into Israelite territory. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. + The cities the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel rescued [the cities'] territory from the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. + And Samuel judged Israel all his days. + And he went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and was judge for Israel in all those places. + Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there; there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord. + + + WHEN SAMUEL was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. + Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. + His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. + All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah + And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations. + But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. + And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them. + According to all the works which they have done since I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they also do to you. + So listen now to their voice; only solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. + So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king. + And he said, These will be the ways of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. + He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots. + He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. + He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive orchards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. + He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. + He will take your men and women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys and put them to his work. + He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his slaves. + In that day you will cry out because of your king you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not hear you then. + Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No! We will have a king over us, + That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles. + Samuel heard all the people's words and repeated them in the Lord's ears. + And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city. + + + THERE WAS a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of wealth and valor. + Kish had a son named Saul, a choice young man and handsome; among all the Israelites there was not a man more handsome than he. He was a head taller than any of the people. + The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. Kish said to Saul, Take a servant with you and go, look for the donkeys. + And they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they went through the land of Shaalim and the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. + And when they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, Come, let us return, lest my father stop worrying about the donkeys and become concerned about us. + The servant said to him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, a man held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can show us where we should go. + Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no gift for the man of God. What have we? + The servant replied, I have here a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way-- + (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, Come, let us go to the seer, for he that is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) + Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. + As they went up the hill to the city, they met young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here? + They answered, He is; behold, he is just beyond you. Hurry, for he came today to the city because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. + As you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes to ask the blessing on the sacrifice. Afterward, those who are invited eat. So go on up, for about now you will find him. + So they went up to the city, and as they were entering, behold, Samuel came toward them, going up to the high place. + Now a day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel in his ear, + Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel; and he shall save them out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon the distress of My people, because their cry has come to Me. + When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, There is the man of whom I told you. He shall have authority over My people. + Then Saul came near to Samuel in the gate and said, Tell me where is the seer's house? + Samuel answered Saul, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. + As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be thinking about them, for they are found. And for whom are all the desirable things of Israel? Are they not for you and for all your father's house? + And Saul said, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the least of all the families of the clans of Benjamin? Why then do you speak this way to me? + Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the guest room [at the high place] and had them sit in the chief place among the persons--about thirty of them--who were invited. [The other people feasted outside.] + And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it aside. + And the cook lifted high the shoulder and what was on it [indicating that it was the priest's honored portion] and set it before Saul. [Samuel] said, See what was reserved for you. Eat, for until the hour appointed it was kept for you, ever since I invited the people. So Saul ate that day with Samuel. + When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel conversed with Saul on the top of the house. + They arose early and about dawn Samuel called Saul [who was sleeping] on the top of the house, saying, Get up, that I may send you on your way. Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out on the street. + And as they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us--and he passed on--but you stand still, first, that I may cause you to hear the word of God. + + + THEN SAMUEL took the vial of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him and said, Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over His heritage Israel? + When you have left me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, The donkeys you sought are found. And your father has quit caring about them and is anxious for you, asking, What shall I do about my son? + Then you will go on from there and you will come to the oak of Tabor, and three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin bottle of wine. + They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. + After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when you come to the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. + Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you will show yourself to be a prophet with them; and you will be turned into another man. + When these signs meet you, do whatever you find to be done, for God is with you. + You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you shall do. + And when [Saul] had turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass that day. + When they came to the hill [Gibeah], behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he spoke under divine inspiration among them. + And when all who knew Saul before saw that he spoke by inspiration among the [schooled] prophets, the people said one to another, What has come over [him, who is nobody but] the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? + One from that same place answered, But who is the father of the others? So it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? + When [Saul] had ended his inspired speaking, he went to the high place. + Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And Saul said, To look for the donkeys, and when we found them nowhere, we went to Samuel. + Saul's uncle said, Tell me, what did Samuel say to you? + And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel spoke he told him nothing. + And Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah + And said to the Israelites, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: It was I Who brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. + But you have this day rejected your God, Who Himself saves you from all your calamities and distresses; and you have said to Him, No! Set a king over us. So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands. + And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken [probably by lot]. + When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken. And Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he could not be found. + Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man would yet come back. And the Lord answered, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage. [Exod. 28:30.] + They ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of them. + And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that none like him is among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king! + Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom [defining the position of the king in relation to God and to the people], and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. + Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of valiant men whose hearts God had touched. + But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf. + + + AND NAHASH the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you. + But Nahash the Ammonite told them, On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I thrust out all your right eyes and thus lay disgrace on all Israel. + The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, Give us seven days' time, that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you. + Then messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the ears of the people; and all the people wept aloud. + Now Saul came out of the field after the oxen, and [he] said, What ails the people that they are weeping? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. + The Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was greatly kindled. + And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come forth after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen! And terror from the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. + And he numbered them at Bezek, and the Israelites were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000. + The messengers who came were told, Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help. The messengers came and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. + So the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us all that seems good to you. + The next day Saul put the men in three companies; and they came into the midst of the enemy's camp in the [darkness of the] morning watch and slew the Ammonites until midday; and the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them remained together. + The people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men, that we may put them to death. + But Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel. + Samuel said to the people, Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom. + All the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king before the Lord. And there they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. + + + AND SAMUEL said to all Israel, I have listened to you in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. + And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. + Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and Saul His anointed. Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded or oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? Tell me and I will restore it to you. + And they said, You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand. + And Samuel said to them, The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. + And Samuel said to the people, It is the Lord Who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of Egypt. + Now present yourselves, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and for your fathers. + When Jacob and his sons had come into Egypt [and the Egyptians oppressed them], and your fathers cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. + But when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor's army, and into the hands of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought those foes. + And they cried to the Lord, saying, We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You. + And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you out of the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt safely. + But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, No! A king shall reign over us--when the Lord your God was your King! + Now see the king whom you have chosen and for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. + If you will revere and fear the Lord and serve Him and hearken to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, and if both you and your king will follow the Lord your God, it will be good! + But if you will not hearken to the Lord's voice, but rebel against His commandment, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. + So stand still and see this great thing the Lord will do before your eyes now. + Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain; then you shall know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking for a king for yourselves. + So Samuel called to the Lord, and He sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. + And [they] all said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil--to ask for a king. + And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. You have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve Him with all your heart. + And turn not aside after vain and worthless things which cannot profit or deliver you, for they are empty and futile. + The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, for it has pleased Him to make you a people for Himself. + Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. + Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider how great are the things He has done for you. + But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king shall be swept away. + + + SAUL WAS [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, + Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel; 2,000 were with [him] in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and 1,000 with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent away, each one to his home. + Jonathan smote the Philistine garrison at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear! + All Israel heard that Saul had defeated the Philistine garrison and also that Israel had become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. + And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and troops like sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. + When the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight situation--for their troops were hard pressed--they hid in caves, holes, rocks, tombs, and pits or cisterns. + Some Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. + Saul waited seven days, according to the set time Samuel had appointed. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from Saul. + So Saul said, Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering [which he was forbidden to do]. + And just as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came! Saul went out to meet and greet him. + Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash, + I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering. + And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; + But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. + And Samuel went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were left with him, [only] about 600. + Saul and Jonathan his son and the people with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped at Michmash. + And raiders came out of the Philistine camp in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, + Another turned toward Beth-horon, and another toward the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. + Now there was no metal worker to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears. + But each of the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to get his plowshare, mattock, axe, or sickle sharpened. + And the price for plowshares and mattocks was a pim, and a third of a shekel for axes and for setting goads [with resulting blunt edges on the sickles, mattocks, forks, axes, and goads.] + So on the day of battle neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the men who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. + And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. + + + ONE DAY Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side. But he did not tell his father. + Saul was remaining in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron; and with him were about 600 men, + And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone. + Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; one was named Bozez, and the other Seneh. + The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. + And Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving by many or by few. + And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your mind; I am with you in whatever you think [best]. + Jonathan said, We will pass over to these men and we will let them see us. + If they say to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. + But if they say, Come up to us, we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be our sign. + So both of them let the Philistine garrison see them. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves. + The garrison men said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, Come up to us and we will show you a thing. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into Israel's hand. + Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor-bearer after him; and the enemy fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. + And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made was about twenty men within about a half acre of land [which a yoke of oxen might plow]. + And there was trembling and panic in the [Philistine] camp, in the field, and among all the men; the garrison, and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked, and it became a terror from God. + Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away and went hither and thither. + Then Saul said to the men with him, Number and see who is gone from us. When they numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were missing. + Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God--for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel. + While Saul talked to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp kept increasing. Then Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand. + Then Saul and all the people with him rallied and went into the battle, and behold, every [Philistine's] sword was against his fellow in wild confusion. + Moreover, the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. + Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also went after them in hot pursuit in the battle. + So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle passed beyond Beth-aven. + But the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had caused them to take an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food before evening and until I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So none of the men tasted any food. + And all the people of the land came to a wood, and there was honey on the ground. + When the men entered the wood, behold, the honey was dripping, but no man tasted it, for the men feared the oath. + But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people with the oath. So he dipped the end of the rod in his hand into a honeycomb and put it to his mouth, and his [weary] eyes brightened. + Then one of the men told him, Your father strictly charged the men with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food today. And the people were exhausted and faint. + Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. + How much better if the men had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter of the Philistines has not been great. + They smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. + [When night came and the oath expired] the men flew upon the spoil. They took sheep, oxen, and calves, slew them on the ground, and ate them [raw] with the blood. + Then Saul was told, Behold, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood. And he said, You have transgressed; roll a great stone to me here. + Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and tell them, Bring me every man his ox or his sheep, and butcher them here and eat; and sin not against the Lord by eating the blood. So all the men brought each one his ox that night and butchered it there. + And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar he built to the Lord. + Then Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and seize and plunder them until daylight, and let us not leave a man of them. They said, Do whatever seems good to you. Then the priest said, Let us draw near here to God. + And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel? But He did not answer him that day. + Then Saul said, Draw near, all the chiefs of the people, and let us see how this sin [causing God's silence] arose today. + For as the Lord lives, Who delivers Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But not a man among all the people answered him. + Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side; and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. The people said to Saul, Do what seems good to you. + Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot and show the right. And Saul and Jonathan were taken [by lot], but the other men went free. + Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. + Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan said, I tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. And behold, I must die. + Saul answered, May God do so, and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan. + But the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan, who has wrought this great deliverance to Israel, die? God forbid! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head perish, for he has wrought this great deliverance with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. + Then Saul ceased pursuing the Philistines, and they went to their own place. + When Saul took over the kingdom of Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he made it worse for them. + He did valiantly and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. + Now Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were, of the firstborn, Merab; and of the younger, Michal. + The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle. + Kish the father of Saul and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel. + There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and whenever Saul saw any mighty or [outstandingly] courageous man, he attached him to himself. + + + SAMUEL TOLD Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now listen and heed the words of the Lord. + Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have considered and will punish what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way when [Israel] came out of Egypt. + Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. + So Saul assembled the men and numbered them at Telaim--200,000 men on foot and 10,000 men of Judah. + And Saul came to the city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley. + Saul warned the Kenites, Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. + Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. + And he took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, though he utterly destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. + Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but all that was undesirable or worthless they destroyed utterly. + Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, + I regret making Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commands. And Samuel was grieved and angry [with Saul], and he cried to the Lord all night. + When Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, he was told, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument or trophy [of his victory] and passed on and went down to Gilgal. + And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, Blessed are you of the Lord. I have performed what the Lord ordered. + And Samuel said, What then means this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? + Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we have utterly destroyed. + Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me tonight. Saul said to him, Say on. + Samuel said, When you were small in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel? + And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites; and fight against them until they are consumed. + Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil in the Lord's sight? + Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. + But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal. + Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. + For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king. + And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. + Now, I pray you, pardon my sin and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord. + And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel. + And as Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of Samuel's mantle, and it tore. + And Samuel said to him, The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. + And also the Strength of Israel will not lie or repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent. + Saul said, I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God. + So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. + Then Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. + Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. + Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. + And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, though Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel. + + + THE LORD said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons. + Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. + And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you. + And Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Have you come peaceably? + And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. + When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him. + But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. + Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. + Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. Samuel said, Nor has the Lord chosen him. + Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. + Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here. + Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he. + Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. + But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him. + Saul's servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you. + Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well. + Saul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me. + One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him. + So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep. + And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul. + And David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer. + Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he pleases me. + And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him. + + + NOW THE Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. + Saul and the men of Israel were encamped in the Valley of Elah and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. + And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. + And a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten feet]. + And he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of mail, and the coat weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze. + He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin across his shoulders. + And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron. And a shield bearer went before him. + Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. + If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. + And the Philistine said, I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. + When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. + David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons. [Jesse] in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years. + [His] three eldest sons had followed Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah. + David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, + But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. + The Philistine came out morning and evening, presenting himself for forty days. + And Jesse said to David his son, Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and carry them quickly to your brothers at the camp. + Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare and bring some token from them. + Now Saul and the brothers and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. + So David rose up early next morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host going forth to the battleground shouted the battle cry. + And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. + David left his packages in the care of the baggage keeper and ran into the ranks and came and greeted his brothers. + As they talked, behold, Goliath, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, came forth from the Philistine ranks and spoke the same words as before, and David heard him. + And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, terrified. + And the Israelites said, Have you seen this man who has come out? Surely he has come out to defy Israel; and the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free [from taxes and service] in Israel. + And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? + And the [men] told him, Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him. + Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, Why did you come here? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle. + And David said, What have I done now? Was it not a harmless question? + And David turned away from Eliab to another and he asked the same question, and again the men gave him the same answer. + When David's words were heard, they were repeated to Saul, and he sent for him. + David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him. + And Saul said to David, You are not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth. + And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock, + I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it. + Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God! + David said, The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you! + Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. + And David girded his sword over his armor. Then he tried to go, but could not, for he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them. And David took them off. + Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd's [lunch] bag [a whole kid's skin slung from his shoulder], in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near the Philistine. + The Philistine came on and drew near to David, the man who bore the shield going before him. + And when the Philistine looked around and saw David, he scorned and despised him, for he was but an adolescent, with a healthy reddish color and a fair face. + And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you should come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. + The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. + Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. + This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. + And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands. + When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. + David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. + So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David's hand. + So he ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty champion was dead, they fled. + And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. So the wounded Philistines fell along the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. + The Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines and plundered their tents. + David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. + When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell. + And the king said, Inquire whose son the stripling is. + When David returned from killing Goliath the Philistine, Abner brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. + And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem. + + + WHEN DAVID had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life. + Saul took David that day and would not let him return to his father's house. + Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own life. + And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, even his sword, his bow, and his girdle. + And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he prospered and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was satisfactory both to the people and to Saul's servants. + As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the Israelite towns, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with timbrels, songs of joy, and instruments of music. + And the women responded as they laughed and frolicked, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. + And Saul was very angry, for the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed only thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom? + And Saul [jealously] eyed David from that day forward. + The next day an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved [madly] in his house, while David played [the lyre] with his hand, as at other times; and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. + And Saul cast the javelin, for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. And David evaded him twice. + Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. + So Saul removed David from him and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. + David acted wisely in all his ways and succeeded, and the Lord was with him. + When Saul saw how capable and successful David was, he stood in awe of him. + But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. + Saul said to David, My elder daughter Merab I will give you as wife; only serve me courageously and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand, but the Philistines' hand, be upon him. + David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be the king's son-in-law? + But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife. + Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and it pleased him. + Saul thought, I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. So Saul said to David a second time, You shall now be my son-in-law. + And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately and say, The king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become [his] son-in-law. + Saul's servants told those words to David. David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor man and lightly esteemed? + And the servants of Saul told him what David said. + Saul said, Say this to David, The king wants no dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the Philistines' hands. + When his servants told David these words, it pleased [him] well to become the king's son-in-law. Before the days expired, + David went, he and his men, and slew two hundred Philistine men, and brought their foreskins and gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. + When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michal [his] daughter loved him, + Saul was still more afraid of David; and Saul became David's constant enemy. + Then the Philistine princes came out to battle, and when they did so, David had more success and behaved himself more wisely than all Saul's servants, so that his name was very dear and highly esteemed. + + + NOW SAUL told Jonathan his son and all his servants that they must kill David. + But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David, and he told David, Saul my father is seeking to kill you. Now therefore, take heed to yourself in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. + And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are; and I will converse with my father about you and if I learn anything, I will tell you. + And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you, and his deeds have been of good service to you. + For he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood and kill David without a cause? + Saul heeded Jonathan and swore, As the Lord lives, David shall not be slain. + So Jonathan called David and told him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past. + Then there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and made a great slaughter among them and they fled before him. + Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing [the lyre] with his hand. + Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away, so that Saul struck the spear into the wall. Then David fled and escaped that night. + Saul sent messengers that night to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed. + So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled and escaped. + And Michal took the teraph (household good luck image) and laid it in the bed, put a pillow of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with a bedspread. + And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. + Then Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. + And when the messengers came in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair at its head. + Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me so and sent away my enemy so that he has escaped? Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill you? + So David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. + And it was told Saul, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. + And Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul and they also prophesied. + When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. + Then Saul himself went to Ramah and came to a great well that is in Secu; and he asked, Where are Samuel and David? And he was told, They are at Naioth in Ramah. + So he went on to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went on he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. + He took off his royal robes and prophesied before Samuel and lay down stripped thus all that day and night. So they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? [I Sam. 10:10.] + + + DAVID FLED from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, What have I done? Of what am I guilty? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life? + Jonathan said, God forbid! You shall not die. My father does nothing great or small but what he tells me. And why should [he] hide this thing from me? It is not so. + But David replied, Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death. + Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever you desire, I will do for you. + David said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the New Moon [festival], and I should not fail to sit at the table with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. + If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. + If he says, All right, then it will be well with your servant; but if he is angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him. + Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought [me] into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father? + And Jonathan said, Far be it from you! If I knew that evil was determined for you by my father, would I not tell you? + Then said David to Jonathan, Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly? + Jonathan said, Come, let us go into the field. So they went into the field. + Jonathan said to David, The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness. When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well inclined toward David, and I do not send and let you know it, + The Lord do so, and much more, to Jonathan. But if it please my father to do you harm, then I will disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. + While I am still alive you shall not only show me the loving-kindness of the Lord, so that I die not, + But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever--no, not even when the Lord has cut off every enemy of David from the face of the earth. + So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And the Lord will require that this covenant be kept at the hands of David's enemies. + And Jonathan caused David to swear again by his love for him, for Jonathan loved him as he loved his own life. + Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the New Moon festival; and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty. + On the third day you will go quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain by the stone Ezel. + And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. + And I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them--then you are to come, for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the Lord lives. + But if I say to the youth, Look, the arrows are beyond you--then go, for the Lord has sent you away. + And as touching the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever. + So David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon [festival] came, the king sat down to eat food. + The king sat, as at other times, on his seat by the wall, and Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. + Yet Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him and he is not clean--surely he is not clean. + But on the morrow, the second day after the new moon, David's place was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today? + And Jonathan answered, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. + He said, Let me go, I pray, for our family holds a sacrifice in the city and my brother commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers. That is why he has not come to the king's table. + Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother who bore you? + For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you shall not be established nor shall your kingdom. So now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die. + Jonathan answered Saul his father, Why should he be killed? What has he done? + But Saul cast his spear at him to smite him, by which Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill David. + So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food that second day of the month, for he grieved for David because his father had disgraced him. + In the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. + And he said to his lad, Run, find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. + When the lad came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called to [him], Is not the arrow beyond you? + And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not! The lad gathered up the arrow and came to his master. + But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter. + Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and told him, Go, carry them to the city. + And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose from beside the heap of stones and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself. + And Jonathan told David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours forever. And Jonathan arose and departed into the city. + + + THEN DAVID went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech was afraid at meeting David, and said to him, Why are you alone and no man with you? + David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has charged me with a matter and has told me, Let no man know anything of the mission on which I send you and with what I have charged you. I have appointed the young men to a certain place. + Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you may have. + And the priest answered David, There is no common bread on hand, but there is hallowed bread--if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. + And David told the priest, Truly women have been kept from us in these three days since I came out, and the food bags and utensils of the young men are clean, and although the bread will be used in a secular way, it will be set apart in the clean bags. + So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread which was taken from before the Lord to put hot bread in its place the day when it was taken away. + Now a certain man of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen. + David said to Ahimelech, Do you have at hand a sword or spear? The king's business required haste, and I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me. + The priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the Valley of Elah, see, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, do so, for there is no other here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me. + David arose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. + The servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in their dances: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? + David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish king of Gath. + And he changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be insane in their [Philistine] hands, and scribbled on the gate doors, and drooled on his beard. + Then said Achish to his servants, You see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? + Have I need of madmen, that you bring this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house? + + + SO DAVID departed and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. + And everyone in distress or in debt or discontented gathered to him, and he became a commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men. + And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father [of Moabite descent] and my mother, I pray you, come out [of Judah] and be with you till I know what God will do for me. [Ruth 4:13, 17.] + And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold [in Moab]. + Then the prophet Gad said to David, Do not remain in the stronghold; leave, and get into the land of Judah. So David left and went into the forest of Hareth. + Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height, his spear in his hand and all his servants standing about him. + Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all commanders of thousands and hundreds, + That all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as he does this day? + Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood with Saul's servants, said, I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub. + And [Ahimelech] inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine. + Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and they all came to the king. + Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. He replied, Here I am, my lord. + Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so he could rise against me to lie in wait, as he does this day? + Then Ahimelech answered the king, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is taken into your council and honored in your house? + Have I only today begun inquiring of God for him? No! Let not the king impute any wrong to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, little or much. + [Saul] said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house. + And the king said to the guard that stood about him, Turn and slay the Lord's priests, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hands against the Lord's priests. + The king said to Doeg, You turn and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests and slew that day eighty-five persons who wore the priest's linen ephod. + And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the sword; both men and women, children and sucklings, oxen and donkeys and sheep, he put to the sword. + And one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub named Abiathar escaped and fled after David. + And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests. + David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all your father's house. + Stay with me, fear not; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. But with me you shall be safeguarded. + + + THEN THEY told David, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors. + So David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go, smite the Philistines and save Keilah. + David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more, then, if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? + Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. + So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines with a great slaughter and brought away their cattle. So David delivered the people of Keilah. + When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came with an ephod in his hand. + Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by going into a town that has gates and bars. + Saul summoned all the men for war, to go to Keilah to besiege David and his men. + David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here. + Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul intends to come and destroy the city of Keilah on my account. + Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech You, tell Your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. + Then David asked, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul's hand? The Lord said, They will deliver you up. + Then David and his men, about 600, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up going there. + David remained in the wilderness strongholds in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hands. + David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in the wood [at Horesh]. + And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went into the wood to David [at Horesh] and strengthened his hand in God. + He said to him, Fear not; the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father knows that too. + And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David remained in the wood [at Horesh], and Jonathan went to his house. + Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood [at Horesh], on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? + Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hands. + And Saul said, The Lord bless you, for you have compassion on me. + Go, make yet more sure; and know and see where his haunt is and who has seen him there; for I am told he deals very craftily. + See and take note of all his hiding places and come back to me with the certain facts, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. + So they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. + Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; so he went down to the rock in the Wilderness of Maon and stayed. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. + And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding [him] and his men to capture them. + But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land. + So Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Escape. + David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi. + + + WHEN SAUL returned from following the Philistines, he was told, Behold, David is in the Wilderness of En-gedi. + Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men among the Rocks of the Wild Goats. + He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the cave's innermost recesses. + David's men said to him, Behold the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you shall do to him as seems good to you. Then David arose [in the darkness] and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul's robe. + Afterward, David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt. + He said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this to my master, the Lord's anointed, to put my hand out against him, when he is the anointed of the Lord. + So David checked his men with these words and did not let them rise against Saul. But Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. + David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and did obeisance. + And David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men who say, David seeks to do you harm? + Behold, your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. + See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand! Since I cut off the skirt of your robe and did not kill you, you know and see that there is no evil or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my life to take it. + May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me upon you, but my hand shall not be upon you. + As the proverb of the ancients says, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be against you. + After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea? + May the Lord be judge and judge between me and you, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hands. [Ps. 142.] + When David had said this to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. + He said to David, You are more upright in God's eyes than I, for you have repaid me good, but I have rewarded you evil. + You have declared today how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord gave me into your hand, you did not kill me. + For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done for me this day. + And now, behold, I well know that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hands. + Swear now therefore to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house. + David gave Saul his oath; and Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. + + + NOW SAMUEL died, and all the Israelites assembled and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. David arose and went to the Wilderness of Paran. + A very rich man was in Maon, whose possessions and business were in Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. + The man's name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail; she was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful. But the man was rough and evil in his doings; he was a Calebite. + David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. + And David sent out ten young men and said to [them], Go up to Carmel to Nabal and greet him in my name; + And salute him thus: Peace be to you and to your house and to all that you have. + I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. + Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight, for we come at an opportune time. I pray you, give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David. + And when David's young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then paused. + And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who are each breaking away from his master. + Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they belong? + So David's young men turned away, and came and told him all that was said. + And David said to his men, Every man gird on his sword. And they did so, and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about 400 men, and 200 remained with the baggage. + But one of Nabal's young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them. + But David's men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, nor did we miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields. + They were a wall to us night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. + So know this and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and all his house. For he is such a wicked man that one cannot speak to him. + Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five measures of parched grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. + And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. + As she rode on her donkey, she came down hidden by the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down opposite her, and she met them. + Now David had said, Surely in vain have I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good. + May God do so, and more also, to David if I leave of all who belong to him one male alive by morning. + When Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the donkey, and fell before David on her face and did obeisance. + Kneeling at his feet she said, Upon me alone let this guilt be, my lord. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your presence, and hear the words of your handmaid. + Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this foolish and wicked fellow Nabal, for as his name is, so is he--Nabal [foolish, wicked] is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see my lord's young men whom you sent. + So now, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, seeing that the Lord has prevented you from bloodguiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. + And now this gift, which your handmaid has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. + Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the Lord's battles, and evil has not been found in you all your days. + Though man is risen up to pursue you and to seek your life, yet the life of my lord shall be bound in the living bundle with the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies--them shall He sling out as out of the center of a sling. + And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you and has made you ruler over Israel, + This shall be no staggering grief to you or cause for pangs of conscience to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then [earnestly] remember your handmaid. + And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me. + And blessed be your discretion and advice, and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand. + For as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, Who has prevented me from hurting you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning there would not have been left so much as one male to Nabal. + So David accepted what she had brought him and said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have hearkened to your voice and have granted your petition. + And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And [his] heart was merry, for he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until the morning light. + But in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, his heart died within him and he became [paralyzed, helpless as] a stone. + And about ten days after that, the Lord smote Nabal and he died. + When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, Who has pleaded the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and kept His servant from evil. For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him as his wife. + And when the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, David sent us to you to take you to him to be his wife. + And she arose and bowed herself to the earth and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. + And Abigail hastened and arose and rode on a donkey, with five of her maids who followed her, and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife. + David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. + Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti son of Laish, who was of Gallim. + + + THE ZIPHITES came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself on the hill of Hachilah, east of Jeshimon? + So Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, with 3,000 chosen men of Israel, to seek David [there]. + Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. And when he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, + David sent out spies and learned that Saul had actually come. + David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and saw where Saul lay with Abner son of Ner, commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the encampment, with the army encamped around him. + Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me into the camp of Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. + So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay round about him. + Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice. + David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? + David said, As the Lord lives, [He] will smite him; or his day will come to die or he will go down in battle and perish. + The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord's anointed; but take now the spear that is at his head and the bottle of water, and let us go. + So David took the spear and the bottle of water from Saul's head, and they got away. And no man saw or knew or wakened, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. + Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of the mountain afar off, a great space being between them. + David called to the army and Abner son of Ner, Will you answer, Abner? Abner replied, Who are you, calling [and disturbing] the king? + David said to Abner, Are you not a valiant man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in [to your camp] to destroy the king your lord. + This thing is not good that you have done. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the bottle of water that was at his head. + And Saul knew David's voice and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, My voice, my lord O king! + And David said, Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is in my hand [tonight]? + Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods. + Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel is come out to seek one flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains. + Then said Saul, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly. + David answered, See the king's spear! Let one of the young men come and get it. + The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. + And behold, as your life was precious today in my sight, so let my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation. + Then Saul said to David, May you be blessed, my son David; you will both do mightily and surely prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. + + + BUT DAVID said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any more within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand. + So David arose and went over with the 600 men who were with him to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. + And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widow. + When it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he sought for him no more. + And David said to Achish, If I have now found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place to dwell in some country town; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you? + Then Achish gave David the town of Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. + The time David dwelt in the Philistines' country was a year and four months. + Now David and his men went up and made attacks on the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites [enemies of Israel Joshua had failed to exterminate]. For from of old those nations inhabited the land, as one goes to Shur even to the land of Egypt. [Deut. 25:19; Josh. 13:1, 2, 13.] + And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and the apparel, and returned to Achish. + Achish would ask, Against whom have you made a raid today? And David would reply, Against the South (Negeb) of Judah, or of the Jerahmeelites, or of the Kenites. + And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath, thinking, Lest they should say about us, So did David, and so will he do as long as he dwells in the Philistines' country. + And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; so he shall be my servant always. + + + IN THOSE days the Philistines gathered their forces for war against Israel. Achish said to David, Understand that you and your men shall go with me to battle. + David said to Achish, All right, you shall know what your servant can do. Achish said to David, Therefore I will make you my bodyguard always. + Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the wizards out of the land. + And the Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel and they encamped at Gilboa. + When Saul saw the Philistine host, he was afraid; his heart trembled greatly. + When Saul inquired of the Lord, He refused to answer him, either by dreams or by Urim [a symbol worn by the priest when seeking the will of God for Israel] or by the prophets. [Prov. 1:24-30.] + Then Saul said to his servants, Find me a woman who is a medium [between the living and the dead], that I may go and inquire of her. His servants said, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at Endor. + So Saul disguised himself, put on other raiment, and he and two men with him went and came to the woman at night. He said to her, Perceive for me by the familiar spirit and bring up for me the dead person whom I shall name to you. + The woman said, See here, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and wizards out of the land. Why then do you lay a trap for my life to cause my death? + And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord lives, there shall no punishment come to you for this. + The woman said, Whom shall I bring up for you? He said, Bring up Samuel for me. + And when the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and she said to Saul, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul! + The king said to her, Be not afraid; what do you see? The woman said to Saul, I see a god [terrifying superhuman being] coming up out of the earth! + He said to her, In what form is he? And she said, An old man comes up, covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and made obeisance. + And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me to bring me up? Saul answered, I am bitterly distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do. + Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, seeing that the Lord has turned from you and has become your enemy? + The Lord has done to you as He said through me He would do; for [He] has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to your neighbor David. [I Sam. 15:22-28.] + Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord or execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. + Moreover, the Lord will also give Israel with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me [among the dead]. The Lord also will give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines. + Then immediately Saul fell full length upon the earth floor [of the medium's house], and was exceedingly afraid because of Samuel's words. There was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. + The woman came to Saul, and seeing that he was greatly troubled, she said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed you, and I have put my life in my hands and have listened to what you said to me. + So now, I pray you, listen also to the voice of your handmaid and let me set a morsel of food before you, and eat, so you may have strength when you go on your way. + But he said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he heeded their words. So he arose from the ground and sat upon the bed. + The woman had a fat calf in the house; she hurried and killed it, and took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. + Then she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up and went away that night. + + + NOW THE Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain in Jezreel. + As the Philistine lords were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were in the rear with Achish, + The Philistine princes said, What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish said to the Philistine princes, Is not this David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years, and I have found no fault in him since he deserted to me to this day? + And the Philistine princes were angry with Achish and they said to him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place where you have assigned him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could David reconcile himself to his master? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? + Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? + Then Achish called David and said to him, As surely as the Lord lives, you have been honest and upright, and for you to go out and come in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have found no evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Yet the lords do not approve of you. + So return now and go peaceably, so as not to displease the Philistine lords. + David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? + And Achish said to David, I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. + So now rise up early in the morning, with your master's servants who have come with you, and as soon as you are up and have light, depart. + So David and his men rose up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel [to fight against Israel]. + + + NOW WHEN David and his men came home to Ziklag on the third day, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South (the Negeb) and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire, + And had taken the women and all who were there, both great and small, captive. They killed no one, but carried them off and went on their way. + So David and his men came to the town, and behold, it was burned, and their wives and sons and daughters were taken captive. + Then David and the men with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. + David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. + David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God. + David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray you, bring me the ephod. And Abiathar brought him the ephod. + And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all. + So David went, he and the 600 men with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those remained who were left behind. + But David pursued, he and 400 men, for 200 stayed behind who were too exhausted and faint to cross the brook Besor. + They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and water to drink, + And a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his spirit returned to him, for he had eaten no food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. + And David said to him, To whom do you belong? And from where have you come? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me because three days ago I fell sick. + We had made a raid on the South (Negeb) of the Cherethites and upon that which belongs to Judah and upon the South (Negeb) of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire. + And David said to him, Can you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band. + And when he had brought David down, behold, the raiders were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. + And David smote them from twilight even to the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except 400 youths who rode camels and fled. + David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken and rescued his two wives. + Nothing was missing, small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered all. + Also David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and the people drove those animals before him and said, This is David's spoil. + And David came to the 200 men who were so exhausted and faint that they could not follow [him] and had been left at the brook Besor [with the baggage]. They came to meet David and those with him, and when he came near to the men, he saluted them. + Then all the wicked and base men who went with David said, Because they did not go with us, we will give them nothing of the spoil we have recovered, except that every man may lead away his wife and children and depart. + David said, You shall not do so, my brethren, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and has delivered into our hands the troop that came against us. + Who would listen to you in this matter? For as is the share of him who goes into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike. + And from that day to this he made it a statute and ordinance for Israel. + When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, Here is a gift for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord: + For those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negeb, Jattir, + Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, + Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, + Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, + Hebron, and for those in all the places David and his men had habitually haunted. + + + NOW THE Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before [them] and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. + And the Philistines pursued Saul and his sons, and slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons. + The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers severely wounded him. + Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse and mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So Saul took a sword and fell upon it. + When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword and died with him. + So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died that day together. + And when the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelites had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. + The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. + They cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor and sent them round about the land of the Philistines to publish it in the house of their idols and among the people. + And they put Saul's armor in the house of the Ashtaroth [the idols representing the female deities Ashtoreth and Asherah], and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. + When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, + All the valiant men arose and went all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan and came to Jabesh and cremated them there. + And they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. + + + + + NOW AFTER the death of Saul, when David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, he had stayed two days in Ziklag, + When on the third day a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance. + David said to him, Where have you come from? He said, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. + David said to him, How did it go? Tell me. He answered, The men have fled from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. + David said to the young man, How do you know Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? + The young man said, By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and I saw Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and horsemen were close behind him. + When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, Here I am. + He asked me, Who are you? I answered, An Amalekite. + He said to me, Rise up against me and slay me; for terrible dizziness has come upon me, yet my life is still in me [and I will be taken alive]. + So I stood up against him and slew him, because I was sure he could not live after he had fallen. So I took the crown on his head and the bracelet on his arm and have brought them here to my lord. [I Sam. 31:4.] + Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them; so did all the men with him. + They mourned and wept for Saul and Jonathan his son, and fasted until evening for the Lord's people and the house of Israel, because of their defeat in battle. + David said to the young man who told him, Where are you from? He answered, I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite. + David said to him, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? + David called one of the young men and said, Go near and fall upon him. And he smote him so that he died. + David said to [the fallen man], Your blood be upon your own head; for you have testified against yourself, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. + David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, + And he commanded to teach it, [the lament of] the bow, to the Israelites. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar: + Your glory, O Israel, is slain upon your high places. How have the mighty fallen! + Tell it not in Gath, announce it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. + O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, or fields with offerings. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, as though he were not anointed with oil. + From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. + Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In their lives and in their deaths they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. + You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with [other] delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. + How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places. + I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. + How have the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! + + + AFTER THIS, David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. David said, To which shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron. + So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. + And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household, and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron. + And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul. [I Sam. 31:11-13.] + And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, May the Lord bless you because you showed kindness and loyalty to Saul your king and buried him. + And now may the Lord show loving-kindness and faithfulness to you. I also will do well by you because you have done this. + So now, let your hands be strengthened and be valiant, for your master Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them. + Now Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. + And he made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. + Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began his two-year reign over Israel. But the house of Judah followed David. + And David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah for seven years and six months. + And Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. + Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out also; and the two groups met by the pool of Gibeon, seating themselves with one group on either side of the pool. + And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and have a contest before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. + Then there arose and went over by number--twelve of Benjamin who were with Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. + And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side; so they all fell together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Knives, which is at Gibeon. + A very fierce battle followed, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. + Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe or antelope. + Asahel pursued Abner, and as he ran he turned not to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. + Then Abner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? He answered, I am. + Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right or left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. + And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I be able to face Joab your brother? + Asahel refused to turn aside; so Abner with the rear end of his spear smote him through the abdomen, and he fell and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stood still. + But Joab and Abishai [his brothers] pursued Abner; the sun was going down as they came to the hill of Ammah, before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. + And the Benjamites gathered together behind Abner and became one troop and took their stand on the top of a hill. + Then Abner called to Joab, Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that bitterness will be the result? How long will it be then before you bid the people to stop pursuing their brethren? + Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have stopped pursuing their brethren in the morning. + So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more. + Abner and his men went all night through the Arabah [plain], crossed the Jordan, and went through the whole Bithron [district of ravines] and came to Mahanaim. + Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel. + But the servants of David had slain of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men. + And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron at daybreak. + + + THERE WAS a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. + Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; + His second, Chileab, by Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; + The fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; + And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. + While there was war between the houses of Saul and David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. + Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my father's concubine? + Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth and said, Am I a dog's head [despicable and hostile] against Judah? This day I keep showing kindness and loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman! + May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David what the Lord has sworn to him, + To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba. + And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner a word, because he feared him. + And Abner sent messengers to David where he was [at Hebron], saying, Whose is the land? Make your league with me, and my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you. + And David said, Good. I will make a league with you. But I require one thing of you: that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me. + And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. + And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her [second] husband, from Paltiel son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her]. + But her husband went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, Go back. And he did so. + Abner talked with the seniors of Israel, saying, In times past you sought to make David king over you. + Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their enemies. [I Sam. 9:16.] + Abner also spoke to [the men of] Benjamin. Then [he] went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin to do. + So Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men along with him. And David made Abner and the men with him a feast. + Abner said to David, I will go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a league with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires. So David sent Abner away in peace. + Then the servants of David came with Joab from pursuing a troop and brought much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. + When Joab and all the army with him had come, it was told to Joab, Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace. + Then Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it you have sent him away and he is quite gone? + You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and coming in and all you are doing. + When Joab came from seeing David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. + And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the center of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he smote Abner in the abdomen, so that he died to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother. + When David heard of it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner son of Ner. + Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and let the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or is a leper or walks with a crutch or is a distaff holder [unfit for war] or who falls by the sword or lacks food! + So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. + And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Rend your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David followed the bier. + They buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. + And the king lamented over Abner and said, Should Abner die as a fool dies? + Your hands were not bound or your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell. And all the people wept again over him. + All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was yet day; but David took an oath, saying, May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, till the sun is down. + And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people. + For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king's will to slay Abner son of Ner. + King David said to his servants, Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? + And I am this day weak, though anointed [but not crowned] king; these sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness! + + + WHEN ISH-BOSHETH, Saul's son [king over Israel], heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his courage failed, and all the Israelites were troubled and dismayed. + Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of Benjamin--for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin, + And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day. + Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was a cripple in his feet. He was five years old when the news came out of Jezreel [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan. And the boy's nurse took him up and fled; and in her haste, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth. + Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went about in the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay resting on his bed at noon. + And they came into the interior of the house as though they were delivering wheat, and they smote him in the body; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. + Now when they had come into the house and he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they [not only] smote and slew him, [but] beheaded him and took his head and went by the way of the plain all night. + And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring. + And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, As the Lord lives, Who redeemed my life out of all adversity, + When one told me, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking he was bringing good news, I seized and slew him in Ziklag who expected me to give him a reward for his news. + How much more--when wicked men have slain a just man in his own house on his bed--shall I not now require his blood of your hand and remove you from the earth! + David commanded his young men, and they slew them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them over the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth's head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative and once chief supporter]. + + + THEN ALL the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. + In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord told you, You shall feed My people Israel and be prince over [them]. [I Sam. 15:27-29; 16:1.] + So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them [there] before the Lord, and they anointed [him] king over Israel. + David was thirty years old when he began his forty-year reign. + In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. + And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, You shall not enter here, for the blind and the lame will prevent you; they thought, David cannot come in here. + Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David. + David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him get up through the water shaft and smite the lame and the blind who are detested by David's soul. So they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. + So David dwelt in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And he built round about from the Millo and inward. + David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him. + Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. + And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake. + And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and other sons and daughters were born to [him]. + And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went up to find [him], but [he] heard of it and went down to the stronghold. + The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. + David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will surely deliver [them] into your hand. + And David came to Baal-perazim, and he smote them there, and said, The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like the bursting out of great waters. So he called the name of that place Baal-perazim [Lord of breaking through]. + There the Philistines left their images, and David and his men took them away. + The Philistines came up again and spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim. + When David inquired of the Lord, He said, You shall not go up, but go around behind them and come upon them over opposite the mulberry (or balsam) trees. + And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then bestir yourselves, for then has the Lord gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines. + And David did as the Lord had commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. + + + AGAIN DAVID gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. + And [he] arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah [Kiriath-jearim] to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, Who sits enthroned above the cherubim. + And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. + And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. + And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. + And when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it. + And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for touching the ark, and he died there by the ark of God. + David was grieved and offended because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah [the breaking forth upon Uzzah] to this day. + David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, How can the ark of the Lord come to me? + So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to him into the City of David; but he took it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. + And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. + And it was told King David, The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing; + And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. + And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest's upper garment]. + So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. + As the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter [David's wife], looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. + They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. + When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name [and presence] of the Lord of hosts, + And distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, each to his house. + Then David returned to bless his household. And [his wife] Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who stripped himself of his kingly robes and uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the worthless fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! + David said to Michal, It was before the Lord, Who chose me above your father and all his house to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore will I make merry [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord. + I will be still more lightly esteemed than this, and will humble and lower myself in my own sight [and yours]. But by the maids you mentioned, I will be held in honor. + And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. + + + WHEN KING David dwelt in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, + The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains. + And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you. + That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, + Go and tell My servant David, Thus says the Lord: Shall you build Me a house in which to dwell? + For I have not dwelt in a house since I brought the Israelites out of Egypt to this day, but have moved about with a tent for My dwelling. + In all the places where I have moved with all the Israelites, did I speak a word to any from the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to be shepherd of My people Israel, asking, Why do you not build Me a house of cedar? + So now say this to My servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over My people Israel. + And I was with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like [that] of the great men of the earth. + And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and be moved no more. And wicked men shall afflict them no more, as formerly + And as from the time that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord declares to you that He will make for you a house: + And when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up after you your offspring who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom. + He shall build a house for My Name [and My Presence], and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. + I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men. + But My mercy and loving-kindness shall not depart from him, as I took [them] from Saul, whom I took away from before you. + And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever. + In accordance with all these words and all this vision Nathan spoke to David. + Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? + Then as if this were a little thing in Your eyes, O Lord God, You have spoken also of Your servant's house in the far distant future. And this is the law for man, O Lord God! + What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God. + Because of Your promise and as Your own heart dictates, You have done all these astounding things to make Your servant know and understand. + Therefore You are great, O Lord God; for none is like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all [You have made] our ears to hear. + What [other] one nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be a people for Himself and to make for Himself a name? You have done great and terrible things for Yourself and for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed and delivered for Yourself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. + And You have established for Yourself Your people Israel to be Your people forever, and You, Lord, became their God. + Now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word You have given as to Your servant and his house; and do as You have said, + And Your name [and presence] shall be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of Your servant David will be made firm before You. + For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant: I will build you a house. So Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. + And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. + Therefore now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let [his] house be blessed forever. + + + AFTER THIS David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg-ammah out of the hands of the Philistines. + He defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute. + David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river [Euphrates]. + David took from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except he reserved enough of them for 100 chariots. + And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew 22,000 of them. + David put garrisons in Syrian Damascus, and the Syrians became [his] servants and brought tribute. The Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went. + And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David exacted an immense amount of bronze. + When Toi king of Hamath heard about David's defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer, + [He] sent Joram his son to King David to salute and congratulate him about his battle and defeat of Hadadezer. For Hadadezer had had wars with Toi. Joram brought vessels of silver, gold, and bronze. + These King David dedicated to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he subdued: + From Syria, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. + David won renown. When he returned he slew 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. And the Lord preserved and gave victory to [him] wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel, and executed justice and righteousness for all his people. + Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; + Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe; + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king's bodyguards]; and David's sons were chief [confidential] assistants to the king. + + + AND DAVID said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake? + And of the house of Saul there was a servant whose name was Ziba. When they had called him to David, he said to him, Are you Ziba? He said, I, your servant, am he. + The king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the [unfailing, unsought, unlimited] mercy and kindness of God? Ziba replied, Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet. [I Sam. 20:14-17.] + And the king said, Where is he? Ziba replied, He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. + Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar. + And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant! + David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father [grandfather], and you shall eat at my table always. + And [the cripple] bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am? + Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given your master's son [grandson] all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. + And you shall till the land for him, you, your sons, and your servants, and you shall bring in the produce, that your master's heir may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master's son [grandson], shall eat always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. + Then Ziba said to the king, Your servant will do according to all my lord the king commands. So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons. + Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in Ziba's house were servants to Mephibosheth. + So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table, [even though] he was lame in both feet. + + + LATER, THE king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. + David said, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did to me. So David sent his servants to console him for his father's death; and they came into the land of the Ammonites, + But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that it is because David honors your father that he has sent comforters to you? Has he not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, spy it out, and overthrow it? + So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half their beards and cut off their garments in the middle at their hips and sent them away. + When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return. + And when the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves obnoxious and disgusting to David, they sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob and of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and of the king of Maacah 1,000 men, and of Tob 12,000 men. + When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. + And the Ammonites came out and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate, but the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the open country. + When Joab saw that the battlefront was against him before and behind, he picked some of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians. + The rest of the men Joab gave over to Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the Ammonites. + Joab said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. + Be of good courage; let us play the man for our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what seems good to Him. + And Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. + And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab returned from battling against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem. + When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered together. + Hadadezer sent and brought the Syrians who were beyond the river [Euphrates]; and they came to Helam, with Shobach commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. + When David was told, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. Then the Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him. + The Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of [them] the men of 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen and smote Shobach captain of their army, who died there. + And when all the kings serving Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the Ammonites any more. + + + IN THE spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites [country] and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. + One evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold. + David sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite? + And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her--for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house. + And the woman became pregnant and sent and told David, I am with child. + David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent [him] Uriah. + When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people fared, and how the war progressed. + David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of food [a gift] from the king. + But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house. + When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house? + Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing. + And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. + David invited him, and he ate with him and drank, so that he made him drunk; but that night he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house. + In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. + And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die. + So when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy's most valiant men were. + And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David fell. Uriah the Hittite died also. + Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war. + And he charged the messenger, When you have finished reporting matters of the war to the king, + Then if the king's anger rises and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know they would shoot from the wall? + Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. [Judg. 9:35, 53.] + So the messenger went and told David all for which Joab had sent him. + The messenger said to David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in to the field, but we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate. + Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. + Then David said to the messenger, Say to Joab, Let not this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack upon the city and overthrow it. And encourage Joab. + When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for Uriah. + And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord. + + + AND THE Lord sent Nathan to David. He came and said to him, There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor. + The rich man had very many flocks and herds, + But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought and brought up, and it grew up with him and his children. It ate of his own morsel, drank from his own cup, lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. + Now a traveler came to the rich man, and to avoid taking one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for his guest. + Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son [worthy] of death. + He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no pity. + Then Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. + And I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again. + Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, doing evil in His sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him with the sword of the Ammonites. [Lev. 20:10; 24:17.] + Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because [you have not only despised My command, but] you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. + Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. + For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. [Fulfilled in II Sam. 16:21, 22.] + And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. [Ps. 51.] + Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die. + Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, and he was very sick. + David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and lay all night [repeatedly] on the floor. + His older house servants arose [in the night] and went to him to raise him up from the floor, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. + And on the seventh day the child died. David's servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead? + But when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is. + Then David arose from the floor, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. + Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was alive, but when the child was dead, you arose and ate food. + David said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live? + But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. + David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went to her and lay with her; and she bore a son, and she called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved [the child]; + He sent [a message] by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and [Nathan] called the boy's [special] name Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord], because the Lord [loved the child]. + Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. + And Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. + Now therefore assemble the rest of the men, encamp against the city, and take it, lest I take the city, and it be called after my name. + So David gathered all the men, went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. + And he took the crown of their king [of Malcham] from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth exceedingly much spoil from the city. + And he brought forth the people who were there, and put them to [work with] saws and iron threshing sledges and axes, and made them labor at the brickkiln. And he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then [he] and all the men returned to Jerusalem. + + + ABSALOM SON of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon [her half brother] son of David loved her. + And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick for his [half] sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her. + But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man. + He said to Amnon, Why are you, the king's son, so lean and weak-looking from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my [half] brother Absalom's sister. + Jonadab said to him, Go to bed and pretend you are sick; and when your father David comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me food and prepare it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand. + So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, I pray you, let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand. + Then David sent home and told Tamar, Go now to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him. + So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was in bed. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked them. + She took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. So everyone went out from him. + Then Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food here into the bedroom, so I may eat from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother. + And when she brought them to him, he took hold of her and said, Come lie with me, my sister. + She replied, No, my brother! Do not force and humble me, for no such thing should be done in Israel! Do not do this foolhardy, scandalous thing! [Gen. 34:7.] + And I, how could I rid myself of my shame? And you, you will be [considered] one of the stupid fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you. + But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. + Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that his hatred for her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Get up and get out! + But she said, No! This great evil of sending me away is worse than what you did to me. But he would not listen to her. + He called the servant who served him and said, Put this woman out of my presence now, and bolt the door after her! + Now [Tamar] was wearing a long robe with sleeves and of various colors, for in such robes were the king's virgin daughters clad of old. Then Amnon's servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. + And [she] put ashes on her head and tore the long, sleeved robe which she wore, and she laid her hand on her head and went away shrieking and wailing. + And Absalom her brother said to her, Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet now, my sister. He is your brother; take not this matter to heart. So Tamar dwelt in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. + But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. + And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had humbled his sister Tamar. + After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. + Absalom came to the king and said, Behold, your servant has sheepshearers; I pray you, let the king and his servants go with your servant. + And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you. Absalom urged David; still he would not go, but he blessed him. + Then said Absalom, If not, I pray you, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you? + But Absalom urged him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. + Now Absalom commanded his servants, Notice now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and brave. + And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose and every man mounted his mule and fled. + While they were on the way, the word came to David, Absalom has killed all the king's sons, and not one of them is left. + Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the floor; and all his servants standing by tore their clothes. + But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead. This purpose has shown itself on Absalom's determined mouth ever since the day Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar. + So let not my lord the king take the thing to heart and think all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead. + But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch looked up, and behold, many people were coming by the way of the hillside behind him. + And Jonadab said to the king, See, the king's sons are coming. It is as your servant said. + And as he finished speaking, the king's sons came and lifted up their voices and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly. + But Absalom fled and went to [his mother's father] Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son [Amnon] every day. + So Absalom fled to Geshur and was there three years. + And the spirit of King David longed to go forth to Absalom, for he was comforted about Amnon, seeing that he was dead. + + + NOW JOAB son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. + And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. + And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. + When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! + The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. + And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. + And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. + David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. + And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. + The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. + Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. + Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. + [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. + We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. + And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. + For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. + And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! + Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. + The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. + In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God--to know all things that are on the earth. + Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. + And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant. + So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. + And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face. + But in all Israel there was none so much to be praised for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. + And when he cut the hair of his head, he weighed it--for at each year's end he cut it, because its weight was a burden to him--and it weighed 200 shekels by the king's weight. + There were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman. + Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem and did not see the king's face. + So Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; even when he sent again the second time, he would not come. + Therefore Absalom said to his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. So Absalom's servants set the field afire. + Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire? + Absalom answered Joab, I sent to you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the king to ask, Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore [Joab], let me see the king, and if there is iniquity and guilt in me, let him kill me. + So Joab came to the king and told him. And when David had called for Absalom, he came to him and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and [David] kissed Absalom. + + + AFTER THIS, Absalom got a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. + And [he] rose up early and stood beside the gateway; and when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him, Of what city are you? And he would say, Your servant is of such and such a tribe of Israel. + Absalom would say to him, Your claims are good and right, but there is no man appointed as the king's agent to hear you. + Absalom added, Oh, that I were judge in the land! Then every man with any suit or cause might come to me and I would do him justice! + And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. + Thus Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. + And after [four] years, Absalom said to the king, I pray you, let me go to Hebron [his birthplace] and pay my vow to the Lord. + For your servant vowed while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord [by offering a sacrifice]. + And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron. + But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron. + With Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem, who were invited [as guests to his sacrificial feast]; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not a thing. + And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy was strong; the people with Absalom increased continually. + And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. + David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the sword. + And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king says. + So the king and all his household after him went forth. But he left ten women who were concubines to keep the house. [II Sam. 12:11; 20:3.] + The king went forth with all the people after him, and halted at the last house. + All David's servants passed on beside him, along with [his bodyguards] all the Cherethites, Pelethites; also all the Gittites, 600 men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. + The king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you go with us also? Return to your place and remain with the king [Absalom], for you are a foreigner and an exile. + Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us? Since I must go where I may, you return, and take back your brethren with you. May loving-kindness and faithfulness be with you. + But Ittai answered the king, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or life, even there also will your servant be. + So David said to Ittai, Go on and pass over [the Kidron]. And Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all the little ones who were with him. + All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed over. The king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people went on toward the wilderness. + Abiathar [the priest] and behold, Zadok came also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until all the people had gone from the city. + Then the king told Zadok, Take back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His house. + But if He says, I have no delight in you, then here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him. + The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? [You and Abiathar] return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. + See, I will wait at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me. + Zadok, therefore, and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they stayed there. + And David went up over the Mount of Olives and wept as he went, barefoot and his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, weeping as they went. + David was told, Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness. + When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head. + David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. + But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. + Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. + Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. + So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem. + + + WHEN DAVID was a little past the top [of Olivet], behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, and upon them 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 summer fruits, and a skin of wine. + The king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? Ziba said, The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who become faint in the wilderness. + The king said, And where is your master's son [grandson Mephibosheth]? Ziba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father [grandfather Saul]. + Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours. Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord O king. + When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei son of Gera, came out and cursed continually as he came. + And he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. + Shimei said as he cursed, Get out, get out, you man of blood, you base fellow! + The Lord has avenged upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son. Behold, the calamity is upon you because you are a bloody man! + Then said [David's nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head. + The king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, Curse David, who then shall ask, Why have you done so? + And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who was born to me, seeks my life. With how much more reason now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone; and let him curse, for the Lord has bidden him to do it. + It may be that the Lord will look on the iniquity done me and will recompense me with good for his cursing this day. + So David and his men went by the road, and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite David and cursed as he went and threw stones and dust at him. + And the king and all the people who were with him came [to the Jordan] weary, and he refreshed himself there. + And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. + And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to [him], Long live the king! Long live the king! + Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness and loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend? + Hushai said to Absalom, No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him I will remain. + And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so will I serve you. + Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel. What shall we do? + And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be made strong. + So they spread for Absalom a tent on the top of the [king's] house, and Absalom went in to his father's harem in the sight of all Israel. + And the counsel of Ahithophel in those days was as if a man had consulted the word of God; so was all Ahithophel's counsel considered both by David and by Absalom. + + + MOREOVER, AHITHOPHEL said to Absalom, Let me choose 12,000 men and I will set out and pursue David this night. + I will come upon him while he is exhausted and weak, and cause him to panic; all the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone. + I will bring back all the people to you. [The removal of] the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace. + And what he said pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel. + Absalom said, Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says. + When Hushai came, Absalom said to him, Ahithophel has counseled thus. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up. + And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time. + For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered and enraged like a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. + Behold, he is hidden even now in some pit or other place; and when some of them are overthrown at the first, whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the followers of Absalom. + And even he who is brave, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are brave men. + Therefore I counsel that all [the men of] Israel be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in your own person. + So shall we come upon [David] some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew settles [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men with him there shall not be left so much as one. + If he withdraws into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not one pebble is left there. + Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. + Then said Hushai to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled. + Now send quickly and tell David, Lodge not this night at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up and all the people with him. + Now [the youths] Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En-rogel, for they must not be seen coming into the city. But a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told King David. + But a lad saw them and told Absalom; but they left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it. + And the woman spread a covering over the well's mouth and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not discovered. + For when Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They went over the brook of water. When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. + After they had departed, the boys came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said, Arise and pass quickly over the river Jordan; for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you. + David arose and all the people with him and passed over the Jordan. By daybreak, not one was left who had not crossed. + But when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, went home to his city, put his household in order, and hanged himself and died, and was buried in the tomb of his father. + Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. + Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of an [Ishmaelite] named Ithra, who married Abigail daughter of Nahash, [half sister of David and] sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. + So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. + When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim + Brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched [pulse--seeds of peas and beans], + Honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of cows for David and the people with him to eat; for they said, The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness. + + + DAVID NUMBERED the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds. + David sent forth the army, a third under command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. [He] told the men, I myself will go out with you also. + But the men said, You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us; if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth 10,000 such as we are. So now it is better that you be able to help us from the city. + The king said to them, Whatever seems best to you I will do. So he stood beside the gate, and all the army came out by hundreds and by thousands. + The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. + So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. + [Absalom's] men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter that day of 20,000 men. + For the battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more men that day than did the sword. + Then Absalom [unavoidably] met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and Absalom's head caught fast [in a fork] of the oak; and the mule under him ran away, leaving him hanging between the heavens and the earth. + A certain man saw it and told Joab, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. + Joab said to the man, You saw him! Why did you not strike him down to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a girdle. + The man told Joab, Though I should receive 1,000 pieces of silver, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king charged you, Abishai, and Ittai, Have a care, whoever you be, for the young man Absalom. + Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life--for nothing is hidden from the king--you yourself would have taken sides against me. + Joab said, I will not tarry thus with you. He took three darts in his hand and thrust them into the body of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. + And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him. + Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained and spared them. + They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled, everyone to his own home. + Now Absalom in his lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. He called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom's Monument. + Then said Ahimaaz son of Zadok, Let me now run and bear the king tidings of how the Lord has avenged David of his enemies. + Joab told him, You shall not carry news today, but another time. Today you shall bear no news, for the king's son is dead. + Then said Joab to the Cushite [an Ethiopian], Go tell the king what you have seen. And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. + Then said Ahimaaz son of Zadok again to Joab, But anyhow, let me, I pray you, also run after the Cushite. Joab said, Why should you run, my son, seeing you will have no reward, for you have not sufficient tidings? + But he said, Let me run anyhow. So Joab said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and outran the Cushite. + Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate by the wall, and when he looked, he saw a man running alone. + The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, If he is alone, he has news to tell. And he came on and drew near. + Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, Behold, another man running alone. The king said, He also brings news. + The watchman said, I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok. The king said, He is a good man and comes with good tidings. + And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, All is well! And he fell down to the ground on his face before the king and said, Blessed be the Lord your God, Who has shut up the men who lifted up their hands against my lord the king. + The king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant and me, your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was. + The king told him, Turn aside; stand here. And he turned aside and stood still. + And behold, the Cushite (Ethiopian) came, and he said, News, my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from all who rose up against you. + The king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? The Cushite replied, May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise against you to do evil be like that young man is. + And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would to God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son! + + + IT WAS told Joab, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. + So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for they heard it said, The king grieves for his son. + The people slipped into the city stealthily that day as humiliated people steal away when they flee in battle. + But the king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! + And Joab came into the house to the king and said, You have today covered the faces of all your servants with shame, who this day have saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. + For you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have declared today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for today I see that if Absalom had lived and all the rest of us had died, you would be well pleased. + So now arise, go out and speak kindly and encouragingly to your servants; for I swear by the Lord that if you do not go, not a man will remain with you this night. And this will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now. + Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And all [his followers] were told, The king is sitting in the gate, and they all came before the king. Now Israel [Absalom's troops] had fled, every man to his home. + And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and he saved us from the hands of the Philistines. And now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. + And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. So now, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king? + And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Say to the elders of Judah, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king, to bring him to his house? + You are my kinsmen; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king? + And say to Amasa, Are you not of my bone and of my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of my army hereafter in place of Joab. + He inclined the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to [him], Return, you and all your servants. + So [David] returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king, to conduct him over the Jordan. + And Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, hastily came down with the men of Judah to meet King David, + And 1,000 men of Benjamin with him. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him, rushed to the Jordan and pressed quickly into the king's presence. + And there went over a ferryboat to bring over the king's household and to do what he thought good. And Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king as David came to the Jordan, + And said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to me and hold me guilty, nor remember what your servant did the day my lord went out of Jerusalem [when Shimei grossly insulted David]; may the king not take it to heart. + For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I am today the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king. + But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed? + David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Shall anyone be put to death today in Israel? For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? + Therefore the king said to Shimei, You shall not die [at my hand]. And the king gave him his oath. [I Kings 2:44-46.] + Mephibosheth the son [grandson] of Saul came down to meet the king, and had not dressed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until he returned in peace and safety. + And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, David said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth? + He said, My lord O king, my servant [Ziba] deceived me; for I said, Saddle me the donkey that I may ride on it and go to the king, for your servant is lame [but he took the donkey and left without me]. + He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But the king is as an angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes. + For all of my father's house were but doomed to death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I to cry any more to the king? + The king said to him, Why speak any more of your affairs? I say, You and Ziba divide the land. + Mephibosheth said to the king, Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has returned home in safety and peace. + Now Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went on to the Jordan with the king to conduct him over the Jordan. + Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old; and he had provided the king with food while he remained at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. + And the king said to Barzillai, Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem. + And Barzillai said to the king, How much longer have I to live, that it would be worthwhile for me to go up with the king to Jerusalem? + I am this day eighty years old. Could I now [be useful as a counselor to] discern between good and evil? Can your servant appreciate what I eat or drink? Can I any longer enjoy the voices of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be still a burden to my lord the king? + Your servant will only go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? + Let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city and be buried by the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king. And do to him what shall seem good to you. + The king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him what seems good to you; and whatever you ask of me I will do for you. + So all the people went over the Jordan. When the king had crossed over, he kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and [the great man] returned to his own place. + Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel escorted the king. + And all the men of Israel came to the king and said to him, Why have our kinsmen, the men of Judah, stolen you away and have brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him? + But all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then be angry about it? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift? + Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, We have ten [tribes'] shares in the king; and we have more right to David than you have. Why then did you despise and ignore us? Were we not the first to speak of our bringing back our king? But the words of the men of Judah were more violent than the charges of the men of Israel. + + + THERE HAPPENED to be there a base and contemptible fellow named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite. He blew a trumpet and said, We have no portion in David and no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel! + So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stayed faithfully with their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem. + So David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them away under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood. + Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble the men of Judah to me within three days, and you be present here. + So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah, but he tarried longer than the set time which had been appointed him. + And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get for himself fenced cities and snatch away our very eyes. + And there went after him Joab's men and [David's bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. + When they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a sheathed sword fastened around his hips; and as he went forward, it fell out. + Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand [as if] to kiss him. + But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab's hand. So [Joab] struck him [who was to have been his successor] with it in the body, shedding his bowels to the ground without another blow; and [soon] he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bichri. + And one of Joab's men stood by him and said, Whoever favors Joab and is for David, follow Joab! + And Amasa wallowed in his blood in the highway. And when the man saw that all the people who came by stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and spread a cloth over him. + When Amasa was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. + Joab went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Berites assembled and also went after [Sheba] ardently. + And they came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the men with Joab battered and undermined the wall to make it fall. + Then a wise woman of the city cried, Hear, hear! Say to Joab, Come here so I can speak to you. + And when he came near her, the woman said, Are you Joab? He answered, I am. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. He answered, I am listening. + Then she said, People used to say, Let them but ask counsel at Abel, and so they settled the matter. + I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city which is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord? + Joab answered, Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy! + That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall. + Then the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and cast it down to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his own home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. [Eccl. 9:13-16.] + Joab was over the host of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over [the king's bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites; + Adoram was over the tribute; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; + Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; + Also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David. + + + THERE WAS a three-year famine in the days of David, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord replied, It is on account of Saul and his bloody house, for he put to death the Gibeonites. + So the king called the Gibeonites--now the Gibeonites were not Israelites but of the remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah had sought to slay the Gibeonites-- + So David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? How can I make atonement that you may bless the Lord's inheritance? + The Gibeonites said to him, We will accept no silver or gold of Saul or of his house; neither for us shall you kill any man in Israel. David said, I will do for you what you say. + They said to the king, The man who consumed us and planned to prevent us from remaining in any territory of Israel, + Let seven men of his sons be delivered to us and we will hang them up before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, [on the mountain] of the Lord. And the king said, I will give them. + But the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord's oath that was between David and Jonathan son of Saul. + But the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of [Merab] daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. + He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hung them up on the hill before the Lord, and all seven perished together. They were put to death in the first days of barley harvest. + Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them, and she did not allow either the birds of the air to come upon them by day or the beasts of the field by night. + It was told David what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. + And David went and took the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa. + He brought from there the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of those who were hung up. + And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son they buried in the country of Benjamin in Zelah in the tomb of Kish, [Saul's] father, and they did all that the king commanded. And after that, God heard and answered when His people prayed for the land. + The Philistines had war again with Israel. And David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines, and David became faint. + Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David. + But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David's men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel. + After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob (Gezer). Then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph (Sippai), who was a descendant of the giant. + There was again war at Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam. + And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he also was a descendant of the giants. + And when he defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimei, brother of David, slew him. + These four were descended from the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants. + + + DAVID SPOKE to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. + He said: The Lord is my Rock [of escape from Saul] and my Fortress [in the wilderness] and my Deliverer; [I Sam. 23:14, 25, 28.] + My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior--You save me from violence. [Gen. 15:1.] + I call on the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. + For the waves of death enveloped me; the torrents of destruction made me afraid. + The cords of Sheol were entangling me; I encountered the snares of death. + In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His temple; my cry came into His ears. + Then the earth reeled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook because He was angry. + Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it. + He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet. + He rode on a cherub and flew; He was seen upon the wings of the wind. + He made darkness His canopy around Him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies. + Out of the brightness before Him coals of fire flamed forth. + The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice. + He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning confused and troubled them. + The channels of the sea were visible, the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils. + He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of great waters. + He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. + They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. + He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. + The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands. + For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. + For all His ordinances were before me; and from His statutes I did not turn aside. + I was also blameless before Him and kept myself from guilt and iniquity. + Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His [holy] sight. + Toward the loving and loyal You will show Yourself loving and loyal, and with the upright and blameless You will show Yourself upright and blameless. + To the pure You will show Yourself pure, and to the willful You will show Yourself willful. + And the afflicted people You will deliver, but Your eyes are upon the haughty, whom You will bring down. + For You, O Lord, are my Lamp; the Lord lightens my darkness. + For by You I run through a troop; by my God I leap over a wall. + As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him. + For who is God but the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? + God is my strong Fortress; He guides the blameless in His way and sets him free. + He makes my feet like the hinds' [firm and able]; He sets me secure and confident upon the heights. + He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. + You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your condescension and gentleness have made me great. + You have enlarged my steps under me, so that my feet have not slipped. + I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; and I did not turn back until they were consumed. + I consumed them and thrust them through, so that they did not arise; they fell at my feet. + For You girded me with strength for the battle; those who rose up against me You subdued under me. + You have made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. + They looked, but there was none to save--even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. + Then I beat them small as the dust of the earth; I crushed them as the mire of the street and scattered them abroad. + You also have delivered me from strife with my people; You kept me as the head of the nations. People whom I had not known served me. + Foreigners yielded feigned obedience to me; as soon as they heard of me, they became obedient to me. + Foreigners faded away; they came limping and trembling from their strongholds. + The Lord lives; blessed be my Rock, and exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation. + It is God Who executes vengeance for me and Who brought down [and disciplined] the peoples under me, + Who brought me out from my enemies. You also lifted me up above those who rose up against me; You delivered me from the violent man. + For this I will give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. + He is a Tower of salvation and great deliverance to His king, and shows loving-kindness to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever. + + + NOW THESE are the last words of David: David son of Jesse says, and the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, says, + The Spirit of the Lord spoke in and by me, and His word was upon my tongue. + The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, When one rules over men righteously, ruling in the fear of God, + He dawns on them like the morning light when the sun rises on a cloudless morning, when the tender grass springs out of the earth through clear shining after rain. + Truly does not my house stand so with God? For He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For will He not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? + But wicked, godless, and worthless lives are all like thorns to be thrust away, because they cannot be taken with the hand. + But the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire on the spot. + These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the Three [heroes], known also as Adino the Eznite; he wielded his spear and went against 800 men, who were slain at one time. [I Chron. 11:11.] + Next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines assembled there for battle, and the men of Israel had departed. + [Eleazar] arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword. The Lord wrought a great deliverance and victory that day; the men returned after him only to take the spoil. + Next to [Eleazar] was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered at Lehi on a piece of ground full of lentils; and the [Israelites] fled from the Philistines. + But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory. + And three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time to David in the cave of Adullam, and a troop of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. + And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. + And David said longingly, Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate! + And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem by the gate and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. + And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, to drink this. Is it not [the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? So he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. + Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three. + Was he not most renowned of the Three? So he was their captain; however, he did not attain to the Three. + And Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many notable acts, slew two lionlike men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day. + And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew the man with his own spear. + These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and won a name beside the three mighty men. + He was more renowned than the Thirty, but he attained not to the [first] Three. David set him over his guard or council. + Asahel brother of Joab was one of the Thirty; then Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, + Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, + Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, + Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, + Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites. + Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, + Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, + Eliahba of Shaalbon, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, + Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, + Eliphelet son of Ahasbai, son of Maacah, Eliam son of Ahithophel of Giloh, + Hezro (Hezrai) of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, + Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite--thirty-seven in all. + + + AGAIN THE anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. + For the king said to Joab the captain of the host who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know their number. + And Joab said to the king, May the Lord your God add a hundred times as many people as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing? + But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So they went from the king's presence to number the Israelites. + They passed over the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, on the south side of the city lying in the midst of the ravine [of the Arnon] toward Gad, and on to Jazer. + Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan [Dan in the forest] and around to Sidon, + And came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the South (the Negeb) of Judah at Beersheba. + So when they had gone through all the land [taking the census], they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. + And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king. There were in Israel 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000. + But David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done. I beseech You, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly. + When David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, + Go and say to David, Thus says the Lord, I hold over you three choices; select one of them, so I may bring it upon you. + So Gad came to David and told him and said, Shall seven years of famine come to your land? Or will you flee three months before your pursuing enemies? Or do you prefer three days of pestilence in your land? Consider and see what answer I shall return to Him Who sent me. + And David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are many and great; but let me not fall into the hands of man. + So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba 70,000 men. + And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented of the evil and reversed His judgment and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + When David saw the angel who was smiting the people, he spoke to the Lord and said, Behold, I have sinned and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray You, be [only] against me and against my father's house. + Then Gad came to David and said, Go up, rear an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + So David went up according to Gad's word, as the Lord commanded. + Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him; and [he] went out and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. + Araunah said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing floor from you, to build there an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people. + And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for wood. + All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king. And Araunah said to the king, The Lord your God accept you. + But King David said to Araunah, No, but I will buy it of you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God of that which costs me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. + David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and Israel's plague was stayed. + + + + + AND KING David was old and advanced in years; they covered him with [bed]clothes, but he could not get warm. + So his servants [the physicians] said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her wait on and be useful to the king; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get warm. + So they sought a fair maiden through all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. + The maiden was beautiful; and she waited on and nursed him. But the king had no intercourse with her. + Then Adonijah son of [David's wife] Haggith exalted himself, saying, I [the eldest living son] will be king. And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run before him. + David his father had never in his life displeased him by asking, Why have you done so? He was also a very attractive man and was born after Absalom. + He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed Adonijah and helped him. + But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's mighty men did not side with Adonijah. + Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatlings by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside [the well] En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah. + But Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother he did not invite. + Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns and David our lord does not know it? + Come now, let me advise you how to save your own life and your son Solomon's. + Go to King David and say, Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign? + Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words. + So Bathsheba went in to the king in his chamber. Now the king was very old and feeble, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to [him]. + Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king. The king said, What do you wish? + And she said to him, My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me and sit upon my throne. + And now, behold, Adonijah is reigning, and, my lord the king, you do not know it. + He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he did not invite Solomon your servant. + Now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after you. + Otherwise, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be counted as offenders. + While she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. + The king was told, Here is Nathan the prophet. And when he came before the king, he bowed himself before him with his face to the ground. + And Nathan said, My lord the king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? + He has gone this day and sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and they eat and drink before him and say, Long live King Adonijah! + But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. + Is this done by my lord the king and you have not shown your servants who shall succeed my lord the king? + Then King David answered, Call Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence and stood before him. + And the king took an oath and said, As the Lord lives, Who has redeemed my soul out of all distress, + Even as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead--even so will I certainly do this day. + Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king and said, Let my lord King David live forever! + King David said, Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. + The king told them, Take the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon [in the Kidron Valley]. + And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, Long live King Solomon! + Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my stead; I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah. + And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so too. + As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David. + So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites [the king's bodyguards] went down and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule and brought him to Gihon. + Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet and all the people said, Long live King Solomon! + All the people followed him; they played on pipes and rejoiced greatly, so that the earth [resounded] with the joyful sound. + And Adonijah and all the guests with him heard it as they finished feasting. When Joab heard the trumpet sound, he said, What does this uproar in the city mean? + While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, Come in, for you are a trustworthy man and bring good news. + Jonathan replied, Adonijah, truly our lord King David has made Solomon king! + The king has sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule. + Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; they have come up from there rejoicing, so the city resounds. This is the noise you heard. + Solomon sits on the royal throne. + Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed + And said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has granted me to see one of my offspring sitting on my throne this day. + And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid and rose up and went every man his way. + And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went [to the tabernacle tent on Mt. Zion] and caught hold of the horns of the altar [as a fugitive's refuge]. + And it was told Solomon, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has caught hold of the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not slay his servant with the sword. + Solomon said, If he will show himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die. + So King Solomon sent, and they brought Adonijah down from the altar [in front of the tabernacle]. He came and bowed himself to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, Go to your house. + + + WHEN DAVID'S time to die was near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, + I go the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man; + Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may do wisely and prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, + That the Lord may fulfill His promise to me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, there shall not fail you [to have] a man on the throne of Israel. + You know also what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, whom he murdered, avenging in time of peace blood shed in war, and putting innocent blood of war on the girdle on his loins and on the sandals of his feet. + Do therefore according to your wisdom, but let not his hoary head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in peace. + But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table; for with such kindness they met me when I fled because of Absalom your brother. [II Sam. 17:27-29.] + And you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan [on my return], and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. + So do not hold him guiltless; for you are a wise man and know what you should do to him. His hoary head bring down to the grave with blood. + So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. + David reigned over Israel forty years--seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. + Then Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. + Adonijah, the son of [David and] Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. She said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. + He said, I have something to say to you. And she said, Say on. + He said, You know that the kingdom belonged to me [as the eldest living son], and all Israel looked to me to reign. However, the kingdom has passed from me to my brother; for it was his from the Lord. + Now I make one request of you; do not deny me. And she said, Say on. + He said, I pray you, ask King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunammite to be my wife. [I Kings 1:1-4.] + And Bathsheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king. + So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose to meet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set at his right hand for her, the king's mother. + Then she said, I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. The king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not refuse you. + She said, Give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah your brother to be his wife. + King Solomon answered his mother, And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also--for he is my elder brother--[ask it] even for him and for [his supporters] Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah. + Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not requested this against his own life. + Therefore, as the Lord lives, Who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and Who has made me a house as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. + So King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who attacked [Adonijah] and he died. + And to Abiathar the priest the king said, Get to Anathoth to your own estate; for you deserve death, but I will not put you to death now, because you bore the ark of the Lord God before my father David and were afflicted in all my father endured. + So Solomon expelled Abiathar [descendant of Eli] from being priest to the Lord, fulfilling the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. [I Sam. 2:27-36.] + When the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah though he had not followed Absalom, [he] fled to the tent (tabernacle) of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar [before it]. + King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was at the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, strike him down. + So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and told Joab, The king commands, Come forth. But Joab said, No, I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the king word again, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. + The king said to him, Do as he has said. Strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from [me and from] my father's house the innocent blood which Joab shed. + The Lord shall return his bloody deeds upon his own head, for he fell upon two men more [uncompromisingly] righteous and honorable than he and slew them with the sword, without my father knowing of it: Abner son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. + So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab and of his descendants forever. But upon David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the Lord forever. + So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed Joab, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness. + The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab's place over the army and put Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar. + The king sent for Shimei and said to him, Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not leave there. + For on the day you go out and pass over the brook Kidron, know with certainty that you shall die; your blood shall be upon your own head. + And Shimei said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. + But after three years, two of Shimei's servants ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, Behold, your [runaway] servants are in Gath. + So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to King Achish to seek his servants, and brought them from Gath. + It was told Solomon that Shimei went from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. + And the king sent for Shimei and said to him, Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, Know with certainty, on the day you go out and walk abroad anywhere, you shall surely die? And you said to me, I have heard your word. It is accepted. + Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the command with which I have charged you? + The king also said to Shimei, You are aware in your own heart of all the evil you did to my father David; so the Lord will return your evil upon your own head. + But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever. + So the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who went out and struck down Shimei, and he died. And the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon. + + + AND SOLOMON made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the City of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. + But the people sacrificed [to God] in the high places [as the heathen did to their idols], for there was no house yet built to the Name of the Lord. + Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes and practices of David his father, only he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. + The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where stood the tabernacle and the bronze altar] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered on that altar. + In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give you. + Solomon said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy and loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness and steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. + Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a lad [in wisdom and experience]; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish). + Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude. + So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people? [James 1:5.] + It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. + God said to him, Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right, + Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you. + I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days. + And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days. + Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. + Then two women who had become mothers out of wedlock came and stood before the king. + And one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. + And the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house. + And this woman's child died in the night because she lay on him. + And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom. + And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne. + But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. + The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one. + And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to the king. + And the king said, Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other. + Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him. + Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child's mother. + And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. + + + KING SOLOMON was king over all Israel. + These were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the [high] priest; + Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; + Benaiah son of Jehoiada commanded the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; + Azariah son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud son of Nathan was priest and the king's friend and private advisor; + Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. + Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who secured provisions for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in a year. + These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; + Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; + Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); + Ben-abinadab, in Naphoth-dor (he had Taphath, Solomon's daughter, as wife); + Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as beyond Jokmeam; + Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him belonged the villages of Jair son of Manasseh which are in Gilead, also the region of Argob which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); + Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; + Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath, Solomon's daughter, as his wife); + Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; + Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar; + Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin; + Geber son of Uri, in Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; only one officer was over all the country [at one time, each serving for one month]. + Judah and Israel were many, like the sand which is by the sea in multitude; they ate, drank, and rejoiced. + Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. + Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, + Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds. + For he had dominion over all the region west of the [Euphrates] River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and he had peace on all sides around him. + Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all of Solomon's days. + Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. + And those officers provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to his table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. + Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was needed, each according to his assignment. + And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore. + Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. + For he was wiser than all other men--than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was in all the nations round about. + He also originated 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. + He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. + Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. + + + HIRAM KING of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that he was anointed king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. + And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, + You know how David my father could not build a house to the Name of the Lord his God because wars were about him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under his feet. [II Sam. 7:4ff.; I Chron. 22:8.] + But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil confronting me. + And I purpose to build a house to the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, Your son whom I will set on your throne in your place shall build the house to My Name and Presence. + So, Hiram, command them to hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; my servants shall join yours, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants. For you know that no one among us can equal the skill of the Sidon men in cutting timber. + When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, Who has given David a wise son to be over this great people. + And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things for which you sent to me; I will do all you wish concerning the cedar and cypress timber. + My servants shall bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, make them into rafts, and float them by sea to the place that you direct. I will have them released there, and you shall take them away. And you shall fulfill my desire by providing food for my household. + So Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and cypress trees he desired, + And Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 measures of wheat for food for his household, and 20 measures of pure, beaten oil. He gave these to Hiram yearly. + The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a treaty. + King Solomon raised a levy [of forced labor] out of all Israel; and the levy was 30,000 men. + He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month by divisions; one month they were in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was over the levy. + And Solomon had 70,000 burden bearers and 80,000 hewers [of stone] in the hill country of Judah, + Besides Solomon's 3,300 overseers in charge of the people doing the work. + The king commanded, and they hewed and brought out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stone. + Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and stones to build the house. + + + AND 480 years after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the second month, Ziv, he began to build the Lord's house. + The length of the house Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits, its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits. + The length of the vestibule in front of the temple was twenty cubits, equal to the width of the house, and its depth in front of the house was ten cubits. + For the house he made narrow [latticed] windows. + Against the wall of the house he built chambers running round the walls of the house both of the Holy Place and of the Holy of Holies; and he made side chambers all around. + The first story's side chambers were five cubits wide, those of the middle story six cubits wide, and of the third story seven cubits wide; for around the outside of the wall of the house he made offsets in order that the supporting beams should not be thrust into the walls of the house. + When the house was being built, its stone was made ready at the quarry, and no hammer, ax, or tool of iron was heard in the house while it was in building. + The entrance to the lowest side chamber was on the right [or south] side of the house; and one went up winding stairs into the middle chamber and from the middle into the third. + So Solomon built the temple building and finished it, and roofed the house with beams and boards of cedar. + Then he built the stories of chambers [the lean-to] against all the house, each [story] five cubits high; and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar. + Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, + Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes, execute My precepts, and keep all My commandments to walk in them, then I will fulfill to you My promises which I made to David your father. + And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not forsake My people Israel. + So Solomon built the house and finished it. + He built the walls of the house (the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies) within with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the rafters of the ceiling. He covered the inside with wood, and the floor of the house with boards of cypress. + He built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the rafters; he built it within for the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. + The [rest of the] house, that is, the temple in front of the Holy of Holies, was forty cubits long. + The cedar on the house within was carved with gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was visible. + And he prepared the Holy of Holies in the inner room in which to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord. + The Holy of Holies was twenty cubits in length, in breadth, and in height. He overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar. + Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across in front of the Holy of Holies and overlaid it with gold. + And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole [incense] altar that [stood outside the door but] belonged to the Holy of Holies he overlaid with gold. + Within the Holy of Holies he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. + Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub and five cubits its other wing; from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other was ten cubits. + The wings of the other cherub were also ten cubits. Both cherubim were the same, + The height of one cherub ten cubits, as was the other. + He put the cherubim within the inner sanctuary. Their wings were stretched out, so that the wing of one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall, and their inner wings touched in the midst of the room. + Solomon overlaid the cherubim with gold. + He carved all the walls of the house (these two holy rooms) round about with figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, within and without. + The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and out. + For the Holy of Holies he made [folding] doors of olive wood; their entire width was one-fifth that of the wall. + On the two doors of olive wood he carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; he overlaid them with gold, and spread gold on the cherubim and palm trees. + Also he made for the door of the Holy Place four-sided posts of olive wood. + The two doors were of cypress wood; the two leaves of each door were folding. + He carved on them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, covered with gold evenly applied on the carved work. + He built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams. + In the fourth year the foundation of the Lord's house was laid, in the [second] month, Ziv. + In the eleventh year, in Bul, the eighth month, the house was finished throughout according to all its specifications. So he was seven years in building it. + + + SOLOMON WAS building his own houseofficers over all Israel, who se all of it. + He built also the Forest of Lebanon House; its length was a hundred cubits, its breadth fifty, and its height thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. + And it was covered with cedar above the side chambers that were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row. + There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. + All the doorways and windows were square cut, and window was opposite window in three tiers. + He also made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front, and pillars and a cornice before them. + He made the porch for the throne where he was to judge, the Porch of Judgment; it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling. + His house where he was to dwell had another court behind the Porch of Judgment of similar work. Solomon also made a house like this porch for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. + All were of costly stones hewn according to measure, sawed with saws back and front, even from foundation to coping, and from the outside to the great court. + The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones of eight and ten cubits. + And above were costly stones hewn according to measure, and cedar timbers. + Also the great encircling court had three courses of hewn stone and a course of cedar beams, like was around the inner court of the house of the Lord and the porch of the house. + King Solomon brought Hiram from Tyre. + He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. He was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill to do any kind of work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and did all his [bronze] work. + He fashioned the two pillars of bronze, each eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. + He made two capitals of molten bronze to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of each capital was five cubits. + Nets of checkerwork and wreaths of chainwork for the capitals were on the tops of the pillars, seven for each capital. + So Hiram made the pillars. There were two rows of pomegranates encircling each network to cover the capitals that were upon the top. + The capitals that were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work [design], four cubits. + The capitals were upon the two pillars and also above the rounded projection beside the network. There were 200 pomegranates in two rows round about, and so with the other capital. + Hiram set up the pillars of the porch of the temple; he set up the right pillar and called its name Jachin [he will establish], and he set up the left pillar and called its name Boaz [in strength]. + On the tops of the pillars was lily work [design]. So the work of the pillars was finished. + He made a round molten Sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, five cubits high and thirty cubits in circumference. [Exod. 30:17-21; II Chron. 4:6.] + Under its brim were gourds encircling the Sea, ten to a cubit; the gourds were in two rows, cast in one piece with it. + It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three west, three south, and three east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their rears pointed inward. + It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held 2,000 baths [Hebrew liquid measurement]. + Hiram made ten bronze bases [for the lavers]; their length and breadth were four cubits, and the height three cubits. + This is the way the bases were made: they had panels between the ledges. + On the panels between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the ledges there was a pedestal above. Beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. + And every base had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a laver. Beneath the laver the supports were cast, with wreaths at the side of each. + Its mouth within the capital projected upward a cubit, and its mouth was round like the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half. Also upon its mouth were carvings, and their borders were square, not round. + Under the borders were four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were one piece with the base. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. + The wheels were made like a chariot wheel: their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. + There were four supports to the four corners of each base; the supports were part of the base itself. + On the top of the base there was a circular elevation half a cubit high, and on the top of the base its stays and panels were of one piece with it. + And on the surface of its stays and its panels Hiram carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about. + Thus he made the ten bases. They all had one casting, one measure, and one form. + Then he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver held forty baths and measured four cubits, and there was one laver on each of the ten bases. + He put the bases five on the south side of the house and five on the north side; and he set the Sea at the southeast corner of the house. + Hiram made the lavers, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord: + The two pillars; and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the two pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls; + And the 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars; + The ten bases and the ten lavers on the bases; + One Sea, and the twelve oxen under it; + The pots, the shovels, and the basins. All these vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze. + In the Jordan plain the king cast them, in clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. + Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were so many; the weight of the bronze was not found out. + Solomon made all the other vessels of the Lord's house: the [incense] altar of gold; the table of gold for the showbread; + The lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the Holy of Holies; with the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold; + The cups, snuffers, basins, spoons, firepans--of pure gold; and the hinges of gold for the doors of the innermost room, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the Holy Place. + So all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was completed. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated--the silver, the gold, and the vessels--and put them in the treasuries of the Lord's house. + + + THEN SOLOMON assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers' houses of the Israelites, before the king in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Zion, the City of David. + All the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at the feast in the seventh month, Ethanim. + All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. + And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. + King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled before him were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, so many that they could not be reported or counted. + And the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the Holy of Holies of the house, under the wings of the cherubim. + For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles. + The poles were so long that the ends of them were seen from the Holy Place before the Holy of Holies, but they were not seen outside; they are there to this day. + There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. [Deut. 10:2-5.] + When the priests had come out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the Lord's house, + So the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. + Then Solomon said, The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. + I have surely built You a house of habitation, a settled place for You to dwell in forever. + And the king turned his face about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel stood. + He said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who spoke with His mouth to David my father and has with His hand fulfilled it, saying, + Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My Name [and My Presence] might be in it, but I chose David to be over My people Israel. + Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the Name [the Presence] of the Lord, the God of Israel. + And the Lord said to David my father, Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart. + Yet you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you, shall build it to My Name [and My actively present Person]. + And the Lord has fulfilled His promise which He made: I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built a house for the Name (renown) of the Lord, the God of Israel. + And I have made there a place for the ark [the token of His presence], in which is the covenant [the Ten Commandments] of the Lord which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. [Exod. 34:28.] + Then Solomon stood [in the court] before the Lord's burnt offering altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven + And he said, O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing mercy and loving-kindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart. + You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father. You also spoke with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. + Therefore now, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father what You promised him when You said, There shall not fail you a man before Me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have done. + Now, O God of Israel, let Your word which You spoke to Your servant David my father be confirmed [by experience]. + But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, the heavens and heaven of heavens [in its most extended compass] cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built? + Yet graciously consider the prayer and supplication of Your servant, O Lord my God, to hearken to the [loud] cry and prayer which he prays before You today, + That Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, My Name [and the token of My presence] shall be there, that You may hearken to the prayer which Your servant shall make in [or facing toward] this place. + Hearken to the prayer of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray in or toward this place. Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. + Whenever a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears the oath before Your altar in this house, + Then hear in heaven and do and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his guilt upon his own head and justifying the [uncompromisingly] righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness (his uprightness, right standing with God). + When Your people Israel are struck down before the enemy because they have sinned against You, and they turn again to You, confess Your name (Your revelation of Yourself), and pray, beseeching You in this house, + Then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel and return them to the land You gave to their fathers. + When heaven is shut up and no rain falls because they have sinned against You, if they pray in [or toward] this place and confess Your name (Your revelation of Yourself) and turn from their sin when You afflict them, + Then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, when You teach them the good way in which they should walk. And give rain upon Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. + If there is famine in the land or pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, + Whatever prayer or supplication is made by any or all of Your people Israel--each man knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading forth his hands toward this house [and its pledge of Your presence]-- + Then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart You know, for You and You only know the hearts of all the children of men, + That they may fear and revere You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. + Moreover, concerning a stranger who is not of Your people Israel but comes from a far country for the sake of Your name [and Your active Presence]-- + For they will hear of Your great name (Your revelation of Yourself), Your strong hand, and outstretched arm--when he shall pray in [or toward] this house, + Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger asks of You, so that all peoples of the earth may know Your name [and Your revelation of Your presence] and fear and revere You, as do Your people Israel, and may know and comprehend that this house which I have built is called by Your Name [and contains the token of Your presence]. + If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall send them, and shall pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the house that I have built for Your Name [and Your revelation of Yourself], + Then hear in heaven their prayer and supplication, and defend their cause and maintain their right. + If they sin against You--for there is no man who does not sin--and You are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the enemy's land, far or near; + Yet if they think and consider in the land where they were carried captive, and repent and make supplication to You there, saying, We have sinned and have done perversely and wickedly; + If they repent and turn to You with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your Name; + Then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, Your dwelling place, and defend their cause and maintain their right. + And forgive Your people, who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions against You, and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have pity and be merciful to them; + For they are Your people and Your heritage, which You brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace. + Let Your eyes be open to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, to hearken to them in all for which they call to You. + For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your heritage, as You declared through Moses Your servant when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. + When Solomon finished offering all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, he arose from before the Lord's altar, where he had knelt with hands stretched toward heaven. + And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, + Blessed be the Lord, Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise which He promised through Moses His servant. + May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, + That He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His precepts which He commanded our fathers. + Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause and right of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires, + That all the earth's people may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. + Let your hearts therefore be blameless and wholly true to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as today. + And the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord. + Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the house of the Lord. + On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the Lord's house; there he offered burnt offerings, cereal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive [all] the offerings. + So at that time Solomon held the feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days [for the dedication] and seven days [for the Feast of Tabernacles], fourteen days in all. + On the eighth day he sent the people away; they blessed the king and went to their tents with greatest joy and gratitude for all the goodness the Lord had shown to David His servant and Israel His people. + + + WHEN SOLOMON finished the building of the Lord's house and the king's house, and all he desired and was pleased to do, + The Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. + The Lord told him, I have heard your prayer and supplication which you have made before Me; I have hallowed this house which you have built, and I have put My Name [and My Presence] there forever. My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. + And if you will walk before Me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, keeping My statutes and My precepts, + Then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, There shall not fail you [to have] a man upon the throne of Israel. + But if you turn away from following Me, you or your children, and will not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you but go and serve other gods and worship them, + Then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them, and this house I have hallowed for My Name (renown) I will cast from My sight. And Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all the peoples. + This house shall become a heap of ruins; every passerby shall be astonished and shall hiss [with surprise] and say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house? + Then they will answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, Who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have laid hold of other gods and have worshiped and served them; therefore the Lord has brought on them all this evil. + At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the Lord's house and the king's house, + For which Hiram king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with as much cedar and cypress timber and gold as he desired, King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. + And Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him. + He said, What are these cities worth which you have given me, my brother? So they are called the Cabul [unproductive] Land to this day. + And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents of gold. + This is the account of the levy [of forced labor] which King Solomon raised to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. + For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer, burned it with fire, slew the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. + So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and Lower Beth-horon, + Baalath and Tamar (Tadmor) in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, + And all the store cities which Solomon had and cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. + As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not Israelites, + Their children who were left after them in the land, whom the Israelites were not able utterly to destroy, of them Solomon made a forced levy of slaves to this day. + But Solomon made no slaves of the Israelites; they were the soldiers, his officials, attendants, commanders, captains, chariot officers, and horsemen. + These were the chief officers over Solomon's work, 550 who had charge of the people who did the work. + But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her; then he built the Millo. + Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he built to the Lord, and he burned incense with them before the Lord. So he finished the house. + And King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in Edom. + And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. + They came to Ophir and got 420 talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon. + + + WHEN THE queen of Sheba heard of [the constant connection of] the fame of Solomon with the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions (problems and riddles). + She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her mind. + Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he failed to explain to her. + When the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom and skill, the house he had built, + The food of his table, the seating of his officials, the standing at attention of his servants, their apparel, his cupbearers, his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord [or the burnt offerings he sacrificed], she was breathless and overcome. + She said to the king, It was a true report I heard in my own land of your acts and sayings and wisdom. + I did not believe it until I came and my eyes had seen. Behold, the half was not told me. You have added wisdom and goodness exceeding the fame I heard. + Happy are your men! Happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom! + Blessed be the Lord your God, Who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He made you king to execute justice and righteousness. + And she gave the king 120 talents of gold and of spices a very great store and precious stones. Never again came such abundance of spices as these the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. + The navy also of Hiram brought from Ophir gold and a great plenty of almug (algum) wood and precious stones. + Of the almug wood the king made pillars for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, and lyres also and harps for the singers. No such almug wood came again or has been seen to this day. + King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, besides his gifts to her from his royal bounty. So she returned to her own country, she and her servants. + Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one [particular] year was 666 talents of gold, + Besides what the traders brought and the traffic of the merchants and from all the [tributary] kings and governors of the land of Arabia. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield. + And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. + Also the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold. + The throne had six steps, and attached at the rear of the top of the throne was a round covering or canopy. On either side of the seat were armrests, and two lions stood beside the armrests. + Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it ever made in any kingdom. + All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. + For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. + So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom (skill). + And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his mind. + Every man brought tribute: vessels of silver and gold, garments, equipment, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. + Solomon collected chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. + The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the lowlands. + Solomon's horses were brought out of Egypt, and the king's merchants received them in droves, each at a price. [Deut. 17:15, 16.] + A chariot could be brought out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. And so to all the kings of the Hittites and of Syria they were exported by the king's merchants. + + + BUT KING Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign women--the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. + They were of the very nations of whom the Lord said to the Israelites, You shall not mingle with them, neither shall they mingle with you, for surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Yet Solomon clung to these in love. [Deut. 17:17.] + He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart from God. + For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. + For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abominable idol of the Ammonites! [I Kings 9:6-9.] + Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as David his father did. + Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abominable idol of Moab, on the hill opposite Jerusalem, and for Molech the abominable idol of the Ammonites. + And he did so for all of his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. + And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord, the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice, + And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he did not do what the Lord commanded. + Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, Because you are doing this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant! + However, in your days I will not do it, for David your father's sake. But I will rend it out of the hand of your son! + However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to your son for David My servant's sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. + The Lord stirred up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of royal descent in Edom. + For when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of Israel's army went up to bury the slain, he slew every male in Edom. + For Joab and all Israel remained there for six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom. + But Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants, to Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child. + They set out from Midian and came to Paran, and took men with them out of Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave [young] Hadad a house and land and ordered provisions for him. + Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife Tahpenes the queen. + The sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. + But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of Israel's army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to my own country. + Then Pharaoh said to him, But what have you lacked with me that now you want to go to your own country? He replied, Nothing. However, let me go anyhow. + God raised up for [Hadad] another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. + Rezon gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band after the slaughter by David. They went to Damascus and dwelt and made [Rezon] king in Damascus. + And Rezon was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad did. Rezon abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria. + Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, rebelled against the king-- + And for this reason: Solomon built the Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. + The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of courage. Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, put him in charge over all the [forced] labor of the house of Joseph. + At that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way. Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they were alone in the field. + Ahijah caught the new garment he wore and tore it into twelve pieces. + He said to Jeroboam, You take ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes. + But he shall have one tribe, for My servant David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, + Because they have forsaken Me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in My ways, to do what is right in My sight, keeping My statutes and My ordinances as did David his father. + However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life for David My servant's sake, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. + But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and give it to you, ten tribes. + Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David My servant may always have a light before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put My Name. + And I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires; and you shall be king over Israel. + And if you will hearken to all I command you and will walk in My ways and do right in My sight, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did, I will be with you and build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. + And I will for this afflict the descendants of David, but not forever. + Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until Solomon died. + The rest of the acts of Solomon--and all that he did, and his wisdom (skill)--are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? + The time Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. + And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. + + + REHOBOAM WENT to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. + And when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it--for he still dwelt in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon--[he] returned from Egypt. + And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, + Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore lighten the hard service and the heavy yoke your father put upon us, and we will serve you. + He replied, Go away for three days and then return to me. So the people departed. + And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived and said, How do you advise me to answer this people? + And they said to him, If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them and answer them with good words, they will be your servants forever. + But he forsook the counsel the old men gave him and consulted the young men who grew up with him and stood before him. + He said to them, What do you advise that we answer this people who have said, Make the yoke your father put on us lighter? + The young men who grew up with him answered, To the people who told you, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us--say this, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. + And now whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. + So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had appointed. + And the king answered the people roughly and forsook the counsel the old men had given him, + And spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; he chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. + So the king did not hearken to the people, for the situation was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. [I Kings 11:29-33.] + So when all Israel saw that the king did not heed them, they answered the king, What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David! So Israel went to their tents. + But Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites who dwelt in the cities of Judah. + Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute [taskmaster over the forced labor], and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. So King Rehoboam hastened to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. + So Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day. + When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah only. + And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam son of Solomon. + But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, + Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the house of Judah and Benjamin and the remnant of the people, + Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your brethren, the Israelites. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. So they hearkened to the Lord's word and returned home, according to the Lord's word. + Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. He went out from there and built Penuel. + Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. + If this people goes up to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to sacrifice, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah. + So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, It is too much for you to go [all the way] up to Jerusalem. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. + And he set the one golden calf in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. + And this thing became a sin; for the people went to worship each of them even as far as Dan. + Jeroboam also made houses on high places and made priests of people who were not Levites. + And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast kept in Judah, and he offered sacrifices upon the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had made. + So he offered upon the altar he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a date which he chose individually; and he appointed a feast for the Israelites and he went up to the altar to burn incense [in defiance of God's law.] + + + AND BEHOLD, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. + The man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he offer the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you. + And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be split and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. [Fulfilled in II Kings 23:15, 16.] + When King Jeroboam heard the words the man of God cried against the altar in Bethel, he thrust out his hand, saying, Lay hold on him! And his hand which he put forth against him dried up, so that he could not draw it to him again. + The altar also was split and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. + And the king said to the man of God, Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before. + And the king said to the man of God, Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward. + And the man of God said to the king, If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you, and I will not eat bread or drink water in this place. + For I was commanded by the word of the Lord, You shall eat no bread or drink water or return by the way you came. + So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel. + Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king they told also to their father. + Their father asked them, Which way did he go? For his sons had seen which way the man of God who came from Judah had gone. + He said to his sons, Saddle the donkey for me. So they saddled the donkey and he rode on it + And went after the man of God. And he found him sitting under an oak, and he said to him, Are you the man of God who came from Judah? And he said, I am. + Then he said to him, Come home with me and eat bread. + He said, I may not return with you or go in with you, neither will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. + For I was told by the word of the Lord, You shall not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way that you came. + He answered, I am a prophet also, as you are. And an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him. + So the man from Judah went back with him and ate and drank water in his house. + And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who brought him back. + And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, Thus says the Lord: Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command which the Lord your God commanded you, + But have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which the Lord said to you, Eat no bread and drink no water--your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. + And after the prophet of the house had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the man he had brought back. + And when he had gone, a lion met him by the road and slew him, and his corpse was cast in the way, and the donkey stood by it; the lion also stood by the corpse. + And behold, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown in the road, and the lion standing by the corpse, and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. + When the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and slain him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him. + And he said to his sons, Saddle the donkey for me. And they saddled it. + And he went and found the corpse thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion stood by the body; the lion had not eaten the corpse or torn the donkey. + The prophet took up the corpse of the man of God and laid it upon the donkey and brought it back, and the old prophet came into the city to mourn and to bury him. + And he laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! + After he had buried him, he said to his sons, When I am dead, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. + For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass. + After this thing, Jeroboam turned not from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Whoever would, he consecrated, that there might be priests for the high places. + And this thing became the sin of the dynasty of Jeroboam that caused it to be abolished and destroyed from the face of the earth. + + + THEN ABIJAH [the little] son of Jeroboam became sick. + And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray you, and disguise yourself, that you may not be recognized as Jeroboam's wife, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I should be king over this people. + Take ten loaves, some cakes, and a bottle of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child. + Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went [twenty miles] to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. + And the Lord said to Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to ask you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her. When she came, she pretended to be another woman. + But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with heavy news for you. + Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel + And rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you--and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes, + But have done evil above all who were before you; for you have made yourself other gods, molten images, to provoke Me to anger and have cast Me behind your back-- + Therefore behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from [him] every male, both bond and free, in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam as a man sweeps away dung, till it is all gone. + Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and any who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat. For the Lord has spoken it. + Arise therefore [Ano, Jeroboam's wife], get to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. + And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam's family shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good and pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. + Moreover, the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam this day. From now on + The Lord will smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will root up Israel out of this good land which He gave to their fathers and will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made their Asherim [idolatrous symbols of the goddess Asherah], provoking the Lord to anger. + He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam which he has sinned and made Israel to sin. + So Jeroboam's wife departed and came to Tirzah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. + And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord spoken by His servant Ahijah the prophet. + The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Jeroboam reigned for twenty-two years, and he slept with his fathers; and Nadab his son reigned in his stead. + And Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name [and the pledge of His presence] there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. + And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, Whom they provoked to jealousy with the sins they committed, above all that their fathers had done. + For they also built themselves [idolatrous] high places, pillars, and Asherim [idolatrous symbols of the goddess Asherah] on every high hill and under every green tree. + There were also sodomites (male cult prostitutes) in the land. They did all the abominations of the nations whom the Lord cast out before the Israelites. + In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt [Jeroboam's brother-in-law] came up against Jerusalem. + He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house; he took away all, including all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. + King Rehoboam made in their stead bronze shields and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard who kept the door of the king's house. + And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guards bore them and brought them back into the guardroom. + The rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. + Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam (Abijah) his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THE eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. + He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah (Micaiah) daughter [granddaughter] of Abishalom (Absalom). + He walked in all the sins of his father [Rehoboam] before him; and his heart was not blameless with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father [forefather]. + Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him and establishing Jerusalem, + Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. + There was war between [Abijam's father] Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of [Rehoboam's] life. + The rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. + Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the City of David. Asa his son reigned in his stead. + In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. + Forty-one years he reigned in Jerusalem. His mother was [also named] Maacah (Micaiah) daughter of Abishalom (Absalom). [I Kings 15:2.] + And Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father [forefather]. + He put away the sodomites (male cult prostitutes) out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers [Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijam] had made or promoted. [I Kings 11:5-11; 14:22.] + Also Maacah his mother he removed from being queen mother, because she had an image made for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa destroyed her image, burning it by the brook Kidron. + But the high places were not removed. Yet Asa's heart was blameless with the Lord all his days. + He brought the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he himself had dedicated into the house of the Lord--silver, gold, and vessels. + There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. + Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah, that he might allow no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. + Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house and delivered them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying, + Let there be a league between me and you, as was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me. + So Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. + When Baasha heard of it, he quit building up Ramah and dwelt in Tirzah. + Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah--none was exempted. They carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building. And King Asa built up with them Geba of Benjamin, and also Mizpah. + The rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. + Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father. Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead. + Nadab son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned two years. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, with which he made Israel sin. + Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. + In the third year of Asa king of Judah Baasha slew Nadab and reigned in his stead. + As soon as he was king, Baasha killed all the household of Jeroboam. He left to [it] not one who breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite--[I Kings 14:9-16.] + Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and by which he made Israel to sin, and because of his provocation of the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger. + The rest of Nadab's acts, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. + In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah began his reign of twenty-four years over all Israel in Tirzah. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, with which he made Israel sin. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, + Because I exalted you [Baasha] out of the dust and made you leader over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins, + Behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and will make your house like [that] of Jeroboam son of Nebat. + Any of Baasha's family who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and any who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat. + Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. Elah his son reigned in his stead. + Also the word of the Lord against Baasha and his house came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani for all the evil that Baasha did in the sight of the Lord in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands [idols], in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it [the family of Jeroboam, of his own accord]. + In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha began his reign of two years over Israel in Tirzah. + Elah's servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against Elah. He was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah. + Zimri came in and smote and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. + When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed all the household of Baasha; he left not one male of his kinsmen or his friends. + Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, [I Kings 16:3.] + For all the sins of Baasha and of Elah his son by which they sinned and made Israel sin, in provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their idols. + The rest of the acts of Elah, and all he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned for seven days in Tirzah. The troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, + And they heard the rumor, Zimri has conspired and slain the king! So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. + So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. + And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the stronghold of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, + Because of his sins committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and his sin in causing Israel to sin. + The rest of the acts of Zimri, and his deeds of treason, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Then the people of Israel were divided into two factions. Half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. + But the people who followed Omri prevailed against those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned. + In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began his reign of twelve years over Israel. He reigned six years in Tirzah. + Omri bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built a city on the hill and fortified it, and called it Samaria (Shomeron), after the owner of the hill, Shemer. + But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, even worse than all who were before him. + He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, by which he made Israel sin, to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their idols. + The rest of the acts of Omri, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Ahab his son reigned in his stead. + In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began his reign of twenty-two years over Israel in Samaria. + And Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all before him. + As if it had been a light thing for Ahab to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took for a wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and served Baal and worshiped him. + He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. + And Ahab made an Asherah [idolatrous symbol of the goddess Asherah]. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him. + In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of the life of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Joshua son of Nun. [Josh. 6:26.] + + + ELIJAH THE Tishbite, of the temporary residents of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years but according to My word. + And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, + Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. + You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. + So he did according to the word of the Lord; he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. + And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. + After a while the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. + And the word of the Lord came to him: + Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. + So he arose and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her, Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. + As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. + And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a loaf baked but only a handful of meal in the jar and a little oil in the bottle. See, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it--and die. + Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and do as you have said. But make me a little cake of [it] first and bring it to me, and afterward prepare some for yourself and your son. + For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not waste away or the bottle of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. + She did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. + The jar of meal was not spent nor did the bottle of oil fail, according to the word which the Lord spoke through Elijah. + After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. + And she said to Elijah, What have you against me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son? + He said to her, Give me your son. And he took him from her bosom and carried him up into the chamber where he stayed and laid him upon his own bed. + And Elijah cried to the Lord and said, O Lord my God, have You brought further calamity upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? + And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord and said, O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child's soul come back into him. + And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. + And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the [lower part of the] house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, See, your son is alive! + And the woman said to Elijah, By this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth. + + + AFTER MANY days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. + So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. + And Ahab called Obadiah, who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly; + For when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) + And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land to all the fountains of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, that we lose none of the beasts. + So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went one way and Obadiah went another way, each by himself. + As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him and fell on his face and said, Are you my lord Elijah? + He answered him, It is I. Go tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here. + And he said, What sin have I committed, that you would deliver your servant into the hands of Ahab to be slain? + As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they said, He is not here, he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they had not found you. + And now you say, Go tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here. + And as soon as I have gone out from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared and revered the Lord from my youth. + Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? + And now you say, Go tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here; and he will kill me. + Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts lives, before Whom I stand, I will surely show myself to Ahab today. + So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. + When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Are you he who troubles Israel? + Elijah replied, I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, by forsaking the commandments of the Lord and by following the Baals. + Therefore send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of [the goddess] Asherah, who eat at [Queen] Jezebel's table. + So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. + Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. + Then Elijah said to the people, I, I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. + Let two bulls be given us; let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood but put no fire to it. I will dress the other bull, lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it. + Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken. + Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. + So they took the bull given them, dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear and answer us! But there was no voice; no one answered. And they leaped upon or limped about the altar they had made. + At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened. + And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out upon them. + Midday passed, and they played the part of prophets until the time for offering the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, no one who paid attention. + Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the [old] altar of the Lord that had been broken down [by Jezebel]. [I Kings 18:13; 19:10.] + Then Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name. [Gen. 32:28.] + And with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name [and self-revelation] of the Lord. He made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed. + He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and the wood. + And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. + The water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water. + At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. + Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You]. + Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench. + When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! + And Elijah said, Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one escape. They seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and [as God's law required] slew them there. [Deut. 13:5; 18:20.] + And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. + So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees + And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, There is nothing. Elijah said, Go again seven times. + And at the seventh time the servant said, A cloud as small as a man's hand is arising out of the sea. And Elijah said, Go up, say to Ahab, Hitch your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you. + In a little while, the heavens were black with wind-swept clouds, and there was a great rain. And Ahab went to Jezreel. + The hand of the Lord was on Elijah. He girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel [nearly twenty miles]. + + + AHAB TOLD Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had slain all the prophets [of Baal] with the sword. + Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow. + Then he was afraid and arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba of Judah [over eighty miles, and out of Jezebel's realm] and left his servant there. + But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a lone broom or juniper tree and asked that he might die. He said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers. + As he lay asleep under the broom or juniper tree, behold, an angel touched him and said to him, Arise and eat. + He looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a bottle of water at his head. And he ate and drank and lay down again. + The angel of the Lord came the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you. + So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and nights to Horeb, the mount of God. + There he came to a cave and lodged in it; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? + He replied, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. + And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; + And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice. + When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? + He said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left, and they seek my life, to destroy it. + And the Lord said to him, Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. + And anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in your place. + And him who escapes from the sword of Hazael Jehu shall slay, and him who escapes the sword of Jehu Elisha shall slay. + Yet I will leave Myself 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him. + So Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, whose plowing was being done with twelve yoke of oxen, and he drove the twelfth. Elijah crossed over to him and cast his mantle upon him. + He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, Let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you. And he [testing Elisha] said, Go on back. What have I done to you? [Settle it for yourself.] + So Elisha went back from him. Then he took a yoke of oxen, slew them, boiled their flesh with the oxen's yoke [as fuel], and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, followed Elijah, and served him. [II Kings 3:11.] + + + BEN-HADAD KING of Syria gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, warring against it. + He sent messengers into Samaria to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad: + Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children, even the fairest, also are mine. + And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to what you say, I am yours, and all that I have. + The messengers came again and said, Thus says Ben-hadad: Although I have sent to you, saying, You shall deliver to me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children-- + Yet I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants; and all the desire of your eyes they shall lay hands upon and take it away. + Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Notice now and see how this man is seeking our destruction. He sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him. + And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do not heed him or consent. + So he said to Ben-hadad's messengers, Tell my lord the king, All you first sent for to your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers left; then they brought him word again. + Ben-hadad sent to him and said, May the gods do so to me, and more also, if the rubbish of Samaria shall be enough for each one of all the people who are at my feet and follow me to get a handful. + The king of Israel answered, Tell him: Let not him who girds on his harness boast as he who puts it off. + When Ben-hadad heard this message as he and the kings were drinking in the booths, he said to his servants, Set the army in array. And they set themselves in array against [Samaria]. + Then a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said, Thus says the Lord: Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know and realize that I am the Lord. + Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says the Lord: By the young men [the attendants or bodyguards] of the governors of the districts. Then Ahab said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, You. + Ahab numbered the attendants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. After them he numbered all the people of [the army of] Israel, 7,000. [I Kings 19:18.] + And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him. + The servants of the governors of the districts went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. + And he said, Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive. + So these [strong young guards] of the governors of the districts went out of [Samaria], and the army followed them. + And each one killed his man; the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. + The king of Israel went out and smote [the riders of] the horses and chariots and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. + The prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, Go, fortify yourself and become strong and give attention to what you must do, for at the first of next year the king of Syria will return against you. + And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Israel's gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. + And do this thing: Remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their stead. + And muster yourself an army like the army you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. And we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he heeded their speech and did so. + And at the return of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. + The Israelites were counted and, all present, went against them. The Israelites encamped before the enemy like two little flocks of lost kids [absolutely everything against them but Almighty God], but the Syrians filled the country. + A man of God came and said to the king of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills but He is not God of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hands, and you shall know and recognize by experience that I am the Lord. [Phil. 4:13.] + They encamped opposite each other seven days. Then the battle was joined; and the Israelites slew of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. + But the rest fled to the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left. Ben-hadad fled into the city and from chamber to chamber. + His servants said to him, We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes about our necks, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life. + So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their necks, and came to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-hadad says, I pray you, let me live. And King [Ahab] said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother. + Now the men took it as an omen and they hastily took it up and said, Yes, your brother Ben-hadad. Then the king said, Go, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him, and the victorious king caused him to come up into the chariot. + Ben-hadad [tempting him] said, The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may maintain bazaars of your own in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then, said Ahab, I will send you away on these terms. So he made a covenant with him and sent him away. + And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, At the command of the Lord, strike me, I pray you. And the man refused to strike him. + Then said he to him, Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as you have left me a lion will slay you. And as soon as he departed from him, a lion found him and killed him. + Then [the prophet] found another man and said, Strike me, I pray you. And the man struck him, so that in striking, he wounded him. + So the prophet departed and waited for King Ahab by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. + And as the king passed by, the [prophet] cried out to him, Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, Keep this man. If for any reason he is missing, then your life shall be required for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver. + But while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, Such is your own verdict; you yourself have decided it. + The man hastily removed the ashes from his face, and Ahab king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. + And he said to the king, Thus says the Lord: Because you have let go out of your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people. + And King [Ahab] of Israel went to his house resentful and sullen, and came to Samaria. [I Kings 22:34-36.] + + + NOW NABOTH the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, close beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria; and after these things, + Ahab said to Naboth, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house. I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money. + Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you. + And Ahab [already depressed by the Lord's message to him] came into his house [more] resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would eat no food. + But Jezebel his wife came and said to him, Why is your spirit so troubled that you eat no food? + And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, Give me your vineyard for money; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. + Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you not govern Israel? Arise, eat food, and let your heart be happy. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. + So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal and sent them to the elders and nobles who dwelt with Naboth in his city. + And in the letters she said, Proclaim a fast and set Naboth up high among the people. + And set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, You cursed and renounced God and the king. Then carry him out and stone him to death. + And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who dwelt there, did as Jezebel had directed in the letters sent them. + They proclaimed a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. + Two base fellows came in and sat opposite him and they charged Naboth before the people, saying, Naboth cursed and renounced God and the king. Then he was carried out of the city and stoned to death. + Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead. + Then Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he refused to sell you, for Naboth is not alive, but dead. + When Ahab heard that, he arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it. + Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, + Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel in Samaria. He is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to possess it. + Say to him, Thus says the Lord: Have you killed and also taken possession? Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood, even yours. + And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. + See [says the Lord], I will bring evil on you and utterly sweep away and cut off from Ahab every male, bond and free, + And will make your household like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the household of Baasha son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger and made Israel to sin. + Also the Lord said of Jezebel: The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. + Any belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and any who dies in the field the birds of the air shall eat. [I Kings 14:11; 16:4.] + For there was no one who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord as did Ahab, incited by his wife Jezebel. + He did very abominably in going after idols, as had the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the Israelites. + When Ahab heard those words of Elijah, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his flesh, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and went quietly. + And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, + Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his lifetime, but in his son's day I will bring the evil upon his house. + + + SYRIA AND Israel continued without war for three years. + In the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. + And [Ahab] king of Israel said to his servants, Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we keep silence and do not take it from the king of Syria? + And [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead to battle? Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. + But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray you, for the word of the Lord today. + Then [Ahab] king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about 400 men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I hold back? And they said, Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king. + Jehoshaphat said, Is there not another prophet of the Lord here whom we may ask? + [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good for me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say that. + Then [Ahab] king of Israel told an officer, Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah. + Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting in [royal] robes [or armor], each on his throne in an open place [on a threshing floor] at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. + And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed. + And all the prophets agreed, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. + The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, Behold now, the prophets unanimously declare good to the king. Let your answer, I pray you, be like theirs, and say what is good. + But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, I will speak what the Lord says to me. + So he came to the king. King [Ahab] said, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we hold back? And he answered, Go and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. + And the king said to him, How many times must I charge you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? + And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace. + Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? + And Micaiah said, Hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left. + And the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? One said this way, another said that way. + Then there came forth a spirit [of whom I am about to tell] and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. + The Lord said to him, By what means? And he said, I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. [The Lord] said, You shall entice him and succeed also. Go forth and do it. + So the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets; and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you. + But Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you? + Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. + [Ahab] king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, + And say, The king says, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread and water of affliction until I come in peace. + Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. He [added], Hear, O people, every one of you! + So [Ahab] king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter the battle, but you put on your [royal] clothing. And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. + But the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, Fight neither with small nor great, but only with [Ahab] king of Israel. + And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. They turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. + And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. + But a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote [Ahab] the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn around and carry me out of the army, for I am wounded. + The battle increased that day, and [Ahab] the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and at nightfall he died. And the blood of his wound flowed onto the floor of the chariot. + And there went a cry throughout the army about sundown, saying, Every man to his city and his own country, + For the king is dead! And [Ahab] was brought to Samaria, where they buried him. + And they washed [his] chariot by the pool of Samaria, where the harlots bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, as the Lord had predicted. [I Kings 21:19.] + The rest of Ahab's acts, all he did, the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Ahab slept with his fathers. Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. + Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. + Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. + He walked in all the ways or customs of Asa his father, never swerving from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. However, the [idolatrous] high places were not taken away; for the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. + And Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel's king. + The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, his might that he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And the remnant of the sodomites (the male cult prostitutes) who remained in the days of his father Asa, [Jehoshaphat] expelled from the country. + There was no king in Edom; a deputy was acting king. + Jehoshaphat ordered ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. + When Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships, Jehoshaphat refused. + Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father [forefather]. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. + Ahaziah son of Ahab began his two-year reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father [Ahab] and of his mother [Jezebel] and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. + He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in all the ways his father had done. + + + + + MOAB REBELLED against Israel after the death of Ahab. + [King] Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria and lay sick. He sent messengers, saying, Go, ask Baal-zebub, the god of [Philistine] Ekron, if I shall recover from this illness. + But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king in Samaria and say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? + Therefore the Lord says: You [Ahaziah] shall not leave the bed on which you lie, but shall surely die. And Elijah departed. + When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said, Why have you turned back? + They replied, A man came up to meet us who said, Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, Thus says the Lord: Is there no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not leave the bed on which you lie, but shall surely die. + The king asked, What was the man like who came to meet you saying these things? + They answered, He was a hairy man with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. + Then the king sent to Elijah a captain of fifty men with his fifty [to seize him]. He found Elijah sitting on a hilltop and said, Man of God, the king says, Come down. + Elijah said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And fire fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. + Again King [Ahaziah] sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to Elijah, Man of God, the king has said, Come down quickly! + And Elijah answered, If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. + Ahaziah sent again a captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and fell on his knees before Elijah and besought him and said to him, O man of God, I pray you, let my life and the lives of these fifty, your servants, be precious in your sight. + Behold, fire came down from heaven and burned up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties. Therefore let my life now be precious in your sight. + The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, Go down with him; do not be afraid of him. So he arose and went with him to the king. + Elijah said to [King] Ahaziah, Thus says the Lord: Since you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel of Whom to inquire His word? Therefore you shall not leave the bed on which you lie, but shall surely die. + So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Joram [also a son of Ahab] reigned in Israel in his stead in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son [but his brother]. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + + + WHEN THE Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going from Gilgal. + And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha replied, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel. + The prophets' sons who were at Bethel came to Elisha and said, Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? He said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace. + Elijah said to him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. But he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they came to Jericho. + The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said, Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; hold your peace. + Elijah said to him, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. But he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And the two of them went on. + Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood [to watch] afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. + And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they divided this way and that, so that the two of them went over on dry ground. + And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. + He said, You have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you--but if not, it shall not be so. + As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. + And Elisha saw it and he cried, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. + He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. + And he took the mantle that fell from Elijah and struck the waters and said, Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And when he had struck the waters, they parted this way and that, and Elisha went over. + When the sons of the prophets who were [watching] at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. + And they said to him, Behold now, there are among your servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray you, and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley. And he said, You shall not send. + But when they urged him till he was embarrassed, he said, Send. So they sent fifty men, who sought for three days but did not find him. + When they returned to Elisha, who had waited at Jericho, he said to them, Did I not tell you, Do not go? + And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, inhabiting of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad and the locality causes miscarriage and barrenness [in all animals]. + He said, Bring me a new bowl and put salt [the symbol of God's purifying power] in it. And they brought it to him. + Then Elisha went to the spring of the waters and cast the salt in it and said, Thus says the Lord: I [not the salt] have healed these waters; there shall not be any more death, miscarriage or barrenness [and bereavement] because of it. + So the waters were healed to this day, as Elisha had said. + He went up from Jericho to Bethel. On the way, young [maturing and accountable] boys came out of the city and mocked him and said to him, Go up [in a whirlwind], you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead! + And he turned around and looked at them and called a curse down on them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and ripped up forty-two of the boys. + Elisha went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria. + + + JORAM SON of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. + Yet he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not from them. + Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and paid in tribute to the king of Israel [annually] 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams, with the wool. + But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. + So King Joram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. + And he sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to war against Moab? And he said, I will go; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. + Joram said, Which way shall we go up? Jehoshaphat answered, The way through the Wilderness of Edom. + So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. They made a circuit of seven days' journey, but there was no water for the army or for the animals following them. + Then the king of Israel said, Alas! The Lord has called [us] three kings together to be delivered into Moab's hand! + But Jehoshaphat said, Is there no prophet of the Lord here by whom we may inquire of the Lord? One of the king of Israel's servants answered, Elisha son of Shaphat, who served Elijah, is here. + Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So Joram king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to Elisha. + And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your [wicked] father Ahab and your [wicked] mother Jezebel. But the king of Israel said to him, No, for the Lord has called [us] three kings together to be delivered into the hand of Moab. + And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts lives, before Whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you [King Joram]. + But now bring me a minstrel. And while the minstrel played, the hand and power of the Lord came upon [Elisha]. + And he said, Thus says the Lord: Make this [dry] brook bed full of trenches. + For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind or rain, yet that ravine shall be filled with water, so you, your cattle, and your beasts [of burden] may drink. + This is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will deliver the Moabites also into your hands. + You shall smite every fenced city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop all wells of water and mar every good piece of land with stones. + In the morning, when the sacrifice was offered, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. + When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, gathered and drew up at the border. + When they rose up early next morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water across from them as red as blood. + And they said, This is blood; the kings have surely been fighting and have slain one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil! + But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they went forward, slaying the Moabites as they went. + They beat down the cities [walls], and on every good piece of land every man cast a stone, covering it [with stones]. And they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until only the stones [of the walls of Moab's capital city] of Kir-hareseth were left standing, and the slingers surrounded and took it. + And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was against him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. + Then he [Moab's king] took his eldest son, who was to reign in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall [in full view of the horrified enemy kings]. And there was great indignation, wrath, and bitterness against Israel; and they [his allies Judah and Edom] withdrew from [Joram] and returned to their own land. + + + NOW THE wife of a son of the prophets cried to Elisha, Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. But the creditor has come to take my two sons to be his slaves. + Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? Tell me, what have you [of sale value] in the house? She said, Your handmaid has nothing in the house except a jar of oil. + Then he said, Go around and borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels--and not a few. + And when you come in, shut the door upon you and your sons. Then pour out [the oil you have] into all those vessels, setting aside each one when it is full. + So she went from him and shut the door upon herself and her sons, who brought to her the vessels as she poured the oil. + When the vessels were all full, she said to her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said to her, There is not a one left. Then the oil stopped multiplying. + Then she came and told the man of God. He said, Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons live on the rest. + One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a rich and influential woman lived, who insisted on his eating a meal. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he stopped there for a meal. + And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by continually. + Let us make a small chamber on the [housetop] and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then whenever he comes to us, he can go [up the outside stairs and rest] here. + One day he came and turned into the chamber and lay there. + And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. When he had called her, she stood before him. + And he said to Gehazi, Say now to her, You have been most painstakingly and reverently concerned for us; what is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army? She answered, I dwell among my own people [they are sufficient]. + Later Elisha said, What then is to be done for her? Gehazi answered, She has no child and her husband is old. + He said, Call her. [Gehazi] called her, and she stood in the doorway. + Elisha said, At this season when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid. + But the woman conceived and bore a son at that season the following year, as Elisha had said to her. + When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father with the reapers. + But he said to his father, My head, my head! The man said to his servant, Carry him to his mother. + And when he was brought to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. + And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him and went out. + And she called to her husband and said, Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and come back again. + And he said, Why go to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath. And she said, It will be all right. + Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, Ride fast; do not slacken your pace for me unless I tell you. + So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite. + Run to meet her and say, Is it well with you? Well with your husband? Well with the child? And she answered, It is well. + When she came to the mountain to the man of God, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came to thrust her away, but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is bitter and vexed within her, and the Lord has hid it from me and has not told me. + Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? + Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go lay my staff on the face of the child. If you meet any man, do not salute him. If he salutes you, do not answer him. + The mother of the child said, As the Lord lives and as my soul lives, I will not leave you. And he arose and followed her. + Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the child's face, but the boy neither spoke nor heard. So he went back to meet Elisha and said to him, The child has not awakened. + When Elisha arrived in the house, the child was dead and laid upon his bed. + So he went in, shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. + He went up and lay on the child, put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself on him and embraced him, the child's flesh became warm. + Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro and went up again and stretched himself upon him. And the child sneezed seven times, and then opened his eyes. + Then [Elisha] called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she came, he said, Take up your son. + She came and fell at his feet, bowing herself to the ground. Then she took up her son and went out. + Elisha came back to Gilgal during a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, Set on the big pot and cook pottage for the sons of the prophets. + Then one went into the field to gather herbs and gathered from a wild vine his lap full of wild gourds, and returned and cut them up into the pot of pottage, for they were unknown to them. + So they poured it out for the men to eat. But as they ate of the pottage, they cried out, O man of God, there is death in the pot! And they could not eat it. + But he said, Bring meal [as a symbol of God's healing power]. And he cast it into the pot and said, Pour it out for the people that they may eat. Then there was no harm in the pot. + [At another time] a man from Baal-shalisha came and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain [in the husk] in his sack. And Elisha said, Give to the men that they may eat. + His servant said, How am I to set [only] this before a hundred [hungry] men? He said, Give to the men that they may eat. For thus says the Lord: They shall be fed and have some left. + So he set it before them, and they ate and left some, as the Lord had said. + + + NAAMAN, COMMANDER of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, accepted [and acceptable], because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. + The Syrians had gone out in bands and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. + She said to her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy. + [Naaman] went in and told his king, Thus and thus said the maid from Israel. + And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, 6,000 shekels of gold, and ten changes of raiment. + And he brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, When this letter comes to you, I will with it have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of leprosy. + When the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? Just consider and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me. + When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, asking, Why have you rent your clothes? Let Naaman come now to me and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. + So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at Elisha's door. + Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean. + But Naaman was angry and went away and said, Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leper. + Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. + And his servants came near and said to him, My father, if the prophet had bid you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, Wash and be clean? + Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, as the man of God had said, and his flesh was restored like that of a little child, and he was clean. + Then Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and stood before him. He said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. So now accept a gift from your servant. + Elisha said, As the Lord lives, before Whom I stand, I will accept none. He urged him to take it, but Elisha refused. + Naaman said, Then, I pray you, let there be given to me, your servant, two mules' burden of earth. For your servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord. + In this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master [the king] goes into the house of [his god] Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this thing. + Elisha said to him, Go in peace. So Naaman departed from him a little way. + But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving from his hands what he brought. But as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him. + So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him and said, Is all well? + And he said, All is well. My master has sent me to say, There have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. I pray you, give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments. + And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of garments and laid them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before Gehazi. + When he came to the hill, he took them from their hands and put them in the house; and he sent the men away, and they left. + He went in and stood before his master. Elisha said, Where have you been, Gehazi? He said, Your servant went nowhere. + Elisha said to him, Did not my spirit go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money, garments, olive orchards, vineyards, sheep, oxen, menservants, and maidservants? + Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your offspring forever. And Gehazi went from his presence a leper as white as snow. + + + THE SONS of the prophets said to Elisha, Look now, the place where we live before you is too small for us. + Let us go to the Jordan, and each man get there a [house] beam; and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go. + One said, Be pleased to go with your servants. He answered, I will go. + So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. + But as one was felling his beam, the axhead fell into the water; and he cried, Alas, my master, for it was borrowed! + The man of God said, Where did it fall? When shown the place, Elisha cut off a stick and threw it in there, and the iron floated. + He said, Pick it up. And he put out his hand and took it. + When the king of Syria was warring against Israel, after counseling with his servants, he said, In such and such a place shall be my camp. + Then the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that you pass not such a place, for the Syrians are coming down there. + Then the king of Israel sent to the place of which [Elisha] told and warned him; and thus he protected and saved himself there repeatedly. + Therefore the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing. He called his servants and said, Will you show me who of us is for the king of Israel? + One of his servants said, None, my lord O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber. + He said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him. And it was told him, He is in Dothan. + So [the Syrian king] sent there horses, chariots, and a great army. They came by night and surrounded the city. + When the servant of the man of God rose early and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. Elisha's servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? + [Elisha] answered, Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them. + Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man's eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. + And when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, Smite this people with blindness, I pray You. And God smote them with blindness, as Elisha asked. + Elisha said to the Syrians, This is not the way or the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. And he led them to Samaria. + And when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw. Behold, they were in the midst of Samaria! + When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay them? + [Elisha] answered, You shall not slay them. Would you slay those you have taken captive with your sword and bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and return to their master. + So [the king] prepared great provision for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. + Afterward, Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered his whole army and went up and besieged Samaria, + And a great famine came to Samaria. They besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove's dung [a wild vegetable] for five shekels of silver. + As the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried to him, Help, my lord, O king! + He said, [For] if he does not help you [No, let the Lord help you!], from where can I get you help? Out of the threshing floor, or out of the winepress? + And the king said to her, What ails you? She answered, This woman said to me, Give me your son so we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. + So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, Give your son so we may eat him, but she had hidden her son. + When the king heard the woman's words, he rent his clothes. As he went on upon the wall, the people looked, and behold, he wore sackcloth inside on his flesh. + Then he said, May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day! + Now Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him. And the king sent a man from before him [to behead Elisha]. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, See how this son of [Jezebel] a murderer is sending to remove my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet [just] behind him? + And while Elisha was talking with them, behold, [the messenger] came to him [and then the king came also]. And [the relenting king] said, This evil is from the Lord! Why should I any longer wait [expecting Him to withdraw His punishment? What, Elisha, can be done now]? + + + THEN ELISHA said, Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will sell for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria! + Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? But Elisha said, You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it. + Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the city's gate; and they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die? + If we say, We will enter the city--then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the army of the Syrians. If they spare us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. + So they arose in the twilight and went to the Syrian camp. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no man was there. + For the Lord had made the Syrian army hear a noise of chariots and horses, the noise of a great army. They had said to one another, The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to come upon us. + So the Syrians arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents, horses, donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. + And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them [in the darkness]. Then they entered another tent and carried from there also and went and hid it. + Then they said one to another, We are not doing right. This is a day of [glad] good news and we are silent and do not speak up! If we wait until daylight, some punishment will come upon us [for not reporting at once]. So now come, let us go and tell the king's household. + So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city. They told them, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was neither sight nor sound of man there--only the horses and donkeys tied, and the tents as they were. + Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told to the king's household within. + And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city. + One of his servants said, Let some men take five of the remaining horses; [if they are caught and killed] they will be no worse off than all the multitude of Israel left in the city to be consumed. Let us send and see. + So they took two chariot horses, and the king sent them after the Syrian army, saying, Go and see. + They went after them to the Jordan. All the way was strewn with clothing and equipment which the Syrians had cast away in their flight. And the messengers returned and told the king. + Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, as the Lord had spoken [through Elisha]. [II Kings 7:1.] + The king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate, and the [starving] people trampled him in the gate [as they struggled to get through for food], and he died, as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to him. + When the man of God had told the king, Two measures of barley shall sell for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria, + The captain had told the man of God, If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be? And he said, You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it. [II Kings 7:2.] + And so it was fulfilled to him, for the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died. + + + NOW ELISHA had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, Arise and go with your household and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and moreover, it will come upon the land for seven years. + So the woman arose and did as the man of God had said. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. + At the end of the seven years the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to appeal to the king for her house and land. + The king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me all the great things Elisha has done. + And as Gehazi was telling the king how [Elisha] had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and land. And Gehazi said, My lord O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life. + When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land even until now. + Elisha came to Damascus, and Ben-hadad king of Syria was sick; and he was told, The man of God has come here. + And the king said to Hazael, Take a present in your hand and go meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover from this disease? + So Hazael went to meet Elisha and took a present with him of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel loads, and came and stood before him and said, Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, asking, Shall I recover from this disease? + And Elisha said, Go, say to him, You shall certainly recover; but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die. + Elisha stared steadily at him until Hazael was embarrassed. And the man of God wept. + And Hazael said, Why do you weep, my lord? He answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the Israelites. You will burn their strongholds, slay their young men with the sword, dash their infants in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women. + And Hazael said, What is your servant, only a dog, that he should do this monstrous thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Syria. + Then [Hazael] departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, What did Elisha say to you? And he answered, He told me you would surely recover. + But the next day Hazael took the bedspread and dipped it in water and spread it on [the Syrian king's] face, so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his stead. + In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. + He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. + He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for [Athaliah] the daughter of Ahab was his wife. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. + Yet, for David His servant's sake, the Lord would not destroy Judah, for He promised to give him and his sons a lamp forever. + In his days, Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. + So Jehoram [of Judah] went over to Zair with all his chariots. He and his chariot commanders rose up by night and slew the Edomites who had surrounded them; and [escaping] his army fled home. + So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. + The rest of the acts of Jehoram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + Jehoram slept with his fathers and was buried with [them] in the City of David. Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. + In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. + He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did the house of Ahab, for his father was son-in-law of Ahab. + Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. + King Joram returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. + + + AND ELISHA the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, Gird up your loins, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. + When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi; and go in and have him arise from among his brethren and lead him to an inner chamber. + Then take the cruse of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel. Then open the door and flee; do not tarry. + So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. + And when he came, the captains of the army were sitting outside; and he said, I have a message for you, O captain. Jehu said, To which of us? And he said, To you, O captain. + And Jehu arose, and they went into the house. And the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and said to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel. + You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord [who have died] at the hands of Jezebel. + For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. + I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. [I Kings 21:22.] + And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and none shall bury her. And he opened the door and fled. [Fulfilled in II Kings 9:33-37.] + When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, one said to him, Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you? And he said to them, You know that class of man and what he would say. + And they said, That is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel. + Then they hastily took every man his garment and put it [for a cushion] under Jehu on the top of the [outside] stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king! + So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram [to dethrone and slay him]. Now Joram was holding Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria, + But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Jehu said, If this is your mind, let no one make his escape from the city [Ramoth-gilead] to go and tell it in Jezreel [the capital]. + So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram. + A watchman on the tower in Jezreel spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Send a horseman to meet them and have him ask, Do you come in peace? + So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus says the king: Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Rein in behind me. And the watchman reported, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. + Then Joram sent out a second man on horseback, who came to them and said, Thus says the king: Is it peace? Jehu replied, What have you to do with peace? Ride behind me. + And the watchman reported, He came to them, but does not return; also the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. + Joram said, Make ready. When his chariot was made ready, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot. Thus they went out to meet Jehu and met him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. + When Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, How can peace exist as long as the fornications of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? + Then Joram reined about and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, Treachery, Ahaziah! + But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; and the arrow went out through his heart, and he sank down in his chariot. + Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take [Joram] up and cast him in the plot of Naboth the Jezreelite's field; for remember how, when I and you rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord uttered this prophecy against him: + As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says the Lord, I will repay you on this plot of ground, says the Lord. Now therefore, take and cast Joram into the plot of ground [of Naboth], as the word of the Lord said. [I Kings 21:15-29.] + When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. Jehu followed him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And [Ahaziah] fled to Megiddo and died there. + His servants took him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulcher with his fathers in the City of David. + In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah's reign over Judah began. + Now when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and beautified her head and looked out of [an upper] window. + And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Have you come in] peace, you Zimri, who slew his master? [I Kings 16:9, 10.] + Jehu lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. + And he said, Throw her down! So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he drove over her. + When he came in, he ate and drank, and said, See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter. + They went to bury her, but they found nothing left of her except the skull, feet, and palms of her hands. + They came again and told Jehu. He said, This is the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. [I Kings 21:23.] + The corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. + + + AHAB HAD seventy [grandsons] in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them from Jezreel to the rulers of Samaria, to the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab's [grandsons], saying, + Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master [Joram's] sons are with you and also chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons, + Select the best and most fit of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne; and fight for your master's house. + But they were exceedingly afraid and reasoned, The two kings could not stand before [Jehu]; how then can we stand? + And he who was over the household, he who was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians and tutors sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants and will do all that you bid us; [but] we will not make any man king; do what is good in your eyes. + Then [Jehu] wrote a second letter to them, saying, If you are with me and will obey me, take the heads of your master [Joram's] sons and come to me at Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the [dead] king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. + When the letter came to these men, they took the king's sons and slew them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. + When a messenger came and told him, They have brought the heads of the king's sons, he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning. + The next morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, You are just and innocent. Behold, I conspired against my master and slew him, but who smote all these? + Know now that nothing which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab shall be unfulfilled or ineffective; for the Lord has done what He said through His servant Elijah. + So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. + And he arose and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way, + Jehu met the kinsmen of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, Who are you? They answered, We are the kinsmen of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of [Jezebel] the queen mother. + He said, Take them alive. And they did so and slew them at the cistern of the shearing house, forty-two men; he left none of them. + When Jehu left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He saluted him and said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart is with yours? Jehonadab answered, It is. [Jehu said] If it is, give me your hand. He gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up into the chariot. + And he said, Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord. So they made [the Rechabite] ride in Jehu's chariot. + When Jehu came to Samaria, he slew all who remained of Ahab's family in Samaria, till he had destroyed them all, according to what the Lord said to Elijah. + Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much. + So call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to make to Baal; whoever is missing shall not live. But Jehu did it with trickery, intending to destroy the Baal worshipers. + Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. + Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; not a man failed to come. They went to the house or temple of Baal, filling it from one end to the other. + And he said to the man over the vestry, Bring vestments for all the worshipers of Baal. And he brought them vestments. + Then Jehu with Jehonadab son of Rechab went into the house of Baal and said to the worshipers of Baal, Search and see that there are here with you none of the servants of the Lord--but Baal worshipers only. + And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed eighty men outside and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he who lets him go shall forfeit his own life for his life. + As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and to the officers, Go in and slay them; let none escape. And they smote them with the sword; and the guards or runners [before the king] and the officers threw their bodies out and went into the inner dwelling of the house of Baal. + They brought out the pillars or obelisks of the house of Baal and burned them. + They broke down the pillars of Baal and the house of Baal, and made it [forever unclean] a privy to this day. + Thus Jehu rooted Baal out of Israel. + But Jehu did not give up the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin, that is, the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. [I Kings 12:28ff.] + And the Lord said to Jehu, Because you have executed well what is right in My eyes and have done to the house of Ahab as I willed, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on Israel's throne. [Fulfilled in II Kings 15:12.] + But Jehu paid no attention to walking in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not quit the sins with which Jeroboam made Israel to sin. + [So] in those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael [of Syria] defeated them in all the [across the Jordan] territory of Israel + From the Jordan east, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, Reubenites, and Manassites, from Aroer which is by the Valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. + The rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Jehu slept with his fathers. They buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. + The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. + + + WHEN ATHALIAH the mother of [King] Ahaziah [of Judah] saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal descendants. + But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, [half] sister of Ahaziah, stole Joash son of Ahaziah from among the king's sons, who were to be slain, even him and his nurse, and hid them from Athaliah in an inner storeroom for beds; so he was not slain. + Joash was with his nurse hidden in the house of the Lord for six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land. + In the seventh year Jehoiada [the priest, Jehosheba's husband] sent for the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guards or runners and brought them to him to the house of the Lord and made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord and showed them the king's [hidden] son. + And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing you shall do: a third of you who come in on the Sabbath shall keep watch of the king's house, + A third shall be at the gate Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guard. So you shall keep watch of the palace [from three places] and be a barrier. + And two divisions of all you who should go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord to [protect] the king. + You shall surround the [little] king, every man with his weapons in his hand. And let anyone who breaks through the ranks be put to death. You be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in. + The captains over the hundreds did all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they took every man his men who were to come on duty on the Sabbath with those who should go off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. + To the captains over hundreds the priest gave the spears and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord. + And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right corner to the left corner of the temple area, along by the altar [in the court] and the temple proper. + And Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the Testimony [the Mosaic Law]; and they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, Long live the king! + When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. + When she looked, there stood the king [on the platform] by the pillar, as was customary [on such occasions], and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason! + Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds set over the army and said to them, Take her forth outside the ranks, and him who follows her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. + They seized her, and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was slain. + And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord's people--and also between the king and the people. + Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and destroyed it. His altar and his images they broke completely in pieces, and Mattan the priest of Baal they slew before the altars. And [Jehoiada] the priest appointed watchmen to guard the house of the Lord. + Then he took the rulers over hundreds, the captains, the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord and came by way of the guards' gate to the king's house. And [little] Joash was seated on the throne of the kings. + So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been slain with the sword beside the king's house. + Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. + + + IN THE seventh year of Jehu, Joash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah of Beersheba. + Joash did right in the sight of the Lord all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. + Yet the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. + And Joash said to the priests, All the current money brought into the house of the Lord to provide the dedicated things, also the money [which the priests by command have] assessed on all those bound by vows, also all the money that it comes into any man's heart voluntarily to bring into the house of the Lord, + Let the priests solicit and receive such contributions, every man from his acquaintance, and let them repair the Lord's house wherever any such need may be found. + But in the twenty-third year of King Joash's reign the priests had not made the needed repairs on the Lord's house. + Then King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, Why are you not repairing the [Lord's] house? Do not take any more money from your acquaintances, but turn it all over for the repair of the house. [You are no longer responsible for this work. I will take it into my own hands.] + And the priests consented to receive no more money from the people, nor to repair the breaches of the house. + Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord; and the priests who guarded the door put in the chest all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. + And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's scribe and the high priest came up and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord and tied it up in bags. + Then they gave the money, when it was weighed, into the hands of those who were doing the work, who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; and they paid it out to the carpenters and builders who worked on the house of the Lord + And to the masons and stonecutters, and to buy timber and hewn stone for making the repairs on the house of the Lord, and for all that was outlay for repairing the house. + However, there were not made for the house of the Lord basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, any vessels of gold or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. + But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired with it the house of the Lord. + Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hands they delivered the money to be paid to the workmen, for they dealt faithfully. + The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it was the priests'. + Then Hazael king of Syria went up, fought against Gath [in Philistia], and took it. And Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. + And Joash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his [forefathers], kings of Judah, had dedicated and his own hallowed things and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and in the king's house, and sent them to Hazael king of Syria; and Hazael went away from Jerusalem. + The rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + His servants arose and made a conspiracy and slew Joash [in revenge] in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. [II Chron. 24:22-25.] + It was Jozachar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, his servants, who smote him so that he died. They buried [Joash] with his fathers in the City of David. Amaziah his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THE twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin, and did not depart from them. + The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and of Ben-hadad son of Hazael continually. + But Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened to him, for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria burdened them. + Then the Lord gave Israel a savior [one to rescue and give them peace], so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the Israelites dwelt in their tents or homes as before. + Yet they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin; but the nation walked in them. And the Asherah [symbol of the goddess Asherah] remained in Samaria. + [Ben-hadad] of Syria did not leave to Jehoahaz of [Israel] an army of more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 footmen, for the Syrian king had destroyed them and made them like dust to be trampled. + The rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoash his son reigned in his stead. + In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; he walked in them. + The rest of the acts of Jehoash, all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Jehoash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam [II] sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. + Now Elisha [previously] had become ill of the illness of which he died. And Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen of it! [II Kings 2:12.] + And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took bow and arrows. + And he said to the king of Israel, Put your hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it, and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. + And he said, Open the window to the east. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria. For you shall smite the Syrians in Aphek till you have destroyed them. + Then he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike on the ground. And he struck three times and stopped. + And the man of God was angry with him and said, You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Syria down only three times. + Elisha died, and they buried him. Bands of the Moabites invaded the land in the spring of the next year. + As a man was being buried [on an open bier], such a band was seen coming; and the man was cast into Elisha's grave. And when the man being let down touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet. + Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. + But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast them from His presence yet. [Mal. 3:6.] + Hazael king of Syria died; Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead. + Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recovered from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities which he had taken from Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and recovered the cities of Israel. [II Kings 13:19.] + + + IN THE second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah reigned. + He was twenty-five years old when he began his twenty-nine-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his [forefather]. He did all things as Joash his father did. + But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. + As soon as the kingdom was established in Amaziah's hand, he slew his servants who had slain the king his father. [II Kings 12:20.] + But he did not slay the children of the murderers, in compliance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin only. + Amaziah slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt 10,000, and took Sela (Greek petra [rock]) by war, and called it Joktheel, which is the name of it to this day. + Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face and test each other. + Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, The thistle in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son as wife. And a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle [leaving the cedar unharmed]. + You have indeed smitten Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your hurt and provoke calamity, causing you to fall, you and Judah with you? + But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah measured swords at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. + But Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled home. + And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. + He seized all the gold and silver and all the vessels found in the Lord's house and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and returned to Samaria. + The rest of the acts of Jehoash, his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of Israel's Kings? + Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with Israel's kings. Jeroboam [II] reigned in his stead. + Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. + The rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + Now a conspiracy was made against him in Jerusalem, and Amaziah fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and slew him there. + They brought him on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David. + And all the people of Judah took Azariah, sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. + He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king [his father] died. + In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam [II] son of Jehoash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam [I] son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. + Jeroboam restored Israel's border from the entrance of Hamath to the [Dead] Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. + For the Lord saw as very bitter the affliction of Israel; there was no one left, bond or free, nor any helper for Israel. + But the Lord had not said that He would blot out the name of Israel from under the heavens, so He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam [II] son of Jehoash. + The rest of the acts of Jeroboam [II], all that he did, his might, how he warred, and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Jeroboam [II] slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Zechariah his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THE twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam [II] king of Israel, Azariah (Uzziah) son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. + He was sixteen years old when he began his fifty-two-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. + He did right in the Lord's sight, in keeping with all his father Amaziah had done-- + Except the high places were not removed; the people sacrificed and burned incense still on the high places. + And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper to his dying day, and dwelt in a separate house. Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land. [II Chron. 26:16-21.] + The rest of Azariah's acts, all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with them in the City of David. Jotham his son reigned in his stead. + In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah Zechariah son of Jeroboam [II] reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam [I] son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. + Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah and struck and killed him before the people and reigned in his stead. + The rest of the acts of Zechariah, see, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + This was the fulfillment of the promise to Jehu from the Lord: Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. [II Kings 10:30.] + Shallum son of Jabesh, in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, began his reign of a full month in Samaria. + For Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and smote and killed Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria and reigned in his stead. + The rest of Shallum's acts, his conspiracy, see, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Then Menahem smote Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on; he attacked it because they did not open to him. And all the women there who were with child he ripped up. + In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi began his ten-year reign over Israel in Samaria. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to sin. + There came against the land Pul king of Assyria, and Menahem gave Pul 1,000 talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his kingship. + Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay in the land. + The rest of Menahem's acts, all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Menahem slept with his fathers; Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. + In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem began his two-year reign over Israel in Samaria. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam [I] son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + But Pekah son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against [Pekahiah] and attacked him in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh; [for] with [Pekah] were fifty Gileadites. And he killed him and reigned in his stead. + The rest of the acts of Pekahiah, all he did, see, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah began his twenty-year reign over Israel in Samaria. + He did evil in the Lord's sight; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam [I] son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried the people captive to Assyria. + Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah [of Israel]; he smote and killed him, and reigned in his stead in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah. + The rest of Pekah's acts, all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of Israel's Kings. + In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah became king. + When he was twenty-five years old, he began his reign of sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. + He did right in the Lord's sight, according to all his father Uzziah had done. + Yet the high places were not removed; the people sacrificed and burned incense still on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord. + The rest of the acts of Jotham, all he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of Judah's Kings? + In those days the Lord began sending Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. + Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried [with them] in the city of David his [forefather]. Ahaz his son succeeded him. + + + IN THE seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah became king. + Ahaz was twenty years old when he began his sixteen-year reign in Jerusalem. He did not do right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his [forefather]. + But he walked in the ways of Israel's kings, yes, and made his son pass through the fire [and offered him as a sacrifice], in accord with the abominable [idolatrous] practices of the [heathen] nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. + He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. + Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war; they besieged Ahaz, but could not conquer him. + At that time, Rezin king of Syria got back Elath [in Edom] for Syria and drove the Jews from [it]. The Syrians came to Elath and dwell there to this day. + So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am your servant and son. Come up and save me out of the hands of the kings of Syria and of Israel, who are attacking me. + And Ahaz took the silver and gold in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. + Assyria's king hearkened to him; he went up against Damascus, took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. + King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw there their [heathen] altar. King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest a model of the altar and an exact pattern for its construction. + So Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, finishing it before King Ahaz returned. + When the king came from Damascus, he looked at the altar and offered on it. + King Ahaz burned his burnt offering and his cereal offering, poured his drink offering, and dashed the blood of his peace offerings upon that altar. + The bronze altar which was before the Lord he removed from the front of the house, from between his [new] altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar. + And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest: Upon the principal (the new) altar, burn the morning burnt offering, the evening cereal offering, the king's burnt sacrifice and his cereal offering, with the burnt offering and cereal offering and drink offering of all the people of the land; and dash upon the [new] altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and the sacrifices. But the [old] bronze altar shall be kept for me to use to inquire by [of the Lord]. + Urijah the priest did all this as King Ahaz commanded. + [To keep Assyria's king from getting them] King Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases [of the ten lavers] and removed the laver from each of them; and he took down the Sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it upon stone supports. + And the covered way for the Sabbath that they had built in the temple court, and the king's outer entrance, he removed from the house of the Lord, because of the king of Assyria [who if he heard of them might seize them]. + The rest of the acts of Ahaz, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried [with them] in the City of David. Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THE twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah began his nine-year reign in Samaria over Israel. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as Israel's kings before him did. + Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant and brought him tribute. + But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. + Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. + In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried the Israelites away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes. + This was so because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, Who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods + And walked in the customs of the [heathen] nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites, customs the kings of Israel had introduced. + The Israelites did secretly against the Lord their God things not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from [lonely] watchtower to [populous] fortified city. + They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah] on every high hill and under every green tree. + There they burned incense on all the high places, as did the nations whom the Lord carried away before them; and they did wicked things provoking the Lord to anger. + And they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, You shall not do this thing. + Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all the prophets and all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets. + Yet they would not hear, but hardened their necks as did their fathers who did not believe (trust in, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord their God. + They despised and rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings to them, and they followed vanity (false gods--falsehood, emptiness, and futility) and [they themselves and their prayers] became false (empty and futile). They went after the heathen round about them, of whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do as they did. + And they forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the [starry] hosts of the heavens and served Baal. + They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. + Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah. + Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs which Israel introduced. + The Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight. + For He tore Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drew and drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin. + For the Israelites walked in all the sins Jeroboam committed; they departed not from them + Until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, as He had foretold by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria to this day. + The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They possessed Samaria and dwelt in its cities. + At the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear and revere the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. + So the king of Assyria was told: The nations you removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the manner in which the God of the land requires their worship. Therefore He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the manner of [worship demanded by] the God of the land. + Then the king of Assyria commanded, Take to Samaria one of the priests you brought from there, and let him [and his helpers] go and live there and let him teach the people the law of the God of the land. + So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear and revere the Lord. + But every nationality still made gods of their own and put them in the shrines of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nationality in the city in which they dwelt. + The men of Babylon made [and worshiped their deity] Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, + The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. + So they feared the Lord, yet appointed from among themselves, whether high or low, priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. + They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods, as did the nations from among whom they had been carried away. + Unto this day they do after their former custom: they do not fear the Lord [as God sees it], neither do they obey the statutes or the ordinances or the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, + With whom the Lord had made a covenant and commanded them, You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them. + But you shall [reverently] fear, bow yourselves to, and sacrifice to the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. + And the statutes, ordinances, law, and commandment which He wrote for you you shall observe and do forevermore; you shall not fear other gods. + And the covenant that I have made with you you shall not forget; you shall not fear other gods. + But the Lord your God you shall [reverently] fear; then He will deliver you out of the hands of all your enemies. + However, they did not listen, but they did as they had done formerly. + So these nations [vainly] feared the Lord and also served their graven images, as did their children and their children's children. As their fathers did, so do they to this day. + + + IN THE third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. + He was twenty-five years old when he began his twenty-nine-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Abi daughter of Zechariah. + Hezekiah did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his [forefather] had done. + He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the Asherim, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until then the Israelites had burned incense to it; but he called it Nehushtan [a bronze trifle]. + Hezekiah trusted in, leaned on, and was confident in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that neither after him nor before him was any one of all the kings of Judah like him. + For he clung and held fast to the Lord and ceased not to follow Him, but kept His commandments, as the Lord commanded Moses. + And the Lord was with Hezekiah; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. + He smote the Philistines, even to Gaza [the most distant city] and its borders, from the [isolated] watchtower to the [populous] fortified city. + In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. + After three years it was taken; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. + The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, + Because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear it or do it. + In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. + Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, I have done wrong. Depart from me; what you put on me I will bear. And the king of Assyria exacted of Hezekiah king of Judah 300 talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. + And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house. + Then Hezekiah stripped off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts which he as king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. + And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh [the high officials] from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a great army. They went up to Jerusalem, and when they arrived, they came and stood by the canal of the Upper Pool, which is on the highway to the Fuller's Field. [II Chron. 32:9-19; Isa. 36:1-22.] + When they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the king's household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder. + The Rabshakeh told them, Say to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king of Assyria: What justifies this confidence of yours? + You say--but they are empty words--There is counsel and strength for war. Now on whom do you rely, that you rebel against me? + Behold, you are relying on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff; if a man leans on it, it will pierce his hand. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust and rely on him. + But if you tell me, We trust in and rely on the Lord our God, is it not He Whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? + So now, make a wager and give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria: I will deliver you 2,000 horses--if you can on your part put riders on them. + How then can you beat back one captain among the least of my master's servants, when your trust is put in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? + Have I come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah and Shebna and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, We pray you, speak to your servants in the Aramaic (Syrian) language, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in the Jews' language in the hearing of the people on the wall. + But the Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and you only to say these things? Has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall [whom Hezekiah has doomed to be forced] to eat their own dung and drink their own urine along with you? + Then the Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, Hear the word of the great king of Assyria! + Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you. For he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. + Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in and rely on the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of Assyria's king. + Hearken not to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat every man from his own vine and fig tree and drink every man the waters of his own cistern, + Until I come and take you away to a land like your own, a land of grain and vintage fruit, of bread and vineyards, of olive trees and honey, that you may live and not die. Do not listen to Hezekiah when he urges you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. + Has any one of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad [in Syria]? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah [in the Euphrates Valley]? Have they delivered Samaria [Israel's capital] out of my hand? + Who of all the gods of the countries has delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? + But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, Do not answer him. + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the royal household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him what the Rabshakeh had said. + + + WHEN KING Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. [Isa. 37:1-13.] + And he sent Eliakim, who was over his household, Shebna the scribe, and the older priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. + They said to him, Hezekiah says: This is a day of [extreme danger and] distress, of rebuke and chastisement, and blasphemous and insolent insult; for children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. + It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria has sent to mock, reproach, insult, and defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. So raise your prayer for the remnant [of His people] that is left. + So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. + Isaiah said to them, Say to your master, Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled and blasphemed Me. + Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own country. + So the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah [a fortified city of Judah]; for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. + And Sennacherib king of Assyria heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He has come to make war against you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, + Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: Let not your God on Whom you rely deceive you by saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. + Behold, you have heard what the Assyrian kings have done to all lands, destroying them utterly. And shall you be delivered? + Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my ancestors have destroyed, as Gozan, Haran [of Mesopotamia], Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? + Where are the kings of Hamath, of Arpad [of northern Syria], of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? + Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And he went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. [Isa. 37:14-20.] + And Hezekiah prayed: O Lord, the God of Israel, Who [in symbol] is enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark in the temple], You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. + Lord, bow down Your ear and hear; Lord, open Your eyes and see; hear the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock, reproach, insult, and defy the living God. + It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste the nations and their lands + And have cast the gods of those peoples into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they [could destroy and] have destroyed them. + Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech You, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know and understand that You, O Lord, are God alone. + Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. [Isa. 37:21-38.] + This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him: The Virgin Daughter of Zion has despised you and laughed you to scorn; the Daughter of Jerusalem has wagged her head behind you. + Whom have you mocked and reviled and insulted and blasphemed? Against Whom have you raised your voice and haughtily lifted your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! + By your messengers you have mocked, reproached, insulted, and defied the Lord, and have said, With my many chariots I have gone up to the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedar trees and its choicest cypress trees. I entered its most distant retreat, its densest forest. + I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all [the defense and] the streams of Egypt. + [But, says the God of Israel] Have you not heard how I ordained long ago what now I have brought to pass? I planned it in olden times, that you [king of Assyria] should [be My instrument to] lay waste fortified cities, making them ruinous heaps. + That is why their inhabitants had little power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were like plants of the field, the green herb, the grass on the housetops, blasted before it is grown up. + But [O Sennacherib] I [the Lord] know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against Me. + Because your raging against Me and your arrogance and careless ease have come to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way you came, O king of Assyria. + And [Hezekiah, says the Lord] this shall be the sign [of these things] to you: you shall eat this year what grows of itself, also in the second year what springs up voluntarily. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. + And the remnant that has survived of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. + For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and a band of survivors out of Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this. + Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow here or come before it with shield or cast up a siege mound against it. + By the way that he came, by that way shall he return, and he shall not come into this city, says the Lord. + For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for My servant David's sake. + And it all came to pass, for that night the Angel of the Lord went forth and slew 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when [the living] arose early in the morning, behold, all these were dead bodies. + So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned and dwelt at Nineveh. + And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Armenia or Ararat. Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THOSE days Hezekiah became deadly ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover. [II Chron. 32:24-26; Isa. 38:1-8.] + Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, + I beseech You, O Lord, [earnestly] remember now how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart [entirely devoted to You] and have done what is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. + Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: + Turn back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your [forefather]: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. + I will add to your life fifteen years and deliver you and this city [Jerusalem] out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake. + And Isaiah said, Bring a cake of figs. Let them lay it on the burning inflammation, that he may recover. + Hezekiah said to Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord on the third day? + And Isaiah said, This is the sign to you from the Lord that He will do the thing He has promised: shall the shadow [denoting the time of day] go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps? + Hezekiah answered, It is an easy matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps; so let the shadow go back ten steps. + So Isaiah the prophet cried to the Lord, and He brought the shadow the ten steps backward by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz. + At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard of Hezekiah's illness. [Isa. 39:1-8.] + And Hezekiah rejoiced and welcomed the embassy and showed them all his treasure-house--the silver, gold, spices, precious ointment, his armory, and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said, What did these men say? From where did they come to you? Hezekiah said, They are from a far country, from Babylon. + Isaiah said, What have they seen in your house? Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house. There is no treasure of mine that I have not shown them. + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord! + Behold, the time is coming when all that is in your house, and that which your forefathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. + And some of your sons who shall be born to you shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of Babylon's king. + Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, The word of the Lord you have spoken is good. For he thought, Is it not good, if [all this evil is meant for the future and] peace and security shall be in my days? + The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool and the canal and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + Hezekiah slept with his fathers. Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. + + + MANASSEH WAS twelve years old when he began his fifty-five-year [wicked] reign in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. + He [Hezekiah's son] did evil in the sight of the Lord, after the [idolatrous] practices of the [heathen] nations whom the Lord cast out before the Israelites. + For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshiped all the [starry] hosts of the heavens and served them! + And he built [heathen] altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, In Jerusalem will I put My Name [and the pledge of My presence]. + And he [good Hezekiah's son] built altars for all the hosts of the heavens in the two courts of the house of the Lord! + And he made his son pass through the fire and burned him as an offering [to Molech]; he practiced soothsaying and augury, and dealt with mediums and wizards! He did much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. + He made a graven image of [the goddess] Asherah and set it in the house, of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put My Name [and the pledge of My presence] forever; + And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them. + But they would not listen; and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations did whom the Lord destroyed before the Israelites! + And the Lord said through His servants the prophets: + Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, + Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears shall tingle! + And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. + And I will cast off the rest of My inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, + For they have done evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger since their fathers came out of Egypt to this day. + Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, filling Jerusalem from one end to another--besides his sin in making Judah sin, by doing evil in the sight of the Lord! [II Chron. 33:1-10.] + The rest of the acts of Manasseh, all that he did, and his sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. Amon his son reigned in his stead. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he began his two-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. + [But] he also did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. [II Kings 23:26, 27; 24:3, 4.] + He walked in all the ways of his father; and he served the idols that his father served, and worshiped them; + He forsook the Lord, the God of his [forefathers], and did not walk in the way of the Lord. + The servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house. + But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and made Josiah his son king in his stead. + The rest of the acts of Amon, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. Josiah his son succeeded him. + + + JOSIAH WAS eight years old when he began his thirty-one-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. + He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the ways of David his [forefather], and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. + In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the Lord's house, saying, + Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered from the people. [II Kings 12:4ff.] + And let them deliver it into the hands of the workmen who have oversight of the Lord's house, to give to the laborers engaged in the repairing of the Lord's house-- + That is, to the carpenters, builders, and masons--and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. + However, there was no accounting required of them for the money delivered into their hands, because they dealt faithfully. + Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord! Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. + And Shaphan the scribe came to the king and reported to him: Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hands of the workmen who have oversight of the house of the Lord. + Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. + And when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he rent his clothes. + And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah servant of the king, + Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us because our fathers have not listened and obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us. + So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe--now she dwelt in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter--and they talked with her. + She said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, + Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, according to all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. + Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, provoking Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath will be kindled against this place and will not be quenched. + But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, say this, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, regarding the words you have heard: + Because your heart was [tender and] penitent and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation, [an astonishment and] a curse, and you have rent your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. + Behold, therefore [King Josiah], I will gather you to your fathers, taken to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place. And they brought the king word. + + + KING JOSIAH sent and gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. + The king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which was found in the Lord's house. + The king stood [on the platform] by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord--to walk after the Lord and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to join in the covenant. + And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for [the goddess] Asherah, and for all the hosts of the heavens; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel [where Israel's idolatry began]. [I Kings 12:28, 29.] + He put away the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in Judah's cities and round about Jerusalem--also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations [or twelve signs of the zodiac], and to all the hosts of the heavens. + And Josiah brought the Asherah from the house of the Lord to outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron and burned it there, and beat it to dust and cast its dust upon the graves of the common people [who had sacrificed to it]. + And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes, which were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove [tent] hangings for the Asherah [shrines]. + And [Josiah] brought all the [idolatrous] priests out of the city of Judah and defiled the high places, where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba [north to south], and broke down the high places both at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city and that which was on one's left at the city's gate. + However, the priests of the high places were not allowed to sacrifice upon the Lord's altar in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren. + And Josiah defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], that no man might ever burn there his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech. [Ezek. 16:21.] + And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had devoted to the sun from the entrance of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the area, and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. + And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, [Josiah] pulled down and beat them in pieces, and he [ran and] cast their dust into the brook Kidron. + And the king defiled the high places east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abominable [goddess] of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abominable god of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abominable [god] of the Ammonites. + He broke in pieces the pillars (images) and cut down the Asherim and replaced them with the bones of men [to defile the places forever]. + Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place Josiah tore down and broke in pieces its stones, beating them to dust, and burned the Asherah. + And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs across on the mount, and he sent and brought the bones out of the tombs and burned them upon the altar and defiled it, in fulfillment of the word of the Lord which the man of God prophesied, who predicted these things [about this altar, naming Josiah before he was born]. [I Kings 13:2-5.] + Josiah said, What is that monument I see? The men of the city told him, It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and foretold these things that you have just done against the altar of Bethel. + He said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria. [I Kings 13:31, 32.] + Also Josiah took away all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria which the kings of Israel had made, provoking the Lord to anger, and he did to them all that he had done in Bethel. + He slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars and burned men's bones upon them [to defile the places forever]. Then he returned to Jerusalem. + The king commanded all the people, Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant. + Surely such a Passover was not held from the days of Israel's judges, even in all the days of the kings of Israel or Judah. + But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. + Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums, the wizards, the teraphim (household gods), the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law written in the book found by Hilkiah the priest in the house of the Lord. + There was no king like him before or after [Josiah] who turned to the Lord with all his heart and all his soul and all his might, according to all the Law of Moses. + Still the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. + And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of My sight as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city, Jerusalem, which I have chosen, and the house, of which I said, My Name [and the pledge of My presence] shall be there. + The rest of the acts of Josiah, all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of Judah's Kings? + In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went out against him, but he slew Josiah at Megiddo when he saw him. + Josiah's servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land anointed Jehoahaz son of Josiah king in his stead. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began his three-month reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all [the evil] his forefathers had done. + And Pharaoh Necho put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold upon the land. + Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of Josiah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away to Egypt, where he died. + Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money as Pharaoh commanded. He exacted the silver and gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necho. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began his eleven-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord, like all his [forefathers] had done. + + + IN HIS days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. + The Lord sent against Jehoiakim bands of Chaldeans, of Syrians, of Moabites, and of Ammonites. And He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servants the prophets. + Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of His sight because of the sins of Manasseh according to all he had done, + And also for the innocent blood that he shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon. + The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of Judah's Kings? + So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers. Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. + The king of Egypt came no more out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to Egypt's king, from the River of Egypt to the river Euphrates. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began his three-month reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. + And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, in keeping with all his father had done. + At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. + Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. + Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his servants, princes, and palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. + He carried off all the treasures of the Lord's house and the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had said. + He carried away all Jerusalem, all the princes, all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest of the land. + Nebuchadnezzar took captive to Babylon King Jehoiachin; his mother, his wives, his officials, and the chief and mighty men of the land [the prophet Ezekiel included] he took from Jerusalem to Babylon into exile. [Ezek. 1:1.] + And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and craftsmen and smiths, 1,000, all strong and fit for war. + And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his stead and changed his name to Zedekiah. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began his eleven-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in keeping with all Jehoiakim had done. + For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that He cast them out of His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + + + IN THE ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and they built siege works against it round about. + The city was besieged [nearly two years] until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. + On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was complete in the city; there was no food for the people of the land. + Then the city was broken through; the king and all the warriors fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were round about the city. [The king] went by the way toward the Arabah (the plain). + The Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. + So they captured Zedekiah and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and sentence was passed on him. + And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in double fetters [hands and feet] and carried him to Babylon. [Foretold in Jer. 34:3; Ezek. 12:13.] + On the seventh day of the fifth month of the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, captain of the Babylonian king's guard, came to Jerusalem. + He burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. + All the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the [Babylonian] guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. + Now the rest of the people left in the city and the deserters who fell away to the king of Babylon, along with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. + But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and soil tillers. + The bronze pillars in the Lord's house and [its] bases and the bronze Sea the Chaldeans smashed and carried the bronze to Babylon. + And they took away the pots, shovels, snuffers, dishes for incense, all the bronze vessels used in the temple service, + The firepans, and bowls. Such things as were of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver [he took away] as silver. + The two pillars, the one Sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these articles was incalculable. + The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and upon it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits; a network and pomegranates round about the capital were all of bronze. And the second pillar had the same as these, with a network. + The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold. + And out of the city he took an officer who was in command of the men of war and five men of the king's personal advisors, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land and sixty men of the people who were found in the city. + Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + The king of Babylon smote and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath [north of Damascus]. So Judah was taken into exile. + Over the people whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left in the land of Judah he appointed as governor Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. + And when all the captains of the forces and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite. + And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, Do not be afraid of the Chaldean officials. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. + But in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family [so having a claim to be governor], came with ten men and smote and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. + Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. + And in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and released him from prison; + He spoke kindly to him and ranked him above the kings with him in Babylon. + Jehoiachin put off his prison garments, and he dined regularly at the king's table the remainder of his life. + And his allowance, a continual one, was given him by the king, every day a portion, for the rest of his life. + + + + + ADAM [his genealogical line], Seth, Enosh, + Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, + Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, + Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. + The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put, and Canaan. + The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. + Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one upon the earth. + Mizraim (Egypt) was the father of the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, + Pathrusim, Casluhim, from whom came the Philistines, and the Caphtorim. + Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, + The Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, + Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, + Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. + The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. + Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, Shelah of Eber. + To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, because in his days [the population of] the earth was divided [according to its languages], and his brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. + Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, + Eber, Peleg, Reu, + Serug, Nahor, Terah, + Abram, the same as Abraham. + The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. + These are their descendants: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, + Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. + Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. + The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons [and grandsons] of Keturah. + Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. + The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek. + The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. + The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. + The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Timna was Lotan's sister. + The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. + The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. + The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, [and] Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. + These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites: Bela son of Beor; the name of his city was Dinhabah. + When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. + When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. + When Husham died, Hadad [I of Edom] son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead; his city was Avith. + When Hadad [I] died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. + When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth on the River [Euphrates] reigned in his stead. + When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his stead. + When Baal-hanan died, Hadad [II] reigned in his stead; his city was Pai; his wife was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. + Hadad died also. The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Aliah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom. + + + THESE ARE the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, + Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. + The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah, whom Shua's daughter the Canaanitess bore him. Er, Judah's eldest, was evil in the Lord's sight, and He slew him. + Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, bore him Pharez and Zerah. All Judah's sons were five. + The sons of Pharez: Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara--five in all. [I Kings 4:31.] + The son of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the matter of the devoted things. [Josh. 7:1.] + The son of Ethan: Azariah. + The sons of Hezron who were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai (that is, Caleb). + Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab of Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah. + Nahshon was the father of Salma, Salma of Boaz, + Boaz of Obed, and Obed of Jesse. + Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab second, Shimea third, + Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, + Ozem sixth, David seventh. + Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. + Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. + And Caleb son of Hezron had sons by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. [Azubah's] sons were: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. + Azubah died, and Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. + Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri of Bezalel [the skillful craftsman who made the furnishings of the tabernacle]. [Exod. 31:2-5.] + Later, when Hezron was sixty years old, he married the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, and she bore him Segub. + Segub was the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. + But Geshur and Aram took from them Havvoth-jair, with Kenath and its villages, sixty towns. All these were the descendants of Machir the father of Gilead. + After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, Abiah, Hezron's wife, bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa. + The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron: Ram the firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. + Jerahmeel had another wife, named Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. + The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. + The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. + Abishur's wife was Abihail; she bore him Ahban and Molid. + The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died childless. + The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. + The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died childless. + The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. + Sheshan had no sons--only daughters. But Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. + Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife; she bore him Attai. + Attai was the father of Nathan, and Nathan of Zabad. + Zabad was the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal of Obed. + Obed was the father of Jehu, and Jehu of Azariah. + Azariah was the father of Helez, and Helez of Eleasah. + Eleasah was the father of Sismai, and Sismai of Shallum. + Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah of Elishama. + The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his firstborn was the father of Ziph; and his son Mareshah [he was] the father of Hebron. + The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. + Shema was the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam. And Rekem was the father of Shammai. + The son of Shammai was Maon; Maon's son was Beth-zur. + Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; Haran was the father of Gazez. + The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. + Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah, and also + Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Machbenah and of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. + These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, + Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. + Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had [other] descendants: Haroeh, half [of the inhabitants] of Menuhoth [in Judah], + And the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. + The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, and half of the Manahathites, [and] the Zorites, + And the families of scribes who dwelt at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. + + + THESE SONS of David were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; second, Daniel (Chileab), of Abigail the Carmelitess; + Third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; fourth, Adonijah, of Haggith; + Fifth, Shephatiah, of Abital; sixth, Ithream, of his wife Eglah. + These six were born to David in Hebron; there he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. + These were born to [David] in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon--four of Bathshua (Bathsheba) daughter of Ammiel (Eliam); + Then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet--nine in all. + These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines. And Tamar was their sister. + Solomon's descendants [omitting nonreigning offspring] were: his son Rehoboam. Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, + Jehoram (Joram) his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, + Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, + Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, + Amon his son, Josiah his son. + The descendants of Josiah: firstborn, Johanan; second, Jehoiakim; third, Zedekiah; fourth, Shallum. + The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) his son, Zedekiah his son. + The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive: Shealtiel his son, + Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. + The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, Hananiah. And Shelomith was their sister; + And Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, [and] Jushab-hesed--five [the sons of Meshullam?]. + The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, whose son was Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. + The son of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat--six in all. + The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam--three in all. + The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani--seven in all. + + + THE SONS of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. + Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. + These were the sons of [Hur] the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister was Hazzelelponi. + And Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the eldest of Ephrathah (Ephrath), the father of Bethlehem. + Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. + Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were Naarah's sons. + The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. + Koz was the father of Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum. + Jabez was honorable above his brothers; but his mother named him Jabez [sorrow maker], saying, Because I bore him in pain. + Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request. + Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, the father of Eshton. + Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. + The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath [and Meonothai]. + Meonothai was father of Ophrah, and Seraiah of Joab the father of Ge-harashim [the Valley of Craftsmen], so named because they were craftsmen. + The sons of Caleb [Joshua's companion] son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz. + The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. + The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married: she bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. + And Mered's Jewish wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. + The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. + The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. + The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea, + And Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and returned to [Bethlehem]. These are ancient matters. + These were the potters and those who dwelt among plantations and hedges at Netaim and Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work. + The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; + Shallum was his [Shaul's] son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. + The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. + Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; neither did all their family multiply like the children of Judah. + They dwelt at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, + Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, + Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, + Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their towns [and villages] until the reign of David. + There were also Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan--five towns-- + And all their villages that were round about these towns, as far as Baal[-ath-beer]. These were their settlements, and they had their genealogical record. + Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, + Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, + Also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, + Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah. + These mentioned by name were princes in their families; and their fathers' houses increased greatly [so they needed more room]. + And they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor to the east side of the valley to seek pasture for their flocks. + And they found rich, good pasture, and the [cleared] land was wide, quiet, and peaceful, because people of Ham had dwelt there of old [and had left it a better place for those who came after them]. + And these registered by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and destroyed their tents and the Meunim [foreigners] who were found there and exterminated them to this day, and they settled in their stead, because there was pasture for their flocks. + And some of them from the sons of Simeon, 500 men, went to Mount Seir, having for their leaders Pelatiah, and Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. + They destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have dwelt there to this day. + + + NOW [we come to] the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. For [Reuben] was the eldest, but because he polluted his father's couch [with Bilhah his father's concubine] his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph [favorite] son of Israel; so the genealogy is not to be reckoned according to the birthright. [Gen. 35:22; 48:15-22; 49:3, 4.] + Judah prevailed above his brethren, and from him came the prince and leader [and eventually the Messiah]; yet the birthright was Joseph's. [Gen. 49:10; Mic. 5:2.] + The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, + Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, + Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive; he was a prince of the Reubenites. + And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief Jeiel, and Zechariah, + Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. + Eastward [Bela] inhabited the land as far as the entrance into the desert this [west] side of the river Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead. + In the days of [King] Saul they made war with the Hagrites or Ishmaelites, who fell by their hands; they dwelt in their tents in all the land east of Gilead. + The children of Gad who dwelt opposite them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah: + Joel the chief, Shapham the next, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. + Their kinsmen of the houses of their fathers: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber--seven in all. + These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. + Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was chief in their fathers' houses. + They dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the suburbs and pasturelands of Sharon to their limits. + All these were enrolled by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam [II] king of Israel. + The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh--valiant men able to bear buckler and sword and to shoot with bow and skillful in war--were 44,760 able and ready to go forth to war. + And [these Israelites, on the east side of the Jordan River] made war with the Hagrites [a tribe of northern Arabia], Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. + They were given help against them, and the Hagrites or Ishmaelites were delivered into their hands, and all who were allied with them, for they cried to God in the battle; and He granted their entreaty, because they relied on, clung to, and trusted in Him. + And [these Israelites] took away their adversaries' herds: of their camels 50,000, and of sheep 250,000, and of donkeys 2,000, and of the lives of men 100,000. + For a great number fell mortally wounded, because the battle was God's. And [these Israelites] dwelt in their territory until the captivity [by Assyria more than five centuries later]. [II Kings 15:29.] + And the people of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land; their settlements spread from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. + And these were the heads of their fathers' houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of strength of mind and spirit [enabling them to encounter danger with firmness and personal bravery], famous men, and heads of the houses of their fathers. + They transgressed against the God of their fathers and played the harlot [by unfaithfulness to their own God and running] after the gods of the native peoples, whom God had destroyed before them. + So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, [that is,] the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day. + + + THE SONS of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas of Abishua. + Abishua was the father of Bukki, and Bukki of Uzzi, + Uzzi of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah of Meraioth, + Meraioth of Amariah, and Amariah of Ahitub, + Ahitub of Zadok, and Zadok of Ahimaaz, + Ahimaaz of Azariah, and Azariah of Johanan, + Johanan of Azariah, who was priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem, + Azariah of Amariah, and Amariah of Ahitub, + Ahitub of Zadok, and Zadok of Shallum, + Shallum of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah of Azariah, + Azariah of Seraiah, and Seraiah of Jehozadak; + Jehozadak went into captivity when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. + The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. + These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers: + Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, + Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. + The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, + Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, + Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. + And the sons of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, + Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, + Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah [Samuel's father] his son. + The sons of Samuel: the firstborn [Joel] and Abijah. + The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, + Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. + These David put over the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark of the covenant rested there [after being taken by the Philistines and later placed in the house of Abinadab, where it remained for nearly 100 years during the rest of Samuel's judgeship and Saul's entire reign and into David's reign]. + They ministered before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting with singing until Solomon had built the Lord's house in Jerusalem, performing their service in due order. + These and their sons served of the Kohathites: Heman, the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel [the great prophet and judge], + The son of Elkanah [III], the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, + The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah [II], the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, + The son of Elkanah [I], the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, + The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, + The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel (Jacob). + Heman's [tribal] brother Asaph stood at his right hand: Asaph son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, + The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, + The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, + The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, + The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. + Their kinsmen the sons of Merari stood at the left hand: Ethan son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, + The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, + The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, + The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. + And their brethren the Levites [who were not descended from Aaron] were appointed for all other kinds of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. + But [the line of] Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, ministering for all the work of the Holy of Holies, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses, God's servant, had commanded. + The sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, + Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, + Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, + Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. + Their dwelling places are according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites, for theirs was the [first] lot--[Josh. 21:10.] + To them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding suburbs. + But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh. + To the sons of Aaron they gave the city of refuge, Hebron; also Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, [Josh. 21:13.] + Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, + Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands. + And out of the tribe of Benjamin: Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, with their pasturelands. All their cities according to their families were thirteen. + And to the rest of the Kohathites ten cities were given by lot out of the family of the tribe [of Ephraim and of Dan and], of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh. [Josh. 21:5.] + To the Gershomites, according to their families, [were allotted] thirteen cities out of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. + To the Merarites were given by lot, according to their families, twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. + And the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities with their pasturelands. + They gave by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities whose names are mentioned. + Some of the families of the Kohathites had cities in the allotted territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. + And [the Ephraimites] gave to [the Levites] the city of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim; also Gezer, [both] with their suburbs and pasturelands; + Jokmeam, Beth-horon, + Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, with their suburbs and pasturelands; + And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh [these cities], with their suburbs and pasturelands: Aner and Bileam, for the rest of the families of the sons of Kohath. + To the Gershomites were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth, with their suburbs and pasturelands; + Out of the tribe of Issachar, with their suburbs and pasturelands: Kedesh, Daberath, + Ramoth, and Anem; + Out of the tribe of Asher, with their suburbs and pasturelands: Mashal, Abdon, + Hukok, and Rehob; + And out of the tribe of Naphtali, with their suburbs and pasturelands: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim. + To the rest of the Merarites were given from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono and Tabor, with their suburbs and pasturelands; + On the other side of the Jordan, on the east side by Jericho, the Levites were given out of the tribe of Reuben [these cities], with their suburbs and pasturelands: Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, + Kedemoth, and Mephaath; + Out of the tribe of Gad [these cities], with their suburbs and pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, + Heshbon, and Jazer. + + + THE SONS of Issachar were: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron--four in all. + The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, Shemuel (Samuel)--heads of their fathers' houses, descendants of Tola. They were mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in David's days was 22,600. + The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah--five, all of them chief men. + And with them by their generations according to their fathers' houses were units of the army for war, 36,000, for they had many wives and children [with them]. + Their kinsmen from all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, registered by genealogies, were in all 87,000. + The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael--three in all. + The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri--five, heads of the houses of their fathers, mighty men of valor. By their genealogies they numbered 22,034. + The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth, all sons of Becher. + The number of them by their genealogies by generations, as heads of their fathers' houses, mighty warriors, was 20,200. + The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. + All these were the sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers' houses, mighty men of valor, 17,200, able and fit for service in war. + Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and Hushim the son of Aher. + The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, whose [grandmother] was Bilhah. + The sons of Manasseh: Ashriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. + And Machir took as wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim; her name was Maacah. The name of a second [and later descendant, the first being Gilead], was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had daughters [only]. [Num. 27:1-7.] + Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son; she called his name Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh; his sons were Ulam and Rakem. + The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. + His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishbod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. + The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. + The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath [I] his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath [II] his son, + Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son. [During Ephraim's lifetime, his sons] Ezer and Elead were slain by men of Gath born in the land, who had come down to steal the cattle [of the Ephraimites, probably before the Israelites left Egypt]. + And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. + Then his wife conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Beriah [in evil], because calamity had befallen his house. + [Beriah's] daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and also Uzzen-sheerah. + Rephah was his son, and Resheph [his son]; Resheph's son was Telah, Tahan his son, + Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, + Nun his son, Joshua [Moses' successor] his son. + And their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, and Shechem, and as far as Azzah (Gaza) with all their towns, + And along the borders of the Manassites, Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, with all their towns. In these dwelt the sons of Joseph son of Israel. + The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah; and Serah their sister. + The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. + Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister. + The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet. + The sons of Shemer (Shomer) his brother: Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. + The sons of his brother Helem (Hotham): Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. + The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, + Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. + The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. + The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. + All these were offspring of Asher, heads of their fathers' houses, approved men, mighty warriors, chief of the princes. Their number enrolled by genealogies for service in war, was 26,000 men. + + + BENJAMIN WAS the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, + Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. + Bela's sons were: Addar, Gera, Abihud, + Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, + Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. + The sons of Ehud: These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Geba; they were exiled to Manahath: + Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, that is, Heglam, who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. + Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had [divorced and] sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. + And by Hodesh his [Moabitish] wife he was the father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, + Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers' houses. + By Hushim [divorced] he had had sons: Abitub and Elpaal. + The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns, + And Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath, + And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth. + The sons of Beriah: Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, + Michael, Ishpah, and Joha. + Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, + Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. + Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, + Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, + Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. + Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, + Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, + Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, + Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. + Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, + Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. + These were heads of the fathers' houses, according to their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem. + At Gibeon dwelt [Jeiel] the father of Gibeon, whose wife's name was Maacah. + His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, + And Mikloth the father of Shimeah. These dwelt together opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem. + Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish of [King] Saul the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal (Ish-bosheth). + The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (Mephibosheth) the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. + Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri was the father of Moza. + Moza was the father of Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. + Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. + The sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, Eliphelet the third. + The sons of Ulam were mighty warriors, archers, with many sons and grandsons--150 in all. All these were Benjamites. + + + SO ALL Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away captive to Babylon for their unfaithfulness to God. + Now the first [of the returned exiles] to dwell again in their possessions in the cities of Israel were the priests, Levites, and the Nethinim [the temple servants]. + In Jerusalem dwelt some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh: + Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the sons of Pharez son of Judah. + Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. + Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their kinsmen, 690. + Of the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; + Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; + And their kinsmen, according to their generations, 956. All these were heads of fathers' houses according to their fathers' houses. + Of the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin; + Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief officer of God's house; + And Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Massai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; + And their kinsmen, heads of their fathers' houses, 1,760--very able men for the work of the service of the house of God. + Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; + And Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; + Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites [near Jerusalem]. + The gatekeepers were: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their kinsmen, Shallum being the chief + Who hitherto was assigned to the king's east side gate. They were the gatekeepers of the camp of the Levites. + Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his father's house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the Tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance. + Phinehas son of Eleazar was ruler over them in times past, and the Lord was with him. + Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + All these chosen to be keepers at the thresholds were 212. These were enrolled by their genealogies in their villages [around Jerusalem], these men [whose grandfathers] David and Samuel the seer had established to their office of trust. + So they and their sons had oversight of the gates of the Lord's house, that is, the house of the tabernacle, by wards. + The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides [of the house of the Lord]--on the east, west, north, and south. + Their brethren in their villages were to come in every seven days to be with them. + But these Levites, the four chief gatekeepers, were in charge of the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. + They lodged round about God's house, for the duty [of watching] was theirs, as well as the opening of the house every morning. + Some of them had charge of the serving utensils, being required to count them when they brought them in or took them out. + Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the sacred utensils, as well as over the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices. + Other sons of the priests prepared the ointment of spices. + Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for the things baked in pans. + Of their Kohathite kinsmen, some were to prepare the showbread every Sabbath. + These are the singers, heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites, dwelling in the temple chambers, free from other service because they were on duty day and night. + These were heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, according to their generations, chief men, who lived in Jerusalem. + In Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah, + His firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. + Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They also dwelt beside their brethren, opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem. + Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of [King] Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. + The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (Mephibosheth); Merib-baal was the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. + Ahaz was the father of Jarah, and Jarah of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri was the father of Moza, + Moza of Binea; Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. + Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. + + + NOW THE Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. + And the Philistines followed close after Saul and his sons and overtook them, and the Philistines slew Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. + And the battle raged about Saul, and the archers found and wounded him. + Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse and make sport of me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. + When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. + So Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. + And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. + The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. + They stripped [Saul] and took his head and his armor, and sent [them] round about in Philistia to carry the news to their idols and to the people. + And they put [Saul's] armor in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. + When all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, + All the brave men arose, took away the bodies of Saul and his sons, brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh; then they fasted seven days. [I Sam. 31:12.] + So Saul died for his trespass against the Lord [in sparing Amalek], for his unfaithfulness in not keeping God's word, and also for consulting [a medium with] a spirit of the dead to inquire pleadingly of it, + And inquired not so of the Lord [in earnest penitence]. Therefore the Lord slew him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. [I Sam. 28:6.] + + + THEN [after the death of Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, who ruled over eleven tribes of Israel for two troubled years after Saul's death] all Israel gathered at Hebron and said to David, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. [II Sam. 2:8-10.] + In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord your God said to you, You shall be shepherd of My people Israel, and you shall be prince and leader over [them]. + So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them there before the Lord, and they anointed [him] king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel. [I Sam. 16:1, 12, 13.] + And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is Jebus, where the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were. + Then the Jebusites said to David, You shall not come in here! But David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David. + And David said, Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander. Joab son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] went up first, and so he was made chief. + David dwelt in the stronghold; so it was called the City of David. + He built the city from the Millo [a fortification] on around; and Joab repaired and revived the rest of the [old Jebusite] city. + And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him. + Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. + And this is the number [thirty, and list] of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, the chief of the Thirty [captains]. He lifted up his spear against 300, whom he slew at one time. + Next to him in rank was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. + He was with David at Pas-dammim [where David had long before slain Goliath], and there the Philistines were gathered for battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley or lentils; and the men [of Israel] fled before the Philistines. + And Eleazar [one of the Three] stood in the midst of that plot and defended it and slew the Philistines [until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword], and the Lord saved by a great victory and deliverance. [II Sam. 23:9, 10.] + Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, and the army of the Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. + David was then in the stronghold, and the Philistines' garrison was in Bethlehem. + And David longingly said, Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate! + Then the Three [mighty men] broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; he poured it out to the Lord, + And said, My God forbid that I should do this thing. Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it. So he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. + Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. For he lifted up his spear against 300 and slew them, and was named among the Three. + Of the Three [in the second rank] he was more renowned than the two, and became their captain; however, he attained not to the first three. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada, whose father was a valiant man of Kabzeel, had done mighty deeds. He slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab. Also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in time of snow. + He slew an Egyptian also, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian held a spear like a weaver's beam, and [Benaiah] went to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and slew him with the man's own spear. + These things did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. + He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the rank of the first three. David put him over his guard and council. + Also the mighty men of the armies were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite, + Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, + Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, + Maharai of Netophah, Heled son of Baanah of Netophah, + Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benaiah of Pirathon, + Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, + Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba of Shaalbon, + The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, + Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, + Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, + Hezro of Carmel, Naarai son of Ezbai, + Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah [David's half sister], + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite [Bathsheba's husband], Zabad son of Ahlai, + Adina son of Shiza, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty heroes with him, + Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, + Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, + Jediael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, + Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, + Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. + + + THESE ARE the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he yet concealed himself because of Saul son of Kish; they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war. + They were bowmen and could use the right hand or the left to sling stones or shoot arrows from the bow; they were of Saul's kinsmen of Benjamin. + The chief was Ahiezer and then Joash the sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, and Jehu of Anathoth, + Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the Thirty and a [leader] over them; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, + Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; + Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; + Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. + Of the Gadites there went over to David to the stronghold in the wilderness men of might, men trained for war who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains: + Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, + Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, + Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, + Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, + Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. + These Gadites were officers of the army. The lesser was equal to and over a hundred, and the greater equal to and over a thousand. + These are the men who went over the Jordan in the first month when it had overflowed all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, east and west. + There came some of the men of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold to David. + David went out to meet them and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no violence or wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look upon and rebuke you. + Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Yours we are, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse! Peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers, for your God helps you. Then David received them and made them officers of his troops. + Some of the men of Manasseh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. But [David's] men did not actually fight with them, for the lords of the Philistines, upon advisement, sent him away, saying, He will desert to his master Saul at the risk of our heads. [I Sam. 29:2-9.] + As David went to Ziklag, there deserted to him of Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. + They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of courage, and [all seven] became commanders in [his] army. + For at that time day by day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God. + These are the numbers of the armed divisions who came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord: + Those of Judah, who bore shield and spear, were 6,800 armed for war; + Those of Simeon, mighty and brave warriors, 7,100; + Those of Levi, 4,600-- + Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronite [priests], and with him were 3,700, + And Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two captains from his own father's house; + Of the Benjamites, the kindred of [King] Saul, 3,000--hitherto the majority of them had kept their allegiance [to Saul] and the charge of the house of Saul; + Of the Ephraimites, 20,800, mighty in valor, famous in their fathers' houses; + Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, who were mentioned by name to come and make David king; + And of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs; and all their kinsmen were under their command; + Of Zebulun, 50,000 experienced troops, fitted out with all kinds of weapons and instruments of war that could order and set the battle in array, men not of double purpose but stable and trustworthy. + Of Naphtali, 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 [of the rank and file armed] with shield and spear; + Of Dan, 28,600, men who could set the battle in array; + Of Asher, men able to go forth to battle, fit for active service, 40,000; + On the other [the east] side of the Jordan River, of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 men, armed with all the weapons and instruments of war. + All these, being men of war arrayed in battle order, came with a perfect and sincere heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king. + And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. + Also those who were near them from as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, abundant supplies of meal, cakes of figs, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. + + + DAVID CONSULTED the captains of thousands and hundreds, even with every leader. + And David said to all the assembly of Israel, If it seems good to you and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send abroad everywhere to our brethren who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in their cities that have suburbs and pasturelands, that they may gather together with us. + And let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it during the days of Saul. + And all the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing seemed right in the eyes of all the people. + So David gathered all Israel together, from the Shihor, the brook of Egypt [that marked the southeast border of Palestine], to the entrance of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. + And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, which is called by the name of Him Who sits [enthroned] above the cherubim. + And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio [his brother] drove the cart. + And David and all Israel merrily celebrated before God with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets. + And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] stumbled and were restive. + And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him because he touched the ark; and there he died before God. [Num. 4:15.] + And David was offended because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzza; that place to this day is called Perez-uzza [the breaking forth upon Uzza]. + And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, How can I bring the ark of God home to me? + So David did not bring the ark home to the City of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite [a Levitical porter born in Gath-rimmon]. [Josh. 21:20, 24; I Chron. 15:24.] + And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had. + + + AND HIRAM king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar timbers, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house. + And David perceived that the Lord had established and confirmed him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was exalted highly for His people Israel's sake. + And David took more wives to Jerusalem, and [he] became the father of more sons and daughters. + Now these are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. + And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, [they] all went up to seek David. And [he] heard of it and went out before them. + Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. + David asked God, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said, Go up, and I will deliver them into your hand. + So [Israel] came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote [the Philistines] there. Then David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the bursting forth of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim [Lord of breaking through]. + [The Philistines] left their gods there; David commanded and they were burned. + And the Philistines again made a raid in the valley. + And David inquired again of God, and God said to him, Do not go up after them; turn away from them and come [around] upon them over opposite the mulberry trees. + And when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry or balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to smite the Philistine host. + So David did as God commanded him, and they smote the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer. + And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. + + + DAVID MADE for himself houses in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. + Then David said, None should carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever. + And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. + And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: + Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 kinsmen; + Of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 kinsmen; + Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 kinsmen; + Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 kinsmen; + Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 kinsmen; + Of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 kinsmen. + And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites--Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, + And said to them, You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. + For because you bore it not [as God directed] at the first, the Lord our God broke forth upon us--because we did not seek Him in the way He ordained. [Num. 1:50; I Chron. 13:7-10.] + So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. + The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord. + David told the chief Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music--harps, lyres, and cymbals--to play loudly and lift up their voices with joy. + So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan son of Kushaiah; + And with them their brethren of the second class: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and also the gatekeepers, Obed-edom and Jeiel. + So the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound bronze cymbals; + Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps [resembling guitars] set to Alamoth [probably the treble voice]; + Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to Sheminith [the bass voice]. + Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in singing, was put in charge of carrying the ark and lifting up song. He instructed about these matters because he was skilled and able. + Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. + Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obed-edom and Jehiah (Jeiel) were also gatekeepers for the ark. + So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom with joy. + And when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord [with a safe start], they offered seven bulls and seven rams. + David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, director of the music of the singers. David also wore an ephod [a priestly upper garment] of linen. + Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, sound of the cornet, trumpets, and cymbals, sounding aloud with harps and lyres. + As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal [David's wife] daughter of Saul, looking from a window, saw King David leaping as in sport, and she despised him in her heart. + + + SO THEY brought the ark of God and set it in the midst of the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. + And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. + And he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. + He appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord and to celebrate [by calling to mind], thanking and praising the Lord, the God of Israel: + Asaph was the chief, next to him Zechariah, Jeiel (Jaaziel), Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, and Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; + Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. + Then on that day David first entrusted to Asaph and his brethren the singing of thanks to the Lord [as their chief task]: + O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples! + Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them! + Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! + Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually! + [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered [as in Egypt], + O you offspring of [Abraham and] of Israel His servants, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones! + He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. + Be mindful of His covenant forever, the promise which He commanded and established to a thousand generations, + The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His sworn promise to Isaac. + He confirmed it as a statute to Jacob, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, [Gen. 35:11, 12.] + Saying, To you I will give the land of Canaan, the measured portion of your possession and inheritance. + When they were but few, even a very few, and only temporary residents and strangers in it, + When they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people, + He allowed no man to do them wrong; yes, He reproved kings for their sakes, [Gen. 12:17; 20:3; Exod. 7:15-18.] + Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm. [Gen. 20:7.] + Sing to the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day His salvation. + Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all peoples. + For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He also is to be [reverently] feared above all so-called gods. + For all the gods of the people are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens. + Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary. + Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, + Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and in holy array. + Tremble and reverently fear before Him, all the earth's peoples; the world also shall be established, so it cannot be moved. + Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice; and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigns! + Let the sea roar, and all the things that fill it; let the fields rejoice, and all that is in them. + Then shall the trees of the wood sing out for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge and govern the earth. + O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! + And say, Save us, O God of our salvation; gather us together and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. + Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, forever and ever! And all the people said Amen! and praised the Lord. + So David left Asaph and his brethren before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark continually, as each day's work required, + And Obed-edom with [his] sixty-eight kinsmen. Also Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, were to be gatekeepers. + And David left Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon + To offer burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of burnt offering continually, morning and evening, and to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel. + With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + With them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and instruments for accompanying the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate. + Then all the people departed, each man to his house, and David returned home to bless his household. + + + AS DAVID sat in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remains under tent curtains. + Then Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you. + And that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying, + Go and tell David My servant, Thus says the Lord: You shall not build Me a house to dwell in, + For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel from Egypt until this day; but I have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. + Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I say a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, Why have you not built Me a house of cedar? + Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel. + And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make your name like the name of the great ones of the earth. + Also I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first, + Since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Moreover, I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore, I foretell to you that the Lord will build you a house (a blessed posterity). + And it shall come to pass that when your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. + He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. [I Chron. 28:7.] + I will be his father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy and steadfast love away from him, as I took it from him [King Saul] who was before you. [Heb. 1:5, 6.] + But I will settle him (Him) in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his (His) throne shall be established forevermore. [Isa. 9:7.] + According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. + And David the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house and family, that You have brought me up to this? + And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; for You have spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God! + What more can David say to You for thus honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant. + O Lord, for Your servant's sake and in accord with Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things. + O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God beside You, according to all that our ears have heard. + And what nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to Himself as a people, making Yourself a name by great and terrible things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt? + You made Your people Israel Your own forever, and You, Lord, became their God. + Therefore now, Lord, let the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be established forever, and do as You have said. + Let it be established and let Your name [and the character that name denotes] be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God; and the house of David Your servant will be established before You. + For You, O my God, have told Your servant that You will build for him a house (a blessed posterity); therefore Your servant has found courage and confidence to pray before You. + And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant. + Therefore may it please You to bless the house (posterity) of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for what You bless, O Lord, is blessed forever. + + + AFTER THIS, David smote and subdued the Philistines, and took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines. + He smote Moab, and the Moabites became David's servants and brought tribute. + Also David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah toward Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. + David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved enough for 100 chariots. + When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians 22,000 men. + Then David put garrisons in Syria, [whose capital was] Damascus; the Syrians became David's servants and brought tribute. Thus the Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went. + David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + Likewise from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought very much bronze, with which Solomon later made the bronze laver, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze. + When Tou king of Hamath heard how David had defeated all the hosts of Hadadezer king of Zobah, + He sent Hadoram his son to King David to salute him and to congratulate him because he had fought and defeated Hadadezer, for Hadadezer had had wars with Tou. And Hadoram brought with him all manner of vessels of gold, silver, and bronze. + King David dedicated them also to the Lord, with the silver and the gold he brought from all these nations: Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites. + Also Abishai son of Zeruiah slew 18,000 of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel and executed judgment and justice among all his people. + Joab son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] was over the army; and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; + Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were the priests; and Shavsha was secretary [of state]; + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over [David's bodyguards] the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chiefs next to the king. + + + AFTER THIS, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his stead. + David said, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father's death. So the servants of David came into the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun. + But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, Do you think that David has sent comforters to you because he honors your father? Have his servants not come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land? + Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle near their buttocks, and sent them away. + When David was told how the men were served, he sent to meet them, for [they] were greatly shamed and embarrassed. The king said, Stay in Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return. + When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves hateful to David, Hanun and [his people] sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia and Aram-maacah and Zobah. + So they hired 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and pitched before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered from their cities and came to battle. + When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty men. + And the Ammonites came out and lined up in battle array before the entrance of the city [Medeba], and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. + When Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose from all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians. + The rest of the soldiers he delivered to Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. + And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. + Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves courageously for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight. + So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. + And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab's brother, and entered into the city [Medeba]. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. + When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. + It was told to David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and drew up his army against them. So when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. + But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians 7,000 men in chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and killed Shophach the commander of the army. + When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him; nor would the Syrians any longer help the Ammonites. + + + AFTER THE end of the year, when kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the army and devastated the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. Joab smote Rabbah and overthrew it. + David took their king's crown from off his head and found that it weighed a talent of gold and that precious stones were in it. It was set upon David's head. He brought also very much spoil out of the city of Rabbah. + He brought out the people who were in it and set them at cutting with saws, iron wedges, and axes. So David dealt with all the Ammonite cities. And David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. + After this, there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant, and they were subdued. + There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. + And again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and each foot. He also was born to the giant. + And when he reproached and defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, slew him. + These were born to the giant [clan] in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants. + + + SATAN [an adversary] stood up against Israel and stirred up David to number Israel. + David said to Joab and the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me the total, that I may know it. + And Joab answered, May the Lord multiply His people a hundred times! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then does my lord require this? Why will he bring guilt upon Israel? + But the king's word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem. + Joab gave the total number of the people to David. And all of Israel were 1,100,000 who drew the sword, and of Judah 470,000 who drew the sword. + But Levi and Benjamin he did not include among them, for the king's order was detestable to Joab. + And God was displeased with this [reliance on human resources], and He smote Israel. + And David said to God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. But now, I beseech You, take away the hateful wickedness of Your servant; for I have done very foolishly. + And the Lord said to Gad, David's seer, + Go and tell David, Thus says the Lord: I offer you three things; choose one of them, that I may do it to you. + So Gad came to David and said to him, Thus says the Lord: Take which one you will: + Either three years of famine, or three months of devastation before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him Who sent me. + And David said to Gad, I am in great and distressing perplexity; let me fall, I pray you, into the hands of the Lord, for very great and many are His mercies; but let me not fall into the hands of man. + So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel 70,000 men. + God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and He regretted and relented of the evil and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and the heavens, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. + And David said to God, Is it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is I who has sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray You, O Lord my God, be on me and on my father's house, but not on Your people, that they should be plagued. + Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar to the Lord in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + So David went up at Gad's word, which he spoke in the name of the Lord. + Now Ornan was threshing wheat, and he turned back and saw the angel; and his four sons hid themselves. + And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw him, and went out from the threshing floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. + Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall charge me the full price for it, that the plague may be averted from the people. + Ornan said to David, Take it; and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. I give you the oxen also for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all. + And King David said to Ornan, No, but I will pay the full price. I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings which cost me nothing. + So David gave to Ornan for the site 600 shekels of gold by weight. + And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the Lord; and He answered him by fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. + Then the Lord commanded the [avenging] angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. + When David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. + For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon. + But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord. + + + THEN DAVID said, Here shall be the house of the Lord God, and here the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. + David commanded to gather together the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. + David prepared iron in abundance for nails for the doors of the gates and for the couplings, and bronze in abundance without weighing, + Also cedar trees without number, for the Sidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar timber to David. + David said, Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death. + Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. + David said to Solomon, My son, it was in my heart to build a house to the Name and [for the symbol of] the Presence of the Lord my God. + But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. + Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon [peaceable], and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. [II Sam. 12:24, 25.] + He shall build a house for My Name and [the symbol of My] Presence. He shall be My son, and I will be his father; and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever. + Now, my son, the Lord be with and prosper you in building the house of the Lord your God, as He has spoken concerning you. + Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding as you are put in charge of Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. + Then you will prosper if you are careful to keep and fulfill the statutes and ordinances with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed. + In my affliction and trouble I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weighing. I have also provided timber and stone; you must add to them. + You have workmen in abundance: hewers, workers of stone and timber, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skillful in doing every kind of work + With gold, silver, bronze, and iron. So arise and be doing, and the Lord be with you! + David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, + Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you peace on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and His people. + Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house built to the Name and renown of the Lord. + + + WHEN DAVID was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. + David assembled all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites. + The Levites thirty years old and upward numbered, man by man, 38,000, + Of whom 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord and 6,000 were to be officers and judges. + And, said David, 4,000 shall be gatekeepers and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments which I made for praise. + And David organized them in sections according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + Of the Gershonites: Ladan (Libni) and Shimei. + The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel--three in all. + The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran--three in all. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan. + And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina (Zizah), Jeush, and Beriah. Of these four sons of Shimei, + Jahath was chief and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons [not enough for a father's house or clan]; so they were counted together as one father's house. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel--four in all. + The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy and to consecrate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever might burn incense before the Lord, minister to Him, and bless in His name [and the character which that name denotes] forever. + But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. + The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. + The son of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. + The son of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah's sons were very many. + The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the chief. + The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. + The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. + Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, and their kinsmen, sons of Kish, took them as wives. + The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth--three in all. + These were the Levites by their fathers' houses, the heads of the fathers' houses of those registered, according to the number of names of the individuals who were the servants of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward. + For David said, The Lord, the God of Israel has given peace and rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. + So the Levites no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service. + For by the last words and acts of David, these were the number of the Levites from twenty years old and above. + But their duty should be to wait on [the priests] the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, caring for the courts, the chambers, the cleansing of all holy things, and any work of the service of God's house, + For the showbread also, and for the fine flour for a cereal offering, whether of unleavened wafers or of what is baked on the griddle or soaked [in oil], and for all measuring of amount and size [as the Law of Moses required]. + They are also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, + And to assist in offering all burnt sacrifices to the Lord on Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and set feast days by number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord. + So they shall keep charge of the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place and shall attend to the sons of Aaron their kinsmen, for the service of the house of the Lord. + + + THE COURSES or divisions of the priests, the sons of Aaron, were these: The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office. + And David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided and distributed them according to their assigned duties. + Since there were more chief men found among the sons of Eleazar [because of the misfortunes of Eli, and Saul's slaughter of the priests at Nob] than among the sons of Ithamar, they were divided thus: sixteen heads of fathers' houses of the sons of Eleazar and eight of the sons of Ithamar according to their fathers' houses. + Thus were they divided by lot, one group with the other, for there were chiefs of the sanctuary and chiefs of God [high priests] drawn both from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar. + Shemaiah the scribe, son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar [the priest who escaped being killed at Nob by Saul and fled to David], and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and Levites--one father's house being taken alternately for Eleazar and one for Ithamar. + The lots fell, the first one to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, + The third to Harim, the fourth to Se-orim, + The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, + The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, + The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, + The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, + The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebe-ab, + The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, + The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, + The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, + The twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, + The twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. + This was their order for coming on duty to serve in the house of the Lord, according to the procedure ordered for them by their [forefather] Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him. + As for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram: Shubael; of the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. + Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah: Isshiah the chief. + Of the Izharites: Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. + The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. + The son of Uzziel: Micah; of the sons of Micah: Shamir. + The brother of Micah: Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno. + The sons of Merari: by Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. + Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. + Of Kish: the son of Kish: Jerahmeel. + The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites, according to their fathers' houses. + These likewise cast lots, as did their kinsmen the sons of Aaron, in the presence of David the king, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and Levites--the head of each father's house and his younger brother alike. + + + ALSO DAVID and the chiefs of the host [of the Lord] separated to the [temple] service some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who should prophesy [being inspired] with lyres, harps, and cymbals. The list of the musicians according to their service was: + Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied (witnessed and testified under divine inspiration) in keeping with the king's order. + Of the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who witnessed and prophesied under divine inspiration with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. + Of Heman: the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. + All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer [his mediator] in the words and things of God to exalt Him; for God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters, [Ps. 68:25.] + All of whom were [in the choir] under the direction of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. + So the number of them [who led the remainder of the 4,000], with their kinsmen who were specially trained in songs for the Lord, all who were talented singers, was 288. [I Chron. 23:5.] + [The musicians] cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and scholar alike. + The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him, his brethren and his sons, twelve; + The third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The seventeenth of Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; + The twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve. + + + FOR THE divisions of the gatekeepers: Of the Korahites was: Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. + And Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, + Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. + Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, + Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth; for God blessed him. + Also to Shemaiah his son were sons born, who were rulers in their fathers' houses, for they were mighty men of ability and courage. + The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brethren were strong and able men, Elihu and Semachiah. + All these were sons of Obed-edom [in whose house the ark was kept], with their sons and brethren, strong and able men for the service--sixty-two in all. [I Chron. 13:13, 14.] + Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong and able men--eighteen in all. + Also Hosah, of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief), + Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen in all. + Of these were the divisions of the gatekeepers, even of the chief men, having duties, as did their brethren, to minister in the house of the Lord. + And they cast lots by fathers' houses, small and great alike, for every gate. + The lot for the east fell to Shelemiah. They cast lots also for Zechariah his son, a wise counselor, and his lot came out for the north. + To Obed-edom it came out for the south, and to his sons the storehouse was allotted. + To Shuppim and Hosah the lot fell for the west, by the refuse gate that goes into the ascending highway, post opposite post. + On the east were six Levites, on the north four a day, on the south four a day, and two by two at the storehouse. + At the colonnade on the west side [of the outer court of the temple], there were four at the road and two at the colonnade. + These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Korahites and the sons of Merari. + Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. + The sons of Ladan, the descendants of Gershon through Ladan, the heads of families of Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli, + The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, who were over the treasuries of the house of the Lord. + Of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites: + Shebuel son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler over the treasuries. + His brethren from Eliezer were his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomoth. + This Shelomoth and his brethren were over all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts, which King David, the heads of the fathers' houses, the officers over thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army had dedicated. + From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts to maintain the house of the Lord. + Also all that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, and whatever anyone had dedicated, it was in the charge of Shelomoth and his brethren. + Of the Izharites: Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges. + Of the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his brethren, men of courage and ability, 1,700 in all, were officers over Israel on the west side of the Jordan in all the Lord's business and the king's service. + Of the Hebronites: Jerijah was the chief, according to their generations by fathers' houses. In the fortieth year of David's reign a search was made, and men of great courage and ability were found among them at Jazer in Gilead. + Jerijah's kinsmen, men of courage and ability, were 2,700 heads of fathers' houses; King David made them overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king. + + + THIS IS the list of the Israelites, the heads of fathers' houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters of the divisions that came and went, month by month throughout the year, each division numbering 24,000. + Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. In his division were 24,000. + He was descended from Perez and was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. + Over the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; and of his division Mikloth was the chief officer. In his division were 24,000. + The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest, as chief. In his division were 24,000. + This is the Benaiah who was a mighty man of the Thirty and over the Thirty; and in his division was Ammizabad his son. + The fourth, for the fourth month, Asahel brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him. In his division were 24,000. + The fifth, for the fifth month, Shamhuth the Izrahite. In his division were 24,000. + The sixth, for the sixth month, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. In his division were 24,000. + The seventh, for the seventh month, Helez the Pelonite, of the Ephraimites. In his division were 24,000. + The eighth, for the eighth month, Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarahites. In his division were 24,000. + The ninth, for the ninth month, Abiezer of Anathoth, a Benjamite. In his division were 24,000. + The tenth, for the tenth month, Maharai from Netophah, of the Zerahites. In his division were 24,000. + The eleventh, for the eleventh month, Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim. In his division were 24,000. + The twelfth, for the twelfth month, Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel. In his division were 24,000. + Also over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zichri was chief officer; of the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maachah; + Of Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; of Aaron: Zadok; + Of Judah: Elihu, one of David's brothers; of Issachar: Omri son of Michael; + Of Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; of Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel; + Of the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah; + Of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; of Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; + Of Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. + But David did not number those under twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as the stars of the heavens. + Joab son of Zeruiah began a census but did not finish, because the census brought wrath upon Israel, and the number was not recorded in the chronicles of King David. + Over the king's treasuries was Azmaveth son of Adiel; and over the treasuries in the country, cities, villages, and towers or forts was Jonathan son of Uzziah; + Over those who did the work of the field of tilling the soil was Ezri son of Chelub; + Over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; over the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars, Zabdi the Shiphmite; + Over the olive and sycamore trees in the low plains, Baal-hanan the Gederite; over the stores of oil, Joash; + Over the herds pasturing in Sharon, Shitrai the Sharonite; over the herds in the valleys, Shaphat son of Adlai; + Over the camels, Obil the Ishmaelite; over the she-donkeys, Jehdeiah the Meronothite; + And over the flocks, Jaziz the Hagrite. All these were stewards of King David's property. + Also Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, a wise man and a scribe; he and Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended the king's sons [as tutors]. [II Kings 10:6.] + Ahithophel was the king's counselor; Hushai the Archite was the king's companion and friend. + Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the king's army. + + + DAVID ASSEMBLED at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel and of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king in courses, and those over thousands and hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, with the palace officers, the mighty men, and all the mighty warriors. + Then David the king rose to his feet and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people. I myself intended to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as a footstool for our God, and I prepared materials for the building. + But God said to me, You shall not build a house for My Name [and Presence], because you have been a man of war and have shed blood. + However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased to make me king over all Israel; + And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. + And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. + I will establish his kingdom forever if he loyally and continuously obeys My commandments and My ordinances, as he does today. + Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek [to be familiar with] all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever. + And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever! + Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it! + Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner rooms, and of the place for the [ark and its] mercy seat; + And the plan of all that he had in mind [by the Spirit] for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for the dedicated gifts; + The plan for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service in the house of the Lord; for all the vessels for service in the house of the Lord: + The weight of gold and silver for all the gold and silver articles of every kind of service-- + The weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold or silver for each lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; + The gold by weight for each table of showbread, and the silver for the tables of silver; + Also pure gold for the forks, basins, and cups; for the golden bowls by weight of each; for the silver bowls by weight of each; + For the incense altar refined gold by weight, and gold for the plan of the chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the Lord's covenant. + All this the Lord made me understand by the writing by His hand upon me, all the work to be done according to the plan. + Also David told Solomon his son, Be strong and courageous, and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail or forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. + And see, [you have] the divisions of the priests and Levites for all the service of God's house, and with you in all the kinds of work will be every willing, skillful man for any kind of service. Also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command. + + + AND KING David said to all the assembly, Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young, tender, and inexperienced; and the work is great, for the palace is not to be for man but for the Lord God. + So I have provided with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood, as well as onyx or beryl stones, stones to be set, stones of antimony, stones of various colors, and all sorts of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. + Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, in addition to all I have prepared for the holy house, I have a private treasure of gold and silver which I give for the house of my God: + It is 3,000 talents of gold, gold of Ophir, 7,000 talents of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the house, + Gold for the uses of gold, silver for the uses of silver, and for every work to be done by craftsmen. Now who will offer willingly to fill his hand [and consecrate it] today to the Lord [like one consecrating himself to the priesthood]? + Then the chiefs of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly + And gave for the service of the house of God--of gold 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics, of silver 10,000 talents, of bronze 18,000 talents, and 100,000 talents of iron. + And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. + Then the people rejoiced because these had given willingly, for with a whole and blameless heart they had offered freely to the Lord. King David also rejoiced greatly. + Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly and said, Be praised, adored, and thanked, O Lord, the God of Israel our [forefather], forever and ever. + Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all. + Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hands are power and might; in Your hands it is to make great and to give strength to all. + Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name and those attributes which that name denotes. + But who am I, and what are my people, that we should retain strength and be able to offer thus so willingly? For all things come from You, and out of Your own [hand] we have given You. + For we are strangers before You, and sojourners, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope or expectation of remaining. + O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy Name and the token of Your presence comes from Your hand, and is all Your own. + I know also, my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things. And now I have seen with joy Your people who are present here offer voluntarily and freely to You. + O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the minds of Your people, and direct and establish their hearts toward You. + And give to Solomon my son a blameless heart to keep Your commandments, testimonies, and statutes, and to do all that is necessary to build the palace [for You] for which I have made provision. + And David said to all the assembly, Now adore (praise and thank) the Lord your God! And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed down and did obeisance to the Lord and to the king [as His earthly representative]. + The next day they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. + They ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great rejoicing. They made Solomon son of David king a second time, and anointed him as prince for the Lord and Zadok to be high priest. + Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. + All the leaders and mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged allegiance to King Solomon. + And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel. + Thus David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. + The time he reigned over Israel was forty years--he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. + He died in a good old age [his seventy-first year], full and satisfied with days, riches, and honor. Solomon his son reigned in his stead. + Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the recorded words of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer, + With accounts of all his reign and his might, and the times through which he and Israel passed, as did all the kingdoms of the countries. + + + + + SOLOMON SON of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. + Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses. + And Solomon and all the assembly [a united nation] with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the Tent of Meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there [where the Canaanites had habitually worshiped]. + But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. + Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought [the Lord]. + Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord at the Tent of Meeting and offered 1,000 burnt offerings on it. + That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, Ask what I shall give you. + And Solomon said to God, You have shown great mercy and loving-kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. + Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. + Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this Your people who are so great? + God replied to Solomon, Because this was in your heart and you have not asked for riches, possessions, honor, and glory, or the life of your foes, or even for long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may rule and judge My people over whom I have made you king, + Wisdom and knowledge are granted you. And I will give you riches, possessions, honor, and glory, such as none of the kings had before you, and none after you shall have their equal. + Then Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel. + Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he placed in the cities [suited for the use] of chariots and with the king at Jerusalem. + And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as common as stones, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamores of the lowland. + Solomon's horses were brought out of Egypt; the king's merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. + They imported from Egypt a chariot for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; so they brought out horses for all the Hittite and Syrian kings as export agents. + + + SOLOMON DETERMINED to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal capitol. + And Solomon counted out 70,000 men to bear burdens, 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hill country, and 3,600 overseers. + And Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying, As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build himself a house in which to dwell, even so deal with me. + Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the Lord my God, dedicated to Him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before Him, for the continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. + The house which I am to build is great, for our God is greater than all gods. + But who is able to build Him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain Him? Who am I to build Him a house, except as a place to burn incense in worship before Him? + Now therefore, send a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue colors, who is a trained engraver, to work with the skilled men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. + Send me also from Lebanon cedar, cypress, and algum timber, for I know your servants can skillfully cut timber in Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, + To prepare for me timber in abundance, for the house I am about to build shall be great and wonderful. + And I will give to your servants who cut timber 20,000 measures of crushed wheat and also of barley, and 20,000 baths of wine and also of oil. + Then Hiram king of Tyre replied in writing sent to Solomon, Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them. + Hiram said also, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who made heaven and earth, Who has given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, who should build a house for the Lord and a royal palace as his capitol. + Now I have sent a skilled man, endued with understanding, even Huram-abi, my trusted counselor, + The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; his father was a man of Tyre. He is a trained worker in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood; in purple, blue, and crimson colors, and in fine linen; and also to engrave any type of engraving and to carry out any design given him, with your skilled men and those of my lord, David your father. + Now therefore, the wheat, barley, oil, and wine of which my lord has spoken, let him send them to his servants, + And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so you may take it up to Jerusalem. + Then Solomon took a census of all the aliens in the land of Israel, like the census of them which his father David had taken. They were found to be 153,600. + And he assigned 70,000 of them to be burden bearers, 80,000 to work in the mountain quarries, and 3,600 as overseers to direct the people's work. + + + THEN SOLOMON began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. [I Chron. 21:20-22.] + And Solomon began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. + Now these are the measurements for the foundations which Solomon laid for the house of God. The length in cubits by the former measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. + The porch or vestibule across the front of the house was the same length as the house's breadth, twenty cubits, and the height 120 cubits. He overlaid it inside with pure gold. + And the greater house (the Holy Place) he lined with cypress and overlaid it with fine gold and made palm trees and chains on it. + And he adorned the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. + He lined the house (the Holy Place), its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls. + He made the Most Holy Place, its length equaling the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits; he overlaid it with 600 talents of fine gold. + The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he lined the upper chambers with gold. + And in the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of image work, and they were overlaid with gold. + And the wings of the cherubim [combined] extended twenty cubits: one wing of one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house, and its other wing of five cubits touched the other cherub's wing. + And of the other cherub one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also five cubits, joined the wing of the first cherub. + The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the cherubim stood on their feet, their faces toward the Holy Place. + And he made the veil [between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place] of blue, purple, and crimson colors, and fine linen, and embroidered cherubim on it. + Before the house he made two pillars, 35 cubits high, with a capital on the top of each which was five cubits. + He made chains like a necklace and put them on the heads of the pillars, and he made 100 pomegranates and put them on the chains. + He erected the pillars before the temple, one on the right, the other on the left, and called the one on the right Jachin [he shall establish] and the one on the left Boaz [in it is strength]. + + + ALSO SOLOMON made an altar of bronze, its top twenty by twenty cubits and its height ten cubits. + Also he made a round Sea of molten metal, ten cubits from brim to brim and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured around it. + Under it were figures of oxen encircling it, ten to a cubit. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece with it. + It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking north, three west, three south, three east; and the Sea rested upon them, and all their hind parts were inward. + Its thickness was a handbreadth; its brim was like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held 3,000 baths (measures). + He made also ten lavers in which to wash and put five on the right (south) side and five on the left (north). Such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in. + And he made ten golden lampstands as directed and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. + He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five each on the right and left sides, and 100 basins of gold. + Moreover, he made the priests' court, and the great court and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze. + And he set the Sea at the southeast corner of the house. + And Huram made the pots, shovels, and basins. So Huram finished the work of God's house that he did for King Solomon: + The two pillars; the bowls; the capitals on top of the two pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals on top of the pillars; + And 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals upon the pillars. + He made also bases or stands and lavers upon the bases; + One Sea and the twelve oxen under it; + The pots, shovels, and fleshhooks, and all their equipment Huram his trusted counselor made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. + In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. + Solomon made all these things in such great numbers that the weight of the bronze was not computed. + And Solomon made all the vessels for the house of God: the golden altar also; and the tables for the showbread (the bread of the Presence); + And the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn before the inner sanctuary (the Holy of Holies) as directed; + The flowers, lamps, and tongs, of purest gold; + The snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and firepans, of pure gold; and for the temple entry, the inner doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the Holy Place were of gold. + + + THUS ALL the work that Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished. He brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated, and the silver, the gold, and all the vessels he put in the treasuries of the house of God. + Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers' houses of the Israelites, to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the City of David, which is Zion. + All the men of Israel gathered to the king at the feast in the seventh month. + And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. + And the priests and Levites brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. + Also King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel who were gathered to him before the ark sacrificed sheep and oxen so numerous that they could not be counted or reported. + And the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, to the sanctuary of the house, into the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim; + For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, making a covering above the ark and its poles. + And they drew out the poles of the ark, so that the ends of the poles protruding from the ark were visible from the front of the Holy of Holies, but were not visible from without. It is there to this day. + There was nothing in the ark except the two tables [the Ten Commandments] which Moses put in it at Mount Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. + And when the priests had come out of the Holy Place--for all the priests present had sanctified themselves, separating themselves from everything that defiles, without regard to their divisions; + And all the Levites who were singers--all of those of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, with their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, having cymbals, harps, and lyres--stood at the east end of the altar, and with them 120 priests blowing trumpets; + And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, + So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. + + + THEN SOLOMON said, The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness; + I have built You a house, [in which the dark Holy of Holies seems] a [fitting] abode for You, a place for You to dwell in forever. + And the king turned his face and blessed all the assembly of Israel, and they all stood. + And he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has fulfilled with His hands what He promised with His mouth to David my father, saying, + Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that My Name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a ruler over My people Israel; + But I have chosen Jerusalem, that My Name [and the symbol of My presence] might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel. + Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the Name and renown of the Lord, the God of Israel. + But the Lord said to David my father, Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name and renown, you did well that it was in your heart. + Yet you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you--he shall build the house for My Name. + The Lord therefore has performed His word that He has spoken, for I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. + In it have I put the ark [the symbol of His presence], in which is the covenant of the Lord [the Ten Commandments] which He made with the people of Israel. + And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands. + For he had made a bronze scaffold, five cubits square and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; upon it he stood, and he knelt upon his knees before all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven, + And said, O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in the heavens or in the earth, keeping covenant and showing mercy and loving-kindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts, + You Who have kept Your promises to my father David and fulfilled with Your hand what You spoke with Your mouth, as it is today. + Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You promised him, saying, There shall not fail a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel, provided your children are careful to walk in My law as you, David, have walked before Me. + Now then, O Lord, God of Israel, let Your word to Your servant David be verified. + But will God actually dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! + Yet have respect for the prayer of Your servant and for his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant prays before You, + That Your eyes may be open upon this house day and night, toward the place in which You have said You would put Your Name [and the symbol of your presence], to listen to and heed the prayer which Your servant prays facing this place. + So listen to and heed the requests of Your servant and Your people Israel which they shall make facing this place. Hear from Your dwelling place, heaven; and when You hear, forgive. + If a man sins against his neighbor, and he is required to take an oath, and the oath comes before Your altar in this house, + Then hear from heaven and do; and judge Your servants, requiting the wicked by bringing his conduct upon his own head, and justifying the [uncompromisingly] righteous by giving him according to his righteousness (his uprightness and right standing with God). + If Your people Israel have been defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against You, and shall return, confess Your name [and You Yourself], and pray and make supplication before You in this house, + Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel and bring them again to the land which You gave to them and their fathers. + When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, yet if they pray toward this place, confess your name [and You Yourself], and turn from their sin when You afflict them, + Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, [all of] Your people Israel, when You have taught them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain upon Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance. + If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts, or caterpillars, if their enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever plague or sickness there may be, + Then whatever prayer or supplication any man or all of Your people Israel shall make--each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house-- + Then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart You know; for You, You only, know men's hearts, + That they may fear You and walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. + Also concerning the stranger who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a far country for Your great name's sake and Your mighty power and Your outstretched arm--if he comes and prays toward this house, + Hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do all for which the stranger calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You [reverently and worshipfully], as do Your people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Your Name. + If Your people go out to war against their enemies by the way that You send them, and they pray to You facing this city [Jerusalem] which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your Name, + Then hear from heaven their prayer and supplication, and maintain their cause. + If they sin against You--for there is no man who does not sin--and You are angry with them and give them to enemies who take them captive to a land far or near; + Yet if they repent in the land to which they have been carried captive, and turn and pray there, saying, We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have dealt wickedly; + If they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity, and pray facing their land which You gave to their fathers and toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your Name; + Then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause; and forgive Your people, who have sinned against You. + Now, O my God, I beseech You, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this temple. + So now arise, O Lord God, and come into Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength and power. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your saints (Your zealous ones) rejoice in good and in Your goodness. + O Lord God, turn not away the face of [me] Your anointed one; [earnestly] remember Your good deeds, mercy, and steadfast love for David Your servant. + + + WHEN SOLOMON had finished praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. + The priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. + And when all the people of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed with their faces upon the pavement and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. + King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God's house. + The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with instruments of music to the Lord, which King David had made to praise and give thanks to the Lord--for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever--whenever David praised through their ministry; the priests blew trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. + Moreover, Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which [he] had made was not sufficient to receive the burnt offerings, the cereal offerings, and the fat. + At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. + The eighth day they made a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar and the feast, each for seven days. + And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to Israel His people. + Thus Solomon finished the Lord's house and the king's house; all that [he] had planned to do in the Lord's house and his own house he accomplished successfully. + And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. + If I shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, + If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. + Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place. + For I have chosen and sanctified (set apart for holy use) this house, that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually. + As for you [Solomon], if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do all I have commanded you, and observe My statutes and My ordinances, [I Kings 11:1-11.] + Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel. + But if you [people] turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you and go and serve other gods and worship them, + Then will I pluck [Israel] up by the roots out of My land which I have given [them]; and this house which I have hallowed for My Name will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. [Jer. 24:9, 10.] + And this house, which was so high, shall be an astonishment to everyone passing it, and they will say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house? + Then men will say, Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of Egypt, and they laid hold of other gods and worshiped and served them; therefore has He brought all this evil upon them. + + + AT THE end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, + The cities which Huram had given to [him] Solomon rebuilt and fortified, and caused the Israelites to dwell there. + And Solomon took Hamath-zobah. + He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all his store cities in Hamath. + Also he built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, + And Baalath and all the store cities [he] had, and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all his dominion. + All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel, + But descendants of those who were left in the land, whom the Israelites had not destroyed--of them Solomon made a levy for forced labor to this day. + But of the Israelites Solomon made no slaves for his work; but they were men of war, chiefs of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen. + These were the chiefs of King Solomon's officers, 250 in authority over the people. + Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David into the house he had built for her, for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy to which the ark of the Lord has come. + Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord's altar which he had built before the [temple] porch or vestibule, + A certain number every day, offering as Moses commanded for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the solemn feast days three times in the year--the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, of Weeks, and of Tabernacles. + And he appointed, as ordered by David his father, the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites to their offices to praise and to serve before the priests as the duty of every day required, and the gatekeepers also by their divisions at every gate; for so had David the man of God commanded. + And they did not turn from the command of the king to the priests and Levites in any respect or concerning the treasuries. + Thus all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day the foundation of the Lord's house was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed. + Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the shore of the [Red] Sea in the land of Edom. + And Huram sent him by his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir and took from there 450 talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon. + + + WHEN THE queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, accompanied by very many attendants and camels bearing spices, much gold, and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was on her mind. + And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from [him] which he was unable to make clear to her. + And when the queen of Sheba had seen Solomon's wisdom, the house he had built, + The food of his table, the seating of his officials, the [standing at] attention of his servants, their apparel, his cupbearers also and their apparel, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. + She said to the king, The report which I heard in my own land of your acts and sayings and of your wisdom was true, + But I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the fame that I heard of you. + Happy are your wives and men, and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! + Blessed be the Lord your God, Who delighted in you and set you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness. + She gave the king 120 talents of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones; such spice was not anywhere as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. + The servants of Huram and [those] of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. + The king made of the algum trees terraces or walks to the house of the Lord and to the king's palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; none such had ever been seen before in the land of Judah. + And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides what she had brought to the king. So she with her servants returned to her own land. + Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents, + Besides what traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. + And King Solomon made 200 large shields or bucklers of beaten gold; 600 shekels of beaten gold went into each shield. + And he made 300 shields of beaten gold, with 300 shekels of gold spread on each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. + Moreover, [he] made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. + There were six steps to the throne and a gold footstool attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, with two lions standing beside the arms. + And twelve lions stood there one on either end of each of the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom before. + King Solomon's drinking vessels were all of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not counted as anything in the days of Solomon. + For the king's ships went to Tarshish with Huram's servants; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. + King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. + And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put into his mind. + And every man brought his tribute: silver and gold articles, robes, armor, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. + Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, stationed in chariot cities or at Jerusalem with the king. [Deut. 17:16, 17.] + And he ruled over all the kings from the [Euphrates] River to the land of Philistia and to the frontier of Egypt. + The king made silver in Jerusalem as common as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore trees in the lowlands. + And they imported horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. + Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? + Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. + Then Solomon slept with his fathers; he was buried in the city of David his father. Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. + + + REHOBOAM WENT to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. + Jeroboam the son of Nebat was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, when he heard about the new king; so Jeroboam returned from Egypt. + And the people sent for him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam, saying, + Your father [King Solomon] made our yoke grievous. So now make lighter the grievous service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve you. + Rehoboam replied, Come again to me after three days. And the people departed. + King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, What counsel do you give me in reply to the people? + And they answered him, If you are kind to [these] people and please them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever. + But the king forsook the counsel which the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him and stood before him. + And he said to them, What answer do you advise that we give to the demand of [these] people, Make the yoke your father put upon us lighter? + The young men who were brought up with him said to him, Tell the people who said to you, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter: My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. + For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. + The third day Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam as he had said. + And the king answered them harshly, forsaking the counsel of the old men, + And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. + So the king did not heed the people, for it was brought about of God, that the Lord might perform His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. [I Kings 11:29-39.] + And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to and heed them, they answered [him], What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now, David [tribe of Judah], see to your own house [under your tyrant King Rehoboam]! So all Israel went to their homes. + But as for the Israelites who dwelt in Judah's cities, Rehoboam ruled over them. + Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. But King Rehoboam hastened to get up to his royal chariot to flee to Jerusalem. + And Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day. + + + AND WHEN Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled of the house of Judah and Benjamin 180,000 chosen warriors to fight against [the ten rebellious tribes of] Israel to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. + But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, + Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, + Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. And they obeyed the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam. + Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. + He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, + Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, + Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, + Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, + Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. + He fortified the strongholds and put captains in them, with stores of food, oil, and vintage fruits. + And in each city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin. + And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel came over to Rehoboam from wherever they lived. + For the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from executing the priest's office to the Lord. + And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the [idols of demon] he-goats, and calves he had made. [I Kings 12:28.] + And after them out of all the tribes of Israel there came to Jerusalem those who set their hearts to seek and inquire of the Lord, the God of Israel, to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. + So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and upheld Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; for they walked in the ways of David and Solomon for three years. + Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath, whose father was Jerimoth son of David; her mother was Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. + She bore him sons: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. + And after her he took Maacah daughter [granddaughter] of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. + And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter [granddaughter] of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines--for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. + And Rehoboam made Abijah son of Maacah the chief prince among his brethren, for he intended to make him king. + And he dealt understandingly and dispersed his children throughout all Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city. He gave them abundant supplies, and he sought many wives for them. + + + WHEN REHOBOAM had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. + And in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had transgressed and been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem + With 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen, and the people were without number who came with him from Egypt--the Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. + And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came on to Jerusalem. + Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says the Lord: You have forsaken Me, so I have abandoned you into the hands of Shishak. + Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, The Lord is righteous. + And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. + Nevertheless, they shall be his servants, that they may know [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. + So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house. He took everything. He took away also the shields of gold Solomon had made. + Instead of them King Rehoboam made shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard who kept the door of the king's house. + And whenever the king entered the Lord's house, the guards came and got the shields of bronze and brought them again into the guard chamber. + When Rehoboam humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him entirely; also in Judah conditions were good. + So King Rehoboam established and strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name [and the symbol of His presence]. His mother was Naamah an Ammonitess. + And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek (inquire of, yearn for) the Lord with all his desire. + Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer regarding genealogies? There were wars between Rehoboam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel continually. + And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THE eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. + He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Micaiah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam of Israel. + And Abijah prepared for battle with an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with 800,000 chosen men, mighty men of valor. + And Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! + Ought you not to know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? + Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord [the king]. + And there gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young [as king], irresolute, and inexperienced and did not withstand them with firmness and strength. + And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord which is in the hands of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and you have with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for you for gods. + Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? So whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of idols that are not gods. + But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. + They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and incense of sweet spices; they set in order the showbread on the table of pure gold and attend to the golden lampstand, that its lamps may be lighted every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. + Behold, God Himself is with us at our head, and His priests with their battle trumpets to sound an alarm against you. O Israelites, fight not against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot prosper. + But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come around them from behind, so his troops were before Judah and the ambush behind. + When Judah looked, behold, the battle was before and behind; and they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. + Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as they shouted, God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. + And the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. + And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter, so there fell of Israel 500,000 chosen men. + Thus the Israelites were brought low at that time, and the people of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord, the God of their fathers. + And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took some cities from him, Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephraim (Ephron), with their towns. + Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah. And the Lord smote him and he died. + But Abijah became mighty. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. + And the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. + + + SO ABIJAH slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was at rest for ten years. + And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. + He took away the foreign altars and high places and broke down the idol pillars or obelisks and cut down the Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah] + And commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers [to inquire of and for Him and crave Him as a vital necessity], and to obey the law and the commandment. + Also Asa took out of all the cities of Judah the idolatrous high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under his reign. + And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. + Therefore he said to Judah, Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours, because we sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him [yearning for Him with all our desire] and He has given us rest and peace on every side. So they built and prospered. + Asa had an army of 300,000 men out of Judah, who bore bucklers and spears, and 280,000 out of Benjamin, who bore shields and drew bows, all mighty men of courage. + There came out against Judah Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a million [that is, too many to be numbered] and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. + Then Asa went out against him, and they set up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. + Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none besides You to help, and it makes no difference to You whether the one You help is mighty or powerless. Help us, O Lord our God! For we rely on You, and we go against this multitude in Your name. O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You! + So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. + Asa and the people with him pursued them to Gerar; and the Ethiopians were overthrown, so that none remained alive; for they were destroyed before the Lord and His host, who carried away very much booty. + And they smote all the cities round about Gerar, for the fear of the Lord came upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. + They smote also the cattle encampments and carried away sheep in abundance and camels; and they returned to Jerusalem. + + + THE SPIRIT of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. + And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him, craving Him as your soul's first necessity], He will be found by you; but if you [become indifferent and] forsake Him, He will forsake you. + Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. + But when they in their trouble turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and [in desperation earnestly] sought Him, He was found by them. + And in those times there was no peace to him who went out nor to him who came in, but great and vexing afflictions and disturbances were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. + Nation was broke in pieces against nation, and city against city, for God vexed and troubled them with all sorts of adversity. + Be strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak and slack, for your work shall be rewarded. + And when Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim; and he repaired the altar [of burnt offering] of the Lord which was in front of the porch or vestibule [of the house] of the Lord. + And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and the strangers with them out of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to Asa out of Israel in large numbers when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. + So they gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. + And they sacrificed to the Lord on that day from the spoil which they had brought--700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. + And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to yearn for Him with all their heart's desire and with all their soul; + And that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. + They took an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with cornets. + And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him [yearning for Him] with their whole desire, and He was found by them. And the Lord gave them rest and peace round about. + Also Maacah, King Asa's mother, he removed from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her idol, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. + But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was blameless all his days. + And he brought into the house of God the things that his father [Abijah] had dedicated and those he himself had dedicated--silver and gold and vessels. + And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa. + + + IN THE thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built (fortified) Ramah intending to intercept anyone going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. + Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying, + Let there be a league between me and you, as was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me. + And Ben-hadad hearkened to King Asa and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. + And when Baasha heard it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. + Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. + At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, Because you relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. + Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied then on the Lord, He gave them into your hand. + For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you shall have wars. + Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison [in the stocks], for he was enraged with him because of this. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. + The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet--until his disease became very severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but relied on the physicians. + And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. + And they buried him in his own tomb which he had hewn out for himself in the City of David, and they laid him on a bier which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds [of spices] prepared by the perfumers' art; and they made a very great burning [of spices] in his honor. + + + JEHOSHAPHAT HIS son reigned in Asa's stead and strengthened himself against Israel. + And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken. + The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father [David]. He did not seek the Baals + But sought and yearned with all his desire for the Lord, the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not after the ways of Israel. + Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. + His heart was cheered and his courage was high in the ways of the Lord; moreover, he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. + Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah; + And with them were the Levites--Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; and with these Levites were the priests Elishama and Jehoram. + And they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. + And a terror from the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. + And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute silver, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 each of rams and of he-goats. + And Jehoshaphat became very great. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, + And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and soldiers, mighty men of courage, in Jerusalem. + This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; + Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; + And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. + Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; + Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. + These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah. + + + NOW JEHOSHAPHAT had great riches and honor, but was allied [by marriage] with Ahab. + After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people with him and persuaded him to go up with him against Ramoth-gilead. + Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? He answered, I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war. + And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray you, for the word of the Lord today. + So King [Ahab] of Israel gathered together the prophets, 400 men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand. + But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not another prophet of the Lord here by whom we may inquire? + King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is another man, Micaiah son of Imla, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never has prophesied good for me, but always evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. + And King [Ahab] of Israel called for one of his officers and said, Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imla. + The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes; they were sitting in an open place [at the threshing floor] at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; all the prophets were prophesying before them. + And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made himself horns of iron, and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed. + All the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper; the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. + The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, Behold, the words of the prophets foretell good to the king with one accord. So let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably. + But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what my God says, that will I speak. + And when he had come to the king, King [Ahab] said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. + And the king said to him, How many times shall I warn you to tell nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord? + Then Micaiah said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace. + And King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me, but evil? + [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing at His right hand and His left. + And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this thing, and another that. + Then there came a spirit and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. The Lord said to him, By what means? + And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall entice him and also succeed. Go forth and do so. + Now, you see, the Lord put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets; and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you. + Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you? + And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. + Then King [Ahab] of Israel said, Take Micaiah back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, + And say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread and water of affliction until I return in peace. + Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he [added], Hear it, you people, all of you! + So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. + And [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and will go to the battle, but you put on your royal robes. So King Ahab of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle. + Now Syria's king had commanded his chariot captains, Fight not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. + And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat [of Judah], they said, It is the king of Israel. So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. + For when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. + A certain man drew his bow at a venture and smote King [Ahab] of Israel between the lower armor and the breastplate. So Ahab said to his chariot driver, Turn, carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded. + And the battle increased that day; however, King [Ahab] of Israel propped himself up in his chariot opposite the Syrians until evening, and about sunset he died. + + + JEHOSHAPHAT THE king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. + Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to Jehoshaphat, Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. + But there are good things found in you, for you have destroyed the Asherim out of the land and have set your heart to seek God [with all your soul's desire]. + Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. + He appointed judges throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, + And said to the judges, Be careful what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord, and He is with you in the matter of judgment. + So now let the reverence and fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking of bribes. + Also in Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat set certain Levites, priests, and heads of families of Israel to give judgment for the Lord and decide controversies. When they [of the commission] returned to Jerusalem, + The king charged them, Do this in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, with integrity and a blameless heart. + Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall warn and instruct them that they may not be guilty before the Lord; otherwise wrath will come upon you and your brethren. Do this and you will not be guilty. + And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters; also the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously [be strong and do], and may the Lord be with the good! + + + AFTER THIS, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. + It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. + Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah. + And Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord [yearning for Him with all their desire]. + And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court + And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. + Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? + They dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying, + If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You--for Your Name [and the symbol of Your presence] is in this house--and cry to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save. + And now behold, the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they turned from and did not destroy--[Deut. 2:9.] + Behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. + O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. + And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their children and their wives. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. + He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. + Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. + You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. + And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him. + And some Levites of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. + And they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe and remain steadfast to His prophets and you shall prosper. + When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! + And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were [self-] slaughtered; + For [suspecting betrayal] the men of Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir, utterly destroying them. And when they had made an end of the men of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. + And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped! + When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil. + On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah. There they blessed the Lord. So the name of the place is still called the Valley of Beracah [blessing]. + Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat leading them, to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. + They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord. + And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. + So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about. + Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began his twenty-five-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. + And he walked in the ways of Asa his father and departed not from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. + But the high places [of idolatry] were not taken away, for the people had not yet set their hearts on their fathers' God. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, they are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are in the Book of the Kings of Israel. + After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly. + He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, building them in Ezion-geber. + Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have joined Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your works. So the ships were wrecked and unable to go to Tarshish. + + + JEHOSHAPHAT SLEPT with his fathers and was buried with [them] in the City of David. Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. + He had brothers: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah, all the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. + Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, together with fortified cities in Judah, but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, the firstborn. + When Jehoram had ascended to the kingship of his father, he strengthened himself and slew all his brethren with the sword and also some of Israel's princes. + Jehoram at thirty-two years of age began his eight-year reign in Jerusalem. + He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he married the daughter of Ahab and did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. + But the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because He had made a covenant with David and promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever. + In Jehoram's days, the Edomites revolted from the rule of Judah and set up for themselves a king. + Then Jehoram passed over [the Jordan] with his captains and all his chariots, and rose up by night and smote the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot captains. + So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah also revolted from Jehoram's rule, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers. + Moreover, he made idolatrous high places in the hill country of Judah and debauched spiritually the inhabitants of Jerusalem and led Judah astray [compelling the people's cooperation]. + And there came a letter to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father [forefather]: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, + But have walked in the ways of Israel's kings, and made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the harlot like the [spiritual] harlotry of Ahab's house, and also have slain your brothers of your father's house, who were better than you, + Behold, the Lord will smite your people, and your children, your wives, and all your possessions with a great plague. + And you yourself shall have a severe illness because of an intestinal disease, until your bowels fall out because of the sickness, day after day. + And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabs who were near the Ethiopians. + They came against Judah, invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in and around the king's house, together with his sons and his wives; so there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest. + And after all this, the Lord smote [Jehoram] with an incurable intestinal disease. + In process of time, after two years, his bowels fell out because of his disease. So he died in severe distress. And his people made no funeral fire to honor him, like the fires for his fathers. + Thirty-two years old was Jehoram when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being wanted. Yet they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. + + + THE PEOPLE of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his stead, for the troop that came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. + Forty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began his one-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. [II Kings 8:26.] + He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. + So he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after his father's death, to his destruction. + He followed their counsel and even went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram; [II Kings 8:28ff.] + And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick. + But the destruction of Ahaziah was ordained of God in his coming to visit Joram. For when he got there he went out with Joram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. + And when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's slain brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he slew them. + And [Jehu] sought Ahaziah, who was hiding in Samaria; he was captured, brought to Jehu, and slain. They buried him, for they said, After all, he is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no one left able to rule the kingdom. + But when Athaliah mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of Judah. + But Jehosheba, the daughter of the king, took Joash [infant] son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were to be slain, and she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehosheba daughter of King Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, and wife of Jehoiada the priest, hid [Joash] from [his grandmother] Athaliah, so that she did not slay him. + And Joash was with them hidden in the house of God six years, and Athaliah reigned over the land. + + + IN THE seventh year Jehoiada [the priest] took strength and courage and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. + And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities, and the chiefs of the fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. + And all the assembly made a covenant in the house of God with the king [little Joash, to suddenly proclaim his sovereignty and overthrow Athaliah's tyranny]. And Jehoiada the priest said to them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the Lord has said of the offspring of David. + This is what you shall do: a third of you priests and Levites who are resuming service on the Sabbath shall be doorkeepers, + A [second] third shall be at the king's house, and [the final] third at the Foundation Gate; and all the people shall be in the courts [only] of the house of the Lord. + But let none come into the [main] house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who minister; they may go in, for they are holy, but let all the rest of the people carefully observe the law against entering the holy place of the Lord. + And the Levites shall surround the young king, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house [breaking through the ranks of the guard to get near Joash] shall be put to death. But you be with the king when he comes in [from the temple chamber where he is hiding] and when he goes out. + So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest had commanded; and took every man his men who were to resume duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions [of priests and Levites]. + Also Jehoiada the priest gave the captains of hundreds spears, bucklers, and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God. + And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man having his weapon (missile) in his hand, from the right side to the left side of the temple, around the altar and the temple. + Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony or law and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, Long live the king! + When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the Lord's house to the people. + And behold, there the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, the captains and the trumpeters beside him; and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with musical instruments led in singing of praise. Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason! + Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were over the army, Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Do not slay her in the Lord's house. + So they made way for Athaliah, and she went into the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's house; there they slew her. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord's people. + Then all the people went to the house of Baal, tore it down, and broke its altars and its images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. + Also Jehoiada appointed the offices and officers [for the care] of the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests, whom David had distributed [in his day] in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as ordered by David. + Jehoiada set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. + And he took the captains of hundreds and the nobles and governors of the people and all the people of the land and brought down the king from the house of the Lord; and they came through the Upper Gate to the king's house and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. + So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been slain with the sword. + + + JOASH WAS seven years old when he began his forty-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah of Beersheba. + And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest [his uncle]. + And Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters. + After this, Joash decided to repair the Lord's house. + He gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and see that you hasten the matter. But the Levites did not hasten it. + So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and said to him, Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the servant of the Lord and of the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony? + For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God and also had used for the Baals all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord. + And at the king's command they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. + And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. + And all the princes and people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished. + When the Levites brought the chest to the king's office, and whenever they saw that there was much money, the king's secretary and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day and collected money in abundance. + And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the temple service; and they hired masons and carpenters and also those who worked in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord. + So the workmen labored, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands; and they set up the house of God according to its design and strengthened it. + When they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; from it were made utensils for the Lord's house, vessels for ministering and for offerings, and cups and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada. + But Jehoiada became old and full of [the handicaps of great] age, and he died. He was 130 years old at his death. + They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel and toward God and His house. + Now after the death of Jehoiada [the priest, who had hidden Joash], the princes of Judah came and made obeisance to King Joash; then the king hearkened to them. + They forsook the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their sin (guilt). + Yet [God] sent prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord; these testified against them, but they would not listen. + Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood over the people, and he said to them, Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you. + They conspired against Zechariah the priest and stoned him at the command of the king in the court of the Lord's house! + Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had done him, but slew his son. And when [Zechariah the priest] was dying, he said, May the Lord see and avenge! + At the end of the year, the army of Syria came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. + Though the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, the Lord delivered a very great host into their hands, because Joash and Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. So the Syrians executed judgment against Joash. + And when they had departed from Joash, leaving him very ill, his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they slew him on his bed. So he died and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. + The conspirators against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess. + Now concerning his sons and the greatness of the prophecies uttered against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are written in the commentary on the Book of Kings. And Amaziah his [Joash's] son reigned in his stead. + + + AMAZIAH WAS twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. + He did right in the Lord's sight, but not with a perfect or blameless heart. + When his kingdom was firmly established, he slew his servants who had killed the king his father. + But he did not slay their children; he did as it is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, The fathers shall not die for the children, or the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin. + Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers' houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He numbered them from twenty years old and over and found them to be 300,000 choice men fit for war and able to handle spear and shield. + He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver. + But a man of God came to him, saying, O king, do not let all this army of Ephraimites of Israel go with you [of Judah], for the Lord is not with you, + For if you go [in spite of warning], no matter how strong you are for battle, God will cast you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cast down. + And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do about the 100 talents which I have given to the army of Israel? The man of God answered, The Lord is able to give you much more than this. + So Amaziah discharged the army that came to him from Ephraim to go home. So their anger was greatly kindled against Judah; they returned home in fierce wrath. + And Amaziah took courage and led forth his people to the Valley of Salt and smote 10,000 of the men of Seir [Edom]. + Another 10,000 the men of Judah captured alive and brought them to the top of a crag and cast them down from it, and they were all dashed to pieces. + But the soldiers of the band which Amaziah sent back, not allowing them to go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Beth-horon, and smote 3,000 [men] and took much spoil. + After Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought their gods and set them up to be his gods and bowed before them and burned incense to them. + So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah, and He sent to him a prophet, who said, Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of your hand? + As he was talking, the king said to him, Have we made you the king's counselor? Stop it! Why should you be put to death? The prophet stopped but said, I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and ignored my counsel. + Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come [to battle], let us look one another in the face. [II Kings 14:8-20.] + Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, A little thistle in Lebanon sent to a great cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son as wife. And a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. + You say, See, [I] have smitten Edom! Your heart lifts you up to boast. Stay at home; why should you meddle [and court disaster], so you will fall and Judah with you? + But Amaziah would not hear, for it came from God, that He might deliver Judah into the hands of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. + So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth-shemesh of Judah. + And Judah was defeated before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. + And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. + And he took all the gold, the silver, and all the vessels found in God's house with [the doorkeeper] Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house and hostages also, and returned to Samaria. + And Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. + The rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? + Now after Amaziah turned away from the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent to Lachish and slew him there. + And they brought him upon horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of [David in] Judah. + + + THEN ALL the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. + He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after Amaziah slept with his fathers. + Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began his fifty-two-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. + He did right in the Lord's sight, to the extent of all that his father Amaziah had done. + He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the things of God; and as long as he sought (inquired of, yearned for) the Lord, God made him prosper. + He went out against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, of Jabneh, and of Ashdod, and built cities near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. + And God helped him against the Philistines, and the Arabs who dwelt in Gur-baal and the Meunim. + The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread abroad even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. + Also Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the angle of the wall, and fortified them. + Also he built towers in the wilderness and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the tableland. And he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile fields [of Carmel], for he loved farming. + And Uzziah had a combat army for waging war by regiments according to the number as recorded by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. + The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600. + Under their command was an army of 307,500 who could fight with mighty power to help the king against the enemy. + Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones to sling. + In Jerusalem he made machines invented by skillful men to be on the towers and the [corner] bulwarks, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped till he was strong. + But when [King Uzziah] was strong, he became proud to his destruction; and he trespassed against the Lord his God, for he went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. + And Azariah the priest went in after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, men of courage. + They opposed King Uzziah and said to him, It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are set apart to burn incense. Withdraw from the sanctuary; you have trespassed, and that will not be to your credit and honor before the Lord God. + Then Uzziah was enraged, and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was enraged with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. + And as Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked upon him, behold, he was leprous on his forehead! So they forced him out of there; and he also made haste to get out, because the Lord had smitten him. + And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and, being a leper, he dwelt in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Lord's house. And Jotham his son took charge of the king's household, ruling the people of the land. + Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote. [Isa. 1:1.] + So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the burial field of the kings [outside the royal tombs], for they said, He is a leper. Jotham his son reigned in his stead. + + + JOTHAM WAS twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerushah daughter of Zadok. + He did right in the sight of the Lord, to the extent of all that his father Uzziah had done. However, he did not invade the temple of the Lord. But the people still did corruptly. + He built the Upper Gate of the Lord's house and did much building on the wall of Ophel. + Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built forts and towers. + He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. The Ammonites gave him that year 100 talents of silver and 10,000 measures each of wheat and of barley. That much the Ammonites paid to him also the second year and third year. + So Jotham grew mighty, for he ordered his ways in the sight of the Lord his God. + Now the rest of Jotham's acts, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. + And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. + + + AHAZ WAS twenty years old when he began his sixteen-year reign in Jerusalem. He did not do right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father [forefather]. + But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made molten images for the Baals. + And he burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom] and burned his sons as an offering, after the abominable customs of the [heathen] nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. + He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. + Therefore the Lord his God gave Ahaz into the power of the king of Syria, who defeated him and carried away a great multitude of the Jews as captives, taking them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, who smote Judah with a great slaughter. + For Pekah son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, all courageous men, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. + And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah, King Ahaz' son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah, who was second to the king. + And the Israelites carried away captive 200,000 of their kinsmen [of Judah]--women, sons, and daughters--and also took much plunder from them and brought it to Samaria. + But a prophet of the Lord was there whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that was returning to Samaria and said to them, Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He delivered them into your hand; but you have slain them in a fury that reaches up to heaven. + And now you intend to suppress the people of Judah and Jerusalem, both men and women, as your slaves. But are not you yourselves guilty of crimes against the Lord your God? + Now hear me therefore, and set the prisoners free again whom you have taken captive of your kinsmen, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. + Then certain of the heads of the Ephraimites [Israel]--Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai--stood up against those returning from the war + And said, You shall not bring the captives in here; we are guilty before the Lord already, and what you intend will add more to our sins and our guilt. For our trespass (guilt) is great, and there is fierce anger against Israel. + So the armed men [of Israel] left the captives and the spoil [of Judah] before the princes and all the assembly. + And the men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them; and having clothed them, shod them, given them food and drink, anointed them [as was a host's duty], and carried all the feeble of them upon donkeys, they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria. [Luke 10:25-37.] + At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria to help him. + For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah and carried away captives. + The Philistines had invaded the cities of the low country and of the South (the Negeb) of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco, and also Timnah and Gimzo, with their villages, and they settled there. + For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for Ahaz had dealt with reckless cruelty against Judah and had been faithless [had transgressed sorely] against the Lord. + So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him without strengthening him. + For Ahaz took [treasure] from the house of the Lord and out of the house of the king and from the princes and gave it as tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help Ahaz. + In the time of his distress he became still more unfaithful to the Lord--this same King Ahaz. + For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, for he said, Since the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. + And Ahaz collected the utensils of the house of God and cut them in pieces; and he shut up the doors of the Lord's temple [the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies] and made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. + In each city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his fathers. + Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. + + + HEZEKIAH BEGAN to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. + And he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father [forefather] had done. + In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord [which his father had closed] and repaired them. + He brought together the priests and Levites in the square on the east + And said to them, Levites, hear me! Now sanctify (purify and make free from sin) yourselves and the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. + For our fathers have trespassed and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and they have forsaken Him and have turned away their faces from the dwelling place of the Lord and have turned their backs. + Also they have closed the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and they have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the place holy to the God of Israel. [II Kings 16:10-16.] + Therefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has delivered them to be a terror and a cause of trembling, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as you see with your own eyes. + For, behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity for this. + Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, that His fierce anger may turn away from us. + My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to serve Him, to be His ministers, and to burn incense to Him. + Then the Levites arose: Mahath son of Amasai, Joel son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; of the sons of Merari: Kish son of Abdi, Azariah son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah; + Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph: Zechariah, and Mattaniah; + Of the sons of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel. + They gathered their brethren and sanctified themselves and went in, as the king had commanded by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord. + The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the Lord's house. And the Levites carried it out to the brook Kidron. + They began on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day they came to the porch of the Lord. Then for eight days they sanctified the house of the Lord, and on the sixteenth day they finished. + Then they went to King Hezekiah and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the showbread table with all its utensils. + Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz in his reign cast away when he was transgressing [faithless] we have made ready and sanctified; and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord. + Then King Hezekiah rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the Lord. + They brought seven each of bulls, rams, lambs, and he-goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. He commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the Lord's altar. + So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and dashed it against the altar. Likewise, when they had killed the rams and then the lambs, they dashed the blood against the altar. + Then the he-goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. + The priests killed them and made a sin offering with their blood upon the altar to make atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and sin offering be made for all Israel. + Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Lord's house with cymbals, harps, and lyres, as David [his forefather] and Gad the king's seer and Nathan the prophet had commanded; for the commandment was from the Lord through His prophets. + The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. + Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets and with the instruments ordained by King David of Israel. + And all the congregation worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. + When they had stopped offering, the king and all present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. + Also King Hezekiah and the princes ordered the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness and bowed themselves and worshiped. + Then Hezekiah said, Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord. And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. + And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. + And the consecrated things were 600 oxen and 3,000 sheep. + But the priests were too few and could not skin all the burnt offerings. So until the other priests had sanctified themselves, their Levite kinsmen helped them until the work was done, for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in sanctifying themselves. + Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the Lord's house was set in order. + Thus Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of what God had prepared for the people, for it was done suddenly. + + + HEZEKIAH SENT to all Israel [as well as] Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the Lord's house at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. + For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem took counsel to keep the Passover in the second month. [Num. 9:10, 11.] + For they could not keep it at the set time because not enough priests had sanctified themselves, neither had the people assembled in Jerusalem. + The new time pleased the king and all the assembly. + So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not kept it collectively as prescribed for a long time. + So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, as the king commanded, saying, O Israelites, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those left of you who escaped out of the hands of the kings of Assyria. + Do not be like your fathers and brethren, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation [to be an astonishment], as you see. + Now be not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that His fierce anger may turn away from you. + For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn away His face from you if you return to Him. + So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but the people laughed them to scorn and mocked them. + Yet, a few of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. + Also the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord. + And many people came to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. + They rose up and took away the altars [to idols] that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars and utensils for incense [to the gods] they took away and threw into the Kidron Valley [dumping place for the ashes of such abominations]. + Then they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord's house. + They stood in their accustomed places, as directed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw [against the altar] the blood they received from the hand of the Levites. + For many were in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves [become clean and free from all sin]. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean, in order to make them holy to the Lord. + For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than Moses directed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, May the good Lord pardon everyone + Who sets his heart to seek and yearn for God--the Lord, the God of his fathers--even though not complying with the purification regulations of the sanctuary. + And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people. + And the Israelites who were in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with instruments of much volume to the Lord. + Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the Lord's work. So the people ate the seven-day appointed feast, offering peace offerings, making confession [and giving thanks] to the Lord, the God of their fathers. + And the whole assembly took counsel to prolong the feast another seven days; and they kept it another seven days with joy. + For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly 1,000 young bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes gave 1,000 young bulls and 10,000 sheep. And a great number of priests sanctified themselves [for service]. + All the assembly of Judah, with the priests, the Levites, and all the assembly who with the sojourners came from the land of Israel to dwell in Judah, rejoiced. + So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. + Then the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to [God's] holy habitation in heaven. + + + NOW WHEN all this was finished, all Israel present there went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars or obelisks, cut down the Asherim, and threw down the high places [of idolatry] and the altars in all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their own cities, every man to his possession. + And Hezekiah appointed the priests and the Levites after their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord. + King Hezekiah's personal contribution was for the burnt offerings: [those] of morning and evening, for the Sabbaths, for the New Moons, and for the appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the Lord. + He commanded the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites, that they might [be free to] give themselves to the Law of the Lord. + As soon as the command went abroad, the Israelites gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, vintage fruit, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. + The people of Israel and Judah who lived in Judah's cities also brought the tithe of cattle and sheep and of the dedicated things which were consecrated to the Lord their God, and they laid them in heaps. + In the third month [at the end of wheat harvest] they began to lay the foundation or beginning of the heaps and finished them in the seventh month. + When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel. + Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps. + Azariah the high priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the Lord's house, we have eaten and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people, and what is left is this great store. + Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers [for storage] in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them + And brought in the offerings, tithes, and dedicated things faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was in charge of them, and Shimei his brother came next. + And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers directed by Conaniah and Shimei his brother, at the appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. + Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contributions of the Lord and the most holy things. + Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the priests' cities, in their office of trust faithfully to give to their brethren by divisions, to great and small alike, + Except those [Levites] registered as males from three years old and upward--who were consecrated to the temple service [in Jerusalem, for their daily portion] as the duty of every day required, for their service according to their offices by their divisions. + The registration of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices by their divisions; + Also there was the registration of all their little ones, their wives, and their older sons and daughters through all the congregation. For in their office of trust they cleansed themselves and set themselves apart in holiness. + Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities or in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name to give portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were registered among the Levites. + Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah, and he did what was good, right, and faithful before the Lord his God. + And every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in keeping with the law and the commandments to seek his God [inquiring of and yearning for Him], he did with all his heart, and he prospered. + + + AFTER THESE things and this loyalty, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, invaded Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to take them. + When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, + He decided with his officers and his mighty men to stop up the waters of the fountains which were outside the city [by enclosing them with masonry and concealing them], and they helped him. + So many people gathered, and they stopped up all the springs and the brook which flowed through the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water? + Also Hezekiah took courage and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised towers upon it, and he built another wall outside and strengthened the Millo in the City of David and made weapons and shields in abundance. + And he set captains of war over the people and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, + Be strong and courageous. Be not afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there is Another with us greater than [all those] with him. + With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. + And this Sennacherib king of Assyria, while he himself with all his forces was before Lachish, sent his servants to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, + Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: On what do you trust, that you remain in the strongholds in Jerusalem? + Is not Hezekiah leading you on in order to let you die by famine and thirst, saying, The Lord our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? + Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before one altar and burn incense upon it? + Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand? + Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed was able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? + So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive or mislead you in this way, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand! + And his servants said still more against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah. + The Assyrian king also wrote letters insulting the Lord, the God of Israel, and speaking against Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of my hand. + And they shouted it loudly in the Jewish language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, that they might take the city. + And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of the hands of men. + For this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed and cried to heaven. + And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the Assyrian king returned with shamed face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, they who were his own offspring slew him there with the sword. [II Kings 19:35-37.] + Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and He guided them on every side. + And many brought gifts to Jerusalem to the Lord and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; so from then on he was magnified in the sight of all nations. + In those days Hezekiah was sick to the point of death; and he prayed to the Lord and He answered him and gave him a sign. + But Hezekiah did not make return [to the Lord] according to the benefit done to him, for his heart became proud [at such a spectacular response to his prayer]; therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. + But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah. + And Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of attractive vessels, + Storehouses also for the increase of grain, vintage fruits, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds. + Moreover, he provided for himself cities and flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great possessions. + This same Hezekiah also closed the upper springs of Gihon and directed the waters down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. + And so in the matter of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon who were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to himself to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart. [Isa. 39:1-7.] + Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and was buried in the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. + + + MANASSEH WAS twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. + But he did evil in the Lord's sight, like the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. + For he built again the [idolatrous] high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared altars for the Baals and made the Asherim and worshiped all the hosts of the heavens and served them. + Also he built [heathen] altars in the Lord's house, of which the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall My Name be forever. + He built altars for all the hosts of the heavens in the two courts of the Lord's house. + And he burned his children as an offering [to his god] in the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], and practiced soothsaying, augury, and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. + And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put My Name [and Presence] forever; + And I will no more remove Israel from the land which I appointed for your fathers, if they will only take heed to do all that I have commanded them, the whole law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses. + So Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. + The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not hearken. + So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks and in fetters and brought him to Babylon. + When he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. + He prayed to Him, and God, entreated by him, heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. + And he built an outer wall to the City of David west of Gihon in the valley, to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and ran it around Ophel, raising it to a very great height; and he put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities of Judah. + And he took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the house of the Lord and all the altars that he had built on the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. + And he restored the Lord's altar and sacrificed on it offerings of peace and of thanksgiving; and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. + Yet the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to the Lord their God. + Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. + His prayer and how God heard him, and all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and graven images before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers. + So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house [garden]. And Amon his son reigned in his stead. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he began his two-year reign in Jerusalem. + But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father; for Amon sacrificed to all the images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them, + And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father [finally] did; but Amon trespassed and became more and more guilty. + And his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house. + But the people of the land slew all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his stead. + + + JOSIAH WAS eight years old when he began his thirty-one-year reign in Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his father [forefather] and turned aside neither to the right hand nor to the left. + For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young [sixteen], he began to seek after and yearn for the God of David his father [forefather]; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and molten images. + They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; the sun-images that were high above them he hewed down; the Asherim and the graven images and the molten images he broke in pieces and made dust of them and strewed it upon the graves of those who sacrificed to them. + Josiah burned the bones of the [idolatrous] priests upon their altars, and so cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. + So he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, in their ruins round about [with their axes], + He broke down the altars and the Asherim and beat the graven images into powder and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. + In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, when he had purged the land and the [Lord's] house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. + When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem. + They delivered it to the workmen who had oversight of the Lord's house, who gave it to repair and restore the temple: + To the carpenters and builders to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings and beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed [by neglect]. + The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites. The Levites--all who were skillful with instruments of music-- + Also had oversight of the burden bearers and all who did work in any kind of service; and some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers. + When they were bringing out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses. + Hilkiah told Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord's house. And [he] gave the book to Shaphan. + Shaphan took the book to King Josiah, but [first] reported to him, All that was committed to your servants they are doing. + They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the Lord and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen. + Then Shaphan the scribe said to the king, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. + When King Josiah had heard the words of the Law, he rent his clothes. + And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, + Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah about the words of the book that is found. For great is the Lord's wrath that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book. + And Hilkiah and they whom the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She dwelt in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter. They spoke to her to that effect. + And she answered them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, + Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah. + Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore My wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched. + But say to King Josiah of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the words which you have heard: + Because your heart was tender and penitent and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me and rent your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you, says the Lord. + Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants. So they brought the king word again. + Then King Josiah sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + And [he] went up into the house of the Lord, as did all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, great and small; and he [the king] read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the Lord's house. + Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord--to walk after the Lord and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book. + And he caused all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand in confirmation of it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. + Josiah removed all the [idolatrous] abominations from all the territory that belonged to the Israelites, and made all who were in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. + + + JOSIAH KEPT the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem; they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. + He appointed the priests to their positions and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. + To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the Lord he said: Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David king of Israel, built; it shall no longer be a burden carried on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel. + Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, after the directions of David king of Israel and of Solomon his son. + And stand in the holy court of the priests according to the sections of the fathers' families of your kinsmen, the common people, and let there be a section of the Levites [to attend] to each division of the families of the people. + Kill the Passover lambs and sanctify yourselves and prepare for your brethren to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses. + Then Josiah contributed to the lay people lambs and kids of the flock as Passover offerings for all who were present, to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 young bulls--all from the king's possessions. + And his princes gave for a freewill offering to the people, to the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, chief officers of God's house, gave the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 [lambs and kids] and 300 bulls. + Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for Passover offerings 5,000 [lambs and kids] and 500 bulls. + When the service was ready, the priests stood in their place and the Levites in their divisions as the king commanded. + They killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites who skinned the animals. + Then they removed the burnt offerings, that they might distribute them according to the divisions of the lay families to offer to the Lord, as directed in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. + And they roasted the Passover lambs with fire according to the ordinance; and they cooked the holy offerings in pots, in caldrons, and in pans and carried them quickly to all the people. + Afterward [the Levites] prepared for themselves and the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy in offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and also for the priests, the sons of Aaron. + The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. And the gatekeepers were at every gate; they did not need to leave their service, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. + So all the Lord's service was prepared the same day to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings upon the Lord's altar, as King Josiah commanded. + And the Israelites who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. + No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet, even by any of the kings of Israel, as was kept by Josiah and the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept. + After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went out to fight against Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him. + But [Neco] sent ambassadors to [Josiah], saying, What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to make haste. Refrain from opposing God, Who is with me, lest He destroy you. + Yet Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not heed the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight with him in the valley of Megiddo. + And the archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am severely wounded. + So his servants took him out of the chariot and put him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. + Jeremiah gave a lament for Josiah, and all the singing men and women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. [Lam. 4:20.] + Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds, according to what is written in the Law of the Lord, + And his acts, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + + + THEN THE people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. + Jehoahaz was [then] twenty-three years old; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. + Then the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. + And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, Jehoahaz' brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God. + Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple or palace there. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. + Jehoiachin was eight[een] years old then; he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the Lord's sight. [II Kings 24:8.] + In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah the [boy's] brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. + He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke at the dictation of the Lord. + He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. + Also all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed greatly in accord with all the abominations of the heathen, and they polluted the house of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem. + And the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent to them persistently by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. + But they kept mocking the messengers of God and despising His words and scoffing at His prophets till the wrath of the Lord rose against His people, till there was no remedy or healing. + Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed; He gave them all into his hand. + And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the Lord's house, of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. + And they burned God's house and broke down Jerusalem's wall and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its choice vessels. + Those who had escaped from the sword he took away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia was established there, + To fulfill the Lord's word by Jeremiah, till the land had enjoyed its sabbaths; for as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath to fulfill seventy years. [Lev. 25:4; 26:43; Jer. 25:11; 29:10.] + Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: + Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me, and He has charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up [to Jerusalem]. + + + + + NOW IN the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [almost seventy years after the first Jewish captives were taken to Babylon], that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might begin to be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing: [Jer. 29:10-14.] + Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. + Whoever is among you of all His people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and re build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem; He is God. + And in any place where a survivor [of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews] sojourns, let the men of that place assist him with silver and gold, with goods and beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem. + Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, with all those whose spirits God had stirred up, to go up to re build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. + And all those who were around them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, goods, beasts, and precious things, besides all that was willingly and freely offered. + Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem [when he took that city] and had put in the house of his gods. + These Cyrus king of Persia directed Mithredath the treasurer to bring forth and count out to Sheshbazzar [who is Zerubbabel, recognized as the legitimate heir to the throne of David] the prince of Judah. + And they numbered: 30 basins of gold; 1,000 basins of silver; 29 sacrificial dishes; + Of gold bowls, 30; another sort of silver bowl, 410; and other vessels, 1,000. + All the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these Sheshbazzar [the governor] brought with the people of the captivity from Babylon to Jerusalem. + + + NOW THESE are the people of the province [of Judah] who went up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, but who came again to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city. + These came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah [not the author], Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai [not Esther's relative], Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of Israel: + The sons [meaning male descendants] of Parosh, 2,172. + The sons of Shephatiah, 372. + The sons of Arah, 775. + The sons of Pahath-moab, namely of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812. + The sons of Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Zattu, 945. + The sons of Zaccai, 760. + The sons of Bani, 642. + The sons of Bebai, 623. + The sons of Azgad, 1,222. + The sons of Adonikam, 666. + The sons of Bigvai, 2,056. + The sons of Adin, 454. + The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. + The sons of Bezai, 323. + The sons of Jorah, 112. + The sons of Hashum, 223. + The sons of Gibbar, 95. + The sons of Bethlehem, 123. + The men of Netophah, 56. + The men of Anathoth, 128. + The sons of Azmaveth, 42. + The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. + The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621. + The men of Michmas, 122. + The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. + The sons of Nebo, 52. + The sons of Magbish, 156. + The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Harim, 320. + The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725. + The sons of Jericho, 345. + The sons of Senaah, 3,630. + The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973. + The sons of Immer, 1,052. + The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. + The sons of Harim, 1,017. + The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the house of Hodaviah, 74. + The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. + The sons of the gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, in all 139. + The Nethinim [the temple servants]: the sons of Ziba, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + The sons of Keros, Siaha, Padon, + The sons of Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, + The sons of Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, + The sons of Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, + The sons of Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, + The sons of Uzza, Paseah, Besai, + The sons of Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim, + The sons of Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + The sons of Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + The sons of Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + The sons of Neziah [and] of Hatipha. + The sons of [King] Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, Sophereth (Hassophereth), Peruda, + The sons of Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, + The sons of Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, Ami. + All the Nethinim [the temple servants] and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392. + And these were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not show a record of their fathers' houses or prove their descent, whether they were of Israel: + The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652. + And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, of Hakkoz, and of Barzillai, who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the [noted] Gileadite and had assumed their name. [II Sam. 17:27, 28; 19:31-39.] + These sought their names among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood as [ceremonially] unclean. + [Zerubbabel] the governor told them they should not eat of the most holy things [the priests' food] until there should be a priest with Urim and Thummim [who by consulting these articles in his breastplate could know God's will in the matter]. + The whole congregation numbered 42,360, + Besides their menservants and maidservants, 7,337; and among them they had 200 men and women singers. + Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; + Their camels were 435; their donkeys, 6,720. + Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God to [re]build it on its site. + They gave as they were able to the treasury for the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests' garments. + So the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their own towns, and all Israel [gradually settled] into their towns. + + + WHEN THE seventh month came and the Israelites were in the towns, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. + Then stood up Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and they built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings upon it, as it is written in the instructions of Moses the man of God. + And they set the altar [in its place] upon its base, for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the countries; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord morning and evening. + They kept also the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ordinances, as each day's duty required, + And after that, the continual burnt offering, the offering at the New Moon, and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. + From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. + They gave money also to the masons and to the carpenters, and gave food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the seaport of Joppa, according to the grant they had from Cyrus king of Persia. + In the second year of their coming to God's house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak made a beginning, with the rest of their brethren--the priests and Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem out of the captivity. They appointed the Levites from twenty years old and upward to oversee the work of the Lord's house. + Then Jeshua with his sons and his kinsmen, Kadmiel and his sons, sons of Judah, together took the oversight of the workmen in the house of God--the sons of Henadad, with their sons and Levite kinsmen. + And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their vestments with trumpets, and the Levite sons of Asaph with their cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the order of David king of Israel. + They sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid! + But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house [Solomon's temple], when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice, though many shouted aloud for joy. + So the people could not distinguish the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far off. + + + NOW WHEN [the Samaritans] the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles from the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, + They came to Zerubbabel [now governor] and to the heads of the fathers' houses and said, Let us build with you, for we seek and worship your God as you do, and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here. [II Kings 17:24-29.] + But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us. + Then [the Samaritans] the people of the land [continually] weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled and terrified them in building + And hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose and plans all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius [II] king of Persia. + And in the reign of Ahasuerus [or Xerxes], in the beginning of his reign, [the Samaritans] wrote to him an accusation against the [returned] inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. + Later, in the days of King Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in the Syrian or Aramaic script and interpreted in that language. + Rehum the [Persian] commander [of the Samaritans] and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king of this sort-- + Then wrote Rehum the [Persian] commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates--the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites, + And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria and the rest of the country beyond [west of] the Euphrates River, and so forth. + This is a copy of the letter which they sent to King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men beyond [that is, west of] the River [Euphrates], and so forth. + Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. This rebellious and bad city they are rebuilding, and have restored its walls and repaired the foundations. + Be it known now to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be diminished. + Now because we eat the salt of the king's palace and it is not proper for us to witness the king's discredit, therefore we send to inform the king, + In order that a search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers, in which you will learn that this is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it of old. That is why [it] was laid waste. + We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, it will mean that you will have no portion on this side of the [Euphrates] River. + Then the king sent an answer: To Rehum the [Persian] official, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Greetings. + The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me. + I commanded and search has been made, and it is found that this city [Jerusalem] of old time has made insurrection against kings and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it. + There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem who have ruled over all countries beyond [west of] the [Euphrates] River, and tribute, custom, and toll were paid to them. + Therefore give a decree to make these men stop, that this city not be rebuilt, until a command is given by me. + Be sure that you do this. Why should damage grow, to the hurt of the kings? + When the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power made them cease. + Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stopped until the second year of Darius [I] king of Persia. + + + NOW THE prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son [grandson] of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, Whose [Spirit] was upon them. + Then rose up Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel [heir to the throne of Judah] and Jeshua son of Jozadak and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God [Haggai and Zechariah], helping them. [Hag. 1:12-14; Matt. 1:12, 13.] + Then Tattenai, governor on the west side of the [Euphrates] River, and Shethar-bozenai and their companions came to them and said, Who authorized you to build this house and to restore this wall? + Then we told them [in reply] the names of the men who were building this building. + But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so the enemy could not make them stop until the matter came before Darius [I] and an answer was returned by letter concerning it. + This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor on this side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the Apharsachites who were on this [west] side of the River, sent to Darius [I] the king. + They wrote: To Darius the king: All peace. + Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, with timber laid in the walls; this work goes on with diligence and care and prospers in their hands. + Then we asked those elders, Who authorized you to build this house and restore these walls? + We asked their names also, that we might record the names of the men at their head and notify you. + They replied, We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, rebuilding the house which was erected and finished many years ago by a great king of Israel. + But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon. + But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, the same King Cyrus made a decree to rebuild this house of God. + And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and delivered to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. + And King Cyrus said to him, Go, take these vessels to Jerusalem and carry them into the temple, and let the house of God be built upon its site. + Then came this Sheshbazzar and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem; and since that time until now it has been in the process of being rebuilt and is not completed yet. + So now, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon to see if it is true that King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send us his pleasure in this matter. + + + THEN KING Darius [I] decreed, and a search was made in Babylonia in the house where the treasured records were stored. + And at Ecbatana in the capital in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was recorded: + In the first year of King Cyrus, [he] made a decree: Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the house, the place where they offer sacrifices, be built, and let its foundations be strongly laid, its height and its breadth each 60 cubits, + With three courses of great stones and one course of new timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. + Also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple in Jerusalem, each put in its place in the house of God. + Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province [west of] the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates, the Apharsachites who are [west of] the River, keep far away from there. + Leave the work on this house of God alone; let the governor and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site. + Moreover, I make a decree as to what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God: the cost is to be paid in full to these men at once from the king's revenue, the tribute of the province [west of] the River, that they may not be hindered. + And all they need, including young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests at Jerusalem, let it be given them each day without fail, + That they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. + Also I make a decree that whoever shall change or infringe on this order, let a beam be pulled from his house and erected; then let him be fastened to it, and let his house be made a dunghill for this. + May the God Who has caused His Name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who put forth their hands to alter this or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be executed speedily and exactly. + Then Tattenai, governor of the province this side of the River, with Shethar-bozenai and their associates, diligently did what King Darius had decreed. + And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building as commanded by the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. + And this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. + And the Israelites--the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles--celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. + They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, for a sin offering for all Israel, 12 he-goats, according to the number of Israel's tribes. + And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. + The returned exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. + For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their brother priests, and for themselves. + It was eaten by the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all who had joined them and separated themselves from the pollutions of the peoples of the land to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. + They kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria [referring to Darius king of Persia] to them, so that he strengthened their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. + + + NOW AFTER this, in the reign of Artaxerxes [son of Xerxes, or Ahasuerus] king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, + The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, + The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, + The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, + The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest-- + This Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the five books of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. And the king granted him all he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. + And also some of the Israelites, with some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants, went up [from Babylon] to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. + Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. + On the first of the first month he started out from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, for upon him was the good hand of his God. + For Ezra had prepared and set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord [to inquire for it and of it, to require and yearn for it], and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances. + Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe [occupied with] the words of the commands of the Lord and of His statutes to Israel: + Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the instructions of the God of heaven: Greetings. + I make a decree that all of the people of Israel and of their priests and Levites in my realm, who offer freely to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. + For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the instruction of your God, which is in your hand, + And to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, Whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, + And all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylonia, with the freewill offerings of the people and of the priests, offered willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. + Therefore you shall with all speed and exactness buy with this money young bulls, rams, lambs, with their cereal offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. + And whatever shall seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. + The vessels also that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, those deliver before the God of Jerusalem. + And whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God which you shall have occasion to provide, provide it out of the king's treasury. + And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province beyond the [Euphrates] River that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the instructions of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it shall be done exactly and at once-- + Up to 100 talents of silver, 100 measures of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt not specified. + Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done diligently and honorably for the house of the God of heaven, lest His wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. + Also we notify you that as to any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on them. + You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God, which is [in His instructions] in your hand, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people [west] of the River; choose those who know the instructions of your God, and teach him who does not know them. + And whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him exactly and speedily, whether it be unto death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment. + Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers [said Ezra], Who put such a thing as this into the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, + And Who has extended His mercy and steadfast love to me before the king, his counselors, and all the king's mighty officers. I was strengthened and encouraged, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together outstanding men of Israel to go with me to Jerusalem. + + + THESE ARE the heads of their fathers' houses and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia in the reign of King Artaxerxes: + Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of Ithamar, Daniel; of David, Hattush + Of the sons of Shecaniah; of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men by genealogy; + Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, with 200 men; + Of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, with 300 men; + Of the sons of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, with 50 men; + Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, with 70 men; + Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, with 80 men; + Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, with 218 men; + Of the sons of [Bani], Shelomith son of Josiphiah, with 160 men; + Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, with 28 men; + Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, with 110 men; + Of the sons of Adonikam, the last to come, their names are Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, with 60 men; + Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud [Zaccur], with 70 men. + I [Ezra] gathered them together at the river that runs to Ahava, and there we encamped three days. I reviewed the people and the priests, and found no Levites. + Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, Meshullam, who were chief men, and also for Joiarib and Elnathan,who were teachers. + And I sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them to say to Iddo and his brethren the Nethinim [temple servants] at the place Casiphia, Bring to us servants for the house of our God. + And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, named Sherebiah, with his sons and his kinsmen, 18; + And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; + Also 220 of the Nethinim, whose forefathers David and the officials had set apart [with their descendants] to attend the Levites. They were all mentioned by name. + Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a straight and right way for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. + For I was ashamed to request of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy along the way, because we had told the king, The hand of our God is upon all them for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him. + So we fasted and besought our God for this, and He heard our entreaty. + Then I set apart twelve leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen, + And weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God which the king, his counselors, his lords, and all Israel there present had offered. + I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels valued at 100 talents, and 100 talents of gold; + Also 20 basins of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze, precious as gold. + And I said to them, You are holy to the Lord, the vessels are holy also, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. + Guard and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses of Israel in Jerusalem in the chambers of the house of the Lord. + So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver, the gold, and the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem into the house of our God. + We left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the enemy and those who lay in wait by the way. + And we came to Jerusalem, and [had been] there three days. + On the fourth day, the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui--the Levites. + Every piece was counted and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at once. + Also those returned exiles whose parents had been carried into captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve young bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve he-goats for a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. + And they delivered the king's commissions to the king's lieutenants and to the governors west of the River, and they aided the people and God's house. + + + AFTERWARD, THE officials came to me and said, The Israelites and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, but have committed the abominations of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. + For they have taken as wives some of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Indeed, the officials and chief men have been foremost in this wicked act and direct violation [of God's will]. [Deut. 7:3, 4.] + When I heard this, I rent my undergarment and my mantle, I pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. + Then all those who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the offensive violation of His will by the returned exiles gathered around me as I sat astounded until the evening sacrifice. + At the evening sacrifice I arose from my depression, and, having rent my undergarment and my mantle, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, + Saying, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted to the heavens. + Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty; and for our willfulness we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, captivity, plundering, and utter shame, as it is today. + And now, for a brief moment, grace has been shown us by the Lord our God, Who has left us a remnant to escape and has given us a secure hold in His holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage. + For we are bondmen; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended mercy and steadfast love to us before the kings of Persia, to give us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall [of protection] in Judah and Jerusalem. + Now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commands + Which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the pollutions of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations which have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness. + Therefore, do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children always. + And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant, + Shall we break Your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would You not be angry with us till You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant nor any to escape? [Deut. 7:2-4.] + O Lord, the God of Israel, You are rigidly just and righteous, for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day. Behold, we are before You in our guilt, for none can stand before You because of this. + + + NOW WHILE Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there gathered to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men, women, and children; for the people wept bitterly. + And Shecaniah [II] son of Jehiel [one of the congregation], of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra: We have broken faith and dealt treacherously against our God and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land; yet now there is still hope for Israel in spite of this thing. + Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God; and let it be done according to the Law. + Arise, for it is your duty, and we are with you. Be strong and brave and do it. + Then Ezra arose and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. + Then Ezra came from before the house of God and went into the lodging place of Jehohanan son of Eliashib [for the night]. There he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned over the returned exiles' faithlessness [and violation of God's law]. + And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles, that they should assemble in Jerusalem, + And that whoever did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders, all his property should be forfeited and he himself banned from the assembly of the exiles. + Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people sat in the open space before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. + And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have acted wickedly and broken faith [with God] and have married foreign (heathen) women, increasing the guilt of Israel. + So now make confession and give thanks to the Lord, the God of your fathers [for not consuming you], and do His will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from [your] foreign (heathen) wives. + Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, As you have said, so must we do. + But the people are many and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand outside. Nor can this work be done in a day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. + Let our officials stand for the whole assembly; let all in our cities who have foreign wives come by appointment, and with each group the elders of that city and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us. + Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. + Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest and certain heads of fathers' houses were selected, according to their fathers' houses, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. + And by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of the cases of the men married to foreign wives. + Of the sons of the priests who had married non-Jewish women were found: of the sons of Jeshua [the high priest] son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. + They solemnly vowed to put away their [heathen] wives, and, being guilty, [each] offered a ram of the flock for [his] guilt. + Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. + Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. + Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. + Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. + Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. + And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah (Hashabiah), and Benaiah. + Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. + Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. + Of the sons also of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. + Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. + Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. + Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, + Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. + Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. + Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, + Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi (Cheluhu), + Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, + Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu [Jaasai], + Bani, Binnui, Shimei, + Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, + Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, + Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, + Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. + Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo (Jaddai), Joel, and Benaiah. + All these had married foreign women, and some of the wives had borne children. + + + + + THE WORDS or story of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: Now in the month of Chislev in the twentieth year [of the Persian king], as I was in the castle of Shushan, + Hanani, one of my kinsmen, came with certain men from Judah, and I asked them about the surviving Jews who had escaped exile, and about Jerusalem. + And they said to me, The remnant there in the province who escaped exile are in great trouble and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its [fortified] gates are destroyed by fire. + When I heard this, I sat down and wept and mourned for days and fasted and prayed [constantly] before the God of heaven, + And I said, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, Who keeps covenant, loving-kindness, and mercy for those who love Him and keep His commandments, + Let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to listen to the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You day and night for the Israelites, Your servants, confessing the sins of the Israelites which we have sinned against You. Yes, I and my father's house have sinned. + We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. [Deut. 6:1-9.] + Remember [earnestly] what You commanded Your servant Moses: If you transgress and are unfaithful, I will scatter you abroad among the nations; [Lev. 26:33.] + But if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the farthest part of the heavens [the expanse of outer space], yet will I gather them from there and will bring them to the place in which I have chosen to set My Name. [Deut. 30:1-5.] + Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. + O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere and fear Your name (Your nature and attributes); and prosper, I pray You, Your servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was cupbearer to the king. + + + IN THE month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence. + So the king said to me, Why do you look sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much afraid + And said to the king, Let the king live forever! Why should I not be sad faced when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchers, lies waste, and its [fortified] gates are consumed by fire? + The king said to me, For what do you ask? So I prayed to the God of heaven. + And I said to [him], If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you will send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchers, that I may rebuild it. + The king, beside whom the queen was sitting, asked me, How long will your journey take, and when will you return? So it pleased [him] to send me; and I set him a time. + Also I said to the king, If it pleases the king, let letters be given me for the governors beyond the [Euphrates] River, that they may let me pass through to Judah, + And a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest or park, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple and for the city wall and for the house that I shall occupy. And the king granted what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. + Then I came to the governors beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. + When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard this, it distressed them exceedingly that a man had come to inquire for and require the good and prosperity of the Israelites. + So I came to Jerusalem and had been there three days. + Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. No beast was with me except the one I rode. + I went out by night by the Valley Gate toward the Dragon's Well and to the Dung Gate and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. + I passed over to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. + So [gradually] I went up by the brook [Kidron] in the night and inspected the wall; then I turned back and entered [the city] by the Valley Gate, and so returned. + And the magistrates knew not where I went or what I did; nor had I yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the work. + Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in--how Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a disgrace. + Then I told them of the hand of my God which was upon me for good, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build! So they strengthened their hands for the good work. + But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Will you rebel against the king? + I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. + + + THEN ELIASHIB the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it even to the Tower of Hammeah or the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. + And next to him [Eliashib] the men of Jericho built. Next to [them] Zaccur son of Imri built. + And the Fish Gate the sons of Hassenaah built; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. + And next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, repaired. Next to them Zadok son of Baana repaired. + Next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles or lords did not put their necks to the work of their Lord. + Moreover, the Old Gate Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. + Next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, [up] to the seat or residence of the governor [west of] the River [Euphrates, there in Jerusalem]. + Next to them repaired Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths. Next to him repaired Hananiah, one of the perfumers, and they abandoned [fortification of] Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall [omitting that part of the ancient city and reducing the area]. + Next to them repaired Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem. + Next to them repaired Jedaiah son of Harumaph, opposite his own house. And next to him repaired Hattush son of Hashabneiah. + Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another portion and the Tower of the Furnaces. + Next to [them] repaired Shallum son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. + The Valley Gate [the main entrance in the west wall, the Jaffa Gate] was repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah. They built it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. + The Dung Gate was repaired by Malchijah son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. + The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt and covered it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah (Siloam), by the King's Garden, as far as the stairs that go down [the eastern slope] from the [portion of Jerusalem known as] the City of David. + After him Nehemiah [III] son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired [the wall] to a point opposite the sepulchers of David, and to the artificial pool and the house of the guards. + After him the Levites: Rehum son of Bani. Next to him repaired Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah. + After him repaired their brethren under Bavvai son of Henadad, ruler of [the other] half of the district of Keilah. + Next to him repaired Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, another district over opposite the ascent to the armory at the angle [in the wall]. + After him Baruch son of Zabbai (Zaccai) earnestly repaired another portion [toward the hill] from the angular turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. + After him Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of his house. + After him the priests, men of the plain, repaired. + After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After them repaired Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah beside his own house. + After him Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section [of the wall], from the house of Azariah to the angular turn of the wall and to the corner. + Palal son of Uzai repaired opposite the angular turn of the wall and the tower which stands out from the upper house of the king by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh + And the servants of the priests dwelling on Ophel [the hill south of the temple] repaired to opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. + After them the Tekoites repaired another portion opposite the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. + Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, everyone opposite his own house. + After them repaired Zadok son of Immer opposite his house. Then Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, keeper of the East Gate, repaired. + After him Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. + After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the ascent and upper room of the corner. + And from the ascent and upper room of the corner to the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants repaired. + + + BUT WHEN Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and in a great rage, and he ridiculed the Jews. + And he said before his brethren and the army of Samaria, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things [at will and by themselves]? Will they [try to bribe their God] with sacrifices? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned? + Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, What they build--if a fox climbs upon it, he will break down their stone wall. + [And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity. + Cover not their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have vexed [with alarm] the builders and provoked You. + So we built the wall, and all [of it] was joined together to half its height, for the people had a heart and mind to work. + But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were going up and that the breaches were being closed, they were very angry. + And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, to injure and cause confusion and failure in it. + But because of them we made our prayer to our God and set a watch against them day and night. + And [the leaders of] Judah said, The strength of the burden bearers is weakening, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall. + And our enemies said, They will not know or see till we come into their midst and kill them and stop the work. + And when the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, You must return [to guard our little villages]; from all places where they dwell they will be upon us. + So I set [armed men] behind the wall in places where it was least protected; I even thus used the people as families with their swords, spears, and bows. + I looked [them over] and rose up and said to the nobles and officials and the other people, Do not be afraid of the enemy; [earnestly] remember the Lord and imprint Him [on your minds], great and terrible, and [take from Him courage to] fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes. + And when our enemies heard that their plot was known to us and that God had frustrated their purpose, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work. + And from that time forth, half of my servants worked at the task, and the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the leaders stood behind all the house of Judah. + Those who built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves so that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other hand, + And every builder had his sword girded by his side, and so worked. And he who sounded the trumpet was at my side. + And I said to the nobles and officials and the rest of the people, The work is great and scattered, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another. + In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us. + So we labored at the work while half of them held the spears from dawn until the stars came out. + At that time also I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that at night they may be a guard to us and a laborer during the day. + So none of us--I, my kinsmen, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me--took off our clothes; each kept his weapon [in his hand for days]. + + + NOW THERE arose a great cry of the [poor] people and of their wives [driven to borrowing] against their Jewish brethren [the few who could afford to lend]. + For some said, We, our sons and daughters, are many; therefore allow us to take grain, that we may eat and live! If we are not given grain, let us take it! + Also some said, We are mortgaging our lands, vineyards, and houses to buy grain because of the scarcity. + Others said, We have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards to pay the [Persian] king's heavy tax. + Although our flesh is the same as that of our brethren and our children are as theirs, yet we are forced to sell our children as slaves; some of our daughters have already been thus sold, and we are powerless to redeem them, for others have our lands and vineyards. + I [Nehemiah] was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. + I thought it over and then rebuked the nobles and officials. I told them, You are exacting interest from your own kinsmen. And I held a great assembly against them. + I said to them, We, according to our ability, have bought back our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations; but will you even sell your brethren, that they may be sold to us? Then they were silent and found not a word to say. + Also I said, What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts and reproach of the nations, our enemies? + I, my brethren, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us stop this forbidden interest! [Exod. 22:25.] + Return this very day to them their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, and also a hundredth of all the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have exacted from them. + Then they said, We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say. Then I called the priests and took an oath of the lenders that they would do according to this promise. + I shook out my lap and said, So may God shake out every man from his house and from [the exercise and fruits of] his labor who does not keep this promise! So may he be shaken out and emptied. And all the assembly said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise. + Also, in the twelve years after I was appointed to be their governor in Judah, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, neither I nor my kin ate the food allowed to [me] the governor. + But the former governors lived at the expense of the people and took from them food and wine, besides forty shekels of silver [a large monthly official salary]; yes, even their servants assumed authority over the people. But I did not so because of my [reverent] fear of God. + I also held fast to the work on this wall; and we bought no land. And all my servants were gathered there for the work. + And there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations about us. + Now these were prepared for each day: one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I did not demand [my rights] the food allowed me as governor, for the [tribute] bondage was heavy upon this people. + O my God, [earnestly] remember me for good for all I have done for this people. [Heb. 6:10.] + + + NOW WHEN Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, + Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm. + And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you? + They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before. + Then Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter. + In it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report. + Also you have set up prophets to announce concerning you in Jerusalem, There is a king in Judah. And now this will be reported to the [Persian] king. So, come now and let us take counsel together. + I replied to him, No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own heart and mind. + For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will be so weak that the work will not be done. But now strengthen my hands! + I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up. He said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you--at night they are coming to kill you. + But I said, Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the temple [where only the priests are allowed to go] and yet live? I will not go in. + And behold, I saw that God had not sent him, but he made this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. + He was hired that I should be made afraid and do as he said and sin, that they might have matter for an evil report with which to taunt and reproach me. + My God, think on Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear. + So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. + When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us feared and fell far in their own esteem, for they saw that this work was done by our God. + Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. + For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. + Also they spoke of [Tobiah's] good deeds before me and told him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. + + + NOW WHEN the wall was built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites had been appointed, + I gave my brother Hanani, with Hananiah the ruler of the castle, charge over Jerusalem, for Hananiah was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. + I said to them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while the watchmen are still on guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from the people of Jerusalem, each to his watch [on the wall] and each opposite his own house. + Now the city was wide and large, but the people in it were few, and their houses were not yet built. + And my God put it into my mind and heart to assemble the nobles, the officers, and the people, that they might be counted by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who came [from Babylon] at the first, and found written in it: + These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away; they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his town, + Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah [not the author], Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The men of Israel numbered: + The sons of Parosh, 2,172. + The sons of Shephatiah, 372. + The sons of Arah, 652. + The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818. + The sons of Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Zattu, 845. + The sons of Zaccai, 760. + The sons of Binnui, 648. + The sons of Bebai, 628. + The sons of Azgad, 2,322. + The sons of Adonikam, 667. + The sons of Bigvai, 2,067. + The sons of Adin, 655. + The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. + The sons of Hashum, 328. + The sons of Bezai, 324. + The sons of Hariph, 112. + The sons of Gibeon, 95. + The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188. + The men of Anathoth, 128. + The men of Beth-azmaveth, 42. + The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. + The men of Ramah and Geba, 621. + The men of Michmas, 122. + The men of Bethel and Ai, 123. + The men of the other Nebo, 52. + The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Harim, 320. + The sons of Jericho, 345. + The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721. + The sons of Senaah, 3,930. + The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, namely the house of Jeshua, 973. + The sons of Immer, 1,052. + The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. + The sons of Harim, 1,017. + The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the sons of Hodevah, 74. + The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. + The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, of Ater, of Talmon, of Akkub, of Hatita, and of Shobai, 138. + The Nethinim [temple servants]: the sons of Ziha, of Hasupha, of Tabbaoth, + Of Keros, of Sia, of Padon, + Of Lebana, of Hagaba, of Shalmai, + Of Hanan, of Giddel, of Gahar, + Of Reaiah, of Rezin, of Nekoda, + Of Gazzam, of Uzza, of Paseah, + Of Besai, of Meunim, of Nephushesim, + Of Bakbuk, of Hakupha, of Harhur, + Of Bazlith, of Mehida, of Harsha, + Of Barkos, of Sisera, of Temah, + Of Neziah, of Hatipha. + The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, of Sophereth, of Perida, + Of Jaala, of Darkon, of Giddel, + Of Shephatiah, of Hattil, of Pochereth-hazzebaim, of Amon. + All the Nethinim [temple servants] and the sons of Solomon's servants, 392. + And these were they who went up also from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they [had no birth records and] could not prove their father's house nor their descent, whether they were of Israel: + The sons of Delaiah, of Tobiah, of Nekoda, 642. + Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, of Hakkoz, and of Barzillai, who [was so named because he] married one of the daughters of the [noted] Gileadite Barzillai and was called by their name. + These sought their registration among those recorded in the genealogies, but it was not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood as [ceremonially] unclean. + The governor told them that they should refrain from eating any of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise [to determine the will of God in the matter]. + The congregation all together was 42,360, + Besides their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 singers, men and women. + Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; + Their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720. + And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work. The Tirshatha or governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 530 priests' garments. + Some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. + What the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests' garments. + So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim [the temple servants], along with all Israel, dwelt in their towns, and were in them when the seventh month came. + + + THEN ALL the people gathered together as one man in the broad place before the Water Gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. + And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first of the seventh month. + He read from it, facing the broad place before the Water Gate, from early morning until noon, in the presence of the men and women and those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. + Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. + Ezra opened the book in sight of all the people, for he was standing above them; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. + And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with faces to the ground. + Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah--the Levites--helped the people to understand the Law, and the people [remained] in their place. + So they read from the Book of the Law of God distinctly, faithfully amplifying and giving the sense so that [the people] understood the reading. + And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of them, This day is holy to the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. + Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. + So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy. And do not be grieved and sad. + And all the people went their way to eat, drink, send portions, and make great rejoicing, for they had understood the words that were declared to them. + On the second day, all the heads of fathers' houses, with the priests and Levites, gathered to Ezra the scribe to study and understand the words of divine instruction. + And they found written in the law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month + And that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written. [Lev. 23:39, 40.] + So the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each on the roof of his house and in their courts and the courts of God's house and in the squares of the Water Gate and the Gate of Ephraim. + All the assembly of returned exiles made booths and dwelt in them; for since the days of Jeshua (Joshua) son of Nun up to that day, the Israelites had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. + Also day by day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast for seven days; the eighth day was a [closing] solemn assembly, according to the ordinance. + + + NOW ON the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth and with earth upon their heads. + And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. + And they stood in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day, and for another fourth of it they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. + On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God. + Then the Levites--Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah--said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be Your glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise. + [And Ezra said], You are the Lord, You alone; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve them all, and the hosts of heaven worship You. + You are the Lord, the God Who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees and gave him the name Abraham. + You found his heart faithful before You, and You made the covenant with him to give his descendants the land of the Canaanite, Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Jebusite, and Girgashite. And You have fulfilled Your promise, for You are just and righteous. + You saw our fathers' affliction in Egypt, and You heard their cry at the Red Sea. + You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for You knew that they dealt insolently against the Israelites. And You got for Yourself a name, as it is today. + You divided the sea before them, so that they went through its midst on dry land; their persecutors You threw into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. + Moreover, by a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and by a pillar of fire by night to light the way they should go. + You came down also upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from Heaven and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. + And You made known to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments, statutes, and a law through Moses Your servant. + You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst; and You told them to go in and possess the land You had sworn to give them. [John 6:31-34.] + But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks, and did not heed Your commandments. + They refused to obey, nor were they mindful of Your wonders and miracles which You did among them; but they stiffened their necks and in their rebellion appointed a captain, that they might return to their bondage [in Egypt]. But You are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great steadfast love; and You did not forsake them. + Even when they had made for themselves a molten calf and said, This is your god, who brought you out of Egypt, and had committed great and contemptible blasphemies, + You in Your great mercy forsook them not in the wilderness; the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day to lead them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night to light the way they should go. + You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and withheld not Your manna from them, and gave water for their thirst. + Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. + Also You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they possessed the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. + Their children You also multiplied as the stars of heaven and brought them into the land which You told their fathers they should go in and possess. + So the descendants went in and possessed the land; and You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. + And they captured fortified cities and a rich land and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, olive orchards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. + Yet they were disobedient and rebelled against You and cast Your law behind their back and killed Your prophets who accused and warned them to turn to You again; and they committed great and contemptible blasphemies. + Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who distressed them. In the time of their suffering when they cried to You, You heard them from heaven, and according to Your abundant mercy You gave them deliverers, who saved them from their enemies. + But after they had rest, they did evil again before You; therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to You, You heard them from heaven, and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies, + And reproved and warned them, that You might bring them again to Your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not heed Your commandments, but sinned against Your ordinances, which by keeping, a man shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder, stiffened their neck, and would not listen. + Yet You bore with them many years more and reproved and warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets; still they would not listen. Therefore You gave them into the power of the peoples of the lands. + Yet in Your great mercies You did not utterly consume them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful God. + Now therefore, our God, the great, mighty, and terrible God, Who keeps covenant and mercy and loving-kindness, let not all the trouble and hardship seem little to You--the hardship that has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day. + However, You are just in all that has come upon us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly; + Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept Your law or hearkened to Your commandments and Your warnings and reproofs which You gave them. + They did not serve You in their kingdom, and in Your great goodness that You gave them and in the large and rich land You set before them, nor did they turn from their wicked works. + Behold, we are slaves this day, and as for the land that You gave to our fathers to eat the fruit and the good of it, behold, we are slaves in it. + And its rich yield goes to the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure. And we are in great distress. + Because of all this, we make a firm and sure written covenant, and our princes, Levites, and priests set their seal to it. + + + THESE SET their seal: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. And Zedekiah, + Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, + Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, + Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, + Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, + Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, + Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, + Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah--these were the priests. + And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, + And their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, + Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, + Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, + Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. + The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, + Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, + Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, + Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, + Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, + Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, + Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, + Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, + Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, + Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, + Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, + Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, + Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, + Malluch, Harim, Baanah. + And the rest of the people--the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Nethinim [temple servants], and all they who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who had knowledge and understanding-- + Join now, with their brethren, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law which was given to Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes: + We shall not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. + And if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we shall not buy it on the Sabbath or on a holy day; and we shall forego raising crops the seventh year [letting the land lie fallow] and the compulsory payment of every debt. [Exod. 23:10, 11; Deut. 15:1, 2.] + Also we pledge ourselves to pay yearly a third of a shekel for the service expenses of the house of our God [which are]: + For the showbread; for the continual cereal offerings and burnt offerings; [for the offerings on] the Sabbaths, the New Moons, the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the work of the house of our God. + We also cast lots--the priests, the Levites, and the people--for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at appointed times year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law. + And [we obligate ourselves] to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the first of all the fruit of all trees year by year to the house of the Lord, + As well as the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as is written in the Law, and the firstlings of our herds and flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in [His] house. + And we shall bring the first and best of our coarse meal, our contributions, the fruit of all kinds of trees, of new wine, and of oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God. And we shall bring the tithes from our ground to the Levites, for they, the Levites, collect the tithes in all our rural towns. + And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when [they] receive tithes, and [they] shall bring one-tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers, into the storehouse. + For the Israelites and the sons of Levi shall bring the offering of grain, new wine, and oil to the chambers where the vessels of the sanctuary are, along with the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and singers. We will not forsake or neglect the house of our God. + + + NOW THE leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths dwelt in other towns and villages. + And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. + These are the province chiefs who dwelt in Jerusalem, but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property there--Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants. + And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the sons of Judah and Benjamin. Of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez; + Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. + All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were 468 valiant men. + These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, + And after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928. + Joel son of Zichri was overseer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second over the city. + Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jachin; + Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God, + And their brethren, who did the work of the house, 822; and Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, + And his brethren, chiefs of fathers' houses, 242; and Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, + And their brethren, mighty men of valor, 128. Their overseer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim [one of the great men]. + And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; + And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; + Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leader to begin the thanksgiving in prayer; and Bakbukiah, second among his brethren; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. + The Levites in the holy city were 284. + The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren, who kept watch, were 172. + And the rest of Israel, with the priests and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each in his inheritance. + But the temple servants dwelt on [the hill] Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa were over [them]. + Overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem and the work of God's house was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of Asaph's sons, the singers. + For the [Persian] king had ordered concerning them that a certain provision be made for the singers, as each day required. + Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people. + As for the villages with their fields, some people of Judah dwelt in Kiriath-arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel, and their villages, + In Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet, + Hazar-shual, Beersheba and its villages, + Ziklag, Meconah and its villages, + En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, + Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the Hinnom Valley. + The people of Benjamin also dwelt from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages, + At Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, + Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, + Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, + Lod, and Ono, the Valley of the Craftsmen. + And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were joined to Benjamin. + + + NOW THESE are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, + Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, + Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, + Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, + Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, + Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, + Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua. + And the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his brethren, was over the thanksgiving [choirs]. + Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood opposite them according to their offices. + And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim of Eliashib, Eliashib of Joiada, + Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan of Jaddua. + And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers' houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; + Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; + Of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; + Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; + Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; + Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai; + Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; + Of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; + Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; + Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. + As for the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the heads of fathers' houses were recorded, as well as the priests, until the reign of Darius the Persian. + The sons of Levi, heads of fathers' houses, were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan son of Eliashib. + And the chiefs of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their brethren opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, as David, God's man, commanded, [one] watch [singing] in response to [the men in the opposite] watch. + Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers guarding at the storehouses of the gates. + These were in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe. + And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites in all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, cymbals, harps, and lyres. + And the sons of the singers gathered together from the plain and circuit around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites, + And also from Beth-gilgal and the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. + And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, the people, the gates, and the wall. + Then I brought the princes of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great companies of them who gave thanks and went in procession. One went to the right upon the wall toward the Dung Gate. + And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the princes of Judah, + And Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, + Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, + And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets, and Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, + And his kinsmen--Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, Hanani--with the musical instruments of David, God's man. And Ezra the scribe went before them. + At the Fountain Gate they went up straight ahead by the stairs of the City of David at the wall's ascent above David's house to the Water Gate on the east. + The other company of those who gave thanks went to the left; I followed with half of the people upon the wall, above the Tower of the Furnaces to the Broad Wall, + And above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate and by the Fish Gate and by the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of Hammeah, even to the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. + So the two companies of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I, and the half of the officials with me; + And the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; + And Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang and made themselves heard, with Jezrahiah as leader. + Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women also and the children rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off. + On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by law for the priests and the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served [faithfully]. + And they performed the due service of their God and of the purification; so did the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had commanded. + For in the days of David and Asaph of old, there was a chief of singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. + And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and [later] of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart what was for the Levites, and the Levites set apart what was for the sons of Aaron [the priests]. + + + ON THAT day they read in the Book of Moses in the audience of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, + For they met not the Israelites with food and drink but hired Balaam to curse them; yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. [Num. 22:3-11; Deut. 23:5, 6.] + When [the Jews] heard the law, they separated from Israel all who were of foreign descent. + Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and was related [by marriage] to Tobiah [our adversary], + Prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where previously they had put the cereal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil which were given by commandment to the Levites, the singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. + But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes [Persian] king of Babylon I went to the king. Then later I asked leave of him + And came to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing him [an adversary] a chamber in the courts of the house of God! + And it grieved me exceedingly, and I threw all the house furnishings of Tobiah out of the chamber. + Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the cereal offerings and the frankincense. + And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work [forced by necessity] had each fled to his field. + Then I contended with the officials and said, Why is the house of God neglected and forsaken? I gathered the Levites and singers and set them in their stations. + Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms. + I set treasurers over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; assisting them was Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, for they were counted faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren. + O my God, [earnestly] remember me concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds and kindnesses done for the house of my God and for His service. + In those days I saw in Judah men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in sheaves or heaps of grain with which they loaded donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I protested and warned them on the day they sold the produce. + There dwelt men of Tyre there also who brought fish and all kinds of wares and sold on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in Jerusalem. + Then I reproved the nobles of Judah and said, What evil thing is this that you do--profaning the Sabbath day? + Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. + And when it began to get dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath [day began], I commanded that the gates should be shut and not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants at the gates to prevent any burden being brought in on the Sabbath day. + So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. + But I reproved and warned them, saying, Why do you lodge by the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. Then they stopped coming on the Sabbath. + And I commanded the Levites to cleanse themselves and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. O my God, [earnestly] remember me concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy and loving-kindness. + In those days also I saw Jews who had married wives from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. + And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak the Hebrew, but in the language of each people. + And I contended with them and reviled them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair and made them swear by God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. + Did not Solomon king of Israel act treacherously against God and miss the mark on account of such women? Among many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women even caused him to sin [when he was old he turned treacherously away from the Lord to other gods, and God rent his kingdom from him]. [I Kings 11:1-11.] + Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying strange (heathen) women? + One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me. + O my God, [earnestly] remember them, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and Levites. + Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign (heathen), and I defined the duties of the priests and Levites, everyone in his work; + And I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. O my God, [earnestly] remember me for good and imprint me [on Your heart]! + + + + + IT WAS in the days of Ahasuerus [Xerxes], the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. + In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was in Shushan or Susa [the capital of the Persian Empire] in the palace or castle, + In the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his princes and his courtiers. The chief officers of the Persian and Median army and the nobles and governors of the provinces were there before him + While he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor and excellence of his majesty for many days, even 180 days. + And when these days were completed, the king made a feast for all the people present in Shushan the capital, both great and small, a seven-day feast in the court of the garden of the king's palace. + There were hangings of fine white cloth, of green and of blue [cotton], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings or rods and marble pillars. The couches of gold and silver rested on a [mosaic] pavement of porphyry, white marble, mother-of-pearl, and [precious] colored stones. + Drinks were served in different kinds of golden goblets, and there was royal wine in abundance, according to the liberality of the king. + And drinking was according to the law; no one was compelled to drink, for the king had directed all the officials of his palace to serve only as each guest desired. + Also Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus. + On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who ministered to King Ahasuerus as attendants, + To bring Queen Vashti before the king, with her royal crown, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was fair to behold. + But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command conveyed by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him. + Then the king spoke to the wise men who knew the times--for this was the king's procedure toward all who were familiar with law and judgment-- + Those next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who were in the king's presence and held first place in the kingdom. + [He said] According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti because she has not done the bidding of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs? + And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen has not only done wrong to the king but also to all the princes and to all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. + For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, making their husbands contemptible in their eyes, since they will say, King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come. + This very day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will be telling it to all the king's princes. So contempt and wrath in plenty will arise. + If it pleases the king, let a royal command go forth from him and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and Medes, so that it may not be changed, that Vashti is to [be divorced and] come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. + So when the king's decree is made and proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, extensive as it is, all wives will give honor to their husbands, high and low. + This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did what Memucan proposed. + He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each in its own script and to every people in their own language, saying that every man should rule in his own house and speak there in the language of his own people. [If he had foreign wives, let them learn his language.] + + + AFTER THESE things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he [earnestly] remembered Vashti and what she had done and what was decreed against her. + Then the king's servants who ministered to him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. + And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the capital in Shushan, to the harem under the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their things for purification be given them. + And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. This pleased the king, and he did so. + There was a certain Jew in the capital in Shushan whose name was Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, + Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. + He had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was beautiful and lovely, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. + So when the king's command and his decree were proclaimed and when many maidens were gathered in Shushan the capital under the custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken to the king's house into the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. + And the maiden pleased [Hegai] and obtained his favor. And he speedily gave her the things for her purification and her portion of food and the seven chosen maids to be given her from the king's palace; and he removed her and her maids to the best [apartment] in the harem. + Esther had not made known her nationality or her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her not to do so. + And Mordecai [who was an attendant in the king's court] walked every day before the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what would become of her. + Now when the turn of each maiden came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the regulations for the women had been carried out for twelve months--since this was the regular period for their beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet spices and perfumes and the things for the purifying of the women-- + Then in this way the maiden came to the king: whatever she desired was given her to take with her from the harem into the king's palace. + In the evening she went and next day she returned into the second harem in the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She came to the king no more unless the king delighted in her and she was called for by name. + Now when the turn for Esther the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his own daughter, had come to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's attendant, the keeper of the women, suggested. And Esther won favor in the sight of all who saw her. + So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. + And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the maidens, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. + Then the king gave a great feast for all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast; and he gave a holiday [or a lessening of taxes] to the provinces and gave gifts in keeping with the generosity of the king. + And when the maidens were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. + Now Esther had not yet revealed her nationality or her people, for she obeyed Mordecai's command to her [to fear God and execute His commands] just as when she was being brought up by him. + In those days, while Mordecai sat at the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who guarded the door, were angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. + And this was known to Mordecai, who told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai's name. + When it was investigated and found to be true, both men were hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence. + + + AFTER THESE things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. + And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and did reverence to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do him reverence. + Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the king's command? + Now when they spoke to him day after day and he paid no attention to them, they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's conduct would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. + And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do him reverence, he was very angry. + But he scorned laying hands only on Mordecai. So since they had told him Mordecai's nationality, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. + In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Haman caused Pur, that is, lots, to be cast before him day after day [to find a lucky day for his venture], month after month, until the twelfth, the month of Adar. + Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from every other people, neither do they keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not for the king's profit to tolerate them. + If it pleases the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that it may be brought into the king's treasuries. + And the king took his signet ring from his hand [with which to seal his letters by the king's authority] and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. + And the king said to Haman, The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you. + Then the king's secretaries were called in on the thirteenth day of the first month, and all that Haman had commanded was written to the king's chief rulers and to the governors who were over all the provinces and to the princes of each people, to every province in its own script and to each people in their own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and it was sealed with the king's [signet] ring. + And letters were sent by special messengers to all the king's provinces--to destroy, to slay, and to do away with all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to seize their belongings as spoil. + A copy of the writing was to be published and given out as a decree in every province to all the peoples to be ready for that day. + The special messengers went out in haste by order of the king, and the decree was given out in Shushan, the capital. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed [at the strange and alarming decree]. + + + NOW WHEN Mordecai learned all that was done, [he] rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and bitter cry. + He came and stood before the king's gate, for no one might enter the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. + And in every province, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. + When Esther's maids and her attendants came and told it to her, the queen was exceedingly grieved and distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, with orders to take his sackcloth from off him, but he would not receive them. + Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's attendants whom he had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. + So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city, which was in front of the king's gate. + And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews to be destroyed. + [Mordecai] also gave him a copy of the decree to destroy them, that was given out in Shushan, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king, make supplication to him, and plead with him for the lives of her people. + And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. + Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, + All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any person, be it man or woman, who shall go into the inner court to the king without being called shall be put to death; there is but one law for him, except [him] to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. But I have not been called to come to the king for these thirty days. + And they told Mordecai what Esther said. + Then Mordecai told them to return this answer to Esther, Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. + For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? + Then Esther told them to give this answer to Mordecai, + Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me; and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish. + So Mordecai went away and did all that Esther had commanded him. + + + ON THE third day [of the fast] Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the royal or inner court of the king's palace opposite his [throne room]. The king was sitting on his throne, facing the main entrance of the palace. + And when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held out to [her] the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the scepter. + Then the king said to her, What will you have, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of the kingdom. + And Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the dinner that I have prepared for the king. + Then the king said, Cause Haman to come quickly, that what Esther has said may be done. + So the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther had prepared. + And during the serving of wine, the king said to Esther, What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed. + Then Esther said, My petition and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the dinner that I shall prepare for them; and I will do tomorrow as the king has said. + Haman went away that day joyful and elated in heart. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate refusing to stand up or show fear before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. + Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. There he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife. + And Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the abundance of his [ten] sons, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. + Haman added, Yes, and today Queen Esther did not let any man come with the king to the dinner she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. + Yet all this benefits me nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. + Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits [seventy-five feet] high, and in the morning speak to the king, that Mordecai may be hanged on it; then you go in merrily with the king to the dinner. And the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made. + + + ON THAT night the king could not sleep; and he ordered that the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, be brought, and they were read before the king. + And it was found written there how Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's attendants who guarded the door, who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. + And the king said, What honor or distinction has been given Mordecai for this? Then the king's servants who ministered to him said, Nothing has been done for him. + The king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman had just come into the outer court of the king's palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. + And the king's servants said to him, Behold, Haman is standing in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. + So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said to himself, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to me? + And Haman said to the king, For the man whom the king delights to honor, + Let royal apparel be brought which the king has worn and the horse which the king has ridden, and a royal crown be set on his head. + And let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes. Let him array the man whom the king delights to honor, and conduct him on horseback through the open square of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. + Then the king said to Haman, Make haste and take the apparel and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have spoken. + Then Haman took the apparel and the horse and conducted Mordecai on horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. + Then Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hastened to his house, mourning and having his head covered. + And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the offspring of the Jews, you cannot prevail against him, but shall surely fall before him. + While they were yet talking with him, the king's attendants came and hastily brought Haman to the dinner that Esther had prepared. + + + SO THE king and Haman came to dine with Esther the queen. + And the king said again to Esther on the second day when wine was being served, What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed. + Then Queen Esther said, If I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request. + For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slain, and wiped out of existence! But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue, for our affliction is not to be compared with the damage this will do to the king. + Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, Who is he, and where is he who dares presume in his heart to do that? + And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and queen. + And the king arose from the feast in his wrath and went into the palace garden; and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Queen Esther, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. + When the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the drinking of wine, Haman was falling upon the couch where Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even forcibly assault the queen in my presence, in my own palace? As the king spoke the words, [the servants] covered Haman's face. + Then said Harbonah, one of the attendants serving the king, Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, whose warning saved the king, stands at the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him on it! + So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath was pacified. + + + ON THAT day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, to Queen Esther. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. + And the king took off his [signet] ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. + And Esther spoke yet again to the king and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to avert the evil plot of Haman the Agagite and his scheme that he had devised against the Jews. + Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose and stood before the king. + And she said, If it pleases the king and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right before the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. + For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? + Then the King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows because he laid his hand upon the Jews. + Write also concerning the Jews as it pleases you in the king's name, and seal it with the king's [signet] ring--for writing which is in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring no man can reverse. + Then the king's scribes were called, in the third month, the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, to the chief rulers, and the governors and princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in their own language and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language. + He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's ring and sent letters by messengers on horseback, riding on swift steeds, mules, and young dromedaries used in the king's service, bred from the [royal] stud. + In it the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives; to destroy, to slay, and to wipe out any armed force that might attack them, their little ones, and women; and to take the enemies' goods for spoil. + On one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, + A copy of the writing was to be issued as a decree in every province and as a proclamation to all peoples, and the Jews should be ready on that day to avenge themselves upon their enemies. + So the couriers, who were mounted on swift beasts that were used in the king's service, went out, being hurried and urged on by the king's command; and the decree was released in Shushan, the capital. + And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced. + The Jews had light [a dawn of new hope] and gladness and joy and honor. + And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a holiday. And many from among the peoples of the land [submitted themselves to Jewish rite and] became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them. + + + NOW IN the twelfth month, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of Adar when the king's command and his edict were about to be executed, on the [very] day that the enemies of the Jews had planned for a massacre of them, it was turned to the contrary and the Jews had rule over those who hated them. + The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on such as sought their hurt; and no man could withstand them, for the fear of them had fallen upon all the peoples. + And all the princes of the provinces and the chief rulers and the governors and they who attended to the king's business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them. + For Mordecai was great in the king's palace; and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai became more and more powerful. + So the Jews smote all their enemies with the sword, slaughtering and destroying them, and did as they chose with those who hated them. + In Shushan, the capital itself, the Jews slew and destroyed 500 men. + And they killed Parshandatha, + Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, + Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, + And Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but on the spoil they laid not their hands. + On that day the number of those who were slain in Shushan, the capital, was brought before the king. + And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan, the capital, and the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your request further? It shall be done. + Then said Esther, If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to this day's decree, and let [the dead bodies of] Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows. [Esth. 9:10.] + And the king commanded it to be done; the decree was given in Shushan, and they hanged [the bodies of] Haman's ten sons. + And the Jews that were in Shushan gathered together on the fourteenth day also of the month of Adar and slew 300 men in Shushan, but on the spoil they laid not their hands. + And the other Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered to defend their lives and had relief and rest from their enemies and slew of them that hated them 75,000; but on the spoil they laid not their hands. + This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. + But the Jews who were in Shushan [Susa] assembled on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and on the fifteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. + Therefore the Jews of the villages, who dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a holiday, and a day for sending choice portions to one another. + And Mordecai recorded these things, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both near and far, + To command them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and also the fifteenth, yearly, + As the days on which the Jews got rest from their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a holiday--that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days of sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor. + So the Jews undertook to do as they had begun and as Mordecai had written to them-- + Because Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, [to find a lucky day] to crush and consume and destroy them. + But when Esther brought the matter before the king, he commanded in writing that Haman's wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. + Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name Pur [lot]. Therefore, because of all that was in this letter and what they had faced in this matter and what had happened to them, + The Jews ordained and took it upon themselves and their descendants and all who joined them that without fail every year they would keep these two days at the appointed time and as it was written, + That these days should be remembered (imprinted on their minds) and kept throughout every generation in every family, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never cease from among the Jews, nor the commemoration of them cease among their descendants. + Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, gave full power [written authority], confirming this second letter about Purim. + And letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, + To confirm that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had commanded [the Jews], and as they had ordained for themselves and for their descendants in the matter of their fasts and their lamenting. + And the command of Esther confirmed these observances of Purim, and it was written in the book. + + + KING AHASUERUS laid a tribute (tax) on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. + And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? + For Mordecai the Jew was next to King Ahasuerus and great among the Jews, and was a favorite with the multitude of his brethren, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to his whole race. + + + + + THERE WAS a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from and shunned evil [because it was wrong]. + And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. + He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great body of servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East. + His sons used to go and feast in the house of each on his day (birthday) in turn, and they invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. [Gen. 21:8; 40:20.] + And when the days of their feasting were over, Job sent for them to purify and hallow them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed or disowned God in their hearts. Thus did Job at all [such] times. + Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them. [Rev. 12:10.] + And the Lord said to Satan, From where did you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. + And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently] fears God and abstains from and shuns evil [because it is wrong]? + Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job [reverently] fear God for nothing? + Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have conferred prosperity and happiness upon him in the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. + But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face. + And the Lord said to Satan (the adversary and the accuser), Behold, all that he has is in your power, only upon the man himself put not forth your hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. + And there was a day when [Job's] sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house [on his birthday], + And there came a messenger to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, + And the Sabeans swooped down upon them and took away [the animals]. Indeed, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. + While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you. + While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, The Chaldeans divided into three bands and made a raid upon the camels and have taken them away, yes, and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. + While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, + And behold, there came a great [whirlwind] from the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you. + Then Job arose and rent his robe and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshiped + And said, Naked (without possessions) came I [into this world] from my mother's womb, and naked (without possessions) shall I depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed (praised and magnified in worship) be the name of the Lord! + In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly. + + + AGAIN THERE was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and the accuser) came also among them to present himself before the Lord. + And the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come? And Satan (the adversary and the accuser) answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. + And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently] fears God and abstains from and shuns all evil [because it is wrong]? And still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause. + Then Satan answered the Lord, Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. + But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse and renounce You to Your face. + And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life. + So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with loathsome and painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. + And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat [down] among the ashes. + Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your blameless uprightness? Renounce God and die! + But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept [only] good at the hand of God and shall we not accept [also] misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In [spite of] all this, Job did not sin with his lips. + Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, for they had made an appointment together to come to condole with him and to comfort him. + And when they looked from afar off and saw him [disfigured] beyond recognition, they lifted up their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe, and they cast dust over their heads toward the heavens. + So they sat down with [Job] on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief and pain were very great. + + + AFTER THIS, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day (birthday). + And Job said, + Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night which announced, There is a man-child conceived. + Let that day be darkness! May not God above regard it, nor light shine upon it. + Let gloom and deep darkness claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born). + As for that night, let thick darkness seize it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. + Yes, let that night be solitary and barren; let no joyful voice come into it. + Let those curse it who curse the day, who are skilled in rousing up Leviathan. + Let the stars of the early dawn of that day be dark; let [the morning] look in vain for the light, nor let it behold the day's dawning, + Because it shut not the doors of my mother's womb nor hid sorrow and trouble from my eyes. + Why was I not stillborn? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bore me? + Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should suck? + For then would I have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then would I have been at rest [in death] + With kings and counselors of the earth, who built up [now] desolate ruins for themselves, + Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. + Or [why] was I not a miscarriage, hidden and put away, as infants who never saw light? + There [in death] the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest. + There the [captive] prisoners rest together; they hear not the taskmaster's voice. + The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master. [Jer. 20:14-18.] + Why is light [of life] given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, + Who long and wait for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, + Who rejoice exceedingly and are elated when they find the grave? + [Why is the light of day given] to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in? + For my sighing comes before my food, and my groanings are poured out like water. + For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, and that of which I am afraid befalls me. + I was not or am not at ease, nor had I or have I rest, nor was I or am I quiet, yet trouble came and still comes [upon me]. + + + THEN ELIPHAZ the Temanite answered and said, + If we venture to converse with you, will you be offended? Yet who can restrain himself from speaking? + Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. + Your words have held firm him who was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees. + But now it is come upon you, and you faint and are grieved; it touches you, and you are troubled and dismayed. + Is not your [reverent] fear of God your confidence and the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope? + Think [earnestly], I beg of you: who, being innocent, ever perished? Or where were those upright and in right standing with God cut off? + As I myself have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble and mischief reap the same. + By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed. + The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. + The old and strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad. + Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. + In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, + Fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones shake. + Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up! + [The spirit] stood still, but I could not discern the appearance of it. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying, + Can mortal man be just before God, or be more right than He is? Can a man be pure before his Maker, or be more cleansed than He is? [I John 1:7; Rev. 1:5.] + Even in His [heavenly] servants He puts no trust or confidence, and His angels He charges with folly and error-- + How much more those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed like the moth. + Between morning and evening they are destroyed; without anyone noticing it they perish forever. + Is not their tent cord plucked up within them [so that the tent falls]? Do they not die, and that without [acquiring] wisdom? + + + CALL NOW--is there any who will answer you? And to which of the holy [angels] will you turn? + For vexation and rage kill the foolish man; jealousy and indignation slay the simple. + I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering], but suddenly I saw that his dwelling was cursed [for his doom was certain]. + His children are far from safety; [involved in their father's ruin] they are crushed in the [court of justice in the city's] gate, and there is no one to deliver them. + His harvest the hungry eat and take it even [when it grows] among the thorns; the snare opens for [his] wealth. + For affliction comes not forth from the dust, neither does trouble spring forth out of the ground. + But man is born to trouble as the sparks and the flames fly upward. + As for me, I would seek God and inquire of and require Him, and to God would I commit my cause-- + Who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number, + Who gives rain upon the earth and sends waters upon the fields, + So that He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn He lifts to safety. + He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise or anything of [lasting] worth. + He catches the [so-called] wise in their own trickiness, and the counsel of the schemers is brought to a quick end. [I Cor. 3:19, 20.] + In the daytime they meet in darkness, and at noon they grope as in the night. + But [God] saves [the fatherless] from the sword of their mouth, and the needy from the hand of the mighty. + So the poor have hope, and iniquity shuts her mouth. + Happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves; so do not despise or reject the correction of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering]. + For He wounds, but He binds up; He smites, but His hands heal. + He will rescue you in six troubles; in seven nothing that is evil [for you] will touch you. + In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. + You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes. + At destruction and famine you shall laugh, neither shall you be afraid of the living creatures of the earth. + For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. + And you shall know that your tent shall be in peace, and you shall visit your fold and your dwelling and miss nothing [from them]. + You shall know also that your children shall be many, and your offspring as the grass of the earth. + You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, and as a shock of grain goes up [to the threshing floor] in its season. + This is what we have searched out; it is true. Hear and heed it and know for yourself [for your good]. + + + THEN JOB answered, + Oh, that my impatience and vexation might be [thoroughly] weighed and all my calamity be laid up over against them in the balances, one against the other [to see if my grief is unmanly]! + For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash and wild, + [But it is] because the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison which my spirit drinks up; the terrors of God set themselves in array against me. + Does the wild ass bray when it has grass? Or does the ox low over its fodder? + Can that which has no taste to it be eaten without salt? Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg? + [These afflictions] my soul refuses to touch! Such things are like diseased food to me [sickening and repugnant]! + Oh, that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! + I even wish that it would please God to crush me, that He would let loose His hand and cut me off! + Then would I still have consolation--yes, I would leap [for joy] amid unsparing pain [though I shrink from it]--that I have not concealed or denied the words of the Holy One! + What strength have I left, that I should wait and hope? And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient? + Is my strength and endurance that of stones? Or is my flesh made of bronze? + Is it not that I have no help in myself, and that wisdom is quite driven from me? + To him who is about to faint and despair, kindness is due from his friend, lest he forsake the fear of the Almighty. + [You] my brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away, + Which are black and turbid by reason of the ice, and in which the snows hides itself; + When they get warm, they shrink and disappear; when it is hot, they vanish out of their place. + The caravans which travel by way of them turn aside; they go into the waste places and perish. [Such is my disappointment in you, the friends I fully trusted.] + The caravans of Tema looked [for water], the companies of Sheba waited for them [in vain]. + They were confounded because they had hoped [to find water]; they came there and were bitterly disappointed. + Now to me you are [like a dried-up brook]; you see my dismay and terror, and [believing me to be a victim of God's anger] you are afraid [to sympathize with me]. + Did I ever say, Bring me a gift, or Pay a bribe on my account from your wealth + To deliver me from the adversary's hand, or Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors? + Teach me, and I will hold my peace; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. + How forcible are words of straightforward speech! But what does your arguing argue and prove or your reproof reprove? + Do you imagine your words to be an argument, but the speeches of one who is desperate to be as wind? + Yes, you would cast lots over the fatherless and bargain away your friend. + Now be pleased to look upon me, that it may be evident to you if I lie [for surely I would not lie to your face]. + Return [from your suspicion], I pray you, let there be no injustice; yes, return again [to confidence in me], my vindication is in it. + Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern what is destructive? + + + IS THERE not an [appointed] warfare and hard labor to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling? + As a servant earnestly longs for the shade and the evening shadows, and as a hireling who looks for the reward of his work, + So am I allotted months of futile [suffering], and [long] nights of misery are appointed to me. + When I lie down I say, When shall I arise and the night be gone? And I am full of tossing to and fro till the dawning of the day. + My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken and has become loathsome, and it closes up and breaks out afresh. + My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. + Oh, remember that my life is but wind (a puff, a breath, a sob); my eye shall see good no more. + The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall be gone. + As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol (the place of the dead) shall come up no more. + He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. + Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord]! + Am I the sea, or the sea monster, that You set a watch over me? + When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint, + Then You scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions, + So that I would choose strangling and death rather than these my bones. + I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are a breath (futility). + What is man that You should magnify him and think him important? And that You should set Your mind upon him? [Ps. 8:4.] + And that You should visit him every morning and try him every moment? + How long will Your [plaguing] glance not look away from me, nor You let me alone till I swallow my spittle? + If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done You, O You Watcher and Keeper of men? Why have You set me as a mark for You, so that I am a burden to myself [and You]? + And why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; and [even if] You will seek me diligently, [it will be too late, for] I shall not be. + + + THEN ANSWERED Bildad the Shuhite, + How long will you say these things [Job]? And how long shall the words of your mouth be as a mighty wind? + Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness? + If your children have sinned against Him, then He has delivered them into the power of their transgression. + If you will seek God diligently and make your supplication to the Almighty, + Then, if you are pure and upright, surely He will bestir Himself for you and make your righteous dwelling prosperous again. + And though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase. + For inquire, I pray you, of the former age and apply yourself to that which their fathers have searched out, + For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow. + Shall not [the forefathers] teach you and tell you and utter words out of their hearts (the deepest part of their nature)? + Can the rush or papyrus grow up without marsh? Can the flag or reed grass grow without water? + While it is yet green, in flower, and not cut down, it withers before any other herb [when without water]. + So are the ways of all who forget God; and the hope of the godless shall perish. + For his confidence breaks, and [the object of] his trust is a spider's web. + He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold fast to it, but it shall not last. + He is green before the sun, and his shoots go forth over his garden. + [Godless] his roots are wrapped about the [stone] heap, and see their way [promisingly] among the rocks. + But if [God] snatches him from his property, [then having passed into the hands of others] it [his property] will forget and deny him, [saying,] I have never seen you [before, as if ashamed of him--like his former friends]. + See, this is the joy of going the way [of the ungodly]! And from the dust others will spring up [to take his place]. + Behold, as surely as God will never uphold wrongdoers, He will never cast away a blameless man. + He will yet fill your mouth with laughter [Job] and your lips with joyful shouting. + Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tents of the wicked shall be no more. + + + THEN JOB answered and said, + Yes, I know it is true. But how can mortal man be right before God? + If one should want to contend with Him, he cannot answer one [of His questions] in a thousand. + [God] is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has [ever] hardened himself against Him and prospered or even been safe? + [God] Who removes the mountains, and they know it not when He overturns them in His anger; + Who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble; + Who commands the sun, and it rises not; Who seals up the stars [from view]; + Who alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the waves and high places of the sea; + Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the [loose cluster] Pleiades, and the [vast starry] spaces of the south; + Who does great things past finding out, yes, marvelous things without number. + Behold, He goes by me, and I see Him not; He passes on also, but I perceive Him not. + Behold, He snatches away; who can hinder or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, What are You doing? + God will not withdraw His anger; the [proud] helpers of Rahab [arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him. + How much less shall I answer Him, choosing out my words to reason with Him + Whom, though I were righteous (upright and innocent) yet I could not answer? I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge [for my right]. + If I called and He answered me, yet would I not believe that He listened to my voice. + For He overwhelms and breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause. + He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. + If I speak of strength, behold, He is mighty! And if of justice, Who, says He, will summon Me? + Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, He would prove me perverse. + Though I am blameless, I regard not myself; I despise my life. + It is all one; therefore I say, God [does not discriminate, but] destroys the blameless and the wicked. + When [His] scourge slays suddenly, He mocks at the calamity and trial of the innocent. + The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blinded to justice]. If it is not [God], who then is it [responsible for all this inequality]? + Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. + They are passed away like the swift rowboats made of reeds, or like the eagle that swoops down on the prey. + If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer and brighten up, + I become afraid of all my pains and sorrows [yet to come], for I know You will not pronounce me innocent [by removing them]. + I shall be held guilty and be condemned; why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]? + If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, + Yet You will plunge me into the ditch, and my own clothes will abhor me [and refuse to cover so foul a body]. + For [God] is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court. + There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both, [would that there were!] [I Tim. 2:5.] + That He might take His rod away from [threatening] me, and that the fear of Him might not terrify me. + [Then] would I speak and not fear Him, but I am not so in myself [to make me afraid, were only a fair trial given me]. + + + I AM weary of my life and loathe it! I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. + I will say to God, Do not condemn me [do not make me guilty]! Show me why You contend with me. + Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, that You should despise and reject the work of Your hands, and favor the schemes of the wicked? + Have You eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees? + Are Your days as the days of man, are Your years as man's [years], + That You inquire after my iniquity and search for my sin-- + Although You know that I am not wicked or guilty and that there is none who can deliver me out of Your hand? + Your hands have formed me and made me. Would You turn around and destroy me? + Remember [earnestly], I beseech You, that You have fashioned me as clay [out of the same earth material, exquisitely and elaborately]. And will You bring me into dust again? + Have You not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese? + You have clothed me with skin and flesh and have knit me together with bones and sinews. + You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my spirit. + Yet these [the present evils] have You hid in Your heart [for me since my creation]; I know that this was with You [in Your purpose and thought]. + If I sin, then You observe me, and You will not acquit me from my iniquity and guilt. + If I am wicked, woe unto me! And if I am righteous, yet must I not lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and the sight of my affliction. + If I lift myself up, You hunt me like a lion and again show Yourself [inflicting] marvelous [trials] upon me. + You renew Your witnesses against me and increase Your indignation toward me; I am as if attacked by a troop time after time. + Why then did You bring me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me! + I should have been as though I had not existed; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. + Are not my days few? Cease then and let me alone, that I may take a little comfort and cheer up + Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death, + The land of sunless gloom as intense darkness, [the land] of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as thick darkness. + + + THEN ZOPHAR the Naamathite replied, + Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk [and making such great professions] be pronounced free from guilt or blame? + Should your boastings and babble make men keep silent? And when you mock and scoff, shall no man make you ashamed? + For you have said, My doctrine [that God afflicts the righteous knowingly] is pure, and I am clean in [God's] eyes. [Job 10:7.] + But oh, that God would speak, and open His lips against you, + And that He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For He is manifold in understanding! Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your guilt and iniquity [deserve]. + Can you find out the deep things of God, or can you by searching find out the limits of the Almighty [explore His depths, ascend to His heights, extend to His breadths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]? + His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven! What can you do? It is deeper than Sheol (the place of the dead)! What can you know? + Longer in measure [and scope] is it than the earth, and broader than the sea. + If [God] sweeps in and arrests and calls into judgment, who can hinder Him? [If He is against a man, who shall call Him to account for it?] + For He recognizes and knows hollow, wicked, and useless men (men of falsehood); when He sees iniquity, will He not consider it? + But a stupid man will get wisdom [only] when a wild donkey's colt is born a man [as when he thinks himself free because he is lifted up in pride]. + If you set your heart aright and stretch out your hands to [God], + If you put sin out of your hand and far away from you and let not evil dwell in your tents; + Then can you lift up your face to Him without stain [of sin, and unashamed]; yes, you shall be steadfast and secure; you shall not fear. + For you shall forget your misery; you shall remember it as waters that pass away. + And [your] life shall be clearer than the noonday and rise above it; though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning. + And you shall be secure and feel confident because there is hope; yes, you shall search about you, and you shall take your rest in safety. + You shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; yes, many shall sue for your favor. + But the eyes of the wicked shall look [for relief] in vain, and they shall not escape [the justice of God]; and their hope shall be to give up the ghost. + + + THEN JOB answered, + No doubt you are the [only wise] people [in the world], and wisdom will die with you! + But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these [of God's wisdom and might]? + I am become one who is a laughingstock to his friend; I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him--a just, upright (blameless) man--laughed to scorn! + In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune--but it is ready for those whose feet slip. + The dwellings of robbers prosper; those who provoke God are [apparently] secure; God supplies them abundantly [who have no god but their own hands and power]. + For ask now the animals, and they will teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character]; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you; + Or speak to the earth [with its other forms of life], and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare [this truth] to you. + Who [is so blind as] not to recognize in all these [that good and evil are promiscuously scattered throughout nature and human life] that it is God's hand which does it [and God's way]? + In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. + Is it not the task of the ear to discriminate between [wise and unwise] words, just as the mouth distinguishes [between desirable and undesirable] food? + With the aged [you say] is wisdom, and with length of days comes understanding. + But [only] with [God] are [perfect] wisdom and might; He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding. + Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be built again; He shuts a man in, and none can open. + He withholds the waters, and the land dries up; again, He sends forth [rains], and they overwhelm the land or transform it. + With Him are might and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His [and in His power]. + He leads [great and scheming] counselors away stripped and barefoot and makes the judges fools [in human estimation, by overthrowing their plans]. + He looses the fetters [ordered] by kings and has [the] waistcloth [of a slave] bound about their [own] loins. + He leads away priests as spoil, and men firmly seated He overturns. + He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged. + He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them, bringing low the pride of the learned]. + He uncovers deep things out of darkness and brings into light black gloom and the shadow of death. + He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations [and then straitens and shrinks them again], and leads them [away captive]. + He takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the land and of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path. + They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them to stagger and wander like a drunken man. + + + [JOB CONTINUED:] Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. + What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. + Surely I wish to speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue and reason my case with God [that He may explain the conflict between what I believe of Him and what I see of Him]. + But you are forgers of lies [you defame my character most untruthfully]; you are all physicians of no value and have no remedy to offer. + Oh, that you would altogether hold your peace! Then you would evidence your wisdom and you might pass for wise men. + Hear now my reasoning, and listen to the pleadings of my lips. + Will you speak unrighteously for God and talk deceitfully for Him? + Will you show partiality to Him [be unjust to me in order to gain favor with Him]? Will you act as special pleaders for God? + Would it be profitable for you if He should investigate your tactics [with me]? Or as one deceives and mocks a man, do you deceive and mock Him? + He will surely reprove you if you do secretly show partiality. + Shall not His majesty make you afraid, and should not your awe for Him restrain you? + Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes [valueless]; your defenses are defenses of clay [and will crumble]. + Hold your peace! Let me alone, so I may speak; and let come on me what may. + Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hands [incurring the danger of God's wrath]? + [I do it because, though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust Him and] behold, He will slay me; I have no hope--nevertheless, I will maintain and argue my ways before Him and even to His face. + This will be my salvation, that a polluted and godless man shall not come before Him. + Listen diligently to my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears. + Behold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be justified and vindicated. + Who is he who will argue against and refute me? For then I would hold my peace and expire. + Only [O Lord] grant two conditions to me, and then will I not hide myself from You: + Withdraw Your hand and take this bodily suffering far from me; and let not my [reverent] dread of You terrify me. + Then [Lord] call and I will answer, or let me speak, and You answer me. + How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]? Make me recognize and know my transgression and my sin. [Rom. 8:1.] + Why do You hide Your face [as if offended] and alienate me as if I were Your enemy? + Will You harass and frighten a [poor, helpless] leaf driven to and fro, and will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble? + For You write bitter things against me [in Your bill of indictment] and make me inherit and be accountable now for the iniquities of my youth. + You put my feet also in the stocks and observe critically all my paths; You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep]. + And he wastes away as a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. + + + MAN WHO is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. + He comes forth like a flower and withers; he flees also like a shadow and continues not. + And [Lord] do You open Your eyes upon such a one, and bring me into judgment with You? + Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! [Isa. 1:18; I John 1:7.] + Since a man's days are already determined, and the number of his months is wholly in Your control, and he cannot pass the bounds of his allotted time-- + [O God] turn from him [and cease to watch him so pitilessly]; let him rest until he has accomplished as does a hireling the appointed time for his day. + For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again and that the tender shoots of it will not cease. [But there is no such hope for man.] + Though its roots grow old in the earth and its stock dies in the ground, + Yet through the scent [and breathing] of water [the stump of the tree] will bud and bring forth boughs like a young plant. + But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie prostrate; yes, man breathes his last, and where is he? + As waters evaporate from the lake, and the river drains and dries up, + So man lies down and does not rise [to his former state]. Till the heavens are no more, men will not awake nor be raised [physically] out of their sleep. + Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the unseen state), that You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, that You would set a definite time and then remember me earnestly [and imprint me on your heart]! + If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare and service I will wait, till my change and release shall come. [John 5:25; 6:40; I Thess. 4:16.] + [Then] You would call and I would answer You; You would yearn for [me] the work of Your hands. + But now You number each of my steps and take note of my every sin. + My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and You glue up my iniquity [to preserve it in full for the day of reckoning]. + But as a mountain, if it falls, crumbles to nothing, and as the rock is removed out of its place, + As waters wear away the stones and as floods wash away the soil of the earth, so You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man. + You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his appearance [in death] and send him away [from the presence of the living]. + His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; they are brought low, and he perceives it not. + But his body [lamenting its decay in the grave] shall grieve over him, and his soul shall mourn [over the body of clay which it once enlivened]. + + + THEN ELIPHAZ the Temanite answered [Job], + Should a wise man utter such windy knowledge [as we have just heard] and fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]? + Should he reason with unprofitable talk? Or with speeches with which he can do no good? + Indeed, you are doing away with [reverential] fear, and you are hindering and diminishing meditation and devotion before God. + For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. + Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; yes, your own lips testify against you. + Are you the first man that was born [the original wise man]? Or were you created before the hills? + Were you present to hear the secret counsel of God? And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself? + What do you know that we know not? What do you understand that is not equally clear to us? + Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged, older than your father by far. + Are God's consolations [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you? Is there any secret thing (any bosom sin) which you have not given up? [Or] were we too gentle [in our first speech] toward you to be effective? + Why does your heart carry you away [why allow yourself to be controlled by feeling]? And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt], + That you turn your spirit against God and let [such] words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth? + What is man, that he could be pure and clean? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be right and just? + Behold, [God] puts no trust in His holy ones [the angels]; indeed, the heavens are not clean in His sight-- + How much less that which is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water? + I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will relate, + What wise men have not hid but have freely communicated; it was told to them by their fathers, + Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger intruded or passed among them [corrupting the truth]. + The wicked man suffers with [self-inflicted] torment all his days, through all the years that are numbered and laid up for him, the oppressor. + A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him [the dwellings of robbers are not at peace]. + He believes that he will not return out of darkness, and [because of his guilt] he is waited for by the sword [of God's vengeance]. + He wanders abroad for food, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already close upon him. + Distress and anguish terrify him; [he knows] they shall prevail against him, like a king ready for battle. + Because he has stretched out his hand against God and bids defiance and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty, + Running stubbornly against Him with a thickly ornamented shield; + Because he has covered his face with his fat, adding layers of fat on his loins [giving himself up to animal pleasures], + And has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities and in houses which no man should inhabit, which were destined to become heaps [of ruins]; + He shall not be rich, neither shall his wealth last, neither shall his produce bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth. + He shall not depart out of darkness [and escape from calamity; the wrath of God] shall consume him as flame consumes a dry tree, and by the blast of His mouth he shall be swept away. + Let him not deceive himself and trust in vanity (emptiness, falseness, and futility), for these shall be his recompense [for such living]. + It shall be accomplished and paid in full while he still lives, and his branch shall not be green [but shall wither away]. + He shall fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine and shall cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree. + For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice). + They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their inmost soul hatches deceit. + + + THEN JOB answered, + I have heard many such things; wearisome and miserable comforters are you all! + Will your futile words of wind have no end? Or what makes you so bold to answer [me like this]? + I also could speak as you do, if you were in my stead; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you. + [But] I would strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would soothe your suffering. + If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my sorrow is not soothed or lessened; and if I refrain [from speaking], in what way am I eased? [I hardly know whether to answer you or be silent.] + But now [God] has taken away my strength. You [O Lord] have made desolate all my family and associates. + You have laid firm hold on me and have shriveled me up, which is a witness against me; and my leanness [and wretched state of body] are further evidence [against me]; [they] testify to my face. + [My adversary Satan] has torn [me] in his wrath and hated and persecuted me; he has gnashed upon me with his teeth; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me. + [The forces of evil] have gaped at me with their mouths; they have struck me upon the cheek insolently; they massed themselves together and conspired unanimously against me. [Ps. 22:13; 35:21.] + God has delivered me to the ungodly (to the evil one) and cast me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked (Satan's host). + I was living at ease, but [Satan] crushed me and broke me apart; yes, he seized me by the neck and dashed me in pieces; then he set me up for his target. + [Satan's] arrows whiz around me. He slashes open my vitals and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground. + [Satan] stabs me, making breach after breach and attacking again and again; he runs at me like a giant and irresistible warrior. + I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning] and have defiled my horn (my insignia of strength) in the dust. + My face is red and swollen with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed], + Although there is no guilt or violence in my hands and my prayer is pure. + O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry have no resting-place [where it will cease being heard]. + Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, and He who vouches for me is on high. [Rom. 1:9.] + My friends scorn me, but my eye pours out tears to God. + Oh, that there might be one who would plead for a man with God and that he would maintain his right with Him, as a son of man pleads with or for his neighbor! [I Tim. 2:5.] + For when a few years are come, I shall go the way from which I shall not return. + + + MY SPIRIT is broken, my days are spent (snuffed out); the grave is ready for me. + Surely there are mockers and mockery around me, and my eye dwells on their obstinacy, insults, and resistance. + Give me a pledge with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death]; who is there that will give security for me? + But their hearts [Lord] You have closed to understanding; therefore You will not let them triumph [by giving them a verdict against me]. + He who denounces his friends [in order to make them] a prey and get a share, the eyes of his children shall fail [to find food]. + But He has made me a byword among the people, and they spit before my face. + My eye has grown dim because of grief, and all my members are [wasted away] like a shadow. + Upright men shall be astonished and appalled at this, and the innocent shall stir himself up against the godless and polluted. + Yet shall the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) hold to their ways, and he who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger. [Ps. 24:4.] + But as for you, come on again, all of you, though I find not a wise man among you. + My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated; even the thoughts (desires and possessions) of my heart [are broken off]. + These [thoughts] extend from the night into the day, [so that] the light is short because of darkness. + But if I look to Sheol (the unseen state) as my abode, if I spread my couch in the darkness, + If I say to the grave and corruption, You are my father, and to the worm [that feeds on decay], You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you], + Where then is my hope? And if I have hope, who will see [its fulfillment]? + [My hope] shall go down to the bars of Sheol (the unseen state) when once there is rest in the dust. + + + THEN BILDAD the Shuhite answered, + How long will you lay snares for words and have to hunt for your argument? Do some clear thinking, and then we will reply. + Why are we counted as beasts [as if we had no sense]? Why are we unclean in your sight? + You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place? + Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the flame of his fire shall not shine. [Prov. 13:9; 24:20.] + The light shall be dark in his dwelling, and his lamp beside him shall be put out. [Ps. 18:28.] + The steps of his strength shall be shortened, and his own counsel and the plans in which he trusted shall bring about his downfall. + For the wicked is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walks upon a lattice-covered pit. + A trap will catch him by the heel, and a snare will lay hold on him. + A noose is hidden for him on the ground and a trap for him in the way. + Terrors shall make him afraid on every side and shall chase him at his heels. + The strength [of the wicked] shall be hunger-bitten, and calamity is ready at his side [if he halts]. + By disease his strength and his skin shall be devoured; the firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] shall consume his limbs. + He shall be rooted out of his dwelling place in which he trusted, and he shall be brought to the king of terrors [death]. + There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his [family]; sulphur shall be scattered over his dwelling [to purify it after his going]. + The roots [of the wicked] shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off and wither. + His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street. + He shall be thrust from light into darkness and driven out of the world. + He shall neither have son nor grandson among his people, nor any remaining where he sojourned. + They [of the west] that come after [the wicked man] shall be astonished and appalled at his day, as they [of the east] that went before were seized with horror. + Surely such are the dwellings of the ungodly, and such is the place of him who knows not (recognizes not and honors not) God. + + + THEN JOB answered: + How long will you vex and torment me and break me in pieces with words? + These ten times you have reproached me; you are not ashamed that you make yourselves strange [harden yourselves against me and deal severely with me]. + And if it were true that I have erred, my error would remain with me [I would be conscious of it]. + If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and plead against me my reproach and humiliation, + Know that God has overthrown and put me in the wrong and has closed His net about me. + Behold, I cry out, Violence! but I am not heard; I cry aloud for help, but there is no justice. + He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and He has set darkness upon my paths. + He has stripped me of my glory and taken the crown from my head. + He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone; my hope has He pulled up like a tree. + He has also kindled His wrath against me, and He counts me as one of His adversaries. + His troops come together and cast up their way and siege works against me and encamp round about my tent. + He has put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintances are wholly estranged from me. + My kinsfolk have failed me, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. + Those who live temporarily in my house and my maids count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight. + I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer, though I beseech him with words. + I am repulsive to my wife and loathsome to the children of my own mother. + Even young children despise me; when I get up, they speak against me. + All the men of my council and my familiar friends abhor me; those whom I loved are turned against me. + My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with the skin or gums of my teeth. + Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! + Why do you, as if you were God, pursue and persecute me? [Acting like wild beasts] why are you not satisfied with my flesh? + Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book [carved on a tablet of stone]! + That with an iron pen and [molten] lead they were graven in the rock forever! + For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He [the Last One] will stand upon the earth. [Isa. 44:6; 48:12.] + And after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, + Whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger! My heart pines away and is consumed within me. + If you say, How we will pursue him! [and continue to persecute me with the claim] that the root [cause] of all these [afflictions] is found in me, + Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance], for wrathful are the punishments of that sword, that you may know there is a judgment. + + + THEN ZOPHAR the Naamathite answered, + Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and I make haste [to offer it] for this reason. + I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame, but out of my understanding my spirit answers me. + Do you not know from of old, since the time that man was placed on the earth, + That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless and defiled is but for a moment? [Ps. 37:35, 36.] + Though his [proud] height mounts up to the heavens and his head reaches to the clouds, + Yet he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, Where is he? + He will fly away like a dream and will not be found; yes, he will be chased away as a vision of the night. + The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his [accustomed] place any more behold him. + The poor will oppress his children, and his hands will give back his [ill-gotten] wealth. + His bones are full of youthful energy, but it will lie down with him in the dust. + Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue, + Though he is loath to let it go but keeps it still within his mouth, + Yet his food turns [to poison] in his stomach; it is the venom of asps within him. + He has swallowed down [his ill-gotten] riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his belly. + He shall suck the poison of asps [which ill-gotten wealth contains]; the viper's tongue shall slay him. + He shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter [to enjoy his wealth]. + That which he labored for shall he give back and shall not swallow it down [to enjoy it]; according to his wealth shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice in it. + For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has violently taken away a house which he did not build. + Because his desire and greed knew no quietness within him, he will not save anything of that in which he delights. + There was nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not endure. + In the fullness of his sufficiency [in the time of his great abundance] he shall be poor and in straits; every hand of everyone who is in misery shall come upon him [he is but a wretch on every side]. + When he is about to fill his belly [as in the wilderness when God sent the quails], God will cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him and will rain it upon him while he is eating. [Num. 11:33; Ps. 78:26-31.] + He will flee from the iron weapon, but the bow of bronze shall strike him through. + [The arrow] is drawn forth and it comes out after passing through his body; yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors march in upon him; + Every misfortune is laid up for his treasures. A fire not blown by man shall devour him; it shall consume what is left in his tent [and it shall go ill with him who remains there]. + The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him. + The produce and increase of his house will go into exile [with the victors], dragged away in the day of [God's] wrath. + This is the wicked man's portion from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God. + + + THEN JOB answered, + Hear diligently my speech, and let this [your attention] be your consolation [given me]. + Allow me, and I also will speak; and after I have spoken, mock on. + As for me, is my complaint to man or of him? And why should I not be impatient and my spirit be troubled? + Look at me and be astonished (appalled); and lay your hand upon your mouth. + Even when I remember, I am troubled and afraid; horror and trembling take hold of my flesh. + Why do the wicked live, become old, and become mighty in power? + Their children are established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes. + Their houses are safe and in peace, without fear; neither is the rod of God upon them. + Their bull breeds and fails not; their cows calve and do not miscarry. + They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children skip about. + They themselves lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. + They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol (the unseen state) in a moment and peacefully. + Yet they say to God, Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. + Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him? [Exod. 5:2.] + But notice, [you say] the prosperity of the wicked is not in their power; the mystery [of God's dealings] with the ungodly is far from my comprehension. + How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains and sorrows to them in His anger? [Luke 12:46.] + That they are like stubble before the wind and like chaff that the storm steals and carries away? + You say, God lays up [the punishment of the wicked man's] iniquity for his children. Let Him recompense it to the man himself, that he may know and feel it. + Let his own eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. + For what pleasure or interest has a man in his house and family after he is dead, when the number of his months is cut off? + Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing that He judges those who are on high? [Rom. 11:34; I Cor. 2:16.] + One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet; + His pails are full of milk [his veins are filled with nourishment], and the marrow of his bones is fresh and moist, + Whereas another man dies in bitterness of soul and never tastes of pleasure or good fortune. + They lie down alike in the dust, and the worm spreads a covering over them. + Behold, I know your thoughts and plans and the devices with which you would wrong me. + For you say, Where is the house of the rich and liberal prince [meaning me]? And where is the tent in which the wicked [Job] dwelt? + Have you not asked those who travel this way, and do you not accept their testimony and evidences-- + That the evil man is [now] spared in the day of calamity and destruction, and they are led forth and away on the day of [God's] wrath? + But who declares [a man's] way [and rebukes] him to his face? And who pays him back for what he has done? + When he is borne to the grave, watch is kept over his tomb. + The clods of the valley are sweet to him, and every man shall follow him to a grave, as innumerable people [have gone] before him. + How then can you comfort me with empty and futile words, since in your replies there lurks falsehood? + + + THEN ELIPHAZ the Temanite answered [Job], + Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he that is wise is profitable to himself. [Ps. 16:2; Luke 17:10.] + Is it any pleasure or advantage to the Almighty that you are righteous (upright and in right standing with Him)? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways perfect? [Isa. 62:3; Zech. 2:8; Mal. 3:17; Acts 20:28.] + Is it for your [reverential] fear of Him that He [thus] reproves you, that He enters with you into judgment? + Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities. + For you have taken pledges of your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing. + You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. [Matt. 25:42.] + But [you, Job] the man with power possessed the land, and the favored and accepted man dwelt in it. + You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. + Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles and overwhelms you; + Your light is darkened, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. + Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! + Therefore you say, How and what does God know [about me]? Can He judge through the thick darkness? + Thick clouds are a covering to Him, so that He does not see, and He walks on the vault of the heavens. + Will you pay attention and keep to the old way that wicked men trod [in Noah's time], [II Pet. 2:5.] + Men who were snatched away before their time, whose foundations were poured out like a stream [during the flood]? + They said to God, Depart from us, and, What can the Almighty do for or to us? + Yet He filled their houses with good [things]. But the counsel of the ungodly is far from me. + The righteous see it and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn [saying], + Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and that which remained to them the fire has consumed. + Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will] and be at peace; by that [you shall prosper and great] good shall come to you. + Receive, I pray you, the law and instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart. [Ps. 119:11.] + If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up; if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents, + If you lay gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brook [considering them of little worth], + And make the Almighty your gold and [the Lord] your precious silver treasure, + Then you will have delight in the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God. + You will make your prayer to Him, and He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. + You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways. + When they make [you] low, you will say, [There is] a lifting up; and the humble person He lifts up and saves. + He will even deliver the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands. [Job 42:7, 8.] + + + THEN JOB answered, + Even today is my complaint rebellious and bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning. + Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat! + I would lay my cause before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. + I would learn what He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me. + Would He plead against me with His great power? No, He would give heed to me. [Isa. 27:4, 5; 57:16.] + There the righteous [one who is upright and in right standing with God] could reason with Him; so I should be acquitted by my Judge forever. + Behold, I go forward [and to the east], but He is not there; I go backward [and to the west], but I cannot perceive Him; + On the left hand [and to the north] where He works [I seek Him], but I cannot behold Him; He turns Himself to the right hand [and to the south], but I cannot see Him. + But He knows the way that I take [He has concern for it, appreciates, and pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous]. [Ps. 17:3; 66:10; James 1:12.] + My foot has held fast to His steps; His ways have I kept and not turned aside. + I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. + But He is unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what He wants to do, that He does. + For He performs [that which He has] planned for me, and of many such matters He is mindful. + Therefore am I troubled and terrified at His presence; when I consider, I am in dread and afraid of Him. + For God has made my heart faint, timid, and broken, and the Almighty has terrified me, + Because I was not cut off before the darkness [of these woes befell me], neither has He covered the thick darkness from my face. + + + WHY [seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty] does He not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him see not His days [for punishment of the wicked]? [Acts 1:7.] + Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and pasture them [appropriating land and flocks openly]. + They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge. + They crowd the poor and needy off the road; the poor and meek of the earth all hide themselves. + Behold, as wild asses in the desert, [the poor] go forth to their work, seeking diligently for prey and food; the wilderness yields them bread for their children [in roots and herbage]. + They reap each one his fodder in a field [that is not his own], and they glean the vintage of the wicked man. + They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. + They are wet with the showers of the mountains and cling to the rock for want of shelter. + [The violent men whose wickedness seems unnoticed] pluck the fatherless infants from the breast [to sell or make them slaves], and take [the clothing on] the poor for a pledge, + So that the needy go about naked for lack of clothing, and though hungry, they must carry [but not eat from] the sheaves. + Among the olive rows [of the wicked, the poor] make oil; they tread [the fresh juice of the grape from] the presses, but suffer thirst. + From out of the populous city men groan, and the very life of the wounded cries for help; yet God [seemingly] regards not the wrong done them. + These wrongdoers are of those who rebel against the light; they know not its ways nor stay in its paths. + The murderer rises with the light; he kills the poor and the needy, and in the night he becomes as a thief. + The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me, and he puts a disguise upon his face. + In the dark, they dig through [the penetrable walls of] houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the sunlight. + For midnight is morning to all of them; for they are familiar with the terrors of deep darkness. + [You say] Swiftly such men pass away on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; [no treader] turns into their vineyards. + Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol (the place of the dead) those who have sinned. + The womb shall forget him, the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered, and unrighteousness shall be broken like a tree [which cannot be healed]. [Prov. 10:7.] + [The evil man] preys upon the barren, childless woman and does no good to the widow. + Yet [God] prolongs the life of the [wicked] mighty by His power; they rise up when they had despaired of life. + God gives them security, and they rest on it; and His eyes are upon their ways. + They are exalted for a little while, and then are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others are and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain. + And if this is not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worthless? + + + THEN BILDAD the Shuhite answered, + Dominion and fear are with [God]; He makes peace in His high places. + Is there any number to His armies? And upon whom does not His light arise? + How then can man be justified and righteous before God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be pure and clean? [Ps. 130:3; 143:2.] + Behold, even the moon has no brightness [compared to God's glory] and the stars are not pure in His sight-- + How much less man, who is a maggot! And a son of man, who is a worm! + + + BUT JOB answered, + How you have helped him who is without power! How you have sustained the arm that is without strength! + How you have counseled him who has no wisdom! And how plentifully you have declared to him sound knowledge! + With whose assistance have you uttered these words? And whose spirit [inspired what] came forth from you? + The shades of the dead tremble underneath the waters and their inhabitants. + Sheol (the place of the dead) is naked before God, and Abaddon (the place of destruction) has no covering [from His eyes]. + He it is Who spreads out the northern skies over emptiness and hangs the earth upon or over nothing. + He holds the waters bound in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth all at once], and the cloud is not rent under them. + He covers the face of His throne and spreads over it His cloud. + He has placed an enclosing limit [the horizon] upon the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. + The pillars of the heavens tremble and are astonished at His rebuke. + He stills or stirs up the sea by His power, and by His understanding He smites proud Rahab. + By His breath the heavens are garnished; His hand pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent. [Ps. 33:6.] + Yet these are but [a small part of His doings] the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force, the faintest whisper of His voice! Who dares contemplate or who can understand the thunders of His full, magnificent power? + + + JOB AGAIN took up his discourse and said, + As God lives, Who has taken away my right and denied me justice, and the Almighty, Who has vexed and embittered my life, + As long as my life is still whole within me, and the breath of God is [yet] in my nostrils, + My lips shall not speak untruth, nor shall my tongue utter deceit. + God forbid that I should justify you--saying you are right [in your accusations against me]; till I die, I will not put away my integrity from me. + My uprightness and my right standing with God I hold fast and will not let them go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days and it shall not reproach me as long as I live. + Let my enemy be as the wicked, and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous. + For what is the hope of the godless and polluted, even though he has gained [in this world], when God cuts him off and takes away his life? + Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him? + Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? + I will teach you regarding the hand and handiwork of God; that which is with the Almighty [God's actual treatment of the wicked man] will I not conceal. + Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain [cherishing foolish notions]? + This [which I am about to tell] is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage which oppressors shall receive from the Almighty: + If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring will not have sufficient bread. + Those who survive him, [the pestilence] will bury, and [their] widows will make no lamentation. + Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up clothing like clay, + He may prepare it, but the just will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver. + He builds his house like a moth or a spider, like a booth which a watchman makes [to last for a season]. + [The wicked] will lie down rich, but does it not again; he opens his eyes, and [his wealth] is gone. + Terrors overtake him like a [suddenly loosened] flood; a windstorm steals him away in the night. + The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. + For [God and the storm] hurl at him without pity and unsparingly [their thunderbolts of wrath]; he flees in haste before His power. + [God causes] men to clap their hands at him [in malignant joy] and hiss him out of his place. + + + SURELY THERE is a mine for silver, and a place for gold where they refine it. + Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the stone ore. + Man sets an end to darkness, and he searches out the farthest bounds for the ore buried in gloom and deep darkness. + Men break open shafts away from where people sojourn, in places forgotten by [human] foot; and [descend into them], hanging afar from men, they swing or flit to and fro. + As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath [its surface, down deep in the mine] there is blasting, turning it up as by fire. + Its stones are the bed of sapphires; it holds dust of gold [which he wins]. + That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it. + The proud beasts [and their young] have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it. + Man puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots. + He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing. + [Man] binds the streams so that they do not trickle [into the mine], and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light. + But where shall Wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? + Man knows not the price of it; neither is it found in the land of the living. + The deep says, [Wisdom] is not in me; and the sea says, It is not with me. + It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it. + It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir, in the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire. + Gold and glass cannot equal [Wisdom], nor can it be exchanged for jewels or vessels of fine gold. + No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; for the possession of Wisdom is even above rubies or pearls. + The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. + From where then does Wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? + It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and knowledge of it is withheld from the birds of the heavens. + Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say, We have [only] heard the report of it with our ears. + God understands the way [to Wisdom] and He knows the place of it [Wisdom is with God alone]. + For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. + When He gave to the wind weight or pressure and allotted the waters by measure, + When He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, + Then He saw [Wisdom] and declared it; He established it, yes, and searched it out [for His own use, and He alone possesses it]. + But to man He said, Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord--that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. + + + AND JOB again took up his discussion and said, + Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, [Eccl. 7:10.] + When His lamp shone above and upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness; + As I was in the [prime] ripeness of my days, when the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent, + When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me, + When my steps [through rich pasturage] were washed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! + When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the street [the broad place for the council at the city's gate], + The young men saw me and hid themselves; the aged rose up and stood; + The princes refrained from talking and laid their hands on their mouths; + The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouths. + For when the ear heard, it called me happy and blessed me; and when the eye saw, it testified for me [approvingly], + Because I delivered the poor who cried, the fatherless and him who had none to help him. + The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. + I put on righteousness, and it clothed me or clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a turban or a diadem or a crown! + I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. + I was a father to the poor and needy; the cause of him I did not know I searched out. + And I broke the jaws or the big teeth of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth. + Then I said, I shall die in or beside my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. + My root is spread out and open to the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my branch. + My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed], and my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand. + Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. + After I spoke, they did not speak again, and my speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower]. + And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain. + I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and their depression did not cast down the light of my countenance. + I chose their way [for them] and sat as [their] chief, and dwelt like a king among his soldiers, like one who comforts mourners. + + + BUT NOW they who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. + Yes, how could the strength of their hands profit me? They were men whose ripe age and vigor had perished. + They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw the dry and barren ground or flee into the wilderness, into the gloom of wasteness and desolation. + They pluck saltwort or mallows among the bushes, and roots of the broom for their food or to warm them. + They are driven from among men, who shout after them as after a thief. + They must dwell in the clefts of frightful valleys (gullies made by torrents) and in holes of the earth and of the rocks. + Among the bushes they bray and howl [like wild animals]; beneath the prickly scrub they fling themselves and huddle together. + Sons of the worthless and nameless, they have been scourged and crushed out of the land. + And now I have become their song; yes, I am a byword to them. + They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and do not refrain from spitting in my face or at the sight of me. + For God has loosed my bowstring and afflicted and humbled me; they have cast off the bridle [of restraint] before me. + On my right hand rises the rabble brood; they jostle me and push away my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction [like an advancing army]. + They break up and clutter my path [embarrassing my plans]; they urge on my calamity, even though they have no helper [and are themselves helpless]. + As through a wide breach they come in; amid the crash [of falling walls] they roll themselves upon me. + Terrors are turned upon me; my honor and reputation they chase away like the wind, and my welfare has passed away as a cloud. + And now my life is poured out within me; the days of affliction have gripped me. + My bones are pierced [with aching] in the night season, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest. + By the great force [of my disease] my garment is disguised and disfigured; it binds me about like the collar of my coat. + [God] has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. + I cry to You, [Lord,] and You do not answer me; I stand up, but You [only] gaze [indifferently] at me. + You have become harsh and cruel to me; with the might of Your hand You [keep me alive only to] persecute me. + You lift me up on the wind; You cause me to ride upon it, and You toss me about in the tempest. + For I know that You will bring me to death and to the house [of meeting] appointed for all the living. + However, does not one falling in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand? Or in his calamity will he not therefore cry for help? + Did not I weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my heart grieved for the poor and needy? + But when I looked for good, then evil came to me; and when I waited for light, there came darkness. + My heart is troubled and does not rest; days of affliction come to meet me. + I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the congregation and cry for help. + I am a brother to jackals [which howl], and a companion to ostriches [which scream dismally]. + My skin falls from me in blackened flakes, and my bones are burned with heat. + Therefore my lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep. + + + I DICTATED a covenant (an agreement) to my eyes; how then could I look [lustfully] upon a girl? + For what portion should I have from God above [if I were lewd], and what heritage from the Almighty on high? + Does not calamity [justly] befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity? + Does not [God] see my ways and count all my steps? + If I have walked with falsehood or vanity, or if my foot has hastened to deceit-- + Oh, let me be weighed in a just balance and let Him weigh me, that God may know my integrity! + If my step has turned out of [God's] way, and my heart has gone the way my eyes [covetously] invited, and if any spot has stained my hands with guilt, + Then let me sow and let another eat; yes, let the produce of my field or my offspring be rooted out. + If my heart has been deceived and I made a fool by a woman, or if I have [covetously] laid wait at my neighbor's door [until his departure], + Then let my wife grind [meal, like a bondslave] for another, and let others bow down upon her. + For [adultery] is a heinous and chief crime, an iniquity [to demand action by] the judges and punishment. [Deut. 22:22; John 8:5.] + For [uncontrolled passion] is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (to destruction, ruin, and the place of final torment); [that fire once lighted would rage until all is consumed] and would burn to the root all my [life's] increase. + If I have despised and rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant when they contended or brought a complaint against me, + What then shall I do when God rises up [to judge]? When He visits [to inquire of me], what shall I answer Him? [Ps. 44:21.] + Did not He Who made me in the womb make [my servant]? And did not One fashion us both in the womb? [Prov. 14:31; 22:2; Mal. 2:10.] + If I have withheld from the poor and needy what they desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief], + Or have eaten my morsel alone and have not shared it with the fatherless-- + No, but from my youth [the fatherless] grew up with me as a father, and I have been [the widow's] guide from my mother's womb-- + If I have seen anyone perish for want of clothing, or any poor person without covering, + If his loins have not blessed me [for clothing them], and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, + If I have lifted my hand against the fatherless when I saw [that the judges would be favorable and be] my help at the [council] gate, + Then let my shoulder fall away from my shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from its socket. + For calamity from God was a terror to me, and because of His majesty I could not endure [to face Him] and could do nothing. [Isa. 13:6; Joel 1:15.] + If I have made gold my trust and hope or have said to fine gold, You are my confidence, + If I rejoiced because my wealth was great and because my [powerful] hand [alone] had gotten much, + If I beheld [as an object of worship] the sunlight when it shone or the moon walking in its brightness, + And my heart has been secretly enticed by them or my mouth has kissed my hand [in homage to them], + This also would have been [a heinous and principal] iniquity to demand the judges' action and punishment, for I would have denied and been false to the God Who is above. [Deut. 4:19; 17:2-7.] + If I rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me or lifted myself up [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him-- + No, I have let my mouth sin neither by cursing my enemy nor by praying that he might die-- + [Just ask] if the men of my tent will not say, Who can find one in need who has not been satisfied with food he gave them?-- + The temporary resident has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my door to the wayfaring man-- + If like Adam or like [other] men I have concealed my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom + Because I feared the great multitude and the contempt of families terrified me so that I kept silence and did not go out of the door-- + Oh, for a hearing! Oh, for an answer from the Almighty! Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form] in a book! + Surely I would [proudly] bear it on my shoulder and wind the scroll about my head as a diadem. + I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life], approaching His presence as a prince-- + For if my land has cried out against me and its furrows have complained together with tears [that I have no right to them], + If I have eaten its fruits without paying for them or have caused its [rightful] owners to breathe their last, + Let thistles grow instead of wheat and cockleburs instead of barley. The [controversial] words of Job [with his friends] are ended. + + + SO THESE three men ceased to answer Job, because he was [rigidly] righteous (upright and in right standing with God) in his own eyes. [But there was a fifth man there also.] + Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled against Job because he justified himself rather than God [even made himself out to be better than God]. + Also against [Job's] three friends was [Elihu's] anger kindled, because they had found no answer [were unable to show his real error], and yet they had declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions]. + Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he. + But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry. + Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite said, I am young, and you are aged; for that reason I was timid and restrained and dared not declare my opinion to you. + I said, Age should speak, and a multitude of years should teach wisdom [so let it be heard]. + But there is [a vital force] a spirit [of intelligence] in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives men understanding. [Prov. 2:6.] + It is not the great [necessarily] who are wise, nor [always] the aged who understand justice. + So I say, Listen to me; I also will give you my opinion [about Job's situation] and my knowledge. + You see, I waited for your words, I listened to your wise reasons, while you searched out what to say. + Yes, I paid attention to what you said, and behold, not one of you convinced Job or made [satisfactory] replies to his words [you could not refute him]. + Beware lest you say, We have found wisdom; God thrusts [Job] down [justly], not man [God alone is dealing with him]. + Now [Job] has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no cause for irritation], neither will I answer him with speeches like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.] + [Job's friends] are amazed and embarrassed, they answer no more; they have not a thing to say [reports Elihu]. + And shall I wait, because they say nothing but stand still and answer no more? + I also will answer my [God-assigned] part; I also will declare my opinion and my knowledge. + For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. + My breast is as wine that has no vent; like new wineskins, it is ready to burst. + I must speak, that I may get relief and be refreshed; I will open my lips and answer. + I will not [I warn you] be influenced by respect for any man's person and show partiality, neither will I flatter any man. + For I know not how to flatter, [wasting my time in mere formalities, for then] my Maker would soon take me away. + + + BE THAT as it may, Job, I beg of you to hear what I have to say and give heed to all my words. + Behold, here I am with open mouth; here is my tongue talking. + My words shall express the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall speak what they know with utter sincerity. + [It is] the Spirit of God that made me [which has stirred me up], and the breath of the Almighty that gives me life [which inspires me]. + Answer me now, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand. + Behold, I am toward God and before Him even as you are; I also am formed out of the clay [though I speak with abnormal wisdom because of a divine illumination]. + See my terror [for I am only a fellow mortal, not God]; I shall not make you afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon you. + Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of your words, saying, + I am clean, without transgression; I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me. + But behold, God finds occasions against me and causes of alienation and indifference; He counts me as His enemy. + He puts my feet in the stocks; He [untrustingly] watches all my paths [you say]. + I reply to you, Behold, in this you are not just; God is superior to man. + Why do you contend against Him? For He does not give account of any of His actions. [Sufficient for us it should be to know that it is He Who does them.] + For God [does reveal His will; He] speaks not only once, but more than once, even though men do not regard it [including you, Job]. + [One may hear God's voice] in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men while slumbering upon the bed, + Then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction [terrifying them with warnings], + That He may withdraw man from his purpose and cut off pride from him [disgusting him with his own disappointing self-sufficiency]. + He holds him back from the pit [of destruction], and his life from perishing by the sword [of God's destructive judgments]. + [God's voice may be heard by man when] he is chastened with pain upon his bed and with continual strife in his bones or while all his bones are firmly set, + So that his desire makes him loathe food, and even dainty dishes [nauseate him]. + His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. + Yes, his soul draws near to corruption, and his life to the inflicters of death (the destroyers). + [God's voice may be heard] if there is for the hearer a messenger or an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him [how to be upright and in right standing with God], + Then [God] is gracious to him and says, Deliver him from going down into the pit [of destruction]; I have found a ransom (a price of redemption, an atonement)! + [Then the man's] flesh shall be restored; it becomes fresher and more tender than a child's; he returns to the days of his youth. + He prays to God, and He is favorable to him, so that he sees His face with joy; for [God] restores to him his righteousness (his uprightness and right standing with God--with its joys). + He looks upon other men or sings out to them, I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it did not profit me, or He did not requite me [according to my iniquity]! + [God] has redeemed my life from going down to the pit [of destruction], and my life shall see the light! + [Elihu comments] Behold, God does all these things twice, yes, three times, with a man, + To bring back his life from the pit [of destruction], that he may be enlightened with the light of the living. + Give heed, O Job, listen to me; hold your peace, and I will speak. + If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. + If [you do] not [have anything to say], listen to me; hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom. + + + ELIHU ANSWERED (continued his discourse) and said, + Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who have [so much] knowledge. + For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food. + Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; let us know among ourselves what is good. + For Job has said, I am [innocent and uncompromisingly] righteous, but God has taken away my right; [Job 33:9.] + Would I lie against my right? Yet, notwithstanding my right, I am counted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. + What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing and scorning like water, + Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity and walks with wicked men? + For he has said, It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God and consent to Him. + Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that He should commit iniquity. + For according to the deeds of a man God will [exactly] proportion his pay, and He will cause every man to find [recompense] according to his ways. + Truly God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice. + Who put [God] in charge over the earth? Or who laid on Him the whole world? + If [God] should set His heart upon him [man] and withdraw His [life-giving] spirit and His breath [from man] to Himself, + All flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust. [Ps. 104:29; Eccl. 12:7.] + If now you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. + Is it possible that an enemy of right should govern? And will you condemn Him Who is just and mighty? + [God] Who says to a king, You are worthless and vile, or to princes and nobles, You are ungodly and evil? + [God] is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of His hands. + In a moment they die; even at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no [human] hand. + For [God's] eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps. [Ps. 34:15; Prov. 5:21; Jer. 16:17.] + There is no darkness nor thick gloom where the evildoers may hide themselves. + [God] sets before man no appointed time, that he should appear before [Him] in judgment. + He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry [before a jury] and in ways past finding out and sets others in their stead. [Dan. 2:21.] + Therefore He takes knowledge of their works, and He overturns them in the night, so that they are crushed and destroyed. + God strikes them down as wicked men in the open sight of beholders, + Because they turned aside from Him and would not consider or show regard for any of His ways, [I Sam. 15:11.] + So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, and He heard the cry of the afflicted. [Exod. 22:23; James 5:4.] + When He gives quietness (peace and security from oppression), who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make Him gracious], whether it be a nation or a man by himself?-- + That the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people. + For has anyone said to God, I have borne my chastisement; I will not offend any more; + Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned]; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more? + Should [God's] recompense [for your sins] be as you will it, when you refuse to accept it? For you must do the choosing, and not I; therefore say what is your truthful conclusion. + Men of understanding will tell me, indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree], + That Job speaks without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom and insight. + [Would that Job's afflictions be continued and] he be tried to the end because of his answering like wicked men! + For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his unacknowledged sin; he claps his hands [in open mockery and contempt of God] among us, and he multiplies his words of accusation against God. + + + ELIHU SPOKE further [to Job] and said, + Do you think this is your right, or are you saying, My righteousness is more than God's, + That you ask, What advantage have you? How am I profited more than if I had sinned? + I will answer you and your companions with you. + Look to the heavens and see; and behold the skies which are higher than you. + If you have sinned, how does that affect God? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him? + If you are righteous, what do you [by that] give God? Or what does He receive from your hand? + Your wickedness touches and affects a man such as you are, and your righteousness is for yourself, one of the human race [but it cannot touch God, Who is above such influence]. + Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out; they cry for help because of the violence of the mighty. + But no one says, Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs of rejoicing in the night, [Acts 16:25.] + Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens? + [The people] cry out because of the pride of evil men, but He does not answer. + Surely God will refuse to answer [the cry which is] vanity (vain and empty--instead of abiding trust); neither will the Almighty regard it-- + How much less when [missing His righteous judgment on earth] you say that you do not see Him, that your cause is before Him, and you are waiting for Him! + But now because God has not [speedily] punished in His anger and seems to be unaware of the wrong and oppression [of which a person is guilty], + Job uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked]. + + + ELIHU PROCEEDED and said, + Bear with me and wait a little longer, and I will show you, for I have something still to say on God's behalf. + I will bring my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. + For truly my words shall not be false; He Who is perfect in knowledge is with you. + Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart. + He does not prolong the life of the wicked, but gives the needy and afflicted their right. + He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous (the upright in right standing with God); but He sets them forever with kings upon the throne, and they are exalted. + And if they are bound in fetters [of adversity] and held by cords of affliction, [Ps. 107:10, 11.] + Then He shows to them [the true character of] their deeds and their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and self-sufficiency]. + He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity. + If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy. + But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword [of God's destructive judgments], and they shall die in ignorance of true knowledge. + But the godless and profane in heart heap up anger [at the divine discipline]; they do not cry to Him when He binds them [with cords of affliction]. [Rom. 2:5.] + They die in youth, and their life perishes among the unclean (those who are sodomites). + He delivers the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ears [to His voice] in adversity. + Indeed, God would have allured you out of the mouth of distress into a broad place where there is no situation of perplexity or privation; and that which would be set on your table would be full of fatness. + But if you [Job] are filled with the judgment of the wicked, judgment and justice will keep hold on you. + For let not wrath entice you into scorning chastisements; and let not the greatness of the ransom [the suffering, if rightly endured] turn you aside. + Will your cry be sufficient to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength do it? + Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their places; + Take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this [the iniquity of complaining against God] you have chosen rather than [submission in] affliction. + Behold, God exalts and does loftily in His power; who is a ruler or a teacher like Him? + Who has appointed God His way? Or who can say, You have done unrighteousness? + Remember that [by submission] you magnify God's work, of which men have sung. + All men have looked upon God's work; man may behold it afar off. + Behold, God is great, and we know Him not! The number of His years is unsearchable. [I Cor. 13:12.] + For He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain from His vapor, + Which the skies pour down and drop abundantly upon [the multitudes of] mankind. + Not only that, but can anyone understand the spreadings of the clouds or the thunderings of His pavilion? [Ps. 18:11; Isa. 40:22.] + Behold, He spreads His lightning against the dark clouds and covers the roots of the sea. + For by [His clouds] God executes judgment upon the peoples; He gives food in abundance. + He covers His hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark. + His thunderings speak [awesomely] concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm. + + + INDEED, [at His thunderings] my heart also trembles and leaps out of its place. + Hear, oh, hear the roar of His voice and the sound of rumbling that goes out of His mouth! + Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, and His lightning to the ends of the earth. + After it His voice roars; He thunders with the voice of His majesty, and He restrains not [His lightnings against His adversaries] when His voice is heard. + God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. + For He says to the snow, Fall on the earth; likewise He speaks to the showers and to the downpour of His mighty rains. + God seals up (stops, brings to a standstill by severe weather) the hand of every man [and now under His seal their hands are forced to inactivity], that all men whom He has made may know His doings (His sovereign power and their subjection to it). + Then the beasts go into dens and remain in their lairs. + Out of its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds. + By the breath of God ice is given, and the breadth of the waters is frozen over. [Ps. 147:17, 18.] + He loads the thick cloud with moisture; He scatters the cloud of His lightning. + And it is turned round about by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them upon the face of the habitable earth. + Whether it be for correction or for His earth [generally] or for His mercy and loving-kindness, He causes it to come. [Exod. 9:18, 23; I Sam. 12:18, 19.] + Hear this, O Job; stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. + Do you know how God lays His command upon them and causes the lightning of His [storm] cloud to shine? + Do you know how the clouds are balanced [and poised in the heavens], the wonderful works of Him Who is perfect in knowledge? + [Or] why your garments are hot when He quiets the earth [in sultry summer] with the [oppressive] south wind? + Can you along with Him spread out the sky, [which is] strong as a molten mirror? + Tell us [Job] with what words of man we may address such a Being; we cannot state our case because we are in the dark [in the presence of the unsearchable God]. + So shall it be told Him that I wish to speak? If a man speaks, shall he be swallowed up? + And now men cannot look upon the light when it is bright in the skies, when the wind has passed and cleared them. + Golden brightness and splendor come out of the north; [if men can scarcely look upon it, how much less upon the] terrible splendor and majesty God has upon Himself! + Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out; He is excellent in power; and to justice and plenteous righteousness He does no violence [He will disregard no right]. [I Tim. 6:16.] + Men therefore [reverently] fear Him; He regards and respects not any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit]. [Matt. 10:28.] + + + THEN THE Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, + Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? [Job 35:16.] + Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me. + Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding. + Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know? Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? + Upon what were the foundations of it fastened, or who laid its cornerstone, + When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? + Or who shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth and issued out of the womb?-- + When I made the clouds the garment of it, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it, + And marked for it My appointed boundary and set bars and doors, [Jer. 5:22.] + And said, Thus far shall you come and no farther; and here shall your proud waves be stayed? [Ps. 89:9; 93:4.] + Have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dawn to know its place, + So that [light] may get hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wickedness [of night] out of it? + It is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed; and things stand out like a many-colored garment. + From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. + Have you explored the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? + Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of deep darkness? + Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know it all. + Where is the way where light dwells? And as for darkness, where is its abode, + That you may conduct it to its home, and may know the paths to its house? + You must know, since you were born then! Or because you are so extremely old! + Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasuries of the hail, + Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? [Exod. 9:18; Josh. 10:11; Isa. 30:30; Rev. 16:21.] + By what way is the light distributed, or the east wind spread over the earth? + Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain, or a path for the thunderbolt, + To cause it to rain on the uninhabited land [and] on the desert where no man lives, + To satisfy the waste and desolate ground and to cause the tender grass to spring forth? + Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? + Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has given it birth? + The waters are congealed like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. + Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades, or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion? + Can you lead forth the signs of the zodiac in their season? Or can you guide [the stars of] the Bear with her young? + Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule upon the earth? + Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of waters may cover you? + Can you send lightnings, that they may go and say to you, Here we are? + Who has put wisdom in the inward parts [or in the dark clouds]? Or who has given understanding to the mind [or to the meteor]? + Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the [water] bottles of the heavens + When [heat has caused] the dust to run into a mass and the clods to cleave fast together? + Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions + When they couch in their dens or lie in wait in their hiding place? + Who provides for the raven its prey when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food? + + + DO YOU know the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth [their young]? [Or] do you observe when the hinds are giving birth? [Do you attend to all this, Job?] + Can you number the months that they carry their offspring? Or do you know the time when they are delivered, + When they bow themselves, bring forth their young ones, [and] cast out their pains? + Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; they go forth and return not to them. + Who has sent out the wild donkey, giving him his freedom? Or who has loosed the bands of the swift donkey [by which his tame brother is bound--he, the shy, the swift-footed, and the untamable], + Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place? + He scorns the tumult of the city and hears not the shoutings of the taskmaster. + The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing. + Will the wild ox be willing to serve you, or remain beside your manger? + Can you bind the wild ox with a harness to the plow in the furrow? Or will he harrow the furrows for you? + Will you trust him because his strength is great, or to him will you leave your labor? + Will you depend upon him to bring home your seed and gather the grain of your threshing floor? [Who, Job, was the author of this strange variance in the disposition of animals so alike in appearance? Was it you?] + The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, [but] are they the pinions and plumage of love? + The ostrich leaves her eggs on the ground and warms them in the dust, + Forgetting that a foot may crush them or that the wild beast may trample them. + She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain because she has no sense of danger [for her unborn brood], + For God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has He imparted to her understanding. + Yet when she lifts herself up in flight, [so swift is she that] she can laugh to scorn the horse and his rider. + Have you given the horse his might? Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane? + Was it you [Job] who made him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his [snorting] nostrils is terrible. + He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men]. + He mocks at fear and is not dismayed or terrified; neither does he turn back [in battle] from the sword. + The quiver rattles upon him, as do the glittering spear and the lance [of his rider]. + [He seems in running to] devour the ground with fierceness and rage; neither can he stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet. + As often as the trumpet sounds he says, Ha, ha! And he smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. + Is it by your wisdom [Job] that the hawk soars and stretches her wings toward the south [as winter approaches]? + Does the eagle mount up at your command and make his nest on [a] high [inaccessible place]? + On the cliff he dwells and remains securely, upon the point of the rock and the stronghold. + From there he spies out the prey; and his eyes see it afar off. + His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he. + + + MOREOVER, THE Lord said to Job, + Shall he who would find fault with the Almighty contend with Him? He who disputes with God, let him answer it. + Then Job replied to the Lord: + Behold, I am of small account and vile! What shall I answer You? I lay my hand upon my mouth. [Ezra 9:6; Ps. 51:4.] + I have spoken once, but I will not reply again--indeed, twice [have I answered], but I will proceed no further. + Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, saying, + Gird up your loins now like a man; I will demand of you, and you answer Me. + Will you also annul (set aside and render void) My judgment? Will you condemn Me [your God], that you may [appear] righteous and justified? + Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? + [Since you question the manner of the Almighty's rule] deck yourself now with the excellency and dignity [of the Supreme Ruler, and yourself undertake the government of the world if you are so wise], and array yourself with honor and majesty. + Pour forth the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is proud and abase him; + Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low, and tread down the wicked where they stand [if you are so able, Job]. + [Bury and] hide them all in the dust together; [and] shut them up [in the prison house of death]. + [If you can do all this, Job, proving yourself of divine might] then will I [God] praise you also [and acknowledge that] your own right hand can save you. + Behold now the behemoth (the hippopotamus), which I created as I did you; he eats grass like an ox. + See now, his strength is in his loins, and his power is in the sinews of his belly. + He moves his tail like a cedar tree; the tendons of his thighs are twisted together [like a rope]. + His bones are like tubes of bronze; his limbs [or ribs] are like bars of iron. + [The hippopotamus] is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God [in animal life]; [only] He Who made him provides him with his [swordlike tusks, or only God Who made him can bring near His sword to master him]. + Surely the mountains bring him food, where all the wild animals play. + He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reeds in the marsh. + The lotus trees cover him with their shade; the willows of the brook compass him about. + Behold, if a river is violent and overflows, he does not tremble; he is confident, though the Jordan [River] swells and rushes against his mouth. + Can any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare? + + + CAN YOU draw out the leviathan (the crocodile) with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? + Can you put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook or a spike? + Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]? Will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]? + Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? + Will you play with [the crocodile] as with a bird? Or will you put him on a leash for your maidens? + Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? + Can you fill his skin with harpoons? Or his head with fishing spears? + Lay your hand upon him! Remember your battle with him; you will not do [such an ill-advised thing] again! + Behold, the hope of [his assailant] is disappointed; one is cast down even at the sight of him! + No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up [the crocodile]; who then is he who can stand before Me [the beast's Creator, or dares to contend with Me]? + Who has first given to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heavens is Mine. [Therefore, who can have a claim against God, God Who made the unmastered crocodile?] [Rom. 11:35.] + I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame. + Who can strip off [the crocodile's] outer garment? [Who can penetrate his double coat of mail?] Who shall come within his jaws? + Who can open the doors of his [lipless] mouth? His [extended jaws and bare] teeth are terrible round about. + His scales are [the crocodile's] pride, [for his back is made of rows of shields] shut up together [as with] a tight seal; + One is so near to another that no air can come between them. + They are joined one to another; they stick together so that they cannot be separated. + His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the [reddish] eyelids of the dawn. + Out of his mouth go burning torches, [and] sparks of fire leap out. + Out of his nostrils goes forth smoke, as out of a seething pot over a fire of rushes. + His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes forth from his mouth. + In [the crocodile's] neck abides strength, and terror dances before him. + The folds of his flesh cleave together; they are firm upon him, and they cannot shake [when he moves]. + His heart is as firm as a stone, indeed, as solid as a nether millstone. + When [the crocodile] raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; because of terror and the crashing they are beside themselves. + Even if one strikes at him with the sword, it cannot get any hold, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin. + He counts iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood. + The arrow cannot make [the crocodile] flee; slingstones are treated by him as stubble. + Clubs [also] are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rushing and the rattling of the javelin. + His underparts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; he spreads [grooves like] a threshing sledge upon the mire. + He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a [foaming] pot of ointment. + [His swift darting] makes a shining track behind him; one would think the deep to be hoary [with foam]. + Upon earth there is not [the crocodile's] equal, a creature made without fear and he behaves fearlessly. + He looks all mighty [beasts of prey] in the face [without terror]; he is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job, who are you who dares not arouse the unmastered crocodile, yet who dares resist Me, the beast's Creator, to My face? Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?] + + + THEN JOB said to the Lord, + I know that You can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted. + [You said to me] Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge? Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. [Job 38:2.] + [I had virtually said to You what You have said to me:] Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak; I will demand of You, and You declare to me. + I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear, but now my [spiritual] eye sees You. + Therefore I loathe [my words] and abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. + After the Lord had spoken the previous words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has. + Now therefore take seven bullocks and seven rams and go to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept [his prayer] that I deal not with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has. + So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; and the Lord accepted [Job's prayer]. + And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. [Deut. 30:1-3; Ps. 126:1, 2.] + Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they sympathized with him and comforted him over all the [distressing] calamities that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, and every man an earring of gold. + And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. [Job 1:3.] + He had also seven sons and three daughters. + And he called the name of the first Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. + And in all the land there were no women so fair as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. + After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his sons' sons, even to four generations. + So Job died, an old man and full of days. [James 5:11.] + + + + + BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. + But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. [Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 3:1-29; II Tim. 3:16.] + And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. [Jer. 17:7, 8.] + Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away. + Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God]. + For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God's will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought). + + + WHY DO the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme? + The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say, [Acts 4:25-27.] + Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us. + He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. + He speaks to them in His deep anger and troubles (terrifies and confounds) them in His displeasure and fury, saying, + Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion. + I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You. [Heb. 1:5; 3:5, 6; II Pet. 1:17, 18.] + Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession. + You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters' ware. [Rev. 12:5; 19:15.] + Now therefore, O you kings, act wisely; be instructed and warned, O you rulers of the earth. + Serve the Lord with reverent awe and worshipful fear; rejoice and be in high spirits with trembling [lest you displease Him]. + Kiss the Son [pay homage to Him in purity], lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him! + + + A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, HOW they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. + Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. + With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me. + I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. + Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. + Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + + + To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. ANSWER ME when I call, O God of my righteousness (uprightness, justice, and right standing with You)! You have freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me and hear my prayer. + O you sons of men, how long will you turn my honor and glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and futility and seek after lies? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself [and given distinction to] him who is godly [the man of loving-kindness]. The Lord listens and heeds when I call to Him. + Be angry [or stand in awe] and sin not; commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be silent (sorry for the things you say in your hearts). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Eph. 4:26.] + Offer just and right sacrifices; trust (lean on and be confident) in the Lord. + Many say, Oh, that we might see some good! Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord. + You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. + In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust. + + + To the Chief Musician; on wind instruments. A Psalm of David. LISTEN TO my words, O Lord, give heed to my sighing and groaning. + Hear the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray. + In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. + For You are not a God Who takes pleasure in wickedness; neither will the evil [man] so much as dwell [temporarily] with You. + Boasters can have no standing in Your sight; You abhor all evildoers. + You will destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors [and rejects] the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. + But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and mercy; I will worship toward and at Your holy temple in reverent fear and awe of You. + Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way level (straight and right) before my face. + For there is nothing trustworthy or steadfast or truthful in their talk; their heart is destruction [or a destructive chasm, a yawning gulf]; their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter and make smooth with their tongue. [Rom. 3:13.] + Hold them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own designs and counsels; cast them out because of the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You. + But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits. + For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor). + + + To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, set [possibly] an octave below. A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in Your anger nor discipline and chasten me in Your hot displeasure. + Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak (faint and withered away); O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. + My [inner] self [as well as my body] is also exceedingly disturbed and troubled. But You, O Lord, how long [until You return and speak peace to me]? + Return [to my relief], O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love and mercy. + For in death there is no remembrance of You; in Sheol (the place of the dead) who will give You thanks? + I am weary with my groaning; all night I soak my pillow with tears, I drench my couch with my weeping. + My eye grows dim because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies. + Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. [Matt. 7:23; Luke 13:27.] + The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer. + Let all my enemies be ashamed and sorely troubled; let them turn back and be put to shame suddenly. + + + An Ode of David, [probably] in a wild, irregular, enthusiastic strain, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, in You I take refuge and put my trust; save me from all those who pursue and persecute me, and deliver me, + Lest my foe tear my life [from my body] like a lion, dragging me away while there is none to deliver. + O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, + If I have paid back with evil him who was at peace with me or without cause have robbed him who was my enemy, + Let the enemy pursue my life and take it; yes, let him trample my life to the ground and lay my honor in the dust. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift up Yourself against the rage of my enemies; and awake [and stir up] for me the justice and vindication [that] You have commanded. + Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about You, and return on high over them. + The Lord judges the people; judge me, O Lord, and do me justice according to my righteousness [my rightness, justice, and right standing with You] and according to the integrity that is in me. + Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the [uncompromisingly] righteous [those upright and in harmony with You]; for You, Who try the hearts and emotions and thinking powers, are a righteous God. [Rev. 2:23.] + My defense and shield depend on God, Who saves the upright in heart. + God is a righteous Judge, yes, a God Who is indignant every day. + If a man does not turn and repent, [God] will whet His sword; He has strung and bent His [huge] bow and made it ready [by treading it with His foot]. + He has also prepared for him deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts. + Behold, [the wicked man] conceives iniquity and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. + He made a pit and hollowed it out and has fallen into the hole which he made [before the trap was completed]. + His mischief shall fall back in return upon his own head, and his violence come down [with the loose dirt] upon his own scalp. + I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His rightness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. + + + To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] to a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens. + Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger. [Matt. 21:15, 16.] + When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, + What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? + Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. + You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: [I Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22, 23; Heb. 2:6-8.] + All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, + The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas. + O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! + + + To the Chief Musician; set for [possibly] soprano voices. A Psalm of David. I WILL praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your marvelous works and wonderful deeds! + I will rejoice in You and be in high spirits; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High! + When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before You. + For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging righteously. + You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. + The enemy have been cut off and have vanished in everlasting ruins, You have plucked up and overthrown their cities; the very memory of them has perished and vanished. + But the Lord shall remain and continue forever; He has prepared and established His throne for judgment. [Heb. 1:11.] + And He will judge the world in righteousness (rightness and equity); He will minister justice to the peoples in uprightness. [Acts 17:31.] + The Lord also will be a refuge and a high tower for the oppressed, a refuge and a stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation). + And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God's Word and the right of their necessity]. [Ps. 42:1.] + Sing praises to the Lord, Who dwells in Zion! Declare among the peoples His doings! + For He Who avenges the blood [of His people shed unjustly] remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted (the poor and the humble). + Have mercy upon me and be gracious to me, O Lord; consider how I am afflicted by those who hate me, You Who lift me up from the gates of death, + That I may show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your praises! In the gates of the Daughter of Zion I will rejoice in Your salvation and Your saving help. + The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; in the net which they hid is their own foot caught. + The Lord has made Himself known; He executes judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion [meditation]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + The wicked shall be turned back [headlong into premature death] into Sheol (the place of the departed spirits of the wicked), even all the nations that forget or are forgetful of God. + For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the expectation and hope of the meek and the poor shall not perish forever. + Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before You. + Put them in fear [make them realize their frail nature], O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + + + WHY DO You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself, [veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble (distress and desperation)? + The wicked in pride and arrogance hotly pursue and persecute the poor; let them be taken in the schemes which they have devised. + For the wicked man boasts (sings the praises) of his own heart's desire, and the one greedy for gain curses and spurns, yes, renounces and despises the Lord. + The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes]. + His ways are grievous [or persist] at all times; Your judgments [Lord] are far above and on high out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; as for all his foes, he sniffs and sneers at them. + He thinks in his heart, I shall not be moved; for throughout all generations I shall not come to want or be in adversity. + His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, oppression (fraud); under his tongue are trouble and sin (mischief and iniquity). + He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he slays the innocent; he watches stealthily for the poor (the helpless and unfortunate). + He lurks in secret places like a lion in his thicket; he lies in wait that he may seize the poor (the helpless and the unfortunate); he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. + [The prey] is crushed, sinks down; and the helpless falls by his mighty [claws]. + [The foe] thinks in his heart, God has quite forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see [my deed]. + Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand; forget not the humble [patient and crushed]. + Why does the wicked [man] condemn (spurn and renounce) God? Why has he thought in his heart, You will not call to account? + You have seen it; yes, You note trouble and grief (vexation) to requite it with Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. + Break the arm of the wicked man; and as for the evil man, search out his wickedness until You find no more. + The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish out of His land. + O Lord, You have heard the desire and the longing of the humble and oppressed; You will prepare and strengthen and direct their hearts, You will cause Your ear to hear, + To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man, who is of the earth, may not terrify them any more. + + + To the Chief Musician or Choir Leader. [A Psalm] of David. IN THE Lord I take refuge [and put my trust]; how can you say to me, Flee like a bird to your mountain? + For see, the wicked are bending the bow; they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they [furtively] in darkness may shoot at the upright in heart. + If the foundations are destroyed, what can the [unyieldingly] righteous do, or what has He [the Righteous One] wrought or accomplished? + The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold; His eyelids test and prove the children of men. [Acts 7:49; Rev. 4:2.] + The Lord tests and proves the [unyieldingly] righteous, but His soul abhors the wicked and him who loves violence. [James 1:12.] + Upon the wicked He will rain quick burning coals or snares; fire, brimstone, and a [dreadful] scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. + For the Lord is [rigidly] righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face, or He beholds the upright. + + + To the Chief Musician; set [possibly] an octave below. A Psalm of David. HELP, LORD! For principled and godly people are here no more; faithfulness and the faithful vanish from among the sons of men. + To his neighbor each one speaks words without use or worth or truth; with flattering lips and double heart [deceitfully] they speak. + May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongues that speak proud boasting, + Those who say, With our tongues we prevail; our lips are our own [to command at our will]--who is lord and master over us? + Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants. + The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over. + You will keep them and preserve them, O Lord; You will guard and keep us from this [evil] generation forever. + The wicked walk or prowl about on every side, as vileness is exalted [and baseness is rated high] among the sons of men. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. HOW LONG will You forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? + How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me? + Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; lighten the eyes [of my faith to behold Your face in the pitchlike darkness], lest I sleep the sleep of death, + Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, and those that trouble me rejoice when I am shaken. + But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation. + I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. + + + To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right. [Rom. 3:10.] + The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. + They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one. [Rom. 3:11, 12.] + Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? + There they shall be in great fear [literally--dreading a dread], for God is with the generation of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with Him). + You [evildoers] would put to shame and confound the plans of the poor and patient, but the Lord is his safe refuge. + Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord shall restore the fortunes of His people, then Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad. [Rom. 11:25-27.] + + + A Psalm of David. LORD, WHO shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill? + He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart, + He who does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; + In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change; + [He who] does not put out his money for interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. [Exod. 22:25, 26.] + + + A Poem of David; [probably] intended to record memorable thoughts. KEEP and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself. + I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You. + As for the godly (the saints) who are in the land, they are the excellent, the noble, and the glorious, in whom is all my delight. + Their sorrows shall be multiplied who choose another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer or take their names upon my lips. + The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot. + The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage. + I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. + I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. + Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety, + For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the place of the dead), neither will You suffer Your holy one [Holy One] to see corruption. [Acts 13:35.] + You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. [Acts 2:25-28, 31.] + + + A Prayer of David. HEAR THE right (my righteous cause), O Lord; listen to my shrill, piercing cry! Give ear to my prayer, that comes from unfeigned and guileless lips. + Let my sentence of vindication come from You! May Your eyes behold the things that are just and upright. + You have proved my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and find nothing [no evil purpose in me]; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. + Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent (the paths of the destroyer). + My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]; my feet have not slipped. + I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. + Show Your marvelous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them. + Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings + From the wicked who despoil and oppress me, my deadly adversaries who surround me. + They are enclosed in their own prosperity and have shut up their hearts to pity; with their mouths they make exorbitant claims and proudly and arrogantly speak. + They track us down in each step we take; now they surround us; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground, + Like a lion greedy and eager to tear his prey, and as a young lion lurking in hidden places. + Arise, O Lord! Confront and forestall them, cast them down! Deliver my life from the wicked by Your sword, + From men by Your hand, O Lord, from men of this world [these poor moths of the night] whose portion in life is idle and vain. Their bellies are filled with Your hidden treasure [what You have stored up]; their children are satiated, and they leave the rest [of their] wealth to their babes. + As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You]. + + + To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said: I LOVE You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength. + The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. [Heb. 2:13.] + I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. [Rev. 5:12.] + The cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me. + The cords of Sheol (the place of the dead) surrounded me; the snares of death confronted and came upon me. + In my distress [when seemingly closed in] I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His [very] ears. + Then the earth quaked and rocked, the foundations also of the mountains trembled; they moved and were shaken because He was indignant and angry. + There went up smoke from His nostrils; and lightning out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it. + He bowed the heavens also and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet. + And He rode upon a cherub [a storm] and flew [swiftly]; yes, He sped on with the wings of the wind. + He made darkness His secret hiding place; as His pavilion (His canopy) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. + Out of the brightness before Him there broke forth through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire. + The Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire. + And He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He flashed forth lightnings and put them to rout. + Then the beds of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. + He reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. + He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated and abhorred me, for they were too strong for me. + They confronted and came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay and support. + He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. + The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him); according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me. + For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. + For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me. + I was upright before Him and blameless with Him, ever [on guard] to keep myself free from my sin and guilt. + Therefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness (my uprightness and right standing with Him), according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. + With the kind and merciful You will show Yourself kind and merciful, with an upright man You will show Yourself upright, + With the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the perverse You will show Yourself contrary. + For You deliver an afflicted and humble people but will bring down those with haughty looks. + For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; the Lord my God illumines my darkness. + For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. + As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him. + For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God, + The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect? + He makes my feet like hinds' feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places. + He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. + You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up; Your gentleness and condescension have made me great. + You have given plenty of room for my steps under me, that my feet would not slip. + I pursued my enemies and overtook them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed. + I smote them so that they were not able to rise; they fell wounded under my feet. + For You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me and caused to bow down those who rose up against me. + You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. + They cried [for help], but there was none to deliver--even unto the Lord, but He answered them not. + Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the dirt and mire of the streets. + You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You made me the head of the nations; a people I had not known served me. + As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners submitted themselves cringingly and yielded feigned obedience to me. + Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their caves or strongholds. + The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted, + The God Who avenges me and subdues peoples under me, + Who delivers me from my enemies; yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You deliver me from the man of violence. + Therefore will I give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name. [Rom. 15:9.] + Great deliverances and triumphs gives He to His king; and He shows mercy and steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever. [II Sam. 22:2-51.] + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. [Rom. 1:20, 21.] + Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge. + There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard. + Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun, [Rom. 10:18.] + Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course. + Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it. + The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. + The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes. + The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. + More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb. + Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward. + Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults. + Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression. + Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. MAY THE Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you]; + Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion; + Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah [pause, and think of that]! + May He grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. + We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. + Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. + Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God. + They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. + O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. THE KING [David] shall joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! + You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah [pause, and think of that]! + For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head. + He asked life of You, and You gave it to him--long life forever and evermore. + His glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and majesty You bestow upon him. + For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence. [Gen. 12:2.] + For the king trusts, relies on, and is confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High he will never be moved. + Your hand shall find all Your enemies; Your right hand shall find all those who hate You. + You will make them as if in a blazing oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire will utterly consume them. + Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, and their sons from among the children of men. + For they planned evil against You; they conceived a mischievous plot which they are not able to perform. + For You will make them turn their backs; You will aim Your bow [of divine justice] at their faces. + Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power. + + + To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar [the hind of the morning dawn]. A Psalm of David. MY GOD, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? [Matt. 27:46.] + O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You answer not; and by night I am not silent or find no rest. + But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]. + Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them. + They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed. + But I am a worm, and no man; I am the scorn of men, and despised by the people. [Matt. 27:39-44.] + All who see me laugh at me and mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, [Matt. 27:43.] + He trusted and rolled himself on the Lord, that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing that He delights in him! [Matt. 27:39, 43; Mark 15:29, 30; Luke 23:35.] + Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother's breasts. + I was cast upon You from my very birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God. + Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help. + Many [foes like] bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have hedged me in. [Ezek. 39:18.] + Against me they opened their mouths wide, like a ravening and roaring lion. + I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is softened [with anguish] and melted down within me. + My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; [with thirst] my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You have brought me into the dust of death. [John 19:28.] + For [like a pack of] dogs they have encompassed me; a company of evildoers has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet. [Isa. 53:7; John 19:37.] + I can count all my bones; [the evildoers] gaze at me. [Luke 23:27, 35.] + They part my clothing among them and cast lots for my raiment (a long, shirtlike garment, a seamless undertunic). [John 19:23, 24.]) + But be not far from me, O Lord; O my Help, hasten to aid me! + Deliver my life from the sword, my dear life [my only one] from the power of the dog [the agent of execution]. + Save me from the lion's mouth; for You have answered me [kindly] from the horns of the wild oxen. + I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise You. [John 20:17; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:12.] + You who fear (revere and worship) the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him. Fear (revere and worship) Him, all you offspring of Israel. + For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him, but when he cried to Him, He heard. + My praise shall be of You in the great congregation. I will pay to Him my vows [made in the time of trouble] before them who fear (revere and worship) Him. + The poor and afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord--they who [diligently] seek for, inquire of and for Him, and require Him [as their greatest need]. May your hearts be quickened now and forever! + All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow down and worship before You, + For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord's, and He is the ruler over the nations. + All the mighty ones upon earth shall eat [in thanksgiving] and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive. + Posterity shall serve Him; they shall tell of the Lord to the next generation. + They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born--that He has done it [that it is finished]! [John 19:30.] + + + A Psalm of David. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. + He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. [Rev. 7:17.] + He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. + Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. + You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over. + Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. + + + A Psalm of David. THE EARTH is the Lord's, and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it. [I Cor. 10:26.] + For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the currents and the rivers. + Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? + He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. [Matt. 5:8.] + He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. + This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob. Selah [pause, and think of that]! [Ps. 42:1.] + Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in. + Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. + Lift up your heads, O you gates; yes, lift them up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in. + Who is [He then] this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah [pause, and think of that]! + + + [A Psalm] of David. UNTO YOU, O Lord, do I bring my life. + O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me. + Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause. + Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. + Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long. + Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercy and loving-kindness; for they have been ever from of old. + Remember not the sins (the lapses and frailties) of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your mercy and steadfast love remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord. + Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will He instruct sinners in [His] way. + He leads the humble in what is right, and the humble He teaches His way. + All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. + For Your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity and my guilt, for [they are] great. + Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. + He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land. + The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning. [John 7:17; 15:15.] + My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net. + [Lord] turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. + The troubles of my heart are multiplied; bring me out of my distresses. + Behold my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins [of thinking and doing]. + Consider my enemies, for they abound; they hate me with cruel hatred. + O keep me, Lord, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed or disappointed, for my trust and my refuge are in You. + Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for and expect You. + Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles. + + + [A Psalm] of David. VINDICATE ME, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; I have [expectantly] trusted in, leaned on, and relied on the Lord without wavering and I shall not slide. + Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; test my heart and my mind. + For Your loving-kindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth [faithfully]. + I do not sit with false persons, nor fellowship with pretenders; + I hate the company of evildoers and will not sit with the wicked. + I will wash my hands in innocence, and go about Your altar, O Lord, + That I may make the voice of thanksgiving heard and may tell of all Your wondrous works. + Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells. + Gather me not with sinners and sweep me not away [with them], nor my life with bloodthirsty men, + In whose hands is wickedness, and their right hands are full of bribes. + But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful and gracious to me. + My foot stands on an even place; in the congregations will I bless the Lord. + + + [A Psalm] of David. THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? + When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. + Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident. + One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. [Ps. 16:11; 18:6; 65:4; Luke 2:37.] + For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. + And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. + Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me! + You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]. + Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger, You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation! + Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]. [Ps. 22:10.] + Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me]. + Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me; they breathe out cruelty and violence. + [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living! + Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. + + + [A Psalm] of David. UNTO YOU do I cry, O Lord my Rock, be not deaf and silent to me, lest, if You be silent to me, I become like those going down to the pit [the grave]. + Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your innermost sanctuary (the Holy of Holies). + Drag me not away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace with their neighbors, but malice and mischief are in their hearts. + Repay them according to their work and according to the wickedness of their doings; repay them according to the work of their hands; render to them what they deserve. [II Tim. 4:14; Rev. 18:6.] + Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operations of His hands, He will break them down and not rebuild them. + Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications. + The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him. + The Lord is their [unyielding] Strength, and He is the Stronghold of salvation to [me] His anointed. + Save Your people and bless Your heritage; nourish and shepherd them and carry them forever. + + + A Psalm of David. ASCRIBE TO the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. + Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array. + The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon many (great) waters. + The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. + The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. + He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox. + The voice of the Lord splits and flashes forth forked lightning. + The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. + The voice of the Lord makes the hinds bring forth their young, and His voice strips bare the forests, while in His temple everyone is saying, Glory! + The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King [and] forever! + The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. + + + A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the Temple. [A Psalm] of David. I WILL extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. + O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me. + O Lord, You have brought my life up from Sheol (the place of the dead); You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (the grave). + Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. + For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. [II Cor. 4:17.] + As for me, in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. + By Your favor, O Lord, You have established me as a strong mountain; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. + I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication. + What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit (the grave)? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth and faithfulness to men? + Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper! + You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, + To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. IN YOU, O Lord, do I put my trust and seek refuge; let me never be put to shame or [have my hope in You] disappointed; deliver me in Your righteousness! + Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily! Be my Rock of refuge, a strong Fortress to save me! + Yes, You are my Rock and my Fortress; therefore for Your name's sake lead me and guide me. + Draw me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for You are my Strength and my Stronghold. + Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth and faithfulness. [Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59.] + [You and] I abhor those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in, rely on, and confidently lean on the Lord. + I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy and steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction, You have taken note of my life's distresses, + And You have not given me into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a broad place. + Have mercy and be gracious unto me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; with grief my eye is weakened, also my inner self and my body. + For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and even my bones have wasted away. + To all my enemies I have become a reproach, but especially to my neighbors, and a dread to my acquaintances, who flee from me on the street. + I am forgotten like a dead man, and out of mind; like a broken vessel am I. + For I have heard the slander of many; terror is on every side! While they schemed together against me, they plotted to take my life. + But I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. + My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me. + Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me for Your mercy's sake and in Your loving-kindness. + Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, or disappointed, for I am calling upon You; let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol (the place of the dead). + Let the lying lips be silenced, which speak insolently against the [consistently] righteous with pride and contempt. + Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men! + In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues. + Blessed be the Lord! For He has shown me His marvelous loving favor when I was beset as in a besieged city. + As for me, I said in my haste and alarm, I am cut off from before Your eyes. But You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You for aid. + O love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, and plentifully pays back him who deals haughtily. + Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord! + + + [A Psalm of David.] A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. [Rom. 4:7, 8.] + When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long. + For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]--then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + For this [forgiveness] let everyone who is godly pray--pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely when the great waters [of trial] overflow, they shall not reach [the spirit in] him. + You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. + Be not like the horse or the mule, which lack understanding, which must have their mouths held firm with bit and bridle, or else they will not come with you. + Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness. + Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart! + + + REJOICE IN the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart]. + Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; sing praises to Him with the harp of ten strings. + Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound. + For the word of the Lord is right; and all His work is done in faithfulness. + He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord. + By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth. [Heb. 11:3; II Pet. 3:5.] + He gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle; He puts the deeps in storage places. + Let all the earth fear the Lord [revere and worship Him]; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. + For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. + The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nought; He makes the thoughts and plans of the peoples of no effect. + The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart through all generations. + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage. + The Lord looks from heaven, He beholds all the sons of men; + From His dwelling place He looks [intently] upon all the inhabitants of the earth-- + He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers all their doings. + No king is saved by the great size and power of his army; a mighty man is not delivered by [his] much strength. + A horse is devoid of value for victory; neither does he deliver any by his great power. + Behold, the Lord's eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, + To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. + Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield. + For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name. + Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You. + + + [A Psalm] of David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him out, and he went away. I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. + My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. + O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. + I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. [Ps. 73:25; Matt. 7:7.] + They looked to Him and were radiant; their faces shall never blush for shame or be confused. + This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. + The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers. [Ps. 18:1; 145:20.] + O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. [I Pet. 2:2, 3.] + O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear. + The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing. + Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord. + What man is he who desires life and longs for many days, that he may see good? + Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. + Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it! + The eyes of the Lord are toward the [uncompromisingly] righteous and His ears are open to their cry. + The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. [I Pet. 3:10-12.] + When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles. + The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent. + Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. + He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. + Evil shall cause the death of the wicked; and they who hate the just and righteous shall be held guilty and shall be condemned. + The Lord redeems the lives of His servants, and none of those who take refuge and trust in Him shall be condemned or held guilty. + + + [A Psalm] of David. CONTEND, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! + Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help! + Draw out also the spear and javelin and close up the way of those who pursue and persecute me. Say to me, I am your deliverance! + Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek and require my life; let them be turned back and confounded who plan my hurt! + Let them be as chaff before the wind, with the Angel of the Lord driving them on! + Let their way be through dark and slippery places, with the Angel of the Lord pursuing and afflicting them. + For without cause they hid for me their net; a pit of destruction without cause they dug for my life. + Let destruction befall [my foe] unawares; let the net he hid for me catch him; let him fall into that very destruction. + Then I shall be joyful in the Lord; I shall rejoice in His deliverance. + All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like You, You Who deliver the poor and the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who snatches away his goods? + Malicious and unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not. + They reward me evil for good to my personal bereavement. + But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting, and I prayed with head bowed on my breast. + I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother; I bowed down in sorrow, as one who bewails his mother. + But in my stumbling and limping they rejoiced and gathered together [against me]; the smiters (slanderers and revilers) gathered against me, and I knew them not; they ceased not to slander and revile me. + Like profane mockers at feasts [making sport for the price of a cake] they gnashed at me with their teeth. + Lord, how long will You look on [without action]? Rescue my life from their destructions, my dear and only life from the lions! + I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among a mighty throng. + Let not those who are wrongfully my foes rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause. [John 15:24, 25.] + For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against those who are quiet in the land. + Yes, they open their mouths wide against me; they say, Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it! + You have seen this, O Lord; keep not silence! O Lord, be not far from me! + Arouse Yourself, awake to the justice due me, even to my cause, my God and my Lord! + Judge and vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness (Your rightness and justice); and let [my foes] not rejoice over me! + Let them not say in their hearts, Aha, that is what we wanted! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up and utterly destroyed him. + Let them be put to shame and confusion together who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify and exalt themselves over me! + Let those who favor my righteous cause and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. + And my tongue shall talk of Your righteousness, rightness, and justice, and of [my reasons for] Your praise all the day long. + + + To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David the servant of the Lord. TRANSGRESSION [like an oracle] speaks to the wicked deep in his heart. There is no fear or dread of God before his eyes. [Rom. 3:18.] + For he flatters and deceives himself in his own eyes that his iniquity will not be found out and be hated. + The words of his mouth are wrong and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. + He plans wrongdoing on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject or despise evil. + Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds. + Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgments are like the great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast. + How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. + They relish and feast on the abundance of Your house; and You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasures. + For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. [John 4:10, 14.] + O continue Your loving-kindness to those who know You, Your righteousness (salvation) to the upright in heart. + Let not the foot of pride overtake me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. + There the workers of iniquity fall and lie prostrate; they are thrust down and shall not be able to rise. + + + [A Psalm] of David. FRET NOT yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness (that which is not upright or in right standing with God). + For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. + Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. + Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. + Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. + And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday. + Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. + Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not yourself--it tends only to evildoing. + For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit the earth. [Isa. 57:13c.] + For yet a little while, and the evildoers will be no more; though you look with care where they used to be, they will not be found. [Heb. 10:36, 37; Rev. 21:7, 8.] + But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. [Ps. 37:29; Matt. 5:5.] + The wicked plot against the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright in right standing with God); they gnash at them with their teeth. + The Lord laughs at [the wicked], for He sees that their own day [of defeat] is coming. + The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who walk uprightly (blameless in conduct and in conversation). + The swords [of the wicked] shall enter their own hearts, and their bows shall be broken. + Better is the little that the [uncompromisingly] righteous have than the abundance [of possessions] of many who are wrong and wicked. [I Tim. 6:6, 7.] + For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the [consistently] righteous. + The Lord knows the days of the upright and blameless, and their heritage will abide forever. + They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. + But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke] and as the glory of the pastures. They shall vanish; like smoke shall they consume away. + The wicked borrow and pay not again [for they may be unable], but the [uncompromisingly] righteous deal kindly and give [for they are able]. + For such as are blessed of God shall [in the end] inherit the earth, but they that are cursed of Him shall be cut off. [Isa. 57:13c.] + The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. + Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him. + I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the [uncompromisingly] righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread. + All day long they are merciful and deal graciously; they lend, and their offspring are blessed. + Depart from evil and do good; and you will dwell forever [securely]. + For the Lord delights in justice and forsakes not His saints; they are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked [in time] shall be cut off. + [Then] the [consistently] righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. + The mouth of the [uncompromisingly] righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks with justice. + The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. + The wicked lie in wait for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and seek to put them to death. + The Lord will not leave them in their hands, or [suffer them to] condemn them when they are judged. + Wait for and expect the Lord and keep and heed His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; [in the end] when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. + I have seen a wicked man in great power and spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil, + Yet he passed away, and behold, he was not; yes, I sought and inquired for him, but he could not be found. + Mark the blameless man and behold the upright, for there is a happy end for the man of peace. + As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together; in the end the wicked shall be cut off. + But the salvation of the [consistently] righteous is of the Lord; He is their Refuge and secure Stronghold in the time of trouble. + And the Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they trust and take refuge in Him. + + + A Psalm of David; to bring to remembrance and make memorial. O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, neither chasten me in Your hot displeasure. + For Your arrows have sunk into me and stick fast, and Your hand has come down upon me and pressed me sorely. + There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; neither is there any health or rest in my bones because of my sin. + For my iniquities have gone over my head [like waves of a flood]; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. + My wounds are loathsome and corrupt because of my foolishness. + I am bent and bowed down greatly; I go about mourning all the day long. + For my loins are filled with burning; and there is no soundness in my flesh. + I am faint and sorely bruised [deadly cold and quite worn out]; I groan by reason of the disquiet and moaning of my heart. + Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. + My heart throbs, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also is gone from me. + My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my neighbors and my near ones stand afar off. [Luke 23:49.] + They also that seek and demand my life lay snares for me, and they that seek and require my hurt speak crafty and mischievous things; they meditate treachery and deceit all the day long. + But I, like a deaf man, hear not; and I am like a dumb man who opens not his mouth. + Yes, I have become like a man who hears not, in whose mouth are no arguments or replies. + For in You, O Lord, do I hope; You will answer, O Lord my God. + For I pray, Let them not rejoice over me, who when my foot slips boast against me. + For I am ready to halt and fall; my pain and sorrow are continually before me. + For I do confess my guilt and iniquity; I am filled with sorrow for my sin. [II Cor. 7:9, 10.] + But my enemies are vigorous and strong, and those who hate me wrongfully are multiplied. + They also that render evil for good are adversaries to me, because I follow the thing that is good. + Forsake me not, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me. + Make haste to help me, O Lord, my Salvation. + + + To the Chief Musician; for Jeduthun [founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David. I SAID, I will take heed and guard my ways, that I may sin not with my tongue; I will muzzle my mouth as with a bridle while the wicked are before me. + I was dumb with silence, I held my peace without profit and had no comfort away from good, while my distress was renewed. + My heart was hot within me. While I was musing, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: + Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days--what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here]. + Behold, You have made my days as [short as] handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Truly every man at his best is merely a breath! Selah [pause, and think calmly of that]! + Surely every man walks to and fro--like a shadow in a pantomime; surely for futility and emptiness he is in turmoil; each one heaps up riches, not knowing who will gather them. [I Cor. 7:31; James 4:14.] + And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You. + Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the scorn and reproach of the [self-confident] fool! + I am dumb, I open not my mouth, for it is You Who has done it. + Remove Your stroke away from me; I am consumed by the conflict and the blow of Your hand. + When with rebukes You correct and chasten man for sin, You waste his beauty like a moth and what is dear to him consumes away; surely every man is a mere breath. Selah [pause, and think calmly of that]! + Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not Your peace at my tears! For I am Your passing guest, a temporary resident, as all my fathers were. + O look away from me and spare me, that I may recover cheerfulness and encouraging strength and know gladness before I go and am no more! + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. + He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. + And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. [Ps. 5:11.] + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods. + Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered. + Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require. + Then said I, Behold, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me; + I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart. [Heb. 10:5-9.] + I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly [tidings of uprightness and right standing with God]. Behold, I have not restrained my lips, as You know, O Lord. + I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation. I have not hid away Your steadfast love and Your truth from the great assembly. [Acts 20:20, 27.] + Withhold not Your tender mercy from me, O Lord; let Your loving-kindness and Your truth continually preserve me! + For innumerable evils have compassed me about; my iniquities have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me and forsaken me. + Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me! + Let them be put to shame and confounded together who seek and require my life to destroy it; let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor who wish me evil and delight in my hurt! + Let them be desolate by reason of their shame who say to me, Aha, aha! + Let all those that seek and require You rejoice and be glad in You; let such as love Your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified! + [As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me. You are my Help and my Deliverer. O my God, do not tarry! [Ps. 70:1-5; I Pet. 5:7.] + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble. + The Lord will protect him and keep him alive; he shall be called blessed in the land; and You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. + The Lord will sustain, refresh, and strengthen him on his bed of languishing; all his bed You [O Lord] will turn, change, and transform in his illness. + I said, Lord, be merciful and gracious to me; heal my inner self, for I have sinned against You. + My enemies speak evil of me, [saying], When will he die and his name perish? + And when one comes to see me, he speaks falsehood and empty words, while his heart gathers mischievous gossip [against me]; when he goes away, he tells it abroad. + All who hate me whisper together about me; against me do they devise my hurt [imagining the worst for me]. + An evil disease, say they, is poured out upon him and cleaves fast to him; and now that he is bedfast, he will not rise up again. + Even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted (relied on and was confident), who ate of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. [John 13:18.] + But You, O Lord, be merciful and gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. + By this I know that You favor and delight in me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. + And as for me, You have upheld me in my integrity and set me in Your presence forever. + Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting [from this age to the next, and forever]! Amen and Amen (so be it). + + + To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of the sons of Korah. AS THE hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. + My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? [John 7:37; I Thess. 1:9, 10.] + My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, Where is your God? + These things I [earnestly] remember and pour myself out within me: how I went slowly before the throng and led them in procession to the house of God [like a bandmaster before his band, timing the steps to the sound of music and the chant of song], with the voice of shouting and praise, a throng keeping festival. + Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. + O my God, my life is cast down upon me [and I find the burden more than I can bear]; therefore will I [earnestly] remember You from the land of the Jordan [River] and the [summits of Mount] Hermon, from the little mountain Mizar. + [Roaring] deep calls to [roaring] deep at the thunder of Your waterspouts; all Your breakers and Your rolling waves have gone over me. + Yet the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life. + I will say to God my Rock, Why have You forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? + As with a sword [crushing] in my bones, my enemies taunt and reproach me, while they say continually to me, Where is your God? + Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God. + + + JUDGE and vindicate me, O God; plead and defend my cause against an ungodly nation. O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! + For You are the God of my strength [my Stronghold--in Whom I take refuge]; why have You cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? + O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling. + Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy; yes, with the lyre will I praise You, O God, my God! + Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God. + + + To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. WE HAVE heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us [what] work You did in their days, in the days of old. + You drove out the nations with Your hand and it was Your power that gave [Israel] a home by rooting out the [heathen] peoples, but [Israel] You spread out. + For they got not the land [of Canaan] in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [did it], because You were favorable toward and did delight in them. + You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel). + Through You shall we push down our enemies; through Your name shall we tread them under who rise up against us. + For I will not trust in and lean on my bow, neither shall my sword save me. + But You have saved us from our foes and have put them to shame who hate us. + In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + But now You have cast us off and brought us to dishonor, and You go not out with our armies. + You make us to turn back from the enemy, and they who hate us take spoil for themselves. + You have made us like sheep intended for mutton and have scattered us in exile among the nations. + You sell Your people for nothing, and have not increased Your wealth by their price. + You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are round about us. + You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the heads among the people. + My dishonor is before me all day long, and shame has covered my face + At the words of the taunter and reviler, by reason of the enemy and the revengeful. + All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten You, neither have we been false to Your covenant [which You made with our fathers]. + Our hearts are not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Your path, + Though You have distressingly broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with deep darkness, even with the shadow of death. + If we had forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange god, + Would not God discover this? For He knows the secrets of the heart. + No, but for Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. [Rom. 8:35-39.] + Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arouse Yourself, cast us not off forever! + Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and our oppression? + For our lives are bowed down to the dust; our bodies cleave to the ground. + Rise up! Come to our help, and deliver us for Your mercy's sake and because of Your steadfast love! + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Lilies" [probably a popular air. A Psalm] of the sons of Korah. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. A song of love. MY HEART overflows with a goodly theme; I address my psalm to a King. My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer. + You are fairer than the children of men; graciousness is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever. + Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O mighty One, in Your glory and Your majesty! + And in Your majesty ride on triumphantly for the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); and let Your right hand guide You to tremendous things. + Your arrows are sharp; the peoples fall under You; Your darts pierce the hearts of the King's enemies. + Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. + You love righteousness, uprightness, and right standing with God and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows. [Heb. 1:8, 9.] + Your garments are all fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia; stringed instruments make You glad. + Kings' daughters are among Your honorable women; at Your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. + Hear, O daughter, consider, submit, and consent to my instruction: forget also your own people and your father's house; + So will the King desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, be submissive and reverence and honor Him. + And, O daughter of Tyre, the richest of the people shall entreat your favor with a gift. + The King's daughter in the inner part [of the palace] is all glorious; her clothing is inwrought with gold. [Rev. 19:7, 8.] + She shall be brought to the King in raiment of needlework; with the virgins, her companions that follow her, she shall be brought to You. + With gladness and rejoicing will they be brought; they will enter into the King's palace. + Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, whom You will make princes in all the land. + I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore shall the people praise and give You thanks forever and ever. + + + To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah, set to treble voices. A song. GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. + Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas, + Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. + God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning]. + The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. + The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth. + He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire. + Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! + The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. O CLAP your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy! + For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth. + He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. + He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [I Pet. 1:4, 5.] + God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. + Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! + For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. + God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne. + The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. + + + A song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. GREAT IS the Lord, and highly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, + Fair and beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth--Mount Zion [the City of David], to the northern side [Mount Moriah and the temple], the [whole] city of the Great King! [Matt. 5:35.] + God has made Himself known in her palaces as a Refuge (a High Tower and a Stronghold). + For, behold, the kings assembled, they came onward and they passed away together. + They looked, they were amazed; they were stricken with terror and took to flight [affrighted and dismayed]. + Trembling took hold of them there, and pain as of a woman in childbirth. + With the east wind You shattered the ships of Tarshish. + As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + We have thought of Your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Your temple. + As is Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness (rightness and justice). + Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your [righteous] judgments! + Walk about Zion, and go round about her, number her towers (her lofty and noble deeds of past days), + Consider well her ramparts, go through her palaces and citadels, that you may tell the next generation [and cease recalling disappointments]. + For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide [even] until death. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. HEAR THIS, all you peoples; give ear, all you inhabitants of the world, + Both low and high, rich and poor together: + My mouth shall speak wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. + I will submit and consent to a parable or proverb; to the music of a lyre I will unfold my riddle (my problem). + Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of those who would supplant me surrounds me on every side, + Even of those who trust in and lean on their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? + None of them can by any means redeem [either himself or] his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him-- + For the ransom of a life is too costly, and [the price one can pay] can never suffice-- + So that he should live on forever and never see the pit (the grave) and corruption. + For he sees that even wise men die; the [self-confident] fool and the stupid alike perish and leave their wealth to others. + Their inward thought is that their houses will continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands their own [apart from God] and after their own names. + But man, with all his honor and pomp, does not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. + This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident, yet after them men approve their sayings. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol (the place of the dead); death shall be their shepherd. And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their form and beauty shall be consumed, for Sheol shall be their dwelling. + But God will redeem me from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead); for He will receive me. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Be not afraid when [an ungodly] one is made rich, when the wealth and glory of his house are increased; + For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not descend after him. + Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous, and though a man gets praise when he does well [for himself], + He will go to the generation of his fathers, who will nevermore see the light. + A man who is held in honor and understands not is like the beasts that perish. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. THE MIGHTY One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. + Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. + Our God comes and does not keep silence; a fire devours before Him, and round about Him a mighty tempest rages. + He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He may judge His people: + Gather together to Me My saints [those who have found grace in My sight], those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. + And the heavens declare His righteousness (rightness and justice), for God, He is judge. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify to you and against you: I am God, your God. + I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before Me. + I will accept no bull from your house nor he-goat out of your folds. + For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills or upon the mountains where thousands are. + I know and am acquainted with all the birds of the mountains, and the wild animals of the field are Mine and are with Me, in My mind. + If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine. [I Cor. 10:26.] + Shall I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? + Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High, + And call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor and glorify Me. + But to the wicked, God says: What right have you to recite My statutes or take My covenant or pledge on your lips, + Seeing that you hate instruction and correction and cast My words behind you [discarding them]? + When you see a thief, you associate with him, and you have taken part with adulterers. + You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. + You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. + These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was once entirely like you. But [now] I will reprove you and put [the charge] in order before your eyes. + Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. + He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions. + Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin! + For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me. + Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment. [Rom. 3:4.] + Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. [John 3:6; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:3.] + Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart. + Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow. + Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice. + Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. + Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. + Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. + Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. + Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You. + Deliver me from bloodguiltiness and death, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness (Your rightness and Your justice). + O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. + For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering. [I Sam. 15:22.] + My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. + Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. + Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, justice, and right, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then bullocks will be offered upon Your altar. + + + To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. [A Psalm] of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, David has come to the house of Ahimelech. WHY BOAST you of mischief done against the loving-kindness of God [and the godly], O mighty [sinful] man, day after day? + Your tongue devises wickedness; it is like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. + You love evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness, justice, and right. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + You love all destroying and devouring words, O deceitful tongue. + God will likewise break you down and destroy you forever; He will lay hold of you and pluck you out of your tent and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + The [uncompromisingly] righteous also shall see [it] and be in reverent fear and awe, but about you they will [scoffingly] laugh, saying, + See, this is the man who made not God his strength (his stronghold and high tower) but trusted in and confidently relied on the abundance of his riches, seeking refuge and security for himself through his wickedness. + But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in and confidently rely on the loving-kindness and the mercy of God forever and ever. + I will thank You and confide in You forever, because You have done it [delivered me and kept me safe]. I will wait on, hope in and expect in Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your saints (Your kind and pious ones). + + + To the Chief Musician; in a mournful strain. A skillful song, or didactic or reflective poem of David. THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt and evil are they, and doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. + God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, who sought (inquired after and desperately required) God. + Every one of them has gone back [backslidden and fallen away]; they have altogether become filthy and corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. [Rom. 3:10-12.] + Have those who work evil no knowledge (no understanding)? They eat up My people as they eat bread; they do not call upon God. + There they are, in terror and dread, where there was [and had been] no terror and dread! For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; you have put them to shame, because God has rejected them. + Oh, that the salvation and deliverance of Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, then will Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. + + + To the Chief Musician; with stringed instruments. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, David is hiding among us. SAVE ME, O God, by Your name; judge and vindicate me by Your mighty strength and power. + Hear my pleading and my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. + For strangers and insolent men are rising up against me, and violent men and ruthless ones seek and demand my life; they do not set God before them. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Behold, God is my helper and ally; the Lord is my upholder and is with them who uphold my life. + He will pay back evil to my enemies; in Your faithfulness [Lord] put an end to them. + With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks and praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. + For He has delivered me out of every trouble, and my eye has looked [in triumph] on my enemies. + + + To the Chief Musician; with stringed instruments. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David. LISTEN TO my prayer, O God, and hide not Yourself from my supplication! + Attend to me and answer me; I am restless and distraught in my complaint and must moan + [And I am distracted] at the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression and threats of the wicked; for they would cast trouble upon me, and in wrath they persecute me. + My heart is grievously pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. + Fear and trembling have come upon me; horror and fright have overwhelmed me. + And I say, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. + Yes, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + I would hasten to escape and to find a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest. + Destroy [their schemes], O Lord, confuse their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. + Day and night they go about on its walls; iniquity and mischief are in its midst. + Violence and ruin are within it; fraud and guile do not depart from its streets and marketplaces. + For it is not an enemy who reproaches and taunts me--then I might bear it; nor is it one who has hated me who insolently vaunts himself against me--then I might hide from him. + But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend. + We had sweet fellowship together and used to walk to the house of God in company. + Let desolations and death come suddenly upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol (the place of the dead), for evils are in their habitations, in their hearts, and their inmost part. + As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me. + Evening and morning and at noon will I utter my complaint and moan and sigh, and He will hear my voice. + He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me [so that none came near me], for they were many who strove with me. + God will hear and humble them, even He Who abides of old--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!--because in them there has been no change [of heart], and they do not fear, revere, and worship God. + [My companion] has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has broken and profaned his agreement [of friendship and loyalty]. + The words of his mouth were smoother than cream or butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. + Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). [I Pet. 5:7.] + But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in, lean on, and confidently rely on You. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Silent Dove Among Those Far Away." Of David. A record of memorable thoughts when the Philistines seized him in Gath. BE MERCIFUL and gracious to me, O God, for man would trample me or devour me; all the day long the adversary oppresses me. + They that lie in wait for me would swallow me up or trample me all day long, for they are many who fight against me, O Most High! + What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. + By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me? + All day long they twist my words and trouble my affairs; all their thoughts are against me for evil and my hurt. + They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they watch my steps, even as they have [expectantly] waited for my life. + They think to escape with iniquity, and shall they? In Your indignation bring down the peoples, O God. + You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle--are they not in Your book? + Then shall my enemies turn back in the day that I cry out; this I know, for God is for me. [Rom. 8:31.] + In God, Whose word I praise, in the Lord, Whose word I praise, + In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? + Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render praise to You and give You thank offerings. + For You have delivered my life from death, yes, and my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life and of the living. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Do Not Destroy." A record of memorable thoughts of David when he fled from Saul in the cave. BE MERCIFUL and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed. + I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! + He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness. + My life is among lions; I must lie among those who are aflame--the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords. + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth! + They set a net for my steps; my very life was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody. + Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awaken the dawn]! + I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. + For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds. + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Do Not Destroy." A record of memorable thoughts of David. DO YOU indeed in silence speak righteousness, O you mighty ones? [Or is the righteousness, rightness, and justice you should speak quite dumb?] Do you judge fairly and uprightly, O you sons of men? + No, in your heart you devise wickedness; you deal out in the land the violence of your hands. + The ungodly are perverse and estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. + Their poison is like the venom of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder or asp that stops its ear, + Which listens not to the voice of charmers or of the enchanter never casting spells so cunningly. + Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths; break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord. + Let them melt away as water which runs on apace; when he aims his arrows, let them be as if they were headless or split apart. + Let them be as a snail dissolving slime as it passes on or as a festering sore which wastes away, like [the child to which] a woman gives untimely birth that has not seen the sun. + Before your pots can feel the thorns [that are placed under them for fuel], He will take them away as with a whirlwind, the green and the burning ones alike. + The [unyieldingly] righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. + Men will say, Surely there is a reward for the [uncompromisingly] righteous; surely there is a God Who judges on the earth. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Do Not Destroy." Of David, a record of memorable thoughts when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. DELIVER ME from my enemies, O my God; defend and protect me from those who rise up against me. + Deliver me from and lift me above those who work evil and save me from bloodthirsty men. + For, behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce and mighty men are banding together against me, not for my transgression nor for any sin of mine, O Lord. + They run and prepare themselves, though there is no fault in me; rouse Yourself [O Lord] to meet and help me, and see! + You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to visit all the nations; spare none and be not merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs, and go [prowling] about the city. + Behold, they belch out [insults] with their mouths; swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips, for who, they think, hears us? + But You, O Lord, will laugh at them [in scorn]; You will hold all the nations in derision. + O my Strength, I will watch and give heed to You and sing praises; for God is my Defense (my Protector and High Tower). + My God in His mercy and steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look [triumphantly] on my enemies (those who lie in wait for me). + Slay them not, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power and make them wander to and fro, and bring them down, O Lord our Shield! + For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them even be trapped and taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they utter. + Consume them in wrath, consume them so that they shall be no more; and let them know unto the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob (Israel). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + And at evening let them return; let them howl and snarl like dogs, and go prowling about the city. + Let them wander up and down for food and tarry all night if they are not satisfied (not getting their fill). + But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress. + Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower, the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``The Lily of the Testimony." A poem of David intended to record memorable thoughts and to teach; when he had striven with the Arameans of Mesopotamia and the Arameans of Zobah, and when Joab returned and smote twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. O GOD, You have rejected us and cast us off, broken down [our defenses], and scattered us; You have been angry--O restore us and turn Yourself to us again! + You have made the land to quake and tremble, You have rent it [open]; repair its breaches, for it shakes and totters. + You have made Your people suffer hard things; You have given us to drink wine that makes us reel and be dazed. + [But now] You have set up a banner for those who fear and worshipfully revere You [to which they may flee from the bow], a standard displayed because of the truth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + That Your beloved ones may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer us [or me]. + God has spoken in His holiness [in His promises]: I will rejoice, I will divide and portion out [the land] Shechem and the Valley of Succoth [west to east]. + Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is My helmet (the defense of My head); Judah is My scepter and My lawgiver. + Moab is My washpot [reduced to vilest servitude]; upon Edom I cast My shoe in triumph; over Philistia I raise the shout of victory. + Who will bring me [David] into the strong city [of Petra]? Who will lead me into Edom? + Have You not rejected us, O God? And will You not go forth, O God, with our armies? + O give us help against the adversary, for vain (ineffectual and to no purpose) is the help or salvation of man. + Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is Who shall tread down our adversaries. + + + To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. [A Psalm] of David. HEAR MY cry, O God; listen to my prayer. + From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me]. + For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary. + I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name. + May You prolong the [true] King's life [adding days upon days], and may His years be to the last generation [of this world and the generations of the world to come]. + May He sit enthroned forever before [the face of] God; O ordain that loving-kindness and faithfulness may watch over Him! + So will I sing praise to Your name forever, paying my vows day by day. + + + To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David. FOR GOD alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. + He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved. + How long will you set upon a man that you may slay him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? + They only consult to cast him down from his height [to dishonor him]; they delight in lies. They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him. + He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. + With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God! + Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Men of low degree [in the social scale] are emptiness (futility, a breath) and men of high degree [in the same scale] are a lie and a delusion. In the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. + Trust not in and rely confidently not on extortion and oppression, and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. + God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. + Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work. [Jer. 17:10; Rev. 22:12.] + + + A Psalm of David; when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. + So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. + Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. + So will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. + My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips + When I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches. + For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice. + My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me. + But those who seek and demand my life to ruin and destroy it shall [themselves be destroyed and] go into the lower parts of the earth [into the underworld of the dead]. + They shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a prey for foxes and jackals. + But the king shall rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him [that is, who binds himself by God's authority, acknowledging His supremacy, and devoting himself to His glory and service alone; every such one] shall glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies shall be stopped. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. HEAR MY voice, O God, in my complaint; guard and preserve my life from the terror of the enemy. + Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly, from the scheming of evildoers, + Who whet their tongues like a sword, who aim venomous words like arrows, + Who shoot from ambush at the blameless man; suddenly do they shoot at him, without self-reproach or fear. + They encourage themselves in an evil purpose, they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who will discover us? + They think out acts of injustice and say, We have accomplished a well-devised thing! For the inward thought of each one [is unsearchable] and his heart is deep. + But God will shoot an unexpected arrow at them; and suddenly shall they be wounded. + And they will be made to stumble, their own tongues turning against them; all who gaze upon them will shake their heads and flee away. + And all men shall [reverently] fear and be in awe; and they will declare the work of God, for they will wisely consider and acknowledge that it is His doing. + The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust and take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory and offer praise. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A song. TO YOU belongs silence (the submissive wonder of reverence which bursts forth into praise) and praise is due and fitting to You, O God, in Zion; and to You shall the vow be performed. + O You Who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come. + Iniquities and much varied guilt prevail against me; [yet] as for our transgressions, You forgive and purge them away [make atonement for them and cover them out of Your sight]! + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You choose and cause to come near, that he may dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple. + By fearful and glorious things [that terrify the wicked but make the godly sing praises] do You answer us in righteousness (rightness and justice), O God of our salvation, You Who are the confidence and hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off on the seas; + Who by [Your] might have founded the mountains, being girded with power, + Who still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples, + So that those who dwell in earth's farthest parts are afraid of [nature's] signs of Your presence. You make the places where morning and evening have birth to shout for joy. + You visit the earth and saturate it with water; You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide them with grain when You have so prepared the earth. + You water the field's furrows abundantly, You settle the ridges of it; You make the soil soft with showers, blessing the sprouting of its vegetation. + You crown the year with Your bounty and goodness, and the tracks of Your [chariot wheels] drip with fatness. + The [luxuriant] pastures in the uncultivated country drip [with moisture], and the hills gird themselves with joy. + The meadows are clothed with flocks, the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy and sing together. + + + To the Chief Musician. A song. A Psalm. MAKE A joyful noise unto God, all the earth; + Sing forth the honor and glory of His name; make His praise glorious! + Say to God, How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power shall Your enemies submit themselves to You [with feigned and reluctant obedience]. + All the earth shall bow down to You and sing [praises] to You; they shall praise Your name in song. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Come and see the works of God; see how [to save His people He smites their foes; He is] terrible in His doings toward the children of men. + He turned the sea into dry land, they crossed through the river on foot; there did we rejoice in Him. + He rules by His might forever, His eyes observe and keep watch over the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Bless our God, O peoples, give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard, + Who put and kept us among the living, and has not allowed our feet to slip. + For You, O God, have proved us; You have tried us as silver is tried, refined, and purified. + You brought us into the net (the prison fortress, the dungeon); You laid a heavy burden upon our loins. + You caused men to ride over our heads [when we were prostrate]; we went through fire and through water, but You brought us out into a broad, moist place [to abundance and refreshment and the open air]. + I will come into Your house with burnt offerings [of entire consecration]; I will pay You my vows, + Which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in distress. + I will offer to You burnt offerings of fat lambs, with rams consumed in sweet-smelling smoke; I will offer bullocks and he-goats. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Come and hear, all you who reverently and worshipfully fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me! + I cried aloud to Him; He was extolled and high praise was under my tongue. + If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me; [Prov. 15:29; 28:9; Isa. 1:15; John 9:31; James 4:3.] + But certainly God has heard me; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. + Blessed be God, Who has not rejected my prayer nor removed His mercy and loving-kindness from being [as it always is] with me. + + + To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song. GOD BE merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!-- + That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations. + Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You. + O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples fairly and guide, lead, or drive the nations upon earth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You! + The earth has yielded its harvest [in evidence of God's approval]; God, even our own God, will bless us. + God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall reverently fear Him. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A song. GOD IS [already] beginning to arise, and His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate Him flee before Him! + As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before the presence of God. + But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice! + Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts--His name is the Lord--be in high spirits and glory before Him! + A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. + God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. + O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!-- + The earth trembled, the heavens also poured down [rain] at the presence of God; yonder Sinai quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. + You, O God, did send a plentiful rain; You did restore and confirm Your heritage when it languished and was weary. + Your flock found a dwelling place in it; You, O God, in Your goodness did provide for the poor and needy. + The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host. + The kings of the enemies' armies, they flee, they flee! She who tarries at home divides the spoil [left behind]. + Though you [the slackers] may lie among the sheepfolds [in slothful ease, yet for Israel] the wings of a dove are covered with silver, its pinions excessively green with gold [are trophies taken from the enemy]. + When the Almighty scattered kings in [the land], it was as when it snows on Zalmon [a wooded hill near Shechem]. + Is Mount Bashan the high mountain of summits, Mount Bashan [east of the Jordan] the mount of God? + Why do you look with grudging and envy, you many-peaked mountains, at the mountain [of the city called Zion] which God has desired for His dwelling place? Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever. + The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them as He was in Sinai, [so also] in the Holy Place (the sanctuary in Jerusalem). + You have ascended on high. You have led away captive a train of vanquished foes; You have received gifts of men, yes, of the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there with them. [Eph. 4:8.] + Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + God is to us a God of deliverances and salvation; and to God the Lord belongs escape from death [setting us free]. + But God will shatter the heads of His enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses and guilty ways. + The Lord said, I will bring back [your enemies] from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea, + That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe. + They see Your goings, O God, even the [solemn processions] of my God, my King, into the sanctuary [in holiness]. + The singers go in front, the players on instruments last; between them the maidens are playing on tambourines. + Bless, give thanks, and gratefully praise God in full congregations, even the Lord, O you who are from [Jacob] the fountain of Israel. + There is little Benjamin in the lead [in the procession], the princes of Judah and their company, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali. + Your God has commanded your strength [your might in His service and impenetrable hardness to temptation]; O God, display Your might and strengthen what You have wrought for us! + [Out of respect] for Your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bring gifts to You. + Rebuke the wild beasts dwelling among the reeds [in Egypt], the herd of bulls (the leaders) with the calves of the peoples; trample underfoot those who lust for tribute money; scatter the peoples who delight in war. + Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hands [with the offerings of submission] to God. + Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + [Sing praises] to Him Who rides upon the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, He sends forth His voice, His mighty voice. + Ascribe power and strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength and might are in the skies. + O God, awe-inspiring, profoundly impressive, and terrible are You out of Your holy places; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and fullness of might to His people. Blessed be God! + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Lilies." [A Psalm] of David. SAVE ME, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck [they threaten my life]. + I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overwhelm me. + I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail with waiting [hopefully] for my God. + Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would cut me off and destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are many and mighty. I am [forced] to restore what I did not steal. [John 15:25.] + O God, You know my folly and blundering; my sins and my guilt are not hidden from You. + Let not those who wait and hope and look for You, O Lord of hosts, be put to shame through me; let not those who seek and inquire for and require You [as their vital necessity] be brought to confusion and dishonor through me, O God of Israel. + Because for Your sake I have borne taunt and reproach; confusion and shame have covered my face. + I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother's children. [John 7:3-5.] + For zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches and insults of those who reproach and insult You have fallen upon me. [John 2:17; Rom. 15:3.] + When I wept and humbled myself with fasting, I was jeered at and humiliated; + When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword (an object of scorn) to them. + They who sit in [the city's] gate talk about me, and I am the song of the drunkards. + But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord. At an acceptable and opportune time, O God, in the multitude of Your mercy and the abundance of Your loving-kindness hear me, and in the truth and faithfulness of Your salvation answer me. + Rescue me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me and from out of the deep waters. + Let not the floodwaters overflow and overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up nor the [dug] pit [with water perhaps in the bottom] close its mouth over me. + Hear and answer me, O Lord, for Your loving-kindness is sweet and comforting; according to Your plenteous tender mercy and steadfast love turn to me. + Hide not Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; O answer me speedily! + Draw close to me and redeem me; ransom and set me free because of my enemies [lest they glory in my prolonged distress]! + You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before You [fully known to You]. + Insults and reproach have broken my heart; I am full of heaviness and I am distressingly sick. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. + They gave me also gall [poisonous and bitter] for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar (a soured wine) to drink. [Matt. 27:34, 48.] + Let their own table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare to them; and when they are secure in peace [or at their sacrificial feasts, let it become] a trap to them. + Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually [from terror, dismay, and feebleness]. + Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let the fierceness of Your burning anger catch up with them. + Let their habitation and their encampment be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. [Matt. 23:38; Acts 1:20.] + For they pursue and persecute him whom You have smitten, and they gossip about those whom You have wounded, [adding] to their grief and pain. + Let one [unforgiven] perverseness and iniquity accumulate upon another for them [in Your book], and let them not come into Your righteousness or be justified and acquitted by You. + Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and the book of life and not be enrolled among the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with God). [Rev. 3:4, 5; 20:12, 15; 21:27.] + But I am poor, sorrowful, and in pain; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. + I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving, + And it will please the Lord better than an ox or a bullock that has horns and hoofs. + The humble shall see it and be glad; you who seek God, inquiring for and requiring Him [as your first need], let your hearts revive and live! [Ps. 22:26; 42:1.] + For the Lord hears the poor and needy and despises not His prisoners (His miserable and wounded ones). + Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. + For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and [His servants] shall remain and dwell there and have it in their possession; + The children of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His name shall dwell in it. + + + To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, to bring to remembrance or make memorial. MAKE HASTE, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord! + Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek and demand my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion and dishonor who desire and delight in my hurt. + Let them be turned back and appalled because of their shame and disgrace who say, Aha, aha! + May all those who seek, inquire of and for You, and require You [as their vital need] rejoice and be glad in You; and may those who love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified! + But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my Help and my Deliverer; O Lord, do not tarry! + + + IN YOU, O Lord, do I put my trust and confidently take refuge; let me never be put to shame or confusion! + Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape; bow down Your ear to me and save me! + Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress. + Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man. + For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence. + Upon You have I leaned and relied from birth; You are He Who took me from my mother's womb and You have been my benefactor from that day. My praise is continually of You. + I am as a wonder and surprise to many, but You are my strong refuge. + My mouth shall be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day. + Cast me not off nor send me away in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent and my powers fail. + For my enemies talk against me; those who watch for my life consult together, + Saying, God has forsaken him; pursue and persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. + O God, be not far from me! O my God, make haste to help me! + Let them be put to shame and consumed who are adversaries to my life; let them be covered with reproach, scorn, and dishonor who seek and require my hurt. + But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. + My mouth shall tell of Your righteous acts and of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is more than I know. + I will come in the strength and with the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will mention and praise Your righteousness, even Yours alone. + O God, You have taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared Your wondrous works. + Yes, even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, [but keep me alive] until I have declared Your mighty strength to [this] generation, and Your might and power to all that are to come. + Your righteousness also, O God, is very high [reaching to the heavens], You Who have done great things; O God, who is like You, or who is Your equal? + You Who have shown us [all] troubles great and sore will quicken us again and will bring us up again from the depths of the earth. + Increase my greatness (my honor) and turn and comfort me. + I will also praise You with the harp, even Your truth and faithfulness, O my God; unto You will I sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. + My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises to You, and my inner being, which You have redeemed. + My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; for they are put to shame, for they are confounded, who seek and demand my hurt. + + + [A Psalm] for Solomon. GIVE THE king [knowledge of] Your [way of] judging, O God, and [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king's son [to control all his actions]. + Let him judge and govern Your people with righteousness, and Your poor and afflicted ones with judgment and justice. + The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, through [the general establishment of] righteousness. + May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor, + So that they may revere and fear You while the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. + May he [Solomon as a type of King David's greater Son] be like rain that comes down upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. + In His [Christ's] days shall the [uncompromisingly] righteous flourish and peace abound till there is a moon no longer. [Isa. 11:3-9.] + He [Christ] shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. [Zech. 14:9.] + Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him and His enemies shall lick the dust. + The kings of Tarshish and of the coasts shall bring offerings; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. + Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him. [Ps. 138:4.] + For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper. + He will have pity on the poor and weak and needy and will save the lives of the needy. + He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight. + And He shall live; and to Him shall be given gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for Him and through Him continually, and they shall bless and praise Him all the day long. + There shall be abundance of grain in the soil upon the top of the mountains [the least fruitful places in the land]; the fruit of it shall wave like [the forests of] Lebanon, and [the inhabitants of] the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. + His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun [indeed, His name continues before the sun]. And men shall be blessed and bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed! + Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wondrous things! + Blessed be His glorious name forever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen! + The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. TRULY GOD is [only] good to Israel, even to those who are upright and pure in heart. + But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped. + For I was envious of the foolish and arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. + For they suffer no violent pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. + They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men. + Therefore pride is about their necks like a chain; violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe]. + Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish; and the imaginations of their minds overflow [with follies]. + They scoff, and wickedly utter oppression; they speak loftily [from on high, maliciously and blasphemously]. + They set their mouths against and speak down from heaven, and their tongues swagger through the earth [invading even heaven with blasphemy and smearing earth with slanders]. [Rev. 13:6.] + Therefore His people return here, and waters of a full cup [offered by the wicked] are [blindly] drained by them. + And they say, How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High? + Behold, these are the ungodly, who always prosper and are at ease in the world; they increase in riches. + Surely then in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency. + For all the day long have I been smitten and plagued, and chastened every morning. + Had I spoken thus [and given expression to my feelings], I would have been untrue and have dealt treacherously against the generation of Your children. + But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful + Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood [for I considered] their end. + [After all] You do set the [wicked] in slippery places; You cast them down to ruin and destruction. + How they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors! + As a dream [which seems real] until one awakens, so, O Lord, when You arouse Yourself [to take note of the wicked], You will despise their outward show. + For my heart was grieved, embittered, and in a state of ferment, and I was pricked in my heart [as with the sharp fang of an adder]. + So foolish, stupid, and brutish was I, and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. + Nevertheless I am continually with You; You do hold my right hand. + You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to honor and glory. + Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You. + My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever. + For behold, those who are far from You shall perish; You will destroy all who are false to You and like [spiritual] harlots depart from You. + But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works. + + + A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph. O GOD, why do You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger burn and smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? + [Earnestly] remember Your congregation which You have acquired of old, which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your heritage; remember Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. + Direct Your feet [quickly] to the perpetual ruins and desolations; the foe has devastated and desecrated everything in the sanctuary. + In the midst of Your Holy Place Your enemies have roared [with their battle cry]; they set up their own [idol] emblems for signs [of victory]. + They seemed like men who lifted up axes upon a thicket of trees to make themselves a record. + And then all the carved wood of the Holy Place they broke down with hatchets and hammers. + They have set Your sanctuary on fire; they have profaned the dwelling place of Your Name by casting it to the ground. + They said in their hearts, Let us make havoc [of such places] altogether. They have burned up all God's meetinghouses in the land. + We do not see our symbols; there is no longer any prophet, neither does any among us know for how long. + O God, how long is the adversary to scoff and reproach? Is the enemy to blaspheme and revile Your name forever? + Why do You hold back Your hand, even Your right hand? Draw it out of Your bosom and consume them [make an end of them]! + Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. + You did divide the [Red] Sea by Your might; You broke the heads of the [Egyptian] dragons in the waters. [Exod. 14:21.] + You crushed the heads of Leviathan (Egypt); You did give him as food for the creatures inhabiting the wilderness. + You did cleave open [the rock bringing forth] fountains and streams; You dried up mighty, ever-flowing rivers (the Jordan). [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11; Josh. 3:13.] + The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the [starry] light and the sun. + You have fixed all the borders of the earth [the divisions of land and sea and of the nations]; You have made summer and winter. [Acts17:26.] + [Earnestly] remember how the enemy has scoffed, O Lord, and reproached You, and how a foolish and impious people has blasphemed Your name. + Oh, do not deliver the life of your turtledove to the wild beast (to the greedy multitude); forget not the life [of the multitude] of Your poor forever. + Have regard for the covenant [You made with Abraham], for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. + Oh, let not the downtrodden return in shame; let the oppressed and needy praise Your name. + Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember [earnestly] how the foolish and impious man scoffs and reproaches You day after day and all day long. + Do not forget the [clamoring] voices of Your adversaries, the tumult of those who rise up against You, which ascends continually. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Do Not Destroy." A Psalm of Asaph. A song. WE GIVE praise and thanks to You, O God, we praise and give thanks; Your wondrous works declare that Your Name is near and they who invoke Your Name rehearse Your wonders. + When the proper time has come [for executing My judgments], I will judge uprightly [says the Lord]. + When the earth totters, and all the inhabitants of it, it is I Who will poise and keep steady its pillars. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + I said to the arrogant and boastful, Deal not arrogantly [do not boast]; and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn [of personal aggrandizement]. + Lift not up your [aggressive] horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck and insolent arrogance. + For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. [Isa. 14:13.] + But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another. + For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup [of His wrath], and the wine foams and is red, well mixed; and He pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth must drain it and drink its dregs. [Ps. 60:3; Jer. 25:15; Rev. 14:9, 10; 16:19.] + But I will declare and rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. + All the horns of the ungodly also will I cut off [says the Lord], but the horns of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be exalted. + + + To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. IN JUDAH God is known and renowned; His name is highly praised and is great in Israel. + In [Jeru]Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place is in Zion. + There He broke the bow's flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Glorious and excellent are You from the mountains of prey [splendid and majestic, more than the everlasting mountains]. + The stouthearted are stripped of their spoil, they have slept the sleep [of death]; and none of the men of might could raise their hands. + At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both chariot [rider] and horse are cast into a dead sleep [of death]. [Exod. 15:1, 21; Nah. 2:13; Zech. 12:4.] + You, even You, are to be feared [with awe and reverence]! Who may stand in Your presence when once Your anger is roused? + You caused sentence to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still-- + When God arose to [establish] judgment, to save all the meek and oppressed of the earth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; the remainder of wrath shall You restrain and gird and arm Yourself with it. + Vow and pay to the Lord your God; let all who are round about Him bring presents to Him Who ought to be [reverently] feared. + He will cut off the spirit [of pride and fury] of princes; He is terrible to the [ungodly] kings of the earth. + + + To the Chief Musician; after the manner of Jeduthun [one of David's three chief musicians, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of Asaph. I WILL cry to God with my voice, even to God with my voice, and He will give ear and hearken to me. + In the day of my trouble I seek (inquire of and desperately require) the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out [in prayer] without slacking up; I refuse to be comforted. + I [earnestly] remember God; I am disquieted and I groan; I muse in prayer, and my spirit faints [overwhelmed]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + You hold my eyes from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. + I consider the days of old, the years of bygone times [of prosperity]. + I call to remembrance my song in the night; with my heart I meditate and my spirit searches diligently: + Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? + Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time? + Has God [deliberately] abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + And I say, This [apparent desertion of Israel by God] is my appointed lot and trial, but I will recall the years of the right hand of the Most High [in loving-kindness extended toward us], for this is my grief, that the right hand of the Most High changes. + I will [earnestly] recall the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will [earnestly] remember the wonders [You performed for our fathers] of old. + I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds. + Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary [in holiness, away from sin and guilt]. Who is a great God like our God? + You are the God Who does wonders; You have demonstrated Your power among the peoples. + You have with Your [mighty] arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + When the waters [at the Red Sea and the Jordan] saw You, O God, they were afraid; the deep shuddered also, for [all] the waters saw You. + The clouds poured down water, the skies sent out a sound [of rumbling thunder]; Your arrows went forth [in forked lightning]. + The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind, the lightnings illumined the world; the earth trembled and shook. + Your way [in delivering Your people] was through the sea, and Your paths through the great waters, yet Your footsteps were not traceable, but were obliterated. + You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. + + + A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph. GIVE EAR, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. + I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [that hide important truth]--[Matt. 13:34, 35.] + Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. + We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed. + For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of God's dealings with Israel] known to their children, + That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children, + That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments + And might not be as their fathers--a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God. + The children of Ephraim were armed and carrying bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle. + They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk according to His law + And forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. + Marvelous things did He in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided]. + He divided the [Red] Sea and caused them to pass through it, and He made the waters stand like a heap. [Exod. 14:22.] + In the daytime also He led them with a [pillar of] cloud and all the night with a light of fire. [Exod. 13:21; 14:24.] + He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as out of the deep. + He brought streams also out of the rock [at Rephidim and Kadesh] and caused waters to run down like rivers. [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11.] + Yet they still went on to sin against Him by provoking and rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness (in the land of drought). + And they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their [selfish] desire and appetite. + Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish [the food for] a table in the wilderness? + Behold, He did smite the rock so that waters gushed out and the streams overflowed; but can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people? + Therefore, when the Lord heard, He was [full of] wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel, + Because in God they believed not [they relied not on Him, they adhered not to Him], and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save). + Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; + And He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven's grain. [Exod. 16:14; John 6:31.] + Everyone ate the bread of the mighty [man ate angels' food]; God sent them meat in abundance. + He let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind. + He rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds [quails] like the sand of the seas. [Num. 11:31.] + And He let [the birds] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents. + So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after. + But scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths, [Num. 11:33.] + The wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel's chosen youth. + In spite of all this, they sinned still more, for they believed not in (relied not on and adhered not to Him for) His wondrous works. + Therefore their days He consumed like a breath [in emptiness, falsity, and futility] and their years in terror and sudden haste. + When He slew [some of] them, [the remainder] inquired after Him diligently, and they repented and sincerely sought God [for a time]. + And they [earnestly] remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer. + Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues. + For their hearts were not right or sincere with Him, neither were they faithful and steadfast to His covenant. [Acts 8:21.] + But He, full of [merciful] compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not; yes, many a time He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath and indignation. + For He [earnestly] remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that goes and does not return. + How often they defied and rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! + And time and again they turned back and tempted God, provoking and incensing the Holy One of Israel. + They remembered not [seriously the miracles of the working of] His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy, + How He wrought His miracles in Egypt and His wonders in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided] + And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink from them. + He sent swarms of [venomous] flies among them which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them. + He gave also their crops to the caterpillar and [the fruit of] their labor to the locust. + He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost and [great chunks of] ice. + He [caused them to shut up their cattle or] gave them up also to the hail and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. [Exod. 9:18-21.] + He let loose upon them the fierceness of His anger, His wrath and indignation and distress, by sending [a mission of] angels of calamity and woe among them. + He leveled and made a straight path for His anger [to give it free course]; He did not spare [the Egyptian families] from death but gave their beasts over to the pestilence and the life [of their eldest] over to the plague. + He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents [of the land of the sons] of Ham. + But [God] led His own people forth like sheep and guided them [with a shepherd's care] like a flock in the wilderness. + And He led them on safely and in confident trust, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. [Exod. 14:27, 28.] + And He brought them to His holy border, the border of [Canaan] His sanctuary, even to this mountain [Zion] which His right hand had acquired. + He drove out the nations also before [Israel] and allotted their land as a heritage, measured out and partitioned; and He made the tribes of Israel to dwell in the tents of those dispossessed. + Yet they tempted and provoked and rebelled against the Most High God and kept not His testimonies. + But they turned back and dealt unfaithfully and treacherously like their fathers; they were twisted like a warped and deceitful bow [that will not respond to the archer's aim]. + For they provoked Him to [righteous] anger with their high places [for idol worship] and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images. + When God heard this, He was full of [holy] wrath; and He utterly rejected Israel, greatly abhorring and loathing [her ways], + So that He forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent in which He had dwelt among men [and never returned to it again], + And delivered His strength and power (the ark of the covenant) into captivity, and His glory into the hands of the foe (the Philistines). [I Sam. 4:21.] + He gave His people over also to the sword and was wroth with His heritage [Israel]. [I Sam. 4:10.] + The fire [of war] devoured their young men, and their bereaved virgins were not praised in a wedding song. + Their priests [Hophni and Phinehas] fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation [for the bodies came not back from the scene of battle, and the widow of Phinehas also died that day]. [I Sam. 4:11, 19, 20.] + Then the Lord awakened as from sleep, as a strong man whose consciousness of power is heightened by wine. + And He smote His adversaries in the back [as they fled]; He put them to lasting shame and reproach. + Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim [in which the tabernacle had been accustomed to stand]. + But He chose the tribe of Judah [as Israel's leader], Mount Zion, which He loved [to replace Shiloh as His capital]. + And He built His sanctuary [exalted] like the heights [of the heavens] and like the earth which He established forever. + He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; [I Sam. 16:11, 12.] + From tending the ewes that had their young He brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob His people, of Israel His inheritance. [II Sam. 7:7, 8.] + So [David] was their shepherd with an upright heart; he guided them by the discernment and skillfulness [which controlled] his hands. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. O GOD, the nations have come into [the land of Your people] Your inheritance; Your sacred temple have they defiled; they have made Jerusalem heaps of ruins. + The dead bodies of Your servants they have given as food to the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. + Their blood they have poured out like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them. + [Because of such humiliation] we have become a taunt and reproach to our neighbors, a mocking and derision to those who are round about us. + How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? Shall Your jealousy [which cannot endure a divided allegiance] burn like fire? + Pour out Your wrath on the Gentile nations who do not acknowledge You, and upon the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. [II Thess. 1:8.] + For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling and his pasture. + O do not [earnestly] remember against us the iniquities and guilt of our forefathers! Let Your compassion and tender mercy speedily come to meet us, for we are brought very low. + Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name! Deliver us, forgive us, and purge away our sins for Your name's sake. + Why should the Gentile nations say, Where is their God? Let vengeance for the blood of Your servants which is poured out be known among the nations in our sight [not delaying until some future generation]. + Let the groaning and sighing of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power and Your arm spare those who are appointed to die! + And return into the bosom of our neighbors sevenfold the taunts with which they have taunted and scoffed at You, O Lord! + Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth and publish Your praise from generation to generation. + + + To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of]``Lilies, a Testimony." A Psalm of Asaph. GIVE EAR, O Shepherd of Israel, You Who lead Joseph like a flock; You Who sit enthroned upon the cherubim [of the ark of the covenant], shine forth + Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh! Stir up Your might, and come to save us! + Restore us again, O God; and cause Your face to shine [in pleasure and approval on us], and we shall be saved! + O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry with Your people's prayers? + You have fed them with the bread of tears, and You have given them tears to drink in large measure. + You make us a strife and scorn to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. + Restore us again, O God of hosts; and cause Your face to shine [upon us with favor as of old], and we shall be saved! + You brought a vine [Israel] out of Egypt; You drove out the [heathen] nations and planted it [in Canaan]. + You prepared room before it, and it took deep root and it filled the land. + The mountains were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs of it were like the great cedars [cedars of God]. + [Israel] sent out its boughs to the [Mediterranean] Sea and its branches to the [Euphrates] River. [I Kings 4:21.] + Why have You broken down its hedges and walls so that all who pass by pluck from its fruit? + The boar out of the wood wastes it and the wild beast of the field feeds on it. + Turn again, we beseech You, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven and see, visit, and have regard for this vine! + [Protect and maintain] the stock which Your right hand planted, and the branch (the son) that You have reared and made strong for Yourself. + They have burned it with fire, it is cut down; may they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. + Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself. + Then will we not depart from You; revive us (give us life) and we will call upon Your name. + Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine [in pleasure, approval, and favor on us], and we shall be saved! + + + To the Chief Musician; set to Philistine lute, or [possibly] a particular Gittite tune. [A Psalm] of Asaph. SING ALOUD to God our Strength! Shout for joy to the God of Jacob! + Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp. + Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. + For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. + This He ordained in Joseph [the savior] for a testimony when He went out over the land of Egypt. The speech of One Whom I knew not did I hear [saying], + I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. + You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Num. 20:3, 13, 24.] + Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you--O Israel, if you would listen to Me! + There shall no strange god be among you, neither shall you worship any alien god. + I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. + But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. + So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels. [Acts 7:42, 43; 14:16; Rom. 1:24, 26.] + Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! + Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. + [Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever. + [God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. GOD STANDS in the assembly [of the representatives] of God; in the midst of the magistrates or judges He gives judgment [as] among the gods. + How long will you [magistrates or judges] judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Do justice to the weak (poor) and fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and needy. + Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked. + [The magistrates and judges] know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in the darkness [of complacent satisfaction]; all the foundations of the earth [the fundamental principles upon which rests the administration of justice] are shaking. + I said, You are gods [since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives]; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High. [John 10:34-36; Rom. 13:1, 2.] + But you shall die as men and fall as one of the princes. + Arise, O God, judge the earth! For to You belong all the nations. [Rev. 11:15.] + + + A song. A Psalm of Asaph. KEEP NOT silence, O God; hold not Your peace or be still, O God. + For, behold, Your enemies are in tumult, and those who hate You have raised their heads. [Acts 4:25, 26.] + They lay crafty schemes against Your people and consult together against Your hidden and precious ones. + They have said, Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be in remembrance no more. + For they have consulted together with one accord and one heart; against You they make a covenant-- + The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, + Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, the Philistines, with the inhabitants of Tyre. + Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot [the Ammonites and the Moabites] and have been an arm to them. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Do to them as [You did to] the Midianites, as to Sisera and Jabin at the brook of Kishon, [Judg. 4:12-24.] + Who perished at Endor, who became like manure for the earth. + Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, yes, all their princes as Zebah and Zalmunna, [Judg. 7:23-25; 8:10-21.] + Who say, Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God. + O my God, make them like whirling dust, like stubble or chaff before the wind! + As fire consumes the forest, and as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, + So pursue and afflict them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your tornado or hurricane. + Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek, inquire for, and insistently require Your name, O Lord. + Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; yes, let them be put to shame and perish, + That they may know that You, Whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth. + + + To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] a particular Gittite tune. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. HOW LOVELY are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! + My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God. + Yes, the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young--even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. + Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings. + They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion. + O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Behold our shield [the king as Your agent], O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed! + For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness. + For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. + O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]! + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. LORD, YOU have [at last] been favorable and have dealt graciously with Your land [of Canaan]; You have brought back [from Babylon] the captives of Jacob. + You have forgiven and taken away the iniquity of Your people, You have covered all their sin. Selah [pause, and calmly realize what that means]! + You have withdrawn all Your wrath and indignation, You have turned away from the blazing anger [which You had let loose]. + Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease [forever]. + Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger [and disfavor] and spread it out to all generations? + Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? + Show us Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. + I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)--but let them not turn again to [self-confident] folly. + Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land. + Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. + Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. + Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. + Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk. + + + A Prayer of David. INCLINE YOUR ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and distressed, needy and desiring. + Preserve my life, for I am godly and dedicated; O my God, save Your servant, for I trust in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, without fear or doubt]. + Be merciful and gracious to me, O Lord, for to You do I cry all the day. + Make me, Your servant, to rejoice, O Lord, for to You do I lift myself up. + For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You. + Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and listen to the cry of my supplications. + In the day of my trouble I will call on You, for You will answer me. + There is none like unto You among the gods, O Lord, neither are their works like unto Yours. + All nations whom You have made shall come and fall down before You, O Lord; and they shall glorify Your name. + For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God. + Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. [Ps. 5:11; 69:36.] + I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore. + For great is Your mercy and loving-kindness toward me; and You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol [from the exceeding depths of affliction]. + O God, the proud and insolent are risen against me; a rabble of violent and ruthless men has sought and demanded my life, and they have not set You before them. + But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth. + O turn to me and have mercy and be gracious to me; grant strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) to Your servant and save the son of Your handmaiden. + Show me a sign of [Your evident] goodwill and favor, that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because You, Lord, [will show Your approval of me when You] help and comfort me. + + + A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A song. ON THE holy hills stands the city [of Jerusalem and the temple] God founded. + The Lord loves the gates of Zion [through which the crowds of pilgrims enter from all nations] more than all the dwellings of Jacob (Israel). + Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah [pause, and calmly realize what that means]! + I will make mention of Rahab [the poetic name for Egypt] and Babylon as among those who know [the city of God]--behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia (Cush)--[saying], This man was born there. + Yes, of Zion it shall be said, This man and that man were born in her, for the Most High Himself will establish her. + The Lord shall count, when He registers the peoples, that this man was born there. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + The singers as well as the players on instruments shall say, All my springs (my sources of life and joy) are in you [city of our God]. + + + A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician; set to chant mournfully. A didactic or reflective poem of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried to You for help by day; at night I am in Your presence. [Luke 18:7.] + Let my prayer come before You and really enter into Your presence; incline Your ear to my cry! + For I am full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol (the place of the dead). + I am counted among those who go down into the pit (the grave); I am like a man who has no help or strength [a mere shadow], + Cast away among the dead, like the slain that lie in a [nameless] grave, whom You [seriously] remember no more, and they are cut off from Your hand. + You have laid me in the depths of the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. + Your wrath lies hard upon me, and You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Ps. 42:7.] + You have put my [familiar] friends far from me; You have made me an abomination to them. I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. + My eye grows dim because of sorrow and affliction. Lord, I have called daily on You; I have spread forth my hands to You. + Will You show wonders to the dead? Shall the departed arise and praise You? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Shall Your steadfast love be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in Abaddon (Sheol, as a place of ruin and destruction)? + Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the place of forgetfulness [where the dead forget and are forgotten]? + But to You I cry, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come to meet You. + Lord, why do You cast me off? Why do You hide Your face from me? [Matt. 27:46.] + I was afflicted and close to death from my youth up; while I suffer Your terrors I am distracted [I faint]. + Your fierce wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. + They surround me like a flood all day long; together they have closed in upon me. + Lover and friend have You put far from me; my familiar friends are darkness and the grave. + + + A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Ethan the Ezrahite. I WILL sing of the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation. + For I have said, Mercy and loving-kindness shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness will You establish in the very heavens [unchangeable and perpetual]. + [You have said] I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant, + Your Seed I will establish forever, and I will build up your throne for all generations. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Isa. 9:7; Luke 1:32, 33; Gal. 3:16] + Let heaven (the angels) praise Your wonders, O Lord, Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones (the holy angels). + For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the mighty [heavenly beings] can be likened to the Lord, + A God greatly feared and revered in the council of the holy (angelic) ones, and to be feared and worshipfully revered above all those who are round about Him? + O Lord God of hosts, who is a mighty one like unto You, O Lord? And Your faithfulness is round about You [an essential part of You at all times]. + You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves arise, You still them. + You have broken Rahab (Egypt) in pieces; with Your mighty arm You have scattered Your enemies. + The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all that is in it, You have founded them. + The north and the south, You have created them; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon joyously praise Your name. + You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, Your right hand is soaring high. + Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and loving-kindness and truth go before Your face. + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who know the joyful sound [who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts]; they walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance! + In Your name they rejoice all the day, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. + For You are the glory of their strength [their proud adornment], and by Your favor our horn is exalted and we walk with uplifted faces! + For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel. + Once You spoke in a vision to Your devoted ones and said, I have endowed one who is mighty [a hero, giving him the power to help--to be a champion for Israel]; I have exalted one chosen from among the people. + I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him, [Acts 13:22.] + With whom My hand shall be established and ever abide; My arm also shall strengthen him. + The enemy shall not exact from him or do him violence or outwit him, nor shall the wicked afflict and humble him. + I will beat down his foes before his face and smite those who hate him. + My faithfulness and My mercy and loving-kindness shall be with him, and in My name shall his horn be exalted [great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him]. + I will set his hand in control also on the [Mediterranean] Sea, and his right hand on the rivers [Euphrates with its tributaries]. + He shall cry to Me, You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation! + Also I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. [Rev. 1:5.] + My mercy and loving-kindness will I keep for him forevermore, and My covenant shall stand fast and be faithful with him. + His Offspring also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. [Isa. 9:7; Gal. 3:16.] + If his children forsake My law and walk not in My ordinances, + If they break or profane My statutes and keep not My commandments, + Then will I punish their transgression with the rod [of chastisement], and their iniquity with stripes. [II Sam. 7:14.] + Nevertheless, My loving-kindness will I not break off from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail [to lie and be false to him]. + My covenant will I not break or profane, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. + Once [for all] have I sworn by My holiness, which cannot be violated; I will not lie to David: + His Offspring shall endure forever, and his throne [shall continue] as the sun before Me. [Isa. 9:7; Gal. 3:16.] + It shall be established forever as the moon, the faithful witness in the heavens. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Rev. 1:5; 3:14.] + But [in apparent contradiction to all this] You [even You the faithful Lord] have cast off and rejected; You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. + You have despised and loathed and renounced the covenant with Your servant; You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. + You have broken down all his hedges and his walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. + All who pass along the road spoil and rob him; he has become the scorn and reproach of his neighbors. + You have exalted the right hand of his foes; You have made all his enemies rejoice. + Moreover, You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not made him to stand in battle. + You have made his glory and splendor to cease and have hurled to the ground his throne. + The days of his youth have You shortened; You have covered him with shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + How long, O Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever? How long shall Your wrath burn like fire? + O [earnestly] remember how short my time is and what a mere fleeting life mine is. For what emptiness, falsity, futility, and frailty You have created all men! + What man can live and shall not see death, or can deliver himself from the [powerful] hand of Sheol (the place of the dead)? Selah [pause, and calmly consider that]! + Lord, where are Your former loving-kindnesses [shown in the reigns of David and Solomon], which You swore to David in Your faithfulness? + Remember, Lord, and earnestly imprint [on Your heart] the reproach of Your servants, scorned and insulted, how I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many and mighty peoples, + With which Your enemies have taunted, O Lord, with which they have mocked the footsteps of Your anointed. + Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen and Amen. + + + A Prayer of Moses the man of God. LORD, YOU have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations [says Moses]. + Before the mountains were brought forth or ever You had formed and given birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God. + You turn man back to dust and corruption, and say, Return, O sons of the earthborn [to the earth]! + For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. [II Pet. 3:8.] + You carry away [these disobedient people, doomed to die within forty years] as with a flood; they are as a sleep [vague and forgotten as soon as they are gone]. In the morning they are like grass which grows up-- + In the morning it flourishes and springs up; in the evening it is mown down and withers. + For we [the Israelites in the wilderness] are consumed by Your anger, and by Your wrath are we troubled, overwhelmed, and frightened away. + Our iniquities, our secret heart and its sins [which we would so like to conceal even from ourselves], You have set in the [revealing] light of Your countenance. + For all our days [out here in this wilderness, says Moses] pass away in Your wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told [for we adults know we are doomed to die soon, without reaching Canaan]. [Num. 14:26-35.] + The days of our years are threescore years and ten (seventy years)--or even, if by reason of strength, fourscore years (eighty years); yet is their pride [in additional years] only labor and sorrow, for it is soon gone, and we fly away. + Who knows the power of Your anger? [Who worthily connects this brevity of life with Your recognition of sin?] And Your wrath, who connects it with the reverent and worshipful fear that is due You? + So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. + Turn, O Lord [from Your fierce anger]! How long--? Revoke Your sentence and be compassionate and at ease toward Your servants. + O satisfy us with Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning [now, before we are older], that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. + Make us glad in proportion to the days in which You have afflicted us and to the years in which we have suffered evil. + Let Your work [the signs of Your power] be revealed to Your servants, and Your [glorious] majesty to their children. + And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands--yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it. + + + HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. + I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! + For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. + [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. + You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, + Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. + A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. + Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. + Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Ps. 91:1, 14.] + There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. + For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. + They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luke 4:10, 11; Heb. 1:14.] + You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. [Luke 10:19.] + Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. + He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. + With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation. + + + A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day. IT IS a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises [with musical accompaniment] to Your name, O Most High, + To show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night, + With an instrument of ten strings and with the lute, with a solemn sound upon the lyre. + For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your works; at the deeds of Your hands I joyfully sing. + How great are Your doings, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep. + A man in his rude and uncultivated state knows not, neither does a [self-confident] fool understand this: + That though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to be destroyed forever. + But You, Lord, are on high forever. + For behold, Your adversaries, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the evildoers shall be scattered. + But my horn (emblem of excessive strength and stately grace) You have exalted like that of a wild ox; I am anointed with fresh oil. + My eye looks upon those who lie in wait for me; my ears hear the evildoers that rise up against me. + The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. + Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. + [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. + [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. [Rom. 9:14.] + + + THE LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is robed, He has girded Himself with strength and power; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved. + Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. + The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up the roaring of their waves. + The Lord on high is mightier and more glorious than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty breakers and waves of the sea. + Your testimonies are very sure; holiness [apparent in separation from sin, with simple trust and hearty obedience] is becoming to Your house, O Lord, forever. + + + O LORD God, You to Whom vengeance belongs, O God, You to Whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! + Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render to the proud a fit compensation! + Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph and exult? + They pour out arrogant words, speaking hard things; all the evildoers boast loftily. [Jude 14, 15.] + They crush Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. + They slay the widow and the transient stranger and murder the unprotected orphan. + Yet they say, The Lord does not see, neither does the God of Jacob notice it. + Consider and understand, you stupid ones among the people! And you [self-confident] fools, when will you become wise? + He Who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He Who formed the eye, shall He not see? + He Who disciplines and instructs the nations, shall He not punish, He Who teaches man knowledge? + The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vain (empty and futile--only a breath). [I Cor. 3:20.] + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, + That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. + For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage. + For justice will return to the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. + Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? + Unless the Lord had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land where there is] silence. + When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up. + In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul! + Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with You--they who frame and hide their unrighteous doings under [the sacred name of] law? + They band themselves together against the life of the [consistently] righteous and condemn the innocent to death. + But the Lord has become my High Tower and Defense, and my God the Rock of my refuge. + And He will turn back upon them their own iniquity and will wipe them out by means of their own wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out. + + + O COME, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! + Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! + For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. + In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights and strength of the hills are His also. + The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. + O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and supplication]. + For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, [Heb. 3:7-11.] + Harden not your hearts as at Meribah and as at Massah in the day of temptation in the wilderness, [Exod. 17:1-7; Num. 20:1-13; Deut. 6:16.] + When your fathers tried My patience and tested Me, proved Me, and saw My work [of judgment]. + Forty years long was I grieved and disgusted with that generation, and I said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they do not approve, acknowledge, or regard My ways. + Wherefore I swore in My wrath that they would not enter My rest [the land of promise]. [Heb. 4:3-11.] + + + O SING to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! + Sing to the Lord, bless (affectionately praise) His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. + Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. + For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be reverently feared and worshiped above all [so-called] gods. [Deut. 6:5; Rev. 14:7.] + For all the gods of the nations are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens. + Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. + Ascribe to the Lord, O you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. + Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come [before Him] into His courts. + O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before and reverently fear Him, all the earth. + Say among the nations that the Lord reigns; the world also is established, so that it cannot be moved; He shall judge and rule the people righteously and with justice. [Rev. 11:15; 19:6.] + Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all the things which fill it; + Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy + Before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge and govern the earth! He shall judge the world with righteousness and justice and the peoples with His faithfulness and truth. [I Chron. 16:23-33; Rev. 19:11.] + + + THE LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles and coastlands be glad! + Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. [Exod. 19:9.] + Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries round about. + His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles. + The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. + The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory. + Let all those be put to shame who serve graven images, who boast in idols. Fall prostrate before Him, all you gods. [Heb. 1:6.] + Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced [in relief] because of Your judgments, O Lord. + For You, Lord, are high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. + O you who love the Lord, hate evil; He preserves the lives of His saints (the children of God), He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. [Rom. 8:13-17.] + Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection]. + Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. + + + A Psalm. O SING to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him. + The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations. [Luke 2:30, 31.] + He has [earnestly] remembered His mercy and loving-kindness, His truth and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God. [Acts 13:47; 28:28.] + Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises! + Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody. + With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! + Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it! + Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy + Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity. + + + THE LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble [with reverential fear]! He sits [enthroned] above the cherubim, let the earth quake! + The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. + Let them confess and praise Your great name, awesome and reverence inspiring! It is holy, and holy is He! [Rev. 15:4.] + The strength of the king who loves righteousness and equity You establish in uprightness; You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob (Israel). + Extol the Lord our God and worship at His footstool! Holy is He! + Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; they called upon the Lord, and He answered them. + He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept His testimonies and the statutes that He gave them. [Ps. 105:9, 10.] + You answered them, O Lord our God; You were a forgiving God to them, although avenging their evildoing and wicked practices. + Extol the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy! + + + A Psalm of thanksgiving and for the thank offering. MAKE A joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! + Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! + Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. [Eph. 2:10.] + Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! + For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations. + + + A Psalm of David. I WILL sing of mercy and loving-kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I sing. + I will behave myself wisely and give heed to the blameless way--O when will You come to me? I will walk within my house in integrity and with a blameless heart. + I will set no base or wicked thing before my eyes. I hate the work of them who turn aside [from the right path]; it shall not grasp hold of me. + A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil person or thing. + Whoso privily slanders his neighbor, him will I cut off [from me]; he who has a haughty look and a proud and arrogant heart I cannot and I will not tolerate. + My eyes shall [look with favor] upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks blamelessly, he shall minister to me. + He who works deceit shall not dwell in my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. + Morning after morning I will root up all the wicked in the land, that I may eliminate all the evildoers from the city of the Lord. + + + A Prayer of the afflicted; when he is overwhelmed and faint and pours out his complaint to God. HEAR MY prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You. + Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in distress! Incline Your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. + For my days consume away like smoke, and my bones burn like a firebrand or like a hearth. + My heart is smitten like grass and withered, so that [in absorption] I forget to eat my food. + By reason of my loud groaning [from suffering and trouble] my flesh cleaves to my bones. + I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the waste places. + I am sleepless and lie awake [mourning], like a bereaved sparrow alone on the housetop. + My adversaries taunt and reproach me all the day; and they who are angry with me use my name as a curse. + For I have eaten the ashes [in which I sat] as if they were bread and have mingled my drink with weeping + Because of Your indignation and Your wrath, for You have taken me up and cast me away. + My days are like an evening shadow that stretches out and declines [with the sun]; and I am withered like grass. + But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; and the fame of Your name endures to all generations. + You will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion, for it is time to have pity and compassion for her; yes, the set time has come [the moment designated]. [Ps. 12:5; 119:126.] + For Your servants take [melancholy] pleasure in the stones [of her ruins] and show pity for her dust. + So the nations shall fear and worshipfully revere the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory. [Ps. 96:9.] + When the Lord builds up Zion, He will appear in His glory; + He will regard the plea of the destitute and will not despise their prayer. + Let this be recorded for the generation yet unborn, that a people yet to be created shall praise the Lord. + For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary, from heaven did the Lord behold the earth, + To hear the sighing and groaning of the prisoner, to loose those who are appointed to death, + So that men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem + When peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship and serve the Lord. + He has afflicted and weakened my strength, humbling and bringing me low [with sorrow] in the way; He has shortened my days [aging me prematurely]. + I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days, You Whose years continue throughout all generations. + At the beginning You existed and laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands. + They shall perish, but You shall remain and endure; yes, all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment. Like clothing You shall change them, and they shall be changed and pass away. + But You remain the same, and Your years shall have no end. [Heb. 1:10-12.] + The children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before You. + + + [A Psalm] of David. BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! + Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits-- + Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, + Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; + Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]! [Isa. 40:31.] + The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed. + He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. + The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness. [James 5:11.] + He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge. + He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. + For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. + As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. + As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. + For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. + As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. + For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more. + But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children--[Deut. 10:12.] + To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts]. + The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. + Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word. + Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure. + Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! + + + BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty-- + [You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent, + Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, + Who makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His ministers. [Heb. 1:7.] + You laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever. [Job 38:4, 6.] + You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. [Gen. 1:2; II Pet. 3:5.] + At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. + The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which You appointed for them. + You have set a boundary [for the waters] which they may not pass over, that they turn not again to deluge the earth. + He sends forth springs into the valleys; their waters run among the mountains. + They give drink to every [wild] beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst there. + Beside them the birds of the heavens have their nests; they sing among the branches. [Matt. 13:32.] + He waters the mountains from His upper rooms; the earth is satisfied and abounds with the fruit of His works. + He causes vegetation to grow for the cattle, and all that the earth produces for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food out of the earth-- + And wine that gladdens the heart of man, to make his face shine more than oil, and bread to support, refresh, and strengthen man's heart. + The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly and are filled with sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He has planted, + Where the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. + The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the conies and badgers. + [The Lord] appointed the moon for the seasons; the sun knows [the exact time of] its setting. + You [O Lord] make darkness and it becomes night, in which creeps forth every wild beast of the forest. + The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. + When the sun arises, they withdraw themselves and lie down in their dens. + Man goes forth to his work and remains at his task until evening. + O Lord, how many and varied are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures. + Yonder is the sea, great and wide, in which are swarms of innumerable creeping things, creatures both small and great. + There go the ships of the sea, and Leviathan (the sea monster), which You have formed to sport in it. + These all wait and are dependent upon You, that You may give them their food in due season. + When You give it to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, and they are filled with good things. + When You hide Your face, they are troubled and dismayed; when You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. + When You send forth Your Spirit and give them breath, they are created, and You replenish the face of the ground. + May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works-- + Who looks on the earth, and it quakes and trembles, Who touches the mountains, and they smoke! + I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. + May my meditation be sweet to Him; as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord. + Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + O GIVE thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! + Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them. + Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity]. + Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore. + [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds that He has done, His miracles and wonders, the judgments and sentences which He pronounced [upon His enemies, as in Egypt]. [Ps. 78:43-51.] + O you offspring of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones, + He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. + He is [earnestly] mindful of His covenant and forever it is imprinted on His heart, the word which He commanded and established to a thousand generations, + The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His sworn promise to Isaac, [Luke 1:72, 73.] + Which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, + Saying, Unto you will I give the land of Canaan as your measured portion, possession, and inheritance. + When they were but a few men in number, in fact, very few, and were temporary residents and strangers in it, + When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, + He allowed no man to do them wrong; in fact, He reproved kings for their sakes, [Gen. 12:17; 20:3-7.] + Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm. [I Chron. 16:8-22.] + Moreover, He called for a famine upon the land [of Egypt]; He cut off every source of bread. [Gen. 41:54.] + He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant. [Gen. 45:5; 50:20, 21.] + His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron, + Until his word [to his cruel brothers] came true, until the word of the Lord tried and tested him. + The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the peoples, and let him go free. + He made Joseph lord of his house and ruler of all his substance, [Gen. 41:40.] + To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom. + Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. [Gen. 46:6.] + There [the Lord] greatly increased His people and made them stronger than their oppressors. + He turned the hearts [of the Egyptians] to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants. + He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, whom He had chosen. + They showed His signs among them, wonders and miracles in the land of Ham (Egypt). + He sent [thick] darkness and made the land dark, and they [God's two servants] rebelled not against His word. [Exod. 10:22; Ps. 99:7.] + He turned [Egypt's] waters into blood and caused their fish to die. [Exod. 7:20, 21.] + Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, even in the chambers of their kings. [Exod. 8:6.] + He spoke, and there came swarms of beetles and flies and mosquitoes and lice in all their borders. [Exod. 8:17, 24.] + He gave them hail for rain, with lightning like flaming fire in their land. [Exod. 9:23, 25.] + He smote their vines also and their fig trees and broke the [ice-laden] trees of their borders. [Ps. 78:47.] + He spoke, and the locusts came, and the grasshoppers, and that without number, [Exod. 10:4, 13, 14.] + And ate up all the vegetation in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground. + He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the beginning and chief substance of all their strength. [Exod. 12:29; Ps. 78:51.] + He brought [Israel] forth also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. [Exod. 12:35.] + Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon the people. [Exod. 12:33.] + The Lord spread a cloud for a covering [by day], and a fire to give light in the night. [Exod. 13:21.] + [The Israelites] asked, and He brought quails and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. [Exod. 16:12-15.] + He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it ran in the dry places like a river. [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11.] + For He [earnestly] remembered His holy word and promise to Abraham His servant. [Gen. 15:14.] + And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen ones with gladness and singing, + And gave them the lands of the nations [of Canaan], and they reaped the fruits of those peoples' labor, [Deut. 6:10, 11.] + That they might observe His statutes and keep His laws [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! [I Chron. 16:34.] + Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord? Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]? + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who observe justice [treating others fairly] and who do right and are in right standing with God at all times. + [Earnestly] remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people! O visit me also when You deliver them, and grant me Your salvation!-- + That I may see and share the welfare of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your heritage. + We have sinned, as did also our fathers; we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. [Lev. 26:40-42.] + Our fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not [earnestly] remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness [on their hearts], but they were rebellious and provoked the Lord at the sea, even at the Red Sea. [Exod. 14:21.] + Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake [to prove the righteousness of the divine character], that He might make His mighty power known. + He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; so He led them through the depths as through a pastureland. [Exod. 14:21.] + And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the [Egyptian] enemy. [Exod. 14:30.] + And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. [Exod. 14:27, 28; 15:5.] + Then [Israel] believed His words [trusting in, relying on them]; they sang His praise. + But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them, + But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insistent desires] in the desert. [Num. 11:4.] + And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls and [thinned their numbers by] disease and death. [Ps. 78:29-31.] + They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron [the high priest], the holy one of the Lord. [Num. 16:1-32.] + Therefore the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and closed over the company of Abiram. [Num. 16:31, 32.] + And a fire broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. [Num. 16:35, 46.] + They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image. [Exod. 32:4.] + Thus they exchanged Him Who was their Glory for the image of an ox that eats grass [they traded their Honor for the image of a calf]! + They forgot God their Savior, Who had done such great things in Egypt, + Wonders and miracles in the land of Ham, dreadful and awesome things at the Red Sea. + Therefore He said He would destroy them. [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the breach before Him to turn away His threatening wrath. [Exod. 32:10, 11, 32.] + Then they spurned and despised the pleasant and desirable land [Canaan]; they believed not His word [neither trusting in, relying on, nor holding to it]; + But they murmured in their tents and hearkened not to the voice of the Lord. + Therefore He lifted up His hand [as if taking an oath] against them, that He would cause them to fall in the wilderness, + Cast out their descendants among the nations, and scatter them in the lands [of the earth]. + They joined themselves also to the [idol] Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices [offered] to the lifeless [gods]. + Thus they provoked the Lord to anger with their practices, and a plague broke out among them. + Then stood up Phinehas [the priest] and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed. [Num. 25:7, 8.] + And that was credited to him for righteousness (right doing and right standing with God) to all generations forever. + They angered the Lord also at the waters of Meribah, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; [Num. 20:3-13.] + For they provoked [Moses'] spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. + They did not destroy the [heathen] nations as the Lord commanded them, + But mingled themselves with the [idolatrous] nations and learned their ways and works + And served their idols, which were a snare to them. + Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons [II Kings 16:3.] + And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with their blood. + Thus were they defiled by their own works, and they played the harlot and practiced idolatry with their own deeds [of idolatrous rites]. + Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred and rejected His own heritage. [Deut. 32:17.] + And He gave them into the hands of the [heathen] nations, and they that hated them ruled over them. + Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under the hand of their foes. + Many times did [God] deliver them, but they were rebellious in their counsel and sank low through their iniquity. + Nevertheless He regarded their distress when He heard their cry; + And He [earnestly] remembered for their sake His covenant and relented their sentence of evil [comforting and easing Himself] according to the abundance of His mercy and loving-kindness [when they cried out to Him]. + He also caused [Israel] to find sympathy among those who had carried them away captive. + Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in praising You. + Blessed (affectionately and gratefully praised) be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, Amen! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) [I Chron. 16:35, 36.] + + + O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! + Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary, + And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south. + Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation. + Hungry and thirsty, they fainted; their lives were near to being extinguished. + Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. + He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes. + Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! + For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good. + Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and in irons, [Luke 1:79.] + Because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. + Therefore He bowed down their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled and fell down, and there was none to help. + Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. + He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them. [Ps. 68:6; Acts 12:7; 16:26.] + Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! + For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart. + Some are fools [made ill] because of the way of their transgressions and are afflicted because of their iniquities. + They loathe every kind of food, and they draw near to the gates of death. + Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses. + He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. [II Kings 20:4, 5; Matt. 8:8.] + Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! [Heb. 13:15.] + And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing! + Some go down to the sea and travel over it in ships to do business in great waters; + These see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. + For He commands and raises up the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. + [Those aboard] mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the deeps; their courage melts away because of their plight. + They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits' end [all their wisdom has come to nothing]. + Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. + He hushes the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still. [Ps. 89:9; Matt. 8:26.] + Then the men are glad because of the calm, and He brings them to their desired haven. + Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! + Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the company of the elders. + He turns rivers into a wilderness, water springs into a thirsty ground, [I Kings 17:1, 7.] + A fruitful land into a barren, salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. [Gen. 13:10; 14:3; 19:25.] + He turns a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry ground into water springs; [Isa. 41:18.] + And there He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, + And sow fields, and plant vineyards which yield fruits of increase. + He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and allows not their cattle to decrease. + When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, + He pours contempt upon princes and causes them to wander in waste places where there is no road. + Yet He raises the poor and needy from affliction and makes their families like a flock. + The upright shall see it and be glad, but all iniquity shall shut its mouth. + Whoso is wise [if there be any truly wise] will observe and heed these things; and they will diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord. + + + A song. A Psalm of David. O GOD, my heart is fixed (steadfast, in the confidence of faith); I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory [all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image]! + Awake, harp and lyre; I myself will wake very early--I will waken the dawn! + I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; and I will sing praises unto You among the nations. + For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great and high as the heavens! Your truth and faithfulness reach to the skies! [Ps. 57:7-11.] + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth. + That Your beloved [followers] may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer us! [or me]! + God has promised in His holiness [regarding the establishment of David's dynasty]: I will rejoice, I will distribute [Canaan among My people], dividing Shechem and [the western region and allotting the eastern region which contains] the Valley of Succoth. + Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is My stronghold and the defense of My head; Judah is My scepter and lawgiver. [Gen. 49:10.] + Moab is My washbasin; upon Edom [My slave] My shoe I cast [to be cleaned]; over Philistia I shout [in triumph]. + Who will bring me [David] into the strong, fortified city [of Petra]? Who will lead me into Edom? + Have You not cast us off, O God? And will You not go forth, O God, with our armies? + Give us help against the adversary, for vain is the help of man. + Through and with God we shall do valiantly, for He it is Who shall tread down our adversaries. [Ps. 60:5-12.] + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O GOD of my praise! Keep not silence, + For the mouths of the wicked and the mouth of deceit are opened against me; they have spoken to me and against me with lying tongues. + They have compassed me about also with words of hatred and have fought against me without a cause. + In return for my love they are my adversaries, but I resort to prayer. + And they have rewarded and laid upon me evil for good, and hatred for my love. + Set a wicked man over him [as a judge], and let [a malicious] accuser stand at his right hand. + When [the wicked] is judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer [for leniency] be turned into a sin. + Let his days be few; and let another take his office and charge. [Acts 1:20.] + Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. + Let his children be continual vagabonds [as was Cain] and beg; let them seek their bread and be driven far from their ruined homes. [Gen. 4:12.] + Let the creditor and extortioner seize all that he has; and let strangers (barbarians and foreigners) plunder the fruits of his labor. + Let there be none to extend or continue mercy and kindness to him, neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children. + Let his posterity be cut off, and in the generation following let their names be blotted out. + Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. + Let them be before the Lord continually, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth!-- + Because the man did not [earnestly] remember to show mercy, but pursued and persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart [he was ready] to slay. + Yes, he loved cursing, and it came [back] upon him; he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him. + He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, and it seeped into his inward [life] like water, and like oil into his bones. + Let it be to him as the raiment with which he covers himself and as the girdle with which he is girded continually. + Let this be the reward of my adversaries from the Lord, and of those who speak evil against my life. + But You deal with me and act for me, O God the Lord, for Your name's sake; because Your mercy and loving-kindness are good, O deliver me. + For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded and stricken within me. + I am gone like the shadow when it lengthens and declines; I toss up and down and am shaken off as the locust. + My knees are weak and totter from fasting; and my body is gaunt and has no fatness. + I have become also a reproach and a taunt to others; when they see me, they shake their heads. [Matt. 26:39.] + Help me, O Lord my God; O save me according to Your mercy and loving-kindness!-- + That they may know that this is Your hand, that You, Lord, have done it. + Let them curse, but do You bless. When adversaries arise, let them be put to shame, but let Your servant rejoice. + Let my adversaries be clothed with shame and dishonor, and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace and confusion as with a robe. + I will give great praise and thanks to the Lord with my mouth; yes, and I will praise Him among the multitude. + For He will stand at the right hand of the poor and needy, to save him from those who condemn his life. + + + A Psalm of David. THE LORD (God) says to my Lord (the Messiah), Sit at My right hand, until I make Your adversaries Your footstool. [Matt. 26:64; Acts 2:34; I Cor. 15:25; Col. 3:1; Heb. 12:2.] + The Lord will send forth from Zion the scepter of Your strength; rule, then, in the midst of Your foes. [Rom. 11:26, 27.] + Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew. + The Lord has sworn and will not revoke or change it: You are a priest forever, after the manner and order of Melchizedek. [Heb. 5:10; 7:11, 15, 21.] + The Lord at Your right hand will shatter kings in the day of His indignation. + He will execute judgment [in overwhelming punishment] upon the nations; He will fill the valleys with the dead bodies, He will crush the [chief] heads over lands many and far extended. [Ezek. 38:21, 22; 39:11, 12.] + He will drink of the brook by the way; therefore will He lift up His head [triumphantly]. + + + PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the council of the upright and in the congregation. + The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them. + His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. + He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion. + He has given food and provision to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever and imprint it [on His mind]. [Deut. 10:12; Ps. 96:9.] + He has declared and shown to His people the power of His works in giving them the heritage of the nations [of Canaan]. + The works of His hands are [absolute] truth and justice [faithful and right]; and all His decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy). + They stand fast and are established forever and ever and are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness. + He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear. + The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever. [Job. 28:28; Prov. 1:7; Matt. 22:37, 38; Rev. 14:7.] + + + PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. [Deut. 10:12.] + His [spiritual] offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. + Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. + Light arises in the darkness for the upright, gracious, compassionate, and just [who are in right standing with God]. + It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. [Ps. 37:26; Luke 6:35; Col. 4:5.] + He will not be moved forever; the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall be in everlasting remembrance. [Prov. 10:7.] + He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord. + His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries. + He has distributed freely [he has given to the poor and needy]; his righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) endures forever; his horn shall be exalted in honor. [II Cor. 9:9.] + The wicked man will see it and be grieved and angered, he will gnash his teeth and disappear [in despair]; the desire of the wicked shall perish and come to nothing. + + + PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! + Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever + From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised! + The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens! + Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high, + Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth! [Ps. 138:6; Isa. 57:15.] + [The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill, + That He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people. + He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + WHEN ISRAEL came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, + Judah became [God's] sanctuary (the Holy Place of His habitation), and Israel His dominion. [Exod. 29:45, 46; Deut. 27:9.] + The [Red] Sea looked and fled; the Jordan [River] was turned back. [Exod. 14:21; Josh. 3:13, 16; Ps. 77:16.] + The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. + What ails you, O [Red] Sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? + You mountains, that you skip like rams, and you little hills, like lambs? + Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, + Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters. [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11.] + + + NOT TO us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness! + Why should the nations say, Where is now their God? + But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. + The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. + They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; + They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; + They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither can they make a sound with their throats. + They who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in and lean on them. [Ps. 135:15-18.] + O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him!] He is their Help and their Shield. + O house of Aaron [the priesthood], trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield. + You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield. + The Lord has been mindful of us, He will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron [the priesthood], + He will bless those who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, both small and great. [Ps. 103:11; Rev. 11:18; 19:5.] + May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. + May you be blessed of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth! + The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men. + The dead praise not the Lord, neither any who go down into silence. + But we will bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + I LOVE the Lord, because He has heard [and now hears] my voice and my supplications. + Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live. + The cords and sorrows of death were around me, and the terrors of Sheol (the place of the dead) had laid hold of me; I suffered anguish and grief (trouble and sorrow). + Then called I upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I beseech You, save my life and deliver me! + Gracious is the Lord, and [rigidly] righteous; yes, our God is merciful. + The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He helped and saved me. + Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. [Matt. 11:29.] + For You have delivered my life from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling and falling. + I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. + I believed (trusted in, relied on, and clung to my God), and therefore have I spoken [even when I said], I am greatly afflicted. [II Cor. 4:13.] + I said in my haste, All men are deceitful and liars. + What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? [How can I repay Him for all His bountiful dealings?] + I will lift up the cup of salvation and deliverance and call on the name of the Lord. + I will pay my vows to the Lord, yes, in the presence of all His people. + Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones). + O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid; You have loosed my bonds. + I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord. + I will pay my vows to the Lord, yes, in the presence of all His people, + In the courts of the Lord's house--in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + O PRAISE the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! [Rom. 15:11.] + For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! + Let Israel now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + Let the house of Aaron [the priesthood] now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free and in a large place. + The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? [Heb. 13:6.] + The Lord is on my side and takes my part, He is among those who help me; therefore shall I see my desire established upon those who hate me. + It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. + It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. + All nations (the surrounding tribes) compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord I will cut them off! + They compassed me about, yes, they surrounded me on every side; but in the name of the Lord I will cut them off! + They swarmed about me like bees, they blaze up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I will cut them off! [Deut. 1:44.] + You [my adversary] thrust sorely at me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. + The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation. + The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength! + The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength! + I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord. + The Lord has chastened me sorely, but He has not given me over to death. [II Cor. 6:9.] + Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness; I will enter through them, and I will confess and praise the Lord. + This is the gate of the Lord; the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall enter through it. [Ps. 24:7.] + I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me; and You have become my Salvation and Deliverer. + The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. + This is from the Lord and is His doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. [Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; I Pet. 2:7.] + This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it. + Save now, we beseech You, O Lord; send now prosperity, O Lord, we beseech You, and give to us success! + Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship]. [Mark 11:9, 10.] + The Lord is God, Who has shown and given us light [He has illuminated us with grace, freedom, and joy]. Decorate the festival with leafy boughs and bind the sacrifices to be offered with thick cords [all over the priest's court, right up] to the horns of the altar. + You are my God, and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You; You are my God, I will extol You. + O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + + + BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will). + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart. + Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. [I John 3:9; 5:18.] + You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently. + Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]! + Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments. + I will praise and give thanks to You with uprightness of heart when I learn [by sanctified experiences] Your righteous judgments [Your decisions against and punishments for particular lines of thought and conduct]. + I will keep Your statutes; O forsake me not utterly. + How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed and keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to it]. + With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; Oh, let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments. [II Chron. 15:15.] + Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You. + Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes. + With my lips have I declared and recounted all the ordinances of Your mouth. + I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies as much as in all riches. + I will meditate on Your precepts and have respect to Your ways [the paths of life marked out by Your law]. [Ps. 104:34.] + I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. + Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live; and I will observe Your word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. [Ps. 119:97-101.] + Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law. + I am a stranger and a temporary resident on the earth; hide not Your commandments from me. [Gen. 47:9; I Chron. 29:15; Ps. 39:12; II Cor. 5:6; Heb. 11:13.] + My heart is breaking with the longing that it has for Your ordinances and judgments at all times. + You rebuke the proud and arrogant, the accursed ones, who err and wander from Your commandments. + Take away from me reproach and contempt, for I keep Your testimonies. + Princes also sat and talked against me, but Your servant meditated on Your statutes. + Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. + My earthly life cleaves to the dust; revive and stimulate me according to Your word! [Ps. 143:11.] + I have declared my ways and opened my griefs to You, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes. + Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works. [Ps. 145:5, 6.] + My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word. + Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness [to You], and graciously impart Your law to me. + I have chosen the way of truth and faithfulness; Your ordinances have I set before me. + I cleave to Your testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame! + I will [not merely walk, but] run the way of Your commandments, when You give me a heart that is willing. + Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep it to the end [steadfastly]. + Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law; yes, I will observe it with my whole heart. [Prov. 2:6; James 1:5.] + Make me go in the path of Your commandments, for in them do I delight. + Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetousness (robbery, sensuality, unworthy riches). [Ezek. 33:31; Mark 7:21, 22; I Tim. 6:10; Heb. 13:5.] + Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity (idols and idolatry); and restore me to vigorous life and health in Your ways. + Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who reverently fear and devotedly worship You. [Deut. 10:12; Ps. 96:9.] + Turn away my reproach which I fear and dread, for Your ordinances are good. + Behold, I long for Your precepts; in Your righteousness give me renewed life. + Let Your mercy and loving-kindness come also to me, O Lord, even Your salvation according to Your promise; + Then shall I have an answer for those who taunt and reproach me, for I lean on, rely on, and trust in Your word. + And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I hope in Your ordinances. + I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. + And I will walk at liberty and at ease, for I have sought and inquired for [and desperately required] Your precepts. + I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings and will not be put to shame. [Ps. 138:1; Matt. 10:18, 19; Acts 26:1, 2.] + For I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. + My hands also will I lift up [in fervent supplication] to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes. + Remember [fervently] the word and promise to Your servant, in which You have caused me to hope. + This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: that Your word has revived me and given me life. [Rom. 15:4.] + The proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined in my interest in or turned aside from Your law. + When I have [earnestly] recalled Your ordinances from of old, O Lord, I have taken comfort. + Burning indignation, terror, and sadness seize upon me because of the wicked, who forsake Your law. + Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. + I have [earnestly] remembered Your name, O Lord, in the night, and I have observed Your law. + This I have had [as the gift of Your grace and as my reward]: that I have kept Your precepts [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. + You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to keep Your words. + I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful and gracious to me according to Your promise. + I considered my ways; I turned my feet to [obey] Your testimonies. + I made haste and delayed not to keep Your commandments. + Though the cords of the wicked have enclosed and ensnared me, I have not forgotten Your law. + At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You because of Your righteous ordinances. + I am a companion of all those who fear, revere, and worship You, and of those who observe and give heed to Your precepts. + The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy and loving-kindness; teach me Your statutes. + You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your promise. + Teach me good judgment, wise and right discernment, and knowledge, for I have believed (trusted, relied on, and clung to) Your commandments. + Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now Your word do I keep [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. + You are good and kind and do good; teach me Your statutes. + The arrogant and godless have put together a lie against me, but I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. + Their hearts are as fat as grease [their minds are dull and brutal], but I delight in Your law. + It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes. + The law from Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. + Your hands have made me, cunningly fashioned and established me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. + Those who reverently and worshipfully fear You will see me and be glad, because I have hoped in Your word and tarried for it. + I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right and righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. [Heb. 12:10.] + Let, I pray You, Your merciful kindness and steadfast love be for my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant. + Let Your tender mercy and loving-kindness come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight! + Let the proud be put to shame, for they dealt perversely with me without a cause; but I will meditate on Your precepts. + Let those who reverently and worshipfully fear You turn to me, and those who have known Your testimonies. + Let my heart be sound (sincere and wholehearted and blameless) in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame. + My soul languishes and grows faint for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word. + My eyes fail, watching for [the fulfillment of] Your promise. I say, When will You comfort me? + For I have become like a bottle [a wineskin blackened and shriveled] in the smoke [in which it hangs], yet do I not forget Your statutes. + How many are the days of Your servant [which he must endure]? When will You judge those who pursue and persecute me? [Rev. 6:10.] + The godless and arrogant have dug pitfalls for me, men who do not conform to Your law. + All Your commandments are faithful and sure. [The godless] pursue and persecute me with falsehood; help me [Lord]! + They had almost consumed me upon earth, but I forsook not Your precepts. + According to Your steadfast love give life to me; then I will keep the testimony of Your mouth [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. + Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens]. [Ps. 89:2; Matt. 24:34, 35; I Pet. 1:25.] + Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast. + All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances. [Jer. 33:25.] + Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. + I will never forget Your precepts, [how can I?] for it is by them You have quickened me (granted me life). + I am Yours, therefore save me [Your own]; for I have sought (inquired of and for) Your precepts and required them [as my urgent need]. [Ps. 42:1.] + The wicked wait for me to destroy me, but I will consider Your testimonies. + I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity]. [Rom. 3:10-19.] + Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. [Ps. 1:2.] + You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me. + I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation. [II Tim. 3:15.] + I understand more than the aged, because I keep Your precepts [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. + I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Your word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. [Prov. 1:15.] + I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. + How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! [Ps. 19:10; Prov. 8:11.] + Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. + Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. [Prov. 6:23.] + I have sworn [an oath] and have confirmed it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. [Neh. 10:29.] + I am sorely afflicted; renew and quicken me [give me life], O Lord, according to Your word! + Accept, I beseech You, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your ordinances. [Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15.] + My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. + The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I do not stray from Your precepts. + Your testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. [Deut. 33:4.] + I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end. + I hate the thoughts of undecided [in religion], double-minded people, but Your law do I love. + You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. [Ps. 32:7; 91:1.] + Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. [Ps. 6:8; 139:19; Matt. 7:23.] + Uphold me according to Your promise, that I may live; and let me not be put to shame in my hope! [Ps. 25:2; Rom. 5:5; 9:33; 10:11.] + Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for Your statutes continually! + You spurn and set at nought all those who stray from Your statutes, for their own lying deceives them and their tricks are in vain. + You put away and count as dross all the wicked of the earth [for there is no true metal in them]; therefore I love Your testimonies. + My flesh trembles and shudders for fear and reverential, worshipful awe of You, and I am afraid and in dread of Your judgments. + I have done justice and righteousness; leave me not to those who would oppress me. + Be surety for Your servant for good [as Judah was surety for the safety of Benjamin]; let not the proud oppress me. [Gen. 43:9.] + My eyes fail, watching for Your salvation and for the fulfillment of Your righteous promise. + Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy and loving-kindness, and teach me Your statutes. + I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know (discern and be familiar with the character of) Your testimonies. + It is time for the Lord to act; they have frustrated Your law. + Therefore I love Your commandments more than [resplendent] gold, yes, more than [perfectly] refined gold. + Therefore I esteem as right all, yes, all Your precepts; I hate every false way. + Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. + The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple. + I opened my mouth and panted [with eager desire], for I longed for Your commandments. + Look upon me, be merciful unto me, and show me favor, as is Your way to those who love Your name. + Establish my steps and direct them by [means of] Your word; let not any iniquity have dominion over me. + Deliver me from the oppression of man; so will I keep Your precepts [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. [Luke 1:74.] + Make Your face shine [with pleasure] upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes. [Ps. 4:6.] + Streams of water run down my eyes, because men do not keep Your law [they hear it not, nor receive it, love it, or obey it]. + [Rigidly] righteous are You, O Lord, and upright are Your judgments and all expressions of Your will. + You have commanded and appointed Your testimonies in righteousness and in great faithfulness. + My zeal has consumed me and cut me off, because my adversaries have forgotten Your words. + Your word is very pure (tried and well refined); therefore Your servant loves it. + I am small (insignificant) and despised, but I do not forget Your precepts. + Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth. [Ps. 19:9; John 17:17.] + Trouble and anguish have found and taken hold on me, yet Your commandments are my delight. + Your righteous testimonies are everlasting and Your decrees are binding to eternity; give me understanding and I shall live [give me discernment and comprehension and I shall not die]. + I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord; I will keep Your statutes [I will hear, receive, love, and obey them]. + I cried to You; save me, that I may keep Your testimonies [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. + I anticipated the dawning of the morning and cried [in childlike prayer]; I hoped in Your word. + My eyes anticipate the night watches and I am awake before the cry of the watchman, that I may meditate on Your word. + Hear my voice according to Your steadfast love; O Lord, quicken me and give me life according to Your [righteous] decrees. + They draw near who follow after wrong thinking and persecute me with wickedness; they are far from Your law. + You are near, O Lord [nearer to me than my foes], and all Your commandments are truth. + Of old have I known Your testimonies, and for a long time, [therefore it is a thoroughly established conviction] that You have founded them forever. [Luke 21:33.] + Consider my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget Your law. + Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me and give me life according to Your word. + Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not nor hunger for Your statutes. + Great are Your tender mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord; give me life according to Your ordinances. + Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not swerve from Your testimonies. + I behold the treacherous and am grieved and loathe them, because they do not respect Your law [neither hearing, receiving, loving, nor obeying it]. + Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me and give life to me, O Lord, according to Your loving-kindness! + The sum of Your word is truth [the total of the full meaning of all Your individual precepts]; and every one of Your righteous decrees endures forever. + Princes pursue and persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words [dreading violation of them far more than the force of prince or potentate]. [I Sam. 24:11, 14; 26:18.] + I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great spoil. + I hate and abhor falsehood, but Your law do I love. + Seven times a day and all day long do I praise You because of Your righteous decrees. + Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble. [Prov. 3:2; Isa. 32:17.] + I am hoping and waiting [eagerly] for Your salvation, O Lord, and I do Your commandments. [Gen. 49:18.] + Your testimonies have I kept [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]; I love them exceedingly! + I have observed Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are [fully known] before You. + Let my mournful cry and supplication come [near] before You, O Lord; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension) according to Your word [of assurance and promise]. + Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word! + My lips shall pour forth praise [with thanksgiving and renewed trust] when You teach me Your statutes. + My tongue shall sing [praise for the fulfillment] of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous. + Let Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts. + I have longed for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight. + Let me live that I may praise You, and let Your decrees help me. + I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek, inquire for, and demand Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments. [Isa. 53:6; Luke 15:4; I Pet. 2:25.] + + + A Song of Ascents. IN MY distress I cried to the Lord, and He answered me. + Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. + What shall be given to you? Or what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?-- + Sharp arrows of a [mighty] warrior, with [glowing] coals of the broom tree! + Woe is me that I sojourn with Meshech, that I dwell beside the tents of Kedar [as if among notoriously barbarous people]! [Gen. 10:2; 25:13; Jer. 49:28, 29.] + My life has too long had its dwelling with him who hates peace. + I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. + + + A Song of Ascents. I WILL lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]--From whence shall my help come? [Jer. 3:23.] + My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. + He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber. [I Sam. 2:9; Ps. 127:1; Prov. 3:23, 26; Isa. 27:3.] + Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. + The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. [Isa. 25:4.] + The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. [Ps. 91:5; Isa. 49:10; Rev. 7:16.] + The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. + The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. [Deut. 28:6; Prov. 2:8; 3:6.] + + + A Song of Ascents. Of David. I WAS glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord! [Isa. 2:3; Zech. 8:21.] + Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!-- + Jerusalem, which is built as a city that is compacted together-- + To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed and as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. + For there the thrones of judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. + Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]! + May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces! + For my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, Peace be within you! + For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good. + + + A Song of Ascents. UNTO YOU do I lift up my eyes, O You Who are enthroned in heaven. + Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy and loving-kindness for us. + Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on and loving-kindness for us, for we are exceedingly satiated with contempt. + Our life is exceedingly filled with the scorning and scoffing of those who are at ease and with the contempt of the proud (irresponsible tyrants who disregard God's law). + + + A Song of Ascents. Of David. IF IT had not been the Lord Who was on our side--now may Israel say-- + If it had not been the Lord Who was on our side when men rose up against us, + Then they would have quickly swallowed us up alive when their wrath was kindled against us; + Then the waters would have overwhelmed us and swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; + Then the proud waters would have gone over us. + Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth! + We are like a bird escaped from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! + Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. + + + A Song of Ascents. THOSE WHO trust in, lean on, and confidently hope in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides and stands fast forever. + As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from this time forth and forever. + For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the [uncompromisingly] righteous, lest the righteous (God's people) stretch forth their hands to iniquity and apostasy. + Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are right [with You and all people] in their hearts. + As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways [of indifference to God], the Lord will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel! + + + A Song of Ascents. WHEN THE Lord brought back the captives [who returned] to Zion, we were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal]. [Ps. 53:6; Acts 12:9.] + Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. + The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad! + Turn to freedom our captivity and restore our fortunes, O Lord, as the streams in the South (the Negeb) [are restored by the torrents]. + They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing. + He who goes forth bearing seed and weeping [at needing his precious supply of grain for sowing] shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. + + + A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. EXCEPT THE Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. [Ps. 121:1, 3, 5.] + It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil--for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep. + Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. [Deut. 28:4.] + As arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. + Happy, blessed, and fortunate is the man whose quiver is filled with them! They will not be put to shame when they speak with their adversaries [in gatherings] at the [city's] gate. + + + A Song of Ascents. BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. [Ps. 1:1, 2.] + For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you. + Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your children shall be like olive plants round about your table. + Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord. + May the Lord bless you out of Zion [His sanctuary], and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; + Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel! + + + A Song of Ascents. MANY A time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up--let Israel now say-- + Many a time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me. + The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows. + The Lord is [uncompromisingly] righteous; He has cut asunder the thick cords by which the wicked [enslaved us]. + Let them all be put to shame and turned backward who hate Zion. + Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up, + With which the mower fills not his hand, nor the binder of sheaves his bosom-- + While those who go by do not say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord! + + + A Song of Ascents. OUT OF the depths have I cried to You, O Lord. + Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. + If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand? [Ps. 143:2; Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16.] + But there is forgiveness with You [just what man needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped. [Deut. 10:12.] + I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope. + I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, I say, more than watchmen for the morning. + O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness, and with Him is plenteous redemption. + And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. + + + A Song of Ascents. Of David. LORD, MY heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me. + Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting]. + O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever. + + + A Song of Ascents. LORD, [earnestly] remember to David's credit all his humiliations and hardships and endurance-- + How he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: + Surely I will not enter my dwelling house or get into my bed-- + I will not permit my eyes to sleep or my eyelids to slumber, + Until I have found a place for the Lord, a habitation for the Mighty One of Jacob. [Acts 7:46.] + Behold, at Ephratah we [first] heard of [the discovered ark]; we found it in the fields of the wood [at Kiriath-jearim]. [I Sam. 6:21.] + Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool. + Arise, O Lord, to Your resting-place, You and the ark [the symbol] of Your strength. + Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living and right standing with God); and let Your saints shout for joy! + For Your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Your anointed and reject not Your own king. + The Lord swore to David in truth; He will not turn back from it: One of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne. [Ps. 89:3, 4; Luke 1:69; Acts 2:30, 31.] + If your children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children also shall sit upon your throne forever. + For the Lord has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His habitation: + This is My resting-place forever [says the Lord]; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. + I will surely and abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. + Her priests also will I clothe with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. + There will I make a horn spring forth and bud for David; I have ordained and prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises of old]. [I Kings 11:36; 15:4; II Chron. 21:7; Luke 1:69.] + His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish. + + + A Song of Ascents. Of David. BEHOLD, HOW good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! + It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. [Exod. 30:25, 30.] + It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly]. + + + A Song of Ascents. BEHOLD, BLESS (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord. [I Chron. 9:33.] + Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]! + The Lord bless you out of Zion, even He Who made heaven and earth. + + + PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! + You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, + Praise the Lord! For the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for He is gracious and lovely! + For the Lord has chosen [the descendants of] Jacob for Himself, Israel for His peculiar possession and treasure. [Deut. 7:6.] + For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. + Whatever the Lord pleases, that has He done in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and all deeps-- + Who causes the vapors to arise from the ends of the earth, Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings the wind out of His storehouses; + Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast; [Exod. 12:12, 29; Ps. 78:51; 136:10.] + Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants; + Who smote nations many and great and slew mighty kings-- + Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. + [The Lord] gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people. + Your name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all ages. + For the Lord will judge and vindicate His people, and He will delay His judgments [manifesting His righteousness and mercy] and take into favor His servants [those who meet His terms of separation unto Him]. [Heb. 10:30.] + The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. + [Idols] have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; + They have ears, but they hear not, nor is there any breath in their mouths. + Those who make [idols] are like them; so is everyone who trusts in and relies on them. [Ps. 115:4-8.] + Bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, O house of Israel; bless the Lord, O house of Aaron [God's ministers]. + Bless the Lord, O house of Levi [the dedicated tribe]; you who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]! [Deut. 6:5; Ps. 31:23.] + Blessed out of Zion be the Lord, Who dwells [with us] at Jerusalem! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + O give thanks to the God of gods, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. + O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever-- + To Him Who alone does great wonders, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who by wisdom and understanding made the heavens, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who stretched out the earth upon the waters, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who made the great lights, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever-- + The sun to rule over the day, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + The moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who smote Egypt in their firstborn, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; [Exod. 12:29.] + And brought out Israel from among them, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; [Exod. 12:51; 13:3, 17.] + With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who divided the Red Sea into parts, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; [Exod. 14:21, 22.] + And made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + But shook off and overthrew Pharaoh and his host into the Red Sea, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who led His people through the wilderness, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who smote great kings, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + And slew famous kings, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever--[Deut. 29:7.] + Sihon king of the Amorites, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; [Num. 21:21-24.] + And Og king of Bashan, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; [Num. 21:33-35.] + And gave their land as a heritage, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + Even a heritage to Israel His servant, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; [Josh. 12:1.] + To Him Who [earnestly] remembered us in our low estate and imprinted us [on His heart], for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + And rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + To Him Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; + O give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! + + + BY THE rivers of Babylon, there we [captives] sat down, yes, we wept when we [earnestly] remembered Zion [the city of our God imprinted on our hearts]. + On the willow trees in the midst of [Babylon] we hung our harps. + For there they who led us captive required of us a song with words, and our tormentors and they who wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. + How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? + If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill [with the harp]. + Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I remember you not, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy! [Ezek. 3:26.] + Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites, that they said in the day of Jerusalem's fall, Down, down to the ground with her! + O Daughter of Babylon [you devastator, you!], who [ought to be and] shall be destroyed, happy and blessed shall he be who requites you as you have served us. [Isa. 13:1-22; Jer. 25:12, 13.] + Happy and blessed shall he be who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock! + + + [A Psalm] of David. I WILL confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You. + I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! + In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self. + All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled]. + Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord. + For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance. [Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; I Pet. 5:5.] + Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. [Ps. 23:3, 4.] + The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever--forsake not the works of Your own hands. [Ps. 57:2; Phil. 1:6.] + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. + You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. [Matt. 9:4; John 2:24, 25.] + You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways. + For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. [Heb. 4:13.] + You have beset me and shut me in--behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me. + Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it. + Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? + If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. [Rom. 11:33.] + If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, + Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. + If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me, + Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. [Dan. 2:22.] + For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother's womb. + I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. + My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. + Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. + How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! [Ps. 40:5.] + If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, [could I count to the end] I would still be with You. + If You would [only] slay the wicked, O God, and the men of blood depart from me--[Isa. 11:4.] + Who speak against You wickedly, Your enemies who take Your name in vain! [Jude 15.] + Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And am I not grieved and do I not loathe those who rise up against You? + I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies. + Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! + And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. + + + To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. DELIVER ME, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men; + They devise mischiefs in their heart; continually they gather together and stir up wars. + They sharpen their tongues like a serpent's; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Rom. 3:13.] + Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent men who have purposed to thrust aside my steps. + The proud have hidden a snare for me; they have spread cords as a net by the wayside, they have set traps for me. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + I said to the Lord, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my supplications, O Lord. + O God the Lord, the Strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. + Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; further not their wicked plot and device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Those who are fencing me in raise their heads; may the mischief of their own lips and the very things they desire for me come upon them. + Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into floods of water or deep water pits, from which they shall not rise. + Let not a man of slanderous tongue be established in the earth; let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him [let calamity follow his evildoings]. + I know and rest in confidence upon it that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will secure justice for the poor and needy [of His believing children]. + Surely the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence (before Your very face). + + + A Psalm of David. LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me. Give ear to my voice when I cry to You. + Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. [I Tim. 2:8; Rev. 8:3, 4.] + Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. + Incline my heart not to submit or consent to any evil thing or to be occupied in deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties. + Let the righteous man smite and correct me--it is a kindness. Oil so choice let not my head refuse or discourage; for even in their evils or calamities shall my prayer continue. [Prov. 9:8; 19:25; 25:12; Gal. 6:1.] + When their rulers are overthrown in stony places, [their followers] shall hear my words, that they are sweet (pleasant, mild, and just). + The unburied bones [of slaughtered rulers] shall lie scattered at the mouth of Sheol, [as unregarded] as the lumps of soil behind the plowman when he breaks open the ground. [II Cor. 1:9.] + But my eyes are toward You, O God the Lord; in You do I trust and take refuge; pour not out my life nor leave it destitute and bare. + Keep me from the trap which they have laid for me, and the snares of evildoers. + Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, while I pass over them and escape. + + + A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David; when he was in the cave. A Prayer. I CRY to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord do I make supplication. + I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell before Him my trouble. + When my spirit was overwhelmed and fainted [throwing all its weight] upon me, then You knew my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a snare for me. + Look on the right hand [the point of attack] and see; for there is no man who knows me [to appear for me]. Refuge has failed me and I have no way to flee; no man cares for my life or my welfare. + I cried to You, O Lord; I said, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. + Attend to my loud cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. + Bring my life out of prison, that I may confess, praise, and give thanks to Your name; the righteous will surround me and crown themselves because of me, for You will deal bountifully with me. + + + A Psalm of David. HEAR MY prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness. + And enter not into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no man living is [in himself] righteous or justified. [Ps. 130:3; Rom. 3:20-26; Gal. 2:16.] + For the enemy has pursued and persecuted my soul, he has crushed my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in dark places as those who have been long dead. + Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed and faints within me [wrapped in gloom]; my heart within my bosom grows numb. + I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I ponder the work of Your hands. + I spread forth my hands to You; my soul thirsts after You like a thirsty land [for water]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + Answer me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit fails; hide not Your face from me, lest I become like those who go down into the pit (the grave). + Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You. + Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I flee to You to hide me. + Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me into a level country and into the land of uprightness. + Save my life, O Lord, for Your name's sake; in Your righteousness, bring my life out of trouble and free me from distress. + And in your mercy and loving-kindness, cut off my enemies and destroy all those who afflict my inner self, for I am Your servant. + + + [A Psalm] of David. BLESSED BE the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight-- + My Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my High Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. + Lord, what is man that You take notice of him? Or [the] son of man that You take account of him? [Job 7:17; Ps. 8:4; Heb. 2:6.] + Man is like vanity and a breath; his days are as a shadow that passes away. + Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. + Cast forth lightning and scatter [my enemies]; send out Your arrows and embarrass and frustrate them. + Stretch forth Your hand from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hands of hostile aliens (tribes around us) + Whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are right hands [raised in taking] fraudulent oaths. + I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp, an instrument of ten strings, will I offer praises to You. + You are He Who gives salvation to kings, Who rescues David His servant from the hurtful sword [of evil]. + Rescue me and deliver me out of the power of [hostile] alien [tribes] whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are right hands [raised in taking] fraudulent oaths. + When our sons shall be as plants grown large in their youth and our daughters as sculptured corner pillars hewn like those of a palace; + When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, and our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our pastures; + When our oxen are well loaded; when there is no invasion [of hostile armies] and no going forth [against besiegers--when there is no murder or manslaughter] and no outcry in our streets; + Happy and blessed are the people who are in such a case; yes, happy (blessed, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied) are the people whose God is the Lord! + + + [A Psalm] of praise. Of David. I WILL extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. + Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever. + Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable. [Job 5:9; 9:10; Rom. 11:33.] + One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. + On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate. + Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness. + They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice. + The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness. + The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. + All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]! + They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, + To make known to the sons of men God's mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. + Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. + The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down. + The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season. + You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor. + The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. + The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth. + He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. + The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy. + My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever. + + + PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise the Lord, O my soul! + While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have any being. + Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. + When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish. [I Cor. 2:6.] + Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, [Gen. 32:30.] + Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever, + Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets free the prisoners, + The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright in heart and in right standing with Him). [Luke 13:13; John 9:7, 32.] + The Lord protects and preserves the strangers and temporary residents, He upholds the fatherless and the widow and sets them upright, but the way of the wicked He makes crooked (turns upside down and brings to ruin). + The Lord shall reign forever, even Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) [Ps. 10:16; Rev. 11:15.] + + + PRAISE THE Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God, for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate. + The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering together the exiles of Israel. + He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]. [Ps. 34:18; Isa. 57:15; 61:1; Luke 4:18.] + He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. + Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless. + The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground. + Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!-- + Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. + He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens that for which they cry. + He delights not in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of a man. + The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. [Ps. 145:20.] + Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! + For He has strengthened and made hard the bars of your gates, and He has blessed your children within you. + He makes peace in your borders; He fills you with the finest of the wheat. + He sends forth His commandment to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. + He gives [to the earth] snow like [a blanket of] wool; He scatters the hoarfrost like ashes. + He casts forth His ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold? + He sends out His word, and melts [ice and snow]; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. + He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. [Mal. 4:4.] + He has not dealt so with any [other] nation; they have not known (understood, appreciated, given heed to, and cherished) His ordinances. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) [Ps. 79:6; Jer. 10:25.] + + + PRAISE THE Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights! + Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts! + Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light! + Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens! + Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. + He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over]. + Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps! + You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders! + Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars! + Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! + Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth! + Both young men and maidens, old men and children! + Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven! + He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) [Ps. 75:10; Eph. 2:17.] + + + PRAISE THE Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, praise Him in the assembly of His saints! + Let Israel rejoice in Him, their Maker; let Zion's children triumph and be joyful in their King! [Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:5.] + Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre! + For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. + Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. + Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands, [Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16.] + To wreak vengeance upon the nations and chastisement upon the peoples, + To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, + To execute upon them the judgment written. He [the Lord] is the honor of all His saints. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + PRAISE THE Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power! + Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness! [Deut. 3:24; Ps. 145:5, 6.] + Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! + Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes! + Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! + Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) + + + + + THE PROVERBS (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: + That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, + Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, + That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth-- + The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]--[Prov. 9:9.] + That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles. + The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. [Ps. 111:10.] + My son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother. + For they are a [victor's] chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains and pendants [of gold worn by kings] for your neck. + My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. [Ps. 1:1; Eph. 5:11.] + If they say, Come with us; let us lie in wait [to shed] blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause [and show that his piety is in vain]; + Let us swallow them up alive as does Sheol (the place of the dead), and whole, as those who go down into the pit [of the dead]; + We shall find and take all kinds of precious goods [when our victims are put out of the way], we shall fill our houses with plunder; + Throw in your lot with us [they insist] and be a sworn brother and comrade; let us all have one purse in common-- + My son, do not walk in the way with them; restrain your foot from their path; + For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. + For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird! + But [when these men set a trap for others] they are lying in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. + So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain; such [greed for plunder] takes away the lives of its possessors. [Prov. 15:27; I Tim. 6:10.] + Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets; + She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: + How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge? + If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you. [Isa. 11:2; Eph. 1:17-20.] + Because I have called and you have refused [to answer], have stretched out my hand and no man has heeded it, [Isa. 65:11, 12; 66:4; Jer. 7:13, 14; Zech. 7:11-13.] + And you treated as nothing all my counsel and would accept none of my reproof, + I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when the thing comes that shall cause you terror and panic-- + When your panic comes as a storm and desolation and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. + Then will they call upon me [Wisdom] but I will not answer; they will seek me early and diligently but they will not find me. [Job 27:9; 35:12, 13; Isa. 1:15, 16; Jer. 11:11; Mic. 3:4; James 4:3.] + Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord, [Prov. 8:13.] + Would accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, + Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. + For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of [self-confident] fools shall destroy them. [Isa. 32:6.] + But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil. + + + MY SON, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, + Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it]; + Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, + If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures, + Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God. [Prov. 1:7.] + For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. + He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity, + That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints. [I Sam. 2:9; Ps. 66:8, 9.] + Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path. + For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you. + Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you, + To deliver you from the way of evil and the evil men, from men who speak perverse things and are liars, + Men who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, + Who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, + Who are crooked in their ways, wayward and devious in their paths. + [Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you] to deliver you from the alien woman, from the outsider with her flattering words, [Prov. 2:11.] + Who forsakes the husband and guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. + For her house sinks down to death and her paths to the spirits [of the dead]. + None who go to her return again, neither do they attain or regain the paths of life. + So may you walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the [consistently] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God). + For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the men of integrity, blameless and complete [in God's sight], shall remain in it; + But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it. + + + MY SON, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; + For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you. + Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart. [Col. 3:9-12.] + So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man. [Luke 2:52.] + Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. + In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. + Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. [Prov. 8:13.] + It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones. + Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; [Deut. 26:2; Mal. 3:10; Luke 14:13, 14.] + So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. [Deut. 28:8.] + My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof, [Ps. 94:12; Heb. 12:5, 6; Rev. 3:19.] + For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. + Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God's Word and life's experiences], + For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold. + Skillful and godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. [Job 28:12-18.] + Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. [Prov. 8:12-21; I Tim. 4:8.] + Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. + She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast. + The Lord by skillful and godly Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens. [Col. 1:16.] + By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew. + My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and godly Wisdom and discretion, + And they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self). + Then you will walk in your way securely and in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot or stumble. [Ps. 91:11, 12; Prov. 10:9.] + When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet. + Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes [for you will be guiltless], + For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger]. + Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it. [Rom. 13:7; Gal. 6:10.] + Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it--when you have it with you. [Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15.] + Do not contrive or dig up or cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly and confidently beside you. + Contend not with a man for no reason--when he has done you no wrong. [Rom. 12:18.] + Do not resentfully envy and be jealous of an unscrupulous, grasping man, and choose none of his ways. [Ps. 37:1; 73:3; Prov. 24:1.] + For the perverse are an abomination [extremely disgusting and detestable] to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). [Ps. 25:14.] + The curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just and consistently righteous. [Ps. 37:22; Zech. 5:4; Mal. 2:2.] + Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low [in rank], the humble, and the afflicted. [James 4:6; I Pet. 5:5.] + The wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on [self-confident] fools. [Isa. 32:6.] + + + HEAR, MY sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation [of spiritual matters]. + For I give you good doctrine [what is to be received]; do not forsake my teaching. + When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba], + He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. [I Chron. 28:9; Eph. 6:4.] + Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth. + Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you. + The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation). [James 1:5.] + Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her. + She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you. + Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life shall be many. + I have taught you in the way of skillful and godly Wisdom [which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God]; I have led you in paths of uprightness. + When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you shall not stumble. + Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. + Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. + Avoid it, do not go on it; turn from it and pass on. + For they cannot sleep unless they have caused trouble or vexation; their sleep is taken away unless they have caused someone to fall. + For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. + But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. [II Sam. 23:4; Matt. 5:14; Phil. 2:15.] + The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. [John 12:35.] + My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. + Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. + For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. + Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. + Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you. + Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. + Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright. + Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil. + + + MY SON, be attentive to my Wisdom [godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience], and incline your ear to my understanding [of what is becoming and prudent for you], + That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation]. + For the lips of a loose woman drip honey as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil; [Ezek. 20:30; Col. 2:8-10; II Pet. 2:14-17.] + But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged and devouring sword. + Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). + She loses sight of and walks not in the path of life; her ways wind about aimlessly, and you cannot know them. + Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and depart not from the words of my mouth. + Let your way in life be far from her, and come not near the door of her house [avoid the very scenes of temptation], [Prov. 4:15; Rom. 16:17; I Thess. 5:19-22.] + Lest you give your honor to others and your years to those without mercy, + Lest strangers [and false teachings] take their fill of your strength and wealth and your labors go to the house of an alien [from God]-- + And you groan and mourn when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed, + And you say, How I hated instruction and discipline, and my heart despised reproof! + I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor submitted and consented to those who instructed me. + [The extent and boldness of] my sin involved almost all evil [in the estimation] of the congregation and the community. + Drink waters out of your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship], and fresh running waters out of your own well. + Should your offspring be dispersed abroad as water brooks in the streets? + [Confine yourself to your own wife] let your children be for you alone, and not the children of strangers with you. + Let your fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of your youth. + Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant doe [tender, gentle, attractive]--let her bosom satisfy you at all times, and always be transported with delight in her love. + Why should you, my son, be infatuated with a loose woman, embrace the bosom of an outsider, and go astray? + For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord, and He [Who would have us live soberly, chastely, and godly] carefully weighs all man's goings. [II Chron. 16:9; Job 31:4; 34:21; Prov. 15:3; Jer. 16:17; Hos. 7:2; Heb. 4:13.] + His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked man, and he shall be held with the cords of his sin. + He will die for lack of discipline and instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray and be lost. + + + MY SON, if you have become security for your neighbor, if you have given your pledge for a stranger or another, + You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth. + Do this now [at once and earnestly], my son, and deliver yourself when you have put yourself into the power of your neighbor; go, bestir and humble yourself, and beg your neighbor [to pay his debt and thereby release you]. + Give not [unnecessary] sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids; + Deliver yourself, as a roe or gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. + Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!--[Job 12:7.] + Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, + Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest. + How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? [Prov. 24:33, 34.] + Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep-- + So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless]. [Prov. 10:4; 13:4; 20:4.] + A worthless person, a wicked man, is he who goes about with a perverse (contrary, wayward) mouth. + He winks with his eyes, he speaks by shuffling or tapping with his feet, he makes signs [to mislead and deceive] and teaches with his fingers. + Willful and contrary in his heart, he devises trouble, vexation, and evil continually; he lets loose discord and sows it. + Therefore upon him shall the crushing weight of calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken, and that without remedy. + These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: + A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, [Ps. 120:2, 3.] + A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, + A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. + My son, keep your father's [God-given] commandment and forsake not the law of [God] your mother [taught you]. [Eph. 6:1-3.] + Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your neck. [Prov. 3:3; 7:3.] + When you go, they [the words of your parents' God] shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you waken, they shall talk with you. + For the commandment is a lamp, and the whole teaching [of the law] is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life, [Ps. 19:8; 119:105.] + To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a loose woman. + Lust not after her beauty in your heart, neither let her capture you with her eyelids. + For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread, and the adulteress stalks and snares [as with a hook] the precious life [of a man]. + Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? + Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burned? + So he who cohabits with his neighbor's wife [will be tortured with evil consequences and just retribution]; he who touches her shall not be innocent or go unpunished. + Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry; + But if he is found out, he must restore seven times [what he stole]; he must give the whole substance of his house [if necessary--to meet his fine]. + But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks heart and understanding (moral principle and prudence); he who does it is destroying his own life. + Wounds and disgrace will he get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. + For jealousy makes [the wronged] man furious; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance [upon the detected one]. + He will not consider any ransom [offered to buy him off from demanding full punishment]; neither will he be satisfied, though you offer him many gifts and bribes. + + + MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them. + Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye. + Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. + Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend-- + That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words. + For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice. + And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense, + Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman's] corner; and he went the way to her house + In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man's life]. + And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart. + She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house; + Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner. + So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him, + Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows. + So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you. + I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt. + I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. + Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love. + For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey; + He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon]. + With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along. + Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle + Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life. + Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. + Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths. + For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host. [Neh. 13:26.] + Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death. + + + DOES NOT skillful and godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice [in contrast to the loose woman]? + On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly]; + At the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out: + To you, O men, I call, and my voice is directed to the sons of men. + O you simple and thoughtless ones, understand prudence; you [self-confident] fools, be of an understanding heart. [Isa. 32:6.] + Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things. + For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrongdoing is detestable and loathsome to my lips. + All the words of my mouth are righteous (upright and in right standing with God); there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them. + They are all plain to him who understands [and opens his heart], and right to those who find knowledge [and live by it]. + Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, + For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. [Job 28:15; Ps. 19:10; 119:127.] + I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion. [James 1:5.] + The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate. + I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power. + By me kings reign and rulers decree justice. [Dan. 2:21; Rom. 13:1.] + By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges and governors of the earth. + I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. [I Sam. 2:30; Ps. 91:14; John 14:21; James 1:5.] + Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation, and right standing with God). [Prov. 3:16; Matt. 6:33.] + My fruit is better than gold, yes, than refined gold, and my increase than choice silver. + I [Wisdom] walk in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), in the midst of the paths of justice, + That I may cause those who love me to inherit [true] riches and that I may fill their treasuries. + The Lord formed and brought me [Wisdom] forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old. + I [Wisdom] was inaugurated and ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed. [John 1:1; I Cor. 1:24.] + When there were no deeps, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains laden with water. + Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth, [Job 15:7, 8.] + While as yet He had not made the land or the fields or the first of the dust of the earth. + When He prepared the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep and stretched out the firmament over it, + When He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, + When He gave to the sea its limit and His decree that the waters should not transgress [across the boundaries set by] His command, when He appointed the foundations of the earth--[Job 38:10, 11; Ps. 104:6-9; Jer. 5:22.] + Then I [Wisdom] was beside Him as a master and director of the work; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, [Matt. 3:17; John 1:2, 18.] + Rejoicing in His inhabited earth and delighting in the sons of men. [Ps. 16:3.] + Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways. [Ps. 119:1, 2; 128:1, 2; Luke 11:28.] + Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it. + Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. + For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord. + But he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death. + + + WISDOM HAS built her house; she has hewn out and set up her seven [perfect number of] pillars. + She has killed her beasts, she has mixed her [spiritual] wine; she has also set her table. [Matt. 22:2-4.] + She has sent out her maids to cry from the highest places of the town: + Whoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, [God's] Wisdom says to him, + Come, eat of my bread and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed. [Isa. 55:1; John 6:27.] + Leave off, simple ones [forsake the foolish and simpleminded] and live! And walk in the way of insight and understanding. + He who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises. + Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. [Ps. 141:5.] + Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning. + The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding. + For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased. + If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scorn, you alone will bear it and pay the penalty. + The foolish woman is noisy; she is simple and open to all forms of evil, she [willfully and recklessly] knows nothing whatever [of eternal value]. + For she sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the conspicuous places of the town, + Calling to those who pass by, who go uprightly on their way: + Whoever is simple (wavering and easily led astray), let him turn in here! And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, + Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden]; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. [Prov. 20:17.] + But he knows not that the shades of the dead are there [specters haunting the scene of past transgressions], and that her invited guests are [already sunk] in the depths of Sheol (the lower world, Hades, the place of the dead). + + + THE PROVERBS of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish and self-confident son is the grief of his mother. + Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) delivers from death. + The Lord will not allow the [uncompromisingly] righteous to famish, but He thwarts the desire of the wicked. [Ps. 34:9, 10; 37:25.] + He becomes poor who works with a slack and idle hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. + He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. + Blessings are upon the head of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. + The memory of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot. [Ps. 112:6; 9:5.] + The wise in heart will accept and obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong. + He who walks uprightly walks securely, but he who takes a crooked way shall be found out and punished. + He who winks with the eye [craftily and with malice] causes sorrow; the foolish of lips will fall headlong but he who boldly reproves makes peace. + The mouth of the [uncompromisingly] righteous man is a well of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. + Hatred stirs up contentions, but love covers all transgressions. + On the lips of him who has discernment skillful and godly Wisdom is found, but discipline and the rod are for the back of him who is without sense and understanding. + Wise men store up knowledge [in mind and heart], but the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction. + The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. [Ps. 52:7; I Tim. 6:17.] + The earnings of the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) lead to life, but the profit of the wicked leads to further sin. [Rom. 6:21; I Tim. 6:10.] + He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others. + He who hides hatred is of lying lips, and he who utters slander is a [self-confident] fool. [Prov. 26:24-26.] + In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. + The tongues of those who are upright and in right standing with God are as choice silver; the minds of those who are wicked and out of harmony with God are of little value. + The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous feed and guide many, but fools die for want of understanding and heart. + The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. + It is as sport to a [self-confident] fool to do wickedness, but to have skillful and godly Wisdom is pleasure and relaxation to a man of understanding. + The thing a wicked man fears shall come upon him, but the desire of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be granted. + When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation. [Ps. 125:1; Matt. 7:24-27.] + As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who employ and send him. + The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord prolongs one's days, but the years of the wicked shall be made short. + The hope of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked (those who are out of harmony with God) comes to nothing. + The way of the Lord is strength and a stronghold to the upright, but it is destruction to the workers of iniquity. + The [consistently] righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth [eventually]. [Ps. 37:22; 125:1.] + The mouths of the righteous (those harmonious with God) bring forth skillful and godly Wisdom, but the perverse tongue shall be cut down [like a barren and rotten tree]. + The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous know [and therefore utter] what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked knows [and therefore speaks only] what is obstinately willful and contrary. + + + A FALSE balance and unrighteous dealings are extremely offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. [Lev. 19:35, 36; Prov. 16:11.] + When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness. + The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them. + Riches provide no security in any day of wrath and judgment, but righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) delivers from death. [Prov. 10:2; Zeph. 1:18.] + The righteousness of the blameless shall rectify and make plain their way and keep it straight, but the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness. + The righteousness of the upright [their rectitude in every area and relation] shall deliver them, but the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity and greedy desire. + When the wicked man dies, his hope [for the future] perishes; and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing. + The [uncompromisingly] righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead. + With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge and superior discernment shall the righteous be delivered. + When it goes well with the [uncompromisingly] righteous, the city rejoices, but when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. + By the blessing of the influence of the upright and God's favor [because of them] the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. + He who belittles and despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent. + He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden. + Where no wise guidance is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. + He who becomes security for an outsider shall smart for it, but he who hates suretyship is secure [from its penalties]. + A gracious and good woman wins honor [for her husband], and violent men win riches but a woman who hates righteousness is a throne of dishonor for him. + The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel and callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution. + The wicked man earns deceitful wages, but he who sows righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) shall have a sure reward [permanent and satisfying]. [Hos. 10:12; Gal. 6:8, 9; James 3:18.] + He who is steadfast in righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) attains to life, but he who pursues evil does it to his own death. + They who are willfully contrary in heart are extremely disgusting and shamefully vile in the eyes of the Lord, but such as are blameless and wholehearted in their ways are His delight! + Assuredly [I pledge it] the wicked shall not go unpunished, but the multitude of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be delivered. + As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman who is without discretion. + The desire of the [consistently] righteous brings only good, but the expectation of the wicked brings wrath. + There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want. + The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. [II Cor. 9:6-10.] + The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it], but a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it. + He who diligently seeks good seeks [God's] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him. + He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough. + He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind, and the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart. + The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity]. [Matt. 4:19; I Cor. 9:19; James 5:20.] + Behold, the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be recompensed on earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner! And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and wicked? [I Pet. 4:18.] + + + WHOEVER LOVES instruction and correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is like a brute beast, stupid and indiscriminating. + A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked devices He condemns. + A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall never be moved. + A virtuous and worthy wife [earnest and strong in character] is a crowning joy to her husband, but she who makes him ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. [Prov. 31:23; I Cor. 11:7.] + The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are honest and reliable, but the counsels and designs of the wicked are treacherous. + The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them and the innocent ones [thus endangered]. + The wicked are overthrown and are not, but the house of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall stand. + A man shall be commended according to his Wisdom [godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God], but he who is of a perverse heart shall be despised. + Better is he who is lightly esteemed but works for his own support than he who assumes honor for himself and lacks bread. + A [consistently] righteous man regards the life of his beast, but even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. [Deut. 25:4.] + He who tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits is lacking in sense and is without understanding. + The wicked desire the booty of evil men, but the root of the [uncompromisingly] righteous yields [richer fruitage]. + The wicked is [dangerously] snared by the transgression of his lips, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall come out of trouble. + From the fruit of his words a man shall be satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hands shall come back to him [as a harvest]. + The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise. [Prov. 3:7; 9:9; 21:2.] + A fool's wrath is quickly and openly known, but a prudent man ignores an insult. + He who breathes out truth shows forth righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), but a false witness utters deceit. + There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. + Truthful lips shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is [credited] but for a moment. + Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but for the counselors of peace there is joy. + No [actual] evil, misfortune, or calamity shall come upon the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil, misfortune, and calamity. [Job 5:19; Ps. 91:3; Prov. 12:13; Isa. 46:4; Jer. 1:8; Dan. 6:27; II Tim. 4:18.] + Lying lips are extremely disgusting and hateful to the Lord, but they who deal faithfully are His delight. [Prov. 6:17; 11:20; Rev. 22:15.] + A prudent man is reluctant to display his knowledge, but the heart of [self-confident] fools proclaims their folly. [Isa. 32:6.] + The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor. + Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad. [Ps. 50:4; Prov. 15:13.] + The [consistently] righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked causes others to go astray. + The slothful man does not catch his game or roast it once he kills it, but the diligent man gets precious possessions. + Life is in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), and in its pathway there is no death but immortality (perpetual, eternal life). [John 3:36; 4:36; 8:51; 11:26; I Cor. 15:54; Gal. 6:8.] + + + A WISE son heeds [and is the fruit of] his father's instruction and correction, but a scoffer listens not to rebuke. + A good man eats good from the fruit of his mouth, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. + He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. + The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied. [Prov. 10:4.] + A [consistently] righteous man hates lying and deceit, but a wicked man is loathsome [his very breath spreads pollution] and he comes [surely] to shame. + Righteousness (rightness and justice in every area and relation) guards him who is upright in the way, but wickedness plunges into sin and overthrows the sinner. + One man considers himself rich, yet has nothing [to keep permanently]; another man considers himself poor, yet has great [and indestructible] riches. [Prov. 12:9; Luke 12:20, 21.] + A rich man can buy his way out of threatened death by paying a ransom, but the poor man does not even have to listen to threats [from the envious]. + The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him--it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly. + By pride and insolence comes only contention, but with the well-advised is skillful and godly Wisdom. + Wealth [not earned but] won in haste or unjustly or from the production of things for vain or detrimental use [such riches] will dwindle away, but he who gathers little by little will increase [his riches]. + Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. + Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself, but he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] is rewarded. + The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. + Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard [like the barren, dry soil or the impassable swamp]. + Every prudent man deals with knowledge, but a [self-confident] fool exposes and flaunts his folly. + A wicked messenger falls into evil, but a faithful ambassador brings healing. + Poverty and shame come to him who refuses instruction and correction, but he who heeds reproof is honored. + Satisfied desire is sweet to a person; therefore it is hateful and exceedingly offensive to [self-confident] fools to give up evil [upon which they have set their hearts]. + He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is [a fool himself and] shall smart for it. [Isa. 32:6.] + Evil pursues sinners, but the consistently upright and in right standing with God is recompensed with good. + A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up. + Much food is in the tilled land of the poor, but there are those who are destroyed because of injustice. + He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently and punishes him early. [Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13; 29:15, 17.] + The [uncompromisingly] righteous eats to his own satisfaction, but the stomach of the wicked is in want. + + + EVERY WISE woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands. + He who walks in uprightness reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, but he who is contrary and devious in his ways despises Him. + In the fool's own mouth is a rod [to shame] his pride, but the wise men's lips preserve them. + Where no oxen are, the grain crib is empty, but much increase [of crops] comes by the strength of the ox. + A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness breathes out falsehoods. + A scoffer seeks Wisdom in vain [for his very attitude blinds and deafens him to it], but knowledge is easy to him who [being teachable] understands. + Go from the presence of a foolish and self-confident man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. + The Wisdom [godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of [self-confident] fools is to deceive. + Fools make a mock of sin and sin mocks the fools [who are its victims; a sin offering made by them only mocks them, bringing them disappointment and disfavor], but among the upright there is the favor of God. [Prov. 10:23.] + The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. + The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, but the tent of the upright shall flourish. + There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. + Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of mirth is heaviness and grief. + The backslider in heart [from God and from fearing God] shall be filled with [the fruit of] his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied with [the fruit of] his ways [with the holy thoughts and actions which his heart prompts and in which he delights]. + The simpleton believes every word he hears, but the prudent man looks and considers well where he is going. + A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil, but the fool bears himself insolently and is [presumptuously] confident. + He who foams up quickly and flies into a passion deals foolishly, and a man of wicked plots and plans is hated. + The simple acquire folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. + The evil men bow before the good, and the wicked [stand suppliantly] at the gates of the [uncompromisingly] righteous. + The poor is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends. + He who despises his neighbor sins [against God, his fellowman, and himself], but happy (blessed and fortunate) is he who is kind and merciful to the poor. + Do they not err who devise evil and wander from the way of life? But loving-kindness and mercy, loyalty and faithfulness, shall be to those who devise good. + In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty. + The crown of the wise is their wealth of Wisdom, but the foolishness of [self-confident] fools is [nothing but] folly. + A truthful witness saves lives, but a deceitful witness speaks lies [and endangers lives]. + In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge. + Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. [John 4:10, 14.] + In a multitude of people is the king's glory, but in a lack of people is the prince's ruin. + He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is hasty of spirit exposes and exalts his folly. [Prov. 16:32; James 1:19.] + A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones. + He who oppresses the poor reproaches, mocks, and insults his Maker, but he who is kind and merciful to the needy honors Him. [Prov. 17:5; Matt. 25:40, 45.] + The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing and calamity, but the [consistently] righteous has hope and confidence even in death. + Wisdom rests [silently] in the mind and heart of him who has understanding, but that which is in the inward part of [self-confident] fools is made known. [Isa. 32:6.] + Uprightness and right standing with God (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) elevate a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. + The king's favor is toward a wise and discreet servant, but his wrath is against him who does shamefully. [Matt. 24:45, 47.] + + + A SOFT answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. [Prov. 25:15.] + The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool pours out folly. + The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. [Job 34:21; Prov. 5:21; Jer. 16:17; 32:19; Heb. 4:13.] + A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit. + A fool despises his father's instruction and correction, but he who regards reproof acquires prudence. + In the house of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is great [priceless] treasure, but with the income of the wicked is trouble and vexation. + The lips of the wise disperse knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; not so the minds and hearts of the self-confident and foolish. + The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight! [Isa. 1:11; Jer. 6:20; Amos 5:22.] + The way of the wicked is an abomination, extremely disgusting and shamefully vile to the Lord, but He loves him who pursues righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). + There is severe discipline for him who forsakes God's way; and he who hates reproof will die [physically, morally, and spiritually]. + Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the final place of the accuser Satan) are both before the Lord--how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men? [Job 26:6; Ps. 139:8; Rev. 9:2; 20:1, 2.] + A scorner has no love for one who rebukes him; neither will he go to the wise [for counsel]. + A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. [Prov. 17:22.] + The mind of him who has understanding seeks knowledge and inquires after and craves it, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool feeds on folly. [Isa. 32:6.] + All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. + Better is little with the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord than great and rich treasure and trouble with it. [Ps. 37:16; Prov. 16:8; I Tim. 6:6.] + Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it. [Prov. 17:1.] + A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger appeases contention. + The way of the sluggard is overgrown with thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], but the way of the righteous is plain and raised like a highway. + A wise son makes a glad father, but a self-confident and foolish man despises his mother and puts her to shame. + Folly is pleasure to him who is without heart and sense, but a man of understanding walks uprightly [making straight his course]. [Eph. 5:15.] + Where there is no counsel, purposes are frustrated, but with many counselors they are accomplished. + A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment--how good it is! + The path of the wise leads upward to life, that he may avoid [the gloom] in the depths of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). [Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1, 2.] + The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but He makes secure the boundaries of the [consecrated] widow. + The thoughts of the wicked are shamefully vile and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasing words to Him. + He who is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. [Isa. 5:8; Jer. 17:11.] + The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. [I Pet. 3:15.] + The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous (the upright, in right standing with Him). + The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others, and good news nourishes the bones. + The ear that listens to the reproof [that leads to or gives] life will remain among the wise. + He who refuses and ignores instruction and correction despises himself, but he who heeds reproof gets understanding. + The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor. + + + THE PLANS of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. + All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). [I Sam. 16:7; Heb. 4:12.] + Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. + The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end and His own purpose--even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity and evil. + Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished. [Prov. 8:13; 11:20-21.] + By mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man--not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil. + When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. + Better is a little with righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation and right standing with God) than great revenues with injustice. [Ps. 37:16; Prov. 15:16.] + A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. [Ps. 37:23; Prov. 20:24; Jer. 10:23.] + Divinely directed decisions are on the lips of the king; his mouth should not transgress in judgment. + A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights of the bag are His work [established on His eternal principles]. + It is an abomination [to God and men] for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established and made secure by righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). + Right and just lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. + The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it. + In the light of the king's countenance is life, and his favor is as a cloud bringing the spring rain. + How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. [Prov. 8:10, 19.] + The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. + Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. + Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek and poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. + He who deals wisely and heeds [God's] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, and fortunate is he. + The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, and knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]. + Understanding is a wellspring of life to those who have it, but to give instruction to fools is folly. + The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips. + Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body. + There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. + The appetite of the laborer works for him, for [the need of] his mouth urges him on. + A worthless man devises and digs up mischief, and in his lips there is as a scorching fire. + A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. [Prov. 17:9.] + The exceedingly grasping, covetous, and violent man entices his neighbor, leading him in a way that is not good. + He who shuts his eyes to devise perverse things and who compresses his lips [as if in concealment] brings evil to pass. + The hoary head is a crown of beauty and glory if it is found in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). [Prov. 20:29.] + He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city. + The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]. + + + BETTER IS a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting [on offered sacrifices] with strife. + A wise servant shall have rule over a son who causes shame, and shall share in the inheritance among the brothers. + The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts. [Ps. 26:2; Prov. 27:21; Jer. 17:10; Mal. 3:3.] + An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips; and a liar listens to a mischievous tongue. + Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent or go unpunished. [Job 31:29; Prov. 14:31; Obad. 12.] + Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers. [Ps. 127:3; 128:3.] + Fine or arrogant speech does not befit [an empty-headed] fool--much less do lying lips befit a prince. + A bribe is like a bright, precious stone that dazzles the eyes and affects the mind of him who gives it; [as if by magic] he prospers, whichever way he turns. + He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. + A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred lashes into a [self-confident] fool. [Isa. 32:6.] + An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a stern and pitiless messenger shall be sent against him. + Let [the brute ferocity of] a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a [self-confident] fool in his folly [when he is in a rage]. [Hos. 13:8.] + Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. [Ps. 109:4, 5; Jer. 18:20.] + The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out. + He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both an abomination [exceedingly disgusting and hateful] to the Lord. [Exod. 23:7; Prov. 24:24; Isa. 5:23.] + Of what use is money in the hand of a [self-confident] fool to buy skillful and godly Wisdom--when he has no understanding or heart for it? + A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. + A man void of good sense gives a pledge and becomes security for another in the presence of his neighbor. + He who loves strife and is quarrelsome loves transgression and involves himself in guilt; he who raises high his gateway and is boastful and arrogant invites destruction. + He who has a wayward and crooked mind finds no good, and he who has a willful and contrary tongue will fall into calamity. [James 3:8.] + He who becomes the parent of a [self-confident] fool does it to his sorrow, and the father of [an empty-headed] fool has no joy [in him]. + A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. [Prov. 12:25; 15:13, 15.] + A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom (pocket) to pervert the ways of justice. + A man of understanding sets skillful and godly Wisdom before his face, but the eyes of a [self-confident] fool are on the ends of the earth. + A self-confident and foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. + Also, to punish or fine the righteous is not good, nor to smite the noble for their uprightness. + He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit. [James 1:19.] + Even a fool when he holds his peace is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is esteemed a man of understanding. + + + HE WHO willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment. + A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions and himself. + When the wicked comes in [to the depth of evil], he becomes a contemptuous despiser [of all that is pure and good], and with inner baseness comes outer shame and reproach. + The words of a [discreet and wise] man's mouth are like deep waters [plenteous and difficult to fathom], and the fountain of skillful and godly Wisdom is like a gushing stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving]. + To respect the person of the wicked and be partial to him, so as to deprive the [consistently] righteous of justice, is not good. + A [self-confident] fool's lips bring contention, and his mouth invites a beating. + A [self-confident] fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to himself. + The words of a whisperer or talebearer are as dainty morsels; they go down into the innermost parts of the body. + He who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer and he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide. + The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong. + The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as a high protecting wall in his own imagination and conceit. + Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor. + He who answers a matter before he hears the facts--it is folly and shame to him. [John 7:51.] + The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear? + The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge. + A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. [Gen. 32:20; I Sam. 25:27; Prov. 17:8; 21:14.] + He who states his case first seems right, until his rival comes and cross-examines him. + To cast lots puts an end to disputes and decides between powerful contenders. + A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and [their] contentions separate them like the bars of a castle. + A man's [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. + Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. [Matt. 12:37.] + He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. [Prov. 19:14; 31:10.] + The poor man uses entreaties, but the rich answers roughly. + The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. + + + BETTER IS a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his speech and is a [self-confident] fool. + Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin and miss the mark. + The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord. + Wealth makes many friends, but the poor man is avoided by his neighbor. [Prov. 14:20.] + A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes out lies shall not escape. [Exod. 23:1; Deut. 19:16-19; Prov. 6:19; 21:28.] + Many will entreat the favor of a liberal man, and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. + All the brothers of a poor man detest him--how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. + He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good. + A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish. + Luxury is not fitting for a [self-confident] fool--much less for a slave to rule over princes. + Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense. + The king's wrath is as terrifying as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as [refreshing as] dew upon the grass. [Hos. 14:5.] + A self-confident and foolish son is the [multiplied] calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are like a continual dripping [of water through a chink in the roof]. + House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord. [Prov. 18:22.] + Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger. + He who keeps the commandment [of the Lord] keeps his own life, but he who despises His ways shall die. [Luke 10:28; 11:28.] + He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him. [Prov. 28:27; Eccl. 11:1; Matt. 10:42; 25:40; II Cor. 9:6-8; Heb. 6:10.] + Discipline your son while there is hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin. + A man of great wrath shall suffer the penalty; for if you deliver him [from the consequences], he will [feel free to] cause you to do it again. + Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. + Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand. [Job 23:13; Ps. 33:10, 11; Isa. 14:26, 27; 46:10; Acts 5:39; Heb. 6:17.] + That which is desired in a man is loyalty and kindness [and his glory and delight are his giving], but a poor man is better than a liar. + The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil. [Job 5:19; Ps. 91:3; Prov. 12:13; Isa. 46:4; Jer. 1:8; Dan. 6:27; II Tim. 4:8.] + The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. + Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will increase in knowledge. + He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. + Cease, my son, to hear instruction only to ignore it and stray from the words of knowledge. + A worthless witness scoffs at justice, and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity. + Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and stripes for the backs of [self-confident] fools. [Isa. 32:6.] + + + WINE IS a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs or reels because of it is not wise. [Prov. 23:29, 30; Isa. 28:7; Hos. 4:11.] + The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger or angers himself against him sins against his own life. + It is an honor for a man to cease from strife and keep aloof from it, but every fool will quarrel. + The sluggard does not plow when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing. + Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out. [Prov. 18:4.] + Many a man proclaims his own loving-kindness and goodness, but a faithful man who can find? + The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him. + A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows out all evil [like chaff] with his eyes. + Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? [I Kings 8:46; II Chron. 6:36; Job 9:30; 14:4; Ps. 51:5; I John 1:8.] + Diverse weights [one for buying and another for selling] and diverse measures--both of them are exceedingly offensive and abhorrent to the Lord. [Deut. 25:13; Mic. 6:10, 11.] + Even a child is known by his acts, whether [or not] what he does is pure and right. + The hearing ear and the seeing eye--the Lord has made both of them. + Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread. + It is worthless, it is worthless! says the buyer; but when he goes his way, then he boasts [about his bargain]. + There is gold, and a multitude of pearls, but the lips of knowledge are a vase of preciousness [the most precious of all]. [Job 28:12, 16-19; Prov. 3:15; 8:11.] + [The judge tells the creditor] Take the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners. + Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. + Purposes and plans are established by counsel; and [only] with good advice make or carry on war. + He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore associate not with him who talks too freely. [Rom. 16:17, 18.] + Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in complete darkness. + An inheritance hastily gotten [by greedy, unjust means] at the beginning, in the end it will not be blessed. [Prov. 28:20; Hab. 2:6.] + Do not say, I will repay evil; wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue you. [II Sam. 16:12; Rom. 12:17-19; I Thess. 5:15; I Pet. 3:9.] + Diverse and deceitful weights are shamefully vile and abhorrent to the Lord, and false scales are not good. + Man's steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way? + It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly and [not until] afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it]. + A wise king winnows out the wicked [from among the good] and brings the threshing wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain]. + The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. [I Cor. 2:11.] + Loving-kindness and mercy, truth and faithfulness, preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by [the people's] loyalty. + The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head [suggesting wisdom and experience]. + Blows that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes [for correction] reach to the innermost parts. + + + THE KING'S heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He wills. + Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs and tries the hearts. [Prov. 24:12; Luke 16:15.] + To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. [I Sam. 15:22; Prov. 15:8; Isa. 1:11; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:7, 8.] + Haughtiness of eyes and a proud heart, even the tillage of the wicked or the lamp [of joy] to them [whatever it may be], are sin [in the eyes of God]. + The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent tend only to plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient and hasty hastens only to want. + Securing treasures by a lying tongue is a vapor driven to and fro; those who seek them seek death. + The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away, because they refuse to do justice. + The way of the guilty is exceedingly crooked, but as for the pure, his work is right and his conduct is straight. + It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop [on the flat oriental roof, exposed to all kinds of weather] than in a house shared with a nagging, quarrelsome, and faultfinding woman. + The soul or life of the wicked craves and seeks evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. [James 2:16.] + When the scoffer is punished, the fool gets a lesson in being wise; but men of [godly] Wisdom and good sense learn by being instructed. + The [uncompromisingly] righteous man considers well the house of the wicked--how the wicked are cast down to ruin. + Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor will cry out himself and not be heard. [Matt. 18:30-34; James 2:13.] + A gift in secret pacifies and turns away anger, and a bribe in the lap, strong wrath. + When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God), but to the evildoers it is dismay, calamity, and ruin. + A man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the spirits (of the dead). + He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. + The wicked become a ransom for the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and the treacherous for the upright [because the wicked themselves fall into the traps and pits they have dug for the good]. + It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious woman and with vexation. + There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it. + He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor. [Prov. 15:9; Matt. 5:6.] + A wise man scales the city walls of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust. + He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles. [Prov. 12:13; 13:3; 18:21; James 3:2.] + The proud and haughty man--Scoffer is his name--deals and acts with overbearing pride. + The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. + He covets greedily all the day long, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous gives and does not withhold. [II Cor. 9:6-10.] + The sacrifice of the wicked is exceedingly disgusting and abhorrent [to the Lord]--how much more when he brings it with evil intention? + A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears attentively will endure and go unchallenged. + A wicked man puts on the bold, unfeeling face [of guilt], but as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity]. + There is no [human] wisdom or understanding or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord. + The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord. + + + A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. + The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. [Job 31:15; Prov. 14:31.] + A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished [with suffering]. + The reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. + Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful; he who guards himself will be far from them. + Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. [Eph. 6:4; II Tim. 3:15.] + The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. + He who sows iniquity will reap calamity and futility, and the rod of his wrath [with which he smites others] will fail. + He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor. [II Cor. 9:6-10.] + Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out; yes, strife and abuse will cease. + He who loves purity and the pure in heart and who is gracious in speech--because of the grace of his lips will he have the king for his friend. + The eyes of the Lord keep guard over knowledge and him who has it, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous. + The sluggard says, There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets! + The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit [for ensnaring wild animals]; he with whom the Lord is indignant and who is abhorrent to Him will fall into it. + Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. + He who oppresses the poor to get gain for himself and he who gives to the rich--both will surely come to want. + Listen (consent and submit) to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; + For it will be pleasant if you keep them in your mind [believing them]; your lips will be accustomed to [confessing] them. + So that your trust (belief, reliance, support, and confidence) may be in the Lord, I have made known these things to you today, even to you. + Have I not written to you [long ago] excellent things in counsels and knowledge, + To make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you? [Luke 1:3, 4.] + Rob not the poor [being tempted by their helplessness], neither oppress the afflicted at the gate [where the city court is held], [Exod. 23:6; Job 31:16, 21.] + For the Lord will plead their cause and deprive of life those who deprive [the poor or afflicted]. [Zech. 7:10; Mal. 3:5.] + Make no friendships with a man given to anger, and with a wrathful man do not associate, + Lest you learn his ways and get yourself into a snare. + Be not one of those who strike hands and pledge themselves, or of those who become security for another's debts. + If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from under you? + Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set up. + Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. + + + WHEN YOU sit down to eat with a ruler, consider who and what are before you; + For you will put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to desire. + Be not desirous of his dainties, for it is deceitful food [offered with questionable motives]. + Weary not yourself to be rich; cease from your own [human] wisdom. [Prov. 28:20; I Tim. 6:9, 10.] + Will you set your eyes upon wealth, when [suddenly] it is gone? For riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. + Eat not the bread of him who has a hard, grudging, and envious eye, neither desire his dainty foods; + For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost]. + The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up, and your complimentary words will be wasted. + Speak not in the ears of a [self-confident] fool, for he will despise the [godly] Wisdom of your words. [Isa. 32:6.] + Remove not the ancient landmark and enter not into the fields of the fatherless, [Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Prov. 22:28.] + For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you. + Apply your mind to instruction and correction and your ears to words of knowledge. + Withhold not discipline from the child; for if you strike and punish him with the [reedlike] rod, he will not die. + You shall whip him with the rod and deliver his life from Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). + My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will be glad, even mine; + Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak right things. + Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long. + For surely there is a latter end [a future and a reward], and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off. + Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way [of the Lord]. + Do not associate with winebibbers; be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat, [Isa. 5:22; Luke 21:34; Rom. 13:13; Eph. 5:18.] + For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. + Hearken to your father, who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old. + Buy the truth and sell it not; not only that, but also get discernment and judgment, instruction and understanding. + The father of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall greatly rejoice, and he who becomes the father of a wise child shall have joy in him. + Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice. + My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe and delight in my ways, + For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a loose woman is a narrow pit. + She also lies in wait as a robber or as one waits for prey, and she increases the treacherous among men. + Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness and dimness of eyes? + Those who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine. [Prov. 20:1; Eph. 5:18.] + Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes down smoothly. + At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. + [Under the influence of wine] your eyes will behold strange things [and loose women] and your mind will utter things turned the wrong way [untrue, incorrect, and petulant]. + Yes, you will be [as unsteady] as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, and [as open to disaster] as he who lies upon the top of a mast. + You will say, They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me [as with a hammer], but I did not feel it! When shall I awake? I will crave and seek more wine again [and escape reality]. + + + BE NOT envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; + For their minds plot oppression and devise violence, and their lips talk of causing trouble and vexation. + Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], + And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. + A wise man is strong and is better than a strong man, and a man of knowledge increases and strengthens his power; [Prov. 21:22; Eccl. 9:16.] + For by wise counsel you can wage your war, and in an abundance of counselors there is victory and safety. + Wisdom is too high for a fool; he opens not his mouth in the gate [where the city's rulers sit in judgment]. + He who plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker. + The plans of the foolish and the thought of foolishness are sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. + If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. + Deliver those who are drawn away to death, and those who totter to the slaughter, hold them back [from their doom]. + If you [profess ignorance and] say, Behold, we did not know this, does not He Who weighs and ponders the heart perceive and consider it? And He Who guards your life, does not He know it? And shall not He render to [you and] every man according to his works? + My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. + So shall you know skillful and godly Wisdom to be thus to your life; if you find it, then shall there be a future and a reward, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off. + Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God); destroy not his resting-place; + For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. [Job 5:19; Ps. 34:19; 37:24; Mic. 7:8.] + Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown, + Lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender]. + Fret not because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked, + For there shall be no reward for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. + My son, [reverently] fear the Lord and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change [of allegiance, and are revolutionary], + For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the punishment and ruin which both [the Lord and the king] will bring upon [the rebellious]? + These also are sayings of the wise: To discriminate and show partiality, having respect of persons in judging, is not good. + He who says to the wicked, You are righteous and innocent--peoples will curse him, nations will defy and abhor him. + But to those [upright judges] who rebuke the wicked, it will go well with them and they will find delight, and a good blessing will be upon them. + He kisses the lips [and wins the hearts of men] who give a right answer. + [Put first things first.] Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house and establish a home. + Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and deceive not with your lips. [Eph. 4:25.] + Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for his deed. [Prov. 20:22; Matt. 5:39, 44; Rom. 12:17, 19.] + I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; + And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down. + Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction. + Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-- + So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man. + + + THESE ARE also the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied: [I Kings 4:32.] + It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing. [Deut. 29:29; Rom. 11:33.] + As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the hearts and minds of kings are unsearchable. + Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth [the material for] a vessel for the silversmith [to work up]. [II Tim. 2:21.] + Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). + Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men; + For better it is that it should be said to you, Come up here, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whose eyes have seen you. [Luke 14:8-10.] + Rush not forth soon to quarrel [before magistrates or elsewhere], lest you know not what to do in the end when your neighbor has put you to shame. [Prov. 17:14; Matt. 5:25.] + Argue your cause with your neighbor himself; discover not and disclose not another's secret, [Matt. 18:15.] + Lest he who hears you revile you and bring shame upon you and your ill repute have no end. + A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver. [Prov. 15:23; Isa. 50:4.] + Like an earring or nose ring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to an ear that listens and obeys. + Like the cold of snow [brought from the mountains] in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the life of his masters. + Whoever falsely boasts of gifts [he does not give] is like clouds and wind without rain. [Jude 12.] + By long forbearance and calmness of spirit a judge or ruler is persuaded, and soft speech breaks down the most bonelike resistance. [Gen. 32:4; I Sam. 25:24; Prov. 15:1; 16:14.] + Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest, being filled with it, you vomit it. + Let your foot seldom be in your neighbor's house, lest he become tired of you and hate you. + A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a heavy sledgehammer and a sword and a sharp arrow. + Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint. + He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like him who lays off a garment in cold weather and like vinegar upon soda. [Dan. 6:18; Rom. 12:15.] + If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; [Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:20.] + For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will reward you. + The north wind brings forth rain; so does a backbiting tongue bring forth an angry countenance. + It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a disagreeing, quarrelsome, and scolding woman. [Prov. 21:9.] + Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far [home] country. + Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields, falls down, and compromises his integrity before the wicked. + It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to seek glory, their own glory, causes suffering and is not glory. + He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. [Prov. 16:32.] + + + LIKE SNOW in summer and like rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a [self-confident] fool. [Isa. 32:6.] + Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, so the causeless curse does not alight. [Num. 23:8.] + A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a [straight, slender] rod for the backs of [self-confident] fools. + Answer not a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. + Answer a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes and conceit. [Matt. 16:1-4; 21:24-27.] + He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet [of satisfactory delivery] and drinks the damage. [Prov. 13:17.] + Like the legs of a lame man which hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of a fool. + Like he who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a [self-confident] fool. + Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, so is a proverb in the mouth of a [self-confident] fool. + [But] like an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or chance passers-by. + As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. + Do you see a man wise in his own eyes and conceit? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him. [Prov. 29:20; Luke 18:11; Rom. 12:16; Rev. 3:17.] + The sluggard says, There is a lion in the way! A lion is in the streets! [Prov. 22:13.] + As the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man [move not from his place] upon his bed. + The slothful and self-indulgent buries his hand in his bosom; it distresses and wearies him to bring it again to his mouth. [Prov. 19:24.] + The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes and conceit than seven men who can render a reason and answer discreetly. + He who, passing by, stops to meddle with strife that is none of his business is like one who takes a dog by the ears. + Like a madman who casts firebrands, arrows, and death, + So is the man who deceives his neighbor and then says, Was I not joking? [Eph. 5:4.] + For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention ceases. + As coals are to hot embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man to inflame strife. [Prov. 15:18; 29:22.] + The words of a whisperer or slanderer are like dainty morsels or words of sport [to some, but to others are like deadly wounds]; and they go down into the innermost parts of the body [or of the victim's nature]. + Burning lips [uttering insincere words of love] and a wicked heart are like an earthen vessel covered with the scum thrown off from molten silver [making it appear to be solid silver]. + He who hates pretends with his lips, but stores up deceit within himself. + When he speaks kindly, do not trust him, for seven abominations are in his heart. + Though his hatred covers itself with guile, his wickedness shall be shown openly before the assembly. + Whoever digs a pit [for another man's feet] shall fall into it himself, and he who rolls a stone [up a height to do mischief], it will return upon him. [Ps. 7:15, 16; 9:15; 10:2; 57:6; Prov. 28:10; Eccl. 10:8.] + A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin. + + + DO NOT boast of [yourself and] tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth. [Luke 12:19, 20; James 4:13.] + Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. + Stone is heavy and sand weighty, but a fool's [unreasoning] wrath is heavier and more intolerable than both of them. + Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy? + Open rebuke is better than love that is hidden. [Prov. 28:23; Gal. 2:14.] + Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful. + He who is satiated [with sensual pleasures] loathes and treads underfoot a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. + Like a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who strays from his home. + Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart. + Your own friend and your father's friend, forsake them not; neither go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near [in spirit] than a brother who is far off [in heart]. + My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me [as having failed in my parental duty]. [Prov. 10:1; 23:15, 24.] + A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished [with suffering]. + [The judge tells the creditor] Take the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners. [Prov. 20:16.] + The flatterer who loudly praises and glorifies his neighbor, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted as cursing him [for he will be suspected of sinister purposes]. + A continual dripping on a day of violent showers and a contentious woman are alike; [Prov. 19:13.] + Whoever attempts to restrain [a contentious woman] might as well try to stop the wind--his right hand encounters oil [and she slips through his fingers]. + Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]. + Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit; so he who patiently and faithfully guards and heeds his master shall be honored. [I Cor. 9:7, 13.] + As in water face answers to and reflects face, so the heart of man to man. + Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the place of destruction) are never satisfied; so [the lust of] the eyes of man is never satisfied. [Prov. 30:16; Hab. 2:5.] + As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold [bring forth all the impurities of the metal], so let a man be in his trial of praise [ridding himself of all that is base or insincere; for a man is judged by what he praises and of what he boasts]. + Even though like grain you should pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. + Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds; + For riches are not forever; does a crown endure to all generations? + When the hay is gone, the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountain are gathered in, + The lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats [will furnish you] the price of a field. + And there will be goats' milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance of your maids. + + + THE WICKED flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion. [Lev. 26:17, 36; Ps. 53:5.] + When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but when the ruler is a man of discernment, understanding, and knowledge, its stability will long continue. + A poor man who oppresses the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food [plundering them of their last morsels]. [Matt. 18:28.] + Those who forsake the law [of God and man] praise the wicked, but those who keep the law [of God and man] contend with them. [Prov. 29:18.] + Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully. [John 7:17; I Cor. 2:15; I John 2:20, 27.] + Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways, though he is rich. + Whoever keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise son, but he who is a companion of gluttons and the carousing, self-indulgent, and extravagant shames his father. + He who by charging excessive interest and who by unjust efforts to get gain increases his material possession gathers it for him [to spend] who is kind and generous to the poor. [Job 27:16, 17; Prov. 13:22; Eccl. 2:26.] + He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God]. [Ps. 66:18; 109:7; Prov. 15:8; Zech. 7:11.] + Whoever leads the upright astray into an evil way, he will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. + The rich man is wise in his own eyes and conceit, but the poor man who has understanding will find him out. + When the [uncompromisingly] righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; but when the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves. + He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy. [Ps. 32:3, 5; I John 1:8-10.] + Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. + Like a roaring lion or a ravenous and charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. + A ruler who lacks understanding is [like a wicked one] a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness and unjust gain shall prolong his days. + If a man willfully sheds the blood of a person [and keeps the guilt of murder upon his conscience], he is fleeing to the pit (the grave) and hastening to his own destruction; let no man stop him! + He who walks uprightly shall be safe, but he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways shall fall in one of them. + He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough. + A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not go unpunished. [Prov. 13:11; 20:21; 23:4; I Tim. 6:9.] + To have respect of persons and to show partiality is not good, neither is it good that man should transgress for a piece of bread. + He who has an evil and covetous eye hastens to be rich and knows not that want will come upon him. [Prov. 21:5; 28:20.] + He who rebukes a man shall afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue. + Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, This is no sin--he is in the same class as [an open, lawless robber and] a destroyer. + He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed. + He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered. [James 1:5.] + He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse. [Deut. 15:7; Prov. 19:17; 22:9.] + When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; but when they perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become many. [Prov. 28:12.] + + + HE WHO, being often reproved, hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed--and that without remedy. + When the [uncompromisingly] righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh. + Whoever loves skillful and godly Wisdom rejoices his father, but he who associates with harlots wastes his substance. + The king by justice establishes the land, but he who exacts gifts and tribute overthrows it. + A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his own feet. + In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous man sings and rejoices. + The [consistently] righteous man knows and cares for the rights of the poor, but the wicked man has no interest in such knowledge. [Job 29:16; 31:13; Ps. 41:1.] + Scoffers set a city afire [inflaming the minds of the people], but wise men turn away wrath. + If a wise man has an argument with a foolish man, the fool only rages or laughs, and there is no rest. + The bloodthirsty hate the blameless man, but the upright care for and seek [to save] his life. [Gen. 4:5, 8; I John 3:12.] + A [self-confident] fool utters all his anger, but a wise man holds it back and stills it. + If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will become wicked. + The poor man and the oppressor meet together--the Lord gives light to the eyes of both. + The king who faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established continuously. + The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left undisciplined brings his mother to shame. + When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall see the fall of the wicked. + Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your heart. + Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. [I Sam. 3:1; Amos 8:11, 12.] + A servant will not be corrected by words alone; for though he understands, he will not answer [the master who mistreats him]. + Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him. + He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him expecting the rights of a son afterward. + A man of wrath stirs up strife, and a man given to anger commits and causes much transgression. + A man's pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor. [Prov. 15:33; 18:12; Isa. 66:2; Dan. 4:30; Matt. 23:12; James 4:6, 10; I Pet. 5:5.] + Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own life; he falls under the curse [pronounced upon him who knows who the thief is] but discloses nothing. + The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high. + Many crave and seek the ruler's favor, but the wise man [waits] for justice from the Lord. + An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way [of the Lord] is an abomination to the wicked. + + + THE WORDS of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: + Surely I am too brutish and stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man [for all my secular learning is as nothing]. + I have not learned skillful and godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge or burden of the Holy One. + Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know? [John 3:13; Rev. 19:12.] + Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him. [Ps. 18:30; 84:11; 115:9-11.] + Add not to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar. + Two things have I asked of You [O Lord]; deny them not to me before I die: + Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, + Lest I be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and steal, and so profane the name of my God. [Deut. 8:12, 14, 17; Neh. 9:25, 26; Job 31:24; Hos. 13:6.] + Do not accuse and hurt a servant before his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty [of adding to the burdens of the lowly]. + There is a class of people who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. + There is a class of people who are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their own filth. + There is a class of people--oh, how lofty are their eyes and their raised eyelids! + There is a class of people whose teeth are as swords and whose fangs as knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men. + The leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give! There are three things that are never satisfied, yes, four that do not say, It is enough: + Sheol (the place of the dead), the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that says not, It is enough. + The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young vultures will devour it. [Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20; 23:22.] + There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I do not understand: + The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid. + This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I have done no wickedness. + Under three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up: + Under a servant when he reigns, a [empty-headed] fool when he is filled with food, + An unloved and repugnant woman when she is married, and a maidservant when she supplants her mistress. + There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: + The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer; [Prov. 6:6.] + The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; [Ps. 104:18.] + The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands; + The lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces. + There are three things which are stately in step, yes, four which are stately in their stride: + The lion, which is mightiest among beasts and turns not back before any; + The war horse [well-knit in the loins], the male goat also, and the king [when his army is with him and] against whom there is no uprising. + If you have done foolishly in exalting yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth. [Job 21:5; 40:4.] + Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife. + + + THE WORDS of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him: + What, my son? What, son of my womb? What [shall I advise you], son of my vows and dedication to God? + Give not your strength to [loose] women, nor your ways to those who and that which ruin and destroy kings. + It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, [Eccl. 10:17; Hos. 4:11.] + Lest they drink and forget the law and what it decrees, and pervert the justice due any of the afflicted. + Give strong drink [as medicine] to him who is ready to pass away, and wine to him in bitter distress of heart. + Let him drink and forget his poverty and [seriously] remember his want and misery no more. + Open your mouth for the dumb [those unable to speak for themselves], for the rights of all who are left desolate and defenseless; [I Sam. 19:4; Esth. 4:16; Job 29:15, 16.] + Open your mouth, judge righteously, and administer justice for the poor and needy. [Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:16; Job 29:12; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 22:16.] + A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. [Prov. 12:4; 18:22; 19:14.] + The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. + She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her. + She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it]. + She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country]. + She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. [Job 23:12.] + She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. [S. of Sol. 8:12.] + She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. + She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust]. + She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. + She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit]. + She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet. [Josh. 2:18, 19; Heb. 9:19-22.] + She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made]. [Isa. 61:10; I Tim. 2:9; Rev. 3:5; 19:8, 14.] + Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. [Prov. 12:4.] + She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or sashes that free one up for service]. + Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! + She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]. + She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat. [I Tim. 5:14; Tit. 2:5.] + Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying], + Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. + Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! + Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]! [Phil. 4:8.] + + + + + THE WORDS of the Preacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem. + Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities, says the Preacher. Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities! All is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and vainglory). [Rom. 8:20.] + What profit does man have left from all his toil at which he toils under the sun? [Is life worth living?] + One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever. [Ps. 119:90.] + The sun also rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. + The wind goes to the south and circles about to the north; it circles and circles about continually, and on its circuit the wind returns again. [John 3:8.] + All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from which the rivers come, to there and from there they return again. + All things are weary with toil and all words are feeble; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. [Prov. 27:20.] + The thing that has been--it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. + Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been, in the vast ages of time [recorded or unrecorded] which were before us. + There is no remembrance of former happenings or men, neither will there be any remembrance of happenings of generations that are to come by those who are to come after them. + I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. + And I applied myself by heart and mind to seek and search out by [human] wisdom all human activity under heaven. It is a miserable business which God has given to the sons of man with which to busy themselves. + I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a striving after the wind and a feeding on wind. + What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted. + I entered into counsel with my own mind, saying, Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom, yes, more than all who have been over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge. + And I gave my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I perceived that this also is a searching after wind and a feeding on it. [I Thess. 5:21.] + For in much [human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. + + + I SAID in my mind, Come now, I will prove you with mirth and test you with pleasure; so have a good time [enjoy pleasure]. But this also was vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! [Luke 12:19, 20.] + I said of laughter, It is mad, and of pleasure, What does it accomplish? + I searched in my mind how to cheer my body with wine--yet at the same time having my mind hold its course and guide me with [human] wisdom--and how to lay hold of folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. + I made great works; I built myself houses, I planted vineyards. + I made for myself gardens and orchards and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. + I made for myself pools of water from which to water the forest and make the trees bud. + I bought menservants and maidservants and had servants born in my house. Also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. + I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got for myself men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men--concubines very many. [I Kings 9:28; 10:10, 14, 21.] + So I became great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me and stood by me. + And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion and reward for all my toil. + Then I looked on all that my hands had done and the labor I had spent in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it, and there was no profit under the sun. [Matt. 16:26.] + So I turned to consider [human] wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who succeeds the king? Nothing but what has been done already. + Then I saw that even [human] wisdom [that brings sorrow] is better than [the pleasures of] folly as far as light is better than darkness. + The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness; and yet I perceived that [in the end] one event happens to them both. [Prov. 17:24.] + Then said I in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it will happen even to me. And of what use is it then for me to be more wise? Then I said in my heart, This also is vanity (emptiness, vainglory, and futility)! + For of the wise man, the same as of the fool, there is no permanent remembrance, since in the days to come all will be long forgotten. And how does the wise man die? Even as the fool! + So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it. + And I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will succeed me. [Ps. 49:10.] + And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have dominion over all my labor in which I have toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! + So I turned around and gave my heart up to despair over all the labor of my efforts under the sun. + For here is a man whose labor is with wisdom and knowledge and skill; yet to a man who has not toiled for it he must leave it all as his portion. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and a great evil! + For what has a man left from all his labor and from the striving and vexation of his heart in which he has toiled under the sun? + For all his days are but pain and sorrow, and his work is a vexation and grief; his mind takes no rest even at night. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! + There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God. + For who can eat or who can have enjoyment any more than I can--apart from Him? + For to the person who pleases Him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and heaping up, that he may give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it. + + + TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: + A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, [Heb. 9:27.] + A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, + A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, + A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, + A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away, + A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, [Amos 5:13.] + A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. [Luke 14:26.] + What profit remains for the worker from his toil? + I have seen the painful labor and exertion and miserable business which God has given to the sons of men with which to exercise and busy themselves. + He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. + I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to get and do good as long as they live; + And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God. + I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it. And God does it so that men will [reverently] fear Him [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is]. [Ps. 19:9; James 1:17.] + That which is now already has been, and that which is to be already has been; and God seeks that which has passed by [so that history repeats itself]. + Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice there was wickedness, and that in the place of righteousness wickedness was there also. + I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time [appointed] for every matter and purpose and for every work. + I said in my heart regarding the subject of the sons of men, God is trying (separating and sifting) them, that they may see that by themselves [under the sun, without God] they are but like beasts. + For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even [in the end] one thing befalls them both. As the one dies, so dies the other. Yes, they all have one breath and spirit, so that a man has no preeminence over a beast; for all is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! + All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. + Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth? + So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his portion. For who shall bring him back to see what will happen after he is gone? + + + THEN I returned and considered all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun: And I beheld the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they [too] had no comforter. + So I praised and thought more fortunate those who have been long dead than the living, who are still alive. + But better than them both [I thought] is he who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. + Then I saw that all painful effort in labor and all skill in work comes from man's rivalry with his neighbor. This is also vanity, a vain striving after the wind and a feeding on it. + The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh [destroying himself by indolence]. + Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full with painful effort, a vain striving after the wind and a feeding on it. + Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun [in one of its peculiar forms]. + Here is one alone--no one with him; he neither has child nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labor, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, neither does he ask, For whom do I labor and deprive myself of good? This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility); yes, it is a painful effort and an unhappy business. [Prov. 27:20; I John 2:16.] + Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor; + For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! + Again, if two lie down together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone? + And though a man might prevail against him who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. + Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive counsel (friendly reproof and warning)-- + Even though [the youth] comes out of prison to reign, while the other, born a king, becomes needy. + I saw all the living who walk under the sun with the youth who was to stand up in the king's stead. + There was no end to all the people; he was over all of them. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory) and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it. + + + KEEP YOUR foot [give your mind to what you are doing] when you go [as Jacob to sacred Bethel] to the house of God. For to draw near to hear and obey is better than to give the sacrifice of fools [carelessly, irreverently] too ignorant to know that they are doing evil. [Gen. 35:1-4; Exod. 3:5.] + Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. + For a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool's voice with many words. + When you vow a vow or make a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God has no pleasure in fools (those who witlessly mock Him). Pay what you vow. [Ps. 50:14; 66:13, 14; 76:11.] + It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. [Prov. 20:25; Acts 5:4.] + Do not allow your mouth to cause your body to sin, and do not say before the messenger [the priest] that it was an error or mistake. Why should God be [made] angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? [Mal. 2:7.] + For in a multitude of dreams there is futility and worthlessness, and ruin in a flood of words. But [reverently] fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is]. + If you see the oppression of the poor and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in the state or province, do not marvel at the matter. [Be sure that there are those who will attend to it] for a higher [official] than the high is observing, and higher ones are over them. + Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all; the king himself is served by the field and in all, a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields. + He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance with gain. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! + When goods increase, they who eat them increase also. And what gain is there to their owner except to see them with his eyes? + The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the fullness of the rich will not let him sleep. + There is a serious and severe evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt. + But those riches are lost in a bad venture; and he becomes the father of a son, and there is nothing in his hand [with which to support the child]. + As [the man] came forth from his mother's womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; and he will take away nothing for all his labor which he can carry in his hand. + And this also is a serious and severe evil--that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he who labors for the wind? [I Tim. 6:6.] + All his days also he eats in darkness [cheerlessly, with no sweetness and light in them], and much sorrow and sickness and wrath are his. + Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him--for this is his [allotted] part. [I Tim. 6:17.] + Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil--this is the gift of God [to him]. + For he shall not much remember [seriously] the days of his life, because God [Himself] answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart [the tranquillity of God is mirrored in him]. + + + THERE IS an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavily upon men: + A man to whom God has given riches, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he might desire, yet God does not give him the power or capacity to enjoy them [things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] consumes and enjoys them. This is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility); it is a sore affliction! [Luke 12:20.] + If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, but his life is not filled with good, and also he is given no burial [honors nor is laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], I say that [he who had] an untimely birth [resulting in death] is better off than he, [Job 3:16.] + For [the untimely one] comes in futility and goes into darkness, and in darkness his name is covered. + Moreover, he has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge, yet he [the stillborn child] has rest rather than he [who is aware of all that he has missed and all that he would not have had to suffer]. + Even though he lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment--do not all go to one place [the place of the dead]? + All the labor of man is for his mouth [for self-preservation and enjoyment], and yet his desire is not satisfied. [Prov. 16:26.] + For what advantage has the wise man over the fool [being worldly-wise is not the secret to happiness]? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk before the living [publicly, with men's eyes upon him; being poor is not the secret to happiness either]? + Better is the sight of the eyes [the enjoyment of what is available to one] than the cravings of wandering desire. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it! + Whatever [man] is, he has been named that long ago, and it is known that it is man [Adam]; nor can he contend with Him who is mightier than he [whether God or death]. + Seeing that there are [all these and] many other things and words that increase the emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility [of living], what profit and what outcome is there for man? + For who [limited to human wisdom] knows what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow [going through the motions but accomplishing nothing]? For who can tell a man what will happen [to his work, his treasure, his plans] under the sun after he is gone? + + + A GOOD name is better than precious perfume, and the day of death better than the day of one's birth. + It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart. + Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better and gains gladness. [II Cor. 7:10.] + The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth and sensual joy. + It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. + For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! + Surely oppression and extortion make a wise man foolish, and a bribe destroys the understanding and judgment. + Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. + Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools. [James 1:19, 20.] + Do not say, Why were the old days better than these? For it is not wise or because of wisdom that you ask this. + Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yes, more excellent it is for those [the living] who see the sun. + For wisdom is a defense even as money is a defense, but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the life of him who has it. + Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked? + In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one side by side with the other, so that man may not find out anything that shall be after him. + I have seen everything in the days of my vanity (my emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility): there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in [spite of] his evildoing. + Be not [morbidly exacting and externally] righteous overmuch, neither strive to make yourself [pretentiously appear] overwise--why should you [get puffed up and] destroy yourself [with presumptuous self-sufficiency]? + [Although all have sinned] be not wicked overmuch or willfully, neither be foolish--why should you die before your time? + It is good that you should take hold of this and from that withdraw not your hand; for he who [reverently] fears and worships God will come forth from them all. + [True] wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers or valiant generals who are in the city. [Ps. 127:1; II Tim. 3:15.] + Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth who does good and never sins. [Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23.] + Do not give heed to everything that is said, lest you hear your servant cursing you-- + For often your own heart knows that you have likewise cursed others. + All this have I tried and proved by wisdom. I said, I will be wise [independently of God]--but it was far from me. + That which is is far off, and that which is deep is very deep--who can find it out [true wisdom independent of the fear of God]? [Job 28:12-28; I Cor. 2:9-16.] + I turned about [penitent] and my heart was set to know and to search out and to seek [true] wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness [and what had led me into such wickedness and madness]. + And I found that [of all sinful follies none has been so ruinous in seducing one away from God as idolatrous women] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is snares and nets and whose hands are bands. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her. + Behold, this I have found, says the Preacher, while weighing one thing after another to find out the right estimate [and the reason]-- + Which I am still seeking but have not found--one upright man among a thousand have I found, but an upright woman among all those [one thousand in my harem] have I not found. [I Kings 11:3.] + Behold, this is the only [reason for it that] I have found: God made man upright, but they [men and women] have sought out many devices [for evil]. + + + WHO IS like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his countenance is changed. + I counsel you to keep the king's command, and that in regard to the oath of God [by which you swore to him loyalty]. [II Sam. 21:7.] + Be not panic-stricken and hasty to get out of his presence. Persist not in an evil thing, for he does whatever he pleases. + For the word of a king is authority and power, and who can say to him, What are you doing? + Whoever observes the [king's] command will experience no harm, and a wise man's mind will know both when and what to do. + For every purpose and matter has its [right] time and judgment, although the misery and wickedness of man lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king]. + For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how and when it will be? + There is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the breath of life, neither has he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in battle [against death], neither will wickedness deliver those who are its possessors and given to it. + All this have I seen while applying my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his own hurt or to the other man's. + And so I saw the wicked buried--those who had come and gone out of the holy place [but did not thereby escape their doom], and they are [praised and] forgotten in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility)! + Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil. + Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his days [seemingly] are prolonged [in his wickedness], yet surely I know that it will be well with those who [reverently] fear God, who revere and worship Him, realizing His continual presence. [Ps. 37:11, 18, 19; Isa. 3:10, 11; Matt. 25:34.] + But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not [reverently] fear and worship God. [Matt. 25:41.] + Here also is a futility that goes on upon the earth: there are righteous men who fare as though they were wicked, and wicked men who fare as though they were righteous. I say that this also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! + Then I commended enjoyment, because a man has no better thing under the sun [without God] than to eat and to drink and to be joyful, for that will remain with him in his toil through the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. + When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the business activity and the painful effort that take place upon the earth--how neither day nor night some men's eyes sleep-- + Then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun--because however much a man may toil in seeking, yet he will not find it out; yes, more than that, though a wise man thinks and claims he knows, yet will he not be able to find it out. [Deut. 29:29; Rom. 11:33.] + + + FOR ALL this I took to heart, exploring and examining it all, how the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) and the wise and their works are in the hands of God. Whether it is to be love or hatred no man knows; all that is before them. + All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good man, so is the sinner; and he who swears is as he who fears and shuns an oath. + This evil is in all that is done under the sun: one fate comes to all. Also the hearts of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. + [There is no exemption] but he who is joined to all the living has hope--for a living dog is better than a dead lion. + For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; and they have no more reward [here], for the memory of them is forgotten. + Their love and their hatred and their envy have already perished; neither have they any more a share in anything that is done under the sun. + Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God], for God has already accepted your works. + Let your garments be always white [with purity], and let your head not lack [the] oil [of gladness]. + Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun--all the days of futility. For that is your portion in this life and in your work at which you toil under the sun. + Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you are going. + I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, neither is bread to the wise nor riches to men of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. [Ps. 33:16-19; Rom. 9:16.] + For man also knows not his time [of death]: as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when [calamity] falls suddenly upon them. + This [illustration of] wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me: + There was a little city with few men in it. And a great king came against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it. + But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no man [seriously] remembered that poor man. + But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded. + The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the shouts of him who rules among fools. + Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. + + + DEAD FLIES cause the ointment of the perfumer to putrefy [and] send forth a vile odor; so does a little folly [in him who is valued for wisdom] outweigh wisdom and honor. + A wise man's heart turns him toward his right hand, but a fool's heart toward his left. [Matt. 25:31-41.] + Even when he who is a fool walks along the road, his heart and understanding fail him, and he says of everyone and to everyone that he is a fool. + If the temper of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place [or show a resisting spirit]; for gentleness and calmness prevent or put a stop to great offenses. + There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceeds from the ruler: + Folly is set in great dignity and in high places, and the rich sit in low places. + I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking like slaves on the earth. + He who digs a pit [for others] will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a fence or a [stone] wall, a serpent will bite him. [Ps. 57:6.] + Whoever removes [landmark] stones or hews out [new ones with similar intent] will be hurt with them, and he who fells trees will be endangered by them. [Prov. 26:27.] + If the ax is dull and the man does not whet the edge, he must put forth more strength; but wisdom helps him to succeed. + If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then it is no use to call a charmer [and the slanderer is no better than the uncharmed snake]. + The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. + The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is wicked madness. + A fool also multiplies words, though no man can tell what will be--and what will happen after he is gone, who can tell him? + The labor of fools wearies every one of them, because [he is so ignorant of the ordinary matters that] he does not even know how to get to town. + Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child or a servant and when your officials feast in the morning! + Happy (fortunate and to be envied) are you, O land, when your king is a free man and of noble birth and character and when your officials feast at the proper time--for strength and not for drunkenness! [Isa. 32:8.] + Through indolence the rafters [of state affairs] decay and the roof sinks in, and through idleness of the hands the house leaks. + [Instead of repairing the breaches, the officials] make a feast for laughter, serve wine to cheer life, and [depend on tax] money to answer for all of it. + Curse not the king, no, not even in your thoughts, and curse not the rich in your bedchamber, for a bird of the air will carry the voice, and a winged creature will tell the matter. [Exod. 22:28.] + + + CAST YOUR bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. + Give a portion to seven, yes, even [divide it] to eight, for you know not what evil may come upon the earth. + If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. + He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. + As you know not what is the way of the wind, or how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you know not the work of God, Who does all. + In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good. + Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. + Yes, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all; yet let him [seriously] remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility)! + Rejoice, O young man, in your adolescence, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your [full-grown] youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. + Therefore remove [the lusts that end in] sorrow and vexation from your heart and mind and put away evil from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity [transitory, idle, empty, and devoid of truth]. [II Cor. 7:1; II Tim. 2:22.] + + + REMEMBER [earnestly] also your Creator [that you are not your own, but His property now] in the days of your youth, before the evil days come or the years draw near when you will say [of physical pleasures], I have no enjoyment in them--[II Sam. 19:35.] + Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened [sight is impaired], and the clouds [of depression] return after the rain [of tears]; + In the day when the keepers of the house [the hands and the arms] tremble, and the strong men [the feet and the knees] bow themselves, and the grinders [the molar teeth] cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows [the eyes] are darkened; + When the doors [the lips] are shut in the streets and the sound of the grinding [of the teeth] is low, and one rises up at the voice of a bird and the crowing of a cock, and all the daughters of music [the voice and the ear] are brought low; + Also when [the old] are afraid of danger from that which is high, and fears are in the way, and the almond tree [their white hair] blooms, and the grasshopper [a little thing] is a burden, and desire and appetite fail, because man goes to his everlasting home and the mourners go about the streets or marketplaces. [Job 17:13.] + [Remember your Creator earnestly now] before the silver cord [of life] is snapped apart, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern [and the whole circulatory system of the blood ceases to function]; + Then shall the dust [out of which God made man's body] return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God Who gave it. + Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities, says the Preacher. All is futility (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and transitoriness)! + And furthermore, because the Preacher was wise, he [Solomon] still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. + The Preacher sought acceptable words, even to write down rightly words of truth or correct sentiment. + The words of the wise are like prodding goads, and firmly fixed [in the mind] like nails are the collected sayings which are given [as proceeding] from one Shepherd. [Ezek. 37:24.] + But about going further [than the words given by one Shepherd], my son, be warned. Of making many books there is no end [so do not believe everything you read], and much study is a weariness of the flesh. + All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man. + For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or evil. [Matt. 12:36; Acts 17:30, 31; Rom. 2:16; I Cor. 4:5.] + + + + + THE SONG of songs [the most excellent of them all] which is Solomon's. [I Kings 4:32.] + Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! [she cries. Then, realizing that Solomon has arrived and has heard her speech, she turns to him and adds] For your love is better than wine! + [And she continues] The odor of your ointments is fragrant; your name is like perfume poured out. Therefore do the maidens love you. + Draw me! We will run after you! The king brings me into his apartments! We will be glad and rejoice in you! We will recall [when we were favored with] your love, more fragrant than wine. The upright [are not offended at your choice, but sincerely] love you. + I am so black; but [you are] lovely and pleasant [the ladies assured her]. O you daughters of Jerusalem, [I am as dark] as the tents of [the Bedouin tribe] Kedar, like the [beautiful] curtains of Solomon! + [Please] do not look at me, [she said, for] I am swarthy. [I have worked out] in the sun and it has left its mark upon me. My stepbrothers were angry with me, and they made me keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard [my complexion] I have not kept. + [Addressing her shepherd, she said] Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon. For why should I [as I think of you] be as a veiled one straying beside the flocks of your companions? [Ps. 23:1, 2.] + If you do not know [where your lover is], O you fairest among women, run along, follow the tracks of the flock, and [amuse yourself by] pasturing your kids beside the shepherds' tents. + O my love [he said as he saw her], you remind me of my [favorite] mare in the chariot spans of Pharaoh. + Your cheeks are comely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. + We will make for you chains and ornaments of gold, studded with silver. + While the king sits at his table [she said], my spikenard [my absent lover] sends forth [his] fragrance [over me]. + My beloved [shepherd] is to me like a [scent] bag of myrrh that lies in my bosom. + My beloved [shepherd] is to me a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi [famed for its fragrant shrubs]. + Behold, you are beautiful, my love! Behold, you are beautiful! You have doves' eyes. + [She cried] Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved [shepherd], yes, delightful! Our arbor and couch are green and leafy. + The beams of our house are cedars, and our rafters and panels are cypresses or pines. + + + [SHE SAID] I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a [humble] lily of the valleys [that grows in deep and difficult places]. + But Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters. + Like an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved [shepherd] among the sons [cried the girl]! Under his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. + He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him]. + Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. + [I can feel] his left hand under my head and his right hand embraces me! [Deut. 33:27; Matt. 28:20.] + [He said] I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field [which are free to follow their own instincts] that you not try to stir up or awaken [my] love until it pleases. + [Vividly she pictured it] The voice of my beloved [shepherd]! Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. [John 10:27.] + My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he stands behind the wall of our house, he looks in through the windows, he glances through the lattice. + My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. + For, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. + The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing [of birds] has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. + The fig tree puts forth and ripens her green figs, and the vines are in blossom and give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. + [So I went with him, and when we were climbing the rocky steps up the hillside, my beloved shepherd said to me] O my dove, [while you are here] in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. + [My heart was touched and I fervently sang to him my desire] Take for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards [of our love], for our vineyards are in blossom. + [She said distinctly] My beloved is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the lilies. [Matt. 10:32; Acts 4:12.] + [Then, longingly addressing her absent shepherd, she cried] Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, return hastily, O my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart as you cover the mountains [which separate us]. + + + IN THE night I dreamed that I sought the one whom I love. [She said] I looked for him but could not find him. [Isa. 26:9.] + So I decided to go out into the city, into the streets and broad ways [which are so confusing to a country girl], and seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I could not find him. + The watchmen who go about the city found me, to whom I said, Have you seen him whom my soul loves? + I had gone but a little way past them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. [Rom. 8:35; I Pet. 2:25.] + I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field that you stir not up nor awaken love until it pleases. + Who or what is this [she asked] that comes gliding out of the wilderness like stately pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh, frankincense, and all the fragrant powders of the merchant? + [Someone answered] Behold, it is the traveling litter (the bridal car) of Solomon. Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel. + They all handle the sword and are expert in war; every man has his sword upon his thigh, that fear be not excited in the night. + King Solomon made himself a car or a palanquin from the [cedar] wood of Lebanon. + He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple, the inside of it lovingly and intricately wrought in needlework by the daughters of Jerusalem. + Go forth, O you daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon wearing the crown with which his mother [Bathsheba] crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of his gladness of heart. + + + HOW FAIR you are, my love [he said], how very fair! Your eyes behind your veil [remind me] of those of a dove; your hair [makes me think of the black, wavy fleece] of a flock of [the Arabian] goats which one sees trailing down Mount Gilead [beyond the Jordan on the frontiers of the desert]. + Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes which have come up from the washing, of which all are in pairs, and none is missing among them. + Your lips are like a thread of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. + Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an arsenal, whereon hang a thousand bucklers, all of them shields of warriors. + Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a gazelle that feed among the lilies. + Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, [in my thoughts] I will get to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense [to him whom my soul adores]. + [He exclaimed] O my love, how beautiful you are! There is no flaw in you! [John 14:18; Eph. 5:27.] + Come away with me from Lebanon, my [promised] bride, come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the top of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. [II Cor. 11:2, 3.] + You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my [promised] bride; you have ravished my heart and given me courage with one look from your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. + How beautiful is your love, my sister, my [promised] bride! How much better is your love than wine! And the fragrance of your ointments than all spices! [John 15:9; Rom. 8:35.] + Your lips, O my [promised] bride, drop honey as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue. And the odor of your garments is like the odor of Lebanon. + A garden enclosed and barred is my sister, my [promised] bride--a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. + Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates or a paradise with precious fruits, henna with spikenard plants, [John 15:5; Eph. 5:9.] + Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, with all the chief spices. + You are a fountain [springing up] in a garden, a well of living waters, and flowing streams from Lebanon. [John 4:10; 7:37, 38.] + [You have called me a garden, she said] Oh, I pray that the [cold] north wind and the [soft] south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out [in abundance for you in whom my soul delights]. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits. + + + I HAVE come into my garden, my sister, my [promised] bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam and spice [from your sweet words I have gathered the richest perfumes and spices]. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends [feast on, O revelers of the palace; you can never make my lover disloyal to me]! Drink, yes, drink abundantly of love, O precious one [for now I know you are mine, irrevocably mine! With his confident words still thrilling her heart, through the lattice she saw her shepherd turn away and disappear into the night]. [John 16:33.] + I went to sleep, but my heart stayed awake. [I dreamed that I heard] the voice of my beloved as he knocked [at the door of my mother's cottage]. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my spotless one [he said], for I am wet with the [heavy] night dew; my hair is covered with it. [Job 11:13-15.] + [But weary from a day in the vineyards, I had already sought my rest] I had put off my garment--how could I [again] put it on? I had washed my feet--how could I [again] soil them? [Isa. 32:9; Heb. 3:15.] + My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my heart was moved for him. + I rose up to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid [sweet-scented] myrrh, [which he had left] upon the handles of the bolt. + I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and withdrawn himself, and was gone! My soul went forth [to him] when he spoke, but it failed me [and now he was gone]! I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. + The watchmen who go about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil and my mantle from me. + I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am sick from love [simply sick to be with him]. [Ps. 63:1.] + What is your beloved more than another beloved, O you fairest among women [taunted the ladies]? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you should give us such a charge? [John 10:26.] + [She said] My beloved is fair and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand! [Ps. 45:2; John 1:14.] + His head is [as precious as] the finest gold; his locks are curly and bushy and black as a raven. + His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, bathed in milk and fitly set. + His cheeks are like a bed of spices or balsam, like banks of sweet herbs yielding fragrance. His lips are like bloodred anemones or lilies distilling liquid [sweet-scented] myrrh. + His hands are like rods of gold set with [nails of] beryl or topaz. His body is a figure of bright ivory overlaid with [veins of] sapphires. + His legs are like strong and steady pillars of marble set upon bases of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent, stately, and majestic as the cedars. + His voice and speech are exceedingly sweet; yes, he is altogether lovely [the whole of him delights and is precious]. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! [Ps. 92:15; Col. 1:15.] + + + WHERE HAS your beloved gone, O you fairest among women? [Again the ladies showed their interest in the remarkable person whom the Shulammite had championed with such unstinted praise; they too wanted to know him, they insisted.] Where is your beloved hiding himself? For we would seek him with you. + [She replied] My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies. + I am my beloved's [garden] and my beloved is mine! He feeds among the lilies [which grow there]. + [He said] You are as beautiful as Tirzah [capital of the northern kingdom's first king], my love, and as comely as Jerusalem, [but you are] as terrible as a bannered host! + Turn away your [flashing] eyes from me, for they have overcome me! Your hair is like a flock of goats trailing down from Mount Gilead. + Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming from their washing, of which all are in pairs, and not one of them is missing. + Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. + There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number; + But my dove, my undefiled and perfect one, stands alone [above them all]; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her and called her blessed and happy, yes, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. [Col. 2:8, 9.] + [The ladies asked] Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, clear and pure as the sun, and terrible as a bannered host? + [The Shulammite replied] I went down into the nut orchard [one day] to look at the green plants of the valley, to see whether the grapevine had budded and the pomegranates were in flower. + Before I was aware [of what was happening], my desire [to roam about] had brought me into the area of the princes of my people [the king's retinue]. + [I began to flee, but they called to me] Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon you! [I replied] What is there for you to see in the [poor little] Shulammite? [And they answered] As upon a dance before two armies or a dance of Mahanaim. + + + [THEN HER companions began noticing and commenting on the attractiveness of her person] How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O queenly maiden! Your rounded limbs are like jeweled chains, the work of a master hand. + Your body is like a round goblet in which no mixed wine is wanting. Your abdomen is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. + Your two breasts are like two fawns, the twins of a gazelle. + Your neck is like a tower of ivory, your eyes like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus. + Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple. [Then seeing the king watching the girl in absorbed admiration, the speaker added] The king is held captive by its tresses. + [The king came forward, saying] How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! + Your stature is like that of a palm tree, and your bosom like its clusters [of dates, declared the king]. + I resolve that I will climb the palm tree; I will grasp its branches. Let your breasts be like clusters of the grapevine, and the scent of your breath like apples, + And your kisses like the best wine--[then the Shulammite interrupted] that goes down smoothly and sweetly for my beloved [shepherd, kisses] gliding over his lips while he sleeps! + [She proudly said] I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me! [John 10:28.] + [She said] Come, my beloved! Let us go forth into the field, let us lodge in the villages. [Luke 14:33.] + Let us go out early to the vineyards and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. + The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and over our doors are all manner of choice fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for you, O my beloved! + + + [LOOKING FORWARD to the shepherd's arrival, the eager girl pictures their meeting and says] Oh, that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I should find you without, I would kiss you, yes, and none would despise me [for it]. [Ps. 143:6.] + I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me. I would cause you to drink spiced wine and of the juice of my pomegranates. + [Then musingly she added] Oh, that his left hand were under my head and that his right hand embraced me! [Exod. 19:4; Deut. 33:27.] + I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you never [again attempt to] stir up or awaken love until it pleases. + Who is this who comes up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? [And as they sighted the home of her childhood, the bride said] Under the apple tree I awakened you; there your mother gave you birth, there she was in travail and bore you. + Set me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy is as hard and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame [the very flame of the Lord]! [Deut. 4:24; Isa. 49:16; I Cor. 10:22.] + Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would offer all the goods of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned and despised. + [Gathered with her family and the wedding guests in her mother's cottage, the bride said to her stepbrothers, When I was a little girl, you said] We have a little sister and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for in marriage? + If she is a wall [discreet and womanly], we will build upon her a turret [a dowry] of silver; but if she is a door [bold and flirtatious], we will enclose her with boards of cedar. + [Well] I am a wall [with battlements], and my breasts are like the towers of it. Then was I in [the king's] eyes as one [to be respected and to be allowed] to find peace. + Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; everyone was to bring him a thousand pieces of silver for its fruit. + You, O Solomon, can have your thousand [pieces of silver], and those who tend the fruit of it two hundred; but my vineyard, which is mine [with all its radiant joy], is before me! + O you who dwell in the gardens, your companions have been listening to your voice--now cause me to hear it. + [Joyfully the radiant bride turned to him, the one altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand to her soul, and with unconcealed eagerness to begin her life of sweet companionship with him, she answered] Make haste, my beloved, and come quickly, like a gazelle or a young hart [and take me to our waiting home] upon the mountains of spices! + + + + + THE VISION [seen by spiritual perception] of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah [the kingdom] and Jerusalem [its capital] in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. + Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up sons and have made them great and exalted, but they have rebelled against Me and broken away from Me. + The ox [instinctively] knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib, but Israel does not know or recognize Me [as Lord], My people do not consider or understand. + Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised and shown contempt and provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they have become utterly estranged (alienated). + Why should you be stricken and punished any more [since it brings no correction]? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint (feeble, sick, and nauseated). + From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness or health in [the nation's body]--but wounds and bruises and fresh and bleeding stripes; they have not been pressed out and closed up or bound up or softened with oil. [No one has troubled to seek a remedy.] + [Because of your detestable disobedience] your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; your land--strangers devour it in your very presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by aliens. + And the Daughter of Zion [Jerusalem] is left like a [deserted] booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city [spared, but in the midst of desolation]. + Except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant [of survivors], we should have been like Sodom, and we should have been like Gomorrah. [Gen. 19:24, 25; Rom. 9:29.] + Hear [O Jerusalem] the word of the Lord, you rulers or judges of [another] Sodom! Give ear to the law and the teaching of our God, you people of [another] Gomorrah! + To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offering of the heart]? says the Lord. I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts [without obedience]; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of he-goats [without righteousness]. + When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you that your [unholy feet] trample My courts? + Bring no more offerings of vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility); [your hollow offering of] incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure--[it is] iniquity and profanation, even the solemn meeting. + Your New Moon festivals and your [hypocritical] appointed feasts My soul hates. They are an oppressive burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. + And when you spread forth your hands [in prayer, imploring help], I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood! + Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes! Cease to do evil, + Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. + Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. + If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; + But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. + How the faithful city has become an [idolatrous] harlot, she who was full of justice! Uprightness and right standing with God [once] lodged in her--but now murderers. + Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water. + Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after compensation and rewards. They judge not for the fatherless nor defend them, neither does the cause of the widow come to them [for they delay or turn a deaf ear]. + Therefore says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will appease Myself on My adversaries and avenge Myself on My enemies. + And I will bring My hand again upon you and thoroughly purge away your dross [as with lye] and take away all your tin or alloy. + And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterward you shall be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City. + Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her [returned] converts with righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God). + But the crushing and destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together, and they who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. + For you will be ashamed [of the folly and degradation] of the oak or terebinth trees in which you found [idolatrous] pleasure, and you will blush with shame for the [idolatrous worship which you practice in the passion-inflaming] gardens which you have chosen. + For you shall be like an oak or terebinth whose leaf withers, and like a garden that has no water. + And the strong shall become like tow and become tinder, and his work like a spark, and they shall both burn together, with none to quench them. + + + THE WORD which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [revealed] concerning Judah and Jerusalem. + It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. + And many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. + And He shall judge between the nations and shall decide [disputes] for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [Mic. 4:1-3.] + O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. + Surely [Lord] You have rejected and forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled [with customs] from the east and with soothsayers [who foretell] like the Philistines; also they strike hands and make pledges and agreements with the children of aliens. [Deut. 18:9-12.] + Their land also is full of silver and gold; neither is there any end to their treasures. Their land is also full of horses; neither is there any end to their chariots. [Deut. 17:14-17.] + Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, what their own fingers have made. + And the common man is bowed down [before idols], also the great man is brought low and humbles himself--therefore forgive them not [O Lord]. + Enter into the rock and hide yourself in the dust from before the terror of the Lord and from the glory of His majesty. + The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. + For there shall be a day of the Lord of hosts against all who are proud and haughty and against all who are lifted up--and they shall be brought low--[Zeph. 2:3; Mal. 4:1.] + [The wrath of God will begin by coming down] against all the cedars of Lebanon [west of the Jordan] that are high and lifted up, and against all the oaks of Bashan [east of the Jordan], + And [after that] against all the high mountains and all the hills that are lifted up, + And against every high tower and every fenced wall, + And against all the ships of Tarshish and all the picturesque and desirable imagery [designed for mere ornament and luxury]. + Then the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. + And the idols shall utterly pass away (be abolished). + Then shall [the stricken, deprived of all in which they had trusted] go into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the earth from before the terror and dread of the Lord and from before the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake mightily and terribly the earth. [Luke 23:30.] + In that day men shall cast away to the moles and to the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, + To go into the caverns of the rocks and into the clefts of the ragged rocks from before the terror and dread of the Lord and from before the glory of His majesty, when He rises to shake mightily and terribly the earth. + Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth? + + + FOR BEHOLD, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff [every kind of prop], the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water, + The mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the [professional] prophet, the one who foretells by divination and the old man, + The captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the expert craftsman and the skillful enchanter. + And I will make boys their princes, and with childishness shall they rule over them [with outrage instead of justice]. + And the people shall be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly and with insolence against the old man, and the lowborn against the honorable [person of rank]. + When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have a robe, you shall be our judge and ruler, and this heap of ruins shall be under your control-- + In that day he will answer, saying, I will not be a healer and one who binds up; I am not a physician. For in my house is neither bread nor clothing; you shall not make me judge and ruler of the people. + For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory and defy His glorious presence. + Their respecting of persons and showing of partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil [as a reward upon themselves]. + Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. + Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with them, for what their hands have done shall be done to them. + As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people, your leaders cause you to err, and they confuse (destroy and swallow up) the course of your paths. + The Lord stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples and His people. + The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their princes: For [by your exactions and oppressions you have robbed the people and ruined the country] you have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. + What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts. + Moreover, the Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks and with undisciplined (flirtatious and alluring) eyes, tripping along with mincing and affected gait, and making a tinkling noise with [the anklets on] their feet, + Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the heads of the daughters of Zion [making them bald], and the Lord will cause them to be [taken as captives and to suffer the indignity of being] stripped naked. + In that day the Lord will take away the finery of their tinkling anklets, the caps of network, the crescent head ornaments, + The pendants, the bracelets or chains, and the spangled face veils and scarfs, + The headbands, the short ankle chains [attached from one foot to the other to insure a measured gait], the sashes, the perfume boxes, the amulets or charms [suspended from the ears or neck], + The signet rings and nose rings, + The festal robes, the cloaks, the stoles and shawls, and the handbags, + The hand mirrors, the fine linen [undergarments], the turbans, and the [whole body-enveloping] veils. + And it shall come to pass that instead of the sweet odor of spices there shall be the stench of rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and searing [of captives by the scorching heat] instead of beauty. + Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty men in battle. + And [Jerusalem's] gates shall lament and mourn [as those who wail for the dead]; and she, being ruined and desolate, shall sit upon the ground. + + + AND IN that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and provide our own apparel; only let us be called by your name to take away our reproach [of being unmarried]. + In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and lovely to those of Israel who have escaped. [Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12.] + And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem and for eternal life, [Joel 3:17; Phil. 4:3.] + After the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion [pride, vanity, haughtiness] and has purged the bloodstains of Jerusalem from the midst of it by the spirit and blast of judgment and by the spirit and blast of burning and sifting. + And the Lord will create over the whole site, over every dwelling place of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy (a defense of divine love and protection). + And there shall be a pavilion for shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge and a shelter from storm and from rain. + + + LET ME [as God's representative] sing of and for my greatly Beloved [God, the Son] a tender song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard [His chosen people]. My greatly Beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. [S. of Sol. 6:3; Matt. 21:33-40.] + And He dug and trenched the ground and gathered out the stones from it and planted it with the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst of it and hewed out a winepress in it. And He looked for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. + And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard [My people, says the Lord]. + What more could have been done for My vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to bring forth grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? + And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten and burned up; and I will break down its wall, and it shall be trodden down [by enemies]. + And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or cultivated, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. + For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant planting [the plant of His delight]. And He looked for justice, but behold, [He saw] oppression and bloodshed; [He looked] for righteousness (for uprightness and right standing with God), but behold, [He heard] a cry [of oppression and distress]! + Woe to those who join house to house [and by violently expelling the poorer occupants enclose large acreage] and join field to field until there is no place for others and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land! + In my [Isaiah's] ears the Lord of hosts said, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and beautiful ones shall be without inhabitant. + For ten acres of vineyard shall yield only about eight gallons, and ten bushels of seed will produce but one bushel. + Woe unto those who rise early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink, who tarry late into the night till wine inflames them! + They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, neither do they consider the operation of His hands [in mercy and in judgment]. + Therefore My people go into captivity [to their enemies] without knowing it and because they have no knowledge [of God]. And their honorable men [their glory] are famished, and their common people are parched with thirst. + Therefore Sheol (the unseen state, the realm of the dead) has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without measure; and [Jerusalem's] nobility and her multitude and her pomp and tumult and [the drunken reveler] who exults in her descend into it. + And the common man is bowed down, and the great man is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are humbled. + But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and God, the Holy One, shows Himself holy in righteousness and through righteous judgments. + Then shall the lambs feed [among the ruins] as in their own pasture, and [among] the desolate places of the [exiled] rich shall sojourners and aliens eat. + Woe to those who draw [calamity] with cords of iniquity and falsehood, who bring punishment to themselves with a cart rope of wickedness, + Who say, Let [the Holy One] make haste and speed His [prophesied] vengeance, that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it! + Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! + Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent and shrewd in their own sight! + Woe to those who are mighty heroes at drinking wine and men of strength in mixing alcoholic drinks!-- + Who justify and acquit the guilty for a bribe, but take away the rights of the innocent and righteous from them! + Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be like rottenness and their blossom shall go up like fine dust--because they have rejected and cast away the law and the teaching of the Lord of hosts and have not believed but have treated scornfully and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. + Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against His people, and He has stretched forth His hand against them and has smitten them. And the mountains trembled, and their dead bodies were like dung and sweepings in the midst of the streets. For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment]. + And He will lift up a signal to call together a hostile people from afar [to execute His judgment on Judea], and will hiss for them from the end of the earth [as bees are hissed from their hives], and behold, they shall come with speed, swiftly! + None is weary or stumbles among them, none slumbers or sleeps; nor is the girdle of their loins loosed or the latchet (thong) of their shoes broken; + Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind. + Their roaring is like that of a lioness, they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry it safely away, and there is none to deliver it. + And in that day they [the army from afar] shall roar against [the Jews] like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; and the light [itself] will be darkened by the clouds of it. + + + IN THE year that King Uzziah died, [in a vision] I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the skirts of His train filled the [most holy part of the] temple. [John 12:41.] + Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two [each] covered his [own] face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew. + And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! + And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who cried, and the house was filled with smoke. + Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! + Then flew one of the seraphim [heavenly beings] to me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; + And with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven. + Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. + And He said, Go and tell this people, Hear and hear continually, but understand not; and see and see continually, but do not apprehend with your mind. + Make the heart of this people fat; and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn again and be healed. + Then said I, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without man, and the land is utterly desolate, + And the Lord removes [His] people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. + And though a tenth [of the people] remain in the land, it will be for their destruction [eaten up and burned] like a terebinth tree or like an oak whose stump and substance remain when they are felled or have cast their leaves. The holy seed [the elect remnant] is the stump and substance [of Israel]. + + + IN THE days of Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not conquer it. + And the house of David [Judah] was told, Syria is allied with Ephraim [Israel]. And the heart [of Ahaz] and the hearts of his people trembled and shook, as the trees of the forest tremble and shake with the wind. + Then said the Lord to Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Judah's King Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub [a remnant shall return], at the end of the aqueduct or canal of the Upper Pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field; + And say to him, Take heed and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoking firebrands--at the fierce anger of [the Syrian King] Rezin and Syria and of the son of Remaliah [Pekah, usurper of the throne of Israel]. + Because Syria, Ephraim [Israel], and the son of Remaliah have purposed evil against you [Judah], saying, + Let us go up against Judah and harass and terrify it; and let us cleave it asunder [each of us taking a portion], and set a [vassal] king in the midst of it, namely the son of Tabeel, + Thus says the Lord God: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. + For the head [the capital] of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is [King] Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a people. + And the head (the capital) of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son [Pekah]. If you will not believe and trust and rely [on God and on the words of God's prophet instead of Assyria], surely you will not be established nor will you remain. + Moreover, the Lord spoke again to King Ahaz, saying, + Ask for yourself a sign (a token or proof) of the Lord your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; ask it either in the depth below or in the height above [let it be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven]. + But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. + And [Isaiah] said, Hear then, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary and try the patience of men, but will you weary and try the patience of my God also? + Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. [Isa. 9:6; Jer. 31:22; Mic. 5:3-5; Matt. 1:22, 23.] + Butter and curds and wild honey shall he eat when he knows [enough] to refuse the evil and choose the good. + For before the child shall know [enough] to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land [Canaan] whose two kings you abhor and of whom you are in sickening dread shall be forsaken [both Ephraim and Syria]. [Isa. 7:2.] + The Lord shall bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim [the ten northern tribes] departed from Judah--even the king of Assyria. + And in that day the Lord shall whistle for the fly [the numerous and troublesome foe] that is in the whole extent of the canal country of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. + And these [enemies like flies and bees] shall come and shall rest all of them in the desolate and rugged valleys and deep ravines and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes and on all the pastures. + In the same day [will the people of Judah be utterly stripped of belongings], the Lord will shave with the razor that is hired from the parts beyond the River [Euphrates]--even with the king of Assyria--[that razor will shave] the head and the hair of the legs, and it shall also consume the beard [leaving Judah with open shame and scorn]. [II Kings 16:7, 8; 18:13-16.] + And [because of the desolation brought on by the invaders] in that day, a man will [be so poor that he will] keep alive only a young milk cow and two sheep. + And because of the abundance of milk that they will give, he will eat butter and curds, for [only] butter and curds and [wild] honey [no vegetables] shall everyone eat who is left in the land [these products provided from the extensive pastures and the plentiful wild flowers upon which the bees depend]. + And in that day, in every place where there used to be a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be briers and thorns. + With arrows and with bows shall a man come [to hunt] there, because all the land will be briers and thorns. + And as for all the hills that were formerly cultivated with mattock and hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where oxen are let loose to pasture and where sheep tread. + + + THEN THE Lord said to me, Take a large tablet [of wood, metal, or stone] and write upon it with a graving tool and in ordinary characters [which the humblest man can read]: Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz [they (the Assyrians) hasten to the spoil (of Syria and Israel), they speed to the prey]. + And I took faithful witnesses to record and attest [this prophecy] for me, Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah. + And I approached [my wife] the prophetess, and when she had conceived and borne a son, the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz [as a continual reminder to the people of the prophecy], + For before the child knows how to say, My father or my mother, the riches of Damascus [Syria's capital] and the spoil of Samaria [Israel's capital] shall be carried away before the king of Assyria. + The Lord spoke to me yet again and said, + Because this people [Israel and Judah] have refused and despised the waters of Shiloah [Siloam, the only perennial fountain of Jerusalem, and symbolic of God's protection and sustaining power] that go gently, and rejoice in and with Rezin [the king of Syria] and Remaliah's son [Pekah the king of Israel], + Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the waters of the River [Euphrates], strong and many--even the king of Assyria and all the glory [of his gorgeous retinue]; and it will rise over all its channels, brooks, valleys, and canals and extend far beyond its banks; [Isa. 7:17.] + And it will sweep on into Judah; it will overflow and go over [the hills], reaching even [but only] to the neck [of which Jerusalem is the head], and the outstretched wings [of the armies of Assyria] shall fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel [Messiah, God is with us]! [Num. 14:9; Ps. 46:7.] + Make an uproar and be broken in pieces, O you peoples [rage, raise the war cry, do your worst, and be utterly dismayed]! Give ear, all you [our enemies] of far countries. Gird yourselves [for war], and be thrown into consternation! Gird yourselves, and be [utterly] dismayed! + Take counsel together [against Judah], but it shall come to nought; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us [Immanuel]! + For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, + Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread. + The Lord of hosts--regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him]. + And He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who reverently fear and trust in Him]; but He shall be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. [Isa. 28:6; Rom. 9:33; I Pet. 2:6-8.] + And many among them shall stumble thereon; and they shall fall and be broken, and be snared and taken. + Bind up the testimony, seal the law and the teaching among my [Isaiah's] disciples. + And I will wait for the Lord, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for and hope in Him. + Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and wonders [that are to take place] in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells on Mount Zion. + And when the people [instead of putting their trust in God] shall say to you, Consult for direction mediums and wizards who chirp and mutter, should not a people seek and consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? + [Direct such people] to the teaching and to the testimony! If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is surely because there is no dawn and no morning for them. + And they [who consult mediums and wizards] shall pass through [the land] sorely distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will fret, and will curse by their king and their God; and whether they look upward + Or look to the earth, they will behold only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and into thick darkness and widespread, obscure night they shall be driven away. + + + BUT [in the midst of judgment there is the promise and the certainty of the Lord's deliverance and] there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make it glorious, by the way of the Sea [of Galilee, the land] beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. + The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. [Isa. 42:6; Matt. 4:15, 16.] + You [O Lord] have multiplied the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before You like the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil [of battle]. + For the yoke of [Israel's] burden, and the staff or rod for [goading] their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, You have broken as in the day of [Gideon with] Midian. [Judg. 7:8-22.] + For every [tramping] warrior's war boots and all his armor in the battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. + For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. [Isa. 25:1; 40:9-11; Matt. 28:18; Luke 2:11.] + Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. [Dan. 2:44; I Cor. 15:25-28; Heb. 1:8.] + The Lord has sent a word against Jacob [the ten tribes], and it has lighted upon Israel [the ten tribes, the kingdom of Ephraim]. + And all the people shall know it--even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria [its capital]--who said in pride and stoutness of heart, + The bricks have fallen, but we will build [all the better] with hewn stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put [costlier] cedars in their place. + Therefore the Lord has stirred up the adversaries [the Assyrians] of Rezin [king of Syria] against [Ephraim], and He will stir up their enemies and arm and join them together, + The Syrians [compelled to fight with their enemies, going] before [on the east] and the Philistines behind [on the west]; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, [God's] anger is not [then] turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment]. + Yet the people turn not to Him Who smote them, neither do they seek [inquire for or require as their vital need] the Lord of hosts. + Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail [the highest and the lowest]--[high] palm branch and [low] rush in one day; + The elderly and honored man, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. + For they who lead this people cause them to err, and they who are led [astray] by them are swallowed up (destroyed). + Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will He have compassion on their fatherless and widows, for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this, [God's] anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment]. + For wickedness burns like a fire; it devours the briers and thorns, and it kindles in the thickets of the forest; they roll upward in a column of smoke. + Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is darkened and burned up, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no man spares his brother. + They snatch in discord on the right hand, but are still hungry [their cruelty not diminished]; and they devour and destroy on the left hand, but are not satisfied. Each devours and destroys his own flesh [and blood] or his neighbor's. + Manasseh [thirsts for the blood of his brother] Ephraim, and Ephraim [for that of] Manasseh; but together they are against Judah. For all this, [God's] anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment]. + + + WOE TO those [judges] who issue unrighteous decrees, and to the magistrates who keep causing unjust and oppressive decisions to be recorded, + To turn aside the needy from justice and to make plunder of the rightful claims of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! + And what will you do in the day of visitation [of God's wrath], and in the desolation which shall come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you deposit [for safekeeping] your wealth and with whom leave your glory? + Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall [overwhelmed] under the heaps of the slain [on the battlefield]. For all this, [God's] anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment]. + Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of My anger, the staff in whose hand is My indignation and fury [against Israel's disobedience]! + I send [the Assyrian] against a hypocritical and godless nation and against the people of My wrath; I command him to take the spoil and to seize the prey and to tread them down like the mire in the streets. + However, this is not his intention [nor is the Assyrian aware that he is doing this at My bidding], neither does his mind so think and plan; but it is in his mind to destroy and cut off many nations. + For [the Assyrian] says, Are not my officers all either [subjugated] kings or their equal? + Is not Calno [of Babylonia conquered] like Carchemish [on the Euphrates]? Is not Hamath [in Upper Syria] like Arpad [her neighbor]? Is not Samaria [in Israel] like Damascus [in Syria]? [Have any of these cities been able to resist Assyria? Not one!] + As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols [which were unable to defend them,] whose graven images were more to be feared and dreaded and more mighty than those of Jerusalem and of Samaria-- + Shall I not be able to do to Jerusalem and her images as I have done to Samaria and her idols? [says the Assyrian] + Therefore when the Lord has completed all His work [of chastisement and purification to be executed] on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, it shall be that He will inflict punishment on the fruit [the thoughts, words, and deeds] of the stout and arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the haughtiness of his pride. + For [the Assyrian king] has said, I have done it solely by the power of my own hand and wisdom, for I have insight and understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples and have robbed their treasures; and like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones and the inhabitants. + And my hand has found like a nest the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that are forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved its wing, or that opened its mouth or chirped. + Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him who wields it back and forth? As if a rod should wield those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift itself up as if it were not wood [but a man of God]! + Therefore will the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send leanness among [the Assyrian's] fat ones; and instead of his glory or under it He will kindle a burning like the burning of fire. + And the Light of Israel shall become a fire and His Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour [the Assyrian's] thorns and briers in one day. [II Kings 19:35-37; Isa. 31:8-9; 37:36.] + [The Lord] will consume the glory of the [Assyrian's] forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man pines away or a standard-bearer faints. + And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may make a list of them. + And it shall be in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more lean upon him who smote them, but will lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. + A remnant will return [Shear-jashub, name of Isaiah's son], a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. + For though your population, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of it will return [and survive]. The [fully completed] destruction is decreed (decided upon and brought to an issue); it overflows with justice and righteousness [the infliction of just punishment]. [Rom. 9:27, 28.] + For the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will make a full end, whatever is determined or decreed [in Israel], in the midst of all the earth. + Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, O My people who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian, who smites you with a rod and lifts up his staff against you, as [the king of] Egypt did. [Exod. 5.] + For yet a little while and My indignation against you shall be accomplished, and My anger shall be directed to destruction [of the Assyrian]. + And the Lord of hosts shall stir up and brandish a scourge against them as when He smote Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as His rod was over the [Red] Sea, so shall He lift it up as He did in [the flight from] Egypt. [Exod. 14:26-31; Judg. 7:24, 25.] + And it shall be in that day that the burden of [the Assyrian] shall depart from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck. The yoke shall be destroyed because of fatness [which prevents it from going around your neck]. [Deut. 32:15.] + [The Assyrian with his army comes to Judah]. He arrives at Aiath; he passes through Migron; at Michmash he gets rid of his baggage [by storing it]. + They go through the pass, they make Geba their camping place for the night; Ramah is afraid and trembles, Gibeah [the city] of [King] Saul flees. + Cry aloud [in consternation], O Daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laishah! [Answer her] O you poor Anathoth! + Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim seize their belongings and make their households flee for safety. + This very day [the Assyrian] will halt at Nob [the city of priests], shaking his fist at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem. + [But just when the Assyrian is in sight of his goal] behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will lop off the beautiful boughs with terrorizing force; the high in stature will be hewn down and the lofty will be brought low. + And He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon [the Assyrian] with its majestic trees shall fall by the Mighty One and mightily. [Gen. 49:24; Isa. 9:6.] + + + AND THERE shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit. [Isa. 4:2; Matt. 2:23; Rev. 5:5; 22:16.] + And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord-- + And shall make Him of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears; + But with righteousness and justice shall He judge the poor and decide with fairness for the meek, the poor, and the downtrodden of the earth; and He shall smite the earth and the oppressor with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. + And righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist and faithfulness the girdle of His loins. + And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatted domestic animal together; and a little child shall lead them. + And the cow and the bear shall feed side by side, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. + And the sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. + They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. + And it shall be in that day that the Root of Jesse shall stand as a signal for the peoples; of Him shall the nations inquire and seek knowledge, and His dwelling shall be glory [His rest glorious]! [John 12:32.] + And in that day the Lord shall again lift up His hand a second time to recover (acquire and deliver) the remnant of His people which is left, from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam [in Persia], from Shinar [Babylonia], from Hamath [in Upper Syria], and from the countries bordering on the [Mediterranean] Sea. [Jer. 23:5-8.] + And He will raise up a signal for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and will gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. + The envy and jealousy of Ephraim also shall depart, and they who vex and harass Judah from outside or inside shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex and harass Ephraim. + But [with united forces Ephraim and Judah] will swoop down upon the shoulders of the Philistines' [land sloping] toward the west; together they will strip the people on the east [the Arabs]. They will lay their hands upon Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will obey them. + And the Lord will utterly destroy (doom and dry up) the tongue of the Egyptian sea [the west fork of the Red Sea]; and with His [mighty] scorching wind He will wave His hand over the river [Nile] and will smite it into seven channels and will cause men to cross over dry-shod. + And there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant left of His people, as there was for Israel when they came up out of the land of Egypt. + + + AND IN that day you will say, I will give thanks to You, O Lord; for though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You comfort me. + Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation. + Therefore with joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation. + And in that day you will say, Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name and by means of His name [in solemn entreaty]; declare and make known His deeds among the peoples of the earth, proclaim that His name is exalted! + Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent things [gloriously]; let this be made known to all the earth. + Cry aloud and shout joyfully, you women and inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [with prophetic insight]: + Raise up a signal banner upon the high and bare mountain, summon them [the Medes and Persians] with loud voice and beckoning hand that they may enter the gates of the [Babylonian] nobles. + I Myself [says the Lord] have commanded My designated ones and have summoned My mighty men to execute My anger, even My proudly exulting ones [the Medes and Persians]--those who are made to triumph for My honor. + Hark, the uproar of a multitude in the mountains, like that of a great people! The noise of the tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering the host for the battle. + They come from a distant country, from the uttermost part of the heavens [the far east]--even the Lord and the weapons of His indignation--to seize and destroy the whole land. [Ps. 19:4-6; Isa. 5:26.] + Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty and Sufficient One [Shaddai] will it come! [Gen. 17:1.] + Therefore will all hands be feeble, and every man's heart will melt. + And they [of Babylon] shall be dismayed and terrified, pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in childbirth. They will gaze stupefied and aghast at one another, their faces will be aflame [from the effects of the unprecedented warfare]. + Behold, the day of the Lord is coming!--fierce, with wrath and raging anger--to make the land and the [whole] earth a desolation and to destroy out of it its sinners. [Isa. 2:10-22; Rev. 19:11-21.] + For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened at its rising and the moon will not shed its light. + And I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their guilt and iniquity; I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible and the boasting of the violent and ruthless. + I will make a man more rare than fine gold, and mankind scarcer than the pure gold of Ophir. + Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth shall be shaken out of its place at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of His fierce anger. + And like the chased roe or gazelle, and like sheep that no man gathers, each [foreign resident] will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. + Everyone who is found will be thrust through, and everyone who is connected with the slain and is caught will fall by the sword. + Their infants also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. + Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold [and thus cannot be bribed]. + Their bows will cut down the young men [of Babylon]; and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb, their eyes will not spare children. + And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, shall be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. + [Babylon] shall never be inhabited or dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arab pitch his tent there, nor shall the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. + But wild beasts of the desert will lie down there, and the people's houses will be full of dolefully howling creatures; and ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats [like demons] will dance there. + And wolves and howling creatures will cry and answer in the deserted castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. And [Babylon's] time has nearly come, and her days will not be prolonged. + + + FOR THE Lord will have mercy on Jacob [the captive Jews in Babylon] and will again choose Israel and set them in their own land; and foreigners [who are proselytes] will join them and will cleave to the house of Jacob (Israel). [Esth. 8:17.] + And the peoples [of Babylonia] shall take them and bring them to their own country [of Judea] and help restore them. And the house of Israel will possess [the foreigners who prefer to stay with] them in the land of the Lord as male and female servants; and they will take captive [not by physical but by moral might] those whose captives they have been, and they will rule over their [former] oppressors. [Ezra 1.] + When the Lord has given you rest from your sorrow and pain and from your trouble and unrest and from the hard service with which you were made to serve, + You shall take up this [taunting] parable against the king of Babylon and say, How the oppressor has stilled [the restless insolence]! The golden and exacting city has ceased! + The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the [tyrant] rulers, + Who smote the peoples in anger with incessant blows and trod down the nations in wrath with unrelenting persecution--[until] he who smote is persecuted and no one hinders any more. + The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing. + Yes, the fir trees and cypresses rejoice at you [O kings of Babylon], even the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us. + Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead) below is stirred up to meet you at your coming [O tyrant Babylonian rulers]; it stirs up the shades of the dead to greet you--even all the chief ones of the earth; it raises from their thrones [in astonishment at your humbled condition] all the kings of the nations. + All of them will [tauntingly] say to you, Have you also become weak as we are? Have you become like us? + Your pomp and magnificence are brought down to Sheol (the underworld), along with the sound of your harps; the maggots [which prey upon dead bodies] are spread out under you and worms cover you [O Babylonian rulers]. + How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations [O blasphemous, satanic king of Babylon!] + And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north. + I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. + Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (Hades), to the innermost recesses of the pit (the region of the dead). + Those who see you will gaze at you and consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?-- + Who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who would not permit his prisoners to return home? + All the kings of the nations, all of them lie sleeping in glorious array, each one in his own sepulcher. + But you are cast away from your tomb like a loathed growth or premature birth or an abominable branch [of the family] and like the raiment of the slain; and you are clothed with the slain, those thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit [into which carcasses are thrown], like a dead body trodden underfoot. + You shall not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and have slain your people. May the descendants of evildoers nevermore be named! + Prepare a slaughtering place for his sons because of the guilt and iniquity of their fathers, so that they may not rise, possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities. + And I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son, says the Lord. + I will also make it a possession of the hedgehog and porcupine, and of marshes and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts. + The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought and planned, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand-- + That I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains I will tread him underfoot. Then shall the [Assyrian's] yoke depart from [the people of Judah], and his burden depart from their shoulders. + This is the [Lord's] purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth [regarded as conquered and put under tribute by Assyria]; and this is [His omnipotent] hand that is stretched out over all the nations. + For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who can annul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? + In the year that King Ahaz [of Judah] died there came this mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up): + Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod [of Judah] that smote you is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth an adder [King Hezekiah of Judah], and its [the serpent's] offspring will be a fiery, flying serpent. [II Kings 18:1, 3, 8.] + And the firstborn of the poor and the poorest of the poor [of Judah] shall feed on My meadows, and the needy will lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant shall be slain. + Howl, O gate! Cry, O city! Melt away, O Philistia, all of you! For there is coming a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks and none stands aloof [in Hezekiah's battalions]. + What then shall one answer the messengers of the [Philistine] nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, and in her shall the poor and afflicted of His people trust and find refuge. + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Moab: Because in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence! Because in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence! + They are gone up to Bayith and to Dibon, to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, and every beard is cut off [as a sign of deep sorrow and humiliation]. [Jer. 48:37.] + In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on the tops of their houses and in their broad places everyone wails, weeping abundantly. + And Heshbon and Elealeh [cities in possession of Moab] cry out; their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab cry out; [Moab's] life is grievous and trembles within him. + My heart cries out for Moab; his nobles and other fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah [like a heifer three years old]. For with weeping they go up the ascent of Luhith; for on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction. [Jer. 48:5.] + For the waters of Nimrim are desolations, for the grass is withered away and the new growth fails; there is no green thing. + Therefore the abundance [of possessions] they have acquired and stored away they [now] carry over the willow brook and to the valley of the Arabians. + For the cry [of distress] has gone round the borders of Moab; the wailing has reached to Eglaim, and the prolonged and mournful cry to Beer-elim. + For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; yet I [the Lord] will bring even more on Dimon--a lion upon those of Moab who escape and upon the remnant of the land. + + + YOU [Moabites, now fugitives in Edom, which is ruled by the king of Judah] send lambs to the ruler of the land, from Sela or Petra through the desert and wilderness to the mountain of the Daughter of Zion [Jerusalem]. [II Kings 3:4, 5.] + For like wandering birds, like a brood cast out and a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the [river] Arnon. + [Say to the ruler] Give counsel, execute justice [for Moab, O king of Judah]; make your shade [over us] like night in the midst of noonday; hide the outcasts, betray not the fugitive to his pursuer. + Let our outcasts of Moab dwell among you; be a sheltered hiding place to them from the destroyer. When the extortion and the extortioner have been brought to nought, and destruction has ceased, and the oppressors and they who trample men are consumed and have vanished out of the land, + Then in mercy and loving-kindness shall a throne be established, and One shall sit upon it in truth and faithfulness in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and being swift to do righteousness. [Ps. 96:13; Jer. 48:47.] + We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud--even of his arrogance, his conceit, his wrath, his untruthful boasting. + Moab therefore shall wail for Moab; everyone shall wail. For the ruins, flagons of wine, and the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth you shall sigh and mourn, utterly stricken and discouraged. + For the fields of Heshbon languish and wither, and the vines of Sibmah; the lords of the nations have broken down [Moab's] choice vine branches, which reached even to Jazer, wandering into the wilderness; its shoots stretched out abroad, they passed over [the shores of] the [Dead] Sea. + Therefore I [Isaiah] will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vines of Sibmah. I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for upon your summer fruits and your harvest the shout [of alarm and the cry of the enemy] has fallen. + And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there is no singing, nor is there joyful sound; the treaders tread out no wine in the presses, for the shout of joy has been made to cease. + Wherefore my heart sounds like a harp [in mournful compassion] for Moab, and my inner being [goes out] for Kir-hareseth [for those brick-walled citadels of his]. + It shall be that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself [worshiping] on the high place [of idolatry], he will come to his sanctuary [of Chemosh, god of Moab], but he will not prevail. [Then will he be ashamed of his god.] [Jer. 48:13.] + This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning Moab since that time [when Moab's pride and resistance to God were first known]. + But now the Lord has spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling [who will not serve longer than the allotted time], the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, in spite of all his mighty multitudes of people; and the remnant that survives will be very small, feeble, and of no account. + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Damascus [capital of Syria, and Israel's bulwark against Assyria]. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. + The cities of Aroer [east of the Jordan] are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. + His bulwark [Syria] and the fortress shall disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the [departed] glory of the children of Israel [her ally], says the Lord of hosts. + And in that day the former glory of Jacob [Israel--his might, his population, his prosperity] shall be enfeebled, and the fat of his flesh shall become lean. + And it shall be as when the reaper gathers the standing grain and his arm harvests the ears; yes, it shall be as when one gathers the ears of grain in the fertile Valley of Rephaim. + Yet gleanings [of grapes] shall be left in it [the land of Israel], as after the beating of an olive tree [with a stick], two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outermost branches of the fruitful tree, says the Lord, the God of Israel. + In that day will men look to their Maker, and their eyes shall regard the Holy One of Israel. + And they will not look to the [idolatrous] altars, the work of their hands, neither will they have respect for what their fingers have made--either the Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah] or the sun-images. + In that day will their [Syria's and Israel's] strong cities be like the forsaken places in the wood and on the mountaintop, as they [the Amorites and the Hivites] forsook their [cities] because of the children of Israel; and there will be desolation. + Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation [O Judah] and have not been mindful of the Rock of your strength, your Stronghold--therefore, you have planted pleasant nursery grounds and plantings [to Adonis, pots of quickly withered flowers used to set by their doors or in the courts of temples], and have set [the grounds] with vine slips of a strange [God], + And in the day of your planting you hedge it in, and in the morning you make your seed to blossom, yet [promising as it is] the harvest shall be a heap of ruins and flee away in the day of expected possession and of desperate sorrow and sickening, incurable pain. + Hark, the uproar of a multitude of peoples! They roar and thunder like the noise of the seas! Ah, the roar of nations! They roar like the roaring of rushing and mighty waters! + The nations will rush and roar like the rushing and roaring of many waters--but [God] will rebuke them, and they will flee far off and will be chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind, and like rolling thistledown or whirling dust of the stubble before the storm. + At evening time, behold, terror! And before the morning, they [the terrorizing Assyrians] are not. This is the portion of those who strip us [the Jews] of what belongs to us, and the lot of those who rob us. [Fulfilled in Isa. 37:36.] + + + WOE TO the land whirring with wings which is beyond the rivers of Cush or Ethiopia, + That sends ambassadors by the Nile, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters! Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and polished, to a people terrible from their beginning [feared and dreaded near and far], a nation strong and victorious, whose land the rivers divide! + All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains--look! When a trumpet is blown--hear! + For thus the Lord has said to me: I will be still and I will look on from My dwelling place, like clear and glowing heat in sunshine, like a fine cloud of mist in the heat of harvest. + For before the harvest, when the blossom is over and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches He will remove and cut away. + They [the dead bodies of the slain warriors] shall be left together to the ravenous birds of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth; and the ravenous birds will summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter upon them. + At that time shall a present be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and polished, from a people terrible from their beginning and feared and dreaded near and far, a nation strong and victorious, whose land the rivers or great channels divide--to the place [of worship] of the Name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion [in Jerusalem]. [Deut. 12:5; II Chron. 32:23; Isa. 16:1; 45:14; Zeph. 3:10.] + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Egypt: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them. + And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, every one against his brother and every one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. + And the spirit of the Egyptians within them will become exhausted and emptied out and will fail, and I will destroy their counsel and confound their plans; and they will seek counsel from the idols and the sorcerers, and from those having familiar spirits (the mediums) and the wizards. + And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard and cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. + And the waters shall fail from the Nile, and the river shall be wasted and become dry. + And the rivers shall become foul, the streams and canals of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up, the reeds and the rushes shall wither and rot away. + The meadows by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all the sown fields of the Nile shall become dry, be blown away, and be no more. + The fishermen will lament, and all who cast a hook into the Nile will mourn; and they who spread nets upon the waters will languish. + Moreover, they who work with combed flax and they who weave white [cotton] cloth will be confounded and in despair. + [Those who are] the pillars and foundations of Egypt will be crushed, and all those who work for hire or who build dams will be grieved. + The princes of Zoan [ancient capital of the Pharaohs] are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counselors of Pharaoh has become witless (stupid). How can you say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings? + Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you now [if they are so wise], and let them make known what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt [if they can]. + The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are confused and deceived; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray. + The Lord has mingled a spirit of perverseness, error, and confusion within her; [her leaders] have caused Egypt to stagger in all her doings, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. + Neither can any work [done singly or by concerted action] accomplish anything for Egypt, whether by head or tail, palm branch or rush [high or low]. + In that day will the Egyptians be like women [timid and helpless]; and they will tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts which He shakes over them. + And the land of Judah [allied to Assyria] shall become a terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom mention of it is made will be afraid and everyone who mentions it--to him will they turn in fear, because of the purpose of the Lord of hosts which He purposes against Egypt. + In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of [the Hebrews of] Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of them will be called the City of the Sun or Destruction. + In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. + And it will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a savior, even a mighty one, and he will deliver them. [Judg. 2:18; 3:9, 15.] + And the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know (have knowledge of, be acquainted with, give heed to, and cherish) the Lord in that day and will worship with sacrifices of animal and vegetable offerings; they will vow a vow to the Lord and perform it. + And the Lord shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing it; and they will return to the Lord, and He will listen to their entreaties and heal them. + In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship [the Lord] with the Assyrians. + In that day Israel shall be the third, with Egypt and with Assyria [in a Messianic league], a blessing in the midst of the earth, + Whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands and Israel My heritage. + + + IN THE year that the Tartan [Assyrian commander in chief] came to Ashdod in Philistia, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, he fought against Ashdod and took it. + At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, Go, loose the sackcloth from off your loins and take your shoes off your feet. And he had done so, walking around stripped [to his loincloth] and barefoot. + And the Lord said, As My servant Isaiah has walked [comparatively] naked and barefoot for three years, as a sign and forewarning concerning Egypt and concerning Cush (Ethiopia), + So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Ethiopian exiles, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with buttocks uncovered--to the shame of Egypt. + And they shall be dismayed and confounded because of Ethiopia their hope and expectation and Egypt their glory and boast. + And the inhabitants of this coastland [the Israelites and their neighbors] will say in that day, See! This is what comes to those in whom we trusted and hoped, to whom we fled for help to deliver us from the king of Assyria! But we, how shall we escape [captivity and exile]? + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the Desert of the Sea [which was Babylon after great dams were raised to control the waters of the Euphrates River which overflowed it like a sea--and would do so again]: As whirlwinds in the South (the Negeb) sweep through, so it [the judgment of God by hostile armies] comes from the desert, from a terrible land. + A hard and grievous vision is declared to me: the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All the sighing [caused by Babylon's ruthless oppressions] I will cause to cease [says the Lord]. [Isa. 11:11; 13:17.] + Therefore are my [Isaiah's] loins filled with anguish, pangs have seized me like the pangs of a woman in childbirth; I am bent and pained so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see. + My mind reels and wanders, horror terrifies me. [In my mind's eye I am at the feast of Belshazzar. I see the defilement of the golden vessels taken from God's temple, I watch the handwriting appear on the wall--I know that Babylon's great king is to be slain.] The twilight I looked forward to with pleasure has been turned into fear and trembling for me. [Dan. 5.] + They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, [and having] set the watchers [the revelers take no other precaution], they eat, they drink. Arise, you princes, and oil your shields [for your deadly foe is at the gates]! + For thus has the Lord said to me: Go, set [yourself as] a watchman, let him declare what he sees. + And when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, and a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently, very diligently. + And [the watchman] cried like a lion, O Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my station every night. + And see! Here comes a troop of men and chariots, horsemen in pairs! And he [the watchman] tells [what it foretells]: Babylon has fallen, has fallen! And all the graven images of her gods lie shattered on the ground [in my vision]! + O you my threshed and winnowed ones [my own people the Jews, who must be trodden down by Babylon], that which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have [joyfully] announced to you [Babylon is to fall]! + The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Dumah (Edom): One calls to me from Seir (Edom), Watchman, what of the night? [How far is it spent? How long till morning?] Guardian, what of the night? + The watchman said, The morning comes, but also the night. [Another time, if Edom earnestly wishes to know] if you will inquire [of me], inquire; return, come again. + The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Arabia: In the forests and thickets of Arabia you shall lodge, O you caravans of Dedanites [from northern Arabia]. + To the thirsty [Dedanites] bring water, O inhabitants of the land of Tema [in Arabia]; meet the fugitive with bread [suitable] for him. + For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war [the press of battle]. + For the Lord has said this to me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling [who will work no longer than was agreed], all the glory of Kedar [an Arabian tribe] will fail. + And the remainder of the number of archers and their bows, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be diminished and few; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken it. + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the Valley of Vision: What do you mean [I wonder] that you have all gone up to the housetops, + You who are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous and exultant city? [O Jerusalem] your slain warriors have not met [a glorious] death with the sword or in battle. + All your [military] leaders have fled together; without the bow [which they had thrown away] they have been taken captive and bound by the archers. All of you who were found were bound together [as captives], though they had fled far away. + Therefore I [Isaiah] said, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly. Do not hasten and try to comfort me over the destruction of the daughter of my people. + For it is a day of discomfiture and of tumult, of treading down, of confusion and perplexity from the Lord God of hosts in the Valley of Vision, a day of breaking down the walls and of crying to the mountains. + And [in my vision I saw] Elam take up the quiver, with troops in chariots, infantry, and horsemen; and Kir [with Elam subject to Assyria] uncovered the shield. + And it came to pass that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their station [and set themselves in offensive array at the gate of Jerusalem]. [Fulfilled in II Chron. 32; Isa. 36.] + Then [God] removed the protective covering of Judah; and you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest [the king's armory] in that day. [I Kings 7:2; 10:17, 21.] + You saw that the breaches [in the walls] of the City of David [the citadel of Zion] were many; [since the water supply was still defective] you collected [within the city's walls] the waters of the Lower Pool. + And you numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses [to get materials] to fortify the [city] wall. + You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the Maker of it, nor did you recognize Him Who planned it long ago. + And in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping and mourning, to the shaving off of all your hair [in humiliation] and to the girding with sackcloth. + But instead, see the pleasure and mirth, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, [with the idea] Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! + And the Lord of hosts revealed Himself in my ears [as He said], Surely this unatoned sin shall not be purged from you until [you are punished--and the punishment will be] death, says the Lord God of hosts. + Come, go to this [contemptible] steward and treasurer, to Shebna, who is over the house [but who is presumptuous enough to be building himself a tomb among those of the mighty, a tomb worthy of a king], and say to him, + What business have you here? And whom have you entombed here, that you have the right to hew out for yourself a tomb here? He hews out a sepulcher for himself on the height! He carves out a dwelling for himself in the rock! + Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man; yes, He will take tight hold of you and He will surely cover you [with shame]. + He will surely roll you up in a bundle [Shebna] and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you will die and there will be your splendid chariots, you disgrace to your master's house! + And I will thrust you from your office, and from your station will you be pulled down. + And in that day I will call My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. + And I will clothe him with your robe and will bind your girdle on him and will commit your authority to his hand; he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. + And the key of the house of David I will lay upon his shoulder; he shall open and no one shall shut, he shall shut and no one shall open. + And I will fasten him like a peg or nail in a firm place; and he will become a throne of honor and glory to his father's house. + And they will hang on him the honor and the whole weight of [responsibility for] his father's house: the offspring and issue [of the family, high and low], every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flasks and big bulging bottles. + In that day, says the Lord of hosts, the nail or peg that was fastened into the sure place shall give way and be moved and be hewn down and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the Lord has spoken it. + + + THE MOURNFUL, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Tyre: Wail, you ships of [Tyre returning from trading with] Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, so that there is no house, no harbor; from the land of Kittim (Cyprus) they learn of it. + Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you merchants of Sidon, your messengers passing over the sea have replenished you [with wealth and industry], + And were on great waters. The seed or grain of the Shihor, the harvest [due to the overflow] of the Nile River, was [Tyre's] revenue, and she became the merchandise of the nations. + Be ashamed, O Sidon [mother-city of Tyre, now a widow bereaved of her children], for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have neither travailed nor brought forth children; I have neither nourished and reared young men nor brought up virgins. + When the report comes to Egypt, they will be sorely pained over the report about Tyre. + Pass over to Tarshish [to seek safety as exiles]! Wail, you inhabitants of the [Tyre] coast! + Is this your jubilant city, whose origin dates back into antiquity, whose own feet are accustomed to carry her far off to settle [daughter cities]? + Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? + The Lord of hosts has purposed it [in accordance with a fixed principle of His government], to defile the pride of all glory and to bring into dishonor and contempt all the honored of the earth. + Overflow your land like [the overflow of] the Nile River, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no girdle of restraint [on you] any more [to make you pay tribute or customs or duties to Tyre]. + He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; the Lord has given a command concerning Canaan to destroy her strongholds and fortresses [Tyre, Sidon, etc.]. + And He said, You shall no more exult, you oppressed and crushed one, O Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim (Cyprus); but even there you will have no rest. + Look at the land of the Chaldeans! That people and not the Assyrians designed and assigned [Tyre] for the wild beasts and those who [previously] dwelt in the wilderness. They set up their siege works, they overthrew its palaces, they made it a ruin! + Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold [of Tyre] is laid waste [your strength has been destroyed]. + And in that day Tyre will be in obscurity and forgotten for seventy years, according to the days of one dynasty. After the end of seventy years will Tyre sing as a harlot [who has been forgotten but again attracts her lovers]. + Take a harp, go about the city, forgotten harlot; play skillfully and make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered. + And after the end of seventy years the Lord will remember Tyre; and she will return to her hire and will play the harlot [resume her commerce] with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. + But her gain and her hire [the profits of Tyre's new prosperity] will be dedicated to the Lord [eventually]; it will not be treasured or stored up, for her gain will be used for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord [the ministers], that they may eat sufficiently and have durable and stately clothing [suitable for those who minister at God's altar]. + + + BEHOLD, THE Lord will make the land and the earth empty and make it waste and turn it upside down (twist the face of it) and scatter abroad its inhabitants. + And it shall be--as [what happens] with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. + The land and the earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly pillaged; for the Lord has said this. + The land and the earth mourn and wither, the world languishes and withers, the high ones of the people [and the heavens with the earth] languish. + The land and the earth also are defiled by their inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, disregarded the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. [Gen. 9:1-17; Deut. 29:20.] + Therefore a curse devours the land and the earth, and they who dwell in it suffer the punishment of their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the land and the earth are scorched and parched [under the curse of God's wrath], and few people are left. [Rom. 1:20.] + The new wine mourns, the vine languishes; all the merrymakers sigh. + The mirth of the timbrels is stilled, the noise of those who rejoice ends, the joy of the lyre is stopped. + No more will they drink wine with a song; strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it. + The wasted city of emptiness and confusion is broken down; every house is shut up so that no one may enter. + There is crying in the streets for wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is banished and gone into captivity. + In the city is left desolation, and its gate is battered and destroyed. + For so shall it be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking and beating of an olive tree, or as the gleaning when the vintage is done [and only a small amount of the fruit remains]. + [But] these [who have escaped and remain] lift up their voices, they shout; for the majesty of the Lord they cry aloud from the [Mediterranean] Sea. + Wherefore glorify the Lord in the east [whether in the region of daybreak's lights and fires, or in the west]; [glorify] the name of the Lord, the God of Israel in the isles and coasts of the [Mediterranean] Sea. + From the uttermost parts of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the Righteous One [and to the people of Israel]! But I say, Emaciated I pine away, I pine away. Woe is me! The treacherous dealers deal treacherously! Yes, the treacherous dealers deal very treacherously. + Terror and pit [of destruction] and snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! + And he who flees at the noise of the terror will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of the heavens are opened [as in the deluge], and the foundations of the earth tremble and shake. + The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken violently. + The earth shall stagger like a drunken man and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; its transgression shall lie heavily upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again. + And in that day the Lord will visit and punish the host of the high ones on high [the host of heaven in heaven, celestial beings] and the kings of the earth on the earth. [I Cor. 15:25; Eph. 3:10; 6:12.] + And they will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in a pit or dungeon; they will be shut up in prison, and after many days they will be visited, inspected, and punished or pardoned. [Zech. 9:11, 12; II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6.] + Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, when [they compare their ineffectual fire to the light of] the Lord of hosts, Who will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders will show forth His glory. + + + O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old [and fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth. + For You have made a city a heap, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of aliens without a city [is no more a city]; it will never be rebuilt. + Therefore [many] a strong people will glorify You, [many] a city of terrible and ruthless nations will [reverently] fear You. + For You have been a stronghold for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the ruthless ones is like a rainstorm against a wall. + As the heat in a dry land [is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so] You will bring down the noise of aliens [exultant over their enemies]; and as the heat is brought low by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless ones is brought low. + And on this Mount [Zion] shall the Lord of hosts make for all peoples a feast of rich things [symbolic of His coronation festival inaugurating the reign of the Lord on earth, in the wake of a background of gloom, judgment, and terror], a feast of wines on the lees--of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. + And He will destroy on this mountain the covering of the face that is cast over the heads of all peoples [in mourning], and the veil [of profound wretchedness] that is woven and spread over all nations. + He will swallow up death [in victory; He will abolish death forever]. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it. [I Cor. 15:26, 54; II Tim. 1:10.] + It shall be said in that day, Behold our God upon Whom we have waited and hoped, that He might save us! This is the Lord, we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. + For the hand of the Lord shall rest on this Mount [Zion], and Moab shall be threshed and trodden down in his place as straw is trodden down in the [filthy] water of a [primitive] cesspit. + And though [Moab] stretches forth his hands in the midst of [the filthy water] as a swimmer stretches out his hands to swim, the Lord will bring down [Moab's] pride in spite of the skillfulness of his hands and together with the spoils of his hands. + And the high fortifications of your walls [the Lord] will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust. + + + IN THAT day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; [the Lord] sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. + Open the gates, that the [uncompromisingly] righteous nation which keeps her faith and her troth [with God] may enter in. + You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. + So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. + For He has brought down the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city; He lays it low, lays it low to the ground; He brings it even to the dust. + The foot has trampled it down--even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. + The way of the [consistently] righteous (those living in moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relationship of their lives) is level and straight; You, O [Lord], Who are upright, direct aright and make level the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous. + Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You; our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You. + My soul yearns for You [O Lord] in the night, yes, my spirit within me seeks You earnestly; for [only] when Your judgments are in the earth will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God). + Though favor is shown to the wicked, yet they do not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness they deal perversely and refuse to see the majesty of the Lord. + Though Your hand is lifted high to strike, Lord, they do not see it. Let them see Your zeal for Your people and be ashamed; yes, let the fire reserved for Your enemies consume them. + Lord, You will ordain peace (God's favor and blessings, both temporal and spiritual) for us, for You have also wrought in us and for us all our works. + O Lord, our God, other masters besides You have ruled over us, but we will acknowledge and mention Your name only. + They [the former tyrant masters] are dead, they shall not live and reappear; they are powerless ghosts, they shall not rise and come back. Therefore You have visited and made an end of them and caused every memory of them [every trace of their supremacy] to perish. + You have increased the nation, O Lord; You have increased the nation. You are glorified; You have enlarged all the borders of the land. + Lord, when they were in trouble and distress, they sought and visited You; they poured out a prayerful whisper when Your chastening was upon them. + As a woman with child drawing near the time of her delivery is in pain and writhes and cries out in her pangs, so we have been before You (at Your presence), O Lord. + We have been with child, we have been writhing and in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth [only] wind. We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world [of Israel] have not yet been born. + Your dead shall live [O Lord]; the bodies of our dead [saints] shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For Your dew [O Lord] is a dew of [sparkling] light [heavenly, supernatural dew]; and the earth shall cast forth the dead [to life again; for on the land of the shades of the dead You will let Your dew fall]. [Ezek. 37:11-12.] + Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the [Lord's] wrath is past. + For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place [heaven] to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also will disclose the blood shed upon her and will no longer cover her slain and conceal her guilt. + + + IN THAT day [the Lord will deliver Israel from her enemies and also from the rebel powers of evil and darkness] His sharp and unrelenting, great, and strong sword will visit and punish Leviathan the swiftly fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting and winding serpent; and He will slay the monster that is in the sea. + In that day [it will be said of the redeemed nation of Israel], A vineyard beloved and lovely; sing a responsive song to it and about it! + I, the Lord, am its Keeper; I water it every moment; lest anyone harm it, I guard and keep it night and day. + Wrath is not in Me. Would that the briers and thorns [the wicked internal foe] were lined up against Me in battle! I would stride in against them; I would burn them up together. + Or else [if all Israel would escape being burned up together there is but one alternative], let them take hold of My strength and make complete surrender to My protection, that they may make peace with Me! Yes, let them make peace with Me! + In the days and generations to come Jacob shall take root; Israel shall blossom and send forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit [of the knowledge of the true God]. [Hos. 14:1-6; Rom. 11:12.] + Has [the Lord] smitten [Israel] as He smote those who smote them? Or have [the Israelites] been slain as their slayers were slain? + By driving them out of Canaan, by exile, You contended with them in a measure [O Lord]--He removed them with His rough blast as in the day of the east wind. + Only on this condition shall the iniquity of Jacob (Israel) be forgiven and purged, and this shall be the full fruit [God requires] for taking away his sin: that [Israel] should make all the stones of the [idol] altars like chalk stones crushed to pieces, so that the Asherim and the sun-images shall not remain standing or rise again. + For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken like the wilderness; there the calf grazes, and there he lies down; he strips its branches and eats its twigs. + When its boughs are withered and dry, they are broken off; the women come and set them afire. For they are a people of no understanding or discernment--witless folk; therefore He Who made them will not have compassion on them, and He Who formed them will show them no favor. + And it shall be in that day that the Lord will thresh out His grain from the flood of the River [Euphrates] to the Brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered one by one and one to another, O children of Israel! + And it shall be in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and they will come who were lost and ready to perish in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt, and they will worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. [Zech. 14:16; Matt. 24:31; Rev. 11:15.] + + + WOE TO [Samaria] the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim [the ten tribes], and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome and smitten down with wine! + Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty one [the Assyrian]; like a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty overflowing waters, he will cast it down to the earth with violent hand. + With [alien] feet [Samaria] the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden down. + And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like the early fig before the fruit harvest, which, when anyone sees it, he snatches and eats it up greedily at once. [So in an amazingly short time will the Assyrians devour Samaria, Israel's capital.] + [But] in that [future Messianic] day the Lord of hosts shall become a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the [converted] remnant of His people, + And a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment and administers the law, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. + But even these reel from wine and stagger from strong drink: the priest and the prophet reel from strong drink; they are confused from wine, they stagger and are gone astray through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble when pronouncing judgment. + For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, so that there is no place that is clean. + To whom will He teach knowledge? [Ask the drunkards.] And whom will He make to understand the message? Those who are babies, just weaned from the milk and taken from the breasts? [Is that what He thinks we are?] + For it is [His prophets repeating over and over]: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little. + No, but [the Lord will teach the rebels in a more humiliating way] by men with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people [says Isaiah, and teach them His lessons]. + To these [complaining Jews the Lord] had said, This is the true rest [the way to true comfort and happiness] that you shall give to the weary, and, This is the [true] refreshing--yet they would not listen [to His teaching]. + Therefore the word of the Lord will be to them [merely monotonous repeatings of]: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little--that they may go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken. + Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem! + Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol (the place of the dead) we have an agreement--when the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter. + Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed or give way or hasten away [in sudden panic]. [Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; I Pet. 2:4-6.] + I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the hiding place (the shelter). + And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol (the place of the dead) shall not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, then you will be trodden down by it. + As often as it passes through, it [the enemy's scourge] will take you; for morning by morning will it pass through, by day and by night. And it will be utter terror merely to hear and comprehend the report and the message of it [but only hard treatment and dispersion will make you understand God's instruction]. + For [they will find that] the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself on and the covering too narrow for him to wrap himself in. [All their sources of confidence will fail them.] + For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim, He will be wrathful as in the Valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act. [II Sam. 5:20; I Chron. 14:16.] + Now therefore do not be scoffers, lest the bands which bind you be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord God of hosts upon the whole land and the whole earth. + Give ear and hear my [Isaiah's] voice; listen and hear my words. + Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continue to plow and harrow the ground after it is smooth? + When he has leveled its surface, does he not cast abroad [the seed of] dill or fennel and scatter cummin [a seasoning], and put the wheat in rows, and barley in its intended place, and spelt [an inferior kind of wheat] as the border? + [And he trains each of them correctly] for his God instructs him correctly and teaches him. + For dill is not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; but dill is beaten off with a staff, and cummin with a rod [by hand]. + Does one crush bread grain? No, he does not thresh it continuously. But when he has driven his cartwheel and his horses over it, he scatters it [tossing it up to the wind] without having crushed it. + This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel [and] excellent in wisdom and effectual working. + + + WOE TO Ariel [Jerusalem], to Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add yet another year; let the feasts run their round [but only one year more]. + Then will I distress Ariel; and there shall be mourning and lamentation, yet she shall be to Me like an Ariel [an altar hearth, a hearth of burning, the altar of God]. + And I will encamp against you round about; and I will hem you in with siege works and I will set up fortifications against you. + And you shall be laid low [Jerusalem], speaking from beneath the ground, and your speech shall come humbly from the dust. And your voice shall be like that of a ghost [produced by a medium] coming from the earth, and your speech shall whisper and squeak as it chatters from the dust. + But the multitude of your [enemy] strangers that assail you shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless and terrible ones like chaff that blows away. And in an instant, suddenly, + You shall be visited and delivered by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a devouring fire. + And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel [Jerusalem], even all that fight against her and her stronghold and that distress her, shall be as a dream, a vision of the night. + It shall be as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating, but he wakens with his craving not satisfied; or as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he wakens and is faint, and his thirst is not quenched. So shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion. + Stop and wonder [at this prophecy, if you choose, whether you understand it or not; soon you will witness the actual event] and be confounded [reluctantly]! Blind yourselves [now, if you choose; take your pleasure] and then be blinded [at the actual occurrence]. They are drunk, but not from wine; they stagger, but not from strong drink [but from spiritual stupor]. + For the Lord has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep. And He has closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, He has covered and muffled. + And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, Read this, I pray you, he says, I cannot, for it is sealed. + And when the book is given to him who is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray you, he says, I cannot read. + And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning], + Therefore, behold! I will again do marvelous things with this people, marvelous and astonishing things; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their discerning men will vanish or be hidden. + Woe to those who [seek to] hide deep from the Lord their counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, Who sees us? Who knows us? + [Oh, your perversity!] You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be considered of no more account than the clay? Shall the thing that is made say of its maker, He did not make me; or the thing that is formed say of him who formed it, He has no understanding? + Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field esteemed as a forest? + And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and out of obscurity and gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. + The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice and exult in the Holy One of Israel. + For the terrible one [the Assyrian enemy] shall come to nought, and the scoffer shall cease, and all those who watch for iniquity [as an occasion for accusation] shall be cut off-- + Those who make a man an offender and bring condemnation upon him with a word, and lay a trap for him who upholds justice at the city gate, and thrust aside the innocent and truly righteous with an empty plea. + Therefore thus says the Lord, Who redeemed Abraham [out of Ur and idolatry], concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not then be ashamed; not then shall his face become pale [with fear and disappointment because of his children's degeneracy]. + For when he sees his children [walking in the way of piety and virtue], the work of My hands in his midst, they will revere My name; they will revere the Holy One of Jacob and reverently fear the God of Israel. + Those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur [discontentedly] will accept instruction. + + + WOE TO the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel and carry out a plan, but not Mine, and who make a league and pour out a drink offering, but not of My Spirit, thus adding sin to sin; + Who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked Me--to flee to the stronghold of Pharaoh and to strengthen themselves in his strength and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! + Therefore shall the strength and protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt be to your humiliation and confusion. + For though [Pharaoh's] officials are at Zoan and his ambassadors arrive at Hanes [in Egypt], + Yet will all be ashamed because of a people [the Egyptians] who cannot profit them, who are not a help or benefit, but a shame and disgrace. + A mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the beasts of the South (the Negeb): Oh, the heavy burden, the load of treasures going to Egypt! Through a land of trouble and anguish, in which are lioness and lion, viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that will not and cannot profit them. + For Egypt's help is worthless and toward no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still. + Now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be as a witness for the time to come forevermore. + For this is a rebellious people, faithless and lying sons, children who will not hear the law and instruction of the Lord; + Who [virtually] say to the seers [by their conduct], See not! and to the prophets, Prophesy not to us what is right! Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceitful illusions. + Get out of the true way, turn aside out of the path, cease holding up before us the Holy One of Israel. + Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you despise and spurn this [My] word and trust in cunning and oppression, in crookedness and perverseness, and rely on them, + Therefore this iniquity and guilt will be to you like a broken section of a high wall, bulging out and ready [at some distant day] to fall, whose crash will [then] come suddenly and swiftly, in an instant. + And he shall break it as a potter's vessel is broken, breaking it in pieces without sparing so that there cannot be found among its pieces one large enough to carry coals of fire from the hearth or to dip water out of the cistern. + For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not, + And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that] + One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill. + And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! [John 14:3, 27; II Cor. 12:9; Heb. 12:2; I John 3:16; Rev. 3:5.] + O people who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. + And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher. + And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left. + Then you will defile your carved images overlaid with silver and your molten images plated with gold; you will cast them away as a filthy bloodstained cloth, and you will say to them, Be gone! + Then will He give you rain for the seed with which you sow the soil, and bread grain from the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures. + The oxen likewise and the young donkeys that till the ground will eat savory and salted fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and with fork. + And upon every high mountain and upon every high hill there will be brooks and streams of water in the day of the great slaughter [the day of the Lord], when the towers fall [and all His enemies are destroyed]. + Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days [concentrated in one], in the day that the Lord binds up the hurt of His people, and heals their wound [inflicted by Him because of their sins]. + Behold, the Name of the Lord comes from afar, burning with His anger, and in thick, rising smoke. His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue is like a consuming fire. + And His breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction; and a bridle that causes them to err will be in the jaws of the people. + You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart as when one marches in procession with a flute to go to the temple on the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. + And the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard and the descending blow of His arm to be seen, coming down with indignant anger and with the flame of a devouring fire, amid crashing blast and cloudburst, tempest, and hailstones. + At the voice of the Lord the Assyrians will be stricken with dismay and terror, when He smites them with His rod. + And every passing stroke of the staff of punishment and doom which the Lord lays upon them shall be to the sound of [Israel's] timbrels and lyres, when in battle He attacks [Assyria] with swinging and menacing arms. + For Topheth [a place of burning and abomination] has already been laid out and long ago prepared; yes, for the [Assyrian] king and [the god] Molech it has been made ready, its pyre made deep and large, with fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it. [Jer. 7:31, 32; Matt. 5:22; 25:41.] + + + WOE TO those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord! + And yet He is wise and brings calamity and does not retract His words; He will arise against the house (the whole race) of evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. + Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit; and when the Lord stretches out His hand, both [Egypt] who helps will stumble, and [Judah] who is helped will fall, and they will all perish and be consumed together. + For the Lord has said to me, As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey--and though a large band of shepherds is called out against him, he will not be terrified at their voice or daunted at their noise--so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hills. + Like birds hovering, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; He will protect and deliver it, He will pass over and spare and preserve it. + Return, O children of Israel, to Him against Whom you have so deeply plunged into revolt. + For in that day every man of you will cast away [in contempt and disgust] his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your own hands have sinfully made for you. + Then the Assyrian shall fall by a sword not of man; and a sword, not of men [but of God], shall devour him. And he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be subjected to forced labor. + [In his flight] he shall pass beyond his rock [refuge and stronghold] because of terror; even his officers shall desert the standard in fear and panic, says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion and Whose furnace is in Jerusalem. + + + BEHOLD, A King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. + And each one of them shall be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land [to those who turn to them]. + Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed or dimmed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. + And the mind of the rash will understand knowledge and have good judgment, and the tongue of the stammerers will speak readily and plainly. + The fool (the unbeliever and the ungodly) will no more be called noble, nor the crafty and greedy [for gain] said to be bountiful and princely. + For the fool speaks folly and his mind plans iniquity: practicing profane ungodliness and speaking error concerning the Lord, leaving the craving of the hungry unsatisfied and causing the drink of the thirsty to fail. + The instruments and methods of the fraudulent and greedy [for gain] are evil; he devises wicked devices to ruin the poor and the lowly with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is just and right. + But the noble, openhearted, and liberal man devises noble things; and he stands for what is noble, openhearted, and generous. + Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my [Isaiah's] voice, you confident and careless daughters! Listen to what I am saying! + In little more than a year you will be shaken with anxiety, you careless and complacent women; for the vintage will fail, and the ingathering will not come. + Tremble, you women who are at ease! Shudder with fear, you complacent ones! Strip yourselves bare and gird sackcloth upon your loins [in grief]! + They shall beat upon their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, + For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briers--yes, for all the houses of joy in the joyous city. + For the palace shall be forsaken, the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watchtower shall become dens [for wild animals] endlessly, a joy for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks, + Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is valued as a forest. [Ps. 104:30; Ezek. 36:26, 27; 39:29; Zech. 12:10.] + Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) will abide in the fruitful field. + And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever. + My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places. + But it [the wrath of the Lord] shall hail, coming down overpoweringly on the forest [the army of the Assyrians], and the capital city shall be utterly humbled and laid prostrate. + Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon all waters [when the river overflows its banks; for the seed will sink into the mud and when the waters subside, the plant will spring up; you will find it after many days and reap an abundant harvest], you who safely send forth the ox and the donkey [to range freely]. + + + WOE TO you, O destroyer, you who were not yourself destroyed, who deal treacherously though they [your victims] did not deal treacherously with you! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have stopped dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you. + O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited [expectantly] for You. Be the arm [of Your servants--their strength and defense] every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. + At the noise of the tumult [caused by Your voice at which the enemy is overthrown], the peoples flee; at the lifting up of Yourself, nations are scattered. + And the spoil [of the Assyrians] is gathered [by the inhabitants of Jerusalem] as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap and run to and fro, so [the Jews spoil the Assyrians' forsaken camp as they] leap upon it. + The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). + And there shall be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His. + Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. + The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases. The enemy has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities and the witnesses, he regards no man. + The land mourns and languishes, Lebanon is confounded and [its luxuriant verdure] withers away; Sharon [a fertile pasture region south of Mount Carmel] is like a desert, and Bashan [a broad, fertile plateau east of the Jordan River] and [Mount] Carmel shake off their leaves. + Now will I arise, says the Lord. Now will I lift up Myself; now will I be exalted. + You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble; your breath is a fire that consumes you. + And the people will be burned as if to lime, like thorns cut down that are burned in the fire. + Hear, you who are far off [says the Lord], what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might! + The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling seizes the godless ones. [They cry] Who among us can dwell with that devouring fire? Who among us can dwell with those everlasting burnings? + He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises gain from fraud and from oppression, who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil. + [Such a man] will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; water for him will be sure. + Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; [your eyes] will behold a land of wide distances that stretches afar. + Your mind will meditate on the terror: [asking] Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers? + You will see no more the fierce and insolent people, a people of a speech too deep and obscure to be comprehended, of a strange and stammering tongue that you cannot understand. + Look upon Zion, the city of our set feasts and solemnities! Your eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be taken down; not one of its stakes shall ever be pulled up, neither shall any of its cords be broken. + But there the Lord will be for us in majesty and splendor a place of broad rivers and streams, where no oar-propelled boat can go, and no mighty and stately ship can pass. + For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us. [Isa. 2:3-4; 11:4; 32:1; James 4:12.] + Your hoisting ropes hang loose; they cannot strengthen and hold firm the foot of their mast or keep the sail spread out. Then will prey and spoil in abundance be divided; even the lame will take the prey. + And no inhabitant [of Zion] will say, I am sick; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity and guilt. + + + COME NEAR, you nations, to hear; and hearken, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it; the world, and all things that come forth from it. + For the Lord is indignant against all nations, and His wrath is against all their host. He has utterly doomed them, He has given them over to slaughter. + Their slain also shall be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies shall rise, and the mountains shall flow with their blood. + All the host of the heavens shall be dissolved and crumble away, and the skies shall be rolled together like a scroll; and all their host [the stars and the planets] shall drop like a faded leaf from the vine, and like a withered fig from the fig tree. [Rev. 6:13, 14.] + Because My sword has been bathed and equipped in heaven, behold, it shall come down upon Edom [the descendants of Esau], upon the people whom I have doomed for judgment. [Obad. 8-21.] + The sword of the Lord is filled with blood [of sacrifices], it is gorged and greased with fatness--with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah [capital of Edom] and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. + And the wild oxen shall fall with them, and the [young] bullocks with the [old and mighty] bulls; and their land shall be drunk and soaked with blood, and their dust made rich with fatness. + For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense, for the cause of Zion. + And the streams [of Edom] will be turned into pitch and its dust into brimstone, and its land will become burning pitch. + [The burning of Edom] shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever. [Rev. 19:3.] + But the pelican and the porcupine will possess it; the owl and the bittern and the raven will dwell in it. And He will stretch over it [Edom] the measuring line of confusion and the plummet stones of chaos [over its nobles]. + They shall call its nobles to proclaim the kingdom, but nothing shall be there, and all its princes shall be no more. + And thorns shall come up in its palaces and strongholds, nettles and brambles in its fortresses; and it shall be a habitation for jackals, an abode for ostriches. + And the wild beasts of the desert will meet here with howling creatures [wolves and hyenas] and the [shaggy] wild goat will call to his fellow; the night monster will settle there and find a place of rest. + There shall the arrow snake make her nest and lay her eggs and hatch them and gather her young under her shade; there shall the kites be gathered [also to breed] every one with its mate. + Seek out of the book of the Lord and read: not one of these [details of prophecy] shall fail, none shall want and lack her mate [in fulfillment]. For the mouth [of the Lord] has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them. + And He has cast the lot for them, and His hand has portioned [Edom] to [the wild beasts] by measuring line. They shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it. + + + THE WILDERNESS and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the rose and the autumn crocus. + It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of [Mount] Carmel and [the plain] of Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty and splendor and excellency of our God. + Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble and tottering knees. [Heb. 12:12.] + Say to those who are of a fearful and hasty heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God He will come and save you. + Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. + Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. [Matt. 11:5.] + And the burning sand and the mirage shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lay resting, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. + And a highway shall be there, and a way; and it shall be called the Holy Way. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for the redeemed; the wayfaring men, yes, the simple ones and fools, shall not err in it and lose their way. + No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk on it. + And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. + + + NOW IN the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. [II Kings 18:13, 17-37; II Chron. 32:9-19.] + And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh [the military official] from Lachish [the Judean fortress commanding the road from Egypt] to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a great army. And he stood by the canal of the Upper Pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field. + Then came out to meet him Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the [royal] household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recording historian. + And the Rabshakeh said to them, Say to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What reason for confidence is this in which you trust? + Do you suppose that mere words of the lips can pass for warlike counsel and strength? Now in whom do you trust and on whom do you rely, that you rebel against me? [II Kings 18:7.] + Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised and broken reed, Egypt, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust and rely on him. + But if you say to me, We trust in and rely on the Lord our God--is it not He Whose high places and Whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar? [II Kings 18:4, 5.] + Now therefore, I pray you, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria and give him pledges, and I will give you two thousand horses--if you are able on your part to put riders on them. + How then can you repulse the attack of a single captain of the least of my master's servants, when you put your reliance on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? + Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have now come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. + Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, We pray you, speak to your servants in the Aramaic or Syrian language, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in the language of the Jews in the hearing of the people on the wall. + But the Rabshakeh said, Has my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and to you? Has he not sent me to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine? + Then the Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the language of the Jews: Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! + Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. + Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in and rely on the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. + Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me; and eat every one from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree and drink every one the water of his own cistern, + Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. + Beware lest Hezekiah persuade and mislead you by saying, The Lord will deliver us. Has any one of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad [in Syria]? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim [a place from which the Assyrians brought colonists to inhabit evacuated Samaria]? And have [the gods] delivered Samaria [capital of the ten northern tribes of Israel] out of my hand? + Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land out of my hand, that [you should think that] the Lord can deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? + But they kept still and answered him not a word, for the king's [Hezekiah's] command was, Do not answer him. + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recording historian came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh [the Assyrian military official]. + + + AND WHEN King Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. [II Kings 19:1-13.] + And he sent Eliakim, who was over the [royal] household, and Shebna the secretary, and the older priests, clothed with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. + And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble and distress and of rebuke and of disgrace; for children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. + It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria, his master, has sent to mock, reproach, insult, and defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant [of His people] that is left. + So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. + And Isaiah said to them, You shall say to your master, Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled and blasphemed Me. + Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. + So the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah [a fortified city of Judah]; for he had heard that the king had departed from Lachish. + And [Sennacherib king of Assyria] heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He has come forth to make war with you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, + Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: Let not your God in Whom you trust deceive you by saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. + Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, destroying them utterly. And shall you be delivered? + Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my predecessors have destroyed, as Gozan, Haran [of Mesopotamia], Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar? + Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad [of northern Syria], and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah? + And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. [II Kings 19:14-19.] + And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: + O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, Who [in symbol] are enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark in the temple], You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. + Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock, reproach, insult, and defy the living God. + It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands + And have cast the gods of those peoples into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them. + Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know (understand and realize) that You are the Lord, even You only. + Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, [II Kings 19:20-37; II Chron. 32:20-21.] + This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: The Virgin Daughter of Zion has despised you and laughed you to scorn; the Daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind you. + Whom have you mocked and reviled [insulted and blasphemed]? And against Whom have you raised your voice and haughtily lifted your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! + By your servants you have mocked, reproached, insulted, and defied the Lord, and you have said, With my many chariots I have gone up to the height of the mountains, to the inner recesses of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars and its choicest cypress trees; I came to its remotest height, its most luxuriant and dense forest; + I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the rivers [the Nile streams] of Egypt. + [But, says the God of Israel] have you not heard that I purposed to do it long ago, that I planned it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that you [king of Assyria] should [be My instrument to] lay waste fortified cities, making them ruinous heaps. + Therefore their inhabitants had little power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were like the grass of the field and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops and like a field of grain blasted before it is grown or is in stalk. + But I [the Lord] know your sitting down and your going out and your coming in and your raging against Me. + Because your raging against Me and your arrogance and careless ease have come to My ears, therefore will I put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way you came. + And [now, Hezekiah, says the Lord] this shall be the sign [of these things] to you: you shall eat this year what grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from the same. And in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. + And the remnant that has survived of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. + For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and a band that survives out of Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. + Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow here or come before it with shield or cast up a siege mound against it. + By the way that he came, by the same way he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, says the Lord. + For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David. + And the Angel of the Lord went forth, and slew 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when [the living] arose early in the morning, behold, all these were dead bodies. [II Kings 19:35.] + So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned and dwelt at Nineveh. + And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Armenia or Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. + + + IN THOSE days King Hezekiah of Judah became ill and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said, Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live. [II Kings 20:1-11; II Chron. 32:24-26.] + Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord + And said, Remember [earnestly] now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in faithfulness and in truth, with a whole heart [absolutely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. + Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, + Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add to your life fifteen years. + And I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city [Jerusalem]. + And this will be the sign to you from the Lord that the Lord will do this thing that He has spoken: + Behold, I will turn the shadow [denoting the time of day] on the steps or degrees, which has gone down on the steps or sundial of Ahaz, backward ten steps or degrees. And the sunlight turned back ten steps on the steps on which it had gone down. + This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: + I said, In the noontide and tranquillity of my days I must depart; I am to pass through the gates of Sheol (the place of the dead), deprived of the remainder of my years. + I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more among the inhabitants of the world. + My [fleshly] dwelling is plucked up and is removed from me like a shepherd's tent. I have rolled up my life as a weaver [rolls up the finished web]; [the Lord] cuts me free from the loom; from day to night You bring me to an end. + I thought and quieted myself until morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day to night You bring me to an end. + Like a twittering swallow or a crane, so do I chirp and chatter; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary and dim with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; take my side and be my security [as of a debtor being sent to prison]. + But what can I say? For He has both spoken to me and He Himself has done it. I must go softly [as in solemn procession] all my years and my sleep has fled because of the bitterness of my soul. + O Lord, by these things men live; and in all these is the life of my spirit. O give me back my health and make me live! + Behold, it was for my peace that I had intense bitterness; but You have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. + For Sheol (the place of the dead) cannot confess and reach out the hand to You, death cannot praise and rejoice in You; they who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness [to Your promises; their probation is at an end, their destiny is sealed]. + The living, the living--they shall thank and praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known to the children Your faithfulness and Your truth. + The Lord is ready to save (deliver) me; therefore we will sing my songs with [my] stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord. + Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, that he may recover. + Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? + + + AT THAT time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent [messengers with] letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered. [II Kings 20:12-19.] + And Hezekiah was glad and welcomed them and showed them the house of his spices and precious things--the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious ointment, all the house of his armor and his jewels, and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then came Isaiah the prophet to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say? From where did they come to you? And Hezekiah said, They came to me from a far country, even from Babylon. + Then Isaiah said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them. + Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: + Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your predecessors have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. + And some of your own sons who are born to you shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. + Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good. And he added, For there will be peace and faithfulness [to His promises to us] in my days. + + + COMFORT, COMFORT My people, says your God. + Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her time of service and her warfare are ended, that [her punishment is accepted and] her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received [punishment] from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. + A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! [Mark 1:3.] + Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain. + And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Luke 3:5, 6.] + A voice says, Cry [prophesy]! And I said, What shall I cry? [The voice answered, Proclaim:] All flesh is as frail as grass, and all that makes it attractive [its kindness, its goodwill, its mercy from God, its glory and comeliness, however good] is transitory, like the flower of the field. + The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely [all] the people are like grass. + The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. [James 1:10, 11; I Pet. 1:24, 25.] + O you who bring good tidings to Zion, get up to the high mountain. O you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God! [Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:15.] + Behold, the Lord God will come with might, and His arm will rule for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. [Rev. 22:7, 12.] + He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young. + Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens with a [nine-inch] span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? + Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? [Rom. 11:34.] + With whom did He take counsel, that instruction might be given Him? Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding? + Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are counted as small dust on the scales; behold, He takes up the isles like a very little thing. + And all Lebanon's [forests] cannot supply sufficient fuel, nor all its wild beasts furnish victims enough to burn sacrifices [worthy of the Lord]. + All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and emptiness (waste, futility, and worthlessness). + To whom then will you liken God? Or with what likeness will you compare Him? [Acts 17:29.] + The graven image! A workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it. + He who is so impoverished that he has no offering or oblation or rich gift to give [to his god is constrained to make a wooden offering, an idol; so he] chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to carve and set up an image that will not totter or deteriorate. + [You worshipers of idols, you are without excuse.] Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? [These things ought to convince you of God's omnipotence and of the folly of bowing to idols.] Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? [Rom. 1:20, 21.] + It is God Who sits above the circle (the horizon) of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like [gauze] curtains and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in, + Who brings dignitaries to nothing, Who makes the judges and rulers of the earth as chaos (emptiness, falsity, and futility). + Yes, these men are scarcely planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely does their stock take root in the earth, when [the Lord] blows upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind or tempest takes them away like stubble. + To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One. + Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything. + Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, My way and my lot are hidden from the Lord, and my right is passed over without regard from my God? + Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. + He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. [II Cor. 12:9.] + Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; + But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. [Heb. 12:1-3.] + + + LISTEN IN silence before Me, O islands and regions bordering on the sea! And let the people gather and renew their strength [for the argument; let them offer their strongest arguments]! Let them come near, then let them speak; let us come near together for judgment [and decide the point at issue between us concerning the enemy advancing from the east]. + Who has roused up one [Cyrus] from the east, whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step? He [the Lord] subdues nations before him and makes him ruler over kings. He turns them to dust with the sword [of Cyrus], and to driven straw and chaff with his bow. [Ezra 1:2.] + He [Cyrus] pursues them and passes safely and unhindered, even by a way his feet had not trod and so swiftly that his feet do not touch the ground. + Who has prepared and done this, calling forth and guiding the destinies of the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? I, the Lord--the first [existing before history began] and with the last [an ever-present, unchanging God]--I am He. + The islands and coastlands have seen and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They draw near and come; + They help every one his neighbor and say to his brother [in his tiresome idol making], Be of good courage! + So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths [the metal] with the hammer [encourages] him who smites the anvil, saying of the soldering, That is good! And he fastens it with nails so that it cannot be moved. + But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham My friend, [Heb. 2:16; James 2:23.] + You whom I [the Lord] have taken from the ends of the earth and have called from the corners of it, and said to you, You are My servant--I have chosen you and not cast you off [even though you are exiled]. + Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. [Acts 18:10.] + Behold, all they who are enraged and inflamed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; they who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. + You shall seek those who contend with you but shall not find them; they who war against you shall be as nothing, as nothing at all. + For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you! + Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. + Behold, I will make you to be a new, sharp, threshing instrument which has teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and shall make the hills like chaff. + You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest or whirlwind shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord, you shall glory in the Holy One of Israel. + The poor and needy are seeking water when there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. + I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. + I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the wild olive; I will set the cypress in the desert, the plane [tree] and the pine [tree] together, + That men may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it. + [You idols made by men's hands, prove your divinity!] Produce your cause [set forth your case], says the Lord. Bring forth your strong proofs, says the King of Jacob. + Let them bring them forth and tell us what is to happen. Let them tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them and know the outcome of them; or declare to us the things to come. + Tell us the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good or do evil [something or other], that we may stare in astonishment and be dismayed as we behold [the miracle] together! + Behold, you [idols] are nothing, and your work is nothing! The worshiper who chooses you is an abomination [extremely disgusting and shamefully vile in God's sight]. [I Cor. 8:4.] + I have raised up and impelled to action one from the north [Cyrus], and he comes; from the rising of the sun he calls upon My name [recognizing that his victories have been granted to him by Me]. And he shall tread upon rulers and deputies as upon mortar and as the potter treads clay. [He comes with the suddenness of a comet, but none of the idol oracles of the nations has anticipated it.] [II Chron. 36:23; Ezra 1:1-3.] + [What idol] has declared this from the beginning, that we could know? And beforetime, that we could say that he is [unquestionably] right? Yes, there is none who declares it, yes, there is none who proclaims it; yes, [for the truth is, O you dumb idols] there is none who hears you speak! + I [the Lord] first gave to Zion the announcement, Behold, [the Jews will be restored to their own land, and the man Cyrus shall be raised up who will deliver them] behold them! And to Jerusalem I gave a herald [Isaiah] bringing the good news. [Isa. 40:9; 52:7.] + For I look [upon the heathen prophets and the priests of pagan practices] and there is no man among them [who could predict these events], and among these [idols] there is no counselor who, when I ask of him, can answer a word. + Behold, these [pagan prophets and priests] are all emptiness (falseness and futility)! Their works are worthless; their molten images are empty wind (confusion and waste). + + + BEHOLD MY Servant, Whom I uphold, My elect in Whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice and right and reveal truth to the nations. [Matt. 3:16, 17.] + He will not cry or shout aloud or cause His voice to be heard in the street. + A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench; He will bring forth justice in truth. [Matt. 12:17-21.] + He will not fail or become weak or be crushed and discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the islands and coastal regions shall wait hopefully for Him and expect His direction and law. [Rom. 8:22-25.] + Thus says God the Lord--He Who created the heavens and stretched them forth, He Who spread abroad the earth and that which comes out of it, He Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: + I the Lord have called You [the Messiah] for a righteous purpose and in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and will keep You; I will give You for a covenant to the people [Israel], for a light to the nations [Gentiles], + To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness from the prison. [Matt. 12:18-21.] + I am the Lord; that is My name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images. + Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. + Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, the islands and coastal regions and the inhabitants of them [sing a song such as has never been heard in the heathen world]! + Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of the rock [Sela or Petra] sing; let them shout from the tops of the mountains! + Let them give glory to the Lord and declare His praise in the islands and coastal regions. + The Lord will go forth like a mighty man, He will rouse up His zealous indignation and vengeance like a warrior; He will cry, yes, He will shout aloud, He will do mightily against His enemies. + [Thus says the Lord] I have for a long time held My peace, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry out like a woman in travail, I will gasp and pant together. + I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their herbage; I will turn the rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools. + And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness into light before them and make uneven places into a plain. These things I have determined to do [for them]; and I will not leave them forsaken. + They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, who trust in graven images, who say to molten images, You are our gods. + Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see! + Who is blind but My servant [Israel]? Or deaf like My messenger whom I send? Who is blind like the one who is at peace with Me [who has been admitted to covenant relationship with Me]? Yes, who is blind like the Lord's servant? + You have seen many things, but you do not observe or apprehend their true meaning. His ears are open, but he hears not! + It was the Lord's pleasure for His righteousness' sake [in accordance with a steadfast and consistent purpose] to magnify instruction and revelation and glorify them. + But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes and hidden in houses of bondage. They have become a prey, with no one to deliver them, a spoil, with no one to say, Restore them! [This shows the condition that will ensue as Israel's punishment for not recognizing the Servant of the Lord and the day of His visit among them.] [Luke19:41-44.] + Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear in the time to come? + Who gave up Jacob [the kingdom of Judah] for spoil, and [the kingdom of] Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, He against Whom we [of Judah] have sinned and in Whose ways they [of Israel] would not walk, neither were they obedient to His law or His teaching? + Therefore He poured out upon [Israel] the fierceness of His anger and the strength of battle. And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not [the lesson of repentance which the Assyrian conquest was intended to teach]; it burned him, but he did not lay it to heart. + + + BUT NOW [in spite of past judgments for Israel's sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. + When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. + For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release]. + Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life. + Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they are dispersed] and gather you from the west. [Acts 18:10.] + I will say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth-- + Even everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, whom I have made. + Bring forth the blind people who have eyes and the deaf who have ears. + Let all the nations be gathered together and let the peoples be assembled. Who among [the idolaters] could predict this [that Cyrus would be the deliverer of Israel] and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified, or let them hear and acknowledge, It is the truth. [Ps. 123:3, 4.] + You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me, believe Me and remain steadfast to Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. + I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior. + I have declared [the future] and have saved [the nation in times of danger], and I have shown [that I am God]--when there was no strange and alien god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God. + Yes, from the time of the first existence of day and from this day forth I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand. I will work, and who can hinder or reverse it? + Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent [one] to Babylon, and I will bring down all of them as fugitives, [with] all their nobles, even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoiced. + I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. + Thus says the Lord, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters, + Who brings forth chariot and horse, army and mighty warrior. They lie down together, they cannot rise; they are extinguished, they are quenched like a lampwick: + Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. + Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. + The beasts of the field honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen, [Isa. 41:17, 18; 48:21.] + The people I formed for Myself, that they may set forth My praise [and they shall do it]. + Yet you have not called upon Me [much less toiled for Me], O Jacob; but you have been weary of Me, O Israel! + You have not brought Me your sheep and goats for burnt offerings, or honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not required you to serve with an offering or treated you as a slave by demanding tribute or wearied you with offering incense. + You have not bought Me sweet cane with money, or satiated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have only burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities. + I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. + Put Me in remembrance [remind Me of your merits]; let us plead and argue together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified (proved right). + Your first father [Jacob, in particular] sinned, and your teachers [the priests and the prophets--your mediators] transgressed against Me. + And so I will profane the chief ones of the sanctuary and will deliver Jacob to the curse (the ban, a solemn anathema or excommunication) and [will subject] Israel to reproaches and reviling. + + + YET NOW hear, O Jacob, My servant and Israel, whom I have chosen. + Thus says the Lord, Who made you and formed you from the womb, Who will help you: Fear not, O Jacob, My servant, and you Jeshurun [the upright one--applied to Israel as a type of the Messiah], whom I have chosen. + For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon your offspring, and My blessing upon your descendants. [Isa. 32:15; 35:6, 7; Joel 2:28; John 7:37-39.] + And they shall spring up among the grass like willows or poplars by the watercourses. + One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write [even brand or tattoo] upon his hand, I am the Lord's, and surname himself by the [honorable] name of Israel. + Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. [Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13.] + Who is like Me? Let him [stand and] proclaim it, declare it, and set [his proofs] in order before Me, since I made and established the people of antiquity. [Who has announced from of old] the things that are coming? Then let them declare yet future things. + Fear not, nor be afraid [in the coming violent upheavals]; have I not told it to you from of old and declared it? And you are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no [other] Rock; I know not any. + All who make graven idols are confusion, chaos, and worthlessness. Their objects (idols) in which they delight do not profit them, and their own witnesses (worshipers) do not see or know, so that they are put to shame. + Who is [such a fool as] to fashion a god or cast a graven image that is profitable for nothing? + Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen, [how can they make a god?] they are but men. Let them all be gathered together, let them stand forth; they shall be terrified, they shall be put to shame together. + The ironsmith sharpens and uses a chisel and works it over the coals; he shapes [the core of the idol] with hammers and forges it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. + The carpenter stretches out a line, he marks it out with a pencil or red ocher; he fashions [an idol] with planes and marks it out with the compasses; and he shapes it to have the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, that it may dwell in a house. + He hews for himself cedars, and takes the holm tree and the oak and lets them grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest; he plants a fir tree or an ash, and the rain nourishes it. + Then it becomes fuel for a man to burn; a part of it he takes and warms himself, yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. [Then out of the remainder, the leavings] he also makes a god and worships it! He [with his own hands] makes it into a graven image and falls down and worships it! + He burns part of the wood in the fire; with part of it he [cooks and] eats flesh, he roasts meat and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire! + And from what is left [of the log] he makes a god, his graven idol. He falls down to it, he worships it and prays to it and says, Deliver me, for you are my god! + They do not know or understand, for their eyes God has let become besmeared so that they cannot see, and their minds as well so that they cannot understand. + And no one considers in his mind, nor has he knowledge and understanding [enough] to say [to himself], I have burned part of this log in the fire, and also I have baked bread on its coals and have roasted meat and eaten it. And shall I make the remainder of it into an abomination [the very essence of what is disgusting, detestable, and shamefully vile in the eyes of a jealous God]? Shall I fall down and worship the stock of a tree [a block of wood without consciousness or life]? + That kind of man feeds on ashes [and finds his satisfaction in ashes]! A deluded mind has led him astray, so that he cannot release and save himself, or ask, Is not [this thing I am holding] in my right hand a lie? + Remember these things [earnestly], O Jacob, O Israel, for you are My servant! I formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you shall not be forgotten by Me. + I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions, and like a cloud your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. + Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, you depths of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and He glorifies Himself in Israel. + Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He Who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, Who made all things, Who alone stretched out the heavens, Who spread out the earth by Myself [who was with Me]?-- + [I am the Lord] Who frustrates the signs and confounds the omens [upon which the false prophets' forecasts of the future are based] of the [boasting] liars and makes fools of diviners, Who turns the wise backward and makes their knowledge foolishness, [I Cor. 1:20.] + [The Lord] Who confirms the word of His servant and performs the counsel of His messengers, Who says of Jerusalem, She shall [again] be inhabited, and of the cities of Judah, They shall [again] be built, and I will raise up their ruins, + Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers, + Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd (ruler), and he shall perform all My pleasure and fulfill all My purpose--even saying of Jerusalem, She shall [again] be built, and of the temple, Your foundation shall [again] be laid. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him, and I will unarm and ungird the loins of kings to open doors before him, so that gates will not be shut. + I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight]; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron. + And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, Who calls you by your name. + For the sake of Jacob My servant, and of Israel My chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known Me. + I am the Lord, and there is no one else; there is no God besides Me. I will gird and arm you, though you have not known Me, + That men may know from the east and the rising of the sun and from the west and the setting of the sun that there is no God besides Me. I am the Lord, and no one else [is He]. + I form the light and create darkness, I make peace [national well-being] and I create [physical] evil (calamity); I am the Lord, Who does all these things. + Let fall in showers, you heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness [the pure, spiritual, heaven-born possibilities that have their foundation in the holy being of God]; let the earth open, and let them [skies and earth] sprout forth salvation, and let righteousness germinate and spring up [as plants do] together; I the Lord have created it. + Woe to him who strives with his Maker!--a worthless piece of broken pottery among other pieces equally worthless [and yet presuming to strive with his Maker]! Shall the clay say to him who fashions it, What do you think you are making? or, Your work has no handles? [Rom. 9:20.] + Woe to him [who complains against his parents that they have begotten him] who says to a father, What are you begetting? or to a woman, With what are you in travail? + Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Would you question Me about things to come concerning My children, and concerning the work of My hands [would you] command Me? + I made the earth and created man upon it. I, with My hands, stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. + I will raise [Cyrus] up in righteousness [willing in every way that which is right and proper], and I will direct all his ways; he will build My city, and he will let My captives go, not for hire or for a bribe, says the Lord of hosts. + Thus says the Lord: The labor and wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and they shall be yours; they shall follow you; in chains [of subjection to you] they shall come over, and they shall fall down before you; they shall make supplication to you, saying, Surely God is with you, and there is no other, no God besides Him. [I Cor. 14:25.] + Truly You are a God Who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. + They shall be put to shame, yes, confounded, all of them; they who are makers of idols shall go off into confusion together. + But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. [Heb. 5:9.] + For thus says the Lord--Who created the heavens, God Himself, Who formed the earth and made it, Who established it and did not create it to be a worthless waste; He formed it to be inhabited--I am the Lord, and there is no one else. + I have not spoken in secret, in a corner of the land of darkness; I did not call the descendants of Jacob [to a fruitless service], saying, Seek Me for nothing [but I promised them a just reward]. I, the Lord, speak righteousness (the truth--trustworthy, straightforward correspondence between deeds and words); I declare things that are right. [John 18:20.] + Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about [in religious processions or into battle] their wooden idols and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. + Declare and bring forward your strong arguments [for praying to gods that cannot save]; yes, take counsel together. Who announced this [the rise of Cyrus and his conquests] beforehand (long ago)? [What god] declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a rigidly and uncompromisingly just and righteous God and Savior; there is none besides Me. + Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. + I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance]. [Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10, 11; Heb. 6:13.] + Only in the Lord shall one say, I have righteousness (salvation and victory) and strength [to achieve]. To Him shall all come who were incensed against Him, and they shall be ashamed. [I Cor. 1:30, 31.] + In the Lord shall all the offspring of Israel be justified (enjoy righteousness, salvation, and victory) and shall glory. + + + BEL BOWS down, Nebo stoops [gods of Babylon, whose idols are being carried off]; their idols are on the beasts [of burden] and on the cattle. These things that you carry about are loaded as burdens on the weary beasts. + [The gods] stoop, they bow down together; they cannot save [their own idols], but are themselves going into captivity. + Listen to Me [says the Lord], O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, you who have been borne by Me from your birth, carried from the womb: + Even to your old age I am He, and even to hair white with age will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry and will save you. + To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me, that we may be alike? [Isa. 40:18-20.] + They lavish gold out of the cup or bag, weigh out silver on the scales, and hire a goldsmith, and he fashions it into a god; [then] they fall down, yes, they worship it! + They bear it upon their shoulders [in religious processions or into battle]; they carry it and set it down in its place, and there it stands. It cannot move from its place. Even if one cries to it for help, yet [the idol] cannot answer or save him out of his distress. + [Earnestly] remember this, be ashamed and own yourselves guilty; bring it again to mind and lay it to heart, O you rebels! + [Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me, + Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose, + Calling a ravenous bird from the east--the man [Cyrus] who executes My counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed it, and I will do it. + Listen to Me, you stiff-hearted and you who have lost heart, you who are far from righteousness (from uprightness and right standing with God, and from His righteous deliverance). + I bring near My righteousness [in the deliverance of Israel], it will not be far off; and My salvation shall not tarry. And I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory [yes, give salvation in Zion and My glory to Israel]. + + + COME DOWN, and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground [in abject humiliation]; there is no throne for you, O Daughter of the Chaldeans, for you shall no longer be called dainty and delicate. + Take the millstones [like the poorest female slave of the household does] and grind meal; take off your veil and uncover your hair. Remove your skirt, bare your leg, wade through the rivers [at the command of your captors]. + Your nakedness shall be exposed, and your shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no man [none I encounter will be able to resist Me], + [Says] our Redeemer--the Lord of hosts is His name--the Holy One of Israel. + Sit in silence and go into darkness, O Daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the lady and mistress of kingdoms. + I was angry with My people, I profaned My inheritance [Judah]; and I gave them into your hand [Babylon]. You showed them no mercy; upon the old people you made your yoke very heavy. + And you said, I shall be the mistress forever! So you did not lay these things to heart, nor did you [seriously] remember the certain, ultimate end of such conduct. + Therefore now, hear this, you who love pleasures and are given over to them, you who dwell safely and sit securely, who say in your mind, I am [the mistress] and there is no one else besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children. + But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of the multitude of [your claims to] power given you by the assistance of evil spirits, in spite of the great abundance of your enchantments. [Rev. 18:7, 8.] + For you [Babylon] have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart and mind, I am, and there is no one besides me. + Therefore shall evil come upon you; you shall not know the dawning of it or how to charm it away. And a disaster and evil shall fall upon you that you shall not be able to atone for [with all your offerings to your gods]; and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, about which you shall know nothing or how to avert it. + Persist, then, with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries [Babylon], in which you have labored from your youth; and see if perhaps you will be able to profit, if you will prevail and strike terror! + You are wearied with your many counsels and plans. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and make known to you and save you from the things that shall come upon you [Babylon]. + Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them. They cannot even deliver themselves from the power of the flame [much less deliver the nation]. There is no coal for warming or fire before which to sit! + Such to you shall they [the astrologers and their kind] be, those with whom you have labored and such their fate, those who have done business with you from your youth; they will wander, every one to his own quarter and in his own direction. No one will save you. + + + HEAR THIS, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and who come forth from the seed of Judah, you who swear allegiance by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel--but not in truth and sincerity, nor in righteousness (rightness and moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation)-- + For they call themselves [citizens] of the holy city and depend on the God of Israel--the Lord of hosts is His name. + I have declared from the beginning the former things [which happened in times past to Israel]; they went forth from My mouth and I made them known; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass [says the Lord]. + Because I knew that you were obstinate, and your neck was an iron sinew and your brow was brass, + Therefore I have declared things to come to you from of old; before they came to pass I announced them to you, so that you could not say, My idol has done them, and my graven image and my molten image have commanded them. + You have heard [these things foretold], now you see this fulfillment. And will you not bear witness to it? I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things [kept in reserve] which you have not known. + They are created now [called into being by the prophetic word], and not long ago; and before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, Behold, I knew them! + Yes, you have never heard, yes, you have never known; yes, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I, the Lord, knew that you, O house of Israel, dealt very treacherously; you were called a transgressor and a rebel [in revolt] from your birth. + For My name's sake I defer My anger, and for the sake of My praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. + Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried and chosen you in the furnace of affliction. + For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it [I refrain and do not utterly destroy you]; for why should I permit My name to be polluted and profaned [which it would be if the Lord completely destroyed His chosen people]? And I will not give My glory to another [by permitting the worshipers of idols to triumph over you]. + Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called [ones]: I am He; I am the First, I also am the Last. [Isa. 41:4.] + Yes, My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together [to execute My decrees]. + Assemble yourselves, all of you, and hear! Who among them [the gods and Chaldean astrologers] has foretold these things? The Lord has loved him [Cyrus of Persia]; he will do His pleasure and purpose on Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans. + I, even I, have foretold it; yes, I have called him [Cyrus]; I have brought him, and [the Lord] shall make his way prosperous. + Come near to me and listen to this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it happened, I was there. And now the Lord God has sent His Spirit in and with me. + Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go. + Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea. + Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like the offspring of the sea; their name would not be cut off or destroyed from before Me. [Gen. 13:16; Jer. 33:22; Luke 19:42.] + Go forth out of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing declare, tell this, cause it to go forth even to the end of the earth; say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob! + And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock also, and the waters gushed out. + There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked. + + + LISTEN TO me, O isles and coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He has named my name. + And He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand has He hid me and made me a polished arrow; in His quiver has He kept me close and concealed me. + And [the Lord] said to me, You are My servant, Israel [you who strive with God and with men and prevail], in whom I will be glorified. [Gen. 32:28; Deut. 7:6; 26:18, 19; Eph. 1:4-6.] + Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in empty futility; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense is with my God. + And now, says the Lord--Who formed me from the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and that Israel might be gathered to Him and not be swept away, for I am honorable in the eyes of the Lord and my God has become my strength-- + He says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the nations, that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth. + Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, Israel's Holy One, to him whom man rejects and despises, to him whom the nations abhor, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see you and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen you. + Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable and favorable time I have heard and answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will preserve you and give you for a covenant to the people, to raise up and establish the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and cause them to inherit the desolate [moral wastes of heathenism, their] heritages, [II Cor. 6:2.] + Saying to those who are bound, Come forth, and to those who are in [spiritual] darkness, Show yourselves [come into the light of the Sun of righteousness]. They shall feed in all the ways [in which they go], and their pastures shall be [not in deserts, but] on all the bare [grass-covered] hills. + They will not hunger or thirst, neither will mirage [mislead] or scorching wind or sun smite them; for He Who has mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will He guide them. [Rev. 7:16, 17.] + And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways will be raised up. + Behold, these shall come from afar--and, behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim (China). + Sing for joy, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion upon His afflicted. + But Zion [Jerusalem, her people as seen in captivity] said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me. + [And the Lord answered] Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. + Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me. + Your children and your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go forth from you. + Lift up your eyes round about and see [the returning exiles, ready to rebuild Jerusalem]; all these gather together and come to you. As I live, says the Lord, you [Zion] shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament and bind them on you as a bride does. + For your waste and desolate places and your land [once the scene] of destruction surely now [in coming years] will be too narrow to accommodate the population, and those who once swallowed you up will be far away. + The children of your bereavement [born during your captivity] shall yet say in your ears, The place is too narrow for me; make room for me, that I may live. + Then [Zion], you will say in your heart, Who has borne me all these children, seeing that I lost my offspring and am alone and barren and unfruitful, an exile put away and wandering hither and thither? And who brought them up? Behold, I was left alone [put away by the Lord, my Husband]; from where then did all these children come? + Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the Gentile nations and set up My standard and raise high My signal banner to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in the bosom of their garments, and your daughters will be carried upon their shoulders. + And kings shall be your foster fathers and guardians, and their queens your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know [with an acquaintance and understanding based on and grounded in personal experience] that I am the Lord; for they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me. + Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives of the just be delivered? + For thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the prey of the terrible will be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will give safety to your children and ease them. + And I will make those who oppress you consume themselves [in mutually destructive wars], thus eating their own flesh; and they will be drunk with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh will know [with a knowledge grounded in personal experience] that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother's divorce with which I put her away, O Israel? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away. + Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink because there is no water, and they die of thirst. + I clothe the heavens with [the] blackness [of murky storm clouds], and I make sackcloth [of mourning] their covering. + [The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught]. + The Lord God has opened My ear, and I have not been rebellious or turned backward. + I gave My back to the smiters and My cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting. [Matt. 26:67; 27:30; John 19:1.] + For the Lord God helps Me; therefore have I not been ashamed or confounded. Therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. [Luke 9:51; Isa. 52:13; 53:10-12.] + He is near Who declares Me in the right. Who will contend with Me? Let us stand forth together! Who is My adversary? Let him come near to Me. [Rom. 8:33-35; I Tim. 3:16.] + Behold, the Lord God will help Me; who is he who will condemn Me? Behold, they all will wax old and be worn out as a garment; the moth will eat them up. [Heb. 1:11, 12.] + Who is among you who [reverently] fears the Lord, who obeys the voice of His Servant, yet who walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor [in his heart]? Let him rely on, trust in, and be confident in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God. + Behold, all you [enemies of your own selves] who attempt to kindle your own fires [and work out your own plans of salvation], who surround and gird yourselves with momentary sparks, darts, and firebrands that you set aflame!--walk by the light of your self-made fire and of the sparks that you have kindled [for yourself, if you will]! But this shall you have from My hand: you shall lie down in grief and in torment. [Isa. 66:24.] + + + HEARKEN TO Me, you who follow after rightness and justice, you who seek and inquire of [and require] the Lord [claiming Him by necessity and by right]: look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the hole in the quarry from which you were dug; + Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him when he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many. + For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song or instrument of praise. + Listen to Me [the Lord], O My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation; for a [divine] law will go forth from Me, and I will establish My justice for a light to the peoples. + My rightness and justice are near, My salvation is going forth, and My arms shall rule the peoples; the islands shall wait for and expect Me, and on My arm shall they trust and wait with hope. + Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall be dissolved and vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner [like gnats]. But My salvation shall be forever, and My rightness and justice [and faithfully fulfilled promise] shall not be abolished. [Matt. 24:35; Heb. 1:11; II Pet. 3:10.] + Listen to Me, you who know rightness and justice and right standing with God, the people in whose heart is My law and My instruction: fear not the reproach of men, neither be afraid nor dismayed at their revilings. + For [in comparison with the Lord they are so weak that things as insignificant as] the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But My rightness and justice [and faithfully fulfilled promise] shall be forever, and My salvation to all generations. + [Zion now cries to the Lord, the God of Israel] Awake, awake, put on strength and might, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, as in the generations of long ago. Was it not You Who cut Rahab [Egypt] in pieces, Who pierced the dragon [symbol of Egypt]? [Isa. 30:7.] + Was it not You Who dried up the Red Sea, the waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? [Why then are we left so long in captivity?] + [The Lord God says] And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. [Rev. 7:17; 21:1, 4.] + I, even I, am He Who comforts you. Who are you, that you should be afraid of man, who shall die, and of a son of man, who shall be made [as destructible] as grass, + That you should forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and fear continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he makes ready to destroy or even though he did so? And where is the fury of the oppressor? + The captive exile and he who is bent down by chains shall speedily be released; and he shall not die and go down to the pit of destruction, nor shall his food fail. + For I am the Lord your God, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar and Who by rebuke restrains it--the Lord of hosts is His name. + And I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, that I may fix the [new] heavens as a tabernacle and lay the foundations of a [new] earth and say to Zion, You are My people. [Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21:1.] + Arouse yourself, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath, you who have drunk the cup of staggering and intoxication to the dregs. + There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; neither is there anyone to take her by the hand among all the sons whom she has brought up. + Two kinds of calamities have befallen you--but who feels sorry for and commiserates you?--they are desolation and destruction [on the land and city], and famine and sword [on the inhabitants]--how shall I comfort you or by whom? + Your sons have fainted; they lie [like corpses] at the head of all the streets, like an antelope in a net; they are full [from drinking] of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God. + Therefore, now hear this, you who are afflicted, and [who are] drunk, but not with wine [but thrown down by the wrath of God]. + Thus says your Lord, the Lord, and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering and intoxication; the cup of My wrath you shall drink no more. + And I will put it into the hands of your tormentors and oppressors, those who said to you, Bow down, that we may ride or tread over you; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over. + + + AWAKE, AWAKE, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. [Rev. 21:27.] + Shake yourself from the dust; arise, sit [erect in a dignified place], O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. + For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. + For thus says the Lord God: My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there; and [many years later Sennacherib] the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. [Now I delivered you from both Egypt and Assyria; what then can prevent Me from delivering you from Babylon?] + But now what have I here, says the Lord, seeing that My people have been taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them howl [with joy], says the Lord, and My name continually is blasphemed all day long. [Rom. 2:24.] + Therefore My people shall know what My name is and what it means; therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks; behold, I AM! [Exod. 3:13, 14.] + How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns! [Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:15; Eph. 6:14-16.] + Hark, your watchmen lift up their voices; together they sing for joy; for they shall see eye to eye the return of the Lord to Zion. + Break forth joyously, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem! + The Lord has made bare His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations [revealing Himself as the One by Whose direction the redemption of Israel from captivity is accomplished], and all the ends of the earth shall witness the salvation of our God. [Luke 2:29-32; 3:6.] + Depart, depart, go out from there [the lands of exile]! Touch no unclean thing! Go out of the midst of her [Babylon]; cleanse yourselves and be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord [on your journey from there]. [II Cor. 6:16, 17.] + For you will not go out with haste, nor will you go in flight [as was necessary when Israel left Egypt]; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. + Behold, My Servant shall deal wisely and shall prosper; He shall be exalted and extolled and shall stand very high. + [For many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him.] His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man's, and His form beyond that of the sons of men--but just as many were astonished at Him, + So shall He startle and sprinkle many nations, and kings shall shut their mouths because of Him; for that which has not been told them shall they see, and that which they have not heard shall they consider and understand. [Rom. 15:21.] + + + WHO HAS believed (trusted in, relied upon, and clung to) our message [of that which was revealed to us]? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed? [John 12:38-41; Rom. 10:16.] + For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. + He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. + Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. [Matt. 8:17.] + But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. + All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all. [I Pet. 2:24, 25.] + He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. + By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah's] people, to whom the stroke was due? + And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. [Matt. 27:57-60; I Pet. 2:22, 23.] + Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. + He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself [which He possesses and imparts to others] shall My [uncompromisingly] righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God), for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt [with the consequences, says the Lord]. + Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], and He shall divide the spoil with the mighty, because He poured out His life unto death, and [He let Himself] be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore [and took away] the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (the rebellious). [Luke 22:37.] + + + SING, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the [spiritual] children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the married wife, says the Lord. [Gal. 4:27.] + Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, + For you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. + Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more. + For your Maker is your Husband--the Lord of hosts is His name--and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called. + For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken, grieved in spirit, and heartsore--even a wife [wooed and won] in youth, when she is [later] refused and scorned, says your God. + For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion and mercy I will gather you [to Me] again. + In a little burst of wrath I hid My face from you for a moment, but with age-enduring love and kindness I will have compassion and mercy on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. + For this is like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. + For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you. + O you afflicted [city], storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in fair colors [in antimony to enhance their brilliance] and lay your foundations with sapphires. + And I will make your windows and pinnacles of [sparkling] agates or rubies, and your gates of [shining] carbuncles, and all your walls [of your enclosures] of precious stones. [Rev. 21:19-21.] + And all your [spiritual] children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children. [John 6:45.] + You shall establish yourself in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order): you shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you. + Behold, they may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from Me. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall fall and surrender to you. + Behold, I have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals and who produces a weapon for its purpose; and I have created the devastator to destroy. + But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord. + + + WAIT and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing]. [Rev. 21:6, 7; 22:17.] + Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [the profuseness of spiritual joy]. [Jer. 31:12-14.] + Incline your ear [submit and consent to the divine will] and come to Me; hear, and your soul will revive; and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with you, even the sure mercy (kindness, goodwill, and compassion) promised to David. [II Sam. 7:8-16; Acts 13:34; Heb. 13:20.] + Behold, I have appointed him (Him) [David, as a representative of the Messiah, or the Messiah Himself] to be a witness [one (One) who shall testify of salvation] to the nations, a prince (Prince) and commander (Commander) to the peoples. + Behold, you [Israel] shall call nations that you know not, and nations that do not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you. + Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He may be found [claiming Him by necessity and by right]; call upon Him while He is near. + Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have love, pity, and mercy for him, and to our God, for He will multiply to him His abundant pardon. + For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. + For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. + For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, [II Cor. 9:10.] + So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. + For you shall go out [from the spiritual exile caused by sin and evil into the homeland] with joy and be led forth [by your Leader, the Lord Himself, and His word] with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. + Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign [of jubilant exaltation] and memorial [to His praise], which shall not be cut off. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: Keep justice, do and use righteousness (conformity to the will of God which brings salvation), for My salvation is soon to come and My righteousness (My rightness and justice) to be revealed. [Isa. 62:1, 11; Matt. 3:2; Luke 21:31; Rom. 13:11, 12.] + Blessed, happy, and fortunate is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold of it and binds himself fast to it, who keeps sacred the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. + Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from His people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. + For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths and choose the things which please Me and hold firmly My covenant-- + To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better [and more enduring] than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. + Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to Him and to love the name of the Lord and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it and who holds fast My covenant [by conscientious obedience]-- + All these I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. + Thus says the Lord God, Who gathers the outcasts of Israel: I will gather yet others to [Israel] besides those already gathered. + All you beasts of the field, come to devour, all you beasts (hostile nations) in the forest. + [Israel's] watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, they love to slumber. + Yes, the dogs are greedy; they never have enough. And such are the shepherds who cannot understand; they have all turned to their own way, each one to his own gain, from every quarter [one and all]. + Come, say they, We will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink! And tomorrow shall be as this day, a day great beyond measure. + + + THE RIGHTEOUS man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; and merciful and devout men are taken away, with no one considering that the uncompromisingly upright and godly person is taken away from the calamity and evil to come [even through wickedness]. + He [in death] enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walks straight and in his uprightness. + But come close, you sons of a sorceress [nursed in witchcraft and superstition], you offspring of an adulterer and a harlot. + Against whom do you make sport and take your delight? Against whom do you open wide your mouth and put out your tongue? Are you not yourselves the children of transgression, the offspring of deceit-- + You who burn with lust [inflaming yourselves with idols] among the oaks, under every green tree, you who slay the children [in sacrifice] in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks? + Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they [the idols] are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have offered a cereal offering. Should I be quiet in spite of all these things [and leave them unpunished--bearing them with patience]? + Upon a lofty and high mountain you have openly and shamelessly set your [idolatrous and adulterous] bed; even there you went up to offer sacrifice [in spiritual unfaithfulness to your divine Husband]. + Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your [idol] symbol [as a substitute for the Scripture text God ordered]. Deserting Me, you have uncovered and ascended and enlarged your bed; and you have made a [fresh] bargain for yourself with [the adulterers], and you loved their bed, where you saw [a beckoning hand or a passion-inflaming image]. [Deut. 6:5, 6, 9; 11:18, 20.] + And you went to the king [of foreign lands with gifts] or to Molech [the god] with oil and increased your perfumes and ointments; you sent your messengers far off and debased yourself even to Sheol (Hades) [symbol of an abysmal depth of degradation]. + You were wearied with the length of your way [in trying to find rest and satisfaction in alliances apart from the true God], yet you did not say, There is no result or profit. You found quickened strength; therefore you were not faint or heartsick [or penitent]. + Of whom have you been so afraid and in dread that you lied and were treacherous and did not [seriously] remember Me, did not even give Me a thought? Have I not been silent, even for a long time, and so you do not fear Me? + I will expose your [pretended] righteousness and your doings, but they will not help you. + When you cry out, let your [rabble] collection of idols deliver you! But the wind shall take them all, a breath shall carry them away. But he who takes refuge in Me shall possess the land [Judea] and shall inherit My holy mountain [Zion, also the heavenly inheritance and the spiritual Zion]. [Ps. 37:9, 11; 69:35, 36; Isa. 49:8; Matt. 5:5; Heb. 12:22.] + And the word of One shall go forth, Cast up, cast up, prepare the way! Take up the stumbling block out of the way [of the spiritual return] of My people. + For thus says the high and lofty One--He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent [bruised with sorrow for sin]. [Matt. 5:3.] + For I will not contend forever, neither will I be angry always, for [if I did stay angry] the spirit [of man] would faint and be consumed before Me, and [My purpose in] creating the souls of men would be frustrated. + Because of the iniquity of his [Judah's] covetousness and unjust gain I was angry and smote him. I hid my face and was angry, and he went on turning away and backsliding in the way of his [own willful] heart. + I have seen his [willful] ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him also and will recompense him and restore comfort to him and to those who mourn for him. [Isa. 61:1, 2; 66:10.] + Peace, peace, to him who is far off [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near! says the Lord; I create the fruit of his lips, and I will heal him [make his lips blossom anew with speech in thankful praise]. [Acts 2:39; Eph. 2:13-17, 18; Heb. 13:15.] + But the wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. + There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. + + + CRY ALOUD, spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins! + Yet they seek, inquire for, and require Me daily and delight [externally] to know My ways, as [if they were in reality] a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God [in visible ways]. + Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor. [Lev. 16:29.] + [The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high. + Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord? + [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke? [Acts 8:23.] + Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house--when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood? + Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. [Exod. 14:19, 20; Isa. 52:12.] + Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking, [Exod. 3:14.] + And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday. + And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not. + And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. + If you turn away your foot from [traveling unduly on] the Sabbath, from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor Him and it, not going your own way or seeking or finding your own pleasure or speaking with your own [idle] words, + Then will you delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage [promised for you] of Jacob your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Gen. 27:28, 29; 28:13-15.] + + + BEHOLD, THE Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear. + But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. + For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness. + None sues or calls in righteousness [but for the sake of doing injury to others--to take some undue advantage]; no one goes to law honestly and pleads [his case] in truth; they trust in emptiness, worthlessness and futility, and speaking lies! They conceive mischief and bring forth evil! + They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; he who eats of their eggs dies, and [from an egg] which is crushed a viper breaks out [for their nature is ruinous, deadly, evil]. + Their webs will not serve as clothing, nor will they cover themselves with what they make; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. + Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths and highways. + The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice or right in their goings. They have made them into crooked paths; whoever goes in them does not know peace. [Rom. 3:15-18.] + Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us. We expectantly wait for light, but [only] see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity and gloom. + We grope for the wall like the blind, yes, we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the twilight; in dark places and among those who are full of life and vigor, we are as dead men. + We all groan and growl like bears and moan plaintively like doves. We look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. + For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord], and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know and recognize them [as]: + Rebelling against and denying the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and muttering and moaning from the heart words of falsehood. + Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) stands far off; for truth has fallen in the street (the city's forum), and uprightness cannot enter [the courts of justice]. + Yes, truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. + And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own righteousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him. [Isa. 53:11; Col. 2:9; I John 2:1, 2.] + For [the Lord] put on righteousness as a breastplate or coat of mail, and salvation as a helmet upon His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal [and furious divine jealousy] as a cloak. [Eph. 6:14, 17; I Thess. 5:8.] + According as their deeds deserve, so will He repay wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; on the foreign islands and coastlands He will make compensation. + So [as the result of the Messiah's intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives]. [Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:29.] + He shall come as a Redeemer to Zion and to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression, says the Lord. + As for Me, this is My covenant or league with them, says the Lord: My Spirit, Who is upon you [and Who writes the law of God inwardly on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your [true, spiritual] children, or out of the mouths of your children's children, says the Lord, from henceforth and forever. [Jer. 31:33; Rom. 11:26, 27; Gal. 3:29; Heb. 12:22-24.] + + + ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you--rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! [Zech. 8:23.] + For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. [Isa. 60:19-22; Mal. 4:2; Rev. 21:2, 3.] + And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. [Isa. 2:2, 3; Jer. 3:17.] + Lift up your eyes round about you and see! They all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried and nursed in the arms. + Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures. [Ps. 119:32.] + A multitude of camels [from the eastern trading tribes] shall cover you [Jerusalem], the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all the men from Sheba [who once came to trade] shall come, bringing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the Lord. [Matt. 2:11.] + All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you [as the eastern pastoral tribes join the trading tribes], the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on My altar, and My glorious house I will glorify. + Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? + Surely the isles and distant coastlands shall wait for and expect Me; and the ships of Tarshish [shall come] first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, for the Holy One of Israel, because He has beautified and glorified you. + Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I smote you, but in My favor, pleasure, and goodwill I have had mercy, love, and pity for you. + And your gates shall be open continually, they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations--and their kings led in procession [your voluntary captives]. [Rev. 21:24-27.] + For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you in that day [Jerusalem] shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly laid waste. + The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine [trees] together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious. + The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all those who despised you shall bow down at your feet, and they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. [Rev. 3:9.] + Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through you, I will make you [Jerusalem] an eternal glory, a joy from age to age. + You shall suck the milk of the [Gentile] nations and shall suck the breast of kings; and you shall recognize and know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. + Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; and instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. [Instead of the tyranny of the present] I will appoint peace as your officers and righteousness as your taskmasters. + Violence shall no more be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders, but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. + The sun shall no more be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you, but the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory and your beauty. [Jer. 9:23, 24; Rev. 21:23.] + Your sun shall no more go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. + Your people also shall all be [uncompromisingly and consistently] righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. + The least one shall become a thousand [a clan], and the small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its [appointed] time. + + + THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, [Rom. 10:15.] + To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, [Matt. 11:2-6; Luke 4:18, 19; 7:22.] + To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion--to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. + And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. + Aliens shall stand [ready] and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. + But you shall be called the priests of the Lord; people will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and the glory [once that of your captors] shall be yours. [Exod. 19:6; I Pet. 2:5; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6.] + Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach [your people] shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [what they had forfeited]; everlasting joy shall be theirs. + For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong with violence or a burnt offering. And I will faithfully give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with them. + And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed. + I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. + For as [surely as] the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so [surely] the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [through the self-fulfilling power of His word]. + + + FOR ZION'S sake will I [Isaiah] not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until her imputed righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness, and her salvation radiates as does a burning torch. + And the nations shall see your righteousness and vindication [your rightness and justice--not your own, but His ascribed to you], and all kings shall behold your salvation and glory; and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. [Rev. 2:17.] + You shall also be [so beautiful and prosperous as to be thought of as] a crown of glory and honor in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God. + You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate any more. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord]. + For as a young man marries a virgin [O Jerusalem], so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. + I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, who will never hold their peace day or night; you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence, + And give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise in the earth. + The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: Surely I will not again give your grain as food for your enemies, and [the invading sons of] aliens shall not drink your new wine for which you have toiled; + But they who have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and they who have brought in the vintage shall drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courts of My sanctuary (the temple of My holiness). + Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Cast up, cast up the highway! Gather out the stones. Lift up a standard or ensign over and for the peoples. + Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the Daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes [in the person of the Lord]; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work and recompense before Him. [Isa. 40:10.] + And they shall call them the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken. + + + WHO IS this Who comes from Edom, with crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom]? This One Who is glorious in His apparel, striding triumphantly in the greatness of His might? It is I, [the One] Who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save! + Why is Your apparel splashed with red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the winepress? + I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the peoples there was no one with Me. I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I stained all My raiment. + For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption [the year of My redeemed] has come. + And I looked, but there was no one to help; I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right]. So My own arm brought Me victory, and My wrath upheld Me. + I trod down the peoples in My anger and made them drink of the cup of My wrath until they were intoxicated, and I spilled their lifeblood upon the earth. + I will recount the loving-kindnesses of the Lord and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His mercy and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses. + For He said, Surely they are My people, sons who will not lie [who will not deal falsely with Me]; and so He was to them a Savior [in all their distresses]. + In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. [Exod. 23:20-23; 33:14-15; Deut. 1:31; 32:10-12.] + But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore He turned to become their enemy and Himself fought against them. + Then His people [seriously] remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people [and they said], Where is He Who brought [our fathers] up out of the [Red] Sea, with [Moses and the other] shepherds of His flock? Where is He Who put His Holy Spirit within their midst, + Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, dividing the waters before them, to make for Himself an everlasting name, + Who led them through the depths, like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? + Like the cattle that go down into the valley [to find better pasturage, refuge, and rest], the Spirit of the Lord caused them to rest. So did You lead Your people [Lord] to make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious name [to prepare the way for the acknowledgment of Your name by all nations]. + Look down from heaven and see from the dwelling place of Your holiness and Your glory. Where are Your zeal and Your jealousy and Your mighty acts [which you formerly did for Your people]? Your yearning pity and the [multitude of] compassions of Your heart are restrained and withheld from me. + For [surely] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us and Israel (Jacob) does not acknowledge us; You, O Lord, are [still] our Father, our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name. + O Lord, why have You made us [able] to err from Your ways and hardened our hearts to [reverential] fear of You? Return [to bless us] for Your servants' sake, the tribes of Your heritage. + Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary but a little while; our adversaries have trodden it down. + We have become [to You] like those over whom You never exercised rule, like those who were not called by Your name. + + + OH, THAT You would rend the heavens and that You would come down, that the mountains might quake and flow down at Your presence-- + As when fire kindles the brushwood and the fire causes the waters to boil--to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! + When You did terrible things which we did not expect, You came down; the mountains quaked at Your presence. + For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him. + You meet and spare him who joyfully works righteousness (uprightness and justice), [earnestly] remembering You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned; we have long continued in our sins [prolonging Your anger]. And shall we be saved? + For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God's favor, hurrying us toward destruction]. [Lev. 13:45, 46.] + And no one calls on Your name and awakens and bestirs himself to take and keep hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the [consuming] power of our iniquities. [Rom. 1:21-24.] + Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand. + Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, or [seriously] remember iniquity forever. Behold, consider, we beseech You, we are all Your people. + Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. + Our holy and our beautiful house, [the temple] where our fathers praised You, is burned with fire, and all our pleasant and desirable places are in ruins. + Considering these [calamities], will You restrain Yourself, O Lord [and not come to our aid]? Will You keep silent and not command our deliverance but humble and afflict us exceedingly? + + + I WAS [ready to be] inquired of by those who asked not; I was [ready to be] found by those who sought Me not. I said, Here I am, here I am [says I AM] to a nation [Israel] that has not called on My name. [Exod. 3:14; Isa. 58:9.] + I have spread out My hands all the day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts-- + A people who provoke Me to My face continually, sacrificing [to idols] in gardens and burning incense upon bricks [instead of at God's prescribed altar]; + Who sit among the graves [trying to talk with the dead] and lodge among the secret places [or caves where familiar spirits were thought to dwell]; who eat swine's flesh, and the broth of abominable and loathsome things is in their vessels; + Who say, Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am set apart from you [and lest I sanctify you]! These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day. + Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence but will repay; yes, I will repay into their bosom + Both your own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers, says the Lord. Because they too burned incense upon the mountains and reviled and blasphemed Me upon the hills, therefore will I measure and stretch out their former doings into their own bosom. + Thus says the Lord: As the juice [of the grape] is found in the cluster, and one says, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, so will I do for My servants' sake, that I may not destroy them all. + And I will bring forth an offspring from Jacob, and from Judah an inheritor of My mountains; My chosen and elect will inherit it, and My servants will dwell there. + And [the plain of] Sharon shall be a pasture and fold for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for My people who seek Me, inquire of Me, and require Me [by right of their necessity and by right of My invitation]. + But you who forsake the Lord, who forget and ignore My holy Mount [Zion], who prepare a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune] and who furnish mixed drinks for Meni [the god of destiny]-- + I will destine you [says the Lord] for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen or obey. But you did what was evil in My eyes, and you chose that in which I did not delight. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame. + Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry out for pain and sorrow of heart and shall wail and howl for anguish, vexation, and breaking of spirit. + And you will leave your name to My chosen [to those who will use it] for a curse; and the Lord God will slay you, but He will call His servants by another name [as much greater than the former name as the name Israel was greater than the name Jacob]. [Gen. 32:28; Jer. 29:22.] + So [it shall be] that he who invokes a blessing on himself in the land shall do so by saying, May the God of truth and fidelity [the Amen] bless me; and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth and faithfulness to His promises [the Amen], because the former troubles are forgotten and because they are hidden from My eyes. [II Cor. 1:20; Rev. 3:14.] + For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. And the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. [Isa. 66:22; II Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1.] + But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a rejoicing and her people a joy. + And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and the sound of weeping will no more be heard in it, nor the cry of distress. + There shall no more be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who dies prematurely; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies when only a hundred years old shall be [thought only a child, cut off because he is] accursed. + They shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. + They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat [the fruit]. For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My chosen and elect shall long make use of and enjoy the work of their hands. + They shall not labor in vain or bring forth [children] for sudden terror or calamity; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. + And it shall be that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear. [Isa. 30:19; 58:9; Matt. 6:8.] + The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy Mount [Zion], says the Lord. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house would you build for Me? And what kind can be My resting-place? [Acts 17:24.] + For all these things My hand has made, and so all these things have come into being [by and for Me], says the Lord. But this is the man to whom I will look and have regard: he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at My word and reveres My commands. [John 4:24.] + [The acts of the hypocrite's worship are as abominable to God as if they were offered to idols.] He who kills an ox [then] will be as guilty as if he slew and sacrificed a man; he who sacrifices a lamb or a kid, as if he broke a dog's neck and sacrificed him; he who offers a cereal offering, as if he offered swine's blood; he who burns incense [to God], as if he blessed an idol. [Such people] have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations; + So I also will choose their delusions and mockings, their calamities and afflictions, and I will bring their fears upon them--because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not listen or obey. But they did what was evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight. + Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: Your brethren who hate you, who cast you out for My name's sake, have said, Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy! But it is they who shall be put to shame. + [Hark!] An uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, rendering recompense to His enemies! + Before [Zion] travailed, she gave birth; before her pain came upon her, she was delivered of a male child. + Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Or shall a nation be brought forth in a moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her children. + Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God. + Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her, + That you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breasts, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance and brightness of her glory. + For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; then you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and trotted [lovingly bounced up and down] on her [God's maternal] knees. + As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. + When you see this, your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like green and tender grass. And the [powerful] hand of the Lord shall be revealed and known to be with His servants, but His indignation [shown] to be against His enemies. + For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and His chariots will be like the stormy wind, to render His anger with fierceness, and His rebuke with flames of fire. + For by fire and by His sword will the Lord execute judgment upon all flesh, and the slain of the Lord will be many. + Those who [attempt to] sanctify themselves and cleanse themselves to enter [and sacrifice to idols] in the gardens, following after one in the midst, eating hog's flesh and the abomination [creeping things] and the [mouse--their works and their thoughts] shall come to an end together, says the Lord. + For I know their works and their thoughts. And the time is coming when I will gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory. + And I will set up a [miraculous] sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations--to Tarshish, Pul (Put), and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles and coastlands afar off that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations. + And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord--upon horses and in chariots and in litters and upon mules and upon camels--to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the children of Israel bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. + And I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites, says the Lord. + For as the new heavens and the new earth which I make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. + And it shall be that from one New Moon to another New Moon and from one Sabbath to another Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. + And they shall go forth and gaze upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men who have stepped over against Me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind. + + + + + THE WORDS of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin [two or three miles north of Jerusalem], + To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah in the thirteenth year of his reign. + It came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month. [II Kings 25:8-11.] + Then the word of the Lord came to me [Jeremiah], saying, + Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. [Exod. 33:12; Isa. 49:1, 5; Rom. 8:29.] + Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am only a youth. [Exod. 4:10; 6:12, 30; I Kings 3:7.] + But the Lord said to me, Say not, I am only a youth; for you shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. + Be not afraid of them [their faces], for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. + Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. + See, I have this day appointed you to the oversight of the nations and of the kingdoms to root out and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch or shoot of an almond tree [the emblem of alertness and activity, blossoming in late winter]. + Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it. + And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and the face of it is [tipped away] from the north [its mouth about to pour forth on the south, on Judea]. + Then the Lord said to me, Out of the north the evil [which the prophets had foretold as the result of national sin] shall disclose itself and break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. + For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they will come and set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah [as God's judicial act, a consequence of Judah's wickedness]. + And I will utter My judgments against them for all the wickedness of those who have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands [idols]. + But you [Jeremiah], gird up your loins! Arise and tell them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed and break down at the sight of their faces, lest I confound you before them and permit you to be overcome. + For I, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar and bronze walls against the whole land--against the [successive] kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land [giving you divine strength which no hostile power can overcome]. [Isa. 50:7; 54:17; Jer. 6:27; 15:20; Luke 21:15; Acts 6:10.] + And they shall fight against you, but they shall not [finally] prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me [Jeremiah], saying, + Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord: I [earnestly] remember the kindness and devotion of your youth, your love after your betrothal [in Egypt] and marriage [at Sinai] when you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. + Israel was holiness [something set apart from ordinary purposes, dedicated] to the Lord, the firstfruits of His harvest [of which no stranger was allowed to partake]; all who ate of it [injuring Israel] offended and became guilty; evil came upon them, says the Lord. + Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. + Thus says the Lord: What unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and [habitually] went after emptiness, falseness, and futility and themselves became fruitless and worthless? + Nor did they say, Where is the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death and deep darkness, through a land that no man passes through and where no man dwells? + And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and good things. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination [detestable and loathsome]. + [Even] the priests did not say, Where is the Lord? And those who handle the law [given by God to Moses] knew Me not. The rulers and secular shepherds also transgressed against Me, and the prophets prophesied by [the authority and in the name of] Baal and followed after things that do not profit. + Therefore I will still contend with you [by inflicting further judgments on you], says the Lord, and with your children's children will I contend. + For cross over to the coasts of Cyprus [to the west] and see, send also to Kedar [to the east] and carefully consider; and see whether there has been such a thing as this: + Has a nation [ever] changed its gods, even though they are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory [God] for that which does not profit. + Be astonished and appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked and shrivel up with horror, says the Lord [at the behavior of the people]. + For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which cannot hold water. + Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why has he become a captive and a prey? + The young lions have roared over him and made their voices heard. And they have made his land a waste; his cities are burned ruins without inhabitant. + Moreover, the children of Memphis and Tahpanhes (Egypt) [have in times past shown their power as a foe; they] have broken and fed on the crown of your head [Israel]--so do not rely on them as an ally now. + Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God when He led you in the way? + And now what have you to gain by allying yourself with Egypt and going her way, to drink the [black and roiled] waters of the Nile? Or what have you to gain in going the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the Euphrates? + Your own wickedness shall chasten and correct you, and your backslidings and desertion of faith shall reprove you. Know therefore and recognize that this is an evil and bitter thing: [first,] you have forsaken the Lord your God; [second,] you are indifferent to Me and the fear of Me is not in you, says the Lord of hosts. + For long ago [in Egypt] I broke your yoke and burst your bonds [not that you might be free, but that you might serve Me] and long ago you shattered the yoke and snapped the bonds [of My law which I put upon you]; you said, I will not serve and obey You! For upon every high hill and under every green tree you [eagerly] prostrated yourself [in idolatrous worship], playing the harlot. + Yet I had planted you [O house of Israel] a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned into degenerate shoots of wild vine alien to Me? + For though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, yet your iniquity and guilt are still [upon you; you are] spotted, dirty, and stained before Me, says the Lord. + How can you say, I am not defiled; I have not gone after the Baals [other gods]? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done. You are a restive young female camel [in the uncontrollable violence of her brute passion eagerly] running hither and thither, + Or [you have the untamed and reckless nature of] a wild donkey used to the desert, in her heat sniffing the wind [for the scent of a male]. In her mating season who can restrain her? No males seeking her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her [seeking them]. + [Cease from your mad running after idols, from which you get nothing but bitter injury.] Keep your feet from being unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, It is hopeless! For I have loved strangers and foreigners, and after them I will go. + As the thief is brought to shame when he is caught, so shall the house of Israel be brought to shame--they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets-- + [Inasmuch as] they say to a tree, You are my father, and to a stone, You gave me birth. For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces; but in the time of their trouble, they say, Arise [O Lord] and save us! + But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise if they can save you in the time of your trouble! For [as many as] the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. [Surely so many handmade idols should be able to help you!] + Why do you complain and remonstrate against My wrath? You all have rebelled and revolted against Me, says the Lord. + In vain have I stricken your children (your people); they received no discipline (no correction). Your own sword devoured your prophets like a destroying lion. + O generation [that you are]! Behold, consider, and regard the word of the Lord: Have I been a wilderness to Israel [like a land without food]? A land of deep darkness [like a way without light]? Why do My people say, We have broken loose [we are free and will roam at large]; we will come no more to You? + Can a maid forget and neglect [to wear] her ornaments, or a bride her [marriage] girdle [with its significance like that of a wedding ring]? Yet My people have forgotten Me, days without number. + How you deck yourself and direct your way to procure [adulterous] love! Because of it even wicked women have learned [indecent] ways from you. + Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the persons of the innocent poor; you did not find them housebreaking, nor have I found it out by secret search. But it is because of [your lust for idolatry that you have done] all these things--[that is everywhere evident.] + Yet you keep saying, I am innocent; surely His anger has turned away from Me. Behold, I will bring you to judgment and will plead against you because you say, I have not sinned. + Why do you gad or wander about so much to change your way? You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria. + From [Egypt] also you will come away with your hands upon your head, for the Lord has rejected those in whom you confide, and you will not prosper with [respect to] them. + + + THAT IS to say, If a man puts away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's, will he return to her again? [Of course not!] Would not that land [where such a thing happened] be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot [against Me] with many lovers--yet would you now return to Me? says the Lord [or do you even think to return to Me?] + Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see. Where have you not been adulterously lain with? By the wayside you have sat waiting for lovers [eager for idolatry], like an Arabian [desert tribesman who waits to plunder] in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your vile harlotry and your wickedness (unfaithfulness and disobedience to God). + Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no spring rain. Yet you have the brow of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed. + Have you not just now cried to Me: My Father, You were the guide and companion of my youth? + Will He retain His anger forever? Will He keep it to the end? Behold, you have so spoken, but you have done all the evil things you could and have had your way and have carried them through. + Moreover, the Lord said to me [Jeremiah] in the days of Josiah the king [of Judah], Have you seen what that faithless and backsliding Israel has done--how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree and there played the harlot? + And I said, After she has done all these things, she will return to Me; but she did not return, and her faithless and treacherous sister Judah saw it. + And I saw, even though [Judah knew] that for this very cause of committing adultery (idolatry) I [the Lord] had put faithless Israel away and given her a bill of divorce; yet her faithless and treacherous sister Judah was not afraid, but she also went and played the harlot [following after idols]. + And through the infamy and unseemly frivolity of Israel's whoredom [because her immorality mattered little to her], she polluted and defiled the land, [by her idolatry] committing adultery with [idols of] stones and trees. + But in spite of all this, her faithless and treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me in sincerity and with her whole heart, but only in sheer hypocrisy [has she feigned obedience to King Josiah's reforms], says the Lord. [II Chron. 34:33; Hos. 7:13, 14.] + And the Lord said to me, Backsliding and faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false and treacherous Judah. + Go and proclaim these words toward the north [where the ten tribes have been taken as captives] and say, Return, faithless Israel, says the Lord, and I will not cause My countenance to fall and look in anger upon you, for I am merciful, says the Lord; I will not keep My anger forever. + Only know, understand, and acknowledge your iniquity and guilt--that you have rebelled and transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice, says the Lord. + Return, O faithless children [of the whole twelve tribes], says the Lord, for I am Lord and Master and Husband to you, and I will take you [not as a nation, but individually]--one from a city and two from a tribal family--and I will bring you to Zion. [Luke 15:20-22.] + And I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart [in the final time], who will feed you with knowledge and understanding and judgment. + And it shall be that when you have multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they shall no more say, The ark of the covenant of the Lord. It shall not come to mind, nor shall they [seriously] remember it, nor shall they miss or visit it, nor shall it be repaired or made again [for instead of the ark, which represented God's presence, He will show Himself to be present throughout the city]. [Isa. 65:17; Rev. 21:3, 22, 23.] + At that time they shall call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, in the renown and name of the Lord, to Jerusalem; nor shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their own evil hearts. + In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and together they shall come out of the land of the north to the land that I gave as an inheritance to your fathers. + And I thought how [gloriously and honorably] I would set you among My children and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage, the most beautiful and best [inheritance] among all nations! And I thought you would call Me My Father and would not turn away from following Me. + Surely, as a wife treacherously and faithlessly departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously and faithlessly with Me, O house of Israel, says the Lord. + A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and pleading of the sons of Israel, because they have perverted their ways, they have [eagerly] forgotten the Lord their God. + Return, O faithless sons, [says the Lord, and] I will heal your faithlessness. [And they answer] Behold, we come to You, for You are the Lord our God. + Truly in vain is the hope of salvation from the hills and from the tumult and noisy throng on the mountains; truly in and with the Lord our God rests the salvation of Israel. + [We have been ruined as a nation by our faithlessness and idolatry] for the shameful thing has consumed all for which our fathers toiled from our youth--their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. + Let us lie prostrate in our shame, and let our dishonor and confusion cover us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. + + + IF YOU will return, O Israel, says the Lord, if you will return to Me, and if you will put away your abominable false gods out of My sight and not stray or waver, + And if you swear, As the Lord lives, in truth, in judgment and justice, and in righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation), then the nations will bless themselves in Him and in Him will they glory. + For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up your ground left uncultivated for a season, so that you may not sow among thorns. + Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My wrath go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] and burn so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings. + Declare in Judah and publish in Jerusalem and say: Blow the trumpet in the land; cry aloud and say: Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities. + Raise a standard toward Zion [to mark out the safest route to those seeking safety within Jerusalem's walls]! Flee for safety, stay not, for I bring evil from the north, and great destruction. + A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place to make your land a desolate waste; and your cities shall be left in ruins without an inhabitant. + For this, gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned back from us. + And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that the understanding and courage of the king shall fail (be paralyzed), and also that of the princes; the priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded and dazed with horror. + Then I [Jeremiah] said, Alas, Lord God! Surely You have greatly deceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, [for the prophets represented You as] saying [to Your people], You shall have peace, whereas the sword has reached to [their very] life. + At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness [comes at My command] against the daughter of My people--not [a wind] to fan or cleanse [from chaff, as when threshing, but] + A wind too strong and full for winnowing comes at My word. Now I will also speak in judgment against [My people]. + Behold, [the enemy] comes up like clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined (destroyed)! + O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved! How long shall your iniquitous and grossly offensive thoughts lodge within you? + For a voice declares from Dan [in the north] and proclaims evil from Mount Ephraim [the range dividing Israel from Judah]. + Warn the [neighboring] nations [that our adversary is coming]; announce to Jerusalem that besiegers are coming from a far country, and they shout against the cities of Judah. + Like keepers of a field they are against her round about, because she has been rebellious against Me, says the Lord. + Your ways and your doings have brought these things upon you. This is your calamity and doom; surely it is bitter, for surely it reaches your very heart! + [It is not only the prophet but also the people who cry out in their thoughts] My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is disquieted and throbs aloud within me; I cannot be silent! For I have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. + News of one violent disaster and calamity comes close after another, for the whole land is laid waste; suddenly are my tents spoiled and destroyed, and my [tent] curtains ruined in a moment. + [O Lord] how long must I see the flag [marking the route for flight] and hear the sound of the trumpet [urging the people to flee for refuge]? + [Their chastisement will continue until it has accomplished its purpose] for My people are stupid, says the Lord [replying to Jeremiah]; they do not know and understand Me. They are thickheaded children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge [and know not how]. + [In a vision Jeremiah sees Judah laid waste by conquest and captivity.] I looked at the land, and behold, it was [as at the time of creation] waste and vacant (void); and at the heavens, and they had no light. + I looked at the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly to and fro. + I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. + I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid waste before the Lord's presence, before His fierce anger. + For thus says the Lord: The whole land will be a desolation, yet I will not make a full and complete end of it. [Jer. 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:28.] + For this will the earth mourn and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I will not relent, nor will I turn back [from it]. + Every city flees because of the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in them. + And you [plundered one], when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you paint your eyelids and make them look farther apart, in vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers (allies) despise you; they seek your life. + For I have heard a cry as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of one who brings forth her first child--the cry of the Daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! I am fainting before the murderers. + + + RUN TO and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and take notice! Seek in her broad squares to see if you can find a man [as Abraham sought in Sodom], one who does justice, who seeks truth, sincerity, and faithfulness; and I will pardon [Jerusalem--for one uncompromisingly righteous person]. [Gen. 18:22-32.] + And though they say, As the Lord lives, surely they swear falsely. + O Lord, do not your eyes look on the truth? [They have meant to please You outwardly, but You look on their hearts.] You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to take correction or instruction. They have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused to repent and return to You. + Then I said, Surely these are only the poor; they are [sinfully] foolish and have no understanding, for they know not the way of the Lord, the judgment (the just and righteous law) of their God. + I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they must know the way of the Lord, the judgment (the just and righteous law) of their God. But [I found the very reverse to be true] these had all alike broken the yoke [of God's law] and had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him]. + Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the desert shall destroy them, a leopard or panther shall lie in wait against their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their backslidings and total desertion of faith are increased and have become great and mighty. + Why should I and how can I pass over this and forgive you for it? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are no gods. When I had fed them to the full and bound them to Me by oath, they committed [spiritual] adultery, assembling themselves in troops at the houses of [idol] harlots. + They were like fed stallions roaming at large; each one neighed after his neighbor's wife. + Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord; and shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? + Go up within [Jerusalem's] walls and destroy [her vines], but do not make a full and complete end. Trim away the tendrils [of her vines], for they are not the Lord's. + For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very faithlessly and treacherously against Me, says the Lord. + They have lied about and denied the Lord by saying, It is not He [Who speaks through His prophets]! Evil shall not come upon us; nor shall we see war or famine. + And [say they] the prophets will become wind [what they prophesy will not come to pass], and the word [of God] is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them [as they threatened would be done to us]. + Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: Because you [the people] have spoken this word, behold, I will make My words fire in your mouth [Jeremiah] and this people wood, and it will devour them. + Behold, I am bringing a nation upon you from afar, O house of Israel, says the Lord. It is a mighty and enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say. + Their quiver is [filled with deadly missiles] like an open sepulcher [filled with dead bodies; the foes] are all mighty men (heroes). + They shall consume your harvest and your food; they shall consume your sons and your daughters; they shall consume your flocks and your herds; they shall consume your vines and your fig trees. They shall break down and impoverish your fortified cities in which you trust, with the sword [they shall destroy them]. + But even in those days, says the Lord, I will not make a full and complete end of you. + And when your people say, Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us? then you shall answer them, As you have forsaken Me, says the Lord, and have served strange gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers (gods) in a land that is not yours. + Declare this in the house of Jacob and publish it in Judah: + Hear now this, O foolish people without understanding or heart, who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not: [Isa. 6:9, 10; Matt. 13:10-15; Mark 8:17, 18.] + Do you not fear and reverence Me? says the Lord. Do you not tremble before Me? I placed the sand for the boundary of the sea, a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass and by an everlasting ordinance beyond which it cannot go? And though the waves of the sea toss and shake themselves, yet they cannot prevail [against the feeble grains of sand which God has ordained by nature to be sufficient for His purpose]; though [the billows] roar, yet they cannot pass over that [barrier]. [Is not such a God to be reverently feared and worshiped?] + But these people have hearts that draw back from God and wills that rebel against Him; they have revolted and quit His service and have gone away [into idolatry]. + Nor do they say in their hearts, Let us now reverently fear and worship the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the autumn and the spring rain in its season, Who reserves and keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest. + Your iniquities have turned these blessings away, and your sins have kept good [harvests] from you. + For among My people are found wicked men; they watch like fowlers who lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men. + As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit and treachery; therefore they have become great and grown rich, + They have grown fat and sleek. Yes, they surpass in deeds of wickedness; they do not judge and plead with justice the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. + Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord. Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? + An appalling and horrible thing [bringing desolation and destruction] has come to pass in the land: + The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests exercise rule at their own hands and by means of the prophets. And My people love to have it so! But what will you do when the end comes? + + + FLEE FOR safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem! And blow the trumpet in Tekoa [a town far south in Judah], and raise a [fire] signal over Beth-haccherem [a town near Jerusalem]! For evil is looking forth with eagerness from the north, and great destruction. + The comely and delicate one, [Jerusalem] the Daughter of Zion, I will destroy. [To a pasturage, yes, a luxurious pasturage, have I likened her.] + Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her; they shall pitch their tents round about her; they shall pasture, each one in his place [eating up all her luxurious herbage on every side]. + Prepare yourselves for war against her [they cry]; up, let us attack her at noon! But alas, the day declines, the evening shadows lengthen. + Arise, let us go by night and destroy her palaces! + For the Lord of hosts has said, Hew down her trees and cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city which must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her. + As a fountain wells up and casts forth its waters and keeps them fresh, so she is [continually] casting forth [fresh] wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are continually before Me. + Be corrected, reformed, instructed, and warned, O Jerusalem, lest I be alienated and parted from you, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean as a vine what is left of Israel; turn back your hand again and again [O minister of destruction] into the baskets, like a grape gatherer, and strip the tendrils [of the vine]. + To whom shall I [Jeremiah] speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised [never brought into covenant with God or consecrated to His service], and they cannot hear or obey. Behold, the word of the Lord has become to them a reproach and the object of their scorn; they have no delight in it. + Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord; I am weary of restraining it. I will pour it out on the children in the street and on the gathering of young men together; for even the husband with the wife will be taken, the aged with the very old. + And their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord. + For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness (to greed for unjust gain); and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. + They have healed also the wound of the daughter of My people lightly and neglectfully, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. + Were they brought to shame because they had committed abominations (extremely disgusting and vile things)? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush [at their idolatry]. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them they shall be overthrown, says the Lord. + Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads and look; and ask for the eternal paths, where the good, old way is; then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it! [Matt. 11:29.] + Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hear and obey the sound of the trumpet! But they said, We will not listen or obey. + Therefore hear, O [Gentile] nations, and know, O congregation [of believing ones], what [great things I will do] to them. + Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing evil upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts (their schemes and devices) because they have not listened and obeyed My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it. + To what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba [in southwestern Arabia] and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices sweet or pleasing to Me. + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people. And the fathers and the sons together will stumble against them; the neighbor and his friend will perish. + Thus says the Lord: Behold, a people is coming from the north country, and a great nation is arousing itself from the ends of the earth. + They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel (ruthless and inhuman) and have no mercy. Their voice sounds like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, every one set in array as a man for battle against you, O Daughter of Zion! + We have heard the report of it; our hands become feeble and helpless. Anguish has taken hold of us, pangs like that of a woman in childbirth. + Go not out into the field nor walk on the road, for the enemy is armed with the sword; terror is on every side. + O daughter of my people [says Jeremiah], gird yourself with sackcloth and wallow in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, a most bitter lamentation, for the destroyer will suddenly come upon us [on prophet and people]. + I [says the Lord] have set you [Jeremiah] as an assayer and a prover of ore among My people, that you may know and try their doings and be like a watchtower. + They are all the worst [kind] of rebels and utter and total revolters against God, going about publishing slander. They are [not gold and silver ore, but] bronze and iron; they are all corrupters. + The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain do they continue refining, for the wicked [the dross] are not removed. + Men will call them reprobate and rejected silver [only dross, without good metal], because the Lord has rejected them. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, + Stand in the gate of the Lord's house and proclaim there this word and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. + Trust not in the lying words [of the false prophets who maintain that God will protect Jerusalem because His temple is there], saying, This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. + For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly and truly execute justice between every man and his neighbor, + If you do not oppress the transient and the alien, the fatherless, and the widow or shed innocent blood [by oppression and by judicial murders] in [Jerusalem] or go after other gods to your own hurt, + Then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers to dwell in forever. + Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot benefit [so that you do not profit]. + Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, + And [then dare to] come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My Name, and say, [By the discharge of this religious formality] we are set free!--only to go on with this wickedness and these abominations? + Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes [a place of retreat for you between acts of violence]? Behold, I Myself have seen it, says the Lord. + But go now to My place which was in Shiloh [in Ephraim], where I set My Name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel. [I Sam. 4:10-18.] + And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, and [because] when I spoke to you persistently [even rising up early and speaking], you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, + Therefore will I do to this house (the temple), which is called by My Name and in which you trust, to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. + And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole posterity of Ephraim. + Therefore do not pray for this people [of Judah] or lift up a cry or entreaty for them or make intercession to Me, for I will not listen to or hear you. + Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger! + Am I the One Whom they provoke to anger? says the Lord. Is it not themselves [whom they provoke], to their own confusion and vexation and to their own shame? + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched. + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat the flesh [if you will. It will avail you nothing]. + For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. + But this thing I did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you. + But they would not listen to and obey Me or bend their ear [to Me], but followed the counsels and the stubborn promptings of their own evil hearts and minds, and they turned their backs and went in reverse instead of forward. + Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily, early and late. + Yet the people would not listen to and obey Me or bend their ears [to Me], but stiffened their necks and behaved worse than their fathers. + Speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to and obey you; also call to them, but they will not answer you. + Yet you shall say to them, This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or receive instruction and correction and warning; truth and faithfulness have perished and have completely vanished from their mouths. + Cut off your hair [your crown, O Jerusalem] and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath. + For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, says the Lord; they have set their abominations (extremely disgusting and shamefully vile things) in the house which is called by My Name to defile it. + And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire [in honor of Molech, the fire god]--which I did not command, nor did it come into My mind or heart. [Lev. 18:21; Josh. 15:8; II Kings 16:2-3; 21:1, 6; Isa. 30:33.] + Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when it shall no more be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], but the Valley of Slaughter, for [in bloody warfare] they will bury in Topheth till there is no more room and no place else to bury. [Jer. 19:6.] + And the dead bodies of this people will be meat for the fowls of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and none will frighten them away. + Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land will become a waste. + + + AT THAT time, says the Lord, [the Babylonian army will break open the sepulchers, and] they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. + And they will [carelessly] scatter [the corpses] before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which [the dead] have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked and which they have sought, inquired of, and required and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered, or be buried; they shall be like dung upon the face of the earth. + And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of those who remain of this evil family (nation), who remain in all the places to which I have driven them, says the Lord of hosts. + Moreover, you [Jeremiah] shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: Shall men fall and not rise up again? Shall one turn away [from God] and not repent and return [to Him]? + Why then is this people of Jerusalem turned away with a perpetual turning away [from Me]? They hold fast to deceit (idolatry); they refuse to repent and return [to God]. + I have listened and heard, but they have not spoken aright; no man repents of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turns to his [individual] course, as the horse rushes like a torrent into battle. + [Even the migratory birds are punctual to their seasons.] Yes, the stork [excelling in the great height of her flight] in the heavens knows her appointed times [of migration], and the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their return. But My people do not know the law of the Lord [which the lower animals instinctively recognize in so far as it applies to them]. + How can you say, We are wise, and we have the written law of the Lord [and are learned in its language and teachings]? Behold, the truth is, the lying pen of the scribes has made of the law a falsehood (a mere code of ceremonial observances). [Mark 7:13.] + The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken [captive]. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom and broad, full intelligence is in them? + Therefore will I give their wives to others and their fields to those who gain possession of them; for everyone, from the least even to the greatest, is given to covetousness (is greedy for unjust gain); from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. + For they have healed the wound of the daughter of My people only lightly and slightingly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. + They are brought to shame because they have committed abominations (extremely disgusting and shamefully vile things). And yet they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown, says the Lord. [Jer. 6:12-15.] + I will gather and sweep them away, utterly consuming them, says the Lord. [I will find] no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and even the leaf is withered; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them [for I have appointed to them those who shall pass over them]. [Matt. 21:18, 19.] + [Then say the people to each other] Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities and be silent or perish there! For the Lord our God has decreed our ruin and given us bitter and poisonous water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord. + We looked for peace and completeness, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold, dismay, trouble, and terror! + The snorting of [Nebuchadnezzar's] horses is heard from Dan [on the northern border of Palestine]. At the sound of the neighing of his strong war-horses the whole land quakes; for they come and devour the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell in it. + For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the Lord. + Oh, that I [Jeremiah] could comfort myself against sorrow, [for my grief is beyond healing], my heart is sick and faint within me! + Behold [says the prophet, listen to the voice of] the cry of the daughter of my people [for help] because of those who dwell in a far country: Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her King in her? [But the Lord answers] Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images and with foreign idols? + The harvest is past, the summer has ended and the gathering of fruit is over, yet we are not saved! [comes again the voice of the people.] + For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I [Jeremiah] hurt; I go around mourning; dismay has taken hold on me. + Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people restored? [Because Zion no longer enjoyed the presence of the Great Physician!] [Exod. 15:26.] + + + OH, THAT my head were waters and my eyes a reservoir of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! + Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place (a mere shelter) for wayfaring men, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers [rendering worship to idols instead of to the Lord, Who has espoused the people to Himself]; they are a gang of treacherous men [faithless even to each other]. + And they bend their tongue, [which is] their bow for the lies [they shoot]. And not according to faithfulness do they rule and become strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know and understand and acknowledge Me, says the Lord. + Let everyone beware of his neighbor and put no trust in any brother. For every brother is an utter and complete supplanter (one who takes by the heel and trips up, a deceiver, a Jacob), and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. [Gen. 25:26.] + And they deceive and mock every one his neighbor and do not speak the truth. They have taught their tongues to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. + Your habitation is in the midst of deceit [oppression upon oppression and deceit upon deceit]; through deceit they refuse to know and understand Me, says the Lord. + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will melt them [by the process of affliction to remove the dross] and test them, for how else should I deal with the daughter of My people? + Their tongue is a murderous arrow; it speaks deceitfully; one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lays snares and waits in ambush for him. + Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord. Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? + For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing and for the pastures of the wilderness a lament, because they are burned up and desolated, so that no one passes through [them]; neither can men hear [any longer] the lowing of cattle. Both the fowls of the air and the beasts have fled, they are gone! + I will make Jerusalem heaps [of ruins], a dwelling place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. + Who is the wise man who may understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through it? + And the Lord says, Because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them, and have not listened to and obeyed My voice or walked in accordance with it + But have walked stubbornly after their own hearts and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them, + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them bitter and poisonous water to drink. + I will scatter them also among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword among them and after them until I have consumed them. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come. + Let them make haste and raise a wailing over us and for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush with water. + For a sound of wailing is heard [coming] out of Zion: How we are plundered and ruined! We are greatly confounded and utterly put to shame, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings [our dwellings that have cast us out]. + Yet hear the word of the Lord, O you women, and let your ears receive the word of His mouth; teach your daughters a lament, and each one [teach] her neighbor a dirge. + For death has come up into our windows; it has entered into our palaces, cutting off the children from outdoors and the young men from the streets. + Speak, Thus says the Lord: The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung on the open field and like sheaves [of grain] behind the reaper, and none shall gather them. [Jer. 8:2.] + Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power; let not the person who is rich [in physical gratification and earthly wealth] glory and boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] riches; + But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character], that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord. [I Cor. 1:31; II Cor. 10:17.] + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will punish all who though circumcised [outwardly, in the flesh] are still uncircumcised [in corresponding inward purity]--[Rom. 2:25-29.] + Egypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab [all of whom are related except Egypt], and all who live in the desert and who clip off the corners of their hair and beards; for all these nations are uncircumcised [in heart], and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. + + + HEAR THE word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. + Thus says the Lord: Learn not the way of the [heathen] nations and be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens, though they are dismayed at them, + For the customs and ordinances of the peoples are false, empty, and futile; it is but a tree which one cuts out of the forest [to make for himself a god], the work of the hands of the craftsman with the ax or other tool. + They deck [the idol] with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so it will not fall apart or move around. + [Their idols] are like pillars of turned work [as upright and stationary and immobile as a palm tree], like scarecrows in a cucumber field; they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it possible for them to do good [and it is not in them]. + None at all is like You, O Lord; You are great, and Your name is great in might. + Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For it is fitting to You and Your due! For among all the wise [men or gods] of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. + But they are altogether irrational and stupid and foolish. Their instruction is given by idols who are but wood [it is a teaching of falsity, emptiness, futility]! + Silver beaten [into plates] is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; the [idols'] clothing is violet and purple--they are all the work of skillful men. + But the Lord is the true God and the God of truth (the God Who is Truth). He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations are not able to bear His indignation. + Thus shall you say to them: The gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens. + God made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and by His understanding and skill stretched out the heavens. + When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind out from His treasuries and from His storehouses. + Every man has become like a brute, irrational and stupid, without knowledge [of God]; every goldsmith is brought to shame by his graven idols; for his molten images are frauds and falsehood, and there is no breath in them. + They are devoid of worth, usefulness, or truth, a work of delusion and mockery; in their time of trial and punishment they shall [helplessly] perish. + The Portion of Jacob [the true God on Whom Israel has a claim] is not like these, for He is the Fashioner and Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance--the Lord of hosts is His name. + Gather up your bundle [of baggage] from the ground, O you who dwell under siege. + For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time and will bring distress on them, that they may feel it and find it [to be as I have said, and turn to Me]. + Woe is me because of my hurt! [says Jeremiah, speaking for the nation.] My wound is grievous and incurable. But I said, Surely this sickness and suffering and grief are mine, and I must endure, tolerate, and bear them. + My tent (home) is taken by force and plundered, and all my [tent] cords are broken. My children have gone forth [as captives] from me, and they are no more; there is no one to stretch forth my tent any more and to set up my [tent] curtains. + For the shepherds [of the people] have become like brutes, irrational and stupid, and have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him or required Him [by necessity and by right of His word]. Therefore they have not dealt prudently and have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered. + Hark, the sound of a rumor! [The invading army] comes!--a great commotion out of the north country--to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling place of jackals. + O Lord [pleads Jeremiah in the name of the people], I know that [the determination of] the way of a man is not in himself; it is not in man [even in a strong man or in a man at his best] to direct his [own] steps. [Ps. 37:23; Prov. 20:24.] + O Lord, correct, instruct, and chastise me, but with judgment and in just measure--not in Your anger, lest You diminish me and bring me to nothing. + Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that do not know or recognize You and upon the peoples that do not call upon Your name. For they have devoured Jacob, yes, devoured him and consumed him and made his habitation a desolate waste. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: + Hear the words of this covenant or solemn pledge, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + Say to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant or solemn pledge + Which I commanded your fathers at the time that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to My voice and do according to all that I command you. So will you be My people, and I will be your God, + That I may perform the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then I answered, Amen (so be it), O Lord. + And the Lord said to me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant or solemn pledge and do them. + For I earnestly protested to and warned your fathers at the time that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, protesting to and warning them persistently, saying, Obey My voice. + Yet they did not obey or incline their ear [to Me], but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his own evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all [the calamities threatened in] the words of this covenant or solemn pledge, which I had commanded, but they did not do. + And the Lord said to me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear My words; they have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant or solemn pledge which I made with their fathers. + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am bringing evil and calamity upon them which they will not be able to escape; though they cry to Me, I will not listen to them. + Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they cannot save them at all in the time of their evil trouble. + For [as many as] the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah; and [as many as] the number of the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal. + Therefore do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or prayer for them, for I will not listen when they cry out to Me in the time of their evil trouble. + What right has My beloved [to be] in My house when she has wrought lewdness and done treacherously many times? Can vows and the holy flesh [of your sacrifices] remove from you your wickedness and avert your calamity? Can you by these [escape your doom and] rejoice exultantly? + The Lord [acknowledged you once to be worthy to be] called a green olive tree, fair and of good fruit; but with the roar of a great tempest He will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. [Ps. 52:8; Jer. 21:14.] + For the Lord of hosts, Who planted you, has pronounced evil and calamity against you because of the evil which the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done against themselves in provoking Me to anger by offering incense to Baal. + And the Lord gave me [Jeremiah] knowledge of it [their plot], and I knew it; then You [O Lord] showed me their doings. + But I was like a tame lamb that is brought to the slaughter; I did not know that they had devised inventions and schemes against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered. + But, O Lord of hosts, Who judges rightly and justly, Who tests the heart and the mind, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed and committed my cause [rolling it upon You]. + Therefore thus says the Lord about the men of Anathoth [Jeremiah's hometown], who seek your life [Jeremiah] and say, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that you die not by our hands-- + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and their daughters will die by famine; + And there will be no remnant [of the conspirators] left, for I will bring evil and calamity upon the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment. + + + UNCOMPROMISINGLY RIGHTEOUS and rigidly just are You, O Lord, when I complain against and contend with You. Yet let me plead and reason the case with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all they at ease and thriving who deal very treacherously and deceitfully? + You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit. You are near in their mouths but far from their hearts. + But You, O Lord, know and understand me and my devotion to You; You see me and try my heart toward You. [O Lord] pull [these rebellious ones] out like sheep for the slaughter and devote and prepare them for the day of slaughter. + How long must the land mourn and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither? Through the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away [by the drought], because men [mocked] me, saying, He shall not [live to] see our final end. + [But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah's impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take to flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan? + For even your brethren and the house of your father--even they have dealt treacherously with you; yes, even they are [like a pack of hounds] in full cry after you. Believe them not, though they speak fair words and promise good things to you. + I have forsaken My house, I have cast off My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My life into the hands of her enemies. + My heritage has become to Me like a lion in the forest; she has uttered her voice against Me; therefore I have [treated her as if I] hated her. + Is My heritage to Me like a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her round about? Go, assemble all the wild beasts of the field; bring them to devour. + Many shepherds [of an invading host] have destroyed My vineyard, they have trampled My portion underfoot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. + They have made it a desolation, and desolate it mourns before Me; the whole land has been made desolate, but no man lays it to heart. + Destroyers have come upon all the bare heights in the desert, for the sword of the Lord devours from one end of the land even to the other; no flesh has peace or can find the means to escape. + They have sown wheat but have reaped thorns; they have worn themselves out but without profit. And they shall be ashamed of your [lack of] harvests and revenues because of the fierce and glowing anger of the Lord. + Thus says the Lord against all My evil neighbor [nations] who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from their land and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. + And after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them and will bring them back again, every man to his heritage and every man to his land. + And if these [neighbor nations] will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, saying, As the Lord lives--even as they taught My people to swear by Baal--then will they be built up in the midst of My people. + But if any nation will not hear and obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, says the Lord. + + + THUS THE Lord said to me: Go and buy yourself a linen girdle and put it on your loins, but do not put it in water. + So I bought a girdle or waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins. + And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, + Take the girdle which you have bought, which is on your loins, and arise, go to the [river] Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock. + So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. + And after many days the Lord said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle which I commanded you to hide there. + Then I went to the Euphrates and dug and took the girdle or waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the girdle was decayed and spoiled; it was good for nothing. + Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Thus says the Lord: After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. + These evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to worship them, shall even be like this girdle or waistcloth, which is profitable for nothing. + For as the girdle clings to the loins of a man, so I caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, says the Lord, that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory; but they would not listen or obey. + Therefore you shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every bottle and jar should be filled with wine. [The people] will say to you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle and jar should be filled with wine? + Then say to them, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit upon David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them. + Hear and give ear, do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken [says Jeremiah]. + Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark and twilit mountains, and [before], while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it thick darkness. + But if you will not hear and obey, I will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock has been taken captive. + Say to the king and the queen mother, Humble yourselves and take a lowly seat, for down from your head has come your beautiful crown (the crown of your glory). + The cities of the South (the Negeb) have been shut up, and there is no one to open them; all Judah has been carried away captive, it has been wholly taken captive and into exile. + Lift up your eyes and behold those [the eruption of a hostile army] who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you [to shepherd], your beautiful flock? + What will you say [O Jerusalem] when He [the Lord] sets over you as head those [tyrannical foreign nations] whom you yourselves [at intervals] have taught to be lovers (allies) with you [instructing them, even your friends, to be head over you]? Will not pangs take hold of you like that of a woman in travail? + And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come upon me?--[the answer is], Because of the greatness of your iniquity has your long robe been pulled aside [showing you in the garb of a menial] and have you [barefooted and treated like a slave] suffered violence. + Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also can you do good who are accustomed and taught [even trained] to do evil. + Therefore I will scatter you like chaff driven away by the wind from the desert. + This is your lot, the portion measured to you from Me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood [false gods and alliances with idolatrous nations]. + Therefore I Myself will [retaliate], throwing your skirts up over your face, that your shame [of being clad like a slave] may be exposed. + I have seen your detestable acts, even your adulteries and your lustful neighings [after idols], and the lewdness of your harlotry on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! For how long a time yet will you not [meet My conditions and] be made clean? + + + THE WORD of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: + Judah mourns and her gates languish; [her people] sit in black [mourning garb] upon the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up. + And their nobles send their little ones and their inferiors for water; they come to the cisterns and find no water. They return with empty vessels; they are put to shame and confounded and cover their heads. + Because the ground is cracked and the tillers are dismayed, since there has been no rain on the land, the plowmen are put to shame, and they cover their heads. + Yes, even the hind gives birth to her calf in the field and forsakes it, because there is no grass or herbage. + And the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals or crocodiles; their eyesight fails because there is no grass. + O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us [prays Jeremiah], deal and work with us for Your own name's sake [that the heathen may witness Your might and faithfulness]! For our backslidings are many; we have sinned against You. + O Hope of Israel, her Savior in time of trouble, why should You be like a sojourner in the land and like a wayfaring man who turns aside and spreads his tent to tarry [only] for a night? + Why should You be [hesitant and inactive] like a man stunned and confused, like a mighty man who cannot save? Yet You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by Your name; do not leave us! + [And the Lord replied to Jeremiah] Thus says the Lord to this people [Judah]: In the manner and to the degree already pointed out have they loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will now [seriously] remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins. + The Lord said to me, Do not pray for this people for their good. + Though they fast, I will not hear their cry; and though they offer burnt offering and cereal offering [without heartfelt surrender to Me, or by offering it too late], I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. + Then said I, Alas, Lord God! Behold, the [false] prophets say to them, You will not see the sword, nor will you have famine; but I [the Lord] will give you assured peace (peace that lasts, the peace of truth) in this place. + Then the Lord said to me, The [false] prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, nor have I spoken to them. They prophesy to you a false or pretended vision, a worthless divination [conjuring or practicing magic, trying to call forth the responses supposed to be given by idols], and the deceit of their own minds. + Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the [false] prophets who prophesy in My name--although I did not send them--and who say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. + And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword; and they shall have none to bury them--them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their wickedness upon them [and not on their false teachers only, for the people could not have been deceived except by their own consent]. + Therefore [Jeremiah] you shall say to them, Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people has been smitten with a great wound, with a very grievous blow. + If I go out into the field, then behold, those slain with the sword! And if I enter the city, then behold, those tormented with the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest go about not knowing what to do or as beggars [exiled] in a land that they know not, and they have no knowledge. + [O Lord] have You utterly rejected Judah? Do You loathe Zion? Why have You smitten us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace and completeness, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold, dismay, disaster, and terror! + We know and acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against You. + Do not abhor, condemn, and spurn us, for Your name's sake; do not dishonor, debase, and lightly esteem Your glorious throne; [earnestly] remember, break not Your covenant or solemn pledge with us. + Are there any among the false gods of the nations who can cause rain? Or can the heavens [of their own will] give showers? Are You [alone] not He, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait [expectantly] for You, for You have made all these things [the heavens and the rain]. + + + THEN THE Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood [interceding for them] before Me, yet My mind could not be turned with favor toward this people [Judah]. Send them out of My sight and let them go! + And if they say to you, Where shall we go? then tell them, Thus says the Lord: Such as are [destined] for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for famine, to famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. + And I will appoint over them four kinds [of destroyers], says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to tear and drag away, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy. + And I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth and to be made a horror to all nations because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for [the horrible wickedness] which he did in Jerusalem. [II Kings 21:3-7.] + For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare? + You have rejected and forsaken Me, says the Lord. You keep going in reverse. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting [concerning your punishment]. + I will winnow them with a fan and a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I will bereave them [of children], I will destroy My people; from their [evil] ways they did not return. + I will increase the number of their widows more than the sand of the seas. I will bring upon them, [both] against the mother of young men and the young men [themselves], a destroyer at noonday. I will cause anguish and terrors to fall upon her [Jerusalem] suddenly. + She who has borne seven languishes; she has expired. Her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been put to shame, confounded, and disgraced. And the rest of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the Lord. + Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me to be a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither loaned, nor have men loaned to me, yet everyone curses me. [Jer. 1:18, 19.] + The Lord said, Truly your release, affliction, and strengthening will be for good [purposes]; surely [Jeremiah] I will intercede for you with the enemy and I will cause the enemy to ask for your aid in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. [Jer. 21:1, 2; 37:3; 42:2; Rom. 8:28.] + Can iron break the iron from the north and the bronze? + Your [nation's] substance and your treasures will I give as spoil, without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your territory. + And I will make [your possessions] to pass with your enemies into a land which you do not know and I will make you to serve [your conquerors] there, for a fire is kindled in My anger which will burn upon you [Israel]. + [Jeremiah said] O Lord, You know and understand; [earnestly] remember me and visit me and avenge me on my persecutors. Take me not away [from joy or from life itself] in Your long-suffering [to my enemies]; know that for Your sake I suffer and bear reproach. + Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. + I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your [powerful] hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation. + Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain? + Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God's faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But do not yield to them.] Let them return to you--not you to [the people]. + And I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord. + And I will deliver you out of the hands of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the palms of the terrible and ruthless tyrants. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came also to me, saying, + You shall not take a wife or have sons and daughters in this place [Jerusalem]. + For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who begot them in this land: + They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like dung upon the face of the ground. They shall perish and be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the fowls of the air and for the beasts of the earth. + For thus says the Lord: Enter not into the house of mourning, nor go to lament or bemoan [the dead], for I have taken away My peace from this people, says the Lord, even My steadfast love and loving-kindness and tender mercy. + Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them or cut themselves or make themselves bald for them. + Neither shall men prepare food for the mourners to comfort them for the dead; nor shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother. + And you [Jeremiah] shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink. + For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will cause to cease from this place before your very eyes and in your days the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. + And when you tell these people all these words and they inquire of you, Why has the Lord decreed all this enormous evil against us? Or, What is our iniquity? Or, What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? + Then you shall say to them, [It is] because your fathers have forsaken Me, says the Lord, and have walked after other gods and have served and worshiped them and have forsaken Me and have not kept My law, + And because you have done worse than your fathers. For behold, every one of you walks after the stubbornness of his own evil heart, so that you do not listen to and obey Me. + Therefore I will cast you out of this land [of Judah] into the land [of the Babylonians] neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor there. + Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when it shall no more be said, As the Lord lives, Who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, + But, As the Lord lives, Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries to which He had driven them. And I will bring them again to their land which I gave to their fathers. + Behold, I will send for many fishers, says the Lord, and they will fish them out; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and out of the clefts of the rocks. + For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, neither is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. + First [before I bring them back to their land] I will doubly recompense and punish them for their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with the abominable things offered to false gods with which they have filled My inheritance. + [Then said Jeremiah] O Lord, my Strength and my Stronghold, and my Refuge in the day of affliction, to You shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, emptiness, and futility, worthless things in which there is no profit! + Can a man make gods for himself? Such are not gods! + Therefore [says the Lord] behold, I will make them know--[yes] this once I will make them know My power and My might; and they will know and recognize that My name is the Lord. + + + THE SIN of Judah is written with a pen or stylus of iron and with the point of a diamond; it is engraved on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars, + While their children [earnestly] remember their [heathen] altars and their Asherim [wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah] beside the green trees upon the high hills. + O [Jerusalem] My mountain in the field, I will give your wealth and all your treasures to the spoil and your high places for sin [as the price of your sin] throughout all your territory. + And you, through your own fault, will loosen your hand and discontinue from your heritage which I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in a land which you do not know, for you have kindled a fire in My anger which will burn throughout the ages. + Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord. + For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. + [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. + For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit. + The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? [Matt. 13:15-17; Mark 7:21-23; Eph. 4:20-24.] + I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. + Like the partridge that gathers a brood which she did not hatch and sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches by unjust means and not by right. He will leave them, or they will leave him, in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool. + A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary (the temple). + O Lord, the Hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be put to shame. They who depart from You and me [Your prophet] shall [disappear like] writing upon the ground, because they have forsaken the Lord, the Fountain of living waters. + Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise. + Behold, they say to me, Where is the word of the Lord [predicting the disaster that you said would befall us]? Let it come now! + But as for me, I have not sought to escape from being a shepherd after You, nor have I desired the woeful day [of judgment]; You know that. Whatever I said was spoken in Your presence and was from You. + Be not a terror to me; You are my refuge and my hope in the day of evil. + Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. Bring on them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. + Thus said the Lord to me: Go and stand in the gate of the sons of the people, through which the kings of Judah enter and through which they go out, and also [stand] in all the gates of Jerusalem. + Say to them, Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem who enter through these gates. + Thus says the Lord: Take heed to yourselves and for the sake of your lives bear no burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in through the gates of Jerusalem. + And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy (set apart to the worship of God), as I commanded your fathers. + Yet they would not listen and obey or incline their ears; but they stiffened their necks, that they might not hear and might not receive instruction. + But if you diligently listen to and obey Me, says the Lord, and bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy (set apart to the worship of God), to do no work on it, + Then there will enter through the gates of this city kings and princes who will sit upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses--the kings and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will be inhabited and last throughout the ages. + And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places round about Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South (the Negeb), bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, cereal offerings and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord. + But if you will not listen to Me to keep the Sabbath day holy (set apart to the worship of God), and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem [with one] on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in her gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. + + + THE WORD which came to Jeremiah from the Lord: + Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words. + Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was working at the wheel. + And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it. + Then the word of the Lord came to me: + O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. + At one time I will suddenly speak concerning a nation or kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it; + And if [the people of] that nation concerning which I have spoken turn from their evil, I will relent and reverse My decision concerning the evil that I thought to do to them. + At another time I will suddenly speak concerning a nation or kingdom, that I will build up and plant it; + And if they do evil in My sight, obeying not My voice, then I will regret and reverse My decision concerning the good with which I said I would benefit them. + Now therefore say to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Return now each one from his evil way; reform your [accustomed] ways and make your [individual] actions good and right. + But they will say, That is in vain! For we will walk after our own devices, and we will each do as the stubbornness of his own evil heart dictates. + Therefore thus says the Lord: Ask now among the nations: Who has heard such things? Virgin Israel has done a very vile and horrible thing. + Will the snow of Mount Lebanon fail and vanish from its rocks [which tower above the land of Israel]? Will the cold, rushing waters of strange lands [that dash down from afar] be dried up? + Yet My people have forgotten Me; they burn incense to false gods, they have been caused to stumble in their ways and in the ancient roads, to walk in bypaths, in a way not graded and built up [not on a highway], + Making their land a desolation and a horror, a thing to be hissed at perpetually; everyone who passes by shall be astounded and horrified and shake his head. + I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity [says the Lord]. + Then [my enemies] said, Come and let us devise schemes against Jeremiah; for the law [of Moses] shall not perish from the priest [as this false prophet Jeremiah predicts], nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us smite him with the tongue [making a charge against him to the king], and let us not pay any attention to his words. + Give heed to me, Lord; listen to [what] my adversaries [are plotting to do to me--and intercede]. + Shall evil be recompensed for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. [Earnestly] remember that I stood before You to speak good for them, to turn away Your anger from them. + Therefore deliver up their children to the famine; give them over to the power of the sword. And let their wives become childless and widows; let their men meet death by pestilence, their young men be slain by the sword in battle. + Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring a troop upon them, for they have dug a pit to take me and have hidden snares for my feet. + Yet, Lord, You know all their plotting against me to slay me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from Your sight. But let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take some of the old people and some of the elderly priests + And go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], which is by the entrance of the Potsherd Gate; and proclaim there the words that I shall tell you, + And say, Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am going to bring such evil upon this place that the ears of whoever hears of it will tingle. + Because the people have forsaken Me and have estranged and profaned this place [Jerusalem] by burning incense in it to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents + And have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I commanded not nor spoke of it, nor did it come into My mind and heart-- + Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when this place shall no more be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], but the Valley of Slaughter. [Jer. 7:31-32.] + And I will pour out and make void the counsel and the plans of [the men of] Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of those who seek their lives, and their dead bodies I will give to be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. + And I will make this city an astonishment and a horror and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss [in scorn] because of all its plagues and disasters. + And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and they shall eat each one the flesh of his neighbor and friend in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their lives distress them. + Then you shall break the bottle in the sight of the men who accompany you, + And say to them, Thus said the Lord of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it cannot be mended. Men will bury in Topheth because there will be no other place for burial and until there is no more room to bury. + Thus will I do to this place, says the Lord, and to its inhabitants; and I will even make this city like Topheth. + And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be like the place of Topheth--even all the houses upon whose roofs incense has been burned to all the host of the heavens and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods. [Acts 7:42, 43.] + Then came Jeremiah from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people, + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks, refusing to hear My words. + + + NOW PASHHUR son of Immer, the priest, who was [also] chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. + Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate by the house of the Lord. [Jer. 1:19; 15:15.] + And the next day Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, The Lord does not call your name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib [terror on every side]. + For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; they will fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he will carry them captive to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. + Moreover, I will deliver all the riches of this city--all the results of its labors, all its precious things, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah--into the hand of their enemies, who will make them a prey and plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon. + And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house shall go into captivity; you shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied falsely. + [But Jeremiah said] O Lord, You have persuaded and deceived me, and I was persuaded and deceived; You are stronger than I am and You have prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. + For whenever I speak, I must cry out and complain; I shout, Violence and destruction! For the word of the Lord has become to me a reproach and a derision and has brought me insult all day long. + If I say, I will not make mention of [the Lord] or speak any more in His name, in my mind and heart it is as if there were a burning fire shut up in my bones. And I am weary of enduring and holding it in; I cannot [contain it any longer]. + For I have heard many whispering and defaming, [There is] terror on every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him! Say all my familiar friends, they who watch for my fall, Perhaps he will be persuaded and deceived; then we will prevail against him, and we will get our revenge on him. + But the Lord is with me as a mighty and terrible One; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not overcome [me]. They will be utterly put to shame, for they will not deal wisely or prosper [in their schemes]; their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. + But, O Lord of hosts, You Who try the righteous, Who see the heart and the mind, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You have I revealed and committed my cause. + Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor and needy from the hands of evildoers. + Cursed be the day on which I was born! Let not the day on which my mother bore me be blessed! + Cursed be the man who brought the tidings to my father, saying, A son is born to you!--making him very glad. + And let that man be like the cities which the Lord overthrew, and did not relent. Let him hear the [war] cry in the morning and the shouting of alarm at noon, + Because he did not slay me in the womb, so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb always great. + Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed in shame? + + + THE WORD which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, + Inquire, I pray you, of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, forcing him to withdraw from us. + Then said Jeremiah to them, Say this to Zedekiah: + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back and dull the edge of the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them into the midst of this city [Jerusalem]. + And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm in anger, in fury, and in great indignation and wrath. + And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence. + And afterward, says the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, the sword, and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their lives. And he will smite them with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them nor have pity or mercy and compassion upon them. + And to this people you [Jeremiah] shall say, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. + He who remains in this city [Jerusalem] shall die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence. But he who goes out and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him his only booty [as a prize of war]. + For I have set My face against this city for evil and not for good, says the Lord. It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. + And concerning the royal house of the king of Judah, hear the word of the Lord: + O house of David, thus says the Lord: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest My wrath go forth like fire and burn so that none can quench it--because of the evil of your doings. + Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, says the Lord--you who say, Who shall come down against us? Or, Who shall enter into our dwelling places? + And I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the Lord. I will kindle a fire in your forest, and it will devour all that is round about you. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word: + Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit upon the throne of David--you and your servants and your people who enter by these gates. + Thus says the Lord: Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver out of the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong; do no violence to the stranger or temporary resident, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. + For if you will indeed obey this word, then will there enter in through the gates of this [the king's] house kings sitting [for David] upon David's throne, riding in chariots and on horses--they and their servants and their people. + But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, says the Lord, that this house will become a desolation. + For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah: [If you will not listen to Me, though] you are [as valuable] to Me as [the fat pastures of] Gilead [east of the Jordan] or as the [plentiful] summit of Lebanon [west of the Jordan], yet surely I will make you a wilderness and uninhabited cities. + And I will prepare, solemnly set apart, and appoint [to execute My judgments against you] destroyers, each with his weapons, and they will cut down your [palaces built of] choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. + And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, Why has the Lord done this to this great city? + Then they will answer, Because [the people] forsook the covenant or solemn pledge with the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them. + Weep not for him who is dead nor bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away [into captivity], for he shall return no more nor see his native country [again]. + For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father and who went forth out of this place: [Shallum] shall not return here any more; + But he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and he shall see this land no more. + Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his [upper] chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor's service without wages and does not give him his pay [for his work], + Who says, I will build myself a wide house with large rooms, and he cuts himself out windows, and it is ceiled or paneled with cedar and painted with vermilion. + Do you think that being a king [merely] means [self-indulgent] vying [with Solomon] and striving to excel in cedar [palaces]? Did not your father [Josiah], as he ate and drank, do justice and righteousness [being upright and in right standing with God]? Then it was well with him. + He judged and defended the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not [all] this [what it means] to know and recognize Me? says the Lord. + But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness and dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression and doing violence. + Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: [Relatives] shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, my brother! or, Ah, sister, [how great our loss! Subjects] shall not lament for him saying, Ah, lord! or Ah, his majesty! or Ah, [how great was] his glory! + [No] he shall be buried with the burial of a donkey--dragged out and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem. + Go up [north] to Lebanon and cry out, and raise your voice in [the hills] of Bashan [across the Jordan], and cry out from Abarim [a range of mountains southeast of Palestine], for all your lovers (the king's chosen allies) are destroyed. [Jer. 27:6-7.] + I spoke to you in your [times of] prosperity, but you said, I will not listen! This has been your attitude from your youth; you have not obeyed My voice. + The wind [of adversity] shall pasture upon and consume all your shepherds (your princes and statesmen), and your lovers (allies) shall go into captivity. Surely then shall you be ashamed and confounded and dismayed because of all your wickedness. + O inhabitant of Lebanon [Jerusalem, whose palaces are made of Lebanon's trees], you who make your nest among the cedars, how you will groan and how pitiable you will be when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in childbirth! [I Kings 7:2.] + As I live, says the Lord, though Coniah [also called Jeconiah and Jehoiachin] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet [ring] upon My right hand, yet would I tear you off. + And I will give you into the hands of those who seek your life and into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and into the hands of the Chaldeans. + And I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you will die. + But to the land to which they will yearn to return, there they will not return. + Is this man [King] Coniah a despised, broken pot? Is he a vessel in which no one takes pleasure? Why are they hurled out, he and his royal offspring, and cast into a land which they do not know, understand, or recognize? + O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord! + Thus says the Lord: Write this man [Coniah] down as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his offspring shall succeed in sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah. + + + WOE TO the shepherds (the civil leaders) who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasturing! says the Lord. + Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for and feed My people: You have scattered My flock and driven them away and have not visited and attended to them; behold, I will visit and attend to you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord. + And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply. + And I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will fear no more nor be dismayed, neither will any be missing or lost, says the Lord. + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch (Sprout), and He will reign as King and do wisely and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. + In His days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name by which He shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness. [Matt. 1:21-23; Rom. 3:22.] + Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when they shall no more say, As the Lord lives, Who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, + But, As the Lord lives, Who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries to which I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land. [Jer. 16:14-15]. + Concerning the prophets: My heart [says Jeremiah] is broken within me, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, a man whom wine has overcome, because of the Lord and because of His holy words [which He has pronounced against unfaithful leaders]. + For the land is full of adulterers (forsakers of God, Israel's true Husband). Because of the curse [of God upon it] the land mourns, the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. They [both false prophets and people] rush into wickedness; and their course is evil, their might is not right. + For both [false] prophet and priest are ungodly and profane; even in My house have I found their wickedness, says the Lord. + Therefore their way will be to them like slippery paths in the dark; they will be driven on and fall into them. For I will bring evil upon them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord. + And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to err and go astray. + I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none returns from his wickedness. They have all of them become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah. + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with [the bitterness of] wormwood and make them drink the [poisonous] water of gall, for from the [false] prophets of Jerusalem profaneness and ungodliness have gone forth into all the land. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the [false] prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and fill you with vain hopes; they speak a vision of their own minds and not from the mouth of the Lord. + They are continually saying to those who despise Me and the word of the Lord, The Lord has said: You shall have peace; and they say to everyone who walks after the stubbornness of his own mind and heart, No evil shall come upon you. + For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord, that he should perceive and hear His word? Who has marked His word [noticing and observing and giving attention to it] and has [actually] heard it? + Behold, the tempest of the Lord has gone forth in wrath, a whirling tempest; it shall whirl and burst upon the heads of the wicked. + The anger of the Lord shall not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the thoughts and intents of His mind and heart. In the latter days you shall consider and understand it perfectly. + I did not send these [false] prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. + But if they had stood in My council, then they would have caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them [My people] from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. + Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off? + Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. + I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed [visions on my bed at night]. + [How long shall this state of things continue?] How long yet shall it be in the minds of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even the prophets of the deceit of their own hearts, + Who think that they can cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which every man tells to his neighbor, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? + The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; but he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat [for nourishment]? says the Lord. + Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]? + Therefore behold, I am against the [false] prophets, says the Lord, [I am even now descending upon them with punishment, these prophets] who steal My words from one another [imitating the phrases of the true prophets]. + Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their [own deceitful] tongues and say, Thus says the Lord. + Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and tell them and cause My people to err and go astray by their lies and by their vain boasting and recklessness--when I did not send them or command them; nor do they profit these people at all, says the Lord. + And when these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, What is the burden of the Lord [the thing to be lifted up now]? then you shall say to them, What burden [indeed]! [You are the burden!] And I will disburden Myself of you and I will cast you off, says the Lord. + And as for the prophet, the priest, or [any of these] the people, whoever [in mockery calls the word of the Lord a burden and] says, The burden of the Lord, I will even visit in wrath and punish that man and his house. + [For the future, in speaking of the utterances of the Lord] thus shall you say every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother: What has the Lord answered? or, What has the Lord spoken? + But the burden of the Lord you must mention no more, for every man's burden is his own response and word [for as they mockingly call all prophecies burdens, whether good or bad, so will it prove to be to them; God will take them at their own word]; for you pervert the words [not of a lifeless idol, but] of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God! + Thus shall you [reverently] say to the prophet: What has the Lord answered you? Or, What has the Lord spoken? + But if you say, The burden of the Lord, therefore thus says the Lord: Because you said these words, The burden of the Lord, when I sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of the Lord, + Therefore behold, I, even I, will assuredly take you up and cast you away from My presence, you and the city [Jerusalem] which I gave to you and to your fathers. + And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetual shame which will not be forgotten. + + + AFTER NEBUCHADREZZAR king of Babylon had taken into exile Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me [in a vision] two baskets of figs set before the temple of the Lord. + One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. + Then the Lord said to me, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs--the good figs very good, and the bad very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten. + Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. + For I will set My eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. + And I will give them a heart to know (recognize, understand, and be acquainted with) Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. + And as for the bad figs, which are so bad that they cannot be eaten, surely thus says the Lord, So will I give up Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes and the residue of Jerusalem who remains in this land and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. + I will even give them up to be a dismay and a horror and to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach, a byword or proverb, a taunt, and a curse in all places where I will drive them. + And I will send the sword, famine, and pestilence among them until they are consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah--which was the first year of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon-- + Which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: + For these twenty-three years--from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, even to this day--the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you persistently early and late, but you have not listened and obeyed. + Although the Lord persistently sent you all the prophets, His servants, yet you have not listened and obeyed or [even] inclined your ear to hear. + [The prophets came on My behalf] saying, Turn again now every one from his evil way and wrongdoing; [that you may not forfeit the right to] dwell in the land that the Lord gave to you and to your fathers from of old and forevermore. + Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm. + Yet you have not listened to and obeyed Me, says the Lord, that you might provoke Me to anger with the works (idols) made by your hands to your own hurt. + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not heard and obeyed My words, + Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, says the Lord, and I will send for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, My servant [or agent to fulfill My designs], and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will devote them [to God] and utterly destroy them and make them an amazement, a hissing, and perpetual and agelong desolations. + Moreover, I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones [grinding out the meal] and the light of the candle [which every home burned throughout the night]. [Jer. 7:34.] + And this whole land shall be a waste and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. [II Chron. 36:20-23; Jer. 4:27; 12:11, 12; Dan. 9:2.] + Then when seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, says the Lord, for their iniquity, and will make the land [of the Chaldeans] a perpetual waste. [Jer. 29:10.] + And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. + For many nations and great kings shall make bondmen of them, even them [the Chaldeans who enslaved other nations]; and I will recompense [all of] them according to their deeds and according to the work of their [own] hands. + For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to me: Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. + They shall drink and reel to and fro and be crazed because of the sword that I will send among them. + Then I [Jeremiah] took the cup from the Lord's hand and made all the nations drink it to whom the Lord had sent me: [that is,] + Jerusalem and the cities of Judah [being most guilty because their privileges were greatest], its kings and princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is to this day; [I Pet. 4:17.] + Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, all his people, + And all the mixed foreign population; all the kings of the land of Uz; and all the kings of the land of the Philistines and [their cities of] Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; + Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon; + All the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the islands and the coastlands across the [Mediterranean] Sea; + Dedan, Tema, Buz [neighboring tribes north of Arabia], and all who clip off the corners of their hair and beards; [Lev. 19:27; Jer. 9:26.] + All the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed foreign people who dwell in the desert; + All the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam (Persia), and all the kings of Media; + All the kings of the north, far and near, one after another--and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of Sheshach (Babel or Babylon) shall drink. + Then you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk, vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword which I am sending among you. + And if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts: You shall surely drink! + For behold, I am beginning to work evil in the city which is called by My Name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord of hosts. [Jer. 7:10.] + Therefore prophesy against them all these words and say to them: The Lord shall roar from on high and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall roar mightily against His fold and pasture. He shall give a shout like those who tread grapes [in the winepress, but His shout will be] against all the inhabitants of the earth. + A noise will come even to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has a controversy and an indictment against the nations; He will enter into judgment with all mankind; as for the wicked, He will give them to the sword, says the Lord. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, evil will go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirling tempest will rise from the uttermost parts of the earth. + And those slain by the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented or gathered or buried; their [dead bodies] shall be dung upon the ground. [Jer. 8:2; 16:4.] + Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and roll in ashes, you principal ones of the flock. For the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you shall fall and be dashed into pieces like a choice vessel. + And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal ones of the flock any means of escape. + A voice! The cry of the shepherds and the wailing of the principal ones of the flock! For the Lord is laying waste and destroying their pasture. + And the peaceable folds are devastated and brought to silence because of the fierce anger of the Lord. + He has left His shelter like the lion; for their land has become a waste and an astonishment because of the fierceness of the oppressor and because of [the Lord's] fierce anger. + + + IN THE beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord: + Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord's house [Jeremiah] and speak to all [the people of] the cities of Judah who come to worship in the Lord's house all the words that I command you to speak to them; subtract not a word. + It may be that they will listen and turn every man from his evil way, that I may relent and reverse My decision concerning the evil which I purpose to do to them because of their evil doings. + And you will say to them, Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to and obey Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you, + And to hear and obey the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you urgently and persistently--though you have not listened and obeyed-- + Then will I make this house [the temple] like Shiloh [the home of the Tent of Meeting, abandoned and later destroyed after the ark was captured by the Philistines], and I will make this city subject to the curses of all nations of the earth [so vile in their sight will it be]. [I Sam. 4; Jer. 7:12.] + And the priests and the [false] prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. + Now when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the [false] prophets and all the people seized him, saying, You shall surely die! + Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh [after the ark of the Lord had been taken by our enemies] and this city [Jerusalem] shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered around Jeremiah in the [outer area of the] house of the Lord. + When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. + Then the priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people, This man is deserving of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears. + Then Jeremiah said to all the princes and to all the people: The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. + Therefore now amend your ways and your doings and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent and reverse the decision concerning the evil which He has pronounced against you. + As for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as seems good and suitable to you. + But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing. + Then said the princes and all the people to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not deserving of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God. + Then certain of the elders of the land arose and said to all the assembly of the people, + Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and said to all the people of Judah, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps [of ruins], and the mountain of the house [of the Lord--Mount Moriah, on which stands the temple, shall become covered not with buildings, but] like a densely wooded height. [Mic. 3:12.] + Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put [Micah] to death? Did he not [reverently] fear the Lord and entreat the Lord? And did not the Lord relent and reverse the decision concerning the evil which He had pronounced against them? But [here] we are thinking of committing what will be a great evil against ourselves. + And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land in words similar to those of Jeremiah. + And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put [Uriah] to death; but when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. + And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan son of Achbor and certain other men [who went] with him into Egypt. + And they fetched Uriah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who slew him [God's spokesman] with the sword and cast his dead body among the graves of the common people. + But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that he might not be given into the hands of the people to put him [also] to death. + + + IN THE beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: + Thus says the Lord to me: Make for yourself thongs and yoke bars and put them on your neck, + And send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the Ammonites, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon by the hand of the messengers who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. + And command them to say to their masters, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to your masters: + I have made the earth, the men, and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I give it to whomever it seems right and suitable to Me. + And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant and instrument, and the beasts of the field also I have given him to serve him. + And all nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the [God-appointed] time [of punishment] of his own land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave. + But any nation or kingdom that will not serve this same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, says the Lord, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed it by [Nebuchadnezzar's] hand. + So do not listen to your [false] prophets, your diviners, your dreamers [and your dreams, whether your own or others'], your soothsayers, your sorcerers, who say to you, You shall not serve the king of Babylon. + For they prophesy a lie to you which will cause you to be removed far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. + But any nation that brings its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation will I let remain on its own land, says the Lord, to cultivate it and dwell in it. + I spoke also to Zedekiah king of Judah in the same way: Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. + Why will you and your people die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? + Do not listen to and believe the words of the [false] prophets who are saying to you, You shall not serve the king of Babylon, for it is a lie that they prophesy to you. + For I have not sent them, says the Lord; but they are prophesying falsely in My name. [It will only end when] I will drive you out to perish together with the [false] prophets who prophesy to you. + Also I said to the priests and to all these people, Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your [false] prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall now shortly be brought back from Babylon; for they are prophesying a lie to you. + Do not listen to them or heed them; serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city be laid waste? + But if they are true prophets and if the word of the Lord is really spoken by them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are [still] left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. + For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the [bronze] pillars [each twenty-seven feet high], the [bronze] Sea [the laver at which the priests cleansed their hands and feet before ministering at the altar], the [bronze] bases [of the ten lavers in Solomon's temple used for washing animals to be offered as sacrifices], and the remainder of the vessels which are left in this city [Jerusalem], [I Kings 7:23-37; II Chron. 4:6; Jer. 52:17.] + Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem-- + Yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels which [still] remain in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: + They will be carried to Babylon and there will they be until the day that I visit them [with My favor], says the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place. + + + IN THAT same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and the fifth month, Hananiah son of Azzur, the [false] prophet, who was from Gibeon [one of the priests' cities], said [falsely] to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. + Within two [full] years will I bring back into this place all the vessels of the Lord's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. + And I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. [Jer. 22:10, 24-27; 52:34] + Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who stood in the house of the Lord. + The prophet Jeremiah said, Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied to bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the Lord's house and all who were carried away captive. + Nevertheless, listen now to and hear this word which I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: + The prophets who were before me and before you from of old prophesied against many countries and against great kingdoms, of war, of evil, and of pestilence. + But as for the prophet who [on the contrary] prophesies of peace, when that prophet's word comes to pass, [only] then will it be known that the Lord has truly sent him. + Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke bar off the prophet Jeremiah's neck and smashed it. + And Hananiah said in the presence of all the people, Thus says the Lord: Even so will I break the yoke bars of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within the space of two [full] years. But the prophet Jeremiah went his way. + The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet [some time] after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke bar from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah: + Go, tell Hananiah, Thus says the Lord: You have broken yoke bars of wood, but you have made in their stead bars of iron. + For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations the iron yoke of servitude of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him. For I have given him even the beasts of the field. [Jer. 27:6-7.] + Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Listen now, Hananiah, The Lord has not sent you, but you have made this people trust in a lie. + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you will die, because you have uttered and taught rebellion against the Lord. + So Hananiah the prophet died [two months later], the same year, in the seventh month. + + + NOW THESE are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders in exile and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. + This was after King Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. + [The letter was sent] by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: + Build yourselves houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. + Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not be diminished. + And seek (inquire for, require, and request) the peace and welfare of the city to which I have caused you to be carried away captive; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of [the city in which you live] you will have welfare. + For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your [false] prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you; pay no attention and attach no significance to your dreams which you dream or to theirs, + For they prophesy falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them, says the Lord. + For thus says the Lord, When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you and keep My good promise to you, causing you to return to this place. + For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. + Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. + Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. [Deut. 4:29-30.] + I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive. + [But as for those still in Jerusalem] because you have said, The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon, + Thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits upon the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brethren who did not go forth with you into captivity-- + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I am sending on them the sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten. + And I will pursue them with the sword, famine, and pestilence and will give them up to be tossed to and fro and to be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, an astonishment, and a terror, a hissing and a reproach among all the nations to which I have driven them, + Because they have not listened to and heeded My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them persistently by My servants the prophets; but you [exiles] would not listen [either], says the Lord. [Ezek. 2:5, 7.] + Hear therefore the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them [those false prophets whom you say I have raised up for you in Babylon] before your eyes! [Jer. 29:15.] + And because of them, this curse shall be taken up and used by all from Judah who are in captivity in Babylon: The Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire-- + Because they have committed folly in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I had not commanded them. I am the One Who knows and I am witness, says the Lord. + Also you shall say this concerning and to Shemaiah of Nehelam [among the exiles in Babylon]: + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have sent letters in your [own] name to all the people who are in Jerusalem and to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest and to all the priests, saying, + The Lord has made you [Zephaniah] priest instead of Jehoiada the [deputy] priest, that you should have oversight in the house of the Lord over every madman who makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and collar. + Now therefore [continued the letter from Shemaiah in Babylon to Zephaniah in Jerusalem], why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you? + For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, [This captivity of yours] is to be long; build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. + And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. + Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah: + Send [this message] to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has caused you to trust in a lie, + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his offspring. He will not have anyone [born] to dwell among this people, nor will he see the good that I will do to My people, says the Lord, because he has spoken and taught rebellion against the Lord. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book. + For, note well, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will release from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it. + And these are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: + Thus says the Lord: We have heard a voice of trembling and panic--of terror, and not peace. + Ask now and see whether a man can give birth to a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why are all faces turned pale? + Alas! for that day will be great, so that none will be like it; it will be the time of Jacob's [unequaled] trouble, but he will be saved out of it. [Matt. 24:29, 30; Rev. 7:14.] + For it will come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break [the oppressor's] yoke from your neck, and I will burst your bonds; and strangers will no more make slaves of [the people of Israel]. + But they will serve the Lord their God and David's [descendant] their King, Whom I will raise up for them. [Jer. 23:5.] + Therefore fear not, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord, nor be dismayed or cast down, O Israel; for behold, I will save you out of a distant land [of exile] and your posterity from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, and none will make him afraid or cause him to be terrorized and to tremble. + For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you; for I will make a full and complete end of all the nations to which I have scattered you, but I will not make a full and complete end of you. But I will correct you in measure and with judgment and will in no sense hold you guiltless or leave you unpunished. + For thus says the Lord: Your hurt is incurable and your wound is grievous. + There is none to plead your cause; for [the pressing together of] your wound you have no healing [device], no binding plaster. + All your lovers (allies) have forgotten you; they neither seek, inquire of, or require you. For I have hurt you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel and merciless foe, because of the greatness of your perversity and guilt, because your sins are glaring and innumerable. + Why do you cry out because of your hurt [the natural result of your sins]? Your pain is deadly (incurable). Because of the greatness of your perversity and guilt, because your sins are glaring and innumerable, I have done these things to you. + Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity. And they who despoil you will become a spoil, and all who prey upon you will I give for a prey. + For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no one seeks after and for whom no one cares! + Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will release from captivity the tents of Jacob and have mercy on his dwelling places; the city will be rebuilt on its own [old] moundlike site, and the palace will be dwelt in after its former fashion. + Out of them [city and palace] will come songs of thanksgiving and the voices of those who make merry. And I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small. + Their children too shall be as in former times, and their congregation shall be established before Me, and I will punish all who oppress them. + And their prince will be one of them, and their ruler will come from the midst of them. I will cause him to draw near and he will approach Me, for who is he who would have the boldness and would dare [on his own initiative] to approach Me? says the Lord. + Then you will be My people, and I will be your God. [Jer. 7:23.] + Behold, the tempest of the Lord has gone forth with wrath, a sweeping and gathering tempest; it shall whirl and burst upon the heads of the wicked. + The fierce anger and indignation of the Lord shall not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the thoughts and intents of His mind and heart. In the latter days you shall understand this. + + + AT THAT time, says the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be My people. + Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness [place of exile]--when Israel sought to find rest. + The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you. [Deut. 7:8.] + Again I will build you and you will be built, O Virgin Israel! You will again be adorned with your timbrels [small one-headed drums] and go forth in the dancing [chorus] of those who make merry. [Isa. 37:22; Jer. 18:13.] + Again you shall plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and make the fruit common and enjoy it [undisturbed]. + For there shall be a day when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall cry out, Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God. + For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the head of the nations [on account of the chosen people, Israel]. Proclaim, praise, and say, The Lord has saved His people, the remnant of Israel! + Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, and among them will be the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who labors in childbirth together; a great company, they will return here to Jerusalem. + They will come with weeping [in penitence and for joy], pouring out prayers [for the future]. I will lead them back; I will cause them to walk by streams of water and bring them in a straight way in which they will not stumble, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim [Israel] is My firstborn. + Hear the word of the Lord, O you nations, and declare it in the isles and coastlands far away, and say, He Who scattered Israel will gather him and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock. + For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from the hand of him who was too strong for him. + They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion and shall flow together and be radiant with joy over the goodness of the Lord--for the corn, for the juice [of the grape], for the oil, and for the young of the flock and the herd. And their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow or languish any more at all. + Then will the maidens rejoice in the dance, and the young men and old together. For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow. + I will satisfy fully the life of the priests with abundance [of offerings shared with them], and My people will be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord. + Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. [Matt. 2:18.] + Thus says the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord; and [your children] shall return from the enemy's land. + And there is hope for your future, says the Lord; your children shall come back to their own country. + I have surely heard Ephraim [Israel] moaning thus: You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; bring me back, that I may be restored, for You are the Lord my God. + Surely after I [Ephraim] was turned [from You], I repented; and after I was instructed, I penitently smote my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth [as a nation]. + Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a darling child and beloved? For as often as I speak against him, I do [earnestly] remember him still. Therefore My affection is stirred and My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy, pity, and loving-kindness for him, says the Lord. + Set up for yourselves highway markers [back to Canaan], make for yourselves guideposts; turn your thoughts and attention to the way by which you went [into exile]. Retrace your steps, O Virgin Israel, return to these your cities. + How long will you waver and hesitate [to return], O you backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the land [of Israel]: a female shall compass (woo, win, and protect) a man. + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in her cities when I release them from exile: The Lord bless you, O habitation of justice and righteousness, O holy mountain! + And [the people of] Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together--[nomad] farmers and those who wander about with their flocks. + For I will [fully] satisfy the weary soul, and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person. + Thereupon I [Jeremiah] awoke and looked, and my [trancelike] sleep was sweet [in the assurance it gave] to me. + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed (offspring) of man and of beast. + And it will be that as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down, and to overthrow, destroy, and afflict [with evil], so will I watch over them to build and to plant [with good], says the Lord. + In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge. [Ezek. 18:2.] + But everyone shall die for his own iniquity [only]; every man who eats sour grapes--his [own] teeth shall be set on edge. + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [Luke 22:20; I Cor. 11:25.] + Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was their Husband, says the Lord. + But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. + And they will no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they will all know Me [recognize, understand, and be acquainted with Me], from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will [seriously] remember their sin no more. [Heb. 8:8-12; 10:16, 17.] + Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day and the fixed order of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, Who stirs up the sea's roaring billows or stills the waves when they roar--the Lord of hosts is His name: + If these ordinances [of fixed order] depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the posterity of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me throughout the ages. + Thus says the Lord: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord. + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the city [of Jerusalem] shall be built [again] for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. + And the measuring line shall go out farther straight onward to the hill Gareb and shall then turn to Goah [exact location unknown]. + And the whole valley [Hinnom] of the dead bodies and [the hill] of the ashes [long dumped there from the temple sacrifices], and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It [the city] shall not be plucked up or overthrown any more to the end of the age. [Zech. 14:10-11.] + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. + For the king of Babylon's army was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah. + For Zedekiah king of Judah had locked him up, saying, Why do you prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; + And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hands of the Chaldeans but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; + And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him [for evil], says the Lord; and though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not prosper [why do you thus prophesy]? [Jer. 21:3-7; 34:2-5; 37:17; 52:7-14.] + And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Behold, Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle shall come to you and say, Buy my field that is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it. + So Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard in accordance with the word of the Lord, and he said to me, I pray you, buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin, for the right of inheritance is yours and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. + And I bought the field that was in Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son and weighed out for him the money--seventeen shekels of silver. + And I signed the deed and sealed it, called witnesses, and weighed out for him the money on the scales. + So I took the deed of the purchase--both that which was sealed, containing the terms and conditions, and the copy which was unsealed-- + And I gave the purchase deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle's son and the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, in the presence of all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. + And I charged Baruch before them, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this unsealed deed, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last a long time. + For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall be purchased yet again in this land. + Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: + Alas, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard or too wonderful for You-- + You Who show loving-kindness to thousands but recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosoms of their children after them. The great, the mighty God; the Lord of hosts is His name-- + Great [are You] in counsel and mighty in deeds, Whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to reward or repay each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings, + Who wrought signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day [continues to do so], both in Israel and among other men, and made for Yourself a name, as at this day. + And You brought forth Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm and with great terror; + And You gave them this land which You swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; + And they entered and took possession of it, but they obeyed not Your voice, nor walked in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do. Therefore You have caused all this evil to come upon them. + See the siege mounds [of earth which the foe has heaped against the walls]; they have come up to the city to take it. And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because [the people are overcome] by the sword and the famine and the pestilence. What You have spoken has come to pass, and behold, You see it. + Yet, O Lord God, You said to me, Buy the field with money and get witnesses, even though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans. + Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying, + Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me? + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it; + And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come in and set this city on fire and burn it, along with the houses on whose roofs incense has been offered to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods to provoke Me to anger. [Jer. 19:13.] + For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked Me to anger with the work of their hands [the idols], says the Lord. + For this city has been to Me a [such a] provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they [finished] building it [in the time of Solomon, who was the first Israelite king who turned to idolatry] even to this day that I must remove it from before My face--[I Kings 11:1-13.] + Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger--they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces; though I taught them persistently, yet they would not listen and receive instruction. + But they set their abominations [of idol worship] in the house which is called by My Name to defile it. + And they built the high places [for worship] of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom] to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire [in worship also of and] to Molech--which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind or heart that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. [Jer. 7:30-31.] + And now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and by famine and by pestilence: + Behold, I will gather them out of all countries to which I drove them in My anger and in My wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them again to this place, and I will make them dwell safely. + And they will be My people, and I will be their God. + And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may [reverently] fear Me forever for the good of themselves and of their children after them. + And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will not turn away from following them to do them good, and I will put My [reverential] fear in their hearts, so that they will not depart from Me. [Jer. 31:31-34.] + Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly and in truth with My whole heart and with My whole being. + For thus says the Lord: As I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. + And fields shall be bought in this land of which you say, It is desolate, without man or beast; it is given into the hands of the Chaldeans. + Men shall buy fields for money and shall sign deeds, seal them, and call witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South (the Negeb), for I will cause them to be released from their exile, says the Lord. + + + MOREOVER, THE word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard, saying, + Thus says the Lord Who made [the earth], the Lord Who formed it to establish it--the Lord is His name: + Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand). + For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah which are torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and before the sword: [Isa. 22:10; Jer. 6:6.] + They [the besieged Jews] are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans, and they [the houses] will be filled with the dead bodies of men whom I shall slay in My anger and My wrath; for I have hidden My face [in indignation] from this city because of all their wickedness. + Behold, [in the future restored Jerusalem] I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth. + And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to be reversed and will rebuild them as they were at first. + And I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me. + And [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security, and stability I provide for it. + Thus says the Lord: Yet again there shall be heard in this place of which you say, It is a desolate waste, without man and without beast--even in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast-- + [There shall be heard again] the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord, Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever! For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and return to be as it was at first, says the Lord. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be dwellings and pastures of shepherds resting their flocks. + In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South (the Negeb), in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah shall flocks pass again under the hands of him who counts them, says the Lord. + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promise I have made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. + In those days and at that time will I cause a righteous Branch [the Messiah] to grow up to David; and He shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 3:8; 6:12.] + In those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name by which it will be called, The Lord is Our Righteousness (our Rightness, our Justice). + For thus says the Lord: David shall never fail [to have] a man [descendant] to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, + Nor shall the Levitical priests fail [to have] a man [descendant] to offer burnt offerings before Me and to burn cereal offerings and to make sacrifices continually (all day long). + And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, + Thus says the Lord: If you can break My covenant with the day, and My covenant with the night, so that there should not be day and night in their season, + Then can also My covenant be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne, and [My league be broken also] with the Levitical priests, My ministers. + As the host of [the stars of] the heavens cannot be numbered nor the sand of the sea be measured, so will I multiply the offspring of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me. + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, + Have you not noticed that these people [the Jews] are saying, The Lord has cast off the two families [Israel and Judah] which He chose? Thus My people have despised [themselves in relation to God as His covenant people], so that they are no more a nation in their [own] sight. + Thus says the Lord: If My covenant with day and night does not stand, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of the heavens and the earth [the whole order of nature], + Then will I also cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant and will not choose one of his offspring to be ruler over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captivity to be reversed, and I will have mercy, kindness, and steadfast love on and for them. [Gen. 49:10.] + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the people were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. + And you will not escape out of his hand but will surely be taken and delivered into his hand; you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face; and you will go to Babylon. + Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: You shall not die by the sword; + But you shall die in peace. And as with the burnings of [spices and perfumes on wood that were granted as suitable for and in honor of] your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so shall a burning be made for you; and [people] shall lament for you, saying, Alas, lord! For I have spoken the word, says the Lord. + Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, + When the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and Azekah, for these were the only fortified cities remaining of the cities of Judah. + [This is] the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them: + Every man should let his Hebrew slaves, male and female, go free, so that no one should make a slave of a Jew, his brother. + And all the princes and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant that everyone would let his manservant and his maidservant go free, so that none should make bondmen of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go. + But afterward they turned around and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return [to their former masters] and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids. + Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, + At the end of seven years you shall let every man his brother who is a Hebrew go free who has sold himself or has been sold to you and has served you six years; but your fathers did not listen to and obey Me or incline their ear [submitting and consenting to Me]. [Deut. 15:12.] + And you recently turned around and repented, doing what was right in My sight by proclaiming liberty each one to his neighbor [who was his bond servant]; and you made a covenant or pledge before Me in the house which is called by My Name. + But then you turned around and defiled My name; each of you caused to return to you your servants, male and female, whom you had set free as they might desire; and you brought them into subjection again to be your slaves. + Therefore thus says the Lord: You have not listened to Me and obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty each one to his brother and neighbor. Behold, I proclaim to you liberty--to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, says the Lord; and I will make you to be tossed to and fro and to be a horror among all the kingdoms of the earth! + And the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not kept the terms of the covenant or solemn pledge which they had made before Me, I will make them [like] the [sacrificial] calf which they cut in two and then passed between its separated parts [solemnizing their pledge to Me]--I will make those men the calf! [Gen. 15:9, 10, 17.] + The princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf, + I will give them into the hands of their enemies and into the hands of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth. + And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hands of their enemies and into the hands of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army which has withdrawn from you. + Behold, I will command, says the Lord, and cause them [the Chaldeans] to return to this city; and they shall fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: + Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then give them [who are pledged to drink no wine] some wine to drink. + So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, + And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the keeper of the door. + And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, Drink wine. + But they said, We will drink no wine, for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, commanded us: You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons, forever. + Neither shall you build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard or have them; but you shall dwell all your days in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are temporary residents. + And we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days--we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters-- + And not to build ourselves houses to live in; nor do we have vineyard or field or seed. + But we have dwelt in tents and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our ancestor commanded us. + But when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, Come and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians. So we are living in Jerusalem. + Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah: + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to My words and obey them? says the Lord. + The command which Jonadab son of Rechab gave to his sons not to drink wine, has been carried out and established [as a custom for more than two hundred years]. To this day they drink no wine, but they have obeyed their father's command. But I, even I, have persistently spoken to you, but you have not listened to and obeyed Me. + I have sent also to you all My servants the prophets earnestly and persistently, saying, Return now every man from his evil way and amend your doings and go not after other gods to serve them; and then you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers. But you did not submit and consent to Me or listen to and obey Me. + Since the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have fulfilled and established the command of their father which he commanded them, but these people have not listened to and obeyed Me, + Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not listened, and I have called to them, but they have not answered. + And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and have kept all his precepts and have done according to all that he commanded you, + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab son of Rechab shall never fail [to have] a man [descendant] to stand before Me. + + + IN THE fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: + Take a scroll [of parchment] for a book and write on it all the words I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations from the day I spoke to you in the days of [King] Josiah until this day. + It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them, so that each one may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. [Jer. 18:7-10; 26:3.] + Then Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote upon the scroll of the book all the words which Jeremiah dictated, [words] that the Lord had spoken to him. + And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am [in hiding, virtually] restrained and shut up; I cannot go into the house of the Lord. + Therefore you go, and on a day of fasting, in the hearing of all the people in the Lord's house, you shall read the words of the Lord which you have written on the scroll at my dictation. Also you shall read them in the hearing of all who come out of the cities of Judah. + It may be that they will make their supplication [for mercy] before the Lord, and each one will turn back from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people. + And Baruch son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from [Jeremiah's] book the words of the Lord in the Lord's house. + And in the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, a fast was proclaimed before the Lord for all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came to Jerusalem from the cities of Judah. + Then Baruch read in the hearing of all the people the words of Jeremiah from the scroll of the book in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house. + When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the Lord, + He went down to the king's house into the scribe's chamber, and behold, all the princes were sitting there: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the [other] princes. + Then Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people. + Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read in the hearing of the people and come [to us]. So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. + And they said to him, Sit down now and read it in our hearing. So Baruch read it in their hearing. + Now when they had heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear and said to Baruch, We must surely tell the king of all these words. + And they asked Baruch, Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At [Jeremiah's] dictation? + Then Baruch answered them, He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book. + Then the princes said to Baruch, Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are. + Then they went into the court to the king, but they [first] put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; then they reported all the words to the king. + So the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and of all the princes who stood beside the king. + Now it was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and a fire was burning there before him in the brazier. + And [each time] when Jehudi had read three or four columns [of the scroll], he [King Jehoiakim] would cut them off with a penknife and cast them into the fire that was in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. + Yet they were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments--neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words. + Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah tried to persuade the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. + And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son and Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. + Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch wrote at the dictation of Jeremiah, [and the Lord] said: + Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned. + And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, Thus says the Lord: You have burned this scroll, saying, Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon shall surely come and destroy this land and shall cut off man and beast from it? + Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have no [heir] to sit upon the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and to the frost by night. + And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the evil that I have pronounced against them--but they would not hear. + Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and besides them many similar words were added. + + + AND ZEDEKIAH son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah [also called Jeconiah and Jehoiachin] son of Jehoiakim. + But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to and obeyed the words of the Lord which He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah. + Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah with Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now to the Lord our God for us. + Now Jeremiah was coming in and going out among the people, for they had not [yet] put him in prison. + And Pharaoh's army had come forth out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem and departed. + Then came the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah: + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: Behold, Pharaoh's army, which has come forth to help you, will return to Egypt, to their own land. + And the Chaldeans shall come again and fight against this city, and they shall take it and burn it with fire. + Thus says the Lord: Do not deceive yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans will surely stay away from us--for they will not stay away. + For though you should defeat the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only the wounded and men stricken through among them, every man confined to his tent, yet they would rise up and burn this city with fire. + And when the army of the Chaldeans had departed from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's approaching army, + Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin [to slip away during the brief lull in the Chaldean invasion] to receive [the title to] his portion [of land, which the Lord had promised would eventually be valuable] there among the people. + And when he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a sentry was [on guard] there, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, You are deserting to the Chaldeans. + Then said Jeremiah, It is false! I am not deserting to the Chaldeans. But the sentry would not listen to him. So Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. + Therefore the princes were enraged with Jeremiah and beat him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe--for they had made that the prison. + When Jeremiah had come into the cells in the dungeon and had remained there many days, + Zedekiah the king sent and brought him out; and the king asked him secretly in his house, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is! And he said also, You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. + Moreover, Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, In what have I sinned against you or against your servants or against this people, that you have put me in prison? + Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you or against this land? + Therefore hear now, I pray you, O my lord the king. Let my supplication, I pray you, come before you and be acceptable, that you do not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there. + Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard, and a round loaf of bread from the bakers' street was given to him daily until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained [imprisoned] in the court of the guard. + + + NOW SHEPHATIAH son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal [also called Jehucal] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying, + Thus says the Lord: He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life as his only booty [as a prize of war], and he shall live. [Jer. 21:9.] + Thus says the Lord: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. + Therefore the princes said to the king, We beseech you, let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [talking] thus he weakens the hands of the soldiers who remain in this city and the hands of all the people by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of these people, but [to do them] harm. + Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hands; for the king is in no position to do anything against you. + So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon or cistern pit [in the charge] of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the court of the guard; and they let Jeremiah down [into the pit] with ropes. And in the dungeon or cistern pit there was no water, but only mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire. + Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian [a Cushite], one of the eunuchs who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon or cistern pit; and while the king was then sitting in the Gate of Benjamin, + Ebed-melech went out of the king's house and spoke to the king, saying, + My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon or cistern pit; and he is liable to die of hunger and is [as good as] dead in the place where he is, for there is no more bread left in the city. + Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you and raise Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon or cistern pit before he dies. + So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king [to a room] under the treasury, and took along from there old rags and worn-out garments and let them down by ropes into the dungeon or cistern pit to Jeremiah. + And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put now these old rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the ropes. And Jeremiah did so. + So they drew up Jeremiah with the ropes and took him up out of the dungeon or cistern pit; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. + Then Zedekiah the king sent and brought Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah, I am going to ask you something; hide nothing from me. + Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me. + So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, As the Lord lives, Who made our lives, I will not put you to death or give you into the hands of these men who seek your life. + Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will go forth and surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon, then you will live and this city will not be burned with fire; and you will live--you and your house. + But if you will not go forth and surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hands of the Chaldeans and they will burn it with fire; and you will not escape out of their hands. + And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest the enemy deliver me into their [these former subjects'] hands and they mock me and abuse me. + But Jeremiah said, They will not deliver you [to them]. Obey, I beg of you, the voice of the Lord, Who speaks to you through me. Then it will be well with you, and you will live. + But if you refuse to go forth and surrender to them, this is the word [the vision] that the Lord has shown me: + Behold, [in it] all the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah will be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes and will say [to you, King Zedekiah], Your friends have prevailed against your better judgment and have deceived you. Now when your feet are sunk in the mire [of trouble], they have turned their backs. + All your wives and your children will be brought out to the Chaldeans; and you [yourself] will not escape out of their hands, but you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and you will cause this city [Jerusalem] to be burned with fire. + Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man know of this conversation and you will not die. + But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say, Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; hide it not from us and we will not put you to death, + Then you shall say to them, I was presenting to the king my humble plea that he would not send me back to Jonathan's house to die there. + Then came all the princes to Jeremiah and asked him [just what King Zedekiah had anticipated they would ask], and he told them all that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him, for what the conversation [with the king] had been was not discovered. + So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken [by the Chaldeans]. + + + IN THE ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. [Jer. 52:4-27.] + And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, they broke into the city. + [When Jerusalem was taken] all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim [the Rabsaris] a chief of the eunuchs, and Nergal-sharezer [II, the Rabmag] a chief of the magicians, with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. + And when Zedekiah king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went forth out of the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and [the king] went out toward the Arabah (the Jordan Valley). + But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the [Syrian] land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence upon him. + Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. + Moreover, he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with shackles to take him to Babylon. [Ezek. 12:13.] + And the Chaldeans burned the king's house and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. + Then Nebuzaradan the [chief executioner and] captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, along with those who deserted to him, and the remainder of the [so-called better class of] people who were left. + But Nebuzaradan the [Babylonian] captain of the guard left in the land of Judah some of the poor of the people who had nothing, giving them vineyards and fields at the same time. + Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, + Take him and look after him well; do him no harm but deal with him as he may ask of you. + So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushasban [the Rabsaris] a chief of the eunuchs, Nergal-sharezer [II, the Rabmag] a chief of the magicians, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon + Sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard and entrusted him to Gedaliah [a prominent man whose father had once saved the prophet's life] son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home [with him to Mizpah]. So Jeremiah was released and dwelt among the people. [Jer. 26:24.] + Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was [still] shut up in the court of the guard, saying, + Go and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring to pass My words against this city for evil and not for good; and they will be accomplished before you on that day. + But I will deliver you [Ebed-melech] on that day, says the Lord, and you will not be given into the hands of the men of whom you are afraid. [Jer. 38:7-13.] + For I will surely deliver you; and you will not fall by the sword, but your life will be [as your only booty and] as a reward of battle to you, because you have put your trust in Me, says the Lord. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were taken as exiles to Babylon. + And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, The Lord your God pronounced evil upon this place. + Now the Lord has brought it about and has done as He said: [It is] because you [of Judah] have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you. + Now, see, I am freeing you today [Jeremiah] from the chains upon your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will keep an eye on you and look after you well. But if it seems bad to you to come with me to Babylon, then do not do it. Behold, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good, right, and convenient for you to go, go there. + While [Jeremiah] was hesitating, [the captain of the guard] said, Go back then to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right for you to go. So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present and let him go. + Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land. + Now when all the captains of the forces that were in the open country [of Judah] and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor in the land [of Judah] and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, + They went to Gedaliah at Mizpah--Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. + And Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans; dwell in [this] land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. + As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah to stand [for you] before the Chaldeans who come to us [ministering to them and looking after the king's interests]; but as for you, gather the juice [of the grape], summer fruits and oil, and store them in your utensils [chosen for such purposes], and dwell in your cities that you have seized. + Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab and among the people of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had set over them [as governor] Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, + Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered a great abundance of juice [of the grape] and summer fruits. + Moreover, Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah + And said to him, Do you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. + Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray you, and I will slay Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no man will know it. Why should he slay you and cause all the Jews who are gathered to you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish? + But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely of Ishmael. + + + NOW IN the seventh month [of that year] Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal descendants and one of the princes of the king, came [at the instigation of the Ammonites] with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam in Mizpah. As they were eating a meal together there in Mizpah, + Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and killed him, the one whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. [II Kings 25:25.] + Ishmael [manipulated by the Ammonites] also slew all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who were found there. + And the second day after the slaying of Gedaliah, before anyone knew about it, + There came eighty men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, having their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and having cut themselves, bringing cereal offerings and incense, going up [to Jerusalem] to present them in the house of the Lord. + And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all the way as he went. As he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. + And when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the [city] cistern pit--he and the men with him. + But ten men were among them who said to Ishmael, Do not kill us! For we have stores hidden in the field--of wheat and barley and oil and honey. So he refrained and did not slay them with their brethren. + Now the cistern pit into which Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain in addition to Gedaliah was the one which Asa the king [of Judah] had once made for fear of Baasha king of Israel [should Baasha lay siege to Mizpah]. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with those who were slain. + Then Ishmael carried away captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah--even the king's daughters and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah carried them away captive and departed to cross over [the Jordan] to the Ammonites. + But when Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done, + They took all their men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah and found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. + Now when all the people who were [captives] with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him, they were glad. + So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan son of Kareah. + But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites. + Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remainder of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he had slain Gedaliah son of Ahikam: [they were] the soldiers, the women, the children, and the eunuchs whom [Johanan] had brought back from Gibeon. + And they departed and stayed at the lodging place of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, [intending] to go to Egypt + Because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land [and whose death the king could avenge without much discrimination]. + + + THEN ALL the captains of the forces, and Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah [Azariah] son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest came near + And said to Jeremiah the prophet, We beseech you that you will let our supplication be presented before you and that you will pray to the Lord your God for us, even for all this remnant [of the people of Judah]; for whereas we were once many, there are but a few of us left, as you see with your [own] eyes. + [Pray] that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do. + Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words; and it will be that whatever thing the Lord will answer you, I will declare it to you; I will keep nothing back from you. + Then they said to Jeremiah, May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we fail to do according to all the things that the Lord your God sends you to tell us. + Whether it is good or evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to Whom we are sending you [to inquire], that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. + And after ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. + Then he called Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him and all the people from the least even to the greatest, + And said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to Whom you sent me to present your supplication before Him: + If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pull you up; for I will relent and comfort and ease Myself concerning the evil that [in chastisement] I have done to you [and I will substitute mercy and loving-kindness for judgment]. [Jer. 31:4, 28.] + Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are fearful [with the profound and reverent dread inspired by deity]; be not afraid of him, says the Lord, for [he is a mere man, while I am the all-wise, all-powerful, and ever-present God] I [the Lord] am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand. + And I will grant mercy to you, that he may have mercy on you and permit you to remain in your own land. + But if you say, We will not dwell in this land, and so disobey the voice of the Lord your God, + Saying, No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there, + Then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you are fully determined to go to Egypt and you do go to dwell there temporarily, + Then the sword which you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt and in it, and there you shall die. + So will it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there temporarily; they will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; none of them will remain or survive the evil that I will bring upon them. + For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As My anger and My wrath have been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall My wrath be poured forth upon you when you enter Egypt. You shall be a detested thing, an astonishment and horror, a curse, a thing lightly esteemed and a taunt and a reproach; you shall see this place no more. + The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, Do not go to Egypt. Know for a certainty that I [Jeremiah] have warned and testified to you this day + That you have dealt deceitfully against your own lives; for you sent me [Jeremiah] to the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us to the Lord our God; and whatever the Lord our God says, declare it to us and we will do it. + And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in anything that He sent me to tell you. + Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place [Egypt] where you desire to go to dwell temporarily. + + + AND WHEN Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God--everything for which the Lord their God had sent him to them-- + Then Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the proud and insolent men said to Jeremiah, You are not telling the truth! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, Do not go into Egypt to dwell there temporarily. + But Baruch son of Neriah is setting you against us to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, so they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon. + So Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord to remain in the land of Judah. + But Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven-- + Even men, women, and children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; also he took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. + So they came into the land of Egypt--for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord. And they came to Tahpanhes. + Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, + Take large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the pavement of brick which is at the entrance of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; + And say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, My servant [because he works for Me], and I [through him] will set his throne upon these stones that I have hidden; and his [glittering, royal] canopy will be stretched over them. [Ezek. 29:19, 20.] + And he shall come and smite the land of Egypt, giving such as are [destined] for death, to death, and such as are [destined] for captivity, to captivity, and such as are [destined] for the sword, to the sword. + And I [through him] will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt; and he will burn [the houses] and carry [the people] away captive. And he will array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment [as he wills and when he chooses]; and he will go away from there in peace. + [Nebuchadrezzar] shall break also the images and obelisks of Heliopolis [called On or Beth-shemesh--house of the sun] in the land of Egypt, and the temples of the gods of Egypt shall he burn with fire. + + + THE WORD that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who were dwelling in the land of Egypt--at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Memphis--and in the country of Pathros, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah; and see, this day they are a desolation and no man dwells in them + Because of the wickedness which they committed, provoking Me to anger in that they went to burn incense to serve other gods that they did not know--neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. + Yet I sent to you all My servants the prophets earnestly and persistently, saying, Oh, do not do this loathsome and shamefully vile thing that I hate and abhor! + But they did not listen and obey or submit and consent to turn from their wickedness and burn no incense to other gods. + Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and were kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they became wasted and desolate, as it is this day. + Therefore now thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves that will cut off from you man and woman, infant and weaned child, out of Judah, to leave yourselves with none remaining? + Why do you provoke Me to anger with the works (idols) of your own hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you [of your own accord] have come to dwell temporarily, that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach (an object of reviling and taunts) among all the nations of the earth? + Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives [who clung to their foreign gods], your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives [who imitated their queens], which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + They are not humbled (contrite, penitent, and bruised for their guilt and iniquities) even to this day, neither have they feared and revered [Me] nor walked in My law or My statutes which I set before you and before your fathers. [Jer. 6:15; 26:4-6; 44:23.] + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set My face against you for evil--even to cut off all Judah [from the land]. + And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come into the land of Egypt to dwell here temporarily [fleeing to Egypt instead of surrendering to the Chaldeans as directed by the Lord through Jeremiah], and they will all be consumed and will fall in the land of Egypt; they will be consumed by the sword and by famine. From the least even to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine. And they will be a detestable thing, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach (an object of horror, reviling, and taunts). + For I will punish all the inhabitants of the land of Egypt as I have punished Jerusalem--by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence-- + So that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to the land of Egypt to dwell temporarily shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire and lift up their souls to return to dwell there; for none shall return except [a few] fugitives. + Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by--a great assembly--even all the people who dwelt in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: + As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to or obey you. + But we will certainly perform every word of the vows we have made: to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her as we have done--we and our fathers, our kings and our princes--in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and prosperous and saw no evil. + But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine. + [And the wives said] When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes [in the shape of a star] to represent and honor her and pour out drink offerings to her without [the knowledge and approval of] our husbands? + Then Jeremiah said to all the people--to the men and to the women and to all the people who had given him that answer-- + The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem--you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land--did not the Lord [earnestly] remember [your idolatrous wickedness] and did it not come into His mind? + The Lord could no longer endure the evil of your doings and the abominations which you have committed; because of them therefore has your land become a desolation and an [astonishing] waste and a curse, without inhabitants, as it is this day. + Because you have burned incense [to idols] and because you have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law and in His statutes and in His testimonies, therefore this evil has fallen upon you, as it is this day. + Moreover, Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt, + Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have both declared with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her. [Surely] then confirm your vows and [surely] perform your vows! [If you will defy all My warnings to you, then, by all means, go ahead!] + Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all [you people of] Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the Lord, that My name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, As the Lord God lives. + Behold, I am watching over them for evil and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine until there is an end of them and they are all destroyed. + Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah who came to the land of Egypt to dwell temporarily shall know whose words shall stand, Mine or theirs. + And this will be the sign to you, says the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for evil. + Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies and into the hands of those who seek his life, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life. + + + THE WORD that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, + Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, unto you, O Baruch: + You said, Woe is me now! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and sighing and I find no rest. + Say this to him: The Lord speaks thus: Behold, what I have built I will break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up--and this means the whole land. + And should you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not; for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, says the Lord, but your life I will give to you [as your only booty and] as a [snatched] prize of war wherever you go. + + + THE WORD of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning and against the [Gentile] nations. + Concerning and against Egypt: against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote and defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: [Isa. 19-20; Ezek. 29-32;Zech. 14:18, 19.] + Put in order the buckler and shield, and advance for battle! + Harness the horses, and mount, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets! Polish the spears, put on the coats of mail! + Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and have turned backward, and their mighty warriors are beaten down. They flee in haste and look not back; terror is on every side! says the Lord. [Ps. 31:13; Jer. 6:25; 20:3, 10; 49:29.] + Let not the swift flee nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they stumble and fall. + Who is this that rises up like the Nile [River], like the branches [of the Nile in the delta of Egypt] whose waters surge and toss? + Egypt rises like the Nile, like the rivers whose waters surge and toss. She says, I will rise, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities and their inhabitants. + Go up, you horses, and drive furiously, you chariots! Let the warriors go forth--men of Ethiopia and Put who handle the shield, men of Lud who are skilled in handling and stringing the bow. + But that day is a day of the Lord, the Lord of hosts--a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. And the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and shall drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, the Lord of hosts has a sacrifice [like that of a great sin offering] in the north country by the river Euphrates. + Go up into Gilead and take [healing] balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain do you use many medicines; for you there is no healing or remedy. + The nations have heard of your disgrace and shame, and your cry has filled the earth. For warrior has stumbled against and thrown down warrior, and they have fallen both of them together. + The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and his smiting of the land of Egypt: + Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol; and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, Stand forth and get yourself ready, for the sword devours round about you. + Why is your strong one [the sacred bull-god Apis] swept and dragged away? He stood not, because the Lord drove him and thrust him down. + [The Lord] made many to stumble and fall; yes, they fell one upon another. And they said, Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword of the oppressor. + They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is destroyed and is only a noise; he has let the appointed time [in which God had him on probation] pass by! + As I live, says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he [the king of Babylon, standing out above other rulers] come. + O you daughter who dwells in Egypt and you who dwell with her, furnish yourselves [with all you will need] to go into exile, for Memphis will be waste, desolate, and burned up, without inhabitant. + Egypt is a very fair heifer [like Apis the bull-god, to which the country is, so to speak, espoused], but destruction [a gadfly] is coming--out of the north it is coming [against her]! + Also her hired troops in the midst of her are like fatted calves [in the stall], for they also are turned back and are fleeing together; they do not stand, because the day of their calamity is coming upon them, the time of their visitation (their inspection and punishment). + The sound [of Egypt fleeing from the enemy] is like the rustling of an escaping serpent, for her foes advance with a mighty army and come against her with axes, like those who fell trees and cut wood. + They shall cut down her forest, says the Lord, though it is impenetrable, because they [the invading army] are more numerous than locusts and cannot be counted. + The Daughter of Egypt shall be disgraced; she shall be delivered into the hands of the people of the north [the Chaldeans]. + The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Behold, I will visit punishment upon Amon [the chief god of the sacred city, the capital of Upper Egypt] of No or Thebes, and upon Pharaoh and Egypt, with her gods and her kings--even Pharaoh and all those [Jews and others] who put their trust in [Pharaoh as a support against Babylon]. + And I will deliver them into the hands of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hands of his servants. Afterward [Egypt] will be inhabited as in the days of old, says the Lord. + But fear not, O My servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their exile; and Jacob will return and be quiet and at ease, and none will make him afraid. + Fear not, O Jacob My servant, says the Lord, for I am with you. For I will make a full and complete end of all the nations to which I have driven you; yet I will not make a full end of you. But I will chasten and correct you in just measure, and I will not hold you guiltless by any means or leave you unpunished. + + + THE WORD of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh smote [the Philistine city] Gaza. [Isa. 14:29-31; Ezek. 25:15-17; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph. 2:4-7; Zech. 9:5-7.] + Thus says the Lord: Behold, waters are rising out of the north and shall become an overflowing stream and shall overflow the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell in it. Then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land [of Philistia] shall wail. + At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of [the Chaldean king's] war-horses, at the rattling of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers do not look back to their children, so feeble are their hands [with terror] + Because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines and to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains. For the Lord is destroying the Philistines, the remnant [still surviving] of the isle or coastland of Caphtor [where the Philistines originated]. [Amos 9:7.] + Baldness [as a token of mourning] will come upon Gaza; Ashkelon will be cut off and be dumb. O remnant of their valley and of the giants, how long will you gash yourselves [as a token of mourning]? + O you sword of the Lord, how long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still. + How can it [the sword of the Lord] be quiet when the Lord has given it an assignment to discharge? Against Ashkelon and against the [whole Philistine] seashore He has appointed it. + + + CONCERNING MOAB: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe to [the city of] Nebo, for it is laid waste! Kiriathaim is put to shame and taken; Misgab [the high fortress] is put to shame, broken down, and crushed. [Isa. 15-16; 25:10-12; Ezek. 25:8-11; Amos 2:1-3; Zeph. 2:8-11.] + The glory of Moab is no more; in Heshbon [a border town between Reuben and Gad, east of the Jordan River] they planned evil against her, saying, Come, let us cut her off from being a nation. You also, O [town of] Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you. + The sound of a cry from Horonaim, [a cry of] desolation and great destruction! + Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard [as far as Zoar]. + For the ascent of Luhith will be climbed [by successive bands of fugitives] with continual weeping; for on the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction. + Flee! Save your lives! But they shall be like a destitute and forsaken person in the wilderness. + For because you have trusted in your works [your bungling idol images] and in your treasures [instead of in God], you shall also be taken. And Chemosh [your god] shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together. + And the destroyer shall come upon every city; no city shall escape. The [Jordan] valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be devastated, as the Lord has said. + Give wings to Moab, for [by that means only] she will flee and get away; her cities will be desolate, without any to dwell in them. + Cursed be he who does the work of the Lord negligently [with slackness, deceitfully]; and cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood [in executing judgment pronounced by the Lord]. + Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees [like wine] and has not been drawn off from one vessel to another, neither has he gone into exile. Therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent has not changed. + Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I shall send to [Moab] tilters who shall tilt him up and shall empty his vessels and break his bottles (earthenware) in pieces. + And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh [his god], as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. [I Kings 12:28, 29.] + How can you say, We are heroes and mighty men in the war? + Moab has been made desolate, and his cities have gone up [in smoke and flame]; and his chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter, says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts. + The destruction of Moab is coming near, and his calamity hastens swiftly. + Bemoan him, all you [nations] who are around him, and all you [nations more remote] who know his name; say, How broken is the mighty scepter [of national power] and the splendid rod [of glory]! + Come down from your glory, you inhabitant of the Daughter of Dibon, and sit on the ground among the thirsty! For the destroyer of Moab is advancing against you; he will destroy your strongholds. + O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch! Ask him who flees and her who escapes, What has happened? + Moab is put to shame, for she is broken down. Wail and cry out! Tell by [the banks of] the Arnon that Moab is laid waste (destroyed). + Judgment has come upon the land of the plain--upon Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath, + And upon Dibon and Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, + And upon Kiriathaim and Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, + And upon Kerioth and Bozrah--and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. + The horn (strength) of Moab is cut off, and his arm [of authority] is shattered, says the Lord. + Make him drunk, for he has magnified himself against the Lord [by resisting Reuben's occupation of the land the Lord had assigned him]. Moab also shall splash in his vomit, and he too shall be held in derision. [Num. 22:1-7.] + For was not Israel [an object of] derision to you? Was he found among thieves--since whenever you speak of him you wag your head [in scorn]? + O you inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities and dwell among the rocks, and be like the dove that makes her nest in the walls of the yawning ravine. + We have heard of the [giddy] pride of Moab, the extremely proud one--his loftiness, his arrogance, his conceit, and the haughtiness of his heart. + I know his insolent wrath, says the Lord, and the nothingness of his boastings and his deeds; they are false and have accomplished nothing. + Therefore I will wail over Moab, and I will cry out over the whole of Moab. Over the men of Kir-heres (Kir-hareseth) there will be sighing and mourning. [Isa. 15:1; 16:7, 11.] + O vines of Sibmah, I weep for you more than the weeping of Jazer [over its ruins and wasted vineyards]. Your tendrils [of influence] have gone over the sea, reaching even to Jazer. The destroyer has fallen upon your summer fruit harvest and your [season's] crop of grapes. + Joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful orchards and fields and from the land of Moab. And I have made the juice [of the grape] to fail from what is pressed out in the vats; no one treads [the grapes] with shouting. Their shouting is no shouting [of joy, but is a battle cry]. + From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah [like a three-year-old heifer], for even the waters of Nimrim have become desolations. + Moreover, I will cause to cease in Moab, says the Lord, the one who ascends and offers in the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods. + Therefore My heart moans and sighs for Moab like flutes, and My heart moans and sighs like flutes for the men of Kir-heres (Kir-hareseth); therefore [the remnant of] the abundant riches they gained has perished. + For every head is shaven bald and every beard cut off: upon all the hands are cuts (slashes) and upon the loins is sackcloth [all to express mourning]. [Isa. 15:2, 3.] + On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation everywhere, for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which there is no pleasure, says the Lord. + How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become [an object of] a derision and a [horrifying] terror to all who are round about him. + For thus says the Lord: Behold, he [Babylon] shall fly swiftly like an eagle and shall spread out his wings against Moab. [Ezek. 17:3.] + Kerioth [and the cities] shall be taken and the strongholds seized; and the hearts of the mighty warriors of Moab in that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs [in childbirth]. + And Moab shall be destroyed from being a nation, because he has magnified himself against the Lord. + Terror and pit and snare are before you, O inhabitant of Moab, says the Lord. [Isa. 24:7.] + He who flees from the terror will fall into the pit, and he who gets up out of the pit will be taken and caught in the trap or snare; for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation (their inspection and infliction of punishment), says the Lord. + In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand powerless (stopped in their tracks, helpless and without strength), for a fire has gone forth from Heshbon, a flame from the midst of Sihon; it has destroyed the corner of Moab and the crowns of the heads of the ones in tumult [the proud Moabites]. + Woe to you, O Moab! The people of [the god] Chemosh are undone; for your sons are taken away captive and your daughters into captivity. + Yet will I reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment on Moab. + + + CONCERNING and against the Ammonites: Thus says the Lord: Has Israel no sons [to return after their captivity and claim the territory of Gad east of the Jordan which the Ammonites have taken over]? Has [Israel's Gad] no heir? Why then has Milcom [the god the Ammonites call their king] dispossessed and inherited Gad, and [why do] his people dwell in Gad's cities? + Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it [the high ground on which it stands] will become a desolate heap, and its daughter [villages] will be burned with fire. Then will Israel dispossess those who dispossessed him, says the Lord. [Ezek. 21:28-32; 25:1-7, 11; Amos 1:13-15; Zeph. 2:8-11.] + Wail, O Heshbon [in Moab, just south of Ammon], for Ai [in Ammon] is laid waste! Cry out, you daughter [villages] of Rabbah! Gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro inside the [sheepfold] enclosures; for Milcom [the god-king] shall go into exile, together with his priests and his princes. + Why do you boast of your valleys? Your valley flows away, O [Ammon] rebellious and faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, who said, Who can come against me? + Behold, I will bring terror upon you, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, from all who are round about you; and you will be driven out, each man fleeing straight before him [without thought of his neighbor], and there will be no one to gather together the fugitives. + And afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon and restore their fortunes, says the Lord. + Concerning and against Edom: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman [a district in Edom]? Has counsel vanished from the intelligent and prudent? Is their wisdom all poured out and used up? [Isa. 34; 63:1-6; Ezek. 25:12-14; 35; Amos 1:11, 12; Obad. 1-16; Mal. 1:2-5.] + Flee, turn back, dwell deep [in the deserts to escape the Chaldeans], O inhabitants of Dedan [neighbor of Edom]! For I will bring the calamity and destruction of Esau upon him [Edom] when I inspect and punish him. + If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some ungleaned grapes? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only what is enough [for them]? + But I have stripped Esau (Edom) bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he cannot hide himself. His offspring will be destroyed, with his brethren and his neighbors; and he will be no more. + Leave your fatherless children; I will [do what is necessary to] preserve them alive. And let [those who have been made] your widows trust and confide in Me. + For thus says the Lord: Behold, they [Israel] whose rule was not to drink the cup [of wrath] shall assuredly drink--and are you to remain unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink. [Jer. 25:28, 29.] + For I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that Bozrah [in Edom, between Petra and the Dead Sea] shall become a horror, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all its cities shall be perpetual wastes. + I have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger is sent to the nations, saying, Gather together and come against her! And rise up for the battle. + For, behold, I will make you [Edom] small among the nations and despised among men. [Ezek. 35:9.] + Your [object of] horror (your idol) has deceived you, and the pride of your heart [has deceived you], O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock [Sela or Petra], who hold and occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle's, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord. + And Edom shall be an astonishment and a horror; everyone who goes by it shall be astonished and shall hiss with horror at all its plagues and disasters. + As [it was] in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, says the Lord, no man shall dwell there; neither shall a son of man live in it temporarily. + See, there comes up one [Nebuchadnezzar] like a lion from [lurking in] the jungles (the pride) of the Jordan against the strong habitation [of Edom] and into the permanent pastures; for in a twinkling I will drive him [Edom] from there. And I will appoint over him the one whom I choose. For who is like Me? And who will appoint for Me the time and prosecute Me for this proceeding? And what [earthly, national] shepherd can stand before Me and defy Me? + Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has made against Edom, and His purposes which He has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall be dragged away [by Nebuchadnezzar], even the little ones of the flock; surely He shall make their habitation desolate because of them and their fold shocked at their fate. + At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; at their crying the sound shall be heard at the Red Sea. + Behold, one will come up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against [the Edomite city of] Bozrah; and in that day the hearts of the mighty warriors of Edom will be like the heart of a woman in her pangs [in childbirth]. [Jer. 48:41.] + Concerning and against Damascus [in Syria]: Hamath and Arpad are confounded and put to shame, for they have heard bad news; they are fainthearted and wasting away; there is trouble and anxiety [like] on a [storm-tossed] sea which cannot rest. + Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee, and terror and panic have seized her; anguish and sorrow have taken hold of her, like a woman in childbirth. + How [remarkable that] the renowned city is not deserted, the city of my joy! [exclaims one from Damascus]. + Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day, says the Lord of hosts. [Isa. 17:1-3; Amos 1:3-5; Zech. 9:1.] + And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it will consume the palaces of Ben-hadad [title of several kings of Syria]. + Concerning Kedar [a tribe of nomad Arabs] and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite: Thus says the Lord [to him]: Arise, go up against Kedar and destroy the sons of the east. + Their tents and their flocks shall they [the Chaldeans] take--their tent hangings and all their utensils and their camels. And men shall cry to them, Terror on every side! [Ps. 31:13; Jer. 6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5.] + Flee, wander far off, dwell deep [in the deserts], O you inhabitants of Hazor [in the Arabian Desert] says the Lord, for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has planned a course against you and has conceived a purpose against you. + Arise [Nebuchadrezzar], get up into a nation which is at ease, which dwells without care, says the Lord, [a nation] which has neither gates nor bars, which dwells apart and alone. + And their camels will be booty, and their herds of cattle a spoil; and I will scatter to all [the four] winds those who [as evidence of their idolatry] clip off the corners of their hair, and I will bring their calamity from every side, says the Lord. [Lev. 19:27.] + And Hazor shall become a dwelling place of jackals, a desolation forever; no man shall dwell there; neither shall a son of man live in it temporarily. + The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning and against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief [weapon and part] of their strength. + And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven; and I will scatter them toward all those winds, and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not come. + And I will cause Elam to be dismayed and terrified before their enemies and before those who seek and demand their lives; and I will bring evil and disaster upon them, even My fierce anger, says the Lord. And I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them. + And I will set My throne [of judgment] in Elam [whose capital city was Shushan, from which God wrought wonders through Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel]; and I will destroy from their king and princes, says the Lord. [Neh. 1:1; Esth. 1:2; Dan. 8:1, 2.] + But it shall be in the latter days (the end of days) that I will reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Elam, says the Lord. + + + THE WORD that the Lord spoke concerning and against Babylon and concerning and against the land of the Chaldeans through Jeremiah the prophet: [Isa. 13:1-14:23; 47; Hab. 1, 2.] + Declare it among the nations and publish it and set up a signal [to spread the news]--publish and conceal it not; say, Babylon has been taken; Bel [the patron god] is put to shame, Merodach (Bel) is dismayed and broken down. [Babylon's] images are put to shame, her [senseless] idols are thrown down! + For out of the north there has come up a nation [Media] against her which will make her land desolate, and none will dwell there. They will have fled, they will be gone--from man even to beast. + In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; they shall come up weeping as they come and seek the Lord their God [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him, both by right of necessity and of the promises of God's Word]. + They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces in that direction, saying, Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. + My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray [to favorite places of idolatry] on mountains [that seduce]. They have gone from [one sin to another] mountain to hill; they have forgotten their [own] resting-place. [Isa. 53:6; I Pet. 2:25.] + All who found them devoured them; and their adversaries said, We are not guilty, because they have sinned against the Lord [and are no longer holy to Him], their true habitation of righteousness and justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers. + Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans; and be as the he-goats [who serve as examples and as leaders in the flight] before the flocks. [Jer. 51:6, 9, 45; II Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4.] + For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country. They will equip and set themselves against her; from there she will be taken. Their arrows will be like [both] an expert, mighty warrior and like his arrows--none [of them] will return in vain. + And Chaldea shall become plunder; all who plunder her shall be satisfied, says the Lord. + Though you are glad, though you rejoice, O you who plunder My heritage, though you are wanton and skip about like a heifer at grass and neigh like strong stallions, + Your mother [Babylon] shall be put to great shame; she who bore you shall blush and be disgraced. Behold, she shall be at the rear of the nations [least of the nations]--a wilderness, waste, and desert. + Because of the wrath of the Lord she shall not be inhabited but shall be wholly desolate; everyone who goes by Babylon shall be appalled and hiss and mock at all her wounds and plagues. + Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, all you archers. Shoot at her! Spare not the arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord. + Raise the battle cry against her round about! She gives her hand [in agreement] and surrenders; her supports and battlements fall, her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord: take vengeance on her; as she has done [to others], do to her. + Exterminate the sower from Babylon, and the one who handles the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the sword of the oppressor everyone shall return to his people, and everyone shall flee to his own land. + Israel is a hunted and scattered sheep [driven hither and thither and preyed upon by savage beasts]; the lions have chased him. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken and gnawed his bones. + Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will visit and punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I visited and punished the king of Assyria. + And I will bring Israel [home] again to his fold and pasturage, and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan [in the most fertile districts both west and east], and his soul will be satisfied upon the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. + In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel will be sought, but there will be none, and the sins of Judah [will be sought], but none will be found, for I will pardon those whom I cause to remain as a remnant (the preserved ones who come forth after a long tribulation). [Isa. 1:9; 43:25; Jer. 31:34; 33:8; Rom. 9:27.] + Go up against [Babylon] the land of Merathaim [two rebellions, double or intense defiance], even against it and against the inhabitants of Pekod [visitation and punishment]. Slay and utterly destroy them, says the Lord, and do according to all that I have commanded you. + The cry and noise of battle is in the land, and [the noise] of great destruction. + How the hammer of the whole earth is crushed and broken! How Babylon has become a horror of desolation among the nations! + I set a trap for you, and you also were taken, O Babylon, and you did not know it; you were found and also caught because you have struggled and contended against the Lord. + The Lord has opened His armory and has brought forth [the nations who unknowingly are] the weapons of His indignation and wrath, for the Lord God of hosts has work to do in the land of the Chaldeans. + Come against her from every quarter and from the utmost border. Open her granaries and storehouses; pile up [their contents] like heaps of rubbish. Burn and destroy her utterly; let nothing be left of her. + Slay all her bullocks (her choice youths, the strength of her army); let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to [the Chaldeans]! For their day has come, the time of their visitation (their inspection and punishment). + Listen! The voice of those [Jews] who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon proclaiming in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance [of the Lord upon the Chaldeans] for [the plundering and destruction of] His temple. + Call together [many] archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp against her round about; let none from there escape. Recompense her according to her deeds; just as she has done, do to her. For against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel, has she been proudly defiant and presumptuous. + Therefore shall her young men fall in her streets and squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, says the Lord. + Behold, I am against you, O Babylon [you who are pride and presumption personified], says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will visit and punish you. + And Pride (the arrogant one) shall stumble (totter) and fall, and none shall raise him up. And I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all who are round about him. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; all who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. + Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is His name. He will surely and thoroughly plead their case and defend their cause, that He may give rest to [the land of Israel and to the Babylonian-enslaved nations of] the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon. + A sword upon the Chaldeans, says the Lord--upon the inhabitants of Babylon and upon her princes (rulers in civic matters) and upon her wise men (the astrologers and rulers in religious affairs)! + A sword upon the babbling liars (the diviners), that they may become fools! A sword upon her mighty warriors, that they may be dismayed and destroyed! + A sword upon their horses and upon their chariots and upon all the mixed foreign troops that are in the midst of her, that they may become [as weak and defenseless as] women! A sword upon her treasures, that they may be plundered! + A sword and a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols (objects of terror in which they foolishly trust). + Therefore wild beasts of the desert shall dwell [in Babylon] with the jackals, and ostriches shall dwell there. And it shall never again be inhabited with people, even from generation to generation. [Isa. 13:20-22.] + As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, says the Lord, so no man shall dwell there; neither shall any son of man live there temporarily. [Jer. 49:18.] + Behold, a people is coming from the north; and a great nation and many kings are stirring from the uttermost parts of the earth. + They lay hold of bow, lance, and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy or compassion. They sound like the roaring of the sea; they ride upon horses, every man equipped like a man [ready] for the battle against you, O Daughter of Babylon! + The king of Babylon has heard the news about them, and his hands fall feeble and helpless; anguish has seized him, and pangs like that of a woman in childbirth. + See, there comes up one like a lion from the jungles (the pride) of the Jordan against the strong habitation [of Babylon] and into the permanent pasturage and sheepfold; for in a twinkling I will drive him [Babylon] from there. And I will appoint over him the one whom I choose. For who is like Me? And who will challenge Me and prosecute Me for this proceeding? And what [earthly, national] shepherd can stand before Me and defy Me? [Jer. 49:19.] + Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has made against Babylon, and His purposes which He has formed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall be dragged away, even the little ones of the flock; surely He shall make their habitation desolate because of them and their fold amazed and appalled at their fate. + At the cry, Babylon has been taken! the earth shall tremble, and the cry shall be heard among the nations. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon and against those who dwell among those rebelling against Me a destroying wind and spirit; + And I will send to Babylon strangers or winnowers who will winnow her and will empty her land; for in the day of calamity they will be against her on every side. + Against him who bends let the archer bend his bow, and against him who lifts himself up in his coat of mail. And spare not her young men; devote [to God] and utterly destroy her entire host. + Thus they shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and wounded in her streets. + For Israel has not been widowed and forsaken, nor has Judah, by his God, the Lord of hosts, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. + Flee out of the midst of Babylon! Let every man save his life! Let not destruction come upon you through her [punishment for] sin and guilt. For it is the time of the Lord's vengeance; He will render to her a recompense. [Jer. 50:28; II Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4.] + Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunken. The nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad. [Rev. 14:8; 17:4.] + Babylon has suddenly fallen and is shattered (destroyed)! Wail for her [if you care to]! Get balm for her [incurable] pain; if [you do] so she may [possibly] be healed! [Jer. 25:15; Rev. 14:8-10; 16:19; 18:2, 3.] + We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, for her guilt and the judgment against her reach to heaven and are lifted even to the skies. [Gen. 18:20, 21.] + The Lord has brought forth and made known the righteousness [of our cause]; come and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. + Make clean and sharp the arrows, take up the shields or coats of armor [and cover your bodies with them]! The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes [who with the Persians will destroy the Babylonian Empire], for His purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it; for that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance [upon Babylon for the plundering and destruction] of His temple. + Set up a standard or signal [to spread the news] upon the walls of Babylon! Make the watch and blockade strong, set the guards, prepare the ambushes! For the Lord has both purposed and done that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. + O [Babylon] you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, and the line measuring your life is cut. [Rev. 17:1-6.] + The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself, saying, Surely I will fill you with men, as with [a swarm of] locusts [who strip a land clean], and they will lift up a song and shout [of victory] over you. + He made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. + When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from His treasuries. + Every man has become stupid and brutelike, without knowledge [of God]; every goldsmith is put to shame by the images he has made; for his molten idols are a lie, and there is no breath [of life] in them. + They are worthless (emptiness, falsity, futility), a work of delusion and worthy of derision; in the time of their inspection and punishment they shall [helplessly] perish. + Not like these [gods] is He Who is the Portion of Jacob [the true God on Whom Israel has a claim], for He is the One Who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance--the Lord of hosts is His name. [Jer. 10:12-16.] + You [Cyrus of Persia, soon to conquer Babylon] are My battle-ax or maul and weapon of war--for with you I break nations in pieces, with you I destroy kingdoms, + With you I break in pieces the horse and his rider, with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer, + With you I break in pieces man and woman, with you I break in pieces old man and youth, with you I break in pieces young man and maiden, + With you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock, with you I break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen, and with you I break in pieces governors and commanders. + And I will [completely] repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil that they have done in Zion--before your very eyes [I will do it], says the Lord. + Behold, I am against you, says the Lord, O destroying mountain [which is burning out, you who will be as barren and desolate as an extinct volcano], you who [would] destroy the whole earth. I will stretch out My hand over and against you and roll you down from the [burnt] crags and will make you a burnt-out mountain [of combustive fires]. + And [O Babylon] they shall not take your cracked stones for a cornerstone, or any stone for foundations, but you shall be waste and desolate forever, says the Lord. + Set up a standard or signal in the land [to spread the news]! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare and dedicate the nations for war against her; call against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a marshal against her; cause the horses to come up like [a swarm of] locusts [when their wings are not yet released from their horny cases]. + Prepare and dedicate the nations for war against her--the kings of Media, with their governors and commanders (deputies), and every land of their dominion. + [I foresee this:] The land trembles and writhes in pain and sorrow, for the purposes of the Lord against Babylon stand--to make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant. + The mighty warriors of Babylon have ceased to fight; they have remained in their holds. Their might has failed; they have become [weak and helpless] like women. Her dwelling places are burned up; her bars [and defenses generally] are broken. + One post shall run to meet another and one messenger to meet another to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every side and to its farthest end, + And that the passages [or ferries across the Euphrates] are stopped, and the great marshes they [the Medes] have burned with fire, and the men of war are frightened. + For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is [being prepared]; yet a little while and the time of harvest shall come to her. + [The inhabitants of Zion say] Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has crushed us, he has made us an empty vessel. Like a monster he has swallowed us up, he has filled his belly with our delicacies; he has rinsed us out and cast us away. + May the violence done to me and to my flesh and blood be upon Babylon, will the inhabitant of Zion say; and, May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, will Jerusalem say. + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her lake or great reservoir and make her fountain dry. + And Babylon shall become heaps [of ruins], a dwelling place of jackals, a horror (an astonishing desolation) and a hissing [of amazement], without inhabitant. + They [the Chaldean lords] shall be roaring together [before their sudden capture] like young lions [over their prey], they [the princes] shall be growling like lions' whelps. + When the revelers are inflamed [with wine and lust during their drinking bouts], I will prepare them a feast [of My wrath] and make them drunk, that they may rejoice and fall asleep to a perpetual sleep and not waken, says the Lord. + I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams together with he-goats. + How Sheshach [Babylon] is taken! And the praise of the whole earth is surprised and seized! How Babylon has become an astonishing desolation and a horror among the nations! + The sea has come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the tumult and multitude of its waves. + Her cities have become a desolation and a horror, a land of drought and a wilderness, a land in which no one lives, nor does any son of man pass through it. + And I will punish and execute judgment upon Bel [the god] in Babylon and take out of his mouth what he has swallowed up [the sacred vessels and the people of Judah and elsewhere who were taken captive]. The nations will not flow any more to him. Yes, the wall of Babylon has fallen! + My people, come out of the midst of her! And let every man save his life from the fierce anger of the Lord! [Jer. 50:8; II Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4.] + And beware, lest your heart faint and you be afraid at the report (rumor) heard in the land; for in one year shall one report come and in another year another report, and violence shall be in the land, ruler against ruler. + Therefore behold, the days will come when I will execute judgment and punishment upon the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be confounded and put to shame, and all her slain will fall in the midst of her. + Then heaven and earth and all that is in them shall sing for joy over Babylon, for the [Median] destroyers shall come against her from the north, says the Lord. [Isa. 44:23; Jer. 51:11; Rev. 12:12; 18:20.] + As Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all [her] land. + You who have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still! [Seriously and earnestly] remember the Lord from afar [Babylon], and let [desolate] Jerusalem come into your mind. + We are confounded and ashamed, for we have heard reproach; confusion and shame have covered our faces, for strangers have come into the [most] sacred parts of the sanctuary of the Lord [even those forbidden for entrance by all but the high priest or the appointed priests]. + Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will execute judgment upon [Babylon's] idols and images, and throughout all her land the wounded will groan. + Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height (her lofty stronghold), yet destroyers will come upon her from Me, says the Lord. + The sound of a cry [comes] from Babylon, and [the sound of] great destruction and ruin from the land of the Chaldeans! + For the Lord is destroying Babylon and laying her waste and stilling her great voice [the hum of the city's life]. And the waves [of her conquerors] roar like great waters, the noise of their voices is raised up [like the tramping of an army]. + For the destroyer is coming upon her, upon Babylon; and her mighty warriors are taken, their bows are broken in pieces; for the Lord is a God of recompense; He will surely requite. + And I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her governors and her commanders (deputies) and her mighty warriors; and they will sleep a perpetual sleep and not waken, says the King--the Lord of hosts is His name. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown and [the foundations] made bare, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; the peoples shall labor in vain, and the nations [only] to satisfy the fire, and they shall be weary. [Hab. 2:13.] + The word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now this Seraiah was chief chamberlain or quartermaster [and brother of Baruch]. + So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that would come upon Babylon--even all these words that are written against Babylon. + And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When you come to Babylon, see to it that you read all these words. + Then say, O Lord, You have spoken concerning this place that it shall be cut off, so that nothing shall remain and dwell in it, neither man nor beast; but it shall be desolate forever. + And it shall be that when you have finished reading this book, you shall bind a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates. + Then say, Thus will Babylon sink and not rise because of the evil that I will bring upon her; and [the Babylonians] will be weary (hopelessly exhausted). Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. [Rev. 18:21.] + + + ZEDEKIAH WAS twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah [not the prophet] of Libnah. [II Kings 24:18-25:21.] + And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. + For all this came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah because of the anger of the Lord, and [in the end] He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem; and they pitched against it and built moveable towers and siege mounds against it round about. [Jer. 39:1-10.] + So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. [II Chron. 36:11-13.] + And in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no bread for the people of the land. + Then the city [wall] was broken through, so that all the men of war might flee, and they went forth out of the city by night [as Ezekiel had foretold] by way of the gate between the two walls by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were round about the city. And they [the Jewish soldiers fled] by way of the Arabah (the Jordan Valley). [Ezek. 12:12.] + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. + Then they seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the [Syrian] land of Hamath [on the northern border of Israel], where he pronounced sentence upon him. + And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he slew also all the princes of Judah at Riblah. + Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with shackles and carried him to Babylon and put him in prison [mill] till the day of his death. [Ezek. 12:13.] + Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, there came to Jerusalem Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, who stood and served before the king of Babylon. + And he burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he consumed with fire. + And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls round about Jerusalem. + Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and those who were left in the city [at the time it was captured], along with those who went out to the king of Babylon [during the siege] and the remnant of the multitude [the country's working people]. + But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil. + Also the pillars of bronze that belonged to the house of the Lord, and the bronze bases or pedestals [which supported the ten basins] and the bronze Sea or huge laver that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke into pieces and carried all the bronze of them to Babylon. + The pots [for carrying away ashes] also and the shovels and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service they took away. + Also the small bowls and the firepans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the incense cups and the bowls for the drink offerings--whatever was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and whatever was of silver as silver. + The two pillars, one Sea or huge laver, and twelve bronze bulls or oxen under the Sea, which King Solomon had made in the house of the Lord--the bronze of all these things was beyond weighing. + Concerning the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits (twenty-seven feet), and an ornamental molding of twelve cubits (eighteen feet) went around its circumference; it was four fingers thick, and it [the pillar] was hollow. + An upper part or capital of bronze was on top of it. The height of one capital was five cubits (seven and one-half feet), with a network and pomegranates around it, all of bronze. The second pillar also, with its pomegranates, was similar to these. + And there were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; and all the pomegranates upon the network were a hundred round about. + And the captain of the guard took [as prisoners] Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the door. + He took also out of the city a court officer who had been overseer of the soldiers, and seven men of them who were next to the king [as advisers] and saw his face, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the prince or captain of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. + And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And the king of Babylon smote them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land. + This is the number of people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; + In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons; + In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the [Babylonian] guard carried away captive of the Jews 745 persons. All the persons were 4,600. + And in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin [also called Coniah and Jeconiah] king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah [and showed favor to him] and brought him out of prison. [II Kings 25:27-30.] + He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were [captives] with him in Babylon, + Jehoiachin put off his prison garments, and he dined regularly at the king's table all the days of his life. + And his allowance, a continual one, was given him by the king of Babylon, a portion according to his requirements until the day of his death, all the days of his life. + + + + + HOW SOLITARY and lonely sits the city [Jerusalem] that was [once] full of people! How like a widow has she become! She who was great among the nations and princess among the provinces has become a tributary [in servitude]! + She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are [constantly] on her cheeks. Among all her lovers (allies) she has no one to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. [Jer. 3:1; 4:30.] + Judah has gone into exile [to escape] from the affliction and laborious servitude [of the homeland]. She dwells among the [heathen] nations, but she finds no rest; all her persecutors overtook her amid the [dire] straits [of her distress]. + The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the solemn assembly or the appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh and groan, her maidens are grieved and vexed, and she herself is in bitterness. + Her adversaries have become the head; her enemies prosper. For the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her young children have gone into captivity before the enemy. [Jer. 30:14, 15; 52:28; Dan. 9:7-14.] + From the Daughter of Zion all her beauty and majesty have departed. Her princes have become like harts that find no pasture; they have fled without strength before the pursuer. + Jerusalem [earnestly] remembers in the days of her affliction, in the days of her [compulsory] wanderings and her bitterness, all the pleasant and precious things that she had from the days of old. When her people fell into and at the hands of the adversary, and there was none to help her, the enemy [gloated as they] looked at her, and they mocked at her desolations and downfall. + Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become an unclean thing and has been removed. All who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness; yes, she herself groans and sighs and turns [her face] away. + Her filthiness was in and on her skirts; she did not [seriously and earnestly] consider her final end. Therefore she has come down [from throne to slavery] singularly and astonishingly; she has no comforter. O Lord [cries Jerusalem], look at my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself [in triumph]! + The adversary has spread out his hand upon all her precious and desirable things; for she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary [of the temple]--when You commanded that they should not even enter Your congregation [in the outer courts]. [Deut. 23:3; Jer. 51:51; Ezek. 44:7, 9.] + All her people groan and sigh, seeking for bread; they have given their desirable and precious things [in exchange] for food to revive their strength and bring back life. See, O Lord, and consider how wretched and lightly esteemed, how vile and abominable, I have become! + Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which was dealt out to me, with which the Lord has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger! + From above He has sent fire into my bones, and it prevailed against them. He has spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back. He has made me hopelessly miserable and faint all the day long. + The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand; they were twined together; they were set upon my neck. He has made my strength fail and [me to] stumble; the Lord has delivered me into the hands of those I am unable to resist or withstand. [Deut. 28:48.] + The Lord has made of no account all my [Jerusalem's] mighty men in the midst of me; He has proclaimed a set time against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trodden as in a winepress the Virgin Daughter of Judah. + For these things I weep; my eyes overflow with tears, because a comforter, one who could refresh and restore my soul, is far from me. My children are desolate and perishing, for the enemy has prevailed. [Lam. 1:21.] + Zion stretches forth her hands, but there is no comforter for her. The Lord has commanded concerning and against Jacob that his neighbors should be his adversaries; Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them [an object of contempt]. + The Lord is righteous (just and in the right); for I have rebelled against His commandment (His word). Hear, I pray you, all you peoples, and look at my sorrow and suffering; my maidens and my young men have gone into captivity. + I [Jerusalem] called to my lovers [allies], but they deceived me. My priests and my elders expired in the city while they sought food to save their lives. + Behold, O Lord, how distressed I am! My vital parts (emotions) are in tumult and are deeply disturbed; my heart cannot rest and is violently agitated within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Outside the house the sword bereaves, at home there is [famine, pestilence] death! + [My foes] have heard that I [Jerusalem] sigh and groan, that I have no comforter [in You]. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad [O Lord] that You have done it. You will bring the day [of Judah's punishment] that you have foretold and proclaimed; [it involves also my foes' punishment] and they will become like me. [Isa. 14:5, 6; Jer. 30:16.] + Let all their wickedness come before You; and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my sighs and groans are many and my heart is faint. + + + HOW THE Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger! He has cast down from heaven to the earth the beauty and splendor of Israel and has not [earnestly] remembered His footstool in the day of His anger! + The Lord has swallowed up all the country places and habitations of Jacob and has spared not nor pitied; He has demolished in His wrath the strongholds of the Daughter of Judah. He has cast down to the ground the kingdom and its rulers, polluting them and depriving them of their sanctity. + He has broken off in His fierce anger every horn (means of defense) of Israel. He has drawn back His right hand from before the enemy. And He has burned amidst Jacob like a flaming fire consuming all around. + He has bent His bow like an enemy; He has stood with His right hand set like a foe and has slain all the delights and pride of the eye; on and in the tent of the Daughter of Zion He has poured out His wrath like fire. + The Lord has become like an enemy; He has destroyed Israel. He has destroyed all its palaces, has laid in ruins its strongholds, and has multiplied in the Daughter of Judah groaning and moaning and lamentation. + And He has violently broken down His temple like a booth or hedge of a garden; He has destroyed the place of His appointed assembly. The Lord has caused the solemn appointed feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and has spurned and rejected in the indignation of His anger the king and the priest. + The Lord has scorned, rejected, and cast off His altar; He has abhorred and disowned His sanctuary. He has given into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces [and high buildings]; they have raised a clamor in the house of the Lord as on a day of a solemn appointed feast. + The Lord purposed to lay in ruins the [city] wall of the Daughter of Zion. He marked it off by measuring line; He restrained not His hand from destroying. He made rampart and wall lament; they languished together. + Her gates have sunk into the ground; He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are [exiled] among the nations; the law is no more; her prophets also obtain no vision from the Lord. + The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground keeping silent; they have cast dust on their heads, they have girded themselves with sackcloth. The maidens of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground [says Jeremiah]. + My eyes fail from weeping, my emotions are deeply disturbed, my heart is poured out upon the ground [in grief] because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and nurslings faint in the streets of the city. + They keep crying to their mothers, Where is corn and wine [food and drink]? as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away on their mothers' bosom. + What [example of suffering in the past] is sufficient for me to remind you for your [comfort]? To what shall I liken you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? With what shall I compare you, that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as measureless as the sea! Who can heal you? [Lam. 1:12; Dan. 9:12.] + Your prophets have predicted for you falsehood and delusion and foolish things; and they have not exposed your iniquity and guilt to avert your captivity [by causing you to repent]. But they have divined and declared to you false and deceptive prophecies, worthless and misleading. + All who pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city which was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth? + All your enemies have opened wide their mouths against you; they scornfully hiss and gnash their teeth. They cry, We have swallowed her up! Certainly this is the day we have looked for; we have it, we see it! + The Lord has done what He planned; He has carried out and finished His word which He threatened and decreed in the days of old. He has demolished without pity; He has made the enemy rejoice over you and has exalted the might of your foes. [Lev. 26:14-39; Deut. 28:15-68.] + The hearts [of the inhabitants of Jerusalem] cried to the Lord. [Then to the congregation, I, Jeremiah, cried, addressing the wall as its symbol] O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night; give yourself no rest, let not your eyes stop [shedding tears]. + Arise [from your bed], cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street. [Ps. 62:8.] + Behold, O Lord, and consider [carefully] to whom You have done this. Should and shall women eat the fruit of their own bodies, the children whom they have tended and swaddled with their hands? Should and shall priest and prophet be slain in the place set apart [for the worship] of the Lord? + The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets; my maidens and my young men have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger, slaughtering them without pity. + You [Lord] called together, as on an appointed feast day of solemn assembly, my terrors (dangers) from every side. And there was not one in the day of God's wrath who escaped or survived; those I have nursed and brought up, my enemy has destroyed. + + + I AM [Jeremiah] the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His wrath. + He has led me and brought me into darkness and not light. + Surely He has turned away from me; His hand is against me all the day. + My flesh and my skin has He worn out and made old; He has shattered my bones. + He has built up [siege mounds] against me and surrounded me with bitterness, tribulation, and anguish. + He has caused me to dwell in dark places like those long dead. + He walled me in so that I cannot get out; He has weighted down my chain. + Even when I cry and shout for help, He shuts out my prayer. + He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. + He is to me like a bear lying in wait, and like a lion [hiding] in secret places. + He has turned me off my ways and pulled me in pieces; He has made me desolate. + He has bent His bow and set me as a mark for the arrow. + He has caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my heart [the seat of my affections and desires]. + I have become a derision to all my people, and [the subject of] their singsong all the day. + He has filled me with bitterness; He has made me drink to excess and until drunken with wormwood [bitterness]. + He has also broken my teeth with gravel (stones); He has covered me with ashes. + And You have bereaved my soul and cast it off far from peace; I have forgotten what good and happiness are. + And I say, Perished is my strength and my expectation from the Lord. + [O Lord] remember [earnestly] my affliction and my misery, my wandering and my outcast state, the wormwood and the gall. + My soul has them continually in remembrance and is bowed down within me. + But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation: + It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. [Mal. 3:6.] + They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. [Isa. 33:2.] + The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. [Num. 18:20.] + The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word]. + It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord. + It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke [of divine disciplinary dealings] in his youth. + Let him sit alone uncomplaining and keeping silent [in hope], because [God] has laid [the yoke] upon him [for his benefit]. [Rom. 8:28.] + Let him put his mouth in the dust [in abject recognition of his unworthiness]--there may yet be hope. [Mic. 7:17.] + Let him give his cheek to the One Who smites him [even through His human agents]; let him be filled [full] with [men's] reproach [in meekness]. + For the Lord will not cast off forever! [Ps. 94:14.] + But though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy. + For He does not willingly and from His heart afflict or grieve the children of men. [Ezek. 18:23, 32; Hos. 11:8; Heb. 12:5-10; II Pet. 3:9.] + To trample and crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, + To turn aside and deprive a man of his rights before the face of the Most High or a superior [acting as God's representative], + To subvert a man in his cause--[of these things] the Lord does not approve. + Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, if the Lord has not authorized and commanded it? + Is it not out of the mouth of the Most High that evil and good both proceed [adversity and prosperity, physical evil or misfortune and physical good or happiness]? + Why does a living man sigh [one who is still in this life's school of discipline]? [And why does] a man complain for the punishment of his sins? + Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord! + Let us lift up our hearts and our hands [and then with them mount up in prayer] to God in heaven: + We have transgressed and rebelled and You have not pardoned. + You have covered Yourself with wrath and pursued and afflicted us; You have slain without pity. + You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. + You have made us offscouring and refuse among the nations. + All our enemies have gaped at us and railed against us. + Fear and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction. + My eyes overflow with streams of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. + My eyes overflow continually and will not cease + Until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven. + My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens [and the daughter-towns] of my city [Jerusalem]. + I have been hunted down like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause. + They [thought they had] destroyed my life in the dungeon (pit) and cast a stone [over it] above me. [Jer. 38.] + The waters ran down on my head; I said, I am gone. + I called upon Your name, O Lord, out of the depths [of the mire] of the dungeon. [Jer. 38:6.] + You heard my voice [then]: [Oh] hide not Your ear [now] at my prayer for relief. + You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, Fear not. [James 4:8.] + O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul [You have managed my affairs and You have protected my person and my rights]; You have rescued and redeemed my life! + O Lord, You have seen my wrong [done to me]; judge and maintain my cause. + You have seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me. + You have heard their reproach and revilings, O Lord, and all their devices against me-- + The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all day long. + Look at their sitting down and their rising up [their movements, doings, and secret counsels]; I am their singsong [the subject of their derision and merriment]. [Ps. 139:2; Isa. 37:28.] + Render to them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands. + You will give them hardness and blindness of heart; Your curse will be upon them. + You will pursue and afflict them in anger and destroy them from under Your heavens, O Lord. + + + HOW THE gold has become dim! How the most pure gold has changed! The hallowed stones [of the temple] are poured out at the head of every street. + The noble and precious sons of Zion, [once] worth their weight in fine gold--how they are esteemed [merely] as earthen pots or pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! [Isa. 30:14; Jer. 19:11; II Cor. 4:7.] + Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones, but the daughter of my people has become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness [that desert their young]. + The tongue of the nursing babe cleaves to the roof of its mouth because of thirst; the young children beg for food, but no one gives it to them. + Those who feasted on dainties are perishing in the streets; those who were brought up in purple lie cleaving to refuse and ash heaps. + For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands had come against her or been laid on her. [Gen. 19:25.] + [In physical appearance] her princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies or corals, their shapely figures [suggested a carefully cut] sapphire. + [Prolonged famine has made] them look blacker than soot and darkness; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered and it has become [dry] like a stick. + Those who are slain with the sword are more fortunate than those who are the victims of hunger [slain by the famine]; for they [the hungry] pine and ebb away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. + The hands of [heretofore] compassionate women have boiled their own children; they were their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people [Judah]. + The Lord has fulfilled His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger and has kindled a fire in Zion that has consumed her foundations. + The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the earth, that the oppressor and enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem. + [But this happened] because of the sins of her [false] prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the just and righteous in the midst of her. + [The false prophets and priests] wandered [staggering] in the streets as if blind; they had so polluted themselves with blood it was not [lawful] for men to touch their garments. + [People] cried to them, Go away! Unclean! Depart! Depart! Touch not! When they fled away, then they wandered [as fugitives]; men said among the nations, They shall not stay here any longer. + The anger of the Lord has scattered [and divided them among the nations]; He will no longer look after them. They did not respect the persons of the priests; they did not favor the elders. + As for us, our eyes yet failed and wasted away in looking for our worthless help. In our watching [on our watchtower] we have watched and waited expectantly for a nation [Egypt or some other one to come to our rescue] that could not save us. [Ezek. 29:16.] + [The missiles of the enemy] dog our steps, so that we cannot go into our streets; our end is near, our days are fulfilled--yes, our end has come. + Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky; they pursued us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. + The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord [our king], was taken in their snares--he of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations. + Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. But the cup [of the wine of God's wrath] also shall pass to you; you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. [Jer. 25:17.] + The punishment of your iniquity will be accomplished and completed, O Daughter of Zion; [the Lord] will no more carry you away or keep you in exile. But He will inspect and punish your iniquity and guilt, O Daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins. [Ps. 137:7.] + + + O LORD, [earnestly] remember what has come upon us! Look down and see our reproach (our national disgrace)! + Our inheritance has fallen over to strangers, our houses to foreigners. + We have become orphans and fatherless; our mothers are like widows. + We have had to pay money to drink the water that belongs to us; our [own] wood is sold to us. + Our pursuers are upon our necks [like a yoke]; we are weary and are allowed no rest. + We have given the hand [as a pledge of fidelity and submission] to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians [merely] to get food to satisfy [our hunger]. + Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we have borne their iniquities. [Isa. 65:7; Jer. 16:11-12; 31:29; Ezek. 18:2-4.] + Servants and slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us out of their hands. [Neh. 5:15.] + We get our bread at the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness [the wild Arabs, who may attack if we venture into the fields to reap our harvests]. + Our skin glows and is parched as from [the heat of] an oven because of the burning heat of [the fever of] famine. + They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah. + They hung princes by their hands; the persons of elders were not respected. + Young men carried millstones, and boys fell [staggering] under [burdens of] wood. + The elders have ceased from [congregating at] the city's gate, the young men from their music. + Ceased is the joy of our hearts; our dancing has turned into mourning. + The crown has fallen from our head [our honor is brought to the dust]! Woe to us, for we have sinned! + Because of this our hearts are faint and sick; because of these things our eyes are dim and see darkly. + As for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, the jackals prowl over it! + But You, O Lord, remain and reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to [all] generations. + Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long? + Turn us to Yourself, O Lord, and we shall be turned and restored! Renew our days as of old!-- + Or have You utterly rejected us? Or are You exceedingly angry with us [still]? + + + + + NOW [when I was] in [my] thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was in the midst of captivity beside the river Chebar [in Babylonia], the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. + On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, + The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. [I Kings 18:46; II Kings 3:15.] + As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud with a fire enveloping it and flashing continually; a brightness was about it and out of the midst of it there seemed to glow amber metal, out of the midst of the fire. + And out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures [or cherubim]. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man, + But each one had four faces and each one had four wings. + And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like burnished bronze. + And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. And the four of them had their faces and their wings thus: + Their wings touched one another; they turned not when they went but went every one straight forward. + As for the likeness of their faces, they each had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side and the face of an ox on the left side; the four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads]. [Rev. 4:7.] + Such were their faces. And their wings were stretched out upward [each creature had four wings]; two wings of each one were touching the [adjacent] wing of the creatures on either side of it, and [the remaining] two wings of each creature covered its body. + And they went every one straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they turned not when they went. + In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning. + And the living creatures darted back and forth like a flash of lightning. + Now as I was still looking at the living creatures, I saw one wheel upon the ground beside each of the living creatures with its four faces. + As to the appearance of the wheels and their construction: in appearance they gleamed like chrysolite; and the four were formed alike, and their construction work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. + When they went, they went in one of their four directions without turning [for they were faced that way]. + As for their rims, they were so high that they were dreadful, and the four had their rims full of eyes round about. + And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. + Wherever the spirit went, the creatures went and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit or life of the [four living creatures acting as one] living creature was in the wheels. + When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up high beside them, for the spirit or life of the [combined] living creature was in the wheels. + Over the head of the [combined] living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, looking like the terrible and awesome [dazzling of shining] crystal or ice stretched across the expanse of sky over their heads. + And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. Every living creature had two wings which covered its body on this side and two which covered it on that side. + And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, the sound of tumult like the noise of a host. When they stood, they let down their wings. + And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads; when they stood, they let down their wings. + And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone, and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with the appearance of a Man. [Phil. 2:5-8.] + From what had the appearance of His waist upward, I saw a lustre as it were glowing metal with the appearance of fire enclosed round about within it; and from the appearance of His waist downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness [of a halo] round about Him. + Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face and I heard a voice of One speaking. [Rev. 4:3.] + + + AND HE said to me [Ezekiel], Son of man, stand upon your feet and I will speak to you. + And the Spirit entered into me when He spoke to me and set me upon my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me. + And He said to me, I send you, son of man, to the children of Israel, two rebellious nations that have rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me even to this very day. + And the children are impudent and hard of heart. I send you to them and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God. + And they, whether they will hear or refuse to hear--for they are a rebellious house--yet shall they know and realize that there has been a prophet among them. + And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you and you dwell and sit among scorpions, be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. + And you shall speak My words to them whether they will hear or refuse to hear, for they are most rebellious. + As for you, son of man, hear what I say to you; be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. + And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. + And He spread it before me and it was written within and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe. + + + HE SAID to me, Son of man, eat what you find [in this book]; eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel. + So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat the scroll. + And He said to me, Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. + And He said to me, Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel and speak to them with My words. + For you are not sent to a people of a foreign speech and of a difficult language but to the house of Israel; + Not to many peoples of foreign speech and of a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to such people, they would have listened to you and heeded My words. + But the house of Israel will not listen to you and obey you since they will not listen to Me and obey Me, for all the house of Israel are impudent and stubborn of heart. + Behold, I have made your face strong and hard against their faces and your forehead strong and hard against their foreheads. + Like an adamant harder than flint or a diamond point have I made your forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. [Isa. 50:7; Jer. 1:18; 15:20; Mic. 3:8.] + Moreover, He said to me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you, receive in your heart and hear with your ears. + And go, get you to the [Jewish] captives [in Babylon], to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, Thus says the Lord God, whether they will hear or refuse to hear. + Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing [saying], Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place [above the firmament]. + I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched and joined each one the other [its sister wing], and I heard the noise of the wheels beside them and the noise of a great rushing. + So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away [in the vision], and I went in bitterness [of discouragement] in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. + Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, who sat and dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat and remained there among them seven days, overwhelmed with astonishment and silent. + And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: + Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me. [Isa. 52:8; 56:10; 62:6; Jer. 6:17.] + If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and you do not give him warning or speak to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand. + Yet if you warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered yourself. + Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness (right doing and right standing with God) and some gift or providence which I lay before him he perverts into an occasion to sin and he commits iniquity, he shall die; because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood will I require at your hand. + Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he is warned; also you have delivered yourself from guilt. + And the hand of the Lord was there upon me, and He said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain and I will talk with you there. + Then I arose and went forth into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory I had seen by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. + Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; He spoke and said to me, Go, shut yourself up in your house. + But you, O son of man, behold, ropes will be put upon you and you will be bound with them, and you cannot go out among people. + And I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot talk and be a reprover of the people, for they are a rebellious house. + But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to the people, Thus says the Lord God; he who hears, let him hear, and he who refuses to hear, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. + + + AND YOU, son of man, take a tile and lay it before you, and make upon it a drawing of a city, even Jerusalem. + And put siege works against it, build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it and set battering rams against it round about. + Moreover, take a plate of iron and place it for an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it and it shall be besieged, and you shall press the siege against it. This is a sign to the house of Israel. + Then [bound as you are] lie upon your left [and north] side to bear symbolically the iniquity of the house of the ten tribes of Israel upon that side. According to the number of days that you shall lie upon it you shall bear their iniquity. + For I have laid upon you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, 390 days [representing 390 years]; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. + And when you have fulfilled the days for Israel, lie again, but on your right [and south] side, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have appointed you one day for each year. + Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and your arm shall be uncovered [ready for battle], and you shall prophesy against [the city]. + And, behold, I will lay bands upon you and you shall not turn yourself from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege. + Also take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them into one vessel and make bread of them. According to the number of the days that you shall lie upon your side, 390 days you shall eat of it. + And the food you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels or a full half pound a day, to be eaten at a fixed time each day. + You shall drink water by measure also, about one quart or the sixth part of a hin; you shall drink at a fixed time each day. + And you shall eat your food as barley cakes and you shall bake it with human dung as fuel in the sight of the people. + And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations to whom I will drive them. [Hos. 9:3.] + Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself or is torn in pieces; neither did there ever come abominable flesh into my mouth. [Acts 10:14.] + Then He said to me, Behold, I will let you use cow's dung instead of human dung, and you shall prepare your food with it. + Moreover, He said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread [by which life is supported] in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread rationed by weight and with fearfulness, and they shall drink water rationed by measure and with dismay (silent, speechless grief caused by the impending starvation), [Lev. 26:26; Ps. 105:16; Isa. 3:1.] + In order that they may lack bread and water and look at one another in dismay and waste away [in their punishment] for their iniquity. + + + AND YOU, son of man [Ezekiel], take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor and shave your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair into three parts. + You shall burn one part with fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and you shall take a second part and strike with the sword round about it; and a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them. + You shall also take from these a small number of hairs and bind them in the skirts of your robe. + And of these again take some hairs and cast them into the midst of the fire and burn them in the fire; from there a fire shall come forth into all the house of Israel. + Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem; in the center of the nations I have set her, and countries are round about her. + And she has changed and rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the [heathen] nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are round about her; for [Israel] rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they have not walked in them. [Rom. 2:14, 15.] + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you were more turbulent and raged [against Me] more than the nations that are round about you and have not walked in My statutes, neither have kept My ordinances, nor have done according to the ordinances [concerning] the nations that are round about you; [Deut. 7:2-6; Josh. 23:7; Judg. 2:2.] + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against you, and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations. + And because of all your abominations, I will do in you that which I have not done and the like of which I will never do again. [Lam. 4:6; Dan. 9:12; Amos 3:2.] + Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you and all who are left of you I will scatter to all the winds. [Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64; Ezek. 12:14; Zech. 2:6.] + Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, surely because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish you and withdraw My eye that it shall not spare you. And I also will have no pity. + And a third of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed by famine in the midst of you; a third shall fall by the sword round about you; and I will scatter a third to all the winds and will draw out a sword after them. + Thus shall My anger be spent and I will cause My wrath toward them to rest and I will be eased and comforted. And they shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord have spoken in My zeal, when I have accomplished My wrath upon them. [Ezek. 36:6; 38:19.] + Moreover, I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are round about you and in the sight of all who pass by. [Lev. 26:31, 32; Neh. 2:17.] + So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror and an astonishment to the [heathen] nations around you when I shall execute judgments upon you in anger and in wrath and in furious chastisements and rebukes--I the Lord have spoken it. [Deut. 28:37; Ps. 79:4; Jer. 24:9.] + When I shall loose against them the evil arrows of hunger that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, then I will increase the famine upon you and will break your staff of bread. + And I will send upon you hunger and wild beasts, and they shall bereave you [of your loved ones]; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I the Lord have spoken it. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them, + And say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the river ravines and the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places [of idolatrous worship], + And your altars shall be made desolate and your sun-pillars shall be broken in pieces, and I will cast down your slain before your idols. [Lev. 26:30.] + And I will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. + In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste and the high places shall be made desolate, that your altars may bear their guilt and be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and destroyed, your sun-images may be hewn down, and your handiworks may be wiped away and blotted out. + And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. + Yet will I leave some of you alive. When you have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when you shall be scattered through the countries, + Then those of you who escape shall [earnestly] remember Me among the nations to which they shall be carried captive, how that I have been broken by their lewdness and have Myself broken their wanton heart which has departed from Me and blinded their eyes which turn after their idols wantonly; and they shall be loathsome in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. + And they shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. I have not said in vain that I would bring this evil calamity [in punishment] upon them. + Thus says the Lord God: Strike with your fist, stamp with your foot, and say, Alas! over all the vile abominations of the house of Israel for which [Israel] shall fall by sword, by famine, and by pestilence. + He who is far off shall die of the pestilence, and he that is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is preserved shall die by the famine. Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon them. + Then shall you know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, when their slain shall lie among their idols round about their altars upon every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every thickly leafed oak, the places where they were accustomed to offer sweet incense to all their idols. + And I will stretch out My hand upon them and make the land desolate and waste, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblah [a Moabite city], throughout all their dwelling places; and they shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. + + + MOREOVER, THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Also, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. [Ezek. 11:13; Amos 8:2.] + Now is the end upon you, and I will send My anger upon you and will judge you according to your ways and will bring upon you retribution for all your abominations. + And My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring recompense for your evil ways upon you, while your abominations are in the midst of you [calling down punishment from a righteous God]; and you shall know (recognize, understand, and realize) that I am the Lord. + Thus says the Lord God: Behold, an evil is coming, [an evil so destructive and injurious, so sudden and violent, that it stands alone, not as a succession but as] only one evil. + An end has come! The end has come! [The end--after sleeping so long] awakes against you. See, it has come! + Your turn (your doom) has come upon you, O inhabitant of the land; the time has come, the day is near, a day not of joyful shouting, but a day of tumult upon the mountains. + Now will I shortly pour out My wrath upon you and finish spending My anger against you, and I will judge you according to your ways and will recompense you with punishment for all your abominations. + And My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways while your abominations are right in the midst of you. And you shall know, understand, and realize that it is I the Lord Who smites you. + Behold, the day! Behold, it has come! Your doom has gone forth, the rod has blossomed, pride has budded. + Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness; none of [Israel] shall remain, none of their abundance, none of their wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them or wailing for them. + The time has come, the day draws near. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude. + For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, even were they yet alive. For the vision [of punishment] is touching [Israel's] whole multitude; he shall not come back, neither shall any strengthen himself whose life is in his iniquity. + They have blown the trumpet and have made all ready, but none goes to the battle, for My wrath is upon all their multitude. + The sword is without and pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field shall die by the sword, and him who is in the city shall famine and pestilence devour. + But those of them that escape shall escape, but shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, every one in his iniquity's [punishment]. + All hands shall be feeble and all knees shall be weak as water. [Isa. 13:7; Jer. 6:24; Ezek. 21:7.] + They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth; horror and dismay shall cover them, and shame shall be upon all faces and baldness upon all their heads [as evidence of grief]. + They shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be [discarded] like an unclean thing or rubbish; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their animal cravings nor fill their stomachs with them, for [wealth] has been the stumbling block of their iniquity. [Prov. 11:4; Zeph. 1:18.] + As for the beauty of gold for ornament, they turned it to pride and made of it the images of their abominations (idols) and of their detestable things. Therefore I will make it to them as an unclean thing. + And I will give it for plunder into the hands of strangers and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil, and they shall profane it. + Also I will turn My face from them and they shall profane My secret treasure [the temple]; and robbers shall enter into it and profane it. + Prepare the chain [of imprisonment], for the land is full of bloodguiltiness [murders committed with pretended formalities of justice] and the city is full of violence. + Therefore I will bring in the worst of the [heathen] nations, who will take possession of the houses [of the people of Judah]; I will also silence their strongholds and put an end to their proud might, and their holy places and those who sanctify them shall be profaned. + Distress, panic, and destruction shall come, and they [of Judah] shall seek peace, and there shall be none. + Calamity shall come upon calamity and rumor shall be upon rumor, and they shall seek a vision of the prophet; and the law and instruction shall cease from the [distracted] priest and counsel from the [dismayed] elders. [Ps. 74:9; Lam. 2:9.] + The king [of Judah] shall wear mourning and the prince shall clothe himself with garments of despair and desolation, while the hands of the people of the land shall tremble [palsied by terror]; for I will do to them in accordance with their ways, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know, recognize, and realize that I am the Lord. + + + AND IN the sixth year [of the capitivity of King Jehoiachin], in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house [a captive of the Babylonians] with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. + Then I beheld, and lo, a likeness of a Man with the appearance of fire; from His waist downward He was like fire, and from His waist upward He had the appearance of brightness like gleaming bronze. + And He put forth the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the door of the inner [court] which faces toward the north, where was the seat of the idol (image) of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. [II Kings 16:10-16; 21:4, 5.] + And behold, there was the glory of the God of Israel [Who had loved and chosen them], like the vision I saw in the plain. [Ezek. 1:28; 3:22, 23.] + Then He [the Spirit] said to me, Son of man, now lift up your eyes toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, on the north of the altar gate was that idol (image) of jealousy in the entrance. + Furthermore, [the Spirit] said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing? The great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here to drive Me far from My sanctuary? But you shall again see greater abominations. + And He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. + Then He said to me, Son of man, dig now in the wall. And when I had dug in the wall, behold, there was a door. + And He said to me, Go in and see the wicked abominations that they do here. + So I went in and saw there pictures of every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel, painted round about on the wall. + And there stood before these [pictures] seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan [the scribe], with every man his censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense was going up [in prayer to these their gods]. + Then said He to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his [secret] chambers of [idol] pictures? For they say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land. + He also said to me, Yet again you shall see greater abominations which they are committing. + Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord's house; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz [a Babylonian god, who was supposed to die annually and subsequently be resurrected]. + Then said [the Spirit] to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? Yet again you shall see greater abominations that they are committing. + And He brought me to the inner court of the Lord's house; and behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the bronze altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing themselves toward the east and worshiping the sun. + Then [the Spirit] said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too slight a thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here, that they must fill the land with violence and turn back afresh to provoke Me to anger? And behold, they put the branch to their nose [actually, before their mouths, in superstitious worship]! + Therefore I will deal in wrath; My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. [Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 11:11; 14:12; Mic. 3:4; Zech. 7:13.] + + + [THE SPIRIT] cried in my ears [in the vision] with a loud voice, saying, Cause those to draw near who have charge over the city [as executioners], every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. + And behold, six men came from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, every man with his battle-ax in his hand; and one man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer's ink bottle at his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. + And the glory of the God of Israel [the Shekinah, cloud] had gone up from the cherubim upon which it had rested to [stand above] the threshold of the [Lord's] house. And [the Lord] called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's ink bottle at his side. + And the Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in the midst of it. + And to the others He said in my hearing, Follow [the man with the ink bottle] through the city and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have any pity. + Slay outright the elderly, the young man and the virgin, the infant and the women; but do not touch or go near anyone on whom is the mark. Begin at My sanctuary. So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple [who did not have the Lord's mark on their foreheads]. [I Pet. 4:17.] + And He said to [the executioners], Defile the temple and fill its courts with the slain. Go forth! And they went forth and slew in the city. + And while they were slaying them and I was left, I fell upon my face and cried, Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all that is left of Israel in Your pouring out of Your wrath and indignation upon Jerusalem? + Then said He to me, The iniquity and guilt of the house of Israel and Judah are exceedingly great; the land is full of blood and the city full of injustice and perverseness; for they say, The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see [what we are doing]. + And as for Me, My eye will not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their wicked doings upon their own heads. + And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the ink bottle at his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as You have commanded me. + + + THEN I looked and behold, in the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something looking like a sapphire stone, in form resembling a throne. + And [the Lord] spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, Go in among the whirling wheels under the cherubim; fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city. And he went in before my eyes. [Rev. 8:5.] + Now the cherubim stood on the south side of the house when the man went in; and the cloud [the Shekinah] filled the inner court. + Then the glory of the Lord mounted up from the cherubim to stand over the threshold of the [Lord's] house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. [I Kings 8:10, 11; Ezek. 43:5.] + And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks. [Ps. 29:3, 4.] + And when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, [the man] went in and stood beside a wheel. + And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. + And the cherubim seemed to have the form of a man's hand under their wings. + And I looked and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling chrysolite. + And as for their appearance, they four looked alike, as if a wheel had been within a wheel. + When they went, they went in any one of the four directions [in which their four individual faces were turned]; they did not turn as they went, but to the place to which the front wheel faced the others followed; they turned not as they went. + And their whole body, their backs, their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that each had. + As regarding the wheels [attached to them], they were called in my hearing the whirling wheels. + And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. + And the cherubim mounted upward. This is the [same] living creature [the four regarded as one] that I saw by the river Chebar [in Babylonia]. [Ezek. 1:5.] + And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. + When those stood still, these stood still; and when those mounted up, these [the wheels] mounted up also, for the spirit of life was in these [wheels]. [Ezek. 1:21.] + Then the glory of the Lord [the Shekinah, cloud] went forth from above the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. + And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight, and they went forth with the wheels beside them; and they stood at the entrance of the East Gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel [the Shekinah, cloud] was over them. + This is the living creature [of four combined creatures] that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar, and I knew that they were cherubim. + Each one had four faces and each one had four wings, and what looked like the hands of a man was under their wings. + And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces which I saw by the river Chebar, with regard to their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward. + + + MOREOVER, THE Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the East Gate of the Lord's house, which faces east. And behold, at the door of the gateway there were twenty-five men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. + Then [the Spirit] said to me, Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city, + Who say, [The time] is not near to build houses; this city is the boiling pot and we are the flesh. + Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man! + And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and He said to me, Speak. Say, Thus says the Lord: This is what you thought, O house of Israel, for I know the things that come into your mind. + You have multiplied your slain in this city and you have filled its streets with the slain. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in your midst; they are the flesh and this city is the boiling pot, but you shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. + You have feared the sword, and I will bring a sword upon you, says the Lord God. + And I will bring you forth out of the midst of it and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and execute judgments among you. + You shall fall by the sword; I will judge and punish you [before your neighbors] at the border or outside the land of Israel, and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + This city shall not be your boiling pot, neither shall you be the flesh in the midst of it; I will judge you at the border or outside of Israel; + And you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you. + And while I was prophesying, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down upon my face and cried with a loud voice, Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel? + And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, your brethren, even your kindred, your fellow exiles, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are they of whom the [present] inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, They have gone far from the Lord [and from this land]; therefore this land is given to us for a possession. + Therefore say, Thus says the Lord God: Whereas I have removed [Israel] far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I have been to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries to which they have come. + Therefore say, Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel. + And when they return there, they shall take away from it all traces of its detestable things and all its abominations (sex impurities and heathen religious practices). + And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God], [Ezek. 18:31; 36:26; II Cor. 3:3.] + That they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God. + But as for those whose heart yearns for and goes after their detestable things and their loathsome abominations [associated with idolatry], I will repay their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord God. + Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels which were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel [the Shekinah, cloud] was over them. + Then the glory of the Lord rose up from over the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is on the east side of the city. + And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. + And I told the exiles everything that the Lord had shown me. + + + THE WORD of the Lord also came to me, saying, + Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the house of the rebellious, who have eyes to see and see not, who have ears to hear and hear not, for they are a rebellious house. [Mark 8:18.] + Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for removing and going into exile, and move out by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider and perceive that they are a rebellious house. + And you shall bring forth your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for removing into exile; and you shall go forth yourself at evening in their sight, as those who go forth into exile. + Dig through the wall in their sight and carry the stuff out through the hole. + In their sight you shall bear your baggage upon your shoulder and carry it forth in the dark; you shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign for the house of Israel. + And I did as I was commanded. I brought forth my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage in the dark, carrying it upon my shoulder in their sight. + And in the morning came the word of the Lord to me, saying, + Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, asked you what you are doing? + Say to them, Thus says the Lord God: This oracle or revelation concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it. + Say, I am your sign; as I have done, so shall it be done to them; into banishment, into captivity, they shall go. + And the prince who is in their midst shall lift up his luggage to his shoulder in the dark; then shall he go forth. They shall dig through the wall to carry out through the hole in it. He shall cover his face so that he will not see with his eyes the land. + My net also will I spread over him, and he shall be taken in My snare, and I will bring him to Babylonia, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. [II Kings 25:1-7; 39:5; Jer. 52:7-11.] + And I will scatter toward every wind all who are about him to help him, even all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. + And they shall know (recognize, understand, and realize) that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the countries. + But I will leave a few survivors who will escape the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may declare and confess all their [idolatrous] abominations among the nations to which they go, and [thus God's punishment of them will be justified before everyone and] they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, eat your bread with shaking, and drink water with trembling and with fearfulness; + And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness and drink water with dismay, for their land will be stripped and plundered of all its fullness, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. + And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be deserted and become a desolation; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days drag on and every vision comes to nothing and is not fulfilled? + Tell them therefore, Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall use it no more as a proverb in Israel. But say to them, The days are at hand and the fulfillment of every vision. + For there shall be no more any false, empty, and fruitless vision or flattering divination in the house of Israel. + For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed (come to pass); it shall be no more delayed or prolonged, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and will perform it, says the Lord God. + Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that [Ezekiel] sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of the times that are far off. + Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: There shall none of My words be deferred any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be performed, says the Lord God. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own mind and heart, Hear the word of the Lord! + Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit [and things they have not seen] and have seen nothing! + O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins and in waste places. + You have not gone up into the gaps or breeches, nor built up the wall for the house of Israel that it might stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. + They have seen falsehood and lying divination, saying, The Lord says; but the Lord has not sent them. Yet they have hoped and made men to hope for the confirmation of their word. + Have you not seen a false vision and have you not spoken a lying divination when you say, The Lord says, although I have not spoken? + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have spoken empty, false, and delusive words and have seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord God. + And My hand shall be against the prophets who see empty, false, and delusive visions and who give lying prophecies. They shall not be in the secret council of My people, nor shall they be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord God. + Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace, and because when one builds a [flimsy] wall, behold, [these prophets] daub it over with whitewash, + Say to them who daub it with whitewash that it shall fall! There shall be a downpour of rain; and you, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a violent wind shall tear apart [the whitewashed, flimsy wall]. + Behold, when the wall is fallen, will you not be asked, Where is the coating with which you [prophets] daubed it? + Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in My wrath, and there shall be an overwhelming rain in My anger and great hailstones in wrath to destroy [that wall]. + So will I break down the wall that you have daubed with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundations will be exposed; when it falls, you will perish and be consumed in the midst of it. And you will know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall and upon those who have daubed it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, neither are they who daubed it, + The [false] prophets of Israel who prophesied deceitfully about Jerusalem, seeing visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord God. + And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of [the wishful thinking of] their own minds and hearts; prophesy against them, + And say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew pillows to all armholes and fasten magic, protective charms to all wrists, and deceptive veils upon the heads of those of every stature to hunt and capture human lives! Will you snare the lives of My people to keep your own selves alive? + You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, slaying persons who should not die and giving [a guaranty of] life to those who should not live, by your lying to My people, who give heed to lies. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your pillows and charms and veils with which you snare human lives like birds, and I will tear them from your arms and will let the lives you hunt go free, the lives you are snaring like birds. + Your [deceptive] veils also will I tear and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted and snared. Then you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + Because with lies you have made the righteous sad and disheartened, whom I have not made sad or disheartened, and because you have encouraged and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way and be saved [in that you falsely promised him life], + Therefore you will no more see false visions or practice divinations, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Then you will know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + + + THEN CAME certain of the elders of Israel to me and sat before me. + And the word of the Lord came to me: + Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity and guilt before their faces; should I permit Myself to be inquired of at all by them? + Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols [of self-will and unsubmissiveness] into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity [idols of silver and gold] before his face, and yet comes to the prophet [to inquire of him], I the Lord will answer him, answer him according to the multitude of his idols, + That I may lay hold of the house of Israel in the thoughts of their own mind and heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols. + Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. + For anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who separates himself from Me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity and guilt before his face, and [yet] comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of Me, I the Lord will answer him Myself! + And I will set My face against that [false worshiper] and will make him a sign and a byword, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + [The prophet has not been granted permission to give an answer to the hypocritical inquirer] but if the prophet does give the man the answer he desires [thus allowing himself to be a party to the inquirer's sin], I the Lord will see to it that the prophet is deceived in his answer, and I will stretch out My hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. + And they both shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the iniquity of the [presumptuous] prophet shall be the same as the iniquity of the [hypocritical] inquirer, + That the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, says the Lord God. + The word of the Lord came [again] to me, saying, + Son of man, when a land sins against Me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out My hand against it and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it and cut off from it man and beast, + Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they would save but their own lives by their righteousness (their uprightness and right standing with Me), says the Lord God. + If I cause ferocious and evil wild animals to pass through the land and they ravage and bereave it, and it becomes desolate so that no man may pass through because of the beasts; + Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; they themselves alone would be delivered but the land would be desolate (laid waste and deserted). + Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off man and beast from it, + Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they themselves alone would be delivered. + Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast, + Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would but deliver their own lives by their righteousness (their moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). + For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send My four sore acts of judgment upon Jerusalem--the sword, the famine, the evil wild beasts, and the pestilence--to cut off from it man and beast! [Lev. 26:21-33.] + And yet, behold, in it shall be left a remnant (an escaped portion), both sons and daughters. They shall be carried forth to you [in Babylon], and when you see their [ungodly] walk and their [wicked] doings, you will be consoled for the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. + And they shall console you when you see their evil ways and their rebellious actions. Then you shall know (understand and realize) that I have not done without cause all that I have done in Jerusalem, says the Lord God. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, How is the wood of the grapevine [Israel] more than that of any tree, the vine branch which was among the trees of the forest? [Ps. 80:8-13; Jer. 2:21.] + Shall wood be taken from it to do any work? Or will men take a peg of it on which to hang any vessel? + Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire consumes both ends of it and the middle of it is charred. Is it suitable or profitable for any work? + Notice, even when it was whole, it was good for no work; how much less shall it be useful and profitable when the fire has devoured it and it is charred? + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the grapevine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And I will set My face against them; they shall go out from one fire and another fire shall devour them, and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. + And I will make the land desolate (laid waste and deserted) because they have acted faithlessly [through their idolatry], says the Lord. + + + AGAIN THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know, understand, and realize her [idolatrous] abominations [that they] are disgusting, detestable, and shamefully vile. + And say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem [representing Israel]: Your [spiritual] origin and your birth are thoroughly Canaanitish; your [spiritual] father was an Amorite and your [spiritual] mother a Hittite. [Ezek. 16:45; John 8:44.] + And as for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt or swaddled with bands at all. + No eye pitied you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, for your person was abhorrent and loathsome on the day that you were born. + And when I passed by you and saw you rolling about in your blood, I said to you in your blood, Live! Yes, I said to you still in your natal blood, Live! + I caused you [Israel] to multiply as the bud which grows in the field, and you increased and became tall and you came to full maidenhood and beauty; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown, yet you were naked and bare. + Now I passed by you again and looked upon you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I plighted My troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord, and you became Mine. + Then I washed you with water; yes, I thoroughly washed away your [clinging] blood from you and I anointed you with oil. + I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with [fine seal] leather; and I girded you about with fine linen and covered you with silk. + I decked you also with ornaments and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. + And I put a ring on your nostril and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown upon your head! + Thus you were decked with gold and silver, and your raiment was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth; you ate fine flour and honey and oil. And you were exceedingly beautiful and you prospered into royal estate. + And your renown went forth among the nations for your beauty, for it was perfect through My majesty and splendor which I had put upon you, says the Lord God. + But you trusted in and relied on your own beauty and were unfaithful to God and played the harlot [in idolatry] because of your renown, and you poured out your fornications upon anyone who passed by [as you worshiped the idols of every nation which prevailed over you] and your beauty was his. + And you took some of your garments and made for yourself gaily decorated high places or shrines and played the harlot on them--things which should not come and that which should not take place. + You did also take your fair jewels and beautiful vessels of My gold and My silver which I had given you and made for yourself images of men, and you played the harlot with them; + And you took your embroidered garments and covered them and set My oil and My incense before them. + My bread also which I gave you--fine flour and oil and honey with which I fed you--you have even set it before the idols for a sweet odor. Thus it was, says the Lord God. + Moreover, you have taken your sons and your daughters whom you have borne to Me, and you have sacrificed them [to your idols] to be destroyed. Were your harlotries too little, + That you have slain My children and delivered them up, in setting them apart and causing them to pass through the fire for [your idols]? + And in all your abominations and idolatrous whoredoms you have not [earnestly] remembered the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, rolling about in your natal blood. + And after all your wickedness--Woe, woe to you! says the Lord God-- + You have built also for yourself a vaulted chamber (brothel) and have made a high place [of idol worship] in every street. + At every crossway you built your high place [for idol worship] and have made your beauty an abomination [abhorrent, loathsome, extremely disgusting, and detestable]; and you have made your body available to every passerby and multiplied your [idolatry and spiritual] harlotry. + You have also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your neighbors, [by adopting their idolatries] whose worship is thoroughly sensuous, and you have multiplied your harlotry to provoke Me to anger. + Behold therefore, I have stretched out My hand against you, diminished your ordinary allowance of food, and delivered you over to the will of those who hate and despise you, the daughters of the Philistines, who turned away in shame from your despicable policy and lewd behavior [for they are faithful to their gods]! + You played the harlot also with the Assyrians because you were unsatiable; yes, you played the harlot with them, and yet you were not satisfied. + Moreover, you multiplied your harlotry with the land of trade, with Chaldea, and yet even with this you were not satisfied. + How weak and spent with longing and lust is your heart and mind, says the Lord God, seeing you do all these things, the work of a bold, domineering harlot, + In that you build your vaulted place (brothel) at the head of every street and make your high place at every crossing. But you were not like a harlot because you scorned pay. + Rather, you were as an adulterous wife who receives strangers instead of her husband! + Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers and hire them, bribing [the nations to ally themselves with you], that they may come to you on every side for your harlotries (your idolatrous unfaithfulnesses to God). + And you are different [the reverse] from other women in your harlotries, in that nobody follows you to lure you into harlotry and in that you give hire when no hire is given you; and so you are different. + Therefore, O harlot [Israel], hear the word of the Lord! + Thus says the Lord God: Because your brass [coins and gifts] and your filthiness were emptied out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers, and because of all the [filthy] idols of your abominations, and the blood of your children that you gave to them, + Therefore behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you have taken pleasure, and all those whom you have loved with all those whom you have hated; I will even gather them [the allies you have courted] against you on every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness [making you, Israel, an object of loathing and of mockery, a spectacle among the nations]. + And I the Lord will judge you as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged, and I will bring upon you the blood of [your divine Husband's] wrath and jealousy. [Num. 5:18.] + And I will also give you into the hand of those [your enemies], and they shall throw down your vaulted place (brothel) and shall demolish your high places [of idolatry]; they shall strip you of your clothes and shall take your splendid jewels and leave you naked and bare. + They shall also bring up a company against you, and they shall stone you with stones and hew down and thrust you through with their swords. + And they shall burn your houses with fire and execute judgments upon you before the eyes of many women spectators [the nations]. And I will cause you to cease playing the harlot, and you also shall give hire no more. + So will I make My wrath toward you to rest and My jealousy shall depart from you [My adulterous wife], and I will be quiet and will be no more angry. + Because you have not [earnestly] remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me with all these things, therefore behold, I also will bring your deeds down on your own head, says the Lord God. Did you not commit this lewdness above and in addition to all your other abominations? + Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb against you: As is the mother, so is her daughter. + You are your [spiritual] mother's daughter who loathed her husband and her children, and you are the sister of your sisters who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. + And your elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters who dwelt in the north and at your left hand; and your younger sister who dwelt in the south and at your right hand is Sodom and her daughters. + Yet you were not satisfied to walk after their ways or to do after their abominations, but very soon you were more corrupt in all your ways than they were [for your sin, as those taught of God, is far blacker than theirs]. [Matt. 11:20-24.] + As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters. + Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, overabundance of food, prosperous ease, and idleness were hers and her daughters'; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. + And they were haughty and committed abominable offenses before Me; therefore I removed them when I saw it and I saw fit. [Gen. 13:13; 18:20; 19:5.] + Neither has Samaria committed half of your sins, but you have multiplied your [idolatrous] abominations more than they and have seemed to justify your sisters [Samaria and Sodom] in all their wickedness by all the abominable things which you have done--you even make them appear righteous in comparison with you. + Take upon you and bear your own shame and disgrace [in your punishment], you also who called in question and judged your sisters, for you have virtually absolved them by your sins in which you behaved more abominably than they; they are more right than you. Yes, be ashamed and confounded and bear your shame and disgrace, you also, for you have seemed to justify your sisters and make them appear righteous. + I will restore them again from their captivity, restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in the midst of them [in the day of the Lord], [Isa. 1:9.] + That you [Judah], amid your shame and disgrace, may be compelled to recognize your wickedness and be thoroughly ashamed and confounded at all you have done, becoming [converted and bringing] consolation and comfort to [your sisters.] + And your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; then you and your daughters shall return to your former estate. + For was your sister Sodom not mentioned by you [except] as a byword in the day of your pride, + Before your own wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become like her, an object of reproach and a byword for the daughters of Syria and of Edom and for all who are round about them and for the daughters of the Philistines--those round about who despise you. + You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your [idolatrous] abominations, says the Lord. + Yes, thus says the Lord God: I will even deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant; + Nevertheless, I will [earnestly] remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. [Ps. 106:45.] + Then you will [earnestly] remember your ways and be ashamed and confounded when you shall receive your sisters, both your elder and your younger; I will give them to you as daughters, but not on account of your covenant [with Me]. [John 10:16.] + And I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord, [Hos. 2:19, 20.] + That you may [earnestly] remember and be ashamed and confounded and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done, says the Lord God. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, put forth a riddle and speak a parable or allegory to the house of Israel; + Say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle [Nebuchadnezzar] with great wings and long pinions, rich in feathers of various colors, came to Lebanon [symbolic of Jerusalem] and took the top of the cedar [tree]. + He broke off the topmost of its young twigs [the youthful King Jehoiachin] and carried it into a land of trade [Babylon]; he set it in a city of merchants. + He took also of the seedlings of the land [Zedekiah, one of the native royal family] and planted it in fertile soil and a fruitful field; he placed it beside abundant waters and set it as a willow tree [to succeed Zedekiah's nephew Jehoiachin in Judah as vassal king]. + And it grew and became a spreading vine of low [not Davidic] stature, whose branches turned [in submission] toward him, and its roots remained under and subject to him [the king of Babylon]; so it became a vine and brought forth branches and shot forth leafy twigs. + There was also another great eagle [the Egyptian king] with great wings and many feathers; and behold, this vine [Zedekiah] bent its roots [languishingly] toward him and shot forth its branches toward him, away from the beds of its planting, for him to water. + Though it was planted in good soil where water was plentiful for it to produce leaves and to bear fruit, it was transplanted, that it might become a splendid vine. + Thus says the Lord God: Ask, Will it thrive? Will he [the insulted Nebuchadnezzar] not pluck up its roots and strip off its fruit so that all its fresh sprouting leaves will wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pluck it up by its roots [totally ending Israel's national existence]. [II Kings 25:1-7.] + Yes, behold, though transplanted, will it prosper? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the furrows and beds where it sprouted and grew. [Hos. 13:9-12, 15.] + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know and realize what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king [Jehoiachin] and its princes and brought them with him to Babylon. [II Kings 24:11-16.] + And he took one of the royal family [the king's uncle, Zedekiah] and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took the mighty and chief men of the land, [II Kings 24:17.] + That the kingdom might become low and base and be unable to lift itself up, but that by keeping his [Nebuchadnezzar's] covenant it might stand. + But he [Zedekiah] rebelled against him [Nebuchadnezzar] in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Will he prosper? Will he escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant with [Babylon] and yet escape? + As I live, says the Lord God, surely in the place where the king [Nebuchadnezzar] dwells who made [Zedekiah as vassal] king, whose oath [Zedekiah] despised and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon shall [Zedekiah] die. + Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war when the [Babylonians] cast up mounds and build forts to destroy many lives. + For [Zedekiah] despised the oath and broke the covenant and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely My oath [made for Me by Nebuchadnezzar] that [Zedekiah] has despised and My covenant with him that he has broken, I will even bring down on his own head. + And I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon and will enter into judgment and punishment with him there for his trespass and treason that he has committed against Me. + And all his fugitives [from Judah] in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind. And you shall know (understand and realize) that I the Lord have spoken it. + Thus says the Lord God: I Myself will take a twig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and will plant it upon a mountain high and exalted. [Isa. 11:1, 10; 53:2; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 3:8.] + On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a noble cedar, and under it shall dwell all birds of every feather; in the shade of its branches they shall nestle and find rest. + And all the trees of the field shall know (understand and realize) that I the Lord have brought low the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came to me again, saying, + What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? + As I live, says the Lord God, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. + Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sins, it shall die. [Rom. 6:23.] + But if a man is [uncompromisingly] righteous (upright and in right standing with God) and does what is lawful and right, + And has not eaten [at the idol shrines] upon the mountains nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife nor come near to a woman in her time of impurity, + And has not wronged anyone but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery but has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment, + Who does not charge interest or percentage of increase on what he lends [in compassion], who withholds his hand from iniquity, who executes true justice between man and man, + Who has walked in My statutes and kept My ordinances, to deal justly; [then] he is [truly] righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God. [Ezek. 20:11; Amos 5:4.] + If he begets a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does to a brother either of these sins of violence, + And leaves undone all of the duties [of a righteous man], and has even eaten [the food set before idols] on the mountains and defiled his neighbor's wife, + Has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored [to the debtor] his pledge, has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination (things hateful and exceedingly vile in the eyes of God), + And has charged interest or percentage of increase on what he has loaned [in supposed compassion]; shall he then live? He shall not live! He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. + But if this wicked man begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has committed, and considers and fears [God] and does not do like his father, + Who has not eaten [food set before idols] upon the mountains nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife, + Nor wronged anyone, nor has taken anything in pledge, nor has taken by robbery but has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment, + Who has withdrawn his hand from [oppressing] the poor, who has not received interest or increase [from the needy] but has executed My ordinances and has walked in My statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live. + As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity and guilt. + Yet do you say, Why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right and has kept all My statutes and has done them, he shall surely live. + The soul that sins, it [is the one that] shall die. The son shall not bear and be punished for the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear and be punished for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him only, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon the wicked only. + But if the wicked man turns from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + None of his transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for his righteousness which he has executed [for his moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation], he shall live. + Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord, and not rather that he should turn from his evil way and return [to his God] and live? + But if the righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die. + Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair and just. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not My way fair and just? Are not your ways unfair and unjust? + When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and dies in his sins, for his iniquity that he has done he shall die. + Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his life. + Because he considers and turns away from all his transgressions which he has committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not fair and just! O house of Israel, are not My ways fair and just? Are not your ways unfair and unjust? + Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin and so shall they not be a stumbling block to you. [Matt. 3:2; Rev. 2:5.] + Cast away from you all your transgressions by which you have transgressed against Me, and make you a new mind and heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel? [Eph. 4:22, 23.] + For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn (be converted) and live! + + + MOREOVER, TAKE up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, + And say, What a lioness was your mother [Jerusalem-Judah]! She couched among lions; in the midst of young lions she nourished her cubs. + And she [the royal mother-city] brought up one of her cubs [Jehoahaz]; he became a young lion and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men. [II Kings 23:30, 32.] + The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. [II Chron. 36:1, 4.] + Now when she had waited, she saw her hope was lost. Then she took another of her cubs [Jehoiachin] and made him a young lion. [II Kings 23:34; 24:1, 6.] + And he [Jehoiachin] went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion and learned to catch prey, and he devoured men. + And he knew and ravaged their strongholds and he laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it by the noise of his roaring. + Then the nations set against [the king] on every side from the provinces, and they spread their net over him [Jehoiachin]; he was taken in their pit. [II Kings 24:8-15.] + With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody and put him in strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel. + Your mother [the mother-city Jerusalem] was like a vine [like you, Zedekiah, and in your blood] planted by the waters; it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water. [II Kings 24:17; Ezek. 17:7.] + And it had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule and its height was exalted among the thick branches and into the clouds, and it was seen in its height among the multitude of its branches and was conspicuous. + But the vine was plucked up in God's wrath [by His agent the Babylonian king] and it was cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire [of God's judgment] consumed them. + And now it is transplanted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land [Babylon]. + And fire went out of a rod [Zedekiah] of its branches which has consumed the vine's fruit, so that it has in it no [longer a] strong rod to be a scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation and a dirge. + + + IN THE seventh year, in the fifth [month], on the tenth [day] of the month [after the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, which was to last seventy years], certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat down before me [Ezekiel, in Babylonia]. [Jer. 25:11; 29:10.] + Then came the word of the Lord to me, saying, + Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you! + Will you judge them, son of man [Ezekiel], will you judge them? Then cause them to know, understand, and realize the abominations of their fathers. [Matt. 23:29-33; Acts 7:51, 52.] + And say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In the day when I chose Israel and lifted up My hand and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up My hand and swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God, + On that day I lifted up My hand and swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, [a land] which is an ornament and a glory to all lands. + Then said I to them, Let every man cast away the abominable things on which he feasts his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. + But they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me; they did not every man cast away the abominable things on which they feasted their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I [thought], I will pour out My wrath upon them and finish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. + But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the [heathen] nations among whom they dwelt, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. + So I caused them to go out from the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. + And I gave them My statutes and showed and made known to them My judgments, which, if a man keeps, he must live in and by them. + Moreover, also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might understand and realize that I am the Lord Who sanctifies them [separates and sets them apart]. + But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes and they despised and cast away My judgments, which, if a man keeps, he must even live in and by them; and they grievously profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness and uproot and consume them. + But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the [heathen] nations in whose sight I brought them out. + Yet also I lifted up My hand to swear to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the ornament and glory of all lands-- + Because they despised and rejected My ordinances and walked not in My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, for their hearts went after their idols. + Yet My eye pitied them instead of destroying them, and I did not make a full end of them in the wilderness. + But I said to their sons in the wilderness, You shall not walk in the statutes of your fathers nor observe their ordinances nor defile yourselves with their idols. + I the Lord am your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, + And hallow (separate and keep holy) My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord your God. + Yet the sons rebelled against Me; they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My ordinances which, if a man does, he must live in and by them; they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought I would pour out My wrath on them and finish My anger against them in the wilderness. + Yet I withheld My hand and acted for My name's sake, that it should not be debased and profaned in the sight of the [heathen] nations, in whose sight I had brought them forth [from bondage]. + Moreover, I lifted up My hand and swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the [heathen] nations and disperse them in the countries, + Because they had not executed My ordinances but had despised and rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. + Wherefore also I gave them [over to] statutes that were not good and ordinances whereby they should not live and could not have life, [Ps. 81:12; Isa. 66:4; Rom. 1:21-25, 28.] + And I [let them] pollute and make themselves unclean in their own offerings [to their idols], in that they caused to pass through the fire all the firstborn, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. [Lev. 20:2-5.] + Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Again in this your fathers blasphemed Me, in that they dealt faithlessly and treacherously with Me and committed a treasonous trespass against Me. + For when I had brought them into the land which I lifted up My hand and swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every dark and leafy tree [as a place for idol worship], and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented their offering that provoked My anger and sadness; there also they made their sweet-smelling savor and poured out there their drink offerings. + Then I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? And the name of it is called Bamah [high place] to this day. + Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Do you [exiles] debase and defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers? And do you play the harlot after their loathsome and detestable things? + And when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you not debase and defile yourselves with all your idols to this day? And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you! + And that which has come up in your mind shall never happen, in that you think, We will be as the nations, as the tribes of the countries, to serve idols of wood and stone. + As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out will I be King over you. + And I will bring you out from the peoples and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out. + And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you and contend with you face to face. + As I entered into judgment and contended with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment and contend with you, says the Lord God. [Num. 11; Ps. 106:15; I Cor. 10:5-10.] + And I will cause you to pass under the rod [as the shepherd does his sheep when he counts them, and I will count you as Mine and I will constrain you] and bring you into the covenant to which you are permanently bound. [Lev. 27:32.] + And I will purge out and separate from among you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they temporarily dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. [Heb. 4:2, 3.] + As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go, serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to Me! But you shall not profane My holy name any more with your sacrificial gifts and your idols! + For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There will I [graciously] accept them, and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits and the choicest of your contributions, with all your sacred things. + I will accept you [graciously] as a pleasant odor when I lead you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered, and I will manifest My holiness among you in the sight of the nations [who will seek Me because of My power displayed in you]. [Eph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18.] + And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I lifted up My hand and swore to give to your fathers. + And there you shall [earnestly] remember your ways and all your doings with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evil deeds which you have done. + And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for My name's sake, not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord God. + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land of the South (the Negeb), + And say to the forest of the South (the Negeb), Hear the word of the Lord; Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in you and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. + All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched. + Then said I, Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, Does he not speak in parables and make allegories? + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and direct your [prophetic] word against the holy places; prophesy against the land of Israel + And say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you and will draw forth My sword out of its sheath and will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. + Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north, + And all living shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not be sheathed any more. + Sigh therefore, son of man! With breaking heart and with bitterness shall you sigh before their eyes. + And it shall be that when they say to you, Why do you sigh? that you shall answer, Because of the tidings. When it comes, every heart will melt and all hands will be feeble, and every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it shall be fulfilled, says the Lord God. + Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished; + It [the sword of Babylon] is sharpened that it may make a slaughter, polished that it may flash and glitter like lightning! Shall we then rejoice and make mirth [when such a calamity is impending]? But the rod or scepter of My son [Judah] rejects and views with contempt every tree [that is, since God's promise long ago to Judah is certain, he believes Judah's scepter must remain no matter what power arises against it]! [Gen. 49:9, 10; II Sam. 7:23.] + And the sword [of Babylon] is given to be polished that it may be put to use; the sword is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer. + Cry and wail, son of man, for it is against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel; they are thrown to the sword along with My people, and terrors by reason of the sword are upon My people. Therefore smite your thigh [in dismay]. + For this sword has been tested and proved [on others], and what if the rejecting and despising rod or scepter of Judah shall be no more but completely swept away? says the Lord God. + Therefore, son of man, prophesy and smite your hands together and let the sword be doubled, yes, trebled in intensity--the sword for those to be overthrown and pierced through; it is the sword of great slaughter which encompasses them [so that none can escape, even by entering into their inner chambers]. + I have set the threatening and glittering sword against all their gates, that their hearts may melt and their stumblings be multiplied. Ah! It is made [to flash] like lightning; it is pointed and sharpened for slaughter. + Turn [O sword] and cut right or cut left, whichever way your lust for blood and your edge direct you. + I will also clap My hands, and I will cause My wrath to rest. I the Lord have said it. + The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, + Also, son of man, mark out two ways by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come; both shall come forth from the same land. And make a signpost (a hand); make it at the head of the way to a city. + You shall point out a way for the [Babylonian] sword to come to Rabbah [the capital] of the sons of Ammon and to Judah with Jerusalem, the fortified and inaccessible. + For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the fork of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows to and fro, he consults the teraphim (household gods), he looks at the liver. + In his right hand is the lot marked for Jerusalem: to set battering rams, to open the mouth calling for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a war cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up siege mounds, and to build siege towers. + And it shall seem like a lying divination to them who have sworn oaths [of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar]. [Will he now fight against their homeland?] But he will remind them of their guilt and iniquity [in violating those oaths], that they may be caught. [II Chron. 36:10, 13; Ezek. 17:15, 18-21.] + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have made your guilt and iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear--because, I say, you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken with the [enemy's] hand. + And you, O dishonored and wicked one [Zedekiah], the prince of Israel, whose day will come at the time of your final reckoning and punishment, + Thus says the Lord God: Remove the [high priest's] miter or headband and take off the [king's] crown; things shall not remain as they have been; the low is to be exalted and the high is to be brought low. + I will overthrow, overthrow, overthrow it; this also shall be no more until He comes Whose right it is [to reign in judgment and in righteousness], and I will give it to Him. [Gen. 49:10; Isa. 9:6, 7; 11:1-4; Dan. 7:14; Luke 1:31-33.] + And you, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord God concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach: Say, A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is polished to cause it to devour to the uttermost and to flash like lightning, + While they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you to lay you [of Ammon] upon the headless trunks of those who are slain, of the wicked whose day is coming at the time of the final reckoning and punishment. + Return [the sword] to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin and of your birth, I will judge you. + And I will pour out My indignation upon you [O sons of Ammon]; I will blow upon you with the fire of My wrath and will deliver you into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy. + You shall be for fuel to the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land; you shall be no more remembered, for I the Lord have spoken it. [Jer. 49:1-6; Ezek. 25:1-7; Amos 1:13-15; Zeph. 2:8-11.] + + + MOREOVER, THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + And you son of man [Ezekiel], will you judge, will you judge the bloodshedding city? Then cause her to know all her abominations, + And say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in the midst of her so that her time [of doom] will come, and makes idols [over those who worship them] to defile her! + In your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and you are defiled by the idols which you have made, and you have caused your time [of judgment and punishment] to draw near and have arrived at the full measure of your years. Therefore have I made you a reproach to the [heathen] nations and a mocking to all countries. + Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult. + Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been intending to shed blood. + In you have they treated father and mother lightly; in the midst of you they have dealt unjustly and by oppression in relation to the stranger; in you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow. + You have despised and scorned My sacred things and have profaned My Sabbaths. + In you are slanderous men who arouse suspicions to shed blood, and in you are they who have eaten [food offered to idols] upon the mountains; in the midst of you they have committed lewdness. + In you men have uncovered their fathers' nakedness [the nakedness of mother or stepmother]; in you they have humbled women who are [ceremonially] unclean [during their periods or because of childbirth]. + And one has committed abomination with his neighbor's wife, another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law, and another in you has humbled his sister, his father's daughter. + In you they have accepted bribes to shed blood; you have taken [forbidden] interest and [percentage of] increase, and you have greedily gained from your neighbors by oppression and extortion and have forgotten Me, says the Lord God. + Behold therefore, I have struck My hands together at your dishonest gain which you have made and at the blood which has been in the midst of you. + Can your heart and courage endure or can your hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. + And I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your filthiness out of you. + And you shall be dishonored and profane yourself in the sight of the nations, and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. + And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, the house of Israel has become to Me scum and waste matter. All of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace; they are the dross of silver. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become scum and waste matter, behold therefore, I will gather you [O Israel] into the midst of Jerusalem. + As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it in order to melt it, so will I gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. + Yes, I will gather you and blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. + As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall you be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord have poured out My wrath upon you [O Israel]. + And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of indignation. + There is a conspiracy of [Israel's false] prophets in the midst of her, like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken [in their greed] treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. + Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things. They have made no distinction between the sacred and the secular, neither have they taught people the difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. + Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves rending and devouring the prey, shedding blood and destroying lives to get dishonest gain. + And her prophets have daubed them over with whitewash, seeing false visions and divining lies to them, saying, Thus says the Lord God--when the Lord has not spoken. + The people of the land have used oppression and extortion and have committed robbery; yes, they have wronged and vexed the poor and needy; yes, they have oppressed the stranger and temporary resident wrongfully. + And I sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. + Therefore have I poured out My indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their own way have I repaid [by bringing it] upon their own heads, says the Lord God. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came again to me, saying, + Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; + And they played the harlot in Egypt. There they played the harlot in their youth; there their bosoms were pressed and there their virgin breasts were handled. + And the names of them were Aholah the elder and Aholibah her sister, and they became Mine and they bore sons and daughters. As for the identity of their names, Aholah is Samaria and Aholibah is Jerusalem. + And Aholah played the harlot when she was Mine, and she was foolishly fond of her lovers and doted on the Assyrians her neighbors, + Who were clothed with blue, governors and deputies, all of them attractive young men, horsemen riding upon horses. + And she bestowed her harlotries upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them; and on whomever she doted, with all their idols she defiled herself. + Neither has she left her harlotries since the days of Egypt [from where she brought them], for in her youth men there lay with her and handled her girlish bosom, and they poured out their sinful desire upon her. + Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians upon whom she doted. + These uncovered her nakedness and shame; they took her sons and her daughters and they slew her with the sword, and her name became notorious and a byword among women when judgments were executed upon her. + And her sister Aholibah saw this; yet she was more corrupt in her foolish fondness than she, and in her harlotries she was more wanton than her sister in her harlotries. + She doted upon the Assyrians--governors and deputies, her neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. + And I saw that she was defiled, that both [of the sisters] took one way. + But [Aholibah] carried her harlotries further, for she saw men pictured upon the wall, the pictures of the Chaldeans sketched in bright red pigment, + Girded with girdles on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, a picture of Babylonian men whose native land was Chaldea, + Then as soon as she saw [the sketches of] them, she doted on them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. + And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their evil desire; and when she was polluted by them, she [Jerusalem] broke the relationship and pushed them away from her in disgust. + So she flaunted her harlotries and exposed her nakedness, and I was disgusted and turned from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. + Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth in which she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. + For she doted upon her paramours there, whose lust was sensuous and vulgar like that of asses or stallions. + Thus you yearned for the lewdness of your youth, when those of Egypt handled your bosom on account of your girlish breasts. + Therefore, O Aholibah, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will rouse up your lovers against you, from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you on every side: + The Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and officers all of them, princes, men of renown and counselors, all of them riding on horses. + And they shall come against you with weapons, chariots, wagons and wheels, and with a host of infantry which shall array themselves against you with buckler and shield and helmet round about; and I will commit the judgment and punishment to them, and they shall judge and punish you according to their [heathen] customs in such matters. + And I will set My jealous indignation against you, and they shall deal with you in fury; they shall take away your nose and your ears, and those who are left of you shall fall by the sword; they shall take your sons and your daughters, and the remainder shall be devoured by the fire. + They shall also strip you [Judah] of your clothes and take away your fine jewels. + Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them nor [earnestly] remember Egypt any more. + For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned away in disgust. + They shall deal with you in hatred and shall take away all [the earnings of] your labor and shall leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your wanton ways. + These things shall be done to you, because you have played the harlot after the nations and because you have defiled yourself with their idols. + You have walked in the way of your sister [Samaria, Israel's capital]; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. + Thus says the Lord God: You shall drink of your sister's cup which is deep and wide and brimful; you shall be laughed to scorn and held in derision, for it contains much [too much to endure]. + You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of wasting astonishment and horror and desolation, with the cup of your sister Samaria. + You shall drink it and drain it out, and then gnaw the pieces of it [which in your drunkenness you have broken] and shall tear your [own] breasts; for I have spoken it, says the Lord God. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten Me [your divine Husband] and cast Me behind your back, therefore bear also [the consequences of] your lewdness and your harlotry. + The Lord said, moreover, to me: Son of man, will you judge Aholah and Aholibah? Then declare and show to them their abominations (the detestable, loathsome, and shamefully vile things they do), + For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands, even with their idols have they committed adultery [against Me]. And they have also caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to their images [as an offering of food] to be devoured [by them]. + Moreover, this they have done to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day [of their idolatries] and have profaned My Sabbaths. + For when they had slain their children [as offerings] to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it [by daring to offer sacrifice there also]! And behold, thus have they done in the midst of My house! + And furthermore, you have sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came--those for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyelids, and decked yourself with ornaments; + And you sat upon a stately couch with a table spread before it upon which you set My incense and My oil. + And the sound of a careless crowd was with her, and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness, who put bracelets upon the hands of both sisters and beautiful crowns upon their heads. + Then I said of the one [Aholah] worn out with adulteries, Will they now play the harlot with her [now that she is old] and she with them? + Yet they went in to her as they go in to a woman who plays the harlot; so they went in to Aholah and to Aholibah [Israel and Judah], the lewd women. + And the righteous men, they shall judge and condemn them to the punishment due to adulteresses, to women who shed blood, for they are adulteresses and blood is upon their hands. + For thus says the Lord God: I will bring up a host upon them and will give them over to be tossed to and fro and robbed. + And the host shall stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters and burn up their houses with fire. + Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. + Thus your lewdness shall be recompensed upon you and you shall suffer the penalty for your sinful idolatry; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord God. + + + AGAIN IN the ninth year [of King Jehoiachin's captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon], in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, record the name of the day, even of this same day; the king of Babylon set himself against and assailed Jerusalem this same day. + And utter a parable against the rebellious house [of Judah] and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Put on a pot; put it on and also pour water into it. + Put into it the pieces [of meat], all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with the choice of the bones. + Take the choicest of the flock and burn also the unused bones under it, and make it boil well and seethe its bones in [the pot]. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust and scum are in it and whose rust and scum have not gone out of it! Take out of it piece by piece, without making any choice. + For the blood she has shed remains in the midst of her; she put it upon the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust. + That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood [guilt for her children sacrificed to Molech] upon the bare rock, that it would not be covered. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloodguilty city! Also I will make the pile [of fuel] great. + Heap on wood, kindle the fire and make it hot, boil well the meat and mix the spices, pour out the broth when thick, and let the bones be burned up. + Then set [the pot Jerusalem] back empty upon the coals, that the bronze of it may be hot and may glow and the filthiness of it may be melted in it and the rust and scum of it may be consumed. + She has wearied herself and Me with toil; yet her great rust and scum go not forth out of her, for however hotly the fire burns, her thick rust and filth will not go out of her by fire. + In your filthiness is abomination; [and therefore] because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more until I have satisfied My wrath against and upon you. + I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I relent; according to your ways and according to your doings shall they judge and punish you, says the Lord God. + Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man [Ezekiel], behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes [your wife] at a single stroke. Yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears flow. + Sigh and groan, but not aloud [be silent]; make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban upon your head and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your beard or eat the bread of mourners [furnished by others]. + So I spoke to the people in the morning and in the evening my wife died, and I did the next morning as I was commanded. + And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what these things are supposed to mean to us, that you are acting as you do? + Then I answered them, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Speak to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary--[in which you take] pride as your strength, the desire of your eyes, and the pity and sympathy of your soul [that you would spare with your life]; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind shall fall by the sword. + And you shall do as I [Ezekiel] have done; you shall not cover your beard nor eat the bread of mourning [brought to you by others], + And your turbans shall be upon your heads and your shoes upon your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities (your guilt) and sigh and groan to one another. [Lev. 26:39.] + Thus Ezekiel is to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. And when this [destruction of the temple] comes, you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord God [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + And you, son of man, on the day when I take from them [My temple] their strength and their stronghold, their joy and their glory, the delight of their eyes and their hearts' chief desire, and also [take] their sons and their daughters-- + On that day an escaped fugitive shall come to you to cause you to hear of it [the destruction of Jerusalem] with your own ears. + In that day your mouth shall be open to him who has escaped, and you shall speak and be no more speechless, and you shall be a sign to them and they shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came again to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. + And say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God, for thus says the Lord God: Because you said Aha! over My sanctuary when it was profaned and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate and over the house of Judah when it went into captivity and exile, + Therefore behold, I am delivering you to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst; they shall eat your fruit and they shall drink your milk. + And I will make Rabbah [your chief city] a stable for camels and [the cities of] the Ammonites a fold for flocks. And you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced [in heart] with all the contempt, malice, and spite that is in you against the land of Israel, + Therefore behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and will hand you over for a prey and a spoil to the nations, and I will cut you off from the peoples and will cause you to perish and be lost out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then will you know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. [Jer. 49:1-6; Ezek. 21:28-32; Amos 1:13-15; Zeph. 2:8-11.] + Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab says, as does Seir [Edom], Behold, the house of Judah is like all the [heathen] nations, + Therefore behold, I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontiers and in every quarter, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. + I will give it along with the children of Ammon to the people of the East for a possession, that it and the children of Ammon may not be [any more seriously] remembered among the nations. + And I will execute judgments and punishments upon Moab, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. [Isa. 15, 16; Jer. 48; Amos 2:1-3; Zeph. 2:8-11.] + Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and has greatly offended and has become doubly guilty by taking revenge upon them, + Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and will cut off and root out man and beast from it, and I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. + And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they shall do upon Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath, and they shall know My vengeance, says the Lord God. [Isa. 34; Ezek. 35; Amos 1:11, 12; Obad.] + Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines have dealt revengefully and have taken vengeance contemptuously, with malice and spite in their hearts, to destroy in perpetual enmity, + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites [an immigration in Philistia] and destroy the remainder of the seacoast. + And I will execute great vengeance upon them with wrathful rebukes and chastisements, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord, when I lay My vengeance upon them. [Isa. 14:29-31; Jer. 47; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph. 2:4-7; Zech. 9:5-7.] + + + AND IN the eleventh year, on the first day of the month [after the carrying away of King Jehoiachin], the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, Aha! She is broken that has been the gate of the people; she is open to me [Tyre]; I shall become full now that she is desolate and a wasteland, + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you as the sea mounts up by its waves. + And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her and make her bare like the top of a rock. + Her island in the midst of the sea shall become a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken it, says the Lord God; and she shall become a prey and a spoil to the nations. + And Tyre's daughters [her towns and villages on the mainland] in the level place shall be slain by the sword, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring from the north upon Tyre Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, with horses and chariots and with horsemen and a host of many people. + He shall slay with the sword your daughters [the towns and villages] in the level area [on the mainland], and he shall make a fortified wall against you and cast up a siege mound against you and raise up a roof of bucklers and shields as a defense against you. + And he shall set his battering engines in shock against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. + Because of the great number of [Nebuchadrezzar's] horses, their dust will cover you; your walls [O Tyre] will shake at the noise of the horsemen and of the wagon wheels and of the chariots, when he enters into your gates as men enter into the city in whose walls there has been made a breach. + With the hoofs of his horses [Nebuchadrezzar] will trample all your streets; he will slay your people with the sword and your strong pillars or obelisks will fall to the ground. + And [your adversaries] shall make a spoil of your riches and make booty of your merchandise. And they shall break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses, and they shall lay the stones and the timber and the very dust from your demolished city out in the midst of the water [between the island and the mainland city site to make a causeway]. + And I will cause the noise of your songs to cease, and the sound of your lyres shall be no more heard. + And I will make you [Tyre] a bare rock; you shall be a place upon which to spread nets; you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken it, says the Lord God. + Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Shall not the isles and coastlands shake at the sound of your fall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in the midst of you? + Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and strip off their embroidered garments; they shall clothe themselves with tremblings; they shall sit upon the ground and shall tremble every moment and be astonished at you and appalled. + They shall take up a lamentation over you and say to you, How you are destroyed and vanished, O renowned city that was won from the seas and inhabited by seafaring men, renowned city that was mighty on the sea, she and her inhabitants who caused their terror to fall upon all who dwell there! + Now the isles and coastlands tremble in the day of your fall; yes, the isles that are in the sea are troubled and dismayed at your departure. + For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a desolate city like the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and great waters cover you, + Then I will thrust you down with those who descend into the pit (the place of the dead) to the people of olden times, and I will make you [Tyre] to dwell in the lower world like the places that were desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit, that you be not inhabited or shed forth your glory and renown in the land of the living. + I will make you a terror [bring you to a dreadful end] and you shall be no more. Though you be sought, yet you shall never be found again, says the Lord God. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came again to me, saying, + Now you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre, + And say to Tyre, O you who dwell at the entrance to the sea, who are merchant of the peoples of many islands and coastlands, thus says the Lord God: O Tyre, you have thought and said, I am perfect in beauty. + Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty. + They have made all your planks and boards of fir trees from Senir [a peak of Mount Hermon]; they have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. + Of the oaks of Bashan they have made your oars; they have made your deck and benches of boxwood from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory. + Of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be an ensign for you; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah [of Asia Minor] was the [ship's] awning which covered you. + The inhabitants of Sidon and [the island] of Arvad were your oarsmen; your skilled and wise men, O Tyre, were in you; they were your pilots. + The old men of Gebal [a city north of Sidon] and its skilled and wise men in you were your calkers; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise and trading. + Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you beauty and splendor. + The men of Arvad with your army were upon your walls round about and valorous men [of Gamad] were in your towers; they hung their shields upon your walls round about; they have perfected your beauty and splendor. + Tarshish [in Spain] carried on traffic with you because of the abundance of your riches of all kinds; with silver, iron, tin, and lead they traded for your wares. + Javan (Greece), Tubal, and Meshech [in the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian Seas] traded with you. They exchanged the lives of men [taken as slaves] and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. + They of the house of Togarmah (Armenia) traded for your wares with [chariot] horses, cavalry horses, and mules. + The men of Dedan [in Arabia] traded with you; many islands and coastlands were your own markets; they brought you in payment or as presents ivory tusks and ebony. + Aram (Syria or Mesopotamia) and Edom traded with you because of the multitude of the wares of your making. They exchanged for your merchandise emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and agate or rubies. + Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; they exchanged in your market wheat of Minnith [in Ammon], olives or early figs, honey, oil, and balm. + Damascus traded with you because of the abundance of supplies of your handiworks and the immense wealth of every kind, with wine of Helbon [Aleppo] and white wool [of Sachar in Syria]. + Vedan also and [Arabic] Javan traded with yarn from Uzal [in Arabia] for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were exchanged for your merchandise. + Dedan supplied you with precious [saddle] cloths for riding. + Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants in lambs, rams, and goats favored by you; in these they traded with you. + The merchants of Sheba and Raamah [in Arabia] traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the choicest of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold. + Haran and Canneh and Eden [in Mesopotamia], the merchants of Sheba [on the Euphrates], Asshur, and Chilmad [near Bagdad] were your traders. + These traded with you in choice fabrics, in bales of garments of blue and embroidered work, and in treasures of many colored rich damask and carpets bound with cords and made firm; in these they traded with you. + The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise, and you were replenished [Tyre] and were heavily loaded and made an imposing fleet [in your location] in the heart of the seas. + Your rowers have brought you out into great and deep waters; the east wind has broken and wrecked you in the heart of the seas. + Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your oarsmen and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company which is in your midst, sink in the heart of the seas on the day of your ruin! + The waves and the countryside shake at the [piercing] sound of the [hopeless, wailing] cry of your pilots. + And down from their ships come all who handle the oar. The mariners and all the pilots of the sea stand upon the shore + And are heard wailing loudly over you, and they cry bitterly. They cast up dust on their heads; they wallow in ashes, + And they make themselves [utterly] bald for you and gird themselves with sackcloth, and they weep over you in bitterness of heart and with bitter mourning and wailing. + And in their wailing they take up a lamentation for you and lament over you, saying, Who was ever like Tyre, the destroyed (the annihilated), [who has become so still] in the heart of the sea? + When your wares came forth from the seas, you met the desire, the demand, and the necessities of many people; you enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and merchandise. + Now you are shattered by the seas in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew have gone down with you. + All the inhabitants of the isles and coastlands are astonished and appalled at you, and their kings are horribly frightened and shudder greatly; their faces quiver. + The merchants among the people hiss over you [with malicious joy]; you have become a horror and a source of terrors. You shall be no more [forever]. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came again to me, saying, + Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is lifted up and you have said and thought, I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas; yet you are only man [weak, feeble, made of earth] and not God, though you imagine yourself to be almost more than mortal with your mind as the mind of God; + Indeed, you are [imagining yourself] wiser than Daniel; there is no secret [you think] that is hidden from you; + With your own wisdom and with your own understanding you have gotten you riches and power and have brought gold and silver into your treasuries; + By your great wisdom and by your traffic you have increased your riches and power, and your heart is proud and lifted up because of your wealth; + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have imagined your mind as the mind of God [having thoughts and purposes suitable only to God Himself], [Obad. 3.] + Behold therefore, I am bringing strangers upon you, the most terrible of the nations, and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom [O Tyre], and they shall defile your splendor. + They shall bring you down to the pit [of destruction] and you shall die the [many] deaths of all the Tyrians that are slain in the heart of the seas. + Will you still say, I am a god, before him who slays you? But you are only a man [made of earth] and no god in the hand of him who wounds and profanes you. + You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers, for I have spoken it, says the Lord God. + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You are the full measure and pattern of exactness [giving the finishing touch to all that constitutes completeness], full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. + You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the carnelian, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, beryl, onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald; and your settings and your sockets and engravings were wrought in gold. On the day that you were created they were prepared. [Gen. 3:14, 15; Isa. 14:12-15; Matt. 16:23.] + You were the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing [wings], and I set you so. You were upon the holy mountain of God; you walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire [like the paved work of gleaming sapphire stone upon which the God of Israel walked on Mount Sinai]. [Exod. 24:10.] + You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity and guilt were found in you. + Through the abundance of your commerce you were filled with lawlessness and violence, and you sinned; therefore I cast you out as a profane thing from the mountain of God and the guardian cherub drove you out from the midst of the stones of fire. + Your heart was proud and lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I lay you before kings, that they might gaze at you. + You have profaned your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities and the enormity of your guilt, by the unrighteousness of your trade. Therefore I have brought forth a fire from your midst; it has consumed you, and I have reduced you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who looked at you. + All who know you among the people are astonished and appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and shall never return to being. [Isa. 23; Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:9, 10; Zech. 9:3, 4.] + Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face toward Sidon and prophesy against her. + And say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, and I will show forth My glory and be glorified in the midst of you. And they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord when I execute judgments and punishments in her, and am set apart and separated and My holiness is manifested in her. + For I will send pestilence into her and blood into her streets, and the wounded shall be judged and fall by the sword in the midst of her on every side, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + And there shall be no more a brier to prick the house of Israel or a hurting thorn of all those around them who have treated them with contempt, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord God [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and I shall be set apart and separated and My holiness made apparent in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. + And they shall dwell safely in it and shall build houses and plant vineyards; yes, they shall dwell securely and with confidence when I have executed judgments and punishments upon all those round about them who have despised and trodden upon them and pushed them away, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord their God [their Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + + + IN THE tenth year [of the captivity of King Jehoiachin by the king of Babylon], in the tenth [month], on the twelfth [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face toward Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. + Say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster [of sluggish and unwieldy strength] that lies in the midst of his [delta] streams, [boastfully] declaring, My river Nile is my own and I have made it for myself. + But I will put hooks in your jaws [O Egyptian dragon] and I will cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales, and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams with all the fish of your streams which stick to your scales. + And I will cast you forth into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers; you shall fall upon the open field and not be gathered up or buried. I have given you for food to the [wild] beasts of the earth and the birds of the heavens. + And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], because they have been a [deceitful] staff [made of fragile] reeds to the house of Israel. + When they grasped you with the hand and leaned upon you, you broke and tore their whole shoulder, and [by injuring their muscles made them so stiff and rigid that] they could do no more than stand. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you and cut off man and beast from you, + And the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. And they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. Because you have said, The river is mine and I have made it, + Behold therefore, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter [plundered] waste and desolation [of subjection] from [northern] Migdol to [southern] Syene, even as far as the border of Ethiopia. + No foot of man shall pass through it [in travel], no foot of beast shall pass through it [in trade with other countries], neither shall [Egypt] be [truly] inhabited [again] for forty years. + And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation [plundered and reduced to subjection] in the midst of desolated (plundered and reduced to subjection) countries, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and will disperse them through the countries. + Yet thus says the Lord God: At the end of [their] forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, [Jer. 46:25, 26.] + And I will reverse the captivity of Egypt [as I will that of Israel] and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros [under Egypt], the land of their origin, and they shall be there a lowly kingdom. + It shall be the lowliest of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations; I will diminish [the Egyptians] so they shall never again rule over the nations. + And never again shall Egypt have the confidence and be the reliance of the house of Israel; their iniquity will be brought to remembrance whenever [Israel] looks toward them [for help]. They shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord God [Who demands loyalty and obedient service]. + In the twenty-seventh year [after King Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon], in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to render heavy service [at My bidding] against Tyre; every [soldier's] head became bald and every shoulder was worn and peeled [with carrying loads of earth and stones for siege works]. Yet he had no remuneration from Tyre [in proportion to the time and labor expended in the thirteen years' siege], either for himself or his army, for the work that he had done against it [for Me]. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall carry off her great mass of people and of things (her riches) and take her spoil and take her prey, and it shall be the wages for his army. + I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor with which he served [against Tyre] because they did it for Me, says the Lord God. + In that day will I cause a horn to spring forth to the house of Israel and I will open your lips among them, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + + + THE WORD of the Lord came again to me, saying, + Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord God: Wail, Alas for the day! + For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time [of doom] for the nations. + And a sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish and great sorrow shall be in Ethiopia (Cush), when the slain fall in Egypt and they [of Babylon] carry away her great mass of people and of things and her foundations are broken down. + Ethiopia (Cush) and Put, Lud and all the mingled people [foreigners living in Egypt], Cub (Lub, Libya) and the children of the land of the covenant [the Jews who had taken refuge in Egypt] shall fall with [the Egyptians] by the sword. + Thus says the Lord: They also who uphold or lean upon and are supported by Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her power shall come down; from Migdol [in the north] to Syene [in the south] they shall fall within her by the sword, says the Lord God. + And they shall be desolated in the midst of countries that are desolated, and her cities shall be in the midst of cities that are wasted [by plunder and subjection]. + And they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], when I have set a fire in Egypt and all her helpers are broken and destroyed. + In that day shall [swift] messengers go forth from Me in ships to terrify the careless and unsuspecting Ethiopians, and there shall be anguish and great sorrow upon them as in the day of Egypt's [doom], for behold, [their day] comes! + Thus says the Lord God: I will also make the tumult and the wealth and the large population of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. + He and his people with him, the [most] terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land, and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. + And I will make the [artificial] streams [of the Nile delta] dry and will sell the land into the hand of evil men, and I will make the land desolate, and all that is in it, by the hand of strangers. I the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service] have spoken it. + Thus says the Lord God: I will also destroy the idols and I will put an end to the images in Noph or Memphis, and there shall be no longer a prince of the land of Egypt. And I will put fear in the land of Egypt. + And I will make Pathros desolate and will set fire to Zoan and will execute judgments and punishments upon No or Thebes. + And I will pour My wrath upon Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and I will cut off the tumult, the prosperity and the population of No or Thebes. + And I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium shall have great anguish and No or Thebes shall be torn open and Noph or Memphis shall have adversaries in the daytime and all the day long. + The young men of Aven or On and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword, and the [women and children] shall go into captivity. + At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself and be dark when I break there the yokes and dominion of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall come to an end. As for her, a cloud [of calamities] shall cover her and her daughters shall go into captivity. + Thus will I execute judgments and punishments upon Egypt. Then shall they know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + And in the eleventh year [after King Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon], in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up to heal it by binding it with a bandage, to make it strong to hold and wield the sword. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong one and the one which was broken, and I will cause the sword to fall from his hand. + And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and will disperse them throughout the countries. + And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand, but I will break Pharaoh's arms and he will groan before [Nebuchadrezzar] with the groanings of a mortally wounded man. + But I will strengthen and hold up the arms of the king of Babylon and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down, and they [of Egypt] shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt. + And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries, and they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + + + AND IN the eleventh year [after King Jehoiachin was taken captive to Babylon], in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: Whom are you like in your greatness? + Behold, [I will liken you to] Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and with forestlike shade and of high stature, with its top among the thick boughs [even among the clouds]. + The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall; its rivers ran round about its planting, sending out its streams to all the trees of the forest [the other nations]. + Therefore it towered higher than all the trees of the forest; its boughs were multiplied and its branches became long, because there was much water when they were shot forth. + All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs, and under its branches all the wild beasts of the field brought forth their young and under its shadow dwelt all of the great nations. + Thus was it beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches, for its root was by many and great waters. + The cedars in the garden of God could not hide or rival it; the cypress trees did not have boughs like it and the plane trees did not have branches like it, nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty. + I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied it [Assyria]. + Therefore thus said the Lord God: Because it is exalted in stature and has set its top among the thick boughs and the clouds, and its heart is proud of its height, [II Kings 18:31-35.] + I will even deliver it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with it. I have driven it out for its wickedness and lawlessness. + And strangers, the most terrible of the nations, will cut it off and leave it; upon the mountains and in all the valleys its branches will fall and its boughs will lie broken by all the watercourses of the land, and all the peoples of the earth will go down out of its shade and leave it. + Upon its ruins all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the wild beasts of the field will be upon [Assyria's fallen] branches. + All this is so that none of the trees by the waters may exalt themselves because of their height or shoot up their top among the thick boughs and the clouds, and that none of their mighty ones should stand upon [their own estimate of] themselves for their height, all that drink water. For they are all delivered over to death, to the lower world, in the midst of the children of men, with those who go down to the pit (the grave). + Thus says the Lord God: When [Assyria] goes down to Sheol (the place of the dead), I will cause a mourning; I will cover the deep for it and I will restrain its floods, and the many waters [that contributed to its prosperity] will be stayed; and I will cause Lebanon to be in black gloom and to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field, dismayed, will faint because of it. + I will make the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit, and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all [the trees] that drink water, will be comforted in the netherworld [at Assyria's downfall]. + They also shall go down into Sheol with it to those who were slain by the sword--yes, those who were its arm, who dwelt under its shadow in the midst of the nations. + To whom [O Egypt] among the trees of Eden are you thus like in glory and in greatness? Yet you [also] shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the netherworld. You shall lie among the uncircumcised heathen with those who are slain by the sword. This is how it shall be with Pharaoh and all the multitude of his strength, his tumult, and his store [of wealth and glory], says the Lord God. [Ezek. 28:10; 32:19.] + + + IN THE twelfth year [after King Jehoiachin of Judah was taken into exile by the king of Babylon], in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, You have likened [yourself] to a young lion, leader of the nations, but you are like a [monster] dragon in the seas; you break forth in your rivers and trouble the waters with your feet, and you make foul their rivers [the sources of their prosperity]. + Thus says the Lord God: I will therefore throw out My net over you with a host of many peoples, and they shall bring you up in My dragnet. + Then I will leave you [Egypt] upon the shore; I will cast you on the open field and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle upon you, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with you. + And I will scatter your flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with your high heap of corpses and their worms. + I will also water with your flowing blood the land, even to the mountains, and the hollows and water channels shall be full of you. + And when I have extinguished you, I will cover the heavens [of Egypt] and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give her light. + All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you and set darkness upon your land, says the Lord God. + I will also trouble and vex the hearts of many peoples when I bring your breaking and trembling and destruction and carry you captive among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. + I will make many peoples amazed and appalled at you [Egypt], and their kings shall shudder and be horribly afraid because of you when I brandish My sword before them; they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your downfall. + For thus says the Lord God: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. + I will cause your multitude, your tumult, and your store [of wealth, strength, and glory] to fall by the swords of the mighty--the most terrible among the nations are they all. And they shall bring to nothing the pomp and pride of Egypt, and all its multitude [with its activity and its wealth in every sphere] shall be destroyed. + I will destroy also all its beasts from beside many and great waters, and no foot of man shall trouble them any more, nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them. + Then will I make their waters sink down (subside, be quiet, and become clear); their rivers I will cause to run [slowly and smoothly] like oil, says the Lord God. + When I make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country is stripped and destitute of all that of which it was full when I smite all those who dwell in it, then will they know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who requires and calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + This is the lamentation with which they shall intone or chant the lament for her; the daughters of the nations shall chant their lament with it; over Egypt and over all her multitude, her tumult, and her wealth in every sphere shall they chant it, says the Lord God. + In the twelfth year [after King Jehoiachin of Judah was taken into exile], on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt and cast them down, even her and the daughters of the famous and majestic nations, to the netherworld, with those who go down to the pit; + Whom [among them] do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid with the uncircumcised (the heathen). + They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword; she [Egypt] is delivered to the sword; they draw her down [to her judgment], and all her multitudes [with their noise and stores]. + The strong among the mighty shall speak of [Pharaoh] out of the midst of Sheol (the place of the dead, the netherworld) with those who helped him; they are gone down; they lie still, even the uncircumcised (the heathen) slain by the sword. + Assyria is there and all her company; their graves are round about her, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, + Whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit and whose company is round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror to spread in the land of the living. + Elam [an auxiliary of Assyria] is there and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised into the netherworld, who caused their terror to spread in the land of the living and have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. + They have set her a bed (a sepulcher) among the slain with all her multitude--their graves round about her, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for their terror had spread in the land of the living, and they henceforth bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid in the midst of the slain. + Meshech, Tubal, and all their multitude are there; their graves are round about [Pharaoh], all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they caused their terror to be spread in the land of the living. + And they shall not lie with the mighty who have fallen of the uncircumcised [and] who have gone down to Sheol (the place of the dead, the netherworld) with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid [with honors] under their heads and whose iniquities are upon their bones, for they caused their terror to spread in the land of the living. + But you [Meshech and Tubal] shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised and shall lie [without honors] with those who are slain with the sword. + Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who were slain by the sword; they shall lie with the uncircumcised (the heathen) and with those who go down to the pit. + The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain; for all the terror which they caused by their might they are put to shame, and they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword and henceforth bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. + When Pharaoh sees them, he will comfort himself for all his multitude--even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, says the Lord God. + For I have put his and My terror in the land of the living, and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised (the heathen) with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God. [Isa. 19; Jer. 46; Zech. 14:18, 19.] + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, speak to your people [the Israelite captives in Babylon] and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman, + If when he sees the sword coming upon the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people, + Then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. + He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning shall save his life. + But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, he is taken away in and for his perversity and iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. + So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me. + When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his perversity and iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand. + But if you warn the wicked to turn from his evil way and he does not turn from his evil way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. + And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: Truly our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live? + Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? + And you, son of man, say to your people, The uprightness and justice of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wicked lawlessness of the wicked lawless, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, neither shall the rigidly upright and just be able to live because of his past righteousness in the day that he sins and misses the mark [in keeping in harmony and right standing with God]. + When I shall say to the [uncompromisingly] righteous that he shall surely live, and he trusts to his own righteousness [to save him] and commits iniquity (heinous sin), all his righteous deeds shall not be [seriously] remembered; but for his perversity and iniquity that he has committed he shall die. + Again, when I have said to the wicked, You shall surely die, if he turns from his sin and does that which is lawful and right-- + If the wicked restores [what he took in] pledge, gives back what he had taken in robbery, walks in the statutes of life [right relationship with God], without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + None of his sins that he has committed shall be [seriously] remembered against him; he has done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. + Yet your people say, The way of the Lord is not perfect or even just; but as for them, it is their own way that is not perfect or even just. + When the righteous turns back from his [uncompromising] righteousness and commits perverseness and iniquity, he shall even die in and because of it. + But if the wicked turns back from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. + Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not perfect or [even] just. O you house of Israel, I will judge you, every one according to his own ways! + In the twelfth year of our captivity [in Babylon], in the tenth [month], on the fifth [day] of the month, a man who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me [Ezekiel], saying, The city [Jerusalem] is taken. + Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening before this one who had escaped came, and He had opened my mouth [in readiness for the fugitives] coming to me in the morning, and my mouth was opened and I was no longer dumb. + Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, those [back in Palestine] who inhabit those wastes of the ground of Israel are saying, Abraham was only one man and he inherited the land, but we are many; the land is surely given to us to possess as our inheritance. + Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat meat with the blood [as an idolatrous rite] and lift up your eyes to your [filthy] idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? [Gen. 9:4; Lev. 3:17; 7:27; Acts 15:28, 29.] + You stand upon your sword [as your dependence]; you commit abominations and each of you defiles your neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? + Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence. + And I will make the land [of Israel] a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through them. + Then shall they know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed. + As for you, son of man, your people who talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses say one to another, every one to his brother, Come and hear what the word is that comes forth from the Lord. + And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear the words you say, but they will not do them; for with their mouths they show much love, but their hearts go after and are set on their [idolatrous greed for] gain. + Behold, you are to them as a very lovely [love] song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument, for they hear your words but do not do them. + When this comes to pass--for behold, it will come!--then shall they know, understand, and realize that a prophet has been among them. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, even to the [spiritual] shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep? + You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you kill the fatlings, but you do not feed the sheep. + The diseased and weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the hurt and crippled you have not bandaged, those gone astray you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought to find, but with force and hardhearted harshness you have ruled them. + And they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts of the field. + My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yes, My sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and no one searched or sought for them. [Matt. 9:36.] + Therefore, you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: + As I live, says the Lord God, surely because My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food for every beast of the field because there was no shepherd--neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not My sheep-- + Therefore, O you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: + Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My sheep at their hand and cause them to cease feeding the sheep, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. I will rescue My sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. + For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I Myself, will search for My sheep and will seek them out. + As a shepherd seeks out his sheep in the day that he is among his flock that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep; and I will rescue them out of all places where they have been scattered in the day of clouds and thick darkness. + And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them to their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. + I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie down in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. + I will feed My sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord God. + I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which has strayed, and I will bandage the hurt and the crippled and will strengthen the weak and the sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong [who have become hardhearted and perverse]; I will feed them with judgment and punishment. [Luke 19:10.] + And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between the rams and the great he-goats [the malicious and the tyrants of the pasture]. + Is it too little for you that you feed on the best pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? And to have drunk of the waters clarified by subsiding, but you must foul the rest of the water with your feet? + And My flock, must they feed on what your feet have trodden and drink what your feet have fouled? + Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I Myself, will judge between fat sheep and impoverished sheep, or fat goats and lean goats. + Because you push with side and with shoulder and thrust with your horns all those that have become weak and diseased, till you have scattered them abroad, + Therefore will I rescue My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. + And I will raise up over them one Shepherd and He shall feed them, even My Servant David; He shall feed them and He shall be their Shepherd. [Ezek. 37:24; John 10:14-18.] + And I the Lord will be their God and My Servant David a Prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. + And I will confirm with them a covenant of peace and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, and [My people] shall dwell safely in the wilderness, desert, or pastureland and sleep [confidently] in the woods. [Ps. 127:2b; Isa. 11:6-9; John 14:27; 16:33.] + And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing, and I will cause the showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing [of good insured by God's favor]. + And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit and the earth shall yield its increase; and [My people] shall be secure in their land, and they shall be confident and know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them. + And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the earth devour them, but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid [in the day of the Messiah's reign]. [Isa. 60:21; 61:3.] + And I will raise up for them a planting of crops for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land nor bear the reproach of the nations any longer. + Then shall they know [positively] that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord God, + And that you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are [only] men and I am your God, says the Lord God. + + + MOREOVER, THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face against the mountain [range of] Seir [in Edom] and prophesy against it, + And say to it, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you, and I will stretch out My hand against you and I will make you a desolation and an astonishment. + I will lay your cities waste and you shall be desolate, and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + Because you [of Esau] have had a perpetual enmity [for Jacob] and you gave over the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when they were suffering their final punishment [the Babylonian conquest], [Ezek. 25:12-14; 36:5.] + Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, I will expose you to slaughter and slaughter shall pursue you; since you could not bear to live without bloodshed, therefore bloodshed shall pursue you. + Thus will I make Mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation, and I will cut off from it him who passes through it and him who returns [that way]. + And I will fill [Edom's] mountains with his slain men; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines shall those fall who are slain with the sword. + I will make you a perpetual desolation and your cities shall not be inhabited. Then you will know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + Because you [Edom] said, These two nations [Israel and Judah] and these two countries shall be mine and we will take possession of them--although the Lord was there, + Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, I will deal with you according to the anger and envy you showed because of your enmity for them, and I will make Myself known among them [as He Who will judge and punish] when I judge and punish you. + And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], and that I have heard all your revilings and scornful speeches that you have uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid waste and desolate; they are given to us to devour. + Thus you have boasted and magnified yourselves against Me with your mouth, multiplying your words against Me; I have heard it. + Thus says the Lord God: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you a waste and desolation. + As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you; you shall be a waste and desolation, O Mount Seir and all Edom, all of it. Then they shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + + + ALSO YOU, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. + Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy has said over you, Aha! and, The ancient heights have become our possession, + Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord God: Because, yes, because they made you a desolation, and they snapped after and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and you became the talk and evil gossip of the people, + Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate wastes and the cities that are forsaken, that have become a prey and derision to the rest of the nations that are round about; + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Surely in the fire of My hot jealousy have I spoken against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who have given to themselves My land with wholehearted joy and with uttermost contempt, that they might empty it out and possess it for a prey and a spoil. + Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have suffered the shame and reproach of the nations; + Therefore thus says the Lord God: I have lifted up My hand and sworn, Surely the nations that are round about you shall themselves suffer shame and reproach. + But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are soon to come [home]. + For behold, I am for you and I will turn to you; and you shall be tilled and sown, + And I will multiply men upon you, the whole house of Israel, even all of it; the cities shall be inhabited and the waste places shall be rebuilt, + And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited according to your former estate and I will do better for you than at your beginnings; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + Yes, [O mountains of Israel] I will cause men to walk upon you, even My people Israel, and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance; and you shall no more after this bereave them of children [for idol sacrifices]. + Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, You [O land] are a devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children [offered to idols], + Therefore you shall devour men no more, neither bereave your nation or cause it to stumble any more, says the Lord God. + Neither will I let you hear any more the reproach of the nations, nor shall you suffer the dishonor of the peoples any more, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble and fall any more [through idolatry], says the Lord God. + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by [doing] their [own] way and by their [idolatrous] doings. Their conduct before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman during her [physical] impurity. + So I poured out My wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land and for their idols with which they had defiled it. + And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their conduct and their [idolatrous] deeds I judged and punished them. + And when they came to the nations to which they went, they profaned My holy name in that men said of them, These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go forth out of His land. + But I had regard, concern, and compassion for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they went. + Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations to which you went. + And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name and separate it for its holy purpose from all that defiles it--My name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them--and the nations will know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], when I shall be set apart by you and My holiness vindicated in you before their eyes and yours. + For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land. + Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. + A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. + And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. + And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God. + I will also save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will call forth the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine on you. + And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may no more suffer the reproach and disgrace of famine among the nations. + Then you shall [earnestly] remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominable deeds. + Not for your sake do I do this, says the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your [own] wicked ways, O house of Israel! + Thus says the Lord God: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities I will [also] cause [Israel's] cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. + And the desolate land shall be tilled, that which had lain desolate in the sight of all who passed by. + And they shall say, This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. + Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. + Thus says the Lord God: For this also I will let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do it for them; I will increase their men like a flock. + Like the flock of holy things for sacrifice, like the flock of Jerusalem in her [solemn] appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + + + THE HAND of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. + And He caused me to pass round about among them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley or plain, and behold, they were very dry. + And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know! [I Cor. 15:35.] + Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. [John 5:28.] + Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live; + And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise and behold, a shaking and trembling and a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. + And I looked and behold, there were sinews upon [the bones] and flesh came upon them and skin covered them over, but there was no breath or spirit in them. + Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live. + So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. [Rev. 11:11.] + Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off. + Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel. [Hos. 13:14.] + And you shall know that I am the Lord [your Sovereign Ruler], when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people. + And I shall put My Spirit in you and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then you shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord. + The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, + Son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel his companions; + And join them together into one stick that they may become one in your hand. + And when your people say to you, Will you not show us what you mean by these? + Say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph--which is in the hand of Ephraim--and the tribes of Israel his associates, and will join with it the stick of Judah and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand. + When the sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes, + Then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land. + And I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be King over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, neither be divided into two kingdoms any more. [Jer. 50:4.] + They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable things or with any of their transgressions, but I will save them out of all their dwelling places and from all their backslidings in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. So shall they be My people, and I will be their God. + And David My Servant shall be King over them, and they all shall have one Shepherd. They shall also walk in My ordinances and heed My statutes and do them. + They shall dwell in the land in which your fathers dwelt, that I gave to My servant Jacob, and they shall dwell there, they and their children and their children's children, forever; and My Servant David shall be their Prince forever. [Isa. 60:21; Joel 3:20; Amos 9:15.] + I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will give blessings to them and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore. + My tabernacle or dwelling place also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. + Then the nations shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord do set apart and consecrate Israel for holy use, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forevermore. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal, and prophesy against him, + And say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince (ruler) of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal. + And I will turn you back and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords-- + Persia, Cush, and Put or Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet, + Gomer and all his hordes, the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north and all his hordes--many people are with you. + You [Gog] be prepared; yes, prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and you be a guard and a commander for them. + After many days you shall be visited and mustered [for service]; in the latter years you shall go against the land that is restored from the ravages of the sword, where people are gathered out of many nations upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste; but its [people] are brought forth out of the nations and they shall dwell securely, all of them. [Isa. 24:22.] + You shall ascend and come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your hosts and many people with you. + Thus says the Lord God: At the same time thoughts shall come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. + And you will say, I will go up against an open country [the land of unwalled villages]; I will fall upon those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates, + To take spoil and prey, to turn your hand upon the desolate places now inhabited and assail the people gathered out of the nations, who have obtained livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth [Palestine]. + Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish, with all their lionlike cubs [or satellite areas], shall say to you, Have you come to take spoil? Have you gathered your hosts to take the prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take a great spoil? + Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: In that day when My people Israel dwell securely, will you not know it and be aroused? + And you will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. + And you shall come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. In the latter days I will bring you against My land, that the nations may know, understand, and realize Me when My holiness shall be vindicated through you [vindicated and honored in your overwhelming destruction], O Gog, before their eyes. + Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I have spoken in olden times by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you [Gog] against them? + But in that day when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, My wrath shall come up into My nostrils. + For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I said, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking or cosmic catastrophe in the land of Israel, + So that the fishes of the sea and the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall tremble and shake at My presence; and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall [natural or artificial] shall fall to the ground. + And I will call for a sword against [Gog] throughout all My mountains, says the Lord God, every man's sword shall be against his brother [over the dividing of booty]. + And with pestilence and with bloodshed will I enter into judgment with [Gog], and I will rain upon him and upon his hordes and upon the many peoples that are with him torrents of rain and great hailstones, fire and brimstone. [Ps. 11:6.] + Thus will I demonstrate My greatness and My holiness, and I will be recognized, understood, and known in the eyes of many nations; yes, they shall know that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + + + AND YOU, son of man, prophesy against Gog, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince (ruler) of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal. + And I will turn you about and will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north and will lead you against the mountains of Israel; + And I will smite your bow from your left hand and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand. + You shall fall [dead] upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your hosts and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. + You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken [it], says the Lord God. + I will send fire on Magog and upon those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service]. + And I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name any more; and the nations shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. + Behold, it is coming and it will be done, says the Lord God; that is the day of which I have spoken. + And [when you, Gog, are no longer] they who dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth and shall set on fire and burn the battle gear, the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, the handspikes or riding whips and the spears; and they shall burn them as fuel for seven years, + So that My people shall take no firewood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they shall make their fires of the weapons. And they shall despoil those who despoiled them and plunder those who plundered them, says the Lord God. + And in that day, I will give to Gog a place for burial there in Israel, the valley of those who pass through on the east side in front of the [Dead] Sea [the highway between Syria, Petra, and Egypt], and it will delay and stop those who pass through. And there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude, and they shall call it the Valley of Hamon-gog [multitude of Gog]. + For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, that they may cleanse the land. + Yes, all the people of the land will bury them, and it shall bring them renown in the day that I shall be glorified, says the Lord God. + And they shall set apart men to work continually who shall pass through the land, men commissioned to bury, with the help of those who are passing by, those bodies that lie unburied on the face of the ground, in order to cleanse the land. After the end of seven months they shall make their search. + And when these pass through the land and anyone sees a human bone, he shall set up a marker by it as a sign to the buriers, until they have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog or of Gog's multitude. + And Hamonah [multitude] shall also be the name of the city [of the dead]. Thus shall they cleanse the land. + And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Say to the birds of prey of every sort and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves and come, gather from every side to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, even a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel at which you may eat flesh and drink blood. + You shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, of goats, and of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan [east of the Jordan]. + And you shall eat fat till you are filled and drink blood till you are drunk at the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for you. + And you shall be filled at My table with horses and riders, with mighty men, and with soldiers of every kind, says the Lord God. + And I will manifest My honor and glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see My judgment and justice [in the punishment] which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. + So the house of Israel shall know, understand, and realize beyond all question that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. + And the nations shall know, understand, and realize positively that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they trespassed against Me; and I hid My face from them. So I gave them into the hand of their enemies and they all fell [into captivity or were slain] by the power of the sword. [Deut. 31:17.] + According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them and hid My face from them. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now will I reverse the captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel and will be jealous for My holy name. + They shall forget their shame and self-reproach and all their treachery and unfaithfulness in which they have transgressed against Me, when they dwell securely in their land and there is none who makes them afraid. + When I have brought them again from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and My justice and holiness are set apart and vindicated through them in the sight of many nations, + Then shall they know, understand, and realize positively that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into captivity and exile among the nations and then gathered them to their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations any more [in the latter days]. + Neither will I hide My face any more then from them, when I have poured out My Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God. + + + IN THE twenty-fifth year of our captivity [by Babylon], in the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city [of Jerusalem] was taken, on the very same day the hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me to that place. + In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me down upon a very high mountain, on the south side of which there was what seemed to be the structure of a city. + He brought me there, and behold, there was a man [an angel] whose appearance was like bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand, and he stood in the gateway. + And the man said to me, Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and set your heart and mind on all that I will show you, for you are brought here that I may show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel. + And behold, there was a wall all around the outside area of the house [of the Lord], and in the man's hand a measuring reed six long cubits in length, each cubit being longer [than the usual one] by a handbreadth; so he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed, and the height, one reed. + Then he came to the gate which faced the east and went up its [seven] steps and measured the threshold of the gateway, one reed broad, and the other threshold of the gateway [inside the thick wall], one reed broad. + And every room for the guards was one reed long and one reed broad, and the space between the guardrooms or lodges was five cubits. And the threshold of the gate by the porch or vestibule of the gateway within was one reed. + He measured also the porch or vestibule of the gate toward the house [of the Lord], one reed. + Then he measured the porch or vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits, and its posts or jambs, two cubits. And the porch or vestibule of the gate was inside [toward the house of the Lord]. + And the guardrooms or lodges of the east gateway were three on this side and three on that side; the three were the same size, and the posts or jambs were the same size on either side. + And he measured the breadth of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits, and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. + And a border or barrier before the guardrooms was one cubit on this side, and a border or barrier, one cubit on that side. And the guardrooms or lodges were six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side. + And the man [an angel] measured the gate from the outer wall of one chamber or guardroom to the outer wall of another--a breadth of twenty-five cubits from door to door. + And the open part of the porch or vestibule of the gateway on the outside was twenty cubits, the chambers or guardrooms of the gate being round about. + And including this porch or vestibule of the gate on the outside and the porch or vestibule on the inside, the extent was fifty cubits. + And there were closed windows to the guardrooms or chambers and to their posts or pillars within the gate round about, and likewise to the archway or vestibule; and windows were round about facing into the court, and upon each post or pillar were palm tree [decorations]. + Then he brought me into the outward court, and behold, there were chambers and a pavement round about the court; thirty chambers fronted on the pavement. + And the pavement was along by the side of the gates, answerable to the length of the gateways; this was the lower pavement. + Then the man measured the distance from the inner front before the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, a hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north. + And the gate of the outward court which faced the north, of it he measured both the length and the breadth. + And its guardrooms or lodges, three on this side and three on that side, and its posts or pillars and archway or vestibule were the same size as those of the first gate; the length was fifty cubits and the breadth twenty-five cubits. + And its windows and its archway or vestibule and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faces toward the east. It was reached by going up seven steps, and the archway of its vestibule was on the inner side. + Opposite the gate on the north and on the east was a gate to the inner court, and he [the man with the measuring rod of reed] measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. + After that the man brought me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south, and he measured its posts or pillars and its archway or vestibule; they measured as the others did. + And there were windows round about in it and in its archway or vestibule, like those windows in the other gateways; its length was fifty cubits and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + And there were seven steps going up to the gate, and its archway or vestibule was on the inside. And it had palm trees, one on this side and another on that side, carved on its posts or pillars. + And there was a gate to the inner court on the south, and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. + And the man [an angel] brought me into the inner court by the south gate, and he measured the south gate; its measurements were the same as those of the other gateways. + And its guardrooms or chambers and its posts or pillars and its archway or vestibule measured as did the others. And there were windows in the gateway and in its archway or vestibule round about; its length was fifty cubits and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + And there was an archway or a vestibule round about, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. + And its [arched] vestibule faced the outer court; and palm trees were carved upon its posts or pillars, and the steps going up to it were eight. + And he brought me into the inner court toward the east and he measured the gate; it measured the same as the others. + And its guardrooms or chambers and its posts or pillars and its archway or vestibule measured as did the others. And there were windows in it and in its [arched] vestibule round about; the gateway was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. + And its [arched] vestibule faced the outer court; and palm trees were carved upon its posts or pillars on either side, and the steps leading to it were eight. + And the man [an angel] brought me to the north gate and measured it; the measurements were the same as those of the other gates. + Its guardrooms or chambers, its posts or pillars, its [arched] vestibule, and the windows to it round about [were of the same size as the others]. The length of the gateway was fifty cubits and the width was twenty-five cubits. + And its posts or pillars were toward the outer court, and palm trees were carved upon them on either side. And the approach to it had eight steps. + There was an attached chamber with its door beside the posts or pillars of the gates where the burnt offering was to be washed. + And in the porch or vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass or guilt offering. + And on the one side without, as one goes up to the entrance of the gate to the north, were two tables; and on the other side at the vestibule of the gate were two tables. + Four tables were on the inside and four tables on the outside of the side of the gate, eight tables upon which the sacrifices were to be slain. + Moreover, there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high. Upon them were to be laid the instruments with which were slain the burnt offering and the sacrifice. + And slabs or hooks a handbreadth long were fastened within [the room] round about. Upon the tables was to be placed the flesh of the offering. + Then the man [an angel] led me [from without] into the inner court, and behold, there were two chambers in the inner court: one beside the north gate but facing the south, and one beside the south gate but looking toward the north. + And the man [an angel who was guiding me] said, This chamber with its view to the south is for the priests who have charge of the house [of the Lord], + And the chamber with its view to the north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the Lord to minister to Him. + And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was in front of the house [of the Lord]. + Then he brought me to the porch or vestibule of the temple proper, and he measured each post or pillar of the porch, five cubits on either side. And the width of the gate was three cubits for this [leaf] and three cubits for that one. + And the length of the porch or vestibule was twenty cubits and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps by which it was reached, and there were two pillars standing on the posts [as bases] or beside them, one on either side of the entrance. + + + AND the man [an angel] brought me to [the Holy Place of] the temple and measured the wall pillars, six cubits broad on one side [of the ten-cubit door] and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle or tent [later called the temple]. + And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits, and the leaves of the door were five cubits on the one side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits. + Then the man [being an angel, and unrestricted] went inside [the inner room, but went alone] and measured each post of the door, two cubits, the doorway, six cubits, and the breadth of the entrance, seven cubits. [Heb. 9:6, 7; 10:19-25.] + And he measured the length [of the interior of the second room] in the temple proper, twenty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits; and he [came out and] said to me, This is the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies). + Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits thick [to accommodate side chambers]; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the temple proper on every side. + These side chambers were three stories high, one over another and thirty in each story; and they entered into the wall which belonged to the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold of the wall [of the house], but they did not have hold of the wall of the temple. + And the side rooms became broader as they encompassed the temple higher and higher, for the encircling of the house went higher and higher round about the temple; therefore the breadth of the house continued upward, and so one went up from the lowest story to the highest one by way of the middle story [on a winding stairway]. + I saw also that the temple had an elevation or foundation platform round about it. The foundations of the side chambers measured a full reed measure of six long cubits. + The thickness of the outer wall of the side chamber was five cubits, as was the width of that part of the foundation that was left free of the side chambers that belonged to the house. + And between [the free space of the foundation platform and] the chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits round about the temple on every side. + And the doors of the attached side chambers opened on the free space that was left, one door toward the north and another door toward the south; and the breadth of the space on the foundation platform that was left free was five cubits round about. + And the building that faced the temple yard on the west side was seventy cubits broad, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and its length ninety cubits. + And the man [an angel in my vision] measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; and the yard and the building with its walls, a hundred cubits long; + Also the breadth of the east front of the temple and the yard, a hundred cubits. + Then the man [an angel] measured the length of the building on the west side of the yard with its walls on either side, a hundred cubits. The Holy Place of the temple, the inner Holy of Holies, and the outer vestibule + Were roofed over, and all three had latticed windows all around. The inside walls of the temple were paneled with wood round about from the floor up to the windows and from the windows to the roof, + Including the space above the door leading to the inner room, inside and out. And on the walls round about in the inner room and the Holy Place were carvings, + With figures of cherubim and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces, + So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. It was made this way through all the house round about. + From the floor to above the entrance were cherubim and palm trees made, and also on the wall of the temple [the Holy Place]. + The door frames of the temple were squared, and in front [outside of the sanctuary or Holy of Holies] was what appeared to be + An altar of wood, three cubits high and two cubits long [and wide]; and its corners, its base, and its sides were of wood. And the man [an angel] said to me, This is the table that is before the Lord. + And the temple or Holy Place and the sanctuary or Holy of Holies, had two doors [one for each of them]. + And the doors had two leaves apiece, two folding leaves--two leaves for the one door and two leaves for the other door. + And there were carved on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubim and palm trees, like those carved upon the walls; and there was also a canopy of wood in front of the porch outside. + And there were recessed windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side of the porch. Thus were the side chambers and the canopies of the house. + + + THEN the man [an angel] brought me forth into the outer court northward, and he brought me to the attached chambers that were opposite the temple yard and were opposite the building on the north. + Before the long side of one hundred cubits was the door toward the north, and the breadth was fifty cubits. + Adjoining the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was balcony facing balcony in three stories. + And before the attached chambers was a walk inward of ten cubits breadth and a hundred cubits long, and their doors were on the north. + Now the upper chambers were shorter, for the balconies took off from these more than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. + For they were in three stories, but did not have pillars as the pillars of the [outer] court; therefore the upper chambers were set back more than the lower and the middle ones from the ground. + And the wall or fence that was outside, opposite and parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, was fifty cubits long, + For the length of the [combined] chambers that were on the outer court was fifty cubits, while [the length] of those opposite the temple was a hundred cubits. + And under these chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one approached them from the outer court. + In the breadth of the wall of the court going toward the east, before the yard and before the building, were the chambers + With a passage before them that gave the appearance of the attached chambers on the north, of the same length and breadth, with similar exits and arrangements and doors. + And like the doors of the chambers that were toward the south there was an entrance at the head of the way, the way before the dividing wall toward the east, as one enters them. + Then said the man [an angel] to me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the yard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings; there shall they lay the most holy things--the meal offering, the sin offering, and the trespass or guilt offering--for the place is holy. + When the priests enter the Holy Place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court unless they lay aside there the garments in which they minister, for these are holy, separate, and set apart. They shall put on other garments before they approach that which is for the people. + Now when he had finished measuring the inner temple area, he brought me forth toward the gate which faces east and measured it [the outer area] round about. + He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. + He measured the north side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. + He measured the south side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. + He turned about to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. + He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall round about, the length five hundred reeds and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy [the temple proper] and that which was common [the outer area]. + + + AFTERWARD the man [an angel] brought me to the gate, the gate that faces east. + And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. [Rev. 1:15; 14:2.] + And the vision which I saw was like the vision I had seen when I came to foretell the destruction of the city and like the vision I had seen beside the river Chebar [near Babylon]; and I fell on my face. [Ezek. 1:4; 3:23; 10:15, 22.] + And the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east. + Then the Spirit caught me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. + And I heard One speaking to me out of the temple, and a Man stood by me. + And He [the Lord] said to me, Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever; and My holy name the house of Israel shall no more profane, neither they nor their kings, by their [idolatrous] harlotry, nor by the dead bodies and monuments of their kings, + Nor by setting their threshold by My thresholds and their doorposts by My doorposts, with a mere wall between Me and them. They have profaned My holy name by their abominations which they have committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger. + Now let them put away their [idolatrous] harlotry and the dead bodies and monuments of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever. + Son of man, show the temple by your description of it to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure accurately its appearance and plan. + And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the temple and the arrangement of it--its exits and its entrances and the whole form of it--all its ordinances and all its forms and all its laws. And write it down in their sight so that they may keep the whole form of it and all the ordinances of it and do them. + This is the law of the house [of the Lord]: The whole area round about on the top of the mountain [Mount Moriah] shall be most holy, separated, and set apart. Behold, this is the law of the house [of the Lord]. + And these are the measurements of the altar [of burnt offering] in cubits. The cubit is a royal cubit [the length of a forearm and a palm of the hand]; the bottom or gutter shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim or lip round about it of a span's breadth. And this shall be the height of the altar: + From the bottom or gutter on the ground to the lower ledge or brim shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit. + And the altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and from the altar hearth reaching upward there shall be four horns one cubit high. + And the altar hearth shall be square--twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in its four sides. + And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits broad on its four sides, and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and its bottom or gutter shall be a cubit deep and wide, and its ascent [not steps] shall face the east. [Exod. 20:26.] + And [the Lord] said to me, Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the regulations for the use of the altar in the day that it is erected, upon which to offer burnt offerings and to sprinkle blood against it: + You shall give to the priests, the Levites who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to Me to minister to Me, says the Lord God, a young bull for a sin offering. + And you shall take of its blood and put it on the four horns of [the altar of burnt offering] and on the four corners of the ledge and on the rim or border round about. Thus shall you cleanse and make atonement for [the altar]. + You shall also take the bullock of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sacred enclosure. [Heb. 13:11.] + And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. Thus the altar shall be cleansed, as it was cleansed with the bullock. + When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram out of the flock without blemish. + And you shall bring them near before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to the Lord. + Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin offering; also a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without blemish, shall be prepared. + For seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so the priests shall consecrate, separate, and set it apart to receive offerings. [Exod. 29:37.] + And when these days have been accomplished, on the eighth day and from then on, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings upon the altar and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord God. [Rom. 12:1; I Pet. 2:5.] + + + THEN the man [an angel] brought me back the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces the east, and it was shut. + Then the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; therefore it shall remain shut. + As for the prince, being the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the porch or vestibule of the gate and shall go out the same way. + Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord, and I fell upon my face. [Rev. 15:8.] + And the Lord said to me, Son of man, mark well and set your heart to see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws, and mark well and set your heart to know who are allowed to enter the temple and all those who are excluded from the sanctuary. + And you shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: O you house of Israel, let all your previous abominations be enough for you! [Do not repeat them!] + You have brought into My sanctuary aliens, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to pollute and profane it, even My house, when you offer My bread, the fat and the blood; and through it all and in addition to all your abominations, they and you have broken My covenant. + And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but you have chosen foreign keepers to please yourselves and have set them in charge of My sanctuary. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh shall enter into My sanctuary [where no one but the priests might enter], of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel. + But the Levites who went far away from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, they shall bear [the punishment for] their iniquity and guilt. + They shall minister in My sanctuary, having oversight as guards at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall attend the people to serve them. + Because [the priests] ministered to [the people] before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity and guilt to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up My hand and have sworn against them, says the Lord God, that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity and guilt. + And they shall not come near to Me to do the office of a priest to Me, nor come near to any of My holy things that are most sacred; but they shall bear their shame and their punishment for the abominations which they have committed. + Yet I will appoint them as caretakers to have charge of the temple, for all the service of the temple and for all that will be done in it. + But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me, and they shall attend Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood, says the Lord God. + They shall enter into My sanctuary; and they shall come near to My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge. + When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed in linen garments; no wool shall be on them while they minister at the gates of the inner court and within the temple. + They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes [them to] sweat. + And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they ministered and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments, lest by contact of their garments with the people they should consecrate (separate and set apart for holy use) such persons [unintentionally and unfittingly]. + Neither shall they shave their heads or allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut short or trim the hair of their heads. + Neither shall any priest drink wine when he enters the inner court. + Neither shall they take for their wives a widow or a woman separated or divorced from her husband; but they shall marry maidens [who are virgins] of the offspring of the house of Israel or a widow previously married to a priest. + The priests shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common or profane, and cause them to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. + And in a controversy they shall act as judges, and they shall judge according to My judgments; and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts, and they shall keep My Sabbaths holy. + And they shall go near to no dead person to defile themselves, except for father or for mother, for son or for daughter, for brother or for sister who has had no husband; for them they may defile themselves. [Lev. 21:1, 2.] + And after he is cleansed [from the defilement of a dead body] they shall reckon to him seven days more before returning to the temple. + And on the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord God. + This [their ministry to Me] shall be to them as an inheritance, for I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. [Josh. 13:14, 33.] + They shall eat the meal offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering, and every offering in Israel dedicated by a solemn vow to God shall be theirs. + And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priest the first of your coarse meal and bread dough, that a blessing may rest on your house. + The priests shall not eat of anything that has died of itself or is torn, whether it be bird or beast. + + + MOREOVER, WHEN you shall divide the land by apportioned and assigned lots for inheritance, you shall set apart as an offering to the Lord a portion of the land to be used for holy purposes. The length shall be 25,000 cubits, and the breadth 20,000. It shall be holy (set apart and consecrated to sacred use) in its every area. [Ezek. 48:9, 12, 13.] + Of this there shall belong to the sanctuary a square plot 500 by 500, and 50 cubits for the open space around it. + And in this sacred section you shall measure off a portion 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 cubits in breadth. And in it shall be the sanctuary which is most holy. + It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the Lord; and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place (set apart as sacred) for the sanctuary. + And another portion of land, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide, shall also be for the Levites, the ministers of the temple, and they shall possess it as a place in which to live. + And you shall appoint for the possession of the city an area of 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, along beside the portion set aside as a holy section. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel. + And to the prince shall belong the land on the one side and on the other side of the portion set aside as a holy section and the property of the city, in front of the holy section and the property of the city, from the west side westward and from the east side eastward; and the length shall be answerable to that of one of the tribal portions and parallel to it from the western boundary to the eastern boundary of the land. + It shall be for the prince--his possession in Israel. And My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes. + Thus says the Lord God: That is enough for you, O princes of Israel! Stop the violence and plundering and oppression [that you did when you were given no property], and do justice and righteousness, and take away your exactions and cease your evictions of My people, says the Lord God. + You shall have just weights on your scales and just measures--both a just ephah measure and a just bath measure. + The ephah and the bath measures shall both be the same size, the bath containing one tenth of a homer and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the standard measure shall be the homer. + And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels and twenty-five shekels and fifteen shekels shall be your maneh. + This is the offering which you shall make: a sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley. + And as to the set portion of oil, you shall offer the tenth part of a bath of oil out of each cor, which is a homer of ten baths, for ten baths make [both a cor and] a homer. + And [you shall offer] one lamb out of every flock of two hundred, out of the well-watered pastures of Israel and from all the families of Israel, to provide for a meal offering and for a burnt offering and for peace offerings, to make atonement for those who brought them, says the Lord God. + All the people of the land shall give this offering for the prince in Israel. + And it shall be the prince's part to furnish [from the contributions of the people] the burnt offerings, meal offerings, and drink offerings at the feasts and on the New Moons and on the Sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He shall prepare and make the sin offering, the meal offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for, bringing forgiveness and reconciliation to, the house of Israel. + Thus says the Lord God: In the first [month], on the first [day] of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and you shall cleanse the sanctuary. + And the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it upon the doorposts of the temple and upon the four corners of the ledge of the altar and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. + You shall do this on the seventh day of the month for everyone who has sinned through error or ignorance and for him who is simple-minded. So shall you make atonement for the temple. + In the first month on the fourteenth day of the [month]; you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. + Upon that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. + And for the seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily for the seven days, and a he-goat daily for a sin offering. + And he shall prepare as a meal offering to be offered with each bullock an ephah of meal, an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil for each ephah of meal. + In the seventh [month], on the fifteenth day of the month, he shall make the same provision and preparation for the seven days of the feast, for sin offerings, burnt offerings, bloodless or meal offerings, and for the oil. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut during the six working days, but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and also on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. + And the prince shall enter by the porch or vestibule of the gate from without and shall stand by the sidepost of the gate. The priests shall prepare and offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. + The people of the land shall worship at the entrance of that gate before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons. + And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. + And the bloodless or meal offering with the ram shall be an ephah, and the meal offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able and willing to give, and a hin of oil with each ephah. + And on the day of the New Moon the offering shall be a young bull without blemish and six lambs and a ram without blemish. + And the prince shall provide and make a meal or bloodless offering, an ephah for the bullock and an ephah for the ram, and for the lambs as he is able and willing according to what has been made available to his hand, and a hin of oil to each ephah. + And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the porch or vestibule of that gate and he shall go out by way of it. + But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord at the appointed solemn feasts, he who enters the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate; he shall not return by the gate by which he came in but shall go out by the opposite gate [straight ahead]. [Phil. 3:13.] + And the prince, when they go in, shall go in with them, and when they go out, he shall go out. + And in the appointed and solemn feasts the meal or bloodless offering shall be with a bullock an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as the prince is willing and able to give [from what has been made available to him], and a hin of oil with each ephah. + When the prince shall prepare and make a freewill burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily to the Lord, the gate that faces east shall be opened for him, and he shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate shall be shut. + And a lamb a year old without blemish shall you [the priests, for the congregation] offer daily to the Lord; you shall prepare and offer it every morning. + And you [the priests] shall prepare a meal offering to go with it every morning, one-sixth of an ephah with one-third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour. This is a perpetual ordinance for a continual meal offering to the Lord. + Thus shall they prepare and offer the lamb and the meal offering and the oil every morning for a continual burnt offering. + Thus says the Lord God: If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons out of his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their property by inheritance. + But if he gives a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his until the year of liberty [the Year of Jubilee]; after that it shall be returned to the prince; only his sons may keep a gift from his inheritance [permanently]. + Moreover, the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, thrusting them out of their property; what he gives to his sons he shall take out of his own possession, so that none of My people shall be separated from his [inherited] possession. + Then he [my guide] led me through the entrance which was at the side of the gate into the holy chambers for the priests, which faced the north; and behold, there was a place at the extreme western end of them. + And he said to me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the [bloodless] meal offering, to prevent their having to bring them into the outer court, lest they should thereby wrongfully sanctify (separate and consecrate for holy service) the people who are there. + And he brought me out into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court, and behold, in every corner of the court there was a court. + In the four corners of the court there were courts joined on and enclosed, forty cubits long and thirty broad; these four in the corners were the same size. + And there was a row of masonry inside them, round about [each of] the four courts, and it was made with hearths for boiling at the bottom of the rows round about. + Then said he to me, These are the kitchens of those who do the boiling, where the ministers [the Levites] of the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people. + + + THEN HE [my guide] brought me again to the door of the house [of the Lord--the temple], and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple was toward the east; and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the temple, on the south side of the altar. + Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around outside to the outer gate by the way that faces east, and behold, waters were running out on the right side. [Zech. 14:8; Rev. 22:1, 2.] + And when the man went on eastward with the measuring line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were ankle-deep. + Again he measured a thousand cubits and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that reached to the knees. Again he measured a thousand cubits and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that reached to the loins. + Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over or through. + And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he led me and caused me to return to the bank of the river. + Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. + Then he said to me, These waters pour out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley) and on into the Dead Sea. And when they shall enter into the sea [the sea of putrid waters], the waters shall be healed and made fresh. + And wherever the double river shall go, every living creature which swarms shall live. And there shall be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there that [the waters of the sea] may be healed and made fresh; and everything shall live wherever the river goes. + The fishermen shall stand on [the banks of the Dead Sea]; from En-gedi even to En-eglaim shall be a place to spread nets; their fish shall be of very many kinds, as the fish of the Great or Mediterranean Sea. + But its swamps and marshes will not become wholesome for animal life; they shall [as the river subsides] be left encrusted with salt and given over to it. + And on the banks of the river on both its sides, there shall grow all kinds of trees for food; their leaf shall not fade nor shall their fruit fail [to meet the demand]. Each tree shall bring forth new fruit every month, [these supernatural qualities being] because their waters came from out of the sanctuary. And their fruit shall be for food and their leaves for healing. + Thus says the Lord God: These shall be the boundaries by which you shall divide the land among the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. + And you shall divide it equally. I lifted up My hand and swore to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance. + And this shall be the boundary of the land on the north side: from the Great or Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Zedad, + Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath, as far as Hazer-hatticon on the border of Hauran. + So the boundary shall extend from the [Mediterranean] Sea to Hazar-enan, at the boundary of Damascus on the north, together with the boundary of Hamath to the north. This is the north side. + And on the east side you shall measure the boundary from between Hauran and Damascus, and Gilead on one side and the land of Israel on the other, with the Jordan forming the boundary down to the East or Dead Sea. And this [from Damascus to the Dead Sea and including it] is the east side. + And the south side [boundary] southward, from Tamar [near the Dead Sea] shall run as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt to the Great or Mediterranean Sea. And this is the south side. + On the west side [the boundary] shall be the Great or Mediterranean Sea to a point opposite the entrance of Hamath [north of Mount Hermon]. This is the west side. + So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. + You shall divide it by allotment as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who reside among you and shall have children born among you. They shall be to you as those born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall inherit with you among the tribes of Israel. + In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there shall you give him his inheritance, says the Lord God. + + + NOW THESE are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath as far as Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus opposite Hamath, and reaching from the east border to the west, Dan, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Asher, from the east side to the west side, Naphtali, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west side, Reuben, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the offering of land which you shall offer: 25,000 reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the tribal portions from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. + The portion of land that you shall set apart and offer to the Lord shall be 25,000 [measures] in length and 10,000 in breadth [for each of the two districts]. + And for these, even for the priests, shall be this holy offering of land: toward the north 25,000 [measures] in length, and toward the west 10,000 in breadth, and toward the east 10,000 in breadth, and toward the south 25,000 in length, and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst of it. + The set-apart and sacred portion shall be for the consecrated priests of the sons of Zadok, who have kept My charge and who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the other Levites did. + And this land offering shall be for the priests as a thing most holy beside the border of the [other] Levites. + And opposite the border of the priests the [other] Levites shall have 25,000 [measures] in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 and the breadth 10,000. + And they shall not sell any of it or exchange it; they shall not convey or transfer this the firstfruits of the land, for it has been offered to the Lord and is holy to Him. + And the remaining strip of 5,000 [measures] in breadth and 25,000 in length shall be for the city's secular use, for a place in which to dwell and for open country or suburbs. The city shall be in the midst of the plot. + And these shall be the dimensions of it: the north side 4,500 [measures] and the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500 and the west side 4,500. [Rev. 21:16.] + And the city shall have suburbs or open country: toward the north 250 [measures] and toward the south 250, toward the east 250 and toward the west 250. + The remainder of the length along beside the holy portion shall be 10,000 [measures] to the east and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be along beside the holy portion. The produce from it shall be for food for those who work in the city. + And the workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall till the open land. + The whole portion that you shall set apart as an offering to God shall be 25,000 [measures] by 25,000; you shall set apart the holy portion foursquare, together with the property of the city. + And what is left unallotted, on both sides of the holy portion and of that possessed by the city, shall belong to the prince. Reaching eastward from the 25,000 [measures] of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 [measures] to the west border, parallel to the tribal allotments, it belongs to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple in its midst, + And the possession of the Levites and the property of the city [of Jerusalem] shall be in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. What lies between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall be for the prince. + As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one [portion]. + And beside the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall extend from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh and on along the Brook [of Egypt] to the Great or Mediterranean Sea. + This is the land which you shall divide by allotment among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord God. + And these shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to extend 4,500 measures, + Three gates: one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi, the gates of the city being called after the names of the tribes of Israel; + And on the east side's 4,500 measures, three gates: one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan; + And on the south side's 4,500 measures, three gates: one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun; + On the west side's 4,500 measures, three gates: one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. + The distance around the city shall be 18,000 measures; and the name of the city from that day and ever after shall be, THE LORD IS THERE. [Rev. 21:12, 13, 16.] + + + + + IN THE third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. + And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with a part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar [Babylonia] to the house of his god and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. [II Chron. 36:5-7; Jer. 27:19, 20; Dan. 5:1-3.] + And the [Babylonian] king told Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring in some of the children of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility--[II Kings 20:17, 18.] + Youths without blemish, well-favored in appearance and skillful in all wisdom, discernment, and understanding, apt in learning knowledge, competent to stand and serve in the king's palace--and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. + And the king assigned for them a daily portion of his own rich and dainty food and of the wine which he drank. They were to be so educated and so nourished for three years that at the end of that time they might stand before the king. + Among these were of the children of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. + The chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar [the king's attendant], Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. + But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king's rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself. [Num. 6:1-4; I Cor. 10:21.] + Now God made Daniel to find favor, compassion, and loving-kindness with the chief of the eunuchs. + And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear, lest my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink, should see your faces worse looking or more sad than the other youths of your age. Then you would endanger my head with the king. + Then said Daniel to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, + Prove your servants, I beseech you, for ten days and let us be given a vegetable diet and water to drink. + Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat of the king's [rich] dainties be observed and compared by you, and deal with us your servants according to what you see. + So [the man] consented to them in this matter and proved them ten days. + And at the end of ten days it was seen that they were looking better and had taken on more flesh than all the youths who ate of the king's rich dainties. + So the steward took away their [rich] dainties and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. + As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all [kinds of] visions and dreams. [Luke 21:15; James 1:5-7.] + Now at the end of the time which the king had set for bringing [all the young men in], the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. + And the king conversed with them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were assigned to stand before the king. + And in all matters of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the [learned] magicians and enchanters who were in his whole realm. + And Daniel continued there even to the first year of King Cyrus [at the close of the seventy years' exile of Judah in Babylonia, which Jeremiah had foretold]. [Ezra 1:1-3; Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10.] + + + IN THE second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams by which his spirit was troubled and agitated and his sleep went from him. + Then the king commanded to call the magicians, the enchanters or soothsayers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans [diviners], to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. + And the king said to them, I had a dream and my spirit is troubled to know the dream. + Then said the Chaldeans [diviners] to the king in Aramaic [the Syrian language], O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. + The king answered the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me! And the decree goes forth from me and I say it with all emphasis: if you do not make known to me the dream with its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces and your houses shall be made a dunghill! + But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So show me the dream and the interpretation of it. + They answered again, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. + The king answered, I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see the thing is gone from me and because you see that my word [against you] is sure: + If you will not make known to me the dream, there is but one sentence for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me [hoping to delay your execution] until the time is changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can tell me the interpretation of it. + The Chaldeans [diviners] answered before the king and said, There is not a man on earth who can show the king this matter, for no king, lord, or ruler has [ever] asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. + A rare and weighty thing indeed the king requires! None except the gods can reveal it to the king, and their dwelling is not with [human] flesh. + For this cause the king was angry and very furious and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. + So the decree went forth that the wise men were to be killed, and [the officers] sought Daniel and his companions to be slain. + Then Daniel returned an answer which was full of prudence and wisdom to Arioch the captain or executioner of the king's guard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. + He said to Arioch, the king's captain, Why is the decree so urgent and hasty from the king? Then Arioch explained the matter to Daniel. + And Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would set a date and give him time, and he would show the king the interpretation. + Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, + So that they would desire and request mercy of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. + Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. + Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! + He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! [Dan. 4:35.] + He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! [Job 15:8; Ps. 25:14; Matt. 6:6.] + I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, Who has given me wisdom and might and has made known to me now what we desired of You, for You have made known to us the solution to the king's problem. + Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said thus to him: Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation. + Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: I have found a man of the captives of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation [of his dream]. + The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and the interpretation of it? + Daniel answered the king, The [mysterious] secret which the king has demanded neither the wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor astrologers can show the king, + But there is a God in heaven Who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what it is that shall be in the latter days (at the end of days). Your dream and the visions in your head upon your bed are these: + As for you, O king, as you were lying upon your bed thoughts came into your mind about what should come to pass hereafter, and He Who reveals secrets was making known to you what shall come to pass. + But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than anyone else living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king and that you may know the thoughts of your heart and mind. + You, O king, saw, and behold, [there was] a great image. This image which was mighty and of exceedingly great brightness stood before you, and the appearance of it was frightening and terrible. + As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, + Its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay [the baked clay of the potter]. + As you looked, a Stone was cut out without human hands, which smote the image on its feet of iron and [baked] clay [of the potter] and broke them to pieces. [I Pet. 2:3-8.] + Then the iron, the [baked] clay [of the potter], the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken and crushed together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them could be found. And the Stone that smote the image became a great mountain or rock and filled the whole earth. + This was the dream, and we will tell the interpretation of it to the king. + You, O king, are king of the [earthly] kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory. [Jer. 25:9; 27:6; 28:14.] + And wherever the children of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens--He has given them into your hand and has made you to rule over them all. You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold. + And after you shall arise another kingdom [the Medo-Persian], inferior to you, and still a third kingdom of bronze [Greece under Alexander the Great] which shall bear rule over all the earth. + And the fourth kingdom [Rome] shall be strong as iron, since iron breaks to pieces and subdues all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these. [Dan. 7:7, 23.] + And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of [baked] clay [of the potter] and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it some of the firmness and strength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with miry [earthen] clay. + And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of [baked] clay [of the potter], so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle and broken. + And as you saw the iron mixed with miry and earthen clay, so they shall mingle themselves in the seed of men [in marriage bonds]; but they will not hold together [for two such elements or ideologies can never harmonize], even as iron does not mingle itself with clay. + And in the days of these [final ten] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break and crush and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever. [Dan. 7:14-17; Luke 1:31-33; Rev. 11:15.] + Just as you saw that the Stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. The dream is certain and the interpretation of it is sure. + Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and paid homage to Daniel [as a great prophet of the highest God] and ordered that an offering and incense should be offered up to him [in honor of his God]. + The king answered Daniel, Of a truth your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a Revealer of secret mysteries, seeing that you could reveal this secret mystery! [Prov. 3:32; Rev. 19:16.] + Then the king made Daniel great and gave him many great gifts, and he made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. + And Daniel requested of the king and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained in the gate of the king [at the king's court]. + + + NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE king [caused to be] made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits or ninety feet and its breadth six cubits or nine feet. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. + Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, the governors, the judges and chief stargazers, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs and lawyers, and all the chief officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had [caused to be] set up. + Then the satraps, the deputies, the governors, the judges and chief stargazers, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs and lawyers, and all the chief officials of the provinces were gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Then the herald cried aloud, You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, + That when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer or bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. + And whoever does not fall down and worship shall that very hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. + Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, dulcimer or bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Therefore at that time certain men of Chaldean descent came near and brought [malicious] accusations against the Jews. + They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! + You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer or bagpipe, and every kind of music shall fall down and worship the golden image, + And that whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. + There are certain Jews whom you have appointed and set over the affairs of the province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up. + Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and these men were brought before the king. + [Then] Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? + Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer or bagpipe, and every kind of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast at once into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, and who is that god who can deliver you out of my hands? + Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, it is not necessary for us to answer you on this point. + If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. + But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up! [Job 13:15; Acts 4:19, 20.] + Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his facial expression was changed [to antagonism] against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated. + And he commanded the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. + Then these [three] men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics or undergarments, their turbans, and their other clothing, and they were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. + Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame and sparks from the fire killed those men who handled Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. + And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the burning fiery furnace. + Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [saw and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered, True, O king. + He answered, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods! [Phil. 2:5-8.] + Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the midst of the fire. + And the satraps, the deputies, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered around together and saw these men--that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; neither were their garments scorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even the smell of smoke clung to them. + Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! And they set aside the king's command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. + Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, and language that speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses be made a dunghill, for there is no other God who can deliver in this way! + Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. + + + NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE king, to all people, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you! + It seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed toward me. + How great are His signs! And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation. [Dan. 7:13, 14; Luke 1:31-33.] + I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house and prospering in my palace. + I had a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts and imaginations and the visions of my head as I was lying upon my bed troubled and agitated me. + Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. + Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me the interpretation of it. + But at last Daniel came in before me--he who was named Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God--and I told the dream before him, saying, + O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you and no secret mystery is a burden or troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen and the interpretation of it. + The visions of my head [as I lay] on my bed were these: I saw, and behold, [there was] a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. + The tree grew and was strong and its height reached to the heavens, and the sight of it reached to the end of the whole earth. + Its leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The living creatures of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches; and all flesh was fed from it. + I saw in the visions of my head [as I lay] on my bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. + He cried aloud [with might] and said, Cut down the tree and cut off its branches; shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the living creatures flee from under it and the fowls from its branches. + Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the midst of the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let him share the lot of the living creatures in the grass of the earth. + Let his nature and understanding be changed from a man's and let a beast's nature and understanding be given him, and let seven times [or years] pass over him. + This sentence is by the decree of the [heavenly] watchers and the decision is by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High [God] rules the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whomever He will and sets over it the humblest and lowliest of men. [Dan. 2:21; 5:21.] + This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. And you, O Belteshazzar [Daniel], declare now its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you. + Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished and dismayed and stricken dumb for a while [concerned about the king's destiny], and his thoughts troubled, agitated, and alarmed him. The king said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream or its interpretation trouble or alarm you. Belteshazzar answered, My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its message for your enemies. + The tree that you saw, which grew [great] and was strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which was visible to all the earth, + Whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, on which was food for all, under which the living creatures of the field dwelt, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their nests-- + It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; your greatness has increased and it reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. + And whereas the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, Cut the tree down and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the living creatures of the field until seven times [or years] pass over him-- + This is the interpretation, O king: It is the decree of the Most High [God] which has come upon my lord the king: + You shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass as do the oxen and you shall be wet with the dew of the heavens; and seven times [or years] shall pass over you until you learn and know and recognize that the Most High [God] rules the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whomever He will. + And in that it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure to you after you have learned and know that [the God of] heaven rules. + Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins and show the reality of your repentance by righteousness (right standing with God and moral and spiritual rectitude and rightness in every area and relation) and liberate yourself from your iniquities by showing mercy and loving-kindness to the poor and oppressed, that [if the king will repent] there may possibly be a continuance and lengthening of your peace and tranquility and a healing of your error. + All this was fulfilled and came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. + At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon. + The king said, Is not this the great Babylon that I have built as the royal residence and seat of government by the might of my power and for the honor and glory of my majesty? + While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, + And you shall be driven from among men and your dwelling will be with the living creatures of the field. You will be made to eat grass like the oxen, and seven times [or years] shall pass over you until you have learned and know that the Most High [God] rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will. + That very hour the thing was [in process of] being fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and did eat grass like oxen [as Daniel had said he would], and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens until his hair grew like eagles' [feathers] and his nails [were] like birds' [claws]. + And at the end of the days [seven years], I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. + And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing? + Now at the same time my reason and understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me, and my counselors and my lords sought me out; I was reestablished in my kingdom, and still more greatness [than before] was added to me. + Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, Whose works are all faithful and right and Whose ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase and humble. + + + BELSHAZZAR THE king [descendant of Nebuchadnezzar] made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and he drank his wine in the presence of the thousand. + Belshazzar, while he was tasting the wine, commanded that the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple [out of the sacred area--the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies] which was in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. + Then they brought in the gold and silver vessels which had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. + They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. + Immediately and suddenly there appeared the fingers of a man's hand and wrote on the plaster of the wall opposite the candlestick [so exposed especially to the light] in the king's palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. + Then the color and the [drunken] hilarious brightness of the king's face was changed, and his [terrifying] thoughts troubled and alarmed him; the joints and muscles of his hips and back gave way and his knees smote together. + The king cried aloud [mightily] to bring in the enchanters or soothsayers, the Chaldeans [diviners], and the astrologers. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever will read this writing and show me the interpretation of it will be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put about his neck and will be the third ruler in the kingdom. + And all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation of it. + Then King Belshazzar was greatly perplexed and alarmed and the color faded from his face, and his lords were puzzled and astounded. + Now the queen [mother], overhearing the exciting words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. The queen [mother] said, O king, live forever! Do not be alarmed at your thoughts or let your cheerful expression and the color of your face be changed. + There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy God [or gods], and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father--the king, I say, your father--appointed him master of the magicians, enchanters or soothsayers, Chaldeans, and astrologers, + Because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, clarify riddles, and solve knotty problems were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. + Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? + I have heard of you, that the Spirit of the holy God [or gods] is in you and that light and understanding and superior wisdom are found in you. + Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me that they might read this writing and make known to me the interpretation of it, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. + But I have heard of you, that you can make interpretations and solve knotty problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. + Then Daniel answered before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. However, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. + O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and greatness and glory and majesty; + And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down. + But when his heart was lifted up and his mind and spirit were hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him; + He was driven from among men, and his heart or mind was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens until he learned and knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and that He appoints and sets over it whomever He will. + And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart and mind, though you knew all this [knew it and were defiant]. + And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of His house have been brought before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in Whose hand your breath is and Whose are all your ways you have not honored and glorified [but have dishonored and disgraced]. + Then was the part of the hand sent from the presence of [the Most High God], and this writing was inscribed. + And this is the inscription that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN--numbered, numbered, weighed, divisions. + This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingship and brought them to an end; + TEKEL, You are weighed in the balances and are found wanting; + PERES, Your kingdom and your kingship are divided and given to the Medes and Persians. [Foretold in Isa. 21:2, 5, 9.] + Then Belshazzar commanded, and Daniel was clothed with purple and a chain of gold put about his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. + During that night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain, + And Darius the Mede took the kingdom; he was about sixty-two years old. + + + IT PLEASED [King] Darius [successor to Belshazzar] to set over the kingdom 120 satraps who should be [in charge] throughout all the kingdom, + And over them three presidents--of whom Daniel was one--that these satraps might give account to them and that the king should have no loss or damage. + Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. + Then the presidents and satraps sought to find occasion [to bring accusation] against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or fault, for he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him. + Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion [to bring accusation] against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. [Acts 24:13-21; I Pet. 4:12-16.] + Then these presidents and satraps came [tumultuously] together to the king and said to him, King Darius, live forever! + All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted and agreed that the king should establish a royal statute and make a firm decree that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. + Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered. + So King Darius signed the writing and the decree. + Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. [Ps. 5:7.] + Then these men came thronging [by agreement] and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. + Then they came near and said before the king concerning his prohibitory decree, Have you not signed an edict that any man who shall make a petition to any god or man within thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed or repealed. + Then they said before the king, That Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not regard or pay any attention to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. + Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed [over what he had done] and set his mind on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the sun went down to rescue him. + Then these same men came thronging [by agreement] to the king and said, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed or repealed. + Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, May your God, Whom you are serving continually, deliver you! [Ps. 34:7, 19; 37:39, 40; 50:15.] + And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that there might be no change of purpose concerning Daniel. + Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting, neither were instruments of music or dancing girls brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. + Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. + And when he came to the den and to Daniel, he cried out in a voice of anguish. The king said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, Whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions? + Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever! + My God has sent His angel and has shut the lions' mouths so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent and blameless before Him; and also before you, O king, [as you very well know] I have done no harm or wrong. [II Tim. 4:17.] + Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel should be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no hurt of any kind was found on him because he believed in (relied on, adhered to, and trusted in) his God. + And the king commanded, and those men who had accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions, they, their children, and their wives; and before they ever reached the bottom of the den, the lions had overpowered them and had broken their bones in pieces. + Then King Darius wrote to all peoples, nations, and languages [in his realm] that dwelt in all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you! + I make a decree that in all my royal dominion men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God, enduring and steadfast forever, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed and His dominion shall be even to the end [of the world]. + He is a Savior and Deliverer, and He works signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth--He Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. + So this [man] Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. + + + IN THE first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions in his head as he was lying upon his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the gist of the matter. + Daniel said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens [political and social agitations] were stirring up the great sea [the nations of the world]. + And four great beasts came up out of the sea in succession, and different from one another. + The first [the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar] was like a lion and had eagle's wings. I looked till the wings of it were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand upon two feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. [Dan. 2:37, 38.] + And behold another beast, a second one [the Medo-Persian empire], was like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side [or one dominion] and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, Arise, devour much flesh. + After this I looked, and behold, another [the Grecian empire of Alexander the Great], like a leopard which had four wings of a bird on its back. The beast had also four heads [Alexander's generals, his successors], and dominion was given to it. [Dan. 2:39; 8:20-22.] + After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast [the Roman empire]--terrible, powerful and dreadful, and exceedingly strong. And it had great iron teeth; it devoured and crushed and trampled what was left with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns [symbolizing ten kings]. [Dan. 2:40-43; 7:23.] + I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. + I kept looking until thrones were placed [for the assessors with the Judge], and the Ancient of Days [God, the eternal Father] took His seat, Whose garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame; its wheels were burning fire. [I Kings 22:19; Ps. 90:2; Ezek. 1:26-28; Dan. 7:13, 22; Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:4.] + A stream of fire came forth from before Him; a thousand thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand rose up and stood before Him; the Judge was seated [the court was in session] and the books were opened. + I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. + And as for the rest of the beasts, their power of dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged [for the duration of their lives was fixed] for a season and a time. + I saw in the night visions, and behold, on the clouds of the heavens came One like a Son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. + And there was given Him [the Messiah] dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed. [Rev. 5:1-10.] + As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved and anxious within me, and the visions of my head alarmed and agitated me. + I came near to one of those who stood there and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. + These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. + But the saints of the Most High [God] shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. [Rom. 8:17; I Pet. 2:9; Rev. 3:21.] + Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast--which was different from all the others, exceedingly terrible and shocking, whose teeth were of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke and crushed, and trampled what was left with its feet-- + And about the ten horns [representing kings] that were on its head, and the other horn which came up later and before which three of [the horns] fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things and which looked greater than the others. + As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them [Rev. 13:7-9.] + Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High [God], and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. + Thus [the angel] said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces and crush it. + And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from the former ones, and he shall subdue and put down three kings. + And he shall speak words against the Most High [God] and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change the time [of sacred feasts and holy days] and the law; and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time [three and one-half years]. [Rev. 13:1-6.] + But the judgment shall be set [by the court of the Most High], and they shall take away his dominion to consume it [gradually] and to destroy it [suddenly] in the end. + And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions shall serve and obey Him. + Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my [waking] thoughts troubled and alarmed me much and my cheerfulness of countenance was changed in me; but I kept the matter [of the interpreting angel's information] in my heart and mind. + + + IN THE third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that appeared to me at the first. + And I saw in the vision and it seemed that I was at Shushan the palace or fortress [in Susa, the capital of Persia], which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in the vision and I was by the river of Ulai. + And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a [single] ram which had two horns [representing two kings of Medo-Persia: Darius the Mede, then Cyrus]; and the two horns were high, but one [Persia] was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. + I looked and saw the ram [Medo-Persia] pushing and charging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, neither could anyone rescue from his power, but he did according to his [own] will and pleasure and magnified himself. [Dan. 8:20.] + As I was considering, behold, a he-goat [the king of Greece] came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous and remarkable horn between his eyes [symbolizing Alexander the Great]. [Dan. 8:21.] + And he came to the ram that had the two horns which I had seen standing on the bank of the river and ran at him in the heat of his power. + [In my vision] I saw him come close to the ram [Medo-Persia], and he was moved with anger against him and he [Alexander the Great] struck the ram and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but the goat threw him to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. + And the he-goat [Alexander the Great] magnified himself exceedingly, and when he was [young and] strong, the great horn [he] was [suddenly] broken; and instead of [him] there came up four notable horns [to whom the kingdom was divided, one] toward [each of] the four winds of the heavens. + Out of littleness and small beginnings one of them came forth [Antiochus Epiphanes], a horn whose [impious presumption and pride] grew exceedingly great toward the south and toward the east and toward the ornament [the precious, blessed land of Israel]. [Dan. 8:23.] + And [in my vision this horn] grew great, even against the host of heaven [God's true people, the saints], and some of the host and of the stars [priests] it cast down to the ground and trampled on them, + Yes, [this horn] magnified itself, even [matching itself] against the Prince of the host [of heaven]; and from Him the continual [burnt offering] was taken away and the place of [God's] sanctuary was cast down and profaned. + And the host [the chosen people] was given [to the wicked horn] together with the continual burnt offering because of the transgression [of God's people--their abounding irreverence, ungodliness, and lack of piety]. And righteousness and truth were cast down to the ground, and it [the wicked horn] accomplished this [by divine permission] and prospered. + Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one that spoke, For how long is the vision concerning the continual offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of both the sanctuary and the host [of the people] to be trampled underfoot? [Luke 21:24.] + And he said to him and to me, For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed and restored. + When I, even I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; then behold, there stood before me one [Gabriel] with the appearance of a man. + And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the [river] Ulai which called and said, Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] understand the vision. [Dan. 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26.] + So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, Understand, O son of man, for the [fulfillment of the] vision belongs to [events that shall occur in] the time of the end. + Now as he [Gabriel] was speaking with me, I fell stunned and in deep unconsciousness with my face to the ground; but he touched me and set me upright [where I had stood]. + And he said, Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation [of God upon the ungodly], for it has to do with the time of the end. + The ram you saw having two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. + And the shaggy and rough he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king [who consolidated the whole realm, Alexander the Great]. + And as for the horn which was shattered, in whose place four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise out of his nation but not having his [Alexander's] power. + And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors [the apostate Jews] have reached the fullness [of their wickedness, taxing the limits of God's mercy], a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark trickery and craftiness shall stand up. + And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall corrupt and destroy astonishingly and shall prosper and do his own pleasure, and he shall corrupt and destroy the mighty men and the holy people (the people of the saints). [Dan. 8:9-12; II Thess. 2:3-10; Rev. 13:4-10.] + And through his policy he shall cause trickery to prosper in his hand; he shall magnify himself in his heart and mind, and in their security he will corrupt and destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken and that by no [human] hand. [Rev. 19:19, 20.] + The vision of the evenings and the mornings which has been told you is true. But seal up the vision, for it has to do with and belongs to the [now] distant future. + And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick [for several] days. Afterward I rose up and did the king's business; and I wondered at the vision, but there was no one who understood it or could make it understood. + + + IN THE first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans-- + In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass by before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem should end; and it was seventy years. [Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10.] + And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes; + And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy, and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments, + We have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. + Neither have we listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. + O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day--to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the [treacherous] trespass which they have committed against You. + O Lord, to us belong confusion and shame of face--to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers--because we have sinned against You. + To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; + And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets. + Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. [Lev. 26:14-45; Deut. 28:15-68.] + And He has carried out intact His [threatening] words which He threatened against us and against our judges [the kings, princes, and rulers generally] who ruled us, and He has brought upon us a great evil; for under the whole heavens there has not been done before [anything so dreadful] as [He has caused to be] done against Jerusalem. + Just as it is written in the Law of Moses as to all this evil [that would surely come upon transgressors], so it has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth. [Deut. 4:29; 28:15ff.] + Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity (evil) and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does [keeping His word]; and we have not obeyed His voice. + And now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and secured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly! + O Lord, according to all Your rightness and justice, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach and a byword to all who are around about us. + Now therefore, O our God, listen to and heed the prayer of Your servant [Daniel] and his supplications, and for Your own sake cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate. + O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You for our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy and loving-kindness. + O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name. + While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God-- + Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the former vision, being caused to fly swiftly, came near to me and touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. [Dan. 8:16.] + He instructed me and made me understand; he talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and wisdom and understanding. + At the beginning of your prayers, the word [giving an answer] went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision. + Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city [Jerusalem], to finish and put an end to transgression, to seal up and make full the measure of sin, to purge away and make expiation and reconciliation for sin, to bring in everlasting righteousness (permanent moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint a Holy of Holies. + Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Anointed One, a Prince, shall be seven weeks [of years] and sixty-two weeks [of years]; it shall be built again with [city] square and moat, but in troublous times. + And after the sixty-two weeks [of years] shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing [and no one] belonging to [and defending] Him. And the people of the [other] prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood; and even to the end there shall be war, and desolations are decreed. [Isa. 53:7-9; Nah. 1:8; Matt. 24:6-14.] + And he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator. + + + IN THE third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. And the word was true and it referred to great tribulation (conflict and wretchedness). And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. [Dan. 8:26; Rev. 19:9.] + In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three whole weeks. + I ate no pleasant or desirable food, nor did any meat or wine come into my mouth; and I did not anoint myself at all for the full three weeks. + On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was on the bank of the great river Hiddekel [which is the Tigris], + I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz. + His body also was [a golden luster] like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and his feet like glowing burnished bronze, and the sound of his words was like the noise of a multitude [of people or the roaring of the sea]. [Rev. 1:12-16; 19:6.] + And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision [of this heavenly being], for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves. + So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me, for my fresh appearance was turned to pallor; I grew weak and faint [with fright]. + Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in a deep sleep, with my face [sunk] to the ground. + And behold, a hand touched me, which set me [unsteadily] upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. + And [the angel] said to me, O Daniel, you greatly beloved man, understand the words that I speak to you and stand upright, for to you I am now sent. And while he was saying this word to me, I stood up trembling. + Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words. + But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief [of the celestial] princes, came to help me, for I remained there with the kings of Persia. + Now I have come to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days, for the vision is for [many] days yet to come. + When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was dumb. + And behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, O my lord, by reason of the vision sorrows and pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. + For how can my lord's servant [who is so feeble] talk with this my lord? For now no strength remains in me, nor is there any breath left in me. + Then there touched me again one whose appearance was like that of a man, and he strengthened me. + And he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you! Be strong, yes, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me. + Then he said, Do you know why I have come to you? And now I will return to fight with the [hostile] prince of Persia; and when I have gone, behold, the [hostile] prince of Greece will come. + But I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth or the Book of Truth. There is no one who holds with me and strengthens himself against these [hostile spirit forces] except Michael, your prince [national guardian angel]. + + + ALSO I [the angel], in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood up to confirm and to strengthen him [Michael, the angelic prince]. + And now I will show you the truth. Behold, there shall arise three more kings in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than they all. And when he has become strong through his riches he shall stir up and stake all against the realm of Greece. + Then a mighty [warlike, threatening] king shall arise who shall rule with great dominion and do according to his [own] will. + And as soon as he has fully arisen, his [Alexander the Great's] kingdom shall be broken [by his death] and divided toward the four winds [the east, west, north, and south] of the heavens, but not to his posterity, nor according to the [Grecian] dominion which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be torn out and uprooted and go to others [to his four generals] to the exclusion of these. + Then the king of the South (Egypt) shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he is and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. + At the end of some years they [the king of the North, Syria, and the king of the South, Egypt] shall make an alliance; the daughter of the king of the South shall come to the king of the North to make [a just and peaceful marriage] agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her might, neither shall he and his might endure. She shall be handed over with her attendants, her child, and him who strengthened her in those times. + But out of a branch of the [same ancestral] roots as hers shall one [her brother] stand up in his place or office, who shall come against the [Syrian] army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the North and shall deal against them and shall prevail. + And also he shall carry off to Egypt their [Syria's] gods with their molten images and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, and he shall refrain for some years from [waging war against] the king of the North. + And he [the king of Syria] shall come into the kingdom of the king of the South but shall return to his own land. + But his sons shall be stirred up and shall prepare for war and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on and overflow and pass through and again shall make war even to the fortress [of the king of the South]. + And the king of the South (Egypt) shall be moved with anger and shall come forth and fight with the king of the North (Syria); and he [the Syrian king] shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his [the Egyptian king's] hand. + When the multitude is taken and carried away, the heart and mind [of the Egyptian king] shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. + For the king of the North shall raise a multitude greater than [he had] before, and after some years shall certainly return, coming with a great army and much substance and equipment. + In those times many shall rise up against the king of the South (Egypt); also the men of violence among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the visions [of Dan. 8 and 9], but they shall fail and fall. + Then the king of the North shall come and cast up siege works and take a well-fortified city, and the forces of the South shall not stand, or even his chosen troops, for there shall be no strength to stand [against the Syrian king]. + But he [Antiochus the Great] who comes against him [from Syria] shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; he shall stand in the glorious land [of Israel], and in his hand shall be destruction and all the land shall be in his power. + He [Antiochus the Great] shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him upright conditions and terms of peace, and he shall perform them [by making an agreement with the king of the South]. He shall give him [his] daughter to corrupt and destroy it [his league with Egypt] and the kingdom, but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage. + After this he shall turn his attention to the islands and coastlands and shall take over many of them. But a prince or commander shall teach him [Antiochus the Great] to put an end to the insults offered by him; in fact he shall turn his insolence and reproaches back upon him. + Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land [of Syria], but he shall stumble and fall and not be found. + Then shall stand up in his place or office one who shall send an exactor of tribute to pass through the glory of the kingdom, but within a few days he shall be destroyed, [yet] neither in anger nor in battle. + And in his place or office [in Syria] shall arise a contemptuous and contemptible person, to whom royal majesty and honor of the kingdom have not been given. But he shall come in without warning in time of security and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries, intrigues, and cunning hypocritical conduct. [Dan. 8:9-12, 23-25.] + Before him the overwhelming forces of invading armies shall be broken and utterly swept away; yes, and a prince of the covenant [with those who were at peace with him] also [shall be broken and swept away]. + And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall work deceitfully, and he shall come up unexpectedly and shall become strong with a small people. + Without warning and stealthily he shall come into the most productive places of a province or among the richest men of a province [of Egypt], and he shall do that which his fathers have not done nor his fathers' fathers; he shall distribute among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds--but only for a time [the period decreed by God]. + And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South [Egypt] with a great army; and the king of the South shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for schemes shall be devised against [the king of the South]. + Yes, those who eat of his rich and dainty food shall break and destroy him, and his army shall drift or turn away to flee, and many shall fall down slain. + And as for both of these kings, their hearts and minds shall be set on doing mischief; they shall speak lies over the same table, but it will not succeed, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. + Then shall [the vile conqueror from the North] return into his land with much booty; and his heart and purpose shall be set against [God's] holy covenant [with His people], and he shall accomplish [his malicious intention] and return to his own land [Syria]. + At the time appointed [God's own time] he shall return and come into the South, but it shall not be successful as were the former invasions [of Egypt]. + For the ships of Kittim [or Cyprus, in Roman hands] shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and discouraged and turn back [to Palestine] and carry out his rage and indignation against the holy covenant and God's people, and he shall do his own pleasure; he shall even turn back and make common cause with those [Jews] who abandon the holy covenant [with God]. + And armed forces of his shall appear [in the holy land] and they shall pollute the sanctuary, the [spiritual] stronghold, and shall take away the continual [daily burnt offering]; and they shall set up [in the sanctuary] the abomination that astonishes and makes desolate [probably an altar to a pagan god]. + And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]. + And they who are wise and understanding among the people shall instruct many and make them understand, though some [of them and their followers] shall fall by the sword and flame, by captivity and plunder, for many days. + Now when they fall, they shall receive a little help. Many shall join themselves to them with flatteries and hypocrisies. + And some of those who are wise, prudent, and understanding shall be weakened and fall, [thus, then, the insincere among the people will lose courage and become deserters. It will be a test] to refine, to purify, and to make those among [God's people] white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time [God] appointed. + And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that which is determined [by God] shall be done. + He shall not regard the gods of his fathers or Him [to Whom] women desire [to give birth--the Messiah] or any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. + But in their place he shall honor the god of fortresses; a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver, with precious stones, and with pleasant and expensive things. + And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall magnify with glory and honor, and he shall cause them to rule over many and shall divide the land for a price. + And at the time of the end the king of the South shall push at and attack him, and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass through. + He shall enter into the Glorious Land [Palestine] and many shall be overthrown, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the main [core] of the people of Ammon. + He shall stretch out his hand also against the [other] countries, but the land of Egypt shall not be among the escaped ones. + But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver and over all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall accompany him [compelled to follow his steps]. + But rumors from the east and from the north shall alarm and hasten him. And he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. + And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the seas and the glorious holy Mount [Zion]; yet he shall come to his end with none to help him. [II Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:5-8.] + + + AND AT that time [of the end] Michael shall arise, the great [angelic] prince who defends and has charge of your [Daniel's] people. And there shall be a time of trouble, straitness, and distress such as never was since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the Book [of God's plan for His own]. + And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake: some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt and abhorrence. [John 5:29.] + And the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness (to uprightness and right standing with God) [shall give forth light] like the stars forever and ever. [Matt. 13:43.] + But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end. [Then] many shall run to and fro and search anxiously [through the Book], and knowledge [of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased and become great. [Amos 8:12.] + Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood two others, the one on the brink of the river on this side and the other on the brink of the river on that side. + And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? [Dan. 10:5.] + And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right and his left hand toward the heavens and swore by Him Who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half a time [or three and one-half years]; and when they have made an end of shattering and crushing the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. + And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the issue and final end of these things? + And he [the angel] said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. + Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be tried, smelted, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but the teachers and those who are wise shall understand. [Dan. 11:33-35.] + And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. [Dan. 11:31.] + Blessed, happy, fortunate, spiritually prosperous, and to be envied is he who waits expectantly and earnestly [who endures without wavering beyond the period of tribulation] and comes to the 1,335 days! + But you [Daniel, who was now over ninety years of age], go your way until the end; for you shall rest and shall stand [fast] in your allotted place at the end of the days. [Heb. 11:32-40.] + + + + + THE WORD of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel. + When the Lord first spoke with and through Hosea, the Lord said to him, Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of [her] harlotry, for the land commits great whoredom by departing from the Lord. + So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. + And the Lord said to him, Call his name Jezreel or God-sows, for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel and visit the punishment for it upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. [II Kings 10:11.] + And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel. + And [Gomer] conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, Call her name Lo-Ruhamah or Not-pitied, for I will no more have love, pity, and mercy on the house of Israel, that I should in any way pardon them. + But I will have love, pity, and mercy on the house of Judah and will deliver them by the Lord their God and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by equipment of war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen. [Isa. 31:8; 37:33-35.] + Now when [Gomer] had weaned Lo-Ruhamah [Not-pitied], she became pregnant [again] and bore a son. + And the Lord said, Call his name Lo-Ammi [Not-my-people], for you are not My people and I am not your God. + Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and instead of it being said to them, You are not My people, it shall be said to them, Sons of the Living God! [Rom. 9:26.] + Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head, and they shall go up out of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel [for the spiritually reborn Israel, a divine offspring, the people whom the Lord has blessed.] [Isa. 11:12, 13; Ezek. 37:15-28.] + + + [HOSEA], SAY to your brethren, Ammi [or You-are-my-people], and to your sisters, Ruhamah [or You-have-been-pitied-and-have-obtained-mercy]. + Plead with your mother [your nation]; plead, for she is not My wife and I am not her Husband; [plead] that she put away her [marks of] harlotry from her face and her adulteries from between her breasts, [Isa. 50:1.] + Lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her as a wilderness and set her like a parched land and slay her with thirst. + Yes, for her children I will have no love nor pity nor mercy, for they are the children of harlotry. + For their mother has played the harlot; she who conceived them has done shamefully, for she said, I will go after my lovers that give me my food and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my refreshing drinks. + Therefore, behold, I [the Lord God] will hedge up her way [even yours, O Israel] with thorns; and I will build a wall against her that she shall not find her paths. + And she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them [inquiring for and requiring them], but shall not find them. Then shall she say, Let me go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now. + For she has not noticed, understood, or realized that it was I [the Lord God] Who gave her the grain and the new wine and the fresh oil, and Who lavished upon her silver and gold which they used for Baal and made into his image. + Therefore will I return and take back My grain in the time for it and My new wine in the season for it, and will pluck away and recover My wool and My flax which were to cover her [Israel's] nakedness. + And now will I uncover her lewdness and her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of My hand. + I will also cause to cease all her mirth, her feastmaking, her New Moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts and appointed festive assemblies. + And I will lay waste and destroy her vines and her fig trees of which she has said, These are my reward or loose woman's hire that my lovers have given me; and I will make [her plantations] an inaccessible forest, and the wild beasts of the open country shall eat them. + And I will visit [punishment] upon her for the feast days of the Baals, when she burned incense to them and decked herself with her earrings and nose rings and her jewelry and went after her lovers and forgot Me, says the Lord. + Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart. + There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt. [Exod. 15:2; Josh. 7:24-26.] + And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that you will call Me Ishi [my Husband], and you shall no more call Me Baali [my Baal]. + For I will take away the names of Baalim [the Baals] out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned or seriously remembered by their name. + And in that day will I make a covenant for Israel with the living creatures of the open country and with the birds of the heavens and with the creeping things of the ground. And I will break the bow and the sword and [abolish battle equipment and] conflict out of the land and will make you lie down safely. + And I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. + I will even betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness, and you shall know (recognize, be acquainted with, appreciate, give heed to, and cherish) the Lord. + And in that day I will respond, says the Lord; I will respond to the heavens [which ask for rain to pour on the earth], and they shall respond to the earth [which begs for the rain it needs], + And the earth shall respond to the grain and the wine and the oil [which beseech it to bring them forth], and these shall respond to Jezreel [restored Israel, who prays for a supply of them]. + And I will sow her for Myself anew in the land, and I will have love, pity, and mercy for her who had not obtained love, pity, and mercy; and I will say to those who were not My people, You are My people, and they shall say, You are my God! [I Pet. 2:9, 10.] + + + THEN SAID the Lord to me, Go again, love [the same] woman [Gomer] who is beloved of a paramour and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins [used in the sacrificial feasts in idol worship]. + So I bought her for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley [the price of a slave]. + And I said to her, You shall be [betrothed] to me for many days; you shall not play the harlot and you shall not belong to another man. So will I also be to you [until you have proved your loyalty to me and our marital relations may be resumed]. + For the children of Israel shall dwell and sit deprived many days, without king or prince, without sacrifice or [idolatrous] pillar, and without ephod [a garment worn by priests when seeking divine counsel] or teraphim (household gods). + Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God, [inquiring of and requiring Him] and [from the line of] David, their King [of kings]; and they shall come in [anxious] fear to the Lord and to His goodness and His good things in the latter days. [Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:24.] + + + HEAR THE word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, love, pity and mercy, or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land. + There is nothing but [false] swearing and breaking faith and killing and stealing and committing adultery; they break out [into violence], one [deed of] bloodshed following close on another. + Therefore shall the land [continually] mourn, and all who dwell in it shall languish, together with the wild beasts of the open country and the birds of the heavens; yes, the fishes of the sea also shall [perish because of the drought] be collected and taken away. + Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove [another--do not waste your time in mutual recriminations], for with you is My contention, O priest. + And you shall stumble in the daytime, and the [false] prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother [the priestly nation]. [Exod. 19:6.] + My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children. + The more they increased and multiplied [in prosperity and power], the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. + They feed on the sin of My people and set their heart on their iniquity. + And it shall be: Like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their doings. + For they shall eat and not have enough; they shall play the harlot and beget no increase, because they have forsaken the Lord for harlotry; + Harlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart and the mind and the spiritual understanding. + My people [habitually] ask counsel of their [senseless] wood [idols], and their staff [of wood] gives them oracles and instructs them. For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray and they have played the harlot, withdrawing themselves from subjection to their God. + They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and they burn incense upon the hills and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because there the shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the harlot and your sons' wives commit adultery. + I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for [the fathers and husbands] themselves go aside in order to be alone with women who prostitute themselves for gain, and they sacrifice at the altar with dedicated harlots [who surrender their chastity in honor of the goddess]. Therefore the people without understanding shall stumble and fall and come to ruin. + Though you, Israel, play the harlot and worship idols, let not Judah offend and become guilty; come not to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven [contemptuous reference to Bethel, then noted for idolatry], nor swear [in idolatrous service, saying], As the Lord lives. + For Israel has behaved stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. How then should he expect to be fed and treated by the Lord like a lamb in a large pasture? + Ephraim is joined [fast] to idols, [so] let him alone [to take the consequences]. + Their drinking carousal over, they go habitually to play the harlot; [Ephraim's] rulers [continue to] love shame more than her glory [which is the Lord, Israel's God]. + The resistless wind [of God's wrath] has bound up [Israel] in its wings or skirts, and [in captivity] they and their altars shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices [to calves, to sun, moon, and stars, and to heathen gods]. + + + HEAR THIS, O you priests! And listen, O house of Israel! And give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment pronounced pertains to you and is meant for you, because you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor [military strongholds on either side of the Jordan River]. + The revolters are deeply sunk in corruption and slaughter, but I [the Lord God] am a rebuke and a chastisement for them all. + I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot and have worshiped idols; Israel is defiled. + Their doings will not permit them to return to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is within them and they know not the Lord [they do not recognize, appreciate, give heed to, or cherish the Lord]. + But the pride and self-reliance of Israel testifies before his [own] face. Therefore shall [all] Israel, and [especially] Ephraim [the northern ten tribes], totter and fall in their iniquity and guilt, and Judah shall stumble and fall with them. + They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord [inquiring for and requiring Him], but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them. + They have dealt faithlessly and treacherously with the Lord [their espoused Husband], for they have borne alien children. Now shall a [single] New Moon (one month) devour them with their fields. + Blow the horn in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah [both lofty hills on Benjamin's northern border]. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven: [the enemy is] behind you and after you, O Benjamin [be on your guard]! + Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of rebuke and punishment. Among the tribes of Israel I declare what shall surely be. + The princes of Judah are like those who remove the landmark [the barrier between right and wrong]; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water. [Deut. 19:14; Prov. 22:28.] + Ephraim is oppressed; he is broken and crushed by [divine] judgment, because he was content to walk after idols (images) and man's [evil] command (vanities and filth). + Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim and like dry rot to the house of Judah [in My judgment against them]. + When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to [Assyria's] great King Jareb [for help]. Yet he cannot heal you nor will he cure you of your wound [received in divine judgment]. + For I will be to Ephraim like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will rend and go on [rending]; I will carry off and there will be no one to deliver. + I will return to My place [on high] until they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction and distress they will seek, inquire for, and require Me earnestly, saying, + + + COME AND let us return to the Lord, for He has torn so that He may heal us; He has stricken so that He may bind us up. + After two days He will revive us (quicken us, give us life); on the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him. [Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37:1-10.] + Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth. + O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? [says the Lord] O Judah, what shall I do with you? For your [wavering] love and kindness are like the night mist or like the dew that goes early away. + Therefore have I hewn down and smitten them by means of the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; My judgments [pronounced upon them by you prophets] are like the light that goes forth. + For I desire and delight in dutiful steadfast love and goodness, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of and acquaintance with God more than burnt offerings. [Matt. 9:13; 12:7.] + But they, like [less-privileged] men and like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there have they dealt faithlessly and treacherously with Me. + Gilead is a city of evildoers; it is tracked with bloody [footprints]. + And as troops of robbers lie in wait for a man, so the company of priests murder on the road toward Shechem; yes, they commit villainy and outrages. + I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel! There harlotry and idolatry are found in Ephraim; Israel is defiled. + Also, O Judah, there is a harvest [of divine judgment] appointed for you; when I would return My people from their captivity [in which they are slaves to the misery brought on by their own sins], + + + WHEN I would heal Israel, then Ephraim's guilt is uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; how they practice falsehood, and the thief enters and the troop of bandits ravage and raid without. + But they do not consider and say to their minds and hearts that I [earnestly] remember all their wickedness. Now their own doings surround and entangle them; they are before My face. + They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. + They are all [idolatrous] adulterers; their passion smolders like heat of an oven when the baker ceases to stir the fire from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. + On the [special] day of our king the princes made themselves and him sick with the heat of wine; [the king] stretched out his hand with scoffers and lawless men. + For they have made ready their heart, and their mind burns [with intrigue] like an oven while they lie in wait. Their anger smolders all night; in the morning it blazes forth as a flaming fire. + They are all hot as an oven and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen; there is none among them who calls to Me. + Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples [courting the favor of first one country, then another]; Ephraim is a cake not turned. + Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows it not; yes, gray hairs are sprinkled here and there upon him, and he does not know it. + And the pride of Israel testifies against him and to his face. But they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek nor inquire of nor require Him in spite of all this. + Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart or understanding; they call to Egypt; they go to Assyria. + As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens. I will chastise them according to the announcement [or prediction made] to their congregation [in the Scriptures]. [Lev. 26:14-39.] + Woe to them, for they have wandered from Me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled and trespassed against Me! Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against Me. + They do not cry to Me from their heart, but they wail upon their beds; they gash and distress and assemble themselves [in mourning] for grain and new wine; they rebel against Me. + Although I have chastened them and trained and strengthened their arms, yet they think and devise evil against Me. + They turn back, shift, or change, but not upwards [to the Most High]. They are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the insolence and rage of their tongue. This shall be [cause for] their derision and scorning in the land of Egypt. + + + SET THE trumpet to your lips! [The enemy] comes as a [great] vulture against the house of the Lord, because they have broken My covenant and transgressed against My law. + Then they will cry to Me, My God, we [of Israel] know You! + Israel has rejected the good [with loathing]; the enemy shall pursue him. + They set up kings, but not from Me [therefore without My blessing]; they have made princes or removed them [without consulting Me; therefore], I knew and recognized [them] not. With their silver and their gold they made idols for themselves, that they [the silver and the gold] may be destroyed. + Your calf [idol], O Samaria, is loathsome and I have spurned it. My wrath burns against them. How long will it be before they attain purity? + For this [calf] too is from Israel; a craftsman made it; therefore it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to shivers and go up in flames. + For they sow the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield, strangers and aliens would eat it up. + Israel is [as if] swallowed up. Already they have become among the nations as a vessel [of cheap, coarse pottery] that is useless. + For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass taking her own way by herself; Ephraim has hired lovers. + Yes, though with presents they hire [allies] among the nations, now will I gather them up, and in a little while they will sorrow and begin to diminish [their gifts] because of the burden (tribute) imposed by the king of princes [the king of Assyria]. + For Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning; yes, to him altars are intended for sinning. + I wrote for him the ten thousand things of My law, but they are counted as a strange thing [as something which does not concern him]. + My sacrificial gifts they sacrifice [as a mere form]; yes, they sacrifice flesh and eat it, but the Lord does not accept them. Now He will [earnestly] remember their guilt and iniquity and will punish their sins. They shall return to [another] Egypt [Assyria]. [Deut. 28:68.] + For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces and idol temples, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities and it shall devour his palaces and fortified buildings. [Amos 1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5.] + + + REJOICE NOT, O Israel, with exultation as do the peoples, for you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved [a harlot's] hire upon every threshing floor [ascribing the harvest to the Baals instead of to God]. + The threshing floor and the winevat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. + They shall not remain in the Lord's land, but Ephraim shall return to [another] Egypt and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. [Ezek. 4:13.] + They shall not pour out wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing to Him. Their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners; all who eat of them shall be defiled, for their bread shall be [only] for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of the Lord [to be offered first to Him]. + What will you do on the day of the appointed solemn assembly or festival and on the day of the feast of the Lord [when you are in exile]? + For behold, they are gone away from devastation and destruction; Egypt shall gather them in; Memphis shall bury them. Their precious things of silver shall be in the possession of nettles; thorns shall be [growing] in their tents. + The days of visitation and punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is [considered] a crazed fool and the man who is inspired is [treated as if] mad or a fanatic, because of the abundance of your iniquity and because the enmity, hostility, and persecution are great. [Luke 21:22.] + Ephraim was [intended to be] a watchman with my God [and a prophet to the surrounding nations]; but he, that prophet, has become a fowler's snare in all his ways. There is enmity, hostility, and persecution in the house of his God. + They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah. The Lord will [earnestly] remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins. [Judg. 20.] + I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its first season, but they went to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to that shameful thing [Baal], and they became detestable and loathsome like that which they loved. + As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird; there shall be no birth, no being with child, and [because of their impurity] no becoming pregnant. + Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them so that not a man shall be left; yes, woe also to them when I look away and depart from them! + Ephraim, as I have seen with Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place, but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer. + Give them [their due], O Lord! [But] what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. + All their wickedness [says the Lord] is focused in Gilgal, for there I hated them; for the wickedness of their [idolatrous] doings I will drive them out of My house [the Holy Land]; I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. [Hos. 4:15; 12:11.] + Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit. Yes, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even their beloved children. + My God will cast them away because they did not listen to and obey Him, and they shall be wanderers and fugitives among the nations. + + + ISRAEL IS a luxuriant vine that puts forth its [material] fruit. According to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars [to idols]; according to the goodness and prosperity of their land they have made goodly pillars or obelisks [to false gods]. + Their heart is divided and deceitful; now shall they be found guilty and suffer punishment. The Lord will smite and break down [the horns of] their altars; He will destroy their [idolatrous] pillars. + Surely now they shall say, We have no [actual] king because we fear not the Lord; and as for the king, what can he do for us? + They have spoken mere words of the lips, swearing falsely in making covenants; therefore judgment springs up like hemlock [or other poisonous plants] in the furrows of the field. + The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calf [idol] of Beth-aven [the house of idolatry, contemptuously meaning Bethel], for its people shall mourn over it and its [idolatrous] priests who rejoiced over it [shall tremble] for the glory of [their calf god], because it is departed from it. + [The golden calf] shall also be carried into Assyria as a tribute-gift to the fighting King Jareb; Ephraim shall be put to shame and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel [to set up calf worship and detach Israel from Judah]. + As for Samaria, her king and her whole monarchy are cut off like twigs or foam upon the water. + The high places also of Aven [once Beth(el), house of God, now (Beth-)aven, house of idolatry], the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their [idol] altars, and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us! And to the hills, Fall on us! [Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16; 9:6.] + O Israel, you have [willfully] sinned from the days of Gibeah [when you all but wiped out the tribe of Benjamin]! There [Israel] stood [then, only] that the battle against the sons of unrighteousness might not overtake and turn against them at Gibeah [but now the kingdom of the ten tribes and the name of Ephraim shall be utterly blotted out]. [Judg. 20.] + When I please I will chastise them, and hostile peoples shall be gathered against them when I shall bind and yoke them for their two transgressions [revolt from the Lord their God and the worship of idols]. [Jer. 2:13; Lam. 3:31-33.] + Ephraim indeed is a heifer broken in and loving to tread out the grain, but I have [heretofore] spared the beauty of her fair neck. I will now set a rider upon Ephraim and make him to draw; Judah shall plow and Jacob shall break his clods. + Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you. [II Cor. 9:10.] + You have plowed and plotted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors], you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your [own] way and your chariots, in the multitude of your mighty men, + Therefore shall a tumult arise against your people and all your fortresses shall be wasted and destroyed, as Shalmaneser wasted and destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle; the mother was dashed in pieces with her children. [II Kings 17:3.] + So shall it be done to you at [idolatrous] Bethel because of your great wickedness; at daybreak shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off. + + + WHEN ISRAEL was a child, then I loved him and called My son out of Egypt. [Matt. 2:15.] + The more [the prophets] called to them, the more they went from them; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to the graven images. + Yet I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms or taking them up in My arms, but they did not know that I healed them. + I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them as one who lifts up and eases the yoke over their cheeks, and I bent down to them and gently laid food before them. + They shall not [literally] return into [another bondage in] the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be their king because they refused to return to Me. + And the sword shall rage against and fall upon their cities and shall consume the bars of their gates and shall make an end [of their defenses], because of their own counsels and devices. + My people are bent on backsliding from Me; though [the prophets] call them to Him Who is on high, none at all will exalt Him or lift himself up [to come to Him]. + How can I give you up, O Ephraim! How can I surrender you and cast you off, O Israel! How can I make you as Admah or how can I treat you as Zeboiim [both destroyed with Sodom]! My heart recoils within Me; My compassions are kindled together. [Deut. 29:23.] + I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not bring back Ephraim to nothing or again destroy him. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in the midst of you, and I will not come in wrath or enter into the city. + They shall walk after the Lord, Who will roar like a lion; He Himself will roar and [His] sons shall come trembling and eagerly from the west. + They shall come trembling but hurriedly like a bird out of Egypt and like a dove out of the land of Assyria, and I will cause them to dwell in their houses, says the Lord. + Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is not yet steadfast with God, with the faithful Holy One. + + + EPHRAIM HERDS and feeds on the wind and pursues the [parching] east wind; every day he increases lies and violence, and a covenant is made with Assyria and oil is carried to Egypt. [Isa. 30:6, 7.] + The Lord has also a controversy (a pleading contention) with Judah, and will punish Jacob by visiting upon him according to his ways; according to his doings will He recompense him. + He took his brother by the heel in [their mother's] womb, and in the strength [of his manhood] he contended and had power with God. [Gen. 25:26; 27:36.] + Yes, he had power over the Angel [of the Lord] and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He met Him in Bethel, and there [God] spoke with [him and through him with] us--[Gen. 28:12-19; 32:28; Gen. 35:1-15.] + Even the Lord the God of hosts, the name of Him [Who spoke with Jacob] is the Lord. + Therefore return to your God! Hold fast to love and mercy, to righteousness and justice, and wait [expectantly] for your God continually! + Canaan [Israel--whose ideals have sunk to those of Canaan] is a trader; the balances of deceit are in his hand; he loves to oppress and defraud. + Ephraim has said, Ah, but I have become rich; I have gained for myself wealth. All my profits shall bring on me no iniquity that would be sin. [But all his profits will never offset nor suffice to expiate the guilt which he has incurred.] [Rev. 3:17.] + But I [Who] am the Lord your God from [when you became a nation in] the land of Egypt will yet make you to dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed and solemn Feast [of Tabernacles]. [Lev. 23:39-43.] + I have also spoken to [you by] the prophets, and I have multiplied visions [for you] and [have appealed to you] through parables acted out by the prophets. + If Gilead is given over to idolatry, they shall come to nought and be mere waste; if they [insult God by] sacrificing bullocks in Gilgal [on heathen altars], their altars shall be like heaps in the furrows of the fields. + Jacob fled into the open country of Aram or Padan-aram, and [there] Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he herded sheep. [Gen. 29:18-20; 30:31; 31:38-41.] + And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was [Israel] preserved. + Ephraim has provoked most bitter anger; therefore shall his blood [guilt] be left upon him, and his disgrace and reproach shall his Lord return upon him. + + + WHEN EPHRAIM spoke with trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended and became guilty in Baal worship, he died [spiritually, and then outward ruin came also, sealing Israel's doom as a nation]. + And now they sin more and more and have made for themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding [as it pleased them], all of them the work of the craftsmen. To these [very works of their hands] they speak or pray who sacrifice to them; they kiss and show homage to the calves [as if they were alive]! + Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that passes early away, like the chaff that swirls with the whirlwind from the threshing floor and as the smoke out of the chimney or through the window. + Yet I am the Lord your God from [the time you became a nation in] the land of Egypt, and you shall know or recognize no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me. + I knew (recognized, understood, and had regard for) you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. + According to their pasture, so were they filled [when they fed, they grew full], and their heart was lifted up; therefore have they forgotten Me. + Therefore I have become to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk by the way [to Assyria] and watch them. + I will meet them like a bear that is robbed of her cubs, and I will rend the covering of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lioness, as a wild beast would tear them. + It is your destruction, O Israel, that you have been against Me, for in Me is your help. + Where now is your king that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges of whom you said, Give me a king and princes? + I have given you a king in My anger, and I have taken him away in My wrath. + The iniquity of Ephraim [not fully punished yet] is bound up [as in a bag]; his sin is laid up in store [for judgment and destruction]. + The pains of a woman in childbirth are coming on for him [to be born]; but he is an unwise son, for now when it is time [to be born], he comes not to the place where [unborn] children break forth [he needs new birth but makes no effort to acquire it]. + Should I ransom them from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead)? Should I redeem them from death? O death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your destruction? Relenting and compassion are hidden from My eyes. [I Cor. 15:55.] + For though among his brethren [his fellow tribes] he may be fruitful, an east wind [Assyria] will come, the breath of the Lord rising from the desert; and Ephraim's spring shall become dry and his fountain be dried up. [Assyria] shall plunder his treasury of every precious vessel. + Samaria shall bear her guilt and become desolate, for she rebelled against her God; they shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up. + + + O ISRAEL, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled and fallen, [visited by calamity] due to your iniquity. + Take with you words and return to the Lord. Say to Him, Take away all our iniquity; accept what is good and receive us graciously; so will we render [our thanks] as bullocks [to be sacrificed] and pay the confession of our lips. [Heb. 13:15.] + Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands [idols], You are our gods. For in You [O Lord] the fatherless find love, pity, and mercy. + I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely, for My anger is turned away from [Israel]. + I will be like the dew and the night mist to Israel; he shall grow and blossom like the lily and cast forth his roots like [the sturdy evergreens of] Lebanon. + His suckers and shoots shall spread, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like [the cedars and aromatic shrubs of] Lebanon. + They that dwell under his shade shall return; they shall revive like the grain and blossom like the vine; the scent of it shall be like the wine of Lebanon. + Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered [him] and will regard and watch over him; I am like a green fir or cypress tree; with Me is the fruit found [which is to nourish you]. + Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the Lord are right and the [uncompromisingly] just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall stumble and fall in them. [Ps. 107:43; Isa. 26:7; Jer. 9:12; Dan. 12:10.] + + + + + THE WORD of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. + Hear this, you aged men, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing as this occurred in your days or even in the days of your fathers? + Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. + What the crawling locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten; and what the hopping locust left, the stripping locust has eaten. + Awake, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the [fresh] sweet juice [of the grape], for it is cut off and removed from your mouth. + For a [heathen and hostile] nation [of locusts, illustrative of a human foe] has invaded My land, mighty and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the jaw teeth of a lioness. [Rev. 9:7, 8.] + It has laid waste My vine [symbol of God's people] and barked and broken My fig tree; it has made them completely bare and thrown them down; their branches are made white. [Isa. 5:5, 6.] + Lament like a virgin [bride] girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth [who has died]. + The meal or cereal offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord's ministers, mourn. + The field is laid waste, the ground mourns; for the grain is destroyed, the new juice [of the grape] is dried up, the oil fails. + Be ashamed, O you tillers of the soil; wail, O you vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. + The vine is dried up and the fig tree fails; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple or quince tree, even all the trees of the field are withered, so that joy has withered and fled away from the sons of men. + Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; wail, you ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my [Joel's] God, for the cereal or meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. + Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land in the house of the Lord, your God, and cry to the Lord [in penitent pleadings]. + Alas for the day! For the day of [the judgment of] the Lord is at hand, and as a destructive tempest from the Almighty will it come. [Zeph. 1:14-18.] + Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? + The seed [grain] rots and shrivels under the clods, the garners are desolate and empty, the barns are in ruins because the grain has failed. + How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed and huddle together because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment (are forsaken and made wretched). + O Lord, to You will I cry, for the fire has devoured the pastures and folds of the plain and the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. + Even the wild beasts of the field pant and cry to You, for the water brooks are dried up and fire has consumed the pastures and folds of the wilderness and the plain. + + + BLOW THE trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on My holy Mount [Zion]. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of [the judgment of] the Lord is coming; it is close at hand--[Ezek. 7:2-4; Amos 5:16-20.] + A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and of thick mists and darkness, like the morning dawn spread upon the mountains; so there comes a [heathen, hostile] people numerous and mighty, the like of which has never been before and shall not be again even to the years of many generations. + A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yes, and none has escaped [the ravages of the devouring hordes]. + Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses and horsemen, so do they run. + Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains they leap--like the noise of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a mighty people set in battle array. [Rev. 9:7, 9.] + Before them the peoples are in anguish; all faces become pale. + They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war. They march each one [straight ahead] on his ways, and they do not break their ranks. + Neither does one thrust upon another; they walk every one in his path. And they burst through and upon the weapons, yet they are not wounded and do not change their course. + They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up on and into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief. + The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. [Rev. 9:2-4; 16:14.] + And the Lord utters His voice before His army, for His host is very great, and [they are] strong and powerful who execute [God's] word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it? [Isa. 26:20, 21; 34:1-4, 8; Rev. 6:16, 17.] + Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]. + Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met]. + Who knows but what He will turn, revoke your sentence [of evil], and leave a blessing behind Him [giving you the means with which to serve Him], even a cereal or meal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? + Blow the trumpet in Zion; set apart a fast [a day of restraint and humility]; call a solemn assembly. + Gather the people, sanctify the congregation; assemble the elderly people, gather the children and the nursing infants; let the bridegroom [who is legally exempt from attending] go forth from his chamber and the bride out of her closet. [None is exempt from the humiliation.] + Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them say, Have pity and spare Your people, O Lord, and give not Your heritage to reproach, that the [heathen] nations should rule over them or use a byword against them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? + Then was the Lord jealous for His land and had pity on His people. + Yes, the Lord answered and said to His people, Behold, I am sending you grain and juice [of the grape] and oil, and you shall be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the [heathen] nations. + But I will remove far off from you the northern [destroyer's] army and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, with its front toward the eastern [Dead] Sea and with its rear toward the western [Mediterranean] Sea. And its stench shall come up [like that of a decaying mass of locusts, a symbol and forecast of the fate of the northern army in the final day of the Lord], and its foul odor shall come up, because He has done great things [the Lord will have destroyed the invaders]! [Isa. 34:1-4, 8; Jer. 25:31-35; Joel 2:11.] + Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! [Zech. 12:8-10.] + Be not afraid, you wild beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have sprung up and are green; the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their [full] strength. + Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for He gives you the former or early rain in just measure and in righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, as before. + And the [threshing] floors shall be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with juice [of the grape] and oil. + And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten--the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. + And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. + And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am in the midst of Israel and that I the Lord am your God and there is none else. My people shall never be put to shame. + And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. + Even upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in those days will I pour out My Spirit. + And I will show signs and wonders in the heavens, and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. + The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. [Isa. 13:6, 9-11; 24:21-23; Ezek. 32:7-10; Matt. 24:29, 30; Rev. 6:12-17.] + And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant [of survivors] shall be those whom the Lord calls. [Acts 2:17-21; Rom. 10:13.] + + + FOR BEHOLD, in those days and at that time when I shall reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, + I will gather all nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for [their treatment of] My people and of My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and [because] they have divided My land. + And they have cast lots for My people, and have given a boy for a harlot and have sold a girl for juice [of the grape] and have drunk it. + Yes, and what are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the [five small] divisions of Philistia? Will you pay Me back for something? Even if you pay Me back, swiftly and speedily I will return your deed [of retaliation] upon your own head, [Isa. 23; Ezek. 26:1-18; Amos 1:6-10; Zeph. 2:4-7; Zech. 9:2-7.] + Because you have taken My silver and My gold and have carried into your temples and palaces My precious treasures, + And have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Grecians, that you may remove them far from their border. + Behold, I will stir them up out of the place to which you have sold them and will return your deed [of retaliation] upon your own head. + I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off, for the Lord has spoken it. [Isa. 14:2; 60:14.] + Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war! Stir up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. + Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong [a warrior]! [Isa. 2:4; Mic. 4:3.] + Hasten and come, all you nations round about, and assemble yourselves; there You, O Lord, will bring down Your mighty ones (Your warriors). + Let the nations bestir themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. + Put in the sickle, for the [vintage] harvest is ripe; come, get down and tread the grapes, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, for the wickedness [of the peoples] is great. [Mark 4:29; Rev. 14:15, 18-20.] + Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. [Zech. 14:1-9.] + The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. + The Lord will thunder and roar from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the children of Israel. [Amos 9:11-15; Mic. 4:1-3; 5:2; Zeph. 3:13-20; Zech. 6:12, 13; 12:8, 9.] + So shall you know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and strangers and foreigners [not born into the family of God] shall no more pass through it. + And in that day, the mountains shall drip with fresh juice [of the grape] and the hills shall flow with milk; and all the brooks and riverbeds of Judah shall flow with water, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the Valley of Shittim. [Ezek. 47:1-12; Amos 9:13; Zech. 14:8.] + Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness for their violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. + But Judah shall remain and be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. + And I will cleanse and hold as innocent their blood and avenge it, blood which I have not cleansed, held innocent, and avenged, for the Lord dwells in Zion. + + + + + THE WORDS of Amos, who was among the herdsmen and sheep masters of Tekoa, which he saw [in divine revelation] concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. [Zech. 14:5.] + And he said, The Lord roars out of Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem; then the pastures of the shepherds mourn and the top of [Mount] Carmel dries up. [Isa. 42:13; Jer. 25:30; Joel 3:16.] + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus [the capital of Syria] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they have threshed Gilead [east of the Jordan River] with iron sledges. [II Kings 10:32, 33.] + So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] upon the house of Hazael [who killed and succeeded King Ben-hadad] which shall devour the palaces and strongholds of Ben-hadad. + I will break also the bar [of the gate] of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven or On, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria [conquered by the Assyrians] shall go into exile to Kir, says the Lord. [Ezek. 30:17.] + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza [a city in Philistia] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because [as slave traders] they carried away captive the whole [Jewish] population [of defenseless Judean border villages, of which none was spared, none left behind] and delivered them up to Edom [for the slave trade]. [Joel 3:6.] + So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza which shall devour its strongholds. + And I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon, and I will turn My hand against Ekron; and the rest of the Philistines [in Gath and the towns dependent on these four Philistine cities] shall perish, says the Lord God. [Josh. 13:3.] + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Tyre and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they [as middlemen] delivered up a whole [Jewish] population to Edom and did not [seriously] remember their brotherly covenant. [I Kings 5:1, 12; 9:12, 13.] + So I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre which shall devour its strongholds. + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom [descendants of Esau] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because he pursued his brother Jacob (Israel) with the sword, corrupting his compassions and casting off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually and his wrath he kept and heeded forever. + So I will send a fire upon Teman which shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah [in Edom]. + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon [descendants of Lot] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because [the Ammonites] have ripped up women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. + So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah [in Ammon] and it shall devour the strongholds of it, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; + And their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together, says the Lord. + + + THUS SAYS the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab [descendants of Lot] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom [Esau's descendant] into lime. + So I will send a fire upon Moab and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, shouting, and the sound of the trumpet. + And I will cut off the ruler from its midst and will slay all its princes with him, says the Lord. + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they have despised and rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His commandments, but their lies, after which their fathers have walked, caused them to err and go astray. + So I will send a fire upon Judah and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem. + Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because they have sold the [strictly] just and uncompromisingly righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals; + They pant after [the sight of] the poor [reduced to such misery that they will be throwing] dust of the earth on their heads [in token of their grief]; they defraud and turn aside the humble [who are too meek to defend themselves]; and a man and his father will have sexual relations with the same maiden, so that My holy name is profaned. + And they lay themselves down beside every [pagan] altar upon clothes they have taken in pledge [for indebtedness], and in the house of their God [in daring contempt of Him] they frivolously drink the wine which has been exacted from those [unjustly] fined. + Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath. + Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years through the wilderness to possess the land of the Amorite. + And I raised up some of your sons for prophets and some of your young men for dedicated ones [Nazirites]. Is this not true, O you children of Israel? says the Lord. [Num. 6:1-8.] + But you gave the dedicated ones [the Nazirites] wine to drink and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. + Behold, I am pressed under you and I will press you down in your place as a cart presses that is full of sheaves. + And flight shall be lost to the swift and refuge shall fail him; the strong shall not retain and confirm his strength, neither shall the mighty deliver himself. + Neither shall he stand who handles the bow, and he who is swift of foot shall not deliver himself; neither shall he who rides the horse deliver his life. + And he who is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked on that day, says the Lord. + + + HEAR THIS word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt: + You only have I known (chosen, sympathized with, and loved) of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your wickedness and punish you for all your iniquities. + Do two walk together except they make an appointment and have agreed? + Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den if he has taken nothing? + Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth where there is no trap for him? Does a trap spring up from the ground when nothing at all has sprung it? + Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be alarmed and afraid? Shall misfortune or evil occur [as punishment] and the Lord has not caused it? + Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. [Rev. 10:7.] + The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy? [Acts 4:20; 5:20, 29; I Cor. 9:16.] + Publish to the strongholds in Ashdod [Philistia] and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold what great tumults (confusion and disorder) are in her and what oppressions are in the midst of her. + For they know not how to do right, says the Lord, they who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds. + Therefore thus says the Lord God: An adversary shall surround the land, and he shall bring down your defenses from you and your strongholds shall be plundered. + Thus says the Lord: As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear [of a sheep], so shall the children of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued with the corner of a couch and [part of] the damask covering of a bed. + Hear and bear witness in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts, + That in the day when I visit Israel's transgressions upon him I will also visit [with punishment] the altars of Bethel [with its golden calf], and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. + And I will smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish and the many and great houses shall come to an end, says the Lord. + + + HEAR THIS word, you cows [women] of Bashan who are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, Bring and let us drink! [Ps. 22:12; Ezek. 39:18.] + The Lord God has sworn by His holiness that behold, the days shall come upon you when they shall take you away with hooks and the last of you with fishhooks. [Ps. 89:35.] + And you shall go out through the breaches [made in the city's wall], every [woman] straight before her, and you shall be cast forth into Harmon [an unknown place of exile], says the Lord. + Come to Bethel [where the golden calf is] and transgress; at Gilgal [another idol worship center] multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes every three days. + And offer [by burning] a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim and publish freewill offerings, for this you like to do, O children of Israel! says the Lord God. + I also gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and want of bread in all your places; yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord. + And also I withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest. I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece of ground was rained upon, and the piece upon which it did not rain withered. + So [the people of] two or three cities wandered and staggered into one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord. + I smote you with blight [from the poisonous east wind] and with mildew; I laid waste the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards; your fig trees and your olive trees the palmerworm [a form of locust] devoured; yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord. + I have sent among you the pestilence [which I made] epidemic in Egypt; your young men I slew with the sword and I took into exile your horses, and I made the stench of your camp come up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord. [II Kings 8:12; 13:3, 7.] + I have overthrown some among you as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord. [Gen. 19:24, 25; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 49:18.] + Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! + For behold, He Who forms the mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what is his thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth--the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name! [Ps. 139:2; Dan. 2:28.] + + + HEAR THIS word which I take up concerning you in lamentation, O house of Israel: + The Virgin of Israel has fallen; she shall no more rise; she lies cast down and forsaken on her land; there is no one to raise her up. + For thus says the Lord God: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel. + For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live! [II Chron. 15:2; Jer. 29:13.] + But seek not [the golden calf at] Bethel nor enter into [idolatrous] Gilgal, and pass not over to [the idols of] Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity and exile, and Bethel [house of God] shall become Beth-aven [house of vanity, emptiness, falsity, and futility] and come to nothing. + Seek the Lord [inquire for and of Him and require Him] and you shall live, lest He rush down like fire upon the house of Joseph [representing the ten tribes] and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel [the center of their idol hopes]. + You who turn justice into [the bitterness of] wormwood and cast righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) down to the ground, + Seek Him Who made the [cluster of stars called] Pleiades and [the constellation] Orion, Who turns the shadow of death or deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth--the Lord is His name-- + Who causes sudden destruction to flash forth upon the strong so that destruction comes upon the fortress. + They hate him who reproves in the [city] gate [holding him as an abomination and rejecting his rebuke], and they abhor him who speaks uprightly. + Therefore because you tread upon the poor and take from him exactions of wheat, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. + For I know how manifold are your transgressions and how mighty are your sins--you who afflict the [uncompromisingly] righteous, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the [court of the city] gate from their right. + Therefore he who is prudent will keep silence in such a time, for it is an evil time. + Seek (inquire for and require) good and not evil that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. + Hate the evil and love the good and establish justice in the [court of the city's] gate. It may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph [the northern kingdom]. + Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: There shall be wailing in all the broad ways, and in all the streets they shall say, Alas! Alas! And they shall call the farmers to mourning and such as are skilled in lamentation to wailing. + And in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord. + Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light; + It is as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall and a serpent bit him. + Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light? Even very dark with no brightness in it? + I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies. + Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts. + Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps. + But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream. + Did you bring to Me sacrifices and cereal offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? + [No] but [instead of bringing Me the appointed sacrifices] you carried about the tent of your king Sakkuth and Kaiwan [names for the gods of the planet Saturn], your images of your star-god which you made for yourselves [and you will do so again]. + Therefore I will cause you to go into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. [Acts 7:42, 43.] + + + WOE TO those who are at ease in Zion and to those on the mountain of Samaria who are careless and feel secure, the notable men of the chief [because chosen by God] of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! [Luke 6:24, 25.] + Pass over to Calneh and see, and from there go to Hamath the great [city, north of Damascus]; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these [your] kingdoms? Or are their boundaries greater than your boundaries, + O you who put far away the evil day [of punishment], yet cause the sitting of violence [upon you] to come near? + Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall, + Who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and invent for themselves instruments of music like David's, [I Chron. 23:5.] + Who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved and sick at heart over the affliction and ruin of Joseph (Israel)! [Gen. 49:22, 23.] + Therefore now shall they go captive with the first who go into exile, and the revelry and banqueting of those who stretch themselves shall be ended. + The Lord God has sworn by Himself--the Lord, the God of hosts, says: I abhor, reject, and despise the pride and false, futile glory of Jacob (Israel), and I hate his palaces and strongholds; and I will deliver up the city [idol-worshiping Samaria] with all that is in it. + And it shall come to pass that if there remain ten men in one house, they shall die [by the pestilence that comes with war]. + And then a man's uncle or kinsman, he who is to make a burning to cremate and dispose [of his pestilence-infected body], comes in to bring the bones out of the house, and he shall say to another still alive in the farthest parts of the house, Is there anyone else with you? and he shall say, No. Then shall the newcomer say, Hush! Hold your [cursing] tongue! We dare not so mention the name of the Lord [lest we invoke more punishment]. [I Sam. 31:12.] + For behold, the Lord commands and He will smite the great house into ruins and the little house into fragments. + Do horses run upon rocks? Do men plow the ocean with oxen? But you have turned justice into [the poison of] gall and the fruit of righteousness into [the bitterness of] wormwood-- + You who rejoice in Lo-debar [a thing of nought], who say, Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim or horns [of resistance] for ourselves? + For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, says the Lord, the God of hosts; and they shall afflict and oppress you [to the entire limits of Israel] from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah. + + + THUS THE Lord God showed me [Amos], and behold, He formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the second crop, and behold, it was the second crop after the king's mowings. + And when [the locusts] had finished eating the plants of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I pray You. How can Jacob stand? For he is so small! + The Lord relented and revoked this sentence: It shall not take place, said the Lord [and He was eased and comforted concerning it]. + Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God called for punishment with fire, and it devoured the great deep and would have eaten up the land. + Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I pray You! How can Jacob stand? He is so little! + The Lord relented and revoked this sentence: This also shall not be, said the Lord [and He was eased and comforted concerning it]. + Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. [II Kings 21:13; Isa. 34:11.] + And the Lord said to me, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I am setting a plumb line as a standard in the midst of My people Israel. I will not pass by and spare them any more [the door of mercy is shut]. + And the [idolatrous] high places of Isaac (Israel) shall be desolate and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise with the sword against the house of King Jeroboam [who set up the golden calf shrines]. + Then Amaziah the priest of [the golden calf shrine at] Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. [I Kings 12:31, 32.] + For thus Amos has said, Jeroboam shall die by the sword and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. + Also Amaziah said to Amos, O you seer, go! Flee back to the land of Judah [your own country], and eat your bread and live out your profession as a prophet there [as I perform my duties here]. + But do not prophesy any more at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary and a seat of his kingdom. [Luke 10:10-12.] + Then Amos said to Amaziah, I was no prophet [by profession]! Neither was I a prophet's son; [but I had my occupation] I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees and a gatherer of sycamore figs. + And the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me, Go, prophesy to My people Israel. + Now therefore listen to the word of the Lord: You say, Do not prophesy against Israel and drop no statements not complimentary to the house of Isaac. + Therefore thus says the Lord: Your wife shall be a harlot in the city and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean and defiled land, and Israel shall surely go forth out of his land into exile. + + + THUS THE Lord God showed to me, and behold, a basket of [ripe and therefore soon to perish] summer fruit. + And He said, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord to me, The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by and spare them any more. + And the songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day, says the Lord God. The dead bodies shall be many; in every place they shall be cast forth in silence. + Hear this, O you who would swallow up and trample down the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail and come to an end, + Saying, When will the New Moon festival be past that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath that we may offer wheat for sale, making the ephah [measure] small and the shekel [measure] great and falsifying the scales by deceit, + That we may buy [into slavery] the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals; yes, and sell the refuse of the wheat [as if it were good grade]? + The Lord has sworn by [Himself Who is] the Glory and Pride of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their [rebellious] deeds. + Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who dwells in it? Yes, it shall rise like the river [Nile], all of it, and it shall be tossed about and sink back again to normal level, as does the Nile of Egypt. + And in that day, says the Lord God, I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the broad daylight. [Ezek. 32:7-10.] + And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation, and I will cause sackcloth to be put upon all loins and baldness [for mourning] shall come on every head; and I will make that time as the mourning for an only son, and the end of it as a bitter day. + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord. + And [the people] shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord [inquiring for and requiring it as one requires food], but shall not find it. + In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. + Those who swear by Ashimah or the sin of Samaria and say, By the life of your god [the golden calf], O Dan! and [swear], By the life of the way of [idolatrous] Beersheba, they shall fall and rise no more. + + + I SAW the Lord standing at the altar, and He said, Smite the tops of the pillars until the thresholds tremble, and shatter them on the heads of all of the people; and the remainder of them I will slay with the sword. He who flees of them shall not get away, and he who escapes of them shall not be delivered. + Though they dig into Sheol (Hades, the dark abode of the gathered dead), from there shall My hand take them; though they climb up to heaven [the abode of light], from there will I bring them down; + And though they hide themselves on the top of [Mount] Carmel, from there I will search out and take them; and though they [try to] hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent and it shall bite them. + And though they go into captivity before their enemies, there will I command the sword and it shall slay them, and I will set My eyes upon them for evil and not for good. + The Lord God of hosts, it is He Who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn; it shall rise like the [river] Nile, all of it, and it shall sink again like the Nile of Egypt. + It is He Who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and Who founds His vault over the earth, Who calls to the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth--The Lord is His name. + You [O degenerate children of Israel] are no more to Me than these [despised] Cushites, says the Lord. I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, but have I not [also] brought the Philistines out of Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir? + Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom [of Israel's ten tribes] and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord. + For behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations and cause it to move to and fro as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least kernel fall upon the earth and be lost [from My sight]. [Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64; Hos. 9:17.] + All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not overtake or meet [and assail] us. + In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David, the fallen hut or booth, and close up its breaches; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old, + That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the nations that are called by My name, says the Lord Who does this. [Acts 15:15-17.] + Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing]. [Lev. 26:5; Joel 3:18.] + And I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. + And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them, says the Lord your God. + + + + + THE VISION of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent forth among the nations [saying], Arise, and let us rise up against [Edom] for battle! [Ps. 137:7; Isa. 34:1-15; 63:1-6; Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 25:8-14.] + Behold, I will make you small among the nations [Edom]; you shall be despised exceedingly. [Ezek. 35.] + The pride of your heart has deceived you, you dweller in the refuges of the rock [Petra, Edom's capital], whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, Who can bring me down to the ground? + Though you mount on high as the eagle and though you set your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord. + If thieves came to you, if robbers by night--how you are brought to nothing!--would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some grapes for gleaning? [But this ravaging was done by God, not men.] [Jer. 49:9.] + How are the things of Esau [Edom] searched out! How are his hidden treasures sought out! + All the men of your confederacy (your allies) have brought you on your way, even to the border; the men who were at peace with you have deceived you and prevailed against you; they who eat your bread have laid a snare under you. There is no understanding [in Edom, or] of it. + Will not I in that day, says the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom and [men of] understanding out of Mount Esau [Idumea, a mountainous region]? + And your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter. + For the violence you did against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. + On the day that you stood aloof [from your brother Jacob]--on the day that strangers took captive his forces and carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered into his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem--you were even as one of them. [Num. 20:18-20; Amos 1:11, 12.] + But you should not have gloated over your brother's day, the day when his misfortune came and he was made a stranger; you should not have rejoiced over the sons of Judah in the day of their ruin; you should not have spoken arrogantly in the day of their distress. + You should not have entered the gate of My people in the day of their calamity and ruin; yes, you should not have looked [with delight] on their misery in the day of their calamity and ruin, and not have reached after their army and their possessions in the day of their calamity and ruin. + And you should not have stood at the crossway to cut off those of Judah who escaped, neither should you have delivered up those [of Judah] who remained in the day of distress. + For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head. [Isa. 2:10-22; Zeph. 3:8-20; Zech. 12:1-14; Rev. 19:11-21.] + For as you [Edom] have drunk upon the mountain of My holiness [desecrating it in the wild revelry of the destroyers], so shall all the nations drink continually [in turn, of My wrath]; yes, they shall drink, talk foolishly, and swallow down [the full measure of punishment] and they shall be [destroyed] as though they had not been. [Rev. 16:14-16.] + But on Mount Zion [in Jerusalem] there shall be deliverance [for those who escape], and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess its [own former] possessions. [Ezek. 36; Joel 2:32.] + The house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle and burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken it. [Ezek. 25:12-14.] + They of the South (the Negeb) shall possess Mount Esau, and they of the lowland the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead [across the Jordan River]. [Amos 9:12; Zeph. 2:7.] + And the exiles of this host of the children of Israel who are among the Canaanites shall possess [Phoenicia] as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South (the Negeb). + And deliverers shall go up on Mount Zion to rule and judge Mount Esau, and the kingdom and the kingship shall be the Lord's. [Zech. 12:8, 9; Mal. 1:2-5; Matt. 24:27-30; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 15:14-17.] + + + + + NOW THE word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, + Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me. [Gen. 10:11, 12.] + But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from being in the presence of the Lord [as His prophet] and went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish [the most remote of the Phoenician trading places then known]. So he paid the appointed fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish from being in the presence of the Lord [as His servant and minister]. [Gen. 4:16; Job 1:12; 2:7.] + But the Lord sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be broken. [Ps. 107:23-27.] + Then the mariners were afraid, and each man cried to his god; and they cast the goods that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. + So the captain came and said to him, What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call upon your God! Perhaps your God will give a thought to us so that we shall not perish. + And they each said to one another, Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. + Then they said to him, Tell us, we pray you, on whose account has this evil come upon us? What is your occupation? Where did you come from? And what is your country and nationality? + And he said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear and worship the Lord, the God of heaven, Who made the sea and the dry land. + Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, What is this that you have done? For the men knew that he fled from being in the presence of the Lord [as His prophet and servant], because he had told them. + Then they said to him, What shall we do to you, that the sea may subside and be calm for us? For the sea became more and more [violently] tempestuous. + And [Jonah] said to them, Take me up and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea become calm for you, for I know that it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you. + Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship to the land, but they could not, for the sea became more and more violent against them. + Therefore they cried to the Lord, We beseech You, O Lord, we beseech You, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You. + So they took up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. + Then the men [reverently and worshipfully] feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. + Now the Lord had prepared and appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. [Matt. 12:40.] + + + THEN JONAH prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly, + And said, I cried out of my distress to the Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of Sheol cried I, and You heard my voice. [Ps. 120:1; 130:1; 142:1; Lam. 3:55-58.] + For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; all Your waves and Your billows passed over me. [Ps. 42:7.] + Then I said, I have been cast out of Your presence and Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple. [Ps. 31:22.] + The waters compassed me about, even to [the extinction of] life; the abyss surrounded me, the seaweed was wrapped about my head. [Ps. 69:1; Lam. 3:54.] + I went down to the bottoms and the very roots of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet You have brought up my life from the pit and corruption, O Lord my God. + When my soul fainted upon me [crushing me], I earnestly and seriously remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. + Those who pay regard to false, useless, and worthless idols forsake their own [Source of] mercy and loving-kindness. + But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord! + And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. + + + AND THE word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, + Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach and cry out to it the preaching that I tell you. + So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city of three days' journey [sixty miles in circumference]. + And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown! + So the people of Nineveh believed in God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest of them even to the least of them. + For word came to the king of Nineveh [of all that had happened to Jonah, and his terrifying message from God], and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe aside, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. + And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh, By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed nor drink water. + But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. + Who can tell, God may turn and revoke His sentence against us [when we have met His terms], and turn away from His fierce anger so that we perish not. [Joel 2:13, 14.] + And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God revoked His [sentence of] evil that He had said that He would do to them and He did not do it [for He was comforted and eased concerning them]. + + + BUT IT displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was very angry. + And he prayed to the Lord and said, I pray You, O Lord, is not this just what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and [when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions] You revoke the [sentence of] evil against them. [Exod. 34:6.] + Therefore now, O Lord, I beseech You, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. + Then said the Lord, Do you do well to be angry? + So Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and he made a booth there for himself. He sat there under it in the shade till he might see what would become of the city. + And the Lord God prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his evil situation. So Jonah was exceedingly glad [to have the protection] of the gourd. + But God prepared a cutworm when the morning dawned the next day, and it smote the gourd so that it withered. + And when the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah so that he fainted and wished in himself to die and said, It is better for me to die than to live. + And God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the loss of the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die! + Then said the Lord, You have had pity on the gourd, for which you have not labored nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. + And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons not [yet old enough to] know their right hand from their left, and also many cattle [not accountable for sin]? + + + + + THE WORD of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw [through divine revelation] concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. + Hear, all you people; listen closely, O earth and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be witness among you and against you, the Lord from His holy temple. [I Kings 22:28.] + For behold, the Lord comes forth out of His place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. [Zech. 14:3, 4; Mal. 4:2, 3; Matt. 24:27-30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-16.] + And the mountains shall melt under Him and the valleys shall be cleft like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. + All this is because of the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not [the idol worship of] Samaria? And what are the high places [of idolatry] in Judah? Are they not Jerusalem? + Therefore I [the Lord] will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards; and I will pour down into the ravine her stones and lay bare her foundations. [II Kings 19:25; Ezek. 13:14.] + And all her carved images shall be broken in pieces, and all her hires [all that man would gain from desertion of God] shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will be laid waste; for from the hire of [one] harlot she gathered them, and to the hire of [another] harlot they shall return. + Therefore I [Micah] will lament and wail; I will go stripped and [virtually] naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals and a lamentation like the ostriches. + For [Samaria's] wounds are incurable and they come even to Judah; He [the Lord] has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. + In Gath [a city in Philistia] announce it not; in Acco weep not at all, [betraying your grief to foreigners; but among your own people] in Beth-le-aphrah [house of dust] roll yourself in the dust. + Pass on your way [into exile], dwellers of Shaphir, in shameful nakedness. The dwellers of Zaanan dare not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel takes away from you the place on which it stands. + For the inhabitant of Maroth [bitterness] writhes in pain [at its losses] and waits anxiously for good, because evil comes down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem. + Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O lady inhabitant of Lachish; you were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. + Therefore you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath [Micah's home town]; the houses of Achzib [place of deceit] shall be a deception to the kings of Israel. + Yet will I bring a conqueror upon you, O lady inhabitant of Mareshah, who shall possess you; the glory and nobility of Israel shall come to Adullam [to hide in the caves, as did David]. [I Sam. 22:1.] + Make yourself bald in mourning and cut off your hair for the children of your delight; enlarge your baldness as the eagle, for [your children] shall be carried from you into exile. + + + WOE TO those who devise iniquity and work out evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they perform and practice it because it is in their power. + They covet fields and seize them, and houses and take them away; they oppress and crush a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. [Isa. 5:8.] + Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, against this family I am planning a disaster from which you cannot remove your necks, nor will you be able to walk erect; for it will be an evil time. + In that day shall they take up a [taunting] parable against you and wail with a doleful and bitter lamentation and say, We are utterly ruined and laid waste! [God] changes the portion of my people. How He removes it from me! He divides our fields [to the rebellious, our captors]. + Therefore you shall have no one to cast a line by lot upon a plot [of ground] in the assembly of the Lord. [Rev. 21:27.] + Do not preach, say the prophesying false prophets; one should not babble and harp on such things; disgrace will not overtake us [the reviling has no end]. + O house of Jacob, shall it be said, Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted, impatient, and shortened? Or are these [prophesied plagues] His doings? Do not My words do good to him who walks uprightly? + But lately (yesterday) My people have stood up as an enemy [and have made Me their antagonist]. Off from the garment you strip the cloak of those who pass by in secure confidence of safety and are averse to war. + The women of My people you cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away My glory forever. + Arise and depart, for this is not the rest [which was promised to the righteous in Canaan], because of uncleanness that works destruction, even a sharp and grievous destruction. + If a man walking in a spirit [of vanity] and in falsehood should lie and say, I will prophesy to you of wine and strong drink, O Israel, he would even be the acceptable prophet of this people! [Jer. 5:31.] + I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them [Israel] together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture. They [the fold and the pasture] shall swarm with men and hum with much noise. + The Breaker [the Messiah] will go up before them. They will break through, pass in through the gate and go out through it, and their King will pass on before them, the Lord at their head. [Exod. 23:20, 21; 33:14; Isa. 63:8, 9; Hos. 3:5; Amos 9:11.] + + + AND I [Micah] said, Hear, I pray you, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?-- + You who hate the good and love the evil, who pluck and steal the skin from off [My people] and their flesh from off their bones; + Yes, you who eat the flesh of my people and strip their skin from off them, who break their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot, like meat in a big kettle. + Then will they cry to the Lord, but He will not answer them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil. [Isa. 1:15.] + Thus says the Lord: Concerning the false prophets who make My people err, when they have anything good to bite with their teeth they cry, Peace; and whoever gives them nothing to chew, against him they declare a sanctified war. + Therefore it shall be night to you, so that you shall have no vision; yes, it shall be dark to you without divination. And the sun shall go down over the false prophets, and the day shall be black over them. + And the seers shall be put to shame and the diviners shall blush and be confounded; yes, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. + But truly I [Micah] am full of power, of the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. + Hear this, I pray you, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor and reject justice and pervert all equity, + Who build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. + Its heads judge for reward and a bribe and its priests teach for hire and its prophets divine for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, Is not the Lord among us? No evil can come upon us. [Isa. 1:10-15.] + Therefore shall Zion on your account be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps [of ruins], and the mountain of the house [of the Lord] like a densely wooded height. [Jer. 26:17-19.] + + + BUT IN the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and peoples shall flow to it. + And many nations shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways, and we may walk in His paths. For the law shall go forth out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. + And He shall judge between many peoples and shall decide for strong nations afar off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [Isa. 2:2-4; Joel 3:10.] + But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it. [Zech. 3:10.] + For all the peoples [now] walk every man in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. + In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame, and I will gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted. + And I will make the lame a remnant, and those who were cast off a strong nation; and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forever. + And you, O tower of the flock, the hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, unto you the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem. + Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished, that pains have taken you like a woman in labor? + Writhe in pain and labor to bring forth, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in childbirth; for now you shall go forth out of the city and you shall live in the open country. You shall go to Babylon; there you shall be rescued. There the Lord shall redeem you from the hand of your enemies. + Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, Let her be profaned and let our eyes gaze upon Zion. + But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither do they understand His plan, for He shall gather them as the sheaves to the threshing floor. + Arise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion! For I will make your horn iron and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples, and I will devote their gain to the Lord and their treasure to the Lord of all the earth. [Zech. 12:1-8; 14:14.] + + + NOW GATHER yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; a state of siege has been placed against us. They shall smite the ruler of Israel with a rod (a scepter) on the cheek. + But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity). [Gen. 49:10; Matt. 2:5-12; John 7:42.] + Therefore shall He give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth; then what is left of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. + And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall dwell [secure], for then shall He be great [even] to the ends of the earth. [Ps. 72:8; Isa. 40:11; Zech. 9:10; Luke 1:32, 33.] + And this [One] shall be our peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads upon our soil and in our palaces, then will we raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes among men. [Isa. 9:6; Eph. 2:14.] + And they shall rule and waste the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod within her [Assyria's own] gates. Thus shall He [the Messiah] deliver us from the Assyrian [representing the opposing powers] when he comes into our land and when he treads on our borders. + Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers upon the grass which [come suddenly and] tarry not for man nor wait for the sons of men. [Ps. 72:6; 110:3.] + And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations in the midst of many peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion [suddenly appearing] among the flocks of sheep which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no deliverer. + Your hand will be lifted up above your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. + And in that day, says the Lord, I will cut off your horses [on which you depend] from among you and will destroy your chariots. [Ps. 20:7, 8; Zech. 9:10.] + And I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds. + And I will cut off witchcrafts and sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers. + Your carved images also I will cut off and your statues or pillars out of your midst, and you shall no more worship the work of your hands. + And I will root out your Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah] and I will destroy your cities [the seats of false worship]. [Deut. 16:21.] + And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance upon the nations which would not obey [vengeance such as they have not heard of before]. + + + HEAR NOW what the Lord says: Arise, contend and plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. + Hear, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong and enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with His people, and He will [pleadingly] contend with Israel. + O My people, what have I done to you? And in what have I wearied you? Testify against Me [answer Me]! + For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house where you were bond servants, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. + O My people, [earnestly] remember now what Balak king of Moab devised and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; [remember what the Lord did for you] from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous and saving acts of the Lord. [Num. 23:7-24; 24:3-24; Josh. 3:1; 4:19.] + With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? + Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? + He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? [Deut. 10:12, 13.] + The voice of the Lord calls to the city [Jerusalem]--and it is sound wisdom to hear and fear Your name--Hear (heed) the rod and Him Who has appointed it. + Are there not still treasures gained by wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure [a false measure for grain] that is abominable and accursed? + Can I be pure [Myself, and acquit the man] with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? [I Thess. 4:6.] + For [the city's] rich men are full of violence; her inhabitants have spoken lies and their tongues are deceitful in their mouths. + Therefore I have also smitten you with a deadly wound and made you sick, laying you desolate, waste, and deserted because of your sins. + You shall eat but not be satisfied, and your emptiness and hunger shall remain in you; you shall carry away [goods and those you love] but fail to save them, and those you do deliver I will give to the sword. + You shall sow but not reap; you shall tread olives but not anoint yourselves with oil, and [you shall extract juice from] the grapes but not drink the wine. + For the statutes of [idolatrous] Omri you have kept, and all the works of the house of [wicked] Ahab, and you walk in their counsels. Therefore I will make you a desolation and an astonishment and your [city's] inhabitants a hissing, and you shall bear the reproach and scorn of My people. + + + WOE IS me! For I am as when the summer fruits have been gathered, as when the vintage grapes have been gleaned and there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig for which my appetite craves. + The godly man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; each hunts his brother with a net. + Both their hands are put forth and are upon what is evil to do it diligently; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire. Thus they twist between them [the course of justice]. + The best of them is like a brier; the most upright or the straightest is like a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even of [God's] judgment and your punishment, has come; now shall be their perplexity and confusion. + Trust not in a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Keep the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. [Luke 12:51-53.] + For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies are the men (members) of his own house. [Matt. 10:21, 35, 36; Mark 13:12, 13.] + But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. + Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me. + I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteous deliverance. [Rom. 10:1-4; 11:23-27.] + Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? My eyes will see my desire upon her; now she will be trodden down as the mire of the streets. + In the day that your walls are to be built [a day for building], in that day shall the boundary [of Israel] be far extended and the decree [against her] be far removed. [Isa. 33:17; Amos 9:11.] + In that day they will come to you from Assyria and from the cities of Matzor [Egypt] and from Egypt even to the river [Euphrates], from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. + Yet shall the earth be desolate because of those who dwell in it, for the fruit of their doings. + Rule and feed Your people with Your rod and scepter, the flock of Your inheritance who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of Carmel [a garden land]; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. + As in the days of your coming forth from the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things. + The nations shall see [God's deliverance] and be ashamed of all their might [which cannot be compared to His]. They shall lay their hands upon their mouths in consternation; their ears shall be deaf. + They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their strongholds and close places. They shall turn and come with fear and dread to the Lord our God and shall be afraid and stand in awe because of You [O Lord]. [Jer. 33:9.] + Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness. + He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. [Ps. 103:12.] + You will show Your faithfulness and perform the sure promise to Jacob and loving-kindness and mercy to Abraham, as You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. [Luke 1:54, 55.] + + + + + THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) concerning Nineveh [the capital of Assyria]. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh. + The Lord is a jealous God and avenging; the Lord avenges and He is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies. [Exod. 20:5.] + The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. [Exod. 34:6, 7.] + He rebukes and threatens the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan [on the east] and Mount Carmel [on the west] wither, and [in the north] the blossom of Lebanon fades. + The mountains tremble and quake before Him and the hills melt away, and the earth is upheaved at His presence--yes, the world and all that dwell in it. + Who can stand before His indignation? And who can stand up and endure the fierceness of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by Him. + The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. [Ps. 1:6; Hos. 13:5; John 10:14, 27.] + But with an overrunning flood He will make a full end of [Nineveh's very] site and pursue His enemies into darkness. + What do you devise and [how mad is your attempt to] plot against the Lord? He will make a full end [of Nineveh]; affliction [which My people shall suffer from Assyria] shall not rise up the second time. + For [the Ninevites] are as bundles of thorn branches [for fuel], and even while drowned in their drunken [carousing] they shall be consumed like stubble fully dry [in the day of the Lord's wrath]. [Mal. 4:1.] + There is one gone forth out of you [O Nineveh] who plots evil against the Lord, a villainous counselor [the king of Assyria, who counsels for wickedness and worthlessness]. [II Kings 19:20-23; Isa. 10:5-7; 36:15-20.] + Thus says the Lord: Though they be in full strength and likewise many, even so shall [the Assyrians] be cut down when [their evil counselor] shall pass away. Though I have afflicted you [Jerusalem], I will not cause you to be afflicted [for your past sins] any more. [II Kings 19:35-37; John 5:14.] + For now will I break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds asunder. [Isa. 14:25.] + And the Lord has given a commandment concerning you [evil Assyrian counselor], that no more of your name shall be born nor shall your name be perpetuated. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the graven and molten images; I will make [their temple] your tomb, for you are vile and despised. [Isa. 37:38.] + Behold! upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings [telling of the Assyrian's death], who publishes peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; perform your vows. For the wicked counselor [the king of Assyria] shall no more come against you or pass through your land; he is utterly cut off. [Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15.] [Then the prophet Nahum sarcastically addresses his message to Nineveh:] + + + HE WHO dashes in pieces [that is, the king of Medo-Babylon] is come up before your face [Nineveh]. Keep the fortress and ramparts manned, watch the road, gird your loins, collect and fortify all your strength and power mightily. + For the Lord restores the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of [ancient] Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and emptied them out and [outrageously] destroyed their vine branches. [Isa. 10:12.] + The shields of the mighty men [of Media and Babylon] are [dyed] red; the valiant men are [clothed] in dyed scarlet. The chariots blaze with fire of steel on the day of his preparation [for battle], and the officers' horses prance like a cypress forest [reeling in the wind]. + The chariots rage in confusion in the streets; they run to and fro [in wild terror] in the broad ways. They flash with steel [making them appear like torches]; they rush [in various directions] like forked lightnings. + [The Assyrian leader] remembers and summons his bravest men; they stumble in their march. They hasten to the city's wall, and their movable defense shelter is prepared and set up. + The gates or dams of the rivers [surrounding and guarding Nineveh] are opened and the [imperial] palace [of sun-dried brick] is dissolved [by the torrents] and is in dismay. + It is decreed. She [Nineveh] is stripped and removed, and her maids are lamenting and moaning like doves [softly for fear], beating upon their breasts [and hearts]. + And Nineveh, like a standing pool are her waters and [her inhabitants] are fleeing away! Stand! Stand [firm! a few cry], but no one looks back or causes them to return. + Take the spoil of silver; take the spoil of gold! For there is no end of the treasure, the glory and wealth of all the precious furnishings. + Emptiness! Desolation! Utter waste! Hearts faint and knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of all grow pale! [Isa. 13:7, 8.] + Where is the den of the lions which was the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid? + The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps and strangled [prey] for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with what he had seized and carried off. + Behold, I am against you [Nineveh], says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. And I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard. + + + WOE TO the bloody city! It is full of lies and booty and [there is] no end to the plunder! [Ezek. 24:6, 9, 10; Hab. 2:12.] + The cracking of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses and chariots rumbling and bounding, + Horsemen mounting and charging, the flashing sword, the gleaming spear, a multitude of slain and a great number of corpses, no end of corpses! [The horsemen] stumble over the corpses! + All because of the multitude of the harlotries [of Nineveh], the well-favored harlot, the mistress of deadly charms who betrays and sells nations through her whoredoms [idolatry] and peoples through her enchantments. + Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will lift up your skirts over your face, and I will let the nations look on your nakedness [O Nineveh] and the kingdoms on your shame. + I will cast abominable things at you and make you filthy, treat you with contempt, and make you a gazingstock. + And all who look on you will shrink and flee from you and say, Nineveh is laid waste; who will pity and bemoan her? Where [then] shall I seek comforters for you? + Are you better than No-amon [Thebes, capital of Upper Egypt], that dwelt by the rivers or canals, that had the waters round about her, whose rampart was a sea [the Nile] and water her wall? + Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and that without limit. Put and the Libyans were her helpers. + Yet she was carried away; she went into captivity. Her young children also were dashed in pieces at all the street corners; lots were cast [by the Assyrian officers] for her nobles, and all her great men were bound with chains. + You will be drunk [Nineveh, with the cup of God's wrath]; you will be dazed. You will seek and require a refuge because of the enemy. + All your fortresses are fig trees with early figs; if they are shaken they will fall into the mouth of the eater. + Behold, your troops in the midst of you are [as weak and helpless as] women; the gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies [without effort]; fire consumes your bars. + Draw for yourself the water [necessary] for a [long continued] siege, make strong your fortresses! Go down into the clay pits and trample the mortar; make ready the brickkiln [to burn bricks for the bulwarks]! + [But] there [in the very midst of these preparations] will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off; it will destroy you as the locusts [destroy]. Multiply yourselves like the licking locusts; make yourselves many like the swarming locusts! + You increased your merchants more than the [visible] stars of the heavens. The swarming locust spreads itself and destroys, and then flies away. + Your princes are like the grasshoppers and your marshals like the swarms of locusts which encamp in the hedges on a cold day--but when the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where they are. + Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles are lying still [in death]. Your people are scattered on the mountains and there is no one to gather them. + There is no healing of your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over [what has happened to] you. For upon whom has not your [unceasing] evil come continually? + + + + + THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) which Habakkuk the prophet saw. + O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and You will not hear? Or cry out to You of violence and You will not save? + Why do You show me iniquity and wrong, and Yourself look upon or cause me to see perverseness and trouble? For destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention arises. + Therefore the law is slackened and justice and a righteous sentence never go forth, for the [hostility of the] wicked surrounds the [uncompromisingly] righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted. + Look around [you, Habakkuk, replied the Lord] among the nations and see! And be astonished! Astounded! For I am putting into effect a work in your days [such] that you would not believe it if it were told you. [Acts 13:40, 41.] + For behold, I am rousing up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation who march through the breadth of the earth to take possession of dwelling places that do not belong to them. [II Kings 24:2.] + [The Chaldeans] are terrible and dreadful; their justice and dignity proceed [only] from themselves. + Their horses also are swifter than leopards and are fiercer than the evening wolves, and their horsemen spread themselves and press on proudly; yes, their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle that hastens to devour. + They all come for violence; their faces turn eagerly forward, and they gather prisoners together like sand. + They scoff at kings, and rulers are a derision to them; they ridicule every stronghold, for they heap up dust [for earth mounds] and take it. + Then they sweep by like a wind and pass on, and they load themselves with guilt, [as do all men] whose own power is their god. + Are not You from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed [the Chaldean] to execute [Your] judgment, and You, O Rock, have established him for chastisement and correction. [Deut. 32:4.] + You are of purer eyes than to behold evil and can not look [inactively] upon injustice. Why then do You look upon the plunderer? Why are you silent when the wicked one destroys him who is more righteous than [the Chaldean oppressor] is? + Why do You make men like the fish of the sea, like reptiles and creeping things that have no ruler [and are defenseless against their foes]? + [The Chaldean] brings all of them up with his hook; he catches and drags them out with his net, he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is in high spirits. + Therefore he sacrifices [offerings] to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, because from them he lives luxuriously and his food is plentiful and rich. + Shall he therefore continue to empty his net and mercilessly go on slaying the nations forever? + + + [OH, I know, I have been rash to talk out plainly this way to God!] I will [in my thinking] stand upon my post of observation and station myself on the tower or fortress, and will watch to see what He will say within me and what answer I will make [as His mouthpiece] to the perplexities of my complaint against Him. + And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. + For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day. [Heb. 10:37, 38.] + Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness. [Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11.] + Moreover, wine and wealth are treacherous; the proud man [the Chaldean invader] is restless and cannot stay at home. His appetite is large like that of Sheol and [his greed] is like death and cannot be satisfied; he gathers to himself all nations and collects all people as if he owned them. + Shall not all these [victims of his greed] take up a taunt against him and in scoffing derision of him say, Woe to him who piles up that which is not his! [How long will he possess it?] And [woe to him] who loads himself with promissory notes for usury! + Shall [your debtors] not rise up suddenly who shall bite you, exacting usury of you, and those awake who will vex you [toss you to and fro and make you tremble violently]? Then you will be booty for them. + Because you [king of Babylon] have plundered many nations, all who are left of the people shall plunder you--because of men's blood and for the violence done to the earth, to the city and all the people who live in each city. + Woe to him who obtains wicked gain for his house, [who thinks by so doing] to set his nest on high that he may be preserved from calamity and delivered from the power of evil! + You have devised shame to your house by cutting off and putting an end to many peoples, and you have sinned against and forfeited your own life. + For the stone shall cry out of the wall [built in sin, to accuse you], and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it [agreeing with its charge against you]. + Woe to him who builds a town with blood and establishes a city by iniquity! + Behold, is it not by appointment of the Lord of hosts that the nations toil only to satisfy the fire [that will consume their work], and the peoples weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility? + But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. [Isa. 11:9.] + Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, who pours out your bottle to them and adds to it your poisonous and blighting wrath and also makes them drunk, that you may look on their stripped condition and pour out foul shame [on their glory]! + You [yourself] will be filled with shame and contempt instead of glory. Drink also and be like an uncircumcised [heathen]! The cup [of wrath] in the Lord's right hand will come around to you [O destroyer], and foul shame shall be upon your own glory! [Rev. 16:19.] + For the violence done to Lebanon will cover and overwhelm you; the destruction of the animals [which the violence frightened away] will terrify you on account of men's blood and the violence done to the land, to the city and all its inhabitants. + What profit is the graven image when its maker has formed it? It is only a molten image and a teacher of lies. For the maker trusts in his own creations [as his gods] when he makes dumb idols. + Woe to him who says to the wooden image, Awake! and to the dumb stone, Arise, teach! [Yet, it cannot, for] behold, it is laid over with gold and silver and there is no breath at all inside it! + But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth hush and keep silence before Him. [Zeph. 1:7; Zech. 2:13.] + + + A PRAYER of Habakkuk the prophet, set to wild, enthusiastic, and triumphal music. + O Lord, I have heard the report of You and was afraid. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make [Yourself] known! In wrath [earnestly] remember love, pity, and mercy. + God [approaching from Sinai] came from Teman [which represents Edom] and the Holy One from Mount Paran [in the Sinai region]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. + And His brightness was like the sunlight; rays streamed from His hand, and there [in the sunlike splendor] was the hiding place of His power. + Before Him went the pestilence [as in Egypt], and burning plague followed His feet [as in Sennacherib's army]. [Exod. 7:2-4; II Kings 19:32-35.] + He stood and measured the earth; He looked and shook the nations, and the eternal mountains were scattered and the perpetual hills bowed low. His ways are everlasting and His goings are of old. + I [Habakkuk, in vision] saw the tents of Cushan [probably Ethiopia] in affliction; the [tent] curtains of the land of Midian trembled. + Were You displeased with the rivers, O Lord? Or was Your anger against the rivers [You divided]? Was Your wrath against the [Red] Sea, that You rode [before] upon Your horses and Your chariots of victory and deliverance? + Your bow was made quite bare; sworn to the tribes [of Israel] by Your sure word were the rods of chastisement, scourges, and calamities. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! With rivers You cleaved the earth [bringing forth waters in dry places]. [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11.] + The mountains saw You; they trembled and writhed [as if in pain]. The overflowing of the water passed by [as at the deluge]; the deep uttered its voice and lifted its hands on high. + The sun and moon stood back [as before Joshua] in their habitation at the light of Your arrows as they sped, at the flash of Your glittering spear. [Josh. 10:12, 13.] + You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled and threshed the nations in anger. + You went forth and have come for the salvation of Your people, for the deliverance and victory of Your anointed [people Israel]; You smote the head of the house of the wicked, laying bare the foundation even to the neck. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! + You pierced with his own arrows the head of [the enemy's] hordes; they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me [the people], rejoicing as if to devour the poor [Israel] secretly. + You have trodden the sea with Your horses, [beside] the heap of great and surging waters. [Exod. 15:8.] + I heard and my [whole inner self] trembled; my lips quivered at the sound. Rottenness enters into my bones and under me [down to my feet]; I tremble. I will wait quietly for the day of trouble and distress when there shall come up against [my] people him who is about to invade and oppress them. + Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, + Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! [Rom. 8:37.] + The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! For the Chief Musician; with my stringed instruments. + + + + + THE WORD of the Lord which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah king of Judah and son of Amon. + By taking away I will make an end and I will utterly consume and sweep away all things from the face of the earth, says the Lord. + I will consume and sweep away man and beast; I will consume and sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will overthrow the stumbling blocks (the idols) with the wicked [worshipers], and I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth, says the Lord. + I will also stretch out My hand over Judah and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the idol priests with the [false] priests, + And those who worship the starry host of the heavens upon their housetops and those who [pretend to] worship the Lord and swear by and to Him and yet swear by and to [the heathen god Molech or] Malcam [their idol king], + And those who have drawn back from following the Lord and those who have not sought the Lord nor inquired for, inquired of, and required the Lord [as their first necessity]. + [Hush!] Be silent before the Lord God, for the day [of the vengeance] of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, and He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation. [Hab. 2:20.] + And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice, I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all who are clothed in [lavish] foreign apparel [instead of the Jewish dress, with its reminders to obey God's commandments]. [Num. 15:38, 39.] + In the same day also will I punish all those who leap swiftly on or over the threshold [upon entering houses to steal], who fill their master's house with violence and deceit and fraud. + And in that day, says the Lord, there shall be heard the voice of crying from the Fish Gate [in the wall of Jerusalem] and a wailing from the Second Quarter or Lower City and a great crashing and sound of destruction from the hills. + Wail, you inhabitants of the Mortar [those located in the hollow part of the city]! For all the merchant people, like the people of Canaan, will be silent [entirely destroyed]; all those who weighed out silver and were loaded with it will be cut off. + And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who [like old wine] are thickening and settling on their lees, who say in their hearts, The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil. + And their wealth shall become plunder and their houses a desolation. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink the wine from them. [Deut. 28:30, 39; Amos 5:11, 12.] + The great day of the Lord is near--near and hastening fast. Hark! the voice of the day of the Lord! The mighty man [unable to fight or to flee] will cry then bitterly. + That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, [Jer. 30:7; Joel 2:11; Amos 5:18.] + A day of the blast of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the high towers and battlements. + And I will bring distress upon men, so that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. + Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's indignation and wrath. But the whole earth shall be consumed in the fire of His jealous wrath, for a full, yes, a sudden, end will He make of all the inhabitants of the earth. [Luke 21:35, 36; II Pet. 3:10-13.] + + + COLLECT YOUR thoughts, yes, unbend yourselves [in submission and see if there is no sense of shame and no consciousness of sin left in you], O shameless nation [not desirous or desired]! + [The time for repentance is speeding by like chaff whirled before the wind!] Therefore consider, before God's decree brings forth [the curse upon you], before the time [to repent] is gone like the drifting chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you--yes, before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you! + Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. + For [hear the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza shall be forsaken and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; the people of Ashdod shall be driven out at noonday and Ekron shall be uprooted. + Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left. + And the seacoast shall be pastures, with [deserted] dwelling places and caves for shepherds and folds for flocks. + The seacoast shall belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall pasture their flocks upon it; in the houses of [deserted Philistine] Ashkelon shall they of Judah lie down in the evening. For the Lord their [Judah's] God shall visit them [for their relief] and restore them from their captivity. [Isa. 14:29-31; Amos 1:6-8.] + I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites by which they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves and made boasts against their territory. + Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and wild vetches and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people shall make a prey of them and what is left of My nation shall possess them. + This shall they have for their pride, because they have taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts. + The Lord will be terrible to them, for He will make lean and famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles and coastlands of the nations. [Joel 2:11; Zeph. 1:4; 3:9.] + You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword. [Isa. 18.] + And [the Lord] will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh a desolation, dry as the desert. [Isa. 10:12; Nah. 1:1.] + Herds shall lie down in the midst of [Nineveh], all the [wild] beasts of the nations and of every kind; both the pelican and the hedgehog shall lodge on the upper part of her [fallen] pillars; the voice [of the nesting bird] shall sing in the windows; desolation and drought shall be on the thresholds, for her cedar paneling will He lay bare. + This is the joyous and exultant city that dwelt carelessly [feeling so secure], that said in her heart, I am and there is none beside me. What a desolation she has become, a lair for [wild] beasts! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and wave his hand [indicating his gratification]. [Isa. 10:5-34; 47:8, 10.] + + + WOE TO her that is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city [Jerusalem]! + She did not listen to and heed the voice [of God]; she accepted no correction or instruction; she trusted not in the Lord [nor leaned on or was confident in Him, but was confident in her own wealth]; she drew not near to her God [but to the god of Baal or Molech]. + Her officials in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones on the morrow, for nothing is left by morning. + Her prophets are light [lacking truth, gravity, and steadiness] and men of treachery; her priests have profaned the sanctuary; [defrauding God and man by pretending their own word is God's word] they have done violence to the law. [Jer. 23:11; Ezek. 22:26; Hos. 9:7.] + The Lord in the midst of her is [uncompromisingly] righteous; He will not do iniquity. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He fails not, but the unjust [person] knows no shame. + I [the Lord] have cut off nations; their battlements and corner towers are desolate and in ruins. I laid their streets waste so that none passes over them; their cities are destroyed so that there is no man, there is no inhabitant. + I said, Only let her [reverently and worshipfully] fear Me, receive correction and instruction, and [Jerusalem's] dwelling shall not be cut off. However, I have punished her [according to all that I have appointed concerning her in the way of punishment], but all the more they are eager to make all their doings corrupt and infamous. + Therefore [earnestly] wait for Me, says the Lord, [waiting] for the day when I rise up to the attack [as a witness, accuser, or judge, and a testimony]. For My decision and determination and right it is to gather the nations together, to assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all [the heat of] My fierce anger; for [in that day] all the earth shall be consumed with the fire of My zeal and jealousy. + For then [changing their impure language] I will give to the people a clear and pure speech from pure lips, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder [bearing the yoke of the Lord]. + From beyond the rivers of Cush or Ethiopia those who pray to Me, the daughter of My dispersed people, will bring and present My offering. + In that day you [the congregation of Israel] shall not be put to shame for all your deeds by which you have rebelled and transgressed against Me, for then I will take away out of your midst those who exult in your majesty and pride; and you shall no more be haughty [and carry yourselves arrogantly on or] because of My holy mountain. + For I will leave in the midst of you a people afflicted and poor, and they shall trust, seek refuge, and be confident in the name of the Lord. + What is left of Israel shall not do iniquity or speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid. + Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem [in that day]. + [For then it will be that] the Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, even the Lord [Himself], is in the midst of you; [and after He has come to you] you shall not experience or fear evil any more. + In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not, O Zion. Let not your hands sink down or be slow and listless. + The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. + I will gather those belonging to you [those Israelites in captivity] who yearn and grieve for the solemn assembly [and the festivals], on whom [their exile and inability to attend services at Jerusalem have brought derision and] the reproach of it is a burden. + Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you; I will save the limping [ones] and gather the outcasts and will make them a praise and a name in every land of their shame. [Mic. 4:6, 7.] + At that time I will bring you in; yes, at that time I will gather you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all the nations of the earth when I reverse your captivity before your eyes, says the Lord. + + + + + IN THE second year of Darius king [of Persia], in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by means of Haggai the prophet [in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity] to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say, The time is not yet come that the Lord's house should be rebuilt [although Cyrus had ordered it done eighteen years before]. [Ezra 1:1-6; 4:1-6, 24; 5:1-3.] + Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, + Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins? + Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you. + You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared. + Go up to the hill country and bring lumber and rebuild [My] house, and I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified, says the Lord [by accepting it as done for My glory and by displaying My glory in it]. + You looked for much [harvest], and behold, it came to little; and even when you brought that home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of My house, which lies waste while you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it]. + Therefore the heavens above you [for your sake] withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its produce. + And I have called for a drought upon the land and the hill country, upon the grain, the fresh wine, the oil, upon what the ground brings forth, upon men and cattle, and upon all the [wearisome] toil of [men's] hands. + Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people [who had returned from captivity], listened to and obeyed the voice of the Lord their God [not vaguely or partly, but completely, according to] the words of Haggai the prophet, since the Lord their God had sent him, and the people [reverently] feared and [worshipfully] turned to the Lord. + Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people saying, I am with you, says the Lord. + And the Lord aroused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, so that they came and labored on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, + On the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. + + + IN THE seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, in the second year of Darius king [of Persia], came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, + Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remainder of the people, saying, + Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is not this in your sight as nothing in comparison to that? + Yet now be strong, alert, and courageous, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; be strong, alert, and courageous, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, alert, and courageous, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. + According to the promise that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit stands and abides in the midst of you; fear not. + For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake and make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land; [Heb. 12:26.] + And I will shake all nations and the desire and the precious things of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. [Isa. 60:5; Matt. 2:1-12.] + The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. + The latter glory of this house [with its successor, to which Jesus came] shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace and prosperity, says the Lord of hosts. + On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask now the priests to decide this question of law: + If one carries in the skirt of his garment flesh that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God], and with his skirt or the flaps of his garment he touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does what he touches become holy [dedicated to God's service exclusively]? And the priests answered, No! [Holiness is not infectious.] + Then said Haggai, If one who is [ceremonially] unclean because he has come in contact with a dead body should touch any of these articles of food, shall it be [ceremonially] unclean? And the priests answered, It shall be unclean. [Unholiness is infectious.] + Then answered Haggai, So is this people and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord; and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there [on the altar] is unclean [because they who offer it are themselves unclean]. + And now, I pray you, consider what will happen from this day onward. Since the time before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, how have you fared? + Through all that time [the harvests have not fulfilled expectations, for] when one has gone expecting to find a heap [of sheaves] of twenty measures, there were but ten; when he has gone to the wine vat to draw out fifty bucketfuls from the press, there were only twenty. + I smote you with blight and with mildew and with hail in all [the products of] the labors of your hands; yet you returned not nor were converted to Me, says the Lord. + Consider, I pray you, from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was [re]laid, consider this: + Is the harvested grain any longer in the barn? As to the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree--they have not yet borne. From this day on I will bless you. + And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, + Speak to Zerubbabel [the representative of the Davidic monarchy and covenant and in direct line of the ancestry of Jesus Christ] governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; [Hag. 2:6; Matt. 1:12, 13.] + And I will [in the distant future] overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the [ungodly] nations, and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. [Dan. 2:34, 35, 44, 45; Rev. 19:11-21.] + In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you [through the Messiah, your descendant] My signet ring; for I have chosen you [as the one with whom to renew My covenant to David's line], says the Lord of hosts. [II Sam. 7:12, 16.] + + + + + IN THE eighth month, in the second year [of the reign] of Darius, came the word of the Lord to Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, [Ezra 5:1.] + The Lord was very angry with your fathers. + Therefore say to them [the Jews of this day], Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to Me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you; it is the utterance of the Lord of hosts. + Be not as your fathers to whom the former prophets cried, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return now from your evil ways and your evil doings; but they would not hear or listen to Me, says the Lord. [II Kings 17:13; Isa. 45:22; Jer. 18:11; Ezek. 33:11.] + Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? + But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake and take hold of your fathers? So they repented and said, As the Lord of hosts planned and purposed to do to us, according to our ways and according to our doings, so has He dealt with us. + Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of the reign of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet. Zechariah said, + I saw in the night [vision] and behold, a Man riding upon a red horse, and He stood among the myrtle trees that were in a low valley or bottom, and behind Him there were horses, red, bay or flame-colored, and white. + Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel who talked with me said, I will show you what these are. + And the Man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro through the earth and patrol it. + And the men on the horses answered the Angel of the Lord Who stood among the myrtle trees and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth [patrolling it] and behold, all the earth sits at rest [in peaceful security]. + Then the Angel of the Lord said, O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy and lovingkindness for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which You have had indignation these seventy years [of the Babylonian captivity]? + And the Lord answered the angel who talked with me with gracious and comforting words. + So the angel who talked with me said to me, Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. + And I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was but a little displeased, they helped forward the affliction and disaster. + Therefore thus says the Lord: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion (lovingkindness and mercy). My house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem [with a view to rebuilding its walls]. + Cry yet again, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall yet again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem. + Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns [symbols of strength]. + And I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns or powers which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. + Then the Lord showed me four smiths or workmen [one for each enemy horn, to beat it down]. + Then said I, What are these [horns and smiths] coming to do? And he said, These are the horns or powers that scattered Judah so that no man lifted up his head. But these smiths or workmen have come to terrorize them and cause them to be panic-stricken, to cast out the horns or powers of the nations who lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. + + + AND I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. + Then said I, Where are you going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its breadth and what is its length. + And behold, the angel who talked with me went forth and another angel went out to meet him, + And he said to the second angel, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited and dwell as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. + For I, says the Lord, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her. + Ho! ho! [Hear and] flee from the land of the north, says the Lord, and from the four winds of the heavens, for to them have I scattered you, says the Lord. + Ho! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon! + For thus said the Lord of hosts, after [His] glory had sent me [His messenger] to the nations who plundered you--for he who touches you touches the apple or pupil of His eye: + Behold, I will swing my hand over them and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you shall know (recognize and understand) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [His messenger]. + Sing and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion; for behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord. + And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day and shall be My people. And I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know (recognize and understand) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [His messenger] to you. [Isa. 2:3; Mic. 4:2.] + And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and shall again choose Jerusalem. + Be still, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused and risen from His holy habitation. [Hab. 2:20; Zeph. 1:7.] + + + THEN [the guiding angel] showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua's right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. + And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! Even the Lord, Who [now and habitually] chooses Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this [returned captive Joshua] a brand plucked out of the fire? [Jude 9.] + Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. + And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to [Joshua], Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel. + And I [Zechariah] said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by. + And the Angel of the Lord [solemnly and earnestly] protested and affirmed to Joshua, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then also you shall rule My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you access [to My presence] and places to walk among these who stand here. + Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your colleagues who [usually] sit before you--for they are men who are a sign or omen [types of what is to come]--for behold, I will bring forth My servant the Branch. [Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 6:12.] + For behold, upon the stone which I have set before Joshua, upon that one stone are seven eyes or facets [the all-embracing providence of God and the sevenfold radiations of the Spirit of God]. Behold, I will carve upon it its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity and guilt of this land in a single day. [II Chron. 16:9; Jer. 50:20; Zech. 4:10.] + In that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each man his neighbor under his own vine and his own fig tree. [Mic. 4:1-4.] + + + AND THE angel who talked with me came again and awakened me, like a man who is wakened out of his sleep. + And said to me, What do you see? I said, I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it, and [there are] seven pipes to each of the seven lamps which are upon the top of it. [Matt. 5:14, 16; Luke 12:35; Phil. 2:15; Rev. 1:20.] + And there are two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side of it [feeding it continuously with oil]. [Rev. 11:4-13.] + So I asked the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? + Then the angel who talked with me answered me, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. + Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts. + For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere molehill]! And he shall bring forth the finishing gable stone [of the new temple] with loud shoutings of the people, crying, Grace, grace to it! [Ezra 4:1-5, 24; Isa. 40:4.] + Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house; his hands shall also finish it. Then you shall know (recognize and understand) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [His messenger] to you. + Who [with reason] despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. [These seven] are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth. [Rev. 5:6.] + Then I said to him [the angel who talked with me], What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on the left side of it? + And a second time I said to him, What are these two olive branches which are beside the two golden tubes or spouts by which the golden oil is emptied out? + And he answered me, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. + Then said he, These are the two sons of oil [Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah, the two anointed ones] who stand before the Lord of the whole earth [as His anointed instruments]. [Rev. 11:4.] + + + AGAIN I lifted up my eyes and behold, I saw a scroll flying or floating in the air! + And the angel said to me, What do you see? And I answered, I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits or thirty feet and its breadth is ten cubits or fifteen feet. + Then he said to me, This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off from henceforth according to it [the curse written on this subject on the scroll], and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off from henceforth according to it. [Isa. 24:6; Mal. 3:8, 9.] + I will bring [the curse] forth, says the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him who swears falsely by My name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house and shall consume it, both its timber and its stones. + Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that goes forth. + And I said, What is it? [What does it symbolize?] And he said, This that goes forth is an ephah[-sized vessel for separate grains all collected together]. This, he continued, is the symbol of the sinners mentioned above and is the resemblance of their iniquity throughout the whole land. [Amos 8:5.] + And behold, a round, flat weight of lead was lifted and there sat a woman in the midst of the ephah[-sized vessel]. + And he said, This is lawlessness (wickedness)! And he thrust her back into the ephah[-sized vessel] and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth of it! + Then lifted I up my eyes and looked, and behold, there were two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah[-sized vessel] between the earth and the heavens. + Then said I to the angel who talked with me, Where are they taking the ephah[-sized vessel]? + And he said to me, To the land of Shinar [Babylonia] to build it a house, and when it is finished, to set up the ephah[-sized vessel--the symbol of such sinners and their guilt] there upon its own base. + + + AND AGAIN I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of firm, immovable bronze. + The first chariot had red or bay horses, the second chariot had black horses, + The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot had dappled, active, and strong horses. + Then I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? + And the angel answered me, These are the four winds or spirits of the heavens, which go forth from presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. [Ps. 104:4; Matt. 24:31.] + The chariot with the black horses is going forth into the north country, and the white ones are going forth after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the dappled ones are going forth toward the south country. + And [the chariots with] the strong [horses] went forth and sought to go that they might patrol the earth. And [the Lord] said to them, Go, walk to and fro through the earth and patrol it. So they walked about through the earth [watching and protecting it]. + Then He summoned me and said to me, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted My Spirit [of wrath] and have caused it to rest in the north country. + And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, + Accept donations and offerings from these [as representatives of the] exiles, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon; and come the same day and go to the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. + Yes, take from them silver and gold, and make crowns and set [one] upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, + And say to him, Thus says the Lord of hosts: [You, Joshua] behold (look at, keep in sight, watch) the Man [the Messiah] whose name is the Branch, for He shall grow up in His place and He shall build the [true] temple of the Lord. [Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8.] + Yes, [you are building a temple of the Lord, but] it is He Who shall build the [true] temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the honor and glory [as of the only begotten of the Father] and shall sit and rule upon His throne. And He shall be a Priest upon His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two [offices--Priest and King]. [John 1:14; 17:5; Heb. 2:9.] + And the [other] crown shall be [credited] to Helem (Heldai), to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to the kindness and favor of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, and shall be in the temple of the Lord for a reminder and memorial. [Matt. 10:41.] + And those who are far off shall come and help build the temple of the Lord, and you shall know (recognize and understand) that the Lord sent me [Zechariah] to you. And [your part in this] shall come to pass if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. + + + AND IN the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev. + Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to pray and entreat the favor of the Lord + And to speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets, saying, [Now that I am returned from exile] should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself as I have done these so many years [in Babylon]? + Then came the word of the Lord of hosts to me [Zechariah], saying, + Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months, even those seventy years you were in exile, was it for Me that you fasted, for Me? + And when you ate and when you drank, did you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? + Should you not hear the words which the Lord cried by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity with her cities round about her, and the South (the Negeb) and the lowlands were inhabited? + And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, + Thus has the Lord of hosts spoken: Execute true judgment and show mercy and kindness and tender compassion, every man to his brother; + And oppress not the widow or the fatherless, the temporary resident or the poor, and let none of you devise or imagine or think evil against his brother in your heart. + But they refused to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears that they might not hear. + Yes, they made their hearts as an adamant stone or diamond point, lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore there came great wrath from the Lord of hosts. + So it came to pass that as He cried and they would not hear [He said], So they shall cry and I will not answer, says the Lord of hosts, + But I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they know not and who know not them. Thus the land was desolate after they had gone, so that no man passed through or returned, for they [the Jews by their sins] had [caused to be] laid waste and forsaken the pleasant land (the land of desire). + + + AND THE word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath [against her enemies]. + Thus says the Lord: I shall return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the [faithful] City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again dwell in Jerusalem and sit out in the streets, every man with his staff in his hand for very [advanced] age. + And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Because it will be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days [in which it comes to pass], should it also be marvelous in My eyes? says the Lord of hosts. [Gen. 18:14; Jer. 32:17, 27; Luke 18:27.] + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country and from the west [the country of the going down of the sun]. [Isa. 43:5, 6.] + And I will bring them [home] and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and faithfulness and in righteousness. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong and hardened, you who in these days hear these words from the mouths of the prophets who on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid foretold that the temple should be rebuilt. + For before those days there was no hire for man nor any hire for beast, neither was there any peace or success to him who went out or came in because of the adversary and oppressor, for I set (let loose) all men, every one against his neighbor. + But now [in this period since you began to build] I am not to the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts. + For there shall the seed produce peace and prosperity; the vine shall yield her fruit and the ground shall give its increase and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit and possess all these things. + And as you have been a curse and a byword among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong and hardened. [Jer. 22:8, 9.] + For thus says the Lord of hosts: As I thought to bring calamity upon you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not relent or revoke your sentence, + So again have I purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear not! + These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor; render the truth and pronounce the judgment or verdict that makes for peace in [the courts at] your gates. [Eph. 4:25.] + And let none of you think or imagine or devise evil or injury in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, says the Lord. + And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me [Zechariah], saying, + Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah times of joy and gladness and cheerful, appointed seasons; therefore [in order that this may happen to you, as the condition of fulfilling the promise] love truth and peace. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: It shall yet come to pass that there shall come [to Jerusalem] peoples and the inhabitants of many and great cities, + And the inhabitants of one city shall go to them of another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray and entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek, inquire of, and require [to meet our own most essential need] the Lord of hosts. I will go also. + Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to Jerusalem to seek, inquire of, and require [to fill their own urgent need] the Lord of hosts and to pray to the Lord for His favor. + Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold of the robe of him who is a Jew, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. + + + THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach [in Syria], and Damascus shall be its resting place, for the Lord has an eye upon mankind as upon all the tribes of Israel, + And Hamath also, which borders on [Damascus], Tyre with Sidon, though they are very wise. + And Tyre has built herself a stronghold [on an island a half mile from the shore, which seems impregnable], and heaped up silver like dust and fine gold like the mire of the streets. + Behold, the Lord will cast her out and dispossess her; He will smite her power in the sea and into it and [Tyre] shall be devoured by fire. + [The strong cities of Philistia] shall see it and fear; Ashkelon, Gaza also, and be sorely pained, and Ekron, for her confidence and expectation shall be put to shame, and a king [monarchial government] shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. + And a mongrel people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines. + And I will take out of [the Philistines'] mouths and from between their teeth the abominable idolatrous sacrifices eaten with the blood. And they too shall remain and be a remnant for our God, and they shall be like chieftains (the head over a thousand) in Judah, and Ekron shall be like one of the Jebusites [who at last were merged and had lost their identity in Israel]. + Then I will encamp about My house as a guard or a garrison so that none shall march back and forth, and no oppressor or demanding collector shall again overrun them, for now My eyes are upon them. + Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is [uncompromisingly] just and having salvation [triumphant and victorious], patient, meek, lowly, and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey. [Matt. 21:5; John 12:14, 15.] + And I will cut off and exterminate the war chariot from Ephraim and the [war] horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off; and He shall speak the word and peace shall come to the nations, and His dominion shall be from the [Mediterranean] Sea to [any other] sea, and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth! [Ps. 72:8.] + As for you also, because of and for the sake of the [covenant of the Lord with His people, which was sealed with sprinkled] covenant blood, I have released and sent forth your imprisoned people out of the waterless pit. [Gen. 37:24; Exod. 24:4-8; Heb. 9:16.] + Return to the stronghold [of security and prosperity], you prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I will restore double your former prosperity to you. [Ps. 40:2; Isa. 40:2.] + For I have bent Judah for Myself as My bow, filled the bow with Ephraim as My arrow, and will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and will make you [Israel] as the sword of a mighty man. + And the Lord shall be seen over them and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning, and the Lord God will blow the trumpet and will go forth in the windstorms of the south. + The Lord of hosts shall defend and protect them; and they shall devour and they shall tread on [their fallen enemies] as on slingstones [that have missed their aim], and they shall drink [of victory] and be noisy and turbulent as from wine and become full like bowls [used to catch the sacrificial blood], like the corners of the [sacrificial] altar. + And the Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people, for they shall be as the [precious] jewels of a crown, lifted high over and shining glitteringly upon His land. + For how great is God's goodness and how great is His beauty! And how great [He will make Israel's] goodliness and [Israel's] beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive and fresh wine the maidens. + + + ASK OF the Lord rain in the time of the latter or spring rain. It is the Lord Who makes lightnings which usher in the rain and give men showers, and grass to everyone in the field. + For the teraphim (household idols) have spoken vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and the diviners have seen a lie and the dreamers have told false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people go their way like sheep; they are afflicted and hurt because there is no shepherd. + My anger is kindled against the shepherds [who are not true shepherds] and I will punish the goat leaders, for the Lord of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His beautiful and majestic horse in the battle. [Ezek. 34:1-10.] + Out of him [Judah] shall come forth the Cornerstone, out of him the tent peg, out of him the battle bow; every ruler shall proceed from him. [Jer. 30:21.] + And they shall be like mighty men treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle, and they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the [oppressor's] riders on horses shall be confounded and put to shame. + And I will strengthen the house of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph [Ephraim]. I will bring them back and cause them to dwell securely, for I have mercy, loving-kindness, and compassion for them. They shall be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. + Then Ephraim [the ten tribes] shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall rejoice as through wine; yes, their children shall see it and rejoice; their hearts shall feel great delight and glory triumphantly in the Lord! + I will hiss for them [as the keeper does for his bees] and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall increase [again] as they have increased [before, in Egypt]. [Ezek. 36:10, 11.] + And though I sow them among the nations, yet they shall [earnestly] remember Me in far countries, and with their children they shall live and shall return [to God and the land He gave them]. + I will bring them [all Israel] home again from the land of Egypt and gather them out of Assyria, and I will bring them into the land [on the east and on the west of the Jordan, into] Gilead and Lebanon, and room enough shall not be found for them. + And [the Lord] will pass through the sea of distress and affliction [at the head of His people, as He did at the Red Sea]; and He will smite down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the [river] Nile shall be dried up and put to shame; and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down and the scepter or rod [of the taskmasters of Egypt] shall pass away. + And I will strengthen [Israel] in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down and glory in His name, says the Lord. + + + OPEN YOUR doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars! + Wail, O fir tree and cypress, for the cedar has fallen, because the glorious and lofty trees are laid waste! Wail, O you oaks of Bashan, for the thick and inaccessible forest [on the steep mountainside] has in flames been felled! + A voice of the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory, the broad pasturage, is laid waste! A voice of the roaring of young lions, for the pride of the Jordan [the jungle or thickets] is ruined! + Thus says the Lord my God: Shepherd the flock [destined] for slaughter, + Whose buyers or possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty; and they who sell them say, Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich! And their own shepherds neither pity nor spare them [from the wolves]. + For I will no more pity or spare the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord; but behold, I will deliver every man into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his [foreign] king. And [the enemy] shall lay waste the land, and I will not deliver [the people] out of the hand [of the foreign oppressor]. + So I [Zechariah] shepherded the flock of slaughter, truly [as the name implies] the most miserable of sheep. And I took two [shepherd's] staffs, the one I called Beauty or Grace and the other I called Bands or Union; and I fed and shepherded the flock. + And I cut off the three shepherds [the civil authorities, the priests, and the prophets] in one month, for I was weary and impatient with them, and they also loathed me. [Jer. 2:8, 26; 18:18.] + So I [Zechariah] said, I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed; and let the survivors devour one another's flesh. + And I took my staff, Beauty or Grace, and broke it in pieces to show that I was annulling the covenant or agreement which I had made with all the peoples [not to molest them]. + So the covenant was annulled on that day, and thus the most wretched of the flock and the traffickers in the sheep who were watching me knew (recognized and understood) that it was truly the word of the Lord. + And I said to them, If it seems just and right to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them. So they weighed out for my price thirty pieces of silver. + And the Lord said to me, Cast it to the potter [as if He said, To the dogs!]--the munificently [miserable] sum at which I [and My shepherd] am priced by them! And I [Zechariah] took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. [Matt. 26:14, 15; 27:3-10.] + Then I broke into pieces my other staff, Bands or Union, indicating that I was annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. + And the Lord said to me, Take up once more the implements [the staff and rod of a shepherd, but this time] of a worthless and wicked shepherd. [Ezek. 34:2-6.] + For behold, I will raise up a false shepherd in the land; the lost and perishing he will not miss or visit, the young and scattered he will not go to seek, the wounded and broken he will not heal, nor will he feed those that are sound and strong; but he will eat the flesh of the fat ones and break off their hoofs [to consume all the flesh]. + Woe to the worthless and foolish shepherd who deserts the flock! The sword shall smite his arm and his right eye; his arm shall be utterly withered and his right eye utterly blinded. [Jer. 23:1; John 10:12, 13.] + + + THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus says the Lord, Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him: + Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup or bowl of reeling to all the peoples round about, and in the siege against Jerusalem will there also be a siege against and upon Judah. + And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who lift it or burden themselves with it shall be sorely wounded. And all the nations of the earth shall come and gather together against it. + In that day, says the Lord, I will smite every horse [of the armies that contend against Jerusalem] with terror and panic and his rider with madness; and I will open My eyes and regard with favor the house of Judah and will smite every horse of the opposing nations with blindness. + And the chiefs of Judah shall say in their hearts, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are our strength in the Lord of hosts, their God. + In that day will I make the chiefs of Judah like a big, blazing pot among [sticks of] wood and like a flaming torch among sheaves [of grain], and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell and sit securely in their own place, in Jerusalem. + And the Lord shall save and give victory to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified and exalted above Judah. + In that day will the Lord guard and defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he who is [spiritually] feeble and stumbles among them in that day [of persecution] shall become [strong and noble] like David; and the house of David [shall maintain its supremacy] like God, like the Angel of the Lord Who is before them. + And it shall be in that day that I will make it My aim to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. + And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication. And they shall look [earnestly] upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn. [John 19:37; Rev. 1:7.] + In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of [the city of] Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo [over beloved King Josiah]. [II Chron. 35:22-25.] + And the land shall mourn, every family apart: the [kingly] family of the house of David apart and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan [David's son] apart and their wives apart; + The [priestly] family of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart; the family of Shimei [grandson of Levi] apart and their wives apart; + All the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves [each with an overwhelming individual sorrow over having blindly rejected their unrecognized Messiah]. + + + IN THAT day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem [to cleanse them from] sin and uncleanness. + And in that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will remove from the land the [false] prophets and the unclean spirit. + And if anyone again appears [falsely] as a prophet, then his father and his mother who bore him shall say to him, You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother who bore him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. + And in that day the [false] prophets shall each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, nor will he wear a hairy or rough garment to deceive, + But he will [deny his identity and] say, I am no prophet. I am a tiller of the ground, for I have been made a bond servant from my youth. + And one shall say to him, What are these wounds on your breast or between your hands? Then he will answer, Those with which I was wounded [when disciplined] in the house of my [loving] friends. + Awake, O sword, against My shepherd and against the man who is My associate, says the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd and the sheep [of the flock] shall be scattered, and I will turn back My hand and stretch it out again upon the little ones [of the flock]. [Matt. 26:31, 32.] + And in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive. [Hos. 2:23; Rom. 11:5.] + And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them. I will say, It is My people; and they will say, The Lord is my God. + + + BEHOLD, A day of the Lord is coming when the spoil [taken from you] shall be divided [among the victors] in the midst of you. + For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses rifled and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. + Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. + And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from the east to the west by a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south. [Isa. 64:1, 2.] + And you shall flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal, and you shall flee as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the Lord my [Zechariah's] God shall come, and all the holy ones [saints and angels] with Him. [Amos 1:1; Col. 3:4; I Thess. 4:14; Jude 14, 15.] + And it shall come to pass in that day that there shall not be light; the glorious and bright ones [the heavenly bodies] shall be darkened. + But it shall be one continuous day, known to the Lord--not day and not night, but at evening time there shall be light. + And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern [Dead] Sea and half of them to the western [Mediterranean] Sea; in summer and in winter shall it be. + And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord shall be one [in the recognition and worship of men] and His name one. + All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon, [the Rimmon that is] south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain lifted up on its site and dwell in its place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. + And it shall be inhabited, for there shall be no more curse or ban of utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall dwell securely. [Rev. 22:3.] + And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot away while they stand upon their feet and their eyes shall corrode away in their sockets and their tongue shall decay away in their mouth. + And in that day there shall be a great confusion, discomfiture, and panic among them from the Lord; and they shall seize each his neighbor's hand, and the hand of the one shall be raised against the hand of the other. + And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together--gold and silver and apparel in great abundance. + And as that plague on men, so shall be the plague on the horse, on the mule, on the camel, on the donkey, and on all the livestock and beasts that may be in those camps. + And everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. + And it shall be that whoso of the families of the earth shall not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. + And if the family of Egypt does not go up to Jerusalem and present themselves, upon them there shall be no rain, but there shall be the plague with which the Lord will smite the nations that go not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. + This shall be the consequent punishment of the sin of Egypt and the consequent punishment of the sin of all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. + In that day there shall be [written] upon the [little] bells on the horses, HOLY TO THE LORD, and the pots in the Lord's house shall be holy to the Lord like the bowls before the altar. + Yes, every pot in all the houses of Jerusalem and in Judah shall be dedicated and holy to the Lord of hosts, and all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil their sacrifices in them [and traders in such wares will no longer be seen at the temple]. And in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite [that is, any godless or unclean person, whether Jew or Gentile] in the house of the Lord of hosts. [Eph. 2:19-22.] + + + + + THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi [My messenger]. + I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, How and in what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord; yet I loved Jacob (Israel), + But [in comparison with the degree of love I have for Jacob] I have hated Esau [Edom] and have laid waste his mountains, and his heritage I have given to the jackals of the wilderness. [Rom. 9:13, 16.] + Though [impoverished] Edom should say, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places--thus says the Lord of hosts: They may build, but I will tear and throw down; and men will call them the Wicked Country, the people against whom the Lord has indignation forever. + Your own eyes shall see this and you shall say, The Lord is great and will be magnified over and beyond the border of Israel! [Isa. 34; 63:1-6; Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 25:12-14; Obad. 1.] + A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the [reverent] fear due Me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. You say, How and in what way have we despised Your name? + By offering polluted food upon My altar. And you ask, How have we polluted it and profaned You? By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised. + When you [priests] offer blind [animals] for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Present such a thing [a blind or lame or sick animal] now to your governor [in payment of your taxes, and see what will happen]. Will he be pleased with you? Or will he receive you graciously? says the Lord of hosts. + Now then, I [Malachi] beg [you priests], entreat God [earnestly] that He will be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand [as a defective animal for sacrifice], will He accept it or show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. + Oh, that there were even one among you [whose duty it is to minister to Me] who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on My altar to no purpose [an empty, futile, fruitless pretense]! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hand. + For from the rising of the sun to its setting My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and indeed a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. + But you [priests] profane it when [by your actions] you say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit of it, its food, is contemptible and may be despised. + You say also, Behold, what a drudgery and weariness this is! And you have sniffed at it, says the Lord of hosts. And you have brought that which was taken by violence, or the lame or the sick; this you bring as an offering! Shall I accept this from your hand? says the Lord. [Lev. 1:3; Deut. 15:21.] + But cursed is the [cheating] deceiver who has a male in his flock and vows to offer it, yet sacrifices to the [sovereign] Lord a blemished or diseased thing! For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and My name is terrible and to be [reverently] feared among the nations. + + + AND NOW, O you priests, this commandment is for you. + If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to My name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yes, I have already turned them to curses because you do not lay it to heart. + Behold, I will rebuke your seed [grain--which will prevent due harvest], and I will spread the dung from the festival offerings upon your faces, and you shall be taken away with it. + And you shall know, recognize, and understand that I have sent this [new] decree to you priests, to be My [new] covenant with Levi [the priestly tribe], says the Lord of hosts. + My covenant [on My part with Levi] was to give him life and peace, because [on his part] of the [reverent and worshipful] fear with which [the priests] would revere Me and stand in awe of My name. + The law of truth was in [Levi's] mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity. + For the priest's lips should guard and keep pure the knowledge [of My law], and the people should seek (inquire for and require) instruction at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. + But you have turned aside out of the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction [in the law]; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi [with Me], says the Lord of hosts. + Therefore have I also made you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept My ways but have shown favoritism to persons in your administration of the law [of God]. + Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then do we deal faithlessly and treacherously each against his brother, profaning the covenant of [God with] our fathers? + Judah has been faithless and dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah [that is, Jewish men] has profaned the holy sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god [having divorced his Jewish wife]. [Ezra 9:2; Jer. 2:3.] + The Lord will cast out of the tents of Jacob to the last man those who do this [evil thing], the master and the servant [or the pupil] alike, even him who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts. + And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears [shed by your unoffending wives, divorced by you that you might take heathen wives], and with [your own] weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand. + Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows]. + And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth. + For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate]. + You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, In what way have we wearied Him? [You do it when by your actions] you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delights in them. Or [by asking], Where is the God of justice? + + + BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts. [Matt. 11:10; Luke 1:13-17, 76.] + But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; [Rev. 6:12-17.] + He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness. + Then will the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in ancient years. + Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the false swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and who turn aside the temporary resident from his right and fear not Me, says the Lord of hosts. + For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. + Even from the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, How shall we return? + Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings. + You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. [Lev. 26:14-17.] + Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. [Mal. 2:2.] + And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. + And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. + Your words have been strong and hard against Me, says the Lord. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You? + You have said, It is useless to serve God, and what profit is it if we keep His ordinances and walk gloomily and as if in mourning apparel before the Lord of hosts? + And now we consider the proud and arrogant to be happy and favored; evildoers are exalted and prosper; yes, and when they test God, they escape [unpunished]. + Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name. + And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. + Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him. + + + FOR BEHOLD, the day comes that shall burn like an oven, and all the proud and arrogant, yes, and all that do wickedly and are lawless, shall be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. [Isa. 5:21-25; Matt. 3:12.] + But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy. + And you shall tread down the lawless and wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts. + [Earnestly] remember the law of Moses, My servant, the statutes and the ordinances which I commanded him on [Mount] Horeb [to give] to all Israel. + Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. [Matt. 11:14; 17:10-13.] + And he shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers [a reconciliation produced by repentance of the ungodly], lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction. [Luke 1:17.] + + + + + THE BOOK of the ancestry (genealogy) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the son (descendant) of David, the son (descendant) of Abraham. [Ps. 132:11; Isa. 11:1.] + Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, + Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Aram, + Aram the father of Aminadab, Aminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, + Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, + Jesse the father of King David, King David the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah, [Ruth 4:18-22; I Chron. 2:13-15.] + Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, + Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram [Jehoram], Joram the father of Uzziah, + Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, + Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, + And Josiah became the father of Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] and his brothers about the time of the removal (deportation) to Babylon. [II Kings 24:14; I Chron. 3:15, 16.] + After the exile to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel [Salathiel], Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, + Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, + Azor the father of Sadoc, Sadoc the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, + Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, + Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, Who is called the Christ. (the Messiah, the Anointed) + So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen, from David to the Babylonian exile (deportation) fourteen generations, from the Babylonian exile to the Christ fourteen generations. + Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant [through the power] of the Holy Spirit. + And her [promised] husband Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly. + But as he was thinking this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary [as] your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of (from, out of) the Holy Spirit. + She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God]. + All this took place that it might be fulfilled which the Lord had spoken through the prophet, + Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel--which, when translated, means, God with us. [Isa. 7:14.] + Then Joseph, being aroused from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him: he took [her to his side as] his wife. + But he had no union with her as her husband until she had borne her firstborn Son; and he called His name Jesus. + + + NOW WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, + Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its rising and have come to worship Him. [Num. 24:17; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 9:9.] + When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him. + So he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born. + They replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: + And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least or insignificant among the chief cities of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler (Leader) Who will govern and shepherd My people Israel. [Mic. 5:2.] + Then Herod sent for the wise men [astrologers] secretly, and accurately to the last point ascertained from them the time of the appearing of the star [that is, how long the star had made itself visible since its rising in the east]. + Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search for the Child carefully and diligently, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him. + When they had listened to the king, they went their way, and behold, the star which had been seen in the east in its rising went before them until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was. + When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. + And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts--gold and frankincense and myrrh. + And receiving an answer to their asking, they were divinely instructed and warned in a dream not to go back to Herod; so they departed to their own country by a different way. + Now after they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! [Tenderly] take unto you the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt; and remain there till I tell you [otherwise], for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him. + And having risen, he took the Child and His mother by night and withdrew to Egypt + And remained there until Herod's death. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. [Hos. 11:1.] + Then Herod, when he realized that he had been misled by the wise men, was furiously enraged, and he sent and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that territory who were two years old and under, reckoning according to the date which he had investigated diligently and had learned exactly from the wise men. + Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: + A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they were no more. [Jer. 31:15.] + But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt + And said, Rise, [tenderly] take unto you the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child's life are dead. + Then he awoke and arose and [tenderly] took the Child and His mother and came into the land of Israel. + But because he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. + He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene [Branch, Separated One]. [Isa. 11:1.] + + + IN THOSE days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness (Desert) of Judea + And saying, Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. + This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness (shouting in the desert), Prepare the road for the Lord, make His highways straight (level, direct). [Isa. 40:3.] + This same John's garments were made of camel's hair, and he wore a leather girdle about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. [Lev. 11:22; II Kings 1:8; Zech. 13:4.] + Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the country round about the Jordan went out to him; + And they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins. + But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming? + Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]; + And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! + And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. + I indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out. + Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. + But John protested strenuously, having in mind to prevent Him, saying, It is I who have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? + But Jesus replied to him, Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him. + And when Jesus was baptized, He went up at once out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. + And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight! [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1.] + + + THEN JESUS was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil. + And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry. [Exod. 34:28; I Kings 19:8.] + And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God's Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread. + But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. [Deut. 8:3.] + Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. [Neh. 11:1; Dan. 9:24.] + And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. [Ps. 91:11, 12.] + Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God. [Deut. 6:16.] + Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them. + And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me. + Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve. [Deut. 6:13.] + Then the devil departed from Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. + Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested and put in prison, He withdrew into Galilee. + And leaving Nazareth, He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the country of Zebulun and Naphtali-- + That what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be brought to pass: + The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, in the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles [of the peoples who are not of Israel]--[Isa. 9:1-2.] + The people who sat (dwelt enveloped) in darkness have seen a great Light, and for those who sat in the land and shadow of death Light has dawned. + From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. + As He was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He noticed two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, throwing a dragnet into the sea, for they were fishermen. + And He said to them, Come after Me [as disciples--letting Me be your Guide], follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men! + At once they left their nets and became His disciples [sided with His party and followed Him]. + And going on further from there He noticed two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets and putting them right; and He called them. + At once they left the boat and their father and joined Jesus as disciples [sided with His party and followed Him]. + And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people. + So the report of Him spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, and paralyzed people, and He healed them. + And great crowds joined and accompanied Him about, coming from Galilee and Decapolis [the district of the ten cities east of the Sea of Galilee] and Jerusalem and Judea and from the other [the east] side of the Jordan. + + + SEEING THE crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. + Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: + Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! + Blessed and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted! [Isa. 61:2.] + Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth! [Ps. 37:11.] + Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied! [Isa. 55:1, 2.] + Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! + Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous--possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! [Ps. 24:3, 4.] + Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God! + Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! + Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account. + Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you. [II Chron. 36:16.] + You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. + You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. + Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. + Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. + Do not think that I have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them. + For truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook [identifying certain Hebrew letters] will pass from the Law until all things [it foreshadows] are accomplished. + Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. + For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. + You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court. [Exod. 20:13; Deut. 5:17; 16:18.] + But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire. + So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any [grievance] against you, + Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift. + Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way traveling with him, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. + Truly I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last fraction of a penny. + You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. [Exod. 20:14; Deut. 5:18.] + But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. + If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell (Gehenna). + And if your right hand serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your entire body should be cast into hell (Gehenna). + It has also been said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. + But I tell you, Whoever dismisses and repudiates and divorces his wife, except on the grounds of unfaithfulness (sexual immorality), causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery. [Deut. 24:1-4.] + Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not swear falsely, but you shall perform your oaths to the Lord [as a religious duty]. + But I tell you, Do not bind yourselves by an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; + Or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. [Ps. 48:2; Isa. 66:1.] + And do not swear by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. + Let your Yes be simply Yes, and your No be simply No; anything more than that comes from the evil one. [Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21.] + You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. [Exod. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21.] + But I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too. + And if anyone wants to sue you and take your undershirt (tunic), let him have your coat also. + And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two [miles]. + Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow [at interest] from you. [Deut. 15:8; Prov. 24:29.] + You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; [Lev. 19:18; Ps. 139:21, 22.] + But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [Prov. 25:21, 22.] + To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike]. + For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? + And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that? + You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. [Lev. 19:2, 18.] + + + TAKE CARE not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven. + Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. + But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, + So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly. + Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. + But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. + And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.] + Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. + Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. + Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. + Give us this day our daily bread. + And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors. + And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. + For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. + But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. + And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and sour and dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full already. [Isa. 58:5.] + But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face, + So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. + Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. + But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal; + For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. + The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. + But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness! + No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). + Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? + Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? + And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? [Ps. 39:5-7.] + And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. + Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.] + But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? + Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? + For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. + But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. + So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. + + + DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. + For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you. + Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother's eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? + Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye? + You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother's eye. + Do not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces. + Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. + For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. + Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? + Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? + If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him! + So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets. + Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. + But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it. [Deut. 30:19; Jer. 21:8.] + Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. [Ezek. 22:27.] + You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? + Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. + A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. + Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. + Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits. + Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. + Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? + And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. [Ps. 6:8.] + So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. + And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. + And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand. + And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great and complete was the fall of it. + When Jesus had finished these sayings [the Sermon on the Mount], the crowds were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His teaching, + For He was teaching as One Who had [and was] authority, and not as [did] the scribes. + + + WHEN JESUS came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. + And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. + And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed. + And Jesus said to him, See that you tell nothing about this to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, for a testimony [to your healing] and as an evidence to the people. [Lev. 14:2.] + As Jesus went into Capernaum, a centurion came up to Him, begging Him, + And saying, Lord, my servant boy is lying at the house paralyzed and distressed with intense pains. + And Jesus said to him, I will come and restore him. + But the centurion replied to Him, Lord, I am not worthy or fit to have You come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant boy will be cured. + For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it. + When Jesus heard him, He marveled and said to those who followed Him [who adhered steadfastly to Him, conforming to His example in living and, if need be, in dying also], I tell you truly, I have not found so much faith as this with anyone, even in Israel. + I tell you, many will come from east and west, and will sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, + While the sons and heirs of the kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. [Ps. 107:2, 3; Isa. 49:12; 59:19; Mal. 1:11.] + Then to the centurion Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. And the servant boy was restored to health at that very moment. + And when Jesus went into Peter's house, He saw his mother-in-law lying ill with a fever. + He touched her hand and the fever left her; and she got up and began waiting on Him. + When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word and restored to health all who were sick. + And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases. [Isa. 53:4.] + Now Jesus, when He saw the great throngs around Him, gave orders to cross to the other side [of the lake]. + And a scribe came up and said to Him, Master, I will accompany You wherever You go. + And Jesus replied to him, Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have lodging places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. + Another of the disciples said to Him, Lord, let me first go and bury [care for till death] my father. + But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and leave the dead [in sin] to bury their own dead. + And after He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. + And suddenly, behold, there arose a violent storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered up by the waves; but He was sleeping. + And they went and awakened Him, saying, Lord, rescue and preserve us! We are perishing! + And He said to them, Why are you timid and afraid, O you of little faith? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great and wonderful calm (a perfect peaceableness). + And the men were stunned with bewildered wonder and marveled, saying, What kind of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him! + And when He arrived at the other side in the country of the Gadarenes, two men under the control of demons went to meet Him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce and savage that no one was able to pass that way. + And behold, they shrieked and screamed, What have You to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come to torment us before the appointed time? [Judg. 11:12; II Sam. 16:10.] + Now at some distance from there a drove of many hogs was grazing. + And the demons begged Him, If You drive us out, send us into the drove of hogs. + And He said to them, Begone! So they came out and went into the hogs, and behold, the whole drove rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the water. + The herdsmen fled and went into the town and reported everything, including what had happened to the men under the power of demons. + And behold, the whole town went out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their locality. + + + AND JESUS, getting into a boat, crossed to the other side and came to His own town [Capernaum]. + And behold, they brought to Him a man paralyzed and prostrated by illness, lying on a sleeping pad; and when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted. + And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man blasphemes [He claims the rights and prerogatives of God]! + But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts? + For which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted, or to say, Get up and walk? + But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and remit the penalty, He then said to the paralyzed man, Get up! Pick up your sleeping pad and go to your own house. + And he got up and went away to his own house. + When the crowds saw it, they were struck with fear and awe; and they recognized God and praised and thanked Him, Who had given such power and authority to men. + As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's office; and He said to him, Be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. And he rose and followed Him. + And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [especially wicked] sinners came and sat (reclined) with Him and His disciples. + And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and those [preeminently] sinful? + But when Jesus heard it, He replied, Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick. + Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is, readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance] the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin). [Hos. 6:6.] + Then the disciples of John came to Jesus, inquiring, Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, [that is, abstain from food and drink as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast? + And Jesus replied to them, Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. + And no one puts a piece of cloth that has not been shrunk on an old garment, for such a patch tears away from the garment and a worse rent (tear) is made. + Neither is new wine put in old wineskins; for if it is, the skins burst and are torn in pieces, and the wine is spilled and the skins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved. + While He was talking this way to them, behold, a ruler entered and, kneeling down, worshiped Him, saying, My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will come to life. + And Jesus got up and accompanied him, with His disciples. + And behold, a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment; [Matt. 14:36.] + For she kept saying to herself, If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health. + Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well. And at once the woman was restored to health. + And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making an uproar and din, + He said, Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping. And they laughed and jeered at Him. + But when the crowd had been ordered to go outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. + And the news about this spread through all that district. + As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting loudly, Have pity and mercy on us, Son of David! + When He reached the house and went in, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, Yes, Lord. + Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you; + And their eyes were opened. And Jesus earnestly and sternly charged them, See that you let no one know about this. + But they went off and blazed and spread His fame abroad throughout that whole district. + And while they were going away, behold, a dumb man under the power of a demon was brought to Jesus. + And when the demon was driven out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds were stunned with bewildered wonder, saying, Never before has anything like this been seen in Israel. + But the Pharisees said, He drives out demons through and with the help of the prince of demons. + And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity. + When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. [Zech. 10:2.] + Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. + So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest. + + + AND JESUS summoned to Him His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of weakness and infirmity. + Now these are the names of the twelve apostles (special messengers): first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee, and John his brother; + Philip and Bartholomew [Nathaniel]; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus [Judas, not Iscariot]; + Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. + Jesus sent out these twelve, charging them, Go nowhere among the Gentiles and do not go into any town of the Samaritans; + But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. + And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand! + Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give. + Take no gold nor silver nor [even] copper money in your purses (belts); + And do not take a provision bag or a wallet for a collection bag for your journey, nor two undergarments, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the workman deserves his support (his living, his food). + And into whatever town or village you go, inquire who in it is deserving, and stay there [at his house] until you leave [that vicinity]. + As you go into the house, give your greetings and wish it well. + Then if indeed that house is deserving, let come upon it your peace [that is, freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin]. But if it is not deserving, let your peace return to you. + And whoever will not receive and accept and welcome you nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or town, shake the dust [of it] from your feet. + Truly I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. + Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves. [Gen. 3:1.] + Be on guard against men [whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God]; for they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues, + And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them and to the Gentiles (the nations). + But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment, + For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. + Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and will have them put to death. + And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved [from spiritual disease and death in the world to come]. + When they persecute you in one town [that is, pursue you in a manner that would injure you and cause you to suffer because of your belief], flee to another town; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. + A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant or slave above his master. + It is sufficient for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant or slave like his master. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub [master of the dwelling], how much more will they speak evil of those of His household. [II Kings 1:2.] + So have no fear of them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that will not become known. + What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops. + And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna). + Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave (consent) and notice. + But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. + Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows. + Therefore, everyone who acknowledges Me before men and confesses Me [out of a state of oneness with Me], I will also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven and confess [that I am abiding in] him. + But whoever denies and disowns Me before men, I also will deny and disown him before My Father Who is in heaven. + Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. + For I have come to part asunder a man from his father, and a daughter from her mother, and a newly married wife from her mother-in-law-- + And a man's foes will be they of his own household. [Mic. 7:6.] + He who loves [and takes more pleasure in] father or mother more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves [and takes more pleasure in] son or daughter more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me; + And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me. + Whoever finds his [lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life]. + He who receives and welcomes and accepts you receives and welcomes and accepts Me, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts Me receives and welcomes and accepts Him Who sent Me. + He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. + And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward. + + + WHEN JESUS had finished His charge to His twelve disciples, He left there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities. + Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples + And asked Him, Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? [Gen. 49:10; Num. 24:17.] + And Jesus replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see: + The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed (by healing) and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have good news (the Gospel) preached to them. [Isa. 35:5, 6; 61:1.] + And blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he who takes no offense at Me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth. + Then as these men went their way, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: What did you go out in the wilderness (desert) to see? A reed swayed by the wind? + What did you go out to see then? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. + But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [out of the common, more eminent, more remarkable, and] superior to a prophet. + This is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who shall make ready Your way before You. [Mal. 3:1.] + Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. + And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize--a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]. + For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied up until John. + And if you are willing to receive and accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come [before the kingdom]. [Mal. 4:5.] + He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing. + But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little children sitting in the marketplaces who call to their playmates, + We piped to you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and beat your breasts and weep aloud. + For John came neither eating nor drinking [with others], and they say, He has a demon! + The Son of Man came eating and drinking [with others], and they say, Behold, a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and [especially wicked] sinners! Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by what she does (her deeds) and by her children. + Then He began to censure and reproach the cities in which most of His mighty works had been performed, because they did not repent [and their hearts were not changed]. + Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes [and their hearts would have been changed]. + I tell you [further], it shall be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. + And you, Capernaum, are you to be lifted up to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades [the region of the dead]! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued until today. + But I tell you, it shall be more endurable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you. + At that time Jesus began to say, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [and I acknowledge openly and joyfully to Your honor], that You have hidden these things from the wise and clever and learned, and revealed them to babies [to the childish, untaught, and unskilled]. + Yes, Father, [I praise You that] such was Your gracious will and good pleasure. + All things have been entrusted and delivered to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son deliberately wills to make Him known. + Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] + Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. [Jer. 6:16.] + For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. + + + AT THAT particular time Jesus went through the fields of standing grain on the Sabbath; and His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick off the spikes of grain and to eat. [Deut. 23:25.] + And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, See there! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful and not permitted on the Sabbath. + He said to them, Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, and those who accompanied him--[Lev. 24:9; I Sam. 21:1-6.] + How he went into the house of God and ate the loaves of the showbread--which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for the men who accompanied him, but for the priests only? + Or have you never read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath [breaking it] and yet are guiltless? [Num. 28:9, 10.] + But I tell you, Something greater and more exalted and more majestic than the temple is here! + And if you had only known what this saying means, I desire mercy [readiness to help, to spare, to forgive] rather than sacrifice and sacrificial victims, you would not have condemned the guiltless. [Hos. 6:6; Matt. 9:13.] + For the Son of Man is Lord [even] of the Sabbath. + And going on from there, He went into their synagogue. + And behold, a man was there with one withered hand. And they said to Him, Is it lawful or allowable to cure people on the Sabbath days?--that they might accuse Him. + But He said to them, What man is there among you, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit or ditch on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? + How much better and of more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and allowable to do good on the Sabbath days. + Then He said to the man, Reach out your hand. And the man reached it out and it was restored, as sound as the other one. + But the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against Him, how they might do away with Him. + But being aware of this, Jesus went away from there. And many people joined and accompanied Him, and He cured all of them, + And strictly charged them and sharply warned them not to make Him publicly known. + This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, + Behold, My Servant Whom I have chosen, My Beloved in and with Whom My soul is well pleased and has found its delight. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim and show forth justice to the nations. + He will not strive or wrangle or cry out loudly; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets; + A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to victory. + And in and on His name will the Gentiles (the peoples outside of Israel) set their hopes. [Isa. 42:1-4.] + Then a blind and dumb man under the power of a demon was brought to Jesus, and He cured him, so that the blind and dumb man both spoke and saw. + And all the [crowds of] people were stunned with bewildered wonder and said, This cannot be the Son of David, can it? + But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, This Man drives out demons only by and with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. + And knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand. + And if Satan drives out Satan, he has become divided against himself and disunified; how then will his kingdom last or continue to stand? + And if I drive out the demons by [help of] Beelzebub, by whose [help] do your sons drive them out? For this reason they shall be your judges. + But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it]. + Or how can a person go into a strong man's house and carry off his goods (the entire equipment of his house) without first binding the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. + He who is not with Me [definitely on My side] is against Me, and he who does not [definitely] gather with Me and for My side scatters. + Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy (every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things) can be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit shall not and cannot be forgiven. + And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy One, will not be forgiven, either in this world and age or in the world and age to come. + Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit. + You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. + The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. + But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. + For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced. + Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, Teacher, we desire to see a sign or miracle from You [proving that You are what You claim to be]. + But He replied to them, An evil and adulterous generation (a generation morally unfaithful to God) seeks and demands a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. + For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [Jonah 1:17.] + The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, Someone more and greater than Jonah is here! [Jonah 3:5.] + The queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, Someone more and greater than Solomon is here. [I Kings 10:1; II Chron. 9:1.] + But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. + Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated. + Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation. + Jesus was still speaking to the people when behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him. + Someone said to Him, Listen! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You. + But He replied to the man who told Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers? + And stretching out His hand toward [not only the twelve disciples but all] His adherents, He said, Here are My mother and My brothers. + For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother! + + + THAT SAME day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea. + But such great crowds gathered about Him that He got into a boat and remained sitting there, while all the throng stood on the shore. + And He told them many things in parables (stories by way of illustration and comparison), saying, A sower went out to sow. + And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and ate them up. + Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. + But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up and withered away. + Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. + Other seeds fell on good soil, and yielded grain--some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some thirty. + He who has ears [to hear], let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing. + Then the disciples came to Him and said, Why do You speak to them in parables? + And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. + For whoever has [spiritual knowledge], to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. + This is the reason that I speak to them in parables: because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand. + In them indeed is the process of fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: You shall indeed hear and hear but never grasp and understand; and you shall indeed look and look but never see and perceive. + For this nation's heart has grown gross (fat and dull), and their ears heavy and difficult of hearing, and their eyes they have tightly closed, lest they see and perceive with their eyes, and hear and comprehend the sense with their ears, and grasp and understand with their heart, and turn and I should heal them. [Isa. 6:9, 10.] + But blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. + Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men [men who were upright and in right standing with God] yearned to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. + Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower: + While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside. + As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; + Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away. + As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit. + As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty. + Another parable He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. + But while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed also darnel (weeds resembling wheat) among the wheat, and went on his way. + So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the darnel (weeds) appeared also. + And the servants of the owner came to him and said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have darnel shoots in it? + He replied to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and weed them out? + But he said, No, lest in gathering the wild wheat (weeds resembling wheat), you root up the [true] wheat along with it. + Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary. + Another story by way of comparison He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. + Of all the seeds it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches. + He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven (sour dough) which a woman took and covered over in three measures of meal or flour till all of it was leavened. [Gen. 18:6.] + These things all taken together Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, without a parable He said nothing to them. + This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things that have been hidden since the foundation of the world. [Ps. 78:2.] + Then He left the throngs and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field. + He answered, He Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. + The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel is the children of the evil one, + And the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest is the close and consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels. + Just as the darnel (weeds resembling wheat) is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age. + The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense [persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly, + And will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth. + Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing. [Dan. 12:3.] + The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. + Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls, + Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it. + Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was cast into the sea and gathered in fish of every sort. + When it was full, men dragged it up on the beach, and sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away. + So it will be at the close and consummation of the age. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) + And cast them [the wicked] into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth. + Have you understood all these things [parables] taken together? They said to Him, Yes, Lord. + He said to them, Therefore every teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed about and trained for the kingdom of heaven and has become a disciple is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and [treasure that is] old [the fresh as well as the familiar]. + When Jesus had finished these parables (these comparisons), He left there. + And coming to His own country [Nazareth], He taught in their synagogue so that they were amazed with bewildered wonder, and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? + Is not this the carpenter's Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? + And do not all His sisters live here among us? Where then did this Man get all this? + And they took offense at Him [they were repelled and hindered from acknowledging His authority, and caused to stumble]. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house. + And He did not do many works of power there, because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in the divine mission of Jesus). + + + AT THAT time Herod the governor heard the reports about Jesus, + And he said to his attendants, This is John the Baptist; He has been raised from the dead, and that is why the powers of performing miracles are at work in Him. + For Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison [to stow him out of the way] on account and for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, + For John had said to him, It is not lawful or right for you to have her. [Lev. 18:16; 20:21.] + Although he wished to have him put to death, he was afraid of the people, for they regarded John as a prophet. + But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst [before the company] and pleased and fascinated Herod, + And so he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. + And she, being put forward and prompted by her mother, said, Give me the head of John the Baptist right here on a platter. + And the king was distressed and sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered it to be given her; + He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. + And his head was brought in on a platter and given to the little maid, and she brought it to her mother. + And John's disciples came and took up the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. + When Jesus heard it, He withdrew from there privately in a boat to a solitary place. But when the crowds heard of it, they followed Him [by land] on foot from the towns. + When He went ashore and saw a great throng of people, He had compassion (pity and deep sympathy) for them and cured their sick. + When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, This is a remote and barren place, and the day is now over; send the throngs away into the villages to buy food for themselves. + Jesus said, They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat. + They said to Him, We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. + He said, Bring them here to Me. + Then He ordered the crowds to recline on the grass; and He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and blessed and broke the loaves and handed the pieces to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. + And they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve [small hand] baskets full of the broken pieces left over. + And those who ate were about 5,000 men, not including women and children. + Then He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent away the crowds. + And after He had dismissed the multitudes, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was still there alone. + But the boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs [a furlong is one-eighth of a mile] distant from the land, beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them. + And in the fourth watch [between 3:00--6:00 a.m.] of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. + And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost! And they screamed out with fright. + But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! [Exod. 3:14.] + And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. + He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. + But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! + Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? + And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. + And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God! + And when they had crossed over to the other side, they went ashore at Gennesaret. + And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent around into all the surrounding country and brought to Him all who were sick + And begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were perfectly restored. [Matt. 9:20.] + + + THEN FROM Jerusalem came scribes and Pharisees and said, + Why do Your disciples transgress and violate the rules handed down by the elders of the past? For they do not practice [ceremonially] washing their hands before they eat. + He replied to them, And why also do you transgress and violate the commandment of God for the sake of the rules handed down to you by your forefathers (the elders)? + For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely come to his end by death. [Exod. 20:12; 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 5:16.] + But you say, If anyone tells his father or mother, What you would have gained from me [that is, the money and whatever I have that might be used for helping you] is already dedicated as a gift to God, then he is exempt and no longer under obligation to honor and help his father or his mother. + So for the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect]. + You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: + These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. + Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men. [Isa. 29:13.] + And Jesus called the people to Him and said to them, Listen and grasp and comprehend this: + It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. + Then the disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were displeased and offended and indignant when they heard this saying? + He answered, Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be torn up by the roots. [Isa. 60:21.] + Let them alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch. + But Peter said to Him, Explain this proverb (this maxim) to us. + And He said, Are you also even yet dull and ignorant [without understanding and unable to put things together]? + Do you not see and understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the abdomen and so passes on into the place where discharges are deposited? + But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. + For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech. + These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean or defile [him]. + And going away from there, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. + And behold, a woman who was a Canaanite from that district came out and, with a [loud, troublesomely urgent] cry, begged, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon! + But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us. + He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. + But she came and, kneeling, worshiped Him and kept praying, Lord, help me! + And He answered, It is not right (proper, becoming, or fair) to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. + She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little pups (little whelps) eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters' table. + Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you wish. And her daughter was cured from that moment. + And Jesus went on from there and passed along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up into the hills and kept sitting there. + And a great multitude came to Him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He cured them, + So that the crowd was amazed when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they recognized and praised and thanked and glorified the God of Israel. + Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, I have pity and sympathy and am deeply moved for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and they have nothing [at all left] to eat; and I am not willing to send them away hungry, lest they faint or become exhausted on the way. + And the disciples said to Him, Where are we to get bread sufficient to feed so great a crowd in this isolated and desert place? + And Jesus asked them, How many loaves of bread do you have? They replied, Seven, and a few small fish. + And ordering the crowd to recline on the ground, + He took the seven loaves and the fish, and when He had given thanks, He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. + And they all ate and were satisfied. And they gathered up seven [large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. + Those who ate were 4,000 men, not including the women and the children. + Then He dismissed the crowds, got into the boat, and went to the district of Magadan. + + + NOW THE Pharisees and Sadducees came up to Jesus, and they asked Him to show them a sign (spectacular miracle) from heaven [attesting His divine authority]. + He replied to them, When it is evening you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red, + And in the morning, It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a gloomy and threatening look. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. + A wicked and morally unfaithful generation craves a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Then He left them and went away. [Jonah 3:4, 5.] + When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they found that they had forgotten to bring any bread. + Jesus said to them, Be careful and on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. + And they reasoned among themselves about it, saying, It is because we did not bring any bread. + But Jesus, aware of this, asked, Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? O you [men, how little trust you have in Me, how] little faith! + Do you not yet discern (perceive and understand)? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many [small hand] baskets you gathered? + Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many [large provision] baskets you took up? + How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. + Then they discerned that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. + Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? + And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. + He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am? + Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. + Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. + And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros--a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra--a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it]. + I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven. [Isa. 22:22.] + Then He sternly and strictly charged and warned the disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. + From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death. + Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You! + But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men. + Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. + For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]. + For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] life [in the kingdom of God]? + For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory (majesty, splendor) of His Father with His angels, and then He will render account and reward every man in accordance with what he has done. + Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in (into) His kingdom. + + + AND SIX days after this, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. + And His appearance underwent a change in their presence; and His face shone clear and bright like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light. + And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, who kept talking with Him. + Then Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good and delightful that we are here; if You approve, I will put up three booths here--one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah. + While he was still speaking, behold, a shining cloud [composed of light] overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is My Son, My Beloved, with Whom I am [and have always been] delighted. Listen to Him! [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1.] + When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were seized with alarm and struck with fear. + But Jesus came and touched them and said, Get up, and do not be afraid. + And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. + And as they were going down the mountain, Jesus cautioned and commanded them, Do not mention to anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. + The disciples asked Him, Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? + He replied, Elijah does come and will get everything restored and ready. + But I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know or recognize him, but did to him as they liked. So also the Son of Man is going to be treated and suffer at their hands. + Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist. [Mal. 4:5.] + And when they approached the multitude, a man came up to Him, kneeling before Him and saying, + Lord, do pity and have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy (is moonstruck) and he suffers terribly; for frequently he falls into the fire and many times into the water. + And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to cure him. + And Jesus answered, O you unbelieving (warped, wayward, rebellious) and thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me. + And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. + Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked privately, Why could we not drive it out? + He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. + But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. + When they were going about here and there in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is going to be turned over into the hands of men. + And they will kill Him, and He will be raised [to life] again on the third day. And they were deeply and exceedingly grieved and distressed. + When they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the half shekel [the temple tax] went up to Peter and said, Does not your Teacher pay the half shekel? [Exod. 30:13; 38:26.] + He answered, Yes. And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him [about it] first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or tribute--from their own sons or from others not of their own family? + And when Peter said, From other people not of their own family, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are exempt. + However, in order not to give offense and cause them to stumble [that is, to cause them to judge unfavorably and unjustly] go down to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find there a shekel. Take it and give it to them to pay the temple tax for Me and for yourself. + + + AT THAT time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is [really] the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? + And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them, + And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. + Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. + And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me. + But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea. + Woe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the person on whose account or by whom the temptation comes! + And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. + And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell (Gehenna) of fire. + Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven. + For the Son of man came to save [from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost. + What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost? + And if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. + Just so it is not the will of My Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost and perish. + If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. + But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses. + If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. [Lev. 19:17; Deut. 19:15.] + Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. + Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. + For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them. [Exod. 3:14.] + Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times? + Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! [Gen. 4:24.] + Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants. + When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about$10,000,000], + And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made. + So the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything. + And his master's heart was moved with compassion, and he released him and forgave him [cancelling] the debt. + But that same attendant, as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii [about twenty dollars]; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe! + So his fellow attendant fell down and begged him earnestly, Give me time, and I will pay you all! + But he was unwilling, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt. + When his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master. + Then his master called him and said to him, You contemptible and wicked attendant! I forgave and cancelled all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me to. + And should you not have had pity and mercy on your fellow attendant, as I had pity and mercy on you? + And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed. + So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses. + + + NOW WHEN Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the part of Judea that is beyond the Jordan; + And great throngs accompanied Him, and He cured them there. + And Pharisees came to Him and put Him to the test by asking, Is it lawful and right to dismiss and repudiate and divorce one's wife for any and every cause? + He replied, Have you never read that He Who made them from the beginning made them male and female, + And said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be united firmly (joined inseparably) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? [Gen. 1:27; 2:24.] + So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (separate). + They said to Him, Why then did Moses command [us] to give a certificate of divorce and thus to dismiss and repudiate a wife? [Deut. 24:1-4.] + He said to them, Because of the hardness (stubbornness and perversity) of your hearts Moses permitted you to dismiss and repudiate and divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been so [ordained]. + I say to you: whoever dismisses (repudiates, divorces) his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. + The disciples said to Him, If the case of a man with his wife is like this, it is neither profitable nor advisable to marry. + But He said to them, Not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom [the capacity to receive] it has been given. + For there are eunuchs who have been born incapable of marriage; and there are eunuchs who have been made so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves incapable of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let him who is able to accept this accept it. + Then little children were brought to Jesus, that He might put His hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. + But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not forbid or restrain or hinder them, for of such [as these] is the kingdom of heaven composed. + And He put His hands upon them, and then went on His way. + And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent and perfectly and essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life? [Lev. 18:5.] + And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly and essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]--God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments. + He said to Him, What sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, [Exod. 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20.] + Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:39.] + The young man said, I have observed all these from my youth; what still do I lack? + Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. + But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions. + And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you, it will be difficult for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven. + Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven. + When the disciples heard this, they were utterly puzzled (astonished, bewildered), saying, Who then can be saved [from eternal death]? + But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God. [Gen. 18:14; Job 42:2.] + Then Peter answered Him, saying, Behold, we have left [our] all and have become Your disciples [sided with Your party and followed You]. What then shall we receive? + Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. + And anyone and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name's sake will receive many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life. + But many who [now] are first will be last [then], and many who [now] are last will be first [then]. + + + FOR THE kingdom of heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out in the morning along with the dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard. + After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. + And going out about the third hour (nine o'clock), he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; + And he said to them, You go also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will pay you. And they went. + He went out again about the sixth hour (noon), and the ninth hour (three o'clock) he did the same. + And about the eleventh hour (five o'clock) he went out and found still others standing around, and said to them, Why do you stand here idle all day? + They answered him, Because nobody has hired us. He told them, You go out into the vineyard also and you will get whatever is just and fair. + When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first. [Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15.] + And those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (five o'clock) came and received a denarius each. + Now when the first came, they supposed they would get more, but each of them also received a denarius. + And when they received it, they grumbled at the owner of the estate, + Saying, These [men] who came last worked no more than an hour, and yet you have made them rank with us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day. + But he answered one of them, Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? + Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this man hired last the same as I give to you. + Am I not permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? [Or do you begrudge my being generous?] Is your eye evil because I am good? + So those who [now] are last will be first [then], and those who [now] are first will be last [then]. For many are called, but few chosen. + And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside along the way and said to them, + Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes; and they will sentence Him to death + And deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and whipped and crucified, and He will be raised [to life] on the third day. + Then the mother of Zebedee's children came up to Him with her sons and, kneeling, worshiped Him and asked a favor of Him. + And He asked her, What do you wish? She answered Him, Give orders that these two sons of mine may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left in Your kingdom. + But Jesus replied, You do not realize what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They answered, We are able. + He said to them, You will drink My cup, but seats at My right hand and at My left are not Mine to give, but they are for those for whom they have been ordained and prepared by My Father. + But when the ten [other disciples] heard this, they were indignant at the two brothers. + And Jesus called them to Him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men hold them in subjection [tyrannizing over them]. + Not so shall it be among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, + And whoever desires to be first among you must be your slave-- + Just as the Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [the price paid to set them free]. + And as they were going out of Jericho, a great throng accompanied Him. + And behold, two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, Lord, have pity and mercy on us, [You] Son of David! + The crowds reproved them and told them to keep still; but they cried out all the more, Lord, have pity and mercy on us, [You] Son of David! + And Jesus stopped and called them, and asked, What do you want Me to do for you? + They answered Him, Lord, we want our eyes to be opened! + And Jesus, in pity, touched their eyes; and instantly they received their sight and followed Him. + + + AND WHEN they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead, + Saying to them, Go into the village that is opposite you, and at once you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie [them] and bring [them] to Me. + If anyone says anything to you, you shall reply, The Lord needs them, and he will let them go without delay. + This happened that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, + Say to the Daughter of Zion [inhabitants of Jerusalem], Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey [a beast of burden]. [Isa. 62:11; Zech. 9:9.] + Then the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. + They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their coats upon them, and He seated Himself on them [the clothing]. + And most of the crowd kept spreading their garments on the road, and others kept cutting branches from the trees and scattering them on the road. + And the crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed Him kept shouting, Hosanna (O be propitious, graciously inclined) to the Son of David, [the Messiah]! Blessed (praised, glorified) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (O be favorably disposed) in the highest [heaven]! [Ps. 118:26.] + And when He entered Jerusalem, all the city became agitated and [trembling with excitement] said, Who is This? + And the crowds replied, This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. + And Jesus went into the temple (whole temple enclosure) and drove out all who bought and sold in the sacred place, and He turned over the four-footed tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who sold doves. + He said to them, The Scripture says, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers. [Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11.] + And the blind and the lame came to Him in the porches and courts of the temple, and He cured them. + But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did and the boys and the girls and the youths and the maidens crying out in the porches and courts of the temple, Hosanna (O be propitious, graciously inclined) to the Son of David! they were indignant. + And they said to Him, Do You hear what these are saying? And Jesus replied to them, Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have made (provided) perfect praise? [Ps. 8:2.] + And leaving them, He departed from the city and went out to Bethany and lodged there. + In the early dawn the next morning, as He was coming back to the city, He was hungry. + And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it but He found nothing but leaves on it [seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once. + When the disciples saw it, they marveled greatly and asked, How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once? + And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. + And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive. + And when He entered the sacred enclosure of the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching and said, By what power of authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this power of authority? + Jesus answered them, I also will ask you a question, and if you give Me the answer, then I also will tell you by what power of authority I do these things. + The baptism of John--from where was it? From heaven or from men? And they reasoned and argued with one another, If we say, From heaven, He will ask us, Why then did you not believe him? + But if we say, From men--we are afraid of and must reckon with the multitude, for they all regard John as a prophet. + So they answered Jesus, We do not know. And He said to them, Neither will I tell you by what power of authority I do these things. + What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. + And he answered, I will not; but afterward he changed his mind and went. + Then the man came to the second and said the same [thing]. And he replied, I will [go], sir; but he did not go. + Which of the two did the will of the father? They replied, The first one. Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before you. + For John came to you walking in the way of an upright man in right standing with God, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots did believe him; and you, even when you saw that, did not afterward change your minds and believe him [adhere to, trust in, and rely on what he told you]. + Listen to another parable: There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it and dug a wine vat in it and built a watchtower. Then he let it out [for rent] to tenants and went into another country. + When the fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his [share of the] fruit. + But the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. + Again he sent other servants, more than the first time, and they treated them the same way. + Finally he sent his own son to them, saying, They will respect and give heed to my son. + But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, This is the heir; come on, let us kill him and have his inheritance. + And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. + Now when the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those tenants? + They said to Him, He will put those wretches to a miserable death and rent the vineyard to other tenants of such a character that they will give him the fruits promptly in their season. [Isa. 5:1-7.] + Jesus asked them, Have you never read in the Scriptures: The very Stone which the builders rejected and threw away has become the Cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? [Ps. 118:22, 23.] + I tell you, for this reason the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the fruits of it. + And whoever falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom It falls will be crushed to powder [and It will winnow him, scattering him like dust]. [Isa. 8:14; Dan. 2:34, 35.] + And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and explain), they perceived that He was talking about them. + And although they were trying to arrest Him, they feared the throngs because they regarded Him as a prophet. + + + AND AGAIN Jesus spoke to them in parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and explain), saying, + The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son + And sent his servants to summon those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they refused to come. + Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my banquet; my bullocks and my fat calves are killed, and everything is prepared; come to the wedding feast. + But they were not concerned and paid no attention [they ignored and made light of the summons, treating it with contempt] and they went away--one to his farm, another to his business, + While the others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and put them to death. + [Hearing this] the king was infuriated; and he sent his soldiers and put those murderers to death and burned their city. + Then he said to his servants, The wedding [feast] is prepared, but those invited were not worthy. + So go to the thoroughfares where they leave the city [where the main roads and those from the country end] and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. + And those servants went out on the crossroads and got together as many as they found, both bad and good, so [the room in which] the wedding feast [was held] was filled with guests. + But when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment. + And he said, Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the [appropriate] wedding garment? And he was speechless (muzzled, gagged). + Then the king said to the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. + For many are called (invited and summoned), but few are chosen. + Then the Pharisees went and consulted and plotted together how they might entangle Jesus in His talk. + And they sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that You are sincere and what You profess to be and that You teach the way of God truthfully, regardless of consequences and being afraid of no man; for You are impartial and do not regard either the person or the position of anyone. + Tell us then what You think about this: Is it lawful to pay tribute [levied on individuals and to be paid yearly] to Caesar or not? + But Jesus, aware of their malicious plot, asked, Why do you put Me to the test and try to entrap Me, you pretenders (hypocrites)? + Show me the money used for the tribute. And they brought Him a denarius. + And Jesus said to them, Whose likeness and title are these? + They said, Caesar's. Then He said to them, Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are due to Caesar, and pay to God the things that are due to God. + When they heard it they were amazed and marveled; and they left Him and departed. + The same day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and they asked Him a question, + Saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man dies, leaving no children, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother. [Deut. 25:5.] + Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died, and, having no children, left his wife to his brother. + The second also died childless, and the third, down to the seventh. + Last of all, the woman died also. + Now, in the resurrection, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her. + But Jesus replied to them, You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor God's power. + For in the resurrected state neither do [men] marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. + But as to the resurrection of the dead--have you never read what was said to you by God, + I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living! [Exod. 3:6.] + And when the throng heard it, they were astonished and filled with [glad] amazement at His teaching. + Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced (muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together. + And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. + Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light--which are heavy?] + And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). [Deut. 6:5.] + This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. + And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev. 19:18.] + These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets. + Now while the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus asked them a question, + Saying, What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, The Son of David. + He said to them, How is it then that David, under the influence of the [Holy] Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying, + The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet? [Ps. 110:1.] + If then David thus calls Him Lord, how is He his Son? + And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone venture or dare to question Him. + + + THEN JESUS said to the multitudes and to His disciples, + The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat [of authority]. + So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice. + They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear, and place them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them. + They do all their works to be seen of men; for they make wide their phylacteries (small cases enclosing certain Scripture passages, worn during prayer on the left arm and forehead) and make long their fringes [worn by all male Israelites, according to the command]. [Exod. 13:9; Num. 15:38; Deut. 6:8.] + And they take pleasure in and [thus] love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, + And to be greeted with honor in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. + But you are not to be called rabbi (teacher), for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. + And do not call anyone [in the church] on earth father, for you have one Father, Who is in heaven. + And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ. + He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. + Whoever exalts himself [with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be raised to honor. + But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are about to go in to do so. + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you swallow up widows' houses and for a pretense to cover it up make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation and the heavier sentence. + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are. + Woe to you, blind guides, who say, If anyone swears by the sanctuary of the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the sanctuary, he is a debtor [bound by his oath]. + You blind fools! For which is greater: the gold, or the sanctuary of the temple that has made the gold sacred? [Exod. 30:29.] + You say too, Whoever swears by the altar is not duty bound; but whoever swears by the offering on the altar, his oath is binding. + You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred? + So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. + And he who swears by the sanctuary of the temple swears by it and by Him Who dwells in it. [I Kings 8:13; Ps. 26:8.] + And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him Who sits upon it. + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law--right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others. + You blind guides, filtering out a gnat and gulping down a camel! [Lev. 27:30; Mic. 6:8.] + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. + You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also. + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything impure. + Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity. [Ps. 5:9.] + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, + Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets. + Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. + Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins to the brim [so that nothing may be wanting to a full measure]. + You serpents! You spawn of vipers! How can you escape the penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)? + Because of this, take notice: I am sending you prophets and wise men (interpreters and teachers) and scribes (men learned in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets); some of them you will kill, even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue and persecute from town to town, + So that upon your heads may come all the blood of the righteous (those who correspond to the divine standard of right) shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar [of burnt offering]. [Gen. 4:8; II Chron. 24:21.] + Truly I declare to you, all these [evil, calamitous times] will come upon this generation. [II Chron. 36:15, 16.] + O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a mother fowl gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! + Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (abandoned and left destitute of God's help). [I Kings 9:7; Jer. 22:5.] + For I declare to you, you will not see Me again until you say, Blessed (magnified in worship, adored, and exalted) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! [Ps. 118:26.] + + + JESUS DEPARTED from the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the buildings of the temple and point them out to Him. + But He answered them, Do you see all these? Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. + While He was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age? + Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. + For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray. + And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. + For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; + All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish]. + Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. + And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. + And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. + And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, + But he who endures to the end will be saved. + And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end. + So when you see the appalling sacrilege [the abomination that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place--let the reader take notice and ponder and consider and heed [this]--[Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.] + Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; + Let him who is on the housetop not come down and go into the house to take anything; + And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his overcoat. + And alas for the women who are pregnant and for those who have nursing babies in those days! + Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. + For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now--no, and never will be [again]. [Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:2.] + And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would endure and survive, but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened. + If anyone says to you then, Behold, here is the Christ (the Messiah)! or, There He is!--do not believe it. + For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones). + See, I have warned you beforehand. + So if they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness (desert)--do not go out there; if they tell you, Behold, He is in the secret places or inner rooms--do not believe it. + For just as the lightning flashes from the east and shines and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. + Wherever there is a fallen body (a corpse), there the vultures (or eagles) will flock together. [Job 39:30.] + Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10, 11; Zeph. 1:15.] + Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and beat their breasts and lament in anguish, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliancy and splendor]. [Dan. 7:13; Rev. 1:7.] + And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect (His chosen ones) from the four winds, [even] from one end of the universe to the other. [Isa. 27:13; Zech. 9:14.] + From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its young shoots become soft and tender and it puts out its leaves, you know of a surety that summer is near. + So also when you see these signs, all taken together, coming to pass, you may know of a surety that He is near, at the very doors. + Truly I tell you, this generation (the whole multitude of people living at the same time, in a definite, given period) will not pass away till all these things taken together take place. + Sky and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. + But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. + As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. + For just as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, [men] marrying and [women] being given in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah went into the ark, + And they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away--so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [Gen. 6:5-8; 7:6-24.] + At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. + Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken and one will be left. + Watch therefore [give strict attention, be cautious and active], for you do not know in what kind of a day [whether a near or remote one] your Lord is coming. + But understand this: had the householder known in what [part of the night, whether in a night or a morning] watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be undermined and broken into. + You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him. + Who then is the faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food and supplies at the proper time? + Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing. + I solemnly declare to you, he will set him over all his possessions. + But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is delayed and is going to be gone a long time, + And begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken, + The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware, + And will punish him [cut him up by scourging] and put him with the pretenders (hypocrites); there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. + + + THEN THE kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. + Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). + For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them; + But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps. + While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep. + But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him! + Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. + And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. + But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. + But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. + Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us! + But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you]. + Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. + For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property. + To one he gave five talents [probably about$5,000], to another two, to another one--to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country. + He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more. + And likewise he who had received the two talents--he also gained two talents more. + But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. + Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. + And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more. + His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. + And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more. + His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. + He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. + So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own. + But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? + Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. + So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. + For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. + And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. + When the Son of Man comes in His glory (His majesty and splendor), and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. + All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them [the people] from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; [Ezek. 34:17.] + And He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left. + Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. + For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, + I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. [Isa. 58:7.] + Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? + And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You? + And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? + And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me. [Prov. 19:17.] + Then He will say to those at His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! + For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, + I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care. + Then they also [in their turn] will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? + And He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least [in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me. [Prov. 14:31; 17:5.] + Then they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal life. [Dan. 12:2.] + + + WHEN JESUS had ended this discourse, He said to His disciples, + You know that the Passover is in two days--and the Son of Man will be delivered up treacherously to be crucified. + Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the [open] court of the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, + And consulted together in order to arrest Jesus by stratagem secretly and put Him to death. + But they said, It must not be during the Feast, for fear that there will be a riot among the people. + Now when Jesus came back to Bethany and was in the house of Simon the leper, + A woman came up to Him with an alabaster flask of very precious perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at table. + And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, For what purpose is all this waste? + For this perfume might have been sold for a large sum and the money given to the poor. + But Jesus, fully aware of this, said to them, Why do you bother the woman? She has done a noble (praiseworthy and beautiful) thing to Me. + For you always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me. [Deut. 15:11.] + In pouring this perfume on My body she has done something to prepare Me for My burial. + Truly I tell you, wherever this good news (the Gospel) is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told also, in memory of her. + Then one of the Twelve [apostles], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests + And said, What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? And they weighed out for and paid to him thirty pieces of silver [about twenty-one dollars and sixty cents]. [Exod. 21:32; Zech. 11:12.] + And from that moment he sought a fitting opportunity to betray Him. + Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread [Passover week], the disciples came to Jesus and said to Him, Where do You wish us to prepare for You to eat the Passover supper? + He said, Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, The Master says: My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples. + And accordingly the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they made ready the Passover supper. [Deut. 16:5-8.] + When it was evening, He was reclining at table with the twelve disciples. + And as they were eating, He said, Solemnly I say to you, one of you will betray Me! + They were exceedingly pained and distressed and deeply hurt and sorrowful and began to say to Him one after another, Surely it cannot be I, Lord, can it? + He replied, He who has [just] dipped his hand in the same dish with Me will betray Me! + The Son of Man is going just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better (more profitable and wholesome) for that man if he had never been born! [Ps. 41:9.] + Judas, the betrayer, said, Surely it is not I, is it, Master? He said to him, You have stated [the fact]. + Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread and, praising God, gave thanks and asked Him to bless it to their use, and when He had broken it, He gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body. + And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you; + For this is My blood of the new covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. [Exod. 24:6-8.] + I say to you, I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it with you new and of superior quality in My Father's kingdom. + And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. + Then Jesus said to them, You will all be offended and stumble and fall away because of Me this night [distrusting and deserting Me], for it is written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. [Zech. 13:7.] + But after I am raised up [to life again], I will go ahead of you to Galilee. + Peter declared to Him, Though they all are offended and stumble and fall away because of You [and distrust and desert You], I will never do so. + Jesus said to him, Solemnly I declare to you, this very night, before a single rooster crows, you will deny and disown Me three times. + Peter said to Him, Even if I must die with You, I will not deny or disown You! And all the disciples said the same thing. + Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told His disciples, Sit down here while I go over yonder and pray. + And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed. + Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me. + And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire. + And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, What! Are you so utterly unable to stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? + All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. + Again a second time He went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, Your will be done. + And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were weighed down with sleep. + So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, using the same words. + Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of especially wicked sinners [whose way or nature it is to act in opposition to God]. + Get up, let us be going! See, My betrayer is at hand! + As He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve [apostles], came up, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. + Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, The One I shall kiss is the Man; seize Him. + And he came up to Jesus at once and said, Hail (greetings, good health to You, long life to You), Master! And he embraced Him and kissed Him with [pretended] warmth and devotion. + Jesus said to him, Friend, for what are you here? Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him. + And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword and, striking the body servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. + Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. [Gen. 9:6.] + Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide Me with more than twelve legions [more than 80,000] of angels? + But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must come about this way? + At that moment Jesus said to the crowds, Have you come out with swords and clubs as [you would] against a robber to capture Me? Day after day I was accustomed to sit in the porches and courts of the temple teaching, and you did not arrest Me. + But all this has taken place in order that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted Him and, fleeing, escaped. + But those who had seized Jesus took Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled. + But Peter followed Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest's home; he even went inside and sat with the guards to see the end. + Now the chief priests and the whole council (the Sanhedrin) sought to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death; + But they found none, though many witnesses came forward [to testify]. At last two men came forward + And testified, This Fellow said, I am able to tear down the sanctuary of the temple of God and to build it up again in three days. + And the high priest stood up and said, Have You no answer to make? What about this that these men testify against You? + But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, I call upon you to swear by the living God, and tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God. + Jesus said to him, You have stated [the fact]. More than that, I tell you: You will in the future see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of the sky. [Ps. 110:1; Dan. 7:13.] + Then the high priest tore his clothes and exclaimed, He has uttered blasphemy! What need have we of further evidence? You have now heard His blasphemy. [Lev. 24:16; Num. 14:6.] + What do you think now? They answered, He deserves to be put to death. + Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face, [Isa. 50:6.] + Saying, Prophesy to us, You Christ (the Messiah)! Who was it that struck You? + Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and one maid came up to him and said, You were also with Jesus the Galilean! + But he denied it falsely before them all, saying, I do not know what you mean. + And when he had gone out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders, This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene! + And again he denied it and disowned Him with an oath, saying, I do not know the Man! + After a little while, the bystanders came up and said to Peter, You certainly are one of them too, for even your accent betrays you. + Then Peter began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not even know the Man! And at that moment a rooster crowed. + And Peter remembered Jesus' words, when He had said, Before a single rooster crows, you will deny and disown Me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly. + + + WHEN IT was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people held a consultation against Jesus to put Him to death; + And they bound Him and led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate the governor. + When Judas, His betrayer, saw that [Jesus] was condemned, [Judas was afflicted in mind and troubled for his former folly; and] with remorse [with little more than a selfish dread of the consequences] he brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [Exod. 21:32.] + Saying, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. They replied, What is that to us? See to that yourself. + And casting the pieces of silver [forward] into the [Holy Place of the sanctuary of the] temple, he departed; and he went off and hanged himself. + But the chief priests, picking up the pieces of silver, said, It is not legal to put these in the [consecrated] treasury, for it is the price of blood. + So after consultation they bought with them [the pieces of silver] the potter's field [as a place] in which to bury strangers. + Therefore that piece of ground has been called the Field of Blood to the present day. + Then were fulfilled the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet when he said, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him on Whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, [Zech. 11:12, 13.] + And they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me. + Now Jesus stood before the governor [Pilate], and the governor asked Him, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him, You have stated [the fact]. + But when the charges were made against Him by the chief priests and elders, He made no answer. [Isa. 53:7.] + Then Pilate said to Him, Do You not hear how many and how serious are the things they are testifying against You? + But He made no reply to him, not even to a single accusation, so that the governor marveled greatly. + Now at the Feast [of the Passover] the governor was in the habit of setting free for the people any one prisoner whom they chose. + And at that time they had a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. + So when they had assembled for this purpose, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to set free for you, Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ? + For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over to him. + Also, while he was seated on the judgment bench, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that just and upright Man, for I have had a painful experience today in a dream because of Him. + But the chief priests and the elders prevailed on the people to ask for Barabbas, and put Jesus to death. + Again the governor said to them, Which of the two do you wish me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas! + Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ? + They all replied, Let Him be crucified! And he said, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted all the louder, Let Him be crucified! + So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was about to break out, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, I am not guilty of nor responsible for this righteous Man's blood; see to it yourselves. [Deut. 21:6-9; Ps. 26:6.] + And all the people answered, Let His blood be on us and on our children! [Josh. 2:19.] + So he set free for them Barabbas; and he [had] Jesus whipped, and delivered Him up to be crucified. + Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace, and they gathered the whole battalion about Him. + And they stripped off His clothes and put a scarlet robe (garment of dignity and office worn by Roman officers of rank) upon Him, + And, weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed (staff) in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they made sport of Him, saying, Hail (greetings, good health to You, long life to You), King of the Jews! + And they spat on Him, and took the reed (staff) and struck Him on the head. + And when they finished making sport of Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own garments on Him and led Him away to be crucified. + As they were marching forth, they came upon a man of Cyrene named Simon; this man they forced to carry the cross of Jesus. + And when they came to a place called Golgotha [Latin: Calvary], which means The Place of a Skull, + They offered Him wine mingled with gall to drink; but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it. + And when they had crucified Him, they divided and distributed His garments [among them] by casting lots so that the prophet's saying was fulfilled, They parted My garments among them and over My apparel they cast lots. [Ps. 22:18.] + Then they sat down there and kept watch over Him. + And over His head they put the accusation against Him (the cause of His death), which read, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. + At the same time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right hand and one on the left. + And those who passed by spoke reproachfully and abusively and jeered at Him, wagging their heads, [Ps. 22:7, 8; 109:25.] + And they said, You Who would tear down the sanctuary of the temple and rebuild it in three days, rescue Yourself from death. If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. + In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, made sport of Him, saying, + He rescued others from death; Himself He cannot rescue from death. He is the King of Israel? Let Him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Him. + He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now if He cares for Him and will have Him, for He said, I am the Son of God. + And the robbers who were crucified with Him also abused and reproached and made sport of Him in the same way. + Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (three o'clock). + And about the ninth hour (three o'clock) Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?--that is, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me [leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need]? [Ps. 22:1.] + And some of the bystanders, when they heard it, said, This Man is calling for Elijah! + And one of them immediately ran and took a sponge, soaked it with vinegar (a sour wine), and put it on a reed (staff), and was about to give it to Him to drink. [Ps. 69:21.] + But the others said, Wait! Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him from death. + And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. + And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split. [Exod. 26:31-35.] + The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised [to life]; + And coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. + When the centurion and those who were with him keeping watch over Jesus observed the earthquake and all that was happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, Truly this was God's Son! + There were also numerous women there, looking on from a distance, who were of those who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him. + Among them were Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. + When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. + He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. + And Joseph took the body and rolled it up in a clean linen cloth used for swathing dead bodies + And laid it in his own fresh (undefiled) tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a big boulder over the door of the tomb and went away. + And Mary of Magdala and the other Mary kept sitting there opposite the tomb. + The next day, that is, the day after the day of Preparation [for the Sabbath], the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate + And said, Sir, we have just remembered how that vagabond Imposter said while He was still alive, After three days I will rise again. + Therefore give an order to have the tomb made secure and safeguarded until the third day, for fear that His disciples will come and steal Him away and tell the people that He has risen from the dead, and the last deception and fraud will be worse than the first. + Pilate said to them, You have a guard [of soldiers; take them and] go, make it as secure as you can. + So they went off and made the tomb secure by sealing the boulder, a guard of soldiers being with them and remaining to watch. + + + NOW AFTER the Sabbath, near dawn of the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to take a look at the tomb. + And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled the boulder back and sat upon it. + His appearance was like lightning, and his garments as white as snow. + And those keeping guard were so frightened at the sight of him that they were agitated and they trembled and became like dead men. + But the angel said to the women, Do not be alarmed and frightened, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, Who was crucified. + He is not here; He has risen, as He said [He would do]. Come, see the place where He lay. + Then go quickly and tell His disciples, He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you. + So they left the tomb hastily with fear and great joy and ran to tell the disciples. + And as they went, behold, Jesus met them and said, Hail (greetings)! And they went up to Him and clasped His feet and worshiped Him. + Then Jesus said to them, Do not be alarmed and afraid; go and tell My brethren to go into Galilee, and there they will see Me. + While they were on their way, behold, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had occurred. + And when they [the chief priests] had gathered with the elders and had consulted together, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers, + And said, Tell people, His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping. + And if the governor hears of it, we will appease him and make you safe and free from trouble and care. + So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this story has been current among the Jews to the present day. + Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed and made appointment with them. + And when they saw Him, they fell down and worshiped Him; but some doubted. + Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. + Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, + Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be). + + + + + THE BEGINNING [of the facts] of the good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. + Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will make ready Your way--[Mal. 3:1.] + A voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (level and passable)! [Isa. 40:3.] + John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness (desert), preaching a baptism [obligating] repentance (a change of one's mind for the better, heartily amending one's ways, with abhorrence of his past sins) in order to obtain forgiveness of and release from sins. + And there kept going out to him [continuously] all the country of Judea and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, as they were confessing their sins. + And John wore clothing woven of camel's hair and had a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey. + And he preached, saying, After me comes He Who is stronger (more powerful and more valiant) than I, the strap of Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to stoop down and unloose. + I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. + In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. + And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him. [John 1:32.] + And there came a voice out from within heaven, You are My Beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1.] + Immediately the [Holy] Spirit [from within] drove Him out into the wilderness (desert), + And He stayed in the wilderness (desert) forty days, being tempted [all the while] by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him [continually]. + Now after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God, + And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel). + And passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net [to and fro] in the sea, for they were fishermen. + And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and be My disciples, and I will make you to become fishers of men. + And at once they left their nets and [yielding up all claim to them] followed [with] Him [joining Him as disciples and siding with His party]. + He went on a little farther and saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were in [their] boat putting their nets in order. + And immediately He called out to them, and [abandoning all mutual claims] they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after Him [to be His disciples, side with His party, and follow Him]. + And they entered into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He went into the synagogue and began to teach. + And they were completely astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching as One Who possessed authority, and not as the scribes. + Just at that time there was in their synagogue a man [who was in the power] of an unclean spirit; and now [immediately] he raised a deep and terrible cry from the depths of his throat, saying, + What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God! + And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hush up (be muzzled, gagged), and come out of him! + And the unclean spirit, throwing the man into convulsions and screeching with a loud voice, came out of him. + And they were all so amazed and almost terrified that they kept questioning and demanding one of another, saying, What is this? What new (fresh) teaching! With authority He gives orders even to the unclean spirits and they obey Him! + And immediately rumors concerning Him spread [everywhere] throughout all the region surrounding Galilee. + And at once He left the synagogue and went into the house of Simon [Peter] and Andrew, accompanied by James and John. + Now Simon's mother-in-law had for some time been lying sick with a fever, and at once they told Him about her. + And He went up to her and took her by the hand and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she began to wait on them. + Now when it was evening, after the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those under the power of demons, + Until the whole town was gathered together about the door. + And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him [intuitively]. + And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. + And Simon [Peter] and those who were with him followed Him [pursuing Him eagerly and hunting Him out], + And they found Him and said to Him, Everybody is looking for You. + And He said to them, Let us be going on into the neighboring country towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out. + [So] He went throughout the whole of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. + And a leper came to Him, begging Him on his knees and saying to Him, If You are willing, You are able to make me clean. + And being moved with pity and sympathy, Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be made clean! + And at once the leprosy [completely] left him and he was made clean [by being healed]. + And Jesus charged him sternly (sharply and threateningly, and with earnest admonition) and [acting with deep feeling thrust him forth and] sent him away at once, + And said to him, See that you tell nothing [of this] to anyone; but begone, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your purification what Moses commanded, as a proof (an evidence and witness) to the people [that you are really healed]. [Lev. 13:49; 14:2-32.] + But he went out and began to talk so freely about it and blaze abroad the news [spreading it everywhere] that [Jesus] could no longer openly go into a town but was outside in [lonely] desert places. But the people kept on coming to Him from all sides and every quarter. + + + AND JESUS having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house [probably Peter's]. + And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door; and He was discussing the Word. + Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men. + And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the [thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay. + And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God]. + Now some of the scribes were sitting there, holding a dialogue with themselves as they questioned in their hearts, + Why does this Man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins [remove guilt, remit the penalty, and bestow righteousness instead] except God alone? + And at once Jesus, becoming fully aware in His spirit that they thus debated within themselves, said to them, Why do you argue (debate, reason) about all this in your hearts? + Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven and put away, or to say, Rise, take up your sleeping pad or mat, and start walking about [and keep on walking]? + But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins--He said to the paralyzed man, + I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home. + And he arose at once and picked up the sleeping pad or mat and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and recognized and praised and thanked God, saying, We have never seen anything like this before! + [Jesus] went out again along the seashore; and all the multitude kept gathering about Him, and He kept teaching them. + And as He was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me! [Be joined to Me as a disciple, side with My party!] And he arose and joined Him as His disciple and sided with His party and accompanied Him. + And as Jesus, together with His disciples, sat at table in his [Levi's] house, many tax collectors and persons [definitely stained] with sin were dining with Him, for there were many who walked the same road (followed) with Him. + And the scribes [belonging to the party] of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with [those definitely known to be especially wicked] sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and [notorious] sinners? + And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin). + Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were observing a fast; and [some people] came and asked Jesus, Why are John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so? + Jesus answered them, Can the wedding guests fast (abstain from food and drink) while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. + But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they will fast in that day. + No one sews a patch of unshrunken (new) goods on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and the rent (tear) becomes bigger and worse [than it was before]. + And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the bottles destroyed; but new wine is to be put in new (fresh) wineskins. + One Sabbath He was going along beside the fields of standing grain, and as they made their way, His disciples began to pick off the grains. [Deut. 23:25.] + And the Pharisees said to Him, Look! Why are they doing what is not permitted or lawful on the Sabbath? + And He said to them, Have you never [even] read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were accompanying him?-- + How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was the high priest, and ate the sacred loaves set forth [before God], which it is not permitted or lawful for any but the priests to eat, and [how he] also gave [them] to those who were with him? [I Sam. 21:1-6; II Sam. 8:17.] + And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath; [Exod. 23:12; Deut. 5:14.] + So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. + + + AGAIN JESUS went into a synagogue, and a man was there who had one withered hand [as the result of accident or disease]. + And [the Pharisees] kept watching Jesus [closely] to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might get a charge to bring against Him [formally]. + And He said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up [and stand here] in the midst. + And He said to them, Is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to take it? But they kept silence. + And He glanced around at them with vexation and anger, grieved at the hardening of their hearts, and said to the man, Hold out your hand. He held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored. + Then the Pharisees went out and immediately held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, how they might [devise some means to] put Him to death. + And Jesus retired with His disciples to the lake, and a great throng from Galilee followed Him. Also from Judea + And from Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon--a vast multitude, hearing all the many things that He was doing, came to Him. + And He told His disciples to have a little boat in [constant] readiness for Him because of the crowd, lest they press hard upon Him and crush Him. + For He had healed so many that all who had distressing bodily diseases kept falling upon Him and pressing upon Him in order that they might touch Him. + And the spirits, the unclean ones, as often as they might see Him, fell down before Him and kept screaming out, You are the Son of God! + And He charged them strictly and severely under penalty again and again that they should not make Him known. + And He went up on the hillside and called to Him [for Himself] those whom He wanted and chose, and they came to Him. + And He appointed twelve to continue to be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach [as apostles or special messengers] + And to have authority and power to heal the sick and to drive out demons: + [They were] Simon, and He surnamed [him] Peter; + James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, and He surnamed them Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder; + And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew (Nathaniel), and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot), and Simon the Cananaean [also called Zelotes], + And Judas Iscariot, he who betrayed Him. + Then He went to a house [probably Peter's], but a throng came together again, so that Jesus and His disciples could not even take food. + And when those who belonged to Him (His kinsmen) heard it, they went out to take Him by force, for they kept saying, He is out of His mind (beside Himself, deranged)! + And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He is possessed by Beelzebub, and, By [the help of] the prince of demons He is casting out demons. + And He summoned them to Him and said to them in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), How can Satan drive out Satan? + And if a kingdom is divided and rebelling against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. + And if a house is divided (split into factions and rebelling) against itself, that house will not be able to last. + And if Satan has raised an insurrection against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is [surely] coming to an end. + But no one can go into a strong man's house and ransack his household goods right and left and seize them as plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may [thoroughly] plunder his house. [Isa. 49:24, 25.] + Truly and solemnly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever abusive and blasphemous things they utter; + But whoever speaks abusively against or maliciously misrepresents the Holy Spirit can never get forgiveness, but is guilty of and is in the grasp of an everlasting trespass. + For they persisted in saying, He has an unclean spirit. + Then His mother and His brothers came and, standing outside, they sent word to Him, calling [for] Him. + And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters are outside asking for You. + And He replied, Who are My mother and My brothers? + And looking around on those who sat in a circle about Him, He said, See! Here are My mother and My brothers; + For whoever does the things God wills is My brother and sister and mother! + + + AGAIN JESUS began to teach beside the lake. And a very great crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a ship in order to sit in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the lakeside on the shore. + And He taught them many things in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), and in His teaching He said to them: + Give attention to this! Behold, a sower went out to sow. + And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. + Other seed [of the same kind] fell on ground full of rocks, where it had not much soil; and at once it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil; + And when the sun came up, it was scorched, and because it had not taken root, it withered away. + Other seed [of the same kind] fell among thorn plants, and the thistles grew and pressed together and utterly choked and suffocated it, and it yielded no grain. + And other seed [of the same kind] fell into good (well-adapted) soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing, and yielded up to thirty times as much, and sixty times as much, and even a hundred times as much as had been sown. + And He said, He who has ears to hear, let him be hearing [and let him consider, and comprehend]. + And as soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, with the Twelve [apostles], began to ask Him about the parables. + And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [of our circle] everything becomes a parable, + In order that they may [indeed] look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend, lest haply they should turn again, and it [their willful rejection of the truth] should be forgiven them. [Isa. 6:9, 10; Matt. 13:13-15.] + And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables? + The sower sows the Word. + The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them. + And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy; + And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away. + And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; + Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless. + And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit--some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much. + And He said to them, Is the lamp brought in to be put under a peck measure or under a bed, and not [to be put] on the lampstand? + [Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known. + If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. + And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you--and more [besides] will be given to you who hear. + For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away [by force], + And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, + And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases--he knows not how. + The earth produces [acting] by itself--first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. + But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready. + And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it? + It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth; + Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade. + With many such parables [Jesus] spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear and to comprehend and understand. + He did not tell them anything without a parable; but privately to His disciples (those who were peculiarly His own) He explained everything [fully]. + On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake]. + And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him. + And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. + But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? + And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). + He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)? + And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him? + + + THEY CAME to the other side of the sea to the region of the Gerasenes. + And as soon as He got out of the boat, there met Him out of the tombs a man [under the power] of an unclean spirit. + This man continually lived among the tombs, and no one could subdue him any more, even with a chain; + For he had been bound often with shackles for the feet and handcuffs, but the handcuffs of [light] chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he rubbed and ground together and broke in pieces; and no one had strength enough to restrain or tame him. + Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always shrieking and screaming and beating and bruising and cutting himself with stones. + And when from a distance he saw Jesus, he ran and fell on his knees before Him in homage, + And crying out with a loud voice, he said, What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? [What is there in common between us?] I solemnly implore you by God, do not begin to torment me! + For Jesus was commanding, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit! + And He asked him, What is your name? He replied, My name is Legion, for we are many. + And he kept begging Him urgently not to send them [himself and the other demons] away out of that region. + Now a great herd of hogs was grazing there on the hillside. + And the demons begged Him, saying, Send us to the hogs, that we may go into them! + So He gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out [of the man] and entered into the hogs; and the herd, numbering about 2,000, rushed headlong down the steep slope into the sea and were drowned in the sea. + The hog feeders ran away, and told [it] in the town and in the country. And [the people] came to see what it was that had taken place. + And they came to Jesus and looked intently and searchingly at the man who had been a demoniac, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, [the same man] who had had the legion [of demons]; and they were seized with alarm and struck with fear. + And those who had seen it related in full what had happened to the man possessed by demons and to the hogs. + And they began to beg [Jesus] to leave their neighborhood. + And when He had stepped into the boat, the man who had been controlled by the unclean spirits kept begging Him that he might be with Him. + But Jesus refused to permit him, but said to him, Go home to your own [family and relatives and friends] and bring back word to them of how much the Lord has done for you, and [how He has] had sympathy for you and mercy on you. + And he departed and began to publicly proclaim in Decapolis [the region of the ten cities] how much Jesus had done for him, and all the people were astonished and marveled. [Matt. 4:25.] + And when Jesus had recrossed in the boat to the other side, a great throng gathered about Him, and He was at the lakeshore. + Then one of the rulers of the synagogue came up, Jairus by name; and seeing Him, he prostrated himself at His feet + And begged Him earnestly, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may be healed and live. + And Jesus went with him; and a great crowd kept following Him and pressed Him from all sides [so as almost to suffocate Him]. + And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, + And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. + She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, + For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. + And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. + And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes? + And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? + Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. + But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. + And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease. + While He was still speaking, there came some from the ruler's house, who said [to Jairus], Your daughter has died. Why bother and distress the Teacher any further? + Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing. + And He permitted no one to accompany Him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. + When they arrived at the house of the ruler of the synagogue, He looked [carefully and with understanding] at [the] tumult and the people weeping and wailing loudly. + And when He had gone in, He said to them, Why do you make an uproar and weep? The little girl is not dead but is sleeping. + And they laughed and jeered at Him. But He put them all out, and, taking the child's father and mother and those who were with Him, He went in where the little girl was lying. + Gripping her [firmly] by the hand, He said to her, Talitha cumi--which translated is, Little girl, I say to you, arise [from the sleep of death]! + And instantly the girl got up and started walking around--for she was twelve years old. And they were utterly astonished and overcome with amazement. + And He strictly commanded and warned them that no one should know this, and He [expressly] told them to give her [something] to eat. + + + JESUS WENT away from there and came to His [own] country and hometown [Nazareth], and His disciples followed [with] Him. + And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were utterly astonished, saying, Where did this Man acquire all this? What is the wisdom [the broad and full intelligence which has been] given to Him? What mighty works and exhibitions of power are wrought by His hands! + Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here among us? And they took offense at Him and were hurt [that is, they disapproved of Him, and it hindered them from acknowledging His authority] and they were caused to stumble and fall. + But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor (deference, reverence) except in his [own] country and among [his] relatives and in his [own] house. + And He was not able to do even one work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sickly people [and] cured them. + And He marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in Him). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching. + And He called to Him the Twelve [apostles] and began to send them out [as His ambassadors] two by two and gave them authority and power over the unclean spirits. + He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick--no bread, no wallet for a collection bag, no money in their belts (girdles, purses)-- + But to go with sandals on their feet and not to put on two tunics (undergarments). + And He told them, Wherever you go into a house, stay there until you leave that place. + And if any community will not receive and accept and welcome you, and they refuse to listen to you, when you depart, shake off the dust that is on your feet, for a testimony against them. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment day than for that town. + So they went out and preached that men should repent [that they should change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins]. + And they drove out many unclean spirits and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. + King Herod heard of it, for [Jesus'] name had become well known. He and they [of his court] said, John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why these mighty powers [of performing miracles] are at work in Him. + [But] others kept saying, It is Elijah! And others said, It is a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old]. + But when Herod heard [of it], he said, [This very] John, whom I beheaded, has been raised [from the dead]. + For [this] Herod himself had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he [Herod] had married her. + For John had told Herod, It is not lawful and you have no right to have your brother's wife. + And Herodias was angry (enraged) with him and held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him; but she could not, + For Herod had [a reverential] fear of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and [continually] kept him safe [under guard]. When he heard [John speak], he was much perplexed; and [yet] he heard him gladly. + But an opportune time came [for Herodias] when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and the high military commanders and chief men of Galilee. + For when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased and fascinated Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, Ask me for whatever you desire, and I will give it to you. + And he put himself under oath to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give it to you, even to the half of my kingdom. [Esth. 5:3, 6.] + Then she left the room and said to her mother, What shall I ask for [myself]? And she replied, The head of John the Baptist! + And she rushed back instantly to the king and requested, saying, I wish you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter. + And the king was deeply pained and grieved and exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to slight her [by breaking faith with her]. + And immediately the king sent off one [of the soldiers] of his bodyguard and gave him orders to bring [John's] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison + And brought his head on a platter and handed it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. + When his disciples learned of it, they came and took [John's] body and laid it in a tomb. + The apostles [sent out as missionaries] came back and gathered together to Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and taught. + And He said to them, [As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while--for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat. + And they went away in a boat to a solitary place by themselves. + Now many [people] saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the surrounding towns, and they got there ahead [of those in the boat]. + As Jesus landed, He saw a great crowd waiting, and He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. + And when the day was already far gone, His disciples came to Him and said, This is a desolate and isolated place, and the hour is now late. + Send the crowds away to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat. + But He replied to them, Give them something to eat yourselves. And they said to Him, Shall we go and buy 200 denarii [about forty dollars] worth of bread and give it to them to eat? [II Kings 4:42-44.] + And He said to them, How many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they [had looked and] knew, they said, Five [loaves] and two fish. + Then He commanded the people all to recline on the green grass by companies. + So they threw themselves down in ranks of hundreds and fifties [with the regularity of an arrangement of beds of herbs, looking like so many garden plots]. + And taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and, praising God, gave thanks and broke the loaves and kept on giving them to the disciples to set before the people; and He [also] divided the two fish among [them] all. + And they all ate and were satisfied. + And they took up twelve [small hand] baskets full of broken pieces [from the loaves] and of the fish. + And those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men. + And at once He insisted that the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He was sending the throng away. + And after He had taken leave of them, He went off into the hills to pray. + Now when evening had come, the boat was out in the middle of the lake, and He was by Himself on the land. + And having seen that they were troubled and tormented in [their] rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.] He came to them, walking [directly] on the sea. And He acted as if He meant to pass by them, + But when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and raised a [deep, throaty] shriek of terror. + For they all saw Him and were agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread). But immediately He talked with them and said, Take heart! I AM! Stop being alarmed and afraid. [Exod. 3:14.] + And He went up into the boat with them, and the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its own beating). And they were astonished exceedingly [beyond measure], + For they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]. + And when they had crossed over, they reached the land of Gennesaret and came to [anchor at] the shore. + As soon as they got out of the boat, [the people] recognized Him, + And they ran about the whole countryside, and began to carry around sick people on their sleeping pads or mats to any place where they heard that He was. + And wherever He came into villages or cities or the country, they would lay the sick in the marketplaces and beg Him that they might touch even the fringe of His outer garment, and as many as touched Him were restored to health. + + + NOW THERE gathered together to [Jesus] the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, + For they had seen that some of His disciples ate with common hands, that is, unwashed [with hands defiled and unhallowed, because they had not given them a ceremonial washing]-- + For the Pharisees and all of the Jews do not eat unless [merely for ceremonial reasons] they wash their hands [diligently up to the elbow] with clenched fist, adhering [carefully and faithfully] to the tradition of [practices and customs handed down to them by] their forefathers [to be observed]. + And [when they come] from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions [oral, man-made laws handed down to them, which they observe faithfully and diligently, such as], the washing of cups and wooden pitchers and widemouthed jugs and utensils of copper and beds-- + And the Pharisees and scribes kept asking [Jesus], Why do Your disciples not order their way of living according to the tradition handed down by the forefathers [to be observed], but eat with hands unwashed and ceremonially not purified? + But He said to them, Excellently and truly [so that there will be no room for blame] did Isaiah prophesy of you, the pretenders and hypocrites, as it stands written: These people [constantly] honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far distant from Me. + In vain (fruitlessly and without profit) do they worship Me, ordering and teaching [to be obeyed] as doctrines the commandments and precepts of men. [Isa. 29:13.] + You disregard and give up and ask to depart from you the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men [keeping it carefully and faithfully]. + And He said to them, You have a fine way of rejecting [thus thwarting and nullifying and doing away with] the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition (your own human regulations)! + For Moses said, Honor (revere with tenderness of feeling and deference) your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely die. [Exod. 20:12; 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 5:16.] + But [as for you] you say, A man is exempt if he tells [his] father or [his] mother, What you would otherwise have gained from me [everything I have that would have been of use to you] is Corban, that is, is a gift [already given as an offering to God], + Then you no longer are permitting him to do anything for [his] father or mother [but are letting him off from helping them]. + Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing. + And He called the people to [Him] again and said to them, Listen to Me, all of you, and understand [what I say]. + There is not [even] one thing outside a man which by going into him can pollute and defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him and make him unhallowed and unclean. + If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening [and let him perceive and comprehend by hearing]. + And when He had left the crowd and had gone into the house, His disciples began asking Him about the parable. + And He said to them, Then are you also unintelligent and dull and without understanding? Do you not discern and see that whatever goes into a man from the outside cannot make him unhallowed or unclean, + Since it does not reach and enter his heart but [only his] digestive tract, and so passes on [into the place designed to receive waste]? Thus He was making and declaring all foods [ceremonially] clean [that is, abolishing the ceremonial distinctions of the Levitical Law]. + And He said, What comes out of a man is what makes a man unclean and renders [him] unhallowed. + For from within, [that is] out of the hearts of men, come base and wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, + Coveting (a greedy desire to have more wealth), dangerous and destructive wickedness, deceit; unrestrained (indecent) conduct; an evil eye (envy), slander (evil speaking, malicious misrepresentation, abusiveness), pride (the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man), foolishness (folly, lack of sense, recklessness, thoughtlessness). + All these evil [purposes and desires] come from within, and they make the man unclean and render him unhallowed. + And Jesus arose and went away from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He went into a house and did not want anyone to know [that He was there]; but it was not possible for Him to be hidden [from public notice]. + Instead, at once, a woman whose little daughter had (was under the control of) an unclean spirit heard about Him and came and flung herself down at His feet. + Now the woman was a Greek (Gentile), a Syrophoenician by nationality. And she kept begging Him to drive the demon out of her little daughter. + And He said to her, First let the children be fed, for it is not becoming or proper or right to take the children's bread and throw it to the [little house] dogs. + But she answered Him, Yes, Lord, yet even the small pups under the table eat the little children's scraps of food. + And He said to her, Because of this saying, you may go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter [permanently]. + And she went home and found the child thrown on the couch, and the demon departed. + Soon after this, Jesus, coming back from the region of Tyre, passed through Sidon on to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis [the ten cities]. + And they brought to Him a man who was deaf and had difficulty in speaking, and they begged Jesus to place His hand upon him. + And taking him aside from the crowd [privately], He thrust His fingers into the man's ears and spat and touched his tongue; + And looking up to heaven, He sighed as He said, Ephphatha, which means, Be opened! + And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak distinctly and as he should. + And Jesus [in His own interest] admonished and ordered them sternly and expressly to tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. + And they were overwhelmingly astonished, saying, He has done everything excellently (commendably and nobly)! He even makes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak! + + + IN THOSE days when [again] an immense crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and told them, + I have pity and sympathy for the people and My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat; + And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will be feeble through exhaustion and faint along the road; and some of them have come a long way. + And His disciples replied to Him, How can anyone fill and satisfy [these people] with loaves of bread here in [this] desolate and uninhabited region? + And He asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven. + And He commanded the multitude to recline upon the ground, and He [then] took the seven loaves [of bread] and, having given thanks, He broke them and kept on giving them to His disciples to put before [the people], and they placed them before the crowd. + And they had a few small fish; and when He had praised God and given thanks and asked Him to bless them [to their use], He ordered that these also should be set before [them]. + And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven [large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over. + And there were about 4,000 people. And He dismissed them, + And at once He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha (or Magdala). + The Pharisees came and began to argue with and question Him, demanding from Him a sign (an attesting miracle from heaven) [maliciously] to test Him. + And He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation. + And He went away and left them and, getting into the boat again, He departed to the other side. + Now they had [completely] forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. + And Jesus [repeatedly and expressly] charged and admonished them, saying, Look out; keep on your guard and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod and the Herodians. + And they discussed it and reasoned with one another, It is because we have no bread. + And being aware [of it], Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness? [Isa. 6:9, 10; Jer. 5:21.] + Having eyes, do you not see [with them], and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember? + When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many [small hand] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him, Twelve. + And [when I broke] the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many [large provision] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, Seven. + And He kept repeating, Do you not yet understand? + And they came to Bethsaida. And [people] brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him. + And He caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you [possibly] see anything? + And he looked up and said, I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking. + Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently [that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects], and he was restored and saw everything distinctly [even what was at a distance]. + And He sent him away to his house, telling [him], Do not [even] enter the village or tell anyone there. + And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am? + And they answered [Him], John the Baptist; and others [say], Elijah; but others, one of the prophets. + And He asked them, But who do you yourselves say that I am? Peter replied to Him, You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + And He charged them sharply to tell no one about Him. + And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested and disapproved and rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again [from death]. + And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him by the hand and led Him aside and then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him. + But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God's side, but that of men]. + And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]. + For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God]. + For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? + For what can a man give as an exchange (a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? + For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels. + + + AND JESUS said to them, Truly and solemnly I say to you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death before they see the kingdom of God come in [its] power. + Six days after this, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them and became resplendent with divine brightness. + And His garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller (cloth dresser, launderer) on earth could bleach them. + And Elijah appeared [there] to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were holding [a protracted] conversation with Jesus. + And Peter took up the conversation, saying, Master, it is good and suitable and beautiful for us to be here. Let us make three booths (tents)--one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah. + For he did not [really] know what to say, for they were in a violent fright (aghast with dread). + And a cloud threw a shadow upon them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, the [most dearworthy] Beloved One. Be constantly listening to and obeying Him! + And looking around, they suddenly no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus only. + And as they were coming back down the mountain, He admonished and expressly ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man should rise from among the dead. + So they carefully and faithfully kept the matter to themselves, questioning and disputing with one another about what rising from among the dead meant. + And they asked Him, Why do the scribes say that it is necessary for Elijah to come first? [Mal. 4:5, 6.] + And He said to them, Elijah, it is true, does come first to restore all things and set them to rights. And how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be utterly despised and be treated with contempt and rejected? [Isa. 53:3.] + But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and [people] did to him whatever they desired, as it is written of him. + And when they came to the [nine] disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scribes questioning and disputing with them. + And immediately all the crowd, when they saw Jesus [returning from the holy mount, His face and person yet glistening], they were greatly amazed and ran up to Him [and] greeted Him. + And He asked them, About what are you questioning and discussing with them? + And one of the throng replied to Him, Teacher, I brought my son to You, for he has a dumb spirit. + And wherever it lays hold of him [so as to make him its own], it dashes him down and convulses him, and he foams [at the mouth] and grinds his teeth, and he [falls into a motionless stupor and] is wasting away. And I asked Your disciples to drive it out, and they were not able [to do it]. + And He answered them, O unbelieving generation [without any faith]! How long shall I [have to do] with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to Me. + So they brought [the boy] to Him, and when the spirit saw Him, at once it completely convulsed the boy, and he fell to the ground and kept rolling about, foaming [at the mouth]. + And [Jesus] asked his father, How long has he had this? And he answered, From the time he was a little boy. + And it has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, do have pity on us and help us. + And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes! + At once the father of the boy gave [an eager, piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith! + Now Jesus having seen that a crowd is gathering rapidly, He rebuked the unclean [or, defiling] spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit,_I_ command you, come out from him, and you shall no longer enter into him!" + And having cried out and having greatly torn him back and forth [fig., having thrown him into terrible convulsions], it came out. And he became as dead, with the result that many are saying that he was dead. + But Jesus, having taken him by the hand, lifted him up, and he stood up. + And when He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, "Why were we not able to cast it out?" + And He said to them, "This kind is able to come out by nothing except by prayer and fasting." + Then having gone out from there, they were passing through Galilee, and He did not want that any should know. + For He was teaching His disciples, and He was saying to them, "The Son of Humanity is being betrayed into the hands of people, and they will kill Him. And having been killed, the third day He will rise." + But they were not understanding the saying, and they were afraid to question Him. + And He came into Capernaum. And being in the house, He began questioning them, "What were you* discussing on the road among yourselves?" + But they were keeping silent, for on the road they discussed with one another who [is the] greatest." + And having sat down, He called the twelve and says to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he will be last of all and a servant of all." + And having taken a young child, He set him in the middle of them. And having taken him in His arms, He said to them, + "Whoever receives one like these young children in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, does not receive Me,_but_ the One having sent Me." + Then John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, who does not follow us, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow us." + But Jesus said, "Stop preventing him, for [there] is no one who will perform a miraculous work in [or, on the basis of] My name and will soon [afterwards] be able to speak evil of Me. + "For [the one] who is not against you* is for you*. + "For whoever gives you* a cup of water to drink in My name because you* are Christ's, positively I say to you*, he shall by no means lose his reward. + "And whoever causes one of the little [ones] believing [or, trusting] in Me to stumble [fig., to sin], it is better for him if rather a millstone [i.e. a large stone used for grinding grain] is hung around his neck, and he has been cast into the sea. + "And if your hand is causing you to stumble [fig., to sin], cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled, than having your two hands, to go away into hell [Gr., gehenna], into the unquenchable fire, + where their worm does not come to the end [of their lives], and the fire is not extinguished. + "And if your foot is causing you to stumble [fig., to sin], cut it off! It is better for you to enter into the life lame, than having your two feet to be cast into hell [Gr., gehenna], into the unquenchable fire, + where their worm does not come to the end [of their lives], and the fire is not extinguished. + "And if your eye is causing you to stumble [fig., to sin], cast it out! It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God one-eyed, than having two eyes, to be cast into the hell [Gr., gehenna] of the fire [or, the fiery hell], + where their worm does not come to the end [of their lives], and the fire is not extinguished. + "For every [one] will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. + "The salt [is] good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, by what will you season [it]? Be having salt in yourselves, and be living in peace with one another." + + + AND [Jesus] left there [Capernaum] and went to the region of Judea and beyond [east of] the Jordan; and crowds [constantly] gathered around Him again, and as was His custom, He began to teach them again. + And some Pharisees came up, and, in order to test Him and try to find a weakness in Him, asked, Is it lawful for a man to dismiss and repudiate and divorce his wife? + He answered them, What did Moses command you? + They replied, Moses allowed a man to write a bill of divorce and to put her away. [Deut. 24:1-4.] + But Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart [your condition of insensibility to the call of God] he wrote you this precept in your Law. + But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. [Gen. 1:27; 5:2.] + For this reason a man shall leave [behind] his father and his mother and be joined to his wife and cleave closely to her permanently, + And the two shall become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. [Gen. 2:24.] + What therefore God has united (joined together), let not man separate or divide. + And indoors the disciples questioned Him again about this subject. + And He said to them, Whoever dismisses (repudiates and divorces) his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; + And if a woman dismisses (repudiates and divorces) her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. + And they kept bringing young children to Him that He might touch them, and the disciples were reproving them [for it]. + But when Jesus saw [it], He was indignant and pained and said to them, Allow the children to come to Me--do not forbid or prevent or hinder them--for to such belongs the kingdom of God. + Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive and accept and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] positively shall not enter it at all. + And He took them [the children up one by one] in His arms and [fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them. + And as He was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, Teacher, [You are essentially and perfectly morally] good, what must I do to inherit eternal life [that is, to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]? + And Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? There is no one [essentially and perfectly morally] good--except God alone. + You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother. [Exod. 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20.] + And he replied to Him, Teacher, I have carefully guarded and observed all these and taken care not to violate them from my boyhood. + And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, and He said to him, You lack one thing; go and sell all you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me [walking the same road that I walk]. + At that saying the man's countenance fell and was gloomy, and he went away grieved and sorrowing, for he was holding great possessions. + And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, With what difficulty will those who possess wealth and keep on holding it enter the kingdom of God! + And the disciples were amazed and bewildered and perplexed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how hard it is for those who trust (place their confidence, their sense of safety) in riches to enter the kingdom of God! + It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. + And they were shocked and exceedingly astonished, and said to Him and to one another, Then who can be saved? + Jesus glanced around at them and said, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God. + Peter started to say to Him, Behold, we have yielded up and abandoned everything [once and for all and joined You as Your disciples, siding with Your party] and accompanied You [walking the same road that You walk]. + Jesus said, Truly I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel's + Who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life. + But many [who are now] first will be last [then], and many [who are now] last will be first [then]. + They were on the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on in front of them; and they were bewildered and perplexed and greatly astonished, and those [who were still] following were seized with alarm and were afraid. And He took the Twelve [apostles] again and began to tell them what was about to happen to Him, + [Saying], Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be turned over to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn and sentence Him to death and turn Him over to the Gentiles. + And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and whip Him and put Him to death; but after three days He will rise again [from death]. + And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Him and said to Him, Teacher, we desire You to do for us whatever we ask of You. + And He replied to them, What do you desire Me to do for you? + And they said to Him, Grant that we may sit, one at Your right hand and one at [Your] left hand, in Your glory (Your majesty and splendor). + But Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism [of affliction] with which I am baptized? + And they replied to Him, We are able. And Jesus told them, The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized, + But to sit at My right hand or at My left hand is not Mine to give; but [it will be given to those] for whom it is ordained and prepared. + And when the other ten [apostles] heard it, they began to be indignant with James and John. + But Jesus called them to [Him] and said to them, You know that those who are recognized as governing and are supposed to rule the Gentiles (the nations) lord it over them [ruling with absolute power, holding them in subjection], and their great men exercise authority and dominion over them. + But this is not to be so among you; instead, whoever desires to be great among you must be your servant, + And whoever wishes to be most important and first in rank among you must be slave of all. + For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for (instead of) many. + Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. + And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]! + And many severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still, but he kept on shouting out all the more, You Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]! + And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you. + And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus. + And Jesus said to him, What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, Master, let me receive my sight. + And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has healed you. And at once he received his sight and accompanied Jesus on the road. [Isa. 42:6, 7.] + + + WHEN THEY were getting near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent ahead two of His disciples + And instructed them, Go into the village in front of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied, which has never been ridden by anyone; unfasten it and bring it [here]. + If anyone asks you, Why are you doing this? answer, The Lord needs it, and He will send it back here presently. + So they went away and found a colt tied at the door out in the [winding] open street, and they loosed it. + And some who were standing there said to them, What are you doing, untying the colt? + And they replied as Jesus had directed them, and they allowed them to go. + And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their outer garments upon it, and He sat on it. + And many [of the people] spread their garments on the road, and others [scattered a layer of] leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. + And those who went before and those who followed cried out [with a cry of happiness], Hosanna! [Be graciously inclined and propitious to Him!] Praised and blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! [Ps. 118:26.] + Praised and blessed in the name of the Lord is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna (O save us) in the highest [heaven]! + And Jesus went into Jerusalem and entered the temple [enclosure]; and when He had looked around, surveying and observing everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany together with the Twelve [apostles]. + On the day following, when they had come away from Bethany, He was hungry. + And seeing in the distance a fig tree [covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it [for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come. + And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you. And His disciples were listening [to what He said]. + And they came to Jerusalem. And He went into the temple [area, the porches and courts] and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple area, and He overturned the [four-footed] tables of the money changers and the seats of those who dealt in doves; + And He would not permit anyone to carry any household equipment through the temple enclosure [thus making the temple area a short-cut traffic lane]. + And He taught and said to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have turned it into a den of robbers. [Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11.] + And the chief priests and the scribes heard [of this] and kept seeking some way to destroy Him, for they feared Him, because the entire multitude was struck with astonishment at His teaching. + And when evening came on, He and His disciples, as accustomed, went out of the city. + In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots. + And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away! + And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. + Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. + For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. + And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. + But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings. + And they came again to Jerusalem. And when Jesus was walking about in the [courts and porches of the] temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, + And they kept saying to Him, By what [sort of] authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do them? + Jesus told them, I will ask you a question. Answer Me, and then I will tell you by what [sort of] authority I do these things. + Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me. + And they reasoned and argued with one another, If we say, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him? + But [on the other hand] can we say, From men? For they were afraid of the people, because everybody considered and held John actually to be a prophet. + So they replied to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus said to them, Neither am I going to tell you what [sort of] authority I have for doing these things. + + + AND [Jesus] started to speak to them in parables [with comparisons and illustrations]. A man planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower and let it out [for rent] to vinedressers and went into another country. + When the season came, he sent a bond servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. + But they took him and beat him and sent him away without anything. + Again he sent to them another bond servant, and they stoned him and wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully [sending him away with insults]. + And he sent another, and that one they killed; then many others--some they beat, and some they put to death. + He had still one left [to send], a beloved son; last of all he sent him to them, saying, They will respect my son. + But those tenants said to one another, Here is the heir; come on, let us put him to death, and [then] the inheritance will be ours. + And they took him and killed him, and threw [his body] outside the vineyard. + Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. + Have you not even read this [passage of] Scripture: The very Stone which [after putting It to the test] the builders rejected has become the Head of the corner [Cornerstone]; + This is from the Lord and is His doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? [Ps. 118:22, 23.] + And they were trying to get hold of Him, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He spoke this parable with reference to and against them. So they left Him and departed. [Isa. 5:1-7.] + But they sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to Him for the purpose of entrapping Him in His speech. + And they came up and said to Him, Teacher, we know that You are sincere and what You profess to be, that You cannot lie, and that You have no personal bias for anyone; for You are not influenced by partiality and have no regard for anyone's external condition or position, but in [and on the basis of] truth You teach the way of God. Is it lawful (permissible and right) to give tribute (poll taxes) to Caesar or not? + Should we pay [them] or should we not pay [them]? But knowing their hypocrisy, He asked them, Why do you put Me to the test? Bring Me a coin (a denarius), so I may see it. + And they brought [Him one]. Then He asked them, Whose image (picture) is this? And whose superscription (title)? They said to Him, Caesar's. + Jesus said to them, Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And they stood marveling and greatly amazed at Him. + And [some] Sadducees came to Him, [of that party] who say there is no resurrection, and they asked Him a question, saying, + Teacher, Moses gave us [a law] that if a man's brother died, leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. [Deut. 25:5.] + Now there were seven brothers; the first one took a wife and died, leaving no children. + And the second [brother] married her, and died, leaving no children; and the third did the same; + And all seven, leaving no children. Last of all, the woman died also. + Now in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For the seven were married to her. + Jesus said to them, Is not this where you wander out of the way and go wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? + For when they arise from among the dead, [men] do not marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. + But concerning the dead being raised--have you not read in the book of Moses, [in the passage] about the [burning] bush, how God said to him, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? [Exod. 3:2-6.] + He is not the God of [the] dead, but of [the] living! You are very wrong. + Then one of the scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most important of all [in its nature]? + Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; + And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. [Deut. 6:4, 5.] + The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. [Lev. 19:18.] + And the scribe said to Him, Excellently and fitly and admirably answered, Teacher! You have said truly that He is One, and there is no other but Him; + And to love Him out of and with all the heart and with all the understanding [with the faculty of quick apprehension and intelligence and keenness of discernment] and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. [I Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6-8; Heb. 10:8.] + And when Jesus saw that he answered intelligently (discreetly and having his wits about him), He said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one ventured or dared to ask Him any further question. + And as Jesus taught in [a porch or court of] the temple, He said, How can the scribes say that the Christ is David's Son? + David himself, [inspired] in the Holy Spirit, declared, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies [a footstool] under Your feet. [Ps. 110:1.] + David himself calls Him Lord; so how can it be that He is his Son? Now the great mass of the people heard [Jesus] gladly [listening to Him with delight]. + And in [the course of] His teaching, He said, Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and [to get] greetings in the marketplaces [public forums], + And [have] the front seats in the synagogues and the chief couches (places of honor) at feasts, + Who devour widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will receive the heavier [sentence of] condemnation. + And He sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the crowd was casting money into the treasury. Many rich [people] were throwing in large sums. + And a widow who was poverty-stricken came and put in two copper mites [the smallest of coins], which together make half of a cent. + And He called His disciples [to Him] and said to them, Truly and surely I tell you, this widow, [she who is] poverty-stricken, has put in more than all those contributing to the treasury. + For they all threw in out of their abundance; but she, out of her deep poverty, has put in everything that she had--[even] all she had on which to live. + + + AND AS [Jesus] was coming out of the temple [area], one of His disciples said to Him, Look, Teacher! Notice the sort and quality of these stones and buildings! + And Jesus replied to him, You see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be loosened and torn down. + And as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple [enclosure], Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, + Tell us when is this to take place and what will be the sign when these things, all [of them], are about to be accomplished? + And Jesus began to tell them, Be careful and watchful that no one misleads you [about it]. + Many will come in [appropriating to themselves] the name [of Messiah] which belongs to Me [basing their claims on the use of My name], saying, I am [He]! And they will mislead many. + And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not get alarmed (troubled and frightened); it is necessary [that these things] take place, but the end is not yet. + For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines and calamities. This is but the beginning of the intolerable anguish and suffering [only the first of the birth pangs]. + But look to yourselves; for they will turn you over to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them. + And the good news (the Gospel) must first be preached to all nations. + Now when they take you [to court] and put you under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say nor [even] meditate about it; but say whatever is given you in that hour and at the moment, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. + And brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and [have] them put to death. + And you will be hated and detested by everybody for My name's sake, but he who patiently perseveres and endures to the end will be saved (made a partaker of the salvation by Christ, and delivered from spiritual death). + But when you see the abomination of desolation mentioned by Daniel the prophet standing where it ought not to be--[and] let the one who reads take notice and consider and understand and heed [this]--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. [Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.] + Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house nor go inside to take anything out of his house; + And let him who is in the field not turn back again to get his mantle (cloak). + And alas for those who are pregnant and for those who have nursing babies in those days! + Pray that it may not occur in winter, + For at that time there will be such affliction (oppression and tribulation) as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until this particular time--and positively never will be [again]. + And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no human being would be saved (rescued); but for the sake of the elect, His chosen ones (those whom He picked out for Himself), He has shortened the days. [Dan. 12:1.] + And then if anyone says to you, See, here is the Christ (the Messiah)! or, Look, there He is! do not believe it. + False Christs (Messiahs) and false prophets will arise and show signs and [work] miracles to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (those God has chosen out for Himself). + But look to yourselves and be on your guard; I have told you everything beforehand. + But in those days, after [the affliction and oppression and distress of] that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; [Isa. 13:10.] + And the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. [Isa. 34:4.] + And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great (kingly) power and glory (majesty and splendor). [Dan. 7:13, 14.] + And then He will send out the angels and will gather together His elect (those He has picked out for Himself) from the four winds, from the farthest bounds of the earth to the farthest bounds of heaven. + Now learn a lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branch becomes tender and it puts forth its leaves, you recognize and know that summer is near. + So also, when you see these things happening, you may recognize and know that He is near, at [the very] door. + Surely I say to you, this generation (the whole multitude of people living at that one time) positively will not perish or pass away before all these things take place. + Heaven and earth will perish and pass away, but My words will not perish or pass away. + But of that day or that hour not a [single] person knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. + Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come. + It is like a man [already] going on a journey; when he leaves home, he puts his servants in charge, each with his particular task, and he gives orders to the doorkeeper to be constantly alert and on the watch. + Therefore watch (give strict attention, be cautious and alert), for you do not know when the Master of the house is coming--in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning-- + [Watch, I say] lest He come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep. + And what I say to you I say to everybody: Watch (give strict attention, be cautious, active, and alert)! + + + IT WAS now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were all the while seeking to arrest [Jesus] by secrecy and deceit and put [Him] to death, + For they kept saying, It must not be during the Feast, for fear that there might be a riot of the people. + And while He was in Bethany, [a guest] in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining [at table], a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment (perfume) of pure nard, very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured [the perfume] over His head. + But there were some who were moved with indignation and said to themselves, To what purpose was the ointment (perfume) thus wasted? + For it was possible to have sold this [perfume] for more than 300 denarii [a laboring man's wages for a year] and to have given [the money] to the poor. And they censured and reproved her. + But Jesus said, Let her alone; why are you troubling her? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me [praiseworthy and noble]. + For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have Me. [Deut. 15:11.] + She has done what she could; she came beforehand to anoint My body for the burial. + And surely I tell you, wherever the good news (the Gospel) is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. + Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve [apostles], went off to the chief priests in order to betray and hand Him over to them. + And when they heard it, they rejoiced and were delighted, and they promised to give him money. And he [busying himself continually] sought an opportunity to betray Him. + On the first day [of the Feast] of Unleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they killed the Passover lamb, [Jesus'] disciples said to Him, Where do You wish us to go [and] prepare the Passover [supper] for You to eat? + And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, Go into the city, and a man carrying an [earthen] jar or pitcher of water will meet you; follow him. + And whatever [house] he enters, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover [supper] with My disciples? + And he will [himself] show you a large upper room, furnished [with carpets and with dining couches properly spread] and ready; there prepare for us. + Then the disciples set out and came to the city and found [everything] just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. + And when it was evening, He came with the Twelve [apostles]. + And while they were at the table eating, Jesus said, Surely I say to you, one of you will betray Me, [one] who is eating [here] with Me. [Ps. 41:9.] + And they began to show that they were sad and hurt, and to say to Him one after another, Is it I? or, It is not I, is it? + He replied to them, It is one of the Twelve [apostles], one who is dipping [bread] into the [same deep] dish with Me. + For the Son of Man is going as it stands written concerning Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good (profitable and wholesome) for that man if he had never been born. [Ps. 41:9.] + And while they were eating, He took a loaf [of bread], praised God and gave thanks and asked Him to bless it to their use. [Then] He broke [it] and gave to them and said, Take. Eat. This is My body. + He also took a cup [of the juice of grapes], and when He had given thanks, He gave [it] to them, and they all drank of it. + And He said to them, This is My blood [which ratifies] the new covenant, [the blood] which is being poured out for (on account of) many. [Exod. 24:8.] + Solemnly and surely I tell you, I shall not again drink of the fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it of a new and a higher quality in God's kingdom. + And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. + And Jesus said to them, You will all fall away this night [that is, you will be caused to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert Me], for it stands written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. [Zech. 13:7.] + But after I am raised [to life], I will go before you into Galilee. + But Peter said to Him, Even if they all fall away and are caused to stumble and distrust and desert You, yet I will not [do so]! + And Jesus said to him, Truly I tell you, this very night, before a cock crows twice, you will utterly deny Me [disclaiming all connection with Me] three times. + But [Peter] said more vehemently and repeatedly, [Even] if it should be necessary for me to die with You, I will not deny or disown You! And they all kept saying the same thing. + Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, Sit down here while I pray. + And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be struck with terror and amazement and deeply troubled and depressed. + And He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sad (overwhelmed with grief) so that it almost kills Me! Remain here and keep awake and be watching. + And going a little farther, He fell on the ground and kept praying that if it were possible the [fatal] hour might pass from Him. + And He was saying, Abba, [which means] Father, everything is possible for You. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You [will]. + And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Have you not the strength to keep awake and watch [with Me for] one hour? + Keep awake and watch and pray [constantly], that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. + He went away again and prayed, saying the same words. + And again He came back and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what answer to give Him. + And He came back a third time and said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough [of that]! The hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinful men (men whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God). + Get up, let us be going! See, My betrayer is at hand! + And at once, while He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve [apostles], and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs, [who came] from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders [of the Sanhedrin]. + Now the betrayer had given them a signal, saying, The One I shall kiss is [the Man]; seize Him and lead [Him] away safely [so as to prevent His escape]. + And when he came, he went up to Jesus immediately and said, Master! Master! and he embraced Him and kissed Him fervently. + And they threw their hands on Him and arrested Him. + But one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the bond servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. + And Jesus said to them, Have you come out with swords and clubs as [you would] against a robber to capture Me? + I was with you daily in the temple [porches and courts] teaching, and you did not seize Me; but [this has happened] that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. + Then [His disciples], forsaking Him, fled, all [of them]. + And a young man was following Him, with nothing but a linen cloth (sheet) thrown about [his] naked [body]; and they laid hold of him, + But, leaving behind the linen cloth (sheet), he fled from them naked. + And they led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes were gathered together. + And Peter followed Him at a distance, even right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting [in the firelight] with the guards and warming himself at the fire. + Now the chief priests and the entire council (the Sanhedrin) were constantly seeking [to get] testimony against Jesus with a view to condemning Him and putting Him to death, but they did not find any. + For many were repeatedly bearing false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree. + And some stood up and were bearing false witness against Him, saying, + We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) which is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, made without hands. + Still not even [in this] did their testimony agree. + And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, Have You not even one answer to make? What [about this which] these [men] are testifying against You? + But He kept still and did not answer at all. Again the high priest asked Him, Are You the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), the Son of the Blessed? + And Jesus said, I AM; and you will [all] see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power (the Almighty) and coming on the clouds of heaven. [Ps. 110:1; Dan. 7:13.] + Then the high priest tore his garments and said, What need have we for more witnesses? [Num. 14:6.] + You have heard His blasphemy. What is your decision? And they all condemned Him as being guilty and deserving of death. [Lev. 24:16.] + And some of them began to spit on Him and to blindfold Him and to strike Him with their fists, saying to Him, Prophesy! And the guards received Him with blows and by slapping Him. + While Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the [serving] maids of the high priest came; + And when she saw Peter warming himself, she gazed intently at him and said, You were with Jesus of Nazareth too. + But he denied it falsely and disowned Him, saying, I neither know nor understand what you say. Then he went outside [the courtyard and was] into the vestibule. And a cock crowed. + And the maidservant saw him, and began again to say to the bystanders, This [man] is [one] of them. + But again he denied it falsely and disowned Him. And after a short while, again the bystanders said to Peter, Really, you are one of them, for you are a Galilean and your dialect shows it. + Then he commenced invoking a curse on himself [should he not be telling the truth] and swearing, I do not know the Man about Whom you are talking! + And at once for the second time a cock crowed. And Peter remembered how Jesus said to him, Before a cock crows twice, you will utterly deny Me [disclaiming all connection with Me] three times. And having put his thought upon it [and remembering], he broke down and wept aloud and lamented. + + + AND IMMEDIATELY when it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole council, held a consultation; and when they had bound Jesus, they took Him away [violently] and handed Him over to Pilate. [Isa. 53:8.] + And Pilate inquired of Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He replied, It is as you say. + And the chief priests kept accusing Him of many things. + And Pilate again asked Him, Have You no answer to make? See how many charges they are bringing against You! + But Jesus made no further answer at all, so that Pilate wondered and marveled. [Isa. 53:7.] + Now at the Feast he [was accustomed to] set free for them any one prisoner whom they requested. + And among the rioters in the prison who had committed murder in the insurrection there was a man named Barabbas. + And the throng came up and began asking Pilate to do as he usually did for them. + And he replied to them, Do you wish me to set free for you the King of the Jews? + For he was aware that it was [because they were prompted] by envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up. + But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release for them Barabbas instead. + And again Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with the Man Whom you call the King of the Jews? + And they shouted back again, Crucify Him! + But Pilate said to them, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted with all their might all the more, Crucify Him [at once]! + So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus whipped, he handed [Him] over to be crucified. [Isa. 53:5.] + Then the soldiers led Him away to the courtyard inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and they called the entire detachment of soldiers together. + And they dressed Him in [a] purple [robe], and, weaving together a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him. + And they began to salute Him, Hail (greetings, good health to You, long life to You), King of the Jews! + And they struck His head with a staff made of a [bamboo-like] reed and spat on Him and kept bowing their knees in homage to Him. [Isa. 50:6.] + And when they had [finished] making sport of Him, they took the purple [robe] off of Him and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him. + And they forced a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the field (country), to carry His cross. + And they led Him to Golgotha [in Latin: Calvary], meaning The Place of a Skull. + And they [attempted to] give Him wine mingled with myrrh, but He would not take it. + And they crucified Him; and they divided His garments and distributed them among themselves, throwing lots for them to decide who should take what. [Ps. 22:18.] + And it was the third hour (about nine o'clock in the morning) when they crucified Him. [Ps. 22:14-16.] + And the inscription of the accusation against Him was written above, The King of the Jews. + And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on [His] right hand and one on His left. + And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, He was counted among the transgressors. [Isa. 53:12.] + And those who passed by kept reviling Him and reproaching Him abusively in harsh and insolent language, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You Who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, + Now rescue Yourself [from death], coming down from the cross! + So also the chief priests, with the scribes, made sport of Him to one another, saying, He rescued others [from death]; Himself He is unable to rescue. [Ps. 22:7, 8.] + Let the Christ (the Messiah), the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see [it] and trust in and rely on Him and adhere to Him! Those who were crucified with Him also reviled and reproached Him [speaking abusively, harshly, and insolently]. + And when the sixth hour (about midday) had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (about three o'clock). + And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?--which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me [deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]? [Ps. 22:1.] + And some of those standing by, [and] hearing it, said, See! He is calling Elijah! + And one man ran, and, filling a sponge with vinegar (a mixture of sour wine and water), put it on a staff made of a [bamboo-like] reed and gave it to Him to drink, saying, Hold off! Let us see whether Elijah [does] come to take Him down. [Ps. 69:21.] + And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life. + And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. + And when the centurion who stood facing Him saw Him expire this way, he said, Really, this Man was God's Son! + Now some women were there also, looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, + Who, when [Jesus] was in Galilee, were in the habit of accompanying and ministering to Him; and [there were] also many other [women] who had come up with Him to Jerusalem. + As evening had already come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, [the day] before the Sabbath, [Deut. 21:22, 23.] + Joseph, he of Arimathea, noble and honorable in rank and a respected member of the council (Sanhedrin), who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. + But Pilate wondered whether He was dead so soon, and, having called the centurion, he asked him whether [Jesus] was already dead. + And when he learned from the centurion [that He was indeed dead], he gave the body to Joseph. + And Joseph bought a [fine] linen cloth [for swathing dead bodies], and, taking Him down from the cross, he rolled Him up in the [fine] linen cloth and placed Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock. Then he rolled a [very large] stone against the door of the tomb. [Isa. 53:9; Matt. 16:4.] + And Mary Magdalene and Mary [the mother] of Joses were [attentively] observing where He was laid. + + + AND WHEN the Sabbath was past [that is, after the sun had set], Mary Magdalene, and Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome purchased sweet-smelling spices, so that they might go and anoint [Jesus' body]. + And very early on the first day of the week they came to the tomb; [by then] the sun had risen. + And they said to one another, Who will roll back the stone for us out of [the groove across the floor at] the door of the tomb? + And when they looked up, they [distinctly] saw that the stone was already rolled back, for it was very large. + And going into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting [there] on the right [side], clothed in a [long, stately, sweeping] robe of white, and they were utterly amazed and struck with terror. + And he said to them, Do not be amazed and terrified; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. [Ps. 16:10.] + But be going; tell the disciples and Peter, He goes before you into Galilee; you will see Him there, [just] as He told you. [Mark 14:28.] + Then they went out [and] fled from the tomb, for trembling and bewilderment and consternation had seized them. And they said nothing about it to anyone, for they were held by alarm and fear. + Now Jesus, having risen [from death] early on the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons. + She went and reported it to those who had been with Him, as they grieved and wept. + And when they heard that He was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it. + After this, He appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking [along the way] into the country. + And they returned [to Jerusalem] and told the others, but they did not believe them either. + Afterward He appeared to the Eleven [apostles themselves] as they reclined at table; and He reproved and reproached them for their unbelief (their lack of faith) and their hardness of heart, because they had refused to believe those who had seen Him and looked at Him attentively after He had risen [from death]. + And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]. + He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned. + And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; + They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. + So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.] + And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it). + + + + + SINCE [as is well known] many have undertaken to put in order and draw up a [thorough] narrative of the surely established deeds which have been accomplished and fulfilled in and among us, + Exactly as they were handed down to us by those who from the [official] beginning [of Jesus' ministry] were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word [that is, of the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God], + It seemed good and desirable to me, [and so I have determined] also after having searched out diligently and followed all things closely and traced accurately the course from the highest to the minutest detail from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [Acts 1:1.] + [My purpose is] that you may know the full truth and understand with certainty and security against error the accounts (histories) and doctrines of the faith of which you have been informed and in which you have been orally instructed. + In the days when Herod was king of Judea there was a certain priest whose name was Zachariah, of the daily service (the division) of Abia; and his wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. + And they both were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. + But they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren; and both were far advanced in years. + Now while on duty, serving as priest before God in the order of his division, + As was the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter [the sanctuary of] the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [Exod. 30:7.] + And all the throng of people were praying outside [in the court] at the hour of incense [burning]. + And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. + And when Zachariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear took possession of him. + But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must call his name John [God is favorable]. + And you shall have joy and exultant delight, and many will rejoice over his birth, + For he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord. And he must drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit even in and from his mother's womb. [Num. 6:3.] + And he will turn back and cause to return many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, + And he will [himself] go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright [which is the knowledge and holy love of the will of God]--in order to make ready for the Lord a people [perfectly] prepared [in spirit, adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral state]. [Isa. 40:3; Mal. 4:5, 6.] + And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. + And the angel replied to him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news. [Dan. 8:16; 9:21.] + Now behold, you will be and will continue to be silent and not able to speak till the day when these things take place, because you have not believed what I told you; but my words are of a kind which will be fulfilled in the appointed and proper time. + Now the people kept waiting for Zachariah, and they wondered at his delaying [so long] in the sanctuary. + But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them; and they [clearly] perceived that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; and he kept making signs to them, still he remained dumb. + And when his time of performing priestly functions was ended, he returned to his [own] house. + Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she secluded herself entirely, saying, [I have hid myself] + Because thus the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He deigned to look on me to take away my reproach among men. [Gen. 30:23; Isa. 4:1.] + Now in the sixth month [after that], the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, + To a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. + And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one [endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women! + But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean. + And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God. + And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. + He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David, + And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end. [Isa. 9:6, 7; Dan. 2:44.] + And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband? + Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God. [Exod. 40:34; Isa. 7:14.] + And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren. + For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. + Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her. + And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, + And she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth. + And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit. + And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb! + And how [have I deserved that this honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? + For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. + And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord. + And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord, + And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, + For He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations [of all ages] will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied! + For He Who is almighty has done great things for me--and holy is His name [to be venerated in His purity, majesty and glory]! + And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age. [Ps. 103:17.] + He has shown strength and made might with His arm; He has scattered the proud and haughty in and by the imagination and purpose and designs of their hearts. + He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree. + He has filled and satisfied the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty-handed [without a gift]. + He has laid hold on His servant Israel [to help him, to espouse his cause], in remembrance of His mercy, + Even as He promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever. [Gen. 17:7; 18:18; 22:17; I Sam. 2:1-10; Mic. 7:20.] + And Mary remained with her [Elizabeth] for about three months and [then] returned to her [own] home. + Now the time that Elizabeth should be delivered came, and she gave birth to a son. + And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy on her, and they rejoiced with her. + And it occurred that on the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were intending to call him Zachariah after his father, [Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3.] + But his mother answered, Not so! But he shall be called John. + And they said to her, None of your relatives is called by that name. + And they inquired with signs to his father [as to] what he wanted to have him called. + Then Zachariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. And they were all astonished. + And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, blessing and praising and thanking God. + And awe and reverential fear came on all their neighbors; and all these things were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. + And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, Whatever will this little boy be then? For the hand of the Lord was [so evidently] with him [protecting and aiding him]. + Now Zachariah his father was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, + Blessed (praised and extolled and thanked) be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and brought deliverance and redemption to His people! + And He has raised up a Horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Helper, the Author of salvation] for us in the house of David His servant-- + This is as He promised by the mouth of His holy prophets from the most ancient times [in the memory of man]-- + That we should have deliverance and be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who detest and pursue us with hatred; + To make true and show the mercy and compassion and kindness [promised] to our forefathers and to remember and carry out His holy covenant [to bless, which is all the more sacred because it is made by God Himself], + That covenant He sealed by oath to our forefather Abraham: + To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our foes, might serve Him fearlessly + In holiness (divine consecration) and righteousness [in accordance with the everlasting principles of right] within His presence all the days of our lives. + And you, little one, shall be called a prophet of the Most High; for you shall go on before the face of the Lord to make ready His ways, [Isa. 40:3; Mal. 4:5.] + To bring and give the knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness and remission of their sins. + Because of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, a Light from on high will dawn upon us and visit [us] [Mal. 4:2.] + To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace. [Isa. 9:2.] + And the little boy grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts (wilderness) until the day of his appearing to Israel [the commencement of his public ministry]. + + + IN THOSE days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole Roman empire should be registered. + This was the first enrollment, and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. + And all the people were going to be registered, each to his own city or town. + And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, + To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused (married) wife, who was about to become a mother. [Matt. 1:18-25.] + And while they were there, the time came for her delivery, + And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn. + And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night. + And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened. + But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. + For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! [Mic. 5:2.] + And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [I Sam. 2:34; II Kings 19:29; Isa. 7:14.] + Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying, + Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor]. + When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing (saying) that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. + So they went with haste and [by searching] found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. + And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child, + And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them. + But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing and pondering them in her heart. + And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. + And at the end of eight days, when [the Baby] was to be circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. + And when the time for their purification [the mother's purification and the Baby's dedication] came according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord--[Lev. 12:1-4.] + As it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every [firstborn] male that opens the womb shall be set apart and dedicated and called holy to the Lord--[Exod. 13:1, 2, 12; Num. 8:17.] + And [they came also] to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. [Lev. 12:6-8.] + Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout [cautiously and carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. + And it had been divinely revealed (communicated) to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + And prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, he came into the temple [enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the little child Jesus to do for Him what was customary according to the Law, + [Simeon] took Him up in his arms and praised and thanked God and said, + And now, Lord, You are releasing Your servant to depart (leave this world) in peace, according to Your word. + For with my [own] eyes I have seen Your Salvation, [Isa. 52:10.] + Which You have ordained and prepared before (in the presence of) all peoples, + A Light for revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was before unknown] and [to bring] praise and honor and glory to Your people Israel. [Isa. 42:6; 49:6.] + And His [legal] father and [His] mother were marveling at what was said about Him. + And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against--[Isa. 8:14, 15.] + And a sword will pierce through your own soul also--that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be brought out and disclosed. + And there was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband seven years from her maidenhood, [Josh. 19:24.] + And as a widow even for eighty-four years. She did not go out from the temple enclosure, but was worshiping night and day with fasting and prayer. + And she too came up at that same hour, and she returned thanks to God and talked of [Jesus] to all who were looking for the redemption (deliverance) of Jerusalem. + And when they had done everything according to the Law of the Lord, they went back into Galilee to their own town, Nazareth. + And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him. [Judg. 13:24; I Sam. 2:26.] + Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast. [Deut. 16:1-8; Exod. 23:15.] + And when He was twelve years [old], they went up, as was their custom. + And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this, + But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day's journey; and [then] they sought Him [diligently, looking up and down for Him] among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. + And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way. + After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. + And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies. + And when they [Joseph and Mary] saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You [distressed and tormented]. + And He said to them, How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary [as a duty] for Me to be in My Father's house and [occupied] about My Father's business? + But they did not comprehend what He was saying to them. + And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was [habitually] obedient to them; and his mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart. + And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man. + + + IN THE fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- + In the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] came to John son of Zachariah in the wilderness (desert). + And he went into all the country round about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance (of hearty amending of their ways, with abhorrence of past wrongdoing) unto the forgiveness of sin. + As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert]: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten paths straight. + Every valley and ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be leveled; and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough roads shall be made smooth; + And all mankind shall see (behold and understand and at last acknowledge) the salvation of God (the deliverance from eternal death decreed by God). [Isa. 40:3-5.] + So he said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, You offspring of vipers! Who secretly warned you to flee from the coming wrath? + Bear fruits that are deserving and consistent with [your] repentance [that is, conduct worthy of a heart changed, a heart abhorring sin]. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up descendants for Abraham. + Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. + And the multitudes asked him, Then what shall we do? + And he replied to them, He who has two tunics (undergarments), let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do it the same way. + Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? + And he said to them, Exact and collect no more than the fixed amount appointed you. + Those serving as soldiers also asked him, And we, what shall we do? And he replied to them, Never demand or enforce by terrifying people or by accusing wrongfully, and always be satisfied with your rations (supplies) and with your allowance (wages). + As the people were in suspense and waiting expectantly, and everybody reasoned and questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether he perhaps might be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished. + So with many other [various] appeals and admonitions he preached the good news (the Gospel) to the people. + But Herod the tetrarch, who had been [repeatedly] told about his fault and reproved with rebuke producing conviction by [John] for [having] Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the wicked things that Herod had done, + Added this to them all--that he shut up John in prison. + Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and [while He was still] praying, the [visible] heaven was opened + And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased and find delight! [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1.] + Jesus Himself, when He began [His ministry], was about thirty years of age, being the Son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli, + The son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, + The son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, + The son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, + The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, + The son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, + The son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, + The son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, + The son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, + The son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon (Sala), the son of Nahshon, + The son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, + The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, + The son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, + The son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, + The son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, + The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. [Gen. 5:3-32; 11:10-26; Ruth 4:18-22; I Chron. 1:1-4, 24-28; 2:1-15.] + + + THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit + For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. [Deut. 9:9; I Kings 19:8.] + Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread]. + And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God. [Deut. 8:3.] + Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [in the twinkling of an eye]. + And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will. + Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me [just once], it shall all be Yours. + And Jesus replied to him, Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. [Deut. 6:13; 10:20.] + Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here; + For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully; + And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. [Ps. 91:11, 12.] + And Jesus replied to him, [The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt (try, test exceedingly) the Lord your God. [Deut. 6:16.] + And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time. + Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the [Holy] Spirit into Galilee, and the fame of Him spread through the whole region round about. + And He Himself conducted [a course of] teaching in their synagogues, being recognized and honored and praised by all. + So He came to Nazareth, [that Nazareth] where He had been brought up, and He entered the synagogue, as was His custom on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read. + And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written, [Isa. 61:1, 2.] + The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], + To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]. [Isa. 61:1, 2.] + Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing [attentively] at Him. + And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing. + And all spoke well of Him and marveled at the words of grace that came forth from His mouth; and they said, Is not this Joseph's Son? + So He said to them, You will doubtless quote to Me this proverb: Physician, heal Yourself! What we have learned by hearsay that You did in Capernaum, do here also in Your [own] town. + Then He said, Solemnly I say to you, no prophet is acceptable and welcome in his [own] town (country). + But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were closed up for three years and six months, so that there came a great famine over all the land; + And yet Elijah was not sent to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the country of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. [I Kings 17:1, 8-16; 18:1.] + And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and yet not one of them was cleansed [by being healed]--but only Naaman the Syrian. [II Kings 5:1-14.] + When they heard these things, all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage. + And rising up, they pushed and drove Him out of the town, and [laying hold of Him] they led Him to the [projecting] upper part of the hill on which their town was built, that they might hurl Him headlong down [over the cliff]. + But passing through their midst, He went on His way. + And He descended to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and there He continued to teach the people on the Sabbath days. + And they were amazed at His teaching, for His word was with authority and ability and weight and power. + Now in the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the foul spirit of a demon; and he cried out with a loud (deep, terrible) cry, + Ah, let us alone! What have You to do with us [What have we in common], Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You are--the Holy One of God! + But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent (muzzled, gagged), and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown the man down in their midst, he came out of him without injuring him in any possible way. + And they were all amazed and said to one another, What kind of talk is this? For with authority and power He commands the foul spirits and they come out! + And a rumor about Him spread into every place in the surrounding country. + Then He arose and left the synagogue and went into Simon's (Peter's) house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering in the grip of a burning fever, and they pleaded with Him for her. + And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she got up and began waiting on them. + Now at the setting of the sun [indicating the end of the Sabbath], all those who had any [who were] sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands upon every one of them and cured them. + And demons even came out of many people, screaming and crying out, You are the Son of God! But He rebuked them and would not permit them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah). + And when daybreak came, He left [Peter's house] and went into an isolated [desert] place. And the people looked for Him until they came up to Him and tried to prevent Him from leaving them. + But He said to them, I must preach the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God to the other cities [and towns] also, for I was sent for this [purpose]. + And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee. + + + NOW IT occurred that while the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the message of God, He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee). + And He saw two boats drawn up by the lake, but the fishermen had gone down from them and were washing their nets. + And getting into one of the boats, [the one] that belonged to Simon (Peter), He requested him to draw away a little from the shore. Then He sat down and continued to teach the crowd [of people] from the boat. + When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul. + And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again]. + And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking, + They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. + But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. + For he was gripped with bewildering amazement [allied to terror], and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made; + And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon (Peter). And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men! + And after they had run their boats on shore, they left everything and joined Him as His disciples and sided with His party and accompanied Him. + While He was in one of the towns, there came a man full of (covered with) leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean. + And [Jesus] reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him. + And [Jesus] charged him to tell no one [that he might chance to meet], until [He said] you go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, as Moses commanded, for a testimony and proof to the people, that they may have evidence [of your healing]. [Lev. 13:49; 14:2-32.] + But so much the more the news spread abroad concerning Him, and great crowds kept coming together to hear [Him] and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. + But He Himself withdrew [in retirement] to the wilderness (desert) and prayed. + One of those days, as He was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting by, who had come from every village and town of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was [present] with Him to heal them. + And behold, some men were bringing on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to carry him in and lay him before [Jesus]. + But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him with his stretcher through the tiles into the midst, in front of Jesus. + And when He saw [their confidence in Him, springing from] their faith, He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you! + And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason and question and argue, saying, Who is this [Man] Who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? + But Jesus, knowing their thoughts and questionings, answered them, Why do you question in your hearts? + Which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise and walk [about]? + But that you may know that the Son of Man has the [power of] authority and right on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralyzed man, I say to you, arise, pick up your litter (stretcher), and go to your own house! + And instantly [the man] stood up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went away to his house, recognizing and praising and thanking God. + And overwhelming astonishment and ecstasy seized them all, and they recognized and praised and thanked God; and they were filled with and controlled by reverential fear and kept saying, We have seen wonderful and strange and incredible and unthinkable things today! + And after this, Jesus went out and looked [attentively] at a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office; and He said to him, Join Me as a disciple and side with My party and accompany Me. + And he forsook everything and got up and followed Him [becoming His disciple and siding with His party]. + And Levi (Matthew) made a great banquet for Him in his own house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others who were reclining [at the table] with them. + Now the Pharisees and their scribes were grumbling against Jesus' disciples, saying, Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and [preeminently] sinful people? + And Jesus replied to them, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. + I have not come to arouse and invite and call the righteous, but the erring ones (those not free from sin) to repentance [to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins]. + Then they said to Him, The disciples of John practice fasting often and offer up prayers of [special] petition, and so do [the disciples] of the Pharisees also, but Yours eat and drink. + And Jesus said to them, Can you make the wedding guests fast as long as the bridegroom is with them? + But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; and then they will fast in those days. + He told them a proverb also: No one puts a patch from a new garment on an old garment; if he does, he will both tear the new one, and the patch from the new [one] will not match the old [garment]. + And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the fresh wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled and the skins will be ruined (destroyed). + But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. + And no one after drinking old wine immediately desires new wine, for he says, The old is good or better. + + + ONE SABBATH while Jesus was passing through the fields of standing grain, it occurred that His disciples picked some of the spikes and ate [of the grain], rubbing it out in their hands. [Deut. 23:25.] + But some of the Pharisees asked them, Why are you doing what is not permitted to be done on the Sabbath days? [Exod. 20:10; 23:12; Deut. 5:14.] + And Jesus replied to them, saying, Have you never so much as read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him?--[I Sam. 21:1-6.] + How he went into the house of God and took and ate the [sacred] loaves of the showbread, which it is not permitted for any except only the priests to eat, and also gave to those [who were] with him? [Lev. 24:9.] + And He said to them, The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. + And it occurred on another Sabbath that when He went into the synagogue and taught, a man was present whose right hand was withered. + And the scribes and the Pharisees kept watching Jesus to see whether He would [actually] heal on the Sabbath, in order that they might get [some ground for] accusation against Him. + But He was aware all along of their thoughts, and He said to the man with the withered hand, Come and stand here in the midst. And he arose and stood there. + Then Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good [so that someone derives advantage from it] or to do evil, to save a life [and make a soul safe] or to destroy it? + Then He glanced around at them all and said to the man, Stretch out your hand! And he did so, and his hand was fully restored like the other one. + But they were filled with lack of understanding and senseless rage and discussed (consulted) with one another what they might do to Jesus. + Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God. + And when it was day, He summoned His disciples and selected from them twelve, whom He named apostles (special messengers): + They were Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; + And Matthew and Thomas; and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, + And Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor (a treacherous, basely faithless person). + And Jesus came down with them and took His stand on a level spot, with a great crowd of His disciples and a vast throng of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to listen to Him and to be cured of their diseases-- + Even those who were disturbed and troubled with unclean spirits, and they were being healed [also]. + And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him, for healing power was all the while going forth from Him and curing them all [saving them from severe illnesses or calamities]. + And solemnly lifting up His eyes on His disciples, He said: Blessed (happy--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition--and to be envied) are you poor and lowly and afflicted (destitute of wealth, influence, position, and honor), for the kingdom of God is yours! + Blessed (happy--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition--and to be envied) are you who hunger and seek with eager desire now, for you shall be filled and completely satisfied! Blessed (happy--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition--and to be envied) are you who weep and sob now, for you shall laugh! + Blessed (happy--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition--and to be envied) are you when people despise (hate) you, and when they exclude and excommunicate you [as disreputable] and revile and denounce you and defame and cast out and spurn your name as evil (wicked) on account of the Son of Man. + Rejoice and be glad at such a time and exult and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is rich and great and strong and intense and abundant in heaven; for even so their forefathers treated the prophets. + But woe to (alas for) you who are rich (abounding in material resources), for you already are receiving your consolation (the solace and sense of strengthening and cheer that come from prosperity) and have taken and enjoyed your comfort in full [having nothing left to be awarded you]. + Woe to (alas for) you who are full now (completely filled, luxuriously gorged and satiated), for you shall hunger and suffer want! Woe to (alas for) you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep and wail! + Woe to (alas for) you when everyone speaks fairly and handsomely of you and praises you, for even so their forefathers did to the false prophets. + But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred, + Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God's blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you]. + To the one who strikes you on the jaw or cheek, offer the other jaw or cheek also; and from him who takes away your outer garment, do not withhold your undergarment as well. + Give away to everyone who begs of you [who is in want of necessities], and of him who takes away from you your goods, do not demand or require them back again. + And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them. + If you [merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them). + And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same. + And if you lend money at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again. + But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. + So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these]. + Judge not [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released. + Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you. + He further told them a proverb: Can a blind [man] guide and direct a blind [man]? Will they not both stumble into a ditch or a hole in the ground? + A pupil is not superior to his teacher, but everyone [when he is] completely trained (readjusted, restored, set to rights, and perfected) will be like his teacher. + Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice or consider the beam [of timber] that is in your own eye? + Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You actor (pretender, hypocrite)! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. + For there is no good (healthy) tree that bears decayed (worthless, stale) fruit, nor on the other hand does a decayed (worthless, sickly) tree bear good fruit. + For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush. + The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks. + Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you? + For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words [in order to heed their teaching] and does them, I will show you what he is like: + He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock. + But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great. + + + AFTER JESUS had finished all that He had to say in the hearing of the people [on the mountain], He entered Capernaum. + Now a centurion had a bond servant who was held in honor and highly valued by him, who was sick and at the point of death. + And when the centurion heard of Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, requesting Him to come and make his bond servant well. + And when they reached Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying, He is worthy that You should do this for him, + For he loves our nation and he built us our synagogue [at his own expense]. + And Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent [some] friends to Him, saying, Lord, do not trouble [Yourself], for I am not sufficiently worthy to have You come under my roof; + Neither did I consider myself worthy to come to You. But [just] speak a word, and my servant boy will be healed. + For I also am a man [daily] subject to authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my bond servant, Do this, and he does it. + Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and He turned and said to the crowd that followed Him, I tell you, not even in [all] Israel have I found such great faith [as this]. + And when the messengers who had been sent returned to the house, they found the bond servant who had been ill quite well again. + Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great throng accompanied Him. + [Just] as He drew near the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large gathering from the town was accompanying her. + And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. + And He went forward and touched the funeral bier, and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]! + And the man [who was] dead sat up and began to speak. And [Jesus] gave him [back] to his mother. + Profound and reverent fear seized them all, and they began to recognize God and praise and give thanks, saying, A great Prophet has appeared among us! And God has visited His people [in order to help and care for and provide for them]! + And this report concerning [Jesus] spread through the whole of Judea and all the country round about. [I Kings 17:17-24; II Kings 4:32-37.] + And John's disciples brought him [who was now in prison] word of all these things. + And John summoned to him a certain two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, Are You He Who is to come, or shall we [continue to] look for another? + So the men came to Jesus and said, John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, Are You the One Who is to come, or shall we [continue to] look for another? + In that very hour Jesus was healing many [people] of sicknesses and distressing bodily plagues and evil spirits, and to many who were blind He gave [a free, gracious, joy-giving gift of] sight. + So He replied to them, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news (the Gospel) preached to them. [Isa. 29:18, 19; 35:5, 6; 61:1.] + And blessed (happy--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from outward conditions--and to be envied) is he who takes no offense in Me and who is not hurt or resentful or annoyed or repelled or made to stumble [whatever may occur]. + And the messengers of John having departed, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: What did you go out into the desert to gaze on? A reed shaken and swayed by the wind? + Then what did you go out to see? A man dressed up in soft garments? Behold, those who wear fine apparel and live in luxury are in the courts or palaces of kings. + What then did you go out to see? A prophet (a forthteller)? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. + This is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall make ready Your way before You. [Mal. 3:1.] + I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; but he that is inferior [to the other citizens] in the kingdom of God is greater [in incomparable privilege] than he. + And all the people who heard Him, even the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God [in calling them to repentance and in pronouncing future wrath on the impenitent], being baptized with the baptism of John. + But the Pharisees and the lawyers [of the Mosaic Law] annulled and rejected and brought to nothing God's purpose concerning themselves, by [refusing and] not being baptized by him [John]. + So to what shall I compare the men of this generation? And what are they like? + They are like little children sitting in the marketplace, calling to one another and saying, We piped to you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we sang dirges and wailed [playing funeral], and you did not weep. + For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, He has a demon. + The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold, a Man Who is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and notorious sinners. + Yet wisdom is vindicated (shown to be true and divine) by all her children [by their life, character, and deeds]. + One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him, and He went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. + And behold, a woman of the town who was an especially wicked sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment (perfume). + And standing behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with [her] tears; and she wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet [affectionately] and anointed them with the ointment (perfume). + Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw it, he said to himself, If this Man were a prophet, He would surely know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him--for she is a notorious sinner (a social outcast, devoted to sin). + And Jesus, replying, said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he answered, Teacher, say it. + A certain lender of money [at interest] had two debtors: one owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. + When they had no means of paying, he freely forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more? + Simon answered, The one, I take it, for whom he forgave and cancelled more. And Jesus said to him, You have decided correctly. + Then turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. + You gave Me no kiss, but she from the moment I came in has not ceased [intermittently] to kiss My feet tenderly and caressingly. + You did not anoint My head with [cheap, ordinary] oil, but she has anointed My feet with [costly, rare] perfume. + Therefore I tell you, her sins, many [as they are], are forgiven her--because she has loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little. + And He said to her, Your sins are forgiven! + Then those who were at table with Him began to say among themselves, Who is this Who even forgives sins? + But Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go (enter) into peace [in freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin]. + + + SOON AFTERWARD, [Jesus] went on through towns and villages, preaching and bringing the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve [apostles] were with Him, + And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had been expelled; + And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager; and Susanna; and many others, who ministered to and provided for Him and them out of their property and personal belongings. + And when a very great throng was gathering together and people from town after town kept coming to Jesus, He said in a parable: + A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the traveled path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up. + And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture. + And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it [off]. + And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and understand by hearing! + And when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable, + He said to them, To you it has been given to [come progressively to] know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, [though] looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend. [Isa. 6:9, 10; Jer. 5:21; Ezek. 12:2.] + Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. + Those along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe (acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved [here and hereafter]. + And those upon the rock [are the people] who, when they hear [the Word], receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof). + And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection). + But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just (noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience. + No one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a [dining table] couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. + For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open. + Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away. + Then Jesus' mother and His brothers came along toward Him, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. + And it was told Him, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to have an interview with You. + But He answered them, My mother and My brothers are those who listen to the Word of God and do it! + One of those days He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, Let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they put out to sea. + But as they were sailing, He fell off to sleep. And a whirlwind revolving from below upwards swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in great danger. + And the disciples came and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And He, being thoroughly awakened, censured and blamed and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there came a calm. + And He said to them, [Why are you so fearful?] Where is your faith (your trust, your confidence in Me--in My veracity and My integrity)? And they were seized with alarm and profound and reverent dread, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even wind and sea, and they obey Him? + Then they came to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. + Now when Jesus stepped out on land, there met Him a certain man out of the town who had [was possessed by] demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but in the tombs. + And when he saw Jesus, he raised a deep (terrible) cry [from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in terror] and shouted loudly, What have You [to do] with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? [What have we in common?] I beg You, do not torment me! + For Jesus was already commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had snatched and held him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and fetters, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilderness (desert). + Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he answered, Legion; for many demons had entered him. + And they begged [Jesus] not to command them to depart into the Abyss (bottomless pit). [Rev. 9:1.] + Now a great herd of swine was there feeding on the hillside; and [the demons] begged Him to give them leave to enter these. And He allowed them [to do so]. + Then the demons came out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep cliff into the lake and were drowned. + When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the town and in the country. + And [people] went out to see what had occurred, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right (sound) mind; and they were seized with alarm and fear. + And those [also] who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was restored [to health]. + Then all the people of the country surrounding the Gerasenes' district asked [Jesus] to depart from them, for they were possessed and suffering with dread and terror; so He entered a boat and returned [to the west side of the Sea of Galilee]. + But the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging and praying that he might accompany Him and be with Him, but [Jesus] sent him away, saying, + Return to your home, and recount [the story] of how many and great things God has done for you. And [the man] departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. + Now when Jesus came back [to Galilee], the crowd received and welcomed Him gladly, for they were all waiting and looking for Him. + And there came a man named Jairus, who had [for a long time] been a director of the synagogue; and falling at the feet of Jesus, he begged Him to come to his house, + For he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As [Jesus] went, the people pressed together around Him [almost suffocating Him]. + And a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone, + Came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased. + And Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? When all were denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on every side! + But Jesus said, Someone did touch Me; for I perceived that [healing] power has gone forth from Me. + And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and, falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him and how she had been instantly cured. + And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me) has made you well! Go (enter) into peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being). + While He was still speaking, a man from the house of the director of the synagogue came and said [to Jairus], Your daughter is dead; do not weary and trouble the Teacher any further. + But Jesus, on hearing this, answered him, Do not be seized with alarm or struck with fear; simply believe [in Me as able to do this], and she shall be made well. + And when He came to the house, He permitted no one to enter with Him except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother. + And all were weeping for and bewailing her; but He said, Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping. + And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing full well that she was dead. + And grasping her hand, He called, saying, Child, arise [from the sleep of death]! + And her spirit returned [from death], and she arose immediately; and He directed that she should be given something to eat. + And her parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had occurred. + + + THEN JESUS called together the Twelve [apostles] and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases, + And He sent them out to announce and preach the kingdom of God and to bring healing. + And He said to them, Do not take anything for your journey--neither walking stick, nor wallet [for a collection bag], nor food of any kind, nor money, and do not have two undergarments (tunics). + And whatever house you enter, stay there until you go away [from that place]. + And wherever they do not receive and accept and welcome you, when you leave that town shake off [even] the dust from your feet, as a testimony against them. + And departing, they went about from village to village, preaching the Gospel and restoring the afflicted to health everywhere. + Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was being done by [Jesus], and he was [thoroughly] perplexed and troubled, because it was said by some that John [the Baptist] had been raised from the dead, + And by others that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had come back to life. + But Herod said, John I beheaded; but Who is this about Whom I [learn] such things by hearsay? And he sought to see Him. + Upon their return, the apostles reported to Jesus all that they had done. And He took them [along with Him] and withdrew into privacy near a town called Bethsaida. + But when the crowds learned of it, [they] followed Him; and He welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed restoration to health. + Now the day began to decline, and the Twelve came and said to Him, Dismiss the crowds and send them away, so that they may go to the neighboring hamlets and villages and the surrounding country and find lodging and get a supply of provisions, for we are here in an uninhabited (barren, solitary) place. + But He said to them, You [yourselves] give them [food] to eat. They said, We have no more than five loaves and two fish--unless we are to go and buy food for all this crowd, [II Kings 4:42-44.] + For there were about 5,000 men. And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Have them [sit down] reclining in table groups (companies) of about fifty each. + And they did so, and made them all recline. + And taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and [praising God] gave thanks and asked Him to bless them [to their use]. Then He broke them and gave them to the disciples to place before the multitude. + And all the people ate and were satisfied. And they gathered up what remained over--twelve [small hand] baskets of broken pieces. + Now it occurred that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, Who do men say that I am? + And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life. + And He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am? And Peter replied, The Christ of God! + But He strictly charged and sharply commanded them [under penalty] to tell this to no one [no one, whoever he might be], + Saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be [deliberately] disapproved and repudiated and rejected on the part of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be put to death and on the third day be raised [again]. + And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. + For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death]. + For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself? + Because whoever is ashamed of Me and of My teachings, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in the [threefold] glory (the splendor and majesty) of Himself and of the Father and of the holy angels. + However I tell you truly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God. + Now about eight days after these teachings, Jesus took with Him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. + And as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance became altered (different), and His raiment became dazzling white [flashing with the brilliance of lightning]. + And behold, two men were conversing with Him--Moses and Elijah, + Who appeared in splendor and majesty and brightness and were speaking of His exit [from life], which He was about to bring to realization at Jerusalem. + Now Peter and those with him were weighed down with sleep, but when they fully awoke, they saw His glory (splendor and majesty and brightness) and the two men who stood with Him. + And it occurred as the men were parting from Him that Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is delightful and good that we are here; and let us construct three booths or huts--one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah! not noticing or knowing what he was saying. + But even as he was saying this, a cloud came and began to overshadow them, and they were seized with alarm and struck with fear as they entered into the cloud. + Then there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, My Chosen One or My Beloved; listen to and yield to and obey Him! + And when the voice had died away, Jesus was found there alone. And they kept still, and told no one at that time any of these things that they had seen. + Now it occurred the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him. + And behold, a man from the crowd shouted out, Master, I implore You to look at my son, for he is my only child; + And behold, a spirit seizes him and suddenly he cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and he is sorely shattered, and it will scarcely leave him. + And I implored Your disciples to drive it out, but they could not. + Jesus answered, O [faithless ones] unbelieving and without trust in God, a perverse (wayward, crooked and warped) generation! Until when and how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here [to Me]. + And even while he was coming, the demon threw him down and [completely] convulsed him. But Jesus censured and severely rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child and restored him to his father. + And all were astounded at the evidence of God's mighty power and His majesty and magnificence. But [while] they were all marveling at everything Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples, + Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men [whose conduct is opposed to God]. + However, they did not comprehend this saying; and it was kept hidden from them, so that they should not grasp it and understand, and they were afraid to ask Him about the statement. + But a controversy arose among them as to which of them might be the greatest [surpassing the others in excellence, worth, and authority]. + But Jesus, as He perceived the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and put him at His side + And told them, Whoever receives and accepts and welcomes this child in My name and for My sake receives and accepts and welcomes Me; and whoever so receives Me so also receives Him Who sent Me. For he who is least and lowliest among you all--he is [the one who is truly] great. + John said, Master, we saw a man driving out demons in Your name and we commanded him to stop it, for he does not follow along with us. + But Jesus told him, Do not forbid [such people]; for whoever is not against you is for you. + Now when the time was almost come for Jesus to be received up [to heaven], He steadfastly and determinedly set His face to go to Jerusalem. + And He sent messengers before Him; and they reached and entered a Samaritan village to make [things] ready for Him; + But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him, because His face was [set as if He was] going to Jerusalem. + And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? [II Kings 1:9-16.] + But He turned and rebuked and severely censured them. He said, You do not know of what sort of spirit you are, + For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them [from the penalty of eternal death]. And they journeyed on to another village. + And it occurred that as they were going along the road, a man said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go. + And Jesus told him, Foxes have lurking holes and the birds of the air have roosts and nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. + And He said to another, Become My disciple, side with My party, and accompany Me! But he replied, Lord, permit me first to go and bury (await the death of) my father. + But Jesus said to him, Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and publish abroad throughout all regions the kingdom of God. + Another also said, I will follow You, Lord, and become Your disciple and side with Your party; but let me first say good-bye to those at my home. + Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God. + + + NOW AFTER this the Lord chose and appointed seventy others and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come (visit). + And He said to them, The harvest indeed is abundant [there is much ripe grain], but the farmhands are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. + Go your way; behold, I send you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. + Carry no purse, no provisions bag, no [change of] sandals; refrain from [retarding your journey by] saluting and wishing anyone well along the way. + Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this household! [Freedom from all the distresses that result from sin be with this family]. + And if anyone [worthy] of peace and blessedness is there, the peace and blessedness you wish shall come upon him; but if not, it shall come back to you. + And stay on in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. [Deut. 24:15.] + Whenever you go into a town and they receive and accept and welcome you, eat what is set before you; + And heal the sick in it and say to them, The kingdom of God has come close to you. + But whenever you go into a town and they do not receive and accept and welcome you, go out into its streets and say, + Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we are wiping off against you; yet know and understand this: the kingdom of God has come near you. + I tell you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that town. [Gen. 19:24-28.] + Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty miracles performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. + However, it shall be more tolerable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. + And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted unto heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades (the regions of the dead). + He who hears and heeds you [disciples] hears and heeds Me; and he who slights and rejects you slights and rejects Me; and he who slights and rejects Me slights and rejects Him who sent Me. + The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! + And He said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning [flash] from heaven. + Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. + Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven. [Exod. 32:32; Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1.] + In that same hour He rejoiced and gloried in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have concealed these things [relating to salvation] from the wise and understanding and learned, and revealed them to babes (the childish, unskilled, and untaught). Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will and choice and good pleasure. + All things have been given over into My power by My Father; and no one knows Who the Son is except the Father, or Who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son may choose to reveal and make Him known. + Then turning to His disciples, He said privately, Blessed (happy, to be envied) are those whose eyes see what you see! + For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see and they did not see it, and to hear what you hear and they did not hear it. + And then a certain lawyer arose to try (test, tempt) Him, saying, Teacher, what am I to do to inherit everlasting life [that is, to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]? + Jesus said to him, What is written in the Law? How do you read it? + And he replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. [Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5.] + And Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live [enjoy active, blessed, endless life in the kingdom of God]. + And he, determined to acquit himself of reproach, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? + Jesus, taking him up, replied, A certain man was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings and beat him and went their way, [unconcernedly] leaving him half dead, as it happened. + Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down along that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. + A Levite likewise came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side [of the road]. + But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled along, came down to where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity and sympathy [for him], + And went to him and dressed his wounds, pouring on [them] oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. + And the next day he took out two denarii [two day's wages] and gave [them] to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I [myself] will repay you when I return. + Which of these three do you think proved himself a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers? + He answered, The one who showed pity and mercy to him. And Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise. + Now while they were on their way, it occurred that Jesus entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha received and welcomed Him into her house. + And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and was listening to His teaching. + But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]! + But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; + There is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her. + + + THEN HE was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, [just] as John taught his disciples. + And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done [held holy and revered] on earth as it is in heaven. + Give us daily our bread [food for the morrow]. + 'And forgive us our sins, for also we ourselves forgive every [one] being indebted to us; and do not lead us into temptation,_but_ deliver us from evil [or, the evil [one]].'" + And He said to them, "Which of you* will have a friend and will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, + since a friend came to me from a journey, and I do not have what I would set before him;' + and that [one] answering from within shall say, 'Stop causing me troubles! The door has already been shut, and my young children are with me in bed. I am not able, having gotten up, to give to you.' + "I say to you*, even if he will not give to him, having gotten up, because of him being a friend, yet because of his shameless persistence, having gotten up, he will give to him as much as he needs. + "And_I_ say to you*, be asking, and it will be given to you*; be seeking, and you* will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you*. + "For every [one] asking receives, and the one seeking finds, and to the one knocking it will be opened. + "Now which father [among] you*, [if] his son will ask [for] a loaf of bread, he will not give to him a stone, will he? Or also [if he asks for] a fish, he will not give to him a serpent instead of a fish, will he? + "Or also if he asks [for] an egg, he will not give to him a scorpion, will he? + "If you* then being evil know [how] to be giving good gifts to your* children, how much more will the Father of heaven [fig., your* heavenly Father] give [the] Holy Spirit to the ones asking Him?" + And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. Then it happened, the demon having gone out, the mute [person] spoke, and the crowds marveled. + But some of them said, "By Beelzebul [i.e. a Philistine deity, used as a name for the devil], ruler of the demons, He casts out demons." + But others, testing [Him], were seeking a sign from Him from heaven. + But knowing their thoughts,_He_ said to them, "Every kingdom having been divided against itself is laid waste, and a house [divided] against a house falls. + "So if Satan also was divided against himself, how will his kingdom be made to stand? Because you* say [that] I am casting out demons by Beelzebul. + "But if_I_ cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your* sons [fig., disciples] cast [them] out? For this reason they will be your* judges. + "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, in that case, the kingdom of God came upon you*. + "When the strong [man] having been fully armed is guarding his own palace, his possessions are in peace [fig., undisturbed]. + "But when the [one] stronger than he, having come upon [him], overcomes him, he takes away his complete suit of armor in which he had relied on, and he distributes his spoils. + "The [one] not with Me is against Me, and the [one] not gathering with Me scatters. + "When the unclean [or, defiling] spirit goes out from the person, it goes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding [any], it says, 'I will return to my house from where I came out.' + "And having come, it finds [it] having been swept and having been put in order. + "Then it goes and takes along seven different spirits more evil [than] itself. And having come, they dwell there, and the last [state] of that person becomes worse [than] the first." + Now it happened, while He [was] saying these [things], a certain woman from the crowd having raised [her] voice, said to Him, "Happy [is] the womb, the one having carried You, and [the] breasts [from] which You nursed!" + But He said, "But rather, happy [are] the ones hearing the word of God and keeping [fig., obeying] [it]!" + Now [as] the crowds gathered even more, He began to be saying, "This generation is evil. It seeks a sign, and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet. + "For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Humanity be to this generation. [Jonah 1:17] + "[The] Queen of [the] South will be raised up in the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And listen! [One] greater than Solomon [is] here! + "Men, Ninevites, will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at [or, because of] the proclamation of Jonah. And listen! [One] greater than Jonah [is] here! [Jonah 3:5] + "But no one having lit a lamp puts [it] in a hidden place [or, a cellar] nor under the basket,_but_ on the lamp-stand, so that the one coming in shall be seeing the light. + "The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also dark. + "Therefore, be watching out lest the light, the [one] in you, is darkness. + "So if your whole body is full of light, not having any part darkened, the whole will be full of light, like when the lamp by its brightness shall be giving you light." + Now while [He] [was] speaking, a certain Pharisee was asking Him that He should dine with him. So having entered, He reclined [to eat]. + But the Pharisee having seen, marveled that He was not first baptized [or, ceremonially washed] before the meal. + Then the Lord said to him, "Now you*, the Pharisees, make the outside of the cup and of the wooden platter clean, but the inside of you* is full of violent greed and wickedness. + "Fools! The One having made the outside also made the inside, did He not? + "Nevertheless, give the [things] being [or, what is] inside [as] charitable gifts. Then listen! All things are clean to you*. + "_But_ how horrible it will be to you*, the Pharisees! Because you* tithe [i.e. give a tenth of] the mint and the rue [i.e. a scented herb] and every vegetable, and you* pass by [fig., overlook] the justice and the love of God. These [things] it is necessary to do, and those not to be neglecting. + "How horrible it will be to you*, the Pharisees! Because you* love the first seats [fig., most important places] in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. + "How horrible it will be to you*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you* are like the unmarked tombs, and the people walking about above do not know [it]." + Then answering, one of the lawyers says to Him, "Teacher, by saying these [things] You also insult us." + But He said, "How horrible it will be to you* also, the lawyers! Because you* burden the people with hard to carry [fig., difficult] burdens, and you* yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your* fingers. + "How horrible it will be to you*! Because you* build the tombs of the prophets, but your* fathers killed them. + "Consequently, you* bear witness to and approve of the works of your* fathers, because_they_ indeed killed them, but you* build their tombs! + "For this reason the wisdom of God also said, I will send to them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they will kill, and [some] they will persecute, + so that the blood of all the prophets, the [blood] being shed from the laying of the foundation of the world, shall be charged against this generation, + from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, the one having perished between the altar and the house [of God]. Yes, I say to you*, it will be charged against this generation. [Gen 4:8; 2Chron 36:16] + "How horrible it will be to you*, the lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You* yourselves did not enter, and you* hindered the ones entering in." + Now while He [was] speaking these [things] to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile towards [Him] and to be attacking Him with questions concerning many things, + laying in wait for Him, seeking to catch something out of His mouth [fig., to catch Him in something He might say], so that they should bring charges against Him. + + + At which time [fig., Meanwhile], when the countless thousands of the crowd had been gathered together, so as to be trampling on one another, He began to be saying to His disciples first [of all], "You* yourselves be watching out for the leaven [or, yeast] of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy [or, insincerity]. + "But nothing has been concealed which will not be revealed, and hidden which will not made known. + "Because whatever you* said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you* spoke to the ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. + "Now I say to you*, My friends, do not be afraid of the ones killing the body, and after these [things] are not having anything further to do. + "But I will show to you* whom you* should fear: fear the [One, who] after [having] killed is having authority to cast into hell [Gr., gehenna]. Yes, I say to you*, fear this [One]! + "Five sparrows are sold [for] two assars [about 1/32 of an ounce or 0.44 grams of silver], are they not? And not one of them has been forgotten before God. + "_But_ even the hairs of your* head have all been numbered. Therefore, stop fearing. You* are worth more than many sparrows! + "Now I say to you*, all who shall confess Me before the people, the Son of Humanity also will confess with him before the angels of God. + "But the one having denied [or, disowned] Me before the people will be denied before the angels of God. + "And all who will speak a word against the Son of Humanity, it will be forgiven to him; but to the one having spoken against [or, having blasphemed] the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. + "Now when they shall be bringing you* before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, stop being anxious how or what you* are to speak in your* defense, or what you* should say. + "For the Holy Spirit will teach you* in that very hour what it is necessary to say." + Then someone from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." + But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or a divider [or, an arbitrator] over you*?" + Then He said to them, "Be watching out for and be guarding yourselves against covetous desire [or, greed], because not in the abounding of his possessions is his life [fig., a person's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions]." + So He spoke an allegory to them, saying, "The field of a certain rich man brought forth well [fig., produced a bountiful harvest]. + "And he was pondering within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, because I do not have where I will gather [fig., room to store] my harvest?' + "And he said, 'This I will do: I will tear down my barns, and I will build larger ones, and there I will gather together [fig., store] all my crops and my goods. + 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years, be resting [or, be taking it easy], eat, drink, [and] be celebrating!"' + "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night they are demanding your soul from you. Now what you prepared, to whom will it be [fig., belong]?' + "In the same way [is] the one storing up [earthly riches] for himself and [who] is not rich toward God." + Then He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you*, stop being anxious [about] your* life, what you* shall eat, and [about] the body, what you* shall wear. + "The life is more [than] nourishment, and the body [is more than] clothing. + "Be considering the ravens, for they do not sow nor reap, to which there is no [fig., which do not have] storeroom nor barn, and God provides for them. How much more valuable you* are than the birds! + "But which of you* [by] being anxious is able to add one cubit [about 18 inches or 45 centimeters] to his height? + "So if you* are not able [to do] a very little [thing], why are you* anxious [about] the rest? + "Consider the lilies, how do they grow? They do not labor nor do they spin. But I say to you*, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. + "But if God clothes in such a manner the grass in the field, being [here] today and tomorrow is thrown into a furnace, how much more [will He clothe] you*, [O you*] of little faith? + "And_you*_, stop seeking what you* shall eat or what you* shall drink, and stop being upset. + "For all these [things] the nations of the world seek after, but your* Father knows that you* have need of these [things]. + "Nevertheless, be seeking the kingdom of God, and all these [things] will be added to you*. + "Stop being afraid, little flock, because your* Father was delighted to give to you* the kingdom. + "Sell your* possessions and give charitable gifts. Make for yourselves money bags [which] are not wearing out, an inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where a thief does not come near nor does a moth destroy. + "For where your* treasure is, there your* heart [fig., inner desire] will be also. + "Let your* waist be wrapped around [with a belt] [fig., Prepare yourselves], and [keep] the lamps burning. + "And you* [are to be] like people waiting for their lord, when he returns from the wedding feasts, so that having come and knocked, immediately they shall open to him. + "Happy [are] those slaves, whom the lord having come will find keeping watch. Positively, I say to you*, he will wrap [a belt] around himself and have them recline [to eat], and having come alongside, he will serve them. + "And if he comes in the second watch [i.e. between 9:00 p.m. and midnight], [or] he even comes in the third watch [i.e. between midnight and 3:00 a.m.], and he finds [them] so, happy are those slaves. + "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief [was] coming, he would have kept watch and would not have allowed [the walls of] his house to be dug through. + "Therefore,_you*_ also become ready, because the Son of Humanity is coming at the hour you* do not think [fig., expect]." + Now Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this allegory to us, or also to all?" + Then the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom the lord will put in charge over his household servants to give [them their] food allowance at [the right] time? + "Happy [is] that slave, whom his lord having come, will find so doing. + "Truly I say to you*, he will put him in charge over all his possessions. + "But if that slave says in his heart, 'My lord is delaying to be coming,' and he begins to be beating the slave-boys and the slave-girls and to be eating and to be drinking and to be getting drunk, + the lord of that slave will come in a day in which he does not expect [him], and in an hour which he does not know, and he will cut him in two [fig., punish him severely], and he will appoint his portion with the unbelievers. + "So that slave, the one having known his lord's will and not having prepared nor having done according to his will, will be repeatedly beaten with many [lashes]. + "But the one not having known, and having done [things] worthy of a beating, will be repeatedly beaten with few [lashes]. So to every [one] to whom much was given, much will be demanded from him, and to whom they entrusted much, all the more they will ask of him. + "I came to cast fire to the earth, and how I wish that it was already kindled! + "But I have a baptism to be baptized [with], and how distressed I am until it is completed! + "Do you* think that I came to give peace on the earth? Not at all, I say to you*,_but_ rather division! + "For from now [on] five in one house will have been divided: three against two and two against three. + "A father will be divided against a son and a son against a father, a mother against a daughter and a daughter against a mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." [see Micah 7:6] + Then He also said to the crowds, "Whenever you* see the cloud rising from [the] west, immediately you* say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it happens. + "And whenever [you* see] a south wind blowing, you say*, 'It will be scorching heat [i.e., It will be a hot day],' and so it happens. + "Hypocrites! You know [how] to be interpreting the face of the earth and of the sky, but how [is it] you* are not interpreting this time? + "But why do you* not even judge of yourselves the righteous [thing] [fig., what is righteous]? + "For as you* are going with your opponent [in a lawsuit] to a ruler [or, magistrate], on the way give work [fig., make every effort] to have been released from [fig., to make an settlement with] him, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the court officer, and the court officer throw you into prison. + "I say to you, by no means shall you come out from there until you pay back even the last lepton [i.e. a small copper coin worth 1/1000th of an ounce or 0.025 grams of silver]." + + + Now some [people] were showing up at that very time reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices. + And answering, Jesus said to them, "Do you* think that these Galileans were sinners more than all the [other] Galileans, because they have suffered such [things]? + "Not at all, I say to you*,_but_ if you* are not repenting, you* will all likewise perish. + "Or those, the eighteen, on whom the lookout tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you* think that these were debtors more [fig., worse sinners] than all the [other] people dwelling in Jerusalem? + "Not at all, I say to you*,_but_ if you* are not repenting, you* will all likewise perish." + Then He spoke this allegory: "A certain [man] had a fig tree having been planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find [any]. + "Then he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Look! Three years I [have] come looking for fruit in this fig tree and do not find [any]. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' + "But answering, he says to him, 'Lord, let it alone this year also, until which [time] I dig around it and put piles of manure [on it]. + "And if then it produces fruit [fine], but if not, in the coming [year] you will cut it down." + Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. + And look! [There] was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she [was] bent double and [was] not being able to straighten up to the completion [fig., at all]. + But Jesus having seen her called [her] over and said to her, "Woman, you have been set free from your infirmity!" + And He laid [His] hands on her, and immediately she was made erect and began glorifying God! + But the synagogue leader answering (being indignant that Jesus healed on the Sabbath), began saying to the crowd, "There are six days in which it is necessary [for us] to be working. Therefore, on these [days] [be] coming [and] getting healed, and not on the day of the Sabbath." + Then the Lord answered him and said, "Hypocrites! Does not each [one] of you* on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall, and having led [it] away, give [it] water? + "But this [woman], being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan indeed bound eighteen years, it was necessary [for her] to be released from this bond on the day of the Sabbath, was it not?" + And when He said these [things] all the ones opposing Him were being put to shame, and the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious [things], the ones being done by Him. + Then He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what will I compare it? + "It is like a grain of mustard [or, mustard seed], which a man having taken, put into his garden, and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches." + Again He said, "To what will I compare the kingdom of God? + "It is like leaven [or, yeast], which a woman having taken, hid [or, mixed] into three satons [about 36 quarts or 40 liters] of wheat flour until it was all leavened." + And He was passing through according to [fig., through various] cities and villages teaching and making a journey to Jerusalem. + Now someone said to Him, "Lord, are the ones being saved few?" And He said to them, + "Be striving to go in through the narrow gate, because many, I say to you*, will seek to enter and will not be able. + "From whatever [time] the Master of the house is risen up and shuts the door, and* you begin to have stood outside and to be knocking at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us,' and answering, He will say to you*, 'I do not know you*, where you* are from.' + "Then you* will begin to be saying, 'We ate and drank before You, and You taught in our open streets.' + "And He will say, 'I say to you*, I do not know you*, where you* are from. Depart from Me, all you* workers of unrighteousness!' + "In that place [there] will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you* see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you* yourselves being thrown out outside! + "And they will come from east and west and north and south, and they will recline [to eat] in the kingdom of God. + "And listen! [There] are last [ones] who will be first, and [there] are first [ones] who will be last." + On that very day some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, "Get out and be going from here, for Herod wants to kill You." + And He said to them, "Having gone, say to this fox, 'Look! I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and the third [day] I am being perfected.' + "Nevertheless, it is necessary [for] Me to be traveling today and tomorrow and the following [day], because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem. + "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the [city] killing the prophets and stoning the ones having been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather together your children [by] which manner [fig., just as] a hen [gathers] her brood [of chicks] under her wings, and you* did want [to]. + "Look! Your* house is being left to you* desolate. But, I say to you*, by no means shall you* see Me until [the time] comes when you* shall say, 'Having been blessed [is] the One coming in [the] name of the LORD.'" [Psalm 118:26] + + + And it happened, when He went into [the] house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that_they_ were watching Him closely. + And look! A certain man was dropsical [i.e. having swollen arms and legs] before Him. + And answering, Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to be healing on the Sabbath?" + But they were silent. And having taken hold of [him], He healed him and let [him] go. + And replying to them, He said, "A son or ox of which of you* will fall into a well, and he will not immediately draw it up on the day of the Sabbath?" + And they were not able to answer Him back regarding these things. + Then He began telling an allegory to the ones having been called, noticing how they were choosing the first couches [fig., places of honor], saying to them, + "Whenever you* are invited by someone to marriage feasts, do not recline [to eat] on the first couch [fig., the place of honor], lest a more honorable [person than] you has been invited by him; + and having come, the one having invited you and him, he will say to you, 'Give [your] place to this [person],' and then you begin with shame to be taking the last place. + "_But_ whenever you are invited, having gone, recline [to eat] in the last place, so that whenever the one having invited you comes, he shall say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then [there] will be glory for you before the ones reclining [to eat] with you. + "Because every [one] exalting himself will be humbled, and the one humbling himself will be exalted." + Then He also began saying to the one having invited Him, "Whenever you prepare a lunch or a dinner, do not be calling your friends nor your brothers nor your relatives nor rich neighbors, lest_they_ also invite you back, and [that] shall be your repayment. + "_But_ whenever you prepare a banquet, be inviting poor [people], crippled [people], lame [people], [and] blind [people], + and you will be happy [or, blessed], because they do not have [anything] to repay to you, for it will be repaid to you in the resurrection of the righteous." + Then one of the ones reclining [to eat] with [Him], having heard these things, said to him, "Happy [or, Blessed] [is he] who will eat dinner in the kingdom of God." + But He said to him, "A certain man prepared a great banquet, and he invited many; + and he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to the ones having been invited, 'Be coming, because all [things] are now ready.' + "And they all began with one [accord] to be excusing themselves. The first said to him, 'I bought a field, and I have a need to go out and to see it. I beg of you, be having me having been excused.' + "And another said, 'I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I beg of you, be having me having been excused.' + "And another said, 'I married a wife, and for this reason I am not being able to come.' + "And that slave having come, reported these [things] to his lord. Then the master of the house, having been enraged, said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the open streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and lame and blind.' + "And the slave said, 'Lord, it has been done as you commanded, and still there is room.' + "And the lord said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and [along the] fences, and compel [them] to come in, so that my house shall be filled. + 'For I say to you*, none of those men, the ones having been invited, will taste of my banquet, + Now large crowds were going along with Him, and having turned around, He said to them, + "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and in addition even his own life, he is not able to be My disciple. + "And whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me is not able to be My disciple. + "For which of you*, the one wanting to build a lookout tower, does not first, having sat down, calculate the cost, whether he has the [resources] for [its] completion? + "Lest perhaps, after he has laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all the ones watching begin to be ridiculing him, + saying, 'This man began to be building and was not able to finish.' + "Or what king going to engage another king in battle, does not, having sat down, first consider if he is able with ten thousand [soldiers] to encounter the one with twenty thousand [soldiers] coming against him? + "But if not, while he is still far away, having sent a delegation, he asks the [terms] for peace. + "So likewise, every [one] of you* who does not give up all his own possessions is not able to be My disciple. + "The salt [is] good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? + "It is fit neither for soil nor for a manure pile-they throw it out. The one having ears to be hearing, let him be hearing [or, be paying attention]." + + + NOW THE tax collectors and [notorious and especially wicked] sinners were all coming near to [Jesus] to listen to Him. + And the Pharisees and the scribes kept muttering and indignantly complaining, saying, This man accepts and receives and welcomes [preeminently wicked] sinners and eats with them. + So He told them this parable: + What man of you, if he has a hundred sheep and should lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness (desert) and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? + And when he has found it, he lays it on his [own] shoulders, rejoicing. + And when he gets home, he summons together [his] friends and [his] neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep which was lost. + Thus, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one [especially] wicked person who repents (changes his mind, abhorring his errors and misdeeds, and determines to enter upon a better course of life) than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance. + Or what woman, having ten [silver] drachmas [each one equal to a day's wages], if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it? + And when she has found it, she summons her [women] friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the silver coin which I had lost. + Even so, I tell you, there is joy among and in the presence of the angels of God over one [especially] wicked person who repents (changes his mind for the better, heartily amending his ways, with abhorrence of his past sins). + And He said, There was a certain man who had two sons; + And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the part of the property that falls [to me]. And he divided the estate between them. [Deut. 21:15-17.] + And not many days after that, the younger son gathered up all that he had and journeyed into a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and loose [from restraint] living. + And when he had spent all he had, a mighty famine came upon that country, and he began to fall behind and be in want. + So he went and forced (glued) himself upon one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed hogs. + And he would gladly have fed on and filled his belly with the carob pods that the hogs were eating, but [they could not satisfy his hunger and] nobody gave him anything [better]. [Jer. 30:14.] + Then when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have enough food, and [even food] to spare, but I am perishing (dying) here of hunger! + I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. + I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants. + So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently]. + And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son [I no longer deserve to be recognized as a son of yours]! + But the father said to his bond servants, Bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet. [Gen. 41:42; Zech. 3:4.] + And bring out that [wheat-]fattened calf and kill it; and let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry, + Because this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry. + But his older son was in the field; and as he returned and came near the house, he heard music and dancing. + And having called one of the servant [boys] to him, he began to ask what this meant. + And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed that [wheat-]fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and well. + But [the elder brother] was angry [with deep-seated wrath] and resolved not to go in. Then his father came out and began to plead with him, + But he answered his father, Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me [so much as] a [little] kid, that I might revel and feast and be happy and make merry with my friends; + But when this son of yours arrived, who has devoured your estate with immoral women, you have killed for him that [wheat-] fattened calf! + And the father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. + But it was fitting to make merry, to revel and feast and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found! + + + ALSO [Jesus] said to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a manager of his estate, and accusations [against this man] were brought to him, that he was squandering his [master's] possessions. + And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management [of my affairs], for you can be [my] manager no longer. + And the manager of the estate said to himself, What shall I do, seeing that my master is taking the management away from me? I am not able to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. + I have come to know what I will do, so that they [my master's debtors] may accept and welcome me into their houses when I am put out of the management. + So he summoned his master's debtors one by one, and he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? + He said, A hundred measures [about 900 gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and sit down quickly and write fifty [about 450 gallons]. + After that he said to another, And how much do you owe? He said, A hundred measures [about 900 bushels] of wheat. He said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and write eighty [about 700 bushels]. + And [his] master praised the dishonest (unjust) manager for acting shrewdly and prudently; for the sons of this age are shrewder and more prudent and wiser in [relation to] their own generation [to their own age and kind] than are the sons of light. + And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings). + He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. + Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? + And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? + No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely). + Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things [taken together], and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him. + But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God. [I Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2.] + Until John came, there were the Law and the Prophets; since then the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone strives violently to go in [would force his own way rather than God's way into it]. + Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to fail and become void. + Whoever divorces (dismisses and repudiates) his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband commits adultery. + There was a certain rich man who [habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and reveled and feasted and made merry in splendor every day. + And at his gate there was [carelessly] dropped down and left a certain utterly destitute man named Lazarus, [reduced to begging alms and] covered with [ulcerated] sores. + He [eagerly] desired to be satisfied with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover, the dogs even came and licked his sores. + And it occurred that the man [reduced to] begging died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. + And in Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. + And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have pity and mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. + But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime fully received [what is due you in] comforts and delights, and Lazarus in like manner the discomforts and distresses; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. + And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who want to pass from this [place] to you may not be able, and no one may pass from there to us. + And [the man] said, Then, father, I beseech you to send him to my father's house-- + For I have five brothers--so that he may give [solemn] testimony and warn them, lest they too come into this place of torment. + But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear and listen to them. + But he answered, No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent (change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins). + He said to him, If they do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded and convinced and believe [even] if someone should rise from the dead. + + + AND [Jesus] said to His disciples, Temptations (snares, traps set to entice to sin) are sure to come, but woe to him by or through whom they come! + It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea than that he should cause to sin or be a snare to one of these little ones [lowly in rank or influence]. + Pay attention and always be on your guard [looking out for one another]. If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him. + And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, I repent [I am sorry], you must forgive him (give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled). + The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith (that trust and confidence that spring from our belief in God). + And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you. + Will any man of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and take your place at the table? + Will he not instead tell him, Get my supper ready and gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you yourself shall eat and drink? + Is he grateful and does he praise the servant because he did what he was ordered to do? + Even so on your part, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants [possessing no merit, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have [merely] done what was our duty to do. + As He went on His way to Jerusalem, it occurred that [Jesus] was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee. + And as He was going into one village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance. + And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us! + And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean. [Lev. 14:2-32.] + Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice; + And he fell prostrate at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan. + Then Jesus asked, Were not [all] ten cleansed? Where are the nine? + Was there no one found to return and to recognize and give thanks and praise to God except this alien? + And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) has restored you to health. + Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, + Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]. + And He said to the disciples, The time is coming when you will long to see [even] one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see [it]. + And they will say to you, Look! [He is] there! or, Look! [He is] here! But do not go out or follow [them]. + For like the lightning, that flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His [own] day. + But first He must suffer many things and be disapproved and repudiated and rejected by this age and generation. + And [just] as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man. + [People] ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, right up to the day when Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. [Gen. 6:5-8; 7:6-24.] + So also [it was the same] as it was in the days of Lot. [People] ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; + But on the [very] day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all. + That is the way it will be on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. [Gen. 18:20-33; 19:24, 25.] + On that day let him who is on the housetop, with his belongings in the house, not come down [and go inside] to carry them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. + Remember Lot's wife! [Gen. 19:26.] + Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve and quicken it. + I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. + There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other will be left. + Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left. + Then they asked Him, Where, Lord? He said to them, Wherever the dead body is, there will the vultures or eagles be gathered together. + + + ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). + He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man. + And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary. + And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man, + Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me. + Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says! + And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf? + I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth? + He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [that they were upright and in right standing with God] and scorned and made nothing of all the rest of men: + Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. + The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men--extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers--or even like this tax collector here. + I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain. + But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am! + I tell you, this man went down to his home justified (forgiven and made upright and in right standing with God), rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. + Now they were also bringing [even] babies to Him that He might touch them, and when the disciples noticed it, they reproved them. + But Jesus called them [the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God. + Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all]. + And a certain ruler asked Him, Good Teacher [You who are essentially and perfectly morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]? + Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? No one is [essentially and perfectly morally] good--except God only. + You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not witness falsely, honor your father and your mother. [Exod. 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20.] + And he replied, All these I have kept from my youth. + And when Jesus heard it, He said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell everything that you have and divide [the money] among the poor, and you will have [rich] treasure in heaven; and come back [and] follow Me [become My disciple, join My party, and accompany Me]. + But when he heard this, he became distressed and very sorrowful, for he was rich--exceedingly so. + Jesus, observing him, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! + For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle's eye than [for] a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. + And those who heard it said, Then who can be saved? + But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God. [Gen. 18:14; Jer. 32:17.] + And Peter said, See, we have left our own [things--home, family, and business] and have followed You. + And He said to them, I say to you truly, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God + Who will not receive in return many times more in this world and, in the coming age, eternal life. + Then taking the Twelve [apostles] aside, He said to them, Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written about the Son of Man through and by the prophets will be fulfilled. [Isa. 53:1-12.] + For He will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be made sport of and scoffed and jeered at and insulted and spit upon. [Isa. 50:6.] + They will flog Him and kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again. [Ps. 16:10.] + But they understood nothing of these things; His words were a mystery and hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was telling them. + As He came near to Jericho, it occurred that a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. + And hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it meant. + They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. + And he shouted, saying, Jesus, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me! + But those who were in front reproved him, telling him to keep quiet; yet he screamed and shrieked so much the more, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me! + Then Jesus stood still and ordered that he be led to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, + What do you want Me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me receive my sight! + And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your faith in God) has healed you. + And instantly he received his sight and began to follow Jesus, recognizing, praising, and honoring God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God. + + + AND [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it. + And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and [he was] rich. + And he was trying to see Jesus, which One He was, but he could not on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature. + So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass that way. + And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today. + So he hurried and came down, and he received and welcomed Him joyfully. + And when the people saw it, they all muttered among themselves and indignantly complained, He has gone in to be the guest of and lodge with a man who is devoted to sin and preeminently a sinner. + So then Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much. [Exod. 22:1; Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:6, 7.] + And Jesus said to him, Today is [Messianic and spiritual] salvation come to [all the members of] this household, since Zacchaeus too is a [real spiritual] son of Abraham; + For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. + Now as they were listening to these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was approaching Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to be brought to light and shown forth immediately. + He therefore said, A certain nobleman went into a distant country to obtain for himself a kingdom and then to return. + Calling ten of his [own] bond servants, he gave them ten minas [each equal to about one hundred days' wages or nearly twenty dollars] and said to them, Buy and sell with these while I go and then return. + But his citizens detested him and sent an embassy after him to say, We do not want this man to become ruler over us. + When he returned after having received the kingdom, he ordered these bond servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know how much each one had made by buying and selling. + The first one came before him, and he said, Lord, your mina has made ten [additional] minas. + And he said to him, Well done, excellent bond servant! Because you have been faithful and trustworthy in a very little [thing], you shall have authority over ten cities. + The second one also came and said, Lord, your mina has made five more minas. + And he said also to him, And you will take charge over five cities. + Then another came and said, Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept laid up in a handkerchief. + For I was [constantly] afraid of you, because you are a stern (hard, severe) man; you pick up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow. + He said to the servant, I will judge and condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked slave! You knew [did you] that I was a stern (hard, severe) man, picking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow? + Then why did you not put my money in a bank, so that on my return, I might have collected it with interest? + And he said to the bystanders, Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas. + And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas [already]! + And [said Jesus,] I tell you that to everyone who gets and has will more be given, but from the man who does not get and does not have, even what he has will be taken away. + [The indignant king ended by saying] But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them--bring them here and slaughter them in my presence! + And after saying these things, Jesus went on ahead of them, going up to Jerusalem. + When He came near Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called [the Mount of] Olives, He sent two of His disciples, + Telling [them], Go into the village yonder; there, as you go in, you will find a donkey's colt tied, on which no man has ever yet sat. Loose it and bring [it here]. + If anybody asks you, Why are you untying [it]? you shall say this: Because the Lord has need of it. + So those who were sent went away and found it [just] as He had told them. + And as they were loosening the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt? + And they said, The Lord has need of it. + And they brought it to Jesus; then they threw their garments over the colt and set Jesus upon it. [Zech. 9:9.] + And as He rode along, the people kept spreading their garments on the road. [II Kings 9:13.] + As He was approaching [the city], at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God [extolling Him exultantly and] loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed, + Crying, Blessed (celebrated with praises) is the King Who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven [freedom there from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] and glory (majesty and splendor) in the highest [heaven]! [Ps. 118:26.] + And some of the Pharisees from the throng said to Jesus, Teacher, reprove Your disciples! + He replied, I tell you that if these keep silent, the very stones will cry out. [Hab. 2:11.] + And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it, + Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace--your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness--depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes. + For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side. [Isa. 29:3; Jer. 6:6; Ezek. 4:2.] + And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ]. + Then He went into the temple [enclosure] and began to drive out those who were selling, + Telling them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a cave of robbers. [Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11.] + And He continued to teach day after day in the temple [porches and courts]. The chief priests and scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put Him to death, + But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him. + + + ONE DAY as Jesus was instructing the people in the temple [porches] and preaching the good news (the Gospel), the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders (members of the Sanhedrin) + And said to Him, Tell us by what [sort of] authority You are doing these things? Or who is it who gave You this authority? + He replied to them, I will also ask you a question. Now answer Me: + Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? + And they argued and discussed [it] and reasoned together with themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him? + But if we answer, From men, all the people will stone us to death, for they are long since firmly convinced that John was a prophet. + So they replied that they did not know from where it came. + Then Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. + Then He began to relate to the people this parable (this story to figuratively portray what He had to say): A man planted a vineyard and leased it to some vinedressers and went into another country for a long stay. [Isa. 5:1-7.] + When the [right] season came, he sent a bond servant to the tenants, that they might give him [his part] of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat (thrashed) him and sent him away empty-handed. + And he sent still another servant; him they also beat (thrashed) and dishonored and insulted him disgracefully and sent him away empty-handed. + And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and threw out [of the vineyard]. + Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it is probable that they will respect him. + But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours. + So they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? + He will come and [utterly] put an end to those tenants and will give the vineyard to others. When they [the chief priests and the scribes and the elders] heard this, they said, May it never be! + But [Jesus] looked at them and said, What then is [the meaning of] this that is written: The [very] Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Stone of the corner [Cornerstone]? [Ps. 118:22, 23.] + Everyone who falls on that Stone will be broken [in pieces]; but upon whomever It falls, It will crush him [winnow him and scatter him as dust]. [Isa. 8:14, 15; Dan. 2:34, 35.] + The scribes and the chief priests desired and tried to find a way to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people; for they discerned that He had related this parable against them. + So they watched [for an opportunity to ensnare] Him, and sent spies who pretended to be upright (honest and sincere), that they might lay hold of something He might say, so as to turn Him over to the control and authority of the governor. + They asked Him, Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right, and that You show no partiality to anyone but teach the way of God honestly and in truth. + Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not? + But He recognized and understood their cunning and unscrupulousness and said to them, + Show Me a denarius (a coin)! Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered, Caesar's. + He said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. + So they could not in the presence of the people take hold of anything He said to turn it against Him; but marveling at His reply, they were silent. + Also there came to Him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection. + And they asked Him a question, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law] that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife and no children, the man shall take the woman and raise up offspring for his brother. [Deut. 25:5, 6.] + Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died without [having any] children. + And the second + And then the third took her, and in like manner all seven, and they died, leaving no children. + Last of all, the woman died also. + Now in the resurrection whose wife will the woman be? For the seven married her. + And Jesus said to them, The people of this world and present age marry and are given in marriage; + But those who are considered worthy to gain that other world and that future age and to attain to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage; + For they cannot die again, but they are angel-like and equal to angels. And being sons of and sharers in the resurrection, they are sons of God. + But that the dead are raised [from death]--even Moses made known and showed in the passage concerning the [burning] bush, where he calls the Lord, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. [Exod. 3:6.] + Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all men are alive [whether in the body or out of it] and they are alive [not dead] unto Him [in definite relationship to Him]. + And some of the scribes replied, Teacher, you have spoken well and expertly [so that there is no room for blame]. + For they did not dare to question Him further. + But He asked them, How can people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is David's Son? + For David himself says in [the] Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand + Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. [Ps. 110:1.] + So David calls Him Lord; how then is He his Son? + And with all the people listening, He said to His disciples, + Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes and love to be saluted [with honor] in places where people congregate and love the front and best seats in the synagogues and places of distinction at feasts, + Who make away with and devour widows' houses, and [to cover it up] with pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation (the heavier sentence, the severer punishment). + + + LOOKING UP, [Jesus] saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury. + And He saw also a poor widow putting in two mites (copper coins). + And He said, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; + For they all gave out of their abundance (their surplus); but she has contributed out of her lack and her want, putting in all that she had on which to live. + And as some were saying of the temple that it was decorated with handsome (shapely and magnificent) stones and consecrated offerings [laid up to be kept], He said, + As for all this that you [thoughtfully] look at, the time will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. + And they asked Him, Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when this is about to occur? + And He said, Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name [appropriating to themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me], saying, I am He! and, The time is at hand! Do not go out after them. + And when you hear of wars and insurrections (disturbances, disorder, and confusion), do not become alarmed and panic-stricken and terrified; for all this must take place first, but the end will not [come] immediately. + Then He told them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. [II Chron. 15:6; Isa. 19:2.] + There will be mighty and violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences (plagues: malignant and contagious or infectious epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating); and there will be sights of terror and great signs from heaven. + But previous to all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be led away before kings and governors for My name's sake. + This will be a time (an opportunity) for you to bear testimony. + Resolve and settle it in your minds not to meditate and prepare beforehand how you are to make your defense and how you will answer. + For I [Myself] will give you a mouth and such utterance and wisdom that all of your foes combined will be unable to stand against or refute. + You will be delivered up and betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] of you they will put to death. + And you will be hated (despised) by everyone because [you bear] My name and for its sake. + But not a hair of your head shall perish. [I Sam. 14:45.] + By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls. + But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know and understand that its desolation has come near. + Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside [the city] get out of it, and let not those who are out in the country come into it; + For those are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], that all things that are written may be fulfilled. + Alas for those who are pregnant and for those who have babies which they are nursing in those days! For great misery and anguish and distress shall be upon the land and indignation and punishment and retribution upon this people. + They will fall by the mouth and the edge of the sword and will be led away as captives to and among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed). [Isa. 63:18; Dan. 8:13.] + And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity [without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn] at the roaring (the echo) of the tossing of the sea, [Isa. 13:10; Joel 2:10; Zeph. 1:15.] + Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and caused to totter. + And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great (transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor). [Dan. 7:13, 14.] + Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near. + And He told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees; + When they put forth their buds and come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and perceive and know that summer is already near. + Even so, when you see these things taking place, understand and know that the kingdom of God is at hand. + Truly I tell you, this generation (those living at that definite period of time) will not perish and pass away until all has taken place. + The sky and the earth (the universe, the world) will pass away, but My words will not pass away. + But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose; + For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth. + Keep awake then and watch at all times [be discreet, attentive, and ready], praying that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things [taken together] that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man. + Now in the daytime Jesus was teaching in [the porches and courts of] the temple, but at night He would go out and stay on the mount called Olivet. + And early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple [porches or courts] to listen to Him. + + + NOW THE Festival of Unleavened Bread was drawing near, which is called the Passover. + And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to do away with [Jesus], for they feared the people. + But [then] Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve [apostles]. + And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray Him and deliver Him up to them. + And they were delighted and pledged [themselves] to give him money. + So he agreed [to this], and sought an opportunity to betray Him to them [without an uprising] in the absence of the throng. + Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover [lamb] had to be slain. [Exod. 12:18-20; Deut. 16:5-8.] + So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare for us the Passover meal, that we may eat it. + They said to Him, Where do You want us to prepare [it]? + He said to them, Behold, when you have gone into the city, a man carrying an earthen jug or pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into the house which he enters, + And say to the master of the house, The Teacher asks you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover [meal] with My disciples? + And he will show you a large room upstairs, furnished [with carpets and with couches properly spread]; there make [your] preparations. + And they went and found it [just] as He had said to them; and they made ready the Passover [supper]. + And when the hour came, [Jesus] reclined at table, and the apostles with Him. + And He said to them, I have earnestly and intensely desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; + For I say to you, I shall eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. + And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He said, Take this and divide and distribute it among yourselves; + For I say to you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine at all until the kingdom of God comes. + Then He took a loaf [of bread], and when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and gave it to them saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. + And in like manner, He took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament or covenant [ratified] in My blood, which is shed (poured out) for you. + But, behold, the hand of him who is now engaged in betraying Me is with Me on the table. [Ps. 41:9.] + For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined and appointed, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed and delivered up! + And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was who was about to do this. [Ps. 41:9.] + Now an eager contention arose among them [as to] which of them was considered and reputed to be the greatest. + But Jesus said to them, The kings of the Gentiles are deified by them and exercise lordship [ruling as emperor-gods] over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors and well-doers. + But this is not to be so with you; on the contrary, let him who is the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who is the chief and leader like one who serves. + For who is the greater, the one who reclines at table (the master), or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am in your midst as One Who serves. + And you are those who have remained [throughout] and persevered with Me in My trials; + And as My Father has appointed a kingdom and conferred it on Me, so do I confer on you [the privilege and decree], + That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain, [Job 1:6-12; Amos 9:9.] + But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren. + And [Simon Peter] said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death. + But Jesus said, I tell you, Peter, before a [single] cock shall crow this day, you will three times [utterly] deny that you know Me. + And He said to them, When I sent you out with no purse or [provision] bag or sandals, did you lack anything? They answered, Nothing! + Then He said to them, But now let him who has a purse take it, and also [his provision] bag; and let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy a sword. + For I tell you that this Scripture must yet be fulfilled in Me: And He was counted and classed among the wicked (the outlaws, the criminals); for what is written about Me has its fulfillment [has reached its end and is finally settled]. [Isa. 53:12.] + And they said, Look, Lord! Here are two swords. And He said to them, It is enough. + And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed Him. + And when He came to the place, He said to them, Pray that you may not [at all] enter into temptation. + And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, + Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done. + And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit. + And being in an agony [of mind], He prayed [all the] more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground. + And when He got up from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from grief, + And He said to them, Why do you sleep? Get up and pray that you may not enter [at all] into temptation. + And while He was still speaking, behold, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the Twelve [apostles], was going before [leading] them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss Him, + But Jesus said to him, Judas! Would you betray and deliver up the Son of Man with a kiss? + And when those who were around Him saw what was about to happen, they said, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? + And one of them struck the bond servant of the high priest and cut off his ear, the right one. + But Jesus said, Permit them to go so far [as to seize Me]. And He touched the little (insignificant) ear and healed him. + Then Jesus said to those who had come out against Him--the chief priests and captains of the temple and elders [of the Sanhedrin]--Have you come out with swords and clubs as [you would] against a robber? + When I was with you day after day in the temple [enclosure], you did not stretch forth [your] hands against Me. But this is your hour--and the power [which] darkness [gives you has its way]. + Then they seized Him and led Him away, bringing Him into the house of the high priest. Peter was following at a distance. + And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were seated together, Peter sat among them. + Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and gazing [intently] at him, said, This man too was with Him. + But he denied it and said, Woman, I do not know Him! + And a little later someone else saw him and said, You are one of them also. But Peter said, Man, I am not! + And when about an hour more had elapsed, still another emphatically insisted, It is the truth that this man also was with Him, for he too is a Galilean! + But Peter said, Man, I do not know what you are talking about. And instantly, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. + And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter recalled the Lord's words, how He had told him, Before the cock crows today, you will deny Me thrice. + And he went out and wept bitterly [that is, with painfully moving grief]. + Now the men who had Jesus in custody treated Him with contempt and scoffed at and ridiculed Him and beat Him; + They blindfolded Him also and asked Him, Prophesy! Who is it that struck You? + And they said many other evil and slanderous and insulting words against Him, reviling Him. + As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led Him into their council (the Sanhedrin), and they said, + If You are the Christ (the Messiah), tell us. But He said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe (trust in, cleave to, and rely on what I say), + And if I question you, you will not answer. + But hereafter (from this time on), the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God. [Ps. 110:1.] + And they all said, You are the Son of God, then? And He said to them, It is just as you say; I AM. + And they said, What further evidence do we need? For we have heard [it] ourselves from His own mouth! + + + THEN THE whole assembly of them got up and conducted [Jesus] before Pilate. + And they began to accuse Him, asserting, We found this Man perverting (misleading, corrupting, and turning away) our nation and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), a King! + So Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He answered him, [It is just as] you say. [I AM.] + And Pilate said to the chief priests and the throngs, I find no guilt or crime in this Man. + But they were urgent and emphatic, saying, He stirs up and excites the people, teaching throughout all Judea--from Galilee, where He began, even to this place. + Upon hearing this, Pilate asked whether the Man was a Galilean. + And when he found out [certainly] that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him up to Herod [a higher authority], who was also in Jerusalem in those days. + Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had eagerly desired to see Him for a long time because of what he had heard concerning Him, and he was hoping to witness some sign (some striking evidence or spectacular performance) done by Him. + So he asked Him many questions, but He made no reply. [Isa. 53:7.] + Meanwhile, the chief priests and the scribes stood by, continuing vehemently and violently to accuse Him. + And Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and scoffed at and ridiculed Him; then, dressing Him up in bright and gorgeous apparel, he sent Him back to Pilate. [Isa. 53:8.] + And that very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other--[though] they had been at enmity before this. + Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, + And said to them, You brought this Man before me as One Who was perverting and misleading and turning away and corrupting the people; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have not found any offense (crime or guilt) in this Man in regard to your accusations against Him; + No, nor indeed did Herod, for he sent Him back to us; behold, He has done nothing deserving of death. + I will therefore chastise Him and deliver Him amended (reformed, taught His lesson) and release Him. + For it was necessary for him to release to them one prisoner at the Feast. + But they all together raised a deep cry [from the depths of their throats], saying, Away with this Man! Release to us Barabbas! + He was a man who had been thrown into prison for raising a riot in the city, and for murder. + Once more Pilate called to them, wishing to release Jesus; + But they kept shouting out, Crucify, crucify Him! + A third time he said to them, Why? What wrong has He done? I have found [no offense or crime or guilt] in Him nothing deserving of death; I will therefore chastise Him [in order to teach Him better] and release Him. + But they were insistent and urgent, demanding with loud cries that He should be crucified. And their voices prevailed (accomplished their purpose). + And Pilate gave sentence, that what they asked should be done. + So he released the man who had been thrown into prison for riot and murder, for whom they continued to ask, but Jesus he delivered up to be done with as they willed. + And as they led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross and made him carry it behind Jesus. + And there accompanied [Jesus] a great multitude of the people, [including] women who bewailed and lamented Him. + But Jesus, turning toward them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. + For behold, the days are coming during which they will say, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have never nursed [babies]! + Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover (conceal, hide) us! + For if they do these things when the timber is green, what will happen when it is dry? + Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be executed with Him. [Isa. 53:12.] + And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Latin: Calvary; Hebrew: Golgotha], there they crucified Him, and [along with] the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. + And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them. [Ps. 22:18.] + Now the people stood by [calmly and leisurely] watching; but the rulers scoffed and sneered (turned up their noses) at Him, saying, He rescued others [from death]; let Him now rescue Himself, if He is the Christ (the Messiah) of God, His Chosen One! + The soldiers also ridiculed and made sport of Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar (a sour wine mixed with water) [Ps. 69:21.] + And saying, If you are the King of the Jews, save (rescue) Yourself [from death]. + For there was also an inscription above Him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew: This is the King of the Jews. + One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us [from death]! + But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty? + And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable]. + Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingly glory! + And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. + It was now about the sixth hour (midday), and darkness enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour (about three o'clock in the afternoon), + While the sun's light faded or was darkened; and the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two. [Exod. 26:31-35.] + And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired. [Ps. 31:5.] + Now the centurion, having seen what had taken place, recognized God and thanked and praised Him, and said, Indeed, without question, this Man was upright (just and innocent)! + And all the throngs that had gathered to see this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned to their homes, beating their breasts. + And all the acquaintances of [Jesus] and the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched these things. + Now notice, there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council (the Sanhedrin), and a good (upright, advantageous) man, and righteous (in right standing with God and man), + Who had not agreed with or assented to the purpose and action of the others; and he was expecting and waiting for the kingdom of God. + This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. + Then he took it down and rolled it up in a linen cloth for swathing dead bodies and laid Him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. + It was the day of Preparation [for the Sabbath], and the Sabbath was dawning (approaching). + The women who had come with [Jesus] from Galilee followed closely and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. + Then they went back and made ready spices and ointments (perfumes). On the Sabbath day they rested in accordance with the commandment. [Exod. 12:16; 20:10.] + + + BUT ON the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had made ready. + And they found the stone rolled back from the tomb, + But when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. + And while they were perplexed and wondering what to do about this, behold, two men in dazzling raiment suddenly stood beside them. + And as [the women] were frightened and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among [those who are] dead? + He is not here, but has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee + That the Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men (men whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God) and be crucified and on the third day rise [from death]. [Ps. 16:10.] + And they remembered His words. + And having returned from the tomb, they reported all these things [taken together] to the eleven apostles and to all the rest. + Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who reported these things to the apostles. + But these reports seemed to the men an idle tale (madness, feigned things, nonsense), and they did not believe the women. + But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths alone by themselves, and he went away, wondering about and marveling at what had happened. + And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem. + And they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred. + And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them. + But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him. + And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging (throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast. + Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, Do you alone dwell as a stranger in Jerusalem and not know the things that have occurred there in these days? + And He said to them, What [kind of] things? And they said to Him, About Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a Prophet mighty in work and word before God and all the people-- + And how our chief priests and rulers gave Him up to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. + But we were hoping that it was He Who would redeem and set Israel free. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred. + And moreover, some women of our company astounded us and drove us out of our senses. They were at the tomb early [in the morning] + But did not find His body; and they returned saying that they had [even] seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive! + So some of those [who were] with us went to the tomb and they found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see. + And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken! + Was it not necessary and essentially fitting that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer all these things before entering into His glory (His majesty and splendor)? + Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself. + Then they drew near the village to which they were going, and He acted as if He would go further. + But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So He went in to stay with them. + And it occurred that as He reclined at table with them, He took [a loaf of] bread and praised [God] and gave thanks and asked a blessing, and then broke it and was giving it to them + When their eyes were [instantly] opened and they [clearly] recognized Him, and He vanished (departed invisibly). + And they said to one another, Were not our hearts greatly moved and burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and as He opened and explained to us [the sense of] the Scriptures? + And rising up that very hour, they went back to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them, + Who said, The Lord really has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter)! + Then they [themselves] related [in full] what had happened on the road, and how He was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread. + Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them and said to them, Peace (freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin) be to you! + But they were so startled and terrified that they thought they saw a spirit. + And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts? + See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Feel and handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have. + And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. + And while [since] they still could not believe it for sheer joy and marveled, He said to them, Have you anything here to eat? + They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, + And He took [it] and ate [it] before them. + Then He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything which is written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. + Then He [thoroughly] opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures, + And said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer and on the third day rise from (among) the dead, [Hos. 6:2.] + And that repentance [with a view to and as the condition of] forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. + You are witnesses of these things. + And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high. + Then He conducted them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up His hands, He invoked a blessing on them. + And it occurred that while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven. + And they, worshiping Him, went back to Jerusalem with great joy; + And they were continually in the temple celebrating with praises and blessing and extolling God. Amen (so be it). + + + + + IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.] + He was present originally with God. + All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. + In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. + And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. + There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. [Mal. 3:1.] + This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it [adhere to it, trust it, and rely upon it] through him. + He was not the Light himself, but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light. + There it was--the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. [Isa. 49:6.] + He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him]. + He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him. + But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--[Isa. 56:5.] + Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!] + And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.] + John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.] + For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. + For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. [Exod. 20:1.] + No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. [Prov. 8:30.] + And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? + He confessed (admitted the truth) and did not try to conceal it, but acknowledged, I am not the Christ! + They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not! Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No! [Deut. 18:15, 18; Mal. 4:5.] + Then they said to him, Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? + He said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord], as the prophet Isaiah said. [Isa. 40:3.] + The messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. + And they asked him, Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? + John answered them, I [only] baptize in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing. [Mal. 3:1.] + It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose. + These things occurred in Bethany (Bethabara) across the Jordan [at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing. + The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! [Exod. 12:3; Isa. 53:7.] + This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did. + And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing in (with) water. + John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart]. + And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. + And I have seen [that happen--I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God! + Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, + And he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God! + The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him. + But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them, What are you looking for? [And what is it you wish?] And they answered Him, Rabbi--which translated is Teacher--where are You staying? + He said to them, Come and see. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o'clock in the afternoon). + One of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. + He first sought out and found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found (discovered) the Messiah!--which translated is the Christ (the Anointed One). + Andrew then led (brought) Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas--which translated is Peter [Stone]. + The next day Jesus desired and decided to go into Galilee; and He found Philip and said to him, Join Me as My attendant and follow Me. + Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the same city as Andrew and Peter. + Philip sought and found Nathanael and told him, We have found (discovered) the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about--Jesus from Nazareth, the [legal] son of Joseph! + Nathanael answered him, [Nazareth!] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see! + Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity! + Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you. + Nathanael answered, Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! + Jesus replied, Because I said to you, I saw you beneath the fig tree, do you believe in and rely on and trust in Me? You shall see greater things than this! + Then He said to him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you all, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man! [Gen. 28:12; Dan. 7:13.] + + + ON THE third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. + Jesus also was invited with His disciples to the wedding. + And when the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no more wine! + Jesus said to her, [Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? [What do we have in common? Leave it to Me.] My time (hour to act) has not yet come. [Eccl. 3:1.] + His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it. + Now there were six waterpots of stone standing there, as the Jewish custom of purification (ceremonial washing) demanded, holding twenty to thirty gallons apiece. + Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. So they filled them up to the brim. + Then He said to them, Draw some out now and take it to the manager of the feast [to the one presiding, the superintendent of the banquet]. So they took him some. + And when the manager tasted the water just now turned into wine, not knowing where it came from--though the servants who had drawn the water knew--he called the bridegroom + And said to him, Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now! + This, the first of His signs (miracles, wonderworks), Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory [by it He displayed His greatness and His power openly], and His disciples believed in Him [adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. [Deut. 5:24; Ps. 72:19.] + After that He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and disciples, and they stayed there only a few days. + Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + There He found in the temple [enclosure] those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there [also at their stands]. + And having made a lash (a whip) of cords, He drove them all out of the temple [enclosure]--both the sheep and the oxen--spilling and scattering the brokers' money and upsetting and tossing around their trays (their stands). + Then to those who sold the doves He said, Take these things away (out of here)! Make not My Father's house a house of merchandise (a marketplace, a sales shop)! [Ps. 93:5.] + And His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Holy Scriptures], Zeal (the fervor of love) for Your house will eat Me up. [I will be consumed with jealousy for the honor of Your house.] [Ps. 69:9.] + Then the Jews retorted, What sign can You show us, seeing You do these things? [What sign, miracle, token, indication can You give us as evidence that You have authority and are commissioned to act in this way?] + Jesus answered them, Destroy (undo) this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again. + Then the Jews replied, It took forty-six years to build this temple (sanctuary), and will You raise it up in three days? + But He had spoken of the temple which was His body. + When therefore He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this. And so they believed and trusted and relied on the Scripture and the word (message) Jesus had spoken. [Ps. 16:10.] + But when He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing. + But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men]; + And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men's hearts.] [I Sam. 16:7.] + + + NOW THERE was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews, + Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles--and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him. + Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God. + Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb again and be born? + Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. [Ezek. 36:25-27.] + What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. + Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above). + The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. + Nicodemus answered by asking, How can all this be possible? + Jesus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things? [Are they strange to you?] + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, We speak only of what we know [we know absolutely what we are talking about]; we have actually seen what we are testifying to [we were eyewitnesses of it]. And still you do not receive our testimony [you reject and refuse our evidence--that of Myself and of all those who are born of the Spirit]. + If I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on Me) if I tell you of heavenly things? + And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven--the Son of Man [Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven. + And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], [Num. 21:9.] + In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! + For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. + For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. + He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] + The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. [Isa. 5:20.] + For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved. + But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him]. + After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the land (the countryside) of Judea, where He remained with them, and baptized. + But John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, for there was an abundance of water there, and the people kept coming and being baptized. + For John had not yet been thrown into prison. + Therefore there arose a controversy between some of John's disciples and a Jew in regard to purification. + So they came to John and reported to him, Rabbi, the Man Who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan crossing]--and to Whom you yourself have borne testimony--notice, here He is baptizing too, and everybody is flocking to Him! + John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.] + You yourselves are my witnesses [you personally bear me out] that I stated, I am not the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), but I have [only] been sent before Him [in advance of Him, to be His appointed forerunner, His messenger, His announcer]. [Mal. 3:1.] + He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the groomsman who stands by and listens to him rejoices greatly and heartily on account of the bridegroom's voice. This then is my pleasure and joy, and it is now complete. [S. of Sol. 5:1.] + He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.] [Isa. 9:7.] + He Who comes from above (heaven) is [far] above all [others]; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth, and talks the language of earth [his words are from an earthly standpoint]. He Who comes from heaven is [far] above all others [far superior to all others in prominence and in excellence]. + It is to what He has [actually] seen and heard that He bears testimony, and yet no one accepts His testimony [no one receives His evidence as true]. + Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true. [That man has definitely certified, acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured that it is divine truth that God cannot lie]. + For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God's own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit! [Deut. 18:18.] + The Father loves the Son and has given (entrusted, committed) everything into His hand. [Dan. 7:14.] + And he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son has (now possesses) eternal life. But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son will never see (experience) life, but [instead] the wrath of God abides on him. [God's displeasure remains on him; His indignation hangs over him continually.] [Hab. 2:4.] + + + NOW WHEN the Lord knew (learned, became aware) that the Pharisees had been told that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John-- + Though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples-- + He left Judea and returned to Galilee. + It was necessary for Him to go through Samaria. + And in doing so, He arrived at a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the tract of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. + And Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down [to rest] by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (about noon). + Presently, when a woman of Samaria came along to draw water, Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink-- + For His disciples had gone off into the town to buy food-- + The Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan [and a] woman, for a drink?--For the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans-- + Jesus answered her, If you had only known and had recognized God's gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him [instead] and He would have given you living water. + She said to Him, Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no drawing bucket] and the well is deep; how then can You provide living water? [Where do You get Your living water?] + Are You greater than and superior to our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also? + Jesus answered her, All who drink of this water will be thirsty again. + But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life. + The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, so that I may never get thirsty nor have to come [continually all the way] here to draw. + At this, Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband and come back here. + The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have spoken truly in saying, I have no husband. + For you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. In this you have spoken truly. + The woman said to Him, Sir, I see and understand that You are a prophet. + Our forefathers worshiped on this mountain, but you [Jews] say that Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary and proper to worship. + Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither [merely] in this mountain nor [merely] in Jerusalem. + You [Samaritans] do not know what you are worshiping [you worship what you do not comprehend]. We do know what we are worshiping [we worship what we have knowledge of and understand], for [after all] salvation comes from [among] the Jews. + A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. + God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). + The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming, He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us. + Jesus said to her, I Who now speak with you am He. + Just then His disciples came and they wondered (were surprised, astonished) to find Him talking with a woman [a married woman]. However, not one of them asked Him, What are You inquiring about? or What do You want? or, Why do You speak with her? + Then the woman left her water jar and went away to the town. And she began telling the people, + Come, see a Man Who has told me everything that I ever did! Can this be [is not this] the Christ? [Must not this be the Messiah, the Anointed One?] + So the people left the town and set out to go to Him. + Meanwhile, the disciples urged Him saying, Rabbi, eat something. + But He assured them, I have food (nourishment) to eat of which you know nothing and have no idea. + So the disciples said one to another, Has someone brought Him something to eat? + Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work. + Do you not say, It is still four months until harvest time comes? Look! I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields and see how they are already white for harvesting. + Already the reaper is getting his wages [he who does the cutting now has his reward], for he is gathering fruit (crop) unto life eternal, so that he who does the planting and he who does the reaping may rejoice together. + For in this the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps. + I sent you to reap a crop for which you have not toiled. Other men have labored and you have stepped in to reap the results of their work. + Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared and testified, He told me everything that I ever did. + So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days. + Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message [what He Himself said]. + And they told the woman, Now we no longer believe (trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him ourselves [personally], and we know that He truly is the Savior of the world, the Christ. + But after these two days Jesus went on from there into Galilee-- + Although He Himself declared that a prophet has no honor in his own country. + However, when He came into Galilee, the Galileans also welcomed Him and took Him to their hearts eagerly, for they had seen everything that He did in Jerusalem during the Feast; for they too had attended the Feast. + So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son was lying ill in Capernaum. + Having heard that Jesus had come back from Judea into Galilee, he went away to meet Him and began to beg Him to come down and cure his son, for he was lying at the point of death. + Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and miracles happen, you [people] never will believe (trust, have faith) at all. + The king's officer pleaded with Him, Sir, do come down at once before my little child is dead! + Jesus answered him, Go in peace; your son will live! And the man put his trust in what Jesus said and started home. + But even as he was on the road going down, his servants met him and reported, saying, Your son lives! + So he asked them at what time he had begun to get better. They said, Yesterday during the seventh hour (about one o'clock in the afternoon) the fever left him. + Then the father knew that it was at that very hour when Jesus had said to him, Your son will live. And he and his entire household believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Jesus). + This is the second sign (wonderwork, miracle) that Jesus performed after He had come out of Judea into Galilee. + + + LATER ON there was a Jewish festival (feast) for which Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + Now there is in Jerusalem a pool near the Sheep Gate. This pool in the Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porches (alcoves, colonnades, doorways). + In these lay a great number of sick folk--some blind, some crippled, and some paralyzed (shriveled up)-- waiting for the bubbling up of the water. + For an angel of the Lord went down at appointed seasons into the pool and moved and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was cured of whatever disease with which he was afflicted. + There was a certain man there who had suffered with a deep-seated and lingering disorder for thirty-eight years. + When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, Do you want to become well? [Are you really in earnest about getting well?] + The invalid answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to come [into it] myself, somebody else steps down ahead of me. + Jesus said to him, Get up! Pick up your bed (sleeping pad) and walk! + Instantly the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked. But that happened on the Sabbath. + So the Jews kept saying to the man who had been healed, It is the Sabbath, and you have no right to pick up your bed [it is not lawful]. + He answered them, The Man Who healed me and gave me back my strength, He Himself said to me, Pick up your bed and walk! + They asked him, Who is the Man Who told you, Pick up your bed and walk? + Now the invalid who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away [had passed on unnoticed], since there was a crowd in the place. + Afterward, when Jesus found him in the temple, He said to him, See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. + The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had made him well. + For this reason the Jews began to persecute (annoy, torment) Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. + But Jesus answered them, My Father has worked [even] until now, [He has never ceased working; He is still working] and I, too, must be at [divine] work. + This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him [to do away with Him]; because He not only was breaking (weakening, violating) the Sabbath, but He actually was speaking of God as being [in a special sense] His own Father, making Himself equal [putting Himself on a level] with God. + So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. + The Father dearly loves the Son and discloses to (shows) Him everything that He Himself does. And He will disclose to Him (let Him see) greater things yet than these, so that you may marvel and be full of wonder and astonishment. + Just as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life [makes them live on], even so the Son also gives life to whomever He wills and is pleased to give it. + Even the Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son, + So that all men may give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, Who has sent Him. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. + Believe Me when I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the time is coming and is here now when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear it shall live. + For even as the Father has life in Himself and is self-existent, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself and be self-existent. + And He has given Him authority and granted Him power to execute (exercise, practice) judgment because He is a Son of man [very man]. + Do not be surprised and wonder at this, for the time is coming when all those who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, + And they shall come out--those who have practiced doing good [will come out] to the resurrection of [new] life, and those who have done evil will be raised for judgment [raised to meet their sentence]. [Dan. 12:2.] + I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord--but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me. + If I alone testify in My behalf, My testimony is not valid and cannot be worth anything. + There is Another Who testifies concerning Me, and I know and am certain that His evidence on My behalf is true and valid. + You yourselves have sent [an inquiry] to John and he has been a witness to the truth. + But I do not receive [a mere] human witness [the evidence which I accept on My behalf is not from man]; but I simply mention all these things in order that you may be saved (made and kept safe and sound). + John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining [to show you the way], and you were willing for a while to delight (sun) yourselves in his light. + But I have as My witness something greater (weightier, higher, better) than that of John; for the works that the Father has appointed Me to accomplish and finish, the very same works that I am now doing, are a witness and proof that the Father has sent Me. + And the Father Who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me. Not one of you has ever given ear to His voice or seen His form (His face--what He is like). [You have always been deaf to His voice and blind to the vision of Him.] + And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him Whom He has sent. [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the Messenger Whom He has sent.] + You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me! + And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life. + I receive not glory from men [I crave no human honor, I look for no mortal fame], + But I know you and recognize and understand that you have not the love of God in you. + I have come in My Father's name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [your hearts are not open to Me, you give Me no welcome]; but if another comes in his own name and his own power and with no other authority but himself, you will receive him and give him your approval. + How is it possible for you to believe [how can you learn to believe], you who [are content to seek and] receive praise and honor and glory from one another, and yet do not seek the praise and honor and glory which come from Him Who alone is God? + Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you--it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust]. + For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe and rely on Me, for he wrote about Me [personally]. + But if you do not believe and trust his writings, how then will you believe and trust My teachings? [How shall you cleave to and rely on My words?] + + + AFTER THIS, Jesus went to the farther side of the Sea of Galilee--that is, the Sea of Tiberias. + And a great crowd was following Him because they had seen the signs (miracles) which He [continually] performed upon those who were sick. + And Jesus walked up the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples. + Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was approaching. + Jesus looked up then, and seeing that a vast multitude was coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that all these people may eat? + But He said this to prove (test) him, for He well knew what He was about to do. + Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennies' (forty dollars) worth of bread is not enough that everyone may receive even a little. + Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, + There is a little boy here, who has [with him] five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many people? + Jesus said, Make all the people recline (sit down). Now the ground (a pasture) was covered with thick grass at the spot, so the men threw themselves down, about 5,000 in number. + Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples and the disciples to the reclining people; so also [He did] with the fish, as much as they wanted. + When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted. + So accordingly they gathered them up, and they filled twelve [small hand] baskets with fragments left over by those who had eaten from the five barley loaves. + When the people saw the sign (miracle) that Jesus had performed, they began saying, Surely and beyond a doubt this is the Prophet Who is to come into the world! [Deut. 18:15, 18; John 1:21; Acts 3:22.] + Then Jesus, knowing that they meant to come and seize Him that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the hillside by Himself alone. + When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, + And they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them. + Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing. + [However] when they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. And they were afraid (terrified). + But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I AM; stop being frightened!] [Exod. 3:14.] + Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.] + The next day the crowd [that still remained] standing on the other side of the sea realized that there had been only one small boat there, and that Jesus had not gone into it with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away by themselves. + But now some other boats from Tiberias had come in near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. + So the people, finding that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, themselves got into the small boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. + And when they found Him on the other side of the lake, they said to Him, Rabbi! When did You come here? + Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you have been searching for Me, not because you saw the miracles and signs but because you were fed with the loaves and were filled and satisfied. + Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes [in the using], but strive and work and produce rather for the [lasting] food which endures [continually] unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give (furnish) you that, for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him. + They then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?] + Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]. + Therefore they said to Him, What sign (miracle, wonderwork) will You perform then, so that we may see it and believe and rely on and adhere to You? What [supernatural] work have You [to show what You can do]? + Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. [Exod. 16:15; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:24.] + Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread. + For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. + Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)! + Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time). + But [as] I told you, although you have seen Me, still you do not believe and trust and have faith. + All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me]. + For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me. + And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day. + For this is My Father's will and His purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. + Now the Jews murmured and found fault with and grumbled about Jesus because He said, I am [Myself] the Bread that came down from heaven. + They kept asking, Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, I have come down from heaven? + So Jesus answered them, Stop grumbling and saying things against Me to one another. + No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. + It is written in [the book of] the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher]. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me--[Isa. 54:13.] + Which does not imply that anyone has seen the Father [not that anyone has ever seen Him] except He [Who was with the Father] Who comes from God; He [alone] has seen the Father. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life. + I am the Bread of Life [that gives life--the Living Bread]. + Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died. + [But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die. + I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body). + Then the Jews angrily contended with one another, saying, How is He able to give us His flesh to eat? + And Jesus said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you cannot have any life in you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you appropriate His life and the saving merit of His blood]. + He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has (possesses now) eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. + For My flesh is true and genuine food, and My blood is true and genuine drink. + He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood dwells continually in Me, and I [in like manner dwell continually] in him. + Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me. + This is the Bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna which our forefathers ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever. + He said these things in a synagogue while He was teaching at Capernaum. + When His disciples heard this, many of them said, This is a hard and difficult and strange saying (an offensive and unbearable message). Who can stand to hear it? [Who can be expected to listen to such teaching?] + But Jesus, knowing within Himself that His disciples were complaining and protesting and grumbling about it, said to them: Is this a stumbling block and an offense to you? [Does this upset and displease and shock and scandalize you?] + What then [will be your reaction] if you should see the Son of Man ascending to [the place] where He was before? + It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life. + But [still] some of you fail to believe and trust and have faith. For Jesus knew from the first who did not believe and had no faith and who would betray Him and be false to Him. + And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father. + After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him. + Jesus said to the Twelve, Will you also go away? [And do you too desire to leave Me?] + Simon Peter answered, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words (the message) of eternal life. + And we have learned to believe and trust, and [more] we have come to know [surely] that You are the Holy One of God, the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of the living God. + Jesus answered them, Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And [yet] one of you is a devil (of the evil one and a false accuser). + He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he was about to betray Him, [although] he was one of the Twelve. + + + AFTER THIS, Jesus went from place to place in Galilee, for He would not travel in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. + Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was drawing near. + So His brothers said to Him, Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples [there] may also see the works that You do. [This is no place for You.] + For no one does anything in secret when he wishes to be conspicuous and secure publicity. If You [must] do these things [if You must act like this], show Yourself openly and make Yourself known to the world! + For [even] His brothers did not believe in or adhere to or trust in or rely on Him either. + Whereupon Jesus said to them, My time (opportunity) has not come yet; but any time is suitable for you and your opportunity is ready any time [is always here]. + The world cannot [be expected to] hate you, but it does hate Me because I denounce it for its wicked works and reveal that its doings are evil. + Go to the Feast yourselves. I am not [yet] going up to the Festival, because My time is not ripe. [My term is not yet completed; it is not time for Me to go.] + Having said these things to them, He stayed behind in Galilee. + But afterward, when His brothers had gone up to the Feast, He went up also, not publicly [not with a caravan], but by Himself quietly and as if He did not wish to be observed. + Therefore the Jews kept looking for Him at the Feast and asking, Where can He be? [Where is that Fellow?] + And there was among the mass of the people much whispered discussion and hot disputing about Him. Some were saying, He is good! [He is a good Man!] Others said, No, He misleads and deceives the people [gives them false ideas]! + But no one dared speak out boldly about Him for fear of [the leaders of] the Jews. + When the Feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [court] and began to teach. + The Jews were astonished. They said, How is it that this Man has learning [is so versed in the sacred Scriptures and in theology] when He has never studied? + Jesus answered them by saying, My teaching is not My own, but His Who sent Me. + If any man desires to do His will (God's pleasure), he will know (have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself) whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from Myself and of My own accord and on My own authority. + He who speaks on his own authority seeks to win honor for himself. [He whose teaching originates with himself seeks his own glory.] But He Who seeks the glory and is eager for the honor of Him Who sent Him, He is true; and there is no unrighteousness or falsehood or deception in Him. + Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not one of you keeps the Law. [If that is the truth] why do you seek to kill Me [for not keeping it]? + The crowd answered Him, You are possessed by a demon! [You are raving!] Who seeks to kill You? + Jesus answered them, I did one work, and you all are astounded. [John 5:1-9.] + Now Moses established circumcision among you--though it did not originate with Moses but with the previous patriarchs--and you circumcise a person [even] on the Sabbath day. + If, to avoid breaking the Law of Moses, a person undergoes circumcision on the Sabbath day, have you any cause to be angry with (indignant with, bitter against) Me for making a man's whole body well on the Sabbath? + Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously. + Then some of the Jerusalem people said, Is not this the Man they seek to kill? + And here He is speaking openly, and they say nothing to Him! Can it be possible that the rulers have discovered and know that this is truly the Christ? + No, we know where this Man comes from; when the Christ arrives, no one is to know from what place He comes. + Whereupon Jesus called out as He taught in the temple [porches], Do you know Me, and do you know where I am from? I have not come on My own authority and of My own accord and as self-appointed, but the One Who sent Me is true (real, genuine, steadfast); and Him you do not know! + I know Him [Myself] because I come from His [very] presence, and it was He [personally] Who sent Me. + Therefore they were eager to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, for His hour (time) had not yet come. + And besides, many of the multitude believed in Him [adhered to Him, trusted in Him, relied on Him]. And they kept saying, When the Christ comes, will He do [can He be expected to do] more miracles and produce more proofs and signs than what this Man has done? + The Pharisees learned how the people were saying these things about Him under their breath; and the chief priests and Pharisees sent attendants (guards) to arrest Him. + Therefore Jesus said, For a little while I am [still] with you, and then I go back to Him Who sent Me. + You will look for Me, but you will not [be able to] find Me; where I am, you cannot come. + Then the Jews said among themselves, Where does this Man intend to go that we shall not find Him? Will He go to the Jews who are scattered in the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? + What does this statement of His mean, You will look for Me and not be able to find Me, and, Where I am, you cannot come? + Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! + He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. + But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor). + Listening to those words, some of the multitude said, This is certainly and beyond doubt the Prophet! [Deut. 18:15, 18; John 1:21; 6:14; Acts 3:22.] + Others said, This is the Christ (the Messiah, Anointed One)! But some said, What? Does the Christ come out of Galilee? + Does not the Scripture tell us that the Christ will come from the offspring of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived? [Ps. 89:3, 4; Mic. 5:2.] + So there arose a division and dissension among the people concerning Him. + Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one [ventured and] laid hands on Him. + Meanwhile the attendants (guards) had gone back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, Why have you not brought Him here with you? + The attendants replied, Never has a man talked as this Man talks! [No mere man has ever spoken as He speaks!] + The Pharisees said to them, Are you also deluded and led astray? [Are you also swept off your feet?] + Has any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in Him? + As for this multitude (rabble) that does not know the Law, they are contemptible and doomed and accursed! + Then Nicodemus, who came to Jesus before at night and was one of them, asked, + Does our Law convict a man without giving him a hearing and finding out what he has done? + They answered him, Are you too from Galilee? Search [the Scriptures yourself], and you will see that no prophet comes (will rise to prominence) from Galilee. + And they went [back], each to his own house. + + + BUT JESUS went to the Mount of Olives. + Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple [court], and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them, + When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him. + Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. + Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women--offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her--what is Your sentence]? [Deut. 22:22-24.] + This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger. + However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. + Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger. + They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court. + When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? + She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more. + Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life. + Whereupon the Pharisees told Him, You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid and is worthless. + Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. + You [set yourselves up to] judge according to the flesh (by what you see). [You condemn by external, human standards.] I do not [set Myself up to] judge or condemn or sentence anyone. + Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true [My decision is right]; for I am not alone [in making it], but [there are two of Us] I and the Father, Who sent Me. + In your [own] Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid. [Deut. 19:15.] + I am One [of the Two] bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me. + Then they said to Him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also. + Jesus said these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple [court]; but no one ventured to arrest Him, because His hour had not yet come. + Therefore He said again to them, I am going away, and you will be looking for Me, and you will die in (under the curse of) your sin. Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come. + At this the Jews began to ask among themselves, Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come? + He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world (of this earthly order); I am not of this world. + That is why I told you that you will die in (under the curse of) your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He [Whom I claim to be--if you do not adhere to, trust in, and rely on Me], you will die in your sins. + Then they said to Him, Who are You anyway? Jesus replied, [Why do I even speak to you!] I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first. + I have much to say about you and to judge and condemn. But He Who sent Me is true (reliable), and I tell the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him. + They did not perceive (know, understand) that He was speaking to them about the Father. + So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will realize (know, understand) that I am He [for Whom you look] and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say [exactly] what My Father has taught Me. + And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him. + As He said these things, many believed in Him [trusted, relied on, and adhered to Him]. + So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. + And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. + They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free? + Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin. + Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever. + So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free. + [Yes] I know that you are Abraham's offspring; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no entrance (makes no progress, does not find any place) in you. + I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father's side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father. + They retorted, Abraham is our father. Jesus said, If you were [truly] Abraham's children, then you would do the works of Abraham [follow his example, do as Abraham did]. + But now [instead] you are wanting and seeking to kill Me, a Man Who has told you the truth which I have heard from God. This is not the way Abraham acted. + You are doing the works of your [own] father. They said to Him, We are not illegitimate children and born out of fornication; we have one Father, even God. + Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect Me and welcome Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God [out of His very presence]. I did not even come on My own authority or of My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me. + Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.] + You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. + But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [do not trust Me, do not rely on Me, or adhere to Me]. + Who of you convicts Me of wrongdoing or finds Me guilty of sin? Then if I speak truth, why do you not believe Me [trust Me, rely on, and adhere to Me]? + Whoever is of God listens to God. [Those who belong to God hear the words of God.] This is the reason that you do not listen [to those words, to Me]: because you do not belong to God and are not of God or in harmony with Him. + The Jews answered Him, Are we not right when we say You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon [that You are under the power of an evil spirit]? + Jesus answered, I am not possessed by a demon. On the contrary, I honor and reverence My Father and you dishonor (despise, vilify, and scorn) Me. + However, I am not in search of honor for Myself. [I do not seek and am not aiming for My own glory.] There is One Who [looks after that; He] seeks [My glory], and He is the Judge. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My word], he will by no means ever see and experience death. + The Jews said to Him, Now we know that You are under the power of a demon (insane). Abraham died, and also the prophets, yet You say, If a man keeps My word, he will never taste of death into all eternity. + Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and all the prophets died! Who do You make Yourself out to be? + Jesus answered, If I were to glorify Myself (magnify, praise, and honor Myself), I would have no real glory, for My glory would be nothing and worthless. [My honor must come to Me from My Father.] It is My Father Who glorifies Me [Who extols Me, magnifies, and praises Me], of Whom you say that He is your God. + Yet you do not know Him or recognize Him and are not acquainted with Him, but I know Him. If I should say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word [obey His teachings, am faithful to His message]. + Your forefather Abraham was extremely happy at the hope and prospect of seeing My day (My incarnation); and he did see it and was delighted. [Heb. 11:13.] + Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham? + Jesus said to them, "Most positively, I say to you*, before Abraham came to be,_I_ am!" + Therefore, they took up stones that they should cast on Him. But Jesus was hidden. And He went out from the temple, having passed through [the] middle of them, and so He passed by. [cp. Luke 24:16; John 12:36] + + + And passing by, He saw a man blind from birth. + And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this one or his parents, that he should be born blind?" + Jesus answered, "Neither this one sinned nor his parents,_but_ [this happened] so that the works of God should be revealed in him. + "It is necessary [for] Me to be working the works of the One having sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one is able to be working. + "As long as I am in the world,_I_ am [the] Light of the world." + Having said these things, He spit on the ground and made mud from the saliva and rubbed the mud on the eyes of the blind man. + And He said to him, "Be going away; be washing in the pool of Siloam" (which, is interpreted, "Having Been Sent"). So he went away and washed, and he came seeing! + Therefore, the neighbors and those seeing him previously that he was blind, were saying, "This is the one sitting and begging, is it not?" + Others were saying, "This is he." But others, "He is like him." That one kept saying, "_I_ am [he]." + So they were saying to him, "How were your eyes opened?" + That one answered and said, "A Man being called Jesus made mud and rubbed my eyes and said to me, 'Be going away to the pool of Siloam and be washing.' And having gone away and having washed, I received sight!" + So they said to him, "Where is that One?" He says, "I do not know." + They bring him to the Pharisees, the one formerly blind. + Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. + So again the Pharisees also were asking him how he received sight. And that one said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see!" + Then some of the Pharisees were saying, "This Man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others were saying, "How is a sinful person able to be doing such signs?" And a division was among them. + They say to the blind one again, "You, what do you say concerning Him, because He opened your eyes?" So he said, "He is a prophet." + Then the Jews did not believe concerning him that he was blind and received sight, until which [time] they called the parents of him, the one having received sight. + And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, whom you* say that he was born blind? How then does he now see?" + So his parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. + "But how he now sees, we do not know, or who opened his eyes, we do not know. He is of age, ask him. He will speak concerning himself." + These things his parents said because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed together that if anyone shall confess Him [as the] Christ, he should be expelled from the synagogue. + For this reason his parents said, "He is of age, ask him." + So a second time they called the man who was blind. And they said to him, "Be giving glory to God;_we_ know that this Man is a sinner!" + Then that one answered and said, "If He is a sinner, I do not know; one [thing] I do know, that being blind, now I see!" + But they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" + He answered them, "I told you* already and you* did not hear; why do you* again want to be hearing? You* do not want to become His disciples, do you*?" + They insulted him and said, "_You_ are that [One's] disciple, but_we_ are Moses' disciples! + "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but this One-we do not know from where He is." + The man answered and said to them, "Indeed, in this is a marvelous [thing], that_you*_ do not know from where He is-and He opened my eyes! + "But we know that God does not hear sinners,_but_ if anyone is God-fearing [or, devout] and is doing His will, this one He hears. + "From the age [fig., Since the beginning of time] it was not heard that anyone opened [the] eyes of one having been born blind. + "If this One were not from God, He would not be able to be doing anything." + They answered and said to him, "_You_ were totally born in sins, and_you_ are teaching us!" And they cast him outside. + Jesus heard that they cast him outside. And having found him, He said to him, "Do_you_ believe [or, trust] in the Son of God?" + That one answered and said, "And who is He, Lord, so that I should believe in Him?" + And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and the One speaking with you-that One is He." + And he said, "I believe, Lord!" And he prostrated himself in worship before Him. + And Jesus said, "For judgment_I_ came into this world, so that the ones not seeing shall be seeing, and the ones seeing shall become blind." + And those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things, and they said to Him, "We are not also blind, are we?" + Jesus said to them, "If you* were blind, you* would not have sin, but now you* say, 'We see.' Therefore, your* sin remains." + + + "Most positively, I say to you*, the one not entering through the door into the fold of the sheep,_but_ climbing up some other way, that one is a thief and a robber. + "But the one entering through the door is shepherd of the sheep. + "To this one the doorkeeper opens. And the sheep hear his voice, and his own sheep he calls by name, and he leads them out. + "And whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. + "But a stranger they will by no means follow,_but_ they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." + This illustration Jesus spoke to them, but those ones did not understand what the things were which he was speaking to them. + Therefore, Jesus said again to them, "Most positively, I say to you*,_I_ am the door of the sheep! + "All, as many as came, are thieves and robbers,_but_ the sheep did not hear them. + "_I_ am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and he will come in and will go out and will find pasture. + "The thief does not come except so that he should steal and kill and destroy._I_ came so that they shall have life, and they shall have [it] abundantly! + "_I_ am the good shepherd! The good shepherd lays down His life on behalf of the sheep. + "But the hired worker, not being also a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, watches the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep. + "Now the hired worker flees because he is a hired worker and is not concerned about the sheep. + "_I_ am the good shepherd, and I know My [own], and I am known by My [own]. + "Just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father, and I lay down My life on behalf of the sheep. + "And other sheep I have which are not from this fold. These also it is necessary [for] Me to bring, and My voice they will hear. And they will become one flock, one shepherd. + "For this reason the Father loves Me, because_I_ lay down My life, so that I shall take it [up] again. + "No one takes it from Me,_but__I_ lay it down of Myself; I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it [up] again. This command I received from My Father." + So [there] again came to be division among the Jews because of these words. + But many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is raving mad; why do you hear Him [or, pay attention to Him]?" + Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of [one] being demon-possessed [or, oppressed by a demon]. A demon is not able to open [the] eyes of blind [people], is it?" + Now the Feast of Dedication [i.e. Hanukkah] took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. + And Jesus was walking about in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. + Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You hold our soul in suspense? If_You_ are the Christ, tell us plainly." + Jesus answered them, "I told you* and you* do not believe; the works which I do in the Name of My Father, these testify concerning Me. + "_But_ you* do not believe, because you* are not of My sheep, just as I said to you*. + "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. + "And_I_ give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish into the age [fig., forever]! And no one will pluck them out of My hand. + "My Father who has given [them] to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to be plucking [them] out of the hand of My Father. + "I and the Father are one!" + Therefore, the Jews again took up stones so that they should stone Him. + Jesus answered to them, "Many good works I showed to you* from my Father. On account of which work of them do you* stone Me?" + The Jews answered Him, saying, "Concerning a good work we do not stone You,_but_ for blasphemy, and because_You_, being a human being, are making Yourself God." + Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your* Law, 'I said, you are gods?' [Ps 82:6] + "If He called those ones "gods" to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture is not able to be broken), + [why of] whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, do you* say, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am God's Son?' + "If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me. + "But if I am doing [them], even if you* do not believe Me, be believing the works, so that you* shall know and believe that the Father [is] in Me and I [am] in Him." + Therefore, they were seeking again to seize Him, and He went out from their hand. + And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He remained there. + And many came to Him and were saying, "John indeed did no sign. But all [things], as many as John said concerning this One were true." + And many in that place believed [or, trusted] in Him. + + + Now [there] was a certain one being sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha. + And it was Mary, the one anointing the Lord with ointment and wiping His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was being sick. + So the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, listen! [He] whom You affectionately love is sick." + But Jesus having heard, said, "This sickness is not to death,_but_ [it is] for the glory of God, so that the Son of God shall be glorified through it!" + Now Jesus was loving Martha and her sister and Lazarus. + So when He heard that he is sick, then indeed He remained in the place in which He was two days. + Then after this, He says to the disciples, "We shall be going again to Judea." + The disciples say to Him, "Rabbi, [just] now the Jews were seeking to stone You, and You are going there again?" + Jesus answered, "Are [there] not twelve hours in the day? If anyone shall be walking about in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. + "But if anyone shall be walking about in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." + These [things] He said, and after this He says to them, "Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep,_but_ I am going so that I shall wake him up." + Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be cured." + But Jesus had spoken concerning his death, but those ones thought that He is speaking concerning the resting of sleep. + So then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus has died." + "And I rejoice for your* sake that I was not there, so that you* shall believe,_but_ we shall be going to him." + Therefore, Thomas, the one being called Didymus ["Twin"], said to his fellow-disciples, "Let us also go so that_we_ shall die with Him." + So Jesus having come, found him four days already having [been] in the tomb. + Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away [about 1.7 miles or 2.75 kilometers]. + And many of the Jews had come to the [women] around Martha and Mary, so that they should comfort them concerning their brother. + Then Martha, when she heard that Jesus is coming, met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house. + So Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You were here my brother would not have died. + "_But_ even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You." + Jesus says to her, "Your brother will rise again." + Martha says to Him, "I know that he will rise again, in the resurrection in the last day." + Jesus said to her, "_I_ am the Resurrection and the Life! The one believing in Me, even if he dies, he will live! + "And every [one] living and believing [or, trusting] in Me shall by no means die into the age [fig., forever]! Do you believe this [or, Are you convinced of this]?" + She says to Him, "Yes, Lord,_I_ have believed [or, am convinced] that_You_ are the Christ, the Son of God, the One coming into the world." + And having said these things, she went away and called Mary her sister privately, saying, "The Teacher is present and is calling you." + Then that one, when she heard, rises up quickly and comes to Him. + Now Jesus had not yet come to the village,_but_ He was in the place where Martha met Him. + Therefore, the Jews, the ones being with her in the house and comforting her, having seen Mary that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going off to the tomb so that she should weep there." + So Mary, when she came where Jesus was, having seen Him, fell to His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You were here my brother would not [have] died." + Then Jesus, when He saw her weeping, and the Jews having come with her weeping, was deeply moved in His spirit and stirred Himself up [or, was disturbed]. + And He said, "Where have you* laid him?" They say to Him, "Lord, be coming and see." + Jesus wept. + So the Jews said, "Look how He was affectionately loving him!" + But some of them said, "This One, the One having open the eyes of the blind man, He was able to do [something] so that also this one should not have died, was He not?" + So Jesus, again being deeply moved in Himself, comes to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying upon it. + Jesus says, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the one having died, says to Him, "Lord, already he stinks, for it is the fourth day [since he died]." + Jesus says to her, "I said to you that if you believe you will see the glory of God, did I not?" + Then they took away the stone from where the one having died was lying. And Jesus lifted His eyes upwards and said, "Father, I give thanks to You because You heard Me. + "Now,_I_ knew that You always hear Me,_but_ because of the crowd, the ones having stood around, I said [it], so that they shall believe [or, shall be convinced] that_You_ sent Me." + And having said these things, with a loud voice He cried out, "Lazarus, come out!" + And the one having died came out, [his] feet and hands having been bound with grave-clothes, and his face had been wrapped around with a facecloth. Jesus says to them, "Loose him, and allow [him] to be going." + Therefore, many of the Jews, the ones having come to Mary and having seen what Jesus did, believed [or, trusted] in Him. + But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus did. + Therefore, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together a High Council [or, Sanhedrin] and said, "What are we doing? For this Person is performing many signs! + "If we leave Him in this way, all will believe [or, trust] in Him, and the Romans will come and will take away both our place and nation." + But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest of that year, said to them, "_You*_ do not know anything, + nor do you* take into account that it is advantageous for us that one person should die on behalf of the people, and the whole nation should not perish." + But this he said not from himself,_but_ being high priest of that year, that one prophesied that Jesus was about to be dying on behalf of the nation. + And not on behalf of that nation only,_but_ so that He shall also gather together into one the children of God, the ones having been scattered abroad. + So from that day they plotted among themselves so that they should kill Him. + Therefore, Jesus was no more freely walking about among the Jews,_but_ He went away from there to the countryside near the wilderness, to a city being called Ephraim. And there He stayed with His disciples. + But the Passover of the Jews was near. And many went up to Jerusalem out of the countryside before the Passover so that they should purify themselves. + So they were seeking Jesus and were speaking one with another, having stood in the temple, "What do you* think, that He shall not at all come to the feast?" + Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command that if anyone knew where He is, he should report [it], in order that they should seize Him. + + + SO SIX days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead. + So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at the table with Him. + Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. + But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said, + Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year's wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)? + Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections]. + But Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My embalming.] + You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. + Now a great crowd of the Jews heard that He was at Bethany, and they came there, not only because of Jesus but that they also might see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. + So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also, + Because on account of him many of the Jews were going away [were withdrawing from and leaving the Judeans] and believing in and adhering to Jesus. + The next day a vast crowd of those who had come to the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. + So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And as they went, they kept shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He and praise to Him Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! [Ps. 118:26.] + And Jesus, having found a young donkey, rode upon it, [just] as it is written in the Scriptures, + Do not fear, O Daughter of Zion! Look! Your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt! [Zech. 9:9.] + His disciples did not understand and could not comprehend the meaning of these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. + The group that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from among the dead kept telling it [bearing witness] to others. + It was for this reason that the crowd went out to meet Him, because they had heard that He had performed this sign (proof, miracle). + Then the Pharisees said among themselves, You see how futile your efforts are and how you accomplish nothing. See! The whole world is running after Him! + Now among those who went up to worship at the Feast were some Greeks. + These came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and they made this request, Sir, we desire to see Jesus. + Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip together [went] and told Jesus. + And Jesus answered them, The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest. + Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.] + If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. + Now My soul is troubled and distressed, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]? But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour [that I might undergo it]. + [Rather, I will say,] Father, glorify (honor and extol) Your [own] name! Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again. + The crowd of bystanders heard the sound and said that it had thundered; others said, An angel has spoken to Him! + Jesus answered, This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sake. + Now the judgment (crisis) of this world is coming on [sentence is now being passed on this world]. Now the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world shall be cast out (expelled). + And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself. + He said this to signify in what manner He would die. + At this the people answered Him, We have learned from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; how then can You say, The Son of Man must be lifted up [on the cross]? Who is this Son of Man? [Ps. 110:4.] + So Jesus said to them, You will have the Light only a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light [keep on living by it], so that darkness may not overtake and overcome you. He who walks about in the dark does not know where he goes [he is drifting]. + While you have the Light, believe in the Light [have faith in it, hold to it, rely on it], that you may become sons of the Light and be filled with Light. Jesus said these things, and then He went away and hid Himself from them [was lost to their view]. + Even though He had done so many miracles before them (right before their eyes), yet they still did not trust in Him and failed to believe in Him-- + So that what Isaiah the prophet said was fulfilled: Lord, who has believed our report and our message? And to whom has the arm (the power) of the Lord been shown (unveiled and revealed)? [Isa. 53:1.] + Therefore they could not believe [they were unable to believe]. For Isaiah has also said, + He has blinded their eyes and hardened and benumbed their [callous, degenerated] hearts [He has made their minds dull], to keep them from seeing with their eyes and understanding with their hearts and minds and repenting and turning to Me to heal them. + Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him. [Isa. 6:9, 10.] + And yet [in spite of all this] many even of the leading men (the authorities and the nobles) believed and trusted in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that [if they should acknowledge Him] they would be expelled from the synagogue; + For they loved the approval and the praise and the glory that come from men [instead of and] more than the glory that comes from God. [They valued their credit with men more than their credit with God.] + But Jesus loudly declared, The one who believes in Me does not [only] believe in and trust in and rely on Me, but [in believing in Me he believes] in Him Who sent Me. + And whoever sees Me sees Him Who sent Me. + I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes in Me [whoever cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] may not continue to live in darkness. + If anyone hears My teachings and fails to observe them [does not keep them, but disregards them], it is not I who judges him. For I have not come to judge and to condemn and to pass sentence and to inflict penalty on the world, but to save the world. + Anyone who rejects Me and persistently sets Me at naught, refusing to accept My teachings, has his judge [however]; for the [very] message that I have spoken will itself judge and convict him at the last day. + This is because I have never spoken on My own authority or of My own accord or as self-appointed, but the Father Who sent Me has Himself given Me orders [concerning] what to say and what to tell. [Deut. 18:18, 19.] + And I know that His commandment is (means) eternal life. So whatever I speak, I am saying [exactly] what My Father has told Me to say and in accordance with His instructions. + + + [NOW] BEFORE the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree. + So [it was] during supper, Satan having already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, + [That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, + Got up from supper, took off His garments, and taking a [servant's] towel, He fastened it around His waist. + Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the [servant's] towel with which He was girded. + When He came to Simon Peter, [Peter] said to Him, Lord, are my feet to be washed by You? [Is it for You to wash my feet?] + Jesus said to him, You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later on. + Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you have no part with (in) Me [you have no share in companionship with Me]. + Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, [wash] not only my feet, but my hands and my head too! + Jesus said to him, Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is clean all over. And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you. + For He knew who was going to betray Him; that was the reason He said, Not all of you are clean. + So when He had finished washing their feet and had put on His garments and had sat down again, He said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you? + You call Me the Teacher (Master) and the Lord, and you are right in doing so, for that is what I am. + If I then, your Lord and Teacher (Master), have washed your feet, you ought [it is your duty, you are under obligation, you owe it] to wash one another's feet. + For I have given you this as an example, so that you should do [in your turn] what I have done to you. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, A servant is not greater than his master, and no one who is sent is superior to the one who sent him. + If you know these things, blessed and happy and to be envied are you if you practice them [if you act accordingly and really do them]. + I am not speaking of and I do not mean all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He who eats My bread with Me has raised up his heel against Me. [Ps. 41:9.] + I tell you this now before it occurs, so that when it does take place you may be persuaded and believe that I am He [Who I say I am--the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah]. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who receives and welcomes and takes into his heart any messenger of Mine receives Me [in just that way]; and he who receives and welcomes and takes Me into his heart receives Him Who sent Me [in that same way]. + After Jesus had said these things, He was troubled (disturbed, agitated) in spirit and said, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, one of you will deliver Me up [one of you will be false to Me and betray Me]! + The disciples kept looking at one another, puzzled as to whom He could mean. + One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved [whom He esteemed and delighted in], was reclining [next to Him] on Jesus' bosom. + So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask of whom He was speaking. + Then leaning back against Jesus' breast, he asked Him, Lord, who is it? + Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I am going to give this morsel (bit) of food after I have dipped it. So when He had dipped the morsel of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot's son. + Then after [he had taken] the bit of food, Satan entered into and took possession of [Judas]. Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do more swiftly than you seem to intend and make quick work of it. + But nobody reclining at the table knew why He spoke to him or what He meant by telling him this. + Some thought that, since Judas had the money box (the purse), Jesus was telling him, Buy what we need for the Festival, or that he should give something to the poor. + So after receiving the bit of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night. + When he had left, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified! [Now He has achieved His glory, His honor, His exaltation!] And God has been glorified through and in Him. + And if God is glorified through and in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and He will glorify Him at once and not delay. + [Dear] little children, I am to be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me and, as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: you are not able to come where I am going. + I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. + By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]. + Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where are You going? Jesus answered, You are not able to follow Me now where I am going, but you shall follow Me afterwards. + Peter said to Him, Lord, why cannot I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You. + Jesus answered, Will you [really] lay down your life for Me? I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me [completely disown Me] three times. + + + DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. + In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. + And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. + And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way. + Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way? + Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me. + If you had known Me [had learned to recognize Me], you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him. + Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father--that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied. + Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father? + Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power). + Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves. [If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's name convince you.] + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. + And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. [Exod. 3:14.] + [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]. + If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. + And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever-- + The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. + I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you. + Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. + At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. + The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] + Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? + Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. + Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me. + I have told you these things while I am still with you. + But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. + Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] + You heard Me tell you, I am going away and I am coming [back] to you. If you [really] loved Me, you would have been glad, because I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater and mightier than I am. + And now I have told you [this] before it occurs, so that when it does take place you may believe and have faith in and rely on Me. + I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.] + But [Satan is coming and] I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know (be convinced) that I love the Father and that I do only what the Father has instructed Me to do. [I act in full agreement with His orders.] Rise, let us go away from here. + + + I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. + Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. + You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. + Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. + I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. + If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. + If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. + When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. + I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. + If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love. + I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. + This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. + No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. + You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. + I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] + You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. + This is what I command you: that you love one another. + If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. + If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. + Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours. + But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me. + If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin [would be blameless]; but now they have no excuse for their sin. + Whoever hates Me also hates My Father. + If I had not done (accomplished) among them the works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin. But [the fact is] now they have both seen [these works] and have hated both Me and My Father. + But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause. [Ps. 35:19; 69:4.] + But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me. + But you also will testify and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning. + + + I HAVE told you all these things, so that you should not be offended (taken unawares and falter, or be caused to stumble and fall away). [I told you to keep you from being scandalized and repelled.] + They will put you out of (expel you from) the synagogues; but an hour is coming when whoever kills you will think and claim that he has offered service to God. + And they will do this because they have not known the Father or Me. + But I have told you these things now, so that when they occur you will remember that I told you of them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. + But now I am going to Him Who sent Me, yet none of you asks Me, Where are You going? + But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [taken complete possession of them]. + However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. + And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment: + About sin, because they do not believe in Me [trust in, rely on, and adhere to Me]; + About righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God), because I go to My Father, and you will see Me no longer; + About judgment, because the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world [Satan] is judged and condemned and sentence already is passed upon him. + I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. + But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. + He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. + Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. + In a little while you will no longer see Me, and again after a short while you will see Me. + So some of His disciples questioned among themselves, What does He mean when He tells us, In a little while you will no longer see Me, and again after a short while you will see Me, and, Because I go to My Father? + What does He mean by a little while? We do not know or understand what He is talking about. + Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so He said to them, Are you wondering and inquiring among yourselves what I meant when I said, In a little while you will no longer see Me, and again after a short while you will see Me? + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that you shall weep and grieve, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. + A woman, when she gives birth to a child, has grief (anguish, agony) because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers her pain (trouble, anguish) because she is so glad that a man (a child, a human being) has been born into the world. + So for the present you are also in sorrow (in distress and depressed); but I will see you again and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one can take from you your joy (gladness, delight). + And when that time comes, you will ask nothing of Me [you will need to ask Me no questions]. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that My Father will grant you whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]. [Exod. 3:14.] + Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete. + I have told you these things in parables (veiled language, allegories, dark sayings); the hour is now coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I shall tell you about the Father in plain words and openly (without reserve). + At that time you will ask (pray) in My Name; and I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf [for it will be unnecessary]. + For the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from the Father. + I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father. + His disciples said, Ah, now You are speaking plainly to us and not in parables (veiled language and figures of speech)! + Now we know that You are acquainted with everything and have no need to be asked questions. Because of this we believe that you [really] came from God. + Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? [Do you believe it at last?] + But take notice, the hour is coming, and it has arrived, when you will all be dispersed and scattered, every man to his own home, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. + I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] + + + WHEN JESUS had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify and extol and honor and magnify You. + [Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. + And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent. + I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. + And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed. + I have manifested Your Name [I have revealed Your very Self, Your real Self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have obeyed and kept Your word. + Now [at last] they know and understand that all You have given Me belongs to You [is really and truly Yours]. + For the [uttered] words that You gave Me I have given them; and they have received and accepted [them] and have come to know positively and in reality [to believe with absolute assurance] that I came forth from Your presence, and they have believed and are convinced that You did send Me. + I am praying for them. I am not praying (requesting) for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they belong to You. + All [things that are] Mine are Yours, and all [things that are] Yours belong to Me; and I am glorified in (through) them. [They have done Me honor; in them My glory is achieved.] + And [now] I am no more in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your Name [in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one]. + While I was with them, I kept and preserved them in Your Name [in the knowledge and worship of You]. Those You have given Me I guarded and protected, and not one of them has perished or is lost except the son of perdition [Judas Iscariot--the one who is now doomed to destruction, destined to be lost], that the Scripture might be fulfilled. [Ps. 41:9; John 6:70.] + And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts]. + I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. + I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. + They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. + Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. + Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. + And so for their sake and on their behalf I sanctify (dedicate, consecrate) Myself, that they also may be sanctified (dedicated, consecrated, made holy) in the Truth. + Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, + That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. + I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: + I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. + Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me] may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me]; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. + O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known You and has failed to recognize You and has never acknowledged You, I have known You [continually]; and these men understand and know that You have sent Me. + I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make [You] known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them [felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them. + + + HAVING SAID these things, Jesus went out with His disciples beyond (across) the winter torrent of the Kidron [in the ravine]. There was a garden there, which He and His disciples entered. + And Judas, who was betraying Him and delivering Him up, also knew the place, because Jesus had often retired there with His disciples. + So Judas, obtaining and taking charge of the band of soldiers and some guards (attendants) of the high priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. + Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to them and said, Whom are you seeking? [Whom do you want?] + They answered Him, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus said to them, I am He. Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them. + When Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards (drew back, lurched backward) and fell to the ground. + Then again He asked them, Whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus the Nazarene. + Jesus answered, I told you that I am He. So, if you want Me [if it is only I for Whom you are looking], let these men go their way. + Thus what He had said was fulfilled and verified, Of those whom You have given Me, I have not lost even one. [John 6:39; 17:12.] + Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. + Therefore, Jesus said to Peter, Put the sword [back] into the sheath! The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it? + So the troops and their captain and the guards (attendants) of the Jews seized Jesus and bound Him, + And they brought Him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. + It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was expedient and for their welfare that one man should die for (instead of, in behalf of) the people. [John 11:49, 50.] + Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. And that disciple was known to the high priest, and so he entered along with Jesus into the court of the palace of the high priest; + But Peter was standing outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door and brought Peter inside. + Then the maid who was in charge at the door said to Peter, You are not also one of the disciples of this Man, are you? He said, I am not! + Now the servants and the guards (the attendants) had made a fire of coals, for it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. And Peter was with them, standing and warming himself. + Then the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching. + Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue and in the temple [area], where the Jews [habitually] congregate (assemble); and I have spoken nothing secretly. + Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard [Me] what I said to them. See! They know what I said. + But when He said this, one of the attendants who stood by struck Jesus, saying, Is that how You answer the high priest? + Jesus replied, If I have said anything wrong [if I have spoken abusively, if there was evil in what I said] tell what was wrong with it. But if I spoke rightly and properly, why do you strike Me? + Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. + But Simon Peter [still] was standing and was warming himself. They said to him, You are not also one of His disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not! + One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did I not see you in the garden with Him? + And again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. + Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (judgment hall, governor's palace). And it was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled (become ceremonially unclean), but might be fit to eat the Passover [supper]. + So Pilate went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this Man? + They retorted, If He were not an evildoer (criminal), we would not have handed Him over to you. + Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and judge and sentence and punish Him according to your [own] law. The Jews answered, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. + This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken to show (indicate, predict) by what manner of death He was to die. [John 12:32-34.] + So Pilate went back again into the judgment hall and called Jesus and asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? + Jesus replied, Are you saying this of yourself [on your own initiative], or have others told you about Me? + Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your [own] people and nation and their chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done? + Jesus answered, My kingdom (kingship, royal power) belongs not to this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have been fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here (this world); [it has no such origin or source]. + Pilate said to Him, Then You are a King? Jesus answered, You say it! [You speak correctly!] For I am a King. [Certainly I am a King!] This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth] hears and listens to My voice. + Pilate said to Him, What is Truth? On saying this he went out to the Jews again and told them, I find no fault in Him. + But it is your custom that I release one [prisoner] for you at the Passover. So shall I release for you the King of the Jews? + Then they all shouted back again, Not Him [not this Man], but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber. + + + SO THEN Pilate took Jesus and scourged (flogged, whipped) Him. + And the soldiers, having twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple cloak around Him. + And they kept coming to Him and saying, Hail, King of the Jews! [Good health to you! Peace to you! Long life to you, King of the Jews!] And they struck Him with the palms of their hands. [Isa. 53:3, 5, 7.] + Then Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault (crime, cause for accusation) in Him. + So Jesus came out wearing the thorny crown and purple cloak, and Pilate said to them, See, [here is] the Man! + When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no fault (crime) in Him. + The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God. + So, when Pilate heard this said, he was more alarmed and awestricken and afraid than before. + He went into the judgment hall again and said to Jesus, Where are You from? [To what world do You belong?] But Jesus did not answer him. + So Pilate said to Him, Will You not speak [even] to me? Do You not know that I have power (authority) to release You and I have power to crucify You? + Jesus answered, You would not have any power or authority whatsoever against (over) Me if it were not given you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the one who delivered Me over to you is greater. + Upon this, Pilate wanted (sought, was anxious) to release Him, but the Jews kept shrieking, If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar! Anybody who makes himself [out to be] a king sets himself up against Caesar [is a rebel against the emperor]! + Hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement [the Mosaic Pavement, the Stone Platform]--in Hebrew, Gabbatha. + Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about the sixth hour (about twelve o'clock noon). He said to the Jews, See, [here is] your King! + But they shouted, Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar! + Then he delivered Him over to them to be crucified. + And they took Jesus and led [Him] away; so He went out, bearing His own cross, to the spot called The Place of the Skull--in Hebrew it is called Golgotha. + There they crucified Him, and with Him two others--one on either side and Jesus between them. [Isa. 53:12.] + And Pilate also wrote a title (an inscription on a placard) and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews. + And many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, [and] in Greek. + Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am King of the Jews. + Pilate replied, What I have written, I have written. + Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, one share for each soldier, and also the tunic (the long shirtlike undergarment). But the tunic was seamless, woven [in one piece] from the top throughout. + So they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots to decide whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the Scripture, They parted My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things. [Ps. 22:18.] + But by the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. + So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, [Dear] woman, See, [here is] your son! + Then He said to the disciple, See, [here is] your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own [keeping, own home]. + After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished (ended), said in fulfillment of the Scripture, I thirst. [Ps. 69:21.] + A vessel (jar) full of sour wine (vinegar) was placed there, so they put a sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a stalk, reed of] hyssop, and held it to [His] mouth. + When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. + Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from hanging on the cross on the Sabbath--for that Sabbath was a very solemn and important one--the Jews requested Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. + So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first one, and of the other who had been crucified with Him. + But when they came to Jesus and they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. + But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came (flowed) out. + And he who saw it (the eyewitness) gives this evidence, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe also. + For these things took place, that the Scripture might be fulfilled (verified, carried out), Not one of His bones shall be broken; [Exod. 12:46; Num. 9:12; Ps. 34:20.] + And again another Scripture says, They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced. [Zech. 12:10.] + And after this, Joseph of Arimathea--a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews--asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate granted him permission. So he came and took away His body. + And Nicodemus also, who first had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, [weighing] about a hundred pounds. + So they took Jesus' body and bound it in linen cloths with the spices (aromatics), as is the Jews' customary way to prepare for burial. + Now there was a garden in the place where He was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever [yet] been laid. + So there, because of the Jewish day of Preparation [and] since the tomb was near by, they laid Jesus. + + + NOW ON the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been removed from (lifted out of the groove across the entrance of) the tomb. + So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus [tenderly] loved, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him! + Upon this, Peter and the other disciple came out and they went toward the tomb. + And they came running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and arrived at the tomb first. + And stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not enter. + Then Simon Peter came up, following him, and went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there; + But the burial napkin (kerchief) which had been around Jesus' head, was not lying with the other linen cloths, but was [still] rolled up (wrapped round and round) in a place by itself. + Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, went in too; and he saw and was convinced and believed. + For as yet they did not know (understand) the statement of Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. [Ps. 16:10.] + Then the disciples went back again to their homes (lodging places). + But Mary remained standing outside the tomb sobbing. As she wept, she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb. + And she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. + And they said to her, Woman, why are you sobbing? She told them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. + On saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there], but she did not know (recognize) that it was Jesus. + Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you crying [so]? For Whom are you looking? Supposing that it was the gardener, she replied, Sir, if you carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him and I will take Him away. + Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning around she said to Him in Hebrew, Rabboni!--which means Teacher or Master. + Jesus said to her, Do not cling to Me [do not hold Me], for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brethren and tell them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God. + Away came Mary Magdalene, bringing the disciples news (word) that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her. + Then on that same first day of the week, when it was evening, though the disciples were behind closed doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace to you! + So saying, He showed them His hands and His side. And when the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy (delight, exultation, ecstasy, rapture). + Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! [Just] as the Father has sent Me forth, so I am sending you. + And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit! + [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. + But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. + So the other disciples kept telling him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the marks made by the nails and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe [it]. + Eight days later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though they were behind closed doors, and stood among them and said, Peace to you! + Then He said to Thomas, Reach out your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place [it] in My side. Do not be faithless and incredulous, but [stop your unbelief and] believe! + Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God! + Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me. + There are also many other signs and miracles which Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book. + But these are written (recorded) in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of God, and that through believing and cleaving to and trusting and relying upon Him you may have life through (in) His name [through Who He is]. [Ps. 2:7, 12.] + + + AFTER THIS, Jesus let Himself be seen and revealed [Himself] again to the disciples, at the Sea of Tiberias. And He did it in this way: + There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, called the Twin, and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, also the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. + Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing! They said to him, And we are coming with you! So they went out and got into the boat, and throughout that night they caught nothing. + Morning was already breaking when Jesus came to the beach and stood there. However, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. + So Jesus said to them, Boys (children), you do not have any meat (fish), do you? [Have you caught anything to eat along with your bread?] They answered Him, No! + And He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find [some]. So they cast the net, and now they were not able to haul it in for such a big catch (mass, quantity) of fish [was in it]. + Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord! Simon Peter, hearing him say that it was the Lord, put (girded) on his upper garment (his fisherman's coat, his outer tunic)--for he was stripped [for work]--and sprang into the sea. + And the other disciples came in the small boat, for they were not far from shore, only some hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. + When they got out on land (the beach), they saw a fire of coals there and fish lying on it [cooking], and bread. + Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish which you have just caught. + So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153 of them; and [though] there were so many of them, the net was not torn. + Jesus said to them, Come [and] have breakfast. But none of the disciples ventured or dared to ask Him, Who are You? because they [well] knew that it was the Lord. + Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so also [with] the fish. + This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself (appeared, was manifest) to the disciples after He had risen from the dead. + When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do--with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Feed My lambs. + Again He said to him the second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Shepherd (tend) My sheep. + He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, instinctive, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]? Peter was grieved (was saddened and hurt) that He should ask him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep. + I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, when you were young you girded yourself [put on your own belt or girdle] and you walked about wherever you pleased to go. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go. + He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And after this, He said to him, Follow Me! + But Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following--the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray You? + When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? + Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me! + So word went out among the brethren that this disciple was not going to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but, If I want him to stay (survive, live) till I come, what is that to you? + It is this same disciple who is bearing witness to these things and who has recorded (written) them; and we [well] know that his testimony is true. + And there are also many other things which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one [in detail], I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room for) the books that would be written. + + + + + IN THE former account [which I prepared], O Theophilus, I made [a continuous report] dealing with all the things which Jesus began to do and to teach [Luke 1:1-4.] + Until the day when He ascended, after He through the Holy Spirit had instructed and commanded the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen. + To them also He showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God. + And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak. [John 14:16, 26; 15:26.] + For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit. + So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel? + He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power. + But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth. + And when He had said this, even as they were looking [at Him], He was caught up, and a cloud received and carried Him away out of their sight. + And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold, two men [dressed] in white robes suddenly stood beside them, + Who said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven, will return in [just] the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven. + Then [the disciples] went back to Jerusalem from the hill called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, [only] a Sabbath day's journey (three-quarters of a mile) away. + And when they had entered [the city], they mounted [the stairs] to the upper room where they were [indefinitely] staying--Peter and John and James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [son] of James. + All of these with their minds in full agreement devoted themselves steadfastly to prayer, [waiting together] with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. + Now on one of those days Peter arose among the brethren, the whole number of whom gathered together was about a hundred and twenty. + Brethren, he said, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold by the lips of David, about Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. + For he was counted among us and received [by divine allotment] his portion in this ministry. + Now this man obtained a piece of land with the [money paid him as a] reward for his treachery and wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle [of his body] and all his intestines poured forth. + And all the residents of Jerusalem became acquainted with the facts, so that they called the piece of land in their own dialect--Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. + For in the book of Psalms it is written, Let his place of residence become deserted and gloomy, and let there be no one to live in it; and [again], Let another take his position or overseership. [Ps. 69:25; 109:8.] + So one of the [other] men who have accompanied us [apostles] during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, + From the baptism of John at the outset until the day when He was taken up from among us--one of these men must join with us and become a witness to testify to His resurrection. + And they accordingly proposed (nominated) two men, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. + And they prayed and said, You, Lord, Who know all hearts (their thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, purposes, and endeavors), indicate to us which one of these two You have chosen + To take the place in this ministry and receive the position of an apostle, from which Judas fell away and went astray to go [where he belonged] to his own [proper] place. + And they drew lots [between the two], and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to and counted with the eleven apostles (special messengers). + + + AND WHEN the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place, + When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. + And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them. + And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words]. + Now there were then residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout and God-fearing men from every country under heaven. + And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them [the apostles] speaking in his own [particular] dialect. + And they were beside themselves with amazement, saying, Are not all these who are talking Galileans? + Then how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own (particular) dialect to which we were born? + Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and [the province of] Asia, + Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and the transient residents from Rome, both Jews and the proselytes [to Judaism from other religions], + Cretans and Arabians too--we all hear them speaking in our own native tongues [and telling of] the mighty works of God! + And all were beside themselves with amazement and were puzzled and bewildered, saying one to another, What can this mean? + But others made a joke of it and derisively said, They are simply drunk and full of sweet [intoxicating] wine. + But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: You Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be [explained] to you so that you will know and understand; listen closely to what I have to say. + For these men are not drunk, as you imagine, for it is [only] the third hour (about 9:00 a.m.) of the day; + But [instead] this is [the beginning of] what was spoken through the prophet Joel: + And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [divinely suggested] dreams. + Yes, and on My menservants also and on My maidservants in those days I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels and predicting future events pertaining especially to God's kingdom]. + And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and smoking vapor; + The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the obvious day of the Lord comes--that great and notable and conspicuous and renowned [day]. + And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord--Christ] shall be saved. [Joel 2:28-32.] + You men of Israel, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and shown forth and commended and attested to you by God by the mighty works and [the power of performing] wonders and signs which God worked through Him [right] in your midst, as you yourselves know-- + This Jesus, when delivered up according to the definite and fixed purpose and settled plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and put out of the way [killing Him] by the hands of lawless and wicked men. + [But] God raised Him up, liberating Him from the pangs of death, seeing that it was not possible for Him to continue to be controlled or retained by it. + For David says in regard to Him, I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]. + Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; moreover, my flesh also will dwell in hope [will encamp, pitch its tent, and dwell in hope in anticipation of the resurrection]. + For You will not abandon my soul, leaving it helpless in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor let Your Holy One know decay or see destruction [of the body after death]. + You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence. [Ps. 16:8-11.] + Brethren, it is permitted me to tell you confidently and with freedom concerning the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. + Being however a prophet, and knowing that God had sealed to him with an oath that He would set one of his descendants on his throne, [II Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 132:11.] + He, foreseeing this, spoke [by foreknowledge] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah) that He was not deserted [in death] and left in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor did His body know decay or see destruction. [Ps. 16:10.] + This Jesus God raised up, and of that all we [His disciples] are witnesses. + Being therefore lifted high by and to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promised [blessing which is the] Holy Spirit, He has made this outpouring which you yourselves both see and hear. + For David did not ascend into the heavens; yet he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand and share My throne + Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. [Ps. 110:1.] + Therefore let the whole house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt and acknowledge assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (the Messiah)--this Jesus Whom you crucified. + Now when they heard this they were stung (cut) to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles (special messengers), Brethren, what shall we do? + And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. + For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself. [Isa. 57:19; Joel 2:32.] + And [Peter] solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation. + Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls. + And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord's Supper] and prayers. + And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers). + And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common; + And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need. + And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord's Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts, + Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death]. + + + NOW PETER and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon), + [When] a certain man crippled from his birth was being carried along, who was laid each day at that gate of the temple [which is] called Beautiful, so that he might beg for charitable gifts from those who entered the temple. + So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them to give him a gift. + And Peter directed his gaze intently at him, and so did John, and said, Look at us! + And [the man] paid attention to them, expecting that he was going to get something from them. + But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! + Then he took hold of the man's right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady, + And leaping forth he stood and began to walk, and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. + And all the people saw him walking about and praising God, + And they recognized him as the man who usually sat [begging] for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement (bewilderment, consternation) over what had occurred to him. + Now while he [still] firmly clung to Peter and John, all the people in utmost amazement ran together and crowded around them in the covered porch (walk) called Solomon's. + And Peter, seeing it, answered the people, You men of Israel, why are you so surprised and wondering at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though by our [own individual] power or [active] piety we had made this man [able] to walk? + The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant and Son Jesus [doing Him this honor], Whom you indeed delivered up and denied and rejected and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to let Him go. [Exod. 3:6; Isa. 52:13.] + But you denied and rejected and disowned the Pure and Holy, the Just and Blameless One, and demanded [the pardon of] a murderer to be granted to you. + But you killed the very Source (the Author) of life, Whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. + And His name, through and by faith in His name, has made this man whom you see and recognize well and strong. [Yes] the faith which is through and by Him [Jesus] has given the man this perfect soundness [of body] before all of you. + And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance [not aware of what you were doing], as did your rulers also. + Thus has God fulfilled what He foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ (the Messiah) should undergo ill treatment and be afflicted and suffer. + So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord; + And that He may send [to you] the Christ (the Messiah), Who before was designated and appointed for you--even Jesus, + Whom heaven must receive [and retain] until the time for the complete restoration of all that God spoke by the mouth of all His holy prophets for ages past [from the most ancient time in the memory of man]. + Thus Moses said to the forefathers, The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophet from among your brethren as [He raised up] me; Him you shall listen to and understand by hearing and heed in all things whatever He tells you. + And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to and understand by hearing and heed that Prophet shall be utterly exterminated from among the people. [Deut. 18:15-19.] + Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel and those who came afterwards, as many as have spoken, also promised and foretold and proclaimed these days. + You are the descendants (sons) of the prophets and the heirs of the covenant which God made and gave to your forefathers, saying to Abraham, And in your Seed (Heir) shall all the families of the earth be blessed and benefited. [Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:16.] + It was to you first that God sent His Servant and Son Jesus, when He raised Him up [provided and gave Him for us], to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness and evil ways. [Acts 2:24; 3:22.] + + + AND WHILE they [Peter and John] were talking to the people, the high priests and the military commander of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, + Being vexed and indignant through and through because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in [the case of] Jesus the resurrection from the dead. + So they laid hands on them (arrested them) and put them in prison until the following day, for it was already evening. + But many of those who heard the message believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus as the Christ). And their number grew and came to about 5,000. + Then on the following day, their magistrates and elders and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem, + Including Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all others who belonged to the high priestly relationship. + And they set the men in their midst and repeatedly demanded, By what sort of power or by what kind of authority did [such people as] you do this [healing]? + Then Peter, [because he was] filled with [and controlled by] the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and members of the council (the Sanhedrin), + If we are being put on trial [here] today and examined concerning a good deed done to benefit a feeble (helpless) cripple, by what means this man has been restored to health, + Let it be known and understood by all of you, and by the whole house of Israel, that in the name and through the power and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, [but] Whom God raised from the dead, in Him and by means of Him this man is standing here before you well and sound in body. + This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone]. [Ps. 118:22.] + And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. + Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. + And since they saw the man who had been cured standing there beside them, they could not contradict the fact or say anything in opposition. + But having ordered [the prisoners] to go aside out of the council [chamber], they conferred (debated) among themselves, + Saying, What are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been performed by (through) them is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. + But in order that it may not spread further among the people and the nation, let us warn and forbid them with a stern threat to speak any more to anyone in this name [or about this Person]. + [So] they summoned them and imperatively instructed them not to converse in any way or teach at all in or about the name of Jesus. + But Peter and John replied to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must decide (judge). + But we [ourselves] cannot help telling what we have seen and heard. + Then when [the rulers and council members] had further threatened them, they let them go, not seeing how they could secure a conviction against them because of the people; for everybody was praising and glorifying God for what had occurred. + For the man on whom this sign (miracle) of healing was performed was more than forty years old. + After they were permitted to go, [the apostles] returned to their own [company] and told all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. + And when they heard it, lifted their voices together with one united mind to God and said, O Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, [Exod. 20:11; Ps. 146:6.] + Who by the mouth of our forefather David, Your servant and child, said through the Holy Spirit, Why did the heathen (Gentiles) become wanton and insolent and rage, and the people imagine and study and plan vain (fruitless) things [that will not succeed]? + The kings of the earth took their stand in array [for attack] and the rulers were assembled and combined together against the Lord and against His Anointed (Christ, the Messiah). [Ps. 2:1, 2.] + For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, [Ps. 2:1, 2.] + To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur. + And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly, + While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus. + And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage. + Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all. + And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all. + Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales + And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need. + Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, which interpreted means Son of Encouragement, + Sold a field which belonged to him and brought the sum of money and laid it at the feet of the apostles. + + + BUT A certain man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, + And with his wife's knowledge and connivance he kept back and wrongfully appropriated some of the proceeds, bringing only a part and putting it at the feet of the apostles. + But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land? + As long as it remained unsold, was it not still your own? And [even] after it was sold, was not [the money] at your disposal and under your control? Why then, is it that you have proposed and purposed in your heart to do this thing? [How could you have the heart to do such a deed?] You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God. + Upon hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great dread and terror took possession of all who heard of it. + And the young men arose and wrapped up [the body] and carried it out and buried it. + Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not having learned of what had happened. + And Peter said to her, Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? Yes, she said, for so much. + Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed and conspired together to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out [also]. + And instantly she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men entering found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. + And the whole church and all others who heard of these things were appalled [great awe and strange terror and dread seized them]. + Now by the hands of the apostles (special messengers) numerous and startling signs and wonders were being performed among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in the covered porch (walk) called Solomon's. + And none of those who were not of their number dared to join and associate with them, but the people held them in high regard and praised and made much of them. + More and more there were being added to the Lord those who believed [those who acknowledged Jesus as their Savior and devoted themselves to Him joined and gathered with them], crowds both of men and of women, + So that they [even] kept carrying out the sick into the streets and placing them on couches and sleeping pads, [in the hope] that as Peter passed by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. + And the people gathered also from the towns and hamlets around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those troubled with foul spirits, and they were all cured. + But the high priest rose up and all who were his supporters, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and being filled with jealousy and indignation and rage, + They seized and arrested the apostles (special messengers) and put them in the public jail. + But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and, leading them out, said, + Go, take your stand in the temple courts and declare to the people the whole doctrine concerning this Life (the eternal life which Christ revealed). + And when they heard this, they accordingly went into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now the high priest and his supporters who were with him arrived and called together the council (Sanhedrin), even all the senate of the sons of Israel, and they sent to the prison to have [the apostles] brought. + But when the attendants arrived there, they failed to find them in the jail; so they came back and reported, + We found the prison quite safely locked up and the guards were on duty outside the doors, but when we opened [it], we found no one on the inside. + Now when the military leader of the temple area and the chief priests heard these facts, they were much perplexed and thoroughly at a loss about them, wondering into what this might grow. + But some man came and reported to them, saying, Listen! The men whom you put in jail are standing [right here] in the temple and teaching the people! + Then the military leader went with the attendants and brought [the prisoners], but without violence, for they dreaded the people lest they be stoned by them. + So they brought them and set them before the council (Sanhedrin). And the high priest examined them by questioning, + Saying, We definitely commanded and strictly charged you not to teach in or about this Name; yet here you have flooded Jerusalem with your doctrine and you intend to bring this Man's blood upon us. + Then Peter and the apostles replied, We must obey God rather than men. + The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree (cross). [Deut. 21:22, 23.] + God exalted Him to His right hand to be Prince and Leader and Savior and Deliverer and Preserver, in order to grant repentance to Israel and to bestow forgiveness and release from sins. + And we are witnesses of these things, and the Holy Spirit is also, Whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him. + Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and infuriated and wanted to kill the disciples. + But a certain Pharisee in the council (Sanhedrin) named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, highly esteemed by all the people, standing up, ordered that the apostles be taken outside for a little while. + Then he addressed them [the council, saying]: Men of Israel, take care in regard to what you propose to do concerning these men. + For before our time there arose Theudas, asserting himself to be a person of importance, with whom a number of men allied themselves, about 400; but he was killed and all who had listened to and adhered to him were scattered and brought to nothing. + And after this one rose up Judas the Galilean, [who led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew away a popular following after him; he also perished and all his adherents were scattered. + Now in the present case let me say to you, stand off (withdraw) from these men and let them alone. For if this doctrine or purpose or undertaking or movement is of human origin, it will fail (be overthrown and come to nothing); + But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them; you might even be found fighting against God! + So, convinced by him, they took his advice; and summoning the apostles, they flogged them and sternly forbade them to speak in or about the name of Jesus, and allowed them to go. + So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name. + Yet [in spite of the threats] they never ceased for a single day, both in the temple area and at home, to teach and to proclaim the good news (Gospel) of Jesus [as] the Christ (the Messiah). + + + NOW ABOUT this time, when the number of the disciples was greatly increasing, complaint was made by the Hellenists (the Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews because their widows were being overlooked and neglected in the daily ministration (distribution of relief). + So the Twelve [apostles] convened the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not seemly or desirable or right that we should have to give up or neglect [preaching] the Word of God in order to attend to serving at tables and superintending the distribution of food. + Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty. + But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word. + And the suggestion pleased the whole assembly, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith (a strong and welcome belief that Jesus is the Messiah) and full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte (convert) from Antioch. + These they presented to the apostles, who after prayer laid their hands on them. + And the message of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; and [besides] a large number of the priests were obedient to the faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom is obtained eternal salvation in the kingdom of God]. + Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing and favor) and power (strength and ability) worked great wonders and signs (miracles) among the people. + However, some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), as it was called, and [of the synagogues] of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians and of those from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, arose [and undertook] to debate and dispute with Stephen. + But they were not able to resist the intelligence and the wisdom and [the inspiration of] the Spirit with which and by Whom he spoke. + So they [secretly] instigated and instructed men to say, We have heard this man speak, using slanderous and abusive and blasphemous language against Moses and God. + [Thus] they incited the people as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came upon Stephen and arrested him and took him before the council (Sanhedrin). + And they brought forward false witnesses who asserted, This man never stops making statements against this sacred place and the Law [of Moses]; + For we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down and destroy this place, and will alter the institutions and usages which Moses transmitted to us. + Then all who sat in the council (Sanhedrin), as they gazed intently at Stephen, saw that his face had the appearance of the face of an angel. + + + AND THE high priest asked [Stephen], Are these charges true? + And he answered, Brethren and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before he [went to] live in Haran, [Gen. 11:31; 15:7; Ps. 29:3.] + And He said to him, Leave your own country and your relatives and come into the land (region) that I will point out to you. [Gen. 12:1.] + So then he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, [God] transferred him to this country in which you are now dwelling. [Gen. 11:31; 12:5; 15:7.] + Yet He gave him no inheritable property in it, [no] not even enough ground to set his foot on; but He promised that He would give it to Him for a permanent possession and to his descendants after him, even though [as yet] he had no child. [Gen. 12:7; 17:8; Deut. 2:5.] + And this is [in effect] what God told him: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a land belonging to other people, who would bring them into bondage and ill-treat them 400 years. + But I will judge the nation to whom they will be slaves, said God, and after that they will escape and come forth and worship Me in this [very] place. [Gen. 15:13, 14; Exod. 3:12.] + And [God] made with Abraham a covenant (an agreement to be religiously observed) of which circumcision was the seal. And under these circumstances [Abraham] became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [did so] when he became the father of Jacob, and Jacob [when each of his sons was born], the twelve patriarchs. [Gen. 17:10-14; 21:2-4; 25:26; 29:31-35; 30:1-24; 35:16-26.] + And the patriarchs [Jacob's sons], boiling with envy and hatred and anger, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him, [Gen. 37:11, 28; 45:4.] + And delivered him from all his distressing afflictions and won him goodwill and favor and wisdom and understanding in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house. [Gen. 39:2, 3, 21; 41:40-46; Ps. 105:21.] + Then there came a famine over all of Egypt and Canaan, with great distress, and our forefathers could find no fodder [for the cattle] or vegetable sustenance [for their households]. [Gen. 41:54, 55; 42:5.] + But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our forefathers [to go there on their] first trip. [Gen. 42:2.] + And on their second visit Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh and his origin and race. [Gen. 45:1-4.] + And Joseph sent an invitation calling to himself Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. [Gen. 45:9, 10.] + And Jacob went down into Egypt, where he himself died, as did [also] our forefathers; [Deut. 10:22.] + And their bodies [Jacob's and Joseph's] were taken back to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of [silver] money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. [Gen. 50:13; Josh. 24:32.] + But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near which God had made to Abraham, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt, + Until [the time when] there arose over Egypt another and a different king who did not know Joseph [neither knowing his history and services nor recognizing his merits]. [Exod. 1:7, 8.] + He dealt treacherously with and defrauded our race; he abused and oppressed our forefathers, forcing them to expose their babies so that they might not be kept alive. [Exod. 1:7-11, 15-22.] + At this juncture Moses was born, and was exceedingly beautiful in God's sight. For three months he was nurtured in his father's house; [Exod. 2:2.] + Then when he was exposed [to perish], the daughter of Pharaoh rescued him and took him and reared him as her own son. [Exod. 2:5, 6, 10.] + So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was mighty (powerful) in his speech and deeds. + And when he was in his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his kinsmen the children of Israel [to help them and to care for them]. + And on seeing one of them being unjustly treated, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian and slaying [him]. + He expected his brethren to understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand [taking it for granted that they would accept him]; but they did not understand. + Then on the next day he suddenly appeared to some who were quarreling and fighting among themselves, and he urged them to make peace and become reconciled, saying, Men, you are brethren; why do you abuse and wrong one another? + Whereupon the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed [Moses] aside, saying, Who appointed you a ruler (umpire) and a judge over us? + Do you intend to slay me as you slew the Egyptian yesterday? + At that reply Moses sought safety by flight and he was an exile and an alien in the country of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. [Exod. 2:11-15, 22; 18:3, 4.] + And when forty years had gone by, there appeared to him in the wilderness (desert) of Mount Sinai an angel, in the flame of a burning bramblebush. + When Moses saw it, he was astonished and marveled at the sight; but when he went close to investigate, there came to him the voice of the Lord, saying, + I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses trembled and was so terrified that he did not venture to look. + Then the Lord said to him, Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground and worthy of veneration. + Because I have most assuredly seen the abuse and oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their sighing and groaning, I have come down to rescue them. So, now come! I will send you back to Egypt [as My messenger]. [Exod. 3:1-10.] + It was this very Moses whom they had denied (disowned and rejected), saying, Who made you our ruler (referee) and judge? whom God sent to be a ruler and deliverer and redeemer, by and with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel that appeared to him in the bramblebush. [Exod. 2:14.] + He it was who led them forth, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and during the forty years in the wilderness (desert). [Exod. 7:3; 14:21; Num. 14:33.] + It was this [very] Moses who said to the children of Israel, God will raise up for you a Prophet from among your brethren as He raised me up. [Deut. 18:15, 18.] + This is he who in the assembly in the wilderness (desert) was the go-between for the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and our forefathers, and he received living oracles (words that still live) to be handed down to us. [Exod. 19.] + [And yet] our forefathers determined not to be subject to him [refusing to listen to or obey him]; but thrusting him aside they rejected him, and in their hearts yearned for and turned back to Egypt. [Num. 14:3, 4.] + And they said to Aaron, Make us gods who shall [be our leaders and] go before us; as for this Moses who led us forth from the land of Egypt--we have no knowledge of what has happened to him. [Exod. 32:1, 23.] + And they [even] made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol and made merry and exulted in the work of their [own] hands. [Exod. 32:4, 6.] + But God turned [away from them] and delivered them up to worship and serve the host (stars) of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you [really] offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness (desert), O house of Israel? [Jer. 19:13.] + [No!] You took up the tent (the portable temple) of Moloch and carried it [with you], and the star of the god Rephan, the images which you [yourselves] made that you might worship them; and I will remove you [carrying you away into exile] beyond Babylon. [Amos 5:25-27.] + Our forefathers had the tent (tabernacle) of witness in the wilderness, even as He Who directed Moses to make it had ordered, according to the pattern and model he had seen. [Exod. 25:9-40.] + Our forefathers in turn brought it [this tent of witness] in [with them into the land] with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations which God drove out before the face of our forefathers. [So it remained here] until the time of David, [Deut. 32:49; Josh. 3:14-17.] + Who found grace (favor and spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and prayed that he might be allowed to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. [II Sam. 7:8-16; Ps. 132:1-5.] + But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. [I Kings 6.] + However, the Most High does not dwell in houses and temples made with hands; as the prophet says, [Isa. 66:1, 2.] + Heaven [is] My throne, and earth the footstool for My feet. What [kind of] house can you build for Me, says the Lord, or what is the place in which I can rest? + Was it not My hand that made all these things? [Isa. 66:1, 2.] + You stubborn and stiff-necked people, still heathen and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. As your forefathers [were], so you [are and so you do]! [Exod. 33:3, 5; Num. 27:14; Isa. 63:10; Jer. 6:10; 9:26.] + Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? And they slew those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, Whom you now have betrayed and murdered-- + You who received the Law as it was ordained and set in order and delivered by angels, and [yet] you did not obey it! + Now upon hearing these things, they [the Jews] were cut to the heart and infuriated, and they ground their teeth against [Stephen]. + But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand; + And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God's right hand! + But they raised a great shout and put their hands over their ears and rushed together upon him. + Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. [Acts 22:20.] + And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit! + And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [in death]. + + + AND SAUL was [not only] consenting to [Stephen's] death [he was pleased and entirely approving]. On that day a great and severe persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (special messengers). + [A party of] devout men with others helped to carry out and bury Stephen and made great lamentation over him. + But Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously [with cruelty and violence]; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison. + Now those who were scattered abroad went about [through the land from place to place] preaching the glad tidings, the Word [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God]. + Philip [the deacon, not the apostle] went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ (the Messiah) to them [the people]; [Acts 6:5.] + And great crowds of people with one accord listened to and heeded what was said by Philip, as they heard him and watched the miracles and wonders which he kept performing [from time to time]. + For foul spirits came out of many who were possessed by them, screaming and shouting with a loud voice, and many who were suffering from palsy or were crippled were restored to health. + And there was great rejoicing in that city. + But there was a man named Simon, who had formerly practiced magic arts in the city to the utter amazement of the Samaritan nation, claiming that he himself was an extraordinary and distinguished person. + They all paid earnest attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that exhibition of the power of God which is called great (intense). + And they were attentive and made much of him, because for a long time he had amazed and bewildered and dazzled them with his skill in magic arts. + But when they believed the good news (the Gospel) about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) as Philip preached it, they were baptized, both men and women. + Even Simon himself believed [he adhered to, trusted in, and relied on the teaching of Philip], and after being baptized, devoted himself constantly to him. And seeing signs and miracles of great power which were being performed, he was utterly amazed. + Now when the apostles (special messengers) at Jerusalem heard that [the country of] Samaria had accepted and welcomed the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, + And they came down and prayed for them that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit; + For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. + Then [the apostles] laid their hands on them one by one, and they received the Holy Spirit. + However, when Simon saw that the [Holy] Spirit was imparted through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he brought money and offered it to them, + Saying, Grant me also this power and authority, in order that anyone on whom I place my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. + But Peter said to him, Destruction overtake your money and you, because you imagined you could obtain the [free] gift of God with money! + You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is all wrong in God's sight [it is not straightforward or right or true before God]. [Ps. 78:37.] + So repent of this depravity and wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this contriving thought and purpose of your heart may be removed and disregarded and forgiven you. + For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in a bond forged by iniquity [to fetter souls]. [Isa. 58:6.] + And Simon answered, Pray for me [beseech the Lord, both of you], that nothing of what you have said may befall me! + Now when [the apostles] had borne their testimony and preached the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the glad tidings (Gospel) to many villages of the Samaritans [on the way]. + But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and proceed southward or at midday on the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza. This is the desert [route]. + So he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship. + And he was [now] returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah. + Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to this chariot. + Accordingly Philip, running up to him, heard [the man] reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, Do you really understand what you are reading? + And he said, How is it possible for me to do so unless someone explains it to me and guides me [in the right way]? And he earnestly requested Philip to come up and sit beside him. + Now this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading: Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. + In His humiliation He was taken away by distressing and oppressive judgment and justice was denied Him [caused to cease]. Who can describe or relate in full the wickedness of His contemporaries (generation)? For His life is taken from the earth and a bloody death inflicted upon Him. [Isa. 53:7, 8.] + And the eunuch said to Philip, I beg of you, tell me about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else? + Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this portion of Scripture he announced to him the glad tidings (Gospel) of Jesus and about Him. + And as they continued along on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch exclaimed, See, [here is] water! What is to hinder my being baptized? + And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart [if you have a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then] you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. + And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and [Philip] baptized him. + And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord [suddenly] caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing. + But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the good news (Gospel) to all the towns until he reached Caesarea. + + + MEANWHILE SAUL, still drawing his breath hard from threatening and murderous desire against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest + And requested of him letters to the synagogues at Damascus [authorizing him], so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way [of life as determined by faith in Jesus Christ], he might bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem. + Now as he traveled on, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, + And he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me [harassing, troubling, and molesting Me]? + And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance]. + Trembling and astonished he asked, Lord, what do You desire me to do? The Lord said to him, But arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. + The men who were accompanying him were unable to speak [for terror], hearing the voice but seeing no one. + Then Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. + And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank [anything]. + Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he answered, Here am I, Lord. + And the Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying [there]. + And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias enter and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. + But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard many people tell about this man, especially how much evil and what great suffering he has brought on Your saints at Jerusalem; + Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call upon Your name. + But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel; + For I will make clear to him how much he will be afflicted and must endure and suffer for My name's sake. + So Ananias left and went into the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. + And instantly something like scales fell from [Saul's] eyes, and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized, + And after he took some food, he was strengthened. For several days [afterward] he remained with the disciples at Damascus. + And immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, saying, He is the Son of God! + And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the very man who harassed and overthrew and destroyed in Jerusalem those who called upon this Name? And he has come here for the express purpose of arresting them and bringing them in chains before the chief priests. + But Saul increased all the more in strength, and continued to confound and put to confusion the Jews who lived in Damascus by comparing and examining evidence and proving that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah). + After considerable time had elapsed, the Jews conspired to put Saul out of the way by slaying him, + But [the knowledge of] their plot was made known to Saul. They were guarding the [city's] gates day and night to kill him, + But his disciples took him at night and let him down through the [city's] wall, lowering him in a basket or hamper. + And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate himself with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe he really was a disciple. + However, Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he explained to them how along the way he had seen the Lord, Who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached freely and confidently and courageously in the name of Jesus. + So he went in and out [as one] among them at Jerusalem, + Preaching freely and confidently and boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and discussed with and disputed against the Hellenists (the Grecian Jews), but they were seeking to slay him. + And when the brethren found it out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus [his home town]. + So the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was edified [growing in wisdom, virtue, and piety] and walking in the respect and reverential fear of the Lord and in the consolation and exhortation of the Holy Spirit, continued to increase and was multiplied. + Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he went down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. + There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedfast for eight years and was paralyzed. + And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [now] makes you whole. Get up and make your bed! And immediately [Aeneas] stood up. + Then all the inhabitants of Lydda and the plain of Sharon saw [what had happened to] him and they turned to the Lord. + Now there was at Joppa a disciple [a woman] named [in Aramaic] Tabitha, which [in Greek] means Dorcas. She was abounding in good deeds and acts of charity. + About that time she fell sick and died, and when they had cleansed her, they laid [her] in an upper room. + Since Lydda was near Joppa [however], the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him begging him, Do come to us without delay. + So Peter [immediately] rose and accompanied them. And when he had arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, crying and displaying undershirts (tunics) and [other] garments such as Dorcas was accustomed to make while she was with them. + But Peter put them all out [of the room] and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, Tabitha, get up! And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she raised herself and sat upright. + And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling in God's people and the widows, he presented her to them alive. + And this became known throughout all Joppa, and many came to believe on the Lord [to adhere to and trust in and rely on Him as the Christ and as their Savior]. + And Peter remained in Joppa for considerable time with a certain Simon a tanner. + + + NOW [living] at Caesarea there was a man whose name was Cornelius, a centurion (captain) of what was known as the Italian Regiment, + A devout man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience, as did all his household; and he gave much alms to the people and prayed continually to God. + About the ninth hour (about 3:00 p.m.) of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God entering and saying to him, Cornelius! + And he, gazing intently at him, became frightened and said, What is it, Lord? And the angel said to him, Your prayers and your [generous] gifts to the poor have come up [as a sacrifice] to God and have been remembered by Him. + And now send men to Joppa and have them call for and invite here a certain Simon whose surname is Peter; + He is lodging with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. + When the angel who spoke to him had left, Cornelius called two of his servants and a God-fearing soldier from among his own personal attendants. + And having rehearsed everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. + The next day as they were still on their way and were approaching the town, Peter went up to the roof of the house to pray, about the sixth hour (noon). + But he became very hungry, and wanted something to eat; and while the meal was being prepared a trance came over him, + And he saw the sky opened and something like a great sheet lowered by the four corners, descending to the earth. + It contained all kinds of quadrupeds and wild beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the air. + And there came a voice to him, saying, Rise up, Peter, kill and eat. + But Peter said, No, by no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean. + And the voice came to him again a second time, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding and calling common and unhallowed or unclean. + This occurred three times; then immediately the sheet was taken up to heaven. + Now Peter was still inwardly perplexed and doubted as to what the vision which he had seen could mean, when [just then] behold the messengers that were sent by Cornelius, who had made inquiry for Simon's house, stopped and stood before the gate. + And they called out to inquire whether Simon who was surnamed Peter was staying there. + And while Peter was earnestly revolving the vision in his mind and meditating on it, the [Holy] Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you! + Get up and go below and accompany them without any doubt [about its legality] or any discrimination or hesitation, for I have sent them. + Then Peter went down to the men and said, I am the man you seek; what is the purpose of your coming? + And they said, Cornelius, a centurion (captain) who is just and upright and in right standing with God, being God-fearing and obedient and well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, has been instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house; and he has received in answer [to prayer] a warning to listen to and act upon what you have to say. + So Peter invited them in to be his guests [for the night]. The next day he arose and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. + And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for and expecting them, and he had invited together his relatives and his intimate friends. + As Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and falling down at his feet he made obeisance and paid worshipful reverence to him. + But Peter raised him up, saying, Get up; I myself am also a man. + And as [Peter] spoke with him, he entered the house and found a large group of persons assembled; + And he said to them, You yourselves are aware how it is not lawful or permissible for a Jew to keep company with or to visit or [even] to come near or to speak first to anyone of another nationality, but God has shown and taught me by words that I should not call any human being common or unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean. + Therefore when I was sent for, I came without hesitation or objection or misgivings. So now I ask for what reason you sent for me. + And Cornelius said, This is now the fourth day since about this time I was observing the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon) of prayer in my lodging place; [suddenly] a man stood before me in dazzling apparel, + And he said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and harkened to, and your donations to the poor have been known and preserved before God [so that He heeds and is about to help you]. + Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is surnamed Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon the tanner by the seaside. + So at once I sent for you, and you [being a Jew] have done a kind and courteous and handsome thing in coming. Now then, we are all present in the sight of God to listen to all that you have been instructed by the Lord to say. + And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, + But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him]. + You know the contents of the message which He sent to Israel, announcing the good news (Gospel) of peace by Jesus Christ, Who is Lord of all-- + The [same] message which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John-- + How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. + And we are [eye and ear] witnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And [yet] they put Him out of the way (murdered Him) by hanging Him on a tree; + But God raised Him to life on the third day and caused Him to be manifest (to be plainly seen), + Not by all the people but to us who were chosen (designated) beforehand by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. + And He charged us to preach to the people and to bear solemn testimony that He is the God-appointed and God-ordained Judge of the living and the dead. + To Him all the prophets testify (bear witness) that everyone who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him, giving himself up to Him] receives forgiveness of sins through His name. + While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message. + And the believers from among the circumcised [the Jews] who came with Peter were surprised and amazed, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed and poured out largely even on the Gentiles. + For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and extolling and magnifying God. Then Peter asked, + Can anyone forbid or refuse water for baptizing these people, seeing that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? + And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Then they begged him to stay on there for some days. + + + NOW THE apostles (special messengers) and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard [with astonishment] that the Gentiles (heathen) also had received and accepted and welcomed the Word of God [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God]. + So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party [certain Jewish Christians] found fault with him [separating themselves from him in a hostile spirit, opposing and disputing and contending with him], + Saying, Why did you go to uncircumcised men and [even] eat with them? + But Peter began [at the beginning] and narrated and explained to them step by step [the whole list of events]. He said: + I was in the town of Joppa praying, and [falling] in a trance I saw a vision of something coming down from heaven, like a huge sheet lowered by the four corners; and it descended until it came to me. + Gazing intently and closely at it, I observed in it [a variety of] four-footed animals and wild beasts and reptiles of the earth and birds of the air, + And I heard a voice saying to me, Get up, Peter; kill and eat. + But I said, No, by no means, Lord; for nothing common or unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean has ever entered my mouth. + But the voice answered a second time from heaven, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding or calling it common or unhallowed or unclean. + This occurred three times, and then all was drawn up again into heaven. + And right then the three men sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house in which we were. + And the [Holy] Spirit instructed me to accompany them without [the least] hesitation or misgivings or discrimination. So these six brethren accompanied me also, and we went into the man's house. + And he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house which stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa and bring Simon who is surnamed Peter; + He will give and explain to you a message by means of which you and all your household [as well] will be saved [from eternal death]. + When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as He did on us at the beginning. [Acts 2:1-4.] + Then I recalled the declaration of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with (be placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit. + If then God gave to them the same Gift [equally] as He gave to us when we believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I and what power or authority had I to interfere or hinder or forbid or withstand God? + When they heard this, they were quieted and made no further objection. And they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto [real] life [after resurrection]. + Meanwhile those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen had traveled as far away as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, without delivering the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] to anyone except Jews. + But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on returning to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, proclaiming [to them] the good news (the Gospel) about the Lord Jesus. + And the presence of the Lord was with them with power, so that a great number [learned] to believe (to adhere to and trust in and rely on the Lord) and turned and surrendered themselves to Him. + The rumors of this came to the ears of the church (assembly) in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. + When he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with [resolute and steady] purpose of heart. + For he was a good man [good in himself and also at once for the good and the advantage of other people], full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit and full of faith (of his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation). And a large company was added to the Lord. + [Barnabas] went on to Tarsus to hunt for Saul. + And when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they assembled together with and were guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. + And during these days prophets (inspired teachers and interpreters of the divine will and purpose) came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. + And one of them named Agabus stood up and prophesied through the [Holy] Spirit that a great and severe famine would come upon the whole world. And this did occur during the reign of Claudius. + So the disciples resolved to send relief, each according to his individual ability [in proportion as he had prospered], to the brethren who lived in Judea. + And so they did, sending [their contributions] to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. + + + ABOUT THAT time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict and oppress and torment some who belonged to the church (assembly). + And he killed James the brother of John with a sword; + And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week]. + And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. + So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly). + The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. + And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands. + And the angel said to him, Tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me. + And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. + When they had passed through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city. Of its own accord [the gate] swung open, and they went out and passed on through one street; and at once the angel left him. + Then Peter came to himself and said, Now I really know and am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting [to do to me]. + When he, at a glance, became aware of this [comprehending all the elements of the case], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where a large number were assembled together and were praying. + And when he knocked at the gate of the porch, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. + And recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she failed to open the gate, but ran in and told the people that Peter was standing before the porch gate. + They said to her, You are crazy! But she persistently and strongly and confidently affirmed that it was the truth. They said, It is his angel! + But meanwhile Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed. + But motioning to them with his hand to keep quiet and listen, he related to them how the Lord had delivered him out of the prison. And he said, Report all this to James [the Less] and to the brethren. Then he left and went to some other place. + Now as soon as it was day, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. + And when Herod had looked for him and could not find him, he placed the guards on trial and commanded that they should be led away [to execution]. Then [Herod] went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed on there. + Now [Herod] cherished bitter animosity and hostility for the people of Tyre and Sidon; and [their deputies] came to him in a united body, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was nourished by and depended on the king's [country] for food. + On an appointed day Herod arrayed himself in his royal robes, took his seat upon [his] throne, and addressed an oration to them. + And the assembled people shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man! + And at once an angel of the Lord smote him and cut him down, because he did not give God the glory (the preeminence and kingly majesty that belong to Him as the supreme Ruler); and he was eaten by worms and died. + But the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] continued to grow and spread. + And Barnabas and Saul came back from Jerusalem when they had completed their mission, bringing with them John whose surname was Mark. [Acts 11:28-30.] + + + NOW IN the church (assembly) at Antioch there were prophets (inspired interpreters of the will and purposes of God) and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger [Black], Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. + While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate now for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. + Then after fasting and praying, they put their hands on them and sent them away. + So then, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from [that port] they sailed away to Cyprus. + When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John [Mark] as an attendant to assist them. + When they had passed through the entire island of Cyprus as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain Jewish wizard or sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. + He was closely associated with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent and sensible man of sound understanding; he summoned to him Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God [concerning salvation in the kingdom of God attained through Christ]. + But Elymas the wise man--for that is the translation of his name [which he had given himself]--opposed them, seeking to keep the proconsul from accepting the faith. + But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit, looked steadily at [Elymas] + And said, You master in every form of deception and recklessness, unscrupulousness, and wickedness, you son of the devil, you enemy of everything that is upright and good, will you never stop perverting and making crooked the straight paths of the Lord and plotting against His saving purposes? [Hos. 14:9.] + And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, [so blind that you will be] unable to see the sun for a time. Instantly there fell upon him a mist and a darkness, and he groped about seeking persons who would lead him by the hand. + Then the proconsul believed (became a Christian) when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished and deeply touched at the teaching concerning the Lord and from Him. + Now Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John [Mark] separated himself from them and went back to Jerusalem, + But they [themselves] came on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue there and sat down. + After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders [of the worship] of the synagogue sent to them saying, Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation or consolation or encouragement for the people, say it. + So Paul arose, and motioning with his hand said, Men of Israel and you who reverence and fear God, listen! + The God of this people Israel selected our forefathers and made this people great and important during their stay in the land of Egypt, and then with an uplifted arm He led them out from there. [Exod. 6:1, 6.] + And for about forty years like a fatherly nurse He cared for them in the wilderness and endured their behavior. [Deut. 1:31.] + When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them [the Hebrews] their land as an inheritance [distributing it to them by lot; all of which took] about 450 years. [Deut. 7:1; Josh. 14:1.] + After that, He gave them judges until the prophet Samuel. + Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. + And when He had deposed him, He raised up David to be their king; of him He bore witness and said, I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart, who will do all My will and carry out My program fully. [I Sam. 13:14; Ps. 89:20; Isa. 44:28.] + Of this man's descendants God has brought to Israel a Savior [in the person of Jesus], according to His promise. + Before His coming John had [already] preached baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. + And as John was ending his course, he asked, What or who do you secretly think that I am? I am not He [the Christ. No], but note that after me One is coming, the sandals of Whose feet I am not worthy to untie! + Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and all those others among you who reverence and fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation [the salvation obtained through Jesus Christ]. [Ps. 107:20.] + For those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know or recognize Him or understand the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, have actually fulfilled these very predictions by condemning and sentencing [Him]. + And although they could find no cause deserving death with which to charge Him, yet they asked Pilate to have Him executed and put out of the way. + And when they had finished and fulfilled everything that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. + But God raised Him from the dead. + And for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are His witnesses to the people. + So now we are bringing you the good news (Gospel) that what God promised to our forefathers, + This He has completely fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are My Son; today I have begotten You [caused You to arise, to be born; formally shown You to be the Messiah by the resurrection]. [Ps. 2:7.] + And as to His having raised Him from among the dead, now no more to return to [undergo] putrefaction and dissolution [of the grave], He spoke in this way, I will fulfill and give to you the holy and sure mercy and blessings [that were promised and assured] to David. [Isa. 55:3.] + For this reason He says also in another psalm, You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption [to undergo putrefaction and dissolution of the grave]. [Ps. 16:10.] + For David, after he had served God's will and purpose and counsel in his own generation, fell asleep [in death] and was buried among his forefathers, and he did see corruption and undergo putrefaction and dissolution [of the grave]. + But He Whom God raised up [to life] saw no corruption [did not experience putrefaction and dissolution of the grave]. + So let it be clearly known and understood by you, brethren, that through this Man forgiveness and removal of sins is now proclaimed to you; + And that through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as his Savior and devotes himself to Him] is absolved (cleared and freed) from every charge from which he could not be justified and freed by the Law of Moses and given right standing with God. + Take care, therefore, lest there come upon you what is spoken in the prophets: + Look, you scoffers and scorners, and marvel and perish and vanish away; for I am doing a deed in your days, a deed which you will never have confidence in or believe, [even] if someone [clearly describing it in detail] declares it to you. [Hab. 1:5.] + As they [Paul and Barnabas] went out [of the synagogue], the people earnestly begged that these things might be told to them [further] the next Sabbath. + And when the congregation of the synagogue dispersed, many of the Jews and the devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked to them and urged them to continue [to trust themselves to and to stand fast] in the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God. + The next Sabbath almost the entire city gathered together to hear the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God]. + But when the Jews saw the crowds, filled with envy and jealousy they contradicted what was said by Paul and talked abusively [reviling and slandering him]. + And Paul and Barnabas spoke out plainly and boldly, saying, It was necessary that God's message [concerning salvation through Christ] should be spoken to you first. But since you thrust it from you, you pass this judgment on yourselves that you are unworthy of eternal life and out of your own mouth you will be judged. [Now] behold, we turn to the Gentiles (the heathen). + For so the Lord has charged us, saying, I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles (the heathen), that you may bring [eternal] salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth. [Isa. 49:6.] + And when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified (praised and gave thanks for) the Word of God; and as many as were destined (appointed and ordained) to eternal life believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Jesus as the Christ and their Savior). + And so the Word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through Christ] scattered and spread throughout the whole region. + But the Jews stirred up the devout women of high rank and the outstanding men of the town, and instigated persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their boundaries. + But [the apostles] shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. + And the disciples were continually filled [throughout their souls] with joy and the Holy Spirit. + + + NOW AT Iconium [also Paul and Barnabas] went into the Jewish synagogue together and spoke with such power that a great number both of Jews and of Greeks believed (became Christians); + But the unbelieving Jews [who rejected their message] aroused the Gentiles and embittered their minds against the brethren. + So [Paul and Barnabas] stayed on there for a long time, speaking freely and fearlessly and boldly in the Lord, Who continued to bear testimony to the Word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be performed by their hands. + But the residents of the town were divided, some siding with the Jews and some with the apostles. + When there was an attempt both on the part of the Gentiles and the Jews together with their rulers, to insult and abuse and molest [Paul and Barnabas] and to stone them, + They, aware of the situation, made their escape to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and the neighboring districts; + And there they continued to preach the glad tidings (Gospel). + Now at Lystra a man sat who found it impossible to use his feet, for he was a cripple from birth and had never walked. + He was listening to Paul as he talked, and [Paul] gazing intently at him and observing that he had faith to be healed, + Shouted at him, saying, Stand erect on your feet! And he leaped up and walked. + And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, The gods have come down to us in human form! + They called Barnabas Zeus, and they called Paul, because he led in the discourse, Hermes [god of speech]. + And the priest of Zeus, whose [temple] was at the entrance of the town, brought bulls and garlands to the [city's] gates and wanted to join the people in offering sacrifice. + But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothing and dashed out among the crowd, shouting, + Men, why are you doing this? We also are [only] human beings, of nature like your own, and we bring you the good news (Gospel) that you should turn away from these foolish and vain things to the living God, Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that they contain. [Exod. 20:11; Ps. 146:6.] + In generations past He permitted all the nations to walk in their own ways; + Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness of Himself, for He did you good and [showed you] kindness and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with nourishment and happiness. + Even in [the light of] these words they with difficulty prevented the people from offering sacrifice to them. + But some Jews arrived there from Antioch and Iconium; and having persuaded the people and won them over, they stoned Paul and [afterward] dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead. + But the disciples formed a circle about him, and he got up and went back into the town; and on the morrow he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. + When they had preached the good news (Gospel) to that town and made disciples of many of the people, they went back to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, + Establishing and strengthening the souls and the hearts of the disciples, urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith, and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. + And when they had appointed and ordained elders for them in each church with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in Whom they had come to believe [being full of joyful trust that He is the Christ, the Messiah]. + Then they went through Pisidia and arrived at Pamphylia. + And when they had spoken the Word in Perga [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God], they went down to Attalia; + And from there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had [first] been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had [now] completed. + Arriving there, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had accomplished with them and how He had opened to the Gentiles a door of faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom we obtain salvation in the kingdom of God]. + And there they stayed no little time with the disciples. + + + BUT SOME men came down from Judea and were instructing the brethren, Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the Mosaic custom, you cannot be saved. [Gen. 17:9-14.] + And when Paul and Barnabas had no small disagreement and discussion with them, it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and some of the others of their number should go up to Jerusalem [and confer] with the apostles (special messengers) and the elders about this matter. + So, being fitted out and sent on their way by the church, they went through both Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles (the heathen), and they caused great rejoicing among all the brethren. + When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were heartily welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they told them all that God had accomplished through them. + But some who believed [who acknowledged Jesus as their Savior and devoted themselves to Him] belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, and they rose up and said, It is necessary to circumcise [the Gentile converts] and to charge them to obey the Law of Moses. + The apostles and the elders were assembled together to look into and consider this matter. + And after there had been a long debate, Peter got up and said to them, Brethren, you know that quite a while ago God made a choice or selection from among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the message of the Gospel [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] and believe (credit and place their confidence in it). + And God, Who is acquainted with and understands the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit as He also did to us; + And He made no difference between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith (by a strong and welcome conviction that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God). + Now then, why do you try to test God by putting a yoke on the necks of the disciples, such as neither our forefathers nor we [ourselves] were able to endure? + But we believe that we are saved through the grace (the undeserved favor and mercy) of the Lord Jesus, just as they [are]. + Then the whole assembly remained silent, and they listened [attentively] as Barnabas and Paul rehearsed what signs and wonders God had performed through them among the Gentiles. + When they had finished talking, James replied, Brethren, listen to me. + Simeon [Peter] has rehearsed how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people [to bear and honor] His name. + And with this the predictions of the prophets agree, as it is written, + After this I will come back, and will rebuild the house of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its [very] ruins, and I will set it up again, + So that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been invoked, + Says the Lord, Who has been making these things known from the beginning of the world. [Isa. 45:21; Jer. 12:15; Amos 9:11, 12.] + Therefore it is my opinion that we should not put obstacles in the way of and annoy and disturb those of the Gentiles who turn to God, + But we should send word to them in writing to abstain from and avoid anything that has been polluted by being offered to idols, and all sexual impurity, and [eating meat of animals] that have been strangled, and [tasting of] blood. + For from ancient generations Moses has had his preachers in every town, for he is read [aloud] every Sabbath in the synagogues. + Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, resolved to select men from among their number and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, [both] leading men among the brethren, and sent them. + With [them they sent] the following letter: The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings: + As we have heard that some persons from our number have disturbed you with their teaching, unsettling your minds and throwing you into confusion, although we gave them no express orders or instructions [on the points in question], + It has been resolved by us in assembly to select men and send them [as messengers] to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, + Men who have hazarded their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. + So we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will bring you the same message by word of mouth. + For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay upon you any greater burden than these indispensable requirements: + That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from [tasting] blood and from [eating the meat of animals] that have been strangled and from sexual impurity. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell [be strong]! + So when [the messengers] were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having assembled the congregation, they delivered the letter. + And when they read it, the people rejoiced at the consolation and encouragement [it brought them]. + And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets (inspired interpreters of the will and purposes of God), urged and warned and consoled and encouraged the brethren with many words and strengthened them. + And after spending some time there, they were sent back by the brethren with [the greeting] peace to those who had sent them. + However, Silas decided to stay on there. + But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch and with many others also continued teaching and proclaiming the good news, the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in God's kingdom]. + And after some time Paul said to Barnabas, Come, let us go back and again visit and help and minister to the brethren in every town where we made known the message of the Lord, and see how they are getting along. + Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark [his near relative]. + But Paul did not think it best to have along with them the one who had quit and deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. + And there followed a sharp disagreement between them, so that they separated from each other, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. + But Paul selected Silas and set out, being commended by the brethren to the grace (the favor and mercy) of the Lord. + And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, establishing and strengthening the churches. + + + AND [Paul] went down to Derbe and also to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer [she had become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and the Author of eternal salvation, and yielded obedience to Him]; but [Timothy's] father was a Greek. + He [Timothy] had a good reputation among the brethren at Lystra and Iconium. + Paul desired Timothy to go with him [as a missionary]; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places, all of whom knew that his father was a Greek. + As they went on their way from town to town, they delivered over [to the assemblies] for their observance the regulations decided upon by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. + So the churches were strengthened and made firm in the faith, and they increased in number day after day. + And Paul and Silas passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Word in [the province of] Asia. + And when they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. + So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. + [There] a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from Macedonia stood pleading with him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us! + And when he had seen the vision, we [including Luke] at once endeavored to go on into Macedonia, confidently inferring that God had called us to proclaim the glad tidings (Gospel) to them. + Therefore, setting sail from Troas, we came in a direct course to Samothrace, and the next day went on to Neapolis. + And from there [we came] to Philippi, which is the chief city of the district of Macedonia and a [Roman] colony. We stayed on in this place some days; + And on the Sabbath day we went outside the [city's] gate to the bank of the river where we supposed there was an [accustomed] place of prayer, and we sat down and addressed the women who had assembled there. + One of those who listened to us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in fabrics dyed in purple. She was [already] a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. + And when she was baptized along with her household, she earnestly entreated us, saying, If in your opinion I am one really convinced [that Jesus is the Messiah and the Author of salvation] and that I will be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she induced us [to do it]. + As we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination [claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners much gain by her fortunetelling. + She kept following Paul and [the rest of] us, shouting loudly, These men are the servants of the Most High God! They announce to you the way of salvation! + And she did this for many days. Then Paul, being sorely annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit within her, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment. + But when her owners discovered that their hope of profit was gone, they caught hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the forum (marketplace), [where trials are held]. + And when they had brought them before the magistrates, they declared, These fellows are Jews and they are throwing our city into great confusion. + They encourage the practice of customs which it is unlawful for us Romans to accept or observe! + The crowd [also] joined in the attack upon them, and the rulers tore the clothes off of them and commanded that they be beaten with rods. + And when they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. + He, having received [so strict a] charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. + But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, + Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened. + When the jailer, startled out of his sleep, saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was on the point of killing himself, because he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. + But Paul shouted, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here! + Then [the jailer] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling and terrified he fell down before Paul and Silas. + And he brought them out [of the dungeon] and said, Men, what is it necessary for me to do that I may be saved? + And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well. + And they declared the Word of the Lord [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] to him and to all who were in his house. + And he took them the same hour of the night and bathed [them because of their bloody] wounds, and he was baptized immediately and all [the members of] his [household]. + Then he took them up into his house and set food before them; and he leaped much for joy and exulted with all his family that he believed in God [accepting and joyously welcoming what He had made known through Christ]. + But when it was day, the magistrates sent policemen, saying, Release those fellows and let them go. + And the jailer repeated the words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to release you and let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace. + But Paul answered them, They have beaten us openly and publicly, without a trial and uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now thrust us out secretly? No, indeed! Let them come here themselves and conduct us out! + The police reported this message to the magistrates, and they were frightened when they heard that the prisoners were Roman citizens; + So they came themselves and [striving to appease them by entreaty] apologized to them. And they brought them out and asked them to leave the city. + So [Paul and Silas] left the prison and went to Lydia's house; and when they had seen the brethren, they warned and urged and consoled and encouraged them and departed. + + + NOW AFTER [Paul and Silas] had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. + And Paul entered, as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned and argued with them from the Scriptures, + Explaining [them] and [quoting passages] setting forth and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, Whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ (the Messiah). + And some of them [accordingly] were induced to believe and associated themselves with Paul and Silas, as did a great number of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. + But the unbelieving Jews were aroused to jealousy, and, getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace, they gathered together a mob, set the town in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring [Paul and Silas] out to the people. + But when they failed to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, + And Jason has received them to his house and privately protected them! And they are all ignoring and acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, [actually] asserting that there is another king, one Jesus! + And both the crowd and the city authorities, on hearing this, were irritated (stirred up and troubled). + And when they had taken security [bail] from Jason and the others, they let them go. + Now the brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they arrived, they entered the synagogue of the Jews. + Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. + Many of them therefore became believers, together with not a few prominent Greeks, women as well as men. + But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] was also preached by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, disturbing and inciting the masses. + At once the brethren sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. + Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they departed. + Now while Paul was awaiting them at Athens, his spirit was grieved and roused to anger as he saw that the city was full of idols. + So he reasoned and argued in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped there, and in the marketplace [where assemblies are held] day after day with any who chanced to be there. + And some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him and began to engage in discussion. And some said, What is this babbler with his scrap-heap learning trying to say? Others said, He seems to be an announcer of foreign deities--because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. + And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], saying, May we know what this novel (unheard of and unprecedented) teaching is which you are openly declaring? + For you set forth some startling things, foreign and strange to our ears; we wish to know therefore just what these things mean-- + For the Athenians, all of them, and the foreign residents and visitors among them spent all their leisure time in nothing except telling or hearing something newer than the last-- + So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious or very reverent to demons. + For as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, To the unknown god. Now what you are already worshiping as unknown, this I set forth to you. + The God Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines. + Neither is He served by human hands, as though He lacked anything, for it is He Himself Whogives life and breath and all things to all [people]. [Isa. 42:5.] + And He made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes), + So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. + For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring. + Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to suppose that Deity (the Godhead) is like gold or silver or stone, [of the nature of] a representation by human art and imagination, or anything constructed or invented. + Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins), + Because He has fixed a day when He will judge the world righteously (justly) by a Man Whom He has destined and appointed for that task, and He has made this credible and given conviction and assurance and evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead. [Ps. 9:8; 96:13; 98:9.] + Now when they had heard [that there had been] a resurrection from the dead, some scoffed; but others said, We will hear you again about this matter. + So Paul went out from among them. + But some men were on his side and joined him and believed (became Christians); among them were Dionysius, a judge of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, and some others with them. + + + AFTER THIS [Paul] departed from Athens and went to Corinth. + There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently arrived from Italy with Priscilla his wife, due to the fact that Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. And [Paul] went to see them, + And because he was of the same occupation, he stayed with them; and they worked [together], for they were tentmakers by trade. + But he discoursed and argued in the synagogue every Sabbath and won over [both] Jews and Greeks. + By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was completely engrossed with preaching, earnestly arguing and testifying to the Jews that Jesus [is] the Christ. + But since they kept opposing and abusing and reviling him, he shook out his clothing [against them] and said to them, Your blood be upon your [own] heads! I am innocent [of it]. From now on I will go to the Gentiles (the heathen). [Acts 13:46.] + He then left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue. + But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed [that Jesus is the Messiah and acknowledged Him with joyful trust as Savior and Lord], together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians who listened [to Paul also] believed and were baptized. + And one night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, Have no fear, but speak and do not keep silent; + For I am with you, and no man shall assault you to harm you, for I have many people in this city. [Isa. 43:5; Jer. 1:8.] + So he settled down among them for a year and six months, teaching the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God]. + But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (most of Greece), the Jews unitedly made an attack upon Paul and brought him before the judge's seat, + Declaring, This fellow is advising and inducing and inciting people to worship God in violation of the Law [of Rome and of Moses]. + But when Paul was about to open his mouth to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or villainy, O Jews, I should have cause to bear with you and listen; + But since it is merely a question [of doctrine] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I decline to be a judge of such matters and I have no intention of trying such cases. + And he drove them away from the judgment seat. + Then they [the Greeks] all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this. + Afterward Paul remained many days longer, and then told the brethren farewell and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he [Paul] cut his hair, for he had made a vow. + Then they arrived in Ephesus, and [Paul] left the others there; but he himself entered the synagogue and discoursed and argued with the Jews. + When they asked him to remain for a longer time, he would not consent; + But when he was leaving them he said, I will return to you if God is willing, and he set sail from Ephesus. + When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch. + After staying there some time, he left and went from place to place in an orderly journey through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing the disciples and imparting new strength to them. + Meanwhile, there was a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, who came to Ephesus. He was a cultured and eloquent man, well versed and mighty in the Scriptures. + He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spiritual zeal, he spoke and taught diligently and accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he was acquainted only with the baptism of John. + He began to speak freely (fearlessly and boldly) in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him with them and expounded to him the way of God more definitely and accurately. + And when [Apollos] wished to cross to Achaia (most of Greece), the brethren wrote to the disciples there, urging and encouraging them to accept and welcome him heartily. When he arrived, he proved a great help to those who through grace (God's unmerited favor and mercy) had believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ as Lord and Savior). + For with great power he refuted the Jews in public [discussions], showing and proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah). + + + WHILE APOLLOS was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper inland districts and came down to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. + And he asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [on Jesus as the Christ]? And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. + And he asked, Into what [baptism] then were you baptized? They said, Into John's baptism. + And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, continually telling the people that they should believe in the One Who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus [having a conviction full of joyful trust that He is Christ, the Messiah, and being obedient to Him]. + On hearing this they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus. + And as Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesied. + There were about twelve of them in all. + And he went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, persuading and arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God. + But when some became more and more stubborn (hardened and unbelieving), discrediting and reviling and speaking evil of the Way [of the Lord] before the congregation, he separated himself from them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture room of Tyrannus from about ten o'clock till three. + This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the province of] Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God]. + And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, + So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. + Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches! + Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this. + But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you? + Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded. + This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified. + Many also of those who were now believers came making full confession and thoroughly exposing their [former deceptive and evil] practices. + And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. When they counted the value of them, they found it amounted to 50,000 pieces of silver (about$9,300). + Thus the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily. + Now after these events Paul determined in the [Holy] Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece) and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must visit Rome also. + And having sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself stayed on in [the province of] Asia for a while. + But as time went on, there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way [of the Lord]. + For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [the goddess] Artemis [Diana], brought no small income to his craftsmen. + These he called together, along with the workmen of similar trades, and said, Men, you are acquainted with the facts and understand that from this business we derive our wealth and livelihood. + Now you notice and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost all over [the province of] Asia this Paul has persuaded and induced people to believe his teaching and has alienated a considerable company of them, saying that gods that are made with human hands are not really gods at all. + Now there is danger not merely that this trade of ours may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may come into disrepute and count for nothing, and that her glorious magnificence may be degraded and fall into contempt--she whom all [the province of] Asia and the wide world worship. + As they listened to this, they were filled with rage and they continued to shout, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! + Then the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging along with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were fellow travelers with Paul. + Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not permit him to do it. + Even some of the Asiarchs (political or religious officials in Asia) who were his friends also sent to him and warned him not to risk venturing into the theater. + Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the gathering was in a tumult and most of them did not know why they had come together. + Some of the crowd called upon Alexander [to speak], since the Jews had pushed and urged him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, wishing to make a defense and [planning] to apologize to the people. + But as soon as they saw him and recognized that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them as the voice of one man, as for about two hours they cried, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! + And when the town clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the sacred stone [image of her] that fell from the sky? + Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet (keep yourselves in check) and do nothing rashly. + For you have brought these men here, who are [guilty of] neither temple robberies nor blasphemous speech about our goddess. + Now then, if Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen who are with him have a grievance against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are [available]; let them bring charges against one another [legally]. + But if you require anything further about this or about other matters, it must be decided and cleared up in the regular assembly. + For we are in danger of being called to render an account and of being accused of rioting because of [this commotion] today, there being no reason that we can offer to justify this disorder. + And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. + + + AFTER THE uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and warned and consoled and urged and encouraged them; then he embraced them and told them farewell and set forth on his journey to Macedonia. + Then after he had gone through those districts and had warned and consoled and urged and encouraged the brethren with much discourse, he came to Greece. + Having spent three months there, when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he resolved to go back through Macedonia. + He was accompanied by Sopater the son of Pyrrhus from Beroea, and by the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe and Timothy, and the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus. + These went on ahead and were waiting for us [including Luke] at Troas, + But we [ourselves] sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week], and in five days we joined them at Troas, where we remained for seven days. + And on the first day of the week, when we were assembled together to break bread [the Lord's Supper], Paul discoursed with them, intending to leave the next morning; and he kept on with his message until midnight. + Now there were numerous lights in the upper room where we were assembled, + And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting in the window. He was borne down with deep sleep as Paul kept on talking still longer, and [finally] completely overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. + But Paul went down and bent over him and embraced him, saying, Make no ado; his life is within him. + When Paul had gone back upstairs and had broken bread and eaten [with them], and after he had talked confidentially and communed with them for a considerable time--until daybreak [in fact]--he departed. + They took the youth home alive, and were not a little comforted and cheered and refreshed and encouraged. + But going on ahead to the ship, the rest of us set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for that was what he had directed, intending himself to go by land [on foot]. + So when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and sailed on to Mitylene. + And sailing from there, we arrived the day after at a point opposite Chios; the following day we struck across to Samos, and the next day we arrived at Miletus. + For Paul had determined to sail on past Ephesus, lest he might have to spend time [unnecessarily] in [the province of] Asia; for he was hastening on so that he might reach Jerusalem, if at all possible, by the day of Pentecost. + However, from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church [to come to him there]. + And when they arrived he said to them: You yourselves are well acquainted with my manner of living among you from the first day that I set foot in [the province of] Asia, and how I continued afterward, + Serving the Lord with all humility in tears and in the midst of adversity (affliction and trials) which befell me, due to the plots of the Jews [against me]; + How I did not shrink from telling you anything that was for your benefit and teaching you in public meetings and from house to house, + But constantly and earnestly I bore testimony both to Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance [that is due] to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [that is due Him]. + And now, you see, I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the [Holy] Spirit and obligated and compelled by the [convictions of my own] spirit, not knowing what will befall me there-- + Except that the Holy Spirit clearly and emphatically affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me. + But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God's grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy). + And now, observe, I perceive that all of you, among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the kingdom, will see my face no more. + Therefore I testify and protest to you on this [our parting] day that I am clean and innocent and not responsible for the blood of any of you. + For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God. + Take care and be on guard for yourselves and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you bishops and guardians, to shepherd (tend and feed and guide) the church of the Lord or of God which He obtained for Himself [buying it and saving it for Himself] with His own blood. + I know that after I am gone, ferocious wolves will get in among you, not sparing the flock; + Even from among your own selves men will come to the front who, by saying perverse (distorted and corrupt) things, will endeavor to draw away the disciples after them [to their own party]. + Therefore be always alert and on your guard, being mindful that for three years I never stopped night or day seriously to admonish and advise and exhort you one by one with tears. + And now [brethren], I commit you to God [I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care]. And I commend you to the Word of His grace [to the commands and counsels and promises of His unmerited favor]. It is able to build you up and to give you [your rightful] inheritance among all God's set-apart ones (those consecrated, purified, and transformed of soul). + I coveted no man's silver or gold or [costly] garments. + You yourselves know personally that these hands ministered to my own needs and those [of the persons] who were with me. + In everything I have pointed out to you [by example] that, by working diligently in this manner, we ought to assist the weak, being mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to receive. + Having spoken thus, he knelt down with them all and prayed. + And they all wept freely and threw their arms around Paul's neck and kissed him fervently and repeatedly, + Being especially distressed and sorrowful because he had stated that they were about to see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. + + + AND WHEN we had torn ourselves away from them and withdrawn, we set sail and made a straight run to Cos, and on the following [day came] to Rhodes and from there to Patara. + There we found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia; so we went aboard and sailed away. + After we had sighted Cyprus, leaving it on our left we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her cargo. + And having looked up the disciples there, we remained with them for seven days. Prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem. + But when our time there was ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them with their wives and children accompanied us on our way till we were outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed. + Then when we had told one another farewell, we went on board the ship, and they returned to their own homes. + When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we paid our respects to the brethren and remained with them for one day. + On the morrow we left there and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven [first deacons], and stayed with him. [Acts 6:5.] + And he had four maiden daughters who had the gift of prophecy. + While we were remaining there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. + And coming to [see] us, he took Paul's belt and with it bound his own feet and hands and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit: The Jews at Jerusalem shall bind like this the man who owns this belt, and they shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles (heathen). + When we heard this, both we and the residents of that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. + Then Paul replied, What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart like this? For I hold myself in readiness not only to be arrested and bound and imprisoned at Jerusalem, but also [even] to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. + And when he would not yield to [our] persuading, we stopped [urging and imploring him], saying, The Lord's will be done! + After these days we packed our baggage and went up to Jerusalem. + And some of the disciples from Caesarea came with us, conducting us to the house of Mnason, a man from Cyprus, one of the disciples of long standing, with whom we were to lodge. + When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received and welcomed us gladly. + On the next day Paul went in with us to [see] James, and all the elders of the church were present [also]. + After saluting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. + And upon hearing it, they adored and exalted and praised and thanked God. And they said to [Paul], You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are enthusiastic upholders of the [Mosaic] Law. + Now they have been informed about you that you continually teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn back from and forsake Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or pay any attention to the observance of the [Mosaic] customs. + What then [is best that] should be done? A multitude will come together, for they will surely hear that you have arrived. + Therefore do just what we tell you. With us are four men who have taken a vow upon themselves. + Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses [for the temple offering], so that they may have their heads shaved. Thus everybody will know that there is no truth in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk in observance of the Law. + But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ), we have sent them a letter with our decision that they should keep themselves free from anything that has been sacrificed to idols and from [tasting] blood and [eating the meat of animals] which have been strangled and from all impurity and sexual immorality. + Then Paul took the [four] men with him and the following day [he went through the rites of] purifying himself along with them. And they entered the temple to give notice when the days of purification (the ending of each vow) would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each of them. + When the seven days were drawing to a close, some of the Jews from [the province of] Asia, who had caught sight of Paul in the temple, incited all the rabble and laid hands on him, + Shouting, Men of Israel, help! [Help!] This is the man who is teaching everybody everywhere against the people and the Law and this place! Moreover, he has also [actually] brought Greeks into the temple; he has desecrated and polluted this holy place! + For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and they supposed that he had brought the man into the temple [into the inner court forbidden to Gentiles]. + Then the whole city was aroused and thrown into confusion, and the people rushed together; they laid hands on Paul and dragged him outside the temple, and immediately the gates were closed. + Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commandant of the regular Roman garrison that the whole of Jerusalem was in a state of ferment. + So immediately he took soldiers and centurions and hurried down among them; and when the people saw the commandant and the troops, they stopped beating Paul. + Then the commandant approached and arrested Paul and ordered that he be secured with two chains. He then inquired who he was and what he had done. + Some in the crowd kept shouting back one thing and others something else, and since he could not ascertain the facts because of the furor, he ordered that Paul be removed to the barracks. + And when [Paul] came to mount the steps, he was actually being carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; + For the mass of the people kept following them, shouting, Away with him! [Kill him!] + Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commandant, May I say something to you? And the man replied, Can you speak Greek? + Are you not then [as I supposed] the Egyptian who not long ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men who were cutthroats out into the wilderness (desert)? + Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant or undistinguished city. I beg you, allow me to address the people. + And when the man had granted him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and there was a great hush. Then he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying: + + + BRETHREN AND fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence. + And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they were all the more quiet. And he continued, + I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but reared in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated according to the strictest care in the Law of our fathers, being ardent [even a zealot] for God, as all of you are today. + [Yes] I harassed (troubled, molested, and persecuted) this Way [of the Lord] to the death, putting in chains and committing to prison both men and women, + As the high priest and whole council of elders (Sanhedrin) can testify; for from them indeed I received letters with which I was on my way to the brethren in Damascus in order to take also those [believers] who were there, and bring them in chains to Jerusalem that they might be punished. + But as I was on my journey and approached Damascus, about noon a great blaze of light flashed suddenly from heaven and shone about me. + And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me [harass and trouble and molest Me]? + And I replied, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, Whom you are persecuting. + Now the men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear [the sound of the uttered words of] the voice of the One Who was speaking to me [so that they could understand it]. + And I asked, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord answered me, Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you all that it is destined and appointed for you to do. + And since I could not see because [of the dazzlingly glorious intensity] of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and [thus] I arrived in Damascus. + And one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who resided there, + Came to see me, and standing by my side said to me, Brother Saul, look up and receive back your sight. And in that very instant I [recovered my sight and] looking up saw him. + And he said, The God of our forefathers has destined and appointed you to come progressively to know His will [to perceive, to recognize more strongly and clearly, and to become better and more intimately acquainted with His will], and to see the Righteous One (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), and to hear a voice from His [own] mouth and a message from His [own] lips; + For you will be His witness unto all men of everything that you have seen and heard. + And now, why do you delay? Rise and be baptized, and by calling upon His name, wash away your sins. + Then when I had come back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple [enclosure], I fell into a trance (an ecstasy); + And I saw Him as He said to me, Hurry, get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony about Me. + And I said, Lord, they themselves well know that throughout all the synagogues I cast into prison and flogged those who believed on (adhered to and trusted in and relied on) You. + And when the blood of Your witness (martyr) Stephen was shed, I also was personally standing by and consenting and approving and guarding the garments of those who slew him. + And the Lord said to me, Go, for I will send you far away unto the Gentiles (nations). + Up to the moment that Paul made this last statement, the people listened to him; but now they raised their voices and shouted, Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live! + And as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and throwing dust into the air, + The commandant ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks, and that he be examined by scourging in order that [the commandant] might learn why the people cried out thus against him. + But when they had stretched him out with the thongs (leather straps), Paul asked the centurion who was standing by, Is it legal for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned [without a trial]? + When the centurion heard that, he went to the commandant and said to him, What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen! + So the commandant came and said to [Paul], Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes [indeed]! + The commandant replied, I purchased this citizenship [as a capital investment] for a big price. Paul said, But I was born [Roman]! + Instantly those who were about to examine and flog him withdrew from him; and the commandant also was frightened, for he realized that [Paul] was a Roman citizen and he had put him in chains. + But the next day, desiring to know the real cause for which the Jews accused him, he unbound him and ordered the chief priests and all the council (Sanhedrin) to assemble; and he brought Paul down and placed him before them. + + + THEN PAUL, gazing earnestly at the council (Sanhedrin), said, Brethren, I have lived before God, doing my duty with a perfectly good conscience until this very day [as a citizen, a true and loyal Jew]. + At this the high priest Ananias ordered those who stood near him to strike him on the mouth. + Then Paul said to him, God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit as a judge to try me in accordance with the Law, and yet in defiance of the Law you order me to be struck? + Those who stood near exclaimed, Do you rail at and insult the high priest of God? + And Paul said, I was not conscious, brethren, that he was a high priest; for the Scripture says, You shall not speak ill of a ruler of your people. [Exod. 22:28.] + But Paul, when he perceived that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part Pharisees, cried out to the council (Sanhedrin), Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; it is with regard to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am indicted and being judged. + So when he had said this, an angry dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the whole [crowded] assemblage was divided [into two factions]. + For the Sadducees hold that there is no resurrection, nor angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees declare openly and speak out freely, acknowledging [their belief in] them both. + Then a great uproar ensued, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and thoroughly fought the case, [contending fiercely] and declaring, We find nothing evil or wrong in this man. But if a spirit or an angel [really] spoke to him--? Let us not fight against God! + And when the strife became more and more tense and violent, the commandant, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and take him forcibly from among them and conduct him back into the barracks. + And [that same] following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. + Now when daylight came, the Jews formed a plot and bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they had done away with Paul. + There were more than forty [men of them], who formed this conspiracy [swearing together this oath and curse]. + And they went to the chief priests and elders, saying, We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath and under a curse not to taste any food until we have slain Paul. + So now you, along with the council (Sanhedrin), give notice to the commandant to bring [Paul] down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more accurately. But we [ourselves] are ready to slay him before he comes near. + But the son of Paul's sister heard of their intended attack, and he went and got into the barracks and told Paul. + Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, Take this young man to the commandant, for he has something to report to him. + So he took him and conducted him to the commandant and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and requested me to conduct this young man to you, for he has something to report to you. + The commandant took him by the hand, and going aside with him, asked privately, What is it that you have to report to me? + And he replied, The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council (Sanhedrin) tomorrow, as if [they were] intending to examine him more exactly. + But do not yield to their persuasion, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush waiting for him, having bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and even now they are all ready, [just] waiting for your promise. + So the commandant sent the youth away, charging him, Do not disclose to anyone that you have given me this information. + Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, Have two hundred footmen ready by the third hour of the night (about 9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. + Also provide beasts for mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him in safety to Felix the governor. + And he wrote a letter having this message: + Claudius Lysias sends greetings to His Excellency Felix the governor. + This man was seized [as prisoner] by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the troops and rescued him, because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. + And wishing to know the exact accusation which they were making against him, I brought him down before their council (Sanhedrin), + [Where] I found that he was charged in regard to questions of their own law, but he was accused of nothing that would call for death or [even] for imprisonment. + [However] when it was pointed out to me that there would be a conspiracy against the man, I sent him to you immediately, directing his accusers also to present before you their charge against him. + So the soldiers, in compliance with their instructions, took Paul and conducted him during the night to Antipatris. + And the next day they returned to the barracks, leaving the mounted men to proceed with him. + When these came to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul before him. + Having read the letter, he asked to what province [Paul] belonged. When he discovered that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province], + He said, I will hear your case fully when your accusers also have come. And he ordered that an eye be kept on him in Herod's palace (the Praetorium). + + + FIVE DAYS later, the high priest Ananias came down [from Jerusalem to Caesarea] with some elders and a certain forensic advocate Tertullus [acting as spokesman and counsel]. They presented to the governor their evidence against Paul. + And when he was called, Tertullus began the complaint [against him] by saying: Since through you we obtain and enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight and provision wonderful reforms (amendments and improvements) are introduced and effected on behalf of this nation, + In every way and in every place, most excellent Felix, we accept and acknowledge this with deep appreciation and with all gratitude. + But not to hinder or detain you too long, I beg you in your clemency and courtesy and kindness to grant us a brief and concise hearing. + For we have found this man a perfect pest (a real plague), an agitator and source of disturbance to all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the [heretical, division-producing] sect of the Nazarenes. + He also [even] tried to desecrate and defile the temple, but we laid hands on him and would have sentenced him by our Law, + But the commandant Lysias came and took him from us with violence and force, + And ordered his accusers to present themselves to you. By examining and cross-questioning him yourself, you will be able to ascertain the truth from him about all these things with which we charge him. + The Jews also agreed and joined in the accusation, declaring that all these things were exactly so. + And when the governor had beckoned to Paul to speak, he answered: Because I know that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I find it easier to make my defense and do it cheerfully and with good courage. + As you can readily verify, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship; + And neither in the temple nor in the synagogues nor in the city did they find me disputing with anybody or bringing together a seditious crowd. + Neither can they present argument or evidence to prove to you what they now bring against me. + But this I confess to you, however, that in accordance with the Way [of the Lord], which they call a [heretical, division-producing] sect, I worship (serve) the God of our fathers, still persuaded of the truth of and believing in and placing full confidence in everything laid down in the Law [of Moses] or written in the prophets; + Having [the same] hope in God which these themselves hold and look for, that there is to be a resurrection both of the righteous and the unrighteous (the just and the unjust). + Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. + Now after several years I came up [to Jerusalem] to bring to my people contributions of charity and offerings. + While I was engaged in presenting these, they found me [occupied in the rites of purification] in the temple, without any crowd or uproar. But some Jews from [the province of] Asia [were there], + Who ought to be here before you and to present their charges, if they have anything against me. + Or else let these men themselves tell of what crime or wrongdoing they found me guilty when I appeared before the council (Sanhedrin), + Unless it be this one sentence which I cried out as I stood among them, In regard to the resurrection of the dead I am indicted and on trial before you this day! + But Felix, having a rather accurate understanding of the Way [of the Lord], put them off and adjourned the trial, saying, When Lysias the commandant comes down, I will determine your case more fully. + Then he ordered the centurion to keep [Paul] in custody, but to treat him with indulgence [giving him some liberty] and not to hinder his friends from ministering to his needs and serving him. + Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess; and he sent for Paul and listened to him [talk] about faith in Christ Jesus. + But as he continued to argue about uprightness, purity of life (the control of the passions), and the judgment to come, Felix became alarmed and terrified and said, Go away for the present; when I have a convenient opportunity, I will send for you. + At the same time he hoped to get money from Paul, for which reason he continued to send for him and was in his company and conversed with him often. + But when two years had gone by, Felix was succeeded in office by Porcius Festus; and wishing to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul still a prisoner in chains. + + + NOW WHEN Festus had entered into his own province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. + And [there] the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid charges before him against Paul, and they kept begging and urging him, + Asking as a favor that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; [meanwhile] they were planning an ambush to slay him on the way. + Festus answered that Paul was in custody in Caesarea and that he himself planned to leave for there soon. + So, said he, let those who are in a position of authority and are influential among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss or criminal about the man, let them so charge him. + So when Festus had remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, took his seat the next day on the judgment bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. + And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood all around him, bringing many grave accusations against him which they were not able to prove. + Paul declared in [his own] defense, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in any way. + But Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be put on trial [before the Jewish Sanhedrin] in my presence concerning these charges? + But Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better [than your question implies]. + If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. + Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go. + Now after an interval of some days, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus [to welcome him and wish him well]. + And while they remained there for many days, Festus acquainted the king with Paul's case, telling him, There is a man left a prisoner in chains by Felix; + And when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, petitioning for a judicial hearing and condemnation of him. + But I replied to them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up freely any man for punishment before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to defend himself concerning the charge brought against him. + So when they came here together, I did not delay, but on the morrow took my place on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought before me. + [But] when the accusers stood up, they brought forward no accusation [in his case] of any such misconduct as I was expecting. + Instead they had some points of controversy with him about their own religion or superstition and concerning one Jesus, Who had died but Whom Paul kept asserting [over and over] to be alive. + And I, being puzzled to know how to make inquiries into such questions, asked whether he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and there be tried regarding them. + But when Paul had appealed to have his case retained for examination and decision by the emperor, I ordered that he be detained until I could send him to Caesar. + Then Agrippa said to Festus, I also desire to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, [Festus] replied, you shall hear him. + So the next day Agrippa and Bernice approached with great display, and they went into the audience hall accompanied by the military commandants and the prominent citizens of the city. At the order of Festus Paul was brought in. + Then Festus said, King Agrippa and all the men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people came to me and complained, both at Jerusalem and here, insisting and shouting that he ought not to live any longer. + But I found nothing that he had done deserving of death. Still, as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to send him to Rome. + [However] I have nothing in particular and definite to write to my lord concerning him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after [further] examination has been made, I may have something to put in writing. + For it seems to me senseless and absurd to send a prisoner and not state the accusations against him. + + + THEN AGRIPPA said to Paul, You are permitted to speak on your own behalf. At that Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defense [as follows]: + I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am to make my defense today in regard to all the charges brought against me by [the] Jews, + [Especially] because you are so fully and unusually conversant with all the Jewish customs and controversies; therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently. + My behavior and manner of living from my youth up is known by all the Jews; [they are aware] that from [its] commencement my youth was spent among my own race in Jerusalem. + They have had knowledge of me for a long time, if they are willing to testify to it, that in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. + And now I stand here on trial [to be judged on the ground] of the hope of that promise made to our forefathers by God, [Acts 13:32, 33.] + Which hope [of the Messiah and the resurrection] our twelve tribes confidently expect to realize as they fervently worship [without ceasing] night and day. And for that hope, O king, I am accused by Jews and considered a criminal! + Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? + I myself indeed was [once] persuaded that it was my duty to do many things contrary to and in defiance of the name of Jesus of Nazareth. + And that is what I did in Jerusalem; I [not only] locked up many of the [faithful] saints (holy ones) in prison by virtue of authority received from the chief priests, but when they were being condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. + And frequently I punished them in all the synagogues to make them blaspheme; and in my bitter fury against them, I harassed (troubled, molested, persecuted) and pursued them even to foreign cities. + Thus engaged I proceeded to Damascus with the authority and orders of the chief priests, + When on the road at midday, O king, I saw a light from heaven surpassing the brightness of the sun, flashing about me and those who were traveling with me. + And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew tongue saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you continue to persecute Me [to harass and trouble and molest Me]? It is dangerous and turns out badly for you to keep kicking against the goads [to keep offering vain and perilous resistance]. + And I said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. + But arise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, that I might appoint you to serve as [My] minister and to bear witness both to what you have seen of Me and to that in which I will appear to you, + Choosing you out [selecting you for Myself] and delivering you from among this [Jewish] people and the Gentiles to whom I am sending you--[Ezek. 2:1, 3.] + To open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me. [Isa. 42:7, 16.] + Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, + But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance. + Because of these things the Jews seized me in the temple [enclosure] and tried to do away with me. + [But] to this day I have had the help which comes from God [as my ally], and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, asserting nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses declared would come to pass-- + That the Christ (the Anointed One) must suffer and that He, by being the first to rise from the dead, would declare and show light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles. + And as he thus proceeded with his defense, Festus called out loudly, Paul, you are mad! Your great learning is driving you insane! + But Paul replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I am uttering the straight, sound truth. + For the king understands about these things well enough, and [therefore] to him I speak with bold frankness and confidence. I am convinced that not one of these things has escaped his notice, for all this did not take place in a corner [in secret]. + King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? [Do you give credence to God's messengers and their words?] I perceive and know that you do believe. + Then Agrippa said to Paul, You think it a small task to make a Christian of me [just offhand to induce me with little ado and persuasion, at very short notice]. + And Paul replied, Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you, but also all who are listening to me today, might become such as I am, except for these chains. + Then the king arose, and the governor and Bernice and all those who were seated with them; + And after they had gone out, they said to one another, This man is doing nothing deserving of death or [even] of imprisonment. + And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set at liberty if he had not appealed to Caesar. + + + NOW WHEN it was determined that we [including Luke] should sail for Italy, they turned Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion of the imperial regiment named Julius. + And going aboard a ship from Adramyttium which was about to sail for the ports along the coast of [the province of] Asia, we put out to sea; and Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, accompanied us. + The following day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul in a loving way, with much consideration (kindness and care), permitting him to go to his friends [there] and be refreshed and be cared for. + After putting to sea from there we passed to the leeward (south side) of Cyprus [for protection], for the winds were contrary to us. + And when we had sailed over [the whole length] of sea which lies off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. + There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy, and he transferred us to it. + For a number of days we made slow progress and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus; then, as the wind did not permit us to proceed, we went under the lee (shelter) of Crete off Salmone, + And coasting along it with difficulty, we arrived at a place called Fair Havens, near which is located the town of Lasea. + But as [the season was well advanced, for] much time had been lost and navigation was already dangerous, for the time for the Fast [the Day of Atonement, about the beginning of October] had already gone by, Paul warned and advised them, + Saying, Sirs, I perceive [after careful observation] that this voyage will be attended with disaster and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but of our lives also. + However, the centurion paid greater attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. + And as the harbor was not well situated and so unsuitable to winter in, the majority favored the plan of putting to sea again from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenice, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and winter there. + So when the south wind blew softly, supposing they were gaining their object, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, hugging the coast. + But soon afterward a violent wind [of the character of a typhoon], called a northeaster, came bursting down from the island. + And when the ship was caught and was unable to head against the wind, we gave up and, letting her drift, were borne along. + We ran under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, where we managed with [much] difficulty to draw the [ship's small] boat on deck and secure it. + After hoisting it on board, they used supports with ropes to undergird and brace the ship; then afraid that they would be driven into the Syrtis [quicksands off the north coast of Africa], they lowered the gear (sails and ropes) and so were driven along. + As we were being dangerously tossed about by the violence of the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard; + And the third day they threw out with their own hands the ship's equipment (the tackle and the furniture). + And when neither sun nor stars were visible for many days and no small tempest kept raging about us, all hope of our being saved was finally abandoned. + Then as they had eaten nothing for a long time, Paul came forward into their midst and said, Men, you should have listened to me, and should not have put to sea from Crete and brought on this disaster and harm and misery and loss. + But [even] now I beg you to be in good spirits and take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. + For this [very] night there stood by my side an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship, + And he said, Do not be frightened, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing with you. + So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me; + But we shall have to be stranded on some island. + The fourteenth night had come and we were drifting and being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors began to suspect that they were drawing near to some land. + So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms, and a little farther on they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. + Then fearing that we might fall off [our course] onto rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and kept wishing for daybreak to come. + And as the sailors were trying to escape [secretly] from the ship and were lowering the small boat into the sea, pretending that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, + Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved. + Then the soldiers cut away the ropes that held the small boat, and let it fall and drift away. + While they waited until it should become day, Paul entreated them all to take some food, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you have been continually in suspense and on the alert without food, having eaten nothing. + So I urge (warn, exhort, encourage, advise) you to take some food [for your safety]--it will give you strength; for not a hair is to perish from the head of any one of you. + Having said these words, he took bread and, giving thanks to God before them all, he broke it and began to eat. + Then they all became more cheerful and were encouraged and took food themselves. + All told there were 276 souls of us in the ship. + And after they had eaten sufficiently, [they proceeded] to lighten the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. + Now when it was day [and they saw the land], they did not recognize it, but they noticed a bay with a beach on which they [taking counsel] purposed to run the ship ashore if they possibly could. + So they cut the cables and severed the anchors and left them in the sea; at the same time unlashing the ropes that held the rudders and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they headed for the beach. + But striking a crosscurrent (a place open to two seas) they ran the ship aground. The prow stuck fast and remained immovable, and the stern began to break up under the violent force of the waves. + It was the counsel of the soldiers to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim to land and escape; + But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, prevented their carrying out their purpose. He commanded those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and make for the shore, + And the rest on heavy boards or pieces of the vessel. And so it was that all escaped safely to land. + + + AFTER WE were safe on the island, we knew and recognized that it was called Malta. + And the natives showed us unusual and remarkable kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed and received us all, since it had begun to rain and was cold. + Now Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and he was laying them on the fire when a viper crawled out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. + When the natives saw the little animal hanging from his hand, they said to one another, Doubtless this man is a murderer, for though he has been saved from the sea, Justice [the goddess of avenging] has not permitted that he should live. + Then [Paul simply] shook off the small creature into the fire and suffered no evil effects. + However, they were waiting, expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead; but when they had watched him a long time and saw nothing fatal or harmful come to him, they changed their minds and kept saying over and over that he was a god. + In the vicinity of that place there were estates belonging to the head man of the island, named Publius, who accepted and welcomed and entertained us with hearty hospitality for three days. + And it happened that the father of Publius was sick in bed with recurring attacks of fever and dysentery; and Paul went to see him, and after praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him. + After this had occurred, the other people on the island who had diseases also kept coming and were cured. + They showed us every respect and presented many gifts to us, honoring us with many honors; and when we sailed, they provided and put on [board our ship] everything we needed. + It was after three months' stay there that we set sail in a ship which had wintered in the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers [Castor and Pollux] as its figurehead. + We landed at Syracuse and remained there three days, + And from there we made a circuit [following the coast] and reached Rhegium; and one day later a south wind sprang up, and the next day we arrived at Puteoli. + There we found some [Christian] brethren and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. + And the [Christian] brethren there, having had news of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and received new courage. + When we arrived at Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was permitted to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him. + Three days after [our arrival], he called together the leading local Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them, Brethren, though I have done nothing against the people or against the customs of our forefathers, yet I was turned over as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. + After they had examined me, they were ready to release me because I was innocent of any offense deserving the death penalty. + But when the Jews protested, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, though it was not because I had any charge to make against my nation. + This is the reason therefore why I have begged to see you and to talk with you, since it is because of the Hope of Israel (the Messiah) that I am bound with this chain. + And they answered him, We have not received any letters about you from Judea, and none of the [Jewish] brethren coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. + But we think it fitting and are eager to hear from you what it is that you have in mind and believe and what your opinion is, for with regard to this sect it is known to all of us that it is everywhere denounced. + So when they had set a day with him, they came in large numbers to his lodging. And he fully set forth and explained the matter to them from morning until night, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. + And some were convinced and believed what he said, and others did not believe. + And as they disagreed among themselves, they began to leave, [but not before] Paul had added one statement [more]: The Holy Spirit was right in saying through Isaiah the prophet to your forefathers: + Go to this people and say to them, You will indeed hear and hear with your ears but will not understand, and you will indeed look and look with your eyes but will not see [not perceive, have knowledge of or become acquainted with what you look at, at all]. + For the heart (the understanding, the soul) of this people has grown dull (stupid, hardened, and calloused), and their ears are heavy and hard of hearing and they have shut tight their eyes, so that they may not perceive and have knowledge and become acquainted with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their souls and turn [to Me and be converted], that I may heal them. [Isa. 6:9, 10.] + So let it be understood by you then that [this message of] the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen [to it]! [Ps. 67:2.] + And when he had said these things, the Jews went away, arguing and disputing among themselves. + After this Paul lived there for two entire years [at his own expense] in his own rented lodging, and he welcomed all who came to him, + Preaching to them the kingdom of God and teaching them about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and quite openly, and without being molested or hindered. + + + + + FROM PAUL, a bond servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special messenger) set apart to [preach] the Gospel (good news) of and from God, + Which He promised in advance [long ago] through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures-- + [The Gospel] regarding His Son, Who as to the flesh (His human nature) was descended from David, + And [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power [in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner] by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + It is through Him that we have received grace (God's unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name's sake among all the nations, + And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him. + To [you then] all God's beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life: Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. + First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because [the report of] your faith is made known to all the world and is commended everywhere. + For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my [whole] spirit [rendering priestly and spiritual service] in [preaching] the Gospel and [telling] the good news of His Son, how incessantly I always mention you when at my prayers. + I keep pleading that somehow by God's will I may now at last prosper and come to you. + For I am yearning to see you, that I may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen and establish you; + That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine. + I want you to know, brethren, that many times I have planned and intended to come to you, though thus far I have been hindered and prevented, in order that I might have some fruit (some result of my labors) among you, as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. + Both to Greeks and to barbarians (to the cultured and to the uncultured), both to the wise and the foolish, I have an obligation to discharge and a duty to perform and a debt to pay. + So, for my part, I am willing and eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome. + For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, + For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith. [Hab. 2:4.] + For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative. + For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them. + For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification], [Ps. 19: 1-4.] + Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened. + Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves]. + And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles. + Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin], + Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it). [Jer. 2:11.] + For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one, + And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution. + And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome, + Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers, + Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents. + [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless. + Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them. + + + THEREFORE YOU have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. + [But] we know that the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance with truth upon those who practice such things. + And do you think or imagine, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His sentence and adverse verdict? + Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)? + But by your callous stubbornness and impenitence of heart you are storing up wrath and indignation for yourself on the day of wrath and indignation, when God's righteous judgment (just doom) will be revealed. + For He will render to every man according to his works [justly, as his deeds deserve]: [Ps. 62:12.] + To those who by patient persistence in well-doing [springing from piety] seek [unseen but sure] glory and honor and [the eternal blessedness of] immortality, He will give eternal life. + But for those who are self-seeking and self-willed and disobedient to the Truth but responsive to wickedness, there will be indignation and wrath. + [And] there will be tribulation and anguish and calamity and constraint for every soul of man who [habitually] does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile). + But glory and honor and [heart] peace shall be awarded to everyone who [habitually] does good, the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile). + For God shows no partiality [undue favor or unfairness; with Him one man is not different from another]. [Deut. 10:17; II Chron. 19:7.] + All who have sinned without the Law will also perish without [regard to] the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law. + For it is not merely hearing the Law [read] that makes one righteous before God, but it is the doers of the Law who will be held guiltless and acquitted and justified. + When Gentiles who have not the [divine] Law do instinctively what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, since they do not have the Law. + They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts and are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness; and their [moral] decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend and excuse [them] + On that day when, as my Gospel proclaims, God by Jesus Christ will judge men in regard to the things which they conceal (their hidden thoughts). [Eccl. 12:14.] + But if you bear the name of Jew and rely upon the Law and pride yourselves in God and your relationship to Him, + And know and understand His will and discerningly approve the better things and have a sense of what is vital, because you are instructed by the Law; + And if you are confident that you [yourself] are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, and [that + You are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- + Well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you teach against stealing, do you steal (take what does not really belong to you)? + You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery [are you unchaste in action or in thought]? You who abhor and loathe idols, do you rob temples [do you appropriate to your own use what is consecrated to God, thus robbing the sanctuary and doing sacrilege]? + You who boast in the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law [by stealthily infringing upon or carelessly neglecting or openly breaking it]? + For, as it is written, The name of God is maligned and blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you! [The words to this effect are from your own Scriptures.] [Isa. 52:5; Ezek. 36:20.] + Circumcision does indeed profit if you keep the Law; but if you habitually transgress the Law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision. + So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be credited to him as [equivalent to] circumcision? + Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the Law will condemn you who, although you have the code in writing and have circumcision, break the Law. + For he is not a [real] Jew who is only one outwardly and publicly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical. + But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [true] circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal [matter]. His praise is not from men but from God. + + + THEN WHAT advantage remains to the Jew? [How is he favored?] Or what is the value or benefit of circumcision? + Much in every way. To begin with, to the Jews were entrusted the oracles (the brief communications, the intentions, the utterances) of God. [Ps. 147:19.] + What if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God and His fidelity [to His Word]? + By no means! Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged [by sinful men]. [Ps. 51:4.] + But if our unrighteousness thus establishes and exhibits the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust and wrong to inflict His wrath upon us [Jews]? I speak in a [purely] human way. + By no means! Otherwise, how could God judge the world? + But [you say] if through my falsehood God's integrity is magnified and advertised and abounds to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? + And why should we not do evil that good may come?--as some slanderously charge us with teaching. Such [false teaching] is justly condemned by them. + Well then, are we [Jews] superior and better off than they? No, not at all. We have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), are under sin [held down by and subject to its power and control]. + As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. [Ps. 14:3.] + No one understands [no one intelligently discerns or comprehends]; no one seeks out God. [Ps. 14:2.] + All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one! + Their throat is a yawning grave; they use their tongues to deceive (to mislead and to deal treacherously). The venom of asps is beneath their lips. [Ps. 5:9; 140:3.] + Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. [Ps. 10:7.] + Their feet are swift to shed blood. + Destruction [as it dashes them to pieces] and misery mark their ways. + And they have no experience of the way of peace [they know nothing about peace, for a peaceful way they do not even recognize]. [Isa. 59:7, 8.] + There is no [reverential] fear of God before their eyes. [Ps. 36:1.] + Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the murmurs and excuses of] every mouth may be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God. + For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]. + But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, + Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction, + Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. + [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, + Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. + It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus. + Then what becomes of [our] pride and [our] boasting? It is excluded (banished, ruled out entirely). On what principle? [On the principle] of doing good deeds? No, but on the principle of faith. + For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law). [The observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.] + Or is God merely [the God] of Jews? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, + Since it is one and the same God Who will justify the circumcised by faith [which germinated from Abraham] and the uncircumcised through their [newly acquired] faith. [For it is the same trusting faith in both cases, a firmly relying faith in Jesus Christ]. + Do we then by [this] faith make the Law of no effect, overthrow it or make it a dead letter? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law. + + + [BUT] IF so, what shall we say about Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking--[what did he] find out? [How does this affect his position, and what was gained by him?] + For if Abraham was justified (established as just by acquittal from guilt) by good works [that he did, then] he has grounds for boasting. But not before God! + For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God). [Gen. 15:6.] + Now to a laborer, his wages are not counted as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation (something owed to him). + But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God). + Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does: + Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried. + Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him. [Ps. 32:1, 2.] + Is this blessing (happiness) then meant only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. + How then was it credited [to him]? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. + He received the mark of circumcision as a token or an evidence [and] seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised--[faith] so that he was to be made the father of all who [truly] believe, though without circumcision, and who thus have righteousness (right standing with God) imputed to them and credited to their account, + As well as [that he be made] the father of those circumcised persons who are not merely circumcised, but also walk in the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. + For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through [observing the commands of] the Law but through the righteousness of faith. [Gen. 17:4-6; 22:16-18.] + If it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, then faith is made futile and empty of all meaning and the promise [of God] is made void (is annulled and has no power). + For the Law results in [divine] wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression [of it either]. + Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all. + As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen. 17:5.] + [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. [Gen. 15:5.] + He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb. [Gen. 17:17; 18:11.] + No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, + Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. + That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). + But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone, + But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, + Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God]. + + + THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. + Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. + And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. + Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. + While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly. + Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die. + But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. + Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God. + For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life. + Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultingly glory in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received and enjoy [our] reconciliation. [Jer. 9:24.] + Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned. + [To be sure] sin was in the world before ever the Law was given, but sin is not charged to men's account where there is no law [to transgress]. + Yet death held sway from Adam to Moses [the Lawgiver], even over those who did not themselves transgress [a positive command] as Adam did. Adam was a type (prefigure) of the One Who was to come [in reverse, the former destructive, the Latter saving]. [Gen. 5:5; 7:22; Deut. 34:5.] + But God's free gift is not at all to be compared to the trespass [His grace is out of all proportion to the fall of man]. For if many died through one man's falling away (his lapse, his offense), much more profusely did God's grace and the free gift [that comes] through the undeserved favor of the one Man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for [the benefit of] many. + Nor is the free gift at all to be compared to the effect of that one [man's] sin. For the sentence [following the trespass] of one [man] brought condemnation, whereas the free gift [following] many transgressions brings justification (an act of righteousness). + For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + Well then, as one man's trespass [one man's false step and falling away led] to condemnation for all men, so one Man's act of righteousness [leads] to acquittal and right standing with God and life for all men. + For just as by one man's disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man's obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him). + But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God's unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded, + So that, [just] as sin has reigned in death, [so] grace (His unearned and undeserved favor) might reign also through righteousness (right standing with God) which issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) our Lord. + + + WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? + Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? + Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? + We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. + For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. + We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. + For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. + Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, + Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. + For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. + Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. + Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. + Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. + For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy]. + What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor and mercy? Certainly not! + Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? + But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. + And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action). + I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification. + For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. + But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None] for the end of those things is death. + But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life. + For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord. + + + DO YOU not know, brethren--for I am speaking to men who are acquainted with the Law--that legal claims have power over a person only for as long as he is alive? + For [instance] a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is loosed and discharged from the law concerning her husband. + Accordingly, she will be held an adulteress if she unites herself to another man while her husband lives. But if her husband dies, the marriage law no longer is binding on her [she is free from that law]; and if she unites herself to another man, she is not an adulteress. + Likewise, my brethren, you have undergone death as to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that now you may belong to Another, to Him Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. + When we were living in the flesh (mere physical lives), the sinful passions that were awakened and aroused up by [what] the Law [makes sin] were constantly operating in our natural powers (in our bodily organs, in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh), so that we bore fruit for death. + But now we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life]. + What then do we conclude? Is the Law identical with sin? Certainly not! Nevertheless, if it had not been for the Law, I should not have recognized sin or have known its meaning. [For instance] I would not have known about covetousness [would have had no consciousness of sin or sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, You shall not covet and have an evil desire [for one thing and another]. [Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5:21.] + But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment [to express itself], got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness). For without the Law sin is dead [the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing]. + Once I was alive, but quite apart from and unconscious of the Law. But when the commandment came, sin lived again and I died (was sentenced by the Law to death). [Ps. 73:22.] + And the very legal ordinance which was designed and intended to bring life actually proved [to mean to me] death. [Lev. 18:5.] + For sin, seizing the opportunity and getting a hold on me [by taking its incentive] from the commandment, beguiled and entrapped and cheated me, and using it [as a weapon], killed me. + The Law therefore is holy, and [each] commandment is holy and just and good. + Did that which is good then prove fatal [bringing death] to me? Certainly not! It was sin, working death in me by using this good thing [as a weapon], in order that through the commandment sin might be shown up clearly to be sin, that the extreme malignity and immeasurable sinfulness of sin might plainly appear. + We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am a creature of the flesh [carnal, unspiritual], having been sold into slavery under [the control of] sin. + For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns]. + Now if I do [habitually] what is contrary to my desire, [that means that] I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent) and that I take sides with it. + However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me. + For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.] + For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing. + Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the sin [principle] which dwells within me [fixed and operating in my soul]. + So I find it to be a law (rule of action of my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands. + For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my inmost self [with my new nature]. [Ps. 1:2.] + But I discern in my bodily members [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh]. + O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? + O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. + + + THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.] + For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death. + For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], [Lev. 7:37.] + So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]. + For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit. + Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. + [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. + So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him. + But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God]. [Rom. 8:14.] + But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you]. + And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. + So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh. + For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. + For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. + For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! + The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. + And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. + [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! + For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]. + For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it--[yet] with the hope [Eccl. 1:2.] + That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God's children. + We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now. [Jer. 12:4, 11.] + And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God's sons). + For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees? + But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure. + So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. + And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will. [Ps. 139:1, 2.] + We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. + For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. + And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being]. + What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] [Ps. 118:6.] + He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? + Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?] + Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us? + Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? + Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. [Ps. 44:22.] + Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. + For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, + Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + I AM speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience [enlightened and prompted] by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me + That I have bitter grief and incessant anguish in my heart. + For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off and banished from Christ for the sake of my brethren and instead of them, my natural kinsmen and my fellow countrymen. [Exod. 32:32.] + For they are Israelites, and to them belong God's adoption [as a nation] and the glorious Presence (Shekinah). With them were the special covenants made, to them was the Law given. To them [the temple] worship was revealed and [God's own] promises announced. [Exod. 4:22; Hos. 11:1.] + To them belong the patriarchs, and as far as His natural descent was concerned, from them is the Christ, Who is exalted and supreme over all, God, blessed forever! Amen (so let it be). + However, it is not as though God's Word had failed [coming to nothing]. For it is not everybody who is a descendant of Jacob (Israel) who belongs to [the true] Israel. + And they are not all the children of Abraham because they are by blood his descendants. No, [the promise was] Your descendants will be called and counted through the line of Isaac [though Abraham had an older son]. [Gen. 21:9-12.] + That is to say, it is not the children of the body [of Abraham] who are made God's children, but it is the offspring to whom the promise applies that shall be counted [as Abraham's true] descendants. + For this is what the promise said, About this time [next year] will I return and Sarah shall have a son. [Gen. 18:10.] + And not only that, but this too: Rebecca conceived [two sons under exactly the same circumstances] by our forefather Isaac, + And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God's purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls [them], + It was said to her that the elder [son] should serve the younger [son]. [Gen. 25:21-23.] + As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (held in relative disregard in comparison with My feeling for Jacob). [Mal. 1:2, 3.] + What shall we conclude then? Is there injustice upon God's part? Certainly not! + For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion (pity) on whom I will have compassion. [Exod. 33:19.] + So then [God's gift] is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God's mercy. [It depends not on one's own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God's having mercy on him.] + For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in [dealing with] you, so that My name may be proclaimed the whole world over. + So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills. + You will say to me, Why then does He still find fault and blame us [for sinning]? For who can resist and withstand His will? + But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? [Isa. 29:16; 45:9.] + Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use? + What if God, although fully intending to show [the awfulness of] His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels (objects) of [His] anger which are ripe for destruction? [Prov. 16:4.] + And [what if] He thus purposes to make known and show the wealth of His glory in [dealing with] the vessels (objects) of His mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory, + Even including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)? + Just as He says in Hosea, Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved [I will call] My beloved. [Hos. 2:23.] + And it shall be that in the very place where it was said to them, You are not My people, they shall be called sons of the living God. [Hos. 1:10.] + And Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved [from perdition, condemnation, judgment]! + For the Lord will execute His sentence upon the earth [He will conclude and close His account with men completely and without delay], rigorously cutting it short in His justice. [Isa. 10:22, 23.] + It is as Isaiah predicted, If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed [from which to propagate descendants], we [Israel] would have fared like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah. [Isa. 1:9.] + What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness [who did not seek salvation by right relationship to God] have attained it by faith [a righteousness imputed by God, based on and produced by faith], + Whereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law [for the securing] of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law. [Isa. 51:1.] + For what reason? Because [they pursued it] not through faith, relying [instead] on the merit of their works [they did not depend on faith but on what they could do]. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone. [Isa. 8:14; 28:16.] + As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations. [Isa. 28:16.] + + + BRETHREN, [with all] my heart's desire and goodwill for [Israel], I long and pray to God that they may be saved. + I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to [correct and vital] knowledge. + For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness. + For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him. + For Moses writes that the man who [can] practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God's will) which is based on the Law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it. [Lev. 18:5.] + But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down; + Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we could be saved by our own efforts]. [Deut. 30:12, 13.] + But what does it say? The Word (God's message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach, [Deut. 30:14.] + Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. + For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. + The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed. [Ps. 34:22; Isa. 28:16; 49:23; Jer. 17:7.] + [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. + For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved. [Joel 2:32.] + But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? + And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!] [Isa. 52:7.] + But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? [Isa. 53:1.] + So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself). + But I ask, Have they not heard? Indeed they have; [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world. [Ps. 19:4.] + Again I ask, Did Israel not understand? [Did the Jews have no warning that the Gospel was to go forth to the Gentiles, to all the earth?] First, there is Moses who says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. [Deut. 32:21.] + Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown (revealed) Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me. [Isa. 65:1.] + But of Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out My hands to a people unyielding and disobedient and self-willed [to a faultfinding, contrary, and contradicting people]. [Isa. 65:2.] + + + I ASK then: Has God totally rejected and disowned His people? Of course not! Why, I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin! [I Sam. 12:22; Jer. 31:37; 33:24-26; Phil. 3:5.] + No, God has not rejected and disowned His people [whose destiny] He had marked out and appointed and foreknown from the beginning. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? [Ps. 94:14; I Kings 19.] + Lord, they have killed Your prophets; they have demolished Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life. + But what is God's reply to him? I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal! [I Kings 19:18.] + So too at the present time there is a remnant (a small believing minority), selected (chosen) by grace (by God's unmerited favor and graciousness). + But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless]. + What then [shall we conclude]? Israel failed to obtain what it sought [God's favor by obedience to the Law]. Only the elect (those chosen few) obtained it, while the rest of them became callously indifferent (blinded, hardened, and made insensible to it). + As it is written, God gave them a spirit (an attitude) of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, [that has continued] down to this very day. [Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10.] + And David says, Let their table (their feasting, banqueting) become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a just retribution [rebounding like a boomerang upon them]; [Ps. 69:22.] + Let their eyes be darkened (dimmed) so that they cannot see, and make them bend their back [stooping beneath their burden] forever. [Ps. 69:23.] + So I ask, Have they stumbled so as to fall [to their utter spiritual ruin, irretrievably]? By no means! But through their false step and transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to make them jealous. + Now if their stumbling (their lapse, their transgression) has so enriched the world [at large], and if [Israel's] failure means such riches for the Gentiles, think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement! + But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I lay great stress on my ministry and magnify my office, + In the hope of making my fellow Jews jealous [in order to stir them up to imitate, copy, and appropriate], and thus managing to save some of them. + For if their rejection and exclusion from the benefits of salvation were [overruled] for the reconciliation of a world to God, what will their acceptance and admission mean? [It will be nothing short of] life from the dead! + Now if the first handful of dough offered as the firstfruits [Abraham and the patriarchs] is consecrated (holy), so is the whole mass [the nation of Israel]; and if the root [Abraham] is consecrated (holy), so are the branches. [Num. 15:19-21.] + But if some of the branches were broken off, while you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share the richness [of the root and sap] of the olive tree, + Do not boast over the branches and pride yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember it is not you that support the root, but the root [that supports] you. + You will say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in! + That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid. + For if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offense]. + Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to you--provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away). + And even those others [the fallen branches, Jews], if they do not persist in [clinging to] their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. + For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these natural [branches] back on [the original parent stock of] their own olive tree. + Lest you be self-opinionated (wise in your own conceits), I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening (insensibility) has [temporarily] befallen a part of Israel [to last] until the full number of the ingathering of the Gentiles has come in, + And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. [Isa. 59:20, 21.] + And this will be My covenant (My agreement) with them when I shall take away their sins. [Isa. 27:9; Jer. 31:33.] + From the point of view of the Gospel (good news), they [the Jews, at present] are enemies [of God], which is for your advantage and benefit. But from the point of view of God's choice (of election, of divine selection), they are still the beloved (dear to Him) for the sake of their forefathers. + For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] + Just as you were once disobedient and rebellious toward God but now have obtained [His] mercy, through their disobedience, + So they also now are being disobedient [when you are receiving mercy], that they in turn may one day, through the mercy you are enjoying, also receive mercy [that they may share the mercy which has been shown to you--through you as messengers of the Gospel to them]. + For God has consigned (penned up) all men to disobedience, only that He may have mercy on them all [alike]. + Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfathomable (inscrutable, unsearchable) are His judgments (His decisions)! And how untraceable (mysterious, undiscoverable) are His ways (His methods, His paths)! + For who has known the mind of the Lord and who has understood His thoughts, or who has [ever] been His counselor? [Isa. 40:13, 14.] + Or who has first given God anything that he might be paid back or that he could claim a recompense? + For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it). + + + I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. + Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. + For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. + For as in one physical body we have many parts (organs, members) and all of these parts do not have the same function or use, + So we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on one another]. + Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; + [He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching; + He who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness. + [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. + Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. + Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. + Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. + Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality. + Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. + Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]. + Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. [Prov. 3:7.] + Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. [Prov. 20:22.] + If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. + Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. [Deut. 32:35.] + But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. [Prov. 25:21, 22.] + Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good. + + + LET EVERY person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God's appointment. [Prov. 8:15.] + Therefore he who resists and sets himself up against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged [in divine order]. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves [receiving the penalty due them]. + For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and commendation. + For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance) on the wrongdoer. + Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath and escape punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience. + For this same reason you pay taxes, for [the civil authorities] are official servants under God, devoting themselves to attending to this very service. + Render to all men their dues. [Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due. + Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one's fellowmen, meeting all its requirements]. + The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Exod. 20:13-17; Lev. 19:18.] + Love does no wrong to one's neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law. + Besides this you know what [a critical] hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep (rouse to reality). For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ, the Messiah). + The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. + Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of] day, not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery (sensuality and licentiousness), not in quarreling and jealousy. + But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts). + + + AS FOR the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions. + One [man's faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables. + Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him. + Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another's household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand. + One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. + He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. + None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for] + If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. + For Christ died and lived again for this very purpose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. + Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. + For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise]. [Isa. 45:23.] + And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to God. + Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother. + I know and am convinced (persuaded) as one in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is [forbidden as] essentially unclean (defiled and unholy in itself). But [none the less] it is unclean (defiled and unholy) to anyone who thinks it is unclean. + But if your brother is being pained or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died! + Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.] + [After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. + He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men. + So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another. + You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats. + The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him. + Your personal convictions [on such matters]--exercise [them] as in God's presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do]. + But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. + + + WE WHO are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves. + Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]. + For Christ did not please Himself [gave no thought to His own interests]; but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me. [Ps. 69:9.] + For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope. + Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, + That together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + Welcome and receive [to your hearts] one another, then, even as Christ has welcomed and received you, for the glory of God. + For I tell you that Christ (the Messiah) became a servant and a minister to the circumcised (the Jews) in order to show God's truthfulness and honesty by confirming (verifying) the promises [given] to our fathers, + And [also in order] that the Gentiles (nations) might glorify God for His mercy [not covenanted] to them. As it is written, Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles and sing praises to Your name. [Ps. 18:49.] + Again it is said, Rejoice (exult), O Gentiles, along with His [own] people; [Deut. 32:43.] + And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him! [Ps. 117:1.] + And further Isaiah says, There shall be a Sprout from the Root of Jesse, He Who rises to rule over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles hope. [Isa. 11:1, 10; Rev. 5:5; 22:16.] + May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. + Personally I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are rich in goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another also. + Still on some points I have written to you the more boldly and unreservedly by way of reminder. [I have done so] because of the grace (the unmerited favor) bestowed on me by God + In making me a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I act in the priestly service of the Gospel (the good news) of God, in order that the sacrificial offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable [to God], consecrated and made holy by the Holy Spirit. + In Christ Jesus, then, I have legitimate reason to glory (exult) in my work for God [in what through Christ Jesus I have accomplished concerning the things of God]. + For [of course] I will not venture (presume) to speak thus of any work except what Christ has actually done through me [as an instrument in His hands] to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, + [Even as my preaching has been accompanied] with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] by the power of the Holy Spirit. [The result is] that starting from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel [faithfully executing, accomplishing, carrying out to the full the good news] of Christ (the Messiah) in its entirety. + Thus my ambition has been to preach the Gospel, not where Christ's name has already been known, lest I build on another man's foundation; + But [instead I would act on the principle] as it is written, They shall see who have never been told of Him, and they shall understand who have never heard [of Him]. [Isa. 52:15.] + This [ambition] is the reason why I have so frequently been hindered from coming to visit you. + But now since I have no further opportunity for work in these regions, and since I have longed for enough years to come to you, + I hope to see you in passing [through Rome] as I go [on my intended trip] to Spain, and to be aided on my journey there by you, after I have enjoyed your company for a little while. + For the present, however, I am going to Jerusalem to bring aid (relief) for the saints (God's people there). + For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make some contribution for the poor among the saints of Jerusalem. + They were pleased to do it; and surely they are in debt to them, for if these Gentiles have come to share in their [the Jerusalem Jews'] spiritual blessings, then they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. + When therefore I have completed this mission and have delivered to them [at Jerusalem] what has been raised, I shall go on by way of you to Spain. + And I know that when I do come to you, I shall come in the abundant blessing of the Gospel of Christ. + I appeal to you [I entreat you], brethren, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love [given by] the Spirit, to unite with me in earnest wrestling in prayer to God in my behalf. + [Pray] that I may be delivered (rescued) from the unbelievers in Judea and that my mission of relief to Jerusalem may be acceptable and graciously received by the saints (God's people there), + So that by God's will I may subsequently come to you with joy (with a happy heart) and be refreshed [by the interval of rest] in your company. + May [our] peace-giving God be with you all! Amen (so be it). + + + NOW I introduce and commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae, + That you may receive her in the Lord [with a Christian welcome], as saints (God's people) ought to receive one another. And help her in whatever matter she may require assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many including myself [shielding us from suffering]. + Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, + Who risked their lives [endangering their very necks] for my life. To them not only I but also all the churches among the Gentiles give thanks. + [Remember me] also to the church [that meets] in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was a firstfruit (first convert) to Christ in Asia. + Greet Mary, who has worked so hard among you. + Remember me to Andronicus and Junias, my tribal kinsmen and once my fellow prisoners. They are men held in high esteem among the apostles, who also were in Christ before I was. + Remember me to Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. + Salute Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear Stachys. + Greet Apelles, that one tried and approved in Christ (the Messiah). Remember me to those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. + Greet my tribal kinsman Herodion, and those in the Lord who belong to the household of Narcissus. + Salute those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my dear Persis, who has worked so hard in the Lord. + Remember me to Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also to his mother [who has been] a mother to me as well. + Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren who are with them. + Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. + Greet one another with a holy (consecrated) kiss. All the churches of Christ (the Messiah) wish to be remembered to you. + I appeal to you, brethren, to be on your guard concerning those who create dissensions and difficulties and cause divisions, in opposition to the doctrine (the teaching) which you have been taught. [I warn you to turn aside from them, to] avoid them. + For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites and base desires, and by ingratiating and flattering speech, they beguile the hearts of the unsuspecting and simpleminded [people]. + For while your loyalty and obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I would have you well versed and wise as to what is good and innocent and guileless as to what is evil. + And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you. + Timothy, my fellow worker, wishes to be remembered to you, as do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my tribal kinsmen. + I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord. + Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church here, greets you. So do Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you all. Amen (so be it). + Now to Him Who is able to strengthen you in the faith which is in accordance with my Gospel and the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ (the Messiah), according to the revelation (the unveiling) of the mystery of the plan of redemption which was kept in silence and secret for long ages, + But is now disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures is made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, [to win them] to obedience to the faith, + To [the] only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One)! Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, SUMMONED by the will and purpose of God to be an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, + To the church (assembly) of God which is in Corinth, to those consecrated and purified and made holy in Christ Jesus, [who are] selected and called to be saints (God's people), together with all those who in any place call upon and give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: + Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) be to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I thank my God at all times for you because of the grace (the favor and spiritual blessing) of God which was bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, + [So] that in Him in every respect you were enriched, in full power and readiness of speech [to speak of your faith] and complete knowledge and illumination [to give you full insight into its meaning]. + In this way [our] witnessing concerning Christ (the Messiah) was so confirmed and established and made sure in you + That you are not [consciously] falling behind or lacking in any special spiritual endowment or Christian grace [the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in your souls by the Holy Spirit], while you wait and watch [constantly living in hope] for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and [His] being made visible to all. + And He will establish you to the end [keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be] guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. + But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments. + For it has been made clear to me, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions and wrangling and factions among you. + What I mean is this, that each one of you [either] says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas (Peter), or I belong to Christ. + Is Christ (the Messiah) divided into parts? Was Paul crucified on behalf of you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? + I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, + Lest anyone should say that I baptized in my own name. + [Yes] I did baptize the household of Stephanas also. More than these, I do not remember that I baptized anyone. + For Christ (the Messiah) sent me out not to baptize but [to evangelize by] preaching the glad tidings (the Gospel), and that not with verbal eloquence, lest the cross of Christ should be deprived of force and emptied of its power and rendered vain (fruitless, void of value, and of no effect). + For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God. + For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing. [Isa. 29:14.] + Where is the wise man (the philosopher)? Where is the scribe (the scholar)? Where is the investigator (the logician, the debater) of this present time and age? Has not God shown up the nonsense and the folly of this world's wisdom? + For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching [salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him], to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him). + For while Jews [demandingly] ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom, + We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense. + But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. + [This is] because the foolish thing [that has its source in] God is wiser than men, and the weak thing [that springs] from God is stronger than men. + For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth. + [No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. + And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, + So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. + But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. + So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord. [Jer. 9:24.] + + + AS FOR myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; + For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. + And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. + And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], + So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God. + Yet when we are among the full-grown (spiritually mature Christians who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a [higher] wisdom (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden); but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away. + But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God--[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence]. + None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. + But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. [Isa. 64:4; 65:17.] + Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny]. + For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man's thoughts except the man's own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. + Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. + And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]. + But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. + But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him]. + For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. [Isa. 40:13.] + + + HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] + I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], + For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? + For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not [proving yourselves] ordinary (unchanged) men? + What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Ministering servants [not heads of parties] through whom you believed, even as the Lord appointed to each his task: + I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. + So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. + He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labor. + For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building. [Isa. 61:3.] + According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, + For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, + The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. + If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. + But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. [Job 23:10.] + Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]? + If anyone does hurt to God's temple or corrupts it [with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you [the believing church and its individual believers] are. + Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise. [Isa. 5:21.] + For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness; [Job 5:13.] + And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are. [Ps. 94:11.] + So let no one exult proudly concerning men [boasting of having this or that man as a leader], for all things are yours, + Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter), or the universe or life or death, or the immediate and threatening present or the [subsequent and uncertain] future--all are yours, + And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. + + + SO THEN, let us [apostles] be looked upon as ministering servants of Christ and stewards (trustees) of the mysteries (the secret purposes) of God. + Moreover, it is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust]. + But [as for me personally] it matters very little to me that I should be put on trial by you [on this point], and that you or any other human tribunal should investigate and question and cross-question me. I do not even put myself on trial and judge myself. + I am not conscious of anything against myself, and I feel blameless; but I am not vindicated and acquitted before God on that account. It is the Lord [Himself] Who examines and judges me. + So do not make any hasty or premature judgments before the time when the Lord comes [again], for He will both bring to light the secret things that are [now hidden] in darkness and disclose and expose the [secret] aims (motives and purposes) of hearts. Then every man will receive his [due] commendation from God. + Now I have applied all this [about parties and factions] to myself and Apollos for your sakes, brethren, so that from what I have said of us [as illustrations], you may learn [to think of men in accordance with Scripture and] not to go beyond that which is written, that none of you may be puffed up and inflated with pride and boast in favor of one [minister and teacher] against another. + For who separates you from the others [as a faction leader]? [Who makes you superior and sets you apart from another, giving you the preeminence?] What have you that was not given to you? If then you received it [from someone], why do you boast as if you had not received [but had gained it by your own efforts]? + [You behave as if] you are already filled and think you have enough [you are full and content, feeling no need of anything more]! Already you have become rich [in spiritual gifts and graces]! [Without any counsel or instruction from us, in your conceit], you have ascended your thrones and come into your kingdom without including us! And would that it were true and that you did reign, so that we might be sharing the kingdom with you! + For it seems to me that God has made an exhibit of us apostles, exposing us to view last [of all, like men in a triumphal procession who are] sentenced to death [and displayed at the end of the line]. For we have become a spectacle to the world [a show in the world's amphitheater] with both men and angels [as spectators]. + We are [looked upon as] fools on account of Christ and for His sake, but you are [supposedly] so amazingly wise and prudent in Christ! We are weak, but you are [so very] strong! You are highly esteemed, but we are in disrepute and contempt! + To this hour we have gone both hungry and thirsty; we [habitually] wear but one undergarment [and shiver in the cold]; we are roughly knocked about and wander around homeless. + And we still toil unto weariness [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When men revile us [wound us with an accursed sting], we bless them. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure it. + When we are slandered and defamed, we [try to] answer softly and bring comfort. We have been made and are now the rubbish and filth of the world [the offscouring of all things, the scum of the earth]. + I do not write this to shame you, but to warn and counsel you as my beloved children. + After all, though you should have ten thousand teachers (guides to direct you) in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the glad tidings (the Gospel). + So I urge and implore you, be imitators of me. + For this very cause I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord, who will recall to your minds my methods of proceeding and course of conduct and way of life in Christ, such as I teach everywhere in each of the churches. + Some of you have become conceited and arrogant and pretentious, counting on my not coming to you. + But I will come to you [and] shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will perceive and understand not what the talk of these puffed up and arrogant spirits amount to, but their force (the moral power and excellence of soul they really possess). + For the kingdom of God consists of and is based on not talk but power (moral power and excellence of soul). + Now which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of correction, or with love and in a spirit of gentleness? + + + IT IS actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, impurity of a sort that is condemned and does not occur even among the heathen; for a man has [his own] father's wife. [Deut. 22:30; 27:20.] + And you are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn (bow in sorrow and in shame) until the person who has done this [shameful] thing is removed from your fellowship and your midst! + As for my attitude, though I am absent [from you] in body, I am present in spirit, and I have already decided and passed judgment, as if actually present, + In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the man who has committed such a deed. When you and my own spirit are met together with the power of our Lord Jesus, + You are to deliver this man over to Satan for physical discipline [to destroy carnal lusts which prompted him to incest], that [his] spirit may [yet] be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. + [About the condition of your church] your boasting is not good [indeed, it is most unseemly and entirely out of place]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven will ferment the whole lump [of dough]? + Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough, still uncontaminated [as you are], for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been sacrificed. + Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of purity (nobility, honor) and sincerity and [unadulterated] truth. [Exod. 12:19; 13:7; Deut. 16:3.] + I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate [closely and habitually] with unchaste (impure) people-- + Not [meaning of course that you must] altogether shun the immoral people of this world, or the greedy graspers and cheats and thieves or idolaters, since otherwise you would need to get out of the world and human society altogether! + But now I write to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of [Christian] brother if he is known to be guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater [whose soul is devoted to any object that usurps the place of God], or is a person with a foul tongue [railing, abusing, reviling, slandering], or is a drunkard or a swindler or a robber. [No] you must not so much as eat with such a person. + What [business] of mine is it and what right have I to judge outsiders? Is it not those inside [the church] upon whom you are to pass disciplinary judgment [passing censuring sentence on them as the facts require]? + God alone sits in judgment on those who are outside. Drive out that wicked one from among you [expel him from your church]. + + + DOES ANY of you dare, when he has a matter of complaint against another [brother], to go to law before unrighteous men [men neither upright nor right with God, laying it before them] instead of before the saints (the people of God)? + Do you not know that the saints (the believers) will [one day] judge and govern the world? And if the world [itself] is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try [such petty matters] of the smallest courts of justice? + Do you not know also that we [Christians] are to judge the [very] angels and pronounce opinion between right and wrong [for them]? How much more then [as to] matters pertaining to this world and of this life only! + If then you do have such cases of everyday life to decide, why do you appoint [as judges to lay them before] those who [from the standpoint] of the church count for least and are without standing? + I say this to move you to shame. Can it be that there really is not one man among you who [in action is governed by piety and integrity and] is wise and competent enough to decide [the private grievances, disputes, and quarrels] between members of the brotherhood, + But brother goes to law against brother, and that before [Gentile judges who are] unbelievers [without faith or trust in the Gospel of Christ]? + Why, the very fact of your having lawsuits with one another at all is a defect (a defeat, an evidence of positive moral loss for you). Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)? + But [instead it is you] yourselves who wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren [by so treating them]! + Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality, + Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. + And such some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God. + Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power. + Food [is intended] for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will finally end [the functions of] both and bring them to nothing. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but [is intended] for the Lord, and the Lord [is intended] for the body [to save, sanctify, and raise it again]. + And God both raised the Lord to life and will also raise us up by His power. + Do you not see and know that your bodies are members (bodily parts) of Christ (the Messiah)? Am I therefore to take the parts of Christ and make [them] parts of a prostitute? Never! Never! + Or do you not know and realize that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? The two, it is written, shall become one flesh. [Gen. 2:24.] + But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. + Shun immorality and all sexual looseness [flee from impurity in thought, word, or deed]. Any other sin which a man commits is one outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. + Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, + You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. + + + NOW AS to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well [and by that I mean advantageous, expedient, profitable, and wholesome] for a man not to touch a woman [to cohabit with her] but to remain unmarried. + But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each [man] have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband. + The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights (goodwill, kindness, and what is due her as his wife), and likewise the wife to her husband. + For the wife does not have [exclusive] authority and control over her own body, but the husband [has his rights]; likewise also the husband does not have [exclusive] authority and control over his body, but the wife [has her rights]. + Do not refuse and deprive and defraud each other [of your due marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves unhindered to prayer. But afterwards resume marital relations, lest Satan tempt you [to sin] through your lack of restraint of sexual desire. [Exod. 19:15.] + But I am saying this more as a matter of permission and concession, not as a command or regulation. + I wish that all men were like I myself am [in this matter of self-control]. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another. + But to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain [single] even as I do. + But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]. + But to the married people I give charge--not I but the Lord--that the wife is not to separate from her husband. + But if she does [separate from and divorce him], let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband. And [I charge] the husband [also] that he should not put away or divorce his wife. + To the rest I declare--I, not the Lord [for Jesus did not discuss this]--that if any brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ] and she consents to live with him, he should not leave or divorce her. + And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave or divorce him. + For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God [pure and clean]. + But if the unbelieving partner [actually] leaves, let him do so; in such [cases the remaining] brother or sister is not morally bound. But God has called us to peace. + For, wife, how can you be sure of converting and saving your husband? Husband, how can you be sure of converting and saving your wife? + Only, let each one [seek to conduct himself and regulate his affairs so as to] lead the life which the Lord has allotted and imparted to him and to which God has invited and summoned him. This is my order in all the churches. + Was anyone at the time of his summons [from God] already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the evidence of circumcision. Was anyone at the time [God] called him uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. + For circumcision is nothing and counts for nothing, neither does uncircumcision, but [what counts is] keeping the commandments of God. + Everyone should remain after God calls him in the station or condition of life in which the summons found him. + Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. + For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). + You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ]. + So, brethren, in whatever station or state or condition of life each one was when he was called, there let him continue with and close to God. + Now concerning the virgins (the marriageable maidens) I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion and advice as one who by the Lord's mercy is rendered trustworthy and faithful. + I think then, because of the impending distress [that is even now setting in], it is well (expedient, profitable, and wholesome) for a person to remain as he or she is. + Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. + But if you do marry, you do not sin [in doing so], and if a virgin marries, she does not sin [in doing so]. Yet those who marry will have physical and earthly troubles, and I would like to spare you that. + I mean, brethren, the appointed time has been winding down and it has grown very short. From now on, let even those who have wives be as if they had none, + And those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything, + And those who deal with this world [overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away. + My desire is to have you free from all anxiety and distressing care. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord; + But the married man is anxious about worldly matters--how he may please his wife-- + And he is drawn in diverging directions [his interests are divided and he is distracted from his devotion to God]. And the unmarried woman or girl is concerned and anxious about the matters of the Lord, how to be wholly separated and set apart in body and spirit; but the married woman has her cares [centered] in earthly affairs--how she may please her husband. + Now I say this for your own welfare and profit, not to put [a halter of] restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly and in good order and to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord. + But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward and in regard to his virgin [that he is preparing disgrace for her or incurring reproach], in case she is passing the bloom of her youth and if there is need for it, let him do what to him seems right; he does not sin; let them marry. + But whoever is firmly established in his heart [strong in mind and purpose], not being forced by necessity but having control over his own will and desire, and has resolved this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he is doing well. + So also then, he [the father] who gives his virgin (his daughter) in marriage does well, and he [the father] who does not give [her] in marriage does better. + A wife is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she will, only [provided that he too is] in the Lord. + But in my opinion [a widow] is happier (more blessed and to be envied) if she does not remarry. And also I think I have the Spirit of God. + + + NOW ABOUT food offered to idols: of course we know that all of us possess knowledge [concerning these matters. Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature]. + If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary. + But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him]. + In this matter, then, of eating food offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing (has no real existence) and that there is no God but one. [Deut. 6:4.] + For although there may be so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many of them, both of gods and of lords and masters, + Yet for us there is [only] one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things and for Whom we [have life], and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through and by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we [ourselves exist]. [Mal. 2:10.] + Nevertheless, not all [believers] possess this knowledge. But some, through being all their lives until now accustomed to [thinking of] idols [as real and living], still consider the food [offered to an idol] as that sacrificed to an [actual] god; and their weak consciences become defiled and injured if they eat [it]. + Now food [itself] will not cause our acceptance by God nor commend us to Him. Eating [food offered to idols] gives us no advantage; neither do we come short or become any worse if we do not eat [it]. + Only be careful that this power of choice (this permission and liberty to do as you please) which is yours, does not [somehow] become a hindrance (cause of stumbling) to the weak or overscrupulous [giving them an impulse to sin]. + For suppose someone sees you, a man having knowledge [of God, with an intelligent view of this subject and] reclining at table in an idol's temple, might he not be encouraged and emboldened [to violate his own conscientious scruples] if he is weak and uncertain, and eat what [to him] is for the purpose of idol worship? + And so by your enlightenment (your knowledge of spiritual things), this weak man is ruined (is lost and perishes)--the brother for whom Christ (the Messiah) died! + And when you sin against your brethren in this way, wounding and damaging their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. + Therefore, if [my eating a] food is a cause of my brother's falling or of hindering [his spiritual advancement], I will not eat [such] flesh forever, lest I cause my brother to be tripped up and fall and to be offended. + + + AM I not an apostle (a special messenger)? Am I not free (unrestrained and exempt from any obligation)? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you [yourselves] not [the product and proof of] my workmanship in the Lord? + Even if I am not considered an apostle (a special messenger) by others, at least I am one to you; for you are the seal (the certificate, the living evidence) of my apostleship in the Lord [confirming and authenticating it]. + This is my [real ground of] defense (my vindication of myself) to those who would put me on trial and cross-examine me. + Have we not the right to our food and drink [at the expense of the churches]? + Have we not the right also to take along with us a Christian sister as wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)? + Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from doing manual labor for a livelihood [in order to go about the work of the ministry]? + [Consider this:] What soldier at any time serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of the fruit of it? Who tends a flock and does not partake of the milk of the flock? + Do I say this only on human authority and as a man reasons? Does not the Law endorse the same principle? + For in the Law of Moses it is written, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn. Is it [only] for oxen that God cares? [Deut. 25:4.] + Or does He speak certainly and entirely for our sakes? [Assuredly] it is written for our sakes, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in expectation of partaking of the harvest. + If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits? + If others share in this rightful claim upon you, do not we [have a still better and greater claim]? However, we have never exercised this right, but we endure everything rather than put a hindrance in the way [of the spread] of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ. + Do you not know that those men who are employed in the services of the temple get their food from the temple? And that those who tend the altar share with the altar [in the offerings brought]? [Deut. 18:1.] + [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel. + But I have not made use of any of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me [now]. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone make void and deprive me of my [ground for] glorifying [in this matter]. + For if I [merely] preach the Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)! + For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have my pay (my reward); but if it is not of my own will, but is done reluctantly and under compulsion, I am [still] entrusted with a [sacred] trusteeship and commission. + What then is the [actual] reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it [absolutely] free of expense [to anybody], not taking advantage of my rights and privileges [as a preacher] of the Gospel. + For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ]. + To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law. + To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. + To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ]. + And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its [blessings along with you]. + Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. + Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither. + Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary. + But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]. + + + FOR I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were all under and protected by the cloud [in which God's Presence went before them], and every one of them passed safely through the [Red] Sea, [Exod. 13:21; 14:22, 29.] + And each one of them [allowed himself also] to be baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea [they were thus brought under obligation to the Law, to Moses, and to the covenant, consecrated and set apart to the service of God]; + And all [of them] ate the same spiritual (supernaturally given) food, [Exod. 16:4, 35.] + And they all drank the same spiritual (supernaturally given) drink. For they drank from a spiritual Rock which followed them [produced by the sole power of God Himself without natural instrumentality], and the Rock was Christ. [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11.] + Nevertheless, God was not pleased with the great majority of them, for they were overthrown and strewn down along [the ground] in the wilderness. [Num. 14:29, 30.] + Now these things are examples (warnings and admonitions) for us not to desire or crave or covet or lust after evil and carnal things as they did. [Num. 11:4, 34.] + Do not be worshipers of false gods as some of them were, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink [the sacrifices offered to the golden calf at Horeb] and rose to sport (to dance and give way to jesting and hilarity). [Exod. 32:4, 6.] + We must not gratify evil desire and indulge in immorality as some of them did--and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell dead in a single day! [Num. 25:1-18.] + We should not tempt the Lord [try His patience, become a trial to Him, critically appraise Him, and exploit His goodness] as some of them did--and were killed by poisonous serpents; [Num. 21:5, 6.] + Nor discontentedly complain as some of them did--and were put out of the way entirely by the destroyer (death). [Num. 16:41, 49.] + Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period). + Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]. + For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. + Therefore, my dearly beloved, shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God). + I am speaking as to intelligent (sensible) men. Think over and make up your minds [for yourselves] about what I say. [I appeal to your reason and your discernment in these matters.] + The cup of blessing [of wine at the Lord's Supper] upon which we ask [God's] blessing, does it not mean [that in drinking it] we participate in and share a fellowship (a communion) in the blood of Christ (the Messiah)? The bread which we break, does it not mean [that in eating it] we participate in and share a fellowship (a communion) in the body of Christ? + For we [no matter how] numerous we are, are one body, because we all partake of the one Bread [the One Whom the communion bread represents]. + Consider those [physically] people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? [Lev. 7:6.] + What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is [intrinsically changed by the fact and amounts to] anything or that an idol itself is a [living] thing? + No, I am suggesting that what the pagans sacrifice they offer [in effect] to demons (to evil spiritual powers) and not to God [at all]. I do not want you to fellowship and be partners with diabolical spirits [by eating at their feasts]. [Deut. 32:17.] + You cannot drink the Lord's cup and the demons' cup. You cannot partake of the Lord's table and the demons' table. + Shall we thus provoke the Lord to jealousy and anger and indignation? Are we stronger than He [that we should defy Him]? [Deut. 32:21; Eccl. 6:10; Isa. 45:9.] + All things are legitimate [permissible--and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. + Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but [rather] each one of the other [let him seek the welfare of his neighbor]. + [As to meat offered to idols] eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question or investigating on the grounds of conscientious scruples, + For the [whole] earth is the Lord's and everything that is in it. [Ps. 24:1; 50:12.] + In case one of the unbelievers invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without examining into its source because of conscientious scruples. + But if someone tells you, This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol, do not eat it, out of consideration for the person who informed you, and for conscience's sake-- + I mean for the sake of his conscience, not yours, [do not eat it]. For why should another man's scruples apply to me and my liberty of action be determined by his conscience? + If I partake [of my food] with thankfulness, why am I accused and spoken evil of because of that for which I give thanks? + So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. + Do not let yourselves be [hindrances by giving] an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God [do not lead others into sin by your mode of life]; + Just as I myself strive to please [to accommodate myself to the opinions, desires, and interests of others, adapting myself to] all men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they may be saved. + + + PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah). + I appreciate and commend you because you always remember me in everything and keep firm possession of the traditions (the substance of my instructions), just as I have [verbally] passed them on to you. + But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God. + Any man who prays or prophesies (teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes, and comforts) with his head covered dishonors his Head (Christ). + And any woman who [publicly] prays or prophesies (teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes, or comforts) when she is bareheaded dishonors her head (her husband); it is the same as [if her head were] shaved. + For if a woman will not wear [a head] covering, then she should cut off her hair too; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her head shorn or shaven, let her cover [her head]. + For a man ought not to wear anything on his head [in church], for he is the image and [reflected] glory of God [his function of government reflects the majesty of the divine Rule]; but woman is [the expression of] man's glory (majesty, preeminence). [Gen. 1:26.] + For man was not [created] from woman, but woman from man; [Gen. 2:21-23.] + Neither was man created on account of or for the benefit of woman, but woman on account of and for the benefit of man. [Gen. 2:18.] + Therefore she should [be subject to his authority and should] have a covering on her head [as a token, a symbol, of her submission to authority, that she may show reverence as do] the angels [and not displease them]. + Nevertheless, in [the plan of] the Lord and from His point of view woman is not apart from and independent of man, nor is man aloof from and independent of woman; + For as woman was made from man, even so man is also born of woman; and all [whether male or female go forth] from God [as their Author]. + Consider for yourselves; is it proper and decent [according to your customs] for a woman to offer prayer to God [publicly] with her head uncovered? + Does not the native sense of propriety (experience, common sense, reason) itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is a dishonor [humiliating and degrading] to him, + But if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. + Now if anyone is disposed to be argumentative and contentious about this, we hold to and recognize no other custom [in worship] than this, nor do the churches of God generally. + But in what I instruct [you] next I do not commend [you], because when you meet together, it is not for the better but for the worse. + For in the first place, when you assemble as a congregation, I hear that there are cliques (divisions and factions) among you; and I in part believe it, + For doubtless there have to be factions or parties among you in order that they who are genuine and of approved fitness may become evident and plainly recognized among you. + So when you gather for your meetings, it is not the supper instituted by the Lord that you eat, + For in eating each one [hurries] to get his own supper first [not waiting for the poor], and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. + What! Do you have no houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and mean to show contempt for it, while you humiliate those who are poor (have no homes and have brought no food)? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, [most certainly] I will not! + For I received from the Lord Himself that which I passed on to you [it was given to me personally], that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was treacherously delivered up and while His betrayal was in progress took bread, + And when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance. + Similarly when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying, This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance. + For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are representing and signifying and proclaiming the fact of the Lord's death until He comes [again]. + So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. + Let a man [thoroughly] examine himself, and [only when he has done] so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. + For anyone who eats and drinks without discriminating and recognizing with due appreciation that [it is Christ's] body, eats and drinks a sentence (a verdict of judgment) upon himself. + That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason many of you are weak and sickly, and quite enough of you have fallen into the sleep of death. + For if we searchingly examined ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we should not be judged and penalty decreed [by the divine judgment]. + But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal punishment along] with the world. + So then, my brothers, when you gather together to eat [the Lord's Supper], wait for one another. + If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together to bring judgment [on yourselves]. About the other matters, I will give you directions [personally] when I come. + + + NOW ABOUT the spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed. + You know that when you were heathen, you were led off after idols that could not speak [habitually] as impulse directed and whenever the occasion might arise. + Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking under the power and influence of the [Holy] Spirit of God can [ever] say, Jesus be cursed! And no one can [really] say, Jesus is [my] Lord, except by and under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. + Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments (gifts, extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians, due to the power of divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit) and they vary, but the [Holy] Spirit remains the same. + And there are distinctive varieties of service and ministration, but it is the same Lord [Who is served]. + And there are distinctive varieties of operation [of working to accomplish things], but it is the same God Who inspires and energizes them all in all. + But to each one is given the manifestation of the [Holy] Spirit [the evidence, the spiritual illumination of the Spirit] for good and profit. + To one is given in and through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] a message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same [Holy] Spirit; + To another [wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit, to another the extraordinary powers of healing by the one Spirit; + To another the working of miracles, to another prophetic insight (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose); to another the ability to discern and distinguish between [the utterances of true] spirits [and false ones], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, to another the ability to interpret [such] tongues. + All these [gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses. + For just as the body is a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + For by [means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and by baptism united together] into one body, and all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit. + For the body does not consist of one limb or organ but of many. + If the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I do not belong to the body, would it be therefore not [a part] of the body? + If the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body, would it be therefore not [a part] of the body? + If the whole body were an eye, where [would be the sense of] hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where [would be the sense of] smell? + But as it is, God has placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each [particular one] of them, just as He wished and saw fit and with the best adaptation. + But if [the whole] were all a single organ, where would the body be? + And now there are [certainly] many limbs and organs, but a single body. + And the eye is not able to say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. + But instead, there is [absolute] necessity for the parts of the body that are considered the more weak. + And those [parts] of the body which we consider rather ignoble are [the very parts] which we invest with additional honor, and our unseemly parts and those unsuitable for exposure are treated with seemliness (modesty and decorum), + Which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so adjusted (mingled, harmonized, and subtly proportioned the parts of) the whole body, giving the greater honor and richer endowment to the inferior parts which lack [apparent importance], + So that there should be no division or discord or lack of adaptation [of the parts of the body to each other], but the members all alike should have a mutual interest in and care for one another. + And if one member suffers, all the parts [share] the suffering; if one member is honored, all the members [share in] the enjoyment of it. + Now you [collectively] are Christ's body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function]. + So God has appointed some in the church [for His own use]: first apostles (special messengers); second prophets (inspired preachers and expounders); third teachers; then wonder-workers; then those with ability to heal the sick; helpers; administrators; [speakers in] different (unknown) tongues. + Are all apostles (special messengers)? Are all prophets (inspired interpreters of the will and purposes of God)? Are all teachers? Do all have the power of performing miracles? + Do all possess extraordinary powers of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? + But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all--love]. + + + IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. + And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). + Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing. + Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. + It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. + It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. + Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. + Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]. + For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). + But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded). + When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside. + For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]. + And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love. + + + EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy (interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching). + For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding]. + But [on the other hand], the one who prophesies [who interprets the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching] speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation. + He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness]. + Now I wish that you might all speak in [unknown] tongues, but more especially [I want you] to prophesy (to be inspired to preach and interpret the divine will and purpose). He who prophesies [who is inspired to preach and teach] is greater (more useful and more important) than he who speaks in [unknown] tongues, unless he should interpret [what he says], so that the church may be edified and receive good [from it]. + Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in [unknown] tongues, how shall I make it to your advantage unless I speak to you either in revelation (disclosure of God's will to man) in knowledge or in prophecy or in instruction? + If even inanimate musical instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone [listening] know or understand what is played? + And if the war bugle gives an uncertain (indistinct) call, who will prepare for battle? + Just so it is with you; if you in the [unknown] tongue speak words that are not intelligible, how will anyone understand what you are saying? For you will be talking into empty space! + There are, I suppose, all these many [to us unknown] tongues in the world [somewhere], and none is destitute of [its own power of] expression and meaning. + But if I do not know the force and significance of the speech (language), I shall seem to be a foreigner to the one who speaks [to me], and the speaker who addresses [me] will seem a foreigner to me. + So it is with yourselves; since you are so eager and ambitious to possess spiritual endowments and manifestations of the [Holy] Spirit, [concentrate on] striving to excel and to abound [in them] in ways that will build up the church. + Therefore, the person who speaks in an [unknown] tongue should pray [for the power] to interpret and explain what he says. + For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody]. + Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also. + Otherwise, if you bless and render thanks with [your] spirit [thoroughly aroused by the Holy Spirit], how can anyone in the position of an outsider or he who is not gifted with [interpreting of unknown] tongues, say the Amen to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? [I Chron. 16:36; Ps. 106:48.] + To be sure, you may give thanks well (nobly), but the bystander is not edified [it does him no good]. + I thank God that I speak in [strange] tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together; + Nevertheless, in public worship, I would rather say five words with my understanding and intelligently in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a [strange] tongue (language). + Brethren, do not be children [immature] in your thinking; continue to be babes in [matters of] evil, but in your minds be mature [men]. + It is written in the Law, By men of strange languages and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and not even then will they listen to Me, says the Lord. [Isa. 28:11, 12.] + Thus [unknown] tongues are meant for a [supernatural] sign, not for believers but for unbelievers [on the point of believing], while prophecy (inspired preaching and teaching, interpreting the divine will and purpose) is not for unbelievers [on the point of believing] but for believers. + Therefore, if the whole church assembles and all of you speak in [unknown] tongues, and the ungifted and uninitiated or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are demented? + But if all prophesy [giving inspired testimony and interpreting the divine will and purpose] and an unbeliever or untaught outsider comes in, he is told of his sin and reproved and convicted and convinced by all, and his defects and needs are examined (estimated, determined) and he is called to account by all, + The secrets of his heart are laid bare; and so, falling on [his] face, he will worship God, declaring that God is among you in very truth. + What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all. + If some speak in a [strange] tongue, let the number be limited to two or at the most three, and each one [taking his] turn, and let one interpret and explain [what is said]. + But if there is no one to do the interpreting, let each of them keep still in church and talk to himself and to God. + So let two or three prophets speak [those inspired to preach or teach], while the rest pay attention and weigh and discern what is said. + But if an inspired revelation comes to another who is sitting by, then let the first one be silent. + For in this way you can give testimony [prophesying and thus interpreting the divine will and purpose] one by one, so that all may be instructed and all may be stimulated and encouraged; + For the spirits of the prophets (the speakers in tongues) are under the speaker's control [and subject to being silenced as may be necessary], + For He [Who is the source of their prophesying] is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order. As [is the practice] in all the churches of the saints (God's people), + The women should keep quiet in the churches, for they are not authorized to speak, but should take a secondary and subordinate place, just as the Law also says. [Gen. 3:16.] + But if there is anything they want to learn, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to talk in church [for her to usurp and exercise authority over men in the church]. + What! Did the word of the Lord originate with you [Corinthians], or has it reached only you? + If anyone thinks and claims that he is a prophet [filled with and governed by the Holy Spirit of God and inspired to interpret the divine will and purpose in preaching or teaching] or has any other spiritual endowment, let him understand (recognize and acknowledge) that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. + But if anyone disregards or does not recognize [that it is a command of the Lord], he is disregarded and not recognized [he is one whom God knows not]. + So [to conclude], my brethren, earnestly desire and set your hearts on prophesying (on being inspired to preach and teach and to interpret God's will and purpose), and do not forbid or hinder speaking in [unknown] tongues. + But all things should be done with regard to decency and propriety and in an orderly fashion. + + + AND NOW let me remind you [since it seems to have escaped you], brethren, of the Gospel (the glad tidings of salvation) which I proclaimed to you, which you welcomed and accepted and upon which your faith rests, + And by which you are saved, if you hold fast and keep firmly what I preached to you, unless you believed at first without effect and all for nothing. + For I passed on to you first of all what I also had received, that Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for our sins in accordance with [what] the Scriptures [foretold], [Isa. 53:5-12.] + That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold, [Ps. 16:9, 10.] + And [also] that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve. + Then later He showed Himself to more than five hundred brethren at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep [in death]. + Afterward He was seen by James, then by all the apostles (the special messengers), + And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one prematurely and born dead [no better than an unperfected fetus among living men]. + For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles, who am not fit or deserving to be called an apostle, because I once wronged and pursued and molested the church of God [oppressing it with cruelty and violence]. + But by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God which was with me. + So, whether then it was I or they, this is what we preach and this is what you believed [what you adhered to, trusted in, and relied on]. + But now if Christ (the Messiah) is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? + But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen; + And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain [it amounts to nothing] and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded). + We are even discovered to be misrepresenting God, for we testified of Him that He raised Christ, Whom He did not raise in case it is true that the dead are not raised. + For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised; + And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is mere delusion [futile, fruitless], and you are still in your sins [under the control and penalty of sin]; + And further, those who have died in [spiritual fellowship and union with] Christ have perished (are lost)! + If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. + But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. + For since [it was] through a man that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead [has come]. + For just as [because of their union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive. + But each in his own rank and turn: Christ (the Messiah) [is] the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's [own will be resurrected] at His coming. + After that comes the end (the completion), when He delivers over the kingdom to God the Father after rendering inoperative and abolishing every [other] rule and every authority and power. + For [Christ] must be King and reign until He has put all [His] enemies under His feet. [Ps. 110:1.] + The last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death. + For He [the Father] has put all things in subjection under His [Christ's] feet. But when it says, All things are put in subjection [under Him], it is evident that He [Himself] is excepted Who does the subjecting of all things to Him. [Ps. 8:6.] + However, when everything is subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also subject Himself to [the Father] Who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all [be everything to everyone, supreme, the indwelling and controlling factor of life]. + Otherwise, what do people mean by being [themselves] baptized in behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? + [For that matter], why do I live [dangerously as I do, running such risks that I am] in peril every hour? + [I assure you] by the pride which I have in you in [your fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily [I face death every day and die to self]. + What do I gain if, merely from the human point of view, I fought with [wild] beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will be dead. [Isa. 22:13.] + Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. + Awake [from your drunken stupor and return] to sober sense and your right minds, and sin no more. For some of you have not the knowledge of God [you are utterly and willfully and disgracefully ignorant, and continue to be so, lacking the sense of God's presence and all true knowledge of Him]. I say this to your shame. + But someone will say, How can the dead be raised? With what [kind of] body will they come forth? + You foolish man! Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life [germinating, springing up, and growing] unless it dies first. + Nor is the seed you sow then the body which it is going to have [later], but it is a naked kernel, perhaps of wheat or some of the rest of the grains. + But God gives to it the body that He plans and sees fit, and to each kind of seed a body of its own. [Gen. 1:11.] + For all flesh is not the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish. + There are heavenly bodies (sun, moon, and stars) and there are earthly bodies (men, animals, and plants), but the beauty and glory of the heavenly bodies is of one kind, while the beauty and glory of earthly bodies is a different kind. + The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own [distinctive] way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance. + So it is with the resurrection of the dead. [The body] that is sown is perishable and decays, but [the body] that is resurrected is imperishable (immune to decay, immortal). [Dan. 12:3.] + It is sown in dishonor and humiliation; it is raised in honor and glory. It is sown in infirmity and weakness; it is resurrected in strength and endued with power. + It is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. [As surely as] there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. + Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. [Gen. 2:7.] + But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. + The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. [Gen. 2:7.] + Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded). + And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven. + But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or share in the imperishable (the immortal). + Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed) + In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). + For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death). + And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory. [Isa. 25:8.] + O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? [Hos. 13:14.] + Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [upon the soul] through [the abuse of] the Law. + But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ. + Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]. + + + NOW CONCERNING the money contributed for [the relief of] the saints (God's people): you are to do the same as I directed the churches of Galatia to do. + On the first [day] of each week, let each one of you [personally] put aside something and save it up as he has prospered [in proportion to what he is given], so that no collections will need to be taken after I come. + And when I arrive, I will send on those whom you approve and authorize with credentials to carry your gift [of charity] to Jerusalem. + If it seems worthwhile that I should go too, they will accompany me. + After passing through Macedonia, I will visit you, for I intend [only] to pass through Macedonia; + But it may be that I will stay with you [for a while], perhaps even spend the winter, so that you may bring me forward [on my journey] to wherever I may go. + For I am unwilling to see you right now [just] in passing, but I hope later to remain for some time with you, if the Lord permits. + I will remain in Ephesus [however] until Pentecost, + For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries. + When Timothy arrives, see to it that [you put him at ease, so that] he may be fearless among you, for he is [devotedly] doing the Lord's work, just as I am. + So [see to it that] no one despises him or treats him as if he were of no account or slights him. But send him off [cordially, speed him on his way] in peace, that he may come to me, for I am expecting him [to come along] with the other brethren. + As for our brother Apollos, I have urgently encouraged him to visit you with the other brethren, but it was not at all his will or God's will that he should go now. He will come when he has opportunity. + Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith (your conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, keeping the trust and holy fervor born of faith and a part of it). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength! [Ps. 31:24.] + Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God's love for us). + Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts and our firstfruits in Achaia (most of Greece), and how they have consecrated and devoted themselves to the service of the saints (God's people). + I urge you to pay all deference to such leaders and to enlist under them and be subject to them, as well as to everyone who joins and cooperates [with you] and labors earnestly. + I am happy because Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus have come [to me], for they have made up for your absence. + For they gave me respite from labor and rested me and refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Deeply appreciate and thoroughly know and fully recognize such men. + The churches of Asia send greetings and best wishes. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church [that meets] in their house, send you their hearty greetings in the Lord. + All the brethren wish to be remembered to you and wish you well. Greet one another with a holy kiss. + I, Paul, [add this final] greeting with my own hand. + If anyone does not love the Lord [does not have a friendly affection for Him and is not kindly disposed toward Him], he shall be accursed! Our Lord will come! (Maranatha!) + The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + My love (that true love growing out of sincere devotion to God) be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, AN apostle (a special messenger) of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, to the church (assembly) of God which is at Corinth, and to all the saints (the people of God) throughout Achaia (most of Greece): + Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), + Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God. + For just as Christ's [own] sufferings fall to our lot [as they overflow upon His disciples, and we share and experience them] abundantly, so through Christ comfort (consolation and encouragement) is also [shared and experienced] abundantly by us. + But if we are troubled (afflicted and distressed), it is for your comfort (consolation and encouragement) and [for your] salvation; and if we are comforted (consoled and encouraged), it is for your comfort (consolation and encouragement), which works [in you] when you patiently endure the same evils (misfortunes and calamities) that we also suffer and undergo. + And our hope for you [our joyful and confident expectation of good for you] is ever unwavering (assured and unshaken); for we know that just as you share and are partners in [our] sufferings and calamities, you also share and are partners in [our] comfort (consolation and encouragement). + For we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about the affliction and oppressing distress which befell us in [the province of] Asia, how we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself]. + Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the [very] sentence of death, but that was to keep us from trusting in and depending on ourselves instead of on God Who raises the dead. + [For it is He] Who rescued and saved us from such a perilous death, and He will still rescue and save us; in and on Him we have set our hope (our joyful and confident expectation) that He will again deliver us [from danger and destruction and draw us to Himself], + While you also cooperate by your prayers for us [helping and laboring together with us]. Thus [the lips of] many persons [turned toward God will eventually] give thanks on our behalf for the grace (the blessing of deliverance) granted us at the request of the many who have prayed. + It is a reason for pride and exultation to which our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world [generally] and especially toward you, with devout and pure motives and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God (the unmerited favor and merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, and keeps, strengthens, and increases them in Christian virtues). + For we write you nothing else but simply what you can read and understand [there is no double meaning to what we say], and I hope that you will become thoroughly acquainted [with divine things] and know and understand [them] accurately and well to the end, + [Just] as you have [already] partially known and understood and acknowledged us and recognized that you can [honestly] be proud of us, even as we [can be proud] of you on the day of our Lord Jesus. + It was with assurance of this that I wanted and planned to visit you first [of all], so that you might have a double favor and token of grace (goodwill). + [I wanted] to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and [then] to come again to you [on my return trip] from Macedonia and have you send me forward on my way to Judea. + Now because I changed my original plan, was I being unstable and capricious? Or what I plan, do I plan according to the flesh [like a worldly man], ready to say Yes, yes, [when it may mean] No, no? + As surely as God is trustworthy and faithful and means what He says, our speech and message to you have not been Yes [that might mean] No. + For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who has been preached among you by us, by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not Yes and No; but in Him it is [always the divine] Yes. + For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God. + But it is God Who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and has consecrated and anointed us [enduing us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit]; + [He has also appropriated and acknowledged us as His by] putting His seal upon us and giving us His [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as the security deposit and guarantee [of the fulfillment of His promise]. + But I call upon God as my soul's witness: it was to avoid hurting you that I refrained from coming to Corinth-- + Not that we have dominion [over you] and lord it over your faith, but [rather that we work with you as] fellow laborers [to promote] your joy, for in [your] faith (in your strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God) you stand firm. + + + BUT I definitely made up my mind not to grieve you with another painful and distressing visit. + For if I cause you pain [with merited rebuke], who is there to provide me enjoyment but the [very] one whom I have grieved and made sad? + And I wrote the same to you so that when I came, I might not be myself pained by those who are the [very] ones who ought to make me glad, for I trusted in you all and felt confident that my joy would be shared by all of you. + For I wrote you out of great sorrow and deep distress [with mental torture and anxiety] of heart, [yes, and] with many tears, not to cause you pain but in order to make you realize the overflowing love that I continue increasingly to have for you. + But if someone [the one among you who committed incest] has caused [all this] grief and pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure, not to put it too severely, [he has distressed] all of you. + For such a one this censure by the majority [which he has received is] sufficient [punishment]. + So [instead of further rebuke, now] you should rather turn and [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage [him], to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and despair. + I therefore beg you to reinstate him in your affections and assure him of your love for him; + For this was my purpose in writing you, to test your attitude and see if you would stand the test, whether you are obedient and altogether agreeable [to following my orders] in everything. + If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive that one; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the presence [and with the approval] of Christ (the Messiah), + To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions. + Now when I arrived at Troas [to preach] the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, a door of opportunity was opened for me in the Lord, + Yet my spirit could not rest (relax, get relief) because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave from them and departed for Macedonia. + But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, + For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: + To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things? [Who is able for such a ministry? We?] + For we are not, like so many, [like hucksters making a trade of] peddling God's Word [shortchanging and adulterating the divine message]; but like [men] of sincerity and the purest motive, as [commissioned and sent] by God, we speak [His message] in Christ (the Messiah), in the [very] sight and presence of God. + + + ARE WE starting to commend ourselves again? Or we do not, like some [false teachers], need written credentials or letters of recommendation to you or from you, [do we]? + [No] you yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody. + You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. [Exod. 24:12; 31:18; 32:15, 16; Jer. 31:33.] + Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God. + Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God. + [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive. [Jer. 31:31.] + Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away, [Exod. 34:29-35.] + Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory? + For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]! + Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor [the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it [the glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ]. + For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor! + Since we have such [glorious] hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. + Nor [do we act] like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing [splendor which had been upon it]. + In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused [they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies [on their hearts], not being lifted [to reveal] that in Christ it is made void and done away. + Yes, down to this [very] day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. + But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. + Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). [Isa. 61:1, 2.] + And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. + + + THEREFORE, SINCE we do hold and engage in this ministry by the mercy of God [granting us favor, benefits, opportunities, and especially salvation], we do not get discouraged (spiritless and despondent with fear) or become faint with weariness and exhaustion. + We have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man's conscience. + But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing and obscured [only] to those who are spiritually dying and veiled [only] to those who are lost. + For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. + For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. + For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [Gen. 1:3.] + However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. + We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; + We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed; + Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies. + For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death. + Thus death is actively at work in us, but [it is in order that our] life [may be actively at work] in you. + Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak, [Ps. 116:10.] + Assured that He Who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence. + For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God. + Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day. + For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], + Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. + + + FOR WE know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. + Here indeed, in this [present abode, body], we sigh and groan inwardly, because we yearn to be clothed over [we yearn to put on our celestial body like a garment, to be fitted out] with our heavenly dwelling, + So that by putting it on we may not be found naked (without a body). + For while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden and sigh deeply (weighed down, depressed, oppressed)--not that we want to put off the body (the clothing of the spirit), but rather that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection]. + Now He Who has fashioned us [preparing and making us fit] for this very thing is God, Who also has given us the [Holy] Spirit as a guarantee [of the fulfillment of His promise]. + So then, we are always full of good and hopeful and confident courage; we know that while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord [that is promised us]. + For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. + [Yes] we have confident and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord. + Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth away from Him] or away from home [and with Him], we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him. + For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing]. + Therefore, being conscious of fearing the Lord with respect and reverence, we seek to win people over [to persuade them]. But what sort of persons we are is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood by God, and I hope that it is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood also by your consciences (your inborn discernment). + We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are providing you with an occasion and incentive to be [rightfully] proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who pride themselves on surface appearances [on the virtues they only appear to have], although their heart is devoid of them. + For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit, + For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died; + And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. + Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh]. + Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! + But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. + It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). + So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God. + For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. + + + LABORING TOGETHER [as God's fellow workers] with Him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain [that merciful kindness by which God exerts His holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping and strengthening them--do not receive it to no purpose]. + For He says, In the time of favor (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation). Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from God]; behold, now is the day of salvation! [Isa. 49:8.] + We put no obstruction in anybody's way [we give no offense in anything], so that no fault may be found and [our] ministry blamed and discredited. + But we commend ourselves in every way as [true] servants of God: through great endurance, in tribulation and suffering, in hardships and privations, in sore straits and calamities, + In beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless watching, hunger; + By innocence and purity, knowledge and spiritual insight, longsuffering and patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love; + By [speaking] the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand [to attack] and for the left hand [to defend]; + Amid honor and dishonor; in defaming and evil report and in praise and good report. [We are branded] as deceivers (impostors), and [yet vindicated as] truthful and honest. + [We are treated] as unknown and ignored [by the world], and [yet we are] well-known and recognized [by God and His people]; as dying, and yet here we are alive; as chastened by suffering and [yet] not killed; + As grieved and mourning, yet [we are] always rejoicing; as poor [ourselves, yet] bestowing riches on many; as having nothing, and [yet in reality] possessing all things. + Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians [we are hiding nothing, keeping nothing back], and our heart is expanded wide [for you]! [Isa. 60:5; Ezek. 33:22.] + There is no lack of room for you in [our hearts], but you lack room in your own affections [for us]. + By way of return then, do this for me--I speak as to children--open wide your hearts also [to us]. + Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? + What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? + What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [Exod. 25:8; 29:45; Lev. 26:12; Jer. 31:1; Ezek. 37:27.] + So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor, [Isa. 52:11.] + And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. [Isa. 43:6; Hos. 1:10.] + + + THEREFORE, SINCE these [great] promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring [our] consecration to completeness in the [reverential] fear of God. + Do open your hearts to us again [enlarge them to take us in]. We have wronged no one, we have betrayed or corrupted no one, we have cheated or taken advantage of no one. + I do not say this to reproach or condemn [you], for I have said before that you are [nested] in our hearts, [and you will remain there] together [with us], whether we die or live. + I have great boldness and free and fearless confidence and cheerful courage toward you; my pride in you is great. I am filled [brimful] with the comfort [of it]; with all our tribulation and in spite of it, [I am filled with comfort] I am overflowing with joy. + For even when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no ease or rest, but we were oppressed in every way and afflicted at every turn--fighting and contentions without, dread and fears within [us]. + But God, Who comforts and encourages and refreshes and cheers the depressed and the sinking, comforted and encouraged and refreshed and cheered us by the arrival of Titus. + [Yes] and not only by his coming but also by [his account of] the comfort with which he was encouraged and refreshed and cheered as to you, while he told us of your yearning affection, of how sorry you were [for me] and how eagerly you took my part, so that I rejoiced still more. + For even though I did grieve you with my letter, I do not regret [it now], though I did regret it; for I see that that letter did pain you, though only for a little while; + Yet I am glad now, not because you were pained, but because you were pained into repentance [and so turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that in nothing you might suffer loss through us or harm for what we did. + For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death]. + For [you can look back now and] observe what this same godly sorrow has done for you and has produced in you: what eagerness and earnest care to explain and clear yourselves [of all complicity in the condoning of incest], what indignation [at the sin], what alarm, what yearning, what zeal [to do justice to all concerned], what readiness to mete out punishment [to the offender]! At every point you have proved yourselves cleared and guiltless in the matter. [I Cor. 5.] + So although I did write to you [as I did], it was not for the sake and because of the one who did [the] wrong, nor on account of the one who suffered [the] wrong, but in order that you might realize before God [that your readiness to accept our authority revealed] how zealously you do care for us. + Therefore we are relieved and comforted and encouraged [at the result]. And in addition to our own [personal] consolation, we were especially delighted at the joy of Titus, because you have all set his mind at rest, soothing and refreshing his spirit. + For if I had boasted to him at all concerning you, I was not disappointed or put to shame, but just as everything we ever said to you was true, so our boasting [about you] to Titus has proved true also. + And his heart goes out to you more abundantly than ever as he recalls the submission [to his guidance] that all of you had, and the reverence and anxiety [to meet all requirements] with which you accepted and welcomed him. + I am very happy because I now am of good courage and have perfect confidence in you in all things. + + + WE WANT to tell you further, brethren, about the grace (the favor and spiritual blessing) of God which has been evident in the churches of Macedonia [arousing in them the desire to give alms]; + For in the midst of an ordeal of severe tribulation, their abundance of joy and their depth of poverty [together] have overflowed in wealth of lavish generosity on their part. + For, as I can bear witness, [they gave] according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability; and [they did it] voluntarily, + Begging us most insistently for the favor and the fellowship of contributing in this ministration for [the relief and support of] the saints [in Jerusalem]. + Nor [was this gift of theirs merely the contribution] that we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His agents] by the will of God [entirely disregarding their personal interests, they gave as much as they possibly could, having put themselves at our disposal to be directed by the will of God]-- + So much so that we have urged Titus that as he began it, he should also complete this beneficent and gracious contribution among you [the church at Corinth]. + Now as you abound and excel and are at the front in everything--in faith, in expressing yourselves, in knowledge, in all zeal, and in your love for us--[see to it that you come to the front now and] abound and excel in this gracious work [of almsgiving] also. + I give this not as an order [to dictate to you], but to prove, by [pointing out] the zeal of others, the sincerity of your [own] love also. + For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied). + [It is then] my counsel and my opinion in this matter that I give [you when I say]: It is profitable and fitting for you [now to complete the enterprise] which more than a year ago you not only began, but were the first to wish to do anything [about contributions for the relief of the saints at Jerusalem]. + So now finish doing it, that your [enthusiastic] readiness in desiring it may be equalled by your completion of it according to your ability and means. + For if the [eager] readiness to give is there, then it is acceptable and welcomed in proportion to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. + For it is not [intended] that other people be eased and relieved [of their responsibility] and you be burdened and suffer [unfairly], + But to have equality [share and share alike], your surplus over necessity at the present time going to meet their want and to equalize the difference created by it, so that [at some other time] their surplus in turn may be given to supply your want. Thus there may be equality, + As it is written, He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little did not lack. [Exod. 16:18.] + But thanks be to God Who planted the same earnest zeal and care for you in the heart of Titus. + For he not only welcomed and responded to our appeal, but was himself so keen in his enthusiasm and interest in you that he is going to you of his own accord. + But we are sending along with him that brother [Luke?] whose praise in the Gospel ministry [is spread] throughout all the churches; + And more than that, he has been appointed by the churches to travel as our companion in regard to this bountiful contribution which we are administering for the glory of the Lord Himself and [to show] our eager readiness [as Christians to help one another]. + [For] we are on our guard, intending that no one should find anything for which to blame us in regard to our administration of this large contribution. + For we take thought beforehand and aim to be honest and absolutely above suspicion, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men. + Moreover, along with them we are sending our brother, whom we have often put to the test and have found him zealous (devoted and earnest) in many matters, but who is now more [eagerly] earnest than ever because of [his] absolute confidence in you. + As for Titus, he is my colleague and shares my work in your service; and as for the [other two] brethren, they are the [special] messengers of the churches, a credit and glory to Christ (the Messiah). + Show to these men, therefore, in the sight of the churches, the reality and plain truth of your love (your affection, goodwill, and benevolence) and what [good reasons] I had for boasting about and being proud of you. + + + NOW ABOUT the offering that is [to be made] for the saints (God's people in Jerusalem), it is quite superfluous that I should write you; + For I am well acquainted with your willingness (your readiness and your eagerness to promote it) and I have proudly told about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia (most of Greece) has been prepared since last year for this contribution; and [consequently] your enthusiasm has stimulated the majority of them. + Still, I am sending the brethren [on to you], lest our pride in you should be made an empty boast in this particular case, and so that you may be all ready, as I told them you would be; + Lest, if [any] Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared [for this generosity], we, to say nothing of yourselves, be humiliated for our being so confident. + That is why I thought it necessary to urge these brethren to go to you before I do and make arrangements in advance for this bountiful, promised gift of yours, so that it may be ready, not as an extortion [wrung out of you] but as a generous and willing gift. + [Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. + Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous,``prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]. [Prov. 22:9.] + And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. + As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! [Ps. 112:9.] + And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. [Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12.] + Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. + For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God's people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God. + Because at [your] standing of the test of this ministry, they will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the Gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous-hearted liberality to them and to all [the other needy ones]. + And they yearn for you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God's grace (His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in you. + Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]! + + + NOW I myself, Paul, beseech you, by the gentleness and consideration of Christ [Himself; I] who [am] lowly enough [so they say] when among you face to face, but bold (fearless and outspoken) to you when [I am] absent from you! + I entreat you when I do come [to you] that I may not [be driven to such] boldness as I intend to show toward those few who suspect us of acting according to the flesh [on the low level of worldly motives and as if invested with only human powers]. + For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. + For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, + [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), + Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete. + Look at [this obvious fact] which is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him reflect and remind himself that even as he is Christ's, so too are we. + For even though I boast rather freely about our power and authority, which the Lord gave for your upbuilding and not for demolishing you, yet I shall not be put to shame [for exceeding the truth], + Neither would I seem to be overawing or frightening you with my letters; + For they say, His letters are weighty and impressive and forceful and telling, but his personality and bodily presence are weak, and his speech and delivery are utterly contemptible (of no account). + Let such people realize that what we say by letters when we are absent, [we put] also into deeds when we are present-- + Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely. + We, on the other hand, will not boast beyond our legitimate province and proper limit, but will keep within the limits [of our commission which] God has allotted us as our measuring line and which reaches and includes even you. + For we are not overstepping the limits of our province and stretching beyond our ability to reach, as though we reached not (had no legitimate mission) to you, for we were [the very first] to come even as far as to you with the good news (the Gospel) of Christ. + We do not boast therefore, beyond our proper limit, over other men's labors, but we have the hope and confident expectation that as your faith continues to grow, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, still within the limits of our commission, + So that [we may even] preach the Gospel in lands [lying] beyond you, without making a boast of work already done in another [man's] sphere of activity [before we came on the scene]. + However, let him who boasts and glories boast and glory in the Lord. [Jer. 9:24.] + For [it is] not [the man] who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but [it is the person] whom the Lord accredits and commends. + + + I WISH you would bear with me while I indulge in a little [so-called] foolishness. Do bear with me! + For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. [Hos. 2:19, 20.] + But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. [Gen. 3:4.] + For [you seem readily to endure it] if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the [Spirit] you [once] received or a different gospel from the one you [then] received and welcomed; you tolerate [all that] well enough! + Yet I consider myself as in no way inferior to these [precious] extra-super [false] apostles. + But even if [I am] unskilled in speaking, yet [I am] not [unskilled] in knowledge [I know what I am talking about]; we have made this evident to you in all things. + But did I perhaps make a mistake and do you a wrong in debasing and cheapening myself so that you might be exalted and enriched in dignity and honor and happiness by preaching God's Gospel without expense to you? + Other churches I have robbed by accepting [more than their share of] support for my ministry [from them in order] to serve you. + And when I was with you and ran short financially, I did not burden any [of you], for what I lacked was abundantly made up by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I kept myself from being burdensome to you in any way, and will continue to keep [myself from being so]. + As the truth of Christ is in me, this my boast [of independence] shall not be debarred (silenced or checked) in the regions of Achaia (most of Greece). + And why? Because I do not love you [do not have a preference for you, wish you well, and regard your welfare]? God perceives and knows that I do! + But what I do, I will continue to do, [for I am determined to maintain this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who would like [to find an occasion and incentive] to claim that in their boasted [mission] they work on the same terms that we do. + For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). + And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; + So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds. + I repeat then, let no one think I have lost my wits; but even if you do, then bear with a witless man, so that I too may boast a little. + What I say by way of this confident boasting, I say not with the Lord's authority [by inspiration] but, as it were, in pure witlessness. + [For] since many boast of worldly things and according to the flesh, I will glory (boast) also. + For you readily and gladly bear with the foolish, since you are so smart and wise yourselves! + For you endure it if a man assumes control of your souls and makes slaves of you, or devours [your substance, spends your money] and preys upon you, or deceives and takes advantage of you, or is arrogant and puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. + To my discredit, I must say, we have shown ourselves too weak [for you to show such tolerance of us and for us to do strong, courageous things like that to you]! But in whatever any person is bold and dares [to boast]--mind you, I am speaking in this foolish (witless) way--I also am bold and dare [to boast]. + They are Hebrews? So am I! They are Israelites? So am I! They are descendants of Abraham? So am I! + Are they [ministering] servants of Christ (the Messiah)? I am talking like one beside himself, [but] I am more, with far more extensive and abundant labors, with far more imprisonments, [beaten] with countless stripes, and frequently [at the point of] death. + Five times I received from [the hands of] the Jews forty [lashes all] but one; [Deut. 25:3.] + Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been aboard a ship wrecked at sea; a [whole] night and a day I have spent [adrift] on the deep; + Many times on journeys, [exposed to] perils from rivers, perils from bandits, perils from [my own] nation, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the desert places, perils in the sea, perils from those posing as believers [but destitute of Christian knowledge and piety]; + In toil and hardship, watching often [through sleepless nights], in hunger and thirst, frequently driven to fasting by want, in cold and exposure and lack of clothing. + And besides those things that are without, there is the daily [inescapable pressure] of my care and anxiety for all the churches! + Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to stumble and fall and have his faith hurt, and I am not on fire [with sorrow or indignation]? + If I must boast, I will boast of the things that [show] my infirmity [of the things by which I am made weak and contemptible in the eyes of my opponents]. + The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ knows, He Who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, that I do not lie. + In Damascus, the city governor acting under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus [on purpose] to arrest me, + And I was [actually] let down in a [rope] basket or hamper through a window (a small door) in the wall, and I escaped through his fingers. + + + TRUE, THERE is nothing to be gained by it, but [as I am obliged] to boast, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. + I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--was caught up to the third heaven. + And I know that this man--whether in the body or away from the body I do not know, God knows-- + Was caught up into paradise, and he heard utterances beyond the power of man to put into words, which man is not permitted to utter. + Of this same [man's experiences] I will boast, but of myself (personally) I will not boast, except as regards my infirmities (my weaknesses). + Should I desire to boast, I shall not be a witless braggart, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I abstain [from it] so that no one may form a higher estimate of me than [is justified by] what he sees in me or hears from me. + And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. [Job. 2:6.] + Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me; + But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! + So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength). + Now I have been [speaking like] a fool! But you forced me to it, for I ought to have been [saved the necessity and] commended by you. For I have not fallen short one bit or proved myself at all inferior to those superlative [false] apostles [of yours], even if I am nothing (a nobody). + Indeed, the signs that indicate a [genuine] apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently in miracles and wonders and mighty works. + For in what respect were you put to a disadvantage in comparison with the rest of the churches, unless [it was for the fact] that I myself did not burden you [with my financial support]? Pardon me [for doing you] this injustice! + Now for the third time I am ready to come to [visit] you. And I will not burden you [financially], for it is not your [money] that I want but you; for children are not duty bound to lay up store for their parents, but parents for their children. + But I will most gladly spend [myself] and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you exceedingly, am I to be loved [by you] the less? + But though granting that I did not burden you [with my support, some say that] I was crafty [and that] I cheated and got the better of you with my trickery. + Did I [then] take advantage of you or make any money out of you through any of those [messengers] whom I sent to you? + [Actually] I urged Titus [to go], and I sent the brother with [him]. Did Titus overreach or take advantage of you [in anything]? Did he and I not act in the same spirit? Did we not [take the] same steps? + Have you been supposing [all this time] that we have been defending ourselves and apologizing to you? [It is] in the sight and the [very] presence of God [and as one] in Christ (the Messiah) that we have been speaking, dearly beloved, and all in order to build you up [spiritually]. + For I am fearful that somehow or other I may come and find you not as I desire to find you, and that you may find me too not as you want to find me--that perhaps there may be factions (quarreling), jealousy, temper (wrath, intrigues, rivalry, divided loyalties), selfishness, whispering, gossip, arrogance (self-assertion), and disorder among you. + [I am fearful] that when I come again, my God may humiliate and humble me in your regard, and that I may have to sorrow over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, sexual vice, and sensuality which they formerly practiced. + + + THIS IS the third time that I am coming to you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses must any charge and every accusing statement be sustained and confirmed. [Deut. 19:15.] + I have already warned those who sinned formerly and all the rest also, and I warn them now again while I am absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come back, I will not spare [them], + Since you desire and seek [perceptible] proof of the Christ Who speaks in and through me. [For He] is not weak and feeble in dealing with you, but is a mighty power within you; + For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He goes on living by the power of God. And though we too are weak in Him [as He was humanly weak], yet in dealing with you [we shall show ourselves] alive and strong in [fellowship with] Him by the power of God. + Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? + But I hope you will recognize and know that we are not disapproved on trial and rejected. + But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong, not in order that we [our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing right, [though] we may seem to have failed and be unapproved. + For we can do nothing against the Truth [not serve any party or personal interest], but only for the Truth [which is the Gospel]. + For we are glad when we are weak (unapproved) and you are really strong. And this we also pray for: your all-round strengthening and perfecting of soul. + So I write these things while I am absent from you, that when I come to you, I may not have to deal sharply in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me [to be employed, however] for building [you] up and not for tearing [you] down. + Finally, brethren, farewell (rejoice)! Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace, and [then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you. + Greet one another with a consecrated kiss. + All the saints (the people of God here) salute you. + The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, AN apostle--[special messenger appointed and commissioned and sent out] not from [any body of] men nor by or through any man, but by and through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead-- + And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: + Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and [soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), + Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father-- + To Him [be ascribed all] the glory through all the ages of the ages and the eternities of the eternities! Amen (so be it). + I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel. + Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not]. + But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! + As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! + Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). + For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man's gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]. + For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + You have heard of my earlier career and former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted and abused the church of God furiously and extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it and destroy it. + And [you have heard how] I outstripped many of the men of my own generation among the people of my race in [my advancement in study and observance of the laws of] Judaism, so extremely enthusiastic and zealous I was for the traditions of my ancestors. + But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased [Isa. 49:1; Jer. 1:5.] + To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone]. + Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away and retired into Arabia, and afterward I came back again to Damascus. + Then three years later, I did go up to Jerusalem to become [personally] acquainted with Cephas (Peter), and remained with him for fifteen days. + But I did not see any of the other apostles (the special messengers of Christ) except James the brother of our Lord. + Now [note carefully what I am telling you, for it is the truth], I write this as if I were standing before the bar of God; I do not lie. + Then I went into the districts (countries, regions) of Syria and Cilicia. + And so far I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea (the country surrounding Jerusalem). + They were only hearing it said, He who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the very faith he once reviled and which he set out to ruin and tried with all his might to destroy. + And they glorified God [as the Author and Source of what had taken place] in me. + + + THEN AFTER [an interval] of fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem. [This time I went] with Barnabas, taking Titus along with [me] also. + I went because it was specially and divinely revealed to me that I should go, and I put before them the Gospel [declaring to them that] which I preach among the Gentiles. However, [I presented the matter] privately before those of repute, [for I wanted to make certain, by thus at first confining my communication to this private conference] that I was not running or had not run in vain [guarding against being discredited either in what I was planning to do or had already done]. + But [all went well!] even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled [as some had anticipated] to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. + [My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses]. + To them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the Gospel might continue to be [preserved] for you [in its purity]. + Moreover, [no new requirements were made] by those who were reputed to be something--though what was their individual position and whether they really were of importance or not makes no difference to me; God is not impressed with the positions that men hold and He is not partial and recognizes no external distinctions--those [I say] who were of repute imposed no new requirements upon me [had nothing to add to my Gospel, and from them I received no new suggestions]. [Deut. 10:17.] + But on the contrary, when they [really] saw that I had been entrusted [to carry] the Gospel to the uncircumcised [Gentiles, just as definitely] as Peter had been entrusted [to proclaim] the Gospel to the circumcised [Jews, they were agreeable]; + For He Who motivated and fitted Peter and worked effectively through him for the mission to the circumcised, motivated and fitted me and worked through me also for [the mission to] the Gentiles. + And when they knew (perceived, recognized, understood, and acknowledged) the grace (God's unmerited favor and spiritual blessing) that had been bestowed upon me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars of the Jerusalem church, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, with the understanding that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Jews). + They only [made one stipulation], that we were to remember the poor, which very thing I was also eager to do. + But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I protested and opposed him to his face [concerning his conduct there], for he was blameable and stood condemned. + For up to the time that certain persons came from James, he ate his meals with the Gentile [converts]; but when the men [from Jerusalem] arrived, he withdrew and held himself aloof from the Gentiles and [ate] separately for fear of those of the circumcision [party]. + And the rest of the Jews along with him also concealed their true convictions and acted insincerely, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy (their example of insincerity and pretense). + But as soon as I saw that they were not straightforward and were not living up to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas (Peter) before everybody present, If you, though born a Jew, can live [as you have been living] like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how do you dare now to urge and practically force the Gentiles to [comply with the ritual of Judaism and] live like Jews? + [I went on to say] Although we ourselves (you and I) are Jews by birth and not Gentile (heathen) sinners, + Yet we know that a man is justified or reckoned righteous and in right standing with God not by works of the Law, but [only] through faith and [absolute] reliance on and adherence to and trust in Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). [Therefore] even we [ourselves] have believed on Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law [for we cannot be justified by any observance of the ritual of the Law given by Moses], because by keeping legal rituals and by works no human being can ever be justified (declared righteous and put in right standing with God). [Ps. 143:2.] + But if, in our desire and endeavor to be justified in Christ [to be declared righteous and put in right standing with God wholly and solely through Christ], we have shown ourselves sinners also and convicted of sin, does that make Christ a minister (a party and contributor) to our sin? Banish the thought! [Of course not!] + For if I [or any others who have taught that the observance of the Law of Moses is not essential to being justified by God should now by word or practice teach or intimate that it is essential to] build up again what I tore down, I prove myself a transgressor. + For I through the Law [under the operation of the curse of the Law] have [in Christ's death for me] myself died to the Law and all the Law's demands upon me, so that I may [henceforth] live to and for God. + I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. + [Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through [observing the ritual of] the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain. [His death was then wholly superfluous.] + + + O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom--right before your very eyes--Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified? + Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?] + Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh? + Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)--if it really is to no purpose and in vain? + Then does He Who supplies you with His marvelous [Holy] Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you do so on [the grounds of your doing] what the Law demands, or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard? + Thus Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God, and it was reckoned and placed to his account and credited as righteousness (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action). [Gen. 15:6.] + Know and understand that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham. + And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the Gospel [foretelling the glad tidings of a Savior long beforehand] to Abraham in the promise, saying, In you shall all the nations [of the earth] be blessed. [Gen. 12:3.] + So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham. + And all who depend on the Law [who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law of rituals] are under a curse and doomed to disappointment and destruction, for it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed (accursed, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) be everyone who does not continue to abide (live and remain) by all the precepts and commands written in the Book of the Law and to practice them. [Deut. 27:26.] + Now it is evident that no person is justified (declared righteous and brought into right standing with God) through the Law, for the Scripture says, The man in right standing with God [the just, the righteous] shall live by and out of faith and he who through and by faith is declared righteous and in right standing with God shall live. [Hab. 2:4.] + But the Law does not rest on faith [does not require faith, has nothing to do with faith], for it itself says, He who does them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [not by faith]. [Lev. 18:5.] + Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified); [Deut. 21:23.] + To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit. + To speak in terms of human relations, brethren, [if] even a man makes a last will and testament (a merely human covenant), no one sets it aside or makes it void or adds to it when once it has been drawn up and signed (ratified, confirmed). + Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He [God] does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is [none other than] Christ (the Messiah). [Gen. 13:15; 17:8.] + This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void. [Exod. 12:40.] + For if the inheritance [of the promise depends on observing] the Law [as these false teachers would like you to believe], it no longer [depends] on the promise; however, God gave it to Abraham [as a free gift solely] by virtue of His promise. + What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added [later on, after the promise, to disclose and expose to men their guilt] because of transgressions and [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it [the Law] was arranged and ordained and appointed through the instrumentality of angels [and was given] by the hand (in the person) of a go-between [Moses, an intermediary person between God and man]. + Now a go-between (intermediary) has to do with and implies more than one party [there can be no mediator with just one person]. Yet God is [only] one Person [and He was the sole party in giving that promise to Abraham. But the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity was dependent on both]. + Is the Law then contrary and opposed to the promises of God? Of course not! For if a Law had been given which could confer [spiritual] life, then righteousness and right standing with God would certainly have come by Law. + But the Scriptures [picture all mankind as sinners] shut up and imprisoned by sin, so that [the inheritance, blessing] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ (the Messiah) might be given (released, delivered, and committed) to [all] those who believe [who adhere to and trust in and rely on Him]. + Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed), + So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith. + But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood). + For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. + For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ. + There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. + And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. + + + NOW WHAT I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate; + But he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father. + So we [Jewish Christians] also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under [the rules of the Hebrew ritual and subject to] the elementary teachings of a system of external observations and regulations. + But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, + To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God's sons]. + And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father! + Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, through Christ. + But at that previous time, when you had not come to be acquainted with and understand and know the true God, you [Gentiles] were in bondage to gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all [gods that really did not exist]. + Now, however, that you have come to be acquainted with and understand and know [the true] God, or rather to be understood and known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly and worthless elementary things [of all religions before Christ came], whose slaves you once more want to become? + You observe [particular] days and months and seasons and years! + I am alarmed [about you], lest I have labored among and over you to no purpose and in vain. + Brethren, I beg of you, become as I am [free from the bondage of Jewish ritualism and ordinances], for I also have become as you are [a Gentile]. You did me no wrong [in the days when I first came to you; do not do it now]. + On the contrary, you know that it was on account of a bodily ailment that [I remained and] preached the Gospel to you the first time. + And [yet] although my physical condition was [such] a trial to you, you did not regard it with contempt, or scorn and loathe and reject me; but you received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus [Himself]! + What has become of that blessed enjoyment and satisfaction and self-congratulation that once was yours [in what I taught you and in your regard for me]? For I bear you witness that you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me [to replace mine], if that were possible. + Have I then become your enemy by telling the truth to you and dealing sincerely with you? + These men [the Judaizing teachers] are zealously trying to dazzle you [paying court to you, making much of you], but their purpose is not honorable or worthy or for any good. What they want to do is to isolate you [from us who oppose them], so that they may win you over to their side and get you to court their favor. + It is always a fine thing [of course] to be zealously sought after [as you are, provided that it is] for a good purpose and done by reason of purity of heart and life, and not just when I am present with you! + My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you, + Would that I were with you now and could coax you vocally, for I am fearful and perplexed about you! + Tell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, will you listen to what the Law [really] says? + For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondmaid and one by the free woman. [Gen. 16:15; 21:2, 9.] + But whereas the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise. + Now all this is an allegory; these [two women] represent two covenants. One covenant originated from Mount Sinai [where the Law was given] and bears [children destined] for slavery; this is Hagar. + Now Hagar is (stands for) Mount Sinai in Arabia and she corresponds to and belongs in the same category with the present Jerusalem, for she is in bondage together with her children. + But the Jerusalem above (the Messianic kingdom of Christ) is free, and she is our mother. + For it is written in the Scriptures, Rejoice, O barren woman, who has not given birth to children; break forth into a joyful shout, you who are not feeling birth pangs, for the desolate woman has many more children than she who has a husband. [Isa. 54:1.] + But we, brethren, are children [not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise. + Yet [just] as at that time the child [of ordinary birth] born according to the flesh despised and persecuted him [who was born remarkably] according to [the promise and the working of] the [Holy] Spirit, so it is now also. [Gen. 21:9.] + But what does the Scripture say? Cast out and send away the slave woman and her son, for never shall the son of the slave woman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. [Gen. 21:10.] + So, brethren, we [who are born again] are not children of a slave woman [the natural], but of the free [the supernatural]. + + + IN [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]. + Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no profit (advantage, avail) to you [for if you distrust Him, you can gain nothing from Him]. + I once more protest and testify to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation and bound to practice the whole of the Law and its ordinances. + If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God's gracious favor and unmerited blessing). + For we, [not relying on the Law but] through the [Holy] Spirit's [help], by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God [our conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us] to hope. + For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. + You were running the race nobly. Who has interfered in (hindered and stopped you from) your heeding and following the Truth? + This [evil] persuasion is not from Him Who called you [Who invited you to freedom in Christ]. + A little leaven (a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers) leavens the whole lump [it perverts the whole conception of faith or misleads the whole church]. + [For my part] I have confidence [toward you] in the Lord that you will take no contrary view of the matter but will come to think with me. But he who is unsettling you, whoever he is, will have to bear the penalty. + But, brethren, if I still preach circumcision [as some accuse me of doing, as necessary to salvation], why am I still suffering persecution? In that case the cross has ceased to be a stumbling block and is made meaningless (done away). + I wish those who unsettle and confuse you would [go all the way and] cut themselves off! + For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. + For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev. 19:18.] + But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another. + But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). + For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. + But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. + Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, + Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), + Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. + But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, + Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. + And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. + If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.] + Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another. + + + BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. + Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. + For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself. + But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor. + For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults]. + Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support]. + Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. + For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. + And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. + So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God's family with you, the believers]. + See with what large letters I am writing with my own hand. [Mark carefully these closing words of mine.] + Those who want to make a good impression and a fine show in the flesh would try to compel you to receive circumcision, simply so that they may escape being persecuted for allegiance to the cross of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + For even the circumcised [Jews] themselves do not [really] keep the Law, but they want to have you circumcised in order that they may glory in your flesh (your subjection to external rites). + But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! + For neither is circumcision [now] of any importance, nor uncircumcision, but [only] a new creation [the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus, the Messiah]. + Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and regulate their lives by this principle], even upon the [true] Israel of God! [Ps. 125:5.] + From now on let no person trouble me [by making it necessary for me to vindicate my apostolic authority and the divine truth of my Gospel], for I bear on my body the [brand] marks of the Lord Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions--these testify to His ownership of me]! + The grace (spiritual favor, blessing) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah) be with your spirit, brethren. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the divine will (the purpose and the choice of God) to the saints (the consecrated, set-apart ones) at Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus: + May grace (God's unmerited favor) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony, unity, and undisturbedness] be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. + May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! + Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. + For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]-- + [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. + In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, + Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), + Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, + [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. + In Him we also were made [God's] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will, + So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory! + In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. + That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the firstfruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it--to the praise of His glory. + For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God), + I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. + [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, + By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), + And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, + Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], + Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. + And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], [Ps. 8:6.] + Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]. + + + AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins + In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. + Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. + But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, + Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). + And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. + For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; + Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] + For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. + Therefore, remember that at one time you were Gentiles (heathens) in the flesh, called Uncircumcision by those who called themselves Circumcision, [itself a mere mark] in the flesh made by human hands. + [Remember] that you were at that time separated (living apart) from Christ [excluded from all part in Him], utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the [Messianic] promise [with no knowledge of or right in God's agreements, His covenants]. And you had no hope (no promise); you were in the world without God. + But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near. + For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us, + By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace. + And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end. + And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and [peace] to those who were near. [Isa. 57:19.] + For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him]. + Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God's own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God's [own] household. + You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone. + In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. + In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit. + + + FOR THIS reason [because I preached that you are thus built up together], I, Paul, [am] the prisoner of Jesus the Christ for the sake and on behalf of you Gentiles-- + Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace (His unmerited favor) that was entrusted to me [to dispense to you] for your benefit, + [And] that the mystery (secret) was made known to me and I was allowed to comprehend it by direct revelation, as I already briefly wrote you. + When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. + [This mystery] was never disclosed to human beings in past generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles (consecrated messengers) and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit. + [It is this:] that the Gentiles are now to be fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body and joint partakers [sharing] in the same divine promise in Christ through [their acceptance of] the glad tidings (the Gospel). + Of this [Gospel] I was made a minister according to the gift of God's free grace (undeserved favor) which was bestowed on me by the exercise (the working in all its effectiveness) of His power. + To me, though I am the very least of all the saints (God's consecrated people), this grace (favor, privilege) was granted and graciously entrusted: to proclaim to the Gentiles the unending (boundless, fathomless, incalculable, and exhaustless) riches of Christ [wealth which no human being could have searched out], + Also to enlighten all men and make plain to them what is the plan [regarding the Gentiles and providing for the salvation of all men] of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until now in [the mind of] God Who created all things by Christ Jesus. + [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere. + This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord, + In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear). + So I ask you not to lose heart [not to faint or become despondent through fear] at what I am suffering in your behalf. [Rather glory in it] for it is an honor to you. + For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, + For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. + May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. + May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, + That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; + [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! + Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]-- + To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). + + + I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service, + Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. + Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. + [There is] one body and one Spirit--just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received-- + [There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, + One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all. + Yet grace (God's unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ's [rich and bounteous] gift. + Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [Ps. 68:18.] + [But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth? + He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest). + And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers. + His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church), + [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. + So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. + Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love. + So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds. + Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature]. + In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand]. + But you did not so learn Christ! + Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him], + Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; + And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], + And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. + Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another. [Zech. 8:16.] + When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. + Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. + Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. + Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it. + And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). + Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). + And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. + + + THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. + And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. [Ezek. 20:41.] + But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God's consecrated people). + Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God]. + For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]--for he [in effect] is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. + Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience. + So do not associate or be sharers with them. + For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light]. + For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. + And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]. + Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them. + For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that [such people] practice in secret. + But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. + Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. [Isa. 26:19; 60:1, 2.] + Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), + Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. + Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. + And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. [Prov. 23:20.] + Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, + At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. + Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord. + For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body. + As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. + Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, + So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, + That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless]. + Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. + For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, + Because we are members (parts) of His body. + For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. [Gen. 2:24.] + This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church. + However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. [I Pet. 3:2.] + + + CHILDREN, OBEY your parents in the Lord [as His representatives], for this is just and right. + Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and your mother--this is the first commandment with a promise--[Exod. 20:12.] + That all may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. + Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord. + Servants (slaves), be obedient to those who are your physical masters, having respect for them and eager concern to please them, in singleness of motive and with all your heart, as [service] to Christ [Himself]-- + Not in the way of eye-service [as if they were watching you] and only to please men, but as servants (slaves) of Christ, doing the will of God heartily and with your whole soul; + Rendering service readily with goodwill, as to the Lord and not to men, + Knowing that for whatever good anyone does, he will receive his reward from the Lord, whether he is slave or free. + You masters, act on the same [principle] toward them and give up threatening and using violent and abusive words, knowing that He Who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no respect of persons (no partiality) with Him. + In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. + Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. + For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. + Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. + Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, + And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. [Isa. 52:7.] + Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. + And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. + Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people). + And [pray] also for me, that [freedom of] utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news (the Gospel), + For which I am an ambassador in a coupling chain [in prison. Pray] that I may declare it boldly and courageously, as I ought to do. + Now that you may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord [and His service], will tell you everything. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may console and cheer and encourage and strengthen your hearts. + Peace be to the brethren, and love joined with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + Grace (God's undeserved favor) be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible [love]. Amen (so let it be). + + + + + PAUL AND Timothy, bond servants of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), to all the saints (God's consecrated people) in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops (overseers) and deacons (assistants): + Grace (favor and blessing) to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. + In every prayer of mine I always make my entreaty and petition for you all with joy (delight). + [I thank my God] for your fellowship (your sympathetic cooperation and contributions and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day [you heard it] until now. + And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. + It is right and appropriate for me to have this confidence and feel this way about you all, because you have me in your heart and I hold you in my heart as partakers and sharers, one and all with me, of grace (God's unmerited favor and spiritual blessing). [This is true] both when I am shut up in prison and when I am out in the defense and confirmation of the good news (the Gospel). + For God is my witness how I long for and pursue you all with love, in the tender mercy of Christ Jesus [Himself]! + And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment], + So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]. + May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]. + Now I want you to know and continue to rest assured, brethren, that what [has happened] to me [this imprisonment] has actually only served to advance and give a renewed impetus to the [spreading of the] good news (the Gospel). + So much is this a fact that throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest [here] my imprisonment has become generally known to be in Christ [that I am a prisoner in His service and for Him]. + And [also] most of the brethren have derived fresh confidence in the Lord because of my chains and are much more bold to speak and publish fearlessly the Word of God [acting with more freedom and indifference to the consequences]. + Some, it is true, [actually] preach Christ (the Messiah) [for no better reason than] out of envy and rivalry (party spirit), but others are doing so out of a loyal spirit and goodwill. + The latter [proclaim Christ] out of love, because they recognize and know that I am [providentially] put here for the defense of the good news (the Gospel). + But the former preach Christ out of a party spirit, insincerely [out of no pure motive, but thinking to annoy me], supposing they are making my bondage more bitter and my chains more galling. + But what does it matter, so long as either way, whether in pretense [for personal ends] or in all honesty [for the furtherance of the Truth], Christ is being proclaimed? And in that I [now] rejoice, yes, and I shall rejoice [hereafter] also. + For I am well assured and indeed know that through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) this will turn out for my preservation (for the spiritual health and welfare of my own soul) and avail toward the saving work of the Gospel. + This is in keeping with my own eager desire and persistent expectation and hope, that I shall not disgrace myself nor be put to shame in anything; but that with the utmost freedom of speech and unfailing courage, now as always heretofore, Christ (the Messiah) will be magnified and get glory and praise in this body of mine and be boldly exalted in my person, whether through (by) life or through (by) death. + For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]. + If, however, it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here, that means fruitful service for me; so I can say nothing as to my personal preference [I cannot choose], + But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart (to be free of this world, to set forth) and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; + But to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake. + Since I am convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and stay by you all, to promote your progress and joy in believing, + So that in me you may have abundant cause for exultation and glorying in Christ Jesus, through my coming to you again. + Only be sure as citizens so to conduct yourselves [that] your manner of life [will be] worthy of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, so that whether I [do] come and see you or am absent, I may hear this of you: that you are standing firm in united spirit and purpose, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the glad tidings (the Gospel). + And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God. + For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ's sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf. + So you are engaged in the same conflict which you saw me [wage] and which you now hear to be mine [still]. + + + SO BY whatever [appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever] strengthening and consoling and encouraging [our relationship] in Him [affords], by whatever persuasive incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the [Holy] Spirit [we share], and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy, + Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. + Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. + Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. + Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] + Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, + But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. + And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! + Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, + That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, + And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. + Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). + [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. + Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves], + That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world, + Holding out [to it] and offering [to all men] the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have something of which exultantly to rejoice and glory in that I did not run my race in vain or spend my labor to no purpose. + Even if [my lifeblood] must be poured out as a libation on the sacrificial offering of your faith [to God], still I am glad [to do it] and congratulate you all on [your share in] it. + And you also in like manner be glad and congratulate me on [my share in] it. + But I hope and trust in the Lord Jesus soon to send Timothy to you, so that I may also be encouraged and cheered by learning news of you. + For I have no one like him [no one of so kindred a spirit] who will be so genuinely interested in your welfare and devoted to your interests. + For the others all seek [to advance] their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + But Timothy's tested worth you know, how as a son with his father he has toiled with me zealously in [serving and helping to advance] the good news (the Gospel). + I hope therefore to send him promptly, just as soon as I know how my case is going to turn out. + But [really] I am confident and fully trusting in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come to you also. + However, I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus [back] to you. [He has been] my brother and companion in labor and my fellow soldier, as well as [having come as] your special messenger (apostle) and minister to my need. + For he has been [homesick] longing for you all and has been distressed because you had heard that he was ill. + He certainly was ill [too], near to death. But God had compassion on him, and not only on him but also on me, lest I should have sorrow [over him] coming upon sorrow. + So I have sent him the more willingly and eagerly, that you may be gladdened at seeing him again, and that I may be the less disquieted. + Welcome him [home] then in the Lord with all joy, and honor and highly appreciate men like him, + For it was through working for Christ that he came so near death, risking his [very] life to complete the deficiencies in your service to me [which distance prevented you yourselves from rendering]. + + + FOR THE rest, my brethren, delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him. To keep writing to you [over and over] of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is [a precaution] for your safety. + Look out for those dogs [Judaizers, legalists], look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. + For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances-- + Though for myself I have [at least grounds] to rely on the flesh. If any other man considers that he has or seems to have reason to rely on the flesh and his physical and outward advantages, I have still more! + Circumcised when I was eight days old, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew [and the son] of Hebrews; as to the observance of the Law I was of [the party of] the Pharisees, + As to my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and by the Law's standard of righteousness (supposed justice, uprightness, and right standing with God) I was proven to be blameless and no fault was found with me. + But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ's sake. + Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One), + And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith. + [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] + That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. + Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. + I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, + I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. + So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also. + Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that. + Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you. + For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One). + They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party. + But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior, + Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself. + + + THEREFORE, MY brethren, whom I love and yearn to see, my delight and crown (wreath of victory), thus stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. + I entreat and advise Euodia and I entreat and advise Syntyche to agree and to work in harmony in the Lord. + And I exhort you too, [my] genuine yokefellow, help these [two women to keep on cooperating], for they have toiled along with me in [the spreading of] the good news (the Gospel), as have Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life. + Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! [Ps. 37:4.] + Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]. + Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. + And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. + For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. + Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you. + I was made very happy in the Lord that now you have revived your interest in my welfare after so long a time; you were indeed thinking of me, but you had no opportunity to show it. + Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. + I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. + I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. + But it was right and commendable and noble of you to contribute for my needs and to share my difficulties with me. + And you Philippians yourselves well know that in the early days of the Gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no church (assembly) entered into partnership with me and opened up [a debit and credit] account in giving and receiving except you only. + For even in Thessalonica you sent [me contributions] for my needs, not only once but a second time. + Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account]. + But I have [your full payment] and more; I have everything I need and am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. [They are the] fragrant odor of an offering and sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights. + And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. + To our God and Father be glory forever and ever (through the endless eternities of the eternities). Amen (so be it). + Remember me to every saint (every born-again believer) in Christ Jesus. The brethren (my associates) who are with me greet you. + All the saints (God's consecrated ones here) wish to be remembered to you, especially those of Caesar's household. + The grace (spiritual favor and blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) be with your spirit. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, + To the saints (the consecrated people of God) and believing and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace (spiritual favor and blessing) to you and [heart] peace from God our Father. + We continually give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), as we are praying for you, + For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] and of the love which you [have and show] for all the saints (God's consecrated ones), + Because of the hope [of experiencing what is] laid up (reserved and waiting) for you in heaven. Of this [hope] you heard in the past in the message of the truth of the Gospel, + Which has come to you. Indeed, in the whole world [that Gospel] is bearing fruit and still is growing [by its own inherent power], even as it has done among yourselves ever since the day you first heard and came to know and understand the grace of God in truth. [You came to know the grace or undeserved favor of God in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it.] + You so learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ in our stead and as our representative and yours. + Also he has informed us of your love in the [Holy] Spirit. + For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things-- + That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. + [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, + Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light. + [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, + In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins. + [Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation. + For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him. + And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). [Prov. 8:22-31.] + He also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent]. + For it has pleased [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently. + And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross. + And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities, + Yet now has [Christ, the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the Father's] presence. + [And this He will do] provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith [in Christ], well-grounded and settled and steadfast, not shifting or moving away from the hope [which rests on and is inspired by] the glad tidings (the Gospel), which you heard and which has been preached [as being designed for and offered without restrictions] to every person under heaven, and of which [Gospel] I, Paul, became a minister. + [Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. + In it I became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]-- + The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints), + To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory. + Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One). + For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me. + + + FOR I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you [how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you] and for those [believers] at Laodicea, and for all who [like yourselves] have never seen my face and known me personally. + [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One). + In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden. + I say this in order that no one may mislead and delude you by plausible and persuasive and attractive arguments and beguiling speech. + For though I am away from you in body, yet I am with you in spirit, delighted at the sight of your [standing shoulder to shoulder in such] orderly array and the firmness and the solid front and steadfastness of your faith in Christ [that leaning of the entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. + As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. + Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. + See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men's ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah). + For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. + And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power]. + In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts). + [Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead. + And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions, + Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross. + [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]. + Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath. + Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ. + Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions [he claims] he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit, + And not holding fast to the Head, from Whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. + If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?--such as] + Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them], + Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines. [Isa. 29:13.] + Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh.] + + + IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.] + And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. + For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. + When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. + So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). + It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will), + Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices]. + But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! + Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices, + And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. [Gen. 1:26.] + [In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person]. + Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. + Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. + And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony]. + And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. + Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. + And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him. + Wives, be subject to your husbands [subordinate and adapt yourselves to them], as is right and fitting and your proper duty in the Lord. + Husbands, love your wives [be affectionate and sympathetic with them] and do not be harsh or bitter or resentful toward them. + Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. + Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.] + Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him. + Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, + Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah). + For he who deals wrongfully will [reap the fruit of his folly and] be punished for his wrongdoing. And [with God] there is no partiality [no matter what a person's position may be, whether he is the slave or the master]. + + + MASTERS, [on your part] deal with your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that also you have a Master in heaven. [Lev. 25:43, 53.] + Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving. + And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ (the Messiah) on account of which I am in prison; + That I may proclaim it fully and make it clear [speak boldly and unfold that mystery], as is my duty. + Behave yourselves wisely [living prudently and with discretion] in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity. + Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you]. + Tychicus will give you full information about my affairs; [he is] a much-loved brother and faithful ministering assistant and fellow servant [with us] in the Lord. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are faring and that he may comfort and cheer and encourage your hearts. + And with [him is] Onesimus, [our] faithful and beloved brother, who is [one] of yourselves. They will let you know everything that has taken place here [in Rome]. + Aristarchus my fellow prisoner wishes to be remembered to you, as does Mark the relative of Barnabas. You received instructions concerning him; if he comes to you give him a [hearty] welcome. + And [greetings also from] Jesus, who is called Justus. These [Hebrew Christians] alone of the circumcision are among my fellow workers for [the extension of] God's kingdom, and they have proved a relief and a comfort to me. + Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you earnestly in his prayers, [pleading] that you may [as persons of ripe character and clear conviction] stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God. + For I bear him testimony that he has labored hard in your behalf and for [the believers] in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. + Luke the beloved physician and Demas salute you. + Give my greetings to the brethren at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the assembly (the church) which meets in her house. + And when this epistle has been read before you, [see] that it is read also in the assembly (the church) of the Laodiceans, and also [see] that you yourselves in turn read the [letter that comes to you] from Laodicea. + And say to Archippus, See that you discharge carefully [the duties of] the ministry and fulfill the stewardship which you have received in the Lord. + I, Paul, [add this final] greeting, writing with my own hand. Remember I am still in prison and in chains. May grace (God's unmerited favor and blessing) be with you! Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, SILVANUS (Silas), and Timothy, to the assembly (church) of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah): Grace (spiritual blessing and divine favor) to you and [heart] peace. + We are ever giving thanks to God for all of you, continually mentioning [you when engaged] in our prayers, + Recalling unceasingly before our God and Father your work energized by faith and service motivated by love and unwavering hope in [the return of] our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [I Thess. 1:10.] + [O] brethren beloved by God, we recognize and know that He has selected (chosen) you; + For our [preaching of the] glad tidings (the Gospel) came to you not only in word, but also in [its own inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction and absolute certainty [on our part]. You know what kind of men we proved [ourselves] to be among you for your good. + And you [set yourselves to] become imitators of us and [through us] of the Lord Himself, for you welcomed our message in [spite of] much persecution, with joy [inspired] by the Holy Spirit; + So that you [thus] became a pattern to all the believers (those who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Christ Jesus) in Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece). + For not only has the Word concerning and from the Lord resounded forth from you unmistakably in Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere the report has gone forth of your faith in God [of your leaning of your whole personality on Him in complete trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. So we [find that we] never need to tell people anything [further about it]. + For they themselves volunteer testimony concerning us, telling what an entrance we had among you, and how you turned to God from [your] idols to serve a God Who is alive and true and genuine, + And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead--Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and draws us to Himself [investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah]. + + + FOR YOU yourselves know, brethren, that our coming among you was not useless and fruitless. + But though we had already suffered and been outrageously treated at Philippi, as you know, yet in [the strength of] our God we summoned courage to proclaim to you unfalteringly the good news (the Gospel) with earnest contention and much conflict and great opposition. + For our appeal [in preaching] does not [originate] from delusion or error or impure purpose or motive, nor in fraud or deceit. + But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings (the Gospel), so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who tests our hearts [expecting them to be approved]. + For as you well know, we never resorted either to words of flattery or to any cloak to conceal greedy motives or pretexts for gain, [as] God is our witness. + Nor did we seek to extract praise and honor and glory from men, either from you or from anyone else, though we might have asserted our authority [stood on our dignity and claimed honor] as apostles (special missionaries) of Christ (the Messiah). + But we behaved gently when we were among you, like a devoted mother nursing and cherishing her own children. + So, being thus tenderly and affectionately desirous of you, we continued to share with you not only God's good news (the Gospel) but also our own lives as well, for you had become so very dear to us. + For you recall our hard toil and struggles, brethren. We worked night and day [and plied our trade] in order not to be a burden to any of you [for our support] while we proclaimed the glad tidings (the Gospel) of God to you. + You are witnesses, [yes] and God [also], how unworldly and upright and blameless was our behavior toward you believers [who adhered to and trusted in and relied on our Lord Jesus Christ]. + For you know how, as a father [dealing with] his children, we used to exhort each of you personally, stimulating and encouraging and charging you + To live lives worthy of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and the glorious blessedness [into which true believers will enter after Christ's return]. + And we also [especially] thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it]. + For you, brethren, became imitators of the assemblies (churches) of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you too have suffered the same kind of treatment from your own fellow countrymen as they did [who were persecuted at the hands] of the Jews, + Who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and harassed and drove us out, and continue to make themselves hateful and offensive to God and to show themselves foes of all men, + Forbidding and hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles (the nations) that they may be saved. So as always they fill up [to the brim the measure of] their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last [completely and forever]! [Gen. 15:16.] + But since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a little while in person, [of course] not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great longing to see you face to face, + Because it was our will to come to you. [I mean that] I, Paul, again and again [wanted to come], but Satan hindered and impeded us. + For what is our hope or happiness or our victor's wreath of exultant triumph when we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? + For you are [indeed] our glory and our joy! + + + THEREFORE, WHEN [the suspense of separation and our yearning for some personal communication from you] became intolerable, we consented to being left behind alone at Athens. + And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in [spreading] the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, to strengthen and establish and to exhort and comfort and encourage you in your faith, + That no one [of you] should be disturbed and beguiled and led astray by these afflictions and difficulties [to which I have referred]. For you yourselves know that this is [unavoidable in our position, and must be recognized as] our appointed lot. + For even when we were with you, [you know] we warned you plainly beforehand that we were to be pressed with difficulties and made to suffer affliction, just as to your own knowledge it has [since] happened. + That is the reason that, when I could bear [the suspense] no longer, I sent that I might learn [how you were standing the strain, and the endurance of] your faith, [for I was fearful] lest somehow the tempter had tempted you and our toil [among you should prove to] be fruitless and to no purpose. + But now that Timothy has just come back to us from [his visit to] you and has brought us the good news of [the steadfastness of] your faith and [the warmth of your] love, and [reported] how kindly you cherish a constant and affectionate remembrance of us [and that you are] longing to see us as we [are to see] you, + Brethren, for this reason, in [spite of all] our stress and crushing difficulties we have been filled with comfort and cheer about you [because of] your faith (the leaning of your whole personality on God in complete trust and confidence). + Because now we [really] live, if you stand [firm] in the Lord. + For what [adequate] thanksgiving can we render to God for you for all the gladness and delight which we enjoy for your sakes before our God? + [And we] continue to pray especially and with most intense earnestness night and day that we may see you face to face and mend and make good whatever may be imperfect and lacking in your faith. + Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) guide our steps to you. + And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, + So that He may strengthen and confirm and establish your hearts faultlessly pure and unblamable in holiness in the sight of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) with all His saints (the holy and glorified people of God)! Amen, (so be it)! + + + FURTHERMORE, BRETHREN, we beg and admonish you in [virtue of our union with] the Lord Jesus, that [you follow the instructions which] you learned from us about how you ought to walk so as to please and gratify God, as indeed you are doing, [and] that you do so even more and more abundantly [attaining yet greater perfection in living this life]. + For you know what charges and precepts we gave you [on the authority and by the inspiration of] the Lord Jesus. + For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): that you should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice, + That each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor, + Not [to be used] in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will, + That no man transgress and overreach his brother and defraud him in this matter or defraud his brother in business. For the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we have already warned you solemnly and told you plainly. + For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity]. + Therefore whoever disregards (sets aside and rejects this) disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you is holy (chaste, pure). + But concerning brotherly love [for all other Christians], you have no need to have anyone write you, for you yourselves have been [personally] taught by God to love one another. + And indeed you already are [extending and displaying your love] to all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we beseech and earnestly exhort you, brethren, that you excel [in this matter] more and more, + To make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you, + So that you may bear yourselves becomingly and be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody [self-supporting] and having need of nothing. + Now also we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall asleep [in death], that you may not grieve [for them] as the rest do who have no hope [beyond the grave]. + For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep [in death]. + For this we declare to you by the Lord's [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in death]. + For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. + Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! + Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words. + + + BUT AS to the suitable times and the precise seasons and dates, brethren, you have no necessity for anything being written to you. + For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord will come [as unexpectedly and suddenly] as a thief in the night. + When people are saying, All is well and secure, and, There is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape. + But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. + For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we do not belong either to the night or to darkness. + Accordingly then, let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect). + For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night. + But we belong to the day; therefore, let us be sober and put on the breastplate (corslet) of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. + For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) + Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ's appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life. + Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. + Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]--your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. + And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. + And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line [the loafers, the disorderly, and the unruly]; encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper]. [Isa. 35:4.] + See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. + Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); + Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; + Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. + Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit; + Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning]. + But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast. + Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be. + And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. + Brethren, pray for us. + Greet all the brethren with a sacred kiss. + I solemnly charge you [in the name of] the Lord to have this letter read before all the brethren. + The grace (the unmerited favor and blessings) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you all. Amen, (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, SILVANUS (Silas), and Timothy, to the church (assembly) of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One): + Grace (unmerited favor) be to you and [heart] peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + We ought and indeed are obligated [as those in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love of every one of you each toward the others is increasing and abounds. + And this is a cause of our mentioning you with pride among the churches (assemblies) of God for your steadfastness (your unflinching endurance and patience) and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecutions and crushing distresses and afflictions under which you are holding up. + This is positive proof of the just and right judgment of God to the end that you may be deemed deserving of His kingdom [a plain token of His fair verdict which designs that you should be made and counted worthy of the kingdom of God], for the sake of which you are also suffering. + [It is a fair decision] since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with distress and affliction those who distress and afflict you, + And to [recompense] you who are so distressed and afflicted [by granting you] relief and rest along with us [your fellow sufferers] when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in a flame of fire, + To deal out retribution (chastisement and vengeance) upon those who do not know or perceive or become acquainted with God, and [upon those] who ignore and refuse to obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Such people will pay the penalty and suffer the punishment of everlasting ruin (destruction and perdition) and eternal exclusion and banishment from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, + When He comes to be glorified in His saints [on that day He will be made more glorious in His consecrated people], and [He will] be marveled at and admired [in His glory reflected] in all who have believed [who have adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him], because our witnessing among you was confidently accepted and believed [and confirmed in your lives]. + With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). + Thus may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and become more glorious through and in you, and may you [also be glorified] in Him according to the grace (favor and blessing) of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + + + BUT RELATIVE to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and our gathering together to [meet] Him, we beg you, brethren, + Not to allow your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited or alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or by word or by letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] arrived and is here. + Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition), [Dan. 7:25; 8:25; I Tim. 4:1.] + Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. [Ezek. 28:2; Dan. 11:36, 37.] + Do you not recollect that when I was still with you, I told you these things? + And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time. + For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way. + And then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by His appearing at His coming. [Isa. 11:4.] + The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels--[all of them] lying wonders-- + And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. + Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false, + In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness. + But we, brethren beloved by the Lord, ought and are obligated [as those who are in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, because God chose you from the beginning as His firstfruits (first converts) for salvation through the sanctifying work of the [Holy] Spirit and [your] belief in (adherence to, trust in, and reliance on) the Truth. + [It was] to this end that He called you through our Gospel, so that you may obtain and share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + So then, brethren, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions and instructions which you were taught by us, whether by our word of mouth or by letter. + Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and gave us everlasting consolation and encouragement and well-founded hope through [His] grace (unmerited favor), + Comfort and encourage your hearts and strengthen them [make them steadfast and keep them unswerving] in every good work and word. + + + FURTHERMORE, BRETHREN, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may speed on (spread rapidly and run its course) and be glorified (extolled) and triumph, even as [it has done] with you, + And that we may be delivered from perverse (improper, unrighteous) and wicked (actively malicious) men, for not everybody has faith and is held by it. + Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]. + And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things which we suggest and with which we charge you. + May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ and in waiting for His return. + Now we charge you, brethren, in the name and on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that you withdraw and keep away from every brother (fellow believer) who is slack in the performance of duty and is disorderly, living as a shirker and not walking in accord with the traditions and instructions that you have received from us. + For you yourselves know how it is necessary to imitate our example, for we were not disorderly or shirking of duty when we were with you [we were not idle]. + Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and struggle we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden or impose on any of you [for our support]. + [It was] not because we do not have a right [to such support], but [we wished] to make ourselves an example for you to follow. + For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat. + Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly [that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty], being busy with other people's affairs instead of their own and doing no work. + Now we charge and exhort such persons [as ministers in Him exhorting those] in the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that they work in quietness and earn their own food and other necessities. + And as for you, brethren, do not become weary or lose heart in doing right [but continue in well-doing without weakening]. + But if anyone [in the church] refuses to obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. + Do not regard him as an enemy, but simply admonish and warn him as [being still] a brother. + Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be] with you all. + I, Paul, write you this final greeting with my own hand. This is the mark and sign [that it is not a forgery] in every letter of mine. It is the way I write [my handwriting and signature]. + The grace (spiritual blessing and favor) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you all. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by appointment and command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), our Hope, + To Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace (spiritual blessing and favor), mercy, and [heart] peace [be yours] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. + As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on where you are at Ephesus in order that you may warn and admonish and charge certain individuals not to teach any different doctrine, + Nor to give importance to or occupy themselves with legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which foster and promote useless speculations and questionings rather than acceptance in faith of God's administration and the divine training that is in faith (in that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence)-- + Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith. + But certain individuals have missed the mark on this very matter [and] have wandered away into vain arguments and discussions and purposeless talk. + They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law (teachers of the Mosaic ritual), but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions. + Now we recognize and know that the Law is good if anyone uses it lawfully [for the purpose for which it was designed], + Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers, + [For] impure and immoral persons, those who abuse themselves with men, kidnapers, liars, perjurers--and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine + As laid down by the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. + I give thanks to Him Who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for this], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry. + Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageously and aggressively insulting [to Him], nevertheless, I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief. + And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus. + The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. + But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life. + Now to the King of eternity, incorruptible and immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever (to the ages of ages). Amen (so be it). + This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare, + Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith. + Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan in order that they may be disciplined [by punishment and learn] not to blaspheme. + + + FIRST OF all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, + For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. + For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, + Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth. + For there [is only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, + Who gave Himself as a ransom for all [people, a fact that was] attested to at the right and proper time. + And of this matter I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (special messenger)--I am speaking the truth in Christ, I do not falsify [when I say this]--a teacher of the Gentiles in [the realm of] faith and truth. + I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt [in their minds], lifting up holy hands. + Also [I desire] that women should adorn themselves modestly and appropriately and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with [elaborate] hair arrangement or gold or pearls or expensive clothing, + But by doing good deeds (deeds in themselves good and for the good and advantage of those contacted by them), as befits women who profess reverential fear for and devotion to God. + Let a woman learn in quietness, in entire submissiveness. + I allow no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to remain in quietness and keep silence [in religious assemblies]. + For Adam was first formed, then Eve; [Gen. 2:7, 21, 22.] + And it was not Adam who was deceived, but [the] woman who was deceived and deluded and fell into transgression. [Gen. 3:1-6.] + Nevertheless [the sentence put upon women of pain in motherhood does not hinder their souls' salvation, and] they will be saved [eternally] if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control, [saved indeed] through the Childbearing or by the birth of the divine Child. + + + THE SAYING is true and irrefutable: If any man [eagerly] seeks the office of bishop (superintendent, overseer), he desires an excellent task (work). + Now a bishop (superintendent, overseer) must give no grounds for accusation but must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, circumspect and temperate and self-controlled; [he must be] sensible and well behaved and dignified and lead an orderly (disciplined) life; [he must be] hospitable [showing love for and being a friend to the believers, especially strangers or foreigners, and be] a capable and qualified teacher, + Not given to wine, not combative but gentle and considerate, not quarrelsome but forbearing and peaceable, and not a lover of money [insatiable for wealth and ready to obtain it by questionable means]. + He must rule his own household well, keeping his children under control, with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful. + For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God? + He must not be a new convert, or he may [develop a beclouded and stupid state of mind] as the result of pride [be blinded by conceit, and] fall into the condemnation that the devil [once] did. [Isa. 14:12-14.] + Furthermore, he must have a good reputation and be well thought of by those outside [the church], lest he become involved in slander and incur reproach and fall into the devil's trap. + In like manner the deacons [must be] worthy of respect, not shifty and double-talkers but sincere in what they say, not given to much wine, not greedy for base gain [craving wealth and resorting to ignoble and dishonest methods of getting it]. + They must possess the mystic secret of the faith [Christian truth as hidden from ungodly men] with a clear conscience. + And let them also be tried and investigated and proved first; then, if they turn out to be above reproach, let them serve [as deacons]. + [The] women likewise must be worthy of respect and serious, not gossipers, but temperate and self-controlled, [thoroughly] trustworthy in all things. + Let deacons be the husbands of but one wife, and let them manage [their] children and their own households well. + For those who perform well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and also gain much confidence and freedom and boldness in the faith which is [founded on and centers] in Christ Jesus. + Although I hope to come to you before long, I am writing these instructions to you so that, + If I am detained, you may know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and stay (the prop and support) of the Truth. + And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He [God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the [Holy] Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, [and] taken up in glory. + + + BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, + Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized), + Who forbid people to marry and [teach them] to abstain from [certain kinds of] foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and have [an increasingly clear] knowledge of the truth. + For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be thrown away or refused if it is received with thanksgiving. + For it is hallowed and consecrated by the Word of God and by prayer. + If you lay all these instructions before the brethren, you will be a worthy steward and a good minister of Christ Jesus, ever nourishing your own self on the truths of the faith and of the good [Christian] instruction which you have closely followed. + But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers' tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. + For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come. + This saying is reliable and worthy of complete acceptance by everybody. + With a view to this we toil and strive, [yes and] suffer reproach, because we have [fixed our] hope on the living God, Who is the Savior (Preserver, Maintainer, Deliverer) of all men, especially of those who believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to Him). + Continue to command these things and to teach them. + Let no one despise or think less of you because of your youth, but be an example (pattern) for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. + Till I come, devote yourself to [public and private] reading, to exhortation (preaching and personal appeals), and to teaching and instilling doctrine. + Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you [at your ordination]. + Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody. + Look well to yourself [to your own personality] and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you. + + + DO NOT sharply censure or rebuke an older man, but entreat and plead with him as [you would with] a father. Treat younger men like brothers; + [Treat] older women like mothers [and] younger women like sisters, in all purity. + [Always] treat with great consideration and give aid to those who are truly widowed (solitary and without support). + But if a widow has children or grandchildren, see to it that these are first made to understand that it is their religious duty [to defray their natural obligation to those] at home, and make return to their parents or grandparents [for all their care by contributing to their maintenance], for this is acceptable in the sight of God. + Now [a woman] who is a real widow and is left entirely alone and desolate has fixed her hope on God and perseveres in supplications and prayers night and day, + Whereas she who lives in pleasure and self-gratification [giving herself up to luxury and self-indulgence] is dead even while she [still] lives. + Charge [the people] thus, so that they may be without reproach and blameless. + If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters]. + Let no one be put on the roll of widows [who are to receive church support] who is under sixty years of age or who has been the wife of more than one man; + And she must have a reputation for good deeds, as one who has brought up children, who has practiced hospitality to strangers [of the brotherhood], washed the feet of the saints, helped to relieve the distressed, [and] devoted herself diligently to doing good in every way. + But refuse [to enroll on this list the] younger widows, for when they become restive and their natural desires grow strong, they withdraw themselves against Christ [and] wish to marry [again]. + And so they incur condemnation for having set aside and slighted their previous pledge. + Moreover, as they go about from house to house, they learn to be idlers, and not only idlers, but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say and talking of things they should not mention. + So I would have younger [widows] marry, bear children, guide the household, [and] not give opponents of the faith occasion for slander or reproach. + For already some [widows] have turned aside after Satan. + If any believing woman or believing man has [relatives or persons in the household who are] widows, let him relieve them; let the church not be burdened [with them], so that it may [be free to] assist those who are truly widows (those who are all alone and are dependent). + Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. + For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire. [Deut. 25:4; Luke 10:7.] + Listen to no accusation [presented before a judge] against an elder unless it is confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. [Deut. 19:15.] + As for those who are guilty and persist in sin, rebuke and admonish them in the presence of all, so that the rest may be warned and stand in wholesome awe and fear. + I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the chosen angels that you guard and keep [these rules] without personal prejudice or favor, doing nothing from partiality. + Do not be in a hurry in the laying on of hands [giving the sanction of the church too hastily in reinstating expelled offenders or in ordination in questionable cases], nor share or participate in another man's sins; keep yourself pure. + Drink water no longer exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. + The sins of some men are conspicuous (openly evident to all eyes), going before them to the judgment [seat] and proclaiming their sentence in advance; but the sins of others appear later [following the offender to the bar of judgment and coming into view there]. + So also, good deeds are evident and conspicuous, and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden [indefinitely]. + + + LET ALL who are under the yoke as bond servants esteem their own [personal] masters worthy of honor and fullest respect, so that the name of God and the teaching [about Him] may not be brought into disrepute and blasphemed. + Let those who have believing masters not be disrespectful or scornful [to them] on the grounds that they are brothers [in Christ]; rather, they should serve [them all the better] because those who benefit by their kindly service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. + But if anyone teaches otherwise and does not assent to the sound and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and the teaching which is in agreement with godliness (piety toward God), + He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions, + And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw. + [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain. + For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world; + But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied). + But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing. + For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs. + But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart. + Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses. + In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you + To keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), + Which [appearing] will be shown forth in His own proper time by the blessed, only Sovereign (Ruler), the King of kings and the Lord of lords, + Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it). + As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment. + [Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others], + In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed. + O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination. + [For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith. Grace (divine favor and blessing) be with you all! Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, + To Timothy, [my] beloved child: Grace (favor and spiritual blessing), mercy, and [heart] peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord! + I thank God Whom I worship with a pure conscience, in the spirit of my fathers, when without ceasing I remember you night and day in my prayers, + And when, as I recall your tears, I yearn to see you so that I may be filled with joy. + I am calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faith (the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), [a faith] that first lived permanently in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am [fully] persuaded, [dwells] in you also. + That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. + For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. + Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but [with me] take your share of the suffering [to which the preaching] of the Gospel [may expose you, and do it] in the power of God. + [For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago]. + [It is that purpose and grace] which He now has made known and has fully disclosed and made real [to us] through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, Who annulled death and made it of no effect and brought life and immortality (immunity from eternal death) to light through the Gospel. + For [the proclaiming of] this [Gospel] I was appointed a herald (preacher) and an apostle (special messenger) and a teacher of the Gentiles. + And this is why I am suffering as I do. Still I am not ashamed, for I know (perceive, have knowledge of, and am acquainted with) Him Whom I have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on), and I am [positively] persuaded that He is able to guard and keep that which has been entrusted to me and which I have committed [to Him] until that day. + Hold fast and follow the pattern of wholesome and sound teaching which you have heard from me, in [all] the faith and love which are [for us] in Christ Jesus. + Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us. + You already know that all who are in Asia turned away and forsook me, Phygelus and Hermogenes among them. + May the Lord grant [His] mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, for he often showed me kindness and ministered to my needs [comforting and reviving and bracing me like fresh air]! He was not ashamed of my chains and imprisonment [for Christ's sake]. + No, rather when he reached Rome, he searched diligently and eagerly for me and found me. + May the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord on that [great] day! And you know how many things he did for me and what a help he was at Ephesus [you know better than I can tell you]. + + + SO YOU, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus. + And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also. + Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. + No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. + And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). + [It is] the hard-working farmer [who labors to produce] who must be the first partaker of the fruits. + Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything. + Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David, according to the good news (the Gospel) that I preach. [Ps. 16:10.] + For that [Gospel] I am suffering affliction and even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained or imprisoned! + Therefore I [am ready to] persevere and stand my ground with patience and endure everything for the sake of the elect [God's chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory. + The saying is sure and worthy of confidence: If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him. + If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us. + If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself. + Remind [the people] of these facts and [solemnly] charge them in the presence of the Lord to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good but upsets and undermines the faith of the hearers. + Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. + But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. + And their teaching [will devour; it] will eat its way like cancer or spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, + Who have missed the mark and swerved from the truth by arguing that the resurrection has already taken place. They are undermining the faith of some. + But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. [Num. 16:5; Isa. 26:13.] + But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. + So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. + Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. + But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. + And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. + He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it], + And that they may come to their senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him, [henceforth] to do His [God's] will. + + + BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. + For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. + [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. + [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. + For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them]. + For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate silly and weak-natured and spiritually dwarfed women, loaded down with [the burden of their] sins [and easily] swayed and led away by various evil desires and seductive impulses. + [These weak women will listen to anybody who will teach them]; they are forever inquiring and getting information, but are never able to arrive at a recognition and knowledge of the Truth. + Now just as Jannes and Jambres were hostile to and resisted Moses, so these men also are hostile to and oppose the Truth. They have depraved and distorted minds, and are reprobate and counterfeit and to be rejected as far as the faith is concerned. [Exod. 7:11.] + But they will not get very far, for their rash folly will become obvious to everybody, as was that of those [magicians mentioned]. + Now you have closely observed and diligently followed my teaching, conduct, purpose in life, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, + Persecutions, sufferings--such as occurred to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, persecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me. + Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand]. + But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves. + But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them], + And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. + Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), + So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. + + + I CHARGE [you] in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who is to judge the living and the dead, and by (in the light of) His coming and His kingdom: + Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching. + For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, + And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. + As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry. + For I am already about to be sacrificed [my life is about to be poured out as a drink offering]; the time of my [spirit's] release [from the body] is at hand and I will soon go free. + I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith. + [As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor's] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day--and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return). + Make every effort to come to me soon. + For Demas has deserted me for love of this present world and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens [has gone] to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. + Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very helpful to me for the ministry. + Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. + [When] you come, bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, also the books, especially the parchments. + Alexander the coppersmith did me great wrongs. The Lord will pay him back for his actions. + Beware of him yourself, for he opposed and resisted our message very strongly and exceedingly. + At my first trial no one acted in my defense [as my advocate] or took my part or [even] stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them! + But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion. + [And indeed] the Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will preserve and bring me safe unto His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (so be it). + Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila and to the household of Onesiphorus. + Erastus stayed on at Corinth, but Trophimus I left ill at Miletus. + Do hasten and try your best to come to me before winter. Eubulus wishes to be remembered to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren. + The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace (God's favor and blessing) be with you. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, A bond servant of God and an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) to stimulate and promote the faith of God's chosen ones and to lead them on to accurate discernment and recognition of and acquaintance with the Truth which belongs to and harmonizes with and tends to godliness, + [Resting] in the hope of eternal life, [life] which the ever truthful God Who cannot deceive promised before the world or the ages of time began. + And [now] in His own appointed time He has made manifest (made known) His Word and revealed it as His message through the preaching entrusted to me by command of God our Savior; + To Titus, my true child according to a common (general) faith: Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) and [heart] peace from God the Father and the Lord Christ Jesus our Savior. + For this reason I left you [behind] in Crete, that you might set right what was defective and finish what was left undone, and that you might appoint elders and set them over the churches (assemblies) in every city as I directed you. + [These elders should be] men who are of unquestionable integrity and are irreproachable, the husband of [but] one wife, whose children are [well trained and are] believers, not open to the accusation of being loose in morals and conduct or unruly and disorderly. + For the bishop (an overseer) as God's steward must be blameless, not self-willed or arrogant or presumptuous; he must not be quick-tempered or given to drink or pugnacious (brawling, violent); he must not be grasping and greedy for filthy lucre (financial gain); + But he must be hospitable (loving and a friend to believers, especially to strangers and foreigners); [he must be] a lover of goodness [of good people and good things], sober-minded (sensible, discreet), upright and fair-minded, a devout man and religiously correct, temperate and keeping himself in hand. + He must hold fast to the sure and trustworthy Word of God as he was taught it, so that he may be able both to give stimulating instruction and encouragement in sound (wholesome) doctrine and to refute and convict those who contradict and oppose it [showing the wayward their error]. + For there are many disorderly and unruly men who are idle (vain, empty) and misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others. [This is true] especially of those of the circumcision party [who have come over from Judaism]. + Their mouths must be stopped, for they are mentally distressing and subverting whole families by teaching what they ought not to teach, for the purpose of getting base advantage and disreputable gain. + One of their [very] number, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, hurtful beasts, idle and lazy gluttons. + And this account of them is [really] true. Because it is [true], rebuke them sharply [deal sternly, even severely with them], so that they may be sound in the faith and free from error, + [And may show their soundness by] ceasing to give attention to Jewish myths and fables or to rules [laid down] by [mere] men who reject and turn their backs on the Truth. + To the pure [in heart and conscience] all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted. + They profess to know God [to recognize, perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind. + + + BUT [as for] you, teach what is fitting and becoming to sound (wholesome) doctrine [the character and right living that identify true Christians]. + Urge the older men to be temperate, venerable (serious), sensible, self-controlled, and sound in the faith, in the love, and in the steadfastness and patience [of Christ]. + Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, + So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, + To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited). + In a similar way, urge the younger men to be self-restrained and to behave prudently [taking life seriously]. + And show your own self in all respects to be a pattern and a model of good deeds and works, teaching what is unadulterated, showing gravity [having the strictest regard for truth and purity of motive], with dignity and seriousness. + And let your instruction be sound and fit and wise and wholesome, vigorous and irrefutable and above censure, so that the opponent may be put to shame, finding nothing discrediting or evil to say about us. + [Tell] bond servants to be submissive to their masters, to be pleasing and give satisfaction in every way. [Warn them] not to talk back or contradict, + Nor to steal by taking things of small value, but to prove themselves truly loyal and entirely reliable and faithful throughout, so that in everything they may be an ornament and do credit to the teaching [which is] from and about God our Savior. + For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. + It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world, + Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, the realization of our] blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One), + Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us (purchase our freedom) from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people [to be peculiarly His own, people who are] eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds. [Deut. 14:2; Ps. 130:8; Ezek. 37:23.] + Tell [them all] these things. Urge (advise, encourage, warn) and rebuke with full authority. Let no one despise or disregard or think little of you [conduct yourself and your teaching so as to command respect]. + + + REMIND PEOPLE to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work, + To slander or abuse or speak evil of no one, to avoid being contentious, to be forbearing (yielding, gentle, and conciliatory), and to show unqualified courtesy toward everybody. + For we also were once thoughtless and senseless, obstinate and disobedient, deluded and misled; [we too were once] slaves to all sorts of cravings and pleasures, wasting our days in malice and jealousy and envy, hateful (hated, detestable) and hating one another. + But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared, + He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, + Which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. + [And He did it in order] that we might be justified by His grace (by His favor, wholly undeserved), [that we might be acknowledged and counted as conformed to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action], and that we might become heirs of eternal life according to [our] hope. + This message is most trustworthy, and concerning these things I want you to insist steadfastly, so that those who have believed in (trusted in, relied on) God may be careful to apply themselves to honorable occupations and to doing good, for such things are [not only] excellent and right [in themselves], but [they are] good and profitable for the people. + But avoid stupid and foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions and wrangling about the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile. + [As for] a man who is factious [a heretical sectarian and cause of divisions], after admonishing him a first and second time, reject [him from your fellowship and have nothing more to do with him], + Well aware that such a person has utterly changed (is perverted and corrupted); he goes on sinning [though he] is convicted of guilt and self-condemned. + When I send Artemas or [perhaps] Tychicus to you, lose no time but make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. + Do your utmost to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they want for (lack) nothing. + And let our own [people really] learn to apply themselves to good deeds (to honest labor and honorable employment), so that they may be able to meet necessary demands whenever the occasion may require and not be living idle and uncultivated and unfruitful lives. + All who are with me wish to be remembered to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace (God's favor and blessing) be with you all. Amen (so be it). + + + + + PAUL, A prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), and our brother Timothy, to Philemon our dearly beloved sharer with us in our work, + And to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier [in the Christian warfare], and to the church [assembly that meets] in your house: + Grace (spiritual blessing and favor) be to all of you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + I give thanks to my God for you always when I mention you in my prayers, + Because I continue to hear of your love and of your loyal faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and [which you show] toward all the saints (God's consecrated people). + [And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory]. + For I have derived great joy and comfort and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints [who are your fellow Christians] have been cheered and refreshed through you, [my] brother. + Therefore, though I have abundant boldness in Christ to charge you to do what is fitting and required and your duty to do, + Yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you just for what I am--I, Paul, an ambassador [of Christ Jesus] and an old man and now a prisoner for His sake also-- + I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child, Onesimus [meaning profitable], whom I have begotten [in the faith] while a captive in these chains. + Once he was unprofitable to you, but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me. + I am sending him back to you in his own person, [and it is like sending] my very heart. + I would have chosen to keep him with me, in order that he might minister to my needs in your stead during my imprisonment for the Gospel's sake. + But it has been my wish to do nothing about it without first consulting you and getting your consent, in order that your benevolence might not seem to be the result of compulsion or of pressure but might be voluntary [on your part]. + Perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated [from you] for a while, that you might have him back as yours forever, + Not as a slave any longer but as [something] more than a slave, as a brother [Christian], especially dear to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh [as a servant] and in the Lord [as a fellow believer]. + If then you consider me a partner and a comrade in fellowship, welcome and receive him as you would [welcome and receive] me. + And if he has done you any wrong in any way or owes anything [to you], charge that to my account. + I, Paul, write it with my own hand, I promise to repay it [in full]--and that is to say nothing [of the fact] that you owe me your very self! + Yes, brother, let me have some profit from you in the Lord. Cheer and refresh my heart in Christ. + I write to you [perfectly] confident of your obedient compliance, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. + At the same time prepare a guest room [in expectation of extending your hospitality] to me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted [the gracious privilege of coming] to you. + Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus (the Messiah), + And [from] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. + The grace (blessing and favor) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with your spirit. Amen (so be it). + + + + + IN MANY separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets, + [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order]. + He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high, + [Taking a place and rank by which] He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs. + For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son? [II Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7.] + Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son again into the habitable world, He says, Let all the angels of God worship Him. + Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire; [Ps. 104:4.] + But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness). + You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God (Godhead), has anointed You with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond Your companions. [Ps. 45:6, 7.] + And [further], You, Lord, did lay the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. + They will perish, but You remain and continue permanently; they will all grow old and wear out like a garment. + Like a mantle [thrown about one's self] You will roll them up, and they will be changed and replaced by others. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end nor come to failure. [Ps. 102:25-27.] + Besides, to which of the angels has He ever said, Sit at My right hand [associated with Me in My royal dignity] till I make your enemies a stool for your feet? [Ps. 110:1.] + Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation? + + + SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away. + For if the message given through angels [the Law spoken by them to Moses] was authentic and proved sure, and every violation and disobedience received an appropriate (just and adequate) penalty, + How shall we escape [appropriate retribution] if we neglect and refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation [as is now offered to us, letting it drift past us forever]? For it was declared at first by the Lord [Himself], and it was confirmed to us and proved to be real and genuine by those who personally heard [Him speak]. + [Besides this evidence] it was also established and plainly endorsed by God, Who showed His approval of it by signs and wonders and various miraculous manifestations of [His] power and by imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit [to the believers] according to His own will. + For it was not to angels that God subjected the habitable world of the future, of which we are speaking. + It has been solemnly and earnestly said in a certain place, What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You graciously and helpfully care for and visit and look after him? + For some little time You have ranked him lower than and inferior to the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands, [Ps. 8:4-6.] + For You have put everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He left nothing outside [of man's] control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him [man]. + But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person. + For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering. + For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; + For He says, I will declare Your [the Father's] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. [Ps. 22:22.] + And again He says, My trust and assured reliance and confident hope shall be fixed in Him. And yet again, Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me. [Isa. 8:17, 18.] + Since, therefore, [these His] children share in flesh and blood [in the physical nature of human beings], He [Himself] in a similar manner partook of the same [nature], that by [going through] death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death--that is, the devil-- + And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives. + For, as we all know, He [Christ] did not take hold of angels [the fallen angels, to give them a helping and delivering hand], but He did take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [to reach out to them a helping and delivering hand]. [Isa. 41:8, 9.] + So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people's sins. + For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering]. + + + SO THEN, brethren, consecrated and set apart for God, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confessed [as ours when we embraced the Christian faith]. + [See how] faithful He was to Him Who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses was also faithful in the whole house [of God]. [Num. 12:7.] + Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater honor and glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house [itself]. + For [of course] every house is built and furnished by someone, but the Builder of all things and the Furnisher [of the entire equipment of all things] is God. + And Moses certainly was faithful in the administration of all God's house [but it was only] as a ministering servant. [In his entire ministry he was but] a testimony to the things which were to be spoken [the revelations to be given afterward in Christ]. [Num. 12:7.] + But Christ (the Messiah) was faithful over His [own Father's] house as a Son [and Master of it]. And it is we who are [now members] of this house, if we hold fast and firm to the end our joyful and exultant confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ]. + Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, + Do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness, + Where your fathers tried [My patience] and tested [My forbearance] and found I stood their test, and they saw My works for forty years. + And so I was provoked (displeased and sorely grieved) with that generation, and said, They always err and are led astray in their hearts, and they have not perceived or recognized My ways and become progressively better and more experimentally and intimately acquainted with them. + Accordingly, I swore in My wrath and indignation, They shall not enter into My rest. [Ps. 95:7-11.] + [Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God. + But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him]. + For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation [in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end. + Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them]. [Ps. 95:7, 8.] + For who were they who heard and yet were rebellious and provoked [Him]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? + And with whom was He irritated and provoked and grieved for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dismembered bodies were strewn and left in the desert? + And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [who had not listened to His word and who refused to be compliant or be persuaded]? + So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out]. [Num. 14:1-35.] + + + THEREFORE, WHILE the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered [today], let us be afraid [to distrust it], lest any of you should think he has come too late and has come short of [reaching] it. + For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe). + For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world. [Ps. 95:11.] + For in a certain place He has said this about the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day from all His works. [Gen. 2:2.] + And [they forfeited their part in it, for] in this [passage] He said, They shall not enter My rest. [Ps. 95:11.] + Seeing then that the promise remains over [from past times] for some to enter that rest, and that those who formerly were given the good news about it and the opportunity, failed to appropriate it and did not enter because of disobedience, + Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts. [Ps. 95:7, 8.] + [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, He [God] would not speak afterward about another day. + So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the [true] people of God; + For he who has once entered [God's] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own. [Gen. 2:2.] + Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell]. + For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. + And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. + Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]. + For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. + Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. + + + FOR EVERY high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in things relating to God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. + He is able to exercise gentleness and forbearance toward the ignorant and erring, since he himself also is liable to moral weakness and physical infirmity. + And because of this he is obliged to offer sacrifice for his own sins, as well as for those of the people. + Besides, one does not appropriate for himself the honor [of being high priest], but he is called by God and receives it of Him, just as Aaron did. + So too Christ (the Messiah) did not exalt Himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed and exalted by Him Who said to Him, You are My Son; today I have begotten You; [Ps. 2:7.] + As He says also in another place, You are a Priest [appointed] forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. [Ps. 110:4.] + In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father]. + Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered + And, [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him, [Isa. 45:17.] + Being designated and recognized and saluted by God as High Priest after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. [Ps. 110:4.] + Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your [spiritual] hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight]. + For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. + For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! + But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. + + + THEREFORE LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God, + With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.] + If indeed God permits, we will [now] proceed [to advanced teaching]. + For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to repentance] those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit, + And have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come, + If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance--[it is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace. + For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God. + But if [that same soil] persistently bears thorns and thistles, it is considered worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. [Gen. 3:17, 18.] + Even though we speak this way, yet in your case, beloved, we are now firmly convinced of better things that are near to salvation and accompany it. + For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do. + But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end, + In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises. + For when God made [His] promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, + Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you. [Gen. 22:16, 17.] + And so it was that he [Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him. + Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife]. + Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath. + This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us]. + [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it--a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, [Lev. 16:2.] + Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. [Ps. 110:4.] + + + FOR THIS Melchizedek, king of Salem [and] priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, + And Abraham gave to him a tenth portion of all [the spoil]. He is primarily, as his name when translated indicates, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace. + Without [record of] father or mother or ancestral line, neither with beginning of days nor ending of life, but, resembling the Son of God, he continues to be a priest without interruption and without successor. + Now observe and consider how great [a personage] this was to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth [the topmost or the pick of the heap] of the spoils. + And it is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to take tithes from the people--which means, from their brethren--though these have descended from Abraham. + But this person who has not their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham [himself] and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God]. + Yet it is beyond all contradiction that it is the lesser person who is blessed by the greater one. + Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; while there [in the case of Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives [perpetually]. + A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes (the tenth), paid tithes through Abraham, + For he was still in the loins of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him [Abraham]. + Now if perfection (a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper) had been attainable by the Levitical priesthood--for under it the people were given the Law--why was it further necessary that there should arise another and different kind of Priest, one after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed after the order and rank of Aaron? + For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is of necessity an alteration of the law [concerning the priesthood] as well. + For the One of Whom these things are said belonged [not to the priestly line but] to another tribe, no member of which has officiated at the altar. + For it is obvious that our Lord sprang from the tribe of Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. + And this becomes more plainly evident when another Priest arises Who bears the likeness of Melchizedek, [Ps. 110:4.] + Who has been constituted a Priest, not on the basis of a bodily legal requirement [an externally imposed command concerning His physical ancestry], but on the basis of the power of an endless and indestructible Life. + For it is witnessed of Him, You are a Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. [Ps. 110:4.] + So a previous physical regulation and command is cancelled because of its weakness and ineffectiveness and uselessness-- + For the Law never made anything perfect--but instead a better hope is introduced through which we [now] come close to God. + And it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made Priest], + For those who formerly became priests received their office without its being confirmed by the taking of an oath by God, but this One was designated and addressed and saluted with an oath, The Lord has sworn and will not regret it or change His mind, You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. [Ps. 110:4.] + In keeping with [the oath's greater strength and force], Jesus has become the Guarantee of a better (stronger) agreement [a more excellent and more advantageous covenant]. + [Again, the former successive line of priests] was made up of many, because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office]; + But He holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever. + Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. + [Here is] the High Priest [perfectly adapted] to our needs, as was fitting--holy, blameless, unstained by sin, separated from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens. + He has no day by day necessity, as [do each of these other] high priests, to offer sacrifice first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements] once for all when He brought Himself [as a sacrifice] which He offered up. + For the Law sets up men in their weakness [frail, sinful, dying human beings] as high priests, but the word of [God's] oath, which [was spoken later] after the institution of the Law, [chooses and appoints as priest One Whose appointment is complete and permanent], a Son Who has been made perfect forever. [Ps. 110:4.] + + + NOW THE main point of what we have to say is this: We have such a High Priest, One Who is seated at the right hand of the majestic [God] in heaven, [Ps. 110:1.] + As officiating Priest, a Minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle which is erected not by man but by the Lord. + For every high priest is appointed to offer up gifts and sacrifices; so it is essential for this [High Priest] to have some offering to make also. + If then He were still living on earth, He would not be a priest at all, for there are [already priests] who offer the gifts in accordance with the Law. + [But these offer] service [merely] as a pattern and as a foreshadowing of [what has its true existence and reality in] the heavenly sanctuary. For when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was warned by God, saying, See to it that you make it all [exactly] according to the copy (the model) which was shown to you on the mountain. [Exod. 25:40.] + But as it now is, He [Christ] has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is as much superior and more excellent [than the old] as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent, [because] it is enacted and rests upon more important (sublimer, higher, and nobler) promises. + For if that first covenant had been without defect, there would have been no room for another one or an attempt to institute another one. + However, He finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says, Behold, the days will come, says the Lord, when I will make and ratify a new covenant or agreement with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. + It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day when I grasped them by the hand to help and relieve them and to lead them out from the land of Egypt, for they did not abide in My agreement with them, and so I withdrew My favor and disregarded them, says the Lord. + For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their minds, even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding, and engrave them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. + And it will nevermore be necessary for each one to teach his neighbor and his fellow citizen or each one his brother, saying, Know (perceive, have knowledge of, and get acquainted by experience with) the Lord, for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them. + For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more. [Jer. 31:31-34.] + When God speaks of a new [covenant or agreement], He makes the first one obsolete (out of use). And what is obsolete (out of use and annulled because of age) is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether. + + + NOW EVEN the first covenant had its own rules and regulations for divine worship, and it had a sanctuary [but one] of this world. [Exod. 25:10-40.] + For a tabernacle (tent) was erected, in the outer division or compartment of which were the lampstand and the table with [its loaves of] the showbread set forth. [This portion] is called the Holy Place. [Lev. 24:5, 6.] + But [inside] beyond the second curtain or veil, [there stood another] tabernacle [division] known as the Holy of Holies. [Exod. 26:31-33.] + It had the golden altar of incense and the ark (chest) of the covenant, covered over with wrought gold. This [ark] contained a golden jar which held the manna and the rod of Aaron that sprouted and the [two stone] slabs of the covenant [bearing the Ten Commandments]. [Exod. 16:32-34; 30:1-6; Num. 17:8-10.] + Above [the ark] and overshadowing the mercy seat were the representations of the cherubim [winged creatures which were the symbols] of glory. We cannot now go into detail about these things. + These arrangements having thus been made, the priests enter [habitually] into the outer division of the tabernacle in performance of their ritual acts of worship. + But into the second [division of the tabernacle] none but the high priest goes, and he only once a year, and never without taking a sacrifice of blood with him, which he offers for himself and for the errors and sins of ignorance and thoughtlessness which the people have committed. [Lev. 16:15.] + By this the Holy Spirit points out that the way into the [true Holy of] Holies is not yet thrown open as long as the former [the outer portion of the] tabernacle remains a recognized institution and is still standing, + Seeing that that first [outer portion of the] tabernacle was a parable (a visible symbol or type or picture of the present age). In it gifts and sacrifices are offered, and yet are incapable of perfecting the conscience or of cleansing and renewing the inner man of the worshiper. + For [the ceremonies] deal only with clean and unclean meats and drinks and different washings, [mere] external rules and regulations for the body imposed to tide the worshipers over until the time of setting things straight [of reformation, of the complete new order when Christ, the Messiah, shall establish the reality of what these things foreshadow--a better covenant]. + But [that appointed time came] when Christ (the Messiah) appeared as a High Priest of the better things that have come and are to come. [Then] through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with [human] hands, that is, not a part of this material creation, + He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting release for us). + For if [the mere] sprinkling of unholy and defiled persons with blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a burnt heifer is sufficient for the purification of the body, [Lev. 16:6, 16; Num. 19:9, 17, 18.] + How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God? + [Christ, the Messiah] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant), so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance--since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the [old] first agreement. + For where there is a [last] will and testament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established, + For a will and testament is valid and takes effect only at death, since it has no force or legal power as long as the one who made it is alive. + So even the [old] first covenant (God's will) was not inaugurated and ratified and put in force without the shedding of blood. + For when every command of the Law had been read out by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of slain calves and goats, together with water and scarlet wool and with a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled both the Book (the roll of the Law and covenant) itself and all the people, + Saying these words: This is the blood that seals and ratifies the agreement (the testament, the covenant) which God commanded [me to deliver to] you. [Exod. 24:6-8.] + And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and all the [sacred] vessels and appliances used in [divine] worship. + [In fact] under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins. + By such means, therefore, it was necessary for the [earthly] copies of the heavenly things to be purified, but the actual heavenly things themselves [required far] better and nobler sacrifices than these. + For Christ (the Messiah) has not entered into a sanctuary made with [human] hands, only a copy and pattern and type of the true one, but [He has entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the [very] presence of God on our behalf. + Nor did He [enter into the heavenly sanctuary to] offer Himself regularly again and again, as the high priest enters the [Holy of] Holies every year with blood not his own. + For then would He often have had to suffer [over and over again] since the foundation of the world. But as it now is, He has once for all at the consummation and close of the ages appeared to put away and abolish sin by His sacrifice [of Himself]. + And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment, + Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him. + + + FOR SINCE the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come--instead of fully expressing those things--it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. + For if it were otherwise, would [these sacrifices] not have stopped being offered? Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin. + But [as it is] these sacrifices annually bring a fresh remembrance of sins [to be atoned for], + Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away. + Hence, when He [Christ] entered into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer]; + In burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. + Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God--[to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book. [Ps. 40:6-8.] + When He said just before, You have neither desired, nor have You taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings--all of which are offered according to the Law-- + He then went on to say, Behold, [here] I am, coming to do Your will. Thus He does away with and annuls the first (former) order [as a means of expiating sin] so that He might inaugurate and establish the second (latter) order. [Ps. 40:6-8.] + And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One). + Furthermore, every [human] priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again, which never are able to strip [from every side of us] the sins [that envelop us] and take them away-- + Whereas this One [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [that shall avail] for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, + Then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool beneath His feet. [Ps. 110:1.] + For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy. + And also the Holy Spirit adds His testimony to us [in confirmation of this]. For having said, + This is the agreement (testament, covenant) that I will set up and conclude with them after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their hearts, and I will inscribe them on their minds (on their inmost thoughts and understanding), + He then goes on to say, And their sins and their lawbreaking I will remember no more. [Jer. 31:33, 34.] + Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin. + Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus, + By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh, + And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, + Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. + So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. + And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, + Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. + For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. + [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]. [Isa. 26:11.] + Any person who has violated and [thus] rejected and set at naught the Law of Moses is put to death without pity or mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. [Deut. 17:2-6.] + How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)? [Exod. 24:8.] + For we know Him Who said, Vengeance is Mine [retribution and the meting out of full justice rest with Me]; I will repay [I will exact the compensation], says the Lord. And again, The Lord will judge and determine and solve and settle the cause and the cases of His people. [Deut. 32:35, 36.] + It is a fearful (formidable and terrible) thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God! + But be ever mindful of the days gone by in which, after you were first spiritually enlightened, you endured a great and painful struggle, + Sometimes being yourselves a gazingstock, publicly exposed to insults and abuse and distress, and sometimes claiming fellowship and making common cause with others who were so treated. + For you did sympathize and suffer along with those who were imprisoned, and you bore cheerfully the plundering of your belongings and the confiscation of your property, in the knowledge and consciousness that you yourselves had a better and lasting possession. + Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. + For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised. + For still a little while (a very little while), and the Coming One will come and He will not delay. + But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it]; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him. [Hab. 2:3, 4.] + But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul. + + + NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. + For by [faith--trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report. + By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. + [Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking. [Gen. 4:3-10.] + Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God. [Gen. 5:21-24.] + But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. + [Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith). [Gen. 6:13-22.] + [Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go. + [Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise. [Gen. 12:1-8.] + For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God. + Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word. [Gen. 17:19; 18:11-14; 21:2.] + So from one man, though he was physically as good as dead, there have sprung descendants whose number is as the stars of heaven and as countless as the innumerable sands on the seashore. [Gen. 15:5, 6; 22:17; 32:12.] + These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God's] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth. [Gen. 23:4; Ps. 39:12.] + Now those people who talk as they did show plainly that they are in search of a fatherland (their own country). + If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it. + But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly [one]. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them. [Exod. 3:6, 15; 4:5.] + By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test [while the testing of his faith was still in progress], had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed [God's] promises was ready to sacrifice his only son, [Gen. 22:1-10.] + Of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned. [Gen. 21:12.] + For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive him back from the dead. + [With eyes of] faith Isaac, looking far into the future, invoked blessings upon Jacob and Esau. [Gen. 27:27-29, 39, 40.] + [Prompted] by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in prayer over the top of his staff. [Gen. 48.] + [Actuated] by faith Joseph, when nearing the end of his life, referred to [the promise of God for] the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his own bones. [Gen. 50:24, 25; Exod. 13:19.] + [Prompted] by faith Moses, after his birth, was kept concealed for three months by his parents, because they saw how comely the child was; and they were not overawed and terrified by the king's decree. [Exod. 1:22; 2:2.] + [Aroused] by faith Moses, when he had grown to maturity and become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, [Exod. 2:10, 15.] + Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life. + He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense). + [Motivated] by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible. [Exod. 2:15.] + By faith (simple trust and confidence in God) he instituted and carried out the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn (the angel) might not touch those [of the children of Israel]. [Exod. 12:21-30.] + [Urged on] by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as [though] on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried to do the same thing they were swallowed up [by the sea]. [Exod. 14:21-31.] + Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites]. [Josh. 6:12-21.] + [Prompted] by faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who refused to believe and obey, because she had received the spies in peace [without enmity]. [Josh. 2:1-21; 6:22-25.] + And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, [Judg. 4:1-5; 6:1-8, 35; 11:1-12, 15; 13:1-16; I Sam. 1-30; II Sam. 1-24; I Kings 1-2; Acts 3:24.] + Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, [Dan. 6.] + Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. [Dan. 3.] + [Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life. [I Kings 17:17-24; II Kings 4:25-37.] + Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. + They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated-- + [Men] of whom the world was not worthy--roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth. + And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised, + Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they [these heroes and heroines of faith] should not come to perfection apart from us [before we could join them]. + + + THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, + Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1.] + Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. + You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. + And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him; + For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes. + You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline? + Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all]. [Prov. 3:11, 12.] + Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live? + For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness. + For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness--in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God]. + So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, [Isa. 35:3.] + And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured. + Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. + Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God's grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it-- + That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. [Gen. 25:29-34.] + For you understand that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected (disqualified and set aside), for he could find no opportunity to repair by repentance [what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], although he sought for it carefully with [bitter] tears. [Gen. 27:30-40.] + For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm, + And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them. [Exod. 19:12-22; 20:18-21; Deut. 4:11, 12; 5:22-27.] + For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death. [Exod. 19:12, 13.] + In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear). [Deut. 9:19.] + But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering, + And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect, + And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. [Gen. 4:10.] + So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes [us] from heaven? + Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens. [Hag. 2:6.] + Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken--that is, of that which has been created--in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue. [Ps. 102:26.] + Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe; + For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire. [Deut. 4:24.] + + + LET LOVE for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail]. + Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood--being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. [Gen. 18:1-8; 19:1-3.] + Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings. + Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous. + Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] [Josh. 1:5.] + So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? [Ps. 27:1;118:6.] + Remember your leaders and superiors in authority [for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God. Observe attentively and consider their manner of living (the outcome of their well-spent lives) and imitate their faith (their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and their leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). + Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). + Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace (God's favor and spiritual blessing) and not [to be devoted to] foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no [spiritual] benefit or profit to those who observe them. + We have an altar from which those who serve and worship in the tabernacle have no right to eat. + For when the blood of animals is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin, the victims' bodies are burned outside the limits of the camp. [Lev. 16:27.] + Therefore Jesus also suffered and died outside the [city's] gate in order that He might purify and consecrate the people through [the shedding of] His own blood and set them apart as holy [for God]. + Let us then go forth [from all that would prevent us] to Him outside the camp [at Calvary], bearing the contempt and abuse and shame with Him. [Lev. 16:27.] + For here we have no permanent city, but we are looking for the one which is to come. + Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. [Lev. 7:12; Isa. 57:19; Hos. 14:2.] + Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. + Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either]. + Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things. + And I beg of you [to pray for us] the more earnestly, in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. + Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), [Isa. 55:3; 63:11; Ezek. 37:26; Zech. 9:11.] + Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it). + I call on you, brethren, to listen patiently and bear with this message of exhortation and admonition and encouragement, for I have written to you briefly. + Notice that our brother Timothy has been released [from prison]. If he comes here soon, I will see you along with him. + Give our greetings to all of your spiritual leaders and to all of the saints (God's consecrated believers). The Italian Christians send you their greetings [also]. + Grace (God's favor and spiritual blessing) be with you all. Amen (so be it). + + + + + JAMES, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (rejoice)! + Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. + Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. + But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. + If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. + Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. + For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, + [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. + Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God], + And the rich [person ought to glory] in being humbled [by being shown his human frailty], because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. + For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits. [Isa. 40:6, 7.] + Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. + Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one. + But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). + Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death. + Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. + Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. + And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself]. + Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. + For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. + So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. + But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. + For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; + For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. + But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience). + If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren). + External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world. + + + MY BRETHREN, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do not [attempt to] hold and practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ [the Lord] of glory [together with snobbery]! + For if a person comes into your congregation whose hands are adorned with gold rings and who is wearing splendid apparel, and also a poor [man] in shabby clothes comes in, + And you pay special attention to the one who wears the splendid clothes and say to him, Sit here in this preferable seat! while you tell the poor [man], Stand there! or, Sit there on the floor at my feet! + Are you not discriminating among your own and becoming critics and judges with wrong motives? + Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him? + But you [in contrast] have insulted (humiliated, dishonored, and shown your contempt for) the poor. Is it not the rich who domineer over you? Is it not they who drag you into the law courts? + Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]? + If indeed you [really] fulfill the royal Law in accordance with the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as [you love] yourself, you do well. [Lev. 19:18.] + But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders. + For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. + For He Who said, You shall not commit adultery, also said, You shall not kill. If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become guilty of transgressing the [whole] Law. [Exod. 20:13, 14; Deut. 5:17, 18.] + So speak and so act as [people should] who are to be judged under the law of liberty [the moral instruction given by Christ, especially about love]. + For to him who has shown no mercy the judgment [will be] merciless, but mercy [full of glad confidence] exults victoriously over judgment. + What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]? + If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day, + And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do? + So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). + But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith. + You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]! + Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless? + Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac? [Gen. 22:1-14.] + You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works. + And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend. [Gen. 15:6; II Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8.] + You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes]. + So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route? [Josh. 2:1-21.] + For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead. + + + NOT MANY [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation]. + For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature. + If we set bits in the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies about. + Likewise, look at the ships: though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines. + Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! + And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man's nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna). + For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius (nature). + But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. + With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness! + Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so. + Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter? + Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water. + Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. + But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth. + This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal). + For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices. + But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity). + And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God's will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. + + + WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? + You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. [I John 3:15.] + [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures. + You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God. + Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love? [Jer. 3:14; Hos. 2:19ff.] + But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). [Prov. 3:34.] + So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. + Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. + [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. + Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]. + [My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it]. + One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the One Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor? + Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. + Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]. + You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing]. + But as it is, you boast [falsely] in your presumption and your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong. + So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin. + + + COME NOW, you rich [people], weep aloud and lament over the miseries (the woes) that are surely coming upon you. + Your abundant wealth has rotted and is ruined, and your [many] garments have become moth-eaten. + Your gold and silver are completely rusted through, and their rust will be testimony against you and it will devour your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped together treasure for the last days. + [But] look! [Here are] the wages that you have withheld by fraud from the laborers who have reaped your fields, crying out [for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts. + [Here] on earth you have abandoned yourselves to soft (prodigal) living and to [the pleasures of] self-indulgence and self-gratification. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. + You have condemned and have murdered the righteous (innocent man), [while] he offers no resistance to you. + So be patient, brethren, [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land. [See how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rains. + So you also must be patient. Establish your hearts [strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty], for the coming of the Lord is very near. + Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you [yourselves] may not be judged. Look! The Judge is [already] standing at the very door. + [As] an example of suffering and ill-treatment together with patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord [as His messengers]. + You know how we call those blessed (happy) who were steadfast [who endured]. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the Lord's [purpose and how He richly blessed him in the] end, inasmuch as the Lord is full of pity and compassion and tenderness and mercy. [Job 1:21, 22; 42:10; Ps. 111:4.] + But above all [things], my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but let your yes be [a simple] yes, and your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin and fall under condemnation. + Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God]. + Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's name. + And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. + Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. + Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. [I Kings 17:1.] + And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. [I Kings 18:42-45.] + [My] brethren, if anyone among you strays from the Truth and falls into error and another [person] brings him back [to God], + Let the [latter] one be sure that whoever turns a sinner from his evil course will save [that one's] soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins [procure the pardon of the many sins committed by the convert]. + + + + + PETER, AN apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, + Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts]. + Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, + [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, + Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God's power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time. + [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, + So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed. + Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy. + [At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls. + The prophets, who prophesied of the grace (divine blessing) which was intended for you, searched and inquired earnestly about this salvation. + They sought [to find out] to whom or when this was to come which the Spirit of Christ working within them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow [them]. + It was then disclosed to them that the services they were rendering were not meant for themselves and their period of time, but for you. [It is these very] things which have now already been made known plainly to you by those who preached the good news (the Gospel) to you by the [same] Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Into these things [the very] angels long to look! + So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed. + [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. + But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. + For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. [Lev. 11:44, 45.] + And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short]. + You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, + But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot. + It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you. + Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God. + Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart. + You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God. + For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off, + But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you. [Isa. 40:6-9.] + + + SO BE done with every trace of wickedness (depravity, malignity) and all deceit and insincerity (pretense, hypocrisy) and grudges (envy, jealousy) and slander and evil speaking of every kind. + Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation, + Since you have [already] tasted the goodness and kindness of the Lord. [Ps. 34:8.] + Come to Him [then, to that] Living Stone which men tried and threw away, but which is chosen [and] precious in God's sight. [Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16.] + [Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. + For thus it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen (honored), precious chief Cornerstone, and he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall never be disappointed or put to shame. [Isa. 28:16.] + To you then who believe (who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Him) is the preciousness; but for those who disbelieve [it is true], The [very] Stone which the builders rejected has become the main Cornerstone, [Ps. 118:22.] + And, A Stone that will cause stumbling and a Rock that will give [men] offense; they stumble because they disobey and disbelieve [God's] Word, as those [who reject Him] were destined (appointed) to do. + But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [Exod. 19:5, 6.] + Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God's people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy. [Hos. 2:23.] + Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers and exiles [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul. + Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock]. + Be submissive to every human institution and authority for the sake of the Lord, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, + Or to governors as sent by him to bring vengeance (punishment, justice) to those who do wrong and to encourage those who do good service. + For it is God's will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons. + [Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God. + Show respect for all men [treat them honorably]. Love the brotherhood (the Christian fraternity of which Christ is the Head). Reverence God. Honor the emperor. + [You who are] household servants, be submissive to your masters with all [proper] respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate and reasonable, but also to those who are surly (overbearing, unjust, and crooked). + For one is regarded favorably (is approved, acceptable, and thankworthy) if, as in the sight of God, he endures the pain of unjust suffering. + [After all] what kind of glory [is there in it] if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you take it patiently? But if you bear patiently with suffering [which results] when you do right and that is undeserved, it is acceptable and pleasing to God. + For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps. + He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips. [Isa. 53:9.] + When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly. + He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. + For you were going astray like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian (the Bishop) of your souls. [Isa. 53:5, 6.] + + + IN LIKE manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives, + When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him--to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]. + Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; + But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God. + For it was thus that the pious women of old who hoped in God were [accustomed] to beautify themselves and were submissive to their husbands [adapting themselves to them as themselves secondary and dependent upon them]. + It was thus that Sarah obeyed Abraham [following his guidance and acknowledging his headship over her by] calling him lord (master, leader, authority). And you are now her true daughters if you do right and let nothing terrify you [not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you]. + In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God's unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.] + Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble). + Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God--that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection]. + For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good--whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit). + Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] + For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them]. [Ps. 34:12-16.] + Now who is there to hurt you if you are zealous followers of that which is good? + But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition]. + But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully. [Isa. 8:12, 13.] + [And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives]. + For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God's will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong. + For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit, + In which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, + [The souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God's patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water. [Gen. 6-8.] + And baptism, which is a figure [of their deliverance], does now also save you [from inward questionings and fears], not by the removing of outward body filth [bathing], but by [providing you with] the answer of a good and clear conscience (inward cleanness and peace) before God [because you are demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. + [And He] has now entered into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with [all] angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him. + + + SO, SINCE Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God], + So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires, but [he lives] for what God wills. + For the time that is past already suffices for doing what the Gentiles like to do--living [as you have done] in shameless, insolent wantonness, in lustful desires, drunkenness, reveling, drinking bouts and abominable, lawless idolatries. + They are astonished and think it very queer that you do not now run hand in hand with them in the same excesses of dissipation, and they abuse [you]. + But they will have to give an account to Him Who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead. + For this is why the good news (the Gospel) was preached [in their lifetime] even to the dead, that though judged in fleshly bodies as men are, they might live in the spirit as God does. + But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer. + Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. [Prov. 10:12.] + Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him). + As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor]. + Whoever speaks, [let him do it as one who utters] oracles of God; whoever renders service, [let him do it] as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever (through endless ages). Amen (so be it). + Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you. + But insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly]. + If you are censured and suffer abuse [because you bear] the name of Christ, blessed [are you--happy, fortunate, to be envied, with life-joy, and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of your outward condition], because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, is resting upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. [Isa. 11:2.] + But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or any sort of criminal, or as a mischief-maker (a meddler) in the affairs of others [infringing on their rights]. + But if [one is ill-treated and suffers] as a Christian [which he is contemptuously called], let him not be ashamed, but give glory to God that he is [deemed worthy to suffer] in this name. + For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God? + And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the godless and wicked? [Prov. 11:31.] + Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with God's will must do right and commit their souls [in charge as a deposit] to the One Who created [them] and will never fail [them]. + + + I WARN and counsel the elders among you (the pastors and spiritual guides of the church) as a fellow elder and as an eyewitness [called to testify] of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a sharer in the glory (the honor and splendor) that is to be revealed (disclosed, unfolded): + Tend (nurture, guard, guide, and fold) the flock of God that is [your responsibility], not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonorably motivated by the advantages and profits [belonging to the office], but eagerly and cheerfully; + Not domineering [as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons] over those in your charge, but being examples (patterns and models of Christian living) to the flock (the congregation). + And [then] when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you will win the conqueror's crown of glory. + Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)--[giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)--[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. [Prov. 3:34.] + Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, + Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Ps. 55:22.] + Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. + Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. + And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. + To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it). + By Silvanus, a true (loyal, consistent, incorruptible) brother, as I consider him, I have written briefly to you, to counsel and urge and stimulate [you] and to declare [to you] that this is the true [account of the] grace (the undeserved favor) of God. Be steadfast and persevere in it. + She [your sister church here] in Babylon, [who is] elect (chosen) with [yourselves], sends you greetings, and [so does] my son (disciple) Mark. + Salute one another with a kiss of love [the symbol of mutual affection]. To all of you that are in Christ Jesus (the Messiah), may there be peace (every kind of peace and blessing, especially peace with God, and freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts). Amen (so be it). + + + + + SIMON PETER, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: + May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. + For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). + By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. + For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), + And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), + And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love. + For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins. + Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. + Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. + So I intend always to remind you about these things, although indeed you know them and are firm in the truth that [you] now [hold]. + I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle (tent, body), to stir you up by way of remembrance, + Since I know that the laying aside of this body of mine will come speedily, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. + Moreover, I will diligently endeavor [to see to it] that [even] after my departure (decease) you may be able at all times to call these things to mind. + For we were not following cleverly devised stories when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty (grandeur, authority of sovereign power). + For when He was invested with honor and glory from God the Father and a voice was borne to Him by the [splendid] Majestic Glory [in the bright cloud that overshadowed Him, saying], This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased and delight, + We [actually] heard this voice borne out of heaven, for we were together with Him on the holy mountain. + And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts. + [Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). + For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit. + + + BUT ALSO [in those days] there arose false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves, who will subtly and stealthily introduce heretical doctrines (destructive heresies), even denying and disowning the Master Who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. + And many will follow their immoral ways and lascivious doings; because of them the true Way will be maligned and defamed. + And in their covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you with false (cunning) arguments. From of old the sentence [of condemnation] for them has not been idle; their destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep. + For God did not [even] spare angels that sinned, but cast them into hell, delivering them to be kept there in pits of gloom till the judgment and their doom. + And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people]. [Gen. 6-8; I Peter 3:20.] + And He condemned to ruin and extinction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes [and thus] set them forth as an example to those who would be ungodly; [Gen. 19:24.] + And He rescued righteous Lot, greatly worn out and distressed by the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless--[Gen. 19:16, 29.] + For that just man, living [there] among them, tortured his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard of [their] unlawful and wicked deeds-- + Now if [all these things are true, then be sure] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials, and how to keep the ungodly under chastisement until the day of judgment and doom, + And particularly those who walk after the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self-willed and self-loving creatures]! They scoff at and revile dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling, + Whereas [even] angels, though superior in might and power, do not bring a defaming charge against them before the Lord. + But these [people]! Like unreasoning beasts, mere creatures of instinct, born [only] to be captured and destroyed, railing at things of which they are ignorant, they shall utterly perish in their [own] corruption [in their destroying they shall surely be destroyed], + Being destined to receive [punishment as] the reward of [their] unrighteousness [suffering wrong as the hire for their wrongdoing]. They count it a delight to revel in the daytime [living luxuriously and delicately]. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions and carousing together [even] as they feast with you. + They have eyes full of harlotry, insatiable for sin. They beguile and bait and lure away unstable souls. Their hearts are trained in covetousness (lust, greed), [they are] children of a curse [exposed to cursing]! + Forsaking the straight road they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam [the son] of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness. [Num. 22:5, 7.] + But he was rebuked for his own transgression when a dumb beast of burden spoke with human voice and checked the prophet's madness. [Num. 22:21-31.] + These are springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest, for whom is reserved forever the gloom of darkness. + For uttering loud boasts of folly, they beguile and lure with lustful desires of the flesh those who are barely escaping from them who are wrongdoers. + They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity and defilement--for by whatever anyone is made inferior or worse or is overcome, to that [person or thing] he is enslaved. + For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through [the full, personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition is worse [for them] than the first. + For never to have obtained a [full, personal] knowledge of the way of righteousness would have been better for them than, having obtained [such knowledge], to turn back from the holy commandment which was [verbally] delivered to them. + There has befallen them the thing spoken of in the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and, The sow is washed only to wallow again in the mire. [Prov. 26:11.] + + + BELOVED, I am now writing you this second letter. In [both of] them I have stirred up your unsullied (sincere) mind by way of remembrance, + That you should recall the predictions of the holy (consecrated, dedicated) prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior [given] through your apostles (His special messengers). + To begin with, you must know and understand this, that scoffers (mockers) will come in the last days with scoffing, [people who] walk after their own fleshly desires + And say, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly as they did from the beginning of creation. + For they willfully overlook and forget this [fact], that the heavens [came into] existence long ago by the word of God, and the earth also which was formed out of water and by means of water, + Through which the world that then [existed] was deluged with water and perished. [Gen. 1:6-8; 7:11.] + But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up (reserved) for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people. + Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. [Ps. 90:4.] + The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. + But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous crash, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. + Since all these things are thus in the process of being dissolved, what kind of person ought [each of] you to be [in the meanwhile] in consecrated and holy behavior and devout and godly qualities, + While you wait and earnestly long for (expect and hasten) the coming of the day of God by reason of which the flaming heavens will be dissolved, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will flare and melt with fire? [Isa. 34:4.] + But we look for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise, in which righteousness (uprightness, freedom from sin, and right standing with God) is to abide. [Isa. 65:17; 66:22.] + So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. + And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul's safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, + Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures. + Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you be carried away by the error of lawless and wicked [persons and] fall from your own [present] firm condition [your own steadfastness of mind]. + But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)! + + + + + [WE ARE writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands. + And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers]. + What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). + And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full [and your joy may be complete]. + And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]. + [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. + But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. + If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. + If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. + If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts]. + + + MY LITTLE children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father--[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father's will in every purpose, thought, and action]. + And He [that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world. + And this is how we may discern [daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him]: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments). + Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him. + But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him: + Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself. + Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the message which you have heard [the doctrine of salvation through Christ]. + Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true (is realized) in Him and in you, because the darkness (moral blindness) is clearing away and the true Light (the revelation of God in Christ) is already shining. + Whoever says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother [Christian, born-again child of God his Father] is in darkness even until now. + Whoever loves his brother [believer] abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin. + But he who hates (detests, despises) his brother [in Christ] is in darkness and walking (living) in the dark; he is straying and does not perceive or know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. + I am writing to you, little children, because for His name's sake your sins are forgiven [pardoned through His name and on account of confessing His name]. + I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know (recognize, be aware of, and understand) Him Who [has existed] from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have been victorious over the wicked [one]. I write to you, boys (lads), because you have come to know (recognize and be aware) of the Father. + I write to you, fathers, because you have come to know (recognize, be conscious of, and understand) Him Who [has existed] from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the Word of God is [always] abiding in you (in your hearts), and you have been victorious over the wicked one. + Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. + For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]--these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. + And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever. + Boys (lads), it is the last time (hour, the end of this age). And as you have heard that the antichrist [he who will oppose Christ in the guise of Christ] is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, which confirms our belief that it is the final (the end) time. + They went out from our number, but they did not [really] belong to us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But [they withdrew] that it might be plain that they all are not of us. + But you have been anointed by [you hold a sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from] the Holy One, and you all know [the Truth] or you know all things. + I write to you not because you are ignorant and do not perceive and know the Truth, but because you do perceive and know it, and [know positively] that nothing false (no deception, no lie) is of the Truth. + Who is [such a] liar as he who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah)? He is the antichrist (the antagonist of Christ), who [habitually] denies and refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son. + No one who [habitually] denies (disowns) the Son even has the Father. Whoever confesses (acknowledges and has) the Son has the Father also. + As for you, keep in your hearts what you have heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the first dwells and remains in you, then you will dwell in the Son and in the Father [always]. + And this is what He Himself has promised us--the life, the eternal [life]. + I write this to you with reference to those who would deceive you [seduce and lead you astray]. + But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do]. + And now, little children, abide (live, remain permanently) in Him, so that when He is made visible, we may have and enjoy perfect confidence (boldness, assurance) and not be ashamed and shrink from Him at His coming. + If you know (perceive and are sure) that He [Christ] is [absolutely] righteous [conforming to the Father's will in purpose, thought, and action], you may also know (be sure) that everyone who does righteously [and is therefore in like manner conformed to the divine will] is born (begotten) of Him [God]. + + + SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. + Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. + And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless). + Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect--being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will). + You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]. + No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him--deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him]. + Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous. + [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. + No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. + By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ). + For this is the message (the announcement) which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another, + [And] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds (activities, works) were wicked and malicious and his brother's were righteous (virtuous). + Do not be surprised and wonder, brethren, that the world detests and pursues you with hatred. + We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death. + Anyone who hates (abominates, detests) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding (persevering) within him. + By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him]. + But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? + Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity). + By this we shall come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we are of the Truth, and can reassure (quiet, conciliate, and pacify) our hearts in His presence, + Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God's hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him]. + And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God, + And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him. + And this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us. + All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us. + + + BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. + By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]; + And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world. + Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. + They proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world [its whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them. + We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. + Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. + He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. + In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him. + In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. + Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another. + No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us! + By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit. + And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world. + Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God. + And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. + In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. + There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]. + We love Him, because He first loved us. + If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. + And this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother [believer] also. + + + EVERYONE WHO believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring). + By this we come to know (recognize and understand) that we love the children of God: when we love God and obey His commands (orders, charges)--[when we keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and His teaching]. + For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous). + For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. + Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? + This is He Who came by (with) water and blood [His baptism and His death], Jesus Christ (the Messiah)--not by (in) the water only, but by (in) the water and the blood. And it is the [Holy] Spirit Who bears witness, because the [Holy] Spirit is the Truth. + So there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One; + and there are three witnesses on the earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree [are in unison; their testimony coincides]. + If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [if we are willing to take human authority], the testimony of God is greater (of stronger authority), for this is the testimony of God, even the witness which He has borne regarding His Son. + He who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the testimony [possesses this divine attestation] within himself. He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence (the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son. + And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. + He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life. + I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life. + And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. + And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him. + If anyone sees his brother [believer] committing a sin that does not [lead to] death (the extinguishing of life), he will pray and [God] will give him life [yes, He will grant life to all those whose sin is not one leading to death]. There is a sin [that leads] to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. + All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin which does not [involve] death [that may be repented of and forgiven]. + We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him]. + We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one. + And we [have seen and] know [positively] that the Son of God has [actually] come to this world and has given us understanding and insight [progressively] to perceive (recognize) and come to know better and more clearly Him Who is true; and we are in Him Who is true--in His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). This [Man] is the true God and Life eternal. + Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)--[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be). + + + + + THE ELDERLY elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the elect (chosen) lady (Cyria) and her children, whom I truly love--and not only I but also all who are [progressively] learning to recognize and know and understand the Truth-- + Because of the Truth which lives and stays on in our hearts and will be with us forever: + Grace (spiritual blessing), mercy, and [soul] peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ (the Messiah), the Father's Son, in all sincerity (truth) and love. + I was greatly delighted to find some of your children walking (living) in [the] Truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father [Himself]. + And now I beg you, lady (Cyria), not as if I were issuing a new charge (injunction or command), but [simply recalling to your mind] the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. + And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it]. + For many imposters (seducers, deceivers, and false leaders) have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge (confess, admit) the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) in bodily form. Such a one is the imposter (the seducer, the deceiver, the false leader, the antagonist of Christ) and the antichrist. + Look to yourselves (take care) that you may not lose (throw away or destroy) all that we and you have labored for, but that you may [persevere until you] win and receive back a perfect reward [in full]. + Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son. + If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine [is disloyal to what Jesus Christ taught], do not receive him [do not accept him, do not welcome or admit him] into [your] house or bid him Godspeed or give him any encouragement. + For he who wishes him success [who encourages him, wishing him Godspeed] is a partaker in his evil doings. + I have many things to write to you, but I prefer not to do so with paper and ink; I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. + The children of your elect (chosen) sister wish to be remembered to you. Amen (so be it). + + + + + THE ELDERLY elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the beloved (esteemed) Gaius, whom I truly love. + Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers. + In fact, I greatly rejoiced when [some of] the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke [so highly] of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth [the whole Gospel presents]. + I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living their lives in the Truth. + Beloved, it is a fine and faithful work that you are doing when you give any service to the [Christian] brethren, and [especially when they are] strangers. + They have testified before the church of your love and friendship. You will do well to forward them on their journey [and you will please do so] in a way worthy of God's [service]. + For these [traveling missionaries] have gone out for the Name's sake (for His sake) and are accepting nothing from the Gentiles (the heathen, the non-Israelites). + So we ourselves ought to support such people [to welcome and provide for them], in order that we may be fellow workers in the Truth (the whole Gospel) and cooperate with its teachers. + I have written briefly to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to take the lead among them and put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority and refuses to accept my suggestions or to listen to me. + So when I arrive, I will call attention to what he is doing, his boiling over and casting malicious reflections upon us with insinuating language. And not satisfied with that, he refuses to receive and welcome the [missionary] brethren himself, and also interferes with and forbids those who would welcome them, and tries to expel (excommunicate) them from the church. + Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen (discerned or experienced) God [has enjoyed no vision of Him and does not know Him at all]. + Demetrius has warm commendation from everyone--and from the Truth itself; we add our testimony also, and you know that our testimony is true. + I had much [to say to you when I began] to write, but I prefer not to put it down with pen (a reed) and ink; + I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face. Peace be to you! (Good-bye!) The friends here send you greetings. Remember me to the friends there [to every one of them personally] by name. + + + + + JUDE, A servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and brother of James, [writes this letter] to those who are called (chosen), dearly loved by God the Father and separated (set apart) and kept for Jesus Christ: + May mercy, [soul] peace, and love be multiplied to you. + Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God]. + For certain men have crept in stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + Now I want to remind you, though you were fully informed once for all, that though the Lord [at one time] delivered a people out of the land of Egypt, He subsequently destroyed those [of them] who did not believe [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him]. + And angels who did not keep (care for, guard, and hold to) their own first place of power but abandoned their proper dwelling place--these He has reserved in custody in eternal chains (bonds) under the thick gloom of utter darkness until the judgment and doom of the great day. + [The wicked are sentenced to suffer] just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent towns--which likewise gave themselves over to impurity and indulged in unnatural vice and sensual perversity--are laid out [in plain sight] as an exhibit of perpetual punishment [to warn] of everlasting fire. [Gen. 19.] + Nevertheless in like manner, these dreamers also corrupt the body, scorn and reject authority and government, and revile and libel and scoff at [heavenly] glories (the glorious ones). + But when [even] the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, judicially argued (disputed) about the body of Moses, he dared not [presume to] bring an abusive condemnation against him, but [simply] said, The Lord rebuke you! [Zech. 3:2.] + But these men revile (scoff and sneer at) anything they do not happen to be acquainted with and do not understand; and whatever they do understand physically [that which they know by mere instinct], like irrational beasts--by these they corrupt themselves and are destroyed (perish). + Woe to them! For they have run riotously in the way of Cain, and have abandoned themselves for the sake of gain [it offers them, following] the error of Balaam, and have perished in rebellion [like that] of Korah! [Gen. 4:3-8; Num. 16; 22-24.] + These are hidden reefs (elements of danger) in your love feasts, where they boldly feast sumptuously [carousing together in your midst], without scruples providing for themselves [alone]. They are clouds without water, swept along by the winds; trees, without fruit at the late autumn gathering time--twice (doubly) dead, [lifeless and] plucked up by the roots; + Wild waves of the sea, flinging up the foam of their own shame and disgrace; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of eternal darkness has been reserved forever. + It was of these people, moreover, that Enoch in the seventh [generation] from Adam prophesied when he said, Behold, the Lord comes with His myriads of holy ones (ten thousands of His saints) + To execute judgment upon all and to convict all the impious (unholy ones) of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed [in such an] ungodly [way], and of all the severe (abusive, jarring) things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. + These are inveterate murmurers (grumblers) who complain [of their lot in life], going after their own desires [controlled by their passions]; their talk is boastful and arrogant, [and they claim to] admire men's persons and pay people flattering compliments to gain advantage. + But you must remember, beloved, the predictions which were made by the apostles (the special messengers) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). + They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek to gratify their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly passions. + It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions--merely sensual [creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life. + But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; + Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)--[which will bring you] unto life eternal. + And refute [so as to] convict some who dispute with you, and on some have mercy who waver and doubt. + [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality. [Zech. 3:2-4.] + Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]-- + To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it). + + + + + [THIS IS] the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries]. God gave it to Him to disclose and make known to His bond servants certain things which must shortly and speedily come to pass in their entirety. And He sent and communicated it through His angel (messenger) to His bond servant John, + Who has testified to and vouched for all that he saw [in his visions], the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. + Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who reads aloud [in the assemblies] the word of this prophecy; and blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who hear [it read] and who keep themselves true to the things which are written in it [heeding them and laying them to heart], for the time [for them to be fulfilled] is near. + John to the seven assemblies (churches) that are in Asia: May grace (God's unmerited favor) be granted to you and spiritual peace (the peace of Christ's kingdom) from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] before His throne, [Isa. 11:2.] + And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, [Ps. 89:27.] + And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it). [Exod. 19:6; Isa. 61:6.] + Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it). [Dan. 7:13; Zech. 12:10.] + I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all). [Isa. 9:6.] + I, John, your brother and companion (sharer and participator) with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance [which are] in Jesus Christ, was on the isle called Patmos, [banished] on account of [my witnessing to] the Word of God and the testimony (the proof, the evidence) for Jesus Christ. + I was in the Spirit [rapt in His power] on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice like the calling of a war trumpet, + Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia--to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. + Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, + And in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast. [Dan. 7:13; 10:5.] + His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire. [Dan. 7:9.] + His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. [Dan. 10:6.] + In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday. [Exod. 34:29.] + When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, [Isa. 44:6.] + And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead). + Write therefore the things you see, what they are [and signify] and what is to take place hereafter. + As to the hidden meaning (the mystery) of the seven stars which you saw on My right hand and the seven lampstands of gold: the seven stars are the seven angels (messengers) of the seven assemblies (churches) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. + + + TO THE angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him Who holds the seven stars [which are the messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, Who goes about among the seven golden lampstands [which are the seven churches]: + I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars. + I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary. + But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. + Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. + Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest. + He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. [Gen. 2:9; 3:24.] + And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again: [Isa. 44:6.] + I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty--but you are rich! and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. + Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life. [Rev. 3:10, 11.] + He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death. + Then to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Pergamum write: These are the words of Him Who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword: + I know where you live--a place where Satan sits enthroned. [Yet] you are clinging to and holding fast My name, and you did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) in your midst--where Satan dwells. + Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people there who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap and a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [to entice them] to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and to practice lewdness [giving themselves up to sexual vice]. [Num. 25:1, 2; 31:16.] + You also have some who in a similar way are clinging to the teaching of the Nicolaitans [those corrupters of the people] which thing I hate. + Repent [then]! Or else I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. + He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it. [Ps. 78:24; Isa. 62:2.] + And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, Who has eyes that flash like a flame of fire, and Whose feet glow like bright and burnished and white-hot bronze: [Dan. 10:6.] + I know your record and what you are doing, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your recent works are more numerous and greater than your first ones. + But I have this against you: that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and who is teaching and leading astray my servants and beguiling them into practicing sexual vice and eating food sacrificed to idols. [I Kings 16:31; II Kings 9:22, 30.] + I gave her time to repent, but she has no desire to repent of her immorality [symbolic of idolatry] and refuses to do so. + Take note: I will throw her on a bed [of anguish], and those who commit adultery with her [her paramours] I will bring down to pressing distress and severe affliction, unless they turn away their minds from conduct [such as] hers and repent of their doings. + And I will strike her children (her proper followers) dead [thoroughly exterminating them]. And all the assemblies (churches) shall recognize and understand that I am He Who searches minds (the thoughts, feelings, and purposes) and the [inmost] hearts, and I will give to each of you [the reward for what you have done] as your work deserves. [Ps. 62:12; Jer. 17:10.] + But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they say--I tell you that I do not lay upon you any other [fresh] burden: + Only hold fast to what you have until I come. + And he who overcomes (is victorious) and who obeys My commands to the [very] end [doing the works that please Me], I will give him authority and power over the nations; + And he shall rule them with a sceptre (rod) of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, and [his power over them shall be] like that which I Myself have received from My Father; [Ps. 2:8, 9.] + And I will give him the Morning Star. + He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). + + + AND TO the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. + Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight. + So call to mind the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. In case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come. + Yet you still have a few [persons'] names in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy and deserving. + Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels. [Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1.] + He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). + And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one shall shut, Who shuts and no one shall open: [Isa. 22:22.] + I know your [record of] works and what you are doing. See! I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My Word and guarded My message and have not renounced or denied My name. + Take note! I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and learn and acknowledge that I have loved you. [Isa. 43:4; 49:23; 60:14.] + Because you have guarded and kept My word of patient endurance [have held fast the lesson of My patience with the expectant endurance that I give you], I also will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial (testing) which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell upon the earth. + I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown. + He who overcomes (is victorious), I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God; he shall never be put out of it or go out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of heaven, and My own new name. [Isa. 62:2; Ezek. 48:35.] + He who can hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). + And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God's creation: [Isa. 55:4; Prov. 8:22.] + I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! + So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! + For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [Hos. 12:8.] + Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see. + Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]. [Prov. 3:12.] + Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. + He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. + He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). + + + AFTER THIS I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard addressing me like [the calling of] a war trumpet said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place in the future. + At once I came under the [Holy] Spirit's power, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne! [Ezek. 1:26.] + And He Who sat there appeared like [the crystalline brightness of] jasper and [the fiery] sardius, and encircling the throne there was a halo that looked like [a rainbow of] emerald. [Ezek. 1:28.] + Twenty-four other thrones surrounded the throne, and seated on these thrones were twenty-four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin), arrayed in white clothing, with crowns of gold upon their heads. + Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne seven blazing torches burned, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit]; + And in front of the throne there was also what looked like a transparent glassy sea, as if of crystal. And around the throne, in the center at each side of the throne, were four living creatures (beings) who were full of eyes in front and behind [with intelligence as to what is before and at the rear of them]. [Ezek. 1:5, 18.] + The first living creature (being) was like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature [was] like a flying eagle. [Ezek. 1:10.] + And the four living creatures, individually having six wings, were full of eyes all over and within [underneath their wings]; and day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Omnipotent), Who was and Who is and Who is to come. [Isa. 6:1-3.] + And whenever the living creatures offer glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities), [Ps. 47:8.] + The twenty-four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out, + Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created. [Ps. 19:1.] + + + AND I saw lying on the open hand of Him Who was seated on the throne a scroll (book) written within and on the back, closed and sealed with seven seals; [Isa. 29:11; Ezek. 2:9, 10; Dan. 12:4.] + And I saw a strong angel announcing in a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll? And [who is entitled and deserves and is morally fit] to break its seals? + And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in the realm of the dead, Hades] was able to open the scroll or to take a [single] look at its contents. + And I wept audibly and bitterly because no one was found fit to open the scroll or to inspect it. + Then one of the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals! [Gen. 49:9, 10; Isa. 11:1, 10; Rev. 22:16.] + And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth. [Isa. 53:7; Zech. 3:8, 9; 4:10.] + He then went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne. + And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God's people (the saints). + And [now] they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation. [Ps. 33:3.] + And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth! [Exod. 19:6; Isa. 61:6.] + Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels on every side of the throne and of the living creatures and the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin], and they numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, [Dan. 7:10.] + Saying in a loud voice, Deserving is the Lamb, Who was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty (glory, splendor) and blessing! + And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth [in Hades, the place of departed spirits] and on the sea and all that is in it, crying out together, To Him Who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed the blessing and the honor and the majesty (glory, splendor) and the power (might and dominion) forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities)! [Dan. 7:13, 14.] + Then the four living creatures (beings) said, Amen (so be it)! And the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves and worshiped Him Who lives forever and ever. + + + THEN I saw as the Lamb broke open one of the seven seals, and as if in a voice of thunder I heard one of the four living creatures call out, Come! + And I looked, and saw there a white horse whose rider carried a bow. And a crown was given him, and he rode forth conquering and to conquer. [Ps. 45:4, 5; Zech. 1:8; 6:1-3.] + And when He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, Come! + And another horse came out, flaming red. And its rider was empowered to take the peace from the earth, so that men slaughtered one another; and he was given a huge sword. + When He broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, Come and look! And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and in his hand the rider had a pair of scales (a balance). + And I heard what seemed to be a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius [a whole day's wages], and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not harm the oil and the wine! [II Kings 6:25.] + When the Lamb broke open the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature call out, Come! + So I looked, and behold, an ashy pale horse [black and blue as if made so by bruising], and its rider's name was Death, and Hades (the realm of the dead) followed him closely. And they were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague (pestilence, disease) and with wild beasts of the earth. [Ezek. 5:12; Hos. 13:14.] + When the Lamb broke open the fifth seal, I saw at the foot of the altar the souls of those whose lives had been sacrificed for [adhering to] the Word of God and for the testimony they had borne. + They cried in a loud voice, O [Sovereign] Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood upon those who dwell on the earth? [Gen. 4:10; Ps. 79:5; Zech. 1:12.] + Then they were each given a long and flowing and festive white robe and told to rest and wait patiently a little while longer, until the number should be complete of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed as they themselves had been. + When He [the Lamb] broke open the sixth seal, I looked, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun grew black as sackcloth of hair, [the full disc of] the moon became like blood. [Joel 2:10, 31.] + And the stars of the sky dropped to the earth like a fig tree shedding its unripe fruit out of season when shaken by a strong wind. [Isa. 34:4.] + And the sky rolled up like a scroll and vanished, and every mountain and island was dislodged from its place. + Then the kings of the earth and their noblemen and their magnates and their military chiefs and the wealthy and the strong and [everyone, whether] slave or free hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, [Isa. 2:10.] + And they called to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on (before) us and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne and from the deep-seated indignation and wrath of the Lamb. [Isa. 2:19-21; Hos. 10:8.] + For the great day of His wrath (vengeance, retribution, indignation) has come, and who is able to stand before it? [Joel 2:11; Mal. 3:2.] + + + AFTER THIS I saw four angels stationed at the four corners of the earth, firmly holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind should blow on the earth or sea or upon any tree. [Zech. 6:5.] + Then I saw a second angel coming up from the east (the rising of the sun) and carrying the seal of the living God. And with a loud voice he called out to the four angels who had been given authority and power to injure earth and sea, + Saying, Harm neither the earth nor the sea nor the trees, until we have sealed the bond servants of our God upon their foreheads. [Ezek. 9:4.] + And [then] I heard how many were sealed (marked) out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: there were 144,000. + Twelve thousand were sealed (marked) out of the tribe of Judah, 12,000 of the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 of the tribe of Gad, + Twelve thousand of the tribe of Asher, 12,000 of the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 of the tribe of Manasseh, + Twelve thousand of the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 of the tribe of Levi, 12,000 of the tribe of Issachar, + Twelve thousand of the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 of the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 of the tribe of Benjamin. + After this I looked and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and before the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. + In loud voice they cried, saying, [Our] salvation is due to our God, Who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [to Them we owe our deliverance]! + And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] and the four living creatures, and they fell prostrate before the throne and worshiped God. + Amen! (So be it!) they cried. Blessing and glory and majesty and splendor and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might [be ascribed] to our God to the ages and ages (forever and ever, throughout the eternities of the eternities)! Amen! (So be it!) + Then, addressing me, one of the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said, Who are these [people] clothed in the long white robes? And from where have they come? + I replied, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (persecution), and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [Gen. 49:11; Dan. 12:1.] + For this reason they are [now] before the [very] throne of God and serve Him day and night in His sanctuary (temple); and He Who is sitting upon the throne will protect and spread His tabernacle over and shelter them with His presence. + They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun smite them, nor any scorching heat. [Isa. 49:10; Ps. 121:6.] + For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. [Ps. 23:2; Isa. 25:8; Ezek. 34:23.] + + + WHEN HE [the Lamb] broke open the seventh seal, there was silence for about half an hour in heaven. + Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. + And another angel came and stood over the altar. He had a golden censer, and he was given very much incense (fragrant spices and gums which exhale perfume when burned), that he might mingle it with the prayers of all the people of God (the saints) upon the golden altar before the throne. [Ps. 141:2.] + And the smoke of the incense (the perfume) arose in the presence of God, with the prayers of the people of God (the saints), from the hand of the angel. + So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and cast it upon the earth. Then there followed peals of thunder and loud rumblings and blasts and noises, and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. [Lev. 16:12; Ezek. 10:2.] + Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. + The first angel blew [his] trumpet, and there was a storm of hail and fire mingled with blood cast upon the earth. And a third part of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees was burned up and all the green grass was burned up. [Exod. 9:23-25.] + The second angel blew [his] trumpet, and something resembling a great mountain, blazing with fire, was hurled into the sea. [Jer. 51:25.] + And a third of the sea was turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea perished, and a third of the ships were destroyed. + The third angel blew [his] trumpet, and a huge star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it dropped on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- + And the name of the star is Wormwood. A third part of the waters was changed into wormwood, and many people died from using the water, because it had become bitter. + Then the fourth angel blew [his] trumpet, and a third of the sun was smitten, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that [the light of] a third of them was darkened, and a third of the daylight [itself] was withdrawn, and likewise a third [of the light] of the night was kept from shining. + Then I [looked and I] saw a solitary eagle flying in midheaven, and as it flew I heard it crying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the rest of the trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to sound! + + + THEN THE fifth angel blew [his] trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth; and to the angel was given the key of the shaft of the Abyss (the bottomless pit). + He opened the long shaft of the Abyss (the bottomless pit), and smoke like the smoke of a huge furnace puffed out of the long shaft, so that the sun and the atmosphere were darkened by the smoke from the long shaft. [Gen. 19:28; Exod. 19:18; Joel 2:10.] + Then out of the smoke locusts came forth on the earth, and such power was granted them as the power the earth's scorpions have. [Exod. 10: 12-15.] + They were told not to injure the herbage of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but only [to attack] such human beings as do not have the seal (mark) of God on their foreheads. [Ezek. 9:4.] + They were not permitted to kill them, but to torment (distress, vex) them for five months; and the pain caused them was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings a person. + And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; and they will yearn to die, but death evades and flees from them. [Job 3:21.] + The locusts resembled horses equipped for battle. On their heads was something like golden crowns. Their faces resembled the faces of people. [Joel 2:4.] + They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. [Joel 1:6.] + Their breastplates (scales) resembled breastplates made of iron, and the [whirring] noise made by their wings was like the roar of a vast number of horse-drawn chariots going at full speed into battle. [Joel 2:5.] + They have tails like scorpions, and they have stings, and in their tails lies their ability to hurt men for [the] five months. + Over them as king they have the angel of the Abyss (of the bottomless pit). In Hebrew his name is Abaddon [destruction], but in Greek he is called Apollyon [destroyer]. + The first woe (calamity) has passed; behold, two others are yet to follow. + Then the sixth angel blew [his] trumpet, and from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God I heard a solitary voice, + Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Liberate the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. + So the four angels who had been in readiness for that hour in the appointed day, month, and year were liberated to destroy a third of mankind. + The number of their troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard what their number was. + And in [my] vision the horses and their riders appeared to me like this: the riders wore breastplates the color of fiery red and sapphire blue and sulphur (brimstone) yellow. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and from their mouths there poured fire and smoke and sulphur (brimstone). + A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues--by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur (brimstone) that poured from the mouths of the horses. + For the power of the horses to do harm is in their mouths and also in their tails. Their tails are like serpents, for they have heads, and it is by means of them that they wound people. + And the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues even then did not repent of [the worship of] the works of their [own] hands, so as to cease paying homage to the demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor move. [Ps. 115:4-7; 135:15-17; Isa. 17:8.] + And they did not repent of their murders or their practice of magic (sorceries) or their sexual vice or their thefts. + + + THEN I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, robed in a cloud, with a [halo like a] rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his feet (legs) were like columns of fire. + He had a little book (scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, + And he shouted with a loud voice like the roaring of a lion; and when he had shouted, the seven thunders gave voice and uttered their message in distinct words. + And when the seven thunders had spoken (sounded), I was going to write [it down], but I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up what the seven thunders have said! Do not write it down! + Then the [mighty] angel whom I had seen stationed on sea and land raised his right hand to heaven (the sky), [Deut. 32:40; Dan. 12:6, 7.] + And swore in the name of (by) Him Who lives forever and ever, Who created the heavens (sky) and all they contain, and the earth and all that it contains, and the sea and all that it contains. [He swore] that no more time should intervene and there should be no more waiting or delay, + But that when the days come when the trumpet call of the seventh angel is about to be sounded, then God's mystery (His secret design, His hidden purpose), as He had announced the glad tidings to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled (accomplished, completed). [Dan. 12:6, 7.] + Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke again to me, saying, Go and take the little book (scroll) which is open on the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. + So I went up to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it. It will embitter your stomach, though in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. [Ezek. 2:8, 9; 3:1-3.] + So I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was embittered. + Then they said to me, You are to make a fresh prophecy concerning many peoples and races and nations and languages and kings. [Jer. 1:10.] + + + A REED [as a measuring rod] was then given to me, [shaped] like a staff, and I was told: Rise up and measure the sanctuary of God and the altar [of incense], and [number] those who worship there. [Ezek. 40:3.] + But leave out of your measuring the court outside the sanctuary of God; omit that, for it is given over to the Gentiles (the nations), and they will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months (three and one-half years). [Isa. 63:18; Zech. 12:3.] + And I will grant the power of prophecy to My two witnesses for 1,260 + These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. [Zech. 4:3, 11-14.] + And if anyone attempts to injure them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their enemies; if anyone should attempt to harm them, thus he is doomed to be slain. [II Kings 1:10; Jer. 5:14.] + These [two witnesses] have power to shut up the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying (their prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph); and they also have power to turn the waters into blood and to smite and scourge the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they choose. [Exod. 7:17, 19; I Kings 17:1.] + But when they have finished their testimony and their evidence is all in, the beast (monster) that comes up out of the Abyss (bottomless pit) will wage war on them, and conquer them and kill them. [Dan. 7:3, 7, 21.] + And their dead bodies [will lie exposed] in the open street (a public square) of the great city which is in a spiritual sense called [by the mystical and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. [Isa. 1:9.] + For three and a half days men from the races and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and will not allow them to be put in a tomb. + And those who dwell on the earth will gloat and exult over them and rejoice exceedingly, taking their ease and sending presents [in congratulation] to one another, because these two prophets had been such a vexation and trouble and torment to all the dwellers on the earth. + But after three and a half days, by God's gift the breath of life again entered into them, and they rose up on their feet, and great dread and terror fell on those who watched them. [Ezek. 37:5, 10.] + Then [the two witnesses] heard a strong voice from heaven calling to them, Come up here! And before the very eyes of their enemies they ascended into heaven in a cloud. [II Kings 2:11.] + And at that [very] hour there was a tremendous earthquake and one tenth of the city was destroyed (fell); seven thousand people perished in the earthquake, and those who remained were filled with dread and terror and were awe-struck, and they glorified the God of heaven. + The second woe (calamity) has passed; now the third woe is speedily to come. + The seventh angel then blew [his] trumpet, and there were mighty voices in heaven, shouting, The dominion (kingdom, sovereignty, rule) of the world has now come into the possession and become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah), and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)! [Ps. 22:28; Dan. 7:13, 14, 27.] + Then the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin], who sit on their thrones before God, prostrated themselves before Him and worshiped, + Exclaiming, To You we give thanks, Lord God Omnipotent, [the One] Who is and [ever] was, for assuming the high sovereignty and the great power that are Yours and for beginning to reign. + And the heathen (the nations) raged, but Your wrath (retribution, indignation) came, the time when the dead will be judged and Your servants the prophets and saints rewarded--and those who revere (fear) Your name, both low and high and small and great--and [the time] for destroying the corrupters of the earth. [Ps. 2:1.] + Then the sanctuary of God in heaven was thrown open, and the ark of His covenant was seen standing inside in His sanctuary; and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings (blasts, mutterings), peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a terrific hailstorm. [I Kings 8:1-6.] + + + AND A great sign (wonder)--[warning of future events of ominous significance] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crownlike garland (tiara) of twelve stars on her head. + She was pregnant and she cried out in her birth pangs, in the anguish of her delivery. + Then another ominous sign (wonder) was seen in heaven: Behold, a huge, fiery-red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven kingly crowns (diadems) upon his heads. [Dan. 7:7.] + His tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a third of the stars and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stationed himself in front of the woman who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she brought it forth. [Dan. 8:10.] + And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne. [Ps. 2:8, 9; 110:1, 2.] + And the woman [herself] fled into the desert (wilderness), where she has a retreat prepared [for her] by God, in which she is to be fed and kept safe for 1,260 days + Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth to battle with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. + But they were defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer. + And the huge dragon was cast down and out--that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him. [Gen. 3:1, 14, 15; Zech. 3:1.] + Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come--the salvation and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out! [Job 1:9-11.] + And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]. + Therefore be glad (exult), O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]! [Isa. 44:23; 49:13.] + And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male Child. + But the woman was supplied with the two wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260 days). [Dan. 7:25; 12:7.] + Then out of his mouth the serpent spouted forth water like a flood after the woman, that she might be carried off with the torrent. + But the earth came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spouted from his mouth. + So then the dragon was furious (enraged) at the woman, and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants--[on those] who obey God's commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ [and adhere to it and bear witness to Him]. + + + [AS] I stood on the sandy beach, I saw a beast coming up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads. On his horns he had ten royal crowns (diadems) and blasphemous titles (names) on his heads. + And the beast that I saw resembled a leopard, but his feet were like those of a bear and his mouth was like that of a lion. And to him the dragon gave his [own] might and power and his [own] throne and great dominion. + And one of his heads seemed to have a deadly wound. But his death stroke was healed; and the whole earth went after the beast in amazement and admiration. + They fell down and paid homage to the dragon, because he had bestowed on the beast all his dominion and authority; they also praised and worshiped the beast, exclaiming, Who is a match for the beast, and, Who can make war against him? + And the beast was given the power of speech, uttering boastful and blasphemous words, and he was given freedom to exert his authority and to exercise his will during forty-two months (three and a half years). [Dan. 7:8.] + And he opened his mouth to speak slanders against God, blaspheming His name and His abode, [even vilifying] those who live in heaven. + He was further permitted to wage war on God's holy people (the saints) and to overcome them. And power was given him to extend his authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, [Dan. 7:21, 25.] + And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. + If anyone is able to hear, let him listen: + Whoever leads into captivity will himself go into captivity; if anyone slays with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Herein is [the call for] the patience and the faith and fidelity of the saints (God's people). [Jer. 15:2.] + Then I saw another beast rising up out of the land [itself]; he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke (roared) like a dragon. + He exerts all the power and right of control of the former beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell upon it to exalt and deify the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed, and to worship him. + He performs great signs (startling miracles), even making fire fall from the sky to the earth in men's sight. + And because of the signs (miracles) which he is allowed to perform in the presence of the [first] beast, he deceives those who inhabit the earth, commanding them to erect a statue (an image) in the likeness of the beast who was wounded by the [small] sword and still lived. [Deut. 13:1-5.] + And he is permitted [also] to impart the breath of life into the beast's image, so that the statue of the beast could actually talk and cause to be put to death those who would not bow down and worship the image of the beast. [Dan. 3:5.] + Also he compels all [alike], both small and great, both the rich and the poor, both free and slave, to be marked with an inscription [stamped] on their right hands or on their foreheads, + So that no one will have power to buy or sell unless he bears the stamp (mark, inscription), [that is] the name of the beast or the number of his name. + Here is [room for] discernment [a call for the wisdom of interpretation]. Let anyone who has intelligence (penetration and insight enough) calculate the number of the beast, for it is a human number [the number of a certain man]; his number is 666. + + + THEN I looked, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 [men] who had His name and His Father's name inscribed on their foreheads. + And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; the voice I heard [seemed like the music] of harpists accompanying themselves on their harps. + And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and before the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin]. No one could learn [to sing] that song except the 144,000 who had been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from the earth. + These are they who have not defiled themselves by relations with women, for they are [pure as] virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These are they who have been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from among men as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. + No lie was found to be upon their lips, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, without blemish) before the throne of God. + Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with an eternal Gospel (good news) to tell to the inhabitants of the earth, to every race and tribe and language and people. + And he cried with a mighty voice, Revere God and give Him glory (honor and praise in worship), for the hour of His judgment has arrived. Fall down before Him; pay Him homage and adoration and worship Him Who created heaven and earth, the sea and the springs (fountains) of water. + Then another angel, a second, followed, declaring, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She who made all nations drink of the [maddening] wine of her passionate unchastity [idolatry]. [Isa. 21:9.] + Then another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a mighty voice, Whoever pays homage to the beast and his statue and permits the [beast's] stamp (mark, inscription) to be put on his forehead or on his hand, + He too shall [have to] drink of the wine of God's indignation and wrath, poured undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. [Gen. 19:24.] + And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no respite (no pause, no intermission, no rest, no peace) day or night--these who pay homage to the beast and to his image and whoever receives the stamp of his name upon him. [Isa. 34:10.] + Here [comes in a call for] the steadfastness of the saints [the patience, the endurance of the people of God], those who [habitually] keep God's commandments and [their] faith in Jesus. + Then I heard further [perceiving the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, Write this: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are the dead from now on who die in the Lord! Yes, blessed (happy, to be envied indeed), says the Spirit, [in] that they may rest from their labors, for their works (deeds) do follow (attend, accompany) them! + Again I looked, and behold, [I saw] a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud One resembling a Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp scythe (sickle) in His hand. [Dan. 7:13.] + And another angel came out of the temple sanctuary, calling with a mighty voice to Him Who was sitting upon the cloud, Put in Your scythe and reap, for the hour has arrived to gather the harvest, for the earth's crop is fully ripened. [Joel 3:13.] + So He Who was sitting upon the cloud swung His scythe (sickle) on the earth, and the earth's crop was harvested. + Then another angel came out of the temple [sanctuary] in heaven, and he also carried a sharp scythe (sickle). + And another angel came forth from the altar, [the angel] who has authority and power over fire, and he called with a loud cry to him who had the sharp scythe (sickle), Put forth your scythe and reap the fruitage of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are entirely ripe. + So the angel swung his scythe on the earth and stripped the grapes and gathered the vintage from the vines of the earth and cast it into the huge winepress of God's indignation and wrath. + And [the grapes in] the winepress were trodden outside the city, and blood poured from the winepress, [reaching] as high as horses' bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia (about 200 miles). [Joel 3:13.] + + + THEN I saw another wonder (sign, token, symbol) in heaven, great and marvelous [warning of events of ominous significance]: There were seven angels bringing seven plagues (afflictions, calamities), which are the last, for with them God's wrath (indignation) is completely expressed [reaches its climax and is ended]. [Lev. 26:21.] + Then I saw what seemed to be a glassy sea blended with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his statue and from the number corresponding to his name were standing beside the glassy sea, with harps of God in their hands. + And they sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, Mighty and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God the Omnipotent! Righteous (just) and true are Your ways, O Sovereign of the ages (King of the nations)! [Exod. 15:1; Ps. 145:17.] + Who shall not reverence and glorify Your name, O Lord [giving You honor and praise in worship]? For You only are holy. All the nations shall come and pay homage and adoration to You, for Your just judgments (Your righteous sentences and deeds) have been made known and displayed. [Ps. 86:9, 10; Jer. 10:7.] + After this I looked and the sanctuary of the tent of the testimony in heaven was thrown open, + And there came out of the temple sanctuary the seven angels bringing the seven plagues (afflictions, calamities). They were arrayed in pure gleaming linen, and around their breasts they wore golden girdles. + And one of the four living creatures [then] gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath and indignation of God, Who lives forever and ever (in the eternities of the eternities). + And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory (the radiance, the splendor) of God and from His might and power, and no one was able to go into the sanctuary until the seven plagues (afflictions, calamities) of the seven angels were ended. [I Kings 8:10; Isa. 6:4; Ezek. 44:4.] + + + THEN I heard a mighty voice from the temple sanctuary saying to the seven angels, Go and empty out on the earth the seven bowls of God's wrath and indignation. [Ps. 69:24; Isa. 66:6.] + So the first [angel] went and emptied his bowl on the earth, and foul and painful ulcers (sores) came on the people who were marked with the stamp of the beast and who did homage to his image. [Exod. 9:10, 11; Deut. 28:35.] + The second [angel] emptied his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [thick, corrupt, ill-smelling, and disgusting], and every living thing that was in the sea perished. + Then the third [angel] emptied out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into (became) blood. [Exod. 7:17-21.] + And I also heard the angel of the waters say, Righteous (just) are You in these Your decisions and judgments, You Who are and were, O Holy One! + Because they have poured out the blood of Your people (the saints) and the prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. Such is their due [they deserve it]! [Ps. 79:3.] + And [from] the altar I heard [the] cry, Yes, Lord God the Omnipotent, Your judgments (sentences, decisions) are true and just and righteous! [Ps. 119:137.] + Then the fourth [angel] emptied out his bowl upon the sun, and it was permitted to burn (scorch) humanity with [fierce, glowing] heat (fire). + People were severely burned (scorched) by the fiery heat, and they reviled and blasphemed the name of God, Who has control of these plagues, and they did not repent of their sins [felt no regret, contrition, and compunction for their waywardness, refusing to amend their ways] to give Him glory. + Then the fifth [angel] emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was [plunged] in darkness; and people gnawed their tongues for the torment [of their excruciating distress and severe pain] [Exod. 10:21.] + And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their anguish and their ulcers (sores), and they did not deplore their wicked deeds or repent [for what they had done]. + Then the sixth [angel] emptied his bowl on the mighty river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to make ready a road for [the coming of] the kings of the east (from the rising sun). [Isa. 11:15, 16.] + And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, [leaping] from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet. [Exod. 8:3; I Kings 22:21-23.] + For really they are the spirits of demons that perform signs (wonders, miracles). And they go forth to the rulers and leaders all over the world, to gather them together for war on the great day of God the Almighty. + Behold, I am going to come like a thief! Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who stays awake (alert) and who guards his clothes, so that he may not be naked and [have the shame of being] seen exposed! + And they gathered them together at the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon. [II Kings 9:27.] + Then the seventh [angel] emptied out his bowl into the air, and a mighty voice came out of the sanctuary of heaven from the throne [of God], saying, It is done! [It is all over, it is all accomplished, it has come!] [Isa. 66:6.] + And there followed lightning flashes, loud rumblings, peals of thunder, and a tremendous earthquake; nothing like it has ever occurred since men dwelt on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake. [Exod. 19:16; Dan. 12:1.] + The mighty city was broken into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And God kept in mind mighty Babylon, to make her drain the cup of His furious wrath and indignation. + And every island fled and no mountains could be found. + And great (excessively oppressive) hailstones, as heavy as a talent [between fifty and sixty pounds], of immense size, fell from the sky on the people; and men blasphemed God for the plague of the hail, so very great was [the torture] of that plague. [Exod. 9:23.] + + + ONE OF the seven angels who had the seven bowls then came and spoke to me, saying, Come with me! I will show you the doom (sentence, judgment) of the great harlot (idolatress) who is seated on many waters, [Jer. 51:13.] + [She] with whom the rulers of the earth have joined in prostitution (idolatry) and with the wine of whose immorality (idolatry) the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated. [Jer. 25:15, 16.] + And [the angel] bore me away [rapt] in the Spirit into a desert (wilderness), and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was all covered with blasphemous titles (names), and he had seven heads and ten horns. + The woman was robed in purple and scarlet and bedecked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a golden cup full of the accursed offenses and the filth of her lewdness and vice. [Jer. 51:7.] + And on her forehead there was inscribed a name of mystery [with a secret symbolic meaning]: Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes (idolatresses) and of the filth and atrocities and abominations of the earth. + I also saw that the woman was drunk, [drunk] with the blood of the saints (God's people) and the blood of the martyrs [who witnessed] for Jesus. And when I saw her, I was utterly amazed and wondered greatly. + But the angel said to me, Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the [secret symbolic meaning of the] mystery of the woman, as well as of the beast having the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. + The beast that you saw [once] was, but [now] is no more, and he is going to come up out of the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and proceed to go to perdition. And the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been recorded in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they look at the beast, because he [once] was, but [now] is no more, and he is [yet] to come. [Dan. 7:3.] + This calls for a mind [to consider that is packed] with wisdom and intelligence [it is something for a particular mode of thinking and judging of thoughts, feelings, and purposes]. The seven heads are seven hills upon which the woman is sitting; + And they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one still exists [and is reigning]; the other [the seventh] has not yet appeared, and when he does arrive, he must stay [but] a brief time. + And as for the beast that [once] was, but now is no more, he [himself] is an eighth ruler (king, head), but he is of the seven and belongs to them, and he goes to perdition. + Also the ten horns that you observed are ten rulers (kings) who have as yet received no royal dominion, but together they are to receive power and authority as rulers for a single hour, along with the beast. [Dan. 7:20-24.] + These have one common policy (opinion, purpose), and they deliver their power and authority to the beast. + They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings--and those with Him and on His side are chosen and called [elected] and loyal and faithful followers. [Dan. 2:47.] + And [the angel further] said to me, The waters that you observed, where the harlot is seated, are races and multitudes and nations and dialects (languages). + And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will [be the very ones to] hate the harlot (the idolatrous woman); they will make her cheerless (bereaved, desolate), and they will strip her and eat up her flesh and utterly consume her with fire. + For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His own purpose by acting in harmony in surrendering their royal power and authority to the beast, until the prophetic words (intentions and promises) of God shall be fulfilled. + And the woman that you saw is herself the great city which dominates and controls the rulers and the leaders of the earth. + + + THEN I saw another angel descending from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his radiance and splendor. + And he shouted with a mighty voice, She is fallen! Mighty Babylon is fallen! She has become a resort and dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every loathsome spirit, an abode for every filthy and detestable bird. + For all nations have drunk the wine of her passionate unchastity, and the rulers and leaders of the earth have joined with her in committing fornication (idolatry), and the businessmen of the earth have become rich with the wealth of her excessive luxury and wantonness. [Jer. 25:15, 27.] + I then heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues. [Isa. 48:20; Jer. 50:8.] + For her iniquities (her crimes and transgressions) are piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and [her] crimes [and calls them up for settlement]. [Jer. 51:9.] + Repay to her what she herself has paid [to others] and double [her doom] in accordance with what she has done. Mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed [for others]. [Ps. 137:8.] + To the degree that she glorified herself and reveled in her wantonness [living deliciously and luxuriously], to that measure impose on her torment and anguish and tears and mourning. Since in her heart she boasts, I am not a widow; as a queen [on a throne] I sit, and I shall never see suffering or experience sorrow--[Isa. 47:8, 9.] + So shall her plagues (afflictions, calamities) come thick upon her in a single day, pestilence and anguish and sorrow and famine; and she shall be utterly consumed (burned up with fire), for mighty is the Lord God Who judges her. + And the rulers and leaders of the earth who joined her in her immorality (idolatry) and luxuriated with her will weep and beat their breasts and lament over her when they see the smoke of her conflagration. [Ezek. 26:16, 17.] + They will stand a long way off, in terror of her torment, and they will cry, Woe and alas, the great city, the mighty city, Babylon! In one single hour how your doom (judgment) has overtaken you! + And earth's businessmen will weep and grieve over her because no one buys their freight (cargo) any more. [Ezek. 27:36.] + Their merchandise is of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet [stuffs]; all kinds of scented wood, all sorts of articles of ivory, all varieties of objects of costly woods, bronze, iron, and marble; [Ezek. 27:12, 13, 22.] + Of cinnamon, spices, incense, ointment and perfume, and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, fine flour and wheat; of cattle and sheep, horses and conveyances; and of slaves (the bodies) and souls of men! + The ripe fruits and delicacies for which your soul longed have gone from you, and all your luxuries and dainties, your elegance and splendor are lost to you, never again to be recovered or experienced! + The dealers who handled these articles, who grew wealthy through their business with her, will stand a long way off, in terror of her doom and torment, weeping and grieving aloud, and saying, + Alas, alas for the great city that was robed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, bedecked and glittering with gold, with precious stones, and with pearls! [Ezek. 27:31, 36.] + Because in one [single] hour all the vast wealth has been destroyed (wiped out). And all ship captains and pilots, navigators and all who live by seafaring, the crews and all who ply their trade on the sea, stood a long way off, [Isa. 23:14; Ezek. 27:26-30.] + And exclaimed as they watched the smoke of her burning, What city could be compared to the great city! + And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and grieved, exclaiming, Woe and alas, for the great city, where all who had ships on the sea grew rich [through her extravagance] from her great wealth! In one single hour she has been destroyed and has become a desert! [Ezek. 27:30-34.] + Rejoice (celebrate) over her, O heaven! O saints (people of God) and apostles and prophets, because God has executed vengeance for you upon her! [Isa. 44:23; Jer. 51:48.] + Then a single powerful angel took up a boulder like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, crying, With such violence shall Babylon the great city be hurled down to destruction and shall never again be found. [Jer. 51:63, 64; Ezek. 26:21.] + And the sound of harpists and minstrels and flute players and trumpeters shall never again be heard in you, and no skilled artisan of any craft shall ever again be found in you, and the sound of the millstone shall never again be heard in you. [Isa. 24:8; Ezek. 26:13.] + And never again shall the light of a lamp shine in you, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall never be heard in you again; for your businessmen were the great and prominent men of the earth, and by your magic spells and poisonous charm all nations were led astray (seduced and deluded). + And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all those who have been slain (slaughtered) on earth. [Jer. 51:49.] + + + AFTER THIS I heard what sounded like a mighty shout of a great crowd in heaven, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! Salvation and glory (splendor and majesty) and power (dominion and authority) [belong] to our God! + Because His judgments (His condemnation and punishment, His sentences of doom) are true and sound and just and upright. He has judged (convicted, pronounced sentence, and doomed) the great and notorious harlot (idolatress) who corrupted and demoralized and poisoned the earth with her lewdness and adultery (idolatry). And He has avenged (visited on her the penalty for) the blood of His servants at her hand. [Deut. 32:43.] + And again they shouted, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! The smoke of her [burning] shall continue to ascend forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities). [Isa. 34:10.] + Then the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] and the four living creatures fell prostrate and worshiped [paying divine honors to] God, Who sits on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! + Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, Praise our God, all you servants of His, you who reverence Him, both small and great! [Ps. 115:13.] + After that I heard what sounded like the shout of a vast throng, like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of terrific and mighty peals of thunder, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! For now the Lord our God the Omnipotent (the All-Ruler) reigns! + Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself. [Ps. 118:24.] + She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white--for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people). + Then [the angel] said to me, Write this down: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who are summoned (invited, called) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me [further], These are the true words (the genuine and exact declarations) of God. + Then I fell prostrate at his feet to worship (to pay divine honors) to him, but he [restrained me] and said, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] another servant with you and your brethren who have [accepted and hold] the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God! For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy [the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose, including both mine and yours]. + After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness). [Ezek. 1:1.] + His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand. [Dan. 10:6.] + He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God. + And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses. + From His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite (afflict, strike) the nations; and He will shepherd and control them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the All-Ruler (the Almighty, the Omnipotent). [Ps. 2:9.] + And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. [Deut. 10:17; Dan. 2:47.] + Then I saw a single angel stationed in the sun's light, and with a mighty voice he shouted to all the birds that fly across the sky, Come, gather yourselves together for the great supper of God, [Ezek. 39:4, 17-20.] + That you may feast on the flesh of rulers, the flesh of generals and captains, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all humanity, both free and slave, both small and great! + Then I saw the beast and the rulers and leaders of the earth with their troops mustered to go into battle and make war against Him Who is mounted on the horse and against His troops. + And the beast was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who in his presence had worked wonders and performed miracles by which he led astray those who had accepted or permitted to be placed upon them the stamp (mark) of the beast and those who paid homage and gave divine honors to his statue. Both of them were hurled alive into the fiery lake that burns and blazes with brimstone. + And the rest were killed with the sword that issues from the mouth of Him Who is mounted on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and glutted themselves with their flesh. + + + THEN I saw an angel descending from heaven; he was holding the key of the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in his hand. + And he gripped and overpowered the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and [securely] bound him for a thousand years. + Then he hurled him into the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and closed it and sealed it above him, so that he should no longer lead astray and deceive and seduce the nations until the thousand years were at an end. After that he must be liberated for a short time. + Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom authority to act as judges and to pass sentence was entrusted. Also I saw the souls of those who had been slain with axes [beheaded] for their witnessing to Jesus and [for preaching and testifying] for the Word of God, and who had refused to pay homage to the beast or his statue and had not accepted his mark or permitted it to be stamped on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived again and ruled with Christ (the Messiah) a thousand years. [Dan. 7:9, 22, 27.] + The remainder of the dead were not restored to life again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. + Blessed (happy, to be envied) and holy (spiritually whole, of unimpaired innocence and proved virtue) is the person who takes part (shares) in the first resurrection! Over them the second death exerts no power or authority, but they shall be ministers of God and of Christ (the Messiah), and they shall rule along with Him a thousand years. + And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his place of confinement, + And he will go forth to deceive and seduce and lead astray the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth--Gog and Magog--to muster them for war; their number is like the sand of the sea. [Ezek. 38:2, 9, 15, 22.] + And they swarmed up over the broad plain of the earth and encircled the fortress (camp) of God's people (the saints) and the beloved city; but fire descended from heaven and consumed them. [II Kings 1:10-12; Ezek. 38:2, 22.] + Then the devil who had led them astray [deceiving and seducing them] was hurled into the fiery lake of burning brimstone, where the beast and false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (through the ages of the ages). + Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was seated upon it, from Whose presence and from the sight of Whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. + I [also] saw the dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done [their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the books. + And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works]. + Then death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. + And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire. + + + THEN I saw a new sky (heaven) and a new earth, for the former sky and the former earth had passed away (vanished), and there no longer existed any sea. [Isa. 65:17; 66:22.] + And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband; + Then I heard a mighty voice from the throne and I perceived its distinct words, saying, See! The abode of God is with men, and He will live (encamp, tent) among them; and they shall be His people, and God shall personally be with them and be their God. [Ezek. 37:27.] + God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away. [Isa. 25:8; 35:10.] + And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine). [Isa. 43:19.] + And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life. [Isa. 55:1.] + He who is victorious shall inherit all these things, and I will be God to him and he shall be My son. + But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)--[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death. [Isa. 30:33.] + Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues (afflictions, calamities) came and spoke to me. He said, Come with me! I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. + Then in the Spirit He conveyed me away to a vast and lofty mountain and exhibited to me the holy (hallowed, consecrated) city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, [Ezek. 40:2.] + Clothed in God's glory [in all its splendor and radiance]. The luster of it resembled a rare and most precious jewel, like jasper, shining clear as crystal. + It had a massive and high wall with twelve [large] gates, and at the gates [there were stationed] twelve angels, and [on the gates] the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written: [Exod. 28:21; Ezek. 48:30-35.] + On the east side three gates, on the north side three gates, on the south side three gates, and on the west side three gates. + And the wall of the city had twelve foundation [stones], and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. + And he who spoke to me had a golden measuring reed (rod) to measure the city and its gates and its wall. [Ezek. 40:5.] + The city lies in a square, its length being the same as its width. And he measured the city with his reed--12,000 stadia (about 1,500 miles); its length and width and height are the same. + He measured its wall also--144 cubits (about 72 yards) by a man's measure [of a cubit from his elbow to his third fingertip], which is [the measure] of the angel. + The wall was built of jasper, while the city [itself was of] pure gold, clear and transparent like glass. + The foundation [stones] of the wall of the city were ornamented with all of the precious stones. The first foundation [stone] was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony (or white agate), the fourth emerald, [Isa. 54:11, 12.] + The fifth onyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. + And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each separate gate being built of one solid pearl. And the main street (the broadway) of the city was of gold as pure and translucent as glass. + I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Omnipotent [Himself] and the Lamb [Himself] are its temple. + And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the splendor and radiance (glory) of God illuminate it, and the Lamb is its lamp. [Isa. 24:23; 60:1, 19.] + The nations shall walk by its light and the rulers and leaders of the earth shall bring into it their glory. + And its gates shall never be closed by day, and there shall be no night there. [Isa. 60:11.] + They shall bring the glory (the splendor and majesty) and the honor of the nations into it. + But nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed shall ever enter it, nor anyone who commits abominations (unclean, detestable, morally repugnant things) or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life. + + + THEN HE showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb + Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations. [Gen. 2:9.] + There shall no longer exist there anything that is accursed (detestable, foul, offensive, impure, hateful, or horrible). But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall worship Him [pay divine honors to Him and do Him holy service]. [Zech. 14:21.] + They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. [Ps. 17:15.] + And there shall be no more night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, for the Lord God will illuminate them and be their light, and they shall reign [as kings] forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities). + And he [of the seven angels further] said to me, These statements are reliable (worthy of confidence) and genuine (true). And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His messenger (angel) to make known and exhibit to His servants what must soon come to pass. + And behold, I am coming speedily. Blessed (happy and to be envied) is he who observes and lays to heart and keeps the truths of the prophecy (the predictions, consolations, and warnings) contained in this [little] book. + And I, John, am he who heard and witnessed these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell prostrate before the feet of the messenger (angel) who showed them to me, to worship him. + But he said to me, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] a fellow servant along with yourself and with your brethren the prophets and with those who are mindful of and practice [the truths contained in] the messages of this book. Worship God! + And he [further] told me, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book and make no secret of them, for the time when things are brought to a crisis and the period of their fulfillment is near. + He who is unrighteous (unjust, wicked), let him be unrighteous still; and he who is filthy (vile, impure), let him be filthy still; and he who is righteous (just, upright, in right standing with God), let him do right still; and he who is holy, let him be holy still. [Dan. 12:10.] + Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit. [Isa. 40:10; Jer. 17:10.] + I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all). [Isa. 44:6; 48:12.] + Blessed (happy and to be envied) are those who cleanse their garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city. [Gen. 2:9; 3:22, 24.] + [But] without are the dogs and those who practice sorceries (magic arts) and impurity [the lewd, adulterers] and the murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and deals in falsehood (untruth, error, deception, cheating). + I, Jesus, have sent My messenger (angel) to you to witness and to give you assurance of these things for the churches (assemblies). I am the Root (the Source) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and brilliant Morning Star. [Isa. 11:1, 10.] + The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost. [Isa. 55:1.] + I [personally solemnly] warn everyone who listens to the statements of the prophecy [the predictions and the consolations and admonitions pertaining to them] in this book: If anyone shall add anything to them, God will add and lay upon him the plagues (the afflictions and the calamities) that are recorded and described in this book. + And if anyone cancels or takes away from the statements of the book of this prophecy [these predictions relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions or warnings pertaining to them], God will cancel and take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the city of holiness (purity and hallowedness), which are described and promised in this book. + He Who gives this warning and affirms and testifies to these things says, Yes (it is true). [Surely] I am coming quickly (swiftly, speedily). Amen (so let it be)! Yes, come, Lord Jesus! + The grace (blessing and favor) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with all the saints (God's holy people, those set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively His). Amen (so let it be)! + + + diff --git a/Bibles/MSG.xml b/Bibles/MSG.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..99196fc --- /dev/null +++ b/Bibles/MSG.xml @@ -0,0 +1,33615 @@ + + + + + First this: God created the Heavens and Earth--all you see, all you don't see. + Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. + God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared. + God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. + God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning-- Day One. + God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" + God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: + he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning-- Day Two. + God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. + God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good. + God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. + Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. + It was evening, it was morning-- Day Three. + God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, + Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was. + God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. + God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth + And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good. + It was evening, it was morning-- Day Four. + God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!" + God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. + God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!" + It was evening, it was morning-- Day Five. + God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals--all kinds." And there it was: + wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good. + God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." + God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. + God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth." + Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. + To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was. + God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning-- Day Six. + + + Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail. + By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. + God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. + This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created. + At the time GOD made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground--GOD hadn't yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground + (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs)-- + GOD formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive--a living soul! + Then GOD planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. + GOD made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. + A river flows out of Eden to water the garden and from there divides into four rivers. + The first is named Pishon; it flows through Havilah where there is gold. + The gold of this land is good. The land is also known for a sweet-scented resin and the onyx stone. + The second river is named Gihon; it flows through the land of Cush. + The third river is named Hiddekel and flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. + GOD took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order. + GOD commanded the Man, "You can eat from any tree in the garden, + except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don't eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead." + GOD said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." + So GOD formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. + The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn't find a suitable companion. + GOD put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. + GOD then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man. + The Man said, "Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! Name her Woman for she was made from Man." + Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. + The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame. + + + The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal GOD had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?" + The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. + It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'" + The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. + God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil." + When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it--she'd know everything!--she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. + Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"--saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. + When they heard the sound of GOD strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from GOD. + GOD called to the Man: "Where are you?" + He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid." + GOD said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?" + The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." + GOD said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?" "The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate." + GOD told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. + I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel." + He told the Woman: "I'll multiply your pains in childbirth; you'll give birth to your babies in pain. You'll want to please your husband, but he'll lord it over you." + He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, 'Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. + The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, + sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt." + The Man, known as Adam, named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living. + GOD made leather clothing for Adam and his wife and dressed them. + GOD said, "The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never--this cannot happen!" + So GOD expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they'd been made. + He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life. + + + Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, "I've gotten a man, with GOD's help!" + Then she had another baby, Abel. Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer. + Time passed. Cain brought an offering to GOD from the produce of his farm. + Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. GOD liked Abel and his offering, + but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk. + GOD spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? + If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it." + Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him. + GOD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?" + GOD said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. + From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. + You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth." + Cain said to GOD, "My punishment is too much. I can't take it! + You've thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I'm a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me." + GOD told him, "No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over." GOD put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him. + Cain left the presence of GOD and lived in No-Man's-Land, east of Eden. + Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city and named it after his son, Enoch. + Enoch had Irad, Irad had Mehujael, Mehujael had Methushael, Methushael had Lamech. + Lamech married two wives, Adah and Zillah. + Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who live in tents and herd cattle. + His brother's name was Jubal, the ancestor of all who play the lyre and flute. + Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who worked at the forge making bronze and iron tools. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. + Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, listen to me; you wives of Lamech, hear me out: I killed a man for wounding me, a young man who attacked me. + If Cain is avenged seven times, for Lamech it's seventy-seven! + Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed." + And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. That's when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of GOD. + + + This is the family tree of the human race: When God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God. + He created both male and female and blessed them, the whole human race. + When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was just like him, his very spirit and image, and named him Seth. + After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. + Adam lived a total of 930 years. And he died. + When Seth was 105 years old, he had Enosh. + After Seth had Enosh, he lived another 807 years, having more sons and daughters. + Seth lived a total of 912 years. And he died. + When Enosh was ninety years old, he had Kenan. + After he had Kenan, he lived another 815 years, having more sons and daughters. + Enosh lived a total of 905 years. And he died. + When Kenan was seventy years old, he had Mahalalel. + After he had Mahalalel, he lived another 840 years, having more sons and daughters. + Kenan lived a total of 910 years. And he died. + When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he had Jared. + After he had Jared, he lived another 830 years, having more sons and daughters. + Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years. And he died. + When Jared was 162 years old, he had Enoch. + After he had Enoch, he lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. + Jared lived a total of 962 years. And he died. + When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he had Methuselah. + Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters. + Enoch lived a total of 365 years. + Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him. + When Methuselah was 187 years old, he had Lamech. + After he had Lamech, he lived another 782 years. + Methuselah lived a total of 969 years. And he died. + When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son. + He named him Noah, saying, "This one will give us a break from the hard work of farming the ground that GOD cursed." + After Lamech had Noah, he lived another 595 years, having more sons and daughters. + Lamech lived a total of 777 years. And he died. + When Noah was 500 years old, he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + + + When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, + the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves. + Then GOD said, "I'm not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they're going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years." + This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones. + GOD saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil--evil, evil, evil from morning to night. + GOD was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. + GOD said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds--the works. I'm sorry I made them." + But Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah. + This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. + Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + As far as God was concerned, the Earth had become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. + God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting--life itself corrupt to the core. + God said to Noah, "It's all over. It's the end of the human race. The violence is everywhere; I'm making a clean sweep. + "Build yourself a ship from teakwood. Make rooms in it. Coat it with pitch inside and out. + Make it 450 feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. + Build a roof for it and put in a window eighteen inches from the top; put in a door on the side of the ship; and make three decks, lower, middle, and upper. + "I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction. + "But I'm going to establish a covenant with you: You'll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives will come on board with you. + You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: + two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile--two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. + Also get all the food you'll need and store it up for you and them." + Noah did everything God commanded him to do. + + + Next GOD said to Noah, "Now board the ship, you and all your family--out of everyone in this generation, you're the righteous one. + "Take on board with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and a female; one pair of every unclean animal, a male and a female; + and seven pairs of every kind of bird, a male and a female, to insure their survival on Earth. + In just seven days I will dump rain on Earth for forty days and forty nights. I'll make a clean sweep of everything that I've made." + Noah did everything GOD commanded him. + Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters covered the Earth. + Noah and his wife and sons and their wives boarded the ship to escape the flood. + Clean and unclean animals, birds, and all the crawling creatures + came in pairs to Noah and to the ship, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. + In seven days the floodwaters came. + It was the six-hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open. + Rain poured for forty days and forty nights. + That's the day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, accompanied by his wife and his sons' wives, boarded the ship. + And with them every kind of wild and domestic animal, right down to all the kinds of creatures that crawl and all kinds of birds and anything that flies. + They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs--everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, + male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then GOD shut the door behind him. + The flood continued forty days and the waters rose and lifted the ship high over the Earth. + The waters kept rising, the flood deepened on the Earth, the ship floated on the surface. + The flood got worse until all the highest mountains were covered-- + the high water mark reached twenty feet above the crest of the mountains. + Everything died. Anything that moved--dead. Birds, farm animals, wild animals, the entire teeming exuberance of life--dead. And all people--dead. + Every living, breathing creature that lived on dry land died; + he wiped out the whole works--people and animals, crawling creatures and flying birds, every last one of them, gone. Only Noah and his company on the ship lived. + The floodwaters took over for 150 days. + + + Then God turned his attention to Noah and all the wild animals and farm animals with him on the ship. God caused the wind to blow and the floodwaters began to go down. + The underground springs were shut off, the windows of Heaven closed and the rain quit. + Inch by inch the water lowered. After 150 days the worst was over. + On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ship landed on the Ararat mountain range. + The water kept going down until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains came into view. + After forty days Noah opened the window that he had built into the ship. + He sent out a raven; it flew back and forth waiting for the floodwaters to dry up. + Then he sent a dove to check on the flood conditions, + but it couldn't even find a place to perch--water still covered the Earth. Noah reached out and caught it, brought it back into the ship. + He waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. + It came back in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf in its beak. Noah knew that the flood was about finished. + He waited another seven days and sent the dove out a third time. This time it didn't come back. + In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. + By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry. + God spoke to Noah: + "Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives. + And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth." + Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons' wives. + Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds--every creature on the face of the Earth--left the ship family by family. + Noah built an altar to GOD. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt-offerings on the altar. + GOD smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done. + For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop." + + + God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! + Every living creature--birds, animals, fish--will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. + All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. + Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it--don't eat that. + "But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans. + Whoever sheds human blood, by humans let his blood be shed, Because God made humans in his image reflecting God's very nature. + You're here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!" + Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: + "I'm setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, + along with everything alive around you--birds, farm animals, wild animals--that came out of the ship with you. + I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth." + God continued, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. + I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. + From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, + I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. + When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth." + And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the Earth." + The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. + These are the three sons of Noah; from these three the whole Earth was populated. + Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. + He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. + Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. + Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body. + When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done. + He said, Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers! + Blessed be GOD, the God of Shem, but Canaan shall be his slave. + God prosper Japheth, living spaciously in the tents of Shem. But Canaan shall be his slave. + Noah lived another 350 years following the flood. + He lived a total of 950 years. And he died. + + + This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, they themselves had sons. + The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras. + The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, Togarmah. + The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, Rodanim. + The seafaring peoples developed from these, each in its own place by family, each with its own language. + The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, Canaan. + The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba, Dedan. + Cush also had Nimrod. He was the first great warrior on Earth. + He was a great hunter before GOD. There was a saying, "Like Nimrod, a great hunter before GOD." + His kingdom got its start with Babel; then Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the country of Shinar. + From there he went up to Asshur and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, + and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah. + Egypt was ancestor to the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, + the Pathrusim, the Casluhim (the origin of the Philistines), and the Kaphtorim. + Canaan had Sidon his firstborn, Heth, + the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, + the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, + the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread out, + going from Sidon toward Gerar, as far south as Gaza, and then east all the way over to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and on to Lasha. + These are the descendants of Ham by family, language, country, and nation. + Shem, the older brother of Japheth, also had sons. Shem was ancestor to all the children of Eber. + The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. + The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, Meshech. + Arphaxad had Shelah and Shelah had Eber. + Eber had two sons, Peleg (so named because in his days the human race divided) and Joktan. + Joktan had Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab--all sons of Joktan. + Their land goes from Mesha toward Sephar as far as the mountain ranges in the east. + These are the descendants of Shem by family, language, country, and nation. + This is the family tree of the sons of Noah as they developed into nations. From them nations developed all across the Earth after the flood. + + + At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language. + It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down. + They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar. + Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth." + GOD came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built. + GOD took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next--they'll stop at nothing! + Come, we'll go down and garble their speech so they won't understand each other." + Then GOD scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. + That's how it came to be called Babel, because there GOD turned their language into "babble." From there GOD scattered them all over the world. + This is the story of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he had Arphaxad. It was two years after the flood. + After he had Arphaxad, he lived 600 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Arphaxad was thirty-five years old, he had Shelah. + After Arphaxad had Shelah, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Shelah was thirty years old, he had Eber. + After Shelah had Eber, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Eber was thirty-four years old, he had Peleg. + After Eber had Peleg, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Peleg was thirty years old, he had Reu. + After he had Reu, he lived 209 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Reu was thirty-two years old, he had Serug. + After Reu had Serug, he lived 207 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Serug was thirty years old, he had Nahor. + After Serug had Nahor, he lived 200 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, he had Terah. + After Nahor had Terah, he lived 119 more years and had other sons and daughters. + When Terah was seventy years old, he had Abram, Nahor, and Haran. + This is the story of Terah. Terah had Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran had Lot. + Haran died before his father, Terah, in the country of his family, Ur of the Chaldees. + Abram and Nahor each got married. Abram's wife was Sarai; Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. Haran had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah. + Sarai was barren; she had no children. + Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and Sarai his daughter-in-law (his son Abram's wife) and set out with them from Ur of the Chaldees for the land of Canaan. But when they got as far as Haran, they settled down there. + Terah lived 205 years. He died in Haran. + + + GOD told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you. + I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. + I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you." + So Abram left just as GOD said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. + Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound. + Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land. + GOD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your children." Abram built an altar at the place GOD had appeared to him. + He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to GOD. + Abram kept moving, steadily making his way south, to the Negev. + Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine. + As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, "Look. We both know that you're a beautiful woman. + When the Egyptians see you they're going to say, 'Aha! That's his wife!' and kill me. But they'll let you live. + Do me a favor: tell them you're my sister. Because of you, they'll welcome me and let me live." + When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful. + Pharaoh's princes raved over her to Pharaoh. She was taken to live with Pharaoh. + Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels. + But GOD hit Pharaoh hard because of Abram's wife Sarai; everybody in the palace got seriously sick. + Pharaoh called for Abram, "What's this that you've done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she's your wife? + Why did you say, 'She's my sister' so that I'd take her as my wife? Here's your wife back--take her and get out!" + Pharaoh ordered his men to get Abram out of the country. They sent him and his wife and everything he owned on their way. + + + So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him. + By now Abram was very rich, loaded with cattle and silver and gold. + He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai + and built his first altar. Abram prayed there to GOD. + Lot, who was traveling with Abram, was also rich in sheep and cattle and tents. + But the land couldn't support both of them; they had too many possessions. They couldn't both live there-- + quarrels broke out between Abram's shepherds and Lot's shepherds. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living on the land at the time. + Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we're family. + Look around. Isn't there plenty of land out there? Let's separate. If you go left, I'll go right; if you go right, I'll go left." + Lot looked. He saw the whole plain of the Jordan spread out, well watered (this was before GOD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), like GOD's garden, like Egypt, and stretching all the way to Zoar. + Lot took the whole plain of the Jordan. Lot set out to the east. That's how they came to part company, uncle and nephew. + Abram settled in Canaan; Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom. + The people of Sodom were evil--flagrant sinners against GOD. + After Lot separated from him, GOD said to Abram, "Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. + Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. + I'll make your descendants like dust--counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. + So--on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you." + Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to GOD. + + + Then this: Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim + went off to war to fight Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. + This second group of kings, the attacked, came together at the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Salt Sea. + They had been under the thumb of Kedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, they revolted. + In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him set out and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, + and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El Paran on the far edge of the desert. + On their way back they stopped at En Mishpat, that is, Kadesh, and conquered the whole region of the Amalekites as well as that of the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar. + That's when the king of Sodom marched out with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. They drew up in battle formation against their enemies in the Valley of Siddim-- + against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. + The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. + The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. + They captured Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them. + A fugitive came and reported to Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living at the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner. They were allies of Abram. + When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken prisoner, he lined up his servants, all of them born in his household--there were 318 of them--and chased after the captors all the way to Dan. + Abram and his men split into small groups and attacked by night. They chased them as far as Hobah, just north of Damascus. + They recovered all the plunder along with nephew Lot and his possessions, including the women and the people. + After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King's Valley. + Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine--he was priest of The High God-- + and blessed him: Blessed be Abram by The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. + And blessed be The High God, who handed your enemies over to you. Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder. + The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me back the people but keep all the plunder for yourself." + But Abram told the king of Sodom, "I swear to GOD, The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, + that I'll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I'm not going to have you go around saying, 'I made Abram rich.' + Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they're to get their share of the plunder." + + + After all these things, this word of GOD came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!" + Abram said, "GOD, Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" + Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all." + Then GOD's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir." + Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!" + And he believed! Believed GOD! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God." + GOD continued, "I'm the same GOD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own." + Abram said, "Master GOD, how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?" + GOD said, "Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon." + He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn't split the birds. + Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. + As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and then a sense of dread, dark and heavy. + GOD said to Abram, "Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they'll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. + Then I'll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. + But not you; you'll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. + Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites." + When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. + That's when GOD made a covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria-- + the country of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, + Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, + Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites." + + + Sarai, Abram's wife, hadn't yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. + Sarai said to Abram, "GOD has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her." Abram agreed to do what Sarai said. + So Sarai, Abram's wife, took her Egyptian maid Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. Abram had been living ten years in Canaan when this took place. + He slept with Hagar and she got pregnant. When she learned she was pregnant, she looked down on her mistress. + Sarai told Abram, "It's all your fault that I'm suffering this abuse. I put my maid in bed with you and the minute she knows she's pregnant, she treats me like I'm nothing. May GOD decide which of us is right." + "You decide," said Abram. "Your maid is your business." Sarai was abusive to Hagar and she ran away. + An angel of GOD found her beside a spring in the desert; it was the spring on the road to Shur. + He said, "Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?" She said, "I'm running away from Sarai my mistress." + The angel of GOD said, "Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse." + He continued, "I'm going to give you a big family, children past counting. + From this pregnancy, you'll get a son: Name him Ishmael; for GOD heard you, GOD answered you. + He'll be a bucking bronco of a man, a real fighter, fighting and being fought, Always stirring up trouble, always at odds with his family." + She answered GOD by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, "You're the God who sees me!" "Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!" + That's how that desert spring got named "God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring." That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. + Hagar gave Abram a son. Abram named him Ishmael. + Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave him his son, Ishmael. + + + When Abram was ninety-nine years old, GOD showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! + I'll make a covenant between us and I'll give you a huge family." + Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face. Then God said to him, + "This is my covenant with you: You'll be the father of many nations. + Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations.' + I'll make you a father of fathers--I'll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. + I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. + And I'm giving you and your descendants this land where you're now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I'll be their God." + God continued to Abraham, "And you: You will honor my covenant, you and your descendants, generation after generation. + This is the covenant that you are to honor, the covenant that pulls in all your descendants: Circumcise every male. + Circumcise by cutting off the foreskin of the penis; it will be the sign of the covenant between us. + Every male baby will be circumcised when he is eight days old, generation after generation--this includes house-born slaves and slaves bought from outsiders who are not blood kin. + Make sure you circumcise both your own children and anyone brought in from the outside. That way my covenant will be cut into your body, a permanent mark of my permanent covenant. + An uncircumcised male, one who has not had the foreskin of his penis cut off, will be cut off from his people--he has broken my covenant." + God continued speaking to Abraham, "And Sarai your wife: Don't call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah. + I'll bless her--yes! I'll give you a son by her! Oh, how I'll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her." + Abraham fell flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, "Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?" + Recovering, Abraham said to God, "Oh, keep Ishmael alive and well before you!" + But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever. + "And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children--a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. + But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year." + God finished speaking with Abraham and left. + Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all his servants, whether houseborn or purchased--every male in his household--and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins that very day, just as God had told him. + Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. + His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. + Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised the same day + together with all the servants of his household, those born there and those purchased from outsiders--all were circumcised with him. + + + GOD appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. + He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them. + He said, "Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. + I'll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. + I'll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path." They said, "Certainly. Go ahead." + Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread." + Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. + Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate. + The men said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He said, "In the tent." + One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man. + Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. + Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?" + GOD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' + Is anything too hard for GOD? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby." + Sarah lied. She said, "I didn't laugh," because she was afraid. But he said, "Yes you did; you laughed." + When the men got up to leave, they set off for Sodom. Abraham walked with them to say good-bye. + Then GOD said, "Shall I keep back from Abraham what I'm about to do? + Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. + Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe GOD's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that GOD can complete in Abraham what he promised him." + GOD continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. + I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know." + The men set out for Sodom, but Abraham stood in GOD's path, blocking his way. + Abraham confronted him, "Are you serious? Are you planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad? + What if there are fifty decent people left in the city; will you lump the good with the bad and get rid of the lot? + Wouldn't you spare the city for the sake of those fifty innocents? I can't believe you'd do that, kill off the good and the bad alike as if there were no difference between them. Doesn't the Judge of all the Earth judge with justice?" + GOD said, "If I find fifty decent people in the city of Sodom, I'll spare the place just for them." + Abraham came back, "Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? + What if the fifty fall short by five--would you destroy the city because of those missing five?" He said, "I won't destroy it if there are forty-five." + Abraham spoke up again, "What if you only find forty?" "Neither will I destroy it if for forty." + He said, "Master, don't be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?" "No, I won't do it if I find thirty." + He pushed on, "I know I'm trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?" "I won't destroy it for twenty." + He wouldn't quit, "Don't get angry, Master--this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?" "For the sake of only ten, I won't destroy the city." + When GOD finished talking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham went home. + + + The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting at the city gate. He saw them and got up to welcome them, bowing before them + and said, "Please, my friends, come to my house and stay the night. Wash up. You can rise early and be on your way refreshed." They said, "No, we'll sleep in the street." + But he insisted, wouldn't take no for an answer; and they relented and went home with him. Lot fixed a hot meal for them and they ate. + Before they went to bed men from all over the city of Sodom, young and old, descended on the house from all sides and boxed them in. + They yelled to Lot, "Where are the men who are staying with you for the night? Bring them out so we can have our sport with them!" + Lot went out, barring the door behind him, + and said, "Brothers, please, don't be vile! + Look, I have two daughters, virgins; let me bring them out; you can take your pleasure with them, but don't touch these men--they're my guests." + They said, "Get lost! You drop in from nowhere and now you're going to tell us how to run our lives. We'll treat you worse than them!" And they charged past Lot to break down the door. + But the two men reached out and pulled Lot inside the house, locking the door. + Then they struck blind the men who were trying to break down the door, both leaders and followers, leaving them groping in the dark. + The two men said to Lot, "Do you have any other family here? Sons, daughters--anybody in the city? Get them out of here, and now! + We're going to destroy this place. The outcries of victims here to GOD are deafening; we've been sent to blast this place into oblivion." + Lot went out and warned the fianc�s of his daughters, "Evacuate this place; GOD is about to destroy this city!" But his daughters' would-be husbands treated it as a joke. + At break of day, the angels pushed Lot to get going, "Hurry. Get your wife and two daughters out of here before it's too late and you're caught in the punishment of the city." + Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters--GOD was so merciful to them!--and dragged them to safety outside the city. + When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain--run for the hills or you'll be swept away." + But Lot protested, "No, masters, you can't mean it! + I know that you've taken a liking to me and have done me an immense favor in saving my life, but I can't run for the mountains--who knows what terrible thing might happen to me in the mountains and leave me for dead. + Look over there--that town is close enough to get to. It's a small town, hardly anything to it. Let me escape there and save my life--it's a mere wide place in the road." + He said to him, "All right. If you insist. I'll let you have your way. And I won't stamp out the town you've spotted. + But hurry up. Run for it! I can't do anything until you get there." That's why the town was called Zoar, that is, Smalltown. + The sun was high in the sky when Lot arrived at Zoar. + Then GOD rained brimstone and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah--a river of lava from GOD out of the sky!-- + and destroyed these cities and the entire plain and everyone who lived in the cities and everything that grew from the ground. + But Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. + Abraham got up early the next morning and went to the place he had so recently stood with GOD. + He looked out over Sodom and Gomorrah, surveying the whole plain. All he could see was smoke belching from the Earth, like smoke from a furnace. + And that's the story: When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before he blasted those cities off the face of the Earth. + Lot left Zoar and went into the mountains to live with his two daughters; he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his daughters. + One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is getting old and there's not a man left in the country by whom we can get pregnant. + Let's get our father drunk with wine and lie with him. We'll get children through our father--it's our only chance to keep our family alive." + They got their father drunk with wine that very night. The older daughter went and lay with him. He was oblivious, knowing nothing of what she did. + The next morning the older said to the younger, "Last night I slept with my father. Tonight, it's your turn. We'll get him drunk again and then you sleep with him. We'll both get a child through our father and keep our family alive." + So that night they got their father drunk again and the younger went in and slept with him. Again he was oblivious, knowing nothing of what she did. + Both daughters became pregnant by their father, Lot. + The older daughter had a son and named him Moab, the ancestor of the present-day Moabites. + The younger daughter had a son and named him Ben-Ammi, the ancestor of the present-day Ammonites. + + + Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, + Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. + But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead--that woman you took, she's a married woman." + Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her. He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man? + Didn't he tell me, 'She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, 'He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this." + God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that's why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her. + So now give the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet and will pray for you--pray for your life. If you don't give her back, know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family." + Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked. + Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you've done to me ought never to have been done." + Abimelech went on to Abraham, "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?" + Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. + Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. + When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, 'Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'" + Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. + He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish." + And to Sarah he said, "I've given your brother a thousand pieces of silver--that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world. You're vindicated." + Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again. + For GOD had shut down every womb in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife. + + + GOD visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; GOD did to Sarah what he promised: + Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. + Abraham named him Isaac. + When his son was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded. + Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. + Sarah said, God has blessed me with laughter and all who get the news will laugh with me! + She also said, Whoever would have suggested to Abraham that Sarah would one day nurse a baby! Yet here I am! I've given the old man a son! + The baby grew and was weaned. Abraham threw a big party on the day Isaac was weaned. + One day Sarah saw the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, poking fun at her son Isaac. + She told Abraham, "Get rid of this slave woman and her son. No child of this slave is going to share inheritance with my son Isaac!" + The matter gave great pain to Abraham--after all, Ishmael was his son. + But God spoke to Abraham, "Don't feel badly about the boy and your maid. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac. + Regarding your maid's son, be assured that I'll also develop a great nation from him--he's your son too." + Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba. + When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub + and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, "I can't watch my son die." As she sat, she broke into sobs. + Meanwhile, God heard the boy crying. The angel of God called from Heaven to Hagar, "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy and knows the fix he's in. + Up now; go get the boy. Hold him tight. I'm going to make of him a great nation." + Just then God opened her eyes. She looked. She saw a well of water. She went to it and filled her canteen and gave the boy a long, cool drink. + God was on the boy's side as he grew up. He lived out in the desert and became a skilled archer. + He lived in the Paran wilderness. And his mother got him a wife from Egypt. + At about that same time, Abimelech and the captain of his troops, Phicol, spoke to Abraham: "No matter what you do, God is on your side. + So swear to me that you won't do anything underhanded to me or any of my family. For as long as you live here, swear that you'll treat me and my land as well as I've treated you." + Abraham said, "I swear it." + At the same time, Abraham confronted Abimelech over the matter of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had taken. + Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this; you never told me about it; this is the first I've heard of it." + So the two of them made a covenant. Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. + Abraham set aside seven sheep from his flock. + Abimelech said, "What does this mean? These seven sheep you've set aside." + Abraham said, "It means that when you accept these seven sheep, you take it as proof that I dug this well, that it's my well." + That's how the place got named Beersheba (the Oath-Well), because the two of them swore a covenant oath there. + After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and his commander, Phicol, left and went back to Philistine territory. + Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped GOD there, praying to the Eternal God. + Abraham lived in Philistine country for a long time. + + + After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!" "Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." + He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you." + Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. + On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. + Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you." + Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together. + Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father?" "Yes, my son." "We have flint and wood, but where's the sheep for the burnt offering?" + Abraham said, "Son, God will see to it that there's a sheep for the burnt offering." And they kept on walking together. + They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood. + Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son. + Just then an angel of GOD called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes, I'm listening." + "Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me." + Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. + Abraham named that place GOD-Yireh (GOD-Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of GOD, he sees to it." + The angel of GOD spoke from Heaven a second time to Abraham: + "I swear--GOD's sure word!--because you have gone through with this, and have not refused to give me your son, your dear, dear son, + I'll bless you--oh, how I'll bless you! And I'll make sure that your children flourish--like stars in the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies. + All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants because you obeyed me." + Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba. + After all this, Abraham got the news: "Your brother Nahor is a father! Milcah has given him children: + Uz, his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (he was the father of Aram), + Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." + (Bethuel was the father of Rebekah.) Milcah gave these eight sons to Nahor, Abraham's brother. + His concubine, Reumah, gave him four more children: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. + + + Sarah lived 127 years. + Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept. + Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites: + "I know I'm only an outsider here among you, but sell me a burial plot so that I can bury my dead decently." + The Hittites responded, + "Why, you're no mere outsider here with us, you're a prince of God! Bury your dead wife in the best of our burial sites. None of us will refuse you a place for burial." + Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the Hittites, + and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar. + Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses." + Ephron was part of the local Hittite community. Then Ephron the Hittite spoke up, answering Abraham with all the Hittites who were part of the town council listening: + "Oh no, my master! I couldn't do that. The field is yours--a gift. I'll give it and the cave to you. With my people as witnesses, I give it to you. Bury your deceased wife." + Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council + and answered Ephron: "Please allow me--I want to pay the price of the land; take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife." + Then Ephron answered Abraham, + "If you insist, master. What's four hundred silver shekels between us? Now go ahead and bury your wife." + Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid out the sum that Ephron had named before the town council of Hittites--four hundred silver shekels at the current exchange rate. + That's how Ephron's field next to Mamre--the field, its cave, and all the trees within its borders-- + became Abraham's property. The town council of Hittites witnessed the transaction. + Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. + The field and its cave went from the Hittites into Abraham's possession as a burial plot. + + + Abraham was now an old man. GOD had blessed Abraham in every way. + Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh + and swear by GOD--God of Heaven, God of Earth--that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here, + but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac." + The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?" + Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there. + GOD, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son. + And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there." + So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn oath. + The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. + Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. + He prayed, "O GOD, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! + As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, + let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'--let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master." + It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. + The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. + The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?" + She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could drink. + When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill." + She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels. + The man watched, silent. Was this GOD's answer? Had GOD made his trip a success or not? + When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her. + He asked her, "Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?" + She said, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor. + And there's plenty of room in our house for you to stay--and lots of straw and feed besides." + At this the man bowed in worship before GOD + and prayed, "Blessed be GOD, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master's brother!" + And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother's house what had happened. + Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. + He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had heard her say, "The man said this and this and this to me." So he went to the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring. + Laban welcomed him: "Come on in, blessed of GOD! Why are you standing out here? I've got the house ready for you; and there's also a place for your camels." + So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men with him. + Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, "I won't eat until I tell my story." Laban said, "Go ahead; tell us." + The servant said, "I'm the servant of Abraham. + GOD has blessed my master--he's a great man; GOD has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. + And then to top it off, Sarah, my master's wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed everything on to his son. + My master made me promise, 'Don't get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live. + No, go to my father's home, back to my family, and get a wife for my son there.' + I said to my master, 'But what if the woman won't come with me?' + He said, 'GOD before whom I've walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he'll make things work out so that you'll bring back a wife for my son from my family, from the house of my father. + Then you'll be free from the oath. If you go to my family and they won't give her to you, you will also be free from the oath.' + "Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, 'GOD, God of my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I've been given. + I'm standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug, + and she says, Not only will I give you a drink, I'll also water your camels--let that woman be the wife GOD has picked out for my master's son.' + "I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, 'Please, can I have a drink?' + She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and said, 'Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I drank, and she watered the camels. + I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms, + and bowed in worship to GOD. I praised GOD, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son. + "Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what to do next." + Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is totally from GOD. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no. + Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her be the wife of your master's son, as GOD has made plain." + When Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed in worship before GOD. + Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother. + He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in the morning they were up. He said, "Send me back to my master." + Her brother and mother said, "Let the girl stay a while, say another ten days, and then go." + He said, "Oh, don't make me wait! GOD has worked everything out so well--send me off to my master." + They said, "We'll call the girl; we'll ask her." + They called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" She said, "I'm ready to go." + So they sent them off, their sister Rebekah with her nurse, and Abraham's servant with his men. + And they blessed Rebekah saying, You're our sister--live bountifully! And your children, triumphantly! + Rebekah and her young maids mounted the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and set off for home. + Isaac was living in the Negev. He had just come back from a visit to Beer Lahai Roi. + In the evening he went out into the field; while meditating he looked up and saw camels coming. + When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel + and asked the servant, "Who is that man out in the field coming toward us?" "That is my master." She took her veil and covered herself. + After the servant told Isaac the whole story of the trip, + Isaac took Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother's death. + + + Abraham married a second time; his new wife was named Keturah. + She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. + Jokshan had Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim. + Midian had Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah--all from the line of Keturah. + But Abraham gave everything he possessed to Isaac. + While he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons he had by his concubines, but then sent them away to the country of the east, putting a good distance between them and his son Isaac. + Abraham lived 175 years. + Then he took his final breath. He died happy at a ripe old age, full of years, and was buried with his family. + His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, next to Mamre. + It was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried next to his wife Sarah. + After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived at Beer Lahai Roi. + This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham. + These are the names of Ishmael's sons in the order of their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael's first-born, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, + Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah-- + all the sons of Ishmael. Their settlements and encampments were named after them. Twelve princes with their twelve tribes. + Ishmael lived 137 years. When he breathed his last and died he was buried with his family. + His children settled down all the way from Havilah near Egypt eastward to Shur in the direction of Assyria. The Ishmaelites didn't get along with any of their kin. + This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. + Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean. + Isaac prayed hard to GOD for his wife because she was barren. GOD answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. + But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, "If this is the way it's going to be, why go on living?" She went to GOD to find out what was going on. + GOD told her, Two nations are in your womb, two peoples butting heads while still in your body. One people will overpower the other, and the older will serve the younger. + When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. + The first came out reddish, as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). + His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau's heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born. + The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. + Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. + One day Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came in from the field, starved. + Esau said to Jacob, "Give me some of that red stew--I'm starved!" That's how he came to be called Edom (Red). + Jacob said, "Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the firstborn." + Esau said, "I'm starving! What good is a birthright if I'm dead?" + Jacob said, "First, swear to me." And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. + Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn. + + + There was a famine in the land, as bad as the famine during the time of Abraham. And Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. + GOD appeared to him and said, "Don't go down to Egypt; stay where I tell you. + Stay here in this land and I'll be with you and bless you. I'm giving you and your children all these lands, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. + I'll make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky and give them all these lands. All the nations of the Earth will get a blessing for themselves through your descendants. + And why? Because Abraham obeyed my summons and kept my charge--my commands, my guidelines, my teachings." + So Isaac stayed put in Gerar. + The men of the place questioned him about his wife. He said, "She's my sister." He was afraid to say "She's my wife." He was thinking, "These men might kill me to get Rebekah, she's so beautiful." + One day, after they had been there quite a long time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac fondling his wife Rebekah. + Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, "So, she's your wife. Why did you tell us 'She's my sister'?" Isaac said, "Because I thought I might get killed by someone who wanted her." + Abimelech said, "But think of what you might have done to us! Given a little more time, one of the men might have slept with your wife; you would have been responsible for bringing guilt down on us." + Then Abimelech gave orders to his people: "Anyone who so much as lays a hand on this man or his wife dies." + Isaac planted crops in that land and took in a huge harvest. GOD blessed him. + The man got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. + He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him. + They got back at him by throwing dirt and debris into all the wells that his father's servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham, clogging up all the wells. + Finally, Abimelech told Isaac: "Leave. You've become far too big for us." + So Isaac left. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled down there. + Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham's death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them. + One day, as Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they came on a well of spring water. + The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds, claiming, "This water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (Quarrel) because they quarreled over it. + They dug another well and there was a difference over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (Accusation). + He went on from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehoboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now GOD has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land." + From there he went up to Beersheba. + That very night GOD appeared to him and said, I am the God of Abraham your father; don't fear a thing because I'm with you. I'll bless you and make your children flourish because of Abraham my servant. + Isaac built an altar there and prayed, calling on GOD by name. He pitched his tent and his servants started digging another well. + Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his advisor and Phicol the head of his troops. + Isaac asked them, "Why did you come to me? You hate me; you threw me out of your country." + They said, "We've realized that GOD is on your side. We'd like to make a deal between us--a covenant + that we maintain friendly relations. We haven't bothered you in the past; we treated you kindly and let you leave us in peace. So--GOD's blessing be with you!" + Isaac laid out a feast and they ate and drank together. + Early in the morning they exchanged oaths. Then Isaac said good-bye and they parted as friends. + Later that same day, Isaac's servants came to him with news about the well they had been digging, "We've struck water!" + Isaac named the well Sheba (Oath), and that's the name of the city, Beersheba (Oath-Well), to this day. + When Esau was forty years old he married Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite. + They turned out to be thorns in the sides of Isaac and Rebekah. + + + When Isaac had become an old man and was nearly blind, he called his eldest son, Esau, and said, "My son." "Yes, Father?" + "I'm an old man," he said; "I might die any day now. + Do me a favor: Get your quiver of arrows and your bow and go out in the country and hunt me some game. + Then fix me a hearty meal, the kind that you know I like, and bring it to me to eat so that I can give you my personal blessing before I die." + Rebekah was eavesdropping as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. As soon as Esau had gone off to the country to hunt game for his father, + Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob. "I just overheard your father talking with your brother, Esau. He said, + 'Bring me some game and fix me a hearty meal so that I can eat and bless you with GOD's blessing before I die.' + "Now, my son, listen to me. Do what I tell you. + Go to the flock and get me two young goats. Pick the best; I'll prepare them into a hearty meal, the kind that your father loves. + Then you'll take it to your father, he'll eat and bless you before he dies." + "But Mother," Jacob said, "my brother Esau is a hairy man and I have smooth skin. + What happens if my father touches me? He'll think I'm playing games with him. I'll bring down a curse on myself instead of a blessing." + "If it comes to that," said his mother, "I'll take the curse on myself. Now, just do what I say. Go and get the goats." + So he went and got them and brought them to his mother and she cooked a hearty meal, the kind his father loved so much. + Rebekah took the dress-up clothes of her older son Esau and put them on her younger son Jacob. + She took the goatskins and covered his hands and the smooth nape of his neck. + Then she placed the hearty meal she had fixed and fresh bread she'd baked into the hands of her son Jacob. + He went to his father and said, "My father!" "Yes?" he said. "Which son are you?" + Jacob answered his father, "I'm your firstborn son Esau. I did what you told me. Come now; sit up and eat of my game so you can give me your personal blessing." + Isaac said, "So soon? How did you get it so quickly?" "Because your GOD cleared the way for me." + Isaac said, "Come close, son; let me touch you--are you really my son Esau?" + So Jacob moved close to his father Isaac. Isaac felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau." + He didn't recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau's. But as he was about to bless him + he pressed him, "You're sure? You are my son Esau?" "Yes. I am." + Isaac said, "Bring the food so I can eat of my son's game and give you my personal blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate. He also brought him wine and he drank. + Then Isaac said, "Come close, son, and kiss me." + He came close and kissed him and Isaac smelled the smell of his clothes. Finally, he blessed him, Ahhh. The smell of my son is like the smell of the open country blessed by GOD. + May God give you of Heaven's dew and Earth's bounty of grain and wine. + May peoples serve you and nations honor you. You will master your brothers, and your mother's sons will honor you. Those who curse you will be cursed, those who bless you will be blessed. + And then right after Isaac had blessed Jacob and Jacob had left, Esau showed up from the hunt. + He also had prepared a hearty meal. He came to his father and said, "Let my father get up and eat of his son's game, that he may give me his personal blessing." + His father Isaac said, "And who are you?" "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." + Isaac started to tremble, shaking violently. He said, "Then who hunted game and brought it to me? I finished the meal just now, before you walked in. And I blessed him--he's blessed for good!" + Esau, hearing his father's words, sobbed violently and most bitterly, and cried to his father, "My father! Can't you also bless me?" + "Your brother," he said, "came here falsely and took your blessing." + Esau said, "Not for nothing was he named Jacob, the Heel. Twice now he's tricked me: first he took my birthright and now he's taken my blessing." He begged, "Haven't you kept back any blessing for me?" + Isaac answered Esau, "I've made him your master, and all his brothers his servants, and lavished grain and wine on him. I've given it all away. What's left for you, my son?" + "But don't you have just one blessing for me, Father? Oh, bless me my father! Bless me!" Esau sobbed inconsolably. + Isaac said to him, You'll live far from Earth's bounty, remote from Heaven's dew. + You'll live by your sword, hand-to-mouth, and you'll serve your brother. But when you can't take it any more you'll break loose and run free. + Esau seethed in anger against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him; he brooded, "The time for mourning my father's death is close. And then I'll kill my brother Jacob." + When these words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she called her younger son Jacob and said, "Your brother Esau is plotting vengeance against you. He's going to kill you. + Son, listen to me. Get out of here. Run for your life to Haran, to my brother Laban. + Live with him for a while until your brother cools down, + until his anger subsides and he forgets what you did to him. I'll then send for you and bring you back. Why should I lose both of you the same day?" + Rebekah spoke to Isaac, "I'm sick to death of these Hittite women. If Jacob also marries a native Hittite woman, why live?" + + + So Isaac called in Jacob and blessed him. Then he ordered him, "Don't take a Caananite wife. + Leave at once. Go to Paddan Aram to the family of your mother's father, Bethuel. Get a wife for yourself from the daughters of your uncle Laban. + "And may The Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples; + and pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham." + So Isaac sent Jacob off. He went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. + Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan Aram to get a wife there, and while blessing him commanded, "Don't marry a Canaanite woman," + and that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan Aram. + When Esau realized how deeply his father Isaac disliked the Canaanite women, + he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son. This was in addition to the wives he already had. + Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran. + He came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set. He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep. + And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground and it reached all the way to the sky; angels of God were going up and going down on it. + Then GOD was right before him, saying, "I am GOD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I'm giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. + Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they'll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. + Yes. I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back to this very ground. I'll stick with you until I've done everything I promised you." + Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, "GOD is in this place--truly. And I didn't even know it!" + He was terrified. He whispered in awe, "Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God's House. This is the Gate of Heaven." + Jacob was up first thing in the morning. He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it. + He christened the place Bethel (God's House). The name of the town had been Luz until then. + Jacob vowed a vow: "If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I'm setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, + and brings me back in one piece to my father's house, this GOD will be my God. + This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I'll return a tenth to you." + + + Jacob set out again on his way to the people of the east. + He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge. + When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well. + Jacob said, "Hello friends. Where are you from?" They said, "We're from Haran." + Jacob asked, "Do you know Laban son of Nahor?" "We do." + "Are things well with him?" Jacob continued. "Very well," they said. "And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock." + Jacob said, "There's a lot of daylight still left; it isn't time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?" + "We can't," they said. "Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks." + While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father's sheep. She was the shepherd. + The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban's sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. + Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears. + He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father. + When Laban heard the news--Jacob, his sister's son!--he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened. + Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!" When Jacob had been with him for a month, + Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?" + Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger. + Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful. + And it was Rachel that Jacob loved. So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." + "It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me." + So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much. + Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife; I've completed what we agreed I'd do. I'm ready to consummate my marriage." + Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast. + At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her. + (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.) + Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed! Jacob confronted Laban, "What have you done to me? Didn't I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?" + "We don't do it that way in our country," said Laban. "We don't marry off the younger daughter before the older. + Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we'll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work." + Jacob agreed. When he'd completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. + (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.) + Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years. + When GOD realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. + Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It's-a-Boy!). "This is a sign," she said, "that GOD has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me." + She became pregnant again and had another son. "GOD heard," she said, "that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also." She named this one Simeon (GOD-Heard). + She became pregnant yet again--another son. She said, "Now maybe my husband will connect with me--I've given him three sons!" That's why she named him Levi (Connect). + She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, "This time I'll praise GOD." So she named him Judah (Praise-GOD). Then she stopped having children. + + + When Rachel realized that she wasn't having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She told Jacob, "Give me sons or I'll die!" + Jacob got angry with Rachel and said, "Am I God? Am I the one who refused you babies?" + Rachel said, "Here's my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her. Let her substitute for me so I can have a child through her and build a family." + So she gave him her maid Bilhah for a wife and Jacob slept with her. + Bilhah became pregnant and gave Jacob a son. + Rachel said, "God took my side and vindicated me. He listened to me and gave me a son." She named him Dan (Vindication). + Rachel's maid Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. + Rachel said, "I've been in an all-out fight with my sister--and I've won." So she named him Naphtali (Fight). + When Leah saw that she wasn't having any more children, she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob for a wife. + Zilpah had a son for Jacob. + Leah said, "How fortunate!" and she named him Gad (Lucky). + When Leah's maid Zilpah had a second son for Jacob, + Leah said, "A happy day! The women will congratulate me in my happiness." So she named him Asher (Happy). + One day during the wheat harvest Reuben found some mandrakes in the field and brought them home to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah, "Could I please have some of your son's mandrakes?" + Leah said, "Wasn't it enough that you got my husband away from me? And now you also want my son's mandrakes?" Rachel said, "All right. I'll let him sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's love-apples." + When Jacob came home that evening from the fields, Leah was there to meet him: "Sleep with me tonight; I've bartered my son's mandrakes for a night with you." So he slept with her that night. + God listened to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a fifth son. + She said, "God rewarded me for giving my maid to my husband." She named him Issachar (Bartered). + Leah became pregnant yet again and gave Jacob a sixth son, + saying, "God has given me a great gift. This time my husband will honor me with gifts--I've given him six sons!" She named him Zebulun (Honor). + Last of all she had a daughter and named her Dinah. + And then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb. + She became pregnant and had a son. She said, "God has taken away my humiliation." + She named him Joseph (Add), praying, "May GOD add yet another son to me." + After Rachel had had Joseph, Jacob spoke to Laban, "Let me go back home. + Give me my wives and children for whom I've served you. You know how hard I've worked for you." + Laban said, "If you please, I have learned through divine inquiry that GOD has blessed me because of you." + He went on, "So name your wages. I'll pay you." + Jacob replied, "You know well what my work has meant to you and how your livestock has flourished under my care. + The little you had when I arrived has increased greatly; everything I did resulted in blessings for you. Isn't it about time that I do something for my own family?" + "So, what should I pay you?" Jacob said, "You don't have to pay me a thing. But how about this? I will go back to pasture and care for your flocks. + Go through your entire flock today and take out every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. + That way you can check on my honesty when you assess my wages. If you find any goat that's not speckled or spotted or a sheep that's not black, you will know that I stole it." + "Fair enough," said Laban. "It's a deal." + But that very day Laban removed all the mottled and spotted billy goats and all the speckled and spotted nanny-goats, every animal that had even a touch of white on it plus all the black sheep and placed them under the care of his sons. + Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob. Meanwhile Jacob went on tending what was left of Laban's flock. + But Jacob got fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled the bark, leaving white stripes on them. + He stuck the peeled branches in front of the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. When the flocks were in heat, they came to drink + and mated in front of the streaked branches. Then they gave birth to young that were streaked or spotted or speckled. + Jacob placed the ewes before the dark-colored animals of Laban. That way he got distinctive flocks for himself which he didn't mix with Laban's flocks. + And when the sturdier animals were mating, Jacob placed branches at the troughs in view of the animals so that they mated in front of the branches. + But he wouldn't set up the branches before the feebler animals. That way the feeble animals went to Laban and the sturdy ones to Jacob. + The man got richer and richer, acquiring huge flocks, lots and lots of servants, not to mention camels and donkeys. + + + Jacob learned that Laban's sons were talking behind his back: "Jacob has used our father's wealth to make himself rich at our father's expense." + At the same time, Jacob noticed that Laban had changed toward him. He wasn't treating him the same. + That's when GOD said to Jacob, "Go back home where you were born. I'll go with you." + So Jacob sent word for Rachel and Leah to meet him out in the field where his flocks were. + He said, "I notice that your father has changed toward me; he doesn't treat me the same as before. But the God of my father hasn't changed; he's still with me. + You know how hard I've worked for your father. + Still, your father has cheated me over and over, changing my wages time and again. But God never let him really hurt me. + If he said, 'Your wages will consist of speckled animals' the whole flock would start having speckled lambs and kids. And if he said, 'From now on your wages will be streaked animals' the whole flock would have streaked ones. + Over and over God used your father's livestock to reward me. + "Once, while the flocks were mating, I had a dream and saw the billy goats, all of them streaked, speckled, and mottled, mounting their mates. + In the dream an angel of God called out to me, 'Jacob!' "I said, 'Yes?' + "He said, 'Watch closely. Notice that all the goats in the flock that are mating are streaked, speckled, and mottled. I know what Laban's been doing to you. + I'm the God of Bethel where you consecrated a pillar and made a vow to me. Now be on your way, get out of this place, go home to your birthplace.'" + Rachel and Leah said, "Has he treated us any better? + Aren't we treated worse than outsiders? All he wanted was the money he got from selling us, and he's spent all that. + Any wealth that God has seen fit to return to us from our father is justly ours and our children's. Go ahead. Do what God told you." + Jacob did it. He put his children and his wives on camels + and gathered all his livestock and everything he had gotten, everything acquired in Paddan Aram, to go back home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. + Laban was off shearing sheep. Rachel stole her father's household gods. + And Jacob had concealed his plans so well that Laban the Aramean had no idea what was going on--he was totally in the dark. + Jacob got away with everything he had and was soon across the Euphrates headed for the hill country of Gilead. + Three days later, Laban got the news: "Jacob's run off." + Laban rounded up his relatives and chased after him. Seven days later they caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. + That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, "Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad." + When Laban reached him, Jacob's tents were pitched in the Gilead mountains; Laban pitched his tents there too. + "What do you mean," said Laban, "by keeping me in the dark and sneaking off, hauling my daughters off like prisoners of war? + Why did you run off like a thief in the night? Why didn't you tell me? Why, I would have sent you off with a great celebration--music, timbrels, flutes! + But you wouldn't permit me so much as a kiss for my daughters and grandchildren. It was a stupid thing for you to do. + If I had a mind to, I could destroy you right now, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, 'Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad.' + I understand. You left because you were homesick. But why did you steal my household gods?" + Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by brute force. + But as far as your gods are concerned, if you find that anybody here has them, that person dies. With all of us watching, look around. If you find anything here that belongs to you, take it." Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the gods. + Laban went through Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maids but didn't find them. He went from Leah's tent to Rachel's. + But Rachel had taken the household gods, put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting on them. When Laban had gone through the tent, searching high and low without finding a thing, + Rachel said to her father, "Don't think I'm being disrespectful, my master, that I can't stand before you, but I'm having my period." So even though he turned the place upside down in his search, he didn't find the household gods. + Now it was Jacob's turn to get angry. He lit into Laban: "So what's my crime, what wrong have I done you that you badger me like this? + You've ransacked the place. Have you turned up a single thing that's yours? Let's see it--display the evidence. Our two families can be the jury and decide between us. + "In the twenty years I've worked for you, ewes and she-goats never miscarried. I never feasted on the rams from your flock. + I never brought you a torn carcass killed by wild animals but that I paid for it out of my own pocket--actually, you made me pay whether it was my fault or not. + I was out in all kinds of weather, from torrid heat to freezing cold, putting in many a sleepless night. + For twenty years I've done this: I slaved away fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flock and you changed my wages ten times. + If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not stuck with me, you would have sent me off penniless. But God saw the fix I was in and how hard I had worked and last night rendered his verdict." + Laban defended himself: "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flock is my flock--everything you see is mine. But what can I do about my daughters or for the children they've had? + So let's settle things between us, make a covenant--God will be the witness between us." + Jacob took a stone and set it upright as a pillar. + Jacob called his family around, "Get stones!" They gathered stones and heaped them up and then ate there beside the pile of stones. + Laban named it in Aramaic, Yegar-sahadutha (Witness Monument); Jacob echoed the naming in Hebrew, Galeed (Witness Monument). + Laban said, "This monument of stones will be a witness, beginning now, between you and me." (That's why it is called Galeed--Witness Monument.) + It is also called Mizpah (Watchtower) because Laban said, "GOD keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight. + If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives when there's no one around to see you, God will see you and stand witness between us." + Laban continued to Jacob, "This monument of stones and this stone pillar that I have set up is a witness, + a witness that I won't cross this line to hurt you and you won't cross this line to hurt me. + The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the God of their ancestor) will keep things straight between us." Jacob promised, swearing by the Fear, the God of his father Isaac. + Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and worshiped, calling in all his family members to the meal. They ate and slept that night on the mountain. + Laban got up early the next morning, kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, blessed them, and then set off for home. + + + And Jacob went his way. Angels of God met him. + When Jacob saw them he said, "Oh! God's Camp!" And he named the place Mahanaim (Campground). + Then Jacob sent messengers on ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir in Edom. + He instructed them: "Tell my master Esau this, 'A message from your servant Jacob: I've been staying with Laban and couldn't get away until now. + I've acquired cattle and donkeys and sheep; also men and women servants. I'm telling you all this, my master, hoping for your approval.'" + The messengers came back to Jacob and said, "We talked to your brother Esau and he's on his way to meet you. But he has four hundred men with him." + Jacob was scared. Very scared. Panicked, he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two camps. + He thought, "If Esau comes on the first camp and attacks it, the other camp has a chance to get away." + And then Jacob prayed, "God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, GOD who told me, 'Go back to your parents' homeland and I'll treat you well.' + I don't deserve all the love and loyalty you've shown me. When I left here and crossed the Jordan I only had the clothes on my back, and now look at me--two camps! + Save me, please, from the violence of my brother, my angry brother! I'm afraid he'll come and attack us all, me, the mothers and the children. + You yourself said, 'I will treat you well; I'll make your descendants like the sands of the sea, far too many to count.'" + He slept the night there. Then he prepared a present for his brother Esau from his possessions: + two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, + thirty camels with their nursing young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. + He put a servant in charge of each herd and said, "Go ahead of me and keep a healthy space between each herd." + Then he instructed the first one out: "When my brother Esau comes close and asks, 'Who is your master? Where are you going? Who owns these?'-- + answer him like this, 'Your servant Jacob. They are a gift to my master Esau. He's on his way.'" + He gave the same instructions to the second servant and to the third--to each in turn as they set out with their herds: + "Say 'Your servant Jacob is on his way behind us.'" He thought, "I will soften him up with the succession of gifts. Then when he sees me face-to-face, maybe he'll be glad to welcome me." + So his gifts went before him while he settled down for the night in the camp. + But during the night he got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. + He got them safely across the brook along with all his possessions. + But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. + When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint. + The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak." Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me." + The man said, "What's your name?" He answered, "Jacob." + The man said, "But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it's Israel (God-Wrestler); you've wrestled with God and you've come through." + Jacob asked, "And what's your name?" The man said, "Why do you want to know my name?" And then, right then and there, he blessed him. + Jacob named the place Peniel (God's Face) because, he said, "I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!" + The sun came up as he left Peniel, limping because of his hip. + (This is why Israelites to this day don't eat the hip muscle; because Jacob's hip was thrown out of joint.) + + + Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah and Rachel and the two maidservants. + He put the maidservants out in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. + He led the way and, as he approached his brother, bowed seven times, honoring his brother. + But Esau ran up and embraced him, held him tight and kissed him. And they both wept. + Then Esau looked around and saw the women and children: "And who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children that God saw fit to bless me with." + Then the maidservants came up with their children and bowed; + then Leah and her children, also bowing; and finally, Joseph and Rachel came up and bowed to Esau. + Esau then asked, "And what was the meaning of all those herds that I met?" "I was hoping that they would pave the way for my master to welcome me." + Esau said, "Oh, brother. I have plenty of everything--keep what is yours for yourself." + Jacob said, "Please. If you can find it in your heart to welcome me, accept these gifts. When I saw your face, it was as the face of God smiling on me. + Accept the gifts I have brought for you. God has been good to me and I have more than enough." Jacob urged the gifts on him and Esau accepted. + Then Esau said, "Let's start out on our way; I'll take the lead." + But Jacob said, "My master can see that the children are frail. And the flocks and herds are nursing, making for slow going. If I push them too hard, even for a day, I'd lose them all. + So, master, you go on ahead of your servant, while I take it easy at the pace of my flocks and children. I'll catch up with you in Seir." + Esau said, "Let me at least lend you some of my men." "There's no need," said Jacob. "Your generous welcome is all I need or want." + So Esau set out that day and made his way back to Seir. + And Jacob left for Succoth. He built a shelter for himself and sheds for his livestock. That's how the place came to be called Succoth (Sheds). + And that's how it happened that Jacob arrived all in one piece in Shechem in the land of Canaan--all the way from Paddan Aram. He camped near the city. + He bought the land where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. He paid a hundred silver coins for it. + Then he built an altar there and named it El-Elohe-Israel (Mighty Is the God of Israel). + + + One day Dinah, the daughter Leah had given Jacob, went to visit some of the women in that country. + Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite who was chieftain there, saw her and raped her. + Then he felt a strong attraction to Dinah, Jacob's daughter, fell in love with her and wooed her. + Shechem went to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl for my wife." + Jacob heard that Shechem had raped his daughter Dinah, but his sons were out in the fields with the livestock so he didn't say anything until they got home. + Hamor, Shechem's father, went to Jacob to work out marriage arrangements. + Meanwhile Jacob's sons on their way back from the fields heard what had happened. They were outraged, explosive with anger. Shechem's rape of Jacob's daughter was intolerable in Israel and not to be put up with. + Hamor spoke with Jacob and his sons, "My son Shechem is head over heels in love with your daughter--give her to him as his wife. + Intermarry with us. Give your daughters to us and we'll give our daughters to you. + Live together with us as one family. Settle down among us and make yourselves at home. Prosper among us." + Shechem then spoke for himself, addressing Dinah's father and brothers: "Please, say yes. I'll pay anything. + Set the bridal price as high as you will--the sky's the limit! Only give me this girl for my wife." + Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father with cunning. Their sister, after all, had been raped. + They said, "This is impossible. We could never give our sister to a man who was uncircumcised. Why, we'd be disgraced. + The only condition on which we can talk business is if all your men become circumcised like us. + Then we will freely exchange daughters in marriage and make ourselves at home among you and become one big, happy family. + But if this is not an acceptable condition, we will take our sister and leave." + That seemed fair enough to Hamor and his son Shechem. + The young man was so smitten with Jacob's daughter that he proceeded to do what had been asked. He was also the most admired son in his father's family. + So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the public square and spoke to the town council: + "These men like us; they are our friends. Let them settle down here and make themselves at home; there's plenty of room in the country for them. And, just think, we can even exchange our daughters in marriage. + But these men will only accept our invitation to live with us and become one big family on one condition, that all our males become circumcised just as they themselves are. + This is a very good deal for us--these people are very wealthy with great herds of livestock and we're going to get our hands on it. So let's do what they ask and have them settle down with us." + Everyone who was anyone in the city agreed with Hamor and his son, Shechem; every male was circumcised. + Three days after the circumcision, while all the men were still very sore, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each with his sword in hand, walked into the city as if they owned the place and murdered every man there. + They also killed Hamor and his son Shechem, rescued Dinah from Shechem's house, and left. + When the rest of Jacob's sons came on the scene of slaughter, they looted the entire city in retaliation for Dinah's rape. + Flocks, herds, donkeys, belongings--everything, whether in the city or the fields--they took. + And then they took all the wives and children captive and ransacked their homes for anything valuable. + Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You've made my name stink to high heaven among the people here, these Canaanites and Perizzites. If they decided to gang up on us and attack, as few as we are we wouldn't stand a chance; they'd wipe me and my people right off the map." + They said, "Nobody is going to treat our sister like a whore and get by with it." + + + God spoke to Jacob: "Go back to Bethel. Stay there and build an altar to the God who revealed himself to you when you were running for your life from your brother Esau." + Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, "Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes, + we're going to Bethel. I'm going to build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and has stuck with me everywhere I've gone since." + They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. + Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob. + Jacob and his company arrived at Luz, that is, Bethel, in the land of Canaan. + He built an altar there and named it El-Bethel (God-of-Bethel) because that's where God revealed himself to him when he was running from his brother. + And that's when Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried just below Bethel under the oak tree. It was named Allon-Bacuth (Weeping-Oak). + God revealed himself once again to Jacob, after he had come back from Paddan Aram and blessed him: + "Your name is Jacob (Heel); but that's your name no longer. From now on your name is Israel (God-Wrestler)." + God continued, I am The Strong God. Have children! Flourish! A nation--a whole company of nations!-- will come from you. Kings will come from your loins; + the land I gave Abraham and Isaac I now give to you, and pass it on to your descendants. + And then God was gone, ascended from the place where he had spoken with him. + Jacob set up a stone pillar on the spot where God had spoken with him. He poured a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. + Jacob dedicated the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel (God's-House). + They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor--hard, hard labor. + When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid--you have another boy." + With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune). + Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. + Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today, "Rachel's Grave Stone." + Israel kept on his way and set up camp at Migdal Eder. + While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went and slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah. And Israel heard of what he did. There were twelve sons of Jacob. + The sons by Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun. + The sons by Rachel: Joseph, Benjamin. + The sons by Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan, Naphtali. + The sons by Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad, Asher. These were Jacob's sons, born to him in Paddan Aram. + Finally, Jacob made it back home to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had lived. + Isaac was now 180 years old. + Isaac breathed his last and died--an old man full of years. He was buried with his family by his sons Esau and Jacob. + + + This is the family tree of Esau, who is also called Edom. + Esau married women of Canaan: Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite; Oholibamah, daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; + and Basemath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. + Adah gave Esau Eliphaz; Basemath had Reuel; + Oholibamah had Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. + Esau gathered up his wives, sons and daughters, and everybody in his household, along with all his livestock--all the animals and possessions he had gotten in Canaan--and moved a considerable distance away from his brother Jacob. + The brothers had too many possessions to live together in the same place; the land couldn't support their combined herds of livestock. + So Esau ended up settling in the hill country of Seir (Esau and Edom are the same). + So this is the family tree of Esau, ancestor of the people of Edom, in the hill country of Seir. + The names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, son of Esau's wife Adah; Reuel, son of Esau's wife Basemath. + The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. + (Eliphaz also had a concubine Timna, who had Amalek.) These are the grandsons of Esau's wife Adah. + And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah--grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath. + These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon. She gave Esau his sons Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + These are the chieftains in Esau's family tree. From the sons of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn, came the chieftains Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, + Korah, Gatam, and Amalek--the chieftains of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; all of them sons of Adah. + From the sons of Esau's son Reuel, came the chieftains Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the chieftains of Reuel in the land of Edom; all these were sons of Esau's wife Basemath. + These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: the chieftains Jeush, Jalam, and Korah--chieftains born of Esau's wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah. + These are the sons of Esau, that is, Edom, and these are their chieftains. + This is the family tree of Seir the Horite, who were native to that land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chieftains of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. + The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; Lotan's sister was Timna. + The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. + The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah--this is the same Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness while herding his father Zibeon's donkeys. + The children of Anah were Dishon and his daughter Oholibamah. + The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. + The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. + The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. + And these were the Horite chieftains: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan--the Horite chieftains clan by clan in the land of Seir. + And these are the kings who ruled in Edom before there was a king in Israel: + Bela son of Beor was the king of Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah. + When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah became the next king. + When Jobab died, he was followed by Hushan from the land of the Temanites. + When Hushan died, he was followed by Hadad son of Bedad; he was the king who defeated the Midianites in Moab; the name of his city was Avith. + When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah became the next king. + When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth-on-the-River became king. + When Shaul died, he was followed by Baal-Hanan son of Acbor. + When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad became king; the name of his city was Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-Zahab. + And these are the chieftains from the line of Esau, clan by clan, region by region: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram--the chieftains of Edom as they occupied their various regions. This accounts for the family tree of Esau, ancestor of all Edomites. + + + Meanwhile Jacob had settled down where his father had lived, the land of Canaan. + This is the story of Jacob. The story continues with Joseph, seventeen years old at the time, helping out his brothers in herding the flocks. These were his half brothers actually, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. And Joseph brought his father bad reports on them. + Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. + When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him--they wouldn't even speak to him. + Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. + He said, "Listen to this dream I had. + We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine." + His brothers said, "So! You're going to rule us? You're going to boss us around?" And they hated him more than ever because of his dreams and the way he talked. + He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: "I dreamed another dream--the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!" + When he told it to his father and brothers, his father reprimanded him: "What's with all this dreaming? Am I and your mother and your brothers all supposed to bow down to you?" + Now his brothers were really jealous; but his father brooded over the whole business. + His brothers had gone off to Shechem where they were pasturing their father's flocks. + Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are with flocks in Shechem. Come, I want to send you to them." Joseph said, "I'm ready." + He said, "Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing and bring me back a report." He sent him off from the valley of Hebron to Shechem. + A man met him as he was wandering through the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" + "I'm trying to find my brothers. Do you have any idea where they are grazing their flocks?" + The man said, "They've left here, but I overheard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph took off, tracked his brothers down, and found them in Dothan. + They spotted him off in the distance. By the time he got to them they had cooked up a plot to kill him. + The brothers were saying, "Here comes that dreamer. + Let's kill him and throw him into one of these old cisterns; we can say that a vicious animal ate him up. We'll see what his dreams amount to." + Reuben heard the brothers talking and intervened to save him, "We're not going to kill him. + No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don't hurt him." Reuben planned to go back later and get him out and take him back to his father. + When Joseph reached his brothers, they ripped off the fancy coat he was wearing, + grabbed him, and threw him into a cistern. The cistern was dry; there wasn't any water in it. + Then they sat down to eat their supper. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way from Gilead, their camels loaded with spices, ointments, and perfumes to sell in Egypt. + Judah said, "Brothers, what are we going to get out of killing our brother and concealing the evidence? + Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not kill him--he is, after all, our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. + By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt. + Later Reuben came back and went to the cistern--no Joseph! He ripped his clothes in despair. + Beside himself, he went to his brothers. "The boy's gone! What am I going to do!" + They took Joseph's coat, butchered a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. + They took the fancy coat back to their father and said, "We found this. Look it over--do you think this is your son's coat?" + He recognized it at once. "My son's coat--a wild animal has eaten him. Joseph torn limb from limb!" + Jacob tore his clothes in grief, dressed in rough burlap, and mourned his son a long, long time. + His sons and daughters tried to comfort him but he refused their comfort. "I'll go to the grave mourning my son." Oh, how his father wept for him. + In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, manager of his household affairs. + + + About that time, Judah separated from his brothers and hooked up with a man in Adullam named Hirah. + While there, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. He married her, they went to bed, + she became pregnant and had a son named Er. + She got pregnant again and had a son named Onan. + She had still another son; she named this one Shelah. They were living at Kezib when she had him. + Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar. + But Judah's firstborn, Er, grievously offended GOD and GOD took his life. + So Judah told Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's widow; it's the duty of a brother-in-law to keep your brother's line alive." + But Onan knew that the child wouldn't be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn't produce a child for his brother. + GOD was much offended by what he did and also took his life. + So Judah stepped in and told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow at home with your father until my son Shelah grows up." He was worried that Shelah would also end up dead, just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live with her father. + Time passed. Judah's wife, Shua's daughter, died. When the time of mourning was over, Judah with his friend Hirah of Adullam went to Timnah for the sheep shearing. + Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law has gone to Timnah to shear his sheep." + She took off her widow's clothes, put on a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the road to Timnah. She realized by now that even though Shelah was grown up, she wasn't going to be married to him. + Judah saw her and assumed she was a prostitute since she had veiled her face. + He left the road and went over to her. He said, "Let me sleep with you." He had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you pay me?" + "I'll send you," he said, "a kid goat from the flock." She said, "Not unless you give me a pledge until you send it." + "So what would you want in the way of a pledge?" She said, "Your personal seal-and-cord and the staff you carry." He handed them over to her and slept with her. And she got pregnant. + She then left and went home. She removed her veil and put her widow's clothes back on. + Judah sent the kid goat by his friend from Adullam to recover the pledge from the woman. But he couldn't find her. + He asked the men of that place, "Where's the prostitute that used to sit by the road here near Enaim?" They said, "There's never been a prostitute here." + He went back to Judah and said, "I couldn't find her. The men there said there never has been a prostitute there." + Judah said, "Let her have it then. If we keep looking, everyone will be poking fun at us. I kept my part of the bargain--I sent the kid goat but you couldn't find her." + Three months or so later, Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law has been playing the whore--and now she's a pregnant whore." Judah yelled, "Get her out here. Burn her up!" + As they brought her out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, "I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things. Identify them, please. Who's the owner of the seal-and-cord and the staff?" + Judah saw they were his. He said, "She's in the right; I'm in the wrong--I wouldn't let her marry my son Shelah." He never slept with her again. + When her time came to give birth, it turned out that there were twins in her womb. + As she was giving birth, one put his hand out; the midwife tied a red thread on his hand, saying, "This one came first." + But then he pulled it back and his brother came out. She said, "Oh! A breakout!" So she named him Perez (Breakout). + Then his brother came out with the red thread on his hand. They named him Zerah (Bright). + + + After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them. + As it turned out, GOD was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. + His master recognized that GOD was with him, saw that GOD was working for good in everything he did. + He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. + From that moment on, GOD blessed the home of the Egyptian--all because of Joseph. The blessing of GOD spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, + and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day. Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. + As time went on, his master's wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, "Sleep with me." + He wouldn't do it. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn't give a second thought to anything that goes on here--he's put me in charge of everything he owns. + He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn't turned over to me is you. You're his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?" + She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her. + On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. + She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. + When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, + she called to her house servants: "Look--this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he's trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. + With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside." + She kept his coat right there until his master came home. + She told him the same story. She said, "The Hebrew slave, the one you brought to us, came after me and tried to use me for his plaything. + When I yelled and screamed, he left his coat with me and ran outside." + When his master heard his wife's story, telling him, "These are the things your slave did to me," he was furious. + Joseph's master took him and threw him into the jail where the king's prisoners were locked up. But there in jail + GOD was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. + The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners--he ended up managing the whole operation. + The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because GOD was with him; whatever he did GOD made sure it worked out for the best. + + + As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt. + Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker, + and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held. + The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs. After they had been in custody for a while, + the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. + When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. + So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?" + They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams." + First the head cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: "In my dream there was a vine in front of me + with three branches on it: It budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes. + I was holding Pharaoh's cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh." + Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days. + Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work--you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. + Only remember me when things are going well with you again--tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. + I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole." + When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head; + the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head." + Joseph said, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days; + within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean." + And sure enough, on the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. He set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests. + Then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed Pharaoh his cup just as before. + And then he impaled the head baker on a post, following Joseph's interpretations exactly. + But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought; he forgot all about him. + + + Two years passed and Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile River. + Seven cows came up out of the Nile, all shimmering with health, and grazed on the marsh grass. + Then seven other cows, all skin and bones, came up out of the river after them and stood by them on the bank of the Nile. + The skinny cows ate the seven healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. + He went back to sleep and dreamed a second time: Seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, grew out of a single stalk. + Then seven more ears grew up, but these were thin and dried out by the east wind. + The thin ears swallowed up the full, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up--another dream. + When morning came, he was upset. He sent for all the magicians and sages of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but they couldn't interpret them to him. + The head cupbearer then spoke up and said to Pharaoh, "I just now remembered something--I'm sorry, I should have told you this long ago. + Once when Pharaoh got angry with his servants, he locked me and the head baker in the house of the captain of the guard. + We both had dreams on the same night, each dream with its own meaning. + It so happened that there was a young Hebrew slave there with us; he belonged to the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, each dream separately. + Things turned out just as he interpreted. I was returned to my position and the head baker was impaled." + Pharaoh at once sent for Joseph. They brought him on the run from the jail cell. He cut his hair, put on clean clothes, and came to Pharaoh. + "I dreamed a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph. "Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it." + Joseph answered, "Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease." + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. + Seven cows, shimmering with health, came up out of the river and grazed on the marsh grass. + On their heels seven more cows, all skin and bones, came up. I've never seen uglier cows anywhere in Egypt. + Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate up the first seven healthy cows. + But you couldn't tell by looking--after eating them up they were just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up. + "In my second dream I saw seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, growing out of a single stalk, + and right behind them, seven other ears, shriveled, thin, and dried out by the east wind. + And the thin ears swallowed up the full ears. I've told all this to the magicians but they can't figure it out." + Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams both mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do. + The seven healthy cows are seven years and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years--they're the same dream. + The seven sick and ugly cows that followed them up are seven years and the seven scrawny ears of grain dried out by the east wind are the same--seven years of famine. + "The meaning is what I said earlier: God is letting Pharaoh in on what he is going to do. + Seven years of plenty are on their way throughout Egypt. + But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine, + there won't be even a scrap left of the previous plenty--the famine will be total. + The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God's determination to do this and do it soon. + "So: Pharaoh needs to look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country. + Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty. + Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh's authority, storing it in the towns for food. + This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won't be devastated by the famine." + This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials. + Then Pharaoh said to his officials, "Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?" + So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story--no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. + From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you." + So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: "I'm putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt." + Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph's hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. + He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted "Bravo!" Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt. + Pharaoh told Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval." + Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis). And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt. + Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he began his work in Egypt. + During the next seven years of plenty the land produced bumper crops. + Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields. + Joseph collected so much grain--it was like the sand of the ocean!--that he finally quit keeping track. + Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother. + Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, "God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home." + He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, "God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow." + Then Egypt's seven good years came to an end + and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread. + When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you." + As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad. + Soon the whole world was coming to buy supplies from Joseph. The famine was bad all over. + + + When Jacob learned that there was food in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you sit around here and look at one another? + I've heard that there is food in Egypt. Go down there and buy some so that we can survive and not starve to death." + Ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to get food. + Jacob didn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something bad might happen to him. + So Israel's sons joined everyone else that was going to Egypt to buy food, for Canaan, too, was hit hard by the famine. + Joseph was running the country; he was the one who gave out rations to all the people. When Joseph's brothers arrived, they treated him with honor, bowing to him. + Joseph recognized them immediately, but treated them as strangers and spoke roughly to them. He said, "Where do you come from?" "From Canaan," they said. "We've come to buy food." + Joseph knew who they were, but they didn't know who he was. + Joseph, remembering the dreams he had dreamed of them, said, "You're spies. You've come to look for our weak spots." + "No, master," they said. "We've only come to buy food. + We're all the sons of the same man; we're honest men; we'd never think of spying." + He said, "No. You're spies. You've come to look for our weak spots." + They said, "There were twelve of us brothers--sons of the same father in the country of Canaan. The youngest is with our father, and one is no more." + But Joseph said, "It's just as I said, you're spies. + This is how I'll test you. As Pharaoh lives, you're not going to leave this place until your younger brother comes here. + Send one of you to get your brother while the rest of you stay here in jail. We'll see if you're telling the truth or not. As Pharaoh lives, I say you're spies." + Then he threw them into jail for three days. + On the third day, Joseph spoke to them. "Do this and you'll live. I'm a God-fearing man. + If you're as honest as you say you are, one of your brothers will stay here in jail while the rest of you take the food back to your hungry families. + But you have to bring your youngest brother back to me, confirming the truth of your speech--and not one of you will die." They agreed. + Then they started talking among themselves. "Now we're paying for what we did to our brother--we saw how terrified he was when he was begging us for mercy. We wouldn't listen to him and now we're the ones in trouble." + Reuben broke in. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't hurt the boy'? But no, you wouldn't listen. And now we're paying for his murder." + Joseph had been using an interpreter, so they didn't know that Joseph was understanding every word. + Joseph turned away from them and cried. When he was able to speak again, he took Simeon and had him tied up, making a prisoner of him while they all watched. + Then Joseph ordered that their sacks be filled with grain, that their money be put back in each sack, and that they be given rations for the road. That was all done for them. + They loaded their food supplies on their donkeys and set off. + When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get food for his donkey; there at the mouth of his bag was his money + He called out to his brothers, "My money has been returned; it's right here in my bag!" They were puzzled--and frightened. "What's God doing to us?" + When they got back to their father Jacob, back in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened, saying, + "The man who runs the country spoke to us roughly and accused us of being spies. + We told him, 'We are honest men and in no way spies. + There were twelve of us brothers, sons of one father; one is gone and the youngest is with our father in Canaan.' + "But the master of the country said, 'Leave one of your brothers with me, take food for your starving families, and go. + Bring your youngest brother back to me, proving that you're honest men and not spies. And then I'll give your brother back to you and you'll be free to come and go in this country.'" + As they were emptying their food sacks, each man came on his purse of money. On seeing their money, they and their father were upset. + Their father said to them, "You're taking everything I've got! Joseph's gone, Simeon's gone, and now you want to take Benjamin. If you have your way, I'll be left with nothing." + Reuben spoke up: "I'll put my two sons in your hands as hostages. If I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill them. Trust me with Benjamin; I'll bring him back." + But Jacob refused. "My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead and he is all I have left. If something bad happens to him on the road, you'll put my gray, sorrowing head in the grave." + + + The famine got worse. + When they had eaten all the food they had brought back from Egypt, their father said, "Go back and get some more food." + But Judah said, "The man warned us most emphatically, 'You won't so much as see my face if you don't have your brother with you.' + If you're ready to release our brother to go with us, we'll go down and get you food. + But if you're not ready, we aren't going. What would be the use? The man told us, 'You won't so much as see my face if you don't have your brother with you.'" + Israel said, "Why are you making my life so difficult! Why did you ever tell the man you had another brother?" + They said, "The man pressed us hard, asking pointed questions about our family: 'Is your father alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How did we know that he'd say, 'Bring your brother here'?" + Judah pushed his father Israel. "Let the boy go; I'll take charge of him. Let us go and be on our way--if we don't get going, we're all going to starve to death--we and you and our children too! + I'll take full responsibility for his safety; it's my life on the line for his. If I don't bring him back safe and sound, I'm the guilty one; I'll take all the blame. + If we had gone ahead in the first place instead of procrastinating like this, we could have been there and back twice over." + Their father Israel gave in. "If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts--some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. + And take plenty of money--pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake. + Take your brother and get going. Go back to the man. + And may The Strong God give you grace in that man's eyes so that he'll send back your other brother along with Benjamin. For me, nothing's left; I've lost everything." + The men took the gifts, double the money, and Benjamin. They lost no time in getting to Egypt and meeting Joseph. + When Joseph saw that they had Benjamin with them, he told his house steward, "Take these men into the house and make them at home. Butcher an animal and prepare a meal; these men are going to eat with me at noon." + The steward did what Joseph had said and took them inside. + But they became anxious when they were brought into Joseph's home, thinking, "It's the money; he thinks we ran off with the money on our first trip down here. And now he's got us where he wants us--he's going to turn us into slaves and confiscate our donkeys." + So they went up to Joseph's house steward and talked to him in the doorway. + They said, "Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy food. + On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag--the exact amount we'd paid. We've brought it all back + and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put the money in our bags." + The steward said, "Everything's in order. Don't worry. Your God and the God of your father must have given you a bonus. I was paid in full." And with that, he presented Simeon to them. + He then took them inside Joseph's house and made them comfortable--gave them water to wash their feet and saw to the feeding of their donkeys. + The brothers spread out their gifts as they waited for Joseph to show up at noon--they had been told that they were to have dinner with him. + When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought and bowed respectfully before him. + Joseph welcomed them and said, "And your old father whom you mentioned to me, how is he? Is he still alive?" + They said, "Yes--your servant our father is quite well, very much alive." And they again bowed respectfully before him. + Then Joseph picked out his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He asked, "And is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." + Deeply moved on seeing his brother and about to burst into tears, Joseph hurried out into another room and had a good cry. + Then he washed his face, got a grip on himself, and said, "Let's eat." + Joseph was served at his private table, the brothers off by themselves and the Egyptians off by themselves (Egyptians won't eat at the same table with Hebrews; it's repulsive to them). + The brothers were seated facing Joseph, arranged in order of their age, from the oldest to the youngest. They looked at one another wide-eyed, wondering what would happen next. + When the brothers' plates were served from Joseph's table, Benjamin's plate came piled high, far more so than his brothers. And so the brothers feasted with Joseph, drinking freely. + + + Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food--all they can carry--and replace each one's money at the top of the bag. + Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered. + At break of day the men were sent off with their donkeys. + They were barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, "Run after them. When you catch up with them, say, 'Why did you pay me back evil for good? + This is the chalice my master drinks from; he also uses it for divination. This is outrageous!'" + He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word. + They said, "What is my master talking about? We would never do anything like that! + Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all the way from Canaan--do you think we'd turn right around and steal it back from your master? + If that chalice is found on any of us, he'll die; and the rest of us will be your master's slaves." + The steward said, "Very well then, but we won't go that far. Whoever is found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free." + They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening them up for inspection. + The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin's bag. + They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city. + Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him. + Joseph accused them: "How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this." + Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, "What can we say, master? What is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves--we're all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice." + "I'd never do that to you," said Joseph. "Only the one involved with the chalice will be my slave. The rest of you are free to go back to your father." + Judah came forward. He said, "Please, master; can I say just one thing to you? Don't get angry. Don't think I'm presumptuous--you're the same as Pharaoh as far as I'm concerned. + You, master, asked us, 'Do you have a father and a brother?' + And we answered honestly, 'We have a father who is old and a younger brother who was born to him in his old age. His brother is dead and he is the only son left from that mother. And his father loves him more than anything.' + "Then you told us, 'Bring him down here so I can see him.' + We told you, master, that it was impossible: 'The boy can't leave his father; if he leaves, his father will die.' + "And then you said, 'If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you won't be allowed to see me.' + "When we returned to our father, we told him everything you said to us. + So when our father said, 'Go back and buy some more food,' + we told him flatly, 'We can't. The only way we can go back is if our youngest brother is with us. We aren't allowed to even see the man if our youngest brother doesn't come with us.' + "Your servant, my father, told us, 'You know very well that my wife gave me two sons. + One turned up missing. I concluded that he'd been ripped to pieces. I've never seen him since. + If you now go and take this one and something bad happens to him, you'll put my old gray, grieving head in the grave for sure.' + "And now, can't you see that if I show up before your servant, my father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up, + the moment he realizes the boy is gone, he'll die on the spot. He'll die of grief and we, your servants who are standing here before you, will have killed him. + And that's not all. I got my father to release the boy to show him to you by promising, 'If I don't bring him back, I'll stand condemned before you, Father, all my life.' + "So let me stay here as your slave, not this boy. Let the boy go back with his brothers. + How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? Oh, don't make me go back and watch my father die in grief!" + + + Joseph couldn't hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, "Leave! Clear out--everyone leave!" So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. + But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn't help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh's palace. + Joseph spoke to his brothers: "I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?" But his brothers couldn't say a word. They were speechless--they couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing. + "Come closer to me," Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. "I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. + But don't feel badly, don't blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. + There has been a famine in the land now for two years; the famine will continue for five more years--neither plowing nor harvesting. + God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance. + So you see, it wasn't you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all Egypt. + "Hurry back to my father. Tell him, 'Your son Joseph says: I'm master of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here. + I'll give you a place to live in Goshen where you'll be close to me--you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of. + I'll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of famine ahead; I'll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and everyone connected with you--you won't want for a thing.' + "Look at me. You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin can see for himself, that it's me, my own mouth, telling you all this. + Tell my father all about the high position I hold in Egypt, tell him everything you've seen here, but don't take all day--hurry up and get my father down here." + Then Joseph threw himself on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. + He then kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Only then were his brothers able to talk with him. + The story was reported in Pharaoh's palace: "Joseph's brothers have come." It was good news to Pharaoh and all who worked with him. + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'This is the plan: Load up your pack animals; go to Canaan, + get your father and your families and bring them back here. I'll settle you on the best land in Egypt--you'll live off the fat of the land.' + "Also tell them this: 'Here's what I want you to do: Take wagons from Egypt to carry your little ones and your wives and load up your father and come back. + Don't worry about having to leave things behind; the best in all of Egypt will be yours.'" + And they did just that, the sons of Israel. Joseph gave them the wagons that Pharaoh had promised and food for the trip. + He outfitted all the brothers in brand-new clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and several suits of clothes. + He sent his father these gifts: ten donkeys loaded with Egypt's best products and another ten donkeys loaded with grain and bread, provisions for his father's journey back. + Then he sent his brothers off. As they left he told them, "Take it easy on the journey; try to get along with each other." + They left Egypt and went back to their father Jacob in Canaan. + When they told him, "Joseph is still alive--and he's the ruler over the whole land of Egypt!" he went numb; he couldn't believe his ears. + But the more they talked, telling him everything that Joseph had told them and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the blood started to flow again--their father Jacob's spirit revived. + Israel said, "I've heard enough--my son Joseph is still alive. I've got to go and see him before I die." + + + So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. + God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: "Jacob! Jacob!" "Yes?" he said. "I'm listening." + God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. + I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes." + Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons loaded their father and their little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. + They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him-- + sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters. Everyone. + These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. + Reuben's sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + Simeon's sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. + Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + Issachar's sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. + Zebulun's sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. + These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three. + Gad's sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. + Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah's sons, Heber and Malkiel. + These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his daughter Leah, bore to Jacob--sixteen of them. + The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. + Joseph was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt. + Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. + These are the children born to Jacob through Rachel--fourteen. + Dan's son: Hushim. + Naphtali's sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. + These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had given to his daughter Rachel--seven. + Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob--his own children, not counting his sons' wives--numbered sixty-six. + Counting in the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who ended up in Egypt numbered seventy. + Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions to Goshen from Joseph. When they got to Goshen, + Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time. + Israel said to Joseph, "I'm ready to die. I've looked into your face--you are indeed alive." + Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father's family. "I'll go and tell Pharaoh, 'My brothers and my father's family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me. + The men are shepherds; they've always made their living by raising livestock. And they've brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.' + When Pharaoh calls you in and asks what kind of work you do, + tell him, 'Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember--we and our parents also.' That way he'll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen--for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd." + + + Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, "My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen." + He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. + Pharaoh asked them, "What kind of work do you do?" "Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. + We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?" + Pharaoh looked at Joseph. "So, your father and brothers have arrived--a reunion! + Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land--yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock." + Next Joseph brought his father Jacob in and introduced him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. + Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?" + Jacob answered Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are 130--a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given." + Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left. + Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land--it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)--just as Pharaoh had ordered. + Joseph took good care of them--his father and brothers and all his father's family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything. + The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine. + Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh's palace. + When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. "Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone." + Joseph said, "Bring your livestock. I'll trade you food for livestock since your money's run out." + So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock. + When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, "Master, it's no secret to you that we're broke: our money's gone and we've traded you all our livestock. We've nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. + What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We'll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land--all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive." + So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land--the famine was that bad. That's how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land + and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other. + Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn't buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn't need to sell their land. + Joseph then announced to the people: "Here's how things stand: I've bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I'm giving you seed so you can plant the ground. + When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families--you're going to be able to feed your children!" + They said, "You've saved our lives! Master, we're grateful and glad to be slaves to Pharaoh." + Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests' lands were not owned by Pharaoh. + And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. + Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years. In all, he lived 147 years. + When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, "Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you're loyal and true to me to the end. Don't bury me in Egypt. + When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them." "I will," he said. "I'll do what you've asked." + Israel said, "Promise me." Joseph promised. Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed. + + + Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob. + When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come," he roused himself and sat up in bed. + Jacob said to Joseph, "The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. + He said, 'I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.' + I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. + But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. + I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem." + Just then Jacob noticed Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these?" + Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place." "Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them." + Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them + and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!" + Joseph took them from Israel's knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. + Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him. + But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. + Then he blessed them: The God before whom walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, The God who has been my shepherd all my lifelong to this very day, + The Angel who delivered me from every evil, Bless the boys. May my name be echoed in their lives, and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers, And may they grow covering the Earth with their children. + When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's, + saying, "That's the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head." + But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations." + Then he blessed them both: Israel will use your names to give blessings: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. + Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. + As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow." + + + Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather around. I want to tell you what you can expect in the days to come." + Come together, listen sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father. + Reuben, you're my firstborn, my strength, first proof of my manhood, at the top in honor and at the top in power, + But like a bucket of water spilled, you'll be at the top no more, Because you climbed into your father's marriage bed, mounting that couch, and you defiled it. + Simeon and Levi are two of a kind, ready to fight at the drop of a hat. + I don't want anything to do with their vendettas, want no part in their bitter feuds; They kill men in fits of temper, slash oxen on a whim. + A curse on their uncontrolled anger, on their indiscriminate wrath. I'll throw them out with the trash; I'll shred and scatter them like confetti throughout Israel. + You, Judah, your brothers will praise you: Your fingers on your enemies' throat, while your brothers honor you. + You're a lion's cub, Judah, home fresh from the kill, my son. Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts; who dares mess with him? + The scepter shall not leave Judah; he'll keep a firm grip on the command staff Until the ultimate ruler comes and the nations obey him. + He'll tie up his donkey to the grapevine, his purebred prize to a sturdy branch. He will wash his shirt in wine and his cloak in the blood of grapes, + His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. + Zebulun settles down on the seashore; he's a safe harbor for ships, right alongside Sidon. + Issachar is one tough donkey crouching between the corrals; + When he saw how good the place was, how pleasant the country, He gave up his freedom and went to work as a slave. + Dan will handle matters of justice for his people; he will hold his own just fine among the tribes of Israel. + Dan is only a small snake in the grass, a lethal serpent in ambush by the road When he strikes a horse in the heel, and brings its huge rider crashing down. + I wait in hope for your salvation, GOD. + Gad will be attacked by bandits, but he will trip them up. + Asher will become famous for rich foods, candies and sweets fit for kings. + Naphtali is a deer running free that gives birth to lovely fawns. + Joseph is a wild donkey, a wild donkey by a spring, spirited donkeys on a hill. + The archers with malice attacked, shooting their hate-tipped arrows; + But he held steady under fire, his bow firm, his arms limber, With the backing of the Champion of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. + The God of your father--may he help you! And may The Strong God--may he give you his blessings, Blessings tumbling out of the skies, blessings bursting up from the Earth-- blessings of breasts and womb. + May the blessings of your father exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains, surpass the delights of the eternal hills; May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers. + Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; all morning he gorges on his kill, at evening divides up what's left over. + All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing. + Then he instructed them: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, + the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial plot. + Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there; Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there; I also buried Leah there. + The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites." + Jacob finished instructing his sons, pulled his feet into bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. + + + Joseph threw himself on his father, wept over him, and kissed him. + Joseph then instructed the physicians in his employ to embalm his father. The physicians embalmed Israel. + The embalming took forty days, the period required for embalming. There was public mourning by the Egyptians for seventy days. + When the period of mourning was completed, Joseph petitioned Pharaoh's court: + "If you have reason to think kindly of me, present Pharaoh with my request: My father made me swear, saying, 'I am ready to die. Bury me in the grave plot that I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.' Please give me leave to go up and bury my father. Then I'll come back." + Pharaoh said, "Certainly. Go and bury your father as he made you promise under oath." + So Joseph left to bury his father. And all the high-ranking officials from Pharaoh's court went with him, all the dignitaries of Egypt, + joining Joseph's family--his brothers and his father's family. Their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen. + Chariots and horsemen accompanied them. It was a huge funeral procession. + Arriving at the Atad Threshing Floor just across the Jordan River, they stopped for a period of mourning, letting their grief out in loud and lengthy lament. For seven days, Joseph engaged in these funeral rites for his father. + When the Canaanites who lived in that area saw the grief being poured out at the Atad Threshing Floor, they said, "Look how deeply the Egyptians are mourning." That is how the site at the Jordan got the name Abel Mizraim (Egyptian Lament). + Jacob's sons continued to carry out his instructions to the letter. + They took him on into Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. + After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. + After the funeral, Joseph's brothers talked among themselves: "What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?" + So they sent Joseph a message, "Before his death, your father gave this command: + Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin--all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.' Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?" When Joseph received their message, he wept. + Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, "We'll be your slaves." + Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? + Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now--life for many people. + Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart. + Joseph continued to live in Egypt with his father's family. Joseph lived 110 years. + He lived to see Ephraim's sons into the third generation. The sons of Makir, Manasseh's son, were also recognized as Joseph's. + At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, "I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." + Then Joseph made the sons of Israel promise under oath, "When God makes his visitation, make sure you take my bones with you as you leave here." + Joseph died at the age of 110 years. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + + These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt with Jacob, each bringing his family members: + Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, + Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, + Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. + Seventy persons in all generated by Jacob's seed. Joseph was already in Egypt. + Then Joseph died, and all his brothers--that whole generation. + But the children of Israel kept on reproducing. They were very prolific--a population explosion in their own right--and the land was filled with them. + A new king came to power in Egypt who didn't know Joseph. + He spoke to his people in alarm, "There are way too many of these Israelites for us to handle. + We've got to do something: Let's devise a plan to contain them, lest if there's a war they should join our enemies, or just walk off and leave us." + So they organized them into work-gangs and put them to hard labor under gang-foremen. They built the storage cities Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. + But the harder the Egyptians worked them the more children the Israelites had--children everywhere! The Egyptians got so they couldn't stand the Israelites + and treated them worse than ever, crushing them with slave labor. + They made them miserable with hard labor--making bricks and mortar and back-breaking work in the fields. They piled on the work, crushing them under the cruel workload. + The king of Egypt had a talk with the two Hebrew midwives; one was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. + He said, "When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the sex of the baby. If it's a boy, kill him; if it's a girl, let her live." + But the midwives had far too much respect for God and didn't do what the king of Egypt ordered; they let the boy babies live. + The king of Egypt called in the midwives. "Why didn't you obey my orders? You've let those babies live!" + The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; they're vigorous. Before the midwife can get there, they've already had the baby." + God was pleased with the midwives. The people continued to increase in number--a very strong people. + And because the midwives honored God, God gave them families of their own. + So Pharaoh issued a general order to all his people: "Every boy that is born, drown him in the Nile. But let the girls live." + + + A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. + The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. + When she couldn't hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile. + The baby's older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. + Pharaoh's daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. + She opened it and saw the child--a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, "This must be one of the Hebrew babies." + Then his sister was before her: "Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?" + Pharaoh's daughter said, "Yes. Go." The girl went and called the child's mother. + Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me. I'll pay you." The woman took the child and nursed him. + After the child was weaned, she presented him to Pharaoh's daughter who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses (Pulled-Out), saying, "I pulled him out of the water." + Time passed. Moses grew up. One day he went and saw his brothers, saw all that hard labor. Then he saw an Egyptian hit a Hebrew--one of his relatives! + He looked this way and then that; when he realized there was no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. + The next day he went out there again. Two Hebrew men were fighting. He spoke to the man who started it: "Why are you hitting your neighbor?" + The man shot back: "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?" Then Moses panicked: "Word's gotten out--people know about this." + Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well. + The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, filling the troughs and watering their father's sheep. + When some shepherds came and chased the girls off, Moses came to their rescue and helped them water their sheep. + When they got home to their father, Reuel, he said, "That didn't take long. Why are you back so soon?" + "An Egyptian," they said, "rescued us from a bunch of shepherds. Why, he even drew water for us and watered the sheep." + He said, "So where is he? Why did you leave him behind? Invite him so he can have something to eat with us." + Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife. + She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Sojourner), saying, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign country." + Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God: + God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. + God saw what was going on with Israel. God understood. + + + Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. + The angel of GOD appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up. + Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?" + GOD saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Yes? I'm right here!" + God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground." + Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God. + GOD said, "I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. + And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. + "The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the Egyptians. + It's time for you to go back: I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt." + Moses answered God, "But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?" + "I'll be with you," God said. "And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain." + Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you'; and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What do I tell them?" + God said to Moses, "I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, 'I-AM sent me to you.'" + God continued with Moses: "This is what you're to say to the Israelites: 'GOD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.' This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known. + "Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, 'GOD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I've looked into what's being done to you in Egypt, + and I've determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey."' + "Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: 'GOD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship GOD--our God.' + "I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless forced to, + so I'll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts--oh, my miracles will send them reeling!--after which they'll be glad to send you off. + I'll see to it that this people get a hearty send-off by the Egyptians--when you leave, you won't leave empty-handed! + Each woman will ask her neighbor and any guests in her house for objects of silver and gold, for jewelry and extra clothes; you'll put them on your sons and daughters. Oh, you'll clean the Egyptians out!" + + + Moses objected, "They won't trust me. They won't listen to a word I say. They're going to say, 'GOD? Appear to him? Hardly!'" + So GOD said, "What's that in your hand?" "A staff." + "Throw it on the ground." He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back--fast! + GOD said to Moses, "Reach out and grab it by the tail." He reached out and grabbed it--and he was holding his staff again. + "That's so they will trust that GOD appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." + GOD then said, "Put your hand inside your shirt." He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow. + He said, "Put your hand back under your shirt." He did it, then took it back out--as healthy as before. + "So if they don't trust you and aren't convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. + But if it doesn't, if even after these two signs they don't trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground." + Moses raised another objection to GOD: "Master, please, I don't talk well. I've never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer." + GOD said, "And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn't it I, GOD? + So, get going. I'll be right there with you--with your mouth! I'll be right there to teach you what to say." + He said, "Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!" + GOD got angry with Moses: "Don't you have a brother, Aaron the Levite? He's good with words, I know he is. He speaks very well. In fact, at this very moment he's on his way to meet you. When he sees you he's going to be glad. + You'll speak to him and tell him what to say. I'll be right there with you as you speak and with him as he speaks, teaching you step by step. + He will speak to the people for you. He'll act as your mouth, but you'll decide what comes out of it. + Now take this staff in your hand; you'll use it to do the signs." + Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said, "I need to return to my relatives who are in Egypt. I want to see if they're still alive." Jethro said, "Go. And peace be with you." + GOD said to Moses in Midian: "Go. Return to Egypt. All the men who wanted to kill you are dead." + So Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey for the return trip to Egypt. He had a firm grip on the staff of God. + GOD said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, be prepared: All the wonders that I will do through you, you'll do before Pharaoh. But I will make him stubborn so that he will refuse to let the people go. + Then you are to tell Pharaoh, 'GOD's Message: Israel is my son, my firstborn! + I told you, "Free my son so that he can serve me." But you refused to free him. So now I'm going to kill your son, your firstborn.'" + On the journey back, as they camped for the night, GOD met Moses and would have killed him but + Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' member with it. She said, "Oh! You're a bridegroom of blood to me!" + Then GOD let him go. She used the phrase "bridegroom of blood" because of the circumcision. + GOD spoke to Aaron, "Go and meet Moses in the wilderness." He went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. + Moses told Aaron the message that GOD had sent him to speak and the wonders he had commanded him to do. + So Moses and Aaron proceeded to round up all the leaders of Israel. + Aaron told them everything that GOD had told Moses and demonstrated the wonders before the people. + And the people trusted and listened believingly that GOD was concerned with what was going on with the Israelites and knew all about their affliction. They bowed low and they worshiped. + + + After that Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh. They said, "GOD, the God of Israel, says, 'Free my people so that they can hold a festival for me in the wilderness.'" + Pharaoh said, "And who is GOD that I should listen to him and send Israel off? I know nothing of this so-called 'GOD' and I'm certainly not going to send Israel off." + They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can worship our GOD lest he strike us with either disease or death." + But the king of Egypt said, "Why on earth, Moses and Aaron, would you suggest the people be given a holiday? Back to work!" + Pharaoh went on, "Look, I've got all these people bumming around, and now you want to reward them with time off?" + Pharaoh took immediate action. He sent down orders to the slave-drivers and their underlings: + "Don't provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw. + And make them produce the same number of bricks--no reduction in their daily quotas! They're getting lazy. They're going around saying, 'Give us time off so we can worship our God.' + Crack down on them. That'll cure them of their whining, their god-fantasies." + The slave-drivers and their underlings went out to the people with their new instructions. "Pharaoh's orders: No more straw provided. + Get your own straw wherever you can find it. And not one brick less in your daily work quota!" + The people scattered all over Egypt scrabbling for straw. + The slave-drivers were merciless, saying, "Complete your daily quota of bricks--the same number as when you were given straw." + The Israelite foremen whom the slave-drivers had appointed were beaten and badgered. "Why didn't you finish your quota of bricks yesterday or the day before--and now again today!" + The Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out for relief: "Why are you treating your servants like this? + Nobody gives us any straw and they tell us, 'Make bricks!' Look at us--we're being beaten. And it's not our fault." + But Pharaoh said, "Lazy! That's what you are! Lazy! That's why you whine, 'Let us go so we can worship GOD.' + Well then, go--go back to work. Nobody's going to give you straw, and at the end of the day you better bring in your full quota of bricks." + The Israelite foremen saw that they were in a bad way, having to go back and tell their workers, "Not one brick short in your daily quota." + As they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them. + The foremen said to them, "May GOD see what you've done and judge you--you've made us stink before Pharaoh and his servants! You've put a weapon in his hand that's going to kill us!" + Moses went back to GOD and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me? + From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?" + + + GOD said to Moses, "Now you'll see what I'll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he'll send them out free; with a strong hand he'll drive them out of his land." + God continued speaking to Moses, reassuring him, "I am GOD. + I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my name GOD (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them. + I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners. + But now I've heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I've remembered my covenant. + Therefore tell the Israelites: "I am GOD. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. + I'll take you as my own people and I'll be God to you. You'll know that I am GOD, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. + I'll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM GOD." + But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear him--they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions. + Then GOD said to Moses, + "Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land." + Moses answered GOD, "Look--the Israelites won't even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter." + But GOD again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. + These are the heads of the tribes: The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi--these are the families of Reuben. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Saul, the son of a Canaanite woman--these are the families of Simeon. + These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their birth: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. + The sons of Gershon by family: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be 133. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the sons of Levi in the order of their birth. + Amram married his aunt Jochebed and she had Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be 137. + The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri. + The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. + Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she had Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. + Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she had Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite families, family by family. + This is the Aaron and Moses whom GOD ordered: "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt clan by clan." + These are the men, Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to release the Israelites from Egypt. + And that's how things stood when GOD next spoke to Moses in Egypt. + God addressed Moses, saying, "I am GOD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you." + And Moses answered, "Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?" + + + GOD told Moses, "Look at me. I'll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. + You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. + At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh's back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. + Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. + The Egyptians will realize that I am GOD when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country." + Moses and Aaron did exactly what GOD commanded. + Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. + Then GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, 'Prove yourselves. Perform a miracle,' then tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh: It will turn into a snake.'" + Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what GOD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake. + Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their incantations: + each man threw down his staff and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs. + Yet Pharaoh was as stubborn as ever--he wouldn't listen to them, just as GOD had said. + GOD said to Moses: "Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people. + First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake + and say to him, 'GOD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened. + This is how you'll know that I am GOD. I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood; + the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.'" + GOD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt--over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water--so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt--even in the pots and pans." + Moses and Aaron did exactly as GOD commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood. + The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt. + But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as GOD had said. + He turned on his heel and went home, never giving it a second thought. + But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water. + Seven days went by after GOD had struck the Nile. + + + GOD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'GOD's Message: Release my people so they can worship me. + If you refuse to release them, I'm warning you, I'll hit the whole country with frogs. + The Nile will swarm with frogs--they'll come up into your houses, into your bedrooms and into your beds, into your servants' quarters, among the people, into your ovens and pots and pans. + They'll be all over you, all over everyone--frogs everywhere, on and in everything!'" + GOD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Wave your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds. Bring up frogs on the land of Egypt.'" + Aaron stretched his staff over the waters of Egypt and a mob of frogs came up and covered the country. + But again the magicians did the same thing using their incantations--they also produced frogs in Egypt. + Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to GOD to rid us of these frogs. I'll release the people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship GOD." + Moses said to Pharaoh, "Certainly. Set the time. When do you want the frogs out of here, away from your servants and people and out of your houses? You'll be rid of frogs except for those in the Nile." + "Make it tomorrow." Moses said, "Tomorrow it is--so you'll realize that there is no God like our GOD. + The frogs will be gone. You and your houses and your servants and your people, free of frogs. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile." + Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses prayed to GOD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. + GOD responded to Moses' prayer: The frogs died off--houses, courtyards, fields, all free of frogs. + They piled the frogs in heaps. The country reeked of dead frogs. + But when Pharaoh saw that he had some breathing room, he got stubborn again and wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron. Just as GOD had said. + GOD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and strike the dust. The dust will turn into gnats all over Egypt.'" + He did it. Aaron grabbed his staff and struck the dust of the Earth; it turned into gnats, gnats all over people and animals. All the dust of the Earth turned into gnats, gnats everywhere in Egypt. + The magicians tried to produce gnats with their incantations but this time they couldn't do it. There were gnats everywhere, all over people and animals. + The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is God's doing." But Pharaoh was stubborn and wouldn't listen. Just as GOD had said. + GOD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes down to the water. Tell him, 'GOD's Message: Release my people so they can worship me. + If you don't release my people, I'll release swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and your homes. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground under their feet will be thick with flies. + But when it happens, I'll set Goshen where my people live aside as a sanctuary--no flies in Goshen. That will show you that I am GOD in this land. + I'll make a sharp distinction between your people and mine. This sign will occur tomorrow.'" + And GOD did just that. Thick swarms of flies in Pharaoh's palace and the houses of his servants. All over Egypt, the country ruined by flies. + Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, "Go ahead. Sacrifice to your God--but do it here in this country." + Moses said, "That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our GOD would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they'll kill us. + Let us go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to our GOD, just as he instructed us." + Pharaoh said, "All right. I'll release you to go and sacrifice to your GOD in the wilderness. Only don't go too far. Now pray for me." + Moses said, "As soon as I leave here, I will pray to GOD that tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. But don't play games with us and change your mind about releasing us to sacrifice to GOD." + Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to GOD. + GOD did what Moses asked. He got rid of the flies from Pharaoh and his servants and his people. There wasn't a fly left. + But Pharaoh became stubborn once again and wouldn't release the people. + + + GOD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'GOD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me. + If you refuse to release them and continue to hold on to them, + I'm giving you fair warning: GOD will come down hard on your livestock out in the fields--horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep--striking them with a severe disease. + GOD will draw a sharp line between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. Not one animal that belongs to the Israelites will die.'" + Then GOD set the time: "Tomorrow GOD will do this thing." + And the next day GOD did it. All the livestock of Egypt died, but not one animal of the Israelites died. + Pharaoh sent men to find out what had happened and there it was: none of the livestock of the Israelites had died--not one death. But Pharaoh stayed stubborn. He wouldn't release the people. + GOD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take fistfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses throw it into the air right before Pharaoh's eyes; + it will become a film of fine dust all over Egypt and cause sores, an eruption of boils on people and animals throughout Egypt." + So they took soot from a furnace, stood in front of Pharaoh, and threw it up into the air. It caused boils to erupt on people and animals. + The magicians weren't able to compete with Moses this time because of the boils--they were covered with boils just like everyone else in Egypt. + GOD hardened Pharaoh in his stubbornness. He wouldn't listen, just as GOD had said to Moses. + GOD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh. Tell him, 'GOD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me. + This time I am going to strike you and your servants and your people with the full force of my power so you'll get it into your head that there's no one like me anywhere in all the Earth. + You know that by now I could have struck you and your people with deadly disease and there would be nothing left of you, not a trace. + But for one reason only I've kept you on your feet: To make you recognize my power so that my reputation spreads in all the Earth. + You are still building yourself up at my people's expense. You are not letting them go. + So here's what's going to happen: At this time tomorrow I'm sending a terrific hailstorm--there's never been a storm like this in Egypt from the day of its founding until now. + So get your livestock under roof--everything exposed in the open fields, people and animals, will die when the hail comes down.'" + All of Pharaoh's servants who had respect for GOD's word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could, + but those who didn't take GOD's word seriously left their workers and animals out in the field. + GOD said to Moses: "Stretch your hands to the skies. Signal the hail to fall all over Egypt on people and animals and crops exposed in the fields of Egypt." + Moses lifted his staff to the skies and GOD sent peals of thunder and hail shot through with lightning strikes. GOD rained hail down on the land of Egypt. + The hail came, hail and lightning--a fierce hailstorm. There had been nothing like it in Egypt in its entire history. + The hail hit hard all over Egypt. Everything exposed out in the fields, people and animals and crops, was smashed. Even the trees in the fields were shattered. + Except for Goshen where the Israelites lived; there was no hail in Goshen. + Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, "I've sinned for sure this time--GOD is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong. + Pray to GOD. We've had enough of GOD's thunder and hail. I'll let you go. The sooner you're out of here the better." + Moses said, "As soon as I'm out of the city, I'll stretch out my arms to GOD. The thunder will stop and the hail end so you'll know that the land is GOD's land. + Still, I know that you and your servants have no respect for GOD." + (The flax and the barley were ruined, for they were just ripening, + but the wheat and spelt weren't hurt--they ripen later.) + Moses left Pharaoh and the city and stretched out his arms to GOD. The thunder and hail stopped; the storm cleared. + But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he kept right on sinning, stubborn as ever, both he and his servants. + Pharaoh's heart turned rock-hard. He refused to release the Israelites, as GOD had ordered through Moses. + + + GOD said to Moses: "Go to Pharaoh. I've made him stubborn, him and his servants, so that I can force him to look at these signs + and so you'll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse; you'll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you'll all know that I am GOD." + Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "GOD, the God of the Hebrews, says, 'How long are you going to refuse to knuckle under? Release my people so that they can worship me. + If you refuse to release my people, watch out; tomorrow I'm bringing locusts into your country. + They'll cover every square inch of ground; no one will be able to see the ground. They'll devour everything left over from the hailstorm, even the saplings out in the fields--they'll clear-cut the trees. + And they'll invade your houses, filling the houses of your servants, filling every house in Egypt. Nobody will have ever seen anything like this, from the time your ancestors first set foot on this soil until today.'" Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh. + Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long are you going to let this man harass us? Let these people go and worship their GOD. Can't you see that Egypt is on its last legs?" + So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, "Go ahead then. Go worship your GOD. But just who exactly is going with you?" + Moses said, "We're taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds--this is our worship-celebration of GOD." + He said, "I'd sooner send you off with GOD's blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you're up to no good--it's written all over your faces. + Nothing doing. Just the men are going--go ahead and worship GOD. That's what you want so badly." And they were thrown out of Pharaoh's presence. + GOD said to Moses: "Stretch your hand over Egypt and signal the locusts to cover the land of Egypt, devouring every blade of grass in the country, everything that the hail didn't get." + Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. GOD let loose an east wind. It blew that day and night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts. + The locusts covered the country of Egypt, settling over every square inch of Egypt; the place was thick with locusts. There never was an invasion of locusts like it in the past, and never will be again. + The ground was completely covered, black with locusts. They ate everything, every blade of grass, every piece of fruit, anything that the hail didn't get. Nothing left but bare trees and bare fields--not a sign of green in the whole land of Egypt. + Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron back in no time. He said, "I've sinned against your GOD and against you. + Overlook my sin one more time. Pray to your GOD to get me out of this--get death out of here!" + Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to GOD. + GOD reversed the wind--a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt. + But GOD made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn't release the Israelites. + GOD said to Moses: "Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt--a darkness so dark you can touch it." + Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days. + Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living. + Pharaoh called in Moses: "Go and worship GOD. Leave your flocks and herds behind. But go ahead and take your children." + But Moses said, "You have to let us take our sacrificial animals and offerings with us so we can sacrifice them in worship to our GOD. + Our livestock has to go with us with not a hoof left behind; they are part of the worship of our GOD. And we don't know just what will be needed until we get there." + But GOD kept Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He wouldn't agree to release them. + Pharaoh said to Moses: "Get out of my sight! And watch your step. I don't want to ever see you again. If I lay eyes on you again, you're dead." + Moses said, "Have it your way. You won't see my face again." + + + God said to Moses: "I'm going to hit Pharaoh and Egypt one final time, and then he'll let you go. When he releases you, that will be the end of Egypt for you; he won't be able to get rid of you fast enough. + "So here's what you do. Tell the people to ask, each man from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor, for things made of silver and gold." + GOD saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people. Also, Moses was greatly admired by the Egyptians, a respected public figure among both Pharaoh's servants and the people at large. + Then Moses confronted Pharaoh: "GOD's Message: 'At midnight I will go through Egypt + and every firstborn child in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl working at her hand mill. Also the firstborn of animals. + Widespread wailing will erupt all over the country, lament such as has never been and never will be again. + But against the Israelites--man, woman, or animal--there won't be so much as a dog's bark, so that you'll know that GOD makes a clear distinction between Egypt and Israel.' + "Then all these servants of yours will go to their knees, begging me to leave, 'Leave! You and all the people who follow you!' And I will most certainly leave." Moses, seething with anger, left Pharaoh. + GOD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's not going to listen to a thing you say so that the signs of my presence and work are going to multiply in the land of Egypt." + Moses and Aaron had performed all these signs in Pharaoh's presence, but GOD turned Pharaoh more stubborn than ever--yet again he refused to release the Israelites from his land. + + + GOD said to Moses and Aaron while still in Egypt, + "This month is to be the first month of the year for you. + Address the whole community of Israel; tell them that on the tenth of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one lamb to a house. + If the family is too small for a lamb, then share it with a close neighbor, depending on the number of persons involved. Be mindful of how much each person will eat. + Your lamb must be a healthy male, one year old; you can select it from either the sheep or the goats. + Keep it penned until the fourteenth day of this month and then slaughter it--the entire community of Israel will do this--at dusk. + Then take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which you will eat it. + You are to eat the meat, roasted in the fire, that night, along with bread, made without yeast, and bitter herbs. + Don't eat any of it raw or boiled in water; make sure it's roasted--the whole animal, head, legs, and innards. + Don't leave any of it until morning; if there are leftovers, burn them in the fire. + "And here is how you are to eat it: Be fully dressed with your sandals on and your stick in your hand. Eat in a hurry; it's the Passover to GOD. + "I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am GOD. + The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you--no disaster will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. + "This will be a memorial day for you; you will celebrate it as a festival to GOD down through the generations, a fixed festival celebration to be observed always. + You will eat unraised bread (matzoth) for seven days: On the first day get rid of all yeast from your houses--anyone who eats anything with yeast from the first day to the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. + The first and the seventh days are set aside as holy; do no work on those days. Only what you have to do for meals; each person can do that. + "Keep the Festival of Unraised Bread! This marks the exact day I brought you out in force from the land of Egypt. Honor the day down through your generations, a fixed festival to be observed always. + In the first month, beginning on the fourteenth day at evening until the twenty-first day at evening, you are to eat unraised bread. + For those seven days not a trace of yeast is to be found in your houses. Anyone, whether a visitor or a native of the land, who eats anything raised shall be cut off from the community of Israel. + Don't eat anything raised. Only matzoth." + Moses assembled all the elders of Israel. He said, "Select a lamb for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. + Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the bowl of blood and smear it on the lintel and on the two doorposts. No one is to leave the house until morning. + GOD will pass through to strike Egypt down. When he sees the blood on the lintel and the two door posts, GOD will pass over the doorway; he won't let the destroyer enter your house to strike you down with ruin. + "Keep this word. It's the law for you and your children, forever. + When you enter the land which GOD will give you as he promised, keep doing this. + And when your children say to you, 'Why are we doing this?' + tell them: 'It's the Passover-sacrifice to GOD who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.'" The people bowed and worshiped. + The Israelites then went and did what GOD had commanded Moses and Aaron. They did it all. + At midnight GOD struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, right down to the firstborn of the prisoner locked up in jail. Also the firstborn of the animals. + Pharaoh got up that night, he and all his servants and everyone else in Egypt--what wild wailing and lament in Egypt! There wasn't a house in which someone wasn't dead. + Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron that very night and said, "Get out of here and be done with you--you and your Israelites! Go worship GOD on your own terms. + And yes, take your sheep and cattle as you've insisted, but go. And bless me." + The Egyptians couldn't wait to get rid of them; they pushed them to hurry up, saying, "We're all as good as dead." + The people grabbed their bread dough before it had risen, bundled their bread bowls in their cloaks and threw them over their shoulders. + The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them; they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold things and clothing. + GOD saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people and so readily gave them what they asked for. Oh yes! They picked those Egyptians clean. + The Israelites moved on from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 on foot, besides their dependents. + There was also a crowd of riffraff tagging along, not to mention the large flocks and herds of livestock. + They baked unraised cakes with the bread dough they had brought out of Egypt; it hadn't raised--they'd been rushed out of Egypt and hadn't time to fix food for the journey. + The Israelites had lived in Egypt 430 years. + At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, GOD's entire army left Egypt. + GOD kept watch all night, watching over the Israelites as he brought them out of Egypt. Because GOD kept watch, all Israel for all generations will honor GOD by keeping watch this night--a watchnight. + GOD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the rules for the Passover: No foreigners are to eat it. + Any slave, if he's paid for and circumcised, can eat it. + No casual visitor or hired hand can eat it. + Eat it in one house--don't take the meat outside the house. Don't break any of the bones. + The whole community of Israel is to be included in the meal. + "If an immigrant is staying with you and wants to keep the Passover to GOD, every male in his family must be circumcised, then he can participate in the Meal--he will then be treated as a native son. But no uncircumcised person can eat it. + "The same law applies both to the native and the immigrant who is staying with you." + All the Israelites did exactly as GOD commanded Moses and Aaron. + That very day GOD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, tribe by tribe. + + + GOD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Consecrate every firstborn to me--the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine." + Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. GOD brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread. + "You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. + When GOD brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month: + "You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to GOD. + "Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented--no yeast anywhere. + "Tell your child on that day: 'This is because of what GOD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' + "The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of GOD in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that GOD brought you out of Egypt. + Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year. + "When GOD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, + you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to GOD. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to GOD. + You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck. "Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. + When the time comes and your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you tell him, 'GOD brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. + When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, GOD killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to GOD and redeem every firstborn son.' + The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: GOD brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand." + It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt." + So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation. + Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you." + They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. + GOD went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. + The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the Israelites to turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Camp on the shore of the sea opposite Baal Zephon. + "Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are lost; they're confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.' + Then I'll make Pharaoh's heart stubborn again and he'll chase after them. And I'll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am GOD." And that's what happened. + When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, "What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labor, go free?" + So he had his chariots harnessed up and got his army together. + He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along. + GOD made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back. + The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea--all Pharaoh's horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon. + As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them--Egyptians! Coming at them! They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to GOD. + They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? + Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, 'Leave us alone here in Egypt--we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.'" + Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch GOD do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again. + GOD will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!" + GOD said to Moses: "Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. + Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground. + "Meanwhile I'll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase--I'll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, + to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am GOD." + The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. + The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn't come near each other all night. + Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and GOD, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split. + The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. + The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. + It was now the morning watch. GOD looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. + He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud. The Egyptians said, "Run from Israel! GOD is fighting on their side and against Egypt!" + GOD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen." + Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. GOD dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. + The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh's army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived. + But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. + GOD delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, + and realized the tremendous power that GOD brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before GOD and trusted in GOD and his servant Moses. + + + Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to GOD, giving voice together, I'm singing my heart out to GOD--what a victory! He pitched horse and rider into the sea. + GOD is my strength, GOD is my song, and, yes! GOD is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have and I'm telling the world! This is the God of my father-- I'm spreading the news far and wide! + GOD is a fighter, pure GOD, through and through. + Pharaoh's chariots and army he dumped in the sea, The elite of his officers he drowned in the Red Sea. + Wild ocean waters poured over them; they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea. + Your strong right hand, GOD, shimmers with power; your strong right hand shatters the enemy. + In your mighty majesty you smash your upstart enemies, You let loose your hot anger and burn them to a crisp. + At a blast from your nostrils the waters piled up; Tumbling streams dammed up, wild oceans curdled into a swamp. + The enemy spoke, "I'll pursue, I'll hunt them down, I'll divide up the plunder, I'll glut myself on them; I'll pull out my sword, my fist will send them reeling." + You blew with all your might and the sea covered them. They sank like a lead weight in the majestic waters. + Who compares with you among gods, O GOD? Who compares with you in power, in holy majesty, In awesome praises, wonder-working God? + You stretched out your right hand and the Earth swallowed them up. + But the people you redeemed, you led in merciful love; You guided them under your protection to your holy pasture. + When people heard, they were scared; Philistines writhed and trembled; + Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken, and the big bosses in Moab. Everybody in Canaan panicked and fell faint. + Dread and terror sent them reeling. Before your brandished right arm they were struck dumb like a stone, + Until your people crossed over and entered, O GOD, until the people you made crossed over and entered. You brought them and planted them on the mountain of your heritage, The place where you live, the place you made, Your sanctuary, Master, that you established with your own hands. + Let GOD rule forever, for eternity! + Yes, Pharaoh's horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and GOD turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea. + Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. + Miriam led them in singing, Sing to GOD-- what a victory! He pitched horse and rider into the sea! + Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water. + They got to Marah, but they couldn't drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That's why they called the place Marah (Bitter). + And the people complained to Moses, "So what are we supposed to drink?" + So Moses cried out in prayer to GOD. GOD pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet. + That's the place where GOD set up rules and procedures; that's where he started testing them. GOD said, "If you listen, listen obediently to how GOD tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won't strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am GOD your healer." + They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water. + + + On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. + The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. + The Israelites said, "Why didn't GOD let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!" + GOD said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not. + On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration." + Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, "This evening you will know that it is GOD who brought you out of Egypt; + and in the morning you will see the Glory of GOD. Yes, he's listened to your complaints against him. You haven't been complaining against us, you know, but against GOD." + Moses said, "Since it will be GOD who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it's GOD who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven't been complaining to us--you've been complaining to GOD!" + Moses instructed Aaron: "Tell the whole company of Israel: 'Come near to GOD. He's heard your complaints.'" + When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of GOD visible in the Cloud. + GOD spoke to Moses, + "I've listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: 'At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you'll eat your fill of bread; and you'll realize that I am GOD, your God.'" + That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. + When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. + The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was. So Moses told them, "It's the bread GOD has given you to eat. + And these are GOD's instructions: 'Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.'" + The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, + but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren't short--each person had gathered as much as was needed. + Moses said to them, "Don't leave any of it until morning." + But they didn't listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them. + They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted. + On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person. Then the leaders of the company came to Moses and reported. + Moses said, "This is what GOD was talking about: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to GOD. Whatever you plan to bake, bake today; and whatever you plan to boil, boil today. Then set aside the leftovers until morning." + They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn't smell bad and there were no worms in it. + Moses said, "Now eat it; this is the day, a Sabbath for GOD. You won't find any of it on the ground today. + Gather it every day for six days, but the seventh day is Sabbath; there won't be any of it on the ground." + On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather anyway but they didn't find anything. + GOD said to Moses, "How long are you going to disobey my commands and not follow my instructions? + Don't you see that GOD has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don't leave home on the seventh day." + So the people quit working on the seventh day. + The Israelites named it manna (What is it?). It looked like coriander seed, whitish. And it tasted like a cracker with honey. + Moses said, "This is GOD's command: 'Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt.'" + Moses told Aaron, "Take a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Place it before GOD, keeping it safe for future generations." + Aaron did what GOD commanded Moses. He set it aside before The Testimony to preserve it. + The Israelites ate the manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle down. They ate manna until they reached the border into Canaan. + According to ancient measurements, an omer is one-tenth of an ephah. + + + Directed by GOD, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. + The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing GOD?" + But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?" + Moses cried out in prayer to GOD, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!" + GOD said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. + I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink." Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching. + He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of GOD when they said, "Is GOD here with us, or not?" + Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. + Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff." + Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. + It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. + But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. + Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle. + GOD said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth." + Moses built an altar and named it "GOD My Banner." + He said, Salute GOD's rule! GOD at war with Amalek Always and forever! + + + Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt. + Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses' wife who had been sent back home, + and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign land"; + the name of the other was Eliezer (God's-Help) because "The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh." + Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. + He had sent a message ahead to Moses: "I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons." + Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent. + Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that GOD had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how GOD had delivered them. + Jethro was delighted in all the good that GOD had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression. + Jethro said, "Blessed be GOD who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt. + Now I know that GOD is greater than all gods because he's done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly." + Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. + The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. + When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?" + Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God. + When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions." + Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. + You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you--you can't do this alone. + Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. + Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. + And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men--men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible--and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. + They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. + If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." + Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said. + Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. + They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges. + Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country. + + + Three months after leaving Egypt the Israelites entered the Wilderness of Sinai. + They followed the route from Rephidim, arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp. Israel camped there facing the mountain. + As Moses went up to meet God, GOD called down to him from the mountain: "Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: + 'You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to me. + If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, + but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.' "This is what I want you to tell the People of Israel." + Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which GOD had commanded him. + The people were unanimous in their response: "Everything GOD says, we will do." Moses took the people's answer back to GOD. + GOD said to Moses, "Get ready. I'm about to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people can listen in and trust you completely when I speak with you." Again Moses reported the people's answer to GOD. + GOD said to Moses, "Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy GOD. Have them scrub their clothes + so that on the third day they'll be fully prepared, because on the third day GOD will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people. + Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, 'Warning! Don't climb the mountain. Don't even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies--a certain death. + And no one is to touch that person, he's to be stoned. That's right--stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever--put to death.' "A long blast from the horn will signal that it's safe to climb the mountain." + Moses went down the mountain to the people and prepared them for the holy meeting. They gave their clothes a good scrubbing. + Then he addressed the people: "Be ready in three days. Don't sleep with a woman." + On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear. + Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain. + Mount Sinai was all smoke because GOD had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered in huge spasms. + The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. + GOD descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. GOD called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up. + GOD said to Moses, "Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at GOD lest many of them die. + And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest GOD break out against them." + Moses said to GOD, "But the people can't climb Mount Sinai. You've already warned us well telling us: 'Post boundaries around the mountain. Respect the holy mountain.'" + GOD told him, "Go down and then bring Aaron back up with you. But make sure that the priests and the people don't break through and come up to GOD, lest he break out against them." + So Moses went down to the people. He said to them: + + + GOD spoke all these words: + I am GOD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery. + No other gods, only me. + No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. + Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am GOD, your God, and I'm a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. + But I'm unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments. + No using the name of GOD, your God, in curses or silly banter; GOD won't put up with the irreverant use of his name. + Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. + Work six days and do everything you need to do. + But the seventh day is a Sabbath to GOD, your God. Don't do any work--not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. + For in six days GOD made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore GOD blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day. + Honor your father and mother so that you'll live a long time in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. + No murder. + No adultery. + No stealing. + No lies about your neighbor. + No lusting after your neighbor's house--or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbor's. + All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid--they pulled back and stood at a distance. + They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't have God speak to us or we'll die." + Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin." + The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. + GOD said to Moses, "Give this Message to the People of Israel: 'You've experienced firsthand how I spoke with you from Heaven. + Don't make gods of silver and gods of gold and then set them alongside me. + Make me an earthen Altar. Sacrifice your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, your Peace-Offerings, your sheep, and your cattle on it. Every place where I cause my name to be honored in your worship, I'll be there myself and bless you. + If you use stones to make my Altar, don't use dressed stones. If you use a chisel on the stones you'll profane the Altar. + Don't use steps to climb to my Altar because that will expose your nakedness.' + + + "These are the laws that you are to place before them: + "When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The seventh year he goes free, for nothing. + If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. + If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. + But suppose the slave should say, 'I love my master and my wife and children--I don't want my freedom,' + then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life. + "When a man sells his daughter to be a handmaid, she doesn't go free after six years like the men. + If she doesn't please her master, her family must buy her back; her master doesn't have the right to sell her to foreigners since he broke his word to her. + If he turns her over to his son, he has to treat her like a daughter. + If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations. + If he won't do any of these three things for her, she goes free, for nothing. + "If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. + But if there was no intent to kill--if it was an accident, an 'act of God'--I'll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. + But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it's from my Altar, to be put to death. + "If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death. + "If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession. + "If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death. + "If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn't die but is confined to bed + and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery. + "If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged. + But if the slave survives a day or two, he's not to be avenged--the slave is the owner's property. + "When there's a fight and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries but is not otherwise hurt, the one responsible has to pay whatever the husband demands in compensation. + But if there is further damage, then you must give life for life-- + eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, + burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. + "If a slave owner hits the eye of a slave or handmaid and ruins it, the owner must let the slave go free because of the eye. + If the owner knocks out the tooth of the male or female slave, the slave must be released and go free because of the tooth. + "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear. + But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty. + If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life. + If a son or daughter is gored, the same judgment holds. + If it is a slave or a handmaid the ox gores, thirty shekels of silver is to be paid to the owner and the ox stoned. + "If someone uncovers a cistern or digs a pit and leaves it open and an ox or donkey falls into it, + the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal. + "If someone's ox injures a neighbor's ox and the ox dies, they must sell the live ox and split the price; they must also split the dead animal. + But if the ox had a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, the owner must pay an ox for an ox but can keep the dead animal. + + + "If someone steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters or sells it, the thief must pay five cattle in place of the ox and four sheep in place of the lamb. + If the thief is caught while breaking in and is hit hard and dies, there is no bloodguilt. + But if it happens after daybreak, there is bloodguilt. "A thief must make full restitution for what is stolen. The thief who is unable to pay is to be sold for his thieving. + If caught red-handed with the stolen goods, and the ox or donkey or lamb is still alive, the thief pays double. + "If someone grazes livestock in a field or vineyard but lets them loose so they graze in someone else's field, restitution must be made from the best of the owner's field or vineyard. + "If fire breaks out and spreads to the brush so that the sheaves of grain or the standing grain or even the whole field is burned up, whoever started the fire must pay for the damages. + "If someone gives a neighbor money or things for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor's house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double. + If the thief is not caught, the owner must be brought before God to determine whether the owner was the one who took the neighbor's goods. + "In all cases of stolen goods, whether oxen, donkeys, sheep, clothing, anything in fact missing of which someone says, 'That's mine,' both parties must come before the judges. The one the judges pronounce guilty must pay double to the other. + "If someone gives a donkey or ox or lamb or any kind of animal to another for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or lost and there is no witness, + an oath before GOD must be made between them to decide whether one has laid hands on the property of the other. The owner must accept this and no damages are assessed. + But if it turns out it was stolen, the owner must be compensated. + If it has been torn by wild beasts, the torn animal must be brought in as evidence; no damages have to be paid. + "If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it gets injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must pay for it. + But if the owner was with it, he doesn't have to pay. If the animal was hired, the payment covers the loss. + "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the marriage price and marry her. + If her father absolutely refuses to give her away, the man must still pay the marriage price for virgins. + "Don't let a sorceress live. + "Anyone who has sex with an animal gets the death penalty. + "Anyone who sacrifices to a god other than GOD alone must be put to death. + "Don't abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt. + "Don't mistreat widows or orphans. + If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure I'll take them most seriously; + I'll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans. + "If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don't come down hard on them and gouge them with interest. + "If you take your neighbor's coat as security, give it back before nightfall; + it may be your neighbor's only covering--what else does the person have to sleep in? And if I hear the neighbor crying out from the cold, I'll step in--I'm compassionate. + "Don't curse God; and don't damn your leaders. + "Don't be stingy as your wine vats fill up. "Dedicate your firstborn sons to me. + The same with your cattle and sheep--they are to stay for seven days with their mother, then give them to me. + "Be holy for my sake. "Don't eat mutilated flesh you find in the fields; throw it to the dogs. + + + "Don't pass on malicious gossip. "Don't link up with a wicked person and give corrupt testimony. + Don't go along with the crowd in doing evil and don't fudge your testimony in a case just to please the crowd. + And just because someone is poor, don't show favoritism in a dispute. + "If you find your enemy's ox or donkey loose, take it back to him. + If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, don't walk off and leave it. Help it up. + "When there is a dispute concerning your poor, don't tamper with the justice due them. + "Stay clear of false accusations. Don't contribute to the death of innocent and good people. I don't let the wicked off the hook. + "Don't take bribes. Bribes blind perfectly good eyes and twist the speech of good people. + "Don't take advantage of a stranger. You know what it's like to be a stranger; you were strangers in Egypt. + "Sow your land for six years and gather in its crops, + but in the seventh year leave it alone and give it a rest so that your poor may eat from it. What they leave, let the wildlife have. Do the same with your vineyards and olive groves. + "Work for six days and rest the seventh so your ox and donkey may rest and your servant and migrant workers may have time to get their needed rest. + "Listen carefully to everything I tell you. Don't pay attention to other gods--don't so much as mention their names. + "Three times a year you are to hold a festival for me. + "Hold the spring Festival of Unraised Bread when you eat unraised bread for seven days at the time set for the month of Abib, as I commanded you. That was the month you came out of Egypt. No one should show up before me empty-handed. + "Hold the summer Festival of Harvest when you bring in the firstfruits of all your work in the fields. "Hold the autumn Festival of Ingathering at the end of the season when you bring in the year's crops. + "Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Master, GOD. + "Don't offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with anything that has yeast in it. "Don't leave the fat from my festival offering out overnight. + "Bring the choice first produce of the year to the house of your GOD. "Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk. + "Now get yourselves ready. I'm sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I've prepared. + Pay close attention to him. Obey him. Don't go against him. He won't put up with your rebellions because he's acting on my authority. + But if you obey him and do everything I tell you, I'll be an enemy to your enemies, I'll fight those who fight you. + When my Angel goes ahead of you and leads you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, I'll clear the country of them. + So don't worship or serve their gods; don't do anything they do because I'm going to wipe them right off the face of the Earth and smash their sacred phallic pillars to bits. + "But you--you serve your GOD and he'll bless your food and your water. I'll get rid of the sickness among you; + there won't be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I'll make sure you live full and complete lives. + "I'll send my Terror on ahead of you and throw those peoples you're approaching into a panic. All you'll see of your enemies is the backs of their necks. + "And I'll send Despair on ahead of you. It will push the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites out of your way. + I won't get rid of them all at once lest the land grow up in weeds and the wild animals take over. + Little by little I'll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own. + I will make your borders stretch from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Wilderness to the Euphrates River. I'm turning everyone living in that land over to you; go ahead and drive them out. + "Don't make any deals with them or their gods. + They are not to stay in the same country with you lest they get you to sin by worshiping their gods. Beware. That's a huge danger." + + + He said to Moses, "Climb the mountain to GOD, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. They will worship from a distance; + only Moses will approach GOD. The rest are not to come close. And the people are not to climb the mountain at all." + So Moses went to the people and told them everything GOD had said--all the rules and regulations. They all answered in unison: "Everything GOD said, we'll do." + Then Moses wrote it all down, everything GOD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an Altar at the foot of the mountain using twelve pillar-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. + Then he directed young Israelite men to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings and sacrifice Peace-Offerings of bulls. + Moses took half the blood and put it in bowls; the other half he threw against the Altar. + Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened. They said, "Everything GOD said, we'll do. Yes, we'll obey." + Moses took the rest of the blood and threw it out over the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which GOD has made with you out of all these words I have spoken." + Then they climbed the mountain--Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel-- + and saw the God of Israel. He was standing on a pavement of something like sapphires--pure, clear sky-blue. + He didn't hurt these pillar-leaders of the Israelites: They saw God; and they ate and drank. + GOD said to Moses, "Climb higher up the mountain and wait there for me; I'll give you tablets of stone, the teachings and commandments that I've written to instruct them." + So Moses got up, accompanied by Joshua his aide. And Moses climbed up the mountain of God. + He told the elders of Israel, "Wait for us here until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; if there are any problems, go to them." + Then Moses climbed the mountain. The Cloud covered the mountain. + The Glory of GOD settled over Mount Sinai. The Cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called out of the Cloud to Moses. + In the view of the Israelites below, the Glory of God looked like a raging fire at the top of the mountain. + Moses entered the middle of the Cloud and climbed the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. + These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; + blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats' hair; + tanned rams' skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; + lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; + onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. + Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. + You are to construct it following the plans I've given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings. + "First let them make a Chest using acacia wood: make it three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide and deep + . Cover it with a veneer of pure gold inside and out and make a molding of gold all around it. + Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. + Make poles from acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold + and insert them into the rings on the sides of the Chest for carrying the Chest. + The poles are to stay in the rings; they must not be removed. + "Place The Testimony that I give you in the Chest. + "Now make a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide. + "Sculpt two winged angels out of hammered gold for either end of the Atonement-Cover, + one angel at one end, one angel at the other. Make them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. + Make the angels with their wings spread, hovering over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on it. + Set the Atonement-Cover as a lid over the Chest and place in the Chest The Testimony that I will give you. + I will meet you there at set times and speak with you from above the Atonement-Cover and from between the angel-figures that are on it, speaking the commands that I have for the Israelites. + "Next make a Table from acacia wood. Make it three feet long, one and one-half feet wide and two and one-quarter feet high. + Cover it with a veneer of pure gold. Make a molding all around it of gold. + Make the border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border. + Make four rings of gold and attach the rings to the four legs + parallel to the table top. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table. + Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table. + "Make plates, bowls, jars, and jugs for pouring out offerings. Make them of pure gold. + "Always keep fresh Bread of the Presence on the Table before me. + "Make a Lampstand of pure hammered gold. Make its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece. + Give it six branches, three from one side and three from the other; + put three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, three on the next, and so on--the same for all six branches. + On the main stem of the Lampstand, make four cups shaped like almonds, with calyx and petals, + a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches, + the entire Lampstand fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold. + "Make seven of these lamps for the Table. Arrange the lamps so they throw their light out in front. + Make the candle snuffers and trays out of pure gold. + "Use a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories. + Study the design you were given on the mountain and make everything accordingly. + + + "Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it. + The panels of tapestry are each to be forty-six feet long and six feet wide. + Join five of the panels together, and then the other five together. + Make loops of blue along the edge of the outside panel of the first set and the same on the outside panel of the second set. + Make fifty loops on each panel. + Then make fifty gold clasps and join the tapestries together so that The Dwelling is one whole. + "Next make tapestries of goat hair for a tent that will cover The Dwelling. Make eleven panels of these tapestries. + The length of each panel will be forty-five feet long and six feet wide. + Join five of the panels together, and then the other six. Fold the sixth panel double at the front of the tent. + Now make fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel. + Make fifty clasps of bronze and connect the clasps with the loops, bringing the tent together. + "Hang half of the overlap of the tapestry panels over the rear of The Dwelling. + The eighteen inches of overlap on either side will cover the sides of the tent. + Finally, make a covering for the tapestries of tanned rams' skins dyed red and over that a covering of dolphin skins. + "Frame The Dwelling with planks of acacia wood, + each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide, + with two pegs for securing them. Make all the frames identical: + twenty frames for the south side + with forty silver sockets to receive the two pegs from each of the twenty frames; + the same construction on the north side of The Dwelling; + (SEE 26:20) + for the rear of The Dwelling, which faces west, make six frames + with two additional frames for the rear corners. + Both of the two corner frames need to be double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring-- + eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame. + "Now make crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, + five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. + The center crossbar runs from end to end halfway up the frames. + Cover the frames with a veneer of gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. And cover the crossbars with a veneer of gold. + Then put The Dwelling together, following the design you were shown on the mountain. + "Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman. + Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases. + After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies. + Now place the Atonement-Cover lid on the Chest of The Testimony in the Holy-of-Holies. + Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side. + "Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. + Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles. + + + "Make an Altar of acacia wood. Make it seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high. + Make horns at each of the four corners. The horns are to be of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze. + Make buckets for removing the ashes, along with shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. Make all these utensils from bronze. + Make a grate of bronze mesh and attach bronze rings at each of the four corners. + Put the grate under the ledge of the Altar at the halfway point of the Altar. + Make acacia wood poles for the Altar and cover them with a veneer of bronze. + Insert the poles through the rings on the two sides of the Altar for carrying. + Use boards to make the Altar, keeping the interior hollow. + "Make a Courtyard for The Dwelling. The south side is to be 150 feet long. The hangings for the Courtyard are to be woven from fine twisted linen, + with their twenty posts, twenty bronze bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. + The north side is to be exactly the same. + "For the west end of the Courtyard you will need seventy-five feet of hangings with their ten posts and bases. + Across the seventy-five feet at the front, or east end, + you will need twenty-two and a half feet of hangings, with their three posts and bases on one side + and the same for the other side. + At the door of the Courtyard make a screen thirty feet long woven from blue, purple, and scarlet stuff, with fine twisted linen, embroidered by a craftsman, and hung on its four posts and bases. + All the posts around the Courtyard are to be banded with silver, with hooks of silver and bases of bronze. + The Courtyard is to be 150 feet long and seventy-five feet wide. The hangings of fine twisted linen set on their bronze bases are to be seven and a half feet high. + All the tools used for setting up The Holy Dwelling, including all the pegs in it and the Courtyard, are to be made of bronze. + "Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning. + In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before GOD. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites. + + + "Get your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites to serve me as priests: Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar. + Make sacred vestments for your brother Aaron to symbolize glory and beauty. + Consult with the skilled craftsmen, those whom I have gifted in this work, and arrange for them to make Aaron's vestments, to set him apart as holy, to act as priest for me. + These are the articles of clothing they are to make: Breastpiece, Ephod, robe, woven tunic, turban, sash. They are making holy vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons as they work as priests for me. + They will need gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine linen. + "Have the Ephod made from gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine twisted linen by a skilled craftsman. + Give it two shoulder pieces at two of the corners so it can be fastened. + The decorated band on it is to be just like it and of one piece with it: made of gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and of fine twisted linen. + Next take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the sons of Israel on them in the order of their birth, + six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. + Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of filigreed gold. + Fasten the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod--they are memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will wear these names on his shoulders as a memorial before GOD. + Make the settings of gold filigree. + Make two chains of pure gold and braid them like cords, then attach the corded chains to the settings. + "Now make a Breastpiece of Judgment, using skilled craftsmen, the same as with the Ephod. Use gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine twisted linen. + Make it nine inches square and folded double. + Mount four rows of precious gemstones on it. First row: carnelian, topaz, emerald. + Second row: ruby, sapphire, crystal. + Third row: jacinth, agate, amethyst. + Fourth row: beryl, onyx, jasper. "Set them in gold filigree. + The twelve stones correspond to the names of the Israelites, with twelve names engraved, one on each, as on a seal for the twelve tribes. + "Then make braided chains of pure gold for the Breastpiece, like cords. + Make two rings of gold for the Breastpiece and fasten them to the two ends. + Fasten the two golden cords to the rings at the ends of the Breastpiece. + Then fasten the other ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the Ephod in front. + Then make two rings of gold and fasten them to the two ends of the Breastpiece on its inside edge facing the Ephod. + Then make two more rings of gold and fasten them in the front of the Ephod to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces, near the seam above the decorated band. + Fasten the Breastpiece in place by running a cord of blue through its rings to the rings of the Ephod so that it rests secure on the decorated band of the Ephod and won't come loose. + "Aaron will regularly carry the names of the sons of Israel on the Breastpiece of Judgment over his heart as he enters the Sanctuary into the presence of GOD for remembrance. + Place the Urim and Thummim in the Breastpiece of Judgment. They will be over Aaron's heart when he enters the presence of GOD. In this way Aaron will regularly carry the Breastpiece of Judgment into the presence of GOD. + "Make the robe for the Ephod entirely of blue, + with an opening for the head at the center and a hem on the edge so that it won't tear. + For the edge of the skirts make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material all around and alternate them with bells of gold-- + gold bell and pomegranate, gold bell and pomegranate--all around the hem of the robe. + Aaron has to wear it when he does his priestly work. The bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place and comes into the presence of GOD, and again when he comes out so that he won't die. + "Make a plate of pure gold. Engrave on it as on a seal: 'Holy to GOD.' + Tie it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. + It is to rest there on Aaron's forehead. He'll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron's forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before GOD. + "Weave the tunic of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen. The sash will be the work of an embroiderer. + Make tunics, sashes, and hats for Aaron's sons to express glory and beauty. + Dress your brother Aaron and his sons in them. Anoint, ordain, and consecrate them to serve me as priests. + "Make linen underwear to cover their nakedness from waist to thigh. + Aaron and his sons must wear it whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to minister in the Holy Place so that they won't incur guilt and die. This is a permanent rule for Aaron and all his priest-descendants. + + + "This is the ceremony for consecrating them as priests. Take a young bull and two rams, healthy and without defects. + Using fine wheat flour but no yeast make bread and cakes mixed with oil and wafers spread with oil. + Place them in a basket and carry them along with the bull and the two rams. + Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. + "Then take the vestments and dress Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the Ephod, the Ephod, and the Breastpiece, belting the Ephod on him with the embroidered waistband. + Set the turban on his head and place the sacred crown on the turban. + Then take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, anointing him. + Then bring his sons, put tunics on them + and gird them with sashes, both Aaron and his sons, and set hats on them. Their priesthood is upheld by law and is permanent. "This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons: + Bring the bull to the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on the head of the bull. + Then you will slaughter the bull in the presence of GOD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Take some of the bull's blood and smear it on the horns of the Altar with your finger; pour the rest of the blood on the base of the Altar. + Next take all the fat that covers the innards, fat from around the liver and the two kidneys, and burn it on the Altar. + But the flesh of the bull, including its hide and dung, you will burn up outside the camp. It is an Absolution-Offering. + "Then take one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the head of the ram. + Slaughter the ram and take its blood and throw it against the Altar, all around. + Cut the ram into pieces; wash its innards and legs, then gather the pieces and its head + and burn the whole ram on the Altar. It is a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD, a pleasant fragrance, an offering by fire to GOD. + "Then take the second ram. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the ram's head. + Slaughter the ram. Take some of its blood and rub it on Aaron's right earlobe and on the right earlobes of his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the rest of the blood against all sides of the Altar. + Then take some of the blood that is on the Altar, mix it with some of the anointing oil, and splash it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes so that Aaron and his clothes and his sons and his sons' clothes will be made holy. + "Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh: this is the ordination ram. + Also take one loaf of bread, an oil cake, and a wafer from the breadbasket that is in the presence of GOD. + "Place all of these in the open hands of Aaron and his sons who will wave them before GOD, a Wave-Offering. + Then take them from their hands and burn them on the Altar with the Whole-Burnt-Offering--a pleasing fragrance before GOD, a gift to GOD. + "Now take the breast from Aaron's ordination ram and wave it before GOD, a Wave-Offering. That will be your portion. + "Consecrate the Wave-Offering breast and the thigh that was held up. These are the parts of the ordination ram that are for Aaron and his sons. + Aaron and his sons are always to get this offering from the Israelites; the Israelites are to make this offering regularly from their Peace-Offerings. + "Aaron's sacred garments are to be handed down to his descendants so they can be anointed and ordained in them. + The son who succeeds him as priest is to wear them for seven days and enter the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place. + "Take the ordination ram and boil the meat in the Holy Place. + At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons will eat the boiled ram and the bread that is in the basket. + Atoned by these offerings, ordained and consecrated by them, they are the only ones who are to eat them. No outsiders are to eat them; they're holy. + Anything from the ordination ram or from the bread that is left over until morning you are to burn up. Don't eat it; it's holy. + "Do everything for the ordination of Aaron and his sons exactly as I've commanded you throughout the seven days. + Offer a bull as an Absolution-Offering for atonement each day. Offer it on the Altar when you make atonement for it: Anoint and consecrate it. + Make atonement for the Altar and consecrate it for seven days; the Altar will become soaked in holiness--anyone who so much as touches the Altar will become holy. + "This is what you are to offer on the Altar: two year-old lambs each and every day, + one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at evening. + With the sacrifice of the first lamb offer two quarts of fine flour with a quart of virgin olive oil, plus a quart of wine for a Drink-Offering. + The sacrifice of the second lamb, the one at evening, is also to be accompanied by the same Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering of the morning sacrifice to give a pleasing fragrance, a gift to GOD. + "This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before GOD, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That's where I'll meet you; that's where I'll speak with you; + that's where I'll meet the Israelites, at the place made holy by my Glory. + I'll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I'll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests. + I'll move in and live with the Israelites. I'll be their God. + They'll realize that I am their GOD who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am GOD, your God. + + + "Make an Altar for burning incense. Construct it from acacia wood, + one and one-half feet square and three feet high with its horns of one piece with it. + Cover it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and make a gold molding around it + with two rings of gold beneath the molding. Place the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried. + Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold. + "Place the Altar in front of the curtain that hides the Chest of The Testimony, in front of the Atonement-Cover that is over The Testimony where I will meet you. + Aaron will burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he polishes the lamps, + and again in the evening as he prepares the lamps for lighting, so that there will always be incense burning before GOD, generation after generation. + But don't burn on this Altar any unholy incense or Whole-Burnt-Offering or Grain-Offering. And don't pour out Drink-Offerings on it. + Once a year Aaron is to purify the Altar horns. Using the blood of the Absolution-Offering of atonement, he is to make this atonement every year down through the generations. It is most holy to GOD." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "When you take a head count of the Israelites to keep track of them, all must pay an atonement-tax to GOD for their life at the time of being registered so that nothing bad will happen because of the registration. + Everyone who gets counted is to give a half-shekel (using the standard Sanctuary shekel of a fifth of an ounce to the shekel)--a half-shekel offering to GOD. + Everyone counted, age twenty and up, is to make the offering to GOD. + The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to GOD, the atonement-tax for your lives. + Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of GOD, making atonement for your lives." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it. + Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet in it. + When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to GOD, they are to wash so they will not die. + They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Take the best spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid myrrh; half that much, six and a quarter pounds, of fragrant cinnamon; six and a quarter pounds of fragrant cane; + twelve and a half pounds of cassia--using the standard Sanctuary weight for all of them--and a gallon of olive oil. + Make these into a holy anointing oil, a perfumer's skillful blend. + "Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony, + the Table and all its utensils, the Lampstand and its utensils, the Altar of Incense, + the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offerings and all its utensils, and the Washbasin and its base. + Consecrate them so they'll be soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy. + "Then anoint Aaron and his sons. Consecrate them as priests to me. + Tell the Israelites, 'This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.' + Don't pour it on ordinary men. Don't copy this mixture to use for yourselves. It's holy; keep it holy. + Whoever mixes up anything like it, or puts it on an ordinary person, will be expelled." + GOD spoke to Moses: "Take fragrant spices--gum resin, onycha, galbanum--and add pure frankincense. Mix the spices in equal proportions + to make an aromatic incense, the art of a perfumer, salted and pure--holy. + Now crush some of it into powder and place some of it before The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you; it will be for you the holiest of holy places. + When you make this incense, you are not to copy the mixture for your own use. It's holy to GOD; keep it that way. + Whoever copies it for personal use will be excommunicated." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "See what I've done; I've personally chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. + I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft + to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze; + to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood--he's an all-around craftsman. + "Not only that, but I've given him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, to work with him. And to all who have an aptitude for crafts I've given the skills to make all the things I've commanded you: + the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony and its Atonement-Cover, all the implements for the Tent, + the Table and its implements, the pure Lampstand and all its implements, the Altar of Incense, + the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and all its implements, the Washbasin and its base, + the official vestments, the holy vestments for Aaron the priest and his sons in their priestly duties, + the anointing oil, and the aromatic incense for the Holy Place--they'll make everything just the way I've commanded you." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the Israelites, 'Above all, keep my Sabbaths, the sign between me and you, generation after generation, to keep the knowledge alive that I am the GOD who makes you holy. + Keep the Sabbath; it's holy to you. Whoever profanes it will most certainly be put to death. Whoever works on it will be excommunicated from the people. + There are six days for work but the seventh day is Sabbath, pure rest, holy to GOD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath will most certainly be put to death. + The Israelites will keep the Sabbath, observe Sabbath-keeping down through the generations, as a standing covenant. + It's a fixed sign between me and the Israelites. Yes, because in six days GOD made the Heavens and the Earth and on the seventh day he stopped and took a long, deep breath.'" + When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the finger of God. + + + When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, "Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt--who knows what's happened to him?" + So Aaron told them, "Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me." + They all did it; they removed the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. + He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool. The people responded with enthusiasm: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt!" + Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf. Aaron then announced, "Tomorrow is a feast day to GOD!" + Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings and brought Peace-Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party! + GOD spoke to Moses, "Go! Get down there! Your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces. + In no time at all they've turned away from the way I commanded them: They made a molten calf and worshiped it. They've sacrificed to it and said, 'These are the gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt!'" + GOD said to Moses, "I look at this people--oh! what a stubborn, hard-headed people! + Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I'll make a great nation out of you." + Moses tried to calm his GOD down. He said, "Why, GOD, would you lose your temper with your people? Why, you brought them out of Egypt in a tremendous demonstration of power and strength. + Why let the Egyptians say, 'He had it in for them--he brought them out so he could kill them in the mountains, wipe them right off the face of the Earth.' Stop your anger. Think twice about bringing evil against your people! + Think of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you gave your word, telling them 'I will give you many children, as many as the stars in the sky, and I'll give this land to your children as their land forever.'" + And GOD did think twice. He decided not to do the evil he had threatened against his people. + Moses turned around and came down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of The Testimony. The tablets were written on both sides, front and back. + God made the tablets and God wrote the tablets--engraved them. + When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting noisily, he said to Moses, "That's the sound of war in the camp!" + But Moses said, Those aren't songs of victory, And those aren't songs of defeat, I hear songs of people throwing a party. + And that's what it was. When Moses came near to the camp and saw the calf and the people dancing, his anger flared. He threw down the tablets and smashed them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. + He took the calf that they had made, melted it down with fire, pulverized it to powder, then scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. + Moses said to Aaron, "What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?" + Aaron said, "Master, don't be angry. You know this people and how set on evil they are. + They said to me, 'Make us gods who will lead us. This Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don't know what's happened to him.' + "So I said, 'Who has gold?' And they took off their jewelry and gave it to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf." + Moses saw that the people were simply running wild--Aaron had let them run wild, disgracing themselves before their enemies. + He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on GOD's side, join me!" All the Levites stepped up. + He then told them, "GOD's orders, the God of Israel: 'Strap on your swords and go to work. Crisscross the camp from one end to the other: Kill brother, friend, neighbor.'" + The Levites carried out Moses' orders. Three thousand of the people were killed that day. + Moses said, "You confirmed your ordination today--and at great cost, even killing your sons and brothers! And God has blessed you." + The next day Moses addressed the people: "You have sinned an enormous sin! But I am going to go up to GOD; maybe I'll be able to clear you of your sin." + Moses went back to GOD and said, "This is terrible. This people has sinned--it's an enormous sin! They made gods of gold for themselves. + And now, if you will only forgive their sin. . . . But if not, erase me out of the book you've written." + GOD said to Moses, "I'll only erase from my book those who sin against me. + For right now, you go and lead the people to where I told you. Look, my Angel is going ahead of you. On the day, though, when I settle accounts, their sins will certainly be part of the settlement." + GOD sent a plague on the people because of the calf they and Aaron had made. + + + GOD said to Moses: "Now go. Get on your way from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Head for the land which I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying 'I will give it to your descendants.' + I will send an angel ahead of you and I'll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + It's a land flowing with milk and honey. But I won't be with you in person--you're such a stubborn, hard-headed people!--lest I destroy you on the journey." + When the people heard this harsh verdict, they were plunged into gloom and wore long faces. No one put on jewelry. + GOD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You're one hard-headed people. I couldn't stand being with you for even a moment--I'd destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you.'" + So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb on. + Moses used to take the Tent and set it up outside the camp, some distance away. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who sought GOD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. + It went like this: When Moses would go to the Tent, all the people would stand at attention; each man would take his position at the entrance to his tent with his eyes on Moses until he entered the Tent; + whenever Moses entered the Tent, the Pillar of Cloud descended to the entrance to the Tent and GOD spoke with Moses. + All the people would see the Pillar of Cloud at the entrance to the Tent, stand at attention, and then bow down in worship, each man at the entrance to his tent. + And GOD spoke with Moses face-to-face, as neighbors speak to one another. When he would return to the camp, his attendant, the young man Joshua, stayed--he didn't leave the Tent. + Moses said to GOD, "Look, you tell me, 'Lead this people,' but you don't let me know whom you're going to send with me. You tell me, 'I know you well and you are special to me.' + If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility." + GOD said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end." + Moses said, "If your presence doesn't take the lead here, call this trip off right now. + How else will it be known that you're with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we're special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?" + GOD said to Moses: "All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name." + Moses said, "Please. Let me see your Glory." + GOD said, "I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I'll call out the name, GOD, right before you. I'll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I'll be kind to whomever I want to be kind." + GOD continued, "But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live." + GOD said, "Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. + When my Glory passes by, I'll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I've passed by. + Then I'll take my hand away and you'll see my back. But you won't see my face." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: "Cut out two tablets of stone just like the originals and engrave on them the words that were on the original tablets you smashed. + Be ready in the morning to climb Mount Sinai and get set to meet me on top of the mountain. + Not a soul is to go with you; the whole mountain must be clear of people, even animals--not even sheep or oxen can be grazing in front of the mountain." + So Moses cut two tablets of stone just like the originals. He got up early in the morning and climbed Mount Sinai as GOD had commanded him, carrying the two tablets of stone. + GOD descended in the cloud and took up his position there beside him and called out the name, GOD. + GOD passed in front of him and called out, "GOD, GOD, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient--so much love, so deeply true-- + loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Still, he doesn't ignore sin. He holds sons and grandsons responsible for a father's sins to the third and even fourth generation." + At once, Moses fell to the ground and worshiped, + saying, "Please, O Master, if you see anything good in me, please Master, travel with us, hard-headed as these people are. Forgive our iniquity and sin. Own us, possess us." + And GOD said, "As of right now, I'm making a covenant with you: In full sight of your people I will work wonders that have never been created in all the Earth, in any nation. Then all the people with whom you're living will see how tremendous GOD's work is, the work I'll do for you. + Take careful note of all I command you today. I'm clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + Stay vigilant. Don't let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up. + "Tear down their altars, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their fertility poles. + Don't worship any other god. GOD--his name is The-Jealous-One--is a jealous God. + Be careful that you don't make a covenant with the people who live in the land and take up with their sex-and-religion life, join them in meals at their altars, + marry your sons to their women, women who take up with any convenient god or goddess and will get your sons to do the same thing. + "Don't make molten gods for yourselves. + "Keep the Feast of Unraised Bread. Eat only unraised bread for seven days in the month of Abib--it was in the month of Abib that you came out of Egypt. + "Every firstborn from the womb is mine, all the males of your herds, your firstborn oxen and sheep. + "Redeem your firstborn donkey with a lamb. If you don't redeem it you must break its neck. "Redeem each of your firstborn sons. "No one is to show up in my presence empty-handed. + "Work six days and rest the seventh. Stop working even during plowing and harvesting. + "Keep the Feast of Weeks with the first cutting of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. + "All your men are to appear before the Master, the GOD of Israel, three times a year. + You won't have to worry about your land when you appear before your GOD three times each year, for I will drive out the nations before you and give you plenty of land. Nobody's going to be hanging around plotting ways to get it from you. + "Don't mix the blood of my sacrifices with anything fermented. "Don't leave leftovers from the Passover Feast until morning. + "Bring the finest of the firstfruits of your produce to the house of your GOD. "Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk." + GOD said to Moses: "Now write down these words, for by these words I've made a covenant with you and Israel." + Moses was there with GOD forty days and forty nights. He didn't eat any food; he didn't drink any water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words. + When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn't know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with GOD. + Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him. + Moses called out to them. Aaron and the leaders in the community came back and Moses talked with them. + Later all the Israelites came up to him and he passed on the commands, everything that GOD had told him on Mount Sinai. + When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face, + but when he went into the presence of GOD to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, + they would see Moses' face, its skin glowing, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back in to speak with GOD. + + + Moses spoke to the entire congregation of Israel, saying, "These are the things that GOD has commanded you to do: + "Work six days, but the seventh day will be a holy rest day, GOD's holy rest day. Anyone who works on this day must be put to death. + Don't light any fires in your homes on the Sabbath day." + Moses spoke to the entire congregation of Israel, saying, "This is what GOD has commanded: + "Gather from among you an offering for GOD. Receive on GOD's behalf what everyone is willing to give as an offering: gold, silver, bronze; + blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats' hair; + tanned rams' skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; + lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; + onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. + "Come--all of you who have skills--come and make everything that GOD has commanded: + The Dwelling with its tent and cover, its hooks, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; + the Chest with its poles, the Atonement-Cover and veiling curtain; + the Table with its poles and implements and the Bread of the Presence; + the Lampstand for giving light with its furnishings and lamps and the oil for lighting; + the Altar of Incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense; the screen for the door at the entrance to The Dwelling; + the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with its bronze grate and poles and all its implements; the Washbasin with its base; + the tapestry hangings for the Courtyard with the posts and bases, the screen for the Courtyard gate; + the pegs for The Dwelling, the pegs for the Courtyard with their cords; + the official vestments for ministering in the Holy Place, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest and for his sons serving as priests." + So everyone in the community of Israel left the presence of Moses. + Then they came back, every one whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive, bringing offerings to GOD for building the Tent of Meeting, furnishing it for worship and making the holy vestments. + They came, both men and women, all the willing spirits among them, offering brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces--anything made of gold--offering up their gold jewelry to GOD. + And anyone who had blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics; fine linen; goats' hair; tanned leather; and dolphin skins brought them. + Everyone who wanted to offer up silver or bronze as a gift to GOD brought it. Everyone who had acacia wood that could be used in the work, brought it. + All the women skilled at weaving brought their weavings of blue and purple and scarlet fabrics and their fine linens. + And all the women who were gifted in spinning, spun the goats' hair. + The leaders brought onyx and other precious stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. + They also brought spices and olive oil for lamp oil, anointing oil, and incense. + Every man and woman in Israel whose heart moved them freely to bring something for the work that GOD through Moses had commanded them to make, brought it, a voluntary offering for GOD. + Moses told the Israelites, "See, GOD has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. + He's filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, + to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; + to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft. + And he's also made him a teacher, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. + He's gifted them with the know-how needed for carving, designing, weaving, and embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, and in fine linen. They can make anything and design anything. + + + "Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom GOD has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by GOD, are to start to work." + Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom GOD had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work. + They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning. + All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, + to Moses, saying, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that GOD has commanded us to do!" + So Moses sent out orders through the camp: "Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!" The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! + There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough. + Then all the skilled artisans on The Dwelling made ten tapestries of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with an angel-cherubim design worked into the material. + Each panel of tapestry was forty-six feet long and six feet wide. + Five of the panels were joined together, and then the other five. + Loops of blue were made along the edge of the outside panel of the first set, and the same on the outside panel of the second set. + They made fifty loops on each panel, with the loops opposite each other. + Then they made fifty gold clasps and joined the tapestries together so that The Dwelling was one whole. + Next they made tapestries of woven goat hair for a tent that would cover The Dwelling. They made eleven panels of these tapestries. + The length of each panel was forty-five feet long and six feet wide. + They joined five of the panels together, and then the other six, + by making fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel, + then making fifty clasps of bronze, connecting the clasps to the loops, bringing the tent together. + They finished it off by covering the tapestries with tanned rams' skins dyed red, and covered that with dolphin skins. + They framed The Dwelling with vertical planks of acacia wood, + each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and a quarter feet wide, + with two pegs for securing them. They made all the frames identical: + twenty frames for the south side, + with forty silver sockets to receive the two tenons from each of the twenty frames; + they repeated that construction on the north side of The Dwelling. + (SEE 36:25) + For the rear of The Dwelling facing west, they made six frames, + with two additional frames for the rear corners. + Both of the two corner frames were double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring-- + eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame. + They made crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, + five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. + The center crossbar ran from end to end halfway up the frames. + They covered the frames with a veneer of gold, made gold rings to hold the crossbars, and covered the crossbars with a veneer of gold. + They made the curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. They wove a design of angel-cherubim into it. + They made four posts of acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and cast four silver bases for them. + They made a screen for the door of the tent, woven from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen with embroidery. + They framed the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, and made gold hooks to hang the weaving and five bronze bases for the poles. + + + Bezalel made the Chest using acacia wood: He made it three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide and deep. + He covered it inside and out with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it. + He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. + He made poles from acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, + and inserted the poles for carrying the Chest into the rings on the sides. + Next he made a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide. + He sculpted two winged angel-cherubim out of hammered gold for the ends of the Atonement-Cover, + one angel at one end, one angel at the other. He made them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. + The angels had outstretched wings and appeared to hover over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on the Atonement-Cover. + He made the Table from acacia wood. He made it three feet long, one and a half feet wide and two and a quarter feet high. + He covered it with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it. + He made a border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border. + He cast four rings of gold for it and attached the rings to the four legs + parallel to the table top. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table. + He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table. + Out of pure gold he made the utensils for the Table: its plates, bowls, jars, and jugs used for pouring. + He made a Lampstand of pure hammered gold, making its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece. + It had six branches, three from one side and three from the other; + three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and petals on one branch, three on the next, and so on--the same for all six branches. + On the main stem of the Lampstand, there were four cups shaped like almonds, with calyxes and petals, + a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches. + The entire Lampstand with its calyxes and stems was fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold. + He made seven of these lamps with their candle snuffers, all out of pure gold. + He used a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories. + He made an Altar for burning incense from acacia wood. He made it a foot and a half square and three feet high, with its horns of one piece with it. + He covered it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and made a gold molding around it + with two rings of gold beneath the molding. He placed the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried. + He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold. + He also prepared with the art of a perfumer the holy anointing oil and the pure aromatic incense. + + + He made the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering from acacia wood. He made it seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high. + He made horns at each of the four corners. The horns were made of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze. + He made from bronze all the utensils for the Altar: the buckets for removing the ashes, shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. + He made a grate of bronze mesh under the ledge halfway up the Altar. + He cast four rings at each of the four corners of the bronze grating to hold the poles. + He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of bronze. + He inserted the poles through the rings on the two sides of the Altar for carrying it. The Altar was made out of boards; it was hollow. + He made the Bronze Washbasin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women's work group who were assigned to serve at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + And he made the Courtyard. On the south side the hangings for the Courtyard, woven from fine twisted linen, were 150 feet long, + with their twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. + The north side was exactly the same. + The west end of the Courtyard had seventy-five feet of hangings with ten posts and bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. + Across the seventy-five feet at the front, or east end, + were twenty-two and a half feet of hangings, with their three posts and bases on one side + and the same for the other side. + All the hangings around the Courtyard were of fine twisted linen. + The bases for the posts were bronze and the fastening hooks and bands on the posts were of silver. The posts of the Courtyard were both capped and banded with silver. + The screen at the door of the Courtyard was embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with fine twisted linen. It was thirty feet long and seven and a half feet high, matching the hangings of the Courtyard. + There were four posts with bases of bronze and fastening hooks of silver; they were capped and banded in silver + . All the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard were made of bronze. + This is an inventory of The Dwelling that housed The Testimony drawn up by order of Moses for the work of the Levites under Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. + Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that GOD had commanded Moses. + Working with Bezalel was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and fine linen. + Gold. The total amount of gold used in construction of the Sanctuary, all of it contributed freely, weighed out at 1,900 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard. + Silver. The silver from those in the community who were registered in the census came to 6,437 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard-- + that amounted to a beka, or half-shekel, for every registered person aged twenty and over, a total of 603,550 men. + They used the three and one-quarter tons of silver to cast the bases for the Sanctuary and for the hangings, one hundred bases at sixty-four pounds each. + They used the remaining thirty-seven pounds to make the connecting hooks on the posts, and the caps and bands for the posts. + Bronze. The bronze that was brought in weighed 4,522 pounds. + It was used to make the door of the Tent of Meeting, the Bronze Altar with its bronze grating, all the utensils of the Altar, + the bases around the Courtyard, the bases for the gate of the Courtyard, and all the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard. + + + Vestments. Using the blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, they made the woven vestments for ministering in the Sanctuary. Also they made the sacred vestments for Aaron, as GOD had commanded Moses. + Ephod. They made the Ephod using gold and blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and finely twisted linen. + They hammered out gold leaf and sliced it into threads that were then worked into designs in the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine linen. + They made shoulder pieces fastened at the two ends. + The decorated band was made of the same material--gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen--and of one piece with it, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + They mounted the onyx stones in a setting of filigreed gold and engraved the names of the sons of Israel on them, + then fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Breastpiece. They made a Breastpiece designed like the Ephod from gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. + Doubled, the Breastpiece was nine inches square. + They mounted four rows of precious gemstones on it. First row: carnelian, topaz, emerald. + Second row: ruby, sapphire, crystal. + Third row: jacinth, agate, amethyst. + Fourth row: beryl, onyx, jasper. The stones were mounted in a gold filigree. + The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve names engraved as on a seal, one for each of the twelve tribes. + They made braided chains of pure gold for the Breastpiece, like cords. + They made two settings of gold filigree and two rings of gold, put the two rings at the two ends of the Breastpiece, + and fastened the two ends of the cords to the two rings at the end of the Breastpiece. + Then they fastened the cords to the settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the Ephod in front. + Then they made two rings of gold and fastened them to the two ends of the Breastpiece on its inside edge facing the Ephod. + They made two more rings of gold and fastened them in the front of the Ephod to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces, near the seam above the decorated band of the Ephod. + The Breastpiece was fastened by running a cord of blue through its rings to the rings of the Ephod so that it rested secure on the decorated band of the Ephod and wouldn't come loose, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Robe. They made the robe for the Ephod entirely of blue. + The opening of the robe at the center was like a collar, the edge hemmed so that it wouldn't tear. + On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. + They also made bells of pure gold and alternated the bells and pomegranates-- + a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate--all around the hem of the robe that was worn for ministering, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + They also made the tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons, + the turban of fine linen, the linen hats, the linen underwear made of fine twisted linen, + and sashes of fine twisted linen, blue, purple, and scarlet material and embroidered, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + They made the plate, the sacred crown, of pure gold and engraved on it as on a seal: "Holy to GOD." + They attached a blue cord to it and fastened it to the turban, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + That completed the work of The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. The People of Israel did what GOD had commanded Moses. They did it all. + They presented The Dwelling to Moses, the Tent and all its furnishings: fastening hooks frames crossbars posts bases + tenting of tanned ram skins tenting of dolphin skins veil of the screen + Chest of The Testimony with its poles and Atonement-Cover + Table with its utensils and the Bread of the Presence + Lampstand of pure gold and its lamps all fitted out and all its utensils and the oil for the light + Gold Altar anointing oil fragrant incense screen for the entrance to the Tent + Bronze Altar with its bronze grate its poles and all its utensils Washbasin and its base + hangings for the Courtyard its posts and bases screen for the gate of the Courtyard its cords and its pegs utensils for ministry in The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting + woven vestments for ministering in the Sanctuary sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, and his sons when serving as priests + The Israelites completed all the work, just as GOD had commanded. + Moses saw that they had done all the work and done it exactly as GOD had commanded. Moses blessed them. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "On the first day of the first month, set up The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. + Place the Chest of The Testimony in it and screen the Chest with the curtain. + "Bring in the Table and set it, arranging its Lampstand and lamps. + "Place the Gold Altar of Incense before the Chest of The Testimony and hang the curtain at the door of The Dwelling. + "Place the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the door of The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. + "Place the Washbasin between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar and fill it with water. + "Set up the Courtyard on all sides and hang the curtain at the entrance to the Courtyard. + "Then take the anointing oil and anoint The Dwelling and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings so that it becomes holy. + Anoint the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and all its utensils, consecrating the Altar so that it is completely holy. + Anoint the Washbasin and its base: consecrate it. + "Finally, bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. + Dress Aaron in the sacred vestments. Anoint him. Consecrate him to serve me as priest. + Bring his sons and put tunics on them. + Anoint them, just as you anointed their father, to serve me as priests. Their anointing will bring them into a perpetual priesthood, down through the generations." + Moses did everything GOD commanded. He did it all. + On the first day of the first month of the second year, The Dwelling was set up. + Moses set it up: He laid its bases, erected the frames, placed the crossbars, set the posts, + spread the tent over The Dwelling, and put the covering over the tent, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + He placed The Testimony in the Chest, inserted the poles for carrying the Chest, and placed the lid, the Atonement-Cover, on it. + He brought the Chest into The Dwelling and set up the curtain, screening off the Chest of The Testimony, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + He placed the Table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of The Dwelling, outside the curtain, + and arranged the Bread there before GOD, just as GOD had commanded him. + He placed the Lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the Table on the south side of The Dwelling + and set up the lamps before GOD, just as GOD had commanded him. + Moses placed the Gold Altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain + and burned fragrant incense on it, just as GOD had commanded him. + He placed the screen at the entrance to The Dwelling. + He set the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the door of The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting, and offered up the Whole-Burnt-Offerings and the Grain-Offerings, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + He placed the Washbasin between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar, and filled it with water for washing. + Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet there. + When they entered the Tent of Meeting and when they served at the Altar, they washed, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Finally, he erected the Courtyard all around The Dwelling and the Altar, and put up the screen for the Courtyard entrance. Moses finished the work. + The Cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of GOD filled The Dwelling. + Moses couldn't enter the Tent of Meeting because the Cloud was upon it, and the Glory of GOD filled The Dwelling. + Whenever the Cloud lifted from The Dwelling, the People of Israel set out on their travels, + but if the Cloud did not lift, they wouldn't set out until it did lift. + The Cloud of GOD was over The Dwelling during the day and the fire was in it at night, visible to all the Israelites in all their travels. + + + + + GOD called Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When anyone presents an offering to GOD, present an animal from either the herd or the flock. + "If the offering is a Whole-Burnt-Offering from the herd, present a male without a defect at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting that it may be accepted by GOD. + Lay your hand on the head of the Whole-Burnt-Offering so that it may be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. + Slaughter the bull in GOD's presence. Aaron's sons, the priests, will make an offering of the blood by splashing it against all sides of the Altar that stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Next, skin the Whole-Burnt-Offering and cut it up. + Aaron's sons, the priests, will prepare a fire on the Altar, carefully laying out the wood, + and then arrange the body parts, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for the fire on the Altar. + Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will burn it all on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + "If the Whole-Burnt-Offering comes from the flock, whether sheep or goat, present a male without defect. + Slaughter it on the north side of the Altar in GOD's presence. The sons of Aaron, the priests, will throw the blood against all sides of the Altar. + Cut it up and the priest will arrange the pieces, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for burning on the Altar. + Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will offer it all, burning it on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + "If a bird is presented to GOD for the Whole-Burnt-Offering it can be either a dove or a pigeon. + The priest will bring it to the Altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the Altar. But he will first drain the blood on the side of the Altar, + remove the gizzard and its contents, and throw them on the east side of the Altar where the ashes are piled. + Then rip it open by its wings but leave it in one piece and burn it on the Altar on the wood prepared for the fire: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + + + "When you present a Grain-Offering to GOD, use fine flour. Pour oil on it, put incense on it, + and bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. One of them will take a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all the incense, and burn it on the Altar for a memorial: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + The rest of the Grain-Offering is for Aaron and his sons--a most holy part of the Fire-Gifts to GOD. + "When you present a Grain-Offering of oven-baked loaves, use fine flour, mixed with oil but no yeast. Or present wafers made without yeast and spread with oil. + "If you bring a Grain-Offering cooked on a griddle, use fine flour mixed with oil but without yeast. + Crumble it and pour oil on it--it's a Grain-Offering. + "If you bring a Grain-Offering deep-fried in a pan, make it of fine flour with oil. + "Bring the Grain-Offering you make from these ingredients and present it to the priest. He will bring it to the Altar, + break off a memorial piece from the Grain-Offering, and burn it on the Altar: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + The rest of the Grain-Offering is for Aaron and his sons--a most holy part of the gifts to GOD. + "All the Grain-Offerings that you present to GOD must be made without yeast; you must never burn any yeast or honey as a Fire-Gift to GOD. + You may offer them to GOD as an offering of firstfruits but not on the Altar as a pleasing fragrance. + Season every presentation of your Grain-Offering with salt. Don't leave the salt of the covenant with your God out of your Grain-Offerings. Present all your offerings with salt. + "If you present a Grain-Offering of firstfruits to GOD, bring crushed heads of the new grain roasted. + Put oil and incense on it--it's a Grain-Offering. + The priest will burn some of the mixed grain and oil with all the incense as a memorial--a Fire-Gift to GOD. + + + "If your offering is a Peace-Offering and you present an animal from the herd, either male or female, it must be an animal without any defect. + Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar. + As a Fire-Gift to GOD from the Peace-Offering, present all the fat that covers or is connected to the entrails, + the two kidneys and the fat around them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver that is removed along with the kidneys. + Aaron and his sons will burn it on the Altar along with the Whole-Burnt-Offering that is on the wood prepared for the fire: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + "If your Peace-Offering to GOD comes from the flock, bring a male or female without defect. + If you offer a lamb, offer it to GOD. + Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the Tent of Meeting. The sons of Aaron will throw its blood on all sides of the Altar. + As a Fire-Gift to GOD from the Peace-Offering, present its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat on and connected to the entrails, + the two kidneys and the fat around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys. + The priest will burn it on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift to GOD. + "If the offering is a goat, bring it into the presence of GOD, + lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar. + As a Fire-Gift to GOD present the fat that covers and is connected to the entrails, + the two kidneys and the fat which is around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys. + The priest will burn them on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance. "All the fat belongs to GOD. + This is the fixed rule down through the generations, wherever you happen to live: Don't eat the fat; don't eat the blood. None of it." + + + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Tell the Israelites: When a person sins unintentionally by straying from any of GOD's commands, breaking what must not be broken, + if it's the anointed priest who sins and so brings guilt on the people, he is to bring a bull without defect to GOD as an Absolution-Offering for the sin he has committed. + Have him bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting in the presence of GOD, lay his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter the bull before GOD. + He is then to take some of the bull's blood, bring it into the Tent of Meeting, + dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times before GOD, before the curtain of the Sanctuary. + He is to smear some of the blood on the horns of the Altar of Fragrant Incense before GOD which is in the Tent of Meeting. He is to pour the rest of the bull's blood out at the base of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + He is to remove all the fat from the bull of the Absolution-Offering, the fat which covers and is connected to the entrails, + the two kidneys and the fat that is around them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver which he takes out along with the kidneys-- + the same procedure as when the fat is removed from the bull of the Peace-Offering. Finally, he is to burn all this on the Altar of Burnt Offering. + Everything else--the bull's hide, meat, head, legs, organs, and guts-- + he is to take outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are dumped and is to burn it on a wood fire. + "If the whole congregation sins unintentionally by straying from one of the commandments of GOD that must not be broken, they become guilty even though no one is aware of it. + When they do become aware of the sin they've committed, the congregation must bring a bull as an Absolution-Offering and present it at the Tent of Meeting. + The elders of the congregation will lay their hands on the bull's head in the presence of GOD and one of them will slaughter it before GOD. + The anointed priest will then bring some of the blood into the Tent of Meeting, + dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times before GOD in front of the curtain. + He will smear some of the blood on the horns of the Altar which is before GOD in the Tent of Meeting and pour the rest of it at the base of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + He will remove all the fat and burn it on the Altar. + He will follow the same procedure with this bull as with the bull for the Absolution-Offering. The priest makes atonement for them and they are forgiven. + They then will take the bull outside the camp and burn it just as they burned the first bull. It's the Absolution-Offering for the congregation. + "When a ruler sins unintentionally by straying from one of the commands of his GOD which must not be broken, he is guilty. + When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring a goat for his offering, a male without any defect, + lay his hand on the head of the goat, and slaughter it in the place where they slaughter the Whole-Burnt-Offering in the presence of GOD--it's an Absolution-Offering. + The priest will then take some of the blood of the Absolution-Offering with his finger, smear it on the horns of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering, and pour the rest at the base of the Altar. + He will burn all its fat on the Altar, the same as with the fat of the Peace-Offering. "The priest makes atonement for him on account of his sin and he's forgiven. + "When an ordinary member of the congregation sins unintentionally, straying from one of the commandments of GOD which must not be broken, he is guilty. + When he is made aware of his sin, he shall bring a goat, a female without any defect, and offer it for his sin, + lay his hand on the head of the Absolution-Offering, and slaughter it at the place of the Whole-Burnt-Offering. + The priest will take some of its blood with his finger, smear it on the horns of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering, and pour the rest at the base of the Altar. + Finally, he'll take out all the fat, the same as with the Peace-Offerings, and burn it on the Altar for a pleasing fragrance to GOD. "In this way, the priest makes atonement for him and he's forgiven. + "If he brings a lamb for an Absolution-Offering, he shall present a female without any defect, + lay his hand on the head of the Absolution-Offering, and slaughter it at the same place they slaughter the Whole-Burnt-Offering. + The priest will take some of the blood of the Absolution-Offering with his finger, smear it on the horns of the Altar of Burnt-Offering, and pour the rest at the base of the Altar. + He shall remove all the fat, the same as for the lamb of the Peace-Offering. Finally the priest will burn it on the Altar on top of the gifts to GOD. "In this way, the priest makes atonement for him on account of his sin and he's forgiven. + + + "If you sin by not stepping up and offering yourself as a witness to something you've heard or seen in cases of wrongdoing, you'll be held responsible. + "Or if you touch anything ritually unclean, like the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or a dead reptile, and you weren't aware of it at the time, but you're contaminated and you're guilty; + "Or if you touch human uncleanness, any sort of ritually contaminating uncleanness, and you're not aware of it at the time, but later you realize it and you're guilty; + "Or if you impulsively swear to do something, whether good or bad--some rash oath that just pops out--and you aren't aware of what you've done at the time, but later you come to realize it and you're guilty in any of these cases; + "When you are guilty, immediately confess the sin that you've committed + and bring as your penalty to GOD for the sin you have committed, a female lamb or goat from the flock for an Absolution-Offering. "In this way, the priest will make atonement for your sin. + "If you can't afford a lamb, bring as your penalty to GOD for the sin you have committed, two doves or two pigeons, one for the Absolution-Offering and the other for the Whole-Burnt-Offering. + Bring them to the priest who will first offer the one for the Absolution-Offering: He'll wring its neck but not sever it, + splash some of the blood of the Absolution-Offering against the Altar, and squeeze the rest of it out at the base. It's an Absolution-Offering. + He'll then take the second bird and offer it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, following the procedures step-by-step. "In this way, the priest will make atonement for your sin and you're forgiven. + "If you cannot afford the two doves or pigeons, bring two quarts of fine flour for your Absolution-Offering. Don't put oil or incense on it--it's an Absolution-Offering. + Bring it to the priest; he'll take a handful from it as a memorial and burn it on the Altar with the gifts for GOD. It's an Absolution-Offering. + "The priest will make atonement for you and any of these sins you've committed and you're forgiven. The rest of the offering belongs to the priest, the same as with the Grain-Offering." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "When a person betrays his trust and unknowingly sins by straying against any of the holy things of GOD, he is to bring as his penalty to GOD a ram without any defect from the flock, the value of the ram assessed in shekels, according to the Sanctuary shekel for a Compensation-Offering. + He is to make additional compensation for the sin he has committed against any holy thing by adding twenty percent to the ram and giving it to the priest. "Thus the priest will make atonement for him with the ram of the Compensation-Offering and he's forgiven. + "If anyone sins by breaking any of the commandments of GOD which must not be broken, but without being aware of it at the time, the moment he does realize his guilt he is held responsible. + He is to bring to the priest a ram without any defect, assessed at the value of the Compensation-Offering. "Thus the priest will make atonement for him for his error that he was unaware of and he's forgiven. + It is a Compensation-Offering; he was surely guilty before God." + + + GOD spoke to Moses, + "When anyone sins by betraying trust with GOD by deceiving his neighbor regarding something entrusted to him, or by robbing or cheating or threatening him; + or if he has found something lost and lies about it and swears falsely regarding any of these sins that people commonly commit-- + when he sins and is found guilty, he must return what he stole or extorted, restore what was entrusted to him, return the lost thing he found, + or anything else about which he swore falsely. He must make full compensation, add twenty percent to it, and hand it over to the owner on the same day he brings his Compensation-Offering. + He must present to GOD as his Compensation-Offering a ram without any defect from the flock, assessed at the value of a Compensation-Offering. + "Thus the priest will make atonement for him before GOD and he's forgiven of any of the things that one does that bring guilt." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Command Aaron and his sons. Tell them, These are the instructions for the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Leave the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar hearth through the night until morning, with the fire kept burning on the Altar. + Then dress in your linen clothes with linen underwear next to your body. Remove the ashes remaining from the Whole-Burnt-Offering and place them beside the Altar. + Then change clothes and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. + Meanwhile keep the fire on the Altar burning; it must not go out. Replenish the wood for the fire every morning, arrange the Whole-Burnt-Offering on it, and burn the fat of the Peace-Offering on top of it all. + Keep the fire burning on the Altar continuously. It must not go out. + "These are the instructions for the Grain-Offering. Aaron's sons are to present it to GOD in front of the Altar. + The priest takes a handful of the fine flour of the Grain-Offering with its oil and all its incense and burns this as a memorial on the Altar, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + Aaron and his sons eat the rest of it. It is unraised bread and so eaten in a holy place--in the Courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. + They must not bake it with yeast. I have designated it as their share of the gifts presented to me. It is very holy, like the Absolution-Offering and the Compensation-Offering. + Any male descendant among Aaron's sons may eat it. This is a fixed rule regarding GOD's gifts, stretching down the generations. Anyone who touches these offerings must be holy." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "This is the offering which Aaron and his sons each are to present to GOD on the day he is anointed: two quarts of fine flour as a regular Grain-Offering, half in the morning and half in the evening. + Prepare it with oil on a griddle. Bring it well-mixed and then present it crumbled in pieces as a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + Aaron's son who is anointed to succeed him offers it to GOD--this is a fixed rule. The whole thing is burned. + Every Grain-Offering of a priest is burned completely; it must not be eaten." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Tell Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the Absolution-Offering. Slaughter the Absolution-Offering in the place where the Whole-Burnt-Offering is slaughtered before GOD--the offering is most holy. + The priest in charge eats it in a holy place, the Courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. + Anyone who touches any of the meat must be holy. A garment that gets blood spattered on it must be washed in a holy place. + Break the clay pot in which the meat was cooked. If it was cooked in a bronze pot, scour it and rinse it with water. + Any male among the priestly families may eat it; it is most holy. + But any Absolution-Offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Sanctuary must not be eaten, it has to be burned. + + + "These are the instructions for the Compensation-Offering. It is most holy. + Slaughter the Compensation-Offering in the same place that the Whole-Burnt-Offering is slaughtered. Splash its blood against all sides of the Altar. + Offer up all the fat: the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, + the two kidneys and the fat encasing them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver that is removed with the kidneys. + The priest burns them on the Altar as a gift to GOD. It is a Compensation-Offering. + Any male from among the priests' families may eat it. But it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy. + "The Compensation-Offering is the same as the Absolution-Offering--the same rules apply to both. The offering belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it. + The priest who presents a Whole-Burnt-Offering for someone gets the hide for himself. + Every Grain-Offering baked in an oven or prepared in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who presents it. It's his. + Every Grain-Offering, whether dry or mixed with oil, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron. + "These are the instructions for the Peace-Offering which is presented to GOD. + If you bring it to offer thanksgiving, then along with the Thanksgiving-Offering present unraised loaves of bread mixed with oil, unraised wafers spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour, well-kneaded and mixed with oil. + Along with the Peace-Offering of thanksgiving, present loaves of yeast bread as an offering. + Bring one of each kind as an offering, a Contribution-Offering to GOD; it goes to the priest who throws the blood of the Peace-Offering. + Eat the meat from the Peace-Offering of thanksgiving the same day it is offered. Don't leave any of it overnight. + "If the offering is a Votive-Offering or a Freewill-Offering, it may be eaten the same day it is sacrificed and whatever is left over on the next day may also be eaten. + But any meat from the sacrifice that is left to the third day must be burned up. + If any of the meat from the Peace-Offering is eaten on the third day, the person who has brought it will not be accepted. It won't benefit him a bit--it has become defiled meat. And whoever eats it must take responsibility for his iniquity. + Don't eat meat that has touched anything ritually unclean; burn it up. Any other meat can be eaten by those who are ritually clean. + But if you're not ritually clean and eat meat from the Peace-Offering for GOD, you will be excluded from the congregation. + And if you touch anything ritually unclean, whether human or animal uncleanness or an obscene object, and go ahead and eat from a Peace-Offering for GOD, you'll be excluded from the congregation." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, Don't eat any fat of cattle or sheep or goats. + The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals can be put to some other purpose, but you may not eat it. + If you eat fat from an animal from which a gift has been presented to GOD, you'll be excluded from the congregation. + And don't eat blood, whether of birds or animals, no matter where you end up living. + If you eat blood you'll be excluded from the congregation." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When you present a Peace-Offering to GOD, bring some of your Peace-Offering as a special sacrifice to GOD, + a gift to GOD in your own hands. Bring the fat with the breast and then wave the breast before GOD as a Wave-Offering. + The priest will burn the fat on the Altar; Aaron and his sons get the breast. + Give the right thigh from your Peace-Offerings as a Contribution-Offering to the priest. + Give a portion of the right thigh to the son of Aaron who offers the blood and fat of the Peace-Offering as his portion. + From the Peace-Offerings of Israel, I'm giving the breast of the Wave-Offering and the thigh of the Contribution-Offering to Aaron the priest and his sons. This is their fixed compensation from the People of Israel." + From the day they are presented to serve as priests to GOD, Aaron and his sons can expect to receive these allotments from the gifts of GOD. + This is what GOD commanded the People of Israel to give the priests from the day of their anointing. This is the fixed rule down through the generations. + These are the instructions for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, the Grain-Offering, the Absolution-Offering, the Compensation-Offering, the Ordination-Offering, and the Peace-Offering + which GOD gave Moses at Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the People of Israel to present their offerings to GOD in the wilderness of Sinai. + + + GOD spoke to Moses. He said, + "Take Aaron and with him his sons, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the Absolution-Offering, the two rams, and the basket of unraised bread. + Gather the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting." + Moses did just as GOD commanded him and the congregation gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + Moses addressed the congregation: "This is what GOD has commanded to be done." + Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. + He put the tunic on Aaron and tied it around him with a sash. Then he put the robe on him and placed the Ephod on him. He fastened the Ephod with a woven belt, making it snug. + He put the Breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the pouch of the Breastpiece. + He placed the turban on his head with the gold plate fixed to the front of it, the holy crown, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed The Dwelling and everything that was in it, consecrating them. + He sprinkled some of the oil on the Altar seven times, anointing the Altar and all its utensils, the Washbasin and its stand, consecrating them. + He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, anointing him and thus consecrating him. + Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and put tunics on them, belted them with sashes, and put caps on them, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Moses brought out the bull for the Absolution-Offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. + Moses slaughtered the bull and purified the Altar by smearing the blood on each of the horns of the Altar with his finger. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar. He consecrated it so atonement could be made on it. + Moses took all the fat on the entrails and the lobe of liver and the two kidneys with their fat and burned it all on the Altar + . The bull with its hide and meat and guts he burned outside the camp, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Moses presented the ram for the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. + Moses slaughtered it and splashed the blood against all sides of the Altar. + He cut the ram up into pieces and then burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. + He washed the entrails and the legs with water and then burned the whole ram on the Altar. It was a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a pleasing fragrance--a gift to GOD, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Moses then presented the second ram, the ram for the Ordination-Offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head. + Moses slaughtered it and smeared some of its blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. + Then Aaron's sons were brought forward and Moses smeared some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the remaining blood against each side of the Altar. + He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh. + From the basket of unraised bread that was in the presence of GOD he took one loaf of the unraised bread made with oil and one wafer. He placed these on the fat portions and the right thigh. + He put all this in the hands of Aaron and his sons who waved them before GOD as a Wave-Offering. + Then Moses took it all back from their hands and burned them on the Altar on top of the Whole-Burnt-Offering. These were the Ordination-Offerings, a pleasing fragrance to GOD, a gift to GOD. + Then Moses took the breast and raised it up as a Wave-Offering before GOD; it was Moses' portion from the Ordination-Offering ram, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the Altar and sprinkled Aaron and his garments, and his sons and their garments, consecrating Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments. + Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons: "Boil the meat at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' + Burn up the leftovers from the meat and bread. + Don't leave through the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for the seven days that will complete your ordination. Your ordination will last seven days. + GOD commanded what has been done this day in order to make atonement for you. + Stay at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days. Be sure to do what GOD requires, lest you die. This is what I have been commanded." + Aaron and his sons did everything that GOD had commanded by Moses. + + + On the eighth day, Moses called in Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel. + He spoke to Aaron: "Take a bull-calf for your Absolution-Offering and a ram for your Whole-Burnt-Offering, both without defect, and offer them to GOD. + "Then tell the People of Israel, Take a male goat for an Absolution-Offering and a calf and a lamb, both yearlings without defect, for a Whole-Burnt-Offering + and a bull and a ram for a Peace-Offering, to be sacrificed before GOD with a Grain-Offering mixed with oil, because GOD will appear to you today." + They brought the things that Moses had ordered to the Tent of Meeting. The whole congregation came near and stood before GOD. + Moses said, "This is what GOD commanded you to do so that the Shining Glory of GOD will appear to you." + Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Altar and sacrifice your Absolution-Offering and your Whole-Burnt-Offering. Make atonement for yourself and for the people. Sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, just as GOD commanded." + Aaron approached the Altar and slaughtered the calf as an Absolution-Offering for himself. + Aaron's sons brought the blood to him. He dipped his finger in the blood and smeared some of it on the horns of the Altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar. + He burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the Absolution-Offering on the Altar, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + He burned the meat and the skin outside the camp. + Then he slaughtered the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he threw it against each side of the Altar. + They handed him the pieces and the head and he burned these on the Altar. + He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them on top of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar. + Next Aaron presented the offerings of the people. He took the male goat, the Absolution-Offering for the people, slaughtered it, and offered it as an Absolution-Offering just as he did with the first offering. + He presented the Whole-Burnt-Offering following the same procedures. + He presented the Grain-Offering by taking a handful of it and burning it on the Altar along with the morning Whole-Burnt-Offering. + He slaughtered the bull and the ram, the people's Peace-Offerings. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he threw it against each side of the Altar. + The fat pieces from the bull and the ram--the fat tail and the fat that covers the kidney and the lobe of the liver-- + they laid on the breasts and Aaron burned it on the Altar. + Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before GOD as a Wave-Offering, just as GOD commanded. + Aaron lifted his hands over the people and blessed them. Having completed the rituals of the Absolution-Offering, the Whole-Burnt-Offering, and the Peace-Offering, he came down from the Altar. + Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out they blessed the people and the Glory of GOD appeared to all the people. + Fire blazed out from GOD and consumed the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the fat pieces on the Altar. When all the people saw it happen they cheered loudly and then fell down, bowing in reverence. + + + That same day Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, took their censers, put hot coals and incense in them, and offered "strange" fire to GOD--something GOD had not commanded. + Fire blazed out from GOD and consumed them--they died in GOD's presence. + Moses said to Aaron, "This is what GOD meant when he said, To the one who comes near me, I will show myself holy; Before all the people, I will show my glory." Aaron was silent. + Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle. He said, "Come. Carry your dead cousins outside the camp, away from the Sanctuary." + They came and carried them off, outside the camp, just as Moses had directed. + Moses then said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "No mourning rituals for you--unkempt hair, torn clothes--or you'll also die and GOD will be angry with the whole congregation. Your relatives--all the People of Israel, in fact--will do the mourning over those GOD has destroyed by fire. + And don't leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting lest you die, because GOD's anointing oil is on you." They did just as Moses said. + GOD instructed Aaron, + "When you enter the Tent of Meeting, don't drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, lest you die. This is a fixed rule down through the generations. + Distinguish between the holy and the common, between the ritually clean and unclean. + Teach the People of Israel all the decrees that GOD has spoken to them through Moses." + Moses spoke to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the leftovers of the Grain-Offering from the Fire-Gifts for GOD and eat beside the Altar that which has been prepared without yeast, for it is most holy. + Eat it in the Holy Place because it is your portion and the portion of your sons from the Fire-Gifts for GOD. This is what GOD commanded me. + Also, you and your sons and daughters are to eat the breast of the Wave-Offering and the thigh of the Contribution-Offering in a clean place. They are provided as your portion and the portion of your children from the Peace-Offerings presented by the People of Israel. + Bring the thigh of the Contribution-Offering and the breast of the Wave-Offering and the fat pieces of the Fire-Gifts and lift them up as a Wave-Offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children as ordered by GOD." + When Moses looked into the matter of the goat of the Absolution-Offering, he found that it had been burned up. He became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and asked, + "Why didn't you eat the Absolution-Offering in the Holy Place since it is most holy? The offering was given to you for taking away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before GOD. + Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the Sanctuary as I commanded." + Aaron replied to Moses, "Look. They sacrificed their Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering before GOD today, and you see what has happened to me--I've lost two sons. Do you think GOD would have been pleased if I had gone ahead and eaten the Absolution-Offering today?" + When Moses heard this response, he accepted it. + + + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: Of all the animals on Earth, these are the animals that you may eat: + "You may eat any animal that has a split hoof, divided in two, and that chews the cud, + but not an animal that only chews the cud or only has a split hoof. For instance, the camel chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof, so it's unclean. + The rock badger chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof and so it's unclean. + The rabbit chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof so is unclean. + The pig has a split hoof, divided in two, but doesn't chew the cud and so is unclean. + You may not eat their meat nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. + "Among the creatures that live in the water of the seas and streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. + But anything that doesn't have fins and scales, whether in seas or streams, whether small creatures in the shallows or huge creatures in the deeps, you are to detest. + Yes, detest them. Don't eat their meat; detest their carcasses. + Anything living in the water that doesn't have fins and scales is detestable to you. + "These are the birds you are to detest. Don't eat them. They are detestable: eagle, vulture, osprey, + kite, all falcons, + all ravens, + ostrich, nighthawk, sea gull, all hawks, + owl, cormorant, ibis, + water hen, pelican, Egyptian vulture, + stork, all herons, hoopoe, bat. + "All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. + But you can eat some of these, namely, those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground: + all locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers. + But all the other flying insects that have four legs you are to detest. + "You will make yourselves ritually unclean until evening if you touch their carcasses. + If you pick up one of their carcasses you must wash your clothes and you'll be unclean until evening. + "Every animal that has a split hoof that's not completely divided, or that doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you; if you touch the carcass of any of them you become unclean. + "Every four-footed animal that goes on its paws is unclean for you; if you touch its carcass you are unclean until evening. + If you pick up its carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening. They are unclean for you. + "Among the creatures that crawl on the ground, the following are unclean for you: weasel, rat, all lizards, + gecko, monitor lizard, wall lizard, skink, chameleon. + Among the crawling creatures, these are unclean for you. If you touch them when they are dead, you are ritually unclean until evening. + When one of them dies and falls on something, that becomes unclean no matter what it's used for, whether it's made of wood, cloth, hide, or sackcloth. Put it in the water--it's unclean until evening, and then it's clean. + If one of these dead creatures falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot is unclean and you must break the pot. + Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean. + Anything that one of these carcasses falls on is unclean--an oven or cooking pot must be broken up; they're unclean and must be treated as unclean. + A spring, though, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but if you touch one of these carcasses you're ritually unclean. + If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. + But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, you must treat it as unclean. + "If an animal that you are permitted to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass is ritually unclean until evening. + If you eat some of the carcass you must wash your clothes and you are unclean until evening. If you pick up the carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening. + "Creatures that crawl on the ground are detestable and not to be eaten. + Don't eat creatures that crawl on the ground, whether on their belly or on all fours or on many feet--they are detestable. + Don't make yourselves unclean or be defiled by them, because I am your GOD. + "Make yourselves holy for I am holy. Don't make yourselves ritually unclean by any creature that crawls on the ground. + I am GOD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Be holy because I am holy. + "These are the instructions on animals, birds, fish, and creatures that crawl on the ground. + You have to distinguish between the ritually unclean and the clean, between living creatures that can be eaten and those that cannot be eaten." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel: A woman who conceives and gives birth to a boy is ritually unclean for seven days, the same as during her menstruation. + On the eighth day circumcise the boy. + The mother must stay home another thirty-three days for purification from her bleeding. She may not touch anything consecrated or enter the Sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete. + If she gives birth to a girl, she is unclean for fourteen days, the same as during her menstruation. She must stay home for sixty-six days for purification from her bleeding. + "When the days for her purification for either a boy or a girl are complete, she will bring a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering and a pigeon or dove for an Absolution-Offering to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + He will offer it to GOD and make atonement for her. She is then clean from her flow of blood. "These are the instructions for a woman who gives birth to either a boy or a girl. + "If she can't afford a lamb, she can bring two doves or two pigeons, one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering and one for the Absolution-Offering. The priest will make atonement for her and she will be clean." + + + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, + "When someone has a swelling or a blister or a shiny spot on the skin that might signal a serious skin disease on the body, bring him to Aaron the priest or to one of his priest sons. + The priest will examine the sore on the skin. If the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears more than skin deep, it is a serious skin disease and infectious. After the priest has examined it, he will pronounce the person unclean. + "If the shiny spot on the skin is white but appears to be only on the surface and the hair has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest will examine it again; if, in his judgment, the sore is the same and has not spread, the priest will keep him in quarantine for another seven days. + On the seventh day the priest will examine him a second time; if the sore has faded and hasn't spread, the priest will declare him clean--it is a harmless rash. The person can go home and wash his clothes; he is clean. + But if the sore spreads after he has shown himself to the priest and been declared clean, he must come back again to the priest + who will conduct another examination. If the sore has spread, the priest will pronounce him unclean--it is a serious skin disease and infectious. + "Whenever someone has a serious and infectious skin disease, you must bring him to the priest. + The priest will examine him; if there is a white swelling in the skin, the hair is turning white, and there is an open sore in the swelling, + it is a chronic skin disease. The priest will pronounce him unclean. But he doesn't need to quarantine him because he's already given his diagnosis of unclean. + If a serious disease breaks out that covers all the skin from head to foot, wherever the priest looks, + the priest will make a thorough examination; if the disease covers his entire body, he will pronounce the person with the sore clean--since it has turned all white, he is clean. + But if they are open, running sores, he is unclean. + The priest will examine the open sores and pronounce him unclean. The open sores are unclean; they are evidence of a serious skin disease. + But if the open sores dry up and turn white, he is to come back to the priest + who will reexamine him; if the sores have turned white, the priest will pronounce the person with the sores clean. He is clean. + "When a person has a boil and it heals + and in place of the boil there is white swelling or a reddish-white shiny spot, the person must present himself to the priest + for an examination. If it looks like it has penetrated the skin and the hair in it has turned white, the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is a serious skin disease that has broken out in the boil. + But if the examination shows that there is no white hair in it and it is only skin deep and has faded, the priest will put him in quarantine for seven days. + If it then spreads over the skin, the priest will diagnose him as unclean. It is infectious. + But if the shiny spot has not changed and hasn't spread, it's only a scar from the boil. The priest will pronounce him clean. + "When a person has a burn on his skin and the raw flesh turns into a reddish-white or white shiny spot, + the priest is to examine it. If the hair has turned white in the shiny spot and it looks like it's more than skin deep, a serious skin disease has erupted in the area of the burn. The priest will pronounce him unclean; it is a serious skin disease and infectious. + But if on examination there is no white hair in the shiny spot and it doesn't look to be more than skin deep but has faded, the priest will put him in quarantine for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest will reexamine him. If by then it has spread over the skin, the priest will diagnose him as unclean; it is a serious skin disease and infectious. + If by that time the shiny spot has stayed the same and has not spread but has faded, it is only a swelling from the burn. The priest will pronounce him clean; it's only a scar from the burn. + "If a man or woman develops a sore on the head or chin, + the priest will offer a diagnosis. If it looks as if it is under the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, he will pronounce the person ritually unclean. It is an itch, an infectious skin disease. + But if when he examines the itch, he finds it is only skin deep and there is no black hair in it, he will put the person in quarantine for seven days. + On the seventh day he will reexamine the sore; if the itch has not spread, there is no yellow hair in it, and it looks as if the itch is only skin deep, + the person must shave, except for the itch; the priest will send him back to quarantine for another seven days. + If the itch has not spread, and looks to be only skin deep, the priest will pronounce him clean. The person can go home and wash his clothes; he is clean. + But if the itch spreads after being pronounced clean, + the priest must reexamine it; if the itch has spread in the skin, he doesn't have to look any farther, for yellow hair, for instance; he is unclean. + But if he sees that the itch is unchanged and black hair has begun to grow in it, the itch is healed. The person is clean and the priest will pronounce him clean. + "When a man or woman gets shiny or white shiny spots on the skin, + the priest is to make an examination; if the shiny spots are dull white, it is only a rash that has broken out: The person is clean. + "When a man loses his hair and goes bald, he is clean. + If he loses his hair from his forehead, he is bald and he is clean. + But if he has a reddish-white sore on scalp or forehead, it means a serious skin disease is breaking out. + The priest is to examine it; if the swollen sore on his scalp or forehead is reddish-white like the appearance of the sore of a serious skin disease, + he has a serious skin disease and is unclean. The priest has to pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head. + "Any person with a serious skin disease must wear torn clothes, leave his hair loose and unbrushed, cover his upper lip, and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' + As long as anyone has the sores, that one continues to be ritually unclean. That person must live alone; he or she must live outside the camp. + "If clothing--woolen or linen clothing, + woven or knitted cloth of linen or wool, leather or leatherwork--is infected with a patch of serious fungus + and if the spot in the clothing or the leather or the woven or the knitted material or anything made of leather is greenish or rusty, that is a sign of serious fungus. Show it to the priest. + The priest will examine the spot and then confiscate the material for seven days. + On the seventh day he will reexamine the spot. If it has spread in the garment--the woven or knitted or leather material--it is the spot of a persistent serious fungus and the material is unclean. + He must burn the garment. Because of the persistent and contaminating fungus, the material must be burned. + But if when the priest examines it the spot has not spread in the garment, + the priest will command the owner to wash the material that has the spot, and he will confiscate it for another seven days. + He'll then make another examination after it has been washed; if the spot hasn't changed in appearance, even though it hasn't spread, it is still unclean. Burn it up, whether the fungus has affected the back or the front. + If, when the priest makes his examination, the spot has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear the spot from the garment. + But if it reappears, it is a fresh outbreak--throw whatever has the spot in the fire. + If the garment is washed and the spot has gone away, then wash it a second time; it is clean. + "These are the instructions regarding a spot of serious fungus in clothing of wool or linen, woven or knitted material, or any article of leather, for pronouncing them clean or unclean." + + + GOD spoke to Moses, + "These are the instructions for the infected person at the time of his cleansing. First, bring him to the priest. + The priest will take him outside the camp and make an examination; if the infected person has been healed of the serious skin disease, + the priest will order two live, clean birds, some cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop to be brought for the one to be cleansed. + The priest will order him to kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. + The priest will then take the live bird with the cedar wood, the scarlet thread, and the hyssop and dip them in the blood of the dead bird over fresh water + and then sprinkle the person being cleansed from the serious skin disease seven times and pronounce him clean. Finally, he will release the live bird in the open field. + The cleansed person, after washing his clothes, shaving off all his hair, and bathing with water, is clean. Afterwards he may again enter the camp, but he has to live outside his tent for seven days. + On the seventh day, he must shave off all his hair--from his head, beard, eyebrows, all of it. He then must wash his clothes and bathe all over with water. He will be clean. + "The next day, the eighth day, he will bring two lambs without defect and a yearling ewe without defect, along with roughly six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. + The priest who pronounces him clean will place him and the materials for his offerings in the presence of GOD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + The priest will take one of the lambs and present it and the pint of oil as a Compensation-Offering and lift them up as a Wave-Offering before GOD. + He will slaughter the lamb in the place where the Absolution-Offering and the Whole-Burnt-Offering are slaughtered, in the Holy Place, because like the Absolution-Offering, the Compensation-Offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. + The priest will now take some of the blood of the Compensation-Offering and put it on the right earlobe of the man being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. + Following that he will take some oil and pour it into the palm of his left hand + and then with the finger of his right hand sprinkle oil seven times before GOD. + The priest will put some of the remaining oil on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, placing it on top of the blood of the Compensation-Offering. + He will put the rest of the oil on the head of the man being cleansed and make atonement for him before GOD. + "Finally the priest will sacrifice the Absolution-Offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness, slaughter the Whole-Burnt-Offering + and offer it with the Grain-Offering on the Altar. He has made atonement for him. He is clean. + "If he is poor and cannot afford these offerings, he will bring one male lamb as a Compensation-Offering to be offered as a Wave-Offering to make atonement for him, and with it a couple of quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for a Grain-Offering, a pint of oil, + and two doves or pigeons which he can afford, one for an Absolution-Offering and the other for a Whole-Burnt-Offering. + "On the eighth day he will bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the presence of GOD. + The priest will take the lamb for the Compensation-Offering together with the pint of oil and wave them before GOD as a Wave-Offering. + He will slaughter the lamb for the Compensation-Offering, take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. + The priest will pour some of the oil into the palm of his left hand, + and with his right finger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before GOD. + He will put some of the oil that is in his palm on the same places he put the blood of the Compensation-Offering, on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. + The priest will take what is left of the oil in his palm and put it on the head of the one to be cleansed, making atonement for him before GOD. + "At the last, he will sacrifice the doves or pigeons which are within his means, + one as an Absolution-Offering and the other as a Whole-Burnt-Offering along with the Grain-Offering. Following this procedure the priest will make atonement for the one to be cleansed before GOD." + These are the instructions to be followed for anyone who has a serious skin disease and cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing. + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, + "When you enter the land of Canaan, which I'm giving to you as a possession, and I put a serious fungus in a house in the land of your possession, + the householder is to go and tell the priest, 'I have some kind of fungus in my house.' + The priest is to order the house vacated until he can come to examine the fungus, so that nothing in the house is declared unclean. + When the priest comes and examines the house, if the fungus on the walls of the house has greenish or rusty swelling that appears to go deeper than the surface of the wall, + the priest is to walk out the door and shut the house up for seven days. + On the seventh day he is to come back and conduct another examination; if the fungus has spread in the walls of the house, + he is to order that the stones affected by the fungus be torn out and thrown in a garbage dump outside the city. + He is to make sure the entire inside of the house is scraped and the plaster that is removed be taken away to the garbage dump outside the city. + Then he is to replace the stones and replaster the house. + "If the fungus breaks out again in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house has been scraped and plastered, + the priest is to come and conduct an examination; if the fungus has spread, it is a malignant fungus. The house is unclean. + The house has to be demolished--its stones, wood, and plaster are to be removed to the garbage dump outside the city. + Anyone who enters the house while it is closed up is unclean until evening. + Anyone who sleeps or eats in the house must wash his clothes. + "But if when the priest comes and conducts his examination, he finds that the fungus has not spread after the house has been replastered, the priest is to declare that the house is clean; the fungus is cured. + He then is to purify the house by taking two birds, some cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop. + He will slaughter one bird over fresh water in a clay pot. + Then he will take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet thread, and the living bird, dip them in the blood of the killed bird and the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times, + cleansing the house with the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet thread. + Last of all, he will let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field. He has made atonement for the house; the house is clean. + "These are the procedures to be followed for every kind of serious skin disease or itch, + for mildew or fungus on clothing or in a house, + and for a swelling or blister or shiny spot + in order to determine when it is unclean and when it is clean. These are the procedures regarding infectious skin diseases and mildew and fungus." + + + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When a man has a discharge from his genitals, the discharge is unclean. + Whether it comes from a seepage or an obstruction he is unclean. He is unclean all the days his body has a seepage or an obstruction. + "Every bed on which he lies is ritually unclean, everything on which he sits is unclean. + If someone touches his bed or sits on anything he's sat on, or touches the man with the discharge, he has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening. + (SEE 5:5) + (SEE 5:5) + "If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening. + Every saddle on which the man with the discharge rides is unclean. + Whoever touches anything that has been under him becomes unclean until evening. Anyone who carries such an object must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening. + If the one with the discharge touches someone without first rinsing his hands with water, the one touched must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening. + "If a pottery container is touched by someone with a discharge, you must break it; a wooden article is to be rinsed in water. + "When a person with a discharge is cleansed from it, he is to count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe in running water. Then he is clean. + On the eighth day he is to take two doves or two pigeons and come before GOD at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest. + The priest then offers one as an Absolution-Offering and one as a Whole-Burnt-Offering and makes atonement for him in the presence of GOD because of his discharge. + "When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water; he remains unclean until evening. + Every piece of clothing and everything made of leather which gets semen on it must be washed with water; it remains unclean until evening. + When a man sleeps with a woman and has an emission of semen, both are to wash in water; they remain unclean until evening. + "When a woman has a discharge of blood, the impurity of her menstrual period lasts seven days. Anyone who touches her is unclean until evening. + Everything on which she lies or sits during her period is unclean. + Anyone who touches her bed or anything on which she sits must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening. + (SEE 5:21) + (SEE 5:21) + "If a man sleeps with her and her menstrual blood gets on him, he is unclean for seven days and every bed on which he lies becomes unclean. + "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, but not at the time of her monthly period, or has a discharge that continues beyond the time of her period, she is unclean the same as during the time of her period. + Every bed on which she lies during the time of the discharge and everything on which she sits becomes unclean the same as in her monthly period. + Anyone who touches these things becomes unclean and must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening. + "When she is cleansed from her discharge, she is to count off seven days; then she is clean. + On the eighth day she is to take two doves and two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + The priest will offer one for an Absolution-Offering and the other for a Whole-Burnt-Offering. The priest will make atonement for her in the presence of GOD because of the discharge that made her unclean. + "You are responsible for keeping the People of Israel separate from that which makes them ritually unclean, lest they die in their unclean condition by defiling my Dwelling which is among them. + "These are the procedures to follow for a man with a discharge or an emission of semen that makes him unclean, + and for a woman in her menstrual period--any man or woman with a discharge and also for a man who sleeps with a woman who is unclean." + + + After the death of Aaron's two sons--they died when they came before GOD with strange fire--GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell your brother Aaron not to enter into the Holy of Holies, barging inside the curtain that's before the Atonement-Cover on the Chest whenever he feels like it, lest he die, because I am present in the Cloud over the Atonement-Cover. + "This is the procedure for Aaron when he enters the Holy Place: He will bring a young bull for an Absolution-Offering and a ram for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + he will put on the holy linen tunic and the linen underwear, tie the linen sash around him, and put on the linen turban. These are the sacred vestments so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. + Then from the Israelite community he will bring two male goats for an Absolution-Offering and a Whole-Burnt-Offering. + "Aaron will offer the bull for his own Absolution-Offering in order to make atonement for himself and his household. + Then he will set the two goats before GOD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting + and cast lots over the two goats, one lot for GOD and the other lot for Azazel. + He will offer the goat on which the lot to GOD falls as an Absolution-Offering. + The goat on which the lot for Azazel falls will be sent out into the wilderness to Azazel to make atonement. + "Aaron will present his bull for an Absolution-Offering to make atonement for himself and his household. He will slaughter his bull for the Absolution-Offering. + He will take a censer full of burning coals from the Altar before GOD and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense and bring them inside the curtain and + put the incense on the fire before GOD; the smoke of the incense will cover the Atonement-Cover which is over The Testimony so that he doesn't die. + He will take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the Atonement-Cover, then sprinkle the blood before the Atonement-Cover seven times. + "Next he will slaughter the goat designated as the Absolution-Offering for the people and bring the blood inside the curtain. He will repeat what he does with the bull's blood, sprinkling it on and before the Atonement-Cover. + In this way he will make atonement for the Holy of Holies because of the uncleannesses of the Israelites, their acts of rebellion, and all their other sins. He will do the same thing for the Tent of Meeting which dwells among the people in the midst of their uncleanness. + There is to be no one in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Holy of Holies until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole community of Israel. + "Then he will come out to the Altar that is before GOD and make atonement for it. He will take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and smear it all around the four horns of the Altar. + With his finger he will sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times to purify and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the Israelites. + "When Aaron finishes making atonement for the Holy of Holies, the Tent of Meeting, and the Altar, he will bring up the live goat, + lay both hands on the live goat's head, and confess all the iniquities of the People of Israel, all their acts of rebellion, all their sins. He will put all the sins on the goat's head and send it off into the wilderness, led out by a man standing by and ready. + The goat will carry all their iniquities to an empty wasteland; the man will let him loose out there in the wilderness. + "Finally, Aaron will come into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen clothes in which he dressed to enter the Holy of Holies and leave them there. + He will bathe in water in a Holy Place, put on his priestly vestments, offer the Whole-Burnt-Offering for himself and the Whole-Burnt-Offering for the people, making atonement for himself and the people, + and burn the fat of the Absolution-Offering on the Altar. + "The man who takes the goat out to Azazel in the wilderness then will wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. After that he will be permitted to come back into the camp. + The bull for the Absolution-Offering and the goat for the Absolution-Offering, whose blood has been taken into the Holy of Holies to make atonement, are to be taken outside the camp and burned--their hides, their meat, and their entrails. + The man assigned to burn them up will then wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he is free to come back into the camp. + "This is standard practice for you, a perpetual ordinance. On the tenth day of the seventh month, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you are to enter into a solemn fast and refrain from all work, + because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. In the presence of GOD you will be made clean of all your sins. + It is a Sabbath of all Sabbaths. You must fast. It is a perpetual ordinance. + "The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father is to make the atonement: He puts on the sacred linen garments; + He purges the Holy of Holies by making atonement; He purges the Tent of Meeting and the Altar by making atonement; He makes atonement for the priests and all the congregation. + "This is a perpetual ordinance for you: Once a year atonement is to be made for all the sins of the People of Israel." And Aaron did it, just as GOD commanded Moses. + + + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites. Tell them, This is what GOD commands: + Any and every man who slaughters an ox or lamb or goat inside or outside the camp + instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to GOD in front of The Dwelling of GOD--that man is considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. + This is so the Israelites will bring to GOD the sacrifices that they're in the habit of sacrificing out in the open fields. They must bring them to GOD and the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as Peace-Offerings to GOD. + The priest will splash the blood on the Altar of GOD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + They must no longer offer their sacrifices to goat-demons--a kind of religious orgy. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations. + "Tell them: Any Israelite or foreigner living among them who offers a Whole-Burnt-Offering or Peace-Offering + but doesn't bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to GOD, that person must be cut off from his people. + "If any Israelite or foreigner living among them eats blood, I will disown that person and cut him off from his people, + for the life of an animal is in the blood. I have provided the blood for you to make atonement for your lives on the Altar; it is the blood, the life, that makes atonement. + That's why I tell the People of Israel, 'Don't eat blood.' The same goes for the foreigner who lives among you, 'Don't eat blood.' + "Any and every Israelite--this also goes for the foreigners--who hunts down an animal or bird that is edible, must bleed it and cover the blood with dirt, + because the life of every animal is its blood--the blood is its life. That's why I tell the Israelites, 'Don't eat the blood of any animal because the life of every animal is its blood. Anyone who eats the blood must be cut off.' + "Anyone, whether native or foreigner, who eats from an animal that is found dead or mauled must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening and is then clean. + If he doesn't wash or bathe his body, he'll be held responsible for his actions." + + + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: I am GOD, your God. + Don't live like the people of Egypt where you used to live, and don't live like the people of Canaan where I'm bringing you. Don't do what they do. + Obey my laws and live by my decrees. I am your GOD. + Keep my decrees and laws: The person who obeys them lives by them. I am GOD. + "Don't have sex with a close relative. I am GOD. + "Don't violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don't have sex with her. + "Don't have sex with your father's wife. That violates your father. + "Don't have sex with your sister, whether she's your father's daughter or your mother's, whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere. + "Don't have sex with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter. That would violate your own body. + "Don't have sex with the daughter of your father's wife born to your father. She is your sister. + "Don't have sex with your father's sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your father. + "Don't have sex with your mother's sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your mother. + "Don't violate your father's brother, your uncle, by having sex with his wife. She is your aunt. + "Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; don't have sex with her. + "Don't have sex with your brother's wife; that would violate your brother. + "Don't have sex with both a woman and her daughter. And don't have sex with her granddaughters either. They are her close relatives. That is wicked. + "Don't marry your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sex with her while your wife is living. + "Don't have sex with a woman during the time of her menstrual period when she is unclean. + "Don't have sex with your neighbor's wife and violate yourself by her. + "Don't give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech--an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am GOD. + "Don't have sex with a man as one does with a woman. That is abhorrent. + "Don't have sex with an animal and violate yourself by it. "A woman must not have sex with an animal. That is perverse. + "Don't pollute yourself in any of these ways. This is how the nations became polluted, the ones that I am going to drive out of the land before you. + Even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for its iniquities--the land vomited up its inhabitants. + You must keep my decrees and laws--natives and foreigners both. You must not do any of these abhorrent things. + The people who lived in this land before you arrived did all these things and polluted the land. + And if you pollute it, the land will vomit you up just as it vomited up the nations that preceded you. + "Those who do any of these abhorrent things will be cut off from their people. + Keep to what I tell you; don't engage in any of the abhorrent acts that were practiced before you came. Don't pollute yourselves with them. I am GOD, your God." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them: Be holy because I, GOD, your God, am holy. + "Every one of you must respect his mother and father. "Keep my Sabbaths. I am GOD, your God. + "Don't take up with no-god idols. Don't make gods of cast metal. I am GOD, your God. + "When you sacrifice a Peace-Offering to GOD, do it as you've been taught so it is acceptable. + Eat it on the day you sacrifice it and the day following. Whatever is left until the third day is to be burned up. + If it is eaten on the third day it is polluted meat and not acceptable. + Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has violated what is holy to GOD. That person will be cut off from his people. + "When you harvest your land, don't harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest. + Don't strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am GOD, your God. + "Don't steal. "Don't lie. "Don't deceive anyone. + "Don't swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am GOD. + "Don't exploit your friend or rob him. "Don't hold back the wages of a hired hand overnight. + "Don't curse the deaf; don't put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am GOD. + "Don't pervert justice. Don't show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right. + "Don't spread gossip and rumors. "Don't just stand by when your neighbor's life is in danger. I am GOD. + "Don't secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise you are an accomplice in his guilt. + "Don't seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. "Love your neighbor as yourself. I am GOD. + "Keep my decrees. "Don't mate two different kinds of animals. "Don't plant your fields with two kinds of seed. "Don't wear clothes woven of two kinds of material. + "If a man has sex with a slave girl who is engaged to another man but has not yet been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be an investigation. But they aren't to be put to death because she wasn't free. + The man must bring a Compensation-Offering to GOD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, a ram of compensation. + The priest will perform the ritual of atonement for him before GOD with the ram of compensation for the sin he has committed. Then he will stand forgiven of the sin he committed. + "When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, don't eat the fruit for three years; consider it inedible. + By the fourth year its fruit is holy, an offering of praise to GOD. + Beginning in the fifth year you can eat its fruit; you'll have richer harvests this way. I am GOD, your God. + "Don't eat meat with blood in it. "Don't practice divination or sorcery. + "Don't cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard. + "Don't gash your bodies on behalf of the dead. "Don't tattoo yourselves. I am GOD. + "Don't violate your daughter by making her a whore--the whole country would soon become a brothel, filled with sordid sex. + "Keep my Sabbaths and revere my Sanctuary: I am GOD. + "Don't dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums; you'll pollute your souls. I am GOD, your God. + "Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder; fear your God. I am GOD. + "When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don't take advantage of him. + Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am GOD, your God. + "Don't cheat when measuring length, weight, or quantity. + Use honest scales and weights and measures. I am GOD, your God. I brought you out of Egypt. + "Keep all my decrees and all my laws. Yes, do them. I am GOD." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the Israelites, Each and every Israelite and foreigner in Israel who gives his child to the god Molech must be put to death. The community must kill him by stoning. + I will resolutely reject that man and cut him off from his people. By giving his child to the god Molech he has polluted my Sanctuary and desecrated my holy name. + If the people of the land look the other way as if nothing had happened when that man gives his child to the god Molech and fail to kill him, + I will resolutely reject that man and his family, and him and all who join him in prostituting themselves in the rituals of the god Molech I will cut off from their people. + "I will resolutely reject persons who dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums, prostituting themselves in their practices. I will cut them off from their people. + "Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am GOD, your God. + Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the GOD who makes you holy. + "Any and every person who curses his father or mother must be put to death. By cursing his father or mother he is responsible for his own death. + "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--the wife, say, of his neighbor--both the man and the woman, the adulterer and adulteress, must be put to death. + "If a man has sex with his father's wife, he has violated his father. Both the man and woman must be put to death; they are responsible for their own deaths. + "If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is perverse. And they are responsible for their own deaths. + "If a man has sex with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is abhorrent. They must be put to death; they are responsible for their own deaths. + "If a man marries both a woman and her mother, that's wicked. All three of them must be burned at the stake, purging the wickedness from the community. + "If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death and you must kill the animal. + "If a woman has sex with an animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. And they are responsible for their deaths. + "If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother, and they have sex, that's a disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from their people. He has violated his sister and will be held responsible. + "If a man sleeps with a woman during her period and has sex with her, he has uncovered her 'fountain' and she has revealed her 'fountain'--both of them must be cut off from their people. + "Don't have sex with your aunt on either your mother's or father's side. That violates a close relative. Both of you are held responsible. + "If a man has sex with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible and die childless. + "If a man marries his brother's wife, it's a defilement. He has shamed his brother. They will be childless. + "Do what I tell you, all my decrees and laws; live by them so that the land where I'm bringing you won't vomit you out. + You simply must not live like the nations I'm driving out before you. They did all these things and I hated every minute of it. + "I've told you, remember, that you will possess their land that I'm giving to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am GOD, your God, who has distinguished you from the nations. + So live like it: Distinguish between ritually clean and unclean animals and birds. Don't pollute yourselves with any animal or bird or crawling thing which I have marked out as unclean for you. + Live holy lives before me because I, GOD, am holy. I have distinguished you from the nations to be my very own. + "A man or woman who is a medium or sorcerer among you must be put to death. You must kill them by stoning. They're responsible for their own deaths." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron. Tell them, A priest must not ritually contaminate himself by touching the dead, + except for close relatives: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, + or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband; for these he may make himself ritually unclean, + but he must not contaminate himself with the dead who are only related to him by marriage and thus profane himself. + "Priests must not shave their heads or trim their beards or gash their bodies. + They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because their job is to present the gifts of GOD, the food of their God, they are to be holy. + "Because a priest is holy to his God he must not marry a woman who has been a harlot or a cult prostitute or a divorced woman. + Make sure he is holy because he serves the food of your God. Treat him as holy because I, GOD, who make you holy, am holy. + "If a priest's daughter defiles herself in prostitution, she disgraces her father. She must be burned at the stake. + "The high priest, the one among his brothers who has received the anointing oil poured on his head and been ordained to wear the priestly vestments, must not let his hair go wild and tangled nor wear ragged and torn clothes. + He must not enter a room where there is a dead body. He must not ritually contaminate himself, even for his father or mother; + and he must neither abandon nor desecrate the Sanctuary of his God because of the dedication of the anointing oil which is upon him. I am GOD. + "He is to marry a young virgin, + not a widow, not a divorcee, not a cult prostitute--he is only to marry a virgin from his own people. + He must not defile his descendants among his people because I am GOD who makes him holy." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell Aaron, None of your descendants, in any generation to come, who has a defect of any kind may present as an offering the food of his God. + That means anyone who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed, + crippled in foot or hand, + hunchbacked or dwarfed, who has anything wrong with his eyes, who has running sores or damaged testicles. + No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to offer gifts to GOD; he has a defect and so must not offer the food of his God. + He may eat the food of his God, both the most holy and the holy, + but because of his defect he must not go near the curtain or approach the Altar. It would desecrate my Sanctuary. I am GOD who makes them holy." + Moses delivered this message to Aaron, his sons, and to all the People of Israel. + + + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to me with reverence so they won't desecrate my holy name. I am GOD. + "Tell them, From now on, if any of your descendants approaches in a state of ritual uncleanness the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to GOD, he will be cut off from my presence. I am GOD. + "Each and every one of Aaron's descendants who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge may not eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Also, if he touches anything defiled by a corpse, or has an emission of semen, + or is contaminated by touching a crawling creature, or touches a person who is contaminated for whatever reason-- + a person who touches any such thing will be ritually unclean until evening and may not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed well with water. + After the sun goes down he is clean and may go ahead and eat the holy offerings; they are his food. + But he must not contaminate himself by eating anything found dead or torn by wild animals. I am GOD. + "The priests must observe my instructions lest they become guilty and die by treating the offerings with irreverence. I am GOD who makes them holy. + "No layperson may eat anything set apart as holy. Nor may a priest's guest or his hired hand eat anything holy. + But if a priest buys a slave, the slave may eat of it; also the slaves born in his house may eat his food. + If a priest's daughter marries a layperson, she may no longer eat from the holy contributions. + But if the priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and without children and returns to her father's household as before, she may eat of her father's food. But no layperson may eat of it. + "If anyone eats from a holy offering accidentally, he must give back the holy offering to the priest and add twenty percent to it. + "The priests must not treat with irreverence the holy offerings of the Israelites that they contribute to GOD + lest they desecrate themselves and make themselves guilty when they eat the holy offerings. I am GOD who makes them holy." + GOD spoke to Moses, + "Tell Aaron and his sons and all the People of Israel, Each and every one of you, whether native born or foreigner, who presents a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering, + must make sure that it is a male without defect from cattle, sheep, or goats for it to be acceptable. + Don't try slipping in some creature that has a defect--it won't be accepted. + Whenever anyone brings an offering from cattle or sheep as a Peace-Offering to GOD to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering, it has to be perfect, without defect, to be acceptable. + Don't try giving GOD an animal that is blind, crippled, mutilated, an animal with running sores, a rash, or mange. Don't place any of these on the Altar as a gift to GOD. + You may, though, offer an ox or sheep that is deformed or stunted as a Freewill-Offering, but it is not acceptable in fulfilling a vow + . Don't offer to GOD an animal with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut-off testicles. Don't do this in your own land + but don't accept them from foreigners and present them as food for your GOD either. Because of deformities and defects they will not be acceptable." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it is to stay with its mother for seven days. After the eighth day, it is acceptable as an offering, a gift to GOD. + Don't slaughter both a cow or ewe and its young on the same day. + When you sacrifice a Thanksgiving-Offering to GOD, do it right so it will be acceptable. + Eat it on the same day; don't leave any leftovers until morning. I am GOD. + "Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am GOD. + "Don't desecrate my holy name. I insist on being treated with holy reverence among the People of Israel. I am GOD who makes you holy + and brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am GOD." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel, These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of GOD which you are to decree as sacred assemblies. + "Work six days. The seventh day is a Sabbath, a day of total and complete rest, a sacred assembly. Don't do any work. Wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to GOD. + "These are the appointed feasts of GOD, the sacred assemblies which you are to announce at the times set for them: + "GOD's Passover, beginning at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month. + "GOD's Feast of Unraised Bread, on the fifteenth day of this same month. You are to eat unraised bread for seven days. + Hold a sacred assembly on the first day; don't do any regular work. + Offer Fire-Gifts to GOD for seven days. On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly; don't do any regular work." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel, When you arrive at the land that I am giving you and reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain that you harvest. + He will wave the sheaf before GOD for acceptance on your behalf; on the morning after Sabbath, the priest will wave it. + On the same day that you wave the sheaf, offer a year-old male lamb without defect for a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD + and with it the Grain-Offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil--a Fire-Gift to GOD, a pleasing fragrance--and also a Drink-Offering of a quart of wine. + Don't eat any bread or roasted or fresh grain until you have presented this offering to your God. This is a perpetual decree for all your generations to come, wherever you live. + "Count seven full weeks from the morning after the Sabbath when you brought the sheaf as a Wave-Offering, + fifty days until the morning of the seventh Sabbath. Then present a new Grain-Offering to GOD. + Bring from wherever you are living two loaves of bread made from four quarts of fine flour and baked with yeast as a Wave-Offering of the first ripe grain to GOD. + In addition to the bread, offer seven yearling male lambs without defect, plus one bull and two rams. They will be a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD together with their Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings--offered as Fire-Gifts, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + Offer one male goat for an Absolution-Offering and two yearling lambs for a Peace-Offering. + The priest will wave the two lambs before GOD as a Wave-Offering, together with the bread of the first ripe grain. They are sacred offerings to GOD for the priest. + Proclaim the day as a sacred assembly. Don't do any ordinary work. It is a perpetual decree wherever you live down through your generations. + "When you reap the harvest of your land, don't reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners. I am GOD, your God." + GOD said to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel, On the first day of the seventh month, set aside a day of rest, a sacred assembly--mark it with loud blasts on the ram's horn. + Don't do any ordinary work. Offer a Fire-Gift to GOD." + GOD said to Moses, + "The tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly, fast, and offer a Fire-Gift to GOD. + Don't work on that day because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for you before your GOD. + Anyone who doesn't fast on that day must be cut off from his people. + I will destroy from among his people anyone who works on that day. + Don't do any work that day--none. This is a perpetual decree for all the generations to come, wherever you happen to be living. + It is a Sabbath of complete and total rest, a fast day. Observe your Sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening." + GOD said to Moses, + "Tell the People of Israel, GOD's Feast of Booths begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. It lasts seven days. + The first day is a sacred assembly; don't do any ordinary work. + Offer Fire-Gifts to GOD for seven days. On the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and offer a gift to GOD. It is a solemn convocation. Don't do any ordinary work. + "These are the appointed feasts of GOD which you will decree as sacred assemblies for presenting Fire-Gifts to GOD: the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, sacrifices, and Drink-Offerings assigned to each day. + These are in addition to offerings for GOD's Sabbaths and also in addition to other gifts connected with whatever you have vowed and all the Freewill-Offerings you give to GOD. + "So, summing up: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have brought your crops in from your fields, celebrate the Feast of GOD for seven days. The first day is a complete rest and the eighth day is a complete rest. + On the first day, pick the best fruit from the best trees; take fronds of palm trees and branches of leafy trees and from willows by the brook and celebrate in the presence of your GOD for seven days-- + yes, for seven full days celebrate it as a festival to GOD. Every year from now on, celebrate it in the seventh month. + Live in booths for seven days--every son and daughter of Israel is to move into booths + so that your descendants will know that I made the People of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am GOD, your God." + Moses posted the calendar for the annual appointed feasts of GOD which Israel was to celebrate. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Order the People of Israel to bring you virgin olive oil for light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. + Aaron is in charge of keeping these lamps burning in front of the curtain that screens The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting from evening to morning continually before GOD. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations. + Aaron is responsible for keeping the lamps burning continually on the Lampstand of pure gold before GOD. + "Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using about four quarts of flour to a loaf. + Arrange them in two rows of six each on the Table of pure gold before GOD. + Along each row spread pure incense, marking the bread as a memorial; it is a gift to GOD. + Regularly, every Sabbath, this bread is to be set before GOD, a perpetual covenantal response from Israel. + The bread then goes to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a Holy Place. It is their most holy share from the gifts to GOD. This is a perpetual decree." + One day the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. + The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of GOD and cursed. They brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan. + They put him in custody waiting for GOD's will to be revealed to them. + Then GOD spoke to Moses: + "Take the blasphemer outside the camp. Have all those who heard him place their hands on his head; then have the entire congregation stone him. + Then tell the Israelites, Anyone who curses God will be held accountable; + anyone who blasphemes the Name of GOD must be put to death. The entire congregation must stone him. It makes no difference whether he is a foreigner or a native, if he blasphemes the Name, he will be put to death. + "Anyone who hits and kills a fellow human must be put to death. + Anyone who kills someone's animal must make it good--a life for a life. + Anyone who injures his neighbor will get back the same as he gave: + fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. What he did to hurt that person will be done to him. + Anyone who hits and kills an animal must make it good, but whoever hits and kills a fellow human will be put to death. + And no double standards: the same rule goes for foreigners and natives. I am GOD, your God." + Moses then spoke to the People of Israel. They brought the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The People of Israel followed the orders GOD had given Moses. + + + GOD spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When you enter the land which I am going to give you, the land will observe a Sabbath to GOD. + Sow your fields, prune your vineyards, and take in your harvests for six years. + But the seventh year the land will take a Sabbath of complete and total rest, a Sabbath to GOD; you will not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. + Don't reap what grows of itself; don't harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land gets a year of complete and total rest. + But you can eat from what the land volunteers during the Sabbath year--you and your men and women servants, your hired hands, and the foreigners who live in the country, + and, of course, also your livestock and the wild animals in the land can eat from it. Whatever the land volunteers of itself can be eaten. + "Count off seven Sabbaths of years--seven times seven years: Seven Sabbaths of years adds up to forty-nine years. + Then sound loud blasts on the ram's horn on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. Sound the ram's horn all over the land. + Sanctify the fiftieth year; make it a holy year. Proclaim freedom all over the land to everyone who lives in it--a Jubilee for you: Each person will go back to his family's property and reunite with his extended family. + The fiftieth year is your Jubilee year: Don't sow; don't reap what volunteers itself in the fields; don't harvest the untended vines + because it's the Jubilee and a holy year for you. You're permitted to eat from whatever volunteers itself in the fields. + "In this year of Jubilee everyone returns home to his family property. + "If you sell or buy property from one of your countrymen, don't cheat him. + Calculate the purchase price on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. He is obliged to set the sale price on the basis of the number of harvests remaining until the next Jubilee. + The more years left, the more money; you can raise the price. But the fewer years left, the less money; decrease the price. What you are buying and selling in fact is the number of crops you're going to harvest. + Don't cheat each other. Fear your God. I am GOD, your God. + "Keep my decrees and observe my laws and you will live secure in the land. + The land will yield its fruit; you will have all you can eat and will live safe and secure. + Do I hear you ask, 'What are we going to eat in the seventh year if we don't plant or harvest?' + I assure you, I will send such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. + While you plant in the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and continue until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. + "The land cannot be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are foreigners--you're my tenants. + You must provide for the right of redemption for any of the land that you own. + "If one of your brothers becomes poor and has to sell any of his land, his nearest relative is to come and buy back what his brother sold. + If a man has no one to redeem it but he later prospers and earns enough for its redemption, + he is to calculate the value since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own land. + If he doesn't get together enough money to repay him, what he sold remains in the possession of the buyer until the year of Jubilee. In the Jubilee it will be returned and he can go back and live on his land. + "If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains the right to buy it back for a full year after the sale. At any time during that year he can redeem it. + But if it is not redeemed before the full year has passed, it becomes the permanent possession of the buyer and his descendants. It is not returned in the Jubilee. + However, houses in unwalled villages are treated the same as fields. They can be redeemed and have to be returned at the Jubilee. + "As to the Levitical cities, houses in the cities owned by the Levites are always subject to redemption. + Levitical property is always redeemable if it is sold in a town that they hold and reverts to them in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the People of Israel. + The pastures belonging to their cities may not be sold; they are their permanent possession. + "If one of your brothers becomes indigent and cannot support himself, help him, the same as you would a foreigner or a guest so that he can continue to live in your neighborhood. + Don't gouge him with interest charges; out of reverence for your God help your brother to continue to live with you in the neighborhood. + Don't take advantage of his plight by running up big interest charges on his loans, and don't give him food for profit. + I am your GOD who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. + "If one of your brothers becomes indigent and has to sell himself to you, don't make him work as a slave. + Treat him as a hired hand or a guest among you. He will work for you until the Jubilee, + after which he and his children are set free to go back to his clan and his ancestral land. + Because the People of Israel are my servants whom I brought out of Egypt, they must never be sold as slaves. + Don't tyrannize them; fear your God. + "The male and female slaves which you have are to come from the surrounding nations; you are permitted to buy slaves from them. + You may also buy the children of foreign workers who are living among you temporarily and from their clans which are living among you and have been born in your land. They become your property. + You may will them to your children as property and make them slaves for life. But you must not tyrannize your brother Israelites. + "If a foreigner or temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your brothers becomes poor and sells himself to the foreigner who lives among you or to a member of the foreigner's clan, + he still has the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may buy him back. + An uncle or cousin or any close relative of his extended family may redeem him. Or, if he gets the money together, he can redeem himself. + What happens then is that he and his owner count out the time from the year he sold himself to the year of Jubilee; the buy-back price is set according to the wages of a hired hand for that number of years. + If many years remain before the Jubilee, he must pay back a larger share of his purchase price, + but if only a few years remain until the Jubilee, he is to calculate his redemption price accordingly. + He is to be treated as a man hired from year to year. You must make sure that his owner does not tyrannize him. + "If he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he goes free in the year of Jubilee, he and his children, + because the People of Israel are my servants, my servants whom I brought out of Egypt. I am GOD, your God. + + + "Don't make idols for yourselves; don't set up an image or a sacred pillar for yourselves, and don't place a carved stone in your land that you can bow down to in worship. I am GOD, your God. + "Keep my Sabbaths; treat my Sanctuary with reverence. I am GOD. + "If you live by my decrees and obediently keep my commandments, + I will send the rains in their seasons, the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. + You will thresh until the grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting time; you'll have more than enough to eat and will live safe and secure in your land. + "I'll make the country a place of peace--you'll be able to go to sleep at night without fear; I'll get rid of the wild beasts; I'll eliminate war. + You'll chase out your enemies and defeat them: + Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand and do away with them. + I'll give you my full attention: I'll make sure you prosper, make sure you grow in numbers, and keep my covenant with you in good working order. + You'll still be eating from last year's harvest when you have to clean out the barns to make room for the new crops. + "I'll set up my residence in your neighborhood; I won't avoid or shun you; + I'll stroll through your streets. I'll be your God; you'll be my people. + I am GOD, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely. + "But if you refuse to obey me and won't observe my commandments, + despising my decrees and holding my laws in contempt by your disobedience, making a shambles of my covenant, + I'll step in and pour on the trouble: debilitating disease, high fevers, blindness, your life leaking out bit by bit. You'll plant seed but your enemies will eat the crops. + I'll turn my back on you and stand by while your enemies defeat you. People who hate you will govern you. You'll run scared even when there's no one chasing you. + "And if none of this works in getting your attention, I'll discipline you seven times over for your sins. + I'll break your strong pride: I'll make the skies above you like a sheet of tin and the ground under you like cast iron. + No matter how hard you work, nothing will come of it: No crops out of the ground, no fruit off the trees. + "If you defy me and refuse to listen, your punishment will be seven times more than your sins: + I'll set wild animals on you; they'll rob you of your children, kill your cattle, and decimate your numbers until you'll think you are living in a ghost town. + "And if even this doesn't work and you refuse my discipline and continue your defiance, + then it will be my turn to defy you. I, yes I, will punish you for your sins seven times over: + I'll let war loose on you, avenging your breaking of the covenant; when you huddle in your cities for protection, I'll send a deadly epidemic on you and you'll be helpless before your enemies; + when I cut off your bread supply, ten women will bake bread in one oven and ration it out. You'll eat, but barely--no one will get enough. + "And if this--even this!--doesn't work and you still won't listen, still defy me, + I'll have had enough and in hot anger will defy you, punishing you for your sins seven times over: + famine will be so severe that you'll end up cooking and eating your sons in stews and your daughters in barbecues; + I'll smash your sex-and-religion shrines and all the paraphernalia that goes with them, and then stack your corpses and the idol-corpses in the same piles--I'll abhor you; + I'll turn your cities into rubble; I'll clean out your sanctuaries; I'll hold my nose at the "pleasing aroma" of your sacrifices. + I'll turn your land into a lifeless moonscape--your enemies who come in to take over will be shocked at what they see. + I'll scatter you all over the world and keep after you with the point of my sword in your backs. There'll be nothing left in your land, nothing going on in your cities. + With you gone and dispersed in the countries of your enemies, the land, empty of you, will finally get a break and enjoy its Sabbath years. + All the time it's left there empty, the land will get rest, the Sabbaths it never got when you lived there. + "As for those among you still alive, I'll give them over to fearful timidity--even the rustle of a leaf will throw them into a panic. They'll run here and there, back and forth, as if running for their lives even though no one is after them, + tripping and falling over one another in total confusion. You won't stand a chance against an enemy. + You'll perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will eat you up. + Any who are left will slowly rot away in the enemy lands. Rot. And all because of their sins, their sins compounded by their ancestors' sins. + "On the other hand, if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors, their treacherous betrayal, the defiance + that set off my defiance that sent them off into enemy lands; if by some chance they soften their hard hearts and make amends for their sin, + I'll remember my covenant with Jacob, I'll remember my covenant with Isaac, and, yes, I'll remember my covenant with Abraham. And I'll remember the land. + "The land will be empty of them and enjoy its Sabbaths while they're gone. They'll pay for their sins because they refused my laws and treated my decrees with contempt. + But in spite of their behavior, while they are among their enemies I won't reject or abhor or destroy them completely. I won't break my covenant with them: I am GOD, their God. + For their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I, with all the nations watching, brought out of Egypt in order to be their God. I am GOD." + These are the decrees, laws, and instructions that GOD established between himself and the People of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. + + + GOD spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: If anyone wants to vow the value of a person to the service of GOD, + set the value of a man between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the Sanctuary shekel. + For a woman the valuation is thirty shekels. + If the person is between the ages of five and twenty, set the value at twenty shekels for a male and ten shekels for a female. + If the person is between one month and five years, set the value at five shekels of silver for a boy and three shekels of silver for a girl. + If the person is over sixty, set the value at fifteen shekels for a man and ten shekels for a woman. + If anyone is too poor to pay the stated amount, he is to present the person to the priest, who will then set the value for him according to what the person making the vow can afford. + "If he vowed an animal that is acceptable as an offering to GOD, the animal is given to GOD and becomes the property of the Sanctuary. + He must not exchange or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if he should dishonestly substitute one animal for another, both the original and the substitute become property of the Sanctuary. + If what he vowed is a ritually unclean animal, one that is not acceptable as an offering to GOD, the animal must be shown to the priest, + who will set its value, either high or low. Whatever the priest sets will be its value. + If the owner changes his mind and wants to redeem it, he must add twenty percent to its value. + "If a man dedicates his house to GOD, into the possession of the Sanctuary, the priest assesses its value, setting it either high or low. Whatever value the priest sets, that's what it is. + If the man wants to buy it back, he must add twenty percent to its price and then it's his again. + "If a man dedicates to GOD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed that is needed for it at the rate of fifty shekels of silver to six bushels of barley seed. + If he dedicates his field during the year of Jubilee, the set value stays. + But if he dedicates it after the Jubilee, the priest will compute the value according to the years left until the next Jubilee, reducing the value proportionately. + If the one dedicating it wants to buy it back, he must add twenty percent to its valuation, and then it's his again. + But if he doesn't redeem it or sells the field to someone else, it can never be bought back. + When the field is released in the Jubilee, it becomes holy to GOD, the possession of the Sanctuary, GOD's field. It goes into the hands of the priests. + "If a man dedicates to GOD a field he has bought, a field which is not part of the family land, + the priest will compute its proportionate value in relation to the next year of Jubilee. The man must pay its value on the spot as something that is now holy to GOD, belonging to the Sanctuary. + In the year of Jubilee it goes back to its original owner, the man from whom he bought it. + The valuations will be reckoned by the Sanctuary shekel, at twenty gerahs to the shekel. + "No one is allowed to dedicate the firstborn of an animal; the firstborn, as firstborn, already belongs to GOD. No matter if it's cattle or sheep, it already belongs to GOD. + If it's one of the ritually unclean animals, he can buy it back at its assessed value by adding twenty percent to it. If he doesn't redeem it, it is to be sold at its assessed value. + "But nothing that a man irrevocably devotes to GOD from what belongs to him, whether human or animal or family land, may be either sold or bought back. Everything devoted is holy to the highest degree; it's GOD's inalienable property. + "No human who has been devoted to destruction can be redeemed. He must be put to death. + "A tenth of the land's produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is GOD's. It is holy to GOD. + If a man buys back any of the tenth he has given, he must add twenty percent to it. + A tenth of the entire herd and flock, every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod, is holy to GOD. + He is not permitted to pick out the good from the bad or make a substitution. If he dishonestly makes a substitution, both animals, the original and the substitute, become the possession of the Sanctuary and cannot be redeemed." + These are the commandments that GOD gave to Moses on Mount Sinai for the People of Israel. + + + + + GOD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai at the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month in the second year after they had left Egypt. He said, + "Number the congregation of the People of Israel by clans and families, writing down the names of every male. + You and Aaron are to register, company by company, every man who is twenty years and older who is able to fight in the army. + Pick one man from each tribe who is head of his family to help you. + These are the names of the men who will help you: from Reuben: Elizur son of Shedeur + from Simeon: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai + from Judah: Nahshon son of Amminadab + from Issachar: Nethanel son of Zuar + from Zebulun: Eliab son of Helon + from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim: Elishama son of Ammihud from Manasseh: Gamaliel son of Pedahzur + from Benjamin: Abidan son of Gideoni + from Dan: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai + from Asher: Pagiel son of Ocran + from Gad: Eliasaph son of Deuel + from Naphtali: Ahira son of Enan." + These were the men chosen from the congregation, leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of Israel's military divisions. + Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named to help + and gathered the whole congregation together on the first day of the second month. The people registered themselves in their tribes according to their ancestral families, putting down the names of those who were twenty years old and older, + just as GOD commanded Moses. He numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai. + The line of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by tribes according to their ancestral families. + The tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500. + The line of Simeon: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300. + The line of Gad: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Gad numbered 45,650. + The line of Judah: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Judah numbered 74,600. + The line of Issachar: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400. + The line of Zebulun: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400. + The line of Joseph: From son Ephraim the men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500. + And from son Manasseh the men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200. + The line of Benjamin: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400. + The line of Dan: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Dan numbered 62,700. + The line of Asher: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Asher numbered 41,500. + The line of Naphtali: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families. + The tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400. + These are the numbers of those registered by Moses and Aaron, registered with the help of the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his ancestral family. + The sum total of the People of Israel twenty years old and over who were able to fight in the army, counted by ancestral family, was 603,550. + (SEE 1:45) + The Levites, however, were not counted by their ancestral family along with the others. + GOD had told Moses, + "The tribe of Levi is an exception: Don't register them. Don't count the tribe of Levi; don't include them in the general census of the People of Israel. + Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of The Dwelling of The Testimony--over all its furnishings and everything connected with it. Their job is to carry The Dwelling and all its furnishings, maintain it, and camp around it. + When it's time to move The Dwelling, the Levites will take it down, and when it's time to set it up, the Levites will do it. Anyone else who even goes near it will be put to death. + "The rest of the People of Israel will set up their tents in companies, every man in his own camp under its own flag. + But the Levites will set up camp around The Dwelling of The Testimony so that wrath will not fall on the community of Israel. The Levites are responsible for the security of The Dwelling of The Testimony." + The People of Israel did everything that God commanded Moses. They did it all. + + + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "The People of Israel are to set up camp circling the Tent of Meeting and facing it. Each company is to camp under its distinctive tribal flag." + To the east toward the sunrise are the companies of the camp of Judah under its flag, led by Nahshon son of Amminadab. + His troops number 74,600. + The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them, led by Nethanel son of Zuar. + His troops number 54,400. + And the tribe of Zebulun is next to them, led by Eliab son of Helon. + His troops number 57,400. + The total number of men assigned to Judah, troop by troop, is 186,400. They will lead the march. + To the south are the companies of the camp of Reuben under its flag, led by Elizur son of Shedeur. + His troops number 46,500. + The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them, led by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. + His troops number 59,300. + And the tribe of Gad is next to them, led by Eliasaph son of Deuel. + His troops number 45,650. + The total number of men assigned to Reuben, troop by troop, is 151,450. They are second in the order of the march. + The Tent of Meeting with the camp of the Levites takes its place in the middle of the march. Each tribe will march in the same order in which they camped, each under its own flag. + To the west are the companies of the camp of Ephraim under its flag, led by Elishama son of Ammihud. + His troops number 40,500. + The tribe of Manasseh will set up camp next to them, led by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. + His troops number 32,200. + And next to him is the camp of Benjamin, led by Abidan son of Gideoni. + His troops number 35,400. + The total number of men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, troop by troop, is 108,100. They are third in the order of the march. + To the north are the companies of the camp of Dan under its flag, led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + His troops number 62,700. + The tribe of Asher will camp next to them, led by Pagiel son of Ocran. + His troops number 41,500. + And next to them is the tribe of Naphtali, led by Ahira son of Enan. + His troops number 53,400. + The total number of men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out, under their flags, last in the line of the march. + These are the People of Israel, counted according to their ancestral families. The total number in the camps, counted troop by troop, comes to 603,550. + Following GOD's command to Moses, the Levites were not counted in with the rest of Israel. + The People of Israel did everything the way GOD commanded Moses: They camped under their respective flags; they marched by tribe with their ancestral families. + + + This is the family tree of Aaron and Moses at the time GOD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. + The names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar-- + anointed priests ordained to serve as priests. + But Nadab and Abihu fell dead in the presence of GOD when they offered unauthorized sacrifice to him in the Wilderness of Sinai. They left no sons, and so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father, Aaron. + GOD spoke to Moses. He said, + "Bring forward the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron so they can help him. + They shall work for him and the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of The Dwelling. + Their job is to be responsible for all the furnishings of The Dwelling, ministering to the affairs of The Dwelling as the People of Israel come to perform their duties. + Turn the Levites over to Aaron and his sons; they are the ones assigned to work full time for him. + Appoint Aaron and his sons to minister as priests; anyone else who tries to elbow his way in will be put to death." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "I have taken the Levites from among the People of Israel as a stand-in for every Israelite mother's firstborn son. The Levites belong to me. + All the firstborn are mine--when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I consecrated for my own use every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They belong to me. I am GOD." + GOD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: + "Count the Levites by their ancestral families and clans. Count every male a month old and older." + Moses counted them just as he was instructed by the mouth of GOD. + These are the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + These are the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath by clan: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari by clan: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of Levi, family by family. + Gershon was ancestor to the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites, known as the Gershonite clans. + All the males who were one month and older numbered 7,500. + The Gershonite clans camped on the west, behind The Dwelling, + led by Eliasaph son of Lael. + At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were in charge of maintaining The Dwelling and its tent, its coverings, the screen at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, + the hangings of the Courtyard, the screen at the entrance to the Courtyard that surrounded The Dwelling and Altar, and the cords--in short, everything having to do with these things. + Kohath was ancestor to the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were known as the Kohathite clans. + All the males who were one month and older numbered 8,600. The Kohathites were in charge of the Sanctuary. + The Kohathite clans camped on the south side of The Dwelling, + led by Elizaphan son of Uzziel. + They were in charge of caring for the Chest, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altars, the articles of the Sanctuary used in worship, and the screen--everything having to do with these things. + Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, supervised the leaders of the Levites and those in charge of the Sanctuary. + Merari was ancestor to the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites, known as the Merarite clans. + The males who were one month and older numbered 6,200. + They were led by Zuriel son of Abihail and camped on the north side of The Dwelling. + The Merarites were in charge of the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment--everything having to do with these things, + as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and cords. + Moses and Aaron and his sons camped to the east of The Dwelling, toward the rising sun, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were in charge of maintaining the Sanctuary for the People of Israel and the rituals of worship. Anyone else who tried to perform these duties was to be put to death. + The sum total of Levites counted at GOD's command by Moses and Aaron, clan by clan, all the males one month and older, numbered 22,000. + GOD spoke to Moses: "Count all the firstborn males of the People of Israel who are one month and older. List their names. + Then set apart for me the Levites--remember, I am GOD--in place of all the firstborn among the People of Israel, also the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. I am GOD." + So, just as GOD commanded him, Moses counted all the firstborn of the People of Israel. + The total of firstborn males one month and older, listed by name, numbered 22,273. + Again GOD spoke to Moses. He said, + "Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are mine, I am GOD. + Redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of Levites + by collecting five shekels for each one, using the Sanctuary shekel (the shekel weighing twenty gerahs). + Give that money to Aaron and his sons for the redemption of the excess number of Israelites." + So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. + From the 273 firstborn Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels according to the Sanctuary shekel. + Moses turned over the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of GOD. + + + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Number the Kohathite line of Levites by clan and family. + Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age, all who enter the ministry to work in the Tent of Meeting. + "This is the assigned work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: care of the most holy things. + "When the camp is ready to set out, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the covering curtain and cover the Chest of The Testimony with it. + Then they are to cover this with a dolphin skin, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert the poles. + "Then they are to spread a blue cloth on the Table of the Presence and set the Table with plates, incense dishes, bowls, and jugs for drink offerings. The bread that is always there stays on the Table. + They are to cover these with a scarlet cloth, and on top of that spread the dolphin skin, and insert the poles. + "They are to use a blue cloth to cover the light-giving Lampstand and the lamps, snuffers, trays, and the oil jars that go with it. + Then they are to wrap it all in a covering of dolphin skin and place it on a carrying frame. + "They are to spread a blue cloth over the Gold Altar and cover it with dolphin skins and place it on a carrying frame. + "They are to take all the articles used in ministering in the Sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with dolphin skins, and place them on a carrying frame. + "They are to remove the ashes from the Altar and spread a purple cloth over it. + They are to place on it all the articles used in ministering at the Altar--firepans, forks, shovels, bowls; everything used at the Altar--place them on the Altar, cover it with the dolphin skins, and insert the poles. + "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and the camp is ready to set out, the Kohathites are to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are in charge of carrying all the things that are in the Tent of Meeting. + "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, is to be in charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular Grain-Offering, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire Dwelling and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles." + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, + "Don't let the tribal families of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites. + Protect them so they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. To protect them, Aaron and his sons are to precede them into the Sanctuary and assign each man his task and what he is to carry. + But the Kohathites themselves must not go in to look at the holy things, not even a glance at them, or they will die." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Number the Gershonites by tribes according to their ancestral families. + Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who enter the ministry of work in the Tent of Meeting. + "The Gershonites by family and clan will serve by carrying heavy loads: + the curtains of the Sanctuary and the Tent of Meeting; the covering of the Tent and the outer covering of dolphin skins; the screens for the entrance to the Tent; + the cords; and all the equipment used in its ministries. The Gershonites have the job of doing the work connected with these things. + All their work of lifting and carrying and moving is to be done under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. Assign them specifically what they are to carry. + This is the work of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting. Ithamar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise their work. + "Number the Merarites by their ancestral families. + Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who enter the ministry of work at the Tent of Meeting. + "This is their assigned duty as they go to work at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, and bases, + as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, cords, and all the equipment related to their use. Assign to each man exactly what he is to carry. + This is the ministry of the Merarite clans as they work at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest." + Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation counted the Kohathites by clan and family. + All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, + counted by clans, were 2,750. + This was the total from the Kohathite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as GOD had commanded through Moses. + The Gershonites were counted by clan and family. + All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, + counted by clan and family, were 2,630. + This was the total from the Gershonite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as GOD had commanded. + The Merarites were counted by clan and family. + All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, + counted by clan, were 3,200. + This was the total from the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them just as GOD had commanded through Moses. + So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by clan and family. + All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting + numbered 8,580. + At GOD's command through Moses, each man was assigned his work and told what to carry. And that's the story of their numbering, as GOD commanded Moses. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Command the People of Israel to ban from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease, anyone who has a discharge, and anyone who is ritually unclean from contact with a dead body. + Ban male and female alike; send them outside the camp so that they won't defile their camp, the place I live among them." + The People of Israel did this, banning them from the camp. They did exactly what GOD had commanded through Moses. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with GOD, is guilty, + and must confess the sin. Full compensation plus twenty percent must be made to whoever was wronged. + If the wronged person has no close relative who can receive the compensation, the compensation belongs to GOD and must be given to the priest, along with the ram by which atonement is made. + All the sacred offerings that the People of Israel bring to a priest belong to the priest. + Each person's sacred offerings are his own, but what one gives to the priest stays with the priest." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel, Say a man's wife goes off and has an affair, is unfaithful to him + by sleeping with another man, but her husband knows nothing about it even though she has defiled herself. And then, even though there was no witness and she wasn't caught in the act, + feelings of jealousy come over the husband and he suspects that his wife is impure. Even if she is innocent and his jealousy and suspicions are groundless, + he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of two quarts of barley flour for her. He is to pour no oil on it or mix incense with it because it is a Grain-Offering for jealousy, a Grain-Offering for bringing the guilt out into the open. + "The priest then is to take her and have her stand in the presence of GOD. + He is to take some holy water in a pottery jar and put some dust from the floor of The Dwelling in the water. + After the priest has her stand in the presence of GOD he is to uncover her hair and place the exposure-offering in her hands, the Grain-Offering for jealousy, while he holds the bitter water that delivers a curse. + Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say, 'If no man has slept with you and you have not had an adulterous affair and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that delivers a curse not harm you. + But if you have had an affair while married to your husband and have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband'-- + here the priest puts the woman under this curse--'may GOD cause your people to curse and revile you when he makes your womb shrivel and your belly swell. + Let this water that delivers a curse enter your body so that your belly swells and your womb shrivels.' "Then the woman shall say, 'Amen. Amen.' + "The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash the words off into the bitter water. + He then is to give the woman the bitter water that delivers a curse. This water will enter her body and cause acute pain. + The priest then is to take from her hands a handful of the Grain-Offering for jealousy, wave it before GOD, and bring it to the Altar. + The priest then is to take a handful of the Grain-Offering, using it as an exposure-offering, and burn it on the Altar; after this he is to make her drink the water. + If she has defiled herself in being unfaithful to her husband, when she drinks the water that delivers a curse, it will enter her body and cause acute pain; her belly will swell and her womb shrivel. She will be cursed among her people. + But if she has not defiled herself and is innocent of impurity, her name will be cleared and she will be able to have children. + "This is the law of jealousy in a case where a woman goes off and has an affair and defiles herself while married to her husband, + or a husband is tormented with feelings of jealousy because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand in the presence of GOD and go through this entire procedure with her. + The husband will be cleared of wrong, but the woman will pay for her wrong." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the People of Israel; tell them, If any of you, man or woman, wants to make a special Nazirite vow, consecrating yourself totally to GOD, + you must not drink any wine or beer, no intoxicating drink of any kind, not even the juice of grapes--in fact, you must not even eat grapes or raisins. + For the duration of the consecration, nothing from the grapevine--not even the seeds, not even the skin--may be eaten. + "Also, for the duration of the consecration you must not have your hair cut. Your long hair will be a continuing sign of holy separation to GOD. + "Also, for the duration of the consecration to GOD, you must not go near a corpse. + Even if it's the body of your father or mother, brother or sister, you must not ritually defile yourself because the sign of consecration to God is on your head. + "For the entire duration of your consecration you are holy to GOD. + "If someone should die suddenly in your presence, so that your consecrated head is ritually defiled, you must shave your head on the day of your purifying, that is, the seventh day. + Then on the eighth day bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + The priest will offer one for the Absolution-Offering and one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, purifying you from the ritual contamination of the corpse. You resanctify your hair on that day + and reconsecrate your Nazirite consecration to GOD by bringing a yearling lamb for a Compensation-Offering. You start over; the previous days don't count because your consecration was ritually defiled. + "These are the instructions for the time set when your special consecration to GOD is up. First, you are to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Then you will present your offerings to GOD: a healthy yearling lamb for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, a healthy yearling ewe for an Absolution-Offering, a healthy ram for a Peace-Offering, + a basket of unraised bread made of fine flour, loaves mixed with oil, and crackers spread with oil, along with your Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings. + The priest will approach GOD and offer up your Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering. + He will sacrifice the ram as a Peace-Offering to GOD with the basket of unraised bread, and, last of all, the Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, shave off the hair you consecrated and put it in the fire that is burning under the Peace-Offering. + "After you have shaved the hair of your consecration, the priest will take a shoulder from the ram, boiled, and a piece of unraised bread and a cracker from the basket and place them in your hands. + The priest will then wave them before GOD, a Wave-Offering. They are holy and belong to the priest, along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered. "Now you are free to drink wine. + "These are the instructions for Nazirites as they bring offerings to GOD in their vow of consecration, beyond their other offerings. They must carry out the vow they have vowed following the instructions for the Nazirite." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the People of Israel. Say to them, + GOD bless you and keep you, + GOD smile on you and gift you, + GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper. + In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel-- I will confirm it by blessing them." + + + When Moses finished setting up The Dwelling, he anointed it and consecrated it along with all that went with it. At the same time he anointed and consecrated the Altar and its accessories. + The leaders of Israel, the heads of the ancestral tribes who had carried out the census, brought offerings. + They presented before GOD six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from each pair of leaders and an ox from each leader. + GOD spoke to Moses: + ''Receive these so that they can be used to transport the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites according to what they need for their work." + Moses took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the Levites. + He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work + and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. + Moses didn't give any to the Kohathites because they had to carry the holy things for which they were responsible on their shoulders. + When the Altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the Altar + because GOD had instructed Moses, "Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the Altar." + On the first day, Nahshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. + On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. + On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon. + On the fourth day, Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. + On the fifth day, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. + On the sixth day, Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. + On the seventh day, Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud. + On the eighth day, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. + On the ninth day, Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni. + On the tenth day, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + On the eleventh day, Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran. + On the twelfth day, Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering. + His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; + a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; + a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; + a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; + two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. + These were the dedication offerings of the leaders of Israel for the anointing of the Altar: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold vessels. + Each plate weighed three and a quarter pounds and each bowl one and three-quarter pounds. All the plates and bowls together weighed about sixty pounds (using the official Sanctuary weight). + The twelve gold vessels filled with incense weighed four ounces each (using the official Sanctuary weight). Altogether the gold vessels weighed about three pounds. + The sum total of animals used for the Whole-Burnt-Offering together with the Grain-Offering: twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve yearling lambs. For the Absolution-Offering: twelve he-goats. + The sum total of animals used for the sacrifice of the Peace-Offering: twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty yearling lambs. These were the offerings for the dedication of the Altar after it was anointed. + When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with GOD, he heard the Voice speaking to him from between the two angel-cherubim above the Atonement-Cover on the Chest of The Testimony. He spoke with him. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell Aaron, Install the seven lamps so they will throw light in front of the Lampstand." + Aaron did just that. He installed the lamps so they threw light in front of the Lampstand, as GOD had instructed Moses. + The Lampstand was made of hammered gold from its stem to its petals. It was made precisely to the design GOD had shown Moses. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Take the Levites from the midst of the People of Israel and purify them for doing GOD's work. + This is the way you will do it: Sprinkle water of absolution on them; have them shave their entire bodies; have them scrub their clothes. Then they will have purified themselves. + "Have them take a young bull with its accompanying Grain-Offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for an Absolution-Offering. + Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and gather the entire community of Israel. + Present the Levites before GOD as the People of Israel lay their hands on them. + Aaron will present the Levites before GOD as a Wave-Offering from the People of Israel so that they will be ready to do GOD's work. + "Have the Levites place their hands on the heads of the bulls, selecting one for the Absolution-Offering and another for the Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD to make atonement for the Levites. + Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them as a Wave-Offering to GOD. + This is the procedure for setting apart the Levites from the rest of the People of Israel; the Levites are exclusively for my use. + "After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a Wave-Offering to GOD, they can go to work in the Tent of Meeting. + The Levites have been selected out of the People of Israel for my exclusive use; they function in place of every firstborn male born to an Israelite woman. + Every firstborn male in Israel, animal or human, is set apart for my use. When I struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, I consecrated them for my holy uses. + But now I take the Levites as stand-ins in place of every firstborn son in Israel, + selected out of the People of Israel, and I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do all the work involved in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of all the People of Israel and to make atonement for them so that nothing bad will happen to them when they approach the Sanctuary." + Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of the People of Israel carried out these procedures with the Levites, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + The Levites purified themselves and scrubbed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a Wave-Offering before GOD and made atonement for them to purify them. + Only then did the Levites go to work at the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons supervised them following the directions GOD had given. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "These are your instructions regarding the Levites: At the age of twenty-five they will join the work force in the Tent of Meeting; + at the age of fifty they must retire from the work. + They can assist their brothers in the tasks in the Tent of Meeting, but they are not permitted to do the actual work themselves. These are the ground rules for the work of the Levites." + + + GOD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt: + "Have the People of Israel celebrate Passover at the set time. + Celebrate it on schedule, on the evening of the fourteenth day of this month, following all the rules and procedures." + Moses told the People of Israel to celebrate the Passover + and they did--in the Wilderness of Sinai at evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The People of Israel did it all just as GOD had commanded Moses. + But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover on the assigned day because they were ritually unclean on account of a corpse. So they presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on Passover + and told Moses, "We have become ritually unclean because of a corpse, but why should we be barred from bringing GOD's offering along with other Israelites on the day set for Passover?" + Moses said, "Give me some time; I'll find out what GOD says in your circumstances." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell the People of Israel, If one or another of you is ritually unclean because of a corpse, or you happen to be off on a long trip, you may still celebrate GOD's Passover. + But celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at evening. Eat the lamb together with unraised bread and bitter herbs. + Don't leave any of it until morning. Don't break any of its bones. Follow all the procedures. + "But a man who is ritually clean and is not off on a trip and still fails to celebrate the Passover must be cut off from his people because he did not present GOD's offering at the set time. That man will pay for his sin. + "Any foreigner living among you who wants to celebrate GOD's Passover is welcome to do it, but he must follow all the rules and procedures. The same procedures go for both foreigner and native-born." + The day The Dwelling was set up, the Cloud covered The Dwelling of the Tent of Testimony. From sunset until daybreak it was over The Dwelling. It looked like fire. + It was like that all the time, the Cloud over The Dwelling and at night looking like fire. + When the Cloud lifted above the Tent, the People of Israel marched out; and when the Cloud descended the people camped. + The People of Israel marched at GOD's command and they camped at his command. As long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, they camped. + Even when the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for many days, they honored GOD's command and wouldn't march. + They stayed in camp, obedient to GOD's command, as long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, but the moment GOD issued orders they marched. + If the Cloud stayed only from sunset to daybreak and then lifted at daybreak, they marched. Night or day, it made no difference--when the Cloud lifted, they marched. + It made no difference whether the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for two days or a month or a year, as long as the Cloud was there, they were there. And when the Cloud went up, they got up and marched. + They camped at GOD's command and they marched at GOD's command. They lived obediently by GOD's orders as delivered by Moses. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Make two bugles of hammered silver. Use them to call the congregation together and give marching orders to the camps. + When you blow them, the whole community will meet you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + "When a bugle gives a single, short blast, that's the signal for the leaders, the heads of the clans, to assemble. + When it gives a long blast, that's the signal to march. At the first blast the tribes who were camped on the east set out. + At the second blast the camps on the south set out. The long blasts are the signals to march. + The bugle call that gathers the assembly is different from the signal to march. + "The sons of Aaron, the priests, are in charge of blowing the bugles; it's their assigned duty down through the generations. + When you go to war against an aggressor, blow a long blast on the bugle so that GOD will notice you and deliver you from your enemies. + Also at times of celebration, at the appointed feasts and New Moon festivals, blow the bugles over your Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings: they will keep your attention on God. I am GOD, your God." + In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the Cloud went up from over The Dwelling of The Testimony. + At that the People of Israel set out on their travels from the Wilderness of Sinai until the Cloud finally settled in the Wilderness of Paran. + They began their march at the command of GOD through Moses. + The flag of the camp of Judah led the way, rank after rank under the command of Nahshon son of Amminadab. + Nethanel son of Zuar commanded the forces of the tribe of Issachar, + and Eliab son of Helon commanded the forces of the tribe of Zebulun. + As soon as The Dwelling was taken down, the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, carrying The Dwelling. + The flag of the camp of Reuben was next with Elizur son of Shedeur in command. + Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai commanded the forces of the tribe of Simeon; + Eliasaph son of Deuel commanded the forces of the tribe of Gad. + Then the Kohathites left, carrying the holy things. By the time they arrived The Dwelling would be set up. + The flag of the tribe of Ephraim moved out next, commanded by Elishama son of Ammihud. + Gamaliel son of Pedahzur commanded the forces of the tribe of Manasseh; + Abidan son of Gideoni commanded the forces of the tribe of Benjamin. + Finally, under the flag of the tribe of Dan, the rear guard of all the camps marched out with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command. + Pagiel son of Ocran commanded the forces of the tribe of Asher; + Ahira son of Enan commanded the forces of the tribe of Naphtali. + These were the marching units of the People of Israel. They were on their way. + Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We're marching to the place about which GOD promised, 'I'll give it to you.' Come with us; we'll treat you well. GOD has promised good things for Israel." + But Hobab said, "I'm not coming; I'm going back home to my own country, to my own family." + Moses countered, "Don't leave us. You know all the best places to camp in the wilderness. We need your eyes. + If you come with us, we'll make sure that you share in all the good things GOD will do for us." + And so off they marched. From the Mountain of GOD they marched three days with the Chest of the Covenant of GOD in the lead to scout out a campsite. + The Cloud of GOD was above them by day when they marched from the camp. + With the Chest leading the way, Moses would say, Get up, GOD! Put down your enemies! Chase those who hate you to the hills! + And when the Chest was set down, he would say, Rest with us, GOD, Stay with the many, Many thousands of Israel. + + + The people fell to grumbling over their hard life. GOD heard. When he heard his anger flared; then fire blazed up and burned the outer boundaries of the camp. + The people cried out for help to Moses; Moses prayed to GOD and the fire died down. + They named the place Taberah (Blaze) because fire from GOD had blazed up against them. + The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, "Why can't we have meat? + We ate fish in Egypt--and got it free!--to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. + But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna." + Manna was a seedlike substance with a shiny appearance like resin. + The people went around collecting it and ground it between stones or pounded it fine in a mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a delicacy cooked in olive oil. + When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna was right there with it. + Moses heard the whining, all those families whining in front of their tents. GOD's anger blazed up. Moses saw that things were in a bad way. + Moses said to GOD, "Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me? + Why tell me to carry them around like a nursing mother, carry them all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors? + Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people who are whining to me, 'Give us meat; we want meat.' + I can't do this by myself--it's too much, all these people. + If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I've seen enough; I've had enough. Let me out of here." + GOD said to Moses, "Gather together seventy men from among the leaders of Israel, men whom you know to be respected and responsible. Take them to the Tent of Meeting. I'll meet you there. + I'll come down and speak with you. I'll take some of the Spirit that is on you and place it on them; they'll then be able to take some of the load of this people--you won't have to carry the whole thing alone. + "Tell the people, Consecrate yourselves. Get ready for tomorrow when you're going to eat meat. You've been whining to GOD, 'We want meat; give us meat. We had a better life in Egypt.' GOD has heard your whining and he's going to give you meat. You're going to eat meat. + And it's not just for a day that you'll eat meat, and not two days, or five or ten or twenty, + but for a whole month. You're going to eat meat until its coming out your nostrils. You're going to be so sick of meat that you'll throw up at the mere mention of it. And here's why: Because you have rejected GOD who is right here among you, whining to his face, 'Oh, why did we ever have to leave Egypt?'" + Moses said, "I'm standing here surrounded by 600,000 men on foot and you say, 'I'll give them meat, meat every day for a month.' + So where's it coming from? Even if all the flocks and herds were butchered, would that be enough? Even if all the fish in the sea were caught, would that be enough?" + GOD answered Moses, "So, do you think I can't take care of you? You'll see soon enough whether what I say happens for you or not." + So Moses went out and told the people what GOD had said. He called together seventy of the leaders and had them stand around the Tent. + GOD came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit rested on them they prophesied. But they didn't continue; it was a onetime event. + Meanwhile two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. They were listed as leaders but they didn't leave camp to go to the Tent. Still, the Spirit also rested on them and they prophesied in the camp. + A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" + Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' right-hand man since his youth, said, "Moses, master! Stop them!" + But Moses said, "Are you jealous for me? Would that all GOD's people were prophets. Would that GOD would put his Spirit on all of them." + Then Moses and the leaders of Israel went back to the camp. + A wind set in motion by GOD swept quails in from the sea. They piled up to a depth of about three feet in the camp and as far out as a day's walk in every direction. + All that day and night and into the next day the people were out gathering the quail--huge amounts of quail; even the slowest person among them gathered at least sixty bushels. They spread them out all over the camp for drying. + But while they were still chewing the quail and had hardly swallowed the first bites, GOD's anger blazed out against the people. He hit them with a terrible plague. + They ended up calling the place Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves-of-the-Craving). There they buried the people who craved meat. + From Kibroth Hattaavah they marched on to Hazeroth. They remained at Hazeroth. + + + Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses behind his back because of his Cushite wife (he had married a Cushite woman). + They said, "Is it only through Moses that GOD speaks? Doesn't he also speak through us?" GOD overheard their talk. + Now the man Moses was a quietly humble man, more so than anyone living on Earth. + GOD broke in suddenly on Moses and Aaron and Miriam saying, "Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting." The three went out. + GOD descended in a Pillar of Cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam to him. When they stepped out, + he said, Listen carefully to what I'm telling you. If there is a prophet of GOD among you, I make myself known to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. + But I don't do it that way with my servant Moses; he has the run of my entire house; + I speak to him intimately, in person, in plain talk without riddles: He ponders the very form of GOD. So why did you show no reverence or respect in speaking against my servant, against Moses? + The anger of GOD blazed out against them. And then he left. + When the Cloud moved off from the Tent, oh! Miriam had turned leprous, her skin like snow. Aaron took one look at Miriam--a leper! + He said to Moses, "Please, my master, please don't come down so hard on us for this foolish and thoughtless sin. + Please don't make her like a stillborn baby coming out of its mother's womb with half its body decomposed." + And Moses prayed to GOD: Please, God, heal her, please heal her. + GOD answered Moses, "If her father had spat in her face, wouldn't she be ostracized for seven days? Quarantine her outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be readmitted to the camp." + So Miriam was in quarantine outside the camp for seven days. The people didn't march on until she was readmitted. + Only then did the people march from Hazeroth and set up camp in the Wilderness of Paran. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Send men to scout out the country of Canaan that I am giving to the People of Israel. Send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a tried-and-true leader in the tribe." + So Moses sent them off from the Wilderness of Paran at the command of GOD. All of them were leaders in Israel, one from each tribe. + These were their names: from Reuben: Shammua son of Zaccur + from Simeon: Shaphat son of Hori + from Judah: Caleb son of Jephunneh + from Issachar: Igal son of Joseph + from Ephraim: Hoshea son of Nun + from Benjamin: Palti son of Raphu + from Zebulun: Gaddiel son of Sodi + from Manasseh (a Joseph tribe): Gaddi son of Susi + from Dan: Ammiel son of Gemalli + from Asher: Sethur son of Michael + from Naphtali: Nahbi son of Vophsi + from Gad: Geuel son of Maki + These are the names of the men Moses sent to scout out the land. Moses gave Hoshea (Salvation) son of Nun a new name--Joshua (GOD-Saves). + When Moses sent them off to scout out Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and then into the hill country. + Look the land over, see what it is like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? + Observe the land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or fortified with walls? + And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring back a sample of the produce that grows there--this is the season for the first ripe grapes." + With that they were on their way. They scouted out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob toward Lebo Hamath. + Their route went through the Negev Desert to the town of Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, descendants of the giant Anak, lived there. Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. + When they arrived at the Eshcol Valley they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes--it took two men to carry it--slung on a pole. They also picked some pomegranates and figs. + They named the place Eshcol Valley (Grape-Cluster-Valley) because of the huge cluster of grapes they had cut down there. + After forty days of scouting out the land, they returned home. + They presented themselves before Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the People of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They reported to the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. + Then they told the story of their trip: "We went to the land to which you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit! + The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are huge and well fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of the giant Anak. + Amalekites are spread out in the Negev; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites hold the hill country; and the Canaanites are established on the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan." + Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses and said, "Let's go up and take the land--now. We can do it." + But the others said, "We can't attack those people; they're way stronger than we are." + They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other--it's a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. + Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers." + + + The whole community was in an uproar, wailing all night long. + All the People of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The entire community was in on it: "Why didn't we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness? + Why has GOD brought us to this country to kill us? Our wives and children are about to become plunder. Why don't we just head back to Egypt? And right now!" + Soon they were all saying it to one another: "Let's pick a new leader; let's head back to Egypt." + Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire community, gathered in emergency session. + Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, members of the scouting party, ripped their clothes + and addressed the assembled People of Israel: "The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land--very good indeed. + If GOD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land that flows, as they say, with milk and honey. And he'll give it to us. + Just don't rebel against GOD! And don't be afraid of those people. Why, we'll have them for lunch! They have no protection and GOD is on our side. Don't be afraid of them!" + But, up in arms now, the entire community was talking of hurling stones at them. Just then the bright Glory of GOD appeared at the Tent of Meeting. Every Israelite saw it. + GOD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me like dirt? How long refuse to trust me? And with all these signs I've done among them! + I've had enough--I'm going to hit them with a plague and kill them. But I'll make you into a nation bigger and stronger than they ever were." + But Moses said to GOD, "The Egyptians are going to hear about this! You delivered this people from Egypt with a great show of strength, and now this? + The Egyptians will tell everyone. They've already heard that you are GOD, that you are on the side of this people, that you are present among them, that they see you with their own eyes in your Cloud that hovers over them, in the Pillar of Cloud that leads them by day and the Pillar of Fire at night. + If you kill this entire people in one stroke, all the nations that have heard what has been going on will say, + 'Since GOD couldn't get these people into the land which he had promised to give them, he slaughtered them out in the wilderness.' + "Now, please, let the power of the Master expand, enlarge itself greatly, along the lines you have laid out earlier when you said, + GOD, slow to get angry and huge in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin; Still, never just whitewashing sin. But extending the fallout of parents' sins to children into the third, even the fourth generation. + "Please forgive the wrongdoing of this people out of the extravagance of your loyal love just as all along, from the time they left Egypt, you have been forgiving this people." + GOD said, "I forgive them, honoring your words. + But as I live and as the Glory of GOD fills the whole Earth-- + not a single person of those who saw my Glory, saw the miracle signs I did in Egypt and the wilderness, and who have tested me over and over and over again, turning a deaf ear to me-- + not one of them will set eyes on the land I so solemnly promised to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with such repeated contempt will see it. + "But my servant Caleb--this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately. I'll bring him into the land that he scouted and his children will inherit it. + "Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are so well established in the valleys, for right now change course and head back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea." + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron: + "How long is this going to go on, all this grumbling against me by this evil-infested community? I've had my fill of complaints from these grumbling Israelites. + Tell them, As I live--GOD's decree--here's what I'm going to do: + Your corpses are going to litter the wilderness--every one of you twenty years and older who was counted in the census, this whole generation of grumblers and grousers. + Not one of you will enter the land and make your home there, the firmly and solemnly promised land, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. + "Your children, the very ones that you said would be taken for plunder, I'll bring in to enjoy the land you rejected + while your corpses will be rotting in the wilderness. + These children of yours will live as shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, living with the fallout of your whoring unfaithfulness until the last of your generation lies a corpse in the wilderness. + You scouted out the land for forty days; your punishment will be a year for each day, a forty-year sentence to serve for your sins--a long schooling in my displeasure. + "I, GOD, have spoken. I will most certainly carry out these things against this entire evil-infested community which has banded together against me. In this wilderness they will come to their end. There they will die." + So it happened that the men Moses sent to scout out the land returned to circulate false rumors about the land causing the entire community to grumble against Moses-- + all these men died. Having spread false rumors of the land, they died in a plague, confronted by GOD. + Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were left alive of the men who went to scout out the land. + When Moses told all of this to the People of Israel, they mourned long and hard. + But early the next morning they started out for the high hill country, saying, "We're here; we're ready--let's go up and attack the land that GOD promised us. We sinned, but now we're ready." + But Moses said, "Why are you crossing GOD's command yet again? This won't work. + Don't attack. GOD isn't with you in this--you'll be beaten badly by your enemies. + The Amalekites and Canaanites are ready for you and they'll kill you. Because you have left off obediently following GOD, GOD is not going to be with you in this." + But they went anyway; recklessly and arrogantly they climbed to the high hill country. But the Chest of the Covenant and Moses didn't budge from the camp. + The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in the hill country came out of the hills and attacked and beat them, a rout all the way down to Hormah. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you enter your homeland that I am giving to you + and sacrifice a Fire-Gift to GOD, a Whole-Burnt-Offering or any sacrifice from the herd or flock for a Vow-Offering or Freewill-Offering at one of the appointed feasts, as a pleasing fragrance for GOD, + the one bringing the offering shall present to GOD a Grain-Offering of two quarts of fine flour mixed with a quart of oil. + With each lamb for the Whole-Burnt-Offering or other sacrifice, prepare a quart of oil and a quart of wine as a Drink-Offering. + "For a ram prepare a Grain-Offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with one and a quarter quarts of oil + and one and a quarter quarts of wine as a Drink-Offering. Present it as a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + "When you prepare a young bull as a Whole-Burnt-Offering or sacrifice for a special vow or a Peace-Offering to GOD, + bring with the bull a Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour and two quarts of oil. + Also bring two quarts of wine as a Drink-Offering. It will be a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + "Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this same way. + Carry out this procedure for each one, no matter how many you have to prepare. + "Every native-born Israelite is to follow this procedure when he brings a Fire-Gift as a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + In future generations, when a foreigner or visitor living at length among you presents a Fire-Gift as a pleasing fragrance to GOD, the same procedures must be followed. + The community has the same rules for you and the foreigner living among you. This is the regular rule for future generations. You and the foreigner are the same before GOD. + The same laws and regulations apply to both you and the foreigner who lives with you." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you enter the land into which I'm bringing you, + and you eat the food of that country, set some aside as an offering for GOD. + From the first batch of bread dough make a round loaf for an offering--an offering from the threshing floor. + Down through the future generations make this offering to GOD from each first batch of dough. + "But if you should get off the beaten track and not keep the commands which GOD spoke to Moses, + any of the things that GOD commanded you under the authority of Moses from the time that GOD first commanded you right up to this present time, + and if it happened more or less by mistake, with the congregation unaware of it, then the whole congregation is to sacrifice one young bull as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a pleasing fragrance to GOD, accompanied by its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering as stipulated in the rules, and a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering. + The priest is to atone for the entire community of the People of Israel and they will stand forgiven. The sin was not deliberate, and they offered to GOD the Fire-Gift and Absolution-Offering for their inadvertence. + The whole community of Israel including the foreigners living there will be absolved, because everyone was involved in the error. + "But if it's just one person who sins by mistake, not realizing what he's doing, he is to bring a yearling she-goat as an Absolution-Offering. + The priest then is to atone for the person who accidentally sinned, to make atonement before GOD so that it won't be held against him. + "The same standard holds for everyone who sins by mistake; the native-born Israelites and the foreigners go by the same rules. + "But the person, native or foreigner, who sins defiantly, deliberately blaspheming GOD, must be cut off from his people: + He has despised GOD's word, he has violated GOD's command; that person must be kicked out of the community, ostracized, left alone in his wrongdoing." + Once, during those wilderness years of the People of Israel, a man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath. + The ones who caught him hauled him before Moses and Aaron and the entire congregation. + They put him in custody until it became clear what to do with him. + Then GOD spoke to Moses: "Give the man the death penalty. Yes, kill him, the whole community hurling stones at him outside the camp." + So the whole community took him outside the camp and threw stones at him, an execution commanded by GOD and given through Moses. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them that from now on they are to make tassels on the corners of their garments and to mark each corner tassel with a blue thread. + When you look at these tassels you'll remember and keep all the commandments of GOD, and not get distracted by everything you feel or see that seduces you into infidelities. + The tassels will signal remembrance and observance of all my commandments, to live a holy life to GOD. + I am your GOD who rescued you from the land of Egypt to be your personal God. Yes, I am GOD, your God." + + + Getting on his high horse one day, Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, along with a few Reubenites--Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth-- + rebelled against Moses. He had with him 250 leaders of the congregation of Israel, prominent men with positions in the Council. + They came as a group and confronted Moses and Aaron, saying, "You've overstepped yourself. This entire community is holy and GOD is in their midst. So why do you act like you're running the whole show?" + On hearing this, Moses threw himself facedown on the ground. + Then he addressed Korah and his gang: "In the morning GOD will make clear who is on his side, who is holy. GOD will take his stand with the one he chooses. + "Now, Korah, here's what I want you, you and your gang, to do: Tomorrow, take censers. + In the presence of GOD, put fire in them and then incense. Then we'll see who is holy, see whom GOD chooses. Sons of Levi, you've overstepped yourselves!" + Moses continued with Korah, "Listen well now, sons of Levi. + Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has selected you out of the congregation of Israel to bring you near him to serve in the ministries of The Dwelling of GOD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? + He has brought you and all your brother Levites into his inner circle, and now you're grasping for the priesthood too. + It's GOD you've ganged up against, not us. What do you have against Aaron that you're bad-mouthing him?" + Moses then ordered Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, to appear, but they said, "We're not coming. + Isn't it enough that you yanked us out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you keep trying to boss us around! + Face it, you haven't produced: You haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, you haven't given us the promised inheritance of fields and vineyards. You'd have to poke our eyes out to keep us from seeing what's going on. Forget it, we're not coming." + Moses' temper blazed white-hot. He said to GOD, "Don't accept their Grain-Offering. I haven't taken so much as a single donkey from them; I haven't hurt a single hair of their heads." + Moses said to Korah, "Bring your people before GOD tomorrow. Appear there with them and Aaron. + Have each man bring his censer filled with incense and present it to GOD--all 250 censers. And you and Aaron do the same, bring your censers." + So they all did it. They brought their censers filled with fire and incense and stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron did the same. + It was Korah and his gang against Moses and Aaron at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The entire community could see the Glory of GOD. + GOD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I can finish them off and be done with them." + They threw themselves on their faces and said, "O God, God of everything living, when one man sins are you going to take it out on the whole community?" + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the community. Tell them, Back off from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." + Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram. The leaders of Israel followed him. + He then spoke to the community: "Back off from the tents of these bad men; don't touch a thing that belongs to them lest you be carried off on the flood of their sins." + So they all backed away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram by now had come out and were standing at the entrance to their tents with their wives, children, and babies. + Moses continued to address the community: "This is how you'll know that it was GOD who sent me to do all these things and that it wasn't anything I cooked up on my own. + If these men die a natural death like all the rest of us, you'll know that it wasn't GOD who sent me. + But if GOD does something unprecedented--if the ground opens up and swallows the lot of them and they are pitched alive into Sheol--then you'll know that these men have been insolent with GOD." + The words were hardly out of his mouth when the Earth split open. + Earth opened its mouth and in one gulp swallowed them down, the men and their families, all the human beings connected with Korah, along with everything they owned. + And that was the end of them, pitched alive into Sheol. The Earth closed up over them and that was the last the community heard of them. + At the sound of their cries everyone around ran for dear life, shouting, "We're about to be swallowed up alive!" + Then GOD sent lightning. The fire cremated the 250 men who were offering the incense. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, Gather up the censers from the smoldering cinders and scatter the coals a distance away for these censers have become holy. + Take the censers of the men who have sinned and are now dead and hammer them into thin sheets for covering the Altar. They have been offered to GOD and are holy to GOD. Let them serve as a sign to Israel, evidence of what happened this day." + So Eleazar gathered all the bronze censers that belonged to those who had been burned up and had them hammered flat and used to overlay the Altar, + just as GOD had instructed him by Moses. This was to serve as a sign to Israel that only descendants of Aaron were allowed to burn incense before GOD; anyone else trying it would end up like Korah and his gang. + Grumbling broke out the next day in the community of Israel, grumbling against Moses and Aaron: "You have killed GOD's people!" + But it so happened that when the community got together against Moses and Aaron, they looked over at the Tent of Meeting and there was the Cloud--the Glory of GOD for all to see. + Moses and Aaron stood at the front of the Tent of Meeting. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Back away from this congregation so that I can do away with them this very minute." They threw themselves facedown on the ground. + Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and fill it with incense, along with fire from the Altar. Get to the congregation as fast as you can: make atonement for them. Anger is pouring out from GOD--the plague has started!" + Aaron grabbed the censer, as directed by Moses, and ran into the midst of the congregation. The plague had already begun. He put burning incense into the censer and atoned for the people. + He stood there between the living and the dead and stopped the plague. + Fourteen thousand seven hundred people died from the plague, not counting those who died in the affair of Korah. + Aaron then went back to join Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The plague was stopped. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Get staffs from them--twelve staffs in all, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write each man's name on his staff. + Start with Aaron; write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi and then proceed with the rest, a staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. + Now lay them out in the Tent of Meeting in front of The Testimony where I keep appointments with you. + What will happen next is this: The staff of the man I choose will sprout. I'm going to put a stop to this endless grumbling by the People of Israel against you." + Moses spoke to the People of Israel. Their leaders handed over twelve staffs, one for the leader of each tribe. And Aaron's staff was one of them. + Moses laid out the staffs before GOD in the Tent of Testimony. + Moses walked into the Tent of Testimony the next day and saw that Aaron's staff, the staff of the tribe of Levi, had in fact sprouted--buds, blossoms, and even ripe almonds! + Moses brought out all the staffs from GOD's presence and presented them to the People of Israel. They took a good look. Each leader took the staff with his name on it. + GOD said to Moses, "Return Aaron's staff to the front of The Testimony. Keep it there as a sign to rebels. This will put a stop to the grumbling against me and save their lives." + Moses did just as GOD commanded him. + The People of Israel said to Moses, "We're as good as dead. This is our death sentence. + Anyone who even gets close to The Dwelling of GOD is as good as dead. Are we all doomed?" + + + GOD said to Aaron, "You and your sons, along with your father's family, are responsible for taking care of sins having to do with the Sanctuary; you and your sons are also responsible for sins involving the priesthood. + So enlist your brothers of the tribe of Levi to join you and assist you and your sons in your duties in the Tent of Testimony. + They will report to you as they go about their duties related to the Tent, but they must not have anything to do with the holy things of the Altar under penalty of death--both they and you will die! + They are to work with you in taking care of the Tent of Meeting, whatever work is involved in the Tent. Outsiders are not allowed to help you. + "Your job is to take care of the Sanctuary and the Altar so that there will be no more outbreaks of anger on the People of Israel. + I personally have picked your brothers, the Levites, from Israel as a whole. I'm giving them to you as a gift, a gift of GOD, to help with the work of the Tent of Meeting. + But only you and your sons may serve as priests, working around the Altar and inside the curtain. The work of the priesthood is my exclusive gift to you; it cannot be delegated--anyone else who invades the Sanctuary will be executed." + GOD spoke to Aaron, "I am personally putting you in charge of my contributions, all the holy gifts I get from the People of Israel. I am turning them over to you and your children for your personal use. This is the standing rule. + You and your sons get what's left from the offerings, whatever hasn't been totally burned up on the Altar--the leftovers from Grain-Offerings, Absolution-Offerings, and Compensation-Offerings. + Eat it reverently; it is most holy; every male may eat it. Treat it as holy. + "You also get the Wave-Offerings from the People of Israel. I present them to you and your sons and daughters as a gift. This is the standing rule. Anyone in your household who is ritually clean may eat it. + I also give you all the best olive oil, the best new wine, and the grain that is offered to GOD as the firstfruits of their harvest-- + all the firstfruits they offer to GOD are yours. Anyone in your household who is ritually clean may eat it. + "You get every Totally-Devoted gift. + Every firstborn that is offered to GOD, whether animal or person, is yours. Except you don't get the firstborn itself, but its redemption price; firstborn humans and ritually clean animals are bought back and you get the redemption price. + When the firstborn is a month old it must be redeemed at the redemption price of five shekels of silver, using the standard of the Sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. + "On the other hand, you don't redeem a firstborn ox, sheep, or goat--they are holy. Instead splash their blood on the Altar and burn their fat as a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + But you get the meat, just as you get the breast from the Wave-Offering and the right thigh. + All the holy offerings that the People of Israel set aside for GOD, I'm turning over to you and your children. That's the standard rule and includes both you and your children--a Covenant-of-Salt, eternal and unchangeable before GOD." + GOD said to Aaron, "You won't get any inheritance in land, not so much as a small plot of ground: I am your plot of ground, I am your inheritance among the People of Israel. + "I'm giving the Levites all the tithes of Israel as their pay for the work they do in the Tent of Meeting. + Starting now, the rest of the People of Israel cannot wander in and out of the Tent of Meeting; they'll be penalized for their sin and the penalty is death. + It's the Levites and only the Levites who are to work in the Tent of Meeting and they are responsible for anything that goes wrong. This is the regular rule for all time. They get no inheritance among the People of Israel; + instead I turn over to them the tithes that the People of Israel present as an offering to GOD. That's why I give the ruling: They are to receive no land-inheritance among the People of Israel." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the Levites. Tell them, When you get the tithe from the People of Israel, the inheritance that I have assigned to you, you must tithe that tithe and present it as an offering to GOD. + Your offerings will be treated the same as other people's gifts of grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat. + This is your procedure for making offerings to GOD from all the tithes you get from the People of Israel: give GOD's portion from these tithes to Aaron the priest. + Make sure that GOD's portion is the best and holiest of everything you get. + "Tell the Levites, When you offer the best part, the rest will be treated the same as grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat that others give. + You and your households are free to eat the rest of it anytime and anyplace--it's your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting. + By offering the best part, you'll avoid guilt, you won't desecrate the holy offerings of the People of Israel, and you won't die." + + + GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron: + "This is the rule from the Revelation that GOD commands: Tell the People of Israel to get a red cow, a healthy specimen, ritually clean, that has never been in harness. + Present it to Eleazar the priest, then take it outside the camp and butcher it while he looks on. + Eleazar will take some of the blood on his finger and splash it seven times in the direction of the Tent of Meeting. + "Then under Eleazar's supervision burn the cow, the whole thing--hide, meat, blood, even its dung. + The priest then will take a stick of cedar, some sprigs of hyssop, and a piece of scarlet material and throw them on the burning cow. + Afterwards the priest must wash his clothes and bathe well with water. He can then come into the camp but he remains ritually unclean until evening. + The man who burns the cow must also wash his clothes and bathe with water. He also is unclean until evening. + "Then a man who is ritually clean will gather the ashes of the cow and place them in a ritually clean place outside the camp. The congregation of Israel will keep them to use in the Water-of-Cleansing, an Absolution-Offering. + "The man who gathered up the ashes must scrub his clothes; he is ritually unclean until evening. This is to be a standing rule for both native-born Israelites and foreigners living among them. + "Anyone who touches a dead body is ritually unclean for seven days. + He must purify himself with the Water-of-Cleansing on the third day; on the seventh day he will be clean. But if he doesn't follow the procedures for the third and seventh days, he won't be clean. + Anyone who touches the dead body of anyone and doesn't get cleansed desecrates GOD's Dwelling and is to be excommunicated. For as long as the Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he remains ritually unclean. + "This is the rule for someone who dies in his tent: Anyone who enters the tent or is already in the tent is ritually unclean for seven days, + and every open container without a lid is unclean. + "Anyone out in the open field who touches a corpse, whether dead from violent or natural causes, or a human bone or a grave is unclean for seven days. + For this unclean person, take some ashes from the burned Absolution-Offering and add some fresh water to it in a bowl. + Find a ritually clean man to dip a sprig of hyssop into the water and sprinkle the tent and all its furnishings, the persons who were in the tent, the one who touched the bones of the person who was killed or died a natural death, and whoever may have touched a grave. + Then he is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day he is considered cleansed. The cleansed person must then scrub his clothes and take a bath; by evening he is clean. + But if an unclean person does not go through these cleansing procedures, he must be excommunicated from the community; he has desecrated the Sanctuary of GOD. The Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him and he is ritually unclean. + This is the standing rule for these cases. "The man who sprinkles the Water-of-Cleansing has to scrub his clothes; anyone else who touched the Water-of-Cleansing is also ritually unclean until evening. + "Anything the ritually unclean man touches becomes unclean, and the person who touches what he touched is unclean until evening." + + + In the first month, the entire company of the People of Israel arrived in the Wilderness of Zin. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and she was buried. + There was no water there for the community, so they ganged up on Moses and Aaron. + They attacked Moses: "We wish we'd died when the rest of our brothers died before GOD. + Why did you haul this congregation of GOD out here into this wilderness to die, people and cattle alike? + And why did you take us out of Egypt in the first place, dragging us into this miserable country? No grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates--and now not even any water!" + Moses and Aaron walked from the assembled congregation to the Tent of Meeting and threw themselves facedown on the ground. And they saw the Glory of GOD. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Take the staff. Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to that rock that's right in front of them and it will give water. You will bring water out of the rock for them; congregation and cattle will both drink." + Moses took the staff away from GOD's presence, as commanded. + He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock. Moses spoke: "Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?" + With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock--once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank. + GOD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you didn't trust me, didn't treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel, you two aren't going to lead this company into the land that I am giving them." + These were the Waters of Meribah (Bickering) where the People of Israel bickered with GOD, and he revealed himself as holy. + Moses sent emissaries from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: "A message from your brother Israel: You are familiar with all the trouble we've run into. + Our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived there a long time. The Egyptians viciously abused both us and our ancestors. + But when we cried out for help to GOD, he heard our cry. He sent an angel and got us out of Egypt. And now here we are at Kadesh, a town at the border of your land. + "Will you give us permission to cut across your land? We won't trespass through your fields or orchards and we won't drink out of your wells; we'll keep to the main road, the King's Road, straying neither right nor left until we've crossed your border." + The king of Edom answered, "Not on your life. If you so much as set a foot on my land, I'll kill you." + The People of Israel said, "Look, we'll stay on the main road. If we or our animals drink any water, we'll pay you for it. We're harmless--just a company of footsore travelers." + He answered again: "No. You may not come through." And Edom came out and blocked the way with a crowd of people brandishing weapons. + Edom refused to let them cross through his land. So Israel had to detour around him. + The People of Israel, the entire company, set out from Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor. + GOD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor at the border of Edom, + "It's time for Aaron to be gathered into the company of his ancestors. He will not enter the land I am giving to the People of Israel because you both rebelled against my orders at the Waters of Meribah. + So take Aaron and his son Eleazar and lead them up Mount Hor. + Remove Aaron's clothes from him and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered there; Aaron will die." + Moses obeyed GOD's command. They climbed Mount Hor as the whole congregation watched. + Moses took off Aaron's clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. + The whole congregation, getting the news that Aaron had died, went into thirty days of mourning for him. + + + The Canaanite king of Arad, ruling in the Negev, heard that Israel was advancing up the road to Atharim. He attacked Israel and took prisoners of war. + Israel vowed a vow to GOD: "If you will give this people into our power, we'll destroy their towns and present the ruins to you as a holy destruction." + GOD listened to Israel's prayer and gave them the Canaanites. They destroyed both them and their towns, a holy destruction. They named the place Hormah (Holy Destruction). + They set out from Mount Hor along the Red Sea Road, a detour around the land of Edom. The people became irritable and cross as they traveled. + They spoke out against God and Moses: "Why did you drag us out of Egypt to die in this godforsaken country? No decent food; no water--we can't stomach this stuff any longer." + So GOD sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit them and many in Israel died. + The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke out against GOD and you. Pray to GOD; ask him to take these snakes from us." Moses prayed for the people. + GOD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it on a flagpole: Whoever is bitten and looks at it will live." + So Moses made a snake of fiery copper and put it on top of a flagpole. Anyone bitten by a snake who then looked at the copper snake lived. + The People of Israel set out and camped at Oboth. + They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim in the wilderness that faces Moab on the east. + They went from there and pitched camp in the Zered Valley. + Their next camp was alongside the Arnon River, which marks the border between Amorite country and Moab. + The Book of the Wars of GOD refers to this place: Waheb in Suphah, the canyons of Arnon; + Along the canyon ravines that lead to the village Ar And lean hard against the border of Moab. + They went on to Beer (The Well), where GOD said to Moses, "Gather the people; I'll give them water." + That's where Israel sang this song: Erupt, Well! Sing the Song of the Well, + the well sunk by princes, Dug out by the peoples' leaders digging with their scepters and staffs. From the wilderness their route went from Mattanah + to Nahaliel to Bamoth (The Heights) + to the valley that opens into the fields of Moab from where Pisgah (The Summit) rises and overlooks Jeshimon (Wasteland). + Israel sent emissaries to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, + "Let us cross your land. We won't trespass into your fields or drink water in your vineyards. We'll keep to the main road, the King's Road, until we're through your land." + But Sihon wouldn't let Israel go through. Instead he got his army together and marched into the wilderness to fight Israel. At Jahaz he attacked Israel. + But Israel fought hard, beat him soundly, and took possession of his land from the Arnon all the way to the Jabbok right up to the Ammonite border. They stopped there because the Ammonite border was fortified. + Israel took and occupied all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its surrounding villages. + Heshbon was the capital city of Sihon king of the Amorites. He had attacked the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far north as the river Arnon. + That is why the folk singers sing, Come to Heshbon to rebuild the city, restore Sihon's town. + Fire once poured out of Heshbon, flames from the city of Sihon; Burning up Ar of Moab, the natives of Arnon's heights. + Doom, Moab! The people of Chemosh, done for! Sons turned out as fugitives, daughters abandoned as captives to the king of the Amorites, to Sihon. + Oh, but we finished them off: Nothing left of Heshbon as far as Dibon; Devastation as far off as Nophah, scorched earth all the way to Medeba. + Israel moved in and lived in Amorite country. + Moses sent men to scout out Jazer. They captured its villages and drove away the Amorites who lived there. + Then they turned north on the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan marched out with his entire army to meet Moses in battle at Edrei. + GOD said to Moses, "Don't be afraid of him. I'm making a present of him to you, him and all his people and his land. Treat him the same as Sihon king of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon." + So they attacked him, his sons, and all the people--there was not a single survivor. Israel took the land. + + + The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. + Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites. + The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized. + Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out--a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean." Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, + sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland. Balak's emissaries said, "Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they're all over the place! And they're pressing hard on me. + Come and curse them for me--they're too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we'll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed." + The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak's message. + "Stay here for the night," Balaam said. "In the morning I'll deliver the answer that GOD gives me." The Moabite nobles stayed with him. + Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "So who are these men here with you?" + Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: + 'Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'" + God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others--they are a blessed people." + The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's nobles, "Go back home; GOD refuses to give me permission to go with you." + So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us." + Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. + They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor says, 'Please, don't refuse to come to me. + I will honor and reward you lavishly--anything you tell me to do, I'll do; I'll pay anything--only come and curse this people.'" + Balaam answered Balak's servants: "Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to defy the orders of my GOD to do anything, whether big or little. + But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I'll see what GOD will say to me this time." + God came to Balaam that night and said, "Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you." + Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab. + As he was going, though, God's anger flared. The angel of GOD stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. + When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road. + But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, + the donkey again saw GOD's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again. + GOD's angel blocked the way yet again--a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. + Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick. + Then GOD gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?" + Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now." + The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you've ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?" He said, "No." + Then GOD helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw GOD's angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. + GOD's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. + The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off." + Balaam said to GOD's angel, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don't like what I'm doing, I'll head back." + But GOD's angel said to Balaam, "Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say--absolutely no other word." And so Balaam continued to go with Balak's nobles. + When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land. + Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send an urgent message for help? Why didn't you come when I called? Do you think I can't pay you enough?" + Balaam said to Balak, "Well, I'm here now. But I can't tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me--no others." + Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town). + Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him. + At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people. + + + Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and then prepare seven bulls and seven rams." + Balak did it. Then Balaam and Balak sacrificed a bull and a ram on each of the altars. + Balaam instructed Balak: "Stand watch here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I go off by myself. Maybe GOD will come and meet with me. Whatever he shows or tells me, I'll report to you." Then he went off by himself. + God did meet with Balaam. Balaam said, "I've set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar." + Then GOD gave Balaam a message: "Return to Balak and give him this message." + He went back and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and with him all the nobles of Moab. + Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: Balak led me here from Aram, the king of Moab all the way from the eastern mountains. "Go, curse Jacob for me; go, damn Israel." + How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I damn whom GOD has not damned? + From rock pinnacles I see them, from hilltops I survey them: Look! a people camping off by themselves, thinking themselves outsiders among nations. + But who could ever count the dust of Jacob or take a census of cloud-of-dust Israel? I want to die like these right-living people! I want an end just like theirs! + Balak said to Balaam, "What's this? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and all you've done is bless them." + Balaam answered, "Don't I have to be careful to say what GOD gives me to say?" + Balak said to him, "Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp--you won't be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake." + So he took him to Watchmen's Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + Balaam said to Balak, "Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there." + GOD met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and give him the message." + Balaam returned and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and the nobles of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What did GOD say?" + Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor: + God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? + I was brought here to bless; and now he's blessed--how can I change that? + He has no bone to pick with Jacob, he sees nothing wrong with Israel. GOD is with them, and they're with him, shouting praises to their King. + God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox. + No magic spells can bind Jacob, no incantations can hold back Israel. People will look at Jacob and Israel and say, "What a great thing has God done!" + Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, Unsleeping, unresting until its hunt is over and it's eaten and drunk its fill. + Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them." + Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you earlier: 'All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak'?" + Balak said to Balaam, "Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God's eyes where you'll be able to curse them for me." + So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland). + Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice." + Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars. + + + By now Balaam realized that GOD wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. + As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, + and he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision; + Decree of a man who hears God speak, who sees what The Strong God shows him, Who falls on his face in worship, who sees what's really going on. + What beautiful tents, Jacob, oh, your homes, Israel! + Like valleys stretching out in the distance, like gardens planted by rivers, Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener GOD, like red cedars by pools and springs, + Their buckets will brim with water, their seed will spread life everywhere. Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk, their kingdom surpassingly majestic. + God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox, Gulping enemies like morsels of meat, crushing their bones, snapping their arrows. + Israel crouches like a lion and naps, king-of-the-beasts--who dares disturb him? Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed. + Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: "I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! + Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you're getting nothing. You can blame GOD." + Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, + 'Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn't do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against GOD's command'? + I'm leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come." + Then he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, decree of the man with 20/20 vision, + Decree of the man who hears godly speech, who knows what's going on with the High God, Who sees what The Strong God reveals, who bows in worship and sees what's real. + I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob a scepter from Israel, Crushing the heads of Moab, the skulls of all the noisy windbags; + I see Edom sold off at auction, enemy Seir marked down at the flea market, while Israel walks off with the trophies. + A ruler is coming from Jacob who'll destroy what's left in the city. + Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said, Amalek, you're in first place among nations right now, but you're going to come in last, ruined. + He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them: Your home is in a nice secure place, like a nest high on the face of a cliff. + Still, you Kenites will look stupid when Asshur takes you prisoner. + Balaam spoke his final oracle-message: Doom! Who stands a chance when God starts in? + Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea, will harass Asshur and Eber, But they'll also come to nothing, just like all the rest. + Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way. + + + While Israel was camped at Shittim (Acacia Grove), the men began to have sex with the Moabite women. + It started when the women invited the men to their sex-and-religion worship. They ate together and then worshiped their gods. + Israel ended up joining in the worship of the Baal of Peor. GOD was furious, his anger blazing out against Israel. + GOD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of Israel and kill them by hanging, leaving them publicly exposed in order to turn GOD's anger away from Israel." + Moses issued orders to the judges of Israel: "Each of you must execute the men under your jurisdiction who joined in the worship of Baal Peor." + Just then, while everyone was weeping in penitence at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, an Israelite man, flaunting his behavior in front of Moses and the whole assembly, paraded a Midianite woman into his family tent. + Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw what he was doing, grabbed his spear, + and followed them into the tent. With one thrust he drove the spear through the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, right through their private parts. That stopped the plague from continuing among the People of Israel. + But 24,000 had already died. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has stopped my anger against the People of Israel. Because he was as zealous for my honor as I myself am, I didn't kill all the People of Israel in my zeal. + So tell him that I am making a Covenant-of-Peace with him. + He and his descendants are joined in a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the People of Israel." + The name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the head of the Simeonite family. + And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "From here on make the Midianites your enemies. Fight them tooth and nail. + They turned out to be your enemies when they seduced you in the business of Peor and that woman Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed at the time of the plague in the matter of Peor." + + + After the plague GOD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, + "Number the entire community of Israel by families--count every person who is twenty years and older who is able to serve in the army of Israel." + Obeying GOD's command, Moses and Eleazar the priest addressed them on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho: + "Count off from age twenty and older." The People of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt: + Reuben, Israel's firstborn. The sons of Reuben were: Hanoch and the Hanochite clan, Pallu and the Palluite clan, + Hezron and the Hezronite clan, Carmi and the Carmite clan. + These made up the Reubenite clans. They numbered 43,730. + The son of Pallu: Eliab. + The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. (These were the same Dathan and Abiram, community leaders from Korah's gang, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the Korah Rebellion against GOD. + The Earth opened its jaws and swallowed them along with Korah's gang who died when the fire ate them up, all 250 of them. After all these years, they're still a warning sign. + But the line of Korah did not die out.) + The sons of Simeon by clans: Nemuel and the Nemuelite clan, Jamin and the Jaminite clan, Jakin and the Jakinite clan, + Zerah and the Zerahite clan, Shaul and the Shaulite clan. + These were the clans of Simeon. They numbered 22,200 men. + The sons of Gad by clans: Zephon and the Zephonite clan, Haggi and the Haggite clan, Shuni and the Shunite clan, + Ozni and the Oznite clan, Eri and the Erite clan, + Arodi and the Arodite clan, Areli and the Arelite clan. + These were the clans of Gad. They numbered 40,500 men. + Er and Onan were sons of Judah who died early on in Canaan. + The sons of Judah by clans: Shelah and the Shelanite clan, Perez and the Perezite clan, Zerah and the Zerahite clan. + The sons of Perez: Hezron and the Hezronite clan, Hamul and the Hamulite clan. + These were the clans of Judah. They numbered 76,500. + The sons of Issachar by clans: Tola and the Tolaite clan, Puah and the Puite clan, + Jashub and the Jashubite clan, Shimron and the Shimronite clan. + These were the clans of Issachar. They numbered 64,300. + The sons of Zebulun by clans: Sered and the Seredite clan, Elon and the Elonite clan, Jahleel and the Jahleelite clan. + These were the clans of Zebulun. They numbered 60,500. + The sons of Joseph by clans through Manasseh and Ephraim. Through Manasseh: + Makir and the Makirite clan (now Makir was the father of Gilead), Gilead and the Gileadite clan. + The sons of Gilead: Iezer and the Iezerite clan, Helek and the Helekite clan, + Asriel and the Asrielite clan, Shechem and the Shechemite clan, + Shemida and the Shemidaite clan, Hepher and the Hepherite clan. + Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + These were the clans of Manasseh. They numbered 52,700. + The sons of Ephraim by clans: Shuthelah and the Shuthelahite clan, Beker and the Bekerite clan, Tahan and the Tahanite clan. + The sons of Shuthelah: Eran and the Eranite clan. + These were the clans of Ephraim. They numbered 32,500. These are all the sons of Joseph by their clans. + The sons of Benjamin by clans: Bela and the Belaite clan, Ashbel and the Ashbelite clan, Ahiram and the Ahiramite clan, + Shupham and the Shuphamite clan, Hupham and the Huphamite clan. + The sons of Bela through Ard and Naaman: Ard and the Ardite clan, Naaman and the Naamite clan. + These were the clans of Benjamin. They numbered 45,600. + The sons of Dan by clan: Shuham and the Shuhamite clan. These are the clans of Dan, + all Shuhamite clans. They numbered 64,400. + The sons of Asher by clan: Imnah and the Imnite clan, Ishvi and the Ishvite clan, Beriah and the Beriite clan. + The sons of Beriah: Heber and the Heberite clan, Malkiel and the Malkielite clan. + Asher also had a daughter, Serah. + These were the clans of Asher. They numbered 53,400. + The sons of Naphtali by clans: Jahzeel and the Jahzeelite clan, Guni and the Gunite clan, + Jezer and the Jezerite clan, Shillem and the Shillemite clan. + These were the clans of Naphtali. They numbered 45,400. + The total number of the People of Israel: 601,730. + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Divide up the inheritance of the land based on population. + A larger group gets a larger inheritance; a smaller group gets a smaller inheritance--each gets its inheritance based on the population count. + "Make sure that the land is assigned by lot. + "Each group's inheritance is based on population, the number of names listed in its ancestral tribe, divided among the many and the few by lot." + These are the numberings of the Levites by clan: Gershon and the Gershonite clan, Kohath and the Kohathite clan, Merari and the Merarite clan. + The Levite clans also included: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan. Kohath was the father of Amram. + Amram's wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, born into the Levite family during the Egyptian years. Jochebed bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam to Amram. + Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar; + however, Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized sacrifice in the presence of GOD. + The numbering of Levite males one month and older came to 23,000. They hadn't been counted in with the rest of the People of Israel because they didn't inherit any land. + These are the ones numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, the People of Israel counted in the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. + Not one of them had been among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest in the census of the People of Israel taken in the Wilderness of Sinai. + For GOD had said of them, "They'll die, die in the wilderness--not one of them will be left except for Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun." + + + The daughters of Zelophehad showed up. Their father was the son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Makir son of Manasseh, belonging to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + They came to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and the congregation and said, + "Our father died in the wilderness. He wasn't part of Korah's rebel anti-GOD gang. He died for his own sins. And he left no sons. + But why should our father's name die out from his clan just because he had no sons? So give us an inheritance among our father's relatives." + Moses brought their case to GOD. + GOD ruled: + "Zelophehad's daughters are right. Give them land as an inheritance among their father's relatives. Give them their father's inheritance. + "Then tell the People of Israel, If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. + If he has no daughter, give it to his brothers. + If he has no brothers, give it to his father's brothers. + If his father had no brothers, give it to the nearest relative so that the inheritance stays in the family. This is the standard procedure for the People of Israel, as commanded by GOD through Moses." + GOD said to Moses, "Climb up into the Abarim Mountains and look over at the land that I am giving to the People of Israel. + When you've had a good look you'll be joined to your ancestors in the grave--yes, you also along with Aaron your brother. + This goes back to the day when the congregation quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin and you didn't honor me in holy reverence before them in the matter of the waters, the Waters of Meribah (Quarreling) at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin." + Moses responded to GOD: + "Let GOD, the God of the spirits of everyone living, set a man over this community + to lead them, to show the way ahead and bring them back home so GOD's community will not be like sheep without a shepherd." + GOD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun--the Spirit is in him!--and place your hand on him. + Stand him before Eleazar the priest in front of the entire congregation and commission him with everyone watching. + Pass your magisterial authority over to him so that the whole congregation of the People of Israel will listen obediently to him. + He is to consult with Eleazar the priest who, using the oracle-Urim, will prayerfully advise him in the presence of GOD. He will command the People of Israel, the entire community, in all their comings and goings." + Moses followed GOD's orders. He took Joshua and stood him before Eleazar the priest in front of the entire community. + He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, following the procedures GOD had given Moses. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Command the People of Israel. Tell them, You're in charge of presenting my food, my Fire-Gifts of pleasing fragrance, at the set times. + Tell them, This is the Fire-Gift that you are to present to GOD: two healthy yearling lambs each day as a regular Whole-Burnt-Offering. + Sacrifice one lamb in the morning, the other in the evening, + together with two quarts of fine flour mixed with a quart of olive oil for a Grain-Offering. + This is the standard Whole-Burnt-Offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing fragrance, a Fire-Gift to GOD. + The Drink-Offering that goes with it is a quart of strong beer with each lamb. Pour out the Drink-Offering before GOD in the Sanctuary. + Sacrifice the second lamb in the evening with the Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering the same as in the morning--a Fire-Gift of pleasing fragrance for GOD. + "On the Sabbath, sacrifice two healthy yearling lambs, together with the Drink-Offering and the Grain-Offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. + This is the regular Sabbath Whole-Burnt-Offering, in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering and its Drink-Offering. + "On the first of the month offer a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male yearling lambs--all healthy. + "A Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil goes with each bull, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil with the ram, + and two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil with each lamb. This is for a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a pleasing fragrance, a Fire-Gift to GOD. + Also, Drink-Offerings of two quarts of wine for each bull, one and a quarter quarts of wine for the ram, and a quart of wine for each lamb are to be poured out. "This is the first of the month Whole-Burnt-Offering to be made throughout the year. + In addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its accompanying Drink-Offering, a he-goat is to be offered to GOD as an Absolution-Offering. + "GOD's Passover is to be held on the fourteenth day of the first month. + On the fifteenth day of this month hold a festival. "For seven days, eat only unraised bread: + Begin the first day in holy worship; don't do any regular work that day. + Bring a Fire-Gift to GOD, a Whole-Burnt-Offering: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare a Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for each bull, four quarts for the ram, + and two quarts for each lamb, + plus a goat as an Absolution-Offering to atone for you. + "Sacrifice these in addition to the regular morning Whole-Burnt-Offering. + Prepare the food this way for the Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD, every day for seven days. Prepare it in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "Conclude the seventh day in holy worship; don't do any regular work on that day. + "On the Day of Firstfruits when you bring an offering of new grain to GOD on your Feast-of-Weeks, gather in holy worship and don't do any regular work. + Bring a Whole-Burnt-Offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male yearling lambs as a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + Prepare a Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for each bull, four quarts for the ram, + and two quarts for each lamb, + plus a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering to atone for you. + "These are all over and above the daily Whole-Burnt-Offering and its Grain-Offering and the Drink-Offering. Remember, the animals must be healthy. + + + "On the first day of the seventh month, gather in holy worship and do no regular work. This is your Day-of-Trumpet-Blasts. + Sacrifice a Whole-Burnt-Offering: one young bull, one ram, and seven male yearling lambs--all healthy--as a pleasing fragrance to GOD. + Prepare a Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for the bull, four quarts for the ram, + and two quarts for each lamb, + plus a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering to atone for you. + "These are all over and above the monthly and daily Whole-Burnt-Offerings with their Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings as prescribed, a pleasing fragrance, a Fire-Gift to GOD. + "On the tenth day of this seventh month, gather in holy worship, humble yourselves, and do no work. + "Bring a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD as a pleasing fragrance: one young bull, one ram, and seven yearling male lambs--all healthy. + Prepare a Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for the bull, four quarts for the ram, + and two quarts for each of the seven lambs. + Also bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering to atone for you in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "Gather in holy worship on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; do no regular work. Celebrate a Festival to GOD for seven days. + Bring a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift of pleasing fragrance to GOD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling male lambs--all healthy. + Prepare a Grain-Offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for each of the bulls, four quarts for each ram, + and two quarts for each of the fourteen lambs. + Also bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the second day: twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling male lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "On the eighth day: Gather in holy worship; do no regular work. + Bring a Fire-Gift of pleasing fragrance to GOD, a Whole-Burnt-Offering: one bull, one ram, and seven male yearling lambs--all healthy. + Prepare Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings to go with the bulls, rams, and lambs following the prescribed recipes. + And bring a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering in addition to the regular Whole-Burnt-Offering with its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering. + "Sacrifice these to GOD as a congregation at your set feasts: your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, Drink-Offerings, and Peace-Offerings. These are all over and above your personal Vow-Offerings and Freewill-Offerings." + Moses instructed the People of Israel in all that GOD commanded him. + + + Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the People of Israel: "This is what GOD commands: + When a man makes a vow to GOD or binds himself by an oath to do something, he must not break his word; he must do exactly what he has said. + "When a woman makes a vow to GOD and binds herself by a pledge as a young girl still living in her father's house, + and her father hears of her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then she has to make good on all her vows and pledges. + But if her father holds her back when he hears of what she has done, none of her vows and pledges are valid. GOD will release her since her father held her back. + "If she marries after she makes a vow or has made some rash promise or pledge, + and her husband hears of it but says nothing to her, then she has to make good on whatever she vowed or pledged. + But if her husband intervenes when he hears of it, he cancels the vow or rash promise that binds her. And GOD will release her. + "Any vow or pledge taken by a widow or divorced woman is binding on her. + "When a woman who is living with her husband makes a vow or takes a pledge under oath + and her husband hears about it but says nothing and doesn't say she can't do it, then all her vows and pledges are valid. + But if her husband cancels them when he hears about them, then none of the vows and pledges that she made are binding. Her husband has canceled them and GOD will release her. + Any vow and pledge that she makes that may be to her detriment can be either affirmed or annulled by her husband. + But if her husband is silent and doesn't speak up day after day, he confirms her vows and pledges--she has to make good on them. By saying nothing to her when he hears of them, he binds her to them. + If, however, he cancels them sometime after he hears of them, he takes her guilt on himself." + These are the rules that GOD gave Moses regarding conduct between a man and his wife and between a father and his young daughter who is still living at home. + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Avenge the People of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you will go to be with your dead ancestors." + Moses addressed the people: "Recruit men for a campaign against Midian, to exact GOD's vengeance on Midian, + a thousand from each tribe of Israel to go to war." + A fighting force of a thousand from each tribe of Israel--twelve thousand in all--was recruited. + Moses sent them off to war, a thousand from each tribe, and also Phinehas son of Eleazar, who went as priest to the army, in charge of holy vessels and the signaling bugles. + They attacked Midian, just as GOD had commanded Moses, and killed every last man. + Among the fallen were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba--the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. + The People of Israel took the Midianite women and children captive and took all their animals and herds and goods as plunder. + They burned to the ground all the towns in which Midianites lived and also their tent camps. + They looted and plundered everything and everyone--stuff and people and animals. + They took it all--captives and booty and plunder--back to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the company of Israel where they were camped on the Plains of Moab, at Jordan-Jericho. + Moses, Eleazar, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet the returning army outside the camp. + Moses was furious with the army officers--the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds--as they came back from the battlefield: + "What's this! You've let these women live! + They're the ones who, under Balaam's direction, seduced the People of Israel away from GOD in that mess at Peor, causing the plague that hit GOD's people. + Finish your job: kill all the boys. Kill every woman who has slept with a man. + The younger women who are virgins you can keep alive for yourselves. + "Now here's what you are to do: Pitch tents outside the camp. All who have killed anyone or touched a corpse must stay outside the camp for seven days. Purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days. + Purify every piece of clothing and every utensil--everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood." + Eleazar the priest then spoke to the soldiers who had fought in the battle: "This is the ruling from the Revelation that GOD gave Moses: + Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead-- + and anything else that can survive fire--must be passed through the fire; then it will be ritually purified. It must also be ritually washed in the Water-of-Cleansing. Further, whatever cannot survive fire must be put through that water. + On the seventh day scrub your clothes; you will be ritually clean. Then you can return to camp." + GOD said to Moses, + "I want you and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders in the community to count the captives, people and animals. + Split the plunder between the soldiers who fought the battle and the rest of the congregation. + "Then tax the booty that goes to the soldiers at the rate of one life out of five hundred, whether humans, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. + It's a GOD-tax taken from their half-share to be turned over to Eleazar the priest on behalf of GOD. + Tax the congregation's half-share at the rate of one life out of fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, or other animals. Give this to the Levites who are in charge of the care of GOD's Dwelling." + Moses and Eleazar followed through with what GOD had commanded Moses. + The rest of the plunder taken by the army: 675,000 sheep + 72,000 cattle + 61,000 donkeys + 32,000 women who were virgins + The half-share for those who had fought in the war: 337,500 sheep, + with a tax of 675 for GOD + 36,000 cattle, with a tax of 72 for GOD + 30,500 donkeys, with a tax of 61 for GOD + 16,000 people, with a tax of 32 for GOD + Moses turned the tax over to Eleazar the priest as GOD's part, following GOD's instructions to Moses. + The other half-share for the Israelite community that Moses set apart from what was given to the men who fought the war was: + 337,500 sheep + 36,000 cattle + 30,500 donkeys + 16,000 people + From the half-share going to the People of Israel, Moses, just as GOD had instructed him, picked one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites, who were in charge of maintaining GOD's Dwelling. + The military officers--commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds--came to Moses + and said, "We have counted the soldiers under our command and not a man is missing. + We've brought offerings to GOD from the gold jewelry we got--armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, ornaments--to make atonement for our lives before GOD." + Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all that fine-crafted jewelry. + In total, the gold from the commanders of thousands and hundreds that Moses and Eleazar offered as a gift to GOD weighed about six hundred pounds, + all donated by the soldiers who had taken the booty. + Moses and Eleazar took the gold from the commanders of thousands and hundreds and brought it to the Tent of Meeting, to serve as a reminder for the People of Israel before GOD. + + + The families of Reuben and Gad had huge herds of livestock. They saw that the country of Jazer and Gilead was just the place for grazing livestock. + And so they came, the families of Gad and of Reuben, and spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the congregation, saying, + "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon-- + the country that GOD laid low before the community of Israel--is a country just right for livestock, and we have livestock." + They continued, "If you think we've done a good job so far, give us this country for our inheritance. Don't make us go across the Jordan." + Moses answered the families of Gad and Reuben: "Do you mean that you are going to leave the fighting that's ahead to your brothers while you settle down here? + Why would you even think of letting the People of Israel down, demoralizing them just as they're about to move into the land GOD gave them? + That's exactly what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to survey the country. + They went as far as the Valley of Eshcol, took one look and quit. They completely demoralized the People of Israel from entering the land GOD had given them. + And GOD got angry--oh, did he get angry! He swore: + 'They'll never get to see it; none of those who came up out of Egypt who are twenty years and older will ever get to see the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They weren't interested in following me--their hearts weren't in it. + None, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun; they followed me--their hearts were in it.' + "GOD's anger smoked against Israel. He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until that entire generation that acted out evil in his sight had died out. + "And now here you are, just one more mob of sinners stepping up to replace your ancestors, throwing fuel on the already blazing anger of GOD against Israel. + If you won't follow him, he'll do it again. He'll dump them in the desert and the disaster will be all your fault." + They came close to him and said, "All we want to do is build corrals for our livestock and towns for our families. + Then we'll take up arms and take the front lines, leading the People of Israel to their place. We'll be able to leave our families behind, secure in fortified towns, safe from those who live in the land. + But we won't go back home until every Israelite is in full possession of his inheritance. + We won't expect any inheritance west of the Jordan; we are claiming all our inheritance east of the Jordan." + Moses said, "If you do what you say, take up arms before GOD for battle + and together go across the Jordan ready, before GOD, to fight until GOD has cleaned his enemies out of the land, + then when the land is secure you will have fulfilled your duty to GOD and Israel. Then this land will be yours to keep before GOD. + "But if you don't do what you say, you will be sinning against GOD; you can be sure that your sin will track you down. + So, go ahead. Build towns for your families and corrals for you livestock. Do what you said you'd do." + The families of Gad and Reuben told Moses: "We will do as our master commands. + Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will stay behind here in the towns of Gilead. + But we, every one of us fully armed, will cross the river to fight for GOD, just as our master has said." + So Moses issued orders for them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the ancestral tribes of the People of Israel. + Moses said, "If the families of Gad and Reuben cross the Jordan River with you and before GOD, all armed and ready to fight, then after the land is secure, you may give them the land of Gilead as their inheritance. + But if they don't cross over with you, they'll have to settle up with you in Canaan." + The families of Gad and Reuben responded: "We will do what GOD has said. + We will cross the Jordan before GOD, ready and willing to fight. But the land we inherit will be here, to the east of the Jordan." + Moses gave the families of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan--the land, its towns, and all the territories connected with them--the works. + The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, + Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, + Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities; they also built corrals for their animals. + The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, + also Nebo and Baal Meon and Sibmah. They renamed the cities that they rebuilt. + The family of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who lived there. + Moses then gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh. They moved in and settled there. + Jair, another son of Manasseh, captured some villages and named them Havvoth Jair (Jair's Tent-Camps). + Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding camps. He renamed it after himself, Nobah. + + + These are the camping sites in the journey of the People of Israel after they left Egypt, deployed militarily under the command of Moses and Aaron. + Under GOD's instruction Moses kept a log of every time they moved, camp by camp: + They marched out of Rameses the day after the Passover. It was the fifteenth day of the first month. They marched out heads high and confident. + The Egyptians, busy burying their firstborn whom GOD had killed, watched them go. GOD had exposed the nonsense of their gods. + The People of Israel: left Rameses and camped at Succoth; + left Succoth and camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness; + left Etham, circled back to Pi Hahiroth east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol; + left Pi Hahiroth and crossed through the Sea into the wilderness; three days into the Wilderness of Etham they camped at Marah; + left Marah and came to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; they camped there; + left Elim and camped by the Red Sea; + left the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin; + left the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah; + left Dophkah and camped at Alush; + left Alush and camped at Rephidim where there was no water for the people to drink; + left Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai; + left the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah; + left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth; + left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah; + left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez; + left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah; + left Libnah and camped at Rissah; + left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah; + left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher; + left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah; + left Haradah and camped at Makheloth; + left Makheloth and camped at Tahath; + left Tahath and camped at Terah; + left Terah and camped at Mithcah; + left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah; + left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth; + left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan; + left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad; + left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah; + left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah; + left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber; + left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin. + After they left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor at the border of Edom, + Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor at GOD's command and died there. It was the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the People of Israel had left Egypt. + Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. + The Canaanite king of Arad--he ruled in the Negev of Canaan--heard that the People of Israel had arrived. + They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah; + left Zalmonah and camped at Punon; + left Punon and camped at Oboth; + left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim on the border of Moab; + left Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad; + left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim; + left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim (Across-the-River), within sight of Nebo. + After they left the mountains of Abarim they camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. + On the Plains of Moab their camp stretched along the banks of the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim (Acacia Meadow). + GOD spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho: + "Tell the People of Israel, When you cross the Jordan into the country of Canaan, + drive out the native population before you, destroy their carved idols, destroy their cast images, level their worship-mounds + so that you take over the land and make yourself at home in it; I've given it to you. It's yours. + "Divide up the land by lot according to the size of your clans: Large clans will get large tracts of land, small clans will get smaller tracts of land. However the lot falls, that's it. Divide it up according to your ancestral tribes. + "But if you don't drive out the native population, everyone you let stay there will become a cinder in your eye and a splinter in your foot. They'll give you endless trouble right in your own backyards. + And I'll start treating you the way I planned to treat them." + + + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Command the People of Israel. Tell them: When you enter Canaan, these are the borders of the land you are getting as an inheritance: + "Your southern border will take in some of the Wilderness of Zin where it touches Edom. It starts in the east at the Dead Sea, + curves south of Scorpion Pass and on to Zin, continues south of Kadesh Barnea, then to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon, + where it takes a turn to the northwest to the Brook of Egypt and on to the Mediterranean Sea. + "Your western border will be the Mediterranean Sea. + "Your northern border runs on a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, + and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath, connects to Zedad, + continues to Ziphron, and ends at Hazar Enan. This is your northern border. + "Your eastern border runs on a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. + The border goes south from Shepham to Riblah to the east of Ain, and continues along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee. + The border then follows the Jordan River and ends at the Dead Sea. "This is your land with its four borders." + Moses then commanded the People of Israel: "This is the land: Divide up the inheritance by lot. GOD has ordered it to be given to the nine and a half tribes. + The tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance; + the two tribes and the half-tribe got their inheritance east of Jordan-Jericho, facing the sunrise." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "These are the men who will be in charge of distributing the inheritance of the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. + Assign one leader from each tribe to help them in distributing the land. + Assign these: Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah; + Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon; + Elidad son of Kislon from the tribe of Benjamin; + Bukki son of Jogli, leader from the tribe of Dan; + Hanniel son of Ephod, leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; + Kemuel son of Shiphtan, leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; + Elizaphan son of Parnach, leader from the tribe of Zebulun; + Paltiel son of Azzan, leader from the tribe of Issachar; + Ahihud son of Shelomi, leader from the tribe of Asher; + Pedahel son of Ammihud, leader from the tribe of Naphtali." + These are the men GOD commanded to hand out the assignments of land-inheritance to the People of Israel in the country of Canaan. + + + Then GOD spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho: + "Command the People of Israel to give the Levites as their part of the total inheritance towns to live in. Make sure there is plenty of pasture around the towns. + Then they will be well taken care of with towns to live in and pastures for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock. + "The pasture surrounding the Levites' towns is to extend 1,500 feet in each direction from the city wall. + The outside borders of the pasture are to measure three thousand feet on each of the four sides--east, south, west, and north--with the town at the center. Each city will be supplied with pasture. + "Six of these towns that you give the Levites will be asylum-cities to which anyone who accidentally kills another person may flee for asylum. In addition, you will give them forty-two other towns-- + forty-eight towns in all, together with their pastures. + The towns that you give the Levites from the common inheritance of the People of Israel are to be taken in proportion to the size of each tribe--many towns from a tribe that has many, few from a tribe that has few." + GOD spoke to Moses: + "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you cross the River Jordan into the country of Canaan, + designate your asylum-cities, towns to which a person who accidentally kills someone can flee for asylum. + They will be places of refuge from the avenger so that the alleged murderer won't be killed until he can appear before the community in court. + Provide six asylum-cities. + Designate three of the towns to the east side of the Jordan, the other three in Canaan proper--asylum-cities + for the People of Israel, for the foreigner, and for any occasional visitors or guests--six asylum-cities to run to for anyone who accidentally kills another. + "But if the killer has used an iron object, that's just plain murder; he's obviously a murderer and must be put to death. + "Or if he has a rock in his hand big enough to kill and the man dies, that's murder; he's a murderer and must be put to death. + "Or if he's carrying a wooden club heavy enough to kill and the man dies, that's murder; he's a murderer and must be put to death. + "In such cases the avenger has a right to kill the murderer when he meets him--he can kill him on the spot. + "And if out of sheer hatred a man pushes another or from ambush throws something at him and he dies, + or angrily hits him with his fist and kills him, that's murder--he must be put to death. The avenger has a right to kill him when he gets him. + "If, however, he impulsively pushes someone and there is no history of hard feelings, or he impetuously picks up something and throws it, + or he accidentally drops a stone tool--a maul or hammer, say--and it hits and kills someone he didn't even know was there, and there's no suspicion that there was bad blood between them, + the community is to judge between the killer and the avenger following these guidelines. + It's the task of the community to save the killer from the hand of the avenger--the community is to return him to his asylum-city to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the High Priest who was anointed with the holy oil. + But if the murderer leaves the asylum-city to which he has fled, + and the avenger finds him outside the borders of his asylum-city, the avenger has a right to kill the murderer. And he's not considered guilty of murder. + "So it's important that he stay in his asylum-city until the death of the High Priest. After the death of the High Priest he is free to return to his own place. + "These are the procedures for making judgments from now on, wherever you live. + "Anyone who kills another may be executed only on the testimony of eyewitnesses. But no one can be executed on the testimony of only one witness. + "Don't accept bribe money in exchange for the life of a murderer. He's guilty and deserves the death penalty. Put him to death. + "And don't accept bribe money for anyone who has fled to an asylum-city so as to permit him to go back and live in his own place before the death of the High Priest. + "Don't pollute the land in which you live. Murder pollutes the land. The land can't be cleaned up of the blood of murder except through the blood of the murderer. + "Don't desecrate the land in which you live. I live here too--I, GOD, live in the same neighborhood with the People of Israel." + + + The heads of the ancestral clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh--they were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph--approached Moses and the leaders who were heads of the families in the People of Israel. + They said, "When GOD commanded my master to hand over the inheritance-lands by lot to the People of Israel, my master was also commanded by GOD to hand over the inheritance-land of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. + But what happens if they marry into another tribe in the People of Israel? Their inheritance-land will be taken out of our ancestral tribe and get added into the tribe into which they married. + And then when the Year of Jubilee comes for the People of Israel their inheritance will be lumped in with the inheritance of the tribe into which they married--their land will be removed from our ancestors' inheritance!" + Moses, at GOD's command, issued this order to the People of Israel: "What the tribe of the sons of Joseph says is right. + This is GOD's command to Zelophehad's daughters: They are free to marry anyone they choose as long as they marry within their ancestral clan. + The inheritance-land of the People of Israel must not get passed around from tribe to tribe. No, keep the tribal inheritance-land in the family. + Every daughter who inherits land, regardless of the tribe she is in, must marry a man from within her father's tribal clan. Every Israelite is responsible for making sure the inheritance stays within the ancestral tribe. + No inheritance-land may be passed from tribe to tribe; each tribe of the People of Israel must hold tight to its own land." + Zelophehad's daughters did just as GOD commanded Moses. + Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, Zelophehad's daughters, all married their cousins on their father's side. + They married within the families of Manasseh son of Joseph and their inheritance-lands stayed in their father's family. + These are the commands and regulations that GOD commanded through the authority of Moses to the People of Israel on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. + + + + + These are the sermons Moses preached to all Israel when they were east of the Jordan River in the Arabah Wilderness, opposite Suph, in the vicinity of Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. + It takes eleven days to travel from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea following the Mount Seir route. + It was on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year when Moses addressed the People of Israel, telling them everything GOD had commanded him concerning them. + This came after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who ruled from Ashtaroth in Edrei. + It was east of the Jordan in the land of Moab that Moses set out to explain this Revelation. He said: + Back at Horeb, GOD, our God, spoke to us: "You've stayed long enough at this mountain. + On your way now. Get moving. Head for the Amorite hills, wherever people are living in the Arabah, the mountains, the foothills, the Negev, the seashore--the Canaanite country and the Lebanon all the way to the big river, the Euphrates. + Look, I've given you this land. Now go in and take it. It's the land GOD promised to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their children after them." + At the time I told you, "I can't do this, can't carry you all by myself. + GOD, your God, has multiplied your numbers. Why, look at you--you rival the stars in the sky! + And may GOD, the God-of-Your-Fathers, keep it up and multiply you another thousand times, bless you just as he promised. + But how can I carry, all by myself, your troubles and burdens and quarrels? + So select some wise, understanding, and seasoned men from your tribes, and I will commission them as your leaders." + You answered me, "Good! A good solution." + So I went ahead and took the top men of your tribes, wise and seasoned, and made them your leaders--leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, officials adequate for each of your tribes. + At the same time I gave orders to your judges: "Listen carefully to complaints and accusations between your fellow Israelites. Judge fairly between each person and his fellow or foreigner. + Don't play favorites; treat the little and the big alike; listen carefully to each. Don't be impressed by big names. This is God's judgment you're dealing with. Hard cases you can bring to me; I'll deal with them." + I issued orders to you at that time regarding everything you would have to deal with. + Then we set out from Horeb and headed for the Amorite hill country, going through that huge and frightening wilderness that you've had more than an eyeful of by now--all under the command of GOD, our God--and finally arrived at Kadesh Barnea. + There I told you, "You've made it to the Amorite hill country that GOD, our God, is giving us. + Look, GOD, your God, has placed this land as a gift before you. Go ahead and take it now. GOD, the God-of-Your-Fathers, promised it to you. Don't be afraid. Don't lose heart." + But then you all came to me and said, "Let's send some men on ahead to scout out the land for us and bring back a report on the best route to take and the kinds of towns we can expect to find." + That seemed like a good idea to me, so I picked twelve men, one from each tribe. + They set out, climbing through the hills. They came to the Eshcol Valley and looked it over. + They took samples of the produce of the land and brought them back to us, saying, "It's a good land that GOD, our God, is giving us!" + But then you weren't willing to go up. You rebelled against GOD, your God's plain word. + You complained in your tents: "GOD hates us. He hauled us out of Egypt in order to dump us among the Amorites--a death sentence for sure! + How can we go up? We're trapped in a dead end. Our brothers took all the wind out of our sails, telling us, 'The people are bigger and stronger than we are; their cities are huge, their defenses massive--we even saw Anakite giants there!'" + I tried to relieve your fears: "Don't be terrified of them. + GOD, your God, is leading the way; he's fighting for you. You saw with your own eyes what he did for you in Egypt; + you saw what he did in the wilderness, how GOD, your God, carried you as a father carries his child, carried you the whole way until you arrived here. + But now that you're here, you won't trust GOD, your God-- + this same GOD who goes ahead of you in your travels to scout out a place to pitch camp, a fire by night and a cloud by day to show you the way to go." + When GOD heard what you said, he exploded in anger. He swore, + "Not a single person of this evil generation is going to get so much as a look at the good land that I promised to give to your parents. Not one-- + except for Caleb son of Jephunneh. He'll see it. I'll give him and his descendants the land he walked on because he was all for following GOD, heart and soul." + But I also got it. Because of you GOD's anger spilled over onto me. He said, "You aren't getting in either. + Your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will go in. Build up his courage. He's the one who will claim the inheritance for Israel. + And your babies of whom you said, 'They'll be grabbed for plunder,' and all these little kids who right now don't even know right from wrong--they'll get in. I'll give it to them. Yes, they'll be the new owners. + But not you. Turn around and head back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea." + You spoke up, "We've sinned against GOD. We'll go up and fight, following all the orders that GOD, our God, has commanded." You took your weapons and dressed for battle--you thought it would be so easy going into those hills! + But GOD told me, "Tell them, 'Don't do it; don't go up to fight--I'm not with you in this. Your enemies will waste you.'" + I told you but you wouldn't listen. You rebelled at the plain word of GOD. You threw out your chests and strutted into the hills. + And those Amorites, who had lived in those hills all their lives, swarmed all over you like a hive of bees, chasing you from Seir all the way to Hormah, a stinging defeat. + You came back and wept in the presence of GOD, but he didn't pay a bit of attention to you; GOD didn't give you the time of day. + You stayed there in Kadesh a long time, about as long as you had stayed there earlier. + + + Then we turned around and went back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea, as GOD had instructed me. We worked our way in and around the hills of Seir for a long, long time. + Then GOD said, + "You've been going around in circles in these hills long enough; go north. + Command the people, You're about to cut through the land belonging to your relatives, the People of Esau who settled in Seir. They are terrified of you, but restrain yourselves. + Don't try and start a fight. I am not giving you so much as a square inch of their land. I've already given all the hill country of Seir to Esau--he owns it all. + Pay them up front for any food or water you get from them." + GOD, your God, has blessed you in everything you have done. He has guarded you in your travels through this immense wilderness. For forty years now, GOD, your God, has been right here with you. You haven't lacked one thing. + So we detoured around our brothers, the People of Esau who live in Seir, avoiding the Arabah Road that comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber; instead we used the road through the Wilderness of Moab. + GOD told me, "And don't try to pick a fight with the Moabites. I am not giving you any of their land. I've given ownership of Ar to the People of Lot." + The Emites (Monsters) used to live there--mobs of hulking giants, like Anakites. + Along with the Anakites they were lumped in with the Rephaites (Ghosts) but in Moab they were called Emites. + Horites also used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau took over and destroyed them, the same as Israel did in the land GOD gave them to possess. + GOD said, "It's time now to cross the Brook Zered." So we crossed the Brook Zered. + It took us thirty-eight years to get from Kadesh Barnea to the Brook Zered. That's how long it took for the entire generation of soldiers from the camp to die off, as GOD had sworn they would. + GOD was relentless against them until the last one was gone from the camp. + When the last of these soldiers had died, + GOD said to me, + "This is the day you cut across the territory of Moab, at Ar. + When you approach the People of Ammon, don't try and pick a fight with them because I'm not giving you any of the land of the People of Ammon for yourselves--I've already given it to the People of Lot." + It is also considered to have once been the land of the Rephaites. Rephaites lived there long ago--the Ammonites called them Zamzummites (Barbarians)-- + huge mobs of them, giants like the Anakites. GOD destroyed them and the Ammonites moved in and took over. + It was the same with the People of Esau who live in Seir--GOD got rid of the Horites who lived there earlier and they moved in and took over, as you can see. + Regarding the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorites who came from Caphtor (Crete) wiped them out and moved in. + "On your feet now. Get started. Cross the Brook Arnon. Look: Here's Sihon the Amorite king of Heshbon and his land. I'm handing it over to you--it's all yours. Go ahead take it. Go to war with him. + Before the day is out, I'll make sure that all the people around here are thoroughly terrified. Rumors of you are going to spread like wildfire; they'll totally panic." + From the Wilderness of Kedemoth, I sent messengers to Sihon, king of Heshbon. They carried a friendly message: + "Let me cross through your land on the highway. I'll stay right on the highway; I won't trespass right or left. + I'll pay you for any food or water we might need. Let me walk through. + "The People of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did this, helping me on my way until I can cross the Jordan and enter the land that GOD, our God, is giving us." + But Sihon king of Heshbon wouldn't let us cross his land. GOD, your God, turned his spirit mean and his heart hard so he could hand him over to you, as you can see that he has done. + Then GOD said to me, "Look, I've got the ball rolling--Sihon and his land are soon yours. Go ahead. Take it. It's practically yours!" + So Sihon and his entire army confronted us in battle at Jahaz. + GOD handed him, his sons, and his entire army over to us and we utterly crushed them. + While we were at it we captured all his towns and totally destroyed them, a holy destruction--men, women, and children. No survivors. + We took the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured and carried them off for ourselves. + From Aroer on the edge of the Brook Arnon and the town in the gorge, as far as Gilead, not a single town proved too much for us; GOD, our God, gave every last one of them to us. + The only land you didn't take, obeying GOD's command, was the land of the People of Ammon, the land along the Jabbok and around the cities in the hills. + + + Then we turned north and took the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan, he and all his people, came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. + GOD said to me, "Don't be afraid of him; I'm turning him over to you, along with his whole army and his land. Treat him the way you treated Sihon king of the Amorites who ruled from Heshbon." + So GOD, our God, also handed Og king of Bashan over to us--Og and all his people--and we utterly crushed them. Again, no survivors. + At the same time we took all his cities. There wasn't one of the sixty cities that we didn't take--the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan. + All these cities were fortress cities with high walls and barred gates. There were also numerous unwalled villages. + We totally destroyed them--a holy destruction. It was the same treatment we gave to Sihon king of Heshbon, a holy destruction of every city, man, woman, and child. + But all the livestock and plunder from the cities we took for ourselves. + Throughout that time we took the land from under the control of the two kings of the Amorites who ruled the country east of the Jordan, all the way from the Brook Arnon to Mount Hermon. + (Sirion is the name given Hermon by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.) + We took all the towns of the plateau, everything in Gilead, everything in Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, the border towns of Bashan, Og's kingdom. + Og king of Bashan was the last remaining Rephaite. His bed, made of iron, was over thirteen feet long and six wide. You can still see it on display in Rabbah of the People of Ammon. + Of the land that we possessed at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer along the Brook Arnon and half the hill country of Gilead with its towns. + I gave the half-tribe of Manasseh the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, Og's kingdom--all the region of Argob, which takes in all of Bashan. This used to be known as the Land of the Rephaites. + Jair, a son of Manasseh, got the region of Argob to the borders of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He named the Bashan villages after himself, Havvoth Jair (Jair's Tent-Villages). They're still called that. + I gave Gilead to Makir. + I gave the Reubenites and Gadites the land from Gilead down to the Brook Arnon, whose middle was the boundary, and as far as the Jabbok River, the boundary line of the People of Ammon. + The western boundary was the Jordan River in the Arabah all the way from the Kinnereth (the Sea of Galilee) to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea or Dead Sea) at the base of the slopes of Mount Pisgah on the east. + I commanded you at that time, "GOD, your God, has given you this land to possess. Your men, fit and armed for the fight, are to cross the river in advance of their brothers, the People of Israel. + Only your wives, children, and livestock (I know you have much livestock) may go ahead and settle down in the towns I have already given you + until GOD secures living space for your brothers as he has for you and they have taken possession of the country west of the Jordan that GOD, your God, is giving them. After that, each man may return to the land I've given you here." + I commanded Joshua at that time, "You've seen with your own two eyes everything GOD, your God, has done to these two kings. GOD is going to do the same thing to all the kingdoms over there across the river where you're headed. + Don't be afraid of them. GOD, your God, --he's fighting for you." + At that same time, I begged GOD: + "GOD, my Master, you let me in on the beginnings, you let me see your greatness, you let me see your might--what god in Heaven or Earth can do anything like what you've done! + Please, let me in also on the endings, let me cross the river and see the good land over the Jordan, the lush hills, the Lebanon mountains." + But GOD was still angry with me because of you. He wouldn't listen. He said, "Enough of that. Not another word from you on this. + Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and look around: look west, north, south, east. Take in the land with your own eyes. Take a good look because you're not going to cross this Jordan. + "Then command Joshua: Give him courage. Give him strength. Single-handed he will lead this people across the river. Single-handed he'll cause them to inherit the land at which you can only look." + That's why we have stayed in this valley near Beth Peor. + + + Now listen, Israel, listen carefully to the rules and regulations that I am teaching you to follow so that you may live and enter and take possession of the land that GOD, the God-of-Your-Fathers, is giving to you. + Don't add a word to what I command you, and don't remove a word from it. Keep the commands of GOD, your God, that I am commanding you. + You saw with your own eyes what GOD did at Baal Peor, how GOD destroyed from among you every man who joined in the Baal Peor orgies. + But you, the ones who held tight to GOD, your God, are alive and well, every one of you, today. + Pay attention: I'm teaching you the rules and regulations that GOD commanded me, so that you may live by them in the land you are entering to take up ownership. + Keep them. Practice them. You'll become wise and understanding. When people hear and see what's going on, they'll say, "What a great nation! So wise, so understanding! We've never seen anything like it." + Yes. What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them the way GOD, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us? + And what other great nation has rules and regulations as good and fair as this Revelation that I'm setting before you today? + Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don't forget anything of what you've seen. Don't let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you've seen and heard to your children and grandchildren. + That day when you stood before GOD, your God, at Horeb, GOD said to me, "Assemble the people in my presence to listen to my words so that they will learn to fear me in holy fear for as long as they live on the land, and then they will teach these same words to their children." + You gathered. You stood in the shadow of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with fire, blazing high into the very heart of Heaven. You stood in deep darkness and thick clouds. + GOD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but you saw nothing--no form, only a voice. + He announced his covenant, the Ten Words, by which he commanded you to live. Then he wrote them down on two slabs of stone. + And GOD commanded me at that time to teach you the rules and regulations that you are to live by in the land which you are crossing over the Jordan to possess. + You saw no form on the day GOD spoke to you at Horeb from out of the fire. Remember that. Carefully guard yourselves + so that you don't turn corrupt and make a form, carving a figure + that looks male or female, or looks like a prowling animal or a flying bird + or a slithering snake or a fish in a stream. + And also carefully guard yourselves so that you don't look up into the skies and see the sun and moon and stars, all the constellations of the skies, and be seduced into worshiping and serving them. GOD set them out for everybody's benefit, everywhere. + But you--GOD took you right out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to become the people of his inheritance--and that's what you are this very day. + But GOD was angry with me because of you and the things you said. He swore that I'd never cross the Jordan, never get to enter the good land that GOD, your God, is giving you as an inheritance. + This means that I am going to die here. I'm not crossing the Jordan. But you will cross; you'll possess the good land. + So stay alert. Don't for a minute forget the covenant which GOD, your God, made with you. And don't take up with any carved images, no forms of any kind--GOD, your God, issued clear commands on that. + GOD, your God, is not to be trifled with--he's a consuming fire, a jealous God. + When the time comes that you have children and grandchildren, put on years, and start taking things for granted, if you then become corrupt and make any carved images, no matter what their form, by doing what is sheer evil in GOD's eyes and provoking his anger-- + I can tell you right now, with Heaven and Earth as witnesses, that it will be all over for you. You'll be kicked off the land that you're about to cross over the Jordan to possess. Believe me, you'll have a very short stay there. You'll be ruined, completely ruined. + GOD will scatter you far and wide; a few of you will survive here and there in the nations where GOD will drive you. + There you can worship your homemade gods to your hearts' content, your wonderful gods of wood and stone that can't see or hear or eat or smell. + But even there, if you seek GOD, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. + When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you, in future days you will come back to GOD, your God, and listen obediently to what he says. + GOD, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you, he won't bring you to ruin, he won't forget the covenant with your ancestors which he swore to them. + Ask questions. Find out what has been going on all these years before you were born. From the day God created man and woman on this Earth, and from the horizon in the east to the horizon in the west--as far back as you can imagine and as far away as you can imagine--has as great a thing as this ever happened? Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? + Has a people ever heard, as you did, a god speaking out of the middle of the fire and lived to tell the story? + Or has a god ever tried to select for himself a nation from within a nation using trials, miracles, and war, putting his strong hand in, reaching his long arm out, a spectacle awesome and staggering, the way GOD, your God, did it for you in Egypt while you stood right there and watched? + You were shown all this so that you would know that GOD is, well, God. He's the only God there is. He's it. + He made it possible for you to hear his voice out of Heaven to discipline you. Down on Earth, he showed you the big fire and again you heard his words, this time out of the fire. + He loved your ancestors and chose to work with their children. He personally and powerfully brought you out of Egypt + in order to displace bigger and stronger and older nations with you, bringing you out and turning their land over to you as an inheritance. And now it's happening. This very day. + Know this well, then. Take it to heart right now: GOD is in Heaven above; GOD is on Earth below. He's the only God there is. + Obediently live by his rules and commands which I'm giving you today so that you'll live well and your children after you--oh, you'll live a long time in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. + Then Moses set aside three towns in the country on the east side of the Jordan + to which someone who had unintentionally killed a person could flee and find refuge. If the murder was unintentional and there was no history of bad blood, the murderer could flee to one of these cities and save his life: + Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. + This is the Revelation that Moses presented to the People of Israel. + These are the testimonies, the rules and regulations Moses spoke to the People of Israel after their exodus from Egypt + and arrival on the east side of the Jordan in the valley near Beth Peor. It was the country of Sihon king of the Amorites who ruled from Heshbon. Moses and the People of Israel fought and beat him after they left Egypt + and took his land. They also took the land of Og king of Bashan. The two Amorite kings held the country on the east of the Jordan + from Aroer on the bank of the Brook Arnon as far north as Mount Siyon, that is, Mount Hermon, + all the Arabah plain east of the Jordan, and as far south as the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) beneath the slopes of Mount Pisgah. + + + Moses called all Israel together. He said to them, Attention, Israel. Listen obediently to the rules and regulations I am delivering to your listening ears today. Learn them. Live them. + GOD, our God, made a covenant with us at Horeb. + GOD didn't just make this covenant with our parents; he made it also with us, with all of us who are alive right now. + GOD spoke to you personally out of the fire on the mountain. + At the time I stood between GOD and you, to tell you what GOD said. You were afraid, remember, of the fire and wouldn't climb the mountain. He said: + I am GOD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves. + No other gods, only me. + No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. + Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am GOD, your God, and I'm a most jealous God. I hold parents responsible for any sins they pass on to their children to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation. + But I'm lovingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments. + No using the name of GOD, your God, in curses or silly banter; GOD won't put up with the irreverent use of his name. + No working on the Sabbath; keep it holy just as GOD, your God, commanded you. + Work six days, doing everything you have to do, + but the seventh day is a Sabbath, a Rest Day--no work: not you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, your ox, your donkey (or any of your animals), and not even the foreigner visiting your town. That way your servants and maids will get the same rest as you. + Don't ever forget that you were slaves in Egypt and GOD, your God, got you out of there in a powerful show of strength. That's why GOD, your God, commands you to observe the day of Sabbath rest. + Respect your father and mother--GOD, your God, commands it! You'll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well. + No murder. + No adultery. + No stealing. + No lies about your neighbor. + No coveting your neighbor's wife. And no lusting for his house, field, servant, maid, ox, or donkey either--nothing that belongs to your neighbor! + These are the words that GOD spoke to the whole congregation at the mountain. He spoke in a tremendous voice from the fire and cloud and dark mist. And that was it. No more words. Then he wrote them on two slabs of stone and gave them to me. + As it turned out, when you heard the Voice out of that dark cloud and saw the mountain on fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your leaders, + and said, "Our GOD has revealed to us his glory and greatness. We've heard him speak from the fire today! We've seen that God can speak to humans and they can still live. + But why risk it further? This huge fire will devour us if we stay around any longer. If we hear GOD's voice anymore, we'll die for sure. + Has anyone ever known of anyone who has heard the Voice of GOD the way we have and lived to tell the story? + "From now on, you go and listen to what GOD, our God, says and then tell us what GOD tells you. We'll listen and we'll do it." + GOD heard what you said to me and told me, "I've heard what the people said to you. They're right--good and true words. + What I wouldn't give if they'd always feel this way, continuing to revere me and always keep all my commands; they'd have a good life forever, they and their children! + "Go ahead and tell them to go home to their tents. + But you, you stay here with me so I can tell you every commandment and all the rules and regulations that you must teach them so they'll know how to live in the land that I'm giving them as their own." + So be very careful to act exactly as GOD commands you. Don't veer off to the right or the left. + Walk straight down the road GOD commands so that you'll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you're about to possess. + + + This is the commandment, the rules and regulations, that GOD, your God, commanded me to teach you to live out in the land you're about to cross into to possess. + This is so that you'll live in deep reverence before GOD lifelong, observing all his rules and regulations that I'm commanding you, you and your children and your grandchildren, living good long lives. + Listen obediently, Israel. Do what you're told so that you'll have a good life, a life of abundance and bounty, just as GOD promised, in a land abounding in milk and honey. + Attention, Israel! GOD, our God! GOD the one and only! + Love GOD, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! + Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you + and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. + Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; + inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. + When GOD, your God, ushers you into the land he promised through your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you, you're going to walk into large, bustling cities you didn't build, + well-furnished houses you didn't buy, come upon wells you didn't dig, vineyards and olive orchards you didn't plant. When you take it all in and settle down, pleased and content, + make sure you don't forget how you got there--GOD brought you out of slavery in Egypt. + Deeply respect GOD, your God. Serve and worship him exclusively. Back up your promises with his name only. + Don't fool around with other gods, the gods of your neighbors, + because GOD, your God, who is alive among you is a jealous God. Don't provoke him, igniting his hot anger that would burn you right off the face of the Earth. + Don't push GOD, your God, to the wall as you did that day at Massah, the Testing-Place. + Carefully keep the commands of GOD, your God, all the requirements and regulations he gave you. + Do what is right; do what is good in GOD's sight so you'll live a good life and be able to march in and take this pleasant land that GOD so solemnly promised through your ancestors, + throwing out your enemies left and right--exactly as GOD said. + The next time your child asks you, "What do these requirements and regulations and rules that GOD, our God, has commanded mean?" + tell your child, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and GOD powerfully intervened and got us out of that country. + We stood there and watched as GOD delivered miracle-signs, great wonders, and evil-visitations on Egypt, on Pharaoh and his household. + He pulled us out of there so he could bring us here and give us the land he so solemnly promised to our ancestors. + That's why GOD commanded us to follow all these rules, so that we would live reverently before GOD, our God, as he gives us this good life, keeping us alive for a long time to come. + "It will be a set-right and put-together life for us if we make sure that we do this entire commandment in the Presence of GOD, our God, just as he commanded us to do." + + + When GOD, your God, brings you into the country that you are about to enter and take over, he will clear out the superpowers that were there before you: the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Those seven nations are all bigger and stronger than you are. + GOD, your God, will turn them over to you and you will conquer them. You must completely destroy them, offering them up as a holy destruction to GOD. Don't make a treaty with them. Don't let them off in any way. + Don't marry them: Don't give your daughters to their sons and don't take their daughters for your sons-- + before you know it they'd involve you in worshiping their gods, and GOD would explode in anger, putting a quick end to you. + Here's what you are to do: Tear apart their altars stone by stone, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their sex-and-religion Asherah groves, set fire to their carved god-images. + Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to GOD, your God. GOD, your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure. + GOD wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important--the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. + He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. GOD stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. + Know this: GOD, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. + But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off--those who hate him, he pays right on time. + So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them. + And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, GOD, on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: + He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. + You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. + GOD will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. + You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that GOD, your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods--they'll trap you for sure. + You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" + But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what GOD, your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. + Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, GOD's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. GOD, your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. + And to top it off, the Hornet. GOD will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. + So don't be intimidated by them. GOD, your God, is among you--GOD majestic, GOD awesome. + GOD, your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. + But GOD, your God, will move them out of your way--he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. + He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. + Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves--you'll get trapped by it for sure. GOD hates it; it's an abomination to GOD, your God. + And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve GOD's holiness. + + + Keep and live out the entire commandment that I'm commanding you today so that you'll live and prosper and enter and own the land that GOD promised to your ancestors. + Remember every road that GOD led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. + He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don't live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from GOD's mouth. + Your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister those forty years. + You learned deep in your heart that GOD disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child. + So it's paramount that you keep the commandments of GOD, your God, walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him. + GOD is about to bring you into a good land, a land with brooks and rivers, springs and lakes, streams out of the hills and through the valleys. + It's a land of wheat and barley, of vines and figs and pomegranates, of olives, oil, and honey. + It's land where you'll never go hungry--always food on the table and a roof over your head. It's a land where you'll get iron out of rocks and mine copper from the hills. + After a meal, satisfied, bless GOD, your God, for the good land he has given you. + Make sure you don't forget GOD, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today + Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, + see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up-- + make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget GOD, your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery; + the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; + the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, some- -thing your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you. + If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!"-- + well, think again. Remember that GOD, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors--as it is today. + If you forget, forget GOD, your God, and start taking up with other gods, serving and worshiping them, I'm on record right now as giving you firm warning: that will be the end of you; I mean it--destruction. + You'll go to your doom--the same as the nations GOD is destroying before you; doom because you wouldn't obey the Voice of GOD, your God. + + + Attention, Israel! This very day you are crossing the Jordan to enter the land and dispossess nations that are much bigger and stronger than you are. You're going to find huge cities with sky-high fortress-walls and + gigantic people, descendants of the Anakites--you've heard all about them; you've heard the saying, "No one can stand up to an Anakite." + Today know this: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you--he's a consuming fire. He will destroy the nations, he will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very quickly wipe them out, just as GOD promised you would. + But when GOD pushes them out ahead of you, don't start thinking to yourselves, "It's because of all the good I've done that GOD has brought me in here to dispossess these nations." Actually it's because of all the evil these nations have done. + No, it's nothing good that you've done, no record for decency that you've built up, that got you here; it's because of the vile wickedness of these nations that GOD, your God, is dispossessing them before you so that he can keep his promised word to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + Know this and don't ever forget it: It's not because of any good that you've done that GOD is giving you this good land to own. Anything but! You're stubborn as mules. + Keep in mind and don't ever forget how angry you made GOD, your God, in the wilderness. You've kicked and screamed against GOD from the day you left Egypt until you got to this place, rebels all the way. + You made GOD angry at Horeb, made him so angry that he wanted to destroy you. + When I climbed the mountain to receive the slabs of stone, the tablets of the covenant that GOD made with you, I stayed there on the mountain forty days and nights: I ate no food; I drank no water. + Then GOD gave me the two slabs of stone, engraved with the finger of God. They contained word for word everything that GOD spoke to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. + It was at the end of the forty days and nights that GOD gave me the two slabs of stone, the tablets of the covenant. + GOD said to me, "Get going, and quickly. Get down there, because your people whom you led out of Egypt have ruined everything. In almost no time at all they have left the road that I laid out for them and gone off and made for themselves a cast god." + GOD said, "I look at this people and all I see are hardheaded, hardhearted rebels. + Get out of my way now so I can destroy them. I'm going to wipe them off the face of the map. Then I'll start over with you to make a nation far better and bigger than they could ever be." + I turned around and started down the mountain--by now the mountain was blazing with fire--carrying the two tablets of the covenant in my two arms. + That's when I saw it: There you were, sinning against GOD, your God--you had made yourselves a cast god in the shape of a calf! So soon you had left the road that GOD had commanded you to walk on. + I held the two stone slabs high and threw them down, smashing them to bits as you watched. + Then I prostrated myself before GOD, just as I had at the beginning of the forty days and nights. I ate no food; I drank no water. I did this because of you, all your sins, sinning against GOD, doing what is evil in GOD's eyes and making him angry. + I was terrified of GOD's furious anger, his blazing anger. I was sure he would destroy you. But once again GOD listened to me. + And Aaron! How furious he was with Aaron--ready to destroy him. But I prayed also for Aaron at that same time. + But that sin-thing that you made, that calf-god, I took and burned in the fire, pounded and ground it until it was crushed into a fine powder, then threw it into the stream that comes down the mountain. + And then there was Camp Taberah (Blaze), Massah (Testing-Place), and Camp Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves-of-the-Craving)--more occasions when you made God furious with you. + The most recent was when GOD sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, ordering you: "Go. Possess the land that I'm giving you." And what did you do? You rebelled. Rebelled against the clear orders of GOD, your God. Refused to trust him. Wouldn't obey him. + You've been rebels against GOD from the first day I knew you. + When I was on my face, prostrate before GOD those forty days and nights after GOD said he would destroy you, + I prayed to GOD for you, "My Master, GOD, don't destroy your people, your inheritance whom, in your immense generosity, you redeemed, using your enormous strength to get them out of Egypt. + "Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; don't make too much of the stubbornness of this people, their evil and their sin, + lest the Egyptians from whom you rescued them say, 'GOD couldn't do it; he got tired and wasn't able to take them to the land he promised them. He ended up hating them and dumped them in the wilderness to die.' + "They are your people still, your inheritance whom you powerfully and sovereignly rescued." + + + GOD responded. He said, "Shape two slabs of stone similar to the first ones. Climb the mountain and meet me. Also make yourself a wooden chest. + I will engrave the stone slabs with the words that were on the first ones, the ones you smashed. Then you will put them in the Chest." + So I made a chest out of acacia wood, shaped two slabs of stone, just like the first ones, and climbed the mountain with the two slabs in my arms. + He engraved the stone slabs the same as he had the first ones, the Ten Words that he addressed to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the assembly. Then GOD gave them to me. + I turned around and came down the mountain. I put the stone slabs in the Chest that I made and they've been there ever since, just as GOD commanded me. + The People of Israel went from the wells of the Jaakanites to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried. His son Eleazar succeeded him as priest. + From there they went to Gudgodah, and then to Jotbathah, a land of streams of water. + That's when GOD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry GOD's Covenant Chest, to be on duty in the Presence of GOD, to serve him, and to bless in his name, as they continue to do today. + And that's why Levites don't have a piece of inherited land as their kinsmen do. GOD is their inheritance, as GOD, your God, promised them. + I stayed there on the mountain forty days and nights, just as I did the first time. And GOD listened to me, just as he did the first time: GOD decided not to destroy you. + GOD told me, "Now get going. Lead your people as they resume the journey to take possession of the land that I promised their ancestors that I'd give to them." + So now Israel, what do you think GOD expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve GOD, your God, with everything you have in you, + obey the commandments and regulations of GOD that I'm commanding you today--live a good life. + Look around you: Everything you see is GOD's--the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. + But it was your ancestors that GOD fell in love with; he picked their children--that's you!--out of all the other peoples. That's where we are right now. + So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded. + GOD, your God, is the God of all gods, he's the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. He doesn't play favorites, takes no bribes, + makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing. + You must treat foreigners with the same loving care-- remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt. + Reverently respect GOD, your God, serve him, hold tight to him, back up your promises with the authority of his name. + He's your praise! He's your God! He did all these tremendous, these staggering things that you saw with your own eyes. + When your ancestors entered Egypt, they numbered a mere seventy souls. And now look at you--you look more like the stars in the night skies in number. And your GOD did it. + + + So love GOD, your God; guard well his rules and regulations; obey his commandments for the rest of time. + Today it's very clear that it isn't your children who are front and center here: They weren't in on what GOD did, didn't see the acts, didn't experience the discipline, didn't marvel at his greatness, the way he displayed his power in the miracle-signs and deeds + that he let loose in Egypt on Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land, + the way he took care of the Egyptian army, its horses and chariots, burying them in the waters of the Red Sea as they pursued you. GOD drowned them. And you're standing here today alive. + Nor was it your children who saw how GOD took care of you in the wilderness up until the time you arrived here, + what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab son of Reuben, how the Earth opened its jaws and swallowed them with their families--their tents, and everything around them--right out of the middle of Israel. + Yes, it was you--your eyes--that saw every great thing that GOD did. + So it's you who are in charge of keeping the entire commandment that I command you today so that you'll have the strength to invade and possess the land that you are crossing the river to make your own. + Your obedience will give you a long life on the soil that GOD promised to give your ancestors and their children, a land flowing with milk and honey. + The land you are entering to take up ownership isn't like Egypt, the land you left, where you had to plant your own seed and water it yourselves as in a vegetable garden. + But the land you are about to cross the river and take for your own is a land of mountains and valleys; it drinks water that rains from the sky. + It's a land that GOD, your God, personally tends--he's the gardener--he alone keeps his eye on it all year long. + From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love GOD, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, + he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time, both autumn and spring rains, so that you'll be able to harvest your grain, your grapes, your olives. + He'll make sure there's plenty of grass for your animals. You'll have plenty to eat. + But be vigilant, lest you be seduced away and end up serving and worshiping other gods + and GOD erupts in anger and shuts down Heaven so there's no rain and nothing grows in the fields, and in no time at all you're starved out--not a trace of you left on the good land that GOD is giving you. + Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. + Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. + Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities + so that you'll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that GOD promised to give your ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth. + That's right. If you diligently keep all this commandment that I command you to obey--love GOD, your God, do what he tells you, stick close to him-- + GOD on his part will drive out all these nations that stand in your way. Yes, he'll drive out nations much bigger and stronger than you. + Every square inch on which you place your foot will be yours. Your borders will stretch from the wilderness to the mountains of Lebanon, from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. + No one will be able to stand in your way. Everywhere you go, GOD-sent fear and trembling will precede you, just as he promised. + I've brought you today to the crossroads of Blessing and Curse. + The Blessing: if you listen obediently to the commandments of GOD, your God, which I command you today. + The Curse: if you don't pay attention to the commandments of GOD, your God, but leave the road that I command you today, following other gods of which you know nothing. + Here's what comes next: When GOD, your God, brings you into the land you are going into to make your own, you are to give out the Blessing from Mount Gerizim and the Curse from Mount Ebal. + After you cross the Jordan River, follow the road to the west through Canaanite settlements in the valley near Gilgal and the Oaks of Moreh. + You are crossing the Jordan River to invade and take the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. + Be vigilant. Observe all the regulations and rules I am setting before you today. + + + These are the rules and regulations that you must diligently observe for as long as you live in this country that GOD, the God-of-Your-Fathers, has given you to possess. + Ruthlessly demolish all the sacred shrines where the nations that you're driving out worship their gods--wherever you find them, on hills and mountains or in groves of green trees. + Tear apart their altars. Smash their phallic pillars. Burn their sex-and-religion Asherah shrines. Break up their carved gods. Obliterate the names of those god sites. + Stay clear of those places--don't let what went on there contaminate the worship of GOD, your God. + Instead find the site that GOD, your God, will choose and mark it with his name as a common center for all the tribes of Israel. Assemble there. + Bring to that place your Absolution-Offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and Tribute-Offerings, your Vow-Offerings, your Freewill-Offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. + Feast there in the Presence of GOD, your God. Celebrate everything that you and your families have accomplished under the blessing of GOD, your God. + Don't continue doing things the way we're doing them at present, each of us doing as we wish. + Until now you haven't arrived at the goal, the resting place, the inheritance that GOD, your God, is giving you. + But the minute you cross the Jordan River and settle into the land GOD, your God, is enabling you to inherit, he'll give you rest from all your surrounding enemies. You'll be able to settle down and live in safety. + From then on, at the place that GOD, your God, chooses to mark with his name as the place where you can meet him, bring everything that I command you: your Absolution-Offerings and sacrifices, tithes and Tribute-Offerings, and the best of your Vow-Offerings that you vow to GOD. + Celebrate there in the Presence of GOD, your God, you and your sons and daughters, your servants and maids, including the Levite living in your neighborhood because he has no place of his own in your inheritance. + Be extra careful: Don't offer your Absolution-Offerings just any place that strikes your fancy. + Offer your Absolution-Offerings only in the place that GOD chooses in one of your tribal regions. There and only there are you to bring all that I command you. + It's permissible to slaughter your nonsacrificial animals like gazelle and deer in your towns and eat all you want from them with the blessing of GOD, your God. Both the ritually clean and unclean may eat. + But you may not eat the blood. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. + Nor may you eat there the tithe of your grain, new wine, or olive oil; nor the firstborn of your herds and flocks; nor any of the Vow-Offerings that you vow; nor your Freewill-Offerings and Tribute-Offerings. + All these you must eat in the Presence of GOD, your God, in the place GOD, your God, chooses--you, your son and daughter, your servant and maid, and the Levite who lives in your neighborhood. You are to celebrate in the Presence of GOD, your God, all the things you've been able to accomplish. + And make sure that for as long as you live on your land you never, never neglect the Levite. + When GOD, your God, expands your territory as he promised he would do, and you say, "I'm hungry for meat," because you happen to be craving meat at the time, go ahead and eat as much meat as you want. + If you're too far away from the place that GOD, your God, has marked with his name, it's all right to slaughter animals from your herds and flocks that GOD has given you, as I've commanded you. In your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. + Just as the nonsacrificial animals like the gazelle and deer are eaten, you may eat them; the ritually unclean and clean may eat them at the same table. + Only this: Absolutely no blood. Don't eat the blood. Blood is life; don't eat the life with the meat. + Don't eat it; pour it out on the ground like water. + Don't eat it; then you'll have a good life, you and your children after you. By all means, do the right thing in GOD's eyes. + And this: Lift high your Holy-Offerings and your Vow-Offerings and bring them to the place GOD designates. + Sacrifice your Absolution-Offerings, the meat and blood, on the Altar of GOD, your God; pour out the blood of the Absolution-Offering on the Altar of GOD, your God; then you can go ahead and eat the meat. + Be vigilant, listen obediently to these words that I command you so that you'll have a good life, you and your children, for a long, long time, doing what is good and right in the eyes of GOD, your God. + When GOD, your God, cuts off the nations whose land you are invading, shoves them out of your way so that you displace them and settle in their land, + be careful that you don't get curious about them after they've been destroyed before you. Don't get fascinated with their gods, thinking, "I wonder what it was like for them, worshiping their gods. I'd like to try that myself." + Don't do this to GOD, your God. They commit every imaginable abomination with their gods. GOD hates it all with a passion. Why, they even set their children on fire as offerings to their gods! + Diligently do everything I command you, the way I command you: don't add to it; don't subtract from it. + + + When a prophet or visionary gets up in your community and gives out a miracle-sign or wonder, + and the miracle-sign or wonder that he gave out happens and he says, "Let's follow other gods" (these are gods you know nothing about), "let's worship them," + don't pay any attention to what that prophet or visionary says. GOD, your God, is testing you to find out if you totally love him with everything you have in you. + You are to follow only GOD, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him--hold on to him for dear life! + And that prophet or visionary must be put to death. He has urged mutiny against GOD, your God, who rescued you from Egypt, who redeemed you from a world of slavery and put you on the road on which GOD, your God, has commanded you to walk. Purge the evil from your company. + And when your brother or son or daughter, or even your dear wife or lifelong friend, comes to you in secret and whispers, "Let's go and worship some other gods" (gods that you know nothing about, neither you nor your ancestors, + the gods of the peoples around you near and far, from one end of the Earth to the other), + don't go along with him; shut your ears. Don't feel sorry for him and don't make excuses for him. + Kill him. That's right, kill him. You throw the first stone. Take action at once and swiftly with everybody in the community getting in on it at the end. + Stone him with stones so that he dies. He tried to turn you traitor against GOD, your God, the one who got you out of Egypt and the world of slavery. + Every man, woman, and child in Israel will hear what's been done and be in awe. No one will dare to do an evil thing like this again. + When word comes in from one of your cities that GOD, your God, is giving you to live in, + reporting that evil men have gotten together with some of the citizens of the city and have broken away, saying, "Let's go and worship other gods" (gods you know nothing about), + then you must conduct a careful examination. Ask questions, investigate. If it turns out that the report is true and this abomination did in fact take place in your community, + you must execute the citizens of that town. Kill them, setting that city apart for holy destruction: the city and everything in it including its animals. + Gather the plunder in the middle of the town square and burn it all--town and plunder together up in smoke, a holy sacrifice to GOD, your God. Leave it there, ashes and ruins. Don't build on that site again. + And don't let any of the plunder devoted to holy destruction stick to your fingers. Get rid of it so that GOD may turn from anger to compassion, generously making you prosper, just as he promised your ancestors. + Yes. Obediently listen to GOD, your God. Keep all his commands that I am giving you today. Do the right thing in the eyes of GOD, your God. + + + You are children of GOD, your God, so don't mutilate your bodies or shave your heads in funeral rites for the dead. + You only are a people holy to GOD, your God; GOD chose you out of all the people on Earth as his cherished personal treasure. + Don't eat anything abominable. + These are the animals you may eat: ox, sheep, goat, + deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, mountain sheep-- + any animal that has a cloven hoof and chews the cud. + But you may not eat camels, rabbits, and rock badgers because they chew the cud but they don't have a cloven hoof--that makes them ritually unclean. + And pigs: Don't eat pigs--they have a cloven hoof but don't chew the cud, which makes them ritually unclean. Don't even touch a pig's carcass. + This is what you may eat from the water: anything that has fins and scales. + But if it doesn't have fins or scales, you may not eat it. It's ritually unclean. + You may eat any ritually clean bird. + These are the exceptions, so don't eat these: eagle, vulture, black vulture, + kite, falcon, the buzzard family, + the raven family, + ostrich, nighthawk, the hawk family, + little owl, great owl, white owl, + pelican, osprey, cormorant, + stork, the heron family, hoopoe, bat. + Winged insects are ritually unclean; don't eat them. + But ritually clean winged creatures are permitted. + Because you are a people holy to GOD, your God, don't eat anything that you find dead. You can, though, give it to a foreigner in your neighborhood for a meal or sell it to a foreigner. Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk. + Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. + Bring this into the Presence of GOD, your God, at the place he designates for worship and there eat the tithe from your grain, wine, and oil and the firstborn from your herds and flocks. In this way you will learn to live in deep reverence before GOD, your God, as long as you live. + But if the place GOD, your God, designates for worship is too far away and you can't carry your tithe that far, GOD, your God, will still bless you: + exchange your tithe for money and take the money to the place GOD, your God, has chosen to be worshiped. + Use the money to buy anything you want: cattle, sheep, wine, or beer--anything that looks good to you. You and your family can then feast in the Presence of GOD, your God, and have a good time. + Meanwhile, don't forget to take good care of the Levites who live in your towns; they won't get any property or inheritance of their own as you will. + At the end of every third year, gather the tithe from all your produce of that year and put it aside in storage. + Keep it in reserve for the Levite who won't get any property or inheritance as you will, and for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow who live in your neighborhood. That way they'll have plenty to eat and GOD, your God, will bless you in all your work. + + + At the end of every seventh year, cancel all debts. + This is the procedure: Everyone who has lent money to a neighbor writes it off. You must not press your neighbor or his brother for payment: All-Debts-Are-Canceled--GOD says so. + You may collect payment from foreigners, but whatever you have lent to your fellow Israelite you must write off. + There must be no poor people among you because GOD is going to bless you lavishly in this land that GOD, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, your very own land. + But only if you listen obediently to the Voice of GOD, your God, diligently observing every commandment that I command you today. + Oh yes--GOD, your God, will bless you just as he promised. You will lend to many nations but won't borrow from any; you'll rule over many nations but none will rule over you. + When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that GOD, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse. + No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs. + Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice saying, "It's almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled," and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call GOD's attention to you and your blatant sin. + Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers GOD, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. + There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors. + If a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman was sold to you and has served you for six years, in the seventh year you must set him or her free, released into a free life. + And when you set them free don't send them off empty-handed. + Provide them with some animals, plenty of bread and wine and oil. Load them with provisions from all the blessings with which GOD, your God, has blessed you. + Don't for a minute forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and GOD, your God, redeemed you from that slave world. For that reason, this day I command you to do this. + But if your slave, because he loves you and your family and has a good life with you, says, "I don't want to leave you," + then take an awl and pierce through his earlobe into the doorpost, marking him as your slave forever. Do the same with your women slaves who want to stay with you. + Don't consider this an unreasonable hardship, this setting your slave free. After all, he's worked six years for you at half the cost of a hired hand. Believe me, GOD, your God, will bless you in everything you do. + Consecrate to GOD, your God, all the firstborn males in your herds and flocks. Don't use the firstborn from your herds as work animals; don't shear the firstborn from your flocks. + These are for you to eat every year, you and your family, in the Presence of GOD, your God, at the place that GOD designates for worship. + If the animal is defective, lame, say, or blind--anything wrong with it--don't slaughter it as a sacrifice to GOD, your God. + Stay at home and eat it there. Both the ritually clean and unclean may eat it, the same as with a gazelle or a deer. + Only you must not eat its blood. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. + + + Observe the month of Abib by celebrating the Passover to GOD, your God. It was in the month of Abib that GOD, your God, delivered you by night from Egypt. + Offer the Passover-Sacrifice to GOD, your God, at the place GOD chooses to be worshiped by establishing his name there. + Don't eat yeast bread with it; for seven days eat it with unraised bread, hard-times bread, because you left Egypt in a hurry--that bread will keep the memory fresh of how you left Egypt for as long as you live. + There is to be no sign of yeast anywhere for seven days. And don't let any of the meat that you sacrifice in the evening be left over until morning. + Don't sacrifice the Passover in any of the towns that GOD, your God, gives you + other than the one GOD, your God, designates for worship; there and there only you will offer the Passover-Sacrifice at evening as the sun goes down, marking the time that you left Egypt. + Boil and eat it at the place designated by GOD, your God. Then, at daybreak, turn around and go home. + Eat unraised bread for six days. Set aside the seventh day as a holiday; don't do any work. + Starting from the day you put the sickle to the ripe grain, count out seven weeks. + Celebrate the Feast-of-Weeks to GOD, your God, by bringing your Freewill-Offering--give as generously as GOD, your God, has blessed you. + Rejoice in the Presence of GOD, your God: you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, the Levite who lives in your neighborhood, the foreigner, the orphan and widow among you; rejoice at the place GOD, your God, will set aside to be worshiped. + Don't forget that you were once a slave in Egypt. So be diligent in observing these regulations. + Observe the Feast-of-Booths for seven days when you gather the harvest from your threshing-floor and your wine-vat. + Rejoice at your festival: you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, the Levite, the foreigner, and the orphans and widows who live in your neighborhood. + Celebrate the Feast to GOD, your God, for seven days at the place GOD designates. GOD, your God, has been blessing you in your harvest and in all your work, so make a day of it--really celebrate! + All your men must appear before GOD, your God, three times each year at the place he designates: at the Feast-of-Unraised-Bread (Passover), at the Feast-of-Weeks, and at the Feast-of-Booths. No one is to show up in the Presence of GOD empty-handed; + each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to the blessings of GOD, your God. + Appoint judges and officers, organized by tribes, in all the towns that GOD, your God, is giving you. They are to judge the people fairly and honestly. + Don't twist the law. Don't play favorites. Don't take a bribe--a bribe blinds even a wise person; it undermines the intentions of the best of people. + The right! The right! Pursue only what's right! It's the only way you can really live and possess the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. + Don't plant fertility Asherah trees alongside the Altar of GOD, your God, that you build. + Don't set up phallic sex pillars--GOD, your God, hates them. + + + And don't sacrifice to GOD, your God, an ox or sheep that is defective or has anything at all wrong with it. That's an abomination, an insult to GOD, your God. + If you find anyone within the towns that GOD, your God, is giving you doing what is wrong in GOD's eyes, breaking his covenant + by going off to worship other gods, bowing down to them--the sun, say, or the moon, or any rebel sky-gods-- + look at the evidence and investigate carefully. If you find that it is true, that, in fact, an abomination has been committed in Israel, + then you are to take the man or woman who did this evil thing outside your city gates and stone the man or the woman. Hurl stones at the person until dead. + But only on the testimony of two or three witnesses may a person be put to death. No one may be put to death on the testimony of one witness. + The witnesses must throw the first stones in the execution, then the rest of the community joins in. You have to purge the evil from your community. + When matters of justice come up that are too much for you--hard cases regarding homicides, legal disputes, fights--take them up to the central place of worship that GOD, your God, has designated. + Bring them to the Levitical priests and the judge who is in office at the time. Consult them and they will hand down the decision for you. + Then carry out their verdict at the place designated by GOD, your God. Do what they tell you, in exactly the way they tell you. + Follow their instructions precisely: Don't leave out anything; don't add anything. + Anyone who presumes to override or twist the decision handed down by the priest or judge who was acting in the Presence of GOD, your God, is as good as dead--root him out, rid Israel of the evil. + Everyone will take notice and be impressed. That will put an end to presumptuous behavior. + When you enter the land that GOD, your God, is giving you and take it over and settle down, and then say, "I'm going to get me a king, a king like all the nations around me," + make sure you get yourself a king whom GOD, your God, chooses. Choose your king from among your kinsmen; don't take a foreigner--only a kinsman. + And make sure he doesn't build up a war machine, amassing military horses and chariots. He must not send people to Egypt to get more horses, because GOD told you, "You'll never go back there again!" + And make sure he doesn't build up a harem, collecting wives who will divert him from the straight and narrow. And make sure he doesn't pile up a lot of silver and gold. + This is what must be done: When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is make himself a copy of this Revelation on a scroll, copied under the supervision of the Levitical priests. + That scroll is to remain at his side at all times; he is to study it every day so that he may learn what it means to fear his GOD, living in reverent obedience before these rules and regulations by following them. + He must not become proud and arrogant, changing the commands at whim to suit himself or making up his own versions. If he reads and learns, he will have a long reign as king in Israel, he and his sons. + + + The Levitical priests--that's the entire tribe of Levi--don't get any land-inheritance with the rest of Israel. They get the Fire-Gift-Offerings of GOD--they will live on that inheritance. + But they don't get land-inheritance like the rest of their kinsmen. GOD is their inheritance. + This is what the priests get from the people from any offering of an ox or a sheep: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach. + You must also give them the firstfruits of your grain, wine, and oil and the first fleece of your sheep, + because GOD, your God, has chosen only them and their children out of all your tribes to be present and serve always in the name of GOD, your God. + If a Levite moves from any town in Israel--and he is quite free to move wherever he desires--and comes to the place GOD designates for worship, + he may serve there in the name of GOD along with all his brother Levites who are present and serving in the Presence of GOD. + And he will get an equal share to eat, even though he has money from the sale of his parents' possessions. + When you enter the land that GOD, your God, is giving you, don't take on the abominable ways of life of the nations there. + Don't you dare sacrifice your son or daughter in the fire. Don't practice divination, sorcery, fortunetelling, witchery, + casting spells, holding s�ances, or channeling with the dead. + People who do these things are an abomination to GOD. It's because of just such abominable practices that GOD, your God, is driving these nations out before you. + Be completely loyal to GOD, your God. + These nations that you're about to run out of the country consort with sorcerers and witches. But not you. GOD, your God, forbids it. + GOD, your God, is going to raise up a prophet for you. GOD will raise him up from among your kinsmen, a prophet like me. Listen obediently to him. + This is what you asked GOD, your God, for at Horeb on the day you were all gathered at the mountain and said, "We can't hear any more from GOD, our God; we can't stand seeing any more fire. We'll die!" + And GOD said to me, "They're right; they've spoken the truth. + I'll raise up for them a prophet like you from their kinsmen. I'll tell him what to say and he will pass on to them everything I command him. + And anyone who won't listen to my words spoken by him, I will personally hold responsible. + "But any prophet who fakes it, who claims to speak in my name something I haven't commanded him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die." + You may be wondering among yourselves, "How can we tell the difference, whether it was GOD who spoke or not?" Here's how: + If what the prophet spoke in GOD's name doesn't happen, then obviously GOD wasn't behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him. + + + When GOD, your God, throws the nations out of the country that GOD, your God, is giving you and you settle down in their cities and houses, + you are to set aside three easily accessible cities in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you as your very own. + Divide your land into thirds, this land that GOD, your God, is giving you to possess, and build roads to the towns so that anyone who accidentally kills another can flee there. + This is the guideline for the murderer who flees there to take refuge: He has to have killed his neighbor without premeditation and with no history of bad blood between them. + For instance, a man goes with his neighbor into the woods to cut a tree; he swings the ax, the head slips off the handle and hits his neighbor, killing him. He may then flee to one of these cities and save his life. + If the city is too far away, the avenger of blood racing in hot-blooded pursuit might catch him since it's such a long distance, and kill him even though he didn't deserve it. It wasn't his fault. There was no history of hatred between them. + Therefore I command you: Set aside the three cities for yourselves. + When GOD, your God, enlarges your land, extending its borders as he solemnly promised your ancestors, by giving you the whole land he promised them + because you are diligently living the way I'm commanding you today, namely, to love GOD, your God, and do what he tells you all your life; and when that happens, then add three more to these three cities + so that there is no chance of innocent blood being spilled in your land. GOD, your God, is giving you this land as an inheritance--you don't want to pollute it with innocent blood and bring bloodguilt upon yourselves. + On the other hand, if a man with a history of hatred toward his neighbor waits in ambush, then jumps him, mauls and kills him, and then runs to one of these cities, that's a different story. + The elders of his own city are to send for him and have him brought back. They are to hand him over to the avenger of blood for execution. + Don't feel sorry for him. Clean out the pollution of wrongful murder from Israel so that you'll be able to live well and breathe clean air. + Don't move your neighbor's boundary markers, the longstanding landmarks set up by your pioneer ancestors defining their property. + You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case. + If a hostile witness stands to accuse someone of a wrong, + then both parties involved in the quarrel must stand in the Presence of GOD before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. + The judges must conduct a careful investigation; if the witness turns out to be a false witness and has lied against his fellow Israelite, + give him the same medicine he intended for the other party. Clean the polluting evil from your company. + People will hear of what you've done and be impressed; that will put a stop to this kind of evil among you. + Don't feel sorry for the person: It's life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. + + + When you go to war against your enemy and see horses and chariots and soldiers far outnumbering you, do not recoil in fear of them; GOD, your God, who brought you up out of Egypt is with you. + When the battle is about to begin, let the priest come forward and speak to the troops. + He'll say, "Attention, Israel. In a few minutes you're going to do battle with your enemies. Don't waver in resolve. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Don't panic. + GOD, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win." + Then let the officers step up and speak to the troops: "Is there a man here who has built a new house but hasn't yet dedicated it? Let him go home right now lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it. + And is there a man here who has planted a vineyard but hasn't yet enjoyed the grapes? Let him go home right now lest he die in battle and another man enjoy the grapes. + Is there a man here engaged to marry who hasn't yet taken his wife? Let him go home right now lest he die in battle and another man take her." + The officers will then continue, "And is there a man here who is wavering in resolve and afraid? Let him go home right now so that he doesn't infect his fellows with his timidity and cowardly spirit." + When the officers have finished speaking to the troops, let them appoint commanders of the troops who shall muster them by units. + When you come up against a city to attack it, call out, "Peace?" + If they answer, "Yes, peace!" and open the city to you, then everyone found there will be conscripted as forced laborers and work for you. + But if they don't settle for peace and insist on war, then go ahead and attack. + GOD, your God, will give them to you. Kill all the men with your swords. + But don't kill the women and children and animals. Everything inside the town you can take as plunder for you to use and eat--GOD, your God, gives it to you. + This is the way you deal with the distant towns, the towns that don't belong to the nations at hand. + But with the towns of the people that GOD, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, it's different: don't leave anyone alive. + Consign them to holy destruction: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, obeying the command of GOD, your God. + This is so there won't be any of them left to teach you to practice the abominations that they engage in with their gods and you end up sinning against GOD, your God. + When you mount an attack on a town and the siege goes on a long time, don't start cutting down the trees, swinging your axes against them. Those trees are your future food; don't cut them down. Are trees soldiers who come against you with weapons? + The exception can be those trees which don't produce food; you can chop them down and use the timbers to build siege engines against the town that is resisting you until it falls. + + + If a dead body is found on the ground, this ground that GOD, your God, has given you, lying out in the open, and no one knows who killed him, + your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance from the body to the nearest cities. + The leaders and judges of the city that is nearest the corpse will then take a heifer that has never been used for work, never had a yoke on it. + The leaders will take the heifer to a valley with a stream, a valley that has never been plowed or planted, and there break the neck of the heifer. + The Levitical priests will then step up. GOD has chosen them to serve him in these matters by settling legal disputes and violent crimes and by pronouncing blessings in GOD's name. + Finally, all the leaders of that town that is nearest the body will wash their hands over the heifer that had its neck broken at the stream + and say, "We didn't kill this man and we didn't see who did it. + Purify your people Israel whom you redeemed, O GOD. Clear your people Israel from any guilt in this murder." That will clear them from any responsibility in the murder. + By following these procedures you will have absolved yourselves of any part in the murder because you will have done what is right in GOD's sight. + When you go to war against your enemies and GOD, your God, gives you victory and you take prisoners, + and then you notice among the prisoners of war a good-looking woman whom you find attractive and would like to marry, + this is what you do: Take her home; have her trim her hair, cut her nails, + and discard the clothes she was wearing when captured. She is then to stay in your home for a full month, mourning her father and mother. Then you may go to bed with her as husband and wife. + If it turns out you don't like her, you must let her go and live wherever she wishes. But you can't sell her or use her as a slave since you've humiliated her. + When a man has two wives, one loved and the other hated, and they both give him sons, but the firstborn is from the hated wife, + at the time he divides the inheritance with his sons he must not treat the son of the loved wife as the firstborn, cutting out the son of the hated wife, who is the actual firstborn. + No, he must acknowledge the inheritance rights of the real firstborn, the son of the hated wife, by giving him a double share of the inheritance: that son is the first proof of his virility; the rights of the firstborn belong to him. + When a man has a stubborn son, a real rebel who won't do a thing his mother and father tell him, and even though they discipline him he still won't obey, + his father and mother shall forcibly bring him before the leaders at the city gate + and say to the city fathers, "This son of ours is a stubborn rebel; he won't listen to a thing we say. He's a glutton and a drunk." + Then all the men of the town are to throw rocks at him until he's dead. You will have purged the evil pollution from among you. All Israel will hear what's happened and be in awe. + When a man has committed a capital crime, been given the death sentence, executed and hung from a tree, + don't leave his dead body hanging overnight from the tree. Give him a decent burial that same day so that you don't desecrate your GOD-given land--a hanged man is an insult to God. + + + If you see your kinsman's ox or sheep wandering off loose, don't look the other way as if you didn't see it. Return it promptly. + If your fellow Israelite is not close by or you don't know whose it is, take the animal home with you and take care of it until your fellow asks about it. Then return it to him. + Do the same if it's his donkey or a piece of clothing or anything else your fellow Israelite loses. Don't look the other way as if you didn't see it. + If you see your fellow's donkey or ox injured along the road, don't look the other way. Help him get it up and on its way. + A woman must not wear a man's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing. This kind of thing is an abomination to GOD, your God. + When you come across a bird's nest alongside the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, don't take the mother with the young. + You may take the babies, but let the mother go so that you will live a good and long life. + When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof to make it safe so that someone doesn't fall off and die and your family become responsible for the death. + Don't plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard. If you do, you will forfeit what you've sown, the total production of the vineyard. + Don't plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. + Don't wear clothes of mixed fabrics, wool and linen together. + Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you use to cover yourself. + If a man marries a woman, sleeps with her, and then turns on her, + calling her a slut, giving her a bad name, saying, "I married this woman, but when I slept with her I discovered she wasn't a virgin," + then the father and mother of the girl are to take her with the proof of her virginity to the town leaders at the gate. + The father is to tell the leaders, "I gave my daughter to this man as wife and he turned on her, rejecting her. + And now he has slanderously accused her, claiming that she wasn't a virgin. But look at this, here is the proof of my daughter's virginity." And then he is to spread out her blood-stained wedding garment before the leaders for their examination. + The town leaders then are to take the husband, whip him, + fine him a hundred pieces of silver, and give it to the father of the girl. The man gave a virgin girl of Israel a bad name. He has to keep her as his wife and can never divorce her. + But if it turns out that the accusation is true and there is no evidence of the girl's virginity, + the men of the town are to take her to the door of her father's house and stone her to death. She acted disgracefully in Israel. She lived like a whore while still in her parents' home. Purge the evil from among you. + If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both must die. Purge that evil from Israel. + If a man comes upon a virgin in town, a girl who is engaged to another man, and sleeps with her, + take both of them to the town gate and stone them until they die--the girl because she didn't yell out for help in the town and the man because he raped her, violating the fianc�e of his neighbor. You must purge the evil from among you. + But if it was out in the country that the man found the engaged girl and grabbed and raped her, only the man is to die, the man who raped her. + Don't do anything to the girl; she did nothing wrong. This is similar to the case of a man who comes across his neighbor out in the country and murders him; + when the engaged girl yelled out for help, there was no one around to hear or help her. + When a man comes upon a virgin who has never been engaged and grabs and rapes her and they are found out, + the man who raped her has to give her father fifty pieces of silver. He has to marry her because he took advantage of her. And he can never divorce her. + A man may not marry his father's ex-wife--that would violate his father's rights. + + + No eunuch is to enter the congregation of GOD. + No bastard is to enter the congregation of GOD, even to the tenth generation, nor any of his children. + No Ammonite or Moabite is to enter the congregation of GOD, even to the tenth generation, nor any of his children, ever. + Those nations didn't treat you with hospitality on your travels out of Egypt, and on top of that they also hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Mesopotamia to curse you. + GOD, your God, refused to listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing--how GOD, your God, loves you! + Don't even try to get along with them or do anything for them, ever. + But don't spurn an Edomite; he's your kin. And don't spurn an Egyptian; you were a foreigner in his land. + Children born to Edomites and Egyptians may enter the congregation of GOD in the third generation. + When you are camped out, at war with your enemies, be careful to keep yourself from anything ritually defiling. + If one of your men has become ritually unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he must go outside the camp and stay there + until evening when he can wash himself, returning to the camp at sunset. + Mark out an area outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourselves. + Along with your weapons have a stick with you. After you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the stick and cover your excrement. + GOD, your God, strolls through your camp; he's present to deliver you and give you victory over your enemies. Keep your camp holy; don't permit anything indecent or offensive in GOD's eyes. + Don't return a runaway slave to his master; he's come to you for refuge. + Let him live wherever he wishes within the protective gates of your city. Don't take advantage of him. + No daughter of Israel is to become a sacred prostitute; and no son of Israel is to become a sacred prostitute. + And don't bring the fee of a sacred whore or the earnings of a priest-pimp to the house of GOD, your God, to pay for any vow--they are both an abomination to GOD, your God. + Don't charge interest to your kinsmen on any loan: not for money or food or clothing or anything else that could earn interest. + You may charge foreigners interest, but you may not charge your brothers interest; that way GOD, your God, will bless all the work that you take up and the land that you are entering to possess. + When you make a vow to GOD, your God, don't put off keeping it; GOD, your God, expects you to keep it and if you don't you're guilty. + But if you don't make a vow in the first place, there's no sin. + If you say you're going to do something, do it. Keep the vow you willingly vowed to GOD, your God. You promised it, so do it. + When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want until you're full, but you may not put any in your bucket or bag. + And when you walk through the ripe grain of your neighbor, you may pick the heads of grain, but you may not swing your sickle there. + + + If a man marries a woman and then it happens that he no longer likes her because he has found something wrong with her, he may give her divorce papers, put them in her hand, and send her off. + After she leaves, if she becomes another man's wife + and he also comes to hate her and this second husband also gives her divorce papers, puts them in her hand, and sends her off, or if he should die, + then the first husband who divorced her can't marry her again. She has made herself ritually unclean, and her remarriage would be an abomination in the Presence of GOD and defile the land with sin, this land that GOD, your God, is giving you as an inheritance. + When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home making his wife happy. + Don't seize a handmill or an upper millstone as collateral for a loan. You'd be seizing someone's very life. + If a man is caught kidnapping one of his kinsmen, someone of the People of Israel, to enslave or sell him, the kidnapper must die. Purge that evil from among you. + Warning! If a serious skin disease breaks out, follow exactly the rules set down by the Levitical priests. Follow them precisely as I commanded them. + Don't forget what GOD, your God, did to Miriam on your way out of Egypt. + When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, don't enter his house to claim his pledge. + Wait outside. Let the man to whom you made the pledge bring the pledge to you outside. + And if he is destitute, don't use his cloak as a bedroll; + return it to him at nightfall so that he can sleep in his cloak and bless you. In the sight of GOD, your God, that will be viewed as a righteous act. + Don't abuse a laborer who is destitute and needy, whether he is a fellow Israelite living in your land and in your city. + Pay him at the end of each workday; he's living from hand to mouth and needs it now. If you hold back his pay, he'll protest to GOD and you'll have sin on your books. + Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their parents. Each person shall be put to death for his own sin. + Make sure foreigners and orphans get their just rights. Don't take the cloak of a widow as security for a loan. + Don't ever forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and GOD, your God, got you out of there. I command you: Do what I'm telling you. + When you harvest your grain and forget a sheaf back in the field, don't go back and get it; leave it for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow so that GOD, your God, will bless you in all your work. + When you shake the olives off your trees, don't go back over the branches and strip them bare--what's left is for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. + And when you cut the grapes in your vineyard, don't take every last grape--leave a few for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. + Don't ever forget that you were a slave in Egypt. I command you: Do what I'm telling you. + + + When men have a legal dispute, let them go to court; the judges will decide between them, declaring one innocent and the other guilty. + If the guilty one deserves punishment, the judge will have him prostrate himself before him and lashed as many times as his crime deserves, + but not more than forty. If you hit him more than forty times, you will degrade him to something less than human. + Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing. + When brothers are living together and one of them dies without having had a son, the widow of the dead brother shall not marry a stranger from outside the family; her husband's brother is to come to her and marry her and do the brother-in-law's duty by her. + The first son that she bears shall be named after her dead husband so his name won't die out in Israel. + But if the brother doesn't want to marry his sister-in-law, she is to go to the leaders at the city gate and say, "My brother-in-law refuses to keep his brother's name alive in Israel; he won't agree to do the brother-in-law's duty by me." + Then the leaders will call for the brother and confront him. If he stands there defiant and says, "I don't want her," + his sister-in-law is to pull his sandal off his foot, spit in his face, and say, "This is what happens to the man who refuses to build up the family of his brother-- + his name in Israel will be Family-No-Sandal." + When two men are in a fight and the wife of the one man, trying to rescue her husband, grabs the genitals of the man hitting him, + you are to cut off her hand. Show no pity. + Don't carry around with you two weights, one heavy and the other light, + and don't keep two measures at hand, one large and the other small. + Use only one weight, a true and honest weight, and one measure, a true and honest measure, so that you will live a long time on the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. + Dishonest weights and measures are an abomination to GOD, your God--all this corruption in business deals! + Don't forget what Amalek did to you on the road after you left Egypt, + how he attacked you when you were tired, barely able to put one foot in front of another, mercilessly cut off your stragglers, and had no regard for God. + When GOD, your God, gives you rest from all the enemies that surround you in the inheritance-land GOD, your God, is giving you to possess, you are to wipe the name of Amalek from off the Earth. Don't forget! + + + Once you enter the land that GOD, your God, is giving you as an inheritance and take it over and settle down, + you are to take some of all the firstfruits of what you grow in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you, put them in a basket and go to the place GOD, your God, sets apart for you to worship him. + At that time, go to the priest who is there and say, "I announce to GOD, your God, today that I have entered the land that GOD promised our ancestors that he'd give to us." + The priest will take the basket from you and place it on the Altar of GOD, your God. + And there in the Presence of GOD, your God, you will recite, A wandering Aramean was my father, he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, he and just a handful of his brothers at first, but soon they became a great nation, mighty and many. + The Egyptians abused and battered us, in a cruel and savage slavery. + We cried out to GOD, the God-of-Our-Fathers: He listened to our voice, he saw our destitution, our trouble, our cruel plight. + And GOD took us out of Egypt with his strong hand and long arm, terrible and great, with signs and miracle-wonders. + And he brought us to this place, gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. + So here I am. I've brought the firstfruits of what I've grown on this ground you gave me, O GOD. Then place it in the Presence of GOD, your God. Prostrate yourselves in the Presence of GOD, your God. + And rejoice! Celebrate all the good things that GOD, your God, has given you and your family; you and the Levite and the foreigner who lives with you. + Every third year, the year of the tithe, give a tenth of your produce to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow so that they may eat their fill in your cities. + And then, in the Presence of GOD, your God, say this: I have brought the sacred share, I've given it to the Levite, foreigner, orphan, and widow. What you commanded, I've done. I haven't detoured around your commands, I haven't forgotten a single one. + I haven't eaten from the sacred share while mourning, I haven't removed any of it while ritually unclean, I haven't used it in funeral feasts. I have listened obediently to the Voice of GOD, my God, I have lived the way you commanded me. + Look down from your holy house in Heaven! Bless your people Israel and the ground you gave us, just as you promised our ancestors you would, this land flowing with milk and honey. + This very day GOD, your God, commands you to follow these rules and regulations, to live them out with everything you have in you. + You've renewed your vows today that GOD is your God, that you'll live the way he shows you; do what he tells you in the rules, regulations, and commandments; and listen obediently to him. + And today GOD has reaffirmed that you are dearly held treasure just as he promised, a people entrusted with keeping his commandments, + a people set high above all other nations that he's made, high in praise, fame, and honor: you're a people holy to GOD, your God. That's what he has promised. + + + Moses commanded the leaders of Israel and charged the people: Keep every commandment that I command you today. + On the day you cross the Jordan into the land that GOD, your God, is giving you, erect large stones and coat them with plaster. + As soon as you cross over the river, write on the stones all the words of this Revelation so that you'll enter the land that GOD, your God, is giving you, that land flowing with milk and honey that GOD, the God-of-Your-Fathers, promised you. + So when you've crossed the Jordan, erect these stones on Mount Ebal. Then coat them with plaster. + Build an Altar of stones for GOD, your God, there on the mountain. Don't use an iron tool on the stones; + build the Altar to GOD, your God, with uncut stones and offer your Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it to GOD, your God. + When you sacrifice your Peace-Offerings you will also eat them there, rejoicing in the Presence of GOD, your God. + Write all the words of this Revelation on the stones. Incise them sharply. + Moses and the Levitical priests addressed all Israel: Quiet. Listen obediently, Israel. This very day you have become the people of GOD, your God. + Listen to the Voice of GOD, your God. Keep his commandments and regulations that I'm commanding you today. + That day Moses commanded: + After you've crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. + And these will stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. + The Levites, acting as spokesmen and speaking loudly, will address Israel: + GOD's curse on anyone who carves or casts a god-image--an abomination to GOD made by a craftsman--and sets it up in secret. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who demeans a parent. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who moves his neighbor's boundary marker. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who misdirects a blind man on the road. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who interferes with justice due the foreigner, orphan, or widow. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who has sex with his father's wife; he has violated the woman who belongs to his father. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who has sex with an animal. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who has sex with his sister, the daughter of his father or mother. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who has sex with his mother-in-law. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who kills his neighbor in secret. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on anyone who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + GOD's curse on whoever does not give substance to the words of this Revelation by living them. All respond: Yes. Absolutely. + + + If you listen obediently to the Voice of GOD, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, GOD, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. + All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of GOD, your God: + GOD's blessing inside the city, GOD's blessing in the country; + GOD's blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. + GOD's blessing on your basket and bread bowl; + GOD's blessing in your coming in, GOD's blessing in your going out. + GOD will defeat your enemies who attack you. They'll come at you on one road and run away on seven roads. + GOD will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; he'll bless you in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. + GOD will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of GOD, your God, and live the way he has shown you. + All the peoples on Earth will see you living under the Name of GOD and hold you in respectful awe. + GOD will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that GOD promised your ancestors that he would give you. + GOD will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself won't have to take out a loan. + GOD will make you the head, not the tail; you'll always be the top dog, never the bottom dog, as you obediently listen to and diligently keep the commands of GOD, your God, that I am commanding you today. + Don't swerve an inch to the right or left from the words that I command you today by going off following and worshiping other gods. + Here's what will happen if you don't obediently listen to the Voice of GOD, your God, and diligently keep all the commandments and guidelines that I'm commanding you today. All these curses will come down hard on you: + GOD's curse in the city, GOD's curse in the country; + GOD's curse on your basket and bread bowl; + GOD's curse on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. + GOD's curse in your coming in, GOD's curse in your going out. + GOD will send The Curse, The Confusion, The Contrariness down on everything you try to do until you've been destroyed and there's nothing left of you--all because of your evil pursuits that led you to abandon me. + GOD will infect you with The Disease, wiping you right off the land that you're going in to possess. + GOD will set consumption and fever and rash and seizures and dehydration and blight and jaundice on you. They'll hunt you down until they kill you. + The sky over your head will become an iron roof, the ground under your feet, a slab of concrete. + From out of the skies GOD will rain ash and dust down on you until you suffocate. + GOD will defeat you by enemy attack. You'll come at your enemies on one road and run away on seven roads. All the kingdoms of Earth will see you as a horror. + Carrion birds and animals will boldly feast on your dead body with no one to chase them away. + GOD will hit you hard with the boils of Egypt, hemorrhoids, scabs, and an incurable itch. + He'll make you go crazy and blind and senile. + You'll grope around in the middle of the day like a blind person feeling his way through a lifetime of darkness; you'll never get to where you're going. Not a day will go by that you're not abused and robbed. And no one is going to help you. + You'll get engaged to a woman and another man will take her for his mistress; you'll build a house and never live in it; you'll plant a garden and never eat so much as a carrot; + you'll watch your ox get butchered and not get a single steak from it; your donkey will be stolen from in front of you and you'll never see it again; your sheep will be sent off to your enemies and no one will lift a hand to help you. + Your sons and daughters will be shipped off to foreigners; you'll wear your eyes out looking vainly for them, helpless to do a thing. + Your crops and everything you work for will be eaten and used by foreigners; you'll spend the rest of your lives abused and knocked around. + What you see will drive you crazy. + GOD will hit you with painful boils on your knees and legs and no healing or relief from head to foot. + GOD will lead you and the king you set over you to a country neither you nor your ancestors have heard of; there you'll worship other gods, no-gods of wood and stone. + Among all the peoples where GOD will take you, you'll be treated as a lesson or a proverb--a horror! + You'll plant sacks and sacks of seed in the field but get almost nothing--the grasshoppers will devour it. + You'll plant and hoe and prune vineyards but won't drink or put up any wine--the worms will devour them. + You'll have groves of olive trees everywhere, but you'll have no oil to rub on your face or hands--the olives will have fallen off. + You'll have sons and daughters but they won't be yours for long--they'll go off to captivity. + Locusts will take over all your trees and crops. + The foreigner who lives among you will climb the ladder, higher and higher, while you go deeper and deeper into the hole. + He'll lend to you; you won't lend to him. He'll be the head; you'll be the tail. + All these curses are going to come on you. They're going to hunt you down and get you until there's nothing left of you because you didn't obediently listen to the Voice of GOD, your God, and diligently keep his commandments and guidelines that I commanded you. + The curses will serve as signposts, warnings to your children ever after. + Because you didn't serve GOD, your God, out of the joy and goodness of your heart in the great abundance, + you'll have to serve your enemies whom GOD will send against you. Life will be famine and drought, rags and wretchedness; then he'll put an iron yoke on your neck until he's destroyed you. + Yes, GOD will raise up a faraway nation against you, swooping down on you like an eagle, a nation whose language you can't understand, + a mean-faced people, cruel to grandmothers and babies alike. + They'll ravage the young of your animals and the crops from your fields until you're destroyed. They'll leave nothing behind: no grain, no wine, no oil, no calves, no lambs--and finally, no you. + They'll lay siege to you while you're huddled behind your town gates. They'll knock those high, proud walls flat, those walls behind which you felt so safe. They'll lay siege to your fortified cities all over the country, this country that GOD, your God, has given you. + And you'll end up cannibalizing your own sons and daughters that GOD, your God, has given you. When the suffering from the siege gets extreme, you're going to eat your own babies. + The most gentle and caring man among you will turn hard, his eye evil, against his own brother, his cherished wife, and even the rest of his children who are still alive, + refusing to share with them a scrap of meat from the cannibal child-stew he is eating. He's lost everything, even his humanity, in the suffering of the siege that your enemy mounts against your fortified towns. + And the most gentle and caring woman among you, a woman who wouldn't step on a wildflower, will turn hard, her eye evil, against her cherished husband, against her son, against her daughter, + against even the afterbirth of her newborn infants; she plans to eat them in secret--she does eat them!--because she has lost everything, even her humanity, in the suffering of the siege that your enemy mounts against your fortified towns. + If you don't diligently keep all the words of this Revelation written in this book, living in holy awe before This Name glorious and terrible, GOD, your God, + then GOD will pound you with catastrophes, you and your children, huge interminable catastrophes, hideous interminable illnesses. + He'll bring back and stick you with every old Egyptian malady that once terrorized you. + And yes, every disease and catastrophe imaginable--things not even written in the Book of this Revelation--GOD will bring on you until you're destroyed. + Because you didn't listen obediently to the Voice of GOD, your God, you'll be left with a few pitiful stragglers in place of the dazzling stars-in-the-heavens multitude you had become. + And this is how things will end up: Just as GOD once enjoyed you, took pleasure in making life good for you, giving you many children, so GOD will enjoy getting rid of you, clearing you off the Earth. He'll weed you out of the very soil that you are entering in to possess. + He'll scatter you to the four winds, from one end of the Earth to the other. You'll worship all kinds of other gods, gods neither you nor your parents ever heard of, wood and stone no-gods. + But you won't find a home there, you'll not be able to settle down. GOD will give you a restless heart, longing eyes, a homesick soul. + You will live in constant jeopardy, terrified of every shadow, never knowing what you'll meet around the next corner. + In the morning you'll say, "I wish it were evening." In the evening you'll say, "I wish it were morning." Afraid, terrorized at what's coming next, afraid of the unknown, because of the sights you've witnessed. + GOD will ship you back to Egypt by a road I promised you'd never see again. There you'll offer yourselves for sale, both men and women, as slaves to your enemies. And not a buyer to be found. + + + These are the terms of the Covenant that GOD commanded Moses to make with the People of Israel in the land of Moab, renewing the Covenant he made with them at Horeb. + Moses called all Israel together and said, You've seen with your own eyes everything that GOD did in Egypt to Pharaoh and his servants, and to the land itself-- + the massive trials to which you were eyewitnesses, the great signs and miracle-wonders. + But GOD didn't give you an understanding heart or perceptive eyes or attentive ears until right now, this very day. + I took you through the wilderness for forty years and through all that time the clothes on your backs didn't wear out, the sandals on your feet didn't wear out, + and you lived well without bread and wine and beer, proving to you that I am in fact GOD, your God. + When you arrived here in this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan met us primed for war but we beat them. + We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + Diligently keep the words of this Covenant. Do what they say so that you will live well and wisely in every detail. + You are all standing here today in the Presence of GOD, your God--the heads of your tribes, your leaders, your officials, all Israel: + your babies, your wives, the resident foreigners in your camps who fetch your firewood and water-- + ready to cross over into the solemnly sworn Covenant that GOD, your God, is making with you today, + the Covenant that this day confirms that you are his people and he is GOD, your God, just as he promised you and your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + I'm not making this Covenant and its oath with you alone. + I am making it with you who are standing here today in the Presence of GOD, our God, yes, but also with those who are not here today. + You know the conditions in which we lived in Egypt and how we crisscrossed through nations in our travels. + You got an eyeful of their obscenities, their wood and stone, silver and gold junk-gods. + Don't let down your guard lest even now, today, someone--man or woman, clan or tribe--gets sidetracked from GOD, our God, and gets involved with the no-gods of the nations; lest some poisonous weed sprout and spread among you, + a person who hears the words of the Covenant-oath but exempts himself, thinking, "I'll live just the way I please, thank you," and ends up ruining life for everybody. + GOD won't let him off the hook. GOD's anger and jealousy will erupt like a volcano against that person. The curses written in this book will bury him. GOD will delete his name from the records. + GOD will separate him out from all the tribes of Israel for special punishment, according to all the curses of the Covenant written in this Book of Revelation. + The next generation, your children who come after you and the foreigner who comes from a far country, will be appalled when they see the widespread devastation, how GOD made the whole land sick. + They'll see a fire-blackened wasteland of brimstone and salt flats, nothing planted, nothing growing, not so much as a blade of grass anywhere--like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which GOD overthrew in fiery rage. + All the nations will ask, "Why did GOD do this to this country? What on earth could have made him this angry?" + Your children will answer, "Because they abandoned the Covenant of the GOD of their ancestors that he made with them after he got them out of Egypt; + they went off and worshiped other gods, submitted to gods they'd never heard of before, gods they had no business dealing with. + So GOD's anger erupted against that land and all the curses written in this book came down on it. + GOD, furiously angry, pulled them, roots and all, out of their land and dumped them in another country, as you can see." + GOD, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation. + + + Here's what will happen. While you're out among the nations where GOD has dispersed you and the blessings and curses come in just the way I have set them before you, and you and your children take them seriously + and come back to GOD, your God, and obey him with your whole heart and soul according to everything that I command you today, + GOD, your God, will restore everything you lost; he'll have compassion on you; he'll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered. + No matter how far away you end up, GOD, your God, will get you out of there + and bring you back to the land your ancestors once possessed. It will be yours again. He will give you a good life and make you more numerous than your ancestors. + GOD, your God, will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children's hearts, freeing you to love GOD, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live, really live. + GOD, your God, will put all these curses on your enemies who hated you and were out to get you. + And you will make a new start, listening obediently to GOD, keeping all his commandments that I'm commanding you today. + GOD, your God, will outdo himself in making things go well for you: you'll have babies, get calves, grow crops, and enjoy an all-around good life. Yes, GOD will start enjoying you again, making things go well for you just as he enjoyed doing it for your ancestors. + But only if you listen obediently to GOD, your God, and keep the commandments and regulations written in this Book of Revelation. Nothing halfhearted here; you must return to GOD, your God, totally, heart and soul, holding nothing back. + This commandment that I'm commanding you today isn't too much for you, it's not out of your reach. + It's not on a high mountain--you don't have to get mountaineers to climb the peak and bring it down to your level and explain it before you can live it. + And it's not across the ocean--you don't have to send sailors out to get it, bring it back, and then explain it before you can live it. + No. The word is right here and now--as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest. Just do it! + Look at what I've done for you today: I've placed in front of you Life and Good, Death and Evil. + And I command you today: Love GOD, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by GOD, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess. + But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, + you will most certainly die. You won't last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. + I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. + And love GOD, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that GOD, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + + + Moses went on and addressed these words to all Israel. + He said, "I'm 120 years old today. I can't get about as I used to. And GOD told me, 'You're not going to cross this Jordan River.' + "GOD, your God, will cross the river ahead of you and destroy the nations in your path so that you may dispossess them. (And Joshua will cross the river before you, as GOD said he would.) + GOD will give the nations the same treatment he gave the kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, and their land; he'll destroy them. + GOD will hand the nations over to you, and you'll treat them exactly as I have commanded you. + "Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you." + Then Moses summoned Joshua. He said to him with all Israel watching, "Be strong. Take courage. You will enter the land with this people, this land that GOD promised their ancestors that he'd give them. You will make them the proud possessors of it. + GOD is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you. Don't be intimidated. Don't worry." + Moses wrote out this Revelation and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, and to all the leaders of Israel. + And he gave these orders: "At the end of every seven years, the Year-All-Debts-Are-Canceled, during the pilgrim Festival of Booths + when everyone in Israel comes to appear in the Presence of GOD, your God, at the place he designates, read out this Revelation to all Israel, with everyone listening. + Gather the people together--men, women, children, and the foreigners living among you--so they can listen well, so they may learn to live in holy awe before GOD, your God, and diligently keep everything in this Revelation. + And do this so that their children, who don't yet know all this, will also listen and learn to live in holy awe before GOD, your God, for as long as you live on the land that you are crossing over the Jordan to possess." + GOD spoke to Moses: "You are about to die. So call Joshua. Meet me in the Tent of Meeting so that I can commission him." So Moses and Joshua went and stationed themselves in the Tent of Meeting. + GOD appeared in the Tent in a Pillar of Cloud. The Cloud was near the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + GOD spoke to Moses: "You're about to die and be buried with your ancestors. You'll no sooner be in the grave than this people will be up and whoring after the foreign gods of this country that they are entering. They will abandon me and violate my Covenant that I've made with them. + I'll get angry, oh so angry! I'll walk off and leave them on their own, won't so much as look back at them. Then many calamities and disasters will devastate them because they are defenseless. They'll say, 'Isn't it because our God wasn't here that all this evil has come upon us?' + But I'll stay out of their lives, keep looking the other way because of all their evil: they took up with other gods! + "But for right now, copy down this song and teach the People of Israel to sing it by heart. They'll have it then as my witness against them. + When I bring them into the land that I promised to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they eat and become full and get fat and then begin fooling around with other gods and worshiping them, + and then things start falling apart, many terrible things happening, this song will be there with them as a witness to who they are and what went wrong. Their children won't forget this song; they'll be singing it. Don't think I don't know what they are already scheming to do, and they're not even in the land yet, this land I promised them." + So Moses wrote down this song that very day and taught it to the People of Israel. + Then GOD commanded Joshua son of Nun saying, "Be strong. Take courage. You will lead the People of Israel into the land I promised to give them. And I'll be right there with you." + After Moses had finished writing down the words of this Revelation in a book, right down to the last word, + he ordered the Levites who were responsible for carrying the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, saying, + "Take this Book of Revelation and place it alongside the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, your God. Keep it there as a witness. + "I know what rebels you are, how stubborn and willful you can be. Even today, while I'm still alive and present with you, you're rebellious against GOD. How much worse when I've died! + So gather the leaders of the tribes and the officials here. I have something I need to say directly to them with Heaven and Earth as witnesses. + I know that after I die you're going to make a mess of things, abandoning the way I commanded, inviting all kinds of evil consequences in the days ahead. You're determined to do evil in defiance of GOD--I know you are--deliberately provoking his anger by what you do." + So with everyone in Israel gathered and listening, Moses taught them the words of this song, from start to finish. + + + Listen, Heavens, I have something to tell you. Attention, Earth, I've got a mouth full of words. + My teaching, let it fall like a gentle rain, my words arrive like morning dew, Like a sprinkling rain on new grass, like spring showers on the garden. + For it's GOD's Name I'm preaching-- respond to the greatness of our God! + The Rock: His works are perfect, and the way he works is fair and just; A God you can depend upon, no exceptions, a straight-arrow God. + His messed-up, mixed-up children, his non-children, throw mud at him but none of it sticks. + Don't you realize it is GOD you are treating like this? This is crazy; don't you have any sense of reverence? Isn't this your father who created you, who made you and gave you a place on Earth? + Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. Ask your parents what it was like before you were born; ask the old-ones, they'll tell you a thing or two. + When the High God gave the nations their stake, gave them their place on Earth, He put each of the peoples within boundaries under the care of divine guardians. + But GOD himself took charge of his people, took Jacob on as his personal concern. + He found him out in the wilderness, in an empty, windswept wasteland. He threw his arms around him, lavished attention on him, guarding him as the apple of his eye. + He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, Then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air, teaching them to fly. + GOD alone led him; there was not a foreign god in sight. + GOD lifted him on to the hilltops, so he could feast on the crops in the fields. He fed him honey from the rock, oil from granite crags, + Curds of cattle and the milk of sheep, the choice cuts of lambs and goats, Fine Bashan rams, high-quality wheat, and the blood of grapes: you drank good wine! + Jeshurun put on weight and bucked; you got fat, became obese, a tub of lard. He abandoned the God who made him, he mocked the Rock of his salvation. + They made him jealous with their foreign newfangled gods, and with obscenities they vexed him no end. + They sacrificed to no-god demons, gods they knew nothing about, The latest in gods, fresh from the market, gods your ancestors would never call "gods." + You walked out on the Rock who gave you your life, forgot the birth-God who brought you into the world. + GOD saw it and turned on his heel, angered and hurt by his sons and daughters. + He said, "From now on I'm looking the other way. Wait and see what happens to them. Oh, they're a turned-around, upside-down generation! Who knows what they'll do from one moment to the next? + They've goaded me with their no-gods, infuriated me with their hot-air gods; I'm going to goad them with a no-people, with a hollow nation incense them. + My anger started a fire, a wildfire burning deep down in Sheol, Then shooting up and devouring the Earth and its crops, setting all the mountains, from bottom to top, on fire. + I'll pile catastrophes on them, I'll shoot my arrows at them: + Starvation, blistering heat, killing disease; I'll send snarling wild animals to attack from the forest and venomous creatures to strike from the dust. + Killing in the streets, terror in the houses, Young men and virgins alike struck down, and yes, breast-feeding babies and gray-haired old men." + I could have said, "I'll hack them to pieces, wipe out all trace of them from the Earth," + Except that I feared the enemy would grab the chance to take credit for all of it, Crowing, "Look what we did! GOD had nothing to do with this." + They are a nation of ninnies, they don't know enough to come in out of the rain. + If they had any sense at all, they'd know this; they would see what's coming down the road. + How could one soldier chase a thousand enemies off, or two men run off two thousand, Unless their Rock had sold them, unless GOD had given them away? + For their rock is nothing compared to our Rock; even our enemies say that. + They're a vine that comes right out of Sodom, who they are is rooted in Gomorrah; Their grapes are poison grapes, their grape-clusters bitter. + Their wine is rattlesnake venom, mixed with lethal cobra poison. + Don't you realize that I have my shelves well stocked, locked behind iron doors? + I'm in charge of vengeance and payback, just waiting for them to slip up; And the day of their doom is just around the corner, sudden and swift and sure. + Yes, GOD will judge his people, but oh how compassionately he'll do it. When he sees their weakened plight and there is no one left, slave or free, + He'll say, "So where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge, + The gods who feasted on the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink-offerings? Let them show their stuff and help you, let them give you a hand! + "Do you see it now? Do you see that I'm the one? Do you see that there's no other god beside me? I bring death and I give life, I wound and I heal-- there is no getting away from or around me! + I raise my hand in solemn oath; I say, 'I'm always around. By that very life I promise: + When I sharpen my lightning sword and execute judgment, I take vengeance on my enemies and pay back those who hate me. + I'll make my arrows drunk with blood, my sword will gorge itself on flesh, Feasting on slain and captive alike, the proud and vain enemy corpses.'" + Celebrate, nations, join the praise of his people. He avenges the deaths of his servants, Pays back his enemies with vengeance, and cleanses his land for his people. + Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua son of Nun. + When Moses had finished saying all these words to all Israel, + he said, "Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your children to put them into practice, every single word of this Revelation. + Yes. This is no small matter for you; it's your life. In keeping this word you'll have a good and long life in this land that you're crossing the Jordan to possess." + That same day GOD spoke to Moses: + "Climb the Abarim Mountains to Mount Nebo in the land of Moab, overlooking Jericho, and view the land of Canaan that I'm giving the People of Israel to have and hold. + Die on the mountain that you climb and join your people in the ground, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and joined his people. + "This is because you broke faith with me in the company of the People of Israel at the Waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin--you didn't honor my Holy Presence in the company of the People of Israel. + You'll look at the land spread out before you but you won't enter it, this land that I am giving to the People of Israel." + + + Moses, man of God, blessed the People of Israel with this blessing before his death. + He said, GOD came down from Sinai, he dawned from Seir upon them; He radiated light from Mount Paran, coming with ten thousand holy angels And tongues of fire streaming from his right hand. + Oh, how you love the people, all his holy ones are palmed in your left hand. They sit at your feet, honoring your teaching, + The Revelation commanded by Moses, as the assembly of Jacob's inheritance. + Thus GOD became king in Jeshurun as the leaders and tribes of Israel gathered. + Reuben: "Let Reuben live and not die, but just barely, in diminishing numbers." + Judah: "Listen, GOD, to the Voice of Judah, bring him to his people; Strengthen his grip, be his helper against his foes." + Levi: "Let your Thummim and Urim belong to your loyal saint; The one you tested at Massah, whom you fought with at the Waters of Meribah, + Who said of his father and mother, 'I no longer recognize them.' He turned his back on his brothers and neglected his children, Because he was guarding your sayings and watching over your Covenant. + Let him teach your rules to Jacob and your Revelation to Israel, Let him keep the incense rising to your nostrils and the Whole-Burnt-Offerings on your Altar. + GOD bless his commitment, stamp your seal of approval on what he does; Disable the loins of those who defy him, make sure we've heard the last from those who hate him." + Benjamin: "GOD's beloved; GOD's permanent residence. Encircled by GOD all day long, within whom GOD is at home." + Joseph: "Blessed by GOD be his land: The best fresh dew from high heaven, and fountains springing from the depths; + The best radiance streaming from the sun and the best the moon has to offer; + Beauty pouring off the tops of the mountains and the best from the everlasting hills; + The best of Earth's exuberant gifts, the smile of the Burning-Bush Dweller. All this on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the consecrated one among his brothers. + In splendor he's like a firstborn bull, his horns the horns of a wild ox; He'll gore the nations with those horns, push them all to the ends of the Earth. Ephraim by the ten thousands will do this, Manasseh by the thousands will do this." + Zebulun and Issachar: "Celebrate, Zebulun, as you go out, and Issachar, as you stay home. + They'll invite people to the Mountain and offer sacrifices of right worship, For they will have hauled riches in from the sea and gleaned treasures from the beaches." + Gad: "Blessed is he who makes Gad large. Gad roams like a lion, tears off an arm, rips open a skull. + He took one look and grabbed the best place for himself, the portion just made for someone in charge. He took his place at the head, carried out GOD's right ways and his rules for life in Israel." + Dan: "Dan is a lion's cub leaping out of Bashan." + Naphtali: "Naphtali brims with blessings, spills over with GOD's blessings As he takes possession of the sea and southland." + Asher: "Asher, best blessed of the sons! May he be the favorite of his brothers, his feet massaged in oil. + Safe behind iron-clad doors and gates, your strength like iron as long as you live." + There is none like God, Jeshurun, riding to your rescue through the skies, his dignity haloed by clouds. + The ancient God is home on a foundation of everlasting arms. He drove out the enemy before you and commanded, "Destroy!" + Israel lived securely, the fountain of Jacob undisturbed In grain and wine country and, oh yes, his heavens drip dew. + Lucky Israel! Who has it as good as you? A people saved by GOD! The Shield who defends you, the Sword who brings triumph. Your enemies will come crawling on their bellies and you'll march on their backs. + + + Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah facing Jericho. GOD showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, + all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh; all Judah reaching to the Mediterranean Sea; + the Negev and the plains which encircle Jericho, City of Palms, as far south as Zoar. + Then and there GOD said to him, "This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words 'I will give it to your descendants.' I've let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you're not going to go in." + Moses died there in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of GOD, just as GOD said. + God buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor. No one knows his burial site to this very day. + Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight was sharp; he still walked with a spring in his step. + The People of Israel wept for Moses in the Plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. + Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. The People of Israel listened obediently to him and did the same as when GOD had commanded Moses. + No prophet has risen since in Israel like Moses, whom GOD knew face-to-face. + Never since has there been anything like the signs and miracle-wonders that GOD sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land-- + nothing to compare with that all-powerful hand of his and all the great and terrible things Moses did as every eye in Israel watched. + + + + + After the death of Moses the servant of GOD, GOD spoke to Joshua, Moses' assistant: + "Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I'm giving to the People of Israel. + I'm giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on--just as I promised Moses. + From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River--all the Hittite country--and then west to the Great Sea. It's all yours. + All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I'll be with you. I won't give up on you; I won't leave you. + Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. + Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. + And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. + Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take." + Then Joshua gave orders to the people's leaders: + "Go through the camp and give this order to the people: 'Pack your bags. In three days you will cross this Jordan River to enter and take the land GOD, your God, is giving you to possess.'" + Then Joshua addressed the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He said, + "Remember what Moses the servant of GOD commanded you: GOD, your God, gives you rest and he gives you this land. + Your wives, your children, and your livestock can stay here east of the Jordan, the country Moses gave you; but you, tough soldiers all, must cross the River in battle formation, leading your brothers, helping them + until GOD, your God, gives your brothers a place of rest just as he has done for you. They also will take possession of the land that GOD, your God, is giving them. Then you will be free to return to your possession, given to you by Moses the servant of GOD, across the Jordan to the east." + They answered Joshua: "Everything you commanded us, we'll do. Wherever you send us, we'll go. + We obeyed Moses to the letter; we'll also obey you--we just pray that GOD, your God, will be with you as he was with Moses. + Anyone who questions what you say and refuses to obey whatever you command him will be put to death. Strength! Courage!"^ + + + Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies: "Go. Look over the land. Check out Jericho." They left and arrived at the house of a harlot named Rahab and stayed there. + The king of Jericho was told, "We've just learned that men arrived tonight to spy out the land. They're from the People of Israel." + The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you to stay the night in your house. They're spies; they've come to spy out the whole country." + The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, two men did come to me, but I didn't know where they'd come from. + At dark, when the gate was about to be shut, the men left. But I have no idea where they went. Hurry up! Chase them--you can still catch them!" + (She had actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that were spread out for her on the roof.) + So the men set chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut. + Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof + and said, "I know that GOD has given you the land. We're all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. + We heard how GOD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. + We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and GOD, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below. + "Now promise me by GOD. I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee + of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters--everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!" + "Our lives for yours!" said the men. "But don't tell anyone our business. When GOD turns this land over to us, we'll do right by you in loyal mercy." + She lowered them down out a window with a rope because her house was on the city wall to the outside. + She told them, "Run for the hills so your pursuers won't find you. Hide out for three days and give your pursuers time to return. Then get on your way." + The men told her, "In order to keep this oath you made us swear, + here is what you must do: Hang this red rope out the window through which you let us down and gather your entire family with you in your house--father, mother, brothers, and sisters. + Anyone who goes out the doors of your house into the street and is killed, it's his own fault--we aren't responsible. But for everyone within the house we take full responsibility. If anyone lays a hand on one of them, it's our fault. + But if you tell anyone of our business here, the oath you made us swear is canceled--we're no longer responsible." + She said, "If that's what you say, that's the way it is," and sent them off. They left and she hung the red rope out the window. + They headed for the hills and stayed there for three days until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had looked high and low but found nothing. + The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences. + They told Joshua, "Yes! GOD has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us." + + + Joshua was up early and on his way from Shittim with all the People of Israel with him. He arrived at the Jordan and camped before crossing over. + After three days, leaders went through the camp + and gave out orders to the people: "When you see the Covenant-Chest of GOD, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. + Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile--be sure now to keep your distance!--and you'll see clearly the route to take. You've never been on this road before." + Then Joshua addressed the people: "Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow GOD will work miracle-wonders among you." + Joshua instructed the priests, "Take up the Chest of the Covenant and step out before the people." So they took it up and processed before the people. + GOD said to Joshua, "This very day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel. They'll see for themselves that I'm with you in the same way that I was with Moses. + You will command the priests who are carrying the Chest of the Covenant: 'When you come to the edge of the Jordan's waters, stand there on the river bank.'" + Then Joshua addressed the People of Israel: "Attention! Listen to what GOD, your God, has to say. + This is how you'll know that God is alive among you--he will completely dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. + Look at what's before you: the Chest of the Covenant. Think of it--the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch. + Now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. + When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Chest of GOD, Master of all the earth, touch the Jordan's water, the flow of water will be stopped--the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap." + And that's what happened. The people left their tents to cross the Jordan, led by the priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant. + When the priests got to the Jordan and their feet touched the water at the edge (the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest), + the flow of water stopped. It piled up in a heap--a long way off--at Adam, which is near Zarethan. The river went dry all the way down to the Arabah Sea (the Salt Sea). And the people crossed, facing Jericho. + And there they stood; those priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant stood firmly planted on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground. Finally the whole nation was across the Jordan, and not one wet foot. + + + When the whole nation was finally across, GOD spoke to Joshua: + "Select twelve men from the people, a man from each tribe, + and tell them, 'From right here, the middle of the Jordan where the feet of the priests are standing firm, take twelve stones. Carry them across with you and set them down in the place where you camp tonight.'" + Joshua called out the twelve men whom he selected from the People of Israel, one man from each tribe. + Joshua directed them, "Cross to the middle of the Jordan and take your place in front of the Chest of GOD, your God. Each of you heft a stone to your shoulder, a stone for each of the tribes of the People of Israel, + so you'll have something later to mark the occasion. When your children ask you, 'What are these stones to you?' + you'll say, 'The flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest of the Covenant of GOD as it crossed the Jordan--stopped in its tracks. These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.'" + The People of Israel did exactly as Joshua commanded: They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan--a stone for each of the twelve tribes, just as GOD had instructed Joshua--carried them across with them to the camp, and set them down there. + Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan that had marked the place where the priests who carried the Chest of the Covenant had stood. They are still there today. + The priests carrying the Chest continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything GOD had instructed Joshua to tell the people to do was done (confirming what Moses had instructed Joshua). The people crossed; no one dawdled. + When the crossing of all the people was complete, they watched as the Chest of the Covenant and the priests crossed over. + The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had crossed over in battle formation in front of the People of Israel, obedient to Moses' instructions. + All told, about 40,000 armed soldiers crossed over before GOD to the plains of Jericho, ready for battle. + GOD made Joshua great that day in the sight of all Israel. They were in awe of him just as they had been in awe of Moses all his life. + GOD told Joshua, + "Command the priests carrying the Chest of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan." + Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." + They did it. The priests carrying GOD's Chest of the Covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan. As soon as the soles of the priests' feet touched dry land, the Jordan's waters resumed their flow within the banks, just as before. + The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. They set up camp at The Gilgal (The Circle) to the east of Jericho. + Joshua erected a monument at The Gilgal, using the twelve stones that they had taken from the Jordan. + And then he told the People of Israel, "In the days to come, when your children ask their fathers, 'What are these stones doing here?' + tell your children this: 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry ground.' + "Yes, GOD, your God, dried up the Jordan's waters for you until you had crossed, just as GOD, your God, did at the Red Sea, which had dried up before us until we had crossed. + This was so that everybody on earth would recognize how strong GOD's rescuing hand is and so that you would hold GOD in solemn reverence always." + + + When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and the Canaanite kings along the seacoast heard how GOD had stopped the Jordan River before the People of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts sank; the courage drained out of them just thinking about the People of Israel. + At that time GOD said to Joshua, "Make stone knives and circumcise the People of Israel a second time." + So Joshua made stone knives and circumcised the People of Israel at Foreskins Hill. + This is why Joshua conducted the circumcision. All the males who had left Egypt, the soldiers, had died in the wilderness on the journey out of Egypt. + All the people who had come out of Egypt, of course, had been circumcised, but all those born in the wilderness along the way since leaving Egypt had not been. + The fact is that the People of Israel had walked through that wilderness for forty years until the entire nation died out, all the men of military age who had come out of Egypt but had disobeyed the call of GOD. GOD vowed that these would never lay eyes on the land GOD had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. + But their children had replaced them. These are the ones Joshua circumcised. They had never been circumcised; no one had circumcised them along the way. + When they had completed the circumcising of the whole nation, they stayed where they were in camp until they were healed. + GOD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt." That's why the place is called The Gilgal. It's still called that. + The People of Israel continued to camp at The Gilgal. They celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho. + Right away, the day after the Passover, they started eating the produce of that country, unraised bread and roasted grain. + And then no more manna; the manna stopped. As soon as they started eating food grown in the land, there was no more manna for the People of Israel. That year they ate from the crops of Canaan. + And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, "Whose side are you on--ours or our enemies'?" + He said, "Neither. I'm commander of GOD's army. I've just arrived." Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, "What orders does my Master have for his servant?" + GOD's army commander ordered Joshua, "Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy." Joshua did it. + + + Jericho was shut up tight as a drum because of the People of Israel: no one going in, no one coming out. + GOD spoke to Joshua, "Look sharp now. I've already given Jericho to you, along with its king and its crack troops. + Here's what you are to do: March around the city, all your soldiers. Circle the city once. Repeat this for six days. + Have seven priests carry seven ram's horn trumpets in front of the Chest. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, the priests blowing away on the trumpets. + And then, a long blast on the ram's horn--when you hear that, all the people are to shout at the top of their lungs. The city wall will collapse at once. All the people are to enter, every man straight on in." + So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and told them, "Take up the Chest of the Covenant. Seven priests are to carry seven ram's horn trumpets leading GOD's Chest." + Then he told the people, "Set out! March around the city. Have the armed guard march before the Chest of GOD." + And it happened. Joshua spoke, the people moved: Seven priests with their seven ram's horn trumpets set out before GOD. They blew the trumpets, leading GOD's Chest of the Covenant. + The armed guard marched ahead of the trumpet-blowing priests; the rear guard was marching after the Chest, marching and blowing their trumpets. + Joshua had given orders to the people, "Don't shout. In fact, don't even speak--not so much as a whisper until you hear me say, 'Shout!'--then shout away!" + He sent the Chest of GOD on its way around the city. It circled once, came back to camp, and stayed for the night. + Joshua was up early the next morning and the priests took up the Chest of GOD. + The seven priests carrying the seven ram's horn trumpets marched before the Chest of GOD, marching and blowing the trumpets, with the armed guard marching before and the rear guard marching after. Marching and blowing of trumpets! + On the second day they again circled the city once and returned to camp. They did this six days. + When the seventh day came, they got up early and marched around the city this same way but seven times--yes, this day they circled the city seven times. + On the seventh time around the priests blew the trumpets and Joshua signaled the people, "Shout!--GOD has given you the city! + The city and everything in it is under a holy curse and offered up to GOD. "Except for Rahab the harlot--she is to live, she and everyone in her house with her, because she hid the agents we sent. + "As for you, watch yourselves in the city under holy curse. Be careful that you don't covet anything in it and take something that's cursed, endangering the camp of Israel with the curse and making trouble for everyone. + All silver and gold, all vessels of bronze and iron are holy to GOD. Put them in GOD's treasury." + The priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the blast of the trumpets, they gave a thunderclap shout. The wall fell at once. The people rushed straight into the city and took it. + They put everything in the city under the holy curse, killing man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey. + Joshua ordered the two men who had spied out the land, "Enter the house of the harlot and rescue the woman and everyone connected with her, just as you promised her." + So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, and brothers--everyone connected with her. They got the whole family out and gave them a place outside the camp of Israel. + But they burned down the city and everything in it, except for the gold and silver and the bronze and iron vessels--all that they put in the treasury of GOD's house. + But Joshua let Rahab the harlot live--Rahab and her father's household and everyone connected to her. She is still alive and well in Israel because she hid the agents whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. + Joshua swore a solemn oath at that time: Cursed before GOD is the man who sets out to rebuild this city Jericho. He'll pay for the foundation with his firstborn son, he'll pay for the gates with his youngest son. + GOD was with Joshua. He became famous all over the land. + + + Then the People of Israel violated the holy curse. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took some of the cursed things. GOD became angry with the People of Israel. + Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (The Ruin), which is near Beth Aven just east of Bethel. He instructed them, "Go up and spy out the land." The men went up and spied out Ai. + They returned to Joshua and reported, "Don't bother sending a lot of people--two or three thousand men are enough to defeat Ai. Don't wear out the whole army; there aren't that many people there." + So three thousand men went up--and then fled in defeat before the men of Ai! + The men of Ai killed thirty-six--chased them from the city gate as far as The Quarries, killing them at the descent. The heart of the people sank, all spirit knocked out of them. + Joshua ripped his clothes and fell on his face to the ground before the Chest of GOD, he and the leaders throwing dirt on their heads, prostrate until evening. + Joshua said, "Oh, oh, oh . . . Master, GOD. Why did you insist on bringing this people across the Jordan? To make us victims of the Amorites? To wipe us out? Why didn't we just settle down on the east side of the Jordan? + Oh, Master, what can I say after this, after Israel has been run off by its enemies? + When the Canaanites and all the others living here get wind of this, they'll gang up on us and make short work of us--and then how will you keep up your reputation?" + GOD said to Joshua, "Get up. Why are you groveling? + Israel has sinned: They've broken the covenant I commanded them; they've taken forbidden plunder--stolen and then covered up the theft, squirreling it away with their own stuff. + The People of Israel can no longer look their enemies in the eye--they themselves are plunder. I can't continue with you if you don't rid yourselves of the cursed things. + "So get started. Purify the people. Tell them: Get ready for tomorrow by purifying yourselves. For this is what GOD, the God of Israel, says: There are cursed things in the camp. You won't be able to face your enemies until you have gotten rid of these cursed things. + "First thing in the morning you will be called up by tribes. The tribe GOD names will come up clan by clan; the clan GOD names will come up family by family; and the family GOD names will come up man by man. + The person found with the cursed things will be burned, he and everything he has, because he broke GOD's covenant and did this despicable thing in Israel." + Joshua was up at the crack of dawn and called Israel up tribe by tribe. The tribe of Judah was singled out. + Then he called up the clans and singled out the Zerahites. He called up the Zerahite families and singled out the Zabdi family. + He called up the family members one by one and singled out Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah. + Joshua spoke to Achan, "My son, give glory to GOD, the God of Israel. Make your confession to him. Tell me what you did. Don't keep back anything from me." + Achan answered Joshua, "It's true. I sinned against GOD, the God of Israel. This is how I did it. + In the plunder I spotted a beautiful Shinar robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a fifty-shekel bar of gold, and I coveted and took them. They are buried in my tent with the silver at the bottom." + Joshua sent off messengers. They ran to the tent. And there it was, buried in the tent with the silver at the bottom. + They took the stuff from the tent and brought it to Joshua and to all the People of Israel and spread it out before GOD. + Joshua took Achan son of Zerah, took the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, sheep, and tent--everything connected with him. All Israel was there. They led them off to the Valley of Achor (Trouble Valley). + Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? GOD will now trouble you. Today!" And all Israel stoned him--burned him with fire and stoned him with stones. + They piled a huge pile of stones over him. It's still there. Only then did GOD turn from his hot anger. That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley right up to the present time. + + + GOD said to Joshua, "Don't be timid and don't so much as hesitate. Take all your soldiers with you and go back to Ai. I have turned the king of Ai over to you--his people, his city, and his land. + "Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king. Only this time you may plunder its stuff and cattle to your heart's content. Set an ambush behind the city." + Joshua and all his soldiers got ready to march on Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, tough, seasoned fighters, and sent them off at night + with these orders: "Look sharp now. Lie in ambush behind the city. Get as close as you can. Stay alert. + I and the troops with me will approach the city head-on. When they come out to meet us just as before, we'll turn and run. + They'll come after us, leaving the city. As we are off and running, they'll say, 'They're running away just like the first time.' + That's your signal to spring from your ambush and take the city. GOD, your God, will hand it to you on a platter. + Once you have the city, burn it down. GOD says it, you do it. Go to it. I've given you your orders." + Joshua sent them off. They set their ambush and waited between Bethel and Ai, just west of Ai. Joshua spent the night with the people. + Joshua was up early in the morning and mustered his army. He and the leaders of Israel led the troops to Ai. + The whole army, fighting men all, marched right up within sight of the city and set camp on the north side of Ai. There was a valley between them and Ai. + He had taken about five thousand men and put them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city. + They were all deployed, the main army to the north of the city and the ambush to the west. Joshua spent the night in the valley. + So it happened that when the king of Ai saw all this, the men of the city lost no time; they were out of there at the crack of dawn to join Israel in battle, the king and his troops, at a field en route to the Arabah. The king didn't know of the ambush set against him behind the city. + Joshua and all Israel let themselves be chased; they ran toward the wilderness. + Everybody in the city was called to the chase. They pursued Joshua and were led away from the city. + There wasn't a soul left in Ai or Bethel who wasn't out there chasing after Israel. The city was left empty and undefended as they were chasing Israel down. + Then GOD spoke to Joshua: "Stretch out the javelin in your hand toward Ai--I'm giving it to you." Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward Ai. + At the signal the men in ambush sprang to their feet, ran to the city, took it, and quickly had it up in flames. + The men of Ai looked back and, oh! saw the city going up in smoke. They found themselves trapped with nowhere to run. + The army on the run toward the wilderness did an about-face--Joshua and all Israel, seeing that the ambush had taken the city, saw it going up in smoke, turned and attacked the men of Ai. + Then the men in the ambush poured out of the city. The men of Ai were caught in the middle with Israelites on both sides--a real massacre. And not a single survivor. + Except for the king of Ai; they took him alive and brought him to Joshua. + When it was all over, Israel had killed everyone in Ai, whether in the fields or in the wilderness where they had chased them. When the killing was complete, the Israelites returned to Ai and completed the devastation. + The death toll that day came to 12,000 men and women--everyone in Ai. + Joshua didn't lower his outstretched javelin until the sacred destruction of Ai and all its people was completed. + Israel did get to take the livestock and loot left in the city; GOD's instructions to Joshua allowed for that. + Joshua burned Ai to the ground. A "heap" of nothing forever, a "no-place"--go see for yourself. + He hanged the king of Ai from a tree. At evening, with the sun going down, Joshua ordered the corpse cut down. They dumped it at the entrance to the city and piled it high with stones--you can go see that also. + Then Joshua built an altar to the GOD of Israel on Mount Ebal. + He built it following the instructions of Moses the servant of GOD to the People of Israel and written in the Book of The Revelation of Moses, an altar of whole stones that hadn't been chiseled or shaped by an iron tool. On it they offered to GOD Whole-Burnt-Offerings and sacrificed Peace-Offerings. + He also wrote out a copy of The Revelation of Moses on the stones. He wrote it with the People of Israel looking on. + All Israel was there, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, standing on opposite sides of the Chest, facing the Levitical priests who carry GOD's Covenant Chest. Half of the people stood with their backs to Mount Gerizim and half with their backs to Mount Ebal to bless the People of Israel, just as Moses the servant of GOD had instructed earlier. + After that, he read out everything written in The Revelation, the Blessing and the Curse, everything in the Book of The Revelation. + There wasn't a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua didn't read to the entire congregation--men, women, children, and foreigners who had been with them on the journey. + + + All the kings west of the Jordan in the hills and foothills and along the Mediterranean seacoast north toward Lebanon--the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Girgashites, and Jebusites--got the news. + They came together in a coalition to fight against Joshua and Israel under a single command. + The people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai + and cooked up a ruse. They posed as travelers: their donkeys loaded with patched sacks and mended wineskins, + threadbare sandals on their feet, tattered clothes on their bodies, nothing but dry crusts and crumbs for food. + They came to Joshua at Gilgal and spoke to the men of Israel, "We've come from a far-off country; make a covenant with us." + The men of Israel said to these Hivites, "How do we know you aren't local people? How could we then make a covenant with you?" + They said to Joshua, "We'll be your servants." Joshua said, "Who are you now? Where did you come from?" + They said, "From a far-off country, very far away. Your servants came because we'd heard such great things about GOD, your God--all those things he did in Egypt! + And the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth! + Our leaders and everybody else in our country told us, 'Pack up some food for the road and go meet them. Tell them, We're your servants; make a covenant with us.' + "This bread was warm from the oven when we packed it and left to come and see you. Now look at it--crusts and crumbs. + And our cracked and mended wineskins, good as new when we filled them. And our clothes and sandals, in tatters from the long, hard traveling." + The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn't ask GOD about it. + So Joshua made peace with them and formalized it with a covenant to guarantee their lives. The leaders of the congregation swore to it. + And then, three days after making this covenant, they learned that they were next-door neighbors who had been living there all along! + The People of Israel broke camp and set out; three days later they reached their towns--Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. + But the People of Israel didn't attack them; the leaders of the congregation had given their word before the GOD of Israel. But the congregation was up in arms over their leaders. + The leaders were united in their response to the congregation: "We promised them in the presence of the GOD of Israel. We can't lay a hand on them now. + But we can do this: We will let them live so we don't get blamed for breaking our promise." + Then the leaders continued, "We'll let them live, but they will be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire congregation." And that's what happened; the leaders' promise was kept. + But Joshua called the Gibeonites together and said, "Why did you lie to us, telling us, 'We live far, far away from you,' when you're our next-door neighbors? + For that you are cursed. From now on it's menial labor for you--woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." + They answered Joshua, "We got the message loud and clear that GOD, your God, commanded through his servant Moses: to give you the whole country and destroy everyone living in it. We were terrified because of you; that's why we did this. + That's it. We're at your mercy. Whatever you decide is right for us, do it." + And that's what they did. Joshua delivered them from the power of the People of Israel so they didn't kill them. + But he made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the Altar of GOD at the place GOD chooses. They still are. + + + It wasn't long before My-Master-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and destroyed it and its king under a holy curse, just as he had done to Jericho and its king. He also learned that the people of Gibeon had come to terms with Israel and were living as neighbors. + He and his people were alarmed: Gibeon was a big city--as big as any with a king and bigger than Ai--and all its men were seasoned fighters. + Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon: + "Come and help me. Let's attack Gibeon; they've joined up with Joshua and the People of Israel." + So the five Amorite (Western) kings--the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon--combined their armies and set out to attack Gibeon. + The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua camped at Gilgal, "Don't let us down now! Come up here quickly! Save us! Help us! All the Amorite kings who live up in the hills have ganged up on us." + So Joshua set out from Gilgal, his whole army with him--all those tough soldiers! + GOD told him, "Don't give them a second thought. I've put them under your thumb--not one of them will stand up to you." + Joshua marched all night from Gilgal and took them by total surprise. + GOD threw them into total confusion before Israel, a major victory at Gibeon. Israel chased them along the ridge to Beth Horon and fought them all the way down to Azekah and Makkedah. + As they ran from the People of Israel, down from the Beth Horon ridge and all the way to Azekah, GOD pitched huge stones on them out of the sky and many died. More died from the hailstones than the People of Israel killed with the sword. + The day GOD gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to GOD, with all Israel listening: "Stop, Sun, over Gibeon; Halt, Moon, over Aijalon Valley." + And Sun stopped, Moon stood stock still Until he defeated his enemies. (You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. + There's never been a day like that before or since--GOD took orders from a human voice! Truly, GOD fought for Israel. + Then Joshua returned, all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. + Meanwhile the five kings had hidden in the cave at Makkedah. + Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah." + Joshua said, "Roll big stones against the mouth of the cave and post guards to keep watch. + But don't you hang around--go after your enemies. Cut off their retreat. Don't let them back into their cities. GOD has given them to you." + Joshua and the People of Israel then finished them off, total devastation. Only a few got away to the fortified towns. + The whole army then returned intact to the camp and to Joshua at Makkedah. There was no criticism that day from the People of Israel! + Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring me those five kings." + They did it. They brought him the five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. + When they had them all there in front of Joshua, he called up the army and told the field commanders who had been with him, "Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." They stepped up and put their feet on their necks. + Joshua told them, "Don't hold back. Don't be timid. Be strong! Be confident! This is what GOD will do to all your enemies when you fight them." + Then Joshua struck and killed the kings. He hung them on five trees where they remained until evening. + At sunset Joshua gave the command. They took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden. They put large stones at the mouth of the cave. The kings are still in there. + That same day Joshua captured Makkedah, a massacre that included the king. He carried out the holy curse. No survivors. Makkedah's king got the same treatment as Jericho's king. + Joshua, all Israel with him, moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. + GOD gave Libnah to Israel. They captured city and king and massacred the lot. No survivors. Libnah's king got the same treatment as Jericho's king. + Joshua, all Israel with him, moved on from Libnah to Lachish. He set up camp nearby and attacked. + GOD gave Lachish to Israel. Israel took it in two days and killed everyone. He carried out the holy curse, the same as with Libnah. + Horam, king of Gezer, arrived to help Lachish. Joshua attacked him and his army until there was nothing left of them. No survivors. + Joshua, all Israel with him, moved on from Lachish to Eglon. They set up camp and attacked. + They captured it and killed everyone, carrying out the holy curse, the same as they had done with Lachish. + Joshua, all Israel with him, went up from Eglon to Hebron. He attacked + and captured it. They killed everyone, including its king, its villages, and their people. No survivors, the same as with Eglon. They carried out the holy curse on city and people. + Then Joshua, all Israel with him, turned toward Debir and attacked it. + He captured it, its king, and its villages. They killed everyone. They put everyone and everything under the holy curse. No survivors. Debir and its king got the same treatment as Hebron and its king, and Libnah and its king. + Joshua took the whole country: hills, desert, foothills, and mountain slopes, including all kings. He left no survivors. He carried out the holy curse on everything that breathed, just as GOD, the God of Israel, had commanded. + Joshua's conquest stretched from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the entire region of Goshen to Gibeon. + Joshua took all these kings and their lands in a single campaign because GOD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. + Then Joshua, all Israel with him, went back to the camp at Gilgal. + + + When Jabin king of Hazor heard of all this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the king of Shimron; to the king of Acshaph; + to all the kings in the northern mountains; to the kings in the valley south of Kinnereth; to the kings in the western foothills and Naphoth Dor; + to the Canaanites both east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. + They came out in full force, all their troops massed together--a huge army, in number like sand on an ocean beach--to say nothing of all the horses and chariots. + All these kings met and set up camp together at the Waters of Merom, ready to fight against Israel. + GOD said to Joshua: "Don't worry about them. This time tomorrow I'll hand them over to Israel, all dead. You'll hamstring their horses. You'll set fire to their chariots." + Joshua, his entire army with him, took them by surprise, falling on them at the Waters of Merom. + GOD gave them to Israel, who struck and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and then to the Valley of Mizpah on the east. No survivors. + Joshua treated them following GOD's instructions: he hamstrung their horses; he burned up their chariots. + Then Joshua came back and took Hazor, killing its king. Early on Hazor had been head of all these kingdoms. + They killed every person there, carrying out the holy curse--not a breath of life left anywhere. Then he burned down Hazor. + Joshua captured and massacred all the royal towns with their kings, the holy curse commanded by Moses the servant of GOD. + But Israel didn't burn the cities that were built on mounds, except for Hazor--Joshua did burn down Hazor. + The People of Israel plundered all the loot, including the cattle, from these towns for themselves. But they killed the people--total destruction. They left nothing human that breathed. + Just as GOD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it. He didn't leave incomplete one thing that GOD had commanded Moses. + Joshua took the whole country: the mountains, the southern desert, all of Goshen, the foothills, the valley (the Arabah), and the Israel mountains with their foothills, + from Mount Halak, which towers over the region of Seir, all the way to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon in the shadows of Mount Hermon. He captured their kings and then killed them. + Joshua fought against these kings for a long time. + Not one town made peace with the People of Israel, with the one exception of the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. Israel fought and took all the rest. + It was GOD's idea that they all would stubbornly fight the Israelites so he could put them under the holy curse without mercy. That way he could destroy them just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Joshua came out at that time also to root out the Anakim from the hills, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from the mountains of Judah, from the mountains of Israel. Joshua carried out the holy curse on them and their cities. + No Anakim were left in the land of the People of Israel, except in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod--there were a few left there. + Joshua took the whole region. He did everything that GOD had told Moses. Then he parceled it out as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribes. And Israel had rest from war. + + + These are the kings that the People of Israel defeated and whose land they took on the east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, with the whole eastern side of the Arabah Valley. + Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned from Heshbon: His rule extended from Aroer, which sits at the edge of the Arnon Gorge, from the middle of the gorge and over half of Gilead to the Gorge of the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. + His rule included the eastern Arabah Valley from the Sea of Kinnereth to the Arabah Sea (the Salt Sea), eastward toward Beth Jeshimoth and southward to the slopes of Pisgah. + And Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaim who reigned from Ashtaroth and Edrei: + His rule extended from Mount Hermon and Salecah over the whole of Bashan to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites (the other half of Gilead) to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. + Moses the servant of GOD and the People of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of GOD gave this land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. + And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the People of Israel defeated in the country west of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon south to Mount Halak, which towers over Seir. Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as a possession, according to their divisions: + lands in the mountains, the western foothills, and the Arabah Valley, on the slopes, and in the wilderness and the Negev desert (lands on which Hittites, Amorites and Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites had lived). The kings were: + The king of Jericho, one; The king of Ai (near Bethel), one; + The king of Jerusalem, one; The king of Hebron, one; + The king of Jarmuth, one; The king of Lachish, one; + The king of Eglon, one; The king of Gezer, one; + The king of Debir, one; The king of Geder, one; + The king of Hormah, one; The king of Arad, one; + The king of Libnah, one; The king of Adullam, one; + The king of Makkedah, one; The king of Bethel, one; + The king of Tappuah, one; The king of Hepher, one; + The king of Aphek, one; The king of Lasharon, one; + The king of Madon, one; The king of Hazor, one; + The king of Shimron Meron, one; The king of Acshaph, one; + The king of Taanach, one; The king of Megiddo, one; + The king of Kedesh, one; The king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; + The king of Dor (Naphoth Dor), one; The king of Goyim in Gilgal, one; + The king of Tirzah, one: A total of thirty-one kings. + + + When Joshua had reached a venerable age, GOD said to him, "You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken. + This is the land that remains: all the districts of the Philistines and Geshurites; + the land from the Shihor River east of Egypt to the border of Ekron up north, Canaanite country (there were five Philistine tyrants--in Gaza, in Ashdod, in Ashkelon, in Gath, in Ekron); also the Avvim + from the south; all the Canaanite land from Arah (belonging to the Sidonians) to Aphek at the Amorite border; + the country of the Gebalites; all Lebanon eastward from Baal Gad in the shadow of Mount Hermon to the Entrance of Hamath; + all who live in the mountains, from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim; all the Sidonians. "I myself will drive them out before the People of Israel. All you have to do is allot this land to Israel as an inheritance, as I have instructed you. + Do it now: Allot this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." + The other half-tribe of Manasseh, with the Reubenites and Gadites, had been given their inheritance by Moses on the other side of the Jordan eastward. Moses the servant of GOD gave it to them. + This land extended from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge and the city in the middle of the valley, taking in the entire tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon, + and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and out to the border of the Ammonites. + It also included Gilead, the country of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah-- + the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He was one of the last survivors of the Rephaim. Moses had defeated them and taken their land. + The People of Israel never did drive out the Geshurites and the Maacathites--they're still there, living in Israel. + Levi was the only tribe that did not receive an inheritance. The Fire-Gift offerings to GOD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as he told them. + To the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan, Moses gave: + the land from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge and the town in the middle of the valley, including the tableland around Medeba; + Heshbon on the tableland with all its towns (Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, + Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, + Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on Valley Mountain, + Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth); + and all the cities of the tableland, the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon, whom Moses put to death along with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who lived in that country, all puppets of Sihon. + (In addition to those killed in battle, Balaam son of Beor, the soothsayer, was put to death by the People of Israel.) + The boundary for the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan River. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites, their villages and cities, according to their clans. + To the tribe of Gad, clan by clan, Moses gave: + the territory of Jazer and all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer near Rabbah; + the land from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the region of Debir; + in the valley: Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, with the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, north to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth). + This was the inheritance of the Gadites, their cities and villages, clan by clan. + To the half-tribe of Manasseh, clan by clan, Moses gave: + the land stretching out from Mahanaim; all of Bashan, which is the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the settlements of Jair in Bashan--sixty towns in all. + Half of Gilead with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan, belong to the descendants of Makir, a son of Manasseh (in other words, the half-tribe of the children of Makir) for their clans. + This is the inheritance that Moses gave out when he was on the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho. + But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. GOD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as he told them. + + + Here are the inheritance allotments that the People of Israel received in the land of Canaan. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the family clans made the allotments. + Each inheritance was assigned by lot to the nine and a half tribes, just as GOD had commanded Moses. + Moses had given the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan, but hadn't given an inheritance to the Levites, as he had to the others. + Because the sons of Joseph had become two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, they gave no allotment to the Levites; but they did give them cities to live in with pasture rights for their flocks and herds. + The People of Israel followed through exactly as GOD had commanded Moses. They apportioned the land. + The people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite spoke: "You'll remember what GOD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me back at Kadesh Barnea. + I was forty years old when Moses the servant of GOD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought back an honest and accurate report. + My companions who went with me discouraged the people, but I stuck to my guns, totally with GOD, my God. + That was the day that Moses solemnly promised, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, you and your children's, forever. Yes, you have lived totally for GOD.' + Now look at me: GOD has kept me alive, as he promised. It is now forty-five years since GOD spoke this word to Moses, years in which Israel wandered in the wilderness. And here I am today, eighty-five years old! + I'm as strong as I was the day Moses sent me out. I'm as strong as ever in battle, whether coming or going. + So give me this hill country that GOD promised me. You yourself heard the report, that the Anakim were there with their great fortress cities. If GOD goes with me, I will drive them out, just as GOD said." + Joshua blessed him. He gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. + Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite still today, because he gave himself totally to GOD, the God of Israel. + The name of Hebron used to be Kiriath Arba, named after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war. + + + The lot for the people of Judah, their clans, extended south to the border of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin in the extreme south. + The southern border ran from the tip of the Salt Sea south of The Tongue; + it ran southward from Scorpions Pass, went around Zin and just south of Kadesh Barnea; then it ran past Hezron, ascended to Addar, and curved around to Karka; + from there it passed along to Azmon, came out at the Brook of Egypt, ending at the Sea. This is the southern boundary. + The eastern boundary: the Salt Sea up to the mouth of the Jordan. The northern boundary started at the shallows of the Sea at the mouth of the Jordan, + went up to Beth Hoglah and around to the north of Beth Arabah and to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. + The border then ascended to Debir from Trouble Valley and turned north toward Gilgal, which lies opposite Red Pass, just south of the gorge. The border then followed the Waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel. + The border followed the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite ridge (that is, Jerusalem). It ascended to the top of the mountain opposite Hinnom Valley on the west, at the northern end of Rephaim Valley; + the border then took a turn at the top of the mountain to the spring, the Waters of Nephtoah, and followed the valley out to Mount Ephron, turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim), + took another turn west of Baalah to Mount Seir, curved around to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), descended to Beth Shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. + The border then went north to the ridge of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and came out at Jabneel. The border ended at the Sea. + The western border: the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary around the people of Judah for their clans. + Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a section among the people of Judah, according to GOD's command. He gave him Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. Arba was the ancestor of Anak. + Caleb drove out three Anakim from Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, all descendants of Anak. + He marched up from there against the people of Debir. Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher. + Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife." + Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife. + When she arrived she got him to ask for farm land from her father. As she dismounted from her donkey Caleb asked her, "What would you like?" + She said, "Give me a marriage gift. You've given me desert land; Now give me pools of water!" And he gave her the upper and the lower pools. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah, clan by clan. + The southern towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev were near the boundary of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, + Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, + Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, + Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, + Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), + Amam, Shema, Moladah, + Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, + Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, + Baalah, Iim, Ezem, + Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, + Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, + Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon-- a total of twenty-nine towns and their villages. + In the Shephelah (the western foothills) there were: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, + Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, + Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, + Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)-- fourteen towns and their villages. + Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, + Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, + Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, + Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, + Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah-- sixteen towns and their villages. + Libnah, Ether, Ashan, + Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, + Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah-- nine towns and their villages. + Ekron with its towns and villages; + From Ekron, west to the sea, all that bordered Ashdod with its villages; + Ashdod with its towns and villages; Gaza with its towns and villages all the way to the Brook of Egypt. The Great Sea is the western border. + In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, + Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), + Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, + Goshen, Holon, and Giloh-- eleven towns and their villages. + Arab, Dumah, Eshan, + Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, + Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior-- nine towns and their villages. + Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, + Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, + Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah-- ten towns and their villages. + Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, + Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon-- six towns and their villages. + Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah-- two towns and their villages. + In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, + Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi-- six towns and their villages. + The people of Judah couldn't get rid of the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. The Jebusites stayed put, living alongside the people of Judah. They are still living there in Jerusalem. + + + The lot for the people of Joseph went from the Jordan near Jericho, east of the spring of Jericho, north through the desert mountains to Bethel. + It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth. + It then descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites to the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the Sea. + This is the region from which the people of Joseph--Manasseh and Ephraim--got their inheritance. + Ephraim's territory by clans: The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon + and then west to the Sea. From Micmethath on the north it turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh and passed along, still eastward, to Janoah. + The border then descended from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah; it touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. + From Tappuah the border went westward to the Brook Kanah and ended at the Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim by clans, + including the cities set aside for Ephraim within the inheritance of Manasseh--all those towns and their villages. + But they didn't get rid of the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. Canaanites are still living among the people of Ephraim, but they are made to do forced labor. + + + This is the lot that fell to the people of Manasseh, Joseph's firstborn. (Gilead and Bashan had already been given to Makir, Manasseh's firstborn and father of Gilead, because he was an outstanding fighter.) + So the lot that follows went to the rest of the people of Manasseh and their clans, the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans. + Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, "GOD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our kinsmen." And Joshua did it; he gave them, as GOD commanded, an inheritance amid their father's brothers. + Manasseh's lot came to ten portions, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan on the other side of the Jordan, + because Manasseh's daughters got an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the people of Manasseh. + The boundary of Manasseh went from Asher all the way to Micmethath, just opposite Shechem, then ran southward to the people living at En Tappuah. + (The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah itself on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites.) + The boundary continued south to the Brook Kanah. (The cities there belonged to Ephraim although they lay among the cities of Manasseh.) The boundary of Manasseh ran north of the brook and ended at the Sea. + The land to the south belonged to Ephraim; the land to the north to Manasseh, with the Sea as their western border; they meet Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. + Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also held Beth Shan, Ibleam, and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, together with their villages, and the third in the list is Naphoth. + The people of Manasseh never were able to take over these towns--the Canaanites wouldn't budge. + But later, when the Israelites got stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor. But they never did get rid of them. + The people of Joseph spoke to Joshua: "Why did you give us just one allotment, one solitary share? There are a lot of us, and growing--GOD has extravagantly blessed us." + Joshua responded, "Since there are so many of you, and you find the hill country of Ephraim too confining, climb into the forest and clear ground there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim." + But the people of Joseph said, "There's not enough hill country for us; and the Canaanites who live down in the plain, both those in Beth Shan and its villages and in the Valley of Jezreel, have iron chariots." + Joshua said to the family of Joseph (to Ephraim and Manasseh): "Yes, there are a lot of you, and you are very strong. One lot is not enough for you. + You also get the hill country. It's nothing but trees now, but you will clear the land and make it your own from one end to the other. The powerful Canaanites, even with their iron chariots, won't stand a chance against you." + + + Then the entire congregation of the People of Israel got together at Shiloh. They put up the Tent of Meeting. The land was under their control + but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had yet to receive their inheritance. + Joshua addressed the People of Israel: "How long are you going to sit around on your hands, putting off taking possession of the land that GOD, the God of your ancestors, has given you? + Pick three men from each tribe so I can commission them. They will survey and map the land, showing the inheritance due each tribe, and report back to me. + They will divide it into seven parts. Judah will stay in its territory in the south and the people of Joseph will keep to their place in the north. + "You are responsible for preparing a survey map showing seven portions. Then bring it to me so that I can cast lots for you here in the presence of our GOD. + "Only the Levites get no portion among you because the priesthood of GOD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh already have their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, given to them by Moses the servant of GOD." + So the men set out. As they went out to survey the land, Joshua charged them: "Go. Survey the land and map it. Then come back to me and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of GOD." + So off the men went. They covered the ground and mapped the country by towns in a scroll. Then they reported back to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh. + Joshua cast the lots for them at Shiloh in the presence of GOD. That's where Joshua divided up the land to the People of Israel, according to their tribal divisions. + The first lot turned up for the tribe of Benjamin with its clans. The border of the allotment went between the peoples of Judah and Joseph. + The northern border began at the Jordan, then went up to the ridge north of Jericho, ascending west into the hill country into the wilderness of Beth Aven. + From there the border went around to Luz, to its southern ridge (that is, Bethel), and then down from Ataroth Addar to the mountain to the south of Lower Beth Horon. + There the border took a turn on the west side and swung south from the mountain to the south of Beth Horon and ended at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the west side. + The southern border began at the edge of Kiriath Jearim on the west, then ran west until it reached the spring, the Waters of Nephtoah. + It then descended to the foot of the mountain opposite the Valley of Ben Hinnom (which flanks the Valley of Rephaim to the north), descended to the Hinnom Valley, just south of the Jebusite ridge, and went on to En Rogel. + From there it curved north to En Shemesh and Geliloth, opposite the Red Pass (Adummim), down to the Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, + continued toward the north flank of Beth Arabah, then plunged to the Arabah. + It then followed the slope of Beth Hoglah north and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea--the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern border. + The east border was formed by the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the people of Benjamin for their clans, marked by these borders on all sides. + The cities of the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, were: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, + Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, + Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, + Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba-- twelve towns with their villages. + Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, + Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, + Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, + Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath Jearim-- fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance for Benjamin, according to its clans. + + + The second lot went to Simeon for its clans. Their inheritance was within the territory of Judah. + In their inheritance they had: Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, + Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, + Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, + Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, + Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen-- thirteen towns and their villages. + Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan-- four towns and their villages-- + plus all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer, the Ramah of the Negev. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. + The inheritance of Simeon came out of the share of Judah, because Judah's portion turned out to be more than they needed. That's how the people of Simeon came to get their lot from within Judah's portion. + The third lot went to Zebulun, clan by clan: The border of their inheritance went all the way to Sarid. + It ran west to Maralah, met Dabbesheth, and then went to the brook opposite Jokneam. + In the other direction from Sarid, the border ran east; it followed the sunrise to the border of Kisloth Tabor, on to Daberath and up to Japhia. + It continued east to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin, came out at Rimmon, and turned toward Neah. + There the border went around on the north to Hannathon and ran out into the Valley of Iphtah El. + It included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem--twelve cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the people of Zebulun for their clans--these towns and their villages. + The fourth lot went to Issachar, clan by clan. + Their territory included: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, + Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, + Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, + Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. + The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh and ended at the Jordan--sixteen towns and their villages. + These towns with their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, clan by clan. + The fifth lot went to the tribe of Asher, clan by clan: + Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, + Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The western border touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath, + then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, skirting Cabul on the left. + It went on to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, all the way to Greater Sidon. + The border circled back toward Ramah, extended to the fort city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Aczib, + Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob--twenty-two towns and their villages. + These towns and villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, clan by clan. + The sixth lot came to Naphtali and its clans. + Their border ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. + The border returned on the west at Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok, meeting Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan on the east. + The fort cities were: Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, + Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, + Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, + Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh-- nineteen towns and their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, the cities and their villages, clan by clan. + The seventh lot fell to Dan. + The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, + Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, + Elon, Timnah, Ekron, + Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, + Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, + Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the region facing Joppa. + But the people of Dan failed to get rid of the Westerners (Amorites), who pushed them back into the hills. The Westerners kept them out of the plain and they didn't have enough room. So the people of Dan marched up and attacked Leshem. They took it, killed the inhabitants, and settled in. They renamed it Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their ancestor. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to its clans, these towns with their villages. + They completed the dividing of the land as inheritance and the setting of its boundaries. The People of Israel then gave an inheritance among them to Joshua son of Nun. + In obedience to GOD's word, they gave him the city which he had requested, Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and settled there. + These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the ancestral leaders assigned by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the presence of GOD at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They completed the dividing of the land. + + + Then GOD spoke to Joshua: + "Tell the People of Israel: Designate the asylum-cities, as I instructed you through Moses, + so that anyone who kills a person accidentally--that is, unintentionally--may flee there as a safe place of asylum from the avenger of blood. + "A person shall escape for refuge to one of these cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate, and lay out his case before the city's leaders. The leaders must then take him into the city among them and give him a place to live with them. + "If the avenger of blood chases after him, they must not give him up--he didn't intend to kill the person; there was no history of ill-feeling. + He may stay in that city until he has stood trial before the congregation and until the death of the current high priest. Then he may go back to his own home in his hometown from which he fled." + They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hills of Naphtali, Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hills of Judah. + On the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the desert plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. + These were the designated cities for the People of Israel and any resident foreigner living among them, so that anyone who killed someone unintentionally could flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood without a fair trial before the congregation. + + + The ancestral heads of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the other tribes of the People of Israel. + This took place at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They said, "GOD commanded through Moses that you give us cities to live in with access to pastures for our cattle." + So the People of Israel, out of their own inheritance, gave the Levites, just as GOD commanded, the following cities and pastures: + The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites this way: Levites descended from Aaron the priest received by lot thirteen cities out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. + The rest of the Kohathites received by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The Gershonites received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. + The families of the Merarites received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. + So the People of Israel gave these cities with their pastures to the Levites just as GOD had ordered through Moses, that is, by lot. + They assigned from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin the following towns, here named individually + (these were for the descendants of Aaron who were from the families of the Kohathite branch of Levi because the first lot fell to them): + Kiriath Arba (Arba was the ancestor of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hills of Judah, with access to the pastures around it. + The fields of the city and its open lands they had already given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. + To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (the asylum-city for the unconvicted killers), Libnah, + Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Holon, Debir, + Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, all with their accompanying pastures--nine towns from these two tribes. + And from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba, + Anathoth, and Almon, together with their pastures--four towns. + The total for the cities and pastures for the priests descended from Aaron came to thirteen. + The rest of the Kohathite families from the tribe of Levi were assigned their cities by lot from the tribe of Ephraim: + Shechem (the asylum-city for the unconvicted killer) in the hills of Ephraim, Gezer, + Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, with their pastures--four towns. + From the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, + Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, all with their pastures--four towns. + And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon with their pastures--two towns. + All told, ten cities with their pastures went to the remaining Kohathite families. + The Gershonite families of the tribe of Levi were given from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (an asylum-city for the unconvicted killer), and Be Eshtarah, with their pastures--two cities. + And from the tribe of Issachar: Kishion, Daberath, + Jarmuth, and En Gannim, with their pastures--four towns. + From the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, + Helkath, and Rehob, with their pastures--four towns. + From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (an asylum-city for the unconvicted killer), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, with their pastures--three towns. + For the Gershonites and their families: thirteen towns with their pastures. + The Merari families, the remaining Levites, were given from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, + Dimnah, and Nahalal, with their pastures--four cities. + From the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, + Kedemoth, and Mephaath, with their pastures--four towns. + From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (an asylum-city for the unconvicted killer), Mahanaim, + Heshbon, and Jazer, with their pastures--a total of four towns. + All these towns were assigned by lot to the Merarites, the remaining Levites--twelve towns. + The Levites held forty-eight towns with their accompanying pastures within the territory of the People of Israel. + Each of these towns had pastures surrounding it--this was the case for all these towns. + And so GOD gave Israel the entire land that he had solemnly vowed to give to their ancestors. They took possession of it and made themselves at home in it. + And GOD gave them rest on all sides, as he had also solemnly vowed to their ancestors. Not a single one of their enemies was able to stand up to them--GOD handed over all their enemies to them. + Not one word failed from all the good words GOD spoke to the house of Israel. Everything came out right. + + + Then Joshua called together the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + He said: "You have carried out everything Moses the servant of GOD commanded you, and you have obediently done everything I have commanded you. + All this time and right down to this very day you have not abandoned your brothers; you've shouldered the task laid on you by GOD, your God. + And now GOD, your God, has given rest to your brothers just as he promised them. You're now free to go back to your homes, the country of your inheritance that Moses the servant of GOD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. + Only this: Be vigilant in keeping the Commandment and The Revelation that Moses the servant of GOD laid on you: Love GOD, your God, walk in all his ways, do what he's commanded, embrace him, serve him with everything you are and have." + Then Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way. They went home. + (To the half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had assigned a share in Bashan. To the other half, Joshua assigned land with their brothers west of the Jordan.) When Joshua sent them off to their homes, he blessed them. + He said: "Go home. You're going home rich--great herds of cattle, silver and gold, bronze and iron, huge piles of clothing. Share the wealth with your friends and families--all this plunder from your enemies!" + The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the People of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had taken under the command of Moses as ordered by GOD. + They arrived at Geliloth on the Jordan (touching on Canaanite land). There the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar on the banks of the Jordan--a huge altar! + The People of Israel heard of it: "What's this? The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar facing the land of Canaan at Geliloth on the Jordan, across from the People of Israel!" + When the People of Israel heard this, the entire congregation mustered at Shiloh to go to war against them. + They sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (that is, to the land of Gilead). + Accompanying him were ten chiefs, one chief for each of the ten tribes, each the head of his ancestral family. They represented the military divisions of Israel. + They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and spoke to them: + "The entire congregation of GOD wants to know: What is this violation against the God of Israel that you have committed, turning your back on GOD and building your own altar--a blatant act of rebellion against GOD? + Wasn't the crime of Peor enough for us? Why, to this day we aren't rid of it, still living with the fallout of the plague on the congregation of GOD! + Look at you--turning your back on GOD! If you rebel against GOD today, tomorrow he'll vent his anger on all of us, the entire congregation of Israel. + "If you think the land of your possession isn't holy enough but somehow contaminated, come back over to GOD's possession, where GOD's Dwelling is set up, and take your land there, but don't rebel against GOD. And don't rebel against us by building your own altar apart from the Altar of our GOD. + When Achan son of Zerah violated the holy curse, didn't anger fall on the whole congregation of Israel? He wasn't the only one to die for his sin." + The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the tribes of Israel: + The God of Gods is GOD, The God of Gods is GOD! "He knows and he'll let Israel know if this is a rebellious betrayal of GOD. And if it is, don't bother saving us. + If we built ourselves an altar in rebellion against GOD, if we did it to present on it Whole-Burnt-Offerings or Grain-Offerings or to enact there sacrificial Peace-Offerings, let GOD decide. + "But that's not it. We did it because we cared. We were anxious lest someday your children should say to our children, 'You're not connected with GOD, the God of Israel! + GOD made the Jordan a boundary between us and you. You Reubenites and Gadites have no part in GOD.' And then your children might cause our children to quit worshiping GOD. + "So we said to ourselves, 'Let's do something. Let's build an altar--but not for Whole-Burnt-Offerings, not for sacrifices.' + "We built this altar as a witness between us and you and our children coming after us, a witness to the Altar where we worship GOD in his Sacred Dwelling with our Whole-Burnt-Offerings and our sacrifices and our Peace-Offerings. "This way, your children won't be able to say to our children in the future, 'You have no part in GOD.' + "We said to ourselves, 'If anyone speaks disparagingly to us or to our children in the future, we'll say: Look at this model of GOD's Altar which our ancestors made. It's not for Whole-Burnt-Offerings, not for sacrifices. It's a witness connecting us with you.' + "Rebelling against or turning our backs on GOD is the last thing on our minds right now. We never dreamed of building an altar for Whole-Burnt-Offerings or Grain-Offerings to rival the Altar of our GOD in front of his Sacred Dwelling." + Phinehas the priest, all the heads of the congregation, and the heads of the military divisions of Israel who were also with him heard what the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had to say. They were satisfied. + Priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Now we're convinced that GOD is present with us since you haven't been disloyal to GOD in this matter. You saved the People of Israel from GOD's discipline." + Then Priest Phinehas son of Eleazar left the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (from Gilead) and, with the chiefs, returned to the land of Canaan to the People of Israel and gave a full report. + They were pleased with the report. The People of Israel blessed God--there was no more talk of attacking and destroying the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites were living. + Reuben and Gad named the altar: A Witness Between Us. GOD Alone Is God. + + + A long time later, after GOD had given Israel rest from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was a venerable old man, + Joshua called all Israel together--elders, chiefs, judges, and officers. Then he spoke to them: "I'm an old man. I've lived a long time. + You have seen everything that GOD has done to these nations because of you. He did it because he's GOD, your God. He fought for you. + "Stay alert: I have assigned to you by lot these nations that remain as an inheritance to your tribes--these in addition to the nations I have already cut down--from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. + GOD, your God, will drive them out of your path until there's nothing left of them and you'll take over their land just as GOD, your God, promised you. + "Now, stay strong and steady. Obediently do everything written in the Book of The Revelation of Moses--don't miss a detail. + Don't get mixed up with the nations that are still around. Don't so much as speak the names of their gods or swear by them. And by all means don't worship or pray to them. + Hold tight to GOD, your God, just as you've done up to now. + "GOD has driven out superpower nations before you. And up to now, no one has been able to stand up to you. + Think of it--one of you, single-handedly, putting a thousand on the run! Because GOD is GOD, your God. Because he fights for you, just as he promised you. + "Now, vigilantly guard your souls: Love GOD, your God. + Because if you wander off and start taking up with these remaining nations still among you (intermarry, say, and have other dealings with them), + know for certain that GOD, your God, will not get rid of these nations for you. They'll be nothing but trouble to you--horsewhips on your backs and sand in your eyes--until you're the ones who will be driven out of this good land that GOD, your God, has given you. + "As you can see, I'm about to go the way we all end up going. Know this with all your heart, with everything in you, that not one detail has failed of all the good things GOD, your God, promised you. It has all happened. Nothing's left undone--not so much as a word. + "But just as sure as everything good that GOD, your God, has promised has come true, so also GOD will bring to pass every bad thing until there's nothing left of you in this good land that GOD has given you. + If you leave the path of the Covenant of GOD, your God, that he commanded you, go off and serve and worship other gods, GOD's anger will blaze out against you. In no time at all there'll be nothing left of you, no sign that you've ever been in this good land he gave you." + + + Joshua called together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He called in the elders, chiefs, judges, and officers. They presented themselves before God. + Then Joshua addressed all the people: "This is what GOD, the God of Israel, says: A long time ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived to the east of the River Euphrates. They worshiped other gods. + I took your ancestor Abraham from the far side of The River. I led him all over the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac. + Then I gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. I let Esau have the mountains of Seir as home, but Jacob and his sons ended up in Egypt. + I sent Moses and Aaron. I hit Egypt hard with plagues and then led you out of there. + I brought your ancestors out of Egypt. You came to the sea, the Egyptians in hot pursuit with chariots and cavalry, to the very edge of the Red Sea! + "Then they cried out for help to GOD. He put a cloud between you and the Egyptians and then let the sea loose on them. It drowned them. "You watched the whole thing with your own eyes, what I did to Egypt. And then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. + I brought you to the country of the Amorites, who lived east of the Jordan, and they fought you. But I fought for you and you took their land. I destroyed them for you. + Then Balak son of Zippor made his appearance. He was the king of Moab. He got ready to fight Israel by sending for Balaam son of Beor to come and curse you. + But I wouldn't listen to Balaam--he ended up blessing you over and over! I saved you from him. + "You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The Jericho leaders ganged up on you as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, but I turned them over to you. + "I sent the Hornet ahead of you. It drove out the two Amorite kings--did your work for you. You didn't have to do a thing, not so much as raise a finger. + "I handed you a land for which you did not work, towns you did not build. And here you are now living in them and eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant. + "So now: Fear GOD. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship GOD. + "If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship GOD, then choose a god you'd rather serve--and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship GOD." + The people answered, "We'd never forsake GOD! Never! We'd never leave GOD to worship other gods. + "GOD is our God! He brought up our ancestors from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all those great signs while we watched. He has kept his eye on us all along the roads we've traveled and among the nations we've passed through. + Just for us he drove out all the nations, Amorites and all, who lived in the land. "Count us in: We too are going to worship GOD. He's our God." + Then Joshua told the people: "You can't do it; you're not able to worship GOD. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won't put up with your fooling around and sinning. + When you leave GOD and take up the worship of foreign gods, he'll turn right around and come down on you hard. He'll put an end to you--and after all the good he has done for you!" + But the people told Joshua: "No! No! We worship GOD!" + And so Joshua addressed the people: "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen GOD for yourselves--to worship him." And they said, "We are witnesses." + Joshua said, "Now get rid of all the foreign gods you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to GOD, the God of Israel." + The people answered Joshua, "We will worship GOD. What he says, we'll do." + Joshua completed a Covenant for the people that day there at Shechem. He made it official, spelling it out in detail. + Joshua wrote out all the directions and regulations into the Book of The Revelation of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the oak that was in the holy place of GOD. + Joshua spoke to all the people: "This stone is a witness against us. It has heard every word that GOD has said to us. It is a standing witness against you lest you cheat on your God." + Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own place of inheritance. + After all this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of GOD, died. He was 110 years old. + They buried him in the land of his inheritance at Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. + Israel served GOD through the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had themselves experienced all that GOD had done for Israel. + Joseph's bones, which the People of Israel had brought from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor (who was the father of Shechem). He paid a hundred silver coins for it. It belongs to the inheritance of the family of Joseph. + Eleazar son of Aaron died. They buried him at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the mountains of Ephraim. + + + + + A time came after the death of Joshua when the People of Israel asked GOD, "Who will take the lead in going up against the Canaanites to fight them?" + And GOD said, "Judah will go. I've given the land to him." + The men of Judah said to those of their brother Simeon, "Go up with us to our territory and we'll fight the Canaanites. Then we'll go with you to your territory." And Simeon went with them. + So Judah went up. GOD gave them the Canaanites and the Perizzites. They defeated them at Bezek--ten military units! + They caught up with My-Master-Bezek there and fought him. They smashed the Canaanites and the Perizzites. + My-Master-Bezek ran, but they gave chase and caught him. They cut off his thumbs and big toes. + My-Master-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to crawl under my table, scavenging. Now God has done to me what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem and he died there. + The people of Judah attacked and captured Jerusalem, subduing the city by sword and then sending it up in flames. + After that they had gone down to fight the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills. + Judah had gone on to the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba) and brought Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai to their knees. + From there they had marched against the population of Debir (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher). + Caleb had said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife." + Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife. + When she arrived she got him to ask for farm land from her father. As she dismounted from her donkey Caleb asked her, "What would you like?" + She said, "Give me a marriage gift. You've given me desert land; Now give me pools of water!" And he gave her the upper and the lower pools. + The people of Hobab the Kenite, Moses' relative, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah at the descent of Arad. They settled down there with the Amalekites. + The people of Judah went with their kin the Simeonites and struck the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They carried out the holy curse and named the city Curse-town. + But Judah didn't manage to capture Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their territories. + GOD was certainly with Judah in that they took over the hill country. But they couldn't oust the people on the plain because they had iron chariots. + They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had directed. Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak. + But the people of Benjamin couldn't get rid of the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. Benjaminites and Jebusites live side by side in Jerusalem to this day. + The house of Joseph went up to attack Bethel. GOD was with them. + Joseph sent out spies to look the place over. Bethel used to be known as Luz. + The spies saw a man leaving the city and said to him, "Show us a way into the city and we'll treat you well." + The man showed them a way in. They killed everyone in the city but the man and his family. + The man went to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz; that's its name to this day. + But Manasseh never managed to drive out Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo with their territories. The Canaanites dug in their heels and wouldn't budge. + When Israel became stronger they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they never got rid of them. + Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. The Canaanites stuck it out and lived there with them. + Nor did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites in Kitron or Nahalol. They kept living there, but they were put to forced labor. + Nor did Asher drive out the people of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob. + Asher went ahead and settled down with the Canaanites since they could not get rid of them. + Naphtali fared no better. They couldn't drive out the people of Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath so they just moved in and lived with them. They did, though, put them to forced labor. + The Amorites pushed the people of Dan up into the hills and wouldn't let them down on the plains. + The Amorites stubbornly continued to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph got the upper hand, they were put to forced labor. + The Amorite border extended from Scorpions' Pass and Sela upward. + + + GOD's angel went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt; I led you to the land that I promised to your fathers; and I said, I'll never break my covenant with you--never! + And you're never to make a covenant with the people who live in this land. Tear down their altars! But you haven't obeyed me! What's this that you're doing? + "So now I'm telling you that I won't drive them out before you. They'll trip you up and their gods will become a trap." + When GOD's angel had spoken these words to all the People of Israel, they cried out--oh! how they wept! + They named the place Bokim (Weepers). And there they sacrificed to GOD. + After Joshua had dismissed them, the People of Israel went off to claim their allotted territories and take possession of the land. + The people worshiped GOD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of GOD's great work that he had done for Israel. + Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of GOD, died. He was 110 years old. + They buried him in his allotted inheritance at Timnath Heres in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. + Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of GOD or the work he had done for Israel. + The People of Israel did evil in GOD's sight: + they served Baal-gods; they deserted GOD, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered GOD + as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! + GOD's anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. + Every time they walked out the door GOD was with them--but for evil, just as GOD had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way. + But then GOD raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. + But they wouldn't listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods--worshiped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to GOD's commands. They refused to have anything to do with it. + When GOD was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies' oppression as long as the judge was alive, for GOD was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. + But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways--but even worse than their parents!--running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn't drop a single evil practice. + And GOD's anger blazed against Israel. He said, "Because these people have thrown out my covenant that I commanded their parents and haven't listened to me, + I'm not driving out one more person from the nations that Joshua left behind when he died. + I'll use them to test Israel and see whether they stay on GOD's road and walk down it as their parents did." + That's why GOD let those nations remain. He didn't drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them. + + + These are the nations that GOD left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars. + He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war. + He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath's Pass. + They were there to test Israel and see whether they would obey GOD's commands that were given to their parents through Moses. + But the People of Israel made themselves at home among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + They married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons in marriage. And they worshiped their gods. + The People of Israel did evil in GOD's sight. They forgot their GOD and worshiped the Baal gods and Asherah goddesses. + GOD's hot anger blazed against Israel. He sold them off to Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. The People of Israel were in servitude to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years. + The People of Israel cried out to GOD and GOD raised up a savior who rescued them: Caleb's nephew Othniel, son of his younger brother Kenaz. + The Spirit of GOD came on him and he rallied Israel. He went out to war and GOD gave him Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. Othniel made short work of him. + The land was quiet for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died. + But the People of Israel went back to doing evil in GOD's sight. So GOD made Eglon king of Moab a power against Israel because they did evil in GOD's sight. + He recruited the Ammonites and Amalekites and went out and struck Israel. They took the City of Palms. + The People of Israel were in servitude to Eglon fourteen years. + The People of Israel cried out to GOD and GOD raised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite. He was left-handed. The People of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. + Ehud made himself a short two-edged sword and strapped it on his right thigh under his clothes. + He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Eglon was grossly fat. + After Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he went a little way with the men who had carried it. + But when he got as far as the stone images near Gilgal, he went back and said, "I have a private message for you, O king." The king told his servants, "Leave." They all left. + Ehud approached him--the king was now quite alone in his cool rooftop room--and said, "I have a word of God for you." Eglon stood up from his throne. + Ehud reached with his left hand and took his sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's big belly. + Not only the blade but the hilt went in. The fat closed in over it so he couldn't pull it out. + Ehud slipped out by way of the porch and shut and locked the doors of the rooftop room behind him. + Then he was gone. When the servants came, they saw with surprise that the doors to the rooftop room were locked. They said, "He's probably relieving himself in the restroom." + They waited. And then they worried--no one was coming out of those locked doors. Finally, they got a key and unlocked them. There was their master, fallen on the floor, dead! + While they were standing around wondering what to do, Ehud was long gone. He got past the stone images and escaped to Seirah. + When he got there, he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim. The People of Israel came down from the hills and joined him. He took his place at their head. + He said, "Follow me, for GOD has given your enemies--yes, Moab!--to you." They went down after him and secured the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites. They let no one cross over. + At that time, they struck down about ten companies of Moabites, all of them well-fed and robust. Not one escaped. + That day Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel. The land was quiet for eighty years. + Shamgar son of Anath came after Ehud. Using a cattle prod, he killed six hundred Philistines single-handed. He too saved Israel. + + + The People of Israel kept right on doing evil in GOD's sight. With Ehud dead, + GOD sold them off to Jabin king of Canaan who ruled from Hazor. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of his army. + The People of Israel cried out to GOD because he had cruelly oppressed them with his nine hundred iron chariots for twenty years. + Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth. She was judge over Israel at that time. + She held court under Deborah's Palm between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. The People of Israel went to her in matters of justice. + She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "It has become clear that GOD, the God of Israel, commands you: Go to Mount Tabor and prepare for battle. Take ten companies of soldiers from Naphtali and Zebulun. + I'll take care of getting Sisera, the leader of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River with all his chariots and troops. And I'll make sure you win the battle." + Barak said, "If you go with me, I'll go. But if you don't go with me, I won't go." + She said, "Of course I'll go with you. But understand that with an attitude like that, there'll be no glory in it for you. GOD will use a woman's hand to take care of Sisera." Deborah got ready and went with Barak to Kedesh. + Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together at Kedesh. Ten companies of men followed him. And Deborah was with him. + It happened that Heber the Kenite had parted company with the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' in-law. He was now living at Zaanannim Oak near Kedesh. + They told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. + Sisera immediately called up all his chariots to the Kishon River--nine hundred iron chariots!--along with all his troops who were with him at Harosheth Haggoyim. + Deborah said to Barak, "Charge! This very day GOD has given you victory over Sisera. Isn't GOD marching before you?" Barak charged down the slopes of Mount Tabor, his ten companies following him. + GOD routed Sisera--all those chariots, all those troops!--before Barak. Sisera jumped out of his chariot and ran. + Barak chased the chariots and troops all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera's entire fighting force was killed--not one man left. + Meanwhile Sisera, running for his life, headed for the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. Jabin king of Hazor and Heber the Kenite were on good terms with one another. + Jael stepped out to meet Sisera and said, "Come in, sir. Stay here with me. Don't be afraid." So he went with her into her tent. She covered him with a blanket. + He said to her, "Please, a little water. I'm thirsty." She opened a bottle of milk, gave him a drink, and then covered him up again. + He then said, "Stand at the tent flap. If anyone comes by and asks you, 'Is there anyone here?' tell him, 'No, not a soul.'" + Then while he was fast asleep from exhaustion, Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg and hammer, tiptoed toward him, and drove the tent peg through his temple and all the way into the ground. He convulsed and died. + Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera. Jael went out to greet him. She said, "Come, I'll show you the man you're looking for." He went with her and there he was--Sisera, stretched out, dead, with a tent peg through his neck. + On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the People of Israel. + The People of Israel pressed harder and harder on Jabin king of Canaan until there was nothing left of him. + + + That day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: + When they let down their hair in Israel, they let it blow wild in the wind. The people volunteered with abandon, bless GOD! + Hear O kings! Listen O princes! To GOD, yes to GOD, I'll sing, Make music to GOD, to the God of Israel. + GOD, when you left Seir, marched across the fields of Edom, Earth quaked, yes, the skies poured rain, oh, the clouds made rivers. + Mountains leapt before GOD, the Sinai God, before GOD, the God of Israel. + In the time of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the time of Jael, Public roads were abandoned, travelers went by backroads. + Warriors became fat and sloppy, no fight left in them. Then you, Deborah, rose up; you got up, a mother in Israel. + God chose new leaders, who then fought at the gates. And not a shield or spear to be seen among the forty companies of Israel. + Lift your hearts high, O Israel, with abandon, volunteering yourselves with the people--bless GOD! + You who ride on prize donkeys comfortably mounted on blankets And you who walk down the roads, ponder, attend! + Gather at the town well and listen to them sing, Chanting the tale of GOD's victories, his victories accomplished in Israel. Then the people of GOD went down to the city gates. + Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! On your feet, Barak! Take your prisoners, son of Abinoam! + Then the remnant went down to greet the brave ones. The people of GOD joined the mighty ones. + The captains from Ephraim came to the valley, behind you, Benjamin, with your troops. Captains marched down from Makir, from Zebulun high-ranking leaders came down. + Issachar's princes rallied to Deborah, Issachar stood fast with Barak, backing him up on the field of battle. But in Reuben's divisions there was much second-guessing. + Why all those campfire discussions? Diverted and distracted, Reuben's divisions couldn't make up their minds. + Gilead played it safe across the Jordan, and Dan, why did he go off sailing? Asher kept his distance on the seacoast, safe and secure in his harbors. + But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death, as did Naphtali on the battle heights. + The kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach they fought, at Megiddo's brook, but they took no silver, no plunder. + The stars in the sky joined the fight, from their courses they fought against Sisera. + The torrent Kishon swept them away, the torrent attacked them, the torrent Kishon. Oh, you'll stomp on the necks of the strong! + Then the hoofs of the horses pounded, charging, stampeding stallions. + "Curse Meroz," says GOD's angel. "Curse, double curse, its people, Because they didn't come when GOD needed them, didn't rally to GOD's side with valiant fighters." + Most blessed of all women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of homemaking women. + He asked for water, she brought milk; In a handsome bowl, she offered cream. + She grabbed a tent peg in her left hand, with her right hand she seized a hammer. She hammered Sisera, she smashed his head, she drove a hole through his head. + He slumped at her feet. He fell. He sprawled. He slumped at her feet. He fell. Slumped. Fallen. Dead. + Sisera's mother waited at the window, a weary, anxious watch. "What's keeping his chariot? What delays his chariot's rumble?" + The wisest of her ladies-in-waiting answers with calm, reassuring words, + "Don't you think they're busy at plunder, dividing up the loot? A girl, maybe two girls, for each man, And for Sisera a bright silk shirt, a prize, fancy silk shirt! And a colorful scarf--make it two scarves-- to grace the neck of the plunderer." + Thus may all GOD's enemies perish, while his lovers be like the unclouded sun. The land was quiet for forty years. + + + Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil in GOD's sight. GOD put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. + Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains--caves and forts. + When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, + camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. + Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels--past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. + The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to GOD for help. + One time when the People of Israel had cried out to GOD because of Midian, + GOD sent them a prophet with this message: "GOD, the God of Israel, says, I delivered you from Egypt, I freed you from a life of slavery; + I rescued you from Egypt's brutality and then from every oppressor; I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land. + "And I said to you, 'I am GOD, your God. Don't for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you didn't listen to me." + One day the angel of GOD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, out of sight of the Midianites. + The angel of GOD appeared to him and said, "GOD is with you, O mighty warrior!" + Gideon replied, "With me, my master? If GOD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, 'Didn't GOD deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, GOD has nothing to do with us--he has turned us over to Midian." + But GOD faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" + Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." + GOD said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man." + Gideon said, "If you're serious about this, do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up what you're telling me. + Don't leave until I come back and bring you my gift." He said, "I'll wait till you get back." + Gideon went and prepared a young goat and a huge amount of unraised bread (he used over half a bushel of flour!). He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and took them back under the shade of the oak tree for a sacred meal. + The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and unraised bread, place them on that rock, and pour the broth on them." Gideon did it. + The angel of GOD stretched out the tip of the stick he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Fire broke out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread while the angel of God slipped away out of sight. + And Gideon knew it was the angel of God! Gideon said, "Oh no! Master, GOD! I have seen the angel of God face to face!" + But GOD reassured him, "Easy now. Don't panic. You won't die." + Then Gideon built an altar there to GOD and named it "GOD's Peace." It's still called that at Ophrah of Abiezer. + That night this happened. GOD said to him, "Take your father's best seven-year-old bull, the prime one. Tear down your father's Baal altar and chop down the Asherah fertility pole beside it. + Then build an altar to GOD, your God, on the top of this hill. Take the prime bull and present it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, using firewood from the Asherah pole that you cut down." + Gideon selected ten men from his servants and did exactly what GOD had told him. But because of his family and the people in the neighborhood, he was afraid to do it openly, so he did it that night. + Early in the morning, the people in town were shocked to find Baal's altar torn down, the Asherah pole beside it chopped down, and the prime bull burning away on the altar that had been built. + They kept asking, "Who did this?" Questions and more questions, and then the answer: "Gideon son of Joash did it." + The men of the town demanded of Joash: "Bring out your son! He must die! Why, he tore down the Baal altar and chopped down the Asherah tree!" + But Joash stood up to the crowd pressing in on him, "Are you going to fight Baal's battles for him? Are you going to save him? Anyone who takes Baal's side will be dead by morning. If Baal is a god in fact, let him fight his own battles and defend his own altar." + They nicknamed Gideon that day Jerub-Baal because after he had torn down the Baal altar, he had said, "Let Baal fight his own battles." + All the Midianites and Amalekites (the easterners) got together, crossed the river, and made camp in the Valley of Jezreel. + GOD's Spirit came over Gideon. He blew his ram's horn trumpet and the Abiezrites came out, ready to follow him. + He dispatched messengers all through Manasseh, calling them to the battle; also to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They all came. + Gideon said to God, "If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you've said, + then look: I'm placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said." + That's what happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece--enough dew to fill a bowl with water! + Then Gideon said to God, "Don't be impatient with me, but let me say one more thing. I want to try another time with the fleece. But this time let the fleece stay dry, while the dew drenches the ground." + God made it happen that very night. Only the fleece was dry while the ground was wet with dew. + + + Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. + GOD said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this--they'll take all the credit, saying, 'I did it all myself,' and forget about me. + Make a public announcement: 'Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left. + GOD said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I'll make a final cut. When I say, 'This one goes with you,' he'll go. When I say, 'This one doesn't go,' he won't go." + So Gideon took the troops down to the stream. GOD said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." + Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink. + GOD said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home." + After Gideon took all their provisions and trumpets, he sent all the Israelites home. He took up his position with the three hundred. The camp of Midian stretched out below him in the valley. + That night, GOD told Gideon: "Get up and go down to the camp. I've given it to you. + If you have any doubts about going down, go down with Purah your armor bearer; + when you hear what they're saying, you'll be bold and confident." He and his armor bearer Purah went down near the place where sentries were posted. + Midian and Amalek, all the easterners, were spread out on the plain like a swarm of locusts. And their camels! Past counting, like grains of sand on the seashore! + Gideon arrived just in time to hear a man tell his friend a dream. He said, "I had this dream: A loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp. It came to the tent and hit it so hard it collapsed. The tent fell!" + His friend said, "This has to be the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite! God has turned Midian--the whole camp!--over to him." + When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he went to his knees before God in prayer. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, "Get up and get going! GOD has just given us the Midianite army!" + He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar, with a torch in the jar. + He said, "Watch me and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do. + When I and those with me blow the trumpets, you also, all around the camp, blow your trumpets and shout, 'For GOD and for Gideon!'" + Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried. + All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, "A sword for GOD and for Gideon!" + They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled. + When the three hundred blew the trumpets, GOD aimed each Midianite's sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives--to Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. + Israelites rallied from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all over Manasseh. They had Midian on the run. + Gideon then sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim, urging them, "Come down against Midian! Capture the fords of the Jordan at Beth Barah." + So all the men of Ephraim rallied and captured the fords of the Jordan at Beth Barah. They also captured the two Midianite commanders Oreb (Raven) and Zeeb (Wolf). They killed Oreb at Raven Rock; Zeeb they killed at Wolf Winepress. And they pressed the pursuit of Midian. They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan. + + + Then the Ephraimites said to Gideon, "Why did you leave us out of this, not calling us when you went to fight Midian?" They were indignant and let him know it. + But Gideon replied, "What have I done compared to you? Why, even the gleanings of Ephraim are superior to the vintage of Abiezer. + God gave you Midian's commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done compared with you?" When they heard this, they calmed down and cooled off. + Gideon and his three hundred arrived at the Jordan and crossed over. They were bone-tired but still pressing the pursuit. + He asked the men of Succoth, "Please, give me some loaves of bread for my troops I have with me. They're worn out, and I'm hot on the trail of Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings." + But the leaders in Succoth said, "You're on a wild goose chase; why should we help you on a fool's errand?" + Gideon said, "If you say so. But when GOD gives me Zebah and Zalmunna, I'll give you a thrashing, whip your bare flesh with desert thorns and thistles!" + He went from there to Peniel and made the same request. The men of Peniel, like the men of Succoth, also refused. + Gideon told them, "When I return safe and sound, I'll demolish this tower." + Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of about fifteen companies, all that was left of the fighting force of the easterners--they had lost 120 companies of soldiers. + Gideon went up the caravan trail east of Nobah and Jogbehah, found and attacked the undefended camp. + Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he chased and captured the two kings of Midian. The whole camp had panicked. + Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by way of the Heres Pass. + He captured a young man from Succoth and asked some questions. The young man wrote down the names of the officials and leaders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. + Then Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are the wild geese, Zebah and Zalmunna, you said I'd never catch. You wouldn't give so much as a scrap of bread to my worn-out men; you taunted us, saying that we were on a fool's errand." + Then he took the seventy-seven leaders of Succoth and thrashed them with desert thorns and thistles. + And he demolished the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the city. + He then addressed Zebah and Zalmunna: "Tell me about the men you killed at Tabor." "They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son." + Gideon said, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As GOD lives, if you had let them live, I would let you live." + Then he spoke to Jether, his firstborn: "Get up and kill them." But he couldn't do it, couldn't draw his sword. He was afraid--he was still just a boy. + Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself--if you're man enough!" And Gideon did it. He stepped up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then he took the crescents that hung on the necks of their camels. + The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. You have saved us from Midian's tyranny." + Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. GOD will reign over you." + Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an earring that you took as plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men all had their pockets full of them. + They said, "Of course. They're yours!" They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on it. + The gold earrings that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds--and that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, and the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels. + Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it. + Midian's tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard from them. The land was quiet for forty years in Gideon's time. + Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. + Gideon had seventy sons. He fathered them all--he had a lot of wives! + His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech. + Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. + Gideon was hardly cool in the tomb when the People of Israel had gotten off track and were prostituting themselves to Baal--they made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god. + The People of Israel forgot all about GOD, their God, who had saved them from all their enemies who had hemmed them in. + And they didn't keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (Gideon), honoring all the good he had done for Israel. + + + Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his mother's relatives and said to them, + "Ask all the leading men of Shechem, 'What do you think is best, that seventy men rule you--all those sons of Jerub-Baal--or that one man rule? You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood.'" + His mother's relatives reported the proposal to the leaders of Shechem. They were inclined to take Abimelech. "Because," they said, "he is, after all, one of us." + They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-the-Covenant. With the money he hired some reckless riff-raff soldiers and they followed along after him. + He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal--seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor. + Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by the Standing Stone at Shechem and crowned Abimelech king. + When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted: Listen to me, leaders of Shechem. And let God listen to you! + The trees set out one day to anoint a king for themselves. They said to Olive Tree, "Rule over us." + But Olive Tree told them, "Am I no longer good for making oil That gives glory to gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?" + The trees then said to Fig Tree, "You come and rule over us." + But Fig Tree said to them, "Am I no longer good for making sweets, My mouthwatering sweet fruits, and to be demoted to waving over trees?" + The trees then said to Vine, "You come and rule over us." + But Vine said to them, "Am I no longer good for making wine, Wine that cheers gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?" + All the trees then said to Tumbleweed, "You come and reign over us." + But Tumbleweed said to the trees: "If you're serious about making me your king, Come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!" + "Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved? + My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny, + and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons--seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. + If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. + But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech." + And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech. + Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. + Then God brought bad blood between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who now worked treacherously behind his back. + Violence boomeranged: The murderous violence that killed the seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who had supported the violence. + To undermine Abimelech, Shechem's leaders put men in ambush on the mountain passes who robbed travelers on those roads. And Abimelech was told. + At that time Gaal son of Ebed arrived with his relatives and moved into Shechem. The leaders of Shechem trusted him. + One day they went out into the fields, gathered grapes in the vineyards, and trod them in the winepress. Then they held a celebration in their god's temple, a feast, eating and drinking. And then they started putting down Abimelech. + Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is this Abimelech? And who are we Shechemites to take orders from him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-Baal, and isn't this his henchman Zebul? We belong to the race of Hamor and bear the noble name of Shechem. Why should we be toadies of Abimelech? + If I were in charge of this people, the first thing I'd do is get rid of Abimelech! I'd say, 'Show me your stuff, Abimelech--let's see who's boss here!'" + Zebul, governor of the city, heard what Gaal son of Ebed was saying and got angry. + Secretly he sent messengers to Abimelech with the message, "Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up trouble against you. + Here's what you do: Tonight bring your troops and wait in ambush in the field. + In the morning, as soon as the sun breaks, get moving and charge the city. Gaal and his troops will come out to you, and you'll know what to do next." + Abimelech and his troops, four companies of them, went up that night and waited in ambush approaching Shechem. + Gaal son of Ebed had gotten up and was standing in the city gate. Abimelech and his troops left their cover. + When Gaal saw them he said to Zebul, "Look at that, people coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul said, "That's nothing but mountain shadows; they just look like men." Gaal kept chattering away. + Then he said again, "Look at the troops coming down off Tabbur-erez (the Navel of the World)--and one company coming straight from the Oracle Oak." + Zebul said, "Where is that big mouth of yours now? You who said, 'And who is Abimelech that we should take orders from him?' Well, there he is with the troops you ridiculed. Here's your chance. Fight away!" + Gaal went out, backed by the leaders of Shechem, and did battle with Abimelech. + Abimelech chased him, and Gaal turned tail and ran. Many fell wounded, right up to the city gate. + Abimelech set up his field headquarters at Arumah while Zebul kept Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem. + The next day the people went out to the fields. This was reported to Abimelech. + He took his troops, divided them into three companies, and placed them in ambush in the fields. When he saw that the people were well out in the open, he sprang up and attacked them. + Abimelech and the company with him charged ahead and took control of the entrance to the city gate; the other two companies chased down those who were in the open fields and killed them. + Abimelech fought at the city all that day. He captured the city and massacred everyone in it. He leveled the city to the ground, then sowed it with salt. + When the leaders connected with Shechem's Tower heard this, they went into the fortified God-of-the-Covenant temple. + This was reported to Abimelech that the Shechem's Tower bunch were gathered together. + He and his troops climbed Mount Zalmon (Dark Mountain). Abimelech took his ax and chopped a bundle of firewood, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his troops, "Do what you've seen me do, and quickly." + So each of his men cut his own bundle. They followed Abimelech, piled their bundles against the Tower fortifications, and set the whole structure on fire. Everyone in Shechem's Tower died, about a thousand men and women. + Abimelech went on to Thebez. He camped at Thebez and captured it. + The Tower-of-Strength stood in the middle of the city; all the men and women of the city along with the city's leaders had fled there and locked themselves in. They were up on the tower roof. + Abimelech got as far as the tower and assaulted it. He came up to the tower door to set it on fire. + Just then some woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull. + He called urgently to his young armor-bearer and said, "Draw your sword and kill me so they can't say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" His armor bearer drove in his sword, and Abimelech died. + When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. + God avenged the evil Abimelech had done to his father, murdering his seventy brothers. + And God brought down on the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil that they had done, the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal. + + + Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, was next after Abimelech. He rose to the occasion to save Israel. He was a man of Issachar. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. + He judged Israel for twenty-three years and then died and was buried at Shamir. + After him, Jair the Gileadite stepped into leadership. He judged Israel for twenty-two years. + He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and had thirty towns in Gilead. The towns are still called Jair's Villages. + Jair died and was buried in Kamon. + And then the People of Israel went back to doing evil in GOD's sight. They worshiped the Baal gods and Ashtoreth goddesses: gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab; gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. They just walked off and left GOD, quit worshiping him. + And GOD exploded in hot anger at Israel and sold them off to the Philistines and Ammonites, who, + beginning that year, bullied and battered the People of Israel mercilessly. For eighteen years they had them under their thumb, all the People of Israel who lived east of the Jordan in the Amorite country of Gilead. + Then the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to go to war also against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Israel was in a bad way! + The People of Israel cried out to GOD for help: "We've sinned against you! We left our God and worshiped the Baal gods!" + GOD answered the People of Israel: "When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians-- + even Amalek and Midian!--oppressed you and you cried out to me for help, I saved you from them. + And now you've gone off and betrayed me, worshiping other gods. I'm not saving you anymore. + Go ahead! Cry out for help to the gods you've chosen--let them get you out of the mess you're in!" + The People of Israel said to GOD: "We've sinned. Do to us whatever you think best, but please, get us out of this!" + Then they cleaned house of the foreign gods and worshiped only GOD. And GOD took Israel's troubles to heart. + The Ammonites prepared for war, setting camp in Gilead. The People of Israel set their rival camp in Mizpah. + The leaders in Gilead said, "Who will stand up for us against the Ammonites? We'll make him head over everyone in Gilead!" + + + Jephthah the Gileadite was one tough warrior. He was the son of a whore, but Gilead was his father. + Meanwhile Gilead's legal wife had given him other sons, and when they grew up, his wife's sons threw Jephthah out. They told him: "You're not getting any of our family inheritance--you're the son of another woman." + So Jephthah fled from his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob. Some riff-raff joined him and went around with him. + Some time passed. And then the Ammonites started fighting Israel. + With the Ammonites at war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. + They said to Jephthah: "Come. Be our general and we'll fight the Ammonites." + But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: "But you hate me. You kicked me out of my family home. So why are you coming to me now? Because you are in trouble. Right?" + The elders of Gilead replied, "That's it exactly. We've come to you to get you to go with us and fight the Ammonites. You'll be the head of all of us, all the Gileadites." + Jephthah addressed the elders of Gilead, "So if you bring me back home to fight the Ammonites and GOD gives them to me, I'll be your head--is that right?" + They said, "GOD is witness between us; whatever you say, we'll do." + Jephthah went along with the elders of Gilead. The people made him their top man and general. And Jephthah repeated what he had said before GOD at Mizpah. + Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites with a message: "What's going on here that you have come into my country picking a fight?" + The king of the Ammonites told Jephthah's messengers: "Because Israel took my land when they came up out of Egypt--from the Arnon all the way to the Jabbok and to the Jordan. Give it back peaceably and I'll go." + Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites with the message: + "Jephthah's word: Israel took no Moabite land and no Ammonite land. + When they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the desert as far as the Red Sea, arriving at Kadesh. + There Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, 'Let us pass through your land, please.' But the king of Edom wouldn't let them. Israel also requested permission from the king of Moab, but he wouldn't let them cross either. They were stopped in their tracks at Kadesh. + So they traveled across the desert and circled around the lands of Edom and Moab. They came out east of the land of Moab and set camp on the other side of the Arnon--they didn't set foot in Moabite territory, for Arnon was the Moabite border. + Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites at Heshbon the capital. Israel asked, 'Let us pass, please, through your land on the way to our country.' + But Sihon didn't trust Israel to cut across his land; he got his entire army together, set up camp at Jahaz, and fought Israel. + But GOD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his troops to Israel. Israel defeated them. Israel took all the Amorite land, + all Amorite land from Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan. + It was GOD, the God of Israel, who pushed out the Amorites in favor of Israel; so who do you think you are to try to take it over? + Why don't you just be satisfied with what your god Chemosh gives you and we'll settle for what GOD, our God, gives us? + Do you think you're going to come off better than Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Did he get anywhere in opposing Israel? Did he risk war? + All this time--it's been three hundred years now!--that Israel has lived in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the towns along the Arnon, why didn't you try to snatch them away then? + No, I haven't wronged you. But this is an evil thing that you are doing to me by starting a fight. Today GOD the Judge will decide between the People of Israel and the people of Ammon." + But the king of the Ammonites refused to listen to a word that Jephthah had sent him. + GOD's Spirit came upon Jephthah. He went across Gilead and Manasseh, went through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there approached the Ammonites. + Jephthah made a vow before GOD: "If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, + then I'll give to GOD whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites--I'll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering." + Then Jephthah was off to fight the Ammonites. And GOD gave them to him. + He beat them soundly, all the way from Aroer to the area around Minnith as far as Abel Keramim--twenty cities! A massacre! Ammonites brought to their knees by the People of Israel. + Jephthah came home to Mizpah. His daughter ran from the house to welcome him home--dancing to tambourines! She was his only child. He had no son or daughter except her. + When he realized who it was, he ripped his clothes, saying, "Ah, dearest daughter--I'm dirt. I'm despicable. My heart is torn to shreds. I made a vow to GOD and I can't take it back!" + She said, "Dear father, if you made a vow to GOD, do to me what you vowed; GOD did his part and saved you from your Ammonite enemies." + And then she said to her father, "But let this one thing be done for me. Give me two months to wander through the hills and lament my virginity since I will never marry, I and my dear friends." + "Oh yes, go," he said. He sent her off for two months. She and her dear girlfriends went among the hills, lamenting that she would never marry. + At the end of the two months, she came back to her father. He fulfilled the vow with her that he had made. She had never slept with a man. It became a custom in Israel + that for four days every year the young women of Israel went out to mourn for the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. + + + The men of Ephraim mustered their troops, crossed to Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go out to fight the Ammonites without letting us go with you? We're going to burn your house down on you!" + Jephthah said, "I and my people had our hands full negotiating with the Ammonites. And I did call to you for help but you ignored me. + When I saw that you weren't coming, I took my life in my hands and confronted the Ammonites myself. And GOD gave them to me! So why did you show up here today? Are you spoiling for a fight with me?" + So Jephthah got his Gilead troops together and fought Ephraim. And the men of Gilead hit them hard because they were saying, "Gileadites are nothing but half-breeds and rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh." + Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan at the crossing to Ephraim. If an Ephraimite fugitive said, "Let me cross," the men of Gilead would ask, "Are you an Ephraimite?" and he would say, "No." + And they would say, "Say, 'Shibboleth.'" But he would always say, "Sibboleth"--he couldn't say it right. Then they would grab him and kill him there at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two Ephraimite divisions were killed on that occasion. + Jephthah judged Israel six years. Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city, Mizpah of Gilead. + After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. + He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters in marriage outside his clan and brought in thirty daughters-in-law from the outside for his sons. + He judged Israel seven years. Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem. + After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. + Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. + After him, Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. + He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. + Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the Amalekite hill country. + + + And then the People of Israel were back at it again, doing what was evil in GOD's sight. GOD put them under the domination of the Philistines for forty years. + At that time there was a man named Manoah from Zorah from the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren and childless. + The angel of God appeared to her and told her, "I know that you are barren and childless, but you're going to become pregnant and bear a son. + But take much care: Drink no wine or beer; eat nothing ritually unclean. + You are, in fact, pregnant right now, carrying a son. No razor will touch his head--the boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of his birth. He will launch the deliverance from Philistine oppression." + The woman went to her husband and said, "A man of God came to me. He looked like the angel of God--terror laced with glory! I didn't ask him where he was from and he didn't tell me his name, + but he told me, 'You're pregnant. You're going to give birth to a son. Don't drink any wine or beer and eat nothing ritually unclean. The boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of birth to the day of his death.'" + Manoah prayed to GOD: "Master, let the man of God you sent come to us again and teach us how to raise this boy who is to be born." + God listened to Manoah. God's angel came again to the woman. She was sitting in the field; her husband Manoah wasn't there with her. + She jumped to her feet and ran and told her husband: "He's back! The man who came to me that day!" + Manoah got up and, following his wife, came to the man. He said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife?" He said, "I am." + Manoah said, "So. When what you say comes true, what do you have to tell us about this boy and his work?" + The angel of God said to Manoah, + "Keep in mind everything I told the woman. Eat nothing that comes from the vine: Drink no wine or beer; eat no ritually unclean foods. She's to observe everything I commanded her." + Manoah said to the angel of God, "Please, stay with us a little longer; we'll prepare a meal for you--a young goat." + GOD's angel said to Manoah, "Even if I stay, I won't eat your food. But if you want to prepare a Whole-Burnt-Offering for GOD, go ahead--offer it!" Manoah had no idea that he was talking to the angel of God. + Then Manoah asked the angel of God, "What's your name? When your words come true, we'd like to honor you." + The angel of GOD said, "What's this? You ask for my name? You wouldn't understand--it's sheer wonder." + So Manoah took the kid and the Grain-Offering and sacrificed them on a rock altar to GOD who works wonders. + As the flames leapt up from the altar to heaven, GOD's angel also ascended in the altar flames. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground. + Manoah and his wife never saw the angel of GOD again. Only then did Manoah realize that this was GOD's angel. + He said to his wife, "We're as good as dead! We've looked on God!" + But his wife said, "If GOD were planning to kill us, he wouldn't have accepted our Whole-Burnt-Offering and Grain-Offering, or revealed all these things to us--given us this birth announcement." + The woman gave birth to a son. They named him Samson. The boy grew and GOD blessed him. + The Spirit of GOD began working in him while he was staying at a Danite camp between Zorah and Eshtaol. + + + Samson went down to Timnah. There in Timnah a woman caught his eye, a Philistine girl. + He came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, a Philistine girl; get her for me as my wife." + His parents said to him, "Isn't there a woman among the girls in the neighborhood of our people? Do you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the one I want--she's the right one." + (His father and mother had no idea that GOD was behind this, that he was arranging an opportunity against the Philistines. At the time the Philistines lorded it over Israel.) + Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. When he got to the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came at him, roaring. + The Spirit of GOD came on him powerfully and he ripped it open barehanded, like tearing a young goat. But he didn't tell his parents what he had done. + Then he went on down and spoke to the woman. In Samson's eyes, she was the one. + Some days later when he came back to get her, he made a little detour to look at what was left of the lion. And there a wonder: a swarm of bees in the lion's carcass--and honey! + He scooped it up in his hands and kept going, eating as he went. He rejoined his father and mother and gave some to them and they ate. But he didn't tell them that he had scooped out the honey from the lion's carcass. + His father went on down to make arrangements with the woman, while Samson prepared a feast there. That's what the young men did in those days. + Because the people were wary of him, they arranged for thirty friends to mingle with him. + Samson said to them: "Let me put a riddle to you. If you can figure it out during the seven days of the feast, I'll give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of fine clothing. + But if you can't figure it out then you'll give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of fine clothing." They said, "Put your riddle. Let's hear it." + So he said, From the eater came something to eat, From the strong came something sweet. They couldn't figure it out. After three days they were still stumped. + On the fourth day they said to Samson's bride, "Worm the answer out of your husband or we'll burn you and your father's household. Have you invited us here to bankrupt us?" + So Samson's bride turned on the tears, saying to him, "You hate me. You don't love me. You've told a riddle to my people but you won't even tell me the answer." He said, "I haven't told my own parents--why would I tell you?" + But she turned on the tears all the seven days of the feast. On the seventh day, worn out by her nagging, he told her. Then she went and told it to her people. + The men of the town came to him on the seventh day, just before sunset and said, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? And Samson said, If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, You wouldn't have found out my riddle. + Then the Spirit of GOD came powerfully on him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, stripped them, and gave their clothing to those who had solved the riddle. Stalking out, smoking with anger, he went home to his father's house. + Samson's bride became the wife of the best man at his wedding. + + + Later on--it was during the wheat harvest--Samson visited his bride, bringing a young goat. He said, "Let me see my wife--show me her bedroom." But her father wouldn't let him in. + He said, "I concluded that by now you hated her with a passion, so I gave her to your best man. But her little sister is even more beautiful. Why not take her instead?" + Samson said, "That does it. This time when I wreak havoc on the Philistines, I'm blameless." + Samson then went out and caught three hundred jackals. He lashed the jackals' tails together in pairs and tied a torch between each pair of tails. + He then set fire to the torches and let them loose in the Philistine fields of ripe grain. Everything burned, both stacked and standing grain, vineyards and olive orchards--everything. + The Philistines said, "Who did this?" They were told, "Samson, son-in-law of the Timnite who took his bride and gave her to his best man." The Philistines went up and burned both her and her father to death. + Samson then said, "If this is the way you're going to act, I swear I'll get even with you. And I'm not quitting till the job's done!" + With that he tore into them, ripping them limb from limb--a huge slaughter. Then he went down and stayed in a cave at Etam Rock. + The Philistines set out and made camp in Judah, preparing to attack Lehi (Jawbone). + When the men of Judah asked, "Why have you come up against us?" they said, "We're out to get Samson. We're going after Samson to do to him what he did to us." + Three companies of men from Judah went down to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, "Don't you realize that the Philistines already bully and lord it over us? So what's going on with you, making things even worse?" He said, "It was tit for tat. I only did to them what they did to me." + They said, "Well, we've come down here to tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines." Samson said, "Just promise not to hurt me." + "We promise," they said. "We will tie you up and surrender you to them but, believe us, we won't kill you." They proceeded to tie him with new ropes and led him up from the Rock. + As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came to meet him, shouting in triumph. And then the Spirit of GOD came on him with great power. The ropes on his arms fell apart like flax on fire; the thongs slipped off his hands. + He spotted a fresh donkey jawbone, reached down and grabbed it, and with it killed the whole company. + And Samson said, With a donkey's jawbone I made heaps of donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I killed an entire company. + When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone. He named that place Ramath Lehi (Jawbone Hill). + Now he was suddenly very thirsty. He called out to GOD, "You have given your servant this great victory. Are you going to abandon me to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" + So God split open the rock basin in Lehi; water gushed out and Samson drank. His spirit revived--he was alive again! That's why it's called En Hakkore (Caller's Spring). It's still there at Lehi today. + Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. + + + Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute. He went to her. + The news got around: "Samson's here." They gathered around in hiding, waiting all night for him at the city gate, quiet as mice, thinking, "At sunrise we'll kill him." + Samson was in bed with the woman until midnight. Then he got up, seized the doors of the city gate and the two gateposts, bolts and all, hefted them on his shoulder, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. + Some time later he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek (Grapes). Her name was Delilah. + The Philistine tyrants approached her and said, "Seduce him. Discover what's behind his great strength and how we can tie him up and humble him. Each man's company will give you a hundred shekels of silver." + So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me, dear, the secret of your great strength, and how you can be tied up and humbled." + Samson told her, "If they were to tie me up with seven bowstrings--the kind made from fresh animal tendons, not dried out--then I would become weak, just like anyone else." + The Philistine tyrants brought her seven bowstrings, not dried out, and she tied him up with them. + The men were waiting in ambush in her room. Then she said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" He snapped the cords as though they were mere threads. The secret of his strength was still a secret. + Delilah said, "Come now, Samson--you're playing with me, making up stories. Be serious; tell me how you can be tied up." + He told her, "If you were to tie me up tight with new ropes, ropes never used for work, then I would be helpless, just like anybody else." + So Delilah got some new ropes and tied him up. She said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" The men were hidden in the next room. He snapped the ropes from his arms like threads. + Delilah said to Samson, "You're still playing games with me, teasing me with lies. Tell me how you can be tied up." He said to her, "If you wove the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and drew it tight, then I would be as helpless as any other mortal." When she had him fast asleep, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the fabric on the loom + and drew it tight. Then she said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" He woke from his sleep and ripped loose from both the loom and fabric! + She said, "How can you say 'I love you' when you won't even trust me? Three times now you've toyed with me, like a cat with a mouse, refusing to tell me the secret of your great strength." + She kept at it day after day, nagging and tormenting him. Finally, he was fed up--he couldn't take another minute of it. + He spilled it. He told her, "A razor has never touched my head. I've been God's Nazirite from conception. If I were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would be as helpless as any other mortal." + When Delilah realized that he had told her his secret, she sent for the Philistine tyrants, telling them, "Come quickly--this time he's told me the truth." They came, bringing the bribe money. + When she got him to sleep, his head on her lap, she motioned to a man to cut off the seven braids of his hair. Immediately he began to grow weak. His strength drained from him. + Then she said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" He woke up, thinking, "I'll go out, like always, and shake free." He didn't realize that GOD had abandoned him. + The Philistines grabbed him, gouged out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza. They shackled him in irons and put him to the work of grinding in the prison. + But his hair, though cut off, began to grow again. + The Philistine tyrants got together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They celebrated, saying, Our god has given us Samson our enemy! + And when the people saw him, they joined in, cheering their god, Our god has given Our enemy to us, The one who ravaged our country, Piling high the corpses among us. + Then this: Everyone was feeling high and someone said, "Get Samson! Let him show us his stuff!" They got Samson from the prison and he put on a show for them. They had him standing between the pillars. + Samson said to the young man who was acting as his guide, "Put me where I can touch the pillars that hold up the temple so I can rest against them." + The building was packed with men and women, including all the Philistine tyrants. And there were at least 3,000 in the stands watching Samson's performance. + And Samson cried out to GOD: Master, GOD! Oh, please, look on me again, Oh, please, give strength yet once more. God! With one avenging blow let me be avenged On the Philistines for my two eyes! + Then Samson reached out to the two central pillars that held up the building and pushed against them, one with his right arm, the other with his left. + Saying, "Let me die with the Philistines," Samson pushed hard with all his might. The building crashed on the tyrants and all the people in it. He killed more people in his death than he had killed in his life. + His brothers and all his relatives went down to get his body. They carried him back and buried him in the tomb of Manoah his father, between Zorah and Eshtaol. He judged Israel for twenty years. + + + There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Micah. + He said to his mother, "Remember that 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you? I overheard you when you pronounced your curse. Well, I have the money; I stole it. But now I've brought it back to you." His mother said, "GOD bless you, my son!" + As he returned the 1,100 silver pieces to his mother, she said, "I had totally consecrated this money to GOD for my son to make a statue, a cast god." + Then she took 200 pieces of the silver and gave it to a sculptor and he cast them into the form of a god. + This man, Micah, had a private chapel. He had made an ephod and some teraphim-idols and had ordained one of his sons to be his priest. + In those days there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing. + Meanwhile there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah and from a family of Judah. He was a Levite but was a stranger there. + He left that town, Bethlehem in Judah, seeking his fortune. He got as far as the hill country of Ephraim and showed up at Micah's house. + Micah asked him, "So where are you from?" He said, "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I'm on the road, looking for a place to settle down." + Micah said, "Stay here with me. Be my father and priest. I'll pay you ten pieces of silver a year, whatever clothes you need, and your meals." + The Levite agreed and moved in with Micah. The young man fit right in and became one of the family. + Micah appointed the young Levite as his priest. This all took place in Micah's home. + Micah said, "Now I know that GOD will make things go well for me--why, I've got a Levite for a priest!" + + + In those days there was no king in Israel. But also in those days, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to settle down. They hadn't yet occupied their plot among the tribes of Israel. + The Danites sent out five robust warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to look over the land and see what was out there suitable for their families. They said, "Go and explore the land." They went into the hill country of Ephraim and got as far as the house of Micah. They camped there for the night. + As they neared Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They went over and said to him, "How on earth did you get here? What's going on? What are you doing here?" + He said, "One thing led to another: Micah hired me and I'm now his priest." + They said, "Oh, good--inquire of God for us. Find out whether our mission will be a success." + The priest said, "Go assured. GOD's looking out for you all the way." + The five men left and headed north to Laish. They saw that the people there were living in safety under the umbrella of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. They had everything going for them. But the people lived a long way from the Sidonians to the west and had no treaty with the Arameans to the east. + When they got back to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked, "So, how did you find things?" + They said, "Let's go for it! Let's attack. We've seen the land and it is excellent. Are you going to just sit on your hands? Don't dawdle! Invade and conquer! + When you get there, you'll find they're sitting ducks, totally unsuspecting. Wide open land--God is handing it over to you, everything you could ever ask for." + So 600 Danite men set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed to the teeth. + Along the way they made camp at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place is still today called Dan's Camp--it's just west of Kiriath Jearim. + From there they proceeded into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house. + The five men who earlier had explored the country of Laish told their companions, "Did you know there's an ephod, teraphim-idols, and a cast god-sculpture in these buildings? What do you think? Do you want to do something about it?" + So they turned off the road there, went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and asked how things had been with him. + The 600 Danites, all well-armed, stood guard at the entrance to the gate + while the five scouts who had gone to explore the land went in and took the carved idol, the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the god-sculpture. The priest was standing at the gate entrance with the 600 armed men. + When the five went into Micah's house and took the carved idol, the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the sculpted god, the priest said to them, "What do you think you're doing?" + They said to him, "Hush! Don't make a sound. Come with us. Be our father and priest. Which is more important, that you be a priest to one man or that you become priest to a whole tribe and clan in Israel?" + The priest jumped at the chance. He took the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the idol and fell in with the troops. + They turned away and set out, putting the children, the cattle, and the gear in the lead. + They were well on their way from Micah's house before Micah and his neighbors got organized. But they soon overtook the Danites. + They shouted at them. The Danites turned around and said, "So what's all the noise about?" + Micah said, "You took my god, the one I made, and you took my priest. And you marched off! What do I have left? How can you now say, 'What's the matter?'" + But the Danites answered, "Don't yell at us; you just might provoke some fierce, hot-tempered men to attack you, and you'll end up an army of dead men." + The Danites went on their way. Micah saw that he didn't stand a chance against their arms. He turned back and went home. + So they took the things that Micah had made, along with his priest, and they arrived at Laish, that city of quiet and unsuspecting people. They massacred the people and burned down the city. + There was no one around to help. They were a long way from Sidon and had no treaty with the Arameans. Laish was in the valley of Beth Rehob. + When they rebuilt the city they renamed it Dan after their ancestor who was a son of Israel, but its original name was Laish. + The Danites set up the god-figure for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his descendants were priests to the tribe of Dan down to the time of the land's captivity. + All during the time that there was a sanctuary of God in Shiloh, they kept for their private use the god-figure that Micah had made. + + + It was an era when there was no king in Israel. A Levite, living as a stranger in the backwoods hill country of Ephraim, got himself a concubine, a woman from Bethlehem in Judah. + But she quarreled with him and left, returning to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there four months. + Then her husband decided to go after her and try to win her back. He had a servant and a pair of donkeys with him. When he arrived at her father's house, the girl's father saw him, welcomed him, and made him feel at home. + His father-in-law, the girl's father, pressed him to stay. He stayed with him three days; they feasted and drank and slept. + On the fourth day, they got up at the crack of dawn and got ready to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen yourself with a hearty breakfast and then you can go." + So they sat down and ate breakfast together. The girl's father said to the man, "Come now, be my guest. Stay the night--make it a holiday." + The man got up to go, but his father-in-law kept after him, so he ended up spending another night. + On the fifth day, he was again up early, ready to go. The girl's father said, "You need some breakfast." They went back and forth, and the day slipped on as they ate and drank together. + But the man and his concubine were finally ready to go. Then his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Look, the day's almost gone--why not stay the night? There's very little daylight left; stay another night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get an early start and set off for your own place." + But this time the man wasn't willing to spend another night. He got things ready, left, and went as far as Jebus (Jerusalem) with his pair of saddled donkeys, his concubine, and his servant. + At Jebus, though, the day was nearly gone. The servant said to his master, "It's late; let's go into this Jebusite city and spend the night." + But his master said, "We're not going into any city of foreigners. We'll go on to Gibeah." + He directed his servant, "Keep going. Let's go on ahead. We'll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah." + So they kept going. As they pressed on, the sun finally left them in the vicinity of Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. + They left the road there to spend the night at Gibeah. The Levite went and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them in to spend the night. + Then, late in the evening, an old man came in from his day's work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and lived temporarily in Gibeah where all the local citizens were Benjaminites. + When the old man looked up and saw the traveler in the town square, he said, "Where are you going? And where are you from?" + The Levite said, "We're just passing through. We're coming from Bethlehem on our way to a remote spot in the hills of Ephraim. I come from there. I've just made a trip to Bethlehem in Judah and I'm on my way back home, but no one has invited us in for the night. + We wouldn't be any trouble: We have food and straw for the donkeys, and bread and wine for the woman, the young man, and me--we don't need anything." + The old man said, "It's going to be all right; I'll take care of you. You aren't going to spend the night in the town square." + He took them home and fed the donkeys. They washed up and sat down to a good meal. + They were relaxed and enjoying themselves when the men of the city, a gang of local hell-raisers all, surrounded the house and started pounding on the door. They yelled for the owner of the house, the old man, "Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him." + He went out and told them, "No, brothers! Don't be obscene--this man is my guest. Don't commit this outrage. + Look, my virgin daughter and his concubine are here. I'll bring them out for you. Abuse them if you must, but don't do anything so senselessly vile to this man." + But the men wouldn't listen to him. Finally, the Levite pushed his concubine out the door to them. They raped her repeatedly all night long. Just before dawn they let her go. + The woman came back and fell at the door of the house where her master was sleeping. When the sun rose, there she was. + It was morning. Her master got up and opened the door to continue his journey. There she was, his concubine, crumpled in a heap at the door, her hands on the threshold. + "Get up," he said. "Let's get going." There was no answer. + He lifted her onto his donkey and set out for home. When he got home he took a knife and dismembered his concubine--cut her into twelve pieces. He sent her, piece by piece, throughout the country of Israel. + And he ordered the men he sent out, "Say to every man in Israel: 'Has such a thing as this ever happened from the time the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt until now? Think about it! Talk it over. Do something!'" + + + Then all the People of Israel came out. The congregation met in the presence of GOD at Mizpah. They were all there, from Dan to Beersheba, as one person! + The leaders of all the people, representing all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the gathering of God's people. There were 400 divisions of sword-wielding infantry. + Meanwhile the Benjaminites got wind that the Israelites were meeting at Mizpah. The People of Israel said, "Now tell us. How did this outrageous evil happen?" + The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, spoke: "My concubine and I came to spend the night at Gibeah, a Benjaminite town. + That night the men of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They gang-raped my concubine and she died. + So I took my concubine, cut up her body, and sent her piece by piece--twelve pieces!--to every part of Israel's inheritance. This vile and outrageous crime was committed in Israel! + So, Israelites, make up your minds. Decide on some action!" + All the people were at once and as one person on their feet. "None of us will go home; not a single one of us will go to his own house. + Here's our plan for dealing with Gibeah: We'll march against it by drawing lots. + We'll take ten of every hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (a hundred of every thousand, and a thousand of every ten thousand) to carry food for the army. When the troops arrive at Gibeah they will settle accounts for this outrageous and vile evil that was done in Israel." + So all the men in Israel were gathered against the city, totally united. + The Israelite tribes sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What's the meaning of this outrage that took place among you? + Surrender the men right here and now, these hell-raisers of Gibeah. We'll put them to death and burn the evil out of Israel." But they wouldn't do it. The Benjaminites refused to listen to their brothers, the People of Israel. + Instead they raised an army from all their cities and rallied at Gibeah to go to war against the People of Israel. + In no time at all they had recruited from their cities twenty-six divisions of sword-wielding infantry. From Gibeah they got 700 hand-picked fighters, the best. + There were another 700 super marksmen who were ambidextrous--they could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. + The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized 400 divisions of sword-wielding fighting men. + They set out and went to Bethel to inquire of God. The People of Israel said, "Who of us shall be first to go into battle with the Benjaminites?" GOD said, "Judah goes first." + The People of Israel got up the next morning and camped before Gibeah. + The army of Israel marched out against Benjamin and took up their positions, ready to attack Gibeah. + But the Benjaminites poured out of Gibeah and devastated twenty-two Israelite divisions on the ground. + The army took heart. The men of Israel took up the positions they had deployed on the first day. + The Israelites went back to the sanctuary and wept before GOD until evening. They again inquired of GOD, "Shall we again go into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers?" GOD said, "Yes. Attack." + On the second day, the Israelites again advanced against Benjamin. + This time as the Benjaminites came out of the city, on this second day, they devastated another eighteen Israelite divisions, all swordsmen. + All the People of Israel, the whole army, were back at Bethel, weeping, sitting there in the presence of GOD. That day they fasted until evening. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings before GOD. + And they again inquired of GOD. The Chest of God's Covenant was there at that time with + Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, as the ministering priest. They asked, "Shall we again march into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? Or should we call it quits?" And GOD said, "Attack. Tomorrow I'll give you victory." + This time Israel placed men in ambush all around Gibeah. + On the third day when Israel set out, they took up the same positions before the Benjaminites as before. + When the Benjaminites came out to meet the army, they moved out from the city. Benjaminites began to cut down some of the troops just as they had before. About thirty men fell in the field and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. + The Benjaminites started bragging, "We're dropping them like flies, just as before!" + But the Israelites strategized: "Now let's retreat and pull them out of the city onto the main roads." So every Israelite moved farther out to Baal Tamar; at the same time the Israelite ambush rushed from its place west of Gibeah. + Ten crack divisions from all over Israel now arrived at Gibeah--intense, bloody fighting! The Benjaminites had no idea that they were about to go down in defeat-- + GOD routed them before Israel. The Israelites decimated twenty-five divisions of Benjamin that day--25,100 killed. They were all swordsmen. + The Benjaminites saw that they were beaten. The men of Israel acted like they were retreating before Benjamin, knowing that they could depend on the ambush they had prepared for Gibeah. + The ambush erupted and made quick work of Gibeah. The ambush spread out and massacred the city. + The strategy for the main body of the ambush was that they send up a smoke signal from the city. + Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!" + But then the signal went up from the city--a huge column of smoke. When the Benjaminites looked back, there it was, the whole city going up in smoke. + By the time the men of Israel had turned back on them, the men of Benjamin fell apart--they could see that they were trapped. + Confronted by the Israelites, they tried to get away down the wilderness road, but by now the battle was everywhere. The men of Israel poured out of the towns, killing them right and left, + hot on their trail, picking them off east of Gibeah. + Eighteen divisions of Benjaminites were wiped out, all their best fighters. + Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions. + The total of the Benjaminites killed that day came to twenty-five divisions of infantry, their best swordsmen. + Six hundred men got away. They made it to Rimmon Rock in the wilderness and held out there for four months. + The men of Israel came back and killed all the Benjaminites who were left, all the men and animals they found in every town, and then torched the towns, sending them up in flames. + + + Back at Mizpah the men of Israel had taken an oath: "No man among us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage." + Now, back in Bethel, the people sat in the presence of God until evening. They cried loudly; there was widespread lamentation. + They said, "Why, O GOD, God of Israel, has this happened? Why do we find ourselves today missing one whole tribe from Israel?" + Early the next morning, the people got busy and built an altar. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings. + Then the Israelites said, "Who from all the tribes of Israel didn't show up as we gathered in the presence of GOD?" For they had all taken a sacred oath that anyone who had not gathered in the presence of GOD at Mizpah had to be put to death. + But the People of Israel were feeling sorry for Benjamin, their brothers. They said, "Today, one tribe is cut off from Israel. + How can we get wives for those who are left? We have sworn by GOD not to give any of our daughters to them in marriage." + They said, "Which one of the tribes of Israel didn't gather before GOD at Mizpah?" It turned out that no one had come to the gathering from Jabesh Gilead. + When they took a roll call of the people, not a single person from Jabesh Gilead was there. + So the congregation sent twelve divisions of their top men there with the command, "Kill everyone of Jabesh Gilead, including women and children. + These are your instructions: Every man and woman who has had sexual intercourse you must kill. But keep the virgins alive." And that's what they did. + And they found 400 virgins among those who lived in Jabesh Gilead; they had never had sexual intercourse with a man. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. + Then the congregation sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the Rimmon Rock and offered them peace. + And Benjamin came. They gave them the women they had let live at Jabesh Gilead. But even then, there weren't enough for all the men. + The people felt bad for Benjamin; GOD had left out Benjamin--the missing piece from the Israelite tribes. + The elders of the congregation said, "How can we get wives for the rest of the men, since all the Benjaminite women have been killed? + How can we keep the inheritance alive for the Benjaminite survivors? How can we prevent an entire tribe from extinction? + We certainly can't give our own daughters to them as wives." (Remember, the Israelites had taken the oath: "Cursed is anyone who provides a wife to Benjamin.") + Then they said, "There is that festival of GOD held every year in Shiloh. It's north of Bethel, just east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and a little south of Lebonah." + So they told the Benjaminites, "Go and hide in the vineyards. + Stay alert--when you see the Shiloh girls come out to dance the dances, run out of the vineyards, grab one of the Shiloh girls for your wife, and then hightail it back to the country of Benjamin. + When their fathers or brothers come to lay charges against us, we'll tell them, 'We did them a favor. After all we didn't go to war and kill to get wives for men. And it wasn't as if you were in on it by giving consent. But if you keep this up, you will incur blame.'" + And that's what the Benjaminites did: They carried off girls from the dance, wives enough for their number, got away, and went home to their inheritance. They rebuilt their towns and settled down. + From there the People of Israel dispersed, each man heading back to his own tribe and clan, each to his own plot of land. + At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing. + + + + + Once upon a time--it was back in the days when judges led Israel--there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. + The man's name was Elimelech; his wife's name was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion--all Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab and settled there. + Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. + The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. + But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband. + One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that GOD had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. + And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah. + After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may GOD treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. + May GOD give each of you a new home and a new husband!" She kissed them and they cried openly. + They said, "No, we're going on with you to your people." + But Naomi was firm: "Go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me? Do you suppose I still have sons in my womb who can become your future husbands? + Go back, dear daughters--on your way, please! I'm too old to get a husband. Why, even if I said, 'There's still hope!' and this very night got a man and had sons, + can you imagine being satisfied to wait until they were grown? Would you wait that long to get married again? No, dear daughters; this is a bitter pill for me to swallow--more bitter for me than for you. GOD has dealt me a hard blow." + Again they cried openly. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye; but Ruth embraced her and held on. + Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back home to live with her own people and gods; go with her." + But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; + where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me GOD--not even death itself is going to come between us!" + When Naomi saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her, she gave in. + And so the two of them traveled on together to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem the whole town was soon buzzing: "Is this really our Naomi? And after all this time!" + But she said, "Don't call me Naomi; call me Bitter. The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. + I left here full of life, and GOD has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn't. The Strong One ruined me." + And so Naomi was back, and Ruth the foreigner with her, back from the country of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. + + + It so happened that Naomi had a relative by marriage, a man prominent and rich, connected with Elimelech's family. His name was Boaz. + One day Ruth, the Moabite foreigner, said to Naomi, "I'm going to work; I'm going out to glean among the sheaves, following after some harvester who will treat me kindly." Naomi said, "Go ahead, dear daughter." + And so she set out. She went and started gleaning in a field, following in the wake of the harvesters. Eventually she ended up in the part of the field owned by Boaz, her father-in-law Elimelech's relative. + A little later Boaz came out from Bethlehem, greeting his harvesters, "GOD be with you!" They replied, "And GOD bless you!" + Boaz asked his young servant who was foreman over the farm hands, "Who is this young woman? Where did she come from?" + The foreman said, "Why, that's the Moabite girl, the one who came with Naomi from the country of Moab. + She asked permission. 'Let me glean,' she said, 'and gather among the sheaves following after your harvesters.' She's been at it steady ever since, from early morning until now, without so much as a break." + Then Boaz spoke to Ruth: "Listen, my daughter. From now on don't go to any other field to glean--stay right here in this one. And stay close to my young women. + Watch where they are harvesting and follow them. And don't worry about a thing; I've given orders to my servants not to harass you. When you get thirsty, feel free to go and drink from the water buckets that the servants have filled." + She dropped to her knees, then bowed her face to the ground. "How does this happen that you should pick me out and treat me so kindly--me, a foreigner?" + Boaz answered her, "I've heard all about you--heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. + GOD reward you well for what you've done--and with a generous bonus besides from GOD, to whom you've come seeking protection under his wings." + She said, "Oh sir, such grace, such kindness--I don't deserve it. You've touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don't even belong here!" + At the lunch break, Boaz said to her, "Come over here; eat some bread. Dip it in the wine." So she joined the harvesters. Boaz passed the roasted grain to her. She ate her fill and even had some left over. + When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants: "Let her glean where there's still plenty of grain on the ground--make it easy for her. + Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment." + Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. When she threshed out what she had gathered, she ended up with nearly a full sack of barley! + She gathered up her gleanings, went back to town, and showed her mother-in-law the results of her day's work; she also gave her the leftovers from her lunch. + Naomi asked her, "So where did you glean today? Whose field? GOD bless whoever it was who took such good care of you!" Ruth told her mother-in-law, "The man with whom I worked today? His name is Boaz." + Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Why, GOD bless that man! GOD hasn't quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!" Naomi went on, "That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!" + Ruth the Moabitess said, "Well, listen to this: He also told me, 'Stick with my workers until my harvesting is finished.'" + Naomi said to Ruth, "That's wonderful, dear daughter! Do that! You'll be safe in the company of his young women; no danger now of being raped in some stranger's field." + So Ruth did it--she stuck close to Boaz's young women, gleaning in the fields daily until both the barley and wheat harvesting were finished. And she continued living with her mother-in-law. + + + One day her mother-in-law Naomi said to Ruth, "My dear daughter, isn't it about time I arranged a good home for you so you can have a happy life? + And isn't Boaz our close relative, the one with whose young women you've been working? Maybe it's time to make our move. Tonight is the night of Boaz's barley harvest at the threshing floor. + "Take a bath. Put on some perfume. Get all dressed up and go to the threshing floor. But don't let him know you're there until the party is well under way and he's had plenty of food and drink. + When you see him slipping off to sleep, watch where he lies down and then go there. Lie at his feet to let him know that you are available to him for marriage. Then wait and see what he says. He'll tell you what to do." + Ruth said, "If you say so, I'll do it, just as you've told me." + She went down to the threshing floor and put her mother-in-law's plan into action. + Boaz had a good time, eating and drinking his fill--he felt great. Then he went off to get some sleep, lying down at the end of a stack of barley. Ruth quietly followed; she lay down to signal her availability for marriage. + In the middle of the night the man was suddenly startled and sat up. Surprise! This woman asleep at his feet! + He said, "And who are you?" She said, "I am Ruth, your maiden; take me under your protecting wing. You're my close relative, you know, in the circle of covenant redeemers--you do have the right to marry me." + He said, "GOD bless you, my dear daughter! What a splendid expression of love! And when you could have had your pick of any of the young men around. + And now, my dear daughter, don't you worry about a thing; I'll do all you could want or ask. Everybody in town knows what a courageous woman you are--a real prize! + You're right, I am a close relative to you, but there is one even closer than I am. + So stay the rest of the night. In the morning, if he wants to exercise his customary rights and responsibilities as the closest covenant redeemer, he'll have his chance; but if he isn't interested, as GOD lives, I'll do it. Now go back to sleep until morning." + Ruth slept at his feet until dawn, but she got up while it was still dark and wouldn't be recognized. Then Boaz said to himself, "No one must know that Ruth came to the threshing floor." + So Boaz said, "Bring the shawl you're wearing and spread it out." She spread it out and he poured it full of barley, six measures, and put it on her shoulders. Then she went back to town. + When she came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "And how did things go, my dear daughter?" + Ruth told her everything that the man had done for her, adding, "And he gave me all this barley besides--six quarts! He told me, 'You can't go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law!'" + Naomi said, "Sit back and relax, my dear daughter, until we find out how things turn out; that man isn't going to fool around. Mark my words, he's going to get everything wrapped up today." + + + Boaz went straight to the public square and took his place there. Before long the "closer relative," the one mentioned earlier by Boaz, strolled by. "Step aside, old friend," said Boaz. "Take a seat." The man sat down. + Boaz then gathered ten of the town elders together and said, "Sit down here with us; we've got some business to take care of." And they sat down. + Boaz then said to his relative, "The piece of property that belonged to our relative Elimelech is being sold by his widow Naomi, who has just returned from the country of Moab. + I thought you ought to know about it. Buy it back if you want it--you can make it official in the presence of those sitting here and before the town elders. You have first redeemer rights. If you don't want it, tell me so I'll know where I stand. You're first in line to do this and I'm next after you." He said, "I'll buy it." + Then Boaz added, "You realize, don't you, that when you buy the field from Naomi, you also get Ruth the Moabite, the widow of our dead relative, along with the redeemer responsibility to have children with her to carry on the family inheritance." + Then the relative said, "Oh, I can't do that--I'd jeopardize my own family's inheritance. You go ahead and buy it--you can have my rights--I can't do it." + In the olden times in Israel, this is how they handled official business regarding matters of property and inheritance: a man would take off his shoe and give it to the other person. This was the same as an official seal or personal signature in Israel. + So when Boaz's "redeemer" relative said, "Go ahead and buy it," he signed the deal by pulling off his shoe. + Boaz then addressed the elders and all the people in the town square that day: "You are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon, + including responsibility for Ruth the foreigner, the widow of Mahlon--I'll take her as my wife and keep the name of the deceased alive along with his inheritance. The memory and reputation of the deceased is not going to disappear out of this family or from his hometown. To all this you are witnesses this very day." + All the people in the town square that day, backing up the elders, said, "Yes, we are witnesses. May GOD make this woman who is coming into your household like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the family of Israel. May GOD make you a pillar in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! + With the children GOD gives you from this young woman, may your family rival the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah." + Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. Boaz slept with her. By GOD's gracious gift she conceived and had a son. + The town women said to Naomi, "Blessed be GOD! He didn't leave you without family to carry on your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel! + He'll make you young again! He'll take care of you in old age. And this daughter-in-law who has brought him into the world and loves you so much, why, she's worth more to you than seven sons!" + Naomi took the baby and held him in her arms, cuddling him, cooing over him, waiting on him hand and foot. + The neighborhood women started calling him "Naomi's baby boy!" But his real name was Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. + This is the family tree of Perez: Perez had Hezron, + Hezron had Ram, Ram had Amminadab, + Amminadab had Nahshon, Nahshon had Salmon, + Salmon had Boaz, Boaz had Obed, + Obed had Jesse, and Jesse had David. + + + + + There once was a man who lived in Ramathaim. He was descended from the old Zuph family in the Ephraim hills. His name was Elkanah. (He was connected with the Zuphs from Ephraim through his father Jeroham, his grandfather Elihu, and his great-grandfather Tohu.) + He had two wives. The first was Hannah; the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children; Hannah did not. + Every year this man went from his hometown up to Shiloh to worship and offer a sacrifice to GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served as the priests of GOD there. + When Elkanah sacrificed, he passed helpings from the sacrificial meal around to his wife Peninnah and all her children, + but he always gave an especially generous helping to Hannah because he loved her so much, and because GOD had not given her children. + But her rival wife taunted her cruelly, rubbing it in and never letting her forget that GOD had not given her children. + This went on year after year. Every time she went to the sanctuary of GOD she could expect to be taunted. Hannah was reduced to tears and had no appetite. + Her husband Elkanah said, "Oh, Hannah, why are you crying? Why aren't you eating? And why are you so upset? Am I not of more worth to you than ten sons?" + So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to GOD's Temple in the customary seat. + Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to GOD and cried and cried--inconsolably. + Then she made a vow: Oh, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, If you'll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you'll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I'll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I'll set him apart for a life of holy discipline. + It so happened that as she continued in prayer before GOD, Eli was watching her closely. + Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. + He approached her and said, "You're drunk! How long do you plan to keep this up? Sober up, woman!" + Hannah said, "Oh no, sir--please! I'm a woman hard used. I haven't been drinking. Not a drop of wine or beer. The only thing I've been pouring out is my heart, pouring it out to GOD. + Don't for a minute think I'm a bad woman. It's because I'm so desperately unhappy and in such pain that I've stayed here so long." + Eli answered her, "Go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him." + "Think well of me--and pray for me!" she said, and went her way. Then she ate heartily, her face radiant. + Up before dawn, they worshiped GOD and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and GOD began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked. + Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to a son. She named him Samuel, explaining, "I asked GOD for him." + When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship GOD, offering sacrifices and keeping his vow, + Hannah didn't go. She told her husband, "After the child is weaned, I'll bring him myself and present him before GOD--and that's where he'll stay, for good." + Elkanah said to his wife, "Do what you think is best. Stay home until you have weaned him. Yes! Let GOD complete what he has begun!" So she did. She stayed home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. + Then she took him up to Shiloh, bringing also the makings of a generous sacrificial meal--a prize bull, flour, and wine. The child was so young to be sent off! + They first butchered the bull, then brought the child to Eli. + Hannah said, "Excuse me, sir. Would you believe that I'm the very woman who was standing before you at this very spot, praying to GOD? + I prayed for this child, and GOD gave me what I asked for. + And now I have dedicated him to GOD. He's dedicated to GOD for life." Then and there, they worshiped GOD. + + + Hannah prayed: I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation. + Nothing and no one is holy like GOD, no rock mountain like our God. + Don't dare talk pretentiously-- not a word of boasting, ever! For GOD knows what's going on. He takes the measure of everything that happens. + The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces, while the weak are infused with fresh strength. + The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts, while the hungry are getting second helpings. The barren woman has a houseful of children, while the mother of many is bereft. + GOD brings death and GOD brings life, brings down to the grave and raises up. + GOD brings poverty and GOD brings wealth; he lowers, he also lifts up. + He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives-- a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are GOD's; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation. + He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle! + GOD's enemies will be blasted out of the sky, crashed in a heap and burned. GOD will set things right all over the earth, he'll give strength to his king, he'll set his anointed on top of the world! + Elkanah went home to Ramah. The boy stayed and served GOD in the company of Eli the priest. + Eli's own sons were a bad lot. They didn't know GOD and could not have cared less + about the customs of priests among the people. Ordinarily, when someone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant was supposed to come up and, while the meat was boiling, + stab a three-pronged fork into the cooking pot. The priest then got whatever came up on the fork. But this is how Eli's sons treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to GOD. + Before they had even burned the fat to GOD, the priest's servant would interrupt whoever was sacrificing and say, "Hand over some of that meat for the priest to roast. He doesn't like boiled meat; he likes his rare." + If the man objected, "First let the fat be burned--God's portion!--then take all you want," the servant would demand, "No, I want it now. If you won't give it, I'll take it." + It was a horrible sin these young servants were committing--and right in the presence of GOD!--desecrating the holy offerings to GOD. + In the midst of all this, Samuel, a boy dressed in a priestly linen tunic, served GOD. + Additionally, every year his mother would make him a little robe cut to his size and bring it to him when she and her husband came for the annual sacrifice. + Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "GOD give you children to replace this child you have dedicated to GOD." Then they would go home. + GOD was most especially kind to Hannah. She had three more sons and two daughters! The boy Samuel stayed at the sanctuary and grew up with GOD. + By this time Eli was very old. He kept getting reports on how his sons were ripping off the people and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary. + Eli took them to task: "What's going on here? Why are you doing these things? I hear story after story of your corrupt and evil carrying on. + Oh, my sons, this is not right! These are terrible reports I'm getting, stories spreading right and left among GOD's people! + If you sin against another person, there's help--God's help. But if you sin against GOD, who is around to help?" But they were far gone in disobedience and refused to listen to a thing their father said. So GOD, who was fed up with them, decreed their death. + But the boy Samuel was very much alive, growing up, blessed by GOD and popular with the people. + A holy man came to Eli and said: "This is GOD's message: I revealed myself openly to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. + Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests: to preside at the altar, to burn incense, to wear the priestly robes in my presence. I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings of Israel. + So why do you now treat as mere loot these very sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat on these offerings, and ignoring me? + Therefore--this is GOD's word, the God of Israel speaking--I once said that you and your ancestral family would be my priests indefinitely, but now--GOD's word, remember!--there is no way this can continue. I honor those who honor me; those who scorn me I demean. + "Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to old age! + You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it. + I will leave one person to serve at my altar, but it will be a hard life, with many tears. Everyone else in your family will die before their time. + What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be the proof: Both will die the same day. + Then I'll establish for myself a true priest. He'll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I'll make his position secure and he'll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one. + Survivors from your family will come to him begging for handouts, saying, 'Please, give me some priest work, just enough to put some food on the table.'" + + + The boy Samuel was serving GOD under Eli's direction. This was at a time when the revelation of GOD was rarely heard or seen. + One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad--he could hardly see). + It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of GOD, where the Chest of God rested. + Then GOD called out, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Yes? I'm here." + Then he ran to Eli saying, "I heard you call. Here I am." Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." And so he did. + GOD called again, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, "I heard you call. Here I am." Again Eli said, "Son, I didn't call you. Go back to bed." + (This all happened before Samuel knew GOD for himself. It was before the revelation of GOD had been given to him personally.) + GOD called again, "Samuel!"--the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, "Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am." That's when it dawned on Eli that GOD was calling the boy. + So Eli directed Samuel, "Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, 'Speak, GOD. I'm your servant, ready to listen.'" Samuel returned to his bed. + Then GOD came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak. I'm your servant, ready to listen." + GOD said to Samuel, "Listen carefully. I'm getting ready to do something in Israel that is going to shake everyone up and get their attention. + The time has come for me to bring down on Eli's family everything I warned him of, every last word of it. + I'm letting him know that the time's up. I'm bringing judgment on his family for good. He knew what was going on, that his sons were desecrating God's name and God's place, and he did nothing to stop them. + This is my sentence on the family of Eli: The evil of Eli's family can never be wiped out by sacrifice or offering." + Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then rose early and went about his duties, opening the doors of the sanctuary, but he dreaded having to tell the vision to Eli. + But then Eli summoned Samuel: "Samuel, my son!" Samuel came running: "Yes? What can I do for you?" + "What did he say? Tell it to me, all of it. Don't suppress or soften one word, as God is your judge! I want it all, word for word as he said it to you." + So Samuel told him, word for word. He held back nothing. Eli said, "He is GOD. Let him do whatever he thinks best." + Samuel grew up. GOD was with him, and Samuel's prophetic record was flawless. + Everyone in Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, recognized that Samuel was the real thing--a true prophet of GOD. + GOD continued to show up at Shiloh, revealed through his word to Samuel at Shiloh. + + + Whatever Samuel said was broadcast all through Israel. Israel went to war against the Philistines. Israel set up camp at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. + The Philistines marched out to meet Israel, the fighting spread, and Israel was badly beaten--about 4,000 soldiers left dead on the field. + When the troops returned to camp, Israel's elders said, "Why has GOD given us such a beating today by the Philistines? Let's go to Shiloh and get the Chest of GOD's Covenant. It will accompany us and save us from the grip of our enemies." + So the army sent orders to Shiloh. They brought the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Cherubim-Enthroned-GOD. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Chest of the Covenant of God. + When the Chest of the Covenant of GOD was brought into camp, everyone gave a huge cheer. The shouts were like thunderclaps shaking the very ground. + The Philistines heard the shouting and wondered what on earth was going on: "What's all this shouting among the Hebrews?" Then they learned that the Chest of GOD had entered the Hebrew camp. + The Philistines panicked: "Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before. + We're done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these supergods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness. + On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We're about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you're made of! Fight for your lives!" + And did they ever fight! It turned into a rout. They thrashed Israel so mercilessly that the Israelite soldiers ran for their lives, leaving behind an incredible 30,000 dead. + As if that wasn't bad enough, the Chest of God was taken and the two sons of Eli--Hophni and Phinehas--were killed. + Immediately, a Benjaminite raced from the front lines back to Shiloh. Shirt torn and face smeared with dirt, + he entered the town. Eli was sitting on his stool beside the road keeping vigil, for he was extremely worried about the Chest of God. When the man ran straight into town to tell the bad news, everyone wept. + They were appalled. Eli heard the loud wailing and asked, "Why this uproar?" The messenger hurried over and reported. + Eli was ninety-eight years old then, and blind. + The man said to Eli, "I've just come from the front, barely escaping with my life." "And so, my son," said Eli, "what happened?" + The messenger answered, "Israel scattered before the Philistines. The defeat was catastrophic, with enormous losses. Your sons Hophni and Phinehas died, and the Chest of God was taken." + At the words, "Chest of God," Eli fell backwards off his stool where he sat next to the gate. Eli was an old man, and very fat. When he fell, he broke his neck and died. He had led Israel forty years. + His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and ready to deliver. When she heard that the Chest of God had been taken and that both her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went to her knees to give birth, going into hard labor. + As she was about to die, her midwife said, "Don't be afraid. You've given birth to a son!" But she gave no sign that she had heard. + The Chest of God gone, father-in-law dead, husband dead, she named the boy Ichabod (Glory's-Gone), + saying, "Glory is exiled from Israel since the Chest of God was taken." + + + Once the Philistines had seized the Chest of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, + brought it into the shrine of Dagon, and placed it alongside the idol of Dagon. + Next morning when the citizens of Ashdod got up, they were shocked to find Dagon toppled from his place, flat on his face before the Chest of GOD. They picked him up and put him back where he belonged. + First thing the next morning they found him again, toppled and flat on his face before the Chest of GOD. Dagon's head and arms were broken off, strewn across the entrance. Only his torso was in one piece. + (That's why even today, the priests of Dagon and visitors to the Dagon shrine in Ashdod avoid stepping on the threshold.) + GOD was hard on the citizens of Ashdod. He devastated them by hitting them with tumors. This happened in both the town and the surrounding neighborhoods. He let loose rats among them. Jumping from ships there, rats swarmed all over the city! And everyone was deathly afraid. + When the leaders of Ashdod saw what was going on, they decided, "The chest of the god of Israel has got to go. We can't handle this, and neither can our god Dagon." + They called together all the Philistine leaders and put it to them: "How can we get rid of the chest of the god of Israel?" The leaders agreed: "Move it to Gath." So they moved the Chest of the God of Israel to Gath. + But as soon as they moved it there, GOD came down hard on that city, too. It was mass hysteria! He hit them with tumors. Tumors broke out on everyone in town, young and old. + So they sent the Chest of God on to Ekron, but as the Chest was being brought into town, the people shouted in protest, "You'll kill us all by bringing in this Chest of the God of Israel!" + They called the Philistine leaders together and demanded, "Get it out of here, this Chest of the God of Israel. Send it back where it came from. We're threatened with mass death!" For everyone was scared to death when the Chest of God showed up. God was already coming down very hard on the place. + Those who didn't die were hit with tumors. All over the city cries of pain and lament filled the air. + + + After the Chest of GOD had been among the Philistine people for seven months, + the Philistine leaders called together their religious professionals, the priests, and experts on the supernatural for consultation: "How can we get rid of this Chest of GOD, get it off our hands without making things worse? Tell us!" + They said, "If you're going to send the Chest of the God of Israel back, don't just dump it on them. Pay compensation. Then you will be healed. After you're in the clear again, God will let up on you. Why wouldn't he?" + "And what exactly would make for adequate compensation?" "Five gold tumors and five gold rats," they said, "to match the number of Philistine leaders. Since all of you--leaders and people--suffered the same plague, + make replicas of the tumors and rats that are devastating the country and present them as an offering to the glory of the God of Israel. Then maybe he'll ease up and not be so hard on you and your gods, and on your country. + Why be stubborn like the Egyptians and Pharaoh? God didn't quit pounding on them until they let the people go. Only then did he let up. + "So here's what you do: Take a brand-new oxcart and two cows that have never been in harness. Hitch the cows to the oxcart and send their calves back to the barn. + Put the Chest of GOD on the cart. Secure the gold replicas of the tumors and rats that you are offering as compensation in a sack and set them next to the Chest. Then send it off. + But keep your eyes on it. If it heads straight back home to where it came from, toward Beth Shemesh, it is clear that this catastrophe is a divine judgment, but if not, we'll know that God had nothing to do with it--it was just an accident." + So that's what they did: They hitched two cows to the cart, put their calves in the barn, + and placed the Chest of GOD and the sack of gold rats and tumors on the cart. + The cows headed straight for home, down the road to Beth Shemesh, straying neither right nor left, mooing all the way. The Philistine leaders followed them to the outskirts of Beth Shemesh. + The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Chest. Jubilant, they ran to meet it. + The cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth Shemeshite, and stopped there beside a huge boulder. The harvesters tore the cart to pieces, then chopped up the wood and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to GOD. + The Levites took charge of the Chest of GOD and the sack containing the gold offerings, placing them on the boulder. Offering the sacrifices, everyone in Beth Shemesh worshiped GOD most heartily that day. + When the five Philistine leaders saw what they came to see, they returned the same day to Ekron. + The five gold replicas of the tumors were offered by the Philistines in compensation for the cities of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. + The five gold rats matched the number of Philistine towns, both large and small, ruled by the five leaders. The big boulder on which they placed the Chest of GOD is still there in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, a landmark. + God struck some of the men of Beth Shemesh who, out of curiosity, irreverently peeked into the Chest of GOD. Seventy died. The whole town was in mourning, reeling under the hard blow from GOD, + and questioning, "Who can stand before GOD, this holy God? And who can we get to take this Chest off our hands?" + They sent emissaries to Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the Chest of GOD. Come down and get it." + + + And they did. The men of Kiriath Jearim came and got the Chest of GOD and delivered it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They ordained his son, Eleazar, to take responsibility for the Chest of GOD. + From the time that the Chest came to rest in Kiriath Jearim, a long time passed--twenty years it was--and throughout Israel there was a widespread, fearful movement toward GOD. + Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: "If you are truly serious about coming back to GOD, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in GOD, worship him and him alone, and he'll save you from Philistine oppression." + They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to GOD. + Next Samuel said, "Get everybody together at Mizpah and I'll pray for you." + So everyone assembled at Mizpah. They drew water from the wells and poured it out before GOD in a ritual of cleansing. They fasted all day and prayed, "We have sinned against GOD." So Samuel prepared the Israelites for holy war there at Mizpah. + When the Philistines heard that Israel was meeting at Mizpah, the Philistine leaders went on the offensive. Israel got the report and became frightened--Philistines on the move again! + They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray with all your might! And don't let up! Pray to GOD, our God, that he'll save us from the boot of the Philistines." + Samuel took a young lamb not yet weaned and offered it whole as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD. He prayed fervently to GOD, interceding for Israel. And GOD answered. + While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then GOD thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked--mass confusion!--and ran helter-skelter from Israel. + Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car. + Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it "Ebenezer" (Rock of Help), saying, "This marks the place where GOD helped us." + The Philistines learned their lesson and stayed home--no more border crossings. GOD was hard on the Philistines all through Samuel's lifetime. + All the cities from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored. Israel also freed the surrounding countryside from Philistine control. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. + Samuel gave solid leadership to Israel his entire life. + Every year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He gave leadership to Israel in each of these places. + But always he would return to Ramah, where he lived, and preside from there. That is where he built an altar to GOD. + + + When Samuel got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel. + His firstborn son was named Joel, the name of his second, Abijah. They were assigned duty in Beersheba. + But his sons didn't take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice. + Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah. + They presented their case: "Look, you're an old man, and your sons aren't following in your footsteps. Here's what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else." + When Samuel heard their demand--"Give us a king to rule us!"--he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to GOD. + GOD answered Samuel, "Go ahead and do what they're asking. They are not rejecting you. They've rejected me as their King. + From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they've been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they're doing it to you. + So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they're in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they're likely to get from a king." + So Samuel told them, delivered GOD's warning to the people who were asking him to give them a king. + He said, "This is the way the kind of king you're talking about operates. He'll take your sons and make soldiers of them--chariotry, cavalry, infantry, + regimented in battalions and squadrons. He'll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. + He'll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. + He'll conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. + He'll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. + Your prize workers and best animals he'll take for his own use. + He'll lay a tax on your flocks and you'll end up no better than slaves. + The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don't expect GOD to answer." + But the people wouldn't listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We will have a king to rule us! + Then we'll be just like all the other nations. Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles." + Samuel took in what they said and rehearsed it with GOD. + GOD told Samuel, "Do what they say. Make them a king." Then Samuel dismissed the men of Israel: "Go home, each of you to your own city." + + + There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish. He was the son of Abiel, grandson of Zeror, great-grandson of Becorath, great-great-grandson of Aphiah--a Benjaminite of stalwart character. + He had a son, Saul, a most handsome young man. There was none finer--he literally stood head and shoulders above the crowd! + Some of Kish's donkeys got lost. Kish said to his son, "Saul, take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys." + Saul took one of the servants and went to find the donkeys. They went into the hill country of Ephraim around Shalisha, but didn't find them. Then they went over to Shaalim--no luck. Then to Jabin, and still nothing. + When they got to Zuph, Saul said to the young man with him, "Enough of this. Let's go back. Soon my father is going to forget about the donkeys and start worrying about us." + He replied, "Not so fast. There's a holy man in this town. He carries a lot of weight around here. What he says is always right on the mark. Maybe he can tell us where to go." + Saul said, "If we go, what do we have to give him? There's no more bread in our sacks. We've nothing to bring as a gift to the holy man. Do we have anything else?" + The servant spoke up, "Look, I just happen to have this silver coin! I'll give it to the holy man and he'll tell us how to proceed!" + (In former times in Israel, a person who wanted to seek God's word on a matter would say, "Let's visit the Seer," because the one we now call "the Prophet" used to be called "the Seer.") + "Good," said Saul, "let's go." And they set off for the town where the holy man lived. + As they were climbing up the hill into the town, they met some girls who were coming out to draw water. They said to them, "Is this where the Seer lives?" + They answered, "It sure is--just ahead. Hurry up. He's come today because the people have prepared a sacrifice at the shrine. + As soon as you enter the town, you can catch him before he goes up to the shrine to eat. The people won't eat until he arrives, for he has to bless the sacrifice. Only then can everyone eat. So get going. You're sure to find him!" + They continued their climb and entered the city. And then there he was--Samuel!--coming straight toward them on his way to the shrine! + The very day before, GOD had confided in Samuel, + "This time tomorrow, I'm sending a man from the land of Benjamin to meet you. You're to anoint him as prince over my people Israel. He will free my people from Philistine oppression. Yes, I know all about their hard circumstances. I've heard their cries for help." + The moment Samuel laid eyes on Saul, GOD said, "He's the one, the man I told you about. This is the one who will keep my people in check." + Saul came up to Samuel in the street and said, "Pardon me, but can you tell me where the Seer lives?" + "I'm the Seer," said Samuel. "Accompany me to the shrine and eat with me. In the morning I'll tell you all about what's on your mind, and send you on your way. + And by the way, your lost donkeys--the ones you've been hunting for the last three days--have been found, so don't worry about them. At this moment, Israel's future is in your hands." + Saul answered, "But I'm only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel's tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that. Why are you talking to me like this?" + Samuel took Saul and his servant and led them into the dining hall at the shrine and seated them at the head of the table. There were about thirty guests. + Then Samuel directed the chef, "Bring the choice cut I pointed out to you, the one I told you to reserve." + The chef brought it and placed it before Saul with a flourish, saying, "This meal was kept aside just for you. Eat! It was especially prepared for this time and occasion with these guests." Saul ate with Samuel--a memorable day! + Afterward they went down from the shrine into the city. A bed was prepared for Saul on the breeze-cooled roof of Samuel's house. + They woke at the break of day. Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get up and I'll send you off." Saul got up and the two of them went out in the street. + As they approached the outskirts of town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. You stay with me for a bit. I have a word of God to give you." + + + Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul's head, and kissed him. He said, "Do you see what this means? GOD has anointed you prince over his people. "This sign will confirm GOD's anointing of you as prince over his inheritance: + After you leave me today, as you get closer to your home country of Benjamin, you'll meet two men near Rachel's Tomb. They'll say, 'The donkeys you went to look for are found. Your father has forgotten about the donkeys and is worried about you, wringing his hands--quite beside himself!' + "Leaving there, you'll arrive at the Oak of Tabor. There you'll meet three men going up to worship God at Bethel. One will be carrying three young goats, another carrying three sacks of bread, and the third a jug of wine. + They'll say, 'Hello, how are you?' and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept. + "Next, you'll come to Gibeah of God, where there's a Philistine garrison. As you approach the town, you'll run into a bunch of prophets coming down from the shrine, playing harps and tambourines, flutes and drums. And they'll be prophesying. + Before you know it, the Spirit of GOD will come on you and you'll be prophesying right along with them. And you'll be transformed. You'll be a new person! + "When these confirming signs are accomplished, you'll know that you're ready: Whatever job you're given to do, do it. God is with you! + "Now, go down to Gilgal and I will follow. I'll come down and join you in worship by sacrificing burnt offerings and peace offerings. Wait seven days. Then I'll come and tell you what to do next." + Saul turned and left Samuel. At that very moment God transformed him--made him a new person! And all the confirming signs took place the same day. + When Saul and his party got to Gibeah, there were the prophets, right in front of them! Before he knew it, the Spirit of God came on Saul and he was prophesying right along with them. + When those who had previously known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they were totally surprised. "What's going on here? What's come over the son of Kish? How on earth did Saul get to be a prophet?" + One man spoke up and said, "Who started this? Where did these people ever come from?" That's how the saying got started, "Saul among the prophets! Who would have guessed?!" + When Saul was done prophesying, he returned home. + His uncle asked him and his servant, "So where have you two been all this time?" "Out looking for the donkeys. We looked and looked and couldn't find them. And then we found Samuel!" + "So," said Saul's uncle, "what did Samuel tell you?" + Saul said, "He told us not to worry--the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't breathe a word to his uncle of what Samuel said about the king business. + Samuel called the people to assemble before GOD at Mizpah. + He addressed the children of Israel, "This is GOD's personal message to you: "I brought Israel up out of Egypt. I delivered you from Egyptian oppression--yes, from all the bullying governments that made your life miserable. + And now you want nothing to do with your God, the very God who has a history of getting you out of troubles of all sorts. "And now you say, 'No! We want a king; give us a king!' "Well, if that's what you want, that's what you'll get! Present yourselves formally before GOD, ranked in tribes and families." + After Samuel got all the tribes of Israel lined up, the Benjamin tribe was picked. + Then he lined up the Benjamin tribe in family groups, and the family of Matri was picked. The family of Matri took its place in the lineup, and the name Saul, son of Kish, was picked. But when they went looking for him, he was nowhere to be found. + Samuel went back to GOD: "Is he anywhere around?" GOD said, "Yes, he's right over there--hidden in that pile of baggage." + They ran and got him. He took his place before everyone, standing tall--head and shoulders above them. + Samuel then addressed the people, "Take a good look at whom GOD has chosen: the best! No one like him in the whole country!" Then a great shout went up from the people: "Long live the king!" + Samuel went on to instruct the people in the rules and regulations involved in a kingdom, wrote it all down in a book, and placed it before GOD. Then Samuel sent everyone home. + Saul also went home to Gibeah, and with him some true and brave men whom GOD moved to join him. + But the riff-raff went off muttering, "'Deliverer'? Don't make me laugh!" They held him in contempt and refused to congratulate him. But Saul paid them no mind. Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was brutalizing the tribes of Gad and Reuben, gouging out their right eyes and intimidating anyone who would come to Israel's help. There were very few Israelites living on the east side of the Jordan River who had not had their right eyes gouged out by Nahash. But seven thousand men had escaped from the Ammonites and were now living safely in Jabesh. + + + So Nahash went after them and prepared to go to war against Jabesh Gilead. The men of Jabesh petitioned Nahash: "Make a treaty with us and we'll serve you." + Nahash said, "I'll make a treaty with you on one condition: that every right eye among you be gouged out! I'll humiliate every last man and woman in Israel before I'm done!" + The town leaders of Jabesh said, "Give us time to send messengers around Israel--seven days should do it. If no one shows up to help us, we'll accept your terms." + The messengers came to Saul's place at Gibeah and told the people what was going on. As the people broke out in loud wails, + Saul showed up. He was coming back from the field with his oxen. Saul asked, "What happened? Why is everyone crying?" And they repeated the message that had come from Jabesh. + The Spirit of God came on Saul when he heard the report and he flew into a rage. + He grabbed the yoke of oxen and butchered them on the spot. He sent the messengers throughout Israel distributing the bloody pieces with this message: "Anyone who refuses to join up with Saul and Samuel, let this be the fate of his oxen!" The terror of GOD seized the people, and they came out, one and all, not a laggard among them. + Saul took command of the people at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel, another 30,000 from Judah. + Saul instructed the messengers, "Tell this to the folk in Jabesh Gilead: 'Help is on the way. Expect it by noon tomorrow.'" The messengers set straight off and delivered their message. Elated, the people of Jabesh Gilead + sent word to Nahash: "Tomorrow we'll give ourselves up. You can deal with us on your terms." + Long before dawn the next day, Saul had strategically placed his army in three groups. At first light they broke into the enemy camp and slaughtered Ammonites until noon. Those who were left ran for their lives, scattering every which way. + The people came to Samuel then and said, "Where are those men who said, 'Saul is not fit to rule over us'? Hand them over. We'll kill them!" + But Saul said, "Nobody is going to be executed this day. This is the day GOD saved Israel! + Come, let's go to Gilgal and there reconsecrate the kingship." + They all trooped out to Gilgal. Before GOD, they crowned Saul king at Gilgal. And there they worshiped, sacrificing peace offerings. Saul and all Israel celebrated magnificently. + + + Samuel addressed all Israel: "I've listened to everything you've said to me, listened carefully to every word, and I've given you a king. + See for yourself: Your king among you, leading you! But now look at me: I'm old and gray, and my sons are still here. I've led you faithfully from my youth until this very day. + Look at me! Do you have any complaints to bring before GOD and his anointed? Have I ever stolen so much as an ox or a donkey? Have I ever taken advantage of you or exploited you? Have I ever taken a bribe or played fast and loose with the law? Bring your complaint and I'll make it right." + "Oh no," they said, "never. You've never done any of that--never abused us, never lined your own pockets." + "That settles it then," said Samuel. "GOD is witness, and his anointed is witness that you find nothing against me--no faults, no complaints." + And the people said, "He is witness." Samuel continued, "This is the GOD who made Moses and Aaron your leaders and brought your ancestors out of Egypt. + Take your stand before him now as I review your case before GOD in the light of all the righteous ways in which GOD has worked with you and your ancestors. + When Jacob's sons entered Egypt, the Egyptians made life hard for them and they cried for help to GOD. GOD sent Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them here in this place. + "They soon forgot their GOD, so he sold them off to Sisera, commander of Hazor's army, later to a hard life under the Philistines, and still later to the king of Moab. They had to fight for their lives. + "Then they cried for help to GOD. They confessed, 'We've sinned! We've gone off and left GOD and worshiped the fertility gods and goddesses of Canaan. Oh, deliver us from the brutalities of our enemies and we'll worship you alone.' + "So GOD sent Jerub-Baal (Gideon), Bedan (Barak), Jephthah, and Samuel. He saved you from that hard life surrounded by enemies, and you lived in peace. + "But when you saw Nahash, king of the Ammonites, preparing to attack you, you said to me, 'No more of this. We want a king to lead us.' And GOD was already your king! + "So here's the king you wanted, the king you asked for. GOD has let you have your own way, given you a king. + If you fear GOD, worship and obey him, and don't rebel against what he tells you. If both you and your king follow GOD, no problem. GOD will be sure to save you. + But if you don't obey him and rebel against what he tells you, king or no king, you will fare no better than your fathers. + "Pay attention! Watch this wonder that GOD is going to perform before you now! + It's summer, as you well know, and the rainy season is over. But I'm going to pray to GOD. He'll send thunder and rain, a sign to convince you of the great wrong you have done to GOD by asking for a king." + Samuel prayed to GOD, and GOD sent thunder and rain that same day. The people were greatly afraid and in awe of GOD and of Samuel. + Then all the people begged Samuel, "Pray to your GOD for us, your servants. Pray that we won't die! On top of all our other sins, we've piled on one more--asking for a king!" + Samuel said to them, "Don't be fearful. It's true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don't turn your back on GOD. Worship and serve him heart and soul! + Don't chase after ghost-gods. + There's nothing to them. They can't help you. They're nothing but ghost-gods! GOD, simply because of who he is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. GOD took delight in making you into his very own people. + "And neither will I walk off and leave you. That would be a sin against GOD! I'm staying right here at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live. + But I beg of you, fear GOD and worship him honestly and heartily. You've seen how greatly he has worked among you! + Be warned: If you live badly, both you and your king will be thrown out." + + + Saul was a young man when he began as king. He was king over Israel for many years. + Saul conscripted enough men for three companies of soldiers. He kept two companies under his command at Micmash and in the Bethel hills. The other company was under Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the rest of the men home. + Jonathan attacked and killed the Philistine governor stationed at Geba (Gibeah). When the Philistines heard the news, they raised the alarm: "The Hebrews are in revolt!" Saul ordered the reveille trumpets blown throughout the land. + The word went out all over Israel, "Saul has killed the Philistine governor--drawn first blood! The Philistines are stirred up and mad as hornets!" Summoned, the army came to Saul at Gilgal. + The Philistines rallied their forces to fight Israel: three companies of chariots, six companies of cavalry, and so many infantry they looked like sand on the seashore. They went up into the hills and set up camp at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. + When the Israelites saw that they were way outnumbered and in deep trouble, they ran for cover, hiding in caves and pits, ravines and brambles and cisterns--wherever. + They retreated across the Jordan River, refugees fleeing to the country of Gad and Gilead. But Saul held his ground in Gilgal, his soldiers still with him but scared to death. + He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. Samuel failed to show up at Gilgal, and the soldiers were slipping away, right and left. + So Saul took charge: "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!" He went ahead and sacrificed the burnt offering. + No sooner had he done it than Samuel showed up! Saul greeted him. + Samuel said, "What on earth are you doing?" Saul answered, "When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn't come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, + I said, 'The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven't yet come before GOD asking for his help.' So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering." + "That was a fool thing to do," Samuel said to Saul. "If you had kept the appointment that your GOD commanded, by now GOD would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. + As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. GOD is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he'll do the choosing. When he finds him, he'll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn't keep your appointment with GOD!" + At that, Samuel got up and left Gilgal. What army there was left followed Saul into battle. They went into the hills from Gilgal toward Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul looked over and assessed the soldiers still with him--a mere six hundred! + Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers who had remained made camp at Geba (Gibeah) of Benjamin. The Philistines were camped at Micmash. + Three squads of raiding parties were regularly sent out from the Philistine camp. One squadron was assigned to the Ophrah road going toward Shual country; + another was assigned to the Beth Horon road; the third took the border road that rimmed the Valley of Hyenas. + There wasn't a blacksmith to be found anywhere in Israel. The Philistines made sure of that--"Lest those Hebrews start making swords and spears." + That meant that the Israelites had to go down among the Philistines to keep their farm tools--plowshares and mattocks, axes and sickles--sharp and in good repair. + They charged a silver coin for the plowshares and mattocks, and half that for the rest. + So when the battle of Micmash was joined, there wasn't a sword or spear to be found anywhere in Israel--except for Saul and his son Jonathan; they were both well-armed. + A patrol of Philistines took up a position at Micmash Pass. + + + Later that day, Jonathan, Saul's son, said to his armor bearer, "Come on, let's go over to the Philistine garrison patrol on the other side of the pass." But he didn't tell his father. + Meanwhile, Saul was taking it easy under the pomegranate tree at the threshing floor on the edge of town at Geba (Gibeah). There were about six hundred men with him. + Ahijah, wearing the priestly Ephod, was also there. (Ahijah was the son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eli the priest of GOD at Shiloh.) No one there knew that Jonathan had gone off. + The pass that Jonathan was planning to cross over to the Philistine garrison was flanked on either side by sharp rock outcroppings, cliffs named Bozez and Seneh. + The cliff to the north faced Micmash; the cliff to the south faced Geba (Gibeah). + Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come on now, let's go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Maybe GOD will work for us. There's no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop GOD from saving when he sets his mind to it." + His armor bearer said, "Go ahead. Do what you think best. I'm with you all the way." + Jonathan said, "Here's what we'll do. We'll cross over the pass and let the men see we're there. + If they say, 'Halt! Don't move until we check you out,' we'll stay put and not go up. + But if they say, 'Come on up,' we'll go right up--and we'll know GOD has given them to us. That will be our sign." + So they did it, the two of them. They stepped into the open where they could be seen by the Philistine garrison. The Philistines shouted out, "Look at that! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!" + Then they yelled down to Jonathan and his armor bearer, "Come on up here! We've got a thing or two to show you!" + Jonathan shouted to his armor bearer, "Up! Follow me! GOD has turned them over to Israel!" Jonathan scrambled up on all fours, his armor bearer right on his heels. When the Philistines came running up to them, he knocked them flat, his armor bearer right behind finishing them off, bashing their heads in with stones. + In this first bloody encounter, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men. + That set off a terrific upheaval in both camp and field, the soldiers in the garrison and the raiding squad badly shaken up, the ground itself shuddering--panic like you've never seen before! + Saul's sentries posted back at Geba (Gibeah) in Benjamin saw the confusion and turmoil raging in the camp. + Saul commanded, "Line up and take the roll. See who's here and who's missing." + When they called the roll, Jonathan and his armor bearer turned up missing. Saul ordered Ahijah, "Bring the priestly Ephod. Let's see what GOD has to say here." (Ahijah was responsible for the Ephod in those days.) + While Saul was in conversation with the priest, the upheaval in the Philistine camp became greater and louder. Then Saul interrupted Ahijah: "Put the Ephod away." + Saul immediately called his army together and they went straight to the battle. When they got there they found total confusion--Philistines swinging their swords wildly, killing each other. + Hebrews who had earlier defected to the Philistine camp came back. They now wanted to be with Israel under Saul and Jonathan. + Not only that, but when all the Israelites who had been hiding out in the backwoods of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were running for their lives, they came out and joined the chase. + GOD saved Israel! What a day! The fighting moved on to Beth Aven. The whole army was behind Saul now--ten thousand strong!--with the fighting scattering into all the towns throughout the hills of Ephraim. + Saul did something really foolish that day. He addressed the army: "A curse on the man who eats anything before evening, before I've wreacked vengeance on my enemies!" None of them ate a thing all day. + There were honeycombs here and there in the fields. + But no one so much as put his finger in the honey to taste it, for the soldiers to a man feared the curse. + But Jonathan hadn't heard his father put the army under oath. He stuck the tip of his staff into some honey and ate it. Refreshed, his eyes lit up with renewed vigor. + A soldier spoke up, "Your father has put the army under solemn oath, saying, 'A curse on the man who eats anything before evening!' No wonder the soldiers are drooping!" + Jonathan said, "My father has imperiled the country. Just look how quickly my energy has returned since I ate a little of this honey! + It would have been a lot better, believe me, if the soldiers had eaten their fill of whatever they took from the enemy. Who knows how much worse we could have whipped them!" + They killed Philistines that day all the way from Micmash to Aijalon, but the soldiers ended up totally exhausted. + Then they started plundering. They grabbed anything in sight--sheep, cattle, calves--and butchered it where they found it. Then they glutted themselves--meat, blood, the works. + Saul was told, "Do something! The soldiers are sinning against GOD. They're eating meat with the blood still in it!" Saul said, "You're biting the hand that feeds you! Roll a big rock over here--now!" + He continued, "Disperse among the troops and tell them, 'Bring your oxen and sheep to me and butcher them properly here. Then you can feast to your heart's content. Please don't sin against GOD by eating meat with the blood still in it.'" And so they did. That night each soldier, one after another, led his animal there to be butchered. + That's the story behind Saul's building an altar to GOD. It's the first altar to GOD that he built. + Saul said, "Let's go after the Philistines tonight! We can spend the night looting and plundering. We won't leave a single live Philistine!" "Sounds good to us," said the troops. "Let's do it!" But the priest slowed them down: "Let's find out what God thinks about this." + So Saul prayed to God, "Shall I go after the Philistines? Will you put them in Israel's hand?" God didn't answer him on that occasion. + Saul then said, "All army officers, step forward. Some sin has been committed this day. We're going to find out what it is and who did it! + As GOD lives, Israel's Savior God, whoever sinned will die, even if it should turn out to be Jonathan, my son!" Nobody said a word. + Saul said to the Israelites, "You line up over on that side, and I and Jonathan my son will stand on this side." The army agreed, "Fine. Whatever you say." + Then Saul prayed to GOD, "O God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Show me the truth. If the sin is in me or Jonathan, then, O GOD, give the sign Urim. But if the sin is in the army of Israel, give the sign Thummim." The Urim sign turned up and pointed to Saul and Jonathan. That cleared the army. + Next Saul said, "Cast the lots between me and Jonathan--and death to the one GOD points to!" The soldiers protested, "No--this is not right. Stop this!" But Saul pushed on anyway. They cast the lots, Urim and Thummim, and the lot fell to Jonathan. + Saul confronted Jonathan. "What did you do? Tell me!" Jonathan said, "I licked a bit of honey off the tip of the staff I was carrying. That's it--and for that I'm to die?" + Saul said, "Yes. Jonathan most certainly will die. It's out of my hands--I can't go against God, can I?" + The soldiers rose up: "Jonathan--die? Never! He's just carried out this stunning salvation victory for Israel. As surely as GOD lives, not a hair on his head is going to be harmed. Why, he's been working hand-in-hand with God all day!" The soldiers rescued Jonathan and he didn't die. + Saul pulled back from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went home. + Saul extended his rule, capturing neighboring kingdoms. He fought enemies on every front--Moab, Ammon, Edom, the king of Zobah, the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he came up with a victory. + He became invincible! He smashed Amalek, freeing Israel from the savagery and looting. + Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. His daughters were Merab, the firstborn, and Michal, the younger. + Saul's wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. Abner son of Ner was commander of Saul's army (Ner was Saul's uncle). + Kish, Saul's father, and Ner, Abner's father, were the sons of Abiel. + All through Saul's life there was war, bitter and relentless, with the Philistines. Saul conscripted every strong and brave man he laid eyes on. + + + Samuel said to Saul, "GOD sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what GOD says. + This is the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: "'I'm about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. + Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction--men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys--the works.'" + Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war--two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. + Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon. + Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place. + Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. + He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. + Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban. + Then GOD spoke to Samuel: + "I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. + He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to GOD. + As Samuel came close, Saul called out, "GOD's blessings on you! I accomplished GOD's plan to the letter!" + Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing--this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?" + "Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to GOD. But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban." + "Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what GOD told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me." + And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing--and you knew it. Then GOD put you at the head of Israel--made you king over Israel. + Then GOD sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, 'Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.' + So why did you not obey GOD? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with GOD's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?" + Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey GOD. I did the job GOD set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. + So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to GOD at Gilgal--what's wrong with that?" + Then Samuel said, Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices-- empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. + Not doing what GOD tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around GOD is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to GOD's command, he says No to your kingship. + Saul gave in and confessed, "I've sinned. I've trampled roughshod over GOD's Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do. + Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship GOD!" + But Samuel refused: "No, I can't come alongside you in this. You rejected GOD's command. Now GOD has rejected you as king over Israel." + As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off. + Samuel said, "GOD has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are. + Israel's God-of-Glory doesn't deceive and he doesn't dither. He says what he means and means what he says." + Saul tried again, "I have sinned. But don't abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship GOD." + Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before GOD and worshiped. + Then Samuel said, "Present King Agag of Amalek to me." Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he'd be better off dead. + Samuel said, "Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!" And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of GOD right there in Gilgal. + Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah. + Samuel never laid eyes on Saul again in this life, although he grieved long and deeply over him. But GOD was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place. + + + GOD addressed Samuel: "So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I've rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I've spotted the very king I want among his sons." + "I can't do that," said Samuel. "Saul will hear about it and kill me." GOD said, "Take a heifer with you and announce, 'I've come to lead you in worship of GOD, with this heifer as a sacrifice.' + Make sure Jesse gets invited. I'll let you know what to do next. I'll point out the one you are to anoint." + Samuel did what GOD told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. "Is there something wrong?" + "Nothing's wrong. I've come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of GOD. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship." He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship. + When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Here he is! GOD's anointed!" + But GOD told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart." + Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, "This man isn't GOD's choice either." + Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, "No, this man isn't either." + Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, "GOD hasn't chosen any of these." + Then he asked Jesse, "Is this it? Are there no more sons?" "Well, yes, there's the runt. But he's out tending the sheep." Samuel ordered Jesse, "Go get him. We're not moving from this spot until he's here." + Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health--bright-eyed, good-looking. GOD said, "Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one." + Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of GOD entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah. + At that very moment the Spirit of GOD left Saul and in its place a black mood sent by GOD settled on him. He was terrified. + Saul's advisors said, "This awful tormenting depression from God is making your life miserable. + O master, let us help. Let us look for someone who can play the harp. When the black mood from God moves in, he'll play his music and you'll feel better." + Saul told his servants, "Go ahead. Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me." + One of the young men spoke up, "I know someone. I've seen him myself: the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, an excellent musician. He's also courageous, of age, well-spoken, and good-looking. And GOD is with him." + So Saul sent messengers to Jesse requesting, "Send your son David to me, the one who tends the sheep." + Jesse took a donkey, loaded it with a couple of loaves of bread, a flask of wine, and a young goat, and sent his son David with it to Saul. + David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him immediately and made him his right-hand man. + Saul sent word back to Jesse: "Thank you. David will stay here. He's just the one I was looking for. I'm very impressed by him." + After that, whenever the bad depression from God tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted. + + + The Philistines drew up their troops for battle. They deployed them at Socoh in Judah, and set up camp between Socoh and Azekah at Ephes Dammim. + Saul and the Israelites came together, camped at Oak Valley, and spread out their troops in battle readiness for the Philistines. + The Philistines were on one hill, the Israelites on the opposing hill, with the valley between them. + A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. + He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor--126 pounds of it! + He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. + His spear was like a fence rail--the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him. + Goliath stood there and called out to the Israelite troops, "Why bother using your whole army? Am I not Philistine enough for you? And you're all committed to Saul, aren't you? So pick your best fighter and pit him against me. + If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you'll all become our slaves and serve us. + I challenge the troops of Israel this day. Give me a man. Let us fight it out together!" + When Saul and his troops heard the Philistine's challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope. + Enter David. He was the son of Jesse the Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse, the father of eight sons, was himself too old to join Saul's army. + Jesse's three older sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who had joined up with Saul were Eliab, the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah. + David was the youngest son. While his three oldest brothers went to war with Saul, David went back and forth from attending to Saul to tending his father's sheep in Bethlehem. + (SEE 17:14) + Each morning and evening for forty days, Goliath took his stand and made his speech. + One day, Jesse told David his son, "Take this sack of cracked wheat and these ten loaves of bread and run them down to your brothers in the camp. + And take these ten wedges of cheese to the captain of their division. Check in on your brothers to see whether they are getting along all right, and let me know how they're doing-- + Saul and your brothers, and all the Israelites in their war with the Philistines in the Oak Valley." + David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. + Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. + David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers. + While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him. + The Israelites, to a man, fell back the moment they saw the giant--totally frightened. + The talk among the troops was, "Have you ever seen anything like this, this man openly and defiantly challenging Israel? The man who kills the giant will have it made. The king will give him a huge reward, offer his daughter as a bride, and give his entire family a free ride." + David, who was talking to the men standing around him, asked, "What's in it for the man who kills that Philistine and gets rid of this ugly blot on Israel's honor? Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?" + They told him what everyone was saying about what the king would do for the man who killed the Philistine. + Eliab, his older brother, heard David fraternizing with the men and lost his temper: "What are you doing here! Why aren't you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you're up to. You've come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!" + "What is it with you?" replied David. "All I did was ask a question." + Ignoring his brother, he turned to someone else, asked the same question, and got the same answer as before. + The things David was saying were picked up and reported to Saul. Saul sent for him. + "Master," said David, "don't give up hope. I'm ready to go and fight this Philistine." + Saul answered David, "You can't go and fight this Philistine. You're too young and inexperienced--and he's been at this fighting business since before you were born." + David said, "I've been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, + I'd go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I'd grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. + Lion or bear, it made no difference--I killed it. And I'll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. + GOD, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine." Saul said, "Go. And GOD help you!" + Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. + David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, "I can't even move with all this stuff on me. I'm not used to this." And he took it all off. + Then David took his shepherd's staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath. + As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. + He took one look down on him and sneered--a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed. + The Philistine ridiculed David. "Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?" And he cursed him by his gods. + "Come on," said the Philistine. "I'll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I'll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice." + David answered, "You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock. + This very day GOD is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. + And everyone gathered here will learn that GOD doesn't save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to GOD--he's handing you to us on a platter!" + That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. + David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt. + That's how David beat the Philistine--with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! + Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant's sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives. + The men of Israel and Judah were up on their feet, shouting! They chased the Philistines all the way to the outskirts of Gath and the gates of Ekron. + Wounded Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road all the way to Gath and Ekron. After chasing the Philistines, the Israelites came back and looted their camp. + David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem. But the giant's weapons he placed in his own tent. + When Saul saw David go out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Tell me about this young man's family." Abner said, "For the life of me, O King, I don't know." + The king said, "Well, find out the lineage of this raw youth." + As soon as David came back from killing the Philistine, Abner brought him, the Philistine's head still in his hand, straight to Saul. + Saul asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" "I'm the son of your servant Jesse," said David, "the one who lives in Bethlehem." + + + By the time David had finished reporting to Saul, Jonathan was deeply impressed with David--an immediate bond was forged between them. He became totally committed to David. From that point on he would be David's number-one advocate and friend. + Saul received David into his own household that day, no more to return to the home of his father. + Jonathan, out of his deep love for David, made a covenant with him. + He formalized it with solemn gifts: his own royal robe and weapons--armor, sword, bow, and belt. + Whatever Saul gave David to do, he did it--and did it well. So well that Saul put him in charge of his military operations. Everybody, both the people in general and Saul's servants, approved of and admired David's leadership. + As they returned home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women poured out of all the villages of Israel singing and dancing, welcoming King Saul with tambourines, festive songs, and lutes. + In playful frolic the women sang, Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand! + This made Saul angry--very angry. He took it as a personal insult. He said, "They credit David with 'ten thousands' and me with only 'thousands.' Before you know it they'll be giving him the kingdom!" + From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David. + The next day an ugly mood was sent by God to afflict Saul, who became quite beside himself, raving. David played his harp, as he usually did at such times. Saul had a spear in his hand. + Suddenly Saul threw the spear, thinking, "I'll nail David to the wall." David ducked, and the spear missed. This happened twice. + Now Saul feared David. It was clear that GOD was with David and had left Saul. + So, Saul got David out of his sight by making him an officer in the army. David was in combat frequently. + Everything David did turned out well. Yes, GOD was with him. + As Saul saw David becoming more successful, he himself grew more fearful. He could see the handwriting on the wall. + But everyone else in Israel and Judah loved David. They loved watching him in action. + One day Saul said to David, "Here is Merab, my eldest daughter. I want to give her to you as your wife. Be brave and bold for my sake. Fight GOD's battles!" But all the time Saul was thinking, "The Philistines will kill him for me. I won't have to lift a hand against him." + David, embarrassed, answered, "Do you really mean that? I'm from a family of nobodies! I can't be son-in-law to the king." + The wedding day was set, but as the time neared for Merab and David to be married, Saul reneged and married his daughter off to Adriel the Meholathite. + Meanwhile, Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David. When Saul was told of this, he rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Ah, a second chance. I'll use Michal as bait to get David out where the Philistines will make short work of him." So again he said to David, "You're going to be my son-in-law." + (SEE 18:20) + Saul ordered his servants, "Get David off by himself and tell him, 'The king is very taken with you, and everyone at court loves you. Go ahead, become the king's son-in-law!'" + The king's servants told all this to David, but David held back. "What are you thinking of? I can't do that. I'm a nobody; I have nothing to offer." + When the servants reported David's response to Saul, he told them to tell David this: "The king isn't expecting any money from you; only this: Go kill a hundred Philistines and bring evidence of your vengeance on the king's behalf. Avenge the king on his enemies." (Saul expected David to be killed in action.) + (SEE 18:24) + On receiving this message, David was pleased. There was something he could do for the king that would qualify him to be his son-in-law! He lost no time but went right out, he and his men, killed the hundred Philistines, brought their evidence back in a sack, and counted it out before the king--mission completed! Saul gave Michal his daughter to David in marriage. + (SEE 18:26) + As Saul more and more realized that GOD was with David, and how much his own daughter, Michal, loved him, his fear of David increased and settled into hate. Saul hated David. + (SEE 18:28) + Whenever the Philistine warlords came out to battle, David was there to meet them--and beat them, upstaging Saul's men. David's name was on everyone's lips. + + + Saul called his son Jonathan together with his servants and ordered them to kill David. But because Jonathan treasured David, + he went and warned him: "My father is looking for a way to kill you. Here's what you are to do. Tomorrow morning, hide and stay hidden. + I'll go out with my father into the field where you are hiding. I'll talk about you with my father and we'll see what he says. Then I'll report back to you." + Jonathan brought up David with his father, speaking well of him. "Please," he said to his father, "don't attack David. He hasn't wronged you, has he? And just look at all the good he has done! + He put his life on the line when he killed the Philistine. What a great victory GOD gave Israel that day! You were there. You saw it and were on your feet applauding with everyone else. So why would you even think of sinning against an innocent person, killing David for no reason whatever?" + Saul listened to Jonathan and said, "You're right. As GOD lives, David lives. He will not be killed." + Jonathan sent for David and reported to him everything that was said. Then he brought David back to Saul and everything was as it was before. + War broke out again and David went out to fight Philistines. He beat them badly, and they ran for their lives. + But then a black mood from God settled over Saul and took control of him. He was sitting at home, his spear in his hand, while David was playing music. + Suddenly, Saul tried to skewer David with his spear, but David ducked. The spear stuck in the wall and David got away. It was night. + Saul sent men to David's house to stake it out and then, first thing in the morning, to kill him. But Michal, David's wife, told him what was going on. "Quickly now--make your escape tonight. If not, you'll be dead by morning!" + She let him out of a window, and he made his escape. + Then Michal took a dummy god and put it in the bed, placed a wig of goat's hair on its head, and threw a quilt over it. + When Saul's men arrived to get David, she said, "He's sick in bed." + Saul sent his men back, ordering them, "Bring him, bed and all, so I can kill him." + When the men entered the room, all they found in the bed was the dummy god with its goat-hair wig! + Saul stormed at Michal: "How could you play tricks on me like this? You sided with my enemy, and now he's gotten away!" Michal said, "He threatened me. He said, 'Help me out of here or I'll kill you.'" + David made good his escape and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel withdrew to the privacy of Naioth. + Saul was told, "David's at Naioth in Ramah." + He immediately sent his men to capture him. They saw a band of prophets prophesying with Samuel presiding over them. Before they knew it, the Spirit of God was on them, too, and they were ranting and raving right along with the prophets! + That was reported back to Saul, and he dispatched more men. They, too, were soon prophesying. So Saul tried a third time--a third set of men--and they ended up mindlessly raving as well! + Fed up, Saul went to Ramah himself. He came to the big cistern at Secu and inquired, "Where are Samuel and David?" A bystander said, "Over at Naioth in Ramah." + As he headed out for Naioth in Ramah, the Spirit of God was on him, too. All the way to Naioth he was caught up in a babbling trance! + He ripped off his clothes and lay there rambling gibberish before Samuel for a day and a night, stretched out naked. People are still talking about it: "Saul among the prophets! Who would have guessed?" + + + David got out of Naioth in Ramah alive and went to Jonathan. "What do I do now? What wrong have I inflicted on your father that makes him so determined to kill me?" + "Nothing," said Jonathan. "You've done nothing wrong. And you're not going to die. Really, you're not! My father tells me everything. He does nothing, whether big or little, without confiding in me. So why would he do this behind my back? It can't be." + But David said, "Your father knows that we are the best of friends. So he says to himself, 'Jonathan must know nothing of this. If he does, he'll side with David.' But it's true--as sure as GOD lives, and as sure as you're alive before me right now--he's determined to kill me." + Jonathan said, "Tell me what you have in mind. I'll do anything for you." + David said, "Tomorrow marks the New Moon. I'm scheduled to eat dinner with the king. Instead, I'll go hide in the field until the evening of the third. + If your father misses me, say, 'David asked if he could run down to Bethlehem, his hometown, for an anniversary reunion, and worship with his family.' + If he says, 'Good!' then I'm safe. But if he gets angry, you'll know for sure that he's made up his mind to kill me. + Oh, stick with me in this. You've entered into a covenant of GOD with me, remember! If I'm in the wrong, go ahead and kill me yourself. Why bother giving me up to your father?" + "Never!" exclaimed Jonathan. "I'd never do that! If I get the slightest hint that my father is fixated on killing you, I'll tell you." + David asked, "And whom will you get to tell me if your father comes back with a harsh answer?" + "Come outside," said Jonathan. "Let's go to the field." When the two of them were out in the field, + Jonathan said, "As GOD, the God of Israel, is my witness, by this time tomorrow I'll get it out of my father how he feels about you. Then I'll let you know what I learn. + May GOD do his worst to me if I let you down! If my father still intends to kill you, I'll tell you and get you out of here in one piece. And GOD be with you as he's been with my father! + If I make it through this alive, continue to be my covenant friend. And if I die, + keep the covenant friendship with my family--forever. And when GOD finally rids the earth of David's enemies, stay loyal to Jonathan!" + (SEE 20:15) + Jonathan repeated his pledge of love and friendship for David. He loved David more than his own soul! + Jonathan then laid out his plan: "Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you'll be missed when you don't show up for dinner. + On the third day, when they've quit expecting you, come to the place where you hid before, and wait beside that big boulder. + I'll shoot three arrows in the direction of the boulder. + Then I'll send off my servant, 'Go find the arrows.' If I yell after the servant, 'The arrows are on this side! Retrieve them!' that's the signal that you can return safely--as GOD lives, not a thing to fear! + But if I yell, 'The arrows are farther out!' then run for it--GOD wants you out of here! + Regarding all the things we've discussed, remember that GOD's in on this with us to the very end!" + David hid in the field. On the holiday of the New Moon, the king came to the table to eat. + He sat where he always sat, the place against the wall, with Jonathan across the table and Abner at Saul's side. But David's seat was empty. + Saul didn't mention it at the time, thinking, "Something's happened that's made him unclean. That's it--he's probably unclean for the holy meal." + But the day after the New Moon, day two of the holiday, David's seat was still empty. Saul asked Jonathan his son, "So where's that son of Jesse? He hasn't eaten with us either yesterday or today." + Jonathan said, "David asked my special permission to go to Bethlehem. + He said, 'Give me leave to attend a family reunion back home. My brothers have ordered me to be there. If it seems all right to you, let me go and see my brothers.' That's why he's not here at the king's table." + Saul exploded in anger at Jonathan: "You son of a slut! Don't you think I know that you're in cahoots with the son of Jesse, disgracing both you and your mother? + For as long as the son of Jesse is walking around free on this earth, your future in this kingdom is at risk. Now go get him. Bring him here. From this moment, he's as good as dead!" + Jonathan stood up to his father. "Why dead? What's he done?" + Saul threw his spear at him to kill him. That convinced Jonathan that his father was fixated on killing David. + Jonathan stormed from the table, furiously angry, and ate nothing the rest of the day, upset for David and smarting under the humiliation from his father. + In the morning, Jonathan went to the field for the appointment with David. He had his young servant with him. + He told the servant, "Run and get the arrows I'm about to shoot." The boy started running and Jonathan shot an arrow way beyond him. + As the boy came to the area where the arrow had been shot, Jonathan yelled out, "Isn't the arrow farther out?" + He yelled again, "Hurry! Quickly! Don't just stand there!" Jonathan's servant then picked up the arrow and brought it to his master. + The boy, of course, knew nothing of what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew. + Jonathan gave his quiver and bow to the boy and sent him back to town. + After the servant was gone, David got up from his hiding place beside the boulder, then fell on his face to the ground--three times prostrating himself! And then they kissed one another and wept, friend over friend, David weeping especially hard. + Jonathan said, "Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in GOD's name, saying, 'GOD will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!'" + + + David went on his way and Jonathan returned to town. David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the Priest. Ahimelech was alarmed as he went out to greet David: "What are you doing here all by yourself--and not a soul with you?" + David answered Ahimelech the Priest, "The king sent me on a mission and gave strict orders: 'This is top secret--not a word of this to a soul.' I've arranged to meet up with my men in a certain place. + Now, what's there here to eat? Do you have five loaves of bread? Give me whatever you can scrounge up!" + "I don't have any regular bread on hand," said the priest. "I only have holy bread. If your men have not slept with women recently, it's yours." + David said, "None of us has touched a woman. I always do it this way when I'm on a mission: My men abstain from sex. Even when it is an ordinary mission we do that--how much more on this holy mission." + So the priest gave them the holy bread. It was the only bread he had, Bread of the Presence that had been removed from GOD's presence and replaced by fresh bread at the same time. + One of Saul's officials was present that day keeping a religious vow. His name was Doeg the Edomite. He was chief of Saul's shepherds. + David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword of any kind around here? I didn't have a chance to grab my weapons. The king's mission was urgent and I left in a hurry." + The priest said, "The sword of Goliath, the Philistine you killed at Oak Valley--that's here! It's behind the Ephod wrapped in a cloth. If you want it, take it. There's nothing else here." + "Oh," said David, "there's no sword like that! Give it to me!" And at that, David shot out of there, running for his life from Saul. He went to Achish, king of Gath. + When the servants of Achish saw him, they said, "Can this be David, the famous David? Is this the one they sing of at their dances? Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand!" + When David realized that he had been recognized, he panicked, fearing the worst from Achish, king of Gath. + So right there, while they were looking at him, he pretended to go crazy, pounding his head on the city gate and foaming at the mouth, spit dripping from his beard. + Achish took one look at him and said to his servants, "Can't you see he's crazy? Why did you let him in here? + Don't you think I have enough crazy people to put up with as it is without adding another? Get him out of here!" + + + So David got away and escaped to the Cave of Adullam. When his brothers and others associated with his family heard where he was, they came down and joined him. + Not only that, but all who were down on their luck came around--losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts. David became their leader. There were about four hundred in all. + Then David went to Mizpah in Moab. He petitioned the king of Moab, "Grant asylum to my father and mother until I find out what God has planned for me." + David left his parents in the care of the king of Moab. They stayed there all through the time David was hiding out. + The prophet Gad told David, "Don't go back to the cave. Go to Judah." David did what he told him. He went to the forest of Hereth. + Saul got word of the whereabouts of David and his men. He was sitting under the big oak on the hill at Gibeah at the time, spear in hand, holding court surrounded by his officials. + He said, "Listen here, you Benjaminites! Don't think for a minute that you have any future with the son of Jesse! Do you think he's going to hand over choice land, give you all influential jobs? + Think again. Here you are, conspiring against me, whispering behind my back--not one of you is man enough to tell me that my own son is making deals with the son of Jesse, not one of you who cares enough to tell me that my son has taken the side of this, this . . . outlaw!" + Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, spoke up: "I saw the son of Jesse meet with Ahimelech son of Ahitub, in Nob. + I saw Ahimelech pray with him for GOD's guidance, give him food, and arm him with the sword of Goliath the Philistine." + Saul sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, along with the whole family of priests at Nob. They all came to the king. + Saul said, "You listen to me, son of Ahitub!" "Certainly, master," he said. + "Why have you ganged up against me with the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword, even praying with him for GOD's guidance, setting him up as an outlaw, out to get me?" + Ahimelech answered the king, "There's not an official in your administration as true to you as David, your own son-in-law and captain of your bodyguard. None more honorable either. + Do you think that was the first time I prayed with him for God's guidance? Hardly! But don't accuse me of any wrongdoing, me or my family. I have no idea what you're trying to get at with this 'outlaw' talk." + The king said, "Death, Ahimelech! You're going to die--you and everyone in your family!" + The king ordered his henchmen, "Surround and kill the priests of GOD! They're hand in glove with David. They knew he was running away from me and didn't tell me." But the king's men wouldn't do it. They refused to lay a hand on the priests of GOD. + Then the king told Doeg, "You do it--massacre the priests!" Doeg the Edomite led the attack and slaughtered the priests, the eighty-five men who wore the sacred robes. + He then carried the massacre into Nob, the city of priests, killing man and woman, child and baby, ox, donkey, and sheep--the works. + Only one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped: Abiathar. He got away and joined up with David. + Abiathar reported to David that Saul had murdered the priests of GOD. + David said to Abiathar, "I knew it--that day I saw Doeg the Edomite there, I knew he'd tell Saul. I'm to blame for the death of everyone in your father's family. + Stay here with me. Don't be afraid. The one out to kill you is out to kill me, too. Stick with me. I'll protect you." + + + It was reported to David that the Philistines were raiding Keilah and looting the grain. + David went in prayer to GOD: "Should I go after these Philistines and teach them a lesson?" GOD said, "Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah." + But David's men said, "We live in fear of our lives right here in Judah. How can you think of going to Keilah in the thick of the Philistines?" + So David went back to GOD in prayer. GOD said, "Get going. Head for Keilah. I'm placing the Philistines in your hands." + David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He scattered their cattle, beat them decisively, and saved the people of Keilah. + After Abiathar took refuge with David, he joined David in the raid on Keilah, bringing the Ephod with him. + Saul learned that David had gone to Keilah and thought immediately, "Good! God has handed him to me on a platter! He's in a walled city with locked gates, trapped!" + Saul mustered his troops for battle and set out for Keilah to lay siege to David and his men. + But David got wind of Saul's strategy to destroy him and said to Abiathar the priest, "Get the Ephod." + Then David prayed to GOD: "God of Israel, I've just heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the city because of me. + Will the city fathers of Keilah turn me over to him? Will Saul come down and do what I've heard? O GOD, God of Israel, tell me!" GOD replied, "He's coming down." + "And will the head men of Keilah turn me and my men over to Saul?" And GOD said, "They'll turn you over." + So David and his men got out of there. There were about six hundred of them. They left Keilah and kept moving, going here, there, wherever--always on the move. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the raid. + David continued to live in desert hideouts and the backcountry wilderness hills of Ziph. Saul was out looking for him day after day, but God never turned David over to him. + David kept out of the way in the wilderness of Ziph, secluded at Horesh, since it was plain that Saul was determined to hunt him down. + Jonathan, Saul's son, visited David at Horesh and encouraged him in God. + He said, "Don't despair. My father, Saul, can't lay a hand on you. You will be Israel's king and I'll be right at your side to help. And my father knows it." + Then the two of them made a covenant before GOD. David stayed at Horesh and Jonathan went home. + Some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that David is hiding out near us in the caves and canyons of Horesh? Right now he's at Hakilah Hill just south of Jeshimon. + So whenever you're ready to come down, we'd count it an honor to hand him over to the king." + Saul said, "GOD bless you for thinking about me! + Now go back and check everything out. Learn his routines. Observe his movements--where he goes, who he's with. He's very shrewd, you know. + Scout out all his hiding places. Then meet me at Nacon and I'll go with you. If he is anywhere to be found in all the thousands of Judah, I'll track him down!" + So the Ziphites set out on their reconnaissance for Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the desert south of Jeshimon. + Saul and his men arrived and began their search. When David heard of it, he went south to Rock Mountain, camping out in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard where he was and set off for the wilderness of Maon in pursuit. + Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other. David was in full retreat, running, with Saul and his men closing in, about to get him. + Just then a messenger came to Saul and said, "Hurry! Come back! The Philistines have just attacked the country!" + So Saul called off his pursuit of David and went back to deal with the Philistines. That's how that place got the name Narrow Escape. + David left there and camped out in the caves and canyons of En Gedi. + + + When Saul came back after dealing with the Philistines, he was told, "David is now in the wilderness of En Gedi." + Saul took three companies--the best he could find in all Israel--and set out in search of David and his men in the region of Wild Goat Rocks. + He came to some sheep pens along the road. There was a cave there and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were huddled far back in the same cave. + David's men whispered to him, "Can you believe it? This is the day GOD was talking about when he said, 'I'll put your enemy in your hands. You can do whatever you want with him.'" Quiet as a cat, David crept up and cut off a piece of Saul's royal robe. + Immediately, he felt guilty. + He said to his men, "GOD forbid that I should have done this to my master, GOD's anointed, that I should so much as raise a finger against him. He's GOD's anointed!" + David held his men in check with these words and wouldn't let them pounce on Saul. Saul got up, left the cave, and went on down the road. + Then David stood at the mouth of the cave and called to Saul, "My master! My king!" Saul looked back. David fell to his knees and bowed in reverence. + He called out, "Why do you listen to those who say 'David is out to get you'? + This very day with your very own eyes you have seen that just now in the cave GOD put you in my hands. My men wanted me to kill you, but I wouldn't do it. I told them that I won't lift a finger against my master--he's GOD's anointed. + Oh, my father, look at this, look at this piece that I cut from your robe. I could have cut you--killed you!--but I didn't. Look at the evidence! I'm not against you. I'm no rebel. I haven't sinned against you, and yet you're hunting me down to kill me. + Let's decide which of us is in the right. God may avenge me, but it is in his hands, not mine. + An old proverb says, 'Evil deeds come from evil people.' So be assured that my hand won't touch you. + "What does the king of Israel think he's doing? Who do you think you're chasing? A dead dog? A flea? + GOD is our judge. He'll decide who is right. Oh, that he would look down right now, decide right now--and set me free of you!" + When David had finished saying all this, Saul said, "Can this be the voice of my son David?" and he wept in loud sobs. + "You're the one in the right, not me," he continued. "You've heaped good on me; I've dumped evil on you. + And now you've done it again--treated me generously. GOD put me in your hands and you didn't kill me. + Why? When a man meets his enemy, does he send him down the road with a blessing? May GOD give you a bonus of blessings for what you've done for me today! + I know now beyond doubt that you will rule as king. The kingdom of Israel is already in your grasp! + Now promise me under GOD that you will not kill off my family or wipe my name off the books." + David promised Saul. Then Saul went home and David and his men went up to their wilderness refuge. + + + Samuel died. The whole country came to his funeral. Everyone grieved over his death, and he was buried in his hometown of Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved again, this time to the wilderness of Maon. + There was a certain man in Maon who carried on his business in the region of Carmel. He was very prosperous--three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and it was sheep-shearing time in Carmel. + The man's name was Nabal (Fool), a Calebite, and his wife's name was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and good-looking, the man brutish and mean. + David, out in the backcountry, heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep + and sent ten of his young men off with these instructions: "Go to Carmel and approach Nabal. Greet him in my name, 'Peace! + Life and peace to you. Peace to your household, peace to everyone here! + I heard that it's sheep-shearing time. Here's the point: When your shepherds were camped near us we didn't take advantage of them. They didn't lose a thing all the time they were with us in Carmel. + Ask your young men--they'll tell you. What I'm asking is that you be generous with my men--share the feast! Give whatever your heart tells you to your servants and to me, David your son.'" + David's young men went and delivered his message word for word to Nabal. Nabal tore into them, + "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? The country is full of runaway servants these days. + Do you think I'm going to take good bread and wine and meat freshly butchered for my sheepshearers and give it to men I've never laid eyes on? Who knows where they've come from?" + David's men got out of there and went back and told David what he had said. + David said, "Strap on your swords!" They all strapped on their swords, David and his men, and set out, four hundred of them. Two hundred stayed behind to guard the camp. + Meanwhile, one of the young shepherds told Abigail, Nabal's wife, what had happened: "David sent messengers from the backcountry to salute our master, but he tore into them with insults. + Yet these men treated us very well. They took nothing from us and didn't take advantage of us all the time we were in the fields. + They formed a wall around us, protecting us day and night all the time we were out tending the sheep. + Do something quickly because big trouble is ahead for our master and all of us. Nobody can talk to him. He's impossible--a real brute!" + Abigail flew into action. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep dressed out and ready for cooking, a bushel of roasted grain, a hundred raisin cakes, and two hundred fig cakes, and she had it all loaded on some donkeys. + Then she said to her young servants, "Go ahead and pave the way for me. I'm right behind you." But she said nothing to her husband Nabal. + As she was riding her donkey, descending into a ravine, David and his men were descending from the other end, so they met there on the road. + David had just said, "That sure was a waste, guarding everything this man had out in the wild so that nothing he had was lost--and now he rewards me with insults. A real slap in the face! + May God do his worst to me if Nabal and every cur in his misbegotten brood isn't dead meat by morning!" + As soon as Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey and fell on her knees at his feet, her face to the ground in homage, + saying, "My master, let me take the blame! Let me speak to you. Listen to what I have to say. + Don't dwell on what that brute Nabal did. He acts out the meaning of his name: Nabal, Fool. Foolishness oozes from him. "I wasn't there when the young men my master sent arrived. I didn't see them. + And now, my master, as GOD lives and as you live, GOD has kept you from this avenging murder--and may your enemies, all who seek my master's harm, end up like Nabal! + Now take this gift that I, your servant girl, have brought to my master, and give it to the young men who follow in the steps of my master. + "Forgive my presumption! But GOD is at work in my master, developing a rule solid and dependable. My master fights GOD's battles! As long as you live no evil will stick to you. + If anyone stands in your way, if anyone tries to get you out of the way, Know this: Your God-honored life is tightly bound in the bundle of God-protected life; But the lives of your enemies will be hurled aside as a stone is thrown from a sling. + "When GOD completes all the goodness he has promised my master and sets you up as prince over Israel, + my master will not have this dead weight in his heart, the guilt of an avenging murder. And when GOD has worked things for good for my master, remember me." + And David said, "Blessed be GOD, the God of Israel. He sent you to meet me! + And blessed be your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and taking charge of looking out for me. + A close call! As GOD lives, the God of Israel who kept me from hurting you, if you had not come as quickly as you did, stopping me in my tracks, by morning there would have been nothing left of Nabal but dead meat." + Then David accepted the gift she brought him and said, "Return home in peace. I've heard what you've said and I'll do what you've asked." + When Abigail got home she found Nabal presiding over a huge banquet. He was in high spirits--and very, very drunk. So she didn't tell him anything of what she'd done until morning. + But in the morning, after Nabal had sobered up, she told him the whole story. Right then and there he had a heart attack and fell into a coma. + About ten days later GOD finished him off and he died. + When David heard that Nabal was dead he said, "Blessed be GOD who has stood up for me against Nabal's insults, kept me from an evil act, and let Nabal's evil boomerang back on him." Then David sent for Abigail to tell her that he wanted her for his wife. + David's servants went to Abigail at Carmel with the message, "David sent us to bring you to marry him." + She got up, and then bowed down, face to the ground, saying, "I'm your servant, ready to do anything you want. I'll even wash the feet of my master's servants!" + Abigail didn't linger. She got on her donkey and, with her five maids in attendance, went with the messengers to David and became his wife. + David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Both women were his wives. + Saul had married off David's wife Michal to Palti (Paltiel) son of Laish, who was from Gallim. + + + Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that David is hiding out on the Hakilah Hill just opposite Jeshimon?" + Saul was on his feet in a minute and on his way to the wilderness of Ziph, taking three thousand of his best men, the pick of the crop, to hunt for David in that wild desert. + He camped just off the road at the Hakilah Hill, opposite Jeshimon. David, still out in the backcountry, knew Saul had come after him. + He sent scouts to determine his precise location. + Then David set out and came to the place where Saul had set up camp and saw for himself where Saul and Abner, son of Ner, his general, were staying. Saul was safely inside the camp, encircled by the army. + Taking charge, David spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother: "Who will go down with me and enter Saul's camp?" Abishai whispered, "I'll go with you." + So David and Abishai entered the encampment by night, and there he was--Saul, stretched out asleep at the center of the camp, his spear stuck in the ground near his head, with Abner and the troops sound asleep on all sides. + Abishai said, "This is the moment! God has put your enemy in your grasp. Let me nail him to the ground with his spear. One hit will do it, believe me; I won't need a second!" + But David said to Abishai, "Don't you dare hurt him! Who could lay a hand on GOD's anointed and even think of getting away with it?" + He went on, "As GOD lives, either GOD will strike him, or his time will come and he'll die in bed, or he'll fall in battle, + but GOD forbid that I should lay a finger on GOD's anointed. Now, grab the spear at his head and the water jug and let's get out of here." + David took the spear and water jug that were right beside Saul's head, and they slipped away. Not a soul saw. Not a soul knew. No one woke up! They all slept through the whole thing. A blanket of deep sleep from GOD had fallen on them. + Then David went across to the opposite hill and stood far away on the top of the mountain. With this safe distance between them, + he shouted across to the army and Abner son of Ner, "Hey Abner! How long do I have to wait for you to wake up and answer me?" Abner said, "Who's calling?" + "Aren't you in charge there?" said David. "Why aren't you minding the store? Why weren't you standing guard over your master the king, when a soldier came to kill the king your master? + Bad form! As GOD lives, your life should be forfeit, you and the entire bodyguard. Look what I have--the king's spear and water jug that were right beside his head!" + By now, Saul had recognized David's voice and said, "Is that you, my son David?" David said, "Yes, it's me, O King, my master. + Why are you after me, hunting me down? What have I done? What crime have I committed? + Oh, my master, my king, listen to this from your servant: If GOD has stirred you up against me, then I gladly offer my life as a sacrifice. But if it's men who have done it, let them be banished from GOD's presence! They've expelled me from my rightful place in GOD's heritage, sneering, 'Out of here! Go get a job with some other god!' + But you're not getting rid of me that easily; you'll not separate me from GOD in life or death. The absurdity! The king of Israel obsessed with a single flea! Hunting me down--a mere partridge--out in the hills!" + Saul confessed, "I've sinned! Oh, come back, my dear son David! I won't hurt you anymore. You've honored me this day, treating my life as most precious. And I've acted the fool--a moral dunce, a real clown." + David answered, "See what I have here? The king's spear. Let one of your servants come and get it. + It's GOD's business to decide what to do with each of us in regard to what's right and who's loyal. GOD put your life in my hands today, but I wasn't willing to lift a finger against GOD's anointed. + Just as I honored your life today, may GOD honor my life and rescue me from all trouble." + Saul said to David, "Bless you, dear son David! Yes, do what you have to do! And, yes, succeed in all you attempt!" Then David went on his way, and Saul went home. + + + David thought to himself, "Sooner or later, Saul's going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to Philistine country. Saul will count me a lost cause and quit hunting me down in every nook and cranny of Israel. I'll be out of his reach for good." + So David left; he and his six hundred men went to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. + They moved in and settled down in Gath, with Achish. Each man brought his household; David brought his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel. + When Saul was told that David had escaped to Gath, he called off the hunt. + Then David said to Achish, "If it's agreeable to you, assign me a place in one of the rural villages. It doesn't seem right that I, your mere servant, should be taking up space in the royal city." + So Achish assigned him Ziklag. (This is how Ziklag got to be what it is now, a city of the kings of Judah.) + David lived in Philistine country a year and four months. + From time to time David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites--these people were longtime inhabitants of the land stretching toward Shur and on to Egypt. + When David raided an area he left no one alive, neither man nor woman, but took everything else: sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, clothing--the works. Then he'd return to Achish. + Achish would ask, "And whom did you raid today?" David would tell him, "Oh, the Negev of Judah," or "The Negev of Jerahmeel," or "The Negev of the Kenites." + He never left a single person alive lest one show up in Gath and report what David had really been doing. This is the way David operated all the time he lived in Philistine country. + Achish came to trust David completely. He thought, "He's made himself so repugnant to his people that he'll be in my camp forever." + + + During this time the Philistines mustered their troops to make war on Israel. Achish said to David, "You can count on this: You're marching with my troops, you and your men." + And David said, "Good! Now you'll see for yourself what I can do!" "Great!" said Achish. "I'm making you my personal bodyguard--for life!" + Samuel was now dead. All Israel had mourned his death and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. Saul had long since cleaned out all those who held seances with the dead. + The Philistines had mustered their troops and camped at Shunem. Saul had assembled all Israel and camped at Gilboa. + But when Saul saw the Philistine troops, he shook in his boots, scared to death. + Saul prayed to GOD, but GOD didn't answer--neither by dream nor by sign nor by prophet. + So Saul ordered his officials, "Find me someone who can call up spirits so I may go and seek counsel from those spirits." His servants said, "There's a witch at Endor." + Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes. Then, taking two men with him, he went under the cover of night to the woman and said, "I want you to consult a ghost for me. Call up the person I name." + The woman said, "Just hold on now! You know what Saul did, how he swept the country clean of mediums. Why are you trying to trap me and get me killed?" + Saul swore solemnly, "As GOD lives, you won't get in any trouble for this." + The woman said, "So whom do you want me to bring up?" "Samuel. Bring me Samuel." + When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly to Saul, "Why did you lie to me? You're Saul!" + The king told her, "You have nothing to fear . . . but what do you see?" "I see a spirit ascending from the underground." + "And what does he look like?" Saul asked. "An old man ascending, robed like a priest." Saul knew it was Samuel. He fell down, face to the ground, and worshiped. + Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by calling me up?" "Because I'm in deep trouble," said Saul. "The Philistines are making war against me and God has deserted me--he doesn't answer me any more, either by prophet or by dream. And so I'm calling on you to tell me what to do." + "Why ask me?" said Samuel. "GOD has turned away from you and is now on the side of your neighbor. + GOD has done exactly what he told you through me--ripped the kingdom right out of your hands and given it to your neighbor. + It's because you did not obey GOD, refused to carry out his seething judgment on Amalek, that GOD does to you what he is doing today. + Worse yet, GOD is turning Israel, along with you, over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And, yes, indeed, GOD is giving Israel's army up to the Philistines." + Saul dropped to the ground, felled like a tree, terrified by Samuel's words. There wasn't an ounce of strength left in him--he'd eaten nothing all day and all night. + The woman, realizing that he was in deep shock, said to him, "Listen to me. I did what you asked me to do, put my life in your hands in doing it, carried out your instructions to the letter. + It's your turn to do what I tell you: Let me give you some food. Eat it. It will give you strength so you can get on your way." + He refused. "I'm not eating anything." But when his servants joined the woman in urging him, he gave in to their pleas, picked himself up off the ground, and sat on the bed. + The woman moved swiftly. She butchered a grain-fed calf she had, and took some flour, kneaded it, and baked some flat bread. + Then she served it all up for Saul and his servants. After dining handsomely, they got up from the table and were on their way that same night. + + + The Philistines mustered all their troops at Aphek. Meanwhile Israel had made camp at the spring at Jezreel. + As the Philistine warlords marched forward by regiments and divisions, David and his men were bringing up the rear with Achish. + The Philistine officers said, "What business do these Hebrews have being here?" Achish answered the officers, "Don't you recognize David, ex-servant of King Saul of Israel? He's been with me a long time. I've found nothing to be suspicious of, nothing to complain about, from the day he defected from Saul until now." + Angry with Achish, the Philistine officers said, "Send this man back to where he came from. Let him stick to his normal duties. He's not going into battle with us. He'd switch sides in the middle of the fight! What better chance to get back in favor with his master than by stabbing us in the back! + Isn't this the same David they celebrate at their parties, singing, Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand!" + So Achish had to send for David and tell him, "As GOD lives, you've been a trusty ally--excellent in all the ways you have worked with me, beyond reproach in the ways you have conducted yourself. But the warlords don't see it that way. + So it's best that you leave peacefully, now. It's not worth it, displeasing the Philistine warlords." + "But what have I done?" said David. "Have you had a single cause for complaint from the day I joined up with you until now? Why can't I fight against the enemies of my master the king?" + "I agree," said Achish. "You're a good man--as far as I'm concerned, God's angel! But the Philistine officers were emphatic: 'He's not to go with us into battle.' + So get an early start, you and the men who came with you. As soon as you have light enough to travel, go." + David rose early, he and his men, and by daybreak they were on their way back to Philistine country. The Philistines went on to Jezreel. + + + Three days later, David and his men arrived back in Ziklag. Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They tore Ziklag to pieces and then burned it down. + They captured all the women, young and old. They didn't kill anyone, but drove them like a herd of cattle. + By the time David and his men entered the village, it had been burned to the ground, and their wives, sons, and daughters all taken prisoner. + David and his men burst out in loud wails--wept and wept until they were exhausted with weeping. + David's two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken prisoner along with the rest. + And suddenly David was in even worse trouble. There was talk among the men, bitter over the loss of their families, of stoning him. David strengthened himself with trust in his GOD. + He ordered Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the Ephod so I can consult God." Abiathar brought it to David. + Then David prayed to GOD, "Shall I go after these raiders? Can I catch them?" The answer came, "Go after them! Yes, you'll catch them! Yes, you'll make the rescue!" + David went, he and the six hundred men with him. They arrived at the Brook Besor, where some of them dropped out. + David and four hundred men kept up the pursuit, but two hundred of them were too fatigued to cross the Brook Besor, and stayed there. + Some who went on came across an Egyptian in a field and took him to David. They gave him bread and he ate. And he drank some water. + They gave him a piece of fig cake and a couple of raisin muffins. Life began to revive in him. He hadn't eaten or drunk a thing for three days and nights! + David said to him, "Who do you belong to? Where are you from?" "I'm an Egyptian slave of an Amalekite," he said. "My master walked off and left me when I got sick--that was three days ago. + We had raided the Negev of the Kerethites, of Judah, and of Caleb. Ziklag we burned." + David asked him, "Can you take us to the raiders?" "Promise me by God," he said, "that you won't kill me or turn me over to my old master, and I'll take you straight to the raiders." + He led David to them. They were scattered all over the place, eating and drinking, gorging themselves on all the loot they had plundered from Philistia and Judah. + David pounced. He fought them from before sunrise until evening of the next day. None got away except for four hundred of the younger men who escaped by riding off on camels. + David rescued everything the Amalekites had taken. And he rescued his two wives! + Nothing and no one was missing--young or old, son or daughter, plunder or whatever. David recovered the whole lot. + He herded the sheep and cattle before them, and they all shouted, "David's plunder!" + Then David came to the two hundred who had been too tired to continue with him and had dropped out at the Brook Besor. They came out to welcome David and his band. As he came near he called out, "Success!" + But all the mean-spirited men who had marched with David, the rabble element, objected: "They didn't help in the rescue, they don't get any of the plunder we recovered. Each man can have his wife and children, but that's it. Take them and go!" + "Families don't do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!" said David as he broke up the argument. "You can't act this way with what GOD gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. + Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights--equal shares. Share and share alike!" + From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel--and it still is. + On returning to Ziklag, David sent portions of the plunder to the elders of Judah, his neighbors, with a note saying, "A gift from the plunder of GOD's enemies!" + He sent them to the elders in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, Jattir, + Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, + Racal, Jerahmeelite cities, Kenite cities, + Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, + and Hebron, along with a number of other places David and his men went to from time to time. 31 + + + The Philistines made war on Israel. The men of Israel were in full retreat from the Philistines, falling left and right, wounded on Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines caught up with Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, Saul's sons. + The battle was hot and heavy around Saul. The archers got his range and wounded him badly. + Saul said to his weapon bearer, "Draw your sword and put me out of my misery, lest these pagan pigs come and make a game out of killing me." But his weapon bearer wouldn't do it. He was terrified. So Saul took the sword himself and fell on it. + When the weapon bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. + So Saul, his three sons, and his weapon bearer--the men closest to him--died together that day. + When the Israelites in the valley opposite and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that their army was in full retreat and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities and ran for their lives. The Philistines moved in and occupied the sites. + The next day, when the Philistines came to rob the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. + They cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor. Then they spread the good news all through Philistine country in the shrines of their idols and among the people. + They displayed his armor in the shrine of the Ashtoreth. They nailed his corpse to the wall at Beth Shan. + The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. + Their valiant men sprang into action. They traveled all night, took the corpses of Saul and his three sons from the wall at Beth Shan, and carried them back to Jabesh and burned off the flesh. + They then buried the bones under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted in mourning for seven days. + + + + + Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the Amalekites. + Three days later a man showed up unannounced from Saul's army camp. Disheveled and obviously in mourning, he fell to his knees in respect before David. + David asked, "What brings you here?" He answered, "I've just escaped from the camp of Israel." + "So what happened?" said David. "What's the news?" He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." + David pressed the young soldier for details: "How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?" + "I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. + He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. 'Yes sir,' I said, 'at your service.' + He asked me who I was, and I told him, 'I'm an Amalekite.'" + "Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead already, but my life hangs on." + "So I did what he asked--I killed him. I knew he wouldn't last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are." + In lament, David ripped his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him did the same. + They wept and fasted the rest of the day, grieving the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, and also the army of GOD and the nation Israel, victims in a failed battle. + Then David spoke to the young soldier who had brought the report: "Who are you, anyway?" "I'm from an immigrant family--an Amalekite." + "Do you mean to say," said David, "that you weren't afraid to up and kill GOD's anointed king?" + Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, "Strike him dead!" The soldier struck him, and he died. + "You asked for it," David told him. "You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed GOD's anointed king." + Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, + and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in The Book of Jashar. + Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills, the mighty warriors--fallen, fallen! + Don't announce it in the city of Gath, don't post the news in the streets of Ashkelon. Don't give those coarse Philistine girls one more excuse for a drunken party! + No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa, and not a drop from springs and wells, For there the warriors' shields were dragged through the mud, Saul's shield left there to rot. + Jonathan's bow was bold-- the bigger they were the harder they fell. Saul's sword was fearless-- once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it. + Saul and Jonathan--beloved, beautiful! Together in life, together in death. Swifter than plummeting eagles, stronger than proud lions. + Women of Israel, weep for Saul. He dressed you in finest cottons and silks, spared no expense in making you elegant. + The mighty warriors--fallen, fallen in the middle of the fight! Jonathan--struck down on your hills! + O my dear brother Jonathan, I'm crushed by your death. Your friendship was a miracle-wonder, love far exceeding anything I've known-- or ever hope to know. + The mighty warriors--fallen, fallen. And the arms of war broken to bits. + + + After all this, David prayed. He asked God, "Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?" GOD said, "Yes, move." "And to which city?" "To Hebron." + So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. + David's men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron. + The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah. A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given Saul a decent burial. + David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: "GOD bless you for this--for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral. + GOD honor you and be true to you--and I'll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness. + Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king." + In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim + and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin--king, as it turns out, over all Israel. + Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David. + David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years. + One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon. + Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner's group on one side, Joab's on the other. + Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do their stuff." Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!" + So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David's side. + The men from each side grabbed their opponents' heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead--the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It's right there at Gibeon. + The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David's men. + The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope + on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels. + Abner turned and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It surely is," he said. + Abner said, "Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!" But Asahel wouldn't let up. + Abner tried again, "Turn back. Don't force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?" + When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped--Asahel dead! + But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon. + The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill. + Abner called out to Joab, "Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don't you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?" + "As God lives," said Joab, "if you hadn't spoken up, we'd have kept up the chase until morning!" + Then he blew the ram's horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting. + Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning's march, arrived at Mahanaim. + After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David's men (besides Asahel) were missing. + David's men had cut down three hundred and sixty of Abner's men, all Benjaminites--all dead. + They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke. + + + The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on and on. The longer it went on the stronger David became, with the house of Saul getting weaker. + During the Hebron years, sons were born to David: Amnon, born of Ahinoam of Jezreel--the firstborn; + Kileab, born of Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow--his second; Absalom, born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur--the third; + Adonijah, born of Haggith--the fourth; Shephatiah, born of Abital--the fifth; + Ithream, born of Eglah--the sixth. These six sons of David were born in Hebron. + Abner took advantage of the continuing war between the house of Saul and the house of David to gain power for himself. + Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner: "What business do you have sleeping with my father's concubine?" + Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, "Treat me like a dog, will you! Is this the thanks I get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by David, and you make an issue out of my going to bed with a woman! + What GOD promised David, I'll help accomplish--transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and make David ruler over the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me." + (SEE 3:9) + Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner's outburst, couldn't say another word. + Abner went ahead and sent personal messengers to David: "Make a deal with me and I'll help bring the whole country of Israel over to you." + "Great," said David. "It's a deal. But only on one condition: You're not welcome here unless you bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with you when you come to meet me." + David then sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul: "Give me back Michal, whom I won as my wife at the cost of a hundred Philistine foreskins." + Ish-Bosheth ordered that she be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. + But Paltiel followed her, weeping all the way, to Bahurim. There Abner told him, "Go home." And he went home. + Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, "Only yesterday, it seems, you were looking for a way to make David your king. + So do it--now! For GOD has given the go-ahead on David: 'By my servant David's hand, I'll save my people Israel from the oppression of the Philistines and all their other enemies.'" + Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to Hebron for a private talk with David, telling him everything that Israel in general and Benjamin in particular were planning to do. + When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them. + Abner then said, "I'm ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel for my master, the king. They'll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule them however you see fit." Abner was sent off with David's blessing. + Soon after that, David's men, led by Joab, came back from a field assignment. Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed with David's blessing. + As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were told that Abner the son of Ner had been there with David and had been sent off with David's blessing. + Joab went straight to the king: "What's this you've done? Abner shows up, and you let him walk away scot-free? + You know Abner son of Ner better than that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out your comings and goings, find out what you're up to." + Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after Abner; they caught up with him at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew nothing of all this. + When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside at the gate for a personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel. + Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, "Before GOD I and my kingdom are totally innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner. + Joab and his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May they forever be victims of crippling diseases, violence, and famine." + (Joab and his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.) + David ordered Joab and all the men under him, "Rip your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead Abner's funeral procession with loud lament!" King David followed the coffin. + They buried Abner in Hebron. The king's voice was loud in lament as he wept at the side of Abner's grave. All the people wept, too. + Then the king sang this tribute to Abner: Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum? + You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished-- Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl. And all the people wept--a crescendo of crying! + They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something before dark. But David solemnly swore, "I'll not so much as taste a piece of bread, or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!" + Everyone at the funeral took notice--and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king did was applauded by the people. + It was clear to everyone that day, including all Israel, that the king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of Ner. + The king spoke to his servants: "You realize, don't you, that today a prince and hero fell victim of foul play in Israel? + And I, though anointed king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. GOD, requite the criminal for his crime!" + + + Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth, heard that Abner had died in Hebron. His heart sank. The whole country was shaken. + Ish-Bosheth had two men who were captains of raiding bands--one was named Baanah, the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, a Benjaminite. (The people of Beeroth had been assigned to Benjamin + ever since they escaped to Gittaim. They still live there as resident aliens.) + It so happened that Saul's son, Jonathan, had a son who was maimed in both feet. When he was five years old, the report on Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and ran, but in her hurry to get away she fell, and the boy was maimed. His name was Mephibosheth. + One day Baanah and Recab, the two sons of Rimmon, headed out for the house of Ish-Bosheth. They arrived at the hottest time of the day, just as he was taking his afternoon nap. + They entered the house on a ruse, pretending official business. The maid guarding the bedroom had fallen asleep, so Recab and Baanah slipped by her + and entered the room where Ish-Bosheth was asleep on his bed. They killed him and then cut off his head, carrying it off as a trophy. They traveled all night long, taking the route through the Arabah Valley. + They presented the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron, telling the king, "Here's the head of Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, your enemy. He was out to kill you, but GOD has given vengeance to my master, the king--vengeance this very day on Saul and his children!" + David answered the brothers Recab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as GOD lives--the One who got me out of every trouble I've ever been in-- + when the messenger told me, 'Good news! Saul is dead!' supposing I'd be delighted, I arrested him and killed him on the spot in Ziklag. That's what he got for his so-called good news! + And now you show up--evil men who killed an innocent man in cold blood, a man asleep in his own house! Don't think I won't find you guilty of murder and rid the country of you!" + David then issued orders to his soldiers. They killed the two--chopped off their hands and feet, and hung the corpses at the pool in Hebron. But Ish-Bosheth's head they took and buried in Abner's tomb in Hebron. + + + Before long all the tribes of Israel approached David in Hebron and said, "Look at us--your own flesh and blood! + In time past when Saul was our king, you're the one who really ran the country. Even then GOD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel and you'll be the prince.'" + All the leaders of Israel met with King David at Hebron, and the king made a treaty with them in the presence of GOD. And so they anointed David king over Israel. + David was thirty years old when he became king, and ruled for forty years. + In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. + David and his men immediately set out for Jerusalem to take on the Jebusites, who lived in that country. But they said, "You might as well go home! Even the blind and the lame could keep you out. You can't get in here!" They had convinced themselves that David couldn't break through. + But David went right ahead and captured the fortress of Zion, known ever since as the City of David. + That day David said, "To get the best of these Jebusites, one must target the water system, not to mention this so-called lame and blind bunch that David hates." (In fact, he was so sick and tired of it, people coined the expression, "No lame and blind allowed in the palace.") + David made the fortress city his home and named it "City of David." He developed the city from the outside terraces inward. + David proceeded with a longer stride, a larger embrace since the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him. + It was at this time that Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with timbers of cedar. He also sent carpenters and masons to build a house for David. + David took this as a sign that GOD had confirmed him as king of Israel, giving his kingship world prominence for the sake of Israel, his people. + David took on more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he left Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to him. + These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet. + When the Philistines got word that David had been made king over all Israel, they came on the hunt for him. David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. + When the Philistines arrived, they deployed their forces in Raphaim Valley. + Then David prayed to GOD: "Shall I go up and fight the Philistines? Will you help me beat them?" + "Go up," GOD replied. "Count on me. I'll help you beat them." David then went straight to Baal Perazim, and smashed them to pieces. Afterwards David said, "GOD exploded on my enemies like a gush of water." That's why David named the place Baal Perazim (The-Master-Who-Explodes). + The retreating Philistines dumped their idols, and David and his soldiers took them away. + Later there was a repeat performance. The Philistines came up again and deployed their troops in the Rephaim Valley. + David again prayed to GOD. This time GOD said, "Don't attack them head-on. Instead, circle around behind them and ambush them from the grove of sacred trees. + When you hear the sound of shuffling in the trees, get ready to move out. It's a signal that GOD is going ahead of you to smash the Philistine camp." + David did exactly what GOD told him. He routed the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. + + + David mustered the pick of the troops of Israel--thirty divisions of them. + Together with his soldiers, David headed for Baalah to recover the Chest of God, which was called by the Name GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who was enthroned over the pair of angels on the Chest. + They placed the Chest of God on a brand-new oxcart and removed it from Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were driving the new cart + loaded with the Chest of God, Ahio in the lead and Uzzah alongside the Chest. + David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. + When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God. + GOD blazed in anger against Uzzah and struck him hard because he had profaned the Chest. Uzzah died on the spot, right alongside the Chest. + Then David got angry because of GOD's deadly outburst against Uzzah. That place is still called Perez Uzzah (The-Explosion-Against-Uzzah). + David became fearful of GOD that day and said, "This Chest is too hot to handle. How can I ever get it back to the City of David?" + He refused to take the Chest of GOD a step farther. Instead, David removed it off the road and to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. + The Chest of GOD stayed at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. And GOD prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household. + It was reported to King David that GOD had prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household because of the Chest of God. So David thought, "I'll get that blessing for myself," and went and brought up the Chest of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, celebrating + extravagantly all the way, with frequent sacrifices of choice bulls. + David, ceremonially dressed in priest's linen, danced with great abandon before GOD. + The whole country was with him as he accompanied the Chest of GOD with shouts and trumpet blasts. + But as the Chest of GOD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, happened to be looking out a window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before GOD, her heart filled with scorn. + They brought the Chest of GOD and set it in the middle of the tent pavilion that David had pitched for it. Then and there David worshiped, offering burnt offerings and peace offerings. + When David had completed the sacrifices of burnt and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies + and handed out to each person in the crowd, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then everyone went home. + David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to greet him: "How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today--exposing himself to the eyes of the servants' maids like some burlesque street dancer!" + David replied to Michal, "In GOD's presence I'll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over GOD's people, over Israel. Oh yes, I'll dance to GOD's glory-- + more recklessly even than this. And as far as I'm concerned . . . I'll gladly look like a fool . . . but among these maids you're so worried about, I'll be honored no end." + Michal, Saul's daughter, was barren the rest of her life. + + + Before long, the king made himself at home and GOD gave him peace from all his enemies. + Then one day King David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look at this: Here I am, comfortable in a luxurious house of cedar, and the Chest of God sits in a plain tent." + Nathan told the king, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it. GOD is with you." + But that night, the word of GOD came to Nathan saying, + "Go and tell my servant David: This is GOD's word on the matter: You're going to build a 'house' for me to live in? + Why, I haven't lived in a 'house' from the time I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt till now. All that time I've moved about with nothing but a tent. + And in all my travels with Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, 'Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?' + "So here is what you are to tell my servant David: The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging along after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel. + I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you. Now I'm making you famous, to be ranked with the great names on earth. + And I'm going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so they'll have their own home and not be knocked around any more. Nor will evil men afflict you as they always have, + even during the days I set judges over my people Israel. Finally, I'm going to give you peace from all your enemies. "Furthermore, GOD has this message for you: GOD himself will build you a house! + When your life is complete and you're buried with your ancestors, then I'll raise up your child, your own flesh and blood, to succeed you, and I'll firmly establish his rule. + He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom's rule permanently. + I'll be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I'll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. + But I'll never remove my gracious love from him, as I removed it from Saul, who preceded you and whom I most certainly did remove. + Your family and your kingdom are permanently secured. I'm keeping my eye on them! And your royal throne will always be there, rock solid." + Nathan gave David a complete and accurate account of everything he heard and saw in the vision. + King David went in, took his place before GOD, and prayed: "Who am I, my Master GOD, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? + But that's nothing compared to what's coming, for you've also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master GOD! + What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master GOD, just as I am. + You've done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are--out of your very heart!--but you've let me in on it. + "This is what makes you so great, Master GOD! There is none like you, no God but you, nothing to compare with what we've heard with our own ears. + And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique in the earth, whom God set out to redeem for himself (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt? + You established for yourself a people--your very own Israel!--your people permanently. And you, GOD, became their God. + "So now, great GOD, this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it permanently! Do exactly what you've promised! + Then your reputation will flourish always as people exclaim, 'The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will remain sure and solid in your watchful presence. + For you, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, told me plainly, 'I will build you a house.' That's how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you. + "And now, Master GOD, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, + please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You've already as much as said that you would, Master GOD! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!" + + + In the days that followed, David struck hard at the Philistines--brought them to their knees and took control of the countryside. + He also fought and defeated Moab. He chose two-thirds of them randomly and executed them. The other third he spared. So the Moabites fell under David's rule and were forced to bring tribute. + On his way to restore his sovereignty at the River Euphrates, David next defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob the king of Zobah. + He captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand infantry. He hamstrung all the chariot horses, but saved back a hundred. + When the Arameans from Damascus came to the aid of Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of them. + David set up a puppet government in Aram-Damascus. The Arameans became subjects of David and were forced to bring tribute. GOD gave victory to David wherever he marched. + David plundered the gold shields that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + He also looted a great quantity of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer. + Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had struck down the entire army of Hadadezer. + So he sent his son Joram to King David to greet and congratulate him for fighting and defeating them, for Toi and Hadadezer were old enemies. He brought with him gifts of silver, gold, and bronze. + King David consecrated these along with the silver and gold from all the nations he had conquered-- + from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and from Amalek, along with the plunder from Hadadezer son of Rehob king of Zobah. + David built a victory monument on his return from defeating the Arameans. Abishai son of Zeruiah fought and defeated the Edomites in the Salt Valley. Eighteen thousand of them were killed. + David set up a puppet government in Edom, and the Edomites became subjects under David. GOD gave David victory wherever he marched. + Thus David ruled over all of Israel. He ruled well--fair and evenhanded in all his duties and relationships. + Joab son of Zeruiah was head of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was clerk; + Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; And David's sons were priests. + + + One day David asked, "Is there anyone left of Saul's family? If so, I'd like to show him some kindness in honor of Jonathan." + It happened that a servant from Saul's household named Ziba was there. They called him into David's presence. The king asked him, "Are you Ziba?" "Yes sir," he replied. + The king asked, "Is there anyone left from the family of Saul to whom I can show some godly kindness?" Ziba told the king, "Yes, there is Jonathan's son, lame in both feet." + "Where is he?" "He's living at the home of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." + King David didn't lose a minute. He sent and got him from the home of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar. + When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan (who was the son of Saul), came before David, he bowed deeply, abasing himself, honoring David. David spoke his name: "Mephibosheth." "Yes sir?" + "Don't be frightened," said David. "I'd like to do something special for you in memory of your father Jonathan. To begin with, I'm returning to you all the properties of your grandfather Saul. Furthermore, from now on you'll take all your meals at my table." + Shuffling and stammering, not looking him in the eye, Mephibosheth said, "Who am I that you pay attention to a stray dog like me?" + David then called in Ziba, Saul's right-hand man, and told him, "Everything that belonged to Saul and his family, I've handed over to your master's grandson. + You and your sons and your servants will work his land and bring in the produce, provisions for your master's grandson. Mephibosheth himself, your master's grandson, from now on will take all his meals at my table." Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. + "All that my master the king has ordered his servant," answered Ziba, "your servant will surely do." And Mephibosheth ate at David's table, just like one of the royal family. + Mephibosheth also had a small son named Mica. All who were part of Ziba's household were now the servants of Mephibosheth. + Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, taking all his meals at the king's table. He was lame in both feet. + + + Sometime after this, the king of the Ammonites died and Hanun, his son, succeeded him as king. + David said, "I'd like to show some kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash--treat him as well and as kindly as his father treated me." So David sent Hanun condolences regarding his father. But when David's servants got to the land of the Ammonites, + the Ammonite leaders warned Hanun, their head delegate, "Do you for a minute suppose that David is honoring your father by sending you comforters? Don't you think it's because he wants to snoop around the city and size it up that David has sent his emissaries to you?" + So Hanun seized David's men, shaved off half their beards, cut off their robes halfway up their buttocks, and sent them packing. + When all this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, for they were seriously humiliated. The king told them, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow out. Only then come back." + When it dawned on the Ammonites that as far as David was concerned they stunk to high heaven, they hired Aramean soldiers from Beth-Rehob and Zobah--twenty thousand infantry--and a thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob. + When David heard of this, he dispatched Joab with his strongest fighters in full force. + The Ammonites marched out and arranged themselves in battle formation at the city gate. The Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah took up a position out in the open fields. + When Joab saw that he had two fronts to fight, before and behind, he took his pick of the best of Israel and deployed them to confront the Arameans. + The rest of the army he put under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them to confront the Ammonites. + Then he said, "If the Arameans are too much for me, you help me. And if the Ammonites prove too much for you, I'll come and help you. + Courage! We'll fight with might and main for our people and for the cities of our God. And GOD will do whatever he sees needs doing!" + But when Joab and his soldiers moved in to fight the Arameans, they ran off in full retreat. + Then the Ammonites, seeing the Arameans run for dear life, took to their heels from Abishai and went into the city. So Joab left off fighting the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem. + When the Arameans saw how badly they'd been beaten by Israel, they picked up the pieces and regrouped. + Hadadezer sent for the Arameans who were across the River. They came to Helam. Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army, led them. + All this was reported to David. So David mustered Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans went into battle formation, ready for David, and the fight was on. + But the Arameans again scattered before Israel. David killed seven hundred chariot drivers and forty thousand cavalry. And he mortally wounded Shobach, the army commander, who died on the battlefield. + When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace and became Israel's vassals. The Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites ever again. + + + When that time of year came around again, the anniversary of the Ammonite aggression, David dispatched Joab and his fighting men of Israel in full force to destroy the Ammonites for good. They laid siege to Rabbah, but David stayed in Jerusalem. + One late afternoon, David got up from taking his nap and was strolling on the roof of the palace. From his vantage point on the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was stunningly beautiful. + David sent to ask about her, and was told, "Isn't this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?" + David sent his agents to get her. After she arrived, he went to bed with her. (This occurred during the time of "purification" following her period.) Then she returned home. + Before long she realized she was pregnant. Later she sent word to David: "I'm pregnant." + David then got in touch with Joab: "Send Uriah the Hittite to me." Joab sent him. + When he arrived, David asked him for news from the front--how things were going with Joab and the troops and with the fighting. + Then he said to Uriah, "Go home. Have a refreshing bath and a good night's rest." After Uriah left the palace, an informant of the king was sent after him. + But Uriah didn't go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance, along with the king's servants. + David was told that Uriah had not gone home. He asked Uriah, "Didn't you just come off a hard trip? So why didn't you go home?" + Uriah replied to David, "The Chest is out there with the fighting men of Israel and Judah--in tents. My master Joab and his servants are roughing it out in the fields. So, how can I go home and eat and drink and enjoy my wife? On your life, I'll not do it!" + "All right," said David, "have it your way. Stay for the day and I'll send you back tomorrow." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem the rest of the day. The next day + David invited him to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. But in the evening Uriah again went out and slept with his master's servants. He didn't go home. + In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. + In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front lines where the fighting is the fiercest. Then pull back and leave him exposed so that he's sure to be killed." + So Joab, holding the city under siege, put Uriah in a place where he knew there were fierce enemy fighters. + When the city's defenders came out to fight Joab, some of David's soldiers were killed, including Uriah the Hittite. + Joab sent David a full report on the battle. + He instructed the messenger, "After you have given to the king a detailed report on the battle, + if he flares in anger, + say, 'And by the way, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'" + Joab's messenger arrived in Jerusalem and gave the king a full report. + He said, "The enemy was too much for us. They advanced on us in the open field, and we pushed them back to the city gate. + But then arrows came hot and heavy on us from the city wall, and eighteen of the king's soldiers died." + When the messenger completed his report of the battle, David got angry at Joab. He vented it on the messenger: "Why did you get so close to the city? Didn't you know you'd be attacked from the wall? Didn't you remember how Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth got killed? Wasn't it a woman who dropped a millstone on him from the wall and crushed him at Thebez? Why did you go close to the wall!" "By the way," said Joab's messenger, "your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead." Then David told the messenger, "Oh. I see. Tell Joab, 'Don't trouble yourself over this. War kills--sometimes one, sometimes another--you never know who's next. Redouble your assault on the city and destroy it.' Encourage Joab." + When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she grieved for her husband. + When the time of mourning was over, David sent someone to bring her to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. + + + But GOD was not at all pleased with what David had done, and sent Nathan to David. Nathan said to him, "There were two men in the same city--one rich, the other poor. + The rich man had huge flocks of sheep, herds of cattle. + The poor man had nothing but one little female lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up with him and his children as a member of the family. It ate off his plate and drank from his cup and slept on his bed. It was like a daughter to him. + "One day a traveler dropped in on the rich man. He was too stingy to take an animal from his own herds or flocks to make a meal for his visitor, so he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal to set before his guest." + David exploded in anger. "As surely as GOD lives," he said to Nathan, "the man who did this ought to be lynched! + He must repay for the lamb four times over for his crime and his stinginess!" + "You're the man!" said Nathan. "And here's what GOD, the God of Israel, has to say to you: I made you king over Israel. I freed you from the fist of Saul. + I gave you your master's daughter and other wives to have and to hold. I gave you both Israel and Judah. And if that hadn't been enough, I'd have gladly thrown in much more. + So why have you treated the word of GOD with brazen contempt, doing this great evil? You murdered Uriah the Hittite, then took his wife as your wife. Worse, you killed him with an Ammonite sword! + And now, because you treated God with such contempt and took Uriah the Hittite's wife as your wife, killing and murder will continually plague your family. + This is GOD speaking, remember! I'll make trouble for you out of your own family. I'll take your wives from right out in front of you. I'll give them to some neighbor, and he'll go to bed with them openly. + You did your deed in secret; I'm doing mine with the whole country watching!" + Then David confessed to Nathan, "I've sinned against GOD." Nathan pronounced, "Yes, but that's not the last word. GOD forgives your sin. You won't die for it. + But because of your blasphemous behavior, the son born to you will die." + After Nathan went home, GOD afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he came down sick. + David prayed desperately to God for the little boy. He fasted, wouldn't go out, and slept on the floor. + The elders in his family came in and tried to get him off the floor, but he wouldn't budge. Nor could they get him to eat anything. + On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him. They said, "What do we do now? While the child was living he wouldn't listen to a word we said. Now, with the child dead, if we speak to him there's no telling what he'll do." + David noticed that the servants were whispering behind his back, and realized that the boy must have died. He asked the servants, "Is the boy dead?" "Yes," they answered. "He's dead." + David got up from the floor, washed his face and combed his hair, put on a fresh change of clothes, then went into the sanctuary and worshiped. Then he came home and asked for something to eat. They set it before him and he ate. + His servants asked him, "What's going on with you? While the child was alive you fasted and wept and stayed up all night. Now that he's dead, you get up and eat." + "While the child was alive," he said, "I fasted and wept, thinking GOD might have mercy on me and the child would live. + But now that he's dead, why fast? Can I bring him back now? I can go to him, but he can't come to me." + David went and comforted his wife Bathsheba. And when he slept with her, they conceived a son. When he was born they named him Solomon. GOD had a special love for him + and sent word by Nathan the prophet that GOD wanted him named Jedidiah (God's Beloved). + Joab, at war in Rabbah against the Ammonites, captured the royal city. + He sent messengers to David saying, "I'm fighting at Rabbah, and I've just captured the city's water supply. + Hurry and get the rest of the troops together and set up camp here at the city and complete the capture yourself. Otherwise, I'll capture it and get all the credit instead of you." + So David marshaled all the troops, went to Rabbah, and fought and captured it. + He took the crown from their king's head--very heavy with gold, and with a precious stone in it. It ended up on David's head. And they plundered the city, carrying off a great quantity of loot. + David emptied the city of its people and put them to slave labor using saws, picks, and axes, and making bricks. He did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and the whole army returned to Jerusalem. + + + Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David's son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David's son, was in love with her. + Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her. She was a virgin, so he couldn't see how he could get his hands on her. + Amnon had a good friend, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was exceptionally streetwise. + He said to Amnon, "Why are you moping around like this, day after day--you, the son of the king! Tell me what's eating at you." "In a word, Tamar," said Amnon. "My brother Absalom's sister. I'm in love with her." + "Here's what you do," said Jonadab. "Go to bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to visit you, say, 'Have my sister Tamar come and prepare some supper for me here where I can watch her and she can feed me.'" + So Amnon took to his bed and acted sick. When the king came to visit, Amnon said, "Would you do me a favor? Have my sister Tamar come and make some nourishing dumplings here where I can watch her and be fed by her." + David sent word to Tamar who was home at the time: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare a meal for him." + So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed. + But when she took the cooking pot and served him, he wouldn't eat. Amnon said, "Clear everyone out of the house," and they all cleared out. + Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food into my bedroom, where we can eat in privacy." She took the nourishing dumplings she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. + But when she got ready to feed him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, sister!" + "No, brother!" she said, "Don't hurt me! This kind of thing isn't done in Israel! Don't do this terrible thing! + Where could I ever show my face? And you--you'll be out on the street in disgrace. Oh, please! Speak to the king--he'll let you marry me." + But he wouldn't listen. Being much stronger than she, he raped her. + No sooner had Amnon raped her than he hated her--an immense hatred. The hatred that he felt for her was greater than the love he'd had for her. "Get up," he said, "and get out!" + "Oh no, brother," she said. "Please! This is an even worse evil than what you just did to me!" But he wouldn't listen to her. + He called for his valet. "Get rid of this woman. Get her out of my sight! And lock the door after her." + The valet threw her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long-sleeved gown. (That's how virgin princesses used to dress from early adolescence on.) + Tamar poured ashes on her head, then she ripped the long-sleeved gown, held her head in her hands, and walked away, sobbing as she went. + Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has your brother Amnon had his way with you? Now, my dear sister, let's keep it quiet--a family matter. He is, after all, your brother. Don't take this so hard." Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's home, bitter and desolate. + King David heard the whole story and was enraged, + but he didn't discipline Amnon. David doted on him because he was his firstborn. Absalom quit speaking to Amnon--not a word, whether good or bad--because he hated him for violating his sister Tamar. + Two years went by. One day Absalom threw a sheep-shearing party in Baal Hazor in the vicinity of Ephraim and invited all the king's sons. + He also went to the king and invited him. "Look, I'm throwing a sheep-shearing party. Come, and bring your servants." + But the king said, "No, son--not this time, and not the whole household. We'd just be a burden to you." Absalom pushed, but David wouldn't budge. But he did give him his blessing. + Then Absalom said, "Well, if you won't come, at least let my brother Amnon come." "And why," said the king, "should he go with you?" + But Absalom was so insistent that he gave in and let Amnon and all the rest of the king's sons go. + Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. Then he instructed his servants, "Look sharp, now. When Amnon is well into the sauce and feeling no pain, and I give the order 'Strike Amnon,' kill him. And don't be afraid--I'm the one giving the command. Courage! You can do it!" + Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what their master ordered. All the king's sons got out as fast as they could, jumped on their mules, and rode off. + While they were still on the road, a rumor came to the king: "Absalom just killed all the king's sons--not one is left!" + The king stood up, ripped his clothes to shreds, and threw himself on the floor. All his servants who were standing around at the time did the same. + Just then, Jonadab, his brother Shimeah's son, stepped up. "My master must not think that all the young men, the king's sons, are dead. Only Amnon is dead. This happened because of Absalom's outrage since the day that Amnon violated his sister Tamar. + So my master, the king, mustn't make things worse than they are, thinking that all your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead." + Absalom fled. Just then the sentry on duty looked up and saw a cloud of dust on the road from Horonaim alongside the mountain. He came and told the king, "I've just seen a bunch of men on the Horonaim road, coming around the mountain." + Then Jonadab exclaimed to the king, "See! It's the king's sons coming, just as I said!" + He had no sooner said the words than the king's sons burst in--loud laments and weeping! The king joined in, along with all the servants--loud weeping, many tears. + David mourned the death of his son a long time. When Absalom fled, he went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. + He was there three years. + The king finally gave up trying to get back at Absalom. He had come to terms with Amnon's death. + + + Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king, deep down, still cared for Absalom. + So he sent to Tekoa for a wise woman who lived there and instructed her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in black and don't comb your hair, so you'll look like you've been grieving over a dead loved one for a long time. + Then go to the king and tell him this . . . " Joab then told her exactly what to say. + The woman of Tekoa went to the king, bowed deeply before him in homage, and said, "O King, help!" + He said, "How can I help?" "I'm a widow," she said. "My husband is dead. + I had two sons. The two of them got into a fight out in the field and there was no one around to step between them. The one struck the other and killed him. + Then the whole family ganged up against me and demanded, 'Hand over this murderer so we can kill him for the life of the brother he murdered!' They want to wipe out the heir and snuff out the one spark of life left to me. And then there would be nothing left of my husband--not so much as a name--on the face of the earth. + The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you." + "I'll take all responsibility for what happens," the woman of Tekoa said. "I don't want to compromise the king and his reputation." + "Bring the man who has been harassing you," the king continued. "I'll see to it that he doesn't bother you anymore." + "Let the king invoke the name of GOD," said the woman, "so this self-styled vigilante won't ruin everything, to say nothing of killing my son." "As surely as GOD lives," he said, "not so much as a hair of your son's head will be lost." + Then she asked, "May I say one more thing to my master, the king?" He said, "Go ahead." + "Why, then," the woman said, "have you done this very thing against God's people? In his verdict, the king convicts himself by not bringing home his exiled son. + We all die sometime. Water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again. But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back." + "So now I've dared come to the king, my master, about all this. They're making my life miserable, and I'm afraid. I said to myself, 'I'll go to the king. Maybe he'll do something! + When the king hears what's going on, he'll step in and rescue me from the abuse of the man who would get rid of me and my son and God's inheritance--the works!' + As your handmaid, I decided ahead of time, 'The word of my master, the king, will be the last word in this, for my master is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.' GOD be with you!" + The king then said, "I'm going to ask you something. Answer me truthfully." "Certainly," she said. "Let my master, the king, speak." + The king said, "Is the hand of Joab mixed up in this?" "On your life, my master king, a body can't veer an inch right or left and get by with it in the royal presence! Yes, it was your servant Joab who put me up to this, and put these very words in my mouth. + It was because he wanted to turn things around that your servant Joab did this. But my master is as wise as God's angels in knowing how to handle things on this earth." + The king spoke to Joab. "All right, I'll do it. Go and bring the young man Absalom back." + Joab bowed deeply in reverence and blessed the king. "I'm reassured to know that I'm still in your good graces and have your confidence, since the king is taking the counsel of his servant." + Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. + The king said, "He may return to his house, but he is not to see me face to face." So Absalom returned home, but was not permitted to see the king. + This Absalom! There wasn't a man in all Israel talked about so much for his handsome good looks--and not a blemish on him from head to toe! + When he cut his hair--he always cut it short in the spring because it had grown so heavy--the weight of the hair from his head was over two pounds! + Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter. Her name was Tamar--and she was a beauty. + Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, and not once did he see the king face to face. + He sent for Joab to get him in to see the king, but Joab still wouldn't budge. He tried a second time and Joab still wouldn't. + So he told his servants, "Listen. Joab's field adjoins mine, and he has a crop of barley in it. Go set fire to it." So Absalom's servants set fire to the field. + That got him moving--Joab came to Absalom at home and said, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?" + Absalom answered him, "Listen, I sent for you saying, 'Come, and soon. I want to send you to the king to ask, "What's the point of my coming back from Geshur? I'd be better off still there!" Let me see the king face to face. If he finds me guilty, then he can put me to death.'" + Joab went to the king and told him what was going on. Absalom was then summoned--he came and bowed deeply in reverence before him. And the king kissed Absalom. + + + As time went on, Absalom took to riding in a horse-drawn chariot, with fifty men running in front of him. + Early each morning he would take up his post beside the road at the city gate. When anyone showed up with a case to bring to the king for a decision, Absalom would call him over and say, "Where do you hail from?" And the answer would come, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." + Then Absalom would say, "Look, you've got a strong case; but the king isn't going to listen to you." + Then he'd say, "Why doesn't someone make me a judge for this country? Anybody with a case could bring it to me and I'd settle things fair and square." + Whenever someone would treat him with special honor, he'd shrug it off and treat him like an equal, making him feel important. + Absalom did this to everyone who came to do business with the king and stole the hearts of everyone in Israel. + After four years of this, Absalom spoke to the king, "Let me go to Hebron to pay a vow that I made to GOD. + Your servant made a vow when I was living in Geshur in Aram saying, 'If GOD will bring me back to Jerusalem, I'll serve him with my life.'" + The king said, "Go with my blessing." And he got up and set off for Hebron. + Then Absalom sent undercover agents to all the tribes of Israel with the message, "When you hear the blast of the ram's horn trumpet, that's your signal: Shout, 'Absalom is king in Hebron!'" + Two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem. But they had been called together knowing nothing of the plot and made the trip innocently. + While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he managed also to involve Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's advisor, calling him away from his hometown of Giloh. The conspiracy grew powerful and Absalom's supporters multiplied. + Someone came to David with the report, "The whole country has taken up with Absalom!" + "Up and out of here!" called David to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem. "We've got to run for our lives or none of us will escape Absalom! Hurry, he's about to pull the city down around our ears and slaughter us all!" + The king's servants said, "Whatever our master, the king, says, we'll do; we're with you all the way!" + So the king and his entire household escaped on foot. The king left ten concubines behind to tend to the palace. + And so they left, step by step by step, and then paused at the last house + as the whole army passed by him--all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and the six hundred Gittites who had marched with him from Gath, went past. + The king called out to Ittai the Gittite, "What are you doing here? Go back with King Absalom. You're a stranger here and freshly uprooted from your own country. + You arrived only yesterday, and am I going to let you take your chances with us as I live on the road like a gypsy? Go back, and take your family with you. And God's grace and truth go with you!" + But Ittai answered, "As GOD lives and my master the king lives, where my master is, that's where I'll be--whether it means life or death." + "All right," said David, "go ahead." And they went on, Ittai the Gittite with all his men and all the children he had with him. + The whole country was weeping in loud lament as all the people passed by. As the king crossed the Brook Kidron, the army headed for the road to the wilderness. + Zadok was also there, the Levites with him, carrying GOD's Chest of the Covenant. They set the Chest of God down, Abiathar standing by, until all the people had evacuated the city. + Then the king ordered Zadok, "Take the Chest back to the city. If I get back in GOD's good graces, he'll bring me back and show me where the Chest has been set down. + But if he says, 'I'm not pleased with you'--well, he can then do with me whatever he pleases." + The king directed Zadok the priest, "Here's the plan: Return to the city peacefully, with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, with you. + I'll wait at a spot in the wilderness across the river, until I get word from you telling us what's up." + So Zadok and Abiathar took the Chest of God back to Jerusalem and placed it there, + while David went up the Mount of Olives weeping, head covered but barefooted, and the whole army was with him, heads covered and weeping as they ascended. + David was told, "Ahithophel has joined the conspirators with Absalom." He prayed, "Oh, GOD--turn Ahithophel's counsel to foolishness." + As David approached the top of the hill where God was worshiped, Hushai the Arkite, clothes ripped to shreds and dirt on his head, was there waiting for him. + David said, "If you come with me, you'll be just one more piece of luggage. + Go back to the city and say to Absalom, 'I'm ready to be your servant, O King; I used to be your father's servant, now I'm your servant.' Do that and you'll be able to confuse Ahithophel's counsel for me. + The priests Zadok and Abiathar are already there; whatever information you pick up in the palace, tell them. + Their two sons--Zadok's son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan--are there with them--anything you pick up can be sent to me by them." + Hushai, David's friend, arrived at the same time Absalom was entering Jerusalem. + + + Shortly after David passed the crest of the hill, Mephibosheth's steward Ziba met him with a string of pack animals, saddled and loaded with a hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of fresh fruit, and a skin of wine. + The king said to Ziba, "What's all this?" "The donkeys," said Ziba, "are for the king's household to ride, the bread and fruit are for the servants to eat, and the wine is for drinking, especially for those overcome by fatigue in the wilderness." + The king said, "And where is your master's grandson?" "He stayed in Jerusalem," said Ziba. "He said, 'This is the day Israel is going to restore my grandfather's kingdom to me.'" + "Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth," said the king, "is now yours." Ziba said, "How can I ever thank you? I'll be forever in your debt, my master and king; may you always look on me with such kindness!" + When the king got to Bahurim, a man appeared who had connections with Saul's family. His name was Shimei son of Gera. As he followed along he shouted insults + and threw rocks right and left at David and his company, servants and soldiers alike. + To the accompaniment of curses he shouted, "Get lost, get lost, you butcher, you hellhound! + GOD has paid you back for all your dirty work in the family of Saul and for stealing his kingdom. GOD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look at you now--ruined! And good riddance, you pathetic old man!" + Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "This mangy dog can't insult my master the king this way--let me go over and cut off his head!" + But the king said, "Why are you sons of Zeruiah always interfering and getting in the way? If he's cursing, it's because GOD told him, 'Curse David.' So who dares raise questions?" + "Besides," continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, "my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don't bother with him; let him curse; he's preaching GOD's word to me. + And who knows, maybe GOD will see the trouble I'm in today and exchange the curses for something good." + David and his men went on down the road, while Shimei followed along on the ridge of the hill alongside, cursing, throwing stones down on them, and kicking up dirt. + By the time they reached the Jordan River, David and all the men of the company were exhausted. There they rested and were revived. + By this time Absalom and all his men were in Jerusalem. And Ahithophel was with them. + Soon after, Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, came and greeted Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" + Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this the way you show devotion to your good friend? Why didn't you go with your friend David?" + "Because," said Hushai, "I want to be with the person that GOD and this people and all Israel have chosen. And I want to stay with him. + Besides, who is there to serve other than the son? Just as I served your father, I'm now ready to serve you." + Then Absalom spoke to Ahithophel, "Are you ready to give counsel? What do we do next?" + Ahithophel told Absalom, "Go and sleep with your father's concubines, the ones he left to tend to the palace. Everyone will hear that you have openly disgraced your father, and the morale of everyone on your side will be strengthened." + So Absalom pitched a tent up on the roof in public view, and went in and slept with his father's concubines. + The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was treated as if God himself had spoken. That was the reputation of Ahithophel's counsel to David; it was the same with Absalom. + + + Next Ahithophel advised Absalom, "Let me handpick twelve thousand men and go after David tonight. + I'll come on him when he's bone tired and take him by complete surprise. The whole army will run off and I'll kill only David. + Then I'll bring the army back to you--a bride brought back to her husband! You're only after one man, after all. Then everyone will be together in peace!" + Absalom thought it was an excellent strategy, and all the elders of Israel agreed. + But then Absalom said, "Call in Hushai the Arkite--let's hear what he has to say." + So Hushai came and Absalom put it to him, "This is what Ahithophel advised. Should we do it? What do you say?" + Hushai said, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given in this instance is not good. + You know your father and his men, brave and bitterly angry--like a bear robbed of her cubs. And your father is an experienced fighter; you can be sure he won't be caught napping at a time like this. + Even while we're talking, he's probably holed up in some cave or other. If he jumps your men from ambush, word will soon get back, 'A slaughter of Absalom's army!' + Even if your men are valiant with hearts of lions, they'll fall apart at such news, for everyone in Israel knows the kind of fighting stuff your father's made of, and also the men with him. + "Here's what I'd advise: Muster the whole country, from Dan to Beersheba, an army like the sand of the sea, and you personally lead them. + We'll smoke him out wherever he is, fall on him like dew falls on the earth, and, believe me, there won't be a single survivor. + If he hides out in a city, then the whole army will bring ropes to that city and pull it down and into a gully--not so much as a pebble left of it!" + Absalom and all his company agreed that the counsel of Hushai the Arkite was better than the counsel of Ahithophel. (GOD had determined to discredit the counsel of Ahithophel so as to bring ruin on Absalom.) + Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel thus and thus, and I advised them thus and thus. + Now send this message as quickly as possible to David: 'Don't spend the night on this side of the river; cross immediately or the king and everyone with him will be swallowed up alive.'" + Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting around at En Rogel. A servant girl would come and give them messages and then they would go and tell King David, for it wasn't safe to be seen coming into the city. + But a soldier spotted them and told Absalom, so the two of them got out of there fast and went to a man's house in Bahurim. He had a well in his yard and they climbed into it. + The wife took a rug and covered the well, then spread grain on it so no one would notice anything out of the ordinary. + Shortly, Absalom's servants came to the woman's house and asked her, "Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman said, "They were headed toward the river." They looked but didn't find them, and then went back to Jerusalem. + When the coast was clear, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went on to make their report to King David, "Get up and cross the river quickly; Ahithophel has given counsel against you!" + David and his whole army were soon up and moving and crossed the Jordan. As morning broke there was not a single person who had not made it across the Jordan. + When Ahithophel realized that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and left for his hometown. After making out his will and putting his house in order, he hanged himself and died. He was buried in the family tomb. + About the time David arrived at Mahanaim, Absalom crossed the Jordan, and the whole army of Israel with him. + Absalom had made Amasa head of the army, replacing Joab. (Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.) + Israel and Absalom set camp in Gilead. + When David arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Ammonite Rabbah, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim + brought beds and blankets, bowls and jugs filled with wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans and lentils, + honey, and curds and cheese from the flocks and herds. They presented all this to David and his army to eat, "because," they said, "the army must be starved and exhausted and thirsty out in this wilderness." + + + David organized his forces. He appointed captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. + Then David deployed his troops, a third under Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king then announced, "I'm marching with you." + They said, "No, you mustn't march with us. If we're forced to retreat, the enemy won't give it a second thought. And if half of us die, they won't do so either. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It will be better for us if you stay in the city and help from there." + "If you say so," said the king. "I'll do what you think is best." And so he stood beside the city gate as the whole army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. + Then the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." The whole army heard what the king commanded the three captains regarding Absalom. + The army took the field to meet Israel. It turned out that the battle was joined in the Forest of Ephraim. + The army of Israel was beaten badly there that day by David's men, a terrific slaughter--twenty thousand men! + There was fighting helter-skelter all over the place--the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword! + Absalom ran into David's men, but was out in front of them riding his mule, when the mule ran under the branches of a huge oak tree. Absalom's head was caught in the oak and he was left dangling between heaven and earth, the mule running right out from under him. + A solitary soldier saw him and reported it to Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!" + Joab said to the man who told him, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill him then and there? I'd have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a fancy belt." + The man told Joab, "Even if I'd had a chance at a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn't have laid a hand on the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake, protect the young man Absalom.' + Why, I'd be risking my life, for nothing is hidden from the king. And you would have just stood there!" + Joab said, "I can't waste my time with you." He then grabbed three knives and stabbed Absalom in the heart while he was still alive in the tree; + by then Absalom was surrounded by ten of Joab's armor bearers; they hacked away at him and killed him. + Joab then blew the ram's horn trumpet, calling off the army in its pursuit of Israel. + They took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his own way home. + While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of the King, "because," he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He inscribed the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called "The Absalom Memorial." + Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, said, "Let me run to the king and bring him the good news that GOD has delivered him from his enemies." + But Joab said, "You're not the one to deliver the good news today; some other day, maybe, but it's not 'good news' today." (This was because the king's son was dead.) + Then Joab ordered a Cushite, "You go. Tell the king what you've seen." "Yes sir," said the Cushite, and ran off. + Ahimaaz son of Zadok kept at it, begging Joab, "What does it matter? Let me run too, following the Cushite." Joab said, "Why all this 'Run, run'? You'll get no thanks for it, I can tell you." + "I don't care; let me run." "Okay," said Joab, "run." So Ahimaaz ran, taking the lower valley road, and passed the Cushite. + David was sitting between the two gates. The sentry had gone up to the top of the gate on the wall and looked around. He saw a solitary runner. + The sentry called down and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, it must be good news!" As the runner came closer, + the sentry saw another runner and called down to the gate, "Another runner all by himself." And the king said, "This also must be good news." + Then the sentry said, "I can see the first man now; he runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." "He's a good man," said the king. "He's bringing good news for sure." + Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "Peace!" Then he bowed deeply before the king, his face to the ground. "Blessed be your GOD; he has handed over the men who rebelled against my master the king." + The king asked, "But is the young man Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz said, "I saw a huge ruckus just as Joab was sending me off, but I don't know what it was about." + The king said, "Step aside and stand over there." So he stepped aside. + Then the Cushite arrived and said, "Good news, my master and king! GOD has given victory today over all those who rebelled against you!" + "But," said the king, "is the young man Absalom all right?" And the Cushite replied, "Would that all of the enemies of my master the king and all who maliciously rose against you end up like that young man." + The king was stunned. Heartbroken, he went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he wept he cried out, O my son Absalom, my dear, dear son Absalom! Why not me rather than you, my death and not yours, O Absalom, my dear, dear son! + + + Joab was told that David was weeping and lamenting over Absalom. + The day's victory turned into a day of mourning as word passed through the army, "David is grieving over his son." + The army straggled back to the city that day demoralized, dragging their tails. + And the king held his face in his hands and lamented loudly, O my son Absalom, Absalom my dear, dear son! + But in private Joab rebuked the king: "Now you've done it--knocked the wind out of your loyal servants who have just saved your life, to say nothing of the lives of your sons and daughters, wives and concubines. + What is this--loving those who hate you and hating those who love you? Your actions give a clear message: officers and soldiers mean nothing to you. You know that if Absalom were alive right now, we'd all be dead--would that make you happy? + Get hold of yourself; get out there and put some heart into your servants! I swear to GOD that if you don't go to them they'll desert; not a soldier will be left here by nightfall. And that will be the worst thing that has happened yet." + So the king came out and took his place at the city gate. Soon everyone knew: "Oh, look! The king has come out to receive us." And his whole army came and presented itself to the king. But the Israelites had fled the field of battle and gone home. + Meanwhile, the whole populace was now complaining to its leaders, "Wasn't it the king who saved us time and again from our enemies, and rescued us from the Philistines? And now he has had to flee the country on account of Absalom. + And now this Absalom whom we made king is dead in battle. So what are you waiting for? Why don't you bring the king back?" + When David heard what was being said, he sent word to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, "Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why are you so laggard in bringing the king back home? + You're my brothers! You're my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to bring the king back home?' + And tell Amasa, 'You, too, are my flesh and blood. As God is my witness, I'm making you the permanent commander of the army in place of Joab.'" + He captured the hearts of everyone in Judah. They were unanimous in sending for the king: "Come back, you and all your servants." + So the king returned. He arrived at the Jordan just as Judah reached Gilgal on their way to welcome the king and escort him across the Jordan. + Even Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down to join the men of Judah so he could welcome the king, + a thousand Benjaminites with him. And Ziba, Saul's steward, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, waded across the Jordan to meet the king + and brought his entourage across, doing whatever they could to make the king comfortable. Shimei son of Gera bowed deeply in homage to the king as soon as he was across the Jordan + and said, "Don't think badly of me, my master! Overlook my irresponsible outburst on the day my master the king left Jerusalem--don't hold it against me! + I know I sinned, but look at me now--the first of all the tribe of Joseph to come down and welcome back my master the king!" + Abishai son of Zeruiah interrupted, "Enough of this! Shouldn't we kill him outright? Why, he cursed GOD's anointed!" + But David said, "What is it with you sons of Zeruiah? Why do you insist on being so contentious? Nobody is going to be killed today. I am again king over Israel!" + Then the king turned to Shimei, "You're not going to die." And the king gave him his word. + Next Mephibosheth grandson of Saul arrived from Jerusalem to welcome the king. He hadn't combed his hair or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safe and sound. + The king said, "And why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?" + "My master the king," he said, "my servant betrayed me. I told him to saddle my donkey so I could ride it and go with the king, for, as you know, I am lame. + And then he lied to you about me. But my master the king has been like one of God's angels: he knew what was right and did it. + Wasn't everyone in my father's house doomed? But you took me in and gave me a place at your table. What more could I ever expect or ask?" + "That's enough," said the king. "Say no more. Here's my decision: You and Ziba divide the property between you." + Mephibosheth said, "Oh, let him have it all! All I care about is that my master the king is home safe and sound!" + Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim. He crossed the Jordan with the king to give him a good send-off. + Barzillai was a very old man--eighty years old! He had supplied the king's needs all the while he was in Mahanaim since he was very wealthy. + "Join me in Jerusalem," the king said to Barzillai. "Let me take care of you." + But Barzillai declined the offer, "How long do you think I'd live if I went with the king to Jerusalem? + I'm eighty years old and not much good anymore to anyone. Can't taste food; can't hear music. So why add to the burdens of my master the king? + I'll just go a little way across the Jordan with the king. But why would the king need to make a great thing of that? + Let me go back and die in my hometown and be buried with my father and mother. But my servant Kimham here; let him go with you in my place. But treat him well!" + The king said, "That's settled; Kimham goes with me. And I will treat him well! If you think of anything else, I'll do that for you, too." + The army crossed the Jordan but the king stayed. The king kissed and blessed Barzillai, who then returned home. + Then the king, Kimham with him, crossed over at Gilgal. The whole army of Judah and half the army of Israel processed with the king. + The men of Israel came to the king and said, "Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, taken over as if they owned the king, escorting the king and his family and close associates across the Jordan?" + The men of Judah retorted, "Because the king is related to us, that's why! But why make a scene? You don't see us getting treated special because of it, do you?" + The men of Israel shot back, "We have ten shares in the king to your one. Besides we're the firstborn--so why are we having to play second fiddle? It was our idea to bring him back." But the men of Judah took a harder line than the men of Israel. + + + Just then a good-for-nothing named Sheba son of Bicri the Benjaminite blew a blast on the ram's horn trumpet, calling out, We've got nothing to do with David, there's no future for us with the son of Jesse! Let's get out of here, Israel--head for your tents! + So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed committed, sticking with their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem. + When David arrived home in Jerusalem, the king took the ten concubines he had left to watch the palace and placed them in seclusion, under guard. He provided for their needs but didn't visit them. They were virtual prisoners until they died, widows as long as they lived. + The king ordered Amasa, "Muster the men of Judah for me in three days; then report in." + Amasa went to carry out his orders, but he was late reporting back. + So David told Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us even worse than Absalom did. Take your master's servants and hunt him down before he gets holed up in some fortress city where we can't get to him." + So under Abishai's command, all the best men--Joab's men and the Kerethites and Pelethites--left Jerusalem to hunt down Sheba son of Bicri. + They were near the boulder at Gibeon when Amasa came their way. Joab was wearing a tunic with a sheathed sword strapped on his waist, but the sword slipped out and fell to the ground. + Joab greeted Amasa, "How are you, brother?" and took Amasa's beard in his right hand as if to kiss him. + Amasa didn't notice the sword in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck him in the belly and his guts spilled to the ground. A second blow wasn't needed; he was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to chase Sheba son of Bicri. + One of Joab's soldiers took up his post over the body and called out, "Everyone who sides with Joab and supports David, follow Joab!" + Amasa was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the road; the man realized that the whole army was going to stop and take a look, so he pulled Amasa's corpse off the road into the field and threw a blanket over him so it wouldn't collect spectators. + As soon as he'd gotten him off the road, the traffic flowed normally, following Joab in the chase after Sheba son of Bicri. + Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel as far as Abel Beth Maacah; all the Bicrites clustered and followed him into the city. + Joab's army arrived and laid siege to Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege-ramp up against the city's fortification. The plan was to knock down the wall. + But a shrewd woman called out from the city, "Listen, everybody! Please tell Joab to come close so I can talk to him." + When he had come, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." "Then," she said, "listen to what I have to say." He said, "I'm listening." + "There's an old saying in these parts: 'If it's answers you want, come to Abel and get it straight.' + We're a peaceful people here, and reliable. And here you are, trying to tear down one of Israel's mother cities. Why would you want to mess with GOD's legacy like that?" + Joab protested, "Believe me, you've got me all wrong. I'm not here to hurt anyone or destroy anything--not on your life! + But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bicri by name, revolted against King David; hand him over, him only, and we'll get out of here." The woman told Joab, "Sounds good. His head will be tossed to you from the wall." + The woman presented her strategy to the whole city and they did it: They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and tossed it down to Joab. He then blew a blast on the ram's horn trumpet and the soldiers all went home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem. + Joab was again commander of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; + Adoniram over the work crews; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was clerk; + Sheva was historian; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; + Ira the Jairite was David's chaplain. + + + There was a famine in David's time. It went on year after year after year--three years. David went to GOD seeking the reason. GOD said, "This is because there is blood on Saul and his house, from the time he massacred the Gibeonites." + So the king called the Gibeonites together for consultation. (The Gibeonites were not part of Israel; they were what was left of the Amorites, and protected by a treaty with Israel. But Saul, a fanatic for the honor of Israel and Judah, tried to kill them off.) + David addressed the Gibeonites: "What can I do for you? How can I compensate you so that you will bless GOD's legacy of land and people?" + The Gibeonites replied, "We don't want any money from Saul and his family. And it's not up to us to put anyone in Israel to death." But David persisted: "What are you saying I should do for you?" + Then they told the king, "The man who tried to get rid of us, who schemed to wipe us off the map of Israel-- + well, let seven of his sons be handed over to us to be executed--hanged before GOD at Gibeah of Saul, the holy mountain." And David agreed, "I'll hand them over to you." + The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the promise David and Jonathan had spoken before GOD. + But the king selected Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons that Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, plus the five sons that Saul's daughter Merab had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. + He turned them over to the Gibeonites who hanged them on the mountain before GOD--all seven died together. Harvest was just getting underway, the beginning of the barley harvest, when they were executed. + Rizpah daughter of Aiah took rough burlap and spread it out for herself on a rock from the beginning of the harvest until the heavy rains started. She kept the birds away from the bodies by day and the wild animals by night. + David was told what she had done, this Rizpah daughter of Aiah and concubine of Saul. + He then went and got the remains of Saul and Jonathan his son from the leaders at Jabesh Gilead (who had rescued them from the town square at Beth Shan where the Philistines had hung them after striking them down at Gilboa). + He gathered up their remains and brought them together with the dead bodies of the seven who had just been hanged. + The bodies were taken back to the land of Benjamin and given a decent burial in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father. They did everything the king ordered to be done. That cleared things up: from then on God responded to Israel's prayers for the land. + War broke out again between the Philistines and Israel. David and his men went down to fight. David became exhausted. + Ishbi-Benob, a warrior descended from Rapha, with a spear weighing nearly eight pounds and outfitted in brand-new armor, announced that he'd kill David. + But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to the rescue, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "No more fighting on the front-lines for you! Don't snuff out the lamp of Israel!" + Later there was another skirmish with the Philistines at Gob. That time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another of the warriors descended from Rapha. + At yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaar, the weaver of Bethlehem, killed Goliath the Gittite whose spear was as big as a flagpole. + Still another fight broke out in Gath. There was a giant there with six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet--twenty-four fingers and toes! He was another of those descended from Rapha. + He insulted Israel, and Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him. + These four were descended from Rapha in Gath. And they all were killed by David and his soldiers. + + + David prayed to GOD the words of this song after GOD saved him from all his enemies and from Saul. + GOD is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. + My God--the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout; My mountaintop refuge, he saves me from ruthless men. + I sing to GOD the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved. + The waves of death crashed over me, devil waters rushed over me. + Hell's ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit. + A hostile world! I called to GOD, to my God I cried out. From his palace he heard me call; my cry brought me right into his presence-- a private audience! + Earth wobbled and lurched; the very heavens shook like leaves, Quaked like aspen leaves because of his rage. + His nostrils flared, billowing smoke; his mouth spit fire. Tongues of fire darted in and out; + he lowered the sky. He stepped down; under his feet an abyss opened up. + He rode a winged creature, swift on wind-wings. + He wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black rain-cloud darkness. + But his cloud-brightness burst through, a grand comet of fireworks. + Then GOD thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout. + God shot his arrows--pandemonium! He hurled his lightnings--a rout! + The secret sources of ocean were exposed, the hidden depths of earth lay uncovered The moment GOD roared in protest, let loose his hurricane anger. + But me he caught--reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out + Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. + They hit me when I was down, but GOD stuck by me. + He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved--surprised to be loved! + GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I cleaned up my act, he gave me a fresh start. + Indeed, I've kept alert to GOD's ways; I haven't taken God for granted. + Every day I review the ways he works, I try not to miss a trick. + I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. + GOD rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. + You stick by people who stick with you, you're straight with people who're straight with you, + You're good to good people, you shrewdly work around the bad ones. + You take the side of the down-and-out, but the stuck-up you take down a peg. + Suddenly, GOD, your light floods my path, GOD drives out the darkness. + I smash the bands of marauders, I vault the high fences. + What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every GOD-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it. + Is there any god like GOD? Are we not at bedrock? + Is not this the God who armed me well, then aimed me in the right direction? + Now I run like a deer; I'm king of the mountain. + He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow! + You protect me with salvation-armor; you touch me and I feel ten feet tall. + You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm. + When I chased my enemies I caught them; I didn't let go till they were dead men. + I nailed them; they were down for good; then I walked all over them. + You armed me well for this fight; you smashed the upstarts. + You made my enemies turn tail, and I wiped out the haters. + They cried "uncle" but Uncle didn't come; They yelled for GOD and got no for an answer. + I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter. + You rescued me from a squabbling people; you made me a leader of nations. People I'd never heard of served me; + the moment they got wind of me they submitted. + They gave up; they came trembling from their hideouts. + Live, GOD! Blessing to my Rock, my towering Salvation-God! + This God set things right for me and shut up the people who talked back. + He rescued me from enemy anger. You pulled me from the grip of upstarts, You saved me from the bullies. + That's why I'm thanking you, GOD, all over the world. That's why I'm singing songs that rhyme your name. + God's king takes the trophy; God's chosen is beloved. I mean David and all his children-- always. + + + These are David's last words: The voice of the son of Jesse, the voice of the man God took to the top, Whom the God of Jacob made king, and Israel's most popular singer! + GOD's Spirit spoke through me, his words took shape on my tongue. + The God of Israel spoke to me, Israel's Rock-Mountain said, "Whoever governs fairly and well, who rules in the Fear-of-God, + Is like first light at daybreak without a cloud in the sky, Like green grass carpeting earth, glistening under fresh rain." + And this is just how my regime has been, for God guaranteed his covenant with me, Spelled it out plainly and kept every promised word-- My entire salvation, my every desire. + But the devil's henchmen are like thorns culled and piled as trash; + Better not try to touch them; keep your distance with a rake or hoe. They'll make a glorious bonfire! + This is the listing of David's top men. Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred--killed them all in a day. + Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. + But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted--but he never let go of his sword! A big win for GOD that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the clean-up. + Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, + but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for GOD! + One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. + While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. + David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" + So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to GOD, + saying, "There is no way, GOD, that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood--they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did. + Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. + He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. + Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear. + These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But neither did he ever get ranked with the Three. + He was held in greatest respect among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard. + "The Thirty" consisted of: Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; + Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite; + Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; + Abiezer the Anathothite; Sibbecai the Hushathite; + Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite; + Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites; + Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the badlands of Gaash; + Abi-Albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite; + Eliahba the Shaalbonite; Jashen the Gizonite; Jonathan son of + Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Urite; + Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; + Hezro the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite; + Igal son of Nathan, commander of the army of Hagrites; + Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, weapon bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; + Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; + Uriah the Hittite. Thirty-seven, all told. + + + Once again GOD's anger blazed out against Israel. He tested David by telling him, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." + So David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number." + But Joab resisted the king: "May your GOD multiply people by the hundreds right before the eyes of my master the king, but why on earth would you do a thing like this?" + Nevertheless, the king insisted, and so Joab and the army officers left the king to take a census of Israel. + They crossed the Jordan and began with Aroer and the town in the canyon of the Gadites near Jazer, + proceeded through Gilead, passed Hermon, then on to Dan, but detoured Sidon. + They covered Fort Tyre and all the Hivite and Canaanite cities, and finally reached the Negev of Judah at Beersheba. + They canvassed the whole country and after nine months and twenty days arrived back in Jerusalem. + Joab gave the results of the census to the king: 800,000 able-bodied fighting men in Israel; in Judah 500,000. + But when it was all done, David was overwhelmed with guilt because he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics. And David prayed to GOD, "I have sinned badly in what I have just done. But now GOD forgive my guilt--I've been really stupid." + When David got up the next morning, the word of GOD had already come to Gad the prophet, David's spiritual advisor, + "Go and give David this message: 'GOD has spoken thus: There are three things I can do to you; choose one out of the three and I'll see that it's done.'" + Gad came to deliver the message: "Do you want three years of famine in the land, or three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of an epidemic on the country? Think it over and make up your mind. What shall I tell the one who sent me?" + David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by GOD, whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands." + So GOD let loose an epidemic from morning until suppertime. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand people died. + But when the angel reached out over Jerusalem to destroy it, GOD felt the pain of the terror and told the angel who was spreading death among the people, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" The angel of GOD had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap. + When David saw the angel about to destroy the people, he prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I, the shepherd, did the wrong. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me and my family, not them." + That same day Gad came to David and said, "Go and build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." + David did what Gad told him, what GOD commanded. + Araunah looked up and saw David and his men coming his way; he met them, bowing deeply, honoring the king + and saying, "Why has my master the king come to see me?" "To buy your threshing floor," said David, "so I can build an altar to GOD here and put an end to this disaster." + "Oh," said Araunah, "let my master the king take and sacrifice whatever he wants. Look, here's an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles and ox-yokes for fuel-- + Araunah gives it all to the king! And may GOD, your God, act in your favor." + But the king said to Araunah, "No. I've got to buy it from you for a good price; I'm not going to offer GOD, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice." So David bought the threshing floor and the ox, paying out fifty shekels of silver. + He built an altar to GOD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. GOD was moved by the prayers and that was the end of the disaster. + + + + + King David grew old. The years had caught up with him. Even though they piled blankets on him, he couldn't keep warm. + So his servants said to him, "We're going to get a young virgin for our master the king to be at his side and look after him; she'll get in bed with you and arouse our master the king." + So they searched the country of Israel for the most ravishing girl they could find; they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. + The girl was stunningly beautiful; she stayed at his side and looked after the king, but the king did not have sex with her. + At this time Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, puffed himself up saying, "I'm the next king!" He made quite a splash, with chariots and riders and fifty men to run ahead of him. + His father had spoiled him rotten as a child, never once reprimanding him. Besides that, he was very good-looking and the next in line after Absalom. + Adonijah talked with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they threw their weight on his side. + But neither the priest Zadok, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor Nathan the prophet, nor Shimei and Rei, nor David's personal bodyguards supported Adonijah. + Next Adonijah held a coronation feast, sacrificing sheep, cattle, and grain-fed heifers at the Stone of Zoheleth near the Rogel Spring. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and everyone in Judah who had position and influence-- + but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the bodyguards, or his brother Solomon. + Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Did you know that Adonijah, Haggith's son, has taken over as king, and our master David doesn't know a thing about it? + Quickly now, let me tell you how you can save both your own life and Solomon's. + Go immediately to King David. Speak up: 'Didn't you, my master the king, promise me, "Your son Solomon will be king after me and sit on my throne"? So why is Adonijah now king?' + While you're there talking with the king, I'll come in and corroborate your story." + Bathsheba went at once to the king in his palace bedroom. He was so old! Abishag was at his side making him comfortable. + As Bathsheba bowed low, honoring the king, he said, "What do you want?" + "My master," she said, "you promised me in GOD's name, 'Your son Solomon will be king after me and sit on my throne.' + And now look what's happened--Adonijah has taken over as king, and my master the king doesn't even know it! + He has thrown a huge coronation feast--cattle and grain-fed heifers and sheep--inviting all the king's sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab head of the army. But your servant Solomon was not invited. + My master the king, every eye in Israel is watching you to see what you'll do--to see who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him. + If you fail to act, the moment you're buried my son Solomon and I are as good as dead." + Abruptly, while she was telling the king all this, Nathan the prophet came in + and was announced: "Nathan the prophet is here." He came before the king, honoring him by bowing deeply, his face touching the ground. + "My master the king," Nathan began, "did you say, 'Adonijah shall be king after me and sit on my throne'? + Because that's what's happening. He's thrown a huge coronation feast--cattle, grain-fed heifers, sheep--inviting all the king's sons, the army officers, and Abiathar the priest. They're having a grand time, eating and drinking and shouting, 'Long live King Adonijah!' + But I wasn't invited, nor was the priest Zadok, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. + Is this something that my master the king has done behind our backs, not telling your servants who you intended to be king after you?" + King David took action: "Get Bathsheba back in here." She entered and stood before the king. + The king solemnly promised, "As GOD lives, the God who delivered me from every kind of trouble, + I'll do exactly what I promised in GOD's name, the God of Israel: Your son Solomon will be king after me and take my place on the throne. And I'll make sure it happens this very day." + Bathsheba bowed low, her face to the ground. Kneeling in reverence before the king she said, "Oh, may my master, King David, live forever!" + King David said, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." They came to the king. + Then he ordered, "Gather my servants, then mount my son Solomon on my royal mule and lead him in procession down to Gihon. + When you get there, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the ram's horn trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' + You will then accompany him as he enters and takes his place on my throne, succeeding me as king. I have named him ruler over Israel and Judah." + Benaiah son of Jehoiada backed the king: "Yes! And may GOD, the God of my master the king, confirm it! + Just as GOD has been with my master the king, may he also be with Solomon and make his rule even greater than that of my master King David!" + Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king's personal bodyguard (the Kerethites and Pelethites) went down, mounted Solomon on King David's mule, and paraded with him to Gihon. + Zadok the priest brought a flask of oil from the sanctuary and anointed Solomon. They blew the ram's horn trumpet and everyone shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" + Everyone joined the fanfare, the band playing and the people singing, the very earth reverberating to the sound. + Adonijah and his retinue of guests were just finishing their "coronation" feast when they heard it. When Joab heard the blast of the ram's horn trumpet he said, "What's going on here? What's all this uproar?" + Suddenly, in the midst of the questioning, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, showed up. Adonijah said, "Welcome! A brave and good man like you must have good news." + But Jonathan answered, "Hardly! Our master King David has just mf e Solomon king! + And the king has surrounded him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, with the Kerethites and Pelethites; and they've mounted Solomon on the royal mule. + Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon and the parade is headed up this way singing--a great fanfare! The city is rocking! That's what you're hearing. + Here's the crowning touch--Solomon is seated on the throne of the kingdom! + And that's not all: The king's servants have come to give their blessing to our master King David saying, 'God make Solomon's name even more honored than yours, and make his rule greater than yours!' On his death bed the king worshiped God + and prayed, 'Blessed be GOD, Israel's God, who has provided a successor to my throne, and I've lived to see it!'" + Panicked, Adonijah's guests got out of there, scattering every which way. + But Adonijah himself, afraid for his life because of Solomon, fled to the sanctuary and grabbed the horns of the Altar. + Solomon was told, "Adonijah, fearful of King Solomon, has taken sanctuary and seized the horns of the Altar and is saying, 'I'm not leaving until King Solomon promises that he won't kill me.'" + Solomon then said, "If he proves to be a man of honor, not a hair of his head will be hurt; but if there is evil in him, he'll die." + Solomon summoned him and they brought him from the Altar. Adonijah came and bowed down, honoring the king. Solomon dismissed him, "Go home." + + + When David's time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, + "I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you--be strong; show what you're made of! + Do what GOD tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. + Then GOD will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne.' + "And don't forget what Joab son of Zeruiah did to the two commanders of Israel's army, to Abner son of Ner and to Amasa son of Jether. He murdered them in cold blood, acting in peacetime as if he were at war, and has been stained with that blood ever since. + Do what you think best with him, but by no means let him get off scot-free--make him pay. + "But be generous to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite--extend every hospitality to them; that's the way they treated me when I was running for my life from Absalom your brother. + "You also will have to deal with Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim, the one who cursed me so viciously when I was on my way to Mahanaim. Later, when he welcomed me back at the Jordan, I promised him under GOD, 'I won't put you to death.' + But neither should you treat him as if nothing ever happened. You're wise, you know how to handle these things. You'll know what to do to make him pay before he dies." + Then David joined his ancestors. He was buried in the City of David. + David ruled Israel for forty years--seven years in Hebron and another thirty-three in Jerusalem. + Solomon took over on the throne of his father David; he had a firm grip on the kingdom. + Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She said, "Do you come in peace?" He said, "In peace." + And then, "May I say something to you?" "Go ahead," she said, "speak." + "You know that I had the kingdom right in my hands and everyone expected me to be king, and then the whole thing backfired and the kingdom landed in my brother's lap--GOD's doing. + So now I have one request to ask of you; please don't refuse me." "Go ahead, ask," she said. + "Ask King Solomon--he won't turn you down--to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife." + "Certainly," said Bathsheba. "I'll speak to the king for you." + Bathsheba went to King Solomon to present Adonijah's request. The king got up and welcomed her, bowing respectfully, and returned to his throne. Then he had a throne put in place for his mother, and she sat at his right hand. + She said, "I have a small favor to ask of you. Don't refuse me." The king replied, "Go ahead, Mother; of course I won't refuse you." + She said, "Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother Adonijah as his wife." + King Solomon answered his mother, "What kind of favor is this, asking that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah? Why don't you just ask me to hand over the whole kingdom to him on a platter since he is my older brother and has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side!" + Then King Solomon swore under GOD, "May God do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn't pay for this with his life! + As surely as GOD lives, the God who has set me firmly on the throne of my father David and has put me in charge of the kingdom just as he promised, Adonijah will die for this--today!" + King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he struck Adonijah and he died. + The king then told Abiathar the priest, "You're exiled to your place in Anathoth. You deserve death but I'm not going to kill you--for now anyway--because you were in charge of the Chest of our ruling GOD in the company of David my father, and because you shared all the hard times with my father." + Solomon stripped Abiathar of his priesthood, fulfilling GOD's word at Shiloh regarding the family of Eli. + When this news reached Joab, this Joab who had conspired with Adonijah (although he had remained loyal in the Absalom affair), he took refuge in the sanctuary of GOD, seizing the horns of the Altar and holding on for dear life. + King Solomon was told that Joab had escaped to the sanctuary of GOD and was clinging to the Altar; he immediately sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada with orders, "Kill him." + Benaiah went to the sanctuary of GOD and said, "King's orders: Come out." He said, "No--I'll die right here." Benaiah went back to the king and reported, "This was Joab's answer." + The king said, "Go ahead then, do what he says: Kill him and bury him. Absolve me and my father's family of the guilt from Joab's senseless murders. + GOD is avenging those bloody murders on Joab's head. Two men he murdered, men better by far than he ever was: Behind my father's back he brutally murdered Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army. + Responsibility for their murders is forever fixed on Joab and his descendants; but for David and his descendants, his family and kingdom, the final verdict is GOD's peace." + So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went back, struck Joab, and killed him. He was buried in his family plot out in the desert. + The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest. + The king next called in Shimei and told him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you are not to leave the area. + If you so much as cross the Brook Kidron, you're as good as dead--you will have decreed your own death sentence." + Shimei answered the king, "Oh, thank you! Your servant will do exactly as my master the king says." Shimei lived in Jerusalem a long time. + But it so happened that three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath." + Shimei sprang into action, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish in Gath looking for his slaves. And then he came back, bringing his slaves. + Solomon was told, "Shimei left Jerusalem for Gath, and now he's back." + Solomon then called for Shimei and said, "Didn't I make you promise me under GOD, and give you a good warning besides, that you would not leave this area? That if you left you would have decreed your own death sentence? And didn't you say, 'Oh, thank you--I'll do exactly as you say'? + So why didn't you keep your sacred promise and do what I ordered?" + Then the king told Shimei, "Deep in your heart you know all the evil that you did to my father David; GOD will now avenge that evil on you. + But King Solomon will be blessed and the rule of David will be a sure thing under GOD forever." + The king then gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he went out and struck Shimei dead. The kingdom was now securely in Solomon's grasp. + + + Solomon arranged a marriage contract with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the City of David until he had completed building his royal palace and GOD's Temple and the wall around Jerusalem. + Meanwhile, the people were worshiping at local shrines because at that time no temple had yet been built to the Name of GOD. + Solomon loved GOD and continued to live in the God-honoring ways of David his father, except that he also worshiped at the local shrines, offering sacrifices and burning incense. + The king went to Gibeon, the most prestigious of the local shrines, to worship. He sacrificed a thousand Whole-Burnt-Offerings on that altar. + That night, there in Gibeon, GOD appeared to Solomon in a dream: God said, "What can I give you? Ask." + Solomon said, "You were extravagantly generous in love with David my father, and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his heart right. And you have persisted in this great and generous love by giving him--and this very day!--a son to sit on his throne. + "And now here I am: GOD, my God, you have made me, your servant, ruler of the kingdom in place of David my father. I'm too young for this, a mere child! I don't know the ropes, hardly know the 'ins' and 'outs' of this job. + And here I am, set down in the middle of the people you've chosen, a great people--far too many to ever count. + "Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?" + God, the Master, was delighted with Solomon's response. + And God said to him, "Because you have asked for this and haven't grasped after a long life, or riches, or the doom of your enemies, but you have asked for the ability to lead and govern well, + I'll give you what you've asked for--I'm giving you a wise and mature heart. There's never been one like you before; and there'll be no one after. + As a bonus, I'm giving you both the wealth and glory you didn't ask for--there's not a king anywhere who will come up to your mark. + And if you stay on course, keeping your eye on the life-map and the God-signs as your father David did, I'll also give you a long life." + Solomon woke up--what a dream! He returned to Jerusalem, took his place before the Chest of the Covenant of God, and worshiped by sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings. Then he laid out a banquet for everyone in his service. + The very next thing, two prostitutes showed up before the king. + The one woman said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. While we were living together, I had a baby. + Three days after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone--there wasn't anyone else in the house except for the two of us. + The infant son of this woman died one night when she rolled over on him in her sleep. + She got up in the middle of the night and took my son--I was sound asleep, mind you!--and put him at her breast and put her dead son at my breast. + When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, here was this dead baby! But when I looked at him in the morning light, I saw immediately that he wasn't my baby." + "Not so!" said the other woman. "The living one's mine; the dead one's yours." The first woman countered, "No! Your son's the dead one; mine's the living one." They went back and forth this way in front of the king. + The king said, "What are we to do? This woman says, 'The living son is mine and the dead one is yours,' and this woman says, 'No, the dead one's yours and the living one's mine.'" + After a moment the king said, "Bring me a sword." They brought the sword to the king. + Then he said, "Cut the living baby in two--give half to one and half to the other." + The real mother of the living baby was overcome with emotion for her son and said, "Oh no, master! Give her the whole baby alive; don't kill him!" But the other one said, "If I can't have him, you can't have him--cut away!" + The king gave his decision: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Nobody is going to kill this baby. She is the real mother." + The word got around--everyone in Israel heard of the king's judgment. They were all in awe of the king, realizing that it was God's wisdom that enabled him to judge truly. + + + King Solomon was off to a good start ruling Israel. + These were the leaders in his government: Azariah son of Zadok--the priest; + Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha--secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud--historian; + Benaiah son of Jehoiada--commander of the army; Zadok and Abiathar--priests; + Azariah son of Nathan--in charge of the regional managers; Zabud son of Nathan--priest and friend to the king; + Ahishar--manager of the palace; Adoniram son of Abda--manager of the slave labor. + Solomon had twelve regional managers distributed throughout Israel. They were responsible for supplying provisions for the king and his administration. Each was in charge of bringing supplies for one month of the year. + These are the names: Ben-Hur in the Ephraim hills; + Ben-Deker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan; + Ben-Hesed in Arubboth--this included Socoh and all of Hepher; + Ben-Abinadab in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Solomon's daughter Taphath); + Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah over to Jokmeam; + Ben-Geber in Ramoth Gilead--this included the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead and the region of Argob in Bashan with its sixty large walled cities with bronze-studded gates; + Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim; + Ahimaaz in Naphtali (he was married to Solomon's daughter Basemath); + Baana son of Hushai in Asher and Aloth; + Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar; + Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin; + Geber son of Uri in Gilead--this was the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and also of Og king of Bashan; he managed the whole district by himself. + Judah and Israel were densely populated--like sand on an ocean beach! All their needs were met; they ate and drank and were happy. + Solomon was sovereign over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates in the east to the country of the Philistines in the west, all the way to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and were vassals of Solomon all his life. + One day's food supply for Solomon's household was: 185 bushels of fine flour 375 bushels of meal 10 grain-fed cattle 20 range cattle 100 sheep and miscellaneous deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl. + (SEE 4:22) + Solomon was sovereign over everything, countries and kings, west of the River Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza. Peace reigned everywhere. + Throughout Solomon's life, everyone in Israel and Judah lived safe and sound, all of them from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south--content with what they had. + Solomon had forty thousand stalls for chariot horses and twelve thousand horsemen. + The district managers, each according to his assigned month, delivered food supplies for King Solomon and all who sat at the king's table; there was always plenty. + They also brought to the designated place their assigned quota of barley and straw for the horses. + God gave Solomon wisdom--the deepest of understanding and the largest of hearts. There was nothing beyond him, nothing he couldn't handle. + Solomon's wisdom outclassed the vaunted wisdom of wise men of the East, outshone the famous wisdom of Egypt. + He was wiser than anyone--wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, wiser than Calcol and Darda the sons of Mahol. He became famous among all the surrounding nations. + He created three thousand proverbs; his songs added up to 1,005. + He knew all about plants, from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. + Sent by kings from all over the earth who had heard of his reputation, people came from far and near to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. + + + Hiram king of Tyre sent ambassadors to Solomon when he heard that he had been crowned king in David's place. Hiram had loved David his whole life. + Solomon responded, saying, + "You know that David my father was not able to build a temple in honor of GOD because of the wars he had to fight on all sides, until GOD finally put them down. + But now GOD has provided peace all around--no one against us, nothing at odds with us. + "Now here is what I want to do: Build a temple in honor of GOD, my God, following the promise that GOD gave to David my father, namely, 'Your son whom I will provide to succeed you as king, he will build a house in my honor.' + And here is how you can help: Give orders for cedars to be cut from the Lebanon forest; my loggers will work alongside yours and I'll pay your men whatever wage you set. We both know that there is no one like you Sidonians for cutting timber." + When Hiram got Solomon's message, he was delighted, exclaiming, "Blessed be GOD for giving David such a wise son to rule this flourishing people!" + Then he sent this message to Solomon: "I received your request for the cedars and cypresses. It's as good as done--your wish is my command. + My lumberjacks will haul the timbers from the Lebanon forest to the sea, assemble them into log rafts, float them to the place you set, then have them disassembled for you to haul away. All I want from you is that you feed my crew." + In this way Hiram supplied all the cedar and cypress timber that Solomon wanted. + In his turn, Solomon gave Hiram 125,000 bushels of wheat and 115,000 gallons of virgin olive oil. He did this every year. + And GOD, for his part, gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised. The healthy peace between Hiram and Solomon was formalized by a treaty. + King Solomon raised a workforce of 30,000 men from all over Israel. + He sent them in shifts of 10,000 each month to the Lebanon forest; they would work a month in Lebanon and then be at home two months. Adoniram was in charge of the work crew. + Solomon also had 70,000 unskilled workers and another 80,000 stonecutters up in the hills-- + plus 3,300 foremen managing the project and supervising the work crews. + Following the king's orders, they quarried huge blocks of the best stone--dressed stone for the foundation of The Temple. + Solomon and Hiram's construction workers, assisted by the men of Gebal, cut and prepared the timber and stone for building The Temple. + + + Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, Solomon started building The Temple of GOD. + The Temple that King Solomon built to GOD was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. + There was a porch across the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. + Within The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. + Against the outside walls he built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: + The lower floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside Temple walls to support the buttressing beams. + The stone blocks for the building of The Temple were all dressed at the quarry so that the building site itself was reverently quiet--no noise from hammers and chisels and other iron tools. + The entrance to the ground floor was at the south end of The Temple; stairs led to the second floor and then to the third. + Solomon built and completed The Temple, finishing it off with roof beams and planks of cedar. + The supporting structure along the outside walls was attached to The Temple with cedar beams and the rooms in it were seven and a half feet tall. + The word of GOD came to Solomon saying, + "About this Temple you are building--what's important is that you live the way I've set out for you and do what I tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently. Then I'll complete in you the promise I made to David your father. + I'll personally take up my residence among the Israelites --I won't desert my people Israel." + Solomon built and completed The Temple. + He paneled the interior walls from floor to ceiling with cedar planks; for flooring he used cypress. + The thirty feet at the rear of The Temple he made into an Inner Sanctuary, cedar planks from floor to ceiling--the Holy of Holies. + The Main Sanctuary area in front was sixty feet long. + The entire interior of The Temple was cedar, with carvings of fruits and flowers. All cedar--none of the stone was exposed. + The Inner Sanctuary within The Temple was for housing the Chest of the Covenant of God. + This Inner Sanctuary was a cube, thirty feet each way, all plated with gold. The Altar of cedar was also gold-plated. + Everywhere you looked there was pure gold: gold chains strung in front of the gold-plated Inner Sanctuary-- + gold everywhere--walls, ceiling, floor, and Altar. Dazzling! + Then he made two cherubim, gigantic angel-like figures, from olivewood. Each was fifteen feet tall. + The outstretched wings of the cherubim (they were identical in size and shape) measured another fifteen feet. He placed the two cherubim, their wings spread, in the Inner Sanctuary. The combined wingspread stretched the width of the room, the wing of one cherub touched one wall, the wing of the other the other wall, and the wings touched in the middle. + (SEE 6:24) + (SEE 6:24) + (SEE 6:24) + The cherubim were gold plated. + He then carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on all the walls of both the Inner and the Main Sanctuary. + And all the floors of both inner and outer rooms were gold plated. + He constructed doors of olivewood for the entrance to the Inner Sanctuary; the lintel and doorposts were five-sided. + The doors were also carved with cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, and then covered with gold leaf. + Similarly, he built the entrance to the Main Sanctuary using olivewood for the doorposts but these doorposts were four-sided. + The doors were of cypress, split into two panels, each panel swinging separately. + These also were carved with cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, and plated with finely hammered gold leaf. + He built the inner court with three courses of dressed stones topped with a course of planed cedar timbers. + The foundation for GOD's Temple was laid in the fourth year in the month of Ziv. + It was completed in the eleventh year in the month of Bul (the eighth month) down to the last detail, just as planned. It took Solomon seven years to build it. + + + It took Solomon another thirteen years to finish building his own palace complex. + He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. + There were four rows of cedar columns supporting forty-five cedar beams, fifteen in each row, and then roofed with cedar. + Windows in groupings of three were set high in the walls on either side. + All the doors were rectangular and arranged symmetrically. + He built a colonnaded courtyard seventy-five feet long and forty-five wide. It had a roofed porch at the front with ample eaves. + He built a court room, the Hall of Justice, where he would decide judicial matters, and paneled it with cedar. + He built his personal residence behind the Hall on a similar plan. Solomon also built another one just like it for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. + No expense was spared--everything here, inside and out, from foundation to roof was constructed using high-quality stone, accurately cut and shaped and polished. + The foundation stones were huge, ranging in size from twelve to fifteen feet, and of the very best quality. + The finest stone was used above the foundation, shaped to size and trimmed with cedar. + The courtyard was enclosed with a wall made of three layers of stone and topped with cedar timbers, just like the one in the porch of The Temple of GOD. + King Solomon sent to Tyre and asked Hiram (not the king; another Hiram) to come. + Hiram's mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a Tyrian and a master worker in bronze. Hiram was a real artist--he could do anything with bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all the bronze work. + First he cast two pillars in bronze, each twenty-seven feet tall and eighteen feet in circumference. + He then cast two capitals in bronze to set on the pillars; each capital was seven and a half feet high + and flared at the top in the shape of a lily. Each capital was dressed with an elaborate filigree of seven braided chains and a double row of two hundred pomegranates, setting the pillars off magnificently. + (SEE 7:17) + (SEE 7:17) + (SEE 7:17) + He set the pillars up in the entrance porch to The Temple; the pillar to the south he named Security (Jachin) and the pillar to the north Stability (Boaz). + The capitals were in the shape of lilies. When the pillars were finished, + Hiram's next project was to make the Sea--an immense round basin of cast metal fifteen feet in diameter, seven and a half feet tall, and forty-five feet in circumference. + Just under the rim there were two bands of decorative gourds, ten gourds to each foot and a half. The gourds were cast in one piece with the Sea. + The Sea was set on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the bulls faced outward supporting the Sea on their hindquarters. + The Sea was three inches thick and flared at the rim like a cup, or like a lily. It held about 11,500 gallons. + Hiram also made ten washstands of bronze. Each was six feet square and four and a half feet tall. + They were made like this: Panels were fastened to the uprights. + Lions, bulls, and cherubim were represented on the panels and uprights. Beveled wreath-work bordered the lions and bulls above and below. + Each stand was mounted on four bronze wheels with bronze axles. The uprights were cast with decorative relief work. + Each stand held a basin on a circular engraved support a foot and a half deep set on a pedestal two and a quarter feet square. The washstand itself was square. + The axles were attached under the stand and the wheels fixed to them. The wheels were twenty-seven inches in diameter; + they were designed like chariot wheels. Everything--axles, rims, spokes, and hubs--was of cast metal. + There was a handle at the four corners of each washstand, the handles cast in one piece with the stand. + At the top of the washstand there was a ring about nine inches deep. The uprights and handles were cast with the stand. + Everything and every available surface was engraved with cherubim, lions, and palm trees, bordered by arabesques. + The washstands were identical, all cast in the same mold. + He also made ten bronze washbasins, each six feet in diameter with a capacity of 230 gallons, one basin for each of the ten washstands. + He arranged five stands on the south side of The Temple and five on the north. The Sea was placed at the southeast corner of The Temple. + Hiram then fashioned the various utensils: buckets and shovels and bowls. Hiram completed all the work he set out to do for King Solomon on The Temple of GOD: + two pillars; two capitals on top of the pillars; two decorative filigrees for the capitals; + four hundred pomegranates for the two filigrees (a double row of pomegranates for each filigree); + ten washstands each with its washbasin; one Sea; + twelve bulls under the Sea; + miscellaneous buckets, shovels, and bowls. All these artifacts that Hiram made for King Solomon for The Temple of GOD were of burnished bronze. + He cast them in clay in a foundry on the Jordan plain between Succoth and Zarethan. + These artifacts were never weighed--there were far too many! Nobody has any idea how much bronze was used. + Solomon was also responsible for all the furniture and accessories in The Temple of GOD: the gold Altar; the gold Table that held the Bread of the Presence; + the pure gold candelabras, five to the right and five to the left in front of the Inner Sanctuary; the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; + the pure gold dishes, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and censers; the gold sockets for the doors of the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, used also for the doors of the Main Sanctuary. + That completed all the work King Solomon did on The Temple of GOD. He then brought in the items consecrated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the artifacts. He placed them all in the treasury of GOD's Temple. + + + Bringing all this to a climax, King Solomon called in the leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the family patriarchs, to bring up the Chest of the Covenant of GOD from Zion, the City of David. + And they came, all Israel before King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month, for the great autumn festival. + With all Israel's leaders present, the priests took up the Chest of GOD + and carried up the Chest and the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that went with the Tent. + King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel were there at the Chest worshiping and sacrificing huge numbers of sheep and cattle--so many that no one could keep track. + Then the priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of GOD to its place in the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim. + The outspread wings of the cherubim stretched over the Chest and its poles. + The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the entrance to the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable farther out. They're still there today. + There was nothing in the Chest but the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb where GOD made a covenant with Israel after bringing them up from Egypt. + When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled The Temple of GOD. + The priests couldn't carry out their priestly duties because of the cloud--the glory of GOD filled The Temple of GOD! + Then Solomon spoke: GOD has told us that he lives in the dark where no one can see him; + I've built this splendid Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever. + The king then turned to face the congregation and blessed them: + "Blessed be GOD, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has kept the promise he made when he said, + 'From the day I brought my people Israel from Egypt, I haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel to build a Temple to fix my Name there. But I did choose David to rule my people Israel.' + "My father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the Name of GOD, the God of Israel. + But GOD told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a Temple in my honor--most commendable! + But you are not the one to do it--your son will build it to honor my Name.' + "GOD has done what he said he would do: I have succeeded David my father and ruled over Israel just as GOD promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor GOD, the God of Israel, + and I've secured a place for the Chest that holds the covenant of GOD, the covenant that he made with our ancestors when he brought them up from the land of Egypt." + Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took a position before the Altar, spread his hands out before heaven, + and prayed, O GOD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and relentlessly loves them as they sincerely live in obedience to your way. + You kept your word to David my father, your personal word. You did exactly what you promised--every detail. The proof is before us today! + Keep it up, GOD, O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to David my father when you said, "You'll always have a descendant to represent my rule on Israel's throne, on the condition that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have." + O God of Israel, let this all happen; confirm and establish it! + Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built. + Even so, I'm bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O GOD, my God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I'm setting before you right now. + Keep your eyes open to this Temple night and day, this place of which you said, "My Name will be honored there," + and listen to the prayers that I pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive. + When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple, + listen from heaven and act accordingly: Judge your servants, making the offender pay for his offense and setting the offended free of any charges. + When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple, + Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, return them to the land you gave their ancestors. + When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quitting their sins because you have scourged them, + Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Then start over with them: Train them to live right and well; send rain on the land you gave your people as an inheritance. + When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses--calamity of any sort-- + any prayer that's prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, hearts penetrated by the disaster, hands and arms thrown out to this Temple for help, + Listen from your home in heaven. Forgive and go to work on us. Give what each deserves, for you know each life from the inside (you're the only one with such "inside knowledge"!) + so that they'll live before you in lifelong reverent and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors. + And don't forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation. + People are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonder-working power, who come to pray at this Temple. + Listen from your home in heaven. Honor the prayers of the foreigner so that people all over the world will know who you are and what you're like and will live in reverent obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do; so they'll know that you personally make this Temple that I've built what it is. + When your people go to war against their enemies at the time and place you send them and they pray to GOD toward the city you chose and this Temple I've built to honor your Name, + Listen from heaven to what they pray and ask for, and do what's right for them. + When they sin against you--and they certainly will; there's no one without sin!--and in anger you turn them over to the enemy and they are taken captive to the enemy's land, whether far or near, + but repent in the country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in their exile, "We've sinned; we've done wrong; we've been most wicked," + and turn back to you heart and soul in the land of the enemy who conquered them, and pray to you toward their homeland, the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of your Name, + Listen from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout and do what is best for them. + Forgive your people who have sinned against you; forgive their gross rebellions and move their captors to treat them with compassion. + They are, after all, your people and your precious inheritance whom you rescued from the heart of that iron-smelting furnace, Egypt! + O be alert and attentive to the needy prayers of me, your servant, and your dear people Israel; listen every time they cry out to you! + You handpicked them from all the peoples on earth to be your very own people, as you announced through your servant Moses when you, O GOD, in your masterful rule, delivered our ancestors from Egypt. + Having finished praying to GOD--all these bold and passionate prayers--Solomon stood up before GOD's Altar where he had been kneeling all this time, his arms stretched upward to heaven. + Standing, he blessed the whole congregation of Israel, blessing them at the top of his lungs: + "Blessed be GOD, who has given peace to his people Israel just as he said he'd do. Not one of all those good and wonderful words that he spoke through Moses has misfired. + May GOD, our very own God, continue to be with us just as he was with our ancestors--may he never give up and walk out on us. + May he keep us centered and devoted to him, following the life path he has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors. + "And let these words that I've prayed in the presence of GOD be always right there before him, day and night, so that he'll do what is right for me, to guarantee justice for his people Israel day after day after day. + Then all the people on earth will know GOD is the true God; there is no other God. + And you, your lives must be totally obedient to GOD, our personal God, following the life path he has cleared, alert and attentive to everything he has made plain this day." + The king and all Israel with him then worshiped, offering sacrifices to GOD. + Solomon offered Peace-Offerings, sacrificing to GOD twenty-two thousand cattle, a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. This is how the king and all Israel dedicated The Temple of GOD. + That same day, the king set apart the central area of the Courtyard in front of GOD's Temple for sacred use and there sacrificed the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, and fat from the Peace-Offerings--the bronze Altar was too small to handle all these offerings. + This is how Solomon kept the great autumn feast, and all Israel with him, people there all the way from the far northeast (the Entrance to Hamath) to the far southwest (the Brook of Egypt)--a huge congregation. They started out celebrating for seven days--and then did it another seven days! Two solid weeks of celebration! + Then he dismissed them. They blessed the king and went home, exuberant with heartfelt gratitude for all the good GOD had done for his servant David and for his people Israel. + + + After Solomon had completed building The Temple of GOD and his own palace, all the projects he had set his heart on doing, + GOD appeared to Solomon again, just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. + And GOD said to him, "I've listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. + As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, + then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: 'You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.' + "But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping them, + then the guarantee is off: I'll wipe Israel right off the map and repudiate this Temple I've just sanctified to honor my Name. And Israel will become nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world. + And this Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; visitors will shake their heads, saying, 'Whatever happened here? What's the story behind these ruins?' + Then they'll be told, 'The people who used to live here betrayed their GOD, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with alien gods, worshiping and serving them. That's what's behind this GOD-visited devastation.'" + At the end of twenty years, having built the two buildings, The Temple of GOD and his personal palace, + Solomon rewarded Hiram king of Tyre with a gift of twenty villages in the district of Galilee. Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and cypress and gold that he had wanted. + But when Hiram left Tyre to look over the villages that Solomon had given him, he didn't like what he saw. + He said, "What kind of reward is this, my friend? Twenty backwoods hick towns!" People still refer to them that way. + This is all Hiram got from Solomon in exchange for four and a half tons of gold! + This is the work record of the labor force that King Solomon raised to build The Temple of GOD, his palace, the defense complex (the Millo), the Jerusalem wall, and the fortified cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. + Pharaoh king of Egypt had come up and captured Gezer, torched it, and killed all the Canaanites who lived there. He gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, Solomon's wife. + So Solomon rebuilt Gezer. He also built Lower Beth Horon, + Baalath, and Tamar in the desert, back-country + storehouse villages, and villages for chariots and horses. Solomon built widely and extravagantly in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and wherever he fancied. + The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites--all non-Israelites), + survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of slave labor, a policy still in effect. + But true Israelites were not treated this way; they were used in his army and administration--government leaders and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. + They were also the project managers responsible for Solomon's building operations--550 of them in charge of the workforce. + It was after Pharaoh's daughter ceremonially ascended from the City of David and took up residence in the house built especially for her that Solomon built the defense complex (the Millo). + Three times a year Solomon worshiped at the Altar of GOD, sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings, and burning incense in the presence of GOD. Everything that had to do with The Temple he did generously and well; he didn't skimp. + And ships! King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, located near Elath in Edom on the Red Sea. + Hiram sent seaworthy sailors to assist Solomon's men with the fleet. + They embarked for Ophir, brought back sixteen tons of gold, and presented it to King Solomon. + + + The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and his connection with the Name of GOD. She came to put his reputation to the test by asking tough questions. + She made a grand and showy entrance into Jerusalem--camels loaded with spices, a huge amount of gold, and precious gems. She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about, emptying her heart to him. + Solomon answered everything she put to him--nothing stumped him. + When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon's wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, + the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials and sharply dressed waiters, the lavish crystal, and the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at the steps leading up to The Temple of GOD, it took her breath away. + She said to the king, "It's all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed. + I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself; they didn't exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance--far more than I could ever have imagined. + Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand! + And blessed be GOD, your God, who took such a liking to you and made you king. Clearly, GOD's love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people." + She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold, and also sack after sack of spices and expensive gems. There hasn't been a cargo of spices like that since that shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. + The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with tremendous loads of fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems. + The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of GOD and the palace complex, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since. + King Solomon for his part gave the queen of Sheba all her heart's desire--everything she asked for, on top of what he had already so generously given her. Satisfied, she returned home with her train of servants. + Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually. + This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and assorted kings and governors. + King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold--seven and a half pounds of gold to each shield-- + and three hundred smaller shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. + The king built a massive throne of ivory accented with a veneer of gold. + The throne had six steps leading up to it, its back shaped like an arch. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. + Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any of the surrounding kingdoms. + King Solomon's chalices and tankards were made of gold and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold--nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap. + The king had a fleet of ocean-going ships at sea with Hiram's ships. Every three years the fleet would bring in a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, and apes and peacocks. + King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth--he surpassed them all. + People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and drink in the wisdom God had given him. + And everyone who came brought gifts--artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, and horses and mules--parades of visitors, year after year. + Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses! He stabled them in the special chariot cities as well as in Jerusalem. + The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. + His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents. + Chariots from Egypt went for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for about three and three-quarter pounds of silver. Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with the Hittite and Aramean royal houses. + + + King Solomon was obsessed with women. Pharaoh's daughter was only the first of the many foreign women he loved--Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. + He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which GOD had clearly warned Israel, "You must not marry them; they'll seduce you into infatuations with their gods." Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. + He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines--a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. + As Solomon grew older, his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful--he didn't stay true to his GOD as his father David had done. + Solomon took up with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites. + Solomon openly defied GOD; he did not follow in his father David's footsteps. + He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. + He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices. + GOD was furious with Solomon for abandoning the GOD of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him + and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed GOD's orders. + GOD said to Solomon, "Since this is the way it is with you, that you have no intention of keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, I'm going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else. + But out of respect for your father David I won't do it in your lifetime. It's your son who will pay--I'll rip it right out of his grasp. + Even then I won't take it all; I'll leave him one tribe in honor of my servant David and out of respect for my chosen city Jerusalem." + GOD incited Hadad, a descendant of the king of Edom, into hostile actions against Solomon. + Years earlier, when David devastated Edom, Joab, commander of the army, on his way to bury the dead, massacred all the men of Edom. + Joab and his army stayed there for six months, making sure they had killed every man in Edom. + Hadad, just a boy at the time, had escaped with some of the Edomites who had worked for his father. + Their escape route took them through Midian to Paran. They picked up some men in Paran and went on to Egypt and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house, food, and even land. + Pharaoh liked him so well that he gave him the sister of his wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. + She bore Hadad a son named Genubath who was raised like one of the royal family. Genubath grew up in the palace with Pharaoh's children. + While living in Egypt, Hadad heard that both David and Joab, commander of the army, were dead. He approached Pharaoh and said, "Send me off with your blessing--I want to return to my country." + "But why?" said Pharaoh. "Why would you want to leave here? Hasn't everything been to your liking?" "Everything has been just fine," said Hadad, "but I want to go home--give me a good send-off!" + Then God incited another adversary against Solomon, Rezon son of Eliada, who had deserted from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. + After David's slaughter of the Arameans, Rezon collected a band of outlaws and became their leader. They later settled in Damascus, where Rezon eventually took over as king. + Like Hadad, Rezon was a thorn in Israel's side all of Solomon's life. He was king over Aram, and he hated Israel. + And then, the last straw: Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah, his mother a widow named Zeruah. He served in Solomon's administration. + This is why he rebelled. Solomon had built the outer defense system (the Millo) and had restored the fortifications that were in disrepair from the time of his father David. + Jeroboam stood out during the construction as strong and able. When Solomon observed what a good worker he was, he put the young man in charge of the entire workforce of the tribe of Joseph. + One day Jeroboam was walking down the road out of Jerusalem. Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh, wearing a brand-new cloak, met him. The two of them were alone on that remote stretch of road. + Ahijah took off the new cloak that he was wearing and ripped it into twelve pieces. + Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten of these pieces for yourself; this is by order of the GOD of Israel: See what I'm doing--I'm ripping the kingdom out of Solomon's hands and giving you ten of the tribes. + In honor of my servant David and out of respect for Jerusalem, the city I especially chose, he will get one tribe. + And here's the reason: He faithlessly abandoned me and went off worshiping Ashtoreth goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh god of the Moabites, and Molech god of the Ammonites. He hasn't lived the way I have shown him, hasn't done what I have wanted, and hasn't followed directions or obeyed orders as his father David did. + "Still, I won't take the whole kingdom away from him. I'll stick with him through his lifetime because of my servant David whom I chose and who did follow my directions and obey my orders. + But after that I'll remove the kingdom from his son's control and give you ten tribes. + I'll leave one tribe to his son, to maintain a witness to my servant David in Jerusalem, the city I chose as a memorial to my Name. + "But I have taken you in hand. Rule to your heart's content! You are to be the king of Israel. + If you listen to what I tell you and live the way I show you and do what pleases me, following directions and obeying orders as my servant David did, I'll stick with you no matter what. I'll build you a kingdom as solid as the one I built for David. Israel will be yours! + I am bringing pain and trouble on David's descendants, but the trials won't last forever." + Solomon ordered the assassination of Jeroboam, but he got away to Egypt and found asylum there with King Shishak. He remained in exile there until Solomon died. + The rest of Solomon's life and rule, his work and his wisdom, you can read for yourself in The Chronicles of Solomon. + Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. + He died and was buried in the City of David his father. His son Rehoboam was the next king. + + + Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to inaugurate him as king. + Jeroboam had been in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon's death he had come back. + Rehoboam assembled Jeroboam and all the people. They said to Rehoboam, + "Your father made life hard for us--worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and we'll willingly serve you." + "Give me three days to think it over, then come back," Rehoboam said. + King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father when he was alive: "What's your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the people?" + They said, "If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they'll end up doing anything for you." + But he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he'd grown up with who were now currying his favor, + "What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, 'Give us a break from your father's harsh ways--lighten up on us'?" ' + The young turks he'd grown up with said, "These people who complain, 'Your father was too hard on us; lighten up'--well, tell them this: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. + If you think life under my father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!'" + Three days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed when he said, "Give me three days to think it over, then come back." + The king's answer was harsh and rude. He spurned the counsel of the elders + and went with the advice of the younger set, "If you think life under my father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!" + Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. GOD was behind all this, confirming the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of Shiloh. + When all Israel realized that the king hadn't listened to a word they'd said, they stood up to him and said, Get lost, David! We've had it with you, son of Jesse! Let's get out of here, Israel, and fast! From now on, David, mind your own business. And with that, they left. + But Rehoboam continued to rule those who lived in the towns of Judah. + When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the Israelites ganged up on him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and fled to Jerusalem as fast as he could. + Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic regime ever since. + When the word was out that Jeroboam was back and available, the assembled people invited him and inaugurated him king over all Israel. The only tribe left to the Davidic dynasty was Judah. + When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem, he called up the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of their best soldiers, to go to war against Israel and recover the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon. + At this time the word of God came to Shemaiah, a man of God: + "Tell this to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, along with everyone in Judah and Benjamin and anyone else who is around: + This is GOD's word: Don't march out; don't fight against your brothers the Israelites; go back home, every last one of you; I'm in charge here." And they did it; they did what GOD said and went home. + Jeroboam made a fort at Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and made that his headquarters. He also built a fort at Penuel. + But then Jeroboam thought, "It won't be long before the kingdom is reunited under David. + As soon as these people resume worship at The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem, they'll start thinking of Rehoboam king of Judah as their ruler. They'll then kill me and go back to King Rehoboam." + So the king came up with a plan: He made two golden calves. Then he announced, "It's too much trouble for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look at these--the gods who brought you out of Egypt!" + He put one calf in Bethel; the other he placed in Dan. + This was blatant sin. Think of it--people traveling all the way to Dan to worship a calf! + And that wasn't the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all over the place and recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless of whether they were fit for the job or not. + To top it off, he created a holy New Year festival to be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to replace the one in Judah, complete with worship offered on the Altar at Bethel and sacrificing before the calves he had set up there. He staffed Bethel with priests from the local shrines he had made. + This was strictly his own idea to compete with the feast in Judah; and he carried it off with flair, a festival exclusively for Israel, Jeroboam himself leading the worship at the Altar. + + + And then this happened: Just as Jeroboam was at the Altar, about to make an offering, a holy man came from Judah by GOD's command + and preached (these were GOD's orders) to the Altar: "Altar, Altar! GOD's message! 'A son will be born into David's family named Josiah. The priests from the shrines who are making offerings on you, he will sacrifice--on you! Human bones burned on you!'" + At the same time he announced a sign: "This is the proof GOD gives--the Altar will split into pieces and the holy offerings spill into the dirt." + When the king heard the message the holy man preached against the Altar at Bethel, he reached out to grab him, yelling, "Arrest him!" But his arm was paralyzed and hung useless. + At the same time the Altar broke apart and the holy offerings all spilled into the dirt--the very sign the holy man had announced by GOD's command. + The king pleaded with the holy man, "Help me! Pray to your GOD for the healing of my arm." The holy man prayed for him and the king's arm was healed--as good as new! + Then the king invited the holy man, "Join me for a meal; I have a gift for you." + The holy man told the king, "Not on your life! You couldn't pay me enough to get me to sit down with you at a meal in this place. + I'm here under GOD's orders, and he commanded, 'Don't eat a crumb, don't drink a drop, and don't go back the way you came.'" + Then he left by a different road than the one on which he had walked to Bethel. + There was an old prophet who lived in Bethel. His sons came and told him the story of what the holy man had done that day in Bethel, told him everything that had happened and what the holy man had said to the king. + Their father said, "Which way did he go?" His sons pointed out the road that the holy man from Judah had taken. + He told his sons, "Saddle my donkey." When they had saddled it, he got on + and rode after the holy man. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, "Are you the holy man who came from Judah?" "Yes, I am," he said. + "Well, come home with me and have a meal." + "Sorry, I can't do that," the holy man said. "I can neither go back with you nor eat with you in this country. + I'm under strict orders from GOD: 'Don't eat a crumb; don't drink a drop; and don't come back the way you came.'" + But he said, "I am also a prophet, just like you. And an angel came to me with a message from GOD: 'Bring him home with you, and give him a good meal!'" But the man was lying. + So the holy man went home with him and they had a meal together. + There they were, sitting at the table together, when the word of GOD came to the prophet who had brought him back. + He confronted the holy man who had come from Judah: "GOD's word to you: You disobeyed GOD's command; you didn't keep the strict orders your GOD gave you; + you came back and sat down to a good meal in the very place GOD told you, 'Don't eat a crumb; don't drink a drop.' For that you're going to die far from home and not be buried in your ancestral tomb." + When the meal was over, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. + Down the road a way, a lion met him and killed him. His corpse lay crumpled on the road, the lion on one side and the donkey on the other. + Some passersby saw the corpse in a heap on the road, with the lion standing guard beside it. They went to the village where the old prophet lived and told what they had seen. + When the prophet who had gotten him off track heard it, he said, "It's the holy man who disobeyed GOD's strict orders. GOD turned him over to the lion who knocked him around and killed him, just as GOD had told him." + The prophet told his sons, "Saddle my donkey." They did it. + He rode out and found the corpse in a heap in the road, with the lion and the donkey standing there. The lion hadn't bothered either the corpse or the donkey. + The old prophet loaded the corpse of the holy man on his donkey and returned it to his own town to give it a decent burial. + He placed the body in his own tomb. The people mourned, saying, "A sad day, brother!" + After the funeral, the prophet said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the same tomb where the holy man is buried, my bones alongside his bones. + The message that he preached by GOD's command against the Altar at Bethel and against all the sex-and-religion shrines in the towns of Samaria will come true." + After this happened, Jeroboam kept right on doing evil, recruiting priests for the forbidden shrines indiscriminately--anyone who wanted to could be a priest at one of the local shrines. + This was the root sin of Jeroboam's government. And it was this that ruined him. + + + At about this time Jeroboam's son Abijah came down sick. + Jeroboam said to his wife, "Do something. Disguise yourself so no one will know you are the queen and go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet lives there, the same Ahijah who told me I'd be king over this people. + Take along ten loaves of bread, some sweet rolls, and a jug of honey. Make a visit to him and he'll tell you what's going on with our boy." + Jeroboam's wife did as she was told; she went straight to Shiloh and to Ahijah's house. Ahijah was an old man at this time, and blind, + but GOD had warned Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is on her way to consult with you regarding her sick son; tell her this and this and this." When she came in she was disguised. + Ahijah heard her come through the door and said, "Welcome, wife of Jeroboam! But why the deception? I've got bad news for you. + Go and deliver this message I received firsthand from GOD, the God of Israel, to Jeroboam: I raised you up from obscurity and made you the leader of my people Israel. + I ripped the kingdom from the hands of David's family and gave it to you, but you weren't at all like my servant David who did what I told him and lived from his undivided heart, pleasing me. + Instead you've set a new record in works of evil by making alien gods--tin gods! Pushing me aside and turning your back--you've made me mighty angry. + "And I'll not put up with it: I'm bringing doom on the household of Jeroboam, killing the lot of them right down to the last male wretch in Israel, whether slave or free. They've become nothing but garbage and I'm getting rid of them. + The ones who die in the city will be eaten by stray dogs; the ones who die out in the country will be eaten by carrion crows. GOD's decree! + "And that's it. Go on home--the minute you step foot in town, the boy will die. + Everyone will come to his burial, mourning his death. He is the only one in Jeroboam's family who will get a decent burial; he's the only one for whom GOD, the God of Israel, has a good word to say. + "Then GOD will appoint a king over Israel who will wipe out Jeroboam's family, wipe them right off the map--doomsday for Jeroboam! + He will hit Israel hard, as a storm slaps reeds about; he'll pull them up by the roots from this good land of their inheritance, weeding them out, and then scatter them to the four winds. And why? Because they made GOD so angry with Asherah sex-and-religion shrines. + He'll wash his hands of Israel because of Jeroboam's sins, which have led Israel into a life of sin." + Jeroboam's wife left and went home to Tirzah. The moment she stepped through the door, the boy died. + They buried him and everyone mourned his death, just as GOD had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah. + The rest of Jeroboam's life, the wars he fought and the way he ruled, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + He ruled for twenty-two years. He died and was buried with his ancestors. Nadab his son was king after him. + Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he took the throne and was king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city GOD selected from all the tribes of Israel for the worship of his Name. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, an Ammonite. + Judah was openly wicked before GOD, making him very angry. They set new records in sin, surpassing anything their ancestors had done. + They built Asherah sex-and-religion shrines and set up sacred stones all over the place--on hills, under trees, wherever you looked. + Worse, they had male sacred prostitutes, polluting the country outrageously--all the stuff that GOD had gotten rid of when he brought Israel into the land. + In the fifth year of King Rehoboam's rule, Shishak king of Egypt made war against Jerusalem. + He plundered The Temple of GOD and the royal palace of their treasures, cleaned them out--even the gold shields that Solomon had made. + King Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields and outfitted the royal palace guards with them. + Whenever the king went to GOD's Temple, the guards carried the shields but always returned them to the guardroom. + The rest of Rehoboam's life, what he said and did, is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam the whole time. + Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His mother was Naamah, an Ammonite. His son Abijah ruled after him. + + + In the eighteenth year of the rule of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah took over the throne of Judah. + He ruled in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Absalom. + He continued to sin just like his father before him. He was not truehearted to GOD as his grandfather David had been. + But despite that, out of respect for David, his GOD graciously gave him a lamp, a son to follow him and keep Jerusalem secure. + For David had lived an exemplary life before GOD all his days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of GOD's clear directions (except for that time with Uriah the Hittite). + But war continued between Abijah and Jeroboam the whole time. + The rest of Abijah's life, everything he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. But the war with Jeroboam was the dominant theme. + Abijah died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Asa was king after him. + In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began his rule over Judah. + He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah. + Asa conducted himself well before GOD, reviving the ways of his ancestor David. + He cleaned house: He got rid of the sacred prostitutes and threw out all the idols his predecessors had made. + Asa spared nothing and no one; he went so far as to remove Queen Maacah from her position because she had built a shockingly obscene memorial to the whore goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down and burned it up in the Kidron Valley. + Unfortunately, he didn't get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned--his heart was in the right place, in tune with GOD. + All the gold and silver vessels and artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in The Temple. + But through much of his reign there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel. + Baasha king of Israel started it by building a fort at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah so no one could enter or leave Judah. + Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of The Temple of GOD and the royal palace, gave it to his servants, and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, with this message: + "Let's make a treaty like the one between our fathers. I'm showing my good faith with this gift of silver and gold. Break your deal with Baasha king of Israel so he'll quit fighting against me." + Ben-Hadad went along with King Asa and sent out his troops against the towns of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and the entire region of Kinnereth, including Naphtali. + When Baasha got the report he quit fortifying Ramah and pulled back to Tirzah. + Then King Asa issued orders to everyone in Judah--no exemptions--to haul away the logs and stones Baasha had used in the fortification of Ramah and use them to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah. + A full account of Asa's life, all the great things he did and the fortifications he constructed, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. In his old age he developed severe gout. + Then Asa died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jehoshaphat became king after him. + Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa's rule in Judah. He was king of Israel two years. + He was openly evil before GOD--he followed in the footsteps of his father who both sinned and made Israel sin. + Baasha son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar ganged up on him and attacked him at the Philistine town of Gibbethon while Nadab and the Israelites were doing battle there. + Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became Israel's next king. + As soon as he was king he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family. There wasn't a living soul left to the name of Jeroboam; Baasha wiped them out totally, just as GOD's servant Ahijah of Shiloh had prophesied-- + punishment for Jeroboam's sins and for making Israel sin, for making the GOD of Israel thoroughly angry. + The rest of Nadab's life, everything else he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + There was continuous war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel. + In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king in Tirzah over all Israel. He ruled twenty-four years. + He was openly evil before GOD, walking in the footsteps of Jeroboam, who both sinned and made Israel sin. + + + The word of GOD came to Jehu son of Hanani with this message for Baasha: + "I took you from nothing--a complete nobody--and set you up as the leader of my people Israel, but you plodded along in the rut of Jeroboam, making my people Israel sin and making me seethe over their sin. + And now the consequences--I will burn Baasha and his regime to cinders, the identical fate of Jeroboam son of Nebat. + Baasha's people who die in the city will be eaten by scavenger dogs; carrion crows will eat the ones who die in the country." + The rest of Baasha's life, the record of his regime, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Baasha died and was buried with his ancestors in Tirzah. His son Elah was king after him. + That's the way it was with Baasha: Through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani, GOD's word came to him and his regime because of his life of open evil before GOD and his making GOD so angry--a chip off the block of Jeroboam, even though GOD had destroyed him. + In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha began his rule. He was king in Tirzah only two years. + One day when he was at the house of Arza the palace manager, drinking himself drunk, Zimri, captain of half his chariot-force, conspired against him. + Zimri slipped in, knocked Elah to the ground, and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Zimri then became the king. + Zimri had no sooner become king than he killed everyone connected with Baasha, got rid of them all like so many stray dogs--relatives and friends alike. + Zimri totally wiped out the family of Baasha, just as GOD's word delivered by the prophet Jehu had said-- + wages for the sins of Baasha and his son Elah; not only for their sins but for dragging Israel into their sins and making the GOD of Israel angry with their stupid idols. + The rest of Elah's life, what he said and did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Zimri was king in Tirzah for all of seven days during the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Asa king of Judah. The Israelite army was on maneuvers near the Philistine town of Gibbethon at the time. + When they got the report, "Zimri has conspired against the king and killed him," right there in the camp they made Omri, commander of the army, king. + Omri and the army immediately left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. + When Zimri saw that he was surrounded and as good as dead, he entered the palace citadel, set the place on fire, and died. + It was a fit end for his sins, for living a flagrantly evil life before GOD, walking in the footsteps of Jeroboam, sinning and then dragging Israel into his sins. + As for the rest of Zimri's life, along with his infamous conspiracy, it's all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + After that the people of Israel were split right down the middle: Half favored Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half wanted Omri. + Eventually the Omri side proved stronger than the Tibni side. Tibni ended up dead and Omri king. + Omri took over as king of Israel in the thirty-first year of the reign of Asa king of Judah. He ruled for twelve years, the first six in Tirzah. + He then bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He developed the hill and named the city that he built Samaria, after its original owner Shemer. + But as far as GOD was concerned, Omri lived an evil life--set new records in evil. + He walked in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who not only sinned but dragged Israel into his sins, making GOD angry--such an empty-headed, empty-hearted life! + The rest of Omri's life, the mark he made on his times, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Omri died and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab was the next king after him. + Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab son of Omri was king over Israel for twenty-two years. He ruled from Samaria. + Ahab son of Omri did even more open evil before GOD than anyone yet--a new champion in evil! + It wasn't enough for him to copy the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat; no, he went all out, first by marrying Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then by serving and worshiping the god Baal. + He built a temple for Baal in Samaria, and then furnished it with an altar for Baal. + Worse, he went on and built a shrine to the sacred whore Asherah. He made the GOD of Israel angrier than all the previous kings of Israel put together. + It was under Ahab's rule that Hiel of Bethel refortified Jericho, but at a terrible cost: He ritually sacrificed his firstborn son Abiram at the laying of the foundation, and his youngest son Segub at the setting up of the gates. This is exactly what Joshua son of Nun said would happen. + + + And then this happened: Elijah the Tishbite, from among the settlers of Gilead, confronted Ahab: "As surely as GOD lives, the God of Israel before whom I stand in obedient service, the next years are going to see a total drought--not a drop of dew or rain unless I say otherwise." + GOD then told Elijah, + "Get out of here, and fast. Head east and hide out at the Kerith Ravine on the other side of the Jordan River. + You can drink fresh water from the brook; I've ordered the ravens to feed you." + Elijah obeyed GOD's orders. He went and camped in the Kerith canyon on the other side of the Jordan. + And sure enough, ravens brought him his meals, both breakfast and supper, and he drank from the brook. + Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought. + Then GOD spoke to him: + "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you." + So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, "Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink." + As she went to get it, he called out, "And while you're at it, would you bring me something to eat?" + She said, "I swear, as surely as your GOD lives, I don't have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die." + Elijah said to her, "Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what's left for you and your son. + This is the word of the GOD of Israel: 'The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before GOD sends rain on the land and ends this drought.'" + And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said--daily food for her and her family. + The jar of meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty: GOD's promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it! + Later on the woman's son became sick. The sickness took a turn for the worse--and then he stopped breathing. + The woman said to Elijah, "Why did you ever show up here in the first place--a holy man barging in, exposing my sins, and killing my son?" + Elijah said, "Hand me your son." He then took him from her bosom, carried him up to the loft where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. + Then he prayed, "O GOD, my God, why have you brought this terrible thing on this widow who has opened her home to me? Why have you killed her son?" + Three times he stretched himself out full-length on the boy, praying with all his might, "GOD, my God, put breath back into this boy's body!" + GOD listened to Elijah's prayer and put breath back into his body--he was alive! + Elijah picked the boy up, carried him downstairs from the loft, and gave him to his mother. "Here's your son," said Elijah, "alive!" + The woman said to Elijah, "I see it all now--you are a holy man. When you speak, GOD speaks--a true word!" + + + A long time passed. Then GOD's word came to Elijah. The drought was now in its third year. The message: "Go and present yourself to Ahab; I'm about to make it rain on the country." + Elijah set out to present himself to Ahab. The drought in Samaria at the time was most severe. + Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah feared GOD--he was very devout. + Earlier, when Jezebel had tried to kill off all the prophets of GOD, Obadiah had hidden away a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in a cave, and then supplied them with food and water. + Ahab ordered Obadiah, "Go through the country; locate every spring and every stream. Let's see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from dying." + So they divided the country between them for the search--Ahab went one way, Obadiah the other. + Obadiah went his way and suddenly there he was--Elijah! Obadiah fell on his knees, bowing in reverence, and exclaimed, "Is it really you--my master Elijah?" + "Yes," said Elijah, "the real me. Now go and tell your boss, 'I've seen Elijah.'" + Obadiah said, "But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me. + As surely as your GOD lives, there isn't a country or kingdom where my master hasn't sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, 'We can't find him; we've looked high and low,' he would make that country or kingdom swear that you were not to be found. + And now you're telling me, 'Go and tell your master Elijah's found!' + The minute I leave you the Spirit of GOD will whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you'll have disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I've served GOD devoutly since I was a boy! + Hasn't anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the prophets of GOD, how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a cave, and made sure they got food and water? + And now you're telling me to draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, 'Elijah's been found.' Why, he'll kill me for sure." + Elijah said, "As surely as GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I take my stand, I'll meet with your master face to face this very day." + So Obadiah went straight to Ahab and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah. + The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, "So it's you, old troublemaker!" + "It's not I who has caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government--you've dumped GOD's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals. + Here's what I want you to do: Assemble everyone in Israel at Mount Carmel. And make sure that the special pets of Jezebel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of the local gods, the Baals, and the four hundred prophets of the whore goddess Asherah, are there." + So Ahab summoned everyone in Israel, particularly the prophets, to Mount Carmel. + Elijah challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If GOD is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Nobody said a word; nobody made a move. + Then Elijah said, "I'm the only prophet of GOD left in Israel; and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. + Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen; let them pick one, butcher it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood--but don't ignite it. I'll take the other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire. + Then you pray to your gods and I'll pray to GOD. The god who answers with fire will prove to be, in fact, God." All the people agreed: "A good plan--do it!" + Elijah told the Baal prophets, "Choose your ox and prepare it. You go first, you're the majority. Then pray to your god, but don't light the fire." + So they took the ox he had given them, prepared it for the altar, then prayed to Baal. They prayed all morning long, "O Baal, answer us!" But nothing happened--not so much as a whisper of breeze. Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made. + By noon, Elijah had started making fun of them, taunting, "Call a little louder--he is a god, after all. Maybe he's off meditating somewhere or other, or maybe he's gotten involved in a project, or maybe he's on vacation. You don't suppose he's overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?" + They prayed louder and louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives--a ritual common to them--until they were covered with blood. + This went on until well past noon. They used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on the altar, but nothing happened--not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of response. + Then Elijah told the people, "Enough of that--it's my turn. Gather around." And they gathered. He then put the altar back together for by now it was in ruins. + Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom GOD had said, "From now on your name is Israel." + He built the stones into the altar in honor of GOD. Then Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar. + He laid firewood on the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, "Fill four buckets with water and drench both the ox and the firewood." + Then he said, "Do it again," and they did it. Then he said, "Do it a third time," + and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water. + When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, "O GOD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders. + Answer me, GOD; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are GOD, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance." + Immediately the fire of GOD fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench. + All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, "GOD is the true God! GOD is the true God!" + Elijah told them, "Grab the Baal prophets! Don't let one get away!" They grabbed them. Elijah had them taken down to the Brook Kishon and they massacred the lot. + Elijah said to Ahab, "Up on your feet! Eat and drink--celebrate! Rain is on the way; I hear it coming." + Ahab did it: got up and ate and drank. Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees. + Then he said to his young servant, "On your feet now! Look toward the sea." He went, looked, and reported back, "I don't see a thing." "Keep looking," said Elijah, "seven times if necessary." + And sure enough, the seventh time he said, "Oh yes, a cloud! But very small, no bigger than someone's hand, rising out of the sea." "Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, 'Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.'" + Things happened fast. The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain, with Ahab hightailing it in his chariot for Jezreel. + And GOD strengthened Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran in front of Ahab's chariot until they reached Jezreel. + + + Ahab reported to Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, including the massacre of the prophets. + Jezebel immediately sent a messenger to Elijah with her threat: "The gods will get you for this and I'll get even with you! By this time tomorrow you'll be as dead as any one of those prophets." + When Elijah saw how things were, he ran for dear life to Beersheba, far in the south of Judah. He left his young servant there + and then went on into the desert another day's journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all--to just die: "Enough of this, GOD! Take my life--I'm ready to join my ancestors in the grave!" + Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush. Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, "Get up and eat!" + He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep. + The angel of GOD came back, shook him awake again, and said, "Get up and eat some more--you've got a long journey ahead of you." + He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. + When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. Then the word of GOD came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?" + "I've been working my heart out for the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me." + Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before GOD. GOD will pass by." A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before GOD, but GOD wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but GOD wasn't in the earthquake; + and after the earthquake fire, but GOD wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. + When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" + Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for GOD, the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me." + GOD said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. + Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. + Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. + Meanwhile, I'm preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven't bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven't kissed his image." + Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. + Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please! Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye--then I'll follow you." "Go ahead," said Elijah, "but, mind you, don't forget what I've just done to you." + So Elisha left; he took his yoke of oxen and butchered them. He made a fire with the plow and tackle and then boiled the meat--a true farewell meal for the family. Then he left and followed Elijah, becoming his right-hand man. + + + At about this same time Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and surrounded Samaria, ready to make war. + He sent an envoy into the city to set his terms before Ahab king of Israel: + "Ben-Hadad lays claim to your silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons." + The king of Israel accepted the terms: "As you say, distinguished lord; I and everything I have is yours." + But then the envoy returned a second time, saying, "On second thought, I want it all--your silver and gold and all your wives and sons. Hand them over--the whole works. + I'll give you twenty-four hours; then my servants will arrive to search your palace and the houses of your officials and loot them; anything that strikes their fancy, they'll take." + The king of Israel called a meeting of all his tribal elders. He said, "Look at this--outrageous! He's just looking for trouble. He means to clean me out, demanding all my women and children. And after I already agreed to pay him off handsomely!" + The elders, backed by the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch." + So he sent an envoy to Ben-Hadad, "Tell my distinguished lord, 'I agreed to the terms you delivered the first time, but this I can't do--this I won't do!'" The envoy went back and delivered the answer. + Ben-Hadad shot back his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble." + The king of Israel countered, "Think about it--it's easier to start a fight than end one." + It happened that when Ben-Hadad heard this retort he was into some heavy drinking, boozing it up with the sheiks in their field shelters. Drunkenly, he ordered his henchmen, "Go after them!" And they attacked the city. + Just then a lone prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "GOD's word: Have you taken a good look at this mob? Well, look again--I'm turning it over to you this very day. And you'll know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am GOD." + Ahab said, "Really? And who is going to make this happen?" GOD said, "The young commandos of the regional chiefs." "And who," said Ahab, "will strike the first blow?" GOD said, "You." + Ahab looked over the commandos of the regional chiefs; he counted 232. Then he assessed the available troops--7,000. + At noon they set out after Ben-Hadad who, with his allies, the thirty-two sheiks, was busy at serious drinking in the field shelters. + The commandos of the regional chiefs made up the vanguard. A report was brought to Ben-Hadad: "Men are on their way from Samaria." + He said, "If they've come in peace, take them alive as hostages; if they've come to fight, the same--take them alive as hostages." + The commandos poured out of the city with the full army behind them. + They hit hard in hand-to-hand combat. The Arameans scattered from the field, with Israel hard on their heels. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram got away on horseback, along with his cavalry. + The king of Israel cut down both horses and chariots--an enormous defeat for Aram. + Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "On the alert now--build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in force." + Meanwhile the advisors to the king of Aram said, "Their god is a god of the mountains--we don't stand a chance against them there. So let's engage them on the plain where we'll have the advantage. + Here's the strategy: Remove each sheik from his place of leadership and replace him with a seasoned officer. + Then recruit a fighting force equivalent in size to the army that deserted earlier--horse for horse, chariot for chariot. And we'll fight them on the plain--we're sure to prove stronger than they are." It sounded good to the king; he did what they advised. + As the new year approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel. + The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans. + Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, "This is GOD's word: Because Aram said, 'GOD is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,' I'll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you'll know that I am GOD." + The two armies were poised in a standoff for seven days. On the seventh day fighting broke out. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in one day. + The rest of the army ran for their lives back to the city, Aphek, only to have the city wall fall on 27,000 of the survivors. Ben-Hadad escaped into the city and hid in a closet. + Then his advisors told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel play by the rules; let's dress in old gunnysacks, carry a white flag of truce, and present ourselves to the king of Israel on the chance that he'll let you live." + So that's what they did. They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, "Your servant Ben-Hadad said, 'Please let me live.'" Ahab said, "You mean to tell me that he's still alive? If he's alive, he's my brother." + The men took this as a good sign and concluded that everything was going to be all right: "Ben-Hadad is most certainly your brother!" The king said, "Go and get him." They went and brought him back by chariot. + Ahab said, "I am prepared to return the cities that my father took from your father. And you can set up your headquarters in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria; I'll send you home under safe conduct." Then he made a covenant with him and sent him off. + A man who was one of the prophets said to a bystander, "Hit me; wound me. Do it for GOD's sake--it's his command. Hit me; wound me." But the man wouldn't do it. + So he told him, "Because you wouldn't obey GOD's orders, as soon as you leave me a lion will attack you." No sooner had the man left his side than a lion met him and attacked. + He then found another man and said, "Hit me; wound me." That man did it--hit him hard in the face, drawing blood. + Then the prophet went and took a position along the road, with a bandage over his eyes, waiting for the king. + It wasn't long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king, "Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and turned over a prisoner to me, saying, 'Guard this man with your life; if he turns up missing you'll pay dearly.' + But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone." The king of Israel said, "You've just pronounced your own verdict." + At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was--one of the prophets! + The man said to the king, "GOD's word: Because you let a man go who was under sentence by GOD, it's now your life for his, your people for his." + The king of Israel went home in a sulk. He arrived in Samaria in a very bad mood. + + + And then, to top it off, came this: Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel that bordered the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. + One day Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a kitchen garden; it's right next to my house--so convenient. In exchange I'll give you a far better vineyard, or if you'd prefer I'll pay you money for it." + But Naboth told Ahab, "Not on your life! So help me GOD, I'd never sell the family farm to you!" + Ahab went home in a black mood, sulking over Naboth the Jezreelite's words, "I'll never turn over my family inheritance to you." He went to bed, stuffed his face in his pillow, and refused to eat. + Jezebel his wife came to him. She said, "What's going on? Why are you so out of sorts and refusing to eat?" + He told her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite. I said, 'Give me your vineyard--I'll pay you for it or, if you'd rather, I'll give you another vineyard in exchange.' And he said, 'I'll never give you my vineyard.'" + Jezebel said, "Is this any way for a king of Israel to act? Aren't you the boss? On your feet! Eat! Cheer up! I'll take care of this; I'll get the vineyard of this Naboth the Jezreelite for you." + She wrote letters over Ahab's signature, stamped them with his official seal, and sent them to the elders in Naboth's city and to the civic leaders. + She wrote "Call for a fast day and put Naboth at the head table. + Then seat a couple of stool pigeons across from him who, in front of everybody will say, 'You! You blasphemed God and the king!' Then they'll throw him out and stone him to death." + And they did it. The men of the city--the elders and civic leaders--followed Jezebel's instructions that she wrote in the letters sent to them. + They called for a fast day and seated Naboth at the head table. + Then they brought in two stool pigeons and seated them opposite Naboth. In front of everybody the two degenerates accused him, "He blasphemed God and the king!" The company threw him out in the street, stoned him mercilessly, and he died. + When Jezebel got word that Naboth had been stoned to death, she told Ahab, "Go for it, Ahab--take the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for your own, the vineyard he refused to sell you. Naboth is no more; Naboth is dead." + (SEE 21:14) + The minute Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he set out for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and claimed it for his own. + Then GOD stepped in and spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, + "On your feet; go down and confront Ahab of Samaria, king of Israel. You'll find him in the vineyard of Naboth; he's gone there to claim it as his own. + Say this to him: 'GOD's word: What's going on here? First murder, then theft?' Then tell him, 'GOD's verdict: The very spot where the dogs lapped up Naboth's blood, they'll lap up your blood--that's right, your blood.'" + Ahab answered Elijah, "My enemy! So, you've run me down!" "Yes, I've found you out," said Elijah. "And because you've bought into the business of evil, defying GOD. + 'I will most certainly bring doom upon you, make mincemeat of your descendants, kill off every sorry male wretch who's even remotely connected with the name Ahab. + And I'll bring down on you the same fate that fell on Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah--you've made me that angry by making Israel sin.'" + As for Jezebel, GOD said, "Dogs will fight over the flesh of Jezebel all over Jezreel. + Anyone tainted by Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by stray dogs; corpses in the country will be eaten by carrion crows." + Ahab, pushed by his wife Jezebel and in open defiance of GOD, set an all-time record in making big business of evil. + He indulged in outrageous obscenities in the world of idols, copying the Amorites whom GOD had earlier kicked out of Israelite territory. + When Ahab heard what Elijah had to say, he ripped his clothes to shreds, dressed in penitential rough burlap, and fasted. He even slept in coarse burlap pajamas. He tiptoed around, quiet as a mouse. + Then GOD spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: + "Do you see how penitently submissive Ahab has become to me? Because of his repentance I'll not bring the doom during his lifetime; Ahab's son, though, will get it." + + + They enjoyed three years of peace--no fighting between Aram and Israel. + In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel. + Israel's king remarked to his aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?" + He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm with you all the way--my troops are your troops, my horses are your horses." + He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance." + The king of Israel got the prophets together--all four hundred of them--and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "GOD will hand it over to the king." + But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: "Is there still another prophet of GOD around here we can consult?" + The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom--Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat. + So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah." + Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit. + Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, "GOD's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of him!" + All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! GOD's gift to the king!" + The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous--vote Yes!" + But Micaiah said, "As surely as GOD lives, what GOD says, I'll say." + With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah--do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. GOD's gift to the king." + "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?" + "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist. I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd. Then GOD spoke: 'These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'" + Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from GOD, only doom." + Micaiah kept on: "I'm not done yet; listen to GOD's word: I saw GOD enthroned, and all the angel armies of heaven Standing at attention ranged on his right and his left. + And GOD said, 'How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?' Some said this, and some said that. + Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before GOD, and said, 'I'll seduce him.' 'And how will you do it?' said GOD. + 'Easy,' said the angel, 'I'll get all the prophets to lie.' 'That should do it,' said GOD. 'On your way--seduce him!' + "And that's what has happened. GOD filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. GOD has pronounced your doom." + Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of GOD leave me and take up with you?" + Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide." + The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son + with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'" + Micaiah said, "If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of GOD." He added,"When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!" + The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise. + Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only." + When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, + and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man--it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go. + Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here--I'm wounded." + All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot. + As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, "Abandon camp! Head for home! + The king is dead!" The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. + They washed down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the dogs lapped up the blood, just as GOD's word had said. + The rest of Ahab's life--everything he did, the ivory palace he built, the towns he founded, and the defense system he built up--is all written up in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + He was buried in the family cemetery and his son Ahaziah was the next king. + Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. + Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he ruled for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. + He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa--no detours, no dead ends--pleasing GOD with his life. But he failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines. People continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous shrines. + And he kept on good terms with the king of Israel. + The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, his achievements and his battles, is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Also, he got rid of the sacred prostitutes left over from the days of his father Asa. + Edom was kingless during his reign; a deputy was in charge. + Jehoshaphat built ocean-going ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they never made it; they shipwrecked at Ezion Geber. + During that time Ahaziah son of Ahab proposed a joint shipping venture, but Jehoshaphat wouldn't go in with him. + Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David his ancestor. Jehoram his son was the next king. + Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He ruled Israel for two years. + As far as GOD was concerned, he lived an evil life, reproducing the bad life of his father and mother, repeating the pattern set down by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. + Worshiping at the Baal shrines, he made GOD, the God of Israel, angry, oh, so angry. If anything, he was worse than his father. + + + + + After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel. + One day Ahaziah fell through the balcony railing on the rooftop of his house in Samaria and was injured. He sent messengers off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, "Am I going to recover from this accident?" + GOD's angel spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: "Up on your feet! Go out and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria with this word, 'Is it because there's no God in Israel that you're running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?' + Here's a message from the GOD you've tried to bypass: 'You're not going to get out of that bed you're in--you're as good as dead already.'" Elijah delivered the message and was gone. + The messengers went back. The king said, "So why are you back so soon--what's going on?" + They told him, "A man met us and said, 'Turn around and go back to the king who sent you; tell him, GOD's message: Is it because there's no God in Israel that you're running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? You needn't bother. You're not going to get out of that bed you're in--you're as good as dead already.'" + The king said, "Tell me more about this man who met you and said these things to you. What was he like?" + "Shaggy," they said, "and wearing a leather belt." He said, "That has to be Elijah the Tishbite!" + The king sent a captain with fifty men to Elijah. Meanwhile Elijah was sitting, big as life, on top of a hill. The captain said, "O Holy Man! King's orders: Come down!" + Elijah answered the captain of the fifty, "If it's true that I'm a 'holy man,' lightning strike you and your fifty men!" Out of the blue lightning struck and incinerated the captain and his fifty. + The king sent another captain with his fifty men, "O Holy Man! King's orders: Come down. And right now!" + Elijah answered, "If it's true that I'm a 'holy man,' lightning strike you and your fifty men!" Immediately a divine lightning bolt struck and incinerated the captain and his fifty. + The king then sent a third captain with his fifty men. For a third time, a captain with his fifty approached Elijah. This one fell on his knees in supplication: "O Holy Man, have respect for my life and the souls of these fifty men! + Twice now lightning from out of the blue has struck and incinerated captains with their fifty men; please, I beg you, respect my life!" + The angel of GOD told Elijah, "Go ahead; and don't be afraid." Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. + Elijah told him, "GOD's word: Because you sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron, as if there were no God in Israel to whom you could pray, you'll never get out of that bed alive--already you're as good as dead." + And he died, exactly as GOD's word spoken by Elijah had said. Because Ahaziah had no son, his brother Joram became the next king. The succession took place in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. + The rest of Ahaziah's life is recorded in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + + + Just before GOD took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on a walk out of Gilgal. + Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. GOD has sent me on an errand to Bethel." Elisha said, "Not on your life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" So they both went to Bethel. + The guild of prophets at Bethel met Elisha and said, "Did you know that GOD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Yes," he said, "I know it. But keep it quiet." + Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. GOD has sent me on an errand to Jericho." Elisha said, "Not on your life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" So they both went to Jericho. + The guild of prophets at Jericho came to Elisha and said, "Did you know that GOD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Yes," he said, "I know it. But keep it quiet." + Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. GOD has sent me on an errand to the Jordan." Elisha said, "Not on your life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" And so the two of them went their way together. + Meanwhile, fifty men from the guild of prophets gathered some distance away while the two of them stood at the Jordan. + Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and hit the water with it. The river divided and the two men walked through on dry land. + When they reached the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, "What can I do for you before I'm taken from you? Ask anything." Elisha said, "Your life repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just like you." + "That's a hard one!" said Elijah. "But if you're watching when I'm taken from you, you'll get what you've asked for. But only if you're watching." + And so it happened. They were walking along and talking. Suddenly a chariot and horses of fire came between them and Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven. + Elisha saw it all and shouted, "My father, my father! You--the chariot and cavalry of Israel!" When he could no longer see anything, he grabbed his robe and ripped it to pieces. + Then he picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, returned to the shore of the Jordan, and stood there. + He took Elijah's cloak--all that was left of Elijah!--and hit the river with it, saying, "Now where is the GOD of Elijah? Where is he?" When he struck the water, the river divided and Elisha walked through. + The guild of prophets from Jericho saw the whole thing from where they were standing. They said, "The spirit of Elijah lives in Elisha!" They welcomed and honored him. + They then said, "We're at your service. We have fifty reliable men here; let's send them out to look for your master. Maybe GOD's spirit has swept him off to some mountain or dropped him into a remote ravine." Elisha said, "No. Don't send them." + But they pestered him until he caved in: "Go ahead then. Send them." So they sent the fifty men off. For three days they looked, searching high and low. Nothing. + Finally, they returned to Elisha in Jericho. He told them, "So there--didn't I tell you?" + One day the men of the city said to Elisha, "You can see for yourself, master, how well our city is located. But the water is polluted and nothing grows." + He said, "Bring me a brand-new bowl and put some salt in it." They brought it to him. + He then went to the spring, sprinkled the salt into it, and proclaimed, "GOD's word: I've healed this water. It will no longer kill you or poison your land." + And sure enough, the water was healed--and remains so to this day, just as Elisha said. + Another time, Elisha was on his way to Bethel and some little kids came out from the town and taunted him, "What's up, old baldhead! Out of our way, skinhead!" + Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of GOD. Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb--forty-two children in all! + Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria. + + + Joram son of Ahab began his rule over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He was king for twelve years. + In GOD's sight he was a bad king. But he wasn't as bad as his father and mother--to his credit he destroyed the obscene Baal stone that his father had made. + But he hung on to the sinful practices of Jeroboam son of Nebat, the ones that had corrupted Israel for so long. He wasn't about to give them up. + King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. He was forced to give the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and another hundred thousand rams. + When Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. + So King Joram set out from Samaria and prepared Israel for war. + His first move was to send a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Would you join me and fight him?" "I'm with you all the way," said Jehoshaphat. "My troops are your troops, my horses are your horses. + Which route shall we take?" "Through the badlands of Edom." + The king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom started out on what proved to be a looping detour. After seven days they had run out of water for both army and animals. + The king of Israel said, "Bad news! GOD has gotten us three kings out here to dump us into the hand of Moab." + But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there a prophet of GOD anywhere around through whom we can consult GOD?" One of the servants of the king of Israel said, "Elisha son of Shaphat is around somewhere--the one who was Elijah's right-hand man." + Jehoshaphat said, "Good! A man we can trust!" So the three of them--the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom--went to meet him. + Elisha addressed the king of Israel, "What do you and I have in common? Go consult the puppet-prophets of your father and mother." "Never!" said the king of Israel. "It's GOD who has gotten us into this fix, dumping all three of us kings into the hand of Moab." + Elisha said, "As GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I stand ready to serve, if it weren't for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I wouldn't give you the time of day. + But considering--bring me a minstrel." (When a minstrel played, the power of GOD came on Elisha.) + He then said, "GOD's word: Dig ditches all over this valley. + Here's what will happen--you won't hear the wind, you won't see the rain, but this valley is going to fill up with water and your army and your animals will drink their fill. + This is easy for GOD to do; he will also hand over Moab to you. + You will ravage the country: Knock out its fortifications, level the key villages, clear-cut the orchards, clog the springs, and litter the cultivated fields with stones." + In the morning--it was at the hour of morning sacrifice--the water had arrived, water pouring in from the west, from Edom, a flash-flood filling the valley with water. + By this time everyone in Moab had heard that the kings had come up to make war against them. Everyone who was able to handle a sword was called into service and took a stand at the border. + They were up and ready early in the morning when the sun rose over the water. From where the Moabites stood, the water reflecting the sun looked red, like blood. + "Blood! Look at the blood!" they said. "The kings must have fought each other--a bloody massacre! Go for the loot, Moab!" + When Moab entered the camp of Israel, the Israelites were up on their feet killing Moabites right and left, the Moabites running for their lives, Israelites relentless in pursuit--a slaughter. + They leveled the towns, littered the cultivated fields with rocks, clogged the springs, and clear-cut the orchards. Only the capital, Kir Hareseth, was left intact, and that not for long; it too was surrounded and attacked with thrown and flung rocks. + When the king of Moab realized that he was fighting a losing battle, he took seven hundred swordsmen to hack a corridor past the king of Edom, but they didn't make it. + Then he took his son, his firstborn who would succeed him as king, and sacrificed him on the city wall. That set off furious anger against Israel. Israel pulled back and returned home. + + + One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to GOD. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves." + Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil." + "Here's what you do," said Elisha. "Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few--all you can get. + Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside." + She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. + When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, "Another jug, please." He said, "That's it. There are no more jugs." Then the oil stopped. + She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, "Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what's left." + One day Elisha passed through Shunem. A leading lady of the town talked him into stopping for a meal. And then it became his custom: Whenever he passed through, he stopped by for a meal. + "I'm certain," said the woman to her husband, "that this man who stops by with us all the time is a holy man of God. + Why don't we add on a small room upstairs and furnish it with a bed and desk, chair and lamp, so that when he comes by he can stay with us?" + And so it happened that the next time Elisha came by he went to the room and lay down for a nap. + Then he said to his servant Gehazi, "Tell the Shunammite woman I want to see her." He called her and she came to him. + Through Gehazi Elisha said, "You've gone far beyond the call of duty in taking care of us; what can we do for you? Do you have a request we can bring to the king or to the commander of the army?" She replied, "Nothing. I'm secure and satisfied in my family." + Elisha conferred with Gehazi: "There's got to be something we can do for her. But what?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man." + "Call her in," said Elisha. He called her and she stood at the open door. + Elisha said to her, "This time next year you're going to be nursing an infant son." "O my master, O Holy Man," she said, "don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!" + The woman conceived. A year later, just as Elisha had said, she had a son. + The child grew up. One day he went to his father, who was working with the harvest hands, + complaining, "My head, my head!" His father ordered a servant, "Carry him to his mother." + The servant took him in his arms and carried him to his mother. He lay on her lap until noon and died. + She took him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in alone, and left. + She then called her husband, "Get me a servant and a donkey so I can go to the Holy Man; I'll be back as soon as I can." + "But why today? This isn't a holy day--it's neither New Moon nor Sabbath." She said, "Don't ask questions; I need to go right now. Trust me." + She went ahead and saddled the donkey, ordering her servant, "Take the lead--and go as fast as you can; I'll tell you if you're going too fast." + And so off she went. She came to the Holy Man at Mount Carmel. The Holy Man, spotting her while she was still a long way off, said to his servant Gehazi, "Look out there; why, it's the Shunammite woman! + Quickly now. Ask her, 'Is something wrong? Are you all right? Your husband? Your child?'" She said, "Everything's fine." + But when she reached the Holy Man at the mountain, she threw herself at his feet and held tightly to him. Gehazi came up to pull her away, but the Holy Man said, "Leave her alone--can't you see that she's in distress? But GOD hasn't let me in on why; I'm completely in the dark." + Then she spoke up: "Did I ask for a son, master? Didn't I tell you, 'Don't tease me with false hopes'?" + He ordered Gehazi, "Don't lose a minute--grab my staff and run as fast as you can. If you meet anyone, don't even take time to greet him, and if anyone greets you, don't even answer. Lay my staff across the boy's face." + The boy's mother said, "As sure as GOD lives and you live, you're not leaving me behind." And so Gehazi let her take the lead, and followed behind. + But Gehazi arrived first and laid the staff across the boy's face. But there was no sound--no sign of life. Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and said, "The boy hasn't stirred." + Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on the bed dead. + He went into the room and locked the door--just the two of them in the room--and prayed to GOD. + He then got into bed with the boy and covered him with his body, mouth on mouth, eyes on eyes, hands on hands. As he was stretched out over him like that, the boy's body became warm. + Elisha got up and paced back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing--seven times he sneezed!--and opened his eyes. + He called Gehazi and said, "Get the Shunammite woman in here!" He called her and she came in. Elisha said, "Embrace your son!" + She fell at Elisha's feet, face to the ground in reverent awe. Then she embraced her son and went out with him. + Elisha went back down to Gilgal. There was a famine there. While he was consulting with the guild of prophets, he told his servant, "Put a large pot on the fire and cook up some stew for the prophets." + One of the men went out into the field to get some herbs; he came across a wild vine and picked gourds from it, filling his gunnysack. He brought them back, sliced them up, and put them in the stew, even though no one knew what kind of plant it was. + The stew was then served up for the men to eat. They started to eat, and then exclaimed, "Death in the pot, O man of God! Death in the pot!" Nobody could eat it. + Elisha ordered, "Get me some meal." Then he sprinkled it into the stew pot. "Now serve it up to the men," he said. They ate it, and it was just fine--nothing wrong with that stew! + One day a man arrived from Baal Shalishah. He brought the man of God twenty loaves of fresh baked bread from the early harvest, along with a few apples from the orchard. Elisha said, "Pass it around to the people to eat." + His servant said, "For a hundred men? There's not nearly enough!" Elisha said, "Just go ahead and do it. GOD says there's plenty." + And sure enough, there was. He passed around what he had--they not only ate, but had leftovers. + + + Naaman was general of the army under the king of Aram. He was important to his master, who held him in the highest esteem because it was by him that GOD had given victory to Aram: a truly great man, but afflicted with a grievous skin disease. + It so happened that Aram, on one of its raiding expeditions against Israel, captured a young girl who became a maid to Naaman's wife. + One day she said to her mistress, "Oh, if only my master could meet the prophet of Samaria, he would be healed of his skin disease." + Naaman went straight to his master and reported what the girl from Israel had said. + "Well then, go," said the king of Aram. "And I'll send a letter of introduction to the king of Israel." So he went off, taking with him about 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes. + Naaman delivered the letter to the king of Israel. The letter read, "When you get this letter, you'll know that I've personally sent my servant Naaman to you; heal him of his skin disease." + When the king of Israel read the letter, he was terribly upset, ripping his robe to pieces. He said, "Am I a god with the power to bring death or life that I get orders to heal this man from his disease? What's going on here? That king's trying to pick a fight, that's what!" + Elisha the man of God heard what had happened, that the king of Israel was so distressed that he'd ripped his robe to shreds. He sent word to the king, "Why are you so upset, ripping your robe like this? Send him to me so he'll learn that there's a prophet in Israel." + So Naaman with his horses and chariots arrived in style and stopped at Elisha's door. + Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: "Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed and you'll be as good as new." + Naaman lost his temper. He turned on his heel saying, "I thought he'd personally come out and meet me, call on the name of GOD, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. + The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not bathe in them? I'd at least get clean." He stomped off, mad as a hornet. + But his servants caught up with him and said, "Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard and heroic, wouldn't you have done it? So why not this simple 'wash and be clean'?" + So he did it. He went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, following the orders of the Holy Man. His skin was healed; it was like the skin of a little baby. He was as good as new. + He then went back to the Holy Man, he and his entourage, stood before him, and said, "I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no God anywhere on earth other than the God of Israel. In gratitude let me give you a gift." + "As GOD lives," Elisha replied, "the God whom I serve, I'll take nothing from you." Naaman tried his best to get him to take something, but he wouldn't do it. + "If you won't take anything," said Naaman, "let me ask you for something: Give me a load of dirt, as much as a team of donkeys can carry, because I'm never again going to worship any god other than GOD. + But there's one thing for which I need GOD's pardon: When my master, leaning on my arm, enters the shrine of Rimmon and worships there, and I'm with him there, worshiping Rimmon, may you see to it that GOD forgive me for this." + Elisha said, "Everything will be all right. Go in peace." But he hadn't gone far + when Gehazi, servant to Elisha the Holy Man, said to himself, "My master has let this Aramean Naaman slip through his fingers without so much as a thank-you. By the living GOD, I'm going after him to get something or other from him!" + And Gehazi took off after Naaman. Naaman saw him running after him and jumped down from his chariot to greet him, "Is something wrong?" + "Nothing's wrong, but something's come up. My master sent me to tell you: 'Two young men just showed up from the hill country of Ephraim, brothers from the guild of the prophets. Supply their needs with a gift of seventy-five pounds of silver and a couple of sets of clothes.'" + Naaman said, "Of course, how about a hundred and fifty pounds?" Naaman insisted. He tied up the money in two sacks and gave him the two sets of clothes; he even gave him two servants to carry the gifts back with him. + When they got to the fort on the hill, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants, stored them inside, then sent the servants back. + He returned and stood before his master. Elisha said, "So what have you been up to, Gehazi?" "Nothing much," he said. + Elisha said, "Didn't you know I was with you in spirit when that man stepped down from his chariot to greet you? Tell me, is this a time to look after yourself, lining your pockets with gifts? + Naaman's skin disease will now infect you and your family, with no relief in sight." Gehazi walked away, his skin flaky and white like snow. + + + One day the guild of prophets came to Elisha and said, "You can see that this place where we're living under your leadership is getting cramped--we have no elbow room. + Give us permission to go down to the Jordan where each of us will get a log. We'll build a roomier place." Elisha said, "Go ahead." + One of them then said, "Please! Come along with us!" He said, "Certainly." + He went with them. They came to the Jordan and started chopping down trees. + As one of them was felling a timber, his axhead flew off and sank in the river. "Oh no, master!" he cried out. "And it was borrowed!" + The Holy Man said, "Where did it sink?" The man showed him the place. He cut off a branch and tossed it at the spot. The axhead floated up. + "Grab it," he said. The man reached out and took it. + One time when the king of Aram was at war with Israel, after consulting with his officers, he said, "At such and such a place I want an ambush set." + The Holy Man sent a message to the king of Israel: "Watch out when you're passing this place, because Aram has set an ambush there." + So the king of Israel sent word concerning the place of which the Holy Man had warned him. This kind of thing happened all the time. + The king of Aram was furious over all this. He called his officers together and said, "Tell me, who is leaking information to the king of Israel? Who is the spy in our ranks?" + But one of his men said, "No, my master, dear king. It's not any of us. It's Elisha the prophet in Israel. He tells the king of Israel everything you say, even what you whisper in your bedroom." + The king said, "Go and find out where he is. I'll send someone and capture him." The report came back, "He's in Dothan." + Then he dispatched horses and chariots, an impressive fighting force. They came by night and surrounded the city. + Early in the morning a servant of the Holy Man got up and went out. Surprise! Horses and chariots surrounding the city! The young man exclaimed, "Oh, master! What shall we do?" + He said, "Don't worry about it--there are more on our side than on their side." + Then Elisha prayed, "O GOD, open his eyes and let him see." The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha! + When the Arameans attacked, Elisha prayed to GOD, "Strike these people blind!" And GOD struck them blind, just as Elisha said. + Then Elisha called out to them, "Not that way! Not this city! Follow me and I'll lead you to the man you're looking for." And he led them into Samaria. + As they entered the city, Elisha prayed, "O GOD, open their eyes so they can see where they are." GOD opened their eyes. They looked around--they were trapped in Samaria! + When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "Father, shall I massacre the lot?" + "Not on your life!" said Elisha. "You didn't lift a hand to capture them, and now you're going to kill them? No sir, make a feast for them and send them back to their master." + So he prepared a huge feast for them. After they ate and drank their fill he dismissed them. Then they returned home to their master. The raiding bands of Aram didn't bother Israel anymore. + At a later time, this: Ben-Hadad king of Aram pulled together his troops and launched a siege on Samaria. + This brought on a terrible famine, so bad that food prices soared astronomically. Eighty shekels for a donkey's head! Five shekels for a bowl of field greens! + One day the king of Israel was walking along the city wall. A woman cried out, "Help! Your majesty!" + He answered, "If GOD won't help you, where on earth can I go for help? To the granary? To the dairy?" + The king continued, "Tell me your story." She said, "This woman came to me and said, 'Give up your son and we'll have him for today's supper; tomorrow we'll eat my son.' + So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her, 'Your turn--bring your son so we can have him for supper.' But she had hidden her son away." + When the king heard the woman's story he ripped apart his robe. Since he was walking on the city wall, everyone saw that next to his skin he was wearing coarse burlap. + And he called out, "God do his worst to me--and more--if Elisha son of Shaphat still has a head on his shoulders at this day's end." + Elisha was sitting at home, the elders sitting with him. The king had already dispatched an executioner, but before the man arrived Elisha spoke to the elders: "Do you know that this murderer has just now sent a man to take off my head? Look, when the executioner arrives, shut the door and lock it. Don't I even now hear the footsteps of his master behind him?" + While he was giving his instructions, the king showed up, accusing, "This trouble is directly from GOD! And what's next? I'm fed up with GOD!" + + + Elisha said, "Listen! GOD's word! The famine's over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful--a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing." + The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, "You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?" "You'll watch it with your own eyes," he said, "but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!" + It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, "What are we doing sitting here at death's door? + If we enter the famine-struck city we'll die; if we stay here we'll die. So let's take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we'll live, if they kill us we'll die. We've got nothing to lose." + So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! + The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, "The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!" + Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys--the whole camp just as it was--running for dear life. + These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder. + Finally they said to one another, "We shouldn't be doing this! This is a day of good news and we're making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we'll get caught and punished. Come on! Let's go tell the news to the king's palace!" + So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: "We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!--the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were." + The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. + Roused in the middle of the night, the king told his servants, "Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that we were starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we'll capture them alive and take the city.'" + One of his advisors answered, "Let some men go and take five of the horses left behind. The worst that can happen is no worse than what could happen to the whole city. Let's send them and find out what's happened." + They took two chariots with horses. The king sent them after the army of Aram with the orders, "Scout them out; find out what happened." + They went after them all the way to the Jordan. The whole way was strewn with clothes and equipment that Aram had dumped in their panicked flight. The scouts came back and reported to the king. + The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight--a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel--GOD's word to the letter! + The king ordered his attendant, the one he leaned on for support, to be in charge of the city gate. The people, turned into a mob, poured through the gate, trampling him to death. It was exactly what the Holy Man had said when the king had come to see him. + Every word of the Holy Man to the king--"A handful of meal for a shekel, two handfuls of grain for a shekel this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria," + with the attendant's sarcastic reply to the Holy Man, "You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?" followed by the response, "You'll watch it with your own eyes, but you won't eat so much as a mouthful"--proved true. + The final stroke came when the people trampled the man to death at the city gate. + + + Years before, Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought to life, "Leave here and go, you and your family, and live someplace else. GOD has ordered a famine in the land; it will last for seven years." + The woman did what the Holy Man told her and left. She and her family lived as aliens in the country of Philistia for seven years. + Then, when the seven years were up, the woman and her family came back. She went directly to the king and asked for her home and farm. + The king was talking with Gehazi, servant to the Holy Man, saying, "Tell me some stories of the great things Elisha did." + It so happened that as he was telling the king the story of the dead person brought back to life, the woman whose son was brought to life showed up asking for her home and farm. Gehazi said, "My master the king, this is the woman! And this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life!" + The king wanted to know all about it, and so she told him the story. The king assigned an officer to take care of her, saying, "Make sure she gets everything back that's hers, plus all profits from the farm from the time she left until now." + Elisha traveled to Damascus. Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, was sick at the time. He was told, "The Holy Man is in town." + The king ordered Hazael, "Take a gift with you and go meet the Holy Man. Ask GOD through him, 'Am I going to recover from this sickness?'" + Hazael went and met with Elisha. He brought with him every choice thing he could think of from Damascus--forty camel-loads of items! When he arrived he stood before Elisha and said, "Your son Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, sent me here to ask you, 'Am I going to recover from this sickness?'" + Elisha answered, "Go and tell him, 'Don't worry; you'll live.' The fact is, though--GOD showed me--that he's doomed to die." + Elisha then stared hard at Hazael, reading his heart. Hazael felt exposed and dropped his eyes. Then the Holy Man wept. + Hazael said, "Why does my master weep?" "Because," said Elisha, "I know what you're going to do to the children of Israel: burn down their forts, murder their youth, smash their babies, rip open their pregnant women." + Hazael said, "Am I a mongrel dog that I'd do such a horrible thing?" "GOD showed me," said Elisha, "that you'll be king of Aram." + Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master, who asked, "So, what did Elisha tell you?" "He told me, 'Don't worry; you'll live.'" + But the very next day, someone took a heavy quilt, soaked it in water, covered the king's face, and suffocated him. Now Hazael was king. + In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. + He was thirty-two years old when he began his rule, and was king for eight years in Jerusalem. + He copied the way of life of the kings of Israel, marrying into the Ahab family and continuing the Ahab line of sin--from GOD's point of view, an evil man living an evil life. + But despite that, because of his servant David, GOD was not ready to destroy Judah. He had, after all, promised to keep a lamp burning through David's descendants. + During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolted against Judah's rule and set up their own king. + Jehoram responded by taking his army of chariots to Zair. Edom surrounded him, but in the middle of the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom hard. But his infantry deserted him. + Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present. Even little Libnah revolted at that time. + The rest of the life and times of Jehoram, the record of his rule, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Jehoram died and was buried in the family grave in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king. + In the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began his reign. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king; he ruled only a year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. + He lived and ruled just like the Ahab family had done, continuing the same evil-in-GOD's-sight line of sin, related by both marriage and sin to the Ahab clan. + He joined Joram son of Ahab king of Israel in a war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The archers wounded Joram. + Joram pulled back to Jezreel to convalesce from the injuries he had received in the fight with Hazael. Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah paid a visit to Joram son of Ahab on his sickbed in Jezreel. + + + One day Elisha the prophet ordered a member of the guild of prophets, "Get yourself ready, take a flask of oil, and go to Ramoth Gilead. + Look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. When you find him, get him away from his companions and take him to a back room. + Take your flask of oil and pour it over his head and say, 'GOD's word: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and get out of there as fast as you can. Don't wait around." + The young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. + On arrival he found the army officers all sitting around. He said, "I have a matter of business with you, officer." Jehu said, "Which one of us?" "With you, officer." + He got up and went inside the building. The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, "GOD's word, the God of Israel: I've anointed you to be king over the people of GOD, over Israel. + Your assignment is to attack the regime of Ahab your master. I am avenging the massacre of my servants the prophets--yes, the Jezebel-massacre of all the prophets of GOD. + The entire line of Ahab is doomed. I'm wiping out the entire bunch of that sad lot. + I'll see to it that the family of Ahab experiences the same fate as the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah. + As for Jezebel, the dogs will eat her carcass in the open fields of Jezreel. No burial for her!" Then he opened the door and made a run for it. + Jehu went back out to his master's officers. They asked, "Is everything all right? What did that crazy fool want with you?" He said, "You know that kind of man--all talk." + "That's a lie!" they said. "Tell us what's going on." He said, "He told me this and this and this--in effect, 'GOD's word: I anoint you king of Israel!'" + They sprang into action. Each man grabbed his robe; they piled them at the top of the steps for a makeshift throne. Then they blew the trumpet and declared, "Jehu is king!" + That ignited the conspiracy of Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi against Joram. Meanwhile, Joram and the entire army were defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram. + Except that Joram had pulled back to Jezreel to convalesce from the injuries he got from the Arameans in the battle with Hazael king of Aram. Jehu said, "If you really want me as king, don't let anyone sneak out of the city and blab the news in Jezreel." + Then Jehu mounted a chariot and rode to Jezreel, where Joram was in bed, resting. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Joram. + A sentry standing duty on the watchtower in Jezreel saw the company of Jehu arrive. He said, "I see a band of men." Joram said, "Get a horseman and send him out to meet them and inquire, 'Is anything wrong?'" + The horseman rode out to meet Jehu and said, "The king wants to know if there's anything wrong." Jehu said, "What's it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me." The sentry said, "The messenger reached them, but he's not returning." + The king then sent a second horseman. When he reached them he said, "The king wants to know if there's anything wrong." Jehu said, "What's it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me." + The sentry said, "The messenger reached them, but he's not returning. The driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi--crazy!" + Joram ordered, "Get my chariot ready!" They hitched up his chariot. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his own chariot, drove out to meet Jehu. They met in the field of Naboth of Jezreel. + When Joram saw Jehu he called out, "Good day, Jehu!" Jehu answered, "What's good about it? How can there be anything good about it as long as the promiscuous whoring and sorceries of your mother Jezebel pollute the country?" + Joram wheeled his chariot around and fled, yelling to Ahaziah, "It's a trap, Ahaziah!" + Jehu pulled on his bow and released an arrow; it hit Joram between the shoulder blades and went right through his heart. He slumped to his knees in his chariot. + Jehu ordered Bidkar, his lieutenant, "Quick--throw him into the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember when you and I were driving our chariots behind Ahab his father? That's when GOD pronounced this doom upon him: + 'As surely as I saw the blood of murdered Naboth and his sons yesterday, you'll pay for it on this exact piece of ground. GOD's word!' So take him and throw him out in the field. GOD's instructions carried out to the letter!" + Ahaziah king of Judah saw what was going on and made his escape on the road toward Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, yelling out, "Get him, too!" Jehu's troops shot and wounded him in his chariot on the hill up to Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to make it as far as Megiddo; there he died. + His aides drove on to Jerusalem. They buried him in the family plot in the City of David. + In the eleventh year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah. + When Jezebel heard that Jehu had arrived in Jezreel, she made herself up--put on eyeshadow and arranged her hair--and posed seductively at the window. + When Jehu came through the city gate, she called down, "So, how are things, 'Zimri,' you dashing king-killer?" + Jehu looked up at the window and called, "Is there anybody up there on my side?" Two or three palace eunuchs looked out. + He ordered, "Throw her down!" They threw her out the window. Her blood spattered the wall and the horses, and Jehu trampled her under his horse's hooves. + Then Jehu went inside and ate his lunch. During lunch he gave orders, "Take care of that damned woman; give her a decent burial--she is, after all, a king's daughter." + They went out to bury her, but there was nothing left of her but skull, feet, and hands. + They came back and told Jehu. He said, "It's GOD's word, the word spoken by Elijah the Tishbite: In the field of Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel; + The body of Jezebel will be like dog-droppings on the ground in Jezreel. Old friends and lovers will say, 'I wonder, is this Jezebel?'" + + + Ahab had seventy sons still living in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters addressed to the officers of Jezreel, the city elders, and those in charge of Ahab's sons, and posted them to Samaria. + The letters read: This letter is fair warning. You're in charge of your master's children, chariots, horses, fortifications, and weapons. + Pick the best and most capable of your master's sons and put him on the throne. Prepare to fight for your master's position. + They were absolutely terrified at the letter. They said, "Two kings have already been wiped out by him; what hope do we have?" + So they sent the warden of the palace, the mayor of the city, the elders, and the guardians to Jehu with this message: "We are your servants. Whatever you say, we'll do. We're not making anyone king here. You're in charge--do what you think best." + Then Jehu wrote a second letter: If you are on my side and are willing to follow my orders, here's what you do: Decapitate the sons of your master and bring the heads to me by this time tomorrow in Jezreel. The king's sons numbered seventy. The leaders of the city had taken responsibility for them. + When they got the letter, they took the king's sons and killed all seventy. Then they put the heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. + A messenger reported to Jehu: "They've delivered the heads of the king's sons." He said, "Stack them in two piles at the city gate until morning." + In the morning Jehu came out, stood before the people, and addressed them formally: "Do you realize that this very day you are participants in GOD's righteous workings? True, I am the one who conspired against my master and assassinated him. But who, do you suppose, is responsible for this pile of skulls? + Know this for certain: Not a single syllable that GOD spoke in judgment on the family of Ahab is canceled; you're seeing it with your own eyes--GOD doing what, through Elijah, he said he'd do." + Then Jehu proceeded to kill everyone who had anything to do with Ahab's family in Jezreel--leaders, friends, priests. He wiped out the entire lot. + That done, he brushed himself off and set out for Samaria. Along the way, at Beth Eked (Binding House) of the Shepherds, + he met up with some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah. Jehu said, "Who are you?" They said, "We're relatives of Ahaziah and we've come down to a reunion of the royal family." + "Grab them!" ordered Jehu. They were taken and then massacred at the well of Beth Eked. Forty-two of them--no survivors. + He went on from there and came upon Jehonadab the Recabite who was on his way to meet him. Greeting him, he said, "Are we together and of one mind in this?" Jehonadab said, "We are--count on me." "Then give me your hand," said Jehu. They shook hands on it and Jehonadab stepped up into the chariot with Jehu. + "Come along with me," said Jehu, "and witness my zeal for GOD." Together they proceeded in the chariot. + When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu massacred everyone left in Samaria who was in any way connected with Ahab--a mass execution, just as GOD had told Elijah. + Next, Jehu got all the people together and addressed them: Ahab served Baal small-time; Jehu will serve him big-time. + "Get all the prophets of Baal here--everyone who served him, all his priests. Get everyone here; don't leave anyone out. I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. If you don't show up, you won't live to tell about it." (Jehu was lying, of course. He planned to destroy all the worshipers of Baal.) + Jehu ordered, "Make preparation for a holy convocation for Baal." They did and posted the date. + Jehu then summoned everyone in Israel. They came in droves--every worshiper of Baal in the country. Nobody stayed home. They came and packed the temple of Baal to capacity. + Jehu directed the keeper of the wardrobe, "Get robes for all the servants of Baal." He brought out their robes. + Jehu and Jehonadab the Recabite now entered the temple of Baal and said, "Double-check and make sure that there are no worshipers of GOD in here; only Baal-worshipers are allowed." + Then they launched the worship, making the sacrifices and burnt offerings. Meanwhile, Jehu had stationed eighty men outside with orders: "Don't let a single person escape; if you do, it's your life for his life." + When Jehu had finished with the sacrificial solemnities, he signaled to the officers and guards, "Enter and kill! No survivors!" And the bloody slaughter began. The officers and guards threw the corpses outside and cleared the way to enter the inner shrine of Baal. + They hauled out the sacred phallic stone from the temple of Baal and pulverized it. + They smashed the Baal altars and tore down the Baal temple. It's been a public toilet ever since. + And that's the story of Jehu's wasting of Baal in Israel. + But for all that, Jehu didn't turn back from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, the sins that had dragged Israel into a life of sin--the golden calves in Bethel and Dan stayed. + GOD commended Jehu: "You did well to do what I saw was best. You did what I ordered against the family of Ahab. As reward, your sons will occupy the throne of Israel for four generations." + Even then, though, Jehu wasn't careful to walk in GOD's ways and honor the God of Israel from an undivided heart. He didn't turn back from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. + It was about this time that GOD began to shrink Israel. Hazael hacked away at the borders of Israel + from the Jordan to the east--all the territory of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh from Aroer near the Brook Arnon. In effect, all Gilead and Bashan. + The rest of the life and times of Jehu, his accomplishments and fame, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Jehu died and was buried in the family plot in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz was the next king. + Jehu ruled Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years. + + + Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah. When she saw that her son was dead, she took over. She began by massacring the entire royal family. + But Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah's son Joash and kidnapped him from among the king's sons slated for slaughter. She hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. He didn't get killed. + He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of GOD. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country. + In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the captains of the bodyguards and the Palace Security Force. They met him in The Temple of GOD. He made a covenant with them, swore them to secrecy, and only then showed them the young prince. + Then he commanded them, "These are your instructions: Those of you who come on duty on the Sabbath and guard the palace, and those of you who go off duty on the Sabbath and guard The Temple of GOD, are to join forces at the time of the changing of the guard and form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going." + (SEE 11:5) + (SEE 11:5) + (SEE 11:5) + The captains obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest. Each took his men, those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, and presented them to Jehoiada the priest. + The priest armed the officers with spears and shields originally belonging to King David, stored in The Temple of GOD. + Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple. + Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God's covenant, and made him king. As they anointed him, everyone applauded and shouted, "Long live the king!" + Athaliah heard the shouting of guards and people and came to the crowd gathered at The Temple of GOD. + Astonished, she saw the king standing beside the throne, flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring. Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, "Treason! Treason!" + Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, "Drag her outside and kill anyone who tries to follow her!" (The priest had said, "Don't kill her inside The Temple of GOD.") + So they dragged her out to the palace's horse corral; there they killed her. + Jehoiada now made a covenant between GOD and the king and the people: They were GOD's people. Another covenant was made between the king and the people. + The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens. They killed Mattan the priest in front of the altar. Jehoiada then stationed sentries in The Temple of GOD. + He arranged for the officers of the bodyguard and the palace security, along with the people themselves, to escort the king down from The Temple of GOD through the Gate of the Guards and into the palace. There he sat on the royal throne. + Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed--they had killed Athaliah with the royal sword. + Joash was seven years old when he became king. + + + In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began his kingly rule. He was king for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Gazelle. She was from Beersheba. + Taught and trained by Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what pleased GOD for as long as he lived. + (Even so, he didn't get rid of the sacred fertility shrines--people still frequented them, sacrificing and burning incense.) + Joash instructed the priests: "Take the money that is brought into The Temple of GOD for holy offerings--both mandatory offerings and freewill offerings-- + and, keeping a careful accounting, use them to renovate The Temple wherever it has fallen into disrepair." + But by the twenty-third year of Joash's rule, the priests hadn't done one thing--The Temple was as dilapidated as ever. + King Joash called Jehoiada the priest and the company of priests and said, "Why haven't you renovated this sorry-looking Temple? You are forbidden to take any more money for Temple repairs--from now on, hand over everything you get." + The priests agreed not to take any more money or to be involved in The Temple renovation. + Then Jehoiada took a single chest and bored a hole in the lid and placed it to the right of the main entrance into The Temple of GOD. All the offerings that were brought to The Temple of GOD were placed in the chest by the priests who guarded the entrance. + When they saw that a large sum of money had accumulated in the chest, the king's secretary and the chief priest would empty the chest and count the offerings. + They would give the money accounted for to the managers of The Temple project; they in turn would pay the carpenters, construction workers, + masons, stoneworkers, and the buyers of timber and quarried stone for the repair and renovation of The Temple of GOD--any expenses connected with fixing up The Temple. + But none of the money brought into The Temple of GOD was used for liturgical "extras" (silver chalices, candle snuffers, trumpets, various gold and silver vessels, etc.). + It was given to the workmen to pay for their repairing GOD's Temple. + And no one even had to check on the men who handled the money given for the project--they were honest men. + Offerings designated for Compensation Offerings and Absolution Offerings didn't go into the building project--those went directly to the priests. + Around this time Hazael king of Aram ventured out and attacked Gath, and he captured it. Then he decided to try for Jerusalem. + Joash king of Judah countered by gathering up all the sacred memorials--gifts dedicated for holy use by his ancestors, the kings of Judah, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, along with the holy memorials he himself had received, plus all the gold that he could find in the temple and palace storerooms--and sent it to Hazael king of Aram. Appeased, Hazael went on his way and didn't bother Jerusalem. + The rest of the life and times of Joash and all that he did are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + At the last his palace staff formed a conspiracy and assassinated Joash as he was strolling along the ramp of the fortified outside city wall. + Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer were the assassins. And so Joash died and was buried in the family plot in the City of David. His son Amaziah was king after him. + + + In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria--a rule of seventeen years. + He lived an evil life before GOD, walking step for step in the tracks of Jeroboam son of Nebat who led Israel into a life of sin, swerving neither left or right. + Exasperated, GOD was furious with Israel and turned them over to Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad son of Hazael. This domination went on for a long time. + Then Jehoahaz prayed for a softening of GOD's anger, and GOD listened. He realized how wretched Israel had become under the brutalities of the king of Aram. + So GOD provided a savior for Israel who brought them out from under Aram's oppression. The children of Israel were again able to live at peace in their own homes. + But it didn't make any difference: They didn't change their lives, didn't turn away from the Jeroboam-sins that now characterized Israel, including the sex-and-religion shrines of Asherah still flourishing in Samaria. + Nothing was left of Jehoahaz's army after Hazael's oppression except for fifty cavalry, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry. The king of Aram had decimated the rest, leaving behind him mostly chaff. + The rest of the life and times of Jehoahaz, the record of his accomplishments, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Jehoahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. His son Jehoash succeeded him as king. + In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria--a reign of sixteen years. + In GOD's eyes he lived an evil life. He didn't deviate one bit from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. He plodded along in the same tracks, step after step. + The rest of the life and times of Jehoash, the record of his accomplishments and his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Jehoash died and joined his ancestors. Jeroboam took over his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria in the royal cemetery. + Elisha came down sick. It was the sickness of which he would soon die. Jehoash king of Israel paid him a visit. When he saw him he wept openly, crying, "My father, my father! Chariot and horsemen of Israel!" + Elisha told him, "Go and get a bow and some arrows." The king brought him the bow and arrows. + Then he told the king, "Put your hand on the bow." He put his hand on the bow. Then Elisha put his hand over the hand of the king. + Elisha said, "Now open the east window." He opened it. Then he said, "Shoot!" And he shot. "The arrow of GOD's salvation!" exclaimed Elisha. "The arrow of deliverance from Aram! You will do battle against Aram until there's nothing left of it." + "Now pick up the other arrows," said Elisha. He picked them up. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground." The king struck the ground three times and then quit. + The Holy Man became angry with him: "Why didn't you hit the ground five or six times? Then you would beat Aram until he was finished. As it is, you'll defeat him three times only." + Then Elisha died and they buried him. Some time later, raiding bands of Moabites, as they often did, invaded the country. + One day, some men were burying a man and spotted the raiders. They threw the man into Elisha's tomb and got away. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came alive, stood up, and walked out on his own two feet. + Hazael king of Aram badgered and bedeviled Israel all through the reign of Jehoahaz. + But GOD was gracious and showed mercy to them. He stuck with them out of respect for his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He never gave up on them, never even considered discarding them, even to this day. + Hazael king of Aram died. His son Ben-Hadad was the next king. + Jehoash son of Jehoahaz turned things around and took back the cities that Ben-Hadad son of Hazael had taken from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash went to war three times and defeated him each time, recapturing the cites of Israel. + + + In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin. She was from Jerusalem. + He lived the way GOD wanted and did the right thing. But he didn't come up to the standards of his ancestor David; instead he lived pretty much as his father Joash had; + the local sex-and-religion shrines continued to stay in business with people frequenting them. + When he had the affairs of the kingdom well in hand, he executed the palace guard that had assassinated his father the king. + But he didn't kill the sons of the assassins. He was obedient to what GOD commanded, written in the Word revealed to Moses, that parents shouldn't be executed for their children's sins, nor children for those of their parents. We each pay personally for our sins. + Amaziah roundly defeated Edom in the Valley of Salt to the tune of ten thousand dead. In another battle he took The Rock and renamed it Joktheel, the name it still bears. + One day Amaziah sent envoys to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, challenging him to a fight: "Come and meet with me--I dare you. Let's have it out face to face!" + Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, "One day a thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But then a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it. + Just because you've defeated Edom in battle, you now think you're a big shot. Go ahead and be proud, but stay home. Why press your luck? Why bring defeat on yourself and Judah?" + Amaziah wouldn't take No for an answer. So Jehoash king of Israel gave in and agreed to a battle between him and Amaziah king of Judah. They met at Beth Shemesh, a town of Judah. + Judah was thoroughly beaten by Israel--all their soldiers ran home in defeat. + Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. But Jehoash didn't stop there; he went on to attack Jerusalem. He demolished the wall of Jerusalem all the way from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate--a stretch of about 600 feet. + He looted the gold, silver, and furnishings--anything he found that was worth taking--from both the palace and The Temple of GOD. And, for good measure, he took hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. + The rest of the life and times of Jehoash, his significant accomplishments and the fight with Amaziah king of Judah, are all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria in the cemetery of the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became the next king. + Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah continued as king fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. + The rest of the life and times of Amaziah is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + At the last they cooked up a plot against Amaziah in Jerusalem and he had to flee to Lachish. But they tracked him down in Lachish and killed him there. + They brought him back on horseback and buried him in Jerusalem, with his ancestors in the City of David. + Azariah--he was only sixteen years old at the time--was the unanimous choice of the people of Judah to succeed his father Amaziah as king. + Following his father's death, he rebuilt and restored Elath to Judah. + In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for forty-one years. + As far as GOD was concerned he lived an evil life, never deviating an inch from all the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. + But he did restore the borders of Israel to Lebo Hamath in the far north and to the Dead Sea in the south, matching what GOD, the God of Israel, had pronounced through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. + GOD was fully aware of the trouble in Israel, its bitterly hard times. No one was exempt, whether slave or citizen, and no hope of help anywhere was in sight. + But GOD wasn't yet ready to blot out the name of Israel from history, so he used Jeroboam son of Jehoash to save them. + The rest of the life and times of Jeroboam, his victories in battle and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath which had belonged to Judah, these are all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Jeroboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the royal cemetery. His son Zechariah became the next king. + + + In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah became king in Judah. + He was sixteen years old when he began his rule and he was king for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah. She was from Jerusalem. + He did well in the eyes of GOD, following in the footsteps of his father Amaziah. + But he also failed to get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines; they continued to be popular with the people. + GOD afflicted the king with a bad skin disease until the day of his death. He lived in the palace but no longer acted as king; his son Jotham ran the government and ruled the country. + The rest of the life and times of Azariah, everything he accomplished, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Azariah died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Jotham his son was king after him. + In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria. He lasted only six months. + He lived a bad life before GOD, no different from his ancestors. He continued in the line of Jeroboam son of Nebat who led Israel into a life of sin. + Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him, assassinated him in public view, and took over as king. + The rest of the life and times of Zechariah is written plainly in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + That completed the word of GOD that was given to Jehu, namely, "For four generations your sons will sit on the throne of Israel." Zechariah was the fourth. + Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah. He was king in Samaria for only a month. + Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh and killed him. He then became king. + The rest of the life and times of Shallum and the account of the conspiracy are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Using Tirzah as his base, Menahem opened his reign by smashing Tiphsah, devastating both the town and its suburbs because they didn't welcome him with open arms. He savagely ripped open all the pregnant women. + In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. He ruled from Samaria for ten years. + As far as GOD was concerned he lived an evil life. Sin for sin, he repeated the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. + Then Tiglath-Pileser III king of Assyria showed up and attacked the country. But Menahem made a deal with him: He bought his support by handing over about thirty-seven tons of silver. + He raised the money by making every landowner in Israel pay fifty shekels to the king of Assyria. That satisfied the king of Assyria, and he left the country. + The rest of the life and times of Menahem, everything he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Menahem died and joined his ancestors. His son Pekahiah became the next king. + In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for two years. + In GOD's eyes he lived an evil life. He stuck to the old sin tracks of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. + And then his military aide Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him--killed him in cold blood while he was in his private quarters in the royal palace in Samaria. He also killed Argob and Arieh. Fifty Gadites were in on the conspiracy with him. After the murder he became the next king. + The rest of the life and times of Pekahiah, everything he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for twenty years. + In GOD's view he lived an evil life; he didn't deviate so much as a hair's breadth from the path laid down by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. + During the reign of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser III king of Assyria invaded the country. He captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee--the whole country of Naphtali--and took everyone captive to Assyria. + But then Hoshea son of Elah mounted a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. He assassinated him and took over as king. This was in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah. + The rest of the life and times of Pekah, everything he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king in Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. + He acted well in GOD's eyes, following in the steps of his father Uzziah. + But he didn't interfere with the traffic to the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines; they continued, as popular as ever. The construction of the High Gate to The Temple of GOD was his work. + The rest of the life and times of Jotham, the record of his work, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + It was during these years that GOD began sending Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah to attack Judah. + Jotham died and joined his ancestors. They buried him in the family cemetery in the City of David. His son Ahaz was the next king. + + + In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah. + Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king and he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn't behave in the eyes of his GOD; he wasn't at all like his ancestor David. + Instead he followed in the track of the kings of Israel. He even indulged in the outrageous practice of "passing his son through the fire"--a truly abominable act he picked up from the pagans GOD had earlier thrown out of the country. + He also participated in the activities of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that flourished all over the place. + Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel ganged up against Jerusalem, throwing a siege around the city, but they couldn't make further headway against Ahaz. + At about this same time and on another front, the king of Edom recovered the port of Elath and expelled the men of Judah. The Edomites occupied Elath and have been there ever since. + Ahaz sent envoys to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria with this message: "I'm your servant and your son. Come and save me from the heavy-handed invasion of the king of Aram and the king of Israel. They're attacking me right now." + Then Ahaz robbed the treasuries of the palace and The Temple of GOD of their gold and silver and sent them to the king of Assyria as a bribe. + The king of Assyria responded to him. He attacked and captured Damascus. He deported the people to Nineveh as exiles. Rezin he killed. + King Ahaz went to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria in Damascus. The altar in Damascus made a great impression on him. He sent back to Uriah the priest a drawing and set of blueprints of the altar. + Uriah the priest built the altar to the specifications that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. By the time the king returned from Damascus, Uriah had completed the altar. + The minute the king saw the altar he approached it with reverence and arranged a service of worship with a full course of offerings: + Whole-Burnt-Offerings with billows of smoke, Grain-Offerings, libations of Drink-Offerings, the sprinkling of blood from the Peace-Offerings--the works. + But the old bronze Altar that signaled the presence of GOD he displaced from its central place and pushed it off to the side of his new altar. + Then King Ahaz ordered Uriah the priest: "From now on offer all the sacrifices on the new altar, the great altar: morning Whole-Burnt-Offerings, evening Grain-Offerings, the king's Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Grain-Offerings, the people's Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Grain-Offerings, and also their Drink-Offerings. Splash all the blood from the burnt offerings and sacrifices against this altar. The old bronze Altar will be for my personal use. + The priest Uriah followed King Ahaz's orders to the letter. + Then King Ahaz proceeded to plunder The Temple furniture of all its bronze. He stripped the bronze from The Temple furnishings, even salvaged the four bronze oxen that supported the huge basin, The Sea, and set The Sea unceremoniously on the stone pavement. + Finally, he removed any distinctive features from within The Temple that were offensive to the king of Assyria. + The rest of the life and times of Ahaz is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Hezekiah became the next king. + + + In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for nine years. + As far as GOD was concerned, he lived a bad life, but not nearly as bad as the kings who had preceded him. + Then Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked. Hoshea was already a puppet of the Assyrian king and regularly sent him tribute, + but Shalmaneser discovered that Hoshea had been operating traitorously behind his back--having worked out a deal with King So of Egypt. And, adding insult to injury, Hoshea was way behind on his annual payments of tribute to Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and threw him in prison, + then proceeded to invade the entire country. He attacked Samaria and threw up a siege against it. The siege lasted three years. + In the ninth year of Hoshea's reign the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the people into exile in Assyria. He relocated them in Halah, in Gozan along the Habor River, and in the towns of the Medes. + The exile came about because of sin: The children of Israel sinned against GOD, their God, who had delivered them from Egypt and the brutal oppression of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They took up with other gods, + fell in with the ways of life of the pagan nations GOD had chased off, and went along with whatever their kings did. + They did all kinds of things on the sly, things offensive to their GOD, then openly and shamelessly built local sex-and-religion shrines at every available site. + They set up their sex-and-religion symbols at practically every crossroads. + Everywhere you looked there was smoke from their pagan offerings to the deities--the identical offerings that had gotten the pagan nations off into exile. They had accumulated a long list of evil actions and GOD was fed up, + fed up with their persistent worship of gods carved out of deadwood or shaped out of clay, even though GOD had plainly said, "Don't do this--ever!" + GOD had taken a stand against Israel and Judah, speaking clearly through countless holy prophets and seers time and time again, "Turn away from your evil way of life. Do what I tell you and have been telling you in The Revelation I gave your ancestors and of which I've kept reminding you ever since through my servants the prophets." + But they wouldn't listen. If anything, they were even more bullheaded than their stubborn ancestors, if that's possible. + They were contemptuous of his instructions, the solemn and holy covenant he had made with their ancestors, and of his repeated reminders and warnings. They lived a "nothing" life and became "nothings"--just like the pagan peoples all around them. They were well-warned: GOD said, "Don't!" but they did it anyway. + They threw out everything GOD, their God, had told them, and replaced him with two statue-gods shaped like bull-calves and then a phallic pole for the whore goddess Asherah. They worshiped cosmic forces--sky gods and goddesses--and frequented the sex-and-religion shrines of Baal. + They even sank so low as to offer their own sons and daughters as sacrificial burnt offerings! They indulged in all the black arts of magic and sorcery. In short, they prostituted themselves to every kind of evil available to them. And GOD had had enough. + GOD was so thoroughly angry that he got rid of them, got them out of the country for good until only one tribe was left--Judah. + (Judah, actually, wasn't much better, for Judah also failed to keep GOD's commands, falling into the same way of life that Israel had adopted.) + GOD rejected everyone connected with Israel, made life hard for them, and permitted anyone with a mind to exploit them to do so. And then this final No as he threw them out of his sight. + Back at the time that God ripped Israel out of their place in the family of David, they had made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Jeroboam debauched Israel--turned them away from serving GOD and led them into a life of total sin. + The children of Israel went along with all the sins that Jeroboam did, never murmured so much as a word of protest. + In the end, GOD spoke a final No to Israel and turned his back on them. He had given them fair warning, and plenty of time, through the preaching of all his servants the prophets. Then he exiled Israel from her land to Assyria. And that's where they are now. + The king of Assyria brought in people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and relocated them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the exiled Israelites. They moved in as if they owned the place and made themselves at home. + When the Assyrians first moved in, GOD was just another god to them; they neither honored nor worshiped him. Then GOD sent lions among them and people were mauled and killed. + This message was then sent back to the king of Assyria: "The people you brought in to occupy the towns of Samaria don't know what's expected of them from the god of the land, and now he's sent lions and they're killing people right and left because nobody knows what the god of the land expects of them." + The king of Assyria ordered, "Send back some priests who were taken into exile from there. They can go back and live there and instruct the people in what the god of the land expects of them." + One of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came back and moved into Bethel. He taught them how to honor and worship GOD. + But each people that Assyria had settled went ahead anyway making its own gods and setting them up in the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that the citizens of Samaria had left behind--a local custom-made god for each people: + for Babylon, Succoth Benoth; for Cuthah, Nergal; for Hamath, Ashima; + for Avva, Nibhaz and Tartak; for Sepharvaim, Adrammelech and Anammelech (people burned their children in sacrificial offerings to these gods!). + They honored and worshiped GOD, but not exclusively--they also appointed all sorts of priests, regardless of qualification, to conduct a variety of rites at the local fertility shrines. + They honored and worshiped GOD, but they also kept up their devotions to the old gods of the places they had come from. + And they're still doing it, still worshiping any old god that has nostalgic appeal to them. They don't really worship GOD--they don't take seriously what he says regarding how to behave and what to believe, what he revealed to the children of Jacob whom he named Israel. + GOD made a covenant with his people and ordered them, "Don't honor other gods: Don't worship them, don't serve them, don't offer sacrifices to them. + Worship GOD, the God who delivered you from Egypt in great and personal power. Reverence and fear him. Worship him. Sacrifice to him. And only him! + All the things he had written down for you, directing you in what to believe and how to behave--well, do them for as long as you live. And whatever you do, don't worship other gods! + And the covenant he made with you, don't forget your part in that. And don't worship other gods! + Worship GOD, and GOD only--he's the one who will save your from enemy oppression." + But they didn't pay any attention. They kept doing what they'd always done. + As it turned out, all the time these people were putting on a front of worshiping GOD, they were at the same time involved with their local idols. And they're still doing it. Like father, like son. + + + In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz began his rule over Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. + In GOD's opinion he was a good king; he kept to the standards of his ancestor David. + He got rid of the local fertility shrines, smashed the phallic stone monuments, and cut down the sex-and-religion Asherah groves. As a final stroke he pulverized the ancient bronze serpent that Moses had made; at that time the Israelites had taken up the practice of sacrificing to it--they had even dignified it with a name, Nehushtan (The Old Serpent). + Hezekiah put his whole trust in the GOD of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. + He held fast to GOD--never loosened his grip--and obeyed to the letter everything GOD had commanded Moses. + And GOD, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures. He revolted against the king of Assyria; he refused to serve him one more day. + And he drove back the Philistines, whether in sentry outposts or fortress cities, all the way to Gaza and its borders. + In the fourth year of Hezekiah and the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked Samaria. He threw a siege around it + and after three years captured it. It was in the sixth year of Hezekiah and the ninth year of Hoshea that Samaria fell to Assyria. + The king of Assyria took Israel into exile and relocated them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in towns of the Medes. + All this happened because they wouldn't listen to the voice of their GOD and treated his covenant with careless contempt. They refused either to listen or do a word of what Moses, the servant of GOD, commanded. + In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the outlying fortress cities of Judah and captured them. + King Hezekiah sent a message to the king of Assyria at his headquarters in Lachish: "I've done wrong; I admit it. Pull back your army; I'll pay whatever tribute you set." The king of Assyria demanded tribute from Hezekiah king of Judah--eleven tons of silver and a ton of gold. + Hezekiah turned over all the silver he could find in The Temple of GOD and in the palace treasuries. + Hezekiah even took down the doors of The Temple of GOD and the doorposts that he had overlaid with gold and gave them to the king of Assyria. + So the king of Assyria sent his top three military chiefs (the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh) from Lachish with a strong military force to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool on the road to the laundry commons. + They called loudly for the king. Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the court historian went out to meet them. + The third officer, the Rabshakeh, was spokesman. He said, "Tell Hezekiah: A message from The Great King, the king of Assyria: You're living in a world of make-believe, of pious fantasy. + Do you think that mere words are any substitute for military strategy and troops? Now that you've revolted against me, who can you expect to help you? + You thought Egypt would, but Egypt's nothing but a paper tiger--one puff of wind and she collapses; Pharaoh king of Egypt is nothing but bluff and bluster. + Or are you going to tell me, 'We rely on GOD'? But Hezekiah has just eliminated most of the people's access to God by getting rid of all the local God-shrines, ordering everyone in Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at the Jerusalem altar only.' + "So be reasonable. Make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I'll give you two thousand horses if you think you can provide riders for them. + You can't do it? Well, then, how do you think you're going to turn back even one raw buck private from my master's troops? How long are you going to hold on to that figment of your imagination, these hoped-for Egyptian chariots and horses? + "Do you think I've come up here to destroy this country without the express approval of GOD? The fact is that GOD expressly ordered me, 'Attack and destroy this country!'" + Eliakim son of Hilkiah and Shebna and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please, speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand Aramaic. Don't speak in Hebrew--everyone crowded on the city wall can hear you." + But the Rabshakeh said, "We weren't sent with a private message to your master and you; this is public--a message to everyone within earshot. After all, they're involved in this as well as you; if you don't come to terms, they'll be eating their own turds and drinking their own pee right along with you." + Then he stepped forward and spoke in Hebrew loud enough for everyone to hear, "Listen carefully to the words of The Great King, the king of Assyria: + Don't let Hezekiah fool you; he can't save you. + And don't let Hezekiah give you that line about trusting in GOD, telling you, 'GOD will save us--this city will never be abandoned to the king of Assyria.' + Don't listen to Hezekiah--he doesn't know what he's talking about. Listen to the king of Assyria--deal with me and live the good life; I'll guarantee everyone your own plot of ground--a garden and a well! + I'll take you to a land sweeter by far than this one, a land of grain and wine, bread and vineyards, olive orchards and honey. You only live once--so live, really live! "No. Don't listen to Hezekiah. Don't listen to his lies, telling you 'GOD will save us.' + Has there ever been a god anywhere who delivered anyone from the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? And Samaria--did their gods save them? + Can you name a god who saved anyone anywhere from me, the king of Assyria? So what makes you think that GOD can save Jerusalem from me?" + The people were silent. No one spoke a word for the king had ordered, "Don't anyone say a word--not one word!" + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator, and Shebna the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the court historian went back to Hezekiah. They had ripped their robes in despair; they reported to Hezekiah the speech of the Rabshakeh. + + + When Hezekiah heard it all, he too ripped his robes apart and dressed himself in rough burlap. Then he went into The Temple of GOD. + He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, all of them dressed in rough burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. + They said to him, "A message from Hezekiah: 'This is a black day, a terrible day--doomsday! Babies poised to be born, No strength to birth them. + "'Maybe GOD, your God, has been listening to the blasphemous speech of the Rabshakeh who was sent by the king of Assyria, his master, to humiliate the living God; maybe GOD, your God, won't let him get by with such talk; and you, maybe you will lift up prayers for what's left of these people.'" + That's the message King Hezekiah's servants delivered to Isaiah. + Isaiah answered them, "Tell your master, 'GOD's word: Don't be at all concerned about what you've heard from the king of Assyria's bootlicking errand boys--these outrageous blasphemies. + Here's what I'm going to do: Afflict him with self-doubt. He's going to hear a rumor and, frightened for his life, retreat to his own country. Once there, I'll see to it that he gets killed.'" + The Rabshakeh left and found that the king of Assyria had pulled up stakes from Lachish and was now fighting against Libnah. + Then Sennacherib heard that Tirhakah king of Cush was on his way to fight against him. So he sent another envoy with orders to deliver this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: + "Don't let that god that you think so much of keep stringing you along with the line, 'Jerusalem will never fall to the king of Assyria.' That's a barefaced lie. + You know the track record of the kings of Assyria--country after country laid waste, devastated. And what makes you think you'll be an exception? + Take a good look at these wasted nations, destroyed by my ancestors; did their gods do them any good? Look at Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, the people of Eden at Tel Assar. Ruins. + And what's left of the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of Sepharvaim, of Hena, of Ivvah? Bones." + Hezekiah took the letter from the envoy and read it. He went to The Temple of GOD and spread it out before GOD. + And Hezekiah prayed--oh, how he prayed! GOD, God of Israel, seated in majesty on the cherubim-throne. You are the one and only God, sovereign over all kingdoms on earth, Maker of heaven, maker of earth. + Open your ears, GOD, and listen, open your eyes and look. Look at this letter Sennacherib has sent, a brazen insult to the living God! + The facts are true, O GOD: The kings of Assyria have laid waste countries and kingdoms. + Huge bonfires they made of their gods, their no-gods hand-made from wood and stone. + But now O GOD, our God, save us from raw Assyrian power; Make all the kingdoms on earth know that you are GOD, the one and only God. + It wasn't long before Isaiah son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah: GOD's word: You've prayed to me regarding Sennacherib king of Assyria; I've heard your prayer. + This is my response to him: The Virgin Daughter of Zion holds you in utter contempt; Daughter Jerusalem thinks you're nothing but scum. + Who do you think it is you've insulted? Who do you think you've been bad-mouthing? Before whom do you suppose you've been strutting? The Holy One of Israel, that's who! + You dispatched your errand boys to humiliate the Master. You bragged, "With my army of chariots I've climbed the highest mountains, snow-peaked alpine Lebanon mountains! I've cut down its giant cedars, chopped down its prize pine trees. I've traveled the world, visited the finest forest retreats. + I've dug wells in faraway places and drunk their exotic waters; I've waded and splashed barefoot in the rivers of Egypt." + Did it never occur to you that I'm behind all this? Long, long ago I drew up the plans, and now I've gone into action, Using you as a doomsday weapon, reducing proud cities to piles of rubble, + Leaving their people dispirited, slumped shoulders, limp souls. Useless as weeds, fragile as grass, insubstantial as wind-blown chaff. + I know when you sit down, when you come and when you go; And, yes, I've marked every one of your temper tantrums against me. + It's because of your temper, your blasphemous foul temper, That I'm putting my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth And turning you back to where you came from. + And this, Hezekiah, will be for you the confirming sign: This year you'll eat the gleanings, next year whatever you can beg, borrow, or steal; But the third year you'll sow and harvest, plant vineyards and eat grapes. + A remnant of the family of Judah yet again will sink down roots and raise up fruit. + The remnant will come from Jerusalem, the survivors from Mount Zion. The Zeal of GOD will make it happen. + To sum up, this is what GOD says regarding the king of Assyria: He won't enter this city, nor shoot so much as a single arrow there; Won't brandish a shield, won't even begin to set siege; + He'll go home by the same road he came; he won't enter this city. GOD's word! + I'll shield this city, I'll save this city, for my sake and for David's sake. + And it so happened that that very night an angel of GOD came and massacred a hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians. When the people of Jerusalem got up next morning, there it was--a whole camp of corpses! + Sennacherib king of Assyria got out of there fast, headed straight home for Nineveh, and stayed put. + One day when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer murdered him and then escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon became the next king. + + + Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz paid him a visit and said, "Put your affairs in order; you're about to die--you haven't long to live." + Hezekiah turned from Isaiah and faced GOD, praying: + Remember, O GOD, who I am, what I've done! I've lived an honest life before you, My heart's been true and steady, I've lived to please you; lived for your approval. And then the tears flowed. Hezekiah wept. + Isaiah, leaving, was not halfway across the courtyard when the word of GOD stopped him: + "Go back and tell Hezekiah, prince of my people, 'GOD's word, Hezekiah! From the God of your ancestor David: I've listened to your prayer and I've observed your tears. I'm going to heal you. In three days you will walk on your own legs into The Temple of GOD. + I've just added fifteen years to your life; I'm saving you from the king of Assyria, and I'm covering this city with my shield--for my sake and my servant David's sake.'" + Isaiah then said, "Prepare a plaster of figs." They prepared the plaster, applied it to the boil, and Hezekiah was on his way to recovery. + Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "How do I know whether this is of GOD and not just the fig plaster? What confirming sign is there that GOD is healing me and that in three days I'll walk into The Temple of GOD on my own legs?" + "This will be your sign from GOD," said Isaiah, "that GOD is doing what he said he'd do: Do you want the shadow to advance ten degrees on the sundial or go back ten degrees? You choose." + Hezekiah said, "It would be easy to make the sun's shadow advance ten degrees. Make it go back ten degrees." + So Isaiah called out in prayer to GOD, and the shadow went back ten degrees on Ahaz's sundial. + Shortly after this, Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan king of Babylon, having heard that the king was sick, sent a get-well card and a gift to Hezekiah. + Hezekiah was pleased and showed the messengers around the place--silver, gold, spices, aromatic oils, his stockpile of weapons--a guided tour of all his prized possessions. There wasn't a thing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah didn't show them. + And then Isaiah the prophet showed up: "And just what were these men doing here? Where did they come from and why?" Hezekiah said, "They came from far away--from Babylon." + "And what did they see in your palace?" "Everything," said Hezekiah. "There isn't anything I didn't show them--I gave them the grand tour." + Then Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah, "Listen to what GOD has to say about this: + The day is coming when everything you own and everything your ancestors have passed down to you, right down to the last cup and saucer, will be cleaned out of here--plundered and packed off to Babylon. GOD's word! + Worse yet, your sons, the progeny of sons you've begotten, will end up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." + Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "If GOD says it, it must be good." But he was thinking to himself, "It won't happen during my lifetime--I'll enjoy peace and security as long as I live." + The rest of the life and times of Hezekiah, along with his projects, especially the way he engineered the Upper Pool and brought water into the city, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Hezekiah died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Manasseh became the next king. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. He ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. + In GOD's judgment he was a bad king--an evil king. He reintroduced all the moral rot and spiritual corruption that had been scoured from the country when GOD dispossessed the pagan nations in favor of the children of Israel. + He rebuilt all the sex-and-religion shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he built altars and phallic images for the sex god Baal and sex goddess Asherah, exactly what Ahaz king of Israel had done. He worshiped the cosmic powers, taking orders from the constellations. + He even built these pagan altars in The Temple of GOD, the very Jerusalem Temple dedicated exclusively by GOD's decree ("in Jerusalem I place my Name") to GOD's Name. + And he built shrines to the cosmic powers and placed them in both courtyards of The Temple of GOD. + He burned his own son in a sacrificial offering. He practiced black magic and fortunetelling. He held s�ances and consulted spirits from the underworld. Much evil--in GOD's judgment, a career in evil. And GOD was angry. + As a last straw he placed the carved image of the sex goddess Asherah in The Temple of GOD, a flagrant and provocative violation of GOD's well-known statement to both David and Solomon, "In this Temple and in this city Jerusalem, my choice out of all the tribes of Israel, I place my Name--exclusively and forever. + Never again will I let my people Israel wander off from this land I gave to their ancestors. But here's the condition: They must keep everything I've commanded in the instructions my servant Moses passed on to them." + But the people didn't listen. Manasseh led them off the beaten path into practices of evil even exceeding the evil of the pagan nations that GOD had earlier destroyed. + GOD, thoroughly fed up, sent word through his servants the prophets: + "Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these outrageous sins, eclipsing the sin-performance of the Amorites before him, setting new records in evil, using foul idols to debase Judah into a nation of sinners, + this is my judgment, GOD's verdict: I, the God of Israel, will visit catastrophe on Jerusalem and Judah, a doom so terrible that when people hear of it they'll shake their heads in disbelief, saying, 'I can't believe it!' + "I'll visit the fate of Samaria on Jerusalem, a rerun of Ahab's doom. I'll wipe out Jerusalem as you would wipe out a dish, wiping it out and turning it over to dry. + I'll get rid of what's left of my inheritance, dumping them on their enemies. If their enemies can salvage anything from them, they're welcome to it. + They've been nothing but trouble to me from the day their ancestors left Egypt until now. They pushed me to my limit; I won't put up with their evil any longer." + The final word on Manasseh was that he was an indiscriminate murderer. He drenched Jerusalem with the innocent blood of his victims. That's on top of all the sins in which he involved his people. As far as GOD was concerned, he'd turned them into a nation of sinners. + The rest of the life and times of Manasseh, everything he did and his sorry record of sin, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Manasseh died and joined his ancestors. He was buried in the palace garden, the Garden of Uzza. His son Amon became the next king. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He was king for two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz. She was from Jotbah. + In GOD's opinion he lived an evil life, just like his father Manasseh. + He followed in the footsteps of his father, serving and worshiping the same foul gods his father had served. + He totally deserted the GOD of his ancestors; he did not live GOD's way. + Amon's servants revolted and assassinated him, killing the king right in his own palace. + But the people, in their turn, killed the conspirators against King Amon and then crowned Josiah, Amon's son, as king + . The rest of the life and times of Amon is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + They buried Amon in his burial plot in the Garden of Uzza. His son Josiah became the next king. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. + He lived the way GOD wanted. He kept straight on the path blazed by his ancestor David, not one step to either left or right. + One day in the eighteenth year of his kingship, King Josiah sent the royal secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to The Temple of GOD with instructions: + "Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money that has been brought to The Temple of GOD that the doormen have collected from the people. + Have them turn it over to the foremen who are managing the work on The Temple of GOD so they can pay the workers who are repairing GOD's Temple, + all the carpenters, construction workers, and masons. Also, authorize them to buy the lumber and dressed stone for The Temple repairs. + You don't need to get a receipt for the money you give them--they're all honest men." + The high priest Hilkiah reported to Shaphan the royal secretary, "I've just found the Book of GOD's Revelation, instructing us in GOD's ways. I found it in The Temple!" He gave it to Shaphan and Shaphan read it. + Then Shaphan the royal secretary came back to the king and gave him an account of what had gone on: "Your servants have bagged up the money that has been collected for The Temple; they have given it to the foremen to pay The Temple workers." + Then Shaphan the royal secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." Shaphan proceeded to read it to the king. + When the king heard what was written in the book, God's Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay. + And then he called for Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal aide. He ordered them all: + "Go and pray to GOD for me and for this people--for all Judah! Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! GOD's anger must be burning furiously against us--our ancestors haven't obeyed a thing written in this book, followed none of the instructions directed to us." + Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went straight to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, who was in charge of the palace wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter. The five men consulted with her. + In response to them she said, "GOD's word, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you here + that I'm on my way to bring the doom of judgment on this place and this people. Every word written in the book read by the king of Judah will happen. + And why? Because they've deserted me and taken up with other gods, made me thoroughly angry by setting up their god-making businesses. My anger is raging white-hot against this place and nobody is going to put it out. + "And also tell the king of Judah, since he sent you to ask GOD for direction; tell him this, GOD's comment on what he read in the book: + 'Because you took seriously the doom of judgment I spoke against this place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I'm taking you seriously. GOD's word: + I'll take care of you. You'll have a quiet death and be buried in peace. You won't be around to see the doom that I'm going to bring upon this place.'" The men took her message back to the king. + + + The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + Then the king proceeded to The Temple of GOD, bringing everyone in his train--priests and prophets and people ranging from the famous to the unknown. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of GOD. + The king stood by the pillar and before GOD solemnly committed them all to the covenant: to follow GOD believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to put into practice the entire covenant, all that was written in the book. The people stood in affirmation; their commitment was unanimous. + Then the king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, his associate priest, and The Temple sentries to clean house--to get rid of everything in The Temple of GOD that had been made for worshiping Baal and Asherah and the cosmic powers. He had them burned outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and then disposed of the ashes in Bethel. + He fired the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had hired to supervise the local sex-and-religion shrines in the towns of Judah and neighborhoods of Jerusalem. In a stroke he swept the country clean of the polluting stench of the round-the-clock worship of Baal, sun and moon, stars--all the so-called cosmic powers. + He took the obscene phallic Asherah pole from The Temple of GOD to the Valley of Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it up, then ground up the ashes and scattered them in the cemetery. + He tore out the rooms of the male sacred prostitutes that had been set up in The Temple of GOD; women also used these rooms for weavings for Asherah. + He swept the outlying towns of Judah clean of priests and smashed the sex-and-religion shrines where they worked their trade from one end of the country to the other--all the way from Geba to Beersheba. He smashed the sex-and-religion shrine that had been set up just to the left of the city gate for the private use of Joshua, the city mayor. + Even though these sex-and-religion priests did not defile the Altar in The Temple itself, they were part of the general priestly corruption and had to go. + Then Josiah demolished the Topheth, the iron furnace griddle set up in the Valley of Ben Hinnom for sacrificing children in the fire. No longer could anyone burn son or daughter to the god Molech. + He hauled off the horse statues honoring the sun god that the kings of Judah had set up near the entrance to The Temple. They were in the courtyard next to the office of Nathan-Melech, the warden. He burned up the sun-chariots as so much rubbish. + The king smashed all the altars to smithereens--the altar on the roof shrine of Ahaz, the various altars the kings of Judah had made, the altars of Manasseh that littered the courtyard of The Temple--he smashed them all, pulverized the fragments, and scattered their dust in the Valley of Kidron. + The king proceeded to make a clean sweep of all the sex-and-religion shrines that had proliferated east of Jerusalem on the south slope of Abomination Hill, the ones Solomon king of Israel had built to the obscene Sidonian sex goddess Ashtoreth, to Chemosh the dirty-old-god of the Moabites, and to Milcom the depraved god of the Ammonites. + He tore apart the altars, chopped down the phallic Asherah-poles, and scattered old bones over the sites. + Next, he took care of the altar at the shrine in Bethel that Jeroboam son of Nebat had built--the same Jeroboam who had led Israel into a life of sin. He tore apart the altar, burned down the shrine leaving it in ashes, and then lit fire to the phallic Asherah-pole. + As Josiah looked over the scene, he noticed the tombs on the hillside. He ordered the bones removed from the tombs and had them cremated on the ruined altars, desacralizing the evil altars. This was a fulfillment of the word of GOD spoken by the Holy Man years before when Jeroboam had stood by the altar at the sacred convocation. + Then the king said, "And that memorial stone--whose is that?" The men from the city said, "That's the grave of the Holy Man who spoke the message against the altar at Bethel that you have just fulfilled." + Josiah said, "Don't trouble his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed, along with the bones of the prophet from Samaria. + But Josiah hadn't finished. He now moved through all the towns of Samaria where the kings of Israel had built neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines, shrines that had so angered GOD. He tore the shrines down and left them in ruins--just as at Bethel. + He killed all the priests who had conducted the sacrifices and cremated them on their own altars, thus desacralizing the altars. Only then did Josiah return to Jerusalem. + The king now commanded the people, "Celebrate the Passover to GOD, your God, exactly as directed in this Book of the Covenant." + This commanded Passover had not been celebrated since the days that the judges judged Israel--none of the kings of Israel and Judah had celebrated it. + But in the eighteenth year of the rule of King Josiah this very Passover was celebrated to GOD in Jerusalem. + Josiah scrubbed the place clean and trashed spirit-mediums, sorcerers, domestic gods, and carved figures--all the vast accumulation of foul and obscene relics and images on display everywhere you looked in Judah and Jerusalem. Josiah did this in obedience to the words of GOD's Revelation written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in The Temple of GOD. + There was no king to compare with Josiah--neither before nor after--a king who turned in total and repentant obedience to GOD, heart and mind and strength, following the instructions revealed to and written by Moses. The world would never again see a king like Josiah. + But despite Josiah, GOD's hot anger did not cool; the raging anger ignited by Manasseh burned unchecked. + And GOD, not swerving in his judgment, gave sentence: "I'll remove Judah from my presence in the same way I removed Israel. I'll turn my back on this city, Jerusalem, that I chose, and even from this Temple of which I said, 'My Name lives here.'" + The rest of the life and times of Josiah is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Josiah's death came about when Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt marched out to join forces with the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. When King Josiah intercepted him at the Plain of Megiddo, Neco killed him. + Josiah's servants took his body in a chariot, returned him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. By popular choice Jehoahaz son of Josiah was anointed and succeeded his father as king. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to rule. He was king in Jerusalem for a mere three months. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah. She came from Libnah. + In GOD's opinion, he was an evil king, reverting to the evil ways of his ancestors. + Pharaoh Neco captured Jehoahaz at Riblah in the country of Hamath and put him in chains, preventing him from ruling in Jerusalem. He demanded that Judah pay tribute of nearly four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold. + Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah the successor to Josiah, but changed his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was carted off to Egypt and eventually died there. + Meanwhile Jehoiakim, like a good puppet, dutifully paid out the silver and gold demanded by Pharaoh. He scraped up the money by gouging the people, making everyone pay an assessed tax. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to rule; he was king for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah. She had come from Rumah. + In GOD's opinion he was an evil king, picking up on the evil ways of his ancestors. + + + It was during his reign that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the country. Jehoiakim became his puppet. But after three years he had had enough and revolted. + GOD dispatched a succession of raiding bands against him: Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite. The strategy was to destroy Judah. Through the preaching of his servants and prophets, GOD had said he would do this, and now he was doing it. + None of this was by chance--it was GOD's judgment as he turned his back on Judah because of the enormity of the sins of Manasseh--Manasseh, the killer-king, + who made the Jerusalem streets flow with the innocent blood of his victims. GOD wasn't about to overlook such crimes. + The rest of the life and times of Jehoiakim is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + Jehoiakim died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Jehoiachin became the next king. + The threat from Egypt was now over--no more invasions by the king of Egypt--for by this time the king of Babylon had captured all the land between the Brook of Egypt and the Euphrates River, land formerly controlled by the king of Egypt. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king. His rule in Jerusalem lasted only three months. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. + In GOD's opinion he also was an evil king, no different from his father. + The next thing to happen was that the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked Jerusalem and put it under siege. + While his officers were laying siege to the city, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon paid a personal visit. + And Jehoiachin king of Judah, along with his mother, officers, advisors, and government leaders, surrendered. In the eighth year of his reign Jehoiachin was taken prisoner by the king of Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar emptied the treasuries of both The Temple of GOD and the royal palace and confiscated all the gold furnishings that Solomon king of Israel had made for The Temple of GOD. This should have been no surprise--GOD had said it would happen. + And then he emptied Jerusalem of people--all its leaders and soldiers, all its craftsmen and artisans. He took them into exile, something like ten thousand of them! The only ones he left were the very poor. + He took Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon. With him he took the king's mother, his wives, his chief officers, the community leaders, + anyone who was anybody--in round numbers, seven thousand soldiers plus another thousand or so craftsmen and artisans, all herded off into exile in Babylon. + Then the king of Babylon made Jehoiachin's uncle, Mattaniah, his puppet king, but changed his name to Zedekiah. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah. Her hometown was Libnah. + As far as GOD was concerned Zedekiah was just one more evil king, a carbon copy of Jehoiakim. + The source of all this doom to Jerusalem and Judah was GOD's anger--GOD turned his back on them as an act of judgment. And then Zedekiah revolted against the king of Babylon. + + + The revolt dates from the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah's reign. Nebuchadnezzar set out for Jerusalem immediately with a full army. He set up camp and sealed off the city by building siege mounds around it. + The city was under siege for nineteen months (until the eleventh year of Zedekiah). + By the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the famine was so bad that there wasn't so much as a crumb of bread for anyone. + Then there was a breakthrough. At night, under cover of darkness, the entire army escaped through an opening in the wall (it was the gate between the two walls above the King's Garden). They slipped through the lines of the Babylonians who surrounded the city and headed for the Jordan on the Arabah Valley road. + But the Babylonians were in pursuit of the king and they caught up with him in the Plains of Jericho. By then Zedekiah's army had deserted and was scattered. + The Babylonians took Zedekiah prisoner and marched him off to the king of Babylon at Riblah, then tried and sentenced him on the spot. + Zedekiah's sons were executed right before his eyes; the summary murder of his sons was the last thing he saw, for they then blinded him. Securely handcuffed, he was hauled off to Babylon. + In the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, on the seventh day of the fifth month, Nebuzaradan, the king of Babylon's chief deputy, arrived in Jerusalem. + He burned The Temple of GOD to the ground, went on to the royal palace, and then finished off the city--burned the whole place down. + He put the Babylonian troops he had with him to work knocking down the city walls. + Finally, he rounded up everyone left in the city, including those who had earlier deserted to the king of Babylon, and took them off into exile. + He left a few poor dirt farmers behind to tend the vineyards and what was left of the fields. + The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the bronze washstands, and the huge bronze basin (the Sea) that were in The Temple of GOD and hauled the bronze off to Babylon. + They also took the various bronze-crafted liturgical accessories used in the services of Temple worship, + as well as the gold and silver censers and sprinkling bowls. The king's deputy didn't miss a thing--he took every scrap of precious metal he could find. + The amount of bronze they got from the two pillars, the Sea, and all the washstands that Solomon had made for The Temple of GOD was enormous--they couldn't weigh it all! + Each pillar stood twenty-seven feet high, plus another four and a half feet for an ornate capital of bronze filigree and decorative fruit. + The king's deputy took a number of special prisoners: Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the associate priest, three wardens, + the chief remaining army officer, five of the king's counselors, the accountant, the chief recruiting officer for the army, and sixty men of standing from among the people. + Nebuzaradan the king's deputy marched them all off to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon killed the lot of them in cold blood. Judah went into exile, orphaned from her land. + Regarding the common people who were left behind in Judah, this: Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as their governor. + When veteran army officers among the people heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Among them were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and some of their followers. + Gedaliah assured the officers and their men, giving them his word, "Don't be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Go back to your farms and families and respect the king of Babylon. Trust me, everything is going to be all right." + Some time later--it was in the seventh month--Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama (he had royal blood in him), came back with ten men and killed Gedaliah, the traitor Jews, and the Babylonian officials who were stationed at Mizpah--a bloody massacre. + But then, afraid of what the Babylonians would do, they all took off for Egypt, leaders and people, small and great. + When Jehoiachin king of Judah had been in exile for thirty-seven years, Evil-Merodach became king in Babylon and let Jehoiachin out of prison. This release took place on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. + The king treated him most courteously and gave him preferential treatment beyond anything experienced by the other political prisoners held in Babylon. + Jehoiachin took off his prison garb and for the rest of his life ate his meals in company with the king. + The king provided everything he needed to live comfortably. + + + + + Adam, Seth, Enosh, + Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, + Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, + Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + Japheth had Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + Gomer had Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. + Javan had Elisha, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. + Ham had Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. + Cush had Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah had Sheba and Dedan. + Cush had Nimrod, the first great hero on earth. + Mizraim was ancestor to the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, + the Pathrusim, the Casluhim, and the Caphtorim from whom the Philistines descended. + Canaan had Sidon (his firstborn) and Heth, + and was ancestor to the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, + the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, + the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. + Shem had Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. + Arphaxad had Shelah and Shelah had Eber. + Eber had two sons: Peleg (Division) because in his time the earth was divided up; his brother was Joktan. + Joktan had Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab--all sons of Joktan. + The three main branches in summary: Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, + Eber, Peleg, Reu, + Serug, Nahor, Terah, + and Abram (Abraham). + And Abraham had Isaac and Ishmael. + Abraham's family tree developed along these lines: Ishmael had Nebaioth (his firstborn), then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, + Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah--the Ishmael branch. + Keturah, Abraham's concubine, gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Then Jokshan had Sheba and Dedan. + And Midian had Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These made up the Keturah branch. + Abraham had Isaac, and Isaac had Esau and Israel (Jacob). + Esau had Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + Eliphaz had Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek. + And Reuel had Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. + Seir then had Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. + Lotan had Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. + Shobal had Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. Zibeon had Aiah and Anah. + Anah had Dishon. Dishon had Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. + Ezer had Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. And Dishan had Uz and Aran. + A list of the kings who ruled in the country of Edom before Israel had a king: Bela son of Beor; his city was Dinhabah. + Bela died; Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah was the next king. + Jobab died; Husham from the country of the Temanites was the next king. + Husham died; Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, was the next king; his city was Avith. + Hadad died; Samlah from Masrekah was the next king. + Samlah died; Shaul from Rehoboth-by-the-River was the next king. + Shaul died; Baal-Hanan son of Acbor was the next king. + Baal-Hanan died; Hadad was the next king; his city was Pau and his wife was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. + Last of all Hadad died. The chieftains of Edom after that were Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, + Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, + Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, + Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chieftains of Edom. + + + Israel's (that is, Jacob's) sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, + Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. + Judah had Er, Onan, and Shelah; their mother was Bathshua the Canaanite. Er, Judah's firstborn, was so bad before GOD that GOD killed him. + Judah also had Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar--a total of five sons. + Perez had Hezron and Hamul; + Zerah had Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda--five sons. + Carmi had Achar, who brought doom on Israel when he violated a holy ban. + Ethan's son was Azariah. + And Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. + Ram had Amminadab and Amminadab had Nahshon, a prominent leader in the Judah family. + Nahshon had Salmon and Salmon had Boaz. + Boaz had Obed and Obed had Jesse. + Jesse's firstborn was Eliab, followed by Abinadab, Shimea, + Nethanel, Raddai, + Ozem, and finally David; David was the seventh. + Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah gave birth to three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel; + Abigail was the mother of Amasa (the father was Jether the Ishmaelite). + Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and also by Jerioth. Azubah's sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. + After Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who gave birth to Hur. + Hur had Uri and Uri had Bezalel. + Some time later Hezron married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead; he was sixty years old when he married her; she gave birth to Segub. + Then Segub had Jair who owned twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. + Geshur and Aram captured the nomadic villages of Jair and Kenath and their satellite settlements--sixty towns. These all belonged to Makir the father of Gilead. + After the death of Hezron, Caleb married Ephrathah the wife of his father Hezron; she then gave birth to Ashhur the father of Tekoa. + The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron's firstborn: Ram his firstborn, followed by Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. + Jerahmeel had another wife whose name was Atarah; she gave birth to Onam. + The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel's firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. + The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. + Abishur's wife was Abihail; she gave birth to Ahban and Molid. + Nadab had Seled and Appaim. Seled died leaving no sons. + Appaim had Ishi; Ishi had Sheshan; and Sheshan had Ahlai. + Jada, Shammai's brother, had Jether and Jonathan. Jether died leaving no sons. + Jonathan had Peleth and Zaza. This is the family tree of the sons of Jerahmeel. + Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. But Sheshan had an Egyptian servant, Jarha. + Sheshan married his daughter to Jarha and she gave birth to Attai. + Attai had Nathan, Nathan had Zabad, + Zabad had Ephlal, Ephlal had Obed, + Obed had Jehu, Jehu had Azariah, + Azariah had Helez, Helez had Eleasah, + Eleasah had Sismai, Sismai had Shallum, + Shallum had Jekamiah, and Jekamiah had Elishama. + Jerahmeel's brother Caleb had a son, his firstborn, named Mesha; Mesha had Ziph; Ziph's son was Mareshah the father of Hebron. + The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. + Shema had Raham the father of Jorkeam; Rekem had Shammai. + Shammai's son was Maon and Maon was the father of Beth Zur. + Caleb's concubine Ephah gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez; Haran had Gazez. + The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. + Another concubine of Caleb, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. + She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Acsah. + These made up the Caleb branch of the family tree. The sons of Hur, Ephrathah's firstborn: Shobal who had Kiriath Jearim, + Salma who had Bethlehem, and Hareph father of Beth Gader. + The family of Shobal, father of Kiriath Jearim: Haroeh, half of the population of Manahath, + the families of Kiriath Jearim, the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites also came from this line. + The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, + and the families of Sopherim who lived at Jabez--the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. They made up the Kenites who came from Hammath the father of the house of Recab. + + + These are the sons that David had while he lived at Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel; second, Daniel by Abigail of Carmel; + third, Absalom born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; fourth, Adonijah born of Haggith; + fifth, Shephatiah born of Abital; sixth, Ithream born of his wife Eglah. + He had these six sons while he was in Hebron; he was king there for seven years and six months. He went on to be king in Jerusalem for another thirty-three years. + These are the sons he had in Jerusalem: first Shammua, then Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel was the mother of these four. + And then there were another nine sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet-- + David's sons, plus Tamar their sister. There were other sons by his concubines. + In the next generation Solomon had Rehoboam, who had Abijah, who had Asa, who had Jehoshaphat, + who had Jehoram, who had Ahaziah, who had Joash, + who had Amaziah, who had Azariah, who had Jotham, + who had Ahaz, who had Hezekiah, who had Manasseh, + who had Amon, who had Josiah. + Josiah's firstborn was Johanan, followed by Jehoiakim, then Zedekiah, and finally Shallum. + Jehoiakim's sons were Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah. + The sons of Jeconiah born while he was captive in Babylon: Shealtiel, + Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. + Pedaiah had Zerubbabel and Shimei; Zerubbabel had Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister. + And then five more--Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed. + Hananiah's sons were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. There were also sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, sons of Obadiah, and sons of Shecaniah. + Shecaniah had Shemaiah who in his turn had Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat--six of them. + Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam. + And Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani. + + + Sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. + Reaiah, Shobal's son, had Jahath; and Jahath had Ahumai and Lahad. These made up the families of the Zorathites. + Sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. + Penuel had Gedor and Ezer had Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, firstborn son of Ephrathah, who was the father of Bethlehem. + Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. + Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari--Naarah's children. + Helah's sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, + and Koz, who had Anub, Hazzobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum. + Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, "A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!" + Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: "Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection--don't let evil hurt me." God gave him what he asked. + Kelub, Shuhah's brother, had Mehir; Mehir had Eshton; + Eshton had Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who founded Ir Nahash (City of Smiths). These were known as the men of Recah. + The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. + Meonothai had Ophrah; Seraiah had Joab, the founder of Ge Harashim (Colony of Artisans). + The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz. + The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. + The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered's wives, Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. + His Judean wife gave birth to Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel father of Zanoah. + The sons of Hodiah's wife, Naham's sister: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. + The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth. + The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the family of linen workers at Beth Ashbea, + Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from very old traditions.) + They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah, resident potters who worked for the king. + The Simeon family tree: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; + Shaul had Shallum, Shallum had Mibsam, and Mibsam had Mishma. + The sons of Mishma: Hammuel had Zaccur and Zaccur had Shimei. + Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers were not nearly as prolific and never became a large family like Judah. + They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, + Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, + Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, + Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in these towns until David became king. + Other settlements in the vicinity were the five towns of Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, + and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept good family records. + Meshobab; Jamlech; Joshah the son of Amaziah; + Joel; Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; + Elioenai; Jaakobah; Jeshohaiah; Asaiah; Adiel; Jesimiel; Benaiah; + and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah-- + all these were the leaders in their families. They prospered and increased in numbers + so that they had to go as far as Gedor (Gerar) to the east of the valley looking for pasture for their flocks. + And they found it--lush pasture, lots of elbow room, peaceful and quiet. Some Hamites had lived there in former times. + But the men in these family trees came when Hezekiah was king of Judah and attacked the Hamites, tearing down their tents and houses. There was nothing left of them, as you can see today. Then they moved in and took over because of the great pastureland. + Five hundred of these Simeonites went on and invaded the hill country of Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. + They killed all the escaped Amalekites who were still around. And they still live there. + + + The family of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Though Reuben was Israel's firstborn, after he slept with his father's concubine, a defiling act, his rights as the firstborn were passed on to the sons of Joseph son of Israel. He lost his "firstborn" place in the family tree. + And even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and King David eventually came from that family, the firstborn rights stayed with Joseph. + The sons of Reuben, firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, + Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, + and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was the prince of the Reubenites. + Beerah's brothers are listed in the family tree by families: first Jeiel, followed by Zechariah: + then Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. Joel lived in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. + His family occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that goes all the way to the Euphrates River, since their growing herds of livestock spilled out of Gilead. + During Saul's reign they fought and defeated the Hagrites; they then took over their tents and lived in them on the eastern frontier of Gilead. + The family of Gad were their neighbors in Bashan, as far as Salecah: + Joel was the chief, Shapham the second-in-command, and then Janai, the judge in Bashan. + Their brothers, by families, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber--seven in all. + These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. + Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family. + The family of Gad lived in Gilead and Bashan, including the outlying villages and extending as far as the pastures of Sharon. + They were all written into the official family tree during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel. + The families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men trained for war--physically fit and skilled in handling shield, sword, and bow. + They fought against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. + God helped them as they fought. God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. God answered their prayers because they trusted him. + They plundered the Hagrite herds and flocks: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also captured 100,000 people. + Many were killed, because the battle was God's. They lived in that country until the exile. + The half-tribe of Manasseh had a large population. They occupied the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon). + The heads of their families were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel--brave warriors, famous, and heads of their families. + But they were not faithful to the God of their ancestors. They took up with the ungodly gods of the peoples of the land whom God had gotten rid of before they arrived. + So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria) to take the families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He deported them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. They've been there ever since. + + + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + Eleazar had Phinehas, Phinehas had Abishua, + Abishua had Bukki, Bukki had Uzzi, + Uzzi had Zerahiah, Zerahiah had Meraioth, + Meraioth had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, + Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Ahimaaz, + Ahimaaz had Azariah, Azariah had Johanan, + and Johanan had Azariah (who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem). + Azariah had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, + Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Shallum, + Shallum had Hilkiah, Hilkiah had Azariah, + Azariah had Seraiah, and Seraiah had Jehozadak. + Jehozadak went off to exile when GOD used Nebuchadnezzar to take Judah and Jerusalem into exile. + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the Levitical clans according to families: + the sons of Gershon were Libni his son, Jehath his son, Zimmah his son, + Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. + The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, + Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, + Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. + The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, + Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, + Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. + The sons of Samuel were Joel his firstborn son and Abijah his second. + The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, + Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son. + These are the persons David appointed to lead the singing in the house of GOD after the Chest was placed there. + They were the ministers of music in the place of worship, which was the Tent of Meeting until Solomon built The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem. As they carried out their work, they followed the instructions given to them. + These are the persons, together with their sons, who served by preparing for and directing worship: from the family of the Kohathites was Heman the choirmaster, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, + the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, + the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, + the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, + the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, + the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. + Heman's associate Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, + the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malkijah, + the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, + the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, + the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi. + Of the sons of Merari, the associates who stood at his left hand, was Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, + the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, + the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, + the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. + The rest of the Levites were assigned to all the other work in the place of worship, the house of God. + Aaron and his sons offered the sacrifices on the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Altar of Incense; they were in charge of all the work surrounding the Holy of Holies. They made atonement for Israel following the instructions commanded by Moses, servant of God. + These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, + Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, + Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, + Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son. + And these are the places where the priestly families were assigned to live. The first assignment went by lot to the sons of Aaron of the Kohathite family; + they were given Hebron in the land of Judah and all the neighboring pastures. + Caleb the son of Jephunneh got the fields and villages around the city. + The family of Aaron was also given the cities of refuge, with pastures included: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Hilen, Debir, + Ashan, and Beth Shemesh. + They were also given Geba from the tribe of Benjamin, Alemeth, and Anathoth, all with pastures included. In all, thirteen cities were distributed among the Kohathite families. + The rest of the Kohathites were given another ten cities, distributed by lot from the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. + The sons of Merari, family by family, were assigned by lot twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. + The sons of Israel gave the Levites both the cities and their pastures. + They also distributed by lot cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. + Some of the Kohath families were given their cities from the tribe of Ephraim, + cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, + Jokmeam, Beth Horon, + Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon--all with their pastures. + The rest of the sons of Kohath were given Aner and Bileam with their pastures from the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth; + from the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh, Daberath, + Ramoth, and Anem; + from the tribe of Asher, Mashal, Abdon, + Hukok, and Rehob; + from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim. + The rest of the sons of Merari got Rimmono and Tabor from the tribe of Zebulun; + Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, + Kedemoth, and Mephaath from the tribe of Reuben to the east of the Jordan; + and Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, + Heshbon, and Jazer from the tribe of Gad. Pastures were included in all these towns. + + + The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron--four sons. + The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel--the chiefs of their families. During David's reign, the Tola family counted 22,600 warriors in their lineage. + The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah; the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah--five sons and all of them chiefs. + They counted 36,000 warriors in their lineage because they had more wives and sons than their brothers. + The extended families of Issachar accounted for 87,000 warriors--all of them listed in the family tree. + Benjamin had three sons: Bela, Beker, and Jediael. + Bela had five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, all of them chiefs and warriors. They counted 22,034 names in their family tree. + Beker's sons were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. + Through these chiefs their family tree listed 20,200 warriors. + Jediael's son was Bilhan and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar-- + all sons of Jediael and family chiefs; they counted 17,200 combat-ready warriors. + Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir; Hushim were from the family of Aher. + The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum; they are listed under the maternal line of Bilhah, their grandfather's concubine. + Manasseh's sons, born of his Aramean concubine, were Asriel and Makir the father of Gilead. + Makir got his wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister's name was Maacah. Another son, Zelophehad, had only daughters. + Makir's wife Maacah bore a son whom she named Peresh; his brother's name was Sheresh and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. + Ulam's son was Bedan. This accounts for the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. + His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishdod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. + The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. + The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, + Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, cattle-rustlers, killed on one of their raids by the natives of Gath. + Their father Ephraim grieved a long time and his family gathered to give him comfort. + Then he slept with his wife again. She conceived and produced a son. He named him Beriah (Unlucky), because of the bad luck that had come to his family. + His daughter was Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah. + Rephah was Ephraim's son and also Resheph; Telah was his son, Tahan his son, + Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, + Nun his son, and Joshua his son. + They occupied Bethel and the neighboring country from Naaran on the east to Gezer and its villages on the west, along with Shechem and its villages, and extending as far as Ayyah and its villages. + Stretched along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their satellite villages. The families descended from Joseph son of Israel lived in all these places. + The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; Serah was their sister. + The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel, who had Birzaith. + Heber had Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister. + Japhlet had Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. + His brother Shomer had Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. + His brother Helem had Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. + Zophah had Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, + Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. + Jether had Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. + Ulla had Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. + These were Asher's sons, all of them responsible, excellent in character, and brave in battle--good leaders. They listed 26,000 combat-ready men in their family tree. + + + Benjamin's firstborn son was Bela, followed by Ashbel, Aharah, + Nohah, and Rapha--five in all. + Bela's sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, + Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, + Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. + These are the families of Ehud that lived in Geba and were exiled to Manahath: + Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who led them to exile and had Uzza and Ahihud. + In the land of Moab, Shaharaim had children after he divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. + From his new wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, + Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah--sons who became heads of families. + From his earlier wife Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal. + Elpaal's sons were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with all their villages. + Beriah and Shema were family chiefs who lived at Aijalon. They drove out the citizens of Gath. + Their brothers were Shashak and Jeremoth. + The sons of Beriah were Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, + Michael, Ishpah, and Joha. + The sons of Elpaal were Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, + Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab. + The sons of Shimei were Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, + Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, + Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath. + The sons of Shashak were Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, + Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, + Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, + Iphdeiah, and Penuel. + The sons of Jeroham were Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, + Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri. + These were the chiefs of the families as listed in their family tree. They lived in Jerusalem. + Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah. + Abdon was his firstborn son, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zeker, and Mikloth. + Mikloth had Shimeah. They lived in the neighborhood of their extended families in Jerusalem. + Ner had Kish, Kish had Saul, and Saul had Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. + Jonathan had Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal had Micah. + Micah's sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. + Ahaz had Jehoaddah and Jehoaddah had Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri had Moza and + Moza had Binea. Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. + Azel had six sons named Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. + His brother Eshek's sons were Ulam his firstborn, followed by Jeush and Eliphelet. + Ulam's sons were warriors well known as archers. They had lots of sons and grandsons--at least 150. These were all in Benjamin's family tree. + + + This is the complete family tree for all Israel, recorded in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah at the time they were exiled to Babylon because of their unbelieving and disobedient lives. + The first Israelites to return from exile to their homes and cities were the priests, the Levites, and the temple support staff. + Returning to Jerusalem from the families of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh were the following: + Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, from the line of Perez son of Judah; + from the Shilonites were Asaiah the firstborn and his sons; + from the family of Zerah there was Jeuel. There were 690 in the Judah group. + From the family of Benjamin were Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah, + and Ibneiah son of Jeroham, and Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Micri, and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah. + There were 956 in the Benjamin group. All these named were heads of families. + From the company of priests there were Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; + Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, who was in charge of taking care of the house of God; + Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah; also Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer. + The priests, all of them heads of families, numbered 1,760, skilled and seasoned servants in the work of worshiping God. + From the Levites were Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a Merarite; + then Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zicri, the son of Asaph; + also Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and finally Berekiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. + The security guards were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers. Shallum was the chief + and up to now the security guard at the King's Gate on the east. They also served as security guards at the camps of Levite families. + Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, along with his brothers in the Korahite family, were in charge of the services of worship as doorkeepers of the Tent, as their ancestors had guarded the entrance to the camp of God. + In the early days, Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the security guards--God be with him! + Now Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the security guard at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. + The number of those who had been chosen to be security guards was 212--they were officially registered in their own camps. David and Samuel the seer handpicked them for their dependability. + They and their sons had the permanent responsibility for guarding the gates of God's house, the house of worship; + the main security guards were posted at the four entrances, east, west, north, and south; + their brothers in the villages were scheduled to give them relief weekly--the four main security guards were responsible for round-the-clock surveillance. + Being Levites, they were responsible for the security of all supplies and valuables in the house of God. + They kept watch all through the night and had the key to open the doors each morning. + Some were in charge of the articles used in The Temple worship--they counted them both when they brought them in and when they took them out. + Others were in charge of supplies in the sanctuary--flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices. + And some of the priests were assigned to mixing the oils for the perfume. + The Levite Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for baking the bread for the services of worship. + Some of the brothers, sons of the Kohathites, were assigned to preparing the bread set out on the table each Sabbath. + And then there were the musicians, all heads of Levite families. They had permanent living quarters in The Temple; because they were on twenty-four-hour duty, + they were exempt from all other duties. These were the heads of Levite families as designated in their family tree. They lived in Jerusalem. + Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived at Gibeon; his wife was Maacah. + His firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. + Mikloth had Shimeam. They lived in the same neighborhood as their relatives in Jerusalem. + Ner had Kish, Kish had Saul, Saul had Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. + Merib-Baal was the son of Jonathan and Merib-Baal had Micah. + Micah's sons were Pithon, Melech, and Tahrea. + Ahaz had Jarah, Jarah had Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri had Moza, + Moza had Binea, Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah was his son, and Azel was his son. + Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan--the sons of Azel. + + + The Philistines went to war against Israel; the Israelites ran for their lives from the Philistines but fell, slaughtered on Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines zeroed in on Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. + The battle went hard against Saul--the archers found him and wounded him. + Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and finish me off before these pagan pigs get to me and make a sport of my body." But his armor bearer, restrained by both reverence and fear, wouldn't do it. So Saul took his own sword and killed himself. + The armor bearer, panicked because Saul was dead, then killed himself. + So Saul and his three sons--all four the same day--died. + When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and ran off; the Philistines came and moved in. + The next day the Philistines came to plunder the dead bodies and found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. + They stripped Saul, removed his head and his armor, and put them on exhibit throughout Philistia, reporting the victory news to their idols and the people. + Then they put Saul's armor on display in the temple of their gods and placed his skull as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon. + The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. + All of their fighting men went into action--retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh, gave them a dignified burial under the oak at Jabesh, and mourned their deaths for seven days. + Saul died in disobedience, disobedient to GOD. He didn't obey GOD's words. Instead of praying, he went to a witch to seek guidance. + Because he didn't go to GOD for help, GOD took his life and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. + + + Then all Israel assembled before David at Hebron. "Look at us," they said. "We're your very flesh and blood. + In the past, yes, even while Saul was king, you were the real leader of Israel. GOD told you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel; you are to be the ruler of my people Israel.'" + When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in the presence of GOD at Hebron. Then they anointed David king over Israel exactly as GOD had commanded through Samuel. + David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (it was the old Jebus, where the Jebusites lived). + The citizens of Jebus told David, "No trespassing--you can't come here." David came on anyway and captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. + David had said, "The first person to kill a Jebusite will be commander-in-chief." Joab son of Zeruiah was the first; and he became the chief. + David took up residence in the fortress city; that's how it got its name, "City of David." + David fortified the city all the way around, both the outer bulwarks (the Millo) and the outside wall. Joab rebuilt the city gates. + David's stride became longer, his embrace larger--yes, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him! + These are the chiefs of David's Mighty Men, the ones who linked arms with him as he took up his kingship, with all Israel joining in, helping him become king in just the way GOD had spoken regarding Israel. + The list of David's Mighty Men: Jashobeam son of Hacmoni was chief of the Thirty. Singlehandedly he killed three hundred men, killed them all in one skirmish. + Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the Big Three of the Mighty Men. + He was with David at Pas Dammim, where the Philistines had mustered their troops for battle. It was an area where there was a field of barley. The army started to flee from the Philistines + and then took its stand right in that field--and turned the tide! They slaughtered the Philistines, GOD helping them--a huge victory. + The Big Three from the Thirty made a rocky descent to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. + David was holed up in the Cave while the Philistines were prepared for battle at Bethlehem. + David had a sudden craving: "What I wouldn't give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!" + The Three penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David. And then David wouldn't drink it! He poured it out as a sacred offering to GOD, + saying, "I'd rather be damned by God than drink this! It would be like drinking the lifeblood of these men--they risked their lives to bring it." So he refused to drink it. These are the kinds of things that the Big Three of the Mighty Men did. + Abishai brother of Joab was the chief of the Thirty. Singlehandedly he fought three hundred men, and killed the lot, but he never made it into the circle of the Three. + He was highly honored by the Thirty--he was their chief--still, he didn't measure up to the Three. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a Mighty Man from Kabzeel with many exploits to his credit: he killed two famous Moabites; he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day; + and he killed an Egyptian, a giant seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a ship's boom but Benaiah went at him with a mere club, tore the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with it. + These are some of the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. But he was never included with the Three. + He was highly honored among the Thirty, but didn't measure up to the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard. + The Mighty Men of the military were Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, + Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, + Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, + Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, + Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminite, Benaiah the Pirathonite, + Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, + Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, + the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, + Ahiam son of Sacar the Haranite, Eliphal son of Ur, + Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, + Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, + Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, + Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, the Reubenite chief of the Thirty, + Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, + Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, + Jediael son of Shimri, Joha the Tizite his brother, + Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, + Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. + + + These are the men who joined David in Ziklag; it was during the time he was banished by Saul the son of Kish; they were among the Mighty Men, good fighters. + They were armed with bows and could sling stones and shoot arrows either right- or left-handed. They hailed from Saul's tribe, Benjamin. + The first was Ahiezer; then Joash son of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; + Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a Mighty Man among the Thirty, a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite; + Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite; + Elkanah; Isshiah; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam; the Korahites; + and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor. + There were some Gadites there who had defected to David at his wilderness fortress; they were seasoned and eager fighters who knew how to handle shield and spear. They were wild in appearance, like lions, but as agile as gazelles racing across the hills. + Ezer was the first, then Obadiah, Eliab, + Mishmannah, Jeremiah, + Attai, Eliel, + Johanan, Elzabad, + Jeremiah, and Macbannai--eleven of them. + These Gadites were the cream of the crop--any one of them was worth a hundred lesser men, and the best of them were worth a thousand. + They were the ones who crossed the Jordan when it was at flood stage in the first month, and put everyone in the lowlands to flight, both east and west. + There were also men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah who joined David in his wilderness fortress. + When David went out to meet them, this is what he said: "If you have come in peace and to help me, you are most welcome to join this company; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies, innocent as I am, the God of our ancestors will see through you and bring judgment on you." + Just then Amasai chief of the Thirty, moved by God's Spirit, said, We're on your side, O David, We're committed, O son of Jesse; All is well, yes, all is well with you, And all's well with whoever helps you. Yes, for your God has helped and does help you. So David took them on and assigned them a place under the chiefs of the raiders. + Some from the tribe of Manasseh also defected to David when he started out with the Philistines to go to war against Saul. In the end, they didn't actually fight because the Philistine leaders, after talking it over, sent them home, saying, "We can't trust them with our lives--they'll betray us to their master Saul." + The men from Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, all leaders among the families of Manasseh. + They helped David in his raids against the desert bandits; they were all stalwart fighters and good leaders among his raiders. + Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help--it wasn't long before his band seemed as large as God's own army! + Here are the statistics on the battle-seasoned warriors who came down from the north to David at Hebron to hand over Saul's kingdom, in accord with GOD's word: + from Judah, carrying shield and spear, 6,800 battle-ready; + from Simeon, 7,100 stalwart fighters; + from Levi, 4,600, + which included Jehoiada leader of the family of Aaron, bringing 3,700 men + and the young and stalwart Zadok with twenty-two leaders from his family; + from Benjamin, Saul's family, 3,000, most of whom had stuck it out with Saul until now; + from Ephraim, 20,800, fierce fighters and famous in their hometowns; + from the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 elected to come and make David king; + from Issachar, men who understood both the times and Israel's duties, 200 leaders with their families; + from Zebulun, 50,000 well-equipped veteran warriors, unswervingly loyal; + from Naphtali, 1,000 chiefs leading 37,000 men heavily armed; + from Dan, 28,600 battle-ready men; + from Asher, 40,000 veterans, battle-ready; + and from East of Jordan, men from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, heavily armed, 120,000. + All these soldiers came to David at Hebron, ready to fight if necessary; they were both united and determined to make David king over all Israel. And everyone else in Israel was of the same mind--"Make David king!" + They were with David for three days of feasting celebration, with food and drink supplied by their families. + Neighbors ranging from as far north as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali arrived with donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen loaded down with food for the party: flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep--joy in Israel! + + + David consulted with all of his leaders, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds. + Then David addressed the entire assembly of Israel, "If it seems right to you, and it is GOD's will, let's invite all our relatives wherever they are throughout Israel, along with their relatives, including their priests and Levites from their cities and surrounding pastures, to join us. + And let's bring the Chest of our God back--the Chest that was out of sight, out of mind during the days of Saul." + The entire assembly of Israel agreed--everybody agreed that it was the right thing to do. + So David gathered all Israel together, from Egypt's Pond of Horus in the southwest to the Pass of Hamath in the northeast, to go and get the Chest of God from Kiriath Jearim. + Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring back the Chest of God, the "Cherubim-Throne-of-GOD," where GOD's Name is invoked. + They moved the Chest of God on a brand-new cart from the house of Abinadab with Uzzah and Ahio in charge. + In procession with the Chest of God, David and all Israel worshiped exuberantly in song and dance, with a marching band of all kinds of instruments. + When they were at the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah grabbed the Chest to keep it from falling off. + GOD erupted in anger against Uzzah and killed him because he grabbed the Chest. He died on the spot--in the presence of God. + David lost his temper, angry because GOD exploded against Uzzah; the place is still called Perez Uzzah (Exploded Uzzah). + David was terrified of God that day; he said, "How can I possibly continue this parade with the Chest of God?" + So David called off the parade of the Chest to the City of David; instead he stored it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. + The Chest of God was in storage in the house of Obed-Edom for three months. GOD blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything around him. + + + King Hiram of Tyre sent an envoy to David, along with cedar lumber, masons, and carpenters to build him a royal palace. + Then David knew for sure that GOD had confirmed him as king over Israel, because of the rising reputation that GOD was giving his kingdom for the benefit of his people Israel. + David married more wives and had more children in Jerusalem. + His children born in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. + The minute the Philistines heard that David had been made king over a united Israel, they went out in force to capture David. When David got the report, he marched out to confront them. + On their way, the Philistines stopped off to plunder the Valley of Rephaim. + David prayed to God: "Is this the right time to attack the Philistines? Will you give me the victory?" GOD answered, "Attack; I'll give you the victory." + David attacked at Baal Perazim and slaughtered them. David said, "God exploded my enemies, as water explodes from a burst pipe." That's how the place got its name, Baal Perazim (Baal-Explosion). + The Philistines left their gods behind and David ordered that they be burned up. + And then the Philistines were back at it again, plundering in the valley. + David again prayed to God. God answered, "This time don't attack head-on; circle around and come at them out of the balsam grove. + When you hear a sound like shuffling feet in the tops of the balsams, attack; God will be two steps ahead of you, slaughtering the Philistines." + David did exactly as God commanded, slaughtering Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. + David was soon famous all over the place, far and near; and GOD put the fear of God into the godless nations. + + + After David built houses for himself in the City of David, he cleared a place for the Chest and pitched a tent for it. + Then David gave orders: "No one carries the Chest of God except the Levites; GOD designated them and them only to carry the Chest of GOD and be available full time for service in the work of worship." + David then called everyone in Israel to assemble in Jerusalem to bring up the Chest of GOD to its specially prepared place. + David also called in the family of Aaron and the Levites. + From the family of Kohath, Uriel the head with 120 relatives; + from the family of Merari, Asaiah the head with 220 relatives; + from the family of Gershon, Joel the head with 130 relatives; + from the family of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the head with 200 relatives; + from the family of Hebron, Eliel the head with 80 relatives; + from the family of Uzziel, Amminadab the head with 112 relatives. + Then David called in Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the Levites. + He said, "You are responsible for the Levitical families; now consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, and bring up the Chest of the GOD of Israel to the place I have set aside for it. + The first time we did this, you Levites did not carry it properly, and GOD exploded in anger at us because we didn't make proper preparation and follow instructions." + So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the Chest of the GOD of Israel. + The Levites carried the Chest of God exactly as Moses, instructed by GOD, commanded--carried it with poles on their shoulders, careful not to touch it with their hands. + David ordered the heads of the Levites to assign their relatives to sing in the choir, accompanied by a well-equipped marching band, and fill the air with joyful sound. + The Levites assigned Heman son of Joel, and from his family, Asaph son of Berekiah, then Ethan son of Kushaiah from the family of Merari, + and after them in the second rank their brothers Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel as security guards. + The members of the choir and marching band were: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan with bronze cymbals; + Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with lyres carrying the melody; + Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah with harps filling in the harmony; + Kenaniah, the Levite in charge of music, a very gifted musician, was music director. + Berekiah and Elkanah were porters for the Chest. + The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew the trumpets before the Chest of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also porters for the Chest. + Now they were ready. David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands started out to get the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and bring it up from the house of Obed-Edom. And they went rejoicing. + Because God helped the Levites, strengthening them as they carried the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, they paused to worship by sacrificing seven bulls and seven rams. + They were all dressed in elegant linen--David, the Levites carrying the Chest, the choir and band, and Kenaniah who was directing the music. David also wore a linen prayer shawl (called an ephod). + On they came, all Israel on parade bringing up the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, shouting and cheering, playing every kind of brass and percussion and string instrument. + When the Chest of the Covenant of GOD entered the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, was watching from a window. When she saw King David dancing ecstatically she was filled with contempt. + + + They brought the Chest of God and placed it right in the center of the tent that David had pitched for it; then they worshiped by presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. + When David had completed the offerings of worship, he blessed the people in the name of GOD. + Then he passed around to every one there, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a slice of barbecue, and a raisin cake. + Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of GOD to lead worship--to intercede, give thanks, and praise the GOD of Israel. + Asaph was in charge; under him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, who played the musical instruments. Asaph was on percussion. + The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets before the Chest of the Covenant of God at set times through the day. + That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to GOD, led by Asaph and his company. + Thank GOD! Call out his Name! Tell the whole world who he is and what he's done! + Sing to him! Play songs for him! Broadcast all his wonders! + Revel in his holy Name, GOD-seekers, be jubilant! + Study GOD and his strength, seek his presence day and night; + Remember all the wonders he performed, the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth. + Seed of Israel his servant! Children of Jacob, his first choice! + He is GOD, our God; wherever you go you come on his judgments and decisions. + He keeps his commitments across thousands of generations, the covenant he commanded, + The same one he made with Abraham, the very one he swore to Isaac; + He posted it in big block letters to Jacob, this eternal covenant with Israel: + "I give you the land of Canaan, this is your inheritance; + Even though you're not much to look at, a few straggling strangers." + They wandered from country to country, camped out in one kingdom after another; + But he didn't let anyone push them around, he stood up for them against bully-kings: + "Don't you dare touch my anointed ones, don't lay a hand on my prophets." + Sing to GOD, everyone and everything! Get out his salvation news every day! + Publish his glory among the godless nations, his wonders to all races and religions. + And why? Because GOD is great--well worth praising! No god or goddess comes close in honor. + All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense, but GOD made the cosmos! + Splendor and majesty flow out of him, strength and joy fill his place. + Shout Bravo! to GOD, families of the peoples, in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo! + Shout Bravo! to his famous Name, lift high an offering and enter his presence! Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness! + God is serious business, take him seriously; he's put the earth in place and it's not moving. + So let heaven rejoice, let earth be jubilant, and pass the word among the nations, "GOD reigns!" + Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow, let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters; + Then the trees in the forest will add their applause to all who are pleased and present before GOD --he's on his way to set things right! + Give thanks to GOD--he is good and his love never quits. + Say, "Save us, Savior God, round us up and get us out of these godless places, So we can give thanks to your holy Name, and bask in your life of praise." + Blessed be GOD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then everybody said, "Yes! Amen!" and "Praise GOD!" + David left Asaph and his coworkers with the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and in charge of the work of worship; they were responsible for the needs of worship around the clock. + He also assigned Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight relatives to help them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were in charge of the security guards. + The priest Zadok and his family of priests were assigned to the Tent of GOD at the sacred mound at Gibeon + to make sure that the services of morning and evening worship were conducted daily, complete with Whole-Burnt-Offerings offered on the Altar of Burnt Offering, as ordered in the Law of GOD, which was the norm for Israel. + With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and others specifically named, with the job description: "Give thanks to GOD, for his love never quits!" + Heman and Jeduthun were also well equipped with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments for accompanying sacred songs. The sons of Jeduthun formed the security guard. + Arrangements completed, the people all left for home. And David went home to bless his family. + + + After the king had made himself at home, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look at this: Here I am comfortable in a luxurious palace of cedar and the Chest of the Covenant of GOD sits under a tent." + Nathan told David, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it; God is with you." + But that night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying, + "Go and tell my servant David, This is GOD's word on the matter: You will not build me a 'house' to live in. + Why, I haven't lived in a 'house' from the time I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt till now; I've gone from one tent and makeshift shelter to another. + In all my travels with all Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, 'Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?' + "So here is what you are to tell my servant David: The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel. + I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you; and now I'm about to make you famous, ranked with the great names on earth. + I'm going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so they'll have their own home and not be knocked around anymore; nor will evil nations afflict them as they always have, + even during the days I set judges over my people Israel. And finally, I'm going to conquer all your enemies. "And now I'm telling you this: GOD himself will build you a house! + When your life is complete and you're buried with your ancestors, then I'll raise up your child to succeed you, a child from your own body, and I'll firmly establish his rule. + He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom's rule forever. + I'll be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me. I will never remove my gracious love from him as I did from the one who preceded you. + I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will always be there, rock solid." + Nathan gave David a complete and accurate report of everything he heard and saw in the vision. + King David went in, took his place before GOD, and prayed: Who am I, my Master GOD, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? + But that's nothing compared to what's coming, for you've also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow and looked on me, Master GOD, as a Somebody. + What's left for David to say to this--to your honoring your servant, even though you know me, just as I am? + O GOD, out of the goodness of your heart, you've taken your servant to do this great thing and put your great work on display. + There's none like you, GOD, no God but you, nothing to compare with what we've heard with our own ears. + And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique on earth, whom God set out to redeem as his own people (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt? + You established for yourself a people--your very own Israel!--your people forever. And you, GOD, became their God. + So now, great GOD, this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it forever! Do exactly what you've promised! + Then your reputation will be confirmed and flourish always as people exclaim, "The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God over Israel, is Israel's God!" And the house of your servant David will remain rock solid under your watchful presence. + You, my God, have told me plainly, "I will build you a house." That's how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you. + GOD, being the God you are, you have spoken all these wonderful words to me. + As if that weren't enough, you've blessed my family so that it will continue in your presence always. Because you have blessed it, GOD, it's really blessed--blessed for good! + + + In the days that followed, David struck hard at the Philistines, bringing them to their knees, captured Gath, and took control of the surrounding countryside. + He also fought and defeated Moab. The Moabites came under David's rule and paid regular tribute. + On his way to restore his sovereignty at the Euphrates River, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah (over toward Hamath). + David captured a thousand chariots, 7,000 cavalry, and 20,000 infantry from him. He hamstrung all the chariot horses, but saved back a hundred. + When the Arameans from Damascus came to the aid of Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. + David set up a puppet government in Aram-Damascus. The Arameans became subjects of David and were forced to bring tribute. GOD gave victory to David wherever he marched. + David plundered the gold shields that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + He also looted Tebah and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, of a huge quantity of bronze that Solomon later used to make the Great Bronze Sea, the Pillars, and bronze equipment in The Temple. + Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck down the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah. + He sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer. Tou and Hadadezer were old enemies. Hadoram brought David various things made of silver, gold, and bronze. + King David consecrated these things along with the silver and gold that he had plundered from other nations: Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek. + Abishai son of Zeruiah fought and defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt--18,000 of them. + He set up a puppet government in Edom and the Edomites became subjects under David. GOD gave David victory wherever he marched. + Thus David ruled over all of Israel. He ruled well, fair and evenhanded in all his duties and relationships. + Joab son of Zeruiah was head of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of public records; + Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the special forces, the Kerethites and Pelethites; And David's sons held high positions, close to the king. + + + Some time after this Nahash king of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him as king. + David said, "I'd like to show some kindness to Hanun son of Nahash--treat him as well and as kindly as his father treated me." So David sent condolences about his father's death. But when David's servants arrived in Ammonite country and came to Hanun to bring condolences, + the Ammonite leaders warned Hanun, "Do you for a minute suppose that David is honoring your father by sending you comforters? Don't you know that he's sent these men to snoop around the city and size it up so that he can capture it?" + So Hanun seized David's men, shaved them clean, cut off their robes half way up their buttocks, and sent them packing. + When this was all reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, for they were seriously humiliated. The king told them, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow out; only then come back." + When it dawned on the Ammonites that as far as David was concerned, they stank to high heaven, + they hired, at a cost of a thousand talents of silver (thirty-seven and a half tons!), chariots and horsemen from the Arameans of Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah--32,000 chariots and drivers; plus the king of Maacah with his troops who came and set up camp at Medeba; the Ammonites, too, were mobilized from their cities and got ready for battle. + When David heard this, he dispatched Joab with his strongest fighters in full force. + The Ammonites marched out and spread out in battle formation at the city gate; the kings who had come as allies took up a position in the open fields. + When Joab saw that he had two fronts to fight, before and behind, he took his pick of the best of Israel and deployed them to confront the Arameans. + The rest of the army he put under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them to deal with the Ammonites. + Then he said, "If the Arameans are too much for me, you help me; and if the Ammonites prove too much for you, I'll come and help you. + Courage! We'll fight might and main for our people and for the cities of our God. And GOD will do whatever he sees needs doing!" + But when Joab and his soldiers moved in to fight the Arameans, they ran off in full retreat. + Then the Ammonites, seeing the Arameans run for dear life, took to their heels and ran from Abishai into the city. So Joab withdrew from the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem. + When the Arameans saw how badly they'd been beaten by Israel, they picked up the pieces and regrouped; they sent for the Arameans who were across the river; Shophach, commander of Hadadezer's army, led them. + When all this was reported to David, he mustered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced, and prepared to fight. The Arameans went into battle formation, ready for David, and the fight was on. + But the Arameans again scattered before Israel. David killed 7,000 chariot drivers and 40,000 infantry. He also killed Shophach, the army commander. + When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites ever again. + + + That spring, the time when kings usually go off to war, Joab led the army out and ravaged the Ammonites. He then set siege to Rabbah. David meanwhile was back in Jerusalem. Joab hit Rabbah hard and left it in ruins. + David took the crown off the head of their king. Its weight was found to be a talent of gold and set with a precious stone. It was placed on David's head. He hauled great quantities of loot from the city + and put the people to hard labor with saws and picks and axes. This is what he did to all the Ammonites. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem. + Later war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. That was the time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai of the clan of giants. The Philistines had to eat crow. + In another war with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite whose spear was like a ship's boom. + And then there was the war at Gath that featured a hulking giant who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and foot--yet another from the clan of giants. + When he mocked Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him. + These came from the clan of giants and were killed by David and his men. + + + Now Satan entered the scene and seduced David into taking a census of Israel. + David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number." + Joab resisted: "May GOD multiply his people by hundreds! Don't they all belong to my master the king? But why on earth would you do a thing like this--why risk getting Israel into trouble with God?" + But David wouldn't take no for an answer, so Joab went off and did it--canvassed the country and then came back to Jerusalem + and reported the results of the census: There were 1,100,000 fighting men; of that total, Judah accounted for 470,000. + Joab, disgusted by the command--it, in fact, turned his stomach!--protested by leaving Levi and Benjamin out of the census-taking. + And God, offended by the whole thing, punished Israel. + Then David prayed, "I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin--I've been really stupid." + GOD answered by speaking to Gad, David's pastor: + "Go and give David this message: 'GOD's word: You have your choice of three punishments; choose one and I'll do the rest.'" + Gad delivered the message to David: + "Do you want three years of famine, three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of the sword of GOD--an epidemic unleashed on the country by an angel of GOD? Think it over and make up your mind. What shall I tell the One who sent me?" + David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by GOD whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands." + So GOD unleashed an epidemic in Israel--70,000 Israelites died. + God then sent the angel to Jerusalem but when he saw the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind and ordered the death angel, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" The angel of GOD had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap. + David prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I'm the one at fault. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me, not them, me and my family; don't take it out on them." + The angel of GOD ordered Gad to tell David to go and build an altar to GOD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + David did what Gad told him in obedience to GOD's command. + Meanwhile Araunah had quit threshing the wheat and was watching the angel; his four sons took cover and hid. + David came up to Araunah. When Araunah saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed deeply before David, honoring the king. + David said to Araunah, "Give me the site of the threshing floor so I can build an altar to GOD. Charge me the market price; we're going to put an end to this disaster." + "O master, my king," said Araunah, "just take it; do whatever you want with it! Look, here's an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles for the fuel and wheat for the meal offering--it's all yours!" + David replied to Araunah, "No. I'm buying it from you, and at the full market price. I'm not going to offer GOD sacrifices that are no sacrifice." + So David bought the place from Araunah for 600 shekels of gold. + He built an altar to GOD there and sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings. He called out to GOD and GOD answered by striking the altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with lightning. + Then GOD told the angel to put his sword back into its scabbard. + And that's the story of what happened when David saw that GOD answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite at the time he offered the sacrifice. + At this time the Tabernacle that Moses had constructed in the desert, and with it the Altar of Burnt Offering, were set up at the worship center at Gibeon. + But David, terrified by the angel's sword, wouldn't go there to pray to God anymore. + + + So David declared, "From now on, this is the site for the worship of GOD; this is the place for Israel's Altar of Burnt Offering." + David ordered all the resident aliens in the land to come together; he sent them to the stone quarries to cut dressed stone to build The Temple of God. + He also stockpiled a huge quantity of iron for nails and bracings for the doors of the gates, more bronze than could be weighed, + and cedar logs past counting (the Sidonians and Tyrians shipped in huge loads of cedar logs for David). + David was thinking, "My son Solomon is too young to plan ahead for this. But the sanctuary that is to be built for GOD has to be the greatest, the talk of all the nations; so I'll get the construction materials together." That's why David prepared this huge stockpile of building materials before he died. + Then he called in Solomon his son and commanded him to build a sanctuary for the GOD of Israel. + David said to Solomon, "I wanted in the worst way to build a sanctuary to honor my GOD. + But GOD prevented me, saying, 'You've killed too many people, fought too many wars. You are not the one to honor me by building a sanctuary--you've been responsible for too much killing, too much bloodshed. + But you are going to have a son and he will be a quiet and peaceful man, and I will calm his enemies down on all sides. His very name will speak peace--that is, Solomon, which means Peace--and I'll give peace and rest under his rule. + He will be the one to build a sanctuary in my honor. He'll be my royal adopted son and I'll be his father; and I'll make sure that the authority of his kingdom over Israel lasts forever.' + "So now, son, GOD be with you. GOD-speed as you build the sanctuary for your GOD, the job God has given you. + And may GOD also give you discernment and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you will rule in reverent obedience under GOD's Revelation. + That's what will make you successful, following the directions and doing the things that GOD commanded Moses for Israel. Courage! Take charge! Don't be timid; don't hold back. + Look at this--I've gone to a lot of trouble to stockpile materials for the sanctuary of GOD: 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of gold, a million talents (37,750 tons) of silver, tons of bronze and iron--too much to weigh--and all this timber and stone. And you're free to add more. + And workers both plentiful and prepared: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, artisans in + gold and silver, bronze and iron. You're all set--get to work! And GOD-speed!" + David gave orders to all of Israel's leaders to help his son Solomon, + saying, "Isn't it obvious that your GOD is present with you; that he has given you peaceful relations with everyone around? My part in this was to put down the enemies, subdue the land to GOD and his people; + your part is to give yourselves, heart and soul, to praying to your GOD. So get moving--build the sacred house of worship to GOD! Then bring the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and all the holy furnishings for the worship of God into the sanctuary built in honor of GOD." + + + When David got to be an old man, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. + At the same time he brought together all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites. + The Levites thirty years and older were counted; the total was 38,000. + David sorted them into work groups: "24,000 are in charge of administering worship in the sanctuary; 6,000 are officials and judges; + 4,000 are security guards; and 4,000 are to serve in the orchestra, praising GOD with instruments that I have provided for praise." + David then divided the Levites into groupings named after the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. + The three sons of Ladan: Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel. + The three sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, all heads of the families of Ladan. + The four sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. + Jahath came first, followed by Ziza. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons so they were counted as one family with one task. + The four sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was especially ordained to work in the Holy of Holies, to burn incense before GOD, to serve God and bless his Name always. This was a permanent appointment for Aaron and his sons. + Moses and his sons were counted in the tribe of Levi. + The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. + Shubael was the first son of Gershom. + Rehabiah was the first and only son of Eliezer; but though Eliezer had no other sons, Rehabiah had many sons. + Shelomith was the first son of Izhar. + Hebron had four sons: Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. + Uzziel had two sons: Micah and Isshiah. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. + Eleazar died without any sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married the daughters. + Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. + These are the sons of Levi twenty years and older, divided up according to families and heads of families and listed in the work groups that took care of the worship in the sanctuary of GOD. + David said, "Now that the GOD of Israel has given rest to his people and made Jerusalem his permanent home, + the Levites no longer have to carry the Tabernacle and all the furniture required for the work of worship." + These last words of David referred only to Levites twenty years old and above. + From now on the assigned work of the Levites was to assist Aaron's sons in the work of worship in GOD's house: maintain courtyards and closets, keep the furniture and utensils of worship clean, take care of any extra work needed in the work of worship, + and provide bread for the table and flour for the Meal Offerings and the unraised wafers--all baking and mixing, all measuring and weighing. + Also they were to be present for morning prayers, thanking and praising GOD, for evening prayers, + and at the service of Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD on Sabbath, at New Moons, and at all festivals. They were on regular duty to serve GOD according to their assignment and the required number. + In short, the Levites, with the sons of Aaron as their companions in the ministry of holy worship, were responsible for everything that had to do with worship: the place and times and ordering of worship. + + + The family of Aaron was grouped as follows: Aaron's sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + Nadab and Abihu died before their father and left no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar filled the office of priest. + David assigned Zadok from the family of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the family of Ithamar and assigned them to separate divisions for carrying out their appointed ministries. + It turned out that there were more leaders in Eleazar's family than in Ithamar's and so they divided them proportionately: sixteen clan leaders from Eleazar's family and eight clan leaders from Ithamar's family. + They assigned the leaders by lot, treating both families alike, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among both the Eleazar and Ithamar families. + The secretary Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levitical families. They took turns: One family was selected from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar. + The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, + the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, + the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, + the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, + the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, + the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, + the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, + the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, + the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, + the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, + the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, + the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. + They served in this appointed order when they entered The Temple of GOD, following the procedures laid down by their ancestor Aaron as GOD, the God of Israel, had commanded him. + The rest of the Levites are as follows: From the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. + Concerning Rehabiah: from his sons, Isshiah was the first. + From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. + The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. + The son of Uzziel: Micah, and from the sons of Micah: Shamir. + The brother of Micah was Isshiah, and from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno. + The sons of Merari from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. + From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. + From Kish: Jerahmeel, the son of Kish. + And from the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the Levites by their families. + They also cast lots, the same as their kindred the sons of Aaron had done, in the presence of David the king, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priestly and Levitical families. The families of the oldest and youngest brothers were treated the same. + + + Next David and the worship leaders selected some from the family of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for special service in preaching and music. Here is the roster of names and assignments: + From the family of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah; they were supervised by Asaph, who spoke for GOD backed up by the king's authority. + From the family of Jeduthun there were six sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah; they were supervised by their father Jeduthun, who preached and accompanied himself with the zither--he was responsible for leading the thanks and praise to GOD. + From the family of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. + These were the sons of Heman the king's seer; they supported and assisted him in his divinely appointed work. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. + Under their father's supervision they were in charge of leading the singing and providing musical accompaniment in the work of worship in the sanctuary of God (Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman took their orders directly from the king). + They were well-trained in the sacred music, all of them masters. There were 288 of them. + They drew names at random to see who would do what. Nobody, whether young or old, teacher or student, was given preference or advantage over another. + The first name from Asaph's family was Joseph and his twelve sons and brothers; second, Gedaliah and his twelve sons and brothers; + third, Zaccur and his twelve sons and brothers; + fourth, Izri and his twelve sons and brothers; + fifth, Nethaniah and his twelve sons and brothers; + sixth, Bukkiah and his twelve sons and brothers; + seventh, Jesarelah and his twelve sons and brothers; + eighth, Jeshaiah and his twelve sons and brothers; + ninth, Mattaniah and his twelve sons and brothers; + tenth, Shimei and his twelve sons and brothers; + eleventh, Azarel and his twelve sons and brothers; + twelfth, Hashabiah and his twelve sons and brothers; + thirteenth, Shubael and his twelve sons and brothers; + fourteenth, Mattithiah and his twelve sons and brothers; + fifteenth, Jerimoth and his twelve sons and brothers; + sixteenth, Hananiah and his twelve sons and brothers; + seventeenth, Joshbekashah and his twelve sons and brothers; + eighteenth, Hanani and his twelve sons and brothers; + nineteenth, Mallothi and his twelve sons and brothers; + twentieth, Eliathah and his twelve sons and brothers; + twenty-first, Hothir and his twelve sons and brothers; + twenty-second, Giddalti and his twelve sons and brothers; + twenty-third, Mahazioth and his twelve sons and brothers; + twenty-fourth, Romamti-Ezer and his twelve sons and brothers. + + + The teams of security guards were from the family of Korah: Meshelemiah son of Kore (one of the sons of Asaph). + Meshelemiah's sons were Zechariah, the firstborn, followed by Jediael, Zebadiah, Jathniel, + Elam, Jehohanan, and Eliehoenai--seven sons. + Obed-Edom's sons were Shemaiah, the firstborn, followed by Jehozabad, Joah, Sacar, Nethanel, + Ammiel, Issachar, and Peullethai--God blessed him with eight sons. + His son Shemaiah had sons who provided outstanding leadership in the family: + Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also exceptional. + These all came from the line of Obed-Edom--all of them outstanding and strong. There were sixty-two of them. + Meshelemiah had eighteen sons and relatives who were outstanding. + The sons of Hosah the Merarite were Shimri (he was not the firstborn but his father made him first), + then Hilkiah, followed by Tabaliah and Zechariah. Hosah accounted for thirteen. + These teams of security guards, supervised by their leaders, kept order in The Temple of GOD, keeping up the traditions of their ancestors. + They were all assigned to their posts by the same method regardless of the prominence of their families--each picked his gate assignment from a hat. + Shelemiah was assigned to the East Gate; his son Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, got the North Gate. + Obed-Edom got the South Gate; and his sons pulled duty at the storehouse. + Shuppim and Hosah were posted to the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the high road. The guards stood shoulder to shoulder: + six Levites per day on the east, four per day on the north and on the south, and two at a time at the storehouse. + At the open court to the west, four guards were posted on the road and two at the court. + These are the teams of security guards from the sons of Korah and Merari. + Other Levites were put in charge of the financial affairs of The Temple of God. + From the family of Ladan (all Gershonites) came Jehieli, + and the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They supervised the finances of the sanctuary of GOD. + From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: + Shubael, descended from Gershom the son of Moses, was the chief financial officer. + His relatives through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zicri, and his son Shelomith. + Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of valuables consecrated by David the king, family heads, and various generals and commanders from the army. + They dedicated the plunder that they had gotten in war to the work of the worship of GOD. + In addition, everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah--anything that had been dedicated, ever, was the responsibility of Shelomith and his family. + From the family of the Izharites, Kenaniah and sons were appointed as officials and judges responsible for affairs outside the work of worship and sanctuary. + From the family of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives--1,700 well-qualified men--were responsible for administration of matters related to the worship of GOD and the king's work in the territory west of the Jordan. + According to the family tree of the Hebronites, Jeriah held pride of place. In the fortieth year of David's reign (his last), the Hebron family tree was researched and outstanding men were found at Jazer in Gilead, + namely, Jeriah and 2,700 men of his extended family: David the king made them responsible for administration of matters related to the worship of God and the work of the king in the territory east of the Jordan--the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + + + Here is the listing of the sons of Israel by family heads, commanders and captains, and other officers who served the king in everything military. Army divisions were on duty a month at a time for the twelve months of the year. Each division comprised 24,000 men. + First division, first month: Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge with 24,000 men. + He came from the line of Perez. He was over all the army officers during the first month. + The division for the second month: Dodai the Ahohite was in charge: 24,000 men; Mikloth was the leader of his division. + Commander for the third month: Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest with 24,000 men. + This was the same Benaiah who was a Mighty Man among the Thirty and their chief. His son Ammizabad was in charge of the division. + Fourth division for the fourth month: Asahel brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah succeeded him: 24,000 men. + Fifth division, fifth month: commander Shamhuth the Izrahite: 24,000 men. + Sixth division, sixth month: Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: 24,000 men. + Seventh division, seventh month: Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men. + Eighth division, eighth month: Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men. + Ninth division, ninth month: Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite: 24,000 men. + Tenth division, tenth month: Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men. + Eleventh division, eleventh month: Benaiah the Pirathomite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men. + Twelfth division, twelfth month: Heldai the Netophathite from the family of Othniel: 24,000 men. + Administrators of the affairs of the tribes: for Reuben: Eliezer son of Zicri; + for Simeon: Shephatiah son of Maacah; for Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; for Aaron: Zadok; + for Judah: Elihu, David's brother; for Issachar: Omri son of Michael; + for Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; for Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel; + for Ephraim: Hoshea son of Azaziah; for one half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah; + for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; for Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; + for Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These are the administrative officers assigned to the tribes of Israel. + David didn't keep a count of men under the age of twenty, because GOD had promised to give Israel a population as numerous as the stars in the sky. + Joab son of Zeruiah started out counting the men, but he never finished. God's anger broke out on Israel because of the counting. As it turned out, the numbers were never entered into the court records of King David. + The king's storage facilities were supervised by Azmaveth son of Adiel. Jonathan son of Uzziah was responsible for the warehouses in the outlying areas. + Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers on the farms. + Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards and Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of grapes for the wine vats. + Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western hills, and Joash was in charge of the olive oil. + Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of herds grazing in Sharon and Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of herds in the valley. + Obil the Ismaelite was in charge of the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys, + and Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks. These were the ones responsible for taking care of King David's property. + Jonathan, David's uncle, a wise and literate counselor, and Jehiel son of Hacmoni, were responsible for rearing the king's sons. + Ahithophel was the king's counselor; Hushai the Arkite was the king's friend. + Ahithophel was later replaced by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king's army. + + + David called together all the leaders of Israel--tribal administrators, heads of various governmental operations, military commanders and captains, stewards in charge of the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons--everyone who held responsible positions in the kingdom. + King David stood tall and spoke: "Listen to me, my people: I fully intended to build a permanent structure for the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, God's footstool. But when I got ready to build it, + God said to me, 'You may not build a house to honor me--you've done too much fighting--killed too many people.' + GOD chose me out of my family to be king over Israel forever. First he chose Judah as the lead tribe, then he narrowed it down to my family, and finally he picked me from my father's sons, pleased to make me the king over all Israel. + And then from all my sons--and GOD gave me many!--he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of GOD's rule over Israel. + He went on to say, 'Your son Solomon will build my house and my courts: I have chosen him to be my royal adopted son; and I will be to him a father. + I will guarantee that his kingdom will last if he continues to be as strong-minded in doing what I command and carrying out my decisions as he is doing now.' + "And now, in this public place, all Israel looking on and God listening in, as GOD's people, obey and study every last one of the commandments of your GOD so that you can make the most of living in this good land and pass it on intact to your children, insuring a good future. + "And you, Solomon my son, get to know well your father's God; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for GOD examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek him, he'll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he'll leave you for good. + Look sharp now! GOD has chosen you to build his holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it!" + Then David presented his son Solomon with the plans for The Temple complex: porch, storerooms, meeting rooms, and the place for atoning sacrifice. + He turned over the plans for everything that God's Spirit had brought to his mind: the design of the courtyards, the arrangements of rooms, and the closets for storing all the holy things. + He gave him his plan for organizing the Levites and priests in their work of leading and ordering worship in the house of God, and for caring for the liturgical furnishings. + He provided exact specifications for how much gold and silver was needed for each article used in the serv- ices of worship: + the gold and silver Lampstands and lamps, + the gold tables for consecrated bread, the silver tables, + the gold forks, the bowls and the jars, + and the incense altar. And he gave him the plan for sculpting the cherubs with their wings outstretched over the Chest of the Covenant of GOD--the cherubim throne. + "Here are the blueprints for the whole project as GOD gave me to understand it," David said. + David continued to address Solomon: "Take charge! Take heart! Don't be anxious or get discouraged. GOD, my God, is with you in this; he won't walk off and leave you in the lurch. He's at your side until every last detail is completed for conducting the worship of GOD. + You have all the priests and Levites standing ready to pitch in, and skillful craftsmen and artisans of every kind ready to go to work. Both leaders and people are ready. Just say the word." + + + Then David the king addressed the congregation: "My son Solomon was singled out and chosen by God to do this. But he's young and untested and the work is huge--this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for GOD to meet us. + I've done my best to get everything together for building this house for my God, all the materials necessary: gold, silver, bronze, iron, lumber, precious and varicolored stones, and building stones--vast stockpiles. + Furthermore, because my heart is in this, in addition to and beyond what I have gathered, I'm turning over my personal fortune of gold and silver for making this place of worship for my God: + 3,000 talents (about 113 tons) of gold--all from Ophir, the best--and 7,000 talents (214 tons) of silver for covering the walls of the buildings, + and for the gold and silver work by craftsmen and artisans. "And now, how about you? Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?" + Ready and willing, the heads of families, leaders of the tribes of Israel, commanders and captains in the army, stewards of the king's affairs, stepped forward and gave willingly. + They gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron. + Anyone who had precious jewels put them in the treasury for the building of The Temple of GOD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. + And the people were full of a sense of celebration--all that giving! And all given willingly, freely! King David was exuberant. + David blessed GOD in full view of the entire congregation: Blessed are you, GOD of Israel, our father from of old and forever. + To you, O GOD, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You've raised yourself high over all. + Riches and glory come from you, you're ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. + And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you, praising your splendid Name. + "But me--who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we're doing is giving back what we've been given from your generous hand. + As far as you're concerned, we're homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us. + GOD, our God, all these materials--these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name--it all came from you! It was all yours in the first place! + I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface--you want us, our true selves--and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly--what a joy! + O GOD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you. + And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and focused heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided." + David then addressed the congregation: "Bless GOD, your God!" And they did it, blessed GOD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped reverently in the presence of GOD and the king. + The very next day they butchered the sacrificial animals and offered in the worship of Israel to GOD a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand sheep, and in addition drink offerings and many other sacrifices. + They feasted all day, eating and drinking before GOD, exuberant with joy. Then they ceremonially reenacted Solomon's coronation, anointing David's son before GOD as their leader, and Zadok as priest. + Solomon sat on the throne of GOD as king in place of David his father. And everything went well; all Israel obeyed him. + All the leaders of the people, including all the sons of King David, accepted Solomon as their king and promised their loyalty. + Solomon rode high on a crest of popular acclaim--it was all GOD's doing. GOD gave him position and honor beyond any king in Israel before him. + David son of Jesse ruled over all Israel. + He was king for forty years. He ruled from Hebron seven years and from Jerusalem thirty-three. + He died at a ripe old age, full of days, wealth, and glory. His son Solomon ruled after him. + The history of David the king, from start to finish, is written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer, + including a full account of his rule, his exploits, and the times through which he and Israel and the surrounding kingdoms passed. + + + + + Solomon son of David took a firm grip on the reins of his kingdom. GOD was with him and gave him much help. + Solomon addressed all Israel--the commanders and captains, the judges, every leader, and all the heads of families. + Then Solomon and the entire company went to the worship center at Gibeon--that's where the Tent of Meeting of God was, the one that Moses the servant of GOD had made in the wilderness. + The Chest of God, though, was in Jerusalem--David had brought it up from Kiriath Jearim, prepared a special place for it, and pitched a tent for it. + But the Bronze Altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon, in its place before the Tabernacle of GOD; and that is where Solomon and the congregation gathered to pray. + Solomon worshiped GOD at the Bronze Altar in front of the Tent of Meeting; he sacrificed a thousand Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it. + That night God appeared to Solomon. God said, "What do you want from me? Ask." + Solomon answered, "You were extravagantly generous with David my father, and now you have made me king in his place. + Establish, GOD, the words you spoke to my father, for you've given me a staggering task, ruling this mob of people. + Yes, give me wisdom and knowledge as I come and go among this people--for who on his own is capable of leading these, your glorious people?" + God answered Solomon, "This is what has come out of your heart: You didn't grasp for money, wealth, fame, and the doom of your enemies; you didn't even ask for a long life. You asked for wisdom and knowledge so you could govern well my people over whom I've made you king. + Because of this, you get what you asked for--wisdom and knowledge. And I'm presenting you the rest as a bonus--money, wealth, and fame beyond anything the kings before or after you had or will have." + Then Solomon left the worship center at Gibeon and the Tent of Meeting and went to Jerusalem. He set to work as king of Israel. + Solomon collected chariots and horses: 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses! He stabled them in the special chariot-cities as well as in Jerusalem. + The king made silver and gold as common as rocks, and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. + His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents. + Chariots from Egypt went for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for about three and three-quarters of a pound of silver. Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with the Hittite and Aramean royal houses. + + + Solomon gave orders to begin construction on the house of worship in honor of GOD and a palace for himself. + Solomon assigned 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 to work the quarries in the mountains, and 3,600 foremen to manage the workforce. + Then Solomon sent this message to King Hiram of Tyre: "Send me cedar logs, the same kind you sent David my father for building his palace. + I'm about to build a house of worship in honor of GOD, a holy place for burning perfumed incense, for setting out holy bread, for making Whole-Burnt-Offerings at morning and evening worship, and for Sabbath, New Moon, and Holy Day services of worship--the acts of worship required of Israel. + "The house I am building has to be the best, for our God is the best, far better than competing gods. + But who is capable of building such a structure? Why, the skies--the entire cosmos!--can't begin to contain him. And me, who am I to think I can build a house adequate for God--burning incense to him is about all I'm good for! + I need your help: Send me a master artisan in gold, silver, bronze, iron, textiles of purple, crimson, and violet, and who knows the craft of engraving; he will supervise the trained craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem that my father provided. + Also send cedar, cypress, and algum logs from Lebanon; I know you have lumberjacks experienced in the Lebanon forests. I'll send workers to join your crews + to cut plenty of timber--I'm going to need a lot, for this house I'm building is going to be absolutely stunning--a showcase temple! + I'll provide all the food necessary for your crew of lumberjacks and loggers: 130,000 bushels of wheat, 120,000 gallons of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil." + Hiram king of Tyre wrote Solomon in reply: "It's plain that GOD loves his people--he made you king over them!" + He wrote on, "Blessed be the GOD of Israel, who made heaven and earth, and who gave King David a son so wise, so knowledgeable and shrewd, to build a temple for GOD and a palace for himself. + I've sent you Huram-Abi--he's already on his way--he knows the construction business inside and out. + His mother is from Dan and his father from Tyre. He knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, in purple, violet, linen, and crimson textiles; he is also an expert engraver and competent to work out designs with your artists and architects, and those of my master David, your father. + "Go ahead and send the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine you promised for my work crews. + We'll log the trees you need from the Lebanon forests and raft them down to Joppa. You'll have to get the timber up to Jerusalem yourself." + Solomon then took a census of all the foreigners living in Israel, using the same census-taking method employed by his father. They numbered 153,600. + He assigned 70,000 of them as common laborers, 80,000 to work the quarries in the mountains, and 3,600 as foremen to manage the work crews. + + + So Solomon broke ground, launched construction of the house of GOD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where GOD had appeared to his father David. The precise site, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, had been designated by David. + He broke ground on the second day in the second month of the fourth year of his rule. + These are the dimensions that Solomon set for the construction of the house of God: ninety feet long and thirty feet wide. + The porch in front stretched the width of the building, that is, thirty feet; and it was thirty feet high. The interior was gold-plated. + He paneled the main hall with cypress and veneered it with fine gold engraved with palm tree and chain designs. + He decorated the building with precious stones and gold from Parvaim. + Everything was coated with gold veneer: rafters, doorframes, walls, and doors. Cherubim were engraved on the walls. + He made the Holy of Holies a cube, thirty feet wide, long, and high. It was veneered with 600 talents (something over twenty-two tons) of gold. + The gold nails weighed fifty shekels (a little over a pound). The upper rooms were also veneered in gold. + He made two sculptures of cherubim, gigantic angel-like figures, for the Holy of Holies, both veneered with gold. + The combined wingspread of the side-by-side cherubim (each wing measuring seven and a half feet) stretched from wall to wall, thirty feet. + (SEE 3:11) + They stood erect facing the main hall. + He fashioned the curtain of violet, purple, and crimson fabric and worked a cherub design into it. + He made two huge free-standing pillars, each fifty-two feet tall, their capitals extending another seven and a half feet. + The top of each pillar was set off with an elaborate filigree of chains, like necklaces, from which hung a hundred pomegranates. + He placed the pillars in front of The Temple, one on the right, and the other on the left. The right pillar he named Jakin (Security) and the left pillar he named Boaz (Stability). + + + He made the Bronze Altar thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and ten feet high. + He made a Sea--an immense round basin of cast metal fifteen feet in diameter, seven and a half feet high, and forty-five feet in circumference. + Just under the rim, there were two parallel bands of something like bulls, ten to each foot and a half. The figures were cast in one piece with the Sea. + The Sea was set on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. All the bulls faced outward and supported the Sea on their hindquarters. + The Sea was three inches thick and flared at the rim like a cup, or a lily. It held about 18,000 gallons. + He made ten Washbasins, five set on the right and five on the left, for rinsing the things used for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings. The priests washed themselves in the Sea. + He made ten gold Lampstands, following the specified pattern, and placed five on the right and five on the left. + He made ten tables and set five on the right and five on the left. He also made a hundred gold bowls. + He built a Courtyard especially for the priests and then the great court and doors for the court. The doors were covered with bronze. + He placed the Sea on the right side of The Temple at the southeast corner. + He also made ash buckets, shovels, and bowls. And that about wrapped it up: Huram completed the work he had contracted to do for King Solomon: + two pillars; two bowl-shaped capitals for the tops of the pillars; two decorative filigrees for the capitals; + four hundred pomegranates for the filigrees (a double row of pomegranates for each filigree); + ten washstands with their basins; + one Sea and the twelve bulls under it; + miscellaneous buckets, forks, shovels, and bowls. All these artifacts that Huram-Abi made for King Solomon for The Temple of GOD were made of burnished bronze. + The king had them cast in clay in a foundry on the Jordan plain between Succoth and Zarethan. + These artifacts were never weighed--there were far too many! Nobody has any idea how much bronze was used. + Solomon was also responsible for the furniture and accessories in The Temple of God: the gold Altar; the tables that held the Bread of the Presence; + the Lampstands of pure gold with their lamps, to be lighted before the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies; + the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs (all solid gold); + the gold wick trimmers, bowls, ladles, and censers; the gold doors of The Temple, doors to the Holy of Holies, and the doors to the main sanctuary. + + + That completed the work King Solomon did on The Temple of GOD. He then brought in the holy offerings of his father David, the silver and the gold and the artifacts. He placed them all in the treasury of God's Temple. + Bringing all this to a climax, Solomon got all the leaders together in Jerusalem--all the chiefs of tribes and the family patriarchs--to move the Chest of the Covenant of GOD from Zion and install it in The Temple. + All the men of Israel assembled before the king on the feast day of the seventh month, the Feast of Booths. + When all the leaders of Israel were ready, the Levites took up the Chest. + They carried the Chest, the Tent of Meeting, and all the sacred things in the Tent used in worship. The priests, all Levites, carried them. + King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel were there before the Chest, worshiping and sacrificing huge numbers of sheep and cattle--so many that no one could keep track. + The priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of GOD to its place in the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim. + The outspread wings of the cherubim formed a canopy over the Chest and its poles. + The ends of the poles were so long that they stuck out from the entrance of the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable further out--they're still there today. + There was nothing in the Chest itself but the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb where GOD made a covenant with Israel after bringing them up from Egypt. + The priests then left the Holy Place. All the priests there were consecrated, regardless of rank or assignment; + and all the Levites who were musicians were there--Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their families, dressed in their worship robes; the choir and orchestra assembled on the east side of the Altar and were joined by 120 priests blowing trumpets. + The choir and trumpets made one voice of praise and thanks to GOD--orchestra and choir in perfect harmony singing and playing praise to GOD: Yes! God is good! His loyal love goes on forever! Then a billowing cloud filled The Temple of GOD. + The priests couldn't even carry out their duties because of the cloud--the glory of GOD!--that filled The Temple of God. + + + Then Solomon said, GOD said he would dwell in a cloud, + But I've built a temple most splendid, A place for you to live in forever. + The king then turned to face the congregation that had come together and blessed them: + "Blessed be GOD, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has done what he promised when he said, + 'From the day I brought my people Israel up from Egypt, I haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel in which to build a temple to honor my Name, or chosen one person to be the leader. + But now I have chosen both a city and a person: Jerusalem for honoring my Name and David to lead my people Israel.' + "My father David very much wanted to build a temple honoring the Name of GOD, the God of Israel, + but GOD told him, 'It was good that you wanted to build a temple in my honor--most commendable! + But you are not the one to do it. Your son, who will carry on your dynasty, will build it for my Name.' + "And now you see the promise completed. GOD has done what he said he would do; I have succeeded David my father and now rule Israel; and I have built a temple to honor GOD, the God of Israel, + and have secured a place for the Chest that holds the Covenant of GOD, the covenant he made with the people of Israel." + Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took his position at the Altar of GOD and stretched out his hands. + Solomon had made a bronze dais seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high and placed it inside the court; that's where he now stood. Then he knelt in full view of the whole congregation, stretched his hands to heaven, + and prayed: GOD, O God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below, who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and unfailingly loves them while they sincerely live in obedience to your way. + You kept your word to David my father, your promise. You did exactly what you promised--every detail. The proof is before us today! + Keep it up, GOD, O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to David my father when you said, "You'll always have a descendant to represent my rule on Israel's throne, on the one condition that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have." + O GOD, God of Israel, let this all happen-- confirm and establish it! + Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built. + Even so, I'm bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O GOD, my God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I'm setting before you right now. + Keep your eyes open to this Temple day and night, this place you promised to dignify with your Name. And listen to the prayers that I pray in this place. + And listen to your people Israel when they pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive. + When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple, + Listen from heaven and act; judge your servants, making the offender pay for the offense And set the offended free, dismissing all charges. + When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple, + Listen from your home in heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, return them to the land you gave to them and their ancestors. + When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quit their sins because you have scourged them, + Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Then start over with them; train them to live right and well; Send rain on the land you gave as inheritance to your people. + When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses--calamity of any sort-- + any prayer that's prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, their hearts penetrated by disaster, hands and arms thrown out for help to this Temple, + Listen from your home in heaven, forgive and reward us: reward each life and circumstance, For you know each life from the inside, (you're the only one with such inside knowledge!), + So they'll live before you in lifelong reverence and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors. + And don't forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation--people are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonderworking power--and who come to pray to this Temple. + Listen from your home in heaven and honor the prayers of the foreigner, So that people all over the world will know who you are and what you're like, And live in reverent obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do, So they'll know that you personally make this Temple that I've built what it is. + When your people go to war against their enemies at the time and place you send them and they pray to GOD toward the city you chose and The Temple I've built to honor your Name, + Listen from heaven to what they pray and ask for and do what is right for them. + When they sin against you--and they certainly will; there's no one without sin!--and in anger you turn them over to the enemy and they are taken off captive to the enemy's land, whether far or near, + but then repent in the country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in their exile, "We've sinned; we've done wrong; we've been most wicked," + and they turn back to you heart and soul in the land of the enemy who conquered them, and pray to you toward their homeland, the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of your Name, + Listen from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout; Do what is best for them. Forgive your people who have sinned against you. + And now, dear God, be alert and attentive to prayer, all prayer, offered in this place. + Up, GOD, enjoy your new place of quiet repose, you and your mighty covenant Chest; Dress your priests up in salvation clothes, let your holy people celebrate goodness. + And don't, GOD, back out on your anointed ones, keep in mind the love promised to David your servant. + + + When Solomon finished praying, a bolt of lightning out of heaven struck the Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices and the Glory of GOD filled The Temple. + The Glory was so dense that the priests couldn't get in--GOD so filled The Temple that there was no room for the priests! + When all Israel saw the fire fall from heaven and the Glory of GOD fill The Temple, they fell on their knees, bowed their heads, and worshiped, thanking GOD: Yes! God is good! His love never quits! + Then the king and all Israel worshiped, offering sacrifices to GOD. + King Solomon worshiped by sacrificing 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep at the dedication of The Temple. + The priests were all on duty; the choir and orchestra of Levites that David had provided for singing and playing anthems to the praise and love of GOD were all there; across the courtyard the priests blew trumpets. All Israelites were on their feet. + Solomon set apart the central area of the courtyard in front of GOD's Temple for sacred use and there sacrificed the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, and fat from the Peace-Offerings--the Bronze Altar was too small to handle all these offerings. + This is how Solomon kept the great autumn Feast of Booths. For seven days there were people there all the way from the far northeast (the Entrance to Hamath) to the far southwest (the Brook of Egypt)--a huge congregation. + They started out celebrating for seven days, and then did it for another seven days, a week for dedicating the Altar and another for the Feast itself--two solid weeks of celebration! + On the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon dismissed his congregation. They left rejoicing, exuberant over all the good GOD had done for David and Solomon and his people Israel. + Solomon completed building The Temple of GOD and the royal palace--the projects he had set his heart on doing. Everything was done--success! Satisfaction! + GOD appeared to Solomon that very night and said, "I accept your prayer; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. + If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, + and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I'll be there ready for you: I'll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. + From now on I'm alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. + Believe me, I've chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. + As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, + then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel--make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I'm giving to you, namely, 'You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.' + "But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping them, + then the guarantee is off: I'll wipe Israel right off the map and repudiate this Temple I've just sanctified to honor my Name. And Israel will be nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world. + And this Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; tourists will shake their heads, saying, 'What happened here? What's the story behind these ruins?' + Then they'll be told, 'The people who used to live here betrayed their GOD, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with alien gods, worshiping and serving them. That's what's behind this God-visited devastation.'" + + + At the end of twenty years, Solomon had quite a list of accomplishments. He had: built The Temple of GOD and his own palace; + rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given him and colonized them with Israelites; + marched on Hamath Zobah and took it; + fortified Tadmor in the desert and all the store-cities he had founded in Hamath; + built the fortress cities Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, complete with walls, gates, and bars; + built Baalath and store-cities; built chariot-cities for his horses. Solomon built impulsively and extravagantly--whenever a whim took him. And in Jerusalem, in Lebanon--wherever he fancied. + The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites--all non-Israelites), + survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of slave labor. The policy is in effect today. + But true Israelites were not treated this way; they were used in his army and administration--government leaders and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. + They were also the project managers responsible for Solomon's building operations--250 in all in charge of the workforce. + Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter from the City of David to a house built especially for her, "Because," he said, "my wife cannot live in the house of David king of Israel, for the areas in which the Chest of GOD has entered are sacred." + Then Solomon offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD on the Altar of GOD that he had built in front of The Temple porch. + He kept to the regular schedule of worship set down by Moses: Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual feasts of Unraised Bread (Passover), Weeks (Pentecost), and Booths. + He followed the practice of his father David in setting up groups of priests carrying out the work of worship, with the Levites assigned to lead the sacred music for praising God and to assist the priests in the daily worship; he assigned security guards to be on duty at each gate--that's what David the man of God had ordered. + The king's directions to the priests and Levites and financial stewards were kept right down to the fine print--no innovations--including the treasuries. + All that Solomon set out to do, from the groundbreaking of The Temple of GOD to its finish, was now complete. + Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. + Hiram sent him ships and with them veteran sailors. Joined by Solomon's men they sailed to Ophir (in east Africa), loaded on fifteen tons of gold, and brought it back to King Solomon. + + + The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's reputation and came to Jerusalem to put his reputation to the test, asking all the tough questions. She made a showy entrance--an impressive retinue of attendants and camels loaded with perfume and much gold and precious stones. She emptied her heart to Solomon, talking over everything she cared about. + And Solomon answered everything she put to him--nothing stumped him. + When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon's wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, + the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials, the sharply dressed waiters, the cupbearers, and then the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at The Temple of GOD, it all took her breath away. + She said to the king, "It's all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed. + I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself; they didn't exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance--far more than I could ever have imagined. + Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand! + And blessed be your GOD who has taken such a liking to you, making you king. Clearly, GOD's love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people." + She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold and sack after sack of spices and precious stones. There hasn't been a cargo of spices like the shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. + The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems. + The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of GOD and the royal palace, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since. + King Solomon, for his part, gave the queen of Sheba all her heart's desire--everything she asked for. She took away more than she brought. Satisfied, she returned home with her train of servants. + Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold annually. + This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and traders. All kings of Arabia and various and assorted governors also brought silver and gold to Solomon. + King Solomon crafted 200 body-length shields of hammered gold--about fifteen pounds of gold to each shield + --and about 300 small shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. + The king made a massive throne of ivory with a veneer of gold. + The throne had six steps leading up to it with an attached footstool of gold. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. + Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any other kingdom. + King Solomon's chalices and tankards were made of gold, and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap in the time of Solomon. + The king's ships, manned by Hiram's sailors, made a round trip to Tarshish every three years, returning with a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, apes and peacocks. + King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the kings of the earth--he surpassed them all. + Kings came from all over the world to be with Solomon and get in on the wisdom God had given him. + Everyone who came brought gifts--artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, horses, and mules--parades of visitors, year after year. + Solomon collected horses and chariots. He had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen in barracks in the chariot-cities and in Jerusalem. + He ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates in the east, throughout the Philistine country, and as far west as the border of Egypt. + The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. + He carried on a brisk horse-trading business with Egypt and other places. + The rest of Solomon's life and rule, from start to finish, one can read in the records of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. + Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. + Solomon died and was buried in the City of David his father. His son Rehoboam was the next king. + + + Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to inaugurate him as king. + Jeroboam was then in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon's death, he came back. + Summoned by Israel, Jeroboam and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said, + "Your father made life hard for us--worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and we'll willingly serve you." + "Give me," said Rehoboam, "three days to think it over; then come back." So the people left. + King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father when he was alive: "What's your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the people?" + They said, "If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they'll end up doing anything for you." + But he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he'd grown up with who were now currying his favor, + "What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, 'Give us a break from your father's harsh ways--lighten up on us'?" + The young turks he'd grown up with said, "These people who complain, 'Your father was too hard on us; lighten up'--well, tell them this: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. + If you think life under my father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!'" + Three days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed when he said, "Give me three days to think it over; then come back." + The king's answer was harsh and rude. He spurned the counsel of the elders + and went with the advice of the younger set: "If you think life under my father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it: my father thrashed you with whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!" + Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. God was behind all this, confirming the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of Shiloh. + When all Israel realized that the king hadn't listened to a word they'd said, they stood up to him and said, Get lost, David! We've had it with you, son of Jesse! Let's get out of here, Israel, and fast! From now on, David, mind your own business. And with that they left. + Rehoboam continued to rule only those who lived in the towns of Judah. + When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the Israelites ganged up on him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem as fast as he could. + Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty ever since. + + + When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem he called up the men of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 of their best soldiers, to go to war against Israel and recover the kingdom. + At the same time the word of GOD came to Shemaiah, a holy man, + "Tell this to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, along with all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, + This is GOD's word: Don't march out; don't fight against your brothers the Israelites. Go back home, every last one of you; I'm in charge here." And they did it; they did what GOD said and went home. + Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem but built up a defense system for Judah all around: + in Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, + Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, + Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, + Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, + Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron--a line of defense protecting Judah and Benjamin. + He beefed up the fortifications, appointed commanders, and put in supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. + He installed arms--large shields and spears--in all the forts, making them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were secure for the time. + The priests and Levites from all over Israel came and made themselves available to Rehoboam. + The Levites left their pastures and properties and moved to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had dismissed them from the priesthood of GOD + and replaced them with his own priests to preside over the worship centers at which he had installed goat and calf demon-idols. + Everyone from all the tribes of Israel who determined to seek the GOD of Israel migrated with the priests and Levites to Jerusalem to worship there, sacrificing to the GOD of their ancestors. + That gave a tremendous boost to the kingdom of Judah. They stuck with Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, loyal to the ways of David and Solomon for this period. + Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and Abihail daughter of Eliab, Jesse's son. + Mahalath bore him Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. + Then he married Maacah, Absalom's daughter, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. + Maacah was Rehoboam's favorite wife; he loved her more than all his other wives and concubines put together (and he had a lot--eighteen wives and sixty concubines who produced twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters!). + Rehoboam designated Abijah son of Maacah as the "first son" and leader of the brothers--he intended to make him the next king. + He was shrewd in deploying his sons in all the fortress cities that made up his defense system in Judah and Benjamin; he kept them happy with much food and many wives. + + + By the time Rehoboam had secured his kingdom and was strong again, he, and all Israel with him, had virtually abandoned GOD and his ways. + In Rehoboam's fifth year, because he and the people were unfaithful to GOD, Shishak king of Egypt invaded as far as Jerusalem. + He came with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 cavalry, and soldiers from all over--the Egyptian army included Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians. + They took the fortress cities of Judah and advanced as far as Jerusalem itself. + Then the prophet Shemaiah, accompanied by the leaders of Judah who had retreated to Jerusalem before Shishak, came to Rehoboam and said, "GOD's word: You abandoned me; now I abandon you to Shishak." + The leaders of Israel and the king were repentant and said, "GOD is right." + When GOD saw that they were humbly repentant, the word of GOD came to Shemaiah: "Because they are humble, I'll not destroy them--I'll give them a break; I won't use Shishak to express my wrath against Jerusalem. + What I will do, though, is make them Shishak's subjects--they'll learn the difference between serving me and serving human kings." + Then Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He plundered the treasury of The Temple of GOD and the treasury of the royal palace--he took everything he could lay his hands on. He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made. + King Rehoboam replaced the gold shields with bronze shields and gave them to the guards who were posted at the entrance to the royal palace. + Whenever the king went to GOD's Temple, the guards went with him carrying the shields, but they always returned them to the guardroom. + Because Rehoboam was repentant, GOD's anger was blunted, so he wasn't totally destroyed. The picture wasn't entirely bleak--there were some good things going on in Judah. + King Rehoboam regrouped and reestablished his rule in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king and continued as king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city GOD chose out of all the tribes of Israel as the special presence of his Name. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. + But the final verdict on Rehoboam was that he was a bad king--GOD was not important to him; his heart neither cared for nor sought after GOD. + The history of Rehoboam, from start to finish, is written in the memoirs of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer that contain the family trees. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam the whole time. + Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Abijah ruled after him. + + + In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Jeroboam, Abijah took over the throne of Judah. + He ruled in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. + Abijah started out with 400,000 of his best soldiers; Jeroboam countered with 800,000 of his best. + Abijah took a prominent position on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and gave this speech: "Listen, Jeroboam and all Israel! + Don't you realize that GOD, the one and only God of Israel, established David and his sons as the permanent rulers of Israel, ratified by a 'covenant of salt'--GOD's kingdom ruled by GOD's king? + And what happened? Jeroboam, the son of Solomon's slave Nebat, rebelled against his master. + All the riff-raff joined his cause and were too much for Rehoboam, Solomon's true heir. Rehoboam didn't know his way around--besides he was a real wimp; he couldn't stand up against them. + "Taking advantage of that weakness, you are asserting yourself against the very rule of GOD that is delegated to David's descendants--you think you are so big with your huge army backed up by the golden-calf idols that Jeroboam made for you as gods! + But just look at what you've done--you threw out the priests of GOD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests to suit yourselves, priests just like the pagans have. Anyone who shows up with enough money to pay for it can be a priest! A priest of No-God! + "But for the rest of us in Judah, we're sticking with GOD. We have not traded him in for the latest model--we're keeping the tried and true priests of Aaron to lead us to GOD and the Levites to lead us in worship + by sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and aromatic incense to GOD at the daily morning and evening prayers, setting out fresh holy bread on a clean table, and lighting the lamps on the golden Lampstand every night. We continue doing what GOD told us to in the way he told us to do it; but you have rid yourselves of him. + "Can't you see the obvious? God is on our side; he's our leader. And his priests with trumpets are all ready to blow the signal to battle. O Israel--don't fight against GOD, the God of your ancestors. You will not win this battle." + While Abijah was speaking, Jeroboam had sent men around to take them by surprise from the rear: Jeroboam in front of Judah and the ambush behind. + When Judah looked back, they saw they were attacked front and back. They prayed desperately to GOD, the priests blew their trumpets, and the soldiers of Judah shouted their battle cry. + At the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. + The army of Israel scattered before Judah; God gave them the victory. + Abijah and his troops slaughtered them--500,000 of Israel's best fighters were killed that day. + The army of Israel fell flat on its face--a humiliating defeat. The army of Judah won hands down because they trusted GOD, the God of their ancestors. + Abijah followed up his victory by pursuing Jeroboam, taking the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron with their surrounding villages. + Jeroboam never did recover from his defeat while Abijah lived. Later on GOD struck him down and he died. + Meanwhile Abijah flourished; he married fourteen wives and ended up with a family of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. + The rest of the history of Abijah, what he did and said, is written in the study written by Iddo the prophet. + + + Abijah died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Asa became the next king. For ten years into Asa's reign the country was at peace. + Asa was a good king. He did things right in GOD's eyes. + He cleaned house: got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed the sacred stone pillars, and chopped down the sex-and-religion groves (Asherim). + He told Judah to center their lives in GOD, the God of their fathers, to do what the law said, and to follow the commandments. + Because he got rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace. + Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah. GOD kept the peace. + Asa said to his people, "While we have the chance and the land is quiet, let's build a solid defense system, fortifying our cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars. We have this peaceful land because we sought GOD; he has given us rest from all troubles." So they built and enjoyed prosperity. + Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 Benjaminites who were shield bearers and archers. They were all courageous warriors. + Zerah the Ethiopian went to war against Asa with an army of a million plus 300 chariots and got as far as Mareshah. + Asa met him there and prepared to fight from the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. + Then Asa prayed to GOD, "O GOD, you aren't impressed by numbers or intimidated by a show of force once you decide to help: Help us, O GOD; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in you and who you are. Don't let mere mortals stand against you!" + GOD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah; the Ethiopians ran for their lives. + Asa and his men chased them as far as Gerar; so many of the Ethiopians were killed that there was no fight left in them--a massacre before GOD and his troops; Judah carted off loads of plunder. + They devastated all the towns around Gerar whose people were helpless, paralyzed by the fear of GOD, and looted the country. + They also attacked herdsmen and brought back a lot of sheep and camels to Jerusalem. + + + Then Azariah son of Obed, moved by the Spirit of God, + went out to meet Asa. He said, "Listen carefully, Asa, and listen Judah and Benjamin: GOD will stick with you as long as you stick with him. If you look for him he will let himself be found; but if you leave him he'll leave you. + For a long time Israel didn't have the real God, nor did they have the help of priest or teacher or book. + But when they were in trouble and got serious, and decided to seek GOD, the God of Israel, GOD let himself be found. + At that time it was a dog-eat-dog world; life was constantly up for grabs--no one, regardless of country, knew what the next day might bring. + Nation battered nation, city pummeled city. God let loose every kind of trouble among them. + "But it's different with you: Be strong. Take heart. Payday is coming!" + Asa heard the prophecy of Azariah son of Obed, took a deep breath, then rolled up his sleeves, and went to work: He cleaned out the obscene and polluting sacred shrines from the whole country of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He spruced up the Altar of GOD that was in front of The Temple porch. + Then he called an assembly for all Judah and Benjamin, including those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living there at the time (for many from Israel had left their homes and joined forces with Asa when they saw that GOD was on his side). + They all arrived in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign + for a great assembly of worship. From their earlier plunder they offered sacrifices of 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep for the worship. + Then they bound themselves in a covenant to seek GOD, the God of their fathers, wholeheartedly, holding nothing back. + And they agreed that anyone who refused to seek GOD, the God of Israel, should be killed, no matter who it was, young or old, man or woman. + They shouted out their promise to GOD, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams' horns. + The whole country felt good about the covenant promise--they had given their promise joyfully from the heart. Anticipating the best, they had sought God--and he showed up, ready to be found. GOD gave them peace within and without--a most peaceable kingdom! + In his clean-up of the country, Asa went so far as to remove his mother, Queen Maacah, from her throne because she had built a shockingly obscene image of the sex goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down, smashed it, and burned it up in the Kidron Valley. + Unfortunately he didn't get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned--his heart was in the right place, loyal to GOD. + All the gold and silver vessels and artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in The Temple of God. + There wasn't a trace of war up to the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. + + + But in the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel attacked. He started it by building a fort at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah to keep Asa king of Judah from leaving or entering. + Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of The Temple of GOD and the royal palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad, king of Aram who lived in Damascus, with this message: + "Let's make a treaty like the one between our fathers. I'm showing my good faith with this gift of silver and gold. Break your deal with Baasha king of Israel so he'll quit fighting against me." + Ben-Hadad went along with King Asa and sent his troops against the towns of Israel. They sacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. + When Baasha got the report, he quit fortifying Ramah. + Then King Asa issued orders to his people in Judah to haul away the logs and stones Baasha had used in the fortification of Ramah and used them himself to fortify Geba and Mizpah. + Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, "Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn't ask GOD for help, you've lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. + Didn't the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked GOD for help and he gave you the victory. + GOD is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God's help. Now you're in trouble--one round of war after another." + At that, Asa lost his temper. Angry, he put Hanani in the stocks. At the same time Asa started abusing some of the people. + A full account of Asa is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. + In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa came down with a severe case of foot infection. He didn't ask GOD for help, but went instead to the doctors. + Then Asa died; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. + They buried him in a mausoleum that he had built for himself in the City of David. They laid him in a crypt full of aromatic oils and spices. Then they had a huge bonfire in his memory. + + + Asa's son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel. + He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. + GOD was on Jehoshaphat's side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa's early years. He didn't fool around with the popular Baal religion-- + he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn't like Israel. + And GOD secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored. + He was single-minded in following GOD; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. + In the third year of his reign he sent his officials--excellent men, every one of them--Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah on a teaching mission to the cities of Judah. + They were accompanied by Levites--Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; the priests Elishama and Jehoram were also in the company. + They made a circuit of the towns of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of The Revelation of GOD as their text. + There was a strong sense of the fear of GOD in all the kingdoms around Judah--they didn't dare go to war against Jehoshaphat. + Some Philistines even brought gifts and a load of silver to Jehoshaphat, and the desert bedouin brought flocks--7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. + So Jehoshaphat became stronger by the day, and constructed more and more forts and store-cities--an age of prosperity for Judah! + He also had excellent fighting men stationed in Jerusalem. + The captains of the military units of Judah, classified according to families, were: Captain Adnah with 300,000 soldiers; + his associate Captain Jehohanan with 280,000; + his associate Amasiah son of Zicri, a volunteer for GOD, with 200,000. + Officer Eliada represented Benjamin with 200,000 fully equipped with bow and shield; + and his associate was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed and ready for battle. + These were under the direct command of the king; in addition there were the troops assigned to the fortress cities spread all over Judah. + + + But even though Jehoshaphat was very rich and much honored, he made a marriage alliance with Ahab of Israel. + Some time later he paid a visit to Ahab at Samaria. Ahab celebrated his visit with a feast--a huge barbecue with all the lamb and beef you could eat. But Ahab had a hidden agenda; he wanted Jehoshaphat's support in attacking Ramoth Gilead. + Then Ahab brought it into the open: "Will you join me in attacking Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm with you all the way; you can count on me and my troops." + Then Jehoshaphat said, "But before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance." + The king of Israel got the prophets together--all 400 of them-- and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "God will hand it over to the king." + But Jehoshaphat dragged his feet, "Is there another prophet of GOD around here we can consult? Let's get a second opinion." + The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is another. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom--Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that!" said Jehoshaphat. + So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "Quickly, get Micaiah son of Imlah." + Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit. + Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them, called out, "GOD's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of them!" + All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! GOD's gift to the king!" + The messenger who went to get Micaiah told him, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous--vote Yes!" + But Micaiah said, "As sure as GOD lives, what God says, I'll say." + With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So, Micaiah--do we attack Ramoth Gilead? Or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said, "an easy victory! God's gift to the king." + "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?" + "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist . . . I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd. Then GOD spoke, 'These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'" + The king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from GOD, only doom." + Micaiah kept on, "I'm not done yet; listen to GOD's word: I saw GOD enthroned, and all the Angel Armies of heaven standing at attention, ranged on his right and his left. + And GOD said, "How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?" Some said this, and some said that. + Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before GOD, and said, "I'll seduce him." "And how will you do it?" said GOD. + "Easy," said the angel, "I'll get all the prophets to lie." "That should do it," said GOD; "On your way--seduce him!" + "And that's what has happened. GOD filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. GOD has pronounced your doom." + Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and slapped Micaiah in the face, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of GOD leave me and take up with you?" + Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide." + The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son + with this message: 'King's orders! Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'" + Micaiah said, If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of GOD. He added, When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it! + So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went ahead and attacked Ramoth Gilead. + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise. + Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them), "Don't bother with anyone whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only." + When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, + and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man--it wasn't the king of Israel after all. God intervened and they let him go. + Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here--I'm wounded." + All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. + + + But Jehoshaphat king of Judah got home safe and sound. + Jehu, son of Hanani the seer, confronted King Jehoshaphat: "You have no business helping evil, cozying up to GOD-haters. Because you did this, GOD is good and angry with you. + But you're not all bad--you made a clean sweep of the polluting sex-and-religion shrines; and you were single-minded in seeking God." + Jehoshaphat kept his residence in Jerusalem but made a regular round of visits among the people, from Beersheba in the south to Mount Ephraim in the north, urging them to return to GOD, the God of their ancestors. + And he was diligent in appointing judges in the land--each of the fortress cities had its judge. + He charged the judges: "This is serious work; do it carefully. You are not merely judging between men and women; these are GOD's judgments that you are passing on. + Live in the fear of GOD--be most careful, for GOD hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery." + In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites, priests, and family heads to decide on matters that had to do with worship and mediating local differences. + He charged them: "Do your work in the fear of GOD; be dependable and honest in your duties. + When a case comes before you involving any of your fellow citizens, whether it seems large (like murder) or small (like matters of interpretation of the law), you are responsible for warning them that they are dealing with GOD. Make that explicit, otherwise both you and they are going to be dealing with GOD's wrath. Do your work well or you'll end up being as guilty as they are. + "Amariah the chief priest is in charge of all cases regarding the worship of GOD; Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, is in charge of all civil cases; the Levites will keep order in the courts. Be bold and diligent. And GOD be with you as you do your best." + + + Some time later the Moabites and Ammonites, accompanied by Meunites, joined forces to make war on Jehoshaphat. + Jehoshaphat received this intelligence report: "A huge force is on its way from beyond the Dead Sea to fight you. There's no time to waste--they're already at Hazazon Tamar, the oasis of En Gedi." + Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to GOD for help and ordered a nationwide fast. + The country of Judah united in seeking GOD's help--they came from all the cities of Judah to pray to GOD. + Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem at The Temple of GOD in front of the new courtyard + and said, "O GOD, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist--no one stands a chance against you! + And didn't you make the natives of this land leave as you brought your people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the descendants of Abraham your friend? + They have lived here and built a holy house of worship to honor you, + saying, 'When the worst happens--whether war or flood or disease or famine--and we take our place before this Temple (we know you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and trouble, we know that you will listen and give victory.' + "And now it's happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn't let Israel touch them when we got here at first--we detoured around them and didn't lay a hand on them. + And now they've come to kick us out of the country you gave us. + O dear God, won't you take care of them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't know what to do; we're looking to you." + Everyone in Judah was there--little children, wives, sons--all present and attentive to GOD. + Then Jahaziel was moved by the Spirit of GOD to speak from the midst of the congregation. (Jahaziel was the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah the Levite of the Asaph clan.) + He said, "Attention everyone--all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat--GOD's word: Don't be afraid; don't pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God's war, not yours. + Tomorrow you'll go after them; see, they're already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you'll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel. + You won't have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch GOD's saving work for you take shape. Don't be afraid, don't waver. March out boldly tomorrow--GOD is with you." + Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground. All Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping GOD. + The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) stood to their feet to praise GOD, the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs! + They were up early in the morning, ready to march into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in GOD, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you'll come out on top!" + After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for GOD; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing, Give thanks to GOD, His love never quits. + As soon as they started shouting and praising, GOD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead. + The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed. + As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies--not a living soul among them. + When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off--equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart it away! + On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed GOD (that's how it got the name, Valley of Blessing). + Jehoshaphat then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem--an exuberant parade. GOD had given them joyful relief from their enemies! + They entered Jerusalem and came to The Temple of GOD with all the instruments of the band playing. + When the surrounding kingdoms got word that GOD had fought Israel's enemies, the fear of God descended on them. + Jehoshaphat heard no more from them; as long as Jehoshaphat reigned, peace reigned. + That about sums up Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and ruled as king in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. + He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa--no detours, no dead-ends--pleasing GOD with his life. + But he failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines--people continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous god shops. + The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, from start to finish, is written in the memoirs of Jehu son of Hanani, which are included in the Royal Annals of Israel's Kings. + Late in life Jehoshaphat formed a trading syndicate with Ahaziah king of Israel--which was very wrong of him to do. + He went in as partner with him to build ocean-going ships at Ezion Geber to trade with Tarshish. + Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah preached against Jehoshaphat's venture: "Because you joined forces with Ahaziah, GOD has shipwrecked your work." The ships were smashed and nothing ever came of the trade partnership. + + + Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David. Jehoram his son was the next king. + Jehoram's brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah--the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. + Their father had lavished them with gifts--silver, gold, and other valuables, plus the fortress cities in Judah. But Jehoram was his firstborn son and he gave him the kingdom of Judah. + But when Jehoram had taken over his father's kingdom and had secured his position, he killed all his brothers along with some of the government officials. + Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. + He imitated Israel's kings and married into the Ahab dynasty. GOD considered him an evil man. + But despite that, because of his covenant with David, GOD was not yet ready to destroy the descendants of David; he had, after all, promised to keep a light burning for David and his sons. + During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolted from Judah's rule and set up their own king. + Jehoram responded by setting out with his officers and chariots. Edom surrounded him, but in the middle of the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom hard. + Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present. Even little Libnah revolted at that time. The evidence accumulated: Since Jehoram had abandoned GOD, the God of his ancestors, God was abandoning him. + He even went so far as to build pagan sacred shrines in the mountains of Judah. He brazenly led Jerusalem away from God, seducing the whole country. + One day he got a letter from Elijah the prophet. It read, "From GOD, the God of your ancestor David--a message: Because you have not kept to the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and Asa your grandfather, kings of Judah, + but have taken up with the ways of the kings of Israel in the north, leading Judah and Jerusalem away from God, going step by step down the apostate path of Ahab and his crew--why, you even killed your own brothers, all of them better men than you!-- + GOD is going to afflict your people, your wives, your sons, and everything you have with a terrible plague. + And you are going to come down with a terrible disease of the colon, painful and humiliating." + The trouble started with an invasion. GOD incited the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Ethiopians to attack Jehoram. + They came to the borders of Judah, forced their way in, and plundered the place--robbing the royal palace of everything in it including his wives and sons. One son, his youngest, Ahaziah, was left behind. + The terrible and fatal disease in his colon followed. After about two years he was totally incontinent and died writhing in pain. + His people didn't honor him by lighting a great bonfire, as was customary with his ancestors. + He was thirty-two years old when he became king and reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. There were no tears shed when he died--it was good riddance!--and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery. + + + The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, king. Raiders from the desert, who had come with the Arabs against the settlement, had killed all the older sons. That's how Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah became king. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, but reigned only one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri. + He lived and ruled just like the Ahab family had done, his mother training him in evil ways. + GOD also considered him evil, related by both marriage and sin to the Ahab clan. After the death of his father, he attended the sin school of Ahab, and graduated with a degree in doom. + He did what they taught him, went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel in the war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. Joram, wounded by the Arameans, + retreated to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received in Ramah in his war with Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah paid a visit to Joram son of Ahab on his sickbed at Jezreel. + The fate of Ahaziah when he went to visit was God's judgment on him. When Ahaziah arrived at Jezreel, he and Joram met with Jehu son of Nimshi, whom GOD had already authorized to destroy the dynasty of Ahab. + Jehu, already at work, executing doom on the dynasty of Ahab, came upon the captains of Judah and Ahaziah's nephews, part of the Ahaziah delegation, and killed them outright. + Then he sent out a search party looking for Ahaziah himself. They found him hiding out in Samaria and hauled him back to Jehu. And Jehu killed him. They didn't, though, just leave his body there. Out of respect for his grandfather Jehoshaphat, famous as a sincere seeker after GOD, they gave him a decent burial. But there was no one left in Ahaziah's family capable of ruling the kingdom. + When Ahaziah's mother Athaliah saw that her son was dead, she took over. She began by massacring the entire royal family. + Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's son Joash, and kidnapped him from among the king's sons slated for slaughter. She hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. So Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and Ahaziah's sister--she was also the wife of Jehoiada the priest--saved Joash from the murderous Queen Athaliah. + He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country. + + + In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada decided to make his move and worked out a strategy with certain influential officers in the army. He picked Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri as his associates. + They dispersed throughout Judah and called in the Levites from all the towns in Judah along with the heads of families. They met in Jerusalem. + The gathering met in The Temple of God. They made a covenant there in The Temple. The priest Jehoiada showed them the young prince and addressed them: "Here he is--the son of the king. He is going to rule just as GOD promised regarding the sons of David. + Now this is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath are to be posted as security guards at the gates; + another third will guard the palace; and the other third will guard the foundation gate. All the people will gather in the courtyards of The Temple of GOD. + No one may enter The Temple of GOD except the priests and designated Levites--they are permitted in because they've been consecrated, but all the people must do the work assigned them. + The Levites are to form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going." + All the Levites and officers obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest. Each took charge of his men, both those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hadn't exempted any of them from duty. + Then the priest armed the officers with spears and the large and small shields originally belonging to King David that were stored in The Temple of God. + Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple. + Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God's covenant, and made him king. As Jehoiada and his sons anointed him they shouted, "Long live the king!" + Athaliah, hearing all the commotion, the people running around and praising the king, came to The Temple to see what was going on. + Astonished, she saw the young king standing at the entrance flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring, the choir and orchestra leading the praise. Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, "Treason! Treason!" + Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, "Drag her outside--and kill anyone who tries to follow her!" (The priest had said, "Don't kill her inside The Temple of GOD.") + So they dragged her out to the palace's horse corral and there they killed her. + Jehoiada now made a covenant between himself and the king and the people: they were to be GOD's special people. + The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. + Jehoiada turned the care of GOD's Temple over to the priests and Levites, the way David had directed originally. They were to offer the Whole-Burnt-Offerings of GOD as set out in The Revelation of Moses, and with praise and song as directed by David. + He also assigned security guards at the gates of GOD's Temple so that no one who was unprepared could enter. + Then he got everyone together--officers, nobles, governors, and the people themselves--and escorted the king down from The Temple of GOD, through the Upper Gate, and placed him on the royal throne. + Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed--Athaliah had been killed; no more Athaliah terror. + + + Joash was seven years old when he became king; he was king for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Gazelle (Zibiah). She was from Beersheba. + Taught and trained by Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what pleased GOD throughout Jehoiada's lifetime. + Jehoiada picked out two wives for him; he had a family of both sons and daughters. + The time came when Joash determined to renovate The Temple of GOD. + He got the priests and Levites together and said, "Circulate through the towns of Judah every year and collect money from the people to repair The Temple of your God. You are in charge of carrying this out." + But the Levites dragged their feet and didn't do anything. + Then the king called in Jehoiada the chief priest and said, "Why haven't you made the Levites bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax Moses, servant of GOD and the congregation, set for the upkeep of the place of worship? You can see how bad things are--wicked Queen Athaliah and her sons let The Temple of God go to ruin and took all its sacred artifacts for use in Baal worship." + Following the king's orders, they made a chest and placed it at the entrance to The Temple of GOD. + Then they sent out a tax notice throughout Judah and Jerusalem: "Pay the tax that Moses the servant of GOD set when Israel was in the wilderness." + The people and their leaders were glad to do it and cheerfully brought their money until the chest was full. + Whenever the Levites brought the chest in for a royal audit and found it to be full, the king's secretary and the official of the chief priest would empty the chest and put it back in its place. Day after day they did this and collected a lot of money. + The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the managers of The Temple project; they in turn paid the masons and carpenters for the repair work on The Temple of GOD. + The construction workers kept at their jobs steadily until the restoration was complete--the house of GOD as good as new! + When they had finished the work, they returned the surplus money to the king and Jehoiada, who used the money for making sacred vessels for Temple worship, vessels for the daily worship, for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, bowls, and other gold and silver liturgical artifacts. Whole-Burnt-Offerings were made regularly in The Temple of GOD throughout Jehoiada's lifetime. + He died at a ripe old age--130 years old! + They buried him in the royal cemetery because he had such a distinguished life of service to Israel and God and God's Temple. + But after the death of Jehoiada things fell apart. The leaders of Judah made a formal presentation to the king and he went along with them. + Things went from bad to worse; they deserted The Temple of GOD and took up with the cult of sex goddesses. An angry cloud hovered over Judah and Jerusalem because of this sin. + GOD sent prophets to straighten them out, warning of judgment. But nobody paid attention. + Then the Spirit of God moved Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest to speak up: "God's word: Why have you deliberately walked away from GOD's commandments? You can't live this way! If you walk out on GOD, he'll walk out on you." + But they worked out a plot against Zechariah, and with the complicity of the king--he actually gave the order!--they murdered him, pelting him with rocks, right in the court of The Temple of GOD. + That's the thanks King Joash showed the loyal Jehoiada, the priest who had made him king. He murdered Jehoiada's son. Zechariah's last words were, "Look, GOD! Make them pay for this!" + A year or so later Aramean troops attacked Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, massacred the leaders, and shipped all their plunder back to the king in Damascus. + The Aramean army was quite small, but GOD used them to wipe out Joash's large army--their punishment for deserting GOD, the God of their ancestors. Arameans implemented God's judgment against Joash. + They left Joash badly wounded and his own servants finished him off--it was a palace conspiracy, avenging the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed him in his bed. Afterward they buried him in the City of David, but he was not honored with a grave in the royal cemetery. + The temple conspirators were Zabad, whose mother was Shimeath from Ammon, and Jehozabad, whose mother was Shimrith from Moab. + The story of his sons, the many sermons preached to Joash, and the account of his repairs on The Temple of God can be found contained in the commentary on the royal history. Amaziah, Joash's son, was the next king. + + + Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. + He lived well before GOD, doing the right thing for the most part. But he wasn't wholeheartedly devoted to God. + When he had the affairs of the kingdom well in hand, he executed the palace guard who had assassinated his father the king. + But he didn't kill the sons of the assassins--he was mindful of what GOD commanded in The Revelation of Moses, that parents shouldn't be executed for their childrens' sins, nor children for their parents'. We each pay personally for our sins. + Amaziah organized Judah and sorted out Judah and Benjamin by families and by military units. Men twenty years and older had to register--they ended up with 300,000 judged capable of military service. + In addition he hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel in the north at a cost of about four and a half tons of silver. + A holy man showed up and said, "No, O king--don't let those northern Israelite soldiers into your army; GOD is not on their side, nor with any of the Ephraimites. + Instead, you go by yourself and be strong. God and God only has the power to help or hurt your cause." + But Amaziah said to the holy man, "But what about all this money--these tons of silver I have already paid out to hire these men?" "GOD's help is worth far more to you than that," said the holy man. + So Amaziah fired the soldiers he had hired from the north and sent them home. They were very angry at losing their jobs and went home seething. + But Amaziah was optimistic. He led his troops into the Valley of Salt and killed 10,000 men of Seir. + They took another 10,000 as prisoners, led them to the top of the Rock, and pushed them off a cliff. They all died in the fall, smashed on the rocks. + But the troops Amaziah had dismissed from his army, angry over their lost opportunity for plunder, rampaged through the towns of Judah all the way from Samaria to Beth Horon, killing 3,000 people and taking much plunder. + On his return from the destruction of the Edomites, Amaziah brought back the gods of the men of Seir and installed them as his own gods, worshiping them and burning incense to them. + That ignited GOD's anger; a fiery blast of GOD's wrath put into words by a God-sent prophet: "What is this? Why on earth would you pray to inferior gods who couldn't so much as help their own people from you--gods weaker than Amaziah?" + Amaziah interrupted him, "Did I ask for your opinion? Shut up or get thrown out!" The prophet quit speaking, but not before he got in one last word: "I have it on good authority: God has made up his mind to throw you out because of what you've done, and because you wouldn't listen to me." + One day Amaziah sent envoys to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, challenging him to a fight: "Come and meet with me, I dare you. Let's have it out face to face!" + Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, "One day a thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But then a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it. + Just because you've defeated Edom in battle, you now think you're a big shot. Go ahead and be proud, but stay home. Why press your luck? Why bring defeat on yourself and Judah?" + Amaziah wouldn't take no for an answer--God had already decided to let Jehoash defeat him because he had defected to the gods of Edom. + So Jehoash king of Israel came on ahead and confronted Amaziah king of Judah. They met at Beth Shemesh, a town of Judah. + Judah was thoroughly beaten by Israel--all the soldiers straggled home in defeat. + Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. But Jehoash didn't stop at that; he went on to attack Jerusalem. He demolished the Wall of Jerusalem all the way from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate--a stretch of about six hundred feet. + He looted the gold, silver, and furnishings--anything he found that was worth taking--from both the palace and The Temple of God--and, for good measure, he took hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. + Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah continued as king fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. + The rest of the life and times of Amaziah from start to finish is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + During those last days, after Amaziah had defected from GOD, they cooked up a plot against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he had to flee to Lachish. But they tracked him down in Lachish and killed him there. + They brought him back on horseback and buried him in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David. + + + The people of Judah then took Uzziah, who was only sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. + The first thing he did after his father was dead and buried was to recover Elath for Judah and rebuild it. + Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king and reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. + He behaved well in the eyes of GOD, following in the footsteps of his father Amaziah. + He was a loyal seeker of God. He was well trained by his pastor and teacher Zechariah to live in reverent obedience before God, and for as long as Zechariah lived, Uzziah lived a godly life. And God prospered him. + He ventured out and fought the Philistines, breaking into the fortress cities of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He also built settlements around Ashdod and other Philistine areas. + God helped him in his wars with the Philistines, the Arabs in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. + The Ammonites also paid tribute. Uzziah became famous, his reputation extending all the way to Egypt. He became quite powerful. + Uzziah constructed defense towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the corner of the wall. + He also built towers and dug cisterns out in the country. He had herds of cattle down in the foothills and out on the plains, had farmers and vinedressers at work in the hills and fields--he loved growing things. + On the military side, Uzziah had a well-prepared army ready to fight. They were organized by companies under the direction of Jeiel the secretary, Maaseiah the field captain, and Hananiah of the general staff. + The roster of family leaders over the fighting men accounted for 2,600. + Under them were reinforcement troops numbering 307,000, with 500 of them on constant alert--a strong royal defense against any attack. + Uzziah had them well-armed with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingshots. + He also installed the latest in military technology on the towers and corners of Jerusalem for shooting arrows and hurling stones. He became well known for all this--a famous king. Everything seemed to go his way. + But then the strength and success went to his head. Arrogant and proud, he fell. One day, contemptuous of GOD, he walked into The Temple of GOD like he owned it and took over, burning incense on the Incense Altar. + The priest Azariah, backed up by eighty brave priests of GOD, tried to prevent him. + They confronted Uzziah: "You must not, you cannot do this, Uzziah--only the Aaronite priests, especially consecrated for the work, are permitted to burn incense. Get out of God's Temple; you are unfaithful and a disgrace!" + But Uzziah, censer in hand, was already in the middle of doing it and angrily rebuffed the priests. He lost his temper; angry words were exchanged--and then, even as they quarreled, a skin disease appeared on his forehead. + As soon as they saw it, the chief priest Azariah and the other priests got him out of there as fast as they could. He hurried out--he knew that GOD then and there had given him the disease. + Uzziah had his skin disease for the rest of his life and had to live in quarantine; he was not permitted to set foot in The Temple of GOD. His son Jotham, who managed the royal palace, took over the government of the country. + The rest of the history of Uzziah, from start to finish, was written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. + When Uzziah died, they buried him with his ancestors in a field next to the royal cemetery. His skin disease disqualified him from burial in the royal cemetery. His son Jotham became the next king. + + + Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. + In GOD's eyes he lived a good life, following the path marked out by his father Uzziah. Unlike his father, though, he didn't desecrate The Temple of GOD. But the people pushed right on in their lives of corruption. + Jotham constructed the Upper Gate of The Temple of GOD, considerably extended the Wall of the Ophel, + and built cities in the high country of Judah and forts and towers down in the forests. + He fought and beat the king of the Ammonites--that year the Ammonites turned over three and a quarter tons of silver and about sixty-five bushels of wheat, and another sixty-five bushels of barley. They repeated this for the next two years. + Jotham's strength was rooted in his steady and determined life of obedience to GOD. + The rest of the history of Jotham, including his wars and achievements, are all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned for sixteen years at Jerusalem. + Jotham died and was buried in the City of David. His son Ahaz became the next king. + + + Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn't live right in the eyes of GOD; he wasn't at all like his ancestor David. + Instead he followed in the track of Israel in the north, even casting metal figurines for worshiping the pagan Baal gods. + He participated in the outlawed burning of incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and--incredibly!--indulged in the outrageous practice of "passing his sons through the fire," a truly abominable thing he picked up from the pagans GOD had earlier thrown out of the country. + He also joined in the activities of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that flourished all over the place. + GOD, fed up, handed him over to the king of Aram, who beat him badly and took many prisoners to Damascus. God also let the king of Israel loose on him and that resulted in a terrible slaughter: + Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in one day, all of them first-class soldiers, and all because they had deserted GOD, the God of their ancestors. + Furthermore, Zicri, an Ephraimite hero, killed the king's son Maaseiah, Azrikam the palace steward, and Elkanah, second in command to the king. + And that wasn't the end of it--the Israelites captured 200,000 men, women, and children, besides huge cartloads of plunder that they took to Samaria. + GOD's prophet Oded was in the neighborhood. He met the army when it entered Samaria and said, "Stop right where you are and listen! GOD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and used you to punish them; but you took things into your own hands and used your anger, uncalled for and irrational, + to turn your brothers and sisters from Judah and Jerusalem into slaves. Don't you see that this is a terrible sin against your GOD? + Careful now; do exactly what I say--return these captives, every last one of them. If you don't, you'll find out how real anger, GOD's anger, works." + Some of their Ephraimite leaders--Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai--stood up against the returning army + and said, "Don't bring the captives here! We've already sinned against GOD; and now you are about to compound our sin and guilt. We're guilty enough as it is, enough to set off an explosion of divine anger." + So the soldiers turned over both the captives and the plunder to the leaders and the people. + Personally designated men gathered the captives together, dressed the ones who were naked using clothing from the stores of plunder, put shoes on their feet, gave them all a square meal, provided first aid to the injured, put the weak ones on donkeys, and then escorted them to Jericho, the City of Palms, restoring them to their families. Then they went back to Samaria. + At about that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria asking for personal help. + The Edomites had come back and given Judah a bad beating, taking off a bunch of captives. + Adding insult to injury the Philistines raided the cities in the foothills to the west and the southern desert and captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, along with Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages, and moved in, making themselves at home. + Arrogant King Ahaz, acting as if he could do without God's help, had unleashed an epidemic of depravity. Judah, brought to its knees by GOD, was now reduced to begging for a handout. + But the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, wouldn't help--he came instead and humiliated Ahaz even more by attacking and bullying him. + Desperate, Ahaz ransacked The Temple of GOD, the royal palace, and every other place he could think of, scraping together everything he could, and gave it to the king of Assyria--and got nothing in return, not a bit of help. + But King Ahaz didn't learn his lesson--at the very time that everyone was turning against him, he continued to be against GOD! + He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus. He had just been defeated by Damascus; he thought, "If I worship the gods who helped Damascus, those gods just might help me too." But things only went from bad to worse: first Ahaz in ruins and then the country. + He cleaned out The Temple of God of everything useful and valuable, boarded up the doors of The Temple, and then went out and set up pagan shrines for his own use all over Jerusalem. + And not only in Jerusalem, but all over Judah--neighborhood shrines for worshiping any and every god on sale. And was GOD ever angry! + The rest of Ahaz's infamous life, all that he did from start to finish, is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + When Ahaz died, they buried him in Jerusalem, but he was not honored with a burial in the cemetery of the kings. His son Hezekiah was the next king. + + + Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old and was king in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. + In GOD's opinion he was a good king; he kept to the standards of his ancestor David. + In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah, having first repaired the doors of The Temple of GOD, threw them open to the public. + He assembled the priests and Levites in the court on the east side + and said, "Levites, listen! Consecrate yourselves and consecrate The Temple of GOD--give this much-defiled place a good housecleaning. + Our ancestors went wrong and lived badly before GOD--they discarded him, turned away from this house where we meet with GOD, and walked off. + They boarded up the doors, turned out the lights, and canceled all the acts of worship of the GOD of Israel in the holy Temple. + And because of that, GOD's anger flared up and he turned those people into a public exhibit of disaster, a moral history lesson--look and read! + This is why our ancestors were killed, and this is why our wives and sons and daughters were taken prisoner and made slaves. + "I have decided to make a covenant with the GOD of Israel and turn history around so that GOD will no longer be angry with us. + Children, don't drag your feet in this! GOD has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in conducting and leading worship--this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well." + The Levites stood at attention: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites; + Shimri and Jeiel sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah sons of Asaph; + Jehiel and Shimei of the family of Heman; Shemaiah and Uzziel of the family of Jeduthun. + They presented themselves and their brothers, consecrated themselves, and set to work cleaning up The Temple of GOD as the king had directed--as GOD directed! + The priests started from the inside and worked out; they emptied the place of the accumulation of defiling junk--pagan rubbish that had no business in that holy place--and the Levites hauled it off to the Kidron Valley. + They began the Temple cleaning on the first day of the first month and by the eighth day they had worked their way out to the porch--eight days it took them to clean and consecrate The Temple itself, and in eight more days they had finished with the entire Temple complex. + Then they reported to Hezekiah the king, "We have cleaned up the entire Temple of GOD, including the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Table of the Bread of the Presence with their furnishings. + We have also cleaned up and consecrated all the vessels which King Ahaz had gotten rid of during his misrule. Take a look; we have repaired them. They're all there in front of the Altar of GOD." + Then Hezekiah the king went to work: He got all the leaders of the city together and marched to The Temple of GOD. + They brought with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven he-goats to sacrifice as an Absolution-Offering for the royal family, for the Sanctuary, and for Judah as a whole; he directed the Aaronite priests to sacrifice them on the Altar of GOD. + The priests butchered the bulls and then took the blood and sprinkled it on the Altar, and then the same with the rams and lambs. + Finally they brought the goats up; the king and congregation laid their hands upon them. + The priests butchered them and made an Absolution-Offering with their blood at the Altar to atone for the sin of all Israel--the king had ordered that the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Absolution-Offering be for all Israel. + The king ordered the Levites to take their places in The Temple of GOD with their musical instruments--cymbals, harps, zithers--following the original instructions of David, Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; this was GOD's command conveyed by his prophets. + The Levites formed the orchestra of David, while the priests took up the trumpets. + Then Hezekiah gave the signal to begin: The Whole-Burnt-Offering was offered on the Altar; at the same time the sacred choir began singing, backed up by the trumpets and the David orchestra + while the entire congregation worshiped. The singers sang and the trumpeters played all during the sacrifice of the Whole-Burnt-Offering. + When the offering of the sacrifice was completed, the king and everyone there knelt to the ground and worshiped. + Then Hezekiah the king and the leaders told the Levites to finish things off with anthems of praise to GOD using lyrics by David and Asaph the seer. They sang their praises with joy and reverence, kneeling in worship. + Hezekiah then made this response: "The dedication is complete--you're consecrated to GOD. Now you're ready: Come forward and bring your sacrifices and Thank-Offerings to The Temple of GOD." And come they did. Everyone in the congregation brought sacrifices and Thank-Offerings and some, overflowing with generosity, even brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings, + a generosity expressed in seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs--all for Whole-Burnt-Offerings for GOD! + The total number of animals consecrated for sacrifice that day amounted to 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. + They ran out of priests qualified to slaughter all the Whole-Burnt-Offerings so their brother Levites stepped in and helped out while other priests consecrated themselves for the work. It turned out that the Levites had been more responsible in making sure they were properly consecrated than the priests had been. + Besides the overflow of Whole-Burnt-Offerings there were also choice pieces for the Peace-Offerings and lavish libations that went with the Whole-Burnt-Offerings. The worship in The Temple of GOD was on a firm footing again! + Hezekiah and the congregation celebrated: God had established a firm foundation for the lives of the people--and so quickly! + + + Then Hezekiah invited all of Israel and Judah, with personal letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Israel's God. + The king and his officials and the congregation in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate Passover in the second month. + They hadn't been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough of the priests were yet personally prepared and the people hadn't had time to gather in Jerusalem. + Under these circumstances, the revised date was approved by both king and people + and they sent out the invitation from one end of the country to the other, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north: "Come and celebrate the Passover to Israel's God in Jerusalem." No one living had ever celebrated it properly. + The king gave the orders, and the couriers delivered the invitations from the king and his leaders throughout Israel and Judah. The invitation read: "O Israelites! Come back to GOD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he can return to you who have survived the predations of the kings of Assyria. + Don't repeat the sins of your ancestors who turned their backs on GOD, the God of their ancestors who then brought them to ruin--you can see the ruins all around you. + Don't be pigheaded as your ancestors were. Clasp GOD's outstretched hand. Come to his Temple of holy worship, consecrated for all time. Serve GOD, your God. You'll no longer be in danger of his hot anger. + If you come back to GOD, your captive relatives and children will be treated compassionately and allowed to come home. Your GOD is gracious and kind and won't snub you--come back and he'll welcome you with open arms." + So the couriers set out, going from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far north as Zebulun. But the people poked fun at them, treated them as a joke. + But not all; some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to accept the invitation and come to Jerusalem. + It was better in Judah--God worked powerfully among them to make it unanimous, responding to the orders sent out by the king and his officials, orders backed up by the word of GOD. + It turned out that there was a tremendous crowd of people when the time came in the second month to celebrate the Passover (sometimes called the Feast of Unraised Bread). + First they went to work and got rid of all the pagan altars that were in Jerusalem--hauled them off and dumped them in the Kidron Valley. + Then, on the fourteenth day of the second month, they slaughtered the Passover lambs. The priests and Levites weren't ready; but now, embarrassed in their laziness, they consecrated themselves and brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings to The Temple of GOD. + Ready now, they stood at their posts as designated by The Revelation of Moses the holy man; the priests sprinkled the blood the Levites handed to them. + Because so many in the congregation had not properly prepared themselves by consecration and so were not qualified, the Levites took charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs so that they would be properly consecrated to GOD. + There were a lot of people, especially those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, who did not eat the Passover meal because they had not prepared themselves adequately. Hezekiah prayed for these as follows: "May GOD who is all good, pardon and forgive + everyone who sincerely desires GOD, the God of our ancestors. Even--especially!--these who do not meet the literal conditions stated for access to The Temple." + GOD responded to Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people. + All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover (Feast of Unraised Bread) for seven days, celebrated exuberantly. The Levites and priests praised GOD day after day, filling the air with praise sounds of percussion and brass. + Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of GOD. When the feast and festival--that glorious seven days of worship, the making of offerings, and the praising of GOD, the God of their ancestors--were over, the tables cleared and the floors swept, + they all decided to keep going for another seven days! So they just kept on celebrating, and as joyfully as they began. + Hezekiah king of Judah gave 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the congregation's worship; the officials gave an additional 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And there turned out to be plenty of consecrated priests--qualified and well-prepared. + The whole congregation of Judah, the priests and Levites, the congregation that came in from Israel, and the resident aliens from both Israel and Judah, were all in on the joyous celebration. + Jerusalem was bursting with joy--nothing like this had taken place in Jerusalem since Solomon son of David king of Israel had built and dedicated The Temple. + The priests and Levites had the last word: they stood and blessed the people. And God listened, listened as the ascending sound of their prayers entered his holy heaven. + + + After the Passover celebration, they all took off for the cities of Judah and smashed the phallic stone monuments, chopped down the sacred Asherah groves, and demolished the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines and local god shops. They didn't stop until they had been all through Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then they all went back home and resumed their everyday lives. + Hezekiah organized the groups of priests and Levites for their respective tasks, handing out job descriptions for conducting the services of worship: making the various offerings, and making sure that thanks and praise took place wherever and whenever GOD was worshiped. + He also designated his personal contribution for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings for the morning and evening worship, for Sabbaths, for New Moon festivals, and for the special worship days set down in The Revelation of GOD. + In addition, he asked the people who lived in Jerusalem to be responsible for providing for the priests and Levites so they, without distraction or concern, could give themselves totally to The Revelation of GOD. + As soon as Hezekiah's orders had gone out, the Israelites responded generously: firstfruits of the grain harvest, new wine, oil, honey--everything they grew. They didn't hold back, turning over a tithe of everything. + They also brought in a tithe of their cattle, sheep, and anything else they owned that had been dedicated to GOD. Everything was sorted and piled in mounds. + They started doing this in the third month and didn't finish until the seventh month. + When Hezekiah and his leaders came and saw the extent of the mounds of gifts, they praised GOD and commended God's people Israel. + Hezekiah then consulted the priests and Levites on how to handle the abundance of offerings. + Azariah, chief priest of the family of Zadok, answered, "From the moment of this huge outpouring of gifts to The Temple of GOD, there has been plenty to eat for everyone with food left over. GOD has blessed his people--just look at the evidence!" + Hezekiah then ordered storerooms to be prepared in The Temple of GOD. When they were ready, + they brought in all the offerings of tithes and sacred gifts. They put Conaniah the Levite in charge with his brother Shimei as assistant. + Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were project managers under the direction of Conaniah and Shimei, carrying out the orders of King Hezekiah and Azariah the chief priest of The Temple of God. + Kore son of Imnah the Levite, security guard of the East Gate, was in charge of the Freewill-Offerings of God and responsible for distributing the offerings and sacred gifts. + Faithful support out in the priestly cities was provided by Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah. They were even-handed in their distributions to their coworkers (all males thirty years and older) in each of their respective divisions + as they entered The Temple of GOD each day to do their assigned work (their work was all organized by divisions). + The divisions comprised officially registered priests by family and Levites twenty years and older by job description. + The official family tree included everyone in the entire congregation--their small children, wives, sons, and daughters. The ardent dedication they showed in bringing themselves and their gifts to worship was total--no one was left out. + The Aaronites, the priests who lived out on the pastures that belonged to the priest-cities, had reputable men on hand to distribute regular rations to every priest--everyone listed in the official family tree of the Levites. + Hezekiah carried out this work and kept it up everywhere in Judah. He was the very best--good, right, and true before his GOD. + Everything he took up, whether it had to do with worship in God's Temple or the carrying out of God's Law and Commandments, he did well in a spirit of prayerful worship. He was a great success. + + + And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them. + When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, + he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. + There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?" + Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments--spears and shields. + He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, + "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops--there are more on our side than on their side. + He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our GOD to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. + Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: + "A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people--do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks. + Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid--Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, 'GOD will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying--you're all going to end up dead. + Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, 'There is only one legitimate place to worship'? + Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? + Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god? + Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors--what kind of odds does that give your god?" + The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both GOD and God's servant Hezekiah. + Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the GOD of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse." + The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. + They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples. + King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. + GOD answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. + GOD saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. + People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of GOD and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed--Hezekiah's stock soared. + Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to GOD and was given a reassuring sign. + But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made GOD angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. + But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and GOD withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived. + Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, + barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. + He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. + Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. + But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart. + The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself--it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor. Manasseh his son was the next king. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. He ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. + In GOD's opinion he was a bad king--an evil king. He reintroduced all the moral rot and spiritual corruption that had been scoured from the country when GOD dispossessed the pagan nations in favor of the children of Israel. + He rebuilt the sex-and-religion shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down, he built altars and phallic images for the sex god Baal and the sex goddess Asherah and worshiped the cosmic powers, taking orders from the constellations. + He built shrines to the cosmic powers and placed them in both courtyards of The Temple of GOD, + the very Jerusalem Temple dedicated exclusively by GOD's decree to GOD's Name ("in Jerusalem I place my Name"). + He burned his own sons in a sacrificial rite in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced witchcraft and fortunetelling. He held s�ances and consulted spirits from the underworld. Much evil--in GOD's view a career in evil. And GOD was angry. + As a last straw he placed a carved image of the sex goddess Asherah that he had commissioned in The Temple of God, a flagrant and provocative violation of God's well-known command to both David and Solomon, "In this Temple and in this city Jerusalem, my choice out of all the tribes of Israel, I place my Name--exclusively and forever." + He had promised, "Never again will I let my people Israel wander off from this land I've given to their ancestors. But on this condition, that they keep everything I've commanded in the instructions my servant Moses passed on to them." + But Manasseh led Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem off the beaten path into practices of evil exceeding even the evil of the pagan nations that GOD had earlier destroyed. + When GOD spoke to Manasseh and his people about this, they ignored him. + Then GOD directed the leaders of the troops of the king of Assyria to come after Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose, shackles on his feet, and took him off to Babylon. + Now that he was in trouble, he went to his knees in prayer asking for help--total repentance before the God of his ancestors. + As he prayed, GOD was touched; GOD listened and brought him back to Jerusalem as king. That convinced Manasseh that GOD was in control. + After that Manasseh rebuilt the outside defensive wall of the City of David to the west of the Gihon spring in the valley. It went from the Fish Gate and around the hill of Ophel. He also increased its height. He tightened up the defense system by posting army captains in all the fortress cities of Judah. + He also did a good spring cleaning on The Temple, carting out the pagan idols and the goddess statue. He took all the altars he had set up on The Temple hill and throughout Jerusalem and dumped them outside the city. + He put the Altar of GOD back in working order and restored worship, sacrificing Peace-Offerings and Thank-Offerings. He issued orders to the people: "You shall serve and worship GOD, the God of Israel." + But the people didn't take him seriously--they used the name "GOD" but kept on going to the old pagan neighborhood shrines and doing the same old things. + The rest of the history of Manasseh--his prayer to his God, and the sermons the prophets personally delivered by authority of GOD, the God of Israel--this is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + His prayer and how God was touched by his prayer, a list of all his sins and the things he did wrong, the actual places where he built the pagan shrines, the installation of the sex-goddess Asherah sites, and the idolatrous images that he worshiped previous to his conversion--this is all described in the records of the prophets. + When Manasseh died, they buried him in the palace garden. His son Amon was the next king. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He was king for two years in Jerusalem. + In GOD's opinion he lived an evil life, just like his father Manasseh, + but he never did repent to GOD as Manasseh repented. He just kept at it, going from one thing to another. + In the end Amon's servants revolted and assassinated him--killed the king right in his own palace. + The citizens in their turn then killed the king's assassins. The citizens then crowned Josiah, Amon's son, as king. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. + He behaved well before GOD. He kept straight on the path blazed by his ancestor David, not one step to the left or right. + When he had been king for eight years--he was still only a teenager--he began to seek the God of David his ancestor. Four years later, the twelfth year of his reign, he set out to cleanse the neighborhood of sex-and-religion shrines, and get rid of the sacred Asherah groves and the god and goddess figurines, whether carved or cast, from Judah. + He wrecked the Baal shrines, tore down the altars connected with them, and scattered the debris and ashes over the graves of those who had worshiped at them. + He burned the bones of the priests on the same altars they had used when alive. He scrubbed the place clean, Judah and Jerusalem, clean inside and out. + The clean-up campaign ranged outward to the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and the surrounding neighborhoods--as far north as Naphtali. + Throughout Israel he demolished the altars and Asherah groves, pulverized the god and goddess figures, chopped up the neighborhood shrines into firewood. With Israel once more intact, he returned to Jerusalem. + One day in the eighteenth year of his kingship, with the cleanup of country and Temple complete, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the mayor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the historian to renovate The Temple of GOD. + First they turned over to Hilkiah the high priest all the money collected by the Levitical security guards from Manasseh and Ephraim and the rest of Israel, and from Judah and Benjamin and the citizens of Jerusalem. + It was then put into the hands of the foremen managing the work on The Temple of GOD + who then passed it on to the workers repairing GOD's Temple--the carpenters, construction workers, and masons--so they could buy the lumber and dressed stone for rebuilding the foundations the kings of Judah had allowed to fall to pieces. + The workmen were honest and diligent. Their foremen were Jahath and Obadiah, the Merarite Levites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites--these managed the project. The Levites--they were all skilled musicians-- + were in charge of the common laborers and supervised the workers as they went from job to job. The Levites also served as accountants, managers, and security guards. + While the money that had been given for The Temple of GOD was being received and dispersed, Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of The Revelation of Moses. + He reported to Shaphan the royal secretary, "I've just found the Book of GOD's Revelation, instructing us in GOD's way--found it in The Temple!" He gave it to Shaphan, + who then gave it to the king. And along with the book, he gave this report: "The job is complete--everything you ordered done is done. + They took all the money that was collected in The Temple of GOD and handed it over to the managers and workers." + And then Shaphan told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." Shaphan proceeded to read it out to the king. + When the king heard what was written in the book, GOD's Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay. + And then he called for Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal aide. + He ordered them all: "Go and pray to GOD for me and what's left of Israel and Judah. Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! GOD's anger must be burning furiously against us--our ancestors haven't obeyed a thing written in this book of GOD, followed none of the instructions directed to us." + Hilkiah and those picked by the king went straight to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, who was in charge of the palace wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter. The men consulted with her. + In response to them she said, "GOD's word, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you here, + 'GOD has spoken, I'm on my way to bring the doom of judgment on this place and this people. Every word written in the book read by the king of Judah will happen. + And why? Because they've deserted me and taken up with other gods; they've made me thoroughly angry by setting up their god-making businesses. My anger is raging white-hot against this place and nobody is going to put it out.' + "And also tell the king of Judah, since he sent you to ask GOD for direction, GOD's comment on what he read in the book: + 'Because you took seriously the doom of judgment I spoke against this place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I'm taking you seriously. GOD's word. + I'll take care of you; you'll have a quiet death and be buried in peace. You won't be around to see the doom that I'm going to bring upon this place and people.'" The men took her message back to the king. + The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, + and then proceeding to The Temple of GOD bringing everyone in his train--priests and prophets and people ranging from the least to the greatest. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of GOD. + The king stood by his pillar and before GOD solemnly committed himself to the covenant: to follow GOD believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to confirm with his life the entire covenant, all that was written in the book. + Then he made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin commit themselves. And they did it. They committed themselves to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. + Josiah did a thorough job of cleaning up the pollution that had spread throughout Israelite territory and got everyone started fresh again, serving and worshiping their GOD. All through Josiah's life the people kept to the straight and narrow, obediently following GOD, the God of their ancestors. + + + Josiah celebrated the Passover to GOD in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. + He gave the priests detailed instructions and encouraged them in the work of leading worship in The Temple of GOD. + He also told the Levites who were in charge of teaching and guiding Israel in all matters of worship (they were especially consecrated for this), "Place the sacred Chest in The Temple that Solomon son of David, the king of Israel, built. You don't have to carry it around on your shoulders any longer! Serve GOD and God's people Israel. + Organize yourselves by families for your respective responsibilities, following the instructions left by David king of Israel and Solomon his son. + "Take your place in the sanctuary--a team of Levites for every grouping of your fellow citizens, the laity. + Your job is to kill the Passover lambs, then consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs so that everyone will be able to keep the Passover exactly as GOD commanded through Moses." + Josiah personally donated 30,000 sheep, lambs, and goats and 3,000 bulls--everything needed for the Passover celebration was there. + His officials also pitched in on behalf of the people, including the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders in The Temple of God, gave 2,600 lambs and 300 bulls to the priests for the Passover offerings. + Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with the Levitical chiefs Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, donated 5,000 lambs and 500 bulls to the Levites for the Passover offerings. + Preparations were complete for the service of worship; the priests took up their positions and the Levites were at their posts as instructed by the king. + They killed the Passover lambs, and while the priests sprinkled the blood from the lambs, the Levites skinned them out. + Then they set aside the Whole-Burnt-Offering for presentation to the family groupings of the people so that each group could offer it to GOD following the instructions in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. + They roasted the Passover lamb according to the instructions and boiled the consecrated offerings in pots and kettles and pans and promptly served the people. + After the people had eaten the holy meal, the Levites served themselves and the Aaronite priests--the priests were busy late into the night making the offerings at the Altar. + The Asaph singers were all in their places following the instructions of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. The security guards were on duty at each gate--the Levites also served them because they couldn't leave their posts. + Everything went without a hitch in the worship of GOD that day as they celebrated the Passover and the offering of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar of GOD. It went just as Josiah had ordered. + The Israelites celebrated the Passover, also known as the Feast of Unraised Bread, for seven days. + The Passover hadn't been celebrated like this since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings had done it. But Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were there that week, plus the citizens of Jerusalem--they did it. + In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated. + Some time later, after Josiah's reformation of The Temple, Neco king of Egypt marched out toward Carchemish on the Euphrates River on his way to war. Josiah went out to fight him. + Neco sent messengers to Josiah saying, "What do we have against each other, O king of Judah? I haven't come to fight against you but against the country with whom I'm at war. God commanded me to hurry, so don't get in my way; you'll only interfere with God, who is on my side in this, and he'll destroy you." + But Josiah was spoiling for a fight and wouldn't listen to a thing Neco said (in actuality it was God who said it). Though King Josiah disguised himself when they met on the plain of Megiddo, + archers shot him anyway. The king said to his servants, "Get me out of here--I'm badly wounded." + So his servants took him out of his chariot and laid him down in an ambulance chariot and drove him back to Jerusalem. He died there and was buried in the family cemetery. Everybody in Judah and Jerusalem attended the funeral. + Jeremiah composed an anthem of lament for Josiah. The anthem is still sung by the choirs of Israel to this day. The anthem is written in the Laments. + The rest of the history of Josiah, his exemplary and devout life, conformed to The Revelation of GOD. + The whole story, from start to finish, is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + + + By popular choice, Jehoahaz son of Josiah was made king at Jerusalem, succeeding his father. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to rule. He was king in Jerusalem for a mere three months. + The king of Egypt dethroned him and forced the country to pay him nearly four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold. + Neco king of Egypt then made Eliakim, Jehoahaz's brother, king of Judah and Jerusalem, but changed his name to Jehoiakim; then he took Jehoahaz back with him to Egypt. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to rule; he was king for eleven years in Jerusalem. In GOD's opinion he was an evil king. + Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made war against him, and bound him in bronze chains, intending to take him prisoner to Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar also took things from The Temple of GOD to Babylon and put them in his royal palace. + The rest of the history of Jehoiakim, the outrageous sacrilege he committed and what happened to him as a consequence, is all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Jehoiachin his son became the next king. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king. But he ruled for only three months and ten days in Jerusalem. In GOD's opinion he was an evil king. + In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him brought to Babylon along with the valuables remaining in The Temple of GOD. Then he made his uncle Zedekiah a puppet king over Judah and Jerusalem. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. + As far as GOD was concerned, he was just one more evil king; there wasn't a trace of contrition in him when the prophet Jeremiah preached GOD's word to him. + Then he compounded his troubles by rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar, who earlier had made him swear in God's name that he would be loyal. He became set in his own stubborn ways--he never gave GOD a thought; repentance never entered his mind. + The evil mindset spread to the leaders and priests and filtered down to the people--it kicked off an epidemic of evil, repeating the abominations of the pagans and polluting The Temple of GOD so recently consecrated in Jerusalem. + GOD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent warning messages to them. Out of compassion for both his people and his Temple he wanted to give them every chance possible. + But they wouldn't listen; they poked fun at God's messengers, despised the message itself, and in general treated the prophets like idiots. GOD became more and more angry until there was no turning back-- + GOD called in Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who came and killed indiscriminately--and right in The Temple itself; it was a ruthless massacre: young men and virgins, the elderly and weak--they were all the same to him. + And then he plundered The Temple of everything valuable, cleaned it out completely; he emptied the treasuries of The Temple of God, the treasuries of the king and his officials, and hauled it all, people and possessions, off to Babylon. + He burned The Temple of God to the ground, knocked down the wall of Jerusalem, and set fire to all the buildings--everything valuable was burned up. + Any survivor was taken prisoner into exile in Babylon and made a slave to Nebuchadnezzar and his family. The exile and slavery lasted until the kingdom of Persia took over. + This is exactly the message of GOD that Jeremiah had preached: the desolate land put to an extended sabbath rest, a seventy-year Sabbath rest making up for all the unkept Sabbaths. + In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia--this fulfilled the message of GOD preached by Jeremiah--GOD moved Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom; he wrote it out as follows: + "From Cyrus king of Persia a proclamation: GOD, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship at Jerusalem in Judah. All who belong to GOD's people are urged to return--and may your GOD be with you! Move forward!" + + + + + In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia--this fulfilled the Message of GOD preached by Jeremiah--GOD prodded Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom. He wrote it out as follows: + From Cyrus king of Persia, a Proclamation: GOD, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship in Jerusalem, Judah. + Who among you belongs to his people? God be with you! Go to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build The Temple of GOD, the God of Israel, Jerusalem's God. + Those who stay behind, wherever they happen to live, will support them with silver, gold, tools, and pack animals, along with Freewill-Offerings for The Temple of God in Jerusalem. + The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites--everyone, in fact, God prodded--set out to build The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem. + Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically with silver, gold, tools, pack animals, expensive gifts, and, over and above these, Freewill-Offerings. + Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all the vessels and utensils from The Temple of GOD that Nebuchadnezzar had hauled from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods. + Cyrus king of Persia put Mithredath the treasurer in charge of the transfer; he provided a full inventory for Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah, including the following: + 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes + 29 silver pans, 30 gold bowls, 410 duplicate silver bowls, 1,000 miscellaneous items. + All told, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles that Sheshbazzar took with him when he brought the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem. + + + These are the people from the province who now returned from the captivity, exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his hometown. + They came in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The numbers of the returning Israelites by families of origin were as follows: + Parosh, 2,172 + Shephatiah, 372 + Arah, 775 + Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812 + Elam, 1,254 + Zattu, 945 + Zaccai, 760 + Bani, 642 + Bebai, 623 + Azgad, 1,222 + Adonikam, 666 + Bigvai, 2,056 + Adin, 454 + Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98 + Bezai, 323 + Jorah, 112 + Hashum, 223 + Gibbar, 95. + Israelites identified by place of origin were as follows: Bethlehem, 123 + Netophah, 56 + Anathoth, 128 + Azmaveth, 42 + Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743 + Ramah and Geba, 621 + Micmash, 122 + Bethel and Ai, 223 + Nebo, 52 + Magbish, 156 + Elam (the other one), 1,254 + Harim, 320 + Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725 + Jericho, 345 + Senaah, 3,630. + Priestly families: Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973 + Immer, 1,052 + Pashhur, 1,247 + Harim, 1,017. + Levitical families: Jeshua and Kadmiel (sons of Hodaviah), 74. + Singers: Asaph's family line, 128. + Security guard families: Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 139. + Families of temple support staff: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + Keros, Siaha, Padon, + Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, + Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, + Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, + Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, + Uzza, Paseah, Besai, + Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim, + Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + Neziah, and Hatipha. + Families of Solomon's servants: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, + Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, + Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami. + Temple support staff and Solomon's servants added up to 392. + These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. They weren't able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not: + Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652 in all. + Likewise with these priestly families: Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name. + They had thoroughly searched for their family records but couldn't find them. And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean. + The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status with the Urim and Thummim. + The total count for the congregation was 42,360. + That did not include the male and female slaves, which numbered 7,337. There were also 200 male and female singers, + and they had 736 horses, 245 mules, + 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. + Some of the heads of families, on arriving at The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem, made Freewill-Offerings toward the rebuilding of The Temple of God on its site. + They gave to the building fund as they were able, about 1,100 pounds of gold, about three tons of silver, and 100 priestly robes. + The priests, Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem. The singers, security guards, and temple support staff found places in their hometowns. All the Israelites found a place to live. + + + When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled into their towns, the people assembled together in Jerusalem. + Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brother priests, along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his relatives, went to work and built the Altar of the God of Israel to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it as written in The Revelation of Moses the man of God. + Even though they were afraid of what their non-Israelite neighbors might do, they went ahead anyway and set up the Altar on its foundations and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it morning and evening. + They also celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed and the daily Whole-Burnt-Offerings set for each day. + And they presented the regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings for Sabbaths, New Moons, and GOD's Holy Festivals, as well as Freewill-Offerings for GOD. + They began offering Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD from the very first day of the seventh month, even though The Temple of GOD's foundation had not yet been laid. + They gave money to hire masons and carpenters. They gave food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians in exchange for the cedar lumber they had brought by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, a shipment authorized by Cyrus the king of Persia. + In the second month of the second year after their arrival at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, in company with their brother priests and Levites and everyone else who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity, got started. They appointed the Levites twenty years of age and older to direct the rebuilding of The Temple of GOD. + Jeshua and his family joined Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, along with the extended family of Henadad--all Levites--to direct the work crew on The Temple of God. + When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of GOD, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise GOD in the tradition of David king of Israel. + They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to GOD: Yes! GOD is good! Oh yes--he'll never quit loving Israel! All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising GOD as the foundation of The Temple of GOD was laid. + As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly for joy. + People couldn't distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around. + + + Old enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building The Temple of the GOD of Israel. + They came to Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, "We'll help you build. We worship your God the same as you. We've been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought us here." + Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the family heads of Israel said to them, "Nothing doing. Building The Temple of our God is not the same thing to you as to us. We alone will build for the GOD of Israel. We're the ones King Cyrus of Persia commanded to do it." + So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. + They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia. + In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem. + Again later, in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote regarding the Jerusalem business to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. (What follows is written in Aramaic.) + Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: + From: Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, backed by the rest of their associates, the judges and officials over the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, Elamites of Susa, + and all the others whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places in the land across the Euphrates. + (This is the copy of the letter they sent to him.) To: King Artaxerxes from your servants from the land across the Euphrates. + We are here to inform the king that the Jews who came from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and have set about rebuilding that rebellious and evil city. They are busy at work finishing the walls and rebuilding the foundations. + The king needs to know that once that city is rebuilt and the wall completed they will no longer pay a penny of tribute, tax, or duty. The royal treasury will feel the loss. + We're loyal to the king and cannot sit idly by while our king is being insulted--that's why we are passing this information on. + We suggest that you look into the court records of your ancestors; you'll learn from those books that that city is a rebellious city, a thorn in the side to kings and provinces, an historic center of unrest and revolt. That's why the city was wiped out. + We are letting the king know that if that city gets rebuilt and its walls restored, you'll end up with nothing in your province beyond the Euphrates. + The king sent his reply to Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria and other places beyond the Euphrates. Peace be with you. + The letter that you sent has been translated and read to me. + I gave orders to search the records, and sure enough it turns out that this city has revolted against kings time and again--rebellion is an old story there. + I find that they've had their share of strong kings who have taken over beyond the Euphrates and exacted taxes, tribute, and duty. + So do this: Order these men to stop work immediately--not a lick of rebuilding in that city unless I order it. + Act quickly and firmly; they've done enough damage to kings! + The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates. They lost no time. They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work. + That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem. Nothing more was done until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. + + + Meanwhile the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the authority of the God of Israel who ruled them. + And so Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak started again, rebuilding The Temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there helping them. + Tattenai was governor of the land beyond the Euphrates at this time. Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates came to the Israelites and asked, "Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" + Then we told them the names of the men responsible for this construction work. + But God had his eye on the leaders of the Jews, and the work wasn't stopped until a report could reach Darius and an official reply be returned. + Tattenai, governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates--the officials of that land--sent a letter to Darius the king. + This is what they wrote to him: To Darius the king. Peace and blessing! + We want to report to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to The Temple of the great God that is being rebuilt with large stones. Timbers are being fitted into the walls; the work is going on with great energy and in good time. + We asked the leaders, "Who issued you the permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" + We also asked for their names so we could pass them on to you and have a record of the men at the head of the construction work. + This is what they told us: "We are servants of the God of the heavens and the earth. We are rebuilding The Temple that was built a long time ago. A great king of Israel built it, the entire structure. + But our ancestors made the God of the heavens really angry and he turned them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who knocked this Temple down and took the people to Babylon in exile. + "But when Cyrus became king of Babylon, in his first year he issued a building permit to rebuild this Temple of God. + He also gave back the gold and silver vessels of The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had carted off and put in the Babylon temple. Cyrus the king removed them from the temple of Babylon and turned them over to Sheshbazzar, the man he had appointed governor. + He told him, 'Take these vessels and place them in The Temple of Jerusalem and rebuild The Temple of God on its original site.' + And Sheshbazzar did it. He laid the foundation of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. It has been under construction ever since but it is not yet finished." + So now, if it please the king, look up the records in the royal archives in Babylon and see if it is indeed a fact that Cyrus the king issued an official building permit authorizing the rebuilding of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. And then send the king's ruling on this matter to us. + + + So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon. + Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it: Memorandum + In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows: The Temple where sacrifices are offered is to be rebuilt on new foundations. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide + with three courses of large stones topped with one course of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal bank. + The gold and silver vessels from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon are to be returned to The Temple at Jerusalem, each to its proper place; place them in The Temple of God. + Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way. + Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it. + I hereby give official orders on how you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God: 1. All construction costs are to be paid to these men from the royal bank out of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates. And pay them on time, without delays. + 2. Whatever is required for their worship--young bulls, rams, and lambs for Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God-of-Heaven; and whatever wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request--is to be given to them daily without delay + so that they may make sacrifices to the God-of-Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. + I've issued an official decree that anyone who violates this order is to be impaled on a timber torn out of his own house, and the house itself made a manure pit. + And may the God who put his Name on that place wipe out any king or people who dares to defy this decree and destroy The Temple of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued an official decree. Carry it out precisely and promptly. + Tattenai governor of the land across the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates did it: They carried out the decree of Darius precisely and promptly. + So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. + The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. + And then the Israelites celebrated--priests, Levites, every last exile, exuberantly celebrated the dedication of The Temple of God. + At the dedication of this Temple of God they sacrificed a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs--and, as an Absolution-Offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. + They placed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their places for the service of God at Jerusalem--all as written out in the Book of Moses. + On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. + All the priests and Levites had purified themselves--all, no exceptions. They were all ritually clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for the exiles, their brother priests, and themselves. + Then the Israelites who had returned from exile, along with everyone who had removed themselves from the defilements of the nations to join them and seek GOD, the God of Israel, ate the Passover. + With great joy they celebrated the Feast of Unraised Bread for seven days. GOD had plunged them into a sea of joy; he had changed the mind of the king of Assyria to back them in rebuilding The Temple of God, the God of Israel. + + + After all this, Ezra. It was during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, + son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, + son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, + son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, + son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest. + That's Ezra. He arrived from Babylon, a scholar well-practiced in the Revelation of Moses that the GOD of Israel had given. Because GOD's hand was on Ezra, the king gave him everything he asked for. + Some of the Israelites--priests, Levites, singers, temple security guards, and temple slaves--went with him to Jerusalem. It was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. + They arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king's reign. + Ezra had scheduled their departure from Babylon on the first day of the first month; they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month under the generous guidance of his God. + Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of GOD, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways. + What follows is the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra, priest and scholar, expert in matters involving the truths and ways of GOD concerning Israel: + Artaxerxes, King of Kings, to Ezra the priest, a scholar of the Teaching of the God-of-Heaven. Peace. + I hereby decree that any of the people of Israel living in my kingdom who want to go to Jerusalem, including their priests and Levites, may go with you. + You are being sent by the king and his seven advisors to carry out an investigation of Judah and Jerusalem in relation to the Teaching of your God that you are carrying with you. + You are also authorized to take the silver and gold that the king and his advisors are giving for the God of Israel, whose residence is in Jerusalem, + along with all the silver and gold that has been collected from the generously donated offerings all over Babylon, including that from the people and the priests, for The Temple of their God in Jerusalem. + Use this money carefully to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and the ingredients for Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings and then offer them on the Altar of The Temple of your God in Jerusalem. + You are free to use whatever is left over from the silver and gold for what you and your brothers decide is in keeping with the will of your God. + Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels given to you for the services of worship in The Temple of your God. + Whatever else you need for The Temple of your God you may pay for out of the royal bank. + I, Artaxerxes the king, have formally authorized and ordered all the treasurers of the land across the Euphrates to give Ezra the priest, scholar of the Teaching of the God-of-Heaven, the full amount of whatever he asks for + up to a hundred talents of silver, six hundred and fifty bushels of wheat, and six hundred and seven gallons each of wine and olive oil. There is no limit on the salt. + Everything the God-of-Heaven requires for The Temple of God must be given without hesitation. Why would the king and his sons risk stirring up his wrath? + Also, let it be clear that no one is permitted to impose tribute, tax, or duty on any priest, Levite, singer, temple security guard, temple servant, or any other worker connected with The Temple of God. + I authorize you, Ezra, exercising the wisdom of God that you have in your hands, to appoint magistrates and judges so they can administer justice among all the people of the land across the Euphrates who live by the Teaching of your God. Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them. + Anyone who does not obey the Teaching of your God and the king must be tried and sentenced at once--death, banishment, a fine, prison, whatever. + Blessed be GOD, the God-of-Our-Fathers, who put it in the mind of the king to beautify The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem! + Not only that, he caused the king and all his advisors and influential officials actually to like me and back me. My God was on my side and I was ready to go. And I organized all the leaders of Israel to go with me. + + + These are the family heads and those who signed up to go up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: + From the family of Phinehas: Gershom; Family of Ithamar: Daniel; Family of David: Hattush; + Family of Shecaniah; Family of Parosh: Zechariah, and with him 150 men signed up + Family of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and 200 men + Family of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and 300 men + Family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and 50 men + Family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and 70 men + Family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and 80 men + Family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and 218 men + Family of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and 160 men + Family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and 28 men + Family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, and 110 men + Family of Adonikam (bringing up the rear): their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 men + Family of Bigvai: Uthai and Zaccur, and 70 men. + I gathered them together at the canal that runs to Ahava. We camped there three days. I looked them over and found that they were all laymen and priests but no Levites. + So I sent for the leaders Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. + I then sent them to Iddo, who is head of the town of Casiphia, and told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives who lived there in Casiphia: "Send us ministers for The Temple of God." + Well, the generous hand of our God was on us, and they brought back to us a wise man from the family of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel. His name was Sherebiah. With sons and brothers they numbered eighteen. + They also brought Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the family of Merari, with brothers and their sons, another twenty. + And then there were 220 temple servants, descendants of the temple servants that David and the princes had assigned to help the Levites in their work. They were all signed up by name. + I proclaimed a fast there beside the Ahava Canal, a fast to humble ourselves before our God and pray for wise guidance for our journey--all our people and possessions. + I was embarrassed to ask the king for a cavalry bodyguard to protect us from bandits on the road. We had just told the king, "Our God lovingly looks after all those who seek him, but turns away in disgust from those who leave him." + So we fasted and prayed about these concerns. And he listened. + Then I picked twelve of the leading priests--Sherebiah and Hashabiah with ten of their brothers. + I weighed out for them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and the offerings for The Temple of our God that the king, his advisors, and all the Israelites had given: + 25 tons of silver, 100 vessels of silver valued at three and three-quarter tons, three and three-quarter tons of gold + 20 gold bowls weighing eighteen and a half pounds, 2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold. + I said to them, "You are holy to GOD and these vessels are holy. The silver and gold are Freewill-Offerings to the GOD of your ancestors. + Guard them with your lives until you're able to weigh them out in a secure place in The Temple of our God for the priests and Levites and family heads who are in charge in Jerusalem." + The priests and Levites took charge of all that had been weighed out to them, and prepared to deliver it to Jerusalem to The Temple of our God. + We left the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to travel to Jerusalem. God was with us all the way and kept us safe from bandits and highwaymen. + We arrived in Jerusalem and waited there three days. + On the fourth day the silver and gold and vessels were weighed out in The Temple of our God into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was there with him, also the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. + Everything was counted and weighed and the totals recorded. + When they arrived, the exiles, now returned from captivity, offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls, representing all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 he-goats as an Absolution-Offering. All of this was sacrificed as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD. + They also delivered the king's orders to the king's provincial administration assigned to the land beyond the Euphrates. They, in turn, gave their support to the people and The Temple of God. + + + After all this was done, the leaders came to me and said, "The People of Israel, priests and Levites included, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring people around here with all their vulgar obscenities--Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, Amorites. + They have given some of their daughters in marriage to them and have taken some of their daughters for marriage to their sons. The holy seed is now all mixed in with these other peoples. And our leaders have led the way in this betrayal." + When I heard all this, I ripped my clothes and my cape; I pulled hair from my head and out of my beard; I slumped to the ground, appalled. + Many were in fear and trembling because of what God was saying about the betrayal by the exiles. They gathered around me as I sat there in despair, waiting for the evening sacrifice. + At the evening sacrifice I picked myself up from my utter devastation, and in my ripped clothes and cape fell to my knees and stretched out my hands to GOD, my God. + And I prayed: "My dear God, I'm so totally ashamed, I can't bear to face you. O my God--our iniquities are piled up so high that we can't see out; our guilt touches the skies. + We've been stuck in a muck of guilt since the time of our ancestors until right now; we and our kings and priests, because of our sins, have been turned over to foreign kings, to killing, to captivity, to looting, and to public shame--just as you see us now. + "Now for a brief time GOD, our God, has allowed us, this battered band, to get a firm foothold in his holy place so that our God may brighten our eyes and lighten our burdens as we serve out this hard sentence. + We were slaves; yet even as slaves, our God didn't abandon us. He has put us in the good graces of the kings of Persia and given us the heart to build The Temple of our God, restore its ruins, and construct a defensive wall in Judah and Jerusalem. + "And now, our God, after all this what can we say for ourselves? For we have thrown your commands to the wind, + the commands you gave us through your servants the prophets. They told us, 'The land you're taking over is a polluted land, polluted with the obscene vulgarities of the people who live there; they've filled it with their moral rot from one end to the other. + Whatever you do, don't give your daughters in marriage to their sons nor marry your sons to their daughters. Don't cultivate their good opinion; don't make over them and get them to like you so you can make a lot of money and build up a tidy estate to hand down to your children.' + "And now this, on top of all we've already suffered because of our evil ways and accumulated guilt, even though you, dear God, punished us far less than we deserved and even went ahead and gave us this pres- ent escape. + Yet here we are, at it again, breaking your commandments by intermarrying with the people who practice all these obscenities! Are you angry to the point of wiping us out completely, without even a few stragglers, with no way out at all? + You are the righteous GOD of Israel. We are, right now, a small band of escapees. Look at us, openly standing here, guilty before you. No one can last long like this." + + + Ezra wept, prostrate in front of The Temple of God. As he prayed and confessed, a huge number of the men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him. All the people were now weeping as if their hearts would break. + Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the family of Elam, acting as spokesman, said to Ezra: "We betrayed our God by marrying foreign wives from the people around here. But all is not lost; there is still hope for Israel. + Let's make a covenant right now with our God, agreeing to get rid of all these wives and their children, just as my master and those who honor God's commandment are saying. It's what The Revelation says, so let's do it. + "Now get up, Ezra. Take charge--we're behind you. Don't back down." + So Ezra stood up and had the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel solemnly swear to do what Shecaniah proposed. And they did it. + Then Ezra left the plaza in front of The Temple of God and went to the home of Jehohanan son of Eliashib where he stayed, still fasting from food and drink, continuing his mourning over the betrayal by the exiles. + A notice was then sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem ordering all the exiles to meet in Jerusalem. + Anyone who failed to show up in three days, in compliance with the ruling of the leaders and elders, would have all his possessions confiscated and be thrown out of the congregation of the returned exiles. + All the men of Judah and Benjamin met in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. They all sat down in the plaza in front of The Temple of God. Because of the business before them, and aggravated by the buckets of rain coming down on them, they were restless, uneasy, and anxious. + Ezra the priest stood up and spoke: "You've broken trust. You've married foreign wives. You've piled guilt on Israel. + Now make your confession to GOD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he wants you to do: Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives." + The whole congregation responded with a shout, "Yes, we'll do it--just the way you said it!" + They also said, "But look, do you see how many people there are out here? And it's the rainy season; you can't expect us to stand out here soaking wet until this is done--why, it will take days! A lot of us are deeply involved in this transgression. + Let our leaders act on behalf of the whole congregation. Have everybody who lives in cities and who has married a foreign wife come at an appointed time, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city. We'll keep at this until the hot anger of our God over this thing is turned away." + Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this. + So the exiles went ahead with the plan. Ezra the priest picked men who were family heads, each one by name. They sat down together on the first day of the tenth month to pursue the matter. + By the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with every man who had married a foreign wife. + Among the families of priests, the following were found to have married foreign wives: The family of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. + They all promised to divorce their wives and sealed it with a handshake. For their guilt they brought a ram from the flock as a Compensation-Offering. + The family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. + The family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. + The family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. + From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah--that is, Kelita--Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. + From the singers: Eliashib. From the temple security guards: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. + And from the other Israelites: The family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. + The family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. + The family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. + The family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. + The family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. + The family of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. + The family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, + Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. + The family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. + The family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, + Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, + Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, + Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. + The family of Binnui: Shimei, + Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, + Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, + Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, + Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. + The family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. + All these had married foreign wives and some had also had children by them. + + + + + The memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. It was the month of Kislev in the twentieth year. At the time I was in the palace complex at Susa. + Hanani, one of my brothers, had just arrived from Judah with some fellow Jews. I asked them about the conditions among the Jews there who had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. + They told me, "The exile survivors who are left there in the province are in bad shape. Conditions are appalling. The wall of Jerusalem is still rubble; the city gates are still cinders." + When I heard this, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God-of-Heaven. + I said, "GOD, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: + Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I'm praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I'm including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you. + "We've treated you like dirt: We haven't done what you told us, haven't followed your commands, and haven't respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. + All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: 'If you betray me, I'll scatter you to the four winds, + but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I'll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.' + "Well, there they are--your servants, your people whom you so powerfully and impressively redeemed. + O Master, listen to me, listen to your servant's prayer--and yes, to all your servants who delight in honoring you--and make me successful today so that I get what I want from the king." I was cupbearer to the king. + + + It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king. At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king. I had never been hangdog in his presence before, + so he asked me, "Why the long face? You're not sick are you? Or are you depressed?" That made me all the more agitated. + I said, "Long live the king! And why shouldn't I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?" + The king then asked me, "So what do you want?" Praying under my breath to the God-of-Heaven, + I said, "If it please the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it." + The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, "How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?" I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me. + Then I said, "If it please the king, provide me with letters to the governors across the Euphrates that authorize my travel through to Judah; + and also an order to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, to supply me with timber for the beams of The Temple fortress, the wall of the city, and the house where I'll be living." The generous hand of my God was with me in this and the king gave them to me. + When I met the governors across The River (the Euphrates) I showed them the king's letters. The king even sent along a cavalry escort. + When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very upset, angry that anyone would come to look after the interests of the People of Israel. + And so I arrived in Jerusalem. After I had been there three days, + I got up in the middle of the night, I and a few men who were with me. I hadn't told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with us was the one I was riding. + Under cover of night I went past the Valley Gate toward the Dragon's Fountain to the Dung Gate looking over the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken through and whose gates had been burned up. + I then crossed to the Fountain Gate and headed for the King's Pool but there wasn't enough room for the donkey I was riding to get through. + So I went up the valley in the dark continuing my inspection of the wall. I came back in through the Valley Gate. + The local officials had no idea where I'd gone or what I was doing--I hadn't breathed a word to the Jews, priests, nobles, local officials, or anyone else who would be working on the job. + Then I gave them my report: "Face it: we're in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come--let's build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer." + I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up. They said, "We're with you. Let's get started." They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work. + When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they laughed at us, mocking, "Ha! What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can cross the king?" + I shot back, "The God-of-Heaven will make sure we succeed. We're his servants and we're going to work, rebuilding. You can keep your nose out of it. You get no say in this--Jerusalem's none of your business!" + + + The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests were up and at it: They went to work on the Sheep Gate; they repaired it and hung its doors, continuing on as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. + The men of Jericho worked alongside them; and next to them, Zaccur son of Imri. + The Fish Gate was built by the Hassenaah brothers; they repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. + Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, worked; next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel; next to him Zadok son of Baana; + and next to him the Tekoites (except for their nobles, who wouldn't work with their master and refused to get their hands dirty with such work). + The Jeshanah Gate was rebuilt by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah; they repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. + Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, which was under the rule of the governor from across the Euphrates, worked alongside them. + Uzziel son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths' guild worked next to him, and next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers. They rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. + The next section was worked on by Rephaiah son of Hur, mayor of a half-district of Jerusalem. + Next to him Jedaiah son of Harumaph rebuilt the front of his house; Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked next to him. + Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab rebuilt another section that included the Tower of Furnaces. + Working next to him was Shallum son of Hallohesh, mayor of the other half-district of Jerusalem, along with his daughters. + The Valley Gate was rebuilt by Hanun and villagers of Zanoah; they repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. They went on to repair 1,500 feet of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. + The Dung Gate itself was rebuilt by Malkijah son of Recab, the mayor of the district of Beth Hakkerem; he repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. + The Fountain Gate was rebuilt by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, mayor of the Mizpah district; he repaired it, roofed it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. He also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam at the King's Garden as far as the steps that go down from the City of David. + After him came Nehemiah son of Azbuk, mayor of half the district of Beth Zur. He worked from just in front of the Tomb of David as far as the Pool and the House of Heroes. + Levites under Rehum son of Bani were next in line. Alongside them, Hashabiah, mayor of half the district of Keilah, represented his district in the rebuilding. + Next to him their brothers continued the rebuilding under Binnui son of Henadad, mayor of the other half-district of Keilah. + The section from in front of the Ascent to the Armory as far as the Angle was rebuilt by Ezer son of Jeshua, the mayor of Mizpah. + From the Angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest was done by Baruch son of Zabbai. + Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, took it from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of Eliashib's house. + Priests from the neighborhood went on from there. + Benjamin and Hasshub worked on the wall in front of their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, did the work alongside his house. + The section from the house of Azariah to the Angle at the Corner was rebuilt by Binnui son of Henadad. + Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the Angle and the tower that projects from the Upper Palace of the king near the Court of the Guard. Next to him Pedaiah son of Parosh + and The Temple support staff who lived on the hill of Ophel worked up to the point opposite the Water Gate eastward and the projecting tower. + The men of Tekoa did the section from the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. + Above the Horse Gate the priests worked, each priest repairing the wall in front of his own house. + After them Zadok son of Immer rebuilt in front of his house and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate; + then Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph; then Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall in front of his storage shed. + Malkijah the goldsmith repaired the wall as far as the house of The Temple support staff and merchants, up to the Inspection Gate, and the Upper Room at the Corner. + The goldsmiths and the merchants made the repairs between the Upper Room at the Corner and the Sheep Gate. + + + When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. + In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: "What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe?" + At his side, Tobiah the Ammonite jumped in and said, "That's right! What do they think they're building? Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight." + Nehemiah prayed, "Oh listen to us, dear God. We're so despised: Boomerang their ridicule on their heads; have their enemies cart them off as war trophies to a land of no return; + don't forgive their iniquity, don't wipe away their sin--they've insulted the builders!" + We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work. + When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairs of the walls of Jerusalem were going so well--that the breaks in the wall were being fixed--they were absolutely furious. + They put their heads together and decided to fight against Jerusalem and create as much trouble as they could. + We countered with prayer to our God and set a round-the-clock guard against them. + But soon word was going around in Judah, The builders are pooped, the rubbish piles up; We're in over our heads, we can't build this wall. + And all this time our enemies were saying, "They won't know what hit them. Before they know it we'll be at their throats, killing them right and left. That will put a stop to the work!" + The Jews who were their neighbors kept reporting, "They have us surrounded; they're going to attack!" If we heard it once, we heard it ten times. + So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. + After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: "Don't be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes." + Our enemies learned that we knew all about their plan and that God had frustrated it. And we went back to the wall and went to work. + From then on half of my young men worked while the other half stood guard with lances, shields, bows, and mail armor. Military officers served as backup for everyone in Judah who was at work rebuilding the wall. + The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other. + Each of the builders had a sword strapped to his side as he worked. I kept the trumpeter at my side to sound the alert. + Then I spoke to the nobles and officials and everyone else: "There's a lot of work going on and we are spread out all along the wall, separated from each other. + When you hear the trumpet call, join us there; our God will fight for us." + And so we kept working, from first light until the stars came out, half of us holding lances. + I also instructed the people, "Each person and his helper is to stay inside Jerusalem--guards by night and workmen by day." + We all slept in our clothes--I, my brothers, my workmen, and the guards backing me up. And each one kept his spear in his hand, even when getting water. + + + A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews. + Some said, "We have big families, and we need food just to survive." + Others said, "We're having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving." + And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. + Look: We're the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs. Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves--some of our daughters have already been sold--and we can't do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else." + I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints. + After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet. I said, "Each one of you is gouging his brother." Then I called a big meeting to deal with them. + I told them, "We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you're selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?" They said nothing. What could they say? + "What you're doing is wrong. Is there no fear of God left in you? Don't you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you? + "I and my brothers and the people working for me have also loaned them money. But this gouging them with interest has to stop. + Give them back their foreclosed fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes right now. And forgive your claims on their money, grain, new wine, and olive oil." + They said, "We'll give it all back. We won't make any more demands on them. We'll do everything you say." Then I called the priests together and made them promise to keep their word. + Then I emptied my pockets, turning them inside out, and said, "So may God empty the pockets and house of everyone who doesn't keep this promise--turned inside out and emptied." Everyone gave a wholehearted "Yes, we'll do it!" and praised GOD. And the people did what they promised. + From the time King Artaxerxes appointed me as their governor in the land of Judah--from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of his reign, twelve years--neither I nor my brothers used the governor's food allowance. + Governors who had preceded me had oppressed the people by taxing them forty shekels of silver (about a pound) a day for food and wine while their underlings bullied the people unmercifully. But out of fear of God I did none of that. + I had work to do; I worked on this wall. All my men were on the job to do the work. We didn't have time to line our own pockets. + I fed one hundred and fifty Jews and officials at my table in addition to those who showed up from the surrounding nations. + One ox, six choice sheep, and some chickens were prepared for me daily, and every ten days a large supply of wine was delivered. Even so, I didn't use the food allowance provided for the governor--the people had it hard enough as it was. + Remember in my favor, O my God, Everything I've done for these people. + + + When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no more breaks in it--even though I hadn't yet installed the gates-- + Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: "Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono." I knew they were scheming to hurt me + so I sent messengers back with this: "I'm doing a great work; I can't come down. Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?" + Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer. + The fifth time--same messenger, same message--Sanballat sent an unsealed letter + with this message: "The word is out among the nations--and Geshem says it's true--that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. That's why you are rebuilding the wall. The word is that you want to be king + and that you have appointed prophets to announce in Jerusalem, 'There's a king in Judah!' The king is going to be told all this--don't you think we should sit down and have a talk?" + I sent him back this: "There's nothing to what you're saying. You've made it all up." + They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, "They'll give up; they'll never finish it." I prayed, "Give me strength." + Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said: Let's meet at the house of God, inside The Temple; Let's find safety behind locked doors because they're coming to kill you, Yes, coming by night to kill you. + I said, "Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won't do it." + I sensed that God hadn't sent this man. The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him. + He had been hired to scare me off--trick me--a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me. + "O my God, don't let Tobiah and Sanballat get by with all the mischief they've done. And the same goes for the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to undermine my confidence." + The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul. It had taken fifty-two days. + When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work. + All during this time letters were going back and forth constantly between the nobles of Judah and Tobiah. + Many of the nobles had ties to him because he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. + They kept telling me all the good things he did and then would report back to him anything I would say. And then Tobiah would send letters to intimidate me. + + + After the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the security guards, the singers, and the Levites were appointed, + I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the captain of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem because he was an honest man and feared God more than most men. + I gave them this order: "Don't open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is up. And shut and bar the gates while the guards are still on duty. Appoint the guards from the citizens of Jerusalem and assign them to posts in front of their own homes." + The city was large and spacious with only a few people in it and the houses not yet rebuilt. + God put it in my heart to gather the nobles, the officials, and the people in general to be registered. I found the genealogical record of those who were in the first return from exile. This is the record I found: + These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the Exile, the ones Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive; they came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each going to his own town. + They came back in the company of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The numbers of the men of the People of Israel by families of origin: + Parosh, 2,172 + Shephatiah, 372 + Arah, 652 + Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818 + Elam, 1,254 + Zattu, 845 + Zaccai, 760 + Binnui, 648 + Bebai, 628 + Azgad, 2,322 + Adonikam, 667 + Bigvai, 2,067 + Adin, 655 + Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98 + Hashum, 328 + Bezai, 324 + Hariph, 112 + Gibeon, 95. + Israelites identified by place of origin: Bethlehem and Netophah, 188 + Anathoth, 128 + Beth Azmaveth, 42 + Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743 + Ramah and Geba, 621 + Micmash, 122 + Bethel and Ai, 123 + Nebo (the other one), 52 + Elam (the other one), 1,254 + Harim, 320 + Jericho, 345 + Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721 + Senaah, 3,930. + Priestly families: Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973 + Immer, 1,052 + Pashhur, 1,247 + Harim, 1,017. + Levitical families: Jeshua (sons of Kadmiel and of Hodaviah), 74. + Singers: Asaph's family line, 148. + Security guard families: Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 138. + Families of support staff: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + Keros, Sia, Padon, + Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, + Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, + Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, + Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, + Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, + Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + Neziah, and Hatipha. + Families of Solomon's servants: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, + Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, + Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Amon. + The Temple support staff and Solomon's servants added up to 392. + These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. They weren't able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not: + The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642. + Likewise with these priestly families: -The sons of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name. + They looked high and low for their family records but couldn't find them. And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean. + The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status by using the Urim and Thummim. + The total count for the congregation was 42,360. + That did not include the male and female slaves who numbered 7,337. There were also 245 male and female singers. + And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, + 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. + Some of the heads of families made voluntary offerings for the work. The governor made a gift to the treasury of 1,000 drachmas of gold (about nineteen pounds), 50 bowls, and 530 garments for the priests. + Some of the heads of the families made gifts to the treasury for the work; it came to 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver (about one and a third tons). + Gifts from the rest of the people totaled 20,000 drachmas of gold (about 375 pounds), 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 garments for the priests. + The priests, Levites, security guards, singers, and Temple support staff, along with some others, and the rest of the People of Israel, all found a place to live in their own towns. + + + By the time the seventh month arrived, the People of Israel were settled in their towns. Then all the people gathered as one person in the town square in front of the Water Gate and asked the scholar Ezra to bring the Book of The Revelation of Moses that GOD had commanded for Israel. + So Ezra the priest brought The Revelation to the congregation, which was made up of both men and women--everyone capable of understanding. It was the first day of the seventh month. + He read it facing the town square at the Water Gate from early dawn until noon in the hearing of the men and women, all who could understand it. And all the people listened--they were all ears--to the Book of The Revelation. + The scholar Ezra stood on a wooden platform constructed for the occasion. He was flanked on the right by Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on the left by Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. + Ezra opened the book. Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood. + Then Ezra praised GOD, the great God, and all the people responded, "Oh Yes! Yes!" with hands raised high. And then they fell to their knees in worship of GOD, their faces to the ground. + Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, all Levites, explained The Revelation while people stood, listening respectfully. + They translated the Book of The Revelation of God so the people could understand it and then explained the reading. + Nehemiah the governor, along with Ezra the priest and scholar and the Levites who were teaching the people, said to all the people, "This day is holy to GOD, your God. Don't weep and carry on." They said this because all the people were weeping as they heard the words of The Revelation. + He continued, "Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don't have anything: This day is holy to God. Don't feel bad. The joy of GOD is your strength!" + The Levites calmed the people, "Quiet now. This is a holy day. Don't be upset." + So the people went off to feast, eating and drinking and including the poor in a great celebration. Now they got it; they understood the reading that had been given to them. + On the second day of the month the family heads of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scholar to get a deeper understanding of the words of The Revelation. + They found written in The Revelation that GOD commanded through Moses that the People of Israel are to live in booths during the festival of the seventh month. + So they published this decree and had it posted in all their cities and in Jerusalem: "Go into the hills and collect olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and any other leafy branches to make booths, as it is written." + So the people went out, brought in branches, and made themselves booths on their roofs, courtyards, the courtyards of The Temple of God, the Water Gate plaza, and the Ephraim Gate plaza. + The entire congregation that had come back from exile made booths and lived in them. The People of Israel hadn't done this from the time of Joshua son of Nun until that very day--a terrific day! Great joy! + Ezra read from the Book of The Revelation of God each day, from the first to the last day--they celebrated the feast for seven days. On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly in accordance with the decree. + + + Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. + The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. + While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of GOD, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their GOD. + A group of Levites--Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani--stood on the platform and cried out to GOD, their God, in a loud voice. + The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "On your feet! Bless GOD, your God, for ever and ever!" Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise! + You're the one, GOD, you alone; You made the heavens, the heavens of heavens, and all angels; The earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; You keep them all alive; heaven's angels worship you! + You're the one, GOD, the God who chose Abram And brought him from Ur of the Chaldees and changed his name to Abraham. + You found his heart to be steady and true to you and signed a covenant with him, A covenant to give him the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, The Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites, --to give it to his descendants. And you kept your word because you are righteous. + You saw the anguish of our parents in Egypt. You heard their cries at the Red Sea; + You amazed Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of his land with wonders and miracle-signs. You knew their bullying arrogance against your people; you made a name for yourself that lasts to this day. + You split the sea before them; they crossed through and never got their feet wet; You pitched their pursuers into the deep; they sank like a rock in the storm-tossed sea. + By day you led them with a Pillar of Cloud, and by night with a Pillar of Fire To show them the way they were to travel. + You came down onto Mount Sinai, you spoke to them out of heaven; You gave them instructions on how to live well, true teaching, sound rules and commands; + You introduced them to your Holy Sabbath; Through your servant Moses you decreed commands, rules, and instruction. + You gave bread from heaven for their hunger, you sent water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to enter and take the land, which you promised to give them. + But they, our ancestors, were arrogant; bullheaded, they wouldn't obey your commands. + They turned a deaf ear, they refused to remember the miracles you had done for them; They turned stubborn, got it into their heads to return to their Egyptian slavery. And you, a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, Incredibly patient, with tons of love-- you didn't dump them. + Yes, even when they cast a sculpted calf and said, "This is your god Who brought you out of Egypt," and continued from bad to worse, + You in your amazing compassion didn't walk off and leave them in the desert. The Pillar of Cloud didn't leave them; daily it continued to show them their route; The Pillar of Fire did the same by night, showed them the right way to go. + You gave them your good Spirit to teach them to live wisely. You never stinted with your manna, gave them plenty of water to drink. + You supported them forty years in that desert; they had everything they needed; Their clothes didn't wear out and their feet never blistered. + You gave them kingdoms and peoples, establishing generous boundaries. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. + You multiplied children for them, rivaling the stars in the night skies, And you brought them into the land that you promised their ancestors they would get and own. + Well, they entered all right, they took it and settled in. The Canaanites who lived there you brought to their knees before them. You turned over their land, kings, and peoples to do with as they pleased. + They took strong cities and fertile fields, they took over well-furnished houses, Cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and lush, extensive orchards. And they ate, grew fat on the fat of the land; they reveled in your bountiful goodness. + But then they mutinied, rebelled against you, threw out your laws and killed your prophets, The very prophets who tried to get them back on your side-- and then things went from bad to worse. + You turned them over to their enemies, who made life rough for them. But when they called out for help in their troubles you listened from heaven; And in keeping with your bottomless compassion you gave them saviors: Saviors who saved them from the cruel abuse of their enemies. + But as soon as they had it easy again they were right back at it--more evil. So you turned away and left them again to their fate, to the enemies who came right back. They cried out to you again; in your great compassion you heard and helped them again. This went on over and over and over. + You warned them to return to your Revelation, they responded with haughty arrogance: They flouted your commands, spurned your rules --the very words by which men and women live! They set their jaws in defiance, they turned their backs on you and didn't listen. + You put up with them year after year and warned them by your spirit through your prophets; But when they refused to listen you abandoned them to foreigners. + Still, because of your great compassion, you didn't make a total end to them. You didn't walk out and leave them for good; yes, you are a God of grace and compassion. + And now, our God, the great God, God majestic and terrible, loyal in covenant and love, Don't treat lightly the trouble that has come to us, to our kings and princes, our priests and prophets, Our ancestors, and all your people from the time of the Assyrian kings right down to today. + You are not to blame for all that has come down on us; You did everything right, we did everything wrong. + None of our kings, princes, priests, or ancestors followed your Revelation; They ignored your commands, dismissed the warnings you gave them. + Even when they had their own kingdom and were enjoying your generous goodness, Living in that spacious and fertile land that you spread out before them, They didn't serve you or turn their backs on the practice of evil. + And here we are, slaves again today; and here's the land you gave our ancestors So they could eat well and enjoy a good life, and now look at us--no better than slaves on this land. + Its wonderful crops go to the kings you put over us because of our sins; They act like they own our bodies and do whatever they like with our cattle. We're in deep trouble. + "Because of all this we are drawing up a binding pledge, a sealed document signed by our princes, our Levites, and our priests." + + + The sealed document bore these signatures: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, + Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, + Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, + Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, + Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, + Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, + Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, + Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests. + The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, + and their kinsmen: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, + Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, + Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, + Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. + The heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, + Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, + Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, + Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, + Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, + Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, + Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, + Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, + Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, + Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, + Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, + Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, + Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, + Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. + The rest of the people, priests, Levites, security guards, singers, Temple staff, and all who separated themselves from the foreign neighbors to keep The Revelation of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters--everyone old enough to understand-- + all joined their noble kinsmen in a binding oath to follow The Revelation of God given through Moses the servant of God, to keep and carry out all the commandments of GOD our Master, all his decisions and standards. + Thus: We will not marry our daughters to our foreign neighbors nor let our sons marry their daughters. + When the foreign neighbors bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath we won't trade with them--not on the Sabbath or any other holy day. Every seventh year we will leave the land fallow and cancel all debts. + We accept the responsibility for paying an annual tax of one-third of a shekel (about an eighth ounce) for providing The Temple of our God with + bread for the Table regular Grain-Offerings regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, Dedication-Offerings, Absolution-Offerings to atone for Israel maintenance of The Temple of our God. + We--priests, Levites, and the people--have cast lots to see when each of our families will bring wood for burning on the Altar of our GOD, following the yearly schedule set down in The Revelation. + We take responsibility for delivering annually to The Temple of GOD the firstfruits of our crops and our orchards, + our firstborn sons and cattle, and the firstborn from our herds and flocks for the priests who serve in The Temple of our God--just as it is set down in The Revelation. + We will bring the best of our grain, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of wine, and of oil to the priests in the storerooms of The Temple of our God. We will bring the tithes from our fields to the Levites, since the Levites are appointed to collect the tithes in the towns where we work. + We'll see to it that a priest descended from Aaron will supervise the Levites as they collect the tithes and make sure that they take a tenth of the tithes to the treasury in The Temple of our God. + We'll see to it that the People of Israel and Levites bring the grain, wine, and oil to the storage rooms where the vessels of the Sanctuary are kept and where the priests who serve, the security guards, and the choir meet. We will not neglect The Temple of our God. + + + The leaders of the people were already living in Jerusalem, so the rest of the people drew lots to get one out of ten to move to Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in their towns. + The people applauded those who voluntarily offered to live in Jerusalem. + These are the leaders in the province who resided in Jerusalem (some Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple staff, and descendants of Solomon's slaves lived in the towns of Judah on their own property in various towns; + others from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem): From the family of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, from the family line of Perez; + Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. + The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem numbered 468 valiant men. + From the family of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, + and his brothers Gabbai and Sallai: 928 men. + Joel son of Zicri was their chief and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city. + From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; + Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor of The Temple of God, + along with their associates responsible for work in The Temple: 822 men. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, + and his associates who were heads of families: 242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, + and his associates, all valiant men: 128 men. Their commander was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. + From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; + Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the outside work of The Temple of God; + Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. + The Levites in the holy city totaled 284. + From the security guards: Akkub, Talmon, and their associates who kept watch over the gates: 172 men. + The rest of the Israelites, priests, and Levites were in all the towns of Judah, each on his own family property. + The Temple staff lived on the hill Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were responsible for them. + The chief officer over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph's descendants, singers who led worship in The Temple of God. + The singers got their orders from the king, who drew up their daily schedule. + Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, represented the people's concerns at the royal court. + Some of the Judeans lived in the villages near their farms: Kiriath Arba (Hebron) and suburbs, Dibon and suburbs, Jekabzeel and suburbs + Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet + Hazar Shual, Beersheba and suburbs + Ziklag, Meconah and suburbs + En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth + Zanoah, Adullam and their towns, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and suburbs. They were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. + The Benjaminites from Geba lived in: Micmash, Aijah, Bethel and its suburbs + Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah + Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim + Hadid, Zeboim, and Neballat + Lod and Ono and the Valley of the Craftsmen. + Also some of the Levitical groups of Judah were assigned to Benjamin. + + + These are the priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, + Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, + Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, + Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, + Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, + Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, + Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests during the time of Jeshua. + And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah; Mattaniah, with his brothers, was in charge of songs of praise, + and their brothers Bakbukiah and Unni stood opposite them in the services of worship. + Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada, + Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua. + During the time of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; + of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; + of Malluch, Jonathan; of Shecaniah, Joseph; + of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, Helkai; + of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; + of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and Moadiah, Piltai; + of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; + of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; + of Sallu, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; + of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel. + During the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were registered as heads of families. During the reign of Darius the Persian, the priests were registered. + The Levites who were heads of families were registered in the Book of the Chronicles until the time of Johanan son of Eliashib. These were: + Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel. Their brothers stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one side responding to the other, as had been directed by David the man of God. + The security guards included: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub. They guarded the storerooms at the gates. + They lived during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, the time of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scholar. + When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes. + The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, + from Beth Gilgal, from the farms at Geba and Azmaveth--the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem. + The priests and Levites ceremonially purified themselves; then they did the same for the people, the gates, and the wall. + I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I appointed two large choirs. One proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate. + Hashaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, + including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, + Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. + Some of the young priests had trumpets. Next, playing the musical instruments of David the man of God, came Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, + and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. Ezra the scholar led them. + At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead, up the steps of the City of David using the wall stairway above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. + The other choir proceeded to the left. I and half of the people followed them on the wall from the Tower of Furnaces to the Broad Wall, + over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Prison Gate. + The two choirs then took their places in The Temple of God. I was there with half of the officials, + along with the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with their trumpets. + Also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, directed by Jezrahiah, made the rafters ring. + That day they offered great sacrifices, an exuberant celebration because God had filled them with great joy. The women and children raised their happy voices with all the rest. Jerusalem's jubilation was heard far and wide. + That same day men were appointed to be responsible for the storerooms for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes. They saw to it that the portion directed by The Revelation for the priests and Levites was brought in from the farms connected to the towns. Judah was so appreciative of the priests and Levites and their service; + they, along with the singers and security guards, had done everything so well, conducted the worship of their God and the ritual of ceremonial cleansing in a way that would have made David and his son Solomon proud. + That's the way it was done in the olden days, the days of David and Asaph, when they had choir directors for singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. + During the time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily allowances for the singers and security guards. They also set aside what was dedicated to the Levites, and the Levites did the same for the Aaronites. + + + Also on that same day there was a reading from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written there that no Ammonite or Moabite was permitted to enter the congregation of God, + because they hadn't welcomed the People of Israel with food and drink; they even hired Balaam to work against them by cursing them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing. + When they heard the reading of The Revelation, they excluded all foreigners from Israel. + Some time before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of The Temple of God. He was close to Tobiah + and had made available to him a large storeroom that had been used to store Grain-Offerings, incense, worship vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil for the Levites, singers, and security guards, and the offerings for the priests. + When this was going on I wasn't there in Jerusalem; in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I had traveled back to the king. But later I asked for his permission to leave again. + I arrived in Jerusalem and learned of the wrong that Eliashib had done in turning over to him a room in the courts of The Temple of God. + I was angry, really angry, and threw everything in the room out into the street, all of Tobiah's stuff. + Then I ordered that they ceremonially cleanse the room. Only then did I put back the worship vessels of The Temple of God, along with the Grain-Offerings and the incense. + And then I learned that the Levites hadn't been given their regular food allotments. So the Levites and singers who led the services of worship had all left and gone back to their farms. + I called the officials on the carpet, "Why has The Temple of God been abandoned?" I got everyone back again and put them back on their jobs + so that all Judah was again bringing in the tithe of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms. + I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms. I made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their right-hand man. These men had a reputation for honesty and hard work. They were responsible for distributing the rations to their brothers. + Remember me, O my God, for this. Don't ever forget the devoted work I have done for The Temple of God and its worship. + During those days, while back in Judah, I also noticed that people treaded wine presses, brought in sacks of grain, and loaded up their donkeys on the Sabbath. They brought wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of stuff to sell on the Sabbath. So I spoke up and warned them about selling food on that day. + Tyrians living there brought in fish and whatever else, selling it to Judeans--in Jerusalem, mind you!--on the Sabbath. + I confronted the leaders of Judah: "What's going on here? This evil! Profaning the Sabbath! + Isn't this exactly what your ancestors did? And because of it didn't God bring down on us and this city all this misery? And here you are adding to it--accumulating more wrath on Jerusalem by profaning the Sabbath." + As the gates of Jerusalem were darkened by the shadows of the approaching Sabbath, I ordered the doors shut and not to be opened until the Sabbath was over. I placed some of my servants at the gates to make sure that nothing to be sold would get in on the Sabbath day. + Traders and dealers in various goods camped outside the gates once or twice. + But I took them to task. I said, "You have no business camping out here by the wall. If I find you here again, I'll use force to drive you off." And that did it; they didn't come back on the Sabbath. + Then I directed the Levites to ceremonially cleanse themselves and take over as guards at the gates to keep the sanctity of the Sabbath day. Remember me also for this, my God. Treat me with mercy according to your great and steadfast love. + Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. + Half the children couldn't even speak the language of Judah; all they knew was the language of Ashdod or some other tongue. + So I took those men to task, gave them a piece of my mind, even slapped some of them and jerked them by the hair. I made them swear to God: "Don't marry your daughters to their sons; and don't let their daughters marry your sons--and don't you yourselves marry them! + Didn't Solomon the king of Israel sin because of women just like these? Even though there was no king quite like him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel, foreign women were his downfall. + Do you call this obedience--engaging in this extensive evil, showing yourselves faithless to God by marrying foreign wives?" + One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; I drove him out of my presence. + Remember them, O my God, how they defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and Levites. + All in all I cleansed them from everything foreign. I organized the orders of service for the priests and Levites so that each man knew his job. + I arranged for a regular supply of altar wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. + + + + + This is the story of something that happened in the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled from India to Ethiopia--127 provinces in all. + King Xerxes ruled from his royal throne in the palace complex of Susa. + In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers. The military brass of Persia and Media were also there, along with the princes and governors of the provinces. + For six months he put on exhibit the huge wealth of his empire and its stunningly beautiful royal splendors. + At the conclusion of the exhibit, the king threw a weeklong party for everyone living in Susa, the capital--important and unimportant alike. The party was in the garden courtyard of the king's summer house. + The courtyard was elaborately decorated with white and blue cotton curtains tied with linen and purple cords to silver rings on marble columns. Silver and gold couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and colored stones. + Drinks were served in gold chalices, each chalice one-of-a-kind. The royal wine flowed freely--a generous king! + The guests could drink as much as they liked--king's orders!--with waiters at their elbows to refill the drinks. + Meanwhile, Queen Vashti was throwing a separate party for women inside King Xerxes' royal palace. + On the seventh day of the party, the king, high on the wine, ordered the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants (Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas) + to bring him Queen Vashti resplendent in her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the guests and officials. She was extremely good-looking. + But Queen Vashti refused to come, refused the summons delivered by the eunuchs. The king lost his temper. Seething with anger over her insolence, + the king called in his counselors, all experts in legal matters. It was the king's practice to consult his expert advisors. + Those closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven highest-ranking princes of Persia and Media, the inner circle with access to the king's ear. + He asked them what legal recourse they had against Queen Vashti for not obeying King Xerxes' summons delivered by the eunuchs. + Memucan spoke up in the council of the king and princes: "It's not only the king Queen Vashti has insulted, it's all of us, leaders and people alike in every last one of King Xerxes' provinces. + The word's going to get out: 'Did you hear the latest about Queen Vashti? King Xerxes ordered her to be brought before him and she wouldn't do it!' When the women hear it, they'll start treating their husbands with contempt. + The day the wives of the Persian and Mede officials get wind of the queen's insolence, they'll be out of control. Is that what we want, a country of angry women who don't know their place? + "So, if the king agrees, let him pronounce a royal ruling and have it recorded in the laws of the Persians and Medes so that it cannot be revoked, that Vashti is permanently banned from King Xerxes' presence. And then let the king give her royal position to a woman who knows her place. + When the king's ruling becomes public knowledge throughout the kingdom, extensive as it is, every woman, regardless of her social position, will show proper respect to her husband." + The king and the princes liked this. The king did what Memucan proposed. + He sent bulletins to every part of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, to each people in their own language: "Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes." + + + Later, when King Xerxes' anger had cooled and he was having second thoughts about what Vashti had done and what he had ordered against her, + the king's young attendants stepped in and got the ball rolling: "Let's begin a search for beautiful young virgins for the king. + Let the king appoint officials in every province of his kingdom to bring every beautiful young virgin to the palace complex of Susa and to the harem run by Hegai, the king's eunuch who oversees the women; he will put them through their beauty treatments. + Then let the girl who best pleases the king be made queen in place of Vashti." The king liked this advice and took it. + Now there was a Jew who lived in the palace complex in Susa. His name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish--a Benjaminite. + His ancestors had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles and carried off with King Jehoiachin of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon into exile. + Mordecai had reared his cousin Hadassah, otherwise known as Esther, since she had no father or mother. The girl had a good figure and a beautiful face. After her parents died, Mordecai had adopted her. + When the king's order had been publicly posted, many young girls were brought to the palace complex of Susa and given over to Hegai who was overseer of the women. Esther was among them. + Hegai liked Esther and took a special interest in her. Right off he started her beauty treatments, ordered special food, assigned her seven personal maids from the palace, and put her and her maids in the best rooms in the harem. + Esther didn't say anything about her family and racial background because Mordecai had told her not to. + Every day Mordecai strolled beside the court of the harem to find out how Esther was and get news of what she was doing. + Each girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes after she had completed the twelve months of prescribed beauty treatments--six months' treatment with oil of myrrh followed by six months with perfumes and various cosmetics. + When it was time for the girl to go to the king, she was given whatever she wanted to take with her when she left the harem for the king's quarters. + She would go there in the evening; in the morning she would return to a second harem overseen by Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She never again went back to the king unless the king took a special liking to her and asked for her by name. + When it was Esther's turn to go to the king (Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter), she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the harem, had recommended. Esther, just as she was, won the admiration of everyone who saw her. + She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of the king's reign. + The king fell in love with Esther far more than with any of his other women or any of the other virgins--he was totally smitten by her. He placed a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. + Then the king gave a great banquet for all his nobles and officials--"Esther's Banquet." He proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and handed out gifts with royal generosity. + On one of the occasions when the virgins were being gathered together, Mordecai was sitting at the King's Gate. + All this time, Esther had kept her family background and race a secret as Mordecai had ordered; Esther still did what Mordecai told her, just as when she was being raised by him. + On this day, with Mordecai sitting at the King's Gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had it in for the king and were making plans to kill King Xerxes. + But Mordecai learned of the plot and told Queen Esther, who then told King Xerxes, giving credit to Mordecai. + When the thing was investigated and confirmed as true, the two men were hanged on a gallows. This was all written down in a logbook kept for the king's use. + + + Some time later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, making him the highest-ranking official in the government. + All the king's servants at the King's Gate used to honor him by bowing down and kneeling before Haman--that's what the king had commanded. Except Mordecai. Mordecai wouldn't do it, wouldn't bow down and kneel. + The king's servants at the King's Gate asked Mordecai about it: "Why do you cross the king's command?" + Day after day they spoke to him about this but he wouldn't listen, so they went to Haman to see whether something shouldn't be done about it. Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. + When Haman saw for himself that Mordecai didn't bow down and kneel before him, he was outraged. + Meanwhile, having learned that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman hated to waste his fury on just one Jew; he looked for a way to eliminate not just Mordecai but all Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. + In the first month, the month of Nisan, of the twelfth year of Xerxes, the pur--that is, the lot--was cast under Haman's charge to determine the propitious day and month. The lot turned up the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. + Haman then spoke with King Xerxes: "There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don't fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse, they disregard the king's laws. They're an affront; the king shouldn't put up with them. + If it please the king, let orders be given that they be destroyed. I'll pay for it myself. I'll deposit 375 tons of silver in the royal bank to finance the operation." + The king slipped his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, archenemy of the Jews. + "Go ahead," the king said to Haman. "It's your money--do whatever you want with those people." + The king's secretaries were brought in on the thirteenth day of the first month. The orders were written out word for word as Haman had addressed them to the king's satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of every people. They were written in the script of each province and the language of each people in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring. + Bulletins were sent out by couriers to all the king's provinces with orders to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews--youngsters and old men, women and babies--on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and to plunder their goods. + Copies of the bulletin were to be posted in each province, publicly available to all peoples, to get them ready for that day. + At the king's command, the couriers took off; the order was also posted in the palace complex of Susa. The king and Haman sat back and had a drink while the city of Susa reeled from the news. + + + When Mordecai learned what had been done, he ripped his clothes to shreds and put on sackcloth and ashes. Then he went out in the streets of the city crying out in loud and bitter cries. + He came only as far as the King's Gate, for no one dressed in sackcloth was allowed to enter the King's Gate. + As the king's order was posted in every province, there was loud lament among the Jews--fasting, weeping, wailing. And most of them stretched out on sackcloth and ashes. + Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her. The queen was stunned. She sent fresh clothes to Mordecai so he could take off his sackcloth but he wouldn't accept them. + Esther called for Hathach, one of the royal eunuchs whom the king had assigned to wait on her, and told him to go to Mordecai and get the full story of what was happening. + So Hathach went to Mordecai in the town square in front of the King's Gate. + Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He also told him the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to deposit in the royal bank to finance the massacre of the Jews. + Mordecai also gave him a copy of the bulletin that had been posted in Susa ordering the massacre so he could show it to Esther when he reported back with instructions to go to the king and intercede and plead with him for her people. + Hathach came back and told Esther everything Mordecai had said. + Esther talked it over with Hathach and then sent him back to Mordecai with this message: + "Everyone who works for the king here, and even the people out in the provinces, knows that there is a single fate for every man or woman who approaches the king without being invited: death. The one exception is if the king extends his gold scepter; then he or she may live. And it's been thirty days now since I've been invited to come to the king." + When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, + Mordecai sent her this message: "Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. + If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." + Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: + "Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I'll go to the king, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die." + Mordecai left and carried out Esther's instructions. + + + Three days later Esther dressed in her royal robes and took up a position in the inner court of the palace in front of the king's throne room. The king was on his throne facing the entrance. + When he noticed Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased to see her; the king extended the gold scepter in his hand. Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. + The king asked, "And what's your desire, Queen Esther? What do you want? Ask and it's yours--even if it's half my kingdom!" + "If it please the king," said Esther, "let the king come with Haman to a dinner I've prepared for him." + "Get Haman at once," said the king, "so we can go to dinner with Esther." So the king and Haman joined Esther at the dinner she had arranged. + As they were drinking the wine, the king said, "Now, what is it you want? Half of my kingdom isn't too much to ask! Just ask." + Esther answered, "Here's what I want. + If the king favors me and is pleased to do what I desire and ask, let the king and Haman come again tomorrow to the dinner that I will fix for them. Then I'll give a straight answer to the king's question." + Haman left the palace that day happy, beaming. And then he saw Mordecai sitting at the King's Gate ignoring him, oblivious to him. Haman was furious with Mordecai. + But he held himself in and went on home. He got his friends together with his wife Zeresh + and started bragging about how much money he had, his many sons, all the times the king had honored him, and his promotion to the highest position in the government. + "On top of all that," Haman continued, "Queen Esther invited me to a private dinner she gave for the king, just the three of us. And she's invited me to another one tomorrow. + But I can't enjoy any of it when I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King's Gate." + His wife Zeresh and all his friends said, "Build a gallows seventy-five feet high. First thing in the morning speak with the king; get him to order Mordecai hanged on it. Then happily go with the king to dinner." Haman liked that. He had the gallows built. + + + That night the king couldn't sleep. He ordered the record book, the day-by-day journal of events, to be brought and read to him. + They came across the story there about the time that Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh--the two royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance and who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. + The king asked, "What great honor was given to Mordecai for this?" "Nothing," replied the king's servants who were in attendance. "Nothing has been done for him." + The king said, "Is there anybody out in the court?" Now Haman had just come into the outer court of the king's palace to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had built for him. + The king's servants said, "Haman is out there, waiting in the court." "Bring him in," said the king. + When Haman entered, the king said, "What would be appropriate for the man the king especially wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "He must be talking about honoring me--who else?" + So he answered the king, "For the man the king delights to honor, do this: + Bring a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crown on its head. + Then give the robe and the horse to one of the king's most noble princes. Have him robe the man whom the king especially wants to honor; have the prince lead him on horseback through the city square, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!'" + "Go and do it," the king said to Haman. "Don't waste another minute. Take the robe and horse and do what you have proposed to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the King's Gate. Don't leave out a single detail of your plan." + So Haman took the robe and horse; he robed Mordecai and led him through the city square, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!" + Then Mordecai returned to the King's Gate, but Haman fled to his house, thoroughly mortified, hiding his face. + When Haman had finished telling his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his knowledgeable friends who were there and his wife Zeresh said, "If this Mordecai is in fact a Jew, your bad luck has only begun. You don't stand a chance against him--you're as good as ruined." + While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the dinner that Esther had prepared. + + + So the king and Haman went to dinner with Queen Esther. + At this second dinner, while they were drinking wine the king again asked, "Queen Esther, what would you like? Half of my kingdom! Just ask and it's yours." + Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor in your eyes, O King, and if it please the king, give me my life, and give my people their lives. + "We've been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed--sold to be massacred, eliminated. If we had just been sold off into slavery, I wouldn't even have brought it up; our troubles wouldn't have been worth bothering the king over." + King Xerxes exploded, "Who? Where is he? This is monstrous!" + "An enemy. An adversary. This evil Haman," said Esther. Haman was terror-stricken before the king and queen. + The king, raging, left his wine and stalked out into the palace garden. Haman stood there pleading with Queen Esther for his life--he could see that the king was finished with him and that he was doomed. + As the king came back from the palace garden into the banquet hall, Haman was groveling at the couch on which Esther reclined. The king roared out, "Will he even molest the queen while I'm just around the corner?" When that word left the king's mouth, all the blood drained from Haman's face. + Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, spoke up: "Look over there! There's the gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai, who saved the king's life. It's right next to Haman's house--seventy-five feet high!" The king said, "Hang him on it!" + So Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had built for Mordecai. And the king's hot anger cooled. + + + That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, archenemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king because Esther had explained their relationship. + The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther appointed Mordecai over Haman's estate. + Then Esther again spoke to the king, falling at his feet, begging with tears to counter the evil of Haman the Agagite and revoke the plan that he had plotted against the Jews. + The king extended his gold scepter to Esther. She got to her feet and stood before the king. + She said, "If it please the king and he regards me with favor and thinks this is right, and if he has any affection for me at all, let an order be written that cancels the bulletins authorizing the plan of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite to annihilate the Jews in all the king's provinces. + How can I stand to see this catastrophe wipe out my people? How can I bear to stand by and watch the massacre of my own relatives?" + King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew: "I've given Haman's estate to Esther and he's been hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews. + So go ahead now and write whatever you decide on behalf of the Jews; then seal it with the signet ring." (An order written in the king's name and sealed with his signet ring is irrevocable.) + So the king's secretaries were brought in on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan, and the order regarding the Jews was written word for word as Mordecai dictated and was addressed to the satraps, governors, and officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces in all, to each province in its own script and each people in their own language, including the Jews in their script and language. + He wrote under the name of King Xerxes and sealed the order with the royal signet ring; he sent out the bulletins by couriers on horseback, riding the fastest royal steeds bred from the royal stud. + The king's order authorized the Jews in every city to arm and defend themselves to the death, killing anyone who threatened them or their women and children, and confiscating for themselves anything owned by their enemies. + The day set for this in all King Xerxes' provinces was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. + The order was posted in public places in each province so everyone could read it, authorizing the Jews to be prepared on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. + The couriers, fired up by the king's order, raced off on their royal horses. At the same time, the order was posted in the palace complex of Susa. + Mordecai walked out of the king's presence wearing a royal robe of violet and white, a huge gold crown, and a purple cape of fine linen. The city of Susa exploded with joy. + For Jews it was all sunshine and laughter: they celebrated, they were honored. + It was that way all over the country, in every province, every city when the king's bulletin was posted: the Jews took to the streets in celebration, cheering, and feasting. Not only that, but many non-Jews became Jews--now it was dangerous not to be a Jew! + + + On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king's order came into effect. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had planned to overpower them, but the tables were now turned: the Jews overpowered those who hated them! + The Jews had gathered in the cities throughout King Xerxes' provinces to lay hands on those who were seeking their ruin. Not one man was able to stand up against them--fear made cowards of them all. + What's more, all the government officials, satraps, governors--everyone who worked for the king--actually helped the Jews because of Mordecai; they were afraid of him. + Mordecai by now was a power in the palace. As Mordecai became more and more powerful, his reputation had grown in all the provinces. + So the Jews finished off all their enemies with the sword, slaughtering them right and left, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. + In the palace complex of Susa the Jews massacred five hundred men. + They also killed the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the archenemy of the Jews: Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha + Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha + Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, Vaizatha + But they took no plunder. + That day, when it was all over, the number of those killed in the palace complex was given to the king. + The king told Queen Esther, "In the palace complex alone here in Susa the Jews have killed five hundred men, plus Haman's ten sons. Think of the killing that must have been done in the rest of the provinces! What else do you want? Name it and it's yours. Your wish is my command." + "If it please the king," Queen Esther responded, "give the Jews of Susa permission to extend the terms of the order another day. And have the bodies of Haman's ten sons hanged in public display on the gallows." + The king commanded it: The order was extended; the bodies of Haman's ten sons were publicly hanged. + The Jews in Susa went at it again. On the fourteenth day of Adar they killed another three hundred men in Susa. But again they took no plunder. + Meanwhile in the rest of the king's provinces, the Jews had organized and defended themselves, freeing themselves from oppression. On the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, they killed 75,000 of those who hated them but did not take any plunder. + The next day, the fourteenth, they took it easy and celebrated with much food and laughter. + But in Susa, since the Jews had banded together on both the thirteenth and fourteenth days, they made the fifteenth their holiday for laughing and feasting. + (This accounts for why Jews living out in the country in the rural villages remember the fourteenth day of Adar for celebration, their day for parties and the exchange of gifts.) + Mordecai wrote all this down and sent copies to all the Jews in all King Xerxes' provinces, regardless of distance, + calling for an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar + as the occasion when Jews got relief from their enemies, the month in which their sorrow turned to joy, mourning somersaulted into a holiday for parties and fun and laughter, the sending and receiving of presents and of giving gifts to the poor. + And they did it. What started then became a tradition, continuing the practice of what Mordecai had written to them. + Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the archenemy of all Jews, had schemed to destroy all Jews. He had cast the pur (the lot) to throw them into a panic and destroy them. + But when Queen Esther intervened with the king, he gave written orders that the evil scheme that Haman had worked out should boomerang back on his own head. He and his sons were hanged on the gallows. + That's why these days are called "Purim," from the word pur or "lot." Therefore, because of everything written in this letter and because of all that they had been through, + the Jews agreed to continue. It became a tradition for them, their children, and all future converts to remember these two days every year on the specified dates set down in the letter. + These days are to be remembered and kept by every single generation, every last family, every province and city. These days of Purim must never be neglected among the Jews; the memory of them must never die out among their descendants. + Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, backed Mordecai the Jew, using her full queenly authority in this second Purim letter + to endorse and ratify what he wrote. Calming and reassuring letters went out to all the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of Xerxes' kingdom + to fix these days of Purim their assigned place on the calendar, dates set by Mordecai the Jew--what they had agreed to for themselves and their descendants regarding their fasting and mourning. + Esther's word confirmed the tradition of Purim and was written in the book. + + + King Xerxes imposed taxes from one end of his empire to the other. + For the rest of it, King Xerxes' extensive accomplishments, along with a detailed account of the brilliance of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, that's all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia. + Mordecai the Jew ranked second in command to King Xerxes. He was popular among the Jews and greatly respected by them. He worked hard for the good of his people; he cared for the peace and prosperity of his race. + + + + + Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. + He had seven sons and three daughters. + He was also very wealthy--seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants--the most influential man in all the East! + His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. + When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, thinking, "Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly." Job made a habit of this sacrificial atonement, just in case they'd sinned. + One day when the angels came to report to GOD, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. + GOD singled out Satan and said, "What have you been up to?" Satan answered GOD, "Going here and there, checking things out on earth." + GOD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him--honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil." + Satan retorted, "So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? + Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does--he can't lose! + "But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He'd curse you right to your face, that's what." + GOD replied, "We'll see. Go ahead--do what you want with all that is his. Just don't hurt him." Then Satan left the presence of GOD. + Sometime later, while Job's children were having one of their parties at the home of the oldest son, + a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing in the field next to us + when Sabeans attacked. They stole the animals and killed the field hands. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened." + While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, "Bolts of lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and fried them--burned them to a crisp. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened." + While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, "Chaldeans coming from three directions raided the camels and massacred the camel drivers. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened." + While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, "Your children were having a party at the home of the oldest brother + when a tornado swept in off the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they died. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened." + Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped: + Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I'll return to the womb of the earth. GOD gives, GOD takes. God's name be ever blessed. + Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God. + + + One day when the angels came to report to GOD, Satan also showed up. + GOD singled out Satan, saying, "And what have you been up to?" Satan answered GOD, "Oh, going here and there, checking things out." + Then GOD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him, is there--honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn't work." + Satan answered, "A human would do anything to save his life. + But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He'd curse you to your face, that's what." + GOD said, "All right. Go ahead--you can do what you like with him. But mind you, don't kill him." + Satan left GOD and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. + They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes. + His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!" + He told her, "You're talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God--why not also the bad days?" Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God. + Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country--Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath--and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. + When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw--they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. + Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering. + + + Then Job broke the silence. He spoke up and cursed his fate: + (SEE 3:1) + "Obliterate the day I was born. Blank out the night I was conceived! + Let it be a black hole in space. May God above forget it ever happened. Erase it from the books! + May the day of my birth be buried in deep darkness, shrouded by the fog, swallowed by the night. + And the night of my conception--the devil take it! Rip the date off the calendar, delete it from the almanac. + Oh, turn that night into pure nothingness-- no sounds of pleasure from that night, ever! + May those who are good at cursing curse that day. Unleash the sea beast, Leviathan, on it. + May its morning stars turn to black cinders, waiting for a daylight that never comes, never once seeing the first light of dawn. + And why? Because it released me from my mother's womb into a life with so much trouble. + "Why didn't I die at birth, my first breath out of the womb my last? + Why were there arms to rock me, and breasts for me to drink from? + I could be resting in peace right now, asleep forever, feeling no pain, + In the company of kings and statesmen in their royal ruins, + Or with princes resplendent in their gold and silver tombs. + Why wasn't I stillborn and buried with all the babies who never saw light, + Where the wicked no longer trouble anyone and bone-weary people get a long-deserved rest? + Prisoners sleep undisturbed, never again to wake up to the bark of the guards. + The small and the great are equals in that place, and slaves are free from their masters. + "Why does God bother giving light to the miserable, why bother keeping bitter people alive, + Those who want in the worst way to die, and can't, who can't imagine anything better than death, + Who count the day of their death and burial the happiest day of their life? + What's the point of life when it doesn't make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning? + "Instead of bread I get groans for my supper, then leave the table and vomit my anguish. + The worst of my fears has come true, what I've dreaded most has happened. + My repose is shattered, my peace destroyed. No rest for me, ever--death has invaded life." + + + Then Eliphaz from Teman spoke up: + "Would you mind if I said something to you? Under the circumstances it's hard to keep quiet. + You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit. + Your words have put stumbling people on their feet, put fresh hope in people about to collapse. + But now you're the one in trouble--you're hurting! You've been hit hard and you're reeling from the blow. + But shouldn't your devout life give you confidence now? Shouldn't your exemplary life give you hope? + "Think! Has a truly innocent person ever ended up on the scrap heap? Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end? + It's my observation that those who plow evil and sow trouble reap evil and trouble. + One breath from God and they fall apart, one blast of his anger and there's nothing left of them. + The mighty lion, king of the beasts, roars mightily, but when he's toothless he's useless-- + No teeth, no prey--and the cubs wander off to fend for themselves. + "A word came to me in secret-- a mere whisper of a word, but I heard it clearly. + It came in a scary dream one night, after I had fallen into a deep, deep sleep. + Dread stared me in the face, and Terror. I was scared to death--I shook from head to foot. + A spirit glided right in front of me-- the hair on my head stood on end. + I couldn't tell what it was that appeared there-- a blur . . . and then I heard a muffled voice: + "'How can mere mortals be more righteous than God? How can humans be purer than their Creator? + Why, God doesn't even trust his own servants, doesn't even cheer his angels, + So how much less these bodies composed of mud, fragile as moths? + These bodies of ours are here today and gone tomorrow, and no one even notices--gone without a trace. + When the tent stakes are ripped up, the tent collapses-- we die and are never the wiser for having lived.' + + + "Call for help, Job, if you think anyone will answer! To which of the holy angels will you turn? + The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him, the jealous anger of a simpleton does her in. + I've seen it myself--seen fools putting down roots, and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed. + Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited, with no one to stick up for them. + Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests, cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all, insatiable for everything they have. + Don't blame fate when things go wrong-- trouble doesn't come from nowhere. + It's human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble, as certainly as sparks fly upward. + "If I were in your shoes, I'd go straight to God, I'd throw myself on the mercy of God. + After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises. + He gives rain, for instance, across the wide earth, sends water to irrigate the fields. + He raises up the down-and-out, gives firm footing to those sinking in grief. + He aborts the schemes of conniving crooks, so that none of their plots come to term. + He catches the know-it-alls in their conspiracies-- all that intricate intrigue swept out with the trash! + Suddenly they're disoriented, plunged into darkness; they can't see to put one foot in front of the other. + But the downtrodden are saved by God, saved from the murderous plots, saved from the iron fist. + And so the poor continue to hope, while injustice is bound and gagged. + "So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you! Mind you, don't despise the discipline of Almighty God! + True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound; the same hand that hurts you, heals you. + From one disaster after another he delivers you; no matter what the calamity, the evil can't touch you-- + "In famine, he'll keep you from starving, in war, from being gutted by the sword. + You'll be protected from vicious gossip and live fearless through any catastrophe. + You'll shrug off disaster and famine, and stroll fearlessly among wild animals. + You'll be on good terms with rocks and mountains; wild animals will become your good friends. + You'll know that your place on earth is safe, you'll look over your goods and find nothing amiss. + You'll see your children grow up, your family lovely and lissome as orchard grass. + You'll arrive at your grave ripe with many good years, like sheaves of golden grain at harvest. + "Yes, this is the way things are--my word of honor! Take it to heart and you won't go wrong." + + + Job answered: + "If my misery could be weighed, if you could pile the whole bitter load on the scales, + It would be heavier than all the sand of the sea! Is it any wonder that I'm screaming like a caged cat? + The arrows of God Almighty are in me, poison arrows--and I'm poisoned all through! God has dumped the whole works on me. + Donkeys bray and cows moo when they run out of pasture-- so don't expect me to keep quiet in this. + Do you see what God has dished out for me? It's enough to turn anyone's stomach! + Everything in me is repulsed by it-- it makes me sick. + "All I want is an answer to one prayer, a last request to be honored: + Let God step on me--squash me like a bug, and be done with me for good. + I'd at least have the satisfaction of not having blasphemed the Holy God, before being pressed past the limits. + Where's the strength to keep my hopes up? What future do I have to keep me going? + Do you think I have nerves of steel? Do you think I'm made of iron? + Do you think I can pull myself up by my bootstraps? Why, I don't even have any boots! + "When desperate people give up on God Almighty, their friends, at least, should stick with them. + But my brothers are fickle as a gulch in the desert-- one day they're gushing with water + From melting ice and snow cascading out of the mountains, + But by midsummer they're dry, gullies baked dry in the sun. + Travelers who spot them and go out of their way for a drink, end up in a waterless gulch and die of thirst. + Merchant caravans from Tema see them and expect water, tourists from Sheba hope for a cool drink. + They arrive so confident--but what a disappointment! They get there, and their faces fall! + And you, my so-called friends, are no better-- there's nothing to you! One look at a hard scene and you shrink in fear. + It's not as though I asked you for anything-- I didn't ask you for one red cent-- + Nor did I beg you to go out on a limb for me. So why all this dodging and shuffling? + "Confront me with the truth and I'll shut up, show me where I've gone off the track. + Honest words never hurt anyone, but what's the point of all this pious bluster? + You pretend to tell me what's wrong with my life, but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air. + Are people mere things to you? Are friends just items of profit and loss? + "Look me in the eyes! Do you think I'd lie to your face? + Think it over--no double-talk! Think carefully--my integrity is on the line! + Can you detect anything false in what I say? Don't you trust me to discern good from evil? + + + "Human life is a struggle, isn't it? It's a life sentence to hard labor. + Like field hands longing for quitting time and working stiffs with nothing to hope for but payday, + I'm given a life that meanders and goes nowhere-- months of aimlessness, nights of misery! + I go to bed and think, 'How long till I can get up?' I toss and turn as the night drags on--and I'm fed up! + I'm covered with maggots and scabs. My skin gets scaly and hard, then oozes with pus. + My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs out--an unfinished life! + "God, don't forget that I'm only a puff of air! These eyes have had their last look at goodness. + And your eyes have seen the last of me; even while you're looking, there'll be nothing left to look at. + When a cloud evaporates, it's gone for good; those who go to the grave never come back. + They don't return to visit their families; never again will friends drop in for coffee. + "And so I'm not keeping one bit of this quiet, I'm laying it all out on the table; my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest. + Are you going to put a muzzle on me, the way you quiet the sea and still the storm? + If I say, 'I'm going to bed, then I'll feel better. A little nap will lift my spirits,' + You come and so scare me with nightmares and frighten me with ghosts + That I'd rather strangle in the bedclothes than face this kind of life any longer. + I hate this life! Who needs any more of this? Let me alone! There's nothing to my life--it's nothing but smoke. + "What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them, that you even give them the time of day? + That you check up on them every morning, looking in on them to see how they're doing? + Let up on me, will you? Can't you even let me spit in peace? + Even suppose I'd sinned--how would that hurt you? You're responsible for every human being. Don't you have better things to do than pick on me? Why make a federal case out of me? + Why don't you just forgive my sins and start me off with a clean slate? The way things are going, I'll soon be dead. You'll look high and low, but I won't be around." + + + Bildad from Shuhah was next to speak: + "How can you keep on talking like this? You're talking nonsense, and noisy nonsense at that. + Does God mess up? Does God Almighty ever get things backwards? + It's plain that your children sinned against him-- otherwise, why would God have punished them? + Here's what you must do--and don't put it off any longer: Get down on your knees before God Almighty. + If you're as innocent and upright as you say, it's not too late--he'll come running; he'll set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes. + Even though you're not much right now, you'll end up better than ever. + "Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors. + For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. + So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? + Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? + Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. + That's what happens to all who forget God-- all their hopes come to nothing. + They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web. + One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses. + Or they're like weeds springing up in the sunshine, invading the garden, + Spreading everywhere, overtaking the flowers, getting a foothold even in the rocks. + But when the gardener rips them out by the roots, the garden doesn't miss them one bit. + The sooner the godless are gone, the better; then good plants can grow in their place. + "There's no way that God will reject a good person, and there is no way he'll help a bad one. + God will let you laugh again; you'll raise the roof with shouts of joy, + With your enemies thoroughly discredited, their house of cards collapsed." + + + Job continued by saying: + "So what's new? I know all this. The question is, 'How can mere mortals get right with God?' + If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand! + God's wisdom is so deep, God's power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece? + He moves mountains before they know what's happened, flips them on their heads on a whim. + He gives the earth a good shaking up, rocks it down to its very foundations. + He tells the sun, 'Don't shine,' and it doesn't; he pulls the blinds on the stars. + All by himself he stretches out the heavens and strides on the waves of the sea. + He designed the Big Dipper and Orion, the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri. + We'll never comprehend all the great things he does; his miracle-surprises can't be counted. + Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it. + If he steals you blind, who can stop him? Who's going to say, 'Hey, what are you doing?' + God doesn't hold back on his anger; even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him. + "So how could I ever argue with him, construct a defense that would influence God? + Even though I'm innocent I could never prove it; I can only throw myself on the Judge's mercy. + If I called on God and he himself answered me, then, and only then, would I believe that he'd heard me. + As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post, beating me up, black and blue, for no good reason. + He won't even let me catch my breath, piles bitterness upon bitterness. + If it's a question of who's stronger, he wins, hands down! If it's a question of justice, who'll serve him the subpoena? + Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me; blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse. + "Believe me, I'm blameless. I don't understand what's going on. I hate my life! + Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude that God destroys the good right along with the bad. + When calamity hits and brings sudden death, he folds his arms, aloof from the despair of the innocent. + He lets the wicked take over running the world, he installs judges who can't tell right from wrong. If he's not responsible, who is? + "My time is short--what's left of my life races off too fast for me to even glimpse the good. + My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail, like an eagle plummeting to its prey. + Even if I say, 'I'll put all this behind me, I'll look on the bright side and force a smile,' + All these troubles would still be like grit in my gut since it's clear you're not going to let up. + The verdict has already been handed down--'Guilty!'-- so what's the use of protests or appeals? + Even if I scrub myself all over and wash myself with the strongest soap I can find, + It wouldn't last--you'd push me into a pigpen, or worse, so nobody could stand me for the stink. + "God and I are not equals; I can't bring a case against him. We'll never enter a courtroom as peers. + How I wish we had an arbitrator to step in and let me get on with life-- + To break God's death grip on me, to free me from this terror so I could breathe again. + Then I'd speak up and state my case boldly. As things stand, there is no way I can do it. + + + "I can't stand my life--I hate it! -I'm putting it all out on the table, all the bitterness of my life--I'm holding back nothing." + Job prayed: "Here's what I want to say: Don't, God, bring in a verdict of guilty without letting me know the charges you're bringing. + How does this fit into what you once called 'good'-- giving me a hard time, spurning me, a life you shaped by your very own hands, and then blessing the plots of the wicked? + You don't look at things the way we mortals do. You're not taken in by appearances, are you? + Unlike us, you're not working against a deadline. You have all eternity to work things out. + So what's this all about, anyway--this compulsion to dig up some dirt, to find some skeleton in my closet? + You know good and well I'm not guilty. You also know no one can help me. + "You made me like a handcrafted piece of pottery-- and now are you going to smash me to pieces? + Don't you remember how beautifully you worked my clay? Will you reduce me now to a mud pie? + Oh, that marvel of conception as you stirred together semen and ovum-- + What a miracle of skin and bone, muscle and brain! + You gave me life itself, and incredible love. You watched and guarded every breath I took. + "But you never told me about this part. I should have known that there was more to it-- + That if I so much as missed a step, you'd notice and pounce, wouldn't let me get by with a thing. + If I'm truly guilty, I'm doomed. But if I'm innocent, it's no better--I'm still doomed. My belly is full of bitterness. I'm up to my ears in a swamp of affliction. + I try to make the best of it, try to brave it out, but you're too much for me, relentless, like a lion on the prowl. + You line up fresh witnesses against me. You compound your anger and pile on the grief and pain! + "So why did you have me born? I wish no one had ever laid eyes on me! + I wish I'd never lived--a stillborn, buried without ever having breathed. + Isn't it time to call it quits on my life? Can't you let up, and let me smile just once + Before I die and am buried, before I'm nailed into my coffin, sealed in the ground, + And banished for good to the land of the dead, blind in the final dark?" + + + Now it was the turn of Zophar from Naamath: + "What a flood of words! Shouldn't we put a stop to it? Should this kind of loose talk be permitted? + Job, do you think you can carry on like this and we'll say nothing? That we'll let you rail and mock and not step in? + You claim, 'My doctrine is sound and my conduct impeccable.' + How I wish God would give you a piece of his mind, tell you what's what! + I wish he'd show you how wisdom looks from the inside, for true wisdom is mostly 'inside.' But you can be sure of this, you haven't gotten half of what you deserve. + "Do you think you can explain the mystery of God? Do you think you can diagram God Almighty? + God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend, + Stretching farther than earth's horizons, far wider than the endless ocean. + If he happens along, throws you in jail then hauls you into court, can you do anything about it? + He sees through vain pretensions, spots evil a long way off-- no one pulls the wool over his eyes! + Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk. + "Still, if you set your heart on God and reach out to him, + If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home, + You'll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless. + You'll forget your troubles; they'll be like old, faded photographs. + Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring. + Full of hope, you'll relax, confident again; you'll look around, sit back, and take it easy. + Expansive, without a care in the world, you'll be hunted out by many for your blessing. + But the wicked will see none of this. They're headed down a dead-end road with nothing to look forward to--nothing." + + + Job answered: + "I'm sure you speak for all the experts, and when you die there'll be no one left to tell us how to live. + But don't forget that I also have a brain-- I don't intend to play second fiddle to you. It doesn't take an expert to know these things. + "I'm ridiculed by my friends: 'So that's the man who had conversations with God!' Ridiculed without mercy: 'Look at the man who never did wrong!' + It's easy for the well-to-do to point their fingers in blame, for the well-fixed to pour scorn on the strugglers. + Crooks reside safely in high-security houses, insolent blasphemers live in luxury; they've bought and paid for a god who'll protect them. + "But ask the animals what they think--let them teach you; let the birds tell you what's going on. + Put your ear to the earth--learn the basics. Listen--the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories. + Isn't it clear that they all know and agree that GOD is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand-- + Every living soul, yes, every breathing creature? + Isn't this all just common sense, as common as the sense of taste? + Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom, that you have to grow old before you understand life? + "True wisdom and real power belong to God; from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for. + If he tears something down, it's down for good; if he locks people up, they're locked up for good. + If he holds back the rain, there's a drought; if he lets it loose, there's a flood. + Strength and success belong to God; both deceived and deceiver must answer to him. + He strips experts of their vaunted credentials, exposes judges as witless fools. + He divests kings of their royal garments, then ties a rag around their waists. + He strips priests of their robes, and fires high officials from their jobs. + He forces trusted sages to keep silence, deprives elders of their good sense and wisdom. + He dumps contempt on famous people, disarms the strong and mighty. + He shines a spotlight into caves of darkness, hauls deepest darkness into the noonday sun. + He makes nations rise and then fall, builds up some and abandons others. + He robs world leaders of their reason, and sends them off into no man's land. + They grope in the dark without a clue, lurching and staggering like drunks. + + + "Yes, I've seen all this with my own eyes, heard and understood it with my very own ears. + Everything you know, I know, so I'm not taking a back seat to any of you. + I'm taking my case straight to God Almighty; I've had it with you--I'm going directly to God. + You graffiti my life with lies. You're a bunch of pompous quacks! + I wish you'd shut your mouths-- silence is your only claim to wisdom. + "Listen now while I make my case, consider my side of things for a change. + Or are you going to keep on lying 'to do God a service'? to make up stories 'to get him off the hook'? + Why do you always take his side? Do you think he needs a lawyer to defend himself? + How would you fare if you were in the dock? Your lies might convince a jury--but would they convince God? + He'd reprimand you on the spot if he detected a bias in your witness. + Doesn't his splendor put you in awe? Aren't you afraid to speak cheap lies before him? + Your wise sayings are knickknack wisdom, good for nothing but gathering dust. + "So hold your tongue while I have my say, then I'll take whatever I have coming to me. + Why do I go out on a limb like this and take my life in my hands? + Because even if he killed me, I'd keep on hoping. I'd defend my innocence to the very end. + Just wait, this is going to work out for the best--my salvation! If I were guilt-stricken do you think I'd be doing this-- laying myself on the line before God? + You'd better pay attention to what I'm telling you, listen carefully with both ears. + Now that I've laid out my defense, I'm sure that I'll be acquitted. + Can anyone prove charges against me? I've said my piece. I rest my case. + "Please, God, I have two requests; grant them so I'll know I count with you: + First, lay off the afflictions; the terror is too much for me. + Second, address me directly so I can answer you, or let me speak and then you answer me. + How many sins have been charged against me? Show me the list--how bad is it? + Why do you stay hidden and silent? Why treat me like I'm your enemy? + Why kick me around like an old tin can? Why beat a dead horse? + You compile a long list of mean things about me, even hold me accountable for the sins of my youth. + You hobble me so I can't move about. You watch every move I make, and brand me as a dangerous character. + "Like something rotten, human life fast decomposes, like a moth-eaten shirt or a mildewed blouse. + + + "We're all adrift in the same boat: too few days, too many troubles. + We spring up like wildflowers in the desert and then wilt, transient as the shadow of a cloud. + Do you occupy your time with such fragile wisps? Why even bother hauling me into court? + There's nothing much to us to start with; how do you expect us to amount to anything? + Mortals have a limited life span. You've already decided how long we'll live-- you set the boundary and no one can cross it. + So why not give us a break? Ease up! Even ditchdiggers get occasional days off. + For a tree there is always hope. Chop it down and it still has a chance-- its roots can put out fresh sprouts. + Even if its roots are old and gnarled, its stump long dormant, + At the first whiff of water it comes to life, buds and grows like a sapling. + But men and women? They die and stay dead. They breathe their last, and that's it. + Like lakes and rivers that have dried up, parched reminders of what once was, + So mortals lie down and never get up, never wake up again--never. + Why don't you just bury me alive, get me out of the way until your anger cools? But don't leave me there! Set a date when you'll see me again. + If we humans die, will we live again? That's my question. All through these difficult days I keep hoping, waiting for the final change--for resurrection! + Homesick with longing for the creature you made, you'll call--and I'll answer! + You'll watch over every step I take, but you won't keep track of my missteps. + My sins will be stuffed in a sack and thrown into the sea--sunk in deep ocean. + "Meanwhile, mountains wear down and boulders break up, + Stones wear smooth and soil erodes, as you relentlessly grind down our hope. + You're too much for us. As always, you get the last word. We don't like it and our faces show it, but you send us off anyway. + If our children do well for themselves, we never know it; if they do badly, we're spared the hurt. + Body and soul, that's it for us-- a lifetime of pain, a lifetime of sorrow." + + + Eliphaz of Teman spoke a second time: + "If you were truly wise, would you sound so much like a windbag, belching hot air? + Would you talk nonsense in the middle of a serious argument, babbling baloney? + Look at you! You trivialize religion, turn spiritual conversation into empty gossip. + It's your sin that taught you to talk this way. You chose an education in fraud. + Your own words have exposed your guilt. It's nothing I've said--you've incriminated yourself! + Do you think you're the first person to have to deal with these things? Have you been around as long as the hills? + Were you listening in when God planned all this? Do you think you're the only one who knows anything? + What do you know that we don't know? What insights do you have that we've missed? + Gray beards and white hair back us up-- old folks who've been around a lot longer than you. + Are God's promises not enough for you, spoken so gently and tenderly? + Why do you let your emotions take over, lashing out and spitting fire, + Pitting your whole being against God by letting words like this come out of your mouth? + Do you think it's possible for any mere mortal to be sinless in God's sight, for anyone born of a human mother to get it all together? + Why, God can't even trust his holy angels. He sees the flaws in the very heavens themselves, + So how much less we humans, smelly and foul, who lap up evil like water? + "I've a thing or two to tell you, so listen up! I'm letting you in on my views; + It's what wise men and women have always taught, holding nothing back from what they were taught + By their parents, back in the days when they had this land all to themselves: + Those who live by their own rules, not God's, can expect nothing but trouble, and the longer they live, the worse it gets. + Every little sound terrifies them. Just when they think they have it made, disaster strikes. + They despair of things ever getting better-- they're on the list of people for whom things always turn out for the worst. + They wander here and there, never knowing where the next meal is coming from-- every day is doomsday! + They live in constant terror, always with their backs up against the wall + Because they insist on shaking their fists at God, defying God Almighty to his face, + Always and ever at odds with God, always on the defensive. + "Even if they're the picture of health, trim and fit and youthful, + They'll end up living in a ghost town sleeping in a hovel not fit for a dog, a ramshackle shack. + They'll never get ahead, never amount to a hill of beans. + And then death--don't think they'll escape that! They'll end up shriveled weeds, brought down by a puff of God's breath. + There's a lesson here: Whoever invests in lies, gets lies for interest, + Paid in full before the due date. Some investment! + They'll be like fruit frost-killed before it ripens, like buds sheared off before they bloom. + The godless are fruitless--a barren crew; a life built on bribes goes up in smoke. + They have sex with sin and give birth to evil. Their lives are wombs for breeding deceit." + + + Then Job defended himself: + "I've had all I can take of your talk. What a bunch of miserable comforters! + Is there no end to your windbag speeches? What's your problem that you go on and on like this? + If you were in my shoes, I could talk just like you. I could put together a terrific harangue and really let you have it. + But I'd never do that. I'd console and comfort, make things better, not worse! + "When I speak up, I feel no better; if I say nothing, that doesn't help either. + I feel worn down. God, you have wasted me totally--me and my family! + You've shriveled me like a dried prune, showing the world that you're against me. My gaunt face stares back at me from the mirror, a mute witness to your treatment of me. + Your anger tears at me, your teeth rip me to shreds, your eyes burn holes in me--God, my enemy! + People take one look at me and gasp. Contemptuous, they slap me around and gang up against me. + And God just stands there and lets them do it, lets wicked people do what they want with me. + I was contentedly minding my business when God beat me up. He grabbed me by the neck and threw me around. He set me up as his target, + then rounded up archers to shoot at me. Merciless, they shot me full of arrows; bitter bile poured from my gut to the ground. + He burst in on me, onslaught after onslaught, charging me like a mad bull. + "I sewed myself a shroud and wore it like a shirt; I lay face down in the dirt. + Now my face is blotched red from weeping; look at the dark shadows under my eyes, + Even though I've never hurt a soul and my prayers are sincere! + "O Earth, don't cover up the wrong done to me! Don't muffle my cry! + There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name-- + My Champion, my Friend, while I'm weeping my eyes out before God. + I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor. + "Only a few years are left before I set out on the road of no return. + + + "My spirit is broken, my days used up, my grave dug and waiting. + See how these mockers close in on me? How long do I have to put up with their insolence? + "O God, pledge your support for me. Give it to me in writing, with your signature. You're the only one who can do it! + These people are so useless! You know firsthand how stupid they can be. You wouldn't let them have the last word, would you? + Those who betray their own friends leave a legacy of abuse to their children. + "God, you've made me the talk of the town-- people spit in my face; + I can hardly see from crying so much; I'm nothing but skin and bones. + Decent people can't believe what they're seeing; the good-hearted wake up and insist I've given up on God. + "But principled people hold tight, keep a firm grip on life, sure that their clean, pure hands will get stronger and stronger! + "Maybe you'd all like to start over, to try it again, the bunch of you. So far I haven't come across one scrap of wisdom in anything you've said. + My life's about over. All my plans are smashed, all my hopes are snuffed out-- + My hope that night would turn into day, my hope that dawn was about to break. + If all I have to look forward to is a home in the graveyard, if my only hope for comfort is a well-built coffin, + If a family reunion means going six feet under, and the only family that shows up is worms, + Do you call that hope? Who on earth could find any hope in that? + No. If hope and I are to be buried together, I suppose you'll all come to the double funeral!" + + + Bildad from Shuhah chimed in: + "How monotonous these word games are getting! Get serious! We need to get down to business. + Why do you treat your friends like slow-witted animals? You look down on us as if we don't know anything. + Why are you working yourself up like this? Do you want the world redesigned to suit you? Should reality be suspended to accommodate you? + "Here's the rule: The light of the wicked is put out. Their flame dies down and is extinguished. + Their house goes dark-- every lamp in the place goes out. + Their strong strides weaken, falter; they stumble into their own traps. + They get all tangled up in their own red tape, + Their feet are grabbed and caught, their necks in a noose. + They trip on ropes they've hidden, and fall into pits they've dug themselves. + Terrors come at them from all sides. They run helter-skelter. + The hungry grave is ready to gobble them up for supper, + To lay them out for a gourmet meal, a treat for ravenous Death. + They are snatched from their home sweet home and marched straight to the death house. + Their lives go up in smoke; acid rain soaks their ruins. + Their roots rot and their branches wither. + They'll never again be remembered-- nameless in unmarked graves. + They are plunged from light into darkness, banished from the world. + And they leave empty-handed--not one single child-- nothing to show for their life on this earth. + Westerners are aghast at their fate, easterners are horrified: + 'Oh no! So this is what happens to perverse people. This is how the God-ignorant end up!'" + + + Job answered: + "How long are you going to keep battering away at me, pounding me with these harangues? + Time after time after time you jump all over me. Do you have no conscience, abusing me like this? + Even if I have, somehow or other, gotten off the track, what business is that of yours? + Why do you insist on putting me down, using my troubles as a stick to beat me? + Tell it to God--he's the one behind all this, he's the one who dragged me into this mess. + "Look at me--I shout 'Murder!' and I'm ignored; I call for help and no one bothers to stop. + God threw a barricade across my path--I'm stymied; he turned out all the lights--I'm stuck in the dark. + He destroyed my reputation, robbed me of all self-respect. + He tore me apart piece by piece--I'm ruined! Then he yanked out hope by the roots. + He's angry with me--oh, how he's angry! He treats me like his worst enemy. + He has launched a major campaign against me, using every weapon he can think of, coming at me from all sides at once. + "God alienated my family from me; + everyone who knows me avoids me. My relatives and friends have all left; houseguests forget I ever existed. + The servant girls treat me like a bum off the street, look at me like they've never seen me before. + I call my attendant and he ignores me, ignores me even though I plead with him. + My wife can't stand to be around me anymore. I'm repulsive to my family. + Even street urchins despise me; when I come out, they taunt and jeer. + Everyone I've ever been close to abhors me; my dearest loved ones reject me. + I'm nothing but a bag of bones; my life hangs by a thread. + "Oh, friends, dear friends, take pity on me. God has come down hard on me! + Do you have to be hard on me too? Don't you ever tire of abusing me? + "If only my words were written in a book-- + better yet, chiseled in stone! + Still, I know that God lives--the One who gives me back my life-- and eventually he'll take his stand on earth. + And I'll see him--even though I get skinned alive!-- + see God myself, with my very own eyes. Oh, how I long for that day! + "If you're thinking, 'How can we get through to him, get him to see that his trouble is all his own fault?' + Forget it. Start worrying about yourselves. Worry about your own sins and God's coming judgment, for judgment is most certainly on the way." + + + Zophar from Naamath again took his turn: + "I can't believe what I'm hearing! You've put my teeth on edge, my stomach in a knot. + How dare you insult my intelligence like this! Well, here's a piece of my mind! + "Don't you even know the basics, how things have been since the earliest days, when Adam and Eve were first placed on earth? + The good times of the wicked are short-lived; godless joy is only momentary. + The evil might become world famous, strutting at the head of the celebrity parade, + But still end up in a pile of dung. Acquaintances look at them with disgust and say, 'What's that?' + They fly off like a dream that can't be remembered, like a shadowy illusion that vanishes in the light. + Though once notorious public figures, now they're nobodies, unnoticed, whether they come or go. + Their children will go begging on skid row, and they'll have to give back their ill-gotten gain. + Right in the prime of life, and youthful and vigorous, they'll die. + "They savor evil as a delicacy, roll it around on their tongues, + Prolong the flavor, a dalliance in decadence-- real gourmets of evil! + But then they get stomach cramps, a bad case of food poisoning. + They gag on all that rich food; God makes them vomit it up. + They gorge on evil, make a diet of that poison-- a deadly diet--and it kills them. + No quiet picnics for them beside gentle streams with fresh-baked bread and cheese, and tall, cool drinks. + They spit out their food half-chewed, unable to relax and enjoy anything they've worked for. + And why? Because they exploited the poor, took what never belonged to them. + "Such God-denying people are never content with what they have or who they are; their greed drives them relentlessly. + They plunder everything but they can't hold on to any of it. + Just when they think they have it all, disaster strikes; they're served up a plate full of misery. + When they've filled their bellies with that, God gives them a taste of his anger, and they get to chew on that for a while. + As they run for their lives from one disaster, they run smack into another. + They're knocked around from pillar to post, beaten to within an inch of their lives. They're trapped in a house of horrors, + and see their loot disappear down a black hole. Their lives are a total loss-- not a penny to their name, not so much as a bean. + God will strip them of their sin-soaked clothes and hang their dirty laundry out for all to see. + Life is a complete wipeout for them, nothing surviving God's wrath. + There! That's God's blueprint for the wicked-- what they have to look forward to." + + + Job replied: + "Now listen to me carefully, please listen, at least do me the favor of listening. + Put up with me while I have my say-- then you can mock me later to your heart's content. + "It's not you I'm complaining to--it's God. Is it any wonder I'm getting fed up with his silence? + Take a good look at me. Aren't you appalled by what's happened? No! Don't say anything. I can do without your comments. + When I look back, I go into shock, my body is racked with spasms. + Why do the wicked have it so good, live to a ripe old age and get rich? + They get to see their children succeed, get to watch and enjoy their grandchildren. + Their homes are peaceful and free from fear; they never experience God's disciplining rod. + Their bulls breed with great vigor and their cows calve without fail. + They send their children out to play and watch them frolic like spring lambs. + They make music with fiddles and flutes, have good times singing and dancing. + They have a long life on easy street, and die painlessly in their sleep. + They say to God, 'Get lost! We've no interest in you or your ways. + Why should we have dealings with God Almighty? What's there in it for us?' + But they're wrong, dead wrong--they're not gods. It's beyond me how they can carry on like this! + "Still, how often does it happen that the wicked fail, or disaster strikes, or they get their just deserts? + How often are they blown away by bad luck? Not very often. + You might say, 'God is saving up the punishment for their children.' I say, 'Give it to them right now so they'll know what they've done!' + They deserve to experience the effects of their evil, feel the full force of God's wrath firsthand. + What do they care what happens to their families after they're safely tucked away in the grave? + "But who are we to tell God how to run his affairs? He's dealing with matters that are way over our heads. + Some people die in the prime of life, with everything going for them-- + fat and sassy. + Others die bitter and bereft, never getting a taste of happiness. + They're laid out side by side in the cemetery, where the worms can't tell one from the other. + "I'm not deceived. I know what you're up to, the plans you're cooking up to bring me down. + Naively you claim that the castles of tyrants fall to pieces, that the achievements of the wicked collapse. + Have you ever asked world travelers how they see it? Have you not listened to their stories + Of evil men and women who got off scot-free, who never had to pay for their wickedness? + Did anyone ever confront them with their crimes? Did they ever have to face the music? + Not likely--they're given fancy funerals with all the trimmings, + Gently lowered into expensive graves, with everyone telling lies about how wonderful they were. + "So how do you expect me to get any comfort from your nonsense? Your so-called comfort is a tissue of lies." + + + Once again Eliphaz the Temanite took up his theme: + "Are any of us strong enough to give God a hand, or smart enough to give him advice? + So what if you were righteous--would God Almighty even notice? Even if you gave a perfect performance, do you think he'd applaud? + Do you think it's because he cares about your purity that he's disciplining you, putting you on the spot? + Hardly! It's because you're a first-class moral failure, because there's no end to your sins. + When people came to you for help, you took the shirts off their backs, exploited their helplessness. + You wouldn't so much as give a drink to the thirsty, or food, not even a scrap, to the hungry. + And there you sat, strong and honored by everyone, surrounded by immense wealth! + You turned poor widows away from your door; heartless, you crushed orphans. + Now you're the one trapped in terror, paralyzed by fear. Suddenly the tables have turned! + How do you like living in the dark, sightless, up to your neck in flood waters? + "You agree, don't you, that God is in charge? He runs the universe--just look at the stars! + Yet you dare raise questions: 'What does God know? From that distance and darkness, how can he judge? + He roams the heavens wrapped in clouds, so how can he see us?' + "Are you going to persist in that tired old line that wicked men and women have always used? + Where did it get them? They died young, flash floods sweeping them off to their doom. + They told God, 'Get lost! What good is God Almighty to us?' + And yet it was God who gave them everything they had. It's beyond me how they can carry on like this! + "Good people see bad people crash, and call for a celebration. Relieved, they crow, + 'At last! Our enemies--wiped out. Everything they had and stood for is up in smoke!' + "Give in to God, come to terms with him and everything will turn out just fine. + Let him tell you what to do; take his words to heart. + Come back to God Almighty and he'll rebuild your life. Clean house of everything evil. + Relax your grip on your money and abandon your gold-plated luxury. + God Almighty will be your treasure, more wealth than you can imagine. + "You'll take delight in God, the Mighty One, and look to him joyfully, boldly. + You'll pray to him and he'll listen; he'll help you do what you've promised. + You'll decide what you want and it will happen; your life will be bathed in light. + To those who feel low you'll say, 'Chin up! Be brave!' and God will save them. + Yes, even the guilty will escape, escape through God's grace in your life." + + + Job replied: + "I'm not letting up--I'm standing my ground. My complaint is legitimate. God has no right to treat me like this-- it isn't fair! + If I knew where on earth to find him, I'd go straight to him. + I'd lay my case before him face-to-face, give him all my arguments firsthand. + I'd find out exactly what he's thinking, discover what's going on in his head. + Do you think he'd dismiss me or bully me? No, he'd take me seriously. + He'd see a straight-living man standing before him; my Judge would acquit me for good of all charges. + "I travel East looking for him--I find no one; then West, but not a trace; + I go North, but he's hidden his tracks; then South, but not even a glimpse. + "But he knows where I am and what I've done. He can cross-examine me all he wants, and I'll pass the test with honors. + I've followed him closely, my feet in his footprints, not once swerving from his way. + I've obeyed every word he's spoken, and not just obeyed his advice--I've treasured it. + "But he is singular and sovereign. Who can argue with him? He does what he wants, when he wants to. + He'll complete in detail what he's decided about me, and whatever else he determines to do. + Is it any wonder that I dread meeting him? Whenever I think about it, I get scared all over again. + God makes my heart sink! God Almighty gives me the shudders! + I'm completely in the dark, I can't see my hand in front of my face. + + + "But if Judgment Day isn't hidden from the Almighty, why are we kept in the dark? + There are people out there getting by with murder-- stealing and lying and cheating. + They rip off the poor and exploit the unfortunate, + Push the helpless into the ditch, bully the weak so that they fear for their lives. + The poor, like stray dogs and cats, scavenge for food in back alleys. + They sort through the garbage of the rich, eke out survival on handouts. + Homeless, they shiver through cold nights on the street; they've no place to lay their heads. + Exposed to the weather, wet and frozen, they huddle in makeshift shelters. + Nursing mothers have their babies snatched from them; the infants of the poor are kidnapped and sold. + They go about patched and threadbare; even the hard workers go hungry. + No matter how back-breaking their labor, they can never make ends meet. + People are dying right and left, groaning in torment. The wretched cry out for help and God does nothing, acts like nothing's wrong! + "Then there are those who avoid light at all costs, who scorn the light-filled path. + When the sun goes down, the murderer gets up-- kills the poor and robs the defenseless. + Sexual predators can't wait for nightfall, thinking, 'No one can see us now.' + Burglars do their work at night, but keep well out of sight through the day. They want nothing to do with light. + Deep darkness is morning for that bunch; they make the terrors of darkness their companions in crime. + "They are scraps of wood floating on the water-- useless, cursed junk, good for nothing. + As surely as snow melts under the hot, summer sun, sinners disappear in the grave. + The womb has forgotten them, worms have relished them-- nothing that is evil lasts. + Unscrupulous, they prey on those less fortunate. + However much they strut and flex their muscles, there's nothing to them. They're hollow. + They may have an illusion of security, but God has his eye on them. + They may get their brief successes, but then it's over, nothing to show for it. Like yesterday's newspaper, they're used to wrap up the garbage. + You're free to try to prove me a liar, but you won't be able to do it." + + + Bildad the Shuhite again attacked Job: + "God is sovereign, God is fearsome-- everything in the cosmos fits and works in his plan. + Can anyone count his angel armies? Is there any place where his light doesn't shine? + How can a mere mortal presume to stand up to God? How can an ordinary person pretend to be guiltless? + Why, even the moon has its flaws, even the stars aren't perfect in God's eyes, + So how much less, plain men and women-- slugs and maggots by comparison!" + + + Job answered: + "Well, you've certainly been a great help to a helpless man! You came to the rescue just in the nick of time! + What wonderful advice you've given to a mixed-up man! What amazing insights you've provided! + Where in the world did you learn all this? How did you become so inspired? + "All the buried dead are in torment, and all who've been drowned in the deep, deep sea. + Hell is ripped open before God, graveyards dug up and exposed. + He spreads the skies over unformed space, hangs the earth out in empty space. + He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags and the bags don't burst. + He makes the moon wax and wane, putting it through its phases. + He draws the horizon out over the ocean, sets a boundary between light and darkness. + Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies. Listen! It's God raising his voice! + By his power he stills sea storms, by his wisdom he tames sea monsters. + With one breath he clears the sky, with one finger he crushes the sea serpent. + And this is only the beginning, a mere whisper of his rule. Whatever would we do if he really raised his voice!" + + + Having waited for Zophar, Job now resumed his defense: + "God-Alive! He's denied me justice! God Almighty! He's ruined my life! + But for as long as I draw breath, and for as long as God breathes life into me, + I refuse to say one word that isn't true. I refuse to confess to any charge that's false. + There is no way I'll ever agree to your accusations. I'll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life. + I'm holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip-- and, believe me, I'll never regret it. + "Let my enemy be exposed as wicked! Let my adversary be proven guilty! + What hope do people without God have when life is cut short? when God puts an end to life? + Do you think God will listen to their cry for help when disaster hits? + What interest have they ever shown in the Almighty? Have they ever been known to pray before? + "I've given you a clear account of God in action, suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty. + The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves, so why do you keep talking nonsense? + "I'll quote your own words back to you: "'This is how God treats the wicked, this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty: + Their children--all of them--will die violent deaths; they'll never have enough bread to put on the table. + They'll be wiped out by the plague, and none of the widows will shed a tear when they're gone. + Even if they make a lot of money and are resplendent in the latest fashions, + It's the good who will end up wearing the clothes and the decent who will divide up the money. + They build elaborate houses that won't survive a single winter. + They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor. + Terrors pour in on them like flash floods-- a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night, + A cyclone sweeps them up--gone! Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint. + Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them; they run this way and that, but there's no place to hide-- + Pummeled by the weather, blown to kingdom come by the storm.' + + + "We all know how silver seams the rocks, we've seen the stuff from which gold is refined, + We're aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock. + Miners penetrate the earth's darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating darkness. + Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes. + Earth's surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge + Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks. + Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it. + Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don't know it's there. + Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains. + They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems. + They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth's secrets to light. + "But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide? + Mortals don't have a clue, haven't the slightest idea where to look. + Earth's depths say, 'It's not here'; ocean deeps echo, 'Never heard of it.' + It can't be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it. + Even famous Ophir gold can't buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires. + Neither gold nor emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can't touch it. + Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets--why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom! + Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can't hold a candle to Wisdom. + "So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live? + It can't be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly. + If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, 'We've only heard rumors of it.' + "God alone knows the way to Wisdom, he knows the exact place to find it. + He knows where everything is on earth, he sees everything under heaven. + After he commanded the winds to blow and measured out the waters, + Arranged for the rain and set off explosions of thunder and lightning, + He focused on Wisdom, made sure it was all set and tested and ready. + Then he addressed the human race: 'Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord--that's Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.'" + + + Job now resumed his response: + "Oh, how I long for the good old days, when God took such very good care of me. + He always held a lamp before me and I walked through the dark by its light. + Oh, how I miss those golden years when God's friendship graced my home, + When the Mighty One was still by my side and my children were all around me, + When everything was going my way, and nothing seemed too difficult. + "When I walked downtown and sat with my friends in the public square, + Young and old greeted me with respect; I was honored by everyone in town. + When I spoke, everyone listened; + they hung on my every word. + People who knew me spoke well of me; my reputation went ahead of me. + I was known for helping people in trouble and standing up for those who were down on their luck. + The dying blessed me, and the bereaved were cheered by my visits. + All my dealings with people were good. I was known for being fair to everyone I met. + I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, + Father to the needy, and champion of abused aliens. + I grabbed street thieves by the scruff of the neck and made them give back what they'd stolen. + I thought, 'I'll die peacefully in my own bed, grateful for a long and full life, + A life deep-rooted and well-watered, a life limber and dew-fresh, + My soul suffused with glory and my body robust until the day I die.' + "Men and women listened when I spoke, hung expectantly on my every word. + After I spoke, they'd be quiet, taking it all in. + They welcomed my counsel like spring rain, drinking it all in. + When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles took wing! + I was their leader, establishing the mood and setting the pace by which they lived. Where I led, they followed. + + + "But no longer. Now I'm the butt of their jokes-- young ruffians! whippersnappers! + Why, I considered their fathers mere inexperienced pups. But they are worse than dogs--good for nothing, stray, mangy animals, + Half-starved, scavenging the back alleys, howling at the moon; + Homeless guttersnipes chewing on old bones and licking old tin cans; + Outcasts from the community, cursed as dangerous delinquents. + Nobody would put up with them; they were driven from the neighborhood. + You could hear them out there at the edge of town, yelping and barking, huddled in junkyards, + A gang of beggars and no-names, thrown out on their ears. + "But now I'm the one they're after, mistreating me, taunting and mocking. + They abhor me, they abuse me. How dare those scoundrels--they spit in my face! + Now that God has undone me and left me in a heap, they hold nothing back. Anything goes. + They come at me from my blind side, trip me up, then jump on me while I'm down. + They throw every kind of obstacle in my path, determined to ruin me-- and no one lifts a finger to help me! + They violate my broken body, trample through the rubble of my ruined life. + Terrors assault me-- my dignity in shreds, salvation up in smoke. + "And now my life drains out, as suffering seizes and grips me hard. + Night gnaws at my bones; the pain never lets up. + I am tied hand and foot, my neck in a noose. I twist and turn. + Thrown facedown in the muck, I'm a muddy mess, inside and out. + "I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer! I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare! + You've turned into my tormenter-- you slap me around, knock me about. + You raised me up so I was riding high and then dropped me, and I crashed. + I know you're determined to kill me, to put me six feet under. + "What did I do to deserve this? Did I ever hit anyone who was calling for help? + Haven't I wept for those who live a hard life, been heartsick over the lot of the poor? + But where did it get me? I expected good but evil showed up. I looked for light but darkness fell. + My stomach's in a constant churning, never settles down. Each day confronts me with more suffering. + I walk under a black cloud. The sun is gone. I stand in the congregation and protest. + I howl with the jackals, I hoot with the owls. + I'm black and blue all over, burning up with fever. + My fiddle plays nothing but the blues; my mouth harp wails laments. + + + "I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes. + So what can I expect from God? What do I deserve from God Almighty above? + Isn't calamity reserved for the wicked? Isn't disaster supposed to strike those who do wrong? + Isn't God looking, observing how I live? Doesn't he mark every step I take? + "Have I walked hand in hand with falsehood, or hung out in the company of deceit? + Weigh me on a set of honest scales so God has proof of my integrity. + If I've strayed off the straight and narrow, wanted things I had no right to, messed around with sin, + Go ahead, then-- give my portion to someone who deserves it. + "If I've let myself be seduced by a woman and conspired to go to bed with her, + Fine, my wife has every right to go ahead and sleep with anyone she wants to. + For disgusting behavior like that, I'd deserve the worst punishment you could hand out. + Adultery is a fire that burns the house down; I wouldn't expect anything I count dear to survive it. + "Have I ever been unfair to my employees when they brought a complaint to me? + What, then, will I do when God confronts me? When God examines my books, what can I say? + Didn't the same God who made me, make them? Aren't we all made of the same stuff, equals before God? + "Have I ignored the needs of the poor, turned my back on the indigent, + Taken care of my own needs and fed my own face while they languished? + Wasn't my home always open to them? Weren't they always welcome at my table? + "Have I ever left a poor family shivering in the cold when they had no warm clothes? + Didn't the poor bless me when they saw me coming, knowing I'd brought coats from my closet? + "If I've ever used my strength and influence to take advantage of the unfortunate, + Go ahead, break both my arms, cut off all my fingers! + The fear of God has kept me from these things-- how else could I ever face him? If Only Someone Would Give Me a Hearing! + "Did I set my heart on making big money or worship at the bank? + Did I boast about my wealth, show off because I was well-off? + Was I ever so awed by the sun's brilliance and moved by the moon's beauty + That I let myself become seduced by them and worshiped them on the sly? + If so, I would deserve the worst of punishments, for I would be betraying God himself. + "Did I ever crow over my enemy's ruin? Or gloat over my rival's bad luck? + No, I never said a word of detraction, never cursed them, even under my breath. + "Didn't those who worked for me say, 'He fed us well. There were always second helpings'? + And no stranger ever had to spend a night in the street; my doors were always open to travelers. + Did I hide my sin the way Adam did, or conceal my guilt behind closed doors + Because I was afraid what people would say, fearing the gossip of the neighbors so much That I turned myself into a recluse? You know good and well that I didn't. + "Oh, if only someone would give me a hearing! I've signed my name to my defense--let the Almighty One answer! I want to see my indictment in writing. + Anyone's welcome to read my defense; I'll write it on a poster and carry it around town. + I'm prepared to account for every move I've ever made-- to anyone and everyone, prince or pauper. + "If the very ground that I farm accuses me, if even the furrows fill with tears from my abuse, + If I've ever raped the earth for my own profit or dispossessed its rightful owners, + Then curse it with thistles instead of wheat, curse it with weeds instead of barley." The words of Job to his three friends were finished. + + + Job's three friends now fell silent. They were talked out, stymied because Job wouldn't budge an inch--wouldn't admit to an ounce of guilt. + Then Elihu lost his temper. (Elihu was the son of Barakel the Buzite from the clan of Ram.) He blazed out in anger against Job for pitting his righteousness against God's. + He was also angry with the three friends because they had neither come up with an answer nor proved Job wrong. + Elihu had waited with Job while they spoke because they were all older than he. + But when he saw that the three other men had exhausted their arguments, he exploded with pent-up anger. + This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said: "I'm a young man, and you are all old and experienced. That's why I kept quiet and held back from joining the discussion. + I kept thinking, 'Experience will tell. The longer you live, the wiser you become.' + But I see I was wrong--it's God's Spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible. + The experts have no corner on wisdom; getting old doesn't guarantee good sense. + So I've decided to speak up. Listen well! I'm going to tell you exactly what I think. + "I hung on your words while you spoke, listened carefully to your arguments. While you searched for the right words, + I was all ears. And now what have you proved? Nothing. Nothing you say has even touched Job. + And don't excuse yourselves by saying, 'We've done our best. Now it's up to God to talk sense into him.' + Job has yet to contend with me. And rest assured, I won't be using your arguments! + "Do you three have nothing else to say? Of course you don't! You're total frauds! + Why should I wait any longer, now that you're stopped dead in your tracks? + I'm ready to speak my piece. That's right! It's my turn--and it's about time! + I've got a lot to say, and I'm bursting to say it. + The pressure has built up, like lava beneath the earth. I'm a volcano ready to blow. + I have to speak--I have no choice. I have to say what's on my heart, + And I'm going to say it straight-- the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. + I was never any good at bootlicking; my Maker would make short work of me if I started in now! + + + "So please, Job, hear me out, honor me by listening to me. + What I'm about to say has been carefully thought out. + I have no ulterior motives in this; I'm speaking honestly from my heart. + The Spirit of God made me what I am, the breath of God Almighty gave me life! + "And if you think you can prove me wrong, do it. Lay out your arguments. Stand up for yourself! + Look, I'm human--no better than you; we're both made of the same kind of mud. + So let's work this through together; don't let my aggressiveness overwhelm you. + "Here's what you said. I heard you say it with my own ears. + You said, 'I'm pure--I've done nothing wrong. Believe me, I'm clean--my conscience is clear. + But God keeps picking on me; he treats me like I'm his enemy. + He's thrown me in jail; he keeps me under constant surveillance.' + "But let me tell you, Job, you're wrong, dead wrong! God is far greater than any human. + So how dare you haul him into court, and then complain that he won't answer your charges? + God always answers, one way or another, even when people don't recognize his presence. + "In a dream, for instance, a vision at night, when men and women are deep in sleep, fast asleep in their beds-- + God opens their ears and impresses them with warnings + To turn them back from something bad they're planning, from some reckless choice, + And keep them from an early grave, from the river of no return. + "Or, God might get their attention through pain, by throwing them on a bed of suffering, + So they can't stand the sight of food, have no appetite for their favorite treats. + They lose weight, wasting away to nothing, reduced to a bag of bones. + They hang on the cliff-edge of death, knowing the next breath may be their last. + "But even then an angel could come, a champion--there are thousands of them!-- to take up your cause, + A messenger who would mercifully intervene, canceling the death sentence with the words: 'I've come up with the ransom!' + Before you know it, you're healed, the very picture of health! + "Or, you may fall on your knees and pray--to God's delight! You'll see God's smile and celebrate, finding yourself set right with God. + You'll sing God's praises to everyone you meet, testifying, 'I messed up my life-- and let me tell you, it wasn't worth it. + But God stepped in and saved me from certain death. I'm alive again! Once more I see the light!' + "This is the way God works. Over and over again + He pulls our souls back from certain destruction so we'll see the light--and live in the light! + "Keep listening, Job. Don't interrupt--I'm not finished yet. + But if you think of anything I should know, tell me. There's nothing I'd like better than to see your name cleared. + Meanwhile, keep listening. Don't distract me with interruptions. I'm going to teach you the basics of wisdom." + + + Elihu continued: + "So, my fine friends--listen to me, and see what you think of this. + Isn't it just common sense-- as common as the sense of taste-- + To put our heads together and figure out what's going on here? + "We've all heard Job say, 'I'm in the right, but God won't give me a fair trial. + When I defend myself, I'm called a liar to my face. I've done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.' + Have you ever heard anything to beat this? Does nothing faze this man Job? + Do you think he's spent too much time in bad company, hanging out with the wrong crowd, + So that now he's parroting their line: 'It doesn't pay to try to please God'? + "You're veterans in dealing with these matters; certainly we're of one mind on this. It's impossible for God to do anything evil; no way can the Mighty One do wrong. + He makes us pay for exactly what we've done--no more, no less. Our chickens always come home to roost. + It's impossible for God to do anything wicked, for the Mighty One to subvert justice. + He's the one who runs the earth! He cradles the whole world in his hand! + If he decided to hold his breath, + every man, woman, and child would die for lack of air. + "So, Job, use your head; this is all pretty obvious. + Can someone who hates order, keep order? Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God? + Doesn't God always tell it like it is, exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals? + Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor? Isn't he equally responsible to everybody? + Don't people who deserve it die without notice? Don't wicked rulers tumble to their doom? When the so-called great ones are wiped out, we know God is working behind the scenes. + "He has his eyes on every man and woman. He doesn't miss a trick. + There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough, to hide those who do evil. + God doesn't need to gather any more evidence; their sin is an open-and-shut case. + He deposes the so-called high and mighty without asking questions, and replaces them at once with others. + Nobody gets by with anything; overnight, judgment is signed, sealed, and delivered. + He punishes the wicked for their wickedness out in the open where everyone can see it, + Because they quit following him, no longer even thought about him or his ways. + Their apostasy was announced by the cry of the poor; the cry of the afflicted got God's attention. + "If God is silent, what's that to you? If he turns his face away, what can you do about it? But whether silent or hidden, he's there, ruling, + so that those who hate God won't take over and ruin people's lives. + "So why don't you simply confess to God? Say, 'I sinned, but I'll sin no more. + Teach me to see what I still don't see. Whatever evil I've done, I'll do it no more.' + Just because you refuse to live on God's terms, do you think he should start living on yours? You choose. I can't do it for you. Tell me what you decide. + "All right-thinking people say-- and the wise who have listened to me concur-- + 'Job is an ignoramus. He talks utter nonsense.' + Job, you need to be pushed to the wall and called to account for wickedly talking back to God the way you have. + You've compounded your original sin by rebelling against God's discipline, Defiantly shaking your fist at God, piling up indictments against the Almighty One." + + + Elihu lit into Job again: + "Does this kind of thing make any sense? First you say, 'I'm perfectly innocent before God.' + And then you say, 'It doesn't make a bit of difference whether I've sinned or not.' + "Well, I'm going to show you that you don't know what you're talking about, neither you nor your friends. + Look up at the sky. Take a long hard look. See those clouds towering above you? + If you sin, what difference could that make to God? No matter how much you sin, will it matter to him? + Even if you're good, what would God get out of that? Do you think he's dependent on your accomplishments? + The only ones who care whether you're good or bad are your family and friends and neighbors. God's not dependent on your behavior. + "When times get bad, people cry out for help. They cry for relief from being kicked around, + But never give God a thought when things go well, when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts, + When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom, using birds and beasts to teach wisdom. + People are arrogantly indifferent to God-- until, of course, they're in trouble, and then God is indifferent to them. + There's nothing behind such prayers except panic; the Almighty pays them no mind. + So why would he notice you just because you say you're tired of waiting to be heard, + Or waiting for him to get good and angry and do something about the world's problems? + "Job, you talk sheer nonsense-- nonstop nonsense!" + + + Here Elihu took a deep breath, but kept going: + "Stay with me a little longer. I'll convince you. There's still more to be said on God's side. + I learned all this firsthand from the Source; everything I know about justice I owe to my Maker himself. + Trust me, I'm giving you undiluted truth; believe me, I know these things inside and out. + "It's true that God is all-powerful, but he doesn't bully innocent people. + For the wicked, though, it's a different story-- he doesn't give them the time of day, but champions the rights of their victims. + He never takes his eyes off the righteous; he honors them lavishly, promotes them endlessly. + When things go badly, when affliction and suffering descend, + God tells them where they've gone wrong, shows them how their pride has caused their trouble. + He forces them to heed his warning, tells them they must repent of their bad life. + If they obey and serve him, they'll have a good, long life on easy street. + But if they disobey, they'll be cut down in their prime and never know the first thing about life. + Angry people without God pile grievance upon grievance, always blaming others for their troubles. + Living it up in sexual excesses, virility wasted, they die young. + But those who learn from their suffering, God delivers from their suffering. + "Oh, Job, don't you see how God's wooing you from the jaws of danger? How he's drawing you into wide-open places-- inviting you to feast at a table laden with blessings? + And here you are laden with the guilt of the wicked, obsessed with putting the blame on God! + Don't let your great riches mislead you; don't think you can bribe your way out of this. + Did you plan to buy your way out of this? Not on your life! + And don't think that night, when people sleep off their troubles, will bring you any relief. + Above all, don't make things worse with more evil-- that's what's behind your suffering as it is! + "Do you have any idea how powerful God is? Have you ever heard of a teacher like him? + Has anyone ever had to tell him what to do, or correct him, saying, 'You did that all wrong!'? + Remember, then, to praise his workmanship, which is so often celebrated in song. + Everybody sees it; nobody is too far away to see it. + "Take a long, hard look. See how great he is--infinite, greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out! + "He pulls water up out of the sea, distills it, and fills up his rain-cloud cisterns. + Then the skies open up and pour out soaking showers on everyone. + Does anyone have the slightest idea how this happens? How he arranges the clouds, how he speaks in thunder? + Just look at that lightning, his sky-filling light show illumining the dark depths of the sea! + These are the symbols of his sovereignty, his generosity, his loving care. + He hurls arrows of light, taking sure and accurate aim. + The High God roars in the thunder, angry against evil. + + + "Whenever this happens, my heart stops-- I'm stunned, I can't catch my breath. + Listen to it! Listen to his thunder, the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice. + He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon, lighting up the earth from pole to pole. + In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice, powerful and majestic. He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back. No one can mistake that voice-- + His word thundering so wondrously, his mighty acts staggering our understanding. + He orders the snow, 'Blanket the earth!' and the rain, 'Soak the whole countryside!' + No one can escape the weather--it's there. And no one can escape from God. + Wild animals take shelter, crawling into their dens, + When blizzards roar out of the north and freezing rain crusts the land. + It's God's breath that forms the ice, it's God's breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. + And yes, it's God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way. + He puts them through their paces--first this way, then that-- commands them to do what he says all over the world. + Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, he makes sure they make their mark. + "Job, are you listening? Have you noticed all this? Stop in your tracks! Take in God's miracle-wonders! + Do you have any idea how God does it all, how he makes bright lightning from dark storms, + How he piles up the cumulus clouds-- all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind? + Why, you don't even know how to keep cool on a sweltering hot day, + So how could you even dream of making a dent in that hot-tin-roof sky? + "If you're so smart, give us a lesson in how to address God. We're in the dark and can't figure it out. + Do you think I'm dumb enough to challenge God? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble? + No one in his right mind stares straight at the sun on a clear and cloudless day. + As gold comes from the northern mountains, so a terrible beauty streams from God. + "Mighty God! Far beyond our reach! Unsurpassable in power and justice! It's unthinkable that he'd treat anyone unfairly. + So bow to him in deep reverence, one and all! If you're wise, you'll most certainly worship him." + + + And now, finally, GOD answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said: + "Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about? + Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers. + Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! + Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? + How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, + While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? + And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? + That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night. + Then I made a playpen for it, a strong playpen so it couldn't run loose, + And said, 'Stay here, this is your place. Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.' + "And have you ever ordered Morning, 'Get up!' told Dawn, 'Get to work!' + So you could seize Earth like a blanket and shake out the wicked like cockroaches? + As the sun brings everything to light, brings out all the colors and shapes, + The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked-- they're caught in the very act! + "Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things, explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean? + Do you know the first thing about death? Do you have one clue regarding death's dark mysteries? + And do you have any idea how large this earth is? Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer. + "Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives + So you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost? + Why, of course you know that. You've known them all your life, grown up in the same neighborhood with them! + "Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, + The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? + Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, or to the place from which the wind blows? + Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms + That bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, + Drenching the useless wastelands so they're carpeted with wildflowers and grass? + And who do you think is the father of rain and dew, + the mother of ice and frost? + You don't for a minute imagine these marvels of weather just happen, do you? + "Can you catch the eye of the beautiful Pleiades sisters, or distract Orion from his hunt? + Can you get Venus to look your way, or get the Great Bear and her cubs to come out and play? + Do you know the first thing about the sky's constellations and how they affect things on Earth? + "Can you get the attention of the clouds, and commission a shower of rain? + Can you take charge of the lightning bolts and have them report to you for orders? + "Who do you think gave weather-wisdom to the ibis, and storm-savvy to the rooster? + Does anyone know enough to number all the clouds or tip over the rain barrels of heaven + When the earth is cracked and dry, the ground baked hard as a brick? + "Can you teach the lioness to stalk her prey and satisfy the appetite of her cubs + As they crouch in their den, waiting hungrily in their cave? + And who sets out food for the ravens when their young cry to God, fluttering about because they have no food? + + + "Do you know the month when mountain goats give birth? Have you ever watched a doe bear her fawn? + Do you know how many months she is pregnant? Do you know the season of her delivery, + when she crouches down and drops her offspring? + Her young ones flourish and are soon on their own; they leave and don't come back. + "Who do you think set the wild donkey free, opened the corral gates and let him go? + I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in, the rolling plains and wide-open places. + He laughs at his city cousins, who are harnessed and harried. He's oblivious to the cries of teamsters. + He grazes freely through the hills, nibbling anything that's green. + "Will the wild buffalo condescend to serve you, volunteer to spend the night in your barn? + Can you imagine hitching your plow to a buffalo and getting him to till your fields? + He's hugely strong, yes, but could you trust him, would you dare turn the job over to him? + You wouldn't for a minute depend on him, would you, to do what you said when you said it? + "The ostrich flaps her wings futilely-- all those beautiful feathers, but useless! + She lays her eggs on the hard ground, leaves them there in the dirt, exposed to the weather, + Not caring that they might get stepped on and cracked or trampled by some wild animal. + She's negligent with her young, as if they weren't even hers. She cares nothing about anything. + She wasn't created very smart, that's for sure, wasn't given her share of good sense. + But when she runs, oh, how she runs, laughing, leaving horse and rider in the dust. + "Are you the one who gave the horse his prowess and adorned him with a shimmering mane? + Did you create him to prance proudly and strike terror with his royal snorts? + He paws the ground fiercely, eager and spirited, then charges into the fray. + He laughs at danger, fearless, doesn't shy away from the sword. + The banging and clanging of quiver and lance don't faze him. + He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast races off at a gallop. + At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily, smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off, catching the rolling thunder of the war cries. + "Was it through your know how that the hawk learned to fly, soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts? + Did you command the eagle's flight, and teach her to build her nest in the heights, + Perfectly at home on the high cliff-face, invulnerable on pinnacle and crag? + From her perch she searches for prey, spies it at a great distance. + Her young gorge themselves on carrion; wherever there's a roadkill, you'll see her circling." + + + GOD then confronted Job directly: + "Now what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?" + Job answered: + "I'm speechless, in awe--words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! + I've talked too much, way too much. I'm ready to shut up and listen." + GOD addressed Job next from the eye of the storm, and this is what he said: + "I have some more questions for you, and I want straight answers. + "Do you presume to tell me what I'm doing wrong? Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint? + Do you have an arm like my arm? Can you shout in thunder the way I can? + Go ahead, show your stuff. Let's see what you're made of, what you can do. + Unleash your outrage. Target the arrogant and lay them flat. + Target the arrogant and bring them to their knees. Stop the wicked in their tracks--make mincemeat of them! + Dig a mass grave and dump them in it-- faceless corpses in an unmarked grave. + I'll gladly step aside and hand things over to you-- you can surely save yourself with no help from me! + "Look at the land beast, Behemoth. I created him as well as you. Grazing on grass, docile as a cow-- + Just look at the strength of his back, the powerful muscles of his belly. + His tail sways like a cedar in the wind; his huge legs are like beech trees. + His skeleton is made of steel, every bone in his body hard as steel. + Most magnificent of all my creatures, but I still lead him around like a lamb! + The grass-covered hills serve him meals, while field mice frolic in his shadow. + He takes afternoon naps under shade trees, cools himself in the reedy swamps, + Lazily cool in the leafy shadows as the breeze moves through the willows. + And when the river rages he doesn't budge, stolid and unperturbed even when the Jordan goes wild. + But you'd never want him for a pet-- you'd never be able to housebreak him! + + + "Or can you pull in the sea beast, Leviathan, with a fly rod and stuff him in your creel? + Can you lasso him with a rope, or snag him with an anchor? + Will he beg you over and over for mercy, or flatter you with flowery speech? + Will he apply for a job with you to run errands and serve you the rest of your life? + Will you play with him as if he were a pet goldfish? Will you make him the mascot of the neighborhood children? + Will you put him on display in the market and have shoppers haggle over the price? + Could you shoot him full of arrows like a pin cushion, or drive harpoons into his huge head? + If you so much as lay a hand on him, you won't live to tell the story. + What hope would you have with such a creature? Why, one look at him would do you in! + If you can't hold your own against his glowering visage, how, then, do you expect to stand up to me? + Who could confront me and get by with it? I'm in charge of all this--I run this universe! + "But I've more to say about Leviathan, the sea beast, his enormous bulk, his beautiful shape. + Who would even dream of piercing that tough skin or putting those jaws into bit and bridle? + And who would dare knock at the door of his mouth filled with row upon row of fierce teeth? + His pride is invincible; nothing can make a dent in that pride. + Nothing can get through that proud skin-- impervious to weapons and weather, + The thickest and toughest of hides, impenetrable! + "He snorts and the world lights up with fire, he blinks and the dawn breaks. + Comets pour out of his mouth, fireworks arc and branch. + Smoke erupts from his nostrils like steam from a boiling pot. + He blows and fires blaze; flames of fire stream from his mouth. + All muscle he is--sheer and seamless muscle. To meet him is to dance with death. + Sinewy and lithe, there's not a soft spot in his entire body-- + As tough inside as out, rock-hard, invulnerable. + Even angels run for cover when he surfaces, cowering before his tail-thrashing turbulence. + Javelins bounce harmlessly off his hide, harpoons ricochet wildly. + Iron bars are so much straw to him, bronze weapons beneath notice. + Arrows don't even make him blink; bullets make no more impression than raindrops. + A battle ax is nothing but a splinter of kindling; he treats a brandished harpoon as a joke. + His belly is armor-plated, inexorable-- unstoppable as a barge. + He roils deep ocean the way you'd boil water, he whips the sea like you'd whip an egg into batter. + With a luminous trail stretching out behind him, you might think Ocean had grown a gray beard! + There's nothing on this earth quite like him, not an ounce of fear in that creature! + He surveys all the high and mighty-- king of the ocean, king of the deep!" + + + Job answered GOD: + "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. + You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. + You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' + I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand--from my own eyes and ears! + I'm sorry--forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor." + After GOD had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said, "I've had it with you and your two friends. I'm fed up! You haven't been honest either with me or about me--not the way my friend Job has. + So here's what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer. He will ask me not to treat you as you deserve for talking nonsense about me, and for not being honest with me, as he has." + They did it. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what GOD commanded. And GOD accepted Job's prayer. + After Job had interceded for his friends, GOD restored his fortune--and then doubled it! + All his brothers and sisters and friends came to his house and celebrated. They told him how sorry they were, and consoled him for all the trouble GOD had brought him. Each of them brought generous housewarming gifts. + GOD blessed Job's later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. + He also had seven sons and three daughters. + He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. + There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance. + Job lived on another hundred and forty years, living to see his children and grandchildren--four generations of them! + Then he died--an old man, a full life. + + + + + How well God must like you-- you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. + Instead you thrill to GOD's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. + You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. + You're not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust-- + Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. + GOD charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row. + + + Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? + Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: + "Let's get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!" + Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he's amused at their presumption; + Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up: + "Don't you know there's a King in Zion? A coronation banquet Is spread for him on the holy summit." + Let me tell you what GOD said next. He said, "You're my son, And today is your birthday. + What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize? + You can command them all to dance for you, Or throw them out with tomorrow's trash." + So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: + Worship GOD in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. + Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God--you won't regret it! A David psalm, when he escaped for his life from Absalom, his son. + + + GOD! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, + Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: "Hah! No help for him from God!" + But you, GOD, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; + With all my might I shout up to GOD, His answers thunder from the holy mountain. + I stretch myself out. I sleep. Then I'm up again--rested, tall and steady, + Fearless before the enemy mobs Coming at me from all sides. + Up, GOD! My God, help me! Slap their faces, First this cheek, then the other, Your fist hard in their teeth! + Real help comes from GOD. Your blessing clothes your people! + + + A David psalm. When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I'm in trouble again: grace me! hear me! + You rabble--how long do I put up with your scorn? How long will you lust after lies? How long will you live crazed by illusion? + Look at this: look Who got picked by GOD! He listens the split second I call to him. + Complain if you must, but don't lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. + Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. + Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough, + More joy in one ordinary day Than they get in all their shopping sprees. + At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, For you, GOD, have put my life back together. + + + A David psalm. Listen, GOD! Please, pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, + my groans and cries? King-God, I need your help. + Every morning you'll hear me at it again. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend. + You don't socialize with Wicked, or invite Evil over as your houseguest. + Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you; you shake your head over Mischief-Maker. + GOD destroys Lie-Speaker; Blood-Thirsty and Truth-Bender disgust you. + And here I am, your invited guest-- it's incredible! I enter your house; here I am, prostrate in your inner sanctum, + Waiting for directions to get me safely through enemy lines. + Every word they speak is a land mine; their lungs breathe out poison gas. Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mudslides. + Pile on the guilt, God! Let their so-called wisdom wreck them. Kick them out! They've had their chance. + But you'll welcome us with open arms when we run for cover to you. Let the party last all night! Stand guard over our celebration. + You are famous, GOD, for welcoming God-seekers, for decking us out in delight. + + + A David psalm. Please, GOD, no more yelling, no more trips to the woodshed. + Treat me nice for a change; I'm so starved for affection. Can't you see I'm black and blue, beat up badly in bones + and soul? GOD, how long will it take for you to let up? + Break in, GOD, and break up this fight; if you love me at all, get me out of here. + I'm no good to you dead, am I? I can't sing in your choir if I'm buried in some tomb! + I'm tired of all this--so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights On the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. + The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope. + Get out of here, you Devil's crew: at last GOD has heard my sobs. + My requests have all been granted, my prayers are answered. + Cowards, my enemies disappear. Disgraced, they turn tail and run. + + + A David psalm. GOD! GOD! I am running to you for dear life; the chase is wild. + If they catch me, I'm finished: ripped to shreds by foes fierce as lions, dragged into the forest and left unlooked for, unremembered. + GOD, if I've done what they say-- + betrayed my friends, ripped off my enemies-- If my hands are really that dirty, + let them get me, walk all over me, leave me flat on my face in the dirt. + Stand up, GOD; pit your holy fury against my furious enemies. Wake up, God. + My accusers have packed the courtroom; it's judgment time. + Take your place on the bench, reach for your gavel, throw out the false charges against me. I'm ready, confident in your verdict: "Innocent." + Close the book on Evil, GOD, but publish your mandate for us. You get us ready for life: you probe for our soft spots, you knock off our rough edges. + And I'm feeling so fit, so safe: made right, kept right. + God in solemn honor does things right, but his nerves are sandpapered raw. Nobody gets by with anything. + God is already in action-- Sword honed on his whetstone, bow strung, arrow on the string, + Lethal weapons in hand, each arrow a flaming missile. + Look at that guy! He had sex with sin, he's pregnant with evil. Oh, look! He's having the baby--a Lie-Baby! + See that man shoveling day after day, digging, then concealing, his man-trap down that lonely stretch of road? Go back and look again--you'll see him in it headfirst, legs waving in the breeze. + That's what happens: mischief backfires; violence boomerangs. + I'm thanking God, who makes things right. I'm singing the fame of heaven-high GOD. + + + A David psalm. GOD, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name. + Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble. + I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. + Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? + Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. + You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, + Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, + Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps. + GOD, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world. + + + A David psalm. I'm thanking you, GOD, from a full heart, I'm writing the book on your wonders. + I'm whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I'm singing your song, High God. + The day my enemies turned tail and ran, they stumbled on you and fell on their faces. + You took over and set everything right; when I needed you, you were there, taking charge. + You blow the whistle on godless nations; you throw dirty players out of the game, wipe their names right off the roster. + Enemies disappear from the sidelines, their reputation trashed, their names erased from the halls of fame. + GOD holds the high center, he sees and sets the world's mess right. + He decides what is right for us earthlings, gives people their just deserts. + GOD's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. + The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked. + Sing your songs to Zion-dwelling GOD, tell his stories to everyone you meet: + How he tracks down killers yet keeps his eye on us, registers every whimper and moan. + Be kind to me, GOD; I've been kicked around long enough. Once you've pulled me back from the gates of death, + I'll write the book on Hallelujahs; on the corner of Main and First I'll hold a street meeting; I'll be the song leader; we'll fill the air with salvation songs. + They're trapped, those godless countries, in the very snares they set, Their feet all tangled in the net they spread. + They have no excuse; the way God works is well-known. The cunning machinery made by the wicked has maimed their own hands. + The wicked bought a one-way ticket to hell. + No longer will the poor be nameless-- no more humiliation for the humble. + Up, GOD! Aren't you fed up with their empty strutting? Expose these grand pretensions! + Shake them up, GOD! Show them how silly they look. + + + GOD, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you? + Full of hot air, the wicked are hot on the trail of the poor. Trip them up, tangle them up in their fine-tuned plots. + The wicked are windbags, the swindlers have foul breath. + The wicked snub GOD, their noses stuck high in the air. Their graffiti are scrawled on the walls: "Catch us if you can!" "God is dead." + They care nothing for what you think; if you get in their way, they blow you off. + They live (they think) a charmed life: "We can't go wrong. This is our lucky year!" + They carry a mouthful of hexes, their tongues spit venom like adders. + They hide behind ordinary people, then pounce on their victims. + They mark the luckless, then wait like a hunter in a blind; When the poor wretch wanders too close, they stab him in the back. + The hapless fool is kicked to the ground, the unlucky victim is brutally axed. + He thinks God has dumped him, he's sure that God is indifferent to his plight. + Time to get up, GOD--get moving. The luckless think they're Godforsaken. + They wonder why the wicked scorn God and get away with it, Why the wicked are so cocksure they'll never come up for audit. + But you know all about it-- the contempt, the abuse. I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in you. You won't let them down: orphans won't be orphans forever. + Break the wicked right arms, break all the evil left arms. Search and destroy every sign of crime. + GOD's grace and order wins; godlessness loses. + The victim's faint pulse picks up; the hearts of the hopeless pump red blood as you put your ear to their lips. + Orphans get parents, the homeless get homes. The reign of terror is over, the rule of the gang lords is ended. + + + A David psalm. I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of GOD. So why would I run away now when you say, "Run to the mountains; + the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. + The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance"? + But GOD hasn't moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids Unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing. + He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged. + Fail the test and you're out, out in a hail of firestones, Drinking from a canteen filled with hot desert wind. + GOD's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. + + + A David psalm. Quick, GOD, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, All the friends I depended on gone. + Everyone talks in lie language; Lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues. + Slice their lips off their faces! Pull The braggart tongues from their mouths! + I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything! Our lips manage the world." + Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: "I've had enough; I'm on my way To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched." + God's words are pure words, Pure silver words refined seven times In the fires of his word-kiln, Pure on earth as well as in heaven. + GOD, keep us safe from their lies, From the wicked who stalk us with lies, + From the wicked who collect honors For their wonderful lies. + + + A David psalm. Long enough, GOD-- you've ignored me long enough. I've looked at the back of your head long enough. + Long enough I've carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain. Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me. + Take a good look at me, GOD, my God; I want to look life in the eye, + So no enemy can get the best of me or laugh when I fall on my face. + I've thrown myself headlong into your arms-- I'm celebrating your rescue. + I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers. + + + A David psalm. Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." Their words are poison gas, fouling the air; they poison Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop. + GOD sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He's looking for someone not stupid-- one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman. + He comes up empty. A string of zeros. Useless, unshepherded Sheep, taking turns pretending to be Shepherd. The ninety and nine follow their fellow. + Don't they know anything, all these impostors? Don't they know they can't get away with this-- Treating people like a fast-food meal over which they're too busy to pray? + Night is coming for them, and nightmares, for God takes the side of victims. + Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true. + Is there anyone around to save Israel? Yes. God is around; GOD turns life around. Turned-around Jacob skips rope, turned-around Israel sings laughter. + + + A David psalm. GOD, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? + "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. + "Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor; + despise the despicable. "Keep your word even when it costs you, + make an honest living, never take a bribe. "You'll never get blacklisted if you live like this." + + + A David song. Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you. + I say to GOD, "Be my Lord!" Without you, nothing makes sense. + And these God-chosen lives all around-- what splendid friends they make! + Don't just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I'll never treat god-names like brand-names. + My choice is you, GOD, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice! + You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! + The wise counsel GOD gives when I'm awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. + Day and night I'll stick with GOD; I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go. + I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. + You canceled my ticket to hell-- that's not my destination! + Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way. + + + A David prayer. Listen while I build my case, GOD, the most honest prayer you'll ever hear. + Show the world I'm innocent-- in your heart you know I am. + Go ahead, examine me from inside out, surprise me in the middle of the night-- You'll find I'm just what I say I am. My words don't run loose. + I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word's way. + I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot In front of the other. I'm not giving up. + I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer. So--answer! bend your ear! listen sharp! + Paint grace-graffiti on the fences; take in your frightened children who Are running from the neighborhood bullies straight to you. + Keep your eye on me; hide me under your cool wing feathers + From the wicked who are out to get me, from mortal enemies closing in. + Their hearts are hard as nails, their mouths blast hot air. + They are after me, nipping my heels, determined to bring me down, + Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce. + Up, GOD: beard them! break them! By your sword, free me from their clutches; + Barehanded, GOD, break these mortals, these flat-earth people who can't think beyond today. I'd like to see their bellies swollen with famine food, The weeds they've sown harvested and baked into famine bread, With second helpings for their children and crusts for their babies to chew on. + And me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I'll see your full stature and live heaven on earth. A David song, which he sang to God after being saved from all his enemies and from Saul. + + + I love you, GOD-- you make me strong. + GOD is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God--the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout. + I sing to GOD, the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved. + The hangman's noose was tight at my throat; devil waters rushed over me. + Hell's ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit. + A hostile world! I call to GOD, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence-- a private audience! + Earth wobbles and lurches; huge mountains shake like leaves, Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage. + His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke; his mouth spits fire. Tongues of fire dart in and out; + he lowers the sky. He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up. + He's riding a winged creature, swift on wind-wings. + Now he's wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness. + But his cloud-brightness bursts through, spraying hailstones and fireballs. + Then GOD thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout, spraying hailstones and fireballs. + God shoots his arrows--pandemonium! He hurls his lightnings--a rout! + The secret sources of ocean are exposed, the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered The moment you roar in protest, let loose your hurricane anger. + But me he caught--reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, + that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. + They hit me when I was down, but GOD stuck by me. + He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved--surprised to be loved! + GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. + Now I'm alert to GOD's ways; I don't take God for granted. + Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. + I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. + GOD rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. + The good people taste your goodness, The whole people taste your health, + The true people taste your truth, The bad ones can't figure you out. + You take the side of the down-and-out, But the stuck-up you take down a peg. + Suddenly, GOD, you floodlight my life; I'm blazing with glory, God's glory! + I smash the bands of marauders, I vault the highest fences. + What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every GOD-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it. + Is there any god like GOD? Are we not at bedrock? + Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction? + Now I run like a deer; I'm king of the mountain. + He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow! + You protect me with salvation-armor; you hold me up with a firm hand, caress me with your gentle ways. + You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm. + When I chased my enemies I caught them; I didn't let go till they were dead men. + I nailed them; they were down for good; then I walked all over them. + You armed me well for this fight, you smashed the upstarts. + You made my enemies turn tail, and I wiped out the haters. + They cried "uncle" but Uncle didn't come; They yelled for GOD and got no for an answer. + I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter. + You rescued me from a squabbling people; you made me a leader of nations. People I'd never heard of served me; + the moment they got wind of me they listened. The foreign devils gave up; + they came on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts. + Live, GOD! Blessings from my Rock, my free and freeing God, towering! + This God set things right for me and shut up the people who talked back. + He rescued me from enemy anger, he pulled me from the grip of upstarts, He saved me from the bullies. + That's why I'm thanking you, GOD, all over the world. That's why I'm singing songs that rhyme your name. + God's king takes the trophy; God's chosen is beloved. I mean David and all his children-- always. + + + A David psalm. God's glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. + Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening. + Their words aren't heard, their voices aren't recorded, + But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere. God makes a huge dome for the sun--a superdome! + The morning sun's a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape. + That's how God's Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith. + The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road. + The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes. + GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree. + God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You'll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries. + There's more: God's Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. + Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? + Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. + These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar. + + + A David psalm. GOD answer you on the day you crash, The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm's reach, + Send reinforcements from Holy Hill, Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies, + Exclaim over your offerings, Celebrate your sacrifices, + Give you what your heart desires, Accomplish your plans. + When you win, we plan to raise the roof and lead the parade with our banners. May all your wishes come true! + That clinches it--help's coming, an answer's on the way, everything's going to work out. + See those people polishing their chariots, and those others grooming their horses? But we're making garlands for GOD our God. + The chariots will rust, those horses pull up lame-- and we'll be on our feet, standing tall. + Make the king a winner, GOD; the day we call, give us your answer. + + + A David psalm. Your strength, GOD, is the king's strength. Helped, he's hollering Hosannas. + You gave him exactly what he wanted; you didn't hold back. + You filled his arms with gifts; you gave him a right royal welcome. + He wanted a good life; you gave it to him, and then made it a long life as a bonus. + You lifted him high and bright as a cumulus cloud, then dressed him in rainbow colors. + You pile blessings on him; you make him glad when you smile. + Is it any wonder the king loves GOD? that he's sticking with the Best? + With a fistful of enemies in one hand and a fistful of haters in the other, + You radiate with such brilliance that they cringe as before a furnace. Now the furnace swallows them whole, the fire eats them alive! + You purge the earth of their progeny, you wipe the slate clean. + All their evil schemes, the plots they cook up, have fizzled--every one. + You sent them packing; they couldn't face you. + Show your strength, GOD, so no one can miss it. We are out singing the good news! + + + A David psalm. God, God . . . my God! Why did you dump me miles from nowhere? + Doubled up with pain, I call to God all the day long. No answer. Nothing. I keep at it all night, tossing and turning. + And you! Are you indifferent, above it all, leaning back on the cushions of Israel's praise? + We know you were there for our parents: + they cried for your help and you gave it; they trusted and lived a good life. + And here I am, a nothing--an earthworm, something to step on, to squash. + Everyone pokes fun at me; they make faces at me, they shake their heads: + "Let's see how GOD handles this one; since God likes him so much, let him help him!" + And to think you were midwife at my birth, setting me at my mother's breasts! + When I left the womb you cradled me; since the moment of birth you've been my God. + Then you moved far away and trouble moved in next-door. I need a neighbor. + Herds of bulls come at me, the raging bulls stampede, + Horns lowered, nostrils flaring, like a herd of buffalo on the move. + I'm a bucket kicked over and spilled, every joint in my body has been pulled apart. My heart is a blob of melted wax in my gut. + I'm dry as a bone, my tongue black and swollen. They have laid me out for burial in the dirt. + Now packs of wild dogs come at me; thugs gang up on me. They pin me down hand and foot, + and lock me in a cage--a bag Of bones in a cage, stared at by every passerby. + They take my wallet and the shirt off my back, and then throw dice for my clothes. + You, GOD--don't put off my rescue! Hurry and help me! + Don't let them cut my throat; don't let those mongrels devour me. + If you don't show up soon, I'm done for--gored by the bulls, meat for the lions. + Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship, and punctuate it with Hallelujahs: + Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers; give glory, you sons of Jacob; adore him, you daughters of Israel. + He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there, listening. + Here in this great gathering for worship I have discovered this praise-life. And I'll do what I promised right here in front of the God-worshipers. + Down-and-outers sit at GOD's table and eat their fill. Everyone on the hunt for God is here, praising him. "Live it up, from head to toe. Don't ever quit!" + From the four corners of the earth people are coming to their senses, are running back to GOD. Long-lost families are falling on their faces before him. + GOD has taken charge; from now on he has the last word. + All the power-mongers are before him --worshiping! All the poor and powerless, too --worshiping! Along with those who never got it together --worshiping! + Our children and their children will get in on this As the word is passed along from parent to child. + Babies not yet conceived will hear the good news-- that God does what he says. + + + A David psalm. GOD, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. + You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. + True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. + Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. + You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. + Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of GOD for the rest of my life. + + + A David psalm. GOD claims Earth and everything in it, God claims World and all who live on it. + He built it on Ocean foundations, laid it out on River girders. + Who can climb Mount GOD? Who can scale the holy north-face? + Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won't cheat, women who won't seduce. + GOD is at their side; with GOD's help they make it. + This, Jacob, is what happens to God-seekers, God-questers. + Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter. + Who is this King-Glory? GOD, armed and battle-ready. + Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter. + Who is this King-Glory? GOD of the angel armies: he is King-Glory. + + + A David psalm. My head is high, GOD, held high; + I'm looking to you, GOD; No hangdog skulking for me. + I've thrown in my lot with you; You won't embarrass me, will you? Or let my enemies get the best of me? Don't embarrass any of us Who went out on a limb for you. It's the traitors who should be humiliated. + Show me how you work, GOD; School me in your ways. + Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren't you? + Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, GOD; Rebuild the ancient landmarks! + Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your sign of love. Plan only the best for me, GOD! + GOD is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected, Sends them in the right direction. + He gives the rejects his hand, And leads them step-by-step. + From now on every road you travel Will take you to GOD. Follow the Covenant signs; Read the charted directions. + Keep up your reputation, GOD; Forgive my bad life; It's been a very bad life. + My question: What are God-worshipers like? Your answer: Arrows aimed at God's bull's-eye. + They settle down in a promising place; Their kids inherit a prosperous farm. + God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. + If I keep my eyes on GOD, I won't trip over my own feet. + Look at me and help me! I'm all alone and in big trouble. + My heart and kidneys are fighting each other; Call a truce to this civil war. + Take a hard look at my life of hard labor, Then lift this ton of sin. + Do you see how many people Have it in for me? How viciously they hate me? + Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble; Don't let me down when I run to you. + Use all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product. + GOD, give your people a break From this run of bad luck. + + + A David psalm. Clear my name, GOD; I've kept an honest shop. I've thrown in my lot with you, GOD, and I'm not budging. + Examine me, GOD, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out + So I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat. + I don't hang out with tricksters, I don't pal around with thugs; + I hate that pack of gangsters, I don't deal with double-dealers. + I scrub my hands with purest soap, then join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, GOD, + Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs, telling God-stories. + GOD, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory. + When it's time for spring cleaning, don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks, + Men with bags of dirty tricks, women with purses stuffed with bribe-money. + You know I've been aboveboard with you; now be aboveboard with me. + I'm on the level with you, GOD; I bless you every chance I get. + + + A David psalm. Light, space, zest-- that's GOD! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. + When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. + When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. + I'm asking GOD for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. + That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. + God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to GOD. + Listen, GOD, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!" + When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!" + Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open. + My father and mother walked out and left me, but GOD took me in. + Point me down your highway, GOD; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. + Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats. + I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. + Stay with GOD! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with GOD. + + + A David psalm. Don't turn a deaf ear when I call you, GOD. If all I get from you is deafening silence, I'd be better off in the Black Hole. + I'm letting you know what I need, calling out for help And lifting my arms toward your inner sanctum. + Don't shove me into the same jail cell with those crooks, With those who are full-time employees of evil. + They talk a good line of "peace," then moonlight for the Devil. Pay them back for what they've done, for how bad they've been. Pay them back for their long hours in the Devil's workshop; Then cap it with a huge bonus. + Because they have no idea how God works or what he is up to, God will smash them to smithereens and walk away from the ruins. + Blessed be GOD-- he heard me praying. + He proved he's on my side; I've thrown my lot in with him. Now I'm jumping for joy, and shouting and singing my thanks to him. + GOD is all strength for his people, ample refuge for his chosen leader; + Save your people and bless your heritage. Care for them; carry them like a good shepherd. + + + A David psalm. Bravo, GOD, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, "Encore!" + In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him! + GOD thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness--GOD, across the flood waters. + GOD's thunder tympanic, GOD's thunder symphonic. + GOD's thunder smashes cedars, GOD topples the northern cedars. + The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats. + GOD's thunder spits fire. + GOD thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake. + GOD's thunder sets the oak trees dancing A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches. We fall to our knees--we call out, "Glory!" + Above the floodwaters is GOD's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. + GOD makes his people strong. GOD gives his people peace. + + + A David psalm. I give you all the credit, GOD-- you got me out of that mess, you didn't let my foes gloat. + GOD, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. + GOD, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out. + All you saints! Sing your hearts out to GOD! Thank him to his face! + He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter. + When things were going great I crowed, "I've got it made. + I'm GOD's favorite. He made me king of the mountain." Then you looked the other way and I fell to pieces. + I called out to you, GOD; I laid my case before you: + "Can you sell me for a profit when I'm dead? auction me off at a cemetery yard sale? When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs and stories of you won't sell. + So listen! and be kind! Help me out of this!" + You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. + I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. GOD, my God, I can't thank you enough. + + + A David psalm. I run to you, GOD; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time! + Get down on my level and listen, and please--no procrastination! Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety. + You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. + Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you. + I've put my life in your hands. You won't drop me, you'll never let me down. + I hate all this silly religion, but you, GOD, I trust. + I'm leaping and singing in the circle of your love; you saw my pain, you disarmed my tormentors, + You didn't leave me in their clutches but gave me room to breathe. + Be kind to me, GOD-- I'm in deep, deep trouble again. I've cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside. + My life leaks away, groan by groan; my years fade out in sighs. My troubles have worn me out, turned my bones to powder. + To my enemies I'm a monster; I'm ridiculed by the neighbors. My friends are horrified; they cross the street to avoid me. + They want to blot me from memory, forget me like a corpse in a grave, discard me like a broken dish in the trash. + The street-talk gossip has me "criminally insane"! Behind locked doors they plot how to ruin me for good. + Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God! + Hour by hour I place my days in your hand, safe from the hands out to get me. + Warm me, your servant, with a smile; save me because you love me. + Don't embarrass me by not showing up; I've given you plenty of notice. Embarrass the wicked, stand them up, leave them stupidly shaking their heads as they drift down to hell. + Gag those loudmouthed liars who heckle me, your follower, with jeers and catcalls. + What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world. + You hide them safely away from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip. + Blessed GOD! His love is the wonder of the world. Trapped by a siege, + I panicked. "Out of sight, out of mind," I said. But you heard me say it, you heard and listened. + Love GOD, all you saints; GOD takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone. + Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect GOD to get here soon. + + + A David psalm. Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be-- you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. + Count yourself lucky-- GOD holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. + When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. + The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. + Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to GOD." Suddenly the pressure was gone-- my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. + These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we'll be on high ground, untouched. + GOD's my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck. + Let me give you some good advice; I'm looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: + "Don't be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track." + God-defiers are always in trouble; GOD-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around. + Celebrate GOD. Sing together--everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! + + + Good people, cheer GOD! Right-living people sound best when praising. + Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano! + Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare. + For GOD's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out. + He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in GOD's affectionate satisfaction. + The skies were made by GOD's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out. + He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg. + Earth-creatures, bow before GOD; world-dwellers--down on your knees! + Here's why: he spoke and there it was, in place the moment he said so. + GOD takes the wind out of Babel pretense, he shoots down the world's power-schemes. + GOD's plan for the world stands up, all his designs are made to last. + Blessed is the country with GOD for God; blessed are the people he's put in his will. + From high in the skies GOD looks around, he sees all Adam's brood. + From where he sits he overlooks all us earth-dwellers. + He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do. + No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. + Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone. + Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. + He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. + We're depending on GOD; he's everything we need. + What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. + Love us, GOD, with all you've got-- that's what we're depending on. A David psalm, when he outwitted Abimelech and got away. + + + I bless GOD every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. + I live and breathe GOD; if things aren't going well, hear this and be happy: + Join me in spreading the news; together let's get the word out. + GOD met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. + Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. + When I was desperate, I called out, and GOD got me out of a tight spot. + GOD's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. + Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see-- how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him. + Worship GOD if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. + Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but GOD-seekers are full of God. + Come, children, listen closely; I'll give you a lesson in GOD worship. + Who out there has a lust for life? Can't wait each day to come upon beauty? + Guard your tongue from profanity, and no more lying through your teeth. + Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace--don't let it get away! + GOD keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan. + GOD won't put up with rebels; he'll cull them from the pack. + Is anyone crying for help? GOD is listening, ready to rescue you. + If your heart is broken, you'll find GOD right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath. + Disciples so often get into trouble; still, GOD is there every time. + He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken. + The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good. + GOD pays for each slave's freedom; no one who runs to him loses out. + + + A David psalm. Harass these hecklers, GOD, punch these bullies in the nose. + Grab a weapon, anything at hand; stand up for me! + Get ready to throw the spear, aim the javelin, at the people who are out to get me. Reassure me; let me hear you say, "I'll save you." + When those thugs try to knife me in the back, make them look foolish. Frustrate all those who are plotting my downfall. + Make them like cinders in a high wind, with GOD's angel working the bellows. + Make their road lightless and mud-slick, with GOD's angel on their tails. + Out of sheer cussedness they set a trap to catch me; for no good reason they dug a ditch to stop me. + Surprise them with your ambush-- catch them in the very trap they set, the disaster they planned for me. + But let me run loose and free, celebrating GOD's great work, + Every bone in my body laughing, singing, "GOD, there's no one like you. You put the down-and-out on their feet and protect the unprotected from bullies!" + Hostile accusers appear out of nowhere, they stand up and badger me. + They pay me back misery for mercy, leaving my soul empty. + When they were sick, I dressed in black; instead of eating, I prayed. + My prayers were like lead in my gut, like I'd lost my best friend, my brother. I paced, distraught as a motherless child, hunched and heavyhearted. + But when I was down they threw a party! All the nameless riffraff of the town came chanting insults about me. + Like barbarians desecrating a shrine, they destroyed my reputation. + GOD, how long are you going to stand there doing nothing? Save me from their brutalities; everything I've got is being thrown to the lions. + I will give you full credit when everyone gathers for worship; When the people turn out in force I will say my Hallelujahs. + Don't let these liars, my enemies, have a party at my expense, Those who hate me for no reason, winking and rolling their eyes. + No good is going to come from that crowd; They spend all their time cooking up gossip against those who mind their own business. + They open their mouths in ugly grins, Mocking, "Ha-ha, ha-ha, thought you'd get away with it? We've caught you hands down!" + Don't you see what they're doing, GOD? You're not going to let them Get by with it, are you? Not going to walk off without doing something, are you? + Please get up--wake up! Tend to my case. My God, my Lord--my life is on the line. + Do what you think is right, GOD, my God, but don't make me pay for their good time. + Don't let them say to themselves, "Ha-ha, we got what we wanted." Don't let them say, "We've chewed him up and spit him out." + Let those who are being hilarious at my expense Be made to look ridiculous. Make them wear donkey's ears; Pin them with the donkey's tail, who made themselves so high and mighty! + But those who want the best for me, Let them have the last word--a glad shout!-- and say, over and over and over, "GOD is great--everything works together for good for his servant." + I'll tell the world how great and good you are, I'll shout Hallelujah all day, every day. + + + A David psalm. The God-rebel tunes in to sedition-- all ears, eager to sin. He has no regard for God, he stands insolent before him. + He has smooth-talked himself into believing That his evil will never be noticed. + Words gutter from his mouth, dishwater dirty. Can't remember when he did anything decent. + Every time he goes to bed, he fathers another evil plot. When he's loose on the streets, nobody's safe. He plays with fire and doesn't care who gets burned. + God's love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, + His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. + How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, + To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. + You're a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light. + Keep on loving your friends; do your work in welcoming hearts. + Don't let the bullies kick me around, the moral midgets slap me down. + Send the upstarts sprawling flat on their faces in the mud. + + + A David psalm. Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. + In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun. + Get insurance with GOD and do a good deed, settle down and stick to your last. + Keep company with GOD, get in on the best. + Open up before GOD, keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done: + He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. + Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top. + Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes--it only makes things worse. + Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; GOD-investors will soon own the store. + Before you know it, the wicked will have had it; you'll stare at his once famous place and--nothing! + Down-to-earth people will move in and take over, relishing a huge bonanza. + Bad guys have it in for the good guys, obsessed with doing them in. + But GOD isn't losing any sleep; to him they're a joke with no punch line. + Bullies brandish their swords, pull back on their bows with a flourish. They're out to beat up on the harmless, or mug that nice man out walking his dog. + A banana peel lands them flat on their faces-- slapstick figures in a moral circus. + Less is more and more is less. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, + For the wicked are moral weaklings but the righteous are GOD-strong. + GOD keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. + In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full. + God-despisers have had it; GOD's enemies are finished-- Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time, vanished like smoke in thin air. + Wicked borrows and never returns; Righteous gives and gives. + Generous gets it all in the end; Stingy is cut off at the pass. + Stalwart walks in step with GOD; his path blazed by GOD, he's happy. + If he stumbles, he's not down for long; GOD has a grip on his hand. + I once was young, now I'm a graybeard-- not once have I seen an abandoned believer, or his kids out roaming the streets. + Every day he's out giving and lending, his children making him proud. + Turn your back on evil, work for the good and don't quit. + GOD loves this kind of thing, never turns away from his friends. Live this way and you've got it made, but bad eggs will be tossed out. + The good get planted on good land and put down healthy roots. + Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone, rolls virtue around on his tongue. + His heart pumps God's Word like blood through his veins; his feet are as sure as a cat's. + Wicked sets a watch for Righteous, he's out for the kill. + GOD, alert, is also on watch-- Wicked won't hurt a hair of his head. + Wait passionately for GOD, don't leave the path. He'll give you your place in the sun while you watch the wicked lose it. + I saw Wicked bloated like a toad, croaking pretentious nonsense. + The next time I looked there was nothing-- a punctured bladder, vapid and limp. + Keep your eye on the healthy soul, scrutinize the straight life; There's a future in strenuous wholeness. + But the willful will soon be discarded; insolent souls are on a dead-end street. + The spacious, free life is from GOD, it's also protected and safe. + GOD-strengthened, we're delivered from evil-- when we run to him, he saves us. + + + A David psalm. Take a deep breath, GOD; calm down-- don't be so hasty with your punishing rod. + Your sharp-pointed arrows of rebuke draw blood; my backside smarts from your caning. + I've lost twenty pounds in two months because of your accusation. My bones are brittle as dry sticks because of my sin. + I'm swamped by my bad behavior, collapsed under gunnysacks of guilt. + The cuts in my flesh stink and grow maggots because I've lived so badly. + And now I'm flat on my face feeling sorry for myself morning to night. + All my insides are on fire, my body is a wreck. + I'm on my last legs; I've had it-- my life is a vomit of groans. + Lord, my longings are sitting in plain sight, my groans an old story to you. + My heart's about to break; I'm a burned-out case. Cataracts blind me to God and good; + old friends avoid me like the plague. My cousins never visit, my neighbors stab me in the back. + My competitors blacken my name, devoutly they pray for my ruin. + But I'm deaf and mute to it all, ears shut, mouth shut. + I don't hear a word they say, don't speak a word in response. + What I do, GOD, is wait for you, wait for my Lord, my God--you will answer! + I wait and pray so they won't laugh me off, won't smugly strut off when I stumble. + I'm on the edge of losing it-- the pain in my gut keeps burning. + I'm ready to tell my story of failure, I'm no longer smug in my sin. + My enemies are alive and in action, a lynch mob after my neck. + I give out good and get back evil from God-haters who can't stand a God-lover. + Don't dump me, GOD; my God, don't stand me up. + Hurry and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life! + + + A David psalm. I'm determined to watch steps and tongue so they won't land me in trouble. I decided to hold my tongue as long as Wicked is in the room. + "Mum's the word," I said, and kept quiet. But the longer I kept silence The worse it got-- + my insides got hotter and hotter. My thoughts boiled over; I spilled my guts. + "Tell me, what's going on, GOD? How long do I have to live? Give me the bad news! + You've kept me on pretty short rations; my life is string too short to be saved. + Oh! we're all puffs of air. Oh! we're all shadows in a campfire. Oh! we're just spit in the wind. We make our pile, and then we leave it. + "What am I doing in the meantime, Lord? Hoping, that's what I'm doing--hoping + You'll save me from a rebel life, save me from the contempt of dunces. + I'll say no more, I'll shut my mouth, since you, Lord, are behind all this. + But I can't take it much longer. When you put us through the fire + to purge us from our sin, our dearest idols go up in smoke. Are we also nothing but smoke? + "Ah, GOD, listen to my prayer, my cry--open your ears. Don't be callous; just look at these tears of mine. I'm a stranger here. I don't know my way-- a migrant like my whole family. + Give me a break, cut me some slack before it's too late and I'm out of here." + + + A David psalm. I waited and waited and waited for GOD. At last he looked; finally he listened. + He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. + He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to GOD. + Blessed are you who give yourselves over to GOD, turn your backs on the world's "sure thing," ignore what the world worships; + The world's a huge stockpile of GOD-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one comes close to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you. + Doing something for you, bringing something to you-- that's not what you're after. Being religious, acting pious-- that's not what you're asking for. You've opened my ears so I can listen. + So I answered, "I'm coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, + And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me." That's when God's Word entered my life, became part of my very being. + I've preached you to the whole congregation, I've kept back nothing, GOD--you know that. + I didn't keep the news of your ways a secret, didn't keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough. I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth For myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know the whole story. + Now GOD, don't hold out on me, don't hold back your passion. Your love and truth are all that keeps me together. + When troubles ganged up on me, a mob of sins past counting, I was so swamped by guilt I couldn't see my way clear. More guilt in my heart than hair on my head, so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out. + Soften up, GOD, and intervene; hurry and get me some help, + So those who are trying to kidnap my soul will be embarrassed and lose face, So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable will be heckled and disgraced, + So those who pray for my ruin will be booed and jeered without mercy. + But all who are hunting for you-- oh, let them sing and be happy. Let those who know what you're all about tell the world you're great and not quitting. + And me? I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you've got what it takes-- but God, don't put it off. + + + A David psalm. Dignify those who are down on their luck; you'll feel good--that's what GOD does. + GOD looks after us all, makes us robust with life-- Lucky to be in the land, we're free from enemy worries. + Whenever we're sick and in bed, GOD becomes our nurse, nurses us back to health. + I said, "GOD, be gracious! Put me together again-- my sins have torn me to pieces." + My enemies are wishing the worst for me; they make bets on what day I will die. + If someone comes to see me, he mouths empty platitudes, All the while gathering gossip about me to entertain the street-corner crowd. + These "friends" who hate me whisper slanders all over town. They form committees to plan misery for me. + The rumor goes out, "He's got some dirty, deadly disease. The doctors have given up on him." + Even my best friend, the one I always told everything --he ate meals at my house all the time!-- has bitten my hand. + GOD, give grace, get me up on my feet. I'll show them a thing or two. + Meanwhile, I'm sure you're on my side-- no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp! + You know me inside and out, you hold me together, you never fail to stand me tall in your presence so I can look you in the eye. + Blessed is GOD, Israel's God, always, always, always. Yes. Yes. Yes. + + + A psalm of the sons of Korah. A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. + I'm thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, "Will I ever make it-- arrive and drink in God's presence?" + I'm on a diet of tears-- tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, "Where is this God of yours?" + These are the things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, Leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving-- celebrating, all of us, God's feast! + Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. + When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you, From Jordan depths to Hermon heights, including Mount Mizar. + Chaos calls to chaos, to the tune of whitewater rapids. Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers crash and crush me. + Then GOD promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God's prayer. + Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God, "Why did you let me down? Why am I walking around in tears, harassed by enemies?" + They're out for the kill, these tormentors with their obscenities, Taunting day after day, "Where is this God of yours?" + Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. + + + Clear my name, God; stick up for me against these loveless, immoral people. Get me out of here, away from these lying degenerates. + I counted on you, God. Why did you walk out on me? Why am I pacing the floor, wringing my hands over these outrageous people? + Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, So I can find my way to the sacred mountain, to the place of your presence, + To enter the place of worship, meet my exuberant God, Sing my thanks with a harp, magnificent God, my God. + Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. + + + A psalm of the sons of Korah. We've been hearing about this, God, all our lives. Our fathers told us the stories their fathers told them, + How single-handedly you weeded out the godless from the fields and planted us, How you sent those people packing but gave us a fresh start. + We didn't fight for this land; we didn't work for it--it was a gift! You gave it, smiling as you gave it, delighting as you gave it. + You're my King, O God-- command victories for Jacob! + With your help we'll wipe out our enemies, in your name we'll stomp them to dust. + I don't trust in weapons; my sword won't save me-- + But it's you, you who saved us from the enemy; you made those who hate us lose face. + All day we parade God's praise-- we thank you by name over and over. + But now you've walked off and left us, you've disgraced us and won't fight for us. + You made us turn tail and run; those who hate us have cleaned us out. + You delivered us as sheep to the butcher, you scattered us to the four winds. + You sold your people at a discount-- you made nothing on the sale. + You made people on the street, urchins, poke fun and call us names. + You made us a joke among the godless, a cheap joke among the rabble. + Every day I'm up against it, my nose rubbed in my shame-- + Gossip and ridicule fill the air, people out to get me crowd the street. + All this came down on us, and we've done nothing to deserve it. We never betrayed your Covenant: + our hearts were never false, our feet never left your path. + Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals? or lockup in a black hole? + If we had forgotten to pray to our God or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods, + Wouldn't God have figured this out? We can't hide things from him. + No, you decided to make us martyrs, lambs assigned for sacrifice each day. + Get up, GOD! Are you going to sleep all day? Wake up! Don't you care what happens to us? + Why do you bury your face in the pillow? Why pretend things are just fine with us? + And here we are--flat on our faces in the dirt, held down with a boot on our necks. + Get up and come to our rescue. If you love us so much, Help us! + + + A wedding song of the sons of Korah. My heart bursts its banks, spilling beauty and goodness. I pour it out in a poem to the king, shaping the river into words: + "You're the handsomest of men; every word from your lips is sheer grace, and God has blessed you, blessed you so much. + Strap your sword to your side, warrior! Accept praise! Accept due honor! Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly! + Ride on the side of truth! Ride for the righteous meek! "Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark; + you shoot sharp arrows Into enemy hearts; the king's foes lie down in the dust, beaten. + "Your throne is God's throne, ever and always; The scepter of your royal rule measures right living. + You love the right and hate the wrong. And that is why God, your very own God, poured fragrant oil on your head, Marking you out as king from among your dear companions. + "Your ozone-drenched garments are fragrant with mountain breeze. Chamber music--from the throne room-- makes you want to dance. + Kings' daughters are maids in your court, the Bride glittering with golden jewelry. + "Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word: forget your country, put your home behind you. + Be here--the king is wild for you. Since he's your lord, adore him. + Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre; rich guests shower you with presents." + (Her wedding dress is dazzling, lined with gold by the weavers; + All her dresses and robes are woven with gold. She is led to the king, followed by her virgin companions. + A procession of joy and laughter! a grand entrance to the king's palace!) + "Set your mind now on sons-- don't dote on father and grandfather. You'll set your sons up as princes all over the earth. + I'll make you famous for generations; you'll be the talk of the town for a long, long time." + + + A song of the sons of Korah. God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. + We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, + Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD of angel armies protects us. + River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. + God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. + Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything he says. + Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD of angel armies protects us. + Attention, all! See the marvels of GOD! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, + Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. + "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." + Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD of angel armies protects us. + + + A psalm of the sons of Korah. Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo! Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs! + GOD Most High is stunning, astride land and ocean. + He crushes hostile people, puts nations at our feet. + He set us at the head of the line, prize-winning Jacob, his favorite. + Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain, a ram's horn blast at the summit. + Sing songs to God, sing out! Sing to our King, sing praise! + He's Lord over earth, so sing your best songs to God. + God is Lord of godless nations-- sovereign, he's King of the mountain. + Princes from all over are gathered, people of Abraham's God. The powers of earth are God's-- he soars over all. + + + A psalm of the sons of Korah. GOD majestic, praise abounds in our God-city! His sacred mountain, + breathtaking in its heights--earth's joy. Zion Mountain looms in the North, city of the world-King. + God in his citadel peaks impregnable. + The kings got together, they united and came. + They took one look and shook their heads, they scattered and ran away. + They doubled up in pain like a woman having a baby. + You smashed the ships of Tarshish with a storm out of the East. + We heard about it, then we saw it with our eyes-- In GOD's city of angel armies, in the city our God Set on firm foundations, firm forever. + We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple: + Your name, God, evokes a train of Hallelujahs wherever It is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action. + Be glad, Zion Mountain; Dance, Judah's daughters! He does what he said he'd do! + Circle Zion, take her measure, count her fortress peaks, + Gaze long at her sloping bulwark, climb her citadel heights-- Then you can tell the next generation detail by detail the story of God, + Our God forever, who guides us till the end of time. + + + A psalm of the sons of Korah. Listen, everyone, listen-- earth-dwellers, don't miss this. + All you haves and have-nots, All together now: listen. + I set plainspoken wisdom before you, my heart-seasoned understandings of life. + I fine-tuned my ear to the sayings of the wise, I solve life's riddle with the help of a harp. + So why should I fear in bad times, hemmed in by enemy malice, + Shoved around by bullies, demeaned by the arrogant rich? + Really! There's no such thing as self-rescue, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. + The cost of rescue is beyond our means, and even then it doesn't guarantee + Life forever, or insurance against the Black Hole. + Anyone can see that the brightest and best die, wiped out right along with fools and dunces. + They leave all their prowess behind, move into their new home, The Coffin, The cemetery their permanent address. And to think they named counties after themselves! + We aren't immortal. We don't last long. Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die. + This is what happens to those who live for the moment, who only look out for themselves: + Death herds them like sheep straight to hell; they disappear down the gullet of the grave; They waste away to nothing-- nothing left but a marker in a cemetery. + But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death, he reaches down and grabs me. + So don't be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune. + They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind. + Just when they think they've arrived and folks praise them because they've made good, + They enter the family burial plot where they'll never see sunshine again. + We aren't immortal. We don't last long. Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die. + + + An Asaph psalm. The God of gods--it's GOD!--speaks out, shouts, "Earth!" welcomes the sun in the east, farewells the disappearing sun in the west. + From the dazzle of Zion, God blazes into view. + Our God makes his entrance, he's not shy in his coming. Starbursts of fireworks precede him. + He summons heaven and earth as a jury, he's taking his people to court: + "Round up my saints who swore on the Bible their loyalty to me." + The whole cosmos attests to the fairness of this court, that here God is judge. + "Are you listening, dear people? I'm getting ready to speak; Israel, I'm about ready to bring you to trial. This is God, your God, speaking to you. + I don't find fault with your acts of worship, the frequent burnt sacrifices you offer. + But why should I want your blue-ribbon bull, or more and more goats from your herds? + Every creature in the forest is mine, the wild animals on all the mountains. + I know every mountain bird by name; the scampering field mice are my friends. + If I get hungry, do you think I'd tell you? All creation and its bounty are mine. + Do you think I feast on venison? or drink draughts of goats' blood? + Spread for me a banquet of praise, serve High God a feast of kept promises, + And call for help when you're in trouble-- I'll help you, and you'll honor me." + Next, God calls up the wicked: "What are you up to, quoting my laws, talking like we are good friends? + You never answer the door when I call; you treat my words like garbage. + If you find a thief, you make him your buddy; adulterers are your friends of choice. + Your mouth drools filth; lying is a serious art form with you. + You stab your own brother in the back, rip off your little sister. + I kept a quiet patience while you did these things; you thought I went along with your game. I'm calling you on the carpet, now, laying your wickedness out in plain sight. + "Time's up for playing fast and loose with me. I'm ready to pass sentence, and there's no help in sight! + It's the praising life that honors me. As soon as you set your foot on the Way, I'll show you my salvation." A David psalm, after he was confronted by Nathan about the affair with Bathsheba. + + + Generous in love--God, give grace! Huge in mercy--wipe out my bad record. + Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. + I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down. + You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. + I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. + What you're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. + Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. + Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. + Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. + God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. + Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. + Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! + Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. + Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. + Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise. + Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. + I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. + Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls. + Then you'll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls they can heave onto your altar! A David psalm, when Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul,"David's at Ahimelech's house." + + + Why do you brag of evil, "Big Man"? God's mercy carries the day. + You scheme catastrophe; your tongue cuts razor-sharp, artisan in lies. + You love evil more than good, you call black white. + You love malicious gossip, you foul-mouth. + God will tear you limb from limb, sweep you up and throw you out, Pull you up by the roots from the land of life. + Good people will watch and worship. They'll laugh in relief: + "Big Man bet on the wrong horse, trusted in big money, made his living from catastrophe." + And I'm an olive tree, growing green in God's house. I trusted in the generous mercy of God then and now. + I thank you always that you went into action. And I'll stay right here, your good name my hope, in company with your faithful friends. + + + A David psalm. Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." It's poison gas-- they foul themselves, they poison Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop. + God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He's looking for someone not stupid-- one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman. + He comes up empty. A string of zeros. Useless, unshepherded Sheep, taking turns pretending to be Shepherd. The ninety and nine follow the one. + Don't they know anything, all these impostors? Don't they know they can't get away with this, Treating people like a fast-food meal over which they're too busy to pray? + Night is coming for them, and nightmare-- a nightmare they'll never wake up from. God will make hash of these squatters, send them packing for good. + Is there anyone around to save Israel? God turns life around. Turned-around Jacob skips rope, turned-around Israel sings laughter. A David psalm, when the Ziphites reported to Saul, "David is hiding out with us." + + + God, for your sake, help me! Use your influence to clear me. + Listen, God--I'm desperate. Don't be too busy to hear me. + Outlaws are out to get me, hit men are trying to kill me. Nothing will stop them; God means nothing to them. + Oh, look! God's right here helping! GOD's on my side, + Evil is looping back on my enemies. Don't let up! Finish them off! + I'm ready now to worship, so ready. I thank you, GOD--you're so good. + You got me out of every scrape, and I saw my enemies get it. + + + A David psalm. Open your ears, God, to my prayer; don't pretend you don't hear me knocking. + Come close and whisper your answer. I really need you. I shudder + at the mean voice, quail before the evil eye, As they pile on the guilt, stockpile angry slander. + My insides are turned inside out; specters of death have me down. + I shake with fear, I shudder from head to foot. + "Who will give me wings," I ask-- "wings like a dove?" Get me out of here on dove wings; + I want some peace and quiet. I want a walk in the country, + I want a cabin in the woods. I'm desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather. + Come down hard, Lord--slit their tongues. I'm appalled how they've split the city Into rival gangs prowling the alleys + Day and night spoiling for a fight, trash piled in the streets, + Even shopkeepers gouging and cheating in broad daylight. + This isn't the neighborhood bully mocking me--I could take that. This isn't a foreign devil spitting invective--I could tune that out. + It's you! We grew up together! You! My best friend! + Those long hours of leisure as we walked arm in arm, God a third party to our conversation. + Haul my betrayers off alive to hell--let them experience the horror, let them feel every desolate detail of a damned life. + I call to God; GOD will help me. + At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh deep sighs--he hears, he rescues. + My life is well and whole, secure in the middle of danger Even while thousands are lined up against me. + God hears it all, and from his judge's bench puts them in their place. But, set in their ways, they won't change; they pay him no mind. + And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends; his life betrayed his word. + All my life I've been charmed by his speech, never dreaming he'd turn on me. His words, which were music to my ears, turned to daggers in my heart. + Pile your troubles on GOD's shoulders-- he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin. + But you, God, will throw the others into a muddy bog, Cut the lifespan of assassins and traitors in half. And I trust in you. A David psalm, when he was captured by the Philistines in Gath. + + + Take my side, God--I'm getting kicked around, stomped on every day. + Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up; They make it their duty to beat me up. + When I get really afraid I come to you in trust. + I'm proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God. What can mere mortals do? + They don't let up-- they smear my reputation and huddle to plot my collapse. + They gang up, sneak together through the alleys To take me by surprise, wait their chance to get me. + Pay them back in evil! Get angry, God! Down with these people! + You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book. + If my enemies run away, turn tail when I yell at them, Then I'll know that God is on my side. + I'm proud to praise God, proud to praise GOD. + Fearless now, I trust in God; what can mere mortals do to me? + God, you did everything you promised, and I'm thanking you with all my heart. + You pulled me from the brink of death, my feet from the cliff-edge of doom. Now I stroll at leisure with God in the sunlit fields of life. A David psalm, when he hid in a cave from Saul. + + + Be good to me, God--and now! I've run to you for dear life. I'm hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over. + I call out to High God, the God who holds me together. + He sends orders from heaven and saves me, he humiliates those who kick me around. God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word. + I find myself in a pride of lions who are wild for a taste of human flesh; Their teeth are lances and arrows, their tongues are sharp daggers. + Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with your glory! + They booby trapped my path; I thought I was dead and done for. They dug a mantrap to catch me, and fell in headlong themselves. + I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe, Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune: + "Wake up, soul! Wake up, harp! wake up, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!" + I'm thanking you, GOD, out loud in the streets, singing your praises in town and country. + The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness. + Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with your glory! + + + A David psalm. Is this any way to run a country? Is there an honest politician in the house? + Behind the scenes you brew cauldrons of evil, behind closed doors you make deals with demons. + The wicked crawl from the wrong side of the cradle; their first words out of the womb are lies. + Poison, lethal rattlesnake poison, drips from their forked tongues-- + Deaf to threats, deaf to charm, decades of wax built up in their ears. + God, smash their teeth to bits, leave them toothless tigers. + Let their lives be buckets of water spilled, all that's left, a damp stain in the sand. Let them be trampled grass worn smooth by the traffic. + Let them dissolve into snail slime, be a miscarried fetus that never sees sunlight. + Before what they cook up is half-done, God, throw it out with the garbage! + The righteous will call up their friends when they see the wicked get their reward, Serve up their blood in goblets as they toast one another, + Everyone cheering, "It's worth it to play by the rules! God's handing out trophies and tending the earth!" A David psalm, when Saul set a watch on David's house in order to kill him. + + + My God! Rescue me from my enemies, defend me from these mutineers. + Rescue me from their dirty tricks, save me from their hit men. + Desperadoes have ganged up on me, they're hiding in ambush for me. I did nothing to deserve this, GOD, + crossed no one, wronged no one. All the same, they're after me, determined to get me. Wake up and see for yourself! + You're GOD, God of angel armies, Israel's God! Get on the job and take care of these pagans, don't be soft on these hard cases. + They return when the sun goes down, They howl like coyotes, ringing the city. + Then suddenly they're all at the gate, Snarling invective, drawn daggers in their teeth. They think they'll never get caught. + But you, GOD, break out laughing; you treat the godless nations like jokes. + Strong God, I'm watching you do it, I can always count on you. + God in dependable love shows up on time, shows me my enemies in ruin. + Don't make quick work of them, GOD, lest my people forget. Bring them down in slow motion, take them apart piece by piece. + Let all their mean-mouthed arrogance catch up with them, Catch them out and bring them down --every muttered curse --every barefaced lie. + Finish them off in fine style! Finish them off for good! Then all the world will see that God rules well in Jacob, everywhere that God's in charge. + They return when the sun goes down, They howl like coyotes, ringing the city. + They scavenge for bones, And bite the hand that feeds them. + And me? I'm singing your prowess, shouting at cockcrow your largesse, For you've been a safe place for me, a good place to hide. + Strong God, I'm watching you do it, I can always count on you-- God, my dependable love. A David psalm, when he fought against Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah and Joab killed twelve thousand Edomites at the Valley of Salt. + + + God! you walked off and left us, kicked our defenses to bits And stalked off angry. Come back. Oh please, come back! + You shook earth to the foundations, ripped open huge crevasses. Heal the breaks! Everything's coming apart at the seams. + You made your people look doom in the face, then gave us cheap wine to drown our troubles. + Then you planted a flag to rally your people, an unfurled flag to look to for courage. + Now do something quickly, answer right now, so the one you love best is saved. + That's when God spoke in holy splendor, "Bursting with joy, I make a present of Shechem, I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift. + Gilead's in my pocket, to say nothing of Manasseh. Ephraim's my hard hat, Judah my hammer; + Moab's a scrub bucket, I mop the floor with Moab, Spit on Edom, rain fireworks all over Philistia." + Who will take me to the thick of the fight? Who'll show me the road to Edom? + You aren't giving up on us, are you, God? refusing to go out with our troops? + Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. + In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition for good. + + + A David psalm. God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer. + When I'm far from anywhere, down to my last gasp, I call out, "Guide me up High Rock Mountain!" + You've always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all, + A lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest. + You've always taken me seriously, God, made me welcome among those who know and love you. + Let the days of the king add up to years and years of good rule. + Set his throne in the full light of God; post Steady Love and Good Faith as lookouts, + And I'll be the poet who sings your glory-- and live what I sing every day. + + + A David psalm. God, the one and only-- I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? + He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life. + How long will you gang up on me? How long will you run with the bullies? There's nothing to you, any of you-- rotten floorboards, worm-eaten rafters, + Anthills plotting to bring down mountains, far gone in make-believe. You talk a good line, but every "blessing" breathes a curse. + God, the one and only-- I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? + He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life. + My help and glory are in God --granite-strength and safe-harbor-God-- + So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be. + Man as such is smoke, woman as such, a mirage. Put them together, they're nothing; two times nothing is nothing. + And a windfall, if it comes-- don't make too much of it. + God said this once and for all; how many times Have I heard it repeated? "Strength comes Straight from God." + Love to you, Lord God! You pay a fair wage for a good day's work! A David psalm, when he was out in the Judean wilderness. + + + God--you're my God! I can't get enough of you! I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. + So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. + In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. + I bless you every time I take a breath; My arms wave like banners of praise to you. + I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises! + If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection. + Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play. + I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post. + Those who are out to get me are marked for doom, marked for death, bound for hell. + They'll die violent deaths; jackals will tear them limb from limb. + But the king is glad in God; his true friends spread the joy, While small-minded gossips are gagged for good. + + + A David psalm. Listen and help, O God. I'm reduced to a whine And a whimper, obsessed with feelings of doomsday. + Don't let them find me-- the conspirators out to get me, + Using their tongues as weapons, flinging poison words, poison-tipped arrow-words. + They shoot from ambush, shoot without warning, not caring who they hit. + They keep fit doing calisthenics of evil purpose, They keep lists of the traps they've secretly set. They say to each other, "No one can catch us, + no one can detect our perfect crime." The Detective detects the mystery in the dark of the cellar heart. + The God of the Arrow shoots! They double up in pain, + Fall flat on their faces in full view of the grinning crowd. + Everyone sees it. God's work is the talk of the town. + Be glad, good people! Fly to GOD! Good-hearted people, make praise your habit. + + + A David psalm. Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, And also obedience. + You hear the prayer in it all. We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, + Our sins too much for us-- but you get rid of them once and for all. + Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in your place! We expect our fill of good things in your house, your heavenly manse. + All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, + Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, + Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot-- + Far and wide they'll come to a stop, they'll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, "Come and worship." + Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! + Drench the plowed fields, soak the dirt clods With rainfall as harrow and rake bring her to blossom and fruit. + Snow-crown the peaks with splendor, scatter rose petals down your paths, + All through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing, + Dress the canyon walls with live sheep, a drape of flax across the valleys. Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing! + + + All together now--applause for God! + Sing songs to the tune of his glory, set glory to the rhythms of his praise. + Say of God, "We've never seen anything like him!" When your enemies see you in action, they slink off like scolded dogs. + The whole earth falls to its knees-- it worships you, sings to you, can't stop enjoying your name and fame. + Take a good look at God's wonders-- they'll take your breath away. + He converted sea to dry land; travelers crossed the river on foot. Now isn't that cause for a song? + Ever sovereign in his high tower, he keeps his eye on the godless nations. Rebels don't dare raise a finger against him. + Bless our God, O peoples! Give him a thunderous welcome! + Didn't he set us on the road to life? Didn't he keep us out of the ditch? + He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires, + Brought us into hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit, + Road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; Finally he brought us to this well-watered place. + I'm bringing my prizes and presents to your house. I'm doing what I said I'd do, + What I solemnly swore I'd do that day when I was in so much trouble: + The choicest cuts of meat for the sacrificial meal; Even the fragrance of roasted lamb is like a meal! Or make it an ox garnished with goat meat! + All believers, come here and listen, let me tell you what God did for me. + I called out to him with my mouth, my tongue shaped the sounds of music. + If I had been cozy with evil, the Lord would never have listened. + But he most surely did listen, he came on the double when he heard my prayer. + Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear, he stayed with me, loyal in his love. + + + God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile! + The whole country will see how you work, all the godless nations see how you save. + God! Let people thank and enjoy you. Let all people thank and enjoy you. + Let all far-flung people become happy and shout their happiness because You judge them fair and square, you tend the far-flung peoples. + God! Let people thank and enjoy you. Let all people thank and enjoy you. + Earth, display your exuberance! You mark us with blessing, O God, our God. + You mark us with blessing, O God. Earth's four corners--honor him! + + + A David psalm. Up with God! Down with his enemies! Adversaries, run for the hills! + Gone like a puff of smoke, like a blob of wax in the fire-- one look at God and the wicked vanish. + When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy. + Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy GOD, cheer when you see him! + Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house. + God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom, but leaves rebels to rot in hell. + God, when you took the lead with your people, when you marched out into the wild, + Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat; God was on the march. Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move, at the sight of Israel's God. + You pour out rain in buckets, O God; thorn and cactus become an oasis + For your people to camp in and enjoy. You set them up in business; they went from rags to riches. + The Lord gave the word; thousands called out the good news: + "Kings of the armies are on the run, on the run!" + While housewives, safe and sound back home, divide up the plunder, the plunder of Canaanite silver and gold. + On that day that Shaddai scattered the kings, snow fell on Black Mountain. + You huge mountains, Bashan mountains, mighty mountains, dragon mountains. + All you mountains not chosen, sulk now, and feel sorry for yourselves, For this is the mountain God has chosen to live on; he'll rule from this mountain forever. + The chariots of God, twice ten thousand, and thousands more besides, The Lord in the lead, riding down Sinai-- straight to the Holy Place! + You climbed to the High Place, captives in tow, your arms full of booty from rebels, And now you sit there in state, GOD, sovereign GOD! + Blessed be the Lord-- day after day he carries us along. + He's our Savior, our God, oh yes! He's God-for-us, he's God-who-saves-us. Lord GOD knows all death's ins and outs. + What's more, he made heads roll, split the skulls of the enemy As he marched out of heaven, + saying, "I tied up the Dragon in knots, put a muzzle on the Deep Blue Sea." + You can wade through your enemies' blood, and your dogs taste of your enemies from your boots. + See God on parade to the sanctuary, my God, my King on the march! + Singers out front, the band behind, maidens in the middle with castanets. + The whole choir blesses God. Like a fountain of praise, Israel blesses GOD. + Look--little Benjamin's out front and leading Princes of Judah in their royal robes, princes of Zebulon, princes of Naphtali. + Parade your power, O God, the power, O God, that made us what we are. + Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem; kings bring gifts to you. + Rebuke that old crocodile, Egypt, with her herd of wild bulls and calves, Rapacious in her lust for silver, crushing peoples, spoiling for a fight. + Let Egyptian traders bring blue cloth and Cush come running to God, her hands outstretched. + Sing, O kings of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! + There he is: Sky-Rider, striding the ancient skies. Listen--he's calling in thunder, rumbling, rolling thunder. + Call out "Bravo!" to God, the High God of Israel. His splendor and strength rise huge as thunderheads. + A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It's Israel's strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people--bless God! + + + A David psalm. God, God, save me! I'm in over my head, + Quicksand under me, swamp water over me; I'm going down for the third time. + I'm hoarse from calling for help, Bleary-eyed from searching the sky for God. + I've got more enemies than hairs on my head; Sneaks and liars are out to knife me in the back. What I never stole Must I now give back? + God, you know every sin I've committed; My life's a wide-open book before you. + Don't let those who look to you in hope Be discouraged by what happens to me, Dear Lord! GOD of the armies! Don't let those out looking for you Come to a dead end by following me-- Please, dear God of Israel! + Because of you I look like an idiot, I walk around ashamed to show my face. + My brothers shun me like a bum off the street; My family treats me like an unwanted guest. + I love you more than I can say. Because I'm madly in love with you, They blame me for everything they dislike about you. + When I poured myself out in prayer and fasting, All it got me was more contempt. + When I put on a sad face, They treated me like a clown. + Now drunks and gluttons Make up drinking songs about me. + And me? I pray. GOD, it's time for a break! God, answer in love! Answer with your sure salvation! + Rescue me from the swamp, Don't let me go under for good, Pull me out of the clutch of the enemy; This whirlpool is sucking me down. + Don't let the swamp be my grave, the Black Hole Swallow me, its jaws clenched around me. + Now answer me, GOD, because you love me; Let me see your great mercy full-face. + Don't look the other way; your servant can't take it. I'm in trouble. Answer right now! + Come close, God; get me out of here. Rescue me from this deathtrap. + You know how they kick me around-- Pin on me the donkey's ears, the dunce's cap. + I'm broken by their taunts, Flat on my face, reduced to a nothing. I looked in vain for one friendly face. Not one. I couldn't find one shoulder to cry on. + They put poison in my soup, Vinegar in my drink. + Let their supper be bait in a trap that snaps shut; May their best friends be trappers who'll skin them alive. + Make them become blind as bats, Give them the shakes from morning to night. + Let them know what you think of them, Blast them with your red-hot anger. + Burn down their houses, Leave them desolate with nobody at home. + They gossiped about the one you disciplined, Made up stories about anyone wounded by God. + Pile on the guilt, Don't let them off the hook. + Strike their names from the list of the living; No rock-carved honor for them among the righteous. + I'm hurt and in pain; Give me space for healing, and mountain air. + Let me shout God's name with a praising song, Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks. + For GOD, this is better than oxen on the altar, Far better than blue-ribbon bulls. + The poor in spirit see and are glad-- Oh, you God-seekers, take heart! + For GOD listens to the poor, He doesn't walk out on the wretched. + You heavens, praise him; praise him, earth; Also ocean and all things that swim in it. + For God is out to help Zion, Rebuilding the wrecked towns of Judah. Guess who will live there-- The proud owners of the land? + No, the children of his servants will get it, The lovers of his name will live in it. + + + A David prayer. God! Please hurry to my rescue! God, come quickly to my side! + Those who are out to get me-- let them fall all over themselves. Those who relish my downfall-- send them down a blind alley. + Give them a taste of their own medicine, those gossips off clucking their tongues. + Let those on the hunt for you sing and celebrate. Let all who love your saving way say over and over, "God is mighty!" + But I've lost it. I'm wasted. God--quickly, quickly! Quick to my side, quick to my rescue! GOD, don't lose a minute. + + + I run for dear life to GOD, I'll never live to regret it. + Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. + Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open! You're my salvation--my vast, granite fortress. + My God, free me from the grip of Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully. + You keep me going when times are tough-- my bedrock, GOD, since my childhood. + I've hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle; I'll never run out of praise. + Many gasp in alarm when they see me, but you take me in stride. + Just as each day brims with your beauty, my mouth brims with praise. + But don't turn me out to pasture when I'm old or put me on the shelf when I can't pull my weight. + My enemies are talking behind my back, watching for their chance to knife me. + The gossip is: "God has abandoned him. Pounce on him now; no one will help him." + God, don't just watch from the sidelines. Come on! Run to my side! + My accusers--make them lose face. Those out to get me--make them look Like idiots, + while I stretch out, reaching for you, and daily add praise to praise. + I'll write the book on your righteousness, talk up your salvation the livelong day, never run out of good things to write or say. + I come in the power of the Lord GOD, I post signs marking his right-of-way. + You got me when I was an unformed youth, God, and taught me everything I know. Now I'm telling the world your wonders; + I'll keep at it until I'm old and gray. God, don't walk off and leave me until I get out the news Of your strong right arm to this world, news of your power to the world yet to come, + Your famous and righteous ways, O God. God, you've done it all! Who is quite like you? + You, who made me stare trouble in the face, Turn me around; Now let me look life in the face. I've been to the bottom; Bring me up, + streaming with honors; turn to me, be tender to me, + And I'll take up the lute and thank you to the tune of your faithfulness, God. I'll make music for you on a harp, Holy One of Israel. + When I open up in song to you, I let out lungsful of praise, my rescued life a song. + All day long I'm chanting about you and your righteous ways, While those who tried to do me in slink off looking ashamed. + + + A Solomon psalm. Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince. + May he judge your people rightly, be honorable to your meek and lowly. + Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the hills with the contours of right living. + Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants. + Outlast the sun, outlive the moon-- age after age after age. + Be rainfall on cut grass, earth-refreshing rain showers. + Let righteousness burst into blossom and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing. + Rule from sea to sea, from the River to the Rim. + Foes will fall on their knees before God, his enemies lick the dust. + Kings remote and legendary will pay homage, kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth. + All kings will fall down and worship, and godless nations sign up to serve him, + Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need, the destitute who have run out of luck. + He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out, he restores the wretched of the earth. + He frees them from tyranny and torture-- when they bleed, he bleeds; when they die, he dies. + And live! Oh, let him live! Deck him out in Sheba gold. Offer prayers unceasing to him, bless him from morning to night. + Fields of golden grain in the land, cresting the mountains in wild exuberance, Cornucopias of praise, praises springing from the city like grass from the earth. + May he never be forgotten, his fame shine on like sunshine. May all godless people enter his circle of blessing and bless the One who blessed them. + Blessed GOD, Israel's God, the one and only wonder-working God! + Blessed always his blazing glory! All earth brims with his glory. + Yes and Yes and Yes. + + + An Asaph psalm. No doubt about it! God is good-- good to good people, good to the good-hearted. + But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. + I was looking the other way, looking up to the people + At the top, envying the wicked who have it made, + Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world. + Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence, + Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness. + They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words. + They're full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace. + People actually listen to them--can you believe it? Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words. + What's going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody's tending the store. + The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches + I've been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? + A long run of bad luck, that's what-- a slap in the face every time I walk out the door. + If I'd have given in and talked like this, I would have betrayed your dear children. + Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache . . . + Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture: + The slippery road you've put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions. + In the blink of an eye, disaster! A blind curve in the dark, and--nightmare! + We wake up and rub our eyes. . . . Nothing. There's nothing to them. And there never was. + When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, + I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. + I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. + You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. + You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! + When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, GOD is rock-firm and faithful. + Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they'll never be heard from again. + But I'm in the very presence of God-- oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord GOD my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! + + + An Asaph psalm. You walked off and left us, and never looked back. God, how could you do that? We're your very own sheep; how can you stomp off in anger? + Refresh your memory of us--you bought us a long time ago. Your most precious tribe--you paid a good price for us! Your very own Mount Zion--you actually lived here once! + Come and visit the site of disaster, see how they've wrecked the sanctuary. + While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in, brawling and scrawling graffiti. + They set fire to the porch; axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork, + Beat down the doors with sledgehammers, then split them into kindling. + They burned your holy place to the ground, violated the place of worship. + They said to themselves, "We'll wipe them all out," and burned down all the places of worship. + There's not a sign or symbol of God in sight, nor anyone to speak in his name, no one who knows what's going on. + How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme, enemies curse and get by with it? + Why don't you do something? How long are you going to sit there with your hands folded in your lap? + God is my King from the very start; he works salvation in the womb of the earth. + With one blow you split the sea in two, you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin. + You lopped off the heads of Leviathan, then served them up in a stew for the animals. + With your finger you opened up springs and creeks, and dried up the wild floodwaters. + You own the day, you own the night; you put stars and sun in place. + You laid out the four corners of earth, shaped the seasons of summer and winter. + Mark and remember, GOD, all the enemy taunts, each idiot desecration. + Don't throw your lambs to the wolves; after all we've been through, don't forget us. + Remember your promises; the city is in darkness, the countryside violent. + Don't leave the victims to rot in the street; make them a choir that sings your praises. + On your feet, O God-- stand up for yourself! Do you hear what they're saying about you, all the vile obscenities? + Don't tune out their malicious filth, the brawling invective that never lets up. + + + An Asaph psalm. We thank you, God, we thank you-- your Name is our favorite word; your mighty works are all we talk about. + You say, "I'm calling this meeting to order, I'm ready to set things right. + When the earth goes topsy-turvy And nobody knows which end is up, I nail it all down, I put everything in place again. + I say to the smart alecks, 'That's enough,' to the bullies, 'Not so fast.'" + Don't raise your fist against High God. Don't raise your voice against Rock of Ages. + He's the One from east to west; from desert to mountains, he's the One. + God rules: he brings this one down to his knees, pulls that one up on her feet. + GOD has a cup in his hand, a bowl of wine, full to the brim. He draws from it and pours; it's drained to the dregs. Earth's wicked ones drink it all, drink it down to the last bitter drop! + And I'm telling the story of God Eternal, singing the praises of Jacob's God. + The fists of the wicked are bloody stumps, The arms of the righteous are lofty green branches. + + + An Asaph psalm. God is well-known in Judah; in Israel, he's a household name. + He keeps a house in Salem, his own suite of rooms in Zion. + That's where, using arrows for kindling, he made a bonfire of weapons of war. + Oh, how bright you shine! Outshining their huge piles of loot! + The warriors were plundered and left there impotent. And now there's nothing to them, nothing to show for their swagger and threats. + Your sudden roar, God of Jacob, knocked the wind out of horse and rider. + Fierce you are, and fearsome! Who can stand up to your rising anger? + From heaven you thunder judgment; earth falls to her knees and holds her breath. + God stands tall and makes things right, he saves all the wretched on earth. + Instead of smoldering rage--God-praise! All that sputtering rage--now a garland for God! + Do for GOD what you said you'd do-- he is, after all, your God. Let everyone in town bring offerings to the One Who Watches our every move. + Nobody gets by with anything, no one plays fast and loose with him. + + + An Asaph psalm. I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens. + I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal. When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't believe a word they said. + I remember God--and shake my head. I bow my head--then wring my hands. + I'm awake all night--not a wink of sleep; I can't even say what's bothering me. + I go over the days one by one, I ponder the years gone by. + I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together. + Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? + Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? + Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us? + "Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him." + Once again I'll go over what GOD has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; + I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts. + O God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! + You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do-- + You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph. + Ocean saw you in action, God, saw you and trembled with fear; Deep Ocean was scared to death. + Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that. + From Whirlwind came your thundering voice, Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled and rocked. + You strode right through Ocean, walked straight through roaring Ocean, but nobody saw you come or go. + Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron, You led your people like a flock of sheep. + + + An Asaph psalm. Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. + I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you in on the sweet old truths, + Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee. + We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along to the next generation-- GOD's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. + He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children + So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come-- Know the truth and tell the stories so their children + can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter. + Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God. + The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth, ran off when the battle began. + They were cowards to God's Covenant, refused to walk by his Word. + They forgot what he had done-- marvels he'd done right before their eyes. + He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan. + He split the Sea and they walked right through it; he piled the waters to the right and the left. + He led them by day with a cloud, led them all the night long with a fiery torch. + He split rocks in the wilderness, gave them all they could drink from underground springs; + He made creeks flow out from sheer rock, and water pour out like a river. + All they did was sin even more, rebel in the desert against the High God. + They tried to get their own way with God, clamored for favors, for special attention. + They whined like spoiled children, "Why can't God give us a decent meal in this desert? + Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed, creeks cascaded from the rock. But how about some fresh-baked bread? How about a nice cut of meat?" + When GOD heard that, he was furious-- his anger flared against Jacob, he lost his temper with Israel. + It was clear they didn't believe God, had no intention of trusting in his help. + But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven. + He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven. + They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. + He let East Wind break loose from the skies, gave a strong push to South Wind. + This time it was birds that rained down-- succulent birds, an abundance of birds. + He aimed them right for the center of their camp; all round their tents there were birds. + They ate and had their fill; he handed them everything they craved on a platter. + But their greed knew no bounds; they stuffed their mouths with more and more. + Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted-- he cut down their brightest and best, he laid low Israel's finest young men. + And--can you believe it?--they kept right on sinning; all those wonders and they still wouldn't believe! + So their lives dribbled off to nothing-- nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town. + When he cut them down, they came running for help; they turned and pled for mercy. + They gave witness that God was their rock, that High God was their redeemer, + But they didn't mean a word of it; they lied through their teeth the whole time. + They could not have cared less about him, wanted nothing to do with his Covenant. + And God? Compassionate! Forgave the sin! Didn't destroy! Over and over he reined in his anger, restrained his considerable wrath. + He knew what they were made of; he knew there wasn't much to them, + How often in the desert they had spurned him, tried his patience in those wilderness years. + Time and again they pushed him to the limit, provoked Israel's Holy God. + How quickly they forgot what he'd done, forgot their day of rescue from the enemy, + When he did miracles in Egypt, wonders on the plain of Zoan. + He turned the River and its streams to blood-- not a drop of water fit to drink. + He sent flies, which ate them alive, and frogs, which bedeviled them. + He turned their harvest over to caterpillars, everything they had worked for to the locusts. + He flattened their grapevines with hail; a killing frost ruined their orchards. + He pounded their cattle with hail, let thunderbolts loose on their herds. + His anger flared, a wild firestorm of havoc, An advance guard of disease-carrying angels + to clear the ground, preparing the way before him. He didn't spare those people, he let the plague rage through their lives. + He killed all the Egyptian firstborns, lusty infants, offspring of Ham's virility. + Then he led his people out like sheep, took his flock safely through the wilderness. + He took good care of them; they had nothing to fear. The Sea took care of their enemies for good. + He brought them into his holy land, this mountain he claimed for his own. + He scattered everyone who got in their way; he staked out an inheritance for them-- the tribes of Israel all had their own places. + But they kept on giving him a hard time, rebelled against God, the High God, refused to do anything he told them. + They were worse, if that's possible, than their parents: traitors--crooked as a corkscrew. + Their pagan orgies provoked God's anger, their obscene idolatries broke his heart. + When God heard their carryings-on, he was furious; he posted a huge No over Israel. + He walked off and left Shiloh empty, abandoned the shrine where he had met with Israel. + He let his pride and joy go to the dogs, turned his back on the pride of his life. + He turned them loose on fields of battle; angry, he let them fend for themselves. + Their young men went to war and never came back; their young women waited in vain. + Their priests were massacred, and their widows never shed a tear. + Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep, shouting like a drunken warrior. + He hit his enemies hard, sent them running, yelping, not daring to look back. + He disqualified Joseph as leader, told Ephraim he didn't have what it takes, + And chose the Tribe of Judah instead, Mount Zion, which he loves so much. + He built his sanctuary there, resplendent, solid and lasting as the earth itself. + Then he chose David, his servant, handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens. + One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs, the next day God had him shepherding Jacob, his people Israel, his prize possession. + His good heart made him a good shepherd; he guided the people wisely and well. + + + An Asaph psalm. God! Barbarians have broken into your home, violated your holy temple, left Jerusalem a pile of rubble! + They've served up the corpses of your servants as carrion food for birds of prey, Threw the bones of your holy people out to the wild animals to gnaw on. + They dumped out their blood like buckets of water. All around Jerusalem, their bodies were left to rot, unburied. + We're nothing but a joke to our neighbors, graffiti scrawled on the city walls. + How long do we have to put up with this, GOD? Do you have it in for us for good? Will your smoldering rage never cool down? + If you're going to be angry, be angry with the pagans who care nothing about you, or your rival kingdoms who ignore you. + They're the ones who ruined Jacob, who wrecked and looted the place where he lived. + Don't blame us for the sins of our parents. Hurry up and help us; we're at the end of our rope. + You're famous for helping; God, give us a break. Your reputation is on the line. Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins-- do what you're famous for doing! + Don't let the heathen get by with their sneers: "Where's your God? Is he out to lunch?" Go public and show the godless world that they can't kill your servants and get by with it. + Give groaning prisoners a hearing; pardon those on death row from their doom--you can do it! + Give our jeering neighbors what they've got coming to them; let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat. + Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for, will thank you over and over and over. We'll tell everyone we meet how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are! + + + An Asaph psalm. Listen, Shepherd, Israel's Shepherd-- get all your Joseph sheep together. Throw beams of light from your dazzling throne + So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh can see where they're going. Get out of bed--you've slept long enough! Come on the run before it's too late. + God, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation. + GOD, God of the angel armies, how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano while your people call for fire and brimstone? + You put us on a diet of tears, bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink. + You make us look ridiculous to our friends; our enemies poke fun day after day. + God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation. + Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt, cleared out the brambles and briers and planted your very own vineyard? + You prepared the good earth, you planted her roots deep; the vineyard filled the land. + Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains, even dwarfing the giant cedars. + Your vine ranged west to the Sea, east to the River. + So why do you no longer protect your vine? Trespassers pick its grapes at will; + Wild pigs crash through and crush it, and the mice nibble away at what's left. + God of the angel armies, turn our way! Take a good look at what's happened and attend to this vine. + Care for what you once tenderly planted-- the vine you raised from a shoot. + And those who dared to set it on fire-- give them a look that will kill! + Then take the hand of your once-favorite child, the child you raised to adulthood. + We will never turn our back on you; breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name! + GOD, God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation. + + + An Asaph psalm. A song to our strong God! a shout to the God of Jacob! + Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from lute and harp, + Trumpets and trombones and horns: it's festival day, a feast to God! + A day decreed by God, solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob. + He commanded Joseph to keep this day so we'd never forget what he did in Egypt. I hear this most gentle whisper from One I never guessed would speak to me: + "I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor. + You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place. I answered you from where the thunder hides, I proved you at Meribah Fountain. + "Listen, dear ones--get this straight; O Israel, don't take this lightly. + Don't take up with strange gods, don't worship the latest in gods. + I'm GOD, your God, the very God who rescued you from doom in Egypt, Then fed you all you could eat, filled your hungry stomachs. + "But my people didn't listen, Israel paid no attention; + So I let go of the reins and told them, 'Run! Do it your own way!' + "Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map? + I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand. + I'll send the GOD-haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again. + You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey." + + + An Asaph psalm. God calls the judges into his courtroom, he puts all the judges in the dock. + "Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. + You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; + Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." + Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued. + "I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, + But you've betrayed your commission and now you're stripped of your rank, busted." + O God, give them their just deserts! You've got the whole world in your hands! + + + An Asaph psalm. GOD, don't shut me out; don't give me the silent treatment, O God. + Your enemies are out there whooping it up, the God-haters are living it up; + They're plotting to do your people in, conspiring to rob you of your precious ones. + "Let's wipe this nation from the face of the earth," they say; "scratch Israel's name off the books." + And now they're putting their heads together, making plans to get rid of you. + Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, + Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia and the Tyrians, + And now Assyria has joined up, Giving muscle to the gang of Lot. + Do to them what you did to Midian, to Sisera and Jabin at Kishon Brook; + They came to a bad end at Endor, nothing but dung for the garden. + Cut down their leaders as you did Oreb and Zeeb, their princes to nothings like Zebah and Zalmunna, + With their empty brags, "We're grabbing it all, grabbing God's gardens for ourselves." + My God! I've had it with them! Blow them away! Tumbleweeds in the desert waste, + charred sticks in the burned-over ground. + Knock the breath right out of them, so they're gasping + for breath, gasping, "GOD." + Bring them to the end of their rope, and leave them there dangling, helpless. + Then they'll learn your name: "GOD," the one and only High God on earth. + + + A Korah psalm. What a beautiful home, GOD of the Angel Armies! I've always longed to live in a place like this, + Always dreamed of a room in your house, where I could sing for joy to God-alive! + Birds find nooks and crannies in your house, sparrows and swallows make nests there. They lay their eggs and raise their young, singing their songs in the place where we worship. GOD of the Angel Armies! King! God! + How blessed they are to live and sing there! + And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; + They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! + God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn--Zion! God in full view! + God of the Angel Armies, listen: O God of Jacob, open your ears--I'm praying! + Look at our shields, glistening in the sun, our faces, shining with your gracious anointing. + One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. + All sunshine and sovereign is GOD, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions. + It's smooth sailing all the way with GOD of the Angel Armies. + + + A Korah psalm. GOD, you smiled on your good earth! You brought good times back to Jacob! + You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people, you put their sins far out of sight. + You took back your sin-provoked threats, you cooled your hot, righteous anger. + Help us again, God of our help; don't hold a grudge against us forever. + You aren't going to keep this up, are you? scowling and angry, year after year? + Why not help us make a fresh start--a resurrection life? Then your people will laugh and sing! + Show us how much you love us, GOD! Give us the salvation we need! + I can't wait to hear what he'll say. GOD's about to pronounce his people well, The holy people he loves so much, so they'll never again live like fools. + See how close his salvation is to those who fear him? Our country is home base for Glory! + Love and Truth meet in the street, Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss! + Truth sprouts green from the ground, Right Living pours down from the skies! + Oh yes! GOD gives Goodness and Beauty; our land responds with Bounty and Blessing. + Right Living strides out before him, and clears a path for his passage. + + + A David psalm. Bend an ear, GOD; answer me. I'm one miserable wretch! + Keep me safe--haven't I lived a good life? Help your servant--I'm depending on you! + You're my God; have mercy on me. I count on you from morning to night. + Give your servant a happy life; I put myself in your hands! + You're well-known as good and forgiving, bighearted to all who ask for help. + Pay attention, GOD, to my prayer; bend down and listen to my cry for help. + Every time I'm in trouble I call on you, confident that you'll answer. + There's no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord, and nothing to compare with your works. + All the nations you made are on their way, ready to give honor to you, O Lord, Ready to put your beauty on display, + parading your greatness, And the great things you do-- God, you're the one, there's no one but you! + Train me, GOD, to walk straight; then I'll follow your true path. Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear. + From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord; I've never kept secret what you're up to. + You've always been great toward me--what love! You snatched me from the brink of disaster! + God, these bullies have reared their heads! A gang of thugs is after me-- and they don't care a thing about you. + But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit. + So look me in the eye and show kindness, give your servant the strength to go on, save your dear, dear child! + Make a show of how much you love me so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed, As you, GOD, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet. + + + A Korah psalm. He founded Zion on the Holy Mountain-- + and oh, how GOD loves his home! Loves it far better than all the homes of Jacob put together! + God's hometown--oh! everyone there is talking about you! + I name them off, those among whom I'm famous: Egypt and Babylon, also Philistia, even Tyre, along with Cush. Word's getting around; they point them out: "This one was born again here!" + The word's getting out on Zion: "Men and women, right and left, get born again in her!" + GOD registers their names in his book: "This one, this one, and this one-- born again, right here." + Singers and dancers give credit to Zion: "All my springs are in you!" + + + A Korah prayer of Heman. GOD, you're my last chance of the day. I spend the night on my knees before you. + Put me on your salvation agenda; take notes on the trouble I'm in. + I've had my fill of trouble; I'm camped on the edge of hell. + I'm written off as a lost cause, one more statistic, a hopeless case. + Abandoned as already dead, one more body in a stack of corpses, And not so much as a gravestone-- I'm a black hole in oblivion. + You've dropped me into a bottomless pit, sunk me in a pitch-black abyss. + I'm battered senseless by your rage, relentlessly pounded by your waves of anger. + You turned my friends against me, made me horrible to them. I'm caught in a maze and can't find my way out, + blinded by tears of pain and frustration. I call to you, GOD; all day I call. I wring my hands, I plead for help. + Are the dead a live audience for your miracles? Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you? + Does your love make any difference in a graveyard? Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell? + Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark, your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory? + I'm standing my ground, GOD, shouting for help, at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak. + Why, GOD, do you turn a deaf ear? Why do you make yourself scarce? + For as long as I remember I've been hurting; I've taken the worst you can hand out, and I've had it. + Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life; I'm bleeding, black and blue. + You've attacked me fiercely from every side, raining down blows till I'm nearly dead. + You made lover and neighbor alike dump me; the only friend I have left is Darkness. + + + An Ethan prayer. Your love, GOD, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. + I'll never quit telling the story of your love-- how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world. + You once said, "I joined forces with my chosen leader, I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying, + 'Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life; I'll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.'" + GOD! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! + Search high and low, scan skies and land, you'll find nothing and no one quite like GOD. + The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. + GOD of the Angel Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? + You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. + You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist. + You own the cosmos--you made everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. + You positioned the North and South Poles; the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you. + With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel-- nobody trifles with you! + The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits. + Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of GOD. + Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do--they can't keep it quiet! + Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us-- you've been so good to us! We're walking on air! + All we are and have we owe to GOD, Holy God of Israel, our King! + A long time ago you spoke in a vision, you spoke to your faithful beloved: "I've crowned a hero, I chose the best I could find; + I found David, my servant, poured holy oil on his head, + And I'll keep my hand steadily on him, yes, I'll stick with him through thick and thin. + No enemy will get the best of him, no scoundrel will do him in. + I'll weed out all who oppose him, I'll clean out all who hate him. + I'm with him for good and I'll love him forever; I've set him on high--he's riding high! + I've put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other; + he'll call out, 'Oh, my Father--my God, my Rock of Salvation!' + Yes, I'm setting him apart as the First of the royal line, High King over all of earth's kings. + I'll preserve him eternally in my love, I'll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised. + I'll guarantee his family tree and underwrite his rule. + If his children refuse to do what I tell them, if they refuse to walk in the way I show them, + If they spit on the directions I give them and tear up the rules I post for them-- + I'll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion and make them face the music. + But I'll never throw them out, never abandon or disown them. + Do you think I'd withdraw my holy promise? or take back words I'd already spoken? + I've given my word, my whole and holy word; do you think I would lie to David? + His family tree is here for good, his sovereignty as sure as the sun, + Dependable as the phases of the moon, inescapable as weather." + But GOD, you did walk off and leave us, you lost your temper with the one you anointed. + You tore up the promise you made to your servant, you stomped his crown in the mud. + You blasted his home to kingdom come, reduced his city to a pile of rubble + Picked clean by wayfaring strangers, a joke to all the neighbors. + You declared a holiday for all his enemies, and they're celebrating for all they're worth. + Angry, you opposed him in battle, refused to fight on his side; + You robbed him of his splendor, humiliated this warrior, ground his kingly honor in the dirt. + You took the best years of his life and left him an impotent, ruined husk. + How long do we put up with this, GOD? Are you gone for good? Will you hold this grudge forever? + Remember my sorrow and how short life is. Did you create men and women for nothing but this? + We'll see death soon enough. Everyone does. And there's no back door out of hell. + So where is the love you're so famous for, Lord? What happened to your promise to David? + Take a good look at your servant, dear Lord; I'm the butt of the jokes of all nations, + The taunting jokes of your enemies, GOD, as they dog the steps of your dear anointed. + Blessed be GOD forever and always! Yes. Oh, yes. + + + A prayer of Moses, man of God. God, it seems you've been our home forever; + long before the mountains were born, Long before you brought earth itself to birth, from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come"--you are God. + So don't return us to mud, saying, "Back to where you came from!" + Patience! You've got all the time in the world--whether a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you. + Are we no more to you than a wispy dream, no more than a blade of grass + That springs up gloriously with the rising sun and is cut down without a second thought? + Your anger is far and away too much for us; we're at the end of our rope. + You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed since we were children is entered in your books. + All we can remember is that frown on your face. Is that all we're ever going to get? + We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty), And what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard. + Who can make sense of such rage, such anger against the very ones who fear you? + Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! + Come back, GOD--how long do we have to wait?-- and treat your servants with kindness for a change. + Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all the day long. + Make up for the bad times with some good times; we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime. + Let your servants see what you're best at-- the ways you rule and bless your children. + And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do! + + + You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow, + Say this: "GOD, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!" + That's right--he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. + His huge outstretched arms protect you-- under them you're perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. + Fear nothing--not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, + Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. + Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. + You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. + Yes, because GOD's your refuge, the High God your very own home, + Evil can't get close to you, harm can't get through the door. + He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. + If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. + You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. + "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says GOD, "I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me. + Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. + I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!" + + + A Sabbath song. What a beautiful thing, GOD, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! + To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, + Accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings. + You made me so happy, GOD. I saw your work and I shouted for joy. + How magnificent your work, GOD! How profound your thoughts! + Dullards never notice what you do; fools never do get it. + When the wicked popped up like weeds and all the evil men and women took over, You mowed them down, finished them off once and for all. + You, GOD, are High and Eternal. + Look at your enemies, GOD! Look at your enemies--ruined! Scattered to the winds, all those hirelings of evil! + But you've made me strong as a charging bison, you've honored me with a festive parade. + The sight of my critics going down is still fresh, the rout of my malicious detractors. My ears are filled with the sounds of promise: + "Good people will prosper like palm trees, Grow tall like Lebanon cedars; + transplanted to GOD's courtyard, They'll grow tall in the presence of God, + lithe and green, virile still in old age." + Such witnesses to upright GOD! My Mountain, my huge, holy Mountain! + + + GOD is King, robed and ruling, GOD is robed and surging with strength. And yes, the world is firm, immovable, + Your throne ever firm--you're Eternal! + Sea storms are up, GOD, Sea storms wild and roaring, Sea storms with thunderous breakers. + Stronger than wild sea storms, Mightier than sea-storm breakers, Mighty GOD rules from High Heaven. + What you say goes--it always has. "Beauty" and "Holy" mark your palace rule, GOD, to the very end of time. + + + GOD, put an end to evil; avenging God, show your colors! + Judge of the earth, take your stand; throw the book at the arrogant. + GOD, the wicked get away with murder-- how long will you let this go on? + They brag and boast and crow about their crimes! + They walk all over your people, GOD, exploit and abuse your precious people. + They take out anyone who gets in their way; if they can't use them, they kill them. + They think, "GOD isn't looking, Jacob's God is out to lunch." + Well, think again, you idiots, fools--how long before you get smart? + Do you think Ear-Maker doesn't hear, Eye-Shaper doesn't see? + Do you think the trainer of nations doesn't correct, the teacher of Adam doesn't know? + GOD knows, all right-- knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness. + How blessed the man you train, GOD, the woman you instruct in your Word, + Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked. + GOD will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people. + Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right. + Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers? + If GOD hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it. + The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling," your love, GOD, took hold and held me fast. + When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up. + Can Misrule have anything in common with you? Can Troublemaker pretend to be on your side? + They ganged up on good people, plotted behind the backs of the innocent. + But GOD became my hideout, God was my high mountain retreat, + Then boomeranged their evil back on them: for their evil ways he wiped them out, our GOD cleaned them out for good. + + + Come, let's shout praises to GOD, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! + Let's march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! + And why? Because GOD is the best, High King over all the gods. + In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. + He made Ocean--he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! + So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before GOD, who made us! + Oh yes, he's our God, and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: + "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, + when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. + For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked--oh, was I provoked! 'Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?' + Exasperated, I exploded, 'They'll never get where they're headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'" + + + Sing GOD a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing! + Sing to GOD--worship GOD! Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea, + Take the news of his glory to the lost, News of his wonders to one and all! + For GOD is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs. His terrible beauty makes the gods look cheap; + Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags. GOD made the heavens-- + Royal splendor radiates from him, A powerful beauty sets him apart. + Bravo, GOD, Bravo! Everyone join in the great shout: Encore! In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might. + Bring gifts and celebrate, + Bow before the beauty of GOD, Then to your knees--everyone worship! + Get out the message--GOD Rules! He put the world on a firm foundation; He treats everyone fair and square. + Let's hear it from Sky, With Earth joining in, And a huge round of applause from Sea. + Let Wilderness turn cartwheels, Animals, come dance, Put every tree of the forest in the choir-- + An extravaganza before GOD as he comes, As he comes to set everything right on earth, Set everything right, treat everyone fair. + + + GOD rules: there's something to shout over! On the double, mainlands and islands--celebrate! + Bright clouds and storm clouds circle 'round him; Right and justice anchor his rule. + Fire blazes out before him, Flaming high up the craggy mountains. + His lightnings light up the world; Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear. + The mountains take one look at GOD And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord. + The heavens announce that he'll set everything right, And everyone will see it happen--glorious! + All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry-- And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods! On your knees, all you gods--worship him! + And Zion, you listen and take heart! Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out: GOD has done it all, has set everything right. + You, GOD, are High God of the cosmos, Far, far higher than any of the gods. + GOD loves all who hate evil, And those who love him he keeps safe, Snatches them from the grip of the wicked. + Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. + So, God's people, shout praise to GOD, Give thanks to our Holy God! + + + Sing to GOD a brand-new song. He's made a world of wonders! He rolled up his sleeves, He set things right. + GOD made history with salvation, He showed the world what he could do. + He remembered to love us, a bonus To his dear family, Israel--indefatigable love. The whole earth comes to attention. Look--God's work of salvation! + Shout your praises to GOD, everybody! Let loose and sing! Strike up the band! + Round up an orchestra to play for GOD, Add on a hundred-voice choir. + Feature trumpets and big trombones, Fill the air with praises to King GOD. + Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, With everything living on earth joining in. + Let ocean breakers call out, "Encore!" And mountains harmonize the finale-- + A tribute to GOD when he comes, When he comes to set the earth right. He'll straighten out the whole world, He'll put the world right, and everyone in it. + + + GOD rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne--take notice! + GOD looms majestic in Zion, He towers in splendor over all the big names. + Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you! Holy. Yes, holy. + Strong King, lover of justice, You laid things out fair and square; You set down the foundations in Jacob, Foundation stones of just and right ways. + Honor GOD, our God; worship his rule! Holy. Yes, holy. + Moses and Aaron were his priests, Samuel among those who prayed to him. They prayed to GOD and he answered them; + He spoke from the pillar of cloud. And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them. + And then GOD, our God, answered them (But you were never soft on their sins). + Lift high GOD, our God; worship at his holy mountain. Holy. Yes, holy is GOD our God. + + + A thanksgiving psalm. On your feet now--applaud GOD! + Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. + Know this: GOD is God, and God, GOD. He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep. + Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. + For GOD is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever. + + + A David psalm. My theme song is God's love and justice, and I'm singing it right to you, GOD. + I'm finding my way down the road of right living, but how long before you show up? I'm doing the very best I can, and I'm doing it at home, where it counts. + I refuse to take a second look at corrupting people and degrading things. I reject made-in-Canaan gods, stay clear of contamination. + The crooked in heart keep their distance; I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil. + I put a gag on the gossip who bad-mouths his neighbor; I can't stand arrogance. + But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people-- they're the ones I want working with me; Men and women on the straight and narrow-- these are the ones I want at my side. + But no one who traffics in lies gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars. I've rounded up all the wicked like cattle and herded them right out of the country. + I purged GOD's city of all who make a business of evil. A prayer of one whose life is falling to pieces, and who lets God know just how bad it is. + + + GOD, listen! Listen to my prayer, listen to the pain in my cries. + Don't turn your back on me just when I need you so desperately. Pay attention! This is a cry for help! And hurry--this can't wait! + I'm wasting away to nothing, I'm burning up with fever. + I'm a ghost of my former self, half-consumed already by terminal illness. + My jaws ache from gritting my teeth; I'm nothing but skin and bones. + I'm like a buzzard in the desert, a crow perched on the rubble. + Insomniac, I twitter away, mournful as a sparrow in the gutter. + All day long my enemies taunt me, while others just curse. + They bring in meals--casseroles of ashes! I draw drink from a barrel of my tears. + And all because of your furious anger; you swept me up and threw me out. + There's nothing left of me-- a withered weed, swept clean from the path. + Yet you, GOD, are sovereign still, always and ever sovereign. + You'll get up from your throne and help Zion-- it's time for compassionate help. + Oh, how your servants love this city's rubble and weep with compassion over its dust! + The godless nations will sit up and take notice --see your glory, worship your name-- + When GOD rebuilds Zion, when he shows up in all his glory, + When he attends to the prayer of the wretched. He won't dismiss their prayer. + Write this down for the next generation so people not yet born will praise GOD: + "GOD looked out from his high holy place; from heaven he surveyed the earth. + He listened to the groans of the doomed, he opened the doors of their death cells." + Write it so the story can be told in Zion, so GOD's praise will be sung in Jerusalem's streets + And wherever people gather together along with their rulers to worship him. + GOD sovereignly brought me to my knees, he cut me down in my prime. + "Oh, don't," I prayed, "please don't let me die. You have more years than you know what to do with! + You laid earth's foundations a long time ago, and handcrafted the very heavens; + You'll still be around when they're long gone, threadbare and discarded like an old suit of clothes. You'll throw them away like a worn-out coat, + but year after year you're as good as new. + Your servants' children will have a good place to live and their children will be at home with you." + + + A David psalm. O my soul, bless GOD. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name! + O my soul, bless GOD, don't forget a single blessing! + He forgives your sins--every one. He heals your diseases--every one. + He redeems you from hell--saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy--a paradise crown. + He wraps you in goodness--beauty eternal. He renews your youth--you're always young in his presence. + GOD makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. + He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. + GOD is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he's rich in love. + He doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. + He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. + As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. + And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. + As parents feel for their children, GOD feels for those who fear him. + He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we're made of mud. + Men and women don't live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, + But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. + GOD's love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children + as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said. + GOD has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He's the King! + So bless GOD, you angels, ready and able to fly at his bidding, quick to hear and do what he says. + Bless GOD, all you armies of angels, alert to respond to whatever he wills. + Bless GOD, all creatures, wherever you are-- everything and everyone made by GOD. And you, O my soul, bless GOD! + + + O my soul, bless GOD! GOD, my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, + Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. + You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. + You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. + You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. + You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; + Then you roared and the water ran away-- your thunder crash put it to flight. + Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. + You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. + You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. + All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. + Along the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard. + You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. + You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground. Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, + wine to make people happy, Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. + GOD's trees are well-watered-- the Lebanon cedars he planted. + Birds build their nests in those trees; look--the stork at home in the treetop. + Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks. + The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. + When it's dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. + The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper. + When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. + Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. + What a wildly wonderful world, GOD! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. + Oh, look--the deep, wide sea, brimming with fish past counting, sardines and sharks and salmon. + Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. + All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time. + You come, and they gather around; you open your hand and they eat from it. + If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute-- Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; + Send out your Spirit and they spring to life-- the whole countryside in bloom and blossom. + The glory of GOD--let it last forever! Let GOD enjoy his creation! + He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt. + Oh, let me sing to GOD all my life long, sing hymns to my God as long as I live! + Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to GOD. + But clear the ground of sinners-- no more godless men and women! O my soul, bless GOD! + + + Hallelujah! Thank GOD! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! + Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! + Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek GOD. Live a happy life! + Keep your eyes open for GOD, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. + Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he's rendered-- + O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen. + He's GOD, our God, in charge of the whole earth. + And he remembers, remembers his Covenant-- for a thousand generations he's been as good as his word. + It's the Covenant he made with Abraham, the same oath he swore to Isaac, + The very statute he established with Jacob, the eternal Covenant with Israel, + Namely, "I give you the land. Canaan is your hill-country inheritance." + When they didn't count for much, a mere handful, and strangers at that, + Wandering from country to country, drifting from pillar to post, + He permitted no one to abuse them. He told kings to keep their hands off: + "Don't you dare lay a hand on my anointed, don't hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets." + Then he called down a famine on the country, he broke every last blade of wheat. + But he sent a man on ahead: Joseph, sold as a slave. + They put cruel chains on his ankles, an iron collar around his neck, + Until God's word came to the Pharaoh, and GOD confirmed his promise. + God sent the king to release him. The Pharaoh set Joseph free; + He appointed him master of his palace, put him in charge of all his business + To personally instruct his princes and train his advisors in wisdom. + Then Israel entered Egypt, Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham. + God gave his people lots of babies; soon their numbers alarmed their foes. + He turned the Egyptians against his people; they abused and cheated God's servants. + Then he sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, whom he also chose. + They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland, miracles in the Land of Ham. + He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark-- they couldn't see what they were doing. + He turned all their water to blood so that all their fish died; + He made frogs swarm through the land, even into the king's bedroom; + He gave the word and flies swarmed, gnats filled the air. + He substituted hail for rain, he stabbed their land with lightning; + He wasted their vines and fig trees, smashed their groves of trees to splinters; + With a word he brought in locusts, millions of locusts, armies of locusts; + They consumed every blade of grass in the country and picked the ground clean of produce; + He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of their virile powers. + He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot, and not one among his tribes even stumbled. + Egypt was glad to have them go-- they were scared to death of them. + God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day and a fire to light their way through the night; + They prayed and he brought quail, filled them with the bread of heaven; + He opened the rock and water poured out; it flowed like a river through that desert-- + All because he remembered his Covenant, his promise to Abraham, his servant. + Remember this! He led his people out singing for joy; his chosen people marched, singing their hearts out! + He made them a gift of the country they entered, helped them seize the wealth of the nations + So they could do everything he told them-- could follow his instructions to the letter. Hallelujah! + + + Hallelujah! Thank GOD! And why? Because he's good, because his love lasts. + But who on earth can do it-- declaim GOD's mighty acts, broadcast all his praises? + You're one happy man when you do what's right, one happy woman when you form the habit of justice. + Remember me, GOD, when you enjoy your people; include me when you save them; + I want to see your chosen succeed, celebrate with your celebrating nation, join the Hallelujahs of your pride and joy! + We've sinned a lot, both we and our parents; We've fallen short, hurt a lot of people. + After our parents left Egypt, they took your wonders for granted, forgot your great and wonderful love. They were barely beyond the Red Sea when they defied the High God-- + the very place he saved them! --the place he revealed his amazing power! + He rebuked the Red Sea so that it dried up on the spot --he paraded them right through! --no one so much as got wet feet! + He saved them from a life of oppression, pried them loose from the grip of the enemy. + Then the waters flowed back on their oppressors; there wasn't a single survivor. + Then they believed his words were true and broke out in songs of praise. + But it wasn't long before they forgot the whole thing, wouldn't wait to be told what to do. + They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert, provoked God with their insistent demands. + He gave them exactly what they asked for-- but along with it they got an empty heart. + One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses, also of Aaron, holy priest of GOD. + The ground opened and swallowed Dathan, then buried Abiram's gang. + Fire flared against that rebel crew and torched them to a cinder. + They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb and worshiped the statue they'd made. + They traded the Glory for a cheap piece of sculpture--a grass-chewing bull! + They forgot God, their very own Savior, who turned things around in Egypt, + Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham, who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea. + Fed up, God decided to get rid of them-- and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have. But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God's anger, prevented it from destroying them utterly. + They went on to reject the Blessed Land, didn't believe a word of what God promised. + They found fault with the life they had and turned a deaf ear to GOD's voice. + Exasperated, God swore that he'd lay them low in the desert, + Scattering their children hither and yon, strewing them all over the earth. + Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. + That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; + Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the plague was stopped. + This was counted to his credit; his descendants will never forget it. + They angered God again at Meribah Springs; this time Moses got mixed up in their evil; + Because they defied GOD yet again, Moses exploded and lost his temper. + They didn't wipe out those godless cultures as ordered by GOD; + Instead they intermarried with the heathen, and in time became just like them. + They worshiped their idols, were caught in the trap of idols. + They sacrificed their sons and daughters at the altars of demon gods. + They slit the throats of their babies, murdered their infant girls and boys. They offered their babies to Canaan's gods; the blood of their babies stained the land. + Their way of life stank to high heaven; they lived like whores. + And GOD was furious--a wildfire anger; he couldn't stand even to look at his people. + He turned them over to the heathen so that the people who hated them ruled them. + Their enemies made life hard for them; they were tyrannized under that rule. + Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned-- until finally their sins destroyed them. + Still, when God saw the trouble they were in and heard their cries for help, + He remembered his Covenant with them, and, immense with love, took them by the hand. + He poured out his mercy on them while their captors looked on, amazed. + Save us, GOD, our God! Gather us back out of exile So we can give thanks to your holy name and join in the glory when you are praised! + Blessed be GOD, Israel's God! Bless now, bless always! Oh! Let everyone say Amen! Hallelujah! + + + Oh, thank GOD--he's so good! His love never runs out. + All of you set free by GOD, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, + Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas. + Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, + Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. + Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to GOD. He got you out in the nick of time; + He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. + So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. + He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat. + Some of you were locked in a dark cell, cruelly confined behind bars, + Punished for defying God's Word, for turning your back on the High God's counsel-- + A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy, and not a soul in sight to help. + Then you called out to GOD in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. + He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out. + So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; + He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors, he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks! + Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life, your bodies feeling the effects of your sin; + You couldn't stand the sight of food, so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead. + Then you called out to GOD in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. + He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death. + So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; + Offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what he's done--sing it out! + Some of you set sail in big ships; you put to sea to do business in faraway ports. + Out at sea you saw GOD in action, saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean: + With a word he called up the wind-- an ocean storm, towering waves! + You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out; your hearts were stuck in your throats. + You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk, you didn't know which end was up. + Then you called out to GOD in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. + He quieted the wind down to a whisper, put a muzzle on all the big waves. + And you were so glad when the storm died down, and he led you safely back to harbor. + So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. + Lift high your praises when the people assemble, shout Hallelujah when the elders meet! + GOD turned rivers into wasteland, springs of water into sunbaked mud; + Luscious orchards became alkali flats because of the evil of the people who lived there. + Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water, arid earth into springs of water, + Brought in the hungry and settled them there; they moved in--what a great place to live! + They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards, they reaped a bountiful harvest. + He blessed them and they prospered greatly; their herds of cattle never decreased. + But abuse and evil and trouble declined + as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away. He gave the poor a safe place to live, + treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep. + Good people see this and are glad; bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks. + If you are really wise, you'll think this over-- it's time you appreciated GOD's deep love. + + + A David prayer. I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe. Ready to sing, ready to raise a God-song: + "Wake, soul! Wake, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!" + I'm thanking you, GOD, out in the streets, singing your praises in town and country. + The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud's a flag to your faithfulness. + Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with your glory! + And for the sake of the one you love so much, reach down and help me--answer me! + That's when God spoke in holy splendor: "Brimming over with joy, I make a present of Shechem, I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift. + Gilead's in my pocket, to say nothing of Manasseh. Ephraim's my hard hat, Judah my hammer. + Moab's a scrub bucket-- I mop the floor with Moab, Spit on Edom, rain fireworks all over Philistia." + Who will take me to the thick of the fight? Who'll show me the road to Edom? + You aren't giving up on us, are you, God? refusing to go out with our troops? + Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. + In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition for good. + + + A David prayer. My God, don't turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer. + Liars are pouring out invective on me; Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me, + barking their hate, nipping my heels--and for no reason! + I loved them and now they slander me--yes, me!-- and treat my prayer like a crime; + They return my good with evil, they return my love with hate. + Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge; dispatch Satan to prosecute him. + When he's judged, let the verdict be, "Guilty," and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin. + Give him a short life, and give his job to somebody else. + Make orphans of his children, dress his wife in widow's weeds; + Turn his children into begging street urchins, evicted from their homes--homeless. + May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean. + May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break. + Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name. + But erect a memorial to the sin of his father, and make sure his mother's name is there, too-- + Their sins recorded forever before GOD, but they themselves sunk in oblivion. + That's all he deserves since he was never once kind, hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves. + Since he loved cursing so much, let curses rain down; Since he had no taste for blessing, let blessings flee far from him. + He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes; he drank curses, took his baths in curses. + So give him a gift--a costume of curses; he can wear curses every day of the week! + That's what they'll get, those out to get me-- an avalanche of just deserts from GOD. + Oh, GOD, my Lord, step in; work a miracle for me--you can do it! Get me out of here--your love is so great!-- + I'm at the end of my rope, my life in ruins. + I'm fading away to nothing, passing away, my youth gone, old before my time. + I'm weak from hunger and can hardly stand up, my body a rack of skin and bones. + I'm a joke in poor taste to those who see me; they take one look and shake their heads. + Help me, oh help me, GOD, my God, save me through your wonderful love; + Then they'll know that your hand is in this, that you, GOD, have been at work. + Let them curse all they want; you do the blessing. + Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up, followed by cheers for me, your servant. Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame, discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes. + My mouth's full of great praise for GOD, I'm singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds, + For he's always at hand to take the side of the needy, to rescue a life from the unjust judge. + + + A David prayer. The word of GOD to my Lord: "Sit alongside me here on my throne until I make your enemies a stool for your feet." + You were forged a strong scepter by GOD of Zion; now rule, though surrounded by enemies! + Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor on the great day of your conquest, Join you at the fresh break of day, join you with all the vigor of youth. + GOD gave his word and he won't take it back: you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest. + The Lord stands true at your side, crushing kings in his terrible wrath, + Bringing judgment on the nations, handing out convictions wholesale, crushing opposition across the wide earth. + The King-Maker put his King on the throne; the True King rules with head held high! + + + Hallelujah! I give thanks to GOD with everything I've got-- Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. + GOD's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study--endless enjoyment! + Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. + His miracles are his memorial-- This GOD of Grace, this GOD of Love. + He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise. + He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter--a gift! + He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last-- + Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true: + He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. + The good life begins in the fear of GOD-- Do that and you'll know the blessing of GOD. His Hallelujah lasts forever! + + + Hallelujah! Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear GOD, Who cherish and relish his commandments, + Their children robust on the earth, And the homes of the upright--how blessed! + Their houses brim with wealth And a generosity that never runs dry. + Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people-- God's grace and mercy and justice! + The good person is generous and lends lavishly; + No shuffling or stumbling around for this one, But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation. + Unfazed by rumor and gossip, Heart ready, trusting in GOD, + Spirit firm, unperturbed, Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies, + They lavish gifts on the poor-- A generosity that goes on, and on, and on. An honored life! A beautiful life! + Someone wicked takes one look and rages, Blusters away but ends up speechless. There's nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing. + + + Hallelujah! You who serve GOD, praise GOD! Just to speak his name is praise! + Just to remember GOD is a blessing-- now and tomorrow and always. + From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to GOD! + GOD is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. + Who can compare with GOD, our God, so majestically enthroned, + Surveying his magnificent heavens and earth? + He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash, + Seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best. + He gives childless couples a family, gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah! + + + After Israel left Egypt, the clan of Jacob left those barbarians behind; + Judah became holy land for him, Israel the place of holy rule. + Sea took one look and ran the other way; River Jordan turned around and ran off. + The mountains turned playful and skipped like rams, the hills frolicked like spring lambs. + What's wrong with you, Sea, that you ran away? and you, River Jordan, that you turned and ran off? + And mountains, why did you skip like rams? and you, hills, frolic like spring lambs? + Tremble, Earth! You're in the Lord's presence! in the presence of Jacob's God. + He turned the rock into a pool of cool water, turned flint into fresh spring water. + + + Not for our sake, GOD, no, not for our sake, but for your name's sake, show your glory. Do it on account of your merciful love, do it on account of your faithful ways. + Do it so none of the nations can say, "Where now, oh where is their God?" + Our God is in heaven doing whatever he wants to do. + Their gods are metal and wood, handmade in a basement shop: + Carved mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see, + Tin ears that can't hear, molded noses that can't smell, + Hands that can't grasp, feet that can't walk or run, throats that never utter a sound. + Those who make them have become just like them, have become just like the gods they trust. + But you, Israel: put your trust in GOD! --trust your Helper! trust your Ruler! + Clan of Aaron, trust in GOD! --trust your Helper! trust your Ruler! + You who fear GOD, trust in GOD! --trust your Helper! trust your Ruler! + O GOD, remember us and bless us, bless the families of Israel and Aaron. + And let GOD bless all who fear GOD-- bless the small, bless the great. + Oh, let GOD enlarge your families-- giving growth to you, growth to your children. + May you be blessed by GOD, by GOD, who made heaven and earth. + The heaven of heavens is for GOD, but he put us in charge of the earth. + Dead people can't praise GOD-- not a word to be heard from those buried in the ground. + But we bless GOD, oh yes-- we bless him now, we bless him always! Hallelujah! + + + I love GOD because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. + He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. + Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn; + then I called out to GOD for help: "Please, GOD!" I cried out. "Save my life!" + GOD is gracious--it is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God. + GOD takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me. + I said to myself, "Relax and rest. GOD has showered you with blessings. + Soul, you've been rescued from death; Eye, you've been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling." + I'm striding in the presence of GOD, alive in the land of the living! + I stayed faithful, though bedeviled, and despite a ton of bad luck, + Despite giving up on the human race, saying, "They're all liars and cheats." + What can I give back to GOD for the blessings he's poured out on me? + I'll lift high the cup of salvation--a toast to GOD! I'll pray in the name of GOD; + I'll complete what I promised GOD I'd do, and I'll do it together with his people. + When they arrive at the gates of death, GOD welcomes those who love him. + Oh, GOD, here I am, your servant, your faithful servant: set me free for your service! + I'm ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice and pray in the name of GOD. + I'll complete what I promised GOD I'd do, and I'll do it in company with his people, + In the place of worship, in GOD's house, in Jerusalem, GOD's city. Hallelujah! + + + Praise GOD, everybody! Applaud GOD, all people! + His love has taken over our lives; GOD's faithful ways are eternal. Hallelujah! + + + Thank GOD because he's good, because his love never quits. + Tell the world, Israel, "His love never quits." + And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world, "His love never quits." + And you who fear GOD, join in, "His love never quits." + Pushed to the wall, I called to GOD; from the wide open spaces, he answered. + GOD's now at my side and I'm not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? + GOD's my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. + Far better to take refuge in GOD than trust in people; + Far better to take refuge in GOD than trust in celebrities. + Hemmed in by barbarians, in GOD's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; + Hemmed in and with no way out, in GOD's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; + Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in; in GOD's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt. + I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when GOD grabbed and held me. + GOD's my strength, he's also my song, and now he's my salvation. + Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved? "The hand of GOD has turned the tide! + The hand of GOD is raised in victory! The hand of GOD has turned the tide!" + I didn't die. I lived! And now I'm telling the world what GOD did. + GOD tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn't hand me over to Death. + Swing wide the city gates--the righteous gates! I'll walk right through and thank GOD! + This Temple Gate belongs to GOD, so the victors can enter and praise. + Thank you for responding to me; you've truly become my salvation! + The stone the masons discarded as flawed is now the capstone! + This is GOD's work. We rub our eyes--we can hardly believe it! + This is the very day GOD acted-- let's celebrate and be festive! + Salvation now, GOD. Salvation now! Oh yes, GOD--a free and full life! + Blessed are you who enter in GOD's name-- from GOD's house we bless you! + GOD is God, he has bathed us in light. Festoon the shrine with garlands, hang colored banners above the altar! + You're my God, and I thank you. O my God, I lift high your praise. + Thank GOD--he's so good. His love never quits! + + + You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. + You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. + That's right--you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. + You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. + Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; + Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. + I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. + I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me. + How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. + I'm single-minded in pursuit of you; don't let me miss the road signs you've posted. + I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt. + Be blessed, GOD; train me in your ways of wise living. + I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; + I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. + I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you've done it. + I relish everything you've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it. + Be generous with me and I'll live a full life; not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road. + Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. + I'm a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions. + My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!-- insatiable for your nourishing commands. + And those who think they know so much, ignoring everything you tell them--let them have it! + Don't let them mock and humiliate me; I've been careful to do just what you said. + While bad neighbors maliciously gossip about me, I'm absorbed in pondering your wise counsel. + Yes, your sayings on life are what give me delight; I listen to them as to good neighbors! + I'm feeling terrible--I couldn't feel worse! Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember? + When I told my story, you responded; train me well in your deep wisdom. + Help me understand these things inside and out so I can ponder your miracle-wonders. + My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. + Barricade the road that goes Nowhere; grace me with your clear revelation. + I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. + I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; GOD, don't let me down! + I'll run the course you lay out for me if you'll just show me how. + GOD, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. + Give me insight so I can do what you tell me-- my whole life one long, obedient response. + Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! + Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. + Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. + Affirm your promises to me-- promises made to all who fear you. + Deflect the harsh words of my critics-- but what you say is always so good. + See how hungry I am for your counsel; preserve my life through your righteous ways! + Let your love, GOD, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised; + Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted your Word. + Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever-- your commandments are what I depend on. + Oh, I'll guard with my life what you've revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever; + And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom; + Then I'll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed. + I cherish your commandments--oh, how I love them!-- + relishing every fragment of your counsel. + Remember what you said to me, your servant-- I hang on to these words for dear life! + These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me. + The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't budge from your revelation. + I watch for your ancient landmark words, and know I'm on the right track. + But when I see the wicked ignore your directions, I'm beside myself with anger. + I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way. + I meditate on your name all night, GOD, treasuring your revelation, O GOD. + Still, I walk through a rain of derision because I live by your Word and counsel. + Because you have satisfied me, GOD, I promise to do everything you say. + I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. + When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. + I was up at once, didn't drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders. + The wicked hemmed me in--there was no way out-- but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me. + I get up in the middle of the night to thank you; your decisions are so right, so true--I can't wait till morning! + I'm a friend and companion of all who fear you, of those committed to living by your rules. + Your love, GOD, fills the earth! Train me to live by your counsel. + Be good to your servant, GOD; be as good as your Word. + Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly committed to living your way. + Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I'm in step with your Word. + You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. + The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my attention on what you are saying; + They're bland as a bucket of lard, while I dance to the tune of your revelation. + My troubles turned out all for the best-- they forced me to learn from your textbook. + Truth from your mouth means more to me than striking it rich in a gold mine. + With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. + When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. + I can see now, GOD, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what's true and right. + Oh, love me--and right now!--hold me tight! just the way you promised. + Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. + Let the fast-talking tricksters be exposed as frauds; they tried to sell me a bill of goods, but I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. + Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. + And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high. + I'm homesick--longing for your salvation; I'm waiting for your word of hope. + My eyes grow heavy watching for some sign of your promise; how long must I wait for your comfort? + There's smoke in my eyes--they burn and water, but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions you post. + How long do I have to put up with all this? How long till you haul my tormentors into court? + The arrogant godless try to throw me off track, ignorant as they are of God and his ways. + Everything you command is a sure thing, but they harass me with lies. Help! + They've pushed and pushed--they never let up-- but I haven't relaxed my grip on your counsel. + In your great love revive me so I can alertly obey your every word. + What you say goes, GOD, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. + Your truth never goes out of fashion; it's as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. + Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that's what you ordered--you set the earth going. + If your revelation hadn't delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. + But I'll never forget the advice you gave me; you saved my life with those wise words. + Save me! I'm all yours. I look high and low for your words of wisdom. + The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I'm only concerned with your plans for me. + I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can't contain your commands! + Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. + Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. + I've even become smarter than my teachers since I've pondered and absorbed your counsel. + I've become wiser than the wise old sages simply by doing what you tell me. + I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil so I can spend all my time keeping your Word. + I never make detours from the route you laid out; you gave me such good directions. + Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking. + With your instruction, I understand life; that's why I hate false propaganda. + By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. + I've committed myself and I'll never turn back from living by your righteous order. + Everything's falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word. + Festoon me with your finest sayings, GOD; teach me your holy rules. + My life is as close as my own hands, but I don't forget what you have revealed. + The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don't swerve an inch from your course. + I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever-- what a gift! And how happy it makes me! + I concentrate on doing exactly what you say-- I always have and always will. + I hate the two-faced, but I love your clear-cut revelation. + You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me. + Get out of my life, evildoers, so I can keep my God's commands. + Take my side as you promised; I'll live then for sure. Don't disappoint all my grand hopes. + Stick with me and I'll be all right; I'll give total allegiance to your definitions of life. + Expose all who drift away from your sayings; their casual idolatry is lethal. + You reject earth's wicked as so much rubbish; therefore I lovingly embrace everything you say. + I shiver in awe before you; your decisions leave me speechless with reverence. + I stood up for justice and the right; don't leave me to the mercy of my oppressors. + Take the side of your servant, good God; don't let the godless take advantage of me. + I can't keep my eyes open any longer, waiting for you to keep your promise to set everything right. + Let your love dictate how you deal with me; teach me from your textbook on life. + I'm your servant--help me understand what that means, the inner meaning of your instructions. + It's time to act, GOD; they've made a shambles of your revelation! + Yea-Saying God, I love what you command, I love it better than gold and gemstones; + Yea-Saying God, I honor everything you tell me, I despise every deceitful detour. W + Every word you give me is a miracle word-- how could I help but obey? + Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning. + Mouth open and panting, I wanted your commands more than anything. + Turn my way, look kindly on me, as you always do to those who personally love you. + Steady my steps with your Word of promise so nothing malign gets the better of me. + Rescue me from the grip of bad men and women so I can live life your way. + Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live. + I cry rivers of tears because nobody's living by your book! + You are right and you do right, GOD; your decisions are right on target. + You rightly instruct us in how to live ever faithful to you. + My rivals nearly did me in, they persistently ignored your commandments. + Your promise has been tested through and through, and I, your servant, love it dearly. + I'm too young to be important, but I don't forget what you tell me. + Your righteousness is eternally right, your revelation is the only truth. + Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. + The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. + I call out at the top of my lungs, "GOD! Answer! I'll do whatever you say." + I called to you, "Save me so I can carry out all your instructions." + I was up before sunrise, crying for help, hoping for a word from you. + I stayed awake all night, prayerfully pondering your promise. + In your love, listen to me; in your justice, GOD, keep me alive. + As those out to get me come closer and closer, they go farther and farther from the truth you reveal; + But you're the closest of all to me, GOD, and all your judgments true. + I've known all along from the evidence of your words that you meant them to last forever. + Take a good look at my trouble, and help me-- I haven't forgotten your revelation. + Take my side and get me out of this; give me back my life, just as you promised. + "Salvation" is only gibberish to the wicked because they've never looked it up in your dictionary. + Your mercies, GOD, run into the billions; following your guidelines, revive me. + My antagonists are too many to count, but I don't swerve from the directions you gave. + I took one look at the quitters and was filled with loathing; they walked away from your promises so casually! + Take note of how I love what you tell me; out of your life of love, prolong my life. + Your words all add up to the sum total: Truth. Your righteous decisions are eternal. + I've been slandered unmercifully by the politicians, but my awe at your words keeps me stable. + I'm ecstatic over what you say, like one who strikes it rich. + I hate lies--can't stand them!-- but I love what you have revealed. + Seven times each day I stop and shout praises for the way you keep everything running right. + For those who love what you reveal, everything fits-- no stumbling around in the dark for them. + I wait expectantly for your salvation; GOD, I do what you tell me. + My soul guards and keeps all your instructions-- oh, how much I love them! + I follow your directions, abide by your counsel; my life's an open book before you. + Let my cry come right into your presence, GOD; provide me with the insight that comes only from your Word. + Give my request your personal attention, rescue me on the terms of your promise. + Let praise cascade off my lips; after all, you've taught me the truth about life! + And let your promises ring from my tongue; every order you've given is right. + Put your hand out and steady me since I've chosen to live by your counsel. + I'm homesick, GOD, for your salvation; I love it when you show yourself! + Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well, use your decrees to put iron in my soul. + And should I wander off like a lost sheep--seek me! I'll recognize the sound of your voice. + + + A pilgrim song. I'm in trouble. I cry to GOD, desperate for an answer: + "Deliver me from the liars, GOD! They smile so sweetly but lie through their teeth." + Do you know what's next, can you see what's coming, all you barefaced liars? + Pointed arrows and burning coals will be your reward. + I'm doomed to live in Meshech, cursed with a home in Kedar, + My whole life lived camping among quarreling neighbors. + I'm all for peace, but the minute I tell them so, they go to war! + + + A pilgrim song. I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? + No, my strength comes from GOD, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. + He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep. + Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep. + GOD's your Guardian, right at your side to protect you-- + Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke. + GOD guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. + He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always. + + + A pilgrim song of David. When they said, "Let's go to the house of GOD," my heart leaped for joy. + And now we're here, O Jerusalem, inside Jerusalem's walls! + Jerusalem, well-built city, built as a place for worship! + The city to which the tribes ascend, all GOD's tribes go up to worship, To give thanks to the name of GOD-- this is what it means to be Israel. + Thrones for righteous judgment are set there, famous David-thrones. + Pray for Jerusalem's peace! Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers! + Friendly insiders, get along! Hostile outsiders, keep your distance! + For the sake of my family and friends, I say it again: live in peace! + For the sake of the house of our God, GOD, I'll do my very best for you. + + + A pilgrim song. I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help. + Like servants, alert to their master's commands, like a maiden attending her lady, We're watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy. + Mercy, GOD, mercy! We've been kicked around long enough, + Kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men, kicked when we're down by arrogant brutes. + + + A pilgrim song of David. If GOD hadn't been for us --all together now, Israel, sing out!-- + If GOD hadn't been for us when everyone went against us, + We would have been swallowed alive by their violent anger, + Swept away by the flood of rage, drowned in the torrent; + We would have lost our lives in the wild, raging water. + Oh, blessed be GOD! He didn't go off and leave us. He didn't abandon us defenseless, helpless as a rabbit in a pack of snarling dogs. + We've flown free from their fangs, free of their traps, free as a bird. Their grip is broken; we're free as a bird in flight. + GOD's strong name is our help, the same GOD who made heaven and earth. + + + A pilgrim song. Those who trust in GOD are like Zion Mountain: Nothing can move it, a rock-solid mountain you can always depend on. + Mountains encircle Jerusalem, and GOD encircles his people-- always has and always will. + The fist of the wicked will never violate What is due the righteous, provoking wrongful violence. + Be good to your good people, GOD, to those whose hearts are right! + GOD will round up the backsliders, corral them with the incorrigibles. Peace over Israel! + + + A pilgrim song. It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when GOD returned Zion's exiles. + We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations-- "GOD was wonderful to them!" + GOD was wonderful to us; we are one happy people. + And now, GOD, do it again-- bring rains to our drought-stricken lives + So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, + So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. + + + A pilgrim song of Solomon. If GOD doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks. If GOD doesn't guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. + It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? + Don't you see that children are GOD's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? + Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. + Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep. + + + A pilgrim song. All you who fear GOD, how blessed you are! how happily you walk on his smooth straight road! + You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness! + Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes, your household lush as a vineyard, The children around your table as fresh and promising as young olive shoots. + Stand in awe of God's Yes. Oh, how he blesses the one who fears GOD! + Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem every day of your life. + And enjoy your grandchildren. Peace to Israel! + + + A pilgrim song. "They've kicked me around ever since I was young" --this is how Israel tells it-- + "They've kicked me around ever since I was young, but they never could keep me down. + Their plowmen plowed long furrows up and down my back; + Then GOD ripped the harnesses of the evil plowmen to shreds." + Oh, let all those who hate Zion grovel in humiliation; + Let them be like grass in shallow ground that withers before the harvest, + Before the farmhands can gather it in, the harvesters get in the crop, + Before the neighbors have a chance to call out, "Congratulations on your wonderful crop! We bless you in GOD's name!" + + + A pilgrim song. Help, GOD--the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! + Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy. + If you, GOD, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? + As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped. + I pray to GOD--my life a prayer-- and wait for what he'll say and do. + My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. + O Israel, wait and watch for GOD-- with GOD's arrival comes love, with GOD's arrival comes generous redemption. + No doubt about it--he'll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin. + + + A pilgrim song. GOD, I'm not trying to rule the roost, I don't want to be king of the mountain. I haven't meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans. + I've kept my feet on the ground, I've cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother's arms, my soul is a baby content. + Wait, Israel, for GOD. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always! + + + A pilgrim song. O GOD, remember David, remember all his troubles! + And remember how he promised GOD, made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob, + "I'm not going home, and I'm not going to bed, + I'm not going to sleep, not even take time to rest, + Until I find a home for GOD, a house for the Strong God of Jacob." + Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah, learned all about it at Jaar Meadows? + We shouted, "Let's go to the shrine dedication! Let's worship at God's own footstool!" + Up, GOD, enjoy your new place of quiet repose, you and your mighty covenant ark; + Get your priests all dressed up in justice; prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer: + "Honor your servant David; don't disdain your anointed one." + GOD gave David his word, he won't back out on this promise: "One of your sons I will set on your throne; + If your sons stay true to my Covenant and learn to live the way I teach them, Their sons will continue the line-- always a son to sit on your throne. + Yes--I, GOD, chose Zion, the place I wanted for my shrine; + This will always be my home; this is what I want, and I'm here for good. + I'll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry; + I'll dress my priests in salvation clothes; the holy people will sing their hearts out! + Oh, I'll make the place radiant for David! I'll fill it with light for my anointed! + I'll dress his enemies in dirty rags, but I'll make his crown sparkle with splendor." + + + A pilgrim song of David. How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! + It's like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron's beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. + It's like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that's where GOD commands the blessing, ordains eternal life. + + + A pilgrim song. Come, bless GOD, all you servants of GOD! You priests of GOD, posted to the nightwatch in GOD's shrine, + Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place, and bless GOD. + In turn, may GOD of Zion bless you-- GOD who made heaven and earth! + + + Hallelujah! Praise the name of GOD, praise the works of GOD. + All you priests on duty in GOD's temple, serving in the sacred halls of our God, + Shout "Hallelujah!" because GOD's so good, sing anthems to his beautiful name. + And why? Because GOD chose Jacob, embraced Israel as a prize possession. + I too give witness to the greatness of GOD, our Lord, high above all other gods. + He does just as he pleases-- however, wherever, whenever. + He makes the weather--clouds and thunder, lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north. + He struck down the Egyptian firstborn, both human and animal firstborn. + He made Egypt sit up and take notice, confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles. + Yes, he struck down great nations, he slew mighty kings-- + Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan-- every last one of the Canaanite kings! + Then he turned their land over to Israel, a gift of good land to his people. + GOD, your name is eternal, GOD, you'll never be out-of-date. + GOD stands up for his people, GOD holds the hands of his people. + The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets, made for quick sale in the markets: + Chiseled mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see, + Carved ears that can't hear-- dead wood! cold metal! + Those who make and trust them become like them. + Family of Israel, bless GOD! Family of Aaron, bless GOD! + Family of Levi, bless GOD! You who fear GOD, bless GOD! + Oh, blessed be GOD of Zion, First Citizen of Jerusalem! Hallelujah! + + + Thank GOD! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits. + Thank the God of all gods, His love never quits. + Thank the Lord of all lords. His love never quits. + Thank the miracle-working God, His love never quits. + The God whose skill formed the cosmos, His love never quits. + The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations, His love never quits. + The God who filled the skies with light, His love never quits. + The sun to watch over the day, His love never quits. + Moon and stars as guardians of the night, His love never quits. + The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn, His love never quits. + And rescued Israel from Egypt's oppression, His love never quits. + Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand, His love never quits. + Split the Red Sea right in half, His love never quits. + Led Israel right through the middle, His love never quits. + Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea, His love never quits. + The God who marched his people through the desert, His love never quits. + Smashed huge kingdoms right and left, His love never quits. + Struck down the famous kings, His love never quits. + Struck Sihon the Amorite king, His love never quits. + Struck Og the Bashanite king, His love never quits. + Then distributed their land as booty, His love never quits. + Handed the land over to Israel. His love never quits. + God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits. + Rescued us from the trampling boot, His love never quits. + Takes care of everyone in time of need. His love never quits. + Thank God, who did it all! His love never quits! + + + Alongside Babylon's rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. + Alongside the quaking aspens we stacked our unplayed harps; + That's where our captors demanded songs, sarcastic and mocking: "Sing us a happy Zion song!" + Oh, how could we ever sing GOD's song in this wasteland? + If I ever forget you, Jerusalem, let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves. + Let my tongue swell and turn black if I fail to remember you, If I fail, O dear Jerusalem, to honor you as my greatest. + GOD, remember those Edomites, and remember the ruin of Jerusalem, That day they yelled out, "Wreck it, smash it to bits!" + And you, Babylonians--ravagers! A reward to whoever gets back at you for all you've done to us; + Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies and smashes their heads on the rocks! + + + A David psalm. Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!" Angels listen as I sing my thanks. + I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: "Thank you!" Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word. + The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength. + When they hear what you have to say, GOD, all earth's kings will say "Thank you." + They'll sing of what you've done: "How great the glory of GOD!" + And here's why: GOD, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance, he knows everything about us. + When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. + Finish what you started in me, GOD. Your love is eternal--don't quit on me now. + + + A David psalm. GOD, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. + I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. + You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. + You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. + I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too-- your reassuring presence, coming and going. + This is too much, too wonderful-- I can't take it all in! + Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? + If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! + If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, + You'd find me in a minute-- you're already there waiting! + Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" + It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you. + Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. + I thank you, High God--you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration--what a creation! + You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. + Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. + Your thoughts--how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! + I couldn't even begin to count them-- any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! + And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers--out of here!-- + all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. + See how I hate those who hate you, GOD, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; + I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies! + Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; + See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong-- then guide me on the road to eternal life. + + + A David psalm. GOD, get me out of here, away from this evil; protect me from these vicious people. + All they do is think up new ways to be bad; they spend their days plotting war games. + They practice the sharp rhetoric of hate and hurt, speak venomous words that maim and kill. + GOD, keep me out of the clutch of these wicked ones, protect me from these vicious people; + Stuffed with self-importance, they plot ways to trip me up, determined to bring me down. These crooks invent traps to catch me and do their best to incriminate me. + I prayed, "GOD, you're my God! Listen, GOD! Mercy! + GOD, my Lord, Strong Savior, protect me when the fighting breaks out! + Don't let the wicked have their way, GOD, don't give them an inch!" + These troublemakers all around me-- let them drown in their own verbal poison. + Let God pile hellfire on them, let him bury them alive in crevasses! + These loudmouths-- don't let them be taken seriously; These savages-- let the Devil hunt them down! + I know that you, GOD, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. + And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence. + + + A David psalm. GOD, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears--it's my voice you're hearing! + Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening prayers. + Post a guard at my mouth, GOD, set a watch at the door of my lips. + Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong-- don't let them lure me with their sweet talk! + May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me, Don't let sin anoint my head. I'm praying hard against their evil ways! + Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff; make them face the music. + Like a rock pulverized by a maul, let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell. + But GOD, dear Lord, I only have eyes for you. Since I've run for dear life to you, take good care of me. + Protect me from their evil scheming, from all their demonic subterfuge. + Let the wicked fall flat on their faces, while I walk off without a scratch. A David prayer--when he was in the cave. + + + I cry out loudly to GOD, loudly I plead with GOD for mercy. + I spill out all my complaints before him, and spell out my troubles in detail: + "As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away, you know how I'm feeling, Know the danger I'm in, the traps hidden in my path. + Look right, look left-- there's not a soul who cares what happens! I'm up against it, with no exit-- bereft, left alone. + I cry out, GOD, call out: 'You're my last chance, my only hope for life!' + Oh listen, please listen; I've never been this low. Rescue me from those who are hunting me down; I'm no match for them. + Get me out of this dungeon so I can thank you in public. Your people will form a circle around me and you'll bring me showers of blessing!" + + + A David psalm. Listen to this prayer of mine, GOD; pay attention to what I'm asking. Answer me--you're famous for your answers! Do what's right for me. + But don't, please don't, haul me into court; not a person alive would be acquitted there. + The enemy hunted me down; he kicked me and stomped me within an inch of my life. He put me in a black hole, buried me like a corpse in that dungeon. + I sat there in despair, my spirit draining away, my heart heavy, like lead. + I remembered the old days, went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked, + Stretched out my hands to you, as thirsty for you as a desert thirsty for rain. + Hurry with your answer, GOD! I'm nearly at the end of my rope. Don't turn away; don't ignore me! That would be certain death. + If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice, I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you. Point out the road I must travel; I'm all ears, all eyes before you. + Save me from my enemies, GOD-- you're my only hope! + Teach me how to live to please you, because you're my God. Lead me by your blessed Spirit into cleared and level pastureland. + Keep up your reputation, God--give me life! In your justice, get me out of this trouble! + In your great love, vanquish my enemies; make a clean sweep of those who harass me. And why? Because I'm your servant. + + + A David psalm. Blessed be GOD, my mountain, who trains me to fight fair and well. + He's the bedrock on which I stand, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight, The high crag where I run for dear life, while he lays my enemies low. + I wonder why you care, GOD-- why do you bother with us at all? + All we are is a puff of air; we're like shadows in a campfire. + Step down out of heaven, GOD; ignite volcanoes in the hearts of the mountains. + Hurl your lightnings in every direction; shoot your arrows this way and that. + Reach all the way from sky to sea: pull me out of the ocean of hate, out of the grip of those barbarians + Who lie through their teeth, who shake your hand then knife you in the back. + O God, let me sing a new song to you, let me play it on a twelve-string guitar-- + A song to the God who saved the king, the God who rescued David, his servant. + Rescue me from the enemy sword, release me from the grip of those barbarians Who lie through their teeth, who shake your hand then knife you in the back. + Make our sons in their prime like sturdy oak trees, Our daughters as shapely and bright as fields of wildflowers. + Fill our barns with great harvest, fill our fields with huge flocks; + Protect us from invasion and exile-- eliminate the crime in our streets. + How blessed the people who have all this! How blessed the people who have GOD for God! + + + David's praise. I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity. + I'll bless you every day, and keep it up from now to eternity. + GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. + Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. + Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders. + Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could write a book full of the details of your greatness. + The fame of your goodness spreads across the country; your righteousness is on everyone's lips. + GOD is all mercy and grace-- not quick to anger, is rich in love. + GOD is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. + Creation and creatures applaud you, GOD; + your holy people bless you. They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim over your splendor, + Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom. + Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. GOD always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does. + GOD gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit. + All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time. + Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures. + Everything GOD does is right-- the trademark on all his works is love. + GOD's there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. + He does what's best for those who fear him-- hears them call out, and saves them. + GOD sticks by all who love him, but it's all over for those who don't. + My mouth is filled with GOD's praise. Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity! + + + Hallelujah! O my soul, praise GOD! + All my life long I'll praise GOD, singing songs to my God as long as I live. + Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. + Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. + Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in GOD and know real blessing! + GOD made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says-- + he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. GOD frees prisoners-- + he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. GOD loves good people, + protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. + GOD's in charge--always. Zion's God is God for good! Hallelujah! + + + Hallelujah! It's a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting. + GOD's the one who rebuilds Jerusalem, who regathers Israel's scattered exiles. + He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds. + He counts the stars and assigns each a name. + Our Lord is great, with limitless strength; we'll never comprehend what he knows and does + GOD puts the fallen on their feet again and pushes the wicked into the ditch. + Sing to GOD a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God, + Who fills the sky with clouds, preparing rain for the earth, Then turning the mountains green with grass, + feeding both cattle and crows. + He's not impressed with horsepower; the size of our muscles means little to him. + Those who fear GOD get GOD's attention; they can depend on his strength. + Jerusalem, worship GOD! Zion, praise your God! + He made your city secure, he blessed your children among you. + He keeps the peace at your borders, he puts the best bread on your tables. + He launches his promises earthward-- how swift and sure they come! + He spreads snow like a white fleece, he scatters frost like ashes, + He broadcasts hail like birdseed-- who can survive his winter? + Then he gives the command and it all melts; he breathes on winter--suddenly it's spring! + He speaks the same way to Jacob, speaks words that work to Israel. + He never did this to the other nations; they never heard such commands. Hallelujah! + + + Hallelujah! Praise GOD from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; + Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, + Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; + Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; + Praise, oh let them praise the name of GOD-- he spoke the word, and there they were! + He set them in place from all time to eternity; He gave his orders, and that's it! + Praise GOD from earth, you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps; + Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders; + Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests; + Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight; + Earth's kings and all races, leaders and important people, + Robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children. + Let them praise the name of GOD-- it's the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky; + he's built a monument--his very own people! Praise from all who love GOD! Israel's children, intimate friends of GOD. Hallelujah! + + + Hallelujah! Sing to GOD a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. + Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion's children exult in their King. + Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! + And why? Because GOD delights in his people, festoons plain folk with salvation garlands! + Let true lovers break out in praise, sing out from wherever they're sitting, + Shout the high praises of God, brandish their swords in the wild sword-dance-- + A portent of vengeance on the God-defying nations, a signal that punishment's coming, + Their kings chained and hauled off to jail, their leaders behind bars for good, + The judgment on them carried out to the letter --and all who love God in the seat of honor! Hallelujah! + + + Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies; + Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his magnificent greatness; + Praise with a blast on the trumpet, praise by strumming soft strings; + Praise him with castanets and dance, praise him with banjo and flute; + Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum, praise him with fiddles and mandolin. + Let every living, breathing creature praise GOD! Hallelujah! + + + + + These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David's son, Israel's king-- + Written down so we'll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it's going; + A manual for living, for learning what's right and just and fair; + To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. + There's something here also for seasoned men and women, + still a thing or two for the experienced to learn-- Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women. + Start with GOD--the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. + Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. + Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers. + Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don't go along with them. + If they say--"Let's go out and raise some hell. Let's beat up some old man, mug some old woman. + Let's pick them clean and get them ready for their funerals. + We'll load up on top-quality loot. We'll haul it home by the truckload. + Join us for the time of your life! With us, it's share and share alike!"-- + Oh, friend, don't give them a second look; don't listen to them for a minute. + They're racing to a very bad end, hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on. + Nobody robs a bank with everyone watching, + Yet that's what these people are doing-- they're doing themselves in. + When you grab all you can get, that's what happens: the more you get, the less you are. + Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts. At the town center she makes her speech. + In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand. At the busiest corner she calls out: + "Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? + About face! I can revise your life. Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you; I'm ready to tell you all I know. + As it is, I've called, but you've turned a deaf ear; I've reached out to you, but you've ignored me. + "Since you laugh at my counsel and make a joke of my advice, + How can I take you seriously? I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles! + What if the roof falls in, and your whole life goes to pieces? What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing to show for your life but rubble and ashes? + You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect an answer. No matter how hard you look, you won't find me. + "Because you hated Knowledge and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-GOD, + Because you wouldn't take my advice and brushed aside all my offers to train you, + Well, you've made your bed--now lie in it; you wanted your own way--now, how do you like it? + Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots? Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. + First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy--you're in good hands." + + + Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. + Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. + That's right--if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, + Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, + Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-GOD will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God. + And here's why: GOD gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. + He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. + He keeps his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones. + So now you can pick out what's true and fair, find all the good trails! + Lady Wisdom will be your close friend, and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion. + Good Sense will scout ahead for danger, Insight will keep an eye out for you. + They'll keep you from making wrong turns, or following the bad directions + Of those who are lost themselves and can't tell a trail from a tumbleweed, + These losers who make a game of evil and throw parties to celebrate perversity, + Traveling paths that go nowhere, wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends. + Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress-- that smooth-talking Seductress + Who's faithless to the husband she married years ago, never gave a second thought to her promises before God. + Her whole way of life is doomed; every step she takes brings her closer to hell. + No one who joins her company ever comes back, ever sets foot on the path to real living. + So--join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried and true paths. + It's the men who walk straight who will settle this land, the women with integrity who will last here. + The corrupt will lose their lives; the dishonest will be gone for good. + + + Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands. + They'll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. + Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. + Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people. + Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. + Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. + Don't assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil! + Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! + Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. + Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. + But don't, dear friend, resent GOD's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. + It's the child he loves that GOD corrects; a father's delight is behind all this. + You're blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. + She's worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. + Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. + With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. + Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. + She's the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tight--and be blessed! + With Lady Wisdom, GOD formed Earth; with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven. + They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface, and dew to descend from the night skies. + Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. + They'll keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. + You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip. + You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep. + No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, + Because GOD will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound. + Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person. + Don't tell your neighbor, "Maybe some other time," or, "Try me tomorrow," when the money's right there in your pocket. + Don't figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor when he's sitting there trusting and unsuspecting. + Don't walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always spoiling for a fight. + Don't try to be like those who shoulder their way through life. Why be a bully? + "Why not?" you say. Because GOD can't stand twisted souls. It's the straightforward who get his respect. + GOD's curse blights the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. + He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder, but if you're down on your luck, he's right there to help. + Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize. + + + Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice; sit up and take notice so you'll know how to live. + I'm giving you good counsel; don't let it go in one ear and out the other. + When I was a boy at my father's knee, the pride and joy of my mother, + He would sit me down and drill me: "Take this to heart. Do what I tell you--live! + Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! + Never walk away from Wisdom--she guards your life; love her--she keeps her eye on you. + Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! + Throw your arms around her--believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go--she'll make your life glorious. + She'll garland your life with grace, she'll festoon your days with beauty." + Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life. + I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road. + I don't want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns. + Hold tight to good advice; don't relax your grip. Guard it well--your life is at stake! + Don't take Wicked Bypass; don't so much as set foot on that road. + Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth. Make a detour and be on your way. + Evil people are restless unless they're making trouble; They can't get a good night's sleep unless they've made life miserable for somebody. + Perversity is their food and drink, violence their drug of choice. + The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. + But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker-- travelers can't see a thing; they fall flat on their faces. + Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. + Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! + Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they're bursting with health. + Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. + Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. + Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. + Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. + Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust. + + + Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen very closely to the way I see it. + Then you'll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble. + The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet, her soft words are oh so smooth. + But it won't be long before she's gravel in your mouth, a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart. + She's dancing down the primrose path to Death; she's headed straight for Hell and taking you with her. + She hasn't a clue about Real Life, about who she is or where she's going. + So, my friend, listen closely; don't treat my words casually. + Keep your distance from such a woman; absolutely stay out of her neighborhood. + You don't want to squander your wonderful life, to waste your precious life among the hardhearted. + Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you? Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you? + You don't want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones, + Saying, "Oh, why didn't I do what they told me? Why did I reject a disciplined life? + Why didn't I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? + My life is ruined! I haven't one blessed thing to show for my life!" + Do you know the saying, "Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well"? + It's true. Otherwise, you may one day come home and find your barrel empty and your well polluted. + Your spring water is for you and you only, not to be passed around among strangers. + Bless your fresh-flowing fountain! Enjoy the wife you married as a young man! + Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose-- don't ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her love for granted! + Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore? for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger? + Mark well that GOD doesn't miss a move you make; he's aware of every step you take. + The shadow of your sin will overtake you; you'll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark. + Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end. + + + Dear friend, if you've gone into hock with your neighbor or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger, + If you've impulsively promised the shirt off your back and now find yourself shivering out in the cold, + Friend, don't waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess. You're in that man's clutches! Go, put on a long face; act desperate. + Don't procrastinate-- there's no time to lose. + Run like a deer from the hunter, fly like a bird from the trapper! + You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. + Nobody has to tell it what to do. + All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. + So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? + A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy--do you know what comes next? + Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest! + Riffraff and rascals talk out of both sides of their mouths. + They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet, they cross their fingers behind their backs. + Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty, always stirring up trouble. + Catastrophe is just around the corner for them, a total smash-up, their lives ruined beyond repair. + Here are six things GOD hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: + eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, + a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, + a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. + Good friend, follow your father's good advice; don't wander off from your mother's teachings. + Wrap yourself in them from head to foot; wear them like a scarf around your neck. + Wherever you walk, they'll guide you; whenever you rest, they'll guard you; when you wake up, they'll tell you what's next. + For sound advice is a beacon, good teaching is a light, moral discipline is a life path. + They'll protect you from wanton women, from the seductive talk of some temptress. + Don't lustfully fantasize on her beauty, nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes. + You can buy an hour with a whore for a loaf of bread, but a wanton woman may well eat you alive. + Can you build a fire in your lap and not burn your pants? + Can you walk barefoot on hot coals and not get blisters? + It's the same when you have sex with your neighbor's wife: Touch her and you'll pay for it. No excuses. + Hunger is no excuse for a thief to steal; + When he's caught he has to pay it back, even if he has to put his whole house in hock. + Adultery is a brainless act, soul-destroying, self-destructive; + Expect a bloody nose, a black eye, and a reputation ruined for good. + For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband; wild for revenge, he won't make allowances. + Nothing you say or pay will make it all right; neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him. + + + Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. + Do what I say and you'll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight--guard it! + Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. + Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. + They'll be with you to fend off the Temptress-- that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress. + As I stood at the window of my house looking out through the shutters, + Watching the mindless crowd stroll by, I spotted a young man without any sense + Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived, then turning up the path to her house. + It was dusk, the evening coming on, the darkness thickening into night. + Just then, a woman met him-- she'd been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him. + Brazen and brash she was, restless and roaming, never at home, + Walking the streets, loitering in the mall, hanging out at every corner in town. + She threw her arms around him and kissed him, boldly took his arm and said, + "I've got all the makings for a feast-- today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid, + So now I've come to find you, hoping to catch sight of your face--and here you are! + I've spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed, colorful imported linens. + My bed is aromatic with spices and exotic fragrances. + Come, let's make love all night, spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking! + My husband's not home; he's away on business, and he won't be back for a month." + (SEE 7:19) + Soon she has him eating out of her hand, bewitched by her honeyed speech. + Before you know it, he's trotting behind her, like a calf led to the butcher shop, Like a stag lured into ambush + and then shot with an arrow, Like a bird flying into a net not knowing that its flying life is over. + So, friends, listen to me, take these words of mine most seriously. + Don't fool around with a woman like that; don't even stroll through her neighborhood. + Countless victims come under her spell; she's the death of many a poor man. + She runs a halfway house to hell, fits you out with a shroud and a coffin. + + + Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice? + She's taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection. + Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts, + "You--I'm talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets! + Listen, you idiots--learn good sense! You blockheads--shape up! + Don't miss a word of this--I'm telling you how to live well, I'm telling you how to live at your best. + My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth-- I can't stand the taste of evil! + You'll only hear true and right words from my mouth; not one syllable will be twisted or skewed. + You'll recognize this as true--you with open minds; truth-ready minds will see it at once. + Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. + For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. + "I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street. + The Fear-of-GOD means hating Evil, whose ways I hate with a passion-- pride and arrogance and crooked talk. + Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out. + With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly; + With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority. + I love those who love me; those who look for me find me. + Wealth and Glory accompany me-- also substantial Honor and a Good Name. + My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary; the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus. + You can find me on Righteous Road--that's where I walk-- at the intersection of Justice Avenue, + Handing out life to those who love me, filling their arms with life--armloads of life! + "GOD sovereignly made me--the first, the basic-- before he did anything else. + I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start. + I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. + Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; + Long before GOD stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, + And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, + built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, + When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said, NO TRESPASSING, And then staked out Earth's foundations, + I was right there with him, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, + Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family. + "So, my dear friends, listen carefully; those who embrace these my ways are most blessed. + Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don't squander your precious life. + Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day's work. + When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of GOD's good pleasure. + But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul; when you reject me, you're flirting with death." + + + Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. + The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. + Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: + "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! + I've prepared a wonderful spread--fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. + Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." + If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. + So don't waste your time on a scoffer; all you'll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that's different--they'll love you for it! + Save your breath for the wise--they'll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know--they'll profit from it. + Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-GOD, insight into life from knowing a Holy God. + It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. + Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you. Madame Whore Calls Out, Too + Then there's this other woman, Madame Whore-- brazen, empty-headed, frivolous. + She sits on the front porch of her house on Main Street, + And as people walk by minding their own business, calls out, + "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? + Steal off with me, I'll show you a good time! No one will ever know--I'll give you the time of your life." + But they don't know about all the skeletons in her closet, that all her guests end up in hell. + + + Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother. + Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal. + GOD won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked. + Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth. + Make hay while the sun shines--that's smart; go fishing during harvest--that's stupid. + Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse. + A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench. + A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued. + Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed. + An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead, but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace. + The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse. + Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering. + You'll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight, but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face. + The wise accumulate knowledge--a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much--a sheer waste. + The wealth of the rich is their bastion; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin. + The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin. + The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good. + Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander. + The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. + The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless. + The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. + GOD's blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God. + An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom. + The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get. + When the storm is over, there's nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren't even fazed. + A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes. + The Fear-of-GOD expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life. + The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash. + GOD is solid backing to a well-lived life, but he calls into question a shabby performance. + Good people last--they can't be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow. + A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp. + The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it. + + + GOD hates cheating in the marketplace; he loves it when business is aboveboard. + The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm. + The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin. + A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst. + Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. + Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust. + When the wicked die, that's it-- the story's over, end of hope. + A good person is saved from much trouble; a bad person runs straight into it. + The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction; the common sense of the godly preserves them. + When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers; when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates. + When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes; evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time. + Mean-spirited slander is heartless; quiet discretion accompanies good sense. + A gadabout gossip can't be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won't violate a confidence. + Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. + Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned; if you keep a cool head, you'll avoid rash bargains. + A woman of gentle grace gets respect, but men of rough violence grab for loot. + When you're kind to others, you help yourself; when you're cruel to others, you hurt yourself. + Bad work gets paid with a bad check; good work gets solid pay. + Take your stand with God's loyal community and live, or chase after phantoms of evil and die. + GOD can't stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity. + Count on this: The wicked won't get off scot-free, and God's loyal people will triumph. + Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful face on an empty head. + The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration. + The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. + The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. + Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square! + The one who seeks good finds delight; the student of evil becomes evil. + A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree. + Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air; common sense tells you it's a stupid way to live. + A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls. + If good people barely make it, what's in store for the bad! + + + If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it-- how shortsighted to refuse correction! + A good person basks in the delight of GOD, and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers. + You can't find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm. + A hearty wife invigorates her husband, but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones. + The thinking of principled people makes for justice; the plots of degenerates corrupt. + The words of the wicked kill; the speech of the upright saves. + Wicked people fall to pieces--there's nothing to them; the homes of good people hold together. + A person who talks sense is honored; airheads are held in contempt. + Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process. + Good people are good to their animals; the "good-hearted" bad people kick and abuse them. + The one who stays on the job has food on the table; the witless chase whims and fancies. + What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin, while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life. + The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble; the conversation of good people keeps them out of it. + Well-spoken words bring satisfaction; well-done work has its own reward. + Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice. + Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly; the prudent quietly shrug off insults. + Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit. + Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise. + Truth lasts; lies are here today, gone tomorrow. + Evil scheming distorts the schemer; peace-planning brings joy to the planner. + No evil can overwhelm a good person, but the wicked have their hands full of it. + God can't stomach liars; he loves the company of those who keep their word. + Prudent people don't flaunt their knowledge; talkative fools broadcast their silliness. + The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work. + Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. + A good person survives misfortune, but a wicked life invites disaster. + A lazy life is an empty life, but "early to rise" gets the job done. + Good men and women travel right into life; sin's detours take you straight to hell. + + + Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing. + The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation; bullies push and shove their way through life. + Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. + Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives. + A good person hates false talk; a bad person wallows in gibberish. + A God-loyal life keeps you on track; sin dumps the wicked in the ditch. + A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life. + The rich can be sued for everything they have, but the poor are free of such threats. + The lives of good people are brightly lit streets; the lives of the wicked are dark alleys. + Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other's counsel. + Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off. + Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. + Ignore the Word and suffer; honor God's commands and grow rich. + The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells! + Sound thinking makes for gracious living, but liars walk a rough road. + A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness. + Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence. + Refuse discipline and end up homeless; embrace correction and live an honored life. + Souls who follow their hearts thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul. + Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces. + Disaster entraps sinners, but God-loyal people get a good life. + A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren; ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people. + Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor, or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers. + A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them. + An appetite for good brings much satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked always wants more. + + + Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick. + An honest life shows respect for GOD; a degenerate life is a slap in his face. + Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile; wise speech evokes nothing but respect. + No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow. + A true witness never lies; a false witness makes a business of it. + Cynics look high and low for wisdom--and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep! + Escape quickly from the company of fools; they're a waste of your time, a waste of your words. + The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch. + The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life. + The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends will be an outsider at their celebrations. + Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks; holy living builds soaring cathedrals. + There's a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again--it leads straight to hell. + Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. + A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace. + The gullible believe anything they're told; the prudent sift and weigh every word. + The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless. + The hotheaded do things they'll later regret; the coldhearted get the cold shoulder. + Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion; wise realists plant their feet on the ground. + Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good; the wicked will respect God-loyal people. + An unlucky loser is shunned by all, but everyone loves a winner. + It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor--what a blessing! + Isn't it obvious that conspirators lose out, while the thoughtful win love and trust? + Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table. + The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day. + Souls are saved by truthful witness and betrayed by the spread of lies. + The Fear-of-GOD builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children. + The Fear-of-GOD is a spring of living water so you won't go off drinking from poisoned wells. + The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following. + Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity. + A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones. + You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you're kind to the poor, you honor God. + The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold; the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living. + Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart-- fools never even get to say hello. + God-devotion makes a country strong; God-avoidance leaves people weak. + Diligent work gets a warm commendation; shiftless work earns an angry rebuke. + + + A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire. + Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. + GOD doesn't miss a thing-- he's alert to good and evil alike. + Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim. + Moral dropouts won't listen to their elders; welcoming correction is a mark of good sense. + The lives of God-loyal people flourish; a misspent life is soon bankrupt. + Perceptive words spread knowledge; fools are hollow--there's nothing to them. + GOD can't stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers. + A life frittered away disgusts GOD; he loves those who run straight for the finish line. + It's a school of hard knocks for those who leave God's path, a dead-end street for those who hate God's rules. + Even hell holds no secrets from GOD-- do you think he can't read human hearts? + Know-it-alls don't like being told what to do; they avoid the company of wise men and women. + A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day. + An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies. + A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song. + A simple life in the Fear-of-GOD is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches. + Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate. + Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace. + The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers; the diligent walk down a smooth road. + Intelligent children make their parents proud; lazy students embarrass their parents. + The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it. + Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed. + Congenial conversation--what a pleasure! The right word at the right time--beautiful! + Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful-- it's a clean about-face from descent into hell. + GOD smashes the pretensions of the arrogant; he stands with those who have no standing. + GOD can't stand evil scheming, but he puts words of grace and beauty on display. + A greedy and grasping person destroys community; those who refuse to exploit live and let live. + Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people; the wicked are sewers of abuse. + GOD keeps his distance from the wicked; he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people. + A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle. + Listen to good advice if you want to live well, an honored guest among wise men and women. + An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny; an obedient, God-willed life is spacious. + Fear-of-GOD is a school in skilled living-- first you learn humility, then you experience glory. + + + Mortals make elaborate plans, but GOD has the last word. + Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; GOD probes for what is good. + Put GOD in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place. + GOD made everything with a place and purpose; even the wicked are included--but for judgment. + GOD can't stomach arrogance or pretense; believe me, he'll put those upstarts in their place. + Guilt is banished through love and truth; Fear-of-GOD deflects evil. + When GOD approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand. + Far better to be right and poor than to be wrong and rich. + We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it. + A good leader motivates, doesn't mislead, doesn't exploit. + GOD cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business. + Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds; sound leadership has a moral foundation. + Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisors who tell them the truth. + An intemperate leader wreaks havoc in lives; you're smart to stay clear of someone like that. + Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives; they're like spring rain and sunshine. + Get wisdom--it's worth more than money; choose insight over income every time. + The road of right living bypasses evil; watch your step and save your life. + First pride, then the crash-- the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. + It's better to live humbly among the poor than to live it up among the rich and famous. + It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in GOD. + A wise person gets known for insight; gracious words add to one's reputation. + True intelligence is a spring of fresh water, while fools sweat it out the hard way. + They make a lot of sense, these wise folks; whenever they speak, their reputation increases. + Gracious speech is like clover honey-- good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body. + There's a way that looks harmless enough; look again--it leads straight to hell. + Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder. + Mean people spread mean gossip; their words smart and burn. + Troublemakers start fights; gossips break up friendships. + Calloused climbers betray their very own friends; they'd stab their own grandmothers in the back. + A shifty eye betrays an evil intention; a clenched jaw signals trouble ahead. + Gray hair is a mark of distinction, the award for a God-loyal life. + Moderation is better than muscle, self-control better than political power. + Make your motions and cast your votes, but GOD has the final say. + + + A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels. + A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child and is honored as one of the family. + As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan, so our lives are assayed by GOD. + Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip. + Whoever mocks poor people, insults their Creator; gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime. + Old people are distinguished by grandchildren; children take pride in their parents. + We don't expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders. + Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted. + Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and--good-bye, friend! + A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool. + Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble won't have to wait long--they'll meet it coming and going! + Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs than a fool hellbent on folly. + Those who return evil for good will meet their own evil returning. + The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts. + Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to GOD. + What's this? Fools out shopping for wisdom! They wouldn't recognize it if they saw it! + Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. + It's stupid to try to get something for nothing, or run up huge bills you can never pay. + The person who courts sin, marries trouble; build a wall, invite a burglar. + A bad motive can't achieve a good end; double-talk brings you double trouble. + Having a fool for a child is misery; it's no fun being the parent of a dolt. + A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired. + The wicked take bribes under the table; they show nothing but contempt for justice. + The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard; fools look for it everywhere but right here. + A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father, a bitter pill for a mother to swallow. + It's wrong to penalize good behavior, or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others. + The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm. + Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart. + + + Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good. + Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth. + When wickedness arrives, shame's not far behind; contempt for life is contemptible. + Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs. + It's not right to go easy on the guilty, or come down hard on the innocent. + The words of a fool start fights; do him a favor and gag him. + Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words. + Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly? + Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism. + GOD's name is a place of protection-- good people can run there and be safe. + The rich think their wealth protects them; they imagine themselves safe behind it. + Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor. + Answering before listening is both stupid and rude. + A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? + Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights. + A gift gets attention; it buys the attention of eminent people. + The first speech in a court case is always convincing-- until the cross-examination starts! + You may have to draw straws when faced with a tough decision. + Do a favor and win a friend forever; nothing can untie that bond. + Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. + Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit--you choose. + Find a good spouse, you find a good life-- and even more: the favor of GOD! + The poor speak in soft supplications; the rich bark out answers. + Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family. + + + Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust. + Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste. + People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does GOD always get blamed? + Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like a plague. + Perjury won't go unpunished. Would you let a liar go free? + Lots of people flock around a generous person; everyone's a friend to the philanthropist. + When you're down on your luck, even your family avoids you-- yes, even your best friends wish you'd get lost. If they see you coming, they look the other way-- out of sight, out of mind. + Grow a wise heart--you'll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head--you'll find a good life. + The person who tells lies gets caught; the person who spreads rumors is ruined. + Blockheads shouldn't live on easy street any more than workers should give orders to their boss. + Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget. + Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew. + A parent is worn to a frazzle by a stupid child; a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet. + House and land are handed down from parents, but a congenial spouse comes straight from GOD. + Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry. + Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills. + Mercy to the needy is a loan to GOD, and GOD pays back those loans in full. + Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them. + Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you'll only make it worse. + Take good counsel and accept correction-- that's the way to live wisely and well. + We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD's purpose prevails. + It's only human to want to make a buck, but it's better to be poor than a liar. + Fear-of-GOD is life itself, a full life, and serene--no nasty surprises. + Some people dig a fork into the pie but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth. + Punish the insolent--make an example of them. Who knows? Somebody might learn a good lesson. + Kids who lash out against their parents are an embarrassment and disgrace. + If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you'll soon be out of your depth. + An unprincipled witness desecrates justice; the mouths of the wicked spew malice. + The irreverent have to learn reverence the hard way; only a slap in the face brings fools to attention. + + + Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome-- a staggering drunk is not much fun. + Quick-tempered leaders are like mad dogs-- cross them and they bite your head off. + It's a mark of good character to avert quarrels, but fools love to pick fights. + A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall. + Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within. + Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving, but where on earth can you find one? + God-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children. + Leaders who know their business and care keep a sharp eye out for the shoddy and cheap, + For who among us can be trusted to be always diligent and honest? + Switching price tags and padding the expense account are two things GOD hates. + Young people eventually reveal by their actions if their motives are on the up and up. + Ears that hear and eyes that see-- we get our basic equipment from GOD! + Don't be too fond of sleep; you'll end up in the poorhouse. Wake up and get up; then there'll be food on the table. + The shopper says, "That's junk--I'll take it off your hands," then goes off boasting of the bargain. + Drinking from the beautiful chalice of knowledge is better than adorning oneself with gold and rare gems. + Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger; beware of accepting what a transient has pawned. + Stolen bread tastes sweet, but soon your mouth is full of gravel. + Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get. + Gossips can't keep secrets, so never confide in blabbermouths. + Anyone who curses father and mother extinguishes light and exists benighted. + A bonanza at the beginning is no guarantee of blessing at the end. + Don't ever say, "I'll get you for that!" Wait for GOD; he'll settle the score. + GOD hates cheating in the marketplace; rigged scales are an outrage. + The very steps we take come from GOD; otherwise how would we know where we're going? + An impulsive vow is a trap; later you'll wish you could get out of it. + After careful scrutiny, a wise leader makes a clean sweep of rebels and dolts. + GOD is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out. + Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity. + Youth may be admired for vigor, but gray hair gives prestige to old age. + A good thrashing purges evil; punishment goes deep within us. + + + Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses. + We justify our actions by appearances; GOD examines our motives. + Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to GOD than religious performance. + Arrogance and pride--distinguishing marks in the wicked-- are just plain sin. + Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind. + Make it to the top by lying and cheating; get paid with smoke and a promotion--to death! + The wicked get buried alive by their loot because they refuse to use it to help others. + Mixed motives twist life into tangles; pure motives take you straight down the road. + Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than share a mansion with a nagging spouse. + Wicked souls love to make trouble; they feel nothing for friends and neighbors. + Simpletons only learn the hard way, but the wise learn by listening. + A God-loyal person will see right through the wicked and undo the evil they've planned. + If you stop your ears to the cries of the poor, your cries will go unheard, unanswered. + A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper. + Good people celebrate when justice triumphs, but for the workers of evil it's a bad day. + Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow ends up in a congregation of ghosts. + You're addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. + What a bad person plots against the good, boomerangs; the plotter gets it in the end. + Better to live in a tent in the wild than with a cross and petulant spouse. + Valuables are safe in a wise person's home; fools put it all out for yard sales. + Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself--glorious life! + One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers-- their trusted defenses fell to pieces! + Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief. + You know their names--Brash, Impudent, Blasphemer-- intemperate hotheads, every one. + Lazy people finally die of hunger because they won't get up and go to work. + Sinners are always wanting what they don't have; the God-loyal are always giving what they do have. + Religious performance by the wicked stinks; it's even worse when they use it to get ahead. + A lying witness is unconvincing; a person who speaks truth is respected. + Unscrupulous people fake it a lot; honest people are sure of their steps. + Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived, can get the better of GOD. + Do your best, prepare for the worst-- then trust GOD to bring victory. + + + A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank. + The rich and the poor shake hands as equals-- GOD made them both! + A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. + The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-GOD is plenty and honor and a satisfying life. + The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick; if you know what's good for you, stay clear of it. + Point your kids in the right direction-- when they're old they won't be lost. + The poor are always ruled over by the rich, so don't borrow and put yourself under their power. + Whoever sows sin reaps weeds, and bullying anger sputters into nothing. + Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. + Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down; you need a break from bickering and griping! + GOD loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken; good leaders also delight in their friendship. + GOD guards knowledge with a passion, but he'll have nothing to do with deception. + The loafer says, "There's a lion on the loose! If I go out I'll be eaten alive!" + The mouth of a whore is a bottomless pit; you'll fall in that pit if you're on the outs with GOD. + Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline. + Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich--whichever, you'll end up the poorer for it. + Listen carefully to my wisdom; take to heart what I can teach you. You'll treasure its sweetness deep within; + you'll give it bold expression in your speech. + To make sure your foundation is trust in GOD, I'm laying it all out right now just for you. + I'm giving you thirty sterling principles-- tested guidelines to live by. + Believe me--these are truths that work, and will keep you accountable to those who sent you. + Don't walk on the poor just because they're poor, and don't use your position to crush the weak, + Because GOD will come to their defense; the life you took, he'll take from you and give back to them. + Don't hang out with angry people; don't keep company with hotheads. + Bad temper is contagious-- don't get infected. + Don't gamble on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, hocking your house against a lucky chance. + The time will come when you have to pay up; you'll be left with nothing but the shirt on your back. + Don't stealthily move back the boundary lines staked out long ago by your ancestors. + Observe people who are good at their work-- skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a back seat to anyone. + + + When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: + Don't gobble your food, don't talk with your mouth full. + And don't stuff yourself; bridle your appetite. + Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! + Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder. + Don't accept a meal from a tightwad; don't expect anything special. + He'll be as stingy with you as he is with himself; he'll say, "Eat! Drink!" but won't mean a word of it. + His miserly serving will turn your stomach when you realize the meal's a sham. + Don't bother talking sense to fools; they'll only poke fun at your words. + Don't stealthily move back the boundary lines or cheat orphans out of their property, + For they have a powerful Advocate who will go to bat for them. + Give yourselves to disciplined instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge. + Don't be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won't kill them. + A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death. + Dear child, if you become wise, I'll be one happy parent. + My heart will dance and sing to the tuneful truth you'll speak. + Don't for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-GOD-- + That's where your future lies. Then you won't be left with an armload of nothing. + Oh listen, dear child--become wise; point your life in the right direction. + Don't drink too much wine and get drunk; don't eat too much food and get fat. + Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags. + Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don't neglect her. + Buy truth--don't sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. + Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents. + So make your father happy! Make your mother proud! + Dear child, I want your full attention; please do what I show you. + A whore is a bottomless pit; a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast. + She'll take you for all you've got; she's worse than a pack of thieves. + Who are the people who are always crying the blues? Who do you know who reeks of self-pity? Who keeps getting beat up for no reason at all? Whose eyes are bleary and bloodshot? + It's those who spend the night with a bottle, for whom drinking is serious business. + Don't judge wine by its label, or its bouquet, or its full-bodied flavor. + Judge it rather by the hangover it leaves you with-- the splitting headache, the queasy stomach. + Do you really prefer seeing double, with your speech all slurred, + Reeling and seasick, drunk as a sailor? + "They hit me," you'll say, "but it didn't hurt; they beat on me, but I didn't feel a thing. When I'm sober enough to manage it, bring me another drink!" + + + Don't envy bad people; don't even want to be around them. + All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble. + It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation; + It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms with fine furniture and beautiful draperies. + It's better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day. + Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel. + Wise conversation is way over the head of fools; in a serious discussion they haven't a clue. + The person who's always cooking up some evil soon gets a reputation as prince of rogues. + Fools incubate sin; cynics desecrate beauty. + If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place. + Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. + If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business," will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know-- Someone not impressed with weak excuses. + Eat honey, dear child--it's good for you-- and delicacies that melt in your mouth. + Likewise knowledge, and wisdom for your soul-- Get that and your future's secured, your hope is on solid rock. + Don't interfere with good people's lives; don't try to get the best of them. + No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don't stay down long; Soon they're up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces. + Don't laugh when your enemy falls; don't crow over his collapse. + GOD might see, and become very provoked, and then take pity on his plight. + Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. + Those people have no future at all; they're headed down a dead-end street. + Fear GOD, dear child--respect your leaders; don't be defiant or mutinous. + Without warning your life can turn upside-down, and who knows how or when it might happen? + It's wrong, very wrong, to go along with injustice. + Whoever whitewashes the wicked gets a black mark in the history books, + But whoever exposes the wicked will be thanked and rewarded. + An honest answer is like a warm hug. + First plant your fields; then build your barn. + Don't talk about your neighbors behind their backs-- no slander or gossip, please. + Don't say to anyone, "I'll get back at you for what you did to me. I'll make you pay for what you did!" + One day I walked by the field of an old lazybones, and then passed the vineyard of a lout; + They were overgrown with weeds, thick with thistles, all the fences broken down. + I took a long look and pondered what I saw; the fields preached me a sermon and I listened: + "A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy--do you know what comes next? + Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, with poverty as your permanent houseguest!" + + + There are also these proverbs of Solomon, collected by scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah. + God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things. + Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth, the understanding of a good leader is broad and deep. + Remove impurities from the silver and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; + Remove the wicked from leadership and authority will be credible and God-honoring. + Don't work yourself into the spotlight; don't push your way into the place of prominence. + It's better to be promoted to a place of honor than face humiliation by being demoted. + Don't jump to conclusions--there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw. + In the heat of an argument, don't betray confidences; + Word is sure to get around, and no one will trust you. + The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, + And a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. + Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat--refreshing! + Like billowing clouds that bring no rain is the person who talks big but never produces. + Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses. + When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick; + And when you find a friend, don't outwear your welcome; show up at all hours and he'll soon get fed up. + Anyone who tells lies against the neighbors in court or on the street is a loose cannon. + Trusting a double-crosser when you're in trouble is like biting down on an abscessed tooth. + Singing light songs to the heavyhearted is like pouring salt in their wounds. + If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. + Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and GOD will look after you. + A north wind brings stormy weather, and a gossipy tongue stormy looks. + Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than share a mansion with a nagging spouse. + Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary is a letter from a long-lost friend. + A good person who gives in to a bad person is a muddied spring, a polluted well. + It's not smart to stuff yourself with sweets, nor is glory piled on glory good for you. + A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. + + + We no more give honors to fools than pray for snow in summer or rain during harvest. + You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow. + A whip for the racehorse, a tiller for the sailboat-- and a stick for the back of fools! + Don't respond to the stupidity of a fool; you'll only look foolish yourself. + Answer a fool in simple terms so he doesn't get a swelled head. + You're only asking for trouble when you send a message by a fool. + A proverb quoted by fools is limp as a wet noodle. + Putting a fool in a place of honor is like setting a mud brick on a marble column. + To ask a moron to quote a proverb is like putting a scalpel in the hands of a drunk. + Hire a fool or a drunk and you shoot yourself in the foot. + As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness. + See that man who thinks he's so smart? You can expect far more from a fool than from him. + Loafers say, "It's dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!" and then pull the covers back over their heads. + Just as a door turns on its hinges, so a lazybones turns back over in bed. + A shiftless sluggard puts his fork in the pie, but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth. + Dreamers fantasize their self-importance; they think they are smarter than a whole college faculty. + You grab a mad dog by the ears when you butt into a quarrel that's none of your business. + People who shrug off deliberate deceptions, saying, "I didn't mean it, I was only joking," + Are worse than careless campers who walk away from smoldering campfires. + When you run out of wood, the fire goes out; when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down. + A quarrelsome person in a dispute is like kerosene thrown on a fire. + Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly? + Smooth talk from an evil heart is like glaze on cracked pottery. + Your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend, all the while conniving against you. + When he speaks warmly to you, don't believe him for a minute; he's just waiting for the chance to rip you off. + No matter how cunningly he conceals his malice, eventually his evil will be exposed in public. + Malice backfires; spite boomerangs. + Liars hate their victims; flatterers sabotage trust. + + + Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow. + Don't call attention to yourself; let others do that for you. + Carrying a log across your shoulders while you're hefting a boulder with your arms Is nothing compared to the burden of putting up with a fool. + We're blasted by anger and swamped by rage, but who can survive jealousy? + A spoken reprimand is better than approval that's never expressed. + The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in. + When you've stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert; when you're starved, you could eat a horse. + People who won't settle down, wandering hither and yon, are like restless birds, flitting to and fro. + Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. + Don't leave your friends or your parents' friends and run home to your family when things get rough; Better a nearby friend than a distant family. + Become wise, dear child, and make me happy; then nothing the world throws my way will upset me. + A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. + Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger; be wary of accepting what a transient has pawned. + If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting "Rise and shine!" It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing. + A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; + You can't turn it off, and you can't get away from it. + You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. + If you care for your orchard, you'll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you'll be honored. + Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. + Hell has a voracious appetite, and lust just never quits. + The purity of silver and gold is tested by putting them in the fire; The purity of human hearts is tested by giving them a little fame. + Pound on a fool all you like-- you can't pound out foolishness. + Know your sheep by name; carefully attend to your flocks; + (Don't take them for granted; possessions don't last forever, you know.) + And then, when the crops are in and the harvest is stored in the barns, + You can knit sweaters from lambs' wool, and sell your goats for a profit; + There will be plenty of milk and meat to last your family through the winter. + + + The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one's after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions. + When the country is in chaos, everybody has a plan to fix it-- But it takes a leader of real understanding to straighten things out. + The wicked who oppress the poor are like a hailstorm that beats down the harvest. + If you desert God's law, you're free to embrace depravity; if you love God's law, you fight for it tooth and nail. + Justice makes no sense to the evilminded; those who seek GOD know it inside and out. + It's better to be poor and direct than rich and crooked. + Practice God's law--get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd--embarrass your family. + Get as rich as you want through cheating and extortion, But eventually some friend of the poor is going to give it all back to them. + God has no use for the prayers of the people who won't listen to him. + Lead good people down a wrong path and you'll come to a bad end; do good and you'll be rewarded for it. + The rich think they know it all, but the poor can see right through them. + When good people are promoted, everything is great, but when the bad are in charge, watch out! + You can't whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them. + A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life; a hardhearted person lives a hard life. + Lions roar and bears charge-- and the wicked lord it over the poor. + Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds, but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright. + A murderer haunted by guilt is doomed--there's no helping him. + Walk straight--live well and be saved; a devious life is a doomed life. + Work your garden--you'll end up with plenty of food; play and party--you'll end up with an empty plate. + Committed and persistent work pays off; get-rich-quick schemes are ripoffs. + Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways. + A miser in a hurry to get rich doesn't know that he'll end up broke. + In the end, serious reprimand is appreciated far more than bootlicking flattery. + Anyone who robs father and mother and says, "So, what's wrong with that?" is worse than a pirate. + A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in GOD brings a sense of well-being. + If you think you know it all, you're a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others. + Be generous to the poor--you'll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses. + When corruption takes over, good people go underground, but when the crooks are thrown out, it's safe to come out. + + + For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, There'll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it'll be too late to help them. + When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans. + If you love wisdom, you'll delight your parents, but you'll destroy their trust if you run with whores. + A leader of good judgment gives stability; an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste. + A flattering neighbor is up to no good; he's probably planning to take advantage of you. + Evil people fall into their own traps; good people run the other way, glad to escape. + The good-hearted understand what it's like to be poor; the hardhearted haven't the faintest idea. + A gang of cynics can upset a whole city; a group of sages can calm everyone down. + A sage trying to work things out with a fool gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble. + Murderers hate honest people; moral folks encourage them. + A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over. + When a leader listens to malicious gossip, all the workers get infected with evil. + The poor and their abusers have at least something in common: they can both see--their sight, GOD's gift! + Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly. + Wise discipline imparts wisdom; spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents. + When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild, but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse. + Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did-- they'll turn out delightful to live with. + If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. + It takes more than talk to keep workers in line; mere words go in one ear and out the other. + Observe the people who always talk before they think-- even simpletons are better off than they are. + If you let people treat you like a doormat, you'll be quite forgotten in the end. + Angry people stir up a lot of discord; the intemperate stir up trouble. + Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. + Befriend an outlaw and become an enemy to yourself. When the victims cry out, you'll be included in their curses if you're a coward to their cause in court. + The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in GOD protects you from that. + Everyone tries to get help from the leader, but only GOD will give us justice. + Good people can't stand the sight of deliberate evil; the wicked can't stand the sight of well-chosen goodness. + + + The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God!--I can do anything I want! + I'm more animal than human; so-called human intelligence escapes me. + "I flunked 'wisdom.' I see no evidence of a holy God. + Has anyone ever seen Anyone climb into Heaven and take charge? grab the winds and control them? gather the rains in his bucket? stake out the ends of the earth? Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons. Come on now--tell me!" + The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help. + So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies." + And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things before I die; don't refuse me-- + Banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence. Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little. + If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs him?' If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God." + Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs; They'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then you'll be the guilty one! + Don't curse your father or fail to bless your mother. + Don't imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven't had a bath in weeks. + Don't be stuck-up and think you're better than everyone else. + Don't be greedy, merciless and cruel as wolves, Tearing into the poor and feasting on them, shredding the needy to pieces only to discard them. + A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more." Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"-- + hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire. + An eye that disdains a father and despises a mother-- that eye will be plucked out by wild vultures and consumed by young eagles. + Three things amaze me, no, four things I'll never understand-- + how an eagle flies so high in the sky, how a snake glides over a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, why adolescents act the way they do. + Here's how a prostitute operates: she has sex with her client, Takes a bath, then asks, "Who's next?" + Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations-- + when the janitor becomes the boss, when a fool gets rich, + when a whore is voted "woman of the year," when a "girlfriend" replaces a faithful wife. + There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are-- + ants--frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter; + marmots--vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes; + locusts--leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment; + lizards--easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards. + There are three solemn dignitaries, four that are impressive in their bearing-- + a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none; + a rooster, proud and strutting; a billy goat; a head of state in stately procession. + If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures, + Don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights. + + + The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him: + "Oh, son of mine, what can you be thinking of! Child whom I bore! The son I dedicated to God! + Don't dissipate your virility on fortune-hunting women, promiscuous women who shipwreck leaders. + "Leaders can't afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer, + Lest, hung over, they don't know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt. + Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache + Of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death. + "Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. + Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!" + A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. + Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. + Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. + She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. + She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. + She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. + She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden. + First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. + She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. + She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. + She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. + She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. + She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. + Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. + She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. + Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. + When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. + She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. + Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: + "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" + Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-GOD. + Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises! + + + + + These are the words of the Quester, David's son and king in Jerusalem: + Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.] There's nothing to anything--it's all smoke. + What's there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? + One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes--it's business as usual for old planet earth. + The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again--the same old round. + The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that--the whirling, erratic wind. + All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again. + Everything's boring, utterly boring-- no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear. + What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There's nothing new on this earth. Year after year it's the same old thing. + Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"? Don't get excited--it's the same old story. + Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow? Nobody'll remember them either. Don't count on being remembered. + Call me "the Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem. + I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us. + I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke--smoke, and spitting into the wind. + Life's a corkscrew that can't be straightened, A minus that won't add up. + I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge." + What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless--nothing but spitting into the wind. + Much learning earns you much trouble. The more you know, the more you hurt. + + + I said to myself, "Let's go for it--experiment with pleasure, have a good time!" But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke. + What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? + With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth. + Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, + designed gardens and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, + made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. + I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. + I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and--most exquisite of all pleasures-- voluptuous maidens for my bed. + Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. + Everything I wanted I took--I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task--my reward to myself for a hard day's work! + Then I took a good look at everything I'd done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing. + And then I took a hard look at what's smart and what's stupid. What's left to do after you've been king? That's a hard act to follow. You just do what you can, and that's it. + But I did see that it's better to be smart than stupid, just as light is better than darkness. + Even so, though the smart ones see where they're going and the stupid ones grope in the dark, they're all the same in the end. One fate for all--and that's it. + When I realized that my fate's the same as the fool's, I had to ask myself, "So why bother being wise?" It's all smoke, nothing but smoke. + The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they're both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that's it. + I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It's smoke--and spitting into the wind. + And I hated everything I'd accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can't take it with me--no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. + Whether they're worthy or worthless--and who's to tell?--they'll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke. + That's when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. + What's the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that's what it is. A bad business from start to finish. + So what do you get from a life of hard labor? + Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night's rest. Nothing but smoke. + The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that's it--divine fate. + Whether we feast or fast, it's up to God. + God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God's favorites. Nothing but smoke--and spitting into the wind. + + + There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: + A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, + A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, + A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, + A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, + A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, + A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, + A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. + But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? + I've had a good look at what God has given us to do--busywork, mostly. + True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time--but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. + I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. + That's it--eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift. + I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. + Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That's how it always is with God. + I took another good look at what's going on: The very place of judgment--corrupt! + The place of righteousness--corrupt! I said to myself, "God will judge righteous and wicked." There's a right time for every thing, every deed--and there's no getting around it. + I said to myself regarding the human race, "God's testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals." + Humans and animals come to the same end--humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there's really no advantage in being human. None. Everything's smoke. + We all end up in the same place--we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. + Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth. + So I made up my mind that there's nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do--that's our lot. Who knows if there's anything else to life? + + + Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet--the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. + So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. + But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth. + Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind. + The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide. + One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work-- More spitting into the wind. + I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: + a solitary person, completely alone--no children, no family, no friends--yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, "Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?" More smoke. A bad business. + It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. + And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! + Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. + By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped. + A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn't know which end is up. + I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, + and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. + Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can't you see it's only smoke? And spitting into the wind? + + + Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, Doing more harm than good. + Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you--the less you speak, the better. + Over-work makes for restless sleep. Over-talk shows you up as a fool. + When you tell God you'll do something, do it--now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it. + Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up. + Don't let your mouth make a total sinner of you. When called to account, you won't get by with "Sorry, I didn't mean it." Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation? + But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk There's always this rock foundation: Fear God! + Don't be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There's no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. + But the good earth doesn't cheat anyone--even a bad king is honestly served by a field. + The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke. + The more loot you get, the more looters show up. And what fun is that--to be robbed in broad daylight? + Hard and honest work earns a good night's sleep, Whether supper is beans or steak. But a rich man's belly gives him insomnia. + Here's a piece of bad luck I've seen happen: A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him + And then loses it all in a bad business deal. He fathered a child but hasn't a cent left to give him. + He arrived naked from the womb of his mother; He'll leave in the same condition--with nothing. + This is bad luck, for sure--naked he came, naked he went. So what was the point of working for a salary of smoke? + All for a miserable life spent in the dark? + After looking at the way things are on this earth, here's what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that's about it. That's the human lot. + Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift! + God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. + + + I looked long and hard at what goes on around here, and let me tell you, things are bad. And people feel it. + There are people, for instance, on whom God showers everything--money, property, reputation--all they ever wanted or dreamed of. And then God doesn't let them enjoy it. Some stranger comes along and has all the fun. It's more of what I'm calling smoke. A bad business. + Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves--even though they end up with a big funeral! I'd say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal. + It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark--unnamed. + It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living. + Even if someone lived a thousand years--make it two thousand!--but didn't enjoy anything, what's the point? Doesn't everyone end up in the same place? + We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry. + So what advantage has a sage over a fool, or over some poor wretch who barely gets by? + Just grab whatever you can while you can; don't assume something better might turn up by and by. All it amounts to anyway is smoke. And spitting into the wind. + Whatever happens, happens. Its destiny is fixed. You can't argue with fate. + The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. And who is any better off? + And who knows what's best for us as we live out our meager smoke-and-shadow lives? And who can tell any of us the next chapter of our lives? + + + A good reputation is better than a fat bank account. Your death date tells more than your birth date. + You learn more at a funeral than at a feast-- After all, that's where we'll end up. We might discover something from it. + Crying is better than laughing. It blotches the face but it scours the heart. + Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving. Fools waste their lives in fun and games. + You'll get more from the rebuke of a sage Than from the song and dance of fools. + The giggles of fools are like the crackling of twigs Under the cooking pot. And like smoke. + Brutality stupefies even the wise And destroys the strongest heart. + Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out. + Don't be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head. + Don't always be asking, "Where are the good old days?" Wise folks don't ask questions like that. + Wisdom is better when it's paired with money, Especially if you get both while you're still living. + Double protection: wisdom and wealth! Plus this bonus: Wisdom energizes its owner. + Take a good look at God's work. Who could simplify and reduce Creation's curves and angles To a plain straight line? + On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won't take anything for granted. + I've seen it all in my brief and pointless life--here a good person cut down in the middle of doing good, there a bad person living a long life of sheer evil. + So don't knock yourself out being good, and don't go overboard being wise. Believe me, you won't get anything out of it. + But don't press your luck by being bad, either. And don't be reckless. Why die needlessly? + It's best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it. + Wisdom puts more strength in one wise person Than ten strong men give to a city. + There's not one totally good person on earth, Not one who is truly pure and sinless. + Don't eavesdrop on the conversation of others. What if the gossip's about you and you'd rather not hear it? + You've done that a few times, haven't you--said things Behind someone's back you wouldn't say to his face? + I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, + far beyond me, and deep--oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? + I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom--the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness. + One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught. + At least this is my experience--what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I've tried to make sense of life. + But the wisdom I've looked for I haven't found. I didn't find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while. + Yet I did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we're the ones who've made a mess of things. + + + There's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners. + Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience. + Don't worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You're serving his pleasure, not yours. + The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, "What are you doing?" + Carrying out orders won't hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately. + Yes, there's a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part. + It's true that no one knows what's going to happen, or when. Who's around to tell us? + No one can control the wind or lock it in a box. No one has any say-so regarding the day of death. No one can stop a battle in its tracks. No one who does evil can be saved by evil. + All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that's going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is. + One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies--and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed. + Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder. + Even though a person sins and gets by with it hundreds of times throughout a long life, I'm still convinced that the good life is reserved for the person who fears God, who lives reverently in his presence, + and that the evil person will not experience a "good" life. No matter how many days he lives, they'll all be as flat and colorless as a shadow--because he doesn't fear God. + Here's something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what's coming to the wicked, and bad people get what's coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It's smoke. + So, I'm all for just going ahead and having a good time--the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time--compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth. + When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, + you'll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you're not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won't get to the bottom of it. + + + Well, I took all this in and thought it through, inside and out. Here's what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God's hands--but, day by day, whether it's love or hate they're dealing with, they don't know. Anything's possible. + It's one fate for everybody--righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. + I find this outrageous--the worst thing about living on this earth--that everyone's lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That's it. + Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, "A living dog is better than a dead lion." + The living at least know something, even if it's only that they're going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They're a minus that no one remembers. + Their loves, their hates, yes, even their dreams, are long gone. There's not a trace of them left in the affairs of this earth. + Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, Drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes--God takes pleasure in your pleasure! + Dress festively every morning. Don't skimp on colors and scarves. + Relish life with the spouse you love Each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange For the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! + Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed. + I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is-- The race is not always to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor satisfaction to the wise, Nor riches to the smart, Nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all. + No one can predict misfortune. Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap, So men and women are caught By accidents evil and sudden. + One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. + There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. + There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.) + All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten. + The quiet words of the wise are more effective Than the ranting of a king of fools. + Wisdom is better than warheads, But one hothead can ruin the good earth. + + + Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom. + Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living. + Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!" + If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage. + Here's a piece of bad business I've seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge: + Immaturity is given a place of prominence, While maturity is made to take a back seat. + I've seen unproven upstarts riding in style, While experienced veterans are put out to pasture. + Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you. + Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous. + Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle. + If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer? + The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs-- + He starts out talking nonsense And ends up spouting insanity and evil. + Fools talk way too much, Chattering stuff they know nothing about. + A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town. + Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup, And whose princes party all night. + Lucky the land whose king is mature, Where the princes behave themselves And don't drink themselves silly. + A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack; A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof. + Laughter and bread go together, And wine gives sparkle to life-- But it's money that makes the world go around. + Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide. + + + Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. + Don't hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night. + When the clouds are full of water, it rains. When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls. + Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life. + Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does. + Go to work in the morning and stick to it until evening without watching the clock. You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end. + Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! + Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, Remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke. + You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it. + Live footloose and fancy free-- You won't be young forever. Youth lasts about as long as smoke. + + + Honor and enjoy your Creator while you're still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, + Before your vision dims and the world blurs And the winter years keep you close to the fire. + In old age, your body no longer serves you so well. Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen. The shades are pulled down on the world. + You can't come and go at will. Things grind to a halt. The hum of the household fades away. You are wakened now by bird-song. + Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past. Even a stroll down the road has its terrors. Your hair turns apple-blossom white, Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body. Yes, you're well on your way to eternal rest, While your friends make plans for your funeral. + Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. + The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it. + It's all smoke, nothing but smoke. The Quester says that everything's smoke. + Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. + The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth. + The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd. + But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. + The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. + And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it's good or evil. + + + + + The Song--best of all songs--Solomon's song! + Kiss me--full on the mouth! Yes! For your love is better than wine, + headier than your aromatic oils. The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook. No wonder everyone loves to say your name! + Take me away with you! Let's run off together! An elopement with my King-Lover! We'll celebrate, we'll sing, we'll make great music. Yes! For your love is better than vintage wine. Everyone loves you--of course! And why not? + I am weathered but still elegant, oh, dear sisters in Jerusalem, Weather-darkened like Kedar desert tents, time-softened like Solomon's Temple hangings. + Don't look down on me because I'm dark, darkened by the sun's harsh rays. My brothers ridiculed me and sent me to work in the fields. They made me care for the face of the earth, but I had no time to care for my own face. + Tell me where you're working --I love you so much--Tell me where you're tending your flocks, where you let them rest at noontime. Why should I be the one left out, outside the orbit of your tender care? + If you can't find me, loveliest of all women, it's all right. Stay with your flocks. Lead your lambs to good pasture. Stay with your shepherd neighbors. + You remind me of Pharaoh's well-groomed and satiny mares. + Pendant earrings line the elegance of your cheeks; strands of jewels illumine the curve of your throat. + I'm making jewelry for you, gold and silver jewelry that will mark and accent your beauty. + When my King-Lover lay down beside me, my fragrance filled the room. + His head resting between my breasts--the head of my lover was a sachet of sweet myrrh. + My beloved is a bouquet of wildflowers picked just for me from the fields of Engedi. + Oh, my dear friend! You're so beautiful! And your eyes so beautiful--like doves! + And you, my dear lover--you're so handsome! And the bed we share is like a forest glen. + We enjoy a canopy of cedars enclosed by cypresses, fragrant and green. + + + I'm just a wildflower picked from the plains of Sharon, a lotus blossom from the valley pools. + A lotus blossoming in a swamp of weeds-- that's my dear friend among the girls in the village. + As an apricot tree stands out in the forest, my lover stands above the young men in town. All I want is to sit in his shade, to taste and savor his delicious love. + He took me home with him for a festive meal, but his eyes feasted on me! + Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat--and quickly! Apricots, raisins--anything. I'm about to faint with love! + His left hand cradles my head, and his right arm encircles my waist! + Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe--and you're ready. + Look! Listen! There's my lover! Do you see him coming? Vaulting the mountains, leaping the hills. + My lover is like a gazelle, graceful; like a young stag, virile. Look at him there, on tiptoe at the gate, all ears, all eyes--ready! + My lover has arrived and he's speaking to me! Get up, my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover--come to me! + Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! + Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world's a choir--and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios. + Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover--come to me! + Come, my shy and modest dove-- leave your seclusion, come out in the open. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice. For your voice is soothing and your face is ravishing. + Then you must protect me from the foxes, foxes on the prowl, Foxes who would like nothing better than to get into our flowering garden. + My lover is mine, and I am his. Nightly he strolls in our garden, Delighting in the flowers + until dawn breathes its light and night slips away. Turn to me, dear lover. Come like a gazelle. Leap like a wild stag on delectable mountains! + + + Restless in bed and sleepless through the night, I longed for my lover. I wanted him desperately. His absence was painful. + So I got up, went out and roved the city, hunting through streets and down alleys. I wanted my lover in the worst way! I looked high and low, and didn't find him. + And then the night watchmen found me as they patrolled the darkened city. "Have you seen my dear lost love?" I asked. + No sooner had I left them than I found him, found my dear lost love. I threw my arms around him and held him tight, wouldn't let him go until I had him home again, safe at home beside the fire. + Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe--and you're ready. + What's this I see, approaching from the desert, raising clouds of dust, Filling the air with sweet smells and pungent aromatics? + Look! It's Solomon's carriage, carried and guarded by sixty soldiers, sixty of Israel's finest, + All of them armed to the teeth, trained for battle, ready for anything, anytime. + King Solomon once had a carriage built from fine-grained Lebanon cedar. + He had it framed with silver and roofed with gold. The cushions were covered with a purple fabric, the interior lined with tooled leather. + Come and look, sisters in Jerusalem. Oh, sisters of Zion, don't miss this! My King-Lover, dressed and garlanded for his wedding, his heart full, bursting with joy! + + + You're so beautiful, my darling, so beautiful, and your dove eyes are veiled By your hair as it flows and shimmers, like a flock of goats in the distance streaming down a hillside in the sunshine. + Your smile is generous and full-- expressive and strong and clean. + Your lips are jewel red, your mouth elegant and inviting, your veiled cheeks soft and radiant. + The smooth, lithe lines of your neck command notice--all heads turn in awe and admiration! + Your breasts are like fawns, twins of a gazelle, grazing among the first spring flowers. + The sweet, fragrant curves of your body, the soft, spiced contours of your flesh Invite me, and I come. I stay until dawn breathes its light and night slips away. + You're beautiful from head to toe, my dear love, beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless. + Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Leave Lebanon behind, and come. Leave your high mountain hideaway. Abandon your wilderness seclusion, Where you keep company with lions and panthers guard your safety. + You've captured my heart, dear friend. You looked at me, and I fell in love. One look my way and I was hopelessly in love! + How beautiful your love, dear, dear friend-- far more pleasing than a fine, rare wine, your fragrance more exotic than select spices. + The kisses of your lips are honey, my love, every syllable you speak a delicacy to savor. Your clothes smell like the wild outdoors, the ozone scent of high mountains. + Dear lover and friend, you're a secret garden, a private and pure fountain. + Body and soul, you are paradise, a whole orchard of succulent fruits-- Ripe apricots and peaches, oranges and pears; Nut trees and cinnamon, and all scented woods; + Mint and lavender, and all herbs aromatic; + A garden fountain, sparkling and splashing, fed by spring waters from the Lebanon mountains. + Wake up, North Wind, get moving, South Wind! Breathe on my garden, fill the air with spice fragrance. Oh, let my lover enter his garden! Yes, let him eat the fine, ripe fruits. + + + I went to my garden, dear friend, best lover! breathed the sweet fragrance. I ate the fruit and honey, I drank the nectar and wine. Celebrate with me, friends! Raise your glasses--"To life! To love!" + I was sound asleep, but in my dreams I was wide awake. Oh, listen! It's the sound of my lover knocking, calling! "Let me in, dear companion, dearest friend, my dove, consummate lover! I'm soaked with the dampness of the night, drenched with dew, shivering and cold." + "But I'm in my nightgown--do you expect me to get dressed? I'm bathed and in bed--do you want me to get dirty?" + But my lover wouldn't take no for an answer, and the longer he knocked, the more excited I became. + I got up to open the door to my lover, sweetly ready to receive him, Desiring and expectant as I turned the door handle. + But when I opened the door he was gone. My loved one had tired of waiting and left. And I died inside--oh, I felt so bad! I ran out looking for him But he was nowhere to be found. I called into the darkness--but no answer. + The night watchmen found me as they patrolled the streets of the city. They slapped and beat and bruised me, ripping off my clothes, These watchmen, who were supposed to be guarding the city. + I beg you, sisters in Jerusalem-- if you find my lover, Please tell him I want him, that I'm heartsick with love for him. + What's so great about your lover, fair lady? What's so special about him that you beg for our help? + My dear lover glows with health-- red-blooded, radiant! He's one in a million. There's no one quite like him! + My golden one, pure and untarnished, with raven black curls tumbling across his shoulders. + His eyes are like doves, soft and bright, but deep-set, brimming with meaning, like wells of water. + His face is rugged, his beard smells like sage, His voice, his words, warm and reassuring. + Fine muscles ripple beneath his skin, quiet and beautiful. His torso is the work of a sculptor, hard and smooth as ivory. + He stands tall, like a cedar, strong and deep-rooted, A rugged mountain of a man, aromatic with wood and stone. + His words are kisses, his kisses words. Everything about him delights me, thrills me through and through! That's my lover, that's my man, dear Jerusalem sisters. + + + So where has this love of yours gone, fair one? Where on earth can he be? Can we help you look for him? + Never mind. My lover is already on his way to his garden, to browse among the flowers, touching the colors and forms. + I am my lover's and my lover is mine. He caresses the sweet-smelling flowers. + Dear, dear friend and lover, you're as beautiful as Tirzah, city of delights, Lovely as Jerusalem, city of dreams, the ravishing visions of my ecstasy. + Your beauty is too much for me--I'm in over my head. I'm not used to this! I can't take it in. Your hair flows and shimmers like a flock of goats in the distance streaming down a hillside in the sunshine. + Your smile is generous and full-- expressive and strong and clean. + Your veiled cheeks are soft and radiant. + There's no one like her on earth, never has been, never will be. + She's a woman beyond compare. My dove is perfection, Pure and innocent as the day she was born, and cradled in joy by her mother. Everyone who came by to see her exclaimed and admired her-- All the fathers and mothers, the neighbors and friends, blessed and praised her: + "Has anyone ever seen anything like this-- dawn-fresh, moon-lovely, sun-radiant, ravishing as the night sky with its galaxies of stars?" + One day I went strolling through the orchard, looking for signs of spring, Looking for buds about to burst into flower, anticipating readiness, ripeness. + Before I knew it my heart was raptured, carried away by lofty thoughts! + Dance, dance, dear Shulammite, Angel-Princess! Dance, and we'll feast our eyes on your grace! Everyone wants to see the Shulammite dance her victory dances of love and peace. + + + Shapely and graceful your sandaled feet, and queenly your movement-- Your limbs are lithe and elegant, the work of a master artist. + Your body is a chalice, wine-filled. Your skin is silken and tawny like a field of wheat touched by the breeze. + Your breasts are like fawns, twins of a gazelle. + Your neck is carved ivory, curved and slender. Your eyes are wells of light, deep with mystery. Quintessentially feminine! Your profile turns all heads, commanding attention. + The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges --stirrings of desire, longings for the heights-- Remind me of you, and I'm spoiled for anyone else! + Your beauty, within and without, is absolute, dear lover, close companion. + You are tall and supple, like the palm tree, and your full breasts are like sweet clusters of dates. + I say, "I'm going to climb that palm tree! I'm going to caress its fruit!" Oh yes! Your breasts will be clusters of sweet fruit to me, Your breath clean and cool like fresh mint, + your tongue and lips like the best wine. Yes, and yours are, too--my love's kisses flow from his lips to mine. + I am my lover's. I'm all he wants. I'm all the world to him! + Come, dear lover-- let's tramp through the countryside. + Let's sleep at some wayside inn, then rise early and listen to bird-song. Let's look for wildflowers in bloom, blackberry bushes blossoming white, Fruit trees festooned with cascading flowers. And there I'll give myself to you, my love to your love! + Love-apples drench us with fragrance, fertility surrounds, suffuses us, Fruits fresh and preserved that I've kept and saved just for you, my love. + + + I wish you'd been my twin brother, sharing with me the breasts of my mother, Playing outside in the street, kissing in plain view of everyone, and no one thinking anything of it. + I'd take you by the hand and bring you home where I was raised by my mother. You'd drink my wine and kiss my cheeks. + Imagine! His left hand cradling my head, his right arm around my waist! + Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe--and you're ready. + Who is this I see coming up from the country, arm in arm with her lover? I found you under the apricot tree, and woke you up to love. Your mother went into labor under that tree, and under that very tree she bore you. + Hang my locket around your neck, wear my ring on your finger. Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing-- it sweeps everything before it. + Flood waters can't drown love, torrents of rain can't put it out. Love can't be bought, love can't be sold-- it's not to be found in the marketplace. + My brothers used to worry about me: "Our little sister has no breasts. What shall we do with our little sister when men come asking for her? + She's a virgin and vulnerable, and we'll protect her. If they think she's a wall, we'll top it with barbed wire. If they think she's a door, we'll barricade it." + Dear brothers, I'm a walled-in virgin still, but my breasts are full-- And when my lover sees me, he knows he'll soon be satisfied. + King Solomon may have vast vineyards in lush, fertile country, Where he hires others to work the ground. People pay anything to get in on that bounty. + But my vineyard is all mine, and I'm keeping it to myself. You can have your vast vineyards, Solomon, you and your greedy guests! + Oh, lady of the gardens, my friends are with me listening. Let me hear your voice! + Run to me, dear lover. Come like a gazelle. Leap like a wild stag on the spice mountains. + + + + + The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the times of the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. + Heaven and earth, you're the jury. Listen to GOD's case: "I had children and raised them well, and they turned on me. + The ox knows who's boss, the mule knows the hand that feeds him, But not Israel. My people don't know up from down. + Shame! Misguided GOD-dropouts, staggering under their guilt-baggage, Gang of miscreants, band of vandals-- My people have walked out on me, their GOD, turned their backs on The Holy of Israel, walked off and never looked back. + "Why bother even trying to do anything with you when you just keep to your bullheaded ways? You keep beating your heads against brick walls. Everything within you protests against you. + From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, nothing's working right. Wounds and bruises and running sores-- untended, unwashed, unbandaged. + Your country is laid waste, your cities burned down. Your land is destroyed by outsiders while you watch, reduced to rubble by barbarians. + Daughter Zion is deserted-- like a tumbledown shack on a dead-end street, Like a tarpaper shanty on the wrong side of the tracks, like a sinking ship abandoned by the rats. + If GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies hadn't left us a few survivors, we'd be as desolate as Sodom, doomed just like Gomorrah. + "Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God's revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people. + "Why this frenzy of sacrifices?" GOD's asking. "Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don't you think I've had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? + When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that-- all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? + "Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings-- meetings, meetings, meetings--I can't stand one more! + Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. + When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. + Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. + Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless. + "Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is GOD's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. + If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. + But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. GOD says so. + Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city has become a whore! She was once all justice, everyone living as good neighbors, And now they're all at one another's throats. + Your coins are all counterfeits. Your wine is watered down. + Your leaders are turncoats who keep company with crooks. They sell themselves to the highest bidder and grab anything not nailed down. They never stand up for the homeless, never stick up for the defenseless. + This Decree, therefore, of the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Strong One of Israel: "This is it! I'll get my oppressors off my back. I'll get back at my enemies. + I'll give you the back of my hand, purge the junk from your life, clean you up. + I'll set honest judges and wise counselors among you just like it was back in the beginning. Then you'll be renamed City-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue City." + GOD's right ways will put Zion right again. GOD's right actions will restore her penitents. + But it's curtains for rebels and GOD-traitors, a dead end for those who walk out on GOD. + "Your dalliances in those oak grove shrines will leave you looking mighty foolish, All that fooling around in god and goddess gardens that you thought was the latest thing. + You'll end up like an oak tree with all its leaves falling off, Like an unwatered garden, withered and brown. + 'The Big Man' will turn out to be dead bark and twigs, and his 'work,' the spark that starts the fire That exposes man and work both as nothing but cinders and smoke." + + + The Message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem: + There's a day coming when the mountain of GOD's House Will be The Mountain-- solid, towering over all mountains. All nations will river toward it, people from all over set out for it. + They'll say, "Come, let's climb GOD's Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He'll show us the way he works so we can live the way we're made." Zion's the source of the revelation. GOD's Message comes from Jerusalem. + He'll settle things fairly between nations. He'll make things right between many peoples. They'll turn their swords into shovels, their spears into hoes. No more will nation fight nation; they won't play war anymore. + Come, family of Jacob, let's live in the light of GOD. + GOD, you've walked out on your family Jacob because their world is full of hokey religion, Philistine witchcraft, and pagan hocus-pocus, + a world rolling in wealth, Stuffed with things, no end to its machines and gadgets, + And gods--gods of all sorts and sizes. These people make their own gods and worship what they make. + A degenerate race, facedown in the gutter. Don't bother with them! They're not worth forgiving! + Head for the hills, hide in the caves From the terror of GOD, from his dazzling presence. + People with a big head are headed for a fall, pretentious egos brought down a peg. It's GOD alone at front-and-center on the Day we're talking about, + The Day that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is matched against all big-talking rivals, against all swaggering big names; + Against all giant sequoias hugely towering, and against the expansive chestnut; + Against Kilimanjaro and Annapurna, against the ranges of Alps and Andes; + Against every soaring skyscraper, against all proud obelisks and statues; + Against ocean-going luxury liners, against elegant three-masted schooners. + The swelled big heads will be punctured bladders, the pretentious egos brought down to earth, Leaving GOD alone at front-and-center on the Day we're talking about. + And all those sticks and stones dressed up to look like gods will be gone for good. + Clamber into caves in the cliffs, duck into any hole you can find. Hide from the terror of GOD, from his dazzling presence, When he assumes his full stature on earth, towering and terrifying. + On that Day men and women will take the sticks and stones They've decked out in gold and silver to look like gods and then worshiped, And they will dump them in any ditch or gully, + Then run for rock caves and cliff hideouts To hide from the terror of GOD, from his dazzling presence, When he assumes his full stature on earth, towering and terrifying. + Quit scraping and fawning over mere humans, so full of themselves, so full of hot air! Can't you see there's nothing to them? + + + The Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, is emptying Jerusalem and Judah Of all the basic necessities, plain bread and water to begin with. + He's withdrawing police and protection, judges and courts, pastors and teachers, + captains and generals, doctors and nurses, and, yes, even the repairmen and jacks-of-all-trades. + He says, "I'll put little kids in charge of the city. Schoolboys and schoolgirls will order everyone around. + People will be at each other's throats, stabbing one another in the back: Neighbor against neighbor, young against old, the no-account against the well-respected. + One brother will grab another and say, 'You look like you've got a head on your shoulders. Do something! Get us out of this mess.' + And he'll say, 'Me? Not me! I don't have a clue. Don't put me in charge of anything.' + "Jerusalem's on its last legs. Judah is soon down for the count. Everything people say and do is at cross-purposes with GOD, a slap in my face. + Brazen in their depravity, they flout their sins like degenerate Sodom. Doom to their eternal souls! They've made their bed; now they'll sleep in it. + "Reassure the righteous that their good living will pay off. + But doom to the wicked! Disaster! Everything they did will be done to them. + "Skinny kids terrorize my people. Silly girls bully them around. My dear people! Your leaders are taking you down a blind alley. They're sending you off on a wild goose chase." + GOD enters the courtroom. He takes his place at the bench to judge his people. + GOD calls for order in the court, hauls the leaders of his people into the dock: "You've played havoc with this country. Your houses are stuffed with what you've stolen from the poor. + What is this anyway? Stomping on my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?" That's what the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, says. + GOD says, "Zion women are stuck-up, prancing around in their high heels, Making eyes at all the men in the street, swinging their hips, Tossing their hair, gaudy and garish in cheap jewelry." + The Master will fix it so those Zion women will all turn bald-- Scabby, bald-headed women. The Master will do it. + The time is coming when the Master will strip them of their fancy baubles-- + the dangling earrings, anklets and bracelets, + combs and mirrors and silk scarves, diamond brooches and pearl necklaces, + the rings on their fingers and the rings on their toes, + the latest fashions in hats, exotic perfumes and aphrodisiacs, gowns and capes, + all the world's finest in fabrics and design. + Instead of wearing seductive scents, these women are going to smell like rotting cabbages; Instead of modeling flowing gowns, they'll be sporting rags; Instead of their stylish hairdos, scruffy heads; Instead of beauty marks, scabs and scars. + Your finest fighting men will be killed, your soldiers left dead on the battlefield. + The entrance gate to Zion will be clotted with people mourning their dead-- A city stooped under the weight of her loss, brought to her knees by her sorrows. + + + That will be the day when seven women will gang up on one man, saying, "We'll take care of ourselves, get our own food and clothes. Just give us a child. Make us pregnant so we'll have something to live for!" + And that's when GOD's Branch will sprout green and lush. The produce of the country will give Israel's survivors something to be proud of again. Oh, they'll hold their heads high! + Everyone left behind in Zion, all the discards and rejects in Jerusalem, will be reclassified as "holy"--alive and therefore precious. + GOD will give Zion's women a good bath. He'll scrub the bloodstained city of its violence and brutality, purge the place with a firestorm of judgment. + Then GOD will bring back the ancient pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night and mark Mount Zion and everyone in it with his glorious presence, his immense, protective presence, + shade from the burning sun and shelter from the driving rain. + + + I'll sing a ballad to the one I love, a love ballad about his vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard, a fine, well-placed vineyard. + He hoed the soil and pulled the weeds, and planted the very best vines. He built a lookout, built a winepress, a vineyard to be proud of. He looked for a vintage yield of grapes, but for all his pains he got junk grapes. + "Now listen to what I'm telling you, you who live in Jerusalem and Judah. What do you think is going on between me and my vineyard? + Can you think of anything I could have done to my vineyard that I didn't do? When I expected good grapes, why did I get bitter grapes? + "Well now, let me tell you what I'll do to my vineyard: I'll tear down its fence and let it go to ruin. I'll knock down the gate and let it be trampled. + I'll turn it into a patch of weeds, untended, uncared for-- thistles and thorns will take over. I'll give orders to the clouds: 'Don't rain on that vineyard, ever!'" + Do you get it? The vineyard of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is the country of Israel. All the men and women of Judah are the garden he was so proud of. He looked for a crop of justice and saw them murdering each other. He looked for a harvest of righteousness and heard only the moans of victims. + Doom to you who buy up all the houses and grab all the land for yourselves-- Evicting the old owners, posting NO TRESPASSING signs, Taking over the country, leaving everyone homeless and landless. + I overheard GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies say: "Those mighty houses will end up empty. Those extravagant estates will be deserted. + A ten-acre vineyard will produce a pint of wine, a fifty-pound sack of seed, a quart of grain." + Doom to those who get up early and start drinking booze before breakfast, Who stay up all hours of the night drinking themselves into a stupor. + They make sure their banquets are well-furnished with harps and flutes and plenty of wine, But they'll have nothing to do with the work of GOD, pay no mind to what he is doing. + Therefore my people will end up in exile because they don't know the score. Their "big men" will starve to death and the common people die of thirst. + Sheol developed a huge appetite, swallowing people nonstop! Big people and little people alike down that gullet, to say nothing of all the drunks. + The down-and-out on a par with the high-and-mighty, Windbag boasters crumpled, flaccid as a punctured bladder. + But by working justice, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will be a mountain. By working righteousness, Holy God will show what "holy" is. + And lambs will graze as if they owned the place, Kids and calves right at home in the ruins. + Doom to you who use lies to sell evil, who haul sin to market by the truckload, + Who say, "What's God waiting for? Let him get a move on so we can see it. Whatever The Holy of Israel has cooked up, we'd like to check it out." + Doom to you who call evil good and good evil, Who put darkness in place of light and light in place of darkness, Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! + Doom to you who think you're so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves! + All you're good at is drinking--champion boozers who collect trophies from drinking bouts + And then line your pockets with bribes from the guilty while you violate the rights of the innocent. + But they won't get by with it. As fire eats stubble and dry grass goes up in smoke, Their souls will atrophy, their achievements crumble into dust, Because they said no to the revelation of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Would have nothing to do with The Holy of Israel. + That's why GOD flamed out in anger against his people, reached out and knocked them down. The mountains trembled as their dead bodies piled up in the streets. But even after that, he was still angry, his fist still raised, ready to hit them again. + He raises a flag, signaling a distant nation, whistles for people at the ends of the earth. And here they come-- on the run! + None drag their feet, no one stumbles, no one sleeps or dawdles. Shirts are on and pants buckled, every boot is spit-polished and tied. + Their arrows are sharp, bows strung, The hooves of their horses shod, chariot wheels greased. + Roaring like a pride of lions, the full-throated roars of young lions, They growl and seize their prey, dragging it off--no rescue for that one! + They'll roar and roar and roar on that Day, like the roar of ocean billows. Look as long and hard as you like at that land, you'll see nothing but darkness and trouble. Every light in the sky will be blacked out by the clouds. + + + In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne--high, exalted!--and the train of his robes filled the Temple. + Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew." + And they called back and forth one to the other, Holy, Holy, Holy is GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. His bright glory fills the whole earth. + The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. + I said, "Doom! It's Doomsday! I'm as good as dead! Every word I've ever spoken is tainted-- blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I've looked God in the face! The King! GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies!" + Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. + He touched my mouth with the coal and said, "Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out." + And then I heard the voice of the Master: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" I spoke up, "I'll go. Send me!" + He said, "Go and tell this people: "'Listen hard, but you aren't going to get it; look hard, but you won't catch on.' + Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, So they won't see a thing, won't hear a word, So they won't have a clue about what's going on and, yes, so they won't turn around and be made whole." + Astonished, I said, "And Master, how long is this to go on?" He said, "Until the cities are emptied out, not a soul left in the cities-- Houses empty of people, countryside empty of people. + Until I, GOD, get rid of everyone, sending them off, the land totally empty. + And even if some should survive, say a tenth, the devastation will start up again. The country will look like pine and oak forest with every tree cut down-- Every tree a stump, a huge field of stumps. But there's a holy seed in those stumps." + + + During the time that Ahaz son of Jothan, son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem, but the attack sputtered out. + When the Davidic government learned that Aram had joined forces with Ephraim (that is, Israel), Ahaz and his people were badly shaken. They shook like trees in the wind. + Then GOD told Isaiah, "Go and meet Ahaz. Take your son Shear-jashub (A-Remnant-Will-Return) with you. Meet him south of the city at the end of the aqueduct where it empties into the upper pool on the road to the public laundry. + Tell him, Listen, calm down. Don't be afraid. And don't panic over these two burnt-out cases, Rezin of Aram and the son of Remaliah. They talk big but there's nothing to them. + Aram, along with Ephraim's son of Remaliah, have plotted to do you harm. They've conspired against you, saying, + 'Let's go to war against Judah, dismember it, take it for ourselves, and set the son of Tabeel up as a puppet king over it.' + But GOD, the Master, says, "It won't happen. Nothing will come of it + Because the capital of Aram is Damascus and the king of Damascus is a mere man, Rezin. As for Ephraim, in sixty-five years it will be rubble, nothing left of it. + The capital of Ephraim is Samaria, and the king of Samaria is the mere son of Remaliah. If you don't take your stand in faith, you won't have a leg to stand on." + GOD spoke again to Ahaz. This time he said, + "Ask for a sign from your GOD. Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!" + But Ahaz said, "I'd never do that. I'd never make demands like that on GOD!" + So Isaiah told him, "Then listen to this, government of David! It's bad enough that you make people tired with your pious, timid hypocrisies, but now you're making God tired. + So the Master is going to give you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She'll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us). + By the time the child is twelve years old, able to make moral decisions, + the threat of war will be over. Relax, those two kings that have you so worried will be out of the picture. + But also be warned: GOD will bring on you and your people and your government a judgment worse than anything since the time the kingdom split, when Ephraim left Judah. The king of Assyria is coming!" + That's when GOD will whistle for the flies at the headwaters of Egypt's Nile, and whistle for the bees in the land of Assyria. + They'll come and infest every nook and cranny of this country. There'll be no getting away from them. + And that's when the Master will take the razor rented from across the Euphrates--the king of Assyria no less!--and shave the hair off your heads and genitals, leaving you shamed, exposed, and denuded. He'll shave off your beards while he's at it. + It will be a time when survivors will count themselves lucky to have a cow and a couple of sheep. + At least they'll have plenty of milk! Whoever's left in the land will learn to make do with the simplest foods--curds, say, and honey. + But that's not the end of it. This country that used to be covered with fine vineyards--thousands of them, worth millions!--will revert to a weed patch. + Weeds and thorn bushes everywhere! Good for nothing except, perhaps, hunting rabbits. + Cattle and sheep will forage as best they can in the fields of weeds--but there won't be a trace of all those fertile and well-tended gardens and fields. + + + Then GOD told me, "Get a big sheet of paper and write in indelible ink, 'This belongs to Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Spoil-Speeds-Plunder-Hurries).'" + I got two honest men, Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, to witness the document. + Then I went home to my wife, the prophetess. She conceived and gave birth to a son. GOD told me, "Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. + Before that baby says 'Daddy' or 'Mamma' the king of Assyria will have plundered the wealth of Damascus and the riches of Samaria." + GOD spoke to me again, saying: + "Because this people has turned its back on the gently flowing stream of Shiloah And gotten all excited over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, + I'm stepping in and facing them with the wild floodwaters of the Euphrates, The king of Assyria and all his fanfare, a river in flood, bursting its banks, + Pouring into Judah, sweeping everything before it, water up to your necks, A huge wingspan of a raging river, O Immanuel, spreading across your land." + But face the facts, all you oppressors, and then wring your hands. Listen, all of you, far and near. Prepare for the worst and wring your hands. Yes, prepare for the worst and wring your hands! + Plan and plot all you want--nothing will come of it. All your talk is mere talk, empty words, Because when all is said and done, the last word is Immanuel--God-With-Us. + GOD spoke strongly to me, grabbed me with both hands and warned me not to go along with this people. He said: + "Don't be like this people, always afraid somebody is plotting against them. Don't fear what they fear. Don't take on their worries. + If you're going to worry, worry about The Holy. Fear GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + The Holy can be either a Hiding Place or a Boulder blocking your way, The Rock standing in the willful way of both houses of Israel, A barbed-wire Fence preventing trespass to the citizens of Jerusalem. + Many of them are going to run into that Rock and get their bones broken, Get tangled up in that barbed wire and not get free of it." + Gather up the testimony, preserve the teaching for my followers, + While I wait for GOD as long as he remains in hiding, while I wait and hope for him. + I stand my ground and hope, I and the children GOD gave me as signs to Israel, Warning signs and hope signs from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who makes his home in Mount Zion. + When people tell you, "Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?" + Tell them, "No, we're going to study the Scriptures." People who try the other ways get nowhere--a dead end! + Frustrated and famished, they try one thing after another. When nothing works out they get angry, cursing first this god and then that one, Looking this way and that, + up, down, and sideways--and seeing nothing, A blank wall, an empty hole. They end up in the dark with nothing. + + + But there'll be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he'll make that whole area glorious--the road along the Sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee. + The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows-- light! sunbursts of light! + You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they're so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. + The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants-- all their whips and cudgels and curses-- Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian. + The boots of all those invading troops, along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood, Will be piled in a heap and burned, a fire that will burn for days! + For a child has been born--for us! the gift of a son--for us! He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. + His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He'll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this. + The Master sent a message against Jacob. It landed right on Israel's doorstep. + All the people soon heard the message, Ephraim and the citizens of Samaria. But they were a proud and arrogant bunch. They dismissed the message, saying, + "Things aren't that bad. We can handle anything that comes. If our buildings are knocked down, we'll rebuild them bigger and finer. If our forests are cut down, we'll replant them with finer trees." + So GOD incited their adversaries against them, stirred up their enemies to attack: + From the east, Arameans; from the west, Philistines. They made hash of Israel. But even after that, he was still angry, his fist still raised, ready to hit them again. + But the people paid no mind to him who hit them, didn't seek GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + So GOD hacked off Israel's head and tail, palm branch and reed, both on the same day. + The big-head elders were the head, the lying prophets were the tail. + Those who were supposed to lead this people led them down blind alleys, And those who followed the leaders ended up lost and confused. + That's why the Master lost interest in the young men, had no feeling for their orphans and widows. All of them were godless and evil, talking filth and folly. And even after that, he was still angry, his fist still raised, ready to hit them again. + Their wicked lives raged like an out-of-control fire, the kind that burns everything in its path-- Trees and bushes, weeds and grasses-- filling the skies with smoke. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies answered fire with fire, set the whole country on fire, Turned the people into consuming fires, consuming one another in their lusts-- + Appetites insatiable, stuffing and gorging themselves left and right with people and things. But still they starved. Not even their children were safe from their rapacious hunger. + Manasseh ate Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and then the two ganged up against Judah. And after that, he was still angry, his fist still raised, ready to hit them again. + + + Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that make victims-- + Laws that make misery for the poor, that rob my destitute people of dignity, Exploiting defenseless widows, taking advantage of homeless children. + What will you have to say on Judgment Day, when Doomsday arrives out of the blue? Who will you get to help you? What good will your money do you? + A sorry sight you'll be then, huddled with the prisoners, or just some corpses stacked in the street. Even after all this, God is still angry, his fist still raised, ready to hit them again. + "Doom to Assyria, weapon of my anger. My wrath is a cudgel in his hands! + I send him against a godless nation, against the people I'm angry with. I command him to strip them clean, rob them blind, and then push their faces in the mud and leave them. + But Assyria has another agenda; he has something else in mind. He's out to destroy utterly, to stamp out as many nations as he can. + Assyria says, 'Aren't my commanders all kings? Can't they do whatever they like? + Didn't I destroy Calno as well as Carchemish? Hamath as well as Arpad? Level Samaria as I did Damascus? + I've eliminated kingdoms full of gods far more impressive than anything in Jerusalem and Samaria. + So what's to keep me from destroying Jerusalem in the same way I destroyed Samaria and all her god-idols?'" + When the Master has finished dealing with Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he'll say, "Now it's Assyria's turn. I'll punish the bragging arrogance of the king of Assyria, his high and mighty posturing, + the way he goes around saying, "'I've done all this by myself. I know more than anyone. I've wiped out the boundaries of whole countries. I've walked in and taken anything I wanted. I charged in like a bull and toppled their kings from their thrones. + I reached out my hand and took all that they treasured as easily as a boy taking a bird's eggs from a nest. Like a farmer gathering eggs from the henhouse, I gathered the world in my basket, And no one so much as fluttered a wing or squawked or even chirped.'" + Does an ax take over from the one who swings it? Does a saw act more important than the sawyer? As if a shovel did its shoveling by using a ditch digger! As if a hammer used the carpenter to pound nails! + Therefore the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, will send a debilitating disease on his robust Assyrian fighters. Under the canopy of God's bright glory a fierce fire will break out. + Israel's Light will burst into a conflagration. The Holy will explode into a firestorm, And in one day burn to cinders every last Assyrian thornbush. + GOD will destroy the splendid trees and lush gardens. The Assyrian body and soul will waste away to nothing like a disease-ridden invalid. + A child could count what's left of the trees on the fingers of his two hands. + And on that Day also, what's left of Israel, the ragtag survivors of Jacob, will no longer be fascinated by abusive, battering Assyria. They'll lean on GOD, The Holy--yes, truly. + The ragtag remnant--what's left of Jacob--will come back to the Strong God. + Your people Israel were once like the sand on the seashore, but only a scattered few will return. Destruction is ordered, brimming over with righteousness. + For the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, will finish here what he started all over the globe. + Therefore the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, says: "My dear, dear people who live in Zion, don't be terrorized by the Assyrians when they beat you with clubs and threaten you with rods like the Egyptians once did. + In just a short time my anger against you will be spent and I'll turn my destroying anger on them. + I, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, will go after them with a cat-o'-nine-tails and finish them off decisively--as Gideon downed Midian at the rock Oreb, as Moses turned the tables on Egypt. + On that day, Assyria will be pulled off your back, and the yoke of slavery lifted from your neck." Assyria's on the move: up from Rimmon, + on to Aiath, through Migron, with a bivouac at Micmash. + They've crossed the pass, set camp at Geba for the night. Ramah trembles with fright. Gibeah of Saul has run off. + Cry for help, daughter of Gallim! Listen to her, Laishah! Do something, Anathoth! + Madmenah takes to the hills. The people of Gebim flee in panic. + The enemy's soon at Nob--nearly there! In sight of the city he shakes his fist At the mount of dear daughter Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. + But now watch this: The Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, swings his ax and lops the branches, Chops down the giant trees, lays flat the towering forest-on-the-march. + His ax will make toothpicks of that forest, that Lebanon-like army reduced to kindling. + + + A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse's stump, from his roots a budding Branch. + The life-giving Spirit of GOD will hover over him, the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-GOD. + Fear-of-GOD will be all his joy and delight. He won't judge by appearances, won't decide on the basis of hearsay. + He'll judge the needy by what is right, render decisions on earth's poor with justice. His words will bring everyone to awed attention. A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked. + Each morning he'll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots, and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land. + The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. + Cow and bear will graze the same pasture, their calves and cubs grow up together, and the lion eat straw like the ox. + The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens, the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent. + Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide. + On that day, Jesse's Root will be raised high, posted as a rallying banner for the peoples. The nations will all come to him. His headquarters will be glorious. + Also on that day, the Master for the second time will reach out to bring back what's left of his scattered people. He'll bring them back from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Sinar, Hamath, and the ocean islands. + And he'll raise that rallying banner high, visible to all nations, gather in all the scattered exiles of Israel, Pull in all the dispersed refugees of Judah from the four winds and the seven seas. + The jealousy of Ephraim will dissolve, the hostility of Judah will vanish-- Ephraim no longer the jealous rival of Judah, Judah no longer the hostile rival of Ephraim! + Blood brothers united, they'll pounce on the Philistines in the west, join forces to plunder the people in the east. They'll attack Edom and Moab. The Ammonites will fall into line. + GOD will once again dry up Egypt's Red Sea, making for an easy crossing. He'll send a blistering wind down on the great River Euphrates, Reduce it to seven mere trickles. None even need get their feet wet! + In the end there'll be a highway all the way from Assyria, easy traveling for what's left of God's people-- A highway just like the one Israel had when he marched up out of Egypt. + + + And you will say in that day, "I thank you, GOD. You were angry but your anger wasn't forever. You withdrew your anger and moved in and comforted me. + "Yes, indeed--God is my salvation. I trust, I won't be afraid. GOD--yes GOD!--is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation!" + Joyfully you'll pull up buckets of water from the wells of salvation. + And as you do it, you'll say, "Give thanks to GOD. Call out his name. Ask him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what he's done, spread the news of his great reputation! + "Sing praise-songs to GOD. He's done it all! Let the whole earth know what he's done! + Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion! The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel." + + + The Message on Babylon. Isaiah son of Amoz saw it: + "Run up a flag on an open hill. Yell loud. Get their attention. Wave them into formation. Direct them to the nerve center of power. + I've taken charge of my special forces, called up my crack troops. They're bursting with pride and passion to carry out my angry judgment." + Thunder rolls off the mountains like a mob huge and noisy-- Thunder of kingdoms in an uproar, nations assembling for war. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling his army into battle formation. + They come from far-off countries, they pour in across the horizon. It's GOD on the move with the weapons of his wrath, ready to destroy the whole country. + Wail! GOD's Day of Judgment is near-- an avalanche crashing down from the Strong God! + Everyone paralyzed in the panic, hysterical + and unstrung, Doubled up in pain like a woman giving birth to a baby. Horrified--everyone they see is like a face out of a nightmare. + "Watch now. GOD's Judgment Day comes. Cruel it is, a day of wrath and anger, A day to waste the earth and clean out all the sinners. + The stars in the sky, the great parade of constellations, will be nothing but black holes. The sun will come up as a black disk, and the moon a blank nothing. + I'll put a full stop to the evil on earth, terminate the dark acts of the wicked. I'll gag all braggarts and boasters--not a peep anymore from them-- and trip strutting tyrants, leave them flat on their faces. + Proud humanity will disappear from the earth. I'll make mortals rarer than hens' teeth. + And yes, I'll even make the sky shake, and the earth quake to its roots Under the wrath of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Judgment Day of his raging anger. + Like a hunted white-tailed deer, like lost sheep with no shepherd, People will huddle with a few of their own kind, run off to some makeshift shelter. + But tough luck to stragglers--they'll be killed on the spot, throats cut, bellies ripped open, + Babies smashed on the rocks while mothers and fathers watch, Houses looted, wives raped. + "And now watch this: Against Babylon, I'm inciting the Medes, A ruthless bunch indifferent to bribes, the kind of brutality that no one can blunt. + They massacre the young, wantonly kick and kill even babies. + And Babylon, most glorious of all kingdoms, the pride and joy of Chaldeans, Will end up smoking and stinking like Sodom, and, yes, like Gomorrah, when God had finished with them. + No one will live there anymore, generation after generation a ghost town. Not even Bedouins will pitch tents there. Shepherds will give it a wide berth. + But strange and wild animals will like it just fine, filling the vacant houses with eerie night sounds. Skunks will make it their home, and unspeakable night hags will haunt it. + Hyenas will curdle your blood with their laughing, and the howling of coyotes will give you the shivers. "Babylon is doomed. It won't be long now." + + + But not so with Jacob. GOD will have compassion on Jacob. Once again he'll choose Israel. He'll establish them in their own country. Outsiders will be attracted and throw their lot in with Jacob. + The nations among whom they lived will actually escort them back home, and then Israel will pay them back by making slaves of them, men and women alike, possessing them as slaves in GOD's country, capturing those who had captured them, ruling over those who had abused them. + When GOD has given you time to recover from the abuse and trouble and harsh servitude that you had to endure, + you can amuse yourselves by taking up this satire, a taunt against the king of Babylon: Can you believe it? The tyrant is gone! The tyranny is over! + GOD has broken the rule of the wicked, the power of the bully-rulers + That crushed many people. A relentless rain of cruel outrage Established a violent rule of anger rife with torture and persecution. + And now it's over, the whole earth quietly at rest. Burst into song! Make the rafters ring! + Ponderosa pine trees are happy, giant Lebanon cedars are relieved, saying, "Since you've been cut down, there's no one around to cut us down." + And the underworld dead are all excited, preparing to welcome you when you come. Getting ready to greet you are the ghostly dead, all the famous names of earth. All the buried kings of the nations will stand up on their thrones + With well-prepared speeches, royal invitations to death: "Now you are as nothing as we are! Make yourselves at home with us dead folks!" + This is where your pomp and fine music led you, Babylon, to your underworld private chambers, A king-size mattress of maggots for repose and a quilt of crawling worms for warmth. + What a comedown this, O Babylon! Daystar! Son of Dawn! Flat on your face in the underworld mud, you, famous for flattening nations! + You said to yourself, "I'll climb to heaven. I'll set my throne over the stars of God. I'll run the assembly of angels that meets on sacred Mount Zaphon. + I'll climb to the top of the clouds. I'll take over as King of the Universe!" + But you didn't make it, did you? Instead of climbing up, you came down-- Down with the underground dead, down to the abyss of the Pit. + People will stare and muse: "Can this be the one Who terrorized earth and its kingdoms, + turned earth to a moonscape, Wasted its cities, shut up his prisoners to a living death?" + Other kings get a decent burial, honored with eulogies and placed in a tomb. + But you're dumped in a ditch unburied, like a stray dog or cat, Covered with rotting bodies, murdered and indigent corpses. Your dead body desecrated, mutilated-- + no state funeral for you! You've left your land in ruins, left a legacy of massacre. The progeny of your evil life will never be named. Oblivion! + Get a place ready to slaughter the sons of the wicked and wipe out their father's line. Unthinkable that they should own a square foot of land or desecrate the face of the world with their cities! + "I will confront them"--Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies-- "and strip Babylon of name and survivors, children and grandchildren. + " GOD's Decree. "I'll make it a worthless swamp and give it as a prize to the hedgehog. And then I'll bulldoze it out of existence." Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: "Exactly as I planned, it will happen. Following my blueprints, it will take shape. + I will shatter the Assyrian who trespasses my land and stomp him into the dirt on my mountains. I will ban his taking and making of slaves and lift the weight of oppression from all shoulders." + This is the plan, planned for the whole earth, And this is the hand that will do it, reaching into every nation. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has planned it. Who could ever cancel such plans? His is the hand that's reached out. Who could brush it aside? + In the year King Ahaz died, this Message came: + Hold it, Philistines! It's too soon to celebrate the defeat of your cruel oppressor. From the death throes of that snake a worse snake will come, and from that, one even worse. + The poor won't have to worry. The needy will escape the terror. But you Philistines will be plunged into famine, and those who don't starve, God will kill. + Wail and howl, proud city! Fall prostrate in fear, Philistia! On the northern horizon, smoke from burned cities, the wake of a brutal, disciplined destroyer. + What does one say to outsiders who ask questions? Tell them, "GOD has established Zion. Those in need and in trouble find refuge in her." + + + A Message concerning Moab: Village Ar of Moab is in ruins, destroyed in a night raid. Village Kir of Moab is in ruins, destroyed in a night raid. + Village Dibon climbs to its chapel in the hills, goes up to lament. Moab weeps and wails over Nebo and Medba. Every head is shaved bald, every beard shaved clean. + They pour into the streets wearing black, go up on the roofs, take to the town square, Everyone in tears, everyone in grief. + Towns Heshbon and Elealeh cry long and loud. The sound carries as far as Jahaz. Moab sobs, shaking in grief. The soul of Moab trembles. + Oh, how I grieve for Moab! Refugees stream to Zoar and then on to Eglath-shelishiyah. Up the slopes of Luhith they weep; on the road to Horonaim they cry their loss. + The springs of Nimrim are dried up-- grass brown, buds stunted, nothing grows. + They leave, carrying all their possessions on their backs, everything they own, Making their way as best they can across Willow Creek to safety. + Poignant cries reverberate all through Moab, Gut-wrenching sobs as far as Eglaim, heart-racking sobs all the way to Beer-elim. + The banks of the Dibon crest with blood, but God has worse in store for Dibon: A lion--a lion to finish off the fugitives, to clean up whoever's left in the land. + + + "Dispatch a gift of lambs," says Moab, "to the leaders in Jerusalem-- Lambs from Sela sent across the desert to buy the goodwill of Jerusalem. + The towns and people of Moab are at a loss, New-hatched birds knocked from the nest, fluttering helplessly At the banks of the Arnon River, unable to cross: + 'Tell us what to do, help us out! Protect us, hide us! + Give the refugees from Moab sanctuary with you. Be a safe place for those on the run from the killing fields.'" "When this is all over," Judah answers, "the tyrant toppled, The killing at an end, all signs of these cruelties long gone, + A new government of love will be established in the venerable David tradition. A Ruler you can depend upon will head this government, A Ruler passionate for justice, a Ruler quick to set things right." + We've heard--everyone's heard!--of Moab's pride, world-famous for pride-- Arrogant, self-important, insufferable, full of hot air. + So now let Moab lament for a change, with antiphonal mock-laments from the neighbors! What a shame! How terrible! No more fine fruitcakes and Kir-hareseth candies! + All those lush Heshbon fields dried up, the rich Sibmah vineyards withered! Foreign thugs have crushed and torn out the famous grapevines That once reached all the way to Jazer, right to the edge of the desert, Ripped out the crops in every direction as far as the eye can see. + I'll join the weeping. I'll weep right along with Jazer, weep for the Sibmah vineyards. And yes, Heshbon and Elealeh, I'll mingle my tears with your tears! The joyful shouting at harvest is gone. Instead of song and celebration, dead silence. + No more boisterous laughter in the orchards, no more hearty work songs in the vineyards. Instead of the bustle and sound of good work in the fields, silence--deathly and deadening silence. + My heartstrings throb like harp strings for Moab, my soul in sympathy for sad Kir-heres. + When Moab trudges to the shrine to pray, he wastes both time and energy. Going to the sanctuary and praying for relief is useless. Nothing ever happens. + This is GOD's earlier Message on Moab. + GOD's updated Message is, "In three years, no longer than the term of an enlisted soldier, Moab's impressive presence will be gone, that splendid hot-air balloon will be punctured, and instead of a vigorous population, just a few shuffling bums cadging handouts." + + + A Message concerning Damascus: "Watch this: Damascus undone as a city, a pile of dust and rubble! + Her towns emptied of people. The sheep and goats will move in And take over the towns as if they owned them--which they will! + Not a sign of a fort is left in Ephraim, not a trace of government left in Damascus. What's left of Aram? The same as what's left of Israel--not much." Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "The Day is coming when Jacob's robust splendor goes pale and his well-fed body turns skinny. + The country will be left empty, picked clean as a field harvested by field hands. She'll be like a few stalks of barley left standing in the lush Valley of Rephaim after harvest, + Or like the couple of ripe olives overlooked in the top of the olive tree, Or the four or five apples that the pickers couldn't reach in the orchard." Decree of the GOD of Israel. + Yes, the Day is coming when people will notice The One Who Made Them, take a long hard look at The Holy of Israel. + They'll lose interest in all the stuff they've made--altars and monuments and rituals, their homemade, handmade religion--however impressive it is. + And yes, the Day is coming when their fortress cities will be abandoned--the very same cities that the Hivites and Amorites abandoned when Israel invaded! And the country will be empty, desolate. + And why? Because you have forgotten God-Your-Salvation, not remembered your Rock-of-Refuge. And so, even though you are very religious, planting all sorts of bushes and herbs and trees to honor and influence your fertility gods, + And even though you make them grow so well, bursting with buds and sprouts and blossoms, Nothing will come of them. Instead of a harvest you'll get nothing but grief and pain, pain, pain. + Oh my! Thunder! A thundering herd of people! Thunder like the crashing of ocean waves! Nations roaring, roaring, like the roar of a massive waterfall, + Roaring like a deafening Niagara! But God will silence them with a word, And then he'll blow them away like dead leaves off a tree, like down from a thistle. + At bedtime, terror fills the air. By morning it's gone--not a sign of it anywhere! This is what happens to those who would ruin us, this is the fate of those out to get us. + + + Doom to the land of flies and mosquitoes beyond the Ethiopian rivers, + Shipping emissaries all over the world, down rivers and across seas. Go, swift messengers, go to this people tall and handsome, This people held in respect everywhere, this people mighty and merciless, from the land crisscrossed with rivers. + Everybody everywhere, all earth-dwellers: When you see a flag flying on the mountain, look! When you hear the trumpet blown, listen! + For here's what GOD told me: "I'm not going to say anything, but simply look on from where I live, Quiet as warmth that comes from the sun, silent as dew during harvest." + And then, just before harvest, after the blossom has turned into a maturing grape, He'll step in and prune back the new shoots, ruthlessly hack off all the growing branches. + He'll leave them piled on the ground for birds and animals to feed on-- Fodder for the summering birds, fodder for the wintering animals. + Then tribute will be brought to GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, brought from this people tall and handsome, This people once held in respect everywhere, this people once mighty and merciless, From the land crisscrossed with rivers, to Mount Zion, GOD's place. + + + A Message concerning Egypt: Watch this! GOD riding on a fast-moving cloud, moving in on Egypt! The god-idols of Egypt shudder and shake, Egyptians paralyzed by panic. + God says, "I'll make Egyptian fight Egyptian, brother fight brother, neighbor fight neighbor, City fight city, kingdom fight kingdom-- anarchy and chaos and killing! + I'll knock the wind out of the Egyptians. They won't know coming from going. They'll go to their god-idols for answers; they'll conjure ghosts and hold s�ances, desperate for answers. + But I'll turn the Egyptians over to a tyrant most cruel. I'll put them under the rule of a mean, merciless king." Decree of the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + The River Nile will dry up, the riverbed baked dry in the sun. + The canals will become stagnant and stink, every stream touching the Nile dry up. River vegetation will rot away + the banks of the Nile-baked clay, The riverbed hard and smooth, river grasses dried up and gone with the wind. + Fishermen will complain that the fishing's been ruined. + Textile workers will be out of work, all weavers and workers in linen and cotton and wool + Dispirited, depressed in their forced idleness-- everyone who works for a living, jobless. + The princes of Zoan are fools, the advisors of Pharaoh stupid. How could any of you dare tell Pharaoh, "Trust me: I'm wise. I know what's going on. Why, I'm descended from the old wisdom of Egypt"? + There's not a wise man or woman left in the country. If there were, one of them would tell you what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has in mind for Egypt. + As it is, the princes of Zoan are all fools and the princes of Memphis, dunces. The honored pillars of your society have led Egypt into detours and dead ends. + GOD has scrambled their brains, Egypt's become a falling-down-in-his-own-vomit drunk. + Egypt's hopeless, past helping, a senile, doddering old fool. + On that Day, Egyptians will be like hysterical schoolgirls, screaming at the first hint of action from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + Little Judah will strike terror in Egyptians! Say "Judah" to an Egyptian and see panic. The word triggers fear of the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies' plan against Egypt. + On that Day, more than one city in Egypt will learn to speak the language of faith and promise to follow GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. One of these cities will be honored with the title "City of the Sun." + On that Day, there will be a place of worship to GOD in the center of Egypt and a monument to GOD at its border. + It will show how the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has helped the Egyptians. When they cry out in prayer to GOD because of oppressors, he'll send them help, a savior who will keep them safe and take care of them. + GOD will openly show himself to the Egyptians and they'll get to know him on that Day. They'll worship him seriously with sacrifices and burnt offerings. They'll make vows and keep them. + GOD will wound Egypt, first hit and then heal. Egypt will come back to GOD, and GOD will listen to their prayers and heal them, heal them from head to toe. + On that Day, there will be a highway all the way from Egypt to Assyria: Assyrians will have free range in Egypt and Egyptians in Assyria. No longer rivals, they'll worship together, Egyptians and Assyrians! + On that Day, Israel will take its place alongside Egypt and Assyria, sharing the blessing from the center. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who blessed Israel, will generously bless them all: "Blessed be Egypt, my people! . . . Blessed be Assyria, work of my hands! . . . Blessed be Israel, my heritage!" + + + In the year the field commander, sent by King Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought and took it, + GOD told Isaiah son of Amoz, "Go, take off your clothes and sandals," and Isaiah did it, going about naked and barefooted. + Then GOD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has walked around town naked and barefooted for three years as a warning sign to Egypt and Ethiopia, + so the king of Assyria is going to come and take the Egyptians as captives and the Ethiopians as exiles. He'll take young and old alike and march them out of there naked and barefooted, exposed to mockery and jeers--the bared buttocks of Egypt on parade! + Everyone who has put hope in Ethiopia and expected help from Egypt will be thrown into confusion. + Everyone who lives along this coast will say, 'Look at them! Naked and barefooted, shuffling off to exile! And we thought they were our best hope, that they'd rescue us from the king of Assyria. Now what's going to happen to us? How are we going to get out of this?'" + + + A Message concerning the desert at the sea: As tempests drive through the Negev Desert, coming out of the desert, that terror-filled place, + A hard vision is given me: The betrayer betrayed, the plunderer plundered. Attack, Elam! Lay siege, Media! Persians, attack! Attack, Babylon! I'll put an end to all the moaning and groaning. + Because of this news I'm doubled up in pain, writhing in pain like a woman having a baby, Baffled by what I hear, undone by what I see. + Absolutely stunned, horror-stricken, I had hoped for a relaxed evening, but it has turned into a nightmare. + The banquet is spread, the guests reclining in luxurious ease, Eating and drinking, having a good time, and then, "To arms, princes! The fight is on!" + The Master told me, "Go, post a lookout. Have him report whatever he spots. + When he sees horses and wagons in battle formation, lines of donkeys and columns of camels, Tell him to keep his ear to the ground, note every whisper, every rumor." + Just then, the lookout shouted, "I'm at my post, Master, Sticking to my post day after day and all through the night! + I watched them come, the horses and wagons in battle formation. I heard them call out the war news in headlines: 'Babylon fallen! Fallen! And all its precious god-idols smashed to pieces on the ground.'" + Dear Israel, you've been through a lot, you've been put through the mill. The good news I get from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, I now pass on to you. + A Message concerning Edom: A voice calls to me from the Seir mountains in Edom, "Night watchman! How long till daybreak? How long will this night last?" + The night watchman calls back, "Morning's coming, But for now it's still night. If you ask me again, I'll give the same answer." + A Message concerning Arabia: You'll have to camp out in the desert badlands, you caravans of Dedanites. + Haul water to the thirsty, greet fugitives with bread. Show your desert hospitality, you who live in Tema. + The desert's swarming with refugees escaping the horrors of war. + The Master told me, "Hang on. Within one year--I'll sign a contract on it!--the arrogant brutality of Kedar, those hooligans of the desert, will be over, + nothing much left of the Kedar toughs." The GOD of Israel says so. + + + A Message concerning the Valley of Vision: What's going on here anyway? All this partying and noisemaking, + Shouting and cheering in the streets, the city noisy with celebrations! + You have no brave soldiers to honor, no combat heroes to be proud of. Your leaders were all cowards, captured without even lifting a sword, A country of cowards captured escaping the battle. + In the midst of the shouting, I said, "Let me alone. Let me grieve by myself. Don't tell me it's going to be all right. These people are doomed. It's not all right." + For the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, is bringing a day noisy with mobs of people, Jostling and stampeding in the Valley of Vision, knocking down walls and hollering to the mountains, "Attack! Attack!" + Old enemies Elam and Kir arrive armed to the teeth-- weapons and chariots and cavalry. + Your fine valleys are noisy with war, chariots and cavalry charging this way and that. + God has left Judah exposed and defenseless. You assessed your defenses that Day, inspected your arsenal of weapons in the Forest Armory. + You found the weak places in the city walls that needed repair. You secured the water supply at the Lower Pool. + You took an inventory of the houses in Jerusalem and tore down some to get bricks to fortify the city wall. + You built a large cistern to ensure plenty of water. You looked and looked and looked, but you never looked to him who gave you this city, never once consulted the One who has long had plans for this city. + The Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, called out on that Day, Called for a day of repentant tears, called you to dress in somber clothes of mourning. + But what do you do? You throw a party! Eating and drinking and dancing in the streets! You barbecue bulls and sheep, and throw a huge feast-- slabs of meat, kegs of beer. "Seize the day! Eat and drink! Tomorrow we die!" + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies whispered to me his verdict on this frivolity: "You'll pay for this outrage until the day you die." The Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, says so. + The Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, spoke: "Come. Go to this steward, Shebna, who is in charge of all the king's affairs, and tell him: + What's going on here? You're an outsider here and yet you act like you own the place, make a big, fancy tomb for yourself where everyone can see it, making sure everyone will think you're important. + GOD is about to sack you, to throw you to the dogs. He'll grab you by the hair, + swing you round and round dizzyingly, and then let you go, sailing through the air like a ball, until you're out of sight. Where you'll land, nobody knows. And there you'll die, and all the stuff you've collected heaped on your grave. You've disgraced your master's house! + You're fired--and good riddance! + "On that Day I'll replace Shebna. I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. + I'll dress him in your robe. I'll put your belt on him. I'll give him your authority. He'll be a father-leader to Jerusalem and the government of Judah. + I'll give him the key of the Davidic heritage. He'll have the run of the place--open any door and keep it open, lock any door and keep it locked. + I'll pound him like a nail into a solid wall. He'll secure the Davidic tradition. + Everything will hang on him--not only the fate of Davidic descendants but also the detailed daily operations of the house, including cups and cutlery. + "And then the Day will come," says GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, "when that nail will come loose and fall out, break loose from that solid wall--and everything hanging on it will go with it." That's what will happen. GOD says so. + + + Wail, ships of Tarshish, your strong seaports all in ruins! When the ships returned from Cyprus, they saw the destruction. + Hold your tongue, you who live on the seacoast, merchants of Sidon. Your people sailed the deep seas, buying and selling, + Making money on wheat from Shihor, grown along the Nile-- multinational broker in grains! + Hang your head in shame, Sidon. The Sea speaks up, the powerhouse of the ocean says, "I've never had labor pains, never had a baby, never reared children to adulthood, Never gave life, never worked with life. It was all numbers, dead numbers, profit and loss." + When Egypt gets the report on Tyre, what wailing! what wringing of hands! + Visit Tarshish, you who live on the seacoast. Take a good, long look and wail--yes, cry buckets of tears! + Is this the city you remember as energetic and alive, bustling with activity, this historic old city, Expanding throughout the globe, buying and selling all over the world? + And who is behind the collapse of Tyre, the Tyre that controlled the world markets? Tyre's merchants were the business tycoons. Tyre's traders called all the shots. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies ordered the crash to show the sordid backside of pride and puncture the inflated reputations. + Sail for home, O ships of Tarshish. There are no docks left in this harbor. + GOD reached out to the sea and sea traders, threw the sea kingdoms into turmoil. GOD ordered the destruction of the seacoast cities, the centers of commerce. + GOD said, "There's nothing left here to be proud of, bankrupt and bereft Sidon. Do you want to make a new start in Cyprus? Don't count on it. Nothing there will work out for you either." + Look at what happened to Babylon: There's nothing left of it. Assyria turned it into a desert, into a refuge for wild dogs and stray cats. They brought in their big siege engines, tore down the buildings, and left nothing behind but rubble. + Wail, ships of Tarshish, your strong seaports all in ruins! + For the next seventy years, a king's lifetime, Tyre will be forgotten. At the end of the seventy years, Tyre will stage a comeback, but it will be the comeback of a worn-out whore, as in the song: + "Take a harp, circle the city, unremembered whore. Sing your old songs, your many old songs. Maybe someone will remember." + At the end of the seventy years, GOD will look in on Tyre. She'll go back to her old whoring trade, selling herself to the highest bidder, doing anything with anyone--promiscuous with all the kingdoms of earth--for a fee. + But everything she gets, all the money she takes in, will be turned over to GOD. It will not be put in banks. Her profits will be put to the use of GOD-Aware, GOD-Serving-People, providing plenty of food and the best of clothing. + + + Danger ahead! GOD's about to ravish the earth and leave it in ruins, Rip everything out by the roots and send everyone scurrying: + priests and laypeople alike, owners and workers alike, celebrities and nobodies alike, buyers and sellers alike, bankers and beggars alike, the haves and have-nots alike. + The landscape will be a moonscape, totally wasted. And why? Because GOD says so. He's issued the orders. + The earth turns gaunt and gray, the world silent and sad, sky and land lifeless, colorless. + Earth is polluted by its very own people, who have broken its laws, Disrupted its order, violated the sacred and eternal covenant. + Therefore a curse, like a cancer, ravages the earth. Its people pay the price of their sacrilege. They dwindle away, dying out one by one. + No more wine, no more vineyards, no more songs or singers. + The laughter of castanets is gone, the shouts of celebrants, gone, the laughter of fiddles, gone. + No more parties with toasts of champagne. Serious drinkers gag on their drinks. + The chaotic cities are unlivable. Anarchy reigns. Every house is boarded up, condemned. + People riot in the streets for wine, but the good times are gone forever-- no more joy for this old world. + The city is dead and deserted, bulldozed into piles of rubble. + That's the way it will be on this earth. This is the fate of all nations: An olive tree shaken clean of its olives, a grapevine picked clean of its grapes. + But there are some who will break into glad song. Out of the west they'll shout of GOD's majesty. + Yes, from the east GOD's glory will ascend. Every island of the sea Will broadcast GOD's fame, the fame of the God of Israel. + From the four winds and the seven seas we hear the singing: "All praise to the Righteous One!" But I said, "That's all well and good for somebody, but all I can see is doom, doom, and more doom." All of them at one another's throats, yes, all of them at one another's throats. + Terror and pits and booby traps are everywhere, whoever you are. + If you run from the terror, you'll fall into the pit. If you climb out of the pit, you'll get caught in the trap. Chaos pours out of the skies. The foundations of earth are crumbling. + Earth is smashed to pieces, earth is ripped to shreds, earth is wobbling out of control, + Earth staggers like a drunk, sways like a shack in a high wind. Its piled-up sins are too much for it. It collapses and won't get up again. + That's when GOD will call on the carpet rebel powers in the skies and Rebel kings on earth. + They'll be rounded up like prisoners in a jail, Corralled and locked up in a jail, and then sentenced and put to hard labor. + Shamefaced moon will cower, humiliated, red-faced sun will skulk, disgraced, Because GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will take over, ruling from Mount Zion and Jerusalem, Splendid and glorious before all his leaders. + + + GOD, you are my God. I celebrate you. I praise you. You've done your share of miracle-wonders, well-thought-out plans, solid and sure. + Here you've reduced the city to rubble, the strong city to a pile of stones. The enemy Big City is a non-city, never to be a city again. + Superpowers will see it and honor you, brutal oppressors bow in worshipful reverence. + They'll see that you take care of the poor, that you take care of poor people in trouble, Provide a warm, dry place in bad weather, provide a cool place when it's hot. Brutal oppressors are like a winter blizzard + and vicious foreigners like high noon in the desert. But you, shelter from the storm and shade from the sun, shut the mouths of the big-mouthed bullies. + But here on this mountain, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will throw a feast for all the people of the world, A feast of the finest foods, a feast with vintage wines, a feast of seven courses, a feast lavish with gourmet desserts. + And here on this mountain, GOD will banish the pall of doom hanging over all peoples, The shadow of doom darkening all nations. + Yes, he'll banish death forever. And GOD will wipe the tears from every face. He'll remove every sign of disgrace From his people, wherever they are. Yes! GOD says so! + Also at that time, people will say, "Look at what's happened! This is our God! We waited for him and he showed up and saved us! This GOD, the one we waited for! Let's celebrate, sing the joys of his salvation. + GOD's hand rests on this mountain!" As for the Moabites, they'll be treated like refuse, waste shoveled into a cesspool. + Thrash away as they will, like swimmers trying to stay afloat, They'll sink in the sewage. Their pride will pull them under. + Their famous fortifications will crumble to nothing, those mighty walls reduced to dust. + + + At that time, this song will be sung in the country of Judah: We have a strong city, Salvation City, built and fortified with salvation. + Throw wide the gates so good and true people can enter. + People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit. + Depend on GOD and keep at it because in the LORD GOD you have a sure thing. + Those who lived high and mighty he knocked off their high horse. He used the city built on the hill as fill for the marshes. + All the exploited and outcast peoples build their lives on the reclaimed land. + The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. + We're in no hurry, GOD. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want. + Through the night my soul longs for you. Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you. When your decisions are on public display, everyone learns how to live right. + If the wicked are shown grace, they don't seem to get it. In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living, blind to the splendor of GOD. + You hold your hand up high, GOD, but they don't see it. Open their eyes to what you do, to see your zealous love for your people. Shame them. Light a fire under them. Get the attention of these enemies of yours. + GOD, order a peaceful and whole life for us because everything we've done, you've done for us. + O GOD, our God, we've had other masters rule us, but you're the only Master we've ever known. + The dead don't talk, ghosts don't walk, Because you've said, "Enough--that's all for you," and wiped them off the books. + But the living you make larger than life. The more life you give, the more glory you display, and stretch the borders to accommodate more living! + O GOD, they begged you for help when they were in trouble, when your discipline was so heavy they could barely whisper a prayer. + Like a woman having a baby, writhing in distress, screaming her pain as the baby is being born, That's how we were because of you, O GOD. + We were pregnant full-term. We writhed in labor but bore no baby. We gave birth to wind. Nothing came of our labor. We produced nothing living. We couldn't save the world. + But friends, your dead will live, your corpses will get to their feet. All you dead and buried, wake up! Sing! Your dew is morning dew catching the first rays of sun, The earth bursting with life, giving birth to the dead. + Come, my people, go home and shut yourselves in. Go into seclusion for a while until the punishing wrath is past, + Because GOD is sure to come from his place to punish the wrong of the people on earth. Earth itself will point out the bloodstains; it will show where the murdered have been hidden away. + + + At that time GOD will unsheathe his sword, his merciless, massive, mighty sword. He'll punish the serpent Leviathan as it flees, the serpent Leviathan thrashing in flight. He'll kill that old dragon that lives in the sea. + "At that same time, a fine vineyard will appear. There's something to sing about! + I, GOD, tend it. I keep it well-watered. I keep careful watch over it so that no one can damage it. + I'm not angry. I care. Even if it gives me thistles and thornbushes, I'll just pull them out and burn them up. + Let that vine cling to me for safety, let it find a good and whole life with me, let it hold on for a good and whole life." + The days are coming when Jacob shall put down roots, Israel blossom and grow fresh branches, and fill the world with its fruit. + Has GOD knocked them to the ground as he knocked down those who hit them? Oh, no. Were they killed as their killers were killed? Again, no. + He was hard on them all right. The exile was a harsh sentence. He blew them away on a fierce blast of wind. + But the good news is that through this experience Jacob's guilt was taken away. The evidence that his sin is removed will be this: He will tear down the alien altars, take them apart stone by stone, And then crush the stones into gravel and clean out all the sex-and-religion shrines. + For there's nothing left of that pretentious grandeur. Nobody lives there anymore. It's unlivable. But animals do just fine, browsing and bedding down. + And it's not a bad place to get firewood. Dry twigs and dead branches are plentiful. It's the leavings of a people with no sense of God. So, the God who made them Will have nothing to do with them. He who formed them will turn his back on them. + At that time GOD will thresh from the River Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt, And you, people of Israel, will be selected grain by grain. + At that same time a great trumpet will be blown, calling home the exiles from Assyria, Welcoming home the refugees from Egypt to come and worship GOD on the holy mountain, Jerusalem. + + + Doom to the pretentious drunks of Ephraim, shabby and washed out and seedy-- Tipsy, sloppy-fat, beer-bellied parodies of a proud and handsome past. + Watch closely: GOD has someone picked out, someone tough and strong to flatten them. Like a hailstorm, like a hurricane, like a flash flood, one-handed he'll throw them to the ground. + Samaria, the party hat on Israel's head, will be knocked off with one blow. + It will disappear quicker than a piece of meat tossed to a dog. + At that time, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will be the beautiful crown on the head of what's left of his people: + Energy and insights of justice to those who guide and decide, strength and prowess to those who guard and protect. + These also, the priest and prophet, stagger from drink, weaving, falling-down drunks, Besotted with wine and whiskey, can't see straight, can't talk sense. + Every table is covered with vomit. They live in vomit. + "Is that so? And who do you think you are to teach us? Who are you to lord it over us? We're not babies in diapers to be talked down to by such as you-- + 'Da, da, da, da, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's a good little girl, that's a good little boy.'" + But that's exactly how you will be addressed. God will speak to this people In baby talk, one syllable at a time-- + and he'll do it through foreign oppressors. He said before, "This is the time and place to rest, to give rest to the weary. This is the place to lay down your burden." But they won't listen. + So GOD will start over with the simple basics and address them in baby talk, one syllable at a time-- "Da, da, da, da, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's a good little girl, that's a good little boy." And like toddlers, they will get up and fall down, get bruised and confused and lost. + Now listen to GOD's Message, you scoffers, you who rule this people in Jerusalem. + You say, "We've taken out good life insurance. We've hedged all our bets, covered all our bases. No disaster can touch us. We've thought of everything. We're advised by the experts. We're set." + But the Master, GOD, has something to say to this: "Watch closely. I'm laying a foundation in Zion, a solid granite foundation, squared and true. And this is the meaning of the stone: A TRUSTING LIFE WON'T TOPPLE. + I'll make justice the measuring stick and righteousness the plumb line for the building. A hailstorm will knock down the shantytown of lies, and a flash flood will wash out the rubble. + "Then you'll see that your precious life insurance policy wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Your careful precautions against death were a pack of illusions and lies. When the disaster happens, you'll be crushed by it. + Every time disaster comes, you'll be in on it-- disaster in the morning, disaster at night." Every report of disaster will send you cowering in terror. + There will be no place where you can rest, nothing to hide under. + GOD will rise to full stature, raging as he did long ago on Mount Perazim And in the valley of Gibeon against the Philistines. But this time it's against you. Hard to believe, but true. Not what you'd expect, but it's coming. + Sober up, friends, and don't scoff. Scoffing will just make it worse. I've heard the orders issued for destruction, orders from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies--ending up in an international disaster. + Listen to me now. Give me your closest attention. + Do farmers plow and plow and do nothing but plow? Or harrow and harrow and do nothing but harrow? + After they've prepared the ground, don't they plant? Don't they scatter dill and spread cumin, Plant wheat and barley in the fields and raspberries along the borders? + They know exactly what to do and when to do it. Their God is their teacher. + And at the harvest, the delicate herbs and spices, the dill and cumin, are treated delicately. + On the other hand, wheat is threshed and milled, but still not endlessly. The farmer knows how to treat each kind of grain. + He's learned it all from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who knows everything about when and how and where. + + + Doom, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David set camp! Let the years add up, let the festivals run their cycles, + But I'm not letting up on Jerusalem. The moaning and groaning will continue. Jerusalem to me is an Ariel. + Like David, I'll set up camp against you. I'll set siege, build towers, bring in siege engines, build siege ramps. + Driven into the ground, you'll speak, you'll mumble words from the dirt-- Your voice from the ground, like the muttering of a ghost. Your speech will whisper from the dust. + But it will be your enemies who are beaten to dust, the mob of tyrants who will be blown away like chaff. Because, surprise, as if out of nowhere, + a visit from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, With thunderclaps, earthquakes, and earsplitting noise, backed up by hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning strikes, + And the mob of enemies at war with Ariel, all who trouble and hassle and torment her, will turn out to be a bad dream, a nightmare. + Like a hungry man dreaming he's eating steak and wakes up hungry as ever, Like a thirsty woman dreaming she's drinking iced tea and wakes up thirsty as ever, So that mob of nations at war against Mount Zion will wake up and find they haven't shot an arrow, haven't killed a single soul. + Drug yourselves so you feel nothing. Blind yourselves so you see nothing. Get drunk, but not on wine. Black out, but not from whiskey. + For GOD has rocked you into a deep, deep sleep, put the discerning prophets to sleep, put the farsighted seers to sleep. + What you've been shown here is somewhat like a letter in a sealed envelope. If you give it to someone who can read and tell her, "Read this," she'll say, "I can't. The envelope is sealed." + And if you give it to someone who can't read and tell him, "Read this," he'll say, "I can't read." + The Master said: "These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren't in it. Because they act like they're worshiping me but don't mean it, + I'm going to step in and shock them awake, astonish them, stand them on their ears. The wise ones who had it all figured out will be exposed as fools. The smart people who thought they knew everything will turn out to know nothing." + Doom to you! You pretend to have the inside track. You shut GOD out and work behind the scenes, Plotting the future as if you knew everything, acting mysterious, never showing your hand. + You have everything backwards! You treat the potter as a lump of clay. Does a book say to its author, "He didn't write a word of me"? Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it, "She had nothing to do with this"? + And then before you know it, and without you having anything to do with it, Wasted Lebanon will be transformed into lush gardens, and Mount Carmel reforested. + At that time the deaf will hear word-for-word what's been written. After a lifetime in the dark, the blind will see. + The castoffs of society will be laughing and dancing in GOD, the down-and-outs shouting praise to The Holy of Israel. + For there'll be no more gangs on the street. Cynical scoffers will be an extinct species. Those who never missed a chance to hurt or demean will never be heard of again: + Gone the people who corrupted the courts, gone the people who cheated the poor, gone the people who victimized the innocent. + And finally this, GOD's Message for the family of Jacob, the same GOD who redeemed Abraham: "No longer will Jacob hang his head in shame, no longer grow gaunt and pale with waiting. + For he's going to see his children, my personal gift to him--lots of children. And these children will honor me by living holy lives. In holy worship they'll honor the Holy One of Jacob and stand in holy awe of the God of Israel. + Those who got off-track will get back on-track, and complainers and whiners learn gratitude." + + + "Doom, rebel children!" GOD's Decree. "You make plans, but not mine. You make deals, but not in my Spirit. You pile sin on sin, one sin on top of another, + Going off to Egypt without so much as asking me, Running off to Pharaoh for protection, expecting to hide out in Egypt. + Well, some protection Pharaoh will be! Some hideout, Egypt! + They look big and important, true, with officials strategically established in Zoan in the north and Hanes in the south, + but there's nothing to them. Anyone stupid enough to trust them will end up looking stupid-- All show, no substance, an embarrassing farce." + And this note on the animals of the Negev encountered on the road to Egypt: A most dangerous, treacherous route, menaced by lions and deadly snakes. And you're going to lug all your stuff down there, your donkeys and camels loaded down with bribes, Thinking you can buy protection from that hollow farce of a nation? + Egypt is all show, no substance. My name for her is Toothless Dragon. + So, go now and write all this down. Put it in a book So that the record will be there to instruct the coming generations, + Because this is a rebel generation, a people who lie, A people unwilling to listen to anything GOD tells them. + They tell their spiritual leaders, "Don't bother us with irrelevancies." They tell their preachers, "Don't waste our time on impracticalities. Tell us what makes us feel better. + Don't bore us with obsolete religion. That stuff means nothing to us. Quit hounding us with The Holy of Israel." + Therefore, The Holy of Israel says this: "Because you scorn this Message, Preferring to live by injustice and shape your lives on lies, + This perverse way of life will be like a towering, badly built wall That slowly, slowly tilts and shifts, and then one day, without warning, collapses-- + Smashed to bits like a piece of pottery, smashed beyond recognition or repair, Useless, a pile of debris to be swept up and thrown in the trash." + GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: "Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me-- The very thing you've been unwilling to do. + You've said, 'Nothing doing! We'll rush off on horseback!' You'll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! You've said, 'We'll ride off on fast horses!' Do you think your pursuers ride old nags? + Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five you'll all run off. There'll be nothing left of you-- a flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off." + But GOD's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. GOD takes the time to do everything right--everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones. + Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer. + Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, + urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road." + You'll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You'll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, "Good riddance!" + God will provide rain for the seeds you sow. The grain that grows will be abundant. Your cattle will range far and wide. + Oblivious to war and earthquake, the oxen and donkeys you use for hauling and plowing will be fed well + near running brooks that flow freely from mountains and hills. + Better yet, on the Day GOD heals his people of the wounds and bruises from the time of punishment, moonlight will flare into sunlight, and sunlight, like a whole week of sunshine at once, will flood the land. + Look, GOD's on his way, and from a long way off! Smoking with anger, immense as he comes into view, Words steaming from his mouth, searing, indicting words! + A torrent of words, a flash flood of words sweeping everyone into the vortex of his words. He'll shake down the nations in a sieve of destruction, herd them into a dead end. + But you will sing, sing through an all-night holy feast! Your hearts will burst with song, make music like the sound of flutes on parade, En route to the mountain of GOD, on the way to the Rock of Israel. + GOD will sound out in grandiose thunder, display his hammering arm, Furiously angry, showering sparks-- cloudburst, storm, hail! + Oh yes, at GOD's thunder Assyria will cower under the clubbing. + Every blow GOD lands on them with his club is in time to the music of drums and pipes, GOD in all-out, two-fisted battle, fighting against them. + Topheth's fierce fires are well prepared, ready for the Assyrian king. The Topheth furnace is deep and wide, well stoked with hot-burning wood. GOD's breath, like a river of burning pitch, starts the fire. + + + Doom to those who go off to Egypt thinking that horses can help them, Impressed by military mathematics, awed by sheer numbers of chariots and riders-- And to The Holy of Israel, not even a glance, not so much as a prayer to GOD. + Still, he must be reckoned with, a most wise God who knows what he's doing. He can call down catastrophe. He's a God who does what he says. He intervenes in the work of those who do wrong, stands up against interfering evildoers. + Egyptians are mortal, not God, and their horses are flesh, not Spirit. When GOD gives the signal, helpers and helped alike will fall in a heap and share the same dirt grave. + This is what GOD told me: "Like a lion, king of the beasts, that gnaws and chews and worries its prey, Not fazed in the least by a bunch of shepherds who arrive to chase it off, So GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies comes down to fight on Mount Zion, to make war from its heights. + And like a huge eagle hovering in the sky, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies protects Jerusalem. I'll protect and rescue it. Yes, I'll hover and deliver." + Repent, return, dear Israel, to the One you so cruelly abandoned. + On the day you return, you'll throw away--every last one of you--the no-gods your sinful hands made from metal and wood. + "Assyrians will fall dead, killed by a sword-thrust but not by a soldier, laid low by a sword not swung by a mortal. Assyrians will run from that sword, run for their lives, and their prize young men made slaves. + Terrorized, that rock-solid people will fall to pieces, their leaders scatter hysterically." GOD's Decree on Assyria. His fire blazes in Zion, his furnace burns hot in Jerusalem. + + + But look! A king will rule in the right way, and his leaders will carry out justice. + Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds, provide safe cover in stormy weather. Each will be cool running water in parched land, a huge granite outcrop giving shade in the desert. + Anyone who looks will see, anyone who listens will hear. + The impulsive will make sound decisions, the tongue-tied will speak with eloquence. + No more will fools become celebrities, nor crooks be rewarded with fame. + For fools are fools and that's that, thinking up new ways to do mischief. They leave a wake of wrecked lives and lies about GOD, Turning their backs on the homeless hungry, ignoring those dying of thirst in the streets. + And the crooks? Underhanded sneaks they are, inventive in sin and scandal, Exploiting the poor with scams and lies, unmoved by the victimized poor. + But those who are noble make noble plans, and stand for what is noble. + Take your stand, indolent women! Listen to me! Indulgent, indolent women, listen closely to what I have to say. + In just a little over a year from now, you'll be shaken out of your lazy lives. The grape harvest will fail, and there'll be no fruit on the trees. + Oh tremble, you indolent women. Get serious, you pampered dolls! Strip down and discard your silk fineries. Put on funeral clothes. + Shed honest tears for the lost harvest, the failed vintage. + Weep for my people's gardens and farms that grow nothing but thistles and thornbushes. Cry tears, real tears, for the happy homes no longer happy, the merry city no longer merry. + The royal palace is deserted, the bustling city quiet as a morgue, The emptied parks and playgrounds taken over by wild animals, delighted with their new home. + Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured down on us from above And the badlands desert grows crops and the fertile fields become forests. + Justice will move into the badlands desert. Right will build a home in the fertile field. + And where there's Right, there'll be Peace and the progeny of Right: quiet lives and endless trust. + My people will live in a peaceful neighborhood-- in safe houses, in quiet gardens. + The forest of your pride will be clear-cut, the city showing off your power leveled. + But you will enjoy a blessed life, planting well-watered fields and gardens, with your farm animals grazing freely. + + + Doom to you, Destroyer, not yet destroyed; And doom to you, Betrayer, not yet betrayed. When you finish destroying, your turn will come--destroyed! When you quit betraying, your turn will come--betrayed! + GOD, treat us kindly. You're our only hope. First thing in the morning, be there for us! When things go bad, help us out! + You spoke in thunder and everyone ran. You showed up and nations scattered. + Your people, for a change, got in on the loot, picking the field clean of the enemy spoils. + GOD is supremely esteemed. His center holds. Zion brims over with all that is just and right. + GOD keeps your days stable and secure-- salvation, wisdom, and knowledge in surplus, and best of all, Zion's treasure, Fear-of-GOD. + But look! Listen! Tough men weep openly. Peacemaking diplomats are in bitter tears. + The roads are empty-- not a soul out on the streets. The peace treaty is broken, its conditions violated, its signers reviled. + The very ground under our feet mourns, the Lebanon mountains hang their heads, Flowering Sharon is a weed-choked gully, and the forests of Bashan and Carmel? Bare branches. + "Now I'm stepping in," GOD says. "From now on, I'm taking over. The gloves come off. Now see how mighty I am. + There's nothing to you. Pregnant with chaff, you produce straw babies; full of hot air, you self-destruct. + You're good for nothing but fertilizer and fuel. Earth to earth--and the sooner the better. + "If you're far away, get the reports on what I've done, And if you're in the neighborhood, pay attention to my record. + The sinners in Zion are rightly terrified; the godless are at their wit's end: 'Who among us can survive this firestorm? Who of us can get out of this purge with our lives?'" + The answer's simple: Live right, speak the truth, despise exploitation, refuse bribes, reject violence, avoid evil amusements. + This is how you raise your standard of living! A safe and stable way to live. A nourishing, satisfying way to live. + Oh, you'll see the king--a beautiful sight! And you'll take in the wide vistas of land. + In your mind you'll go over the old terrors: "What happened to that Assyrian inspector who condemned and confiscated? And the one who gouged us of taxes? And that cheating moneychanger?" + Gone! Out of sight forever! Their insolence nothing now but a fading stain on the carpet! No more putting up with a language you can't understand, no more sounds of gibberish in your ears. + Just take a look at Zion, will you? Centering our worship in festival feasts! Feast your eyes on Jerusalem, a quiet and permanent place to live. No more pulling up stakes and moving on, no more patched-together lean-tos. + Instead, GOD! GOD majestic, God himself the place in a country of broad rivers and streams, But rivers blocked to invading ships, off-limits to predatory pirates. + For GOD makes all the decisions here. GOD is our king. GOD runs this place and he'll keep us safe. + Ha! Your sails are in shreds, your mast wobbling, your hold leaking. The plunder is free for the taking, free for all-- for weak and strong, insiders and outsiders. + No one in Zion will say, "I'm sick." Best of all, they'll all live guilt-free. + + + Draw in close now, nations. Listen carefully, you people. Pay attention! Earth, you too, and everything in you. World, and all that comes from you. + And here's why: GOD is angry, good and angry with all the nations, So blazingly angry at their arms and armies that he's going to rid earth of them, wipe them out. + The corpses, thrown in a heap, will stink like the town dump in midsummer, Their blood flowing off the mountains like creeks in spring runoff. + Stars will fall out of the sky like overripe, rotting fruit in the orchard, And the sky itself will be folded up like a blanket and put away in a closet. All that army of stars, shriveled to nothing, like leaves and fruit in autumn, dropping and rotting! + "Once I've finished with earth and sky, I'll start in on Edom. I'll come down hard on Edom, a people I've slated for total termination." + GOD has a sword, thirsty for blood and more blood, a sword hungry for well-fed flesh, Lamb and goat blood, the suet-rich kidneys of rams. Yes, GOD has scheduled a sacrifice in Bozrah, the capital, the whole country of Edom a slaughterhouse. + A wholesale slaughter, wild animals and farm animals alike slaughtered. The whole country soaked with blood, all the ground greasy with fat. + It's GOD's scheduled time for vengeance, the year all Zion's accounts are settled. + Edom's streams will flow sluggish, thick with pollution, the soil sterile, poisoned with waste, The whole country a smoking, stinking garbage dump-- + The fires burning day and night, the skies black with endless smoke. Generation after generation of wasteland-- no more travelers through this country! + Vultures and skunks will police the streets; owls and crows will feel at home there. God will reverse creation. Chaos! He will cancel fertility. Emptiness! + Leaders will have no one to lead. They'll name it No Kingdom There, A country where all kings and princes are unemployed. + Thistles will take over, covering the castles, fortresses conquered by weeds and thornbushes. Wild dogs will prowl the ruins, ostriches have the run of the place. + Wildcats and hyenas will hunt together, demons and devils dance through the night. The night-demon Lilith, evil and rapacious, will establish permanent quarters. + Scavenging carrion birds will breed and brood, infestations of ominous evil. + Get and read GOD's book: None of this is going away, this breeding, brooding evil. GOD has personally commanded it all. His Spirit set it in motion. + GOD has assigned them their place, decreed their fate in detail. This is permanent-- generation after generation, the same old thing. + + + Wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the badlands will celebrate and flower-- Like the crocus in spring, + bursting into blossom, a symphony of song and color. Mountain glories of Lebanon--a gift. Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon--gifts. GOD's resplendent glory, fully on display. GOD awesome, GOD majestic. + Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. + Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! GOD is here, right here, on his way to put things right And redress all wrongs. He's on his way! He'll save you!" + Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped, + Lame men and women will leap like deer, the voiceless break into song. Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert. + Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain. Even lowly jackals will have water to drink, and barren grasslands flourish richly. + There will be a highway called the Holy Road. No one rude or rebellious is permitted on this road. It's for GOD's people exclusively-- impossible to get lost on this road. Not even fools can get lost on it. + No lions on this road, no dangerous wild animals-- Nothing and no one dangerous or threatening. Only the redeemed will walk on it. + The people GOD has ransomed will come back on this road. They'll sing as they make their way home to Zion, unfading halos of joy encircling their heads, Welcomed home with gifts of joy and gladness as all sorrows and sighs scurry into the night. + + + In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria made war on all the fortress cities of Judah and took them. + Then the king of Assyria sent his general, the "Rabshekah," accompanied by a huge army, from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah. The general stopped at the aqueduct where it empties into the upper pool on the road to the public laundry. + Three men went out to meet him: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, in charge of the palace; Shebna the secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the official historian. + The Rabshekah said to them, "Tell Hezekiah that the Great King, the king of Assyria, says this: 'What kind of backing do you think you have against me? + You're bluffing and I'm calling your bluff. Your words are no match for my weapons. What kind of backup do you have now that you've rebelled against me? + Egypt? Don't make me laugh. Egypt is a rubber crutch. Lean on Egypt and you'll end up flat on your face. That's all Pharaoh king of Egypt is to anyone who leans on him. + And if you try to tell me, "We're leaning on our GOD," isn't it a bit late? Hasn't Hezekiah just gotten rid of all the places of worship, telling you, "You've got to worship at this altar"? + "'Be reasonable. Face the facts: My master the king of Assyria will give you two thousand horses if you can put riders on them. + You can't do it, can you? So how do you think, depending on flimsy Egypt's chariots and riders, you can stand up against even the lowest-ranking captain in my master's army? + "'And besides, do you think I came all this way to destroy this land without first getting GOD's blessing? It was your GOD who told me, Make war on this land. Destroy it.'" + Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah answered the Rabshekah, "Please talk to us in Aramaic. We understand Aramaic. Don't talk to us in Hebrew within earshot of all the people gathered around." + But the Rabshekah replied, "Do you think my master has sent me to give this message to your master and you but not also to the people clustered here? It's their fate that's at stake. They're the ones who are going to end up eating their own excrement and drinking their own urine." + Then the Rabshekah stood up and called out loudly in Hebrew, the common language, "Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria! + Don't listen to Hezekiah's lies. He can't save you. + And don't pay any attention to Hezekiah's pious sermons telling you to lean on GOD, telling you 'GOD will save us, depend on it. GOD won't let this city fall to the king of Assyria.' + "Don't listen to Hezekiah. Listen to the king of Assyria's offer: 'Make peace with me. Come and join me. Everyone will end up with a good life, with plenty of land and water, + and eventually something far better. I'll turn you loose in wide open spaces, with more than enough fertile and productive land for everyone.' + Don't let Hezekiah mislead you with his lies, 'GOD will save us.' Has that ever happened? Has any god in history ever gotten the best of the king of Assyria? + Look around you. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? The gods of Sepharvaim? Did the gods do anything for Samaria? + Name one god that has ever saved its countries from me. So what makes you think that GOD could save Jerusalem from me?'" + The three men were silent. They said nothing, for the king had already commanded, "Don't answer him." + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, tearing their clothes in defeat and despair, went back and reported what the Rabshekah had said to Hezekiah. + + + When King Hezekiah heard the report, he also tore his clothes and dressed in rough, penitential burlap gunnysacks, and went into the sanctuary of GOD. + He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, all of them also dressed in penitential burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. + They said to him, "Hezekiah says, 'This is a black day. We're in crisis. We're like pregnant women without even the strength to have a baby! + Do you think your GOD heard what the Rabshekah said, sent by his master the king of Assyria to mock the living God? And do you think your GOD will do anything about it? Pray for us, Isaiah. Pray for those of us left here holding the fort!'" + Then King Hezekiah's servants came to Isaiah. + Isaiah said, "Tell your master this: 'GOD's Message: Don't be upset by what you've heard, all those words the servants of the Assyrian king have used to mock me. + I personally will take care of him. I'll arrange it so that he'll get a rumor of bad news back home and rush home to take care of it. And he'll die there. Killed--a violent death.'" + The Rabshekah left and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah. (He had gotten word that the king had left Lachish.) + Just then the Assyrian king received an intelligence report on King Tirhakah of Ethiopia: "He is on his way to make war on you." On hearing that, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with instructions to deliver this message: + "Don't let your GOD, on whom you so naively lean, deceive you, promising that Jerusalem won't fall to the king of Assyria. + Use your head! Look around at what the kings of Assyria have done all over the world--one country after another devastated! And do you think you're going to get off? + Have any of the gods of any of these countries ever stepped in and saved them, even one of these nations my predecessors destroyed--Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who lived in Telassar? + Look around. Do you see anything left of the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, the king of Ivvah?" + Hezekiah took the letter from the hands of the messengers and read it. Then he went into the sanctuary of GOD and spread the letter out before GOD. + Then Hezekiah prayed to GOD: + "GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, enthroned over the cherubim-angels, you are God, the only God there is, God of all kingdoms on earth. You made heaven and earth. + Listen, O GOD, and hear. Look, O GOD, and see. Mark all these words of Sennacherib that he sent to mock the living God. + It's quite true, O GOD, that the kings of Assyria have devastated all the nations and their lands. + They've thrown their gods into the trash and burned them--no great achievement since they were no-gods anyway, gods made in workshops, carved from wood and chiseled from rock. An end to the no-gods! + But now step in, O GOD, our God. Save us from him. Let all the kingdoms of earth know that you and you alone are GOD." + Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this word to Hezekiah: "GOD's Message, the God of Israel: Because you brought King Sennacherib of Assyria to me in prayer, + here is my answer, GOD's answer: "'She has no use for you, Sennacherib, nothing but contempt, this virgin daughter Zion. She spits at you and turns on her heel, this daughter Jerusalem. + "'Who do you think you've been mocking and reviling all these years? Who do you think you've been jeering and treating with such utter contempt All these years? The Holy of Israel! + You've used your servants to mock the Master. You've bragged, "With my fleet of chariots I've gone to the highest mountain ranges, penetrated the far reaches of Lebanon, Chopped down its giant cedars, its finest cypresses. I conquered its highest peak, explored its deepest forest. + I dug wells and drank my fill. I emptied the famous rivers of Egypt with one kick of my foot. + "'Haven't you gotten the news that I've been behind this all along? This is a longstanding plan of mine and I'm just now making it happen, using you to devastate strong cities, turning them into piles of rubble + and leaving their citizens helpless, bewildered, and confused, drooping like unwatered plants, stunted like withered seedlings. + "'I know all about your pretentious poses, your officious comings and goings, and, yes, the tantrums you throw against me. + Because of all your wild raging against me, your unbridled arrogance that I keep hearing of, I'll put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I'll show you who's boss. I'll turn you around and take you back to where you came from. + "'And this, Hezekiah, will be your confirming sign: This year's crops will be slim pickings, and next year it won't be much better. But in three years, farming will be back to normal, with regular sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting. + What's left of the people of Judah will put down roots and make a new start. + The people left in Jerusalem will get moving again. Mount Zion survivors will take hold again. The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.' + "Finally, this is GOD's verdict on the king of Assyria: "'Don't worry, he won't enter this city, won't let loose a single arrow, Won't brandish so much as one shield, let alone build a siege ramp against it. + He'll go back the same way he came. He won't set a foot in this city. GOD's Decree. + I've got my hand on this city to save it, Save it for my very own sake, but also for the sake of my David dynasty.'" + Then the Angel of GOD arrived and struck the Assyrian camp--185,000 Assyrians died. By the time the sun came up, they were all dead--an army of corpses! + Sennacherib, king of Assyria, got out of there fast, back home to Nineveh. + As he was worshiping in the sanctuary of his god Nisroch, he was murdered by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer. They escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esar-haddon became the next king. + + + At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and said, "GOD says, 'Prepare your affairs and your family. This is it: You're going to die. You're not going to get well.'" + Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to GOD: + "GOD, please, I beg you: Remember how I've lived my life. I've lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You've seen how I've lived, the good that I have done." And Hezekiah wept as he prayed--painful tears. + Then GOD told Isaiah, + "Go and speak with Hezekiah. Give him this Message from me, GOD, the God of your ancestor David: 'I've heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here's what I'll do: I'll add fifteen years to your life. + And I'll save both you and this city from the king of Assyria. I have my hand on this city. + "'And this is your confirming sign, confirming that I, GOD, will do exactly what I have promised. + Watch for this: As the sun goes down and the shadow lengthens on the sundial of Ahaz, I'm going to reverse the shadow ten notches on the dial.'" And that's what happened: The declining sun's shadow reversed ten notches on the dial. + This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he'd been sick and then recovered from his sickness: + In the very prime of life I have to leave. Whatever time I have left is spent in death's waiting room. + No more glimpses of GOD in the land of the living, No more meetings with my neighbors, no more rubbing shoulders with friends. + This body I inhabit is taken down and packed away like a camper's tent. Like a weaver, I've rolled up the carpet of my life as God cuts me free of the loom And at day's end sweeps up the scraps and pieces. + I cry for help until morning. Like a lion, God pummels and pounds me, relentlessly finishing me off. + I squawk like a doomed hen, moan like a dove. My eyes ache from looking up for help: "Master, I'm in trouble! Get me out of this!" + But what's the use? God himself gave me the word. He's done it to me. I can't sleep-- I'm that upset, that troubled. + O Master, these are the conditions in which people live, and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive-- fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life! + It seems it was good for me to go through all those troubles. Throughout them all you held tight to my lifeline. You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing. But my sins you let go of, threw them over your shoulder--good riddance! + The dead don't thank you, and choirs don't sing praises from the morgue. Those buried six feet under don't witness to your faithful ways. + It's the living--live men, live women--who thank you, just as I'm doing right now. Parents give their children full reports on your faithful ways. + GOD saves and will save me. As fiddles and mandolins strike up the tunes, We'll sing, oh we'll sing, sing, for the rest of our lives in the Sanctuary of GOD. + Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs and put it on the boil so he may recover." + Hezekiah had said, "What is my cue that it's all right to enter again the Sanctuary of GOD?" + + + Sometime later, King Merodach-baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent messengers with greetings and a gift to Hezekiah. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well. + Hezekiah received the messengers warmly. He took them on a tour of his royal precincts, proudly showing them all his treasures: silver, gold, spices, expensive oils, all his weapons--everything out on display. There was nothing in his house or kingdom that Hezekiah didn't show them. + Later the prophet Isaiah showed up. He asked Hezekiah, "What were these men up to? What did they say? And where did they come from?" Hezekiah said, "They came from a long way off, from Babylon." + "And what did they see in your palace?" "Everything," said Hezekiah. "I showed them the works, opened all the doors and impressed them with it all." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Now listen to this Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: + I have to warn you, the time is coming when everything in this palace, along with everything your ancestors accumulated before you, will be hauled off to Babylon. GOD says that there will be nothing left. Nothing. + And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." + Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, "Good. If GOD says so, it's good." Within himself he was thinking, "But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I'll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live." + + + "Comfort, oh comfort my people," says your God. + "Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem, but also make it very clear That she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of--forgiven! She's been punished enough and more than enough, and now it's over and done with." + Thunder in the desert! "Prepare for GOD's arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. + Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. + Then GOD's bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as GOD has said." + A voice says, "Shout!" I said, "What shall I shout?" "These people are nothing but grass, their love fragile as wildflowers. + The grass withers, the wildflowers fade, if GOD so much as puffs on them. Aren't these people just so much grass? + True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our God's Word stands firm and forever." + Climb a high mountain, Zion. You're the preacher of good news. Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem. You're the preacher of good news. Speak loud and clear. Don't be timid! Tell the cities of Judah, "Look! Your God!" + Look at him! GOD, the Master, comes in power, ready to go into action. He is going to pay back his enemies and reward those who have loved him. + Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, Hugging them as he carries them, leading the nursing ewes to good pasture. + Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger, Who has put all the earth's dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill? + Who could ever have told GOD what to do or taught him his business? + What expert would he have gone to for advice, what school would he attend to learn justice? What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows, showed him how things work? + Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere smudge on a window. Watch him sweep up the islands like so much dust off the floor! + There aren't enough trees in Lebanon nor enough animals in those vast forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship. + All the nations add up to simply nothing before him-- less than nothing is more like it. A minus. + So who even comes close to being like God? To whom or what can you compare him? + Some no-god idol? Ridiculous! It's made in a workshop, cast in bronze, Given a thin veneer of gold, and draped with silver filigree. + Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood-- olive wood, say--that won't rot, Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god, giving special care to its base so it won't tip over! + Have you not been paying attention? Have you not been listening? Haven't you heard these stories all your life? Don't you understand the foundation of all things? + God sits high above the round ball of earth. The people look like mere ants. He stretches out the skies like a canvas-- yes, like a tent canvas to live under. + He ignores what all the princes say and do. The rulers of the earth count for nothing. + Princes and rulers don't amount to much. Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted, They shrivel when God blows on them. Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind. + "So--who is like me? Who holds a candle to me?" says The Holy. + Look at the night skies: Who do you think made all this? Who marches this army of stars out each night, counts them off, calls each by name --so magnificent! so powerful!-- and never overlooks a single one? + Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, "GOD has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"? + Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? GOD doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. + He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. + For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. + But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind. + + + "Quiet down, far-flung ocean islands. Listen! Sit down and rest, everyone. Recover your strength. Gather around me. Say what's on your heart. Together let's decide what's right. + "Who got things rolling here, got this champion from the east on the move? Who recruited him for this job, then rounded up and corralled the nations so he could run roughshod over kings? He's off and running, pulverizing nations into dust, leaving only stubble and chaff in his wake. + He chases them and comes through unscathed, his feet scarcely touching the path. + "Who did this? Who made it happen? Who always gets things started? I did. GOD. I'm first on the scene. I'm also the last to leave. + "Far-flung ocean islands see it and panic. The ends of the earth are shaken. Fearfully they huddle together. + They try to help each other out, making up stories in the dark. + The godmakers in the workshops go into overtime production, crafting new models of no-gods, Urging one another on--'Good job!' 'Great design!'-- pounding in nails at the base so that the things won't tip over. + "But you, Israel, are my servant. You're Jacob, my first choice, descendants of my good friend Abraham. + I pulled you in from all over the world, called you in from every dark corner of the earth, Telling you, 'You're my servant, serving on my side. I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.' + Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. + "Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you will end up out in the cold-- real losers. Those who worked against you will end up empty-handed-- nothing to show for their lives. + When you go out looking for your old adversaries you won't find them-- Not a trace of your old enemies, not even a memory. + That's right. Because I, your GOD, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, 'Don't panic. I'm right here to help you.' + "Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob? Don't be afraid. Feel like a fragile insect, Israel? I'll help you. I, GOD, want to reassure you. The God who buys you back, The Holy of Israel. + I'm transforming you from worm to harrow, from insect to iron. As a sharp-toothed harrow you'll smooth out the mountains, turn those tough old hills into loamy soil. + You'll open the rough ground to the weather, to the blasts of sun and wind and rain. But you'll be confident and exuberant, expansive in The Holy of Israel! + "The poor and homeless are desperate for water, their tongues parched and no water to be found. But I'm there to be found, I'm there for them, and I, God of Israel, will not leave them thirsty. + I'll open up rivers for them on the barren hills, spout fountains in the valleys. I'll turn the baked-clay badlands into a cool pond, the waterless waste into splashing creeks. + I'll plant the red cedar in that treeless wasteland, also acacia, myrtle, and olive. I'll place the cypress in the desert, with plenty of oaks and pines. + Everyone will see this. No one can miss it-- unavoidable, indisputable evidence That I, GOD, personally did this. It's created and signed by The Holy of Israel. + "Set out your case for your gods," says GOD. "Bring your evidence," says the King of Jacob. + "Take the stand on behalf of your idols, offer arguments, assemble reasons. Spread out the facts before us so that we can assess them ourselves. Ask them, 'If you are gods, explain what the past means-- + or, failing that, tell us what will happen in the future. Can't do that? How about doing something--anything! Good or bad--whatever. Can you hurt us or help us? Do we need to be afraid?' + They say nothing, because they are nothing-- sham gods, no-gods, fool-making gods. + "I, God, started someone out from the north and he's come. He was called out of the east by name. He'll stomp the rulers into the mud the way a potter works the clay. + Let me ask you, Did anyone guess that this might happen? Did anyone tell us earlier so we might confirm it with 'Yes, he's right!'? No one mentioned it, no one announced it, no one heard a peep out of you. + But I told Zion all about this beforehand. I gave Jerusalem a preacher of good news. + But around here there's no one-- no one who knows what's going on. I ask, but no one can tell me the score. + Nothing here. It's all smoke and hot air-- sham gods, hollow gods, no-gods. + + + "Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. + He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. + He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. + He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work--to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching." + GOD's Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the earth and all that grows from it, Who breathes life into earth's people, makes them alive with his own life: + "I am GOD. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations, + To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons. + I am GOD. That's my name. I don't franchise my glory, don't endorse the no-god idols. + Take note: The earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled. I'm announcing the new salvation work. Before it bursts on the scene, I'm telling you all about it." + Sing to GOD a brand-new song, sing his praises all over the world! Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, with all the far-flung islands joining in. + Let the desert and its camps raise a tune, calling the Kedar nomads to join in. Let the villagers in Sela round up a choir and perform from the tops of the mountains. + Make GOD's glory resound; echo his praises from coast to coast. + GOD steps out like he means business. You can see he's primed for action. He shouts, announcing his arrival; he takes charge and his enemies fall into line: + "I've been quiet long enough. I've held back, biting my tongue. But now I'm letting loose, letting go, like a woman who's having a baby-- + Stripping the hills bare, withering the wildflowers, Drying up the rivers, turning lakes into mudflats. + But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them-- sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute." + But those who invested in the no-gods are bankrupt--dead broke. + Pay attention! Are you deaf? Open your eyes! Are you blind? + You're my servant, and you're not looking! You're my messenger, and you're not listening! The very people I depended upon, servants of GOD, blind as a bat--willfully blind! + You've seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You've heard everything, but listened to nothing. + GOD intended, out of the goodness of his heart, to be lavish in his revelation. + But this is a people battered and cowed, shut up in attics and closets, Victims licking their wounds, feeling ignored, abandoned. + But is anyone out there listening? Is anyone paying attention to what's coming? + Who do you think turned Jacob over to the thugs, let loose the robbers on Israel? Wasn't it GOD himself, this God against whom we've sinned-- not doing what he commanded, not listening to what he said? + Isn't it God's anger that's behind all this, God's punishing power? Their whole world collapsed but they still didn't get it; their life is in ruins but they don't take it to heart. + + + But now, GOD's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. + When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end-- + Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! + That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. + "So don't be afraid: I'm with you. I'll round up all your scattered children, pull them in from east and west. + I'll send orders north and south: 'Send them back. Return my sons from distant lands, my daughters from faraway places. + I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child Whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one.'" + Get the blind and deaf out here and ready-- the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes) and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears). + Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and make their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true. + "But you are my witnesses." GOD's Decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me. + I, yes I, am GOD. I'm the only Savior there is. + I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you're my witnesses, you're the evidence." GOD's Decree. "Yes, I am God. + I've always been God and I always will be God. No one can take anything from me. I make; who can unmake it?" + GOD, your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel, says: "Just for you, I will march on Babylon. I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians. Instead of whooping it up, they'll be wailing. + I am GOD, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King." + This is what GOD says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, + The God who summons horses and chariots and armies-- they lie down and then can't get up; they're snuffed out like so many candles: + "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. + Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. + Wild animals will say 'Thank you!' --the coyotes and the buzzards-- Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, + the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me. + "But you didn't pay a bit of attention to me, Jacob. You so quickly tired of me, Israel. + You wouldn't even bring sheep for offerings in worship. You couldn't be bothered with sacrifices. It wasn't that I asked that much from you. I didn't expect expensive presents. + But you didn't even do the minimum-- so stingy with me, so closefisted. Yet you haven't been stingy with your sins. You've been plenty generous with them--and I'm fed up. + "But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins--that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins. + "So, make your case against me. Let's have this out. Make your arguments. Prove you're in the right. + Your original ancestor started the sinning, and everyone since has joined in. + That's why I had to disqualify the Temple leaders, repudiate Jacob and discredit Israel. + + + "But for now, dear servant Jacob, listen-- yes, you, Israel, my personal choice. + GOD who made you has something to say to you; the God who formed you in the womb wants to help you. Don't be afraid, dear servant Jacob, Jeshurun, the one I chose. + For I will pour water on the thirsty ground and send streams coursing through the parched earth. I will pour my Spirit into your descendants and my blessing on your children. + They shall sprout like grass on the prairie, like willows alongside creeks. + This one will say, 'I am GOD's,' and another will go by the name Jacob; That one will write on his hand 'GOD's property'-- and be proud to be called Israel." + GOD, King of Israel, your Redeemer, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, says: "I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between. I'm the only God there is. + Who compares with me? Speak up. See if you measure up. From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming? So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try? + Don't be afraid, and don't worry: Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on? You're my eyewitnesses: Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me? There's no Rock like me that I know of." + All those who make no-god idols don't amount to a thing, and what they work so hard at making is nothing. Their little puppet-gods see nothing and know nothing--they're total embarrassments! + Who would bother making gods that can't do anything, that can't "god"? + Watch all the no-god worshipers hide their faces in shame. Watch the no-god makers slink off humiliated when their idols fail them. Get them out here in the open. Make them face God-reality. + The blacksmith makes his no-god, works it over in his forge, hammering it on his anvil--such hard work! He works away, fatigued with hunger and thirst. + The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of wood. He shapes it with chisels and planes into human shape--a beautiful woman, a handsome man, ready to be placed in a chapel. + He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. + Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he worships--carves it into a god shape and prays before it. + With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: "Ah, this is the life." + And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design--a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, "Save me. You're my god." + Pretty stupid, wouldn't you say? Don't they have eyes in their heads? Are their brains working at all? + Doesn't it occur to them to say, "Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I've used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood!" + This lover of emptiness, of nothing, is so out of touch with reality, so far gone, that he can't even look at what he's doing, can't even look at the no-god stick of wood in his hand and say, "This is crazy." + "Remember these things, O Jacob. Take it seriously, Israel, that you're my servant. I made you, shaped you: You're my servant. O Israel, I'll never forget you. + I've wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings. There's nothing left of your sins. Come back to me, come back. I've redeemed you." + High heavens, sing! GOD has done it. Deep earth, shout! And you mountains, sing! A forest choir of oaks and pines and cedars! GOD has redeemed Jacob. GOD's glory is on display in Israel. + GOD, your Redeemer, who shaped your life in your mother's womb, says: "I am GOD. I made all that is. With no help from you I spread out the skies and laid out the earth." + He makes the magicians look ridiculous and turns fortunetellers into jokes. He makes the experts look trivial and their latest knowledge look silly. + But he backs the word of his servant and confirms the counsel of his messengers. He says to Jerusalem, "Be inhabited," and to the cities of Judah, "Be rebuilt," and to the ruins, "I raise you up." + He says to Ocean, "Dry up. I'm drying up your rivers." + He says to Cyrus, "My shepherd-- everything I want, you'll do it." He says to Jerusalem, "Be built," and to the Temple, "Be established." + + + GOD's Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand To give the task of taming the nations, of terrifying their kings-- He gave him free rein, no restrictions: + "I'll go ahead of you, clearing and paving the road. I'll break down bronze city gates, smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances. + I'll lead you to buried treasures, secret caches of valuables-- Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, GOD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. + It's because of my dear servant Jacob, Israel my chosen, That I've singled you out, called you by name, and given you this privileged work. And you don't even know me! + I am GOD, the only God there is. Besides me there are no real gods. I'm the one who armed you for this work, though you don't even know me, + So that everyone, from east to west, will know that I have no god-rivals. I am GOD, the only God there is. + I form light and create darkness, I make harmonies and create discords. I, GOD, do all these things. + "Open up, heavens, and rain. Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness! Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation; sprout right living. I, GOD, generate all this. + But doom to you who fight your Maker-- you're a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: 'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!' + Would a sperm say to a father, 'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?' Or a fetus to a mother, 'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'" + Thus GOD, The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says: "Do you question who or what I'm making? Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? + I made earth, and I created man and woman to live on it. I handcrafted the skies and direct all the constellations in their turnings. + And now I've got Cyrus on the move. I've rolled out the red carpet before him. He will build my city. He will bring home my exiles. I didn't hire him to do this. I told him. I, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies." + GOD says: "The workers of Egypt, the merchants of Ethiopia, and those statuesque Sabeans Will all come over to you--all yours. Docile in chains, they'll follow you, Hands folded in reverence, praying before you: 'Amazing! God is with you! There is no other God--none.'" + Clearly, you are a God who works behind the scenes, God of Israel, Savior God. + Humiliated, all those others will be ashamed to show their faces in public. Out of work and at loose ends, the makers of no-god idols won't know what to do with themselves. + The people of Israel, though, are saved by you, GOD, saved with an eternal salvation. They won't be ashamed, they won't be at loose ends, ever. + GOD, Creator of the heavens-- he is, remember, God. Maker of earth-- he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn't go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This GOD says: "I am GOD, the one and only. + I don't just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, 'Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.' I am GOD. I work out in the open, saying what's right, setting things right. + So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don't seem to know much, do they-- those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick? + So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn't I the one? GOD? It had to be me. I'm the only God there is-- The only God who does things right and knows how to help. + So turn to me and be helped--saved!-- everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am GOD, the only God there is, the one and only. + I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, + 'Yes! Salvation and strength are in GOD!'" All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief. + And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in GOD! + + + The god Bel falls down, god Nebo slumps. The no-god hunks of wood are loaded on mules And have to be hauled off, wearing out the poor mules-- + Dead weight, burdens who can't bear burdens, hauled off to captivity. + "Listen to me, family of Jacob, everyone that's left of the family of Israel. I've been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, + And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old. I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. I've done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you. + "So to whom will you compare me, the Incomparable? Can you picture me without reducing me? + People with a lot of money hire craftsmen to make them gods. The artisan delivers the god, and they kneel and worship it! + They carry it around in holy parades, then take it home and put it on a shelf. And there it sits, day in and day out, a dependable god, always right where you put it. Say anything you want to it, it never talks back. Of course, it never does anything either! + "Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart. + Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am GOD, the only God you've had or ever will have-- incomparable, irreplaceable-- + From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, Assuring you, 'I'm in this for the long haul, I'll do exactly what I set out to do,' + Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east, from a far country the man I chose to help me. I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it. I've planned it, so it's as good as done. + "Now listen to me: You're a hardheaded bunch and hard to help. + I'm ready to help you right now. Deliverance is not a long-range plan. Salvation isn't on hold. I'm putting salvation to work in Zion now, and glory in Israel. + + + "Get off your high horse and sit in the dirt, virgin daughter of Babylon. No more throne for you--sit on the ground, daughter of the Chaldeans. Nobody will be calling you 'charming' and 'alluring' anymore. Get used to it. + Get a job, any old job: Clean gutters, scrub toilets. Hock your gowns and scarves, put on overalls--the party's over. + Your nude body will be on public display, exposed to vulgar taunts. It's vengeance time, and I'm taking vengeance. No one gets let off the hook." + Our Redeemer speaks, named GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, The Holy of Israel: + "Shut up and get out of the way, daughter of Chaldeans. You'll no longer be called 'First Lady of the Kingdoms.' + I was fed up with my people, thoroughly disgusted with my progeny. I turned them over to you, but you had no compassion. You put old men and women to cruel, hard labor. + You said, 'I'm the First Lady. I'll always be the pampered darling.' You took nothing seriously, took nothing to heart, never gave tomorrow a thought. + Well, start thinking, playgirl. You're acting like the center of the universe, Smugly saying to yourself, 'I'm Number One. There's nobody but me. I'll never be a widow, I'll never lose my children.' + Those two things are going to hit you both at once, suddenly, on the same day: Spouse and children gone, a total loss, despite your many enchantments and charms. + You were so confident and comfortable in your evil life, saying, 'No one sees me.' You thought you knew so much, had everything figured out. What delusion! Smugly telling yourself, 'I'm Number One. There's nobody but me.' + Ruin descends-- you can't charm it away. Disaster strikes-- you can't cast it off with spells. Catastrophe, sudden and total-- and you're totally at sea, totally bewildered! + But don't give up. From your great repertoire of enchantments there must be one you haven't yet tried. You've been at this a long time. Surely something will work. + I know you're exhausted trying out remedies, but don't give up. Call in the astrologers and stargazers. They're good at this. Surely they can work up something! + "Fat chance. You'd be grasping at straws that are already in the fire, A fire that is even now raging. Your 'experts' are in it and won't get out. It's not a fire for cooking venison stew, not a fire to warm you on a winter night! + That's the fate of your friends in sorcery, your magician buddies you've been in cahoots with all your life. They reel, confused, bumping into one another. None of them bother to help you. + + + "And now listen to this, family of Jacob, you who are called by the name Israel: Who got you started in the loins of Judah, you who use GOD's name to back up your promises and pray to the God of Israel? But do you mean it? Do you live like it? + You claim to be citizens of the Holy City; you act as though you lean on the God of Israel, named GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + For a long time now, I've let you in on the way I work: I told you what I was going to do beforehand, then I did it and it was done, and that's that. + I know you're a bunch of hardheads, obstinate and flint-faced, + So I got a running start and began telling you what was going on before it even happened. That is why you can't say, 'My god-idol did this.' 'My favorite god-carving commanded this.' + You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it? And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed. + This isn't a variation on the same old thing. This is new, brand-new, something you'd never guess or dream up. When you hear this you won't be able to say, 'I knew that all along.' + You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me, A sorry track record of fickle attachments-- rebels from the womb. + But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. + Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. + Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people. + "Listen, Jacob. Listen, Israel-- I'm the One who named you! I'm the One. I got things started and, yes, I'll wrap them up. + Earth is my work, handmade. And the skies--I made them too, horizon to horizon. When I speak, they're on their feet, at attention. + "Come everybody, gather around, listen: Who among the gods has delivered the news? I, GOD, love this man Cyrus, and I'm using him to do what I want with Babylon. + I, yes I, have spoken. I've called him. I've brought him here. He'll be successful. + Come close, listen carefully: I've never kept secrets from you. I've always been present with you." And now, the Master, GOD, sends me and his Spirit + with this Message from GOD, your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel: "I am GOD, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go. + If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea. + Children and grandchildren are like sand, your progeny like grains of sand. There would be no end of them, no danger of losing touch with me." + Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! Shout the news. Broadcast it. Let the world know, the whole world. Tell them, "GOD redeemed his dear servant Jacob!" + They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water pour out of the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed. + "There is no peace," says GOD, "for the wicked." + + + Listen, far-flung islands, pay attention, faraway people: GOD put me to work from the day I was born. The moment I entered the world he named me. + He gave me speech that would cut and penetrate. He kept his hand on me to protect me. He made me his straight arrow and hid me in his quiver. + He said to me, "You're my dear servant, Israel, through whom I'll shine." + But I said, "I've worked for nothing. I've nothing to show for a life of hard work. Nevertheless, I'll let GOD have the last word. I'll let him pronounce his verdict." + "And now," GOD says, this God who took me in hand from the moment of birth to be his servant, To bring Jacob back home to him, to set a reunion for Israel-- What an honor for me in GOD's eyes! That God should be my strength! + He says, "But that's not a big enough job for my servant-- just to recover the tribes of Jacob, merely to round up the strays of Israel. I'm setting you up as a light for the nations so that my salvation becomes global!" + GOD, Redeemer of Israel, The Holy of Israel, says to the despised one, kicked around by the nations, slave labor to the ruling class: "Kings will see, get to their feet--the princes, too-- and then fall on their faces in homage Because of GOD, who has faithfully kept his word, The Holy of Israel, who has chosen you." + GOD also says: "When the time's ripe, I answer you. When victory's due, I help you. I form you and use you to reconnect the people with me, To put the land in order, to resettle families on the ruined properties. + I tell prisoners, 'Come on out. You're free!' and those huddled in fear, 'It's all right. It's safe now.' There'll be foodstands along all the roads, picnics on all the hills-- + Nobody hungry, nobody thirsty, shade from the sun, shelter from the wind, For the Compassionate One guides them, takes them to the best springs. + I'll make all my mountains into roads, turn them into a superhighway. + Look: These coming from far countries, and those, out of the north, These streaming in from the west, and those from all the way down the Nile!" + Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead! Mountains, send up cheers! GOD has comforted his people. He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people. + But Zion said, "I don't get it. GOD has left me. My Master has forgotten I even exist." + "Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you--never. + Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands. The walls you're rebuilding are never out of my sight. + Your builders are faster than your wreckers. The demolition crews are gone for good. + Look up, look around, look well! See them all gathering, coming to you? As sure as I am the living God"--GOD's Decree-- "you're going to put them on like so much jewelry, you're going to use them to dress up like a bride. + "And your ruined land? Your devastated, decimated land? Filled with more people than you know what to do with! And your barbarian enemies, a fading memory. + The children born in your exile will be saying, 'It's getting too crowded here. I need more room.' + And you'll say to yourself, 'Where on earth did these children come from? I lost everything, had nothing, was exiled and penniless. So who reared these children? How did these children get here?'" + The Master, GOD, says: "Look! I signal to the nations, I raise my flag to summon the people. Here they'll come: women carrying your little boys in their arms, men carrying your little girls on their shoulders. + Kings will be your babysitters, princesses will be your nursemaids. They'll offer to do all your drudge work-- scrub your floors, do your laundry. You'll know then that I am GOD. No one who hopes in me ever regrets it." + Can plunder be retrieved from a giant, prisoners of war gotten back from a tyrant? + But GOD says, "Even if a giant grips the plunder and a tyrant holds my people prisoner, I'm the one who's on your side, defending your cause, rescuing your children. + And your enemies, crazed and desperate, will turn on themselves, killing each other in a frenzy of self-destruction. Then everyone will know that I, GOD, have saved you--I, the Mighty One of Jacob." + + + GOD says: "Can you produce your mother's divorce papers proving I got rid of her? Can you produce a receipt proving I sold you? Of course you can't. It's your sins that put you here, your wrongs that got you shipped out. + So why didn't anyone come when I knocked? Why didn't anyone answer when I called? Do you think I've forgotten how to help? Am I so decrepit that I can't deliver? I'm as powerful as ever, and can reverse what I once did: I can dry up the sea with a word, turn river water into desert sand, And leave the fish stinking in the sun, stranded on dry land . . . + Turn all the lights out in the sky and pull down the curtain." + The Master, GOD, has given me a well-taught tongue, So I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders. + The Master, GOD, opened my ears, and I didn't go back to sleep, didn't pull the covers back over my head. + I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard, Didn't dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. + And the Master, GOD, stays right there and helps me, so I'm not disgraced. Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I'll never regret this. + My champion is right here. Let's take our stand together! Who dares bring suit against me? Let him try! + Look! the Master, GOD, is right here. Who would dare call me guilty? Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths! + Who out there fears GOD, actually listens to the voice of his servant? For anyone out there who doesn't know where you're going, anyone groping in the dark, Here's what: Trust in GOD. Lean on your God! + But if all you're after is making trouble, playing with fire, Go ahead and see where it gets you. Set your fires, stir people up, blow on the flames, But don't expect me to just stand there and watch. I'll hold your feet to those flames. + + + "Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living and committed to seeking GOD. Ponder the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug. + Yes, ponder Abraham, your father, and Sarah, who bore you. Think of it! One solitary man when I called him, but once I blessed him, he multiplied. + Likewise I, GOD, will comfort Zion, comfort all her mounds of ruins. I'll transform her dead ground into Eden, her moonscape into the garden of GOD, A place filled with exuberance and laughter, thankful voices and melodic songs. + "Pay attention, my people. Listen to me, nations. Revelation flows from me. My decisions light up the world. + My deliverance arrives on the run, my salvation right on time. I'll bring justice to the peoples. Even faraway islands will look to me and take hope in my saving power. + Look up at the skies, ponder the earth under your feet. The skies will fade out like smoke, the earth will wear out like work pants, and the people will die off like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my setting-things-right will never be obsolete. + "Listen now, you who know right from wrong, you who hold my teaching inside you: Pay no attention to insults, and when mocked don't let it get you down. + Those insults and mockeries are moth-eaten, from brains that are termite-ridden, But my setting-things-right lasts, my salvation goes on and on and on." + Wake up, wake up, flex your muscles, GOD! Wake up as in the old days, in the long ago. Didn't you once make mincemeat of Rahab, dispatch the old chaos-dragon? + And didn't you once dry up the sea, the powerful waters of the deep, And then made the bottom of the ocean a road for the redeemed to walk across? + In the same way GOD's ransomed will come back, come back to Zion cheering, shouting, Joy eternal wreathing their heads, exuberant ecstasies transporting them-- and not a sign of moans or groans. + "I, I'm the One comforting you. What are you afraid of--or who? Some man or woman who'll soon be dead? Some poor wretch destined for dust? + You've forgotten me, GOD, who made you, who unfurled the skies, who founded the earth. And here you are, quaking like an aspen before the tantrums of a tyrant who thinks he can kick down the world. But what will come of the tantrums? + The victims will be released before you know it. They're not going to die. They're not even going to go hungry. + For I am GOD, your very own God, who stirs up the sea and whips up the waves, named GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + I teach you how to talk, word by word, and personally watch over you, Even while I'm unfurling the skies, setting earth on solid foundations, and greeting Zion: 'Welcome, my people!'" + So wake up! Rub the sleep from your eyes! Up on your feet, Jerusalem! You've drunk the cup GOD handed you, the strong drink of his anger. You drank it down to the last drop, staggered and collapsed, dead-drunk. + And nobody to help you home, no one among your friends or children to take you by the hand and put you in bed. + You've been hit with a double dose of trouble --does anyone care? Assault and battery, hunger and death --will anyone comfort? + Your sons and daughters have passed out, strewn in the streets like stunned rabbits, Sleeping off the strong drink of GOD's anger, the rage of your God. + Therefore listen, please, you with your splitting headaches, You who are nursing the hangovers that didn't come from drinking wine. + Your Master, your GOD, has something to say, your God has taken up his people's case: "Look, I've taken back the drink that sent you reeling. No more drinking from that jug of my anger! + I've passed it over to your abusers to drink, those who ordered you, 'Down on the ground so we can walk all over you!' And you had to do it. Flat on the ground, you were the dirt under their feet." + + + Wake up, wake up! Pull on your boots, Zion! Dress up in your Sunday best, Jerusalem, holy city! Those who want no part of God have been culled out. They won't be coming along. + Brush off the dust and get to your feet, captive Jerusalem! Throw off your chains, captive daughter of Zion! + GOD says, "You were sold for nothing. You're being bought back for nothing." + Again, the Master, GOD, says, "Early on, my people went to Egypt and lived, strangers in the land. At the other end, Assyria oppressed them. + And now, what have I here?" GOD's Decree. "My people are hauled off again for no reason at all. Tyrants on the warpath, whooping it up, and day after day, incessantly, my reputation blackened. + Now it's time that my people know who I am, what I'm made of--yes, that I have something to say. Here I am!" + How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news, Breaking the news that all's well, proclaiming good times, announcing salvation, telling Zion, "Your God reigns!" + Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts, shouting in joyful unison. They see with their own eyes GOD coming back to Zion. + Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem: "GOD has comforted his people! He's redeemed Jerusalem!" + GOD has rolled up his sleeves. All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm. Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other, sees him at work, doing his salvation work. + Out of here! Out of here! Leave this place! Don't look back. Don't contaminate yourselves with plunder. Just leave, but leave clean. Purify yourselves in the process of worship, carrying the holy vessels of GOD. + But you don't have to be in a hurry. You're not running from anybody! GOD is leading you out of here, and the God of Israel is also your rear guard. + "Just watch my servant blossom! Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd! + But he didn't begin that way. At first everyone was appalled. He didn't even look human-- a ruined face, disfigured past recognition. + Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback, kings shocked into silence when they see him. For what was unheard of they'll see with their own eyes, what was unthinkable they'll have right before them." + + + Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought GOD's saving power would look like this? + The servant grew up before God--a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. + He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. + But the fact is, it was our pains he carried-- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. + But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. + We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. + He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. + Justice miscarried, and he was led off-- and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. + They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true. + Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him. + Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. + Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly-- the best of everything, the highest honors-- Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep. + + + "Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth! You're ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women." GOD says so! + "Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. + You're going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You're going to take over whole nations; you're going to resettle abandoned cities. + Don't be afraid--you're not going to be embarrassed. Don't hold back--you're not going to come up short. You'll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory. + For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. + You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and GOD welcomed you back, Like a woman married young and then left," says your God. + Your Redeemer GOD says: "I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I'm bringing you back. + In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you-- but only for a moment. It's with lasting love that I'm tenderly caring for you. + "This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth. I'm promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. + For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart." The GOD who has compassion on you says so. + "Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, Lay your foundations with sapphires, + construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. + All your children will have GOD for their teacher-- what a mentor for your children! + You'll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble--nothing to fear! far from terror--it won't even come close! + If anyone attacks you, don't for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. + I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer-- + but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what GOD's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best." GOD's Decree. + + + "Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway--buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money--everything's free! + Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. + Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I'm making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love. + I set him up as a witness to the nations, made him a prince and leader of the nations, + And now I'm doing it to you: You'll summon nations you've never heard of, and nations who've never heard of you will come running to you Because of me, your GOD, because The Holy of Israel has honored you." + Seek GOD while he's here to be found, pray to him while he's close at hand. + Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to GOD, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. + "I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." GOD's Decree. + "For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. + Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, + So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them. + "So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause. + No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines-- Monuments to me, to GOD, living and lasting evidence of GOD." + + + GOD's Message: "Guard my common good: Do what's right and do it in the right way, For salvation is just around the corner, my setting-things-right is about to go into action. + How blessed are you who enter into these things, you men and women who embrace them, Who keep Sabbath and don't defile it, who watch your step and don't do anything evil! + Make sure no outsider who now follows GOD ever has occasion to say, 'GOD put me in second-class. I don't really belong.' And make sure no physically mutilated person is ever made to think, 'I'm damaged goods. I don't really belong.'" + For GOD says: "To the mutilated who keep my Sabbaths and choose what delights me and keep a firm grip on my covenant, + I'll provide them an honored place in my family and within my city, even more honored than that of sons and daughters. I'll confer permanent honors on them that will never be revoked. + "And as for the outsiders who now follow me, working for me, loving my name, and wanting to be my servants-- All who keep Sabbath and don't defile it, holding fast to my covenant-- + I'll bring them to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. They'll be welcome to worship the same as the 'insiders,' to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to my altar. Oh yes, my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people." + The Decree of the Master, GOD himself, who gathers in the exiles of Israel: "I will gather others also, gather them in with those already gathered." + A call to the savage beasts: Come on the run. Come, devour, beast barbarians! + For Israel's watchmen are blind, the whole lot of them. They have no idea what's going on. They're dogs without sense enough to bark, lazy dogs, dreaming in the sun-- + But hungry dogs, they do know how to eat, voracious dogs, with never enough. And these are Israel's shepherds! They know nothing, understand nothing. They all look after themselves, grabbing whatever's not nailed down. + "Come," they say, "let's have a party. Let's go out and get drunk!" And tomorrow, more of the same: "Let's live it up!" + + + Meanwhile, right-living people die and no one gives them a thought. God-fearing people are carted off and no one even notices. The right-living people are out of their misery, they're finally at rest. + They lived well and with dignity and now they're finally at peace. + "But you, children of a witch, come here! Sons of a slut, daughters of a whore. + What business do you have taunting, sneering, and sticking out your tongue? Do you have any idea what wretches you've turned out to be? A race of rebels, a generation of liars. + You satisfy your lust any place you find some shade and fornicate at whim. You kill your children at any convenient spot-- any cave or crevasse will do. + You take stones from the creek and set up your sex-and-religion shrines. You've chosen your fate. Your worship will be your doom. + You've climbed a high mountain to practice your foul sex-and-death religion. + Behind closed doors you assemble your precious gods and goddesses. Deserting me, you've gone all out, stripped down and made your bed your place of worship. You've climbed into bed with the 'sacred' whores and loved every minute of it, adoring every curve of their naked bodies. + You anoint your king-god with ointments and lavish perfumes on yourselves. You send scouts to search out the latest in religion, send them all the way to hell and back. + You wear yourselves out trying the new and the different, and never see what a waste it all is. You've always found strength for the latest fad, never got tired of trying new religions. + "Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me? Because I don't yell and make a scene do you think I don't exist? + I'll go over, detail by detail, all your 'righteous' attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all. + Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away. They're smoke, nothing but smoke. "But anyone who runs to me for help will inherit the land, will end up owning my holy mountain!" + Someone says: "Build, build! Make a road! Clear the way, remove the rocks from the road my people will travel." + A Message from the high and towering God, who lives in Eternity, whose name is Holy: "I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, And what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again. + For I'm not going to haul people into court endlessly, I'm not going to be angry forever. Otherwise, people would lose heart. These souls I created would tire out and give up. + I was angry, good and angry, because of Israel's sins. I struck him hard and turned away in anger, while he kept at his stubborn, willful ways. + When I looked again and saw what he was doing, I decided to heal him, lead him, and comfort him, creating a new language of praise for the mourners. + Peace to the far-off, peace to the near-at-hand," says GOD-- "and yes, I will heal them. + But the wicked are storm-battered seas that can't quiet down. The waves stir up garbage and mud. + There's no peace," God says, "for the wicked. + + + "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back--a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what's wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins! + They're busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people-- law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?' and love having me on their side. + But they also complain, 'Why do we fast and you don't look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?' "Well, here's why: "The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit. You drive your employees much too hard. + You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won't get your prayers off the ground. + Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, GOD, would like? + "This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. + What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. + Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The GOD of glory will secure your passage. + Then when you pray, GOD will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' "If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins, + If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. + I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places-- firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. + You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. + "If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don't use my holy day for personal advantage, If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, GOD's holy day as a celebration, If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,' making money, running here and there-- + Then you'll be free to enjoy GOD! Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all. I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob." Yes! GOD says so! + + + Look! Listen! GOD's arm is not amputated--he can still save. GOD's ears are not stopped up--he can still hear. + There's nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn't hear. + Your hands are drenched in blood, your fingers dripping with guilt, Your lips smeared with lies, your tongue swollen from muttering obscenities. + No one speaks up for the right, no one deals fairly. They trust in illusion, they tell lies, they get pregnant with mischief and have sin-babies. + They hatch snake eggs and weave spider webs. Eat an egg and die; break an egg and get a snake! + The spider webs are no good for shirts or shawls. No one can wear these weavings! They weave wickedness, they hatch violence. + They compete in the race to do evil and run to be the first to murder. They plan and plot evil, think and breathe evil, and leave a trail of wrecked lives behind them. + They know nothing about peace and less than nothing about justice. They make tortuously twisted roads. No peace for the wretch who walks down those roads! + Which means that we're a far cry from fair dealing, and we're not even close to right living. We long for light but sink into darkness, long for brightness but stumble through the night. + Like the blind, we inch along a wall, groping eyeless in the dark. We shuffle our way in broad daylight, like the dead, but somehow walking. + We're no better off than bears, groaning, and no worse off than doves, moaning. We look for justice--not a sign of it; for salvation--not so much as a hint. + Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God, our sins stand up and accuse us. Our wrongdoings stare us down; we know in detail what we've done: + Mocking and denying GOD, not following our God, Spreading false rumors, inciting sedition, pregnant with lies, muttering malice. + Justice is beaten back, Righteousness is banished to the sidelines, Truth staggers down the street, Honesty is nowhere to be found, + Good is missing in action. Anyone renouncing evil is beaten and robbed. GOD looked and saw evil looming on the horizon-- so much evil and no sign of Justice. + He couldn't believe what he saw: not a soul around to correct this awful situation. So he did it himself, took on the work of Salvation, fueled by his own Righteousness. + He dressed in Righteousness, put it on like a suit of armor, with Salvation on his head like a helmet, Put on Judgment like an overcoat, and threw a cloak of Passion across his shoulders. + He'll make everyone pay for what they've done: fury for his foes, just deserts for his enemies. Even the far-off islands will get paid off in full. + In the west they'll fear the name of GOD, in the east they'll fear the glory of GOD, For he'll arrive like a river in flood stage, whipped to a torrent by the wind of GOD. + "I'll arrive in Zion as Redeemer, to those in Jacob who leave their sins." GOD's Decree. + "As for me," GOD says, "this is my covenant with them: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and won't ever stop." GOD's orders. + + + "Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. GOD's bright glory has risen for you. + The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness, But GOD rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. + Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness. + Look up! Look around! Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you: Your sons coming from great distances, your daughters carried by their nannies. + When you see them coming you'll smile--big smiles! Your heart will swell and, yes, burst! All those people returning by sea for the reunion, a rich harvest of exiles gathered in from the nations! + And then streams of camel caravans as far as the eye can see, young camels of nomads in Midian and Ephah, Pouring in from the south from Sheba, loaded with gold and frankincense, preaching the praises of GOD. + And yes, a great roundup of flocks from the nomads in Kedar and Nebaioth, Welcome gifts for worship at my altar as I bathe my glorious Temple in splendor. + "What's that we see in the distance, a cloud on the horizon, like doves darkening the sky? + It's ships from the distant islands, the famous Tarshish ships Returning your children from faraway places, loaded with riches, with silver and gold, And backed by the name of your GOD, The Holy of Israel, showering you with splendor. + Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings assist you in the conduct of worship. When I was angry I hit you hard. It's my desire now to be tender. + Your Jerusalem gates will always be open --open house day and night!-- Receiving deliveries of wealth from all nations, and their kings, the delivery boys! + Any nation or kingdom that doesn't deliver will perish; those nations will be totally wasted. + The rich woods of Lebanon will be delivered --all that cypress and oak and pine-- To give a splendid elegance to my Sanctuary, as I make my footstool glorious. + The descendants of your oppressor will come bowing and scraping to you. All who looked down at you in contempt will lick your boots. They'll confer a title on you: City of GOD, Zion of The Holy of Israel. + Not long ago you were despised refuse-- out-of-the-way, unvisited, ignored. But now I've put you on your feet, towering and grand forever, a joy to look at! + When you suck the milk of nations and the breasts of royalty, You'll know that I, GOD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, Champion of Jacob. + I'll give you only the best--no more hand-me-downs! Gold instead of bronze, silver instead of iron, bronze instead of wood, iron instead of stones. I'll install Peace to run your country, make Righteousness your boss. + There'll be no more stories of crime in your land, no more robberies, no more vandalism. You'll name your main street Salvation Way, and install Praise Park at the center of town. + You'll have no more need of the sun by day nor the brightness of the moon at night. GOD will be your eternal light, your God will bathe you in splendor. + Your sun will never go down, your moon will never fade. I will be your eternal light. Your days of grieving are over. + All your people will live right and well, in permanent possession of the land. They're the green shoot that I planted, planted with my own hands to display my glory. + The runt will become a great tribe, the weakling become a strong nation. I am GOD. At the right time I'll make it happen." + + + The Spirit of GOD, the Master, is on me because GOD anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. + GOD sent me to announce the year of his grace-- a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies-- and to comfort all who mourn, + To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by GOD to display his glory. + They'll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They'll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. + You'll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, + But you'll have the title "Priests of GOD," honored as ministers of our God. You'll feast on the bounty of nations, you'll bask in their glory. + Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever. + "Because I, GOD, love fair dealing and hate thievery and crime, I'll pay your wages on time and in full, and establish my eternal covenant with you. + Your descendants will become well-known all over. Your children in foreign countries Will be recognized at once as the people I have blessed." + I will sing for joy in GOD, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. + For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, So the Master, GOD, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations. + + + Regarding Zion, I can't keep my mouth shut, regarding Jerusalem, I can't hold my tongue, Until her righteousness blazes down like the sun and her salvation flames up like a torch. + Foreign countries will see your righteousness, and world leaders your glory. You'll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of GOD. + You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of GOD's hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. + No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because GOD delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. + For as a young man marries his virgin bride, so your builder marries you, And as a bridegroom is happy in his bride, so your God is happy with you. + I've posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out, reminding GOD to remember. + They are to give him no peace until he does what he said, until he makes Jerusalem famous as the City of Praise. + GOD has taken a solemn oath, an oath he means to keep: "Never again will I open your grain-filled barns to your enemies to loot and eat. Never again will foreigners drink the wine that you worked so hard to produce. + No. The farmers who grow the food will eat the food and praise GOD for it. And those who make the wine will drink the wine in my holy courtyards." + Walk out of the gates. Get going! Get the road ready for the people. Build the highway. Get at it! Clear the debris, hoist high a flag, a signal to all peoples! + Yes! GOD has broadcast to all the world: "Tell daughter Zion, 'Look! Your Savior comes, Ready to do what he said he'd do, prepared to complete what he promised.'" + Zion will be called new names: Holy People, GOD-Redeemed, Sought-Out, City-Not-Forsaken. + + + The watchmen call out, "Who goes there, marching out of Edom, out of Bozrah in clothes dyed red? Name yourself, so splendidly dressed, advancing, bristling with power!" "It is I: I speak what is right, I, mighty to save!" + "And why are your robes so red, your clothes dyed red like those who tread grapes?" + "I've been treading the winepress alone. No one was there to help me. Angrily, I stomped the grapes; raging, I trampled the people. Their blood spurted all over me-- all my clothes were soaked with blood. + I was set on vengeance. The time for redemption had arrived. + I looked around for someone to help --no one. I couldn't believe it --not one volunteer. So I went ahead and did it myself, fed and fueled by my rage. + I trampled the people in my anger, crushed them under foot in my wrath, soaked the earth with their lifeblood." + I'll make a list of GOD's gracious dealings, all the things GOD has done that need praising, All the generous bounties of GOD, his great goodness to the family of Israel-- Compassion lavished, love extravagant. + He said, "Without question these are my people, children who would never betray me." So he became their Savior. + In all their troubles, he was troubled, too. He didn't send someone else to help them. He did it himself, in person. Out of his own love and pity he redeemed them. He rescued them and carried them along for a long, long time. + But they turned on him; they grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them. + Then they remembered the old days, the days of Moses, God's servant: "Where is he who brought the shepherds of his flock up and out of the sea? And what happened to the One who set his Holy Spirit within them? + Who linked his arm with Moses' right arm, divided the waters before them, Making him famous ever after, + and led them through the muddy abyss as surefooted as horses on hard, level ground? + Like a herd of cattle led to pasture, the Spirit of GOD gave them rest." That's how you led your people! That's how you became so famous! + Look down from heaven, look at us! Look out the window of your holy and magnificent house! Whatever happened to your passion, your famous mighty acts, Your heartfelt pity, your compassion? Why are you holding back? + You are our Father. Abraham and Israel are long dead. They wouldn't know us from Adam. But you're our living Father, our Redeemer, famous from eternity! + Why, GOD, did you make us wander from your ways? Why did you make us cold and stubborn so that we no longer worshiped you in awe? Turn back for the sake of your servants. You own us! We belong to you! + For a while your holy people had it good, but now our enemies have wrecked your holy place. + For a long time now, you've paid no attention to us. It's like you never knew us. + + + Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence-- + As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil-- + To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence. + Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. + You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you've been with us! We've sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? + We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves-- sin-dried, we're blown off by the wind. + No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you've turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins. + Still, GOD, you are our Father. We're the clay and you're our potter: All of us are what you made us. + Don't be too angry with us, O GOD. Don't keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people--all of us. + Your holy cities are all ghost towns: Zion's a ghost town, Jerusalem's a field of weeds. + Our holy and beautiful Temple, which our ancestors filled with your praises, Was burned down by fire, all our lovely parks and gardens in ruins. + In the face of all this, are you going to sit there unmoved, GOD? Aren't you going to say something? Haven't you made us miserable long enough? + + + "I've made myself available to those who haven't bothered to ask. I'm here, ready to be found by those who haven't bothered to look. I kept saying 'I'm here, I'm right here' to a nation that ignored me. + I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me, People who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way. + They get on my nerves, are rude to my face day after day, Make up their own kitchen religion, a potluck religious stew. + They spend the night in tombs to get messages from the dead, Eat forbidden foods and drink a witch's brew of potions and charms. + They say, 'Keep your distance. Don't touch me. I'm holier than thou.' These people gag me. I can't stand their stench. + Look at this! Their sins are all written out-- I have the list before me. I'm not putting up with this any longer. I'll pay them the wages + They have coming for their sins. And for the sins of their parents lumped in, a bonus." GOD says so. "Because they've practiced their blasphemous worship, mocking me at their hillside shrines, I'll let loose the consequences and pay them in full for their actions." + GOD's Message: "But just as one bad apple doesn't ruin the whole bushel, there are still plenty of good apples left. So I'll preserve those in Israel who obey me. I won't destroy the whole nation. + I'll bring out my true children from Jacob and the heirs of my mountains from Judah. My chosen will inherit the land, my servants will move in. + The lush valley of Sharon in the west will be a pasture for flocks, And in the east, the valley of Achor, a place for herds to graze. These will be for the people who bothered to reach out to me, who wanted me in their lives, who actually bothered to look for me. + "But you who abandon me, your GOD, who forget the holy mountains, Who hold dinners for Lady Luck and throw cocktail parties for Sir Fate, + Well, you asked for it. Fate it will be: your destiny, Death. For when I invited you, you ignored me; when I spoke to you, you brushed me off. You did the very things I exposed as evil; you chose what I hate." + Therefore, this is the Message from the Master, GOD: "My servants will eat, and you'll go hungry; My servants will drink, and you'll go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, and you'll hang your heads. + My servants will laugh from full hearts, and you'll cry out heartbroken, yes, wail from crushed spirits. + Your legacy to my chosen will be your name reduced to a cussword. I, GOD, will put you to death and give a new name to my servants. + Then whoever prays a blessing in the land will use my faithful name for the blessing, And whoever takes an oath in the land will use my faithful name for the oath, Because the earlier troubles are gone and forgotten, banished far from my sight. + "Pay close attention now: I'm creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. + Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I'm creating: I'll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight. + I'll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish; + No more babies dying in the cradle, or old people who don't enjoy a full lifetime; One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal-- anything less will seem like a cheat. + They'll build houses and move in. They'll plant fields and eat what they grow. + No more building a house that some outsider takes over, No more planting fields that some enemy confiscates, For my people will be as long-lived as trees, my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work. + They won't work and have nothing come of it, they won't have children snatched out from under them. For they themselves are plantings blessed by GOD, with their children and grandchildren likewise GOD-blessed. + Before they call out, I'll answer. Before they've finished speaking, I'll have heard. + Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow, lion and ox eat straw from the same trough, but snakes--they'll get a diet of dirt! Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill anywhere on my Holy Mountain," says GOD. + + + GOD's Message: "Heaven's my throne, earth is my footstool. What sort of house could you build for me? What holiday spot reserve for me? + I made all this! I own all this!" GOD's Decree. "But there is something I'm looking for: a person simple and plain, reverently responsive to what I say. + "Your acts of worship are acts of sin: Your sacrificial slaughter of the ox is no different from murdering the neighbor; Your offerings for worship, no different from dumping pig's blood on the altar; Your presentation of memorial gifts, no different from honoring a no-god idol. You choose self-serving worship, you delight in self-centered worship--disgusting! + Well, I choose to expose your nonsense and let you realize your worst fears, Because when I invited you, you ignored me; when I spoke to you, you brushed me off. You did the very things I exposed as evil, you chose what I hate." + But listen to what GOD has to say to you who reverently respond to his Word: "Your own families hate you and turn you out because of me. They taunt you, 'Let us see GOD's glory! If God's so great, why aren't you happy?' But they're the ones who are going to end up shamed." + Rumbles of thunder from the city! A voice out of the Temple! GOD's voice, handing out judgment to his enemies: + "Before she went into labor, she had the baby. Before the birth pangs hit, she delivered a son. + Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Has anyone seen anything like this? A country born in a day? A nation born in a flash? But Zion was barely in labor when she had her babies! + Do I open the womb and not deliver the baby? Do I, the One who delivers babies, shut the womb? + "Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her, celebrate! And all you who have shed tears over her, join in the happy singing. + You newborns can satisfy yourselves at her nurturing breasts. Yes, delight yourselves and drink your fill at her ample bosom." + GOD's Message: "I'll pour robust well-being into her like a river, the glory of nations like a river in flood. You'll nurse at her breasts, nestle in her bosom, and be bounced on her knees. + As a mother comforts her child, so I'll comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem." + You'll see all this and burst with joy --you'll feel ten feet tall-- As it becomes apparent that GOD is on your side and against his enemies. + For GOD arrives like wildfire and his chariots like a tornado, A furious outburst of anger, a rebuke fierce and fiery. + For it's by fire that GOD brings judgment, a death sentence on the human race. Many, oh so many, are under GOD's sentence of death: + "All who enter the sacred groves for initiation in those unholy rituals that climaxed in that foul and obscene meal of pigs and mice will eat together and then die together." GOD's Decree. + "I know everything they've ever done or thought. I'm going to come and then gather everyone--all nations, all languages. They'll come and see my glory. + I'll set up a station at the center. I'll send the survivors of judgment all over the world: Spain and Africa, Turkey and Greece, and the far-off islands that have never heard of me, who know nothing of what I've done nor who I am. I'll send them out as missionaries to preach my glory among the nations. + They'll return with all your long-lost brothers and sisters from all over the world. They'll bring them back and offer them in living worship to GOD. They'll bring them on horses and wagons and carts, on mules and camels, straight to my holy mountain Jerusalem," says GOD. "They'll present them just as Israelites present their offerings in a ceremonial vessel in the Temple of GOD. + I'll even take some of them and make them priests and Levites," says GOD. + "For just as the new heavens and new earth that I am making will stand firm before me" --GOD's Decree-- "So will your children and your reputation stand firm. + Month after month and week by week, everyone will come to worship me," GOD says. + "And then they'll go out and look at what happened to those who rebelled against me. Corpses! Maggots endlessly eating away on them, an endless supply of fuel for fires. Everyone who sees what's happened and smells the stench retches." + + + + + The Message of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah of the family of priests who lived in Anathoth in the country of Benjamin. + GOD's Message began to come to him during the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amos reigned over Judah. + It continued to come to him during the time Jehoiakim son of Josiah reigned over Judah. And it continued to come to him clear down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah over Judah, the year that Jerusalem was taken into exile. + This is what GOD said: + "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations-- that's what I had in mind for you." + But I said, "Hold it, Master GOD! Look at me. I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!" + GOD told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a boy.' I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there. I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it. + Don't be afraid of a soul. I'll be right there, looking after you." GOD's Decree. + GOD reached out, touched my mouth, and said, "Look! I've just put my words in your mouth--hand-delivered! + See what I've done? I've given you a job to do among nations and governments--a red-letter day! Your job is to pull up and tear down, take apart and demolish, And then start over, building and planting." + GOD's Message came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I said, "A walking stick--that's all." + And GOD said, "Good eyes! I'm sticking with you. I'll make every word I give you come true." + GOD's Message came again: "So what do you see now?" I said, "I see a boiling pot, tipped down toward us." + Then GOD told me, "Disaster will pour out of the north on everyone living in this land. + Watch for this: I'm calling all the kings out of the north." GOD's Decree. "They'll come and set up headquarters facing Jerusalem's gates, Facing all the city walls, facing all the villages of Judah. + I'll pronounce my judgment on the people of Judah for walking out on me--what a terrible thing to do!-- And courting other gods with their offerings, worshiping as gods sticks they'd carved, stones they'd painted. + "But you--up on your feet and get dressed for work! Stand up and say your piece. Say exactly what I tell you to say. Don't pull your punches or I'll pull you out of the lineup. + "Stand at attention while I prepare you for your work. I'm making you as impregnable as a castle, Immovable as a steel post, solid as a concrete block wall. You're a one-man defense system against this culture, Against Judah's kings and princes, against the priests and local leaders. + They'll fight you, but they won't even scratch you. I'll back you up every inch of the way." GOD's Decree. + + + GOD's Message came to me. It went like this: + "Get out in the streets and call to Jerusalem, 'GOD's Message! I remember your youthful loyalty, our love as newlyweds. You stayed with me through the wilderness years, stuck with me through all the hard places. + Israel was GOD's holy choice, the pick of the crop. Anyone who laid a hand on her would soon wish he hadn't!'" GOD's Decree. + Hear GOD's Message, House of Jacob! Yes, you--House of Israel! + GOD's Message: "What did your ancestors find fault with in me that they drifted so far from me, Took up with Sir Windbag and turned into windbags themselves? + It never occurred to them to say, 'Where's GOD, the God who got us out of Egypt, Who took care of us through thick and thin, those rough-and-tumble wilderness years of parched deserts and death valleys, A land that no one who enters comes out of, a cruel, inhospitable land?' + "I brought you to a garden land where you could eat lush fruit. But you barged in and polluted my land, trashed and defiled my dear land. + The priests never thought to ask, 'Where's GOD?' The religion experts knew nothing of me. The rulers defied me. The prophets preached god Baal And chased empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes. + "Because of all this, I'm bringing charges against you" --GOD's Decree-- "charging you and your children and your grandchildren. + Look around. Have you ever seen anything quite like this? Sail to the western islands and look. Travel to the Kedar wilderness and look. Look closely. Has this ever happened before, + That a nation has traded in its gods for gods that aren't even close to gods? But my people have traded my Glory for empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes. + "Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see! Throw up your hands in disbelief--this can't be!" GOD's Decree. + "My people have committed a compound sin: they've walked out on me, the fountain Of fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns-- cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves. + "Isn't Israel a valued servant, born into a family with place and position? So how did she end up a piece of meat + fought over by snarling and roaring lions? There's nothing left of her but a few old bones, her towns trashed and deserted. + Egyptians from the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken your skulls. + And why do you think all this has happened? Isn't it because you walked out on your God just as he was beginning to lead you in the right way? + "And now, what do you think you'll get by going off to Egypt? Maybe a cool drink of Nile River water? Or what do you think you'll get by going off to Assyria? Maybe a long drink of Euphrates River water? + Your evil ways will get you a sound thrashing, that's what you'll get. You'll pay dearly for your disloyal ways. Take a long, hard look at what you've done and its bitter results. Was it worth it to have walked out on your God?" GOD's Decree, Master GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "A long time ago you broke out of the harness. You shook off all restraints. You said, 'I will not serve!' and off you went, Visiting every sex-and-religion shrine on the way, like a common whore. + You were a select vine when I planted you from completely reliable stock. And look how you've turned out-- a tangle of rancid growth, a poor excuse for a vine. + Scrub, using the strongest soaps. Scour your skin raw. The sin-grease won't come out. I can't stand to even look at you!" GOD's Decree, the Master's Decree. + "How dare you tell me, 'I'm not stained by sin. I've never chased after the Baal sex gods'! Well, look at the tracks you've left behind in the valley. How do you account for what is written in the desert dust-- Tracks of a camel in heat, running this way and that, + tracks of a wild donkey in rut, Sniffing the wind for the slightest scent of sex. Who could possibly corral her! On the hunt for sex, sex, and more sex-- insatiable, indiscriminate, promiscuous. + "Slow down. Take a deep breath. What's the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, 'I can't help it. I'm addicted to alien gods. I can't quit.' + "Just as a thief is chagrined, but only when caught, so the people of Israel are chagrined, Caught along with their kings and princes, their priests and prophets. + They walk up to a tree and say, 'My father!' They pick up a stone and say, 'My mother! You bore me!' All I ever see of them is their backsides. They never look me in the face. But when things go badly, they don't hesitate to come running, calling out, 'Get a move on! Save us!' + Why not go to your handcrafted gods you're so fond of? Rouse them. Let them save you from your bad times. You've got more gods, Judah, than you know what to do with. + "What do you have against me, running off to assert your 'independence'?" GOD's Decree. + "I've wasted my time trying to train your children. They've paid no attention to me, ignored my discipline. And you've gotten rid of your God-messengers, treating them like dirt and sweeping them away. + "What a generation you turned out to be! Didn't I tell you? Didn't I warn you? Have I let you down, Israel? Am I nothing but a dead-end street? Why do my people say, 'Good riddance! From now on we're on our own'? + Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought. + "What an impressive start you made to get the most out of life. You founded schools of sin, taught graduate courses in evil! + And now you're sending out graduates, resplendent in cap and gown-- except the gowns are stained with the blood of your victims! All that blood convicts you. You cut and hurt a lot of people to get where you are. + And yet you have the gall to say, 'I've done nothing wrong. God doesn't mind. He hasn't punished me, has he?' Don't look now, but judgment's on the way, aimed at you who say, 'I've done nothing wrong.' + "You think it's just a small thing, don't you, to try out another sin-project when the first one fails? But Egypt will leave you in the lurch the same way that Assyria did. + You're going to walk away from there wringing your hands. I, GOD, have blacklisted those you trusted. You'll get not a lick of help from them." + + + GOD's Message came to me as follows: "If a man's wife walks out on him And marries another man, can he take her back as if nothing had happened? Wouldn't that raise a huge stink in the land? And isn't that what you've done-- 'whored' your way with god after god? And now you want to come back as if nothing had happened." GOD's Decree. + "Look around at the hills. Where have you not had sex? You've camped out like hunters stalking deer. You've solicited many lover-gods, Like a streetwalking whore chasing after other gods. + And so the rain has stopped. No more rain from the skies! But it doesn't even faze you. Brazen as whores, you carry on as if you've done nothing wrong. + Then you have the nerve to call out, 'My father! You took care of me when I was a child. Why not now? + Are you going to keep up your anger nonstop?' That's your line. Meanwhile you keep sinning nonstop." + GOD spoke to me during the reign of King Josiah: "You have noticed, haven't you, how fickle Israel has visited every hill and grove of trees as a whore at large? + I assumed that after she had gotten it out of her system, she'd come back, but she didn't. Her flighty sister, Judah, saw what she did. + She also saw that because of fickle Israel's loose morals I threw her out, gave her her walking papers. But that didn't faze flighty sister Judah. She went out, big as you please, and took up a whore's life also. + She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country. + And not once in all this did flighty sister Judah even give me a nod, although she made a show of it from time to time." GOD's Decree. + Then GOD told me, "Fickle Israel was a good sight better than flighty Judah. + Go and preach this message. Face north toward Israel and say: "'Turn back, fickle Israel. I'm not just hanging back to punish you. I'm committed in love to you. My anger doesn't seethe nonstop. + Just admit your guilt. Admit your God-defiance. Admit to your promiscuous life with casual partners, pulling strangers into the sex-and-religion groves While turning a deaf ear to me.'" GOD's Decree. + "Come back, wandering children!" GOD's Decree. "I, yes I, am your true husband. I'll pick you out one by one-- This one from the city, these two from the country-- and bring you to Zion. + I'll give you good shepherd-rulers who rule my way, who rule you with intelligence and wisdom. + "And this is what will happen: You will increase and prosper in the land. The time will come"--GOD's Decree!--"when no one will say any longer, 'Oh, for the good old days! Remember the Ark of the Covenant?' It won't even occur to anyone to say it--'the good old days.' The so-called good old days of the Ark are gone for good. + "Jerusalem will be the new Ark--'GOD's Throne.' All the godless nations, no longer stuck in the ruts of their evil ways, will gather there to honor GOD. + "At that time, the House of Judah will join up with the House of Israel. Holding hands, they'll leave the north country and come to the land I willed to your ancestors. + "I planned what I'd say if you returned to me: 'Good! I'll bring you back into the family. I'll give you choice land, land that the godless nations would die for.' And I imagined that you would say, 'Dear father!' and would never again go off and leave me. + But no luck. Like a false-hearted woman walking out on her husband, you, the whole family of Israel, have proven false to me." GOD's Decree. + The sound of voices comes drifting out of the hills, the unhappy sound of Israel's crying, Israel lamenting the wasted years, never once giving her God a thought. + "Come back, wandering children! I can heal your wanderlust!" "We're here! We've come back to you. You're our own true GOD! + All that popular religion was a cheap lie, duped crowds buying up the latest in gods. We're back! Back to our true GOD, the salvation of Israel. + The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us of what our ancestors bequeathed us, Gypped us out of our inheritance-- God-blessed flocks and God-given children. + We made our bed and now lie in it, all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonor. All because we sinned against our GOD, we and our fathers and mothers. From the time we took our first steps, said our first words, we've been rebels, disobeying the voice of our GOD." + + + "If you want to come back, O Israel, you must really come back to me. You must get rid of your stinking sin paraphernalia and not wander away from me anymore. + Then you can say words like, 'As GOD lives . . . ' and have them mean something true and just and right. And the godless nations will get caught up in the blessing and find something in Israel to write home about." + Here's another Message from GOD to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow your unplowed fields, but then don't plant weeds in the soil! + Yes, circumcise your lives for God's sake. Plow your unplowed hearts, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Prevent fire--the fire of my anger-- for once it starts it can't be put out. Your wicked ways are fuel for the fire. + "Sound the alarm in Judah, broadcast the news in Jerusalem. Say, 'Blow the ram's horn trumpet through the land!' Shout out--a bullhorn bellow!-- 'Close ranks! Run for your lives to the shelters!' + Send up a flare warning Zion: 'Not a minute to lose! Don't sit on your hands!' Disaster's descending from the north. I set it off! When it lands, it will shake the foundations. + Invaders have pounced like a lion from its cover, ready to rip nations to shreds, Leaving your land in wrack and ruin, your cities in rubble, abandoned. + Dress in funereal black. Weep and wail, For GOD's sledgehammer anger has slammed into us head-on. + "When this happens" --GOD's Decree-- "King and princes will lose heart; priests will be baffled and prophets stand dumbfounded." + Then I said, "Alas, Master GOD! You've fed lies to this people, this Jerusalem. You assured them, 'All is well, don't worry,' at the very moment when the sword was at their throats." + At that time, this people, yes, this very Jerusalem, will be told in plain words: "The northern hordes are sweeping in from the desert steppes-- A wind that's up to no good, + a gale-force wind. I ordered this wind. I'm pronouncing my hurricane judgment on my people." + Look at them! Like banks of storm clouds, racing, tumbling, their chariots a tornado, Their horses faster than eagles! Woe to us! We're done for! + Jerusalem! Scrub the evil from your lives so you'll be fit for salvation. How much longer will you harbor devious and malignant designs within you? + What's this? A messenger from Dan? Bad news from Ephraim's hills! + Make the report public. Broadcast the news to Jerusalem: "Invaders from far off are raising war cries against Judah's towns. + They're all over her, like a dog on a bone. And why? Because she rebelled against me." GOD's Decree. + "It's the way you've lived that's brought all this on you. The bitter taste is from your evil life. That's what's piercing your heart." + I'm doubled up with cramps in my belly-- a poker burns in my gut. My insides are tearing me up, never a moment's peace. The ram's horn trumpet blast rings in my ears, the signal for all-out war. + Disaster hard on the heels of disaster, the whole country in ruins! In one stroke my home is destroyed, the walls flattened in the blink of an eye. + How long do I have to look at the warning flares, listen to the siren of danger? + "What fools my people are! They have no idea who I am. A company of half-wits, dopes and donkeys all! Experts at evil but klutzes at good." + I looked at the earth-- it was back to pre-Genesis chaos and emptiness. I looked at the skies, and not a star to be seen. + I looked at the mountains-- they were trembling like aspen leaves, And all the hills rocking back and forth in the wind. + I looked--what's this! Not a man or woman in sight, and not a bird to be seen in the skies. + I looked--this can't be! Every garden and orchard shriveled up. All the towns were ghost towns. And all this because of GOD, because of the blazing anger of GOD. + Yes, this is GOD's Word on the matter: "The whole country will be laid waste-- still it won't be the end of the world. + The earth will mourn and the skies lament Because I've given my word and won't take it back. I've decided and won't change my mind." + Someone shouts, "Horsemen and archers!" and everybody runs for cover. They hide in ditches, they climb into caves. The cities are emptied, not a person left anywhere. + And you, what do you think you're up to? Dressing up in party clothes, Decking yourselves out in jewelry, putting on lipstick and rouge and mascara! Your primping goes for nothing. You're not going to seduce anyone. They're out to kill you! + And what's that I hear? The cry of a woman in labor, the screams of a mother giving birth to her firstborn. It's the cry of Daughter Zion, gasping for breath, reaching out for help: "Help, oh help me! I'm dying! The killers are on me!" + + + "Patrol Jerusalem's streets. Look around. Take note. Search the market squares. See if you can find one man, one woman, A single soul who does what is right and tries to live a true life. I want to forgive that person." GOD's Decree. + "But if all they do is say, 'As sure as GOD lives . . . ' they're nothing but a bunch of liars." + But you, GOD, you have an eye for truth, don't you? You hit them hard, but it didn't faze them. You disciplined them, but they refused correction. Hardheaded, harder than rock, they wouldn't change. + Then I said to myself, "Well, these are just poor people. They don't know any better. They were never taught anything about GOD. They never went to prayer meetings. I'll find some people from the best families. + I'll talk to them. They'll know what's going on, the way GOD works. They'll know the score." But they were no better! Rebels all! Off doing their own thing. + The invaders are ready to pounce and kill, like a mountain lion, a wilderness wolf, Panthers on the prowl. The streets aren't safe anymore. And why? Because the people's sins are piled sky-high; their betrayals are past counting. + "Why should I even bother with you any longer? Your children wander off, leaving me, Taking up with gods that aren't even gods. I satisfied their deepest needs, and then they went off with the 'sacred' whores, left me for orgies in sex shrines! + A bunch of well-groomed, lusty stallions, each one pawing and snorting for his neighbor's wife. + Do you think I'm going to stand around and do nothing?" GOD's Decree. "Don't you think I'll take serious measures against a people like this? + "Go down the rows of vineyards and rip out the vines, but not all of them. Leave a few. Prune back those vines! That growth didn't come from GOD! + They've betrayed me over and over again, Judah and Israel both." GOD's Decree. + "They've spread lies about GOD. They've said, 'There's nothing to him. Nothing bad will happen to us, neither famine nor war will come our way. + The prophets are all windbags. They speak nothing but nonsense.'" + Therefore, this is what GOD said to me, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Because they have talked this way, they are going to eat those words. Watch now! I'm putting my words as fire in your mouth. And the people are a pile of kindling ready to go up in flames. + "Attention! I'm bringing a far-off nation against you, O house of Israel." GOD's Decree. "A solid nation, an ancient nation, A nation that speaks another language. You won't understand a word they say. + When they aim their arrows, you're as good as dead. They're a nation of real fighters! + They'll clean you out of house and home, rob you of crops and children alike. They'll feast on your sheep and cattle, strip your vines and fig trees. And the fortresses that made you feel so safe-- leveled with a stroke of the sword! + "Even then, as bad as it will be"--GOD's Decree!--"it will not be the end of the world for you. + And when people ask, 'Why did our GOD do all this to us?' you must say to them, 'It's tit for tat. Just as you left me and served foreign gods in your own country, so now you must serve foreigners in their own country.' + "Tell the house of Jacob this, put out this bulletin in Judah: + Listen to this, you scatterbrains, airheads, With eyes that see but don't really look, and ears that hear but don't really listen. + Why don't you honor me? Why aren't you in awe before me? Yes, me, who made the shorelines to contain the ocean waters. I drew a line in the sand that cannot be crossed. Waves roll in but cannot get through; breakers crash but that's the end of them. + But this people--what a people! Uncontrollable, untameable runaways. + It never occurs to them to say, 'How can we honor our GOD with our lives, The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn and maintains the rhythm of the seasons, Who sets aside time each year for harvest and keeps everything running smoothly for us?' + Of course you don't! Your bad behavior blinds you to all this. Your sins keep my blessings at a distance. + "My people are infiltrated by wicked men, unscrupulous men on the hunt. They set traps for the unsuspecting. Their victims are innocent men and women. + Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain, like a hunter's bag full of birds. Pretentious and powerful and rich, + hugely obese, oily with rolls of fat. Worse, they have no conscience. Right and wrong mean nothing to them. They stand for nothing, stand up for no one, throw orphans to the wolves, exploit the poor. + Do you think I'll stand by and do nothing about this?" GOD's Decree. "Don't you think I'll take serious measures against a people like this? + "Unspeakable! Sickening! What's happened in this country? + Prophets preach lies and priests hire on as their assistants. And my people love it. They eat it up! But what will you do when it's time to pick up the pieces? + + + "Run for your lives, children of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem, and now! Give a blast on the ram's horn in Blastville. Send up smoke signals from Smoketown. Doom pours out of the north-- massive terror! + I have likened my dear daughter Zion to a lovely meadow. + Well, now 'shepherds' from the north have discovered her and brought in their flocks of soldiers. They've pitched camp all around her, and plan where they'll 'graze.' + And then, 'Prepare to attack! The fight is on! To arms! We'll strike at noon! Oh, it's too late? Day is dying? Evening shadows are upon us? + Well, up anyway! We'll attack by night and tear apart her defenses stone by stone.'" + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies gave the orders: "Chop down her trees. Build a siege ramp against Jerusalem, A city full of brutality, bursting with violence. + Just as a well holds a good supply of water, she supplies wickedness nonstop. The streets echo the cries: 'Violence! Rape!' Victims, bleeding and moaning, lie all over the place. + You're in deep trouble, Jerusalem. You've pushed me to the limit. You're on the brink of being wiped out, being turned into a ghost town." + More orders from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Time's up! Harvest the grapes for judgment. Salvage what's left of Israel. Go back over the vines. Pick them clean, every last grape. + "I've got something to say. Is anybody listening? I've a warning to post. Will anyone notice? It's hopeless! Their ears are stuffed with wax-- deaf as a post, blind as a bat. It's hopeless! They've tuned out GOD. They don't want to hear from me. + But I'm bursting with the wrath of GOD. I can't hold it in much longer. "So dump it on the children in the streets. Let it loose on the gangs of youth. For no one's exempt: Husbands and wives will be taken, the old and those ready to die; + Their homes will be given away-- all they own, even their loved ones-- When I give the signal against all who live in this country." GOD's Decree. + "Everyone's after the dishonest dollar, little people and big people alike. Prophets and priests and everyone in between twist words and doctor truth. + My people are broken--shattered!-- and they put on band-aids, Saying, 'It's not so bad. You'll be just fine.' But things are not 'just fine'! + Do you suppose they are embarrassed over this outrage? No, they have no shame. They don't even know how to blush. There's no hope for them. They've hit bottom and there's no getting up. As far as I'm concerned, they're finished." GOD has spoken. + GOD's Message yet again: "Go stand at the crossroads and look around. Ask for directions to the old road, The tried and true road. Then take it. Discover the right route for your souls. But they said, 'Nothing doing. We aren't going that way.' + I even provided watchmen for them to warn them, to set off the alarm. But the people said, 'It's a false alarm. It doesn't concern us.' + And so I'm calling in the nations as witnesses: 'Watch, witnesses, what happens to them!' + And, 'Pay attention, earth! Don't miss these bulletins.' I'm visiting catastrophe on this people, the end result of the games they've been playing with me. They've ignored everything I've said, had nothing but contempt for my teaching. + What would I want with incense brought in from Sheba, rare spices from exotic places? Your burnt sacrifices in worship give me no pleasure. Your religious rituals mean nothing to me." + So listen to this. Here's GOD's verdict on your way of life: "Watch out! I'm putting roadblocks and barriers on the road you're taking. They'll send you sprawling, parents and children, neighbors and friends-- and that will be the end of the lot of you." + And listen to this verdict from GOD: "Look out! An invasion from the north, a mighty power on the move from a faraway place: + Armed to the teeth, vicious and pitiless, Booming like sea storm and thunder--tramp, tramp, tramp-- riding hard on war horses, In battle formation against you, dear Daughter Zion!" + We've heard the news, and we're as limp as wet dishrags. We're paralyzed with fear. Terror has a death grip on our throats. + Don't dare go outdoors! Don't leave the house! Death is on the prowl. Danger everywhere! + "Dear Daughter Zion: Dress in black. Blacken your face with ashes. Weep most bitterly, as for an only child. The countdown has begun . . . six, five, four, three . . . The Terror is on us!" + GOD gave me this task: "I have made you the examiner of my people, to examine and weigh their lives. + They're a thickheaded, hard-nosed bunch, rotten to the core, the lot of them. + Refining fires are cranked up to white heat, but the ore stays a lump, unchanged. It's useless to keep trying any longer. Nothing can refine evil out of them. + Men will give up and call them 'slag,' thrown on the slag heap by me, their GOD." + + + The Message from GOD to Jeremiah: + "Stand in the gate of GOD's Temple and preach this Message. "Say, 'Listen, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship GOD. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, has this to say to you: "'Clean up your act--the way you live, the things you do--so I can make my home with you in this place. + Don't for a minute believe the lies being spoken here--"This is GOD's Temple, GOD's Temple, GOD's Temple!" + Total nonsense! Only if you clean up your act (the way you live, the things you do), only if you do a total spring cleaning on the way you live and treat your neighbors, + only if you quit exploiting the street people and orphans and widows, no longer taking advantage of innocent people on this very site and no longer destroying your souls by using this Temple as a front for other gods-- + only then will I move into your neighborhood. Only then will this country I gave your ancestors be my permanent home, my Temple. + "'Get smart! Your leaders are handing you a pack of lies, and you're swallowing them! + Use your heads! Do you think you can rob and murder, have sex with the neighborhood wives, tell lies nonstop, worship the local gods, and buy every novel religious commodity on the market-- + and then march into this Temple, set apart for my worship, and say, "We're safe!" thinking that the place itself gives you a license to go on with all this outrageous sacrilege? + A cave full of criminals! Do you think you can turn this Temple, set apart for my worship, into something like that? Well, think again. I've got eyes in my head. I can see what's going on.'" GOD's Decree! + "'Take a trip down to the place that was once in Shiloh, where I met my people in the early days. Take a look at those ruins, what I did to it because of the evil ways of my people Israel. + "'So now, because of the way you have lived and failed to listen, even though time and again I took you aside and talked seriously with you, and because you refused to change when I called you to repent, + I'm going to do to this Temple, set aside for my worship, this place you think is going to keep you safe no matter what, this place I gave as a gift to your ancestors and you, the same as I did to Shiloh. + And as for you, I'm going to get rid of you, the same as I got rid of those old relatives of yours around Shiloh, your fellow Israelites in that former kingdom to the north.' + "And you, Jeremiah, don't waste your time praying for this people. Don't offer to make petitions or intercessions. Don't bother me with them. I'm not listening. + Can't you see what they're doing in all the villages of Judah and in the Jerusalem streets? + Why, they've got the children gathering wood while the fathers build fires and the mothers make bread to be offered to 'the Queen of Heaven'! And as if that weren't bad enough, they go around pouring out libations to any other gods they come across, just to hurt me. + "But is it me they're hurting?" GOD's Decree! "Aren't they just hurting themselves? Exposing themselves shamefully? Making themselves ridiculous? + "Here's what the Master GOD has to say: 'My white-hot anger is about to descend on this country and everything in it--people and animals, trees in the field and vegetables in the garden--a raging wildfire that no one can put out.' + "The Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God: 'Go ahead! Put your burnt offerings with all your other sacrificial offerings and make a good meal for yourselves. I sure don't want them! + When I delivered your ancestors out of Egypt, I never said anything to them about wanting burnt offerings and sacrifices as such. + But I did say this, commanded this: "Obey me. Do what I say and I will be your God and you will be my people. Live the way I tell you. Do what I command so that your lives will go well." + "'But do you think they listened? Not a word of it. They did just what they wanted to do, indulged any and every evil whim and got worse day by day. + From the time your ancestors left the land of Egypt until now, I've supplied a steady stream of my servants the prophets, + but do you think the people listened? Not once. Stubborn as mules and worse than their ancestors!' + "Tell them all this, but don't expect them to listen. Call out to them, but don't expect an answer. + Tell them, 'You are the nation that wouldn't obey GOD, that refused all discipline. Truth has disappeared. There's not a trace of it left in your mouths. + "'So shave your heads. Go bald to the hills and lament, For GOD has rejected and left this generation that has made him so angry.' + "The people of Judah have lived evil lives while I've stood by and watched." GOD's Decree. "In deliberate insult to me, they've set up their obscene god-images in the very Temple that was built to honor me. + They've constructed Topheth altars for burning babies in prominent places all through the valley of Ben-hinnom, altars for burning their sons and daughters alive in the fire--a shocking perversion of all that I am and all I command. + "But soon, very soon"--GOD's Decree!--"the names Topheth and Ben-hinnom will no longer be used. They'll call the place what it is: Murder Meadow. Corpses will be stacked up in Topheth because there's no room left to bury them! + Corpses abandoned in the open air, fed on by crows and coyotes, who have the run of the place. + And I'll empty both smiles and laughter from the villages of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. No wedding songs, no holiday sounds. Dead silence. + + + "And when the time comes"--God's Decree!--"I'll see to it that they dig up the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the princes and priests and prophets, and yes, even the bones of the common people. + They'll dig them up and spread them out like a congregation at worship before sun, moon, and stars, all those sky gods they've been so infatuated with all these years, following their 'lucky stars' in doglike devotion. The bones will be left scattered and exposed, to reenter the soil as fertilizer, like manure. + "Everyone left--all from this evil generation unlucky enough to still be alive in whatever godforsaken place I will have driven them to--will wish they were dead." Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "Tell them this, GOD's Message: "'Do people fall down and not get up? Or take the wrong road and then just keep going? + So why does this people go backwards, and just keep on going--backwards! They stubbornly hold on to their illusions, refuse to change direction. + I listened carefully but heard not so much as a whisper. No one expressed one word of regret. Not a single "I'm sorry" did I hear. They just kept at it, blindly and stupidly banging their heads against a brick wall. + Cranes know when it's time to move south for winter. And robins, warblers, and bluebirds know when it's time to come back again. But my people? My people know nothing, not the first thing of GOD and his rule. + "'How can you say, "We know the score. We're the proud owners of GOD's revelation"? Look where it's gotten you--stuck in illusion. Your religion experts have taken you for a ride! + Your know-it-alls will be unmasked, caught and shown up for what they are. Look at them! They know everything but GOD's Word. Do you call that "knowing"? + "'So here's what will happen to the know-it-alls: I'll make them wifeless and homeless. Everyone's after the dishonest dollar, little people and big people alike. Prophets and priests and everyone in-between twist words and doctor truth. + My dear Daughter--my people--broken, shattered, and yet they put on band-aids, Saying, "It's not so bad. You'll be just fine." But things are not "just fine"! + Do you suppose they are embarrassed over this outrage? Not really. They have no shame. They don't even know how to blush. There's no hope for them. They've hit bottom and there's no getting up. As far as I'm concerned, they're finished.'" GOD has spoken. + "'I went out to see if I could salvage anything'" --GOD's Decree-- "'but found nothing: Not a grape, not a fig, just a few withered leaves. I'm taking back everything I gave them.'" + So why are we sitting here, doing nothing? Let's get organized. Let's go to the big city and at least die fighting. We've gotten GOD's ultimatum: We're damned if we do and damned if we don't-- damned because of our sin against him. + We hoped things would turn out for the best, but it didn't happen that way. We were waiting around for healing-- and terror showed up! + From Dan at the northern borders we hear the hooves of horses, Horses galloping, horses neighing. The ground shudders and quakes. They're going to swallow up the whole country. Towns and people alike--fodder for war. + "'What's more, I'm dispatching poisonous snakes among you, Snakes that can't be charmed, snakes that will bite you and kill you.'" GOD's Decree! + I drown in grief. I'm heartsick. + Oh, listen! Please listen! It's the cry of my dear people reverberating through the country. Is GOD no longer in Zion? Has the King gone away? Can you tell me why they flaunt their plaything-gods, their silly, imported no-gods before me? + The crops are in, the summer is over, but for us nothing's changed. We're still waiting to be rescued. + For my dear broken people, I'm heartbroken. I weep, seized by grief. + Are there no healing ointments in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor in the house? So why can't something be done to heal and save my dear, dear people? + + + I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears So I could weep day and night for casualties among my dear, dear people. + At times I wish I had a wilderness hut, a backwoods cabin, Where I could get away from my people and never see them again. They're a faithless, feckless bunch, a congregation of degenerates. + "Their tongues shoot out lies like a bow shoots arrows-- A mighty army of liars, the sworn enemies of truth. They advance from one evil to the next, ignorant of me." GOD's Decree. + "Be wary of even longtime neighbors. Don't even trust your grandmother! Brother schemes against brother, like old cheating Jacob. Friend against friend spreads malicious gossip. + Neighbors gyp neighbors, never telling the truth. They've trained their tongues to tell lies, and now they can't tell the truth. + They pile wrong upon wrong, stack lie upon lie, and refuse to know me." GOD's Decree. + Therefore, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says: "Watch this! I'll melt them down and see what they're made of. What else can I do with a people this wicked? + Their tongues are poison arrows! Deadly lies stream from their mouths. Neighbor greets neighbor with a smile, 'Good morning! How're things?' while scheming to do away with him. + Do you think I'm going to stand around and do nothing?" GOD's Decree. "Don't you think I'll take serious measures against a people like this? + "I'm lamenting the loss of the mountain pastures. I'm chanting dirges for the old grazing grounds. They've become deserted wastelands too dangerous for travelers. No sounds of sheep bleating or cattle mooing. Birds and wild animals, all gone. Nothing stirring, no sounds of life. + I'm going to make Jerusalem a pile of rubble, fit for nothing but stray cats and dogs. I'm going to reduce Judah's towns to piles of ruins where no one lives!" + I asked, "Is there anyone around bright enough to tell us what's going on here? Anyone who has the inside story from GOD and can let us in on it? "Why is the country wasted? "Why no travelers in this desert?" + GOD's answer: "Because they abandoned my plain teaching. They wouldn't listen to anything I said, refused to live the way I told them to. + Instead they lived any way they wanted and took up with the Baal gods, who they thought would give them what they wanted--following the example of their parents." + And this is the consequence. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so: "I'll feed them with pig slop. "I'll give them poison to drink. + "Then I'll scatter them far and wide among godless peoples that neither they nor their parents have ever heard of, and I'll send Death in pursuit until there's nothing left of them." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Look over the trouble we're in and call for help. Send for some singers who can help us mourn our loss. + Tell them to hurry-- to help us express our loss and lament, Help us get our tears flowing, make tearful music of our crying. + Listen to it! Listen to that torrent of tears out of Zion: 'We're a ruined people, we're a shamed people! We've been driven from our homes and must leave our land!'" + Mourning women! Oh, listen to GOD's Message! Open your ears. Take in what he says. Teach your daughters songs for the dead and your friends the songs of heartbreak. + Death has climbed in through the window, broken into our bedrooms. Children on the playgrounds drop dead, and young men and women collapse at their games. + Speak up! "GOD's Message: "'Dead bodies everywhere, scattered at random like sheep and goat dung in the fields, Like wheat cut down by reapers and left to rot where it falls.'" + GOD's Message: "Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom. Don't let heroes brag of their exploits. Don't let the rich brag of their riches. + If you brag, brag of this and this only: That you understand and know me. I'm GOD, and I act in loyal love. I do what's right and set things right and fair, and delight in those who do the same things. These are my trademarks." GOD's Decree. + "Stay alert! It won't be long now"--GOD's Decree!--"when I will personally deal with everyone whose life is all outside but no inside: + Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab. All these nations are big on performance religion--including Israel, who is no better." + + + Listen to the Message that GOD is sending your way, House of Israel. + Listen most carefully: "Don't take the godless nations as your models. Don't be impressed by their glamour and glitz, no matter how much they're impressed. + The religion of these peoples is nothing but smoke. An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down, then shaped by a woodsman's ax. + They trim it with tinsel and balls, use hammer and nails to keep it upright. + It's like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch--can't talk! Dead wood that has to be carried--can't walk! Don't be impressed by such stuff. It's useless for either good or evil." + All this is nothing compared to you, O GOD. You're wondrously great, famously great. + Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations? It's your very nature to be worshiped! Look far and wide among the elite of the nations. The best they can come up with is nothing compared to you. + Stupidly, they line them up--a lineup of sticks, good for nothing but making smoke. + Gilded with silver foil from Tarshish, covered with gold from Uphaz, Hung with violet and purple fabrics-- no matter how fancy the sticks, they're still sticks. + But GOD is the real thing-- the living God, the eternal King. When he's angry, Earth shakes. Yes, and the godless nations quake. + "Tell them this: 'The stick gods who made nothing, neither sky nor earth, Will come to nothing on the earth and under the sky.'" + But it is God whose power made the earth, whose wisdom gave shape to the world, who crafted the cosmos. + He thunders, and rain pours down. He sends the clouds soaring. He embellishes the storm with lightnings, launches wind from his warehouse. + Stick-god worshipers looking mighty foolish, god-makers embarrassed by their handmade gods! Their gods are frauds--dead sticks, + deadwood gods, tasteless jokes. When the fires of judgment come, they'll be ashes. + But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing. He put the whole universe together And pays special attention to Israel. His name? GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! + Grab your bags, all you who are under attack. + GOD has given notice: "Attention! I'm evicting Everyone who lives here, And right now--yes, right now! I'm going to press them to the limit, squeeze the life right out of them." + But it's a black day for me! Hopelessly wounded, I said, "Why, oh why did I think I could bear it?" + My house is ruined-- the roof caved in. Our children are gone-- we'll never see them again. No one left to help in rebuilding, no one to make a new start! + It's because our leaders are stupid. They never asked GOD for counsel, And so nothing worked right. The people are scattered all over. + But listen! Something's coming! A big commotion from the northern borders! Judah's towns about to be smashed, left to all the stray dogs and cats! + I know, GOD, that mere mortals can't run their own lives, That men and women don't have what it takes to take charge of life. + So correct us, GOD, as you see best. Don't lose your temper. That would be the end of us. + Vent your anger on the godless nations, who refuse to acknowledge you, And on the people who won't pray to you-- The very ones who've made hash out of Jacob, yes, made hash And devoured him whole, people and pastures alike. + + + The Message that came to Jeremiah from GOD: + "Preach to the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem. + Tell them this: 'This is GOD's Message, the Message of Israel's God to you. Anyone who does not keep the terms of this covenant is cursed. + The terms are clear. I made them plain to your ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt, out of the iron furnace of suffering. "'Obey what I tell you. Do exactly what I command you. Your obedience will close the deal. You'll be mine and I'll be yours. + This will provide the conditions in which I will be able to do what I promised your ancestors: to give them a fertile and lush land. And, as you know, that's what I did.'" "Yes, GOD," I replied. "That's true." + GOD continued: "Preach all this in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. Say, 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and carry them out! + I warned your ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt and I've kept up the warnings. I haven't quit warning them for a moment. I warned them from morning to night: "Obey me or else!" + But they didn't obey. They paid no attention to me. They did whatever they wanted to do, whenever they wanted to do it, until finally I stepped in and ordered the punishments set out in the covenant, which, despite all my warnings, they had ignored.'" + Then GOD said, "There's a conspiracy among the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. + They've plotted to reenact the sins of their ancestors--the ones who disobeyed me and decided to go after other gods and worship them. Israel and Judah are in this together, mindlessly breaking the covenant I made with their ancestors." + "Well, your God has something to say about this: Watch out! I'm about to visit doom on you, and no one will get out of it. You're going to cry for help but I won't listen. + Then all the people in Judah and Jerusalem will start praying to the gods you've been sacrificing to all these years, but it won't do a bit of good. + You've got as many gods as you have villages, Judah! And you've got enough altars for sacrifices to that impotent sex god Baal to put one on every street corner in Jerusalem!" + "And as for you, Jeremiah, I don't want you praying for this people. Nothing! Not a word of petition. Indeed, I'm not going to listen to a single syllable of their crisis-prayers." + "What business do the ones I love have figuring out how to get off the hook? And right in the house of worship! Do you think making promises and devising pious programs will save you from doom? Do you think you can get out of this by becoming more religious? + A mighty oak tree, majestic and glorious-- that's how I once described you. But it will only take a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning to leave you a shattered wreck. + "I, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who planted you--yes, I have pronounced doom on you. Why? Because of the disastrous life you've lived, Israel and Judah alike, goading me to anger with your continuous worship and offerings to that sorry god Baal." + God told me what was going on. That's how I knew. You, GOD, opened my eyes to their evil scheming. + I had no idea what was going on--naive as a lamb being led to slaughter! I didn't know they had it in for me, didn't know of their behind-the-scenes plots: "Let's get rid of the preacher. That will stop the sermons! Let's get rid of him for good. He won't be remembered for long." + Then I said, "GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, you're a fair judge. You examine and cross-examine human actions and motives. I want to see these people shown up and put down! I'm an open book before you. Clear my name." + That sent a signal to GOD, who spoke up: "Here's what I'll do to the men of Anathoth who are trying to murder you, the men who say, 'Don't preach to us in GOD's name or we'll kill you.' + Yes, it's GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking. Indeed! I'll call them to account: Their young people will die in battle, their children will die of starvation, + and there will be no one left at all, none. I'm visiting the men of Anathoth with doom. Doomsday!" + + + You are right, O GOD, and you set things right. I can't argue with that. But I do have some questions: Why do bad people have it so good? Why do con artists make it big? + You planted them and they put down roots. They flourished and produced fruit. They talk as if they're old friends with you, but they couldn't care less about you. + Meanwhile, you know me inside and out. You don't let me get by with a thing! Make them pay for the way they live, pay with their lives, like sheep marked for slaughter. + How long do we have to put up with this-- the country depressed, the farms in ruin-- And all because of wickedness, these wicked lives? Even animals and birds are dying off Because they'll have nothing to do with God and think God has nothing to do with them. + "So, Jeremiah, if you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can't keep your wits during times of calm, what's going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood? + Those closest to you, your own brothers and cousins, are working against you. They're out to get you. They'll stop at nothing. Don't trust them, especially when they're smiling. + "I will abandon the House of Israel, walk away from my beloved people. I will turn over those I most love to those who are her enemies. + She's been, this one I held dear, like a snarling lion in the jungle, Growling and baring her teeth at me-- and I can't take it anymore. + Has this one I hold dear become a preening peacock? But isn't she under attack by vultures? Then invite all the hungry animals at large, invite them in for a free meal! + Foreign, scavenging shepherds will loot and trample my fields, Turn my beautiful, well-cared-for fields into vacant lots of tin cans and thistles. + They leave them littered with junk-- a ruined land, a land in lament. The whole countryside is a wasteland, and no one will really care. + "The barbarians will invade, swarm over hills and plains. The judgment sword of GOD will take its toll from one end of the land to the other. Nothing living will be safe. + They will plant wheat and reap weeds. Nothing they do will work out. They will look at their meager crops and wring their hands. All this the result of GOD's fierce anger!" + GOD's Message: "Regarding all the bad neighbors who abused the land I gave to Israel as their inheritance: I'm going to pluck them out of their lands, and then pluck Judah out from among them. + Once I've pulled the bad neighbors out, I will relent and take them tenderly to my heart and put them back where they belong, put each of them back in their home country, on their family farms. + Then if they will get serious about living my way and pray to me as well as they taught my people to pray to that god Baal, everything will go well for them. + But if they won't listen, then I'll pull them out of their land by the roots and cart them off to the dump. Total destruction!" GOD's Decree. + + + GOD told me, "Go and buy yourself some linen shorts. Put them on and keep them on. Don't even take them off to wash them." + So I bought the shorts as GOD directed and put them on. + Then GOD told me, + "Take the shorts that you bought and go straight to Perath and hide them there in a crack in the rock." + So I did what GOD told me and hid them at Perath. + Next, after quite a long time, GOD told me, "Go back to Perath and get the linen shorts I told you to hide there." + So I went back to Perath and dug them out of the place where I had hidden them. The shorts by then had rotted and were worthless. + GOD explained, + "This is the way I am going to ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem-- + a wicked bunch of people who won't obey me, who do only what they want to do, who chase after all kinds of no-gods and worship them. They're going to turn out as rotten as these old shorts. + Just as shorts clothe and protect, so I kept the whole family of Israel under my care"--GOD's Decree--"so that everyone could see they were my people, a people I could show off to the world and be proud of. But they refused to do a thing I said. + "And then tell them this: 'GOD's Message, personal from the God of Israel: Every wine jug should be full of wine.' "And they'll say, 'Of course. We know that. Every wine jug should be full of wine!' + "Then you'll say, 'This is what GOD says: Watch closely. I'm going to fill every person who lives in this country--the kings who rule from David's throne, the priests, the prophets, the citizens of Jerusalem--with wine that will make them drunk. + And then I'll smash them, smash the wine-filled jugs--old and young alike. Nothing will stop me. Not an ounce of pity or mercy or compassion will slow me down. Every last drunken jug of them will be smashed!'" + Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways! It's GOD's Message we're dealing with here. + Let your lives glow bright before GOD before he turns out the lights, Before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. + If you people won't listen, I'll go off by myself and weep over you, Weep because of your stubborn arrogance, bitter, bitter tears, Rivers of tears from my eyes, because GOD's sheep will end up in exile. + Tell the king and the queen-mother, "Come down off your high horses. Your dazzling crowns will tumble off your heads." + The villages in the Negev will be surrounded, everyone trapped, And Judah dragged off to exile, the whole country dragged to oblivion. + Look, look, Jerusalem! Look at the enemies coming out of the north! What will become of your flocks of people, the beautiful flocks in your care? + How are you going to feel when the people you've played up to, looked up to all these years Now look down on you? You didn't expect this? Surprise! The pain of a woman having a baby! + Do I hear you saying, "What's going on here? Why me?" The answer's simple: You're guilty, hugely guilty. Your guilt has your life endangered, your guilt has you writhing in pain. + Can an African change skin? Can a leopard get rid of its spots? So what are the odds on you doing good, you who are so long-practiced in evil? + "I'll blow these people away-- like wind-blown leaves. + You have it coming to you. I've measured it out precisely." GOD's Decree. "It's because you forgot me and embraced the Big Lie, that so-called god Baal. + I'm the one who will rip off your clothes, expose and shame you before the watching world. + Your obsessions with gods, gods, and more gods, your goddess affairs, your god-adulteries. Gods on the hills, gods in the fields-- every time I look you're off with another god. O Jerusalem, what a sordid life! Is there any hope for you!" + + + GOD's Message that came to Jeremiah regarding the drought: + "Judah weeps, her cities mourn. The people fall to the ground, moaning, while sounds of Jerusalem's sobs rise up, up. + The rich people sent their servants for water. They went to the cisterns, but the cisterns were dry. They came back with empty buckets, wringing their hands, shaking their heads. + All the farm work has stopped. Not a drop of rain has fallen. The farmers don't know what to do. They wring their hands, they shake their heads. + Even the doe abandons her fawn in the field because there is no grass-- + Eyes glazed over, on her last legs, nothing but skin and bones." + We know we're guilty. We've lived bad lives-- but do something, GOD. Do it for your sake! Time and time again we've betrayed you. No doubt about it--we've sinned against you. + Hope of Israel! Our only hope! Israel's last chance in this trouble! Why are you acting like a tourist, taking in the sights, here today and gone tomorrow? + Why do you just stand there and stare, like someone who doesn't know what to do in a crisis? But GOD, you are, in fact, here, here with us! You know who we are--you named us! Don't leave us in the lurch. + Then GOD said of these people: "Since they loved to wander this way and that, never giving a thought to where they were going, I will now have nothing more to do with them-- except to note their guilt and punish their sins." + GOD said to me, "Don't pray that everything will turn out all right for this people. + When they skip their meals in order to pray, I won't listen to a thing they say. When they redouble their prayers, bringing all kinds of offerings from their herds and crops, I'll not accept them. I'm finishing them off with war and famine and disease." + I said, "But Master, GOD! Their preachers have been telling them that everything is going to be all right--no war and no famine--that there's nothing to worry about." + Then GOD said, "These preachers are liars, and they use my name to cover their lies. I never sent them, I never commanded them, and I don't talk with them. The sermons they've been handing out are sheer illusion, tissues of lies, whistlings in the dark. + "So this is my verdict on them: All the preachers who preach using my name as their text, preachers I never sent in the first place, preachers who say, 'War and famine will never come here'--these preachers will die in war and by starvation. + And the people to whom they've been preaching will end up as corpses, victims of war and starvation, thrown out in the streets of Jerusalem unburied--no funerals for them or their wives or their children! I'll make sure they get the full brunt of all their evil. + "And you, Jeremiah, will say this to them: "'My eyes pour out tears. Day and night, the tears never quit. My dear, dear people are battered and bruised, hopelessly and cruelly wounded. + I walk out into the fields, shocked by the killing fields strewn with corpses. I walk into the city, shocked by the sight of starving bodies. And I watch the preachers and priests going about their business as if nothing's happened!'" + God, have you said your final No to Judah? Can you simply not stand Zion any longer? If not, why have you treated us like this, beaten us nearly to death? We hoped for peace-- nothing good came from it; We looked for healing-- and got kicked in the stomach. + We admit, O GOD, how bad we've lived, and our ancestors, how bad they were. We've sinned, they've sinned, we've all sinned against you! + Your reputation is at stake! Don't quit on us! Don't walk out and abandon your glorious Temple! Remember your covenant. Don't break faith with us! + Can the no-gods of the godless nations cause rain? Can the sky water the earth by itself? You're the one, O GOD, who does this. So you're the one for whom we wait. You made it all, you do it all. + + + Then GOD said to me: "Jeremiah, even if Moses and Samuel stood here and made their case, I wouldn't feel a thing for this people. Get them out of here. Tell them to get lost! + And if they ask you, 'So where do we go?' tell them GOD says, "'If you're assigned to die, go and die; if assigned to war, go and get killed; If assigned to starve, go starve; if assigned to exile, off to exile you go!' + "I've arranged for four kinds of punishment: death in battle, the corpses dropped off by killer dogs, the rest picked clean by vultures, the bones gnawed by hyenas. + They'll be a sight to see, a sight to shock the whole world--and all because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah and all he did in Jerusalem. + "Who do you think will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who do you think will waste tears on you? Who will bother to take the time to ask, 'So, how are things going?' + "You left me, remember?" GOD's Decree. "You turned your back and walked out. So I will grab you and hit you hard. I'm tired of letting you off the hook. + I threw you to the four winds and let the winds scatter you like leaves. I made sure you'll lose everything, since nothing makes you change. + I created more widows among you than grains of sand on the ocean beaches. At noon mothers will get the news of their sons killed in action. Sudden anguish for the mothers-- all those terrible deaths. + A mother of seven falls to the ground, gasping for breath, Robbed of her children in their prime. Her sun sets at high noon! Then I'll round up any of you that are left alive and see that you're killed by your enemies." GOD's Decree. + Unlucky mother--that you had me as a son, given the unhappy job of indicting the whole country! I've never hurt or harmed a soul, and yet everyone is out to get me. + But, GOD knows, I've done everything I could to help them, prayed for them and against their enemies. I've always been on their side, trying to stave off disaster. God knows how I've tried! + "O Israel, O Judah, what are your chances against the iron juggernaut from the north? + In punishment for your sins, I'm giving away everything you've got, giving it away for nothing. + I'll make you slaves to your enemies in a strange and far-off land. My anger is blazing and fierce, burning in hot judgment against you." + You know where I am, GOD! Remember what I'm doing here! Take my side against my detractors. Don't stand back while they ruin me. Just look at the abuse I'm taking! + When your words showed up, I ate them-- swallowed them whole. What a feast! What delight I took in being yours, O GOD, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! + I never joined the party crowd in their laughter and their fun. Led by you, I went off by myself. You'd filled me with indignation. Their sin had me seething. + But why, why this chronic pain, this ever worsening wound and no healing in sight? You're nothing, GOD, but a mirage, a lovely oasis in the distance--and then nothing! + This is how GOD answered me: "Take back those words, and I'll take you back. Then you'll stand tall before me. Use words truly and well. Don't stoop to cheap whining. Then, but only then, you'll speak for me. Let your words change them. Don't change your words to suit them. + I'll turn you into a steel wall, a thick steel wall, impregnable. They'll attack you but won't put a dent in you because I'm at your side, defending and delivering." GOD's Decree. + "I'll deliver you from the grip of the wicked. I'll get you out of the clutch of the ruthless." + + + GOD's Message to me: + "Jeremiah, don't get married. Don't raise a family here. + I have signed the death warrant on all the children born in this country, the mothers who bear them and the fathers who beget them-- + an epidemic of death. Death unlamented, the dead unburied, dead bodies decomposing and stinking like dung, all the killed and starved corpses served up as meals for carrion crows and mongrel dogs!" + GOD continued: "Don't enter a house where there's mourning. Don't go to the funeral. Don't sympathize. I've quit caring about what happens to this people." GOD's Decree. "No more loyal love on my part, no more compassion. + The famous and obscure will die alike here, unlamented and unburied. No funerals will be conducted, no one will give them a second thought, + no one will care, no one will say, 'I'm sorry,' no one will so much as offer a cup of tea, not even for the mother or father. + "And if there happens to be a feast celebrated, don't go there either to enjoy the festivities." + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Watch this! I'm about to banish smiles and laughter from this place. No more brides and bridegrooms celebrating. And I'm doing it in your lifetime, before your very eyes. + "When you tell this to the people and they ask, 'Why is GOD talking this way, threatening us with all these calamities? We're not criminals, after all. What have we done to our GOD to be treated like this?' + tell them this: 'It's because your ancestors left me, walked off and never looked back. They took up with the no-gods, worshiped and doted on them, and ignored me and wouldn't do a thing I told them. + And you're even worse! Take a good look in the mirror--each of you doing whatever you want, whenever you want, refusing to pay attention to me. + And for this I'm getting rid of you, throwing you out in the cold, into a far and strange country. You can worship your precious no-gods there to your heart's content. Rest assured, I won't bother you anymore.' + "On the other hand, don't miss this: The time is coming when no one will say any longer, 'As sure as GOD lives, the God who delivered Israel from Egypt.' + What they'll say is, 'As sure as GOD lives, the God who brought Israel back from the land of the north, brought them back from all the places where he'd scattered them.' That's right, I'm going to bring them back to the land I first gave to their ancestors. + "Now, watch for what comes next: I'm going to assemble a bunch of fishermen." GOD's Decree! "They'll go fishing for my people and pull them in for judgment. Then I'll send out a party of hunters, and they'll hunt them out in all the mountains, hills, and caves. + I'm watching their every move. I haven't lost track of a single one of them, neither them nor their sins. + "They won't get by with a thing. They'll pay double for everything they did wrong. They've made a complete mess of things, littering their lives with their obscene no-gods, leaving piles of stinking god-junk all over the place." + GOD, my strength, my stronghold, my safe retreat when trouble descends: The godless nations will come from earth's four corners, saying, "Our ancestors lived on lies, useless illusions, all smoke." + Can mortals manufacture gods? Their factories turn out no-gods! + "Watch closely now. I'm going to teach these wrongheaded people. Starting right now, I'm going to teach them Who I am and what I do, teach them the meaning of my name, GOD--'I AM.' + + + "Judah's sin is engraved with a steel chisel, A steel chisel with a diamond point-- engraved on their granite hearts, engraved on the stone corners of their altars. + The evidence against them is plain to see: sex-and-religion altars and sacred sex shrines Anywhere there's a grove of trees, anywhere there's an available hill. + "I'll use your mountains as roadside stands for giving away everything you have. All your 'things' will serve as reparations for your sins all over the country. + You'll lose your gift of land, The inheritance I gave you. I'll make you slaves of your enemies in a far-off and strange land. My anger is hot and blazing and fierce, and no one will put it out." + GOD's Message: "Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans, Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets GOD aside as dead weight. + He's like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth. He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows. + "But blessed is the man who trusts me, GOD, the woman who sticks with GOD. + They're like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers-- Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. + "The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. + But I, GOD, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be." + Like a cowbird that cheats by laying its eggs in another bird's nest Is the person who gets rich by cheating. When the eggs hatch, the deceit is exposed. What a fool he'll look like then! + From early on your Sanctuary was set high, a throne of glory, exalted! + O GOD, you're the hope of Israel. All who leave you end up as fools, Deserters with nothing to show for their lives, who walk off from GOD, fountain of living waters-- and wind up dead! + GOD, pick up the pieces. Put me back together again. You are my praise! + Listen to how they talk about me: "So where's this 'Word of GOD'? We'd like to see something happen!" + But it wasn't my idea to call for Doomsday. I never wanted trouble. You know what I've said. It's all out in the open before you. + Don't add to my troubles. Give me some relief! + Let those who harass me be harassed, not me. Let them be disgraced, not me. Bring down upon them the day of doom. Lower the boom. Boom! + GOD's Message to me: "Go stand in the People's Gate, the one used by Judah's kings as they come and go, and then proceed in turn to all the gates of Jerusalem. + Tell them: 'Listen, you kings of Judah, listen to GOD's Message--and all you people who go in and out of these gates, you listen! + "'This is GOD's Message. Be careful, if you care about your lives, not to desecrate the Sabbath by turning it into just another workday, lugging stuff here and there. + Don't use the Sabbath to do business as usual. Keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors. + They never did it, as you know. They paid no attention to what I said and went about their own business, refusing to be guided or instructed by me. + "'But now, take seriously what I tell you. Quit desecrating the Sabbath by busily going about your own work, and keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing business as usual. + Then kings from the time of David and their officials will continue to ride through these gates on horses or in chariots. The people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem will continue to pass through them, too. Jerusalem will always be filled with people. + People will stream in from all over Judah, from the province of Benjamin, from the Jerusalem suburbs, from foothills and mountains and deserts. They'll come to worship, bringing all kinds of offerings--animals, grains, incense, expressions of thanks--into the Sanctuary of GOD. + "'But if you won't listen to me, won't keep the Sabbath holy, won't quit using the Sabbath for doing your own work, busily going in and out of the city gates on your self-important business, then I'll burn the gates down. In fact, I'll burn the whole city down, palaces and all, with a fire nobody will be able to put out!'" + + + GOD told Jeremiah, + "Up on your feet! Go to the potter's house. When you get there, I'll tell you what I have to say." + So I went to the potter's house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. + Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. + Then GOD's Message came to me: + "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" GOD's Decree! "Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel. + At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. + But if they repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with them. + At another time I might decide to plant a people or country, + but if they don't cooperate and won't listen to me, I will think again and give up on the plans I had for them. + "So, tell the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem my Message: 'Danger! I'm shaping doom against you, laying plans against you. Turn back from your doomed way of life. Straighten out your lives.' + "But they'll just say, 'Why should we? What's the point? We'll live just the way we've always lived, doom or no doom.'" + GOD's Message: "Ask around. Survey the godless nations. Has anyone heard the likes of this? Virgin Israel has become a slut! + Does snow disappear from the Lebanon peaks? Do alpine streams run dry? + But my people have left me to worship the Big Lie. They've gotten off the track, the old, well-worn trail, And now bushwhack through underbrush in a tangle of roots and vines. + Their land's going to end up a mess-- a fool's memorial to be spit on. Travelers passing through will shake their heads in disbelief. + I'll scatter my people before their enemies, like autumn leaves in a high wind. On their day of doom, they'll stare at my back as I walk away, catching not so much as a glimpse of my face." + Some of the people said, "Come on, let's cook up a plot against Jeremiah. We'll still have the priests to teach us the law, wise counselors to give us advice, and prophets to tell us what God has to say. Come on, let's discredit him so we don't have to put up with him any longer." + And I said to GOD: "GOD, listen to me! Just listen to what my enemies are saying. + Should I get paid evil for good? That's what they're doing. They've made plans to kill me! Remember all the times I stood up for them before you, speaking up for them, trying to soften your anger? + But enough! Let their children starve! Let them be massacred in battle! Let their wives be childless and widowed, their friends die and their proud young men be killed. + Let cries of panic sound from their homes as you surprise them with war parties! They're all set to lynch me. The noose is practically around my neck! + But you know all this, GOD. You know they're determined to kill me. Don't whitewash their crimes, don't overlook a single sin! Round the bunch of them up before you. Strike while the iron of your anger is hot!" + + + GOD said to me, "Go, buy a clay pot. Then get a few leaders from the people and a few of the leading priests + and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom, just outside the Potsherd Gate, and preach there what I tell you. + "Say, 'Listen to GOD's Word, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem! This is the Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel. I'm about to bring doom crashing down on this place. Oh, and will ears ever ring! + Doom--because they've walked off and left me, and made this place strange by worshiping strange gods, gods never heard of by them, their parents, or the old kings of Judah. Doom--because they have massacred innocent people. + Doom--because they've built altars to that no-god Baal, and burned their own children alive in the fire as offerings to Baal, an atrocity I never ordered, never so much as hinted at! + "'And so it's pay day, and soon'--GOD's Decree!--'this place will no longer be known as Topheth or Valley of Ben-hinnom, but Massacre Meadows. + I'm canceling all the plans Judah and Jerusalem had for this place, and I'll have them killed by their enemies. I'll stack their dead bodies to be eaten by carrion crows and wild dogs. + I'll turn this city into such a museum of atrocities that anyone coming near will be shocked speechless by the savage brutality. + The people will turn into cannibals. Dehumanized by the pressure of the enemy siege, they'll eat their own children! Yes, they'll eat one another, family and friends alike.' + "Say all this, and then smash the pot in front of the men who have come with you. + Then say, 'This is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says: I'll smash this people and this city like a man who smashes a clay pot into so many pieces it can never be put together again. They'll bury bodies here in Topheth until there's no more room. + And the whole city will become a Topheth. + The city will be turned by people and kings alike into a center for worshiping the star gods and goddesses, turned into an open grave, the whole city an open grave, stinking like a sewer, like Topheth.'" + Then Jeremiah left Topheth, where GOD had sent him to preach the sermon, and took his stand in the court of GOD's Temple and said to the people, + "This is the Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies to you: 'Warning! Danger! I'm bringing down on this city and all the surrounding towns the doom that I have pronounced. They're set in their ways and won't budge. They refuse to do a thing I say.'" + + + The priest Pashur son of Immer was the senior priest in GOD's Temple. He heard Jeremiah preach this sermon. + He whipped Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate of GOD's Temple. + The next day Pashur came and let him go. Jeremiah told him, "GOD has a new name for you: not Pashur but Danger-Everywhere, + because GOD says, 'You're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. All your friends are going to get killed in battle while you stand there and watch. What's more, I'm turning all of Judah over to the king of Babylon to do whatever he likes with them--haul them off into exile, kill them at whim. + Everything worth anything in this city, property and possessions along with everything in the royal treasury--I'm handing it all over to the enemy. They'll rummage through it and take what they want back to Babylon. + "'And you, Pashur, you and everyone in your family will be taken prisoner into exile--that's right, exile in Babylon. You'll die and be buried there, you and all your cronies to whom you preached your lies.'" + You pushed me into this, GOD, and I let you do it. You were too much for me. And now I'm a public joke. They all poke fun at me. + Every time I open my mouth I'm shouting, "Murder!" or "Rape!" And all I get for my GOD-warnings are insults and contempt. + But if I say, "Forget it! No more GOD-Messages from me!" The words are fire in my belly, a burning in my bones. I'm worn out trying to hold it in. I can't do it any longer! + Then I hear whispering behind my back: "There goes old 'Danger-Everywhere.' Shut him up! Report him!" Old friends watch, hoping I'll fall flat on my face: "One misstep and we'll have him. We'll get rid of him for good!" + But GOD, a most fierce warrior, is at my side. Those who are after me will be sent sprawling-- Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves, a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget. + Oh, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, no one fools you. You see through everyone, everything. I want to see you pay them back for what they've done. I rest my case with you. + Sing to GOD! All praise to GOD! He saves the weak from the grip of the wicked. + Curse the day I was born! The day my mother bore me-- a curse on it, I say! + And curse the man who delivered the news to my father: "You've got a new baby--a boy baby!" (How happy it made him.) + Let that birth notice be blacked out, deleted from the records, And the man who brought it haunted to his death with the bad news he brought. + He should have killed me before I was born, with that womb as my tomb, My mother pregnant for the rest of her life with a baby dead in her womb. + Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb? Life's been nothing but trouble and tears, and what's coming is more of the same. + + + GOD's Message to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to him with this request: + "Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has waged war against us. Pray to GOD for us. Ask him for help. Maybe GOD will intervene with one of his famous miracles and make him leave." + But Jeremiah said, "Tell Zedekiah: + 'This is the GOD of Israel's Message to you: You can say good-bye to your army, watch morale and weapons flushed down the drain. I'm going to personally lead the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, against whom you're fighting so hard, right into the city itself. + I'm joining their side and fighting against you, fighting all-out, holding nothing back. And in fierce anger. + I'm prepared to wipe out the population of this city, people and animals alike, in a raging epidemic. + And then I will personally deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his princes, and any survivors left in the city who haven't died from disease, been killed, or starved. I'll deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon--yes, hand them over to their enemies, who have come to kill them. He'll kill them ruthlessly, showing no mercy.' + "And then tell the people at large, 'GOD's Message to you is this: Listen carefully. I'm giving you a choice: life or death. + Whoever stays in this city will die--either in battle or by starvation or disease. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who have surrounded the city will live. You'll lose everything--but not your life. + I'm determined to see this city destroyed. I'm that angry with this place! GOD's Decree. I'm going to give it to the king of Babylon, and he's going to burn it to the ground.' + "To the royal house of Judah, listen to GOD's Message! + House of David, listen--GOD's Message to you: 'Start each day by dealing with justice. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Prevent fire--the fire of my anger-- for once it starts, it can't be put out. Your evil regime is fuel for my anger. + Don't you realize that I'm against you, yes, against you. You think you've got it made, all snug and secure. You say, "Who can possibly get to us? Who can crash our party?" + Well, I can--and will! I'll punish your evil regime. I'll start a fire that will rage unchecked, burn everything in sight to cinders.'" + + + GOD's orders: "Go to the royal palace and deliver this Message. + Say, 'Listen to what GOD says, O King of Judah, you who sit on David's throne--you and your officials and all the people who go in and out of these palace gates. + This is GOD's Message: Attend to matters of justice. Set things right between people. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Don't take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows. Stop the murdering! + "'If you obey these commands, then kings who follow in the line of David will continue to go in and out of these palace gates mounted on horses and riding in chariots--they and their officials and the citizens of Judah. + But if you don't obey these commands, then I swear--GOD's Decree!--this palace will end up a heap of rubble.'" + This is GOD's verdict on Judah's royal palace: "I number you among my favorite places-- like the lovely hills of Gilead, like the soaring peaks of Lebanon. Yet I swear I'll turn you into a wasteland, as empty as a ghost town. + I'll hire a demolition crew, well-equipped with sledgehammers and wrecking bars, Pound the country to a pulp and burn it all up. + "Travelers from all over will come through here and say to one another, 'Why would GOD do such a thing to this wonderful city?' + They'll be told, 'Because they walked out on the covenant of their GOD, took up with other gods and worshiped them.'" + Don't weep over dead King Josiah. Don't waste your tears. Weep for his exiled son: He's gone for good. He'll never see home again. + For this is GOD's Word on Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah: "He's gone from here, gone for good. + He'll die in the place they've taken him to. He'll never see home again." + "Doom to him who builds palaces but bullies people, who makes a fine house but destroys lives, Who cheats his workers and won't pay them for their work, + Who says, 'I'll build me an elaborate mansion with spacious rooms and fancy windows. I'll bring in rare and expensive woods and the latest in interior decor.' + So, that makes you a king-- living in a fancy palace? Your father got along just fine, didn't he? He did what was right and treated people fairly, And things went well with him. + He stuck up for the down-and-out, And things went well for Judah. Isn't this what it means to know me?" GOD's Decree! + "But you're blind and brainless. All you think about is yourself, Taking advantage of the weak, bulldozing your way, bullying victims." + This is God's epitaph on Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: "Doom to this man! Nobody will shed tears over him, 'Poor, poor brother!' Nobody will shed tears over him, 'Poor, poor master!' + They'll give him a donkey's funeral, drag him out of the city and dump him. + "People of Jerusalem, climb a Lebanon peak and weep, climb a Bashan mountain and wail, Climb the Abarim ridge and cry-- you've made a total mess of your life. + I spoke to you when everything was going your way. You said, 'I'm not interested.' You've been that way as long as I've known you, never listened to a thing I said. + All your leaders will be blown away, all your friends end up in exile, And you'll find yourself in the gutter, disgraced by your evil life. + You big-city people thought you were so important, thought you were 'king of the mountain'! You're soon going to be doubled up in pain, pain worse than the pangs of childbirth. + "As sure as I am the living God"--GOD's Decree--"even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, I'd pull you off + and give you to those who are out to kill you, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, + and then throw you, both you and your mother, into a foreign country, far from your place of birth. There you'll both die. + "You'll be homesick, desperately homesick, but you'll never get home again." + Is Jehoiachin a leaky bucket, a rusted-out pail good for nothing? Why else would he be thrown away, he and his children, thrown away to a foreign place? + O land, land, land, listen to GOD's Message! + This is GOD's verdict: "Write this man off as if he were childless, a man who will never amount to anything. Nothing will ever come of his life. He's the end of the line, the last of the kings. + + + "Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!" GOD's Decree. + "So here is what I, GOD, Israel's God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: 'You've scattered my sheep. You've driven them off. You haven't kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I'm keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. + I'll take over and gather what's left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I've driven them. I'll bring them back where they belong, and they'll recover and flourish. + I'll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won't live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!' GOD's Decree." + "Time's coming"--GOD's Decree-- "when I'll establish a truly righteous David-Branch, A ruler who knows how to rule justly. He'll make sure of justice and keep people united. + In his time Judah will be secure again and Israel will live in safety. This is the name they'll give him: 'GOD-Who-Puts-Everything-Right.' + "So watch for this. The time's coming"--GOD's Decree--"when no one will say, 'As sure as GOD lives, the God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt,' + but, 'As sure as GOD lives, the God who brought the descendants of Israel back from the north country and from the other countries where he'd driven them, so that they can live on their own good earth.'" + My head is reeling, my limbs are limp, I'm staggering like a drunk, seeing double from too much wine-- And all because of GOD, because of his holy words. + Now for what GOD says regarding the lying prophets: "Can you believe it? A country teeming with adulterers! faithless, promiscuous idolater-adulterers! They're a curse on the land. The land's a wasteland. Their unfaithfulness is turning the country into a cesspool, + Prophets and priests devoted to desecration. They have nothing to do with me as their God. My very own Temple, mind you-- mud-spattered with their crimes." GOD's Decree. + "But they won't get by with it. They'll find themselves on a slippery slope, Careening into the darkness, somersaulting into the pitch-black dark. I'll make them pay for their crimes. It will be the Year of Doom." GOD's Decree. + "Over in Samaria I saw prophets acting like silly fools--shocking! They preached using that no-god Baal for a text, messing with the minds of my people. + And the Jerusalem prophets are even worse--horrible!-- sex-driven, living a lie, Subsidizing a culture of wickedness, and never giving it a second thought. They're as bad as those wretches in old Sodom, the degenerates of old Gomorrah." + So here's the Message to the prophets from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "I'll cook them a supper of maggoty meat with after-dinner drinks of strychnine. The Jerusalem prophets are behind all this. They're the cause of the godlessness polluting this country." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Don't listen to the sermons of the prophets. It's all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies. They make it all up. Not a word they speak comes from me. + They preach their 'Everything Will Turn Out Fine' sermon to congregations with no taste for God, Their 'Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen to You' sermon to people who are set in their own ways. + "Have any of these prophets bothered to meet with me, the true GOD? bothered to take in what I have to say? listened to and then lived out my Word? + Look out! GOD's hurricane will be let loose-- my hurricane blast, Spinning the heads of the wicked like tops! + God's raging anger won't let up Until I've made a clean sweep, completing the job I began. When the job's done, you'll see that it's been well done. + "I never sent these prophets, but they ran anyway. I never spoke to them, but they preached away. + If they'd have bothered to sit down and meet with me, they'd have preached my Message to my people. They'd have gotten them back on the right track, gotten them out of their evil ruts. + "Am I not a God near at hand"--GOD's Decree-- "and not a God far off? + Can anyone hide out in a corner where I can't see him?" GOD's Decree. "Am I not present everywhere, whether seen or unseen?" GOD's Decree. + "I know what they're saying, all these prophets who preach lies using me as their text, saying 'I had this dream! I had this dream!' + How long do I have to put up with this? Do these prophets give two cents about me as they preach their lies and spew out their grandiose delusions? + They swap dreams with one another, feed on each other's delusive dreams, trying to distract my people from me just as their ancestors were distracted by the no-god Baal. + "You prophets who do nothing but dream-- go ahead and tell your silly dreams. But you prophets who have a message from me-- tell it truly and faithfully. What does straw have in common with wheat? Nothing else is like GOD's Decree. + Isn't my Message like fire?" GOD's Decree. "Isn't it like a sledgehammer busting a rock? + "I've had it with the 'prophets' who get all their sermons secondhand from each other. + Yes, I've had it with them. They make up stuff and then pretend it's a real sermon. + "Oh yes, I've had it with the prophets who preach the lies they dream up, spreading them all over the country, ruining the lives of my people with their cheap and reckless lies. "I never sent these prophets, never authorized a single one of them. They do nothing for this people--nothing!" GOD's Decree. + "And anyone, including prophets and priests, who asks, 'What's GOD got to say about all this, what's troubling him?' tell him, 'You, you're the trouble, and I'm getting rid of you.'" GOD's Decree. + "And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly 'GOD's Message! GOD's Message!' I'll punish him and his family. + "Instead of claiming to know what GOD says, ask questions of one another, such as 'How do we understand GOD in this?' + But don't go around pretending to know it all, saying 'God told me this . . . God told me that. . . .' I don't want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "You can ask the prophets, 'How did GOD answer you? What did he tell you?' + But don't pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I'm telling you: Quit the 'God told me this . . . God told me that . . .' kind of talk. + "Are you paying attention? You'd better, because I'm about to take you in hand and throw you to the ground, you and this entire city that I gave to your ancestors. I've had it with the lot of you. + You're never going to live this down. You're going down in history as a disgrace." + + + GOD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the Temple of GOD. This was after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon, along with the leaders of Judah, the craftsmen, and the skilled laborers. + In one basket the figs were of the finest quality, ripe and ready to eat. In the other basket the figs were rotten, so rotten they couldn't be eaten. + GOD said to me, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" "Figs," I said. "Excellent figs of the finest quality, and also rotten figs, so rotten they can't be eaten." + Then GOD told me, + "This is the Message from the GOD of Israel: The exiles from here that I've sent off to the land of the Babylonians are like the good figs, and I'll make sure they get good treatment. + I'll keep my eye on them so that their lives are good, and I'll bring them back to this land. I'll build them up, not tear them down; I'll plant them, not uproot them. + "And I'll give them a heart to know me, GOD. They'll be my people and I'll be their God, for they'll have returned to me with all their hearts. + "But like the rotten figs, so rotten they can't be eaten, is Zedekiah king of Judah. Rotten figs--that's how I'll treat him and his leaders, along with the survivors here and those down in Egypt. + I'll make them something that the whole world will look on as disgusting--repugnant outcasts, their names used as curse words wherever in the world I drive them. + And I'll make sure they die like flies--from war, starvation, disease, whatever--until the land I once gave to them and their ancestors is completely rid of them." + + + This is the Message given to Jeremiah for all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah. It was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. + Jeremiah the prophet delivered the Message to all the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem: + From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah right up to the present day--twenty-three years it's been!--GOD's Word has come to me, and from early each morning to late every night I've passed it on to you. And you haven't listened to a word of it! + Not only that, but God also sent a steady stream of prophets to you who were just as persistent as me, and you never listened. + They told you, "Turn back--right now, each one of you!--from your evil way of life and bad behavior, and live in the land GOD gave you and your ancestors, the land he intended to give you forever. + Don't follow the god-fads of the day, taking up and worshiping these no-gods. Don't make me angry with your god-businesses, making and selling gods--a dangerous business! + "You refused to listen to any of this, and now I am really angry. These god-making businesses of yours are your doom." + The verdict of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies on all this: "Because you have refused to listen to what I've said, + I'm stepping in. I'm sending for the armies out of the north headed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant in this, and I'm setting them on this land and people and even the surrounding countries. I'm devoting the whole works to total destruction--a horror to top all the horrors in history. + And I'll banish every sound of joy--singing, laughter, marriage festivities, genial workmen, candlelit suppers. + The whole landscape will be one vast wasteland. These countries will be in subjection to the king of Babylon for seventy years. + "Once the seventy years is up, I'll punish the king of Babylon and the whole nation of Babylon for their sin. Then they'll be the wasteland. + Everything that I said I'd do to that country, I'll do--everything that's written in this book, everything Jeremiah preached against all the godless nations. + Many nations and great kings will make slaves of the Babylonians, paying them back for everything they've done to others. They won't get by with anything." GOD's Decree. + This is a Message that the GOD of Israel gave me: "Take this cup filled with the wine of my wrath that I'm handing to you. Make all the nations where I send you drink it down. + They'll drink it and get drunk, staggering in delirium because of the killing that I'm going to unleash among them." + I took the cup from GOD's hand and made them drink it, all the nations to which he sent me: + Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, along with their kings and leaders, turning them into a vast wasteland, a horror to look at, a cussword--which, in fact, they now are; + Pharaoh king of Egypt with his attendants and leaders, + plus all his people and the melting pot of foreigners collected there; All the kings of Uz; All the kings of the Philistines from Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what's left of Ashdod; + Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites; + All the kings of Tyre, Sidon, and the coastlands across the sea; + Dedan, Tema, Buz, and the nomads on the fringe of the desert; + All the kings of Arabia and the various Bedouin sheiks and chieftains wandering about in the desert; + All the kings of Zimri, Elam, and the Medes; + All the kings from the north countries near and far, one by one; All the kingdoms on planet Earth . . . And the king of Sheshak (that is, Babylon) will be the last to drink. + "Tell them, 'These are orders from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: Drink and get drunk and vomit. Fall on your faces and don't get up again. You're slated for a massacre.' + "If any of them refuse to take the cup from you and drink it, say to them, 'GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has ordered you to drink. So drink! + "'Prepare for the worst! I'm starting off the catastrophe in the city that I claim as my own, so don't think you are going to get out of it. No, you're not getting out of anything. It's the sword and nothing but the sword against everyone everywhere!'" The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies' Decree. + "Preach it all, Jeremiah. Preach the entire Message to them. Say: "'GOD roars like a lion from high heaven; thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling-- Ear-splitting bellows against his people, shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest. + The noise reverberates all over the earth; everyone everywhere hears it. GOD makes his case against the godless nations. He's about to put the human race on trial. For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut: death by the sword.'" GOD's Decree. + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Prepare for the worst! Doomsday! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation. A huge storm is about to rage all across planet Earth." + Laid end to end, those killed in GOD's judgment that day will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. No tears will be shed and no burials conducted. The bodies will be left where they fall, like so much horse dung fertilizing the fields. + Wail, shepherds! Cry out for help! Grovel in the dirt, you masters of flocks! Time's up--you're slated for the slaughterhouse, like a choice ram with its throat cut. + There's no way out for the rulers, no escape for those shepherds. + Hear that? Rulers crying for help, shepherds of the flock wailing! GOD is about to ravage their fine pastures. + The peaceful sheepfolds will be silent with death, silenced by GOD's deadly anger. + God will come out into the open like a lion leaping from its cover, And the country will be torn to pieces, ripped and ravaged by his anger. + + + At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this Message came from GOD to Jeremiah: + "GOD's Message: Stand in the court of GOD's Temple and preach to the people who come from all over Judah to worship in GOD's Temple. Say everything I tell you to say to them. Don't hold anything back. + Just maybe they'll listen and turn back from their bad lives. Then I'll reconsider the disaster that I'm planning to bring on them because of their evil behavior. + "Say to them, 'This is GOD's Message: If you refuse to listen to me and live by my teaching that I've revealed so plainly to you, + and if you continue to refuse to listen to my servants the prophets that I tirelessly keep on sending to you--but you've never listened! Why would you start now?-- + then I'll make this Temple a pile of ruins like Shiloh, and I'll make this city nothing but a bad joke worldwide.'" + Everybody there--priests, prophets, and people--heard Jeremiah preaching this Message in the Temple of GOD. + When Jeremiah had finished his sermon, saying everything God had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and people all grabbed him, yelling, "Death! You're going to die for this! + How dare you preach--and using GOD's name!--saying that this Temple will become a heap of rubble like Shiloh and this city be wiped out without a soul left in it!" All the people mobbed Jeremiah right in the Temple itself. + Officials from the royal court of Judah were told of this. They left the palace immediately and came to GOD's Temple to investigate. They held court on the spot, at the New Gate entrance to GOD's Temple. + The prophets and priests spoke first, addressing the officials, but also the people: "Death to this man! He deserves nothing less than death! He has preached against this city--you've heard the evidence with your own ears." + Jeremiah spoke next, publicly addressing the officials before the crowd: "GOD sent me to preach against both this Temple and city everything that's been reported to you. + So do something about it! Change the way you're living, change your behavior. Listen obediently to the Message of your GOD. Maybe GOD will reconsider the disaster he has threatened. + "As for me, I'm at your mercy--do whatever you think is best. + But take warning: If you kill me, you're killing an innocent man, and you and the city and the people in it will be liable. I didn't say any of this on my own. GOD sent me and told me what to say. You've been listening to GOD speak, not Jeremiah." + The court officials, backed by the people, then handed down their ruling to the priests and prophets: "Acquittal. No death sentence for this man. He has spoken to us with the authority of our GOD." + Then some of the respected leaders stood up and addressed the crowd: + "In the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah, Micah of Moresheth preached to the people of Judah this sermon: This is GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies' Message for you: "'Because of people like you, Zion will be turned back into farmland, Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble, and instead of the Temple on the mountain, a few scraggly scrub pines.' + "Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah kill Micah of Moresheth because of that sermon? Didn't Hezekiah honor him and pray for mercy from GOD? And then didn't GOD call off the disaster he had threatened? "Friends, we're at the brink of bringing a terrible calamity upon ourselves." + (At another time there had been a man, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, who had preached similarly in the name of GOD. He preached against this same city and country just as Jeremiah did. + When King Jehoiakim and his royal court heard his sermon, they determined to kill him. Uriah, afraid for his life, went into hiding in Egypt. + King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Achbor with a posse of men after him. + They brought him back from Egypt and presented him to the king. And the king had him killed. They dumped his body unceremoniously outside the city. + But in Jeremiah's case, Ahikam son of Shaphan stepped forward and took his side, preventing the mob from lynching him.) + + + Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah received this Message from GOD: + "Make a harness and a yoke and then harness yourself up. + Send a message to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. Send it through their ambassadors who have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah king of Judah. + Give them this charge to take back to their masters: 'This is a Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel. Tell your masters: + "'I'm the one who made the earth, man and woman, and all the animals in the world. I did it on my own without asking anyone's help and I hand it out to whomever I will. + Here and now I give all these lands over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have made even the wild animals subject to him. + All nations will be under him, then his son, and then his grandson. Then his country's time will be up and the tables will be turned: Babylon will be the underdog servant. + But until then, any nation or kingdom that won't submit to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon must take the yoke of the king of Babylon and harness up. I'll punish that nation with war and starvation and disease until I've got them where I want them. + "'So don't for a minute listen to all your prophets and spiritualists and fortunetellers, who claim to know the future and who tell you not to give in to the king of Babylon. + They're handing you a line of lies, barefaced lies, that will end up putting you in exile far from home. I myself will drive you out of your lands, and that'll be the end of you. + But the nation that accepts the yoke of the king of Babylon and does what he says, I'll let that nation stay right where it is, minding its own business.'" + Then I gave this same message to Zedekiah king of Judah: "Harness yourself up to the yoke of the king of Babylon. Serve him and his people. Live a long life! + Why choose to get killed or starve to death or get sick and die, which is what GOD has threatened to any nation that won't throw its lot in with Babylon? + Don't listen to the prophets who are telling you not to submit to the king of Babylon. They're telling you lies, preaching lies. + GOD's Word on this is, 'I didn't send those prophets, but they keep preaching lies, claiming I sent them. If you listen to them, I'll end up driving you out of here and that will be the end of you, both you and the lying prophets.'" + And finally I spoke to the priests and the people at large: "This is GOD's Message: Don't listen to the preaching of the prophets who keep telling you, 'Trust us: The furnishings, plundered from GOD's Temple, are going to be returned from Babylon any day now.' That's a lie. + Don't listen to them. Submit to the king of Babylon and live a long life. Why do something that will destroy this city and leave it a heap of rubble? + If they are real prophets and have a Message from GOD, let them come to GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies in prayer so that the furnishings that are still left in GOD's Temple, the king's palace, and Jerusalem aren't also lost to Babylon. + That's because GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has already spoken about the Temple furnishings that remain--the pillars, the great bronze basin, the stands, and all the other bowls and chalices + that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn't take when he took Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim off to Babylonian exile along with all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. + He said that the furnishings left behind in the Temple of GOD and in the royal palace and in Jerusalem + will be taken off to Babylon and stay there until, in GOD's words, 'I take the matter up again and bring them back where they belong.'" + + + Later that same year (it was in the fifth month of King Zedekiah's fourth year) Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, confronted Jeremiah in the Temple of GOD in front of the priests and all the people who were there. + Hananiah said: "This Message is straight from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: 'I will most certainly break the yoke of the king of Babylon. + Before two years are out I'll have all the furnishings of GOD's Temple back here, all the things that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon plundered and hauled off to Babylon. + I'll also bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the exiles who were taken off to Babylon.' GOD's Decree. 'Yes, I will break the king of Babylon's yoke. You'll no longer be in harness to him.'" + Prophet Jeremiah stood up to Prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people who were in GOD's Temple that day. + Prophet Jeremiah said, "Wonderful! Would that it were true--that GOD would validate your preaching by bringing the Temple furnishings and all the exiles back from Babylon. + But listen to me, listen closely. Listen to what I tell both you and all the people here today: + The old prophets, the ones before our time, preached judgment against many countries and kingdoms, warning of war and disaster and plague. + So any prophet who preaches that everything is just fine and there's nothing to worry about stands out like a sore thumb. We'll wait and see. If it happens, it happens--and then we'll know that GOD sent him." + At that, Hananiah grabbed the yoke from Jeremiah's shoulders and smashed it. + And then he addressed the people: "This is GOD's Message: In just this way I will smash the yoke of the king of Babylon and get him off the neck of all the nations--and within two years." Jeremiah walked out. + Later, sometime after Hananiah had smashed the yoke from off his shoulders, Jeremiah received this Message from GOD: + "Go back to Hananiah and tell him, 'This is GOD's Message: You smashed the wooden yoke-bars; now you've got iron yoke-bars. + This is a Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's own God: I've put an iron yoke on all these nations. They're harnessed to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They'll do just what he tells them. Why, I'm even putting him in charge of the wild animals.'" + So prophet Jeremiah told prophet Hananiah, "Hold it, Hananiah! GOD never sent you. You've talked the whole country into believing a pack of lies! + And so GOD says, 'You claim to be sent? I'll send you all right--right off the face of the earth! Before the year is out, you'll be dead because you fomented sedition against GOD.'" + Prophet Hananiah died that very year, in the seventh month. + + + This is the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to what was left of the elders among the exiles, to the priests and prophets and all the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon from Jerusalem, + including King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the government leaders, and all the skilled laborers and craftsmen. + The letter was carried by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter said: + This is the Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, to all the exiles I've taken from Jerusalem to Babylon: + "Build houses and make yourselves at home. "Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. + "Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you'll thrive in that country and not waste away. + "Make yourselves at home there and work for the country's welfare. "Pray for Babylon's well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you." + Yes. Believe it or not, this is the Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God: "Don't let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don't pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. + They're a bunch of liars preaching lies--and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me." GOD's Decree! + This is GOD's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. + I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. + "When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. + "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, + I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." GOD's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you"--GOD's Decree--"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it. + "But for right now, because you've taken up with these newfangled prophets who set themselves up as 'Babylonian specialists,' spreading the word 'GOD sent them just for us!' + GOD is setting the record straight: As for the king still sitting on David's throne and all the people left in Jerusalem who didn't go into exile with you, they're facing bad times. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says, 'Watch this! Catastrophe is on the way: war, hunger, disease! They're a barrel of rotten apples. + I'll rid the country of them through war and hunger and disease. The whole world is going to hold its nose at the smell, shut its eyes at the horrible sight. They'll end up in slum ghettos + because they wouldn't listen to a thing I said when I sent my servant-prophets preaching tirelessly and urgently. No, they wouldn't listen to a word I said.'" GOD's Decree. + "And you--you exiles whom I sent out of Jerusalem to Babylon--listen to GOD's Message to you. + As far as Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah are concerned, the 'Babylonian specialists' who are preaching lies in my name, I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will kill them while you watch. + The exiles from Judah will take what they see at the execution and use it as a curse: 'GOD fry you to a crisp like the king of Babylon fried Zedekiah and Ahab in the fire!' + Those two men, sex predators and prophet-impostors, got what they deserved. They pulled every woman they got their hands on into bed--their neighbors' wives, no less--and preached lies claiming it was my Message. I never sent those men. I've never had anything to do with them." GOD's Decree. "They won't get away with a thing. I've witnessed it all." + And this is the Message for Shemaiah the Nehelamite: + "GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says: You took it on yourself to send letters to all the people in Jerusalem and to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and the company of priests. In your letter you told Zephaniah that + GOD set you up as priest replacing priest Jehoiadah. He's put you in charge of GOD's Temple and made you responsible for locking up any crazy fellow off the street who takes it into his head to be a prophet. + "So why haven't you done anything about muzzling Jeremiah of Anathoth, who's going around posing as a prophet? + He's gone so far as to write to us in Babylon, 'It's going to be a long exile, so build houses and make yourselves at home. Plant gardens and prepare Babylonian recipes.'" + The priest Zephaniah read that letter to the prophet Jeremiah. + Then GOD told Jeremiah, + "Send this Message to the exiles. Tell them what GOD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah is preaching lies to you. I didn't send him. He is seducing you into believing lies. + So this is GOD's verdict: I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. He's going to end up with nothing and no one. No one from his family will be around to see any of the good that I am going to do for my people because he has preached rebellion against me." GOD's Decree. + + + This is the Message Jeremiah received from GOD: + "GOD's Message, the God of Israel: 'Write everything I tell you in a book. + "'Look. The time is coming when I will turn everything around for my people, both Israel and Judah. I, GOD, say so. I'll bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors, and they'll take up ownership again.'" + This is the way GOD put it to Israel and Judah: + "GOD's Message: "'Cries of panic are being heard. The peace has been shattered. + Ask around! Look around! Can men bear babies? So why do I see all these he-men holding their bellies like women in labor, Faces contorted, pale as death? + The blackest of days, no day like it ever! A time of deep trouble for Jacob-- but he'll come out of it alive. + "'And then I'll enter the darkness. I'll break the yoke from their necks, Cut them loose from the harness. No more slave labor to foreigners! + They'll serve their GOD and the David-King I'll establish for them. + "'So fear no more, Jacob, dear servant. Don't despair, Israel. Look up! I'll save you out of faraway places, I'll bring your children back from exile. Jacob will come back and find life good, safe and secure. + I'll be with you. I'll save you. I'll finish off all the godless nations Among which I've scattered you, but I won't finish you off. I'll punish you, but fairly. I won't send you off with just a slap on the wrist.' + "This is GOD's Message: "'You're a burned-out case, as good as dead. + Everyone has given up on you. You're hopeless. + All your fair-weather friends have skipped town without giving you a second thought. But I delivered the knockout blow, a punishment you will never forget, Because of the enormity of your guilt, the endless list of your sins. + So why all this self-pity, licking your wounds? You deserve all this, and more. Because of the enormity of your guilt, the endless list of your sins, I've done all this to you. + "'Everyone who hurt you will be hurt; your enemies will end up as slaves. Your plunderers will be plundered; your looters will become loot. + As for you, I'll come with healing, curing the incurable, Because they all gave up on you and dismissed you as hopeless-- that good-for-nothing Zion.' + "Again, GOD's Message: "'I'll turn things around for Jacob. I'll compassionately come in and rebuild homes. The town will be rebuilt on its old foundations; the mansions will be splendid again. + Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors. Things will get better and better. Depression days are over. They'll thrive, they'll flourish. The days of contempt will be over. + They'll look forward to having children again, to being a community in which I take pride. I'll punish anyone who hurts them, + and their prince will come from their own ranks. One of their own people shall be their leader. Their ruler will come from their own ranks. I'll grant him free and easy access to me. Would anyone dare to do that on his own, to enter my presence uninvited?' GOD's Decree. + "'And that's it: You'll be my very own people, I'll be your very own God.'" + Look out! GOD's hurricane is let loose, his hurricane blast, Spinning the heads of the wicked like dust devils! + God's raging anger won't let up Until he's made a clean sweep completing the job he began. When the job's done you'll see it's been well done. + + + "And when that happens"--GOD's Decree-- "it will be plain as the sun at high noon: I'll be the God of every man, woman, and child in Israel and they shall be my very own people." + This is the way GOD put it: "They found grace out in the desert, these people who survived the killing. Israel, out looking for a place to rest, + met God out looking for them!" GOD told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! + And so now I'll start over with you and build you up again, dear virgin Israel. You'll resume your singing, grabbing tambourines and joining the dance. + You'll go back to your old work of planting vineyards on the Samaritan hillsides, And sit back and enjoy the fruit-- oh, how you'll enjoy those harvests! + The time's coming when watchmen will call out from the hilltops of Ephraim: 'On your feet! Let's go to Zion, go to meet our GOD!'" + Oh yes, GOD says so: "Shout for joy at the top of your lungs for Jacob! Announce the good news to the number-one nation! Raise cheers! Sing praises. Say, 'GOD has saved his people, saved the core of Israel.' + "Watch what comes next: "I'll bring my people back from the north country And gather them up from the ends of the earth, gather those who've gone blind And those who are lame and limping, gather pregnant women, Even the mothers whose birth pangs have started, bring them all back, a huge crowd! + "Watch them come! They'll come weeping for joy as I take their hands and lead them, Lead them to fresh flowing brooks, lead them along smooth, uncluttered paths. Yes, it's because I'm Israel's Father and Ephraim's my firstborn son! + "Hear this, nations! GOD's Message! Broadcast this all over the world! Tell them, 'The One who scattered Israel will gather them together again. From now on he'll keep a careful eye on them, like a shepherd with his flock.' + I, GOD, will pay a stiff ransom price for Jacob; I'll free him from the grip of the Babylonian bully. + The people will climb up Zion's slopes shouting with joy, their faces beaming because of GOD's bounty-- Grain and wine and oil, flocks of sheep, herds of cattle. Their lives will be like a well-watered garden, never again left to dry up. + Young women will dance and be happy, young men and old men will join in. I'll convert their weeping into laughter, lavishing comfort, invading their grief with joy. + I'll make sure that their priests get three square meals a day and that my people have more than enough.'" GOD's Decree. + Again, GOD's Message: "Listen to this! Laments coming out of Ramah, wild and bitter weeping. It's Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel refusing all solace. Her children are gone, gone--long gone into exile." + But GOD says, "Stop your incessant weeping, hold back your tears. Collect wages from your grief work." GOD's Decree. "They'll be coming back home! + There's hope for your children." GOD's Decree. + "I've heard the contrition of Ephraim. Yes, I've heard it clearly, saying, 'You trained me well. You broke me, a wild yearling horse, to the saddle. Now put me, trained and obedient, to use. You are my GOD. + After those years of running loose, I repented. After you trained me to obedience, I was ashamed of my past, my wild, unruly past. Humiliated, I beat on my chest. Will I ever live this down?' + "Oh! Ephraim is my dear, dear son, my child in whom I take pleasure! Every time I mention his name, my heart bursts with longing for him! Everything in me cries out for him. Softly and tenderly I wait for him." GOD's Decree. + "Set up signposts to mark your trip home. Get a good map. Study the road conditions. The road out is the road back. Come back, dear virgin Israel, come back to your hometowns. + How long will you flit here and there, indecisive? How long before you make up your fickle mind? GOD will create a new thing in this land: A transformed woman will embrace the transforming GOD!" + A Message from Israel's GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "When I've turned everything around and brought my people back, the old expressions will be heard on the streets: 'GOD bless you!' . . . 'O True Home!' . . . 'O Holy Mountain!' + All Judah's people, whether in town or country, will get along just fine with each other. + I'll refresh tired bodies; I'll restore tired souls. + Just then I woke up and looked around--what a pleasant and satisfying sleep! + "Be ready. The time's coming"--GOD's Decree--"when I will plant people and animals in Israel and Judah, just as a farmer plants seed. + And in the same way that earlier I relentlessly pulled up and tore down, took apart and demolished, so now I am sticking with them as they start over, building and planting. + "When that time comes you won't hear the old proverb anymore, Parents ate the green apples, their children got the stomachache. + "No, each person will pay for his own sin. You eat green apples, you're the one who gets sick. + "That's right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. + It won't be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master." GOD's Decree. + "This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them--write it on their hearts!--and be their God. And they will be my people. + They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about GOD. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!" GOD's Decree. + GOD's Message, from the God who lights up the day with sun and brightens the night with moon and stars, Who whips the ocean into a billowy froth, whose name is GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: + "If this ordered cosmos ever fell to pieces, fell into chaos before me"--GOD's Decree-- "Then and only then might Israel fall apart and disappear as a nation before me." + GOD's Message: "If the skies could be measured with a yardstick and the earth explored to its core, Then and only then would I turn my back on Israel, disgusted with all they've done." GOD's Decree. + "The time is coming"--it's GOD's Decree--"when GOD's city will be rebuilt, rebuilt all the way from the Citadel of Hanamel to the Corner Gate. + The master plan will extend west to Gareb Hill and then around to Goath. + The whole valley to the south where incinerated corpses are dumped--a death valley if there ever was one!--and all the terraced fields out to the Brook Kidron on the east as far north as the Horse Gate will be consecrated to me as a holy place. "This city will never again be torn down or destroyed." + + + The Message Jeremiah received from GOD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah. It was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. + At that time the army of the king of Babylon was holding Jerusalem under siege. Jeremiah was shut up in jail in the royal palace. + Zedekiah, king of Judah, had locked him up, complaining, "How dare you preach, saying, 'GOD says, I'm warning you: I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it over. + Zedekiah king of Judah will be handed over to the Chaldeans right along with the city. He will be handed over to the king of Babylon and forced to face the music. + He'll be hauled off to Babylon where he'll stay until I deal with him. GOD's Decree. Fight against the Babylonians all you want--it won't get you anywhere.'" + Jeremiah said, "GOD's Message came to me like this: + Prepare yourself! Hanamel, your uncle Shallum's son, is on his way to see you. He is going to say, 'Buy my field in Anathoth. You have the legal right to buy it.' + "And sure enough, just as GOD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me while I was in jail and said, 'Buy my field in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, for you have the legal right to keep it in the family. Buy it. Take it over.' "That did it. I knew it was GOD's Message. + "So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels. + I followed all the proper procedures: In the presence of witnesses I wrote out the bill of sale, sealed it, and weighed out the money on the scales. + Then I took the deed of purchase--the sealed copy that contained the contract and its conditions and also the open copy-- + and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. All this took place in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who had signed the deed, as the Jews who were at the jail that day looked on. + "Then, in front of all of them, I told Baruch, + 'These are orders from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: Take these documents--both the sealed and the open deeds--and put them for safekeeping in a pottery jar. + For GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Life is going to return to normal. Homes and fields and vineyards are again going to be bought in this country."' + "And then, having handed over the legal documents to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to GOD, + 'Dear GOD, my Master, you created earth and sky by your great power--by merely stretching out your arm! There is nothing you can't do. + You're loyal in your steadfast love to thousands upon thousands--but you also make children live with the fallout from their parents' sins. Great and powerful God, named GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, + determined in purpose and relentless in following through, you see everything that men and women do and respond appropriately to the way they live, to the things they do. + "'You performed signs and wonders in the country of Egypt and continue to do so right into the present, right here in Israel and everywhere else, too. You've made a reputation for yourself that doesn't diminish. + You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders--a powerful deliverance!--by merely stretching out your arm. + You gave them this land and solemnly promised to their ancestors a bountiful and fertile land. + But when they entered the land and took it over, they didn't listen to you. They didn't do what you commanded. They wouldn't listen to a thing you told them. And so you brought this disaster on them. + "'Oh, look at the siege ramps already set in place to take the city. Killing and starvation and disease are on our doorstep. The Babylonians are attacking! The Word you spoke is coming to pass--it's daily news! + And yet you, GOD, the Master, even though it is certain that the city will be turned over to the Babylonians, also told me, Buy the field. Pay for it in cash. And make sure there are witnesses.'" + Then GOD's Message came again to Jeremiah: + "Stay alert! I am GOD, the God of everything living. Is there anything I can't do? + So listen to GOD's Message: No doubt about it, I'm handing this city over to the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He'll take it. + The attacking Chaldeans will break through and burn the city down: All those houses whose roofs were used as altars for offerings to Baal and the worship of who knows how many other gods provoked me. + It isn't as if this were the first time they had provoked me. The people of Israel and Judah have been doing this for a long time--doing what I hate, making me angry by the way they live." GOD's Decree. + "This city has made me angry from the day they built it, and now I've had my fill. I'm destroying it. I can't stand to look any longer + at the wicked lives of the people of Israel and Judah, deliberately making me angry, the whole lot of them--kings and leaders and priests and preachers, in the country and in the city. + They've turned their backs on me--won't even look me in the face!--even though I took great pains to teach them how to live. They refused to listen, refused to be taught. + Why, they even set up obscene god and goddess statues in the Temple built in my honor--an outrageous desecration! + And then they went out and built shrines to the god Baal in the valley of Hinnom, where they burned their children in sacrifice to the god Molech--I can hardly conceive of such evil!--turning the whole country into one huge act of sin. + "But there is also this Message from me, the GOD of Israel, to this city of which you have said, 'In killing and starvation and disease this city will be delivered up to the king of Babylon': + "'Watch for this! I will collect them from all the countries to which I will have driven them in my anger and rage and indignation. Yes, I'll bring them all back to this place and let them live here in peace. + They will be my people, I will be their God. + I'll make them of one mind and heart, always honoring me, so that they can live good and whole lives, they and their children after them. + What's more, I'll make a covenant with them that will last forever, a covenant to stick with them no matter what, and work for their good. I'll fill their hearts with a deep respect for me so they'll not even think of turning away from me. + "'Oh how I'll rejoice in them! Oh how I'll delight in doing good things for them! Heart and soul, I'll plant them in this country and keep them here!' + "Yes, this is GOD's Message: 'I will certainly bring this huge catastrophe on this people, but I will also usher in a wonderful life of prosperity. I promise. + Fields are going to be bought here again, yes, in this very country that you assume is going to end up desolate--gone to the dogs, unlivable, wrecked by the Babylonians. + Yes, people will buy farms again, and legally, with deeds of purchase, sealed documents, proper witnesses--and right here in the territory of Benjamin, and in the area around Jerusalem, around the villages of Judah and the hill country, the Shephelah and the Negev. I will restore everything that was lost.' GOD's Decree." + + + While Jeremiah was still locked up in jail, a second Message from GOD was given to him: + "This is GOD's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as GOD: + 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.' + "This is what GOD, the God of Israel, has to say about what's going on in this city, about the homes of both people and kings that have been demolished, about all the ravages of war + and the killing by the Chaldeans, and about the streets littered with the dead bodies of those killed because of my raging anger--about all that's happened because the evil actions in this city have turned my stomach in disgust. + "But now take another look. I'm going to give this city a thorough renovation, working a true healing inside and out. I'm going to show them life whole, life brimming with blessings. + I'll restore everything that was lost to Judah and Jerusalem. I'll build everything back as good as new. + I'll scrub them clean from the dirt they've done against me. I'll forgive everything they've done wrong, forgive all their rebellions. + And Jerusalem will be a center of joy and praise and glory for all the countries on earth. They'll get reports on all the good I'm doing for her. They'll be in awe of the blessings I am pouring on her. + "Yes, GOD's Message: 'You're going to look at this place, these empty and desolate towns of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, and say, "A wasteland. Unlivable. Not even a dog could live here." + But the time is coming when you're going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people exclaiming, "Thank GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. He's so good! His love never quits," as they bring thank offerings into GOD's Temple. I'll restore everything that was lost in this land. I'll make everything as good as new.' I, GOD, say so. + "GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says: 'This coming desolation, unfit for even a stray dog, is once again going to become a pasture for shepherds who care for their flocks. + You'll see flocks everywhere--in the mountains around the towns of the Shephelah and Negev, all over the territory of Benjamin, around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah--flocks under the care of shepherds who keep track of each sheep.' GOD says so. + "'Watch for this: The time is coming'--GOD's Decree--'when I will keep the promise I made to the families of Israel and Judah. + When that time comes, I will make a fresh and true shoot sprout from the David-Tree. He will run this country honestly and fairly. He will set things right. + That's when Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety. The motto for the city will be, "GOD Has Set Things Right for Us." + GOD has made it clear that there will always be a descendant of David ruling the people of Israel + and that there will always be Levitical priests on hand to offer burnt offerings, present grain offerings, and carry on the sacrificial worship in my honor.'" + GOD's Message to Jeremiah: + "GOD says, 'If my covenant with day and my covenant with night ever fell apart so that day and night became haphazard and you never knew which was coming and when, + then and only then would my covenant with my servant David fall apart and his descendants no longer rule. The same goes for the Levitical priests who serve me. + Just as you can't number the stars in the sky nor measure the sand on the seashore, neither will you be able to account for the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who serve me.'" + GOD's Message to Jeremiah: + "Have you heard the saying that's making the rounds: 'The two families GOD chose, Israel and Judah, he disowned'? And have you noticed that my people are treated with contempt, with rumors afoot that there's nothing to them anymore? + "Well, here's GOD's response: 'If my covenant with day and night wasn't in working order, if sky and earth weren't functioning the way I set them going, + then, but only then, you might think I had disowned the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, and that I wouldn't set up any of David's descendants over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But as it is, I will give them back everything they've lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on them.'" + + + GOD's Message to Jeremiah at the time King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon mounted an all-out attack on Jerusalem and all the towns around it with his armies and allies and everyone he could muster: + "I, GOD, the God of Israel, direct you to go and tell Zedekiah king of Judah: 'This is GOD's Message. Listen to me. I am going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it to the ground. + And don't think you'll get away. You'll be captured and be his prisoner. You will have a personal confrontation with the king of Babylon and be taken off with him, captive, to Babylon. + "'But listen, O Zedekiah king of Judah, to the rest of the Message of GOD. You won't be killed. + You'll die a peaceful death. They will honor you with funeral rites as they honored your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will properly mourn your death, weeping, "Master, master!" This is a solemn promise. GOD's Decree.'" + The prophet Jeremiah gave this Message to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, gave it to him word for word. + It was at the very time that the king of Babylon was mounting his all-out attack on Jerusalem and whatever cities in Judah that were still standing--only Lachish and Azekah, as it turned out (they were the only fortified cities left in Judah). + GOD delivered a Message to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people of Jerusalem to decree freedom + to the slaves who were Hebrews, both men and women. The covenant stipulated that no one in Judah would own a fellow Jew as a slave. + All the leaders and people who had signed the covenant set free the slaves, men and women alike. + But a little while later, they reneged on the covenant, broke their promise and forced their former slaves to become slaves again. + Then Jeremiah received this Message from GOD: + "GOD, the God of Israel, says, 'I made a covenant with your ancestors when I delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt. At the time I made it clear: + "At the end of seven years, each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has had to sell himself to you. After he has served six years, set him free." But your ancestors totally ignored me. + "'And now, you--what have you done? First you turned back to the right way and did the right thing, decreeing freedom for your brothers and sisters--and you made it official in a solemn covenant in my Temple. + And then you turned right around and broke your word, making a mockery of both me and the covenant, and made them all slaves again, these men and women you'd just set free. You forced them back into slavery. + "'So here is what I, GOD, have to say: You have not obeyed me and set your brothers and sisters free. Here is what I'm going to do: I'm going to set you free--GOD's Decree--free to get killed in war or by disease or by starvation. I'll make you a spectacle of horror. People all over the world will take one look at you and shudder. + Everyone who violated my covenant, who didn't do what was solemnly promised in the covenant ceremony when they split the young bull into two halves and walked between them, + all those people that day who walked between the two halves of the bull--leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, palace officials, priests, and all the rest of the people-- + I'm handing the lot of them over to their enemies who are out to kill them. Their dead bodies will be carrion food for vultures and stray dogs. + "'As for Zedekiah king of Judah and his palace staff, I'll also hand them over to their enemies, who are out to kill them. The army of the king of Babylon has pulled back for a time, + but not for long, for I'm going to issue orders that will bring them back to this city. They'll attack and take it and burn it to the ground. The surrounding cities of Judah will fare no better. I'll turn them into ghost towns, unlivable and unlived in.'" GOD's Decree. + + + The Message that Jeremiah received from GOD ten years earlier, during the time of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Israel: + "Go visit the Recabite community. Invite them to meet with you in one of the rooms in GOD's Temple. And serve them wine." + So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with all his brothers and sons--the whole community of the Recabites as it turned out-- + and brought them to GOD's Temple and to the meeting room of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the meeting room of the Temple officials and just over the apartment of Maaseiah son of Shallum, who was in charge of Temple affairs. + Then I set out chalices and pitchers of wine for the Recabites and said, "A toast! Drink up!" + But they wouldn't do it. "We don't drink wine," they said. "Our ancestor Jonadab son of Recab commanded us, 'You are not to drink wine, you or your children, ever. + Neither shall you build houses or settle down, planting fields and gardens and vineyards. Don't own property. Live in tents as nomads so that you will live well and prosper in a wandering life.' + "And we've done it, done everything Jonadab son of Recab commanded. We and our wives, our sons and daughters, drink no wine at all. + We don't build houses. We don't have vineyards or fields or gardens. + We live in tents as nomads. We've listened to our ancestor Jonadab and we've done everything he commanded us. + "But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded our land, we said, 'Let's go to Jerusalem and get out of the path of the Chaldean and Aramean armies, find ourselves a safe place.' That's why we're living in Jerusalem right now." + Then Jeremiah received this Message from GOD: + "GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, wants you to go tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem that I say, 'Why won't you learn your lesson and do what I tell you?' GOD's Decree. + 'The commands of Jonadab son of Recab to his sons have been carried out to the letter. He told them not to drink wine, and they haven't touched a drop to this very day. They honored and obeyed their ancestor's command. But look at you! I have gone to a lot of trouble to get your attention, and you've ignored me. + I sent prophet after prophet to you, all of them my servants, to tell you from early morning to late at night to change your life, make a clean break with your evil past and do what is right, to not take up with every Tom, Dick, and Harry of a god that comes down the pike, but settle down and be faithful in this country I gave your ancestors. "'And what do I get from you? Deaf ears. + The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab carried out to the letter what their ancestor commanded them, but this people ignores me.' + "So here's what is going to happen. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, 'I will bring calamity down on the heads of the people of Judah and Jerusalem--the very calamity I warned you was coming--because you turned a deaf ear when I spoke, turned your backs when I called.'" + Then, turning to the Recabite community, Jeremiah said, "And this is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says to you: Because you have done what Jonadab your ancestor told you, obeyed his commands and followed through on his instructions, + receive this Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of Recab at my service! Always!'" + + + In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah received this Message from GOD: + "Get a scroll and write down everything I've told you regarding Israel and Judah and all the other nations from the time I first started speaking to you in Josiah's reign right up to the present day. + "Maybe the community of Judah will finally get it, finally understand the catastrophe that I'm planning for them, turn back from their bad lives, and let me forgive their perversity and sin." + So Jeremiah called in Baruch son of Neriah. Jeremiah dictated and Baruch wrote down on a scroll everything that GOD had said to him. + Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I'm blacklisted. I can't go into GOD's Temple, + so you'll have to go in my place. Go into the Temple and read everything you've written at my dictation. Wait for a day of fasting when everyone is there to hear you. And make sure that all the people who come from the Judean villages hear you. + "Maybe, just maybe, they'll start praying and GOD will hear their prayers. Maybe they'll turn back from their bad lives. This is no light matter. GOD has certainly let them know how angry he is!" + Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do. In the Temple of GOD he read the Message of GOD from the scroll. + It came about in December of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah that all the people of Jerusalem, along with all the people from the Judean villages, were there in Jerusalem to observe a fast to GOD. + Baruch took the scroll to the Temple and read out publicly the words of Jeremiah. He read from the meeting room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary of state, which was in the upper court right next to the New Gate of GOD's Temple. Everyone could hear him. + The moment Micaiah the son of Gemariah heard what was being read from the scroll--GOD's Message!-- + he went straight to the palace and to the chambers of the secretary of state where all the government officials were holding a meeting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other government officials. + Micaiah reported everything he had heard Baruch read from the scroll as the officials listened. + Immediately they dispatched Jehudi son of Nethaniah, son of Semaiah, son of Cushi, to Baruch, ordering him, "Take the scroll that you have read to the people and bring it here." So Baruch went and retrieved the scroll. + The officials told him, "Sit down. Read it to us, please." Baruch read it. + When they had heard it all, they were upset. They talked it over. "We've got to tell the king all this." + They asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Was it at Jeremiah's dictation?" + Baruch said, "That's right. Every word right from his own mouth. And I wrote it down, word for word, with pen and ink." + The government officials told Baruch, "You need to get out of here. Go into hiding, you and Jeremiah. Don't let anyone know where you are!" + The officials went to the court of the palace to report to the king, having put the scroll for safekeeping in the office of Elishama the secretary of state. + The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. He brought it from the office of Elishama the secretary. Jehudi then read it to the king and the officials who were in the king's service. + It was December. The king was sitting in his winter quarters in front of a charcoal fire. + After Jehudi would read three or four columns, the king would cut them off the scroll with his pocketknife and throw them in the fire. He continued in this way until the entire scroll had been burned up in the fire. + Neither the king nor any of his officials showed the slightest twinge of conscience as they listened to the messages read. + Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah tried to convince the king not to burn the scroll, but he brushed them off. + He just plowed ahead and ordered Prince Jerahameel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Jeremiah the prophet and his secretary Baruch. But GOD had hidden them away. + After the king had burned the scroll that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, Jeremiah received this Message from GOD: + "Get another blank scroll and do it all over again. Write out everything that was in that first scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. + "And send this personal message to Jehoiakim king of Judah: 'GOD says, You had the gall to burn this scroll and then the nerve to say, "What kind of nonsense is this written here--that the king of Babylon will come and destroy this land and kill everything in it?" + "'Well, do you want to know what GOD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah? This: No descendant of his will ever rule from David's throne. His corpse will be thrown in the street and left unburied, exposed to the hot sun and the freezing night. + I will punish him and his children and the officials in his government for their blatant sin. I'll let loose on them and everyone in Jerusalem the doomsday disaster of which I warned them but they spit at.'" + So Jeremiah went and got another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, his secretary. At Jeremiah's dictation he again wrote down everything that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. There were also generous additions, but of the same kind of thing. + + + King Zedekiah son of Josiah, a puppet king set on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the land of Judah, was now king in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. + But neither he nor his officials nor the people themselves paid a bit of attention to the Message GOD gave by Jeremiah the prophet. + However, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Pray for us--pray hard!--to the Master, our GOD." + Jeremiah was still moving about freely among the people in those days. This was before he had been put in jail. + Pharaoh's army was marching up from Egypt. The Chaldeans fighting against Jerusalem heard that the Egyptians were coming and pulled back. + Then Jeremiah the prophet received this Message from GOD: + "I, the GOD of Israel, want you to give this Message to the king of Judah, who has just sent you to me to find out what he should do. Tell him, 'Get this: Pharaoh's army, which is on its way to help you, isn't going to stick it out. No sooner will they get here than they'll leave and go home to Egypt. + And then the Babylonians will come back and resume their attack, capture this city and burn it to the ground. + I, GOD, am telling you: Don't kid yourselves, reassuring one another, "The Babylonians will leave in a few days." I tell you, they aren't leaving. + Why, even if you defeated the entire attacking Chaldean army and all that was left were a few wounded soldiers in their tents, the wounded would still do the job and burn this city to the ground.'" + When the Chaldean army pulled back from Jerusalem, + Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go over to the territory of Benjamin to take care of some personal business. + When he got to the Benjamin Gate, the officer on guard there, Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, grabbed Jeremiah the prophet, accusing him, "You're deserting to the Chaldeans!" + "That's a lie," protested Jeremiah. "I wouldn't think of deserting to the Chaldeans." But Irijah wouldn't listen to him. He arrested him and took him to the police. + The police were furious with Jeremiah. They beat him up and threw him into jail in the house of Jonathan the secretary of state. (They were using the house for a prison cell.) + So Jeremiah entered an underground cell in a cistern turned into a dungeon. He stayed there a long time. + Later King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him. The king questioned him privately, "Is there a Message from GOD?" "There certainly is," said Jeremiah. "You're going to be turned over to the king of Babylon." + Jeremiah continued speaking to King Zedekiah: "Can you tell me why you threw me into prison? What crime did I commit against you or your officials or this people? + And tell me, whatever has become of your prophets who preached all those sermons saying that the king of Babylon would never attack you or this land? + Listen to me, please, my master--my king! Please don't send me back to that dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary. I'll die there!" + So King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be assigned to the courtyard of the palace guards. He was given a loaf of bread from Bakers' Alley every day until all the bread in the city was gone. And that's where Jeremiah remained--in the courtyard of the palace guards. + + + Shaphatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling the people, namely: + "This is GOD's Message: 'Whoever stays in this town will die--will be killed or starve to death or get sick and die. But those who go over to the Babylonians will save their necks and live.' + "And, GOD's sure Word: 'This city is destined to fall to the army of the king of Babylon. He's going to take it over.'" + These officials told the king, "Please, kill this man. He's got to go! He's ruining the resolve of the soldiers who are still left in the city, as well as the people themselves, by spreading these words. This man isn't looking after the good of this people. He's trying to ruin us!" + King Zedekiah caved in: "If you say so. Go ahead, handle it your way. You're too much for me." + So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malkijah the king's son that was in the courtyard of the palace guard. They lowered him down with ropes. There wasn't any water in the cistern, only mud. Jeremiah sank into the mud. + Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, a court official assigned to the royal palace, heard that they had thrown Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was holding court in the Benjamin Gate, + Ebed-melek went immediately from the palace to the king and said, + "My master, O king--these men are committing a great crime in what they're doing, throwing Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern and leaving him there to starve. He's as good as dead. There isn't a scrap of bread left in the city." + So the king ordered Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, "Get three men and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies." + Ebed-melek got three men and went to the palace wardrobe and got some scraps of old clothing, which they tied together and lowered down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. + Ebed-melek the Ethiopian called down to Jeremiah, "Put these scraps of old clothing under your armpits and around the ropes." Jeremiah did what he said. + And so they pulled Jeremiah up out of the cistern by the ropes. But he was still confined in the courtyard of the palace guard. + Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance of the Temple of GOD. The king said to Jeremiah, "I'm going to ask you something. Don't hold anything back from me." + Jeremiah said, "If I told you the whole truth, you'd kill me. And no matter what I said, you wouldn't pay any attention anyway." + Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah right there, but in secret, "As sure as GOD lives, who gives us life, I won't kill you, nor will I turn you over to the men who are trying to kill you." + So Jeremiah told Zedekiah, "This is the Message from GOD, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: 'If you will turn yourself over to the generals of the king of Babylon, you will live, this city won't be burned down, and your family will live. + But if you don't turn yourself over to the generals of the king of Babylon, this city will go into the hands of the Chaldeans and they'll burn it down. And don't for a minute think there's any escape for you.'" + King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "But I'm afraid of the Judeans who have already deserted to the Chaldeans. If they get hold of me, they'll rough me up good." + Jeremiah assured him, "They won't get hold of you. Listen, please. Listen to GOD's voice. I'm telling you this for your own good so that you'll live. + But if you refuse to turn yourself over, this is what GOD has shown me will happen: + Picture this in your mind--all the women still left in the palace of the king of Judah, led out to the officers of the king of Babylon, and as they're led out they are saying: "'They lied to you and did you in, those so-called friends of yours; And now you're stuck, about knee-deep in mud, and your "friends," where are they now?' + "They'll take all your wives and children and give them to the Chaldeans. And you, don't think you'll get out of this--the king of Babylon will seize you and then burn this city to the ground." + Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Don't let anyone know of this conversation, if you know what's good for you. + If the government officials get wind that I've been talking with you, they may come and say, 'Tell us what went on between you and the king, what you said and what he said. Hold nothing back and we won't kill you.' + If this happens, tell them, 'I presented my case to the king so that he wouldn't send me back to the dungeon of Jonathan to die there.'" + And sure enough, all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him. He responded as the king had instructed. So they quit asking. No one had overheard the conversation + Jeremiah lived in the courtyard of the palace guards until the day that Jerusalem was captured. + + + In the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army and laid siege to Jerusalem. + In the eleventh year and fourth month, on the ninth day of Zedekiah's reign, they broke through into the city. + All the officers of the king of Babylon came and set themselves up as a ruling council from the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Simmagar, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, along with all the other officials of the king of Babylon. + When Zedekiah king of Judah and his remaining soldiers saw this, they ran for their lives. They slipped out at night on a path in the king's garden through the gate between two walls and headed for the wilderness, toward the Jordan Valley. + The Babylonian army chased them and caught Zedekiah in the wilderness of Jericho. They seized him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the country of Hamath. Nebuchadnezzar decided his fate. + The king of Babylon killed all the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah right before his eyes and then killed all the nobles of Judah. + After Zedekiah had seen the slaughter, Nebuchadnezzar blinded him, chained him up, and then took him off to Babylon. + Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the Temple, and all the homes of the people. They leveled the walls of Jerusalem. + Nebuzaradan, commander of the king's bodyguard, rounded up everyone left in the city, along with those who had surrendered to him, and herded them off to exile in Babylon. + He didn't bother taking the few poor people who had nothing. He left them in the land of Judah to eke out a living as best they could in the vineyards and fields. + Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave Nebuzaradan captain of the king's bodyguard special orders regarding Jeremiah: + "Look out for him. Make sure nothing bad happens to him. Give him anything he wants." + So Nebuzaradan, chief of the king's bodyguard, along with Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon, + sent for Jeremiah, taking him from the courtyard of the royal guards and putting him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be taken home. And so he was able to live with the people. + Earlier, while Jeremiah was still in custody in the courtyard of the royal guards, GOD's Message came to him: + "Go and speak with Ebed-melek the Ethiopian. Tell him, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, Listen carefully: I will do exactly what I said I would do to this city--bad news, not good news. When it happens, you will be there to see it. + But I'll deliver you on that doomsday. You won't be handed over to those men whom you have good reason to fear. + Yes, I'll most certainly save you. You won't be killed. You'll walk out of there safe and sound because you trusted me.'" GOD's Decree. + + + GOD's Message to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard set him free at Ramah. When Nebuzaradan came upon him, he was in chains, along with all the other captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being herded off to exile in Babylon. + The captain of the bodyguard singled out Jeremiah and said to him, "Your GOD pronounced doom on this place. + GOD came and did what he had warned he'd do because you all sinned against GOD and wouldn't do what he told you. So now you're all suffering the consequences. + "But today, Jeremiah, I'm setting you free, taking the chains off your hands. If you'd like to come to Babylon with me, come along. I'll take good care of you. But if you don't want to come to Babylon with me, that's just fine, too. Look, the whole land stretches out before you. Do what you like. Go and live wherever you wish. + If you want to stay home, go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. The king of Babylon made him governor of the cities of Judah. Stay with him and your people. Or go wherever you'd like. It's up to you." The captain of the bodyguard gave him food for the journey and a parting gift, and sent him off. + Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and made his home with him and the people who were left behind in the land. + When the army leaders and their men, who had been hiding out in the fields, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor of the land, putting him in charge of the men, women, and children of the poorest of the poor who hadn't been taken off to exile in Babylon, + they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, accompanied by their men. + Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, promised them and their men, "You have nothing to fear from the Chaldean officials. Stay here on the land. Be subject to the king of Babylon. You'll get along just fine. + "My job is to stay here in Mizpah and be your advocate before the Chaldeans when they show up. Your job is to take care of the land: Make wine, harvest the summer fruits, press olive oil. Store it all in pottery jugs and settle into the towns that you have taken over." + The Judeans who had escaped to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few survivors in Judah and made Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor over them. + They all started coming back to Judah from all the places where they'd been scattered. They came to Judah and to Gedaliah at Mizpah and went to work gathering in a huge supply of wine and summer fruits. + One day Johanan son of Kareah and all the officers of the army who had been hiding out in the backcountry came to Gedaliah at Mizpah + and told him, "You know, don't you, that Baaliss king of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam didn't believe them. + Then Johanan son of Kareah took Gedaliah aside privately in Mizpah: "Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one needs to know about it. Why should we let him kill you and plunge the land into anarchy? Why let everyone you've taken care of be scattered and what's left of Judah destroyed?" + But Gedaliah son of Ahikam told Johanan son of Kareah, "Don't do it. I forbid it. You're spreading a false rumor about Ishmael." + + + But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, came. He had royal blood in his veins and had been one of the king's high-ranking officers. He paid a visit to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah with ten of his men. As they were eating together, + Ishmael and his ten men jumped to their feet and knocked Gedaliah down and killed him, killed the man the king of Babylon had appointed governor of the land. + Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were stationed there. + On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah--no one yet knew of it-- + men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, eighty of them, with their beards shaved, their clothing ripped, and gashes on their bodies. They were pilgrims carrying grain offerings and incense on their way to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. + Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to welcome them, weeping ostentatiously. When he greeted them he invited them in: "Come and meet Gedaliah son of Ahikam." + But as soon as they were inside the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his henchmen slaughtered the pilgrims and dumped the bodies in a cistern. + Ten of the men talked their way out of the massacre. They bargained with Ishmael, "Don't kill us. We have a hidden store of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey out in the fields." So he held back and didn't kill them with their fellow pilgrims. + Ishmael's reason for dumping the bodies into a cistern was to cover up the earlier murder of Gedaliah. The cistern had been built by king Asa as a defense against Baasha king of Israel. This was the cistern that Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled with the slaughtered men. + Ishmael then took everyone else in Mizpah, including the king's daughters entrusted to the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam by Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, as prisoners. Rounding up the prisoners, Ishmael son of Nethaniah proceeded to take them over into the country of Ammon. + Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him heard about the atrocities committed by Ishmael son of Nethaniah. + They set off at once after Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him at the large pool at Gibeon. + When all the prisoners from Mizpah who had been taken by Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers with him, they couldn't believe their eyes. They were so happy! + They all rallied around Johanan son of Kareah and headed back home. + But Ishmael son of Nethaniah got away, escaping from Johanan with eight men into the land of Ammon. + Then Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers with him gathered together what was left of the people whom Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken prisoner from Mizpah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam--men, women, children, eunuchs--and brought them back from Gibeon. + They set out at once for Egypt to get away from the Chaldeans, stopping on the way at Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem. + They were afraid of what the Chaldeans might do in retaliation of Ishmael son of Nethaniah's murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor of the country. + + + All the army officers, led by Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, accompanied by all the people, small and great, + came to Jeremiah the prophet and said, "We have a request. Please listen. Pray to your GOD for us, what's left of us. You can see for yourself how few we are! + Pray that your GOD will tell us the way we should go and what we should do." + Jeremiah the prophet said, "I hear your request. And I will pray to your GOD as you have asked. Whatever GOD says, I'll pass on to you. I'll tell you everything, holding nothing back." + They said to Jeremiah, "Let GOD be our witness, a true and faithful witness against us, if we don't do everything that your GOD directs you to tell us. + Whether we like it or not, we'll do it. We'll obey whatever our GOD tells us. Yes, count on us. We'll do it." + Ten days later GOD's Message came to Jeremiah. + He called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him, including all the people, regardless of how much clout they had. + He then spoke: "This is the Message from GOD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your prayer. + He says, 'If you are ready to stick it out in this land, I will build you up and not drag you down, I will plant you and not pull you up like a weed. I feel deep compassion on account of the doom I have visited on you. + You don't have to fear the king of Babylon. Your fears are for nothing. I'm on your side, ready to save and deliver you from anything he might do. + I'll pour mercy on you. What's more, he will show you mercy! He'll let you come back to your very own land.' + "But do not say, 'We're not staying around this place,' refusing to obey the command of your GOD + and saying instead, 'No! We're off to Egypt, where things are peaceful--no wars, no attacking armies, plenty of food. We're going to live there.' If + what's left of Judah is headed down that road, then listen to GOD's Message. This is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says: 'If you have determined to go to Egypt and make that your home, + then the very wars you fear will catch up with you in Egypt and the starvation you dread will track you down in Egypt. You'll die there! + Every last one of you who is determined to go to Egypt and make it your home will either be killed, starve, or get sick and die. No survivors, not one! No one will escape the doom that I'll bring upon you.' + "This is the Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: 'In the same way that I swept the citizens of Jerusalem away with my anger and wrath, I'll do the same thing all over again in Egypt. You'll end up being cursed, reviled, ridiculed, and mocked. And you'll never see your homeland again. + ' "GOD has plainly told you, you leftovers from Judah, 'Don't go to Egypt.' Could anything be plainer? I warn you this day + that you are living out a fantasy. You're making a fatal mistake. "Didn't you just now send me to your GOD, saying, 'Pray for us to our GOD. Tell us everything that GOD says and we'll do it all'? + "Well, now I've told you, told you everything he said, and you haven't obeyed a word of it, not a single word of what your GOD sent me to tell you. + So now let me tell you what will happen next: You'll be killed, you'll starve to death, you'll get sick and die in the wonderful country where you've determined to go and live." + + + When Jeremiah finished telling all the people the whole Message that their GOD had sent him to give them--all these words-- + Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah, backed by all the self-important men, said to Jeremiah, "Liar! Our GOD never sent you with this message telling us not to go to Egypt and live there. + Baruch son of Neriah is behind this. He has turned you against us. He's playing into the hands of the Babylonians so we'll either end up being killed or taken off to exile in Babylon." + Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers, and the people along with them, wouldn't listen to GOD's Message that they stay in the land of Judah and live there. + Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers gathered up everyone who was left from Judah, who had come back after being scattered all over the place-- + the men, women, and children, the king's daughters, all the people that Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had left in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and last but not least, Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. + They entered the land of Egypt in total disobedience of GOD's Message and arrived at the city of Tahpanhes. + While in Tahpanhes, GOD's Word came to Jeremiah: + "Pick up some large stones and cover them with mortar in the vicinity of the pavement that leads up to the building set aside for Pharaoh's use in Tahpanhes. Make sure some of the men of Judah are watching. + "Then address them: 'This is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says: Be on the lookout! I'm sending for and bringing Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon--my servant, mind you!--and he'll set up his throne on these very stones that I've had buried here and he'll spread out his canopy over them. + He'll come and absolutely smash Egypt, sending each to his assigned fate: death, exile, slaughter. + He'll burn down the temples of Egypt's gods. He'll either burn up the gods or haul them off as booty. Like a shepherd who picks lice from his robes, he'll pick Egypt clean. And then he'll walk away without a hand being laid on him. + He'll shatter the sacred obelisks at Egypt's House of the Sun and make a huge bonfire of the temples of Egypt's gods.'" + + + The Message that Jeremiah received for all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, who had their homes in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and the land of Pathros: + "This is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'You saw with your own eyes the terrible doom that I brought down on Jerusalem and the Judean cities. Look at what's left: ghost towns of rubble and smoking ruins, + and all because they took up with evil ways, making me angry by going off to offer sacrifices and worship the latest in gods--no-gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors knew the first thing about. + Morning after morning and long into the night I kept after you, sending you all those prophets, my servants, begging you, "Please, please--don't do this, don't fool around in this loathsome gutter of gods that I hate with a passion." + But do you think anyone paid the least bit of attention or repented of evil or quit offering sacrifices to the no-gods? Not one. + So I let loose with my anger, a firestorm of wrath in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, and left them in ruins and wasted. And they're still in ruins and wasted.' + "This is the Message of GOD, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: 'So why are you ruining your lives by amputating yourselves--man, woman, child, and baby--from the life of Judah, leaving yourselves isolated, unconnected? + And why do you deliberately make me angry by what you do, offering sacrifices to these no-gods in the land of Egypt where you've come to live? You'll only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an example used in curses and an object of ridicule among all the nations of the earth. + "'Have you so soon forgotten the evil lives of your ancestors, the evil lives of the kings of Judah and their wives, to say nothing of your own evil lives, you and your wives, the evil you flaunted in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? + And to this day, there's not a trace of remorse, not a sign of reverence, nobody caring about living by what I tell them or following my instructions that I've set out so plainly before you and your parents! + So this is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies decrees: "'Watch out! I've decided to bring doom on you and get rid of everyone connected with Judah. + I'm going to take what's left of Judah, those who have decided to go to Egypt and live there, and finish them off. In Egypt they will either be killed or starve to death. The same fate will fall upon both the obscure and the important. Regardless of their status, they will either be killed or starve. You'll end up cursed, reviled, ridiculed, and mocked. + I'll give those who are in Egypt the same medicine I gave those in Jerusalem: massacre, starvation, and disease. + None of those who managed to get out of Judah alive and get away to Egypt are going to make it back to the Judah for which they're so homesick. None will make it back, except maybe a few fugitives.'" + The men who knew that their wives had been burning sacrifices to the no-gods, joined by a large crowd of women, along with virtually everyone living in Pathros of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: + "We're having nothing to do with what you tell us is GOD's Message. + We're going to go right on offering sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, keeping up the traditions set by our ancestors, our kings and government leaders in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem in the good old days. We had a good life then--lots of food, rising standard of living, and no bad luck. + But the moment we quit sacrificing to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out offerings to her, everything fell apart. We've had nothing but massacres and starvation ever since. + " And then the women chimed in: "Yes! Absolutely! We're going to keep at it, offering sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out offerings to her. Aren't our husbands behind us? They like it that we make goddess cookies and pour out our offerings to her." + Then Jeremiah spoke up, confronting the men and the women, all the people who had answered so insolently. He said, + "The sacrifices that you and your parents, your kings, your government officials, and the common people of the land offered up in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem--don't you think GOD noticed? He noticed, all right. + And he got fed up. Finally, he couldn't take your evil behavior and your disgusting acts any longer. Your land became a wasteland, a death valley, a horror story, a ghost town. And it continues to be just that. + This doom has come upon you because you kept offering all those sacrifices, and you sinned against GOD! You refused to listen to him, wouldn't live the way he directed, ignored the covenant conditions." + Jeremiah kept going, but now zeroed in on the women: "Listen, all you who are from Judah and living in Egypt--please, listen to GOD's Word. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'You women! You said it and then you did it. You said, "We're going to keep the vows we made to sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven and pour out offerings to her, and nobody's going to stop us!"' "Well, go ahead. Keep your vows. Do it up big. + But also listen to what GOD has to say about it, all you who are from Judah but live in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name, backed by everything I am--this is GOD speaking!--that never again shall my name be used in vows, such as "As sure as the Master, GOD, lives!" by anyone in the whole country of Egypt. + I've targeted each one of you for doom. The good is gone for good. "'All the Judeans in Egypt will die off by massacre or starvation until they're wiped out. + The few who get out of Egypt alive and back to Judah will be very few, hardly worth counting. Then that ragtag bunch that left Judah to live in Egypt will know who had the last word. + "'And this will be the evidence: I will bring punishment right here, and by this you'll know that the decrees of doom against you are the real thing. + Watch for this sign of doom: I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies, those who are out to kill him, exactly as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah to his enemy Nebuchadnezzar, who was after him. + + + This is what Jeremiah told Baruch one day in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign as he was taking dictation from the prophet: + "These are the words of GOD, the God of Israel, to you, Baruch. + You say, 'These are bad times for me! It's one thing after another. GOD is piling on the pain. I'm worn out and there's no end in sight.' + "But GOD says, 'Look around. What I've built I'm about to wreck, and what I've planted I'm about to rip up. + And I'm doing it everywhere--all over the whole earth! So forget about making any big plans for yourself. Things are going to get worse before they get better. But don't worry. I'll keep you alive through the whole business.'" + + + GOD's Messages through the prophet Jeremiah regarding the godless nations. + The Message to Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt at the time it was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon while camped at Carchemish on the Euphrates River in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah: + "'Present arms! March to the front! + Harness the horses! Up in the saddles! Battle formation! Helmets on, spears sharpened, armor in place!' + But what's this I see? They're scared out of their wits! They break ranks and run for cover. Their soldiers panic. They run this way and that, stampeding blindly. It's total chaos, total confusion, danger everywhere!" GOD's Decree. + "The swiftest runners won't get away, the strongest soldiers won't escape. In the north country, along the River Euphrates, they'll stagger, stumble, and fall. + "Who is this like the Nile in flood? like its streams torrential? + Why, it's Egypt like the Nile in flood, like its streams torrential, Saying, 'I'll take over the world. I'll wipe out cities and peoples.' + Run, horses! Roll, chariots! Advance, soldiers from Cush and Put with your shields, Soldiers from Lud, experts with bow and arrow. + "But it's not your day. It's the Master's, me, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies-- the day when I have it out with my enemies, The day when Sword puts an end to my enemies, when Sword exacts vengeance. I, the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, will pile them on an altar--a huge sacrifice!-- In the great north country, along the mighty Euphrates. + "Oh, virgin Daughter Egypt, climb into the mountains of Gilead, get healing balm. You will vainly collect medicines, for nothing will be able to cure what ails you. + The whole world will hear your anguished cries. Your wails fill the earth, As soldier falls against soldier and they all go down in a heap." + The Message that GOD gave to the prophet Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was on his way to attack Egypt: + "Tell Egypt, alert Migdol, post warnings in Noph and Tahpanhes: 'Wake up! Be prepared! War's coming!' + "Why will your bull-god Apis run off? Because GOD will drive him off. + Your ragtag army will fall to pieces. The word is passing through the ranks, 'Let's get out of here while we still can. Let's head for home and save our skins.' + When they get home they'll nickname Pharaoh 'Big-Talk-Bad-Luck.' + As sure as I am the living God" --the King's Decree, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is his name-- "A conqueror is coming: like Tabor, singular among mountains; like Carmel, jutting up from the sea! + So pack your bags for exile, you coddled daughters of Egypt, For Memphis will soon be nothing, a vacant lot grown over with weeds. + "Too bad, Egypt, a beautiful sleek heifer attacked by a horsefly from the north! + All her hired soldiers are stationed to defend her-- like well-fed calves they are. But when their lives are on the line, they'll run off, cowards every one. When the going gets tough, they'll take the easy way out. + "Egypt will slither and hiss like a snake as the enemy army comes in force. They will rush in, swinging axes like lumberjacks cutting down trees. + They'll level the country"--GOD's Decree--"nothing and no one standing for as far as you can see. The invaders will be a swarm of locusts, innumerable, past counting. + Daughter Egypt will be ravished, raped by vandals from the north." + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Watch out when I visit doom on the god Amon of Thebes, Egypt and its gods and kings, Pharaoh and those who trust in him. + I'll turn them over to those who are out to kill them, to Nebuchadnezzar and his military. Egypt will be set back a thousand years. Eventually people will live there again." GOD's Decree. + "But you, dear Jacob my servant, you have nothing to fear. Israel, there's no need to worry. Look up! I'll save you from that far country, I'll get your children out of the land of exile. Things are going to be normal again for Jacob, safe and secure, smooth sailing. + Yes, dear Jacob my servant, you have nothing to fear. Depend on it, I'm on your side. I'll finish off all the godless nations among which I've scattered you, But I won't finish you off. I have more work left to do on you. I'll punish you, but fairly. No, I'm not finished with you yet." + + + GOD's Message to the prophet Jeremiah regarding the Philistines just before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. + This is what GOD says: "Look out! Water will rise in the north country, swelling like a river in flood. The torrent will flood the land, washing away city and citizen. Men and women will scream in terror, wails from every door and window, + As the thunder from the hooves of the horses will be heard, the clatter of chariots, the banging of wheels. Fathers, paralyzed by fear, won't even grab up their babies + Because it will be doomsday for Philistines, one and all, no hope of help for Tyre and Sidon. GOD will finish off the Philistines, what's left of those from the island of Crete. + Gaza will be shaved bald as an egg, Ashkelon struck dumb as a post. You're on your last legs. How long will you keep flailing? + "Oh, Sword of GOD, how long will you keep this up? Return to your scabbard. Haven't you had enough? Can't you call it quits? + "But how can it quit when I, GOD, command the action? I've ordered it to cut down Ashkelon and the seacoast." + + + The Message on Moab from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: "Doom to Nebo! Leveled to the ground! Kiriathaim demeaned and defeated, The mighty fortress reduced to a molehill, + Moab's glory--dust and ashes. Conspirators plot Heshbon's doom: 'Come, let's wipe Moab off the map.' Dungface Dimon will loudly lament, as killing follows killing. + Listen! A cry out of Horonaim: 'Disaster--doom and more doom!' + Moab will be shattered. Her cries will be heard clear down in Zoar. + Up the ascent of Luhith climbers weep, And down the descent from Horonaim, cries of loss and devastation. + Oh, run for your lives! Get out while you can! Survive by your wits in the wild! + You trusted in thick walls and big money, yes? But it won't help you now. Your big god Chemosh will be hauled off, his priests and managers with him. + A wrecker will wreck every city. Not a city will survive. The valley fields will be ruined, the plateau pastures destroyed, just as I told you. + Cover the land of Moab with salt. Make sure nothing ever grows here again. Her towns will all be ghost towns. Nobody will ever live here again. + Sloppy work in GOD's name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword. + "Moab has always taken it easy-- lazy as a dog in the sun, Never had to work for a living, never faced any trouble, Never had to grow up, never once worked up a sweat. + But those days are a thing of the past. I'll put him to work at hard labor. That will wake him up to the world of hard knocks. That will smash his illusions. + Moab will be as ashamed of god Chemosh as Israel was ashamed of her Bethel calf-gods, the calf-gods she thought were so great. + For how long do you think you'll be saying, 'We're tough. We can beat anyone anywhere'? + The destruction of Moab has already begun. Her choice young soldiers are lying dead right now." The King's Decree-- his full name, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "Yes. Moab's doom is on countdown, disaster targeted and launched. + Weep for Moab, friends and neighbors, all who know how famous he's been. Lament, 'His mighty scepter snapped in two like a toothpick, that magnificent royal staff!' + "Come down from your high horse, pampered beauty of Dibon. Sit in dog dung. The destroyer of Moab will come against you. He'll wreck your safe, secure houses. + Stand on the roadside, pampered women of Aroer. Interview the refugees who are running away. Ask them, 'What's happened? And why?' + Moab will be an embarrassing memory, nothing left of the place. Wail and weep your eyes out! Tell the bad news along the Arnon river. Tell the world that Moab is no more. + "My judgment will come to the plateau cities: on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath; + on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim; + on Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon; + on Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of Moab, far and near. + "Moab's link to power is severed. Moab's arm is broken." GOD's Decree. + "Turn Moab into a drunken sot, drunk on the wine of my wrath, a dung-faced drunk, filling the country with vomit--Moab a falling-down drunk, a joke in bad taste. + Wasn't it you, Moab, who made crude jokes over Israel? And when they were caught in bad company, didn't you cluck and gossip and snicker? + "Leave town! Leave! Look for a home in the cliffs, you who grew up in Moab. Try living like a dove who nests high in the river gorge. + "We've all heard of Moab's pride, that legendary pride, The strutting, bullying, puffed-up pride, the insufferable arrogance. + I know"--GOD's Decree--"his rooster-crowing pride, the inflated claims, the sheer nothingness of Moab. + But I will weep for Moab, yes, I will mourn for the people of Moab. I will even mourn for the people of Kir-heres. + I'll weep for the grapevines of Sibmah and join Jazer in her weeping-- Grapevines that once reached the Dead Sea with tendrils as far as Jazer. Your summer fruit and your bursting grapes will be looted by brutal plunderers, + Lush Moab stripped of song and laughter. And yes, I'll shut down the winepresses, stop all the shouts and hurrahs of harvest. + "Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, and the people in Jahaz will hear the cries. They will hear them all the way from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim will be dried up. + "I will put a stop in Moab"--GOD's Decree--"to all hiking to the high places to offer burnt sacrifices to the gods. + "My heart moans for Moab, for the men of Kir-heres, like soft flute sounds carried by the wind. They've lost it all. They've got nothing. + "Everywhere you look are signs of mourning: heads shaved, beards cut, Hands scratched and bleeding, clothes ripped and torn. + "In every house in Moab there'll be loud lamentation, on every street in Moab, loud lamentation. As with a pottery jug that no one wants, I'll smash Moab to bits." GOD's Decree. + "Moab ruined! Moab shamed and ashamed to be seen! Moab a cruel joke! The stark horror of Moab!" + GOD's verdict on Moab. Indeed! "Look! An eagle is about to swoop down and spread its wings over Moab. + The towns will be captured, the fortresses taken. Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight, like a woman giving birth to a baby. + There'll be nothing left of Moab, nothing at all, because of his defiant arrogance against me. + "Terror and pit and trap are what you have facing you, Moab." GOD's Decree. + "A man running in terror will fall into a trap. A man climbing out of a pit will be caught in a trap. This is my agenda for Moab on doomsday." GOD's Decree. + "On the outskirts of Heshbon, refugees will pull up short, worn out. Fire will flame high from Heshbon, a firestorm raging from the capital of Sihon's kingdom. It will burn off Moab's eyebrows, will scorch the skull of the braggarts. + That's all for you, Moab! You worshipers of Chemosh will be finished off! Your sons will be trucked off to prison camps; your daughters will be herded into exile. + But yet there's a day that's coming when I'll put things right in Moab. "For now, that's the judgment on Moab." + + + GOD's Message on the Ammonites: "Doesn't Israel have any children, no one to step into her inheritance? So why is the god Milcom taking over Gad's land, his followers moving into its towns? + But not for long! The time's coming" --GOD's Decree-- "When I'll fill the ears of Rabbah, Ammon's big city, with battle cries. She'll end up a pile of rubble, all her towns burned to the ground. Then Israel will kick out the invaders. I, GOD, say so, and it will be so. + Wail Heshbon, Ai is in ruins. Villages of Rabbah, wring your hands! Dress in mourning, weep buckets of tears. Go into hysterics, run around in circles! Your god Milcom will be hauled off to exile, and all his priests and managers right with him. + Why do you brag of your once-famous strength? You're a broken-down has-been, a castoff Who fondles his trophies and dreams of glory days and vainly thinks, 'No one can lay a hand on me.' + Well, think again. I'll face you with terror from all sides." Word of the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. "You'll be stampeded headlong, with no one to round up the runaways. + Still, the time will come when I will make things right with Ammon." GOD's Decree. + The Message of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies on Edom: "Is there nobody wise left in famous Teman? no one with a sense of reality? Has their wisdom gone wormy and rotten? + Run for your lives! Get out while you can! Find a good place to hide, you who live in Dedan! I'm bringing doom to Esau. It's time to settle accounts. + When harvesters work your fields, don't they leave gleanings? When burglars break into your house, don't they take only what they want? + But I'll strip Esau clean. I'll search out every nook and cranny. I'll destroy everything connected with him, children and relatives and neighbors. There'll be no one left who will be able to say, + 'I'll take care of your orphans. Your widows can depend on me.'" + Indeed. GOD says, "I tell you, if there are people who have to drink the cup of God's wrath even though they don't deserve it, why would you think you'd get off? You won't get off. You'll drink it. Oh yes, you'll drink every drop. + And as for Bozrah, your capital, I swear by all that I am"--GOD's Decree--"that that city will end up a pile of charred ruins, a stinking garbage dump, an obscenity--and all her daughter-cities with her." + I've just heard the latest from GOD. He's sent an envoy to the nations: "Muster your troops and attack Edom. Present arms! Go to war!" + "Ah, Edom, I'm dropping you to last place among nations, the bottom of the heap, kicked around. + You think you're so great-- strutting across the stage of history, Living high in the impregnable rocks, acting like king of the mountain. You think you're above it all, don't you, like an eagle in its aerie? Well, you're headed for a fall. I'll bring you crashing to the ground." GOD's Decree. + "Edom will end up trash. Stinking, despicable trash. A wonder of the world in reverse. + She'll join Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors in the sewers of history." GOD says so. "No one will live there, no mortal soul move in there. + "Watch this: Like a lion coming up from the thick jungle of the Jordan Looking for prey in the mountain pastures, I will come upon Edom and pounce. I'll take my pick of the flock--and who's to stop me? The shepherds of Edom are helpless before me." + So, listen to this plan that GOD has worked out against Edom, the blueprint of what he's prepared for those who live in Teman: "Believe it or not, the young, the vulnerable-- mere lambs and kids--will be dragged off. Believe it or not, the flock in shock, helpless to help, will watch it happen. + The very earth will shudder because of their cries, cries of anguish heard at the distant Red Sea. + Look! An eagle soars, swoops down, spreads its wings over Bozrah. Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight, like a woman giving birth to a baby." + The Message on Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad will be in shock when they hear the bad news. Their hearts will melt in fear as they pace back and forth in worry. + The blood will drain from the face of Damascus as she turns to flee. Hysterical, she'll fall to pieces, disabled, like a woman in childbirth. + And now how lonely--bereft, abandoned! The once famous city, the once happy city. + Her bright young men dead in the streets, her brave warriors silent as death. On that day"--Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies-- + "I'll start a fire at the wall of Damascus that will burn down all of Ben-hadad's forts." + The Message on Kedar and the sheikdoms of Hazor who were attacked by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This is GOD's Message: "On your feet! Attack Kedar! Plunder the Bedouin nomads from the east. + Grab their blankets and pots and pans. Steal their camels. Traumatize them, shouting, 'Terror! Death! Doom! Danger everywhere!' + Oh, run for your lives, You nomads from Hazor." GOD's Decree. "Find a safe place to hide. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plans to wipe you out, to go after you with a vengeance: + 'After them,' he says. 'Go after these relaxed nomads who live free and easy in the desert, Who live in the open with no doors to lock, who live off by themselves.' + Their camels are there for the taking, their herds and flocks, easy picking. I'll scatter them to the four winds, these defenseless nomads on the fringes of the desert. I'll bring terror from every direction. They won't know what hit them." GOD's Decree. + "Jackals will take over the camps of Hazor, camps abandoned to wind and sand. No one will live there, no mortal soul move in there." + GOD's Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. + This is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says: "Watch this! I'll break Elam's bow, her weapon of choice, across my knee. + Then I'll let four winds loose on Elam, winds from the four corners of earth. I'll blow them away in all directions, landing homeless Elamites in every country on earth. + They'll live in constant fear and terror among enemies who want to kill them. I'll bring doom on them, my anger-fueled doom. I'll set murderous hounds on their heels until there's nothing left of them. + And then I'll set up my throne in Elam, having thrown out the king and his henchmen. + But the time will come when I make everything right for Elam again." GOD's Decree. + + + The Message of GOD through the prophet Jeremiah on Babylon, land of the Chaldeans: + "Get the word out to the nations! Preach it! Go public with this, broadcast it far and wide: Babylon taken, god-Bel hanging his head in shame, god-Marduk exposed as a fraud. All her god-idols shuffling in shame, all her play-gods exposed as cheap frauds. + For a nation will come out of the north to attack her, reduce her cities to rubble. Empty of life--no animals, no people-- not a sound, not a movement, not a breath. + "In those days, at that time"--GOD's Decree-- "the people of Israel will come, And the people of Judah with them. Walking and weeping, they'll seek me, their GOD. + They'll ask directions to Zion and set their faces toward Zion. They'll come and hold tight to GOD, bound in a covenant eternal they'll never forget. + "My people were lost sheep. Their shepherds led them astray. They abandoned them in the mountains where they wandered aimless through the hills. They lost track of home, couldn't remember where they came from. + Everyone who met them took advantage of them. Their enemies had no qualms: 'Fair game' they said. 'They walked out on GOD. They abandoned the True Pasture, the hope of their parents.' + "But now, get out of Babylon as fast as you can. Be rid of that Babylonian country. On your way. Good sheepdogs lead, but don't you be led. Lead the way home! + Do you see what I'm doing? I'm rallying a host of nations against Babylon. They'll come out of the north, attack and take her. Oh, they know how to fight, these armies. They never come home empty-handed. + Babylon is ripe for picking! All her plunderers will fill their bellies!" GOD's Decree. + "You Babylonians had a good time while it lasted, didn't you? You lived it up, exploiting and using my people, Frisky calves romping in lush pastures, wild stallions out having a good time! + Well, your mother would hardly be proud of you. The woman who bore you wouldn't be pleased. Look at what's come of you! A nothing nation! Rubble and garbage and weeds! + Emptied of life by my holy anger, a desert of death and emptiness. Travelers who pass by Babylon will gasp, appalled, shaking their heads at such a comedown. + Gang up on Babylon! Pin her down! Throw everything you have against her. Hold nothing back. Knock her flat. She's sinned--oh, how she's sinned, against me! + Shout battle cries from every direction. All the fight has gone out of her. Her defenses have been flattened, her walls smashed. 'Operation GOD's Vengeance.' Pile on the vengeance! Do to her as she has done. Give her a good dose of her own medicine! + Destroy her farms and farmers, ravage her fields, empty her barns. And you captives, while the destruction rages, get out while the getting's good, get out fast and run for home. + "Israel is a scattered flock, hunted down by lions. The king of Assyria started the carnage. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, Has completed the job, gnawing the bones clean." + And now this is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, has to say: "Just watch! I'm bringing doom on the king of Babylon and his land, the same doom I brought on the king of Assyria. + But Israel I'll bring home to good pastures. He'll graze on the hills of Carmel and Bashan, On the slopes of Ephraim and Gilead. He will eat to his heart's content. + In those days and at that time"--GOD's Decree-- "they'll look high and low for a sign of Israel's guilt--nothing; Search nook and cranny for a trace of Judah's sin--nothing. These people that I've saved will start out with a clean slate. + "Attack Merathaim, land of rebels! Go after Pekod, country of doom! Hunt them down. Make a clean sweep." GOD's Decree. "These are my orders. Do what I tell you. + "The thunderclap of battle shakes the foundations! + The Hammer has been hammered, smashed and splintered, Babylon pummeled beyond recognition. + I set out a trap and you were caught in it. O Babylon, you never knew what hit you, Caught and held in the steel grip of that trap! That's what you get for taking on GOD. + "I, GOD, opened my arsenal. I brought out my weapons of wrath. The Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, has a job to do in Babylon. + Come at her from all sides! Break into her granaries! Shovel her into piles and burn her up. Leave nothing! Leave no one! + Kill all her young turks. Send them to their doom! Doom to them! Yes, Doomsday! The clock has finally run out on them. + And here's a surprise: Runaways and escapees from Babylon Show up in Zion reporting the news of GOD's vengeance, taking vengeance for my own Temple. + "Call in the troops against Babylon, anyone who can shoot straight! Tighten the noose! Leave no loopholes! Give her back as good as she gave, a dose of her own medicine! Her brazen insolence is an outrage against GOD, The Holy of Israel. + And now she pays: her young strewn dead in the streets, her soldiers dead, silent forever." GOD's Decree. + "Do you get it, Mister Pride? I'm your enemy!" Decree of the Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. "Time's run out on you: That's right: It's Doomsday. + Mister Pride will fall flat on his face. No one will offer him a hand. I'll set his towns on fire. The fire will spread wild through the country." + And here's more from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "The people of Israel are beaten down, the people of Judah along with them. Their oppressors have them in a grip of steel. They won't let go. + But the Rescuer is strong: GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. Yes, I will take their side, I'll come to their rescue. I'll soothe their land, but rough up the people of Babylon. + "It's all-out war in Babylon"--GOD's Decree-- "total war against people, leaders, and the wise! + War to the death on her boasting pretenders, fools one and all! War to the death on her soldiers, cowards to a man! + War to the death on her hired killers, gutless wonders! War to the death on her banks--looted! + War to the death on her water supply--drained dry! A land of make-believe gods gone crazy--hobgoblins! + The place will be haunted with jackals and scorpions, night-owls and vampire bats. No one will ever live there again. The land will reek with the stench of death. + It will join Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors, the cities I did away with." GOD's Decree. "No one will live there again. No one will again draw breath in that land, ever. + "And now, watch this! People pouring out of the north, hordes of people, A mob of kings stirred up from far-off places. + Flourishing deadly weapons, barbarians they are, cruel and pitiless. Roaring and relentless, like ocean breakers, they come riding fierce stallions, In battle formation, ready to fight you, Daughter Babylon! + Babylon's king hears them coming. He goes white as a ghost, limp as a dishrag. Terror-stricken, he doubles up in pain, helpless to fight, like a woman giving birth to a baby. + "And now watch this: Like a lion coming up from the thick jungle of the Jordan, Looking for prey in the mountain pastures, I'll take over and pounce. I'll take my pick of the flock--and who's to stop me? All the so-called shepherds are helpless before me." + So, listen to this plan that GOD has worked out against Babylon, the blueprint of what he's prepared for dealing with Chaldea: Believe it or not, the young, the vulnerable--mere lambs and kids--will be dragged off. Believe it or not, the flock in shock, helpless to help, watches it happen. + When the shout goes up, "Babylon's down!" the very earth will shudder at the sound. The news will be heard all over the world. + + + There's more. GOD says more: "Watch this: I'm whipping up A death-dealing hurricane against Babylon--'Hurricane Persia'-- against all who live in that perverse land. + I'm sending a cleanup crew into Babylon. They'll clean the place out from top to bottom. When they get through there'll be nothing left of her worth taking or talking about. They won't miss a thing. A total and final Doomsday! + Fighters will fight with everything they've got. It's no holds barred. They will spare nothing and no one. It's final and wholesale destruction--the end! + Babylon littered with the wounded, streets piled with corpses. + It turns out that Israel and Judah are not widowed after all. As their God, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, I am still alive and well, committed to them even though They filled their land with sin against Israel's most Holy God. + "Get out of Babylon as fast as you can. Run for your lives! Save your necks! Don't linger and lose your lives to my vengeance on her as I pay her back for her sins. + Babylon was a fancy gold chalice held in my hand, Filled with the wine of my anger to make the whole world drunk. The nations drank the wine and they've all gone crazy. + Babylon herself will stagger and crash, senseless in a drunken stupor--tragic! Get anointing balm for her wound. Maybe she can be cured." + "We did our best, but she can't be helped. Babylon is past fixing. Give her up to her fate. Go home. The judgment on her will be vast, a skyscraper-memorial of vengeance. + "GOD has set everything right for us. Come! Let's tell the good news Back home in Zion. Let's tell what our GOD did to set things right. + "Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! GOD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, infecting them with war fever: 'Destroy Babylon!' GOD's on the warpath. He's out to avenge his Temple. + Give the signal to attack Babylon's walls. Station guards around the clock. Bring in reinforcements. Set men in ambush. GOD will do what he planned, what he said he'd do to the people of Babylon. + You have more water than you need, you have more money than you need-- But your life is over, your lifeline cut." + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has solemnly sworn: "I'll fill this place with soldiers. They'll swarm through here like locusts chanting victory songs over you." + By his power he made earth. His wisdom gave shape to the world. He crafted the cosmos. + He thunders and rain pours down. He sends the clouds soaring. He embellishes the storm with lightnings, launches the wind from his warehouse. + Stick-god worshipers look mighty foolish! god-makers embarrassed by their handmade gods! Their gods are frauds, dead sticks-- deadwood gods, tasteless jokes. + They're nothing but stale smoke. When the smoke clears, they're gone. + But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing; he put the whole universe together, With special attention to Israel. His name? GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! + God says, "You, Babylon, are my hammer, my weapon of war. I'll use you to smash godless nations, use you to knock kingdoms to bits. + I'll use you to smash horse and rider, use you to smash chariot and driver. + I'll use you to smash man and woman, use you to smash the old man and the boy. I'll use you to smash the young man and young woman, + use you to smash shepherd and sheep. I'll use you to smash farmer and yoked oxen, use you to smash governors and senators. + "Judeans, you'll see it with your own eyes. I'll pay Babylon and all the Chaldeans back for all the evil they did in Zion." GOD's Decree. + "I'm your enemy, Babylon, Mount Destroyer, you ravager of the whole earth. I'll reach out, I'll take you in my hand, and I'll crush you till there's no mountain left. I'll turn you into a gravel pit-- + no more cornerstones cut from you, No more foundation stones quarried from you! Nothing left of you but gravel." GOD's Decree. + "Raise the signal in the land, blow the shofar-trumpet for the nations. Consecrate the nations for holy work against her. Call kingdoms into service against her. Enlist Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a field marshal against her, and round up horses, locust hordes of horses! + Consecrate the nations for holy work against her-- the king of the Medes, his leaders and people. + "The very land trembles in terror, writhes in pain, terrorized by my plans against Babylon, Plans to turn the country of Babylon into a lifeless moonscape--a wasteland. + Babylon's soldiers have quit fighting. They hide out in ruins and caves-- Cowards who've given up without a fight, exposed as cowering milksops. Babylon's houses are going up in flames, the city gates torn off their hinges. + Runner after runner comes racing in, each on the heels of the last, Bringing reports to the king of Babylon that his city is a lost cause. + The fords of the rivers are all taken. Wildfire rages through the swamp grass. Soldiers desert left and right. + I, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, said it would happen: 'Daughter Babylon is a threshing floor at threshing time. Soon, oh very soon, her harvest will come and then the chaff will fly!' + "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon chewed up my people and spit out the bones. He wiped his dish clean, pushed back his chair, and belched--a huge gluttonous belch. + Lady Zion says, 'The brutality done to me be done to Babylon!' And Jerusalem says, 'The blood spilled from me be charged to the Chaldeans!' + Then I, GOD, step in and say, 'I'm on your side, taking up your cause. I'm your Avenger. You'll get your revenge. I'll dry up her rivers, plug up her springs. + Babylon will be a pile of rubble, scavenged by stray dogs and cats, A dumping ground for garbage, a godforsaken ghost town.' + "The Babylonians will be like lions and their cubs, ravenous, roaring for food. + I'll fix them a meal, all right--a banquet, in fact. They'll drink themselves falling-down drunk. Dead drunk, they'll sleep--and sleep, and sleep . . . and they'll never wake up." GOD's Decree. + "I'll haul these 'lions' off to the slaughterhouse like the lambs, rams, and goats, never to be heard of again. + "Babylon is finished-- the pride of the whole earth is flat on her face. What a comedown for Babylon, to end up inglorious in the sewer! + Babylon drowned in chaos, battered by waves of enemy soldiers. + Her towns stink with decay and rot, the land empty and bare and sterile. No one lives in these towns anymore. Travelers give them a wide berth. + I'll bring doom on the glutton god-Bel in Babylon. I'll make him vomit up all he gulped down. No more visitors stream into this place, admiring and gawking at the wonders of Babylon. The wonders of Babylon are no more. + Run for your lives, my dear people! Run, and don't look back! Get out of this place while you can, this place torched by GOD's raging anger. + Don't lose hope. Don't ever give up when the rumors pour in hot and heavy. One year it's this, the next year it's that-- rumors of violence, rumors of war. + Trust me, the time is coming when I'll put the no-gods of Babylon in their place. I'll show up the whole country as a sickening fraud, with dead bodies strewn all over the place. + Heaven and earth, angels and people, will throw a victory party over Babylon When the avenging armies from the north descend on her." GOD's Decree! + "Babylon must fall-- compensation for the war dead in Israel. Babylonians will be killed because of all that Babylonian killing. + But you exiles who have escaped a Babylonian death, get out! And fast! Remember GOD in your long and distant exile. Keep Jerusalem alive in your memory." + How we've been humiliated, taunted and abused, kicked around for so long that we hardly know who we are! And we hardly know what to think-- our old Sanctuary, GOD's house, desecrated by strangers. + "I know, but trust me: The time is coming" --GOD's Decree-- "When I will bring doom on her no-god idols, and all over this land her wounded will groan. + Even if Babylon climbed a ladder to the moon and pulled up the ladder so that no one could get to her, That wouldn't stop me. I'd make sure my avengers would reach her." GOD's Decree. + "But now listen! Do you hear it? A cry out of Babylon! An unearthly wail out of Chaldea! + GOD is taking his wrecking bar to Babylon. We'll be hearing the last of her noise-- Death throes like the crashing of waves, death rattles like the roar of cataracts. + The avenging destroyer is about to enter Babylon: Her soldiers are taken, her weapons are trashed. Indeed, GOD is a God who evens things out. All end up with their just deserts. + "I'll get them drunk, the whole lot of them-- princes, sages, governors, soldiers. Dead drunk, they'll sleep--and sleep and sleep . . . and never wake up." The King's Decree. His name? GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: "The city walls of Babylon--those massive walls!-- will be flattened. And those city gates--huge gates!-- will be set on fire. The harder you work at this empty life, the less you are. Nothing comes of ambition like this but ashes." + Jeremiah the prophet gave a job to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when Seraiah went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon. It was in the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign. Seraiah was in charge of travel arrangements. + Jeremiah had written down in a little booklet all the bad things that would come down on Babylon. + He told Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, read this out in public. + Read, 'You, O GOD, said that you would destroy this place so that nothing could live here, neither human nor animal--a wasteland to top all wastelands, an eternal nothing.' + "When you've finished reading the page, tie a stone to it, throw it into the River Euphrates, and watch it sink. + Then say, 'That's how Babylon will sink to the bottom and stay there after the disaster I'm going to bring upon her.'" + + + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah. Her hometown was Libnah. + As far as GOD was concerned, Zedekiah was just one more evil king, a carbon copy of Jehoiakim. + The source of all this doom to Jerusalem and Judah was GOD's anger. GOD turned his back on them as an act of judgment. Zedekiah revolted against the king of Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar set out for Jerusalem with a full army. He set up camp and sealed off the city by building siege mounds around it. + He arrived on the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah's reign. The city was under siege for nineteen months (until the eleventh year of Zedekiah). + By the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the famine was so bad that there wasn't so much as a crumb of bread for anyone. + Then the Babylonians broke through the city walls. Under cover of the night darkness, the entire Judean army fled through an opening in the wall (it was the gate between the two walls above the King's Garden). They slipped through the lines of the Babylonians who surrounded the city and headed for the Jordan into the Arabah Valley, + but the Babylonians were in full pursuit. They caught up with them in the Plains of Jericho. But by then Zedekiah's army had deserted and was scattered. + The Babylonians captured Zedekiah and marched him off to the king of Babylon at Riblah in Hamath, who tried and sentenced him on the spot. + The king of Babylon then killed Zedekiah's sons right before his eyes. The summary murder of his sons was the last thing Zedekiah saw, for they then blinded him. The king of Babylon followed that up by killing all the officials of Judah. + Securely handcuffed, Zedekiah was hauled off to Babylon. The king of Babylon threw him in prison, where he stayed until the day he died. + In the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon on the seventh day of the fifth month, Nebuzaradan, the king of Babylon's chief deputy, arrived in Jerusalem. + He burned the Temple of GOD to the ground, went on to the royal palace, and then finished off the city. He burned the whole place down. + He put the Babylonian troops he had with him to work knocking down the city walls. + Finally, he rounded up everyone left in the city, including those who had earlier deserted to the king of Babylon, and took them off into exile. + He left a few poor dirt farmers behind to tend the vineyards and what was left of the fields. + The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the bronze washstands, and the huge bronze basin (the Sea) that were in the Temple of GOD, and hauled the bronze off to Babylon. + They also took the various bronze-crafted liturgical accessories, as well as the gold and silver censers and sprinkling bowls, used in the services of Temple worship. + The king's deputy didn't miss a thing. He took every scrap of precious metal he could find. + The amount of bronze they got from the two pillars, the Sea, the twelve bronze bulls that supported the Sea, and the ten washstands that Solomon had made for the Temple of GOD was enormous. They couldn't weigh it all! + Each pillar stood twenty-seven feet high with a circumference of eighteen feet. The pillars were hollow, the bronze a little less than an inch thick. + Each pillar was topped with an ornate capital of bronze pomegranates and filigree, which added another seven and a half feet to its height. + There were ninety-six pomegranates evenly spaced--in all, a hundred pomegranates worked into the filigree. + The king's deputy took a number of special prisoners: Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the associate priest, three wardens, + the chief remaining army officer, seven of the king's counselors who happened to be in the city, the chief recruiting officer for the army, and sixty men of standing from among the people who were still there. + Nebuzaradan the king's deputy marched them all off to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon killed the lot of them in cold blood. Judah went into exile, orphaned from her land. + 3,023 men of Judah were taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in the seventh year of his reign. + 832 from Jerusalem were taken in the eighteenth year of his reign. + 745 men from Judah were taken off by Nebuzaradan, the king's chief deputy, in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year. The total number of exiles was 4,600. + When Jehoiachin king of Judah had been in exile for thirty-seven years, Evil-Merodach became king in Babylon and let Jehoiachin out of prison. This release took place on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month. + The king treated him most courteously and gave him preferential treatment beyond anything experienced by the political prisoners held in Babylon. + Jehoiachin took off his prison garb and from then on ate his meals in company with the king. + The king provided everything he needed to live comfortably for the rest of his life. + + + + + Oh, oh, oh . . . How empty the city, once teeming with people. A widow, this city, once in the front rank of nations, once queen of the ball, she's now a drudge in the kitchen. + She cries herself to sleep each night, tears soaking her pillow. No one's left among her lovers to sit and hold her hand. Her friends have all dumped her. + After years of pain and hard labor, Judah has gone into exile. She camps out among the nations, never feels at home. Hunted by all, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place. + Zion's roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts. All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair. Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate. + Her enemies have become her masters. Her foes are living it up because GOD laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Her children, prisoners of the enemy, trudge into exile. + All beauty has drained from Daughter Zion's face. Her princes are like deer famished for food, chased to exhaustion by hunters. + Jerusalem remembers the day she lost everything, when her people fell into enemy hands, and not a soul there to help. Enemies looked on and laughed, laughed at her helpless silence. + Jerusalem, who outsinned the whole world, is an outcast. All who admired her despise her now that they see beneath the surface. Miserable, she groans and turns away in shame. + She played fast and loose with life, she never considered tomorrow, and now she's crashed royally, with no one to hold her hand: "Look at my pain, O GOD! And how the enemy cruelly struts." + The enemy reached out to take all her favorite things. She watched as pagans barged into her Sanctuary, those very people for whom you posted orders: KEEP OUT: THIS ASSEMBLY OFF-LIMITS. + All the people groaned, so desperate for food, so desperate to stay alive that they bartered their favorite things for a bit of breakfast: "O GOD, look at me! Worthless, cheap, abject! + "And you passersby, look at me! Have you ever seen anything like this? Ever seen pain like my pain, seen what he did to me, what GOD did to me in his rage? + "He struck me with lightning, skewered me from head to foot, then he set traps all around so I could hardly move. He left me with nothing--left me sick, and sick of living. + "He wove my sins into a rope and harnessed me to captivity's yoke. I'm goaded by cruel taskmasters. + "The Master piled up my best soldiers in a heap, then called in thugs to break their fine young necks. The Master crushed the life out of fair virgin Judah. + "For all this I weep, weep buckets of tears, and not a soul within miles around cares for my soul. My children are wasted, my enemy got his way." + Zion reached out for help, but no one helped. GOD ordered Jacob's enemies to surround him, and now no one wants anything to do with Jerusalem. + "GOD has right on his side. I'm the one who did wrong. Listen everybody! Look at what I'm going through! My fair young women, my fine young men, all herded into exile! + "I called to my friends; they betrayed me. My priests and my leaders only looked after themselves, trying but failing to save their own skins. + "O GOD, look at the trouble I'm in! My stomach in knots, my heart wrecked by a life of rebellion. Massacres in the streets, starvation in the houses. + "Oh, listen to my groans. No one listens, no one cares. When my enemies heard of the trouble you gave me, they cheered. Bring on Judgment Day! Let them get what I got! + "Take a good look at their evil ways and give it to them! Give them what you gave me for my sins. Groaning in pain, body and soul, I've had all I can take." + + + Oh, oh, oh . . . How the Master has cut down Daughter Zion from the skies, dashed Israel's glorious city to earth, in his anger treated his favorite as throwaway junk. + The Master, without a second thought, took Israel in one gulp. Raging, he smashed Judah's defenses, made hash of her king and princes. + His anger blazing, he knocked Israel flat, broke Israel's arm and turned his back just as the enemy approached, came on Jacob like a wildfire from every direction. + Like an enemy, he aimed his bow, bared his sword, and killed our young men, our pride and joy. His anger, like fire, burned down the homes in Zion. + The Master became the enemy. He had Israel for supper. He chewed up and spit out all the defenses. He left Daughter Judah moaning and groaning. + He plowed up his old trysting place, trashed his favorite rendezvous. GOD wiped out Zion's memories of feast days and Sabbaths, angrily sacked king and priest alike. + GOD abandoned his altar, walked away from his holy Temple and turned the fortifications over to the enemy. As they cheered in GOD's Temple, you'd have thought it was a feast day! + GOD drew up plans to tear down the walls of Daughter Zion. He assembled his crew, set to work and went at it. Total demolition! The stones wept! + Her city gates, iron bars and all, disappeared in the rubble: her kings and princes off to exile--no one left to instruct or lead; her prophets useless--they neither saw nor heard anything from GOD. + The elders of Daughter Zion sit silent on the ground. They throw dust on their heads, dress in rough penitential burlap-- the young virgins of Jerusalem, their faces creased with the dirt. + My eyes are blind with tears, my stomach in a knot. My insides have turned to jelly over my people's fate. Babies and children are fainting all over the place, + Calling to their mothers, "I'm hungry! I'm thirsty!" then fainting like dying soldiers in the streets, breathing their last in their mothers' laps. + How can I understand your plight, dear Jerusalem? What can I say to give you comfort, dear Zion? Who can put you together again? This bust-up is past understanding. + Your prophets courted you with sweet talk. They didn't face you with your sin so that you could repent. Their sermons were all wishful thinking, deceptive illusions. + Astonished, passersby can't believe what they see. They rub their eyes, they shake their heads over Jerusalem. Is this the city voted "Most Beautiful" and "Best Place to Live"? + But now your enemies gape, slack-jawed. Then they rub their hands in glee: "We've got them! We've been waiting for this! Here it is!" + GOD did carry out, item by item, exactly what he said he'd do. He always said he'd do this. Now he's done it--torn the place down. He's let your enemies walk all over you, declared them world champions! + Give out heart-cries to the Master, dear repentant Zion. Let the tears roll like a river, day and night, and keep at it--no time-outs. Keep those tears flowing! + As each night watch begins, get up and cry out in prayer. Pour your heart out face to face with the Master. Lift high your hands. Beg for the lives of your children who are starving to death out on the streets. + "Look at us, GOD. Think it over. Have you ever treated anyone like this? Should women eat their own babies, the very children they raised? Should priests and prophets be murdered in the Master's own Sanctuary? + "Boys and old men lie in the gutters of the streets, my young men and women killed in their prime. Angry, you killed them in cold blood, cut them down without mercy. + "You invited, like friends to a party, men to swoop down in attack so that on the big day of GOD's wrath no one would get away. The children I loved and reared--gone, gone, gone." + + + I'm the man who has seen trouble, trouble coming from the lash of GOD's anger. + He took me by the hand and walked me into pitch-black darkness. + Yes, he's given me the back of his hand over and over and over again. + He turned me into a scarecrow of skin and bones, then broke the bones. + He hemmed me in, ganged up on me, poured on the trouble and hard times. + He locked me up in deep darkness, like a corpse nailed inside a coffin. + He shuts me in so I'll never get out, manacles my hands, shackles my feet. + Even when I cry out and plead for help, he locks up my prayers and throws away the key. + He sets up blockades with quarried limestone. He's got me cornered. + He's a prowling bear tracking me down, a lion in hiding ready to pounce. + He knocked me from the path and ripped me to pieces. When he finished, there was nothing left of me. + He took out his bow and arrows and used me for target practice. + He shot me in the stomach with arrows from his quiver. + Everyone took me for a joke, made me the butt of their mocking ballads. + He forced rotten, stinking food down my throat, bloated me with vile drinks. + He ground my face into the gravel. He pounded me into the mud. + I gave up on life altogether. I've forgotten what the good life is like. + I said to myself, "This is it. I'm finished. GOD is a lost cause." + I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. + I remember it all--oh, how well I remember-- the feeling of hitting the bottom. + But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: + GOD's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. + They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! + I'm sticking with GOD (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. + GOD proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. + It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from GOD. + It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. + When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. + Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. + Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. + Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. + If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. + He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way: + Stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, + Refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, + Tampering with evidence-- the Master does not approve of such things. + Who do you think "spoke and it happened"? It's the Master who gives such orders. + Doesn't the High God speak everything, good things and hard things alike, into being? + And why would anyone gifted with life complain when punished for sin? + Let's take a good look at the way we're living and reorder our lives under GOD. + Let's lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time, praying to God in heaven: + "We've been contrary and willful, and you haven't forgiven. + "You lost your temper with us, holding nothing back. You chased us and cut us down without mercy. + You wrapped yourself in thick blankets of clouds so no prayers could get through. + You treated us like dirty dishwater, threw us out in the backyard of the nations. + "Our enemies shout abuse, their mouths full of derision, spitting invective. + We've been to hell and back. We've nowhere to turn, nowhere to go. + Rivers of tears pour from my eyes at the smashup of my dear people. + "The tears stream from my eyes, an artesian well of tears, + Until you, GOD, look down from on high, look and see my tears. + When I see what's happened to the young women in the city, the pain breaks my heart. + "Enemies with no reason to be enemies hunted me down like a bird. + They threw me into a pit, then pelted me with stones. + Then the rains came and filled the pit. The water rose over my head. I said, 'It's all over.' + "I called out your name, O GOD, called from the bottom of the pit. + You listened when I called out, 'Don't shut your ears! Get me out of here! Save me!' + You came close when I called out. You said, 'It's going to be all right.' + "You took my side, Master; you brought me back alive! + GOD, you saw the wrongs heaped on me. Give me my day in court! + Yes, you saw their mean-minded schemes, their plots to destroy me. + "You heard, GOD, their vicious gossip, their behind-my-back plots to ruin me. + They never quit, these enemies of mine, dreaming up mischief, hatching out malice, day after day after day. + Sitting down or standing up--just look at them!-- they mock me with vulgar doggerel. + "Make them pay for what they've done, GOD. Give them their just deserts. + Break their miserable hearts! Damn their eyes! + Get good and angry. Hunt them down. Make a total demolition here under your heaven!" + + + Oh, oh, oh . . . How gold is treated like dirt, the finest gold thrown out with the garbage, Priceless jewels scattered all over, jewels loose in the gutters. + And the people of Zion, once prized, far surpassing their weight in gold, Are now treated like cheap pottery, like everyday pots and bowls mass-produced by a potter. + Even wild jackals nurture their babies, give them their breasts to suckle. But my people have turned cruel to their babies, like an ostrich in the wilderness. + Babies have nothing to drink. Their tongues stick to the roofs of their mouths. Little children ask for bread but no one gives them so much as a crust. + People used to the finest cuisine forage for food in the streets. People used to the latest in fashions pick through the trash for something to wear. + The evil guilt of my dear people was worse than the sin of Sodom-- The city was destroyed in a flash, and no one around to help. + The splendid and sacred nobles once glowed with health. Their bodies were robust and ruddy, their beards like carved stone. + But now they are smeared with soot, unrecognizable in the street, Their bones sticking out, their skin dried out like old leather. + Better to have been killed in battle than killed by starvation. Better to have died of battle wounds than to slowly starve to death. + Nice and kindly women boiled their own children for supper. This was the only food in town when my dear people were broken. + GOD let all his anger loose, held nothing back. He poured out his raging wrath. He set a fire in Zion that burned it to the ground. + The kings of the earth couldn't believe it. World rulers were in shock, Watching old enemies march in big as you please, right through Jerusalem's gates. + Because of the sins of her prophets and the evil of her priests, Who exploited good and trusting people, robbing them of their lives, + These prophets and priests blindly grope their way through the streets, grimy and stained from their dirty lives, Wasted by their wasted lives, shuffling from fatigue, dressed in rags. + People yell at them, "Get out of here, dirty old men! Get lost, don't touch us, don't infect us!" They have to leave town. They wander off. Nobody wants them to stay here. Everyone knows, wherever they wander, that they've been kicked out of their own hometown. + GOD himself scattered them. No longer does he look out for them. He has nothing to do with the priests; he cares nothing for the elders. + We watched and watched, wore our eyes out looking for help. And nothing. We mounted our lookouts and looked for the help that never showed up. + They tracked us down, those hunters. It wasn't safe to go out in the street. Our end was near, our days numbered. We were doomed. + They came after us faster than eagles in flight, pressed us hard in the mountains, ambushed us in the desert. + Our king, our life's breath, the anointed of GOD, was caught in their traps-- Our king under whose protection we always said we'd live. + Celebrate while you can, O Edom! Live it up in Uz! For it won't be long before you drink this cup, too. You'll find out what it's like to drink God's wrath, Get drunk on God's wrath and wake up with nothing, stripped naked. + And that's it for you, Zion. The punishment's complete. You won't have to go through this exile again. But Edom, your time is coming: He'll punish your evil life, put all your sins on display. + + + "Remember, GOD, all we've been through. Study our plight, the black mark we've made in history. + Our precious land has been given to outsiders, our homes to strangers. + Orphans we are, not a father in sight, and our mothers no better than widows. + We have to pay to drink our own water. Even our firewood comes at a price. + We're nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed, worn out and without any rest. + We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt just to get something to eat. + Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we're paying for the wrongs they did. + Slaves rule over us; there's no escape from their grip. + We risk our lives to gather food in the bandit-infested desert. + Our skin has turned black as an oven, dried out like old leather from the famine. + Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion, and our virgins in the cities of Judah. + They hanged our princes by their hands, dishonored our elders. + Strapping young men were put to women's work, mere boys forced to do men's work. + The city gate is empty of wise elders. Music from the young is heard no more. + All the joy is gone from our hearts. Our dances have turned into dirges. + The crown of glory has toppled from our head. Woe! Woe! Would that we'd never sinned! + Because of all this we're heartsick; we can't see through the tears. + On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined, jackals pace and prowl. + And yet, GOD, you're sovereign still, your throne intact and eternal. + So why do you keep forgetting us? Why dump us and leave us like this? + Bring us back to you, GOD--we're ready to come back. Give us a fresh start. + As it is, you've cruelly disowned us. You've been so very angry with us." + + + + + When I was thirty years of age, I was living with the exiles on the Kebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the sky opened up and I saw visions of God. + (It was the fifth day of the month in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin + that GOD's Word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, on the banks of the Kebar River in the country of Babylon. GOD's hand came upon him that day.) + I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze. + Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being, + but each also had four faces and four wings. + Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze. + On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings, + with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward. + Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle. + So much for the faces. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body. + Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn't turn as they went. + The four creatures looked like a blazing fire, or like fiery torches. Tongues of fire shot back and forth between the creatures, and out of the fire, bolts of lightning. + The creatures flashed back and forth like strikes of lightning. + As I watched the four creatures, I saw something that looked like a wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. + This is what the wheels looked like: They were identical wheels, sparkling like diamonds in the sun. It looked like they were wheels within wheels, like a gyroscope. + They went in any one of the four directions they faced, but straight, not veering off. + The rims were immense, circled with eyes. + When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off. + Wherever the spirit went, they went, the wheels sticking right with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. + When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; when the creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. + Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome, shimmering like a sky full of cut glass, vaulted over their heads. + Under the dome one set of wings was extended toward the others, with another set of wings covering their bodies. + When they moved I heard their wings--it was like the roar of a great waterfall, like the voice of The Strong God, like the noise of a battlefield. When they stopped, they folded their wings. + And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads. + Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne. + From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere! + The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day--that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of GOD! When I saw all this, I fell to my knees, my face to the ground. Then I heard a voice. + + + It said, "Son of man, stand up. I have something to say to you." + The moment I heard the voice, the Spirit entered me and put me on my feet. As he spoke to me, I listened. + He said, "Son of man, I'm sending you to the family of Israel, a rebellious nation if there ever was one. They and their ancestors have fomented rebellion right up to the present. + They're a hard case, these people to whom I'm sending you--hardened in their sin. Tell them, 'This is the Message of GOD, the Master.' + They are a defiant bunch. Whether or not they listen, at least they'll know that a prophet's been here. + But don't be afraid of them, son of man, and don't be afraid of anything they say. Don't be afraid when living among them is like stepping on thorns or finding scorpions in your bed. Don't be afraid of their mean words or their hard looks. They're a bunch of rebels. + Your job is to speak to them. Whether they listen is not your concern. They're hardened rebels. + "Only take care, son of man, that you don't rebel like these rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give you." + When I looked he had his hand stretched out to me, and in the hand a book, a scroll. + He unrolled the scroll. On both sides, front and back, were written lamentations and mourning and doom. + + + He told me, "Son of man, eat what you see. Eat this book. Then go and speak to the family of Israel." + As I opened my mouth, he gave me the scroll to eat, + saying, "Son of man, eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!" So I ate it. It tasted so good--just like honey. + Then he told me, "Son of man, go to the family of Israel and speak my Message. + Look, I'm not sending you to a people who speak a hard-to-learn language with words you can hardly pronounce. + If I had sent you to such people, their ears would have perked up and they would have listened immediately. + "But it won't work that way with the family of Israel. They won't listen to you because they won't listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. + But I'll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. + I'll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don't let them intimidate you. Don't be afraid of them, even though they're a bunch of rebels." + Then he said, "Son of man, get all these words that I'm giving you inside you. Listen to them obediently. Make them your own. + And now go. Go to the exiles, your people, and speak. Tell them, 'This is the Message of GOD, the Master.' Speak your piece, whether they listen or not." + Then the Spirit picked me up. Behind me I heard a great commotion--"Blessed be the Glory of GOD in his Sanctuary!"-- + the wings of the living creatures beating against each other, the whirling wheels, the rumble of a great earthquake. + The Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went bitterly and angrily. I didn't want to go. But GOD had me in his grip. + I arrived among the exiles who lived near the Kebar River at Tel Aviv. I came to where they were living and sat there for seven days, appalled. + At the end of the seven days, I received this Message from GOD: + "Son of man, I've made you a watchman for the family of Israel. Whenever you hear me say something, warn them for me. + If I say to the wicked, 'You are going to die,' and you don't sound the alarm warning them that it's a matter of life or death, they will die and it will be your fault. I'll hold you responsible. + But if you warn the wicked and they keep right on sinning anyway, they'll most certainly die for their sin, but you won't die. You'll have saved your life. + "And if the righteous turn back from living righteously and take up with evil when I step in and put them in a hard place, they'll die. If you haven't warned them, they'll die because of their sins, and none of the right things they've done will count for anything--and I'll hold you responsible. + But if you warn these righteous people not to sin and they listen to you, they'll live because they took the warning--and again, you'll have saved your life." + GOD grabbed me by the shoulder and said, "Get up. Go out on the plain. I want to talk with you." + So I got up and went out on the plain. I couldn't believe my eyes: the Glory of GOD! Right there! It was like the Glory I had seen at the Kebar River. I fell to the ground, prostrate. + Then the Spirit entered me and put me on my feet. He said, "Go home and shut the door behind you." + And then something odd: "Son of man: They'll tie you hand and foot with ropes so you can't leave the house. + I'll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so you won't be able to talk and tell the people what they're doing wrong, even though they are a bunch of rebels. + "But then when the time is ripe, I'll free your tongue and you'll say, 'This is what GOD, the Master, says: . . .' From then on it's up to them. They can listen or not listen, whichever they like. They are a bunch of rebels! + + + "Now, son of man, take a brick and place it before you. Draw a picture of the city Jerusalem on it. + Then make a model of a military siege against the brick: Build siege walls, construct a ramp, set up army camps, lay in battering rams around it. + Then get an iron skillet and place it upright between you and the city--an iron wall. Face the model: The city shall be under siege and you shall be the besieger. This is a sign to the family of Israel. + "Next lie on your left side and place the sin of the family of Israel on yourself. You will bear their sin for as many days as you lie on your side. + The number of days you bear their sin will match the number of years of their sin, namely, 390. For 390 days you will bear the sin of the family of Israel. + "Then, after you have done this, turn over and lie down on your right side and bear the sin of the family of Judah. Your assignment this time is to lie there for forty days, a day for each year of their sin. + Look straight at the siege of Jerusalem. Roll up your sleeve, shake your bare arm, and preach against her. + "I will tie you up with ropes, tie you so you can't move or turn over until you have finished the days of the siege. + "Next I want you to take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, dried millet and spelt, and mix them in a bowl to make a flat bread. This is your food ration for the 390 days you lie on your side. + Measure out about half a pound for each day and eat it on schedule. + Also measure out your daily ration of about a pint of water and drink it on schedule. + Eat the bread as you would a muffin. Bake the muffins out in the open where everyone can see you, using dried human dung for fuel." + GOD said, "This is what the people of Israel are going to do: Among the pagan nations where I will drive them, they will eat foods that are strictly taboo to a holy people." + I said, "GOD, my Master! Never! I've never contaminated myself with food like that. Since my youth I've never eaten anything forbidden by law, nothing found dead or violated by wild animals. I've never taken a single bite of forbidden food." + "All right," he said. "I'll let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human dung." + Then he said to me, "Son of man, I'm going to cut off all food from Jerusalem. The people will live on starvation rations, worrying where the next meal's coming from, scrounging for the next drink of water. + Famine conditions. People will look at one another, see nothing but skin and bones, and shake their heads. This is what sin does." + + + "Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a straight razor, shaving your head and your beard. Then, using a set of balancing scales, divide the hair into thirds. + When the days of the siege are over, take one-third of the hair and burn it inside the city. Take another third, chop it into bits with the sword and sprinkle it around the city. The final third you'll throw to the wind. Then I'll go after them with a sword. + "Retrieve a few of the hairs and slip them into your pocket. + Take some of them and throw them into the fire--burn them up. From them, fire will spread to the whole family of Israel. + "This is what GOD, the Master, says: This means Jerusalem. I set her at the center of the world, all the nations ranged around her. + But she rebelled against my laws and ordinances, rebelled far worse than the nations ranged around her--sheer wickedness!--refused my guidance, ignored my directions. + "Therefore this is what GOD, the Master, says: You've been more headstrong and willful than any of the nations around you, refusing my guidance, ignoring my directions. You've sunk to the gutter level of those around you. + "Therefore this is what GOD, the Master, says: I'm setting myself against you--yes, against you, Jerusalem. I'm going to punish you in full sight of the nations. + Because of your disgusting no-god idols, I'm going to do something to you that I've never done before and will never do again: + turn families into cannibals--parents eating children, children eating parents! Punishment indeed. And whoever's left over I'll throw to the winds. + "Therefore, as sure as I am the living God--Decree of GOD, the Master--because you've polluted my Sanctuary with your obscenities and disgusting no-god idols, I'm pulling out. Not an ounce of pity will I show you. + A third of your people will die of either disease or hunger inside the city, a third will be killed outside the city, and a third will be thrown to the winds and chased by killers. + "Only then will I calm down and let my anger cool. Then you'll know that I was serious about this all along, that I'm a jealous God and not to be trifled with. + "When I get done with you, you'll be a pile of rubble. Nations who walk by will make coarse jokes. + When I finish my angry punishment and searing rebukes, you'll be reduced to an object of ridicule and mockery, turned into a horror story circulating among the surrounding nations. I, GOD, have spoken. + "When I shoot my lethal famine arrows at you, I'll shoot to kill. Then I'll step up the famine and cut off food supplies. + Famine and more famine--and then I'll send in the wild animals to finish off your children. Epidemic disease, unrestrained murder, death--and I will have sent it! I, GOD, have spoken." + + + Then the Word of GOD came to me: + "Son of man, now turn and face the mountains of Israel and preach against them + : 'O Mountains of Israel, listen to the Message of GOD, the Master. GOD, the Master, speaks to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I'm about to destroy your sacred god and goddess shrines. + I'll level your altars, bust up your sun-god pillars, and kill your people as they bow down to your no-god idols. + I'll stack the dead bodies of Israelites in front of your idols and then scatter your bones around your shrines. + Every place where you've lived, the towns will be torn down and the pagan shrines demolished--altars busted up, idols smashed, all your custom-made sun-god pillars in ruins. + Corpses everywhere you look! Then you'll know that I am GOD. + "'But I'll let a few escape the killing as you are scattered through other lands and nations. + In the foreign countries where they're taken as prisoners of war, they'll remember me. They'll realize how devastated I was by their betrayals, by their voracious lust for gratifying themselves in their idolatries. They'll be disgusted with their evil ways, disgusting to God in the way they've lived. + They'll know that I am GOD. They'll know that my judgment against them was no empty threat. + "'This is what GOD, the Master, says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, yell out, "No, no, no!" because of all the evil obscenities rife in Israel. They're going to be killed, dying of hunger, dying of disease-- + death everywhere you look, people dropping like flies, people far away dying, people nearby dying, and whoever's left in the city starving to death. Why? Because I'm angry, furiously angry. + They'll realize that I am GOD when they see their people's corpses strewn over and around all their ruined sex-and-religion shrines on the bare hills and in the lush fertility groves, in all the places where they indulged their sensual rites. + I'll bring my hand down hard on them, demolish the country wherever they live, turn it into wasteland from one end to the other, from the wilderness to Riblah. Then they'll know that I am GOD!'" + + + GOD's Word came to me, saying, + "You, son of man--GOD, the Master, has this Message for the land of Israel: "'Endtime. The end of business as usual for everyone. + It's all over. The end is upon you. I've launched my anger against you. I've issued my verdict on the way you live. I'll make you pay for your disgusting obscenities. + I won't look the other way, I won't feel sorry for you. I'll make you pay for the way you've lived: Your disgusting obscenities will boomerang on you, and you'll realize that I am GOD.' + "I, GOD, the Master, say: 'Disaster after disaster! Look, it comes! + Endtime-- the end comes. The end is ripe. Watch out, it's coming! + This is your fate, you who live in this land. Time's up. It's zero hour. No dragging of feet now, no bargaining for more time. + Soon now I'll pour my wrath on you, pay out my anger against you, Render my verdict on the way you've lived, make you pay for your disgusting obscenities. + I won't look the other way, I won't feel sorry for you. I'll make you pay for the way you've lived. Your disgusting obscenities will boomerang on you. Then you'll realize that it is I, GOD, who has hit you. + "'Judgment Day! Fate has caught up with you. The scepter outsized and pretentious, pride bursting all bounds, + Violence strutting, brandishing the evil scepter. But there's nothing to them, and nothing will be left of them. + Time's up. Countdown: five, four, three, two . . . Buyer, don't crow; seller, don't worry: Judgment wrath has turned the world topsy-turvy. + The bottom has dropped out of buying and selling. It will never be the same again. But don't fantasize an upturn in the market. The country is bankrupt because of its sins, and it's not going to get any better. + "'The trumpet signals the call to battle: "Present arms!" But no one marches into battle. My wrath has them paralyzed! + On the open roads you're killed, or else you go home and die of hunger and disease. Either get murdered out in the country or die of sickness or hunger in town. + Survivors run for the hills. They moan like doves in the valleys, Each one moaning for his own sins. + "'Every hand hangs limp, every knee turns to rubber. + They dress in rough burlap-- sorry scarecrows, Shifty and shamefaced, with their heads shaved bald. + "'They throw their money into the gutters. Their hard-earned cash stinks like garbage. They find that it won't buy a thing they either want or need on Judgment Day. They tripped on money and fell into sin. + Proud and pretentious with their jewels, they deck out their vile and vulgar no-gods in finery. I'll make those god-obscenities a stench in their nostrils. + I'll give away their religious junk-- strangers will pick it up for free, the godless spit on it and make jokes. + I'll turn my face so I won't have to look as my treasured place and people are violated, As violent strangers walk in and desecrate place and people-- + A bloody massacre, as crime and violence fill the city. + I'll bring in the dregs of humanity to move into their houses. I'll put a stop to the boasting and strutting of the high-and-mighty, And see to it that there'll be nothing holy left in their holy places. + Catastrophe descends. They look for peace, but there's no peace to be found-- + Disaster on the heels of disaster, one rumor after another. They clamor for the prophet to tell them what's up, but nobody knows anything. Priests don't have a clue; the elders don't know what to say. + The king holds his head in despair; the prince is devastated. The common people are paralyzed. Gripped by fear, they can't move. I'll deal with them where they are, judge them on their terms. They'll know that I am GOD.'" + + + In the sixth year, in the sixth month and the fifth day, while I was sitting at home meeting with the leaders of Judah, it happened that the hand of my Master, GOD, gripped me. + When I looked, I was astonished. What I saw looked like a man--from the waist down like fire and from the waist up like highly burnished bronze. + He reached out what looked like a hand and grabbed me by the hair. The Spirit swept me high in the air and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple's inside court where the image of the sex goddess that makes God so angry had been set up. + Right before me was the Glory of the God of Israel, exactly like the vision I had seen out on the plain. + He said to me, "Son of man, look north." I looked north and saw it: Just north of the entrance loomed the altar of the sex goddess, Asherah, that makes God so angry. + Then he said, "Son of man, do you see what they're doing? Outrageous obscenities! And doing them right here! It's enough to drive me right out of my own Temple. But you're going to see worse yet." + He brought me to the door of the Temple court. I looked and saw a gaping hole in the wall. + He said, "Son of man, dig through the wall." I dug through the wall and came upon a door. + He said, "Now walk through the door and take a look at the obscenities they're engaging in." + I entered and looked. I couldn't believe my eyes: Painted all over the walls were pictures of reptiles and animals and monsters--the whole pantheon of Egyptian gods and goddesses--being worshiped by Israel. + In the middle of the room were seventy of the leaders of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in the middle. Each held his censer with the incense rising in a fragrant cloud. + He said, "Son of man, do you see what the elders are doing here in the dark, each one before his favorite god-picture? They tell themselves, 'GOD doesn't see us. GOD has forsaken the country.'" + Then he said, "You're going to see worse yet." + He took me to the entrance at the north gate of the Temple of GOD. I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz, the Babylonian fertility god. + He said, "Have you gotten an eyeful, son of man? You're going to see worse yet." + Finally, he took me to the inside court of the Temple of GOD. There between the porch and the altar were about twenty-five men. Their backs were to GOD's Temple. They were facing east, bowing in worship to the sun. + He said, "Have you seen enough, son of man? Isn't it bad enough that Judah engages in these outrageous obscenities? They fill the country with violence and now provoke me even further with their obscene gestures. + That's it. They have an angry God on their hands! From now on, no mercy. They can shout all they want, but I'm not listening." + + + Then I heard him call out loudly, "Executioners, come! And bring your deadly weapons with you." + Six men came down the road from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying his lethal weapon. With them was a man dressed in linen with a writing case slung from his shoulder. They entered and stood by the bronze altar. + The Glory of the God of Israel ascended from his usual place above the cherubim-angels, moved to the threshold of the Temple, and called to the man with the writing case who was dressed in linen: + "Go through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is in anguish over the outrageous obscenities being done in the city." + I listened as he went on to address the executioners: "Follow him through the city and kill. Feel sorry for no one. Show no compassion. + Kill old men and women, young men and women, mothers and children. But don't lay a hand on anyone with the mark. Start at my Temple." They started with the leaders in front of the Temple. + He told the executioners, "Desecrate the Temple. Fill it with corpses. Then go out and continue the killing." + So they went out and struck the city. While the massacre went forward, I was left alone. I fell on my face in prayer: "Oh, oh, GOD, my Master! Are you going to kill everyone left in Israel in this pouring out of your anger on Jerusalem?" + He said, "The guilt of Israel and Judah is enormous. The land is swollen with murder. The city is bloated with injustice. They all say, 'GOD has forsaken the country. He doesn't see anything we do.' + Well, I do see, and I'm not feeling sorry for any of them. They're going to pay for what they've done." + Just then, the man dressed in linen and carrying the writing case came back and reported, "I've done what you told me." + + + When I next looked, oh! Above the dome over the heads of the cherubim-angels was what looked like a throne, sky-blue, like a sapphire! + GOD said to the man dressed in linen, "Enter the place of the wheels under the cherubim-angels. Fill your hands with burning coals from beneath the cherubim and scatter them over the city." I watched as he entered. + The cherubim were standing on the south side of the Temple when the man entered. A cloud filled the inside courtyard. + Then the Glory of GOD ascended from the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the Temple. The cloud filled the Temple. Court and Temple were both filled with the blazing presence of the Glory of GOD. + And the sound! The wings of the cherubim were audible all the way to the outer court--the sound of the voice was like The Strong God in thunder. + When GOD commanded the man dressed in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from between the cherubim," he went in and stood beside a wheel. + One of the cherubim reached into the fire, took some coals, and put them in the hands of the man dressed in linen. He took them and went out. + Something that looked like a human hand could be seen under the wings of the cherubim. + And then I saw four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub. The wheels radiating were sparkling like diamonds in the sun. + All four wheels looked alike, each like a wheel within a wheel. + When they moved, they went in any of the four directions but in a perfectly straight line. Where the cherubim went, the wheels went straight ahead. + The cherubim were full of eyes in their backs, hands, and wings. The wheels likewise were full of eyes. + I heard the wheels called "wheels within wheels." + Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first, of an angel; the second, a human; the third, a lion; the fourth, an eagle. + Then the cherubim ascended. They were the same living creatures I had seen at the Kebar River. + When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved. When the cherubim spread their wings to take off from the ground, the wheels stayed right with them. + When the cherubim stopped, the wheels stopped. When the cherubim rose, the wheels rose, because the spirit of the living creatures was also in the wheels. + Then the Glory of GOD left the Temple entrance and hovered over the cherubim. + I watched as the cherubim spread their wings and left the ground, the wheels right with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Temple. The Glory of the God of Israel was above them. + These were the same living creatures I had seen previously beneath the God of Israel at the Kebar River. I recognized them as cherubim. + Each had four faces and four wings. Under their wings was what looked like human hands. + Their faces looked exactly like those I had seen at the Kebar River. Each went straight ahead. + + + Then the Spirit picked me up and took me to the gate of the Temple that faces east. There were twenty-five men standing at the gate. I recognized the leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. + GOD said, "Son of man, these are the men who draw up blueprints for sin, who think up new programs for evil in this city. + They say, 'We can make anything happen here. We're the best. We're the choice pieces of meat in the soup pot.' + "Oppose them, son of man. Preach against them." + Then the Spirit of GOD came upon me and told me what to say: "This is what GOD says: 'That's a fine public speech, Israel, but I know what you are thinking. + You've murdered a lot of people in this city. The streets are piled high with corpses.' + "Therefore this is what GOD, the Master, says: 'The corpses that you've piled in the streets are the meat and this city is the soup pot, and you're not even in the pot! I'm throwing you out! + You fear war, but war is what you're going to get. I'm bringing war against you. + I'm throwing you out of this city, giving you over to foreigners, and punishing you good. + You'll be killed in battle. I'll carry out judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you'll realize that I am GOD. + This city will not be your soup pot and you won't be the choice pieces of meat in it either. Hardly. I will carry out judgment on you at the borders of Israel + and you'll realize that I am GOD, for you haven't followed my statutes and ordinances. Instead of following my ways, you've sunk to the level of the laws of the nations around you.'" + Even while I was preaching, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. I fell down, face to the ground, and prayed loudly, "O Master, GOD! Will you completely wipe out what's left of Israel?" + The answer from GOD came back: + "Son of man, your brothers--I mean the whole people of Israel who are in exile with you--are the people of whom the citizens of Jerusalem are saying, 'They're in the far country, far from GOD. This land has been given to us to own.' + "Well, tell them this: 'This is your Message from GOD, the Master. True, I sent you to the far country and scattered you through other lands. All the same, I've provided you a temporary sanctuary in the countries where you've gone. + I will gather you back from those countries and lands where you've been scattered and give you back the land of Israel. + You'll come back and clean house, throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols. + I'll give you a new heart. I'll put a new spirit in you. I'll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart. + Then you'll obey my statutes and be careful to obey my commands. You'll be my people! I'll be your God! + "'But not those who are self-willed and addicted to their rotten images and obscene idols! I'll see that they're paid in full for what they've done.' Decree of GOD, the Master." + Then the cherubim spread their wings, with the wheels beside them and the Glory of the God of Israel hovering over them. + The Glory of GOD ascended from within the city and rested on the mountain to the east of the city. + Then, still in the vision given me by the Spirit of God, the Spirit took me and carried me back to the exiles in Babylon. And then the vision left me. + I told the exiles everything that GOD had shown me. + + + God's Message came to me: + "Son of man, you're living with a bunch of rebellious people. They have eyes but don't see a thing, they have ears but don't hear a thing. They're rebels all. + So, son of man, pack up your exile duffel bags. Leave in broad daylight with everyone watching and go off, as if into exile. Maybe then they'll understand what's going on, rebels though they are. + You'll take up your baggage while they watch, a bundle of the bare necessities of someone going into exile, and toward evening leave, just like a person going off into exile. + As they watch, dig through the wall of the house and carry your bundle through it. + In full sight of the people, put the bundle on your shoulder and walk out into the night. Cover your face so you won't have to look at what you'll never see again. I'm using you as a sign for the family of Israel." + I did exactly as he commanded me. I got my stuff together and brought it out in the street where everyone could see me, bundled it up the way someone being taken off into exile would, and then, as the sun went down, made a hole in the wall of the house with my hands. As it grew dark and as they watched, I left, throwing my bundle across my shoulders. + The next morning GOD spoke to me: + "Son of man, when anyone in Israel, that bunch of rebels, asks you, 'What are you doing?' + Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says that this Message especially concerns the prince in Jerusalem--Zedekiah--but includes all the people of Israel.' + "Also tell them, 'I am drawing a picture for you. As I am now doing, it will be done to all the people of Israel. They will go into exile as captives.' + "The prince will put his bundle on his shoulders in the dark and leave. He'll dig through the wall of the house, covering his face so he won't have to look at the land he'll never see again. + But I'll make sure he gets caught and is taken to Babylon. Blinded, he'll never see that land in which he'll die. + I'll scatter to the four winds those who helped him escape, along with his troops, and many will die in battle. + They'll realize that I am GOD when I scatter them among foreign countries. + "I'll permit a few of them to escape the killing, starvation, and deadly sickness so that they can confess among the foreign countries all the disgusting obscenities they've been involved in. They will realize that I am GOD." + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, eat your meals shaking in your boots, drink your water trembling with fear. + Tell the people of this land, everyone living in Jerusalem and Israel, GOD's Message: 'You'll eat your meals shaking in your boots and drink your water in terror because your land is going to be stripped bare as punishment for the brutality rampant in it. + All the cities and villages will be emptied out and the fields destroyed. Then you'll realize that I am GOD.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, what's this proverb making the rounds in the land of Israel that says, 'Everything goes on the same as ever; all the prophetic warnings are false alarms'? + "Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says, This proverb's going to have a short life!' "Tell them, 'Time's about up. Every warning is about to come true. + False alarms and easygoing preaching are a thing of the past in the life of Israel. + I, GOD, am doing the speaking. What I say happens. None of what I say is on hold. What I say, I'll do--and soon, you rebels!' Decree of God the Master." + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, do you hear what Israel is saying: that the alarm the prophet raises is for a long time off, that he's preaching about the far-off future? + Well, tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says, "Nothing of what I say is on hold. What I say happens."' Decree of GOD, the Master." + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, preach against the prophets of Israel who are making things up out of their own heads and calling it 'prophesying.' "Preach to them the real thing. Tell them, 'Listen to GOD's Message!' + GOD, the Master, pronounces doom on the empty-headed prophets who do their own thing and know nothing of what's going on! + Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals scavenging through the ruins. + They haven't lifted a finger to repair the defenses of the city and have risked nothing to help Israel stand on GOD's Day of Judgment. + All they do is fantasize comforting illusions and preach lying sermons. They say 'GOD says . . .' when GOD hasn't so much as breathed in their direction. And yet they stand around thinking that something they said is going to happen. + "Haven't you fantasized sheer nonsense? Aren't your sermons tissues of lies, saying 'GOD says . . .' when I've done nothing of the kind? + Therefore--and this is the Message of GOD, the Master, remember--I'm dead set against prophets who substitute illusions for visions and use sermons to tell lies. + I'm going to ban them from the council of my people, remove them from membership in Israel, and outlaw them from the land of Israel. Then you'll realize that I am GOD, the Master. + "The fact is that they've lied to my people. They've said, 'No problem; everything's just fine,' when things are not at all fine. When people build a wall, they're right behind them slapping on whitewash. + Tell those who are slapping on the whitewash, 'When a torrent of rain comes and the hailstones crash down and the hurricane sweeps in + and the wall collapses, what's the good of the whitewash that you slapped on so liberally, making it look so good?' + "And that's exactly what will happen. I, GOD, the Master, say so: 'I'll let the hurricane of my wrath loose, a torrent of my hailstone-anger. + I'll make that wall you've slapped with whitewash collapse. I'll level it to the ground so that only the foundation stones will be left. And in the ruin you'll all die. You'll realize then that I am GOD. + "'I'll dump my wrath on that wall, all of it, and on those who plastered it with whitewash. I will say to them, There is no wall, and those who did such a good job of whitewashing it wasted their time, + those prophets of Israel who preached to Jerusalem and announced all their visions telling us things were just fine when they weren't at all fine. Decree of GOD, the Master.' + "And the women prophets--son of man, take your stand against the women prophets who make up stuff out of their own minds. Oppose them. + Say 'Doom' to the women who sew magic bracelets and head scarves to suit every taste, devices to trap souls. Say, 'Will you kill the souls of my people, use living souls to make yourselves rich and popular? + You have profaned me among my people just to get ahead yourselves, used me to make yourselves look good--killing souls who should never have died and coddling souls who shouldn't live. You've lied to people who love listening to lies.' + "Therefore GOD says, 'I am against all the devices and techniques you use to hunt down souls. I'll rip them out of your hands. I'll free the souls you're trying to catch. + I'll rip your magic bracelets and scarves to shreds and deliver my people from your influence so they'll no longer be victimized by you. That's how you'll come to realize that I am GOD. + "'Because you've confounded and confused good people, unsuspecting and innocent people, with your lies, and because you've made it easy for others to persist in evil so that it wouldn't even dawn on them to turn to me so I could save them, + as of now you're finished. No more delusion-mongering from you, no more sermonic lies. I'm going to rescue my people from your clutches. And you'll realize that I am GOD.'" + + + Some of the leaders of Israel approached me and sat down with me. + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of Man, these people have installed idols in their hearts. They have embraced the wickedness that will ruin them. Why should I even bother with their prayers? + Therefore tell them, 'The Message of GOD, the Master: All in Israel who install idols in their hearts and embrace the wickedness that will ruin them and still have the gall to come to a prophet, be on notice: I, GOD, will step in and personally answer them as they come dragging along their mob of idols. + I am ready to go to work on the hearts of the house of Israel, all of whom have left me for their idols.' + "Therefore, say to the house of Israel: 'GOD, the Master, says, Repent! Turn your backs on your no-god idols. Turn your backs on all your outrageous obscenities. + To every last person from the house of Israel, including any of the resident aliens who live in Israel--all who turn their backs on me and embrace idols, who install the wickedness that will ruin them at the center of their lives and then have the gall to go to the prophet to ask me questions--I, GOD, will step in and give the answer myself. + I'll oppose those people to their faces, make an example of them--a warning lesson--and get rid of them so you will realize that I am GOD. + "'If a prophet is deceived and tells these idolaters the lies they want to hear, I, GOD, get blamed for those lies. He won't get by with it. I'll grab him by the scruff of the neck and get him out of there. + They'll be equally guilty, the prophet and the one who goes to the prophet, + so that the house of Israel will never again wander off my paths and make themselves filthy in their rebellions, but will rather be my people, just as I am their God. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, when a country sins against me by living faithlessly and I reach out and destroy its food supply by bringing on a famine, wiping out humans and animals alike, + even if Noah, Daniel, and Job--the Big Three--were alive at the time, it wouldn't do the population any good. Their righteousness would only save their own lives." Decree of GOD, the Master. + "Or, if I make wild animals go through the country so that everyone has to leave and the country becomes wilderness and no one dares enter it anymore because of the wild animals, + even if these three men were living there, as sure as I am the living God, neither their sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only those three, and the country would revert to wilderness. + "Or, if I bring war on that country and give the order, 'Let the killing begin!' leaving both people and animals dead, + even if those three men were alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, neither sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only these three. + "Or, if I visit a deadly disease on that country, pouring out my lethal anger, killing both people and animals, + and Noah, Daniel, and Job happened to be alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, not a son, not a daughter, would be rescued. Only these three would be delivered because of their righteousness. + "Now then, that's the picture," says GOD, the Master, "once I've sent my four catastrophic judgments on Jerusalem--war, famine, wild animals, disease--to kill off people and animals alike. But look! + Believe it or not, there'll be survivors. Some of their sons and daughters will be brought out. When they come out to you and their salvation is right in your face, you'll see for yourself the life they've been saved from. You'll know that this severe judgment I brought on Jerusalem was worth it, that it had to be. + Yes, when you see in detail the kind of lives they've been living, you'll feel much better. You'll see the reason behind all that I've done in Jerusalem." Decree of GOD, the Master. + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, how would you compare the wood of a vine with the branches of any tree you'd find in the forest? + Is vine wood ever used to make anything? Is it used to make pegs to hang things from? + "I don't think so. At best it's good for fuel. Look at it: a flimsy piece of vine, thrown in the fire and then rescued--the ends burned off and the middle charred. Now is it good for anything? + "Hardly. When it was whole it wasn't good for anything. Half-burned is no improvement. What's it good for? + "So here's the Message of GOD, the Master: Like the wood of the vine I selected from among the trees of the forest and used as fuel for the fire, just so I'll treat those who live in Jerusalem. + I am dead set against them. Even though at one time they got out of the fire charred, the fire's going to burn them up. When I take my stand against them, you'll realize that I am GOD. + I'll turn this country into a wilderness because they've been faithless." Decree of GOD, the Master. + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her outrageous violations. + Say this: 'The Message of GOD, the Master, to Jerusalem: You were born and bred among Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. + "'On the day you were born your umbilical cord was not cut, you weren't bathed and cleaned up, you weren't rubbed with salt, you weren't wrapped in a baby blanket. + No one cared a fig for you. No one did one thing to care for you tenderly in these ways. You were thrown out into a vacant lot and left there, dirty and unwashed--a newborn nobody wanted. + "'And then I came by. I saw you all miserable and bloody. Yes, I said to you, lying there helpless and filthy, "Live! + Grow up like a plant in the field!" And you did. You grew up. You grew tall and matured as a woman, full-breasted, with flowing hair. But you were naked and vulnerable, fragile and exposed. + "'I came by again and saw you, saw that you were ready for love and a lover. I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, GOD, the Master, gave my word. You became mine. + I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils. + I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. + I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, + emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tiara. + You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! + You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "'But your beauty went to your head and you became a common whore, grabbing anyone coming down the street and taking him into your bed. + You took your fine dresses and made "tents" of them, using them as brothels in which you practiced your trade. This kind of thing should never happen, never. + "'And then you took all that fine jewelry I gave you, my gold and my silver, and made pornographic images of them for your brothels. + You decorated your beds with fashionable silks and cottons, and perfumed them with my aromatic oils and incense. + And then you set out the wonderful foods I provided--the fresh breads and fruits, with fine herbs and spices, which were my gifts to you--and you served them as delicacies in your whorehouses. That's what happened, says GOD, the Master. + "'And then you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had given birth to as my children, and you killed them, sacrificing them to idols. Wasn't it bad enough that you had become a whore? + And now you're a murderer, killing my children and sacrificing them to idols. + "'Not once during these years of outrageous obscenities and whorings did you remember your infancy, when you were naked and exposed, a blood-smeared newborn. + "'And then to top off all your evil acts, you built your bold brothels in every town square. Doom! Doom to you, says GOD, the Master! + At every major intersection you built your bold brothels and exposed your sluttish sex, spreading your legs for everyone who passed by. + "'And then you went international with your whoring. + You fornicated with the Egyptians, seeking them out in their sex orgies. The more promiscuous you became, the angrier I got. + Finally, I intervened, reduced your borders and turned you over to the rapacity of your enemies. Even the Philistine women--can you believe it?--were shocked at your sluttish life. + "'You went on to fornicate with the Assyrians. Your appetite was insatiable. But still you weren't satisfied. + You took on the Babylonians, a country of businessmen, and still you weren't satisfied. + "'What a sick soul! Doing all this stuff--the champion whore! + You built your bold brothels at every major intersection, opened up your whorehouses in every neighborhood, but you were different from regular whores in that you wouldn't accept a fee. + "'Wives who are unfaithful to their husbands accept gifts from their lovers. + And men commonly pay their whores. But you pay your lovers! You bribe men from all over to come to bed with you! + You're just the opposite of the regular whores who get paid for sex. Instead, you pay men for their favors! You even pervert whoredom! + "'Therefore, whore, listen to GOD's Message: + I, GOD, the Master, say, Because you've been unrestrained in your promiscuity, stripped down for every lover, flaunting your sex, and because of your pornographic idols and all the slaughtered children you offered to them, + therefore, because of all this, I'm going to get all your lovers together, all those you've used for your own pleasure, the ones you loved and the ones you loathed. I'll assemble them as a courtroom of spectators around you. In broad daylight I'll strip you naked before them--they'll see what you really look like. + Then I'll sentence you to the punishment for an adulterous woman and a murderous woman. I'll give you a taste of my wrath! + "'I'll gather all your lovers around you and turn you over to them. They'll tear down your bold brothels and sex shrines. They'll rip off your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed. Then + they'll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. + They'll burn down your houses. A massive judgment--with all the women watching! "'I'll have put a full stop to your whoring life--no more paying lovers to come to your bed! + By then my anger will be played out. My jealousy will subside. + "'Because you didn't remember what happened when you were young but made me angry with all this behavior, I'll make you pay for your waywardness. Didn't you just exponentially compound your outrageous obscenities with all your sluttish ways? + "'Everyone who likes to use proverbs will use this one: "Like mother, like daughter." + You're the daughter of your mother, who couldn't stand her husband and children. And you're a true sister of your sisters, who couldn't stand their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. + "'Your older sister is Samaria. She lived to the north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister is Sodom, who lived to the south of you with her daughters. + Haven't you lived just like they did? Haven't you engaged in outrageous obscenities just like they did? In fact, it didn't take you long to catch up and pass them! + As sure as I am the living God!--Decree of GOD, the Master--your sister Sodom and her daughters never even came close to what you and your daughters have done. + "'The sin of your sister Sodom was this: She lived with her daughters in the lap of luxury--proud, gluttonous, and lazy. They ignored the oppressed and the poor. + They put on airs and lived obscene lives. And you know what happened: I did away with them. + "'And Samaria. Samaria didn't sin half as much as you. You've committed far more obscenities than she ever did. Why, you make your two sisters look good in comparison with what you've done! + Face it, your sisters look mighty good compared with you. Because you've outsinned them so completely, you've actually made them look righteous. Aren't you ashamed? But you're going to have to live with it. What a reputation to carry into history: outsinning your two sisters! + "'But I'm going to reverse their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters. And--get this--your fortunes right along with them! + Still, you're going to have to live with your shame. And by facing and accepting your shame, you're going to provide some comfort to your two sisters. + Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will become what they were before, and you will become what you were before. + Remember the days when you were putting on airs, acting so high and mighty, looking down on sister Sodom? + That was before your evil ways were exposed. And now you're the butt of contempt, despised by the Edomite women, the Philistine women, and everybody else around. + But you have to face it, to accept the shame of your obscene and vile life. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "'GOD, the Master, says, I'll do to you just as you have already done, you who have treated my oath with contempt and broken the covenant. + All the same, I'll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I'll make a new covenant with you that will last forever. + You'll remember your sorry past and be properly contrite when you receive back your sisters, both the older and the younger. I'll give them to you as daughters, but not as participants in your covenant. + I'll firmly establish my covenant with you and you'll know that I am GOD. + You'll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you, make everything right after all you've done, it will leave you speechless.'" Decree of GOD, the Master. + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, make a riddle for the house of Israel. Tell them a story. + Say, 'GOD, the Master, says: "'A great eagle with a huge wingspan and long feathers, In full plumage and bright colors, came to Lebanon And took the top off a cedar, + broke off the top branch, Took it to a land of traders, and set it down in a city of shopkeepers. + Then he took a cutting from the land and planted it in good, well-watered soil, like a willow on a riverbank. + It sprouted into a flourishing vine, low to the ground. Its branches grew toward the eagle and the roots became established-- A vine putting out shoots, developing branches. + "'There was another great eagle with a huge wingspan and thickly feathered. This vine sent out its roots toward him from the place where it was planted. Its branches reached out to him so he could water it from a long distance. + It had been planted in good, well-watered soil, And it put out branches and bore fruit, and became a noble vine. + "'GOD, the Master, says, Will it thrive? Won't he just pull it up by the roots and leave the grapes to rot And the branches to shrivel up, a withered, dead vine? It won't take much strength or many hands to pull it up. + Even if it's transplanted, will it thrive? When the hot east wind strikes it, won't it shrivel up? Won't it dry up and blow away from the place where it was planted?'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Tell this house of rebels, 'Do you get it? Do you know what this means?' "Tell them, 'The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its leaders back to Babylon. + He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, making him swear his loyalty. The king of Babylon took all the top leaders into exile + to make sure that this kingdom stayed weak--didn't get any big ideas of itself--and kept the covenant with him so that it would have a future. + "'But he rebelled and sent emissaries to Egypt to recruit horses and a big army. Do you think that's going to work? Are they going to get by with this? Does anyone break a covenant and get off scot-free? + "'As sure as I am the living God, this king who broke his pledge of loyalty and his covenant will die in that country, in Babylon. + Pharaoh with his big army--all those soldiers!--won't lift a finger to fight for him when Babylon sets siege to the city and kills everyone inside. + Because he broke his word and broke the covenant, even though he gave his solemn promise, because he went ahead and did all these things anyway, he won't escape. + "'Therefore, GOD, the Master, says, As sure as I am the living God, because the king despised my oath and broke my covenant, I'll bring the consequences crashing down on his head. + I'll send out a search party and catch him. I'll take him to Babylon and have him brought to trial because of his total disregard for me. + All his elite soldiers, along with the rest of the army, will be killed in battle, and whoever is left will be scattered to the four winds. Then you'll realize that I, GOD, have spoken. + "'GOD, the Master, says, I personally will take a shoot from the top of the towering cedar, a cutting from the crown of the tree, and plant it on a high and towering mountain, + on the high mountain of Israel. It will grow, putting out branches and fruit--a majestic cedar. Birds of every sort and kind will live under it. They'll build nests in the shade of its branches. + All the trees of the field will recognize that I, GOD, made the great tree small and the small tree great, made the green tree turn dry and the dry tree sprout green branches. I, GOD, said it--and I did it.'" + + + GOD's Message to me: + "What do you people mean by going around the country repeating the saying, The parents ate green apples, The children got stomachache? + "As sure as I'm the living God, you're not going to repeat this saying in Israel any longer. + Every soul--man, woman, child--belongs to me, parent and child alike. You die for your own sin, not another's. + "Imagine a person who lives well, treating others fairly, keeping good relationships-- + doesn't eat at the pagan shrines, doesn't worship the idols so popular in Israel, doesn't seduce a neighbor's spouse, doesn't indulge in casual sex, + doesn't bully anyone, doesn't pile up bad debts, doesn't steal, doesn't refuse food to the hungry, doesn't refuse clothing to the ill-clad, + doesn't exploit the poor, doesn't live by impulse and greed, doesn't treat one person better than another, + But lives by my statutes and faithfully honors and obeys my laws. This person who lives upright and well shall live a full and true life. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "But if this person has a child who turns violent and murders and goes off and does any of these things, + even though the parent has done none of them-- eats at the pagan shrines, seduces his neighbor's spouse, + bullies the weak, steals, piles up bad debts, admires idols, commits outrageous obscenities, + exploits the poor "--do you think this person, the child, will live? Not a chance! Because he's done all these vile things, he'll die. And his death will be his own fault. + "Now look: Suppose that this child has a child who sees all the sins done by his parent. The child sees them, but doesn't follow in the parent's footsteps-- + doesn't eat at the pagan shrines, doesn't worship the popular idols of Israel, doesn't seduce his neighbor's spouse, + doesn't bully anyone, doesn't refuse to loan money, doesn't steal, doesn't refuse food to the hungry, doesn't refuse to give clothes to the ill-clad, + doesn't live by impulse and greed, doesn't exploit the poor. He does what I say; he performs my laws and lives by my statutes. "This person will not die for the sins of the parent; he will live truly and well. + But the parent will die for what the parent did, for the sins of-- oppressing the weak, robbing brothers and sisters, doing what is dead wrong in the community. + "Do you need to ask, 'So why does the child not share the guilt of the parent?' "Isn't it plain? It's because the child did what is fair and right. Since the child was careful to do what is lawful and right, the child will live truly and well. + The soul that sins is the soul that dies. The child does not share the guilt of the parent, nor the parent the guilt of the child. If you live upright and well, you get the credit; if you live a wicked life, you're guilty as charged. + "But a wicked person who turns his back on that life of sin and keeps all my statutes, living a just and righteous life, he'll live, really live. He won't die. + I won't keep a list of all the things he did wrong. He will live. + Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn't it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right--really living? + "The same thing goes for a good person who turns his back on an upright life and starts sinning, plunging into the same vile obscenities that the wicked person practices. Will this person live? I don't keep a list of all the things this person did right, like money in the bank he can draw on. Because of his defection, because he accumulates sin, he'll die. + "Do I hear you saying, 'That's not fair! God's not fair!'? "Listen, Israel. I'm not fair? You're the ones who aren't fair! + If a good person turns away from his good life and takes up sinning, he'll die for it. He'll die for his own sin. + Likewise, if a bad person turns away from his bad life and starts living a good life, a fair life, he will save his life. + Because he faces up to all the wrongs he's committed and puts them behind him, he will live, really live. He won't die. + "And yet Israel keeps on whining, 'That's not fair! God's not fair.' "I'm not fair, Israel? You're the ones who aren't fair. + "The upshot is this, Israel: I'll judge each of you according to the way you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won't drag you down. + Clean house. No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel? + I take no pleasure in anyone's death. Decree of GOD, the Master. "Make a clean break! Live!" + + + Sing the blues over the princes of Israel. + Say: What a lioness was your mother among lions! She crouched in a pride of young lions. Her cubs grew large. + She reared one of her cubs to maturity, a robust young lion. He learned to hunt. He ate men. + Nations sounded the alarm. He was caught in a trap. They took him with hooks and dragged him to Egypt. + When the lioness saw she was luckless, that her hope for that cub was gone, She took her other cub and made him a strong young lion. + He prowled with the lions, a robust young lion. He learned to hunt. He ate men. + He rampaged through their defenses, left their cities in ruins. The country and everyone in it was terrorized by the roars of the lion. + The nations got together to hunt him. Everyone joined the hunt. They set out their traps and caught him. + They put a wooden collar on him and took him to the king of Babylon. No more would that voice be heard disturbing the peace in the mountains of Israel! + Here's another way to put it: Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard, transplanted alongside streams of water, Luxurious in branches and grapes because of the ample water. + It grew sturdy branches fit to be carved into a royal scepter. It grew high, reaching into the clouds. Its branches filled the horizon, and everyone could see it. + Then it was ripped up in a rage and thrown to the ground. The hot east wind shriveled it up and stripped its fruit. The sturdy branches dried out, fit for nothing but kindling. + Now it's a stick stuck out in the desert, a bare stick in a desert of death, + Good for nothing but making fires, campfires in the desert. Not a hint now of those sturdy branches fit for use as a royal scepter! (This is a sad song, a text for singing the blues.) + + + In the seventh year, the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for guidance from GOD. They sat down before me. + Then GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, talk with the leaders of Israel. Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says, "Have you come to ask me questions? As sure as I am the living God, I'll not put up with questions from you. Decree of GOD, the Master."' + "Son of man, why don't you do it? Yes, go ahead. Hold them accountable. Confront them with the outrageous obscenities of their parents. + Tell them that GOD, the Master, says: "'On the day I chose Israel, I revealed myself to them in the country of Egypt, raising my hand in a solemn oath to the people of Jacob, in which I said, "I am GOD, your personal God." + On the same day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would take them out of the country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out just for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country. + "'At that time I told them, "Get rid of all the vile things that you've become addicted to. Don't make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am GOD, your God." + "'But they rebelled against me, wouldn't listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. + Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt. + And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into the desert. + "'I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and obediently before me. + I also gave them my weekly holy rest days, my "Sabbaths," a kind of signpost erected between me and them to show them that I, GOD, am in the business of making them holy. + "'But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn't follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. + But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. + But I did lift my hand in a solemn oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into the country flowing with milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands. + I canceled my promise because they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn't follow my statutes, and went ahead and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols. + But I didn't go all the way: I didn't wipe them out, didn't finish them off in the desert. + "'Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: "Don't do what your parents did. Don't take up their practices. Don't make yourselves filthy with their no-god idols. + I myself am GOD, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. + Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I am GOD, your God." + "'But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert. + But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. + "'But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way + because they didn't keep my laws nor live by my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the no-god idols of their parents. + Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes that could not produce goodness and laws that did not produce life. + I abandoned them. Filthy in the gutter, they perversely sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should have shocked them into recognizing that I am GOD.' + "Therefore, speak to Israel, son of man. Tell them that GOD says, 'As if that wasn't enough, your parents further insulted me by betraying me. + When I brought them into that land that I had solemnly promised with my upraised hand to give them, every time they saw a hill with a sex-and-religion shrine on it or a grove of trees where the sacred whores practiced, they were there, buying into the whole pagan system. + I said to them, "What hill do you go to?"' (It's still called "Whore Hills.") + "Therefore, say to Israel, 'The Message of GOD, the Master: You're making your lives filthy by copying the ways of your parents. In repeating their vile practices, you've become whores yourselves. + In burning your children as sacrifices, you've become as filthy as your no-god idols--as recently as today! "'Am I going to put up with questions from people like you, Israel? As sure as I am the living God, I, GOD, the Master, refuse to be called into question by you! + "'What you're secretly thinking is never going to happen. You're thinking, "We're going to be like everybody else, just like the other nations. We're going to worship gods we can make and control." + '"As sure as I am the living God, says GOD, the Master, think again! With a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger, I will be King over you! + I'll bring you back from the nations, collect you out of the countries to which you've been scattered, with a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger. + I'll bring you to the desert of nations and haul you into court, where you'll be face to face with judgment. + "'As I faced your parents with judgment in the desert of Egypt, so I'll face you with judgment. + I'll scrutinize and search every person as you arrive, and I'll bring you under the bond of the covenant. + I'll cull out the rebels and traitors. I'll lead them out of their exile, but I won't bring them back to Israel. "'Then you'll realize that I am GOD. + "'But you, people of Israel, this is the Message of GOD, the Master, to you: Go ahead, serve your no-god idols! But later, you'll think better of it and quit throwing filth and mud on me with your pagan offerings and no-god idols. + For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, I, GOD, the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. I'll receive them there with open arms. I'll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy sacrifices. + What's more, I'll receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all the lands and countries in which you've been scattered. I'll demonstrate in the eyes of the world that I am The Holy. + When I return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with upraised arm to give to your parents, you'll realize that I am GOD. + Then and there you'll remember all that you've done, the way you've lived that has made you so filthy--and you'll loathe yourselves. + "'But, dear Israel, you'll also realize that I am GOD when I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you've lived, the corrupt history you've compiled. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, face south. Let the Message roll out against the south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south. + "Tell the forest of the south, 'Listen to the Message of GOD! GOD, the Master, says, I'll set a fire in you that will burn up every tree, dead trees and live trees alike. Nobody will put out the fire. The whole country from south to north will be blackened by it. + Everyone is going to see that I, GOD, started the fire and that it's not going to be put out.'" + And I said, "O GOD, everyone is saying of me, 'He just makes up stories.'" + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, now face Jerusalem and let the Message roll out against the Sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel. + Say, 'GOD's Message: I'm against you. I'm pulling my sword from its sheath and killing both the wicked and the righteous. + Because I'm treating everyone the same, good and bad, everyone from south to north is going to feel my sword! + Everyone will know that I mean business.' + "So, son of man, groan! Double up in pain. Make a scene! + "When they ask you, 'Why all this groaning, this carrying on?' say, 'Because of the news that's coming. It'll knock the breath out of everyone. Hearts will stop cold, knees turn to rubber. Yes, it's coming. No stopping it. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + GOD's Message to me: + "Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, 'The Master says: "'A sword! A sword! razor-sharp and polished, + Sharpened to kill, polished to flash like lightning! "'My child, you've despised the scepter of Judah by worshiping every tree-idol. + "'The sword is made to glisten, to be held and brandished. It's sharpened and polished, ready to be brandished by the killer.' + "Yell out and wail, son of man. The sword is against my people! The princes of Israel and my people--abandoned to the sword! Wring your hands! Tear out your hair! + "'Testing comes. Why have you despised discipline? You can't get around it. Decree of GOD, the Master.' + "So, prophesy, son of man! Clap your hands. Get their attention. Tell them that the sword's coming down once, twice, three times. It's a sword to kill, a sword for a massacre, A sword relentless, a sword inescapable-- + People collapsing right and left, going down like dominoes. I've stationed a murderous sword at every gate in the city, Flashing like lightning, brandished murderously. + Cut to the right, thrust to the left, murderous, sharp-edged sword! + Then I'll clap my hands, a signal that my anger is spent. I, GOD, have spoken." + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, lay out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Start them from the same place. Place a signpost at the beginning of each road. + Post one sign to mark the road of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites. Post the other to mark the road to Judah and Fort Jerusalem. + The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. + He opens his right hand: The omen says, 'Head for Jerusalem!' So he's on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works. + "To the Judah leaders, who themselves have sworn oaths, it will seem like a false divination, but he will remind them of their guilt, and so they'll be captured. + "So this is what GOD, the Master, says: 'Because your sin is now out in the open so everyone can see what you've been doing, you'll be taken captive. + "'O Zedekiah, blasphemous and evil prince of Israel: Time's up. It's "punishment payday." + GOD says, Take your royal crown off your head. No more "business as usual." The underdog will be promoted and the top dog will be demoted. + Ruins, ruins, ruins! I'll turn the whole place into ruins. And ruins it will remain until the one comes who has a right to it. Then I'll give it to him.' + "But, son of man, your job is to prophesy. Tell them, 'This is the Message from GOD, the Master, against the Ammonites and against their cruel taunts: "'A sword! A sword! Bared to kill, Sharp as a razor, flashing like lightning. + Despite false sword propaganda circulated in Ammon, The sword will sever Ammonite necks, for whom it's punishment payday. + Return the sword to the sheath! I'll judge you in your home country, in the land where you grew up. + I'll empty out my wrath on you, breathe hot anger down your neck. I'll give you to vicious men skilled in torture. + You'll end up as stove-wood. Corpses will litter your land. Not so much as a memory will be left of you. I, GOD, have said so.'" + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, are you going to judge this bloody city or not? Come now, are you going to judge her? Do it! Face her with all her outrageous obscenities. + Tell her, 'This is what GOD, the Master, says: You're a city murderous at the core, just asking for punishment. You're a city obsessed with no-god idols, making yourself filthy. + In all your killing, you've piled up guilt. In all your idol-making, you've become filthy. You've forced a premature end to your existence. I'll put you on exhibit as the scarecrow of the nations, the world's worst joke. + From far and near they'll deride you as infamous in filth, notorious for chaos. + "'Your leaders, the princes of Israel among you, compete in crime. + You're a community that's insolent to parents, abusive to outsiders, oppressive against orphans and widows. + You treat my holy things with contempt and desecrate my Sabbaths. + You have people spreading lies and spilling blood, flocking to the hills to the sex shrines and fornicating unrestrained. + Incest is common. Men force themselves on women regardless of whether they're ready or willing. + Sex is now anarchy. Anyone is fair game: neighbor, daughter-in-law, sister. + Murder is for hire, usury is rampant, extortion is commonplace. "'And you've forgotten me. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "'Now look! I've clapped my hands, calling everyone's attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. + Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you? "'I, GOD, have spoken. I'll put an end to this. + I'll throw you to the four winds. I'll scatter you all over the world. I'll put a full stop to your filthy living. + You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you'll recognize that I am GOD.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, the people of Israel are slag to me, the useless byproduct of refined copper, tin, iron, and lead left at the smelter--a worthless slag heap. + So tell them, 'GOD, the Master, has spoken: Because you've all become worthless slag, you're on notice: I'll assemble you in Jerusalem. + As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into a furnace and blow fire on it to melt it down, so in my wrath I'll gather you and melt you down. + I'll blow on you with the fire of my wrath to melt you down in the furnace. + As silver is melted down, you'll be melted down. That should get through to you. Then you'll recognize that I, GOD, have let my wrath loose on you.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, tell her, 'You're a land that during the time I was angry with you got no rain, not so much as a spring shower. + The leaders among you became desperate, like roaring, ravaging lions killing indiscriminately. They grabbed and looted, leaving widows in their wake. + "'Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can't tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there's no difference between right and wrong. They're contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. + Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. + Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, "This is what GOD, the Master, says . . ." when GOD hasn't said so much as one word. + Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.' + "I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn't have to destroy it. I couldn't find anyone. Not one. + So I'll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they've done. Decree of GOD, the Master." + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. + They became whores in Egypt, whores from a young age. Their breasts were fondled, their young bosoms caressed. + The older sister was named Oholah, the younger was Oholibah. They were my daughters, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. "Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem. + "Oholah started whoring while she was still mine. She lusted after Assyrians as lovers: military men + smartly uniformed in blue, ambassadors and governors, good-looking young men mounted on fine horses. + Her lust was unrestrained. She was a whore to the Assyrian elite. She compounded her filth with the idols of those to whom she gave herself in lust. + She never slowed down. The whoring she began while young in Egypt she continued, sleeping with men who played with her breasts and spent their lust on her. + "So I left her to her Assyrian lovers, for whom she was so obsessed with lust. + They ripped off her clothes, took away her children, and then, the final indignity, killed her. Among women her name became Shame--history's judgment on her. + "Her sister Oholibah saw all this, but she became even worse than her sister in lust and whoring, if you can believe it. + She also went crazy with lust for Assyrians: ambassadors and governors, military men smartly dressed and mounted on fine horses--the Assyrian elite. + And I saw that she also had become incredibly filthy. Both women followed the same path. + But Oholibah surpassed her sister. When she saw figures of Babylonians carved in relief on the walls and painted red, + fancy belts around their waists, elaborate turbans on their heads, all of them looking important--famous Babylonians!-- + she went wild with lust and sent invitations to them in Babylon. + The Babylonians came on the run, fornicated with her, made her dirty inside and out. When they had thoroughly debased her, she lost interest in them. + Then she went public with her fornication. She exhibited her sex to the world. "I turned my back on her just as I had on her sister. + But that didn't slow her down. She went at her whoring harder than ever. She remembered when she was young, just starting out as a whore in Egypt. + That whetted her appetite for more virile, vulgar, and violent lovers--stallions obsessive in their lust. + She longed for the sexual prowess of her youth back in Egypt, where her firm young breasts were caressed and fondled. + "'Therefore, Oholibah, this is the Message from GOD, the Master: I will incite your old lovers against you, lovers you got tired of and left in disgust. I'll bring them against you from every direction, + Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all Assyrians--good-looking young men, ambassadors and governors, elite officers and celebrities--all of them mounted on fine, spirited horses. + They'll come down on you out of the north, armed to the teeth, bringing chariots and troops from all sides. I'll turn over the task of judgment to them. They'll punish you according to their rules. + I'll stand totally and relentlessly against you as they rip into you furiously. They'll mutilate you, cutting off your ears and nose, killing at random. They'll enslave your children--and anybody left over will be burned. + They'll rip off your clothes and steal your jewelry. + I'll put a stop to your sluttish sex, the whoring life you began in Egypt. You won't look on whoring with fondness anymore. You won't think back on Egypt with stars in your eyes. + "'A Message from GOD, the Master: I'm at the point of abandoning you to those you hate, to those by whom you're repulsed. + They'll treat you hatefully, leave you publicly naked, your whore's body exposed in the cruel glare of the sun. Your sluttish lust + will be exposed. Your lust has brought you to this condition because you whored with pagan nations and made yourself filthy with their no-god idols. + "'You copied the life of your sister. Now I'll let you drink the cup she drank. + "'This is the Message of GOD, the Master: "'You'll drink your sister's cup, a cup canyon-deep and ocean-wide. You'll be shunned and taunted as you drink from that cup, full to the brim. + You'll be falling-down-drunk and the tears will flow as you drink from that cup titanic with terror: It's the cup of your sister Samaria. + You'll drink it dry, then smash it to bits and eat the pieces, and end up tearing at your breasts. I've given the word-- Decree of GOD, the Master. + "'Therefore GOD, the Master, says, Because you've forgotten all about me, pushing me into the background, you now must pay for what you've done--pay for your sluttish sex and whoring life.'" + Then GOD said to me, "Son of man, will you confront Oholah and Oholibah with what they've done? Make them face their outrageous obscenities, + obscenities ranging from adultery to murder. They committed adultery with their no-god idols, sacrificed the children they bore me in order to feed their idols! + And there is also this: They've defiled my holy Sanctuary and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. + The same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they walked into my Sanctuary and defiled it. That's what they did--in my house! + "Furthermore, they even sent out invitations by special messenger to men far away--and, sure enough, they came. They bathed themselves, put on makeup and provocative lingerie. + They reclined on a sumptuous bed, aromatic with incense and oils--my incense and oils! + The crowd gathered, jostling and pushing, a drunken rabble. They adorned the sisters with bracelets on their arms and tiaras on their heads. + "I said, 'She's burned out on sex!' but that didn't stop them. They kept banging on her doors night and day + as men do when they're after a whore. That's how they used Oholah and Oholibah, the worn-out whores. + "Righteous men will pronounce judgment on them, giving out sentences for adultery and murder. That was their lifework: adultery and murder." + "GOD says, 'Let a mob loose on them: Terror! Plunder! + Let the mob stone them and hack them to pieces--kill all their children, burn down their houses! + "'I'll put an end to sluttish sex in this country so that all women will be well warned and not copy you. + You'll pay the price for all your obsessive sex. You'll pay in full for your promiscuous affairs with idols. And you'll realize that I am GOD, the Master.'" + + + The Message of GOD came to me in the ninth year, the tenth month, and the tenth day of the month: + "Son of man, write down this date. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. + Tell this company of rebels a story: "'Put on the soup pot. Fill it with water. + Put chunks of meat into it, all the choice pieces--loin and brisket. Pick out the best soup bones + from the best of the sheep in the flock. Pile wood beneath the pot. Bring it to a boil and cook the soup. + "'GOD, the Master, says: "'Doom to the city of murder, to the pot thick with scum, thick with a filth that can't be scoured. Empty the pot piece by piece; don't bother who gets what. + "'The blood from murders has stained the whole city; Blood runs bold on the street stones, with no one bothering to wash it off-- + Blood out in the open to public view to provoke my wrath, to trigger my vengeance. + "'Therefore, this is what GOD, the Master, says: "'Doom to the city of murder! I, too, will pile on the wood. + Stack the wood high, light the match, Cook the meat, spice it well, pour out the broth, and then burn the bones. + Then I'll set the empty pot on the coals and heat it red-hot so the bronze glows, So the germs are killed and the corruption is burned off. + But it's hopeless. It's too far gone. The filth is too thick. + "'Your encrusted filth is your filthy sex. I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn't let me. I'll make no more attempts at cleaning you up until my anger quiets down. + I, GOD, have said it, and I'll do it. I'm not holding back. I've run out of compassion. I'm not changing my mind. You're getting exactly what's coming to you. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, I'm about to take from you the delight of your life--a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. + Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work--none of the usual funeral rituals." + I preached to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I'd been told. + The people came to me, saying, "Tell us why you're acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?" + So I told them, "GOD's Word came to me, saying, + 'Tell the family of Israel, This is what GOD, the Master, says: I will desecrate my Sanctuary, your proud impregnable fort, the delight of your life, your heart's desire. The children you left behind will be killed. + "'Then you'll do exactly as I've done. You'll perform none of the usual funeral rituals. + You'll get dressed as usual and go about your work. No tears. But your sins will eat away at you from within and you'll groan among yourselves. + Ezekiel will be your example. The way he did it is the way you'll do it. "'When this happens you'll recognize that I am GOD, the Master.''' + "And you, son of man: The day I take away the people's refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they've most longed for, along with all their children-- + on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. + You'll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you'll be an example for them. And they'll recognize that I am GOD." + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, face Ammon and preach against the people: + Listen to the Message of GOD, the Master. This is what GOD has to say: Because you cheered when my Sanctuary was desecrated and the land of Judah was devastated and the people of Israel were taken into exile, + I'm giving you over to the people of the east. They'll move in and make themselves at home, eating the food right off your tables and drinking your milk. + I'll turn your capital, Rabbah, into pasture for camels and all your villages into corrals for flocks. Then you'll realize that I am GOD. + "GOD, the Master, says, Because you clapped and cheered, venting all your malicious contempt against the land of Israel, + I'll step in and hand you out as loot--first come, first served. I'll cross you off the roster of nations. There'll be nothing left of you. And you'll realize that I am GOD." + "GOD, the Master, says: Because Moab said, 'Look, Judah's nothing special,' + I'll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. + I'll lump Moab in with Ammon and give them to the people of the east for the taking. Ammon won't be heard from again. + I'll punish Moab severely. And they'll realize that I am GOD." + "GOD, the Master, says: Because Edom reacted against the people of Judah in spiteful revenge and was so criminally vengeful against them, + therefore I, GOD, the Master, will oppose Edom and kill the lot of them, people and animals both. I'll waste it--corpses stretched from Teman to Dedan. + I'll use my people Israel to bring my vengeance down on Edom. My wrath will fuel their action. And they'll realize it's my vengeance. Decree of GOD the Master." + "GOD, the Master, says: Because the Philistines were so spitefully vengeful--all those centuries of stored-up malice!--and did their best to destroy Judah, + therefore I, GOD, the Master, will oppose the Philistines and cut down the Cretans and anybody else left along the seacoast. + Huge acts of vengeance, massive punishments! When I bring vengeance, they'll realize that I am GOD." + + + In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, God's Message came to me: + "Son of man, Tyre cheered when they got the news of Jerusalem, exclaiming, "'Good! The gateway city is smashed! Now all her business comes my way. She's in ruins and I'm in clover.' + "Therefore, GOD, the Master, has this to say: "'I'm against you, Tyre, and I'll bring many nations surging against you, as the waves of the sea surging against the shore. + They'll smash the city walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I'll wash away the soil and leave nothing but bare rock. + She'll be an island of bare rock in the ocean, good for nothing but drying fishnets. Yes, I've said so.' Decree of GOD, the Master. 'She'll be loot, free pickings for the nations! + Her surrounding villages will be butchered. Then they'll realize that I am GOD.' + "GOD, the Master, says: Look! Out of the north I'm bringing Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king's king, down on Tyre. He'll come with chariots and horses and riders--a huge army. + He'll massacre your surrounding villages and lay siege to you. He'll build siege ramps against your walls. A forest of shields will advance against you! + He'll pummel your walls with his battering rams and shatter your towers with his iron weapons. + You'll be covered with dust from his horde of horses--a thundering herd of war horses pouring through the breaches, pulling chariots. Oh, it will be an earthquake of an army and a city in shock! + Horses will stampede through the streets. Your people will be slaughtered and your huge pillars strewn like matchsticks. + The invaders will steal and loot--all that wealth, all that stuff! They'll knock down your fine houses and dump the stone and timber rubble into the sea. + And your parties, your famous good-time parties, will be no more. No more songs, no more lutes. + I'll reduce you to an island of bare rock, good for nothing but drying fishnets. You'll never be rebuilt. I, GOD, have said so. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "This is the Message of GOD, the Master, to Tyre: Won't the ocean islands shake at the crash of your collapse, at the groans of your wounded, at your mayhem and massacre? + "All up and down the coast, the princes will come down from their thrones, take off their royal robes and fancy clothes, and wrap themselves in sheer terror. They'll sit on the ground, shaken to the core, horrified at you. + Then they'll begin chanting a funeral song over you: "'Sunk! Sunk to the bottom of the sea, famous city on the sea! Power of the seas, you and your people, Intimidating everyone who lived in your shadows. + But now the islands are shaking at the sound of your crash, Ocean islands in tremors from the impact of your fall.' + "The Message of GOD, the Master: 'When I turn you into a wasted city, a city empty of people, a ghost town, and when I bring up the great ocean deeps and cover you, + then I'll push you down among those who go to the grave, the long, long dead. I'll make you live there, in the grave in old ruins, with the buried dead. You'll never see the land of the living again. + I'll introduce you to the terrors of death and that'll be the end of you. They'll send out search parties for you, but you'll never be found. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "You, son of man, raise a funeral song over Tyre. + Tell Tyre, gateway to the sea, merchant to the world, trader among the far-off islands, 'This is what GOD, the Master, says: "'You boast, Tyre: "I'm the perfect ship--stately, handsome." + You ruled the high seas from a real beauty, crafted to perfection. + Your planking came from Mount Hermon junipers. A Lebanon cedar supplied your mast. + They made your oars from sturdy Bashan oaks. Cypress from Cyprus inlaid with ivory was used for the decks. + Your sail and flag were of colorful embroidered linen from Egypt. Your purple deck awnings also came from Cyprus. + Men of Sidon and Arvad pulled the oars. Your seasoned seamen, O Tyre, were the crew. + Ship's carpenters were old salts from Byblos. All the ships of the sea and their sailors clustered around you to barter for your goods. + "'Your army was composed of soldiers from Paras, Lud, and Put, Elite troops in uniformed splendor. They put you on the map! + Your city police were imported from Arvad, Helech, and Gammad. They hung their shields from the city walls, a final, perfect touch to your beauty. + "'Tarshish carried on business with you because of your great wealth. They worked for you, trading in silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products. + "'Greece, Tubal, and Meshech did business with you, trading slaves and bronze for your products. + "'Beth-togarmah traded work horses, war horses, and mules for your products. + "'The people of Rhodes did business with you. Many far-off islands traded with you in ivory and ebony. + "'Edom did business with you because of all your goods. They traded for your products with agate, purple textiles, embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies. + "'Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded for your products with premium wheat, millet, honey, oil, and balm. + "'Damascus, attracted by your vast array of products and well-stocked warehouses, carried on business with you, trading in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar. + "'Danites and Greeks from Uzal traded with you, using wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices. + "'Dedan traded with you for saddle blankets. + "'Arabia and all the Bedouin sheiks of Kedar traded lambs, rams, and goats with you. + "'Traders from Sheba and Raamah in South Arabia carried on business with you in premium spices, precious stones, and gold. + "'Haran, Canneh, and Eden from the east in Assyria and Media traded with you, + bringing elegant clothes, dyed textiles, and elaborate carpets to your bazaars. + "'The great Tarshish ships were your freighters, importing and exporting. Oh, it was big business for you, trafficking the seaways! + "'Your sailors row mightily, taking you into the high seas. Then a storm out of the east shatters your ship in the ocean deep. + Everything sinks--your rich goods and products, sailors and crew, ship's carpenters and soldiers, Sink to the bottom of the sea. Total shipwreck. + The cries of your sailors reverberate on shore. + Sailors everywhere abandon ship. Veteran seamen swim for dry land. + They cry out in grief, a choir of bitter lament over you. They smear their faces with ashes, + shave their heads, Wear rough burlap, wildly keening their loss. + They raise their funeral song: "Who on the high seas is like Tyre!" + "'As you crisscrossed the seas with your products, you satisfied many peoples. Your worldwide trade made earth's kings rich. + And now you're battered to bits by the waves, sunk to the bottom of the sea, And everything you've bought and sold has sunk to the bottom with you. + Everyone on shore looks on in terror. The hair of kings stands on end, their faces drawn and haggard! + The buyers and sellers of the world throw up their hands: This horror can't happen! Oh, this has happened!'" + + + GOD's Message came to me, + "Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, 'This is what GOD, the Master, says: "'Your heart is proud, going around saying, "I'm a god. I sit on God's divine throne, ruling the sea"-- You, a mere mortal, not even close to being a god, A mere mortal trying to be a god. + Look, you think you're smarter than Daniel. No enigmas can stump you. + Your sharp intelligence made you world-wealthy. You piled up gold and silver in your banks. + You used your head well, worked good deals, made a lot of money. But the money has gone to your head, swelled your head--what a big head! + "'Therefore, GOD, the Master, says: "'Because you're acting like a god, pretending to be a god, + I'm giving fair warning: I'm bringing strangers down on you, the most vicious of all nations. They'll pull their swords and make hash of your reputation for knowing it all. They'll puncture the balloon of your god-pretensions. + They'll bring you down from your self-made pedestal and bury you in the deep blue sea. + Will you protest to your assassins, "You can't do that! I'm a god"? To them you're a mere mortal. They're killing a man, not a god. + You'll die like a stray dog, killed by strangers-- + Because I said so. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, raise a funeral song over the king of Tyre. Tell him, A Message from GOD, the Master: "You had everything going for you. + You were in Eden, God's garden. You were dressed in splendor, your robe studded with jewels: Carnelian, peridot, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald, all in settings of engraved gold. A robe was prepared for you the same day you were created. + You were the anointed cherub. I placed you on the mountain of God. You strolled in magnificence among the stones of fire. + From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection . . . and then imperfection--evil!--was detected in you. + In much buying and selling you turned violent, you sinned! I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God. I threw you out--you, the anointed angel-cherub. No more strolling among the gems of fire for you! + Your beauty went to your head. You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame. I threw you to the ground, sent you sprawling before an audience of kings and let them gloat over your demise. + By sin after sin after sin, by your corrupt ways of doing business, you defiled your holy places of worship. So I set a fire around and within you. It burned you up. I reduced you to ashes. All anyone sees now when they look for you is ashes, a pitiful mound of ashes. + All who once knew you now throw up their hands: 'This can't have happened! This has happened!'" + GOD's Message came to me + : "Son of man, confront Sidon. Preach against it. + Say, 'Message from GOD, the Master: "'Look! I'm against you, Sidon. I intend to be known for who I truly am among you.' They'll know that I am GOD when I set things right and reveal my holy presence. + I'll order an epidemic of disease there, along with murder and mayhem in the streets. People will drop dead right and left, as war presses in from every side. Then they'll realize that I mean business, that I am GOD. + "No longer will Israel have to put up with their thistle-and-thorn neighbors Who have treated them so contemptuously. And they also will realize that I am GOD." + GOD, the Master, says, "When I gather Israel from the peoples among whom they've been scattered and put my holiness on display among them with all the nations looking on, then they'll live in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. + They'll live there in safety. They'll build houses. They'll plant vineyards, living in safety. Meanwhile, I'll bring judgment on all the neighbors who have treated them with such contempt. And they'll realize that I am GOD." + + + In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day, GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, confront Pharaoh king of Egypt. Preach against him and all the Egyptians. + Tell him, 'GOD, the Master, says: "'Watch yourself, Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I'm dead set against you, You lumbering old dragon, lolling and flaccid in the Nile, Saying, "It's my Nile. I made it. It's mine." + I'll set hooks in your jaw; I'll make the fish of the Nile stick to your scales. I'll pull you out of the Nile, with all the fish stuck to your scales. + Then I'll drag you out into the desert, you and all the Nile fish sticking to your scales. You'll lie there in the open, rotting in the sun, meat to the wild animals and carrion birds. + Everybody living in Egypt will realize that I am GOD. "'Because you've been a flimsy reed crutch to Israel + so that when they gripped you, you splintered and cut their hand, and when they leaned on you, you broke and sent them sprawling-- + Message of GOD, the Master--I'll bring war against you, do away with people and animals alike, + and turn the country into an empty desert so they'll realize that I am GOD. "'Because you said, "It's my Nile. I made it. It's all mine," + therefore I am against you and your rivers. I'll reduce Egypt to an empty, desolate wasteland all the way from Migdol in the north to Syene and the border of Ethiopia in the south. + Not a human will be seen in it, nor will an animal move through it. It'll be just empty desert, empty for forty years. + "'I'll make Egypt the most desolate of all desolations. For forty years I'll make her cities the most wasted of all wasted cities. I'll scatter Egyptians to the four winds, send them off every which way into exile. + "'But,' says GOD, the Master, 'that's not the end of it. After the forty years, I'll gather up the Egyptians from all the places where they've been scattered. + I'll put things back together again for Egypt. I'll bring her back to Pathros where she got her start long ago. There she'll start over again from scratch. + She'll take her place at the bottom of the ladder and there she'll stay, never to climb that ladder again, never to be a world power again. + Never again will Israel be tempted to rely on Egypt. All she'll be to Israel is a reminder of old sin. Then Egypt will realize that I am GOD, the Master.'" + In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has worn out his army against Tyre. They've worked their fingers to the bone and have nothing to show for it. + "Therefore, GOD, the Master, says, 'I'm giving Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He'll haul away its wealth, pick the place clean. He'll pay his army with Egyptian plunder. + He's been working for me all these years without pay. This is his pay: Egypt. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "'And then I'll stir up fresh hope in Israel--the dawn of deliverance!--and I'll give you, Ezekiel, bold and confident words to speak. And they'll realize that I am GOD.'" + + + GOD, the Master, spoke to me: + "Son of man, preach. Give them the Message of GOD, the Master. Wail: + "'Doomsday!' Time's up! GOD's big day of judgment is near. Thick clouds are rolling in. It's doomsday for the nations. + Death will rain down on Egypt. Terror will paralyze Ethiopia When they see the Egyptians killed, their wealth hauled off, their foundations demolished, + And Ethiopia, Put, Lud, Arabia, Libya --all of Egypt's old allies-- killed right along with them. + "'GOD says: "'Egypt's allies will fall and her proud strength will collapse-- From Migdol in the north to Syene in the south, a great slaughter in Egypt! Decree of GOD, the Master. + Egypt, most desolate of the desolate, her cities wasted beyond wasting, + Will realize that I am GOD when I burn her down and her helpers are knocked flat. + "'When that happens, I'll send out messengers by ship to sound the alarm among the easygoing Ethiopians. They'll be terrorized. Egypt's doomed! Judgment's coming! + "'GOD, the Master, says: "'I'll put a stop to Egypt's arrogance. I'll use Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to do it. + He and his army, the most brutal of nations, shall be used to destroy the country. They'll brandish their swords and fill Egypt with corpses. + I'll dry up the Nile and sell off the land to a bunch of crooks. I'll hire outsiders to come in and waste the country, strip it clean. I, GOD, have said so. + "'And now this is what GOD, the Master, says: "'I'll smash all the no-god idols; I'll topple all those huge statues in Memphis. The prince of Egypt will be gone for good, and in his place I'll put fear--fear throughout Egypt! + I'll demolish Pathros, burn Zoan to the ground, and punish Thebes, + Pour my wrath on Pelusium, Egypt's fort, and knock Thebes off its proud pedestal. + I'll set Egypt on fire: Pelusium will writhe in pain, Thebes blown away, Memphis raped. + The young warriors of On and Pi-beseth will be killed and the cities exiled. + A dark day for Tahpanhes when I shatter Egypt, When I break Egyptian power and put an end to her arrogant oppression! She'll disappear in a cloud of dust, her cities hauled off as exiles. + That's how I'll punish Egypt, and that's how she'll realize that I am GOD.'" + In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, I've broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And look! It hasn't been set. No splint has been put on it so the bones can knit and heal, so he can use a sword again. + "Therefore, GOD, the Master, says, I am dead set against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will go ahead and break his other arm--both arms broken! There's no way he'll ever swing a sword again. + I'll scatter Egyptians all over the world. + I'll make the arms of the king of Babylon strong and put my sword in his hand, but I'll break the arms of Pharaoh and he'll groan like one who is mortally wounded. + I'll make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, but the arms of Pharaoh shall go limp. The Egyptians will realize that I am GOD when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. He'll wield it against Egypt + and I'll scatter Egyptians all over the world. Then they'll realize that I am GOD." + + + In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, that pompous old goat: "'Who do you, astride the world, think you really are? + Look! Assyria was a Big Tree, huge as a Lebanon cedar, beautiful limbs offering cool shade, Skyscraper high, piercing the clouds. + The waters gave it drink, the primordial deep lifted it high, Gushing out rivers around the place where it was planted, And then branching out in streams to all the trees in the forest. + It was immense, dwarfing all the trees in the forest-- Thick boughs, long limbs, roots delving deep into earth's waters. + All the birds of the air nested in its boughs. All the wild animals gave birth under its branches. All the mighty nations lived in its shade. + It was stunning in its majesty-- the reach of its branches! the depth of its water-seeking roots! + Not a cedar in God's garden came close to it. No pine tree was anything like it. Mighty oaks looked like bushes growing alongside it. Not a tree in God's garden was in the same class of beauty. + I made it beautiful, a work of art in limbs and leaves, The envy of every tree in Eden, every last tree in God's garden.'" + Therefore, GOD, the Master, says, "'Because it skyscrapered upwards, piercing the clouds, swaggering and proud of its stature, + I turned it over to a world-famous leader to call its evil to account. I'd had enough. + Outsiders, unbelievably brutal, felled it across the mountain ranges. Its branches were strewn through all the valleys, its leafy boughs clogging all the streams and rivers. Because its shade was gone, everybody walked off. No longer a tree--just a log. + On that dead log birds perch. Wild animals burrow under it. + "'That marks the end of the "big tree" nations. No more trees nourished from the great deep, no more cloud-piercing trees, no more earth- born trees taking over. They're all slated for death--back to earth, right along with men and women, for whom it's "dust to dust." + "'The Message of GOD, the Master: On the day of the funeral of the Big Tree, I threw the great deep into mourning. I stopped the flow of its rivers, held back great seas, and wrapped the Lebanon mountains in black. All the trees of the forest fainted and fell. + I made the whole world quake when it crashed, and threw it into the underworld to take its place with all else that gets buried. All the trees of Eden and the finest and best trees of Lebanon, well-watered, were relieved-- + they had descended to the underworld with it--along with everyone who had lived in its shade and all who had been killed. + "'Which of the trees of Eden came anywhere close to you in splendor and size? But you're slated to be cut down to take your place in the underworld with the trees of Eden, to be a dead log stacked with all the other dead logs, among the other uncircumcised who are dead and buried. "'This means Pharaoh, the pompous old goat. "'Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + + + In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, sing a funeral lament over Pharaoh king of Egypt. Tell him: "'You think you're a young lion prowling through the nations. You're more like a dragon in the ocean, snorting and thrashing about. + "'GOD, the Master, says: "'I'm going to throw my net over you --many nations will get in on this operation-- and haul you out with my dragnet. + I'll dump you on the ground out in an open field And bring in all the crows and vultures for a sumptuous carrion lunch. I'll invite wild animals from all over the world to gorge on your guts. + I'll scatter hunks of your meat in the mountains and strew your bones in the valleys. + The country, right up to the mountains, will be drenched with your blood, your blood filling every ditch and channel. + When I blot you out, I'll pull the curtain on the skies and shut out the stars. I'll throw a cloud across the sun and turn off the moonlight. + I'll turn out every light in the sky above you and put your land in the dark. Decree of GOD, the Master. + I'll shake up everyone worldwide when I take you off captive to strange and far-off countries. + I'll shock people with you. Kings will take one look and shudder. I'll shake my sword and they'll shake in their boots. On the day you crash, they'll tremble, thinking, "That could be me!" + "'GOD, the Master, says: "'The sword of the king of Babylon is coming against you. + I'll use the swords of champions to lay your pride low, Use the most brutal of nations to knock Egypt off her high horse, to puncture that hot-air pomposity. + I'll destroy all their livestock that graze along the river. Neither human foot nor animal hoof will muddy those waters anymore. + I'll clear their springs and streams, make their rivers flow clean and smooth. Decree of GOD, the Master. + When I turn Egypt back to the wild and strip her clean of all her abundant produce, When I strike dead all who live there, then they'll realize that I am GOD.' + "This is a funeral song. Chant it. Daughters of the nations, chant it. Chant it over Egypt for the death of its pomp." Decree of GOD, the Master. + In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the first month, GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, lament over Egypt's pompous ways. Send her on her way. Dispatch Egypt and her proud daughter nations To the underworld, down to the country of the dead and buried. + Say, 'You think you're so high and mighty? Down! Take your place with the heathen in that unhallowed grave!' + "She'll be dumped in with those killed in battle. The sword is bared. Drag her off in all her proud pomp! + All the big men and their helpers down among the dead and buried will greet them: 'Welcome to the grave of the heathen! Join the ranks of the victims of war!' + "Assyria is there and its congregation, the whole nation a cemetery. + Their graves are in the deepest part of the underworld, a congregation of graves, all killed in battle, these people who terrorized the land of the living. + "Elam is there in all her pride, a cemetery--all killed in battle, dumped in her heathen grave with the dead and buried, these people who terrorized the land of the living. They carry their shame with them, along with the others in the grave. + They turned Elam into a resort for the pompous dead, landscaped with heathen graves, slaughtered in battle. They once terrorized the land of the living. Now they carry their shame down with the others in deep earth. They're in the section set aside for the slain in battle. + "Meshech-tubal is there in all her pride, a cemetery in uncircumcised ground, dumped in with those slaughtered in battle--just deserts for terrorizing the land of the living. Now they carry their shame down with the others in deep earth. They're in the section set aside for the slain. + They're segregated from the heroes, the old-time giants who entered the grave in full battle dress, their swords placed under their heads and their shields covering their bones, those heroes who spread terror through the land of the living. + "And you, Egypt, will be dumped in a heathen grave, along with all the rest, in the section set aside for the slain. + "Edom is there, with her kings and princes. In spite of her vaunted greatness, she is dumped in a heathen grave with the others headed for the grave. + "The princes of the north are there, the whole lot of them, and all the Sidonians who carry their shame to their graves--all that terror they spread with their brute power!--dumped in unhallowed ground with those killed in battle, carrying their shame with the others headed for deep earth. + "Pharaoh will see them all and, pompous old goat that he is, take comfort in the company he'll keep--Pharaoh and his slaughtered army. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "I used him to spread terror in the land of the living and now I'm dumping him in heathen ground with those killed by the sword--Pharaoh and all his pomp. Decree of GOD, the Master." + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them: 'If I bring war on this land and the people take one of their citizens and make him their watchman, + and if the watchman sees war coming and blows the trumpet, warning the people, + then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet and ignores it and war comes and takes him off, it's his own fault. + He heard the alarm, he ignored it--it's his own fault. If he had listened, he would have saved his life. + "'But if the watchman sees war coming and doesn't blow the trumpet, warning the people, and war comes and takes anyone off, I'll hold the watchman responsible for the bloodshed of any unwarned sinner.' + "You, son of man, are the watchman. I've made you a watchman for Israel. The minute you hear a message from me, warn them. + If I say to the wicked, 'Wicked man, wicked woman, you're on the fast track to death!' and you don't speak up and warn the wicked to change their ways, the wicked will die unwarned in their sins and I'll hold you responsible for their bloodshed. + But if you warn the wicked to change their ways and they don't do it, they'll die in their sins well-warned and at least you will have saved your own life. + "Son of man, speak to Israel. Tell them: 'You've said, "Our rebellions and sins are weighing us down. We're wasting away. How can we go on living?"' + "Tell them, 'As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?' + "There's more, son of man. Tell your people: 'A good person's good life won't save him when he decides to rebel, and a bad person's bad life won't prevent him from repenting of his rebellion. A good person who sins can't expect to live when he chooses to sin. + It's true that I tell good people, "Live! Be alive!" But if they trust in their good deeds and turn to evil, that good life won't amount to a hill of beans. They'll die for their evil life. + "'On the other hand, if I tell a wicked person, "You'll die for your wicked life," and he repents of his sin and starts living a righteous and just life-- + being generous to the down-and-out, restoring what he had stolen, cultivating life-nourishing ways that don't hurt others--he'll live. He won't die. + None of his sins will be kept on the books. He's doing what's right, living a good life. He'll live. + "'Your people say, "The Master's way isn't fair." But it's the way they're living that isn't fair. + When good people turn back from living good lives and plunge into sin, they'll die for it. + And when a wicked person turns away from his wicked life and starts living a just and righteous life, he'll come alive. + "'Still, you keep on saying, "The Master's way isn't fair." We'll see, Israel. I'll decide on each of you exactly according to how you live.'" + In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city's fallen." + The evening before the survivor arrived, the hand of GOD had been on me and restored my speech. By the time he arrived in the morning I was able to speak. I could talk again. + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, those who are living in the ruins back in Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one man and he owned the whole country. But there are lots of us. Our ownership is even more certain.' + "So tell them, 'GOD the Master says, You eat flesh that contains blood, you worship no-god idols, you murder at will--and you expect to own this land? + You rely on the sword, you engage in obscenities, you indulge in sex at random--anyone, anytime. And you still expect to own this land?' + "Tell them this, Ezekiel: 'The Message of GOD, the Master. As sure as I am the living God, those who are still alive in the ruins will be killed. Anyone out in the field I'll give to wild animals for food. Anyone hiding out in mountain forts and caves will die of disease. + I'll make this country an empty wasteland--no more arrogant bullying! Israel's mountains will become dangerously desolate. No one will dare pass through them.' + "They'll realize that I am GOD when I devastate the country because of all the obscenities they've practiced. + "As for you, son of man, you've become quite the talk of the town. Your people meet on street corners and in front of their houses and say, 'Let's go hear the latest news from GOD.' + They show up, as people tend to do, and sit in your company. They listen to you speak, but don't do a thing you say. They flatter you with compliments, but all they care about is making money and getting ahead. + To them you're merely entertainment--a country singer of sad love songs, playing a guitar. They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it. + "But when all this happens--and it is going to happen!--they'll realize that a prophet was among them." + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherd-leaders of Israel. Yes, prophesy! Tell those shepherds, 'GOD, the Master, says: Doom to you shepherds of Israel, feeding your own mouths! Aren't shepherds supposed to feed sheep? + You drink the milk, you make clothes from the wool, you roast the lambs, but you don't feed the sheep. + You don't build up the weak ones, don't heal the sick, don't doctor the injured, don't go after the strays, don't look for the lost. You bully and badger them. + And now they're scattered every which way because there was no shepherd--scattered and easy pickings for wolves and coyotes. + Scattered--my sheep!--exposed and vulnerable across mountains and hills. My sheep scattered all over the world, and no one out looking for them! + "'Therefore, shepherds, listen to the Message of GOD: + As sure as I am the living God--Decree of GOD, the Master--because my sheep have been turned into mere prey, into easy meals for wolves because you shepherds ignored them and only fed yourselves, + listen to what GOD has to say: + "'Watch out! I'm coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They're fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I'll rescue my sheep from their greed. They're not going to feed off my sheep any longer! + "'GOD, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I'm going looking for them. + As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I'm going after my sheep. I'll rescue them from all the places they've been scattered to in the storms. + I'll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I'll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. + I'll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. + And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. + I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited. + "'And as for you, my dear flock, I'm stepping in and judging between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. + Aren't you satisfied to feed in good pasture without taking over the whole place? Can't you be satisfied to drink from the clear stream without muddying the water with your feet? + Why do the rest of my sheep have to make do with grass that's trampled down and water that's been muddied? + "'Therefore, GOD, the Master, says: I myself am stepping in and making things right between the plump sheep and the skinny sheep. + Because you forced your way with shoulder and rump and butted at all the weaker animals with your horns till you scattered them all over the hills, + I'll come in and save my dear flock, no longer let them be pushed around. I'll step in and set things right between one sheep and another. + "'I'll appoint one shepherd over them all: my servant David. He'll feed them. He'll be their shepherd. + And I, GOD, will be their God. My servant David will be their prince. I, GOD, have spoken. + "'I'll make a covenant of peace with them. I'll banish fierce animals from the country so the sheep can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest. + I'll make them and everything around my hill a blessing. I'll send down plenty of rain in season--showers of blessing! + The trees in the orchards will bear fruit, the ground will produce, they'll feel content and safe on their land, and they'll realize that I am GOD when I break them out of their slavery and rescue them from their slave masters. + "'No longer will they be exploited by outsiders and ravaged by fierce beasts. They'll live safe and sound, fearless and free. + I'll give them rich gardens, lavish in vegetables--no more living half-starved, no longer taunted by outsiders. + "'They'll know, beyond doubting, that I, GOD, am their God, that I'm with them and that they, the people Israel, are my people. Decree of GOD, the Master: + You are my dear flock, the flock of my pasture, my human flock, And I am your God. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, confront Mount Seir. Prophesy against it! + Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says: "'I'm coming down hard on you, Mount Seir. I'm stepping in and turning you to a pile of rubble. + I'll reduce your towns to piles of rocks. There'll be nothing left of you. Then you'll realize that I am GOD. + "'I'm doing this because you've kept this age-old grudge going against Israel: You viciously attacked them when they were already down, looking their final punishment in the face. + Therefore, as sure as I am the living God, I'm lining you up for a real bloodbath. Since you loved blood so much, you'll be chased by rivers of blood. + I'll reduce Mount Seir to a heap of rubble. No one will either come or go from that place! + I'll blanket your mountains with corpses. Massacred bodies will cover your hills and fill up your valleys and ditches. + I'll reduce you to ruins and all your towns will be ghost towns--population zero. Then you'll realize that I am GOD. + "'Because you said, "These two nations, these two countries, are mine. I'm taking over" (even though GOD is right there watching, right there listening), + I'll turn your hate-bloated anger and rage right back on you. You'll know I mean business when I bring judgment on you. + You'll realize then that I, GOD, have overheard all the vile abuse you've poured out against the mountains of Israel, saying, "They're roadkill and we're going to eat them up." + You've strutted around, talking so big, insolently pitting yourselves against me. And I've heard it all. + "'This is the verdict of GOD, the Master: With the whole earth applauding, I'll demolish you. + Since you danced in the streets, thinking it was so wonderful when Israel's inheritance was demolished, I'll give you the same treatment: demolition. Mount Seir demolished--yes, every square inch of Edom. Then they'll realize that I am GOD!' + + + "And now, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel. Say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to GOD's Message. + GOD, the Master, says, Because the enemy crowed over you, "Good! Those old hills are now ours!" + now here is a prophecy in the name of GOD, the Master: Because nations came at you from all sides, ripping and plundering, hauling pieces of you off every which way, and you've become the butt of cheap gossip and jokes, + therefore, Mountains of Israel, listen to the Message of GOD, the Master. My Message to mountains and hills, to ditches and valleys, to the heaps of rubble and the emptied towns that are looted for plunder and turned into jokes by all the surrounding nations: + Therefore, says GOD, the Master, now I'm speaking in a fiery rage against the rest of the nations, but especially against Edom, who in an orgy of violence and shameless insolence robbed me of my land, grabbed it for themselves.' + "Therefore prophesy over the land of Israel, preach to the mountains and hills, to every ditch and valley: 'The Message of GOD, the Master: Look! Listen! I'm angry--and I care. I'm speaking to you because you've been humiliated among the nations. + Therefore I, GOD, the Master, am telling you that I've solemnly sworn that the nations around you are next. It's their turn to be humiliated. + "'But you, Mountains of Israel, will burst with new growth, putting out branches and bearing fruit for my people Israel. My people are coming home! + Do you see? I'm back again. I'm on your side. You'll be plowed and planted as before! + I'll see to it that your population grows all over Israel, that the towns fill up with people, that the ruins are rebuilt. + I'll make this place teem with life--human and animal. The country will burst into life, life, and more life, your towns and villages full of people just as in the old days. I'll treat you better than I ever have. And you'll realize that I am GOD. + I'll put people over you--my own people Israel! They'll take care of you and you'll be their inheritance. Never again will you be a harsh and unforgiving land to them. + "'GOD, the Master, says: Because you have a reputation of being a land that eats people alive and makes women barren, + I'm now telling you that you'll never eat people alive again nor make women barren. Decree of GOD, the Master. + And I'll never again let the taunts of outsiders be heard over you nor permit nations to look down on you. You'll no longer be a land that makes women barren. Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they polluted it by the way they lived. I poured out my anger on them because of the polluted blood they poured out on the ground. + And so I got thoroughly angry with them polluting the country with their wanton murders and dirty gods. + I kicked them out, exiled them to other countries. I sentenced them according to how they had lived. + Wherever they went, they gave me a bad name. People said, 'These are GOD's people, but they got kicked off his land.' + I suffered much pain over my holy reputation, which the people of Israel blackened in every country they entered. + "Therefore, tell Israel, 'Message of GOD, the Master: I'm not doing this for you, Israel. I'm doing it for me, to save my character, my holy name, which you've blackened in every country where you've gone. + I'm going to put my great and holy name on display, the name that has been ruined in so many countries, the name that you blackened wherever you went. Then the nations will realize who I really am, that I am GOD, when I show my holiness through you so that they can see it with their own eyes. + "'For here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. + I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. + I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. + I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. + You'll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You'll be my people! I'll be your God! + "'I'll pull you out of that stinking pollution. I'll give personal orders to the wheat fields, telling them to grow bumper crops. I'll send no more famines. + I'll make sure your fruit trees and field crops flourish. Other nations won't be able to hold you in contempt again because of famine. + "'And then you'll think back over your terrible lives--the evil, the shame--and be thoroughly disgusted with yourselves, realizing how badly you've lived--all those obscenities you've carried out. + "'I'm not doing this for you. Get this through your thick heads! Shame on you. What a mess you made of things, Israel! + "'Message of GOD, the Master: On the day I scrub you clean from all your filthy living, I'll also make your cities livable. The ruins will be rebuilt. + The neglected land will be worked again, no longer overgrown with weeds and thistles, worthless in the eyes of passersby. + People will exclaim, "Why, this weed patch has been turned into a Garden of Eden! And the ruined cities, smashed into oblivion, are now thriving!" + The nations around you that are still in existence will realize that I, GOD, rebuild ruins and replant empty waste places. I, GOD, said so, and I'll do it. + "'Message of GOD, the Master: Yet again I'm going to do what Israel asks. I'll increase their population as with a flock of sheep. + Like the milling flocks of sheep brought for sacrifices in Jerusalem during the appointed feasts, the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. And they'll realize that I am GOD.'" + + + GOD grabbed me. GOD's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. + He led me around and among them--a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain--dry bones, bleached by the sun. + He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Master GOD, only you know that." + He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of GOD!'" + GOD, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. + I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am GOD!" + I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. + I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them. + He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'" + So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army. + Then God said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they're saying: 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left of us.' + "Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says: I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive--O my people! Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. + When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I am GOD. + I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am GOD. I've said it and I'll do it. GOD's Decree.'" + GOD's Message came to me: + "You, son of man: Take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, with his Israelite companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph--Ephraim's stick, together with all his Israelite companions.' + Then tie the two sticks together so that you're holding one stick. + "When your people ask you, 'Are you going to tell us what you're doing?' + tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says, Watch me! I'll take the Joseph stick that is in Ephraim's hand, with the tribes of Israel connected with him, and lay the Judah stick on it. I'll make them into one stick. I'm holding one stick.' + "Then take the sticks you've inscribed and hold them up so the people can see them. + Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says, Watch me! I'm taking the Israelites out of the nations in which they've been exiled. I'll gather them in from all directions and bring them back home. + I'll make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and give them one king--one king over all of them. Never again will they be divided into two nations, two kingdoms. + Never again will they pollute their lives with their no-god idols and all those vile obscenities and rebellions. I'll save them out of all their old sinful haunts. I'll clean them up. They'll be my people! I'll be their God! + My servant David will be king over them. They'll all be under one shepherd. "'They'll follow my laws and keep my statutes. + They'll live in the same land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever, and my servant David will be their prince forever. + I'll make a covenant of peace with them that will hold everything together, an everlasting covenant. I'll make them secure and place my holy place of worship at the center of their lives forever. + I'll live right there with them. I'll be their God! They'll be my people! + "'The nations will realize that I, GOD, make Israel holy when my holy place of worship is established at the center of their lives forever.'" + + + GOD's Message came to me: + "Son of man, confront Gog from the country of Magog, head of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him. + Say, 'GOD, the Master, says: Be warned, Gog. I am against you, head of Meshech and Tubal. + I'm going to turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and drag you off with your whole army, your horses and riders in full armor--all those shields and bucklers and swords--fighting men armed to the teeth! + Persia and Cush and Put will be in the ranks, also well-armed, as will + Gomer and its army and Beth-togarmah out of the north with its army. Many nations will be with you! + "'Get ready to fight, you and the whole company that's been called out. Take charge and wait for orders. + After a long time, you'll be given your orders. In the distant future you'll arrive at a country that has recovered from a devastating war. People from many nations will be gathered there on the mountains of Israel, for a long time now a wasteland. These people have been brought back from many countries and now live safe and secure. + You'll rise like a thunderstorm and roll in like clouds and cover the land, you and the massed troops with you. + "'Message of GOD, the Master: At that time you'll start thinking things over and cook up an evil plot. + You'll say, "I'm going to invade a country without defenses, attack an unsuspecting, carefree people going about their business--no gates to their cities, no locks on their doors. + And I'm going to plunder the place, march right in and clean them out, this rebuilt country risen from the ashes, these returned exiles and their booming economy centered down at the navel of the earth." + "'Sheba and Dedan and Tarshish, traders all out to make a fast buck, will say, "So! You've opened a new market for plunder! You've brought in your troops to get rich quick!"' + "Therefore, son of man, prophesy! Tell Gog, 'A Message from GOD, the Master: When my people Israel are established securely, will you make your move? + Will you come down out of the far north, you and that mob of armies, charging out on your horses like a tidal wave across the land, + and invade my people Israel, covering the country like a cloud? When the time's ripe, I'll unleash you against my land in such a way that the nations will recognize me, realize that through you, Gog, in full view of the nations, I am putting my holiness on display. + "'A Message of GOD, the Master: Years ago when I spoke through my servants, the prophets of Israel, wasn't it you I was talking about? Year after year they prophesied that I would bring you against them. + And when the day comes, Gog, you will attack that land of Israel. Decree of GOD, the Master. My raging anger will erupt. + Fueled by blazing jealousy, I tell you that then there will be an earthquake that rocks the land of Israel. + Fish and birds and wild animals--even ants and beetles!--and every human being will tremble and shake before me. Mountains will disintegrate, terraces will crumble. + I'll order all-out war against you, Gog--Decree of GOD, the Master--Gog killing Gog on all the mountains of Israel. + I'll deluge Gog with judgment: disease and massacre, torrential rain and hail, volcanic lava pouring down on you and your mobs of troops and people. + "'I'll show you how great I am, how holy I am. I'll make myself known all over the world. Then you'll realize that I am GOD.' + + + "Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Say, 'A Message of GOD, the Master: I'm against you, Gog, head of Meshech and Tubal. + I'm going to turn you around and drag you out, drag you out of the far north and down on the mountains of Israel. + Then I'll knock your bow out of your left hand and your arrows from your right hand. + On the mountains of Israel you'll be slaughtered, you and all your troops and the people with you. I'll serve you up as a meal to carrion birds and scavenging animals. + You'll be killed in the open field. I've given my word. Decree of GOD, the Master.' + "I'll set fire to Magog and the far-off islands, where people are so seemingly secure. And they'll realize that I am GOD. + "I'll reveal my holy name among my people Israel. Never again will I let my holy name be dragged in the mud. Then the nations will realize that I, GOD, am The Holy in Israel. + "It's coming! Yes, it will happen! This is the day I've been telling you about. + "People will come out of the cities of Israel and make a huge bonfire of the weapons of war, piling on shields large and small, bows and arrows, clubs and spears, a fire they'll keep going for seven years. + They won't need to go into the woods to get fuel for the fire. There'll be plenty of weapons to keep it going. They'll strip those who stripped them. They'll rob those who robbed them. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "At that time I'll set aside a burial ground for Gog in Israel at Traveler's Rest, just east of the sea. It will obstruct the route of travelers, blocking their way, the mass grave of Gog and his mob of an army. They'll call the place Gog's Mob. + "Israel will bury the corpses in order to clean up the land. It will take them seven months. + All the people will turn out to help with the burials. It will be a big day for the people when it's all done and I'm given my due. + Men will be hired full-time for the cleanup burial operation and will go through the country looking for defiling, decomposing corpses. At the end of seven months, there'll be an all-out final search. + Anyone who sees a bone will mark the place with a stick so the buriers can get it and bury it in the mass burial site, Gog's Mob. + (A town nearby is called Mobville, or Hamonah.) That's how they'll clean up the land. + "Son of man, GOD, the Master, says: Call the birds! Call the wild animals! Call out, 'Gather and come, gather around my sacrificial meal that I'm preparing for you on the mountains of Israel. You'll eat meat and drink blood. + You'll eat off the bodies of great heroes and drink the blood of famous princes as if they were so many rams and lambs, goats and bulls, the choicest grain-fed animals of Bashan. + At the sacrificial meal I'm fixing for you, you'll eat fat till you're stuffed and drink blood till you're drunk. + At the table I set for you, you'll stuff yourselves with horses and riders, heroes and fighters of every kind.' Decree of GOD, the Master. + "I'll put my glory on display among the nations and they'll all see the judgment I execute, see me at work handing out judgment. + From that day on, Israel will realize that I am their GOD. + And the nations will get the message that it was because of their sins that Israel went into exile. They were disloyal to me and I turned away from them. I turned them over to their enemies and they were all killed. + I treated them as their polluted and sin-sated lives deserved. I turned away from them, refused to look at them. + "But now I will return Jacob back from exile, I'll be compassionate with all the people of Israel, and I'll be zealous for my holy name. + Eventually the memory will fade, the memory of their shame over their betrayals of me when they lived securely in their own land, safe and unafraid. + Once I've brought them back from foreign parts, gathered them in from enemy territories, I'll use them to demonstrate my holiness with all the nations watching. + Then they'll realize for sure that I am their GOD, for even though I sent them off into exile, I will gather them back to their own land, leaving not one soul behind. + After I've poured my Spirit on Israel, filled them with my life, I'll no longer turn away. I'll look them full in the face. Decree of GOD, the Master." + + + In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year on the tenth of the month--it was the fourteenth year after the city fell--GOD touched me and brought me here. + He brought me in divine vision to the land of Israel and set me down on a high mountain. To the south there were buildings that looked like a city. + He took me there and I met a man deeply tanned, like bronze. He stood at the entrance holding a linen cord and a measuring stick. + The man said to me, "Son of man, look and listen carefully. Pay close attention to everything I'm going to show you. That's why you've been brought here. And then tell Israel everything you see." + First I saw a wall around the outside of the Temple complex. The measuring stick in the man's hand was about ten feet long. He measured the thickness of the wall: about ten feet. The height was also about ten feet. + He went into the gate complex that faced the east and went up the seven steps. + He measured the depth of the outside threshold of the gate complex: ten feet. There were alcoves flanking the gate corridor, each ten feet square, each separated by a wall seven and a half feet thick. The inside threshold of the gate complex that led to the porch facing into the Temple courtyard was ten feet deep. + He measured the inside porch of the gate complex: + twelve feet deep, flanked by pillars three feet thick. The porch opened onto the Temple courtyard. + Inside this east gate complex were three alcoves on each side. Each room was the same size and the separating walls were identical. + He measured the outside entrance to the gate complex: fifteen feet wide and nineteen and a half feet deep. + In front of each alcove was a low wall eighteen inches high. The alcoves were ten feet square. + He measured the width of the gate complex from the outside edge of the alcove roof on one side to the outside edge of the alcove roof on the other: thirty-seven and a half feet from one top edge to the other. + He measured the inside walls of the gate complex: ninety feet to the porch leading into the courtyard. + The distance from the entrance of the gate complex to the far end of the porch was seventy-five feet. + The alcoves and their connecting walls inside the gate complex were topped by narrow windows all the way around. The porch also. All the windows faced inward. The doorjambs between the alcoves were decorated with palm trees. + The man then led me to the outside courtyard and all its rooms. A paved walkway had been built connecting the courtyard gates. Thirty rooms lined the courtyard. + The walkway was the same length as the gateways. It flanked them and ran their entire length. This was the walkway for the outside courtyard. + He measured the distance from the front of the entrance gateway across to the entrance of the inner court: one hundred fifty feet. Then he took me to the north side. + Here was another gate complex facing north, exiting the outside courtyard. He measured its length and width. + It had three alcoves on each side. Its gateposts and porch were the same as in the first gate: eighty-seven and a half feet by forty-three and three-quarters feet. + The windows and palm trees were identical to the east gateway. Seven steps led up to it, and its porch faced inward. + Opposite this gate complex was a gate complex to the inside courtyard, on the north as on the east. The distance between the two was one hundred seventy-five feet. + Then he took me to the south side, to the south gate complex. He measured its gateposts and its porch. It was the same size as the others. + The porch with its windows was the same size as those previously mentioned. + It also had seven steps up to it. Its porch opened onto the outside courtyard, with palm trees decorating its gateposts on both sides. + Opposite to it, the gate complex for the inner court faced south. He measured the distance across the courtyard from gate to gate: one hundred seventy-five feet. + He led me into the inside courtyard through the south gate complex. He measured it and found it the same as the outside ones. + Its alcoves, connecting walls, and vestibule were the same. The gate complex and porch, windowed all around, measured eighty-seven and a half by forty-three and three-quarters feet. + The vestibule of each of the gate complexes leading to the inside courtyard was forty-three and three-quarters by eight and three-quarters feet. + Each vestibule faced the outside courtyard. Palm trees were carved on its doorposts. Eight steps led up to it. + He then took me to the inside courtyard on the east and measured the gate complex. It was identical to the others-- + alcoves, connecting walls, and vestibule all the same. The gate complex and vestibule had windows all around. It measured eighty-seven and a half by forty-three and three-quarters feet. + Its porch faced the outside courtyard. There were palm trees on the doorposts on both sides. And it had eight steps. + He brought me to the gate complex to the north and measured it: same measurements. + The alcoves, connecting walls, and vestibule with its windows: eighty-seven and a half by forty-three and three-quarters feet. + Its porch faced the outside courtyard. There were palm trees on its doorposts on both sides. And it had eight steps. + There was a room with a door at the vestibule of the gate complex where the burnt offerings were cleaned. + Two tables were placed within the vestibule, one on either side, on which the animals for burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings were slaughtered. + Two tables were also placed against both outside walls of the vestibule-- + four tables inside and four tables outside, eight tables in all for slaughtering the sacrificial animals. + The four tables used for the burnt offerings were thirty-one and a half inches square and twenty-one inches high. The tools for slaughtering the sacrificial animals and other sacrifices were kept there. + Meat hooks, three inches long, were fastened to the walls. The tables were for the sacrificial animals. + Right where the inside gate complex opened onto the inside courtyard there were two rooms, one at the north gate facing south and the one at the south gate facing north. + The man told me, "The room facing south is for the priests who are in charge of the Temple. + And the room facing north is for the priests who are in charge of the altar. These priests are the sons of Zadok, the only sons of Levi permitted to come near to GOD to serve him." + He measured the inside courtyard: a hundred seventy-five feet square. The altar was in front of the Temple. + He led me to the porch of the Temple and measured the gateposts of the porch: eight and three-quarters feet high on both sides. + The entrance to the gate complex was twenty-one feet wide and its connecting walls were four and a half feet thick. The vestibule itself was thirty-five feet wide and twenty-one feet deep. Ten steps led up to the porch. Columns flanked the gateposts. + + + He brought me into the Temple itself and measured the doorposts on each side. Each was ten and a half feet thick. + The entrance was seventeen and a half feet wide. The walls on each side were eight and three-quarters feet thick. He also measured the Temple Sanctuary: seventy feet by thirty-five feet. + He went further in and measured the doorposts at the entrance: Each was three and a half feet thick. The entrance itself was ten and a half feet wide, and the entrance walls were twelve and a quarter feet thick. + He measured the inside Sanctuary, thirty-five feet square, set at the end of the main Sanctuary. He told me, "This is The Holy of Holies." + He measured the wall of the Temple. It was ten and a half feet thick. The side rooms around the Temple were seven feet wide. + There were three floors of these side rooms, thirty rooms on each of the three floors. There were supporting beams around the Temple wall to hold up the side rooms, but they were freestanding, not attached to the wall itself. + The side rooms around the Temple became wider from first floor to second floor to third floor. A staircase went from the bottom floor, through the middle, and then to the top floor. + I observed that the Temple had a ten-and-a-half-foot-thick raised base around it, which provided a foundation for the side rooms. + The outside walls of the side rooms were eight and three-quarters feet thick. The open area between the side rooms of the Temple + and the priests' rooms was a thirty-five-foot-wide strip all around the Temple. + There were two entrances to the side rooms from the open area, one placed on the north side, the other on the south. There were eight and three-quarters feet of open space all around. + The house that faced the Temple courtyard to the west was one hundred twenty-two and a half feet wide, with eight-and-three-quarters-foot-thick walls. The length of the wall and building was one hundred fifty-seven and a half feet. + He measured the Temple: one hundred seventy-five feet long. The Temple courtyard and the house, including its walls, measured a hundred seventy-five feet. + The breadth of the front of the Temple and the open area to the east was a hundred seventy-five feet. + He measured the length of the house facing the courtyard at the back of the Temple, including the shelters on each side: one hundred seventy-five feet. The main Sanctuary, the inner Sanctuary, and the vestibule facing the courtyard + were paneled with wood, and had window frames and door frames in all three sections. From floor to windows the walls were paneled. + Above the outside entrance to the inner Sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner Sanctuary and the main Sanctuary, + angel-cherubim and palm trees were carved in alternating sequence. Each angel-cherub had two faces: + a human face toward the palm tree on the right and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the left. They were carved around the entire Temple. + The cherubim-palm tree motif was carved from floor to door height on the wall of the main Sanctuary. + The main Sanctuary had a rectangular doorframe. In front of the Holy Place was something that looked like + an altar of wood, five and a quarter feet high and three and a half feet square. Its corners, base, and sides were of wood. The man said to me, "This is the table that stands before GOD." + Both the main Sanctuary and the Holy Place had double doors. + Each door had two leaves: two hinged leaves for each door, one set swinging inward and the other set outward. + The doors of the main Sanctuary were carved with angel-cherubim and palm trees. There was a canopy of wood in front of the vestibule outside. + There were narrow windows alternating with carved palm trees on both sides of the porch. + + + The man led me north into the outside courtyard and brought me to the rooms that are in front of the open space and the house facing north. + The length of the house on the north was one hundred seventy-five feet, and its width eighty-seven and a half feet. + Across the thirty-five feet that separated the inside courtyard from the paved walkway at the edge of the outside courtyard, the rooms rose level by level for three stories. + In front of the rooms on the inside was a hallway seventeen and a half feet wide and one hundred seventy-five feet long. Its entrances were from the north. + The upper rooms themselves were narrower, their galleries being wider than on the first and second floors of the building. + The rooms on the third floor had no pillars like the pillars in the outside courtyard and were smaller than the rooms on the first and second floors. + There was an outside wall parallel to the rooms and the outside courtyard. It fronted the rooms for eighty-seven and a half feet. + The row of rooms facing the outside courtyard was eighty-seven and a half feet long. The row on the side nearest the Sanctuary was one hundred seventy-five feet long. + The first-floor rooms had their entrance from the east, coming in from the outside courtyard. + On the south side along the length of the courtyard's outside wall and fronting on the Temple courtyard were rooms + with a walkway in front of them. These were just like the rooms on the north--same exits and dimensions--with the main entrance from the east leading to the hallway and the doors to the rooms the same as those on the north side. + The design on the south was a mirror image of that on the north. + Then he said to me, "The north and south rooms adjacent to the open area are holy rooms where the priests who come before GOD eat the holy offerings. There they place the holy offerings--grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. These are set-apart rooms, holy space. + After the priests have entered the Sanctuary, they must not return to the outside courtyard and mingle among the people until they change the sacred garments in which they minister and put on their regular clothes." + After he had finished measuring what was inside the Temple area, he took me out the east gate and measured it from the outside. + Using his measuring stick, he measured the east side: eight hundred seventy-five feet. + He measured the north side: eight hundred seventy-five feet. + He measured the south side: eight hundred seventy-five feet. + Last of all he went to the west side and measured it: eight hundred seventy-five feet. + He measured the wall on all four sides. Each wall was eight hundred seventy-five feet. The walls separated the holy from the ordinary. + + + The man brought me to the east gate. + Oh! The bright Glory of the God of Israel rivered out of the east sounding like the roar of floodwaters, and the earth itself glowed with the bright Glory. + It looked just like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, exactly like what I had seen earlier at the Kebar River. And again I fell, face to the ground. + The bright Glory of GOD poured into the Temple through the east gate. + The Spirit put me on my feet and led me to the inside courtyard and--oh! the bright Glory of GOD filled the Temple! + I heard someone speaking to me from inside the Temple while the man stood beside me. + He said, "Son of man, this is the place for my throne, the place I'll plant my feet. This is the place where I'll live with the Israelites forever. Neither the people of Israel nor their kings will ever again drag my holy name through the mud with their whoring and the no-god idols their kings set up at all the wayside shrines. + When they set up their worship shrines right alongside mine with only a thin wall between them, they dragged my holy name through the mud with their obscene and vile worship. Is it any wonder that I destroyed them in anger? + So let them get rid of their whoring ways and the stinking no-god idols introduced by their kings and I'll move in and live with them forever. + "Son of man, tell the people of Israel all about the Temple so they'll be dismayed by their wayward lives. Get them to go over the layout. + That will bring them up short. Show them the whole plan of the Temple, its ins and outs, the proportions, the regulations, and the laws. Draw a picture so they can see the design and meaning and live by its design and intent. + "This is the law of the Temple: As it radiates from the top of the mountain, everything around it becomes holy ground. Yes, this is law, the meaning, of the Temple. + "These are the dimensions of the altar, using the long (twenty-one-inch) ruler. The gutter at its base is twenty-one inches + deep and twenty-one inches wide, with a four-inch lip around its edge. "The height of the altar is three and a half feet from the base to the first ledge and twenty inches wide. From the first ledge to the second ledge it is seven feet high and twenty-one inches wide. + The altar hearth is another seven feet high. Four horns stick upward from the hearth twenty-one inches high. + "The top of the altar, the hearth, is square, twenty-one by twenty-one feet. + The upper ledge is also square, twenty-four and a half feet on each side, with a ten-and-a-half-inch lip and a twenty-one-inch-wide gutter all the way around. "The steps of the altar ascend from the east." + Then the man said to me, "Son of man, GOD, the Master, says: 'These are the ordinances for conduct at the altar when it is built, for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood on it. + "'For a sin offering, give a bull to the priests, the Levitical priests who are from the family of Zadok who come into my presence to serve me. + Take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar that project from the four corners of the top ledge and all around the lip. That's to purify the altar and make it fit for the sacrifice. + Then take the bull for the sin offerings and burn it in the place set aside for this in the courtyard outside the Sanctuary. + "'On the second day, offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. Purify the altar the same as you purified it for the bull. + Then, when you have purified it, offer a bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. + Present them before GOD. Sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to GOD. + "'For seven days, prepare a goat for a sin offering daily, and also a bull and a ram from the flock, animals without blemish. + For seven days the priests are to get the altar ready for its work, purifying it. This is how you dedicate it. + "'After these seven days of dedication, from the eighth day on, the priests will present your burnt offerings and your peace offerings. And I'll accept you with pleasure, with delight! Decree of GOD, the Master.'" + + + Then the man brought me back to the outside gate complex of the Sanctuary that faces east. But it was shut. + GOD spoke to me: "This gate is shut and it's to stay shut. No one is to go through it because GOD, the God of Israel, has gone through it. It stays shut. + Only the prince, because he's the prince, may sit there to eat in the presence of GOD. He is to enter the gate complex through the porch and leave by the same way." + The man led me through the north gate to the front of the Temple. I looked, and--oh!--the bright Glory of GOD filling the Temple of GOD! I fell on my face in worship. + GOD said to me, "Son of man, get a grip on yourself. Use your eyes, use your ears, pay careful attention to everything I tell you about the ordinances of this Temple of GOD, the way all the laws work, instructions regarding it and all the entrances and exits of the Sanctuary. + "Tell this bunch of rebels, this family Israel, 'Message of GOD, the Master: No more of these vile obscenities, Israel, + dragging irreverent and unrepentant outsiders, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, into my Sanctuary, feeding them the sacrificial offerings as if it were the food for a neighborhood picnic. With all your vile obscenities, you've broken trust with me, the solemn covenant I made with you. + You haven't taken care of my holy things. You've hired out the work to foreigners who care nothing for this place, my Sanctuary. + No irreverent and unrepentant aliens, uncircumcised in heart or flesh, not even the ones who live among Israelites, are to enter my Sanctuary.' + "The Levites who walked off and left me, along with everyone else--all Israel--who took up with all the no-god idols, will pay for everything they did wrong. + From now on they'll do only the menial work in the Sanctuary: guard the gates and help out with the Temple chores--and also kill the sacrificial animals for the people and serve them. + Because they acted as priests to the no-god idols and made my people Israel stumble and fall, I've taken an oath to punish them. Decree of GOD, the Master. Yes, they'll pay for what they've done. + They're fired from the priesthood. No longer will they come into my presence and take care of my holy things. No more access to The Holy Place! They'll have to live with what they've done, carry the shame of their vile and obscene lives. + From now on, their job is to sweep up and run errands. That's it. + "But the Levitical priests who descend from Zadok, who faithfully took care of my Sanctuary when everyone else went off and left me, are going to come into my presence and serve me. They are going to carry out the priestly work of offering the solemn sacrifices of worship. Decree of GOD, the Master. + They're the only ones permitted to enter my Sanctuary. They're the only ones to approach my table and serve me, accompanying me in my work. + "When they enter the gate complex of the inside courtyard, they are to dress in linen. No woolens are to be worn while serving at the gate complex of the inside courtyard or inside the Temple itself. + They're to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen underclothes--nothing that makes them sweat. + When they go out into the outside courtyard where the people gather, they must first change out of the clothes they have been serving in, leaving them in the sacred rooms where they change to their everyday clothes, so that they don't trivialize their holy work by the way they dress. + "They are to neither shave their heads nor let their hair become unkempt, but must keep their hair trimmed and neat. + "No priest is to drink on the job--no wine while in the inside courtyard. + "Priests are not to marry widows or divorcees, but only Israelite virgins or widows of priests. + "Their job is to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, to show them how to discern between unclean and clean. + "When there's a difference of opinion, the priests will arbitrate. They'll decide on the basis of my judgments, laws, and statutes. They are in charge of making sure the appointed feasts are honored and my Sabbaths kept holy in the ways I've commanded. + "A priest must not contaminate himself by going near a corpse. But when the dead person is his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, he can approach the dead. + But after he has been purified, he must wait another seven days. + Then, when he returns to the inside courtyard of the Sanctuary to do his priestly work in the Sanctuary, he must first offer a sin offering for himself. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "As to priests owning land, I am their inheritance. Don't give any land in Israel to them. I am their 'land,' their inheritance. + They'll take their meals from the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel offered to GOD in worship is theirs. + The best of everything grown, plus all special gifts, comes to the priests. All that is given in worship to GOD goes to them. Serve them first. Serve from your best and your home will be blessed. + "Priests are not to eat any meat from bird or animal unfit for ordinary human consumption, such as carcasses found dead on the road or in the field. + + + "When you divide up the inheritance of the land, you must set aside part of the land as sacred space for GOD: approximately seven miles long by six miles wide, all of it holy ground. + Within this rectangle, reserve a seven-hundred-fifty-foot square for the Sanctuary with a seventy-five-foot buffer zone surrounding it. + Mark off within the sacred reserve a section seven miles long by three miles wide. The Sanctuary with its Holy of Holies will be placed there. + This is where the priests will live, those who lead worship in the Sanctuary and serve GOD there. Their houses will be there along with The Holy Place. + "To the north of the sacred reserve, an area roughly seven miles long and two and a quarter miles wide will be set aside as land for the villages of the Levites who administer the affairs of worship in the Sanctuary. + "To the south of the sacred reserve, measure off a section seven miles long and about a mile and a half wide for the city itself, an area held in common by the whole family of Israel. + "The prince gets the land abutting the seven-mile east and west borders of the central sacred square, extending eastward toward the Jordan and westward toward the Mediterranean. + This is the prince's possession in Israel. My princes will no longer bully my people, running roughshod over them. They'll respect the land as it has been allotted to the tribes. + "This is the Message of GOD, the Master: 'I've put up with you long enough, princes of Israel! Quit bullying and taking advantage of my people. Do what's just and right for a change. + Use honest scales--honest weights and honest measures. + Every pound must have sixteen ounces. Every gallon must measure four quarts. The ounce is the basic measure for both. + And your coins must be honest--no wooden nickels! + "'These are the prescribed offerings you are to supply: one-sixtieth part of your wheat, one-sixtieth part of your barley, + one-hundredth part of your oil, + one sheep out of every two hundred from the lush pastures of Israel. These will be used for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings for making the atonement sacrifices for the people. Decree of GOD, the Master. + "'Everyone in the land must contribute to these special offerings that the prince in Israel will administer. + It's the prince's job to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings at the Holy Festivals, the New Moons, and the Sabbaths--all the commanded feasts among the people of Israel. Sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings for making atonement for the people of Israel are his responsibility. + "'This is the Message from GOD, the Master: On the first day of the first month, take an unblemished bull calf and purify the Sanctuary. + The priest is to take blood from the sin offerings and rub it on the doorposts of the Temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gate entrance to the inside courtyard. + Repeat this ritual on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins without knowing it. In this way you make atonement for the Temple. + "'On the fourteenth day of the first month, you will observe the Passover, a feast of seven days. During the feast you will eat bread made without yeast. + "'On Passover, the prince supplies a bull as a sin offering for himself and all the people of the country. + Each day for each of the seven days of the feast, he will supply seven bulls and seven rams unblemished as a burnt offering to GOD, and also each day a male goat. + "'He will supply about five and a half gallons of grain offering and a gallon of oil for each bull and each ram. + "'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and on each of the seven days of the feast, he is to supply the same materials for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and oil. + + + "'Message from GOD, the Master: The gate of the inside courtyard on the east is to be shut on the six working days, but open on the Sabbath. It is also to be open on the New Moon. + The prince will enter through the entrance area of the gate complex and stand at the gateposts as the priests present his burnt offerings and peace offerings while he worships there on the porch. He will then leave, but the gate won't be shut until evening. + On Sabbaths and New Moons, the people are to worship before GOD at the outside entrance to that gate complex. + "'The prince supplies for GOD the burnt offering for the Sabbath--six unblemished lambs and an unblemished ram. + The grain offering to go with the ram is about five and a half gallons plus a gallon of oil, and a handful of grain for each lamb. + "'At the New Moon he is to supply a bull calf, six lambs, and a ram, all without blemish. + He will also supply five and a half gallons of grain offering and a gallon of oil for both ram and bull, and a handful of grain offering for each lamb. + "'When the prince enters, he will go through the entrance vestibule of the gate complex and leave the same way. + "'But when the people of the land come to worship GOD at the commanded feasts, those who enter through the north gate will exit from the south gate, and those who enter though the south gate will exit from the north gate. You don't exit the gate through which you enter, but through the opposite gate. + The prince is to be there, mingling with them, going in and out with them. + "'At the festivals and the commanded feasts, the appropriate grain offering is five and a half gallons, with a gallon of oil for the bull and ram and a handful of grain for each lamb. + "'When the prince brings a freewill offering to GOD, whether a burnt offering or a peace offering, the east gate is to be opened for him. He offers his burnt or peace offering the same as he does on the Sabbath. Then he leaves, and after he is out, the gate is shut. + "'Every morning you are to bring a yearling lamb unblemished for a burnt offering to GOD. + Also, every morning bring a grain offering of about a gallon of grain with a quart or so of oil to moisten it. Presenting this grain offering to GOD is standard procedure. + The lamb, the grain offering, and the oil for the burnt offering are a regular daily ritual. + "'A Message from GOD, the Master: If the prince deeds a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it stays in the family. + But if he deeds a gift from his inheritance to a servant, the servant keeps it only until the year of liberation (the Jubilee year). After that, it comes back to the prince. His inheritance is only for his sons. It stays in the family. + The prince must not take the inheritance from any of the people, dispossessing them of their land. He can give his sons only what he himself owns. None of my people are to be run off their land.'" + Then the man brought me through the north gate into the holy chambers assigned to the priests and showed me a back room to the west. + He said, "This is the kitchen where the priests will cook the guilt offering and sin offering and bake the grain offering so that they won't have to do it in the outside courtyard and endanger the unprepared people out there with The Holy." + He proceeded to take me to the outside courtyard and around to each of its four corners. In each corner I observed another court. + In each of the four corners of the outside courtyard were smaller courts sixty by forty-five feet, each the same size. + On the inside walls of the courts was a stone shelf, and beneath the shelves, hearths for cooking. + He said, "These are the kitchens where those who serve in the Temple will cook the sacrifices of the people." + + + Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east (the Temple faced east). The water poured from the south side of the Temple, south of the altar. + He then took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the gate complex on the east. The water was gushing from under the south front of the Temple. + He walked to the east with a measuring tape and measured off fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was ankle-deep. + He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water waist-deep. + He measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through. + He said, "Son of man, have you had a good look?" Then he took me back to the riverbank. + While sitting on the bank, I noticed a lot of trees on both sides of the river. + He told me, "This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. + Wherever the river flows, life will flourish--great schools of fish--because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. + Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En-gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean. + "The swamps and marshes won't become fresh. They'll stay salty. + "But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won't wither, the fruit won't fail. Every month they'll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." + A Message from GOD, the Master: "These are the boundaries by which you are to divide up the inheritance of the land for the twelve tribes of Israel, with Joseph getting two parcels. + It is to be divided up equally. I swore in a solemn oath to give it to your ancestors, swore that this land would be your inheritance. + "These are the boundaries of the land: "The northern boundary runs from the Great Mediterranean Sea along the Hethlon road to where you turn off to the entrance of Hamath, Zedad, + Berothah, and Sibraim, which lies between the territory of Damascus and the territory of Hamath, and on to Hazor-hatticon on the border of Hauran. + The boundary runs from the Sea to Hazor-enon, with the territories of Damascus and Hamath to the north. That is the northern boundary. + "The eastern boundary runs between Damascus and Hauran, down along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel to the Eastern Sea as far as Tamar. This is the eastern boundary. + "The southern boundary runs west from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, along the Brook of Egypt, and out to the Great Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern boundary. + "The western boundary is formed by the Great Mediterranean Sea north to where the road turns east toward the entrance to Hamath. This is the western boundary. + "Divide up this land among the twelve tribes of Israel. + Divide it up as your inheritance, and include in it the resident aliens who have made themselves at home among you and now have children. Treat them as if they were born there, just like yourselves. They also get an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. + In whatever tribe the resident alien lives, there he gets his inheritance. Decree of GOD, the Master. + + + "These are the tribes: "Dan: one portion, along the northern boundary, following the Hethlon road that turns off to the entrance of Hamath as far as Hazor-enon so that the territory of Damascus lies to the north alongside Hamath, the northern border stretching from east to west. + "Asher: one portion, bordering Dan from east to west. + "Naphtali: one portion, bordering Asher from east to west. + "Manasseh: one portion, bordering Naphtali from east to west. + "Ephraim: one portion, bordering Manasseh from east to west. + "Reuben: one portion, bordering Ephraim from east to west. + "Judah: one portion, bordering Reuben from east to west. + "Bordering Judah from east to west is the consecrated area that you will set aside as holy: a square approximately seven by seven miles, with the Sanctuary set at the center. + The consecrated area reserved for GOD is to be seven miles long and a little less than three miles wide. + "This is how it will be parceled out. The priest will get the area measuring seven miles on the north and south boundaries, with a width of a little more than three miles at the east and west boundaries. The Sanctuary of GOD will be at the center. + This is for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites who stayed true in their service to me and didn't get off track as the Levites did when Israel wandered off the main road. + This is their special gift, a gift from the land itself, most holy ground, bordering the section of the Levites. + "The Levites get a section equal in size to that of the priests, roughly seven by three miles. + They are not permitted to sell or trade any of it. It's the choice part of the land, to say nothing of being holy to GOD. + "What's left of the 'sacred square'--each side measures out at seven miles by a mile and a half--is for ordinary use: the city and its buildings with open country around it, but the city at the center. + The north, south, east, and west sides of the city are each about a mile and a half in length. + A strip of pasture, one hundred twenty-five yards wide, will border the city on all sides. + The remainder of this portion, three miles of countryside to the east and to the west of the sacred precinct, is for farming. It will supply food for the city. + Workers from all the tribes of Israel will serve as field hands to farm the land. + "This dedicated area, set apart for holy purposes, will be a square, seven miles by seven miles, a 'holy square,' which includes the part set aside for the city. + "The rest of this land, the country stretching east to the Jordan and west to the Mediterranean from the seven-mile sides of the 'holy square,' belongs to the prince. His land is sandwiched between the tribal portions north and south, and goes out both east and west from the 'sacred square' with its Temple at the center. + The land set aside for the Levites on one side and the city on the other is in the middle of the territory assigned to the prince. The 'sacred square' is flanked east and west by the prince's land and bordered on the north and south by the territories of Judah and Benjamin respectively. + "And then the rest of the tribes: "Benjamin: one portion, stretching from the eastern to the western boundary. + "Simeon: one portion, bordering Benjamin from east to west. + "Issachar: one portion, bordering Simeon from east to west. + "Zebulun: one portion, bordering Issachar from east to west. + "Gad: one portion, bordering Zebulun from east to west. + "The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, along the Brook of Egypt and then out to the Great Mediterranean Sea. + "This is the land that you are to divide up among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance. These are their portions." Decree of GOD, the Master. + "These are the gates of the city. On the north side, which is 2,250 yards long + (the gates of the city are named after the tribes of Israel), three gates: the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, the gate of Levi. + "On the east side, measuring 2,250 yards, three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, the gate of Dan. + "On the south side, measuring 2,250 yards, three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, the gate of Zebulun. + "On the west side, measuring 2,250 yards, three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, the gate of Naphtali. + "The four sides of the city measure to a total of nearly six miles. "From now on the name of the city will be YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "GOD-IS-THERE." + + + + + It was the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. + The Master handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the furnishings from the Temple of God. Nebuchadnezzar took king and furnishings to the country of Babylon, the ancient Shinar. He put the furnishings in the sacred treasury. + The king told Ashpenaz, head of the palace staff, to get some Israelites from the royal family and nobility-- + young men who were healthy and handsome, intelligent and well-educated, good prospects for leadership positions in the government, perfect specimens!--and indoctrinate them in the Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling. + The king then ordered that they be served from the same menu as the royal table--the best food, the finest wine. After three years of training they would be given positions in the king's court. + Four young men from Judah--Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah--were among those selected. + The head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named Belteshazzar, Hananiah was named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego. + But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king's food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. + The head of the palace staff, by God's grace, liked Daniel, + but he warned him, "I'm afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he'll have my head!" + But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head of the palace staff to be in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: + "Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. + Then compare us with the young men who eat from the royal menu. Make your decision on the basis of what you see." + The steward agreed to do it and fed them vegetables and water for ten days. + At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. + So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables. + God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life. In addition, Daniel was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams. + At the end of the time set by the king for their training, the head of the royal staff brought them in to Nebuchadnezzar. + When the king interviewed them, he found them far superior to all the other young men. None were a match for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And so they took their place in the king's service. + Whenever the king consulted them on anything, on books or on life, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom put together. + Daniel continued in the king's service until the first year in the reign of King Cyrus. + + + In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that disturbed him deeply. He couldn't sleep. + He called in all the Babylonian magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and fortunetellers to interpret his dreams for him. When they came and lined up before the king, + he said to them, "I had a dream that I can't get out of my mind. I can't sleep until I know what it means." + The fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream and we will interpret it." + The king answered the fortunetellers, "This is my decree: If you can't tell me both the dream itself and its interpretation, I'll have you ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and your homes torn down. + But if you tell me both the dream and its interpretation, I'll lavish you with gifts and honors. So go to it: Tell me the dream and its interpretation." + They answered, "If it please your majesty, tell us the dream. We'll give the interpretation." + But the king said, "I know what you're up to--you're just playing for time. You know you're up a tree. + You know that if you can't tell me my dream, you're doomed. I see right through you--you're going to cook up some fancy stories and confuse the issue until I change my mind. Nothing doing! First tell me the dream, then I'll know that you're on the up and up with the interpretation and not just blowing smoke in my eyes." + The fortunetellers said, "Nobody anywhere can do what you ask. And no king, great or small, has ever demanded anything like this from any magician, enchanter, or fortuneteller. + What you're asking is impossible unless some god or goddess should reveal it--and they don't hang around with people like us." + That set the king off. He lost his temper and ordered the whole company of Babylonian wise men killed. + When the death warrant was issued, Daniel and his companions were included. They also were marked for execution. + When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for the execution, Daniel wisely took him aside + and quietly asked what was going on: "Why this all of a sudden?" After Arioch filled in the background, + Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream. + Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on. + He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldn't be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men. + That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, + saying, "Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: + He changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings them down, he provides both intelligence and discernment, + He opens up the depths, tells secrets, sees in the dark--light spills out of him! + God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise! You made me wise and strong. And now you've shown us what we asked for. You've solved the king's mystery." + So Daniel went back to Arioch, who had been put in charge of the execution. He said, "Call off the execution! Take me to the king and I'll interpret his dream." + Arioch didn't lose a minute. He ran to the king, bringing Daniel with him, and said, "I've found a man from the exiles of Judah who can interpret the king's dream!" + The king asked Daniel (renamed in Babylonian, Belteshazzar), "Are you sure you can do this--tell me the dream I had and interpret it for me?" + Daniel answered the king, "No mere human can solve the king's mystery, I don't care who it is--no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. + But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one. He is letting King Nebuchadnezzar in on what is going to happen in the days ahead. This is the dream you had when you were lying on your bed, the vision that filled your mind: + "While you were stretched out on your bed, O king, thoughts came to you regarding what is coming in the days ahead. The Revealer of Mysteries showed you what will happen. + But the interpretation is given through me, not because I'm any smarter than anyone else in the country, but so that you will know what it means, so that you will understand what you dreamed. + "What you saw, O king, was a huge statue standing before you, striking in appearance. And terrifying. + The head of the statue was pure gold, the chest and arms were silver, the belly and hips were bronze, + the legs were iron, and the feet were an iron-ceramic mixture. + While you were looking at this statue, a stone cut out of a mountain by an invisible hand hit the statue, smashing its iron-ceramic feet. + Then the whole thing fell to pieces--iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold, smashed to bits. It was like scraps of old newspapers in a vacant lot in a hot dry summer, blown every which way by the wind, scattered to oblivion. But the stone that hit the statue became a huge mountain, dominating the horizon. + This was your dream. "And now we'll interpret it for the king. + You, O king, are the most powerful king on earth. The God of heaven has given you the works: rule, power, strength, and glory. + He has put you in charge of men and women, wild animals and birds, all over the world--you're the head ruler, you are the head of gold. + But your rule will be taken over by another kingdom, inferior to yours, and that one by a third, a bronze kingdom, but still ruling the whole land, + and after that by a fourth kingdom, iron-like in strength. Just as iron smashes things to bits, breaking and pulverizing, it will bust up the previous kingdoms. + "But then the feet and toes that ended up as a mixture of ceramic and iron will deteriorate into a mongrel kingdom with some remains of iron in it. Just as the toes of the feet were part ceramic and part iron, + it will end up a mixed bag of the breakable and unbreakable. + That kingdom won't bond, won't hold together any more than iron and clay hold together. + "But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another. In the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them off and come through it all standing strong and eternal. + It will be like the stone cut from the mountain by the invisible hand that crushed the iron, the bronze, the ceramic, the silver, and the gold. "The great God has let the king know what will happen in the years to come. This is an accurate telling of the dream, and the interpretation is also accurate." + When Daniel finished, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face in awe before Daniel. He ordered the offering of sacrifices and burning of incense in Daniel's honor. + He said to Daniel, "Your God is beyond question the God of all gods, the Master of all kings. And he solves all mysteries, I know, because you've solved this mystery." + Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position in the kingdom, lavished him with gifts, and made him governor over the entire province of Babylon and the chief in charge of all the Babylonian wise men. + At Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to administrative posts throughout Babylon, while Daniel governed from the royal headquarters. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet thick. He set it up on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon. + He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. + They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. + A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: "Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen! + When you hear the band strike up--all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals--fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. + Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace." + The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone--every race, color, and creed--fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the Jews. + They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "Long live the king! + You gave strict orders, O king, that when the big band started playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue, + and whoever did not go to their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace. + Well, there are some Jews here--Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego--whom you have placed in high positions in the province of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don't respect your gods and they won't worship the gold statue you set up." + Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. When the men were brought in, + Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don't respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up? + I'm giving you a second chance--but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don't worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?" + Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. + If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. + But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up." + Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. + He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. + Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. + Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, + while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. + Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, "Didn't we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?" "That's right, O king," they said. + "But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!" + Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire. + All the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the three men--not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them! + Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king's orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own. + "Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this." + Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar to everyone, everywhere--every race, color, and creed: "Peace and prosperity to all! + It is my privilege to report to you the gracious miracles that the High God has done for me. + "His miracles are staggering, his wonders are surprising. His kingdom lasts and lasts, his sovereign rule goes on forever. + "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home taking it easy in my palace, without a care in the world. + But as I was stretched out on my bed I had a dream that scared me--a nightmare that shook me. + I sent for all the wise men of Babylon so that they could interpret the dream for me. + When they were all assembled--magicians, enchanters, fortunetellers, witches--I told them the dream. None could tell me what it meant. + "And then Daniel came in. His Babylonian name is Belteshazzar, named after my god, a man full of the divine Holy Spirit. I told him my dream. + "'Belteshazzar,' I said, 'chief of the magicians, I know that you are a man full of the divine Holy Spirit and that there is no mystery that you can't solve. Listen to this dream that I had and interpret it for me. + "'This is what I saw as I was stretched out on my bed. I saw a big towering tree at the center of the world. + As I watched, the tree grew huge and strong. Its top reached the sky and it could be seen from the four corners of the earth. + Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant--enough food for everyone! Wild animals found shelter under it, birds nested in its branches, everything living was fed and sheltered by it. + "'And this also is what I saw as I was stretched out on my bed. I saw a holy watchman descend from heaven, + and call out: Chop down the tree, lop off its branches, strip its leaves and scatter its fruit. Chase the animals from beneath it and shoo the birds from its branches. + But leave the stump and roots in the ground, belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow. Let him be soaked in heaven's dew and take his meals with the animals that graze. + Let him lose his mind and get an animal's mind in exchange, And let this go on for seven seasons. + The angels announce this decree, the holy watchmen bring this sentence, So that everyone living will know that the High God rules human kingdoms. He arranges kingdom affairs however he wishes, and makes leaders out of losers. + "'This is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed. It's your turn, Belteshazzar--interpret it for me. None of the wise men of Babylon could make heads or tails of it, but I'm sure you can do it. You're full of the divine Holy Spirit.'" + At first Daniel, who had been renamed Belteshazzar in Babylon, was upset. The thoughts that came swarming into his mind terrified him. "Belteshazzar," the king said, "stay calm. Don't let the dream and its interpretation scare you." "My master," said Belteshazzar, "I wish this dream were about your enemies and its interpretation for your foes. + "The tree you saw that grew so large and sturdy with its top touching the sky, visible from the four corners of the world; + the tree with the luxuriant foliage and abundant fruit, enough for everyone; the tree under which animals took cover and in which birds built nests-- + you, O king, are that tree. "You have grown great and strong. Your royal majesty reaches sky-high, and your sovereign rule stretches to the four corners of the world. + "But the part about the holy angel descending from heaven and proclaiming, 'Chop down the tree, destroy it, but leave stump and roots in the ground belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow; let him be soaked with heaven's dew and take his meals with the grazing animals for seven seasons'-- + this, O king, also refers to you. It means that the High God has sentenced my master the king: + You will be driven away from human company and live with the wild animals. You will graze on grass like an ox. You will be soaked in heaven's dew. This will go on for seven seasons, and you will learn that the High God rules over human kingdoms and that he arranges all kingdom affairs. + "The part about the tree stump and roots being left means that your kingdom will still be there for you after you learn that it is heaven that runs things. + "So, king, take my advice: Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. Then you will continue to have a good life." + All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. + Just twelve months later, he was walking on the balcony of the royal palace in Babylon + and boasted, "Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory!" + The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a voice out of heaven spoke, "This is the verdict on you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your kingdom is taken from you. + You will be driven out of human company and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like an ox. The sentence is for seven seasons, enough time to learn that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts whomever he wishes in charge." + It happened at once. Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of human company, ate grass like an ox, and was soaked in heaven's dew. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a hawk. + "At the end of the seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked to heaven. I was given my mind back and I blessed the High God, thanking and glorifying God, who lives forever. "His sovereign rule lasts and lasts, his kingdom never declines and falls. + Life on this earth doesn't add up to much, but God's heavenly army keeps everything going. No one can interrupt his work, no one can call his rule into question. + "At the same time that I was given back my mind, I was also given back my majesty and splendor, making my kingdom shine. All the leaders and important people came looking for me. I was reestablished as king in my kingdom and became greater than ever. + And that's why I'm singing--I, Nebuchadnezzar--singing and praising the King of Heaven: "Everything he does is right, and he does it the right way. He knows how to turn a proud person into a humble man or woman." + + + King Belshazzar held a great feast for his one thousand nobles. The wine flowed freely. + Belshazzar, heady with the wine, ordered that the gold and silver chalices his father Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from God's Temple of Jerusalem be brought in so that he and his nobles, his wives and concubines, could drink from them. + When the gold and silver chalices were brought in, the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, drank wine from them. + They drank the wine and drunkenly praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. + At that very moment, the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the lamp-illumined, whitewashed wall of the palace. When the king saw the disembodied hand writing away, + he went white as a ghost, scared out of his wits. His legs went limp and his knees knocked. + He yelled out for the enchanters, the fortunetellers, and the diviners to come. He told these Babylonian magi, "Anyone who can read this writing on the wall and tell me what it means will be famous and rich--purple robe, the great gold chain--and be third-in-command in the kingdom." + One after the other they tried, but could make no sense of it. They could neither read what was written nor interpret it to the king. + So now the king was really frightened. All the blood drained from his face. The nobles were in a panic. + The queen heard of the hysteria among the king and his nobles and came to the banquet hall. She said, "Long live the king! Don't be upset. Don't sit around looking like ghosts. + There is a man in your kingdom who is full of the divine Holy Spirit. During your father's time he was well known for his intellectual brilliance and spiritual wisdom. He was so good that your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him the head of all the magicians, enchanters, fortunetellers, and diviners. + There was no one quite like him. He could do anything--interpret dreams, solve mysteries, explain puzzles. His name is Daniel, but he was renamed Belteshazzar by the king. Have Daniel called in. He'll tell you what is going on here." + So Daniel was called in. The king asked him, "Are you the Daniel who was one of the Jewish exiles my father brought here from Judah? + I've heard about you--that you're full of the Holy Spirit, that you've got a brilliant mind, that you are incredibly wise. + The wise men and enchanters were brought in here to read this writing on the wall and interpret it for me. They couldn't figure it out--not a word, not a syllable. + But I've heard that you interpret dreams and solve mysteries. So--if you can read the writing and interpret it for me, you'll be rich and famous--a purple robe, the great gold chain around your neck--and third-in-command in the kingdom." + Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. + "Listen, O king! The High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and a glorious reputation. + Because God made him so famous, people from everywhere, whatever their race, color, and creed, were totally intimidated by him. He killed or spared people on whim. He promoted or humiliated people capriciously. + He developed a big head and a hard spirit. Then God knocked him off his high horse and stripped him of his fame. + He was thrown out of human company, lost his mind, and lived like a wild animal. He ate grass like an ox and was soaked by heaven's dew until he learned his lesson: that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts anyone he wants in charge. + "You are his son and have known all this, yet you're as arrogant as he ever was. + Look at you, setting yourself up in competition against the Master of heaven! You had the sacred chalices from his Temple brought into your drunken party so that you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines, could drink from them. You used the sacred chalices to toast your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone--blind, deaf, and imbecile gods. But you treat with contempt the living God who holds your entire life from birth to death in his hand. + "God sent the hand that wrote on the wall, + and this is what is written: MENE, TEQEL, and PERES. + This is what the words mean: "Mene: God has numbered the days of your rule and they don't add up. + "Teqel: You have been weighed on the scales and you don't weigh much. + "Peres: Your kingdom has been divided up and handed over to the Medes and Persians." + Belshazzar did what he had promised. He robed Daniel in purple, draped the great gold chain around his neck, and promoted him to third-in-charge in the kingdom. + That same night the Babylonian king Belshazzar was murdered. + He was sixty-two years old. Darius the Mede succeeded him as king. + + + Darius reorganized his kingdom. He appointed one hundred twenty governors to administer all the parts of his realm. + Over them were three vice-regents, one of whom was Daniel. The governors reported to the vice-regents, who made sure that everything was in order for the king. + But Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom. + The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniel's life that they could use against him, but they couldn't dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. + So they finally gave up and said, "We're never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can cook up something religious." + The vice-regents and governors conspired together and then went to the king and said, "King Darius, live forever! + We've convened your vice-regents, governors, and all your leading officials, and have agreed that the king should issue the following decree: For the next thirty days no one is to pray to any god or mortal except you, O king. Anyone who disobeys will be thrown into the lions' den. + "Issue this decree, O king, and make it unconditional, as if written in stone like all the laws of the Medes and the Persians." + King Darius signed the decree. + When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God. + The conspirators came and found him praying, asking God for help. + They went straight to the king and reminded him of the royal decree that he had signed. "Did you not," they said, "sign a decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god or man except you for the next thirty days? And anyone caught doing it would be thrown into the lions' den?" "Absolutely," said the king. "Written in stone, like all the laws of the Medes and Persians." + Then they said, "Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, ignores you, O king, and defies your decree. Three times a day he prays." + At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix he'd put him in. He worked at it the whole day long. + But then the conspirators were back: "Remember, O king, it's the law of the Medes and Persians that the king's decree can never be changed." + The king caved in and ordered Daniel brought and thrown into the lions' den. But he said to Daniel, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this." + A stone slab was placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed the cover with his signet ring and the signet rings of all his nobles, fixing Daniel's fate. + The king then went back to his palace. He refused supper. He couldn't sleep. He spent the night fasting. + At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. + As he approached the den, he called out anxiously, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the lions?" + "O king, live forever!" said Daniel. + "My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. I've been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I've done nothing to harm you." + When the king heard these words, he was happy. He ordered Daniel taken up out of the den. When he was hauled up, there wasn't a scratch on him. He had trusted his God. + Then the king commanded that the conspirators who had informed on Daniel be thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. Before they hit the floor, the lions had them in their jaws, tearing them to pieces. + King Darius published this proclamation to every race, color, and creed on earth: Peace to you! Abundant peace! + I decree that Daniel's God shall be worshiped and feared in all parts of my kingdom. He is the living God, world without end. His kingdom never falls. His rule continues eternally. + He is a savior and rescuer. He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth. He saved Daniel from the power of the lions. + From then on, Daniel was treated well during the reign of Darius, and also in the following reign of Cyrus the Persian. + + + In the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. What he saw as he slept in his bed terrified him--a real nightmare. Then he wrote out his dream: + "In my dream that night I saw the four winds of heaven whipping up a great storm on the sea. + Four huge animals, each different from the others, ascended out of the sea. + "The first animal looked like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. While I watched, its wings were pulled off. It was then pulled erect so that it was standing on two feet like a man. Then a human heart was placed in it. + "Then I saw a second animal that looked like a bear. It lurched from side to side, holding three ribs in its jaws. It was told, 'Attack! Devour! Fill your belly!' + "Next I saw another animal. This one looked like a panther. It had four birdlike wings on its back. This animal had four heads and was made to rule. + "After that, a fourth animal appeared in my dream. This one was a grisly horror--hideous. It had huge iron teeth. It crunched and swallowed its victims. Anything left over, it trampled into the ground. It was different from the other animals--this one was a real monster. It had ten horns. + "As I was staring at the horns and trying to figure out what they meant, another horn sprouted up, a little horn. Three of the original horns were pulled out to make room for it. There were human eyes in this little horn, and a big mouth speaking arrogantly. + "As I was watching all this, "Thrones were set in place and The Old One sat down. His robes were white as snow, his hair was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, its wheels blazing. + A river of fire poured out of the throne. Thousands upon thousands served him, tens of thousands attended him. The courtroom was called to order, and the books were opened. + "I kept watching. The little horn was speaking arrogantly. Then, as I watched, the monster was killed and its body cremated in a roaring fire. + The other animals lived on for a limited time, but they didn't really do anything, had no power to rule. + My dream continued. "I saw a human form, a son of man, arriving in a whirl of clouds. He came to The Old One and was presented to him. + He was given power to rule--all the glory of royalty. Everyone--race, color, and creed--had to serve him. His rule would be forever, never ending. His kingly rule would never be replaced. + "But as for me, Daniel, I was disturbed. All these dream-visions had me agitated. + So I went up to one of those standing by and asked him the meaning of all this. And he told me, interpreting the dream for me: + "'These four huge animals,' he said, 'mean that four kingdoms will appear on earth. + But eventually the holy people of the High God will be given the kingdom and have it ever after--yes, forever and ever.' + "But I wanted to know more. I was curious about the fourth animal, the one so different from the others, the hideous monster with the iron teeth and the bronze claws, gulping down what it ripped to pieces and trampling the leftovers into the dirt. + And I wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that sprouted up while three of the original horns were removed. This new horn had eyes and a big mouth and spoke arrogantly, dominating the other horns. + I watched as this horn was making war on God's holy people and getting the best of them. + But then The Old One intervened and decided things in favor of the people of the High God. In the end, God's holy people took over the kingdom. + "The bystander continued, telling me this: 'The fourth animal is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from the first three kingdoms, a monster kingdom that will chew up everyone in sight and spit them out. + The ten horns are ten kings, one after another, that will come from this kingdom. But then another king will arrive. He will be different from the earlier kings. He will begin by toppling three kings. + Then he will blaspheme the High God, persecute the followers of the High God, and try to get rid of sacred worship and moral practice. God's holy people will be persecuted by him for a time, two times, half a time. + "'But when the court comes to order, the horn will be stripped of its power and totally destroyed. + Then the royal rule and the authority and the glory of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the people of the High God. Their royal rule will last forever. All other rulers will serve and obey them.' + "And there it ended. I, Daniel, was in shock. I was like a man who had seen a ghost. But I kept it all to myself. + + + "In King Belshazzar's third year as king, another vision came to me, Daniel. This was now the second vision. + "In the vision, I saw myself in Susa, the capital city of the province Elam, standing at the Ulai Canal. + Looking around, I was surprised to see a ram also standing at the gate. The ram had two huge horns, one bigger than the other, but the bigger horn was the last to appear. + I watched as the ram charged: first west, then north, then south. No beast could stand up to him. He did just as he pleased, strutting as if he were king of the beasts. + "While I was watching this, wondering what it all meant, I saw a billy goat with an immense horn in the middle of its forehead come up out of the west and fly across the whole country, not once touching the ground. + The billy goat approached the double-horned ram that I had earlier seen standing at the gate and, enraged, charged it viciously. + I watched as, mad with rage, it charged the ram and hit it so hard that it broke off its two horns. The ram didn't stand a chance against it. The billy goat knocked the ram to the ground and stomped all over it. Nothing could have saved the ram from the goat. + "Then the billy goat swelled to an enormous size. At the height of its power its immense horn broke off and four other big horns sprouted in its place, pointing to the four points of the compass. + And then from one of these big horns another horn sprouted. It started small, but then grew to an enormous size, facing south and east--toward lovely Palestine. + The horn grew tall, reaching to the stars, the heavenly army, and threw some of the stars to the earth and stomped on them. + It even dared to challenge the power of God, Prince of the Celestial Army! And then it threw out daily worship and desecrated the Sanctuary. + As judgment against their sin, the holy people of God got the same treatment as the daily worship. The horn cast God's Truth aside. High-handed, it took over everything and everyone. + "Then I overheard two holy angels talking. One asked, 'How long is what we see here going to last--the abolishing of daily worship, this devastating judgment against sin, the kicking around of God's holy people and the Sanctuary?' + "The other answered, 'Over the course of 2,300 sacrifices, evening and morning. Then the Sanctuary will be set right again.' + "While I, Daniel, was trying to make sense of what I was seeing, suddenly there was a humanlike figure standing before me. + "Then I heard a man's voice from over by the Ulai Canal calling out, 'Gabriel, tell this man what is going on. Explain the vision to him.' + He came up to me, but when he got close I became terrified and fell facedown on the ground. "He said, 'Understand that this vision has to do with the time of the end.' + As soon as he spoke, I fainted, my face in the dirt. But he picked me up and put me on my feet. + "And then he continued, 'I want to tell you what is going to happen as the judgment days of wrath wind down, for there is going to be an end to all this. + "'The double-horned ram you saw stands for the two kings of the Medes and Persians. + The billy goat stands for the kingdom of the Greeks. The huge horn on its forehead is the first Greek king. + The four horns that sprouted after it was broken off are the four kings that come after him, but without his power. + "'As their kingdoms cool down and rebellions heat up, A king will show up, hard-faced, a master trickster. + His power will swell enormously. He'll talk big, high-handedly, Doing whatever he pleases, knocking off heroes and holy ones left and right. + He'll plot and scheme to make crime flourish-- and oh, how it will flourish! He'll think he's invincible and get rid of anyone who gets in his way. But when he takes on the Prince of all princes, he'll be smashed to bits-- but not by human hands. + This vision of the 2,300 sacrifices, evening and morning, is accurate but confidential. Keep it to yourself. It refers to the far future.' + "I, Daniel, walked around in a daze, unwell for days. Then I got a grip on myself and went back to work taking care of the king's affairs. But I continued to be upset by the vision. I couldn't make sense of it. + + + "Darius, son of Ahasuerus, born a Mede, became king over the land of Babylon. + In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was meditating on the Scriptures that gave, according to the Word of GOD to the prophet Jeremiah, the number of years that Jerusalem had to lie in ruins, namely, seventy. + I turned to the Master God, asking for an answer--praying earnestly, fasting from meals, wearing rough penitential burlap, and kneeling in the ashes. + I poured out my heart, baring my soul to GOD, my God: "'O Master, great and august God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say. + Yet we have sinned in every way imaginable. We've done evil things, rebelled, dodged and taken detours around your clearly marked paths. + We've turned a deaf ear to your servants the prophets, who preached your Word to our kings and leaders, our parents, and all the people in the land. + You have done everything right, Master, but all we have to show for our lives is guilt and shame, the whole lot of us--people of Judah, citizens of Jerusalem, Israel at home and Israel in exile in all the places we've been banished to because of our betrayal of you. + Oh yes, GOD, we've been exposed in our shame, all of us--our kings, leaders, parents--before the whole world. And deservedly so, because of our sin. + "'Compassion is our only hope, the compassion of you, the Master, our God, since in our rebellion we've forfeited our rights. + We paid no attention to you when you told us how to live, the clear teaching that came through your servants the prophets. + All of us in Israel ignored what you said. We defied your instructions and did what we pleased. And now we're paying for it: The solemn curse written out plainly in the revelation to God's servant Moses is now doing its work among us, the wages of our sin against you. + You did to us and our rulers what you said you would do: You brought this catastrophic disaster on us, the worst disaster on record--and in Jerusalem! + "'Just as written in God's revelation to Moses, the catastrophe was total. Nothing was held back. We kept at our sinning, never giving you a second thought, oblivious to your clear warning, + and so you had no choice but to let the disaster loose on us in full force. You, our GOD, had a perfect right to do this since we persistently and defiantly ignored you. + "'Master, you are our God, for you delivered your people from the land of Egypt in a show of power--people are still talking about it! We confess that we have sinned, that we have lived bad lives. + Following the lines of what you have always done in setting things right, setting people right, please stop being so angry with Jerusalem, your very own city, your holy mountain. We know it's our fault that this has happened, all because of our sins and our parents' sins, and now we're an embarrassment to everyone around us. We're a blot on the neighborhood. + So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are. + "'Turn your ears our way, God, and listen. Open your eyes and take a long look at our ruined city, this city named after you. We know that we don't deserve a hearing from you. Our appeal is to your compassion. This prayer is our last and only hope: + "'Master, listen to us! Master, forgive us! Master, look at us and do something! Master, don't put us off! Your city and your people are named after you: You have a stake in us!' + "While I was pouring out my heart, baring my sins and the sins of my people Israel, praying my life out before my God, interceding for the holy mountain of my God-- + while I was absorbed in this praying, the humanlike Gabriel, the one I had seen in an earlier vision, approached me, flying in like a bird about the time of evening worship. + "He stood before me and said, 'Daniel, I have come to make things plain to you. + You had no sooner started your prayer when the answer was given. And now I'm here to deliver the answer to you. You are much loved! So listen carefully to the answer, the plain meaning of what is revealed: + "'Seventy sevens are set for your people and for your holy city to throttle rebellion, stop sin, wipe out crime, set things right forever, confirm what the prophet saw, and anoint The Holy of Holies. + "'Here is what you must understand: From the time the word goes out to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Anointed Leader, there will be seven sevens. The rebuilding will take sixty-two sevens, including building streets and digging a moat. Those will be rough times. + After the sixty-two sevens, the Anointed Leader will be killed--the end of him. The city and Sanctuary will be laid in ruins by the army of the newly arriving leader. The end will come in a rush, like a flood. War will rage right up to the end, desolation the order of the day. + "'Then for one seven, he will forge many and strong alliances, but halfway through the seven he will banish worship and prayers. At the place of worship, a desecrating obscenity will be set up and remain until finally the desecrator himself is decisively destroyed.'" + + + In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was made plain to Daniel, whose Babylonian name was Belteshazzar. The message was true. It dealt with a big war. He understood the message, the understanding coming by revelation: + "During those days, I, Daniel, went into mourning over Jerusalem for three weeks. + I ate only plain and simple food, no seasoning or meat or wine. I neither bathed nor shaved until the three weeks were up. + "On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris. + I looked up and to my surprise saw a man dressed in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist. + His body was hard and glistening, as if sculpted from a precious stone, his face radiant, his eyes bright and penetrating like torches, his arms and feet glistening like polished bronze, and his voice, deep and resonant, sounded like a huge choir of voices. + "I, Daniel, was the only one to see this. The men who were with me, although they didn't see it, were overcome with fear and ran off and hid, fearing the worst. + Left alone after the appearance, abandoned by my friends, I went weak in the knees, the blood drained from my face. + "I heard his voice. At the sound of it I fainted, fell flat on the ground, face in the dirt. + A hand touched me and pulled me to my hands and knees. + "'Daniel,' he said, 'man of quality, listen carefully to my message. And get up on your feet. Stand at attention. I've been sent to bring you news.' "When he had said this, I stood up, but I was still shaking. + "'Relax, Daniel,' he continued, 'don't be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. + But I was waylaid by the angel-prince of the kingdom of Persia + and was delayed for a good three weeks. But then Michael, one of the chief angel-princes, intervened to help me. I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. And now I'm here to help you understand what will eventually happen to your people. The vision has to do with what's ahead.' + "While he was saying all this, I looked at the ground and said nothing. + Then I was surprised by something like a human hand that touched my lips. I opened my mouth and started talking to the messenger: 'When I saw you, master, I was terror-stricken. My knees turned to water. I couldn't move. + How can I, a lowly servant, speak to you, my master? I'm paralyzed. I can hardly breathe!' + "Then this humanlike figure touched me again and gave me strength. + He said, 'Don't be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.' "Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, 'Go ahead, let my master speak. You've given me courage.' + "He said, 'Do you know why I've come here to you? I now have to go back to fight against the angel-prince of Persia, and when I get him out of the way, the angel-prince of Greece will arrive. + But first let me tell you what's written in The True Book. No one helps me in my fight against these beings except Michael, your angel-prince. + + + "'And I, in my turn, have been helping him out as best I can ever since the first year in the reign of Darius the Mede.' + "'But now let me tell you the truth of how things stand: Three more kings of Persia will show up, and then a fourth will become richer than all of them. When he senses that he is powerful enough as a result of his wealth, he will go to war against the entire kingdom of Greece. + "'Then a powerful king will show up and take over a huge territory and run things just as he pleases. + But at the height of his power, with everything seemingly under control, his kingdom will split into four parts, like the four points of the compass. But his heirs won't get in on it. There will be no continuity with his kingship. Others will tear it to pieces and grab whatever they can get for themselves. + "'Next the king of the south will grow strong, but one of his princes will grow stronger than he and rule an even larger territory. + After a few years, the two of them will make a pact, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north to cement the peace agreement. But her influence will weaken and her child will not survive. She and her servants, her child, and her husband will be betrayed. "'Sometime later + a member of the royal family will show up and take over. He will take command of his army and invade the defenses of the king of the north and win a resounding victory. + He will load up their tin gods and all the gold and silver trinkets that go with them and cart them off to Egypt. Eventually, the king of the north will recover + and invade the country of the king of the south, but unsuccessfully. He will have to retreat. + "'But then his sons will raise a huge army and rush down like a flood, a torrential attack, on the defenses of the south. + "'Furious, the king of the south will come out and engage the king of the north and his huge army in battle and rout them. + As the corpses are cleared from the field, the king, inflamed with bloodlust, will go on a bloodletting rampage, massacring tens of thousands. But his victory won't last long, + for the king of the north will put together another army bigger than the last one, and after a few years he'll come back to do battle again with his immense army and endless supplies. + "'In those times, many others will get into the act and go off to fight against the king of the south. Hotheads from your own people, drunk on dreams, will join them. But they'll sputter out. + "'When the king of the north arrives, he'll build siege works and capture the outpost fortress city. The armies of the south will fall to pieces before him. Not even their famous commando shock troops will slow down the attacker. + He'll march in big as you please, as if he owned the place. He'll take over that beautiful country, Palestine, and make himself at home in it. + Then he'll proceed to get everything, lock, stock, and barrel, in his control. He'll cook up a peace treaty and even give his daughter in marriage to the king of the south in a plot to destroy him totally. But the plot will fizzle. It won't succeed. + "'Later, he'll turn his attention to the coastal regions and capture a bunch of prisoners, but a general will step in and put a stop to his bullying ways. The bully will be bullied! + He'll go back home and tend to his own military affairs. But by then he'll be washed up and soon will be heard of no more. + "'He will be replaced shortly by a real loser, his rule, reputation, and authority already in shreds. And he won't last long. He'll slip out of history quietly, without even a fight. + "'His place will be taken by a reject, a man spurned and passed over for advancement. He'll surprise everyone, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and will seize the kingdom. + He'll come in like a steamroller, flattening the opposition. Even the Prince of the Covenant will be crushed. + After negotiating a cease-fire, he'll betray its terms. With a few henchmen, he'll take total control. + Arbitrarily and impulsively, he'll invade the richest provinces. He'll surpass all his ancestors, near and distant, in his rape of the country, grabbing and looting, living with his cronies in corrupt and lavish luxury. "'He will make plans against the fortress cities, but they'll turn out to be shortsighted. + He'll get a great army together, all charged up to fight the king of the south. The king of the south in response will get his army--an even greater army--in place, ready to fight. But he won't be able to sustain that intensity for long because of the treacherous intrigue + in his own ranks, his court having been honeycombed with vicious plots. His army will be smashed, the battlefield filled with corpses. + "'The two kings, each with evil designs on the other, will sit at the conference table and trade lies. Nothing will come of the treaty, which is nothing but a tissue of lies anyway. But that's not the end of it. There's more to this story. + "'The king of the north will go home loaded down with plunder, but his mind will be set on destroying the holy covenant as he passes through the country on his way home. + "'One year later he will mount a fresh invasion of the south. But the second invasion won't compare to the first. + When the Roman ships arrive, he will turn tail and go back home. But as he passes through the country, he will be filled with anger at the holy covenant. He will take up with all those who betray the holy covenant, favoring them. + The bodyguards surrounding him will march in and desecrate the Sanctuary and citadel. They'll throw out the daily worship and set up in its place the obscene sacrilege. + The king of the north will play up to those who betray the holy covenant, corrupting them even further with his seductive talk, but those who stay courageously loyal to their God will take a strong stand. + "'Those who keep their heads on straight will teach the crowds right from wrong by their example. They'll be put to severe testing for a season: some killed, some burned, some exiled, some robbed. + When the testing is intense, they'll get some help, but not much. Many of the helpers will be halfhearted at best. + The testing will refine, cleanse, and purify those who keep their heads on straight and stay true, for there is still more to come. + "'Meanwhile, the king of the north will do whatever he pleases. He'll puff himself up and posture himself as greater than any god. He will even dare to brag and boast in defiance of the God of gods. And he'll get by with it for a while--until this time of wrathful judgment is completed, for what is decreed must be done. + He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, not even that popular favorite among women, Adonis. Contemptuous of every god and goddess, the king of the north will puff himself up greater than all of them. + He'll even stoop to despising the God of the holy ones, and in the place where God is worshiped he will put on exhibit, with a lavish show of silver and gold and jewels, a new god that no one has ever heard of. + Marching under the banner of a strange god, he will attack the key fortresses. He will promote everyone who falls into line behind this god, putting them in positions of power and paying them off with grants of land. + "'In the final wrap-up of this story, the king of the south will confront him. But the king of the north will come at him like a tornado. Unleashing chariots and horses and an armada of ships, he'll blow away anything in his path. + As he enters the beautiful land, people will fall before him like dominoes. Only Edom, Moab, and a few Ammonites will escape. + As he reaches out, grabbing country after country, not even Egypt will be exempt. + He will confiscate the treasuries of Egyptian gold and silver and other valuables. The Libyans and Ethiopians will fall in with him. + Then disturbing reports will come in from the north and east that will throw him into a panic. Towering in rage, he'll rush to stamp out the threat. + But he'll no sooner have pitched camp between the Mediterranean Sea and the Holy Mountain--all those royal tents!--than he'll meet his end. And not a soul around who can help! + + + "'That's when Michael, the great angel-prince, champion of your people, will step in. It will be a time of trouble, the worst trouble the world has ever seen. But your people will be saved from the trouble, every last one found written in the Book. + Many who have been long dead and buried will wake up, some to eternal life, others to eternal shame. + "'Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever. + "'This is a confidential report, Daniel, for your eyes and ears only. Keep it secret. Put the book under lock and key until the end. In the interim there is going to be a lot of frantic running around, trying to figure out what's going on.' + "As I, Daniel, took all this in, two figures appeared, one standing on this bank of the river and one on the other bank. + One of them asked a third man who was dressed in linen and who straddled the river, 'How long is this astonishing story to go on?' + "The man dressed in linen, who straddled the river, raised both hands to the skies. I heard him solemnly swear by the Eternal One that it would be a time, two times, and half a time, that when the oppressor of the holy people was brought down the story would be complete. + "I heard all this plainly enough, but I didn't understand it. So I asked, 'Master, can you explain this to me?' + "'Go on about your business, Daniel,' he said. 'The message is confidential and under lock and key until the end, until things are about to be wrapped up. + The populace will be washed clean and made like new. But the wicked will just keep on being wicked, without a clue about what is happening. Those who live wisely and well will understand what's going on.' + "From the time that the daily worship is banished from the Temple and the obscene desecration is set up in its place, there will be 1,290 days. + "Blessed are those who patiently make it through the 1,335 days. + "And you? Go about your business without fretting or worrying. Relax. When it's all over, you will be on your feet to receive your reward." + + + + + This is God's Message to Hosea son of Beeri. It came to him during the royal reigns of Judah's kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. This was also the time that Jeroboam son of Joash was king over Israel. + The first time GOD spoke to Hosea he said: "Find a whore and marry her. Make this whore the mother of your children. And here's why: This whole country has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, GOD." + Hosea did it. He picked Gomer daughter of Diblaim. She got pregnant and gave him a son. + Then GOD told him: "Name him Jezreel. It won't be long now before I'll make the people of Israel pay for the massacre at Jezreel. I'm calling it quits on the kingdom of Israel. + Payday is coming! I'm going to chop Israel's bows and arrows into kindling in the valley of Jezreel." + Gomer got pregnant again. This time she had a daughter. GOD told Hosea: "Name this one No-Mercy. I'm fed up with Israel. I've run out of mercy. There's no more forgiveness. + Judah's another story. I'll continue having mercy on them. I'll save them. It will be their GOD who saves them, Not their armaments and armies, not their horsepower and manpower." + After Gomer had weaned No-Mercy, she got pregnant yet again and had a son. + GOD said: "Name him Nobody. You've become nobodies to me, and I, GOD, am a nobody to you. + "But down the road the population of Israel is going to explode past counting, like sand on the ocean beaches. In the very place where they were once named Nobody, they will be named God's Somebody. + Everybody in Judah and everybody in Israel will be assembled as one people. They'll choose a single leader. There'll be no stopping them--a great day in Jezreel! + + + "Rename your brothers 'God's Somebody.' Rename your sisters 'All Mercy.' + "Haul your mother into court. Accuse her! She's no longer my wife. I'm no longer her husband. Tell her to quit dressing like a whore, displaying her breasts for sale. + If she refuses, I'll rip off her clothes and expose her, naked as a newborn. I'll turn her skin into dried-out leather, her body into a badlands landscape, a rack of bones in the desert. + I'll have nothing to do with her children, born one and all in a whorehouse. + Face it: Your mother's been a whore, bringing bastard children into the world. She said, 'I'm off to see my lovers! They'll wine and dine me, Dress and caress me, perfume and adorn me!' + But I'll fix her: I'll dump her in a field of thistles, then lose her in a dead-end alley. + She'll go on the hunt for her lovers but not bring down a single one. She'll look high and low but won't find a one. Then she'll say, 'I'm going back to my husband, the one I started out with. That was a better life by far than this one.' + She didn't know that it was I all along who wined and dined and adorned her, That I was the one who dressed her up in the big-city fashions and jewelry that she wasted on wild Baal-orgies. + I'm about to bring her up short: No more wining and dining! Silk lingerie and gowns are a thing of the past. + I'll expose her genitals to the public. All her fly-by-night lovers will be helpless to help her. + Party time is over. I'm calling a halt to the whole business, her wild weekends and unholy holidays. + I'll wreck her sumptuous gardens and ornamental fountains, of which she bragged, 'Whoring paid for all this!' They will soon be dumping grounds for garbage, feeding grounds for stray dogs and cats. + I'll make her pay for her indulgence in promiscuous religion-- all that sensuous Baal worship And all the promiscuous sex that went with it, stalking her lovers, dressed to kill, And not a thought for me." GOD's Message! + "And now, here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to start all over again. I'm taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I'll court her. + I'll give her bouquets of roses. I'll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She'll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt. + "At that time"--this is GOD's Message still-- "you'll address me, 'Dear husband!' Never again will you address me, 'My slave-master!' + I'll wash your mouth out with soap, get rid of all the dirty false-god names, not so much as a whisper of those names again. + At the same time I'll make a peace treaty between you and wild animals and birds and reptiles, And get rid of all weapons of war. Think of it! Safe from beasts and bullies! + And then I'll marry you for good--forever! I'll marry you true and proper, in love and tenderness. + Yes, I'll marry you and neither leave you nor let you go. You'll know me, GOD, for who I really am. + "On the very same day, I'll answer"--this is GOD's Message-- "I'll answer the sky, sky will answer earth, + Earth will answer grain and wine and olive oil, and they'll all answer Jezreel. + I'll plant her in the good earth. I'll have mercy on No-Mercy. I'll say to Nobody, 'You're my dear Somebody,' and he'll say 'You're my God!'" + + + Then GOD ordered me, "Start all over: Love your wife again, your wife who's in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife. Love her the way I, GOD, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy." + I did it. I paid good money to get her back. It cost me the price of a slave. + Then I told her, "From now on you're living with me. No more whoring, no more sleeping around. You're living with me and I'm living with you." + The people of Israel are going to live a long time stripped of security and protection, without religion and comfort, godless and prayerless. + But in time they'll come back, these Israelites, come back looking for their GOD and their David-King. They'll come back chastened to reverence before GOD and his good gifts, ready for the End of the story of his love. + + + Attention all Israelites! GOD's Message! GOD indicts the whole population: "No one is faithful. No one loves. No one knows the first thing about God. + All this cussing and lying and killing, theft and loose sex, sheer anarchy, one murder after another! + And because of all this, the very land itself weeps and everything in it is grief-stricken-- animals in the fields and birds on the wing, even the fish in the sea are listless, lifeless. + "But don't look for someone to blame. No finger pointing! You, priest, are the one in the dock. + You stumble around in broad daylight, And then the prophets take over and stumble all night. Your mother is as bad as you. + My people are ruined because they don't know what's right or true. Because you've turned your back on knowledge, I've turned my back on you priests. Because you refuse to recognize the revelation of God, I'm no longer recognizing your children. + The more priests, the more sin. They traded in their glory for shame. + They pig out on my people's sins. They can't wait for the latest in evil. + The result: You can't tell the people from the priests, the priests from the people. I'm on my way to make them both pay and take the consequences of the bad lives they've lived. + They'll eat and be as hungry as ever, have sex and get no satisfaction. They walked out on me, their GOD, for a life of rutting with whores. + "Wine and whiskey leave my people in a stupor. + They ask questions of a dead tree, expect answers from a sturdy walking stick. Drunk on sex, they can't find their way home. They've replaced their God with their genitals. + They worship on the tops of mountains, make a picnic out of religion. Under the oaks and elms on the hills they stretch out and take it easy. Before you know it, your daughters are whores and the wives of your sons are sleeping around. + But I'm not going after your whoring daughters or the adulterous wives of your sons. It's the men who pick up the whores that I'm after, the men who worship at the holy whorehouses-- a stupid people, ruined by whores! + "You've ruined your own life, Israel-- but don't drag Judah down with you! Don't go to the sex shrine at Gilgal, don't go to that sin city Bethel, Don't go around saying 'GOD bless you' and not mean it, taking God's name in vain. + Israel is stubborn as a mule. How can GOD lead him like a lamb to open pasture? + Ephraim is addicted to idols. Let him go. + When the beer runs out, it's sex, sex, and more sex. Bold and sordid debauchery-- how they love it! + The whirlwind has them in its clutches. Their sex-worship leaves them finally impotent. + + + "Listen to this, priests! Attention, people of Israel! Royal family--all ears! You're in charge of justice around here. But what have you done? Exploited people at Mizpah, ripped them off on Tabor, + Victimized them at Shittim. I'm going to punish the lot of you. + "I know you, Ephraim, inside and out. Yes, Israel, I see right through you! Ephraim, you've played your sex-and-religion games long enough. All Israel is thoroughly polluted. + They couldn't turn to God if they wanted to. Their evil life is a bad habit. Every breath they take is a whore's breath. They wouldn't recognize GOD if they saw me. + "Bloated by arrogance, big as a house, they're a public disgrace, The lot of them--Israel, Ephraim, Judah-- lurching and weaving down their guilty streets. + When they decide to get their lives together and go off looking for GOD once again, They'll find it's too late. I, GOD, will be long gone. + They've played fast and loose with me for too long, filling the country with their bastard offspring. A plague of locusts will devastate their violated land. + "Blow the ram's horn shofar in Gibeah, the bugle in Ramah! Signal the invasion of Sin City! Scare the daylights out of Benjamin! + Ephraim will be left wasted, a lifeless moonscape. I'm telling it straight, the unvarnished truth, to the tribes of Israel. + "Israel's rulers are crooks and thieves, cheating the people of their land, And I'm angry, good and angry. Every inch of their bodies is going to feel my anger. + "Brutal Ephraim is himself brutalized-- a taste of his own medicine! He was so determined to do it his own worthless way. + Therefore I'm pus to Ephraim, dry rot in the house of Judah. + "When Ephraim saw he was sick and Judah saw his pus-filled sores, Ephraim went running to Assyria, went for help to the big king. But he can't heal you. He can't cure your oozing sores. + "I'm a grizzly charging Ephraim, a grizzly with cubs charging Judah. I'll rip them to pieces--yes, I will! No one can stop me now. I'll drag them off. No one can help them. + Then I'll go back to where I came from until they come to their senses. When they finally hit rock bottom, maybe they'll come looking for me." + + + "Come on, let's go back to GOD. He hurt us, but he'll heal us. He hit us hard, but he'll put us right again. + In a couple of days we'll feel better. By the third day he'll have made us brand-new, Alive and on our feet, fit to face him. + We're ready to study GOD, eager for God-knowledge. As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival. He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground." + "What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What do I make of you, Judah? Your declarations of love last no longer than morning mist and predawn dew. + That's why I use prophets to shake you to attention, why my words cut you to the quick: To wake you up to my judgment blazing like light. + I'm after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know GOD, not go to more prayer meetings. + You broke the covenant--just like Adam! You broke faith with me--ungrateful wretches! + "Gilead has become Crime City-- blood on the sidewalks, blood on the streets. + It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians. Now it's gangs of priests Assaulting worshipers on their way to Shechem. Nothing is sacred to them. + "I saw a shocking thing in the country of Israel: Ephraim worshiping in a religious whorehouse, and Israel in the mud right there with him. + "You're as bad as the worst of them, Judah. You've been sowing wild oats. Now it's harvest time. + + + "Every time I gave Israel a fresh start, wiped the slate clean and got them going again, Ephraim soon filled the slate with new sins, the treachery of Samaria written out in bold print. Two-faced and double-tongued, they steal you blind, pick you clean. + It never crosses their mind that I keep account of their every crime. They're mud-spattered head to toe with the residue of sin. I see who they are and what they've done. + "They entertain the king with their evil circus, delight the princes with their acrobatic lies. + They're a bunch of overheated adulterers, like an oven that holds its heat From the kneading of the dough to the rising of the bread. + On the royal holiday the princes get drunk on wine and the frenzy of the mocking mob. + They're like wood stoves, red-hot with lust. Through the night their passion is banked; in the morning it blazes up, flames hungrily licking. + Murderous and volcanic, they incinerate their rulers. Their kings fall one by one, and no one pays any attention to me. + "Ephraim mingles with the pagans, dissipating himself. Ephraim is half-baked. + Strangers suck him dry but he doesn't even notice. His hair has turned gray-- he doesn't notice. + Bloated by arrogance, big as a house, Israel's a public disgrace. Israel lumbers along oblivious to GOD, despite all the signs, ignoring GOD. + "Ephraim is bird-brained, mindless, clueless, First chirping after Egypt, then fluttering after Assyria. + I'll throw my net over them. I'll clip their wings. I'll teach them to mind me! + Doom! They've run away from home. Now they're really in trouble! They've defied me. And I'm supposed to help them while they feed me a line of lies? + Instead of crying out to me in heartfelt prayer, they whoop it up in bed with their whores, Gash themselves bloody in their sex-and-religion orgies, but turn their backs on me. + I'm the one who gave them good minds and healthy bodies, and how am I repaid? With evil scheming! + They turn, but not to me-- turn here, then there, like a weather vane. Their rulers will be cut down, murdered-- just deserts for their mocking blasphemies. And the final sentence? Ridicule in the court of world opinion. + + + "Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm! Vultures are circling over God's people Who have broken my covenant and defied my revelation. + Predictably, Israel cries out, 'My God! We know you!' But they don't act like it. + Israel will have nothing to do with what's good, and now the enemy is after them. + "They crown kings, but without asking me. They set up princes but don't let me in on it. Instead, they make idols, using silver and gold, idols that will be their ruin. + Throw that gold calf-god on the trash heap, Samaria! I'm seething with anger against that rubbish! How long before they shape up? + And they're Israelites! A sculptor made that thing-- it's not God. That Samaritan calf will be broken to bits. + Look at them! Planting wind-seeds, they'll harvest tornadoes. Wheat with no head produces no flour. And even if it did, strangers would gulp it down. + Israel is swallowed up and spit out. Among the pagans they're a piece of junk. + They trotted off to Assyria: Why, even wild donkeys stick to their own kind, but donkey-Ephraim goes out and pays to get lovers. + Now, because of their whoring life among the pagans, I'm going to gather them together and confront them. They're going to reap the consequences soon, feel what it's like to be oppressed by the big king. + "Ephraim has built a lot of altars, and then uses them for sinning. Can you believe it? Altars for sinning! + I write out my revelation for them in detail and they pretend they can't read it. + They offer sacrifices to me and then they feast on the meat. GOD is not pleased! I'm fed up--I'll keep remembering their guilt. I'll punish their sins and send them back to Egypt. + Israel has forgotten his Maker and gotten busy making palaces. Judah has gone in for a lot of fortress cities. I'm sending fire on their cities to burn down their fortifications." + + + Don't waste your life in wild orgies, Israel. Don't party away your life with the heathen. You walk away from your God at the drop of a hat and like a whore sell yourself promiscuously at every sex-and-religion party on the street. + All that party food won't fill you up. You'll end up hungrier than ever. + At this rate you'll not last long in GOD's land: Some of you are going to end up bankrupt in Egypt. Some of you will be disillusioned in Assyria. + As refugees in Egypt and Assyria, you won't have much chance to worship GOD-- Sentenced to rations of bread and water, and your souls polluted by the spirit-dirty air. You'll be starved for GOD, exiled from GOD's own country. + Will you be homesick for the old Holy Days? Will you miss festival worship of GOD? + Be warned! When you escape from the frying pan of disaster, you'll fall into the fire of Egypt. Egypt will give you a fine funeral! What use will all your god-inspired silver be then as you eke out a living in a field of weeds? + Time's up. Doom's at the doorstep. It's payday! Did Israel bluster, "The prophet is crazy! The 'man of the Spirit' is nuts!"? Think again. Because of your great guilt, you're in big trouble. + The prophet is looking out for Ephraim, working under God's orders. But everyone is trying to trip him up. He's hated right in God's house, of all places. + The people are going from bad to worse, rivaling that ancient and unspeakable crime at Gibeah. God's keeping track of their guilt. He'll make them pay for their sins. + "Long ago when I came upon Israel, it was like finding grapes out in the desert. When I found your ancestors, it was like finding a fig tree bearing fruit for the first time. But when they arrived at Baal-peor, that pagan shrine, they took to sin like a pig to filth, wallowing in the mud with their newfound friends. + Ephraim is fickle and scattered, like a flock of blackbirds, their beauty dissipated in confusion and clamor, Frenetic and noisy, frigid and barren, and nothing to show for it--neither conception nor childbirth. + Even if they did give birth, I'd declare them unfit parents and take away their children! Yes indeed--a black day for them when I turn my back and walk off! + I see Ephraim letting his children run wild. He might just as well take them and kill them outright!" + Give it to them, GOD! But what? Give them a dried-up womb and shriveled breasts. + "All their evil came out into the open at the pagan shrine at Gilgal. Oh, how I hated them there! Because of their evil practices, I'll kick them off my land. I'm wasting no more love on them. Their leaders are a bunch of rebellious adolescents. + Ephraim is hit hard-- roots withered, no more fruit. Even if by some miracle they had children, the dear babies wouldn't live--I'd make sure of that!" + My God has washed his hands of them. They wouldn't listen. They're doomed to be wanderers, vagabonds among the godless nations. + + + Israel was once a lush vine, bountiful in grapes. The more lavish the harvest, the more promiscuous the worship. The more money they got, the more they squandered on gods-in-their-own-image. + Their sweet smiles are sheer lies. They're guilty as sin. God will smash their worship shrines, pulverize their god-images. + They go around saying, "Who needs a king? We couldn't care less about GOD, so why bother with a king? What difference would he make?" + They talk big, lie through their teeth, make deals. But their high-sounding words turn out to be empty words, litter in the gutters. + The people of Samaria travel over to Crime City to worship the golden calf-god. They go all out, prancing and hollering, taken in by their showmen priests. They act so important around the calf-god, but are oblivious to the sham, the shame. + They have plans to take it to Assyria, present it as a gift to the great king. And so Ephraim makes a fool of himself, disgraces Israel with his stupid idols. + Samaria is history. Its king is a dead branch floating down the river. + Israel's favorite sin centers will all be torn down. Thistles and crabgrass will decorate their ruined altars. Then they'll say to the mountains, "Bury us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!" + You got your start in sin at Gibeah-- that ancient, unspeakable, shocking sin-- And you've been at it ever since. And Gibeah will mark the end of it in a war to end all the sinning. + I'll come to teach them a lesson. Nations will gang up on them, Making them learn the hard way the sum of Gibeah plus Gibeah. + Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh. Passing by and seeing her strong, sleek neck, I wanted to harness Ephraim, Put Ephraim to work in the fields-- Judah plowing, Jacob harrowing: + Sow righteousness, reap love. It's time to till the ready earth, it's time to dig in with GOD, Until he arrives with righteousness ripe for harvest. + But instead you plowed wicked ways, reaped a crop of evil and ate a salad of lies. You thought you could do it all on your own, flush with weapons and manpower. + But the volcano of war will erupt among your people. All your defense posts will be leveled As viciously as king Shalman leveled the town of Beth-arba, When mothers and their babies were smashed on the rocks. + That's what's ahead for you, you so-called people of God, because of your off-the-charts evil. Some morning you're going to wake up and find Israel, king and kingdom, a blank--nothing. + + + "When Israel was only a child, I loved him. I called out, 'My son!'--called him out of Egypt. + But when others called him, he ran off and left me. He worshiped the popular sex gods, he played at religion with toy gods. + Still, I stuck with him. I led Ephraim. I rescued him from human bondage, But he never acknowledged my help, + never admitted that I was the one pulling his wagon, That I lifted him, like a baby, to my cheek, that I bent down to feed him. + Now he wants to go back to Egypt or go over to Assyria-- anything but return to me! + That's why his cities are unsafe--the murder rate skyrockets and every plan to improve things falls to pieces. + My people are hell-bent on leaving me. They pray to god Baal for help. He doesn't lift a finger to help them. + But how can I give up on you, Ephraim? How can I turn you loose, Israel? How can I leave you to be ruined like Admah, devastated like luckless Zeboim? I can't bear to even think such thoughts. My insides churn in protest. + And so I'm not going to act on my anger. I'm not going to destroy Ephraim. And why? Because I am God and not a human. I'm The Holy One and I'm here--in your very midst. + "The people will end up following GOD. I will roar like a lion-- Oh, how I'll roar! My frightened children will come running from the west. + Like frightened birds they'll come from Egypt, from Assyria like scared doves. I'll move them back into their homes." GOD's Word! + Ephraim tells lies right and left. Not a word of Israel can be trusted. Judah, meanwhile, is no better, addicted to cheap gods. + + + Ephraim, obsessed with god-fantasies, chases ghosts and phantoms. He tells lies nonstop, soul-destroying lies. Both Ephraim and Judah made deals with Assyria and tried to get an inside track with Egypt. + GOD is bringing charges against Israel. Jacob's children are hauled into court to be punished. + In the womb, that heel, Jacob, got the best of his brother. When he grew up, he tried to get the best of GOD. + But GOD would not be bested. GOD bested him. Brought to his knees, Jacob wept and prayed. GOD found him at Bethel. That's where he spoke with him. + GOD is God-of-the-Angel-Armies, GOD-Revealed, GOD-Known. + What are you waiting for? Return to your God! Commit yourself in love, in justice! Wait for your God, and don't give up on him--ever! + The businessmen engage in wholesale fraud. They love to rip people off! + Ephraim boasted, "Look, I'm rich! I've made it big! And look how well I've covered my tracks: not a hint of fraud, not a sign of sin!" + "But not so fast! I'm GOD, your God! Your God from the days in Egypt! I'm going to put you back to living in tents, as in the old days when you worshiped in the wilderness. + I speak through the prophets to give clear pictures of the way things are. Using prophets, I tell revealing stories. + I show Gilead rampant with religious scandal and Gilgal teeming with empty-headed religion. I expose their worship centers as stinking piles of garbage in their gardens." + Are you going to repeat the life of your ancestor Jacob? He ran off guilty to Aram, Then sold his soul to get ahead, and made it big through treachery and deceit. + Your real identity is formed through God-sent prophets, who led you out of Egypt and served as faithful pastors. + As it is, Ephraim has continually and inexcusably insulted God. Now he has to pay for his life-destroying ways. His Master will do to him what he has done. + + + God once let loose against Ephraim a terrifying sentence against Israel: Caught and convicted in the lewd sex-worship of Baal--they died! + And now they're back in the sin business again, manufacturing god-images they can use, Religion customized to taste. Professionals see to it: Anything you want in a god you can get. Can you believe it? They sacrifice live babies to these dead gods-- kill living babies and kiss golden calves! + And now there's nothing left to these people: hollow men, desiccated women, Like scraps of paper blown down the street, like smoke in a gusty wind. + "I'm still your GOD, the God who saved you out of Egypt. I'm the only real God you've ever known. I'm the one and only God who delivers. + I took care of you during the wilderness hard times, those years when you had nothing. + I took care of you, took care of all your needs, gave you everything you needed. You were spoiled. You thought you didn't need me. You forgot me. + "I'll charge them like a lion, like a leopard stalking in the brush. + I'll jump them like a sow grizzly robbed of her cubs. I'll rip out their guts. Coyotes will make a meal of them. Crows will clean their bones. + I'm going to destroy you, Israel. Who is going to stop me? + Where is your trusty king you thought would save you? Where are all the local leaders you wanted so badly? All these rulers you insisted on having, demanding, 'Give me a king! Give me leaders!'? + Well, long ago I gave you a king, but I wasn't happy about it. Now, fed up, I've gotten rid of him. + I have a detailed record of your infidelities-- Ephraim's sin documented and stored in a safe-deposit box. + "When birth pangs signaled it was time to be born, Ephraim was too stupid to come out of the womb. When the passage into life opened up, he didn't show. + Shall I intervene and pull them into life? Shall I snatch them from a certain death? Who is afraid of you, Death? Who cares about your threats, Tomb? In the end I'm abolishing regret, banishing sorrow, + Even though Ephraim ran wild, the black sheep of the family. "GOD's tornado is on its way, roaring out of the desert. It will devastate the country, leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage. The cities will be gutted, dear possessions gone for good. + Now Samaria has to face the charges because she has rebelled against her God: Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks, pregnant women ripped open." + + + O Israel, come back! Return to your GOD! You're down but you're not out. + Prepare your confession and come back to GOD. Pray to him, "Take away our sin, accept our confession. Receive as restitution our repentant prayers. + Assyria won't save us; horses won't get us where we want to go. We'll never again say 'our god' to something we've made or made up. You're our last hope. Is it not true that in you the orphan finds mercy?" + "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out. + I will make a fresh start with Israel. He'll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring. He'll put down deep oak tree roots, + he'll become a forest of oaks! He'll become splendid--like a giant sequoia, his fragrance like a grove of cedars! + Those who live near him will be blessed by him, be blessed and prosper like golden grain. Everyone will be talking about them, spreading their fame as the vintage children of God. + Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods. From now on I'm the one who answers and satisfies him. I am like a luxuriant fruit tree. Everything you need is to be found in me." + If you want to live well, make sure you understand all of this. If you know what's good for you, you'll learn this inside and out. GOD's paths get you where you want to go. Right-living people walk them easily; wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling. + + + + + GOD's Message to Joel son of Pethuel: + Attention, elder statesmen! Listen closely, everyone, whoever and wherever you are! Have you ever heard of anything like this? Has anything like this ever happened before--ever? + Make sure you tell your children, and your children tell their children, And their children their children. Don't let this message die out. + What the chewing locust left, the gobbling locust ate; What the gobbling locust left, the munching locust ate; What the munching locust left, the chomping locust ate. + Sober up, you drunks! Get in touch with reality--and weep! Your supply of booze is cut off. You're on the wagon, like it or not. + My country's being invaded by an army invincible, past numbering, Teeth like those of a lion, fangs like those of a tiger. + It has ruined my vineyards, stripped my orchards, And clear-cut the country. The landscape's a moonscape. + Weep like a young virgin dressed in black, mourning the loss of her fianc� + Without grain and grapes, worship has been brought to a standstill in the Sanctuary of GOD. The priests are at a loss. GOD's ministers don't know what to do. + The fields are sterile. The very ground grieves. The wheat fields are lifeless, vineyards dried up, olive oil gone. + Dirt farmers, despair! Grape growers, wring your hands! Lament the loss of wheat and barley. All crops have failed. + Vineyards dried up, fig trees withered, Pomegranates, date palms, and apple trees-- deadwood everywhere! And joy is dried up and withered in the hearts of the people. + And also you priests, put on your robes and join the outcry. You who lead people in worship, lead them in lament. Spend the night dressed in gunnysacks, you servants of my God. Nothing's going on in the place of worship, no offerings, no prayers--nothing. + Declare a holy fast, call a special meeting, get the leaders together, Round up everyone in the country. Get them into GOD's Sanctuary for serious prayer to GOD. + What a day! Doomsday! GOD's Judgment Day has come. The Strong God has arrived. This is serious business! + Food is just a memory at our tables, as are joy and singing from God's Sanctuary. + The seeds in the field are dead, barns deserted, Grain silos abandoned. Who needs them? The crops have failed! + The farm animals groan--oh, how they groan! The cattle mill around. There's nothing for them to eat. Not even the sheep find anything. + GOD! I pray, I cry out to you! The fields are burning up, The country is a dust bowl, forest and prairie fires rage unchecked. + Wild animals, dying of thirst, look to you for a drink. Springs and streams are dried up. The whole country is burning up. + + + Blow the ram's horn trumpet in Zion! Trumpet the alarm on my holy mountain! Shake the country up! GOD's Judgment's on its way--the Day's almost here! + A black day! A Doomsday! Clouds with no silver lining! Like dawn light moving over the mountains, a huge army is coming. There's never been anything like it and never will be again. + Wildfire burns everything before this army and fire licks up everything in its wake. Before it arrives, the country is like the Garden of Eden. When it leaves, it is Death Valley. Nothing escapes unscathed. + The locust army seems all horses-- galloping horses, an army of horses. + It sounds like thunder leaping on mountain ridges, Or like the roar of wildfire through grass and brush, Or like an invincible army shouting for blood, ready to fight, straining at the bit. + At the sight of this army, the people panic, faces white with terror. + The invaders charge. They climb barricades. Nothing stops them. Each soldier does what he's told, so disciplined, so determined. + They don't get in each other's way. Each one knows his job and does it. Undaunted and fearless, unswerving, unstoppable. + They storm the city, swarm its defenses, Loot the houses, breaking down doors, smashing windows. + They arrive like an earthquake, sweep through like a tornado. Sun and moon turn out their lights, stars black out. + GOD himself bellows in thunder as he commands his forces. Look at the size of that army! And the strength of those who obey him! GOD's Judgment Day--great and terrible. Who can possibly survive this? + But there's also this, it's not too late-- GOD's personal Message!-- "Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!" + Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to GOD, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. + Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now, maybe he'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust for your GOD! + Blow the ram's horn trumpet in Zion! Declare a day of repentance, a holy fast day. Call a public meeting. + Get everyone there. Consecrate the congregation. Make sure the elders come, but bring in the children, too, even the nursing babies, Even men and women on their honeymoon-- interrupt them and get them there. + Between Sanctuary entrance and altar, let the priests, GOD's servants, weep tears of repentance. Let them intercede: "Have mercy, GOD, on your people! Don't abandon your heritage to contempt. Don't let the pagans take over and rule them and sneer, 'And so where is this God of theirs?'" + At that, GOD went into action to get his land back. He took pity on his people. + GOD answered and spoke to his people, "Look, listen--I'm sending a gift: Grain and wine and olive oil. The fast is over--eat your fill! I won't expose you any longer to contempt among the pagans. + I'll head off the final enemy coming out of the north and dump them in a wasteland. Half of them will end up in the Dead Sea, the other half in the Mediterranean. There they'll rot, a stench to high heaven. The bigger the enemy, the stronger the stench!" + Fear not, earth! Be glad and celebrate! GOD has done great things. + Fear not, wild animals! The fields and meadows are greening up. The trees are bearing fruit again: a bumper crop of fig trees and vines! + Children of Zion, celebrate! Be glad in your GOD. He's giving you a teacher to train you how to live right-- Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do. + And plenty of food for your body--silos full of grain, casks of wine and barrels of olive oil. + "I'll make up for the years of the locust, the great locust devastation-- Locusts savage, locusts deadly, fierce locusts, locusts of doom, That great locust invasion I sent your way. + You'll eat your fill of good food. You'll be full of praises to your GOD, The God who has set you back on your heels in wonder. Never again will my people be despised. + You'll know without question that I'm in the thick of life with Israel, That I'm your GOD, yes, your GOD, the one and only real God. Never again will my people be despised. + "And that's just the beginning: After that-- "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters. Your old men will dream, your young men will see visions. + I'll even pour out my Spirit on the servants, men and women both. + I'll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below: Blood and fire and billowing smoke, + the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Judgment Day of GOD, the Day tremendous and awesome. + Whoever calls, 'Help, GOD!' gets help. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be a great rescue--just as GOD said. Included in the survivors are those that GOD calls. + + + "In those days, yes, at that very time when I put life back together again for Judah and Jerusalem, + I'll assemble all the godless nations. I'll lead them down into Judgment Valley And put them all on trial, and judge them one and all because of their treatment of my own people Israel. They scattered my people all over the pagan world and grabbed my land for themselves. + They threw dice for my people and used them for barter. They would trade a boy for a whore, sell a girl for a bottle of wine when they wanted a drink. + "As for you, Tyre and Sidon and Philistia, why should I bother with you? Are you trying to get back at me for something I did to you? If you are, forget it. I'll see to it that it boomerangs on you. + You robbed me, cleaned me out of silver and gold, carted off everything valuable to furnish your own temples. + You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem into slavery to the Greeks in faraway places. + But I'm going to reverse your crime. I'm going to free those slaves. I'll have done to you what you did to them: + I'll sell your children as slaves to your neighbors, And they'll sell them to the far-off Sabeans." GOD's Verdict. + Announce this to the godless nations: Prepare for battle! Soldiers at attention! Present arms! Advance! + Turn your shovels into swords, turn your hoes into spears. Let the weak one throw out his chest and say, "I'm tough, I'm a fighter." + Hurry up, pagans! Wherever you are, get a move on! Get your act together. Prepare to be shattered by GOD! + Let the pagan nations set out for Judgment Valley. There I'll take my place at the bench and judge all the surrounding nations. + "Swing the sickle-- the harvest is ready. Stomp on the grapes-- the winepress is full. The wine vats are full, overflowing with vintage evil. + "Mass confusion, mob uproar-- in Decision Valley! GOD's Judgment Day has arrived in Decision Valley. + "The sky turns black, sun and moon go dark, stars burn out. + GOD roars from Zion, shouts from Jerusalem. Earth and sky quake in terror. But GOD is a safe hiding place, a granite safe house for the children of Israel. + Then you'll know for sure that I'm your GOD, Living in Zion, my sacred mountain. Jerusalem will be a sacred city, posted: 'NO TRESPASSING.' + "What a day! Wine streaming off the mountains, Milk rivering out of the hills, water flowing everywhere in Judah, A fountain pouring out of GOD's Sanctuary, watering all the parks and gardens! + But Egypt will be reduced to weeds in a vacant lot, Edom turned into barren badlands, All because of brutalities to the Judean people, the atrocities and murders of helpless innocents. + Meanwhile, Judah will be filled with people, Jerusalem inhabited forever. + The sins I haven't already forgiven, I'll forgive." GOD has moved into Zion for good. + + + + + The Message of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, that he received on behalf of Israel. It came to him in visions during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II son of Joash was king of Israel, two years before the big earthquake. + The Message: GOD roars from Zion, shouts from Jerusalem! The thunderclap voice withers the pastures tended by shepherds, shrivels Mount Carmel's proud peak. + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Damascus --make that four--I'm not putting up with her any longer. She pounded Gilead to a pulp, pounded her senseless with iron hammers and mauls. + For that, I'm setting the palace of Hazael on fire. I'm torching Ben-hadad's forts. + I'm going to smash the Damascus gates and banish the crime king who lives in Sin Valley, the vice boss who gives orders from Paradise Palace. The people of the land will be sent back to where they came from--to Kir." GOD's Decree. + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Gaza --make that four--I'm not putting up with her any longer. She deported whole towns and then sold the people to Edom. + For that, I'm burning down the walls of Gaza, burning up all her forts. + I'll banish the crime king from Ashdod, the vice boss from Ashkelon. I'll raise my fist against Ekron, and what's left of the Philistines will die." GOD's Decree. + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Tyre --make that four--I'm not putting up with her any longer. She deported whole towns to Edom, breaking the treaty she had with her kin. + For that, I'm burning down the walls of Tyre, burning up all her forts." + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Edom --make that four--I'm not putting up with her any longer. She hunts down her brother to murder him. She has no pity, she has no heart. Her anger rampages day and night. Her meanness never takes a timeout. + For that, I'm burning down her capital, Teman, burning up the forts of Bozrah." + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Ammon --make that four--I'm not putting up with her any longer. She ripped open pregnant women in Gilead to get more land for herself. + For that, I'm burning down the walls of her capital, Rabbah, burning up her forts. Battle shouts! War whoops! with a tornado to finish things off! + The king has been carted off to exile, the king and his princes with him." GOD's Decree. + + + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Moab --make that four--I'm not putting up with her any longer. She violated the corpse of Edom's king, burning it to cinders. + For that, I'm burning down Moab, burning down the forts of Kerioth. Moab will die in the shouting, go out in the blare of war trumpets. + I'll remove the king from the center and kill all his princes with him." GOD's Decree. + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Judah --make that four--I'm not putting up with them any longer. They rejected GOD's revelation, refused to keep my commands. But they swallowed the same old lies that got their ancestors onto dead-end roads. + For that, I'm burning down Judah, burning down all the forts of Jerusalem." + GOD's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Israel --make that four--I'm not putting up with them any longer. They buy and sell upstanding people. People for them are only things--ways of making money. They'd sell a poor man for a pair of shoes. They'd sell their own grandmother! + They grind the penniless into the dirt, shove the luckless into the ditch. Everyone and his brother sleeps with the 'sacred whore'-- a sacrilege against my Holy Name. + Stuff they've extorted from the poor is piled up at the shrine of their god, While they sit around drinking wine they've conned from their victims. + "In contrast, I was always on your side. I destroyed the Amorites who confronted you, Amorites with the stature of great cedars, tough as thick oaks. I destroyed them from the top branches down. I destroyed them from the roots up. + And yes, I'm the One who delivered you from Egypt, led you safely through the wilderness for forty years And then handed you the country of the Amorites like a piece of cake on a platter. + I raised up some of your young men to be prophets, set aside your best youth for training in holiness. Isn't this so, Israel?" GOD's Decree. + "But you made the youth-in-training break training, and you told the young prophets, 'Don't prophesy!' + You're too much for me. I'm hard-pressed--to the breaking point. I'm like a wagon piled high and overloaded, creaking and groaning. + "When I go into action, what will you do? There's no place to run no matter how fast you run. The strength of the strong won't count. Fighters won't make it. + Skilled archers won't make it. Fast runners won't make it. Chariot drivers won't make it. + Even the bravest of all your warriors Won't make it. He'll run off for dear life, stripped naked." GOD's Decree. + + + Listen to this, Israel. GOD is calling you to account--and I mean all of you, everyone connected with the family that he delivered out of Egypt. Listen! + "Out of all the families on earth, I picked you. Therefore, because of your special calling, I'm holding you responsible for all your sins." + Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren't going to the same place? + Does a lion roar in the forest if there's no carcass to devour? Does a young lion growl with pleasure if he hasn't caught his supper? + Does a bird fall to the ground if it hasn't been hit with a stone? Does a trap spring shut if nothing trips it? + When the alarm goes off in the city, aren't people alarmed? And when disaster strikes the city, doesn't GOD stand behind it? + The fact is, GOD, the Master, does nothing without first telling his prophets the whole story. + The lion has roared-- who isn't frightened? GOD has spoken-- what prophet can keep quiet? + Announce to the forts of Assyria, announce to the forts of Egypt-- Tell them, "Gather on the Samaritan mountains, take a good, hard look: what a snake pit of brutality and terror! + They can't--or won't--do one thing right." GOD said so. "They stockpile violence and blight. + Therefore"--this is GOD's Word--"an enemy will surround the country. He'll strip you of your power and plunder your forts." + GOD's Message: "In the same way that a shepherd trying to save a lamb from a lion Manages to recover just a pair of legs or the scrap of an ear, So will little be saved of the Israelites who live in Samaria-- A couple of old chairs at most, the broken leg of a table. + "Listen and bring witness against Jacob's family"-- this is God's Word, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! + "Note well! The day I make Israel pay for its sins, pay for the sin-altars of worship at Bethel, The horned altars will all be dehorned and scattered around. + I'll tear down the winter palace, smash the summer palace--all your fancy buildings. The luxury homes will be demolished, all those pretentious houses." GOD's Decree. + + + "Listen to this, you cows of Bashan grazing on the slopes of Samaria. You women! Mean to the poor, cruel to the down-and-out! Indolent and pampered, you demand of your husbands, 'Bring us a tall, cool drink!' + "This is serious--I, GOD, have sworn by my holiness! Be well warned: Judgment Day is coming! They're going to rope you up and haul you off, keep the stragglers in line with cattle prods. + They'll drag you through the ruined city walls, forcing you out single file, And kick you to kingdom come." GOD's Decree. + "Come along to Bethel and sin! And then to Gilgal and sin some more! Bring your sacrifices for morning worship. Every third day bring your tithe. + Burn pure sacrifices--thank offerings. Speak up--announce freewill offerings! That's the sort of religious show you Israelites just love." GOD's Decree. + "You know, don't you, that I'm the One who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards, Who left you hungry and standing in bread lines? But you never got hungry for me. You continued to ignore me." GOD's Decree. + "Yes, and I'm the One who stopped the rains three months short of harvest. I'd make it rain on one village but not on another. I'd make it rain on one field but not on another--and that one would dry up. + People would stagger from village to village crazed for water and never quenching their thirst. But you never got thirsty for me. You ignored me." GOD's Decree. + "I hit your crops with disease and withered your orchards and gardens. Locusts devoured your olive and fig trees, but you continued to ignore me." GOD's Decree. + "I revisited you with the old Egyptian plagues, killed your choice young men and prize horses. The stink of rot in your camps was so strong that you held your noses-- But you didn't notice me. You continued to ignore me." GOD's Decree. + "I hit you with earthquake and fire, left you devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the flames. But you never looked my way. You continued to ignore me." GOD's Decree. + "All this I have done to you, Israel, and this is why I have done it. Time's up, O Israel! Prepare to meet your God!" + Look who's here: Mountain-Shaper! Wind-Maker! He laid out the whole plot before Adam. He brings everything out of nothing, like dawn out of darkness. He strides across the alpine ridges. His name is GOD, God-of-the-Angel-Armies. + + + Listen to this, family of Israel, this Message I'm sending in bold print, this tragic warning: + "Virgin Israel has fallen flat on her face. She'll never stand up again. She's been left where she's fallen. No one offers to help her up." + This is the Message, GOD's Word: "The city that marches out with a thousand will end up with a hundred. The city that marches out with a hundred will end up with ten. Oh, family of Israel!" + GOD's Message to the family of Israel: "Seek me and live. + Don't fool around at those shrines of Bethel, Don't waste time taking trips to Gilgal, and don't bother going down to Beer-sheba. Gilgal is here today and gone tomorrow and Bethel is all show, no substance." + So seek GOD and live! You don't want to end up with nothing to show for your life But a pile of ashes, a house burned to the ground. For God will send just such a fire, and the firefighters will show up too late. + Woe to you who turn justice to vinegar and stomp righteousness into the mud. + Do you realize where you are? You're in a cosmos star-flung with constellations by God, A world God wakes up each morning and puts to bed each night. God dips water from the ocean and gives the land a drink. GOD, God-revealed, does all this. + And he can destroy it as easily as make it. He can turn this vast wonder into total waste. + People hate this kind of talk. Raw truth is never popular. + But here it is, bluntly spoken: Because you run roughshod over the poor and take the bread right out of their mouths, You're never going to move into the luxury homes you have built. You're never going to drink wine from the expensive vineyards you've planted. + I know precisely the extent of your violations, the enormity of your sins. Appalling! You bully right-living people, taking bribes right and left and kicking the poor when they're down. + Justice is a lost cause. Evil is epidemic. Decent people throw up their hands. Protest and rebuke are useless, a waste of breath. + Seek good and not evil-- and live! You talk about GOD, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend. Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen. + Hate evil and love good, then work it out in the public square. Maybe GOD, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, will notice your remnant and be gracious. + Now again, my Master's Message, GOD, God-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Go out into the streets and lament loudly! Fill the malls and shops with cries of doom! Weep loudly, 'Not me! Not us, Not now!' Empty offices, stores, factories, workplaces. Enlist everyone in the general lament. + I want to hear it loud and clear when I make my visit." GOD's Decree. + Woe to all of you who want GOD's Judgment Day! Why would you want to see GOD, want him to come? When GOD comes, it will be bad news before it's good news, the worst of times, not the best of times. + Here's what it's like: A man runs from a lion right into the jaws of a bear. A woman goes home after a hard day's work and is raped by a neighbor. + At GOD's coming we face hard reality, not fantasy-- a black cloud with no silver lining. + "I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. + I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. + I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? + Do you know what I want? I want justice--oceans of it. I want fairness--rivers of it. That's what I want. That's all I want. + "Didn't you, dear family of Israel, worship me faithfully for forty years in the wilderness, bringing the sacrifices and offerings I commanded? + How is it you've stooped to dragging gimcrack statues of your so-called rulers around, hauling the cheap images of all your star-gods here and there? + Since you like them so much, you can take them with you when I drive you into exile beyond Damascus." GOD's Message, God-of-the-Angel-Armies. + + + Woe to you who think you live on easy street in Zion, who think Mount Samaria is the good life. You assume you're at the top of the heap, voted the number-one best place to live. + Well, wake up and look around. Get off your pedestal. Take a look at Calneh. Go and visit Great Hamath. Look in on Gath of the Philistines. Doesn't that take you off your high horse? Compared to them, you're not much, are you? + Woe to you who are rushing headlong to disaster! Catastrophe is just around the corner! + Woe to those who live in luxury and expect everyone else to serve them! + Woe to those who live only for today, indifferent to the fate of others! Woe to the playboys, the playgirls, who think life is a party held just for them! + Woe to those addicted to feeling good--life without pain! those obsessed with looking good--life without wrinkles! They could not care less about their country going to ruin. + But here's what's really coming: a forced march into exile. They'll leave the country whining, a rag-tag bunch of good-for-nothings. + GOD, the Master, has sworn, and solemnly stands by his Word. The God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: "I hate the arrogance of Jacob. I have nothing but contempt for his forts. I'm about to hand over the city and everyone in it." + Ten men are in a house, all dead. + A relative comes and gets the bodies to prepare them for a decent burial. He discovers a survivor huddled in a closet and asks, "Are there any more?" The answer: "Not a soul. But hush! GOD must not be mentioned in this desecrated place." + Note well: GOD issues the orders. He'll knock large houses to smithereens. He'll smash little houses to bits. + Do you hold a horse race in a field of rocks? Do you plow the sea with oxen? You'd cripple the horses and drown the oxen. And yet you've made a shambles of justice, a bloated corpse of righteousness, + Bragging of your trivial pursuits, beating up on the weak and crowing, "Look what I've done!" + "Enjoy it while you can, you Israelites. I've got a pagan army on the move against you" --this is your GOD speaking, God-of-the-Angel-Armies-- "And they'll make hash of you, from one end of the country to the other." + + + GOD, my Master, showed me this vision: He was preparing a locust swarm. The first cutting, which went to the king, was complete, and the second crop was just sprouting. + The locusts ate everything green. Not even a blade of grass was left. I called out, "GOD, my Master! Excuse me, but what's going to come of Jacob? He's so small." + GOD gave in. "It won't happen," he said. + GOD showed me this vision: Oh! GOD, my Master GOD was calling up a firestorm. It burned up the ocean. Then it burned up the Promised Land. + I said, "God, my Master! Hold it--please! What's going to come of Jacob? He's so small." + GOD gave in. "All right, this won't happen either," GOD, my Master, said. + GOD showed me this vision: My Master was standing beside a wall. In his hand he held a plumb line. + GOD said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" I said, "A plumb line." Then my Master said, "Look what I've done. I've hung a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I've spared them for the last time. This is it! + Isaac's sex-and-religion shrines will be smashed, Israel's unholy shrines will be knocked to pieces. I'm raising my sword against the royal family of Jeroboam. + Amaziah, priest at the shrine at Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: "Amos is plotting to get rid of you; and he's doing it as an insider, working from within Israel. His talk will destroy the country. He's got to be silenced. Do you know what Amos is saying? + Jeroboam will be killed. Israel is headed for exile." + Then Amaziah confronted Amos: "Seer, be on your way! Get out of here and go back to Judah where you came from! + Hang out there. Do your preaching there. But no more preaching at Bethel! Don't show your face here again. This is the king's chapel. This is a royal shrine." + But Amos stood up to Amaziah: "I never set up to be a preacher, never had plans to be a preacher. I raised cattle and I pruned trees. + Then GOD took me off the farm and said, 'Go preach to my people Israel.' + "So listen to GOD's Word. You tell me, 'Don't preach to Israel. Don't say anything against the family of Isaac.' + But here's what GOD is telling you: Your wife will become a whore in town. Your children will get killed. Your land will be auctioned off. You will die homeless and friendless. And Israel will be hauled off to exile, far from home." + + + My Master GOD showed me this vision: A bowl of fresh fruit. + He said, "What do you see, Amos?" I said, "A bowl of fresh, ripe fruit." GOD said, "Right. So, I'm calling it quits with my people Israel. I'm no longer acting as if everything is just fine." + "The royal singers will wail when it happens." My Master GOD said so. "Corpses will be strewn here, there, and everywhere. Hush!" + Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak, you who treat poor people as less than nothing, + Who say, "When's my next paycheck coming so I can go out and live it up? How long till the weekend when I can go out and have a good time?" Who give little and take much, and never do an honest day's work. + You exploit the poor, using them-- and then, when they're used up, you discard them. + GOD swears against the arrogance of Jacob: "I'm keeping track of their every last sin." + God's oath will shake earth's foundations, dissolve the whole world into tears. God's oath will sweep in like a river that rises, flooding houses and lands, And then recedes, leaving behind a sea of mud. + "On Judgment Day, watch out!" These are the words of GOD, my Master. "I'll turn off the sun at noon. In the middle of the day the earth will go black. + I'll turn your parties into funerals and make every song you sing a dirge. Everyone will walk around in rags, with sunken eyes and bald heads. Think of the worst that could happen --your only son, say, murdered. That's a hint of Judgment Day --that and much more. + "Oh yes, Judgment Day is coming!" These are the words of my Master GOD. "I'll send a famine through the whole country. It won't be food or water that's lacking, but my Word. + People will drift from one end of the country to the other, roam to the north, wander to the east. They'll go anywhere, listen to anyone, hoping to hear GOD's Word--but they won't hear it. + "On Judgment Day, lovely young girls will faint of Word-thirst, robust young men will faint of God-thirst, + Along with those who take oaths at the Samaria Sin-and-Sex Center, saying, 'As the lord god of Dan is my witness!' and 'The lady goddess of Beer-sheba bless you!' Their lives will fall to pieces. They'll never put it together again." + + + I saw my Master standing beside the altar at the shrine. He said: "Hit the tops of the shrine's pillars, make the floor shake. The roof's about to fall on the heads of the people, and whoever's still alive, I'll kill. No one will get away, no runaways will make it. + If they dig their way down into the underworld, I'll find them and bring them up. If they climb to the stars, I'll find them and bring them down. + If they hide out at the top of Mount Carmel, I'll find them and bring them back. If they dive to the bottom of the ocean, I'll send Dragon to swallow them up. + If they're captured alive by their enemies, I'll send Sword to kill them. I've made up my mind to hurt them, not help them." + My Master, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, touches the earth, a mere touch, and it trembles. The whole world goes into mourning. Earth swells like the Nile at flood stage; then the water subsides, like the great Nile of Egypt. + God builds his palace--towers soaring high in the skies, foundations set on the rock-firm earth. He calls ocean waters and they come, then he ladles them out on the earth. GOD, your God, does all this. + "Do you Israelites think you're any better than the far-off Cushites?" GOD's Decree. "Am I not involved with all nations? Didn't I bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, the Arameans from Qir? + But you can be sure that I, GOD, the Master, have my eye on the Kingdom of Sin. I'm going to wipe it off the face of the earth. Still, I won't totally destroy the family of Jacob." GOD's Decree. + "I'm still giving the orders around here. I'm throwing Israel into a sieve among all the nations and shaking them good, shaking out all the sin, all the sinners. No real grain will be lost, + but all the sinners will be sifted out and thrown away, the people who say, 'Nothing bad will ever happen in our lifetime. It won't even come close.' + "But also on that Judgment Day I will restore David's house that has fallen to pieces. I'll repair the holes in the roof, replace the broken windows, fix it up like new. David's people will be strong again + and seize what's left of enemy Edom, plus everyone else under my sovereign judgment." GOD's Decree. He will do this. + "Yes indeed, it won't be long now." GOD's Decree. "Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won't be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once--and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. + I'll make everything right again for my people Israel: "They'll rebuild their ruined cities. They'll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They'll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. + And I'll plant them, plant them on their own land. They'll never again be uprooted from the land I've given them." GOD, your God, says so. + + + + + Obadiah's Message to Edom from GOD, the Master. We got the news straight from GOD by a special messenger sent out to the godless nations: "On your feet, prepare for battle; get ready to make war on Edom! + "Listen to this, Edom: I'm turning you to a no-account, the runt of the godless nations, despised. + You thought you were so great, perched high among the rocks, king of the mountain, Thinking to yourself, 'Nobody can get to me! Nobody can touch me!' + Think again. Even if, like an eagle, you hang out on a high cliff-face, Even if you build your nest in the stars, I'll bring you down to earth." GOD's sure Word. + "If thieves crept up on you, they'd rob you blind--isn't that so? If they mugged you on the streets at night, they'd pick you clean--isn't that so? + Oh, they'll take Esau apart, piece by piece, empty his purse and pockets. + All your old partners will drive you to the edge. Your old friends will lie to your face. Your old drinking buddies will stab you in the back. Your world will collapse. You won't know what hit you. + So don't be surprised"--it's GOD's sure Word!-- "when I wipe out all sages from Edom and rid the Esau mountains of its famous wise men. + Your great heroes will desert you, Teman. There'll be nobody left in Esau's mountains. + Because of the murderous history compiled against your brother Jacob, You will be looked down on by everyone. You'll lose your place in history. + On that day you stood there and didn't do anything. Strangers took your brother's army into exile. Godless foreigners invaded and pillaged Jerusalem. You stood there and watched. You were as bad as they were. + You shouldn't have gloated over your brother when he was down-and-out. You shouldn't have laughed and joked at Judah's sons when they were facedown in the mud. You shouldn't have talked so big when everything was so bad. + You shouldn't have taken advantage of my people when their lives had fallen apart. You of all people should not have been amused by their troubles, their wrecked nation. You shouldn't have taken the shirt off their back when they were knocked flat, defenseless. + And you shouldn't have stood waiting at the outskirts and cut off refugees, And traitorously turned in helpless survivors who had lost everything. + "GOD's Judgment Day is near for all the godless nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. What you did will boomerang back and hit your own head. + Just as you partied on my holy mountain, all the godless nations will drink God's wrath. They'll drink and drink and drink-- they'll drink themselves to death. + But not so on Mount Zion--there's respite there! a safe and holy place! The family of Jacob will take back their possessions from those who took them from them. + That's when the family of Jacob will catch fire, the family of Joseph become fierce flame, while the family of Esau will be straw. Esau will go up in flames, nothing left of Esau but a pile of ashes." GOD said it, and it is so. + People from the south will take over the Esau mountains; people from the foothills will overrun the Philistines. They'll take the farms of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will take Gilead. + Earlier, Israelite exiles will come back and take Canaanite land to the north at Zarephath. Jerusalem exiles from the far northwest in Sepharad will come back and take the cities in the south. + The remnant of the saved in Mount Zion will go into the mountains of Esau And rule justly and fairly, a rule that honors GOD's kingdom. + + + + + One day long ago, GOD's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: + "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." + But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from GOD. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish--as far away from GOD as he could get. + But GOD sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering. The ship was about to break into pieces. + The sailors were terrified. They called out in desperation to their gods. They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship to take a nap. He was sound asleep. + The captain came to him and said, "What's this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we're in trouble and rescue us." + Then the sailors said to one another, "Let's get to the bottom of this. Let's draw straws to identify the culprit on this ship who's responsible for this disaster." So they drew straws. Jonah got the short straw. + Then they grilled him: "Confess. Why this disaster? What is your work? Where do you come from? What country? What family?" + He told them, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship GOD, the God of heaven who made sea and land." + At that, the men were frightened, really frightened, and said, "What on earth have you done!" As Jonah talked, the sailors realized that he was running away from GOD. + They said to him, "What are we going to do with you--to get rid of this storm?" By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control. + Jonah said, "Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It's all my fault. I'm the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you'll get rid of the storm." + But no. The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging. + Then they prayed to GOD, "O GOD! Don't let us drown because of this man's life, and don't blame us for his death. You are GOD. Do what you think is best." + They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down. + The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of GOD. They worshiped GOD, offered a sacrifice, and made vows. + Then GOD assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish's belly three days and nights. + + + Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. + He prayed: "In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to GOD. He answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried, 'Help!' You heard my cry. + You threw me into ocean's depths, into a watery grave, With ocean waves, ocean breakers crashing over me. + I said, 'I've been thrown away, thrown out, out of your sight. I'll never again lay eyes on your Holy Temple.' + Ocean gripped me by the throat. The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight. My head was all tangled in seaweed + at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root. I was as far down as a body can go, and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever-- Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive, O GOD, my God! + When my life was slipping away, I remembered GOD, And my prayer got through to you, made it all the way to your Holy Temple. + Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds, walk away from their only true love. + But I'm worshiping you, GOD, calling out in thanksgiving! And I'll do what I promised I'd do! Salvation belongs to GOD!" + Then GOD spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore. + + + Next, GOD spoke to Jonah a second time: + "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." + This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying GOD's orders to the letter. Nineveh was a big city, very big--it took three days to walk across it. + Jonah entered the city, went one day's walk and preached, "In forty days Nineveh will be smashed." + The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it--rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers. + When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up off his throne, threw down his royal robes, dressed in burlap, and sat down in the dirt. + Then he issued a public proclamation throughout Nineveh, authorized by him and his leaders: "Not one drop of water, not one bite of food for man, woman, or animal, including your herds and flocks! + Dress them all, both people and animals, in burlap, and send up a cry for help to God. Everyone must turn around, turn back from an evil life and the violent ways that stain their hands. + Who knows? Maybe God will turn around and change his mind about us, quit being angry with us and let us live!" + God saw what they had done, that they had turned away from their evil lives. He did change his mind about them. What he said he would do to them he didn't do. + + + Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. + He yelled at GOD, "GOD! I knew it--when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That's why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness! + "So, GOD, if you won't kill them, kill me! I'm better off dead!" + GOD said, "What do you have to be angry about?" + But Jonah just left. He went out of the city to the east and sat down in a sulk. He put together a makeshift shelter of leafy branches and sat there in the shade to see what would happen to the city. + GOD arranged for a broad-leafed tree to spring up. It grew over Jonah to cool him off and get him out of his angry sulk. Jonah was pleased and enjoyed the shade. Life was looking up. + But then God sent a worm. By dawn of the next day, the worm had bored into the shade tree and it withered away. + The sun came up and God sent a hot, blistering wind from the east. The sun beat down on Jonah's head and he started to faint. He prayed to die: "I'm better off dead!" + Then God said to Jonah, "What right do you have to get angry about this shade tree?" Jonah said, "Plenty of right. It's made me angry enough to die!" + GOD said, "What's this? How is it that you can change your feelings from pleasure to anger overnight about a mere shade tree that you did nothing to get? You neither planted nor watered it. It grew up one night and died the next night. + So, why can't I likewise change what I feel about Nineveh from anger to pleasure, this big city of more than a hundred and twenty thousand childlike people who don't yet know right from wrong, to say nothing of all the innocent animals?" + + + + + GOD's Message as it came to Micah of Moresheth. It came during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. It had to do with what was going on in Samaria and Jerusalem. + Listen, people--all of you. Listen, earth, and everyone in it: The Master, GOD, takes the witness stand against you, the Master from his Holy Temple. + Look, here he comes! GOD, from his place! He comes down and strides across mountains and hills. + Mountains sink under his feet, valleys split apart; The rock mountains crumble into gravel, the river valleys leak like sieves. + All this because of Jacob's sin, because Israel's family did wrong. You ask, "So what is Jacob's sin?" Just look at Samaria--isn't it obvious? And all the sex-and-religion shrines in Judah-- isn't Jerusalem responsible? + "I'm turning Samaria into a heap of rubble, a vacant lot littered with garbage. I'll dump the stones from her buildings in the valley and leave her abandoned foundations exposed. + All her carved and cast gods and goddesses will be sold for stove wood and scrap metal, All her sacred fertility groves burned to the ground, All the sticks and stones she worshiped as gods, destroyed. These were her earnings from her life as a whore. This is what happens to the fees of a whore." + This is why I lament and mourn. This is why I go around in rags and barefoot. This is why I howl like a pack of coyotes, and moan like a mournful owl in the night. + GOD has inflicted punishing wounds; Judah has been wounded with no healing in sight. Judgment has marched through the city gates. Jerusalem must face the charges. + Don't gossip about this in Telltown. Don't waste your tears. In Dustville, roll in the dust. + In Alarmtown, the alarm is sounded. The citizens of Exitburgh will never get out alive. Lament, Last-Stand City: There's nothing in you left standing. + The villagers of Bittertown wait in vain for sweet peace. Harsh judgment has come from GOD and entered Peace City. + All you who live in Chariotville, get in your chariots for flight. You led the daughter of Zion into trusting not God but chariots. Similar sins in Israel also got their start in you. + Go ahead and give your good-bye gifts to Good-byeville. Miragetown beckoned but disappointed Israel's kings. + Inheritance City has lost its inheritance. Glorytown has seen its last of glory. + Shave your heads in mourning over the loss of your precious towns. Go bald as a goose egg--they've gone into exile and aren't coming back. + + + Doom to those who plot evil, who go to bed dreaming up crimes! As soon at it's morning, they're off, full of energy, doing what they've planned. + They covet fields and grab them, find homes and take them. They bully the neighbor and his family, see people only for what they can get out of them. + GOD has had enough. He says, "I have some plans of my own: Disaster because of this interbreeding evil! Your necks are on the line. You're not walking away from this. It's doomsday for you. + Mocking ballads will be sung of you, and you yourselves will sing the blues: 'Our lives are ruined, our homes and lands auctioned off. They take everything, leave us nothing! All is sold to the highest bidder.'" + And there'll be no one to stand up for you, no one to speak for you before GOD and his jury. + "Don't preach," say the preachers. "Don't preach such stuff. Nothing bad will happen to us. + Talk like this to the family of Jacob? Does GOD lose his temper? Is this the way he acts? Isn't he on the side of good people? Doesn't he help those who help themselves?" + "What do you mean, 'good people'! You're the enemy of my people! You rob unsuspecting people out for an evening stroll. You take their coats off their backs like soldiers who plunder the defenseless. + You drive the women of my people out of their ample homes. You make victims of the children and leave them vulnerable to violence and vice. + Get out of here, the lot of you. You can't take it easy here! You've polluted this place, and now you're polluted--ruined! + If someone showed up with a good smile and glib tongue and told lies from morning to night-- 'I'll preach sermons that will tell you how you can get anything you want from God: More money, the best wines . . . you name it'-- you'd hire him on the spot as your preacher! + "I'm calling a meeting, Jacob. I want everyone back--all the survivors of Israel. I'll get them together in one place-- like sheep in a fold, like cattle in a corral-- a milling throng of homebound people! + Then I, GOD, will burst all confinements and lead them out into the open. They'll follow their King. I will be out in front leading them." + + + Then I said: "Listen, leaders of Jacob, leaders of Israel: Don't you know anything of justice? + Haters of good, lovers of evil: Isn't justice in your job description? But you skin my people alive. You rip the meat off their bones. + You break up the bones, chop the meat, and throw it in a pot for cannibal stew." + The time's coming, though, when these same leaders will cry out for help to GOD, but he won't listen. He'll turn his face the other way because of their history of evil. + Here is GOD's Message to the prophets, the preachers who lie to my people: "For as long as they're well paid and well fed, the prophets preach, 'Isn't life wonderful! Peace to all!' But if you don't pay up and jump on their bandwagon, their 'God bless you' turns into 'God damn you.' + Therefore, you're going blind. You'll see nothing. You'll live in deep shadows and know nothing. The sun has set on the prophets. They've had their day; from now on it's night. + Visionaries will be confused, experts will be all mixed up. They'll hide behind their reputations and make lame excuses to cover up their God-ignorance." + But me--I'm filled with GOD's power, filled with GOD's Spirit of justice and strength, Ready to confront Jacob's crime and Israel's sin. + The leaders of Jacob and the leaders of Israel are Leaders contemptuous of justice, who twist and distort right living, + Leaders who build Zion by killing people, who expand Jerusalem by committing crimes. + Judges sell verdicts to the highest bidder, priests mass-market their teaching, prophets preach for high fees, All the while posturing and pretending dependence on GOD: "We've got GOD on our side. He'll protect us from disaster." + Because of people like you, Zion will be turned back into farmland, Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble, and instead of the Temple on the mountain, a few scraggly scrub pines. + + + But when all is said and done, GOD's Temple on the mountain, Firmly fixed, will dominate all mountains, towering above surrounding hills. People will stream to it + and many nations set out for it, Saying, "Come, let's climb GOD's mountain. Let's go to the Temple of Jacob's God. He will teach us how to live. We'll know how to live God's way." True teaching will issue from Zion, GOD's revelation from Jerusalem. + He'll establish justice in the rabble of nations and settle disputes in faraway places. They'll trade in their swords for shovels, their spears for rakes and hoes. Nations will quit fighting each other, quit learning how to kill one another. + Each man will sit under his own shade tree, each woman in safety will tend her own garden. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so, and he means what he says. + Meanwhile, all the other people live however they wish, picking and choosing their gods. But we live honoring GOD, and we're loyal to our God forever and ever. + "On that great day," GOD says, "I will round up all the hurt and homeless, everyone I have bruised or banished. + I will transform the battered into a company of the elite. I will make a strong nation out of the long lost, A showcase exhibit of GOD's rule in action, as I rule from Mount Zion, from here to eternity. + "And you stragglers around Jerusalem, eking out a living in shantytowns: The glory that once was will be again. Jerusalem's daughter will be the kingdom center." + So why the doomsday hysterics? You still have a king, don't you? But maybe he's not doing his job and you're panicked like a woman in labor. + Well, go ahead--twist and scream, Daughter Jerusalem. You are like a woman in childbirth. You'll soon be out of the city, on your way and camping in the open country. And then you'll arrive in Babylon. What you lost in Jerusalem will be found in Babylon. GOD will give you new life again. He'll redeem you from your enemies. + But for right now, they're ganged up against you, many godless peoples, saying, "Kick her when she's down! Violate her! We want to see Zion grovel in the dirt." + These blasphemers have no idea what GOD is thinking and doing in this. They don't know that this is the making of GOD's people, that they are wheat being threshed, gold being refined. + On your feet, Daughter of Zion! Be threshed of chaff, be refined of dross. I'm remaking you into a people invincible, into God's juggernaut to crush the godless peoples. You'll bring their plunder as holy offerings to GOD, their wealth to the Master of the earth. + + + But for now, prepare for the worst, victim daughter! The siege is set against us. They humiliate Israel's king, slapping him around like a rag doll. + But you, Bethlehem, David's country, the runt of the litter-- From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel. He'll be no upstart, no pretender. His family tree is ancient and distinguished. + Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes until the birth pangs are over and the child is born, And the scattered brothers come back home to the family of Israel. + He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by GOD's strength, centered in the majesty of GOD-Revealed. And the people will have a good and safe home, for the whole world will hold him in respect-- Peacemaker of the world! + And if some bullying Assyrian shows up, invades and violates our land, don't worry. We'll put him in his place, send him packing, and watch his every move. + Shepherd-rule will extend as far as needed, to Assyria and all other Nimrod-bullies. Our shepherd-ruler will save us from old or new enemies, from anyone who invades or violates our land. + The purged and select company of Jacob will be like an island in the sea of peoples. They'll be like dew from GOD, like summer showers Not mentioned in the weather forecast, not subject to calculation or control. + Yes, the purged and select company of Jacob will be like an island in the sea of peoples, Like the king of beasts among wild beasts, like a young lion loose in a flock of sheep, Killing and devouring the lambs and no one able to stop him. + With your arms raised in triumph over your foes, your enemies will be no more! + "The day is coming" --GOD's Decree-- "When there will be no more war. None. I'll slaughter your war horses and demolish your chariots. + I'll dismantle military posts and level your fortifications. + I'll abolish your religious black markets, your underworld traffic in black magic. + I will smash your carved and cast gods and chop down your phallic posts. No more taking control of the world, worshiping what you do or make. + I'll root out your sacred sex-and-power centers and destroy the God-defiant. + In raging anger, I'll make a clean sweep of godless nations who haven't listened." + + + Listen now, listen to GOD: "Take your stand in court. If you have a complaint, tell the mountains; make your case to the hills. + And now, Mountains, hear GOD's case; listen, Jury Earth-- For I am bringing charges against my people. I am building a case against Israel. + "Dear people, how have I done you wrong? Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer! + I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt; I paid a good price to get you out of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you-- and Aaron and Miriam to boot! + Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull, and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him. Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal. Keep all GOD's salvation stories fresh and present." + How can I stand up before GOD and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? + Would GOD be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin? + But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously-- take God seriously. + Attention! GOD calls out to the city! If you know what's good for you, you'll listen. So listen, all of you! This is serious business. + "Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth you've piled up by cheating and fraud? + Do you think I'll tolerate shady deals and shifty scheming? + I'm tired of the violent rich bullying their way with bluffs and lies. + I'm fed up. Beginning now, you're finished. You'll pay for your sins down to your last cent. + No matter how much you get, it will never be enough-- hollow stomachs, empty hearts. No matter how hard you work, you'll have nothing to show for it-- bankrupt lives, wasted souls. + You'll plant grass but never get a lawn. You'll make jelly but never spread it on your bread. You'll press apples but never drink the cider. + You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri, the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab. Because you've slavishly followed their fashions, I'm forcing you into bankruptcy. Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke. Your lives will be derided as futile and fake." + + + I'm overwhelmed with sorrow! sunk in a swamp of despair! I'm like someone who goes to the garden to pick cabbages and carrots and corn And returns empty-handed, finds nothing for soup or sandwich or salad. + There's not a decent person in sight. Right-living humans are extinct. They're all out for one another's blood, animals preying on each other. + They've all become experts in evil. Corrupt leaders demand bribes. The powerful rich make sure they get what they want. + The best and brightest are thistles. The top of the line is crabgrass. But no longer: It's exam time. Look at them slinking away in disgrace! + Don't trust your neighbor, don't confide in your friend. Watch your words, even with your spouse. + Neighborhoods and families are falling to pieces. The closer they are--sons, daughters, in-laws-- The worse they can be. Your own family is the enemy. + But me, I'm not giving up. I'm sticking around to see what GOD will do. I'm waiting for God to make things right. I'm counting on God to listen to me. + Don't, enemy, crow over me. I'm down, but I'm not out. I'm sitting in the dark right now, but GOD is my light. + I can take GOD's punishing rage. I deserve it--I sinned. But it's not forever. He's on my side and is going to get me out of this. He'll turn on the lights and show me his ways. I'll see the whole picture and how right he is. + And my enemy will see it, too, and be discredited--yes, disgraced! This enemy who kept taunting, "So where is this GOD of yours?" I'm going to see it with these, my own eyes-- my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter. + Oh, that will be a day! A day for rebuilding your city, a day for stretching your arms, spreading your wings! + All your dispersed and scattered people will come back, old friends and family from faraway places, From Assyria in the east to Egypt in the west, from across the seas and out of the mountains. + But there'll be a reversal for everyone else--massive depopulation-- because of the way they lived, the things they did. + Shepherd, O GOD, your people with your staff, your dear and precious flock. Uniquely yours in a grove of trees, centered in lotus land. Let them graze in lush Bashan as in the old days in green Gilead. + Reproduce the miracle-wonders of our exodus from Egypt. + And the godless nations: Put them in their place-- humiliated in their arrogance, speechless and clueless. + Make them slink like snakes, crawl like cockroaches, come out of their holes from under their rocks And face our GOD. Fill them with holy fear and trembling. + Where is the god who can compare with you-- wiping the slate clean of guilt, Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. + And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean. + You'll stay true to your word to Father Jacob and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham-- Everything you promised our ancestors from a long time ago. + + + + + A report on the problem of Nineveh, the way God gave Nahum of Elkosh to see it: + GOD is serious business. He won't be trifled with. He avenges his foes. He stands up against his enemies, fierce and raging. + But GOD doesn't lose his temper. He's powerful, but it's a patient power. Still, no one gets by with anything. Sooner or later, everyone pays. Tornadoes and hurricanes are the wake of his passage, Storm clouds are the dust he shakes off his feet. + He yells at the sea: It dries up. All the rivers run dry. The Bashan and Carmel mountains shrivel, the Lebanon orchards shrivel. + Mountains quake in their roots, hills dissolve into mud flats. Earth shakes in fear of GOD. The whole world's in a panic. + Who can face such towering anger? Who can stand up to this fierce rage? His anger spills out like a river of lava, his fury shatters boulders. + GOD is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, + No matter how desperate the trouble. But cozy islands of escape He wipes right off the map. No one gets away from God. + Why waste time conniving against GOD? He's putting an end to all such scheming. For troublemakers, no second chances. + Like a pile of dry brush, Soaked in oil, they'll go up in flames. + Nineveh's an anthill of evil plots against GOD, A think tank for lies that seduce and betray. + And GOD has something to say about all this: "Even though you're on top of the world, With all the applause and all the votes, you'll be mowed down flat. "I've afflicted you, Judah, true, but I won't afflict you again. + From now on I'm taking the yoke from your neck and splitting it up for kindling. I'm cutting you free from the ropes of your bondage." + GOD's orders on Nineveh: "You're the end of the line. It's all over with Nineveh. I'm gutting your temple. Your gods and goddesses go in the trash. I'm digging your grave. It's an unmarked grave. You're nothing--no, you're less than nothing!" + Look! Striding across the mountains-- a messenger bringing the latest good news: peace! A holiday, Judah! Celebrate! Worship and recommit to God! No more worries about this enemy. This one is history. Close the books. + + + The juggernaut's coming! Post guards, lay in supplies. Get yourselves together, get ready for the big battle. + GOD has restored the Pride of Jacob, the Pride of Israel. Israel's lived through hard times. He's been to hell and back. + Weapons flash in the sun, the soldiers splendid in battle dress, Chariots burnished and glistening, ready to charge, A spiked forest of brandished spears, lethal on the horizon. + The chariots pour into the streets. They fill the public squares, Flaming like torches in the sun, like lightning darting and flashing. + The Assyrian king rallies his men, but they stagger and stumble. They run to the ramparts to stem the tide, but it's too late. + Soldiers pour through the gates. The palace is demolished. + Soon it's all over: Nineveh stripped, Nineveh doomed, Maids and slaves moaning like doves, beating their breasts. + Nineveh is a tub from which they've pulled the plug. Cries go up, "Do something! Do something!" but it's too late. Nineveh's soon empty--nothing. + Other cries come: "Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! A bonanza of plunder! Take everything you want!" + Doom! Damnation! Desolation! Hearts sink, knees fold, stomachs retch, faces blanch. + So, what happened to the famous and fierce Assyrian lion And all those cute Assyrian cubs? To the lion and lioness Cozy with their cubs, fierce and fearless? + To the lion who always returned from the hunt with fresh kills for lioness and cubs, The lion lair heaped with bloody meat, blood and bones for the royal lion feast? + "Assyria, I'm your enemy," says GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. "I'll torch your chariots. They'll go up in smoke. 'Lion Country' will be strewn with carcasses. The war business is over--you're out of work: You'll have no more wars to report, No more victories to announce. You're out of war work forever." + + + Doom to Murder City-- full of lies, bursting with loot, addicted to violence! + Horns blaring, wheels clattering, horses rearing, chariots lurching, + Horsemen galloping, brandishing swords and spears, Dead bodies rotting in the street, corpses stacked like cordwood, Bodies in every gutter and alley, clogging every intersection! + And whores! Whores without end! Whore City, Fatally seductive, you're the Witch of Seduction, luring nations to their ruin with your evil spells. + "I'm your enemy, Whore Nineveh-- I, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! I'll strip you of your seductive silk robes and expose you on the world stage. I'll let the nations get their fill of the ugly truth of who you really are and have been all along. + I'll pelt you with dog dung and place you on a pedestal: 'Slut on Exhibit.' + Everyone who sees you will gag and say, 'Nineveh's a pigsty: What on earth did we ever see in her? Who would give her a second look? Ugh!'" + Do you think you're superior to Egyptian Thebes, proudly invincible on the River Nile, Protected by the great River, walled in by the River, secure? + Ethiopia stood guard to the south, Egypt to the north. Put and Libya, strong friends, were ready to step in and help. + But you know what happened to her: The whole city was marched off to a refugee camp, Her babies smashed to death in public view on the streets, Her prize leaders auctioned off, her celebrities put in chain gangs. + Expect the same treatment, Nineveh. You'll soon be staggering like a bunch of drunks, Wondering what hit you, looking for a place to sleep it off. + All your forts are like peach trees, the lush peaches ripe, ready for the picking. One shake of the tree and they fall straight into hungry mouths. + Face it: Your warriors are wimps. You're sitting ducks. Your borders are gaping doors, inviting your enemies in. And who's to stop them? + Store up water for the siege. Shore up your defenses. Get down to basics: Work the clay and make bricks. + Sorry. Too late. Enemy fire will burn you up. Swords will cut you to pieces. You'll be chewed up as if by locusts. Yes, as if by locusts--a fitting fate, for you yourselves are a locust plague. + You've multiplied shops and shopkeepers-- more buyers and sellers than stars in the sky! A plague of locusts, cleaning out the neighborhood and then flying off. + Your bureaucrats are locusts, your brokers and bankers are locusts. Early on, they're all at your service, full of smiles and promises, But later when you return with questions or complaints, you'll find they've flown off and are nowhere to be found. + King of Assyria! Your shepherd-leaders, in charge of caring for your people, Are busy doing everything else but. They're not doing their job, And your people are scattered and lost. There's no one to look after them. + You're past the point of no return. Your wound is fatal. When the story of your fate gets out, the whole world will applaud and cry "Encore!" Your cruel evil has seeped into every nook and cranny of the world. Everyone has felt it and suffered. + + + + + The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: + GOD, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, "Help! Murder! Police!" before you come to the rescue? + Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. + Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head. + "Look around at the godless nations. Look long and hard. Brace yourself for a shock. Something's about to take place and you're going to find it hard to believe. + I'm about to raise up Babylonians to punish you, Babylonians, fierce and ferocious-- World-conquering Babylon, grabbing up nations right and left, + A dreadful and terrible people, making up its own rules as it goes. + Their horses run like the wind, attack like bloodthirsty wolves. A stampede of galloping horses thunders out of nowhere. They descend like vultures circling in on carrion. + They're out to kill. Death is on their minds. They collect victims like squirrels gathering nuts. + They mock kings, poke fun at generals, Spit on forts, and leave them in the dust. + They'll all be blown away by the wind. Brazen in sin, they call strength their god." + GOD, you're from eternity, aren't you? Holy God, we aren't going to die, are we? GOD, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work? Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline? + But you can't be serious! You can't condone evil! So why don't you do something about this? Why are you silent now? This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous and you stand around and watch! + You're treating men and women as so many fish in the ocean, Swimming without direction, swimming but not getting anywhere. + Then this evil Babylonian arrives and goes fishing. He pulls in a good catch. He catches his limit and fills his creel-- a good day of fishing! He's happy! + He praises his rod and reel, piles his fishing gear on an altar and worships it! It's made his day, and he's going to eat well tonight! + Are you going to let this go on and on? Will you let this Babylonian fisherman Fish like a weekend angler, killing people as if they're nothing but fish? + + + What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I'll wait to see what God says, how he'll answer my complaint. + And then GOD answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. + This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming--it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. + "Look at that man, bloated by self-importance-- full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive. + "Note well: Money deceives. The arrogant rich don't last. They are more hungry for wealth than the grave is for cadavers. Like death, they always want more, but the 'more' they get is dead bodies. They are cemeteries filled with dead nations, graveyards filled with corpses. + Don't give people like this a second thought. Soon the whole world will be taunting them: "'Who do you think you are-- getting rich by stealing and extortion? How long do you think you can get away with this?' + Indeed, how long before your victims wake up, stand up and make you the victim? + You've plundered nation after nation. Now you'll get a taste of your own medicine. All the survivors are out to plunder you, a payback for all your murders and massacres. + "Who do you think you are-- recklessly grabbing and looting, Living it up, acting like king of the mountain, acting above it all, above trials and troubles? + You've engineered the ruin of your own house. In ruining others you've ruined yourself. You've undermined your foundations, rotted out your own soul. + The bricks of your house will speak up and accuse you. The woodwork will step forward with evidence. + "Who do you think you are-- building a town by murder, a city with crime? + Don't you know that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies makes sure nothing comes of that but ashes, Makes sure the harder you work at that kind of thing, the less you are? + Meanwhile the earth fills up with awareness of GOD's glory as the waters cover the sea. + "Who do you think you are-- inviting your neighbors to your drunken parties, Giving them too much to drink, roping them into your sexual orgies? + You thought you were having the time of your life. Wrong! It's a time of disgrace. All the time you were drinking, you were drinking from the cup of God's wrath. + You'll wake up holding your throbbing head, hung over-- hung over from Lebanon violence, Hung over from animal massacres, hung over from murder and mayhem, From multiple violations of place and people. + "What's the use of a carved god so skillfully carved by its sculptor? What good is a fancy cast god when all it tells is lies? What sense does it make to be a pious god-maker who makes gods that can't even talk? + Who do you think you are-- saying to a stick of wood, 'Wake up,' Or to a dumb stone, 'Get up'? Can they teach you anything about anything? There's nothing to them but surface. There's nothing on the inside. + "But oh! GOD is in his holy Temple! Quiet everyone--a holy silence. Listen!" + + + A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra: + GOD, I've heard what our ancestors say about you, and I'm stopped in my tracks, down on my knees. Do among us what you did among them. Work among us as you worked among them. And as you bring judgment, as you surely must, remember mercy. + God's on his way again, retracing the old salvation route, Coming up from the south through Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Skies are blazing with his splendor, his praises sounding through the earth, + His cloud-brightness like dawn, exploding, spreading, forked-lightning shooting from his hand-- what power hidden in that fist! + Plague marches before him, pestilence at his heels! + He stops. He shakes Earth. He looks around. Nations tremble. The age-old mountains fall to pieces; ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon. The paths God takes are older than the oldest mountains and hills. + I saw everyone worried, in a panic: Old wilderness adversaries, Cushan and Midian, were terrified, hoping he wouldn't notice them. + GOD, is it River you're mad at? Angry at old River? Were you raging at Sea when you rode horse and chariot through to salvation? + You unfurled your bow and let loose a volley of arrows. You split Earth with rivers. + Mountains saw what was coming. They twisted in pain. Flood Waters poured in. Ocean roared and reared huge waves. + Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks. Your flashing arrows stopped them, your lightning-strike spears impaled them. + Angry, you stomped through Earth. Furious, you crushed the godless nations. + You were out to save your people, to save your specially chosen people. You beat the stuffing out of King Wicked, Stripped him naked from head to toe, + Set his severed head on his own spear and blew away his army. Scattered they were to the four winds-- and ended up food for the sharks! + You galloped through the Sea on your horses, racing on the crest of the waves. + When I heard it, my stomach did flips. I stammered and stuttered. My bones turned to water. I staggered and stumbled. I sit back and wait for Doomsday to descend on our attackers. + Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, + I'm singing joyful praise to GOD. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. + Counting on GOD's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain! (For congregational use, with a full orchestra.) + + + + + GOD's Message to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. It came during the reign of Josiah son of Amon, who was king of Judah: + "I'm going to make a clean sweep of the earth, a thorough housecleaning." GOD's Decree. + "Men and women and animals, including birds and fish-- Anything and everything that causes sin--will go, but especially people. + "I'll start with Judah and everybody who lives in Jerusalem. I'll sweep the place clean of every trace of the sex-and-religion Baal shrines and their priests. + I'll get rid of the people who sneak up to their rooftops at night to worship the star gods and goddesses; Also those who continue to worship GOD but cover their bases by worshiping other king-gods as well; + Not to mention those who've dumped GOD altogether, no longer giving him a thought or offering a prayer. + "Quiet now! Reverent silence before me, GOD, the Master! Time's up. My Judgment Day is near: The Holy Day is all set, the invited guests made holy. + On the Holy Day, GOD's Judgment Day, I will punish the leaders and the royal sons; I will punish those who dress up like foreign priests and priestesses, + Who introduce pagan prayers and practices; And I'll punish all who import pagan superstitions that turn holy places into hellholes. + Judgment Day!" GOD's Decree! "Cries of panic from the city's Fish Gate, Cries of terror from the city's Second Quarter, sounds of great crashing from the hills! + Wail, you shopkeepers on Market Street! Moneymaking has had its day. The god Money is dead. + On Judgment Day, I'll search through every closet and alley in Jerusalem. I'll find and punish those who are sitting it out, fat and lazy, amusing themselves and taking it easy, Who think, 'GOD doesn't do anything, good or bad. He isn't involved, so neither are we.' + But just wait. They'll lose everything they have, money and house and land. They'll build a house and never move in. They'll plant vineyards and never taste the wine. + "The Great Judgment Day of GOD is almost here. It's countdown time: . . . seven, six, five, four . . . Bitter and noisy cries on my Judgment Day, even strong men screaming for help. + Judgment Day is payday--my anger paid out: a day of distress and anguish, a day of catastrophic doom, a day of darkness at noon, a day of black storm clouds, + a day of bloodcurdling war cries, as forts are assaulted, as defenses are smashed. + I'll make things so bad they won't know what hit them. They'll walk around groping like the blind. They've sinned against GOD! Their blood will be poured out like old dishwater, their guts shoveled into slop buckets. + Don't plan on buying your way out. Your money is worthless for this. This is the Day of GOD's Judgment--my wrath! I care about sin with fiery passion-- A fire to burn up the corrupted world, a wildfire finish to the corrupting people." + + + So get yourselves together. Shape up! You're a nation without a clue about what it wants. + Do it before you're blown away like leaves in a windstorm, Before GOD's Judgment-anger sweeps down on you, Before GOD's Judgment Day wrath descends with full force. + Seek GOD, all you quietly disciplined people who live by GOD's justice. Seek GOD's right ways. Seek a quiet and disciplined life. Perhaps you'll be hidden on the Day of GOD's anger. + Gaza is scheduled for demolition, Ashdod will be cleaned out by high noon, Ekron pulled out by the roots. + Doom to the seaside people, the seafaring people from Crete! The Word of GOD is bad news for you who settled Canaan, the Philistine country: "You're slated for destruction-- no survivors!" + The lands of the seafarers will become pastureland, A country for shepherds and sheep. + What's left of the family of Judah will get it. Day after day they'll pasture by the sea, and go home in the evening to Ashkelon to sleep. Their very own GOD will look out for them. He'll make things as good as before. + "I've heard the crude taunts of Moab, the mockeries flung by Ammon, The cruel talk they've used to put down my people, their self-important strutting along Israel's borders. + Therefore, as sure as I am the living God," says GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's personal God, "Moab will become a ruin like Sodom, Ammon a ghost town like Gomorrah, One a field of rocks, the other a sterile salt flat, a moonscape forever. What's left of my people will finish them off, will pick them clean and take over. + This is what they get for their bloated pride, their taunts and mockeries of the people of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + GOD will be seen as truly terrible--a Holy Terror. All earth-made gods will shrivel up and blow away; And everyone, wherever they are, far or near, will fall to the ground and worship him. + Also you Ethiopians, you too will die--I'll see to it." + Then GOD will reach into the north and destroy Assyria. He will waste Nineveh, leave her dry and treeless as a desert. + The ghost town of a city, the haunt of wild animals, Nineveh will be home to raccoons and coyotes-- they'll bed down in its ruins. Owls will hoot in the windows, ravens will croak in the doorways-- all that fancy woodwork now a perch for birds. + Can this be the famous Fun City that had it made, That boasted, "I'm the Number-One City! I'm King of the Mountain!" So why is the place deserted, a lair for wild animals? Passersby hardly give it a look; they dismiss it with a gesture. + + + Doom to the rebellious city, the home of oppressors--Sewer City! + The city that wouldn't take advice, wouldn't accept correction, Wouldn't trust GOD, wouldn't even get close to her own god! + Her very own leaders are rapacious lions, Her judges are rapacious timber wolves out every morning prowling for a fresh kill. + Her prophets are out for what they can get. They're opportunists--you can't trust them. Her priests desecrate the Sanctuary. They use God's law as a weapon to maim and kill souls. + Yet GOD remains righteous in her midst, untouched by the evil. He stays at it, day after day, meting out justice. At evening he's still at it, strong as ever. But evil men and women, without conscience and without shame, persist in evil. + "So I cut off the godless nations. I knocked down their defense posts, Filled her roads with rubble so no one could get through. Her cities were bombed-out ruins, unlivable and unlived in. + "I thought, 'Surely she'll honor me now, accept my discipline and correction, Find a way of escape from the trouble she's in, find relief from the punishment I'm bringing.' But it didn't faze her. Bright and early she was up at it again, doing the same old things. + "Well, if that's what you want, stick around." GOD's Decree. "Your day in court is coming, but remember I'll be there to bring evidence. I'll bring all the nations to the courtroom, round up all the kingdoms, And let them feel the brunt of my anger, my raging wrath. My zeal is a fire that will purge and purify the earth. + "In the end I will turn things around for the people. I'll give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, Words to address GOD in worship and, united, to serve me with their shoulders to the wheel. + They'll come from beyond the Ethiopian rivers, they'll come praying-- All my scattered, exiled people will come home with offerings for worship. + You'll no longer have to be ashamed of all those acts of rebellion. I'll have gotten rid of your arrogant leaders. No more pious strutting on my holy hill! + I'll leave a core of people among you who are poor in spirit-- What's left of Israel that's really Israel. They'll make their home in GOD. + This core holy people will not do wrong. They won't lie, won't use words to flatter or seduce. Content with who they are and where they are, unanxious, they'll live at peace." + So sing, Daughter Zion! Raise the rafters, Israel! Daughter Jerusalem, be happy! celebrate! + GOD has reversed his judgments against you and sent your enemies off chasing their tails. From now on, GOD is Israel's king, in charge at the center. There's nothing to fear from evil ever again! + Jerusalem will be told: "Don't be afraid. Dear Zion, don't despair. + Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs. + "The accumulated sorrows of your exile will dissipate. I, your God, will get rid of them for you. You've carried those burdens long enough. + At the same time, I'll get rid of all those who've made your life miserable. I'll heal the maimed; I'll bring home the homeless. In the very countries where they were hated they will be venerated. + On Judgment Day I'll bring you back home--a great family gathering! You'll be famous and honored all over the world. You'll see it with your own eyes-- all those painful partings turned into reunions!" GOD's Promise. + + + + + On the first day of the sixth month of the second year in the reign of King Darius of Persia, GOD's Message was delivered by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak: + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "The people procrastinate. They say this isn't the right time to rebuild my Temple, the Temple of GOD." + Shortly after that, GOD said more and Haggai spoke it: + "How is it that it's the 'right time' for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, GOD's Temple, is in ruins?" + And then a little later, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again: "Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over. + You have spent a lot of money, but you haven't much to show for it. You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up. You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you're always thirsty. You put on layer after layer of clothes, but you can't get warm. And the people who work for you, what are they getting out of it? Not much-- a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that's what. + That's why GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said: "Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over." + Then GOD said: "Here's what I want you to do: Climb into the hills and cut some timber. Bring it down and rebuild the Temple. Do it just for me. Honor me. + You've had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has come of it. The little you have brought to my Temple I've blown away--there was nothing to it. "And why?" (This is a Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) "Because while you've run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. + That's why. Because of your stinginess. And so I've given you a dry summer and a skimpy crop. + I've matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing--not man or woman, not animal or crop--is going to thrive." + Then the governor, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their GOD. When GOD sent the prophet Haggai to them, they paid attention to him. In listening to Haggai, they honored GOD. + Then Haggai, GOD's messenger, preached GOD's Message to the people: "I am with you!" GOD's Word. + This is how GOD got Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people moving--got them working on the Temple of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius. + + + On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of GOD came through the prophet Haggai: "Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak + and all the people: + 'Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right? + "'So get to work, Zerubbabel!'--GOD is speaking. "'Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak--high priest!' "'Get to work, all you people!'--GOD is speaking. "'Yes, get to work! For I am with you.' The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! + 'Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I'm living and breathing among you right now. Don't be timid. Don't hold back.' + "This is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said: 'Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. + And I'll shake down all the godless nations. They'll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.' GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. + 'I own the silver, I own the gold.' Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "'This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.' Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies." + On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (again, this was in the second year of Darius), GOD's Message came to Haggai: + "GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: Consult the priests for a ruling. + If someone carries a piece of sacred meat in his pocket, meat that is set apart for sacrifice on the altar, and the pocket touches a loaf of bread, a dish of stew, a bottle of wine or oil, or any other food, will these foods be made holy by such contact?" The priests said, "No." + Then Haggai said, "How about someone who is contaminated by touching a corpse--if that person touches one of these foods, will it be contaminated?" The priests said, "Yes, it will be contaminated." + Then Haggai said, "'So, this people is contaminated. Their nation is contaminated. Everything they do is contaminated. Whatever they do for me is contaminated.' GOD says so. + "'Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, + how did it go with you? Isn't it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of GOD were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return on your crops--half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine? + I hit you with drought and blight and hail. Everything you were doing got hit. But it didn't seem to faze you. You continued to ignore me.' GOD's Decree. + "'Now think ahead from this same date--this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Think ahead from when the Temple rebuilding was launched. + Has anything in your fields--vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree--failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing.'" + GOD's Message came a second time to Haggai on that most memorable day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month: + "Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: "'I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom-- + overthrow governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion, so that they end up killing one another. + And on that day'"--this is GOD's Message--"'I will take you, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority. I've looked over the field and chosen you for this work.'" The Message of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + + + + + In the eighth month of the second year in the reign of Darius, GOD's Message came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: + "GOD was very angry with your ancestors. + So give to the people this Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: 'Come back to me and I'll come back to you. + Don't be like your parents. The old-time prophets called out to them, "A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: Leave your evil life. Quit your evil practices." But they ignored everything I said to them, stubbornly refused to listen.' + "And where are your ancestors now? Dead and buried. And the prophets who preached to them? Also dead and buried. But the Message that my servants the prophets spoke, that isn't dead and buried. + That Message did its work on your ancestors, did it not? It woke them up and they came back, saying, 'He did what he said he would do, sure enough. We didn't get by with a thing.'" + On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month in the second year of the reign of Darius, the Message of GOD was given to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: + One night I looked out and saw a man astride a red horse. He was in the shadows in a grove of birches. Behind him were more horses--a red, a chestnut, and a white. + I said, "Sir, what are these horses doing here? What's the meaning of this?" The Angel-Messenger said, "Let me show you." + Then the rider in the birch grove spoke up, "These are the riders that GOD sent to check things out on earth." + They reported their findings to the Angel of GOD in the birch grove: "We have looked over the whole earth and all is well. Everything's under control." + The Angel of GOD reported back, "O GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, how long are you going to stay angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? When are you going to let up? Isn't seventy years long enough?" + GOD reassured the Angel-Messenger--good words, comforting words-- + who then addressed me: "Tell them this. Tell them that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has spoken. This is GOD's Message: 'I care deeply for Jerusalem and Zion. I feel very possessive of them. + But I'm thoroughly angry with the godless nations that act as if they own the whole world. I was only moderately angry earlier, but now they've gone too far. I'm going into action. + "'I've come back to Jerusalem, but with compassion this time.' This is GOD speaking. 'I'll see to it that my Temple is rebuilt.' A Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! 'The rebuilding operation is already staked out.' + Say it again--a Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: 'My cities will prosper again, GOD will comfort Zion again, Jerusalem will be back in my favor again.'" + I looked up, and was surprised by another vision: four horns! + I asked the Messenger-Angel, "And what's the meaning of this?" He said, "These are the powers that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem abroad." + Then GOD expanded the vision to include four blacksmiths. + I asked, "And what are these all about?" He said, "Since the 'horns' scattered Judah so badly that no one had any hope left, these blacksmiths have arrived to combat the horns. They'll dehorn the godless nations who used their horns to scatter Judah to the four winds." + + + I looked up and was surprised to see a man holding a tape measure in his hand. + I said, "What are you up to?" "I'm on my way," he said, "to survey Jerusalem, to measure its width and length." + Just then the Messenger-Angel on his way out met another angel coming in + and said, "Run! Tell the Surveyor, 'Jerusalem will burst its walls-- bursting with people, bursting with animals. + And I'll be right there with her'--GOD's Decree--'a wall of fire around unwalled Jerusalem and a radiant presence within.'" + "Up on your feet! Get out of there--and now!" GOD says so. "Return from your far exile. I scattered you to the four winds." GOD's Decree. + "Escape from Babylon, Zion, and come home--now!" + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the One of Glory who sent me on my mission, commenting on the godless nations who stripped you and left you homeless, said, "Anyone who hits you, hits me--bloodies my nose, blackens my eye. + Yes, and at the right time I'll give the signal and they'll be stripped and thrown out by their own servants." Then you'll know for sure that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me on this mission. + "Shout and celebrate, Daughter of Zion! I'm on my way. I'm moving into your neighborhood!" GOD's Decree. + Many godless nations will be linked up with GOD at that time. ("They will become my family! I'll live in their homes!") And then you'll know for sure that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me on this mission. + GOD will reclaim his Judah inheritance in the Holy Land. He'll again make clear that Jerusalem is his choice. + Quiet, everyone! Shh! Silence before GOD. Something's afoot in his holy house. He's on the move! + + + Next the Messenger-Angel showed me the high priest Joshua. He was standing before GOD's Angel where the Accuser showed up to accuse him. + Then GOD said to the Accuser, "I, GOD, rebuke you, Accuser! I rebuke you and choose Jerusalem. Surprise! Everything is going up in flames, but I reach in and pull out Jerusalem!" + Joshua, standing before the angel, was dressed in dirty clothes. + The angel spoke to his attendants, "Get him out of those filthy clothes," and then said to Joshua, "Look, I've stripped you of your sin and dressed you up in clean clothes." + I spoke up and said, "How about a clean new turban for his head also?" And they did it--put a clean new turban on his head. Then they finished dressing him, with GOD's Angel looking on. + GOD's Angel then charged Joshua, + "Orders from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: 'If you live the way I tell you and remain obedient in my service, then you'll make the decisions around here and oversee my affairs. And all my attendants standing here will be at your service. + "'Careful, High Priest Joshua--both you and your friends sitting here with you, for your friends are in on this, too! Here's what I'm doing next: I'm introducing my servant Branch. + And note this: This stone that I'm placing before Joshua, a single stone with seven eyes'--Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies--'I'll engrave with these words: "I'll strip this land of its filthy sin, all at once, in a single day." + "'At that time, everyone will get along with one another, with friendly visits across the fence, friendly visits on one another's porches.'" + + + The Messenger-Angel again called me to attention. It was like being wakened out of deep sleep. + He said, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top. Seven lamps, each with seven spouts, are set on the bowl. + And there are two olive trees, one on either side of the bowl." + Then I asked the Messenger-Angel, "What does this mean, sir?" + The Messenger-Angel said, "Can't you tell?" "No, sir," I said. Then he said, + "This is GOD's Message to Zerubbabel: 'You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,' says GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + 'So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you're nothing but a molehill. He'll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!'" + After that, the Word of GOD came to me: + "Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. + Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They'll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!" Going back to the vision, the Messenger-Angel said, "The seven lamps are the eyes of GOD probing the dark corners of the world like searchlights." + "And the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand?" I asked. "What's the meaning of them? + And while you're at it, the two branches of the olive trees that feed oil to the lamps--what do they mean?" + He said, "You haven't figured that out?" I said, "No, sir." + He said, "These are the two who stand beside the Master of the whole earth and supply golden lamp oil worldwide." + + + I looked up again and saw--surprise!--a book on the wing! A book flying! + The Messenger-Angel said to me, "What do you see now?" I said, "I see a book flying, a huge book--thirty feet long and fifteen wide!" + He told me, "This book is the verdict going out worldwide against thieves and liars. The first half of the book disposes of everyone who steals; the second half takes care of everyone who lies. + I launched it"--Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies--"and so it will fly into the house of every thief and every liar. It will land in each house and tear it down, timbers and stones." + The Messenger-Angel appeared and said, "Look up. Tell me what you see." + I said, "What in the world is that?" He said, "This is a bushel basket on a journey. It holds the sin of everyone, everywhere." + Then the lid made of lead was removed from the basket--and there was a woman sitting in it! + He said, "This is Miss Wicked." He pushed her back down into the basket and clamped the lead lid over her. + Then I looked up and to my surprise saw two women flying. On outstretched wings they airlifted the bushel basket into the sky. + I said to the Messenger-Angel, "Where are they taking the bushel basket?" + He said, "East to the land of Shinar. They will build a garage to house it. When it's finished, the basket will be stored there." + + + Once again I looked up--another strange sight! Four chariots charging out from between two mountains. The mountains were bronze. + The first chariot was drawn by red horses, the second chariot by black horses, + the third chariot by white horses, and the fourth chariot by dappled horses. All the horses were powerful. + I asked the Messenger-Angel, "Sir, what's the meaning here?" + The angel answered, "These are the four winds of heaven, which originate with the Master of the whole earth. + The black horses are headed north with the white ones right after them. The dappled horses are headed south." + The powerful horses galloped out, bursting with energy, eager to patrol through the earth. The Messenger-Angel commanded: "On your way! Survey the earth!" and they were off in every direction. + Then he called to me and said, "Look at them go! The ones going north are conveying a sense of my Spirit, serene and secure. No more trouble from that direction." + Then this Message from GOD came to me: + "Take up a collection from the exiles. Target Heldai, Tobiah, and Jedaiah. They've just arrived from Babylon. You'll find them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah. + Collect silver and gold from them and fashion crowns. Place one on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, + and give him this message: "'A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. Be alert. We have a man here whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of GOD. + Yes, he's the one. He'll build the Temple of GOD. Then he'll assume the role of royalty, take his place on the throne and rule--a priest sitting on the throne!--showing that king and priest can coexist in harmony.' + "The other crown will be in the Temple of GOD as a symbol of royalty, under the custodial care of Helem, Tobiah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah. + "People will come from faraway places to pitch in and rebuild the Temple of GOD. This will confirm that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies did, in fact, send me to you. All this follows as you put your minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of your GOD." + + + On the fourth day of the ninth month, in the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, GOD's Message again came to Zechariah. + The town of Bethel had sent a delegation headed by Sarezer and Regem-Melech to pray for GOD's blessing + and to confer with the priests of the Temple of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, and also with the prophets. They posed this question: "Should we plan for a day of mourning and abstinence next August, the seventieth anniversary of Jerusalem's fall, as we have been doing all these years?" + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies gave me this Message for them, + for all the people and for the priests: "When you held days of fasting every fifth and seventh month all these seventy years, were you doing it for me? + And when you held feasts, was that for me? Hardly. You're interested in religion, I'm interested in people. + "There's nothing new to say on the subject. Don't you still have the message of the earlier prophets from the time when Jerusalem was still a thriving, bustling city and the outlying countryside, the Negev and Shephelah, was populated? + [This is the message that GOD gave Zechariah.] + Well, the message hasn't changed. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now: "'Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. + Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another--that's evil.' + "But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. + They steeled themselves against GOD's revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. And GOD became angry, really angry, + because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn't listen to a word he said. "So [this is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said]if they won't listen to me, I won't listen to them. + I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were. Their 'promised land' became a vacant lot--weeds and tin cans and thistles. Not a sign of life. They turned a dreamland into a wasteland." + + + And then these Messages from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: + "I am zealous for Zion--I care! I'm angry about Zion--I'm involved!" GOD's Message: + "I've come back to Zion, I've moved back to Jerusalem. Jerusalem's new names will be Truth City, and Mountain of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, and Mount Holiness." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Old men and old women will come back to Jerusalem, sit on benches on the streets and spin tales, move around safely with their canes--a good city to grow old in. + And boys and girls will fill the public parks, laughing and playing--a good city to grow up in." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Do the problems of returning and rebuilding by just a few survivors seem too much? But is anything too much for me? Not if I have my say." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "I'll collect my people from countries to the east and countries to the west. + I'll bring them back and move them into Jerusalem. They'll be my people and I'll be their God. I'll stick with them and do right by them." A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: + "Get a grip on things. Hold tight, you who are listening to what I say through the preaching of the prophets. The Temple of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has been reestablished. The Temple is being rebuilt. + We've come through a hard time: You worked for a pittance and were lucky to get that; the streets were dangerous; you could never let down your guard; I had turned the world into an armed camp. + "But things have changed. I'm taking the side of my core of surviving people: + Sowing and harvesting will resume, Vines will grow grapes, Gardens will flourish, Dew and rain will make everything green. "My core survivors will get everything they need--and more. + You've gotten a reputation as a bad-news people, you people of Judah and Israel, but I'm coming to save you. From now on, you're the good-news people. Don't be afraid. Keep a firm grip on what I'm doing." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "In the same way that I decided to punish you when your ancestors made me angry, and didn't pull my punches, + at this time I've decided to bless Jerusalem and the country of Judah. Don't be afraid. + And now here's what I want you to do: Tell the truth, the whole truth, when you speak. Do the right thing by one another, both personally and in your courts. + Don't cook up plans to take unfair advantage of others. Don't do or say what isn't so. I hate all that stuff. Keep your lives simple and honest." Decree of GOD. + Again I received a Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: + "The days of mourning set for the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be turned into days of feasting for Judah--celebration and holiday. Embrace truth! Love peace!" + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "People and their leaders will come from all over to see what's going on. + The leaders will confer with one another: 'Shouldn't we try to get in on this? Get in on GOD's blessings? Pray to GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies? What's keeping us? Let's go!' + "Lots of people, powerful nations--they'll come to Jerusalem looking for what they can get from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, looking to get a blessing from GOD." + A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies: "At that time, ten men speaking a variety of languages will grab the sleeve of one Jew, hold tight, and say, 'Let us go with you. We've heard that God is with you.'" + + + War Bulletin: GOD's Message challenges the country of Hadrach. It will settle on Damascus. The whole world has its eyes on GOD. Israel isn't the only one. + That includes Hamath at the border, and Tyre and Sidon, clever as they think they are. + Tyre has put together quite a kingdom for herself; she has stacked up silver like cordwood, piled gold high as haystacks. + But God will certainly bankrupt her; he will dump all that wealth into the ocean and burn up what's left in a big fire. + Ashkelon will see it and panic, Gaza will wring its hands, Ekron will face a dead end. Gaza's king will die. Ashkelon will be emptied out, + And a villain will take over in Ashdod. "I'll take proud Philistia down a peg: + I'll make him spit out his bloody booty and abandon his vile ways." What's left will be all God's--a core of survivors, a family brought together in Judah-- But enemies like Ekron will go the way of the Jebusites, into the dustbin of history. + "I will set up camp in my home country and defend it against invaders. Nobody is going to hurt my people ever again. I'm keeping my eye on them. + "Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion! Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem! Your king is coming! a good king who makes all things right, a humble king riding a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey. + I've had it with war--no more chariots in Ephraim, no more war horses in Jerusalem, no more swords and spears, bows and arrows. He will offer peace to the nations, a peaceful rule worldwide, from the four winds to the seven seas. + "And you, because of my blood covenant with you, I'll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells. + Come home, hope-filled prisoners! This very day I'm declaring a double bonus-- everything you lost returned twice-over! + Judah is now my weapon, the bow I'll pull, setting Ephraim as an arrow to the string. I'll wake up your sons, O Zion, to counter your sons, O Greece. From now on people are my swords." + Then GOD will come into view, his arrows flashing like lightning! Master GOD will blast his trumpet and set out in a whirlwind. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will protect them-- all-out war, The war to end all wars, no holds barred. + Their GOD will save the day. He'll rescue them. They'll become like sheep, gentle and soft, Or like gemstones in a crown, catching all the colors of the sun. + Then how they'll shine! shimmer! glow! the young men robust, the young women lovely! + + + Pray to GOD for rain--it's time for the spring rain-- to GOD, the rainmaker, Spring thunderstorm maker, maker of grain and barley. + "Store-bought gods babble gibberish. Religious experts spout rubbish. They pontificate hot air. Their prescriptions are nothing but smoke. And so the people wander like lost sheep, poor lost sheep without a shepherd. + I'm furious with the so-called shepherds. They're worse than billy goats, and I'll treat them like goats." GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will step in and take care of his flock, the people of Judah. He'll revive their spirits, make them proud to be on God's side. + God will use them in his work of rebuilding, use them as foundations and pillars, Use them as tools and instruments, use them to oversee his work. + They'll be a workforce to be proud of, working as one, their heads held high, striding through swamps and mud, Courageous and vigorous because GOD is with them, undeterred by the world's thugs. + "I'll put muscle in the people of Judah; I'll save the people of Joseph. I know their pain and will make them good as new. They'll get a fresh start, as if nothing had ever happened. And why? Because I am their very own GOD, I'll do what needs to be done for them. + The people of Ephraim will be famous, their lives brimming with joy. Their children will get in on it, too-- oh, let them feel blessed by GOD! + I'll whistle and they'll all come running. I've set them free--oh, how they'll flourish! + Even though I scattered them to the far corners of earth, they'll remember me in the faraway places. They'll keep the story alive in their children, and they will come back. + I'll bring them back from the Egyptian west and round them up from the Assyrian east. I'll bring them back to sweet Gilead, back to leafy Lebanon. Every square foot of land will be marked by homecoming. + They'll sail through troubled seas, brush aside brash ocean waves. Roaring rivers will turn to a trickle. Gaudy Assyria will be stripped bare, bully Egypt exposed as a fraud. + But my people--oh, I'll make them strong, GOD-strong! and they'll live my way." GOD says so! + + + Open your borders to the immigrants, proud Lebanon! Your sentinel trees will burn. + Weep, great pine trees! Mourn, you sister cedars! Your towering trees are cordwood. Weep Bashan oak trees! Your thick forest is now a field of stumps. + Do you hear the wailing of shepherds? They've lost everything they once owned. Do you hear the outrage of the lions? The mighty jungle of the Jordan is wasted. + Make room for the returning exiles! GOD commanded me, "Shepherd the sheep that are soon to be slaughtered. + The people who buy them will butcher them for quick and easy money. What's worse, they'll get away with it. The people who sell them will say, 'Lucky me! God's on my side; I've got it made!' They have shepherds who couldn't care less about them." + GOD's Decree: "I'm washing my hands of the people of this land. From now on they're all on their own. It's dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest, and the devil take the hindmost. Don't look for help from me." + So I took over from the crass, money-grubbing owners, and shepherded the sheep marked for slaughter. I got myself two shepherd staffs. I named one Lovely and the other Harmony. Then I went to work shepherding the sheep. + Within a month I got rid of the corrupt shepherds. I got tired of putting up with them--and they couldn't stand me. + And then I got tired of the sheep and said, "I've had it with you--no more shepherding from me. If you die, you die; if you're attacked, you're attacked. Whoever survives can eat what's left." + Then I took the staff named Lovely and broke it across my knee, breaking the beautiful covenant I had made with all the peoples. + In one stroke, both staff and covenant were broken. The money-hungry owners saw me do it and knew GOD was behind it. + Then I addressed them: "Pay me what you think I'm worth." They paid me an insulting sum, counting out thirty silver coins. + GOD told me, "Throw it in the poor box." This stingy wage was all they thought of me and my work! So I took the thirty silver coins and threw them into the poor box in GOD's Temple. + Then I broke the other staff, Harmony, across my knee, breaking the concord between Judah and Israel. + GOD then said, "Dress up like a stupid shepherd. + I'm going to install just such a shepherd in this land--a shepherd indifferent to victims, who ignores the lost, abandons the injured, and disdains decent citizens. He'll only be in it for what he can get out of it, using and abusing any and all. + "Doom to you, useless shepherd, walking off and leaving the sheep! A curse on your arm! A curse on your right eye! Your arm will hang limp and useless. Your right eye will go stone blind." + + + War Bulletin: GOD's Message concerning Israel, GOD's Decree--the very GOD who threw the skies into space, set earth on a firm foundation, and breathed his own life into men and women: + "Watch for this: I'm about to turn Jerusalem into a cup of strong drink that will have the people who have set siege to Judah and Jerusalem staggering in a drunken stupor. + "On the Big Day, I'll turn Jerusalem into a huge stone blocking the way for everyone. All who try to lift it will rupture themselves. All the pagan nations will come together and try to get rid of it. + "On the Big Day"--this is GOD speaking--"I'll throw all the war horses into a crazed panic, and their riders along with them. But I'll keep my eye on Judah, watching out for her at the same time that I make the enemy horses go blind. + The families of Judah will then realize, 'Why, our leaders are strong and able through GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, their personal God.' + "On the Big Day, I'll turn the families of Judah into something like a burning match in a tinder-dry forest, like a fiercely flaming torch in a barn full of hay. They'll burn up everything and everyone in sight--people to the right, people to the left--while Jerusalem fills up with people moving in and making themselves at home--home again in Jerusalem. + "I, GOD, will begin by restoring the common households of Judah so that the glory of David's family and the leaders in Jerusalem won't overshadow the ordinary people in Judah. + On the Big Day, I'll look after everyone who lives in Jerusalem so that the lowliest, weakest person will be as glorious as David and the family of David itself will be godlike, like the Angel of GOD leading the people. + "On the Big Day, I'll make a clean sweep of all the godless nations that fought against Jerusalem. + "Next I'll deal with the family of David and those who live in Jerusalem. I'll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them. They'll then be able to recognize me as the One they so grievously wounded--that piercing spear-thrust! And they'll weep--oh, how they'll weep! Deep mourning as of a parent grieving the loss of the firstborn child. + The lamentation in Jerusalem that day will be massive, as famous as the lamentation over Hadad-Rimmon on the fields of Megiddo: + Everyone will weep and grieve, the land and everyone in it: The family of David off by itself and their women off by themselves; The family of Nathan off by itself and their women off by themselves; + The family of Levi off by itself and their women off by themselves; The family of Shimei off by itself and their women off by themselves; + And all the rest of the families off by themselves and their women off by themselves. + + + "On the Big Day, a fountain will be opened for the family of David and all the leaders of Jerusalem for washing away their sins, for scrubbing their stained and soiled lives clean. + "On the Big Day"--this is GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking--"I will wipe out the store-bought gods, erase their names from memory. People will forget they ever heard of them. And I'll get rid of the prophets who polluted the air with their diseased words. + If anyone dares persist in spreading diseased, polluting words, his very own parents will step in and say, 'That's it! You're finished! Your lies about GOD put everyone in danger,' and then they'll stab him to death in the very act of prophesying lies about GOD--his own parents, mind you! + "On the Big Day, the lying prophets will be publicly exposed and humiliated. Then they'll wish they'd never swindled people with their 'visions.' No more masquerading in prophet clothes. + But they'll deny they've even heard of such things: 'Me, a prophet? Not me. I'm a farmer--grew up on the farm.' + And if someone says, 'And so where did you get that black eye?' they'll say, 'I ran into a door at a friend's house.' + "Sword, get moving against my shepherd, against my close associate!" Decree of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. "Kill the shepherd! Scatter the sheep! The back of my hand against even the lambs! + All across the country"--GOD's Decree-- "two-thirds will be devastated and one-third survive. + I'll deliver the surviving third to the refinery fires. I'll refine them as silver is refined, test them for purity as gold is tested. Then they'll pray to me by name and I'll answer them personally. I'll say, 'That's my people.' They'll say, 'GOD--my God!'" + + + Note well: GOD's Judgment Day is on the way: "Plunder will be piled high and handed out. + I'm bringing all the godless nations to war against Jerusalem-- Houses plundered, women raped, Half the city taken into exile, the other half left behind." + But then GOD will march out against the godless nations and fight--a great war! + That's the Day he'll take his stand on the Mount of Olives, facing Jerusalem from the east. The Mount of Olives will be split right down the middle, from east to west, leaving a wide valley. Half the mountain will shift north, the other half south. + Then you will run for your lives down the valley, your escape route that will take you all the way to Azal. You'll run for your lives, just as you ran on the day of the great earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Then my GOD will arrive and all the holy angels with him. + What a Day that will be! No more cold nights--in fact, no more nights! + The Day is coming--the timing is GOD's--when it will be continuous day. Every evening will be a fresh morning. + What a Day that will be! Fresh flowing rivers out of Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea, half to the western sea, flowing year-round, summer and winter! + GOD will be king over all the earth, one GOD and only one. What a Day that will be! + The land will stretch out spaciously around Jerusalem--to Geba in the north and Rimmon in the south, with Jerusalem towering at the center, and the commanding city gates--Gate of Benjamin to First Gate to Corner Gate to Hananel Tower to the Royal Winery--ringing the city + full of people. Never again will Jerusalem be totally destroyed. From now on it will be a safe city. + But this is what will happen to all who fought against Jerusalem: GOD will visit them with a terrible plague. People's flesh will rot off their bones while they are walking around; their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues in their mouths; people will be dying on their feet! + Mass hysteria when that happens--total panic! Fellow soldiers fighting and killing each other--holy terror! + And then Judah will jump into the fray! Treasures from all the nations will be piled high--gold, silver, the latest fashions. + The plague will also hit the animals--horses, mules, camels, donkeys. Everything alive in the military camps will be hit by the plague. + All the survivors from the godless nations that fought against Jerusalem will travel to Jerusalem every year to worship the King, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, and celebrate the Feast of Booths. + If any of these survivors fail to make the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship the King, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, there will be no rain. + If the Egyptians don't make the pilgrimage and worship, there will be no rain for them. Every nation that does not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths will be hit with the plague. + Egypt and any other nation that does not make pilgrimage to celebrate the Feast of Booths gets punished. + On that Day, the Big Day, all the horses' harness bells will be inscribed "Holy to GOD." The cooking pots in the Temple of GOD will be as sacred as chalices and plates on the altar. + In fact, all the pots and pans in all the kitchens of Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. People who come to worship, preparing meals and sacrifices, will use them. On that Big Day there will be no buying or selling in the Temple of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + + + + + A Message. GOD's Word to Israel through Malachi: + GOD said, "I love you." You replied, "Really? How have you loved us?" "Look at history" (this is GOD's answer). "Look at how differently I've treated you, Jacob, from Esau: I loved Jacob + and hated Esau. I reduced pretentious Esau to a molehill, turned his whole country into a ghost town." + When Edom (Esau) said, "We've been knocked down, but we'll get up and start over, good as new," GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said, "Just try it and see how far you get. When I knock you down, you stay down. People will take one look at you and say, 'Land of Evil!' and 'the GOD-cursed tribe!' + "Yes, take a good look. Then you'll see how faithfully I've loved you and you'll want even more, saying, 'May GOD be even greater, beyond the borders of Israel!' + "Isn't it true that a son honors his father and a worker his master? So if I'm your Father, where's the honor? If I'm your Master, where's the respect?" GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling you on the carpet: "You priests despise me! "You say, 'Not so! How do we despise you?' "By your shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship. "You ask, 'What do you mean, "defiling"? What's defiling about it?' + "When you say, 'The altar of GOD is not important anymore; worship of GOD is no longer a priority,' that's defiling. + And when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship, animals that you're trying to get rid of--blind and sick and crippled animals--isn't that defiling? Try a trick like that with your banker or your senator--how far do you think it will get you?" GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you. + "Get on your knees and pray that I will be gracious to you. You priests have gotten everyone in trouble. With this kind of conduct, do you think I'll pay attention to you?" GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you. + "Why doesn't one of you just shut the Temple doors and lock them? Then none of you can get in and play at religion with this silly, empty-headed worship. I am not pleased. The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is not pleased. And I don't want any more of this so-called worship! + "I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They're saying it everywhere: 'God is greater, this GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies.' + "All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, 'Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,' + and when you say, 'I'm bored--this doesn't do anything for me.' You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air--act superior to me, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it's a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I'm going to accept it? This is GOD speaking to you! + "A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me--an expensive sacrifice, say--and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I'm a great king, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I'll not put up with it! + + + "And now this indictment, you priests! + If you refuse to obediently listen, and if you refuse to honor me, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, in worship, then I'll put you under a curse. I'll exchange all your blessings for curses. In fact, the curses are already at work because you're not serious about honoring me. + Yes, and the curse will extend to your children. I'm going to plaster your faces with rotting garbage, garbage thrown out from your feasts. That's what you have to look forward to! + "Maybe that will wake you up. Maybe then you'll realize that I'm indicting you in order to put new life into my covenant with the priests of Levi, the covenant of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + My covenant with Levi was to give life and peace. I kept my covenant with him, and he honored me. He stood in reverent awe before me. + He taught the truth and did not lie. He walked with me in peace and uprightness. He kept many out of the ditch, kept them on the road. + "It's the job of priests to teach the truth. People are supposed to look to them for guidance. The priest is the messenger of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + But you priests have abandoned the way of priests. Your teaching has messed up many lives. You have corrupted the covenant of priest Levi. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. + And so I am showing you up for who you are. Everyone will be disgusted with you and avoid you because you don't live the way I told you to live, and you don't teach my revelation truly and impartially." + Don't we all come from one Father? Aren't we all created by the same God? So why can't we get along? Why do we desecrate the covenant of our ancestors that binds us together? + Judah has cheated on GOD--a sickening violation of trust in Israel and Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the holiness of GOD by falling in love and running off with foreign women, women who worship alien gods. + GOD's curse on those who do this! Drive them out of house and home! They're no longer fit to be part of the community no matter how many offerings they bring to GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + And here's a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don't get what you want from GOD. + Do you know why? Simple. Because GOD was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you've broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. + GOD, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse. + "I hate divorce," says the GOD of Israel. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says, "I hate the violent dismembering of the 'one flesh' of marriage." So watch yourselves. Don't let your guard down. Don't cheat. + You make GOD tired with all your talk. "How do we tire him out?" you ask. By saying, "GOD loves sinners and sin alike. GOD loves all." And also by saying, "Judgment? GOD's too nice to judge." + + + "Look! I'm sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you've been looking for will enter his Temple--yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you've been waiting for. Look! He's on his way!" A Message from the mouth of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + But who will be able to stand up to that coming? Who can survive his appearance? He'll be like white-hot fire from the smelter's furnace. He'll be like the strongest lye soap at the laundry. + He'll take his place as a refiner of silver, as a cleanser of dirty clothes. He'll scrub the Levite priests clean, refine them like gold and silver, until they're fit for GOD, fit to present offerings of righteousness. + Then, and only then, will Judah and Jerusalem be fit and pleasing to GOD, as they used to be in the years long ago. + "Yes, I'm on my way to visit you with Judgment. I'll present compelling evidence against sorcerers, adulterers, liars, those who exploit workers, those who take advantage of widows and orphans, those who are inhospitable to the homeless--anyone and everyone who doesn't honor me." A Message from GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "I am GOD--yes, I AM. I haven't changed. And because I haven't changed, you, the descendants of Jacob, haven't been destroyed. + You have a long history of ignoring my commands. You haven't done a thing I've told you. Return to me so I can return to you," says GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. "You ask, 'But how do we return?' + "Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. "You ask, 'How have we robbed you?' "The tithe and the offering--that's how! + And now you're under a curse--the whole lot of you--because you're robbing me. + Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. + For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers." The Message of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. + "You'll be voted 'Happiest Nation.' You'll experience what it's like to be a country of grace." GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. + GOD says, "You have spoken hard, rude words to me. "You ask, 'When did we ever do that?' + "When you said, 'It doesn't pay to serve God. What do we ever get out of it? When we did what he said and went around with long faces, serious about GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, what difference did it make? + Those who take life into their own hands are the lucky ones. They break all the rules and get ahead anyway. They push God to the limit and get by with it.'" + Then those whose lives honored GOD got together and talked it over. GOD saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God's presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the GOD-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored GOD's name. + GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said, "They're mine, all mine. They'll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them. + Once more you'll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and one who doesn't, between serving God and not serving him. + + + "Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash--a black day. + But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. + And you'll tromp on the wicked. They'll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day." GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. + "Remember and keep the revelation I gave through my servant Moses, the revelation I commanded at Horeb for all Israel, all the rules and procedures for right living. + "But also look ahead: I'm sending Elijah the prophet to clear the way for the Big Day of GOD--the decisive Judgment Day! + He will convince parents to look after their children and children to look up to their parents. If they refuse, I'll come and put the land under a curse." + + + + + The family tree of Jesus Christ, David's son, Abraham's son: + Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, Jacob had Judah and his brothers, + Judah had Perez and Zerah (the mother was Tamar), Perez had Hezron, Hezron had Aram, + Aram had Amminadab, Amminadab had Nahshon, Nahshon had Salmon, + Salmon had Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Boaz had Obed (Ruth was the mother), Obed had Jesse, + Jesse had David, and David became king. David had Solomon (Uriah's wife was the mother), + Solomon had Rehoboam, Rehoboam had Abijah, Abijah had Asa, + Asa had Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat had Joram, Joram had Uzziah, + Uzziah had Jotham, Jotham had Ahaz, Ahaz had Hezekiah, + Hezekiah had Manasseh, Manasseh had Amon, Amon had Josiah, + Josiah had Jehoiachin and his brothers, and then the people were taken into the Babylonian exile. + When the Babylonian exile ended, Jehoiachin had Shealtiel, Shealtiel had Zerubbabel, + Zerubbabel had Abiud, Abiud had Eliakim, Eliakim had Azor, + Azor had Zadok, Zadok had Achim, Achim had Eliud, + Eliud had Eleazar, Eleazar had Matthan, Matthan had Jacob, + Jacob had Joseph, Mary's husband, the Mary who gave birth to Jesus, the Jesus who was called Christ. + There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, another fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and yet another fourteen from the Babylonian exile to Christ. + The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) + Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. + While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. + She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus--'God saves'--because he will save his people from their sins." + This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: + Watch for this--a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Emmanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us"). + Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. + But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus. + + + After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory--this was during Herod's kingship--a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. + They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him." + When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified--and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. + Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?" + They told him, "Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly: + It's you, Bethlehem, in Judah's land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel." + Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. + Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, "Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I'll join you at once in your worship." + Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. + They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! + They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. + In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country. + After the scholars were gone, God's angel showed up again in Joseph's dream and commanded, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him." + Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight. + They lived in Egypt until Herod's death. This Egyptian exile fulfilled what Hosea had preached: "I called my son out of Egypt." + Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he'd gotten from the scholars.) + That's when Jeremiah's sermon was fulfilled: + A sound was heard in Ramah, weeping and much lament. Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel refusing all solace, Her children gone, dead and buried. + Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: + "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead." + Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel. + When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee. + On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, "He shall be called a Nazarene." + + + While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea. + His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." + John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy: Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! + John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. + People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. + There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life. + When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? + It's your life that must change, not your skin! + And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. + What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire. + "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama--compared to him I'm a mere stagehand--will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. + He's going to clean house--make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned." + Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. + John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized, not you!" + But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it. + The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit--it looked like a dove--descending and landing on him. + And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life." + + + Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. + Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, + which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread." + Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth." + For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, + "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone." + Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God." + For the third test, the Devil took him on the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. + Then he said, "They're yours--lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours." + Jesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness." + The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs. + When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. + He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. + This move completed Isaiah's sermon: + Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, road to the sea, over Jordan, Galilee, crossroads for the nations. + People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up. + This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." + Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. + Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." + They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. + A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, + and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father. + From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme--that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. + Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. + More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the "Ten Towns" across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan. + + + When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down + and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: + "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. + "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. + "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. + "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. + "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'carefull,' you find yourselves cared for. + "You're blessed when you get your inside world--your mind and heart--put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. + "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. + "You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. + "Not only that--count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. + You can be glad when that happens--give a cheer, even!--for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. + "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. + "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. + If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. + Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. + "Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures--either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. + God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working. + "Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. + Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom. + "You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' + I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. + "This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, + abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God. + "Or say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. + If that happens, you won't get out without a stiff fine. + "You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' + But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices--they also corrupt. + "Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. + And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump. + "Remember the Scripture that says, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights'? + Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are 'legal.' Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you're responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you're automatically an adulterer yourself. You can't use legal cover to mask a moral failure. + "And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. + You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. + (SEE 5:34) + (SEE 5:34) + Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong. + "Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' + Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. + If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. + And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. + No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. + "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' + I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, + for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best--the sun to warm and the rain to nourish--to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. + If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. + If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. + "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you. + + + "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. + "When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure--'playactors' I call them--treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. + When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. + Just do it--quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. + "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? + "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. + "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. + Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. + With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. + Set the world right; Do what's best-- as above, so below. + Keep us alive with three square meals. + Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. + Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes. + "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. + If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part. + "When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. + If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. + God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well. + "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or--worse!--stolen by burglars. + Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. + It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. + "Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. + If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! + "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both. + "If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. + Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. + "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? + All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, + but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. + "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? + What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. + People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. + Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. + "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. + + + "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults--unless, of course, you want the same treatment. + That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. + It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. + Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? + It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. + "Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege. + "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. + This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. + If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? + If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? + As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better? + "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get. + "Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. + The way to life--to God!--is vigorous and requires total attention. + "Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. + Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. + (SEE 7:16) + (SEE 7:16) + (SEE 7:16) + (SEE 7:16) + "Knowing the correct password--saying 'Master, Master,' for instance--isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience--doing what my Father wills. + I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' + And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' + "These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. + Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit--but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. + "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. + When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." + When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. + It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying--quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard. + + + Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. + Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, "Master, if you want to, you can heal my body." + Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. + Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done." + As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, + "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." + Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him." + "Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. + I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." + Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. + This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions--streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + Then those who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened." + Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well. + By this time they were in front of Peter's house. On entering, Jesus found Peter's mother-in-law sick in bed, burning up with fever. + He touched her hand and the fever was gone. No sooner was she up on her feet than she was fixing dinner for him. + That evening a lot of demon-afflicted people were brought to him. He relieved the inwardly tormented. He cured the bodily ill. + He fulfilled Isaiah's well-known sermon: He took our illnesses, He carried our diseases. + When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. + As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. + Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." + Another follower said, "Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father's funeral to take care of." + Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life." + Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. + The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat--and he was sound asleep! + They roused him, pleading, "Master, save us! We're going down!" + Jesus reprimanded them. "Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?" Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: "Silence!" The sea became smooth as glass. + The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. "What's going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!" + They landed in the country of the Gadarenes and were met by two madmen, victims of demons, coming out of the cemetery. The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. + Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, "What business do you have giving us a hard time? You're the Son of God! You weren't supposed to show up here yet!" + Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. + The evil spirits begged Jesus, "If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs." + Jesus said, "Go ahead, but get out of here!" Crazed, the pigs stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. + Scared to death, the swineherds bolted. They told everyone back in town what had happened to the madmen and the pigs. + Those who heard about it were angry about the drowned pigs. A mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back. + + + Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus' hometown. + They were hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher and set him down in front of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, "Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins." + Some religion scholars whispered, "Why, that's blasphemy!" + Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why this gossipy whispering? + Which do you think is simpler: to say, 'I forgive your sins,' or, 'Get up and walk'? + Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . ." At this he turned to the paraplegic and said, "Get up. Take your bed and go home." + And the man did it. + The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way. + Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, "Come along with me." Matthew stood up and followed him. + Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. + When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?" + Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? + Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." + A little later John's followers approached, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don't?" + Jesus told them, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!" + He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. + And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles." + As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, "My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live." + Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along. + Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. + She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." Jesus turned--caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well." + The woman was well from then on. + By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. + Jesus was abrupt: "Clear out! This girl isn't dead. She's sleeping." They told him he didn't know what he was talking about. + But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl's hand, and pulled her to her feet--alive. + The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region. + As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, "Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!" + When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, "Do you really believe I can do this?" They said, "Why, yes, Master!" + He touched their eyes and said, "Become what you believe." + It happened. They saw. Then Jesus became very stern. "Don't let a soul know how this happened." + But they were hardly out the door before they started blabbing it to everyone they met. + Right after that, as the blind men were leaving, a man who had been struck speechless by an evil spirit was brought to Jesus. + As soon as Jesus threw the evil tormenting spirit out, the man talked away just as if he'd been talking all his life. The people were up on their feet applauding: "There's never been anything like this in Israel!" + The Pharisees were left sputtering, "Hocus pocus. It's nothing but hocus pocus. He's probably made a pact with the Devil." + Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. + When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. + "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! + On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" + + + The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. + This is the list of the twelve he sent: Simon (they called him Peter, or "Rock"), Andrew, his brother, James, Zebedee's son, John, his brother, + Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, the tax man, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, + Simon, the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him). + Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. + Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. + Tell them that the kingdom is here. + Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. + "Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. + You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light. + "When you enter a town or village, don't insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave. + "When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. + If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. + If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. + You can be sure that on Judgment Day they'll be mighty sorry--but it's no concern of yours now. + "Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. + "Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation--just because you believe in me. + Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you--and me--a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! + And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; + the Spirit of your Father will supply the words. + "When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. + There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. + It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. + "A student doesn't get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn't make more money than his boss. + Be content--pleased, even--when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, 'Dungface,' what can the workers expect? + "Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. + So don't hesitate to go public now. + "Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life--body and soul--in his hands. + "What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. + He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail--even numbering the hairs on your head! + So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries. + "Stand up for me against world opinion and I'll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. + If you turn tail and run, do you think I'll cover for you? + "Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut-- + make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law--cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. + Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. + If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me. + "If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. + If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me. + "We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. + Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. + Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing." + + + When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages. + John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples + to ask, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?" + Jesus told them, "Go back and tell John what's going on: + The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side. + "Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!" + When John's disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? + Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. + What then? A prophet? That's right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you'll ever hear. + He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, 'I'm sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.' + "Let me tell you what's going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. + For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God's kingdom. + But if you read the books of the Prophets and God's Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. + Looked at in this way, John is the 'Elijah' you've all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah. + "Are you listening to me? Really listening? + "How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, + 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.' + John came fasting and they called him crazy. + I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riff-raff. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating." + Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way. + "Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. + At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you. + And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. + At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you." + Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. + Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work." + Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. + "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. + Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. + Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." + + + One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. + Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!" + Jesus said, "Really? Didn't you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, + how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? + And didn't you ever read in God's Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it's not held against them? + "There is far more at stake here than religion. + If you had any idea what this Scripture meant--'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'--you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. + The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge." + When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place. + There was a man there with a crippled hand. They said to Jesus, "Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?" They were baiting him. + He replied, "Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn't, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? + Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!" + Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out and it was healed. + The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus. + Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all + . He also cautioned them to keep it quiet, + following guidelines set down by Isaiah: + Look well at my handpicked servant; I love him so much, take such delight in him. I've placed my Spirit on him; he'll decree justice to the nations. + But he won't yell, won't raise his voice; there'll be no commotion in the streets. + He won't walk over anyone's feelings, won't push you into a corner. Before you know it, his justice will triumph; + the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers. + Next a poor demon-afflicted wretch, both blind and deaf, was set down before him. Jesus healed him, gave him his sight and hearing. + The people who saw it were impressed--"This has to be the Son of David!" + But the Pharisees, when they heard the report, were cynical. "Black magic," they said. "Some devil trick he's pulled from his sleeve." + Jesus confronted their slander. "A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family that's in a constant squabble disintegrates; + if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left? + If you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil kicking out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists? + "But if it's by God's power that I am sending the evil spirits packing, then God's kingdom is here for sure. + How in the world do you think it's possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out. + "This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse. + "There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God's Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. + If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives. + "If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree. + "You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. + A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. + Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. + Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation." + Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. "Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?" + Jesus said, "You're looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you're going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence. + Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fish's belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave. + "On Judgment Day, the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about 'proofs.' + On Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that will condemn this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon's is right in front of you, and you quibble over 'evidence.' + "When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone, + it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. + It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place. "That's what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren't hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in." + While he was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers showed up. They were outside trying to get a message to him. + Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are out here, wanting to speak with you." + Jesus didn't respond directly, but said, "Who do you think my mother and brothers are?" + He then stretched out his hand toward his disciples. "Look closely. These are my mother and brothers. + Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father's will is my brother and sister and mother." + + + At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. + In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. + Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. "What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. + As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. + Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, + so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. + Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. + Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. + "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" + The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?" + He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. + Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. + That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. + I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. + The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them. + "But you have God-blessed eyes--eyes that see! And God-blessed ears--ears that hear! + A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. + "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. + When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. + "The seed cast in the gravel--this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. + But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. + "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. + "The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." + He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. + That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. + When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. + "The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?' + "He answered, 'Some enemy did this.' "The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?' + "He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. + Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'" + Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. + It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it." + Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread--and waits while the dough rises." + All Jesus did that day was tell stories--a long storytelling afternoon. + His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world's first day. + Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field." + So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. + The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, + and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels. + "The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. + The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, + pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. + At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. "Are you listening to this? Really listening? + "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic--what a find!--and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. + "Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. + Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it. + "Or, God's kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. + When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. + That's how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish + and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won't do any good." + Jesus asked, "Are you starting to get a handle on all this?" They answered, "Yes." + He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." + When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left there, + returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise, get such ability?" + But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "We've known him since he was a kid; he's the carpenter's son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. + All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?" + They got their noses all out of joint. + But Jesus said, "A prophet is taken for granted in his hometown and his family." He didn't do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference. + + + At about this time, Herod, the regional ruler, heard what was being said about Jesus. + He said to his servants, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead. That's why he's able to work miracles!" + Herod had arrested John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison to placate Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. + John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." + Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid because so many people revered John as a prophet of God. + But at his birthday celebration, he got his chance. Herodias's daughter provided the entertainment, dancing for the guests. She swept Herod away. + In his drunken enthusiasm, he promised her on oath anything she wanted. + Already coached by her mother, she was ready: "Give me, served up on a platter, the head of John the Baptizer." + That sobered the king up fast. Unwilling to lose face with his guests, he did it-- + ordered John's head cut off + and presented to the girl on a platter. She in turn gave it to her mother. + Later, John's disciples got the body, gave it a reverent burial, and reported to Jesus. + When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully--someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. + When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick. + Toward evening the disciples approached him. "We're out in the country and it's getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper." + But Jesus said, "There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper." + "All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish," they said. + Jesus said, "Bring them here." + Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. + They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. + About five thousand were fed. + As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. + With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. + Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. + At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. + They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror. + But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid." + Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water." + He said, "Come ahead." Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. + But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!" + Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?" + The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. + The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!" + On return, they beached the boat at Gennesaret. + When the people got wind that he was back, they sent out word through the neighborhood and rounded up all the sick, + who asked for permission to touch the edge of his coat. And whoever touched him was healed. + + + After that, Pharisees and religion scholars came to Jesus all the way from Jerusalem, criticizing, + "Why do your disciples play fast and loose with the rules?" + But Jesus put it right back on them. "Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God's commands? + God clearly says, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' + But you weasel around that by saying, 'Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I've given to God.' + That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God's command by your rules. + Frauds! Isaiah's prophecy of you hit the bull's-eye: + These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. + They act like they're worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy." + He then called the crowd together and said, "Listen, and take this to heart. + It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up." + Later his disciples came and told him, "Did you know how upset the Pharisees were when they heard what you said?" + Jesus shrugged it off. "Every tree that wasn't planted by my Father in heaven will be pulled up by its roots. + Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch." + Peter said, "I don't get it. Put it in plain language." + Jesus replied, "You too? Are you being willfully stupid? + Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? + But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. + It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. + That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands--that's neither here nor there." + From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. + They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, "Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit." + Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, "Now she's bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She's driving us crazy." + Jesus refused, telling them, "I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel." + Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. "Master, help me." + He said, "It's not right to take bread out of children's mouths and throw it to dogs." + She was quick: "You're right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master's table." + Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well. + After Jesus returned, he walked along Lake Galilee and then climbed a mountain and took his place, ready to receive visitors. + They came, tons of them, bringing along the paraplegic, the blind, the maimed, the mute--all sorts of people in need--and more or less threw them down at Jesus' feet to see what he would do with them. He healed them. + When the people saw the mutes speaking, the maimed healthy, the paraplegics walking around, the blind looking around, they were astonished and let everyone know that God was blazingly alive among them. + But Jesus wasn't finished with them. He called his disciples and said, "I hurt for these people. For three days now they've been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I can't send them away without a meal--they'd probably collapse on the road." + His disciples said, "But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?" + Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they said, "plus a few fish." + At that, Jesus directed the people to sit down. + He took the seven loaves and the fish. After giving thanks, he divided it up and gave it to the people. + Everyone ate. They had all they wanted. It took seven large baskets to collect the leftovers. + Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal. + After Jesus sent them away, he climbed in the boat and crossed over to the Magadan hills. + + + Some Pharisees and Sadducees were on him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. + He told them, "You have a saying that goes, 'Red sky at night, sailor's delight; + red sky at morning, sailors take warning.' You find it easy enough to forecast the weather--why can't you read the signs of the times? + An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you'll get is the Jonah sign." Then he turned on his heel and walked away. + On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. + In the meantime, Jesus said to them, "Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast." + Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. + Jesus knew what they were doing and said, "Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Runt believers! + Haven't you caught on yet? Don't you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? + Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? + Haven't you realized yet that bread isn't the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast." + Then they got it: that he wasn't concerned about eating, but teaching--the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching. + When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?" + They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." + He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?" + Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God." + Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. + And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. + "And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven." + He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah. + Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. + Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!" + But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works." + Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. + Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. + What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? + "Don't be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You'll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. + This isn't pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory." + + + Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. + His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. + Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. + Peter broke in, "Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain--one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?" + While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him." + When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. + But Jesus came over and touched them. "Don't be afraid." + When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus. + Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't breathe a word of what you've seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk." + The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. "Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?" + Jesus answered, "Elijah does come and get everything ready. + I'm telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn't know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man." + That's when the disciples realized that all along he had been talking about John the Baptizer. + At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, + "Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. + I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him." + Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." + He ordered the afflicting demon out--and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well. + When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why couldn't we throw it out?" + "Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." + (OMITTED TEXT) + As they were regrouping in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. + They will murder him--and three days later he will be raised alive." The disciples felt terrible. + When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay taxes?" + Peter said, "Of course." But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. "Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays--his children or his subjects?" + He answered, "His subjects." Jesus said, "Then the children get off free, right? + But so we don't upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you'll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us." + + + At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?" + For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, + and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. + Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. + What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me. + "But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. + Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don't have to make it worse--and it's doomsday to you if you do. + "If your hand or your foot gets in the way of God, chop it off and throw it away. You're better off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owners of two hands and two feet, godless in a furnace of eternal fire. + And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it out and throw it away. You're better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell. + "Watch that you don't treat a single one of these childlike believers arrogantly. You realize, don't you, that their personal angels are constantly in touch with my Father in heaven? + (OMITTED TEXT) + "Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? + And if he finds it, doesn't he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? + Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn't want to lose even one of these simple believers. + "If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him--work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. + If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. + If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love. + "Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. + When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. + And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." + At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?" + Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. + "The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. + As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. + He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. + "The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' + Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. + "The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!' + "The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' + But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. + When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king. + "The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. + Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' + The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. + And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy." + + + When Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. + Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them. + One day the Pharisees were badgering him: "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?" + He answered, "Haven't you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? + And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh--no longer two bodies but one. + Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart." + They shot back in rebuttal, "If that's so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?" + Jesus said, "Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hardheartedness, but it is not part of God's original plan. + I'm holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery." + Jesus' disciples objected, "If those are the terms of marriage, we're stuck. Why get married?" + But Jesus said, "Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn't for everyone. + Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked--or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you're capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it." + One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. + But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." + After laying hands on them, he left. + Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" + Jesus said, "Why do you question me about what's good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you." + The man asked, "What in particular?" Jesus said, "Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, + honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself." + The young man said, "I've done all that. What's left?" + "If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me." + That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go. + As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom? + Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter God's kingdom." + The disciples were staggered. "Then who has any chance at all?" + Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." + Then Peter chimed in, "We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?" + Jesus replied, "Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. + And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields--whatever--because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. + This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first. + + + "God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. + They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. + "Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. + He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. + They went. "He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. + At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, 'Why are you standing around all day doing nothing? + ' "They said, 'Because no one hired us.' "He told them to go to work in his vineyard. + "When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, 'Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' + "Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. + When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. + Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, + 'These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' + "He replied to the one speaking for the rest, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? + So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. + Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?' + "Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." + Jesus, now well on the way up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve off to the side of the road and said, + "Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. + They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive." + It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request. + "What do you want?" Jesus asked. She said, "Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand." + Jesus responded, "You have no idea what you're asking." And he said to James and John, "Are you capable of drinking the cup that I'm about to drink?" They said, "Sure, why not?" + Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. My Father is taking care of that." + When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. + So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. + It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. + Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. + That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served--and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage." + As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. + Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" + The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" + Jesus stopped and called over, "What do you want from me?" + They said, "Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!" + Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession. + + + When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples + with these instructions: "Go over to the village across from you. You'll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. + If anyone asks what you're doing, say, 'The Master needs them!' He will send them with you." + This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet: + Tell Zion's daughter, "Look, your king's on his way, poised and ready, mounted On a donkey, on a colt, foal of a pack animal." + The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. + They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. + Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. + Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, "Hosanna to David's son!" "Blessed is he who comes in God's name!" "Hosanna in highest heaven!" + As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, "What's going on here? Who is this?" + The parade crowd answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee." + Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. + He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves. + Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them. + When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. + "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?" + Fed up, Jesus turned on his heel and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night. + Early the next morning Jesus was returning to the city. He was hungry. + Seeing a lone fig tree alongside the road, he approached it anticipating a breakfast of figs. When he got to the tree, there was nothing but fig leaves. He said, "No more figs from this tree--ever!" The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. + The disciples saw it happen. They rubbed their eyes, saying, "Did we really see this? A leafy tree one minute, a dry stick the next?" + But Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Yes--and if you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump. + Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God." + Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?" + Jesus responded, "First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I'll answer yours. + About the baptism of John--who authorized it: heaven or humans?" They were on the spot and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say 'heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe him; + if we say 'humans,' we're up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet." + They decided to concede that round to Jesus. "We don't know," they answered. Jesus said, "Then neither will I answer your question. + "Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, 'Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.' + "The son answered, 'I don't want to.' Later on he thought better of it and went. + "The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, 'Sure, glad to.' But he never went. + "Which of the two sons did what the father asked?" They said, "The first." Jesus said, "Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God's kingdom. + John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn't care enough to change and believe him. + "Here's another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. + When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits. + "The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. + The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. + The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. 'Surely,' he thought, 'they will respect my son.' + "But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' + They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him. + "Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?" + "He'll kill them--a rotten bunch, and good riddance," they answered. "Then he'll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it's time." + Jesus said, "Right--and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles: The stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone. This is God's work; we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it! + "This is the way it is with you. God's kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. + Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed." + When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. + They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God. + + + Jesus responded by telling still more stories. + "God's kingdom," he said, "is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. + He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn't come! + "He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, 'Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!' + "They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. + The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. + The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city. + "Then he told his servants, 'We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren't up to it. + Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.' + The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on--every place filled. + "When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed. + He said to him, 'Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!' The man was speechless. + Then the king told his servants, 'Get him out of here--fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn't get back in.' + "That's what I mean when I say, 'Many get invited; only a few make it.'" + That's when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. + They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod's followers mixed in, to ask, "Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don't pander to your students. + So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, "Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? + Do you have a coin? Let me see it." They handed him a silver piece. + "This engraving--who does it look like? And whose name is on it?" + They said, "Caesar." "Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his." + The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads. + That same day, Sadducees approached him. This is the party that denies any possibility of resurrection. + They asked, "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is obligated to marry his widow and get her with child. + Here's a case where there were seven brothers. The first brother married and died, leaving no child, and his wife passed to his brother. + The second brother also left her childless, then the third--and on and on, all seven. + Eventually the wife died. + Now here's our question: At the resurrection, whose wife is she? She was a wife to each of them." + Jesus answered, "You're off base on two counts: You don't know your Bibles, and you don't know how God works. + At the resurrection we're beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. + And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don't you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, + 'I am--not was--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.' The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living." + Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed. + When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. + One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: + "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?" + Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' + This is the most important, the first on any list. + But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' + These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." + As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with his own test question: + "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said, "David's son." + Jesus replied, "Well, if the Christ is David's son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his 'Master'? + God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." + "Now if David calls him 'Master,' how can he at the same time be his son?" + That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good. + + + Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. + "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. + You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer. + "Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. + Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. + They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, + preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.' + "Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. + Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. + And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them--Christ. + "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. + If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. + "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. + (OMITTED TEXT) + "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. + "You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, 'If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' + What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? + And what about this piece of trivia: 'If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? + What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? + A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. + (SEE 23:20) + (SEE 23:20) + "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment--the absolute basics!--you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. + Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? + "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. + Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. + "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. + People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds. + "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. + And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. + You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, + and daily add to the death count. + "Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? + It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation--and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse. + "You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. + All this, I'm telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation. + "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God's news! How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn't let me. + And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. + What is there left to say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, 'Oh, God has blessed him! He's come, bringing God's rule!'" + + + Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed out how very impressive the Temple architecture was. + Jesus said, "You're not impressed by all this sheer size, are you? The truth of the matter is that there's not a stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble." + Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and asked him, "Tell us, when are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, that the time's up?" + Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. + Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. + When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. + Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. + This is nothing compared to what is coming. + "They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. + And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other. + "In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. + For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in--nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. + "Staying with it--that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved. + All during this time, the good news--the Message of the kingdom--will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come. + "But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you've read Daniel, you'll know what I'm talking about. + If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; + if you're working in the yard, don't return to the house to get anything; + if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. + Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. + Hope and pray this won't happen during the winter or on a Sabbath. + "This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. + If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God's chosen people, the trouble will be cut short. + "If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it. + Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. + But I've given you fair warning. + "So if they say, 'Run to the country and see him arrive!' or, 'Quick, get downtown, see him come!' don't give them the time of day. + The Arrival of the Son of Man isn't something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! + Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it's not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds. + "Following those hard times, Sun will fade out, moon cloud over, Stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble. + "Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies--no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. + At that same moment, he'll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God's chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole. + "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. + So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door. + Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. + Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out. + "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. + "The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. + Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. + They knew nothing--until the flood hit and swept everything away. "The Son of Man's Arrival will be like that: + Two men will be working in the field--one will be taken, one left behind; + two women will be grinding at the mill--one will be taken, one left behind. + So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. + But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. + Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up. + "Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. + Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. + It won't be long before the Master will put this person in charge of the whole operation. + "But if that person only looks out for himself, and the minute the Master is away does what he pleases-- + abusing the help and throwing drunken parties for his friends-- + the Master is going to show up when he least expects it + and make hash of him. He'll end up in the dump with the hypocrites, out in the cold shivering, teeth chattering. + + + "God's kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. + Five were silly and five were smart. + The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. + The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. + The bridegroom didn't show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. + "In the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's here! The bridegroom's here! Go out and greet him!' + "The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. + The silly virgins said to the smart ones, 'Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.' + "They answered, 'There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.' + "They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked. + "Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, 'Master, we're here. Let us in.' + "He answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think I know you.' + "So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive. + "It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. + To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. + Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. + The second did the same. + But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money. + "After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. + The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. + His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.' + "The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. + His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.' + "The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. + I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.' + "The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? + The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. + "'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. + (SEE 25:28) + Throw him out into utter darkness.' + "When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. + Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, + putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. + "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. + And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, + I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' + "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? + And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' + (SEE 25:38) + Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.' + "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. + And why? Because-- I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, + I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.' + "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?' + "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me--you failed to do it to me.' + "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward." + + + When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, + "You know that Passover comes in two days. That's when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion." + At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, + conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. + They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want a riot on our hands," they said. + When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, + a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. + When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. "That's criminal! + This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor." + When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. "Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. + You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. + When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. + You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired." + That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests + and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" They settled on thirty silver pieces. + He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over. + On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?" + He said, "Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, 'The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.'" + The disciples followed Jesus' instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal. + After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. + During the meal, he said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators." + They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't me, is it, Master?" + Jesus answered, "The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. + In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures--no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man--better never to have been born than do this!" + Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?" Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas." + During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples: Take, eat. This is my body. + Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them: Drink this, all of you. + This is my blood, God's new covenant poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins. + "I'll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I'll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father." + They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives. + Then Jesus told them, "Before the night's over, you're going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says, I'll strike the shepherd; helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered. + But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee." + Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won't." + "Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times." + Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you." All the others said the same thing. + Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." + Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. + Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me." + Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?" + When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? + Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire." + He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way." + When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. + This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time. + When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. + Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here." + The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. + The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one--seize him." + He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him. + Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?" Then they came on him--grabbed him and roughed him up. + One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear. + Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. + Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies--more, if I want them--of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? + But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?" + Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this--coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. + You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings." Then all the disciples cut and ran. + The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. + Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out. + The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. + But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable. Finally two men came forward + with this: "He said, 'I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'" + The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the accusation?" + Jesus kept silent. Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." + Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll see it for yourself: The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven." + At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, "He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! + Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?" They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence." + Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: + "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?" + All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean." + In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about." + As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." + Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man." + Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away." + Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!" Just then a rooster crowed. + Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried. + + + In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. + Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor. + Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, + saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man." They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!" + Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself. + The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this--a payment for murder!--as an offering in the Temple." + They decided to get rid of it by buying the "Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. + That's how the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day. + Then Jeremiah's words became history: They took the thirty silver pieces, The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel, + And they purchased the potter's field. And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter. + Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" Jesus said, "If you say so." + But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. + Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" + Jesus kept silence--not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed. + It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. + At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. + With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" + He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him. + While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him." + Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. + The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?" They said, "Barabbas!" + "Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?" They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!" + He objected, "But for what crime?" But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!" + When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury." + The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us." + Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion. + The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. + They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. + They plaited a crown from branches of a thorn bush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" + Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. + When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion. + Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. + Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," + they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it. + After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. + (SEE 27:35) + Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. + Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. + People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: + "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days--so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" + The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: + "He saved others--he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! + He was so sure of God--well, let him rescue his 'Son' now--if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" + Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery. + From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. + Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" + Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." + One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. + The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if Elijah comes and saves him." + But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last. + At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. + What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. + (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.) + The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!" + There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. + Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers. + Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. + He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate granted his request. + Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, + put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. + But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb. + After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. + They said, "Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.' + We've got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There's a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, 'He's risen from the dead.' Then we'll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first." + Pilate told them, "You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can." + So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards. + + + After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. + Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. + Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. + The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move. + The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. + He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed. + "Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message." + The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. + Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. + Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there." + Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. + They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, + bribing them to say, "His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping." + They assured them, "If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don't get blamed." + The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around. + Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. + The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. + Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: + Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. + Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." + + + + + The good news of Jesus Christ--the Message!--begins here, + following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Watch closely: I'm sending my preacher ahead of you; He'll make the road smooth for you. + Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! + John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. + People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. + John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey. + As he preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life. + I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism--a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit--will change you from the inside out." + At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. + The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. + Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life." + At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild. + For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him. + After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: + "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message." + Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. + Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." + They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed. + A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets. + Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed. + Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. + They were surprised at his teaching--so forthright, so confident--not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars. + Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, + "What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to! You're the Holy One of God, and you've come to destroy us!" + Jesus shut him up: "Quiet! Get out of him!" + The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly--and got out. + Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. "What's going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!" + News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee. + Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. + Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. + He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them. + That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, + the whole city lined up at his door! + He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word. + While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. + Simon and those with him went looking for him. + They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you." + Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come." + He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons. + A leper came to him, begging on his knees, "If you want to, you can cleanse me." + Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean." + Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy. + Jesus dismissed him with strict orders: + "Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people." + But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over. + + + After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. + A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. + They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. + When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. + Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." + Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, + "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." + Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? + Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? + Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic), + "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home." + And the man did it--got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous--and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!" + Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. + Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." He came. + Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. + The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riff-raff?" + Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit." + The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: "Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don't?" + Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!" + (SEE 2:19) + He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. + And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles." + One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain. + As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: "Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!" + Jesus said, "Really? Haven't you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? + How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching--holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat--and handed it out to his companions?" + Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath. + The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He's in charge!" + + + Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. + The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. + He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you." + Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word. + He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out--it was as good as new! + The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him. + Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them-- + also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon--swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves. + He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn't be trampled by the crowd. + He had healed many people, and now everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch him. + Evil spirits, when they recognized him, fell down and cried out, "You are the Son of God!" + But Jesus would have none of it. He shut them up, forbidding them to identify him in public. + He climbed a mountain and invited those he wanted with him. They climbed together. + He settled on twelve, and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with him, and he would send them out to proclaim the Word + and give them authority to banish demons. + These are the Twelve: Simon (Jesus later named him Peter, meaning "Rock"), + James, son of Zebedee, John, brother of James (Jesus nicknamed the Zebedee brothers Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder"), + Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, + Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him). + Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered--so many making demands on him that there wasn't even time to eat. + His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was getting carried away with himself. + The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power. + Jesus confronted their slander with a story: "Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan? + A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn't be any Satan left. + (SEE 3:24) + (SEE 3:24) + Do you think it's possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out. + "Listen to this carefully. I'm warning you. There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. + But if you persist in your slanders against God's Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives." + He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil. + Just then his mother and brothers showed up. Standing outside, they relayed a message that they wanted a word with him. + He was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, "Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you." + Jesus responded, "Who do you think are my mother and brothers?" + Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, "Right here, right in front of you--my mother and my brothers. + Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God's will is my brother and sister and mother." + + + He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge. + He taught by using stories, many stories. + "Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. + As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. + Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, + so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. + Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. + Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams. + "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" + When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. + He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom--you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight. + These are people-- Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, Whose ears are open but don't understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven." + He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way. + "The farmer plants the Word. + Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. + "And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. + But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. + "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news + but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. + "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams." + Jesus went on: "Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the mantel? + We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open. + "Are you listening to this? Really listening? + "Listen carefully to what I am saying--and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. + Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes." + Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man + who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows--he has no idea how it happens. + The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. + When the grain is fully formed, he reaps--harvest time! + "How can we picture God's kingdom? What kind of story can we use? + It's like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, + yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it." + With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. + He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots. + Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." + They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. + A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. + And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?" + Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. + Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" + They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!" + + + They arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the Gerasenes. + As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. + He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him--he couldn't be chained, couldn't be tied down. + He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him. + Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones. + When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and bowed in worship before him-- + then bellowed in protest, "What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don't give me a hard time!" + (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil spirit, "Out! Get out of the man!") + Jesus asked him, "Tell me your name." He replied, "My name is Mob. I'm a rioting mob." + Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the country. + A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. + The demons begged him, "Send us to the pigs so we can live in them." + Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. + Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened. + They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man. + Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. + At first they were in awe--and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back. + As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, + but he wouldn't let him. Jesus said, "Go home to your own people. Tell them your story--what the Master did, how he had mercy on you." + The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town. + After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. + One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, + beside himself as he begged, "My dear daughter is at death's door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live." + Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him. + A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years-- + a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before-- + had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. + She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." + The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. + At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" + His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you!" + But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. + The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story. + Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague." + While he was still talking, some people came from the leader's house and told him, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?" + Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, "Don't listen to them; just trust me." + He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. + They entered the leader's house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. + Jesus was abrupt: "Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn't dead; she's sleeping." + Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn't know what he was talking about. But when he had sent them all out, he took the child's father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child's room. + He clasped the girl's hand and said, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, get up." + At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. + He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, "Give her something to eat." + + + He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. + On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?" + But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter--Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. + Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child." + Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there--he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. + He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching. + Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. + He sent them off with these instructions: "Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. + (SEE 6:8) + "And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave. + "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way." + Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; + right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits. + King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. He said, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead--that's why he's able to work miracles!" + Others said, "No, it's Elijah." Others said, "He's a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets." + But Herod wouldn't budge: "It's John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he's back, alive." + Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. + For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." + Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare + because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt--and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. + But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. + Herodias's daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me anything. I'll give you anything you want." + Carried away, he kept on, "I swear, I'll split my kingdom with you if you say so!" + She went back to her mother and said, "What should I ask for?" "Ask for the head of John the Baptizer." + Excited, she ran back to the king and said, "I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!" + That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. + The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head, + brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. + When John's disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial. + The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. + Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat. + So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. + Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. + When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke--like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them. + When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough--it was now quite late in the day--they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late. + Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper." + Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them." They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?" + But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory." That didn't take long. "Five," they said, "plus two fish." + Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred--they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! + (SEE 6:39) + He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. + They all ate their fill. + The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. + More than five thousand were at the supper. + As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. + After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray. + Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. + He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. + But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits. + Jesus was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid." + As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. + They didn't understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts. + They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. + As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. + People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. + Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat--that's all. And whoever touched him became well. + + + The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. + They noticed that some of his disciples weren't being careful with ritual washings before meals. + The Pharisees--Jews in general, in fact--would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, + with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they'd give jugs and pots and pans). + The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, "Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?" + Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull's-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. + They act like they are worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, + Ditching God's command and taking up the latest fads." + He went on, "Well, good for you. You get rid of God's command so you won't be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! + Moses said, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' + But you weasel out of that by saying that it's perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, 'Gift! What I owed you I've given as a gift to God,' + thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. + You scratch out God's Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this." + Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Listen now, all of you--take this to heart. + It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it's what you vomit--that's the real pollution." + (OMITTED TEXT) + When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, "We don't get it. Put it in plain language." + Jesus said, "Are you being willfully stupid? Don't you see that what you swallow can't contaminate you? + It doesn't enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed." (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.) + He went on: "It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: + obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, + greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness-- + all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution." + From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn't think he would be found, but he couldn't escape notice. + He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, + begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter. + He said, "Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there's any left over, the dogs get it." + She said, "Of course, Master. But don't dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?" + Jesus was impressed. "You're right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone." + She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good. + Then he left the region of Tyre, went through Sidon back to Galilee Lake and over to the district of the Ten Towns. + Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. + He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man's ears and some spit on the man's tongue. + Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, "Ephphatha!--Open up!" + And it happened. The man's hearing was clear and his speech plain--just like that. + Jesus urged them to keep it quiet, but they talked it up all the more, + beside themselves with excitement. "He's done it all and done it well. He gives hearing to the deaf, speech to the speechless." + + + At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, + "This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. + If I send them home hungry, they'll faint along the way--some of them have come a long distance." + His disciples responded, "What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?" + He asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they said. + So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. + They also had a few fish. He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well. + The crowd ate its fill. Seven sacks of leftovers were collected. + There were well over four thousand at the meal. Then he sent them home. + He himself went straight to the boat with his disciples and set out for Dalmanoutha. + When they arrived, the Pharisees came out and started in on him, badgering him to prove himself, pushing him up against the wall. + Provoked, he said, "Why does this generation clamor for miraculous guarantees? If I have anything to say about it, you'll not get so much as a hint of a guarantee." + He then left them, got back in the boat, and headed for the other side. + But the disciples forgot to pack a lunch. Except for a single loaf of bread, there wasn't a crumb in the boat. + Jesus warned, "Be very careful. Keep a sharp eye out for the contaminating yeast of Pharisees and the followers of Herod." + Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. + Jesus overheard and said, "Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don't you see the point of all this? Don't you get it at all? + (SEE 8:17) + Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" They said, "Twelve." + "And the seven loaves for the four thousand--how many bags full of leftovers did you get?" "Seven." + He said, "Do you still not get it?" + They arrived at Bethsaida. Some people brought a sightless man and begged Jesus to give him a healing touch. + Taking him by the hand, he led him out of the village. He put spit in the man's eyes, laid hands on him, and asked, "Do you see anything?" + He looked up. "I see men. They look like walking trees." + So Jesus laid hands on his eyes again. The man looked hard and realized that he had recovered perfect sight, saw everything in bright, twenty-twenty focus. + Jesus sent him straight home, telling him, "Don't enter the village." + Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, "Who do the people say I am?" + "Some say 'John the Baptizer,'" they said. "Others say 'Elijah.' Still others say 'one of the prophets.'" + He then asked, "And you--what are you saying about me? Who am I?" Peter gave the answer: "You are the Christ, the Messiah." + Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. + He then began explaining things to them: "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive." + He said this simply and clearly so they couldn't miss it. But Peter grabbed him in protest. + Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works." + Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. + Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. + What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? + What could you ever trade your soul for? + "If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I'm leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you'll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels." + + + Then he drove it home by saying, "This isn't pie in the sky by and by. Some of you who are standing here are going to see it happen, see the kingdom of God arrive in full force." + Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. + His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. + Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus. + Peter interrupted, "Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials--one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah." + He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing. + Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him." + The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus. + Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you're free to talk." + They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth "rising from the dead" meant. + Meanwhile they were asking, "Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?" + Jesus replied, "Elijah does come first and get everything ready for the coming of the Son of Man. They treated this Elijah like dirt, much like they will treat the Son of Man, who will, according to Scripture, suffer terribly and be kicked around contemptibly." + (SEE 9:12) + When they came back down the mountain to the other disciples, they saw a huge crowd around them, and the religion scholars cross-examining them. + As soon as the people in the crowd saw Jesus, admiring excitement stirred them. They ran and greeted him. + He asked, "What's going on? What's all the commotion?" + A man out of the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought my mute son, made speechless by a demon, to you. + Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff as a board. I told your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they couldn't." + Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." + They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth. + He asked the boy's father, "How long has this been going on?" "Ever since he was a little boy. + Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!" + Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen." + No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!" + Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you--Out of him, and stay out!" + Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, "He's dead." + But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up. + After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked, "Why couldn't we throw the demon out?" + He answered, "There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer." + Leaving there, they went through Galilee. He didn't want anyone to know their whereabouts, + for he wanted to teach his disciples. He told them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him. Three days after his murder, he will rise, alive." + They didn't know what he was talking about, but were afraid to ask him about it. + They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?" + The silence was deafening--they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest. + He sat down and summoned the Twelve. "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all." + He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, + "Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me--God who sent me." + John spoke up, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't in our group." + Jesus wasn't pleased. "Don't stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. + If he's not an enemy, he's an ally. + Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice. + "On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. + "If your hand or your foot gets in God's way, chop it off and throw it away. You're better off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owner of two hands and two feet, godless in a furnace of eternal fire. + (SEE 9:43) + (SEE 9:43) + (SEE 9:43) + And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it out and throw it away. + You're better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell. + "Everyone's going through a refining fire sooner or later, + but you'll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace." + + + From there he went to the area of Judea across the Jordan. A crowd of people, as was so often the case, went along, and he, as he so often did, taught them. + Pharisees came up, intending to give him a hard time. They asked, "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife?" + Jesus said, "What did Moses command?" + They answered, "Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her." + Jesus said, "Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways. + In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. + Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage + he becomes one flesh with a woman--no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. + Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart." + When they were back home, the disciples brought it up again. + Jesus gave it to them straight: "A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her. + And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery." + The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. + The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. + Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." + Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them. + As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?" + Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. + You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother." + He said, "Teacher, I have--from my youth--kept them all!" + Jesus looked him hard in the eye--and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me." + The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go. + Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?" + The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult. + I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom." + That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked. + Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it." + Peter tried another angle: "We left everything and followed you." + Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land--whatever--because of me and the Message + will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land--but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! + This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first." + Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next. + "Listen to me carefully. We're on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans, + who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive." + James and John, Zebedee's sons, came up to him. "Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us." + "What is it? I'll see what I can do." + "Arrange it," they said, "so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory--one of us at your right, the other at your left." + Jesus said, "You have no idea what you're asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I'm about to be plunged into?" + "Sure," they said. "Why not?" Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism. + But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. There are other arrangements for that." + When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. + Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. + It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. + Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. + That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served--and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage." + They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. + When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!" + Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" + Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over." They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" + Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus. + Jesus said, "What can I do for you?" The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." + "On your way," said Jesus. "Your faith has saved and healed you." In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road. + + + When they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany on Mount Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: + "Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you'll find a colt tethered, one that has never yet been ridden. Untie it and bring it. + If anyone asks, 'What are you doing?' say, 'The Master needs him, and will return him right away.'" + They went and found a colt tied to a door at the street corner and untied it. + Some of those standing there said, "What are you doing untying that colt?" + The disciples replied exactly as Jesus had instructed them, and the people let them alone. + They brought the colt to Jesus, spread their coats on it, and he mounted. + The people gave him a wonderful welcome, some throwing their coats on the street, others spreading out rushes they had cut in the fields. + Running ahead and following after, they were calling out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God's name! + Blessed the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in highest heaven! + He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in. But by now it was late, so he went back to Bethany with the Twelve. + As they left Bethany the next day, he was hungry. + Off in the distance he saw a fig tree in full leaf. He came up to it expecting to find something for breakfast, but found nothing but fig leaves. (It wasn't yet the season for figs.) + He addressed the tree: "No one is going to eat fruit from you again--ever!" And his disciples overheard him. + They arrived at Jerusalem. Immediately on entering the Temple Jesus started throwing out everyone who had set up shop there, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of the bankers and the stalls of the pigeon merchants. + He didn't let anyone even carry a basket through the Temple. + And then he taught them, quoting this text: My house was designated a house of prayer for the nations; You've turned it into a hangout for thieves. + The high priests and religion scholars heard what was going on and plotted how they might get rid of him. They panicked, for the entire crowd was carried away by his teaching. + At evening, Jesus and his disciples left the city. + In the morning, walking along the road, they saw the fig tree, shriveled to a dry stick. + Peter, remembering what had happened the previous day, said to him, "Rabbi, look--the fig tree you cursed is shriveled up!" + Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, + and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'--no shuffling or shilly-shallying--and it's as good as done. + That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. + And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive--only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins." + (OMITTED TEXT) + Then when they were back in Jerusalem once again, as they were walking through the Temple, the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders came up + and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?" + Jesus responded, "First let me ask you a question. Answer my question and then I'll present my credentials. + About the baptism of John--who authorized it: heaven or humans? Tell me." + They were on the spot, and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say 'heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe John; + if we say 'humans,' we'll be up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet." + They decided to concede that round to Jesus. "We don't know," they said. Jesus replied, "Then I won't answer your question either." + + + Then Jesus started telling them stories. "A man planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, erected a watchtower, turned it over to the farmhands, and went off on a trip. + At the time for harvest, he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect his profits. + "They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him off empty-handed. + So he sent another servant. That one they tarred and feathered. + He sent another and that one they killed. And on and on, many others. Some they beat up, some they killed. + "Finally there was only one left: a beloved son. In a last-ditch effort, he sent him, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.' + "But those farmhands saw their chance. They rubbed their hands together in greed and said, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' + They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him over the fence. + "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others. + Read it for yourselves in Scripture: That stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone! + This is God's work; we rub our eyes--we can hardly believe it!" + They wanted to lynch him then and there but, intimidated by public opinion, held back. They knew the story was about them. They got away from there as fast as they could. + They sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait him, hoping to catch him saying something incriminating. + They came up and said, "Teacher, we know you have integrity, that you are indifferent to public opinion, don't pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + He knew it was a trick question, and said, "Why are you playing these games with me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it." + They handed him one. "This engraving--who does it look like? And whose name is on it?" "Caesar," they said. + Jesus said, "Give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his." Their mouths hung open, speechless. + Some Sadducees, the party that denies any possibility of resurrection, came up and asked, + "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry the widow and have children. + Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. + The second married her. He died, and still no child. The same with the third. + All seven took their turn, but no child. Finally the wife died. + When they are raised at the resurrection, whose wife is she? All seven were her husband." + Jesus said, "You're way off base, and here's why: One, you don't know your Bibles; two, you don't know how God works. + After the dead are raised up, we're past the marriage business. As it is with angels now, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. + And regarding the dead, whether or not they are raised, don't you ever read the Bible? How God at the bush said to Moses, 'I am--not was--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? + The living God is God of the living, not the dead. You're way, way off base." + One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?" + Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; + so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' + And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." + The religion scholar said, "A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate--that God is one and there is no other. + And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that's better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!" + When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, "You're almost there, right on the border of God's kingdom." After that, no one else dared ask a question. + While he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it that the religion scholars say that the Messiah is David's 'son,' + when we all know that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said, God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." + "David here designates the Messiah 'my Master'--so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?" The large crowd was delighted with what they heard. + He continued teaching. "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, + basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. + And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end." + Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. + One poor widow came up and put in two small coins--a measly two cents. + Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. + All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford--she gave her all." + + + As he walked away from the Temple, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at that stonework! Those buildings!" + Jesus said, "You're impressed by this grandiose architecture? There's not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble." + Later, as he was sitting on Mount Olives in full view of the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew got him off by himself and asked, + "Tell us, when is this going to happen? What sign will we get that things are coming to a head?" + Jesus began, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. + Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, 'I'm the One.' They will deceive a lot of people. + When you hear of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history, and no sign of the end. + Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. But these things are nothing compared to what's coming. + "And watch out! They're going to drag you into court. And then it will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You're placed there as sentinels to truth. + The Message has to be preached all across the world. + "When they bring you, betrayed, into court, don't worry about what you'll say. When the time comes, say what's on your heart--the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you. + "It's going to be brother killing brother, father killing child, children killing parents. + There's no telling who will hate you because of me. "Stay with it--that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved. + "But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up where it should never be. You who can read, make sure you understand what I'm talking about. If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; + if you're working in the yard, don't go back to the house to get anything; + if you're out in the field, don't go back to get your coat. + Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. + Hope and pray this won't happen in the middle of winter. + "These are going to be hard days--nothing like it from the time God made the world right up to the present. And there'll be nothing like it again. + If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it. But because of God's chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened. + "If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it. + Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. + So watch out. I've given you fair warning. + "Following those hard times, Sun will fade out, moon cloud over, + Stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble. + "And then they'll see the Son of Man enter in grand style, his Arrival filling the sky--no one will miss it! + He'll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole. + "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. + And so it is with you. When you see all these things, you know he is at the door. + Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too--these things will happen. + Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out. + "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. + So keep a sharp lookout, for you don't know the timetable. + It's like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. + So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. + You don't want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. + I say it to you, and I'm saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch." + + + In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. + They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want the crowds up in arms," they said. + Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. + Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! + This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. + But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. + You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. + She did what she could when she could--she pre-anointed my body for burial. + And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly." + Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the cabal of high priests, determined to betray him. + They couldn't believe their ears, and promised to pay him well. He started looking for just the right moment to hand him over. + On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the day they prepare the Passover sacrifice, his disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations so you can eat the Passover meal?" + He directed two of his disciples, "Go into the city. A man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him. + Ask the owner of whichever house he enters, 'The Teacher wants to know, Where is my guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' + He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare for us there." + The disciples left, came to the city, found everything just as he had told them, and prepared the Passover meal. + After sunset he came with the Twelve. + As they were at the supper table eating, Jesus said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators, one who at this moment is eating with me." + Stunned, they started asking, one after another, "It isn't me, is it?" + He said, "It's one of the Twelve, one who eats with me out of the same bowl. + In one sense, it turns out that the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures--no surprises here. In another sense, the man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man--better never to have been born than do this!" + In the course of their meal, having taken and blessed the bread, he broke it and gave it to them. Then he said, Take, this is my body. + Taking the chalice, he gave it to them, thanking God, and they all drank from it. + He said, This is my blood, God's new covenant, Poured out for many people. + "I'll not be drinking wine again until the new day when I drink it in the kingdom of God." + They sang a hymn and then went directly to Mount Olives. + Jesus told them, "You're all going to feel that your world is falling apart and that it's my fault. There's a Scripture that says, I will strike the shepherd; The sheep will go helter-skelter. + "But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee." + Peter blurted out, "Even if everyone else is ashamed of you when things fall to pieces, I won't be." + Jesus said, "Don't be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." + He blustered in protest, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you." All the others said the same thing. + They came to an area called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." + He took Peter, James, and John with him. He plunged into a sinkhole of dreadful agony. + He told them, "I feel bad enough right now to die. Stay here and keep vigil with me." + Going a little ahead, he fell to the ground and prayed for a way out: + "Papa, Father, you can--can't you?--get me out of this. Take this cup away from me. But please, not what I want--what do you want?" + He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? + Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don't be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire." + He then went back and prayed the same prayer. + Returning, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open, and they didn't have a plausible excuse. + He came back a third time and said, "Are you going to sleep all night? No--you've slept long enough. Time's up. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. + Get up. Let's get going. My betrayer has arrived." + No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Judas, the one out of the Twelve, showed up, and with him a gang of ruffians, sent by the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders, brandishing swords and clubs. + The betrayer had worked out a signal with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one--seize him. Make sure he doesn't get away." + He went straight to Jesus and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. + The others then grabbed him and roughed him up. + One of the men standing there unsheathed his sword, swung, and came down on the Chief Priest's servant, lopping off the man's ear. + Jesus said to them, "What is this, coming after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? + Day after day I've been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. What you in fact have done is confirm the prophetic writings." + All the disciples cut and ran. + A young man was following along. All he had on was a bedsheet. Some of the men grabbed him + but he got away, running off naked, leaving them holding the sheet. + They led Jesus to the Chief Priest, where the high priests, religious leaders, and scholars had gathered together. + Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard, where he mingled with the servants and warmed himself at the fire. + The high priests conspiring with the Jewish Council looked high and low for evidence against Jesus by which they could sentence him to death. They found nothing. + Plenty of people were willing to bring in false charges, but nothing added up, and they ended up canceling each other out. + Then a few of them stood up and lied: + "We heard him say, 'I am going to tear down this Temple, built by hard labor, and in three days build another without lifting a hand.'" + But even they couldn't agree exactly. + In the middle of this, the Chief Priest stood up and asked Jesus, "What do you have to say to the accusation?" + Jesus was silent. He said nothing. The Chief Priest tried again, this time asking, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?" + Jesus said, "Yes, I am, and you'll see it yourself: The Son of Man seated At the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven." + The Chief Priest lost his temper. Ripping his clothes, he yelled, "Did you hear that? After that do we need witnesses? + You heard the blasphemy. Are you going to stand for it?" They condemned him, one and all. The sentence: death. + Some of them started spitting at him. They blindfolded his eyes, then hit him, saying, "Who hit you? Prophesy!" The guards, punching and slapping, took him away. + While all this was going on, Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the Chief Priest's servant girls came in + and, seeing Peter warming himself there, looked hard at him and said, "You were with the Nazarene, Jesus." + He denied it: "I don't know what you're talking about." He went out on the porch. A rooster crowed. + The girl spotted him and began telling the people standing around, "He's one of them." + He denied it again. After a little while, the bystanders brought it up again. "You've got to be one of them. You've got 'Galilean' written all over you." + Now Peter got really nervous and swore, "I never laid eyes on this man you're talking about." + Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times." He collapsed in tears. + + + At dawn's first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate. + Pilate asked him, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" He answered, "If you say so." + The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations. + Pilate asked again, "Aren't you going to answer anything? That's quite a list of accusations." + Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed. + It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. + There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. + As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, + Pilate anticipated them: "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?" + Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him. + But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. + Pilate came back, "So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?" + They yelled, "Nail him to a cross!" + Pilate objected, "But for what crime?" But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!" + Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion. + The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. + They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thorn bush on his head. + Then they began their mockery: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" + They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. + After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross. + There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross. + The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill." + They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it. + And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them. + They nailed him up at nine o'clock in the morning. + The charge against him--THE KING OF THE JEWS--was printed on a poster. + Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. + (OMITTED TEXT) + People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days-- + so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" + The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others--but he can't save himself! + Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We'll all become believers then!" Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery. + At noon the sky became extremely dark. + The darkness lasted three hours. At three o'clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" + Some of the bystanders who heard him said, "Listen, he's calling for Elijah." + Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down." + But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. + At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. + When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, "This has to be the Son of God!" + There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. + When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem. + Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), + Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. + Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. + Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse. + Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. + Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial. + + + When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could embalm him. + Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, they went to the tomb. + They worried out loud to each other, "Who will roll back the stone from the tomb for us?" + Then they looked up, saw that it had been rolled back--it was a huge stone--and walked right in. + They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished. + He said, "Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He's been raised up; he's here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. + Now--on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, exactly as he said." + They got out as fast as they could, beside themselves, their heads swimming. Stunned, they said nothing to anyone. + [After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared early on Sunday morning to Mary Magdalene, whom he had delivered from seven demons. + She went to his former companions, now weeping and carrying on, and told them. + When they heard her report that she had seen him alive and well, they didn't believe her. + Later he appeared, but in a different form, to two of them out walking in the countryside. + They went back and told the rest, but they weren't believed either. + Still later, as the Eleven were eating supper, he appeared and took them to task most severely for their stubborn unbelief, refusing to believe those who had seen him raised up. + Then he said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all. + Whoever believes and is baptized is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned. + "These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, + they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well." + Then the Master Jesus, after briefing them, was taken up to heaven, and he sat down beside God in the place of honor. + And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.] + + + + + So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, + using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. + Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, + so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught. + During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. + Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. + But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. + It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, + it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. + The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. + Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. + Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. + But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. + You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you--many will delight in his birth. + He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. + He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. + He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics--he'll get the people ready for God." + Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman." + But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. + But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time--God's time." + Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. + When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people. + When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home.[ + It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. + "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said. + In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth + to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. + Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. + She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. + But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: + You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. + He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; + He will rule Jacob's house forever-- no end, ever, to his kingdom." + Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." + The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. + "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months' pregnant! + Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." + And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her. + Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, + straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. + When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, + and sang out exuberantly, You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! + And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? + The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. + Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true! + And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news; + I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. + God took one good look at me, and look what happened-- I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, + the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. + His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. + He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. + He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. + The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. + He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. + It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now. + Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home. + When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she bore a son. + Her neighbors and relatives, seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her. + On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zachariah after his father. + But his mother intervened: "No. He is to be called John." + "But," they said, "no one in your family is named that." + They used sign language to ask Zachariah what he wanted him named. + Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, "His name is to be John." That took everyone by surprise. + Surprise followed surprise--Zachariah's mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and he was talking, praising God! + A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all that Judean hill country people talked about nothing else. + Everyone who heard about it took it to heart, wondering, "What will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this." + Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, + Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free. + He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives, and in the very house of David his servant, + Just as he promised long ago through the preaching of his holy prophets: + Deliverance from our enemies and every hateful hand; + Mercy to our fathers, as he remembers to do what he said he'd do, + What he swore to our father Abraham-- + a clean rescue from the enemy camp, So we can worship him without a care in the world, + made holy before him as long as we live. + And you, my child, "Prophet of the Highest," will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways, + Present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins. + Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise will break in upon us, + Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. + The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel. + + + About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. + This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. + Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. + So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. + He went with Mary, his fianc�e, who was pregnant. + While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. + She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. + There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. + Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. + The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: + A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. + This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger." + At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: + Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. + As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." + They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. + Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. + All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. + Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. + The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told! + When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived. + Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God + as commanded in God's Law: "Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God," + and also to sacrifice the "pair of doves or two young pigeons" prescribed in God's Law. + In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. + The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. + Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, + Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God: + God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. + With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; + it's now out in the open for everyone to see: + A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. + Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. + Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, A figure misunderstood and contradicted-- + the pain of a sword-thrust through you-- But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are. + Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years + and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. + At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem. + When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. + There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him. + Every year Jesus' parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. + When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. + When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it. + Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors. + When they didn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. + The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. + The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. + But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt. His mother said, "Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you." + He said, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?" + But they had no idea what he was talking about. + So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. + And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people. + + + In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius--it was while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, ruler of Abilene; + during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas--John, Zachariah's son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God. + He went all through the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of sins, + as described in the words of Isaiah the prophet: Thunder in the desert! "Prepare God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! + Every ditch will be filled in, Every bump smoothed out, The detours straightened out, All the ruts paved over. + Everyone will be there to see The parade of God's salvation." + When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God's judgment? + It's your life that must change, not your skin. And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as 'father.' Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there--children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. + What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire." + The crowd asked him, "Then what are we supposed to do?" + "If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food." + Tax men also came to be baptized and said, "Teacher, what should we do?" + He told them, "No more extortion--collect only what is required by law." + Soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He told them, "No shakedowns, no blackmail--and be content with your rations." + The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?" + But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. + He's going to clean house--make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned." + There was a lot more of this--words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! + But Herod, the ruler, stung by John's rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, + capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail. + After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up + and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life." + When Jesus entered public life he was about thirty years old, the son (in public perception) of Joseph, who was-- son of Heli, + son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, + son of Joseph, son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, + son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, + son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, + son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, + son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, + son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, + son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, + son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala, son of Nahshon, + son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, + son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, + son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, + son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, + son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, + son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God. + + + Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. + For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry. + The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: "Since you're God's Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread." + Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to really live." + For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. + Then the Devil said, "They're yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I'm in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. + Worship me and they're yours, the whole works." + Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness." + For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, "If you are God's Son, jump. + It's written, isn't it, that 'he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; + they will catch you; you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone'?" + "Yes," said Jesus, "and it's also written, 'Don't you dare tempt the Lord your God.'" + That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity. + Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. News that he was back spread through the countryside. + He taught in their meeting places to everyone's acclaim and pleasure. + He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, + he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, + God's Spirit is on me; he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, + to announce, "This is God's year to act!" + He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. + Then he started in, "You've just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place." + All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, "Isn't this Joseph's son, the one we've known since he was a youngster?" + He answered, "I suppose you're going to quote the proverb, 'Doctor, go heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.' + Well, let me tell you something: No prophet is ever welcomed in his hometown. + Isn't it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land, + but the only widow to whom Elijah was sent was in Sarepta in Sidon? + And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one cleansed was Naaman the Syrian." + That set everyone in the meeting place seething with anger. + They threw him out, banishing him from the village, then took him to a mountain cliff at the edge of the village to throw him to his doom, + but he gave them the slip and was on his way. + He went down to Capernaum, a village in Galilee. He was teaching the people on the Sabbath. + They were surprised and impressed--his teaching was so forthright, so confident, so authoritative, not the quibbling and quoting they were used to. + In the meeting place that day there was a man demonically disturbed. He screamed, + "Ho! What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to. You're the Holy One of God and you've come to destroy us!" + Jesus shut him up: "Quiet! Get out of him!" The demonic spirit threw the man down in front of them all and left. The demon didn't hurt him. + That set everyone back on their heels, whispering and wondering, "What's going on here? Someone whose words make things happen? Someone who orders demonic spirits to get out and they go?" + Jesus was the talk of the town. + He left the meeting place and went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was running a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. + He stood over her, told the fever to leave--and it left. Before they knew it, she was up getting dinner for them. + When the sun went down, everyone who had anyone sick with some ailment or other brought them to him. One by one he placed his hands on them and healed them. + Demons left in droves, screaming, "Son of God! You're the Son of God!" But he shut them up, refusing to let them speak because they knew too much, knew him to be the Messiah. + He left the next day for open country. But the crowds went looking and, when they found him, clung to him so he couldn't go on. + He told them, "Don't you realize that there are yet other villages where I have to tell the Message of God's kingdom, that this is the work God sent me to do?" + Meanwhile he continued preaching in the meeting places of Galilee. + + + Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. + He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. + He climbed into the boat that was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd. + When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch." + Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets." + It was no sooner said than done--a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. + They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. + Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself." + When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. + It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women." + They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him. + One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, "If you want to, you can cleanse me." + Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone. + Jesus instructed him, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done." + But the man couldn't keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments. + As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer. + One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him. + Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. + When they couldn't find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. + Impressed by their bold belief, he said, "Friend, I forgive your sins." + That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. "Who does he think he is? That's blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins." + Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, "Why all this gossipy whispering? + Which is simpler: to say 'I forgive your sins,' or to say 'Get up and start walking'? + Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . ." He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: "Get up. Take your bedroll and go home." + Without a moment's hesitation, he did it--got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. + The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous--and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, "We've never seen anything like that!" + After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." + And he did--walked away from everything and went with him. + Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. + The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and 'sinners'?" + Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? + I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders--an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out." + They asked him, "John's disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?" + Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but this isn't the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. + When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come! + "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. + And you don't put wine in old, cracked bottles; + you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. + And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine." + + + On a certain Sabbath Jesus was walking through a field of ripe grain. His disciples were pulling off heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands to get rid of the chaff, and eating them. + Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing that, breaking a Sabbath rule?" + But Jesus stood up for them. "Have you never read what David and those with him did when they were hungry? + How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? He also handed it out to his companions." + Then he said, "The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; he's in charge." + On another Sabbath he went to the meeting place and taught. There was a man there with a crippled right hand. + The religion scholars and Pharisees had their eye on Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. + He knew what they were up to and spoke to the man with the crippled hand: "Get up and stand here before us." He did. + Then Jesus addressed them, "Let me ask you something: What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" + He looked around, looked each one in the eye. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out--it was as good as new! + They were beside themselves with anger, and started plotting how they might get even with him. + At about that same time he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. + The next day he summoned his disciples; from them he selected twelve he designated as apostles: + Simon, whom he named Peter, Andrew, his brother, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, + Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon, called the Zealot, + Judas, son of James, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. + Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. + They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. + Everyone was trying to touch him--so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! + Then he spoke: You're blessed when you've lost it all. God's kingdom is there for the finding. + You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal. You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning. + "Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. + You can be glad when that happens--skip like a lamb, if you like!--for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this. + But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you'll ever get. + And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games. There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it. + "There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests--look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular. + "To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. + When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. + If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. + If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. + "Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! + If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. + If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. + If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. + "I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never--I promise--regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. + Our Father is kind; you be kind. + "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults--unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. + Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back--given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." + He quoted a proverb: "'Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch? + An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher. + "It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. + Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. + "You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. + The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. + It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds. + "Why are you so polite with me, always saying 'Yes, sir,' and 'That's right, sir,' but never doing a thing I tell you? + These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on. + "If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. + But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss." + + + When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum. + A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn't want to lose him. + When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant. + They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, "He deserves this. + He loves our people. He even built our meeting place." + Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, "Master, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know. I'd be embarrassed for you to come to my house, + even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. + I'm a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; another, 'Come,' and he comes; my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." + Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works." + When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well. + Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. + As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession--a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. + When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don't cry." + Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up." + The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother. + They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful--and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!" + The news of Jesus spread all through the country. + John's disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place. + He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?" + The men showed up before Jesus and said, "John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, 'Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?'" + In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. + Then he gave his answer: "Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth have God's salvation hospitality extended to them. + "Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!" + After John's messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? + Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. + What then? A messenger from God? That's right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you'll ever hear. + He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote, I'm sending my messenger on ahead To make the road smooth for you. + "Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. + The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence; + the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn't think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors. + "How can I account for the people of this generation? + They're like spoiled children complaining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.' + John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy. + The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush. + Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating." + One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table. + Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume + and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. + When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him." + Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Oh? Tell me." + "Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. + Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?" + Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most." "That's right," said Jesus. + Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. + You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. + You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. + Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal." + Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins." + That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!" + He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." + + + He continued according to plan, traveled to town after town, village after village, preaching God's kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with him. + There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various evil afflictions and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; + Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's manager; and Susanna--along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company. + As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: + "A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. + Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn't have good roots. + Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. + Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" + His disciples asked, "Why did you tell this story?" + He said, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom--you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren't going to get it: Their eyes are open but don't see a thing, Their ears are open but don't hear a thing. + "This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. + The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved. + "The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone. + "And the seed that fell in the weeds--well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun. + "But the seed in the good earth--these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest. + "No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. + We're not keeping secrets; we're telling them. We're not hiding things; we're bringing everything out into the open. + So be careful that you don't become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes." + His mother and brothers showed up but couldn't get through to him because of the crowd. + He was given the message, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you." + He replied, "My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God's Word. Obedience is thicker than blood." + One day he and his disciples got in a boat. "Let's cross the lake," he said. And off they went. + It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. + They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" Getting to his feet, he told the wind, "Silence!" and the waves, "Quiet down!" They did it. The lake became smooth as glass. + Then he said to his disciples, "Why can't you trust me?" They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, "Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!" + They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. + As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons. He hadn't worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery. + When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and bellowed, "What business do you have messing with me? You're Jesus, Son of the High God, but don't give me a hard time!" + (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds. + Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Mob. My name is Mob," he said, because many demons afflicted him. + And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit. + A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. + It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned. + Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. + People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus' feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. + Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved. + Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave--too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. + The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying, + "Go home and tell everything God did in you." So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him. + On his return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there expecting him. + A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place. He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his home + because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd. + In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. + She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus' robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. + Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When no one stepped forward, Peter said, "But Master, we've got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you." + Jesus insisted, "Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me." + When the woman realized that she couldn't remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story--why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed. + Jesus said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!" + While he was still talking, someone from the leader's house came up and told him, "Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher." + Jesus overheard and said, "Don't be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right." + Going into the house, he wouldn't let anyone enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child's parents. + Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, "Don't cry. She didn't die; she's sleeping." + They laughed at him. They knew she was dead. + Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, "My dear child, get up." + She was up in an instant, up and breathing again! He told them to give her something to eat. + Her parents were ecstatic, but Jesus warned them to keep quiet. "Don't tell a soul what happened in this room." + + + Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases. + He commissioned them to preach the news of God's kingdom and heal the sick. + He said, "Don't load yourselves up with equipment. + Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns--get a modest place and be content there until you leave. + If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on." + Commissioned, they left. They traveled from town to town telling the latest news of God, the Message, and curing people everywhere they went. + Herod, the ruler, heard of these goings on and didn't know what to think. There were people saying John had come back from the dead, + others that Elijah had appeared, still others that some prophet of long ago had shown up. + Herod said, "But I killed John--took off his head. So who is this that I keep hearing about?" Curious, he looked for a chance to see him in action. + The apostles returned and reported on what they had done. Jesus took them away, off by themselves, near the town called Bethsaida. + But the crowds got wind of it and followed. Jesus graciously welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God. Those who needed healing, he healed. + As the day declined, the Twelve said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of nowhere." + "You feed them," Jesus said. They said, "We couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fish--unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody." + (There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.) But he went ahead and directed his disciples, "Sit them down in groups of about fifty." + They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated. + He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. + After the people had all eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up. + One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, "What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?" + They said, "John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back." + He then asked, "And you--what are you saying about me? Who am I?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God." + Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said. + He went on, "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive." + Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat--I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. + Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. + What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? + If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I'm leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn't, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. + Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God." + About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. + While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. + At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah-- + and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem. + Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. + When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He blurted this out without thinking. + While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. + Then there was a voice out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him." + When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen. + When they came down off the mountain the next day, a big crowd was there to meet them. + A man called from out of the crowd, "Please, please, Teacher, take a look at my son. He's my only child. + Often a spirit seizes him. Suddenly he's screaming, thrown into convulsions, his mouth foaming. And then it beats him black and blue before it leaves. + I asked your disciples to deliver him but they couldn't." + Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring your son here." + While he was coming, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. Jesus stepped in, ordered the vile spirit gone, healed the boy, and handed him back to his father. + They all shook their heads in wonder, astonished at God's greatness, God's majestic greatness. While they continued to stand around exclaiming over all the things he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, + "Treasure and ponder each of these next words: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into human hands." + They didn't get what he was saying. It was like he was speaking a foreign language and they couldn't make heads or tails of it. But they were embarrassed to ask him what he meant. + They started arguing over which of them would be most famous. + When Jesus realized how much this mattered to them, he brought a child to his side. + "Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me," he said. "And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference." + John spoke up, "Master, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't of our group." + Jesus said, "Don't stop him. If he's not an enemy, he's an ally." + When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. + He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. + But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. + When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, "Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?" + Jesus turned on them: "Of course not!" + And they traveled on to another village. + On the road someone asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. + Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." + Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." + Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!" + Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home." + Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." + + + Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. + He gave them this charge: "What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands. + "On your way! But be careful--this is hazardous work. You're like lambs in a wolf pack. + "Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage. "Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way. + "When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.' + If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself. + "Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town. + "When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, + heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!' + "When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, + 'The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we're giving it back. Did you have any idea that God's kingdom was right on your doorstep?' + Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you. + "Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they'd have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. + Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you. + "And you, Capernaum! Do you think you're about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You're on a mud slide to hell. + "The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me." + The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!" + Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. + See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. + All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you--that's the agenda for rejoicing." + At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. "I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. + "I've been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to." + He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. "Fortunate the eyes that see what you're seeing! + There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper." + Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?" + He answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?" + He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence--and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself." + "Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live." + Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?" + Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. + Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. + Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. + "A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. + He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. + In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill--I'll pay you on my way back.' + "What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?" + "The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, "Go and do the same." + As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. + She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. + But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand." + The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. + One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it--it's the main course, and won't be taken from her." + + + One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, "Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." + So he said, "When you pray, say, Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. + Keep us alive with three square meals. + Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil." + Then he said, "Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. + An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don't have a thing on hand.' + "The friend answers from his bed, 'Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.' + "But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need. + "Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open. + "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. + If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? + If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? + As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing--you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?" + Jesus delivered a man from a demon that had kept him speechless. The demon gone, the man started talking a blue streak, taking the crowd by complete surprise. + But some from the crowd were cynical. "Black magic," they said. "Some devil trick he's pulled from his sleeve." + Others were skeptical, waiting around for him to prove himself with a spectacular miracle. + Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. + If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, + but if you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil who kicks out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists? + But if it's God's finger I'm pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God's kingdom is here for sure. + "When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. + But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons? Then he's beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered. + "This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse. + "When a corrupting spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone, it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' + On return, it finds the person swept and dusted, but vacant. + It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits dirtier than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place." + While he was saying these things, some woman lifted her voice above the murmur of the crowd: "Blessed the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!" + Jesus commented, "Even more blessed are those who hear God's Word and guard it with their lives!" + As the crowd swelled, he took a fresh tack: "The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody's looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you're looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. But the only proof you're going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. + What Jonah was to Nineveh, the Son of Man is to this age. + "On Judgment Day the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about 'proofs.' + On Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that condemns this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon's is right in front of you, and you quibble over 'evidence.' + "No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It's put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they're going. + Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. + Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don't get musty and murky. + Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." + When he finished that talk, a Pharisee asked him to dinner. He entered his house and sat right down at the table. + The Pharisee was shocked and somewhat offended when he saw that Jesus didn't wash up before the meal. + But the Master said to him, "I know you Pharisees burnish the surface of your cups and plates so they sparkle in the sun, but I also know your insides are maggoty with greed and secret evil. + Stupid Pharisees! Didn't the One who made the outside also make the inside? + Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands. + "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God's love. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. + "You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You love sitting at the head table at church dinners, love preening yourselves in the radiance of public flattery. + Frauds! You're just like unmarked graves: People walk over that nice, grassy surface, never suspecting the rot and corruption that is six feet under." + One of the religion scholars spoke up: "Teacher, do you realize that in saying these things you're insulting us?" + He said, "Yes, and I can be even more explicit. You're hopeless, you religion scholars! You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never lift even a finger to help. + "You're hopeless! You build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed. + The tombs you build are monuments to your murdering ancestors more than to the murdered prophets. + That accounts for God's Wisdom saying, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, but they'll kill them and run them off.' + What it means is that every drop of righteous blood ever spilled from the time earth began until now,. + from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was struck down between altar and sanctuary, is on your heads. Yes, it's on the bill of this generation and this generation will pay. + "You're hopeless, you religion scholars! You took the key of knowledge, but instead of unlocking doors, you locked them. You won't go in yourself, and won't let anyone else in either." + As soon as Jesus left the table, the religion scholars and Pharisees went into a rage. They went over and over everything he said, + plotting how they could trap him in something from his own mouth. + + + By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. + You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. + You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town. + "I'm speaking to you as dear friends. Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. + Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life--body and soul--in his hands. + "What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. + And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail--even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries. + "Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels. + But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels? + "If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked. + "When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves--what you'll say or how you'll say it. + The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes." + Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance." + He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?" + Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." + Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. + He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' + Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, + and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' + "Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods--who gets it?' + "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." + He continued this subject with his disciples. "Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. + There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. + Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. + "Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? + If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all? + Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance--but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. + If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? + "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. + People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. + Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. + Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. + "Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. + It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. + "Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on! + Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks. + Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He'll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. + It doesn't matter what time of the night he arrives; they're awake--and so blessed! + "You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn't have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. + So don't you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don't expect him, the Son of Man will show up." + Peter said, "Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?" + The Master said, "Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time? + He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he's doing his job. + (SEE 12:43) + But if he says to himself, 'The master is certainly taking his time,' begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, + the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes. + "The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. + But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities! + "I've come to start a fire on this earth--how I wish it were blazing right now! + I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up--how I long for it to be finished! + Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront! + From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be-- Three against two, and two against three; + Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law." + Then he turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming'--and you're right. + And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one'--and you're right. + Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now. + "You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, + the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jail + and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make." + + + About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. + Jesus responded, "Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? + Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die. + And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? + Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die." + Then he told them a story: "A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren't any. + He said to his gardener, 'What's going on here? For three years now I've come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?' + "The gardener said, 'Let's give it another year. I'll dig around it and fertilize, + and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn't, then chop it down.'" + He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. + There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. + When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!" + He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God. + The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, "Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath." + But Jesus shot back, "You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. + So why isn't it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?" + When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced. The congregation was delighted and cheered him on. + Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use? + It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it." + He tried again. "How can I picture God's kingdom? + It's like yeast that a woman works into enough dough for three loaves of bread--and waits while the dough rises." + He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem. + A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?" He said, + "Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life--to God!--is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. + Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.' + "You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' + only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.' + "That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. + You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in--and wondering what happened. + This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last. + Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod's on the hunt. He's out to kill you!" + Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I've no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I'm busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I'm wrapping things up. + Besides, it's not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem. + Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, abuser of the messengers of God! How often I've longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, Her brood safe under her wings-- but you refused and turned away! + And now it's too late: You won't see me again until the day you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.'" + + + One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top leaders of the Pharisees, all the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. + Right before him there was a man hugely swollen in his joints. + So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees present, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?" + They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. + Then he said, "Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn't rush to pull him out immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?" + They were stumped. There was nothing they could say to that. + He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, + "When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. + Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. + "When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! + What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." + Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. + Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. + You'll be--and experience--a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned--oh, how it will be returned!--at the resurrection of God's people." + That triggered a response from one of the guests: "How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God's kingdom!" + Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. + When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, 'Come on in; the food's on the table.' + "Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, 'I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.' + "Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.' + "And yet another said, 'I just got married and need to get home to my wife.' + "The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.' + "The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded--and there's still room.' + "The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! + Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'" + One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, + "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters--yes, even one's own self!--can't be my disciple. + Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple. + "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? + If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: + 'He started something he couldn't finish.' + "Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? + And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce? + "Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. + "Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" + (SEE 14:34) + + + By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. + The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." + Their grumbling triggered this story. + "Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? + When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, + and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' + Count on it--there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue. + "Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? + And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' + Count on it--that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." + Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. + The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. + It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. + After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. + He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. + He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. + "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. + I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; + I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' + He got right up and went home to his father. "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. + The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' + "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. + Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! + My son is here--given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time. + "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. + Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. + He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast--barbecued beef!--because he has him home safe and sound.' + "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. + The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? + Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!' + "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours-- + but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'" + + + Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. + So he called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.' + "The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . + Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do . . . then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.' + "Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' + "He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' "The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here--quick now--write fifty.' + "To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?' "He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.' "He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.' + "Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. + I want you to be smart in the same way--but for what is right--using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior." + Jesus went on to make these comments: If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; + If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. + If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? + No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank. + When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. + So Jesus spoke to them: "You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the appearance. What society sees and calls monumental, God sees through and calls monstrous. + God's Law and the Prophets climaxed in John; Now it's all kingdom of God--the glad news and compelling invitation to every man and woman. + The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve before a single letter of God's Law wears out. + Using the legalities of divorce as a cover for lust is adultery; Using the legalities of marriage as a cover for lust is adultery. + "There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. + A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. + All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man's table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. + "Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. + In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. + He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.' + "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It's not like that here. Here he's consoled and you're tormented. + Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.' + "The rich man said, 'Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father + where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won't end up here in this place of torment.' + "Abraham answered, 'They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.' + "'I know, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but they're not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.' + "Abraham replied, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the Prophets, they're not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.'" + + + He said to his disciples, "Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! + Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time! + "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. + Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him." + The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith." + But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it. + "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'? + Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'? + Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him? + It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'" + It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. + As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance + but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" + Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." They went, and while still on their way, became clean. + One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. + He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough--and he was a Samaritan. + Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? + Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" + Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you." + Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, "The kingdom of God doesn't come by counting the days on the calendar. + Nor when someone says, 'Look here!' or, 'There it is!' And why? Because God's kingdom is already among you." + He went on to say to his disciples, "The days are coming when you are going to be desperately homesick for just a glimpse of one of the days of the Son of Man, and you won't see a thing. + And they'll say to you, 'Look over there!' or, 'Look here!' Don't fall for any of that nonsense. + The arrival of the Son of Man is not something you go out to see. He simply comes. "You know how the whole sky lights up from a single flash of lightning? That's how it will be on the Day of the Son of Man. + But first it's necessary that he suffer many things and be turned down by the people of today. + "The time of the Son of Man will be just like the time of Noah-- + everyone carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ship. They suspected nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away. + "It was the same in the time of Lot--the people carrying on, having a good time, business as usual + right up to the day Lot walked out of Sodom and a firestorm swept down and burned everything to a crisp. + That's how it will be--sudden, total--when the Son of Man is revealed. + "When the Day arrives and you're out working in the yard, don't run into the house to get anything. And if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. + Remember what happened to Lot's wife! + If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms. + "On that Day, two men will be in the same boat fishing--one taken, the other left. + Two women will be working in the same kitchen--one taken, the other left." + (OMITTED TEXT) + Trying to take all this in, the disciples said, "Master, where?" He told them, "Watch for the circling of the vultures. They'll spot the corpse first. The action will begin around my dead body." + + + Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. + He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. + A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!' + "He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. + But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice--otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'" + Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? + So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? + I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?" + He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: + "Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. + The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. + I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.' + "Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'" + Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." + People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. + Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. + Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." + One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?" + Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good--only God. + You know the commandments, don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother." + He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember." + When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me." + This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go. + Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God's kingdom? + I'd say it's easier to thread a camel through a needle's eye than get a rich person into God's kingdom." + "Then who has any chance at all?" the others asked. + "No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." + Peter tried to regain some initiative: "We left everything we owned and followed you, didn't we?" + "Yes," said Jesus, "and you won't regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children--whatever-- + will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!" + Then Jesus took the Twelve off to the side and said, "Listen carefully. We're on our way up to Jerusalem. Everything written in the Prophets about the Son of Man will take place. + He will be handed over to the Romans, jeered at, made sport of, and spit on. Then, after giving him the third degree, they will kill him. + In three days he will rise, alive." + But they didn't get it, could make neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about. + He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. + When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. + They told him, "Jesus the Nazarene is going by." + He yelled, "Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" + Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" + Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, + "What do you want from me?" He said, "Master, I want to see again." + Jesus said, "Go ahead--see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!" + The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing--and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God. + + + Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. + There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. + He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way--he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. + So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by. + When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." + Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. + Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?" + Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor--and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages." + Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! + For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost." + While he had their attention, and because they were getting close to Jerusalem by this time and expectation was building that God's kingdom would appear any minute, he told this story: + "There was once a man descended from a royal house who needed to make a long trip back to headquarters to get authorization for his rule and then return. + But first he called ten servants together, gave them each a sum of money, and instructed them, 'Operate with this until I return.' + "But the citizens there hated him. So they sent a commission with a signed petition to oppose his rule: 'We don't want this man to rule us.' + "When he came back bringing the authorization of his rule, he called those ten servants to whom he had given the money to find out how they had done. + "The first said, 'Master, I doubled your money.' + "He said, 'Good servant! Great work! Because you've been trustworthy in this small job, I'm making you governor of ten towns.' + "The second said, 'Master, I made a fifty percent profit on your money.' + "He said, 'I'm putting you in charge of five towns.' + "The next servant said, 'Master, here's your money safe and sound. I kept it hidden in the cellar. + To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid. I know you have high standards and hate sloppiness, and don't suffer fools gladly.' + "He said, 'You're right that I don't suffer fools gladly--and you've acted the fool! + Why didn't you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?' + "Then he said to those standing there, 'Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.' + "They said, 'But Master, he already has double . . .' + "He said, 'That's what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag. + "'As for these enemies of mine who petitioned against my rule, clear them out of here. I don't want to see their faces around here again.'" + After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. + When he got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: + "Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you'll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it. + If anyone says anything, asks, 'What are you doing?' say, 'His Master needs him.'" + The two left and found it just as he said. + As they were untying the colt, its owners said, "What are you doing untying the colt?" + They said, "His Master needs him." + They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. + As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street. + Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed: + Blessed is he who comes, the king in God's name! All's well in heaven! Glory in the high places! + Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, "Teacher, get your disciples under control!" + But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise." + When the city came into view, he wept over it. + "If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you! But now it's too late. + In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. + They'll smash you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn't recognize and welcome God's personal visit." + Going into the Temple he began to throw out everyone who had set up shop, selling everything and anything. + He said, "It's written in Scripture, My house is a house of prayer; You have turned it into a religious bazaar." + From then on he taught each day in the Temple. The high priests, religion scholars, and the leaders of the people were trying their best to find a way to get rid of him. + But with the people hanging on every word he spoke, they couldn't come up with anything. + + + One day he was teaching the people in the Temple, proclaiming the Message. The high priests, religion scholars, and leaders confronted + him and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?" + Jesus answered, "First, let me ask you a question: + About the baptism of John--who authorized it, heaven or humans?" + They were on the spot, and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say 'heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe him; + if we say 'humans,' the people will tear us limb from limb, convinced as they are that John was God's prophet." + They agreed to concede that round to Jesus and said they didn't know. + Jesus said, "Then neither will I answer your question." + Jesus told another story to the people: "A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went off on a trip. He was gone a long time. + In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him up and sent him off empty-handed. + He decided to try again and sent another servant. That one they beat black and blue, and sent him off empty-handed. + He tried a third time. They worked that servant over from head to foot and dumped him in the street. + "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'I know what I'll do: I'll send my beloved son. They're bound to respect my son.' + "But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together. 'This is our chance--this is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all to ourselves.' + They killed him and threw him over the fence. "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? + Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others." Those who were listening said, "Oh, no! He'd never do that!" + But Jesus didn't back down. "Why, then, do you think this was written: That stone the masons threw out-- It's now the cornerstone!? + "Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup." + The religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him on the spot, but they were intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them. + Watching for a chance to get him, they sent spies who posed as honest inquirers, hoping to trick him into saying something that would get him in trouble with the law. + So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're honest and straightforward when you teach, that you don't pander to anyone but teach the way of God accurately. + Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + He knew they were laying for him and said, + "Show me a coin. Now, this engraving, who does it look like and what does it say?" + "Caesar," they said. Jesus said, "Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his." + Try as they might, they couldn't trap him into saying anything incriminating. His answer caught them off guard and left them speechless. + Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, + "Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child. + Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. + The second married her and died, + then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child. + After all that, the wife died. + That wife, now--in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her." + Jesus said, "Marriage is a major preoccupation here, + but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage + nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. + Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, 'God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!' + God isn't the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive." + Some of the religion scholars said, "Teacher, that's a great answer!" + For a while, anyway, no one dared put questions to him. + Then he put a question to them: "How is it that they say that the Messiah is David's son? + In the Book of Psalms, David clearly says, God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right hand + until I put your enemies under your feet." + "David here designates the Messiah as 'my Master'--so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?" + With everybody listening, Jesus spoke to his disciples. + "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table at every church function. + And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end." + + + Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. + Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. + He said, "The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. + All these others made offerings that they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford--she gave her all!" + One day people were standing around talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, + "All this you're admiring so much--the time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble." + They asked him, "Teacher, when is this going to happen? What clue will we get that it's about to take place?" + He said, "Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, 'I'm the One,' or, 'The end is near.' Don't fall for any of that. + When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end." + He went on, "Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. + Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You'll think at times that the very sky is falling. + "But before any of this happens, they'll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. + You'll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. + Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. + I'll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters. + "You'll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. + There's no telling who will hate you because of me. + Even so, every detail of your body and soul--even the hairs of your head!--is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. + Staying with it--that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved. + "When you see soldiers camped all around Jerusalem, then you'll know that she is about to be devastated. + If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills. If you're in the city, get out quickly. If you're out in the fields, don't go home to get your coat. + This is Vengeance Day--everything written about it will come to a head. + Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Incredible misery! Torrential rage! + People dropping like flies; people dragged off to prisons; Jerusalem under the boot of barbarians until the nations finish what was given them to do. + "It will seem like all hell has broken loose--sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, + in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking. + "And then--then!--they'll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style--a glorious welcome! + When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!" + He told them a story. "Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. + When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. + The same here--when you see these things happen, you know God's kingdom is about here. + Don't brush this off: I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too--these things will happen. + Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out. + "But be on your guard. Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, + for it's going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. + So, whatever you do, don't go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that's coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man." + He spent his days in the Temple teaching, but his nights out on the mountain called Olives. + All the people were up at the crack of dawn to come to the Temple and listen to him. + + + The Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called Passover, drew near. + The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way to do away with Jesus but, fearful of the people, they were also looking for a way to cover their tracks. + That's when Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot. He was one of the Twelve. + Leaving the others, he conferred with the high priests and the Temple guards about how he might betray Jesus to them. + They couldn't believe their good luck and agreed to pay him well. + He gave them his word and started looking for a way to betray Jesus, but out of sight of the crowd. + The Day of Unleavened Bread came, the day the Passover lamb was butchered. + Jesus sent Peter and John off, saying, "Go prepare the Passover for us so we can eat it together." + They said, "Where do you want us to do this?" + He said, "Keep your eyes open as you enter the city. A man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him home. + Then speak with the owner of the house: The Teacher wants to know, 'Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' + He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare the meal there." + They left, found everything just as he told them, and prepared the Passover meal. + When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, + and said, "You've no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. + It's the last one I'll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God." + Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, "Take this and pass it among you. + As for me, I'll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives." + Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory." + He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you. + "Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying me is at this moment on this table? + It's true that the Son of Man is going down a path already marked out--no surprises there. But for the one who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man, this is doomsday." + They immediately became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who might be about to do this. + Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. + But Jesus intervened: "Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. + It's not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant. + "Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You'd rather eat and be served, right? But I've taken my place among you as the one who serves. + And you've stuck with me through thick and thin. + Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me + so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God's people. + "Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. + Simon, I've prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start." + Peter said, "Master, I'm ready for anything with you. I'd go to jail for you. I'd die for you!" + Jesus said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Peter, but before the rooster crows you will have three times denied that you know me." + Then Jesus said, "When I sent you out and told you to travel light, to take only the bare necessities, did you get along all right?" "Certainly," they said, "we got along just fine." + He said, "This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you'll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword. + What was written in Scripture, 'He was lumped in with the criminals,' gets its final meaning in me. Everything written about me is now coming to a conclusion." + They said, "Look, Master, two swords!" But he said, "Enough of that; no more sword talk!" + Leaving there, he went, as he so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed him. + When they arrived at the place, he said, "Pray that you don't give in to temptation." + He pulled away from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, + "Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?" + At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. + He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face. + He got up from prayer, went back to the disciples and found them asleep, drugged by grief. + He said, "What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won't give in to temptation." + No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a crowd showed up, Judas, the one from the Twelve, in the lead. He came right up to Jesus to kiss him. + Jesus said, "Judas, you would betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" + When those with him saw what was happening, they said, "Master, shall we fight?" + One of them took a swing at the Chief Priest's servant and cut off his right ear. + Jesus said, "Let them be. Even in this." Then, touching the servant's ear, he healed him. + Jesus spoke to those who had come--high priests, Temple police, religion leaders: "What is this, jumping me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? + Day after day I've been with you in the Temple and you've not so much as lifted a hand against me. But do it your way--it's a dark night, a dark hour." + Arresting Jesus, they marched him off and took him into the house of the Chief Priest. Peter followed, but at a safe distance. + In the middle of the courtyard some people had started a fire and were sitting around it, trying to keep warm. + One of the serving maids sitting at the fire noticed him, then took a second look and said, "This man was with him!" + He denied it, "Woman, I don't even know him." + A short time later, someone else noticed him and said, "You're one of them." But Peter denied it: "Man, I am not." + About an hour later, someone else spoke up, really adamant: "He's got to have been with him! He's got 'Galilean' written all over him." + Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about." At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. + Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what the Master had said to him: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." + He went out and cried and cried and cried. + The men in charge of Jesus began poking fun at him, slapping him around. + They put a blindfold on him and taunted, "Who hit you that time?" + They were having a grand time with him. + When it was morning, the religious leaders of the people and the high priests and scholars all got together and brought him before their High Council. + They said, "Are you the Messiah?" He answered, "If I said yes, you wouldn't believe me. + If I asked what you meant by your question, you wouldn't answer me. + So here's what I have to say: From here on the Son of Man takes his place at God's right hand, the place of power." + They all said, "So you admit your claim to be the Son of God?" "You're the ones who keep saying it," he said. + But they had made up their minds, "Why do we need any more evidence? We've all heard him as good as say it himself." + + + Then they all took Jesus to Pilate + and began to bring up charges against him. They said, "We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King." + Pilate asked him, "Is this true that you're 'King of the Jews'?" "Those are your words, not mine," Jesus replied. + Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, "I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me." + But they were vehement. "He's stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea. He's a dangerous man, endangering the peace." + When Pilate heard that, he asked, "So, he's a Galilean?" + Realizing that he properly came under Herod's jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days. + Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he'd heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. + He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn't answer--not one word. + But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations. + Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. + That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance. + Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others + and said, "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. + And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It's clear that he's done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. + I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go." + (OMITTED TEXT) + At that, the crowd went wild: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!" + (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) + Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again. + But they kept shouting back, "Crucify! Crucify him!" + He tried a third time. "But for what crime? I've found nothing in him deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go." + But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. + Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. + He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted. + As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. + A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. + At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. + The time is coming when they'll say, 'Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!' + Then they'll start calling to the mountains, 'Fall down on us!' calling to the hills, 'Cover us up!' + If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they'll do with deadwood?" + Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution. + When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. + Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing." Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. + The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, "He saved others. Let's see him save himself! The Messiah of God--ha! The Chosen--ha!" + The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: + "So you're King of the Jews! Save yourself!" + Printed over him was a sign: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. + One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: "Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!" + But the other one made him shut up: "Have you no fear of God? You're getting the same as him. + We deserve this, but not him--he did nothing to deserve this." + Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom." + He said, "Don't worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise." + By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours-- + a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. + Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last. + When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!" + All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. + Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil. + There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. + He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. + He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. + Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. + It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin. + The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus' body was placed. + Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded. + + + At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. + They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, + so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus. + They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. + The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? + He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee + that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?" + Then they remembered Jesus' words. + They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. + Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, + but the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up. + But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that's all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head. + That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. + They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. + In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. + But they were not able to recognize who he was. + He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?" They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. + Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what's happened during the last few days?" + He said, "What has happened?" They said, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. + Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. + And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. + But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb + and couldn't find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. + Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn't see Jesus." + Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? + Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?" + Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him. + They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on + but they pressed him: "Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done." So he went in with them. + And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. + At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. + Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?" + They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, + talking away: "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up--Simon saw him!" + Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread. + While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, "Peace be with you." + They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. + He continued with them, "Don't be upset, and don't let all these doubting questions take over. + Look at my hands; look at my feet--it's really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn't have muscle and bone like this." + As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. + They still couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true. He asked, "Do you have any food here?" + They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. + He took it and ate it right before their eyes. + Then he said, "Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled." + He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. + He said, "You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, + and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations--starting from here, from Jerusalem! + You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses. + What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high." + He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them, + and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven. + And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. + They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes. + + + + + The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, + in readiness for God from day one. + Everything was created through him; nothing--not one thing!-- came into being without him. + What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. + The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. + There once was a man, his name John, sent by God + to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. + John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. + The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. + He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice. + He came to his own people, but they didn't want him. + But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. + These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. + The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. + John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word." + We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. + We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding-- all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. + No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day. + When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. + He didn't evade the question. He told the plain truth: "I am not the Messiah." + They pressed him, "Who, then? Elijah?" "I am not." "The Prophet?" "No." + Exasperated, they said, "Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something--anything!--about yourself." + "I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!' I'm doing what the prophet Isaiah preached." + Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. + Now they had a question of their own: "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" + John answered, "I only baptize using water. A person you don't recognize has taken his stand in your midst. + He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I'm not even worthy to hold his coat for him." + These conversations took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing at the time. + The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, + "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I've been talking about, 'the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.' + I knew nothing about who he was--only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God." + John clinched his witness with this: "I watched the Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making himself at home in him. + I repeat, I know nothing about him except this: The One who authorized me to baptize with water told me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit come down and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' + That's exactly what I saw happen, and I'm telling you, there's no question about it: This is the Son of God." + The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were watching. + He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb." + The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. + Jesus looked over his shoulder and said to them, "What are you after?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" + He replied, "Come along and see for yourself." They came, saw where he was living, and ended up staying with him for the day. It was late afternoon when this happened. + Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. + The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). + He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock"). + The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." + (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.) + Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" + Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." + When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body." + Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." + Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" + Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! + Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again." + + + Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. + Jesus and his disciples were guests also. + When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus' mother told him, "They're just about out of wine." + Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother--yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me." + She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, "Whatever he tells you, do it." + Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. + Jesus ordered the servants, "Fill the pots with water." And they filled them to the brim. + "Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did. + When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn't know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, + "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!" + This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him. + After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days. + When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. + He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. + Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. + He told the dove merchants, "Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a shopping mall!" + That's when his disciples remembered the Scripture, "Zeal for your house consumes me." + But the Jews were upset. They asked, "What credentials can you present to justify this?" + Jesus answered, "Tear down this Temple and in three days I'll put it back together." + They were indignant: "It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you're going to rebuild it in three days?" + But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. + Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said. + During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. + But Jesus didn't entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. + He didn't need any help in seeing right through them. + + + There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. + Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it." + Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to--to God's kingdom." + "How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?" + Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation--the 'wind hovering over the water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life--it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. + When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch--the Spirit--and becomes a living spirit. + "So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'--out of this world, so to speak. + You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God." + Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?" + Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics? + Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. + If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God? + "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. + In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up-- + and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life. + "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. + God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. + Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. + "This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. + Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. + But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." + After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing. + At the same time, John was baptizing over at Aenon near Salim, where water was abundant. + This was before John was thrown into jail. + John's disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism. + They came to John and said, "Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he's now competing with us. He's baptizing, too, and everyone's going to him instead of us." + John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed--I'm talking about eternal success--without heaven's help. + You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. + The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man'--that's me--in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? "That's why my cup is running over. + This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines. + "The One who comes from above is head and shoulders over other messengers from God. The earthborn is earthbound and speaks earth language; the heavenborn is in a league of his own. + He sets out the evidence of what he saw and heard in heaven. No one wants to deal with these facts. + But anyone who examines this evidence will come to stake his life on this: that God himself is the truth. + "The One that God sent speaks God's words. And don't think he rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. + The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to him so he could give it away--a lavish distribution of gifts. + That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life. All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that." + + + Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed + (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. + So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee. + To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. + He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. + Jacob's well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon. + A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" + (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.) + The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) + Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water." + The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'? + Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?" + Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. + Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst--not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." + The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!" + He said, "Go call your husband and then come back." + "I have no husband," she said. "That's nicely put: 'I have no husband.' + You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough." + "Oh, so you're a prophet! + Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?" + "Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. + You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation is made available through the Jews. + But the time is coming--it has, in fact, come--when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. "It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. + God is sheer being itself--Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." + The woman said, "I don't know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we'll get the whole story." + "I am he," said Jesus. "You don't have to wait any longer or look any further." + Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn't believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it. + The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, + "Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?" + And they went out to see for themselves. + In the meantime, the disciples pressed him, "Rabbi, eat. Aren't you going to eat?" + He told them, "I have food to eat you know nothing about." + The disciples were puzzled. "Who could have brought him food?" + Jesus said, "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. + As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time! + "The Harvester isn't waiting. He's taking his pay, gathering in this grain that's ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. + That's the truth of the saying, 'This one sows, that one harvests.' + I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others." + Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman's witness: "He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!" + They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. + A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. + They said to the woman, "We're no longer taking this on your say-so. We've heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He's the Savior of the world!" + After the two days he left for Galilee. + Now, Jesus knew well from experience that a prophet is not respected in the place where he grew up. + So when he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, but only because they were impressed with what he had done in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, not that they really had a clue about who he was or what he was up to. + Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king's court whose son was sick. + When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. + Jesus put him off: "Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe." + But the court official wouldn't be put off. "Come down! It's life or death for my son." + Jesus simply replied, "Go home. Your son lives." The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. + On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, "Your son lives!" + He asked them what time he began to get better. They said, "The fever broke yesterday afternoon at one o'clock." + The father knew that that was the very moment Jesus had said, "Your son lives." That clinched it. Not only he but his entire household believed. + This was now the second sign Jesus gave after having come from Judea into Galilee. + + + Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. + Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. + Hundreds of sick people--blind, crippled, paralyzed--were in these alcoves. + (OMITTED TEXT) + One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. + When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, "Do you want to get well?" + The sick man said, "Sir, when the water is stirred, I don't have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in." + Jesus said, "Get up, take your bedroll, start walking." + The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off. That day happened to be the Sabbath. + The Jews stopped the healed man and said, "It's the Sabbath. You can't carry your bedroll around. It's against the rules." + But he told them, "The man who made me well told me to. He said, 'Take your bedroll and start walking.'" + They asked, "Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?" + But the healed man didn't know, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd. + A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, "You look wonderful! You're well! Don't return to a sinning life or something worse might happen." + The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. + That is why the Jews were out to get Jesus--because he did this kind of thing on the Sabbath. + But Jesus defended himself. "My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I." + That really set them off. The Jews were now not only out to expose him; they were out to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was calling God his own Father, putting himself on a level with God. + So Jesus explained himself at length. "I'm telling you this straight. The Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. + The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing. "But you haven't seen the half of it yet, + for in the same way that the Father raises the dead and creates life, so does the Son. The Son gives life to anyone he chooses. + Neither he nor the Father shuts anyone out. The Father handed all authority to judge over to the Son + so that the Son will be honored equally with the Father. Anyone who dishonors the Son, dishonors the Father, for it was the Father's decision to put the Son in the place of honor. + "It's urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living. + "It's urgent that you get this right: The time has arrived--I mean right now!--when dead men and women will hear the voice of the Son of God and, hearing, will come alive. + Just as the Father has life in himself, he has conferred on the Son life in himself. + And he has given him the authority, simply because he is the Son of Man, to decide and carry out matters of Judgment. + "Don't act so surprised at all this. The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice. + Those who have lived the right way will walk out into a resurrection Life; those who have lived the wrong way, into a resurrection Judgment. + "I can't do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I'm not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. + If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness. + But an independent witness confirms me, the most reliable Witness of all. + Furthermore, you all saw and heard John, and he gave expert and reliable testimony about me, didn't he? + "But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I'm speaking to you this way so that you will be saved. + John was a torch, blazing and bright, and you were glad enough to dance for an hour or so in his bright light. + But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John's witness. It's the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. + The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance. + There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously. + "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! + And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want. + "I'm not interested in crowd approval. + And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God's love, is not on your working agenda. + I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms. + How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God? + "But don't think I'm going to accuse you before my Father. Moses, in whom you put so much stock, is your accuser. + If you believed, really believed, what Moses said, you would believe me. He wrote of me. + If you won't take seriously what he wrote, how can I expect you to take seriously what I speak?" + + + After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias). + A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick. + When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples. + It was nearly time for the Feast of Passover, kept annually by the Jews. + When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread to feed these people?" + He said this to stretch Philip's faith. He already knew what he was going to do. + Philip answered, "Two hundred silver pieces wouldn't be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece." + One of the disciples--it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter--said, + "There's a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that's a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this." + Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. + Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted. + When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted." + They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves. + The people realized that God was at work among them in what Jesus had just done. They said, "This is the Prophet for sure, God's Prophet right here in Galilee!" + Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself. + In the evening his disciples went down to the sea, + got in the boat, and headed back across the water to Capernaum. It had grown quite dark and Jesus had not yet returned. + A huge wind blew up, churning the sea. + They were maybe three or four miles out when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, quite near the boat. They were scared senseless, + but he reassured them, "It's me. It's all right. Don't be afraid." + So they took him on board. In no time they reached land--the exact spot they were headed to. + The next day the crowd that was left behind realized that there had been only one boat, and that Jesus had not gotten into it with his disciples. They had seen them go off without him. + By now boats from Tiberias had pulled up near where they had eaten the bread blessed by the Master. + So when the crowd realized he was gone and wasn't coming back, they piled into the Tiberias boats and headed for Capernaum, looking for Jesus. + When they found him back across the sea, they said, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" + Jesus answered, "You've come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs--and for free. + "Don't waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last." + To that they said, "Well, what do we do then to get in on God's works?" + Jesus said, "Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God's works." + They waffled: "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. + Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" + Jesus responded, "The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. + The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world." + They jumped at that: "Master, give us this bread, now and forever!" + Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. + I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. + Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. + I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me. + "This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed--not a single detail missed--and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. + This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time." + At this, because he said, "I am the Bread that came down from heaven," the Jews started arguing over him: + "Isn't this the son of Joseph? Don't we know his father? Don't we know his mother? How can he now say, 'I came down out of heaven' and expect anyone to believe him?" + Jesus said, "Don't bicker among yourselves over me. + You're not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me--that's the only way you'll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. + This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, 'And then they will all be personally taught by God.' Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally--to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. + No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father--and you can see me. + "I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. + I am the Bread of Life. + Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. + But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. + I am the Bread--living Bread!--who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live--and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self." + At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: "How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?" + But Jesus didn't give an inch. "Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. + The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. + My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. + By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. + In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. + This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always." + He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum. + Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow." + Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely? + What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? + The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. + But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." (Jesus knew from the start that some weren't going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) + He went on to say, "This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father." + After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. + Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?" + Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. + We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God." + Jesus responded, "Haven't I handpicked you, the Twelve? Still, one of you is a devil!" + He was referring to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. This man--one from the Twelve!--was even then getting ready to betray him. + + + Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn't want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. + It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews. + His brothers said, "Why don't you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? + No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you're serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world." + His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn't believe in him either. + Jesus came back at them, "Don't crowd me. This isn't my time. It's your time--it's always your time; you have nothing to lose. + The world has nothing against you, but it's up in arms against me. It's against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. + You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don't wait for me. I'm not ready. It's not the right time for me." + He said this and stayed on in Galilee. + But later, after his family had gone up to the Feast, he also went. But he kept out of the way, careful not to draw attention to himself. + The Jews were already out looking for him, asking around, "Where is that man?" + There was a lot of contentious talk about him circulating through the crowds. Some were saying, "He's a good man." But others said, "Not so. He's selling snake oil." + This kind of talk went on in guarded whispers because of the intimidating Jewish leaders. + With the Feast already half over, Jesus showed up in the Temple, teaching. + The Jews were impressed, but puzzled: "How does he know so much without being schooled?" + Jesus said, "I didn't make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me. + Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it's from God or whether I'm making it up. + A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn't tamper with reality. + It was Moses, wasn't it, who gave you God's Law? But none of you are living it. So why are you trying to kill me?" + The crowd said, "You're crazy! Who's trying to kill you? You're demon-possessed." + Jesus said, "I did one miraculous thing a few months ago, and you're still standing around getting all upset, wondering what I'm up to. + Moses prescribed circumcision--originally it came not from Moses but from his ancestors--and so you circumcise a man, dealing with one part of his body, even if it's the Sabbath. + You do this in order to preserve one item in the Law of Moses. So why are you upset with me because I made a man's whole body well on the Sabbath? + Don't be nitpickers; use your head--and heart!--to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right." + That's when some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Isn't this the one they were out to kill? + And here he is out in the open, saying whatever he pleases, and no one is stopping him. Could it be that the rulers know that he is, in fact, the Messiah? + And yet we know where this man came from. The Messiah is going to come out of nowhere. Nobody is going to know where he comes from." + That provoked Jesus, who was teaching in the Temple, to cry out, "Yes, you think you know me and where I'm from, but that's not where I'm from. I didn't set myself up in business. My true origin is in the One who sent me, and you don't know him at all. + I come from him--that's how I know him. He sent me here." + They were looking for a way to arrest him, but not a hand was laid on him because it wasn't yet God's time. + Many from the crowd committed themselves in faith to him, saying, "Will the Messiah, when he comes, provide better or more convincing evidence than this?" + The Pharisees, alarmed at this seditious undertow going through the crowd, teamed up with the high priests and sent their police to arrest him. + Jesus rebuffed them: "I am with you only a short time. Then I go on to the One who sent me. + You will look for me, but you won't find me. Where I am, you can't come." + The Jews put their heads together. "Where do you think he is going that we won't be able to find him? Do you think he is about to travel to the Greek world to teach the Jews? + What is he talking about, anyway: 'You will look for me, but you won't find me,' and 'Where I am, you can't come'?" + On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. + Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." + (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.) + Those in the crowd who heard these words were saying, "This has to be the Prophet." + Others said, "He is the Messiah!" But others were saying, "The Messiah doesn't come from Galilee, does he? + Don't the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David's line and from Bethlehem, David's village?" + So there was a split in the crowd over him. + Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him. + That's when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, "Why didn't you bring him with you?" + The police answered, "Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man." + The Pharisees said, "Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? + You don't see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? + It's only this crowd, ignorant of God's Law, that is taken in by him--and damned." + Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. + "Does our Law decide about a man's guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?" + But they cut him off. "Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? + Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee." Then they all went home. + + + Jesus went across to Mount Olives, + but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. + The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone + and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. + Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" + They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. + They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." + Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. + Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. + Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?" + "No one, Master." "Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin." + Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in." + The Pharisees objected, "All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on." + Jesus replied, "You're right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I've come from and where I go next. You don't know where I'm from or where I'm headed. + You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. + But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. + That fulfills the conditions set down in God's Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. + And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me." + They said, "Where is this so-called Father of yours?" Jesus said, "You're looking right at me and you don't see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father." + He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn't yet up. + Then he went over the same ground again. "I'm leaving and you are going to look for me, but you're missing God in this and are headed for a dead end. There is no way you can come with me." + The Jews said, "So, is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by 'You can't come with me'?" + Jesus said, "You're tied down to the mundane; I'm in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I'm living on other terms. + I told you that you were missing God in all this. You're at a dead end. If you won't believe I am who I say I am, you're at the dead end of sins. You're missing God in your lives." + They said to him, "Just who are you anyway?" Jesus said, "What I've said from the start. + I have so many things to say that concern you, judgments to make that affect you, but if you don't accept the trustworthiness of the One who commanded my words and acts, none of it matters. That is who you are questioning--not me but the One who sent me." + They still didn't get it, didn't realize that he was referring to the Father. + So Jesus tried again. "When you raise up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am--that I'm not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught me. + The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn't abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him." + When he put it in these terms, many people decided to believe. + Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. + Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." + Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?" + Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. + A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. + So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. + I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. + I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father." + They were indignant. "Our father is Abraham!" Jesus said, "If you were Abraham's children, you would have been doing the things Abraham did. + And yet here you are trying to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth he got straight from God! Abraham never did that sort of thing. + You persist in repeating the works of your father." They said, "We're not bastards. We have a legitimate father: the one and only God." + "If God was your father," said Jesus, "you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn't come on my own. He sent me. + Why can't you understand one word I say? Here's why: You can't handle it. + You're from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn't stand the truth because there wasn't a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. + I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. + Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me? + Anyone on God's side listens to God's words. This is why you're not listening--because you're not on God's side." + The Jews then said, "That clinches it. We were right all along when we called you a Samaritan and said you were crazy--demon-possessed!" + Jesus said, "I'm not crazy. I simply honor my Father, while you dishonor me. + I am not trying to get anything for myself. God intends something gloriously grand here and is making the decisions that will bring it about. + I say this with absolute confidence. If you practice what I'm telling you, you'll never have to look death in the face." + At this point the Jews said, "Now we know you're crazy. Abraham died. The prophets died. And you show up saying, 'If you practice what I'm telling you, you'll never have to face death, not even a taste.' + Are you greater than Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you think you are!" + Jesus said, "If I turned the spotlight on myself, it wouldn't amount to anything. But my Father, the same One you say is your Father, put me here at this time and place of splendor. + You haven't recognized him in this. But I have. If I, in false modesty, said I didn't know what was going on, I would be as much of a liar as you are. But I do know, and I am doing what he says. + Abraham--your 'father'--with jubilant faith looked down the corridors of history and saw my day coming. He saw it and cheered." + The Jews said, "You're not even fifty years old--and Abraham saw you?" + "Believe me," said Jesus, "I am who I am long before Abraham was anything." + That did it--pushed them over the edge. They picked up rocks to throw at him. But Jesus slipped away, getting out of the Temple. + + + Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. + His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" + Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. + We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. + For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world's Light." + He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man's eyes, + and said, "Go, wash at the Pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "Sent"). The man went and washed--and saw. + Soon the town was buzzing. His relatives and those who year after year had seen him as a blind man begging were saying, "Why, isn't this the man we knew, who sat here and begged?" + Others said, "It's him all right!" But others objected, "It's not the same man at all. It just looks like him." He said, "It's me, the very one." + They said, "How did your eyes get opened?" + "A man named Jesus made a paste and rubbed it on my eyes and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' I did what he said. When I washed, I saw." + "So where is he?" "I don't know." + They marched the man to the Pharisees. + This day when Jesus made the paste and healed his blindness was the Sabbath. + The Pharisees grilled him again on how he had come to see. He said, "He put a clay paste on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see." + Some of the Pharisees said, "Obviously, this man can't be from God. He doesn't keep the Sabbath." Others countered, "How can a bad man do miraculous, God-revealing things like this?" There was a split in their ranks. + They came back at the blind man, "You're the expert. He opened your eyes. What do you say about him?" He said, "He is a prophet." + The Jews didn't believe it, didn't believe the man was blind to begin with. So they called the parents of the man now bright-eyed with sight. + They asked them, "Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he now sees?" + His parents said, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. + But we don't know how he came to see--haven't a clue about who opened his eyes. Why don't you ask him? He's a grown man and can speak for himself." + (His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who took a stand that this was the Messiah would be kicked out of the meeting place. + That's why his parents said, "Ask him. He's a grown man.") + They called the man back a second time--the man who had been blind--and told him, "Give credit to God. We know this man is an impostor." + He replied, "I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see." + They said, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" + "I've told you over and over and you haven't listened. Why do you want to hear it again? Are you so eager to become his disciples?" + With that they jumped all over him. "You might be a disciple of that man, but we're disciples of Moses. + We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from." + The man replied, "This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! + It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. + That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of--ever. + If this man didn't come from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything." + They said, "You're nothing but dirt! How dare you take that tone with us!" Then they threw him out in the street. + Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and went and found him. He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" + The man said, "Point him out to me, sir, so that I can believe in him." + Jesus said, "You're looking right at him. Don't you recognize my voice?" + "Master, I believe," the man said, and worshiped him. + Jesus then said, "I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind." + Some Pharisees overheard him and said, "Does that mean you're calling us blind?" + Jesus said, "If you were really blind, you would be blameless, but since you claim to see everything so well, you're accountable for every fault and failure. + + + "Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good--a sheep rustler! + The shepherd walks right up to the gate. + The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. + When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. + They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it." + Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. + So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. + All those others are up to no good--sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. + I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for--will freely go in and out, and find pasture. + A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. + "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. + A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. + He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. + "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. + In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. + You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. + This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. + No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." + This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. + A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a maniac--out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?" + But others weren't so sure: "These aren't the words of a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?" + They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter. + Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon's Porch. + The Jews, circling him, said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you're the Messiah, tell us straight out." + Jesus answered, "I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. + You don't believe because you're not my sheep. + My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. + I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. + The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. + I and the Father are one heart and mind." + Again the Jews picked up rocks to throw at him. + Jesus said, "I have made a present to you from the Father of a great many good actions. For which of these acts do you stone me?" + The Jews said, "We're not stoning you for anything good you did, but for what you said--this blasphemy of calling yourself God." + Jesus said, "I'm only quoting your inspired Scriptures, where God said, 'I tell you--you are gods.' + If God called your ancestors 'gods'--and Scripture doesn't lie-- + why do you yell, 'Blasphemer! Blasphemer!' at the unique One the Father consecrated and sent into the world, just because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? + If I don't do the things my Father does, well and good; don't believe me. + But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. Then perhaps things will come together for you, and you'll see that not only are we doing the same thing, we are the same--Father and Son. He is in me; I am in him." + They tried yet again to arrest him, but he slipped through their fingers. + He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and stayed there. + A lot of people followed him over. They were saying, "John did no miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true." + Many believed in him then and there. + + + A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. + This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord's feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. + So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick." + When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son." + Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, + but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. + After the two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." + They said, "Rabbi, you can't do that. The Jews are out to kill you, and you're going back?" + Jesus replied, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in daylight doesn't stumble because there's plenty of light from the sun. + Walking at night, he might very well stumble because he can't see where he's going." + He said these things, and then announced, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I'm going to wake him up." + The disciples said, "Master, if he's gone to sleep, he'll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine." + Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap. + Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. + And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him." + That's when Thomas, the one called the Twin, said to his companions, "Come along. We might as well die with him." + When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. + Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, + and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. + Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house. + Martha said, "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. + Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you." + Jesus said, "Your brother will be raised up." + Martha replied, "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time." + "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. + And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?" + "Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world." + After saying this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear, "The Teacher is here and is asking for you." + The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. + Jesus had not yet entered the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him. + When her sympathizing Jewish friends saw Mary run off, they followed her, thinking she was on her way to the tomb to weep there. + Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." + When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. + He said, "Where did you put him?" "Master, come and see," they said. + Now Jesus wept. + The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him." + Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man." + Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it. + Jesus said, "Remove the stone." The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, "Master, by this time there's a stench. He's been dead four days!" + Jesus looked her in the eye. "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" + Then, to the others, "Go ahead, take away the stone." They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, "Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me. + I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me." + Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" + And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose." + That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him. + But some went back to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. + The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. "What do we do now?" they asked. "This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. + If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have." + Then one of them--it was Caiaphas, the designated Chief Priest that year--spoke up, "Don't you know anything? + Can't you see that it's to our advantage that one man dies for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed?" + He didn't say this of his own accord, but as Chief Priest that year he unwittingly prophesied that Jesus was about to die sacrificially for the nation, + and not only for the nation but so that all God's exile-scattered children might be gathered together into one people. + From that day on, they plotted to kill him. + So Jesus no longer went out in public among the Jews. He withdrew into the country bordering the desert to a town called Ephraim and secluded himself there with his disciples. + The Jewish Passover was coming up. Crowds of people were making their way from the country up to Jerusalem to get themselves ready for the Feast. + They were curious about Jesus. There was a lot of talk of him among those standing around in the Temple: "What do you think? Do you think he'll show up at the Feast or not?" + Meanwhile, the high priests and Pharisees gave out the word that anyone getting wind of him should inform them. They were all set to arrest him. + + + Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. + Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. + Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus' feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house. + Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, + "Why wasn't this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces." + He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them. + Jesus said, "Let her alone. She's anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. + You always have the poor with you. You don't always have me." + Word got out among the Jews that he was back in town. The people came to take a look, not only at Jesus but also at Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. + So the high priests plotted to kill Lazarus + because so many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus on account of him. + The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem. + They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God's name! Yes! The King of Israel! + Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it: + No fear, Daughter Zion: See how your king comes, riding a donkey's colt. + The disciples didn't notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him. + The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts. + It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade. + The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: "It's out of control. The world's in a stampede after him." + There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. + They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?" + Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. + Jesus answered, "Time's up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. + "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. + In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal. + "If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me. + "Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? 'Father, get me out of this'? No, this is why I came in the first place. + I'll say, 'Father, put your glory on display.'" A voice came out of the sky: "I have glorified it, and I'll glorify it again." + The listening crowd said, "Thunder!" Others said, "An angel spoke to him!" + Jesus said, "The voice didn't come for me but for you. + At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. + And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me." + He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death. + Voices from the crowd answered, "We heard from God's Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man 'be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?" + Jesus said, "For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going. + As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You'll be children of light." Jesus said all this, and then went into hiding. + All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn't get it, still wouldn't trust him. + This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right: God, who believed what we preached? Who recognized God's arm, outstretched and ready to act? + First they wouldn't believe, then they couldn't--again, just as Isaiah said: + Their eyes are blinded, their hearts are hardened, So that they wouldn't see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts, And turn to me, God, so I could heal them. + Isaiah said these things after he got a glimpse of God's cascading brightness that would pour through the Messiah. + On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn't come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. + When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God's glory. + Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, "Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me. + Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. + I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won't have to stay any longer in the dark. + "If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; + I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. + I'm not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. + And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That's all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you." + + + Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. + It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. + Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. + So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. + Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. + When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?" + Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later." + Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet--ever!" Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing." + "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!" + Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." + (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") + After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table. Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? + You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. + So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. + I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. + I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. + If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it--and live a blessed life. + "I'm not including all of you in this. I know precisely whom I've selected, so as not to interfere with the fulfillment of this Scripture: The one who ate bread at my table Turned on his heel against me. + "I'm telling you all this ahead of time so that when it happens you will believe that I am who I say I am. + Make sure you get this right: Receiving someone I send is the same as receiving me, just as receiving me is the same as receiving the One who sent me." + After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. "One of you is going to betray me." + The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. + One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. + Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. + So, being the closest, he said, "Master, who?" + Jesus said, "The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I've dipped it." Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. + As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him. "What you must do," said Jesus, "do. Do it and get it over with." + No one around the supper table knew why he said this to him. + Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor. + Judas, with the piece of bread, left. It was night. + When he had left, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, + God's glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified--glory all around! + "Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I'm telling you: 'Where I go, you are not able to come.' + "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. + This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other." + Simon Peter asked, "Master, just where are you going?" Jesus answered, "You can't now follow me where I'm going. You will follow later." + "Master," said Peter, "why can't I follow now? I'll lay down my life for you!" + "Really? You'll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times." + + + "Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. + There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? + And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. + And you already know the road I'm taking." + Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?" + Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. + If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!" + Philip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content." + "You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' + Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act. + "Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see--these works. + The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. + From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. + Whatever you request in this way, I'll do. + "If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. + I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. + This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you! + "I will not leave you orphaned. I'm coming back. + In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you're going to see me because I am alive and you're about to come alive. + At that moment you will know absolutely that I'm in my Father, and you're in me, and I'm in you. + "The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that's who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him." + Judas (not Iscariot) said, "Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?" + "Because a loveless world," said Jesus, "is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him--we'll move right into the neighborhood! + Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn't mine. It's the message of the Father who sent me. + "I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. + The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. + I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left--feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught. + "You've heard me tell you, 'I'm going away, and I'm coming back.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I'm on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life. + "I've told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. + I'll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don't worry--he has nothing on me, no claim on me. + But so the world might know how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father's instructions right down to the last detail. "Get up. Let's go. It's time to leave here. + + + "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. + He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. + You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. + "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. + "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. + Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. + But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. + This is how my Father shows who he is--when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. + "I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. + If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done--kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love. + "I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. + This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. + This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. + You are my friends when you do the things I command you. + I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father. + "You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you. + "But remember the root command: Love one another. + "If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. + If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you. + "When that happens, remember this: Servants don't get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them. + "They are going to do all these things to you because of the way they treated me, because they don't know the One who sent me. + If I hadn't come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn't be so bad. As it is, they have no excuse. + Hate me, hate my Father--it's all the same. + If I hadn't done what I have done among them, works no one has ever done, they wouldn't be to blame. But they saw the God-signs and hated anyway, both me and my Father. + Interesting--they have verified the truth of their own Scriptures where it is written, 'They hated me for no good reason.' + "When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes--the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father--he will confirm everything about me. + You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start. + + + "I've told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. + They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he's doing God a favor. + They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. + I've told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you'll be well-warned and ready for them. "I didn't tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. + But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, 'Where are you going?' + Instead, the longer I've talked, the sadder you've become. + So let me say it again, this truth: It's better for you that I leave. If I don't leave, the Friend won't come. But if I go, I'll send him to you. + "When he comes, he'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: + He'll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; + that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; + that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted. + "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. + But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. + He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. + Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, 'He takes from me and delivers to you.' + "In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me." + That stirred up a hornet's nest of questions among the disciples: "What's he talking about: 'In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? And, 'Because I'm on my way to the Father'? + What is this 'day or so'? We don't know what he's talking about." + Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, "Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, 'In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? + Then fix this firmly in your minds: You're going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness. + "When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. + The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you'll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. + You'll no longer be so full of questions. "This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. + Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! + "I've used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I'll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. + Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I've revealed to you. I won't continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. + I won't need to. Because you've gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. + First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father." + His disciples said, "Finally! You're giving it to us straight, in plain talk--no more figures of speech. + Now we know that you know everything--it all comes together in you. You won't have to put up with our questions anymore. We're convinced you came from God." + Jesus answered them, "Do you finally believe? + In fact, you're about to make a run for it--saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I'm not abandoned. The Father is with me. + I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world." + + + Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said: Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. + You put him in charge of everything human So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. + And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. + I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do. + And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in your presence Before there was a world. + I spelled out your character in detail To the men and women you gave me. They were yours in the first place; Then you gave them to me, And they have now done what you said. + They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, That everything you gave me is firsthand from you, + For the message you gave me, I gave them; And they took it, and were convinced That I came from you. They believed that you sent me. + I pray for them. I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world But for those you gave me, For they are yours by right. + Everything mine is yours, and yours mine, And my life is on display in them. + For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world; They'll continue in the world While I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life That you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind + As we are one heart and mind. As long as I was with them, I guarded them In the pursuit of the life you gave through me; I even posted a night watch. And not one of them got away, Except for the rebel bent on destruction (the exception that proved the rule of Scripture). + Now I'm returning to you. I'm saying these things in the world's hearing So my people can experience My joy completed in them. + I gave them your word; The godless world hated them because of it, Because they didn't join the world's ways, + Just as I didn't join the world's ways. I'm not asking that you take them out of the world But that you guard them from the Evil One. + They are no more defined by the world Than I am defined by the world. + Make them holy--consecrated--with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. + In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. + I'm consecrating myself for their sakes So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission. + I'm praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. + The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind-- Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. + The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they'll be as unified and together as we are-- + I in them and you in me. Then they'll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them In the same way you've loved me. + Father, I want those you gave me To be with me, right where I am, So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me, Having loved me Long before there ever was a world. + Righteous Father, the world has never known you, But I have known you, and these disciples know That you sent me on this mission. + I have made your very being known to them-- Who you are and what you do-- And continue to make it known, So that your love for me Might be in them Exactly as I am in them. + + + Jesus, having prayed this prayer, left with his disciples and crossed over the brook Kidron at a place where there was a garden. He and his disciples entered it. + Judas, his betrayer, knew the place because Jesus and his disciples went there often. + So Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed. They arrived there with lanterns and torches and swords. + Jesus, knowing by now everything that was coming down on him, went out and met them. He said, "Who are you after?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." + He said, "That's me." The soldiers recoiled, totally taken aback. Judas, his betrayer, stood out like a sore thumb. + (SEE 18:5) + Jesus asked again, "Who are you after?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." + "I told you," said Jesus, "that's me. I'm the one. So if it's me you're after, let these others go." + (This validated the words in his prayer, "I didn't lose one of those you gave.") + Just then Simon Peter, who was carrying a sword, pulled it from its sheath and struck the Chief Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Malchus was the servant's name. + Jesus ordered Peter, "Put back your sword. Do you think for a minute I'm not going to drink this cup the Father gave me?" + Then the Roman soldiers under their commander, joined by the Jewish police, seized Jesus and tied him up. + They took him first to Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the Chief Priest that year. + It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people. + Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That other disciple was known to the Chief Priest, and so he went in with Jesus to the Chief Priest's courtyard. + Peter had to stay outside. Then the other disciple went out, spoke to the doorkeeper, and got Peter in. + The young woman who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" He said, "No, I'm not." + The servants and police had made a fire because of the cold and were huddled there warming themselves. Peter stood with them, trying to get warm. + Annas interrogated Jesus regarding his disciples and his teaching. + Jesus answered, "I've spoken openly in public. I've taught regularly in meeting places and the Temple, where the Jews all come together. Everything has been out in the open. I've said nothing in secret. + So why are you treating me like a conspirator? Question those who have been listening to me. They know well what I have said. My teachings have all been aboveboard." + When he said this, one of the policemen standing there slapped Jesus across the face, saying, "How dare you speak to the Chief Priest like that!" + Jesus replied, "If I've said something wrong, prove it. But if I've spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?" + Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to the Chief Priest Caiaphas. + Meanwhile, Simon Peter was back at the fire, still trying to get warm. The others there said to him, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" He denied it, "Not me." + One of the Chief Priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you in the garden with him?" + Again, Peter denied it. Just then a rooster crowed. + They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor's palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn't enter the palace because they didn't want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. + So Pilate came out to them and spoke. "What charge do you bring against this man?" + They said, "If he hadn't been doing something evil, do you think we'd be here bothering you?" + Pilate said, "You take him. Judge him by your law." The Jews said, "We're not allowed to kill anyone." + (This would confirm Jesus' word indicating the way he would die.) + Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" + Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?" + Pilate said, "Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?" + "My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king." + Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?" Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice." + Pilate said, "What is truth?" Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, "I find nothing wrong in this man. + It's your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the 'King of the Jews'?" + They shouted back, "Not this one, but Barabbas!" Barabbas was a Jewish freedom fighter. + + + So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. + The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, + and approached him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him with slaps in the face. + Pilate went back out again and said to them, "I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime." + Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe. Pilate announced, "Here he is: the Man." + When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate told them, "You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him." + The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God." + When Pilate heard this, he became even more scared. + He went back into the palace and said to Jesus, "Where did you come from?" Jesus gave no answer. + Pilate said, "You won't talk? Don't you know that I have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to--crucify you?" + Jesus said, "You haven't a shred of authority over me except what has been given you from heaven. That's why the one who betrayed me to you has committed a far greater fault." + At this, Pilate tried his best to pardon him, but the Jews shouted him down: "If you pardon this man, you're no friend of Caesar's. Anyone setting himself up as 'king' defies Caesar." + When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). + It was the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king." + They shouted back, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!" Pilate said, "I am to crucify your king?" The high priests answered, "We have no king except Caesar." + Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over to be crucified. They took Jesus away. + Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), + where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. + Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read: JESUS THE NAZARENE THE KING OF THE JEWS. + Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. + The Jewish high priests objected. "Don't write," they said to Pilate, "'The King of the Jews.' Make it, 'This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."'" + Pilate said, "What I've written, I've written." + When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, + so they said to each other, "Let's not tear it up. Let's throw dice to see who gets it." This confirmed the Scripture that said, "They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat." (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!) While the soldiers were looking after themselves, + Jesus' mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. + Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." + Then to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother. + Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, "I'm thirsty." + A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. + After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done . . . complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit. + Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn't stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. + So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. + When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs. + One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out. + The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe. + These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, "Not a bone in his body was broken," + and the other Scripture that reads, "They will stare at the one they pierced." + After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body. + Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. + They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. + There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. + So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it. + + + Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. + She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him." + Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. + They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. + Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. + Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, + and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. + Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. + No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. + The disciples then went back home. + But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb + and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. + They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." + After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him. + Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?" She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him." + Jesus said, "Mary." Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!" + Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'" + Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her. + Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." + Then he showed them his hands and side. The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. + Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you." + Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said. + "If you forgive someone's sins, they're gone for good. If you don't forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?" + But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. + The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master." But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it." + Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." + Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe." + Thomas said, "My Master! My God!" + Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing." + Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. + These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it. + + + After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: + Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed "Twin"), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. + Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing." The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. + When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him. + Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No." + He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in. + Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!" When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. + The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. + When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it. + Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." + Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore--153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip. + Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." Not one of the disciples dared ask, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master. + Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. + This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead. + After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." + He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my sheep." + Then he said it a third time: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, "Do you love me?" so he answered, "Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. + I'm telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you'll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don't want to go." + He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, "Follow me." + Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. + When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, "Master, what's going to happen to him?" + Jesus said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You--follow me." + That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you?" + This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate. + There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books. + + + + + Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach + until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. + After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. + As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but "must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. + John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon." + When they were together for the last time they asked, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?" + He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. + What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world." + These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. + They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared--in white robes! + They said, "You Galileans!--why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly--and mysteriously--as he left." + So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. + They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas, son of James. + They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus' mother, Mary, and his brothers. + During this time, Peter stood up in the company--there were about one hundred twenty of them in the room at the time-- + and said, "Friends, long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas, who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That Scripture had to be fulfilled, and now has been. + Judas was one of us and had his assigned place in this ministry. + "As you know, he took the evil bribe money and bought a small farm. There he came to a bad end, rupturing his belly and spilling his guts. + Everybody in Jerusalem knows this by now; they call the place Murder Meadow. + It's exactly what we find written in the Psalms: Let his farm become haunted So no one can ever live there. "And also what was written later: Let someone else take over his post. + "Judas must now be replaced. The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us + from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension, designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection." + They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. + Then they prayed, "You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two men you choose + to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way." + They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles. + + + When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. + Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force--no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. + Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, + and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. + There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. + When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. + They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? + How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? + Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, + Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene; Immigrants from Rome, + both Jews and proselytes; Even Cretans and Arabs! "They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!" + Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?" + Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine." + That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. + These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk--it's only nine o'clock in the morning. + This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen: + "In the Last Days," God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams. + When the time comes, I'll pour out my Spirit On those who serve me, men and women both, and they'll prophesy. + I'll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, Blood and fire and billowing smoke, + the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord arrives, the Day tremendous and marvelous; + And whoever calls out for help to me, God, will be saved." + "Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you--the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge-- + this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. + But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. + David said it all: I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side. + I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I've pitched my tent in the land of hope. + I know you'll never dump me in Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death. + You've got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around. + "Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried--his tomb is in plain sight today. + But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, + seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah--'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' + This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. + Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. + For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand + Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet." + "All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt--God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross." + Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?" + Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. + The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away--whomever, in fact, our Master God invites." + He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!" + That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. + They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. + Everyone around was in awe--all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! + And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. + They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. + They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, + as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. + + + One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. + At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. + When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. + Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." + He looked up, expecting to get something from them. + Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" + He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. + He jumped to his feet and walked. The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. + Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. + They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing. + The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves. + When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people: "Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? + The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. + You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. + You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead--and we're the witnesses. + Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet--yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes. + "And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. + But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans. + "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, + and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. + For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. + Moses, for instance, said, 'Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. + Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.' + "All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. + These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: 'By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.' + But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways." + + + While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up, + indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus. + They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening. + But many of those who listened had already believed the Message--in round numbers about five thousand! + The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, + Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander--everybody who was anybody was there. + They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: "Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?" + With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: "Rulers and leaders of the people, + if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, + I'll be completely frank with you--we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. + Jesus is 'the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.' + Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one." + They couldn't take their eyes off them--Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, + but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright--so healed!--what could they say against that? + They sent them out of the room so they could work out a plan. They talked it over: + "What can we do with these men? By now it's known all over town that a miracle has occurred, and that they are behind it. There is no way we can refute that. + But so that it doesn't go any further, let's silence them with threats so they won't dare to use Jesus' name ever again with anyone." + They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. + But Peter and John spoke right back, "Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. + As for us, there's no question--we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard." + The religious leaders renewed their threats, but then released them. They couldn't come up with a charge that would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn't have stood for it--they were all praising God over what had happened. + The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old. + As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. + Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: "Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. + By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David: Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? + Earth's leaders push for position, Potentates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers! + "For in fact they did meet--Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself!--met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah, + to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion. + "And now they're at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, + as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus." + While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence. + The whole congregation of believers was united as one--one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything. + The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. + And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale + to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need. + Joseph, called by the apostles "Barnabas" (which means "Son of Comfort"), a Levite born in Cyprus, + sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles. + + + But a man named Ananias--his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him--sold a piece of land, + secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it. + Peter said, "Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? + Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn't lie to men but to God." + Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. + The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him. + Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. + Peter said, "Tell me, were you given this price for your field?" "Yes," she said, "that price." + Peter responded, "What's going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you're next." + No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. + By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with. + Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. + But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. + On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. + They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter's shadow when he walked by. + They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed. + Provoked mightily by all this, the Chief Priest and those on his side, mainly the sect of Sadducees, went into action, + arrested the apostles, and put them in the town jail. + But during the night an angel of God opened the jailhouse door and led them out. + He said, "Go to the Temple and take your stand. Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life." + Promptly obedient, they entered the Temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching. Meanwhile, the Chief Priest and his cronies convened the High Council, Israel's senate, and sent to the jail to have the prisoners brought in. + When the police got there, they couldn't find them anywhere in the jail. They went back and reported, + "We found the jail locked tight as a drum and the guards posted at the doors, but when we went inside we didn't find a soul." + The chief of the Temple police and the high priests were puzzled. "What's going on here anyway?" + Just then someone showed up and said, "Did you know that the men you put in jail are back in the Temple teaching the people?" + The chief and his police went and got them, but they handled them gently, fearful that the people would riot and turn on them. + Bringing them back, they stood them before the High Council. The Chief Priest said, + "Didn't we give you strict orders not to teach in Jesus' name? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying your best to blame us for the death of this man." + Peter and the apostles answered, "It's necessary to obey God rather than men. + The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on a cross. + God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. + And we are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates every detail." + When they heard that, they were furious and wanted to kill them on the spot. + But one of the council members stood up, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of God's Law who was honored by everyone. He ordered the men taken out of the room for a short time, + then said, "Fellow Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. + Not long ago Theudas made something of a splash, claiming to be somebody, and got about four hundred men to join him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and nothing came of it. + A little later, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and acquired a following. He also fizzled out and the people following him were scattered to the four winds. + "So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, + but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it--and you better not be found fighting against God!" + That convinced them. They called the apostles back in. After giving them a thorough whipping, they warned them not to speak in Jesus' name and sent them off. + The apostles went out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the Name. + Every day they were in the Temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute. + + + During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers--"Hellenists"--toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. + So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, "It wouldn't be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. + So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we'll assign them this task. + Meanwhile, we'll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God's Word." + The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose-- Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. + Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task. + The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith. + Stephen, brimming with God's grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. + But then some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him trying to argue him down. + But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke. + So in secret they bribed men to lie: "We heard him cursing Moses and God." + That stirred up the people, the religious leaders, and religion scholars. They grabbed Stephen and took him before the High Council + They put forward their bribed witnesses to testify: "This man talks nonstop against this Holy Place and God's Law. + We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the customs Moses gave us." + As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn't take their eyes off him--his face was like the face of an angel! + + + Then the Chief Priest said, "What do you have to say for yourself?" + Stephen replied, "Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before the move to Haran, + and told him, 'Leave your country and family and go to the land I'll show you.' + "So he left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the death of his father, he immigrated to this country where you now live, + but God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold. He did promise to give the country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no son at the time. + God let him know that his offspring would move to an alien country where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. + 'But,' God said, 'I will step in and take care of those slaveholders and bring my people out so they can worship me in this place.' + "Then he made a covenant with him and signed it in Abraham's flesh by circumcision. When Abraham had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of circumcision in him. Isaac became father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve 'fathers,' each faithfully passing on the covenant sign. + "But then those 'fathers,' burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God was right there with him, though-- + he not only rescued him from all his troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including his own personal affairs. + "Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. + Jacob heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. + Having confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. + Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. + That's how the Jacob family got to Egypt. "Jacob died, and our fathers after him. + They were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb for which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor. + "When the four hundred years were nearly up, the time God promised Abraham for deliverance, the population of our people in Egypt had become very large. + And there was now a king over Egypt who had never heard of Joseph. + He exploited our race mercilessly. He went so far as forcing us to abandon our newborn infants, exposing them to the elements to die a cruel death. + "In just such a time Moses was born, a most beautiful baby. He was hidden at home for three months. + When he could be hidden no longer, he was put outside--and immediately rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, who mothered him as her own son. + Moses was educated in the best schools in Egypt. He was equally impressive as a thinker and an athlete. + "When he was forty years old, he wondered how everything was going with his Hebrew kin and went out to look things over. + He saw an Egyptian abusing one of them and stepped in, avenging his underdog brother by knocking the Egyptian flat. + He thought his brothers would be glad that he was on their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver them. But they didn't see it that way. + The next day two of them were fighting and he tried to break it up, told them to shake hands and get along with each other: 'Friends, you are brothers, why are you beating up on each other?' + "The one who had started the fight said, 'Who put you in charge of us? + Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' + When Moses heard that, realizing that the word was out, he ran for his life and lived in exile over in Midian. During the years of exile, two sons were born to him. + "Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the guise of flames of a burning bush. + Moses, not believing his eyes, went up to take a closer look. He heard God's voice: + 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Frightened nearly out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away. + "God said, 'Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. + I've seen the agony of my people in Egypt. I've heard their groans. I've come to help them. So get yourself ready; I'm sending you back to Egypt.' + "This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, 'Who put you in charge of us?' This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. + He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years. + This is the Moses who said to his congregation, 'God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.' + This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, + words our fathers would have nothing to do with. "They craved the old Egyptian ways, + whining to Aaron, 'Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere--who knows what's happened to him!' + That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together. + "God wasn't at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike--and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos: Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains those forty wilderness years, O Israel? + Hardly. You were too busy building shrines to war gods, to sex goddesses, Worshiping them with all your might. That's why I put you in exile in Babylon. + "And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact specifications God provided Moses. + They had it with them as they followed Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. + David asked God for a permanent place for worship. + But Solomon built it. + "Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, + "Heaven is my throne room; I rest my feet on earth. So what kind of house will you build me?" says God. "Where I can get away and relax? + It's already built, and I built it." + "And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. + Was there ever a prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family tradition--traitors and murderers, all of you. + You had God's Law handed to you by angels--gift-wrapped!--and you squandered it!" + At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. + But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed--he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. + He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!" + Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, + they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them. + As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." + Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"--his last words. Then he died. Saul was right there, congratulating the killers. + + + That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. + Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral--not many dry eyes that day! + And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. + Forced to leave home base, the Christians all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. + Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. + When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God's action, they hung on his every word. + Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. + And what joy in the city! + Previous to Philip's arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry. + He had them all, from little children to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and called him "the Great Wizard." + He had been around a long time and everyone was more or less in awe of him. + But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God's kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left! + Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip's shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn't leave Philip's side. + When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John down + to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. + Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on them. + Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy Spirit. + When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, + and said, "Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!" + Peter said, "To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that's unthinkable--trying to buy God's gift! + You'll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. + Change your ways--and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. + I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust." + "Oh!" said Simon, "pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!" + And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God's salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem. + Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza." + He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. + He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. + The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot." + Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" + He answered, "How can I without some help?" and invited Philip into the chariot with him. + The passage he was reading was this: As a sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as a lamb being sheared, He was silent, saying nothing. + He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial. But who now can count his kin since he's been taken from the earth? + The eunuch said, "Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?" + Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him. + As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, "Here's water. Why can't I be baptized?" + (OMITTED TEXT) + He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. + When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn't mind. He had what he'd come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be. + Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea. + + + All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master's disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest + and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem. + He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. + As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?" + He said, "Who are you, Master?" "I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down. + I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next." + His companions stood there dumbstruck--they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone-- + while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. + He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing. + There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: "Ananias." "Yes, Master?" he answered. + "Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. + He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again." + Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be serious. Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! + And now he's shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us." + But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to Gentiles and kings and Jews. + And now I'm about to show him what he's in for--the hard suffering that goes with this job." + So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." + No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul's eyes--he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, + and sat down with them to a hearty meal. Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, + but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. + They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, "Isn't this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn't he come here to do the same thing--arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?" + But their suspicions didn't slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah. + After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill him, + but Saul got wind of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so they could kill him. + Then one night the disciples engineered his escape by lowering him over the wall in a basket. + Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn't trust him one bit. + Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name. + After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. + But then he ran afoul of a group called Hellenists--he had been engaged in a running argument with them--who plotted his murder. + When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus. + Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country--Judea, Samaria, Galilee--the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully. + Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches. In the course of his travels he arrived in Lydda and met with the believers there. + He came across a man--his name was Aeneas--who had been in bed eight years paralyzed. + Peter said, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!" And he did it--jumped right out of bed. + Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them. + Down the road a way in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, "Gazelle" in our language. She was well-known for doing good and helping out. + During the time Peter was in the area she became sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial and put her in a cool room. + Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to come over. + Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows, were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made while she was with them. + Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. + He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive. + When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. + Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner. + + + There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. + He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer. + One day about three o'clock in the afternoon he had a vision. An angel of God, as real as his next-door neighbor, came in and said, "Cornelius." + Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. Then he said, "What do you want, sir?" The angel said, "Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God's attention. + Here's what you are to do. Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter. + He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is down by the sea." + As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly devout soldier from the guard. + He went over with them in great detail everything that had just happened, and then sent them off to Joppa. + The next day as the three travelers were approaching the town, Peter went out on the balcony to pray. It was about noon. + Peter got hungry and started thinking about lunch. While lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. + He saw the skies open up. Something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes at its four corners settled on the ground. + Every kind of animal and reptile and bird you could think of was on it. + Then a voice came: "Go to it, Peter--kill and eat." + Peter said, "Oh, no, Lord. I've never so much as tasted food that was not kosher." + The voice came a second time: "If God says it's okay, it's okay." + This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the skies. + As Peter, puzzled, sat there trying to figure out what it all meant, the men sent by Cornelius showed up at Simon's front door. + They called in, asking if there was a Simon, also called Peter, staying there. + Peter, lost in thought, didn't hear them, so the Spirit whispered to him, "Three men are knocking at the door looking for you. + Get down there and go with them. Don't ask any questions. I sent them to get you." + Peter went down and said to the men, "I think I'm the man you're looking for. What's up?" + They said, "Captain Cornelius, a God-fearing man well-known for his fair play--ask any Jew in this part of the country--was commanded by a holy angel to get you and bring you to his house so he could hear what you had to say." + Peter invited them in and made them feel at home. The next morning he got up and went with them. Some of his friends from Joppa went along. + A day later they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had his relatives and close friends waiting with him. + The minute Peter came through the door, Cornelius was up on his feet greeting him--and then down on his face worshiping him! + Peter pulled him up and said, "None of that--I'm a man and only a man, no different from you." + Talking things over, they went on into the house, where Cornelius introduced Peter to everyone who had come. + Peter addressed them, "You know, I'm sure that this is highly irregular. Jews just don't do this--visit and relax with people of another race. But God has just shown me that no race is better than any other. + So the minute I was sent for, I came, no questions asked. But now I'd like to know why you sent for me." + Cornelius said, "Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light. + He said, 'Cornelius, your daily prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God's attention. + I want you to send to Joppa to get Simon, the one they call Peter. He's staying with Simon the Tanner down by the sea.' + "So I did it--I sent for you. And you've been good enough to come. And now we're all here in God's presence, ready to listen to whatever the Master put in your heart to tell us." + Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! + It makes no difference who you are or where you're from--if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. + The Message he sent to the children of Israel--that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again--well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone. + "You know the story of what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change. + Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him. + "And we saw it, saw it all, everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a cross. + But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be seen. + Not everyone saw him--he wasn't put on public display. Witnesses had been carefully handpicked by God beforehand--us! We were the ones, there to eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead. + He commissioned us to announce this in public, to bear solemn witness that he is in fact the One whom God destined as Judge of the living and dead. + But we're not alone in this. Our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sins is backed up by the witness of all the prophets." + No sooner were these words out of Peter's mouth than the Holy Spirit came on the listeners. + The believing Jews who had come with Peter couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on "outsider" Gentiles, + but there it was--they heard them speaking in tongues, heard them praising God. Then Peter said, + "Do I hear any objections to baptizing these friends with water? They've received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did." + Hearing no objections, he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay on for a few days. + + + The news traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard about it--heard that the non-Jewish "outsiders" were now "in." + When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some of his old associates, concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: + "What do you think you're doing rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited and ruining our good name?" + So Peter, starting from the beginning, laid it out for them step-by-step: + "Recently I was in the town of Joppa praying. I fell into a trance and saw a vision: Something like a huge blanket, lowered by ropes at its four corners, came down out of heaven and settled on the ground in front of me. + Milling around on the blanket were farm animals, wild animals, reptiles, birds--you name it, it was there. Fascinated, I took it all in. + "Then I heard a voice: 'Go to it, Peter--kill and eat.' + I said, 'Oh, no, Master. I've never so much as tasted food that wasn't kosher.' + The voice spoke again: 'If God says it's okay, it's okay.' + This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the sky. + "Just then three men showed up at the house where I was staying, sent from Caesarea to get me. + The Spirit told me to go with them, no questions asked. So I went with them, I and six friends, to the man who had sent for me. + He told us how he had seen an angel right in his own house, real as his next-door neighbor, saying, 'Send to Joppa and get Simon, the one they call Peter. + He'll tell you something that will save your life--in fact, you and everyone you care for.' + "So I started in, talking. Before I'd spoken half a dozen sentences, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us the first time. + I remembered Jesus' words: 'John baptized with water; you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' + So I ask you: If God gave the same exact gift to them as to us when we believed in the Master Jesus Christ, how could I object to God?" + Hearing it all laid out like that, they quieted down. And then, as it sank in, they started praising God. "It's really happened! God has broken through to the other nations, opened them up to Life!" + Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen's death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. + Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. + God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it--quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master. + When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. + As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. + He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit's ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master. + Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. + He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians. + It was about this same time that some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. + One of them named Agabus stood up one day and, prompted by the Spirit, warned that a severe famine was about to devastate the country. (The famine eventually came during the rule of Claudius.) + So the disciples decided that each of them would send whatever they could to their fellow Christians in Judea to help out. + They sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the collection to the leaders in Jerusalem. + + + That's when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. + He murdered James, John's brother. + When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter--all this during Passover Week, mind you-- + and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover. + All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously. + Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill. That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter slept like a baby. And there were guards at the door keeping their eyes on the place. Herod was taking no chances! + Suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: "Hurry!" The handcuffs fell off his wrists. + The angel said, "Get dressed. Put on your shoes." Peter did it. Then, "Grab your coat and let's get out of here." + Peter followed him, but didn't believe it was really an angel--he thought he was dreaming. + Past the first guard and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the breeze. At the first intersection the angel left him, going his own way. + That's when Peter realized it was no dream. "I can't believe it--this really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's vicious little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward to." + Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends. + When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. + But when she recognized his voice--Peter's voice!--she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street. + But they wouldn't believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said, "It must be his angel." + All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away. Finally they opened up and saw him--and went wild! + Peter put his hands up and calmed them down. He described how the Master had gotten him out of jail, then said, "Tell James and the brothers what's happened." He left them and went off to another place. + At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. "Where is Peter? What's happened to Peter?" + When Herod sent for him and they could neither produce him nor explain why not, he ordered their execution: "Off with their heads!" Fed up with Judea and Jews, he went for a vacation to Caesarea. + But things went from bad to worse for Herod. Now people from Tyre and Sidon put him on the warpath. But they got Blastus, King Herod's right-hand man, to put in a good word for them and got a delegation together to iron things out. Because they were dependent on Judea for food supplies, they couldn't afford to let this go on too long. + On the day set for their meeting, Herod, robed in pomposity, took his place on the throne and regaled them with a lot of hot air. + The people played their part to the hilt and shouted flatteries: "The voice of God! The voice of God!" + That was the last straw. God had had enough of Herod's arrogance and sent an angel to strike him down. Herod had given God no credit for anything. Down he went. Rotten to the core, a maggoty old man if there ever was one, he died. + Meanwhile, the ministry of God's Word grew by leaps and bounds. + Barnabas and Saul, once they had delivered the relief offering to the church in Jerusalem, went back to Antioch. This time they took John with them, the one they called Mark. + + + The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers: Barnabas, Simon, nicknamed Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod, Saul. + One day as they were worshiping God--they were also fasting as they waited for guidance--the Holy Spirit spoke: "Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do." + So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them off. + Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus. + The first thing they did when they put in at Salamis was preach God's Word in the Jewish meeting places. They had John along to help out as needed. + They traveled the length of the island, and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard + who had worked himself into the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily taken in by charlatans. The wizard's name was Bar-Jesus. He was as crooked as a corkscrew. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God's Word firsthand from them. + But Dr. Know-It-All (that's the wizard's name in plain English) stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. + But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, + "You bag of wind, you parody of a devil--why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. + But now you've come up against God himself, and your game is up. You're about to go blind--no sunlight for you for a good long stretch." He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way. + When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master. + From Paphos, Paul and company put out to sea, sailing on to Perga in Pamphylia. That's where John called it quits and went back to Jerusalem. + From Perga the rest of them traveled on to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the meeting place and took their places. + After the reading of the Scriptures--God's Law and the Prophets--the president of the meeting asked them, "Friends, do you have anything you want to say? A word of encouragement, perhaps?" + Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said, "Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. + God took a special interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. + He took good care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness + and then, having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of Canaan for their very own-- + a span in all of about four hundred fifty years. "Up to the time of Samuel the prophet, God provided judges to lead them. + But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, + God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: 'I've searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.' + "From out of David's descendants God produced a Savior for Israel, Jesus, exactly as he promised-- + but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to his arrival by preparing them for a total life-change. + As John was finishing up his work, he said, 'Did you think I was the One? No, I'm not the One. But the One you've been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to appear. And I'm about to disappear.' + "Dear brothers and sisters, children of Abraham, and friends of God, this message of salvation has been precisely targeted to you. + The citizens and rulers in Jerusalem didn't recognize who he was and condemned him to death. + They couldn't find a good reason, but demanded that Pilate execute him anyway. + They did just what the prophets said they would do, but had no idea they were following to the letter the script of the prophets, even though those same prophets are read every Sabbath in their meeting places. "After they had done everything the prophets said they would do, they took him down from the cross and buried him. + And then God raised him from death. + There is no disputing that--he appeared over and over again many times and places to those who had known him well in the Galilean years, and these same people continue to give witness that he is alive. + "And we're here today bringing you good news: the Message that what God promised the fathers + has come true for the children--for us! He raised Jesus, exactly as described in the second Psalm: My Son! My very own Son! Today I celebrate you! + "When he raised him from the dead, he did it for good--no going back to that rot and decay for him. That's why Isaiah said, 'I'll give to all of you David's guaranteed blessings.' + So also the psalmist's prayer: 'You'll never let your Holy One see death's rot and decay.' + "David, of course, having completed the work God set out for him, has been in the grave, dust and ashes, a long time now. + But the One God raised up--no dust and ashes for him! + I want you to know, my very dear friends, that it is on account of this resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised. + He accomplishes, in those who believe, everything that the Law of Moses could never make good on. But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is declared good and right and whole before God. + "Don't take this lightly. You don't want the prophet's sermon to describe you: + Watch out, cynics; Look hard--watch your world fall to pieces. I'm doing something right before your eyes That you won't believe, though it's staring you in the face." + When the service was over, Paul and Barnabas were invited back to preach again the next Sabbath. + As the meeting broke up, a good many Jews and converts to Judaism went along with Paul and Barnabas, who urged them in long conversations to stick with what they'd started, this living in and by God's grace. + When the next Sabbath came around, practically the whole city showed up to hear the Word of God. + Some of the Jews, seeing the crowds, went wild with jealousy and tore into Paul, contradicting everything he was saying, making an ugly scene. + But Paul and Barnabas didn't back down. Standing their ground they said, "It was required that God's Word be spoken first of all to you, the Jews. But seeing that you want no part of it--you've made it quite clear that you have no taste or inclination for eternal life--the door is open to all the outsiders. And we're on our way through it, + following orders, doing what God commanded when he said, I've set you up as light to all nations. You'll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!" + When the non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune. All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God--they honored God's Word by receiving that life. + And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region. + Some of the Jews convinced the most respected women and leading men of the town that their precious way of life was about to be destroyed. Alarmed, they turned on Paul and Barnabas and forced them to leave. + Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on to the next town, Iconium, + brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples. + + + When they got to Iconium they went, as they always did, to the meeting place of the Jews and gave their message. The Message convinced both Jews and non-Jews--and not just a few, either. + But the unbelieving Jews worked up a whispering campaign against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street. + The two apostles were there a long time, speaking freely, openly, and confidently as they presented the clear evidence of God's gifts, God corroborating their work with miracles and wonders. + But then there was a split in public opinion, some siding with the Jews, some with the apostles. + One day, learning that both the Jews and non-Jews had been organized by their leaders to beat them up, + they escaped as best they could to the next towns--Lyconia, Lystra, Derbe, and that neighborhood-- + but then were right back at it again, getting out the Message. + There was a man in Lystra who couldn't walk. He sat there, crippled since the day of his birth. + He heard Paul talking, and Paul, looking him in the eye, saw that he was ripe for God's work, ready to believe. + So he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Up on your feet!" The man was up in a flash--jumped up and walked around as if he'd been walking all his life. + When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they went wild, calling out in their Lyconian dialect, "The gods have come down! These men are gods!" + They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes" (since Paul did most of the speaking). + The priest of the local Zeus shrine got up a parade--bulls and banners and people lined right up to the gates, ready for the ritual of sacrifice. + When Barnabas and Paul finally realized what was going on, they stopped them. Waving their arms, they interrupted the parade, calling out, + "What do you think you're doing! We're not gods! We are men just like you, and we're here to bring you the Message, to persuade you to abandon these silly god-superstitions and embrace God himself, the living God. We don't make God; he makes us, and all of this--sky, earth, sea, and everything in them. + "In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their own way. + But even then he didn't leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing." + Talking fast and hard like this, they prevented them from carrying out the sacrifice that would have honored them as gods--but just barely. + Then some Jews from Antioch and Iconium caught up with them and turned the fickle crowd against them. They beat Paul unconscious, dragged him outside the town and left him for dead. + But as the disciples gathered around him, he came to and got up. He went back into town and the next day left with Barnabas for Derbe. + After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch, + putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn't be easy: "Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times." + Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying--their prayers intensified by fasting--they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives. + Working their way back through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia + and preached in Perga. Finally, they made it to Attalia + and caught a ship back to Antioch, where it had all started--launched by God's grace and now safely home by God's grace. A good piece of work. + On arrival, they got the church together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in. + Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples. + + + It wasn't long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: "If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't be saved." + Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem. + After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the Gentile outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered--it was terrific news! + When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. + Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. "You have to circumcise the pagan converts," they said. "You must make them keep the Law of Moses." + The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. + The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it--and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. + And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. + He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. + "So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? + Don't we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?" + There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. + The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop. James broke the silence. "Friends, listen. + Simeon has told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders were included. + This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets: + After this, I'm coming back; I'll rebuild David's ruined house; I'll put all the pieces together again; I'll make it look like new + So outsiders who seek will find, so they'll have a place to come to, All the pagan peoples included in what I'm doing. "God said it and now he's doing it. + It's no afterthought; he's always known he would do this. + "So here is my decision: We're not going to unnecessarily burden non-Jewish people who turn to the Master. + We'll write them a letter and tell them, 'Be careful to not get involved in activities connected with idols, to guard the morality of sex and marriage, to not serve food offensive to Jewish Christians--blood, for instance.' + This is basic wisdom from Moses, preached and honored for centuries now in city after city as we have met and kept the Sabbath." + Everyone agreed: apostles, leaders, all the people. They picked Judas (nicknamed Barsabbas) and Silas--they both carried considerable weight in the church--and sent them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas + with this letter: From the apostles and leaders, your friends, to our friends in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Hello! + We heard that some men from our church went to you and said things that confused and upset you. Mind you, they had no authority from us; we didn't send them. + We have agreed unanimously to pick representatives and send them to you with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. + We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas--they've looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ. + We've sent them to confirm in a face-to-face meeting with you what we've written. + It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities: + Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood, for instance); and guard the morality of sex and marriage. These guidelines are sufficient to keep relations congenial between us. And God be with you! + And so off they went to Antioch. On arrival, they gathered the church and read the letter. + The people were greatly relieved and pleased. + Judas and Silas, good preachers both of them, strengthened their new friends with many words of courage and hope. + Then it was time to go home. They were sent off by their new friends with laughter and embraces all around to report back to those who had sent them. + (OMITTED TEXT) + Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren't alone. There were a number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch. + After a few days of this, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit all our friends in each of the towns where we preached the Word of God. Let's see how they're doing." + Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. + But Paul wouldn't have him; he wasn't about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. + Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus; + Paul chose Silas and, offered up by their friends to the grace of the Master, + went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew in those congregations. + + + Paul came first to Derbe, then Lystra. He found a disciple there by the name of Timothy, son of a devout Jewish mother and Greek father. + Friends in Lystra and Iconium all said what a fine young man he was. + Paul wanted to recruit him for their mission, but first took him aside and circumcised him so he wouldn't offend the Jews who lived in those parts. They all knew that his father was Greek. + As they traveled from town to town, they presented the simple guidelines the Jerusalem apostles and leaders had come up with. + That turned out to be most helpful. Day after day the congregations became stronger in faith and larger in size. + They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route. + So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them go there either. + Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas. + That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" + The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans. + Putting out from the harbor at Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New City + and walked from there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days. + On the Sabbath, we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to be a prayer meeting. We took our place with the women who had gathered there and talked with them. + One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman. As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart--and she believed! + After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household, she said in a surge of hospitality, "If you're confident that I'm in this with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my guests." We hesitated, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. + One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. + She started following Paul around, calling everyone's attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They're laying out the road of salvation for you!" + She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that. + When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square. Then the police arrested them + and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace--dangerous Jewish agitators + subverting our Roman law and order." + By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas's clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. + After beating them black and blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. + He did just that--threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. + Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears. + Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose. + Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, + when Paul stopped him: "Don't do that! We're all still here! Nobody's run away!" + The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas. + He led them out of the jail and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?" + They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live--and everyone in your house included!" + They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master--the entire family got in on this part. + They never did get to bed that night. The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their wounds, and then--he couldn't wait till morning!--was baptized, he and everyone in his family. + There in his home, he had food set out for a festive meal. It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration. + At daybreak, the court judges sent officers with the instructions, "Release these men." + The jailer gave Paul the message, "The judges sent word that you're free to go on your way. Congratulations! Go in peace!" + But Paul wouldn't budge. He told the officers, "They beat us up in public and threw us in jail, Roman citizens in good standing! And now they want to get us out of the way on the sly without anyone knowing? Nothing doing! If they want us out of here, let them come themselves and lead us out in broad daylight." + When the officers reported this, the judges panicked. They had no idea that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. + They hurried over and apologized, personally escorted them from the jail, and then asked them if they wouldn't please leave the city. + Walking out of the jail, Paul and Silas went straight to Lydia's house, saw their friends again, encouraged them in the faith, and only then went on their way. + + + They took the road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a community of Jews. + Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when he came to a town, and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the Scriptures. + He opened up the texts so they understood what they'd been reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and raised from the dead--there were no other options--and that "this Jesus I'm introducing you to is that Messiah." + Some of them were won over and joined ranks with Paul and Silas, among them a great many God-fearing Greeks and a considerable number of women from the aristocracy. + But the hard-line Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas. They broke into Jason's house, thinking that Paul and Silas were there. + When they couldn't find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically, "These people are out to destroy the world, and now they've shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! + And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!" + The city fathers and the crowd of people were totally alarmed by what they heard. + They made Jason and his friends post heavy bail and let them go while they investigated the charges. + That night, under cover of darkness, their friends got Paul and Silas out of town as fast as they could. They sent them to Berea, where they again met with the Jewish community. + They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. + A lot of them became believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and men of influence. + But it wasn't long before reports got back to the Thessalonian hard-line Jews that Paul was at it again, preaching the Word of God, this time in Berea. They lost no time responding, and created a mob scene there, too. + With the help of his friends, Paul gave them the slip--caught a boat and put out to sea. Silas and Timothy stayed behind. + The men who helped Paul escape got him as far as Athens and left him there. Paul sent word back with them to Silas and Timothy: "Come as quickly as you can!" + The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got--all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols. + He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. + He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: "What an airhead!" But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: "That's a new slant on the gods. Tell us more." + These people got together and asked him to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were a little quieter. They said, "This is a new one on us. We've never heard anything quite like it. Where did you come up with this anyway? + Explain it so we can understand." + Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. There were always people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the latest tidbit on most anything. + So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. + When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, TO THE GOD NOBODY KNOWS. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with. + "The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines + or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. + Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living + so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. + We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' + Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it? + "God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better--but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. + He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead." + At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more." + But that was it for the day, and Paul left. + There were still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with Paul--among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. + + + After Athens, Paul went to Corinth. + That is where he discovered Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus, and his wife, Priscilla. They had just arrived from Italy, part of the general expulsion of Jews from Rome ordered by Claudius. + Paul moved in with them, and they worked together at their common trade of tentmaking. + But every Sabbath he was at the meeting place, doing his best to convince both Jews and Greeks about Jesus. + When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was able to give all his time to preaching and teaching, doing everything he could to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God's Messiah. + But no such luck. All they did was argue contentiously and contradict him at every turn. Totally exasperated, Paul had finally had it with them and gave it up as a bad job. "Have it your way, then," he said. "You've made your bed; now lie in it. From now on I'm spending my time with the other nations." + He walked out and went to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing man who lived right next to the Jews' meeting place. + But Paul's efforts with the Jews weren't a total loss, for Crispus, the meeting-place president, put his trust in the Master. His entire family believed with him. In the course of listening to Paul, a great many Corinthians believed and were baptized. + One night the Master spoke to Paul in a dream: "Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you. + No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." + That was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half, faithfully teaching the Word of God to the Corinthians. + But when Gallio was governor of Achaia province, the Jews got up a campaign against Paul, hauled him into court, + and filed chcrges: "This man is seducing people into acts of worship that are illegal." + Just as Paul was about to defend himself, Gallio interrupted and said to the Jews, "If this was a matter of criminal conduct, I would gladly hear you out. + But it sounds to me like one more Jewish squabble, another of your endless hairsplitting quarrels over religion. Take care of it on your own time. I can't be bothered with this nonsense," + and he cleared them out of the courtroom. + Now the street rabble turned on Sosthenes, the new meeting-place president, and beat him up in plain sight of the court. Gallio didn't raise a finger. He could not have cared less. + Paul stayed a while longer in Corinth, but then it was time to take leave of his friends. Saying his good-byes, he sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila with him. Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken. + They landed in Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila got off and stayed. Paul left the ship briefly to go to the meeting place and preach to the Jews. + They wanted him to stay longer, but he said he couldn't. + But after saying good-bye, he promised, "I'll be back, God willing." From Ephesus + he sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the assembly of Christians there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey. + After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples. + A man named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a terrific speaker, eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. + He was well-educated in the way of the Master and fiery in his enthusiasm. Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but he only went as far as the baptism of John. + He preached with power in the meeting place. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and told him the rest of the story. + When Apollos decided to go on to Achaia province, his Ephesian friends gave their blessing and wrote a letter of recommendation for him, urging the disciples there to welcome him with open arms. The welcome paid off: Apollos turned out to be a great help to those who had become believers through God's immense generosity. + He was particularly effective in public debate with the Jews as he brought out proof after convincing proof from the Scriptures that Jesus was in fact God's Messiah. + + + Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. + The first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?" "We've never even heard of that--a Holy Spirit? God within us?" + "How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul. "In John's baptism." + "That explains it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you've been baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for the real thing, for Jesus." + And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. + Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God's actions. + Altogether there were about twelve people there that day. + Paul then went straight to the meeting place. He had the run of the place for three months, doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real and convincing to them. + But then resistance began to form as some of them began spreading evil rumors through the congregation about the Christian way of life. So Paul left, taking the disciples with him, and set up shop in the school of Tyrannus, holding class there daily. + He did this for two years, giving everyone in the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, ample opportunity to hear the Message of the Master. + God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the ordinary. + The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing--handkerchiefs and scarves and the like--that had touched Paul's skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it--they were healed and whole. + Some itinerant Jewish exorcists who happened to be in town at the time tried their hand at what they assumed to be Paul's "game." They pronounced the name of the Master Jesus over victims of evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus preached by Paul!" + The seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man + when the evil spirit talked back: "I know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?" + Then the possessed man went berserk--jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could. + It was soon news all over Ephesus among both Jews and Greeks. The realization spread that God was in and behind this. Curiosity about Paul developed into reverence for the Master Jesus. + Many of those who thus believed came out of the closet and made a clean break with their secret sorceries. + All kinds of witches and warlocks came out of the woodwork with their books of spells and incantations and made a huge bonfire of them. Someone estimated their worth at fifty thousand silver coins. + In such ways it became evident that the Word of the Master was now sovereign and prevailed in Ephesus. + After all this had come to a head, Paul decided it was time to move on to Macedonia and Achaia provinces, and from there to Jerusalem. "Then," he said, "I'm off to Rome. I've got to see Rome!" + He sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on to Macedonia while he stayed for a while and wrapped things up in Asia. + But before he got away, a huge ruckus occurred over what was now being referred to as "the Way." + A certain silversmith, Demetrius, conducted a brisk trade in the manufacture of shrines to the goddess Artemis, employing a number of artisans in his business. + He rounded up his workers and others similarly employed and said, "Men, you well know that we have a good thing going here-- + and you've seen how Paul has barged in and discredited what we're doing by telling people that there's no such thing as a god made with hands. A lot of people are going along with him, not only here in Ephesus but all through Asia province. + "Not only is our little business in danger of falling apart, but the temple of our famous goddess Artemis will certainly end up a pile of rubble as her glorious reputation fades to nothing. And this is no mere local matter--the whole world worships our Artemis!" + That set them off in a frenzy. They ran into the street yelling, "Great Artemis of the Ephesians! + Great Artemis of the Ephesians!" They put the whole city in an uproar, stampeding into the stadium, and grabbing two of Paul's associates on the way, the Macedonians Gaius and Aristarchus. + Paul wanted to go in, too, but the disciples wouldn't let him. + Prominent religious leaders in the city who had become friendly to Paul concurred: "By no means go near that mob!" + Some were yelling one thing, some another. Most of them had no idea what was going on or why they were there. + As the Jews pushed Alexander to the front to try to gain control, different factions clamored to get him on their side. But he brushed them off and quieted the mob with an impressive sweep of his arms. + But the moment he opened his mouth and they knew he was a Jew, they shouted him down: "Great Artemis of the Ephesians! Great Artemis of the Ephesians!"--on and on and on, for over two hours. + Finally, the town clerk got the mob quieted down and said, "Fellow citizens, is there anyone anywhere who doesn't know that our dear city Ephesus is protector of glorious Artemis and her sacred stone image that fell straight out of heaven? + Since this is beyond contradiction, you had better get hold of yourselves. This is conduct unworthy of Artemis. + These men you've dragged in here have done nothing to harm either our temple or our goddess. + "So if Demetrius and his guild of artisans have a complaint, they can take it to court and make all the accusations they want. + If anything else is bothering you, bring it to the regularly scheduled town meeting and let it be settled there. + There is no excuse for what's happened today. We're putting our city in serious danger. Rome, remember, does not look kindly on rioters." + With that, he sent them home. + + + With things back to normal, Paul called the disciples together and encouraged them to keep up the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for Macedonia. + Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope. Then he came to Greece + and stayed on for three months. Just as he was about to sail for Syria, the Jews cooked up a plot against him. So he went the other way, by land back through Macedonia, and gave them the slip. + His companions for the journey were Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus, both Thessalonians; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and the two from western Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. + They went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. + Meanwhile, we stayed in Philippi for Passover Week, and then set sail. Within five days we were again in Troas and stayed a week. + We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master's Supper. Paul addressed the congregation. Our plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on, way past midnight. + We were meeting in a well-lighted upper room. + A young man named Eutychus was sitting in an open window. As Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell sound asleep and toppled out the third-story window. When they picked him up, he was dead. + Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard. "No more crying," he said. "There's life in him yet." + Then Paul got up and served the Master's Supper. And went on telling stories of the faith until dawn! On that note, they left--Paul going one way, + the congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves. + In the meantime, the rest of us had gone on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we planned to pick up Paul. Paul wanted to walk there, and so had made these arrangements earlier. + Things went according to plan: We met him in Assos, took him on board, and sailed to Mitylene. + The next day we put in opposite Chios, Samos a day later, and then Miletus. + Paul had decided to bypass Ephesus so that he wouldn't be held up in Asia province. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem in time for the Feast of Pentecost, if at all possible. + From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation. + When they arrived, he said, "You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you totally-- + laying my life on the line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to do me in. + I didn't skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes, + urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus. + "But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. + I do know that it won't be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. + But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. + "And so this is good-bye. You're not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom. + I've done my best for you, given you my all, + held back nothing of God's will for you. + "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes--both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people--God's people they are--to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for. + "I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men + from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. + So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another. + "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends. + "I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. + With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. + In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'" + Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and prayed. + And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. + They knew they would never see him again--he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down to the ship. + + + And so, with the tearful good-byes behind us, we were on our way. We made a straight run to Cos, the next day reached Rhodes, and then Patara. + There we found a ship going direct to Phoenicia, got on board, and set sail. + Cyprus came into view on our left, but was soon out of sight as we kept on course for Syria, and eventually docked in the port of Tyre. While the cargo was being unloaded, + we looked up the local disciples and stayed with them seven days. Their message to Paul, from insight given by the Spirit, was "Don't go to Jerusalem." + When our time was up, they escorted us out of the city to the docks. Everyone came along--men, women, children. They made a farewell party of the occasion! We all kneeled together on the beach and prayed. + Then, after another round of saying good-bye, we climbed on board the ship while they drifted back to their homes. + A short run from Tyre to Ptolemais completed the voyage. We greeted our Christian friends there and stayed with them a day. + In the morning we went on to Caesarea and stayed with Philip the Evangelist, one of "the Seven." + Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied. + After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down to see us. + He went right up to Paul, took Paul's belt, and, in a dramatic gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this belt just like this and hand him over to godless unbelievers." + When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem. + But Paul wouldn't budge: "Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You're looking at this backwards. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can't you see that?" + We saw that we weren't making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. "It's in God's hands now," we said. "Master, you handle it." + It wasn't long before we had our luggage together and were on our way to Jerusalem. + Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and took us to the home of Mnason, who received us warmly as his guests. A native of Cyprus, he had been among the earliest disciples. + In Jerusalem, our friends, glad to see us, received us with open arms. + The first thing next morning, we took Paul to see James. All the church leaders were there. + After a time of greeting and small talk, Paul told the story, detail by detail, of what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. + They listened with delight and gave God the glory. They had a story to tell, too: "And just look at what's been happening here--thousands upon thousands of God-fearing Jews have become believers in Jesus! But there's also a problem because they are more zealous than ever in observing the laws of Moses. + They've been told that you advise believing Jews who live surrounded by Gentiles to go light on Moses, telling them that they don't need to circumcise their children or keep up the old traditions. This isn't sitting at all well with them. + "We're worried about what will happen when they discover you're in town. There's bound to be trouble. So here is what we want you to do: + There are four men from our company who have taken a vow involving ritual purification, but have no money to pay the expenses. + Join these men in their vows and pay their expenses. Then it will become obvious to everyone that there is nothing to the rumors going around about you and that you are in fact scrupulous in your reverence for the laws of Moses. + "In asking you to do this, we're not going back on our agreement regarding Gentiles who have become believers. We continue to hold fast to what we wrote in that letter, namely, to be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; to avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians; to guard the morality of sex and marriage." + So Paul did it--took the men, joined them in their vows, and paid their way. The next day he went to the Temple to make it official and stay there until the proper sacrifices had been offered and completed for each of them. + When the seven days of their purification were nearly up, some Jews from around Ephesus spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place upside-down. They grabbed Paul + and started yelling at the top of their lungs, "Help! You Israelites, help! This is the man who is going all over the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. He's even brought Greeks in here and defiled this holy place." + (What had happened was that they had seen Paul and Trophimus, the Ephesian Greek, walking together in the city and had just assumed that he had also taken him to the Temple and shown him around.) + Soon the whole city was in an uproar, people running from everywhere to the Temple to get in on the action. They grabbed Paul, dragged him outside, and locked the Temple gates so he couldn't get back in and gain sanctuary. + As they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the guard, "A riot! The whole city's boiling over!" + He acted swiftly. His soldiers and centurions ran to the scene at once. As soon as the mob saw the captain and his soldiers, they quit beating Paul. + The captain came up and put Paul under arrest. He first ordered him handcuffed, and then asked who he was and what he had done. + All he got from the crowd were shouts, one yelling this, another that. It was impossible to tell one word from another in the mob hysteria, so the captain ordered Paul taken to the military barracks. + But when they got to the Temple steps, the mob became so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul. + As they carried him away, the crowd followed, shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!" + When they got to the barracks and were about to go in, Paul said to the captain, "Can I say something to you?" He answered, "Oh, I didn't know you spoke Greek. + I thought you were the Egyptian who not long ago started a riot here, and then hid out in the desert with his four thousand thugs." + Paul said, "No, I'm a Jew, born in Tarsus. And I'm a citizen still of that influential city. I have a simple request: Let me speak to the crowd." + Standing on the barracks steps, Paul turned and held his arms up. A hush fell over the crowd as Paul began to speak. He spoke in Hebrew. + + + "My dear brothers and fathers, listen carefully to what I have to say before you jump to conclusions about me." + When they heard him speaking Hebrew, they grew even quieter. No one wanted to miss a word of this. He continued, + "I am a good Jew, born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel, thoroughly instructed in our religious traditions. And I've always been passionately on God's side, just as you are right now. + "I went after anyone connected with this 'Way,' went at them hammer and tongs, ready to kill for God. I rounded up men and women right and left and had them thrown in prison. + You can ask the Chief Priest or anyone in the High Council to verify this; they all knew me well. Then I went off to our brothers in Damascus, armed with official documents authorizing me to hunt down the Christians there, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem for sentencing. + "As I arrived on the outskirts of Damascus about noon, a blinding light blazed out of the skies + and I fell to the ground, dazed. I heard a voice: 'Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?' + "'Who are you, Master?' I asked. "He said, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you're hunting down.' + My companions saw the light, but they didn't hear the conversation. + "Then I said, 'What do I do now, Master?' "He said, 'Get to your feet and enter Damascus. There you'll be told everything that's been set out for you to do.' + And so we entered Damascus, but nothing like the entrance I had planned--I was blind as a bat and my companions had to lead me in by the hand. + "And that's when I met Ananias, a man with a sterling reputation in observing our laws--the Jewish community in Damascus is unanimous on that score. + He came and put his arm on my shoulder. 'Look up,' he said. I looked, and found myself looking right into his eyes--I could see again! + "Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has handpicked you to be briefed on his plan of action. You've actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak. + You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you've seen and heard. + So what are you waiting for? Get up and get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins and personally acquainted with God.' + "Well, it happened just as Ananias said. After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God, + I saw him, saw God's Righteous Innocent, and heard him say to me, 'Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.' + "At first I objected: 'Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places and throwing them in jail. + And when your witness Stephen was murdered, I was right there, holding the coats of the murderers and cheering them on. And now they see me totally converted. What better qualification could I have?' + "But he said, 'Don't argue. Go. I'm sending you on a long journey to outsider Gentiles.'" + The people in the crowd had listened attentively up to this point, but now they broke loose, shouting out, "Kill him! He's an insect! Stomp on him!" + They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses. + That's when the captain intervened and ordered Paul taken into the barracks. By now the captain was thoroughly exasperated. He decided to interrogate Paul under torture in order to get to the bottom of this, to find out what he had done that provoked this outraged violence. + As they spread-eagled him with thongs, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair trial?" + When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. "Do you realize what you've done? This man is a Roman citizen!" + The captain came back and took charge. "Is what I hear right? You're a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "I certainly am." + The captain was impressed. "I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?" "Nothing," said Paul. "It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth." + That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture! + The next day, determined to get to the root of the trouble and know for sure what was behind the Jewish accusation, the captain released Paul and ordered a meeting of the high priests and the High Council to see what they could make of it. Paul was led in and took his place before them. + + + Paul surveyed the members of the council with a steady gaze, and then said his piece: "Friends, I've lived with a clear conscience before God all my life, up to this very moment." + That set the Chief Priest Ananias off. He ordered his aides to slap Paul in the face. + Paul shot back, "God will slap you down! What a fake you are! You sit there and judge me by the Law and then break the Law by ordering me slapped around!" + The aides were scandalized: "How dare you talk to God's Chief Priest like that!" + Paul acted surprised. "How was I to know he was Chief Priest? He doesn't act like a Chief Priest. You're right, the Scripture does say, 'Don't speak abusively to a ruler of the people.' Sorry." + Paul, knowing some of the council was made up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided to exploit their antagonism: "Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It's because of my Pharisee convictions--the hope and resurrection of the dead--that I've been hauled into this court." + The moment he said this, the council split right down the middle, Pharisees and Sadducees going at each other in heated argument. + Sadducees have nothing to do with a resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can't see it, they don't believe it. Pharisees believe it all. + And so a huge and noisy quarrel broke out. Then some of the religion scholars on the Pharisee side shouted down the others: "We don't find anything wrong with this man! And what if a spirit has spoken to him? Or maybe an angel? What if it turns out we're fighting against God?" + That was fuel on the fire. The quarrel flamed up and became so violent the captain was afraid they would tear Paul apart, limb from limb. He ordered the soldiers to get him out of there and escort him back to the safety of the barracks. + That night the Master appeared to Paul: "It's going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best. You've been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now you're going to be my witness in Rome!" + Next day the Jews worked up a plot against Paul. They took a solemn oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him. + Over forty of them ritually bound themselves to this murder pact + and presented themselves to the high priests and religious leaders. "We've bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. + But we need your help. Send a request from the council to the captain to bring Paul back so that you can investigate the charges in more detail. We'll do the rest. Before he gets anywhere near you, we'll have killed him. You won't be involved." + Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul. + Paul called over one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him." + The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you." + The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?" + Paul's nephew said, "The Jews have worked up a plot against Paul. They're going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in more detail. + But it's a trick to get him out of your safekeeping so they can murder him. Right now there are more than forty men lying in ambush for him. They've all taken a vow to neither eat nor drink until they've killed him. The ambush is set--all they're waiting for is for you to send him over." + The captain dismissed the nephew with a warning: "Don't breathe a word of this to a soul." + The captain called up two centurions. "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go immediately to Caesarea. Also seventy cavalry and two hundred light infantry. I want them ready to march by nine o'clock tonight. + And you'll need a couple of mules for Paul and his gear. We're going to present this man safe and sound to Governor Felix." + Then he wrote this letter: + From Claudius Lysias, to the Most Honorable Governor Felix: Greetings! + I rescued this man from a Jewish mob. They had seized him and were about to kill him when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. So I sent in my soldiers. + Wanting to know what he had done wrong, I had him brought before their council. + It turned out to be a squabble turned vicious over some of their religious differences, but nothing remotely criminal. + The next thing I knew, they had cooked up a plot to murder him. I decided that for his own safety I'd better get him out of here in a hurry. So I'm sending him to you. I'm informing his accusers that he's now under your jurisdiction. + The soldiers, following orders, took Paul that same night to safety in Antipatris. + In the morning the soldiers returned to their barracks in Jerusalem, sending Paul on to Caesarea under guard of the cavalry. + The cavalry entered Caesarea and handed Paul and the letter over to the governor. + After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he came from and was told "Cilicia." + Then he said, "I'll take up your case when your accusers show up." He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod's official quarters. + + + Within five days, the Chief Priest Ananias arrived with a contingent of leaders, along with Tertullus, a trial lawyer. They presented the governor with their case against Paul. + When Paul was called before the court, Tertullus spoke for the prosecution: "Most Honorable Felix, we are most grateful in all times and places for your wise and gentle rule. + We are much aware that it is because of you and you alone that we enjoy all this peace and gain daily profit from your reforms. + I'm not going to tire you out with a long speech. I beg your kind indulgence in listening to me. I'll be quite brief. + "We've found this man time and again disturbing the peace, stirring up riots against Jews all over the world, the ringleader of a seditious sect called Nazarenes. + He's a real bad apple, I must say. We caught him trying to defile our holy Temple and arrested him. + (OMITTED TEXT) + You'll be able to verify all these accusations when you examine him yourself." + The Jews joined in: "Hear, hear! That's right!" + The governor motioned to Paul that it was now his turn. Paul said, "I count myself fortunate to be defending myself before you, Governor, knowing how fair-minded you've been in judging us all these years. + I've been back in the country only twelve days--you can check out these dates easily enough. I came with the express purpose of worshiping in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and I've been minding my own business the whole time. + Nobody can say they saw me arguing in the Temple or working up a crowd in the streets. + Not one of their charges can be backed up with evidence or witnesses. + "But I do freely admit this: In regard to the Way, which they malign as a dead-end street, I serve and worship the very same God served and worshiped by all our ancestors and embrace everything written in all our Scriptures. + And I admit to living in hopeful anticipation that God will raise the dead, both the good and the bad. If that's my crime, my accusers are just as guilty as I am. + "Believe me, I do my level best to keep a clear conscience before God and my neighbors in everything I do. + I've been out of the country for a number of years and now I'm back. While I was away, I took up a collection for the poor and brought that with me, along with offerings for the Temple. + It was while making those offerings that they found me quietly at my prayers in the Temple. There was no crowd, there was no disturbance. + It was some Jews from around Ephesus who started all this trouble. And you'll notice they're not here today. They're cowards, too cowardly to accuse me in front of you. + "So ask these others what crime they've caught me in. Don't let them hide behind this smooth-talking Tertullus. + The only thing they have on me is that one sentence I shouted out in the council: 'It's because I believe in the resurrection that I've been hauled into this court!' Does that sound to you like grounds for a criminal case?" + Felix shilly-shallied. He knew far more about the Way than he let on, and could have settled the case then and there. But uncertain of his best move politically, he played for time. "When Captain Lysias comes down, I'll decide your case." + He gave orders to the centurion to keep Paul in custody, but to more or less give him the run of the place and not prevent his friends from helping him. + A few days later Felix and his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, sent for Paul and listened to him talk about a life of believing in Jesus Christ. + As Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and his people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming Judgment, Felix felt things getting a little too close for comfort and dismissed him. "That's enough for today. I'll call you back when it's convenient." + At the same time he was secretly hoping that Paul would offer him a substantial bribe. These conversations were repeated frequently. + After two years of this, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus. Still playing up to the Jews and ignoring justice, Felix left Paul in prison. + + + Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take up his duties as governor, he went up to Jerusalem. + The high priests and top leaders renewed their vendetta against Paul. + They asked Festus if he wouldn't please do them a favor by sending Paul to Jerusalem to respond to their charges. A lie, of course--they had revived their old plot to set an ambush and kill him along the way. + Festus answered that Caesarea was the proper jurisdiction for Paul, and that he himself was going back there in a few days. + "You're perfectly welcome," he said, "to go back with me then and accuse him of whatever you think he's done wrong." + About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea. The next morning he took his place in the courtroom and had Paul brought in. + The minute he walked in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem were all over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which they could prove. + Then Paul took the stand and said simply, "I've done nothing wrong against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period." + Festus, though, wanted to get on the good side of the Jews and so said, "How would you like to go up to Jerusalem, and let me conduct your trial there?" + Paul answered, "I'm standing at this moment before Caesar's bar of justice, where I have a perfect right to stand. And I'm going to keep standing here. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it as well as I do. + If I've committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But if there's nothing to their accusations--and you know there isn't--nobody can force me to go along with their nonsense. We've fooled around here long enough. I appeal to Caesar." + Festus huddled with his advisors briefly and then gave his verdict: "You've appealed to Caesar; you'll go to Caesar!" + A few days later King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, visited Caesarea to welcome Festus to his new post. + After several days, Festus brought up Paul's case to the king. "I have a man on my hands here, a prisoner left by Felix. + When I was in Jerusalem, the high priests and Jewish leaders brought a bunch of accusations against him and wanted me to sentence him to death. + I told them that wasn't the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is accused, we don't throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges. + So when they came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and put the man on the stand. + "The accusers came at him from all sides, + but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive. + Since I'm a newcomer here and don't understand everything involved in cases like this, I asked if he'd be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. + Paul refused and demanded a hearing before His Majesty in our highest court. So I ordered him returned to custody until I could send him to Caesar in Rome." + Agrippa said, "I'd like to see this man and hear his story." "Good," said Festus. "We'll bring him in first thing in the morning and you'll hear it for yourself." + The next day everybody who was anybody in Caesarea found his way to the Great Hall, along with the top military brass. Agrippa and Bernice made a flourishing grand entrance and took their places. Festus then ordered Paul brought in. + Festus said, "King Agrippa and distinguished guests, take a good look at this man. A bunch of Jews petitioned me first in Jerusalem, and later here, to do away with him. They have been most vehement in demanding his execution. + I looked into it and decided that he had committed no crime. He requested a trial before Caesar and I agreed to send him to Rome. + But what am I going to write to my master, Caesar? All the charges made by the Jews were fabrications, and I've uncovered nothing else. "That's why I've brought him before this company, and especially you, King Agrippa: so we can come up with something in the nature of a charge that will hold water. + For it seems to me silly to send a prisoner all that way for a trial and not be able to document what he did wrong." + + + Agrippa spoke directly to Paul: "Go ahead--tell us about yourself." Paul took the stand and told his story. + "I can't think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I'd rather be answering all these Jewish accusations than you, + knowing how well you are acquainted with Jewish ways and all our family quarrels. + "From the time of my youth, my life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. + Practically every Jew in town who watched me grow up--and if they were willing to stick their necks out they'd tell you in person--knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the most demanding branch of our religion. + It's because I believed it and took it seriously, + committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors--the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and day all these centuries--it's because I have held on to this tested and tried hope that I'm being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones standing trial here, not me! + For the life of me, I can't see why it's a criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead. + "I admit that I didn't always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. + Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers--I had no idea they were God's people!--into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. + I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem. + "One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, + right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! + We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: 'Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?' + "I said, 'Who are you, Master?' "The voice answered, 'I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down like an animal. + But now, up on your feet--I have a job for you. I've handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what's happened today, and to what I am going to show you. + "'I'm sending you off + to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.' + "What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. + I started preaching this life-change--this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life--right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world. + "It's because of this 'whole world' dimension that the Jews grabbed me in the Temple that day and tried to kill me. They want to keep God for themselves. + But God has stood by me, just as he promised, and I'm standing here saying what I've been saying to anyone, whether king or child, who will listen. And everything I'm saying is completely in line with what the prophets and Moses said would happen: + One, the Messiah must die; two, raised from the dead, he would be the first rays of God's daylight shining on people far and near, people both godless and God-fearing." + That was too much for Festus. He interrupted with a shout: "Paul, you're crazy! You've read too many books, spent too much time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!" + But Paul stood his ground. "With all respect, Festus, Your Honor, I'm not crazy. I'm both accurate and sane in what I'm saying. + The King knows what I'm talking about. I'm sure that nothing of what I've said sounds crazy to him. He's known all about it for a long time. You must realize that this wasn't done behind the scenes. + You believe the prophets, don't you, King Agrippa? Don't answer that--I know you believe." + But Agrippa did answer: "Keep this up much longer and you'll make a Christian out of me!" + Paul, still in chains, said, "That's what I'm praying for, whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become like me--except, of course, for this prison jewelry!" + The king and the governor, along with Bernice and their advisors, got up + and went into the next room to talk over what they had heard. They quickly agreed on Paul's innocence, saying, "There's nothing in this man deserving prison, let alone death." + Agrippa told Festus, "He could be set free right now if he hadn't requested the hearing before Caesar." + + + As soon as arrangements were complete for our sailing to Italy, Paul and a few other prisoners were placed under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, a member of an elite guard. + We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was bound for Ephesus and ports west. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us. + The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul most decently--let him get off the ship and enjoy the hospitality of his friends there. + Out to sea again, we sailed north under the protection of the northeast shore of Cyprus because winds out of the west were against us, + and then along the coast westward to the port of Myra. + There the centurion found an Egyptian ship headed for Italy and transferred us on board. + We ran into bad weather and found it impossible to stay on course. After much difficulty, we finally made it to the southern coast of the island of Crete + and docked at Good Harbor (appropriate name!). + By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, + "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship--to say nothing of our lives!--if we put out to sea now." + The centurion set Paul's warning aside and let the ship captain and the shipowner talk him into trying for the next harbor. + But it was not the best harbor for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further on, was more suitable. + When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing. + But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor'easter, struck. + They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm. + We came under the lee of the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails. + But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors. + Next day, out on the high seas again and badly damaged now by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard. + The third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle and provisions. + It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars. Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue. + With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, "Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. + But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much for the ship--the ship itself is doomed. + "Last night God's angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, + saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet--and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.' + So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me. + But we're going to shipwreck on some island or other." + On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. + Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that ninety feet. + Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight. + Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow. + Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down." + So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off. + With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: "This is the fourteenth day we've gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! + But I urge you to eat something now. You'll need strength for the rescue ahead. You're going to come out of this without even a scratch!" + He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around, + and they all ate heartily-- + two hundred seventy-six of us, all told! + With the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping the grain overboard. + At daybreak, no one recognized the land--but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach. + They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail, and ran before the wind toward the beach. + But we didn't make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up. + The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming, + but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, + and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely. + + + Once everyone was accounted for and we realized we had all made it, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. + The natives went out of their way to be friendly to us. The day was rainy and cold and we were already soaked to the bone, but they built a huge bonfire and gathered us around it. + Paul pitched in and helped. He had gathered up a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held on. + Seeing the snake hanging from Paul's hand like that, the natives jumped to the conclusion that he was a murderer getting his just deserts. + Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear. + They kept expecting him to drop dead, but when it was obvious he wasn't going to, they jumped to the conclusion that he was a god! + The head man in that part of the island was Publius. He took us into his home as his guests, drying us out and putting us up in fine style for the next three days. + Publius's father was sick at the time, down with a high fever and dysentery. Paul went to the old man's room, and when he laid hands on him and prayed, the man was healed. + Word of the healing got around fast, and soon everyone on the island who was sick came and got healed. + We spent a wonderful three months on Malta. They treated us royally, took care of all our needs and outfitted us for the rest of the journey. + When an Egyptian ship that had wintered there in the harbor prepared to leave for Italy, we got on board. The ship had a carved Gemini for its figurehead: "the Heavenly Twins." + We put in at Syracuse for three days + and then went up the coast to Rhegium. Two days later, with the wind out of the south, we sailed into the Bay of Naples. + We found Christian friends there and stayed with them for a week. And then we came to Rome. + Friends in Rome heard we were on the way and came out to meet us. One group got as far as Appian Court; another group met us at Three Taverns--emotion-packed meetings, as you can well imagine. Paul, brimming over with praise, led us in prayers of thanksgiving. + When we actually entered Rome, they let Paul live in his own private quarters with a soldier who had been assigned to guard him. + Three days later, Paul called the Jewish leaders together for a meeting at his house. He said, "The Jews in Jerusalem arrested me on trumped-up charges, and I was taken into custody by the Romans. I assure you that I did absolutely nothing against Jewish laws or Jewish customs. + After the Romans investigated the charges and found there was nothing to them, they wanted to set me free, + but the Jews objected so fiercely that I was forced to appeal to Caesar. I did this not to accuse them of any wrongdoing or to get our people in trouble with Rome. We've had enough trouble through the years that way. + I did it for Israel. I asked you to come and listen to me today to make it clear that I'm on Israel's side, not against her. I'm a hostage here for hope, not doom." + They said, "Nobody wrote warning us about you. And no one has shown up saying anything bad about you. + But we would like very much to hear more. The only thing we know about this Christian sect is that nobody seems to have anything good to say about it." + They agreed on a time. When the day arrived, they came back to his home with a number of their friends. Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had written about him. + Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe a word of it. + When the unbelievers got cantankerous and started bickering with each other, Paul interrupted: "I have just one more thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what he was talking about when he addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet: + Go to this people and tell them this: "You're going to listen with your ears, but you won't hear a word; You're going to stare with your eyes, but you won't see a thing. + These people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them." + "You've had your chance. The non-Jewish outsiders are next on the list. And believe me, they're going to receive it with open arms!" + (OMITTED TEXT) + Paul lived for two years in his rented house. He welcomed everyone who came to visit. + He urgently presented all matters of the kingdom of God. He explained everything about Jesus Christ. His door was always open. + + + + + I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as an apostle to proclaim God's words and acts. I write this letter to all the Christians in Rome, God's friends. + The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets + on God's Son. His descent from David roots him in history; + his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. + Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. + You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ! + And I greet you now with all the generosity of God our Father and our Master Jesus, the Messiah. + I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That's first. People everywhere keep telling me about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him. + And God, whom I so love to worship and serve by spreading the good news of his Son--the Message!--knows that every time I think of you + in my prayers, which is practically all the time, I ask him to clear the way for me to come and see you. + The longer this waiting goes on, the deeper the ache. I so want to be there to deliver God's gift in person and watch you grow stronger right before my eyes! + But don't think I'm not expecting to get something out of this, too! You have as much to give me as I do to you. + Please don't misinterpret my failure to visit you, friends. You have no idea how many times I've made plans for Rome. I've been determined to get some personal enjoyment out of God's work among you, as I have in so many other non-Jewish towns and communities. But something has always come up and prevented it. + Everyone I meet--it matters little whether they're mannered or rude, smart or simple--deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation. + And that's why I can't wait to get to you in Rome, preaching this wonderful good news of God. + It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! + God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives." + But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. + But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! + By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. + What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. + They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. + They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. + So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." It wasn't long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. + And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them--the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes! + Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn't know how to be human either--women didn't know how to be women, men didn't know how to be men. + Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men--all lust, no love. And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it--emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches. + Since they didn't bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. + And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, + fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. + Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. + And it's not as if they don't know better. They know perfectly well they're spitting in God's face. And they don't care--worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best! + + + Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. + But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. + You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? + Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. + You're not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it's going to blaze hot and high, God's fiery and righteous judgment. + Make no mistake: In the end you get what's coming to you-- + Real Life for those who work on God's side, + but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire! + If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you're from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. + But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up. + Being a Jew won't give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind. + If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely. + Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God. + When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. + They show that God's law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. + Their response to God's yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences. + If you're brought up Jewish, don't assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you're an insider to God's revelation, + a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! + I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God's revealed Word inside and out, + feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. + While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I'm quite serious. While preaching "Don't steal!" are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? + The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. + You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. + The line from Scripture, "It's because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God," shows it's an old problem that isn't going to go away. + Circumcision, the surgical ritual that marks you as a Jew, is great if you live in accord with God's law. But if you don't, it's worse than not being circumcised. + The reverse is also true: The uncircumcised who keep God's ways are as good as the circumcised-- + in fact, better. Better to keep God's law uncircumcised than break it circumcised. + Don't you see: It's not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew. + You become a Jew by who you are. It's the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics. + + + So what difference does it make who's a Jew and who isn't, who has been trained in God's ways and who hasn't? + As it turns out, it makes a lot of difference--but not the difference so many have assumed. First, there's the matter of being put in charge of writing down and caring for God's revelation, these Holy Scriptures. + So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn't abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? + Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same: Your words stand fast and true; Rejection doesn't faze you. + But if our wrongdoing only underlines and confirms God's rightdoing, shouldn't we be commended for helping out? Since our bad words don't even make a dent in his good words, isn't it wrong of God to back us to the wall and hold us to our word? These questions come up. + The answer to such questions is no, a most emphatic No! How else would things ever get straightened out if God didn't do the straightening? + It's simply perverse to say, "If my lies serve to show off God's truth all the more gloriously, why blame me? I'm doing God a favor." + Some people are actually trying to put such words in our mouths, claiming that we go around saying, "The more evil we do, the more good God does, so let's just do it!" That's pure slander, as I'm sure you'll agree. + So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it: + There's nobody living right, not even one, + nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. + They've all taken the wrong turn; they've all wandered down blind alleys. No one's living right; I can't find a single one. + Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides. Every word they speak is tinged with poison. + They open their mouths and pollute the air. + They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year, + litter the land with heartbreak and ruin, + Don't know the first thing about living with others. + They never give God the time of day. + This makes it clear, doesn't it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? + Our involvement with God's revelation doesn't put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else's sin. + But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. + The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. + Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, + God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. + God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public--to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. + This is not only clear, but it's now--this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness. + So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counterclaims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. + We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade. + And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. + How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion. + But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it. + + + So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? + If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we're given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. + What we read in Scripture is, "Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own." + If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. + But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it--you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked--well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. + David confirms this way of looking at it, saying that the one who trusts God to do the putting-everything-right without insisting on having a say in it is one fortunate man: + Fortunate those whose crimes are carted off, whose sins are wiped clean from the slate. + Fortunate the person against whom the Lord does not keep score. + Do you think for a minute that this blessing is only pronounced over those of us who keep our religious ways and are circumcised? Or do you think it possible that the blessing could be given to those who never even heard of our ways, who were never brought up in the disciplines of God? We all agree, don't we, that it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God? + Now think: Was that declaration made before or after he was marked by the covenant rite of circumcision? That's right, before he was marked. + That means that he underwent circumcision as evidence and confirmation of what God had done long before to bring him into this acceptable standing with himself, an act of God he had embraced with his whole life. + And it means further that Abraham is father of all people who embrace what God does for them while they are still on the "outs" with God, as yet unidentified as God's, in an "uncircumcised" condition. It is precisely these people in this condition who are called "set right by God and with God"! Abraham is also, of course, father of those who have undergone the religious rite of circumcision not just because of the ritual but because they were willing to live in the risky faith-embrace of God's action for them, the way Abraham lived long before he was marked by circumcision. + That famous promise God gave Abraham--that he and his children would possess the earth--was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. + If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. + A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise--and God's promise at that--you can't break it. + This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as pure gift. That's the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father--that's reading the story backwards. He is our faith father. + We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. + When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!" + Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. + He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, + sure that God would make good on what he had said. + That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." + But it's not just Abraham; + it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. + The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God. + + + By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us--set us right with him, make us fit for him--we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. + And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand--out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. + There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, + and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. + In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! + Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. + We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. + But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. + Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. + If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! + Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah! + You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in--first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. + That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. + Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it. + Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man's sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God's gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! + There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. + If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? + Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! + One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. + All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. + All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life--a life that goes on and on and on, world without end. + + + So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? + I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? + Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace--a new life in a new land! That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. + When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. + Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country. + Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life--no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: + (SEE 6:6) + If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. + We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. + When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. + From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did. + That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. + Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time--remember, you've been raised from the dead!--into God's way of doing things. + Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God. + So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? + Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. + But thank God you've started listening to a new master, + one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom! + I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing--not caring about others, not caring about God--the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness? + As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. + But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end. + But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! + Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master. + + + You shouldn't have any trouble understanding this, friends, for you know all the ins and outs of the law--how it works and how its power touches only the living. + For instance, a wife is legally tied to her husband while he lives, but if he dies, she's free. + If she lives with another man while her husband is living, she's obviously an adulteress. But if he dies, she is quite free to marry another man in good conscience, with no one's disapproval. + So, my friends, this is something like what has taken place with you. When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to "marry" a resurrection life and bear "offspring" of faith for God. + For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in. And this made us all the more rebellious. In the end, all we had to show for it was miscarriages and stillbirths. + But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God. + But I can hear you say, "If the law code was as bad as all that, it's no better than sin itself." That's certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without its clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, "You shall not covet," I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it. + Don't you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of "forbidden fruit" out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless, + and I went along without paying much attention to it. But once sin got its hands on the law code and decked itself out in all that finery, I was fooled, and fell for it. + The very command that was supposed to guide me into life was cleverly used to trip me up, throwing me headlong. + So sin was plenty alive, and I was stone dead. + But the law code itself is God's good and common sense, each command sane and holy counsel. + I can already hear your next question: "Does that mean I can't even trust what is good [that is, the law]? Is good just as dangerous as evil?" No again! Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me. By hiding within God's good commandment, sin did far more mischief than it could ever have accomplished on its own. + I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself--after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. + What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. + So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. + But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! + I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. + I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. + My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. + It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. + I truly delight in God's commands, + but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. + I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? + The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. + + + With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. + A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. + God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that. The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. + And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. + Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them--living and breathing God! + Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. + Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. + And God isn't pleased at being ignored. + But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. + But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells--even though you still experience all the limitations of sin--you yourself experience life on God's terms. + It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's! + So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. + There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. + God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! + This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" + God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. + And we know we are going to get what's coming to us--an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him! + That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. + The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. + Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in + until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. + All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. + These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. + That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. + But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. + Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. + He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. + That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. + God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. + After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. + So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? + If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? + And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? + Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us--who was raised to life for us!--is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. + Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: + They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. + None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. + I'm absolutely convinced that nothing--nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, + high or low, thinkable or unthinkable--absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. + + + At the same time, you need to know that I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow. + It's an enormous pain deep within me, and I'm never free of it. I'm not exaggerating--Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. It's the Israelites . . . + If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I'd do it in a minute. They're my family. + I grew up with them. They had everything going for them--family, glory, covenants, revelation, worship, promises, + to say nothing of being the race that produced the Messiah, the Christ, who is God over everything, always. Oh, yes! + Don't suppose for a moment, though, that God's Word has malfunctioned in some way or other. The problem goes back a long way. From the outset, not all Israelites of the flesh were Israelites of the spirit. + It wasn't Abraham's sperm that gave identity here, but God's promise. Remember how it was put: "Your family will be defined by Isaac"? + That means that Israelite identity was never racially determined by sexual transmission, but it was God-determined by promise. + Remember that promise, "When I come back next year at this time, Sarah will have a son"? + And that's not the only time. To Rebecca, also, a promise was made that took priority over genetics. When she became pregnant by our one-of-a-kind ancestor, Isaac, + and her babies were still innocent in the womb--incapable of good or bad--she received a special assurance from God. What God did in this case made it perfectly plain that his purpose is not a hit-or-miss thing dependent on what we do or don't do, but a sure thing determined by his decision, flowing steadily from his initiative. + God told Rebecca, "The firstborn of your twins will take second place." + Later that was turned into a stark epigram: "I loved Jacob; I hated Esau." + Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. + God told Moses, "I'm in charge of mercy. I'm in charge of compassion." + Compassion doesn't originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God's mercy. + The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, "I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power." + All we're saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for good or ill. + Are you going to object, "So how can God blame us for anything since he's in charge of everything? If the big decisions are already made, what say do we have in it?" + Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, "Why did you shape me like this?" + Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? + If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure + and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn't that all right? + Either or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people. + Hosea put it well: I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved. + In the place where they yelled out, "You're nobody!" they're calling you "God's living children." + Isaiah maintained this same emphasis: If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered and the sum labeled "chosen of God," They'd be numbers still, not names; salvation comes by personal selection. + God doesn't count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus. + Isaiah had looked ahead and spoken the truth: If our powerful God had not provided us a legacy of living children, We would have ended up like ghost towns, like Sodom and Gomorrah. + How can we sum this up? All those people who didn't seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. + And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. + How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their "God projects" that they didn't notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. + Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together: Careful! I've put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can't get around. But the stone is me! If you're looking for me, you'll find me on the way, not in the way. + + + Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what's best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time. + I readily admit that the Jews are impressively energetic regarding God--but they are doing everything exactly backwards. + They don't seem to realize that this comprehensive setting-things-right that is salvation is God's business, and a most flourishing business it is. Right across the street they set up their own salvation shops and noisily hawk their wares. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it. + The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. + Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy--every detail of life regulated by fine print! + But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story--no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, + no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. + So what exactly was Moses saying? The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. + Say the welcoming word to God--"Jesus is my Master"--embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. + With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!" + Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this--heart and soul--will ever regret it." + It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. + "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help." + But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? + And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! + But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" + The point is, Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to. + But haven't there been plenty of opportunities for Israel to listen and understand what's going on? Plenty, I'd say. Preachers' voices have gone 'round the world, Their message to earth's seven seas. + So the big question is, Why didn't Israel understand that she had no corner on this message? Moses had it right when he predicted, When you see God reach out to those you consider your inferiors--outsiders!-- you'll become insanely jealous. When you see God reach out to people you think are religiously stupid, you'll throw temper tantrums. + Isaiah dared to speak out these words of God: People found and welcomed me who never so much as looked for me. And I found and welcomed people who had never even asked about me. + Then he capped it with a damning indictment: Day after day after day, I beckoned Israel with open arms, And got nothing for my trouble but cold shoulders and icy stares. + + + Does this mean, then, that God is so fed up with Israel that he'll have nothing more to do with them? Hardly. Remember that I, the one writing these things, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham out of the tribe of Benjamin. You can't get much more Semitic than that! + So we're not talking about repudiation. God has been too long involved with Israel, has too much invested, to simply wash his hands of them. Do you remember that time Elijah was agonizing over this same Israel and cried out in prayer? + God, they murdered your prophets, They trashed your altars; I'm the only one left and now they're after me! + And do you remember God's answer? I still have seven thousand who haven't quit, Seven thousand who are loyal to the finish. + It's the same today. There's a fiercely loyal minority still--not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. + They're holding on, not because of what they think they're going to get out of it, but because they're convinced of God's grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago. + And then what happened? Well, when Israel tried to be right with God on her own, pursuing her own self-interest, she didn't succeed. The chosen ones of God were those who let God pursue his interest in them, and as a result received his stamp of legitimacy. The "self-interest Israel" became thick-skinned toward God. + Moses and Isaiah both commented on this: Fed up with their quarrelsome, self-centered ways, God blurred their eyes and dulled their ears, Shut them in on themselves in a hall of mirrors, and they're there to this day. + David was upset about the same thing: I hope they get sick eating self-serving meals, break a leg walking their self-serving ways. + I hope they go blind staring in their mirrors, get ulcers from playing at god. + The next question is, "Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?" And the answer is a clear-cut no. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. + Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God's kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming! + But I don't want to go on about them. It's you, the outsiders, that I'm concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can + when I'm among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they'll realize what they're missing and want to get in on what God is doing. + If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what's going to happen when they get it right! + Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there's bound to be some holy fruit. + Some of the tree's branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root + gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren't feeding the root; the root is feeding you. + It's certainly possible to say, "Other branches were pruned so that I could be grafted in!" + Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you're on the tree is because your graft "took" when you believed, and because you're connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don't get cocky and strut your branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green. + If God didn't think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn't give it a second thought. + Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God--ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don't presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you're out of there. + And don't get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don't persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts. + Why, if he could graft you--branches cut from a tree out in the wild--into an orchard tree, he certainly isn't going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you're in the tree, and hope for the best for the others. + I want to lay all this out on the table as clearly as I can, friends. This is complicated. It would be easy to misinterpret what's going on and arrogantly assume that you're royalty and they're just rabble, out on their ears for good. But that's not it at all. This hardness on the part of insider Israel toward God is temporary. Its effect is to open things up to all the outsiders so that we end up with a full house. + Before it's all over, there will be a complete Israel. As it is written, A champion will stride down from the mountain of Zion; he'll clean house in Jacob. + And this is my commitment to my people: removal of their sins. + From your point of view as you hear and embrace the good news of the Message, it looks like the Jews are God's enemies. But looked at from the long-range perspective of God's overall purpose, they remain God's oldest friends. + God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty--never canceled, never rescinded. + There was a time not so long ago when you were on the outs with God. But then the Jews slammed the door on him and things opened up for you. + Now they are on the outs. But with the door held wide open for you, they have a way back in. + In one way or another, God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in. + Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. + Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? + Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? + Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes. + + + So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. + Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. + I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. + In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. + The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, + let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; + if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; + if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. + Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. + Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. + Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, + cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. + Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. + Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. + Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. + Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. + Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. + If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. + Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." + Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. + Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. + + + Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. + If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. + Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, + the government working to your advantage. But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. + That's why you must live responsibly--not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live. + That's also why you pay taxes--so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. + Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders. + Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. + The law code--don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of--finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. + You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love. + But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. + The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. + We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. + Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about! + + + Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with--even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. + For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. + But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. + Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. + Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience. + What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. + None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. + It's God we are answerable to--all the way from life to death and everything in between--not each other. + That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. + So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly--or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. + Read it for yourself in Scripture: "As I live and breathe," God says, "every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God." + So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. + Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. + I'm convinced--Jesus convinced me!--that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it. + If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? + Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning! + God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. + Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you. + So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; + don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. + When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love. + Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. + But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe--some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them--then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong. + + + Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. + Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?" + That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. + Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. + May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. + Then we'll be a choir--not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! + So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! + Jesus, staying true to God's purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. + As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance: Then I'll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I'll sing to your name! + And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together! + And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise! + And Isaiah's word: There's the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope! + Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! + Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. + So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, + this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit. + Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased--in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. + I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. + In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. + This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. + My text has been, Those who were never told of him-- they'll see him! Those who've never heard of him-- they'll get the message! + And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you. + But now that there is no more pioneering work to be done in these parts, and since I have looked forward to seeing you for many years, + I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing. + First, though, I'm going to Jerusalem to deliver a relief offering to the Christians there. + The Greeks--all the way from the Macedonians in the north to the Achaians in the south--decided they wanted to take up a collection for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. + They were happy to do this, but it was also their duty. Seeing that they got in on all the spiritual gifts that flowed out of the Jerusalem community so generously, it is only right that they do what they can to relieve their poverty. + As soon as I have done this--personally handed over this "fruit basket"--I'm off to Spain, with a stopover with you in Rome. + My hope is that my visit with you is going to be one of Christ's more extravagant blessings. + I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me--to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit-- + that I will be delivered from the lions' den of unbelievers in Judea. Pray also that my relief offering to the Jerusalem Christians will be accepted in the spirit in which it is given. + Then, God willing, I'll be on my way to you with a light and eager heart, looking forward to being refreshed by your company. + God's peace be with all of you. Oh, yes! + + + Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She's a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. + Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She's helped many a person, including me. + Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. + They once put their lives on the line for me. And I'm not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, + to say nothing of the church that meets in their house. Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first Christian in the province of Asia. + Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be! + Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders. + Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God. + Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ's work, and my good friend Stachys. + Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ. Hello to the family of Aristobulus. + Hello to my cousin Herodion. Hello to those Christians from the family of Narcissus. + Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa--such diligent women in serving the Master. Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ. + Hello to Rufus--a good choice by the Master!--and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me. + Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families. + Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas--and all the Christians who live with them. + Holy embraces all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings! + One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. + They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They're only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren't above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents. + And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters--I couldn't be more proud of you!--I want you also to be smart, making sure every "good" thing is the real thing. Don't be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, + and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus! + And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello. + I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul's dictation, send you my personal greetings. + Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings. + (OMITTED TEXT) + All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long + but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the very last letter. + All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes! + + + + + I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the Messiah, according to God's plan, along with my friend Sosthenes. + I send this letter to you in God's church at Corinth, Christians cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life. I include in my greeting all who call out to Jesus, wherever they live. He's their Master as well as ours! + May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours. + Every time I think of you--and I think of you often!--I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. + There's no end to what has happened in you--it's beyond speech, beyond knowledge. + The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives. + Just think--you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. + And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. + God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that. + I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. + I bring this up because some from Chloe's family brought a most disturbing report to my attention--that you're fighting among yourselves! + I'll tell you exactly what I was told: You're all picking sides, going around saying, "I'm on Paul's side," or "I'm for Apollos," or "Peter is my man," or "I'm in the Messiah group." + I ask you, "Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own? Was Paul crucified for you? Was a single one of you baptized in Paul's name?" + I was not involved with any of your baptisms--except for Crispus and Gaius--and on getting this report, I'm sure glad I wasn't. + At least no one can go around saying he was baptized in my name. + (Come to think of it, I also baptized Stephanas's family, but as far as I can recall, that's it.) + God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center--Christ on the Cross--be trivialized into mere words. + The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. + It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots. + So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? + Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb--preaching, of all things!--to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. + While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, + we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle--and Greeks pass it off as absurd. + But to us who are personally called by God himself--both Jews and Greeks--Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. + Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness." + Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. + Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, + chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? + That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. + Everything that we have--right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start--comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. + That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God." + + + You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. + I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did--Jesus crucified. + I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate--I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it-- + and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's Spirit and God's power did it, + which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else. + We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. + God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest--what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. + The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. + That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it-- What God has arranged for those who love him. + But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. + Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God--except that he not only knows what he's thinking, + but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. + We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. + The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit--God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. + Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. + Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit. + + + But for right now, friends, I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You're acting like infants in relation to Christ, + capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I'll nurse you since you don't seem capable of anything more. + As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything's going your way? + When one of you says, "I'm on Paul's side," and another says, "I'm for Apollos," aren't you being totally infantile? + Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us--servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. + I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. + It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. + Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. + What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God's house. + Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! + Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. + Take particular care in picking out your building materials. + Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing. + If your work passes inspection, fine; + if it doesn't, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won't be torn out; you'll survive--but just barely. + You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? + No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred--and you, remember, are the temple. + Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. + Be God's fool--that's the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It's written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic. + The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls. + I don't want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift-- + Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future--all of it is yours, + and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God. + + + Don't imagine us leaders to be something we aren't. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God's most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. + The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. + It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don't even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. + I'm not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn't mean much. The Master makes that judgment. + So don't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of--inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God. + All I'm doing right now, friends, is showing how these things pertain to Apollos and me so that you will learn restraint and not rush into making judgments without knowing all the facts. It's important to look at things from God's point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay. + For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn't everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what's the point of all this comparing and competing? + You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle. Without bringing either Apollos or me into it, you're sitting on top of the world--at least God's world--and we're right there, sitting alongside you! + It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We're something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street. + We're the Messiah's misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we're mostly kicked around. + Much of the time we don't have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, + and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, "God bless you." + When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We're treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture's kitchen. And it's not getting any better. + I'm not writing all this as a neighborhood scold just to make you feel rotten. I'm writing as a father to you, my children. I love you and want you to grow up well, not spoiled. + There are a lot of people around who can't wait to tell you what you've done wrong, but there aren't many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God's Message to you that I became your father. + I'm not, you know, asking you to do anything I'm not already doing myself. + This is why I sent Timothy to you earlier. He is also my dear son, and true to the Master. He will refresh your memory on the instructions I regularly give all the churches on the way of Christ. + I know there are some among you who are so full of themselves they never listen to anyone, let alone me. They don't think I'll ever show up in person. + But I'll be there sooner than you think, God willing, and then we'll see if they're full of anything but hot air. + God's Way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life. + So how should I prepare to come to you? As a severe disciplinarian who makes you toe the mark? Or as a good friend and counselor who wants to share heart-to-heart with you? You decide. + + + I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. + And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with? + I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, consider me right there with you, because I can fully see what's going on. I'm telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. + Assemble the community--I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. + Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment. + Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that. Yeast, too, is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. + So get rid of this "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. + So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread--simple, genuine, unpretentious. + I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. + I didn't mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue- or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You'd have to leave the world entirely to do that! + But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. + I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? + God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house. + + + And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God's ways instead of a family of Christians? + The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of Christians. If someday you are going to rule on the world's fate, wouldn't it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? + Why, we're even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? + As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don't trust in any other way? + I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you're doing. Is it possible that there isn't one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don't believe it. + And here you are taking each other to court before people who don't even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don't believe in the God of justice? + These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn't it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? + All you're doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family. + Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, + use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. + A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit. + Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. + You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body! + God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. + Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not. + There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." + Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever--the kind of sex that can never "become one." + There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. + Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. + God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. + + + Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? + Certainly--but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. + The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality--the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. + Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. + Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting--but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. + I'm not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence--only providing my best counsel if you should choose them. + Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me--a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others. + I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. + But if they can't manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single. + And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master's command, not mine. + If a wife should leave her husband, she must either remain single or else come back and make things right with him. And a husband has no right to get rid of his wife. + For the rest of you who are in mixed marriages--Christian married to nonChristian--we have no explicit command from the Master. So this is what you must do. If you are a man with a wife who is not a believer but who still wants to live with you, hold on to her. + If you are a woman with a husband who is not a believer but he wants to live with you, hold on to him. + The unbelieving husband shares to an extent in the holiness of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is likewise touched by the holiness of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be left out; as it is, they also are included in the spiritual purposes of God. + On the other hand, if the unbelieving spouse walks out, you've got to let him or her go. You don't have to hold on desperately. God has called us to make the best of it, as peacefully as we can. + You never know, wife: The way you handle this might bring your husband not only back to you but to God. You never know, husband: The way you handle this might bring your wife not only back to you but to God. + And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don't think I'm being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches. + Were you Jewish at the time God called you? Don't try to remove the evidence. Were you non-Jewish at the time of your call? Don't become a Jew. + Being Jewish isn't the point. The really important thing is obeying God's call, following his commands. + Stay where you were when God called your name. + Were you a slave? Slavery is no roadblock to obeying and believing. I don't mean you're stuck and can't leave. If you have a chance at freedom, go ahead and take it. + I'm simply trying to point out that under your new Master you're going to experience a marvelous freedom you would never have dreamed of. On the other hand, if you were free when Christ called you, you'll experience a delightful "enslavement to God" you would never have dreamed of. + All of you, slave and free both, were once held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom. So please don't, out of old habit, slip back into being or doing what everyone else tells you. + Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side. + The Master did not give explicit direction regarding virgins, but as one much experienced in the mercy of the Master and loyal to him all the way, you can trust my counsel. + Because of the current pressures on us from all sides, I think it would probably be best to stay just as you are. + Are you married? Stay married. Are you unmarried? Don't get married. + But there's certainly no sin in getting married, whether you're a virgin or not. All I am saying is that when you marry, you take on additional stress in an already stressful time, and I want to spare you if possible. + I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple--in marriage, + grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things--your daily routines of shopping, and so on. + Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out. + I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. + Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, + leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. + I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions. + If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a "single," and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It's no sin; it's not even a "step down" from celibacy, as some say. + On the other hand, if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and it's entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others, he ought to stick with it. + Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way, although as I indicated earlier, because of the times we live in, I do have pastoral reasons for encouraging singleness. + A wife must stay with her husband as long as he lives. If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she chooses. She will, of course, want to marry a believer and have the blessing of the Master + . By now you know that I think she'll be better off staying single. The Master, in my opinion, thinks so, too. + + + The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions-- + but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. + We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all. + Some people say, quite rightly, that idols have no actual existence, that there's nothing to them, that there is no God other than our one God, + that no matter how many of these so-called gods are named and worshiped they still don't add up to anything but a tall story. + They say--again, quite rightly--that there is only one God the Father, that everything comes from him, and that he wants us to live for him. Also, they say that there is only one Master--Jesus the Messiah--and that everything is for his sake, including us. Yes. It's true. + In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when it was offered up to an idol. It's just like any other meat. I know that, and you know that. But knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn't that insensitive. We need to be sensitive to the fact that we're not all at the same level of understanding in this. Some of you have spent your entire lives eating "idol meat," and are sure that there's something bad in the meat that then becomes something bad inside of you. An imagination and conscience shaped under those conditions isn't going to change overnight. + But fortunately God doesn't grade us on our diet. We're neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can't stomach it. + But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a Christian still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track. + For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn't there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, someone who looks up to you as knowledgeable and mature, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused--maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong. + Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn't you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him--because, as you say, it doesn't really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! + When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn't worth it at the cost of even one of these "weak ones." + So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there's any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters. + + + And don't tell me that I have no authority to write like this. I'm perfectly free to do this--isn't that obvious? Haven't I been given a job to do? Wasn't I commissioned to this work in a face-to-face meeting with Jesus, our Master? Aren't you yourselves proof of the good work that I've done for the Master? + Even if no one else admits the authority of my commission, you can't deny it. Why, my work with you is living proof of my authority! + I'm not shy in standing up to my critics. + We who are on missionary assignments for God have a right to decent accommodations, + and we have a right to support for us and our families. You don't seem to have raised questions with the other apostles and our Master's brothers and Peter in these matters. + So, why me? Is it just Barnabas and I who have to go it alone and pay our own way? + Are soldiers self-employed? Are gardeners forbidden to eat vegetables from their own gardens? Don't milkmaids get to drink their fill from the pail? + I'm not just sounding off because I'm irritated. This is all written in the scriptural law. + Moses wrote, "Don't muzzle an ox to keep it from eating the grain when it's threshing." Do you think Moses' primary concern was the care of farm animals? + Don't you think his concern extends to us? Of course. Farmers plow and thresh expecting something when the crop comes in. + So if we have planted spiritual seed among you, is it out of line to expect a meal or two from you? + Others demand plenty from you in these ways. Don't we who have never demanded deserve even more? But we're not going to start demanding now what we've always had a perfect right to. Our decision all along has been to put up with anything rather than to get in the way or detract from the Message of Christ. + All I'm concerned with right now is that you not use our decision to take advantage of others, depriving them of what is rightly theirs. You know, don't you, that it's always been taken for granted that those who work in the Temple live off the proceeds of the Temple, and that those who offer sacrifices at the altar eat their meals from what has been sacrificed? + Along the same lines, the Master directed that those who spread the Message be supported by those who believe the Message. + Still, I want it made clear that I've never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I'm not writing now to get something. I'd rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or impugn my motives. + If I proclaim the Message, it's not to get something out of it for myself. I'm compelled to do it, and doomed if I don't! + If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I'd expect some pay. But since it's not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? + So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. You don't even have to pay my expenses! + Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: + religious, nonreligious, + meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, + the defeated, the demoralized--whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. + I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! + You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. + All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. + I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! + I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. + + + Remember our history, friends, and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and taken miraculously through the Sea. + They went through the waters, in a baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation life. + They all ate + and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God's fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ. + But just experiencing God's wonder and grace didn't seem to mean much--most of them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased. + The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. + And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did--"First the people partied, then they threw a dance." + We must not be sexually promiscuous--they paid for that, remember, with twenty-three thousand deaths in one day! + We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. + We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them. + These are all warning markers--DANGER!--in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel--they at the beginning, we at the end--and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. + Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. + No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. + So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can. + I assume I'm addressing believers now who are mature. Draw your own conclusions: + When we drink the cup of blessing, aren't we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn't it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don't we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? + Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness--Christ doesn't become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don't reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is. + That's basically what happened even in old Israel--those who ate the sacrifices offered on God's altar entered into God's action at the altar. + Do you see the difference? Sacrifices offered to idols are offered to nothing, for what's the idol but a nothing? + Or worse than nothing, a minus, a demon! I don't want you to become part of something that reduces you to less than yourself. + And you can't have it both ways, banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next. + Besides, the Master won't put up with it. He wants us--all or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less? + Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. + We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well. + With that as a base to work from, common sense can take you the rest of the way. Eat anything sold at the butcher shop, for instance; you don't have to run an "idolatry test" on every item. + "The earth," after all, "is God's, and everything in it." That "everything" certainly includes the leg of lamb in the butcher shop. + If a nonbeliever invites you to dinner and you feel like going, go ahead and enjoy yourself; eat everything placed before you. It would be both bad manners and bad spirituality to cross-examine your host on the ethical purity of each course as it is served. + On the other hand, if he goes out of his way to tell you that this or that was sacrificed to god or goddess so-and-so, you should pass. Even though you may be indifferent as to where it came from, he isn't, and you don't want to send mixed messages to him about who you are worshiping. + But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. + If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it! + So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you--you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. + At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. + I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too. + + + It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ. + (SEE 11:1) + In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. + Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. + In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. + Worse, she dishonors herself--an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, + men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their "heads" to the Head: God. + (SEE 11:7) + (SEE 11:7) + Don't, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. + Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God--that is true. But the head on a woman's body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her "head," her husband. + The first woman came from man, true--but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let's quit going through these "who's first" routines. + Don't you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism--a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission? + (SEE 11:13) + (SEE 11:13) + I hope you're not going to be argumentative about this. All God's churches see it this way; I don't want you standing out as an exception. + Regarding this next item, I'm not at all pleased. I am getting the picture that when you meet together it brings out your worst side instead of your best! + First, I get this report on your divisiveness, competing with and criticizing each other. I'm reluctant to believe it, but there it is. + The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it. + And then I find that you bring your divisions to worship--you come together, and instead of eating the Lord's Supper, + you bring in a lot of food from the outside and make pigs of yourselves. Some are left out, and go home hungry. Others have to be carried out, too drunk to walk. I can't believe it! + Don't you have your own homes to eat and drink in? Why would you stoop to desecrating God's church? Why would you actually shame God's poor? I never would have believed you would stoop to this. And I'm not going to stand by and say nothing. + Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord's Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. + Having given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me. + After supper, he did the same thing with the cup: This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember me. + What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt. + Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of "remembrance" you want to be part of? + Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe. + If you give no thought (or worse, don't care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you're running the risk of serious consequences. + That's why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. + If we get this straight now, we won't have to be straightened out later on. + Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later. + So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord's Table, be reverent and courteous with one another. + If you're so hungry that you can't wait to be served, go home and get a sandwich. But by no means risk turning this Meal into an eating and drinking binge or a family squabble. It is a spiritual meal--a love feast. The other things you asked about, I'll respond to in person when I make my next visit. + + + What I want to talk about now is the various ways God's Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. + Remember how you were when you didn't know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It's different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. + For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say "Jesus be damned!" Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit. + God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. + God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. + God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. + Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! + The variety is wonderful: wise counsel clear understanding + simple trust healing the sick + miraculous acts proclamation distinguishing between spirits tongues interpretation of tongues. + All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when. + You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts--limbs, organs, cells--but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same with Christ. + By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain--his Spirit--where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves--labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free--are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive. + I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. + If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? + If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? + If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? + As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. + But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster. + What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. + Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You're fired; your job has been phased out"? + As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way--the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. + When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. + If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? + The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, + the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. + You are Christ's body--that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. + You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his "body": apostles prophets teachers miracle workers healers helpers organizers those who pray in tongues. + But it's obvious by now, isn't it, that Christ's church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It's not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, + not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. + And yet some of you keep competing for so-called "important" parts. But now I want to lay out a far better way for you. + + + If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. + If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. + If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. + Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, + Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, + Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, + Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. + Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. + We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. + But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled. + When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good. + We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! + But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. + + + Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it--because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. + If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. + But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you. + The one who prays using a private "prayer language" certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God's truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength. + I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don't stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It's more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and cultivate God's presence in a mysterious prayer language--unless, of course, there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all. + Think, friends: If I come to you and all I do is pray privately to God in a way only he can understand, what are you going to get out of that? If I don't address you plainly with some insight or truth or proclamation or teaching, what help am I to you? + If musical instruments--flutes, say, or harps--aren't played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music? + If the trumpet call can't be distinguished, will anyone show up for the battle? + So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what's the point of opening your mouth? + There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. + But if I don't understand the language, it's not going to do me much good. + It's no different with you. Since you're so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don't you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church? + So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don't hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy. + If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind lies fallow, and all that intelligence is wasted. + So what's the solution? The answer is simple enough. Do both. I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit, and sing with my mind. + If you give a blessing using your private prayer language, which no one else understands, how can some outsider who has just shown up and has no idea what's going on know when to say "Amen"? + Your blessing might be beautiful, but you have very effectively cut that person out of it. + I'm grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that he gives us for praising him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with him. I enter into this as much or more than any of you. + But when I'm in a church assembled for worship, I'd rather say five words that everyone can understand and learn from than say ten thousand that sound to others like gibberish. + To be perfectly frank, I'm getting exasperated with your infantile thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head--your adult head? It's all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that's needed there. But there's far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and well-exercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility. + It's written in Scripture that God said, In strange tongues and from the mouths of strangers I will preach to this people, but they'll neither listen nor believe. + So where does it get you, all this speaking in tongues no one understands? It doesn't help believers, and it only gives unbelievers something to gawk at. Plain truth-speaking, on the other hand, goes straight to the heart of believers and doesn't get in the way of unbelievers. + If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you're all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can? + But if some unbelieving outsiders walk in on a service where people are speaking out God's truth, the plain words will bring them up against the truth + and probe their hearts. Before you know it, they're going to be on their faces before God, recognizing that God is among you. + So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. + If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three's the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you're saying. + Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. + And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. + Take your turn, no one person taking over. + Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. + If you choose to speak, you're also responsible for how and when you speak. + When we worship the right way, God doesn't stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches--no exceptions. + Wives must not disrupt worship, talking when they should be listening, + asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God's Book of the law guides our manners and customs here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking. + Do you--both women and men--imagine that you're a sacred oracle determining what's right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you? + If any one of you thinks God has something for you to say or has inspired you to do something, pay close attention to what I have written. This is the way the Master wants it. + If you won't play by these rules, God can't use you. Sorry. + Three things, then, to sum this up: When you speak forth God's truth, speak your heart out. Don't tell people how they should or shouldn't pray when they're praying in tongues that you don't understand. + Be courteous and considerate in everything. + + + Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time--this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand + and by which your life has been saved. (I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you're in this for good and holding fast.) + The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; + that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; + that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, + and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); + that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; + and that he finally presented himself alive to me. + It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don't deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God's church right out of existence. + But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. + So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it's all the same: We spoke God's truth and you entrusted your lives. + Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? + If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ. + And face it--if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you've staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. + Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ--sheer fabrications, if there's no resurrection. + If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead. + And if Christ wasn't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. + It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves. + If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. + But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries. + There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. + Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ. + But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming, + the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to God the Father. + He won't let up until the last enemy is down-- + and the very last enemy is death! + As the psalmist said, "He laid them low, one and all; he walked all over them." When Scripture says that "he walked all over them," it's obvious that he couldn't at the same time be walked on. + When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking his place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive--a perfect ending! + Why do you think people offer themselves to be baptized for those already in the grave? If there's no chance of resurrection for a corpse, if God's power stops at the cemetery gates, why do we keep doing things that suggest he's going to clean the place out someday, pulling everyone up on their feet alive? + And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? + I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I'd do this if I wasn't convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? + Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn't be the end of me? Not on your life! It's resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there's no resurrection, "We eat, we drink, the next day we die," and that's all there is to it. + But don't fool yourselves. Don't let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. "Bad company ruins good manners." + Think straight. Awaken to the holiness of life. No more playing fast and loose with resurrection facts. Ignorance of God is a luxury you can't afford in times like these. Aren't you embarrassed that you've let this kind of thing go on as long as you have? + Some skeptic is sure to ask, "Show me how resurrection works. Give me a diagram; draw me a picture. What does this 'resurrection body' look like?" + If you look at this question closely, you realize how absurd it is. There are no diagrams for this kind of thing. + We do have a parallel experience in gardening. You plant a "dead" seed; soon there is a flourishing plant. There is no visual likeness between seed and plant. + You could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed. What we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don't look anything alike. The dead body that we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different. + You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies--humans, animals, birds, fish--each unprecedented in its form. + You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies-- + sun, moon, stars--all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we're only looking at pre-resurrection "seeds"--who can imagine what the resurrection "plants" will be like! + This image of planting a dead seed and raising a live plant is a mere sketch at best, but perhaps it will help in approaching the mystery of the resurrection body--but only if you keep in mind that when we're raised, we're raised for good, alive forever! + The corpse that's planted is no beauty, but when it's raised, it's glorious. Put in the ground weak, it comes up powerful. + The seed sown is natural; the seed grown is supernatural--same seed, same body, but what a difference from when it goes down in physical mortality to when it is raised up in spiritual immortality! + We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, the Last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. + Physical life comes first, then spiritual-- + a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven. + The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. + In the same way that we've worked from our earthy origins, let's embrace our heavenly ends. + I need to emphasize, friends, that our natural, earthy lives don't in themselves lead us by their very nature into the kingdom of God. Their very "nature" is to die, so how could they "naturally" end up in the Life kingdom? + But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die--but we are all going to be changed. + You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes--it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed. + In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. + Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life! + Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now? + It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. + But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three--sin, guilt, death--are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! + With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. + + + Regarding the relief offering for poor Christians that is being collected, you get the same instructions I gave the churches in Galatia. + Every Sunday each of you make an offering and put it in safekeeping. Be as generous as you can. When I get there you'll have it ready, and I won't have to make a special appeal. + Then after I arrive, I'll write letters authorizing whomever you delegate, and send them off to Jerusalem to deliver your gift. + If you think it best that I go along, I'll be glad to travel with them. + I plan to visit you after passing through northern Greece. I won't be staying long there, + but maybe I can stay awhile with you--maybe even spend the winter? Then you could give me a good send-off, wherever I may be headed next. + I don't want to just drop by in between other "primary" destinations. I want a good, long, leisurely visit. If the Master agrees, we'll have it! + For the present, I'm staying right here in Ephesus. + A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. (There is also mushrooming opposition.) + If Timothy shows up, take good care of him. Make him feel completely at home among you. He works so hard for the Master, just as I do. + Don't let anyone disparage him. After a while, send him on to me with your blessing. Tell him I'm expecting him, and any friends he has with him. + About our friend Apollos, I've done my best to get him to pay you a visit, but haven't talked him into it yet. He doesn't think this is the right time. But there will be a "right time." + Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute, + and love without stopping. + Would you do me a favor, friends, and give special recognition to the family of Stephanas? You know, they were among the first converts in Greece, and they've put themselves out, serving Christians ever since then. I want you to + honor and look up to people like that: companions and workers who show us how to do it, giving us something to aspire to. + I want you to know how delighted I am to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus here with me. They partially make up for your absence! + They've refreshed me by keeping me in touch with you. Be proud that you have people like this among you. + The churches here in western Asia send greetings. Aquila, Priscilla, and the church that meets in their house say hello. + All the friends here say hello. Pass the greetings around with holy embraces! + And I, Paul--in my own handwriting!--send you my regards. + If anyone won't love the Master, throw him out. Make room for the Master! + Our Master Jesus has his arms wide open for you. + And I love all of you in the Messiah, in Jesus. + + + + + I, Paul, have been sent on a special mission by the Messiah, Jesus, planned by God himself. I write this to God's congregation in Corinth, and to believers all over Achaia province. + May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours! Timothy, someone you know and trust, joins me in this greeting. + All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! + He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. + We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort--we get a full measure of that, too. + When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. + When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it. + We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. + We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally--not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead! + And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. + You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation--I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part. + Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world--and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn't by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. + Don't try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We're writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that + you'll now see the whole picture as well as you've seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus. + Confident of your welcome, I had originally planned two great visits with you-- + coming by on my way to Macedonia province, and then again on my return trip. Then we could have had a bon-voyage party as you sent me off to Judea. That was the plan. + Are you now going to accuse me of being flip with my promises because it didn't work out? Do you think I talk out of both sides of my mouth--a glib yes one moment, a glib no the next? + Well, you're wrong. I try to be as true to my word as God is to his. Our word to you wasn't a careless yes canceled by an indifferent no. How could it be? + When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again waffling? Wasn't it a clean, strong Yes? + Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. + God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. + By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge--a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete. + Now, are you ready for the real reason I didn't visit you in Corinth? As God is my witness, the only reason I didn't come was to spare you pain. I was being considerate of you, not indifferent, not manipulative. + We're not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulders, suspiciously critical. We're partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. I know that you stand by your own faith, not by ours. + + + That's why I decided not to make another visit that could only be painful to both of us. + If by merely showing up I would put you in an embarrassingly painful position, how would you then be free to cheer and refresh me? + That was my reason for writing a letter instead of coming--so I wouldn't have to spend a miserable time disappointing the very friends I had looked forward to cheering me up. I was convinced at the time I wrote it that what was best for me was also best for you. + As it turned out, there was pain enough just in writing that letter, more tears than ink on the parchment. But I didn't write it to cause pain; I wrote it so you would know how much I care--oh, more than care--love you! + Now, regarding the one who started all this--the person in question who caused all this pain--I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don't want to come down too hard. + What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. + Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. + My counsel now is to pour on the love. + The focus of my letter wasn't on punishing the offender but on getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church. + So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don't think I'm carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I'm joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. + After all, we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief--we're not oblivious to his sly ways! + When I arrived in Troas to proclaim the Message of the Messiah, I found the place wide open: God had opened the door; all I had to do was walk through it. + But when I didn't find Titus waiting for me with news of your condition, I couldn't relax. Worried about you, I left and came on to Macedonia province looking for Titus and a reassuring word on you. + And I got it, thank God! In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. + Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation--an aroma redolent with life. + But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? + No--but at least we don't take God's Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap. We stand in Christ's presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can. + + + Does it sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we're not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. + You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. + Christ himself wrote it--not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives--and we publish it. + We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this--that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. + We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. + His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives! + The Government of Death, its constitution chiseled on stone tablets, had a dazzling inaugural. Moses' face as he delivered the tablets was so bright that day (even though it would fade soon enough) that the people of Israel could no more look right at him than stare into the sun. + How much more dazzling, then, the Government of Living Spirit? + If the Government of Condemnation was impressive, how about this Government of Affirmation? + Bright as that old government was, it would look downright dull alongside this new one. + If that makeshift arrangement impressed us, how much more this brightly shining government installed for eternity? + With that kind of hope to excite us, nothing holds us back. + Unlike Moses, we have nothing to hide. Everything is out in the open with us. He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn't notice that the glory was fading away-- + and they didn't notice. They didn't notice it then and they don't notice it now, don't notice that there's nothing left behind that veil. + Even today when the proclamations of that old, bankrupt government are read out, they can't see through it. Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there's nothing there. + Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are--face to face! + They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! + All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. + + + Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. + We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God. + If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. + All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get. + Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. + It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. + If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. + As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, + but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. + What they did to Jesus, they do to us--trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us--he lives! + Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. + While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best! + We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. + And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. + Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise! + So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. + These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. + There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. + + + For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven--God-made, not handmade-- + and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move--and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! + (SEE 5:2) + (SEE 5:2) + The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. + That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. + It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. + Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming. + But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. + Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad. + That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. + We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. + If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. + Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. + He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. + Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. + Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! + All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. + God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. + We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. + How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. + + + Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. + God reminds us, I heard your call in the nick of time; The day you needed me, I was there to help. Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. + Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing. + Our work as God's servants gets validated--or not--in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; + when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; + with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; + when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; + when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; + ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; + immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all. + Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. + We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. + I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively! + Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? + Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? + Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. + So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. + I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God. + + + With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let's make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. + Trust us. We've never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone. + Don't think I'm finding fault with you. I told you earlier that I'm with you all the way, no matter what. + I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles. + When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn't settle down. The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn't relax because we didn't know how it would turn out. + Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus. + We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance came in what he told us about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time! + I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. + Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. + Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. + And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. + And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you--that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. + That's what happened--and we felt just great. And then, when we saw how Titus felt--his exuberance over your response--our joy doubled. It was wonderful to see how revived and refreshed he was by everything you did. + If I went out on a limb in telling Titus how great I thought you were, you didn't cut off that limb. As it turned out, I hadn't exaggerated one bit. Titus saw for himself that everything I had said about you was true. + He can't quit talking about it, going over again and again the story of your prompt obedience, and the dignity and sensitivity of your hospitality. He was quite overwhelmed by it all! + And I couldn't be more pleased--I'm so confident and proud of you. + + + Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. + Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. + I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could--far more than they could afford!-- + pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians. + This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. + That's what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. + You do so well in so many things--you trust God, you're articulate, you're insightful, you're passionate, you love us--now, do your best in this, too. + I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. + You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us--in one stroke he became poor and we became rich. + So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. + Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. + Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands. + This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, + your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even. + As it is written, Nothing left over to the one with the most, Nothing lacking to the one with the least. + I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have. + He was most considerate of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with this relief offering is his own idea. + We're sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in the churches for his preaching of the Message. + But there's far more to him than popularity. He's rock-solid trustworthy. The churches handpicked him to go with us as we travel about doing this work of sharing God's gifts to honor God as well as we can, + taking every precaution against scandal. We don't want anyone suspecting us of taking one penny of this money for ourselves. + We're being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God. + That's why we're sending another trusted friend along. He's proved his dependability many times over, and carries on as energetically as the day he started. He's heard much about you, and liked what he's heard--so much so that he can't wait to get there. + I don't need to say anything further about Titus. We've been close associates in this work of serving you for a long time. The brothers who travel with him are delegates from churches, a real credit to Christ. + Show them what you're made of, the love I've been talking up in the churches. Let them see it for themselves! + + + If I wrote any more on this relief offering for the poor Christians, I'd be repeating myself. + I know you're on board and ready to go. I've been bragging about you all through Macedonia province, telling them, "Achaia province has been ready to go on this since last year." Your enthusiasm by now has spread to most of them. + Now I'm sending the brothers to make sure you're ready, as I said you would be, so my bragging won't turn out to be just so much hot air. + If some Macedonians and I happened to drop in on you and found you weren't prepared, we'd all be pretty red-faced--you and us--for acting so sure of ourselves. + So to make sure there will be no slipup, I've recruited these brothers as an advance team to get you and your promised offering all ready before I get there. I want you to have all the time you need to make this offering in your own way. I don't want anything forced or hurried at the last minute. + Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. + I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. + God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. + As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. + This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, + wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. + Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. + This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. + Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. + Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough! + + + And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I'm being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I'm with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. + Please don't force me to take a hard line when I'm present with you. Don't think that I'll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I'm an unprincipled opportunist. Then they'll have to eat their words. + The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way--never have and never will. + The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. + We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. + Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. + You stare and stare at the obvious, but you can't see the forest for the trees. If you're looking for a clear example of someone on Christ's side, why do you so quickly cut me out? Believe me, I am quite sure of my standing with Christ. + You may think I overstate the authority he gave me, but I'm not backing off. Every bit of my commitment is for the purpose of building you up, after all, not tearing you down. + And what's this talk about me bullying you with my letters? + "His letters are brawny and potent, but in person he's a weakling and mumbles when he talks." + Such talk won't survive scrutiny. What we write when away, we do when present. We're the exact same people, absent or present, in letter or in person. + We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they're our superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point. + We aren't making outrageous claims here. We're sticking to the limits of what God has set for us. But there can be no question that those limits reach to and include you. + We're not moving into someone else's "territory." We were already there with you, weren't we? We were the first ones to get there with the Message of Christ, right? So how can there be any question of overstepping our bounds by writing or visiting you? + We're not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with their ministries, demanding a place in the sun with them. What we're hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith, you'll play a part within our expanding work. + And we'll all still be within the limits God sets as we proclaim the Message in countries beyond Corinth. But we have no intention of moving in on what others have done and taking credit for it. + "If you want to claim credit, claim it for God." + What you say about yourself means nothing in God's work. It's what God says about you that makes the difference. + + + Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. + The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much--this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. + And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ. + It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached--different spirit, different message--you put up with him quite nicely. + But if you put up with these big-shot "apostles," why can't you put up with simple me? I'm as good as they are. + It's true that I don't have their voice, haven't mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I'm talking about. We haven't kept anything back. We let you in on everything. + I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God's Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn't be inconvenienced by me? + It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a free ride. + Not once during the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me out. My needs were always supplied by the Christians from Macedonia province. I was careful never to be a burden to you, and I never will be, you can count on it. + With Christ as my witness, it's a point of honor with me, and I'm not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors will think. + It's not that I don't love you; God knows I do. + I'm just trying to keep things open and honest between us. And I'm not changing my position on this. I'd die before taking your money. I'm giving nobody grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing "preachers," vaunting themselves as something special. + They're a sorry bunch--pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked workers--posing as Christ's agents but sham to the core. + And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light. + So it shouldn't surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they're not getting by with anything. They'll pay for it in the end. + Let me come back to where I started--and don't hold it against me if I continue to sound a little foolish. Or if you'd rather, just accept that I am a fool and let me rant on a little. + I didn't learn this kind of talk from Christ. + Oh, no, it's a bad habit I picked up from the three-ring preachers that are so popular these days. + Since you sit there in the judgment seat observing all these shenanigans, you can afford to humor an occasional fool who happens along. + You have such admirable tolerance for impostors who rob your freedom, rip you off, steal you blind, put you down--even slap your face! + I shouldn't admit it to you, but our stomachs aren't strong enough to tolerate that kind of stuff. Since you admire the egomaniacs of the pulpit so much (remember, this is your old friend, the fool, talking), let me try my hand at it. + Do they brag of being Hebrews, Israelites, the pure race of Abraham? I'm their match. + Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can't believe I'm saying these things. It's crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I'm going to finish.) I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. + I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, + beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. + In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. + I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. + And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. + When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut. + If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus. + The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not lying. + Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me? + I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life. + + + You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we're at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. + For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. + I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise--again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. + (SEE 12:3) + This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations. + If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. + Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! + At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, + and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. + Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. + Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it's not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from personal experience that even if I'm a nobody, a nothing, I wasn't second-rate compared to those big-shot apostles you're so taken with. + All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was with you through both good times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power. + Did you get less of me or of God than any of the other churches? The only thing you got less of was less responsibility for my upkeep. Well, I'm sorry. Forgive me for depriving you. + Everything is in readiness now for this, my third visit to you. But don't worry about it; you won't have to put yourselves out. I'll be no more of a bother to you this time than on the other visits. I have no interest in what you have--only in you. Children shouldn't have to look out for their parents; parents look out for the children. + I'd be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life, for your good. So how does it happen that the more I love you, the less I'm loved? + And why is it that I keep coming across these whiffs of gossip about how my self-support was a front behind which I worked an elaborate scam? Where's the evidence? + Did I cheat or trick you through anyone I sent? + I asked Titus to visit, and sent some brothers along. Did they swindle you out of anything? And haven't we always been just as aboveboard, just as honest? + I hope you don't think that all along we've been making our defense before you, the jury. You're not the jury; God is the jury--God revealed in Christ--and we make our case before him. And we've gone to all the trouble of supporting ourselves so that we won't be in the way or get in the way of your growing up. + I do admit that I have fears that when I come you'll disappoint me and I'll disappoint you, and in frustration with each other everything will fall to pieces--quarrels, jealousy, flaring tempers, taking sides, angry words, vicious rumors, swelled heads, and general bedlam. + I don't look forward to a second humiliation by God among you, compounded by hot tears over that crowd that keeps sinning over and over in the same old ways, who refuse to turn away from the pigsty of evil, sexual disorder, and indecency in which they wallow. + + + Well, this is my third visit coming up. Remember the Scripture that says, "A matter becomes clear after two or three witnesses give evidence"? + On my second visit I warned that bunch that keeps sinning over and over in the same old ways that when I came back I wouldn't go easy on them. Now, preparing for the third, I'm saying it again from a distance. If you haven't changed your ways by the time I get there, look out. + You who have been demanding proof that Christ speaks through me will get more than you bargained for. You'll get the full force of Christ, don't think you won't. + He was sheer weakness and humiliation when he was killed on the Cross, but oh, he's alive now--in the mighty power of God! We weren't much to look at, either, when we were humiliated among you, but when we deal with you this next time, we'll be alive in Christ, strengthened by God. + Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. + I hope the test won't show that we have failed. + But if it comes to that, we'd rather the test showed our failure than yours. + We're rooting for the truth to win out in you. + We couldn't possibly do otherwise. We don't just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives. + I'm writing this to you now so that when I come I won't have to say another word on the subject. The authority the Master gave me is for putting people together, not taking them apart. I want to get on with it, and not have to spend time on reprimands. + And that's about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. + Greet one another with a holy embrace. + All the brothers and sisters here say hello. + The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. + + + + + I, Paul, and my companions in faith here, send greetings to the Galatian churches. My authority for writing to you does not come from any popular vote of the people, nor does it come through the appointment of some human higher-up. It comes directly from Jesus the Messiah and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. I'm God-commissioned. + (SEE 1:1) + So I greet you with the great words, grace and peace! + We know the meaning of those words because Jesus Christ rescued us from this evil world we're in by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins. God's plan is that we all experience that rescue. + Glory to God forever! Oh, yes! + I can't believe your fickleness--how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! + It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. + Let me be blunt: If one of us--even if an angel from heaven!--were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. + I said it once; I'll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed. + Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn't bother being Christ's slave. + Know this--I am most emphatic here, friends--this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. + I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ. + I'm sure that you've heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God's church. I was systematically destroying it. + I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. + Even then God had designs on me. Why, when I was still in my mother's womb he chose and called me out of sheer generosity! + Now he has intervened and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him. Immediately after my calling--without consulting anyone around me + and without going up to Jerusalem to confer with those who were apostles long before I was--I got away to Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus, + but it was three years before I went up to Jerusalem to compare stories with Peter. I was there only fifteen days--but what days they were! + Except for our Master's brother James, I saw no other apostles. + (I'm telling you the absolute truth in this.) + Then I began my ministry in the regions of Syria and Cilicia. + After all that time and activity I was still unknown by face among the Christian churches in Judea. + There was only this report: "That man who once persecuted us is now preaching the very message he used to try to destroy." + Their response was to recognize and worship God because of me! + + + Fourteen years after that first visit, Barnabas and I went up to Jerusalem and took Titus with us. + I went to clarify with them what had been revealed to me. At that time I placed before them exactly what I was preaching to the non-Jews. I did this in private with the leaders, those held in esteem by the church, so that our concern would not become a controversial public issue, marred by ethnic tensions, exposing my years of work to denigration and endangering my present ministry. + Significantly, Titus, non-Jewish though he was, was not required to be circumcised. + While we were in conference we were infiltrated by spies pretending to be Christians, who slipped in to find out just how free true Christians are. Their ulterior motive was to reduce us to their brand of servitude. + We didn't give them the time of day. We were determined to preserve the truth of the Message for you. + As for those who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn't concern me. God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching. + It was soon evident that God had entrusted me with the same message to the non-Jews as Peter had been preaching to the Jews. + (SEE 2:7) + Recognizing that my calling had been given by God, James, Peter, and John--the pillars of the church--shook hands with me and Barnabas, assigning us to a ministry to the non-Jews, while they continued to be responsible for reaching out to the Jews. + The only additional thing they asked was that we remember the poor, and I was already eager to do that. + Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. + Here's the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That's how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that's been pushing the old system of circumcision. + Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade. + But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all: "If you, a Jew, live like a non-Jew when you're not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem cronies?" + We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over "non-Jewish sinners." + We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it--and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good. + Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. + If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan. + What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. + Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. + I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. + + + You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it's obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough. + Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? + Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? + Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up! + Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? + Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God. + Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? + It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed in you." + So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith--this is no new doctrine! + And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: "Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law." + The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God--and that's the real life." + Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping]continues to live by them." + Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the Cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. + And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham's blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God's life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing--just the way Abraham received it. + Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person's will has been ratified, no one else can annul it or add to it. + Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say "to descendants," referring to everybody in general, but "to your descendant" (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ. + This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier ratified by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. + No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will. What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. + The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. + But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith. + If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God's will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time. + (SEE 3:21) + Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. + The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for. + But now you have arrived at your destination: + By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. + Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe--Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise. + In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. + Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises. + + + Let me show you the implications of this. As long as the heir is a minor, he has no advantage over the slave. Though legally he owns the entire inheritance, + he is subject to tutors and administrators until whatever date the father has set for emancipation. + That is the way it is with us: When we were minors, we were just like slaves ordered around by simple instructions (the tutors and administrators of this world), with no say in the conduct of our own lives. + But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. + Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. + You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!" + Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. + Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. + But now that you know the real God--or rather since God knows you--how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers? + For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. + I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke! + My dear friends, what I would really like you to do is try to put yourselves in my shoes to the same extent that I, when I was with you, put myself in yours. You were very sensitive and kind then. You did not come down on me personally. + You were well aware that the reason I ended up preaching to you was that I was physically broken, and so, prevented from continuing my journey, I was forced to stop with you. That is how I came to preach to you. + And don't you remember that even though taking in a sick guest was most troublesome for you, you chose to treat me as well as you would have treated an angel of God--as well as you would have treated Jesus himself if he had visited you? + What has happened to the satisfaction you felt at that time? There were some of you then who, if possible, would have given your very eyes to me--that is how deeply you cared! + And now have I suddenly become your enemy simply by telling you the truth? I can't believe it. + Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God's grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important. + It is a good thing to be ardent in doing good, but not just when I am in your presence. Can't you continue the same concern for both my person and my message when I am away from you that you had when I was with you? + Do you know how I feel right now, and will feel until Christ's life becomes visible in your lives? Like a mother in the pain of childbirth. + Oh, I keep wishing that I was with you. Then I wouldn't be reduced to this blunt, letter-writing language out of sheer frustration. + Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law? + Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. + The son of the slave woman was born by human connivance; the son of the free woman was born by God's promise. + This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of being in relationship with God. One is from Mount Sinai in Arabia. + It corresponds with what is now going on in Jerusalem--a slave life, producing slaves as offspring. This is the way of Hagar. + In contrast to that, there is an invisible Jerusalem, a free Jerusalem, and she is our mother--this is the way of Sarah. + Remember what Isaiah wrote: Rejoice, barren woman who bears no children, shout and cry out, woman who has no birth pangs, Because the children of the barren woman now surpass the children of the chosen woman. + Isn't it clear, friends, that you, like Isaac, are children of promise? + In the days of Hagar and Sarah, the child who came from faithless connivance (Ishmael) harassed the child who came--empowered by the Spirit--from the faithful promise (Isaac). Isn't it clear that the harassment you are now experiencing from the Jerusalem heretics follows that old pattern? + There is a Scripture that tells us what to do: "Expel the slave mother with her son, for the slave son will not inherit with the free son." + Isn't that conclusive? We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. + + + Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. + I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. + I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. + I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. + Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. + For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. + You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? + This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. + And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. + Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment. + As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then--it would be so watered-down it wouldn't matter one way or the other. + Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves! + It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. + For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. + If you bite and ravage each other, watch out--in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? + My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. + For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. + Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? + It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; + trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; + the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom. + But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, + not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. + Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good--crucified. + Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. + That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. + + + Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. + Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. + If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. + Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. + Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. + Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience. + Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others--ignoring God!-- + harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. + So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. + Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. + Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. + These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ's suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. + They themselves don't keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible! + For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. + Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do--submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! + All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God--his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! + Quite frankly, I don't want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do--the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus. + May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes! + + + + + I, Paul, am under God's plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful Christians in Ephesus. + I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. + How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. + Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. + Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) + He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. + Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people--free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! + He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, + letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, + a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. + It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, + part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. + It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free--signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. + This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. + That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the Christians, + I couldn't stop thanking God for you--every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. + But I do more than thank. I ask--ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory--to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, + your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, + oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him--endless energy, boundless strength! + All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, + in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. + He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. + The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. + + + It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. + You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. + We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. + Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, + he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! + Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. + Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. + Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! + We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! + No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. + But don't take any of this for granted. It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God's ways + had no idea of any of this, didn't know the first thing about the way God works, hadn't the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God's covenants and promises in Israel, hadn't a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. + Now because of Christ--dying that death, shedding that blood--you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything. + The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. + He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody. + Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. + Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. + He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father. + That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all--irrespective of how we got here--in what he is building. + He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone + that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day--a holy temple built by God, + all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. + + + This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. + I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. + I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. + As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. + None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. + The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. + This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. + When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. + My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. + Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! + All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. + When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. + So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud! + My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, + this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. + I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit--not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength-- + that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, + you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! + Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. + God can do anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. + Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! + + + In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk--better yet, run!--on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. + And mark that you do this with humility and discipline--not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, + alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. + You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. + You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, + one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. + But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. + The text for this is, He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the booty, He handed it all out in gifts to the people. + It's true, is it not, that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? + And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, + filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher + to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, + until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ. + No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. + God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love--like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. + He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. + And so I insist--and God backs me up on this--that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. + They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. + They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion. + But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! + My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. + Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything--and I do mean everything--connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life--a God-fashioned life, + a life renewed from the inside + and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. + What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. + Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry--but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. + Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. + Did you used to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work. + Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. + Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted. + Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. + Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. + + + Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. + Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. + Don't allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. + Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, Christians have better uses for language than that. Don't talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn't fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect. + You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them--the usual variations on idolatry--will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God. + Don't let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. + Don't even hang around people like that. + You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! + The good, the right, the true--these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. + Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. + Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. + It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. + Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. + Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! + So watch your step. Use your head. + Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! + Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. + Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. + Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. + Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ. + Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. + Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. + The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. + So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. + Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church--a love marked by giving, not getting. + Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, + dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. + And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor--since they're already "one" in marriage. + No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the church, + since we are part of his body. + And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." + This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. + And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband. + + + Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. + "Honor your father and mother" is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, + "so you will live well and have a long life." + Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master. + Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. + Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. + And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. + Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. + Masters, it's the same with you. No abuse, please, and no threats. You and your servants are both under the same Master in heaven. He makes no distinction between you and them. + And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. + So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. + This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. + Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. + Truth, righteousness, + peace, + faith, + and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. + In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. + And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, + jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out. + Tychicus, my good friend here, will tell you what I'm doing and how things are going with me. He is certainly a dependable servant of the Master! + I've sent him not only to tell you about us but to cheer you on in your faith. + Good-bye, friends. Love mixed with faith be yours from God the Father and from the Master, Jesus Christ. + Pure grace and nothing but grace be with all who love our Master, Jesus Christ. + + + + + Paul and Timothy, both of us committed servants of Christ Jesus, write this letter to all the Christians in Philippi, pastors and ministers included. + We greet you with the grace and peace that comes from God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. + Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. + Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. + I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. + There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. + It's not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. + He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does! + So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings + so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: + bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. + I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. + All the soldiers here, and everyone else too, found out that I'm in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they've learned all about him. + Not only that, but most of the Christians here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah. + It's true that some here preach Christ because with me out of the way, they think they'll step right into the spotlight. But the others do it with the best heart in the world. + One group is motivated by pure love, knowing that I am here defending the Message, wanting to help. + The others, now that I'm out of the picture, are merely greedy, hoping to get something out of it for themselves. Their motives are bad. They see me as their competition, and so the worse it goes for me, the better--they think--for them. + So how am I to respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on! And I'm going to keep that celebration going + because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. + I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! + Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose. + As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I'd choose. + Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better + . But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it's better for me to stick it out here. + So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. + You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We'll be praising Christ, enjoying each other. + Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance. Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people's trust in the Message, the good news, + not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition. Your courage and unity will show them what they're up against: defeat for them, victory for you--and both because of God. + There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting. + You're involved in the same kind of struggle you saw me go through, on which you are now getting an updated report in this letter. + + + If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care-- + then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. + Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. + Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. + Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. + He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. + Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! + Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion. + Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, + so that all created beings in heaven and on earth--even those long ago dead and buried--will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, + and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. + What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. + That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. + Do everything readily and cheerfully--no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! + Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night + so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing. + Even if I am executed here and now, I'll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ's altar, a part of your rejoicing. + But turnabout's fair play--you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don't feel sorry for me. + I plan (according to Jesus' plan) to send Timothy to you very soon so he can bring back all the news of you he can gather. Oh, how that will do my heart good! + I have no one quite like Timothy. He is loyal, and genuinely concerned for you. + Most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of Jesus. + But you know yourselves that Timothy's the real thing. He's been a devoted son to me as together we've delivered the Message. + As soon as I see how things are going to fall out for me here, I plan to send him off. + And then I'm hoping and praying to be right on his heels. + But for right now, I'm dispatching Epaphroditus, my good friend and companion in my work. You sent him to help me out; now I'm sending him to help you out. + He has been wanting in the worst way to get back with you. Especially since recovering from the illness you heard about, he's been wanting to get back and reassure you that he is just fine. + He nearly died, as you know, but God had mercy on him. And not only on him--he had mercy on me, too. His death would have been one huge grief piled on top of all the others. + So you can see why I'm so delighted to send him on to you. When you see him again, hale and hearty, how you'll rejoice and how relieved I'll be. + Give him a grand welcome, a joyful embrace! People like him deserve the best you can give. + Remember the ministry to me that you started but weren't able to complete? Well, in the process of finishing up that work, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it. + + + And that's about it, friends. Be glad in God! I don't mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don't mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry--so here goes. + Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances--knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. + The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it-- + even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: + a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God's law; + a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting Christians; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law Book. + The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash--along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. + Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ + and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness. + I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. + If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. + I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. + Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus. + I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. + So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision--you'll see it yet! + Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it. + Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. + There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. + But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites. + But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, + who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him. + + + My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God. + I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges. + And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans--worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the book of life. + Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! + Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! + Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. + Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. + Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. + Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. + I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess--happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. + Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. + I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. + Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. + I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me--it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. + You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I'll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one. + Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out--and not only once, but twice. + Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity. + And now I have it all--and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God no end. + You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. + Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes. + Give our regards to every Christian you meet. Our friends here say hello. + All the Christians here, especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want to be remembered to you. + Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves. + + + + + I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, + I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours! + Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! + We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. + The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. + It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more. + It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. + He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit. + Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. + We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. + We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul--not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, + thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. + God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, + the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. + We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. + For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels--everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. + He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. + And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and--leading the resurrection parade--he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. + So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. + Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe--people and things, animals and atoms--get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross. + You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. + But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. + You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message--just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. + I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world--the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. + When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. + This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. + God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. + We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. + That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me. + + + I want you to realize that I continue to work as hard as I know how for you, and also for the Christians over at Laodicea. Not many of you have met me face-to-face, but that doesn't make any difference. Know that I'm on your side, right alongside you. You're not in this alone. + I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. + All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! + I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret." + I'm a long way off, true, and you may never lay eyes on me, but believe me, I'm on your side, right beside you. I am delighted to hear of the careful and orderly ways you conduct your affairs, and impressed with the solid substance of your faith in Christ. + My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. + You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. + Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. + Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. + When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything. + Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It's not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you're already in--insiders--not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. + If it's an initiation ritual you're after, you've already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. + When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive--right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, + the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's Cross. + He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets. + So don't put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. + All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ. + Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. + They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us. + So, then, if with Christ you've put all that pretentious and infantile religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? + "Don't touch this! Don't taste that! Don't go near this!" + Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? + Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being pious and humble and ascetic. But they're just another way of showing off, making yourselves look important. + + + So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. + Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. + Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. He is your life. + When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too--the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. + And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. + It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. + It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. + But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk. + Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. + Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. + Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. + So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. + Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. + And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. + Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. + Let the Word of Christ--the Message--have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! + Let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. + Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. + Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don't take advantage of them. + Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end. + Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits. + Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. + Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, + confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. + The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work. + + + And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don't forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master--God in heaven. + Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. + Don't forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I'm locked up in this jail. + Pray that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day to them. + Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. + Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. + My good friend Tychicus will tell you all about me. He's a trusted minister and companion in the service of the Master. + I've sent him to you so that you would know how things are with us, and so he could encourage you in your faith. + And I've sent Onesimus with him. Onesimus is one of you, and has become such a trusted and dear brother! Together they'll bring you up-to-date on everything that has been going on here. + Aristarchus, who is in jail here with me, sends greetings; also Mark, cousin of Barnabas (you received a letter regarding him; if he shows up, welcome him); + and also Jesus, the one they call Justus. These are the only ones left from the old crowd who have stuck with me in working for God's kingdom. Don't think they haven't been a big help! + Epaphras, who is one of you, says hello. What a trooper he has been! He's been tireless in his prayers for you, praying that you'll stand firm, mature and confident in everything God wants you to do. + I've watched him closely, and can report on how hard he has worked for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. + Luke, good friend and physician, and Demas both send greetings. + Say hello to our friends in Laodicea; also to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. + After this letter has been read to you, make sure it gets read also in Laodicea. And get the letter that went to Laodicea and have it read to you. + And, oh, yes, tell Archippus, "Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best." + I'm signing off in my own handwriting--Paul. Remember to pray for me in this jail. Grace be with you. + + + + + I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God's amazing grace be with you! God's robust peace! + Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers + as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. + It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. + When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions. You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, + and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!--taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble. + Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? + The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master's Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore--you're the message! + People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. + They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom. + + + So, friends, it's obvious that our visit to you was no waste of time. + We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn't slow us down. We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God's Message to you, defiant of the opposition. + God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. + Be assured that when we speak to you we're not after crowd approval--only God approval. Since we've been put through that battery of tests, you're guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. + We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you. + Even though we had some standing as Christ's apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. + We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. + We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did. + You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn't have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God's Message to you. + You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren't freeloaders! + You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, + holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life. + And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn't pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God's true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers! + Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews + who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else + by trying to keep us from telling people who've never heard of our God how to be saved. They've made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it. + Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn't been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. + You can't imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time. + Who do you think we're going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it's not you? + You're our pride and joy! + + + So when we couldn't stand being separated from you any longer and could find no way to visit you ourselves, we stayed in Athens + and sent Timothy to get you up and about, cheering you on so you wouldn't be discouraged by these hard times. He's a brother and companion in the faith, God's man in spreading the Message, preaching Christ. + Not that the troubles should come as any surprise to you. You've always known that we're in for this kind of thing. It's part of our calling. + When we were with you, we made it quite clear that there was trouble ahead. And now that it's happened, you know what it's like. + That's why I couldn't quit worrying; I had to know for myself how you were doing in the faith. I didn't want the Tempter getting to you and tearing down everything we had built up together. + But now that Timothy is back, bringing this terrific report on your faith and love, we feel a lot better. It's especially gratifying to know that you continue to think well of us, and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you! + In the middle of our trouble and hard times here, just knowing how you're doing keeps us going. + Knowing that your faith is alive keeps us alive. + What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we experience before him because of you? + We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters. + May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! + And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. + May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers. + + + One final word, friends. We ask you--urge is more like it--that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. + You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. + God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. + Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, + not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God. + Don't run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God's concerns, and he will take care of them. We've warned you about this before. + God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful--as beautiful on the inside as the outside. + If you disregard this advice, you're not offending your neighbors; you're rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit. + Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don't need me to tell you what to do. You're God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! + You're already good at it; your friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; get better and better at it. + Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. + We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends. + And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. + Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. + And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence--we have the Master's word on it--that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be ahead of us. + The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise--they'll go first. + Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. + Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words. + + + I don't think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. + You know as well as I that the day of the Master's coming can't be posted on our calendars. He won't call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. + About the time everybody's walking around complacently, congratulating each other--"We've sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!"--suddenly everything will fall apart. It's going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman. + But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? + You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. + So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. + People sleep at night and get drunk at night. + But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. + God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. + He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're alive with him! + So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it. + And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. + Overwhelm them with appreciation and love! Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. + Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. + And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. + Be cheerful no matter what; + pray all the time; + thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. + Don't suppress the Spirit, + and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. + On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. + Throw out anything tainted with evil. + May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together--spirit, soul, and body--and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. + The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! + Friends, keep up your prayers for us. + Greet all the Christians there with a holy embrace. + And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don't leave anyone out. + The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! + + + + + I, Paul, together with Silas and Timothy, greet the church of the Thessalonian Christians in the name of God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. + Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you're to be. + You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it's a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it's only right that we give thanks. + We're so proud of you; you're so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have come down on you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you. + All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You're suffering now, + but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he'll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. + His coming will be the break we've been waiting for. + Those who refuse to know God and refuse to obey the Message will pay for what they've done. + Eternal exile from the presence of the Master and his splendid power is their sentence. + But on that very same day when he comes, he will be exalted by his followers and celebrated by all who believe--and all because you believed what we told you. + Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time--pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. + If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely. + + + Now, friends, read these next words carefully. Slow down and don't go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him. + Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me that the day of the Master's arrival has come and gone. + Don't fall for any line like that. Before that day comes, a couple of things have to happen. First, the Apostasy. Second, the debut of the Anarchist, a real dog of Satan. + He'll defy and then take over every so-called god or altar. Having cleared away the opposition, he'll then set himself up in God's Temple as "God Almighty." + Don't you remember me going over all this in detail when I was with you? Are your memories that short? + You'll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. + That doesn't mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. + But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don't worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and--puff!--the Anarchist is out of there. + The Anarchist's coming is all Satan's work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, + evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. + And since they're so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it--gives them what they want. + Since they refuse to trust truth, they're banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions. + Meanwhile, we've got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends--so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God's original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. + This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ. + So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. + May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, + put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. + + + One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master's Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you. + And pray that we'll be rescued from these scoundrels who are trying to do us in. I'm finding that not all "believers" are believers. + But the Master never lets us down. He'll stick by you and protect you from evil. + Because of the Master, we have great confidence in you. We know you're doing everything we told you and will continue doing it. + May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God's love and Christ's endurance. + Our orders--backed up by the Master, Jesus--are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don't permit them to freeload on the rest. + We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. + We didn't sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn't be burdened with taking care of us. + And it wasn't because we didn't have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious. + Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? "If you don't work, you don't eat." + And now we're getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. + This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately--no excuses, no arguments--and earn their own keep. + Friends, don't slack off in doing your duty. + If anyone refuses to obey our clear command written in this letter, don't let him get by with it. Point out such a person and refuse to subsidize his freeloading. Maybe then he'll think twice. + But don't treat him as an enemy. Sit him down and talk about the problem as someone who cares. + May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you! + I, Paul, bid you good-bye in my own handwriting. I do this in all my letters, so examine my signature as proof that the letter is genuine. + The incredible grace of our Master, Jesus Christ, be with all of you! + + + + + I, Paul, am an apostle on special assignment for Christ, our living hope. Under God our Savior's command, + I'm writing this to you, Timothy, my son in the faith. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! + On my way to the province of Macedonia, I advised you to stay in Ephesus. Well, I haven't changed my mind. Stay right there on top of things so that the teaching stays on track. + Apparently some people have been introducing fantasy stories and fanciful family trees that digress into silliness instead of pulling the people back into the center, deepening faith and obedience. + The whole point of what we're urging is simply love--love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. + Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. + They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they're holding forth with such imposing eloquence. + It's true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say. + It's obvious, isn't it, that the law code isn't primarily for people who live responsibly, but for the irresponsible, who defy all authority, riding roughshod over God, life, + sex, truth, whatever! + They are contemptuous of this great Message I've been put in charge of by this great God. + I'm so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. + The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn't know what I was doing--didn't know Who I was doing it against! + Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. + Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof--Public Sinner Number One-- + of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off--evidence of his endless patience--to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. + Deep honor and bright glory to the King of All Time-- One God, Immortal, Invisible, ever and always. Oh, yes! + I'm passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, + keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we're in. There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith. + Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them. I let them wander off to Satan to be taught a lesson or two about not blaspheming. + + + The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. + Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. + This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. + He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: + that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us--Jesus, + who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. + This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth. + Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray--not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. + And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions + but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it. + I don't let women take over and tell the men what to do. + They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. + Adam was made first, then Eve; + woman was deceived first--our pioneer in sin!--with Adam right on her heels. + On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this. + + + If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! + But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he's talking about, + not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. + He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. + For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God's church? + He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. + Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap. + The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church: serious, not deceitful, not too free with the bottle, not in it for what they can get out of it. + They must be reverent before the mystery of the faith, not using their position to try to run things. + Let them prove themselves first. If they show they can do it, take them on. + No exceptions are to be made for women--same qualifications: serious, dependable, not sharp-tongued, not overfond of wine. + Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs. + Those who do this servant work will come to be highly respected, a real credit to this Jesus-faith. + I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I'm delayed, I'm writing this letter so + you'll know how things ought to go in God's household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. + This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory. + + + The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. + These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth. + They will tell you not to get married. They'll tell you not to eat this or that food--perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by Christians! + Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. + God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy. + You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the Christians there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. + Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God--no spiritual flabbiness, please! + Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. + You can count on this. Take it to heart. + This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. + Get the word out. Teach all these things. + And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. + Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. + And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed--keep that dusted off and in use. + Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! + Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation. + + + Don't be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. + Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters. + Take care of widows who are destitute. + If a widow has family members to take care of her, let them learn that religion begins at their own doorstep and that they should pay back with gratitude some of what they have received. This pleases God immensely. + You can tell a legitimate widow by the way she has put all her hope in God, praying to him constantly for the needs of others as well as her own. + But a widow who exploits people's emotions and pocketbooks--well, there's nothing to her. + Tell these things to the people so that they will do the right thing in their extended family. + Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That's worse than refusing to believe in the first place. + Sign some widows up for the special ministry of offering assistance. They will in turn receive support from the church. They must be over sixty, married only once, + and have a reputation for helping out with children, strangers, tired Christians, the hurt and troubled. + Don't put young widows on this list. No sooner will they get on than they'll want to get off, obsessed with wanting to get a husband rather than serving Christ in this way. + By breaking their word, they're liable to go from bad to worse, + frittering away their days on empty talk, gossip, and trivialities. + No, I'd rather the young widows go ahead and get married in the first place, have children, manage their homes, and not give critics any foothold for finding fault. + Some of them have already left and gone after Satan. + Any Christian woman who has widows in her family is responsible for them. They shouldn't be dumped on the church. The church has its hands full already with widows who need help. + Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. + Scripture tells us, "Don't muzzle a working ox," and, "A worker deserves his pay." + Don't listen to a complaint against a leader that isn't backed up by two or three responsible witnesses. + If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can't get by with it. + God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. + Don't appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don't want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. + And don't worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it's good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you. + The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don't show up until much later. + The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever. + + + Whoever is a slave must make the best of it, giving respect to his master so that outsiders don't blame God and our teaching for his behavior. + Slaves with Christian masters all the more so--their masters are really their beloved brothers! These are the things I want you to teach and preach. + If you have leaders there who teach otherwise, who refuse the solid words of our Master Jesus and this godly instruction, + tag them for what they are: ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, suspicious rumors. + Eventually there's an epidemic of backstabbing, and truth is but a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck. + A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. + Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, + if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough. + But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. + Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after. + But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life--a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. + Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. + I'm charging you before the life-giving God and before Christ, who took his stand before Pontius Pilate and didn't give an inch: + Keep this command to the letter, and don't slack off. Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. + He'll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God. + He's the only one death can't touch, his light so bright no one can get close. He's never been seen by human eyes--human eyes can't take him in! Honor to him, and eternal rule! Oh, yes. + Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage-- + to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. + If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life. + And oh, my dear Timothy, guard the treasure you were given! Guard it with your life. Avoid the talk-show religion and the practiced confusion of the so-called experts. + People caught up in a lot of talk can miss the whole point of faith. Overwhelming grace keep you! + + + + + I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. + I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! + Every time I say your name in prayer--which is practically all the time--I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. + I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion. + That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith--and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! + And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed--keep that ablaze! + God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. + So don't be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, + who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. + But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus. + This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. + It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground--the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end. + So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. + Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us. + I'm sure you know by now that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes. + But God bless Onesiphorus and his family! Many's the time I've been refreshed in that house. And he wasn't embarrassed a bit that I was in jail. + The first thing he did when he got to Rome was look me up. + May God on the Last Day treat him as well as he treated me. And then there was all the help he provided in Ephesus--but you know that better than I. + + + So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. + Pass on what you heard from me--the whole congregation saying Amen!--to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. + When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. + A soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. + An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. + It's the diligent farmer who gets the produce. + Think it over. God will make it all plain. + Fix this picture firmly in your mind: Jesus, descended from the line of David, raised from the dead. It's what you've heard from me all along. + It's what I'm sitting in jail for right now--but God's Word isn't in jail! + That's why I stick it out here--so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory. + This is a sure thing: If we die with him, we'll live with him; + If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us; + If we give up on him, he does not give up-- for there's no way he can be false to himself. + Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. + Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. + Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, + they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, + throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with. + Meanwhile, God's firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones: GOD KNOWS WHO BELONGS TO HIM. SPURN EVIL, ALL YOU WHO NAME GOD AS GOD. + In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets--some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. + Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing. + Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness--faith, love, peace--joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God. + Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. + God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, + working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, + enabling them to escape the Devil's trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands. + + + Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. + As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, + dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, + treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. + They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people. + These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself "truth." + They get exploited every time and never really learn. + These men are like those old Egyptian frauds Jannes and Jambres, who challenged Moses. They were rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself. + But nothing will come of these latest impostors. Everyone will see through them, just as people saw through that Egyptian hoax. + You've been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience, + troubles, sufferings--suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up with in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. And you also well know that God rescued me! + Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. + Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. + But don't let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers-- + why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. + Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. + Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. + + + I can't impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, + so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don't ever quit. Just keep it simple. + You're going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food--catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. + They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. + But you--keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant. + You take over. I'm about to die, my life an offering on God's altar. + This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. + All that's left now is the shouting--God's applause! Depend on it, he's an honest judge. He'll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming. + Get here as fast as you can. + Demas, chasing fads, went off to Thessalonica and left me here. Crescens is in Galatia province, Titus in Dalmatia. + Luke is the only one here with me. Bring Mark with you; he'll be my right-hand man + since I'm sending Tychicus to Ephesus. + Bring the winter coat I left in Troas with Carpus; also the books and parchment notebooks. + Watch out for Alexander the coppersmith. + Fiercely opposed to our Message, he caused no end of trouble. God will give him what he's got coming. + At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits. But it doesn't matter-- + the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message loud and clear to those who had never heard it. I was snatched from the jaws of the lion! + God's looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him, praise forever! Oh, yes! + Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila; also, the family of Onesiphorus. + Erastus stayed behind in Corinth. I had to leave Trophimus sick in Miletus. + Try hard to get here before winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all your friends here send greetings. + God be with you. Grace be with you. + + + + + I, Paul, am God's slave and Christ's agent for promoting the faith among God's chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it. + My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago--and he doesn't break promises! + And then when the time was ripe, he went public with his truth. I've been entrusted to proclaim this Message by order of our Savior, God himself. + Dear Titus, legitimate son in the faith: Receive everything God our Father and Jesus our Savior give you! + I left you in charge in Crete so you could complete what I left half-done. Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. + As you select them, ask, "Is this man well-thought-of? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?" + It's important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God's house, be looked up to--not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. + He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, + and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it. + For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst. + They've got to be shut up. They're disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck. + One of their own prophets said it best: The Cretans are liars from the womb, barking dogs, lazy bellies. + He certainly spoke the truth. Get on them right away. Stop that diseased talk of Jewish make-believe and made-up rules + so they can recover a robust faith. + Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers. They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act. + They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words. They're real creeps, disobedient good-for-nothings. + + + Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. + Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. + Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. + By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, + be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don't want anyone looking down on God's Message because of their behavior. + Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. + But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, + your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around. + Guide slaves into being loyal workers, a bonus to their masters--no back talk, + no petty thievery. Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding luster to the teaching of our Savior God. + God's readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation's available for everyone! + We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, + and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. + He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. + Tell them all this. Build up their courage, and discipline them if they get out of line. You're in charge. Don't let anyone put you down. + + + Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand + No insults, no fights. God's people should be bighearted and courteous. + It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. + But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, + he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. + Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. + God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come--an eternity of life! + You can count on this. I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. + Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. + Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. + It's obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off. + As soon as I send either Artemas or Tychicus to you, come immediately and meet me in Nicopolis. I've decided to spend the winter there. + Give Zenas the lawyer and Apollos a hearty send-off. Take good care of them. + Our people have to learn to be diligent in their work so that all necessities are met (especially among the needy) and they don't end up with nothing to show for their lives. + All here want to be remembered to you. Say hello to our friends in the faith. Grace to all of you. + + + + + I, Paul, am a prisoner for the sake of Christ, here with my brother Timothy. I write this letter to you, Philemon, my good friend and companion in this work-- + also to our sister Apphia, to Archippus, a real trooper, and to the church that meets in your house. + God's best to you! Christ's blessings on you! + Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, "Oh, thank you, God! + " I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other Christians. + And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it. + Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers. + In line with all this I have a favor to ask of you. As Christ's ambassador and now a prisoner for him, I wouldn't hesitate to command this if I thought it necessary, + but I'd rather make it a personal request. + While here in jail, I've fathered a child, so to speak. And here he is, hand-carrying this letter--Onesimus! + He was useless to you before; now he's useful to both of us. + I'm sending him back to you, but it feels like I'm cutting off my right arm in doing so. + I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as your stand-in to help out while I'm in jail for the Message. + But I didn't want to do anything behind your back, make you do a good deed that you hadn't willingly agreed to. + Maybe it's all for the best that you lost him for a while. You're getting him back now for good-- + and no mere slave this time, but a true Christian brother! That's what he was to me--he'll be even more than that to you. + So if you still consider me a comrade-in-arms, welcome him back as you would me. + If he damaged anything or owes you anything, chalk it up to my account. + This is my personal signature--Paul--and I stand behind it. (I don't need to remind you, do I, that you owe your very life to me?) + Do me this big favor, friend. You'll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good. + I know you well enough to know you will. You'll probably go far beyond what I've written. + And by the way, get a room ready for me. Because of your prayers, I fully expect to be your guest again. + Epaphras, my cellmate in the cause of Christ, says hello. + Also my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. + All the best to you from the Master, Jesus Christ! + + + + + Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. + Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. + This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says--powerful words! After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, + far higher than any angel in rank and rule. + Did God ever say to an angel, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you"? Or, "I'm his Father, he's my Son"? + When he presents his honored Son to the world, he says, "All angels must worship him." + Regarding angels he says, The messengers are winds, the servants are tongues of fire. + But he says to the Son, You're God, and on the throne for good; your rule makes everything right. + You love it when things are right; you hate it when things are wrong. That is why God, your God, poured fragrant oil on your head, Marking you out as king, far above your dear companions. + And again to the Son, You, Master, started it all, laid earth's foundations, then crafted the stars in the sky. + Earth and sky will wear out, but not you; they become threadbare like an old coat; + You'll fold them up like a worn-out cloak, and lay them away on the shelf. But you'll stay the same, year after year; you'll never fade, you'll never wear out. + And did he ever say anything like this to an angel? Sit alongside me here on my throne Until I make your enemies a stool for your feet. + Isn't it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation? + + + It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off. + If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, + do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. + All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit. + God didn't put angels in charge of this business of salvation that we're dealing with here. + It says in Scripture, What is man and woman that you bother with them; why take a second look their way? + You made them not quite as high as angels, bright with Eden's dawn light; + Then you put them in charge of your entire handcrafted world. When God put them in charge of everything, nothing was excluded. But we don't see it yet, don't see everything under human jurisdiction. + What we do see is Jesus, made "not quite as high as angels," and then, through the experience of death, crowned so much higher than any angel, with a glory "bright with Eden's dawn light." In that death, by God's grace, he fully experienced death in every person's place. + It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. + Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn't hesitate to treat them as family, + saying, I'll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters, all I know about you; I'll join them in worship and praise to you. + Again, he puts himself in the same family circle when he says, Even I live by placing my trust in God. And yet again, I'm here with the children God gave me. + Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it's logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death + and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death. + It's obvious, of course, that he didn't go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. + That's why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people's sins, + he would have already experienced it all himself--all the pain, all the testing--and would be able to help where help was needed. + + + So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, + faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, + but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. + Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. + Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. + Christ as Son is in charge of the house. Now, if we can only keep a firm grip on this bold confidence, we're the house! + That's why the Holy Spirit says, Today, please listen; + don't turn a deaf ear as in "the bitter uprising," that time of wilderness testing! + Even though they watched me at work for forty years, your ancestors refused to let me do it my way; over and over they tried my patience. + And I was provoked, oh, so provoked! I said, "They'll never keep their minds on God; they refuse to walk down my road." + Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." + So watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. + For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes. + If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we're in this with Christ for the long haul. + These words keep ringing in our ears: Today, please listen; don't turn a deaf ear as in the bitter uprising. + For who were the people who turned a deaf ear? Weren't they the very ones Moses led out of Egypt? + And who was God provoked with for forty years? Wasn't it those who turned a deaf ear and ended up corpses in the wilderness? + And when he swore that they'd never get where they were going, wasn't he talking to the ones who turned a deaf ear? + They never got there because they never listened, never believed. + + + For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. + We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. + If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." God made that vow, even though he'd finished his part before the foundation of the world. + Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work," + but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest." + So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. + God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear . . . + And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today." + The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people. + God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God. + So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience. + God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. + Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it--no matter what. + Now that we know what we have--Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God--let's not let it slip through our fingers. + We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all--all but the sin. + So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. + + + Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins + should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it's like from his own experience. + But that also meaos that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the people's. + No one elects himself to this honored position. He's called to it by God, as Aaron was. + Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you!" + In another place God declares, "You're a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek." + While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. + Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. + Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, + he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him. + I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. + By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one--baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! + Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; + solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong. + + + So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; + baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. + God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it! + Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, + once they've personally experienced the sheer goodness of God's Word and the powers breaking in on us-- + if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can't start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible. Why, they've re-crucified Jesus! They've repudiated him in public! + Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!" + But if it produces weeds and thistles, it's more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested. + I'm sure that won't happen to you, friends. I have better things in mind for you--salvation things! + God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it. + And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. + Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them. + When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. + He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have--bless and bless and bless!" + Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. + When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. + When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee-- + God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. + It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God + where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek. + + + Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Highest God. He met Abraham, who was returning from "the royal massacre," and gave him his blessing. + Abraham in turn gave him a tenth of the spoils. "Melchizedek" means "King of Righteousness." "Salem" means "Peace." So, he is also "King of Peace." + Melchizedek towers out of the past--without record of family ties, no account of beginning or end. In this way he is like the Son of God, one huge priestly presence dominating the landscape always. + You realize just how great Melchizedek is when you see that Father Abraham gave him a tenth of the captured treasure. + Priests descended from Levi are commanded by law to collect tithes from the people, even though they are all more or less equals, priests and people, having a common father in Abraham. + But this man, a complete outsider, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him, the one to whom the promises had been given. + In acts of blessing, the lesser is blessed by the greater. + Or look at it this way: We pay our tithes to priests who die, but Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, the Scripture says, "lives." + Ultimately you could even say that since Levi descended from Abraham, who paid tithes to Melchizedek, + when we pay tithes to the priestly tribe of Levi they end up with Melchizedek. + If the priesthood of Levi and Aaron, which provided the framework for the giving of the law, could really make people perfect, there wouldn't have been need for a new priesthood like that of Melchizedek. + But since it didn't get the job done, there was a change of priesthood, which brought with it a radical new kind of law. + There is no way of understanding this in terms of the old Levitical priesthood, + which is why there is nothing in Jesus' family tree connecting him with that priestly line. + But the Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus, a priest like Melchizedek, + not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life--he lives!-- + "priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek." + The former way of doing things, a system of commandments that never worked out the way it was supposed to, was set aside; + the law brought nothing to maturity. Another way--Jesus!--a way that does work, that brings us right into the presence of God, is put in its place. + The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son, without explicit confirmation by God. + But then God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise: God gave his word; he won't take it back: "You're the permanent priest." + This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God--one that really works! A new covenant. + Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. + But Jesus' priesthood is permanent. He's there from now to eternity + to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them. + So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God's presence in heaven itself. + Unlike the other high priests, he doesn't have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He's done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice. + The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right. But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect. + + + In essence, we have just such a high priest: authoritative right alongside God, + conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God. + The assigned task of a high priest is to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and it's no different with the priesthood of Jesus. + If he were limited to earth, he wouldn't even be a priest. We wouldn't need him since there are plenty of priests who offer the gifts designated in the law. + These priests provide only a hint of what goes on in the true sanctuary of heaven, which Moses caught a glimpse of as he was about to set up the tent-shrine. It was then that God said, "Be careful to do it exactly as you saw it on the Mountain." + But Jesus' priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he's working from a far better plan. + If the first plan--the old covenant--had worked out, a second wouldn't have been needed. + But we know the first was found wanting, because God said, Heads up! The days are coming when I'll set up a new plan for dealing with Israel and Judah. + I'll throw out the old plan I set up with their ancestors when I led them by the hand out of Egypt. They didn't keep their part of the bargain, so I looked away and let it go. + This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. I'll be their God, they'll be my people. + They won't go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great. + They'll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean. + By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust. + + + That first plan contained directions for worship, and a specially designed place of worship. + A large outer tent was set up. The lampstand, the table, and "the bread of presence" were placed in it. This was called "the Holy Place." + Then a curtain was stretched, and behind it a smaller, inside tent set up. This was called "the Holy of Holies." + In it were placed the gold incense altar and the gold-covered ark of the covenant containing the gold urn of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the covenant tablets, + and the angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat. But we don't have time to comment on these now. + After this was set up, the priests went about their duties in the large tent. + Only the high priest entered the smaller, inside tent, and then only once a year, offering a blood sacrifice for his own sins and the people's accumulated sins. + This was the Holy Spirit's way of showing with a visible parable that as long as the large tent stands, people can't just walk in on God. + Under this system, the gifts and sacrifices can't really get to the heart of the matter, can't assuage the conscience of the people, + but are limited to matters of ritual and behavior. It's essentially a temporary arrangement until a complete overhaul could be made. + But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven's "tent"--the true Holy Place--once and for all. + He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all. + If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, + think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. + Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God. + Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus' death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way. + (SEE 9:16) + Even the first plan required a death to set it in motion. + After Moses had read out all the terms of the plan of the law--God's "will"--he took the blood of sacrificed animals and, in a solemn ritual, sprinkled the document and the people who were its beneficiaries. + And then he attested its validity with the words, "This is the blood of the covenant commanded by God." + He did the same thing with the place of worship and its furniture. + Moses said to the people, "This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you." Practically everything in a will hinges on a death. That's why blood, the evidence of death, is used so much in our tradition, especially regarding forgiveness of sins. + That accounts for the prominence of blood and death in all these secondary practices that point to the realities of heaven. It also accounts for why, when the real thing takes place, these animal sacrifices aren't needed anymore, having served their purpose. + For Christ didn't enter the earthly version of the Holy Place; he entered the Place Itself, and offered himself to God as the sacrifice for our sins. + He doesn't do this every year as the high priests did under the old plan with blood that was not their own; + if that had been the case, he would have to sacrifice himself repeatedly throughout the course of history. But instead he sacrificed himself once and for all, summing up all the other sacrifices in this sacrifice of himself, the final solution of sin. + Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. + Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation. + + + The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old "law plan" wasn't complete in itself, it couldn't complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. + If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. + But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. + The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can't get rid of sin. + That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: You don't want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you've prepared a body for me for a sacrifice. + It's not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet your appetite. + So I said, "I'm here to do it your way, O God, the way it's described in your Book." + When he said, "You don't want sacrifices and offerings," he was referring to practices according to the old plan. + When he added, "I'm here to do it your way," he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan-- + God's way--by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus. + Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. + As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God + and waited for his enemies to cave in. + It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. + The Holy Spirit confirms this: + This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time "I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts." + He concludes, I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins. + Once sins are taken care of for good, there's no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them. + So, friends, we can now--without hesitation--walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body. + (SEE 10:19) + (SEE 10:19) + So let's do it--full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. + Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. + Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, + not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. + If we give up and turn our backs on all we've learned, all we've been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ's sacrifice + and are left on our own to face the Judgment--and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! + If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, + what do you think will happen if you turn on God's Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? + This is no light matter. God has warned us that he'll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: "Vengeance is mine, and I won't overlook a thing," and, "God will judge his people." + Nobody's getting by with anything, believe me. + Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! + Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse--some days it was you, other days your friends. + If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn't touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. + So don't throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It's still a sure thing! + But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion. + It won't be long now, he's on the way; he'll show up most any minute. + But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won't be very happy. + But we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way. + + + The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. + The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. + By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see. + By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice. + By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." + It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. + By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God. + By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. + By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. + Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations--the City designed and built by God. + By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. + That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions. + Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. + People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. + If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. + But they were after a far better country than that--heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them. + By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him-- + and this after he had already been told, "Your descendants shall come from Isaac." + Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that's what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar. + By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau. + By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph's sons in turn, blessing them with God's blessing, not his own--as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff. + By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial. + By an act of faith, Moses' parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child's beauty, and they braved the king's decree. + By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. + He chose a hard life with God's people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. + He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. + By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king's blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. + By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn't touch them. + By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned. + By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat. + By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God. + I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more--Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . + Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, + fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. + Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. + Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. + We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless-- + the world didn't deserve them!--making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. + Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. + God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours. + + + Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. + Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. + When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! + In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through--all that bloodshed! + So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. + It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. + God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, + the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? + We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? + While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. + At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. + So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! + Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! + Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. + Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. + Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. + You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing--but by then it was too late, tears or no tears. + Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai--all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble-- + to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. + When they heard the words--"If an animal touches the Mountain, it's as good as dead"--they were afraid to move. + Even Moses was terrified. + No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels + and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. + You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's--a homicide that cried out for vengeance--became a proclamation of grace. + So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? + His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time--he's told us this quite plainly--he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern." + The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. + Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. + He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire! + + + Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. + Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! + Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you. + Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex. + Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," + we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me? + Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. + For Jesus doesn't change--yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself. + Don't be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life. Products named after Christ don't seem to do much for those who buy them. + The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot. + In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp. The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin. + It's the same with Jesus. He was crucified outside the city gates--that is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God's altar to cleanse his people. + So let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is--not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. + This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. + Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name. + Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship--a different kind of "sacrifice"--that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. + Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them? + Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we're doing or why, but it's hard going and we need your prayers. All we care about is living well before God. + Pray that we may be together soon. + May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd, up and alive from the dead, + Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him, Make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. All glory to Jesus forever and always! Oh, yes, yes, yes. + Friends, please take what I've written most seriously. I've kept this as brief as possible; I haven't piled on a lot of extras. + You'll be glad to know that Timothy has been let out of prison. If he leaves soon, I'll come with him and get to see you myself. + Say hello to your pastoral leaders and all the congregations. Everyone here in Italy wants to be remembered to you. + Grace be with you, every one. + + + + + I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! + Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. + You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. + So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. + If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. + Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. + Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, + adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. + When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! + And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. + You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing. + Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. + Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. + The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. + Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. + So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. + Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. + He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. + Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. + God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. + So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. + Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! + Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, + walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. + But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God--the free life!--even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action. + Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. + Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. + + + My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. + If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, + and you say to the man in the suit, "Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!" and either ignore the street person or say, "Better sit here in the back row," + haven't you segregated God's children and proved that you are judges who can't be trusted? + Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. + And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn't it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind? + Aren't they the ones who scorn the new name--"Christian"--used in your baptisms? + You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself." + But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. + You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others. + The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period. + Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. + For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. + Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? + For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved + and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup--where does that get you? + Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? + I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. + Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? + Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? + Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? + Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? + The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." + Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? + The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape--that seamless unity of believing and doing--what counted with God? + The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse. + + + Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. + And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. + A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. + A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. + A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything--or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. + A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. + This is scary: You can tame a tiger, + but you can't tame a tongue--it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. + With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. + Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. + A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? + Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? + Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. + Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. + It's the furthest thing from wisdom--it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. + Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. + Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. + You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. + + + Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. + You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? + And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way. + You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. + And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." + And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble." + So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. + Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. + Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. + Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet. + Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. + God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others? + And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." + You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. + Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that." + As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. + In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil. + + + And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You'll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. + Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. + Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you've piled up is judgment. + All the workers you've exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. + You've looted the earth and lived it up. But all you'll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. + In fact, what you've done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it. + Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. + Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. + Friends, don't complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner. + Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. + What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail. + And since you know that he cares, let your language show it. Don't add words like "I swear to God" to your own words. Don't show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can't be used against you. + Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. + Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. + Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven--healed inside and out. + Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. + Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't--not a drop for three and a half years. + Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. + My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off. Go after them. Get them back + and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God. + + + + + I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. + God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours! + What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, + including a future in heaven--and the future starts now! + God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all--life healed and whole. + I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. + Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. + You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him--with laughter and singing. + Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation. + The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. + The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it--that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. + All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves--through the Holy Spirit--the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this! + So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. + Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. + As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. + God said, "I am holy; you be holy." + You call out to God for help and he helps--he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living. Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. + It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. + He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. + And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately--at the end of the ages--become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. + It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. + Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. + Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! + That's why the prophet said, The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers droop, + God's Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. + + + So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. + Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God. + You've had a taste of God. + Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. + Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. + The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I'm setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it. + To you who trust him, he's a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone. + For the untrusting it's . . . a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted. + But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you-- + from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. + Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. + Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. + Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; + they are God's emissaries for keeping order. + It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. + Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. + Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. + You who are servants, be good servants to your masters--not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. + What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. + There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. + This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. + He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss. + They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. + He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. + You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls. + + + The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated + by your life of holy beauty. + What matters is not your outer appearance--the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes-- + but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. + The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. + Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband." You'll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated. + The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God's grace, you're equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don't run aground. + Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. + That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless--that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. + Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; + Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. + God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. + If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? + Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. + Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. + Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. + It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. + That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all--was put to death and then made alive--to bring us to God. + He went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment + because they wouldn't listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact--saved from the water by the water. + The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus' resurrection before God with a clear conscience. + Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He's standing right alongside God, and what he says goes. + + + Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. + Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want. + You've already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good. + Of course, your old friends don't understand why you don't join in with the old gang anymore. But you don't have to give an account to them. + They're the ones who will be called on the carpet--and before God himself. + Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus. + Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. + Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. + Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless--cheerfully. + Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: + if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything--encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! + Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. + Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. + If you're abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It's the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. + If they're on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that's a different matter. + But if it's because you're a Christian, don't give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name! + It's judgment time for Christians. We're first in line. If it starts with us, think what it's going to be like for those who refuse God's Message! + If good people barely make it, What's in store for the bad? + So if you find life difficult because you're doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he's doing, and he'll keep on doing it. + + + I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it's like to be a leader, in on Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory. + Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.[ + Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. + When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he'll see that you've done it right and commend you lavishly. + And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for-- God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people. + So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. + Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. + Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. + Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. + The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ--eternal and glorious plans they are!--will have you put together and on your feet for good. + He gets the last word; yes, he does. + I'm sending this brief letter to you by Silas, a most dependable brother. I have the highest regard for him. I've written as urgently and accurately as I know how. This is God's generous truth; embrace it with both arms! + The church in exile here with me--but not for a moment forgotten by God--wants to be remembered to you. Mark, who is like a son to me, says hello. + Give holy embraces all around! Peace to you--to all who walk in Christ's ways. + + + + + I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. + Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. + Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! + We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you--your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. + So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, + alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, + warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. + With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. + Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. + So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, + the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. + Because the stakes are so high, even though you're up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I'm not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. + This is the post to which I've been assigned--keeping you alert with frequent reminders--and I'm sticking to it as long as I live. + I know that I'm to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. + And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you'll have it for ready reference. + We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: + Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." + We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears. + We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard--God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. + The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. + And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word. + + + But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They'll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other--biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They've put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, + but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can't tell right from wrong. They give the way of truth a bad name. + They're only out for themselves. They'll say anything, anything, that sounds good to exploit you. They won't, of course, get by with it. They'll come to a bad end, for God has never just stood by and let that kind of thing go on. + God didn't let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day. + Neither did he let the ancient ungodly world off. He wiped it out with a flood, rescuing only eight people--Noah, the sole voice of righteousness, was one of them. + God decreed destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A mound of ashes was all that was left--grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life. + But that good man Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued. + Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment. + So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day. + God is especially incensed against these "teachers" who live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence. They despise interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in self-rule. Insolent egotists, they don't hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures. + Even angels, their superiors in every way, wouldn't think of throwing their weight around like that, trying to slander others before God. + These people are nothing but brute beasts, born in the wild, predators on the prowl. In the very act of bringing down others with their ignorant blasphemies, they themselves will be brought down, losers in the end. + Their evil will boomerang on them. They're so despicable and addicted to pleasure that they indulge in wild parties, carousing in broad daylight. + They're obsessed with adultery, compulsive in sin, seducing every vulnerable soul they come upon. Their specialty is greed, and they're experts at it. Dead souls! + They've left the main road and are directionless, having taken the way of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophet who turned profiteer, a connoisseur of evil. + But Balaam was stopped in his wayward tracks: A dumb animal spoke in a human voice and prevented the prophet's craziness. + There's nothing to these people--they're dried-up fountains, storm-scattered clouds, headed for a black hole in hell. + They are loudmouths, full of hot air, but still they're dangerous. Men and women who have recently escaped from a deviant life are most susceptible to their brand of seduction. + They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they're addicted to corruption--and they are--they're enslaved. + If they've escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they're worse than if they had never left. + Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. + They prove the point of the proverbs, "A dog goes back to its own vomit," and, "A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud." + + + My dear friends, this is now the second time I've written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. + Keep in mind what the holy prophets said, and the command of our Master and Savior that was passed on by your apostles. + First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, + they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed." + They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. + Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. + The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics. + Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. + God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. + But when the Day of God's Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. + Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? + Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day-- + but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. + So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. + Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, + refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don't know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it. + But you, friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. + Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes! + + + + + From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in--we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. + The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. + We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. + Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy! + This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in him. + If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth--we're not living what we claim. + But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin. + If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. + On the other hand, if we admit our sins--make a clean breast of them--he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. + If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God--make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. + + + I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus. + When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good--not only ours, but the whole world's. + Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. + If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. + But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. + Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. + My dear friends, I'm not writing anything new here. This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you've known it from day one. It's always been implicit in the Message you've heard. + On the other hand, perhaps it is new, freshly minted as it is in both Christ and you--the darkness on its way out and the True Light already blazing! + Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. + It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. + But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn't know which end is up, blinded by the darkness. + I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus' name. + You veterans were in on the ground floor, and know the One who started all this; you newcomers have won a big victory over the Evil One. And a second reminder, dear children: You know the Father from personal experience. + You veterans know the One who started it all; and you newcomers--such vitality and strength! God's word is so steady in you. Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One. + Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. + Practically everything that goes on in the world--wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important--has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. + The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out--but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. + Children, time is just about up. You heard that Antichrist is coming. Well, they're all over the place, antichrists everywhere you look. That's how we know that we're close to the end. + They left us, but they were never really with us. If they had been, they would have stuck it out with us, loyal to the end. In leaving, they showed their true colors, showed they never did belong. + But you belong. The Holy One anointed you, and you all know it. + I haven't been writing this to tell you something you don't know, but to confirm the truth you do know, and to remind you that the truth doesn't breed lies. + So who is lying here? It's the person who denies that Jesus is the Divine Christ, that's who. This is what makes an antichrist: denying the Father, denying the Son. + No one who denies the Son has any part with the Father, but affirming the Son is an embrace of the Father as well. + Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. + This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life! + I've written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. + But they're no match for what is embedded deeply within you--Christ's anointing, no less! You don't need any of their so-called teaching. Christ's anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught. + And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives. + Once you're convinced that he is right and righteous, you'll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God's true children. + + + What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it--we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. + But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him--and in seeing him, become like him. + All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own. + All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God's order. + Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. + No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backwards. + So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. + Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil's ways. + People conceived and brought into life by God don't make a practice of sin. How could they? God's seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It's not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. + Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test. + For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other. + We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. + So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time. + The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. + Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together. + This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. + If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. + My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. + This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. + It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. + And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! + We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. + Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. + As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us. + + + My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world. + Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ--the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person--comes from God and belongs to God. + And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought! + My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. + These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up. + But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception. + My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. + The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love--so you can't know him if you don't love. + This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. + This is the kind of love we are talking about--not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. + My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. + No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us--perfect love! + This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. + Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. + Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. + We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. + This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day--our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. + There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life--fear of death, fear of judgment--is one not yet fully formed in love. + We, though, are going to love--love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. + If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? + The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both. + + + Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we'll surely love the child who was conceived. + The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands? + The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome. + Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. + The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God. + Jesus--the Divine Christ! He experienced a life-giving birth and a death-killing death. Not only birth from the womb, but baptismal birth of his ministry and sacrificial death. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God's presence at Jesus' baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us. + A triple testimony: + the Spirit, the Baptism, the Crucifixion. And the three in perfect agreement. + If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son. + Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God's testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God's own testimony regarding his Son. + This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. + So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. + My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. + And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening. + And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours. + For instance, if we see a Christian believer sinning (clearly I'm not talking about those who make a practice of sin in a way that is "fatal," leading to eternal death), we ask for God's help and he gladly gives it, gives life to the sinner whose sin is not fatal. There is such a thing as a fatal sin, and I'm not urging you to pray about that. + Everything we do wrong is sin, but not all sin is fatal. + We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin--fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can't lay a hand on them. + We know that we are held firm by God; it's only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One. + And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God--what a gift!--and we are living in the Truth itself, in God's Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is both True God and Real Life. + Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles. + + + + + My dear congregation, I, your pastor, love you in very truth. And I'm not alone--everyone who knows the Truth + that has taken up permanent residence in us loves you. + Let grace, mercy, and peace be with us in truth and love from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, Son of the Father! + I can't tell you how happy I am to learn that many members of your congregation are diligent in living out the Truth, exactly as commanded by the Father. + But permit me a reminder, friends, and this is not a new commandment but simply a repetition of our original and basic charter: that we love each other. + Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed. + There are a lot of smooth-talking charlatans loose in the world who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ was truly human, a flesh-and-blood human being. Give them their true title: Deceiver! Antichrist! + And be very careful around them so you don't lose out on what we've worked so diligently in together; I want you to get every reward you have coming to you. + Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son. + If anyone shows up who doesn't hold to this teaching, don't invite him in and give him the run of the place. + That would just give him a platform to perpetuate his evil ways, making you his partner. + I have a lot more things to tell you, but I'd rather not use paper and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. That will be far more satisfying to both you and me. + Everyone here in your sister congregation sends greetings. + + + + + The Pastor, to my good friend Gaius: How truly I love you! + We're the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health--that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! + I was most happy when some friends arrived and brought the news that you persist in following the way of Truth. + Nothing could make me happier than getting reports that my children continue diligently in the way of Truth! + Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. + They've made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It's good work you're doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! + They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. + So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth. + Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. + If I come, you can be sure I'll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us. As if that weren't bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out. + Friend, don't go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God's work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn't know the first thing about God. + Everyone has a good word for Demetrius--the Truth itself stands up for Demetrius! We concur, and you know we don't hand out endorsements lightly. + I have a lot more things to tell you, but I'd rather not use pen and ink. + I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. Peace to you. The friends here say hello. Greet our friends there by name. + + + + + I, Jude, am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James, writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. + Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way! + Dear friends, I've dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting--begging!--that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. + What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license--which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master. + I'm laying this out as clearly as I can, even though you once knew all this well enough and shouldn't need reminding. Here it is in brief: The Master saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Later he destroyed those who defected. + And you know the story of the angels who didn't stick to their post, abandoning it for other, darker missions. But they are now chained and jailed in a black hole until the great Judgment Day. + Sodom and Gomorrah, which went to sexual rack and ruin along with the surrounding cities that acted just like them, are another example. Burning and burning and never burning up, they serve still as a stock warning. + This is exactly the same program of these latest infiltrators: dirty sex, rule and rulers thrown out, glory dragged in the mud. + The Archangel Michael, who went to the mat with the Devil as they fought over the body of Moses, wouldn't have dared level him with a blasphemous curse, but said simply, "No you don't. God will take care of you!" + But these people sneer at anything they can't understand, and by doing whatever they feel like doing--living by animal instinct only--they participate in their own destruction. + I'm fed up with them! They've gone down Cain's road; they've been sucked into Balaam's error by greed; they're canceled out in Korah's rebellion. + These people are warts on your love feasts as you worship and eat together. They're giving you a black eye--carousing shamelessly, grabbing anything that isn't nailed down. They're-- Puffs of smoke pushed by gusts of wind; late autumn trees stripped clean of leaf and fruit, Doubly dead, pulled up by the roots; + wild ocean waves leaving nothing on the beach but the foam of their shame; Lost stars in outer space on their way to the black hole. + Enoch, the seventh after Adam, prophesied of them: "Look! The Master comes with thousands of holy angels + to bring judgment against them all, convicting each person of every defiling act of shameless sacrilege, of every dirty word they have spewed of their pious filth." + These are the "grumpers," the bellyachers, grabbing for the biggest piece of the pie, talking big, saying anything they think will get them ahead. + But remember, dear friends, that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: + "In the last days there will be people who don't take these things seriously anymore. They'll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts." + These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There's nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit! + But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, + staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! + Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. + Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven. + And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating-- + to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes. + + + + + A revealing of Jesus, the Messiah. God gave it to make plain to his servants what is about to happen. He published and delivered it by Angel to his servant John. + And John told everything he saw: God's Word--the witness of Jesus Christ! + How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book! Time is just about up. + I, John, am writing this to the seven churches in Asia province: All the best to you from THE GOD WHO IS, THE GOD WHO WAS, AND THE GOD ABOUT TO ARRIVE, and from the Seven Spirits assembled before his throne, + and from Jesus Christ--Loyal Witness, Firstborn from the dead, Ruler of all earthly kings. Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us, who blood-washed our sins from our lives, + Who made us a Kingdom, Priests for his Father, forever--and yes, he's on his way! + Riding the clouds, he'll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him will see him, People from all nations and all times will tear their clothes in lament. Oh, Yes. + The Master declares, "I'm A to Z. I'm THE GOD WHO IS, THE GOD WHO WAS, AND THE GOD ABOUT TO ARRIVE. I'm the Sovereign-Strong." + I, John, with you all the way in the trial and the Kingdom and the passion of patience in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God's Word, the witness of Jesus. + It was Sunday and I was in the Spirit, praying. I heard a loud voice behind me, trumpet-clear and piercing: + "Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea." + I turned and saw the voice. I saw a gold menorah with seven branches, + And in the center, the Son of Man, in a robe and gold breastplate, + hair a blizzard of white, Eyes pouring fire-blaze, + both feet furnace-fired bronze, His voice a cataract, + right hand holding the Seven Stars, His mouth a sharp-biting sword, his face a perigee sun. + I saw this and fainted dead at his feet. His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me: "Don't fear: I am First, I am Last, + I'm Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death's doors, they open and lock Hell's gates. + Now write down everything you see: things that are, things about to be. + The Seven Stars you saw in my right hand and the seven-branched gold menorah--do you want to know what's behind them? The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches; the menorah's seven branches are the seven churches." + + + Write this to Ephesus, to the Angel of the church. The One with Seven Stars in his right-fist grip, striding through the golden seven-lights' circle, speaks: + "I see what you've done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. + I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. + "But you walked away from your first love--why? What's going on with you, anyway? + Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall! "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. + "You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too. + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'm about to call each conqueror to dinner. I'm spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God's orchard." + Write this to Smyrna, to the Angel of the church. The Beginning and Ending, the First and Final One, the Once Dead and Then Come Alive, speaks: + "I can see your pain and poverty--constant pain, dire poverty--but I also see your wealth. And I hear the lie in the claims of those who pretend to be good Jews, who in fact belong to Satan's crowd. + "Fear nothing in the things you're about to suffer--but stay on guard! Fear nothing! The Devil is about to throw you in jail for a time of testing--ten days. It won't last forever. "Don't quit, even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you. + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. Christ-conquerors are safe from Devil-death." + Write this to Pergamum, to the Angel of the church. The One with the sharp-biting sword draws from the sheath of his mouth--out come the sword words: + "I see where you live, right under the shadow of Satan's throne. But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure was worst, when they martyred Antipas, my witness who stayed faithful to me on Satan's turf. + "But why do you indulge that Balaam crowd? Don't you remember that Balaam was an enemy agent, seducing Balak and sabotaging Israel's holy pilgrimage by throwing unholy parties? + And why do you put up with the Nicolaitans, who do the same thing? + "Enough! Don't give in to them; I'll be with you soon. I'm fed up and about to cut them to pieces with my sword-sharp words. + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'll give the sacred manna to every conqueror; I'll also give a clear, smooth stone inscribed with your new name, your secret new name." + Write this to Thyatira, to the Angel of the church. God's Son, eyes pouring fire-blaze, standing on feet of furnace-fired bronze, says this: + "I see everything you're doing for me. Impressive! The love and the faith, the service and persistence. Yes, very impressive! You get better at it every day. + "But why do you let that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet mislead my dear servants into Cross-denying, self-indulging religion? + I gave her a chance to change her ways, but she has no intention of giving up a career in the god-business. + I'm about to lay her low, along with her partners, as they play their sex-and-religion games. + The bastard offspring of their idol-whoring I'll kill. Then every church will know that appearances don't impress me. I x-ray every motive and make sure you get what's coming to you. + "The rest of you Thyatirans, who have nothing to do with this outrage, who scorn this playing around with the Devil that gets paraded as profundity, be assured I'll not make life any harder for you than it already is. + Hold on to the truth you have until I get there. + "Here's the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone who keeps at it, refusing to give up: You'll rule the nations, + your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff, their resistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift my Father gave me; I pass it along to you-- + and with it, the Morning Star! + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches." + + + Write this to Sardis, to the Angel of the church. The One holding the Seven Spirits of God in one hand, a firm grip on the Seven Stars with the other, speaks: "I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you're dead, stone dead. + "Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there's life in you yet. But I wouldn't know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God's work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. + Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears--grasp it again and turn back to God. "If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I'll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night. + "You still have a few Christians in Sardis who haven't ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world's ways. They'll walk with me on parade! They've proved their worth! + "Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I'll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches." + Write this to Philadelphia, to the Angel of the church. The Holy, the True--David's key in his hand, opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open--speaks: + "I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don't have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times were rough. + "And watch as I take those who call themselves true believers but are nothing of the kind, pretenders whose true membership is in the club of Satan--watch as I strip off their pretensions and they're forced to acknowledge it's you that I've loved. + "Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I'll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the earth, every man, woman, and child put to the test. + "I'm on my way; I'll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown. + "I'll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I'll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God's City--the new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven--and my new Name. + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches." + Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God's Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God's creation, says: + "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot--far better to be either cold or hot! + You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. + You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless. + "Here's what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that's been through the refiner's fire. Then you'll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see. + "The people I love, I call to account--prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God! + "Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you. + Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors! + "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches." + + + Then I looked, and, oh!--a door open into Heaven. The trumpet-voice, the first voice in my vision, called out, "Ascend and enter. I'll show you what happens next." + I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh!--a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, + suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. + Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned. + Lightning flash and thunder crash pulsed from the Throne. Seven fire-blazing torches fronted the Throne (these are the Sevenfold Spirit of God). + Before the Throne it was like a clear crystal sea. Prowling around the Throne were Four Animals, all eyes. Eyes to look ahead, eyes to look behind. + The first Animal like a lion, the second like an ox, the third with a human face, the fourth like an eagle in flight. + The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break: Holy, holy, holy Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong, THE WAS, THE IS, THE COMING. + Every time the Animals gave glory and honor and thanks to the One Seated on the Throne--the age-after-age Living One-- + the Twenty-four Elders would fall prostrate before the One Seated on the Throne. They worshiped the age-after-age Living One. They threw their crowns at the foot of the Throne, chanting, + Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God! Take the glory! the honor! the power! You created it all; It was created because you wanted it. + + + I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Seated on the Throne. It was written on both sides, fastened with seven seals. + I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, "Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?" + There was no one--no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld--able to break open the scroll and read it. + I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it. + One of the Elders said, "Don't weep. Look--the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David's Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals." + So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall. Seven horns he had, and seven eyes, the Seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. + He came to the One Seated on the Throne and took the scroll from his right hand. + The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God's holy people. + And they sang a new song: Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals. Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women, Bought them back from all over the earth, Bought them back for God. + Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God, Priest-kings to rule over the earth. + I looked again. I heard a company of Angels around the Throne, the Animals, and the Elders--ten thousand times ten thousand their number, thousand after thousand after thousand + in full song: The slain Lamb is worthy! Take the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength! Take the honor, the glory, the blessing! + Then I heard every creature in Heaven and earth, in underworld and sea, join in, all voices in all places, singing: To the One on the Throne! To the Lamb! The blessing, the honor, the glory, the strength, For age after age after age. + The Four Animals called out, "Oh, Yes!" The Elders fell to their knees and worshiped. + + + I watched while the Lamb ripped off the first of the seven seals. I heard one of the Animals roar, "Come out!" + I looked--I saw a white horse. Its rider carried a bow and was given a victory garland. He rode off victorious, conquering right and left. + When the Lamb ripped off the second seal, I heard the second Animal cry, "Come out!" + Another horse appeared, this one red. Its rider was off to take peace from the earth, setting people at each other's throats, killing one another. He was given a huge sword. + When he ripped off the third seal, I heard the third Animal cry, "Come out!" I looked. A black horse this time. Its rider carried a set of scales in his hand. + I heard a message (it seemed to issue from the Four Animals): "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, or three quarts of barley, but all the oil and wine you want." + When he ripped off the fourth seal, I heard the fourth Animal cry, "Come out!" + I looked. A colorless horse, sickly pale. Its rider was Death, and Hell was close on its heels. They were given power to destroy a fourth of the earth by war, famine, disease, and wild beasts. + When he ripped off the fifth seal, I saw the souls of those killed because they had held firm in their witness to the Word of God. They were gathered under the Altar, + and cried out in loud prayers, "How long, Strong God, Holy and True? How long before you step in and avenge our murders?" + Then each martyr was given a white robe and told to sit back and wait until the full number of martyrs was filled from among their servant companions and friends in the faith. + I watched while he ripped off the sixth seal: a bone-jarring earthquake, sun turned black as ink, moon all bloody, + stars falling out of the sky like figs shaken from a tree in a high wind, + sky snapped shut like a book, islands and mountains sliding this way and that. + And then pandemonium, everyone and his dog running for cover--kings, princes, generals, rich and strong, along with every commoner, slave or free. They hid in mountain caves and rocky dens, + calling out to mountains and rocks, "Refuge! Hide us from the One Seated on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb! + The great Day of their wrath has come--who can stand it?" + + + Immediately I saw Four Angels standing at the four corners of earth, standing steady with a firm grip on the four winds so no wind would blow on earth or sea, not even rustle a tree. + Then I saw another Angel rising from where the sun rose, carrying the seal of the Living God. He thundered to the Four Angels assigned the task of hurting earth and sea, + "Don't hurt the earth! Don't hurt the sea! Don't so much as hurt a tree until I've sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!" + I heard the count of those who were sealed: 144,000! They were sealed out of every Tribe of Israel: + 12,000 sealed from Judah, 12,000 from Reuben, 12,000 from Gad, + 12,000 from Asher, 12,000 from Naphtali, 12,000 from Manasseh, + 12,000 from Simeon, 12,000 from Levi, 12,000 from Issachar, + 12,000 from Zebulun, 12,000 from Joseph, 12,000 sealed from Benjamin. + I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there--all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb + and heartily singing: Salvation to our God on his Throne! Salvation to the Lamb! + All who were standing around the Throne--Angels, Elders, Animals--fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, + singing: Oh, Yes! The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, The honor and power and strength, To our God forever and ever and ever! Oh, Yes! + Just then one of the Elders addressed me: "Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?" + Taken aback, I said, "O Sir, I have no idea--but you must know." Then he told me, "These are those who come from the great tribulation, and they've washed their robes, scrubbed them clean in the blood of the Lamb. + That's why they're standing before God's Throne. They serve him day and night in his Temple. The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for them: + no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. + The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes." + + + When the Lamb ripped off the seventh seal, Heaven fell quiet--complete silence for about half an hour. + I saw the Seven Angels who are always in readiness before God handed seven trumpets. + Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne. + Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel. + Then the Angel filled the censer with fire from the Altar and heaved it to earth. It set off thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake. + The Seven Angels with the trumpets got ready to blow them. + At the first trumpet blast, hail and fire mixed with blood were dumped on earth. A third of the earth was scorched, a third of the trees, and every blade of green grass--burned to a crisp. + The second Angel trumpeted. Something like a huge mountain blazing with fire was flung into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, + a third of the living sea creatures died, and a third of the ships sank. + The third Angel trumpeted. A huge Star, blazing like a torch, fell from Heaven, wiping out a third of the rivers and a third of the springs. + The Star's name was Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter, and many people died from the poisoned water. + The fourth Angel trumpeted. A third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were hit, blacked out by a third, both day and night in one-third blackout. + I looked hard; I heard a lone eagle, flying through Middle-Heaven, crying out ominously, "Doom! Doom! Doom to everyone left on earth! There are three more Angels about to blow their trumpets. Doom is on its way!" + + + The fifth Angel trumpeted. I saw a Star plummet from Heaven to earth. The Star was handed a key to the Well of the Abyss. + He unlocked the Well of the Abyss--smoke poured out of the Well, billows and billows of smoke, sun and air in blackout from smoke pouring out of the Well. + Then out of the smoke crawled locusts with the venom of scorpions. + They were given their orders: "Don't hurt the grass, don't hurt anything green, don't hurt a single tree--only men and women, and then only those who lack the seal of God on their foreheads." + They were ordered to torture but not kill, torture them for five months, the pain like a scorpion sting. + When this happens, people are going to prefer death to torture, look for ways to kill themselves. But they won't find a way--death will have gone into hiding. + The locusts looked like horses ready for war. They had gold crowns, human faces, + women's hair, the teeth of lions, + and iron breastplates. The sound of their wings was the sound of horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. + Their tails were equipped with stings, like scorpion tails. With those tails they were ordered to torture the human race for five months. + They had a king over them, the Angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, in Greek, Apollyon--"Destroyer." + The first doom is past. Two dooms yet to come. + The sixth Angel trumpeted. I heard a voice speaking to the sixth Angel from the horns of the Golden Altar before God: + "Let the Four Angels loose, the Angels confined at the great River Euphrates." + The Four Angels were untied and let loose, Four Angels all prepared for the exact year, month, day, and even hour when they were to kill a third of the human race. + The number of the army of horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard the count + and saw both horses and riders in my vision: fiery breastplates on the riders, lion heads on the horses breathing out fire and smoke and brimstone. + With these three weapons--fire and smoke and brimstone--they killed a third of the human race. + The horses killed with their mouths and tails; their serpentlike tails also had heads that wreaked havoc. + The remaining men and women who weren't killed by these weapons went on their merry way--didn't change their way of life, didn't quit worshiping demons, didn't quit centering their lives around lumps of gold and silver and brass, hunks of stone and wood that couldn't see or hear or move. + There wasn't a sign of a change of heart. They plunged right on in their murderous, occult, promiscuous, and thieving ways. + + + I saw another powerful Angel coming down out of Heaven wrapped in a cloud. There was a rainbow over his head, his face was sun-radiant, his legs pillars of fire. + He had a small book open in his hand. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on land, + then called out thunderously, a lion roar. When he called out, the Seven Thunders called back. + When the Seven Thunders spoke, I started to write it all down, but a voice out of Heaven stopped me, saying, "Seal with silence the Seven Thunders; don't write a word." + Then the Angel I saw astride sea and land lifted his right hand to Heaven + and swore by the One Living Forever and Ever, who created Heaven and everything in it, earth and everything in it, sea and everything in it, that time was up-- + that when the seventh Angel blew his trumpet, which he was about to do, the Mystery of God, all the plans he had revealed to his servants, the prophets, would be completed. + The voice out of Heaven spoke to me again: "Go, take the book held open in the hand of the Angel astride sea and earth." + I went up to the Angel and said, "Give me the little book." He said, "Take it, then eat it. It will taste sweet like honey, but turn sour in your stomach." + I took the little book from the Angel's hand and it was sweet honey in my mouth, but when I swallowed, my stomach curdled. + Then I was told, "You must go back and prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings." + + + I was given a stick for a measuring rod and told, "Get up and measure God's Temple and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. + Exclude the outside court; don't measure it. It's been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They'll desecrate the Holy City for forty-two months. + "Meanwhile, I'll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they'll prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days. + These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at attention before God on earth. + If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire from their mouths will incinerate them--burn them to a crisp just like that. + They'll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn't rain for the time of their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit earth with any and every disaster as often as they want. + "When they've completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, + leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. + For three and a half days they'll be there--exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. + Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting 'Good riddance!' and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins. + "Then, after three and a half days, the Living Spirit of God will enter them--they're on their feet!--and all those gloating spectators will be scared to death." + I heard a strong voice out of Heaven calling, "Come up here!" and up they went to Heaven, wrapped in a cloud, their enemies watching it all. + At that moment there was a gigantic earthquake--a tenth of the city fell to ruin, seven thousand perished in the earthquake, the rest frightened to the core of their being, frightened into giving honor to the God of Heaven. + The second doom is past, the third doom coming right on its heels. + The seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out, The kingdom of the world is now the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah! He will rule forever and ever! + The Twenty-four Elders seated before God on their thrones fell to their knees, worshiped, + and sang, We thank you, O God, Sovereign-Strong, WHO IS AND WHO WAS. You took your great power and took over--reigned! + The angry nations now get a taste of your anger. The time has come to judge the dead, to reward your servants, all prophets and saints, Reward small and great who fear your Name, and destroy the destroyers of earth. + The doors of God's Temple in Heaven flew open, and the Ark of his Covenant was clearly seen surrounded by flashes of lightning, loud shouts, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a fierce hailstorm. + + + A great Sign appeared in Heaven: a Woman dressed all in sunlight, standing on the moon, and crowned with Twelve Stars. + She was giving birth to a Child and cried out in the pain of childbirth. + And then another Sign alongside the first: a huge and fiery Dragon! It had seven heads and ten horns, a crown on each of the seven heads. + With one flick of its tail it knocked a third of the Stars from the sky and dumped them on earth. The Dragon crouched before the Woman in childbirth, poised to eat up the Child when it came. + The Woman gave birth to a Son who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod. Her Son was seized and placed safely before God on his Throne. + The Woman herself escaped to the desert to a place of safety prepared by God, all comforts provided her for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. + War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, + but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. + The great Dragon--ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray--thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. + Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying, Salvation and power are established! Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. + They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren't in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ. + So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there, but doom to earth and sea, For the Devil's come down on you with both feet; he's had a great fall; He's wild and raging with anger; he hasn't much time and he knows it. + When the Dragon saw he'd been thrown to earth, he went after the Woman who had given birth to the Man-Child. + The Woman was given wings of a great eagle to fly to a place in the desert to be kept in safety and comfort for a time and times and half a time, safe and sound from the Serpent. + The Serpent vomited a river of water to swamp and drown her, + but earth came to her help, swallowing the water the Dragon spewed from its mouth. + Helpless with rage, the Dragon raged at the Woman, then went off to make war with the rest of her children, the children who keep God's commands and hold firm to the witness of Jesus. + + + And the Dragon stood on the shore of the sea. I saw a Beast rising from the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads--on each horn a crown, and each head inscribed with a blasphemous name. + The Beast I saw looked like a leopard with bear paws and a lion's mouth. The Dragon turned over its power to it, its throne and great authority. + One of the Beast's heads looked as if it had been struck a deathblow, and then healed. The whole earth was agog, gaping at the Beast. + They worshiped the Dragon who gave the Beast authority, and they worshiped the Beast, exclaiming, "There's never been anything like the Beast! No one would dare go to war with the Beast!" + The Beast had a loud mouth, boastful and blasphemous. It could do anything it wanted for forty-two months. + It yelled blasphemies against God, blasphemed his Name, blasphemed his Church, especially those already dwelling with God in Heaven. + It was permitted to make war on God's holy people and conquer them. It held absolute sway over all tribes and peoples, tongues and races. + Everyone on earth whose name was not written from the world's foundation in the slaughtered Lamb's Book of Life will worship the Beast. + Are you listening to this? + They've made their bed; now they must lie in it. Anyone marked for prison goes straight to prison; anyone pulling a sword goes down by the sword. Meanwhile, God's holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground. + I saw another Beast rising out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb but sounded like a dragon when it spoke. + It was a puppet of the first Beast, made earth and everyone in it worship the first Beast, which had been healed of its deathblow. + This second Beast worked magical signs, dazzling people by making fire come down from Heaven. + It used the magic it got from the Beast to dupe earth dwellers, getting them to make an image of the Beast that received the deathblow and lived. + It was able to animate the image of the Beast so that it talked, and then arrange that anyone not worshiping the Beast would be killed. + It forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on the right hand or forehead. + Without the mark of the name of the Beast or the number of its name, it was impossible to buy or sell anything. + Solve a riddle: Put your heads together and figure out the meaning of the number of the Beast. It's a human number: six hundred sixty-six. + + + I saw--it took my breath away!--the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, One Hundred and Forty-four Thousand standing there with him, his Name and the Name of his Father inscribed on their foreheads. + And I heard a voice out of Heaven, the sound like a cataract, like the crash of thunder. And then I heard music, harp music + and the harpists singing a new song before the Throne and the Four Animals and the Elders. Only the Hundred and Forty-four Thousand could learn to sing the song. They were bought from earth, + lived without compromise, virgin-fresh before God. Wherever the Lamb went, they followed. They were bought from humankind, firstfruits of the harvest for God and the Lamb. + Not a false word in their mouths. A perfect offering. + I saw another Angel soaring in Middle-Heaven. He had an Eternal Message to preach to all who were still on earth, every nation and tribe, every tongue and people. + He preached in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory! His hour of judgment has come! Worship the Maker of Heaven and earth, salt sea and fresh water!" + A second Angel followed, calling out, "Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon ruined! She made all the nations drunk on the wine of her whoring!" + A third Angel followed, shouting, warning, "If anyone worships the Beast and its image and takes the mark on forehead or hand, + that person will drink the wine of God's wrath, prepared unmixed in his chalice of anger, and suffer torment from fire and brimstone in the presence of Holy Angels, in the presence of the Lamb. + Smoke from their torment will rise age after age. No respite for those who worship the Beast and its image, who take the mark of its name." + Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient, keeping God's commands, staying faithful to Jesus. + I heard a voice out of Heaven, "Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on; how blessed to die that way!" "Yes," says the Spirit, "and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of what they've done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end." + I looked up, I caught my breath!--a white cloud and one like the Son of Man sitting on it. He wore a gold crown and held a sharp sickle. + Another Angel came out of the Temple, shouting to the Cloud-Enthroned, "Swing your sickle and reap. It's harvest time. Earth's harvest is ripe for reaping." + The Cloud-Enthroned gave a mighty sweep of his sickle, began harvesting earth in a stroke. + Then another Angel came out of the Temple in Heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. + Yet another Angel, the one in charge of tending the fire, came from the Altar. He thundered to the Angel who held the sharp sickle, "Swing your sharp sickle. Harvest earth's vineyard. The grapes are bursting with ripeness." + The Angel swung his sickle, harvested earth's vintage, and heaved it into the winepress, the giant winepress of God's wrath. + The winepress was outside the City. As the vintage was trodden, blood poured from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle, a river of blood for two hundred miles. + + + I saw another Sign in Heaven, huge and breathtaking: seven Angels with seven disasters. These are the final disasters, the wrap-up of God's wrath. + I saw something like a sea made of glass, the glass all shot through with fire. Carrying harps of God, triumphant over the Beast, its image, and the number of its name, the saved ones stood on the sea of glass. + They sang the Song of Moses, servant of God; they sang the Song of the Lamb: Mighty your acts and marvelous, O God, the Sovereign-Strong! Righteous your ways and true, King of the nations! + Who can fail to fear you, God, give glory to your Name? Because you and you only are holy, all nations will come and worship you, because they see your judgments are right. + Then I saw the doors of the Temple, the Tent of Witness in Heaven, open wide. + The Seven Angels carrying the seven disasters came out of the Temple. They were dressed in clean, bright linen and wore gold vests. + One of the Four Animals handed the Seven Angels seven gold bowls, brimming with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. + Smoke from God's glory and power poured out of the Temple. No one was permitted to enter the Temple until the seven disasters of the Seven Angels were finished. + + + I heard a shout of command from the Temple to the Seven Angels: "Begin! Pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on earth!" + The first Angel stepped up and poured his bowl out on earth: Loathsome, stinking sores erupted on all who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped its image. + The second Angel poured his bowl on the sea: The sea coagulated into blood, and everything in it died. + The third Angel poured his bowl on rivers and springs: The waters turned to blood. + I heard the Angel of Waters say, Righteous you are, and your judgments are righteous, THE WAS, THE IS, THE HOLY. + They poured out the blood of saints and prophets so you've given them blood to drink-- they've gotten what they deserve! + Just then I heard the Altar chime in, Yes, O God, the Sovereign-Strong! Your judgments are true and just! + The fourth Angel poured his bowl on the sun: Fire blazed from the sun and scorched men and women. + Burned and blistered, they cursed God's Name, the God behind these disasters. They refused to repent, refused to honor God. + The fifth Angel poured his bowl on the throne of the Beast: Its kingdom fell into sudden eclipse. Mad with pain, men and women bit and chewed their tongues, + cursed the God of Heaven for their torment and sores, and refused to repent and change their ways. + The sixth Angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River: It dried up to nothing. The dry riverbed became a fine roadbed for the kings from the East. + From the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet I saw three foul demons crawl out--they looked like frogs. + These are demon spirits performing signs. They're after the kings of the whole world to get them gathered for battle on the Great Day of God, the Sovereign-Strong. + "Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You're blessed if, awake and dressed, you're ready for me. Too bad if you're found running through the streets, naked and ashamed." + The frog-demons gathered the kings together at the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. + The seventh Angel poured his bowl into the air: From the Throne in the Temple came a shout, "Done!" + followed by lightning flashes and shouts, thunder crashes and a colossal earthquake--a huge and devastating earthquake, never an earthquake like it since time began. + The Great City split three ways, the cities of the nations toppled to ruin. Great Babylon had to drink the wine of God's raging anger--God remembered to give her the cup! + Every island fled and not a mountain was to be found. + Hailstones weighing a ton plummeted, crushing and smashing men and women as they cursed God for the hail, the epic disaster of hail. + + + One of the Seven Angels who carried the seven bowls came and invited me, "Come, I'll show you the judgment of the great Whore who sits enthroned over many waters, + the Whore with whom the kings of the earth have gone whoring, show you the judgment on earth dwellers drunk on her whorish lust." + In the Spirit he carried me out in the desert. I saw a woman mounted on a Scarlet Beast. Stuffed with blasphemies, the Beast had seven heads and ten horns. + The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, festooned with gold and gems and pearls. She held a gold chalice in her hand, brimming with defiling obscenities, her foul fornications. + A riddle-name was branded on her forehead: GREAT BABYLON, MOTHER OF WHORES AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. + I could see that the woman was drunk, drunk on the blood of God's holy people, drunk on the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Astonished, I rubbed my eyes. I shook my head in wonder. + The Angel said, "Does this surprise you? Let me tell you the riddle of the woman and the Beast she rides, the Beast with seven heads and ten horns. + The Beast you saw once was, is no longer, and is about to ascend from the Abyss and head straight for Hell. Earth dwellers whose names weren't written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will be dazzled when they see the Beast that once was, is no longer, and is to come. + "But don't drop your guard. Use your head. The seven heads are seven hills; they are where the woman sits. + They are also seven kings: five dead, one living, the other not yet here--and when he does come his time will be brief. + The Beast that once was and is no longer is both an eighth and one of the seven--and headed for Hell. + "The ten horns you saw are ten kings, but they're not yet in power. They will come to power with the Scarlet Beast, but won't last long--a very brief reign. + These kings will agree to turn over their power and authority to the Beast. + They will go to war against the Lamb but the Lamb will defeat them, proof that he is Lord over all lords, King over all kings, and those with him will be the called, chosen, and faithful." + The Angel continued, "The waters you saw on which the Whore was enthroned are peoples and crowds, nations and languages. + And the ten horns you saw, together with the Beast, will turn on the Whore--they'll hate her, violate her, strip her naked, rip her apart with their teeth, then set fire to her. + It was God who put the idea in their heads to turn over their rule to the Beast until the words of God are completed. + The woman you saw is the great city, tyrannizing the kings of the earth." + + + Following this I saw another Angel descend from Heaven. His authority was immense, his glory flooded earth with brightness, + his voice thunderous: Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon, ruined! A ghost town for demons is all that's left! A garrison of carrion spirits, garrison of loathsome, carrion birds. + All nations drank the wild wine of her whoring; kings of the earth went whoring with her; entrepreneurs made millions exploiting her. + Just then I heard another shout out of Heaven: Get out, my people, as fast as you can, so you don't get mixed up in her sins, so you don't get caught in her doom. + Her sins stink to high Heaven; God has remembered every evil she's done. + Give her back what she's given, double what she's doubled in her works, double the recipe in the cup she mixed; + Bring her flaunting and wild ways to torment and tears. Because she gloated, "I'm queen over all, and no widow, never a tear on my face," + In one day, disasters will crush her-- death, heartbreak, and famine-- Then she'll be burned by fire, because God, the Strong God who judges her, has had enough. + "The kings of the earth will see the smoke of her burning, and they'll cry and carry on, the kings who went night after night to her brothel. + They'll keep their distance for fear they'll get burned, and they'll cry their lament: Doom, doom, the great city doomed! City of Babylon, strong city! In one hour it's over, your judgment come! + "The traders will cry and carry on because the bottom dropped out of business, no more market for their goods: + gold, silver, precious gems, pearls; fabrics of fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet; perfumed wood and vessels of ivory, precious woods, bronze, iron, and marble; + cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. And slaves--their terrible traffic in human lives. + Everything you've lived for, gone! All delicate and delectable luxury, lost! Not a scrap, not a thread to be found! + "The traders who made millions off her kept their distance for fear of getting burned, and cried and carried on all the more: + Doom, doom, the great city doomed! Dressed in the latest fashions, adorned with the finest jewels, + in one hour such wealth wiped out! "All the ship captains and travelers by sea, sailors and toilers of the sea, stood off at a distance + and cried their lament when they saw the smoke from her burning: 'Oh, what a city! There was never a city like her!' + They threw dust on their heads and cried as if the world had come to an end: Doom, doom, the great city doomed! All who owned ships or did business by sea Got rich on her getting and spending. And now it's over--wiped out in one hour! + "O Heaven, celebrate! And join in, saints, apostles, and prophets! God has judged her; every wrong you suffered from her has been judged." + A strong Angel reached for a boulder--huge, like a millstone--and heaved it into the sea, saying, Heaved and sunk, the great city Babylon, sunk in the sea, not a sign of her ever again. + Silent the music of harpists and singers-- you'll never hear flutes and trumpets again. Artisans of every kind--gone; you'll never see their likes again. The voice of a millstone grinding falls dumb; you'll never hear that sound again. + The light from lamps, never again; never again laughter of bride and groom. Her traders robbed the whole earth blind, and by black-magic arts deceived the nations. + The only thing left of Babylon is blood-- the blood of saints and prophets, the murdered and the martyred. + + + I heard a sound like massed choirs in Heaven singing, Hallelujah! The salvation and glory and power are God's-- + his judgments true, his judgments just. He judged the great Whore who corrupted the earth with her lust. He avenged on her the blood of his servants. + Then, more singing: Hallelujah! The smoke from her burning billows up to high Heaven forever and ever and ever. + The Twenty-four Elders and the Four Animals fell to their knees and worshiped God on his Throne, praising, Amen! Yes! Hallelujah! + From the Throne came a shout, a command: Praise our God, all you his servants, All you who fear him, small and great! + Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! + Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. + She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. + The Angel said to me, "Write this: 'Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.'" He added, "These are the true words of God!" + I fell at his feet to worship him, but he wouldn't let me. "Don't do that," he said. "I'm a servant just like you, and like your brothers and sisters who hold to the witness of Jesus. The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." + Then I saw Heaven open wide--and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. + His eyes are a blaze of fire, on his head many crowns. He has a Name inscribed that's known only to himself. + He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and he is addressed as "Word of God." + The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow him. + A sharp sword comes out of his mouth so he can subdue the nations, then rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the raging wrath of God, the Sovereign-Strong. + On his robe and thigh is written, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS. + I saw an Angel standing in the sun, shouting to all flying birds in Middle-Heaven, "Come to the Great Supper of God! + Feast on the flesh of kings and captains and champions, horses and their riders. Eat your fill of them all--free and slave, small and great!" + I saw the Beast and, assembled with him, earth's kings and their armies, ready to make war against the One on the horse and his army. + The Beast was taken, and with him, his puppet, the False Prophet, who used signs to dazzle and deceive those who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped his image. They were thrown alive, those two, into Lake Fire and Brimstone. + The rest were killed by the sword of the One on the horse, the sword that comes from his mouth. All the birds held a feast on their flesh. + + + I saw an Angel descending out of Heaven. He carried the key to the Abyss and a chain--a huge chain. + He grabbed the Dragon, that old Snake--the very Devil, Satan himself!--chained him up for a thousand years, + dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations--until the thousand years are up. After that he has to be let loose briefly. + I saw thrones. Those put in charge of judgment sat on the thrones. I also saw the souls of those beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, who refused to worship either the Beast or his image, refused to take his mark on forehead or hand--they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years! + The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were up. This is the first resurrection-- + and those involved most blessed, most holy. No second death for them! They're priests of God and Christ; they'll reign with him a thousand years. + When the thousand years are up, Satan will be let loose from his cell, + and will launch again his old work of deceiving the nations, searching out victims in every nook and cranny of earth, even Gog and Magog! He'll talk them into going to war and will gather a huge army, millions strong. + They'll stream across the earth, surround and lay siege to the camp of God's holy people, the Beloved City. They'll no sooner get there than fire will pour out of Heaven and burn them up. + The Devil who deceived them will be hurled into Lake Fire and Brimstone, joining the Beast and False Prophet, the three in torment around the clock for ages without end. + I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. + And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there--before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. + Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. + Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death--Lake Fire. + Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire. + + + I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea. + I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband. + I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: "Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They're his people, he's their God. + He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good--tears gone, crying gone, pain gone--all the first order of things gone." + The Enthroned continued, "Look! I'm making everything new. Write it all down--each word dependable and accurate." + Then he said, "It's happened. I'm A to Z. I'm the Beginning, I'm the Conclusion. From Water-of-Life Well I give freely to the thirsty. + Conquerors inherit all this. I'll be God to them, they'll be sons and daughters to me. + But for the rest--the feckless and faithless, degenerates and murderers, sex peddlers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars--for them it's Lake Fire and Brimstone. Second death!" + One of the Seven Angels who had carried the bowls filled with the seven final disasters spoke to me: "Come here. I'll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb." + He took me away in the Spirit to an enormous, high mountain and showed me Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God, + resplendent in the bright glory of God. The City shimmered like a precious gem, light-filled, pulsing light. + She had a wall majestic and high with twelve gates. At each gate stood an Angel, and on the gates were inscribed the names of the Twelve Tribes of the sons of Israel: + three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates on the west. + The wall was set on twelve foundations, the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb inscribed on them. + The Angel speaking with me had a gold measuring stick to measure the City, its gates, and its wall. + The City was laid out in a perfect square. He measured the City with the measuring stick: twelve thousand stadia, its length, width, and height all equal. + Using the standard measure, the Angel measured the thickness of its wall: 144 cubits. + The wall was jasper, the color of Glory, and the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. + The foundations of the City walls were garnished with every precious gem imaginable: the first foundation jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, + the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. + The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate a single pearl. The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. + But there was no sign of a Temple, for the Lord God--the Sovereign-Strong--and the Lamb are the Temple. + The City doesn't need sun or moon for light. God's Glory is its light, the Lamb its lamp! + The nations will walk in its light and earth's kings bring in their splendor. + Its gates will never be shut by day, and there won't be any night. + They'll bring the glory and honor of the nations into the City. + Nothing dirty or defiled will get into the City, and no one who defiles or deceives. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will get in. + + + Then the Angel showed me Water-of-Life River, crystal bright. It flowed from the Throne of God and the Lamb, + right down the middle of the street. The Tree of Life was planted on each side of the River, producing twelve kinds of fruit, a ripe fruit each month. The leaves of the Tree are for healing the nations. + Never again will anything be cursed. The Throne of God and of the Lamb is at the center. His servants will offer God service--worshiping, + they'll look on his face, their foreheads mirroring God. + Never again will there be any night. No one will need lamplight or sunlight. The shining of God, the Master, is all the light anyone needs. And they will rule with him age after age after age. + The Angel said to me, "These are dependable and accurate words, every one. The God and Master of the spirits of the prophets sent his Angel to show his servants what must take place, and soon. + And tell them, 'Yes, I'm on my way!' Blessed be the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." + I, John, saw all these things with my own eyes, heard them with my ears. Immediately when I heard and saw, I fell on my face to worship at the feet of the Angel who laid it all out before me. + He objected, "No you don't! I'm a servant just like you and your companions, the prophets, and all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" + The Angel continued, "Don't seal the words of the prophecy of this book; don't put it away on the shelf. Time is just about up. + Let evildoers do their worst and the dirty-minded go all out in pollution, but let the righteous maintain a straight course and the holy continue on in holiness." + "Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon! I'm bringing my payroll with me. I'll pay all people in full for their life's work. + I'm A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion. + "How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they'll walk through the gates to the City. + But outside for good are the filthy curs: sorcerers, fornicators, murderers, idolaters--all who love and live lies. + "I, Jesus, sent my Angel to testify to these things for the churches. I'm the Root and Branch of David, the Bright Morning Star." + "Come!" say the Spirit and the Bride. Whoever hears, echo, "Come!" Is anyone thirsty? Come! All who will, come and drink, Drink freely of the Water of Life! + I give fair warning to all who hear the words of the prophecy of this book: If you add to the words of this prophecy, God will add to your life the disasters written in this book; + if you subtract from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will subtract your part from the Tree of Life and the Holy City that are written in this book. + He who testifies to all these things says it again: "I'm on my way! I'll be there soon!" Yes! Come, Master Jesus! + The grace of the Master Jesus be with all of you. Oh, Yes! + + + diff --git a/Bibles/NASB.xml b/Bibles/NASB.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..002f4ce --- /dev/null +++ b/Bibles/NASB.xml @@ -0,0 +1,33616 @@ + + + + + In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. + The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. + Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. + God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. + God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. + Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." + God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. + God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. + Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. + God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, [and] fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. + The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. + There was evening and there was morning, a third day. + Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; + and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. + God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; [He made] the stars also. + God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, + and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. + There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. + Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." + God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. + God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." + There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. + Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. + God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." + God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. + God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." + Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; + and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, [I have given] every green plant for food"; and it was so. + God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. + + + Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. + By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. + Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. + This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. + Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. + But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. + Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. + The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. + Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. + Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. + The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. + The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. + The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. + The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. + Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. + The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; + but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." + Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." + Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought [them] to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. + The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. + So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. + The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. + The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." + For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. + And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. + + + Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?" + The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; + but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" + The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! + "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." + When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make [one] wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. + Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. + They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. + Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" + He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." + And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" + The man said, "The woman whom You gave [to be] with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." + Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." + The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; + And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." + To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." + Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. + "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; + By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." + Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all [the] living. + The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. + Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever "-- + therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. + So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. + + + Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with [the help of] the LORD." + Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. + So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. + Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; + but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. + Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? + "If you do well, will not [your countenance] be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." + Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. + Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" + He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. + "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. + "When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth." + Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! + "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." + So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. + Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. + Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. + Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. + Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. + Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and [have] livestock. + His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. + As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. + Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; + If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold." + Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, [she said], "God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him." + To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then [men] began to call upon the name of the LORD. + + + This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. + He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. + When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of [a son] in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. + Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. + Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. + Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. + Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. + Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died. + Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. + Then Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. + Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. + Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Jared, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died. + Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. + Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died. + Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. + Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. + Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. + Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech. + Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. + Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. + Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands [arising] from the ground which the LORD has cursed." + Then Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. + Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + + + Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, + that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. + Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." + The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore [children] to them. Those were the mighty men who [were] of old, men of renown. + Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. + The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. + The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." + But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. + These are [the records of] the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. + Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. + God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. + Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. + "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. + "This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. + "You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. + "Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. + "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark-- you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. + "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every [kind] into the ark, to keep [them] alive with you; they shall be male and female. + "Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every [kind] will come to you to keep [them] alive. + "As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather [it] to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them." + Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. + + + Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you [alone] I have seen [to be] righteous before Me in this time. + "You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; + also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. + "For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made." + Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him. + Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. + Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him entered the ark because of the water of the flood. + Of clean animals and animals that are not clean and birds and everything that creeps on the ground, + there went into the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. + It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood came upon the earth. + In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. + The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. + On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, + they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds. + So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. + Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed [it] behind him. + Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. + The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. + The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. + The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. + All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; + of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. + Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. + The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days. + + + But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. + Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; + and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased. + In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. + The water decreased steadily until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible. + Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; + and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. + Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; + but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth. Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself. + So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. + The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth. + Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again. + Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first [month], on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up. + In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. + Then God spoke to Noah, saying, + "Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you. + "Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." + So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. + Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark. + Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. + The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. + "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease." + + + And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. + "The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. + "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as [I gave] the green plant. + "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, [that is], its blood. + "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from [every] man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. + "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. + "As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." + Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, + "Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; + and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. + "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth." + God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; + I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. + "It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, + and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. + "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." + And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth." + Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. + These three [were] the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. + Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. + He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. + Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. + But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness. + When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. + So he said, "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers." + He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. + "May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant." + Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. + So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died. + + + Now these are [the records of] the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood. + The sons of Japheth [were] Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer [were] Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan [were] Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. + From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations. + The sons of Ham [were] Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. + The sons of Cush [were] Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah [were] Sheba and Dedan. + Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. + He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD." + The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. + From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, + and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. + Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim + and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim. + Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth + and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite + and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite + and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite; and afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad. + The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. + These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations. + Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, [and] the older brother of Japheth, children were born. + The sons of Shem [were] Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram. + The sons of Aram [were] Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash. + Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. + Two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one [was] Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name [was] Joktan. + Joktan became the father of Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah + and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah + and Obal and Abimael and Sheba + and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. + Now their settlement extended from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill country of the east. + These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations. + These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood. + + + Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. + It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. + They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn [them] thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. + They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [will reach] into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." + The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. + The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. + "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech." + So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. + Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth. + These are [the records of] the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; + and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah; + and Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber; + and Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg; + and Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu; + and Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug; + and Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor; + and Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah; + and Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had [other] sons and daughters. + Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. + Now these are [the records of] the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot. + Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. + Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. + Sarai was barren; she had no child. + Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there. + The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran. + + + Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; + And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; + And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." + So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. + Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. + Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite [was] then in the land. + The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. + Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. + Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. + Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. + It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; + and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. + "Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you." + It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. + Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. + Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels. + But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. + Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? + "Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go." + Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. + + + So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. + Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. + He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, + to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. + Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. + And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. + And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land. + So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. + "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if [to] the left, then I will go to the right; or if [to] the right, then I will go to the left." + Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere-- [this was] before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah-- like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. + So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. + Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. + Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD. + The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; + for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. + "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. + "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you." + Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. + + + And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, + [that] they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). + All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). + Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. + In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, + and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness. + Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar. + And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, + against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar-- four kings against five. + Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country. + Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed. + They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom. + Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. + When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. + He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. + He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people. + Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). + And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. + He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; + And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all. + The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself." + Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, + that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.' + "I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share." + + + After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." + Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" + And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." + Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." + And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." + Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. + And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." + He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?" + So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." + Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. + The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. + Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror [and] great darkness fell upon him. + [God] said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. + "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. + "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. + "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." + It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, [there appeared] a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. + On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: + the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite + and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim + and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite." + + + Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no [children], and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. + So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing [children]. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. + After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. + He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. + And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me." + But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. + Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. + He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." + Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority." + Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count." + The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. + "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand [will be] against everyone, And everyone's hand [will be] against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers." + Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" + Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. + So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. + Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. + + + Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. + "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly." + Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, + "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. + "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. + "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. + "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. + "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." + God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. + "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. + "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. + "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a [servant] who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. + "A [servant] who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. + "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." + Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [shall be] her name. + "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother of] nations; kings of peoples will come from her." + Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear [a child]?" + And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!" + But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. + "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. + "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year." + When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. + Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all [the servants] who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him. + Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. + And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. + In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. + All the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. + + + Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. + When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw [them], he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, + and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. + "Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; + and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have said." + So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead [it] and make bread cakes." + Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave [it] to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. + He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed [it] before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate. + Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent." + He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. + Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. + Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" + And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear [a child], when I am [so] old?' + "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." + Sarah denied [it] however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh." + Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. + The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, + since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? + "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him." + And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. + "I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know." + Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. + Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? + "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep [it] away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? + "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are [treated] alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" + So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account." + And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am [but] dust and ashes. + "Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy [it] if I find forty-five there." + He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do [it] on account of the forty." + Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do [it] if I find thirty there." + And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy [it] on account of the twenty." + Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy [it] on account of the ten." + As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place. + + + Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw [them], he rose to meet them and bowed down [with his] face to the ground. + And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square." + Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. + Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; + and they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them." + But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, + and said, "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. + "Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof." + But they said, "Stand aside." Furthermore, they said, "This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them." So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door. + But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. + They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied [themselves trying] to find the doorway. + Then the [two] men said to Lot, "Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring [them] out of the place; + for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it." + Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, "Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city." But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting. + When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city." + But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD [was] upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. + When they had brought them outside, one said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away." + But Lot said to them, "Oh no, my lords! + "Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; + now behold, this town is near [enough] to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved." + He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. + "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar. + The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. + Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, + and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. + But his wife, from behind him, looked [back], and she became a pillar of salt. + Now Abraham arose early in the morning [and went] to the place where he had stood before the LORD; + and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. + Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. + Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. + Then the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. + "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father." + So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. + On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father." + So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. + Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. + The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. + As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day. + + + Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. + Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. + But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married." + Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, even [though] blameless? + "Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister '? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." + Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. + "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore [her], know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." + So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. + Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." + And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?" + Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. + "Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; + and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'" + Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. + Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please." + To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared." + Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore [children]. + For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. + + + Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. + So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. + Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. + Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. + Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. + Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." + And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." + The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. + Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. + Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." + The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. + But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. + "And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant." + So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave [them] to Hagar, putting [them] on her shoulder, and [gave her] the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. + When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. + Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, "Do not let me see the boy die." And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept. + God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. + "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him." + Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. + God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. + He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. + Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do; + now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned." + Abraham said, "I swear it." + But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. + And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today." + Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. + Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. + Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?" + He said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well." + Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. + So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. + [Abraham] planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. + And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days. + + + Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." + He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." + So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. + On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. + Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." + Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. + Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" + Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. + Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. + Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. + But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." + He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." + Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind [him] a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. + Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided." + Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, + and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, + indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. + "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." + So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. + Now it came about after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: + Uz his firstborn and Buz his brother and Kemuel the father of Aram + and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel." + Bethuel became the father of Rebekah; these eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. + His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah. + + + Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah. + Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. + Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, + "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight." + The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, + "Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead." + So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. + And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish [for me] to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, + that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site." + Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; [even] of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, + "No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead." + And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. + He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept [it] from me that I may bury my dead there." + Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, + "My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead." + Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard. + So Ephron's field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over + to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. + After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. + So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth. + + + Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. + Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh, + and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, + but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac." + The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" + Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there! + "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. + "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." + So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. + Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. + He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. + He said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. + "Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; + now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also '-- [may] she [be the one] whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master." + Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. + The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. + Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." + She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. + Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking." + So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. + Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not. + When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, + and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father's house?" + She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." + Again she said to him, "We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in." + Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. + He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers." + Then the girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. + Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. + When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. + And he said, "Come in, blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?" + So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. + But when [food] was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until I have told my business." And he said, "Speak on." + So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. + "The LORD has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. + "Now Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. + "My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; + but you shall go to my father's house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' + "I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman does not follow me.' + "He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's house; + then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' + "So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; + behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar"; + and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' + "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' + "She quickly lowered her jar from her [shoulder], and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. + "Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him'; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. + "And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. + "So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left." + Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The matter comes from the LORD; [so] we cannot speak to you bad or good. + "Here is Rebekah before you, take [her] and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken." + When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD. + The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. + Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." + But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us [a few] days, say ten; afterward she may go." + He said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." + And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." + Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." + Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men. + They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them." + Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. + Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. + Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. + Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. + She said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself. + The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. + Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. + + + Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. + She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. + Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. + The sons of Midian [were] Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these [were] the sons of Keturah. + Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; + but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east. + These are all the years of Abraham's life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. + Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied [with life]; and he was gathered to his people. + Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, + the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. + It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi. + Now these are [the records of] the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham; + and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam + and Mishma and Dumah and Massa, + Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. + These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes. + These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. + They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives. + Now these are [the records of] the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; + and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. + Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. + But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I [this way]?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. + The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." + When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. + Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. + Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. + When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. + Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. + When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; + and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom. + But Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." + Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die; so of what [use] then is the birthright to me?" + And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. + Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. + + + Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. + The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. + "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. + "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; + because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws." + So Isaac lived in Gerar. + When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," [thinking], "the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful." + It came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah. + Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, 'She is my sister '?" And Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'I might die on account of her.'" + Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." + So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." + Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, + and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; + for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. + Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth. + Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us." + And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there. + Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. + But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, + the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. + Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. + He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, "At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land." + Then he went up from there to Beersheba. + The LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham." + So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well. + Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and Phicol the commander of his army. + Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?" + They said, "We see plainly that the LORD has been with you; so we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, [even] between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, + that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.'" + Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. + In the morning they arose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace. + Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac's servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water." + So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. + When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; + and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah. + + + Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, "My son." And he said to him, "Here I am." + Isaac said, "Behold now, I am old [and] I do not know the day of my death. + "Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; + and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die." + Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring [home], + Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, + 'Bring me [some] game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.' + "Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you. + "Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats from there, that I may prepare them [as] a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. + "Then you shall bring [it] to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death." + Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. + "Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing." + But his mother said to him, "Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get [them] for me." + So he went and got [them], and brought [them] to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. + Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. + And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. + She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob. + Then he came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" + Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me." + Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have [it] so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD your God caused [it] to happen to me." + Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." + So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." + He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. + And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he said, "I am." + So he said, "Bring [it] to me, and I will eat of my son's game, that I may bless you." And he brought [it] to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. + Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my son." + So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; + Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; + May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you." + Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. + Then he also made savory food, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that you may bless me." + Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" And he said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." + Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who was he then that hunted game and brought [it] to me, so that I ate of all [of it] before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed." + When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, [even] me also, O my father!" + And he said, "Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing." + Then he said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing." And he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?" + But Isaac replied to Esau, "Behold, I have made him your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?" + Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, [even] me also, O my father." So Esau lifted his voice and wept. + Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, "Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, And away from the dew of heaven from above. + "By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall come about when you become restless, That you will break his yoke from your neck." + So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob." + Now when the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent and called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, "Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you. + "Now therefore, my son, obey my voice, and arise, flee to Haran, to my brother Laban! + "Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury subsides, + until your brother's anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?" + Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?" + + + So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. + "Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. + "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. + "May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham." + Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. + Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, [and that] when he blessed him he charged him, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan," + and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. + So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; + and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth. + Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. + He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. + He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. + And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. + "Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. + "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." + Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." + He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." + So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. + He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz. + Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, + and I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God. + "This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You." + + + Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east. + He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. + When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well. + Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran." + He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know [him]." + And he said to them, "Is it well with him?" And they said, "It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep." + He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them." + But they said, "We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep." + While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. + When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. + Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. + Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. + So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. + Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month. + Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" + Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. + And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. + Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." + Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me." + So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. + Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give [me] my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her." + Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. + Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and [Jacob] went in to her. + Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. + So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?" + But Laban said, "It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. + "Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years." + Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. + Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. + So [Jacob] went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. + Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. + Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me." + Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. + She conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. + And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. + + + Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die." + Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" + She said, "Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children." + So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. + Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. + Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son." Therefore she named him Dan. + Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. + So Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, [and] I have indeed prevailed." And she named him Naphtali. + When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. + Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. + Then Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad. + Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. + Then Leah said, "Happy am I! For women will call me happy." So she named him Asher. + Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." + But she said to her, "Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son's mandrakes also?" So Rachel said, "Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes." + When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night. + God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. + Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband." So she named him Issachar. + Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. + Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. + Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah. + Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. + So she conceived and bore a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach." + She named him Joseph, saying, "May the LORD give me another son." + Now it came about when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country. + "Give [me] my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you." + But Laban said to him, "If now it pleases you, [stay with me]; I have divined that the LORD has blessed me on your account." + He continued, "Name me your wages, and I will give it." + But he said to him, "You yourself know how I have served you and how your cattle have fared with me. + "For you had little before I came and it has increased to a multitude, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?" + So he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this [one] thing for me, I will again pasture [and] keep your flock: + let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and [such] shall be my wages. + "So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, [if found] with me, will be considered stolen." + Laban said, "Good, let it be according to your word." + So he removed on that day the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, every one with white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons. + And he put [a distance of] three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. + Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which [was] in the rods. + He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, [even] in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink. + So the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. + Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban's flock. + Moreover, whenever the stronger of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods; + but when the flock was feeble, he did not put [them] in; so the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. + So the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys. + + + Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth." + Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not [friendly] toward him as formerly. + Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." + So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field, + and said to them, "I see your father's attitude, that it is not [friendly] toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me. + "You know that I have served your father with all my strength. + "Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me. + "If he spoke thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth striped. + "Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given [them] to me. + "And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating [were] striped, speckled, and mottled. + "Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.' + "He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see [that] all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. + 'I am the God [of] Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'" + Rachel and Leah said to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house? + "Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price. + "Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you." + Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; + and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. + When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father's. + And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. + So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the [Euphrates] River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. + When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, + then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him [a distance of] seven days' journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. + God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad." + Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead. + Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? + "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; + and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly. + "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.' + "Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; [but] why did you steal my gods?" + Then Jacob replied to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. + "The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take [it] for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. + So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find [them]. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent. + Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find [them]. + She said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols. + Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, "What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? + "Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set [it] here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. + "These twenty years I [have been] with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks. + "That which was torn [of beasts] I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand [whether] stolen by day or stolen by night. + "[Thus] I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. + "These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. + "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night." + Then Laban replied to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? + "So now come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me." + Then Jacob took a stone and set it up [as] a pillar. + Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. + Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. + Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore it was named Galeed, + and Mizpah, for he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other. + "If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, [although] no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me." + Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me. + "This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. + "The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. + Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his kinsmen to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain. + Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place. + + + Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. + Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's camp." So he named that place Mahanaim. + Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. + He also commanded them saying, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now; + I have oxen and donkeys [and] flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight."'" + The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." + Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; + for he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape." + Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,' + I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff [only] I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. + "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me [and] the mothers with the children. + "For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'" + So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau: + two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, + thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. + He delivered [them] into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on before me, and put a space between droves." + He commanded the one in front, saying, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these [animals] in front of you belong?' + then you shall say, '[These] belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.'" + Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the droves, saying, "After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; + and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me." + So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp. + Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. + He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had. + Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. + When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. + Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." + So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." + He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." + Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. + So Jacob named the place Peniel, for [he said], "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved." + Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. + Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip. + + + Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. + He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. + But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. + Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. + He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." + Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down. + Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. + And he said, "What do you mean by all this company which I have met?" And he said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord." + But Esau said, "I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own." + Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. + "Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty." Thus he urged him and he took [it]. + Then Esau said, "Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you." + But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. + "Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir." + Esau said, "Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord." + So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. + Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth. + Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. + He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money. + Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. + + + Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. + When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. + He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. + So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young girl for a wife." + Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in. + Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. + Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard [it]; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done. + But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage. + "Intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. + "Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be [open] before you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it." + Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, "If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me. + "Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage." + But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. + They said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. + "Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you be circumcised, + then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people. + "But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go." + Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. + The young man did not delay to do the thing, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father. + So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, + "These men are friendly with us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage, and give our daughters to them. + "Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. + "Will not their livestock and their property and all their animals be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will live with us." + All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. + Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male. + They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went forth. + Jacob's sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. + They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; + and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that [was] in the houses. + Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household." + But they said, "Should he treat our sister as a harlot?" + + + Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau." + So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; + and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." + So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem. + As they journeyed, there was a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. + So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. + He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother. + Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; it was named Allon-bacuth. + Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. + God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name." Thus He called him Israel. + God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. + "The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you." + Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. + Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. + So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel. + Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. + When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for now you have another son." + It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. + So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). + Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. + Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. + It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Israel heard [of it]. Now there were twelve sons of Jacob-- + the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; + the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; + and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali; + and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. + Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. + Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. + Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. + + + Now these are [the records of] the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). + Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; + also Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. + Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, + and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. + Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to [another] land away from his brother Jacob. + For their property had become too great for them to live together, and the land where they sojourned could not sustain them because of their livestock. + So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom. + These then are [the records of] the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. + These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Esau's wife Adah, Reuel the son of Esau's wife Basemath. + The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz. + Timna was a concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau's wife Adah. + These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau's wife Basemath. + These were the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon: she bore to Esau, Jeush and Jalam and Korah. + These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, are chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, + chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. + These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Esau's wife Basemath. + These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These are the chiefs descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. + These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs. + These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah, + and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan. These are the chiefs descended from the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. + The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna. + These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. + These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah-- he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness when he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. + These are the children of Anah: Dishon, and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. + These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. + These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan. + These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. + These are the chiefs descended from the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, + chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These are the chiefs descended from the Horites, according to their [various] chiefs in the land of Seir. + Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel. + Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. + Then Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. + Then Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. + Then Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. + Then Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. + Then Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the [Euphrates] River became king in his place. + Then Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. + Then Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar became king in his place; and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab. + Now these are the names of the chiefs descended from Esau, according to their families [and] their localities, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, + chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, + chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, + chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of the Edomites), according to their habitations in the land of their possession. + + + Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. + These are [the records of] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was [still] a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. + Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. + His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and [so] they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. + Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. + He said to them, "Please listen to this dream which I have had; + for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf." + Then his brothers said to him, "Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. + Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, "Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." + He related [it] to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?" + His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying [in mind]. + Then his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem. + Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I will go." + Then he said to him, "Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. + A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" + He said, "I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing [the flock]." + Then the man said, "They have moved from here; for I heard [them] say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. + When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. + They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer! + "Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.' Then let us see what will become of his dreams!" + But Reuben heard [this] and rescued him out of their hands and said, "Let us not take his life." + Reuben further said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him"-- that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father. + So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; + and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it. + Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring [them] down to Egypt. + Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? + "Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our [own] flesh." And his brothers listened [to him]. + Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled [him] up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty [shekels] of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt. + Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments. + He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not [there]; as for me, where am I to go?" + So they took Joseph's tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; + and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, "We found this; please examine [it] to [see] whether it is your son's tunic or not." + Then he examined it and said, "It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!" + So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. + Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son." So his father wept for him. + Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the captain of the bodyguard. + + + And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. + Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her. + So she conceived and bore a son and he named him Er. + Then she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan. + She bore still another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him. + Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name [was] Tamar. + But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life. + Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." + Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. + But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also. + Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"; for he thought, "[I am afraid] that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house. + Now after a considerable time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. + It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." + So she removed her widow's garments and covered [herself] with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife. + When Judah saw her, he thought she [was] a harlot, for she had covered her face. + So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" + He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send [it]?" + He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" And she said, "Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave [them] to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. + Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow's garments. + When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. + He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here." + So he returned to Judah, and said, "I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, 'There has been no temple prostitute here.'" + Then Judah said, "Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her." + Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!" + It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these things belong." And she said, "Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?" + Judah recognized [them], and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not have relations with her again. + It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. + Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet [thread] on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." + But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez. + Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet [thread] on his hand; and he was named Zerah. + + + Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. + The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. + Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and [how] the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. + So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. + It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. + So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him [there] he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. + It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." + But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me [here], my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. + "There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" + As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her [or] be with her. + Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. + She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. + When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, + she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. + "When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside." + So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. + Then she spoke to him with these words, "The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; + and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside." + Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your slave did to me," his anger burned. + So Joseph's master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. + But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. + The chief jailer committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible [for it]. + The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper. + + + Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. + Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. + So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the [same] place where Joseph was imprisoned. + The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time. + Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his [own] dream [and] each dream with its [own] interpretation. + When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. + He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" + Then they said to him, "We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell [it] to me, please." + So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, [there was] a vine in front of me; + and on the vine [were] three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, [and] its clusters produced ripe grapes. + "Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand." + Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; + within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. + "Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. + "For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon." + When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, "I also [saw] in my dream, and behold, [there were] three baskets of white bread on my head; + and in the top basket [there were] some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." + Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; + within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you." + Thus it came about on the third day, [which was] Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. + He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh's hand; + but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. + Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. + + + Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. + And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. + Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the [other] cows on the bank of the Nile. + The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. + He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. + Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. + The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, [it was] a dream. + Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. + Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention today of my [own] offenses. + "Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, [both] me and the chief baker. + "We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his [own] dream. + "Now a Hebrew youth [was] with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related [them] to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his [own] dream. + "And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him." + Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." + Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." + So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; + and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. + "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; + and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. + "Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. + "I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; + and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; + and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me." + Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one [and the same]; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. + "The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one [and the same]. + "The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. + "It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. + "Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; + and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. + "So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it [will be] very severe. + "Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, [it means] that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. + "Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. + "Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth [of the produce] of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. + "Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard [it]. + "Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine." + Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. + Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?" + So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. + "You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you." + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." + Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. + He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt. + Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "[Though] I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." + Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. + Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. + During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. + So he gathered all the food of [these] seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. + Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring [it], for it was beyond measure. + Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. + Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," [he said], "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." + He named the second Ephraim, "For," [he said], "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." + When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, + and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. + So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do." + When the famine was [spread] over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. + [The people of] all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth. + + + Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?" + He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy [some] for us from that place, so that we may live and not die." + Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. + But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him." + So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan [also]. + Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with [their] faces to the ground. + When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." + But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. + Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land." + Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. + "We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies." + Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!" + But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers [in all], the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive." + Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies; + by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! + "Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." + So he put them all together in prison for three days. + Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: + if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for [the rest of] you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, + and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so. + Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us." + Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood." + They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. + He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. + Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them. + So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. + As one [of them] opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. + Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they [turned] trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" + When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, + "The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. + "But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. + 'We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.' + "The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take [grain for] the famine of your households, and go. + 'But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'" + Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money [was] in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. + Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me." + Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him [back] to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you." + But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow." + + + Now the famine was severe in the land. + So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food." + Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' + "If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. + "But if you do not send [him], we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'" + Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had [another] brother?" + But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you [another] brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down '?" + Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. + "I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him [back] to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. + "For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice." + Then their father Israel said to them, "If [it must be] so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. + "Take double [the] money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. + "Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; + and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." + So the men took this present, and they took double [the] money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. + When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon." + So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house. + Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "[It is] because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys." + So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, + and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, + and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. + "We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks." + He said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. + Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. + So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there. + When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. + Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" + They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage. + As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." + Joseph hurried [out] for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought [a place] to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. + Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal." + So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. + Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. + He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him. + + + Then he commanded his house steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. + "Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph had told [him]. + As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. + They had [just] gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, "Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? + 'Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.'" + So he overtook them and spoke these words to them. + They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. + "Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? + "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves." + So he said, "Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and [the rest of] you shall be innocent." + Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. + He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. + Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city. + When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. + Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?" + So Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found." + But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father." + Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. + "My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?' + "We said to my lord, 'We have an old father and a little child of [his] old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.' + "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.' + "But we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' + "You said to your servants, however, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' + "Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. + "Our father said, 'Go back, buy us a little food.' + "But we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' + "Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons; + and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces," and I have not seen him since. + 'If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.' + "Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, + when he sees that the lad is not [with us], he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. + "For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him [back] to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.' + "Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. + "For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me-- for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?" + + + Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. + He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard [it], and the household of Pharaoh heard [of it]. + Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. + Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. + "Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. + "For the famine [has been] in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. + "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. + "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. + "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. + "You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. + "There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine [to come], and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."' + "Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin [see], that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. + "Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here." + Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. + He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him. + Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, + and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.' + "Now you are ordered, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. + 'Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" + Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. + To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces of] silver and five changes of garments. + To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey. + So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the journey." + Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. + They told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. + When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. + Then Israel said, "It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." + + + So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. + God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." + He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. + "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes." + Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. + They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: + his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt. + Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. + The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu and Hezron and Carmi. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. + The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Issachar: Tola and Puvvah and Iob and Shimron. + The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel. + These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his daughters [numbered] thirty-three. + The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli. + The sons of Asher: Imnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah and their sister Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. + These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons. + The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. + Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. + The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard. + These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; [there were] fourteen persons in all. + The sons of Dan: Hushim. + The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni and Jezer and Shillem. + These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; [there were] seven persons in all. + All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob's sons, [were] sixty-six persons in all, + and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, [were] seventy. + Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out [the way] before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. + Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. + Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive." + Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who [were] in the land of Canaan, have come to me; + and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.' + "When Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?' + you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians." + + + Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen." + He took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. + Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" So they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers." + They said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen." + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. + "The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock." + Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. + Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many years have you lived?" + So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning." + And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from his presence. + So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. + Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to their little ones. + Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. + Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. + When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For [our] money is gone." + Then Joseph said, "Give up your livestock, and I will give you [food] for your livestock, since [your] money is gone." + So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. + When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord's. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. + "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate." + So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh's. + As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt's border to the other. + Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. + Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, [here] is seed for you, and you may sow the land. + "At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones." + So they said, "You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves." + Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt [valid] to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh's. + Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous. + Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. + When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, + but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said." + He said, "Swear to me." So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed [in worship] at the head of the bed. + + + Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. + When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. + Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, + and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.' + "Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. + "But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. + "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." + When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" + Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." So he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them." + Now the eyes of Israel were [so] dim from age [that] he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. + Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well." + Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. + Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him. + But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. + He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, + The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." + When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. + Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head." + But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." + He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. + Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. + "I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow." + + + Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. + "Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel your father. + "Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. + "Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled [it]-- he went up to my couch. + "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. + "Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. + "Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel. + "Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons shall bow down to you. + "Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? + "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him [shall be] the obedience of the peoples. + "He ties [his] foal to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. + "His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk. + "Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he [shall be] a haven for ships, And his flank [shall be] toward Sidon. + "Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between the sheepfolds. + "When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens], And became a slave at forced labor. + "Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. + "Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse's heels, So that his rider falls backward. + "For Your salvation I wait, O LORD. + "As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will raid [at] their heels. + "As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he will yield royal dainties. + "Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives beautiful words. + "Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; [Its] branches run over a wall. + "The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot [at him] and harassed him; + But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), + From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you [With] blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. + "The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. + "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil." + All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him. + Then he charged them and said to them, "I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, + in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. + "There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah-- + the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth." + When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. + + + Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him and kissed him. + Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. + Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. + When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, + 'My father made me swear, saying, "Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'" + Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear." + So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, + and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father's household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. + There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. + When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed seven days mourning for his father. + Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians." Therefore it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. + Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; + for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. + After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. + When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!" + So they sent [a message] to Joseph, saying, "Your father charged before he died, saying, + 'Thus you shall say to Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. + Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." + But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? + "As for you, you meant evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. + "So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. + Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. + Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's knees. + Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." + Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here." + So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + + Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household: + Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; + Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; + Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. + All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was [already] in Egypt. + Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. + But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. + Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. + He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. + "Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land." + So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. + But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. + The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; + and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all [kinds] of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them. + Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; + and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see [them] upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." + But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. + So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?" + The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them." + So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. + Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. + Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive." + + + Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. + The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. + But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set [it] among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. + His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. + The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it [to her]. + When she opened [it], she saw the child, and behold, [the] boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." + Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" + Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go [ahead]." So the girl went and called the child's mother. + Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give [you] your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. + The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water." + Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. + So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one [around], he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. + He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, "Why are you striking your companion?" + But he said, "Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and said, "Surely the matter has become known." + When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. + Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. + Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. + When they came to Reuel their father, he said, "Why have you come [back] so soon today?" + So they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock." + He said to his daughters, "Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat." + Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. + Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." + Now it came about in [the course of] those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of [their] bondage rose up to God. + So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice [of them]. + + + Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. + The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. + So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." + When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." + Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." + He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. + The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. + "So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. + "Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. + "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." + But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" + And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." + Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" + God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" + God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. + "Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. + "So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey."' + "They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' + "But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. + "So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. + "I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. + "But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians." + + + Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" + The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." + Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. + But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp [it] by its tail "-- so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand-- + "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." + The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. + Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like [the rest of] his flesh. + "If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. + "But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." + Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." + The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes [him] mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? + "Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." + But he said, "Please, Lord, now send [the message] by whomever You will." + Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. + "You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. + "Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. + "You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs." + Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." + Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead." + So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand. + The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. + "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is My son, My firstborn. + "So I said to you, 'Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn."'" + Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. + Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it at Moses' feet, and she said, "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me." + So He let him alone. At that time she said, "[You are] a bridegroom of blood "-- because of the circumcision. + Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. + Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him [to do]. + Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; + and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people. + So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped. + + + And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.'" + But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go." + Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." + But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get [back] to your labors!" + Again Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!" + So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, + "You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. + "But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' + "Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words." + So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I am not going to give you [any] straw. + 'You go [and] get straw for yourselves wherever you can find [it], but none of your labor will be reduced.'" + So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. + The taskmasters pressed them, saying, "Complete your work quota, [your] daily amount, just as when you had straw." + Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?" + Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants? + "There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your [own] people." + But he said, "You are lazy, [very] lazy; therefore you say, 'Let us go [and] sacrifice to the LORD.' + "So go now [and] work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks." + The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, "You must not reduce [your] daily amount of bricks." + When they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them. + They said to them, "May the LORD look upon you and judge [you], for you have made us odious in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us." + Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? + "Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land." + God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD; + and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but [by] My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them. + "I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. + "Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. + "Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. + 'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. + 'I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you [for] a possession; I am the LORD.'" + So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of [their] despondency and cruel bondage. + Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land." + But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt. + These are the heads of their fathers' households. The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. + These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the length of Levi's life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. + The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. + The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the length of Kohath's life was one hundred and thirty-three years. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. + Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the length of Amram's life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. + The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri. + The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri. + Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + The sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. + Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' [households] of the Levites according to their families. + It was [the same] Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts." + They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was [the same] Moses and Aaron. + Now it came about on the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, + that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the LORD; speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you." + But Moses said before the LORD, "Behold, I am unskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?" + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I make you [as] God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. + "You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. + "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. + "When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. + "The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst." + So Moses and Aaron did [it]; as the LORD commanded them, thus they did. + Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh. + Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Work a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw [it] down before Pharaoh, [that] it may become a serpent.'" + So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. + Then Pharaoh also called for [the] wise men and [the] sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. + For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. + Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. + "Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent. + "You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now." + 'Thus says the LORD, "By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. + "The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile."'" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in [vessels of] wood and in [vessels of] stone.'" + So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that [was] in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that [was] in the Nile was turned to blood. + The fish that [were] in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. + But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house with no concern even for this. + So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the Nile. + Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + "But if you refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. + "The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. + "So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants."'" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'" + So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. + The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Entreat the LORD that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD." + Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, [that] they may be left only in the Nile?" + Then he said, "Tomorrow." So he said, "[May it be] according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. + "The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile." + Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh. + The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. + So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. + But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.'" + They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. + The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. + Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Now the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + "For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of insects on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, and also the ground on which they [dwell]. + "But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of insects will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. + "I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur."'" + Then the LORD did so. And there came great swarms of insects into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of insects in all the land of Egypt. + Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." + But Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? + "We must go a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us." + Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me." + Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD that the swarms of insects may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." + So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. + The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained. + But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + "For if you refuse to let [them] go and continue to hold them, + behold, the hand of the LORD will come [with] a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. + "But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel."'" + The LORD set a definite time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land." + So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. + Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. + "It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt." + So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. + The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians. + And the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + "For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. + "For [if by] now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. + "But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. + "Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go. + "Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been [seen] in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. + "Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die."'" + The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; + but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field. + Now the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt." + Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. + So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. + The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. + Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel [were], there was no hail. + Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. + "Make supplication to the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." + Moses said to him, "As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the LORD'S. + "But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God." + (Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. + But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they [ripen] late.) + So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain no longer poured on the earth. + But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. + Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, + and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD." + Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. + 'For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. + 'They shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They will also eat the rest of what has escaped-- what is left to you from the hail-- and they will eat every tree which sprouts for you out of the field. + 'Then your houses shall be filled and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, [something] which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.'" And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. + Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?" + So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God! Who are the ones that are going?" + Moses said, "We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we must hold a feast to the LORD." + Then he said to them, "Thus may the LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Take heed, for evil is in your mind. + "Not so! Go now, the men [among you], and serve the LORD, for that is what you desire." So they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, [even] all that the hail has left." + So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. + The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; [they were] very numerous. There had never been so [many] locusts, nor would there be so [many] again. + For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Thus nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. + "Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and make supplication to the LORD your God, that He would only remove this death from me." + He went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. + So the LORD shifted [the wind] to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt." + So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. + They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. + Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you." + But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice [them] to the LORD our God. + "Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the LORD our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the LORD." + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go. + Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!" + Moses said, "You are right; I shall never see your face again!" + + + Now the LORD said to Moses, "One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. + "Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold." + The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses [himself] was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, [both] in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people. + Moses said, "Thus says the LORD, 'About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, + and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. + 'Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been [before] and such as shall never be again. + 'But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not [even] bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.' + "All these your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, 'Go out, you and all the people who follow you,' and after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt." + Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. + + + Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, + "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. + "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household. + 'Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons [in them]; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. + 'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. + 'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. + 'Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. + 'They shall eat the flesh that [same] night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. + 'Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, [both] its head and its legs along with its entrails. + 'And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. + 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: [with] your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste-- it is the LORD'S Passover. + 'For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments-- I am the LORD. + 'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy [you] when I strike the land of Egypt. + 'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it [as] a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it [as] a permanent ordinance. + 'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. + 'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and [another] holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. + 'You shall also observe the [Feast of] Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. + 'In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. + 'Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether [he is] an alien or a native of the land. + 'You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.'" + Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover [lamb]. + "You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning. + "For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite [you]. + "And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. + "When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. + "And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?' + you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.'" And the people bowed low and worshiped. + Then the sons of Israel went and did [so]; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. + Now it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. + Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. + Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the LORD, as you have said. + "Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also." + The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, "We will all be dead." + So the people took their dough before it was leavened, [with] their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. + Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; + and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. + Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. + A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. + They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. + Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. + And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. + It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations. + The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it; + but every man's slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. + "A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. + "It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. + "All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. + "But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. + "The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you." + Then all the sons of Israel did [so]; they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. + And on that same day the LORD brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me." + Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. + "On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. + "It shall be when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month. + "For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. + "Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. + "You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' + "And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. + "Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year. + "Now when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, + you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD. + "But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem [it], then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. + "And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, 'With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. + 'It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.' + "So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt." + Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." + Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. + Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you." + Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. + The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. + He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. + "For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.' + "Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so. + When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" + So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; + and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the [other] chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. + The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. + Then the Egyptians chased after them [with] all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. + As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. + Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? + "Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians '? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." + But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. + "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. + "As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. + "As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. + "Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen." + The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. + So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. + Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea [back] by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. + The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters [were like] a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. + Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. + At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. + He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen." + So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. + The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh's entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. + But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters [were like] a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. + Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. + When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses. + + + Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, "I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. + "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him. + "The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name. + "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. + "The deeps cover them; They went down into the depths like a stone. + "Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. + "And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You; You send forth Your burning anger, [and] it consumes them as chaff. + "At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up, The flowing waters stood up like a heap; The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. + "The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.' + "You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. + "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? + "You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them. + "In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided [them] to Your holy habitation. + "The peoples have heard, they tremble; Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia. + "Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them; All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. + "Terror and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone; Until Your people pass over, O LORD, Until the people pass over whom You have purchased. + "You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, The place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. + "The LORD shall reign forever and ever." + For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea. + Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. + Miriam answered them, "Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea." + Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. + When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. + So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" + Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw [it] into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. + And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." + Then they came to Elim where there [were] twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters. + + + Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. + The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. + The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. + "On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." + So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, "At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; + and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?" + Moses said, "[This will happen] when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD." + Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.'" + It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" + So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. + When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. + When the sons of Israel saw [it], they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. + "This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" + The sons of Israel did so, and [some] gathered much and [some] little. + When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. + Moses said to them, "Let no man leave any of it until morning." + But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. + They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt. + Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, + then he said to them, "This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning." + So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. + Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. + "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, [the] sabbath, there will be none." + It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? + "See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." + So the people rested on the seventh day. + The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. + Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" + Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations." + As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept. + The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. + (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.) + + + Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. + Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" + But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, "Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" + So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. + "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. + He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?" + Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. + So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." + Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. + So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. + But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. + So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." + Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; + and he said, "The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation." + + + Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. + Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, + and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." + The other was named Eliezer, for [he said], "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." + Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. + He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her." + Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. + Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey, and [how] the LORD had delivered them. + Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. + So Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, [and] who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. + "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people." + Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law before God. + It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. + Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit [as judge] and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?" + Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. + "When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws." + Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. + "You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. + "Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, + then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. + "Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place [these] over them [as] leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. + "Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear [the burden] with you. + "If you do this thing and God [so] commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace." + So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. + Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. + They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. + Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land. + + + In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. + When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. + Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: + 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and [how] I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself. + 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; + and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." + So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him. + All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. + The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever." Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. + The LORD also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; + and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. + "You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. + 'No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." + So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. + He said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman." + So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who [were] in the camp trembled. + And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. + Now Mount Sinai [was] all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. + When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. + The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. + "Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them." + Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.'" + Then the LORD said to him, "Go down and come up [again], you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break forth upon them." + So Moses went down to the people and told them. + + + Then God spoke all these words, saying, + "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + "You shall have no other gods before Me. + "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. + "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, + but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. + "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. + "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. + "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, + but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. + "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. + "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. + "You shall not murder. + "You shall not commit adultery. + "You shall not steal. + "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. + "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." + All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw [it], they trembled and stood at a distance. + Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die." + Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." + So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God [was]. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. + 'You shall not make [other gods] besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. + 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. + 'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. + 'And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.' + + + "Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them: + "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. + "If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. + "If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. + "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' + then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently. + "If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. + "If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her. + "If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. + "If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. + "If he will not do these three [things] for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without [payment of] money. + "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. + "But if he did not lie in wait [for him], but God let [him] fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. + "If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him [even] from My altar, that he may die. + "He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. + "He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death. + "He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. + "If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with [his] fist, and he does not die but remains in bed, + if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed. + "If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. + "If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property. + "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges [decide]. + "But if there is [any further] injury, then you shall appoint [as a penalty] life for life, + eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, + burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. + "If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. + "And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth. + "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. + "If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. + "If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him. + "Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule. + "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his [or her] master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. + "If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, + the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead [animal] shall become his. + "If one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead [ox]. + "Or [if] it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead [animal] shall become his. + + + "If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. + "If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. + "[But] if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. + "If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. + "If a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed [bare] and lets his animal loose so that it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard. + "If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or the standing grain or the field [itself] is consumed, he who started the fire shall surely make restitution. + "If a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keep [for him] and it is stolen from the man's house, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double. + "If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges, [to] determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor's property. + "For every breach of trust, [whether it is] for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, [or] for any lost thing about which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. + "If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep [for him], and it dies or is hurt or is driven away while no one is looking, + an oath before the LORD shall be made by the two of them that he has not laid hands on his neighbor's property; and its owner shall accept [it], and he shall not make restitution. + "But if it is actually stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. + "If it is all torn to pieces, let him bring it as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what has been torn to pieces. + "If a man borrows [anything] from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution. + "If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution; if it is hired, it came for its hire. + "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her [to be] his wife. + "If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins. + "You shall not allow a sorceress to live. + "Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death. + "He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed. + "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. + "You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. + "If you afflict him at all, [and] if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; + and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. + "If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. + "If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, + for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear [him], for I am gracious. + "You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people. + "You shall not delay [the offering from] your harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. + "You shall do the same with your oxen [and] with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. + "You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat [any] flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs. + + + "You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. + "You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert [justice]; + nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute. + "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. + "If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying [helpless] under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release [it] with him. + "You shall not pervert the justice [due] to your needy [brother] in his dispute. + "Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty. + "You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just. + "You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you [also] were strangers in the land of Egypt. + "You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, + but [on] the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard [and] your olive grove. + "Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease [from labor] so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves. + "Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let [them] be heard from your mouth. + "Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. + "You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. + "Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field. + "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD. + "You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat of My feast to remain overnight until morning. + "You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God. "You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother. + "Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. + "Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. + "But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. + "For My angel will go before you and bring you in to [the land of] the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. + "You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their [sacred] pillars in pieces. + "But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. + "There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. + "I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn [their] backs to you. + "I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. + "I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. + "I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. + "I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River [Euphrates]; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. + "You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. + "They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for [if] you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you." + + + Then He said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. + "Moses alone, however, shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him." + Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!" + Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. + He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. + Moses took half of the blood and put [it] in basins, and the [other] half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. + Then he took the book of the covenant and read [it] in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" + So Moses took the blood and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." + Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, + and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. + Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. + Now the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction." + So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. + But to the elders he said, "Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them." + Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. + The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. + And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. + Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. + "This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, + blue, purple and scarlet [material], fine linen, goat [hair], + rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, + oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, + onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. + "Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. + "According to all that I am going to show you, [as] the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct [it]. + "They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. + "You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. + "You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. + "You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. + "You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. + "The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. + "You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. + "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. + "You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. + "Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at its two ends. + "The cherubim shall have [their] wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be [turned] toward the mercy seat. + "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. + "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel. + "You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. + "You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it. + "You shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth around [it]; and you shall make a gold border for the rim around it. + "You shall make four gold rings for it and put rings on the four corners which are on its four feet. + "The rings shall be close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table. + "You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that with them the table may be carried. + "You shall make its dishes and its pans and its jars and its bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. + "You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times. + "Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand [and] its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be [of one piece] with it. + "Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. + "Three cups [shall be] shaped like almond [blossoms] in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond [blossoms] in the other branch, a bulb and a flower-- so for six branches going out from the lampstand; + and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond [blossoms], its bulbs and its flowers. + "A bulb shall be under the [first] pair of branches [coming] out of it, and a bulb under the [second] pair of branches [coming] out of it, and a bulb under the [third] pair of branches [coming] out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. + "Their bulbs and their branches [shall be of one piece] with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. + "Then you shall make its lamps seven [in number]; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. + "Its snuffers and their trays [shall be] of pure gold. + "It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. + "See that you make [them] after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain. + + + "Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet [material]; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. + "The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have the same measurements. + "Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and [the other] five curtains [shall be] joined to one another. + "You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the [first] set, and likewise you shall make [them] on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. + "You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other. + "You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that the tabernacle will be a unit. + "Then you shall make curtains of goats' [hair] for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains in all. + "The length of each curtain [shall be] thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have the same measurements. + "You shall join five curtains by themselves and the [other] six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. + "You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the [first] set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain [that is outermost in] the second set. + "You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and you shall put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together so that it will be a unit. + "The overlapping part that is left over in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall lap over the back of the tabernacle. + "The cubit on one side and the cubit on the other, of what is left over in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on one side and on the other, to cover it. + "You shall make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red and a covering of porpoise skins above. + "Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. + "Ten cubits [shall be] the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board. + "[There] [shall be] two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle. + "You shall make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side. + "You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons; + and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards, + and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board. + "For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, you shall make six boards. + "You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. + "They shall be double beneath, and together they shall be complete to its top to the first ring; thus it shall be with both of them: they shall form the two corners. + "There shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board. + "Then you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, + and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle for the rear [side] to the west. + "The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end. + "You shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold [as] holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold. + "Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain. + "You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. + "You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks [also being of] gold, on four sockets of silver. + "You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies. + "You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies. + "You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side. + "You shall make a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver. + "You shall make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with gold, their hooks [also being of] gold; and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them. + + + "And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. + "You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. + "You shall make its pails for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. + "You shall make for it a grating of network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. + "You shall put it beneath, under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will reach halfway up the altar. + "You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. + "Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, so that the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. + "You shall make it hollow with planks; as it was shown to you in the mountain, so they shall make [it]. + "You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side [there shall be] hangings for the court of fine twisted linen one hundred cubits long for one side; + and its pillars [shall be] twenty, with their twenty sockets of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [shall be] of silver. + "Likewise for the north side in length [there shall be] hangings one hundred [cubits] long, and its twenty pillars with their twenty sockets of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [shall be] of silver. + "[For] the width of the court on the west side [shall be] hangings of fifty cubits [with] their ten pillars and their ten sockets. + "The width of the court on the east side [shall be] fifty cubits. + "The hangings for the [one] side [of the gate shall be] fifteen cubits [with] their three pillars and their three sockets. + "And for the other side [shall be] hangings of fifteen cubits [with] their three pillars and their three sockets. + "For the gate of the court [there] [shall be] a screen of twenty cubits, of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver, [with] their four pillars and their four sockets. + "All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver bands [with] their hooks of silver and their sockets of bronze. + "The length of the court [shall be] one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits of fine twisted linen, and their sockets of bronze. + "All the utensils of the tabernacle [used] in all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, [shall be] of bronze. + "You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. + "In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; [it shall be] a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel. + + + "Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me-- Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. + "You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. + "You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. + "These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me. + "They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet [material] and the fine linen. + "They shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple [and] scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman. + "It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, that it may be joined. + "The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen. + "You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, + six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth. + "As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree [settings] of gold. + "You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, [as] stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial. + "You shall make filigree [settings] of gold, + and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree [settings]. + "You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen you shall make it. + "It shall be square [and] folded double, a span in length and a span in width. + "You shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row [shall be] a row of ruby, topaz and emerald; + and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; + and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; + and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. + "The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be [like] the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes. + "You shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold. + "You shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. + "You shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. + "You shall put the [other] two ends of the two cords on the two filigree [settings], and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it. + "You shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod. + "You shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. + "They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it will be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod. + "Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. + "You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually. + "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. + "There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not be torn. + "You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet [material], all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: + a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. + "It shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD, so that he will not die. + "You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, 'Holy to the LORD.' + "You shall fasten it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban. + "It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. + "You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver. + "For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty. + "You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests. + "You shall make for them linen breeches to cover [their] bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. + "They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It [shall be] a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him. + + + "Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish, + and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; you shall make them of fine wheat flour. + "You shall put them in one basket, and present them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams. + "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. + "You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod; + and you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. + "Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. + "You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. + "You shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on them, and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute. So you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. + "Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. + "You shall slaughter the bull before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + "You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put [it] on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. + "You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke on the altar. + "But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. + "You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; + and you shall slaughter the ram and shall take its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar. + "Then you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put [them] with its pieces and its head. + "You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. + "Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. + "You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put [it] on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the lobes of his sons' right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the [rest of the] blood around on the altar. + "Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle [it] on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons' garments with him; so he and his garments shall be consecrated, as well as his sons and his sons' garments with him. + "You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), + and one cake of bread and one cake of bread [mixed with] oil and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which is [set] before the LORD; + and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. + "You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the LORD; it is an offering by fire to the LORD. + "Then you shall take the breast of Aaron's ram of ordination, and wave it as a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be your portion. + "You shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering which was waved and which was offered from the ram of ordination, from the one which was for Aaron and from the one which was for his sons. + "It shall be for Aaron and his sons as [their] portion forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a heave offering; and it shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, [even] their heave offering to the LORD. + "The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, that in them they may be anointed and ordained. + "For seven days the one of his sons who is priest in his stead shall put them on when he enters the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place. + "You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. + "Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + "Thus they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination [and] consecration; but a layman shall not eat [them], because they are holy. + "If any of the flesh of ordination or any of the bread remains until morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. + "Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you shall ordain them through seven days. + "Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it. + "For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy, [and] whatever touches the altar shall be holy. + "Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs each day, continuously. + "The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; + and there [shall be] one-tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. + "The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. + "It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. + "I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory. + "I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me. + "I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. + "They shall know that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God. + + + "Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. + "Its length [shall be] a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height [shall be] two cubits; its horns [shall be] of one piece with it. + "You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. + "You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make [them] on its two side walls-- on opposite sides-- and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. + "You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. + "You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over [the ark of] the testimony, where I will meet with you. + "Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. + "When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. [There shall be] perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. + "You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. + "Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD." + The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, + "When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. + "This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD. + "Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD. + "The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. + "You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. + "Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; + when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire [sacrifice] to the LORD. + "So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations." + Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, + and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. + "You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. + "With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, + and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, + and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. + "You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. + "You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. + "You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. + 'It shall not be poured on anyone's body, nor shall you make [any] like it in the same proportions; it is holy, [and] it shall be holy to you. + 'Whoever shall mix [any] like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.'" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. + "With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, [and] holy. + "You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. + "The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD. + "Whoever shall make [any] like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people." + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. + "I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all [kinds of] craftsmanship, + to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, + and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all [kinds of] craftsmanship. + "And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: + the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, + the table also and its utensils, and the pure [gold] lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, + the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, + the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, [with which] to carry on their priesthood; + the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to make [them] according to all that I have commanded you." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for [this] is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. + 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. + 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. + 'So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.' + "It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased [from labor], and was refreshed." + When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. + + + Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." + Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring [them] to me." + Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought [them] to Aaron. + He took [this] from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." + Now when Aaron saw [this], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow [shall be] a feast to the LORD." + So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted [themselves]. + "They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'" + The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. + "Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation." + Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? + "Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil [intent] He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth '? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about [doing] harm to Your people. + "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit [it] forever.'" + So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. + Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one [side] and the other. + The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets. + Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp." + But he said, "It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear." + It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and [the] dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. + He took the calf which they had made and burned [it] with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink [it]. + Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought [such] great sin upon them?" + Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. + "For they said to me, 'Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' + "I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.' So they gave [it] to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf." + Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control-- for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies-- + then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, [come] to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. + He said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man [of you] put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'" + So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. + Then Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD-- for every man has been against his son and against his brother-- in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today." + On the next day Moses said to the people, "You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." + Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. + "But now, if You will, forgive their sin-- and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!" + The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. + "But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin." + Then the LORD smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' + "I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. + "[Go up] to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way." + When the people heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments. + For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the sons of Israel, 'You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do with you.'" + So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb [onward]. + Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. + And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. + Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. + When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. + Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. + Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people!' But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, 'I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.' + "Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people." + And He said, "My presence shall go [with you], and I will give you rest." + Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go [with us], do not lead us up from here. + "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the [other] people who are upon the face of the earth?" + The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name." + Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" + And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." + But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" + Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand [there] on the rock; + and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. + "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." + + + Now the LORD said to Moses, "Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. + "So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. + "No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain." + So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. + The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. + Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; + who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." + Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. + He said, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession." + Then God said, "Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you. + "Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. + "Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. + "But [rather], you are to tear down their altars and smash their [sacred] pillars and cut down their Asherim + -- for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God-- + otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, + and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons [also] to play the harlot with their gods. + "You shall make for yourself no molten gods. + "You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt. + "The first offspring from every womb belongs to Me, and all your male livestock, the first offspring from cattle and sheep. + "You shall redeem with a lamb the first offspring from a donkey; and if you do not redeem [it], then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. None shall appear before Me empty-handed. + "You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; [even] during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. + "You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, [that is], the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. + "Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. + "For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God. + "You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to be left over until morning. + "You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." + So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. + It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony [were] in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. + So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. + Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. + Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them [to do] everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. + When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. + But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, + the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him. + + + Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, "These are the things that the LORD has commanded [you] to do: + "For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy [day], a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. + "You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day." + Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, saying, + 'Take from among you a contribution to the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the LORD'S contribution: gold, silver, and bronze, + and blue, purple and scarlet [material], fine linen, goats' [hair], + and rams' skins dyed red, and porpoise skins, and acacia wood, + and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, + and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. + 'Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded: + the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; + the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain of the screen; + the table and its poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; + the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps and the oil for the light; + and the altar of incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle; + the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; + the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; + the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords; + the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.'" + Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses' presence. + Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came [and] brought the LORD'S contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. + Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came [and] brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so [did] every man who presented an offering of gold to the LORD. + Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine linen and goats' [hair] and rams' skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. + Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the LORD'S contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. + All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, [in] blue and purple [and] scarlet [material] and [in] fine linen. + All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats' [hair]. + The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece; + and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. + The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring [material] for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD. + Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. + "And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; + to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, + and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. + "He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. + "He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple [and] in scarlet [material], and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs. + + + "Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the LORD has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded." + Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. + They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still [continued] bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. + And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing, + and they said to Moses, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded [us] to perform." + So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, "Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary." Thus the people were restrained from bringing [any more]. + For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it. + All the skillful men among those who were performing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet [material], with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman, Bezalel made them. + The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains had the same measurements. + He joined five curtains to one another and [the other] five curtains he joined to one another. + He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. + He made fifty loops in the one curtain and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set; the loops were opposite each other. + He made fifty clasps of gold and joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, so the tabernacle was a unit. + Then he made curtains of goats' [hair] for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all. + The length of each curtain [was] thirty cubits and four cubits the width of each curtain; the eleven curtains had the same measurements. + He joined five curtains by themselves and [the other] six curtains by themselves. + Moreover, he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the [first] set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain [that was outermost in] the second set. + He made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it would be a unit. + He made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of porpoise skins above. + Then he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. + Ten cubits [was] the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board. + [There were] two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus he did for all the boards of the tabernacle. + He made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side; + and he made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. + Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, + and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board. + For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six boards. + He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. + They were double beneath, and together they were complete to its top to the first ring; thus he did with both of them for the two corners. + There were eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets, two under every board. + Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, + and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the rear [side] to the west. + He made the middle bar to pass through in the center of the boards from end to end. + He overlaid the boards with gold and made their rings of gold [as] holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. + Moreover, he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet [material], and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. + He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them. + He made a screen for the doorway of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet [material], and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver; + and [he made] its five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold; but their five sockets were of bronze. + + + Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; + and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. + He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. + He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. + He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. + He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; + one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at the two ends. + The cherubim had [their] wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat. + Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. + He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. + He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. + He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. + Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. + He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. + He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold. + Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were [of one piece] with it. + There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; + three cups shaped like almond [blossoms], a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond [blossoms], a bulb and a flower in the other branch-- so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. + In the lampstand [there were] four cups shaped like almond [blossoms], its bulbs and its flowers; + and a bulb was under the [first] pair of branches [coming] out of it, and a bulb under the [second] pair of branches [coming] out of it, and a bulb under the [third] pair of branches [coming] out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. + Their bulbs and their branches were [of one piece] with it; the whole of it [was] a single hammered work of pure gold. + He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. + He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold. + Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were [of one piece] with it. + He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. + He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides-- on opposite sides-- as holders for poles with which to carry it. + He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer. + + + Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. + He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being [of one piece] with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. + He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. + He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. + He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating [as] holders for the poles. + He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. + He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks. + Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; + their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, [made] of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [were] of silver. + For the north side [there were] one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets [were] of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands [were] of silver. + For the west side [there were] hangings of fifty cubits [with] their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [were] of silver. + For the east side fifty cubits. + The hangings for the [one] side [of the gate were] fifteen cubits, [with] their three pillars and their three sockets, + and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court [were] hangings of fifteen cubits, [with] their three pillars and their three sockets. + All the hangings of the court all around [were] of fine twisted linen. + The sockets for the pillars [were] of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. + The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen. And the length [was] twenty cubits and the height [was] five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. + Their four pillars and their four sockets [were] of bronze; their hooks [were] of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands [were] of silver. + All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around [were] of bronze. + This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. + Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. + With him [was] Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet [material], and fine linen. + All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. + The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; + a beka a head ([that is], half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. + The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. + Of the 1,775 [shekels], he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. + The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. + With it he made the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, + and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around. + + + Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet [material], they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He made the ephod of gold, [and] of blue and purple and scarlet [material], and fine twisted linen. + Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut [them] into threads to be woven in [with] the blue and the purple and the scarlet [material], and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. + They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two [upper] ends. + The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold [and] of blue and purple and scarlet [material], and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree [settings]; they were engraved [like] the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. + And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, [as] memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold [and] of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen. + It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. + And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row [was] a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; + and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; + and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; + and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree [settings] when they were mounted. + The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, [engraved with] the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. + They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold. + They made two gold filigree [settings] and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. + Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. + They put the [other] two ends of the two cords on the two filigree [settings], and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. + They made two gold rings and placed [them] on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. + Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod. + They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; + and the opening of the robe was [at the top] in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. + They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet [material and] twisted [linen] on the hem of the robe. + They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, + alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, + and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen, + and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet [material], the work of the weaver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, "Holy to the LORD." + They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. + They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets; + and the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; + the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat; + the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; + the pure [gold] lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; + and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent; + the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand; + the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; + the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests. + So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. + And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. + "You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. + "You shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps. + "Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle. + "You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. + "You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. + "You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court. + "Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. + "You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. + "You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. + "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. + "You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. + "You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; + and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations." + Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. + Now in the first month of the second year, on the first [day] of the month, the tabernacle was erected. + Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars. + He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he took the testimony and put [it] into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. + He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. + He set the arrangement of bread in order on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. + He lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; + and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle. + He set the altar of burnt offering [before] the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. + From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. + When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work. + Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. + Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. + Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; + but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. + For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel. + + + + + Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. + 'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. + 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. + 'He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron's sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + 'He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. + 'The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. + 'Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. + 'Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. + 'He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. + 'He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. + 'The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'But if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. + 'The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. + 'He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes. + 'Then he shall tear it by its wings, [but] shall not sever [it]. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + + + 'Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it. + 'He shall then bring it to Aaron's sons the priests; and shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer [it] up in smoke [as] its memorial portion on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy, of the offerings to the LORD by fire. + 'Now when you bring an offering of a grain offering baked in an oven, [it shall be] unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil. + 'If your offering is a grain offering [made] on the griddle, [it shall be] of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil; + you shall break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. + 'Now if your offering is a grain offering [made] in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. + 'When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to the LORD, it shall be presented to the priest and he shall bring it to the altar. + 'The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and shall offer [it] up in smoke on the altar [as] an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy of the offerings to the LORD by fire. + 'No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the LORD. + 'As an offering of first fruits you shall bring them to the LORD, but they shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar. + 'Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. + 'Also if you bring a grain offering of early ripened things to the LORD, you shall bring fresh heads of grain roasted in the fire, grits of new growth, for the grain offering of your early ripened things. + 'You shall then put oil on it and lay incense on it; it is a grain offering. + 'The priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part of its grits and its oil with all its incense as an offering by fire to the LORD. + + + 'Now if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he is going to offer out of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the LORD. + 'He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar. + 'From the sacrifice of the peace offerings he shall present an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. + 'Then Aaron's sons shall offer [it] up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'But if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, he shall offer it, male or female, without defect. + 'If he is going to offer a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD, + and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it before the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. + 'From the sacrifice of peace offerings he shall bring as an offering by fire to the LORD, its fat, the entire fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. + 'Then the priest shall offer [it] up in smoke on the altar [as] food, an offering by fire to the LORD. + 'Moreover, if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD, + and he shall lay his hand on its head and slay it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. + 'From it he shall present his offering as an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. + 'The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar [as] food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is the LORD'S. + 'It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat or any blood.'" + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, + if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. + 'He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the LORD. + 'Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, + and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. + 'The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + 'He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails, + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys + (just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. + 'But the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, + that is, all [the rest of] the bull, he is to bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned. + 'Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty; + when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a bull of the herd for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting. + 'Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be slain before the LORD. + 'Then the anointed priest is to bring some of the blood of the bull to the tent of meeting; + and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle [it] seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil. + 'He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + 'He shall remove all its fat from it and offer it up in smoke on the altar. + 'He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. + 'Then he is to bring out the bull to [a place] outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly. + 'When a leader sins and unintentionally does any one of all the things which the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and he becomes guilty, + if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a male without defect. + 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the male goat and slay it in the place where they slay the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering. + 'Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and [the rest of] its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering. + 'All its fat he shall offer up in smoke on the altar as [in the case of] the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin, and he will be forgiven. + 'Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, + if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has committed. + 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. + 'The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all [the rest of] its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. + 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. + 'But if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring it, a female without defect. + 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they slay the burnt offering. + 'The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all [the rest of] its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. + 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven. + + + 'Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration [to testify] when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known, if he does not tell [it], then he will bear his guilt. + 'Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. + 'Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever [sort] his uncleanness [may] be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know [it], he will be guilty. + 'Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know [it], he will be guilty in one of these. + 'So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. + 'He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. + 'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. + 'He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever [it]. + 'He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. + 'The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him. + 'But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. + 'He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer [it] up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering. + 'So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then [the rest] shall become the priest's, like the grain offering.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the LORD'S holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in [terms of] the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. + "He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him. + "Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. + "He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know [it], and it will be forgiven him. + "It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD." + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted [to him], or through robbery, or [if] he has extorted from his companion, + or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; + then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found, + or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day [he presents] his guilt offering. + "Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering, + and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself [shall remain] on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. + 'The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes [to] which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. + 'Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. + 'The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. + 'Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out. + 'Now this is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall present it before the LORD in front of the altar. + 'Then one [of them] shall lift up from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering, with its oil and all the incense that is on the grain offering, and he shall offer [it] up in smoke on the altar, a soothing aroma, as its memorial offering to the LORD. + 'What is left of it Aaron and his sons are to eat. It shall be eaten as unleavened cakes in a holy place; they are to eat it in the court of the tent of meeting. + 'It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their share from My offerings by fire; it is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. + 'Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it; it is a permanent ordinance throughout your generations, from the offerings by fire to the LORD. Whoever touches them will become consecrated.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "This is the offering which Aaron and his sons are to present to the LORD on the day when he is anointed; the tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. + "It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle. When it is [well] stirred, you shall bring it. You shall present the grain offering in baked pieces as a soothing aroma to the LORD. + "The anointed priest who will be in his place among his sons shall offer it. By a permanent ordinance it shall be entirely offered up in smoke to the LORD. + "So every grain offering of the priest shall be burned entirely. It shall not be eaten." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is slain the sin offering shall be slain before the LORD; it is most holy. + 'The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting. + 'Anyone who touches its flesh will become consecrated; and when any of its blood splashes on a garment, in a holy place you shall wash what was splashed on. + 'Also the earthenware vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken; and if it was boiled in a bronze vessel, then it shall be scoured and rinsed in water. + 'Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. + 'But no sin offering of which any of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place shall be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. + + + 'Now this is the law of the guilt offering; it is most holy. + 'In the place where they slay the burnt offering they are to slay the guilt offering, and he shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. + 'Then he shall offer from it all its fat: the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe on the liver he shall remove with the kidneys. + 'The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire to the LORD; it is a guilt offering. + 'Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy. + 'The guilt offering is like the sin offering, there is one law for them; the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. + 'Also the priest who presents any man's burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has presented. + 'Likewise, every grain offering that is baked in the oven and everything prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who presents it. + 'Every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, to all alike. + 'Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD. + 'If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes [of well] stirred fine flour mixed with oil. + 'With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. + 'Of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the LORD; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings. + 'Now [as for] the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning. + 'But if the sacrifice of his offering is a votive or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what is left of it may be eaten; + but what is left over from the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire. + 'So if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings should [ever] be eaten on the third day, he who offers it will not be accepted, [and] it will not be reckoned to his [benefit]. It shall be an offensive thing, and the person who eats of it will bear his [own] iniquity. + 'Also the flesh that touches anything unclean shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. As for [other] flesh, anyone who is clean may eat [such] flesh. + 'But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the LORD, in his uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from his people. + 'When anyone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or any unclean detestable thing, and eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall not eat any fat [from] an ox, a sheep or a goat. + 'Also the fat of [an animal] which dies and the fat of an animal torn [by beasts] may be put to any other use, but you must certainly not eat it. + 'For whoever eats the fat of the animal from which an offering by fire is offered to the LORD, even the person who eats shall be cut off from his people. + 'You are not to eat any blood, either of bird or animal, in any of your dwellings. + 'Any person who eats any blood, even that person shall be cut off from his people.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. + 'His own hands are to bring offerings by fire to the LORD. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be presented as a wave offering before the LORD. + 'The priest shall offer up the fat in smoke on the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons. + 'You shall give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifices of your peace offerings. + 'The one among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat, the right thigh shall be his as [his] portion. + 'For I have taken the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as [their] due forever from the sons of Israel. + 'This is that which is consecrated to Aaron and that which is consecrated to his sons from the offerings by fire to the LORD, in that day when he presented them to serve as priests to the LORD. + 'These the LORD had commanded to be given them from the sons of Israel in the day that He anointed them. It is [their] due forever throughout their generations.'" + This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering and the ordination offering and the sacrifice of peace offerings, + which the LORD commanded Moses at Mount Sinai in the day that He commanded the sons of Israel to present their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, + and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting." + So Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting, + Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded to do." + Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water. + He put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash, and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the artistic band of the ephod, with which he tied [it] to him. + He then placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. + He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. + He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. + Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him. + Next Moses had Aaron's sons come near and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. + Next Moses slaughtered [it] and took the blood and with his finger put [some of it] around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out [the rest of] the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. + He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar. + But the bull and its hide and its flesh and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. + Moses slaughtered [it] and sprinkled the blood around on the altar. + When he had cut the ram into its pieces, Moses offered up the head and the pieces and the suet in smoke. + After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. + Moses slaughtered [it] and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. + He also had Aaron's sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. Moses then sprinkled [the rest of] the blood around on the altar. + He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. + From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread [mixed with] oil and one wafer, and placed [them] on the portions of fat and on the right thigh. + He then put all [these] on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. + Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD. + Moses also took the breast and presented it for a wave offering before the LORD; it was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him. + Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.' + "The remainder of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn in the fire. + "You shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days. + "The LORD has commanded to do as has been done this day, to make atonement on your behalf. + "At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you will not die, for so I have been commanded." + Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD had commanded through Moses. + + + Now it came about on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; + and he said to Aaron, "Take for yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, [both] without defect, and offer [them] before the LORD. + "Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering, + and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.'" + So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the LORD. + Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." + Moses then said to Aaron, "Come near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the LORD has commanded." + So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. + Aaron's sons presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and put [some] on the horns of the altar, and poured out [the rest of] the blood at the base of the altar. + The fat and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver of the sin offering, he then offered up in smoke on the altar just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + The flesh and the skin, however, he burned with fire outside the camp. + Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. + They handed the burnt offering to him in pieces, with the head, and he offered [them] up in smoke on the altar. + He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered [them] up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar. + Then he presented the people's offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first. + He also presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. + Next he presented the grain offering, and filled his hand with some of it and offered [it] up in smoke on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. + Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron's sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. + As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and the [fat] covering, and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver, + they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. + But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the LORD, just as Moses had commanded. + Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. + Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. + Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw [it], they shouted and fell on their faces. + + + Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. + And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. + Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'" So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. + Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp." + So they came forward and carried them still in their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had said. + Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not become wrathful against all the congregation. But your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which the LORD has brought about. + "You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the LORD'S anointing oil is upon you." So they did according to the word of Moses. + The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying, + "Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die-- it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations-- + and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, + and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses." + Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the grain offering that is left over from the LORD'S offerings by fire and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. + "You shall eat it, moreover, in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons' due out of the LORD'S offerings by fire; for thus I have been commanded. + "The breast of the wave offering, however, and the thigh of the offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your due and your sons' due out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. + "The thigh offered by lifting up and the breast offered by waving they shall bring along with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat, to present as a wave offering before the LORD; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your sons with you, just as the LORD has commanded." + But Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up! So he was angry with Aaron's surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, + "Why did you not eat the sin offering at the holy place? For it is most holy, and He gave it to you to bear away the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD. + "Behold, since its blood had not been brought inside, into the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded." + But Aaron spoke to Moses, "Behold, this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the LORD?" + When Moses heard [that], it seemed good in his sight. + + + The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. + 'Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. + 'Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. + 'Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; + the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; + and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. + 'You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. + 'These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. + 'But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, + and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest. + 'Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you. + 'These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds; they are abhorrent, not to be eaten: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, + and the kite and the falcon in its kind, + every raven in its kind, + and the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind, + and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, + and the white owl and the pelican and the carrion vulture, + and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat. + 'All the winged insects that walk on [all] fours are detestable to you. + 'Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects which walk on [all] fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. + 'These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. + 'But all other winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you. + 'By these, moreover, you will be made unclean: whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, + and whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. + 'Concerning all the animals which divide the hoof but do not make a split [hoof], or which do not chew cud, they are unclean to you: whoever touches them becomes unclean. + 'Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on [all] fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, + and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you. + 'Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, and the mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds, + and the gecko, and the crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand reptile, and the chameleon. + 'These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. + 'Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a skin, or a sack-- any article of which use is made-- it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. + 'As for any earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break the vessel. + 'Any of the food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. + 'Everything, moreover, on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. + 'Nevertheless a spring or a cistern collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. + 'If a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. + 'Though if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. + 'Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. + 'He too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. + 'Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. + 'Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on [all] fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable. + 'Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. + 'For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. + 'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.'" + This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, + to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male [child], then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean. + 'On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. + 'Then she shall remain in the blood of [her] purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. + 'But if she bears a female [child], then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of [her] purification for sixty-six days. + 'When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. + 'Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears [a child, whether] a male or a female. + 'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'" + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. + "The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean. + "But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate [him who has] the infection for seven days. + "The priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the infection has not changed [and] the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days. + "The priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and the mark has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is [only] a scab. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. + "But if the scab spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again to the priest. + "The priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy. + "When the infection of leprosy is on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest. + "The priest shall then look, and if there is a white swelling in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is quick raw flesh in the swelling, + it is a chronic leprosy on the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not isolate him, for he is unclean. + "If the leprosy breaks out farther on the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of [him who has] the infection from his head even to his feet, as far as the priest can see, + then the priest shall look, and behold, [if] the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce clean [him who has] the infection; it has all turned white [and] he is clean. + "But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. + "The priest shall look at the raw flesh, and he shall pronounce him unclean; the raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy. + "Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest, + and the priest shall look at him, and behold, [if] the infection has turned to white, then the priest shall pronounce clean [him who has] the infection; he is clean. + "When the body has a boil on its skin and it is healed, + and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white, bright spot, then it shall be shown to the priest; + and the priest shall look, and behold, [if] it appears to be lower than the skin, and the hair on it has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the infection of leprosy, it has broken out in the boil. + "But if the priest looks at it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it and it is not lower than the skin and is faded, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days; + and if it spreads farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infection. + "But if the bright spot remains in its place and does not spread, it is [only] the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. + "Or if the body sustains in its skin a burn by fire, and the raw [flesh] of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white, + then the priest shall look at it. And if the hair in the bright spot has turned white and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is leprosy; it has broken out in the burn. Therefore, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infection of leprosy. + "But if the priest looks at it, and indeed, there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is no deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days; + and the priest shall look at him on the seventh day. If it spreads farther in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infection of leprosy. + "But if the bright spot remains in its place and has not spread in the skin, but is dim, it is the swelling from the burn; and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is [only] the scar of the burn. + "Now if a man or woman has an infection on the head or on the beard, + then the priest shall look at the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and there is thin yellowish hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scale, it is leprosy of the head or of the beard. + "But if the priest looks at the infection of the scale, and indeed, it appears to be no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate [the person] with the scaly infection for seven days. + "On the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection, and if the scale has not spread and no yellowish hair has grown in it, and the appearance of the scale is no deeper than the skin, + then he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the scale; and the priest shall isolate [the person] with the scale seven more days. + "Then on the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale, and if the scale has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. + "But if the scale spreads farther in the skin after his cleansing, + then the priest shall look at him, and if the scale has spread in the skin, the priest need not seek for the yellowish hair; he is unclean. + "If in his sight the scale has remained, however, and black hair has grown in it, the scale has healed, he is clean; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. + "When a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, [even] white bright spots, + then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faint white, it is eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean. + "Now if a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald; he is clean. + "If his head becomes bald at the front and sides, he is bald on the forehead; he is clean. + "But if on the bald head or the bald forehead, there occurs a reddish-white infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or on his bald forehead. + "Then the priest shall look at him; and if the swelling of the infection is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body, + he is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his infection is on his head. + "As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!' + "He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. + "When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment, + whether in warp or woof, of linen or of wool, whether in leather or in any article made of leather, + if the mark is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, or in the warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather, it is a leprous mark and shall be shown to the priest. + "Then the priest shall look at the mark and shall quarantine the article with the mark for seven days. + "He shall then look at the mark on the seventh day; if the mark has spread in the garment, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in the leather, whatever the purpose for which the leather is used, the mark is a leprous malignancy, it is unclean. + "So he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or any article of leather in which the mark occurs, for it is a leprous malignancy; it shall be burned in the fire. + "But if the priest shall look, and indeed the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather, + then the priest shall order them to wash the thing in which the mark occurs and he shall quarantine it for seven more days. + "After the article with the mark has been washed, the priest shall again look, and if the mark has not changed its appearance, even though the mark has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire, whether an eating away has produced bareness on the top or on the front of it. + "Then if the priest looks, and if the mark has faded after it has been washed, then he shall tear it out of the garment or out of the leather, whether from the warp or from the woof; + and if it appears again in the garment, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak; the article with the mark shall be burned in the fire. + "The garment, whether the warp or the woof, or any article of leather from which the mark has departed when you washed it, it shall then be washed a second time and will be clean." + This is the law for the mark of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, + and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, + then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed. + "The priest shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water. + "[As for] the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the running water. + "He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free over the open field. + "The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days. + "It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean. + "Now on the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without defect, and a yearling ewe lamb without defect, and three-tenths [of an] [ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil; + and the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man to be cleansed and the aforesaid before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + "Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it for a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the LORD. + "Next he shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, at the place of the sanctuary-- for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. + "The priest shall then take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put [it] on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. + "The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour [it] into his left palm; + the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the LORD. + "Of the remaining oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering; + while the rest of the oil that is in the priest's palm, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD. + "The priest shall next offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward, he shall slaughter the burnt offering. + "The priest shall offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be clean. + "But if he is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and one-tenth [of an] [ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, + and two turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. + "Then the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, before the LORD. + "The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall offer them for a wave offering before the LORD. + "Next he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put [it] on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. + "The priest shall also pour some of the oil into his left palm; + and with his right-hand finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the LORD. + "The priest shall then put some of the oil that is in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering. + "Moreover, the rest of the oil that is in the priest's palm he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the LORD. + "He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. + "[He shall offer] what he can afford, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed. + "This is the law [for him] in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing." + The LORD further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: + "When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, + then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, '[Something] like a mark [of leprosy] has become visible to me in the house.' + "The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house. + "So he shall look at the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface, + then the priest shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days. + "The priest shall return on the seventh day and make an inspection. If the mark has indeed spread in the walls of the house, + then the priest shall order them to tear out the stones with the mark in them and throw them away at an unclean place outside the city. + "He shall have the house scraped all around inside, and they shall dump the plaster that they scrape off at an unclean place outside the city. + "Then they shall take other stones and replace [those] stones, and he shall take other plaster and replaster the house. + "If, however, the mark breaks out again in the house after he has torn out the stones and scraped the house, and after it has been replastered, + then the priest shall come in and make an inspection. If he sees that the mark has indeed spread in the house, it is a malignant mark in the house; it is unclean. + "He shall therefore tear down the house, its stones, and its timbers, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall take [them] outside the city to an unclean place. + "Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that he has quarantined it, becomes unclean until evening. + "Likewise, whoever lies down in the house shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes. + "If, on the other hand, the priest comes in and makes an inspection and the mark has not indeed spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared. + "To cleanse the house then, he shall take two birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop, + and he shall slaughter the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water. + "Then he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string, with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times. + "He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water, along with the live bird and with the cedar wood and with the hyssop and with the scarlet string. + "However, he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean." + This is the law for any mark of leprosy-- even for a scale, + and for the leprous garment or house, + and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot-- + to teach when they are unclean and when they are clean. This is the law of leprosy. + + + The LORD also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. + 'This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body allows its discharge to flow or whether his body obstructs its discharge. + 'Every bed on which the person with the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean. + 'Anyone, moreover, who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; + and whoever sits on the thing on which the man with the discharge has been sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'Or if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'Every saddle on which the person with the discharge rides becomes unclean. + 'Whoever then touches any of the things which were under him shall be unclean until evening, and he who carries them shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'Likewise, whomever the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'However, an earthenware vessel which the person with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden vessel shall be rinsed in water. + 'Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean. + 'Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest; + and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD because of his discharge. + 'Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening. + 'As for any garment or any leather on which there is seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. + 'If a man lies with a woman [so that] there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'When a woman has a discharge, [if] her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. + 'Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. + 'Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'Whoever touches any thing on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'Whether it be on the bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. + 'If a man actually lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. + 'Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. + 'Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like her bed at menstruation; and every thing on which she sits shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time. + 'Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. + 'When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off for herself seven days; and afterward she will be clean. + 'Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them in to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. + 'The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before the LORD because of her impure discharge.' + "Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them." + This is the law for the one with a discharge, and for the man who has a seminal emission so that he is unclean by it, + and for the woman who is ill because of menstrual impurity, and for the one who has a discharge, whether a male or a female, or a man who lies with an unclean woman. + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died. + The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. + "Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. + "He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. + "He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. + "Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. + "He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + "Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. + "Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. + "But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. + "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. + "He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring [it] inside the veil. + "He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on [the ark of] the testimony, otherwise he will die. + "Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle [it] with his finger on the mercy seat on the east [side]; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. + "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. + "He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. + "When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. + "Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. + "With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it. + "When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. + "Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send [it] away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who [stands] in readiness. + "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. + "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. + "He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. + "Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. + "The one who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. + "But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. + "Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, then afterward he shall come into the camp. + "[This] shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; + for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. + "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. + "So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father's place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, + and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. + "Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year." And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, [so] he did. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the LORD has commanded, saying, + "Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp, + and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present [it] as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man. He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people. + "The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to the LORD, at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD. + "The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to the LORD. + "They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations."' + "Then you shall say to them, 'Any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, + and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man also shall be cut off from his people. + 'And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. + 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' + "Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.' + "So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. + "For [as for the] life of all flesh, its blood is [identified] with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.' + "When any person eats [an animal] which dies or is torn [by beasts], whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. + "But if he does not wash [them] or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt." + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. + 'You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. + 'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. + 'None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. + 'The nakedness of your sister, [either] your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether born at home or born outside, their nakedness you shall not uncover. + 'The nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for their nakedness is yours. + 'The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, born to your father, she is your sister, you shall not uncover her nakedness. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's blood relative. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's blood relative. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother; you shall not approach his wife, she is your aunt. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. + 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is lewdness. + 'You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness. + 'Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity. + 'You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her. + 'You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. + 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. + 'Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion. + 'Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. + 'For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. + 'But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any of these abominations, [neither] the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you + (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); + so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. + 'For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do [so] shall be cut off from among their people. + 'Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'" + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: + "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. + 'Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God. + 'Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God. + 'Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. + 'It shall be eaten the same day you offer [it], and the next day; but what remains until the third day shall be burned with fire. + 'So if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an offense; it will not be accepted. + 'Everyone who eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned the holy thing of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from his people. + 'Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. + 'Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. + 'You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. + 'You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob [him]. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning. + 'You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. + 'You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly. + 'You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD. + 'You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. + 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. + 'You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together. + 'Now if a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave acquired for [another] man, but who has in no way been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment; they shall not, [however], be put to death, because she was not free. + 'He shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD to the doorway of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. + 'The priest shall also make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed, and the sin which he has committed will be forgiven him. + 'When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; [it] shall not be eaten. + 'But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. + 'In the fifth year you are to eat of its fruit, that its yield may increase for you; I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall not eat [anything] with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying. + 'You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard. + 'You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD. + 'Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, so that the land will not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness. + 'You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD. + 'Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. + 'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. + 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. + 'You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. + 'You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the LORD.'" + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "You shall also say to the sons of Israel: 'Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. + 'I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name. + 'If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to Molech, so as not to put him to death, + then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, by playing the harlot after Molech. + 'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. + 'You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you. + 'If [there is] anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his bloodguiltiness is upon him. + 'If [there is] a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. + 'If [there is] a man who lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death, their bloodguiltiness is upon them. + 'If [there is] a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed incest, their bloodguiltiness is upon them. + 'If [there is] a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. + 'If [there is] a man who marries a woman and her mother, it is immorality; both he and they shall be burned with fire, so that there will be no immorality in your midst. + 'If [there is] a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal. + 'If [there is] a woman who approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. + 'If [there is] a man who takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness; he bears his guilt. + 'If [there is] a man who lies with a menstruous woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has exposed the flow of her blood; thus both of them shall be cut off from among their people. + 'You shall also not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for such a one has made naked his blood relative; they will bear their guilt. + 'If [there is] a man who lies with his uncle's wife he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless. + 'If [there is] a man who takes his brother's wife, it is abhorrent; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness. They will be childless. + 'You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out. + 'Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them. + 'Hence I have said to you, "You are to possess their land, and I Myself will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples. + 'You are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that creeps on the ground, which I have separated for you as unclean. + 'Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine. + 'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.'" + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself for a [dead] person among his people, + except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother and his father and his son and his daughter and his brother, + also for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may defile himself. + 'He shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself. + 'They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh. + 'They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the LORD, the food of their God; so they shall be holy. + 'They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. + 'You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy. + 'Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. + 'The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes; + nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself [even] for his father or his mother; + nor shall he go out of the sanctuary nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the LORD. + 'He shall take a wife in her virginity. + 'A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people, + so that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron, saying, 'No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the food of his God. + 'For no one who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a disfigured [face], or any deformed [limb], + or a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, + or a hunchback or a dwarf, or [one who has] a defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles. + 'No man among the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a defect is to come near to offer the LORD'S offerings by fire; [since] he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God. + 'He may eat the food of his God, [both] of the most holy and of the holy, + only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect, so that he will not profane My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.'" + So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy [gifts] of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy name; I am the LORD. + "Say to them, 'If any man among all your descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy [gifts] which the sons of Israel dedicate to the LORD, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from before Me; I am the LORD. + 'No man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or who has a discharge, may eat of the holy [gifts] until he is clean. And if one touches anything made unclean by a corpse or if a man has a seminal emission, + or if a man touches any teeming things by which he is made unclean, or any man by whom he is made unclean, whatever his uncleanness; + a person who touches any such shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat of the holy [gifts] unless he has bathed his body in water. + 'But when the sun sets, he will be clean, and afterward he shall eat of the holy [gifts], for it is his food. + 'He shall not eat [an animal] which dies or is torn [by beasts], becoming unclean by it; I am the LORD. + 'They shall therefore keep My charge, so that they will not bear sin because of it and die thereby because they profane it; I am the LORD who sanctifies them. + 'No layman, however, is to eat the holy [gift]; a sojourner with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy [gift]. + 'But if a priest buys a slave as [his] property with his money, that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food. + 'If a priest's daughter is married to a layman, she shall not eat of the offering of the [gifts]. + 'But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's food; but no layman shall eat of it. + 'But if a man eats a holy [gift] unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy [gift] to the priest. + 'They shall not profane the holy [gifts] of the sons of Israel which they offer to the LORD, + and [so] cause them to bear punishment for guilt by eating their holy [gifts]; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, 'Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel who presents his offering, whether it is any of their votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they present to the LORD for a burnt offering-- + for you to be accepted-- [it must be] a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. + 'Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you. + 'When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. + 'Those [that are] blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the LORD. + 'In respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted [member], you may present it for a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. + 'Also anything [with its testicles] bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the LORD, or sacrifice in your land, + nor shall you accept any such from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted as a sacrifice of an offering by fire to the LORD. + "But, [whether] it is an ox or a sheep, you shall not kill [both] it and its young in one day. + "When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. + "It shall be eaten on the same day, you shall leave none of it until morning; I am the LORD. + "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD. + "You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctifies you, + who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the LORD." + + + The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations-- My appointed times are these: + 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. + 'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. + 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. + 'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. + 'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. + 'But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. + 'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. + 'Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. + 'Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD [for] a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. + 'Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. + 'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. + 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. + 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two [loaves] of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths [of an] [ephah]; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. + 'Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. + 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD for the priest. + 'On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. + 'When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'" + Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing [of trumpets], a holy convocation. + 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'" + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. + "You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. + "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. + "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. + "You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. + "It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath." + Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. + 'On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. + 'For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. + 'These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD-- burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, [each] day's matter on its own day-- + besides [those of] the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. + 'On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. + 'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. + 'You shall thus celebrate it [as] a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It [shall be] a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. + 'You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, + so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" + So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. + "Outside the veil of testimony in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD continually; [it shall be] a perpetual statute throughout your generations. + "He shall keep the lamps in order on the pure [gold] lampstand before the LORD continually. + "Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths [of an ephah] shall be [in] each cake. + "You shall set them [in] two rows, six [to] a row, on the pure [gold] table before the LORD. + "You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, [even] an offering by fire to the LORD. + "Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the LORD continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. + "It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the LORD'S offerings by fire, [his] portion forever." + Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. + The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) + They put him in custody so that the command of the LORD might be made clear to them. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then let all the congregation stone him. + "You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If anyone curses his God, then he will bear his sin. + 'Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. + 'If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death. + 'The one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life. + 'If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: + fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him. + 'Thus the one who kills an animal shall make it good, but the one who kills a man shall be put to death. + 'There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the LORD your God.'" + Then Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and they brought the one who had cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones. Thus the sons of Israel did, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + The LORD then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the LORD. + 'Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, + but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. + 'Your harvest's aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. + 'All of you shall have the sabbath [products] of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. + 'Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat. + 'You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, [namely], forty-nine years. + 'You shall then sound a ram's horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. + 'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. + 'You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in [from] its untrimmed vines. + 'For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field. + 'On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property. + 'If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend or buy from your friend's hand, you shall not wrong one another. + 'Corresponding to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to you according to the number of years of crops. + 'In proportion to the extent of the years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to the fewness of the years you shall diminish its price, for [it is] a number of crops he is selling to you. + 'So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land. + 'Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it. + 'But if you say, "What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do not sow or gather in our crops?" + then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. + 'When you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop, eating [the old] until the ninth year when its crop comes in. + 'The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are [but] aliens and sojourners with Me. + 'Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. + 'If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. + 'Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, + then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. + 'But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property. + 'Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year. + 'But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee. + 'The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall shall be considered as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee. + 'As for cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. + 'What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. + 'But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual possession. + 'Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. + 'Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. + 'You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. + 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan [and] to be your God. + 'If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave's service. + 'He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee. + 'He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers. + 'For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold [in] a slave sale. + 'You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. + 'As for your male and female slaves whom you may have-- you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. + 'Then, too, [it is] out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession. + 'You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another. + 'Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger's family, + then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, + or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. + 'He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. [It is] like the days of a hired man [that] he shall be with him. + 'If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; + and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund [the amount for] his redemption. + 'Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. + 'Even if he is not redeemed by these [means], he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. + 'For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. + + + 'You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a [sacred] pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. + 'You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD. + 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, + then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. + 'Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land. + 'I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making [you] tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. + 'But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; + five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. + 'So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. + 'You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. + 'Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. + 'I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. + 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that [you] would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. + 'But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, + if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, [and] so break My covenant, + I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up. + 'I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. + 'If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. + 'I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. + 'Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit. + 'If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. + 'I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted. + 'And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, + then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. + 'I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands. + 'When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied. + 'Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, + then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. + 'Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. + 'I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. + 'I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. + 'I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. + 'You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. + 'Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. + 'All the days of [its] desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it. + 'As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. + 'They will therefore stumble over each other as if [running] from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have [no strength] to stand up before your enemies. + 'But you will perish among the nations, and your enemies' land will consume you. + 'So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them. + 'If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me-- + I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies-- or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, + then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. + 'For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. + 'Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. + 'But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.'" + These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. + + + Again, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When a man makes a difficult vow, he [shall be valued] according to your valuation of persons belonging to the LORD. + 'If your valuation is of the male from twenty years even to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. + 'Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. + 'If it be from five years even to twenty years old then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels. + 'But if [they are] from a month even up to five years old, then your valuation shall be five shekels of silver for the male, and for the female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver. + 'If [they are] from sixty years old and upward, if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. + 'But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be placed before the priest and the priest shall value him; according to the means of the one who vowed, the priest shall value him. + 'Now if it is an animal of the kind which men can present as an offering to the LORD, any such that one gives to the LORD shall be holy. + 'He shall not replace it or exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. + 'If, however, it is any unclean animal of the kind which men do not present as an offering to the LORD, then he shall place the animal before the priest. + 'The priest shall value it as either good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be. + 'But if he should ever [wish to] redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of it to your valuation. + 'Now if a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, then the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. + 'Yet if the one who consecrates it should [wish to] redeem his house, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may be his. + 'Again, if a man consecrates to the LORD part of the fields of his own property, then your valuation shall be proportionate to the seed needed for it: a homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver. + 'If he consecrates his field as of the year of jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand. + 'If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your valuation. + 'If the one who consecrates it should ever wish to redeem the field, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may pass to him. + 'Yet if he will not redeem the field, but has sold the field to another man, it may no longer be redeemed; + and when it reverts in the jubilee, the field shall be holy to the LORD, like a field set apart; it shall be for the priest as his property. + 'Or if he consecrates to the LORD a field which he has bought, which is not a part of the field of his own property, + then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your valuation up to the year of jubilee; and he shall on that day give your valuation as holy to the LORD. + 'In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to whom the possession of the land belongs. + 'Every valuation of yours, moreover, shall be after the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs. + 'However, a firstborn among animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may consecrate it; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD'S. + 'But if [it is] among the unclean animals, then he shall redeem it according to your valuation and add to it one-fifth of it; and if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation. + 'Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD. + 'No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death. + 'Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S; it is holy to the LORD. + 'If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. + 'For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. + 'He is not to be concerned whether [it is] good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed.'" + These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai. + + + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, + "Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head + from twenty years old and upward, whoever [is able to] go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies. + "With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father's household. + "These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; + of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; + of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; + of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; + of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; + of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; + of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; + of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; + of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; + of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; + of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan. + "These are they who were called of the congregation, the leaders of their fathers' tribes; they were the heads of divisions of Israel." + So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, + and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head, + just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. + Now the sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben [were] 46,500. + Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Simeon [were] 59,300. + Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Gad [were] 45,650. + Of the sons of Judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Judah [were] 74,600. + Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Issachar [were] 54,400. + Of the sons of Zebulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun [were] 57,400. + Of the sons of Joseph, [namely], of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim [were] 40,500. + Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh [were] 32,200. + Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Benjamin [were] 35,400. + Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Dan [were] 62,700. + Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Asher [were] 41,500. + Of the sons of Naphtali, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war, + their numbered men of the tribe of Naphtali [were] 53,400. + These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom was of his father's household. + So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers' households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever [was able to] go out to war in Israel, + even all the numbered men were 603,550. + The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers' tribe. + For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying, + "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel. + "But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle. + "So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death. + "The sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies. + "But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony." + Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which the LORD had commanded Moses, so they did. + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance. + "Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise [shall be] of the standard of the camp of Judah, by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab, + and his army, even their numbered men, 74,600. + "Those who camp next to him [shall be] the tribe of Issachar, and the leader of the sons of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar, + and his army, even their numbered men, 54,400. + "[Then] [comes] the tribe of Zebulun, and the leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon, + and his army, even his numbered men, 57,400. + "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies. They shall set out first. + "On the south side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Reuben by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur, + and his army, even their numbered men, 46,500. + "Those who camp next to him [shall be] the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, + and his army, even their numbered men, 59,300. + "Then [comes] the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel, + and his army, even their numbered men, 45,650. + "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Reuben: 151,450 by their armies. And they shall set out second. + "Then the tent of meeting shall set out [with] the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; just as they camp, so they shall set out, every man in his place by their standards. + "On the west side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Ephraim [shall be] Elishama the son of Ammihud, + and his army, even their numbered men, 40,500. + "Next to him [shall be] the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the sons of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, + and his army, even their numbered men, 32,200. + "Then [comes] the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni, + and his army, even their numbered men, 35,400. + "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Ephraim: 108,100, by their armies. And they shall set out third. + "On the north side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Dan by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, + and his army, even their numbered men, 62,700. + "Those who camp next to him [shall be] the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the sons of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran, + and his army, even their numbered men, 41,500. + "Then [comes] the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan, + and his army, even their numbered men, 53,400. + "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Dan [was] 157,600. They shall set out last by their standards." + These are the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers' households; the total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550. + The Levites, however, were not numbered among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, every one by his family according to his father's household. + + + Now these are [the records of] the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. + These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. + But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. + "They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. + "They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. + "You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. + "So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death." + Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. + "For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, + "Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number." + So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, just as he had been commanded. + These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. + These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; + and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; + and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' households. + Of Gershon [was] the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these [were] the families of the Gershonites. + Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, [even] their numbered men [were] 7,500. + The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward, + and the leader of the fathers' households of the Gershonites [was] Eliasaph the son of Lael. + Now the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting [involved] the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, + and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them. + Of Kohath [was] the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. + In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, [there were] 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. + The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, + and the leader of the fathers' households of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. + Now their duties [involved] the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service concerning them; + and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest [was] the chief of the leaders of Levi, [and had] the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary. + Of Merari [was] the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these [were] the families of Merari. + Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, [were] 6,200. + The leader of the fathers' households of the families of Merari [was] Zuriel the son of Abihail. They [were] to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. + Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari [involved] the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, + and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords. + Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death. + All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the LORD by their families, every male from a month old and upward, [were] 22,000. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names. + "You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel." + So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him; + and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD. + "For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, + you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take [them] in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), + and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons." + So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites; + from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. + Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' households, + from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. + "This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, [concerning] the most holy things. + "When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; + and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over [it] a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles. + "Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and the continual bread shall be on it. + "They shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet [material], and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skin, and they shall insert its poles. + "Then they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, along with its lamps and its snuffers, and its trays and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it; + and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of porpoise skin, and shall put it on the carrying bars. + "Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles; + and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of porpoise skin, and put them on the carrying bars. + "Then they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. + "They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of porpoise skin over it and insert its poles. + "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy [objects] and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry [them], so that they will not touch the holy [objects] and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. + "The responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light and the fragrant incense and the continual grain offering and the anointing oil-- the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites. + "But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy [objects]: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; + but they shall not go in to see the holy [objects] even for a moment, or they will die." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' households, by their families; + from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. + "This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: + they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting [with] its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, + and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform. + "All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be [performed] at the command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. + "This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their duties [shall be] under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. + "[As for] the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers' households; + from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tent of meeting. + "Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets, + and the pillars around the court and their sockets and their pegs and their cords, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign [each man] by name the items he is to carry. + "This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest." + So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers' households, + from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. + Their numbered men by their families were 2,750. + These are the numbered men of the Kohathite families, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses. + The numbered men of the sons of Gershon by their families and by their fathers' households, + from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. + Their numbered men by their families, by their fathers' households, were 2,630. + These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD. + The numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari by their families, by their fathers' households, + from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. + Their numbered men by their families were 3,200. + These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses. + All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers' households, + from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting. + Their numbered men were 8,580. + According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses, they were numbered, everyone by his serving or carrying; thus [these were] his numbered men, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a [dead] person. + "You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst." + The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the LORD had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, 'When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty, + then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give [it] to him whom he has wronged. + 'But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong [must go] to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him. + 'Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy [gifts] of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his. + 'So every man's holy [gifts] shall be his; whatever any man gives to the priest, it becomes his.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'If any man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, + and a man has intercourse with her and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is undetected, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act, + if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself, + the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring [as] an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, a reminder of iniquity. + 'Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD, + and the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel; and he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put [it] into the water. + 'The priest shall then have the woman stand before the LORD and let [the hair of] the woman's head go loose, and place the grain offering of memorial in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest is to be the water of bitterness that brings a curse. + 'The priest shall have her take an oath and shall say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray into uncleanness, [being] under [the authority of] your husband, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse; + if you, however, have gone astray, [being] under [the authority of] your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you" + (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), "the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD'S making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell; + and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away." And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen." + 'The priest shall then write these curses on a scroll, and he shall wash them off into the water of bitterness. + 'Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and [cause] bitterness. + 'The priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman's hand, and he shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar; + and the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial offering and offer [it] up in smoke on the altar, and afterward he shall make the woman drink the water. + 'When he has made her drink the water, then it shall come about, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, that the water which brings a curse will go into her and [cause] bitterness, and her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people. + 'But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will then be free and conceive children. + 'This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, [being] under [the authority of] her husband, goes astray and defiles herself, + or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then make the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply all this law to her. + 'Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.'" + + + Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, + he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. + 'All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from [the] seeds even to [the] skin. + 'All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long. + 'All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person. + 'He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. + 'All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD. + 'But if a man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his dedicated head [of hair], then he shall shave his head on the day when he becomes clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day. + 'Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. + 'The priest shall offer one for a sin offering and [the] other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him concerning his sin because of the [dead] person. And that same day he shall consecrate his head, + and shall dedicate to the LORD his days as a Nazirite, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the former days will be void because his separation was defiled. + 'Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall bring the offering to the doorway of the tent of meeting. + 'He shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering and one ewe-lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering and one ram without defect for a peace offering, + and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. + 'Then the priest shall present [them] before the LORD and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. + 'He shall also offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened cakes; the priest shall likewise offer its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'The Nazirite shall then shave his dedicated head [of hair] at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and take the dedicated hair of his head and put [it] on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. + 'The priest shall take the ram's shoulder [when it has been] boiled, and one unleavened cake out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put [them] on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his dedicated [hair]. + 'Then the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. It is holy for the priest, together with the breast offered by waving and the thigh offered by lifting up; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.' + "This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD according to his separation, in addition to what [else] he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: + The LORD bless you, and keep you; + The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; + The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.' + "So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I [then] will bless them." + + + Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also. + Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers' households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who were over the numbered men). + When they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for [every] two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented them before the tabernacle. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Accept [these things] from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and you shall give them to the Levites, [to] each man according to his service." + So Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. + Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, + and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. + But he did not give [any] to the sons of Kohath because theirs [was] the service of the holy [objects, which] they carried on the shoulder. + The leaders offered the dedication [offering] for the altar when it was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar." + Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; + and his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. + On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented [an offering]; + he presented as his offering one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar. + On the third day [it was] Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one young bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. + On the fourth day [it was] Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the sons of Reuben; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur. + On the fifth day [it was] Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. + On the sixth day [it was] Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. + On the seventh day [it was] Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the sons of Ephraim; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud. + On the eighth day [it was] Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of Manasseh; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. + On the ninth day [it was] Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the sons of Benjamin; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni. + On the tenth day [it was] Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons of Dan; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. + On the eleventh day [it was] Pagiel the son of Ochran, leader of the sons of Asher; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran. + On the twelfth day [it was] Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali; + his offering [was] one silver dish whose weight [was] one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one gold pan of ten [shekels], full of incense; + one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Ahira the son of Enan. + This [was] the dedication [offering] for the altar from the leaders of Israel when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold pans, + each silver dish [weighing] one hundred and thirty [shekels] and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the utensils [was] 2,400 [shekels], according to the shekel of the sanctuary; + the twelve gold pans, full of incense, [weighing] ten [shekels] apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans 120 [shekels]; + all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, [all] the rams twelve, the male lambs one year old with their grain offering twelve, and the male goats for a sin offering twelve; + and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, [all] the rams 60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one year old 60. This [was] the dedication [offering] for the altar after it was anointed. + Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.'" + Aaron therefore did so; he mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the LORD had showed Moses, so he made the lampstand. + Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. + "Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: [sprinkle] purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean. + "Then let them take a bull with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull you shall take for a sin offering. + "So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, + and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. + "Aaron then shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may qualify to perform the service of the LORD. + "Now the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. + "You shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the LORD. + "Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. + "Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering; + for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. + "For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. + "But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. + "I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary." + Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. + The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. + Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. + Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "This is what [applies] to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. + "But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more. + "They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they [themselves] shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations." + + + Thus the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, + "Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time. + "On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall observe it at its appointed time; you shall observe it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances." + So Moses told the sons of Israel to observe the Passover. + They observed the Passover in the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. + But there were [some] men who were unclean because of [the] dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. + Those men said to him, "[Though] we are unclean because of [the] dead person, why are we restrained from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?" + Moses therefore said to them, "Wait, and I will listen to what the LORD will command concerning you." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a [dead] person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the LORD. + 'In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. + 'They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it. + 'But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to observe the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not present the offering of the LORD at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin. + 'If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.'" + Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning. + So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it [by day], and the appearance of fire by night. + Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. + At the command of the LORD the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped. + Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep the LORD'S charge and not set out. + If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of the LORD they remained camped. Then according to the command of the LORD they set out. + If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or [if it remained] in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out. + Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out. + At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they kept the LORD'S charge, according to the command of the LORD through Moses. + + + The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying, + "Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. + "When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + "Yet if [only] one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. + "But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched on the east side shall set out. + "When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. + "When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. + "The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. + "When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies. + "Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first [days] of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God." + Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony; + and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. + So they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses. + The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah, according to their armies, set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army, + and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar; + and Eliab the son of Helon over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun. + Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out. + Next the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies, set out with Elizur the son of Shedeur, over its army, + and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai over the tribal army of the sons of Simeon, + and Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the tribal army of the sons of Gad. + Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy [objects]; and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. + Next the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim, according to their armies, was set out, with Elishama the son of Ammihud over its army, + and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur over the tribal army of the sons of Manasseh; + and Abidan the son of Gideoni over the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin. + Then the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, according to their armies, [which formed] the rear guard for all the camps, set out, with Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai over its army, + and Pagiel the son of Ochran over the tribal army of the sons of Asher; + and Ahira the son of Enan over the tribal army of the sons of Naphtali. + This was the order of march of the sons of Israel by their armies as they set out. + Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel." + But he said to him, "I will not come, but rather will go to my [own] land and relatives." + Then he said, "Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us. + "So it will be, if you go with us, that whatever good the LORD does for us, we will do for you." + Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days' journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them. + The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. + Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, "Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You." + When it came to rest, he said, "Return, O LORD, [To] the myriad thousands of Israel." + + + Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard [it], His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed [some] of the outskirts of the camp. + The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD and the fire died out. + So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them. + The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat? + "We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, + but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna." + Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. + The people would go about and gather [it] and grind [it] between two millstones or beat [it] in the mortar, and boil [it] in the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil. + When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it. + Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. + So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? + "Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers '? + "Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!' + "I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. + "So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness." + The LORD therefore said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. + "Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put [Him] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear [it] all alone. + "Say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, "Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat. + 'You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, + but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" + But Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.' + "Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?" + The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not." + So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and stationed them around the tent. + Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed [Him] upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do [it] again. + But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp. + So a young man ran and told Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." + Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, "Moses, my lord, restrain them." + But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" + Then Moses returned to the camp, [both] he and the elders of Israel. + Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and let [them] fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits [deep] on the surface of the ground. + The people spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers) and they spread [them] out for themselves all around the camp. + While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague. + So the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy. + From Kibroth-hattaavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth. + + + Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); + and they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the LORD heard it. + (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) + Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, "You three come out to the tent of meeting." So the three of them came out. + Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, + He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. + "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; + With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?" + So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. + But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam [was] leprous, as [white as] snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she [was] leprous. + Then Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account [this] sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. + "Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother's womb!" + Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "O God, heal her, I pray!" + But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again." + So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again. + Afterward, however, the people moved out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, + "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them." + So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel. + These then [were] their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; + from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; + from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; + from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; + from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; + from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; + from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; + from the tribe of Joseph, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; + from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; + from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; + from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; + from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. + These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. + When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, "Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. + "See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong [or] weak, whether they are few or many. + "How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are [they] like [open] camps or with fortifications? + "How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. + So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath. + When they had gone up into the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) + Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two [men], with some of the pomegranates and the figs. + That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from there. + When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, + they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. + Thus they told him, and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. + "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified [and] very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. + "Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan." + Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." + But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us." + So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of [great] size. + "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." + + + Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. + All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! + "Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" + So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt." + Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. + Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; + and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. + "If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us-- a land which flows with milk and honey. + "Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." + But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel. + The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? + "I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they." + But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, + and they will tell [it] to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. + "Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, + 'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.' + "But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, + 'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth [generations].' + "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." + So the LORD said, "I have pardoned [them] according to your word; + but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. + "Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, + shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. + "But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. + "Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea." + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "How long [shall I bear] with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. + "Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; + your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. + 'Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. + 'Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey-- I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. + 'But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. + 'Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer [for] your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. + 'According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, [even] forty years, and you will know My opposition. + 'I, the LORD, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.'" + As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, + even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the LORD. + But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land. + When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. + In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised." + But Moses said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD, when it will not succeed? + "Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. + "For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the LORD. And the LORD will not be with you." + But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp. + Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah. + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, + then make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the LORD, from the herd or from the flock. + 'The one who presents his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of one-tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, + and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. + 'Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil; + and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD, + then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil; + and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'Thus it shall be done for each ox, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats. + 'According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do for everyone according to their number. + 'All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he [wishes to] make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD, just as you do so he shall do. + '[As for] the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns [with you], a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before the LORD. + 'There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where I bring you, + then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the LORD. + 'Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as an offering; as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up. + 'From the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD an offering throughout your generations. + 'But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses, + [even] all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses, from the day when the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations, + then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull for a burnt offering, as a soothing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. + 'Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their error. + 'So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, for [it happened] to all the people through error. + 'Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering. + 'The priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven. + 'You shall have one law for him who does [anything] unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them. + 'But the person who does [anything] defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. + 'Because he has despised the word of the LORD and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt [will be] on him.'" + Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day. + Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation; + and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." + So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. + "It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, + so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. + "I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God." + + + Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [action], + and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. + They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" + When Moses heard [this], he fell on his face; + and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring [him] near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself. + "Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company, + and put fire in them, and lay incense upon them in the presence of the LORD tomorrow; and the man whom the LORD chooses [shall be] the one who is holy. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!" + Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi, + is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the [rest of] the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; + and that He has brought you near, [Korah], and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also? + "Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?" + Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, "We will not come up. + "Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us? + "Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!" + Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them." + Moses said to Korah, "You and all your company be present before the LORD tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron. + "Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron [shall] each [bring] his firepan." + So they each took his [own] censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. + Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly." + But they fell on their faces and said, "O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the congregation, saying, 'Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'" + Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, + and he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin." + So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out [and] stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and their sons and their little ones. + Moses said, "By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. + "If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, [then] the LORD has not sent me. + "But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD." + As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; + and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with [their] possessions. + So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. + All Israel who [were] around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us up!" + Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad. + "As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel." + So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, + as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company-- just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses. + But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD'S people." + It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. + Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, + and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly." Then they fell on their faces. + Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense [on it]; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!" + Then Aaron took [it] as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put [on] the incense and made atonement for the people. + He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. + But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah. + Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father's household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers' households. You shall write each name on his rod, + and write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head [of each] of their fathers' households. + "You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. + "It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you." + Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers' households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods. + So Moses deposited the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. + Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. + Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the LORD to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod. + But the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die." + Thus Moses did; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did. + Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying! + "Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, must die. Are we to perish completely?" + + + So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood. + "But bring with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. + "And they shall thus attend to your obligation and the obligation of all the tent, but they shall not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die. + "They shall be joined with you and attend to the obligations of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you. + "So you shall attend to the obligations of the sanctuary and the obligations of the altar, so that there will no longer be wrath on the sons of Israel. + "Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting. + "But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death." + Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, "Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment. + "This shall be yours from the most holy [gifts reserved] from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. + "As the most holy [gifts] you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you. + "This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. + "All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you. + "The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. + "Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. + "Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. + "As to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. + "But the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke [as] an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the LORD. + "Their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh. + "All the offerings of the holy [gifts], which the sons of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD to you and your descendants with you." + Then the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. + "To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. + "The sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die. + "Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance. + "For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, 'They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.'" + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. + 'Your offering shall be reckoned to you as the grain from the threshing floor or the full produce from the wine vat. + 'So you shall also present an offering to the LORD from your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give the LORD'S offering to Aaron the priest. + 'Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.' + "You shall say to them, 'When you have offered from it the best of it, then [the rest] shall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat. + 'You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your compensation in return for your service in the tent of meeting. + 'You will bear no sin by reason of it when you have offered the best of it. But you shall not profane the sacred gifts of the sons of Israel, or you will die.'" + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect [and] on which a yoke has never been placed. + 'You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence. + 'Next Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. + 'Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned. + 'The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet [material] and cast it into the midst of the burning heifer. + 'The priest shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward come into the camp, but the priest shall be unclean until evening. + 'The one who burns it shall also wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening. + 'Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin. + 'The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; and it shall be a perpetual statute to the sons of Israel and to the alien who sojourns among them. + 'The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days. + 'That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, [and then] he will be clean; but if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. + 'Anyone who touches a corpse, the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him. + 'This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean for seven days. + 'Every open vessel, which has no covering tied down on it, shall be unclean. + 'Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has died [naturally], or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days. + 'Then for the unclean [person] they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel. + 'A clean person shall take hyssop and dip [it] in the water, and sprinkle [it] on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one slain or the one dying [naturally] or the grave. + 'Then the clean [person] shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe [himself] in water and shall be clean by evening. + 'But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself from uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD; the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean. + 'So it shall be a perpetual statute for them. And he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. + 'Furthermore, anything that the unclean [person] touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches [it] shall be unclean until evening.'" + + + Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there. + There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. + The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! + "Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? + "Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink." + Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them; + and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." + So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; + and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" + Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. + But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." + Those [were] the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them. + From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: "Thus your brother Israel has said, 'You know all the hardship that has befallen us; + that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. + 'But when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. + 'Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king's highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.'" + Edom, however, said to him, "You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword against you." + Again, the sons of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing [else]." + But he said, "You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand. + Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him. + Now when they set out from Kadesh, the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, + "Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. + "Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor; + and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered [to his people], and will die there." + So Moses did just as the LORD had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. + After Moses had stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. + When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. + + + When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. + So Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, "If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities." + The LORD heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah. + Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. + The people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." + The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. + So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery [serpent], and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." + And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. + Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth. + They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, to the east. + From there they set out and camped in Wadi Zered. + From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. + Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah, And the wadis of the Arnon, + And the slope of the wadis That extends to the site of Ar, And leans to the border of Moab." + From there [they continued] to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Assemble the people, that I may give them water." + Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it! + "The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter [and] with their staffs." And from the wilderness [they continued] to Mattanah, + and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, + and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the wasteland. + Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, + "Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king's highway until we have passed through your border." + But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. + Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon [was] Jazer. + Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages. + For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. + Therefore those who use proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established. + "For a fire went forth from Heshbon, A flame from the town of Sihon; It devoured Ar of Moab, The dominant heights of the Arnon. + "Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, To an Amorite king, Sihon. + "But we have cast them down, Heshbon is ruined as far as Dibon, Then we have laid waste even to Nophah, Which [reaches] to Medeba." + Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. + Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who [were] there. + Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei. + But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." + So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land. + + + Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan [opposite] Jericho. + Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. + So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. + Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. + So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, [in] the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. + "Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed." + So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the [fees for] divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak's words to him. + He said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. + Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" + Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent [word] to me, + 'Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.'" + God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." + So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak's leaders, "Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." + The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us." + Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former. + They came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; + for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.'" + Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God. + "Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me." + God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up [and] go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do." + So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. + But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. + When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way. + Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, [with] a wall on this side and a wall on that side. + When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall, so he struck her again. + The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. + When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. + And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" + Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now." + The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No." + Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. + The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. + "But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live." + Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back." + But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you." So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak. + When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, at the extreme end of the border. + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?" + So Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak." + And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. + Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent [some] to Balaam and the leaders who were with him. + Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there a portion of the people. + + + Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here." + Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. + Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you." So he went to a bare hill. + Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar." + Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus." + So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab. + He took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, Moab's king from the mountains of the East, 'Come curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!' + "How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? + "As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people [who] dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations. + "Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my end be like his!" + Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!" + He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?" + Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there." + So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on [each] altar. + And he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet [the LORD] over there." + Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." + He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" + Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor! + "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? + "Behold, I have received [a command] to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it. + "He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them. + "God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox. + "For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done! + "Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain." + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!" + But Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not tell you, 'Whatever the LORD speaks, that I must do '?" + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there." + So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland. + Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here." + Balak did just as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on [each] altar. + + + When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. + And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. + He took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened; + The oracle of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered, + How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! + "Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters. + "Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed [will be] by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. + "God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations [who are] his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter [them] with his arrows. + "He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you." + Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times! + "Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor." + Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, + 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the LORD, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak '? + "And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, [and] I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come." + He took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, + The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered. + "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth. + "Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly. + "One from Jacob shall have dominion, And will destroy the remnant from the city." + And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end [shall be] destruction." + And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, "Your dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff. + "Nevertheless Kain will be consumed; How long will Asshur keep you captive?" + Then he took up his discourse and said, "Alas, who can live except God has ordained it? + "But ships [shall come] from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber; So they also [will come] to destruction." + Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way. + + + While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. + For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. + So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel. + The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." + So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." + Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, + and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. + Those who died by the plague were 24,000. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. + "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; + and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'" + Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites. + The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them; + for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor." + + + Then it came about after the plague, that the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, + "Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' households, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel." + So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, + "[Take a census of the people] from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD has commanded Moses." Now the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt [were]: + Reuben, Israel's firstborn, the sons of Reuben: [of] Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; + of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. + These are the families of the Reubenites, and those who were numbered of them were 43,730. + The son of Pallu: Eliab. + The sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD, + and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, so that they became a warning. + The sons of Korah, however, did not die. + The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; + of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. + These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200. + The sons of Gad according to their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; + of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; + of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. + These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, 40,500. + The sons of Judah [were] Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. + The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. + The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. + These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, 76,500. + The sons of Issachar according to their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; + of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. + These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, 64,300. + The sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. + These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, 60,500. + The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. + The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead: of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. + These are the sons of Gilead: [of] Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; + and [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; + and [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and [of] Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. + Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. + These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were 52,700. + These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. + These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. + These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families. + The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; + of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. + The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. + These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were 45,600. + These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. + All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were 64,400. + The sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. + Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. + The name of the daughter of Asher [was] Serah. + These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, 53,400. + The sons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; + of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. + These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were 45,400. + These are those who were numbered of the sons of Israel, 601,730. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Among these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. + "To the larger [group] you shall increase their inheritance, and to the smaller [group] you shall diminish their inheritance; each shall be given their inheritance according to those who were numbered of them. + "But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. + "According to the selection by lot, their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller [groups]." + These are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. + These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. + The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram: Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. + To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD. + Those who were numbered of them were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel since no inheritance was given to them among the sons of Israel. + These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. + But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. + For the LORD had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. + + + Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah. + They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, saying, + "Our father died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. + "Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers." + So Moses brought their case before the LORD. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "The daughters of Zelophehad are right in [their] statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father's brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them. + "Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. + 'If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. + 'If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. + 'If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.'" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. + "When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was; + for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) + Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, + "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, + who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd." + So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; + and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. + "You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey [him]. + "Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, [both] he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation." + Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. + Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.' + "You shall say to them, 'This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs one year old without defect [as] a continual burnt offering every day. + 'You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; + also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. + 'It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. + 'Then the drink offering with it [shall be] a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. + 'The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. + 'Then on the sabbath day two male lambs one year old without defect, and two-tenths [of an] [ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering: + '[This is] the burnt offering of every sabbath in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. + 'Then at the beginning of each of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect; + and three-tenths [of an] [ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for the one ram; + and a tenth [of an] [ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering for each lamb, for a burnt offering of a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. + 'Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. + 'And one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering. + 'Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD'S Passover. + 'On the fifteenth day of this month [shall be] a feast, unleavened bread [shall be] eaten for seven days. + 'On the first day [shall be] a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. + 'You shall present an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram and seven male lambs one year old, having them without defect. + 'For their grain offering, you shall offer fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths [of an] [ephah] for a bull and two-tenths for the ram. + 'A tenth [of an] [ephah] you shall offer for each of the seven lambs; + and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you. + 'You shall present these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. + 'After this manner you shall present daily, for seven days, the food of the offering by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD; it shall be presented with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering. + 'On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. + 'Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the LORD in your [Feast of] Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. + 'You shall offer a burnt offering for a soothing aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old; + and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths [of an] [ephah] for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, + a tenth for each of the seven lambs; + [also] one male goat to make atonement for you. + 'Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present [them] with their drink offerings. They shall be without defect. + + + 'Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets. + 'You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, [and] seven male lambs one year old without defect; + also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths [of an] [ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, + and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. + '[Offer] one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, + besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. + 'Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work. + 'You shall present a burnt offering to the LORD [as] a soothing aroma: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old, having them without defect; + and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths [of an] [ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, + a tenth for each of the seven lambs; + one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. + 'Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days. + 'You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a soothing aroma to the LORD: thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old, which are without defect; + and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths [of an] [ephah] for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, + and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'Then on the second day: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; + and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. + 'Then on the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; + and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'Then on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; + their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; + and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'Then on the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; + and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offerings. + 'Then on the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; + and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work. + 'But you shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect; + their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; + and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. + 'You shall present these to the LORD at your appointed times, besides your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for your grain offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings.'" + Moses spoke to the sons of Israel in accordance with all that the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the word which the LORD has commanded. + "If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. + "Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father's house in her youth, + and her father hears her vow and her obligation by which she has bound herself, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand. + "But if her father should forbid her on the day he hears [of it], none of her vows or her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the LORD will forgive her because her father had forbidden her. + "However, if she should marry while under her vows or the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself, + and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears [it], then her vows shall stand and her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand. + "But if on the day her husband hears [of it], he forbids her, then he shall annul her vow which she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself; and the LORD will forgive her. + "But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, everything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. + "However, if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound herself by an obligation with an oath, + and her husband heard [it], but said nothing to her [and] did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she bound herself shall stand. + "But if her husband indeed annuls them on the day he hears [them], then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the obligation of herself shall not stand; her husband has annulled them, and the LORD will forgive her. + "Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself, her husband may confirm it or her husband may annul it. + "But if her husband indeed says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her obligations which are on her; he has confirmed them, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them. + "But if he indeed annuls them after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt." + These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses, [as] between a man and his wife, [and as] between a father and his daughter, [while she is] in her youth in her father's house. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people." + Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian. + "A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war." + So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. + Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. + So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. + They killed the kings of Midian along with the [rest of] their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. + The sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered. + Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire. + They took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast. + They brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan [opposite] Jericho. + Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. + Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. + And Moses said to them, "Have you spared all the women? + "Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD. + "Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. + "But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves. + "And you, camp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day. + "You shall purify for yourselves every garment and every article of leather and all the work of goats' [hair], and all articles of wood." + Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, "This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: + only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead, + everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water. + "And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may enter the camp." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' [households] of the congregation take a count of the booty that was captured, both of man and of animal; + and divide the booty between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. + "Levy a tax for the LORD from the men of war who went out to battle, one in five hundred of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep; + take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest, as an offering to the LORD. + "From the sons of Israel's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys and of the sheep, from all the animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD." + Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Now the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered was 675,000 sheep, + and 72,000 cattle, + and 61,000 donkeys, + and of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately, all the persons were 32,000. + The half, the portion of those who went out to war, was [as follows]: the number of sheep was 337,500, + and the LORD'S levy of the sheep was 675; + and the cattle were 36,000, from which the LORD'S levy was 72; + and the donkeys were 30,500, from which the LORD'S levy was 61; + and the human beings were 16,000, from whom the LORD'S levy was 32 persons. + Moses gave the levy [which was] the LORD'S offering to Eleazar the priest, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + As for the sons of Israel's half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war-- + now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, + and 36,000 cattle, + and 30,500 donkeys, + and the human beings were 16,000-- + and from the sons of Israel's half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animals, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, approached Moses, + and they said to Moses, "Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge, and no man of us is missing. + "So we have brought as an offering to the LORD what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." + Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all kinds of wrought articles. + All the gold of the offering which they offered up to the LORD, from the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels. + The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. + So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it to the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD. + + + Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had an exceedingly large number of livestock. So when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that it was indeed a place suitable for livestock, + the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, + "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon, + the land which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." + They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan." + But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here? + "Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the LORD has given them? + "This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. + "For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them. + "So the LORD'S anger burned in that day, and He swore, saying, + 'None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, + except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully.' + "So the LORD'S anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed. + "Now behold, you have risen up in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to add still more to the burning anger of the LORD against Israel. + "For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people." + Then they came near to him and said, "We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones; + but we ourselves will be armed ready [to go] before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. + "We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance. + "For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east." + So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, + and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven His enemies out from before Him, + and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you shall return and be free of obligation toward the LORD and toward Israel, and this land shall be yours for a possession before the LORD. + "But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. + "Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and sheepfolds for your sheep, and do what you have promised." + The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, "Your servants will do just as my lord commands. + "Our little ones, our wives, our livestock and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead; + while your servants, everyone who is armed for war, will cross over in the presence of the LORD to battle, just as my lord says." + So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' [households] of the tribes of the sons of Israel. + Moses said to them, "If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, everyone who is armed for battle, will cross with you over the Jordan in the presence of the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; + but if they will not cross over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." + The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, saying, "As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do. + "We ourselves will cross over armed in the presence of the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance [shall remain] with us across the Jordan." + So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Joseph's son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities with [their] territories, the cities of the surrounding land. + The sons of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, + and Atroth-shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, + and Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and sheepfolds for sheep. + The sons of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kiriathaim, + and Nebo and Baal-meon-- [their] names being changed-- and Sibmah, and they gave [other] names to the cities which they built. + The sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. + So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. + Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth-jair. + Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah after his own name. + + + These are the journeys of the sons of Israel, by which they came out from the land of Egypt by their armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. + Moses recorded their starting places according to their journeys by the command of the LORD, and these are their journeys according to their starting places. + They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel started out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians, + while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the LORD had struck down among them. The LORD had also executed judgments on their gods. + Then the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth. + They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. + They journeyed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. + They journeyed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. + They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. + They journeyed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. + They journeyed from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. + They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. + They journeyed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. + They journeyed from Alush and camped at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink. + They journeyed from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. + They journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. + They journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. + They journeyed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. + They journeyed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. + They journeyed from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. + They journeyed from Libnah and camped at Rissah. + They journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. + They journeyed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. + They journeyed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. + They journeyed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. + They journeyed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. + They journeyed from Tahath and camped at Terah. + They journeyed from Terah and camped at Mithkah. + They journeyed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. + They journeyed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. + They journeyed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. + They journeyed from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. + They journeyed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. + They journeyed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. + They journeyed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. + They journeyed from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh. + They journeyed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom. + Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come from the land of Egypt, on the first [day] in the fifth month. + Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. + Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the sons of Israel. + Then they journeyed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. + They journeyed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. + They journeyed from Punon and camped at Oboth. + They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, at the border of Moab. + They journeyed from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. + They journeyed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. + They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. + They journeyed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [opposite] Jericho. + They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [opposite] Jericho, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; + and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. + 'You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. + 'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them [will become] as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. + 'And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.'" + + + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, [even the] land of Canaan according to its borders. + 'Your southern sector shall extend from the wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom, and your southern border shall extend from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. + 'Then your border shall turn [direction] from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim and continue to Zin, and its termination shall be to the south of Kadesh-barnea; and it shall reach Hazaraddar and continue to Azmon. + 'The border shall turn [direction] from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its termination shall be at the sea. + 'As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea, that is, [its] coastline; this shall be your west border. + 'And this shall be your north border: you shall draw your [border] line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor. + 'You shall draw a line from Mount Hor to the Lebo-hamath, and the termination of the border shall be at Zedad; + and the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and its termination shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your north border. + 'For your eastern border you shall also draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham, + and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down and reach to the slope on the east side of the Sea of Chinnereth. + 'And the border shall go down to the Jordan and its termination shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders all around.'" + So Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the land that you are to apportion by lot among you as a possession, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes. + "For the tribe of the sons of Reuben have received [theirs] according to their fathers' households, and the tribe of the sons of Gad according to their fathers' households, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their possession. + "The two and a half tribes have received their possession across the Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrising." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "These are the names of the men who shall apportion the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. + "You shall take one leader of every tribe to apportion the land for inheritance. + "These are the names of the men: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud. + "Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli. + "Of the sons of Joseph: of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel the son of Ephod. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Issachar a leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Asher a leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. + "Of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud." + These are those whom the LORD commanded to apportion the inheritance to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan. + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [opposite] Jericho, saying, + "Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. + "The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts. + "The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites [shall extend] from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around. + "You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities. + "The cities which you shall give to the Levites [shall be] the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. + "All the cities which you shall give to the Levites [shall be] forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands. + "As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits." + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there. + 'The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial. + 'The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. + 'You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. + 'These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there. + 'But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. + 'If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and [as a result] he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. + 'Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and [as a result] he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. + 'The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. + 'If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and [as a result] he died, + or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and [as a result] he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. + 'But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait, + or with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury, + then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. + 'The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. + 'But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee, + and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood + because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession. + 'These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. + 'If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. + 'Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. + 'You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. + 'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. + 'You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.'" + + + And the heads of the fathers' [households] of the family of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers' [households] of the sons of Israel, + and they said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land by lot to the sons of Israel as an inheritance, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. + "But if they marry one of the sons of the [other] tribes of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of our fathers and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; thus it will be withdrawn from our allotted inheritance. + "When the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; so their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers." + Then Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, "The tribe of the sons of Joseph are right in [their] statements. + "This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father.' + "Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. + "Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. + "Thus no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of the sons of Israel shall each hold to his own inheritance." + Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did: + Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad married their uncles' sons. + They married [those] from the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of the family of their father. + These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [opposite] Jericho. + + + + + These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab. + It is eleven days' [journey] from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. + In the fortieth year, on the first [day] of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the LORD had commanded him [to give] to them, + after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. + Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law, saying, + "The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. + 'Turn and set your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. + 'See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.' + "I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I am not able to bear [the burden] of you alone. + 'The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number. + 'May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand-fold more than you are and bless you, just as He has promised you! + 'How can I alone bear the load and burden of you and your strife? + 'Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.' + "You answered me and said, 'The thing which you have said to do is good.' + "So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over you, leaders of thousands and of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and officers for your tribes. + "Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear [the cases] between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. + 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.' + "I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do. + "Then we set out from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the LORD our God had commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. + "I said to you, 'You have come to the hill country of the Amorites which the LORD our God is about to give us. + 'See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.' + "Then all of you approached me and said, 'Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter.' + "The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe. + "They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol and spied it out. + "Then they took [some] of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought us back a report and said, 'It is a good land which the LORD our God is about to give us.' + "Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; + and you grumbled in your tents and said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. + 'Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, "The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there."' + "Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor fear them. + 'The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, + and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.' + "But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, + who goes before you on [your] way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go. + "Then the LORD heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, + 'Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers, + except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully.' + "The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, 'Not even you shall enter there. + 'Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there; encourage him, for he will cause Israel to inherit it. + 'Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it. + 'But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.' + "Then you said to me, 'We have sinned against the LORD; we will indeed go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.' And every man of you girded on his weapons of war, and regarded it as easy to go up into the hill country. + "And the LORD said to me, 'Say to them, "Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies."' + "So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. Instead you rebelled against the command of the LORD, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country. + "The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah. + "Then you returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD did not listen to your voice nor give ear to you. + "So you remained in Kadesh many days, the days that you spent [there]. + + + "Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days. + "And the LORD spoke to me, saying, + 'You have circled this mountain long enough. [Now] turn north, + and command the people, saying, "You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; + do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even [as little as] a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. + "You shall buy food from them with money so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with money so that you may drink. + "For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing."' + "So we passed beyond our brothers the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road, away from Elath and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed through by the way of the wilderness of Moab. + "Then the LORD said to me, 'Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession. + (The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim. + Like the Anakim, they are also regarded as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. + The Horites formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the LORD gave to them.) + 'Now arise and cross over the brook Zered yourselves.' So we crossed over the brook Zered. + "Now the time that it took for us to come from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. + "Moreover the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished. + "So it came about when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, + that the LORD spoke to me, saying, + 'Today you shall cross over Ar, the border of Moab. + 'When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession.' + (It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim, [for] Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin, + a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, but the LORD destroyed them before them. And they dispossessed them and settled in their place, + just as He did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them; they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day. + And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.) + 'Arise, set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle. + 'This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you.' + "So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, + 'Let me pass through your land, I will travel only on the highway; I will not turn aside to the right or to the left. + 'You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot, + just as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God is giving to us.' + "But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as [he is] today. + "The LORD said to me, 'See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.' + "Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz. + "The LORD our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people. + "So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor. + "We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured. + "From Aroer which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon and [from] the city which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for us; the LORD our God delivered all over to us. + "Only you did not go near to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us. + + + "Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. + "But the LORD said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' + "So the LORD our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left. + "We captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. + "All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. + "We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. + "But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty. + "Thus we took the land at that time from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon + (Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir): + all the cities of the plateau and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. + (For only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was an iron bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its length was nine cubits and its width four cubits by ordinary cubit.) + "So we took possession of this land at that time. From Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites. + "The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob (concerning all Bashan, it is called the land of Rephaim. + Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called it, [that is], Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, [as it is] to this day.) + "To Machir I gave Gilead. + "To the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead even as far as the valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley as a border and as far as the river Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; + the Arabah also, with the Jordan as [a] border, from Chinnereth even as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah on the east. + "Then I commanded you at that time, saying, 'The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; all you valiant men shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel. + 'But your wives and your little ones and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in your cities which I have given you, + until the LORD gives rest to your fellow countrymen as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God will give them beyond the Jordan. Then you may return every man to his possession which I have given you.' + "I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, 'Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. + 'Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.' + "I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, + 'O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? + 'Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.' + "But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, 'Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. + 'Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see [it] with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. + 'But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.' + "So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor. + + + "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. + "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. + "Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the LORD your God has destroyed them from among you. + "But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you. + "See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. + "So keep and do [them], for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' + "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? + "Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? + "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. + "[Remember] the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.' + "You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the [very] heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud and thick gloom. + "Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form-- only a voice. + "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, [that is], the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. + "The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it. + "So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, + so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, + the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, + the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth. + "And [beware] not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. + "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today. + "Now the LORD was angry with me on your account, and swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. + "For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land. + "So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything [against] which the LORD your God has commanded you. + "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. + "When you become the father of children and children's children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God [so as] to provoke Him to anger, + I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. + "The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you. + "There you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. + "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find [Him] if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. + "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. + "For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. + "Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and [inquire] from one end of the heavens to the other. Has [anything] been done like this great thing, or has [anything] been heard like it? + "Has [any] people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard [it], and survived? + "Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within [another] nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? + "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him. + "Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. + "Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, + driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in [and] to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today. + "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. + "So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time." + Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east, + that a manslayer might flee there, who unintentionally slew his neighbor without having enmity toward him in time past; and by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: + Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. + Now this is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel; + these are the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when they came out from Egypt, + across the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel defeated when they came out from Egypt. + They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, [who were] across the Jordan to the east, + from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), + with all the Arabah across the Jordan to the east, even as far as the sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah. + + + Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. + "The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. + "The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, [with] all those of us alive here today. + "The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, + [while] I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, + 'I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + 'You shall have no other gods before Me. + 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, [or] any likeness [of] what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. + 'You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth [generations] of those who hate Me, + but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. + 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. + 'Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. + 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work, + but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. + 'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. + 'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you. + 'You shall not murder. + 'You shall not commit adultery. + 'You shall not steal. + 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. + 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.' + "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, [of] the cloud and [of] the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. + "And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. + "You said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. + 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we will die. + 'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we [have], and lived? + 'Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do [it].' + "The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. + 'Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! + 'Go, say to them, "Return to your tents." + 'But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe [them] in the land which I give them to possess.' + "So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. + "You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong [your] days in the land which you will possess. + + + "Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded [me] to teach you, that you might do [them] in the land where you are going over to possess it, + so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. + "O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do [it], that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, [in] a land flowing with milk and honey. + "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! + "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. + "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. + You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. + "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. + "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. + "Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, + and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, + then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + "You shall fear [only] the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. + "You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, + for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. + "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested [Him] at Massah. + "You should diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you. + "You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to [give] your fathers, + by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken. + "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What [do] the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments [mean] which the LORD our God commanded you?' + then you shall say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand. + 'Moreover, the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; + He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.' + "So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as [it is] today. + "It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us. + + + "When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, + and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. + "Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. + "For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. + "But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their [sacred] pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire. + "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. + "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, + but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. + "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; + but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. + "Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them. + "Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers. + "He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. + "You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle. + "The LORD will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you. + "You shall consume all the peoples whom the LORD your God will deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them, nor shall you serve their gods, for that [would be] a snare to you. + "If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?' + you shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: + the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. + "Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you perish. + "You shall not dread them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. + "The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you. + "But the LORD your God will deliver them before you, and will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. + "He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. + "The graven images of their gods you are to burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. + "You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and like it come under the ban; you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is something banned. + + + "All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore [to give] to your forefathers. + "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. + "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. + "Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. + "Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. + "Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. + "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; + a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; + a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. + "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. + "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; + otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived [in them], + and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, + then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + "He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, [with its] fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. + "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. + "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' + "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as [it is] this day. + "It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. + "Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God. + + + "Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven, + a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard [it said], 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' + "Know therefore today that it is the LORD your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the LORD has spoken to you. + "Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,' but [it is] because of the wickedness of these nations [that] the LORD is dispossessing them before you. + "It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but [it is] because of the wickedness of these nations [that] the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + "Know, then, [it is] not because of your righteousness [that] the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. + "Remember, do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD. + "Even at Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, and the LORD was so angry with you that He would have destroyed you. + "When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the LORD had made with you, then I remained on the mountain forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water. + "The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them [were] all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. + "It came about at the end of forty days and nights that the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. + "Then the LORD said to me, 'Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves.' + "The LORD spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people. + 'Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.' + "So I turned and came down from the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. + "And I saw that you had indeed sinned against the LORD your God. You had made for yourselves a molten calf; you had turned aside quickly from the way which the LORD had commanded you. + "I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands and smashed them before your eyes. + "I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger. + "For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the LORD was wrathful against you in order to destroy you, but the LORD listened to me that time also. + "The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed for Aaron at the same time. + "I took your sinful [thing], the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that came down from the mountain. + "Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. + "When the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and possess the land which I have given you,' then you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; you neither believed Him nor listened to His voice. + "You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day I knew you. + "So I fell down before the LORD the forty days and nights, which I did because the LORD had said He would destroy you. + "I prayed to the LORD and said, 'O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. + 'Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look at the stubbornness of this people or at their wickedness or their sin. + 'Otherwise the land from which You brought us may say, "Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which He had promised them and because He hated them He has brought them out to slay them in the wilderness." + 'Yet they are Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have brought out by Your great power and Your outstretched arm.' + + + "At that time the LORD said to me, 'Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. + 'I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.' + "So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. + "He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me. + "Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the LORD commanded me." + (Now the sons of Israel set out from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died and there he was buried and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place. + From there they set out to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. + At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. + Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God spoke to him.) + "I, moreover, stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the LORD listened to me that time also; the LORD was not willing to destroy you. + "Then the LORD said to me, 'Arise, proceed on your journey ahead of the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.' + "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, + [and] to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? + "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. + "Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, [even] you above all peoples, as [it is] this day. + "So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. + "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. + "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. + "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. + "You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. + "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. + "Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons [in all], and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. + + + "You shall therefore love the LORD your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments. + "Know this day that I [am] not [speaking] with your sons who have not known and who have not seen the discipline of the LORD your God-- His greatness, His mighty hand and His outstretched arm, + and His signs and His works which He did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land; + and what He did to Egypt's army, to its horses and its chariots, when He made the water of the Red Sea to engulf them while they were pursuing you, and the LORD completely destroyed them; + and what He did to you in the wilderness until you came to this place; + and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, among all Israel-- + but your own eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD which He did. + "You shall therefore keep every commandment which I am commanding you today, so that you may be strong and go in and possess the land into which you are about to cross to possess it; + so that you may prolong [your] days on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. + "For the land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden. + "But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, + a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year. + "It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, + that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. + "He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. + "Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. + "Or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you. + "You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. + "You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. + "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, + so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens [remain] above the earth. + "For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him, + then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. + "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, [and] from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea. + "No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you. + "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: + the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; + and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known. + "It shall come about, when the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. + "Are they not across the Jordan, west of the way toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? + "For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall possess it and live in it, + and you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am setting before you today. + + + "These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. + "You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. + "You shall tear down their altars and smash their [sacred] pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. + "You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. + "But you shall seek [the LORD] at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. + "There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. + "There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you. + "You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man [doing] whatever is right in his own eyes; + for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. + "When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around [you] so that you live in security, + then it shall come about that the place in which the LORD your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to the LORD. + "And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. + "Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every [cultic] place you see, + but in the place which the LORD chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. + "However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer. + "Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water. + "You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand. + "But you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all your undertakings. + "Be careful that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. + "When the LORD your God extends your border as He has promised you, and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you desire to eat meat, [then] you may eat meat, whatever you desire. + "If the place which the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter of your herd and flock which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates whatever you desire. + "Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you will eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. + "Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. + "You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. + "You shall not eat it, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of the LORD. + "Only your holy things which you may have and your votive offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the LORD chooses. + "And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you shall eat the flesh. + "Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. + "When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, + beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?' + "You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. + "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. + + + "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, + and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' + you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. + "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. + "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you. + "If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods ' (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, + of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), + you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. + "But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. + "So you shall stone him to death because he has sought to seduce you from the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you. + "If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you to live in, [anyone] saying [that] + some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods ' (whom you have not known), + then you shall investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly. If it is true [and] the matter established that this abomination has been done among you, + you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword. + "Then you shall gather all its booty into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its booty with fire as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. + "Nothing from that which is put under the ban shall cling to your hand, in order that the LORD may turn from His burning anger and show mercy to you, and have compassion on you and make you increase, just as He has sworn to your fathers, + if you will listen to the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God. + + + "You are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead. + "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. + "You shall not eat any detestable thing. + "These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, + the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. + "Any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof split in two [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. + "Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you. + "The pig, because it divides the hoof but [does] not [chew] the cud, it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses. + "These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat, + but anything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. + "You may eat any clean bird. + "But these are the ones which you shall not eat: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, + and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds, + and every raven in its kind, + and the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, and the hawk in their kinds, + the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, + the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, + the stork, and the heron in their kinds, and the hoopoe and the bat. + "And all the teeming life with wings are unclean to you; they shall not be eaten. + "You may eat any clean bird. + "You shall not eat anything which dies [of itself]. You may give it to the alien who is in your town, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. + "You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. + "You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. + "If the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring [the tithe], since the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you, + then you shall exchange [it] for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. + "You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. + "Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is in your town, for he has no portion or inheritance among you. + "At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit [it] in your town. + "The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. + + + "At the end of [every] seven years you shall grant a remission [of debts]. + "This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD'S remission has been proclaimed. + "From a foreigner you may exact [it], but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. + "However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, + if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. + "For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. + "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; + but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need [in] whatever he lacks. + "Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. + "You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. + "For the poor will never cease [to be] in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.' + "If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free. + "When you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. + "You shall furnish him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. + "You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. + "It shall come about if he says to you, 'I will not go out from you,' because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; + then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant. + "It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has given you six years [with] double the service of a hired man; so the LORD your God will bless you in whatever you do. + "You shall consecrate to the LORD your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. + "You and your household shall eat it every year before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses. + "But if it has any defect, [such as] lameness or blindness, [or] any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. + "You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike [may eat it], as a gazelle or a deer. + "Only you shall not eat its blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water. + + + "Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. + "You shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to establish His name. + "You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. + "For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. + "You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which the LORD your God is giving you; + but at the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. + "You shall cook and eat [it] in the place which the LORD your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. + "Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God; you shall do no work [on it]. + "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. + "Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the LORD your God blesses you; + and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name. + "You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. + "You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; + and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns. + "Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. + "Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. + "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you. + "You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. + "You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. + "Justice, [and only] justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you. + "You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make for yourself. + "You shall not set up for yourself a [sacred] pillar which the LORD your God hates. + + + "You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep which has a blemish [or] any defect, for that is a detestable thing to the LORD your God. + "If there is found in your midst, in any of your towns, which the LORD your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, by transgressing His covenant, + and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, + and if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the thing certain that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, + then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed to your gates, [that is], the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death. + "On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. + "The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + "If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses. + "So you shall come to the Levitical priest or the judge who is [in office] in those days, and you shall inquire [of them] and they will declare to you the verdict in the case. + "You shall do according to the terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the LORD chooses; and you shall be careful to observe according to all that they teach you. + "According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left. + "The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, nor to the judge, that man shall die; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. + "Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act presumptuously again. + "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' + you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, [one] from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. + "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' + "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. + "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. + "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, + that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. + + + "The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the LORD'S offerings by fire and His portion. + "They shall have no inheritance among their countrymen; the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them. + "Now this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep, of which they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. + "You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep. + "For the LORD your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the LORD forever. + "Now if a Levite comes from any of your towns throughout Israel where he resides, and comes whenever he desires to the place which the LORD chooses, + then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD. + "They shall eat equal portions, except [what they receive] from the sale of their fathers' [estates]. + "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. + "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, + or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. + "For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. + "You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. + "For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you [to do] so. + "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. + "This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.' + "The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well. + 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. + 'It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require [it] of him. + 'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' + "You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' + "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. + + + "When the LORD your God cuts off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses, + you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess. + "You shall prepare the roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the LORD your God will give you as a possession, so that any manslayer may flee there. + "Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously-- + as when [a man] goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron [head] slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies-- he may flee to one of these cities and live; + otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. + "Therefore, I command you, saying, 'You shall set aside three cities for yourself.' + "If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give your fathers-- + if you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in His ways always-- then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. + "So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you. + "But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, + then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. + "You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you. + "You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess. + "A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. + "If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, + then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be [in office] in those days. + "The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness [and] he has accused his brother falsely, + then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. + "The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. + "Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. + + + "When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots [and] people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. + "When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. + "He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, + for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.' + "The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, 'Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. + 'Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. + 'And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.' + "Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.' + "When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people. + "When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace. + "If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you. + "However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. + "When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword. + "Only the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the LORD your God has given you. + "Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby. + "Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. + "But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you, + so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God. + "When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you? + "Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls. + + + "If a slain person is found lying in the open country in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess, [and] it is not known who has struck him, + then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure [the distance] to the cities which are around the slain one. + "It shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke; + and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. + "Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them. + "All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; + and they shall answer and say, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see [it]. + 'Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O LORD, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.' And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them. + "So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the LORD. + "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take them away captive, + and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her and would take her as a wife for yourself, + then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails. + "She shall also remove the clothes of her captivity and shall remain in your house, and mourn her father and mother a full month; and after that you may go in to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. + "It shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you shall let her go wherever she wishes; but you shall certainly not sell her for money, you shall not mistreat her, because you have humbled her. + "If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and [both] the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, + then it shall be in the day he wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn. + "But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn. + "If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, + then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. + "They shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' + "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear [of it] and fear. + "If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, + his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. + + + "You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman. + "If your countryman is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall remain with you until your countryman looks for it; then you shall restore it to him. + "Thus you shall do with his donkey, and you shall do the same with his garment, and you shall do likewise with anything lost by your countryman, which he has lost and you have found. You are not allowed to neglect [them]. + "You shall not see your countryman's donkey or his ox fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly help him to raise [them] up. + "A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God. + "If you happen to come upon a bird's nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; + you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. + "When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it. + "You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the vineyard will become defiled. + "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. + "You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together. + "You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself. + "If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and [then] turns against her, + and charges her with shameful deeds and publicly defames her, and says, 'I took this woman, [but] when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,' + then the girl's father and her mother shall take and bring out the [evidence] of the girl's virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. + "The girl's father shall say to the elders, 'I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; + and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, "I did not find your daughter a virgin." But this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. + "So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, + and they shall fine him a hundred [shekels] of silver and give it to the girl's father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days. + "But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, + then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you. + "If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. + "If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and [another] man finds her in the city and lies with her, + then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. + "But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. + "But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. + "When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her. + "If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, + then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl's father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days. + "A man shall not take his father's wife so that he will not uncover his father's skirt. + + + "No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD. + "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his [descendants], even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD. + "No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their [descendants], even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, + because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. + "Nevertheless, the LORD your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the LORD your God loves you. + "You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days. + "You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land. + "The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD. + "When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. + "If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp. + "But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp. + "You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, + and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement. + "Since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you. + "You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. + "He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him. + "None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute. + "You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any votive offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God. + "You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, [or] anything that may be loaned at interest. + "You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess. + "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. + "However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. + "You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised. + "When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket. + "When you enter your neighbor's standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor's standing grain. + + + "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts [it] in her hand and sends her out from his house, + and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man's [wife], + and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts [it] in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, + [then] her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. + "When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken. + "No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge. + "If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you. + "Be careful against an infection of leprosy, that you diligently observe and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. + "Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. + "When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. + "You shall remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. + "If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. + "When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. + "You shall not oppress a hired servant [who is] poor and needy, whether [he is] one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. + "You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you. + "Fathers shall not be put to death for [their] sons, nor shall sons be put to death for [their] fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. + "You shall not pervert the justice due an alien [or] an orphan, nor take a widow's garment in pledge. + "But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing. + "When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. + "When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. + "When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. + "You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing. + + + "If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, + then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt. + "He may beat him forty times [but] no more, so that he does not beat him with many more stripes than these and your brother is not degraded in your eyes. + "You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing. + "When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be [married] outside [the family] to a strange man. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. + "It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. + "But if the man does not desire to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.' + "Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And [if] he persists and says, 'I do not desire to take her,' + then his brother's wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, 'Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.' + "In Israel his name shall be called, 'The house of him whose sandal is removed.' + "If [two] men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, + then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity. + "You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. + "You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. + "You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. + "For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God. + "Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, + how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. + "Therefore it shall come about when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget. + + + "Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, + that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put [it] in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name. + "You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, 'I declare this day to the LORD my God that I have entered the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.' + "Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. + "You shall answer and say before the LORD your God, 'My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; but there he became a great, mighty and populous nation. + 'And the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us. + 'Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression; + and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders; + and He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. + 'Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O LORD have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God; + and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you and your household. + "When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. + "You shall say before the LORD your God, 'I have removed the sacred [portion] from [my] house, and also have given it to the Levite and the alien, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments. + 'I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead. I have listened to the voice of the LORD my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me. + 'Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.' + "This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. + "You have today declared the LORD to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. + "The LORD has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; + and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the LORD your God, as He has spoken." + + + Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you today. + "So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime + and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, so that you may enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. + "So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime. + "Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron [tool] on them. + "You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut stones, and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God; + and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and eat there, and rejoice before the LORD your God. + "You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly." + Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the LORD your God. + "You shall therefore obey the LORD your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today." + Moses also charged the people on that day, saying, + "When you cross the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. + "For the curse, these shall stand on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. + "The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, + 'Cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets [it] up in secret.' And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who moves his neighbor's boundary mark.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who misleads a blind [person] on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's skirt.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who lies with any animal.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + + + "Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. + "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: + "Blessed [shall] you [be] in the city, and blessed [shall] you [be] in the country. + "Blessed [shall be] the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. + "Blessed [shall be] your basket and your kneading bowl. + "Blessed [shall] you [be] when you come in, and blessed [shall] you [be] when you go out. + "The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. + "The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you. + "The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. + "So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will be afraid of you. + "The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. + "The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. + "The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe [them] carefully, + and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. + "But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: + "Cursed [shall] you [be] in the city, and cursed [shall] you [be] in the country. + "Cursed [shall be] your basket and your kneading bowl. + "Cursed [shall be] the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. + "Cursed [shall] you [be] when you come in, and cursed [shall] you [be] when you go out. + "The LORD will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke, in all you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me. + "The LORD will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land where you are entering to possess it. + "The LORD will smite you with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew, and they will pursue you until you perish. + "The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. + "The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. + "The LORD shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be [an example of] terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. + "Your carcasses will be food to all birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten [them] away. + "The LORD will smite you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. + "The LORD will smite you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart; + and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways; but you shall only be oppressed and robbed continually, with none to save you. + "You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit. + "Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey shall be torn away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you will have none to save you. + "Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and yearn for them continually; but there will be nothing you can do. + "A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually. + "You shall be driven mad by the sight of what you see. + "The LORD will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils, from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. + "The LORD will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. + "You shall become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the LORD drives you. + "You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. + "You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather [the grapes], for the worm will devour them. + "You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off. + "You shall have sons and daughters but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity. + "The cricket shall possess all your trees and the produce of your ground. + "The alien who is among you shall rise above you higher and higher, but you will go down lower and lower. + "He shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail. + "So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the LORD your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. + "They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. + "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; + therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you. + "The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand, + a nation of fierce countenance who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. + "Moreover, it shall eat the offspring of your herd and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed, who also leaves you no grain, new wine, or oil, nor the increase of your herd or the young of your flock until they have caused you to perish. + "It shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout your land, and it shall besiege you in all your towns throughout your land which the LORD your God has given you. + "Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you. + "The man who is refined and very delicate among you shall be hostile toward his brother and toward the wife he cherishes and toward the rest of his children who remain, + so that he will not give [even] one of them any of the flesh of his children which he will eat, since he has nothing [else] left, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in all your towns. + "The refined and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and refinement, shall be hostile toward the husband she cherishes and toward her son and daughter, + and toward her afterbirth which issues from between her legs and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of anything [else], during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in your towns. + "If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, + then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. + "He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you. + "Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring on you until you are destroyed. + "Then you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the LORD your God. + "It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it. + "Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. + "Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. + "So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. + "In the morning you shall say, 'Would that it were evening!' And at evening you shall say, 'Would that it were morning!' because of the dread of your heart which you dread, and for the sight of your eyes which you will see. + "The LORD will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way about which I spoke to you, 'You will never see it again!' And there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer." + + + These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb. + And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; + the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. + "Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear. + "I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. + "You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the LORD your God. + "When you reached this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out to meet us for battle, but we defeated them; + and we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. + "So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. + "You stand today, all of you, before the LORD your God: your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, [even] all the men of Israel, + your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, + that you may enter into the covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath which the LORD your God is making with you today, + in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + "Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, + but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here today + (for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; + moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols [of] wood, stone, silver, and gold, which [they had] with them); + so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. + "It shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, 'I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered [land] with the dry.' + "The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. + "Then the LORD will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law. + "Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it, will say, + 'All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.' + "All the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' + "Then [men] will say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. + 'They went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them. + 'Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; + and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as [it is] this day.' + "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. + + + "So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call [them] to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, + and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, + then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. + "If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. + "The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. + "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. + "The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. + "And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. + "Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; + if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. + "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. + "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' + "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' + "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. + "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; + in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. + "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, + I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong [your] days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. + "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, + by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." + + + So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. + And he said to them, "I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, 'You shall not cross this Jordan.' + "It is the LORD your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the LORD has spoken. + "The LORD will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. + "The LORD will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. + "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." + Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. + "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." + So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. + Then Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of [every] seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, + when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. + "Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. + "Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. + The LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. + The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. + "Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, 'Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?' + "But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods. + "Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. + "For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. + "Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore." + So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel. + Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you." + It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, + that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, + "Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you. + "For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death? + "Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. + "For I know that after my death you will act corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, for you will do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands." + Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete: + + + "Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth. + "Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. + "For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God! + "The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. + "They have acted corruptly toward Him, [They are] not His children, because of their defect; [But are] a perverse and crooked generation. + "Do you thus repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is not He your Father who has bought you? He has made you and established you. + "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you. + "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel. + "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance. + "He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. + "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. + "The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him. + "He made him ride on the high places of the earth, And he ate the produce of the field; And He made him suck honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock, + Curds of cows, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs, And rams, the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the finest of the wheat-- And of the blood of grapes you drank wine. + "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked-- You are grown fat, thick, and sleek-- Then he forsook God who made him, And scorned the Rock of his salvation. + "They made Him jealous with strange [gods]; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. + "They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New [gods] who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread. + "You neglected the Rock who begot you, And forgot the God who gave you birth. + "The LORD saw [this], and spurned [them] Because of the provocation of His sons and daughters. + "Then He said, 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end [shall be]; For they are a perverse generation, Sons in whom is no faithfulness. + 'They have made Me jealous with [what] is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with [those who] are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation, + For a fire is kindled in My anger, And burns to the lowest part of Sheol, And consumes the earth with its yield, And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. + 'I will heap misfortunes on them; I will use My arrows on them. + '[They will be] wasted by famine, and consumed by plague And bitter destruction; And the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust. + 'Outside the sword will bereave, And inside terror-- Both young man and virgin, The nursling with the man of gray hair. + 'I would have said, "I will cut them to pieces, I will remove the memory of them from men," + Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, That their adversaries would misjudge, That they would say, "Our hand is triumphant, And the LORD has not done all this."' + "For they are a nation lacking in counsel, And there is no understanding in them. + "Would that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would discern their future! + "How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had given them up? + "Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge this. + "For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter. + "Their wine is the venom of serpents, And the deadly poison of cobras. + 'Is it not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up in My treasuries? + 'Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.' + "For the LORD will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, When He sees that [their] strength is gone, And there is none [remaining], bond or free. + "And He will say, 'Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? + 'Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, [And] drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your hiding place! + 'See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. + 'Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven, And say, as I live forever, + If I sharpen My flashing sword, And My hand takes hold on justice, I will render vengeance on My adversaries, And I will repay those who hate Me. + 'I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword will devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the long-haired leaders of the enemy.' + "Rejoice, O nations, [with] His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And will render vengeance on His adversaries, And will atone for His land [and] His people." + Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun. + When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, + he said to them, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, [even] all the words of this law. + "For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." + The LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, + "Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. + "Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, + because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. + "For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel." + + + Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. + He said, "The LORD came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them. + "Indeed, He loves the people; All Your holy ones are in Your hand, And they followed in Your steps; [Everyone] receives of Your words. + "Moses charged us with a law, A possession for the assembly of Jacob. + "And He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, The tribes of Israel together. + "May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few." + And this regarding Judah; so he said, "Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, And may You be a help against his adversaries." + Of Levi he said, "[Let] Your Thummim and Your Urim [belong] to Your godly man, Whom You proved at Massah, With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; + Who said of his father and his mother, 'I did not consider them'; And he did not acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, For they observed Your word, And kept Your covenant. + "They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on Your altar. + "O LORD, bless his substance, And accept the work of his hands; Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, And those who hate him, so that they will not rise [again]." + Of Benjamin he said, "May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day, And he dwells between His shoulders." + Of Joseph he said, "Blessed of the LORD [be] his land, With the choice things of heaven, with the dew, And from the deep lying beneath, + And with the choice yield of the sun, And with the choice produce of the months. + "And with the best things of the ancient mountains, And with the choice things of the everlasting hills, + And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. + "As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild ox; With them he will push the peoples, All at once, [to] the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And those are the thousands of Manasseh." + Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth, And, Issachar, in your tents. + "They will call peoples [to] the mountain; There they will offer righteous sacrifices; For they will draw out the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of the sand." + Of Gad he said, "Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad; He lies down as a lion, And tears the arm, also the crown of the head. + "Then he provided the first [part] for himself, For there the ruler's portion was reserved; And he came [with] the leaders of the people; He executed the justice of the LORD, And His ordinances with Israel." + Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's whelp, That leaps forth from Bashan." + Of Naphtali he said, "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Take possession of the sea and the south." + Of Asher he said, "More blessed than sons is Asher; May he be favored by his brothers, And may he dip his foot in oil. + "Your locks will be iron and bronze, And according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be. + "There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majesty. + "The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!' + "So Israel dwells in security, The fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew. + "Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places." + + + Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, + and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, + and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. + Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see [it] with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." + So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. + And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. + Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. + So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping [and] mourning for Moses came to an end. + Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, + for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, + and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. + + + + + Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, + "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. + "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. + "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. + "No man will [be able to] stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. + "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. + "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. + "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. + "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." + Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, + "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, to possess it.'" + To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, + "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God gives you rest and will give you this land.' + "Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, + until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as [He gives] you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." + They answered Joshua, saying, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. + "Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you as He was with Moses. + "Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous." + + + Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. + It was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." + And the king of Jericho sent [word] to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land." + But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. + "It came about when [it was time] to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." + But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. + So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate. + Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, + and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. + "For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. + "When we heard [it], our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. + "Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, + and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." + So the men said to her, "Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you." + Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. + She said to them, "Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way." + The men said to her, "We [shall be] free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, + unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father's household. + "It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood [shall be] on his own head, and we [shall be] free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head if a hand is [laid] on him. + "But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear." + She said, "According to your words, so be it." So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. + They departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought [them] all along the road, but had not found [them]. + Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them. + They said to Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us." + + + Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. + At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp; + and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. + "However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." + Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." + And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. + Now the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. + "You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand [still] in the Jordan.'" + Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God." + Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. + "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan. + "Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. + "It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, [and] the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap." + So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, + and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), + the waters which were flowing down from above stood [and] rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. + And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan. + + + Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, + "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, + and command them, saying, 'Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.'" + So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; + and Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. + "Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' + then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.' So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever." + Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there. + Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. + For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed; + and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed before the people. + The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle array before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; + about 40,000 equipped for war, crossed for battle before the LORD to the desert plains of Jericho. + On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; so that they revered him, just as they had revered Moses all the days of his life. + Now the LORD said to Joshua, + "Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan." + So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan." + It came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before. + Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. + Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. + He said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' + then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' + "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; + that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever." + + + Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who [were] beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who [were] by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel. + At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time." + So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. + This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt. + For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. + For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, [that is], the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. + Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way. + Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. + While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. + On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched [grain]. + The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year. + Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" + He said, "No; rather I indeed come now [as] captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" + The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. + + + Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. + The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king [and] the valiant warriors. + "You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. + "Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. + "It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead." + So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." + Then he said to the people, "Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD." + And it was [so], that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. + The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. + But Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout!" + So he had the ark of the LORD taken around the city, circling [it] once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. + Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. + The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets. + Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days. + Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. + At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city. + "The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. + "But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet [them] and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. + "But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." + So the people shouted, and [priests] blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city. + They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. + Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her." + So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. + They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. + However, Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. + Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with [the loss of] his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with [the loss of] his youngest son he shall set up its gates." + So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. + + + But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel. + Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." So the men went up and spied out Ai. + They returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up; [only] about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few." + So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. + The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water. + Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, [both] he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. + Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, [only] to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan! + "O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned [their] back before their enemies? + "For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?" + So the LORD said to Joshua, "Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? + "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put [them] among their own things. + "Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn [their] backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. + "Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God of Israel, has said, "There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst." + 'In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes [by lot] shall come near by families, and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. + 'It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.'" + So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. + He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken. + He brought his household near man by man; and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken. + Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me." + So Achan answered Joshua and said, "Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I did: + when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it." + So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath it. + They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before the LORD. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. + Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. + They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day. + + + Now the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. + "You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it." + So Joshua rose with all the people of war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose 30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. + He commanded them, saying, "See, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. + "Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us as at the first, we will flee before them. + "They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, '[They] are fleeing before us as at the first.' So we will flee before them. + "And you shall rise from [your] ambush and take possession of the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. + "Then it will be when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do [it] according to the word of the LORD. See, I have commanded you." + So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people. + Now Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. + Then all the people of war who [were] with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city, and camped on the north side of Ai. Now [there was] a valley between him and Ai. + And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. + So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley. + It came about when the king of Ai saw [it], that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that [there was] an ambush against him behind the city. + Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. + And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. + So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel, and they left the city unguarded and pursued Israel. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. + The [men in] ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire. + When the men of Ai turned back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city ascended to the sky, and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the pursuers. + When Joshua and all Israel saw that the [men in] ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and slew the men of Ai. + The others came out from the city to encounter them, so that they were [trapped] in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side; and they slew them until no one was left of those who survived or escaped. + But they took alive the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. + Now when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them were fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. + All who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000-- all the people of Ai. + For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. + Israel took only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua. + So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation until this day. + He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua gave command and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate, and raised over it a great heap of stones [that stands] to this day. + Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, + just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron [tool]; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. + He wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. + All Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them [stood] in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had given command at first to bless the people of Israel. + Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. + There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them. + + + Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it, + that they gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel. + When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, + they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, + and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] had become crumbled. + They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us." + The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you are living within our land; how then shall we make a covenant with you?" + But they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Then Joshua said to them, "Who are you and where do you come from?" + They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, + and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth. + "So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us."' + "This our bread [was] warm [when] we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. + "These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey." + So the men [of Israel] took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. + Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore [an oath] to them. + It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. + Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities [were] Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim. + The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. + But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. + "This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them." + The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them. + Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you are living within our land? + "Now therefore, you are cursed, and you shall never cease being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." + So they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told your servants that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. + "Now behold, we are in your hands; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." + Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. + But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place which He would choose. + + + Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land, + that he feared greatly, because Gibeon [was] a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men [were] mighty. + Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent [word] to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, + "Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel." + So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, [and] the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it. + Then the men of Gibeon sent [word] to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us." + So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. + The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you." + So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. + And the LORD confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. + As they fled from before Israel, [while] they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; [there were] more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. + Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon." + So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go [down] for about a whole day. + There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp to Gilgal. + Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. + It was told Joshua, saying, "The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah." + Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them, + but do not stay [there] yourselves; pursue your enemies and attack them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand." + It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were destroyed, and the survivors [who] remained of them had entered the fortified cities, + that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel. + Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave." + They did so, and brought these five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, [and] the king of Eglon. + When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came near and put their feet on their necks. + Joshua then said to them, "Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies with whom you fight." + So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening. + It came about at sunset that Joshua gave a command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day. + Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. + The LORD gave it also with its king into the hands of Israel, and he struck it and every person who [was] in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor in it. Thus he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho. + And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it. + The LORD gave Lachish into the hands of Israel; and he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every person who [was] in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah. + Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivor. + And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped by it and fought against it. + They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed that day every person who [was] in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it. + They captured it and struck it and its king and all its cities and all the persons who [were] in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. And he utterly destroyed it and every person who [was] in it. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and they fought against it. + He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person [who was] in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king. + Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. + Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen even as far as Gibeon. + Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. + So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal. + + + Then it came about, when Jabin king of Hazor heard [of it], that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph, + and to the kings who were of the north in the hill country, and in the Arabah-- south of Chinneroth and in the lowland and on the heights of Dor on the west-- + to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. + They came out, they and all their armies with them, [as] many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. + So all of these kings having agreed to meet, came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." + So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and attacked them. + The LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the valley of Mizpeh to the east; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them. + Joshua did to them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. + Then Joshua turned back at that time, and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms. + They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying [them]; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. + Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, [and] utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. + However, Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone, [which] Joshua burned. + All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took as their plunder; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They left no one who breathed. + Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. + Thus Joshua took all that land: the hill country and all the Negev, all that land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland + from Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir, even as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. And he captured all their kings and struck them down and put them to death. + Joshua waged war a long time with all these kings. + There was not a city which made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites living in Gibeon; they took them all in battle. + For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. + There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained. + So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war. + + + Now these are the kings of the land whom the sons of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon as far as Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah to the east: + Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, [and] ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, both the middle of the valley and half of Gilead, even as far as the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; + and the Arabah as far as the Sea of Chinneroth toward the east, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, [even] the Salt Sea, eastward toward Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; + and the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, + and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, [as far as] the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. + Moses the servant of the LORD and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession. + Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated beyond the Jordan toward the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even as far as Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir; and Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, + in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittite, the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite: + the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; + the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; + the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; + the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; + the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; + the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; + the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; + the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; + the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; + the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; + the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; + the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; + the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; + the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; + the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one; + the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings. + + + Now Joshua was old [and] advanced in years when the LORD said to him, "You are old [and] advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed. + "This is the land that remains: all the regions [of] the Philistines and all [those of] the Geshurites; + from the Shihor which is east of Egypt, even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite + to the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite; + and the land of the Gebalite, and all of Lebanon, toward the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. + "All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians, I will drive them out from before the sons of Israel; only allot it to Israel for an inheritance as I have commanded you. + "Now therefore, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." + With the other half-tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD gave to them; + from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, with the city which is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba, as far as Dibon; + and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the sons of Ammon; + and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah; + all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses struck them and dispossessed them. + But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites; for Geshur and Maacath live among Israel until this day. + Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as He spoke to him. + So Moses gave [an inheritance] to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families. + Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, with the city which is in the middle of the valley and all the plain by Medeba; + Heshbon, and all its cities which are on the plain: Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon, + and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath, + and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, + and Beth-peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth, + even all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land. + The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, with the sword among [the rest of] their slain. + The border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages. + Moses also gave [an inheritance] to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, according to their families. + Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer which is before Rabbah; + and from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir; + and in the valley, Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as a border, as far as the [lower] end of the Sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan to the east. + This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages. + Moses also gave [an inheritance] to the half-tribe of Manasseh; and it was for the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh according to their families. + Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities; + also half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, [were] for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Machir according to their families. + These are [the territories] which Moses apportioned for an inheritance in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho to the east. + But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had promised to them. + + + Now these are [the territories] which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them for an inheritance, + by the lot of their inheritance, as the LORD commanded through Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. + For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but he did not give an inheritance to the Levites among them. + For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property. + Thus the sons of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they divided the land. + Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know the word which the LORD spoke to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh-barnea. + "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as [it was] in my heart. + "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully. + "So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.' + "Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. + "I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. + "Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim [were] there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken." + So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. + Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the LORD God of Israel fully. + Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; [for Arba] was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war. + + + Now the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families reached the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin at the extreme south. + Their south border was from the lower end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that turns to the south. + Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and continued to Zin, then went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron, and went up to Addar and turned about to Karka. + It continued to Azmon and proceeded to the brook of Egypt, and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border. + The east border [was] the Salt Sea, as far as the mouth of the Jordan. And the border of the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. + Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and continued on the north of Beth-arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. + The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south of the valley; and the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and it ended at En-rogel. + Then the border went up the valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is before the valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim toward the north. + From the top of the mountain the border curved to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, then the border curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). + The border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and continued to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is, Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh and continued through Timnah. + The border proceeded to the side of Ekron northward. Then the border curved to Shikkeron and continued to Mount Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel, and the border ended at the sea. + The west border [was] at the Great Sea, even [its] coastline. This is the border around the sons of Judah according to their families. + Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the LORD to Joshua, [namely], Kiriath-arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that is, Hebron). + Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak. + Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher. + And Caleb said, "The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife." + Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife. + It came about that when she came [to him], she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she alighted from the donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?" + Then she said, "Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water." So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families. + Now the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the border of Edom in the south were Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur, + and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah, + and Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan, + Ziph and Telem and Bealoth, + and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), + Amam and Shema and Moladah, + and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-pelet, + and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah, + Baalah and Iim and Ezem, + and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah, + and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah, + and Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages. + In the lowland: Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah, + and Zanoah and En-gannim, Tappuah and Enam, + Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah, + and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages. + Zenan and Hadashah and Migdal-gad, + and Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel, + Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon, + and Cabbon and Lahmas and Chitlish, + and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages. + Libnah and Ether and Ashan, + and Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib, + and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages. + Ekron, with its towns and its villages; + from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. + Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; as far as the brook of Egypt and the Great Sea, even [its] coastline. + In the hill country: Shamir and Jattir and Socoh, + and Dannah and Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), + and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim, + and Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages. + Arab and Dumah and Eshan, + and Janum and Beth-tappuah and Aphekah, + and Humtah and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages. + Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah, + and Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah, + Kain, Gibeah and Timnah; ten cities with their villages. + Halhul, Beth-zur and Gedor, + and Maarath and Beth-anoth and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. + Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages. + In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin and Secacah, + and Nibshan and the City of Salt and Engedi; six cities with their villages. + Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day. + + + Then the lot for the sons of Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east into the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel. + It went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to the border of the Archites at Ataroth. + It went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon even to Gezer, and it ended at the sea. + The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. + Now [this] was the territory of the sons of Ephraim according to their families: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, as far as upper Beth-horon. + Then the border went westward at Michmethath on the north, and the border turned about eastward to Taanath-shiloh and continued [beyond] it to the east of Janoah. + It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, then reached Jericho and came out at the Jordan. + From Tappuah the border continued westward to the brook of Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim according to their families, + [together] with the cities which were set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. + But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers. + + + Now [this] was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war. + So [the lot] was [made] for the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families: for the sons of Abiezer and for the sons of Helek and for the sons of Asriel and for the sons of Shechem and for the sons of Hepher and for the sons of Shemida; these [were] the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families. + However, Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. + They came near before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the leaders, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So according to the command of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers. + Thus there fell ten portions to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan, + because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh. + The border of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath which was east of Shechem; then the border went southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. + The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh [belonged] to the sons of Ephraim. + The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook (these cities [belonged] to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh), and the border of Manasseh [was] on the north side of the brook and it ended at the sea. + The south side [belonged] to Ephraim and the north side to Manasseh, and the sea was their border; and they reached to Asher on the north and to Issachar on the east. + In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its towns and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, the third is Napheth. + But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. + It came about when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. + Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion for an inheritance, since I am a numerous people whom the LORD has thus far blessed?" + Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." + The sons of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the valley of Jezreel." + Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, "You are a numerous people and have great power; you shall not have one lot [only], + but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron [and] though they are strong." + + + Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them. + There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. + So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? + "Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me. + "They shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north. + "You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring [the description] here to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. + "For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." + Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to describe the land, saying, "Go and walk through the land and describe it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh." + So the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. + And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions. + Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot lay between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. + Their border on the north side was from the Jordan, then the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward, and it ended at the wilderness of Beth-aven. + From there the border continued to Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel) southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill which [lies] on the south of lower Beth-horon. + The border extended [from there] and turned round on the west side southward, from the hill which [lies] before Beth-horon southward; and it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This [was] the west side. + Then the south side [was] from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah. + The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel. + It extended northward and went to En-shemesh and went to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. + It continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward and went down to the Arabah. + The border continued to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This [was] the south border. + Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This [was] the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families [and] according to its borders all around. + Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-hoglah and Emek-keziz, + and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel, + and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah, + and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni and Geba; twelve cities with their villages. + Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth, + and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah, + and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah, + and Zelah, Haeleph and the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families. + + + Then the second lot fell to Simeon, to the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah. + So they had as their inheritance Beersheba or Sheba and Moladah, + and Hazar-shual and Balah and Ezem, + and Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah, + and Ziklag and Beth-marcaboth and Hazar-susah, + and Beth-lebaoth and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages; + Ain, Rimmon and Ether and Ashan; four cities with their villages; + and all the villages which [were] around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negev. This [was] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families. + The inheritance of the sons of Simeon [was taken] from the portion of the sons of Judah, for the share of the sons of Judah was too large for them; so the sons of Simeon received [an] inheritance in the midst of Judah's inheritance. + Now the third lot came up for the sons of Zebulun according to their families. And the territory of their inheritance was as far as Sarid. + Then their border went up to the west and to Maralah, it then touched Dabbesheth and reached to the brook that is before Jokneam. + Then it turned from Sarid to the east toward the sunrise as far as the border of Chisloth-tabor, and it proceeded to Daberath and up to Japhia. + From there it continued eastward toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and it proceeded to Rimmon which stretches to Neah. + The border circled around it on the north to Hannathon, and it ended at the valley of Iphtahel. + [Included] also [were] Kattah and Nahalal and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem; twelve cities with their villages. + This [was] the inheritance of the sons of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. + The fourth lot fell to Issachar, to the sons of Issachar according to their families. + Their territory was to Jezreel and [included] Chesulloth and Shunem, + and Hapharaim and Shion and Anaharath, + and Rabbith and Kishion and Ebez, + and Remeth and En-gannim and En-haddah and Beth-pazzez. + The border reached to Tabor and Shahazumah and Beth-shemesh, and their border ended at the Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages. + This [was] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages. + Now the fifth lot fell to the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families. + Their territory was Helkath and Hali and Beten and Achshaph, + and Allammelech and Amad and Mishal; and it reached to Carmel on the west and to Shihor-libnath. + It turned toward the east to Beth-dagon and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel; then it proceeded on north to Cabul, + and Ebron and Rehob and Hammon and Kanah, as far as Great Sidon. + The border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border turned to Hosah, and it ended at the sea by the region of Achzib. + [Included] also [were] Ummah, and Aphek and Rehob; twenty-two cities with their villages. + This [was] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. + The sixth lot fell to the sons of Naphtali; to the sons of Naphtali according to their families. + Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and it ended at the Jordan. + Then the border turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and proceeded from there to Hukkok; and it reached to Zebulun on the south and touched Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the east. + The fortified cities [were] Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, Rakkath and Chinnereth, + and Adamah and Ramah and Hazor, + and Kedesh and Edrei and En-hazor, + and Yiron and Migdal-el, Horem and Beth-anath and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. + This [was] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages. + The seventh lot fell to the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families. + The territory of their inheritance was Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir-shemesh, + and Shaalabbin and Aijalon and Ithlah, + and Elon and Timnah and Ekron, + and Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalath, + and Jehud and Bene-berak and Gath-rimmon, + and Me-jarkon and Rakkon, with the territory over against Joppa. + The territory of the sons of Dan proceeded beyond them; for the sons of Dan went up and fought with Leshem and captured it. Then they struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and settled in it; and they called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father. + This [was] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. + When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun. + In accordance with the command of the LORD they gave him the city for which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and settled in it. + These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel distributed by lot in Shiloh before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, + "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, + that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood. + 'He shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and state his case in the hearing of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may dwell among them. + 'Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand. + 'He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the manslayer shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'" + So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. + Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. + These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation. + + + Then the heads of households of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel. + They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle." + So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, according to the command of the LORD. + Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the Simeonites and from the tribe of Benjamin. + The rest of the sons of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The sons of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. + The sons of Merari according to their families received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun. + Now the sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. + They gave these cities which are [here] mentioned by name from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon; + and they were for the sons of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, for the lot was theirs first. + Thus they gave them Kiriath-arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its surrounding pasture lands. + But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. + So to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Libnah with its pasture lands, + and Jattir with its pasture lands and Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, + and Holon with its pasture lands and Debir with its pasture lands, + and Ain with its pasture lands and Juttah with its pasture lands [and] Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities from these two tribes. + From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, + Anathoth with its pasture lands and Almon with its pasture lands; four cities. + All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. + Then the cities from the tribe of Ephraim were allotted to the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, [even to] the rest of the sons of Kohath. + They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands, + and Kibzaim with its pasture lands and Beth-horon with its pasture lands; four cities. + From the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, + Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; four cities. + From the half-tribe of Manasseh, [they allotted] Taanach with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; two cities. + All the cities with their pasture lands for the families of the rest of the sons of Kohath were ten. + To the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, [they gave] Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two cities. + From the tribe of Issachar, [they gave] Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, + Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gannim with its pasture lands; four cities. + From the tribe of Asher, [they gave] Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, + Helkath with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands; four cities. + From the tribe of Naphtali, [they gave] Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands and Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands and Kartan with its pasture lands; three cities. + All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. + To the families of the sons of Merari, the rest of the Levites, [they gave] from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands and Kartah with its pasture lands. + Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahalal with its pasture lands; four cities. + From the tribe of Reuben, [they gave] Bezer with its pasture lands and Jahaz with its pasture lands, + Kedemoth with its pasture lands and Mephaath with its pasture lands; four cities. + From the tribe of Gad, [they gave] Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands and Mahanaim with its pasture lands, + Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands; four cities in all. + All [these were] the cities of the sons of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites; and their lot was twelve cities. + All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasture lands. + These cities each had its surrounding pasture lands; thus [it was] with all these cities. + So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. + And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. + Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass. + + + Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, + and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. + "You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. + "And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan. + "Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." + So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. + Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given [a possession] in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave [a possession] among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, + and said to them, "Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers." + The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned [home] and departed from the sons of Israel at Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession which they had possessed, according to the command of the LORD through Moses. + When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance. + And the sons of Israel heard [it] said, "Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side [belonging to] the sons of Israel." + When the sons of Israel heard [of it], the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves at Shiloh to go up against them in war. + Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, + and with him ten chiefs, one chief for each father's household from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one of them [was] the head of his father's household among the thousands of Israel. + They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying, + "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day? + 'Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the LORD, + that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? If you rebel against the LORD today, He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. + 'If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD'S tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the LORD our God. + 'Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.'" + Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the families of Israel. + "The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If [it was] in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD do not save us this day! + "If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it. + "But truly we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, 'In time to come your sons may say to our sons, "What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? + "For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, [you] sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.' + "Therefore we said, 'Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; + rather it shall be a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."' + "Therefore we said, 'It shall also come about if they say [this] to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it is a witness between us and you."' + "Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His tabernacle." + So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, even the heads of the families of Israel who [were] with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. + And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the LORD; now you have delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the LORD." + Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. + The word pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in war to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living. + The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar [Witness]; "For," [they said], "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God." + + + Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, + that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, "I am old, advanced in years. + "And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you. + "See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. + "The LORD your God, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you; and you will possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. + "Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, + so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make [anyone] swear [by them], or serve them, or bow down to them. + "But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day. + "For the LORD has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day. + "One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. + "So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God. + "For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, + know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. + "Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. + "It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. + "When you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you." + + + Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. + Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, [namely], Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. + 'Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. + 'To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. + 'Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. + 'I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. + 'But when they cried out to the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time. + 'Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you. + 'Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. + 'But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. + 'You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, [and] the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. + 'Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, [but] not by your sword or your bow. + 'I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.' + "Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. + "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." + The people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; + for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. + "The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God." + Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. + "If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." + The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD." + Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses." + "Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." + The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice." + So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. + And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. + Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God." + Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance. + It came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old. + And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash. + Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the LORD which He had done for Israel. + Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph's sons. + And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim. + + + + + Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" + The LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." + Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you." So Simeon went with him. + Judah went up, and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek. + They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. + But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. + Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up [scraps] under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me." So they brought him to Jerusalem and he died there. + Then the sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. + Afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country and in the Negev and in the lowland. + So Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron formerly [was] Kiriath-arba); and they struck Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai. + Then from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir (now the name of Debir formerly [was] Kiriath-sepher). + And Caleb said, "The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will even give him my daughter Achsah for a wife." + Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah for a wife. + Then it came about when she came [to him], that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. Then she alighted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?" + She said to him, "Give me a blessing, since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. + The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people. + Then Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites living in Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah. + And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory. + Now the LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots. + Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised; and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak. + But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. + Likewise the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. + The house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz). + The spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city and we will treat you kindly." + So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go free. + The man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and named it Luz which is its name to this day. + But Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; so the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. + It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. + Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. + Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and became subject to forced labor. + Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob. + So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. + Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them. + Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley; + yet the Amorites persisted in living in Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house of Joseph grew strong, they became forced labor. + The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward. + + + Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you, + and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? + "Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they will become [as thorns] in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.'" + When the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. + So they named that place Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the LORD. + When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land. + The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel. + Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten. + And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. + All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. + Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, + and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from [among] the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger. + So they forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. + The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around [them], so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. + Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken and as the LORD had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed. + Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. + Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as [their fathers]. + When the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them. + But it came about when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways. + So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice, + I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, + in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not." + So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua. + + + Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them ([that is], all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; + only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly). + [These nations are]: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. + They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses. + The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; + and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. + The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. + Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. + When the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. + The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. + Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. + Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. + And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. + The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. + But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. + Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. + He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. + It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. + But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he said, "Keep silence." And all who attended him left him. + Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat. + Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. + The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. + Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked [them]. + When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, "He is only relieving himself in the cool room." + They waited until they became anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead. + Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. + It came about when he had arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he [was] in front of them. + He said to them, "Pursue [them], for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands." So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. + They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. + So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years. + After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel. + + + Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. + And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. + The sons of Israel cried to the LORD; for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years. + Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. + She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. + Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, "Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, 'Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. + 'I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his many [troops] to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.'" + Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." + She said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. + Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him. + Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh. + Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. + Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who [were] with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. + Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the LORD has gone out before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. + The LORD routed Sisera and all [his] chariots and all [his] army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from [his] chariot and fled away on foot. + But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left. + Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for [there was] peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. + Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. + He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. + He said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, 'No.'" + But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. + And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple. + So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. + The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan. + + + Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, + "That the leaders led in Israel, That the people volunteered, Bless the LORD! + "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I-- to the LORD, I will sing, I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel. + "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water. + "The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel. + "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways. + "The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel. + "New gods were chosen; Then war [was] in the gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen Among forty thousand in Israel. + "My heart [goes out] to the commanders of Israel, The volunteers among the people; Bless the LORD! + "You who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on [rich] carpets, And you who travel on the road-- sing! + "At the sound of those who divide [flocks] among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous deeds of the LORD, The righteous deeds for His peasantry in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates. + "Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and take away your captives, O son of Abinoam. + "Then survivors came down to the nobles; The people of the LORD came down to me as warriors. + "From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek [came down], Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples; From Machir commanders came down, And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of office. + "And the princes of Issachar [were] with Deborah; As [was] Issachar, so [was] Barak; Into the valley they rushed at his heels; Among the divisions of Reuben [There were] great resolves of heart. + "Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the piping for the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuben [There were] great searchings of heart. + "Gilead remained across the Jordan; And why did Dan stay in ships? Asher sat at the seashore, And remained by its landings. + "Zebulun [was] a people who despised their lives [even] to death, And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field. + "The kings came [and] fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo; They took no plunder in silver. + "The stars fought from heaven, From their courses they fought against Sisera. + "The torrent of Kishon swept them away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength. + "Then the horses' hoofs beat From the dashing, the dashing of his valiant steeds. + 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the warriors.' + "Most blessed of women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Most blessed is she of women in the tent. + "He asked for water [and] she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds. + "She reached out her hand for the tent peg, And her right hand for the workmen's hammer. Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head; And she shattered and pierced his temple. + "Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell dead. + "Out of the window she looked and lamented, The mother of Sisera through the lattice, 'Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?' + "Her wise princesses would answer her, Indeed she repeats her words to herself, + 'Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A maiden, two maidens for every warrior; To Sisera a spoil of dyed work, A spoil of dyed work embroidered, Dyed work of double embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?' + "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might." And the land was undisturbed for forty years. + + + Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. + The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. + For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them. + So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. + For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. + So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. + Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, + that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. + 'I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, + and I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me."'" + Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save [it] from the Midianites. + The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." + Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." + The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" + He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." + But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man." + So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. + "Please do not depart from here, until I come [back] to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return." + Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought [them] out to him under the oak and presented [them]. + The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so. + Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. + When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face." + The LORD said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." + Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. + Now on the same night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; + and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down." + Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. + When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. + They said to one another, "Who did this thing?" And when they searched about and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash did this thing." + Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it." + But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar." + Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he had torn down his altar. + Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. + So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. + He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. + Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, + behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken." + And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. + Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground." + God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground. + + + Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. + The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.' + "Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, 'Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.'" So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained. + Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." + So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink." + Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. + The LORD said to Gideon, "I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the [other] people go, each man to his home." + So the 300 men took the people's provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the [other] men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. + Now the same night it came about that the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. + "But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, + and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp." So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp. + Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. + When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, "Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat." + His friend replied, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand." + When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands." + He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. + He said to them, "Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. + "When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" + So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. + When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" + Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. + When they blew 300 trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. + The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian. + Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against Midian and take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. + They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan. + + + Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they contended with him vigorously. + But he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning [of the grapes] of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? + "God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that. + Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan [and] crossed over, weary yet pursuing. + He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." + The leaders of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?" + Gideon said, "All right, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers." + He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. + So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower." + Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen. + Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. + When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army. + Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. + And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then [the youth] wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. + He came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?'" + He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. + He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. + Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men [were] they whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king." + He said, "They [were] my brothers, the sons of my mother. [As] the LORD lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you." + So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them." But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. + Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks. + Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." + But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you." + Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) + They said, "We will surely give [them]." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. + The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 [shekels] of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which [were] on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that [were] on their camels' necks. + Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. + So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon. + Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. + Now Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. + His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. + And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. + Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. + Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; + nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal ([that is], Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel. + + + And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother's father, saying, + "Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?' Also, remember that I am your bone and your flesh." + And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem; and they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our relative." + They gave him seventy [pieces] of silver from the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him. + Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. + All the men of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar which was in Shechem. + Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, "Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. + "Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!' + "But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?' + "Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come, reign over us!' + "But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?' + "Then the trees said to the vine, 'You come, reign over us!' + "But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?' + "Finally all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come, reign over us!' + "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.' + "Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved-- + for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; + but you have risen against my father's house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your relative-- + if then you have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. + "But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech." + Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother. + Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. + Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, + so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. + The men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech. + Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. + They went out into the field and gathered [the grapes of] their vineyards and trod [them], and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. + Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and [is] Zebul [not] his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? + "Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech." And he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out." + When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. + He sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are stirring up the city against you. + "Now therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. + "In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can." + So Abimelech and all the people who [were] with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. + Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who [were] with him arose from the ambush. + When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains." But Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as [if they were] men." + Gaal spoke again and said, "Behold, people are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one company comes by the way of the diviners' oak." + Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your boasting now with which you said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!" + So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. + Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. + Then Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem. + Now it came about the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was told to Abimelech. + So he took his people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and saw the people coming out from the city, he arose against them and slew them. + Then Abimelech and the company who was with him dashed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the other two companies then dashed against all who [were] in the field and slew them. + Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who [were] in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt. + When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of [it], they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith. + It was told Abimelech that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. + So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who [were] with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and laid [it] on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who [were] with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry [and] do likewise." + All the people also cut down each one his branch and followed Abimelech, and put [them] on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those [inside], so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women. + Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. + But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. + So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. + But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his skull. + Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, 'A woman slew him.'" So the young man pierced him through, and he died. + When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home. + Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. + Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them. + + + Now after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. + He judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir. + After him, Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel twenty-two years. + He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair to this day. + And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. + Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. + The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. + They afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel that year; for eighteen years they [afflicted] all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. + The sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed. + Then the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals." + The LORD said to the sons of Israel, "[Did I] not [deliver you] from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? + "Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. + "Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. + "Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress." + The sons of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day." + So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer. + Then the sons of Ammon were summoned and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together and camped in Mizpah. + The people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." + + + Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. And Gilead was the father of Jephthah. + Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." + So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him. + It came about after a while that the sons of Ammon fought against Israel. + When the sons of Ammon fought against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob; + and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon." + Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and drive me from my father's house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?" + The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon and become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." + So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?" + The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD is witness between us; surely we will do as you have said." + Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah. + Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, "What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?" + The king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan; therefore, return them peaceably now." + But Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, + and they said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon. + 'For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, + then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Please let us pass through your land," but the king of Edom would not listen. And they also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. + 'Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon [was] the border of Moab. + 'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land to our place." + 'But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel. + 'The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. + 'So they possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan. + 'Since now the LORD, the God of Israel, drove out the Amorites from before His people Israel, are you then to possess it? + 'Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God has driven out before us, we will possess it. + 'Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, or did he ever fight against them? + 'While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? + 'I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'" + But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him. + Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. + Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, "If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, + then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." + So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand. + He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. + When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one [and] only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. + When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take [it] back." + So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon." + She said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions." + Then he said, "Go." So he sent her away for two months; and she left with her companions, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. + At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her according to the vow which he had made; and she had no relations with a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel, + that the daughters of Israel went yearly to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year. + + + Then the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the sons of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you." + Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon; when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand. + "When I saw that you would not deliver [me], I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?" + Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, "You are fugitives of Ephraim, O Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim [and] in the midst of Manasseh." + The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. And it happened when [any of] the fugitives of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would say to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," + then they would say to him, "Say now, 'Shibboleth.'" But he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim. + Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead. + Now Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel after him. + He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters [whom] he gave in marriage outside [the family], and he brought in thirty daughters from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. + Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem. + Now Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel after him; and he judged Israel ten years. + Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. + Now Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel after him. + He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys; and he judged Israel eight years. + Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. + + + Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, so that the LORD gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years. + There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no [children]. + Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no [children], but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. + "Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. + "For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines." + Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he [came] from, nor did he tell me his name. + "But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'" + Then Manoah entreated the LORD and said, "O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born." + God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. + So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, "Behold, the man who came the [other] day has appeared to me." + Then Manoah arose and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to the woman?" And he said, "I am." + Manoah said, "Now when your words come [to pass], what shall be the boy's mode of life and his vocation?" + So the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. + "She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded." + Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you." + The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, [then] offer it to the LORD." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD. + Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that when your words come [to pass], we may honor you?" + But the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?" + So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. + For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw [this], they fell on their faces to the ground. + Now the angel of the LORD did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. + So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen God." + But his wife said to him, "If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear [things] like this at this time." + Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the LORD blessed him. + And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. + + + Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, [one] of the daughters of the Philistines. + So he came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, [one] of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife." + Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she looks good to me." + However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel. + Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion [came] roaring toward him. + The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. + So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked good to Samson. + When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. + So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave [some] to them and they ate [it]; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion. + Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. + When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. + Then Samson said to them, "Let me now propound a riddle to you; if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes. + "But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes." And they said to him, "Propound your riddle, that we may hear it." + So he said to them, "Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet." But they could not tell the riddle in three days. + Then it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not [so]?" + Samson's wife wept before him and said, "You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have propounded a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told [it] to me." And he said to her, "Behold, I have not told [it] to my father or mother; so should I tell you?" + However she wept before him seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people. + So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have found out my riddle." + Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes [of clothes] to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father's house. + But Samson's wife was [given] to his companion who had been his friend. + + + But after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife with a young goat, and said, "I will go in to my wife in [her] room." But her father did not let him enter. + Her father said, "I really thought that you hated her intensely; so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please let her be yours instead." + Samson then said to them, "This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm." + Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned [the foxes] tail to tail and put one torch in the middle between two tails. + When he had set fire to the torches, he released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, thus burning up both the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards [and] groves. + Then the Philistines said, "Who did this?" And they said, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion." So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. + Samson said to them, "Since you act like this, I will surely take revenge on you, but after that I will quit." + He struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter; and he went down and lived in the cleft of the rock of Etam. + Then the Philistines went up and camped in Judah, and spread out in Lehi. + The men of Judah said, "Why have you come up against us?" And they said, "We have come up to bind Samson in order to do to him as he did to us." + Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so I have done to them." + They said to him, "We have come down to bind you so that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines." And Samson said to them, "Swear to me that you will not kill me." + So they said to him, "No, but we will bind you fast and give you into their hands; yet surely we will not kill you." Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. + When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. + He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out and took it and killed a thousand men with it. + Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men." + When he had finished speaking, he threw the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi. + Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" + But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned and he revived. Therefore he named it En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. + So he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines. + + + Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. + [When it was told] to the Gazites, saying, "Samson has come here," they surrounded [the place] and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night, saying, "[Let us wait] until the morning light, then we will kill him." + Now Samson lay until midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron. + After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. + The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him, and see where his great strength [lies] and how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven hundred [pieces] of silver." + So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you." + Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any [other] man." + Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. + Now she had [men] lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he snapped the cords as a string of tow snaps when it touches fire. So his strength was not discovered. + Then Delilah said to Samson, "Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now please tell me how you may be bound." + He said to her, "If they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any [other] man." + So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" For the [men] were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread. + Then Delilah said to Samson, "Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies; tell me how you may be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my hair with the web [and fasten it with a pin, then I will become weak and be like any other man." + So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web]. And she fastened [it] with the pin and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web. + Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is." + It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. + So he told her all [that was] in his heart and said to her, "A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any [other] man." + When Delilah saw that he had told her all [that was] in his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me all [that is] in his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. + She made him sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his hair. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him. + She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. + Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison. + However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off. + Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands." + When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, "Our god has given our enemy into our hands, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has slain many of us." + It so happened when they were in high spirits, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may amuse us." So they called for Samson from the prison, and he entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars. + Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them." + Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing [them]. + Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." + Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. + And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life. + Then his brothers and all his father's household came down, took him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus he had judged Israel twenty years. + + + Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. + He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred [pieces] of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the LORD." + He then returned the eleven hundred [pieces] of silver to his mother, and his mother said, "I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the LORD for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will return them to you." + So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred [pieces] of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah. + And the man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and household idols and consecrated one of his sons, that he might become his priest. + In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. + Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was staying there. + Then the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem in Judah, to stay wherever he might find [a place]; and as he made his journey, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. + Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" And he said to him, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever I may find [a place]." + Micah then said to him, "Dwell with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten [pieces] of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your maintenance." So the Levite went [in]. + The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. + So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in the house of Micah. + Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, seeing I have a Levite as priest." + + + In those days there was no king of Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel. + So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, search the land." And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. + When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, "Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this [place]? And what do you have here?" + He said to them, "Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me and I have become his priest." + They said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous." + The priest said to them, "Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the LORD'S approval." + Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ruler humiliating [them] for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. + When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, "What [do] you [report]?" + They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land. + "When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth." + Then from the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out. + They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. + They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. + Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do." + They turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. + The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. + Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up [and] entered there, [and] took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. + When these went into Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" + They said to him, "Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?" + The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image and went among the people. + Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them. + When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who [were] in the houses near Micah's house assembled and overtook the sons of Dan. + They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is [the matter] with you, that you have assembled together?" + He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, 'What is [the matter] with you?'" + The sons of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or else fierce men will fall upon you and you will lose your life, with the lives of your household." + So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. + Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. + And there was no one to deliver [them], because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it. + They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was Laish. + The sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. + So they set up for themselves Micah's graven image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh. + + + Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. + But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for a period of four months. + Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he was glad to meet him. + His father-in-law, the girl's father, detained him; and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there. + Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to go; and the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Sustain yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go." + So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl's father said to the man, "Please be willing to spend the night, and let your heart be merry." + Then the man arose to go, but his father-in-law urged him so that he spent the night there again. + On the fifth day he arose to go early in the morning, and the girl's father said, "Please sustain yourself, and wait until afternoon"; so both of them ate. + When the man arose to go along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Lo, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here that your heart may be merry. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey so that you may go home." + But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he arose and departed and came to [a place] opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him. + When they [were] near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and the servant said to his master, "Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it." + However, his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; but we will go on as far as Gibeah." + He said to his servant, "Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." + So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. + They turned aside there in order to enter [and] lodge in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into [his] house to spend the night. + Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites. + And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?" + He said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, [for] I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am [now] going to my house, and no man will take me into his house. + "Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything." + The old man said, "Peace to you. Only let me [take care of] all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the open square." + So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank. + While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him." + Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly. + "Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man." + But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought [her] out to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn. + As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man's house where her master was, until [full] daylight. + When her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, then behold, his concubine was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. + He said to her, "Get up and let us go," but there was no answer. Then he placed her on the donkey; and the man arose and went to his home. + When he entered his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. + All who saw [it] said, "Nothing like this has [ever] happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!" + + + Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah. + The chiefs of all the people, [even] of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword. + (Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, "Tell [us], how did this wickedness take place?" + So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. + "But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they ravished my concubine so that she died. + "And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel's inheritance; for they have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. + "Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your advice and counsel here." + Then all the people arose as one man, saying, "Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house. + "But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; [we will go up] against it by lot. + "And we will take 10 men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000 to supply food for the people, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish [them] for all the disgraceful acts that they have committed in Israel." + Thus all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man. + Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this wickedness that has taken place among you? + "Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove [this] wickedness from Israel." But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. + The sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel. + From the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were numbered, 26,000 men who draw the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were numbered, 700 choice men. + Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. + Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war. + Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, "Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?" Then the LORD said, "Judah [shall go up] first." + So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah. + The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah. + Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felled to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel. + But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day. + The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him." + Then the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin the second day. + Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and felled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword. + Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. + The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God [was] there in those days, + and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, stood before it to [minister] in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand." + So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. + The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times. + The sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, [and] in the field, about thirty men of Israel. + The sons of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us, as at the first." But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways." + Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. + When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became fierce; but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them. + And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all who draw the sword. + So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, + the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. + Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. + Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle." + But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up [in smoke] to heaven. + Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was close to them. + Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them. + They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest [and] trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the east. + Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors. + The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they caught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them at Gidom and killed 2,000 of them. + So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who draw the sword; all these were valiant warriors. + But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. + The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found. + + + Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage." + So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. + They said, "Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be [missing] today in Israel?" + It came about the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. + Then the sons of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death." + And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel today. + "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?" + And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah?" And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. + For when the people were numbered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. + And the congregation sent 12,000 of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. + "This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain with a man." + And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. + Then the whole congregation sent [word] and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. + Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yet they were not enough for them. + And the people were sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. + Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?" + They said, "[There must be] an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel. + "But we cannot give them wives of our daughters." For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, "Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin." + So they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah." + And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, + and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards and each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. + "It shall come about, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we shall say to them, 'Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man [of Benjamin] a wife in battle, nor did you give [them] to them, [else] you would now be guilty.'" + The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they carried away. And they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the cities and lived in them. + The sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one of them went out from there to his inheritance. + In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. + + + + + Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. + The name of the man [was] Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. + Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. + They took for themselves Moabite women [as] wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. + Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. + Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food. + So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. + And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. + "May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. + And they said to her, "[No], but we will surely return with you to your people." + But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? + "Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, + would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me." + And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. + Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law." + But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you [or] turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people [shall be] my people, and your God, my God. + "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if [anything but] death parts you and me." + When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. + So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" + She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. + "I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" + So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. + + + Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. + And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." + So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. + Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "May the LORD be with you." And they said to him, "May the LORD bless you." + Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" + The servant in charge of the reapers replied, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. + "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while." + Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. + "Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw." + Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" + Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. + "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." + Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants." + At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. + When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. + "Also you shall purposely pull out for her [some grain] from the bundles and leave [it] that she may glean, and do not rebuke her." + So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. + She took [it] up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took [it] out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. + Her mother-in-law then said to her, "Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz." + Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives." + Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'" + Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that [others] do not fall upon you in another field." + So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law. + + + Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? + "Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. + "Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your [best] clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; [but] do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. + "It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do." + She said to her, "All that you say I will do." + So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. + When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. + It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. + He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative." + Then he said, "May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. + "Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. + "Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. + "Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning." + So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." + Again he said, "Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it." So she held it, and he measured six [measures] of barley and laid [it] on her. Then she went into the city. + When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done for her. + She said, "These six [measures] of barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" + Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today." + + + Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. + He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. + Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. + "So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy [it] before those who are sitting [here], and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem [it], redeem [it]; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem [it], and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem [it]." + Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." + The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem [it] for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem [it] for yourself; you [may have] my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem [it]." + Now this was [the custom] in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange [of land] to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel. + So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy [it] for yourself." And he removed his sandal. + Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. + "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his [birth] place; you are witnesses today." + All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "[We are] witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. + "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman." + So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. + Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. + "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." + Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. + The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. + Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, + and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, + and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, + and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, + and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David. + + + + + Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. + He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. + Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD there. + When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; + but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb. + Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. + It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. + Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" + Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. + She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. + She made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head." + Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth. + As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. + Then Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you." + But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD. + "Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation." + Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." + She said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer [sad]. + Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. + It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, [saying], "Because I have asked him of the LORD." + Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and [pay] his vow. + But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "[I will not go up] until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and stay there forever." + Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the LORD confirm His word." So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. + Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young. + Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. + She said, "Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD. + "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. + "So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. + + + Then Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. + "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. + "Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. + "The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. + "Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease [to hunger]. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. + "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. + "The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. + "He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them. + "He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. + "Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed." + Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest. + Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD + and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. + Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. + Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw." + If the man said to him, "They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you shall give [it to me] now; and if not, I will take it by force." + Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD. + Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, [as] a boy wearing a linen ephod. + And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. + Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May the LORD give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD." And they went to their own home. + The LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD. + Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. + He said to them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? + "No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the LORD'S people circulating. + "If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death. + Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men. + Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Did I [not] indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to Pharaoh's house? + 'Did I [not] choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I [not] give to the house of your father all the fire [offerings] of the sons of Israel? + 'Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded [in My] dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?' + "Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, 'I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever'; but now the LORD declares, 'Far be it from Me-- for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. + 'Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your house. + 'You will see the distress of [My] dwelling, in [spite of] all the good that I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. + 'Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail [from weeping] and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life. + 'This will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die. + 'But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always. + 'Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, "Please assign me to one of the priest's offices so that I may eat a piece of bread."'" + + + Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. + It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim [and] he could not see [well]), + and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God [was], + that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, "Here I am." + Then he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, lie down again." So he went and lay down. + The LORD called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he answered, "I did not call, my son, lie down again." + Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him. + So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy. + And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. + Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." + The LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. + "In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. + "For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. + "Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever." + So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. + Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." + He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you." + So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him." + Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail. + All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. + And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD. + + + Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in Aphek. + The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. + When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies." + So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits [above] the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] there with the ark of the covenant of God. + As the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. + When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What [does] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews [mean]?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp. + The Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. + "Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all [kinds of] plagues in the wilderness. + "Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight." + So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. + And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. + Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head. + When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on [his] seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So the man came to tell [it] in the city, and all the city cried out. + When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What [does] the noise of this commotion [mean]?" Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli. + Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he could not see. + The man said to Eli, "I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today." And he said, "How did things go, my son?" + Then the one who brought the news replied, "Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken." + When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years. + Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas's wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. + And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son." But she did not answer or pay attention. + And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband. + She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken." + + + Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. + Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. + When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. + But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. + Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. + Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. + When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god." + So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they said, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." And they brought the ark of the God of Israel [around]. + After they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city with very great confusion; and He smote the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. + So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel around to us, to kill us and our people." + They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people." For there was a deadly confusion throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. + And the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up to heaven. + + + Now the ark of the LORD had been in the country of the Philistines seven months. + And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall send it to its place." + They said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but you shall surely return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you." + Then they said, "What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him?" And they said, "Five golden tumors and five golden mice [according to] the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on your lords. + "So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will ease His hand from you, your gods, and your land. + "Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not allow the people to go, and they departed? + "Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them. + "Take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it away that it may go. + "Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance." + Then the men did so, and took two milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. + They put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the likenesses of their tumors. + And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh. + Now [the people of] Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to see [it]. + The cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood there where there [was] a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. + The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the LORD. + When the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day. + These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron; + and the golden mice, [according] to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large stone on which they set the ark of the LORD [is a witness] to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite. + He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter. + The men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?" + So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up to you." + + + And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. + From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. + Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." + So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone. + Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for you." + They gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah. + Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. + Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." + Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the LORD; and Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel and the LORD answered him. + Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel. + The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as below Beth-car. + Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." + So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. + The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. + Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. + He used to go annually on circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. + Then his return [was] to Ramah, for his house [was] there, and there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar to the LORD. + + + And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. + Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; [they] were judging in Beersheba. + His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice. + Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; + and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." + But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. + The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. + "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day-- in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods-- so they are doing to you also. + "Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them." + So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. + He said, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place [them] for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. + "He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and [some] to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. + "He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. + "He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give [them] to his servants. + "He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. + "He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use [them] for his work. + "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. + "Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." + Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, + that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." + Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing. + The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." + + + Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. + He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome [man], and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. + Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take now with you one of the servants, and arise, go search for the donkeys." + He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find [them]. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but [they were] not [there]. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find [them]. + When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease [to be concerned] about the donkeys and will become anxious for us." + He said to him, "Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out." + Then Saul said to his servant, "But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" + The servant answered Saul again and said, "Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give [it] to the man of God and he will tell us our way." + (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, and let us go to the seer"; for [he who is called] a prophet now was formerly called a seer.) + Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was. + As they went up the slope to the city, they found young women going out to draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?" + They answered them and said, "He is; see, [he is] ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, for the people have a sacrifice on the high place today. + "As soon as you enter the city you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up for you will find him at once." + So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place. + Now a day before Saul's coming, the LORD had revealed [this] to Samuel saying, + "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me." + When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people." + Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is." + Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind. + "As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's household?" + Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?" + Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men. + Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion that I gave you, concerning which I said to you, 'Set it aside.'" + Then the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set [it] before Saul. And [Samuel] said, "Here is what has been reserved! Set [it] before you [and] eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, since I said I have invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day. + When they came down from the high place into the city, [Samuel] spoke with Saul on the roof. + And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. + As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you." + + + Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance? + "When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' + "Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; + and they will greet you and give you two [loaves] of bread, which you will accept from their hand. + "Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. + "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. + "It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you. + "And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do." + Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. + When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. + It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" + A man there said, "Now, who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" + When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place. + Now Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel." + Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you." + So Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned. + Thereafter Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah; + and he said to the sons of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' + "But you have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, 'No, but set a king over us!' Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans." + Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. + Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found. + Therefore they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" So the LORD said, "Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage." + So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. + Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people." So all the people shouted and said, "[Long] live the king!" + Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote [them] in the book and placed [it] before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house. + Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant [men] whose hearts God had touched went with him. + But certain worthless men said, "How can this one deliver us?" And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent. + + + Now Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us and we will serve you." + But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "I will make [it] with you on this condition, that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will make it a reproach on all Israel." + The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Let us alone for seven days, that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you." + Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices and wept. + Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is [the matter] with the people that they weep?" So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. + Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry. + He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent [them] throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." Then the dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man. + He numbered them in Bezek; and the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. + They said to the messengers who had come, "Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.'" So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. + Then the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you." + The next morning Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. + Then the people said to Samuel, "Who is he that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, that we may put them to death." + But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has accomplished deliverance in Israel." + Then Samuel said to the people, "Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there." + So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they also offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. + + + Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. + "Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. + "Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore [it] to you." + They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand." + He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand." And they said, "[He is] witness." + Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. + "So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and your fathers. + "When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. + "But they forgot the LORD their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. + "They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.' + "Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security. + "When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the LORD your God [was] your king. + "Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you. + "If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. + "If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, [as it was] against your fathers. + "Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes. + "Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king." + So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. + Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil by asking for ourselves a king." + Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. + "You must not turn aside, for [then you would go] after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. + "For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. + "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. + "Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. + "But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away." + + + Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign, and he reigned [forty] two years over Israel. + Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. + Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of [it]. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." + All Israel heard the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal. + Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. + When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. + Also [some of] the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he [was] still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. + Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. + So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. + As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him [and] to greet him. + But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, + therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.' So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering." + Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. + "But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." + Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. + Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. + And the raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, + and another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the border which overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. + Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears." + So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. + The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the hoes. + So it came about on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who [were] with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan. + And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. + + + Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father. + Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who [were] with him [were] about six hundred men, + and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. + Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp crag on the one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. + The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba. + Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few." + His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, [and] here I am with you according to your desire." + Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. + "If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you'; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. + "But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us." + When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, "Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves." + So the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, "Come up to us and we will tell you something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hands of Israel." + Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. + That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. + And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. + Now Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and [there]. + Saul said to the people who [were] with him, "Number now and see who has gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not [there]. + Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. + While Saul talked to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines continued and increased; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." + Then Saul and all the people who [were] with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, [and there was] very great confusion. + Now the Hebrews [who] were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also [turned] to be with the Israelites who [were] with Saul and Jonathan. + When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. + So the LORD delivered Israel that day, and the battle spread beyond Beth-aven. + Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food. + All [the people of] the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. + When the people entered the forest, behold, [there was] a flow of honey; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. + But Jonathan had not heard when his father put the people under oath; therefore, he put out the end of the staff that [was] in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. + Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today.'" And the people were weary. + Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. + "How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." + They struck among the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very weary. + The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew [them] on the ground; and the people ate [them] with the blood. + Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have acted treacherously; roll a great stone to me today." + Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter [it] here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.'" So all the people that night brought each one his ox with him and slaughtered [it] there. + And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD. + Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." So the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." + Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day. + Saul said, "Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. + "For as the LORD lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not one of all the people answered him. + Then he said to all Israel, "You shall be on one side and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." + Therefore, Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give a perfect [lot]." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. + Saul said, "Cast [lots] between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. + Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him and said, "I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!" + Saul said, "May God do this [to me] and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan." + But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die. + Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. + Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. + He acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them. + Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters [were these]: the name of the firstborn Merab and the name of the younger Michal. + The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. + Kish [was] the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner [was] the son of Abiel. + Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff. + + + Then Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek [for] what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. + 'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" + Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. + Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. + Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. + So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. + He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. + But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. + Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, + "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night. + Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal." + Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD." + But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" + Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed." + Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!" + Samuel said, "Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were [made] the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, + and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.' + "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" + Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. + "But the people took [some] of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." + Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams. + "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from [being] king." + Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. + "Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." + But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." + As Samuel turned to go, [Saul] seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. + So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. + "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." + Then he said, "I have sinned; [but] please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God." + So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. + Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." + But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal. + Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. + Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. + + + Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons." + But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears [of it], he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' + "You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you." + So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?" + He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. + When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him." + But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." + Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." + Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." + Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." + And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." + So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." + Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. + Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. + Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. + "Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play [the harp] with his hand, and you will be well." + So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring [him] to me." + Then one of the young men said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him." + So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David who is with the flock." + Jesse took a donkey [loaded with] bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent [them] to Saul by David his son. + Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. + Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight." + So it came about whenever the [evil] spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play [it] with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him. + + + Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. + Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. + The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. + Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. + [He had] a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. + [He] also [had] bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin [slung] between his shoulders. + The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of his spear [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. + He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, "Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. + "If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us." + Again the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." + When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. + Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced [in years] among men. + The three older sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. + David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, + but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock at Bethlehem. + The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand. + Then Jesse said to David his son, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. + "Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of [their] thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them. + "For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines." + So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took [the supplies] and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. + Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. + Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. + As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard [them]. + When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. + The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel." + Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" + The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, "Thus it will be done for the man who kills him." + Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle." + But David said, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?" + Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before. + When the words which David spoke were heard, they told [them] to Saul, and he sent for him. + David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." + Then Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are [but] a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth." + But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, + I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued [it] from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized [him] by his beard and struck him and killed him. + "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." + And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you." + Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. + David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested [them]. So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested [them]." And David took them off. + He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in [his] pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. + Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. + When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. + The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. + The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field." + Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. + "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, + and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." + Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. + And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung [it], and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. + Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand. + Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. + The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. + The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps. + Then David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent. + Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this young man?" And Abner said, "By your life, O king, I do not know." + The king said, "You inquire whose son the youth is." + So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head in his hand. + Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "[I am] the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite." + + + Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. + Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. + Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. + Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. + So David went out wherever Saul sent him, [and] prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. + It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. + The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands." + Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" + Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. + Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing [the harp] with his hand, as usual; and a spear [was] in Saul's hand. + Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence twice. + Now Saul was afraid of David, for the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. + Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. + David was prospering in all his ways for the LORD [was] with him. + When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he dreaded him. + But all Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them. + Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight the LORD'S battles." For Saul thought, "My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him." + But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be the king's son-in-law?" + So it came about at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. + Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable to him. + Saul thought, "I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "For a second time you may be my son-in-law today." + Then Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David secretly, saying, 'Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now therefore, become the king's son-in-law.'" + So Saul's servants spoke these words to David. But David said, "Is it trivial in your sight to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?" + The servants of Saul reported to him according to these words [which] David spoke. + Saul then said, "Thus you shall say to David, 'The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. + When his servants told David these words, it pleased David to become the king's son-in-law. Before the days had expired + David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife. + When Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and [that] Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, + then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David's enemy continually. + Then the commanders of the Philistines went out [to battle], and it happened as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed. + + + Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly delighted in David. + So Jonathan told David saying, "Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. + "I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; if I find out anything, then I will tell you." + Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds [have been] very beneficial to you. + "For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw [it] and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?" + Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death." + Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly. + When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him. + Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing [the harp] with [his] hand. + Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. + Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death." + So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. + Michal took the household idol and laid [it] on the bed, and put a quilt of goats' [hair] at its head, and covered [it] with clothes. + When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." + Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me on his bed, that I may put him to death." + When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol [was] on the bed with the quilt of goats' [hair] at its head. + So Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal said to Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I put you to death?'" + Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. + It was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." + Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing [and] presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied. + When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. + Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And [someone] said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah." + He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. + He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" + + + Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?" + He said to him, "Far from it, you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!" + Yet David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.' But truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death." + Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you." + So David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening. + "If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked [leave] of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.' + "If he says, 'It is good,' your servant [will be] safe; but if he is very angry, know that he has decided on evil. + "Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?" + Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn that evil has been decided by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you about it?" + Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?" + Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." So both of them went out to the field. + Then Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, [be witness]! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, [or] the third day, behold, if there is good [feeling] toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you? + "If it please my father [to do] you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father. + "If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die? + "You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth." + So Jonathan made a [covenant] with the house of David, [saying], "May the LORD require [it] at the hands of David's enemies." + Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life. + Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. + "When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain by the stone Ezel. + "I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. + "And behold, I will send the lad, [saying], 'Go, find the arrows.' If I specifically say to the lad, 'Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,' then come; for there is safety for you and no harm, as the LORD lives. + "But if I say to the youth, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond you,' go, for the LORD has sent you away. + "As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever." + So David hid in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. + The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. + Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, "It is an accident, he is not clean, surely [he is] not clean." + It came about the next day, the second [day] of the new moon, that David's place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" + Jonathan then answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me [to go] to Bethlehem, + for he said, 'Please let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table." + Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? + "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die." + But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" + Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. + Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had dishonored him. + Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad [was] with him. + He said to his lad, "Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot." As the lad was running, he shot an arrow past him. + When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" + And Jonathan called after the lad, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's lad picked up the arrow and came to his master. + But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. + Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, "Go, bring [them] to the city." + When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David [wept] the more. + Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'" Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city. + + + Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, "Why are you alone and no one with you?" + David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.' + "Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found." + The priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women." + David answered the priest and said to him, "Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then today will their vessels [be holy]?" + So the priest gave him consecrated [bread]; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread [in its place] when it was taken away. + Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's shepherds. + David said to Ahimelech, "Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's matter was urgent." + Then the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take [it]. For there is no other except it here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me." + Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath. + But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands '?" + David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. + So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard. + Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me? + "Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?" + + + So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard [of it], they went down there to him. + Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him. + And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come [and stay] with you until I know what God will do for me." + Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. + The prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. + Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. + Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? + "For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes [a covenant] with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as [it is] this day." + Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. + "He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." + Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. + Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord." + Saul then said to him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as [it is] this day?" + Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, "And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king's son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? + "Did I [just] begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant [or] to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair." + But the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!" + And the king said to the guards who were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me." But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the LORD. + Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn around and attack the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. + And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep [he struck] with the edge of the sword. + But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. + Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. + Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about [the death] of every person in your father's household. + "Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me." + + + Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors." + So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah." + But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?" + Then David inquired of the LORD once more. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand." + So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. + Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, [that] he came down [with] an ephod in his hand. + When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars." + So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. + Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." + Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. + "Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down." + Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you." + Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. + David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. + Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. + And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. + Thus he said to him, "Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also." + So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house. + Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? + "Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so; and our part [shall be] to surrender him into the king's hand." + Saul said, "May you be blessed of the LORD, for you have had compassion on me. + "Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his haunt is, [and] who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. + "So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah." + Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. + When Saul and his men went to seek [him], they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard [it], he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. + Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them. + But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land." + So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape. + David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi. + + + Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." + Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. + He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there [was] a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. + The men of David said to him, "Behold, [this is] the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. + It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's [robe]. + So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed." + David persuaded his men with [these] words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on [his] way. + Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. + David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, 'Behold, David seeks to harm you'? + "Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but [my eye] had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.' + "Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. + "May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. + "As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you. + "After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? + "The LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand." + When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. + He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. + "You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and [yet] you did not kill me. + "For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. + "Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. + "So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father's household." + David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. + + + Then Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. + Now [there was] a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while he was shearing his sheep in Carmel + (now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in [his] dealings, and he was a Calebite), + that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. + So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in my name; + and thus you shall say, 'Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. + 'Now I have heard that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel. + 'Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let [my] young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.'" + When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David's name; then they waited. + But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. + "Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?" + So David's young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told him according to all these words. + David said to his men, "Each [of you] gird on his sword." So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two hundred stayed with the baggage. + But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, and he scorned them. + "Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. + "They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. + "Now therefore, know and consider what you should do, for evil is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a worthless man that no one can speak to him." + Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred [loaves] of bread and two jugs of wine and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded [them] on donkeys. + She said to her young men, "Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. + It came about as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them. + Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have guarded all that this [man] has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has returned me evil for good. + "May God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if by morning I leave [as much as] one male of any who belong to him." + When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. + She fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. + "Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. + "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. + "Now let this gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who accompany my lord. + "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days. + "Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling. + "And when the LORD does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel, + this will not cause grief or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged himself. When the LORD deals well with my lord, then remember your maidservant." + Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, + and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. + "Nevertheless, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from harming you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light [as much as] one male." + So David received from her hand what she had brought him and said to her, "Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and granted your request." + Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she did not tell him anything at all until the morning light. + But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became [as] a stone. + About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died. + When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. + When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife." + She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servants." + Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife. + David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. + Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim. + + + Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, [which is] before Jeshimon?" + So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. + Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, beside the road, and David was staying in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, + David sent out spies, and he knew that Saul was definitely coming. + David then arose and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him. + Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." + So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him. + Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time." + But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be without guilt?" + David also said, "As the LORD lives, surely the LORD will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish. + "The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go." + So David took the spear and the jug of water from [beside] Saul's head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew [it], nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from the LORD had fallen on them. + Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance [with] a large area between them. + David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?" + So David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord. + "This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, [all] of you must surely die, because you did not guard your lord, the LORD'S anointed. And now, see where the king's spear is and the jug of water that was at his head." + Then Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord the king." + He also said, "Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? + "Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, cursed are they before the LORD, for they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' + "Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains." + Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error." + David replied, "Behold the spear of the king! Now let one of the young men come over and take it. + "The LORD will repay each man [for] his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into [my] hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed. + "Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress." + Then Saul said to David, "Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. + + + Then David said to himself, "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand." + So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. + And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, [even] David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widow. + Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him. + Then David said to Achish, "If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" + So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. + The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. + Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. + David attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. + Now Achish said, "Where have you made a raid today?" And David said, "Against the Negev of Judah and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites and against the Negev of the Kenites." + David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, "Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, 'So has David done and so [has been] his practice all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'" + So Achish believed David, saying, "He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever." + + + Now it came about in those days that the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, "Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men." + David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life." + Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists. + So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped in Gilboa. + When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. + When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. + Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor." + Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, "Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you." + But the woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?" + Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." + Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" And he said, "Bring up Samuel for me." + When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul." + The king said to her, "Do not be afraid; but what do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up out of the earth." + He said to her, "What is his form?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage. + Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do." + Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary? + "The LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. + "As you did not obey the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the LORD has done this thing to you this day. + "Moreover the LORD will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the LORD will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!" + Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night. + The woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, and said to him, "Behold, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. + "So now also, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you that [you may] eat and have strength when you go on [your] way." + But he refused and said, "I will not eat." However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. + The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; and she took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it. + She brought [it] before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night. + + + Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel. + And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. + Then the commanders of the Philistines said, "What [are] these Hebrews [doing here]?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or [rather] these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted [to me] to this day?" + But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this [man] make himself acceptable to his lord? [Would it] not [be] with the heads of these men? + "Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands '?" + Then Achish called David and said to him, "[As] the LORD lives, you [have been] upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords. + "Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines." + David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" + But Achish replied to David, "I know that you are pleasing in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the battle.' + "Now then arise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have arisen early in the morning and have light, depart." + So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. + + + Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; + and they took captive the women [and all] who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried [them] off and went their way. + When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. + Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. + Now David's two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. + Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. + Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. + David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?" And He said to him, "Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue [all]." + So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, [where] those left behind remained. + But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor remained [behind]. + Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink. + They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. + David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" And he said, "I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind when I fell sick three days ago. + "We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire." + Then David said to him, "Will you bring me down to this band?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band." + When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. + David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. + So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. + But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought [it] all back. + So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle [which the people] drove ahead of the [other] livestock, and they said, "This is David's spoil." + When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. + Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away and depart." + Then David said, "You must not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. + "And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike." + So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. + Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent [some] of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Behold, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD: + to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the Negev, and to those who were in Jattir, + and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, + and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, + and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Bor-ashan, and to those who were in Athach, + and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go." + + + Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. + The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. + Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. + When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. + Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together. + When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them. + It came about on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. + They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent [them] throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. + They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. + Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, + all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. + They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. + + + + + Now it came about after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remained two days in Ziklag. + On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. + Then David said to him, "From where do you come?" And he said to him, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel." + David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." And he said, "The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also." + So David said to the young man who told him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" + The young man who told him said, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. + "When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, 'Here I am.' + "He said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' + "Then he said to me, 'Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.' + "So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which [was] on his head and the bracelet which [was] on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord." + Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and [so] also [did] all the men who [were] with him. + They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. + David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite." + Then David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" + And David called one of the young men and said, "Go, cut him down." So he struck him and he died. + David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'" + Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, + and he told [them] to teach the sons of Judah [the song of] the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar. + "Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen! + "Tell [it] not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised will exult. + "O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. + "From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty. + "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not parted; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions. + "O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. + "How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places. + "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful Than the love of women. + "How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!" + + + Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." + So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. + And David brought up his men who [were] with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. + Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul." + David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed of the LORD because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. + "Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. + "Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them." + But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. + He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. + Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. + The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. + Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. + And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. + Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." + So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. + Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and [thrust] his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. + That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. + Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel [was] [as] swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. + Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. + Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I." + So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. + Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?" + However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. + But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. + The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. + Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?" + Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother." + So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. + Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim. + Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David's servants besides Asahel were missing. + But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner's men, [so that] three hundred and sixty men died. + And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron. + + + Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually. + Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; + and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; + and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; + and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron. + It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. + Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?" + Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. + "May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as the LORD has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him, + to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba." + And he could no longer answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him. + Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, "Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you." + He said, "Good! I will make a covenant with you, but I demand one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me." + So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines." + Ish-bosheth sent and took her from [her] husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. + But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." So he returned. + Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. + "Now then, do [it]! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'" + Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin. + Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. + Abner said to David, "Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. + And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. + When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace." + Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone? + "You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out all that you are doing." + When Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know [it]. + So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. + Afterward when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are innocent before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. + "May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread." + So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. + Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier. + Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. + The king chanted a [lament] for Abner and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies? + "Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen." And all the people wept again over him. + Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down." + Now all the people took note [of it], and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. + So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been [the will] of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. + Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? + "I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil." + + + Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was disturbed. + Saul's son [had] two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered [part] of Benjamin, + and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been aliens there until this day). + Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. + So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. + They came to the middle of the house as if to get wheat, and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. + Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him and beheaded him. And they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night. + Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the LORD has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants." + David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, + when one told me, saying, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for [his] news. + "How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hand and destroy you from the earth?" + Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron. + + + Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. + "Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.'" + So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel. + David was thirty years old when he became king, [and] he reigned forty years. + At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. + Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, "You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away"; thinking, "David cannot enter here." + Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David. + David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." Therefore they say, "The blind or the lame shall not come into the house." + So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. + David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him. + Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for David. + And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. + Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. + Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard [of it], he went down to the stronghold. + Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. + Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." + So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters." Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim. + They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away. + Now the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. + When David inquired of the LORD, He said, "You shall not go [directly] up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. + "It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines." + Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer. + + + Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. + And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned [above] the cherubim. + They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. + So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. + Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of [instruments made of] fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals. + But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset [it]. + And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. + David became angry because of the LORD'S outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. + So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" + And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. + Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household. + Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God." David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. + And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. + And David was dancing before the LORD with all [his] might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. + So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. + Then it happened [as] the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. + So they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. + When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. + Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house. + But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!" + So David said to Michal, "[It was] before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the LORD. + "I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished." + Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. + + + Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, + that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains." + Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you." + But in the same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, + "Go and say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? + "For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. + "Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'"' + "Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. + "I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. + "I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, + even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. + "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. + "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. + "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, + but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took [it] away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. + "Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."'" + In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. + Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? + "And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord GOD. + "Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD! + "For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. + "For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. + "And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, [from] nations and their gods? + "For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God. + "Now therefore, O LORD God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm [it] forever, and do as You have spoken, + that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel'; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. + "For You, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house'; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. + "Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. + "Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever." + + + Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines. + He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute. + Then David defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his rule at the River. + David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved [enough] of them for 100 chariots. + When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 Arameans. + Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. + David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze. + Now when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, + Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And [Joram] brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze. + King David also dedicated these to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued: + from Aram and Moab and the sons of Ammon and the Philistines and Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. + So David made a name [for himself] when he returned from killing 18,000 Arameans in the Valley of Salt. + He put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people. + Joab the son of Zeruiah [was] over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud [was] recorder. + Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar [were] priests, and Seraiah [was] secretary. + Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers. + + + Then David said, "Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" + Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "[I am] your servant." + The king said, "Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet." + So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar." + Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. + Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!" + David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly." + Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?" + Then the king called Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. + "You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in [the produce] so that your master's grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. + Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons. + Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. + So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king's table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet. + + + Now it happened afterwards that the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son became king in his place. + Then David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent some of his servants to console him concerning his father. But when David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites, + the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?" + So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. + When they told [it] to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and [then] return." + Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men. + When David heard [of it], he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. + The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah [were] by themselves in the field. + Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel, and arrayed [them] against the Arameans. + But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed [them] against the sons of Ammon. + He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you. + "Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight." + So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. + When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled, they [also] fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from [fighting] against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem. + When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. + And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them. + Now when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans arrayed themselves to meet David and fought against him. + But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 charioteers of the Arameans and 40,000 horsemen and struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. + When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans feared to help the sons of Ammon anymore. + + + Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. + Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. + So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" + David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. + The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." + Then David sent to Joab, [saying], "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. + When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. + Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a present from the king was sent out after him. + But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. + Now when they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" + Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing." + Then David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. + Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house. + Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent [it] by the hand of Uriah. + He had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die." + So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there [were] valiant men. + The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died. + Then Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war. + He charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, + and if it happens that the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? + 'Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?'-- then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'" + So the messenger departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him [to tell]. + The messenger said to David, "The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. + "Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead." + Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it'; and [so] encourage him." + Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. + When the [time of] mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. + + + Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. + "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. + "But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. + "Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." + Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. + "He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion." + Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. + 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! + 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. + 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' + "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give [them] to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. + 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'" + Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. + "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die." + So Nathan went to his house. Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, so that he was [very] sick. + David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. + The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. + Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was [still] alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do [himself] harm!" + But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." + So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed [himself], and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. + Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." + He said, "While the child was [still] alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' + "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." + Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him + and sent [word] through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the LORD'S sake. + Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city. + Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. + "Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me." + So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. + Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight [was] a talent of gold, and [in it] [was] a precious stone; and it was [placed] on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts. + He also brought out the people who were in it, and set [them] under saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned [to] Jerusalem. + + + Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. + Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. + But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. + He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom." + Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me [some] food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see [it] and eat from her hand.'" + So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand." + Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him." + So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded [it], made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. + She took the pan and dished [them] out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Have everyone go out from me." So everyone went out from him. + Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. + When she brought [them] to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister." + But she answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing! + "As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." + However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her. + Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up, go away!" + But she said to him, "No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!" Yet he would not listen to her. + Then he called his young man who attended him and said, "Now throw this woman out of my [presence], and lock the door behind her." + Now she had on a long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her. + Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which [was] on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. + Then Absalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart." So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom's house. + Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry. + But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar. + Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. + Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant." + But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you." Although he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him. + Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" + But when Absalom urged him, he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. + Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "See now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant." + The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled. + Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left." + Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn. + Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, responded, "Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead; because by the intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated his sister Tamar. + "Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, namely, 'all the king's sons are dead,' for only Amnon is dead." + Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. + Jonadab said to the king, "Behold, the king's sons have come; according to your servant's word, so it happened." + As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly. + Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every day. + So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years. + [The heart of] King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead. + + + Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart [was inclined] toward Absalom. + So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days; + then go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth. + Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, "Help, O king." + The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. + "Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him. + "Now behold, the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.' Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth." + Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you." + The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father's house, but the king and his throne are guiltless." + So the king said, "Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore." + Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, [so that] the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son." And he said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground." + Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak." + The woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, [in that] the king does not bring back his banished one. + "For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him. + "Now the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, 'Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant. + 'For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.' + "Then your maidservant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.'" + Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king please speak." + So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman replied, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant; + in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth." + Then the king said to Joab, "Behold now, I will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom." + Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant." + So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. + However the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face. + Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. + When he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut [it], for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king's weight. + To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance. + Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face. + Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come. + Therefore he said to his servants, "See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. + Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" + Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent for you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there."' Now therefore, let me see the king's face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death." + So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. + + + Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. + Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, "From what city are you?" And he would say, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." + Then Absalom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king." + Moreover, Absalom would say, "Oh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice." + And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. + In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel. + Now it came about at the end of forty years that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. + "For your servant vowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the LORD shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'" + The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron. + But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" + Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, and they did not know anything. + And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. + Then a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." + David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise and let us flee, for [otherwise] none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword." + Then the king's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants [are ready to do] whatever my lord the king chooses." + So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house. + The king went out and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house. + Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king. + Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; [return] to your own place. + "You came [only] yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, while I go where I will? Return and take back your brothers; mercy and truth be with you." + But Ittai answered the king and said, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be." + Therefore David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who [were] with him. + While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness. + Now behold, Zadok also [came], and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. + The king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. + "But if He should say thus, 'I have no delight in you,' behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him." + The king said also to Zadok the priest, "Are you [not] a seer? Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. + "See, I am going to wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." + Therefore Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there. + And David went up the ascent of the [Mount of] Olives, and wept as he went, and his head was covered and he walked barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went. + Now someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness." + It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and dust on his head. + David said to him, "If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me. + "But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,' then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. + "Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king's house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. + "Behold their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear." + So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem. + + + Now when David had passed a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them [were] two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. + The king said to Ziba, "Why do you have these?" And Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink." + Then the king said, "And where is your master's son?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.'" + So the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours." And Ziba said, "I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!" + When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. + He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. + Thus Shimei said when he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! + "The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are [taken] in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!" + Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head." + But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the LORD has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" + Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him. + "Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day." + So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. + The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there. + Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. + Now it came about when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, "[Long] live the king! [Long] live the king!" + Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?" + Then Hushai said to Absalom, "No! For whom the LORD, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. + "Besides, whom should I serve? [Should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence." + Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?" + Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened." + So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. + The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, [was] as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel [regarded] by both David and Absalom. + + + Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. + "I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone, + and I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; [then] all the people will be at peace." + So the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel. + Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say." + When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has spoken thus. Shall we carry out his plan? If not, you speak." + So Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good." + Moreover, Hushai said, "You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are fierce, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and will not spend the night with the people. + "Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the caves or in another place; and it will be when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears [it] will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.' + "And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are valiant men. + "But I counsel that all Israel be surely gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle. + "So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. + "If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a small stone is found there." + Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom. + Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled. + "Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.'" + Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. + But a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. + And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known. + Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they searched and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem. + It came about after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you." + Then David and all the people who [were] with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan. + Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father. + Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. + Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. + And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. + Now when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, + brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, parched [grain], beans, lentils, parched [seeds], + honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who [were] with him, to eat; for they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness." + + + Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. + David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, "I myself will surely go out with you also." + But the people said, "You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you [be ready] to help us from the city." + Then the king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. + The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "[Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom. + Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. + The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. + For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. + Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on [his] mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. + When a certain man saw [it], he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak." + Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw [him]! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten [pieces] of silver and a belt." + The man said to Joab, "Even if I should receive a thousand [pieces of] silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect for me the young man Absalom!' + "Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof." + Then Joab said, "I will not waste time here with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. + And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him. + Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. + They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. + Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to preserve my name." So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day. + Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Please let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies." + But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead." + Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. + Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?" + "But whatever happens," [he said], "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite. + Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. + The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer. + Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "Behold, [another] man running by himself." And the king said, "This one also is bringing good news." + The watchman said, "I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "This is a good man and comes with good news." + Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "All is well." And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, "Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king." + The king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what [it was]." + Then the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still. + Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, "Let my lord the king receive good news, for the LORD has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you." + Then the king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And the Cushite answered, "Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!" + The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" + + + Then it was told Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourns for Absalom." + The victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard [it] said that day, "The king is grieved for his son." + So the people went by stealth into the city that day, as people who are humiliated steal away when they flee in battle. + The king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!" + Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines, + by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. + "Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, surely not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now." + So the king arose and sat in the gate. When they told all the people, saying, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate," then all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled, each to his tent. + All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. + "However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?" + Then King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, [even] to his house? + 'You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?' + "Say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.'" + Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent [word] to the king, [saying], "Return, you and all your servants." + The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan. + Then Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. + There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, with Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. + Then they kept crossing the ford to bring over the king's household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan. + So he said to the king, "Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take [it] to heart. + "For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king." + But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, "Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?" + David then said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?" + The king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." Thus the king swore to him. + Then Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came [home] in peace. + It was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?" + So he answered, "O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,' because your servant is lame. + "Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. + "For all my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?" + So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, 'You and Ziba shall divide the land.'" + Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house." + Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; and he went on to the Jordan with the king to escort him over the Jordan. + Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. + The king said to Barzillai, "You cross over with me and I will sustain you in Jerusalem with me." + But Barzillai said to the king, "How long have I yet to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? + "I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? + "Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king compensate me [with] this reward? + "Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant Chimham, let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight." + The king answered, "Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you require of me, I will do for you." + All the people crossed over the Jordan and the king crossed too. The king then kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place. + Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel accompanied the king. + And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why had our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over the Jordan?" + Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's [expense], or has anything been taken for us?" + But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, "We have ten parts in the king, therefore we also have more [claim] on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our advice first to bring back our king?" Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel. + + + Now a worthless fellow happened to be there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet and said, "We have no portion in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!" + So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David [and] followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained steadfast to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. + Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows. + Then the king said to Amasa, "Call out the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself." + So Amasa went to call out [the men of] Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. + And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight." + So Joab's men went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. + When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out. + Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. + But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab's hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not [strike] him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. + Now there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, [let him] follow Joab." + But Amasa lay wallowing in [his] blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still. + As soon as he was removed from the highway, all the men passed on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. + Now he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, even Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; and they were gathered together and also went after him. + They came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall. + Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'" + So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your maidservant." And he answered, "I am listening." + Then she spoke, saying, "Formerly they used to say, 'They will surely ask [advice] at Abel,' and thus they ended [the dispute]. + "I am of those who are peaceable [and] faithful in Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?" + Joab replied, "Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy! + "Such is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Only hand him over, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall." + Then the woman wisely came to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, each to his tent. Joab also returned to the king at Jerusalem. + Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; + and Adoram was over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; + and Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; + and Ira the Jairite was also a priest to David. + + + Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, "It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." + So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah). + Thus David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?" + Then the Gibeonites said to him, "We have no [concern] of silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." And he said, "I will do for you whatever you say." + So they said to the king, "The man who consumed us and who planned to exterminate us from remaining within any border of Israel, + let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give [them]." + But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Saul's son Jonathan. + So the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. + Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest. + And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. + When it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, + then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the open square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa. + He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. + They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that God was moved by prayer for the land. + Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. + Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred [shekels] of bronze in weight, was girded with a new [sword], and he intended to kill David. + But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel." + Now it came about after this that there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was among the descendants of the giant. + There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. + There was war at Gath again, where there was a man of [great] stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also had been born to the giant. + When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. + These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. + + + And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. + He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; + My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence. + "I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. + "For the waves of death encompassed me; The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me; + The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. + "In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help [came] into His ears. + "Then the earth shook and quaked, The foundations of heaven were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. + "Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. + "He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. + "And He rode on a cherub and flew; And He appeared on the wings of the wind. + "And He made darkness canopies around Him, A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky. + "From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. + "The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. + "And He sent out arrows, and scattered them, Lightning, and routed them. + "Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare By the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. + "He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. + "He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. + "They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. + "He also brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. + "The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. + "For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not acted wickedly against my God. + "For all His ordinances [were] before me, And [as for] His statutes, I did not depart from them. + "I was also blameless toward Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. + "Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes. + "With the kind You show Yourself kind, With the blameless You show Yourself blameless; + With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the perverted You show Yourself astute. + "And You save an afflicted people; But Your eyes are on the haughty [whom] You abase. + "For You are my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD illumines my darkness. + "For by You I can run upon a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. + "As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. + "For who is God, besides the LORD? And who is a rock, besides our God? + "God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless in His way. + "He makes my feet like hinds' [feet], And sets me on my high places. + "He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. + "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your help makes me great. + "You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. + "I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed. + "And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise; And they fell under my feet. + "For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. + "You have also made my enemies turn [their] backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me. + "They looked, but there was none to save; [Even] to the LORD, but He did not answer them. + "Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth; I crushed [and] stamped them as the mire of the streets. + "You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people; You have kept me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me. + "Foreigners pretend obedience to me; As soon as they hear, they obey me. + "Foreigners lose heart, And come trembling out of their fortresses. + "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, + The God who executes vengeance for me, And brings down peoples under me, + Who also brings me out from my enemies; You even lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man. + "Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations, And I will sing praises to Your name. + "[He] is a tower of deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever." + + + Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, + "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. + "The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, 'He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God, + Is as the light of the morning [when] the sun rises, A morning without clouds, [When] the tender grass [springs] out of the earth, Through sunshine after rain.' + "Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all [my] desire, Will He not indeed make [it] grow? + "But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand; + But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire in [their] place." + These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was [called] Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain [by him] at one time; + and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. + He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip [the slain]. + Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. + But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory. + Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. + David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. + David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!" + So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took [it] and brought [it] to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; + and he said, "Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. [Shall I drink] the blood of the men who went in [jeopardy] of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. + Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed [them], and had a name as well as the three. + He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three. + Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two [sons of] Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. + He killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian [had] a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. + These [things] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. + He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard. + Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, + Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, + Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, + Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, + Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, + Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, + Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, + Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, + Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, + Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, + Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, + Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all. + + + Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." + The king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, "Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people." + But Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king [still] see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" + Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to register the people of Israel. + They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad and toward Jazer. + Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon, + and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, [to] Beersheba. + So when they had gone about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. + And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. + Now David's heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly." + When David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, + "Go and speak to David, 'Thus the LORD says, "I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you."'" + So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me." + Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." + So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. + When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough! Now relax your hand!" And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father's house." + So Gad came to David that day and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." + David went up according to the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded. + Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed his face to the ground before the king. + Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be held back from the people." + Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. + "Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May the LORD your God accept you." + However, the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy [it] from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. + David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel. + + + + + Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. + So his servants said to him, "Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm." + So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. + The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not cohabit with her. + Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. + His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom. + He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him. + But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. + Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants. + But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother. + Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know [it]? + "So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. + "Go at once to King David and say to him, 'Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne "? Why then has Adonijah become king?' + "Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words." + So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. + Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, "What do you wish?" + She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, [saying], 'Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.' + "Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know [it]. + "He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. + "As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. + "Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders." + Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. + They told the king, saying, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. + Then Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne '? + "For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, '[Long] live King Adonijah!' + "But me, [even] me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. + "Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" + Then King David said, "Call Bathsheba to me." And she came into the king's presence and stood before the king. + The king vowed and said, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, + surely as I vowed to you by the LORD the God of Israel, saying, 'Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place'; I will indeed do so this day." + Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, "May my lord King David live forever." + Then King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." And they came into the king's presence. + The king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. + "Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, '[Long] live King Solomon!' + "Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah." + Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, "Amen! Thus may the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say. + "As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!" + So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. + Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "[Long] live King Solomon!" + All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise. + Now Adonijah and all the guests who [were] with him heard [it] as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "Why is the city making such an uproar?" + While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news." + But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, "No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. + "The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king's mule. + "Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard. + "Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. + "Moreover, the king's servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!' And the king bowed himself on the bed. + "The king has also said thus, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see [it].'" + Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified; and they arose and each went on his way. + And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. + Now it was told Solomon, saying, "Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'" + Solomon said, "If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die." + So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house." + + + As David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, + "I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. + "Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, + so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' + "Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet. + "So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. + "But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. + "Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' + "Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood." + Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. + The days that David reigned over Israel [were] forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. + And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. + Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, "Do you come peacefully?" And he said, "Peacefully." + Then he said, "I have something [to say] to you." And she said, "Speak." + So he said, "You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel expected me to be king; however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, for it was his from the LORD. + "Now I am making one request of you; do not refuse me." And she said to him, "Speak." + Then he said, "Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife." + Bathsheba said, "Very well; I will speak to the king for you." + So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. + Then she said, "I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me." And the king said to her, "Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you." + So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife." + King Solomon answered and said to his mother, "And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom-- for he is my older brother-- even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!" + Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. + "Now therefore, as the LORD lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today." + So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died. + Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth to your own field, for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted." + So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. + Now the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. + It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, fall upon him." + So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, "Thus the king has said, 'Come out.'" But he said, "No, for I will die here." And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me." + The king said to him, "Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father's house the blood which Joab shed without cause. + "The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know [it]: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. + "So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the LORD forever." + Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness. + The king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. + Now the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, "Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place. + "For on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head." + Shimei then said to the king, "The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. + But it came about at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, "Behold, your servants are in Gath." + Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to look for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. + It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. + So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, 'You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die '? And you said to me, 'The word which I have heard is good.' + "Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the command which I have laid on you?" + The king also said to Shimei, "You know all the evil which you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore the LORD shall return your evil on your own head. + "But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever." + So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon. + + + Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. + The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. + Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. + The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. + In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what [you wish] me to give you." + Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day. + "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. + "Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. + "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" + It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. + God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, + behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. + "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. + "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days." + Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. + Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. + The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she [was] in the house. + "It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. + "This woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it. + "So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. + "When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne." + Then the other woman said, "No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son." But the first woman said, "No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son." Thus they spoke before the king. + Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'" + The king said, "Get me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. + The king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." + Then the woman whose child [was] the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide [him]!" + Then the king said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother." + When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. + + + Now King Solomon was king over all Israel. + These were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok [was] the priest; + Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha [were] secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud [was] the recorder; + and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar [were] priests; + and Azariah the son of Nathan [was] over the deputies; and Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest, [was] the king's friend; + and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda [was] over the men subject to forced labor. + Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, who provided for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in the year. + These are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; + Ben-deker in Makaz and Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elonbeth-hanan; + Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh [was] his and all the land of Hepher); + Ben-abinadab, [in] all the height of Dor (Taphath the daughter of Solomon was his wife); + Baana the son of Ahilud, [in] Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam; + Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead were his: the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars [were] his); + Ahinadab the son of Iddo, [in] Mahanaim; + Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also married Basemath the daughter of Solomon); + Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; + Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; + Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; + Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and [he was] the only deputy who [was] in the land. + Judah and Israel [were] as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance; [they] were eating and drinking and rejoicing. + Now Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River [to] the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; [they] brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. + Solomon's provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of meal, + ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. + For he had dominion over everything west of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River; and he had peace on all sides around about him. + So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. + Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. + Those deputies provided for King Solomon and all who came to King Solomon's table, each in his month; they left nothing lacking. + They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where it should be, each according to his charge. + Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. + Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. + For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was [known] in all the surrounding nations. + He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. + He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. + Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. + + + Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. + Then Solomon sent [word] to Hiram, saying, + "You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. + "But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. + "Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to David my father, saying, 'Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.' + "Now therefore, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians." + When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, "Blessed be the LORD today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people." + So Hiram sent [word] to Solomon, saying, "I have heard [the message] which you have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. + "My servants will bring [them] down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts [to go] by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry [them] away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household." + So Hiram gave Solomon as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. + Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. + The LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant. + Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men. + He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month [and] two months at home. And Adoniram [was] over the forced laborers. + Now Solomon had 70,000 transporters, and 80,000 hewers [of stone] in the mountains, + besides Solomon's 3,300 chief deputies who [were] over the project [and] who ruled over the people who were doing the work. + Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. + So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house. + + + Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. + As for the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, its length [was] sixty cubits and its width twenty [cubits] and its height thirty cubits. + The porch in front of the nave of the house [was] twenty cubits in length, corresponding to the width of the house, [and] its depth along the front of the house [was] ten cubits. + Also for the house he made windows with [artistic] frames. + Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the nave and the inner sanctuary; thus he made side chambers all around. + The lowest story [was] five cubits wide, and the middle [was] six cubits wide, and the third [was] seven cubits wide; for on the outside he made offsets [in the wall] of the house all around in order that [the beams] would not be inserted in the walls of the house. + The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built. + The doorway for the lowest side chamber [was] on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle [story], and from the middle to the third. + So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. + He also built the stories against the whole house, each five cubits high; and they were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar. + Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon saying, + "[Concerning] this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. + "I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel." + So Solomon built the house and finished it. + Then he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the ceiling he overlaid [the walls] on the inside with wood, and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress. + He built twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling; he built [them] for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, [even] as the most holy place. + The house, that is, the nave in front of [the inner sanctuary], was forty cubits [long]. + There was cedar on the house within, carved [in the shape] of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, there was no stone seen. + Then he prepared an inner sanctuary within the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. + The inner sanctuary [was] twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar. + So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. + He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold. + Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. + Five cubits [was] the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing [were] ten cubits. + The other cherub [was] ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. + The height of the one cherub [was] ten cubits, and so [was] the other cherub. + He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the [one] wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house. + He also overlaid the cherubim with gold. + Then he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inner and outer [sanctuaries]. + He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inner and outer [sanctuaries]. + For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel [and] five-sided doorposts. + So [he made] two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. + So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive wood + and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two leaves of the other door turned on pivots. + He carved [on it] cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid [them] with gold evenly applied on the engraved work. + He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams. + In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv. + In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it. + + + Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. + He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was 100 cubits and its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. + It was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the 45 pillars, 15 in each row. + [There were artistic window] frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three ranks. + All the doorways and doorposts [had] squared [artistic] frames, and window was opposite window in three ranks. + Then he made the hall of pillars; its length was 50 cubits and its width 30 cubits, and a porch [was] in front of them and pillars and a threshold in front of them. + He made the hall of the throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor. + His house where he was to live, the other court inward from the hall, was of the same workmanship. He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom Solomon had married. + All these were of costly stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. + The foundation was of costly stones, [even] large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. + And above were costly stones, stone cut according to measure, and cedar. + So the great court all around [had] three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams even as the inner court of the house of the LORD, and the porch of the house. + Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. + He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work. + He fashioned the two pillars of bronze; eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both. + He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits and the height of the other capital was five cubits. + [There were] nets of network and twisted threads of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. + So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. + The capitals which [were] on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. + [There were] capitals on the two pillars, even above [and] close to the rounded projection which was beside the network; and the pomegranates [numbered] two hundred in rows around both capitals. + Thus he set up the pillars at the porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. + On the top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished. + Now he made the sea of cast [metal] ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in circumference. + Under its brim gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast with the rest. + It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea [was set] on top of them, and all their rear parts [turned] inward. + It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, [as] a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths. + Then he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits and its width four cubits and its height three cubits. + This was the design of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the frames, + and on the borders which were between the frames [were] lions, oxen and cherubim; and on the frames there [was] a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen [were] wreaths of hanging work. + Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin [were] cast supports with wreaths at each side. + Its opening inside the crown at the top [was] a cubit, and its opening [was] round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening [there were] engravings, and their borders were square, not round. + The four wheels [were] underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels [were] on the stand. And the height of a wheel [was] a cubit and a half. + The workmanship of the wheels [was] like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs [were] all cast. + Now [there were] four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports [were] part of the stand itself. + On the top of the stand [there was] a circular form half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its stays and its borders [were] part of it. + He engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths [all] around. + He made the ten stands like this: all of them had one casting, one measure and one form. + He made ten basins of bronze, one basin held forty baths; each basin [was] four cubits, [and] on each of the ten stands [was] one basin. + Then he set the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea [of cast metal] on the right side of the house eastward toward the south. + Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon [in] the house of the LORD: + the two pillars and the [two] bowls of the capitals which [were] on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which [were] on the top of the pillars; + and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which [were] on the tops of the pillars; + and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; + and the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; + and the pails and the shovels and the bowls; even all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon [in] the house of the LORD [were] of polished bronze. + In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. + Solomon left all the utensils [unweighed], because [they were] too many; the weight of the bronze could not be ascertained. + Solomon made all the furniture which [was in] the house of the LORD: the golden altar and the golden table on which [was] the bread of the Presence; + and the lampstands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of gold; + and the cups and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, [and] for the doors of the house, [that is], of the nave, of gold. + Thus all the work that King Solomon performed [in] the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, [and] he put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD. + + + Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' [households] of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion. + All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. + Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. + They brought up the ark of the LORD and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent, and the priests and the Levites brought them up. + And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen they could not be counted or numbered. + Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. + For the cherubim spread [their] wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above. + But the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this day. + There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. + It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, + so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. + Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. + "I have surely built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever." + Then the king faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. + He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled [it] with His hand, saying, + 'Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel [in which] to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.' + "Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + "But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. + 'Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.' + "Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + "There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt." + Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. + He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and [showing] lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, + who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day. + "Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.' + "Now therefore, O God of Israel, let Your word, I pray, be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David. + "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! + "Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; + that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, 'My name shall be there,' to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. + "Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive. + "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes [and] takes an oath before Your altar in this house, + then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. + "When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, + then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers. + "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, + then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance. + "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight [or] mildew, locust [or] grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness [there is], + whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man [or] by all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this house; + then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, + that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers. + "Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name's sake + (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, + hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as [do] Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name. + "When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, + then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. + "When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; + if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly'; + if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; + then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, + and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and make them [objects of] compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them + (for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace), + that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. + "For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord GOD." + When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven. + And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: + "Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant. + "May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, + that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. + "And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires, + so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else. + "Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day." + Now the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the LORD. + Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. + On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that [was] before the house of the LORD, because there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that [was] before the LORD [was] too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings. + So Solomon observed the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, for seven days and seven [more] days, [even] fourteen days. + On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David His servant and to Israel His people. + + + Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all that Solomon desired to do, + that the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. + The LORD said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. + "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you [and] will keep My statutes and My ordinances, + then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' + "But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, + then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. + "And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?' + "And they will say, 'Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the LORD has brought all this adversity on them.'" + It came about at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king's house + (Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold according to all his desire), then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. + So Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him. + He said, "What are these cities which you have given me, my brother?" So they were called the land of Cabul to this day. + And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents of gold. + Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build the house of the LORD, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. + [For] Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it [as] a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. + So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the lower Beth-horon + and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land [of Judah], + and all the storage cities which Solomon had, even the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule. + [As for] all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of the sons of Israel, + their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel were unable to destroy utterly, from them Solomon levied forced laborers, even to this day. + But Solomon did not make slaves of the sons of Israel; for they were men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, his chariot commanders, and his horsemen. + These [were] the chief officers who [were] over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work. + As soon as Pharaoh's daughter came up from the city of David to her house which [Solomon] had built for her, then he built the Millo. + Now three times in a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the LORD, burning incense with them [on the altar] which [was] before the LORD. So he finished the house. + King Solomon also built a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. + And Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, sailors who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon. + They went to Ophir and took four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought [it] to King Solomon. + + + Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. + So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. + Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her. + When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, + the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. + Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. + "Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed [in] wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. + "How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually [and] hear your wisdom. + "Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness." + She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great [amount] of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. + Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great [number of] almug trees and precious stones. + The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in [again] nor have they been seen to this day. + King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land together with her servants. + Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, + besides [that] from the traders and the wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 [shekels of] gold on each large shield. + [He made] 300 shields of beaten gold, using three minas of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. + Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold. + [There] [were] six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. + Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like [it] was made for any other kingdom. + All King Solomon's drinking vessels [were] of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [were] of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. + For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks. + So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. + All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. + They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. + Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. + The king made silver [as common] as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. + Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, [and] the king's merchants procured [them] from Kue for a price. + A chariot was imported from Egypt for 600 [shekels] of silver, and a horse for 150; and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans. + + + Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, + from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, [for] they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love. + He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. + For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father [had been]. + For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. + Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father [had done]. + Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. + Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. + Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, + and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. + So the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. + "Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, [but] I will tear it out of the hand of your son. + "However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, [but] I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen." + Then the LORD raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal line in Edom. + For it came about, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck down every male in Edom + (for Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom), + that Hadad fled to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, while Hadad [was] a young boy. + They arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him food and gave him land. + Now Hadad found great favor before Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. + The sister of Tahpenes bore his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh. + But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Send me away, that I may go to my own country." + Then Pharaoh said to him, "But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you are seeking to go to your own country?" And he answered, "Nothing; nevertheless you must surely let me go." + God also raised up [another] adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. + He gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David slew them of [Zobah]; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus. + So he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the evil that Hadad [did]; and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Aram. + Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. + Now this was the reason why he rebelled against the king: Solomon built the Millo, [and] closed up the breach of the city of his father David. + Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. + It came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. + Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. + He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes + (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), + because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and [observing] My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David [did]. + 'Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; + but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, [even] ten tribes. + 'But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. + 'I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. + 'Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. + 'Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.'" + Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. + Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? + Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. + And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. + + + Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. + Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard [of it], he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). + Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, + "Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." + Then he said to them, "Depart for three days, then return to me." So the people departed. + King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel [me] to answer this people?" + Then they spoke to him, saying, "If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." + But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. + So he said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?" + The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!' But you shall speak to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! + 'Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'" + Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, "Return to me on the third day." + The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, + and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions." + So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn [of events] from the LORD, that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. + When all Israel [saw] that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? [We have] no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!" So Israel departed to their tents. + But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. + Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. + So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. + It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David. + Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. + But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, + "Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, + 'Thus says the LORD, "You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me."'" So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went [their way] according to the word of the LORD. + Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. + Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. + "If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, [even] to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah." + So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt." + He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. + Now this thing became a sin, for the people went [to worship] before the one as far as Dan. + And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. + Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. + Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense. + + + Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. + He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'" + Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken, 'Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.'" + Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Seize him." But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. + The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. + The king said to the man of God, "Please entreat the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before. + Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." + But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. + "For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.'" + So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel. + Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father. + Their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. + Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. + So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am." + Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." + He said, "I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. + "For a command [came] to me by the word of the LORD, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.'" + He said to him, "I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" [But] he lied to him. + So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water. + Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; + and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the command of the LORD, and have not observed the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, + but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water"; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.'" + It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. + Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. + And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told [it] in the city where the old prophet lived. + Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard [it], he said, "It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him." + Then he spoke to his sons, saying, "Saddle the donkey for me." And they saddled [it]. + He went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the donkey. + So the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. + He laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, [saying], "Alas, my brother!" + After he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. + "For the thing shall surely come to pass which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria." + After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again he made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who would, he ordained, to be priests of the high places. + This event became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to blot [it] out and destroy [it] from off the face of the earth. + + + At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. + Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise now, and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke concerning me [that I would be] king over this people. + "Take ten loaves with you, [some] cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy." + Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. + Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman." + When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you [with] a harsh [message]. + "Go, say to Jeroboam, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, + and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you-- yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight; + you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back-- + therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. + "Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat; for the LORD has spoken [it]."' + "Now you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city the child will die. + "All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam's [family] will come to the grave, because in him something good was found toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. + "Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on. + "For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger. + "He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin." + Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died. + All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet. + Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + The time that Jeroboam reigned [was] twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place. + Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. + Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with the sins which they committed. + For they also built for themselves high places and [sacred] pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree. + There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. + Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. + He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and he took everything, even taking all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. + So King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the doorway of the king's house. + Then it happened as often as the king entered the house of the LORD, that the guards would carry them and would bring them back into the guards' room. + Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. + And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son became king in his place. + + + Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. + He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. + He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David. + But for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; + because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. + There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. + Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. + And Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place. + So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. + He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. + Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father. + He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made. + He also removed Maacah his mother from [being] queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned [it] at the brook Kidron. + But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days. + He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. + Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. + Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent [anyone] from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. + Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, + "[Let there be] a treaty between you and me, [as] between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a present of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me." + So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. + When Baasha heard [of it], he ceased fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah. + Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah-- none was exempt-- and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. + Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. + And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. + Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin. + Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. + So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. + It came about as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any persons alive, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, + [and] because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. + Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. + In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, [and reigned] twenty-four years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin. + + + Now the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, + "Inasmuch as I exalted you from the dust and made you leader over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel sin, provoking Me to anger with their sins, + behold, I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. + "Anyone of Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat." + Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son became king in his place. + Moreover, the word of the LORD through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani also came against Baasha and his household, both because of all the evil which he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck it. + In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tirzah, [and reigned] two years. + His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he [was] at Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who [was] over the household at Tirzah. + Then Zimri went in and struck him and put him to death in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place. + It came about when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends. + Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, + for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. + Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days at Tirzah. Now the people were camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. + The people who were camped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king." Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. + Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. + When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire, and died, + because of his sins which he sinned, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, making Israel sin. + Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his conspiracy which he carried out, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; the [other] half followed Omri. + But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. And Tibni died and Omri became king. + In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel [and reigned] twelve years; he reigned six years at Tirzah. + He bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. + Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, and acted more wickedly than all who [were] before him. + For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins which he made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel with their idols. + Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might which he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son became king in his place. + Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. + Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him. + It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. + So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. + Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. + In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the [loss of] Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the [loss of] his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. + + + Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." + The word of the LORD came to him, saying, + "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. + "It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there." + So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. + The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. + It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. + Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, + "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." + So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink." + As she was going to get [it], he called to her and said, "Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand." + But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." + Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring [it] out to me, and afterward you may make [one] for yourself and for your son. + "For thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.'" + So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for [many] days. + The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah. + Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. + So she said to Elijah, "What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!" + He said to her, "Give me your son." Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. + He called to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?" + Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child's life return to him." + The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. + Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, "See, your son is alive." + Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." + + + Now it happened [after] many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth." + So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine [was] severe in Samaria. + Ahab called Obadiah who [was] over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly; + for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) + Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle." + So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself. + Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, "Is this you, Elijah my master?" + He said to him, "It is I. Go, say to your master, 'Behold, Elijah [is here].'" + He said, "What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? + "As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, 'He is not [here],' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. + "And now you are saying, 'Go, say to your master, "Behold, Elijah [is here]."' + "It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although [I] your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. + "Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water? + "And now you are saying, 'Go, say to your master, "Behold, Elijah [is here]"'; he will then kill me." + Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." + So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. + When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is this you, you troubler of Israel?" + He said, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house [have], because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals. + "Now then send [and] gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, [together] with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." + So Ahab sent [a message] among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. + Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long [will] you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word. + Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. + "Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire [under it]; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire [under it]. + "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people said, "That is a good idea." + So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire [under it]." + Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, "O Baal, answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. + It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened." + So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. + When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the [evening] sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. + Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. + Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name." + So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. + Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid [it] on the wood. + And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour [it] on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. + The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water. + At the time of the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. + "Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and [that] You have turned their heart back again." + Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. + When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God." + Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. + Now Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a [heavy] shower." + So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. + He said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go back " seven times. + It came about at the seventh [time], that he said, "Behold, a cloud as small as a man's hand is coming up from the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare [your chariot] and go down, so that the [heavy] shower does not stop you.'" + In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. + Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel. + + + Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. + Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." + And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. + But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers." + He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." + Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake [baked on] hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. + The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you." + So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. + Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD [came] to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" + He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." + So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; [but] the LORD [was] not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, [but] the LORD [was] not in the earthquake. + After the earthquake a fire, [but] the LORD [was] not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. + When Elijah heard [it], he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice [came] to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" + Then he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." + The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; + and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. + "It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. + "Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him." + So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs [of oxen] before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. + He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" + So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave [it] to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him. + + + Now Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army, and there [were] thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it. + Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad, + 'Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.'" + The king of Israel replied, "It is according to your word, my lord, O king; I am yours, and all that I have." + Then the messengers returned and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad, 'Surely, I sent to you saying, "You shall give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children," + but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever is desirable in your eyes, they will take in their hand and carry away.'" + Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Please observe and see how this man is looking for trouble; for he sent to me for my wives and my children and my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him." + All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent." + So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, "Tell my lord the king, 'All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'" And the messengers departed and brought him word again. + Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me." + Then the king of Israel replied, "Tell [him], 'Let not him who girds on [his armor] boast like him who takes [it] off.'" + When [Ben-hadad] heard this message, as he was drinking with the kings in the temporary shelters, he said to his servants, "Station [yourselves]." So they stationed [themselves] against the city. + Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver them into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" + Ahab said, "By whom?" So he said, "Thus says the LORD, 'By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.'" Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" And he answered, "You." + Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and there were 232; and after them he mustered all the people, [even] all the sons of Israel, 7,000. + They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the temporary shelters with the thirty-two kings who helped him. + The young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out and they told him, saying, "Men have come out from Samaria." + Then he said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive." + So these went out from the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them. + They killed each his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen. + The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans with a great slaughter. + Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you." + Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, [and] surely we will be stronger than they. + "Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place, + and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so. + At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. + The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country. + Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because the Arameans have said, "The LORD is a god of [the] mountains, but He is not a god of [the] valleys," therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" + So they camped one over against the other seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel killed [of] the Arameans 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. + But the rest fled to Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city into an inner chamber. + His servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings, please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save your life." + So they girded sackcloth on their loins and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother." + Now the men took this as an omen, and quickly catching his word said, "Your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, "Go, bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he took him up into the chariot. + [Ben-hadad] said to him, "The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria." [Ahab said], "And I will let you go with this covenant." So he made a covenant with him and let him go. + Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of the LORD, "Please strike me." But the man refused to strike him. + Then he said to him, "Because you have not listened to the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you." And as soon as he had departed from him a lion found him and killed him. + Then he found another man and said, "Please strike me." And the man struck him, wounding him. + So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. + As the king passed by, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if for any reason he is missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.' + "While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." And the king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided [it]." + Then he hastily took the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him that he was of the prophets. + He said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have let go out of [your] hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'" + So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria. + + + Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which [was] in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. + Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money." + But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." + So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food. + But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?" + So he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" + Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." + So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. + Now she wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; + and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death." + So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent [word] to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. + They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. + Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. + Then they sent [word] to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead." + When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead." + When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. + Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, + "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. + "You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you murdered and also taken possession?"' And you shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours."'" + Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found [you], because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. + "Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; + and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked [Me] to anger, and [because] you have made Israel sin. + "Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.' + "The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat." + Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. + He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel. + It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. + Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, + "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, [but] I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days." + + + Three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. + In the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. + Now the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?" + And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." + Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the LORD." + Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give [it] into the hand of the king." + But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?" + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. [He is] Micaiah son of Imlah." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." + Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah." + Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in [their] robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. + Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.'" + All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give [it] into the hand of the king." + Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." + But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak." + When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give [it] into the hand of the king." + Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" + So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.'" + Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" + Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. + "The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while another said that. + "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' + "The LORD said to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice [him] and also prevail. Go and do so.' + "Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you." + Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?" + Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself." + Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son; + and say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely."'" + Micaiah said, "If you indeed return safely the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, all you people." + So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. + Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone." + So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. + When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. + Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the fight; for I am severely wounded." + The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. + Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, "Every man to his city and every man to his country." + So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. + They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves [there]), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place. + Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. + Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. + He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. + Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + The remnant of the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land. + Now there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. + Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. + Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat was not willing. + And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. + Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. + So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done. + + + + + Now Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. + And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which [was] in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness." + But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?' + "Now therefore thus says the LORD, 'You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" Then Elijah departed. + When the messengers returned to him he said to them, "Why have you returned?" + They said to him, "A man came up to meet us and said to us, 'Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'"'" + He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?" + They answered him, "[He was] a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite." + Then [the king] sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" + Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. + So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, "O man of God, thus says the king, 'Come down quickly.'" + Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. + So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, "O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. + "Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight." + The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king. + Then he said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron-- is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?-- therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'" + So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + + + And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. + Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here please, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. + Then the sons of the prophets who [were at] Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; be still." + Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. + The sons of the prophets who [were] at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be still." + Then Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. + Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite [them] at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. + Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. + When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." + He said, "You have asked a hard thing. [Nevertheless], if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be [so]." + As they were going along and talking, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. + Elisha saw [it] and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. + He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. + He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. + Now when the sons of the prophets who [were] at Jericho opposite [him] saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. + They said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send." + But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. + They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go '?" + Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful." + He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." So they brought [it] to him. + He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'" + So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. + Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!" + When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. + He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria. + + + Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother; for he put away the [sacred] pillar of Baal which his father had made. + Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them. + Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. + But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. + And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. + Then he went and sent [word] to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" And he said, "I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." + He said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom." + So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them. + Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." + But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah." + Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. + Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." And the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings [together] to give them into the hand of Moab." + Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you. + "But now bring me a minstrel." And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. + He said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Make this valley full of trenches.' + "For thus says the LORD, 'You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. + 'This is but a slight thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. + 'Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.'" + It happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. + Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And all who were able to put on armor and older were summoned and stood on the border. + They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite [them] as red as blood. + Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!" + But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites arose and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land, slaughtering the Moabites. + Thus they destroyed the cities; and each one threw a stone on every piece of good land and filled it. So they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth [only] they left its stones; however, the slingers went about [it] and struck it. + When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. + Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land. + + + Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." + Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." + Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, [even] empty vessels; do not get a few. + "And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full." + So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing [the vessels] to her and she poured. + When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not one vessel more." And the oil stopped. + Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you [and] your sons can live on the rest." + Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. + She said to her husband, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually. + "Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, [that] he can turn in there." + One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested. + Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him. + He said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?'" And she answered, "I live among my own people." + So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Truly she has no son and her husband is old." + He said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. + Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant." + The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her. + When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. + He said to his father, "My head, my head." And he said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother." + When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and [then] died. + She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] behind him and went out. + Then she called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return." + He said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath." And she said, "[It will be] well." + Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, "Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you." + So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, there is the Shunammite. + "Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well." + When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me." + Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?" + Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad's face." + The mother of the lad said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." And he arose and followed her. + Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad's face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, "The lad has not awakened." + When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. + So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD. + And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. + Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. + He called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Take up your son." + Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out. + When Elisha returned to Gilgal, [there was] a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets." + Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know [what they were]. + So they poured [it] out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, "O man of God, there is death in the pot." And they were unable to eat. + But he said, "Now bring meal." He threw it into the pot and said, "Pour [it] out for the people that they may eat." Then there was no harm in the pot. + Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, "Give [them] to the people that they may eat." + His attendant said, "What, will I set this before a hundred men?" But he said, "Give [them] to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and have [some] left over.'" + So he set [it] before them, and they ate and had [some] left over, according to the word of the LORD. + + + Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, [but he was] a leper. + Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman's wife. + She said to her mistress, "I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy." + Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel." + Then the king of Aram said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand [shekels] of gold and ten changes of clothes. + He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy." + When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending [word] to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me." + It happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent [word] to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." + So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. + Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and [you will] be clean." + But Naaman was furious and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.' + "Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. + Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, "My father, had the prophet told you [to do some] great thing, would you not have done [it]? How much more [then], when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean '?" + So he went down and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. + When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, "Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now." + But he said, "As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing." And he urged him to take [it], but he refused. + Naaman said, "If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules' load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. + "In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter." + He said to him, "Go in peace." So he departed from him some distance. + But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, "Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, by not receiving from his hands what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him." + So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, "Is all well?" + He said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying, 'Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.'" + Naaman said, "Be pleased to take two talents." And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried [them] before him. + When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. + But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere." + Then he said to him, "Did not my heart go [with you], when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants? + "Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever." So he went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow. + + + Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. + "Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live." So he said, "Go." + Then one said, "Please be willing to go with your servants." And he answered, "I shall go." + So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. + But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed." + Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw [it] in there, and made the iron float. + He said, "Take it up for yourself." So he put out his hand and took it. + Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp." + The man of God sent [word] to the king of Israel saying, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there." + The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice. + Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?" + One of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom." + So he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him." And it was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in Dothan." + He sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. + Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" + So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." + Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. + When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Strike this people with blindness, I pray." So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. + Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he brought them to Samaria. + When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of these [men], that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. + Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?" + He answered, "You shall not kill [them]. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master." + So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel. + Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. + There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty [shekels] of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove's dung for five [shekels] of silver. + As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!" + He said, "If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?" + And the king said to her, "What is the matter with you?" And she answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' + "So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son." + When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes-- now he was passing by on the wall-- and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body. + Then he said, "May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today." + Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And [the king] sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?" + While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, "Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" + + + Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'" + The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it." + Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die? + "If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die." + They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there. + For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, [even] the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us." + Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, [even] the camp just as it was, and fled for their life. + When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid [them]; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there [also], and went and hid [them]. + Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household." + So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were." + The gatekeepers called and told [it] within the king's household. + Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, "I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.'" + One of his servants said, "Please, let some [men] take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they [will be in any case] like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they [will be in any case] like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see." + They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, "Go and see." + They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. + So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour [was sold] for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. + Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. + It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be [sold] tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria." + Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, "Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it." + And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died. + + + Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will even come on the land for seven years." + So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. + At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to appeal to the king for her house and for her field. + Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, "Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done." + As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life." + When the king asked the woman, she related [it] to him. So the king appointed for her a certain officer, saying, "Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now." + Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, "The man of God has come here." + The king said to Hazael, "Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'" + So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels' loads; and he came and stood before him and said, "Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'" + Then Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You will surely recover,' but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die." + He fixed his gaze steadily [on him] until he was ashamed, and the man of God wept. + Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" Then he answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up." + Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant, [who is but] a dog, that he should do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram." + So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he answered, "He told me that you would surely recover." + On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place. + Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. + He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. + He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. + However, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his sons always. + In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. + Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; but [his] army fled to their tents. + So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. + The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son became king in his place. + In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. + Ahaziah [was] twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. + He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab [had done], because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab. + Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. + So King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick. + + + Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, "Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead. + "When you arrive there, search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. + "Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, 'Thus says the LORD, "I have anointed you king over Israel."' Then open the door and flee and do not wait." + So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. + When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting, and he said, "I have a word for you, O captain." And Jehu said, "For which [one] of us?" And he said, "For you, O captain." + He arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, [even] over Israel. + 'You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. + 'For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. + 'I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. + 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury [her].'" Then he opened the door and fled. + Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know [very well] the man and his talk." + They said, "It is a lie, tell us now." And he said, "Thus and thus he said to me, 'Thus says the LORD, "I have anointed you king over Israel."'" + Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, "Jehu is king!" + So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, + but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, "If this is your mind, [then] let no one escape [or] leave the city to go tell [it] in Jezreel." + Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram. + Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, "I see a company." And Joram said, "Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, 'Is it peace?'" + So a horseman went to meet him and said, "Thus says the king, 'Is it peace?'" And Jehu said, "What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me." And the watchman reported, "The messenger came to them, but he did not return." + Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, "Thus says the king, 'Is it peace?'" And Jehu answered, "What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me." + The watchman reported, "He came even to them, and he did not return; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously." + Then Joram said, "Get ready." And they made his chariot ready. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. + When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?" + So Joram reined about and fled and said to Ahaziah, "[There is] treachery, O Ahaziah!" + And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his arms; and the arrow went through his heart and he sank in his chariot. + Then [Jehu] said to Bidkar his officer, "Take [him] up and cast him into the property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that the LORD laid this oracle against him: + 'Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,' says the LORD, 'and I will repay you in this property,' says the LORD. Now then, take and cast him into the property, according to the word of the LORD." + When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw [this], he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him and said, "Shoot him too, in the chariot." [So they shot him] at the ascent of Gur, which is at Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. + Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David. + Now in the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah. + When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard [of it], and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. + As Jehu entered the gate, she said, "Is it well, Zimri, your master's murderer?" + Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, "Who is on my side? Who?" And two or three officials looked down at him. + He said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot. + When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, "See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter." + They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. + Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, "This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; + and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, "This is Jezebel."'" + + + Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent [them] to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of [the children of] Ahab, saying, + "Now, when this letter comes to you, since your master's sons are with you, as well as the chariots and horses and a fortified city and the weapons, + select the best and fittest of your master's sons, and set [him] on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house." + But they feared greatly and said, "Behold, the two kings did not stand before him; how then can we stand?" + And the one who [was] over the household, and he who [was] over the city, the elders, and the guardians of [the children], sent [word] to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight." + Then he wrote a letter to them a second time saying, "If you are on my side, and you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time." Now the king's sons, seventy persons, [were] with the great men of the city, [who] were rearing them. + When the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered [them], seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent [them] to him at Jezreel. + When the messenger came and told him, saying, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning." + Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent; behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? + "Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah." + So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivor. + Then he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way while he was at Beth-eked of the shepherds, + Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, "Who are you?" And they answered, "We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother." + He said, "Take them alive." So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them. + Now when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him; and he greeted him and said to him, "Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?" And Jehonadab answered, "It is." [Jehu said], "If it is, give [me] your hand." And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. + He said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD." So he made him ride in his chariot. + When he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah. + Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. + "Now, summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live." But Jehu did it in cunning, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. + And Jehu said, "Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal." And they proclaimed [it]. + Then Jehu sent throughout Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And when they went into the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. + He said to the one who [was] in charge of the wardrobe, "Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal." So he brought out garments for them. + Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but only the worshipers of Baal." + Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, "The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape shall give up his life in exchange." + Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the royal officers, "Go in, kill them; let none come out." And they killed them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the royal officers threw [them] out, and went to the inner room of the house of Baal. + They brought out the [sacred] pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. + They also broke down the [sacred] pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. + Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. + However, [as for] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, [even] the golden calves that [were] at Bethel and that [were] at Dan. + The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, [and] have done to the house of Ahab according to all that [was] in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." + But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin. + In those days the LORD began to cut off [portions] from Israel; and Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: + from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. + Now the time which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty-eight years. + + + When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring. + But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. + So he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land. + Now in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him in the house of the LORD. Then he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king's son. + He commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king's house + (one third also [shall be] at the gate Sur, and one third at the gate behind the guards), shall keep watch over the house for defense. + "Two parts of you, [even] all who go out on the sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the LORD for the king. + "Then you shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within the ranks shall be put to death. And be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in." + So the captains of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. + The priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that [had been] King David's, which [were] in the house of the LORD. + The guards stood each with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. + Then he brought the king's son out and put the crown on him and [gave him] the testimony; and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, "[Long] live the king!" + When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard [and of] the people, she came to the people in the house of the LORD. + She looked and behold, the king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!" + And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, "Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her put to death with the sword." For the priest said, "Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD." + So they seized her, and when she arrived at the horses' entrance of the king's house, she was put to death there. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they would be the LORD'S people, also between the king and the people. + All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. + He took the captains of hundreds and the Carites and the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. + So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king's house. + Jehoash was seven years old when he became king. + + + In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. + Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. + Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. + Then Jehoash said to the priests, "All the money of the sacred things which is brought into the house of the LORD, in current money, [both] the money of each man's assessment [and] all the money which any man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD, + let the priests take it for themselves, each from his acquaintance; and they shall repair the damages of the house wherever any damage may be found." + But it came about that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had not repaired the damages of the house. + Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the [other] priests and said to them, "Why do you not repair the damages of the house? Now therefore take no [more] money from your acquaintances, but pay it for the damages of the house." + So the priests agreed that they would take no [more] money from the people, nor repair the damages of the house. + But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid and put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the LORD; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money which was brought into the house of the LORD. + When they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's scribe and the high priest came up and tied [it] in bags and counted the money which was found in the house of the LORD. + They gave the money which was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the LORD; + and to the masons and the stonecutters, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the damages to the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. + But there were not made for the house of the LORD silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver from the money which was brought into the house of the LORD; + for they gave that to those who did the work, and with it they repaired the house of the LORD. + Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully. + The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it was for the priests. + Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. + Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred things and all the gold that was found among the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent [them] to Hazael king of Aram. Then he went away from Jerusalem. + Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash at the house of Millo [as he was] going down to Silla. + For Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck [him] and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son became king in his place. + + + In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, [and he reigned] seventeen years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin; he did not turn from them. + So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. + Then Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. + The LORD gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as formerly. + Nevertheless they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. + For he left to Jehoahaz of the army not more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and 10,000 footmen, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son became king in his place. + In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] sixteen years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin, but he walked in them. + Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. + When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" + Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows. + Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." And he put his hand [on it], then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. + He said, "Open the window toward the east," and he opened [it]. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" And he shot. And he said, "The LORD'S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed [them]." + Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck [it] three times and stopped. + So the man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed [it]. But now you shall strike Aram [only] three times." + Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. + As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet. + Now Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. + But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast them from His presence until now. + When Hazael king of Aram died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. + Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of Jehoahaz his father. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. + + + In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father; he did according to all that Joash his father had done. + Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. + Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he killed his servants who had slain the king his father. + But the sons of the slayers he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, as the LORD commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin." + He killed [of] Edom in the Valley of Salt 10,000 and took Sela by war, and named it Joktheel to this day. + Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us face each other." + Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trampled the thorn bush. + "You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?" + But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. + Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent. + Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. + He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son became king in his place. + Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. + Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. + Then they brought him on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. + All the people of Judah took Azariah, who [was] sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. + He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. + In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel became king in Samaria, [and reigned] forty-one years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher. + For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, [which was] very bitter; for there was neither bond nor free, nor was there any helper for Israel. + The LORD did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. + Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel, Damascus and Hamath, [which had belonged] to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son became king in his place. + + + In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. + He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. + Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. + The LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death. And he lived in a separate house, while Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land. + Now the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son became king in his place. + In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria [for] six months. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him before the people and killed him, and reigned in his place. + Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + This is the word of the LORD which He spoke to Jehu, saying, "Your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." And so it was. + Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. + Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and struck Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him and became king in his place. + Now the rest of the acts of Shallum and his conspiracy which he made, behold they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + Then Menahem struck Tiphsah and all who were in it and its borders from Tirzah, because they did not open [to him]; therefore he struck [it] and ripped up all its women who were with child. + In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel [and reigned] ten years in Samaria. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his rule. + Then Menahem exacted the money from Israel, even from all the mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver to pay the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned and did not remain there in the land. + Now the rest of the acts of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son became king in his place. + In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] two years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + Then Pekah son of Remaliah, his officer, conspired against him and struck him in Samaria, in the castle of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites, and he killed him and became king in his place. + Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] twenty years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. + In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon and Abel-beth-maacah and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. + And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck him and put him to death and became king in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. + Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah became king. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. + He did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. + Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. + Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. + And Jotham slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Ahaz his son became king in his place. + + + In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. + Ahaz [was] twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David [had done]. + But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. + He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. + Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to [wage] war; and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. + At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, and cleared the Judeans out of Elath entirely; and the Arameans came to Elath and have lived there to this day. + So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me." + Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria. + So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and captured it, and carried [the people of] it away into exile to Kir, and put Rezin to death. + Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar which [was] at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship. + So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest made [it], before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. + When the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then the king approached the altar and went up to it, + and burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. + The bronze altar, which [was] before the LORD, he brought from the front of the house, from between [his] altar and the house of the LORD, and he put it on the north side of [his] altar. + Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the king's burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire [by]." + So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded. + Then King Ahaz cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the laver from them; he also took down the sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone. + The covered way for the sabbath which they had built in the house, and the outer entry of the king, he removed from the house of the LORD because of the king of Assyria. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place. + + + In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] nine years. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, only not as the kings of Israel who were before him. + Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. + But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as [he had done] year by year; so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. + Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years. + In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, [on] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. + Now [this] came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods + and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel, and [in the customs] of the kings of Israel which they had introduced. + The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. + They set for themselves [sacred] pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, + and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations [did] which the LORD had carried away to exile before them; and they did evil things provoking the LORD. + They served idols, concerning which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing." + Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets [and] every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets." + However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. + They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and [went] after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them. + They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, [even] two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. + Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him. + So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah. + Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced. + The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them out of His sight. + When He had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin. + The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them + until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day. + The king of Assyria brought [men] from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sephar-vaim, and settled [them] in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. + At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them. + So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land." + Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land." + So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. + But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. + The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, + and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. + They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. + They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile. + To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel; + with whom the LORD made a covenant and commanded them, saying, "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them. + "But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. + "The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. + "The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. + "But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies." + However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. + So while these nations feared the LORD, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day. + + + Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. + He removed the high places and broke down the [sacred] pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. + He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor [among those] who were before him. + For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. + And the LORD was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. + He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. + Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. + At the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured. + Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, + because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, [even] all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded; they would neither listen nor do [it]. + Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. + Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong. Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear." So the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. + Hezekiah gave [him] all the silver which was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king's house. + At that time Hezekiah cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple of the LORD, and [from] the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. + Then the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a large army to Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they went up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway of the fuller's field. + When they called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them. + Then Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What is this confidence that you have? + "You say (but [they are] only empty words), '[I have] counsel and strength for the war.' Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me? + "Now behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, [even] on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him. + "But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem '? + "Now therefore, come, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. + "How then can you repulse one official of the least of my master's servants, and rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? + "Have I now come up without the LORD'S approval against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, 'Go up against this land and destroy it.'"'" + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, "Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand [it]; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall." + But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, [and] not to the men who sit on the wall, [doomed] to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?" + Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean, saying, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. + "Thus says the king, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from my hand; + nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." + 'Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, "Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, + until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live and not die." But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." + 'Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? + 'Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? + 'Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'" + But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him." + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh. + + + And when King Hezekiah heard [it], he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD. + Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. + They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to [deliver]. + 'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.'" + So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. + Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD, "Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. + "Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land."'" + Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. + When he heard [them] say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "Behold, he has come out to fight against you," he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying, + "Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, "Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." + 'Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? + 'Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed deliver them, [even] Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who [were] in Telassar? + 'Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and [of] Hena and Ivvah?'" + Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. + Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned [above] the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. + "Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. + "Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands + and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. + "Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God." + Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard [you].' + "This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: 'She has despised you and mocked you, The virgin daughter of Zion; She has shaken [her] head behind you, The daughter of Jerusalem! + 'Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised [your] voice, And haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! + 'Through your messengers you have reproached the Lord, And you have said, "With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars [and] its choice cypresses. And I entered its farthest lodging place, its thickest forest. + "I dug [wells] and drank foreign waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the rivers of Egypt." + 'Have you not heard? Long ago I did it; From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps. + 'Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up. + 'But I know your sitting down, And your going out and your coming in, And your raging against Me. + 'Because of your raging against Me, And because your arrogance has come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose, And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way which you came. + 'Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. + 'The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. + 'For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this. + 'Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, "He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. + "By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,"' declares the LORD. + 'For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'" + Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. + So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned [home], and lived at Nineveh. + It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place. + + + In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'" + Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, + "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. + Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, + "Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. + "I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake."'" + Then Isaiah said, "Take a cake of figs." And they took and laid [it] on the boil, and he recovered. + Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?" + Isaiah said, "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?" + So Hezekiah answered, "It is easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps." + Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. + At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. + Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon." + He said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD. + 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD. + 'Some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.'" + Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Is it not so, if there will be peace and truth in my days?" + Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son became king in his place. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hephzibah. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. + For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. + He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." + For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. + He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking [Him to anger]. + Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. + "And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them." + But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. + Now the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, + "Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the Amorites did who [were] before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; + therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing [such] calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. + 'I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. + 'I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; + because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.'" + Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. + Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin which he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son became king in his place. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. + For he walked in all the way that his father had walked, and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. + So he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. + The servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house. + Then the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. + Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in his place. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. + He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left. + Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the LORD saying, + "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money brought in to the house of the LORD which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. + "Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the LORD to repair the damages of the house, + to the carpenters and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. + "Only no accounting shall be made with them for the money delivered into their hands, for they deal faithfully." + Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. + Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD." + Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. + When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. + Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant saying, + "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." + So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. + She said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Tell the man who sent you to me, + thus says the LORD, "Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, [even] all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. + "Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."' + "But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD thus shall you say to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "[Regarding] the words which you have heard, + because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD. + "Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place."'" So they brought back word to the king. + + + Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. + The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. + The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all [his] heart and all [his] soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant. + Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. + He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the host of heaven. + He brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and ground [it] to dust, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. + He also broke down the houses of the [male] cult prostitutes which [were] in the house of the LORD, where the women were weaving hangings for the Asherah. + Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates which [were] at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which [were] on one's left at the city gate. + Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. + He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech. + He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which [was] in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. + The altars which [were] on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down; and he smashed them there and threw their dust into the brook Kidron. + The high places which [were] before Jerusalem, which [were] on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. + He broke in pieces the [sacred] pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones. + Furthermore, the altar that [was] at Bethel [and] the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. Then he demolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah. + Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that [were] there on the mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned [them] on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. + Then he said, "What is this monument that I see?" And the men of the city told him, "It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel." + He said, "Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. + Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which [were] in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the LORD; and he did to them just as he had done in Bethel. + All the priests of the high places who [were] there he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem. + Then the king commanded all the people saying, "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant." + Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. + But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem. + Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. + Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. + However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. + The LORD said, "I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, 'My name shall be there.'" + Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. And King Josiah went to meet him, and when [Pharaoh Neco] saw him he killed him at Megiddo. + His servants drove his body in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. + Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. + Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away and brought [him] to Egypt, and he died there. + So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to give the money at the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, each according to his valuation, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. + + + In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant [for] three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. + The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. + Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove [them] from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, + and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. + The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. + At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. + And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. + Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. + He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, just as the LORD had said. + Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. + So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king's mother and the king's wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. + All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon. + Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. + For through the anger of the LORD [this] came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + + + Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. + So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. + On the ninth day of the [fourth] month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. + Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war [fled] by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. + Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. + They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon. + Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. + He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. + So all the army of the Chaldeans who [were with] the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. + Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. + But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. + Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. + They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in [temple] service. + The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. + The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD-- the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. + The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network. + Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple. + From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the king's advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. + Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land. + Now [as for] the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. + When all the captains of the forces, they and [their] men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah [governor], they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. + Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you." + But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. + Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. + Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh [day] of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; + and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who [were] with him in Babylon. + Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life; + and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life. + + + + + Adam, Seth, Enosh, + Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, + Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, + Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth. + The sons of Japheth [were] Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer [were] Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan [were] Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim. + The sons of Ham [were] Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. + The sons of Cush [were] Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah [were] Sheba and Dedan. + Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth. + Mizraim became the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, + Pathrus, Casluh, from which the Philistines came, and Caphtor. + Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, + and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, + the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, + the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites. + The sons of Shem [were] Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. + Arpachshad became the father of Shelah and Shelah became the father of Eber. + Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah and Jobab; all these [were] the sons of Joktan. + Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, + Eber, Peleg, Reu, + Serug, Nahor, Terah, + Abram, that is Abraham. + The sons of Abraham [were] Isaac and Ishmael. + These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael [was] Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, + Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah; these [were] the sons of Ishmael. + The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine, [whom] she bore, [were] Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan [were] Sheba and Dedan. + The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. + Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac [were] Esau and Israel. + The sons of Esau [were] Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. + The sons of Eliphaz [were] Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek. + The sons of Reuel [were] Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. + The sons of Seir [were] Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. + The sons of Lotan [were] Hori and Homam; and Lotan's sister [was] Timna. + The sons of Shobal [were] Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon [were] Aiah and Anah. + The son of Anah [was] Dishon. And the sons of Dishon [were] Hamran, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran. + The sons of Ezer [were] Bilhan, Zaavan and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan [were] Uz and Aran. + Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king of the sons of Israel reigned. Bela was the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. + When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. + When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. + When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city [was] Avith. + When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. + When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River became king in his place. + When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. + When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king in his place; and the name of his city was Pai, and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. + Then Hadad died. Now the chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, + chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, + chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, + chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These [were] the chiefs of Edom. + + + These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, + Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. + The sons of Judah [were] Er, Onan and Shelah; [these] three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death. + Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. + The sons of Perez [were] Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Zerah [were] Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara; five of them in all. + The son of Carmi [was] Achar, the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban. + The son of Ethan [was] Azariah. + Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him [were] Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai. + Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; + Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, + Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; + and Jesse became the father of Eliab his firstborn, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, + Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, + Ozem the sixth, David the seventh; + and their sisters [were] Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah [were] Abshai, Joab and Asahel. + Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. + Now Caleb the son of Hezron had sons by Azubah [his] wife, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. + When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. + Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel. + Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. + Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. + But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and its villages, [even] sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead. + After the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron's wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa. + Now the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron [were] Ram the firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem [and] Ahijah. + Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. + The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin and Eker. + The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. And the sons of Shammai [were] Nadab and Abishur. + The name of Abishur's wife [was] Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. + The sons of Nadab [were] Seled and Appaim, and Seled died without sons. + The son of Appaim [was] Ishi. And the son of Ishi [was] Sheshan. And the son of Sheshan [was] Ahlai. + The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai [were] Jether and Jonathan, and Jether died without sons. + The sons of Jonathan [were] Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. + Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. + Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant in marriage, and she bore him Attai. + Attai became the father of Nathan, and Nathan became the father of Zabad, + and Zabad became the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal became the father of Obed, + and Obed became the father of Jehu, and Jehu became the father of Azariah, + and Azariah became the father of Helez, and Helez became the father of Eleasah, + and Eleasah became the father of Sismai, and Sismai became the father of Shallum, + and Shallum became the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah became the father of Elishama. + Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, [were] Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph; and his son was Mareshah, the father of Hebron. + The sons of Hebron [were] Korah and Tappuah and Rekem and Shema. + Shema became the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem became the father of Shammai. + The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon [was] the father of Bethzur. + Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez. + The sons of Jahdai [were] Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. + Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. + She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb [was] Achsah. + These were the sons of Caleb. The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, [were] Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, + Salma the father of Bethlehem [and] Hareph the father of Beth-gader. + Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, + and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. + The sons of Salma [were] Bethlehem and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. + The families of scribes who lived at Jabez [were] the Tirathites, the Shimeathites [and] the Sucathites. Those are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. + + + Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn [was] Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second [was] Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; + the third [was] Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth [was] Adonijah the son of Haggith; + the fifth [was] Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth [was] Ithream, by his wife Eglah. + Six were born to him in Hebron, and there he reigned seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. + These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four, by Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel; + and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, + Nogah, Nepheg and Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet, nine. + All [these were] the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar [was] their sister. + Now Solomon's son [was] Rehoboam, Abijah [was] his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, + Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, + Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, + Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, + Amon his son, Josiah his son. + The sons of Josiah [were] Johanan the firstborn, and the second [was] Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. + The sons of Jehoiakim [were] Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son. + The sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner, [were] Shealtiel his son, + and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah. + The sons of Pedaiah [were] Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel [were] Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith [was] their sister; + and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-hesed, five. + The sons of Hananiah [were] Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah. + The descendants of Shecaniah [were] Shemaiah, and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah and Shaphat, six. + The sons of Neariah [were] Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam, three. + The sons of Elioenai [were] Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah and Anani, seven. + + + The sons of Judah [were] Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. + Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath, and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These [were] the families of the Zorathites. + These [were] the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash; and the name of their sister [was] Hazzelelponi. + Penuel [was] the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These [were] the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. + Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. + Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. + The sons of Helah [were] Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan. + Koz became the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. + Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore [him] with pain." + Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep [me] from harm that [it] may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. + Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. + Eshton became the father of Beth-rapha and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. + Now the sons of Kenaz [were] Othniel and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel [were] Hathath and Meonothai. + Meonothai became the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen. + The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh [were] Iru, Elah and Naam; and the son of Elah [was] Kenaz. + The sons of Jehallelel [were] Ziph and Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel. + The sons of Ezrah [were] Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (And these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took) and she conceived [and bore] Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. + His Jewish wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. + The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, [were] the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. + The sons of Shimon [were] Amnon and Rinnah, Benhanan and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi [were] Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. + The sons of Shelah the son of Judah [were] Er the father of Lecah and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea; + and Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And the records are ancient. + These were the potters and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work. + The sons of Simeon [were] Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; + Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. + The sons of Mishma [were] Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. + Now Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, nor did all their family multiply like the sons of Judah. + They lived at Beersheba, Moladah and Hazar-shual, + at Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, + Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, + Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri and Shaaraim. These [were] their cities until the reign of David. + Their villages [were] Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan, five cities; + and all their villages that [were] around the same cities as far as Baal. These [were] their settlements, and they have their genealogy. + Meshobab and Jamlech and Joshah the son of Amaziah, + and Joel and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, + and Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, + Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; + these mentioned by name [were] leaders in their families; and their fathers' houses increased greatly. + They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. + They found rich and good pasture, and the land was broad and quiet and peaceful; for those who lived there formerly [were] Hamites. + These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. + From them, from the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir, with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders. + They destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day. + + + Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. + Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him [came] the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), + the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel [were] Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. + The sons of Joel [were] Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, + Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, + Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was leader of the Reubenites. + His kinsmen by their families, in the genealogy of their generations, [were] Jeiel the chief, then Zechariah + and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal-meon. + To the east he settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their cattle had increased in the land of Gilead. + In the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand, so that they occupied their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead. + Now the sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah. + Joel [was] the chief and Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. + Their kinsmen of their fathers' households [were] Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber, seven. + These [were] the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; + Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, [was] head of their fathers' households. + They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon, as far as their borders. + All of these were enrolled in the genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. + The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, [consisting] of valiant men, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow and [were] skillful in battle, [were] 44,760, who went to war. + They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. + They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who [were] with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him. + They took away their cattle: their 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys; and 100,000 men. + For many fell slain, because the war [was] of God. And they settled in their place until the exile. + Now the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land; from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon they were numerous. + These were the heads of their fathers' households, even Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers' households. + But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. + So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara and to the river of Gozan, to this day. + + + The sons of Levi [were] Gershon, Kohath and Merari. + The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + The children of Amram [were] Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron [were] Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, [and] Phinehas became the father of Abishua, + and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi, + and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth, + Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, + and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz, + and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan, + and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), + and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, + and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum, + and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah, + and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak; + and Jehozadak went [along] when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar. + The sons of Levi [were] Gershom, Kohath and Merari. + These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari [were] Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' [households]. + Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, + Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. + The sons of Kohath [were] Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, + Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son, + Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son. + The sons of Elkanah [were] Amasai and Ahimoth. + [As for] Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah [were] Zophai his son and Nahath his son, + Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. + The sons of Samuel [were] Joel the firstborn, and Abijah the second. + The sons of Merari [were] Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, + Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. + Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested [there]. + They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. + These are those who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites [were] Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, + the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, + the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, + the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, + the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, + the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. + [Heman's] brother Asaph stood at his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, + the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, + the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, + the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, + the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. + On the left hand [were] their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, + the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, + the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, + the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. + Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. + But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. + These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, + Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, + Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, + Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. + Now these are their settlements according to their camps within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the [first] lot), + to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its pasture lands around it; + but the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. + To the sons of Aaron they gave the [following] cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, + Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, + Ashan with its pasture lands and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; + and from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. + Then to the rest of the sons of Kohath [were given] by lot, from the family of the tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. + To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, [were given] from the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the tribe of Manasseh, thirteen cities in Bashan. + To the sons of Merari [were given] by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. + So the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. + They gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah, the tribe of the sons of Simeon and the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name. + Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. + They gave to them the [following] cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer also with its pasture lands, + Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-horon with its pasture lands, + Aijalon with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; + and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath. + To the sons of Gershom [were given], from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands; + and from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands + and Ramoth with its pasture lands, Anem with its pasture lands; + and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, + Hukok with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands; + and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands. + To the rest of [the Levites], the sons of Merari, [were given], from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands; + and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, [were given them], from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, + Kedemoth with its pasture lands and Mephaath with its pasture lands; + and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, + Heshbon with its pasture lands and Jazer with its pasture lands. + + + Now the sons of Issachar [were] four: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. + The sons of Tola [were] Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel, heads of their fathers' households. [The sons] of Tola [were] mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was 22,600. + The son of Uzzi [was] Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah [were] Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah; all five of them [were] chief men. + With them by their generations according to their fathers' households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and sons. + Their relatives among all the families of Issachar [were] mighty men of valor, enrolled by genealogy, in all 87,000. + [The sons of] Benjamin [were] three: Bela and Becher and Jediael. + The sons of Bela were five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They [were] heads of fathers' households, mighty men of valor, and were 22,034 enrolled by genealogy. + The sons of Becher [were] Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these [were] the sons of Becher. + They were enrolled by genealogy, according to their generations, heads of their fathers' households, 20,200 mighty men of valor. + The son of Jediael [was] Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan [were] Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. + All these [were] sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers' households, 17,200 mighty men of valor, who were ready to go out with the army to war. + Shuppim and Huppim [were] the sons of Ir; Hushim [was] the son of Aher. + The sons of Naphtali [were] Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah. + The sons of Manasseh [were] Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. + Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters. + Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she named him Peresh; and the name of his brother [was] Sheresh, and his sons [were] Ulam and Rakem. + The son of Ulam [was] Bedan. These [were] the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. + His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod and Abiezer and Mahlah. + The sons of Shemida were Ahian and Shechem and Likhi and Aniam. + The sons of Ephraim [were] Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, + Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take their livestock. + Their father Ephraim mourned many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. + Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because misfortune had come upon his house. + His daughter was Sheerah, who built lower and upper Beth-horon, also Uzzen-sheerah. + Rephah was his son [along] with Resheph, Telah his son, Tahan his son, + Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, + Non his son and Joshua his son. + Their possessions and settlements [were] Bethel with its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer with its towns, and Shechem with its towns as far as Ayyah with its towns, + and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean with its towns, Taanach with its towns, Megiddo with its towns, Dor with its towns. In these lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel. + The sons of Asher [were] Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah, and Serah their sister. + The sons of Beriah [were] Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. + Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham, and Shua their sister. + The sons of Japhlet [were] Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet. + The sons of Shemer [were] Ahi and Rohgah, Jehubbah and Aram. + The sons of his brother Helem [were] Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. + The sons of Zophah [were] Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri and Imrah, + Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera. + The sons of Jether [were] Jephunneh, Pispa and Ara. + The sons of Ulla [were] Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. + All these [were] the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers' houses, choice and mighty men of valor, heads of the princes. And the number of them enrolled by genealogy for service in war was 26,000 men. + + + And Benjamin became the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, + Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth. + Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, + Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, + Gera, Shephuphan and Huram. + These are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of fathers' [households] of the inhabitants of Geba, and they carried them into exile to Manahath, + namely, Naaman, Ahijah and Gera-- he carried them into exile; and he became the father of Uzza and Ahihud. + Shaharaim became the father of children in the country of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. + By Hodesh his wife he became the father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, + Jeuz, Sachia, Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers' [households]. + By Hushim he became the father of Abitub and Elpaal. + The sons of Elpaal [were] Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns; + and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers' [households] of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath; + and Ahio, Shashak and Jeremoth. + Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, + Michael, Ishpah and Joha [were] the sons of Beriah. + Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, + Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab [were] the sons of Elpaal. + Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, + Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, + Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath [were] the sons of Shimei. + Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, + Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, + Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, + Iphdeiah and Penuel [were] the sons of Shashak. + Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, + Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zichri [were] the sons of Jeroham. + These were heads of the fathers' [households] according to their generations, chief men who lived in Jerusalem. + Now in Gibeon, [Jeiel], the father of Gibeon lived, and his wife's name was Maacah; + and his firstborn son [was] Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio and Zecher. + Mikloth became the father of Shimeah. And they also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem opposite their [other] relatives. + Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul, and Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal. + The son of Jonathan [was] Merib-baal, and Merib-baal became the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah [were] Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz. + Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri became the father of Moza. + Moza became the father of Binea; Raphah [was] his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. + Azel had six sons, and these [were] their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All these [were] the sons of Azel. + The sons of Eshek his brother [were] Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second and Eliphelet the third. + The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons and grandsons, 150 [of them]. All these [were] of the sons of Benjamin. + + + So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away into exile to Babylon for their unfaithfulness. + Now the first who lived in their possessions in their cities [were] Israel, the priests, the Levites and the temple servants. + Some of the sons of Judah, of the sons of Benjamin and of the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem: + Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, from the sons of Perez the son of Judah. + From the Shilonites [were] Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. + From the sons of Zerah [were] Jeuel and their relatives, 690 [of them]. + From the sons of Benjamin [were] Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah, + and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; + and their relatives according to their generations, 956. All these [were] heads of fathers' [households] according to their fathers' houses. + From the priests [were] Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, + and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God; + and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; + and their relatives, heads of their fathers' households, 1,760 very able men for the work of the service of the house of God. + Of the Levites [were] Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; + and Bakbakkar, Heresh and Galal and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph, + and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. + Now the gatekeepers [were] Shallum and Akkub and Talmon and Ahiman and their relatives (Shallum the chief + [being stationed] until now at the king's gate to the east). These [were] the gatekeepers for the camp of the sons of Levi. + Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives of his father's house, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent; and their fathers had been over the camp of the LORD, keepers of the entrance. + Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them previously, [and] the LORD was with him. + Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the entrance of the tent of meeting. + All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds were 212. These were enrolled by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their office of trust. + So they and their sons had charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, [even] the house of the tent, as guards. + The gatekeepers were on the four sides, to the east, west, north and south. + Their relatives in their villages [were] to come in every seven days from time to time [to be] with them; + for the four chief gatekeepers who [were] Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the chambers and over the treasuries in the house of God. + They spent the night around the house of God, because the watch was committed to them; and they [were] in charge of opening [it] morning by morning. + Now some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they counted them when they brought them in and when they took them out. + Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices. + Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices. + Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the responsibility over the things which were baked in pans. + Some of their relatives of the sons of the Kohathites [were] over the showbread to prepare it every sabbath. + Now these are the singers, heads of fathers' [households] of the Levites, [who lived] in the chambers [of the temple] free [from other service]; for they were engaged in their work day and night. + These were heads of fathers' [households] of the Levites according to their generations, chief men, who lived in Jerusalem. + In Gibeon Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived, and his wife's name was Maacah, + and his firstborn son [was] Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth. + Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. And they also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem opposite their [other] relatives. + Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul, and Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal. + The son of Jonathan [was] Merib-baal; and Merib-baal became the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah [were] Pithon, Melech, Tahrea [and Ahaz]. + Ahaz became the father of Jarah, and Jarah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri became the father of Moza, + and Moza became the father of Binea and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. + Azel had six sons whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru and Ishmael and Sheariah and Obadiah and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. + + + Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. + The battle became heavy against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was wounded by the archers. + Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it. + When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died. + Thus Saul died with his three sons, and all [those] of his house died together. + When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. + It came about the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. + So they stripped him and took his head and his armor and sent [messengers] around the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. + They put his armor in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the house of Dagon. + When all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, + all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh, and they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. + So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry [of it], + and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse. + + + Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. + "In times past, even when Saul was king, you [were] the one who led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD your God said to you, 'You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince over My people Israel.'" + So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel. + Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, [were] there. + The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You shall not enter here." Nevertheless David captured the stronghold of Zion (that is, the city of David). + Now David had said, "Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander." Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. + Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. + He built the city all around, from the Millo even to the surrounding area; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. + David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts [was] with him. + Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. + These [constitute] the list of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time. + After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who [was] one of the three mighty men. + He was with David at Pasdammim when the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled before the Philistines. + They took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and struck down the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great victory. + Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. + David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethlehem. + David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" + So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which [was] by the gate, and took [it] and brought [it] to David; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; + and he said, "Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men [who went] at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. + As for Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the thirty, and he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them; and he had a name as well as the thirty. + Of the three in the second [rank] he was the most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the [first] three. + Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the two [sons of] Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day. + He killed an Egyptian, a man of [great] stature five cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian's hand [was] a spear like a weaver's beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. + These [things] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. + Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three; and David appointed him over his guard. + Now the mighty men of the armies [were] Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, + Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, + Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, + Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, + Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, + Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, + Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, + the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, + Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, + Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, + Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, + Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, + Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, + Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite, + Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, + Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his brother, the Tizite, + Eliel the Mahavite and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, + Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. + + + Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped [him] in war. + They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left [to sling] stones and [to shoot] arrows from the bow; [they were] Saul's kinsmen from Benjamin. + The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite, + and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty. Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, + Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, + Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korahites, + and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. + From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and [they were] as swift as the gazelles on the mountains. + Ezer [was] the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, + Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, + Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, + Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, + Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. + These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army; he who was least was equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand. + These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west. + Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. + David went out to meet them, and said to them, "If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on [it] and decide." + Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, [and he said], "[We] are yours, O David, And with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to him who helps you; Indeed, your God helps you!" Then David received them and made them captains of the band. + From Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, "At [the cost of] our heads he may defect to his master Saul." + As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh. + They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army. + For day by day [men] came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God. + Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. + The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear [were] 6,800, equipped for war. + Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. + Of the sons of Levi 4,600. + Now Jehoiada was the leader of [the house of] Aaron, and with him were 3,700, + also Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father's house twenty-two captains. + Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul's kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. + Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' households. + Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king. + Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs [were] two hundred; and all their kinsmen [were] at their command. + Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped [David] with an undivided heart. + Of Naphtali [there were] 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear. + Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, [there were] 28,600. + Of Asher [there were] 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation. + From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, [there were] 120,000 with all [kinds] of weapons of war for the battle. + All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king. + They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. + Moreover those who were near to them, [even] as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel. + + + Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. + David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; + and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul." + Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. + So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. + David and all Israel went up to Baalah, [that is], to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the LORD who is enthroned [above] the cherubim, where His name is called. + They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. + David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all [their] might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets. + When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset [it]. + The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. + Then David became angry because of the LORD'S outburst against Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza to this day. + David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How can I bring the ark of God [home] to me?" + So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. + Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had. + + + Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons and carpenters, to build a house for him. + And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, [and] that his kingdom was highly exalted, for the sake of His people Israel. + Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and David became the father of more sons and daughters. + These are the names of the children born [to him] in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them. + Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. + David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?" Then the LORD said to him, "Go up, for I will give them into your hand." + So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters." Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim. + They abandoned their gods there; so David gave the order and they were burned with fire. + The Philistines made yet another raid in the valley. + David inquired again of God, and God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. + "It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines." + David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer. + Then the fame of David went out into all the lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him on all the nations. + + + Now [David] built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. + Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever." + And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place which he had prepared for it. + David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: + of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and 120 of his relatives; + of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and 220 of his relatives; + of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and 130 of his relatives; + of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and 200 of his relatives; + of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and 80 of his relatives; + of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and 112 of his relatives. + Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, + and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' [households] of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to [the place] that I have prepared for it. + "Because you did not [carry it] at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance." + So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. + The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. + Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. + So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, + and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. + So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan [were appointed] to sound aloud cymbals of bronze; + and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah, with harps [tuned] to alamoth; + and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, to lead with lyres tuned to the sheminith. + Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was [in charge of] the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful. + Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. + Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also [were] gatekeepers for the ark. + So [it was] David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy. + Because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. + Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing [with] the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen. + Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres. + It happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart. + + + And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. + When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. + He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion [of meat] and a raisin cake. + He appointed some of the Levites [as] ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: + Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, [then] Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph [played] loud-sounding cymbals, + and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests [blew] trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. + Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD. + Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. + Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. + Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. + Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. + Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth, + O seed of Israel His servant, Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! + He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. + Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, + [The covenant] which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. + He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, + Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, As the portion of your inheritance." + When they were only a few in number, Very few, and strangers in it, + And they wandered about from nation to nation, And from [one] kingdom to another people, + He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes, [saying], + "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm." + Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. + Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. + For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods. + For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. + Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place. + Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. + Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array. + Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. + Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." + Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. + Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He is coming to judge the earth. + O give thanks to the LORD, for [He is] good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise." + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. + So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required; + and Obed-edom with his 68 relatives; Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah as gatekeepers. + [He left] Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place which [was] at Gibeon, + to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel. + With them [were] Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His lovingkindness is everlasting. + And with them [were] Heman and Jeduthun [with] trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and [with] instruments [for] the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate. + Then all the people departed each to his house, and David returned to bless his household. + + + And it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under curtains." + Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." + It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, + "Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; + for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from [one] dwelling place [to another]. + "In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, 'Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?'"' + "Now, therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. + "I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. + "I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved again; and the wicked will not waste them anymore as formerly, + even from the day that I commanded judges [to be] over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you. + "When your days are fulfilled that you must go [to be] with your fathers, that I will set up [one of] your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. + "He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. + "I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. + "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."'" + According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. + Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? + "This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O LORD God. + "What more can David still [say] to You concerning the honor [bestowed] on Your servant? For You know Your servant. + "O LORD, for Your servant's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things. + "O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. + "And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself [as] a people, to make You a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt? + "For Your people Israel You made Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, became their God. + "Now, O LORD, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as You have spoken. + "Let Your name be established and magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, [even] a God to Israel; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.' + "For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build for him a house; therefore Your servant has found [courage] to pray before You. + "Now, O LORD, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant. + "And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever." + + + Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. + He defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute. + David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah [as far as] Hamath, as he went to establish his rule to the Euphrates River. + David took from him 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved [enough] of them for 100 chariots. + When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 men of the Arameans. + Then David put [garrisons] among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. + David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + Also from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a very large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils. + Now when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, + he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And [Hadoram brought] all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze. + King David also dedicated these to the LORD with the silver and the gold which he had carried away from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and from Amalek. + Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people. + Joab the son of Zeruiah [was] over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud [was] recorder; + and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar [were] priests, and Shavsha [was] secretary; + and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David [were] chiefs at the king's side. + + + Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. + Then David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. + But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, "Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?" + So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. + Then [certain persons] went and told David about the men. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and [then] return." + When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah and from Zobah. + So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle. + When David heard [of it], he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. + The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. + Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel and they arrayed themselves against the Arameans. + But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abshai his brother; and they arrayed themselves against the sons of Ammon. + He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. + "Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight." + So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. + When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled before Abshai his brother and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. + When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. + When it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him. + The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army. + So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Thus the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore. + + + Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. + David took the crown of their king from his head, and he found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. + He brought out the people who [were] in it, and cut [them] with saws and with sharp instruments and with axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned [to] Jerusalem. + Now it came about after this, that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the giants, and they were subdued. + And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear [was] like a weaver's beam. + Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of [great] stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six [fingers on each hand] and six [toes on each foot]; and he also was descended from the giants. + When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him. + These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. + + + Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. + So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me [word] that I may know their number." + Joab said, "May the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?" + Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. + Joab gave the number of the census of [all] the people to David. And all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah [was] 470,000 men who drew the sword. + But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab. + God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. + David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." + The LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, + "Go and speak to David, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "I offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you."'" + So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Take for yourself + either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes [you], or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me." + David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man." + So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell. + And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy [it], the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand." And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. + David said to God, "Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father's household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued." + Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD. + Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons [who were] with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. + As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground. + Then David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of [this] threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the LORD; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people." + Ornan said to David, "Take [it] for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give [it] all." + But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy [it] for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing." + So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. + Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. + The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath. + At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. + For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering [were] in the high place at Gibeon at that time. + But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD. + + + Then David said, "This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel." + So David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. + David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed; + and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. + David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. [Therefore] now I will make preparation for it." So David made ample preparations before his death. + Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. + David said to Solomon, "My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. + "But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed [so] much blood on the earth before Me. + 'Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. + 'He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.' + "Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you. + "Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. + "Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. + "Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them. + "Moreover, there are many workmen with you, stonecutters and masons of stone and carpenters, and all men who are skillful in every kind of work. + "Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you." + David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, [saying], + "Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. + "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD." + + + Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. + And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites. + The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38,000. + Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 [were] officers and judges, + and 4,000 [were] gatekeepers, and 4,000 [were] praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise. + David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + Of the Gershonites [were] Ladan and Shimei. + The sons of Ladan [were] Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three. + The sons of Shimei [were] Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' [households] of Ladan. + The sons of Shimei [were] Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four [were] the sons of Shimei. + Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father's household, one class. + The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. + But [as for] Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. + The sons of Moses [were] Gershom and Eliezer. + The son of Gershom [was] Shebuel the chief. + The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. + The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief. + The sons of Hebron [were] Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. + The sons of Uzziel [were] Micah the first and Isshiah the second. + The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli [were] Eleazar and Kish. + Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them [as wives]. + The sons of Mushi [were] three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth. + These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' households, [even] the heads of the fathers' [households] of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old and upward. + For David said, "The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. + "Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service." + For by the last words of David the sons of Levi [were] numbered from twenty years old and upward. + For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, + and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or [what is baked in] the pan or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size. + They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening, + and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number [set] by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD. + Thus they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the LORD. + + + Now the divisions of the descendants of Aaron [were these]: the sons of Aaron [were] Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. + David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices for their ministry. + Since more chief men were found from the descendants of Eleazar than the descendants of Ithamar, they divided them thus: [there were] sixteen heads of fathers' households of the descendants of Eleazar and eight of the descendants of Ithamar, according to their fathers' households. + Thus they were divided by lot, the one as the other; for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God, both from the descendants of Eleazar and the descendants of Ithamar. + Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers' [households] of the priests and of the Levites; one father's household taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar. + Now the first lot came out for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, + the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, + the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin, + the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, + the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, + the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, + the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, + the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, + the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, + the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, + the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, + the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. + These were their offices for their ministry when [they] came in to the house of the LORD according to the ordinance [given] to them through Aaron their father, just as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him. + Now for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah. + Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the first. + Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. + The sons [of Hebron]: Jeriah [the first], Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. + [Of] the sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. + The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. + The sons of Merari, Mahli and Mushi; the sons of Jaaziah, Beno. + The sons of Merari: by Jaaziah [were] Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri. + By Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. + By Kish: the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel. + The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These [were] the sons of the Levites according to their fathers' households. + These also cast lots just as their relatives the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' [households] of the priests and of the Levites-- the head of fathers' [households] as well as those of his younger brother. + + + Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service [some] of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who [were] to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: + Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph [were] under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. + Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the LORD. + Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. + All these [were] the sons of Heman the king's seer to exalt him according to the words of God, for God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. + All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman [were] under the direction of the king. + Their number who were trained in singing to the LORD, with their relatives, all who were skillful, [was] 288. + They cast lots for their duties, all alike, the small as well as the great, the teacher [as well] as the pupil. + Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons [were] twelve; + the third to Zaccur, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the fourth to Izri, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his relatives, twelve; + for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his relatives, twelve. + + + For the divisions of the gatekeepers [there were] of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. + Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, + Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. + Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, + Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh [and] Peullethai the eighth; God had indeed blessed him. + Also to his son Shemaiah sons were born who ruled over the house of their father, for they were mighty men of valor. + The sons of Shemaiah [were] Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad, whose brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were valiant men. + All these [were] of the sons of Obed-edom; they and their sons and their relatives [were] able men with strength for the service, 62 from Obed-edom. + Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, 18 valiant men. + Also Hosah, [one] of the sons of Merari had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him first), + Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and relatives of Hosah [were] 13. + To these divisions of the gatekeepers, the chief men, [were given] duties like their relatives to minister in the house of the LORD. + They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers' households, for every gate. + The lot to the east fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots [for] his son Zechariah, a counselor with insight, and his lot came out to the north. + For Obed-edom [it fell] to the south, and to his sons went the storehouse. + For Shuppim and Hosah [it was] to the west, by the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending highway. Guard corresponded to guard. + On the east there were six Levites, on the north four daily, on the south four daily, and at the storehouse two by two. + At the Parbar on the west [there were] four at the highway and two at the Parbar. + These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of the sons of Merari. + The Levites, their relatives, had charge of the treasures of the house of God and of the treasures of the dedicated gifts. + The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, [namely], the Jehielites, [were] the heads of the fathers' [households], belonging to Ladan the Gershonite. + The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, had charge of the treasures of the house of the LORD. + As for the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites, + Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was officer over the treasures. + His relatives by Eliezer [were] Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son and Shelomoth his son. + This Shelomoth and his relatives had charge of all the treasures of the dedicated gifts which King David and the heads of the fathers' [households], the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. + They dedicated part of the spoil won in battles to repair the house of the LORD. + And all that Samuel the seer had dedicated and Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah, everyone who had dedicated [anything, all of this] was in the care of Shelomoth and his relatives. + As for the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were [assigned] to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges. + As for the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan, for all the work of the LORD and the service of the king. + As for the Hebronites, Jerijah the chief (these Hebronites were investigated according to their genealogies and fathers' [households], in the fortieth year of David's reign, and men of outstanding capability were found among them at Jazer of Gilead) + and his relatives, capable men, [were] 2,700 in number, heads of fathers' [households]. And King David made them overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manassites concerning all the affairs of God and of the king. + + + Now [this is] the enumeration of the sons of Israel, the heads of fathers' [households], the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all the affairs of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division [numbering] 24,000: + Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel had charge of the first division for the first month; and in his division [were] 24,000. + [He was] from the sons of Perez, [and was] chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. + Dodai the Ahohite and his division had charge of the division for the second month, Mikloth [being] the chief officer; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The third commander of the army for the third month [was] Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, [as] chief; and in his division [were] 24,000. + This Benaiah [was] the mighty man of the thirty, and had charge of thirty; and over his division was Ammizabad his son. + The fourth for the fourth month [was] Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The fifth for the fifth month [was] the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The sixth for the sixth month [was] Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The seventh for the seventh month [was] Helez the Pelonite of the sons of Ephraim; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The eighth for the eighth month [was] Sibbecai the Hushathite of the Zerahites; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The ninth for the ninth month [was] Abiezer the Anathothite of the Benjamites; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The tenth for the tenth month [was] Maharai the Netophathite of the Zerahites; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The eleventh for the eleventh month [was] Benaiah the Pirathonite of the sons of Ephraim; and in his division [were] 24,000. + The twelfth for the twelfth month [was] Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel; and in his division [were] 24,000. + Now in charge of the tribes of Israel: chief officer for the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah; + for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok; + for Judah, Elihu, [one] of David's brothers; for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; + for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel; + for the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; + for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; + for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These [were] the princes of the tribes of Israel. + But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven. + Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count [them], but did not finish; and because of this, wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not included in the account of the chronicles of King David. + Now Azmaveth the son of Adiel had charge of the king's storehouses. And Jonathan the son of Uzziah had charge of the storehouses in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers. + Ezri the son of Chelub had charge of the agricultural workers who tilled the soil. + Shimei the Ramathite had charge of the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite had charge of the produce of the vineyards [stored] in the wine cellars. + Baal-hanan the Gederite had charge of the olive and sycamore trees in the Shephelah; and Joash had charge of the stores of oil. + Shitrai the Sharonite had charge of the cattle which were grazing in Sharon; and Shaphat the son of Adlai had charge of the cattle in the valleys. + Obil the Ishmaelite had charge of the camels; and Jehdeiah the Meronothite had charge of the donkeys. + Jaziz the Hagrite had charge of the flocks. All these were overseers of the property which belonged to King David. + Also Jonathan, David's uncle, [was] a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni tutored the king's sons. + Ahithophel [was] counselor to the king; and Hushai the Archite [was] the king's friend. + Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel; and Joab was the commander of the king's army. + + + Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men. + Then King David rose to his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I [had] intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build [it]. + "But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.' + "Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father's house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make [me] king over all Israel. + "Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. + "He said to me, 'Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. + 'I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.' + "So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the LORD your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath [it] to your sons after you forever. + "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. + "Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act." + Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch [of the temple], its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms and the room for the mercy seat; + and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; + also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD and for all the utensils of service in the house of the LORD; + for the golden [utensils], the weight of gold for all utensils for every kind of service; for the silver utensils, the weight [of silver] for all utensils for every kind of service; + and the weight [of gold] for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and [the weight of silver] for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; + and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; + and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; + and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, [even] the cherubim that spread out [their wings] and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. + "All [this]," [said David], "the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern." + Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished. + "Now behold, [there are] the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command." + + + Then King David said to the entire assembly, "My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for the LORD God. + "Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the [things of] gold, and the silver for the [things of] silver, and the bronze for the [things of] bronze, the iron for the [things of] iron, and wood for the [things of] wood, onyx stones and inlaid [stones], stones of antimony and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance. + "Moreover, in my delight in the house of my God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy temple, + [namely], 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings; + of gold for the [things of] gold and of silver for the [things of] silver, that is, for all the work done by the craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?" + Then the rulers of the fathers' [households], and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers over the king's work, offered willingly; + and for the service for the house of God they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of silver, and 18,000 talents of brass, and 100,000 talents of iron. + Whoever possessed [precious] stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in care of Jehiel the Gershonite. + Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly. + So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. + "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. + "Both riches and honor [come] from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. + "Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. + "But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. + "For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. + "O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. + "Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these [things]; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make [their] offerings willingly to You. + "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; + and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do [them] all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision." + Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the LORD and to the king. + On the next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams [and] 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. + So they ate and drank that day before the LORD with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king a second time, and they anointed [him] as ruler for the LORD and Zadok as priest. + Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. + All the officials, the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David pledged allegiance to King Solomon. + The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him royal majesty which had not been on any king before him in Israel. + Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. + The period which he reigned over Israel [was] forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years and in Jerusalem thirty-three [years]. + Then he died in a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor; and his son Solomon reigned in his place. + Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer, + with all his reign, his power, and the circumstances which came on him, on Israel, and on all the kingdoms of the lands. + + + + + Now Solomon the son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the LORD his God [was] with him and exalted him greatly. + Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' [households]. + Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon, for God's tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. + However, David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. + Now the bronze altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. + Solomon went up there before the LORD to the bronze altar which [was] at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. + In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you." + Solomon said to God, "You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. + "Now, O LORD God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. + "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?" + God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, + wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you." + So Solomon went from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel. + Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. + The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the lowland. + Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king's traders procured them from Kue for a price. + They imported chariots from Egypt for 600 [shekels] of silver apiece and horses for 150 apiece, and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram. + + + Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. + So Solomon assigned 70,000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to quarry [stone] in the mountains and 3,600 to supervise them. + Then Solomon sent [word] to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, "As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, so do for me. + "Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and [to set out] the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the LORD our God, this [being required] forever in Israel. + "The house which I am about to build [will be] great, for greater is our God than all the gods. + "But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn [incense] before Him? + "Now send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet [fabrics], and who knows how to make engravings, to [work] with the skilled men whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. + "Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed my servants [will work] with your servants, + to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build [will be] great and wonderful. + "Now behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20,000 kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 kors of barley, and 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil." + Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered in a letter sent to Solomon: "Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them." + Then Huram continued, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. + "Now I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding, + the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood, [and] in purple, violet, linen and crimson fabrics, and [who knows how] to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which may be assigned to him, [to work] with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father. + "Now then, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken. + "We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you on rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem." + Solomon numbered all the aliens who [were] in the land of Israel, following the census which his father David had taken; and 153,600 were found. + He appointed 70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 to quarry [stones] in the mountains and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work. + + + Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [the LORD] had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + He began to build on the second [day] in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. + Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for building the house of God. The length in cubits, according to the old standard [was] sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits. + The porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height 120; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. + He overlaid the main room with cypress wood and overlaid it with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains. + Further, he adorned the house with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. + He also overlaid the house with gold-- the beams, the thresholds and its walls and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls. + Now he made the room of the holy of holies: its length across the width of the house [was] twenty cubits, and its width [was] twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, [amounting] to 600 talents. + The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold. + Then he made two sculptured cherubim in the room of the holy of holies and overlaid them with gold. + The wingspan of the cherubim [was] twenty cubits; the wing of one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and [its] other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub. + The wing of the other cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and [its] other wing of five cubits was attached to the wing of the first cherub. + The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet facing the [main] room. + He made the veil of violet, purple, crimson and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it. + He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on the top of each [was] five cubits. + He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed [them] on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and placed [them] on the chains. + He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz. + + + Then he made a bronze altar, twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in width and ten cubits in height. + Also he made the cast [metal] sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height [was] five cubits and its circumference thirty cubits. + Now figures like oxen [were] under it [and] all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen [were] in two rows, cast in one piece. + It stood on twelve oxen, three facing the north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east; and the sea [was set] on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inwards. + It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, [like] a lily blossom; it could hold 3,000 baths. + He also made ten basins in which to wash, and he set five on the right side and five on the left to rinse things for the burnt offering; but the sea [was] for the priests to wash in. + Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. + He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred golden bowls. + Then he made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze. + He set the sea on the right side [of the house] toward the southeast. + Huram also made the pails, the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of God: + the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, + and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars. + He also made the stands and he made the basins on the stands, + [and] the one sea with the twelve oxen under it. + The pails, the shovels, the forks and all its utensils, Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the LORD. + On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. + Thus Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze could not be found out. + Solomon also made all the things that [were] in the house of God: even the golden altar, the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, + the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed; + the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, of purest gold; + and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the holy of holies and the doors of the house, [that is], of the nave, of gold. + + + Thus all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver and the gold and all the utensils, [and] put [them] in the treasuries of the house of God. + Then Solomon assembled to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' [households] of the sons of Israel, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. + All the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, that is [in] the seventh month. + Then all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. + They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which [were] in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. + And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. + Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim. + For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles. + The poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and they are there to this day. + There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put [there] at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. + When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), + and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets + in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the LORD [saying,]"[He] indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting," then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, + so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. + + + Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. + "I have built You a lofty house, And a place for Your dwelling forever." + Then the king faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. + He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled [it] with His hands, saying, + 'Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel [in which] to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel; + but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.' + "Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + "But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. + 'Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.' + "Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + "There I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with the sons of Israel." + Then he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. + Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. + He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and [showing] lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; + who has kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. + "Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.' + "Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David. + "But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. + "Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; + that Your eye may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that [You would] put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. + "Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive. + "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes [and] takes an oath before Your altar in this house, + then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. + "If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return [to You] and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, + then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers. + "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them; + then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance. + "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness [there is], + whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, + then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, + that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers. + "Also concerning the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your great name's sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, + then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and fear You as [do] Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name. + "When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, + then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. + "When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near, + if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly'; + if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, + then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. + "Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer [offered] in this place. + "Now therefore arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good. + "O LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember [Your] lovingkindness to Your servant David." + + + Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. + The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD'S house. + All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, [saying], "Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting." + Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. + King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. + The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with the instruments of music to the LORD, which King David had made for giving praise to the LORD-- "for His lovingkindness is everlasting "-- whenever he gave praise by their means, while the priests on the other side blew trumpets; and all Israel was standing. + Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that [was] before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat. + So Solomon observed the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly [who came] from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt. + On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar they observed seven days and the feast seven days. + Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel. + Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace. + Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. + "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, + and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. + "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer [offered] in this place. + "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. + "As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, + then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man [to be] ruler in Israel.' + "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, + then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. + "As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?' + "And they will say, 'Because they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.'" + + + Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house + that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there. + Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. + He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. + He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities [with] walls, gates and bars; + and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule. + All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, + [namely], from their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon raised as forced laborers to this day. + But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen. + These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who ruled over the people. + Then Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the LORD has entered." + Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch; + and [did so] according to the daily rule, offering [them] up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts-- the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. + Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded. + And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the storehouses. + Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. + Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom. + And Huram by his servants sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon's servants to Ophir, and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon. + + + Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions. She had a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was on her heart. + Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not explain to her. + When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, + the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, she was breathless. + Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. + "Nevertheless I did not believe their reports until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You surpass the report that I heard. + "How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. + "Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness." + Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great [amount of] spices and precious stones; there had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. + From the algum trees the king made steps for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah. + King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested besides [a return for] what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants. + Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, + besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 [shekels of] beaten gold on each large shield. + [He made] 300 shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. + Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. + [There were] six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. + Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like [it] was made for any [other] kingdom. + All King Solomon's drinking vessels [were] of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [were] of pure gold; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. + For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks. + So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. + And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. + They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year. + Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. + He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. + The king made silver [as common] as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. + And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries. + Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? + Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel. + And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. + + + Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. + When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard [of it] (for he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. + So they sent and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, + "Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." + He said to them, "Return to me again in three days." So the people departed. + Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel [me] to answer this people?" + They spoke to him, saying, "If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." + But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. + So he said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?" + The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.' Thus you shall say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! + 'Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I [will discipline you] with scorpions.'" + So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, "Return to me on the third day." + The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders. + He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I [will discipline you] with scorpions." + So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn [of events] from God that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. + When all Israel [saw] that the king did not listen to them the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? [We have] no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel; Now look after your own house, David." So all Israel departed to their tents. + But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. + Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. + So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. + + + Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. + But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, + "Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, + 'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me."'" So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam. + Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. + Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, + Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, + Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, + Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, + Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. + He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. + [He put] shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin. + Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him from all their districts. + For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. + He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. + Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. + They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. + Then Rehoboam took as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, + and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. + After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. + Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his [other] wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. + Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he [intended] to make him king. + He acted wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them food in abundance. And he sought many wives [for them]. + + + When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD. + And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem + with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. + He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. + Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, 'You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.'" + So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous." + When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves [so] I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some [measure] of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. + "But they will become his slaves so that they may learn [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries." + So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's palace. He took everything; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made. + Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the door of the king's house. + As often as the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards came and carried them and [then] brought them back into the guards' room. + And when he humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, so as not to destroy [him] completely; and also conditions were good in Judah. + So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. + He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. + Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And [there were] wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. + And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place. + + + In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. + He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. + Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men [who were] valiant warriors. + Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: + "Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? + "Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, + and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them. + "So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and [having] with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. + "Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of [other] lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of [what are] no gods. + "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. + "Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is [set] on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is [ready] to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. + "Now behold, God is with us at [our] head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed." + But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that [Israel] was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. + When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. + Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. + When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. + Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. + Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. + Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him [several] cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. + Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died. + But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. + Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo. + + + So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days. + Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, + for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the [sacred] pillars, cut down the Asherim, + and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. + He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. + He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest. + For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround [them] with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. + Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors. + Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. + So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. + Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help [in the battle] between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You." + So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. + Asa and the people who [were] with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. + They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. + They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. + + + Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, + and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. + "For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. + "But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. + "In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. + "Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. + "But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work." + Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. + He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. + So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. + They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. + They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; + and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. + Moreover, they made an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. + All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. + He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the [position of] queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed [it] and burned [it] at the brook Kidron. + But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa's heart was blameless all his days. + He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. + And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. + + + In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent [anyone] from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. + Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king's house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, + "[Let there be] a treaty between you and me, [as] between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me." + So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. + When Baasha heard [of it], he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work. + Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah. + At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. + "Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. + "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." + Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. + Now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. + So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign. + They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers' art; and they made a very great fire for him. + + + Jehoshaphat his son then became king in his place, and made his position over Israel firm. + He placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had captured. + The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals, + but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. + So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. + He took great pride in the ways of the LORD and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah. + Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; + and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. + They taught in Judah, [having] the book of the law of the LORD with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. + Now the dread of the LORD was on all the kingdoms of the lands which [were] around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. + Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat; the Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. + So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah. + He had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant men, in Jerusalem. + This was their muster according to their fathers' households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah [was] the commander, and with him 300,000 valiant warriors; + and next to him [was] Johanan the commander, and with him 280,000; + and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who volunteered for the LORD, and with him 200,000 valiant warriors; + and of Benjamin, Eliada a valiant warrior, and with him 200,000 armed with bow and shield; + and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 equipped for war. + These are they who served the king, apart from those whom the king put in the fortified cities through all Judah. + + + Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. + Some years later he went down to [visit] Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. + Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me [against] Ramoth-gilead?" And he said to him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people, and [we will be] with you in the battle." + Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the LORD." + Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will give [it] into the hand of the king." + But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?" + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." + Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla's son." + Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in [their] robes, and [they] were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. + Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.'" + All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give [it] into the hand of the king." + Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably." + But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak." + When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" He said, "Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand." + Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" + So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd; And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.'" + Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" + Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. + "The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while another said that. + "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' And the LORD said to him, 'How?' + "He said, 'I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice [him] and prevail also. Go and do so.' + "Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you." + Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?" + Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself." + Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son; + and say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this [man] in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely."'" + Micaiah said, "If you indeed return safely, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, all you people." + So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. + Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone." + So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. + When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. + A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded." + The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died. + + + Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. + Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD and so [bring] wrath on yourself from the LORD? + "But there is [some] good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God." + So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. + He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. + He said to the judges, "Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. + "Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe." + In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers' [households] of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + Then he charged them saying, "Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly. + "Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the LORD, and wrath may [not] come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty. + "Behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in all that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Act resolutely, and the LORD be with the upright." + + + Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. + Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi)." + Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. + So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD. + Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, + and he said, "O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. + "Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? + "They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, + 'Should evil come upon us, the sword, [or] judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver [us].' + "Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), + see [how] they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. + "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." + All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children. + Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; + and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. + 'Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. + 'You [need] not fight in this [battle]; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." + Jehoshaphat bowed his head with [his] face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. + The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice. + They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed." + When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised [Him] in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." + When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. + For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying [them] completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. + When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they [were] corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. + When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, [including] goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much. + Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore they have named that place "The Valley of Beracah " until today. + Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. + They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres and trumpets to the house of the LORD. + And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. + So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides. + Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He [was] thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother's name [was] Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. + He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. + The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. + After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly in so doing. + So he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. + Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish. + + + Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. + He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these [were] the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. + Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. + Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. + Jehoram [was] thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. + He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab's daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. + Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever. + In his days Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. + Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. + So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers. + Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray. + Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, "Thus says the LORD God of your father David, 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, + but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you, + behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity; + and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.'" + Then the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians; + and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king's house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. + So after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness. + Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers. + He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one's regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. + + + Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older [sons]. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. + Ahaziah [was] twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. + He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction. + He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram. + So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. + Now the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. For when he came, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. + It came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them. + He also sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him. For they said, "He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom. + Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. + But Jehoshabeath the king's daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she would not put him to death. + He was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigned over the land. + + + Now in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, [and they entered] into a covenant with him. + They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers' [households] of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. + Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, "Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning the sons of David. + "This is the thing which you shall do: one third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbath, [shall be] gatekeepers, + and one third [shall be] at the king's house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people [shall be] in the courts of the house of the LORD. + "But let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of the LORD. + "The Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house, let him be killed. Thus be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out." + So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss [any of] the divisions. + Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had been King David's, which were in the house of God. + He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. + Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him, and [gave him] the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, "[Long] live the king!" + When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the LORD to the people. + She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters [were] beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with [their] musical instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, "Treason! Treason!" + Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, "Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, put to death with the sword." For the priest said, "Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD." + So they seized her, and when she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's house, they put her to death there. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the LORD'S people. + And all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down, and they broke in pieces his altars and his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. + Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices of the house of the LORD under the authority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses-- with rejoicing and singing according to the order of David. + He stationed the gatekeepers of the house of the LORD, so that no one would enter [who was] in any way unclean. + He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and came through the upper gate to the king's house. And they placed the king upon the royal throne. + So all of the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword. + + + Joash [was] seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Zibiah from Beersheba. + Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. + Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters. + Now it came about after this that Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. + He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matter quickly." But the Levites did not act quickly. + So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief [priest] and said to him, "Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the levy [fixed by] Moses the servant of the LORD on the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?" + For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even used the holy things of the house of the LORD for the Baals. + So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the LORD. + They made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the levy [fixed by] Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. + All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and dropped [them] into the chest until they had finished. + It came about whenever the chest was brought in to the king's officer by the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then the king's scribe and the chief priest's officer would come, empty the chest, take it, and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money. + The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. + So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they restored the house of God according to its specifications and strengthened it. + When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the LORD, utensils for the service and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada. + Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. + They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house. + But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. + They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. + Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen. + Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus God has said, 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.'" + So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD. + Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!" + Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. + Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the LORD delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. + When they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. + Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. + As to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place. + + + Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart. + Now it came about as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had slain his father the king. + However, he did not put their children to death, but [did] as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which the LORD commanded, saying, "Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin." + Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to [their] fathers' households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he took a census of those from twenty years old and upward and found them to be 300,000 choice men, [able] to go to war [and] handle spear and shield. + He hired also 100,000 valiant warriors out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver. + But a man of God came to him saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel [nor with] any of the sons of Ephraim. + "But if you do go, do [it], be strong for the battle; [yet] God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down." + Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what [shall we] do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD has much more to give you than this." + Then Amaziah dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned home in fierce anger. + Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the sons of Seir. + The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all dashed to pieces. + But the troops whom Amaziah sent back from going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 of them and plundered much spoil. + Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them. + Then the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?" + As he was talking with him, the king said to him, "Have we appointed you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" Then the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel." + Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us face each other." + Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trampled the thorn bush. + "You said, 'Behold, you have defeated Edom.' And your heart has become proud in boasting. Now stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall and Judah with you?" + But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might deliver them into the hand [of Joash] because they had sought the gods of Edom. + So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. + Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent. + Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. + [He took] all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. + And Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. + Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? + From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. + Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah. + + + And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who [was] sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. + He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. + Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. + He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him. + Now he went out and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in [the area of] Ashdod and among the Philistines. + God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. + The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. + Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. + He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. [He also had] plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. + Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's officers. + The total number of the heads of the households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. + Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. + Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. + In Jerusalem he made engines [of war] invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he [was] strong. + But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. + Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. + They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God." + But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. + Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he [was] leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him. + King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son [was] over the king's house judging the people of the land. + Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. + So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son became king in his place. + + + Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people continued acting corruptly. + He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel. + Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded [hills]. + He fought also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that the Ammonites gave him during that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this [amount] in the second and in the third year. + So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. + Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his acts, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. + And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place. + + + Ahaz [was] twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right in the sight of the LORD as David his father [had done]. + But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. + Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel. + He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree. + Wherefore, the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they defeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought [them] to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted him with heavy casualties. + For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. + And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son and Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah the second to the king. + The sons of Israel carried away captive of their brethren 200,000 women, sons and daughters; and they took also a great deal of spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. + But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name [was] Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage [which] has even reached heaven. + "Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, [do] you not [have] transgressions of your own against the LORD your God? + "Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives whom you captured from your brothers, for the burning anger of the LORD is against you." + Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim-- Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai-- arose against those who were coming from the battle, + and said to them, "You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing [to bring] upon us guilt against the LORD adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that [His] burning anger is against Israel." + So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. + Then the men who were designated by name arose, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them [with oil], led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria. + At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. + For again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. + The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there. + For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD. + So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. + Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave [it] to the king of Assyria, it did not help him. + Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the LORD. + For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, "Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they became the downfall of him and all Israel. + Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the LORD and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. + In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger. + Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. + + + Hezekiah became king [when he was] twenty-five years old; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. + In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. + He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east. + Then he said to them, "Listen to me, O Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out from the holy place. + "For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and have turned [their] backs. + "They have also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. + "Therefore the wrath of the LORD was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. + "For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. + "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us. + "My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense." + Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathites; and from the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah; + and from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; and from the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; + and from the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. + They assembled their brothers, consecrated themselves, and went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the commandment of the king by the words of the LORD. + So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse [it], and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the court of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received [it] to carry out to the Kidron valley. + Now they began the consecration on the first [day] of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the LORD. Then they consecrated the house of the LORD in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month. + Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils. + "Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD." + Then King Hezekiah arose early and assembled the princes of the city and went up to the house of the LORD. + They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer [them] on the altar of the LORD. + So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They also slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar; they slaughtered the lambs also and sprinkled the blood on the altar. + Then they brought the male goats of the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. + The priests slaughtered them and purged the altar with their blood to atone for all Israel, for the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel. + He then stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the LORD through His prophets. + The Levites stood with the [musical] instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. + Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began with the trumpets, [accompanied] by the instruments of David, king of Israel. + While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this [continued] until the burnt offering was finished. + Now at the completion of the burnt offerings, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped. + Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped. + Then Hezekiah said, "Now [that] you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD." And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were willing [brought] burnt offerings. + The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. + The consecrated things were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. + But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was completed and until the [other] priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests. + There [were] also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the libations for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the LORD was established [again]. + Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly. + + + Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. + For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month, + since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. + Thus the thing was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly. + So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated [it] in great numbers as it was prescribed. + The couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, "O sons of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped [and] are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria. + "Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD God of their fathers, so that He made them a horror, as you see. + "Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to the LORD and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you. + "For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons [will find] compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn [His] face away from you if you return to Him." + So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. + Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. + The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. + Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly. + They arose and removed the altars which [were] in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast [them] into the brook Kidron. + Then they slaughtered the Passover [lambs] on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD. + They stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] from the hand of the Levites. + For [there were] many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites [were] over the slaughter of the Passover [lambs] for everyone who [was] unclean, in order to consecrate [them] to the LORD. + For a multitude of the people, [even] many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon + everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification [rules] of the sanctuary." + So the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. + The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread [for] seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day after day with loud instruments to the LORD. + Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight [in the things] of the LORD. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD God of their fathers. + Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate [the feast] another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. + For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves. + All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. + So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. + Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven. + + + Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession. + And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, [both] the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD. + [He] also [appointed] the king's portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, [namely], for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixed festivals, as it is written in the law of the LORD. + Also he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of the LORD. + As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all. + The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of sacred gifts which were consecrated to the LORD their God, and placed [them] in heaps. + In the third month they began to make the heaps, and finished [them] by the seventh month. + When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. + Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. + Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok said to him, "Since the contributions began to be brought into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the LORD has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over." + Then Hezekiah commanded [them] to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared [them]. + They faithfully brought in the contributions and the tithes and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite [was] the officer in charge of them and his brother Shimei [was] second. + Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath and Benaiah [were] overseers under the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah [was] the [chief] officer of the house of God. + Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern [gate, was] over the freewill offerings of God, to apportion the contributions for the LORD and the most holy things. + Under his authority [were] Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully [their portions] to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, + without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from thirty years old and upward-- everyone who entered the house of the LORD for his daily obligations-- for their work in their duties according to their divisions; + as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers' households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards, by their duties [and] their divisions. + The genealogical enrollment [included] all their little children, their wives, their sons and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves faithfully in holiness. + Also for the sons of Aaron the priests [who were] in the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, [there were] men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites. + Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what [was] good, right and true before the LORD his God. + Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered. + + + After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself. + Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, + he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the [supply of] water from the springs which [were] outside the city, and they helped him. + So many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed through the region, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?" + And he took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and [built] another outside wall and strengthened the Millo [in] the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. + He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, + "Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. + "With him is [only] an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. + After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he [was] besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who [were] at Jerusalem, saying, + "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, 'On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege? + 'Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria "? + 'Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, "You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense "? + 'Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand? + 'Who [was there] among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? + 'Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?'" + His servants spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. + He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand." + They called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city. + They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands. + But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. + And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword. + So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all [others], and guided them on every side. + And many were bringing gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter. + In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. + But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. + However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah. + Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles, + storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks. + He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great wealth. + It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. + Even [in the matter of] the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him [alone only] to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. + Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. + For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. + He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever." + For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. + He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him [to anger]. + Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; + and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances [given] through Moses." + Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. + The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. + Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze [chains] and took him to Babylon. + When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. + When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD [was] God. + Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel [with it] and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. + He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw [them] outside the city. + He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. + Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, [although] only to the LORD their God. + Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh even his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel. + His prayer also and [how God] was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of the Hozai. + So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son became king in his place. + Amon [was] twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD as Manasseh his father had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. + Moreover, he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied guilt. + Finally his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. + But the people of the land killed all the conspirators against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. + + + Josiah [was] eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. + He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. + For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images. + They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered [it] on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. + Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. + In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins, + he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. + Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. + They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the doorkeepers, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + Then they gave [it] into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD used it to restore and repair the house. + They in turn gave [it] to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. + The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. + [They were] also over the burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and [some] of the Levites [were] scribes and officials and gatekeepers. + When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD [given] by Moses. + Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. + Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported further word to the king, saying, "Everything that was entrusted to your servants they are doing. + "They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen." + Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. + When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. + Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, + "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book." + So Hilkiah and [those] whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. + She said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Tell the man who sent you to Me, + thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, [even] all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. + "Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched."' + "But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you will say to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel [regarding] the words which you have heard, + "Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and [because] you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD. + "Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants."'" And they brought back word to the king. + Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. + Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. + Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [with him]. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. + Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the LORD God of their fathers. + + + Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover [animals] on the fourteenth [day] of the first month. + He set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. + He also said to the Levites who taught all Israel [and] who were holy to the LORD, "Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on [your] shoulders no longer. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. + "Prepare [yourselves] by your fathers' households in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon. + "Moreover, stand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers' households of your brethren the lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father's household. + "Now slaughter the Passover [animals], sanctify yourselves and prepare for your brethren to do according to the word of the LORD by Moses." + Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering 30,000 plus 3,000 bulls; these were from the king's possessions. + His officers also contributed a freewill offering to the people, the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 [from the flocks] and 300 bulls. + Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officers of the Levites, contributed to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 [from the flocks] and 500 bulls. + So the service was prepared, and the priests stood at their stations and the Levites by their divisions according to the king's command. + They slaughtered the Passover [animals], and while the priests sprinkled the blood [received] from their hand, the Levites skinned [them]. + Then they removed the burnt offerings that [they] might give them to the sections of the fathers' households of the lay people to present to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. [They did] this also with the bulls. + So they roasted the Passover [animals] on the fire according to the ordinance, and they boiled the holy things in pots, in kettles, in pans, and carried [them] speedily to all the lay people. + Afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, [were] offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. + The singers, the sons of Asaph, [were] also at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to depart from their service, because the Levites their brethren prepared for them. + So all the service of the LORD was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD according to the command of King Josiah. + Thus the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. + There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign this Passover was celebrated. + After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. + But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, "What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? [I am] not [coming] against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from [interfering with] God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you." + However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. + The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, "Take me away, for I am badly wounded." + So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. + Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are also written in the Lamentations. + Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion as written in the law of the LORD, + and his acts, first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + + + Then the people of the land took Joahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. + Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. + Then the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. + The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Joahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. + Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze [chains] to take him to Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar also brought [some] of the articles of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. + Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. + At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the LORD, and he made his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the LORD. + He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear [allegiance] by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. + Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful [following] all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the LORD which He had sanctified in Jerusalem. + The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent [word] to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; + but they [continually] mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy. + Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave [them] all into his hand. + All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought [them] all to Babylon. + Then they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. + Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, + to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete. + Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia-- in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah-- the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also [put it] in writing, saying, + "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'" + + + + + Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also [put it] in writing, saying: + "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. + 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. + 'Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'" + Then the heads of fathers' [households] of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. + All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. + Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; + and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. + Now this [was] their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates; + 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second [kind and] 1,000 other articles. + All the articles of gold and silver [numbered] 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem. + + + Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. + These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum [and] Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: + the sons of Parosh, 2,172; + the sons of Shephatiah, 372; + the sons of Arah, 775; + the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua [and] Joab, 2,812; + the sons of Elam, 1,254; + the sons of Zattu, 945; + the sons of Zaccai, 760; + the sons of Bani, 642; + the sons of Bebai, 623; + the sons of Azgad, 1,222; + the sons of Adonikam, 666; + the sons of Bigvai, 2,056; + the sons of Adin, 454; + the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98; + the sons of Bezai, 323; + the sons of Jorah, 112; + the sons of Hashum, 223; + the sons of Gibbar, 95; + the men of Bethlehem, 123; + the men of Netophah, 56; + the men of Anathoth, 128; + the sons of Azmaveth, 42; + the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; + the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621; + the men of Michmas, 122; + the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; + the sons of Nebo, 52; + the sons of Magbish, 156; + the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; + the sons of Harim, 320; + the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725; + the men of Jericho, 345; + the sons of Senaah, 3,630. + The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; + the sons of Immer, 1,052; + the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; + the sons of Harim, 1,017. + The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. + The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. + The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all 139. + The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, + the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, + the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, + the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan, + the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, + the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, + the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, + the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, + the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, + the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, + the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, + the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha. + The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, + the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, + the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Ami. + All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392. + Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan [and] Immer, but they were not able to give evidence of their fathers' households and their descendants, whether they were of Israel: + the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652. + Of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. + These searched [among] their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean [and excluded] from the priesthood. + The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim. + The whole assembly numbered 42,360, + besides their male and female servants who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 singing men and women. + Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; + their camels, 435; [their] donkeys, 6,720. + Some of the heads of fathers' [households], when they arrived at the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation. + According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly garments. + Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. + + + Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel [were] in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. + Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. + So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening. + They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and [offered] the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; + and afterward [there was] a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the LORD. + From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, but the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid. + Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia. + Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began [the work] and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the LORD. + Then Jeshua [with] his sons and brothers stood united [with] Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah [and] the sons of Henadad [with] their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God. + Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel. + They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, [saying], "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. + Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' [households], the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, + so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. + + + Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel, + they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' [households], and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here." + But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' [households] of Israel said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us." + Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, + and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. + Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. + And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated [from] Aramaic. + Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows-- + then [wrote] Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their colleagues, the judges and the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, + and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the River. Now + this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now + let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. + "Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings. + "Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king, + so that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have incited revolt within it in past days; therefore that city was laid waste. + "We inform the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, as a result you will have no possession in [the province] beyond the River." + [Then] the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of [the provinces] beyond the River: "Peace. And now + the document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me. + "A decree has been issued by me, and a search has been made and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, + that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all [the provinces] beyond the River, and that tribute, custom and toll were paid to them. + "So, now issue a decree to make these men stop [work], that this city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. + "Beware of being negligent in carrying out this [matter]; why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?" + Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms. + Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. + + + When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, + then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them. + At that time Tattenai, the governor of [the province] beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?" + Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building. + But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it. + [This is] the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of [the province] beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. + They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: "To Darius the king, all peace. + "Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. + "Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?' + "We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head. + "Thus they answered us, saying, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. + 'But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, [who] destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. + 'However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. + 'Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. + 'He said to him, "Take these utensils, go [and] deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place." + 'Then that Sheshbazzar came [and] laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is not [yet] completed.' + "Now if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king's treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this [matter]." + + + Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. + In Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: "Memorandum-- + "In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: '[Concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; + with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. + 'Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put [them] in the house of God.' + "Now [therefore], Tattenai, governor of [the province] beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and your colleagues, the officials of [the provinces] beyond the River, keep away from there. + "Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. + "Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of [the provinces] beyond the River, and that without delay. + "Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, [it] is to be given to them daily without fail, + that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. + "And I issued a decree that any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. + "May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change [it], so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued [this] decree, let [it] be carried out with all diligence!" + Then Tattenai, the governor of [the province] beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out [the decree] with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. + And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. + This temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. + And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. + They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. + Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. + The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. + For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover [lamb] for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. + The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to [join] them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate [the Passover]. + And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. + + + Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, [there went up] Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, + son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, + son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, + son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, + son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. + This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God [was] upon him. + Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. + He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. + For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God [was] upon him. + For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice [it], and to teach [His] statutes and ordinances in Israel. + Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes to Israel: + "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect [peace]. And now + I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. + "Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand, + and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, + with all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; + with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. + "Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. + "Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. + "The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, provide [for it] from the royal treasury. + "I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are [in the provinces] beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, + [even] up to 100 talents of silver, 100 kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt as needed. + "Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. + "We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute or toll [on] any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God. + "You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in [the province] beyond the River, [even] all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant [of them]. + "Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment." + Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, + and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. + + + Now these are the heads of their fathers' [households] and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: + of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; + of the sons of Shecaniah [who was] of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males [who were in] the genealogical list; + of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him; + of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him; + and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; + and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him; + and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him; + of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; + and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; + and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him; + and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; + and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them; + and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them. + Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. + So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. + I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo [and] his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, [that is], to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. + According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; + and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; + and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name. + Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. + For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." + So we fasted and sought our God concerning this [matter], and He listened to our entreaty. + Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; + and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present [there] had offered. + Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils [worth] 100 talents, [and] 100 gold talents, + and 20 gold bowls [worth] 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. + Then I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. + "Watch and keep [them] until you weigh [them] before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers' [households] of Israel at Jerusalem, [in] the chambers of the house of the LORD." + So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring [them] to Jerusalem to the house of our God. + Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. + Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. + On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him [was] Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them [were] the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. + Everything [was] numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time. + The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the LORD. + Then they delivered the king's edicts to the king's satraps and to the governors [in the provinces] beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God. + + + Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, [those] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. + "For they have taken some of their daughters [as wives] for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness." + When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. + Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. + But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God; + and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. + "Since the days of our fathers to this day we [have been] in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings [and] our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as [it is] this day. + "But now for a brief moment grace has been [shown] from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. + "For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. + "Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, + which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end [and] with their impurity. + 'So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good [things] of the land and leave [it] as an inheritance to your sons forever.' + "After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited [us] less than our iniquities [deserve], and have given us an escaped remnant as this, + shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? + "O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as [it is] this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this." + + + Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. + Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. + "So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. + "Arise! For [this] matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act." + Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. + Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. + They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, + and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles. + So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square [before] the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. + Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. + "Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." + Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. + "But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor [can] the task [be done] in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. + "Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us." + Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. + But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men [who were] heads of fathers' [households] for [each] [of] their father's households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. + They finished [investigating] all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. + Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. + They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their offense. + Of the sons of Immer [there were] Hanani and Zebadiah; + and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; + and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. + Of Levites [there were] Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. + Of the singers [there was] Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. + Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh [there were] Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; + and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; + and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; + and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai [and] Athlai; + and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal [and] Jeremoth; + and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; + and [of] the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, + Benjamin, Malluch [and] Shemariah; + of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh [and] Shimei; + of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, + Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, + Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, + Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, + Bani, Binnui, Shimei, + Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, + Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, + Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, + Shallum, Amariah [and] Joseph. + Of the sons of Nebo [there were] Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel [and] Benaiah. + All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives [by whom] they had children. + + + + + The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, [in] the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, + that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped [and] had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. + They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire." + When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. + I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, + let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned. + "We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. + "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; + but [if] you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.' + "They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. + "O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Now I was the cupbearer to the king. + + + And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine [was] before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. + So the king said to me, "Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart." Then I was very much afraid. + I said to the king, "Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?" + Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. + I said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." + Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, "How long will your journey be, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. + And I said to the king, "If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors [of the provinces] beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, + and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go." And the king granted [them] to me because the good hand of my God [was] on me. + Then I came to the governors [of the provinces] beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. + When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard [about it], it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel. + So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. + And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. + So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon's Well and [on] to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. + Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. + So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. + The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work. + Then I said to them, "You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach." + I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good [work]. + But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard [it], they mocked us and despised us and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" + So I answered them and said to them, "The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem." + + + Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred [and] the Tower of Hananel. + Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. + Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. + Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana [also] made repairs. + Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters. + Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. + Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor [of the province] beyond the River. + Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. + Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. + Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. + Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of Furnaces. + Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters. + Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Refuse Gate. + Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of Beth-haccherem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. + Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king's garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David. + After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as [a point] opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men. + After him the Levites carried out repairs [under] Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. + After him their brothers carried out repairs [under] Bavvai the son of Henadad, official of [the other] half of the district of Keilah. + Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle. + After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest. + After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib's house even as far as the end of his house. + After him the priests, the men of the valley, carried out repairs. + After them Benjamin and Hasshub carried out repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, carried out repairs beside his house. + After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner. + Palal the son of Uzai [made repairs] in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh [made repairs]. + The temple servants living in Ophel [made repairs] as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. + After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel. + Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house. + After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs. + After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters. + After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner. + Between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs. + + + Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. + He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy [men] of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore [it] for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?" + Now Tobiah the Ammonite [was] near him and he said, "Even what they are building-- if a fox should jump on [it], he would break their stone wall down!" + Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. + Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders. + So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its [height], for the people had a mind to work. + Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, [and] that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. + All of them conspired together to come [and] fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. + But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night. + Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall." + Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work." + When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn," + then I stationed [men] in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. + When I saw [their fear], I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: "Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses." + When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. + From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains [were] behind the whole house of Judah. + Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took [their] load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. + As for the builders, each [wore] his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter [stood] near me. + I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. + "At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." + So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. + At that time I also said to the people, "Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day." + So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each [took] his weapon [even to] the water. + + + Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. + For there were those who said, "We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live." + There were others who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine." + Also there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax [on] our fields and our vineyards. + "Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage [already], and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others." + Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words. + I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, "You are exacting usury, each from his brother!" Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. + I said to them, "We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a word [to say]. + Again I said, "The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? + "And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury. + "Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them." + Then they said, "We will give [it] back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say." So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. + I also shook out the front of my garment and said, "Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said, "Amen!" And they praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise. + Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, [for] twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor's food [allowance]. + But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. + I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. + Moreover, [there were] at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. + Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox [and] six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine [were furnished] in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor's food [allowance], because the servitude was heavy on this people. + Remember me, O my God, for good, [according to] all that I have done for this people. + + + Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and [that] no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, + then Sanballat and Geshem sent [a message] to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono." But they were planning to harm me. + So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" + They sent [messages] to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. + Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. + In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. + "You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, 'A king is in Judah!' And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together." + Then I sent [a message] to him saying, "Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind." + For all of them were [trying] to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, [O God], strengthen my hands. + When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night." + But I said, "Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in." + Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered [his] prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. + He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me. + Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were [trying] to frighten me. + So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of [the month] Elul, in fifty-two days. + When all our enemies heard [of it], and all the nations surrounding us saw [it], they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. + Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah's [letters] came to them. + For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. + Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. + + + Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, + then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. + Then I said to them, "Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing [guard], let them shut and bolt the doors. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house." + Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built. + Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record: + These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, + who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel: + the sons of Parosh, 2,172; + the sons of Shephatiah, 372; + the sons of Arah, 652; + the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818; + the sons of Elam, 1,254; + the sons of Zattu, 845; + the sons of Zaccai, 760; + the sons of Binnui, 648; + the sons of Bebai, 628; + the sons of Azgad, 2,322; + the sons of Adonikam, 667; + the sons of Bigvai, 2,067; + the sons of Adin, 655; + the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98; + the sons of Hashum, 328; + the sons of Bezai, 324; + the sons of Hariph, 112; + the sons of Gibeon, 95; + the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; + the men of Anathoth, 128; + the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42; + the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; + the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; + the men of Michmas, 122; + the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; + the men of the other Nebo, 52; + the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; + the sons of Harim, 320; + the men of Jericho, 345; + the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721; + the sons of Senaah, 3,930. + The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; + the sons of Immer, 1,052; + the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; + the sons of Harim, 1,017. + The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74. + The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. + The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138. + The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, + the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, + the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, + the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, + the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, + the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, + the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim, + the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, + the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, + the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, + the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha. + The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, + the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, + the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon. + All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants [were] 392. + These [were] they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses or their descendants, whether they were of Israel: + the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. + Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them. + These searched [among] their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean [and excluded] from the priesthood. + The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim. + The whole assembly together [was] 42,360, + besides their male and their female servants, of whom [there were] 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers. + Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; + [their] camels, 435; [their] donkeys, 6,720. + Some from among the heads of fathers' [households] gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests' garments. + Some of the heads of fathers' [households] gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. + That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests' garments. + Now the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities. And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel [were] in their cities. + + + And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. + Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who [could] listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. + He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. + Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah [and] Meshullam on his left hand. + Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. + Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with [their] faces to the ground. + Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people [remained] in their place. + They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading. + Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest [and] scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. + Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." + So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." + All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them. + Then on the second day the heads of fathers' [households] of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law. + They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. + So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of [other] leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written." + So the people went out and brought [them] and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. + The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. + He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day [there was] a solemn assembly according to the ordinance. + + + Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. + The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. + While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day; and for [another] fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God. + Now on the Levites' platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani [and] Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. + Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah [and] Pethahiah, said, "Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed And exalted above all blessing and praise! + "You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You. + "You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, And gave him the name Abraham. + "You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give [him] the land of the Canaanite, Of the Hittite and the Amorite, Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite-- To give [it] to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, For You are righteous. + "You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And heard their cry by the Red Sea. + "Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, Against all his servants and all the people of his land; For You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them, And made a name for Yourself as [it is] this day. + "You divided the sea before them, So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground; And their pursuers You hurled into the depths, Like a stone into raging waters. + "And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, And with a pillar of fire by night To light for them the way In which they were to go. + "Then You came down on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. + "So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, Through Your servant Moses. + "You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You told them to enter in order to possess The land which You swore to give them. + "But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments. + "They refused to listen, And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them. + "Even when they made for themselves A calf of molten metal And said, 'This is your God Who brought you up from Egypt,' And committed great blasphemies, + You, in Your great compassion, Did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, To guide them on their way, Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go. + "You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst. + "Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness [and] they were not in want; Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell. + "You also gave them kingdoms and peoples, And allotted [them] to them as a boundary. They took possession of the land of Sihon the king of Heshbon And the land of Og the king of Bashan. + "You made their sons numerous as the stars of heaven, And You brought them into the land Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess. + "So their sons entered and possessed the land. And You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, And You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, To do with them as they desired. + "They captured fortified cities and a fertile land. They took possession of houses full of every good thing, Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, Fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled and grew fat, And reveled in Your great goodness. + "But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You, And they committed great blasphemies. + "Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them, But when they cried to You in the time of their distress, You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors. + "But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You; Therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them. When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven, And many times You rescued them according to Your compassion, + And admonished them in order to turn them back to Your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances, By which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen. + "However, You bore with them for many years, And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, Yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. + "Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them, For You are a gracious and compassionate God. + "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day. + "However, You are just in all that has come upon us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly. + "For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them. + "But they, in their own kingdom, With Your great goodness which You gave them, With the broad and rich land which You set before them, Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds. + "Behold, we are slaves today, And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, Behold, we are slaves in it. + "Its abundant produce is for the kings Whom You have set over us because of our sins; They also rule over our bodies And over our cattle as they please, So we are in great distress. + "Now because of all this We are making an agreement in writing; And on the sealed document [are the names of] our leaders, our Levites [and] our priests." + + + Now on the sealed document [were the names of]: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, + Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, + Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, + Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, + Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, + Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, + Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, + Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These [were] the priests. + And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; + also their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, + Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, + Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, + Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. + The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, + Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, + Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, + Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, + Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, + Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, + Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, + Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, + Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, + Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, + Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, + Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, + Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, + Malluch, Harim, Baanah. + Now the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding, + are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given through Moses, God's servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes; + and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. + As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego [the crops] the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. + We also placed ourselves under obligation to contribute yearly one third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: + for the showbread, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, the sabbaths, the new moon, for the appointed times, for the holy things and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God. + Likewise we cast lots for the supply of wood [among] the priests, the Levites and the people so that they might bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers' households, at fixed times annually, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law; + and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the LORD annually, + and bring to the house of our God the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as it is written in the law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God. + We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns. + The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. + For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God. + + + Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths [remained] in the [other] cities. + And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. + Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each lived on his own property in their cities-- the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants. + Some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez; + and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. + All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 able men. + Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah; + and after him Gabbai [and] Sallai, 928. + Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city. + From the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, + Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of God, + and their kinsmen who performed the work of the temple, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, + and his kinsmen, heads of fathers' [households], 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, + and their brothers, valiant warriors, 128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim. + Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; + and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God; + and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. + All the Levites in the holy city [were] 284. + Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brethren who kept watch at the gates, [were] 172. + The rest of Israel, of the priests [and] of the Levites, [were] in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance. + But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants. + Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers for the service of the house of God. + For [there was] a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders day by day. + Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king's representative in all matters concerning the people. + Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages, + and in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet, + and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns, + and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns, + and in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth, + Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba as far as the valley of Hinnom. + The sons of Benjamin also [lived] from Geba [onward], at Michmash and Aija, at Bethel and its towns, + at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, + Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, + Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, + Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. + From the Levites, [some] divisions in Judah belonged to Benjamin. + + + Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, + Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, + Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, + Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, + Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, + Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah, + Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua. + The Levites [were] Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, [and] Mattaniah [who was] in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers. + Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them in [their] service divisions. + Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada, + and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua. + Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers' [households] were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; + of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; + of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; + of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; + of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; + of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; + of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; + of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; + of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; + of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. + As for the Levites, the heads of fathers' [households] were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so [were] the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. + The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers' [households], were registered in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. + The heads of the Levites [were] Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to praise [and] give thanks, as prescribed by David the man of God, division corresponding to division. + Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon [and] Akkub [were] gatekeepers keeping watch at the storehouses of the gates. + These [served] in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest [and] scribe. + Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs [to the accompaniment] of cymbals, harps and lyres. + So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites, + from Beth-gilgal and from [their] fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. + The priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall. + Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward the Refuse Gate. + Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, + with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, + Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, + and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; [and] Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, + and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah [and] Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. + At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. + The second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Furnaces, to the Broad Wall, + and above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old Gate, by the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. + Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; + and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets; + and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang, with Jezrahiah [their] leader, + and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar. + On that day men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served. + For they performed the worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers in accordance with the command of David [and] of his son Solomon. + For in the days of David acast lots for the supply of woodre were] leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. + So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required, and set apart the consecrated [portion] for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated [portion] for the sons of Aaron. + + + On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, + because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. + So when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel. + Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah, + had prepared a large room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. + But during all this [time] I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, + and I came to Jerusalem and learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, by preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. + It was very displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room. + Then I gave an order and they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense. + I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given [them], so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field. + So I reprimanded the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. + All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. + In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered reliable, and it was their task to distribute to their kinsmen. + Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services. + In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading [them] on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought [them] into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished [them] on the day they sold food. + Also men of Tyre were living there [who] imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold [them] to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. + Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day? + "Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath." + It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates [so that] no load would enter on the sabbath day. + Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. + Then I warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. + And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. [For] this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness. + In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon [and] Moab. + As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people. + So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. + "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. + "Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?" + Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. + Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. + Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, + and [I arranged] for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. + + + + + Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, + in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which [was] at the citadel in Susa, + in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army [officers] of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence. + And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days. + When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king's palace. + [There were hangings of] fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, [and] couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. + Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king's bounty. + The drinking was [done] according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. + Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. + On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, + to bring Queen Vashti before the king with [her] royal crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful. + But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him. + Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times-- for it was the custom of the king so [to speak] before all who knew law and justice + and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom-- + "According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus [delivered] by the eunuchs?" + In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, "Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but [also] all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. + "For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women causing them to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.' + "This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's conduct will speak in [the same way] to all the king's princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. + "If it pleases the king, let a royal edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is more worthy than she. + "When the king's edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small." + [This] word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. + So he sent letters to all the king's provinces, to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should be the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people. + + + After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. + Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. + "Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given [them]. + "Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly. + [Now] there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, + who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. + He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. + So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. + Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king's palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. + Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make [them] known. + Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared. + Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women-- for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women-- + the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. + In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. + Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. + So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. + The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. + Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king's bounty. + When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. + Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care. + In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. + But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. + Now when the plot was investigated and found [to be so], they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence. + + + After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who [were] with him. + All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage. + Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the king's command?" + Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. + When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. + But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him [who] the people of Mordecai [were]; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who [were] throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. + In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month [to month], until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. + Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from [those] of all [other] people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain. + "If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the [king's] business, to put into the king's treasuries." + Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. + The king said to Haman, "The silver is yours, and the people [also], to do with them as you please." + Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. + Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder. + A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. + The couriers went out impelled by the king's command while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in confusion. + + + When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. + He went as far as the king's gate, for no one was to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. + In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes. + Then Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept [them]. + Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king's eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him [to go] to Mordecai to learn what this [was] and why it [was]. + So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king's gate. + Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. + He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people. + Hathach came back and related Mordecai's words to Esther. + Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him [to reply] to Mordecai: + "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days." + They related Esther's words to Mordecai. + Then Mordecai told [them] to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. + "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" + Then Esther told [them] to reply to Mordecai, + "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." + So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him. + + + Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace in front of the king's rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. + When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which [was] in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter. + Then the king said to her, "What is [troubling] you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you." + Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him." + Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires." So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. + As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done." + So Esther replied, "My petition and my request is: + if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says." + Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. + Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. + Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every [instance] where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king. + Haman also said, "Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. + "Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate." + Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet." And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made. + + + During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. + It was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. + The king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him." + So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him. + The king's servants said to him, "Behold, Haman is standing in the court." And the king said, "Let him come in." + So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?" + Then Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king desires to honor, + let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed; + and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, 'Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.'" + Then the king said to Haman, "Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said." + So Haman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and led him [on horseback] through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor." + Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried home, mourning, with [his] head covered. + Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him." + While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hastily brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared. + + + Now the king and Haman came to drink [wine] with Esther the queen. + And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the banquet, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done." + Then Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request; + for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king." + Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do thus?" + Esther said, "A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!" Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen. + The king arose in his anger from drinking wine [and went] into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. + Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?" As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. + Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who [were] before the king said, "Behold indeed, the gallows standing at Haman's house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king!" And the king said, "Hang him on it." + So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided. + + + On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed what he was to her. + The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. + Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil [scheme] of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. + The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. + Then she said, "If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter [seems] proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. + "For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" + So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews. + "Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal [it] with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked." + So the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which [extended] from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. + He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. + In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city [the right] to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, + on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). + A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. + The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king's command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa. + Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. + For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. + In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them. + + + Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. + The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. + Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king's business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. + Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. + Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. + At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, + and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, + Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, + Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, + the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. + On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king. + The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done." + Then said Esther, "If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows." + So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were hanged. + The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. + Now the rest of the Jews who [were] in the king's provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. + [This was done] on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. + But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. + Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar [a] holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions [of food] to one another. + Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, + obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, + because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and [it was a] month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions [of food] to one another and gifts to the poor. + Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. + For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. + But when it came to the king's attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. + Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, + the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. + So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants. + Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. + He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, [namely], words of peace and truth, + to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. + The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book. + + + Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. + And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? + For Mordecai the Jew was second [only] to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation. + + + + + There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. + Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. + His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. + His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. + When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings [according to] the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. + Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. + The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." + The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." + Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? + "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. + "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." + Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. + Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, + a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, + and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, + and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. + He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." + Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. + + + Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. + The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." + The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." + Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. + "However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face." + So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life." + Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. + And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes. + Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" + But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. + Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. + When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. + Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that [his] pain was very great. + + + Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his [birth]. + And Job said, + "Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night [which] said, 'A boy is conceived.' + "May that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it. + "Let darkness and black gloom claim it; Let a cloud settle on it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it. + "[As for] that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months. + "Behold, let that night be barren; Let no joyful shout enter it. + "Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan. + "Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it wait for light but have none, And let it not see the breaking dawn; + Because it did not shut the opening of my [mother's] womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes. + "Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire? + "Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck? + "For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest, + With kings and [with] counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ruins for themselves; + Or with princes who had gold, Who were filling their houses [with] silver. + "Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light. + "There the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest. + "The prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster. + "The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master. + "Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul, + Who long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures, + Who rejoice greatly, [And] exult when they find the grave? + "[Why is light given] to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in? + "For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour out like water. + "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. + "I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, + "If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But who can refrain from speaking? + "Behold you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands. + "Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees. + "But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed. + "Is not your fear [of God] your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope? + "Remember now, who [ever] perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed? + "According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it. + "By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they come to an end. + "The roaring of the lion and the voice of the [fierce] lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken. + "The lion perishes for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered. + "Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it. + "Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, + Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made all my bones shake. + "Then a spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh bristled up. + "It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form [was] before my eyes; [There was] silence, then I heard a voice: + 'Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? + 'He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error. + 'How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth! + 'Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; Unobserved, they perish forever. + 'Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, yet without wisdom.' + + + "Call now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? + "For anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple. + "I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately. + "His sons are far from safety, They are even oppressed in the gate, And there is no deliverer. + "His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a [place of] thorns, And the schemer is eager for their wealth. + "For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the ground, + For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward. + "But as for me, I would seek God, And I would place my cause before God; + Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number. + "He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields, + So that He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety. + "He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success. + "He captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted. + "By day they meet with darkness, And grope at noon as in the night. + "But He saves from the sword of their mouth, And the poor from the hand of the mighty. + "So the helpless has hope, And unrighteousness must shut its mouth. + "Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. + "For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands [also] heal. + "From six troubles He will deliver you, Even in seven evil will not touch you. + "In famine He will redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. + "You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes. + "You will laugh at violence and famine, And you will not be afraid of wild beasts. + "For you will be in league with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you. + "You will know that your tent is secure, For you will visit your abode and fear no loss. + "You will know also that your descendants will be many, And your offspring as the grass of the earth. + "You will come to the grave in full vigor, Like the stacking of grain in its season. + "Behold this; we have investigated it, [and] so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself." + + + Then Job answered, + "Oh that my grief were actually weighed And laid in the balances together with my calamity! + "For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; Therefore my words have been rash. + "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, Their poison my spirit drinks; The terrors of God are arrayed against me. + "Does the wild donkey bray over [his] grass, Or does the ox low over his fodder? + "Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? + "My soul refuses to touch [them]; They are like loathsome food to me. + "Oh that my request might come to pass, And that God would grant my longing! + "Would that God were willing to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off! + "But it is still my consolation, And I rejoice in unsparing pain, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One. + "What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should endure? + "Is my strength the strength of stones, Or is my flesh bronze? + "Is it that my help is not within me, And that deliverance is driven from me? + "For the despairing man [there should be] kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty. + "My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi, Like the torrents of wadis which vanish, + Which are turbid because of ice [And] into which the snow melts. + "When they become waterless, they are silent, When it is hot, they vanish from their place. + "The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish. + "The caravans of Tema looked, The travelers of Sheba hoped for them. + "They were disappointed for they had trusted, They came there and were confounded. + "Indeed, you have now become such, You see a terror and are afraid. + "Have I said, 'Give me [something],' Or, 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,' + Or, 'Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,' Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants '? + "Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred. + "How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove? + "Do you intend to reprove [my] words, When the words of one in despair belong to the wind? + "You would even cast [lots] for the orphans And barter over your friend. + "Now please look at me, And [see] if I lie to your face. + "Desist now, let there be no injustice; Even desist, my righteousness is yet in it. + "Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my palate discern calamities? + + + "Is not man forced to labor on earth, And [are not] his days like the days of a hired man? + "As a slave who pants for the shade, And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages, + So am I allotted months of vanity, And nights of trouble are appointed me. + "When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn. + "My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt, My skin hardens and runs. + "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And come to an end without hope. + "Remember that my life is [but] breath; My eye will not again see good. + "The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer; Your eyes [will be] on me, but I will not be. + "When a cloud vanishes, it is gone, So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up. + "He will not return again to his house, Nor will his place know him anymore. + "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. + "Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me? + "If I say, 'My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,' + Then You frighten me with dreams And terrify me by visions; + So that my soul would choose suffocation, Death rather than my pains. + "I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are [but] a breath. + "What is man that You magnify him, And that You are concerned about him, + That You examine him every morning And try him every moment? + "Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle? + "Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? + "Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, but I will not be." + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, + "How long will you say these things, And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind? + "Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right? + "If your sons sinned against Him, Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression. + "If you would seek God And implore the compassion of the Almighty, + If you are pure and upright, Surely now He would rouse Himself for you And restore your righteous estate. + "Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your end will increase greatly. + "Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers. + "For we are [only] of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow. + "Will they not teach you [and] tell you, And bring forth words from their minds? + "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? + "While it is still green [and] not cut down, Yet it withers before any [other] plant. + "So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish, + Whose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a spider's web. + "He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; He holds fast to it, but it does not endure. + "He thrives before the sun, And his shoots spread out over his garden. + "His roots wrap around a rock pile, He grasps a house of stones. + "If he is removed from his place, Then it will deny him, [saying], 'I never saw you.' + "Behold, this is the joy of His way; And out of the dust others will spring. + "Lo, God will not reject [a man of] integrity, Nor will He support the evildoers. + "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter And your lips with shouting. + "Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the tent of the wicked will be no longer." + + + Then Job answered, + "In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? + "If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand [times]. + "Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? + "[It is God] who removes the mountains, they know not [how], When He overturns them in His anger; + Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; + Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; + Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; + Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; + Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. + "Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past [me], I would not perceive Him. + "Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?' + "God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. + "How then can I answer Him, [And] choose my words before Him? + "For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. + "If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. + "For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. + "He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness. + "If [it is a matter] of power, behold, [He is] the strong one! And if [it is a matter] of justice, who can summon Him? + "Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty. + "I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life. + "It is [all] one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.' + "If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. + "The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If [it is] not [He], then who is it? + "Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. + "They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. + "Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance and be cheerful,' + I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. + "I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? + "If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, + Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. + "For [He is] not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. + "There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. + "Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. + "[Then] I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself. + + + "I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. + "I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; Let me know why You contend with me. + 'Is it right for You indeed to oppress, To reject the labor of Your hands, And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked? + 'Have You eyes of flesh? Or do You see as a man sees? + 'Are Your days as the days of a mortal, Or Your years as man's years, + That You should seek for my guilt And search after my sin? + 'According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty, Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand. + 'Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me? + 'Remember now, that You have made me as clay; And would You turn me into dust again? + 'Did You not pour me out like milk And curdle me like cheese; + Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews? + 'You have granted me life and lovingkindness; And Your care has preserved my spirit. + 'Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart; I know that this is within You: + If I sin, then You would take note of me, And would not acquit me of my guilt. + 'If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. [I am] sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery. + 'Should [my head] be lifted up, You would hunt me like a lion; And again You would show Your power against me. + 'You renew Your witnesses against me And increase Your anger toward me; Hardship after hardship is with me. + 'Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me! + 'I should have been as though I had not been, Carried from womb to tomb.' + "Would He not let my few days alone? Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer + Before I go-- and I shall not return-- To the land of darkness and deep shadow, + The land of utter gloom as darkness [itself], Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness." + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, + "Shall a multitude of words go unanswered, And a talkative man be acquitted? + "Shall your boasts silence men? And shall you scoff and none rebuke? + "For you have said, 'My teaching is pure, And I am innocent in your eyes.' + "But would that God might speak, And open His lips against you, + And show you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom has two sides. Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity. + "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? + "[They are] high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? + "Its measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. + "If He passes by or shuts up, Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him? + "For He knows false men, And He sees iniquity without investigating. + "An idiot will become intelligent When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man. + "If you would direct your heart right And spread out your hand to Him, + If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents; + "Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without [moral] defect, And you would be steadfast and not fear. + "For you would forget [your] trouble, As waters that have passed by, you would remember [it]. + "Your life would be brighter than noonday; Darkness would be like the morning. + "Then you would trust, because there is hope; And you would look around and rest securely. + "You would lie down and none would disturb [you], And many would entreat your favor. + "But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And there will be no escape for them; And their hope is to breathe their last." + + + Then Job responded, + "Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die! + "But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these? + "I am a joke to my friends, The one who called on God and He answered him; The just [and] blameless [man] is a joke. + "He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt, As prepared for those whose feet slip. + "The tents of the destroyers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure, Whom God brings into their power. + "But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. + "Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. + "Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, + In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? + "Does not the ear test words, As the palate tastes its food? + "Wisdom is with aged men, [With] long life is understanding. + "With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding. + "Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and there can be no release. + "Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up; And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth. + "With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to Him. + "He makes counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges. + "He loosens the bond of kings And binds their loins with a girdle. + "He makes priests walk barefoot And overthrows the secure ones. + "He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders. + "He pours contempt on nobles And loosens the belt of the strong. + "He reveals mysteries from the darkness And brings the deep darkness into light. + "He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away. + "He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth's people And makes them wander in a pathless waste. + "They grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man. + + + "Behold, my eye has seen all [this], My ear has heard and understood it. + "What you know I also know; I am not inferior to you. + "But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to argue with God. + "But you smear with lies; You are all worthless physicians. + "O that you would be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom! + "Please hear my argument And listen to the contentions of my lips. + "Will you speak what is unjust for God, And speak what is deceitful for Him? + "Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? + "Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man? + "He will surely reprove you If you secretly show partiality. + "Will not His majesty terrify you, And the dread of Him fall on you? + "Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. + "Be silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come on me what may. + "Why should I take my flesh in my teeth And put my life in my hands? + "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. + "This also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before His presence. + "Listen carefully to my speech, And let my declaration [fill] your ears. + "Behold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated. + "Who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die. + "Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide from Your face: + Remove Your hand from me, And let not the dread of You terrify me. + "Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then reply to me. + "How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my rebellion and my sin. + "Why do You hide Your face And consider me Your enemy? + "Will You cause a driven leaf to tremble? Or will You pursue the dry chaff? + "For You write bitter things against me And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth. + "You put my feet in the stocks And watch all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet, + While I am decaying like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten. + + + "Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. + "Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain. + "You also open Your eyes on him And bring him into judgment with Yourself. + "Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one! + "Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass. + "Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest, Until he fulfills his day like a hired man. + "For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. + "Though its roots grow old in the ground And its stump dies in the dry soil, + At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant. + "But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he? + "[As] water evaporates from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dried up, + So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep. + "Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns [to You], That You would set a limit for me and remember me! + "If a man dies, will he live [again]? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes. + "You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for the work of Your hands. + "For now You number my steps, You do not observe my sin. + "My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You wrap up my iniquity. + "But the falling mountain crumbles away, And the rock moves from its place; + Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You destroy man's hope. + "You forever overpower him and he departs; [You] change his appearance and send him away. + "His sons achieve honor, but he does not know [it]; Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it. + "But his body pains him, And he mourns only for himself." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, + "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind? + "Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable? + "Indeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God. + "For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty. + "Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you. + "Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills? + "Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself? + "What do you know that we do not know? [What] do you understand that we do not? + "Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father. + "Are the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word [spoken] gently with you? + "Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash, + That you should turn your spirit against God And allow [such] words to go out of your mouth? + "What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? + "Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight; + How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water! + "I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare; + What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers, + To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them. + "The wicked man writhes in pain all [his] days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless. + "Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him. + "He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword. + "He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is at hand. + "Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack, + Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty. + "He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield. + "For he has covered his face with his fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh. + "He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins. + "He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground. + "He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away. + "Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward. + "It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green. + "He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree. + "For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt. + "They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception." + + + Then Job answered, + "I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all. + "Is there [no] limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer? + "I too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you. + "I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen [your pain]. + "If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me? + "But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my company. + "You have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my leanness rises up against me, It testifies to my face. + "His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me. + "They have gaped at me with their mouth, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me. + "God hands me over to ruffians And tosses me into the hands of the wicked. + "I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target. + "His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground. + "He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior. + "I have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust my horn in the dust. + "My face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids, + Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure. + "O earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no [resting] place for my cry. + "Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high. + "My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God. + "O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor! + "For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return. + + + "My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is [ready] for me. + "Surely mockers are with me, And my eye gazes on their provocation. + "Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself; Who is there that will be my guarantor? + "For You have kept their heart from understanding, Therefore You will not exalt [them]. + "He who informs against friends for a share [of the spoil], The eyes of his children also will languish. + "But He has made me a byword of the people, And I am one at whom men spit. + "My eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a shadow. + "The upright will be appalled at this, And the innocent will stir up himself against the godless. + "Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger. + "But come again all of you now, For I do not find a wise man among you. + "My days are past, my plans are torn apart, [Even] the wishes of my heart. + "They make night into day, [saying], 'The light is near,' in the presence of darkness. + "If I look for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness; + If I call to the pit, 'You are my father'; To the worm, 'my mother and my sister'; + Where now is my hope? And who regards my hope? + "Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite responded, + "How long will you hunt for words? Show understanding and then we can talk. + "Why are we regarded as beasts, As stupid in your eyes? + "O you who tear yourself in your anger-- For your sake is the earth to be abandoned, Or the rock to be moved from its place? + "Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out, And the flame of his fire gives no light. + "The light in his tent is darkened, And his lamp goes out above him. + "His vigorous stride is shortened, And his own scheme brings him down. + "For he is thrown into the net by his own feet, And he steps on the webbing. + "A snare seizes [him] by the heel, [And] a trap snaps shut on him. + "A noose for him is hidden in the ground, And a trap for him on the path. + "All around terrors frighten him, And harry him at every step. + "His strength is famished, And calamity is ready at his side. + "His skin is devoured by disease, The firstborn of death devours his limbs. + "He is torn from the security of his tent, And they march him before the king of terrors. + "There dwells in his tent nothing of his; Brimstone is scattered on his habitation. + "His roots are dried below, And his branch is cut off above. + "Memory of him perishes from the earth, And he has no name abroad. + "He is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world. + "He has no offspring or posterity among his people, Nor any survivor where he sojourned. + "Those in the west are appalled at his fate, And those in the east are seized with horror. + "Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, And this is the place of him who does not know God." + + + Then Job responded, + "How long will you torment me And crush me with words? + "These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me. + "Even if I have truly erred, My error lodges with me. + "If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me And prove my disgrace to me, + Know then that God has wronged me And has closed His net around me. + "Behold, I cry, 'Violence!' but I get no answer; I shout for help, but there is no justice. + "He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has put darkness on my paths. + "He has stripped my honor from me And removed the crown from my head. + "He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; And He has uprooted my hope like a tree. + "He has also kindled His anger against me And considered me as His enemy. + "His troops come together, And build up their way against me And camp around my tent. + "He has removed my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. + "My relatives have failed, And my intimate friends have forgotten me. + "Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight. + "I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with my mouth. + "My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers. + "Even young children despise me; I rise up and they speak against me. + "All my associates abhor me, And those I love have turned against me. + "My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped [only] by the skin of my teeth. + "Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me. + "Why do you persecute me as God [does], And are not satisfied with my flesh? + "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! + "That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! + "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. + "Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; + Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me! + "If you say, 'How shall we persecute him?' And 'What pretext for a case against him can we find?' + "[Then] be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath [brings] the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment." + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, + "Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond, Even because of my inward agitation. + "I listened to the reproof which insults me, And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer. + "Do you know this from of old, From the establishment of man on earth, + That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary? + "Though his loftiness reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds, + He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' + "He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; Even like a vision of the night he is chased away. + "The eye which saw him sees him no longer, And his place no longer beholds him. + "His sons favor the poor, And his hands give back his wealth. + "His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it lies down with him in the dust. + "Though evil is sweet in his mouth [And] he hides it under his tongue, + [Though] he desires it and will not let it go, But holds it in his mouth, + [Yet] his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him. + "He swallows riches, But will vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly. + "He sucks the poison of cobras; The viper's tongue slays him. + "He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds. + "He returns what he has attained And cannot swallow [it]; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy [them]. + "For he has oppressed [and] forsaken the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built. + "Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires. + "Nothing remains for him to devour, Therefore his prosperity does not endure. + "In the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped; The hand of everyone who suffers will come [against] him. + "When he fills his belly, [God] will send His fierce anger on him And will rain [it] on him while he is eating. + "He may flee from the iron weapon, [But] the bronze bow will pierce him. + "It is drawn forth and comes out of his back, Even the glittering point from his gall. Terrors come upon him, + Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, And unfanned fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent. + "The heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him. + "The increase of his house will depart; [His possessions] will flow away in the day of His anger. + "This is the wicked man's portion from God, Even the heritage decreed to him by God." + + + Then Job answered, + "Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be your [way of] consolation. + "Bear with me that I may speak; Then after I have spoken, you may mock. + "As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient? + "Look at me, and be astonished, And put [your] hand over [your] mouth. + "Even when I remember, I am disturbed, And horror takes hold of my flesh. + "Why do the wicked [still] live, Continue on, also become very powerful? + "Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes, + Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them. + "His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not abort. + "They send forth their little ones like the flock, And their children skip about. + "They sing to the timbrel and harp And rejoice at the sound of the flute. + "They spend their days in prosperity, And suddenly they go down to Sheol. + "They say to God, 'Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways. + 'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?' + "Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me. + "How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, Or does their calamity fall on them? Does God apportion destruction in His anger? + "Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries away? + "[You say], 'God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know [it]. + "Let his own eyes see his decay, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. + "For what does he care for his household after him, When the number of his months is cut off? + "Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high? + "One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and satisfied; + His sides are filled out with fat, And the marrow of his bones is moist, + While another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting [anything] good. + "Together they lie down in the dust, And worms cover them. + "Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plans by which you would wrong me. + "For you say, 'Where is the house of the nobleman, And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?' + "Have you not asked wayfaring men, And do you not recognize their witness? + "For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity; They will be led forth at the day of fury. + "Who will confront him with his actions, And who will repay him for what he has done? + "While he is carried to the grave, [Men] will keep watch over [his] tomb. + "The clods of the valley will gently cover him; Moreover, all men will follow after him, While countless ones [go] before him. + "How then will you vainly comfort me, For your answers remain [full of] falsehood?" + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, + "Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself? + "Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect? + "Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you? + "Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end? + "For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked. + "To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread. + "But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it. + "You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed. + "Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, + Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you. + "Is not God [in] the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are! + "You say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness? + 'Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.' + "Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod, + Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river? + "They said to God, 'Depart from us!' And 'What can the Almighty do to them?' + "Yet He filled their houses with good [things]; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. + "The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them, + [Saying], 'Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.' + "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. + "Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. + "If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, + And place [your] gold in the dust, And [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the brooks, + Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you. + "For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God. + "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows. + "You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways. + "When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save. + "He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." + + + Then Job replied, + "Even today my complaint is rebellion; His hand is heavy despite my groaning. + "Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat! + "I would present [my] case before Him And fill my mouth with arguments. + "I would learn the words [which] He would answer, And perceive what He would say to me. + "Would He contend with me by the greatness of [His] power? No, surely He would pay attention to me. + "There the upright would reason with Him; And I would be delivered forever from my Judge. + "Behold, I go forward but He is not [there], And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; + When He acts on the left, I cannot behold [Him]; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him. + "But He knows the way I take; [When] He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. + "My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside. + "I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. + "But He is unique and who can turn Him? And [what] His soul desires, that He does. + "For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such [decrees] are with Him. + "Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence; [When] I consider, I am terrified of Him. + "[It is] God [who] has made my heart faint, And the Almighty [who] has dismayed me, + But I am not silenced by the darkness, Nor deep gloom [which] covers me. + + + "Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, And why do those who know Him not see His days? + "Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks. + "They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow's ox for a pledge. + "They push the needy aside from the road; The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether. + "Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness They go forth seeking food in their activity, As bread for [their] children in the desert. + "They harvest their fodder in the field And glean the vineyard of the wicked. + "They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold. + "They are wet with the mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter. + "Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge. + "They cause [the poor] to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves from the hungry. + "Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but thirst. + "From the city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not pay attention to folly. + "Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths. + "The murderer arises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he is as a thief. + "The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, 'No eye will see me.' And he disguises his face. + "In the dark they dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light. + "For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness. + "They are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth. They do not turn toward the vineyards. + "Drought and heat consume the snow waters, [So does] Sheol [those who] have sinned. + "A mother will forget him; The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken like a tree. + "He wrongs the barren woman And does no good for the widow. + "But He drags off the valiant by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life. + "He provides them with security, and they are supported; And His eyes are on their ways. + "They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off. + "Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, + "Dominion and awe belong to Him Who establishes peace in His heights. + "Is there any number to His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise? + "How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? + "If even the moon has no brightness And the stars are not pure in His sight, + How much less man, [that] maggot, And the son of man, [that] worm!" + + + Then Job responded, + "What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength! + "What counsel you have given to [one] without wisdom! What helpful insight you have abundantly provided! + "To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you? + "The departed spirits tremble Under the waters and their inhabitants. + "Naked is Sheol before Him, And Abaddon has no covering. + "He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing. + "He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them. + "He obscures the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it. + "He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness. + "The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke. + "He quieted the sea with His power, And by His understanding He shattered Rahab. + "By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent. + "Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; And how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?" + + + Then Job continued his discourse and said, + "As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, + For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, + My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. + "Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. + "I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days. + "May my enemy be as the wicked And my opponent as the unjust. + "For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? + "Will God hear his cry When distress comes upon him? + "Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times? + "I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. + "Behold, all of you have seen [it]; Why then do you act foolishly? + "This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance [which] tyrants receive from the Almighty. + "Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. + "His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep. + "Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as [plentiful as] the clay, + He may prepare [it], but the just will wear [it] And the innocent will divide the silver. + "He has built his house like the spider's web, Or as a hut [which] the watchman has made. + "He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer. + "Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night. + "The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place. + "For it will hurl at him without sparing; He will surely try to flee from its power. + "[Men] will clap their hands at him And will hiss him from his place. + + + "Surely there is a mine for silver And a place where they refine gold. + "Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock. + "[Man] puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out The rock in gloom and deep shadow. + "He sinks a shaft far from habitation, Forgotten by the foot; They hang and swing to and fro far from men. + "The earth, from it comes food, And underneath it is turned up as fire. + "Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust [contains] gold. + "The path no bird of prey knows, Nor has the falcon's eye caught sight of it. + "The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor has the [fierce] lion passed over it. + "He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base. + "He hews out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious. + "He dams up the streams from flowing, And what is hidden he brings out to the light. + "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? + "Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. + "The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.' + "Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price. + "It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire. + "Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. + "Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is above [that of] pearls. + "The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. + "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? + "Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of the sky. + "Abaddon and Death say, 'With our ears we have heard a report of it.' + "God understands its way, And He knows its place. + "For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens. + "When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure, + When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt, + Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. + "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'" + + + And Job again took up his discourse and said, + "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; + When His lamp shone over my head, [And] by His light I walked through darkness; + As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God [was] over my tent; + When the Almighty was yet with me, [And] my children were around me; + When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil! + "When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square, + The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose [and] stood. + "The princes stopped talking And put [their] hands on their mouths; + The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate. + "For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, + Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. + "The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy. + "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. + "I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame. + "I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know. + "I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth. + "Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply [my] days as the sand. + 'My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch. + 'My glory is [ever] new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' + "To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel. + "After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them. + "They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain. + "I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down. + "I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners. + + + "But now those younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock. + "Indeed, what [good was] the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. + "From want and famine they are gaunt Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, + Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub. + "They are driven from the community; They shout against them as [against] a thief, + So that they dwell in dreadful valleys, In holes of the earth and of the rocks. + "Among the bushes they cry out; Under the nettles they are gathered together. + "Fools, even those without a name, They were scourged from the land. + "And now I have become their taunt, I have even become a byword to them. + "They abhor me [and] stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting at my face. + "Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off the bridle before me. + "On the right hand their brood arises; They thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction. + "They break up my path, They profit from my destruction; No one restrains them. + "As [through] a wide breach they come, Amid the tempest they roll on. + "Terrors are turned against me; They pursue my honor as the wind, And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. + "And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have seized me. + "At night it pierces my bones within me, And my gnawing [pains] take no rest. + "By a great force my garment is distorted; It binds me about as the collar of my coat. + "He has cast me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. + "I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. + "You have become cruel to me; With the might of Your hand You persecute me. + "You lift me up to the wind [and] cause me to ride; And You dissolve me in a storm. + "For I know that You will bring me to death And to the house of meeting for all living. + "Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out [his] hand, Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help? + "Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy? + "When I expected good, then evil came; When I waited for light, then darkness came. + "I am seething within and cannot relax; Days of affliction confront me. + "I go about mourning without comfort; I stand up in the assembly [and] cry out for help. + "I have become a brother to jackals And a companion of ostriches. + "My skin turns black on me, And my bones burn with fever. + "Therefore my harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the sound of those who weep. + + + "I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? + "And what is the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high? + "Is it not calamity to the unjust And disaster to those who work iniquity? + "Does He not see my ways And number all my steps? + "If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit, + Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity. + "If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes, Or if any spot has stuck to my hands, + Let me sow and another eat, And let my crops be uprooted. + "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway, + May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her. + "For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be an iniquity [punishable by] judges. + "For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, And would uproot all my increase. + "If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me, + What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him? + "Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb? + "If I have kept the poor from [their] desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, + Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it + (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her), + If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering, + If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, + If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate, + Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow. + "For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing. + "If I have put my confidence [in] gold, And called fine gold my trust, + If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured [so] much; + If I have looked at the sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor, + And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, + That too would have been an iniquity [calling for] judgment, For I would have denied God above. + "Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him? + "No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse. + "Have the men of my tent not said, 'Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat '? + "The alien has not lodged outside, [For] I have opened my doors to the traveler. + "Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom, + Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, And kept silent and did not go out of doors? + "Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature; Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my adversary has written, + Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown. + "I would declare to Him the number of my steps; Like a prince I would approach Him. + "If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; + If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or have caused its owners to lose their lives, + Let briars grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended. + + + Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. + But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God. + And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. + Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. + And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned. + So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said, "I am young in years and you are old; Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think. + "I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom. + "But it is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. + "The abundant [in years] may not be wise, Nor may elders understand justice. + "So I say, 'Listen to me, I too will tell what I think.' + "Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, While you pondered what to say. + "I even paid close attention to you; Indeed, there was no one who refuted Job, Not one of you who answered his words. + "Do not say, 'We have found wisdom; God will rout him, not man.' + "For he has not arranged [his] words against me, Nor will I reply to him with your arguments. + "They are dismayed, they no longer answer; Words have failed them. + "Shall I wait, because they do not speak, Because they stop [and] no longer answer? + "I too will answer my share, I also will tell my opinion. + "For I am full of words; The spirit within me constrains me. + "Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, Like new wineskins it is about to burst. + "Let me speak that I may get relief; Let me open my lips and answer. + "Let me now be partial to no one, Nor flatter [any] man. + "For I do not know how to flatter, [Else] my Maker would soon take me away. + + + "However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words. + "Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks. + "My words are [from] the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely. + "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. + "Refute me if you can; Array yourselves before me, take your stand. + "Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. + "Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you. + "Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of [your] words: + 'I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me. + 'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy. + 'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.' + "Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man. + "Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings? + "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, [yet] no one notices it. + "In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, + Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, + That He may turn man aside [from his] conduct, And keep man from pride; + He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol. + "Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones; + So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food. + "His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out. + "Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death. + "If there is an angel [as] mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man what is right for him, + Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; + Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor; + Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man. + "He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me. + 'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.' + "Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, + To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. + "Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak. + "[Then] if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. + "If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom." + + + Then Elihu continued and said, + "Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who know. + "For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food. + "Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good. + "For Job has said, 'I am righteous, But God has taken away my right; + Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, [though I am] without transgression.' + "What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water, + Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men? + "For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing When he is pleased with God.' + "Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong. + "For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to his way. + "Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice. + "Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid [on Him] the whole world? + "If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, + All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. + "But if [you have] understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. + "Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One, + Who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' To nobles, 'Wicked ones'; + Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands? + "In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand. + "For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps. + "There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. + "For He does not [need to] consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment. + "He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place. + "Therefore He knows their works, And He overthrows [them] in the night, And they are crushed. + "He strikes them like the wicked In a public place, + Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways; + So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted-- + When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man?-- + So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people. + "For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne [chastisement]; I will not offend [anymore]; + Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again '? + "Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected [it]? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know. + "Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me, + 'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom. + 'Job ought to be tried to the limit, Because he answers like wicked men. + 'For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.'" + + + Then Elihu continued and said, + "Do you think this is according to justice? Do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's '? + "For you say, 'What advantage will it be to You? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?' + "I will answer you, And your friends with you. + "Look at the heavens and see; And behold the clouds-- they are higher than you. + "If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him? + "If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, Or what does He receive from your hand? + "Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man. + "Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty. + "But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night, + Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?' + "There they cry out, but He does not answer Because of the pride of evil men. + "Surely God will not listen to an empty [cry], Nor will the Almighty regard it. + "How much less when you say you do not behold Him, The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him! + "And now, because He has not visited [in] His anger, Nor has He acknowledged transgression well, + So Job opens his mouth emptily; He multiplies words without knowledge." + + + Then Elihu continued and said, + "Wait for me a little, and I will show you That there is yet more to be said in God's behalf. + "I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. + "For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. + "Behold, God is mighty but does not despise [any]; [He is] mighty in strength of understanding. + "He does not keep the wicked alive, But gives justice to the afflicted. + "He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But with kings on the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted. + "And if they are bound in fetters, And are caught in the cords of affliction, + Then He declares to them their work And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves. + "He opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they return from evil. + "If they hear and serve [Him], They will end their days in prosperity And their years in pleasures. + "But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword And they will die without knowledge. + "But the godless in heart lay up anger; They do not cry for help when He binds them. + "They die in youth, And their life [perishes] among the cult prostitutes. + "He delivers the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ear in [time of] oppression. + "Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress, Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint; And that which was set on your table was full of fatness. + "But you were full of judgment on the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold [of you]. + "[Beware] that wrath does not entice you to scoffing; And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. + "Will your riches keep you from distress, Or all the forces of [your] strength? + "Do not long for the night, When people vanish in their place. + "Be careful, do not turn to evil, For you have preferred this to affliction. + "Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him? + "Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, 'You have done wrong '? + "Remember that you should exalt His work, Of which men have sung. + "All men have seen it; Man beholds from afar. + "Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know [Him]; The number of His years is unsearchable. + "For He draws up the drops of water, They distill rain from the mist, + Which the clouds pour down, They drip upon man abundantly. + "Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, The thundering of His pavilion? + "Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him, And He covers the depths of the sea. + "For by these He judges peoples; He gives food in abundance. + "He covers [His] hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark. + "Its noise declares His presence; The cattle also, concerning what is coming up. + + + "At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. + "Listen closely to the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth. + "Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, And His lightning to the ends of the earth. + "After it, a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard. + "God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend. + "For to the snow He says, 'Fall on the earth,' And to the downpour and the rain, 'Be strong.' + "He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. + "Then the beast goes into its lair And remains in its den. + "Out of the south comes the storm, And out of the north the cold. + "From the breath of God ice is made, And the expanse of the waters is frozen. + "Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. + "It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, That it may do whatever He commands it On the face of the inhabited earth. + "Whether for correction, or for His world, Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. + "Listen to this, O Job, Stand and consider the wonders of God. + "Do you know how God establishes them, And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine? + "Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, The wonders of one perfect in knowledge, + You whose garments are hot, When the land is still because of the south wind? + "Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? + "Teach us what we shall say to Him; We cannot arrange [our case] because of darkness. + "Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up? + "Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies; But the wind has passed and cleared them. + "Out of the north comes golden [splendor]; Around God is awesome majesty. + "The Almighty-- we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. + "Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart." + + + Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, + "Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? + "Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! + "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have understanding, + Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? + "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, + When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? + "Or [who] enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; + When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, + And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, + And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop '? + "Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, [And] caused the dawn to know its place, + That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? + "It is changed like clay [under] the seal; And they stand forth like a garment. + "From the wicked their light is withheld, And the uplifted arm is broken. + "Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep? + "Have the gates of death been revealed to you, Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? + "Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell [Me], if you know all this. + "Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, + That you may take it to its territory And that you may discern the paths to its home? + "You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! + "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, + Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? + "Where is the way that the light is divided, [Or] the east wind scattered on the earth? + "Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt, + To bring rain on a land without people, [On] a desert without a man in it, + To satisfy the waste and desolate land And to make the seeds of grass to sprout? + "Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? + "From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? + "Water becomes hard like stone, And the surface of the deep is imprisoned. + "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion? + "Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites? + "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth? + "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you? + "Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, 'Here we are'? + "Who has put wisdom in the innermost being Or given understanding to the mind? + "Who can count the clouds by wisdom, Or tip the water jars of the heavens, + When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together? + "Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, + When they crouch in [their] dens [And] lie in wait in [their] lair? + "Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food? + + + "Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? + "Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth? + "They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They get rid of their labor pains. + "Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them. + "Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, + To whom I gave the wilderness for a home And the salt land for his dwelling place? + "He scorns the tumult of the city, The shoutings of the driver he does not hear. + "He explores the mountains for his pasture And searches after every green thing. + "Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your manger? + "Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys after you? + "Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him? + "Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain And gather [it from] your threshing floor? + "The ostriches' wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love, + For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust, + And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may trample them. + "She treats her young cruelly, as if [they] were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, [she] is unconcerned; + Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding. + "When she lifts herself on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider. + "Do you give the horse [his] might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? + "Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. + "He paws in the valley, and rejoices in [his] strength; He goes out to meet the weapons. + "He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword. + "The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin. + "With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet. + "As often as the trumpet [sounds] he says, 'Aha!' And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry. + "Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south? + "Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high? + "On the cliff he dwells and lodges, Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place. + "From there he spies out food; His eyes see [it] from afar. + "His young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he." + + + Then the LORD said to Job, + "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it." + Then Job answered the LORD and said, + "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. + "Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more." + Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said, + "Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. + "Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? + "Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? + "Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. + "Pour out the overflowings of your anger, And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low. + "Look on everyone who is proud, [and] humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand. + "Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden [place]. + "Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you. + "Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. + "Behold now, his strength in his loins And his power in the muscles of his belly. + "He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. + "His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. + "He is the first of the ways of God; Let his maker bring near his sword. + "Surely the mountains bring him food, And all the beasts of the field play there. + "Under the lotus plants he lies down, In the covert of the reeds and the marsh. + "The lotus plants cover him with shade; The willows of the brook surround him. + "If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. + "Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, With barbs can anyone pierce [his] nose? + + + "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? + "Can you put a rope in his nose Or pierce his jaw with a hook? + "Will he make many supplications to you, Or will he speak to you soft words? + "Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? + "Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you bind him for your maidens? + "Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants? + "Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? + "Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again! + "Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be laid low even at the sight of him? + "No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; Who then is he that can stand before Me? + "Who has given to Me that I should repay [him]? [Whatever] is under the whole heaven is Mine. + "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame. + "Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail? + "Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. + "[His] strong scales are [his] pride, Shut up [as with] a tight seal. + "One is so near to another That no air can come between them. + "They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated. + "His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. + "Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. + "Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As [from] a boiling pot and [burning] rushes. + "His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth. + "In his neck lodges strength, And dismay leaps before him. + "The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immovable. + "His heart is as hard as a stone, Even as hard as a lower millstone. + "When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; Because of the crashing they are bewildered. + "The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin. + "He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood. + "The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned into stubble for him. + "Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin. + "His underparts are [like] sharp potsherds; He spreads out [like] a threshing sledge on the mire. + "He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment. + "Behind him he makes a wake to shine; One would think the deep to be gray-haired. + "Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear. + "He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride." + + + Then Job answered the LORD and said, + "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. + 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." + 'Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.' + "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; + Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes." + It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. + "Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you [according to your] folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." + So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite [and] Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job. + The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. + Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. + The LORD blessed the latter [days] of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. + He had seven sons and three daughters. + He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. + In all the land no women were found so fair as Job's daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. + After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. + And Job died, an old man and full of days. + + + + + How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! + But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. + He will be like a tree [firmly] planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. + The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. + Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. + For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. + + + Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? + The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, + "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!" + He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. + Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, + "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain." + "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. + 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the [very] ends of the earth as Your possession. + 'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'" + Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. + Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. + Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish [in] the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! + + + A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. + Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God." Selah. + But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. + I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. + I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. + I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. + Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. + Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing [be] upon Your people! Selah. + + + For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. + O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? [How long] will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah. + But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him. + Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. + Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD. + Many are saying, "Who will show us [any] good?" Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD! + You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. + In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety. + + + For the choir director; for flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning. + Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. + In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order [my] [prayer] to You and [eagerly] watch. + For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. + The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. + You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. + But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. + O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. + There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction [itself]. Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. + Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You. + But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. + For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield. + + + For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath. + Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I [am] pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed. + And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD-- how long? + Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. + For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks? + I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. + My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries. + Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. + The LORD has heard my supplication, The LORD receives my prayer. + All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed. + + + A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, + Or he will tear my soul like a lion, Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver. + O LORD my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands, + If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, + Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake [it]; And let him trample my life down to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah. + Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries, And arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment. + Let the assembly of the peoples encompass You, And over them return on high. + The LORD judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. + O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. + My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart. + God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day. + If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. + He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts. + Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood. + He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made. + His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate. + I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. + + + For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! + From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. + When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; + What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? + Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! + You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, + All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, + The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. + O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! + + + For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David. I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. + I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. + When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You. + For You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously. + You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. + The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished. + But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, + And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. + The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; + And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. + Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds. + For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. + Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, + That I may tell of all Your praises, That in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation. + The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught. + The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah. + The wicked will return to Sheol, [Even] all the nations who forget God. + For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever. + Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. + Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah. + + + Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide [Yourself] in times of trouble? + In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. + For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, And the greedy man curses [and] spurns the LORD. + The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek [Him]. All his thoughts are, "There is no God." + His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. + He says to himself, "I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity." + His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. + He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate. + He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. + He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. + He says to himself, "God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it." + Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. + Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, "You will not require [it]." + You have seen [it], for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits [himself] to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. + Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none. + The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. + O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear + To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror. + + + For the choir director. [A Psalm] of David. In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee [as] a bird to your mountain; + For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. + If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?" + The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. + The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. + Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. + For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. + + + For the choir director; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. + They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. + May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; + Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?" + "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs." + The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. + You, O LORD, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever. + The wicked strut about on every side When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? + How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [Having] sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? + Consider [and] answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the [sleep of] death, + And my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," [And] my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. + But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. + I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. + + + For the choir director. [A Psalm] of David. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. + The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. + They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. + Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, [And] do not call upon the Lord? + There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation. + You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the LORD is his refuge. + Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad. + + + A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? + He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. + He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; + In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; + He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. + + + A Mikhtam of David. Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. + I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good besides You." + As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. + The sorrows of those who have bartered for another [god] will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips. + The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. + The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. + I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. + I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. + Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. + For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. + You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. + + + A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. + Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. + You have tried my heart; You have visited [me] by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. + As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. + My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped. + I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. + Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up [against them]. + Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings + From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me. + They have closed their unfeeling [heart], With their mouth they speak proudly. + They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast [us] down to the ground. + He is like a lion that is eager to tear, And as a young lion lurking in hiding places. + Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him low; Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, + From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in [this] life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. + As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake. + + + For the choir director. A [Psalm] of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said, "I love You, O LORD, my strength." + The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. + I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. + The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. + The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. + In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. + Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. + Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. + He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. + He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind. + He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. + From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire. + The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. + He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. + Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. + He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. + He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. + They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay. + He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. + The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. + For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. + For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. + I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. + Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes. + With the kind You show Yourself kind; With the blameless You show Yourself blameless; + With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute. + For You save an afflicted people, But haughty eyes You abase. + For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness. + For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall. + As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. + For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God, + The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless? + He makes my feet like hinds' [feet], And sets me upon my high places. + He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. + You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great. + You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. + I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed. + I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet. + For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. + You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me. + They cried for help, but there was none to save, [Even] to the LORD, but He did not answer them. + Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets. + You have delivered me from the contentions of the people; You have placed me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me. + As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners submit to me. + Foreigners fade away, And come trembling out of their fortresses. + The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, + The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me. + He delivers me from my enemies; Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man. + Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name. + He gives great deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. + Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. + There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. + Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, + Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. + Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. + The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. + The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. + The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. + They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. + Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. + Who can discern [his] errors? Acquit me of hidden [faults]. + Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous [sins]; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. + Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you [securely] on high! + May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion! + May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah. + May He grant you your heart's desire And fulfill all your counsel! + We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. + Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. + Some [boast] in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. + They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright. + Save, O LORD; May the King answer us in the day we call. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! + You have given him his heart's desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. + For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head. + He asked life of You, You gave it to him, Length of days forever and ever. + His glory is great through Your salvation, Splendor and majesty You place upon him. + For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. + For the king trusts in the LORD, And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken. + Your hand will find out all your enemies; Your right hand will find out those who hate you. + You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath, And fire will devour them. + Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, And their descendants from among the sons of men. + Though they intended evil against You [And] devised a plot, They will not succeed. + For You will make them turn their back; You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces. + Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power. + + + For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. + O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. + Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. + In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. + To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. + But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. + All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, [saying], + "Commit [yourself] to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." + Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust [when] upon my mother's breasts. + Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother's womb. + Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. + Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong [bulls] of Bashan have encircled me. + They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. + I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. + My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. + For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. + I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; + They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. + But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance. + Deliver my soul from the sword, My only [life] from the power of the dog. + Save me from the lion's mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me. + I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. + You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. + For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. + From You [comes] my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. + The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! + All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. + For the kingdom is the LORD'S And He rules over the nations. + All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. + Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the [coming] generation. + They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed [it]. + + + A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. + He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. + He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. + Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. + You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. + Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. + + + A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. + For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. + Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? + He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. + He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. + This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face-- [even] Jacob. Selah. + Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! + Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. + Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift [them] up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! + Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. + + + [A Psalm] of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. + O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. + Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. + Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. + Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. + Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old. + Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. + Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. + He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. + All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. + For Your name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. + Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. + His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land. + The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. + My eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He will pluck my feet out of the net. + Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. + The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. + Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. + Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. + Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. + Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. + Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles. + + + [A Psalm] of David. Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. + Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. + For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. + I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. + I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked. + I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O LORD, + That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders. + O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells. + Do not take my soul away [along] with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, + In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes. + But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious to me. + My foot stands on a level place; In the congregations I shall bless the LORD. + + + [A Psalm] of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? + When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. + Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In [spite of] this I shall be confident. + One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. + For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. + And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. + Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. + [When You said], "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek." + Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! + For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up. + Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. + Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. + [I would have despaired] unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. + Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. + + + [A Psalm] of David. To You, O LORD, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. + Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. + Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who work iniquity, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While evil is in their hearts. + Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense. + Because they do not regard the works of the LORD Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up. + Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. + The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. + The LORD is their strength, And He is a saving defense to His anointed. + Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever. + + + A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. + Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array. + The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. + The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. + The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. + He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. + The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. + The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. + The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!" + The LORD sat [as King] at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. + The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. + + + A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. [A Psalm] of David. I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me. + O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. + O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. + Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name. + For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy [comes] in the morning. + Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, "I will never be moved." + O LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, I was dismayed. + To You, O LORD, I called, And to the Lord I made supplication: + "What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness? + "Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper." + You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, + That [my] soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Your righteousness deliver me. + Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me. + For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me. + You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. + Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth. + I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the LORD. + I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, Because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, + And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. + Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body [also]. + For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away. + Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me. + I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. + For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life. + But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, "You are my God." + My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. + Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness. + Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. + Let the lying lips be mute, Which speak arrogantly against the righteous With pride and contempt. + How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! + You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. + Blessed be the LORD, For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city. + As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You. + O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful And fully recompenses the proud doer. + Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. + + + [A Psalm] of David. A Maskil. How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! + How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! + When I kept silent [about my sin], my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. + For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away [as] with the fever heat of summer. Selah. + I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. + Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. + You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. + I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. + Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, [Otherwise] they will not come near to you. + Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. + Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. + + + Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. + Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. + Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. + For the word of the LORD is upright, And all His work is [done] in faithfulness. + He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. + By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. + He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. + Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. + For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. + The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. + The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. + Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. + The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; + From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, + He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. + The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. + A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. + Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, + To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. + Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. + For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. + Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, According as we have hoped in You. + + + [A Psalm] of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. + My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. + O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. + I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. + They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. + This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. + The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. + O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! + O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. + The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. + Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. + Who is the man who desires life And loves [length of] days that he may see good? + Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. + Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. + The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are [open] to their cry. + The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. + [The righteous] cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. + The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. + Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. + He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken. + Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned. + The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. + + + [A Psalm] of David. Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me. + Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help. + Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." + Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. + Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the LORD driving [them] on. + Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the LORD pursuing them. + For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul. + Let destruction come upon him unawares, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall. + And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in His salvation. + All my bones will say, "LORD, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?" + Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know. + They repay me evil for good, [To] the bereavement of my soul. + But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. + I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother. + But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing. + Like godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth. + Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only [life] from the lions. + I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng. + Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously. + For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. + They opened their mouth wide against me; They said, "Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!" + You have seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me. + Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord. + Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me. + Do not let them say in their heart, "Aha, our desire!" Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!" + Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress; Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me. + Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, "The LORD be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant." + And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness [And] Your praise all day long. + + + For the choir director. [A Psalm] of David the servant of the LORD. Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. + For it flatters him in his [own] eyes Concerning the discovery of his iniquity [and] the hatred [of it]. + The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise [and] to do good. + He plans wickedness upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not despise evil. + Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness [reaches] to the skies. + Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are [like] a great deep. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. + How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. + They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. + For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. + O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. + Let not the foot of pride come upon me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. + There the doers of iniquity have fallen; They have been thrust down and cannot rise. + + + [A Psalm] of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. + For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. + Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. + Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. + Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. + He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. + Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. + Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; [it leads] only to evildoing. + For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. + Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be [there]. + But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. + The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. + The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. + The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. + Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. + Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. + For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous. + The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. + They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance. + But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish-- like smoke they vanish away. + The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. + For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off. + The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. + When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. + I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. + All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. + Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever. + For the LORD loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. + The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. + The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. + The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. + The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him. + The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged. + Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. + I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. + Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. + Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity. + But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off. + But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. + The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him. + + + A Psalm of David, for a memorial. O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten me not in Your burning anger. + For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, And Your hand has pressed down on me. + There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. + For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. + My wounds grow foul [and] fester Because of my folly. + I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. + For my loins are filled with burning, And there is no soundness in my flesh. + I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart. + Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. + My heart throbs, my strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me. + My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off. + Those who seek my life lay snares [for me]; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they devise treachery all day long. + But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And [I am] like a mute man who does not open his mouth. + Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth are no arguments. + For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. + For I said, "May they not rejoice over me, [Who], when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me." + For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. + For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. + But my enemies are vigorous [and] strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. + And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. + Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! + Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! + + + For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, "I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence." + I was mute and silent, I refrained [even] from good, And my sorrow grew worse. + My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; [Then] I spoke with my tongue: + "LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. + "Behold, You have made my days [as] handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. + "Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses [riches] and does not know who will gather them. + "And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. + "Deliver me from all my transgressions; Make me not the reproach of the foolish. + "I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is You who have done [it]. + "Remove Your plague from me; Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing. + "With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You consume as a moth what is precious to him; Surely every man is a mere breath. Selah. + "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner like all my fathers. + "Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile [again] Before I depart and am no more." + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. + He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. + He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. + How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. + Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. + Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. + Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. + I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart." + I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, You know. + I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation. + You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. + For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me. + Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; Make haste, O LORD, to help me. + Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. + Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, "Aha, aha!" + Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" + Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. + The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. + The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health. + As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." + My enemies speak evil against me, "When will he die, and his name perish?" + And when he comes to see [me], he speaks falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; When he goes outside, he tells it. + All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, [saying], + "A wicked thing is poured out upon him, That when he lies down, he will not rise up again." + Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. + But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up, That I may repay them. + By this I know that You are pleased with me, Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. + As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And You set me in Your presence forever. + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. + + + For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. + My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? + My tears have been my food day and night, While [they] say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" + These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng [and] lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. + Why are you in despair, O my soul? And [why] have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him [For] the help of His presence. + O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. + Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. + The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. + I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" + As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" + Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. + + + Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! + For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? + O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. + Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God. + Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. + + + For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us The work that You did in their days, In the days of old. + You with Your own hand drove out the nations; Then You planted them; You afflicted the peoples, Then You spread them abroad. + For by their own sword they did not possess the land, And their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them. + You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. + Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us. + For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. + But You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those who hate us. + In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah. + Yet You have rejected [us] and brought us to dishonor, And do not go out with our armies. + You cause us to turn back from the adversary; And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. + You give us as sheep to be eaten And have scattered us among the nations. + You sell Your people cheaply, And have not profited by their sale. + You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. + You make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. + All day long my dishonor is before me And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, + Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. + All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You, And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant. + Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Your way, + Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals And covered us with the shadow of death. + If we had forgotten the name of our God Or extended our hands to a strange god, + Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. + But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. + Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. + Why do You hide Your face [And] forget our affliction and our oppression? + For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. + Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness. + + + For the choir director; according to the Shoshannim. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love. My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. + You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. + Gird Your sword on [Your] thigh, O Mighty One, [In] Your splendor and Your majesty! + And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth and meekness [and] righteousness; Let Your right hand teach You awesome things. + Your arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under You; [Your arrows are] in the heart of the King's enemies. + Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. + You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows. + All Your garments are [fragrant with] myrrh and aloes [and] cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad. + Kings' daughters are among Your noble ladies; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. + Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father's house; + Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. + The daughter of Tyre [will come] with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor. + The King's daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold. + She will be led to the King in embroidered work; The virgins, her companions who follow her, Will be brought to You. + They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; They will enter into the King's palace. + In place of your fathers will be your sons; You shall make them princes in all the earth. + I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever. + + + For the choir director. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. + Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; + Though its waters roar [and] foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. + There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. + God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. + The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. + The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. + Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. + He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. + "Cease [striving] and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." + The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. + For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. + He subdues peoples under us And nations under our feet. + He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah. + God has ascended with a shout, The LORD, with the sound of a trumpet. + Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises. + For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm. + God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. + The princes of the people have assembled themselves [as] the people of the God of Abraham, For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. + + + A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. + Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion [in] the far north, The city of the great King. + God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold. + For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, They passed by together. + They saw [it], then they were amazed; They were terrified, they fled in alarm. + Panic seized them there, Anguish, as of a woman in childbirth. + With the east wind You break the ships of Tarshish. + As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever. Selah. + We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of Your temple. + As is Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. + Let Mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments. + Walk about Zion and go around her; Count her towers; + Consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces, That you may tell [it] to the next generation. + For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, + Both low and high, Rich and poor together. + My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart [will be] understanding. + I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp. + Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, + Even those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches? + No man can by any means redeem [his] brother Or give to God a ransom for him-- + For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease [trying] forever-- + That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay. + For he sees [that even] wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. + Their inner thought is [that] their houses are forever [And] their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. + But man in [his] pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish. + This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah. + As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation. + But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah. + Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; + For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. + Though while he lives he congratulates himself-- And though [men] praise you when you do well for yourself-- + He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. + Man in [his] pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. + Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. + May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him. + He summons the heavens above, And the earth, to judge His people: + "Gather My godly ones to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." + And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah. + "Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God. + "I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me. + "I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. + "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. + "I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. + "If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. + "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats? + "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; + Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." + But to the wicked God says, "What right have you to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth? + "For you hate discipline, And you cast My words behind you. + "When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, And you associate with adulterers. + "You let your mouth loose in evil And your tongue frames deceit. + "You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother's son. + "These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state [the case] in order before your eyes. + "Now consider this, you who forget God, Or I will tear [you] in pieces, and there will be none to deliver. + "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders [his] way [aright] I shall show the salvation of God." + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. + Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. + For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. + Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. + Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. + Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. + Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. + Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. + Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. + Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. + Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. + Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. + [Then] I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. + Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; [Then] my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. + O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. + For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. + The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. + By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. + Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar. + + + For the choir director. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech." Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God [endures] all day long. + Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. + You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. + You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. + But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from [your] tent, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah. + The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, [saying], + "Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches [And] was strong in his [evil] desire." + But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. + I will give You thanks forever, because You have done [it], And I will wait on Your name, for [it is] good, in the presence of Your godly ones. + + + For the choir director; according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God," They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good. + God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God. + Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. + Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge, Who eat up My people [as though] they ate bread And have not called upon God? + There they were in great fear [where] no fear had been; For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you; You put [them] to shame, because God had rejected them. + Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores His captive people, Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. + + + For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Is not David hiding himself among us?" Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your power. + Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. + For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah. + Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. + He will recompense the evil to my foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness. + Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good. + For He has delivered me from all trouble, And my eye has looked [with satisfaction] upon my enemies. + + + For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. + Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted, + Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me And in anger they bear a grudge against me. + My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. + Fear and trembling come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. + I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. + "Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah. + "I would hasten to my place of refuge From the stormy wind [and] tempest." + Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city. + Day and night they go around her upon her walls, And iniquity and mischief are in her midst. + Destruction is in her midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets. + For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear [it]; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. + But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; + We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng. + Let death come deceitfully upon them; Let them go down alive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst. + As for me, I shall call upon God, And the LORD will save me. + Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice. + He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle [which is] against me, For they are many [who strive] with me. + God will hear and answer them-- Even the one who sits enthroned from of old-- Selah. With whom there is no change, And who do not fear God. + He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated his covenant. + His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords. + Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. + But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You. + + + For the choir director; according to Jonath elem rehokim. A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me. + My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me. + When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. + In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can [mere] man do to me? + All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. + They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited [to take] my life. + Because of wickedness, cast them forth, In anger put down the peoples, O God! + You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are [they] not in Your book? + Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me. + In God, [whose] word I praise, In the LORD, [whose] word I praise, + In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? + Your vows are [binding] upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. + For You have delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living. + + + For the choir director; [set to] Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. + I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes [all things] for me. + He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. + My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, [Even] the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword. + Be exalted above the heavens, O God; [Let] Your glory [be] above all the earth. + They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They dug a pit before me; They [themselves] have fallen into the midst of it. Selah. + My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! + Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. + I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. + For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds. + Be exalted above the heavens, O God; [Let] Your glory [be] above all the earth. + + + For the choir director; [set to] Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? + No, in heart you work unrighteousness; On earth you weigh out the violence of your hands. + The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth. + They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear, + So that it does not hear the voice of charmers, [Or] a skillful caster of spells. + O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD. + Let them flow away like water that runs off; [When] he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts. + [Let them be] as a snail which melts away as it goes along, [Like] the miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun. + Before your pots can feel [the fire of] thorns He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike. + The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. + And men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!" + + + For the choir director; [set to] Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when Saul sent [men] and they watched the house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Set me [securely] on high away from those who rise up against me. + Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save me from men of bloodshed. + For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD, + For no guilt of [mine], they run and set themselves against me. Arouse Yourself to help me, and see! + You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any [who are] treacherous in iniquity. Selah. + They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city. + Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, [they say], "Who hears?" + But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations. + [Because of] his strength I will watch for You, For God is my stronghold. + My God in His lovingkindness will meet me; God will let me look [triumphantly] upon my foes. + Do not slay them, or my people will forget; Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. + [On account of] the sin of their mouth [and] the words of their lips, Let them even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they utter. + Destroy [them] in wrath, destroy [them] that they may be no more; That [men] may know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah. + They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city. + They wander about for food And growl if they are not satisfied. + But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress. + O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness. + + + For the choir director; according to Shushan Eduth. A Mikhtam of David, to teach; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; O, restore us. + You have made the land quake, You have split it open; Heal its breaches, for it totters. + You have made Your people experience hardship; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger. + You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. + That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and answer us! + God has spoken in His holiness: "I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth. + "Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter. + "Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I shall throw My shoe; Shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!" + Who will bring me into the besieged city? Who will lead me to Edom? + Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us? And will You not go forth with our armies, O God? + O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. + Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries. + + + For the choir director; on a stringed instrument. [A Psalm] of David. Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. + From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. + For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy. + Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah. + For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given [me] the inheritance of those who fear Your name. + You will prolong the king's life; His years will be as many generations. + He will abide before God forever; Appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him. + So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may pay my vows day by day. + + + For the choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. My soul [waits] in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. + He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. + How long will you assail a man, That you may murder [him], all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? + They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah. + My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. + He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. + On God my salvation and my glory [rest]; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. + Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. + Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath. + Do not trust in oppression And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set [your] heart [upon them]. + Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God; + And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work. + + + A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. + Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. + Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. + So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. + My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. + When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, + For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. + My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. + But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth. + They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. + But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; Preserve my life from dread of the enemy. + Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity, + Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech [as] their arrow, + To shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear. + They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, "Who can see them?" + They devise injustices, [saying], "We are ready with a well-conceived plot"; For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep. + But God will shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they will be wounded. + So they will make him stumble; Their own tongue is against them; All who see them will shake the head. + Then all men will fear, And they will declare the work of God, And will consider what He has done. + The righteous man will be glad in the LORD and will take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will glory. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song. There will be silence before You, [and] praise in Zion, O God, And to You the vow will be performed. + O You who hear prayer, To You all men come. + Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You forgive them. + How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near [to You] To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple. + By awesome [deeds] You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; + Who establishes the mountains by His strength, Being girded with might; + Who stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. + They who dwell in the ends [of the earth] stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. + You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. + You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth. + You have crowned the year with Your bounty, And Your paths drip [with] fatness. + The pastures of the wilderness drip, And the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. + The meadows are clothed with flocks And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing. + + + For the choir director. A Song. A Psalm. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; + Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. + Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. + "All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name." Selah. + Come and see the works of God, [Who is] awesome in [His] deeds toward the sons of men. + He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him! + He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. + Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad, + Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. + For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. + You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. + You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into [a place of] abundance. + I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows, + Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. + I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts, With the smoke of rams; I shall make [an offering of] bulls with male goats. Selah. + Come [and] hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul. + I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. + If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; + But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. + Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me. + + + For the choir director; with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. God be gracious to us and bless us, [And] cause His face to shine upon us-- Selah. + That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. + Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. + Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah. + Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. + The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. + God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. + As smoke is driven away, [so] drive [them] away; As wax melts before the fire, [So] let the wicked perish before God. + But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. + Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up [a song] for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. + A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. + God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. + O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. + The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped [rain] at the presence of God; Sinai itself [quaked] at the presence of God, the God of Israel. + You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. + Your creatures settled in it; You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God. + The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the [good] tidings are a great host: + "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!" + When you lie down among the sheepfolds, [You are like] the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold. + When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon. + A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain [of many] peaks is the mountain of Bashan. + Why do you look with envy, O mountains with [many] peaks, At the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Surely the LORD will dwell [there] forever. + The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them [as at] Sinai, in holiness. + You have ascended on high, You have led captive [Your] captives; You have received gifts among men, Even [among] the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell [there]. + Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God [who] is our salvation. Selah. + God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death. + Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds. + The Lord said, "I will bring [them] back from Bashan. I will bring [them] back from the depths of the sea; + That your foot may shatter [them] in blood, The tongue of your dogs [may have] its portion from [your] enemies." + They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. + The singers went on, the musicians after [them], In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines. + Bless God in the congregations, [Even] the LORD, [you who are] of the fountain of Israel. + There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, The princes of Judah [in] their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. + Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf. + Because of Your temple at Jerusalem Kings will bring gifts to You. + Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Trampling under foot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war. + Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. + Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord, Selah. + To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice. + Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies. + O God, [You are] awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! + + + For the choir director; according to Shoshannim. [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. + I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. + I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. + Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore. + O God, it is You who knows my folly, And my wrongs are not hidden from You. + May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel, + Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Dishonor has covered my face. + I have become estranged from my brothers And an alien to my mother's sons. + For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. + When I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my reproach. + When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. + Those who sit in the gate talk about me, And I [am] the song of the drunkards. + But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth. + Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. + May the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit shut its mouth on me. + Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, + And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly. + Oh draw near to my soul [and] redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies! + You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries are before You. + Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. + They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. + May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, [may it become] a trap. + May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. + Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. + May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. + For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. + Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. + May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous. + But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me [securely] on high. + I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. + And it will please the LORD better than an ox [Or] a young bull with horns and hoofs. + The humble have seen [it and] are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. + For the LORD hears the needy And does not despise His [who are] prisoners. + Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. + For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. + The descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will dwell in it. + + + For the choir director. [A Psalm] of David; for a memorial. O God, [hasten] to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help! + Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. + Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!" + Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." + But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. + + + In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. + In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. + Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. + Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, + For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, [You are] my confidence from my youth. + By You I have been sustained from [my] birth; You are He who took me from my mother's womb; My praise is continually of You. + I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. + My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. + Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. + For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together, + Saying, "God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver." + O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help! + Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed [and] consumed; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me. + But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. + My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness [And] of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum [of them]. + I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. + O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. + And even when [I am] old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to [this] generation, Your power to all who are to come. + For Your righteousness, O God, [reaches] to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? + You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. + May You increase my greatness And turn [to] comfort me. + I will also praise You with a harp, [Even] Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. + My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed. + My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt. + + + [A Psalm] of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king's son. + May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. + Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. + May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor. + Let them fear You while the sun [endures], And as long as the moon, throughout all generations. + May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. + In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more. + May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. + Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, And his enemies lick the dust. + Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. + And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him. + For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. + He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. + He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight; + So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually; Let them bless him all day long. + May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; Its fruit will wave like [the cedars of] Lebanon; And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth. + May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun [shines]; And let [men] bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed. + Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. + And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. + The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! + But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. + For I was envious of the arrogant [As] I saw the prosperity of the wicked. + For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. + They are not in trouble [as other] men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. + Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. + Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of [their] heart run riot. + They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. + They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. + Therefore his people return to this place, And waters of abundance are drunk by them. + They say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?" + Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased [in] wealth. + Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence; + For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning. + If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. + When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight + Until I came into the sanctuary of God; [Then] I perceived their end. + Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. + How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! + Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. + When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, + Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was [like] a beast before You. + Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. + With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. + Whom have I in heaven [but You]? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. + My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. + For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. + But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works. + + + A Maskil of Asaph. O God, why have You rejected [us] forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? + Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance; [And] this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. + Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins; The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary. + Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place; They have set up their own standards for signs. + It seems as if one had lifted up [His] axe in a forest of trees. + And now all its carved work They smash with hatchet and hammers. + They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name. + They said in their heart, "Let us completely subdue them." They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land. + We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet, Nor is there any among us who knows how long. + How long, O God, will the adversary revile, [And] the enemy spurn Your name forever? + Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? From within Your bosom, destroy [them]! + Yet God is my king from of old, Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth. + You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. + You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. + You broke open springs and torrents; You dried up ever-flowing streams. + Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; You have prepared the light and the sun. + You have established all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter. + Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled, And a foolish people has spurned Your name. + Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever. + Consider the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. + Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name. + Arise, O God, [and] plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long. + Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries, The uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually. + + + For the choir director; [set to] Al-tashheth. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song. We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near; Men declare Your wondrous works. + "When I select an appointed time, It is I who judge with equity. + "The earth and all who dwell in it melt; It is I who have firmly set its pillars. Selah. + "I said to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' And to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn; + Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not speak with insolent pride.'" + For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert [comes] exaltation; + But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another. + For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain [and] drink down its dregs. + But as for me, I will declare [it] forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. + And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off, [But] the horns of the righteous will be lifted up. + + + For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel. + His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion. + There He broke the flaming arrows, The shield and the sword and the weapons of war. Selah. + You are resplendent, More majestic than the mountains of prey. + The stouthearted were plundered, They sank into sleep; And none of the warriors could use his hands. + At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep. + You, even You, are to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry? + You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still + When God arose to judgment, To save all the humble of the earth. Selah. + For the wrath of man shall praise You; With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself. + Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill [them]; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared. + He will cut off the spirit of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth. + + + For the choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. My voice [rises] to God, and I will cry aloud; My voice [rises] to God, and He will hear me. + In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted. + [When] I remember God, then I am disturbed; [When] I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah. + You have held my eyelids [open]; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. + I have considered the days of old, The years of long ago. + I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, And my spirit ponders: + Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again? + Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Has [His] promise come to an end forever? + Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah. + Then I said, "It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed." + I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. + I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds. + Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? + You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. + You have by Your power redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. + The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were in anguish; The deeps also trembled. + The clouds poured out water; The skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows flashed here and there. + The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. + Your way was in the sea And Your paths in the mighty waters, And Your footprints may not be known. + You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron. + + + A Maskil of Asaph. Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. + I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, + Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. + We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. + For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children, + That the generation to come might know, [even] the children [yet] to be born, [That] they may arise and tell [them] to their children, + That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments, + And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God. + The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, [Yet] they turned back in the day of battle. + They did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His law; + They forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them. + He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. + He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap. + Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire. + He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths. + He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers. + Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert. + And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire. + Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? + "Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?" + Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel, + Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation. + Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven; + He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven. + Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. + He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind. + When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas, + Then He let [them] fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings. + So they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them. + Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths, + The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel. + In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. + So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. + When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God; + And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. + But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue. + For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. + But He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity and did not destroy [them]; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. + Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return. + How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert! + Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel. + They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary, + When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan, + And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink. + He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, And frogs which destroyed them. + He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust. + He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost. + He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning. + He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels. + He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague, + And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham. + But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; + He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies. + So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained. + He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. + Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies, + But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow. + For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images. + When God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel; + So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men, + And gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary. + He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance. + Fire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs. + His priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep. + Then the Lord awoke as [if from] sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine. + He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach. + He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, + But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. + And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever. + He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds; + From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. + So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands. + + + A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. + They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth. + They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them. + We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and derision to those around us. + How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? + Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name. + For they have devoured Jacob And laid waste his habitation. + Do not remember the iniquities of [our] forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, For we are brought very low. + Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake. + Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let there be known among the nations in our sight, Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed. + Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die. + And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. + So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; To all generations we will tell of Your praise. + + + For the choir director; [set to] El Shoshannim; Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph. Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned [above] the cherubim, shine forth! + Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power And come to save us! + O God, restore us And cause Your face to shine [upon us], and we will be saved. + O LORD God [of] hosts, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people? + You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them to drink tears in large measure. + You make us an object of contention to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves. + O God [of] hosts, restore us And cause Your face to shine [upon us], and we will be saved. + You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. + You cleared [the ground] before it, And it took deep root and filled the land. + The mountains were covered with its shadow, And the cedars of God with its boughs. + It was sending out its branches to the sea And its shoots to the River. + Why have You broken down its hedges, So that all who pass [that] way pick its [fruit]? + A boar from the forest eats it away And whatever moves in the field feeds on it. + O God [of] hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, + Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted, And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. + It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. + Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. + Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. + O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine [upon us], and we will be saved. + + + For the choir director; on the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. + Raise a song, strike the timbrel, The sweet sounding lyre with the harp. + Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast day. + For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. + He established it for a testimony in Joseph When he went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know: + "I relieved his shoulder of the burden, His hands were freed from the basket. + "You called in trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. + "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! + "Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. + "I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. + "But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. + "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. + "Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! + "I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. + "Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time [of punishment] would be forever. + "But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." + + + A Psalm of Asaph. God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. + How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah. + Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. + Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver [them] out of the hand of the wicked. + They do not know nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are shaken. + I said, "You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High. + "Nevertheless you will die like men And fall like [any] one of the princes." + Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations. + + + A Song, a Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. + For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. + They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. + They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more." + For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant: + The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; + Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; + Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot. Selah. + Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera [and] Jabin at the torrent of Kishon, + Who were destroyed at En-dor, Who became as dung for the ground. + Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, + Who said, "Let us possess for ourselves The pastures of God." + O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like chaff before the wind. + Like fire that burns the forest And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire, + So pursue them with Your tempest And terrify them with Your storm. + Fill their faces with dishonor, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. + Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, And let them be humiliated and perish, + That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth. + + + For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! + My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. + The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. + How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. + How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways [to Zion]! + Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. + They go from strength to strength, [Every one of them] appears before God in Zion. + O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. + Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. + For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [outside]. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. + For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. + O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. O LORD, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. + You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. + You withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger. + Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your indignation toward us to cease. + Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? + Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? + Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD, And grant us Your salvation. + I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly. + Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. + Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. + Truth springs from the earth, And righteousness looks down from heaven. + Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, And our land will yield its produce. + Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way. + + + A Prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, [and] answer me; For I am afflicted and needy. + Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You. + Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long. + Make glad the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. + For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. + Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications! + In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me. + There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. + All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. + For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. + Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. + I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. + For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. + O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set You before them. + But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. + Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid. + Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see [it] and be ashamed, Because You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. + + + A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song. His foundation is in the holy mountains. + The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the [other] dwelling places of Jacob. + Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. + "I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: 'This one was born there.'" + But of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; And the Most High Himself will establish her. + The LORD will count when He registers the peoples, "This one was born there." Selah. + Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes [shall say], "All my springs [of joy] are in you." + + + A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. + Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry! + For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. + I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, + Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand. + You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. + Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. + You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. + My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O LORD; I have spread out my hands to You. + Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise [and] praise You? Selah. + Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? + Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? + But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. + O LORD, why do You reject my soul? [Why] do You hide Your face from me? + I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. + Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. + They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether. + You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are [in] darkness. + + + A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. + For I have said, "Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness." + "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, + I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations." Selah. + The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. + For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD, + A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him? + O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. + You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. + You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. + The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them. + The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name. + You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted. + Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You. + How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. + In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted. + For You are the glory of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted. + For our shield belongs to the LORD, And our king to the Holy One of Israel. + Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, "I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. + "I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him, + With whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him. + "The enemy will not deceive him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. + "But I shall crush his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him. + "My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted. + "I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers. + "He will cry to Me, 'You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' + "I also shall make him [My] firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. + "My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. + "So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven. + "If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments, + If they violate My statutes And do not keep My commandments, + Then I will punish their transgression with the rod And their iniquity with stripes. + "But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. + "My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. + "Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. + "His descendants shall endure forever And his throne as the sun before Me. + "It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful." Selah. + But You have cast off and rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. + You have spurned the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown in the dust. + You have broken down all his walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. + All who pass along the way plunder him; He has become a reproach to his neighbors. + You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice. + You also turn back the edge of his sword And have not made him stand in battle. + You have made his splendor to cease And cast his throne to the ground. + You have shortened the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah. + How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? + Remember what my span of life is; For what vanity You have created all the sons of men! + What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah. + Where are Your former lovingkindnesses, O Lord, Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness? + Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants; How I bear in my bosom [the reproach of] all the many peoples, + With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed. + Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen. + + + A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. + Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. + You turn man back into dust And say, "Return, O children of men." + For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or [as] a watch in the night. + You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. + In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades and withers away. + For we have been consumed by Your anger And by Your wrath we have been dismayed. + You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret [sins] in the light of Your presence. + For all our days have declined in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. + As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is [but] labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. + Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? + So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. + Do return, O LORD; how long [will it be]? And be sorry for Your servants. + O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. + Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, [And] the years we have seen evil. + Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children. + Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands. + + + He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. + I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" + For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. + He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. + You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; + Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. + A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, [But] it shall not approach you. + You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. + For you have made the LORD, my refuge, [Even] the Most High, your dwelling place. + No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. + For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. + They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone. + You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. + "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him [securely] on high, because he has known My name. + "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. + "With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation." + + + A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; + To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, + With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, With resounding music upon the lyre. + For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. + How great are Your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep. + A senseless man has no knowledge, Nor does a stupid man understand this: + That when the wicked sprouted up like grass And all who did iniquity flourished, It [was only] that they might be destroyed forevermore. + But You, O LORD, are on high forever. + For, behold, Your enemies, O LORD, For, behold, Your enemies will perish; All who do iniquity will be scattered. + But You have exalted my horn like [that of] the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. + And my eye has looked [exultantly] upon my foes, My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me. + The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. + Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. + They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, + To declare that the LORD is upright; [He is] my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. + + + The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. + Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. + The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice, The floods lift up their pounding waves. + More than the sounds of many waters, [Than] the mighty breakers of the sea, The LORD on high is mighty. + Your testimonies are fully confirmed; Holiness befits Your house, O LORD, forevermore. + + + O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! + Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. + How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult? + They pour forth [words], they speak arrogantly; All who do wickedness vaunt themselves. + They crush Your people, O LORD, And afflict Your heritage. + They slay the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans. + They have said, "The LORD does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed." + Pay heed, you senseless among the people; And when will you understand, stupid ones? + He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? + He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke, [Even] He who teaches man knowledge? + The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a [mere] breath. + Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, And whom You teach out of Your law; + That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity, Until a pit is dug for the wicked. + For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. + For judgment will again be righteous, And all the upright in heart will follow it. + Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness? + If the LORD had not been my help, My soul would soon have dwelt in [the abode of] silence. + If I should say, "My foot has slipped," Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. + When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. + Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief by decree? + They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death. + But the LORD has been my stronghold, And my God the rock of my refuge. + He has brought back their wickedness upon them And will destroy them in their evil; The LORD our God will destroy them. + + + O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. + Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. + For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods, + In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. + The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. + Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. + For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, + Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, + "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. + "For forty years I loathed [that] generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. + "Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest." + + + Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. + Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. + Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. + For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. + For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. + Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. + Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. + Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. + Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. + Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity." + Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; + Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy + Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness. + + + The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad. + Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. + Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about. + His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled. + The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. + The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. + Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, Who boast themselves of idols; Worship Him, all you gods. + Zion heard [this] and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced Because of Your judgments, O LORD. + For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. + Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. + Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart. + Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, And give thanks to His holy name. + + + A Psalm. O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. + The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. + He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. + Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. + Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody. + With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. + Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. + Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy + Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity. + + + The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned [above] the cherubim, let the earth shake! + The LORD is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples. + Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He. + The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. + Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He. + Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them. + He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them. + O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And [yet] an avenger of their [evil] deeds. + Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our God. + + + A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. + Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. + Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; [We are] His people and the sheep of His pasture. + Enter His gates with thanksgiving [And] His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. + For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. + + + A Psalm of David. I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, To You, O LORD, I will sing praises. + I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. + I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me. + A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil. + Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure. + My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me. + He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me. + Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, So as to cut off from the city of the LORD all those who do iniquity. + + + A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to You. + Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly. + For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth. + My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away, Indeed, I forget to eat my bread. + Because of the loudness of my groaning My bones cling to my flesh. + I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places. + I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. + My enemies have reproached me all day long; Those who deride me have used my [name] as a curse. + For I have eaten ashes like bread And mingled my drink with weeping + Because of Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted me up and cast me away. + My days are like a lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass. + But You, O LORD, abide forever, And Your name to all generations. + You will arise [and] have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come. + Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones And feel pity for her dust. + So the nations will fear the name of the LORD And all the kings of the earth Your glory. + For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory. + He has regarded the prayer of the destitute And has not despised their prayer. + This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD. + For He looked down from His holy height; From heaven the LORD gazed upon the earth, + To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To set free those who were doomed to death, + That [men] may tell of the name of the LORD in Zion And His praise in Jerusalem, + When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. + He has weakened my strength in the way; He has shortened my days. + I say, "O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your years are throughout all generations. + "Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. + "Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. + "But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end. + "The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You." + + + [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, [bless] His holy name. + Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; + Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; + Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; + Who satisfies your years with good things, [So that] your youth is renewed like the eagle. + The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. + He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. + The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. + He will not always strive [with us], Nor will He keep [His anger] forever. + He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. + For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. + As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. + Just as a father has compassion on [his] children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. + For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are [but] dust. + As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. + When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. + But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, + To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. + The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. + Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! + Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. + Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul! + + + Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, + Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out heaven like a [tent] curtain. + He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind; + He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers. + He established the earth upon its foundations, So that it will not totter forever and ever. + You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. + At Your rebuke they fled, At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. + The mountains rose; the valleys sank down To the place which You established for them. + You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth. + He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains; + They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. + Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; They lift up [their] voices among the branches. + He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works. + He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, + And wine which makes man's heart glad, So that he may make [his] face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man's heart. + The trees of the LORD drink their fill, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, + Where the birds build their nests, [And] the stork, whose home is the fir trees. + The high mountains are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the shephanim. + He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the place of its setting. + You appoint darkness and it becomes night, In which all the beasts of the forest prowl about. + The young lions roar after their prey And seek their food from God. + [When] the sun rises they withdraw And lie down in their dens. + Man goes forth to his work And to his labor until evening. + O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions. + There is the sea, great and broad, In which are swarms without number, Animals both small and great. + There the ships move along, [And] Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it. + They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. + You give to them, they gather [it] up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. + You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust. + You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground. + Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works; + He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke. + I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. + Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD. + Let sinners be consumed from the earth And let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD! + + + Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. + Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. + Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. + Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. + Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth, + O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! + He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. + He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, + [The] [covenant] which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. + Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, + Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance," + When they were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it. + And they wandered about from nation to nation, From [one] kingdom to another people. + He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes: + "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm." + And He called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread. + He sent a man before them, Joseph, [who] was sold as a slave. + They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; + Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him. + The king sent and released him, The ruler of peoples, and set him free. + He made him lord of his house And ruler over all his possessions, + To imprison his princes at will, That he might teach his elders wisdom. + Israel also came into Egypt; Thus Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. + And He caused His people to be very fruitful, And made them stronger than their adversaries. + He turned their heart to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants. + He sent Moses His servant, [And] Aaron, whom He had chosen. + They performed His wondrous acts among them, And miracles in the land of Ham. + He sent darkness and made [it] dark; And they did not rebel against His words. + He turned their waters into blood And caused their fish to die. + Their land swarmed with frogs [Even] in the chambers of their kings. + He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies [And] gnats in all their territory. + He gave them hail for rain, [And] flaming fire in their land. + He struck down their vines also and their fig trees, And shattered the trees of their territory. + He spoke, and locusts came, And young locusts, even without number, + And ate up all vegetation in their land, And ate up the fruit of their ground. + He also struck down all the firstborn in their land, The first fruits of all their vigor. + Then He brought them out with silver and gold, And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled. + Egypt was glad when they departed, For the dread of them had fallen upon them. + He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to illumine by night. + They asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. + He opened the rock and water flowed out; It ran in the dry places [like] a river. + For He remembered His holy word [With] Abraham His servant; + And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout. + He gave them also the lands of the nations, That they might take possession of [the fruit of] the peoples' labor, + So that they might keep His statutes And observe His laws, Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the LORD, Or can show forth all His praise? + How blessed are those who keep justice, Who practice righteousness at all times! + Remember me, O LORD, in [Your] favor toward Your people; Visit me with Your salvation, + That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance. + We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. + Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. + Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known. + Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up, And He led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness. + So He saved them from the hand of the one who hated [them], And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. + The waters covered their adversaries; Not one of them was left. + Then they believed His words; They sang His praise. + They quickly forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, + But craved intensely in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. + So He gave them their request, But sent a wasting disease among them. + When they became envious of Moses in the camp, And of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, + The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And engulfed the company of Abiram. + And a fire blazed up in their company; The flame consumed the wicked. + They made a calf in Horeb And worshiped a molten image. + Thus they exchanged their glory For the image of an ox that eats grass. + They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, + Wonders in the land of Ham [And] awesome things by the Red Sea. + Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying [them]. + Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe in His word, + But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the LORD. + Therefore He swore to them That He would cast them down in the wilderness, + And that He would cast their seed among the nations And scatter them in the lands. + They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. + Thus they provoked [Him] to anger with their deeds, And the plague broke out among them. + Then Phinehas stood up and interposed, And so the plague was stayed. + And it was reckoned to him for righteousness, To all generations forever. + They also provoked [Him] to wrath at the waters of Meribah, So that it went hard with Moses on their account; + Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips. + They did not destroy the peoples, As the LORD commanded them, + But they mingled with the nations And learned their practices, + And served their idols, Which became a snare to them. + They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, + And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. + Thus they became unclean in their practices, And played the harlot in their deeds. + Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people And He abhorred His inheritance. + Then He gave them into the hand of the nations, And those who hated them ruled over them. + Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were subdued under their power. + Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, And [so] sank down in their iniquity. + Nevertheless He looked upon their distress When He heard their cry; + And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. + He also made them [objects] of compassion In the presence of all their captors. + Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us from among the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name And glory in Your praise. + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the LORD! + + + Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Let the redeemed of the LORD say [so], Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary + And gathered from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. + They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited city. + [They were] hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them. + Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. + He led them also by a straight way, To go to an inhabited city. + Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! + For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good. + There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, Prisoners in misery and chains, + Because they had rebelled against the words of God And spurned the counsel of the Most High. + Therefore He humbled their heart with labor; They stumbled and there was none to help. + Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. + He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death And broke their bands apart. + Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! + For He has shattered gates of bronze And cut bars of iron asunder. + Fools, because of their rebellious way, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. + Their soul abhorred all kinds of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. + Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. + He sent His word and healed them, And delivered [them] from their destructions. + Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! + Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing. + Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters; + They have seen the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. + For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea. + They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in [their] misery. + They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, And were at their wits' end. + Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. + He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. + Then they were glad because they were quiet, So He guided them to their desired haven. + Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! + Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders. + He changes rivers into a wilderness And springs of water into a thirsty ground; + A fruitful land into a salt waste, Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. + He changes a wilderness into a pool of water And a dry land into springs of water; + And there He makes the hungry to dwell, So that they may establish an inhabited city, + And sow fields and plant vineyards, And gather a fruitful harvest. + Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly, And He does not let their cattle decrease. + When they are diminished and bowed down Through oppression, misery and sorrow, + He pours contempt upon princes And makes them wander in a pathless waste. + But He sets the needy securely on high away from affliction, And makes [his] families like a flock. + The upright see it and are glad; But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth. + Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD. + + + A Song, a Psalm of David. My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. + Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn! + I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. + For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, And Your truth [reaches] to the skies. + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, And Your glory above all the earth. + That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and answer me! + God has spoken in His holiness: "I will exult, I will portion out Shechem And measure out the valley of Succoth. + "Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter. + "Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I shall throw My shoe; Over Philistia I will shout aloud." + Who will bring me into the besieged city? Who will lead me to Edom? + Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us? And will You not go forth with our armies, O God? + Oh give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. + Through God we will do valiantly, And it is He who shall tread down our adversaries. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, Do not be silent! + For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. + They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without cause. + In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am [in] prayer. + Thus they have repaid me evil for good And hatred for my love. + Appoint a wicked man over him, And let an accuser stand at his right hand. + When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, And let his prayer become sin. + Let his days be few; Let another take his office. + Let his children be fatherless And his wife a widow. + Let his children wander about and beg; And let them seek [sustenance] far from their ruined homes. + Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder the product of his labor. + Let there be none to extend lovingkindness to him, Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children. + Let his posterity be cut off; In a following generation let their name be blotted out. + Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. + Let them be before the LORD continually, That He may cut off their memory from the earth; + Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness, But persecuted the afflicted and needy man, And the despondent in heart, to put [them] to death. + He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. + But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it entered into his body like water And like oil into his bones. + Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself. + Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, And of those who speak evil against my soul. + But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal [kindly] with me for Your name's sake; Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me; + For I am afflicted and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. + I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like the locust. + My knees are weak from fasting, And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness. + I also have become a reproach to them; When they see me, they wag their head. + Help me, O LORD my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness. + And let them know that this is Your hand; You, LORD, have done it. + Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, they shall be ashamed, But Your servant shall be glad. + Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. + With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; And in the midst of many I will praise Him. + For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul. + + + A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." + The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, [saying], "Rule in the midst of Your enemies." + Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You [as] the dew. + The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." + The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. + He will judge among the nations, He will fill [them] with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. + He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up [His] head. + + + Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all [my] heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. + Great are the works of the LORD; [They are] studied by all who delight in them. + Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness endures forever. + He has made His wonders to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and compassionate. + He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever. + He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. + The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure. + They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. + He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. + The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do [His commandments]; His praise endures forever. + + + Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. + His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. + Wealth and riches are in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. + Light arises in the darkness for the upright; [He is] gracious and compassionate and righteous. + It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. + For he will never be shaken; The righteous will be remembered forever. + He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. + His heart is upheld, he will not fear, Until he looks [with satisfaction] on his adversaries. + He has given freely to the poor, His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor. + The wicked will see it and be vexed, He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked will perish. + + + Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the LORD. + Blessed be the name of the LORD From this time forth and forever. + From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised. + The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. + Who is like the LORD our God, Who is enthroned on high, + Who humbles Himself to behold [The things that are] in heaven and in the earth? + He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap, + To make [them] sit with princes, With the princes of His people. + He makes the barren woman abide in the house [As] a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD! + + + When Israel went forth from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, + Judah became His sanctuary, Israel, His dominion. + The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back. + The mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs. + What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? + O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? + Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, Before the God of Jacob, + Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of water. + + + Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. + Why should the nations say, "Where, now, is their God?" + But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. + Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man's hands. + They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; + They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; + They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. + Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them. + O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. + O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. + You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. + The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless [us]; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. + He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great. + May the LORD give you increase, You and your children. + May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth. + The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. + The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor [do] any who go down into silence; + But as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD! + + + I love the LORD, because He hears My voice [and] my supplications. + Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call [upon Him] as long as I live. + The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. + Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!" + Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. + The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. + Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. + For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling. + I shall walk before the LORD In the land of the living. + I believed when I said, "I am greatly afflicted." + I said in my alarm, "All men are liars." + What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? + I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the LORD. + I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh [may it be] in the presence of all His people. + Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones. + O LORD, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, You have loosed my bonds. + To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the LORD. + I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh [may it be] in the presence of all His people, + In the courts of the LORD'S house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! + For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Oh let Israel say, "His lovingkindness is everlasting." + Oh let the house of Aaron say, "His lovingkindness is everlasting." + Oh let those who fear the LORD say, "His lovingkindness is everlasting." + From [my] distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me [and] [set me] in a large place. + The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? + The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I will look [with satisfaction] on those who hate me. + It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. + It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes. + All nations surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. + They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. + They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. + You pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the LORD helped me. + The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. + The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. + The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. + I will not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD. + The LORD has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death. + Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. + This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous will enter through it. + I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation. + The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner [stone]. + This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. + This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. + O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity! + Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. + The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. + You are my God, and I give thanks to You; [You are] my God, I extol You. + Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + + + Aleph. How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD. + How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all [their] heart. + They also do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways. + You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep [them] diligently. + Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your statutes! + Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your commandments. + I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. + I shall keep Your statutes; Do not forsake me utterly! Beth. + How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping [it] according to Your word. + With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. + Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. + Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes. + With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. + I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. + I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. + I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. Gimel. + Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. + Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. + I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. + My soul is crushed with longing After Your ordinances at all times. + You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Your commandments. + Take away reproach and contempt from me, For I observe Your testimonies. + Even though princes sit [and] talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes. + Your testimonies also are my delight; [They are] my counselors. Daleth. + My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. + I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; Teach me Your statutes. + Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders. + My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word. + Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your law. + I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances [before me]. + I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame! + I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart. He. + Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. + Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all [my] heart. + Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. + Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to [dishonest] gain. + Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. + Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. + Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. + Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness. Vav. + May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your word; + So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. + And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances. + So I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. + And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. + I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed. + I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love. + And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. Zayin. + Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope. + This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me. + The arrogant utterly deride me, [Yet] I do not turn aside from Your law. + I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD, And comfort myself. + Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law. + Your statutes are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. + O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law. + This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts. Heth. + The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. + I sought Your favor with all [my] heart; Be gracious to me according to Your word. + I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies. + I hastened and did not delay To keep Your commandments. + The cords of the wicked have encircled me, [But] I have not forgotten Your law. + At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances. + I am a companion of all those who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. + The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes. Teth. + You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word. + Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Your commandments. + Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. + You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes. + The arrogant have forged a lie against me; With all [my] heart I will observe Your precepts. + Their heart is covered with fat, [But] I delight in Your law. + It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. + The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver [pieces]. Yodh. + Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. + May those who fear You see me and be glad, Because I wait for Your word. + I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. + O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant. + May Your compassion come to me that I may live, For Your law is my delight. + May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie; [But] I shall meditate on Your precepts. + May those who fear You turn to me, Even those who know Your testimonies. + May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed. Kaph. + My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. + My eyes fail [with longing] for Your word, While I say, "When will You comfort me?" + Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes. + How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me? + The arrogant have dug pits for me, [Men] who are not in accord with Your law. + All Your commandments are faithful; They have persecuted me with a lie; help me! + They almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts. + Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Lamedh. + Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. + Your faithfulness [continues] throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. + They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants. + If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction. + I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me. + I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts. + The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies. + I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad. Mem. + O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. + Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. + I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. + I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts. + I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. + I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me. + How sweet are Your words to my taste! [Yes, sweeter] than honey to my mouth! + From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Nun. + Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. + I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances. + I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. + O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your ordinances. + My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. + The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts. + I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart. + I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, [even] to the end. Samekh. + I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Your law. + You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word. + Depart from me, evildoers, That I may observe the commandments of my God. + Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. + Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have regard for Your statutes continually. + You have rejected all those who wander from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless. + You have removed all the wicked of the earth [like] dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies. + My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments. Ayin. + I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. + Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me. + My eyes fail [with longing] for Your salvation And for Your righteous word. + Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness And teach me Your statutes. + I am Your servant; give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies. + It is time for the LORD to act, [For] they have broken Your law. + Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold. + Therefore I esteem right all [Your] precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way. Pe. + Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them. + The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. + I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments. + Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Your manner with those who love Your name. + Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. + Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. + Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. + My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your law. Tsadhe. + Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments. + You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness And exceeding faithfulness. + My zeal has consumed me, Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words. + Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it. + I am small and despised, [Yet] I do not forget Your precepts. + Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. + Trouble and anguish have come upon me, [Yet] Your commandments are my delight. + Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live. Qoph. + I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will observe Your statutes. + I cried to You; save me And I shall keep Your testimonies. + I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. + My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. + Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your ordinances. + Those who follow after wickedness draw near; They are far from Your law. + You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth. + Of old I have known from Your testimonies That You have founded them forever. Resh. + Look upon my affliction and rescue me, For I do not forget Your law. + Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. + Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes. + Great are Your mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your ordinances. + Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, [Yet] I do not turn aside from Your testimonies. + I behold the treacherous and loathe [them], Because they do not keep Your word. + Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. + The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. Shin. + Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your words. + I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great spoil. + I hate and despise falsehood, [But] I love Your law. + Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances. + Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. + I hope for Your salvation, O LORD, And do Your commandments. + My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly. + I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are before You. Tav. + Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word. + Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word. + Let my lips utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes. + Let my tongue sing of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness. + Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts. + I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight. + Let my soul live that it may praise You, And let Your ordinances help me. + I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments. + + + A Song of Ascents. In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me. + Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue. + What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, You deceitful tongue? + Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the [burning] coals of the broom tree. + Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, For I dwell among the tents of Kedar! + Too long has my soul had its dwelling With those who hate peace. + I am [for] peace, but when I speak, They are for war. + + + A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? + My help [comes] from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. + He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. + Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. + The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. + The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. + The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. + The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever. + + + A Song of Ascents, of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." + Our feet are standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem, + Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is compact together; + To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD-- An ordinance for Israel-- To give thanks to the name of the LORD. + For there thrones were set for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. + Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. + "May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces." + For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you." + For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good. + + + A Song of Ascents. To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens! + Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes [look] to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. + Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us, For we are greatly filled with contempt. + Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, [And] with the contempt of the proud. + + + A Song of Ascents, of David. "Had it not been the LORD who was on our side," Let Israel now say, + "Had it not been the LORD who was on our side When men rose up against us, + Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us; + Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul; + Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul." + Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. + Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. + Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. + + + A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. + As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. + For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong. + Do good, O LORD, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts. + But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel. + + + A Song of Ascents. When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream. + Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." + The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad. + Restore our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. + Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. + He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying [his] bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves [with him]. + + + A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. + It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved [even in his] sleep. + Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. + Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. + How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate. + + + A Song of Ascents. How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. + When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you. + Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. + Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD. + The LORD bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. + Indeed, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel! + + + A Song of Ascents. "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up," Let Israel now say, + "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me. + "The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows." + The LORD is righteous; He has cut in two the cords of the wicked. + May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward; + Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up; + With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom; + Nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD." + + + A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. + Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. + If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? + But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. + I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. + My soul [waits] for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; [Indeed, more than] the watchmen for the morning. + O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. + And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities. + + + A Song of Ascents, of David. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. + Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [rests] against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. + O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever. + + + A Song of Ascents. Remember, O LORD, on David's behalf, All his affliction; + How he swore to the LORD And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, + "Surely I will not enter my house, Nor lie on my bed; + I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, + Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." + Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah, We found it in the field of Jaar. + Let us go into His dwelling place; Let us worship at His footstool. + Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. + Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your godly ones sing for joy. + For the sake of David Your servant, Do not turn away the face of Your anointed. + The LORD has sworn to David A truth from which He will not turn back: "Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne. + "If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I will teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever." + For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. + "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. + "I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. + "Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy. + "There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. + "His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon himself his crown shall shine." + + + A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! + It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, [Even] Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. + It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forever. + + + A Song of Ascents. Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD, Who serve by night in the house of the LORD! + Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD. + May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth. + + + Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise [Him], O servants of the LORD, + You who stand in the house of the LORD, In the courts of the house of our God! + Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely. + For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession. + For I know that the LORD is great And that our Lord is above all gods. + Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. + He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries. + He smote the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast. + He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all his servants. + He smote many nations And slew mighty kings, + Sihon, king of the Amorites, And Og, king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan; + And He gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people. + Your name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations. + For the LORD will judge His people And will have compassion on His servants. + The idols of the nations are [but] silver and gold, The work of man's hands. + They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; + They have ears, but they do not hear, Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths. + Those who make them will be like them, [Yes], everyone who trusts in them. + O house of Israel, bless the LORD; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD; + O house of Levi, bless the LORD; You who revere the LORD, bless the LORD. + Blessed be the LORD from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; + To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; + To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; + To Him who made [the] great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: + The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + And brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; + But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; + To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: + Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, + And has rescued us from our adversaries, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; + Who gives food to all flesh, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. + + + By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. + Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. + For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, [saying], "Sing us one of the songs of Zion." + How can we sing the LORD'S song In a foreign land? + If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget [her skill]. + May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. + Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, "Raze it, raze it To its very foundation." + O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, How blessed will be the one who repays you With the recompense with which you have repaid us. + How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock. + + + [A Psalm] of David. I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. + I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. + On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul. + All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth. + And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. + For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar. + Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. + The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known [me]. + You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. + You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. + Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. + You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. + [Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is [too] high, I cannot attain to it. + Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? + If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. + If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, + Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. + If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night," + Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike [to You]. + For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. + I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. + My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, [And] skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; + Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained [for me], When as yet there was not one of them. + How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! + If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. + O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. + For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take [Your name] in vain. + Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? + I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. + Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; + And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. + + + For the choir director. A Psalm of David. Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men + Who devise evil things in [their] hearts; They continually stir up wars. + They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah. + Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men Who have purposed to trip up my feet. + The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set snares for me. Selah. + I said to the LORD, "You are my God; Give ear, O LORD, to the voice of my supplications. + "O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. + "Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; Do not promote his [evil] device, [that] they [not] be exalted. Selah. + "As for the head of those who surround me, May the mischief of their lips cover them. + "May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot rise. + "May a slanderer not be established in the earth; May evil hunt the violent man speedily." + I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted And justice for the poor. + Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence. + + + A Psalm of David. O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to You! + May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. + Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. + Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness With men who do iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. + Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds. + Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant. + As when one plows and breaks open the earth, Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. + For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless. + Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the snares of those who do iniquity. + Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I pass by safely. + + + Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. + I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. + When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me. + Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. + I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. + "Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me. + "Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me." + + + A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! + And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. + For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. + Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me. + I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. + I stretch out my hands to You; My soul [longs] for You, as a parched land. Selah. + Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. + Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. + Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I take refuge in You. + Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. + For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. + And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am Your servant. + + + [A Psalm] of David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, [And] my fingers for battle; + My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. + O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? + Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow. + Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, that they may smoke. + Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Send out Your arrows and confuse them. + Stretch forth Your hand from on high; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens + Whose mouths speak deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. + I will sing a new song to You, O God; Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, + Who gives salvation to kings, Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword. + Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaks deceit And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. + Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace; + Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce, [And] our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; + Let our cattle bear Without mishap and without loss, [Let there be] no outcry in our streets! + How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD! + + + [A Psalm] of Praise, of David. I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. + Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. + Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. + One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. + On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. + Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. + They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. + The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. + The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works. + All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You. + They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power; + To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. + Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion [endures] throughout all generations. + The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down. + The eyes of all look to You, And You give them their food in due time. + You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. + The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds. + The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. + He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. + The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. + My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever. + + + Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! + I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. + Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. + His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. + How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, + Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; + Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free. + The LORD opens [the eyes of] the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous; + The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked. + The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant [and] praise is becoming. + The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. + He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. + He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. + Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. + The LORD supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground. + Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises to our God on the lyre, + Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. + He gives to the beast its food, [And] to the young ravens which cry. + He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. + The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. + Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! + For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your sons within you. + He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. + He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. + He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. + He casts forth His ice as fragments; Who can stand before His cold? + He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. + He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. + He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! + Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! + Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! + Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! + Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. + He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away. + Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; + Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; + Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; + Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; + Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; + Both young men and virgins; Old men and children. + Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven. + And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; [Even] for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, [And] His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. + Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. + Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. + For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation. + Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. + [Let] the high praises of God [be] in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, + To execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples, + To bind their kings with chains And their nobles with fetters of iron, + To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. + Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. + Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. + Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. + Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. + Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! + + + + + The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: + To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, + To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; + To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, + A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, + To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. + The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. + Hear, my son, your father's instruction And do not forsake your mother's teaching; + Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck. + My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. + If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; + Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; + We will find all [kinds] of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; + Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse," + My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, + For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. + Indeed, it is useless to spread the [baited] net In the sight of any bird; + But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. + So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. + Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; + At the head of the noisy [streets] she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: + "How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? + "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. + "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; + And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; + I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, + When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. + "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, + Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. + "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. + "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. + "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. + "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." + + + My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, + Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; + For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; + If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; + Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. + For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth [come] knowledge and understanding. + He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; [He is] a shield to those who walk in integrity, + Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. + Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity [and] every good course. + For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; + Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, + To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; + From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; + Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; + Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; + To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; + That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; + For her house sinks down to death And her tracks [lead] to the dead; + None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life. + So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous. + For the upright will live in the land And the blameless will remain in it; + But the wicked will be cut off from the land And the treacherous will be uprooted from it. + + + My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; + For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. + Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. + So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. + Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. + In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. + Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. + It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. + Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; + So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. + My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, + For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father [corrects] the son in whom he delights. + How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. + For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. + She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. + Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. + Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. + She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. + The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. + By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. + My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, + So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. + Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. + When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. + Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; + For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. + Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do [it]. + Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give [it]," When you have it with you. + Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. + Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. + Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. + For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. + The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. + Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. + The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor. + + + Hear, [O] sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding, + For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction. + When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, + Then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live; + Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. + "Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. + "The beginning of wisdom [is]: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. + "Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. + "She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty." + Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many. + I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. + When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble. + Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. + Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. + Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on. + For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make [someone] stumble. + For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence. + But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. + The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. + My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. + Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. + For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. + Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it [flow] the springs of life. + Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. + Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. + Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. + Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. + + + My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; + That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge. + For the lips of an adulteress drip honey And smoother than oil is her speech; + But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. + Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol. + She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know [it]. + Now then, [my] sons, listen to me And do not depart from the words of my mouth. + Keep your way far from her And do not go near the door of her house, + Or you will give your vigor to others And your years to the cruel one; + And strangers will be filled with your strength And your hard-earned goods [will go] to the house of an alien; + And you groan at your final end, When your flesh and your body are consumed; + And you say, "How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof! + "I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to my instructors! + "I was almost in utter ruin In the midst of the assembly and congregation." + Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well. + Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? + Let them be yours alone And not for strangers with you. + Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. + [As] a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love. + For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner? + For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. + His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin. + He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray. + + + My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, + [If] you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth, + Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. + Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; + Deliver yourself like a gazelle from [the hunter's] hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. + Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, + Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, + Prepares her food in the summer [And] gathers her provision in the harvest. + How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? + "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest "-- + Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man. + A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, + Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; + Who [with] perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife. + Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. + There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: + Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, + A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, + A false witness [who] utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. + My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; + Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. + When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. + For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life + To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress. + Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelids. + For on account of a harlot [one is reduced] to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life. + Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned? + Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched? + So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished. + Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; + But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. + The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it. + Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out. + For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. + He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts. + + + My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you. + Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. + Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. + Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," And call understanding [your] intimate friend; + That they may keep you from an adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words. + For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, + And I saw among the naive, [And] discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense, + Passing through the street near her corner; And he takes the way to her house, + In the twilight, in the evening, In the middle of the night and [in] the darkness. + And behold, a woman [comes] to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. + She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home; + [She is] now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. + So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him: + "I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows. + "Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you. + "I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt. + "I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. + "Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses. + "For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey; + He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home." + With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him. + Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the discipline of a fool, + Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it [will cost him] his life. + Now therefore, [my] sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth. + Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths. + For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain. + Her house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the chambers of death. + + + Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? + On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; + Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: + "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. + "O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom. + "Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips [will reveal] right things. + "For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. + "All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. + "They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. + "Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold. + "For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her. + "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge [and] discretion. + "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. + "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. + "By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. + "By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly. + "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. + "Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness. + "My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield [better] than choicest silver. + "I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, + To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. + "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. + "From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. + "When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. + "Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; + While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world. + "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, + When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, + When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; + Then I was beside Him, [as] a master workman; And I was daily [His] delight, Rejoicing always before Him, + Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And [having] my delight in the sons of men. + "Now therefore, [O] sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. + "Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect [it]. + "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. + "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD. + "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death." + + + Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; + She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table; + She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the tops of the heights of the city: + "Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks understanding she says, + "Come, eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed. + "Forsake [your] folly and live, And proceed in the way of understanding." + He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man [gets] insults for himself. + Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you. + Give [instruction] to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase [his] learning. + The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. + For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. + If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. + The woman of folly is boisterous, [She is] naive and knows nothing. + She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by the high places of the city, + Calling to those who pass by, Who are making their paths straight: + "Whoever is naive, let him turn in here," And to him who lacks understanding she says, + "Stolen water is sweet; And bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant." + But he does not know that the dead are there, [That] her guests are in the depths of Sheol. + + + The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother. + Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness delivers from death. + The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked. + Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. + He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, [But] he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully. + Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. + The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. + The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined. + He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out. + He who winks the eye causes trouble, And a babbling fool will be ruined. + The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. + Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions. + On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding. + Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand. + The rich man's wealth is his fortress, The ruin of the poor is their poverty. + The wages of the righteous is life, The income of the wicked, punishment. + He is [on] the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray. + He who conceals hatred [has] lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. + When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise. + The tongue of the righteous is [as] choice silver, The heart of the wicked is [worth] little. + The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding. + It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. + Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, And [so is] wisdom to a man of understanding. + What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted. + When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous [has] an everlasting foundation. + Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him. + The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. + The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. + The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity. + The righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not dwell in the land. + The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out. + The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted. + + + A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight. + When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. + The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. + Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. + The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. + The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by [their own] greed. + When a wicked man dies, [his] expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. + The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place. + With [his] mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. + When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting. + By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down. + He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent. + He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter. + Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory. + He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates being a guarantor is secure. + A gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches. + The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm. + The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness [gets] a true reward. + He who is steadfast in righteousness [will attain] to life, And he who pursues evil [will bring about] his own death. + The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in [their] walk are His delight. + Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered. + [As] a ring of gold in a swine's snout [So is] a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. + The desire of the righteous is only good, [But] the expectation of the wicked is wrath. + There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, [and yet it results] only in want. + The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. + He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells [it]. + He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him. + He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the [green] leaf. + He who troubles his own house will inherit wind, And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted. + The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls. + If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner! + + + Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid. + A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil. + A man will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous will not be moved. + An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames [him] is like rottenness in his bones. + The thoughts of the righteous are just, [But] the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. + The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, But the mouth of the upright will deliver them. + The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand. + A man will be praised according to his insight, But one of perverse mind will be despised. + Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant Than he who honors himself and lacks bread. + A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But [even] the compassion of the wicked is cruel. + He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who pursues worthless [things] lacks sense. + The wicked man desires the booty of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields [fruit]. + An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble. + A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man's hands will return to him. + The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel. + A fool's anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor. + He who speaks truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit. + There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing. + Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is only for a moment. + Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. + No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble. + Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight. + A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims folly. + The hand of the diligent will rule, But the slack [hand] will be put to forced labor. + Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad. + The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. + A lazy man does not roast his prey, But the precious possession of a man [is] diligence. + In the way of righteousness is life, And in [its] pathway there is no death. + + + A wise son [accepts his] father's discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. + From the fruit of a man's mouth he enjoys good, But the desire of the treacherous is violence. + The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. + The soul of the sluggard craves and [gets] nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat. + A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. + Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness subverts the sinner. + There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; [Another] pretends to be poor, but has great wealth. + The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke. + The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked goes out. + Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel. + Wealth [obtained] by fraud dwindles, But the one who gathers by labor increases [it]. + Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life. + The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. + The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death. + Good understanding produces favor, But the way of the treacherous is hard. + Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly. + A wicked messenger falls into adversity, But a faithful envoy [brings] healing. + Poverty and shame [will come] to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored. + Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil. + He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. + Adversity pursues sinners, But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity. + A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. + Abundant food [is in] the fallow ground of the poor, But it is swept away by injustice. + He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. + The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of the wicked is in need. + + + The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands. + He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. + In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for [his] back, But the lips of the wise will protect them. + Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue [comes] by the strength of the ox. + A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness utters lies. + A scoffer seeks wisdom and [finds] none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. + Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge. + The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit. + Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will. + The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy. + The house of the wicked will be destroyed, But the tent of the upright will flourish. + There is a way [which seems] right to a man, But its end is the way of death. + Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief. + The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways, But a good man will [be satisfied] with his. + The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps. + A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. + A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated. + The naive inherit foolishness, But the sensible are crowned with knowledge. + The evil will bow down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. + The poor is hated even by his neighbor, But those who love the rich are many. + He who despises his neighbor sins, But happy is he who is gracious to the poor. + Will they not go astray who devise evil? But kindness and truth [will be to] those who devise good. + In all labor there is profit, But mere talk [leads] only to poverty. + The crown of the wise is their riches, [But] the folly of fools is foolishness. + A truthful witness saves lives, But he who utters lies is treacherous. + In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. + The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. + In a multitude of people is a king's glory, But in the dearth of people is a prince's ruin. + He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. + A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones. + He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. + The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing, But the righteous has a refuge when he dies. + Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the hearts of fools it is made known. + Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to [any] people. + The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully. + + + A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. + The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly. + The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. + A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit. + A fool rejects his father's discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible. + Great wealth is [in] the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked. + The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. + The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. + The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness. + Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will die. + Sheol and Abaddon [lie open] before the LORD, How much more the hearts of men! + A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. + A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. + The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly. + All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart [has] a continual feast. + Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it. + Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox [served] with hatred. + A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute. + The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway. + A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. + Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight. + Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed. + A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word! + The path of life [leads] upward for the wise That he may keep away from Sheol below. + The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. + Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD, But pleasant words are pure. + He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. + The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. + The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. + Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good news puts fat on the bones. + He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. + He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. + The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor [comes] humility. + + + The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. + All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives. + Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established. + The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. + Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. + By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. + When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. + Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. + The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. + A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment. + A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern. + It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. + Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved. + The fury of a king is [like] messengers of death, But a wise man will appease it. + In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain. + How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. + The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life. + Pride [goes] before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. + It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud. + He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. + The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. + Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of fools is folly. + The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips. + Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. + There is a way [which seems] right to a man, But its end is the way of death. + A worker's appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him [on]. + A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire. + A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends. + A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good. + He who winks his eyes [does so] to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass. + A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness. + He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. + The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD. + + + Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife. + A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. + The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts. + An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. + He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. + Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers. + Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince. + A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers. + He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. + A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. + A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. + Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. + He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. + The beginning of strife is [like] letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. + He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. + Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? + A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. + A man lacking in sense pledges And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor. + He who loves transgression loves strife; He who raises his door seeks destruction. + He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil. + He who sires a fool [does so] to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. + A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. + A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice. + Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. + A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him. + It is also not good to fine the righteous, [Nor] to strike the noble for [their] uprightness. + He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. + Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is [considered] prudent. + + + He who separates himself seeks [his own] desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom. + A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind. + When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, And with dishonor [comes] scorn. + The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. + To show partiality to the wicked is not good, [Nor] to thrust aside the righteous in judgment. + A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows. + A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. + The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. + He also who is slack in his work Is brother to him who destroys. + The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. + A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. + Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility [goes] before honor. + He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him. + The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But [as for] a broken spirit who can bear it? + The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. + A man's gift makes room for him And brings him before great men. + The first to plead his case [seems] right, [Until] another comes and examines him. + The [cast] lot puts an end to strife And decides between the mighty ones. + A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel. + With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied [with] the product of his lips. + Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. + He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD. + The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly. + A man of [too many] friends [comes] to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. + + + Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. + Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. + The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD. + Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. + A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. + Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. + All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues [them with] words, [but] they are gone. + He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. + A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. + Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes. + A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression. + The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. + A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. + House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. + Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger. + He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, [But] he who is careless of conduct will die. + One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed. + Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death. + [A man of] great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue [him], you will only have to do it again. + Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. + Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. + What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And [it is] better to be a poor man than a liar. + The fear of the LORD [leads] to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. + The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, [But] will not even bring it back to his mouth. + Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge. + He who assaults [his] father [and] drives [his] mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son. + Cease listening, my son, to discipline, [And you will] stray from the words of knowledge. + A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity. + Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And blows for the back of fools. + + + Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. + The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. + Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel. + The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing. + A plan in the heart of a man is [like] deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. + Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man? + A righteous man who walks in his integrity-- How blessed are his sons after him. + A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes. + Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin "? + Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD. + It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right. + The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them. + Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes, [and] you will be satisfied with food. + "Bad, bad," says the buyer, But when he goes his way, then he boasts. + There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing. + Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for foreigners, hold him in pledge. + Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. + Prepare plans by consultation, And make war by wise guidance. + He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip. + He who curses his father or his mother, His lamp will go out in time of darkness. + An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end. + Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. + Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD, And a false scale is not good. + Man's steps are [ordained] by the LORD, How then can man understand his way? + It is a trap for a man to say rashly, "It is holy!" And after the vows to make inquiry. + A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the [threshing] wheel over them. + The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. + Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness. + The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair. + Stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes [reach] the innermost parts. + + + The king's heart is [like] channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. + Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. + To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice. + Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin. + The plans of the diligent [lead] surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty [comes] surely to poverty. + The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death. + The violence of the wicked will drag them away, Because they refuse to act with justice. + The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright. + It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. + The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. + When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. + The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked to ruin. + He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered. + A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath. + The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity. + A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead. + He who loves pleasure [will become] a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich. + The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous is in the place of the upright. + It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and vexing woman. + There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up. + He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor. + A wise man scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust. + He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. + "Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride. + The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work; + All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back. + The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent! + A false witness will perish, But the man who listens [to the truth] will speak forever. + A wicked man displays a bold face, But as for the upright, he makes his way sure. + There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. + The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD. + + + A [good] name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. + The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all. + The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it. + The reward of humility [and] the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. + Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them. + Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. + The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower [becomes] the lender's slave. + He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish. + He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. + Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease. + He who loves purity of heart [And] whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. + The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man. + The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!" + The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it. + Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. + He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, [will] only [come to] poverty. + Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; + For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. + So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. + Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, + To make you know the certainty of the words of truth That you may correctly answer him who sent you? + Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; + For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them. + Do not associate with a man [given] to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, + Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself. + Do not be among those who give pledges, Among those who become guarantors for debts. + If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take your bed from under you? + Do not move the ancient boundary Which your fathers have set. + Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men. + + + When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, + And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of [great] appetite. + Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food. + Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration [of it]. + When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For [wealth] certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies [toward] the heavens. + Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies; + For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you. + You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments. + Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. + Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless, + For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you. + Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. + Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. + You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol. + My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; + And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right. + Do not let your heart envy sinners, But [live] in the fear of the LORD always. + Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off. + Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. + Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, [Or] with gluttonous eaters of meat; + For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe [one] with rags. + Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. + Buy truth, and do not sell [it], [Get] wisdom and instruction and understanding. + The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him. + Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you. + Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways. + For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. + Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men. + Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? + Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. + Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; + At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. + Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. + And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. + "They struck me, [but] I did not become ill; They beat me, [but] I did not know [it]. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink." + + + Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; + For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble. + By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; + And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. + A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. + For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory. + Wisdom is [too] exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate. + One who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer. + The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men. + If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. + Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold [them] back. + If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider [it] who weighs the hearts? And does He not know [it] who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? + My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; + Know [that] wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find [it], then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off. + Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place; + For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in [time of] calamity. + Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; + Or the LORD will see [it] and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. + Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; + For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. + My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, + For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin [that comes] from both of them? + These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good. + He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous," Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him; + But to those who rebuke the [wicked] will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. + He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer. + Prepare your work outside And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house. + Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips. + Do not say, "Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work." + I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, + And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. + When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, [and] received instruction. + "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest," + Then your poverty will come [as] a robber And your want like an armed man. + + + These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed. + It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. + [As] the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. + Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith; + Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness. + Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; + For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. + Do not go out hastily to argue [your case]; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor humiliates you? + Argue your case with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret of another, + Or he who hears [it] will reproach you, And the evil report about you will not pass away. + [Like] apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances. + [Like] an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover to a listening ear. + Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. + [Like] clouds and wind without rain Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely. + By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded, And a soft tongue breaks the bone. + Have you found honey? Eat [only] what you need, That you not have it in excess and vomit it. + Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house, Or he will become weary of you and hate you. + [Like] a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor. + [Like] a bad tooth and an unsteady foot Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble. + [Like] one who takes off a garment on a cold day, [or like] vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart. + If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; + For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you. + The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance. + It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. + [Like] cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land. + [Like] a trampled spring and a polluted well Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. + It is not good to eat much honey, Nor is it glory to search out one's own glory. + [Like] a city that is broken into [and] without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit. + + + Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. + Like a sparrow in [its] flitting, like a swallow in [its] flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. + A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. + Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. + Answer a fool as his folly [deserves], That he not be wise in his own eyes. + He cuts off [his own] feet [and] drinks violence Who sends a message by the hand of a fool. + [Like] the legs [which] are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. + Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool. + [Like] a thorn [which] falls into the hand of a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. + [Like] an archer who wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by. + Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly. + Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. + The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!" + [As] the door turns on its hinges, So [does] the sluggard on his bed. + The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again. + The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer. + [Like] one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by [and] meddles with strife not belonging to him. + Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death, + So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, "Was I not joking?" + For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. + [Like] charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. + The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. + [Like] an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart. + He who hates disguises [it] with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his heart. + When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. + [Though his] hatred covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. + He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. + A lying tongue hates those it crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin. + + + Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. + Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. + A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. + Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? + Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. + Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. + A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet. + Like a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his home. + Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. + Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, And do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. + Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. + A prudent man sees evil [and] hides himself, The naive proceed [and] pay the penalty. + Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge. + He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him. + A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; + He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. + Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. + He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. + As in water face [reflects] face, So the heart of man [reflects] man. + Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied. + The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each [is tested] by the praise accorded him. + Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, [Yet] his foolishness will not depart from him. + Know well the condition of your flocks, [And] pay attention to your herds; + For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown [endure] to all generations. + [When] the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, + The lambs [will be] for your clothing, And the goats [will bring] the price of a field, + And [there will be] goats' milk enough for your food, For the food of your household, And sustenance for your maidens. + + + The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion. + By the transgression of a land many are its princes, But by a man of understanding [and] knowledge, so it endures. + A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is [like] a driving rain which leaves no food. + Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them. + Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all things. + Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. + He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father. + He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. + He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. + He who leads the upright astray in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good. + The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him. + When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves. + He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes [them] will find compassion. + How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. + [Like] a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. + A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, [But] he who hates unjust gain will prolong [his] days. + A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him. + He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. + He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty [pursuits] will have poverty in plenty. + A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished. + To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. + A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. + He who rebukes a man will afterward find [more] favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. + He who robs his father or his mother And says, "It is not a transgression," Is the companion of a man who destroys. + An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. + He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered. + He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. + When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase. + + + A man who hardens [his] neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. + When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. + A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes [his] wealth. + The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. + A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps. + By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings and rejoices. + The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand [such] concern. + Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. + When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest. + Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. + A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. + If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers [become] wicked. + The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both. + If a king judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever. + The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother. + When the wicked increase, transgression increases; But the righteous will see their fall. + Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul. + Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law. + A slave will not be instructed by words [alone]; For though he understands, there will be no response. + Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. + He who pampers his slave from childhood Will in the end find him to be a son. + An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. + A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. + He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing. + The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. + Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man [comes] from the LORD. + An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked. + + + The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: + Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. + Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. + Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you know! + Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. + Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. + Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: + Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, + That I not be full and deny [You] and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. + Do not slander a slave to his master, Or he will curse you and you will be found guilty. + There is a kind of [man] who curses his father And does not bless his mother. + There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness. + There is a kind-- oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised [in arrogance]. + There is a kind of [man] whose teeth are [like] swords And his jaw teeth [like] knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men. + The leech has two daughters, "Give," "Give." There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, "Enough": + Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, "Enough." + The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. + There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: + The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid. + This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, "I have done no wrong." + Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up: + Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food, + Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress. + Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: + The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer; + The shephanim are not mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the rocks; + The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks; + The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings' palaces. + There are three things which are stately in [their] march, Even four which are stately when they walk: + The lion [which] is mighty among beasts And does not retreat before any, + The strutting rooster, the male goat also, And a king [when his] army is with him. + If you have been foolish in exalting yourself Or if you have plotted [evil], [put your] hand on your mouth. + For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife. + + + The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him: + What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? + Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. + It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, + For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. + Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. + Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more. + Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. + Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. + An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. + The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. + She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. + She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. + She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. + She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. + She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. + She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. + She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. + She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle. + She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy. + She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet. + She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. + Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. + She makes linen garments and sells [them], And supplies belts to the tradesmen. + Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. + She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. + She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. + Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband [also], and he praises her, [saying]: + "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all." + Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, [But] a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. + Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates. + + + + + The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. + "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." + What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? + A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. + Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there [again]. + Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. + All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again. + All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell [it]. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. + That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. + Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. + There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later [still]. + I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. + And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. [It] is a grievous task [which] God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. + I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. + What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. + I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge." + And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. + Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge [results in] increasing pain. + + + I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. + I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" + I explored with my mind [how] to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding [me] wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. + I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; + I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; + I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. + I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. + Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men-- many concubines. + Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. + All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. + Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. + So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what [will] the man [do] who will come after the king [except] what has already been done? + And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. + The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. + Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity." + For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man [as] with the fool, inasmuch as [in] the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! + So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. + Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. + And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. + Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. + When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. + For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? + Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. + There is nothing better for a man [than] to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. + For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? + For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. + + + There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- + A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. + A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. + A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. + A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. + A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. + A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. + A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. + What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? + I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. + He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. + I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; + moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor-- it is the gift of God. + I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has [so] worked that men should fear Him. + That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. + Furthermore, I have seen under the sun [that] in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. + I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there. + I said to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts." + For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. + All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. + Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? + I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? + + + Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold [I saw] the tears of the oppressed and [that] they had no one to comfort [them]; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort [them]. + So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. + But better [off] than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. + I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is [the result of] rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. + The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. + One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. + Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. + There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches [and he never asked], "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. + Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. + For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. + Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm [alone]? + And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three [strands] is not quickly torn apart. + A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows [how] to receive instruction. + For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. + I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him. + There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind. + + + Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. + Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. + For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. + When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for [He takes] no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! + It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. + Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger [of God] that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? + For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. + If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. + After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. + He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance [with its] income. This too is vanity. + When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? + The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. + There is a grievous evil [which] I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. + When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. + As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. + This also is a grievous evil-- exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? + Throughout his life [he] also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. + Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun [during] the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. + Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. + For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart. + + + There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men-- + a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. + If a man fathers a hundred [children] and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a [proper] burial, [then] I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, + for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. + "It never sees the sun and it never knows [anything]; it is better off than he. + "Even if the [other] man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things-- do not all go to one place?" + All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. + For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What [advantage] does the poor man have, knowing [how] to walk before the living? + What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. + Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. + For there are many words which increase futility. What [then] is the advantage to a man? + For who knows what is good for a man during [his] lifetime, [during] the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? + + + A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of [one's] death is better than the day of one's birth. + It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes [it] to heart. + Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. + The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. + It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools. + For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility. + For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart. + The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. + Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools. + Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. + Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun. + For wisdom is protection [just as] money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. + Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? + In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything [that will be] after him. + I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs [his life] in his wickedness. + Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? + Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? + It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. + Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. + Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who [continually] does good and who never sins. + Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. + For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. + I tested all this with wisdom, [and] I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me. + What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it? + I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness. + And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. + "Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "[adding] one thing to another to find an explanation, + which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these. + "Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." + + + Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam. + I say, "Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. + "Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases." + Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, "What are you doing?" + He who keeps a [royal] command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. + For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him. + If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? + No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it. + All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over [another] man to his hurt. + So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are [soon] forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility. + Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. + Although a sinner does evil a hundred [times] and may lengthen his [life], still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. + But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God. + There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. + So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils [throughout] the days of his life which God has given him under the sun. + When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), + and I saw every work of God, [I concluded] that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover. + + + For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether [it will be] love or hatred; anything awaits him. + It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. + This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they [go] to the dead. + For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. + For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. + Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. + Go [then], eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. + Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. + Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. + Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with [all] your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. + I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. + Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them. + Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. + There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. + But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. + So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. + The words of the wise heard in quietness are [better] than the shouting of a ruler among fools. + Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. + + + Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom [and] honor. + A wise man's heart [directs him] toward the right, but the foolish man's heart [directs him] toward the left. + Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone [that] he is a fool. + If the ruler's temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. + There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler-- + folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. + I have seen slaves [riding] on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land. + He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. + He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. + If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen [its] edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. + If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. + Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; + the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. + Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him? + The toil of a fool [so] wearies him that he does not [even] know how to go to a city. + Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning. + Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time-- for strength and not for drunkenness. + Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. + [Men] prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything. + Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known. + + + Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. + Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. + If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. + He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. + Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones [are formed] in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. + Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good. + The light is pleasant, and [it is] good for the eyes to see the sun. + Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come [will be] futility. + Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. + So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting. + + + Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; + before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; + in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; + and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. + Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. + [Remember Him] before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; + then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. + "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!" + In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. + The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. + The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of [these] collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. + But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion [to books] is wearying to the body. + The conclusion, when all has been heard, [is]: fear God and keep His commandments, because this [applies to] every person. + For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. + + + + + The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. + "May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. + "Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is [like] purified oil; Therefore the maidens love you. + "Draw me after you [and] let us run [together]! The king has brought me into his chambers." "We will rejoice in you and be glad; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you." + "I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon. + "Do not stare at me because I am swarthy, For the sun has burned me. My mother's sons were angry with me; They made me caretaker of the vineyards, [But] I have not taken care of my own vineyard. + "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, Where do you pasture [your flock], Where do you make [it] lie down at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself Beside the flocks of your companions?" + "If you yourself do not know, Most beautiful among women, Go forth on the trail of the flock And pasture your young goats By the tents of the shepherds. + "To me, my darling, you are like My mare among the chariots of Pharaoh. + "Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with strings of beads." + "We will make for you ornaments of gold With beads of silver." + "While the king was at his table, My perfume gave forth its fragrance. + "My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh Which lies all night between my breasts. + "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms In the vineyards of Engedi." + "How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are [like] doves." + "How handsome you are, my beloved, [And] so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant! + "The beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters, cypresses. + + + "I am the rose of Sharon, The lily of the valleys." + "Like a lily among the thorns, So is my darling among the maidens." + "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. + "He has brought me to [his] banquet hall, And his banner over me is love. + "Sustain me with raisin cakes, Refresh me with apples, Because I am lovesick. + "Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me." + "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you do not arouse or awaken [my] love Until she pleases." + "Listen! My beloved! Behold, he is coming, Climbing on the mountains, Leaping on the hills! + "My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, He is looking through the windows, He is peering through the lattice. + "My beloved responded and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along. + 'For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over [and] gone. + 'The flowers have [already] appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning [the vines], And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. + 'The fig tree has ripened its figs, And the vines in blossom have given forth [their] fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along!'" + "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your form, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely." + "Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom." + "My beloved is mine, and I am his; He pastures [his flock] among the lilies. + "Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether." + + + "On my bed night after night I sought him Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him. + 'I must arise now and go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought him but did not find him. + "The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, [And I said], 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?' + "Scarcely had I left them When I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother's house, And into the room of her who conceived me." + "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you will not arouse or awaken [my] love Until she pleases." + "What is this coming up from the wilderness Like columns of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all scented powders of the merchant? + "Behold, it is the [traveling] couch of Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel. + "All of them are wielders of the sword, Expert in war; Each man has his sword at his side, [Guarding] against the terrors of the night. + "King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair From the timber of Lebanon. + "He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold [And] its seat of purple fabric, [With] its interior lovingly fitted out By the daughters of Jerusalem. + "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of his gladness of heart." + + + "How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are [like] doves behind your veil; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have descended from Mount Gilead. + "Your teeth are like a flock of [newly] shorn ewes Which have come up from [their] washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young. + "Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil. + "Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of stones On which are hung a thousand shields, All the round shields of the mighty men. + "Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies. + "Until the cool of the day When the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense. + "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish in you. + "[Come] with me from Lebanon, [my] bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the summit of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards. + "You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, [my] bride; You have made my heart beat faster with a single [glance] of your eyes, With a single strand of your necklace. + "How beautiful is your love, my sister, [my] bride! How much better is your love than wine, And the fragrance of your oils Than all [kinds] of spices! + "Your lips, [my] bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. + "A garden locked is my sister, [my] bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up. + "Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants, + Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices. + "[You are] a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams [flowing] from Lebanon." + "Awake, O north [wind], And come, [wind of] the south; Make my garden breathe out [fragrance], Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!" + + + "I have come into my garden, my sister, [my] bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers." + "I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: 'Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night.' + "I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on [again]? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them [again]? + "My beloved extended his hand through the opening, And my feelings were aroused for him. + "I arose to open to my beloved; And my hands dripped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the bolt. + "I opened to my beloved, But my beloved had turned away [and] had gone! My heart went out [to him] as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me. + "The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, They struck me [and] wounded me; The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me. + "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick." + "What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?" + "My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Outstanding among ten thousand. + "His head is [like] gold, pure gold; His locks are [like] clusters of dates [And] black as a raven. + "His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk, [And] reposed in [their] setting. + "His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh. + "His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. + "His legs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars. + "His mouth is [full of] sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." + + + "Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned, That we may seek him with you?" + "My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of balsam, To pasture [his flock] in the gardens And gather lilies. + "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, He who pastures [his flock] among the lilies." + "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, As lovely as Jerusalem, As awesome as an army with banners. + "Turn your eyes away from me, For they have confused me; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have descended from Gilead. + "Your teeth are like a flock of ewes Which have come up from [their] washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young. + "Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil. + "There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, And maidens without number; + [But] my dove, my perfect one, is unique: She is her mother's only [daughter]; She is the pure [child] of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed, The queens and the concubines [also], and they praised her, [saying], + 'Who is this that grows like the dawn, As beautiful as the full moon, As pure as the sun, As awesome as an army with banners?' + "I went down to the orchard of nut trees To see the blossoms of the valley, To see whether the vine had budded [Or] the pomegranates had bloomed. + "Before I was aware, my soul set me [Over] the chariots of my noble people." + "Come back, come back, O Shulammite; Come back, come back, that we may gaze at you!" "Why should you gaze at the Shulammite, As at the dance of the two companies? + + + "How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince's daughter! The curves of your hips are like jewels, The work of the hands of an artist. + "Your navel is [like] a round goblet Which never lacks mixed wine; Your belly is like a heap of wheat Fenced about with lilies. + "Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle. + "Your neck is like a tower of ivory, Your eyes [like] the pools in Heshbon By the gate of Bath-rabbim; Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, Which faces toward Damascus. + "Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads; [The] king is captivated by [your] tresses. + "How beautiful and how delightful you are, [My] love, with [all] your charms! + "Your stature is like a palm tree, And your breasts are [like its] clusters. + "I said, 'I will climb the palm tree, I will take hold of its fruit stalks.' Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, And the fragrance of your breath like apples, + And your mouth like the best wine!" "It goes [down] smoothly for my beloved, Flowing gently [through] the lips of those who fall asleep. + "I am my beloved's, And his desire is for me. + "Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country, Let us spend the night in the villages. + "Let us rise early [and go] to the vineyards; Let us see whether the vine has budded [And its] blossoms have opened, [And whether] the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love. + "The mandrakes have given forth fragrance; And over our doors are all choice [fruits], Both new and old, Which I have saved up for you, my beloved. + + + "Oh that you were like a brother to me Who nursed at my mother's breasts. [If] I found you outdoors, I would kiss you; No one would despise me, either. + "I would lead you [and] bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates. + "Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me." + "I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken [my] love Until she pleases." + "Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?" "Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor [and] gave you birth. + "Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The [very] flame of the LORD. + "Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised." + "We have a little sister, And she has no breasts; What shall we do for our sister On the day when she is spoken for? + "If she is a wall, We will build on her a battlement of silver; But if she is a door, We will barricade her with planks of cedar." + "I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace. + "Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring a thousand [shekels] of silver for its fruit. + "My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand [shekels] are for you, Solomon, And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit." + "O you who sit in the gardens, [My] companions are listening for your voice-- Let me hear it!" + "Hurry, my beloved, And be like a gazelle or a young stag On the mountains of spices." + + + + + The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah. + Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. + "An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, [But] Israel does not know, My people do not understand." + Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. + Where will you be stricken again, [As] you continue in [your] rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. + From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, [Only] bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil. + Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields-- strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. + The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. + Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. + Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. + "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. + "When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? + "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. + "I hate your new moon [festivals] and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing [them]. + "So when you spread out your hands [in prayer], I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. + "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, + Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. + "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. + "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; + "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. + How the faithful city has become a harlot, She [who] was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers. + Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water. + Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow's plea come before them. + Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My foes. + "I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy. + "Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city." + Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness. + But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. + Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen. + For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away Or as a garden that has no water. + The strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together And there will be none to quench [them]. + + + The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. + Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. + And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. + And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. + Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. + For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled [with influences] from the east, And [they are] soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike [bargains] with the children of foreigners. + Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses And there is no end to their chariots. + Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made. + So the [common] man has been humbled And the man [of importance] has been abased, But do not forgive them. + Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty. + The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. + For the LORD of hosts will have a day [of reckoning] Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased. + And [it will be] against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, + Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up, + Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall, + Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the beautiful craft. + The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, + But the idols will completely vanish. + [Men] will go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground Before the terror of the LORD And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. + In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, + In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. + Stop regarding man, whose breath [of life] is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed? + + + For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water; + The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder, + The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter. + And I will make mere lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them, + And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder And the inferior against the honorable. + When a man lays hold of his brother in his father's house, [saying], "You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, And these ruins will be under your charge," + He will protest on that day, saying, "I will not be [your] healer, For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people." + For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the LORD, To rebel against His glorious presence. + The expression of their faces bears witness against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not [even] conceal [it]. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. + Say to the righteous that [it will go] well [with them], For they will eat the fruit of their actions. + Woe to the wicked! [It will go] badly [with him], For what he deserves will be done to him. + O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead [you] astray And confuse the direction of your paths. + The LORD arises to contend, And stands to judge the people. + The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, "It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. + "What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of hosts. + Moreover, the LORD said, "Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet, + Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the LORD will make their foreheads bare." + In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of [their] anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, + dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, + headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, + finger rings, nose rings, + festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, + hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils. + Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. + Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle. + And her gates will lament and mourn, And deserted she will sit on the ground. + + + For seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!" + In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth [will be] the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. + It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy-- everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. + When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, + then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. + There will be a shelter to [give] shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain. + + + Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. + He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected [it] to produce [good] grapes, But it produced [only] worthless ones. + "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard. + "What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected [it] to produce [good] grapes did it produce worthless ones? + "So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. + "I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it." + For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress. + Woe to those who add house to house [and] join field to field, Until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! + In my ears the LORD of hosts [has sworn], "Surely, many houses shall become desolate, [Even] great and fine ones, without occupants. + "For ten acres of vineyard will yield [only] one bath [of wine], And a homer of seed will yield [but] an ephah of grain." + Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them! + Their banquets are [accompanied] by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands. + Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. + Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; And Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din [of revelry] and the jubilant within her, descend [into it]. + So the [common] man will be humbled and the man of [importance] abased, The eyes of the proud also will be abased. + But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. + Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the waste places of the wealthy. + Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes; + Who say, "Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see [it]; And let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near And come to pass, that we may know [it]!" + Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! + Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! + Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine And valiant men in mixing strong drink, + Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right! + Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble And dry grass collapses into the flame, So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. + On this account the anger of the LORD has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them down. And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. For all this His anger is not spent, But His hand is still stretched out. + He will also lift up a standard to the distant nation, And will whistle for it from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will come with speed swiftly. + No one in it is weary or stumbles, None slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the belt at its waist undone, Nor its sandal strap broken. + Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent; The hoofs of its horses seem like flint and its [chariot] wheels like a whirlwind. + Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions; It growls as it seizes the prey And carries [it] off with no one to deliver [it]. + And it will growl over it in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness [and] distress; Even the light is darkened by its clouds. + + + In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. + Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. + And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." + And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. + Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." + Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. + He touched my mouth [with it] and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." + Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" + He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.' + "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed." + Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered, "Until cities are devastated [and] without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate, + "The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. + "Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, And it will again be [subject] to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump." + + + Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to [wage] war against it, but could not conquer it. + When it was reported to the house of David, saying, "The Arameans have camped in Ephraim," his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind. + Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller's field, + and say to him, 'Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. + 'Because Aram, [with] Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, + "Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," + thus says the Lord GOD: "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. + "For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, [so that it is] no longer a people), + and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last."'" + Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, + "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make [it] deep as Sheol or high as heaven." + But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" + Then he said, "Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? + "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. + "He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows [enough] to refuse evil and choose good. + "For before the boy will know [enough] to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. + "The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria." + In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. + They will all come and settle on the steep ravines, on the ledges of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes and on all the watering places. + In that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates ([that is], with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard. + Now in that day a man may keep alive a heifer and a pair of sheep; + and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey. + And it will come about in that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, [valued] at a thousand [shekels] of silver, will become briars and thorns. + [People] will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns. + As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample. + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey. + "And I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah." + So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the LORD said to me, "Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz; + for before the boy knows how to cry out 'My father ' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria." + Again the LORD spoke to me further, saying, + "Inasmuch as these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah And rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah; + "Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, [Even] the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. + "Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, It will reach even to the neck; And the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. + "Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. + "Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us." + For thus the LORD spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, + "You are not to say, '[It is] a conspiracy!' In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of [it]. + "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. + "Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, [And] a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + "Many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught." + Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. + And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. + Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. + When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God? [Should they] [consult] the dead on behalf of the living? + To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. + They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. + Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and [they will be] driven away into darkness. + + + But there will be no [more] gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make [it] glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. + The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. + You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. + For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. + For every boot of the booted warrior in the [battle] tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. + For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. + There will be no end to the increase of [His] government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. + The Lord sends a message against Jacob, And it falls on Israel. + And all the people know [it], [That is], Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart: + "The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace [them] with cedars." + Therefore the LORD raises against them adversaries from Rezin And spurs their enemies on, + The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; And they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In [spite of] all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out. + Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. + So the LORD cuts off head and tail from Israel, [Both] palm branch and bulrush in a single day. + The head is the elder and honorable man, And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail. + For those who guide this people are leading [them] astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. + Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men, Nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In [spite of] all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out. + For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame And they roll upward in a column of smoke. + By the fury of the LORD of hosts the land is burned up, And the people are like fuel for the fire; No man spares his brother. + They slice off [what is] on the right hand but [still] are hungry, And they eat [what is] on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. + Manasseh [devours] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, [And] together they are against Judah. In [spite of] all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out. + + + Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, + So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of [their] rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans. + Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? + Nothing [remains] but to crouch among the captives Or fall among the slain. In [spite of] all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out. + Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation, + I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets. + Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations. + For it says, "Are not my princes all kings? + "Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like Damascus? + "As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images [were] greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, + Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?" + So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, [He will say], "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness." + For he has said, "By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did [this], For I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down [their] inhabitants, + And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened [its] beak or chirped." + Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? [That would be] like a club wielding those who lift it, [Or] like a rod lifting [him who] is not wood. + Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. + And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. + And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away. + And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down. + Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. + A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. + For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, [Only] a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. + For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt [did]. + "For in a very little while My indignation [against you] will be spent and My anger [will be directed] to their destruction." + The LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way [He did] in Egypt. + So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness. + He has come against Aiath, He has passed through Migron; At Michmash he deposited his baggage. + They have gone through the pass, [saying], "Geba will be our lodging place." Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled away. + Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah [and] wretched Anathoth! + Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge. + Yet today he will halt at Nob; He shakes his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. + Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down And those who are lofty will be abased. + He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron [axe], And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One. + + + Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. + The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. + And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; + But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. + Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. + And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. + Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. + The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. + They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. + Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. + Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. + And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. + Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim. + They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; Together they will plunder the sons of the east; They will possess Edom and Moab, And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them. + And the LORD will utterly destroy The tongue of the Sea of Egypt; And He will wave His hand over the River With His scorching wind; And He will strike it into seven streams And make [men] walk over dry-shod. + And there will be a highway from Assyria For the remnant of His people who will be left, Just as there was for Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt. + + + Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. + "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation." + Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. + And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make [them] remember that His name is exalted." + Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. + Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. + + + The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. + Lift up a standard on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles. + I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My mighty warriors, My proudly exulting ones, To [execute] My anger. + A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts is mustering the army for battle. + They are coming from a far country, From the farthest horizons, The LORD and His instruments of indignation, To destroy the whole land. + Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. + Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man's heart will melt. + They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of [them]; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame. + Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. + For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. + Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. + I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir. + Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger. + And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, Or like sheep with none to gather [them], They will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land. + Anyone who is found will be thrust through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword. + Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. + Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them, Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold. + And [their] bows will mow down the young men, They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, [Nor] will their eye pity children. + And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. + It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch [his] tent there, Nor will shepherds make [their flocks] lie down there. + But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. + Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her [fateful] time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged. + + + When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. + The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors. + And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved, + that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased, [And how] fury has ceased! + "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers + Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. + "The whole earth is at rest [and] is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy. + "Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, [and] the cedars of Lebanon, [saying], 'Since you were laid low, no [tree] cutter comes up against us.' + "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. + "They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us. + 'Your pomp [and] the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out [as your bed] beneath you And worms are your covering.' + "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! + "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. + 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' + "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. + "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, [saying], 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, + Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to [go] home?' + "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. + "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse. + "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. + "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities." + "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity," declares the LORD. + "I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of hosts. + The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, + to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. + "This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. + "For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate [it]? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?" + In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came: + "Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpent's root a viper will come out, And its fruit will be a flying serpent. + "Those who are most helpless will eat, And the needy will lie down in security; I will destroy your root with famine, And it will kill off your survivors. + "Wail, O gate; cry, O city; Melt away, O Philistia, all of you; For smoke comes from the north, And there is no straggler in his ranks. + "How then will one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it." + + + The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated [and] ruined; Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated [and] ruined. + They have gone up to the temple and [to] Dibon, [even] to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; Everyone's head is bald [and] every beard is cut off. + In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; On their housetops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears. + Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him. + My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are as far as Zoar [and] Eglath-shelishiyah, For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; Surely on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over [their] ruin. + For the waters of Nimrim are desolate. Surely the grass is withered, the tender grass died out, There is no green thing. + Therefore the abundance [which] they have acquired and stored up They carry off over the brook of Arabim. + For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab, Its wail [goes] as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim. + For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; Surely I will bring added [woes] upon Dimon, A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land. + + + Send the [tribute] lamb to the ruler of the land, From Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. + Then, like fleeing birds [or] scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon. + "Give [us] advice, make a decision; Cast your shadow like night at high noon; Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive. + "Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you; Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer." For the extortioner has come to an end, destruction has ceased, Oppressors have completely [disappeared] from the land. + A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness. + We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride; [Even] of his arrogance, pride, and fury; His idle boasts are false. + Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of Moab will wail. You will moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth As those who are utterly stricken. + For the fields of Heshbon have withered, the vines of Sibmah [as well]; The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters Which reached as far as Jazer [and] wandered to the deserts; Its tendrils spread themselves out [and] passed over the sea. + Therefore I will weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah; I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; For the shouting over your summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away. + Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting, No treader treads out wine in the presses, [For] I have made the shouting to cease. + Therefore my heart intones like a harp for Moab And my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth. + So it will come about when Moab presents himself, When he wearies himself upon [his] high place And comes to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not prevail. + This is the word which the LORD spoke earlier concerning Moab. + But now the LORD speaks, saying, "Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all [his] great population, and [his] remnant will be very small [and] impotent." + + + The oracle concerning Damascus. "Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin. + "The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks to lie down in, And there will be no one to frighten [them]. + "The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel," Declares the LORD of hosts. + Now in that day the glory of Jacob will fade, And the fatness of his flesh will become lean. + It will be even like the reaper gathering the standing grain, As his arm harvests the ears, Or it will be like one gleaning ears of grain In the valley of Rephaim. + Yet gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree, Two [or] three olives on the topmost bough, Four [or] five on the branches of a fruitful tree, Declares the LORD, the God of Israel. + In that day man will have regard for his Maker And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. + He will not have regard for the altars, the work of his hands, Nor will he look to that which his fingers have made, Even the Asherim and incense stands. + In that day their strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest, Or like branches which they abandoned before the sons of Israel; And the land will be a desolation. + For you have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the rock of your refuge. Therefore you plant delightful plants And set them with vine slips of a strange [god]. + In the day that you plant [it] you carefully fence [it] in, And in the morning you bring your seed to blossom; [But] the harvest will [be] a heap In a day of sickliness and incurable pain. + Alas, the uproar of many peoples Who roar like the roaring of the seas, And the rumbling of nations Who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters! + The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters, But He will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind, Or like whirling dust before a gale. + At evening time, behold, [there is] terror! Before morning they are no more. Such [will be] the portion of those who plunder us And the lot of those who pillage us. + + + Alas, oh land of whirring wings Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush, + Which sends envoys by the sea, Even in papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, To a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide. + All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, As soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see [it], And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear [it]. + For thus the LORD has told me, "I will look from My dwelling place quietly Like dazzling heat in the sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." + For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms And the flower becomes a ripening grape, Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives And remove [and] cut away the spreading branches. + They will be left together for mountain birds of prey, And for the beasts of the earth; And the birds of prey will spend the summer [feeding] on them, And all the beasts of the earth will spend harvest time on them. + At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the LORD of hosts From a people tall and smooth, Even from a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation, Whose land the rivers divide-- To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, [even] Mount Zion. + + + The oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. + "So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; And they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, City against city [and] kingdom against kingdom. + "Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; And I will confound their strategy, So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead And to mediums and spiritists. + "Moreover, I will deliver the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master, And a mighty king will rule over them," declares the Lord GOD of hosts. + The waters from the sea will dry up, And the river will be parched and dry. + The canals will emit a stench, The streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; The reeds and rushes will rot away. + The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile And all the sown fields by the Nile Will become dry, be driven away, and be no more. + And the fishermen will lament, And all those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn, And those who spread nets on the waters will pine away. + Moreover, the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax And the weavers of white cloth will be utterly dejected. + And the pillars [of Egypt] will be crushed; All the hired laborers will be grieved in soul. + The princes of Zoan are mere fools; The advice of Pharaoh's wisest advisers has become stupid. How can you [men] say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings "? + Well then, where are your wise men? Please let them tell you, And let them understand what the LORD of hosts Has purposed against Egypt. + The princes of Zoan have acted foolishly, The princes of Memphis are deluded; [Those who are] the cornerstone of her tribes Have led Egypt astray. + The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of distortion; They have led Egypt astray in all that it does, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit. + There will be no work for Egypt Which [its] head or tail, [its] palm branch or bulrush, may do. + In that day the Egyptians will become like women, and they will tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them. + The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is purposing against them. + In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing [allegiance] to the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. + In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near its border. + It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. + Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. + The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them. + In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. + In that day Israel will be the third [party] with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, + whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance." + + + In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, + at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot. + And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, + so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. + "Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. + "So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?'" + + + The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As windstorms in the Negev sweep on, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land. + A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one [still] deals treacherously, and the destroyer [still] destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused. + For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see. + My mind reels, horror overwhelms me; The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling. + They set the table, they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink; "Rise up, captains, oil the shields," + For thus the Lord says to me, "Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees. + "When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of camels, Let him pay close attention, very close attention." + Then the lookout called, "O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post. + "Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs." And one said, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground." + O my threshed [people], and my afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, I make known to you. + The oracle concerning Edom. One keeps calling to me from Seir, "Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?" + The watchman says, "Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again." + The oracle about Arabia. In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites. + Bring water for the thirsty, O inhabitants of the land of Tema, Meet the fugitive with bread. + For they have fled from the swords, From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow And from the press of battle. + For thus the Lord said to me, "In a year, as a hired man would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will terminate; + and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD God of Israel has spoken." + + + The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops? + You who were full of noise, You boisterous town, you exultant city; Your slain were not slain with the sword, Nor did they die in battle. + All your rulers have fled together, [And] have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, Though they had fled far away. + Therefore I say, "Turn your eyes away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people." + For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain. + Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry [and] horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield. + Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate. + And He removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, + And you saw that the breaches In the [wall] of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool. + Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall. + And you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago. + Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called [you] to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. + Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die." + But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me, "Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you Until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts. + Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, To Shebna, who is in charge of the [royal] household, + 'What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock? + 'Behold, the LORD is about to hurl you headlong, O man. And He is about to grasp you firmly + [And] roll you tightly like a ball, [To be] [cast] into a vast country; There you will die And there your splendid chariots will be, You shame of your master's house.' + "I will depose you from your office, And I will pull you down from your station. + "Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, + And I will clothe him with your tunic And tie your sash securely about him. I will entrust him with your authority, And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. + "Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open. + "I will drive him [like] a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father's house. + "So they will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. + "In that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken." + + + The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, For [Tyre] is destroyed, without house [or] harbor; It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus. + Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland, You merchants of Sidon; Your messengers crossed the sea + And [were] on many waters. The grain of the Nile, the harvest of the River was her revenue; And she was the market of nations. + Be ashamed, O Sidon; For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying, "I have neither travailed nor given birth, I have neither brought up young men [nor] reared virgins." + When the report [reaches] Egypt, They will be in anguish at the report of Tyre. + Pass over to Tarshish; Wail, O inhabitants of the coastland. + Is this your jubilant [city], Whose origin is from antiquity, Whose feet used to carry her to colonize distant places? + Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? + The LORD of hosts has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty, To despise all the honored of the earth. + Overflow your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish, There is no more restraint. + He has stretched His hand out over the sea, He has made the kingdoms tremble; The LORD has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds. + He has said, "You shall exult no more, O crushed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest." + Behold, the land of the Chaldeans-- this is the people [which] was not; Assyria appointed it for desert creatures-- they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. + Wail, O ships of Tarshish, For your stronghold is destroyed. + Now in that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as [in] the song of the harlot: + Take [your] harp, walk about the city, O forgotten harlot; Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs, That you may be remembered. + It will come about at the end of seventy years that the LORD will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her harlot's wages and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. + Her gain and her harlot's wages will be set apart to the LORD; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the LORD. + + + Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. + And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor. + The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word. + The earth mourns [and] withers, the world fades [and] withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. + The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. + Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. + The new wine mourns, The vine decays, All the merry-hearted sigh. + The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases. + They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. + The city of chaos is broken down; Every house is shut up so that none may enter. + There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine; All joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished. + Desolation is left in the city And the gate is battered to ruins. + For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, As the shaking of an olive tree, As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over. + They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the LORD. + Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, The name of the LORD, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea. + From the ends of the earth we hear songs, "Glory to the Righteous One," But I say, "Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me! The treacherous deal treacherously, And the treacherous deal very treacherously." + Terror and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth. + Then it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit, And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake. + The earth is broken asunder, The earth is split through, The earth is shaken violently. + The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again. + So it will happen in that day, That the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. + They will be gathered together [Like] prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they [will] [be] punished. + Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And [His] glory will be before His elders. + + + O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans [formed] long ago, with perfect faithfulness. + For You have made a city into a heap, A fortified city into a ruin; A palace of strangers is a city no more, It will never be rebuilt. + Therefore a strong people will glorify You; Cities of ruthless nations will revere You. + For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a [rain] storm [against] a wall. + Like heat in drought, You subdue the uproar of aliens; [Like] heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced. + The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, [And] refined, aged wine. + And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. + He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. + And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." + For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain, And Moab will be trodden down in his place As straw is trodden down in the water of a manure pile. + And he will spread out his hands in the middle of it As a swimmer spreads out [his hands] to swim, But [the Lord] will lay low his pride together with the trickery of his hands. + The unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down, Lay low [and] cast to the ground, even to the dust. + + + In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security. + "Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful. + "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. + "Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, [we have] an everlasting Rock. + "For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust. + "The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless." + The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level. + Indeed, [while following] the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of [our] souls. + At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. + [Though] the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD. + O LORD, Your hand is lifted up [yet] they do not see it. They see [Your] zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies. + LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works. + O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; [But] through You alone we confess Your name. + The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have wiped out all remembrance of them. + You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land. + O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them. + As the pregnant woman approaches [the time] to give birth, She writhes [and] cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD. + We were pregnant, we writhed [in labor], We gave birth, as it seems, [only] to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born. + Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew [is as] the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. + Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs [its] course. + For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain. + + + In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who [lives] in the sea. + In that day, "A vineyard of wine, sing of it! + "I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it every moment. So that no one will damage it, I guard it night and day. + "I have no wrath. Should someone give Me briars [and] thorns in battle, [Then] I would step on them, I would burn them completely. + "Or let him rely on My protection, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me." + In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, And they will fill the whole world with fruit. + Like the striking of Him who has struck them, has He struck them? Or like the slaughter of His slain, have they been slain? + You contended with them by banishing them, by driving them away. With His fierce wind He has expelled [them] on the day of the east wind. + Therefore through this Jacob's iniquity will be forgiven; And this will be the full price of the pardoning of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones like pulverized chalk stones; [When] Asherim and incense altars will not stand. + For the fortified city is isolated, A homestead forlorn and forsaken like the desert; There the calf will graze, And there it will lie down and feed on its branches. + When its limbs are dry, they are broken off; Women come [and] make a fire with them, For they are not a people of discernment, Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them. And their Creator will not be gracious to them. + In that day the LORD will start [His] threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. + It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem. + + + Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine! + Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty [agent]; As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He has cast [it] down to the earth with [His] hand. + The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot. + And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer, Which one sees, [And] as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows it. + In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; + A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate. + And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter [when rendering] judgment. + For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a [single clean] place. + "To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those [just] weaned from milk? Those [just] taken from the breast? + "For [He says], 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'" + Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, + He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen. + So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive. + Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, + Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception." + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone [for] the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes [in it] will not be disturbed. + "I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And the waters will overflow the secret place. + "Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling [place]. + "As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, [anytime] during the day or night, And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means." + The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in. + For the LORD will rise up as [at] Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His unusual task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work. + And now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts Of decisive destruction on all the earth. + Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my words. + Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he [continually] turn and harrow the ground? + Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area? + For his God instructs and teaches him properly. + For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club. + [Grain for] bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of [his] cart and his horses [eventually] damage [it], He does not thresh it longer. + This also comes from the LORD of hosts, [Who] has made [His] counsel wonderful and [His] wisdom great. + + + Woe, O Ariel, Ariel the city [where] David [once] camped! Add year to year, observe [your] feasts on schedule. + I will bring distress to Ariel, And she will be [a city of] lamenting and mourning; And she will be like an Ariel to me. + I will camp against you encircling [you], And I will set siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you. + Then you will be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust [where] you are prostrate Your words [will come]. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech will whisper from the dust. + But the multitude of your enemies will become like fine dust, And the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; And it will happen instantly, suddenly. + From the LORD of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, [With] whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire. + And the multitude of all the nations who wage war against Ariel, Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, Will be like a dream, a vision of the night. + It will be as when a hungry man dreams-- And behold, he is eating; But when he awakens, his hunger is not satisfied, Or as when a thirsty man dreams-- And behold, he is drinking, But when he awakens, behold, he is faint And his thirst is not quenched. Thus the multitude of all the nations will be Who wage war against Mount Zion. + Be delayed and wait, Blind yourselves and be blind; They become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with strong drink. + For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers. + The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I cannot, for it is sealed." + Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, "Please read this." And he will say, "I cannot read." + Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned [by rote], + Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed." + Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are [done] in a dark place, And they say, "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?" + You turn [things] around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding "? + Is it not yet just a little while Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field, And the fertile field will be considered as a forest? + On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, And out of [their] gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. + The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. + For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off; + Who cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments. + Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; + But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob And will stand in awe of the God of Israel. + "Those who err in mind will know the truth, And those who criticize will accept instruction. + + + "Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; + Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! + "Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation. + "For their princes are at Zoan And their ambassadors arrive at Hanes. + "Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot profit them, [Who are] not for help or profit, but for shame and also for reproach." + The oracle concerning the beasts of the Negev. Through a land of distress and anguish, From where [come] lioness and lion, viper and flying serpent, They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys And their treasures on camels' humps, To a people who cannot profit [them]; + Even Egypt, whose help is vain and empty. Therefore, I have called her "Rahab who has been exterminated." + Now go, write it on a tablet before them And inscribe it on a scroll, That it may serve in the time to come As a witness forever. + For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen To the instruction of the LORD; + Who say to the seers, "You must not see [visions"]; And to the prophets, "You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. + "Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel." + Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Since you have rejected this word And have put your trust in oppression and guile, and have relied on them, + Therefore this iniquity will be to you Like a breach about to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant, + Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter's jar, So ruthlessly shattered That a sherd will not be found among its pieces To take fire from a hearth Or to scoop water from a cistern." + For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing, + And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses," Therefore you shall flee! "And we will ride on swift [horses]," Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. + One thousand [will flee] at the threat of one [man]; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill. + Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. + O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. + Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, [He], your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. + Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. + And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, [and] say to them, "Be gone!" + Then He will give [you] rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread [from] the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture. + Also the oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. + On every lofty mountain and on every high hill there will be streams running with water on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. + The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times [brighter], like the light of seven days, on the day the LORD binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted. + Behold, the name of the LORD comes from a remote place; Burning is His anger and dense is [His] smoke; His lips are filled with indignation And His tongue is like a consuming fire; + His breath is like an overflowing torrent, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve, And to [put] in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads to ruin. + You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival, And gladness of heart as when one marches to [the sound of] the flute, To go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. + And the LORD will cause His voice of authority to be heard, And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, And [in] the flame of a consuming fire In cloudburst, downpour and hailstones. + For at the voice of the LORD Assyria will be terrified, [When] He strikes with the rod. + And every blow of the rod of punishment, Which the LORD will lay on him, Will be with [the music of] tambourines and lyres; And in battles, brandishing weapons, He will fight them. + For Topheth has long been ready, Indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, A pyre of fire with plenty of wood; The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire. + + + Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help [And] rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! + Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster And does not retract His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers And against the help of the workers of iniquity. + Now the Egyptians are men and not God, And their horses are flesh and not spirit; So the LORD will stretch out His hand, And he who helps will stumble And he who is helped will fall, And all of them will come to an end together. + For thus says the LORD to me, "As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey, Against which a band of shepherds is called out, [And] he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise, So will the LORD of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill." + Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver [it]; He will pass over and rescue [it]. + Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel. + For in that day every man will cast away his silver idols and his gold idols, which your sinful hands have made for you as a sin. + And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of man will devour him. So he will not escape the sword, And his young men will become forced laborers. + "His rock will pass away because of panic, And his princes will be terrified at the standard," Declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. + + + Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly. + Each will be like a refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land. + Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen. + The mind of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly. + No longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of [as] generous. + For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty. + As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy [the] afflicted with slander, Even though [the] needy one speaks what is right. + But the noble man devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands. + Rise up, you women who are at ease, [And] hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters. + Within a year and [a few] days You will be troubled, O complacent [daughters]; For the vintage is ended, [And] the [fruit] gathering will not come. + Tremble, you [women] who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent [daughters]; Strip, undress and put [sackcloth] on [your] waist, + Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, + For the land of my people [in which] thorns [and] briars shall come up; Yea, for all the joyful houses [and for] the jubilant city. + Because the palace has been abandoned, the populated city forsaken. Hill and watch-tower have become caves forever, A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks; + Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest. + Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field. + And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. + Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; + And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low. + How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey. + + + Woe to you, O destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he who is treacherous, while [others] did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, [others] will deal treacherously with you. + O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress. + At the sound of the tumult peoples flee; At the lifting up of Yourself nations disperse. + Your spoil is gathered [as] the caterpillar gathers; As locusts rushing about men rush about on it. + The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. + And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure. + Behold, their brave men cry in the streets, The ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. + The highways are desolate, the traveler has ceased, He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, He has no regard for man. + The land mourns [and] pines away, Lebanon is shamed [and] withers; Sharon is like a desert plain, And Bashan and Carmel lose [their foliage]. + "Now I will arise," says the LORD, "Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up. + "You have conceived chaff, you will give birth to stubble; My breath will consume you like a fire. + "The peoples will be burned to lime, Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire. + "You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might." + Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" + He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; + He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given [him], His water will be sure. + Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will behold a far-distant land. + Your heart will meditate on terror: "Where is he who counts? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?" + You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue which no one understands. + Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, A tent which will not be folded; Its stakes will never be pulled up, Nor any of its cords be torn apart. + But there the majestic [One], the LORD, will be for us A place of rivers [and] wide canals On which no boat with oars will go, And on which no mighty ship will pass-- + For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us-- + Your tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; The lame will take the plunder. + And no resident will say, "I am sick"; The people who dwell there will be forgiven [their] iniquity. + + + Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it. + For the LORD'S indignation is against all the nations, And [His] wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter. + So their slain will be thrown out, And their corpses will give off their stench, And the mountains will be drenched with their blood. + And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as [one] withers from the fig tree. + For My sword is satiated in heaven, Behold it shall descend for judgment upon Edom And upon the people whom I have devoted to destruction. + The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, It is sated with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah And a great slaughter in the land of Edom. + Wild oxen will also fall with them And young bulls with strong ones; Thus their land will be soaked with blood, And their dust become greasy with fat. + For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion. + Its streams will be turned into pitch, And its loose earth into brimstone, And its land will become burning pitch. + It will not be quenched night or day; Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation it will be desolate; None will pass through it forever and ever. + But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness. + Its nobles-- there is no one there [Whom] they may proclaim king-- And all its princes will be nothing. + Thorns will come up in its fortified towers, Nettles and thistles in its fortified cities; It will also be a haunt of jackals [And] an abode of ostriches. + The desert creatures will meet with the wolves, The hairy goat also will cry to its kind; Yes, the night monster will settle there And will find herself a resting place. + The tree snake will make its nest and lay [eggs] there, And it will hatch and gather [them] under its protection. Yes, the hawks will be gathered there, Every one with its kind. + Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them. + He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they will dwell in it. + + + The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus + It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, The majesty of our God. + Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. + Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come [with] vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you." + Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. + Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. + The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass [becomes] reeds and rushes. + A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it [will] be for him who walks [that] way, And fools will not wander [on it]. + No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk [there], + And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. + + + Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. + And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a large army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the fuller's field. + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him. + Then Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What is this confidence that you have? + "I say, 'Your counsel and strength for the war are only empty words.' Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me? + "Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, [even] on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him. + "But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar '? + "Now therefore, come make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. + "How then can you repulse one official of the least of my master's servants and rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? + "Have I now come up without the LORD'S approval against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, 'Go up against this land and destroy it.'"'" + Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, "Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand [it]; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall." + But Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, [and] not to the men who sit on the wall, [doomed] to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?" + Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean and said, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. + "Thus says the king, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you; + nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us, this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." + 'Do not listen to Hezekiah,' for thus says the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, + until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. + '[Beware] that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? + 'Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And when have they delivered Samaria from my hand? + 'Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the LORD would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'" + But they were silent and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him." + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh. + + + And when King Hezekiah heard [it], he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD. + Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. + They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke and rejection; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver. + 'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.'" + So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. + Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD, "Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. + "Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land."'" + Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. + When he heard [them] say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "He has come out to fight against you," and when he heard [it] he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, + "Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." + 'Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? + 'Did the gods of those nations which my fathers have destroyed deliver them, [even] Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who [were] in Telassar? + 'Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, [and of] Hena and Ivvah?'" + Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. + Hezekiah prayed to the LORD saying, + "O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned [above] the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. + "Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent [them] to reproach the living God. + "Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands, + and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. + "Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God." + Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent [word] to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, + this is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: "She has despised you and mocked you, The virgin daughter of Zion; She has shaken [her] head behind you, The daughter of Jerusalem! + "Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised [your] voice And haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! + "Through your servants you have reproached the Lord, And you have said, 'With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars [and] its choice cypresses. And I will go to its highest peak, its thickest forest. + 'I dug [wells] and drank waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the rivers of Egypt.' + "Have you not heard? Long ago I did it, From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps. + "Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were [as] the vegetation of the field and [as] the green herb, [As] grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up. + "But I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in And your raging against Me. + "Because of your raging against Me And because your arrogance has come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way which you came. + "Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. + "The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. + "For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."' + "Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, or throw up a siege ramp against it. + 'By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he will not come to this city,' declares the LORD. + 'For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'" + Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead. + So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned [home] and lived at Nineveh. + It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place. + + + In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'" + Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, + and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. + Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, + "Go and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. + "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city."' + "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken: + "Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps." So the sun's [shadow] went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down. + A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: + I said, "In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years." + I said, "I will not see the LORD, The LORD in the land of the living; I will look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world. + "Like a shepherd's tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me; As a weaver I rolled up my life. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me. + "I composed [my soul] until morning. Like a lion-- so He breaks all my bones, From day until night You make an end of me. + "Like a swallow, [like] a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security. + "What shall I say? For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it; I will wander about all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. + "O Lord, by [these] things [men] live, And in all these is the life of my spirit; O restore me to health and let me live! + "Lo, for [my own] welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. + "For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. + "It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness. + "The LORD will surely save me; So we will play my songs on stringed instruments All [the] days of our life at the house of the LORD." + Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover." + Then Hezekiah had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?" + + + At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. + Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them [all] his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon." + He said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts, + 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,' says the LORD. + 'And [some] of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away, and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.'" + Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good." For he thought, "For there will be peace and truth in my days." + + + "Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. + "Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD'S hand Double for all her sins." + A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. + "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; + Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see [it] together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." + A voice says, "Call out." Then he answered, "What shall I call out?" All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. + The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. + The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. + Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift [it] up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" + Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him. + Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry [them] in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing [ewes]. + Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales? + Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? + With whom did He consult and [who] gave Him understanding? And [who] taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding? + Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. + Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. + All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. + To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? + [As for] the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith [fashions] chains of silver. + He who is too impoverished for [such] an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. + Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? + It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. + He [it is] who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. + Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble. + "To whom then will you liken Me That I would be [his] equal?" says the Holy One. + Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these [stars], The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of [His] power, Not one [of them] is missing. + Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God "? + Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. + He gives strength to the weary, And to [him who] lacks might He increases power. + Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, + Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up [with] wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. + + + "Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment. + "Who has aroused one from the east Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, As the wind-driven chaff with his bow. + "He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet. + "Who has performed and accomplished [it], Calling forth the generations from the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'" + The coastlands have seen and are afraid; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come. + Each one helps his neighbor And says to his brother, "Be strong!" + So the craftsman encourages the smelter, [And] he who smooths [metal] with the hammer [encourages] him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, "It is good"; And he fastens it with nails, [So that] it will not totter. + "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend, + You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. + 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' + "Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. + "You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent. + "For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.' + "Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares the LORD, "and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. + "Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains and pulverize [them], And will make the hills like chaff. + "You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. + "The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, [As] the God of Israel I will not forsake them. + "I will open rivers on the bare heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land fountains of water. + "I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert Together with the box tree and the cypress, + That they may see and recognize, And consider and gain insight as well, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it. + "Present your case," the LORD says. "Bring forward your strong [arguments]," The King of Jacob says. + Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former [events], declare what they [were], That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; + Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. + Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination. + "I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as [upon] mortar, Even as the potter treads clay." + Who has declared [this] from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, "[He is] right!"? Surely there was no one who declared, Surely there was no one who proclaimed, Surely there was no one who heard your words. + "Formerly [I said] to Zion, 'Behold, here they are.' And to Jerusalem, 'I will give a messenger of good news.' + "But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. + "Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness. + + + "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one [in whom] My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. + "He will not cry out or raise [His voice], Nor make His voice heard in the street. + "A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. + "He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law." + Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, + "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, + To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. + "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. + "Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim [them] to you." + Sing to the LORD a new song, [Sing] His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them. + Let the wilderness and its cities lift up [their voices], The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. + Let them give glory to the LORD And declare His praise in the coastlands. + The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse [His] zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. + "I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. [Now] like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant. + "I will lay waste the mountains and hills And wither all their vegetation; I will make the rivers into coastlands And dry up the ponds. + "I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone." + They will be turned back [and] be utterly put to shame, Who trust in idols, Who say to molten images, "You are our gods." + Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see. + Who is blind but My servant, Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace [with Me], Or so blind as the servant of the LORD? + You have seen many things, but you do not observe [them]; [Your] ears are open, but none hears. + The LORD was pleased for His righteousness' sake To make the law great and glorious. + But this is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, Or are hidden away in prisons; They have become a prey with none to deliver [them], And a spoil, with none to say, "Give [them] back!" + Who among you will give ear to this? Who will give heed and listen hereafter? + Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not obey? + So He poured out on him the heat of His anger And the fierceness of battle; And it set him aflame all around, Yet he did not recognize [it]; And it burned him, but he paid no attention. + + + But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! + "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. + "For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. + "Since you are precious in My sight, [Since] you are honored and I love you, I will give [other] men in your place and [other] peoples in exchange for your life. + "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. + "I will say to the north, 'Give [them] up!' And to the south, 'Do not hold [them] back.' Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, + Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made." + Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears. + All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, "It is true." + "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. + "I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me. + "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange [god] among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God. + "Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?" + Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice. + "I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King." + Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters, + Who brings forth the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together [and] not rise again; They have been quenched [and] extinguished like a wick): + "Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. + "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. + "The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people. + "The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise. + "Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel. + "You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense. + "You have bought Me not sweet cane with money, Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities. + "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. + "Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; State your [cause], that you may be proved right. + "Your first forefather sinned, And your spokesmen have transgressed against Me. + "So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary, And I will consign Jacob to the ban and Israel to revilement. + + + "But now listen, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen: + Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. + 'For I will pour out water on the thirsty [land] And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; + And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.' + "This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write [on] his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will name Israel's name with honor. + "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. + 'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. + 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced [it] to you and declared [it]? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any [other] Rock? I know of none.'" + Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. + Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? + Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame. + The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. + [Another] shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. + Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises [it] for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. + Then it becomes [something] for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. + Half of it he burns in the fire; over [this] half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire." + But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god." + They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. + No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat [it]. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!" + He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" + "Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. + "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." + Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done [it]! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the LORD has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory. + Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone, + Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness, + Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. [It is I] who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins [again]. + "[It is I] who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry. + "[It is I] who says of Cyrus, '[He is] My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'" + + + Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: + "I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. + "I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. + "For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen [one], I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. + "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; + That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, + The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. + "Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it. + "Woe to [the one] who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making [say], 'He has no hands '? + "Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'" + Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands. + "It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands And I ordained all their host. + "I have aroused him in righteousness And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city and will let My exiles go free, Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of hosts. + Thus says the LORD, "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will make supplication to you: 'Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, No other God.'" + Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior! + They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation. + Israel has been saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity. + For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it [and] did not create it a waste place, [but] formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else. + "I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek Me in a waste place'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, Declaring things that are upright. + "Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; They have no knowledge, Who carry about their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save. + "Declare and set forth [your case]; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. + "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. + "I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear [allegiance]. + "They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame. + "In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will glory." + + + Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their images are [consigned] to the beasts and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary [beast]. + They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity. + "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; + Even to [your] old age I will be the same, And even to [your] graying years I will bear [you]! I have done [it], and I will carry [you]; And I will bear [you] and I will deliver [you]. + "To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike? + "Those who lavish gold from the purse And weigh silver on the scale Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it [into] a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. + "They lift it upon the shoulder [and] carry it; They set it in its place and it stands [there]. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress. + "Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. + "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; [I am] God, and there is no one like Me, + Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; + Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned [it, surely] I will do it. + "Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness. + "I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, [And] My glory for Israel. + + + "Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate. + "Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers. + "Your nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame also will be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not spare a man." + Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. + "Sit silently, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, For you will no longer be called The queen of kingdoms. + "I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage And gave them into your hand. You did not show mercy to them, On the aged you made your yoke very heavy. + "Yet you said, 'I will be a queen forever.' These things you did not consider Nor remember the outcome of them. + "Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who dwells securely, Who says in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, Nor know loss of children.' + "But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells. + "You felt secure in your wickedness and said, 'No one sees me,' Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you; For you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me.' + "But evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone; And destruction about which you do not know Will come on you suddenly. + "Stand [fast] now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you may cause trembling. + "You are wearied with your many counsels; Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you. + "Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by [Nor] a fire to sit before! + "So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have trafficked with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own way; There is none to save you. + + + "Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel And who came forth from the loins of Judah, Who swear by the name of the LORD And invoke the God of Israel, [But] not in truth nor in righteousness. + "For they call themselves after the holy city And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is His name. + "I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. + "Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze, + Therefore I declared [them] to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed [them] to you, So that you would not say, 'My idol has done them, And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.' + "You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known. + "They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, 'Behold, I knew them.' + "You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth. + "For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And [for] My praise I restrain [it] for you, In order not to cut you off. + "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. + "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can [My name] be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another. + "Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. + "Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together. + "Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm [will be against] the Chaldeans. + "I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful. + "Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit." + Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go. + "If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. + "Your descendants would have been like the sand, And your offspring like its grains; Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence." + Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, "The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob." + They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed forth. + "There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD. + + + Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. + He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. + He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory." + But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice [due] to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God." + And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), + He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." + Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel [and] its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, "Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You." + Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make [them] inherit the desolate heritages; + Saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture [will be] on all bare heights. + "They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water. + "I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up. + "Behold, these will come from afar; And lo, these [will come] from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim." + Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted. + But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me." + "Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. + "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms [of My hands]; Your walls are continually before Me. + "Your builders hurry; Your destroyers and devastators Will depart from you. + "Lift up your eyes and look around; All of them gather together, they come to you. As I live," declares the LORD, "You will surely put on all of them as jewels and bind them on as a bride. + "For your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land-- Surely now you will be too cramped for the inhabitants, And those who swallowed you will be far away. + "The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, 'The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live [here].' + "Then you will say in your heart, 'Who has begotten these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And am barren, an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was left alone; From where did these come?'" + Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And set up My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in [their] bosom, And your daughters will be carried on [their] shoulders. + "Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And [you] will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame. + "Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?" + Surely, thus says the LORD, "Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons. + "I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." + + + Thus says the LORD, "Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away. + "Why was there no man when I came? When I called, [why] was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst. + "I clothe the heavens with blackness And make sackcloth their covering." + The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens [Me] morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. + The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back. + I gave My back to those who strike [Me], And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. + For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. + He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. + Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. + Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. + Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment. + + + "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug. + "Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When [he] [was but] one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him." + Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody. + "Pay attention to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples. + "My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly. + "Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane. + "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings. + "For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations." + Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon? + Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over? + So the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy [will be] on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. + "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, + That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? + "The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. + "For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name). + "I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'" + Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the LORD'S hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs. + There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne, Nor is there one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared. + These two things have befallen you; Who will mourn for you? The devastation and destruction, famine and sword; How shall I comfort you? + Your sons have fainted, They lie [helpless] at the head of every street, Like an antelope in a net, Full of the wrath of the LORD, The rebuke of your God. + Therefore, please hear this, you afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with wine: + Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people, "Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, The chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again. + "I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to you, 'Lie down that we may walk over [you].' You have even made your back like the ground And like the street for those who walk over [it]." + + + Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no longer come into you. + Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. + For thus says the LORD, "You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed without money." + For thus says the Lord GOD, "My people went down at the first into Egypt to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. + "Now therefore, what do I have here," declares the LORD, "seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?" [Again] the LORD declares, "Those who rule over them howl, and My name is continually blasphemed all day long. + "Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am.'" + How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, [And] says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" + Listen! Your watchmen lift up [their] voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD restores Zion. + Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of Jerusalem; For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. + The LORD has bared His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, That all the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God. + Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD. + But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel [will be] your rear guard. + Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. + Just as many were astonished at you, [My people], So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. + Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand. + + + Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? + For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no [stately] form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. + He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. + Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. + But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. + All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. + He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. + By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [was due]? + His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. + But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting [Him] to grief; If He would render Himself [as] a guilt offering, He will see [His] offspring, He will prolong [His] days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. + As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see [it and] be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. + Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. + + + "Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no [child]; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one [will be] more numerous Than the sons of the married woman," says the LORD. + "Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. + "For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities. + "Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. + "For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. + "For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of [one's] youth when she is rejected," Says your God. + "For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you. + "In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer. + "For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you. + "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you. + "O afflicted one, storm-tossed, [and] not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. + "Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones. + "All your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great. + "In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you. + "If anyone fiercely assails [you] it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. + "Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals And brings out a weapon for its work; And I have created the destroyer to ruin. + "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD. + + + "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. + "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. + "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [According to] the faithful mercies shown to David. + "Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples. + "Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you." + Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. + Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. + "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. + "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. + "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; + So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding [in the matter] for which I sent it. + "For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap [their] hands. + "Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off." + + + Thus says the LORD, "Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed. + "How blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who takes hold of it; Who keeps from profaning the sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil." + Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." + For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, + To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. + "Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant; + Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." + The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, "Yet [others] I will gather to them, to those [already] gathered." + All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat. + His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber; + And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied. And they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one. + "Come," [they say], "let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so." + + + The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, + He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, [Each one] who walked in his upright way. + "But come here, you sons of a sorceress, Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute. + "Against whom do you jest? Against whom do you open wide your mouth And stick out your tongue? Are you not children of rebellion, Offspring of deceit, + [Who] inflame yourselves among the oaks, Under every luxuriant tree, Who slaughter the children in the ravines, Under the clefts of the crags? + "Among the smooth [stones] of the ravine Is your portion, they are your lot; Even to them you have poured out a drink offering, You have made a grain offering. Shall I relent concerning these things? + "Upon a high and lofty mountain You have made your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice. + "Behind the door and the doorpost You have set up your sign; Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself, And have gone up and made your bed wide. And you have made an agreement for yourself with them, You have loved their bed, You have looked on [their] manhood. + "You have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have sent your envoys a great distance And made [them] go down to Sheol. + "You were tired out by the length of your road, [Yet] you did not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not faint. + "Of whom were you worried and fearful When you lied, and did not remember Me Nor give [Me] a thought? Was I not silent even for a long time So you do not fear Me? + "I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, But they will not profit you. + "When you cry out, let your collection [of idols] deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, [And] a breath will take [them away]. But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land And will possess My holy mountain." + And it will be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove [every] obstacle out of the way of My people." + For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell [on] a high and holy place, And [also] with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. + "For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath [of those whom] I have made. + "Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid [My face] and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart. + "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners, + Creating the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "and I will heal him." + But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. + "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." + + + "Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins. + "Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me [for] just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God. + 'Why have we fasted and You do not see? [Why] have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?' Behold, on the day of your fast you find [your] desire, And drive hard all your workers. + "Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like [you do] today to make your voice heard on high. + "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? + "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? + "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? + "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. + "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, + And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom [will become] like midday. + "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. + "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. + "If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your [own] pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy [day] of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your [own] ways, From seeking your [own] pleasure And speaking [your own] word, + Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you [with] the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." + + + Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. + But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden [His] face from you so that He does not hear. + For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness. + No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. + They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And [from] that which is crushed a snake breaks forth. + Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands. + Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways. + They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace. + Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom. + We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous [we are] like dead men. + All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, [but] it is far from us. + For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities: + Transgressing and denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving [in] and uttering from the heart lying words. + Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. + Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. + And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. + He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. + According to [their] deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. + So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives. + "A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD. + "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever." + + + "Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. + "For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. + "Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. + "Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms. + "Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you. + "A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD. + "All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house. + "Who are these who fly like a cloud And like the doves to their lattices? + "Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish [will come] first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you. + "Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you. + "Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that [men] may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession. + "For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined. + "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious. + "The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. + "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation. + "You will also suck the milk of nations And suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. + "Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators And righteousness your overseers. + "Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. + "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. + "Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over. + "Then all your people [will be] righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. + "The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time." + + + The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; + To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, + To grant those who mourn [in] Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. + Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. + Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. + But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of [as] ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. + Instead of your shame [you will have a] double [portion], And [instead of] humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double [portion] in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs. + For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them. + Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them Because they are the offspring [whom] the LORD has blessed. + I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. + For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations. + + + For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning. + The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate. + You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God. + It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And [to Him] your land will be married. + For [as] a young man marries a virgin, [So] your sons will marry you; And [as] the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, [So] your God will rejoice over you. + On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; + And give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. + The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, "I will never again give your grain [as] food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored." + But those who garner it will eat it and praise the LORD; And those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary. + Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples. + Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." + And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken." + + + Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." + Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? + "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. + "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. + "I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. + "I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth." + I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses. + For He said, "Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Savior. + In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. + But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them. + Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, + Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, + Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; + As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So You led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name. + Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation; Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds? The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me. + For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name. + Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. + Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, Our adversaries have trodden [it] down. + We have become [like] those over whom You have never ruled, [Like] those who were not called by Your name. + + + Oh, that You would rend the heavens [and] come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence-- + As fire kindles the brushwood, [as] fire causes water to boil-- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, [That] the nations may tremble at Your presence! + When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. + For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. + You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, [We continued] in them a long time; And shall we be saved? + For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. + There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. + But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. + Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Your people. + Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. + Our holy and beautiful house, Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned [by] fire; And all our precious things have become a ruin. + Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure? + + + "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask [for Me]; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name. + "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk [in] the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, + A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; + Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is [in] their pots. + "Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. + "Behold, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom, + Both their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together," says the LORD. "Because they have burned incense on the mountains And scorned Me on the hills, Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom." + Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it,' So I will act on behalf of My servants In order not to destroy all of them. + "I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, And an heir of My mountains from Judah; Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants will dwell there. + "Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks, And the valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who seek Me. + "But you who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who set a table for Fortune, And who fill [cups] with mixed wine for Destiny, + I will destine you for the sword, And all of you will bow down to the slaughter. Because I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not hear. And you did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight." + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. Behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. + "Behold, My servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you will cry out with a heavy heart, And you will wail with a broken spirit. + "You will leave your name for a curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord GOD will slay you. But My servants will be called by another name. + "Because he who is blessed in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight! + "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. + "But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem [for] rejoicing And her people [for] gladness. + "I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. + "No longer will there be in it an infant [who lives but a few] days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be [thought] accursed. + "They will build houses and inhabit [them]; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. + "They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, [so will be] the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. + "They will not labor in vain, Or bear [children] for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them. + "It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. + "The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD. + + + Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? + "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. + "[But] he who kills an ox is [like] one who slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb is [like] the one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering [is like one who offers] swine's blood; He who burns incense is [like] the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their [own] ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, + So I will choose their punishments And will bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. And they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight." + Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word: "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they will be put to shame. + "A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His enemies. + "Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. + "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. + "Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut [the womb]?" says your God. + "Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her, + That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom." + For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. + "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem." + Then you will see [this], and your heart will be glad, And your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be indignant toward His enemies. + For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. + For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many. + "Those who sanctify and purify themselves [to go] to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end altogether," declares the LORD. + "For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. + "I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. + "Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. + "I will also take some of them for priests [and] for Levites," says the LORD. + "For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will endure. + "And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD. + "Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind." + + + + + The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, + to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. + It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month. + Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." + Then I said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth." + But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. + "Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. + Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. + "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant." + The word of the LORD came to me saying, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree." + Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it." + The word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north." + Then the LORD said to me, "Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. + "For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north," declares the LORD; "and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah. + "I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. + "Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. + "Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. + "They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. + + + Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, The love of your betrothals, Your following after Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown. + "Israel was holy to the LORD, The first of His harvest. All who ate of it became guilty; Evil came upon them," declares the LORD.'" + Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. + Thus says the LORD, "What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me And walked after emptiness and became empty? + "They did not say, 'Where is the LORD Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of deep darkness, Through a land that no one crossed And where no man dwelt?' + "I brought you into the fruitful land To eat its fruit and its good things. But you came and defiled My land, And My inheritance you made an abomination. + "The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me, And the prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after things that did not profit. + "Therefore I will yet contend with you," declares the LORD, "And with your sons' sons I will contend. + "For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see, And send to Kedar and observe closely And see if there has been such [a thing] as this! + "Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit. + "Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate," declares the LORD. + "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. + "Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant? Why has he become a prey? + "The young lions have roared at him, They have roared loudly. And they have made his land a waste; His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant. + "Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes Have shaved the crown of your head. + "Have you not done this to yourself By your forsaking the LORD your God When He led you in the way? + "But now what are you doing on the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of the Nile? Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the Euphrates? + "Your own wickedness will correct you, And your apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter For you to forsake the LORD your God, And the dread of Me is not in you," declares the Lord GOD of hosts. + "For long ago I broke your yoke [And] tore off your bonds; But you said, 'I will not serve!' For on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot. + "Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? + "Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me," declares the Lord GOD. + "How can you say, 'I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals '? Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel entangling her ways, + A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In [the time of] her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her. + "Keep your feet from being unshod And your throat from thirst; But you said, 'It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.' + "As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes And their priests and their prophets, + Who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' And to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For they have turned [their] back to Me, And not [their] face; But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.' + "But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble; For [according to] the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah. + "Why do you contend with Me? You have all transgressed against Me," declares the LORD. + "In vain I have struck your sons; They accepted no chastening. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion. + "O generation, heed the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of thick darkness? Why do My people say, 'We [are free to] roam; We will no longer come to You'? + "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number. + "How well you prepare your way To seek love! Therefore even the wicked women You have taught your ways. + "Also on your skirts is found The lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things, + Yet you said, 'I am innocent; Surely His anger is turned away from me.' Behold, I will enter into judgment with you Because you say, 'I have not sinned.' + "Why do you go around so much Changing your way? Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt As you were put to shame by Assyria. + "From this [place] also you will go out With your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, And you will not prosper with them." + + + [God] says, "If a husband divorces his wife And she goes from him And belongs to another man, Will he still return to her? Will not that land be completely polluted? But you are a harlot [with] many lovers; Yet you turn to Me," declares the LORD. + "Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see; Where have you not been violated? By the roads you have sat for them Like an Arab in the desert, And you have polluted a land With your harlotry and with your wickedness. + "Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no spring rain. Yet you had a harlot's forehead; You refused to be ashamed. + "Have you not just now called to Me, 'My Father, You are the friend of my youth? + 'Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken And have done evil things, And you have had your way." + Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. + "I thought, 'After she has done all these things she will return to Me'; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. + "And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. + "Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. + "Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception," declares the LORD. + And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. + "Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, 'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD; 'I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,' declares the LORD; 'I will not be angry forever. + 'Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' declares the LORD. + 'Return, O faithless sons,' declares the LORD; 'For I am a master to you, And I will take you one from a city and two from a family, And I will bring you to Zion.' + "Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. + "It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land," declares the LORD, "they will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss [it], nor will it be made again. + "At that time they will call Jerusalem 'The Throne of the LORD,' and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart. + "In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance. + "Then I said, 'How I would set you among My sons And give you a pleasant land, The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!' And I said, 'You shall call Me, My Father, And not turn away from following Me.' + "Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. + A voice is heard on the bare heights, The weeping [and] the supplications of the sons of Israel; Because they have perverted their way, They have forgotten the LORD their God. + "Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness." "Behold, we come to You; For You are the LORD our God. + "Surely, the hills are a deception, A tumult [on] the mountains. Surely in the LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel. + "But the shameful thing has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. + "Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God." + + + "If you will return, O Israel," declares the LORD, "[Then] you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver, + And you will swear, 'As the LORD lives,' In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory." + For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. + "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." + Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, "Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into the fortified cities.' + "Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand [still], For I am bringing evil from the north, And great destruction. + "A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant. + "For this, put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us." + "It shall come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded." + Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You will have peace'; whereas a sword touches the throat." + In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people-- not to winnow and not to cleanse, + a wind too strong for this-- will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them. + "Behold, he goes up like clouds, And his chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!" + Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you? + For a voice declares from Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim. + "Report [it] to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a far country, And lift their voices against the cities of Judah. + 'Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,' declares the LORD. + "Your ways and your deeds Have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!" + My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war. + Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant. + How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet? + "For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know." + I looked on the earth, and behold, [it was] formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. + I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. + I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. + I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the LORD, before His fierce anger. + For thus says the LORD, "The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction. + "For this the earth shall mourn And the heavens above be dark, Because I have spoken, I have purposed, And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it." + At the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees; They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; Every city is forsaken, And no man dwells in them. + And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate [yourself with] ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. [Your] lovers despise you; They seek your life. + For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, [saying], "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers." + + + "Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, And look now and take note. And seek in her open squares, If you can find a man, If there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, Then I will pardon her. + "And although they say, 'As the LORD lives,' Surely they swear falsely." + O LORD, do not Your eyes [look] for truth? You have smitten them, [But] they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent. + Then I said, "They are only the poor, They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD [Or] the ordinance of their God. + "I will go to the great And will speak to them, For they know the way of the LORD [And] the ordinance of their God." But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke [And] burst the bonds. + Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many, Their apostasies are numerous. + "Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And trooped to the harlot's house. + "They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor's wife. + "Shall I not punish these [people]," declares the LORD, "And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? + "Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the LORD'S. + "For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me," declares the LORD. + They have lied about the LORD And said, "Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine. + "The prophets are [as] wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!" + Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them. + "Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. "It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. + "Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are mighty men. + "They will devour your harvest and your food; They will devour your sons and your daughters; They will devour your flocks and your herds; They will devour your vines and your fig trees; They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust. + "Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not make you a complete destruction. + "It shall come about when they say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' then you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.' + "Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying, + 'Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear. + 'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it. + 'But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. + 'They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest." + 'Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you. + 'For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch men. + 'Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich. + 'They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor. + 'Shall I not punish these [people]?' declares the LORD, 'On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?' + "An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: + The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their [own] authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? + + + "Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal over Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the north, And a great destruction. + "The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off. + "Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will pitch [their] tents around her, They will pasture each in his place. + "Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen! + "Arise, and let us attack by night And destroy her palaces!" + For thus says the LORD of hosts, "Cut down her trees And cast up a siege against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only oppression. + "As a well keeps its waters fresh, So she keeps fresh her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her; Sickness and wounds are ever before Me. + "Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer Over the branches." + To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it. + But I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary with holding [it] in. "Pour [it] out on the children in the street And on the gathering of young men together; For both husband and wife shall be taken, The aged and the very old. + "Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD. + "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely. + "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. + "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD. + Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk [in it].' + "And I set watchmen over you, [saying], 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.' + "Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. + "Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also. + "For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me." + Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish." + Thus says the LORD, "Behold, a people is coming from the north land, And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. + "They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!" + We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth. + Do not go out into the field And do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, Terror is on every side. + O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us. + "I have made you an assayer [and] a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way." + All of them are stubbornly rebellious, Going about as a talebearer. [They are] bronze and iron; They, all of them, are corrupt. + The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the wicked are not separated. + They call them rejected silver, Because the LORD has rejected them. + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, + "Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house and proclaim there this word and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!'" + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. + "Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.' + "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, + [if] you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, + then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. + "Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. + "Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, + then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered!'-- that you may do all these abominations? + "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen [it]," declares the LORD. + "But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. + "And now, because you have done all these things," declares the LORD, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, + therefore, I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. + "I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brothers, all the offspring of Ephraim. + "As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you. + "Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and [they] pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me. + "Do they spite Me?" declares the LORD. "Is it not themselves [they spite], to their own shame?" + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh. + "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. + "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.' + "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in [their own] counsels [and] in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. + "Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending [them]. + "Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers. + "You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you. + "You shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God or accept correction; truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. + 'Cut off your hair and cast [it] away, And take up a lamentation on the bare heights; For the LORD has rejected and forsaken The generation of His wrath.' + "For the sons of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight," declares the LORD, "they have set their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. + "They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into My mind. + "Therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of the Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth because there is no [other] place. + "The dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth; and no one will frighten [them away]. + "Then I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land will become a ruin. + + + "At that time," declares the LORD, "they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. + "They will spread them out to the sun, the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have gone after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried; they will be as dung on the face of the ground. + "And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them," declares the LORD of hosts. + "You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Do [men] fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not repent? + "Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return. + "I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turned to his course, Like a horse charging into the battle. + "Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD. + "How can you say, 'We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made [it] into a lie. + "The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have? + "Therefore I will give their wives to others, Their fields to new owners; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is greedy for gain; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone practices deceit. + "They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. + "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They certainly were not ashamed, And they did not know how to blush; Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time of their punishment they shall be brought down," Says the LORD. + "I will surely snatch them away," declares the LORD; "There will be no grapes on the vine And no figs on the fig tree, And the leaf will wither; And what I have given them will pass away."'" + Why are we sitting still? Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities And let us perish there, Because the LORD our God has doomed us And given us poisoned water to drink, For we have sinned against the LORD. + [We] waited for peace, but no good [came]; For a time of healing, but behold, terror! + From Dan is heard the snorting of his horses; At the sound of the neighing of his stallions The whole land quakes; For they come and devour the land and its fullness, The city and its inhabitants. + "For behold, I am sending serpents against you, Adders, for which there is no charm, And they will bite you," declares the LORD. + My sorrow is beyond healing, My heart is faint [within me]! + Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not within her?" "Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?" + "Harvest is past, summer is ended, And we are not saved." + For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. + Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? + + + Oh that my head were waeyrs And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people! + Oh that I had in the desert A wayfarers' lodging place; That I might leave my people And go from them! For all of them are adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men. + "They bend their tongue [like] their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," declares the LORD. + "Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; Because every brother deals craftily, And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. + "Everyone deceives his neighbor And does not speak the truth, They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves committing iniquity. + "Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me," declares the LORD. + Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I will refine them and assay them; For what [else] can I do, because of the daughter of My people? + "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him. + "Shall I not punish them for these things?" declares the LORD. "On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? + "For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing, And for the pastures of the wilderness a dirge, Because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, And the lowing of the cattle is not heard; Both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone. + "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, A haunt of jackals; And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant." + Who is the wise man that may understand this? And [who is] he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through? + The LORD said, "Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, + but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them," + therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. + "I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come; And send for the wailing women, that they may come! + "Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, That our eyes may shed tears And our eyelids flow with water. + "For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion, 'How are we ruined! We are put to great shame, For we have left the land, Because they have cast down our dwellings.'" + Now hear the word of the LORD, O you women, And let your ear receive the word of His mouth; Teach your daughters wailing, And everyone her neighbor a dirge. + For death has come up through our windows; It has entered our palaces To cut off the children from the streets, The young men from the town squares. + Speak, "Thus says the LORD, 'The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field, And like the sheaf after the reaper, But no one will gather [them].'" + Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; + but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. + "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised-- + Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart." + + + Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. + Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; + For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. + "They decorate [it] with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. + "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good." + There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. + Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. + But they are altogether stupid and foolish [In their] discipline of delusion-- their idol is wood! + Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skilled men. + But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation. + Thus you shall say to them, "The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens." + [It is] He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. + When He utters His voice, [there is] a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. + Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. + They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. + The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name. + Pick up your bundle from the ground, You who dwell under siege! + For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land At this time, And will cause them distress, That they may be found." + Woe is me, because of my injury! My wound is incurable. But I said, "Truly this is a sickness, And I must bear it." + My tent is destroyed, And all my ropes are broken; My sons have gone from me and are no more. There is no one to stretch out my tent again Or to set up my curtains. + For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered. + The sound of a report! Behold, it comes-- A great commotion out of the land of the north-- To make the cities of Judah A desolation, a haunt of jackals. + I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. + Correct me, O LORD, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing. + Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You And on the families that do not call Your name; For they have devoured Jacob; They have devoured him and consumed him And have laid waste his habitation. + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, + "Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; + and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant + which I commanded your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God,' + in order to confirm the oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as [it is] this day."'" Then I said, "Amen, O LORD." + And the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, 'Hear the words of this covenant and do them. + 'For I solemnly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, warning persistently, saying, "Listen to My voice." + 'Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded [them] to do, but they did not.'" + Then the LORD said to me, "A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + "They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers." + Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. + "Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their disaster. + "For your gods are as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal. + "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster. + "What right has My beloved in My house When she has done many vile deeds? Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster, So [that] you can rejoice?" + The LORD called your name, "A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form"; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless. + The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal. + Moreover, the LORD made it known to me and I knew it; Then You showed me their deeds. + But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had devised plots against me, [saying], "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, And let us cut him off from the land of the living, That his name be remembered no more." + But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, Who tries the feelings and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You have I committed my cause. + Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, "Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, so that you will not die at our hand"; + therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I am about to punish them! The young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; + and a remnant will not be left to them, for I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth-- the year of their punishment." + + + Righteous are You, O LORD, that I would plead [my] case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? [Why] are all those who deal in treachery at ease? + You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind. + But You know me, O LORD; You see me; And You examine my heart's [attitude] toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage! + How long is the land to mourn And the vegetation of the countryside to wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, Animals and birds have been snatched away, Because [men] have said, "He will not see our latter ending." + "If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? + "For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you." + "I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies. + "My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her. + "Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour! + "Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, They have trampled down My field; They have made My pleasant field A desolate wilderness. + "It has been made a desolation, Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made desolate, Because no man lays it to heart. + "On all the bare heights in the wilderness Destroyers have come, For a sword of the LORD is devouring From one end of the land even to the other; There is no peace for anyone. + "They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns, They have strained themselves to no profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the LORD." + Thus says the LORD concerning all My wicked neighbors who strike at the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel, "Behold I am about to uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them. + "And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will again have compassion on them; and I wFol bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. + "Then if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, 'As the LORD lives,' even as they taught My people to swear by Baal, they will be built up in the midst of My people. + "But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it," declares the LORD. + + + Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and buy yourself a linen waistband and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water." + So I bought the waistband in accordance with the word of the LORD and put it around my waist. + Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, + "Take the waistband that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock." + So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD had commanded me. + After many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the waistband which I commanded you to hide there." + Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it; and lo, the waistband was ruined, it was totally worthless. + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Thus says the LORD, 'Just so will I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. + 'This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless. + 'For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,' declares the LORD, 'that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.' + "Therefore you are to speak this word to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Every jug is to be filled with wine."' And when they say to you, 'Do we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?' + then say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land-- the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem-- with drunkenness! + "I will dash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons together," declares the LORD. "I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to destroy them."'" + Listen and give heed, do not be haughty, For the LORD has spoken. + Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, [And] turns [it] into gloom. + But if you will not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for [such] pride; And my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, Because the flock of the LORD has been taken captive. + Say to the king and the queen mother, "Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown Has come down from your head." + The cities of the Negev have been locked up, And there is no one to open [them]; All Judah has been carried into exile, Wholly carried into exile. + "Lift up your eyes and see Those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, Your beautiful sheep? + "What will you say when He appoints over you-- And you yourself had taught them-- Former companions to be head over you? Will not pangs take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth? + "If you say in your heart, 'Why have these things happened to me?' Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been removed And your heels have been exposed. + "Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? [Then] you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil. + "Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind. + "This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me," declares the LORD, "Because you have forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood. + "So I Myself have also stripped your skirts off over your face, That your shame may be seen. + "As for your adulteries and your [lustful] neighings, The lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?" + + + That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah in regard to the drought: + "Judah mourns And her gates languish; They sit on the ground in mourning, And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended. + "Their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads. + "Because the ground is cracked, For there has been no rain on the land; The farmers have been put to shame, They have covered their heads. + "For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon [her young], Because there is no grass. + "The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; They pant for air like jackals, Their eyes fail For there is no vegetation. + "Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for Your name's sake! Truly our apostasies have been many, We have sinned against You. + "O Hope of Israel, Its Savior in time of distress, Why are You like a stranger in the land Or like a traveler who has pitched his [tent] for the night? + "Why are You like a man dismayed, Like a mighty man who cannot save? Yet You are in our midst, O LORD, And we are called by Your name; Do not forsake us!" + Thus says the LORD to this people, "Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account." + So the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the welfare of this people. + "When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence." + But, "Ah, Lord GOD!" I said, "Look, the prophets are telling them, 'You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" + Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds. + "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them-- yet they keep saying, 'There will be no sword or famine in this land '-- by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! + "The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them-- [neither] them, [nor] their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters-- for I will pour out their [own] wickedness on them. + "You will say this word to them, 'Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely infected wound. + 'If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.'" + Have You completely rejected Judah? Or have You loathed Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? [We] waited for peace, but nothing good [came]; And for a time of healing, but behold, terror! + We know our wickedness, O LORD, The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You. + Do not despise [us], for Your own name's sake; Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory; Remember [and] do not annul Your covenant with us. + Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O LORD our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things. + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go! + "And it shall be that when they say to you, 'Where should we go?' then you are to tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Those [destined] for death, to death; And those [destined] for the sword, to the sword; And those [destined] for famine, to famine; And those [destined] for captivity, to captivity."' + "I will appoint over them four kinds [of doom]," declares the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. + "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. + "Indeed, who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, Or who will mourn for you, Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare? + "You who have forsaken Me," declares the LORD, "You keep going backward. So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting! + "I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave [them] of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways. + "Their widows will be more numerous before Me Than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man, A destroyer at noonday; I will suddenly bring down on her Anguish and dismay. + "She who bore seven [sons] pines away; Her breathing is labored. Her sun has set while it was yet day; She has been shamed and humiliated. So I will give over their survivors to the sword Before their enemies," declares the LORD. + Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me [As] a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land! I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me, [Yet] everyone curses me. + The LORD said, "Surely I will set you free for [purposes of] good; Surely I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you In a time of disaster and a time of distress. + "Can anyone smash iron, Iron from the north, or bronze? + "Your wealth and your treasures I will give for booty without cost, Even for all your sins And within all your borders. + "Then I will cause your enemies to bring [it] Into a land you do not know; For a fire has been kindled in My anger, It will burn upon you." + You who know, O LORD, Remember me, take notice of me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endure reproach. + Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. + I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, Nor did I exult. Because of Your hand [upon me] I sat alone, For You filled me with indignation. + Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive [stream] With water that is unreliable? + Therefore, thus says the LORD, "If you return, then I will restore you-- Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them. + "Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," declares the LORD. + "So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent." + + + The word of the LORD also came to me saying, + "You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place." + For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bear them, and their fathers who beget them in this land: + "They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth." + For thus says the LORD, "Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people," declares the LORD, "[My] lovingkindness and compassion. + "Both great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them. + "Men will not break [bread] in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone's father or mother. + "Moreover you shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink." + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride. + "Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, 'For what reason has the LORD declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the LORD our God?' + "Then you are to say to them, '[It is] because your forefathers have forsaken Me,' declares the LORD, 'and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. + 'You too have done evil, [even] more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. + 'So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.' + "Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' + but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. + "Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. + "For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. + "I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations." + O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit." + Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods! + "Therefore behold, I am going to make them know-- This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD." + + + The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus; With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart And on the horns of their altars, + As they remember their children, So they [remember] their altars and their Asherim By green trees on the high hills. + O mountain of Mine in the countryside, I will give over your wealth and all your treasures for booty, Your high places for sin throughout your borders. + And you will, even of yourself, let go of your inheritance That I gave you; And I will make you serve your enemies In the land which you do not know; For you have kindled a fire in My anger Which will burn forever. + Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. + "For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. + "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. + "For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. + "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? + "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. + "As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid, [So] is he who makes a fortune, but unjustly; In the midst of his days it will forsake him, And in the end he will be a fool." + A glorious throne on high from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary. + O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD. + Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise. + Look, they keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come now!" + But as for me, I have not hurried away from [being] a shepherd after You, Nor have I longed for the woeful day; You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips Was in Your presence. + Do not be a terror to me; You are my refuge in the day of disaster. + Let those who persecute me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. Bring on them a day of disaster, And crush them with twofold destruction! + Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; + and say to them, 'Listen to the word of the LORD, kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: + 'Thus says the LORD, "Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. + "You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. + "Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction. + "But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me," declares the LORD, "to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, + then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. + "They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the LORD. + "But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched."'" + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, + "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you." + Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. + But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. + Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter [does]?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. + "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy [it]; + if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. + "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant [it]; + if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. + "So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds."' + "But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.' + "Therefore thus says the LORD, 'Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of this? The virgin of Israel Has done a most appalling thing. + 'Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water [from] a foreign [land] ever snatched away? + 'For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway, + To make their land a desolation, [An object of] perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head. + 'Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not [My] face In the day of their calamity.'" + Then they said, "Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the [divine] word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with [our] tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words." + Do give heed to me, O LORD, And listen to what my opponents are saying! + Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them. + Therefore, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men struck down by the sword in battle. + May an outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden snares for my feet. + Yet You, O LORD, know All their deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be overthrown before You; Deal with them in the time of Your anger! + + + Thus says the LORD, "Go and buy a potter's earthenware jar, and [take] some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests. + "Then go out to the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the potsherd gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you, + and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. + "Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had [ever] known, and [because] they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent + and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it [ever] enter My mind; + therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter. + "I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I will give over their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. + "I will also make this city a desolation and an [object of] hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its disasters. + "I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them."' + "Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you + and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter's vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no [other] place for burial. + "This is how I will treat this place and its inhabitants," declares the LORD, "so as to make this city like Topheth. + "The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the houses on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly host and poured out drink offerings to other gods."'" + Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD'S house and said to all the people: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.'" + + + When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, + Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the LORD. + On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "Pashhur is not the name the LORD has called you, but rather Magor-missabib. + "For thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. + 'I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. + 'And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.'" + O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me. + For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long. + But if I say, "I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name," Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding [it] in, And I cannot endure [it]. + For I have heard the whispering of many, "Terror on every side! Denounce [him]; yes, let us denounce him!" All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: "Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him." + But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. + Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; Let me see Your vengeance on them; For to You I have set forth my cause. + Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers. + Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! + Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, "A baby boy has been born to you!" [And] made him very happy. + But let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon; + Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant. + Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame? + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, + "Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that [the enemy] will withdraw from us." + Then Jeremiah said to them, "You shall say to Zedekiah as follows: + 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city. + "I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. + "I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence. + "Then afterwards," declares the LORD, "I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion."' + "You shall also say to this people, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. + "He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty. + "For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good," declares the LORD. "It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire."' + "Then [say] to the household of the king of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD, + O house of David, thus says the LORD: "Administer justice every morning; And deliver the [person] who has been robbed from the power of [his] oppressor, That My wrath may not go forth like fire And burn with none to extinguish [it], Because of the evil of their deeds. + "Behold, I am against you, O valley dweller, O rocky plain," declares the LORD, "You men who say, 'Who will come down against us? Or who will enter into our habitations?' + "But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds," declares the LORD, "And I will kindle a fire in its forest That it may devour all its environs."'" + + + Thus says the LORD, "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word + and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on David's throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. + 'Thus says the LORD, "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of [his] oppressor. Also do not mistreat [or] do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. + "For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David's place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, [even the king] himself and his servants and his people. + "But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself," declares the LORD, "that this house will become a desolation."'" + For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: "You are [like] Gilead to Me, [Like] the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, [Like] cities which are not inhabited. + "For I will set apart destroyers against you, Each with his weapons; And they will cut down your choicest cedars And throw [them] on the fire. + "Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?' + "Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.'" + Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him, [But] weep continually for the one who goes away; For he will never return Or see his native land. + For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, "He will never return there; + but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again. + "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages, + Who says, 'I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms, And cut out its windows, Paneling [it] with cedar and painting [it] bright red.' + "Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. + "He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?" Declares the LORD. + "But your eyes and your heart Are [intent] only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion." + Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, "They will not lament for him: 'Alas, my brother!' or, 'Alas, sister!' They will not lament for him: 'Alas for the master!' or, 'Alas for his splendor!' + "He will be buried with a donkey's burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem. + "Go up to Lebanon and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry out also from Abarim, For all your lovers have been crushed. + "I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your practice from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice. + "The wind will sweep away all your shepherds, And your lovers will go into captivity; Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated Because of all your wickedness. + "You who dwell in Lebanon, Nested in the cedars, How you will groan when pangs come upon you, Pain like a woman in childbirth! + "As I live," declares the LORD, "even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet [ring] on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; + and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. + "I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. + "But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it. + "Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known? + "O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD! + "Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'" + + + "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD. + Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the LORD. + "Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. + "I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD. + "Behold, [the] days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. + "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.' + "Therefore behold, [the] days are coming," declares the LORD, "when they will no longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,' + but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from [the] north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil." + As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words. + For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil And their might is not right. + "For both prophet and priest are polluted; Even in My house I have found their wickedness," declares the LORD. + "Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring calamity upon them, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD. + "Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. + "Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah. + "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, 'Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood And make them drink poisonous water, For from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution has gone forth into all the land.'" + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD. + "They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You will have peace "'; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.' + "But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened? + "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked. + "The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it. + "I did not send [these] prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied. + "But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds. + "Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off? + "Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD. + "I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, 'I had a dream, I had a dream!' + "How long? Is there [anything] in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even [these] prophets of the deception of their own heart, + who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? + "The prophet who has a dream may relate [his] dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have [in common] with grain?" declares the LORD. + "Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock? + "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who steal My words from each other. + "Behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who use their tongues and declare, '[The Lord] declares.' + "Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares the LORD, "and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares the LORD. + "Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' then you shall say to them, 'What oracle?' The LORD declares, 'I will abandon you.' + "Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, 'The oracle of the LORD,' I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. + "Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, 'What has the LORD answered?' or, 'What has the LORD spoken?' + "For you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every man's own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. + "Thus you will say to [that] prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' and, 'What has the LORD spoken?' + "For if you say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' surely thus says the LORD, 'Because you said this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" I have also sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'"' + "Therefore behold, I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. + "I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten." + + + After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me: behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of the LORD! + One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. + Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad [figs], very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness." + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place [into] the land of the Chaldeans. + 'For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. + 'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. + 'But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness-- indeed, thus says the LORD-- so I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who dwell in the land of Egypt. + 'I will make them a terror [and an] evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all places where I will scatter them. + 'I will send the sword, the famine and the pestilence upon them until they are destroyed from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.'" + + + The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), + which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, + "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. + "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, + saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; + and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.' + "Yet you have not listened to Me," declares the LORD, "in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. + "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Because you have not obeyed My words, + behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and [I will send] to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. + 'Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. + 'This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. + 'Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,' declares the LORD, 'for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. + 'I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. + '(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)'" + For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. + "They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them." + Then I took the cup from the LORD'S hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: + Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings [and] its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day; + Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes and all his people; + and all the foreign people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod); + Edom, Moab and the sons of Ammon; + and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea; + and Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who cut the corners [of their hair]; + and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert; + and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media; + and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. + "You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you."' + "And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall surely drink! + "For behold, I am beginning to work calamity in [this] city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth," declares the LORD of hosts.' + "Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them, 'The LORD will roar from on high And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will shout like those who tread [the grapes], Against all the inhabitants of the earth. + 'A clamor has come to the end of the earth, Because the LORD has a controversy with the nations. He is entering into judgment with all flesh; As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,' declares the LORD." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, evil is going forth From nation to nation, And a great storm is being stirred up From the remotest parts of the earth. + "Those slain by the LORD on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be lamented, gathered or buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground. + "Wail, you shepherds, and cry; And wallow [in ashes], you masters of the flock; For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions have come, And you will fall like a choice vessel. + "Flight will perish from the shepherds, And escape from the masters of the flock. + "[Hear] the sound of the cry of the shepherds, And the wailing of the masters of the flock! For the LORD is destroying their pasture, + "And the peaceful folds are made silent Because of the fierce anger of the LORD. + "He has left His hiding place like the lion; For their land has become a horror Because of the fierceness of the oppressing [sword] And because of His fierce anger." + + + In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD, saying, + "Thus says the LORD, 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship [in] the LORD'S house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word! + 'Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.' + "And you will say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, + to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened; + then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth."'" + The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. + When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded [him] to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You must die! + "Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD saying, 'This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant '?" And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. + When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD'S [house]. + Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, "A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing." + Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. + "Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you. + "But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. + "Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing." + Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, "No death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." + Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, + "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, 'Thus the LORD of hosts has said, "Zion will be plowed [as] a field, And Jerusalem will become ruins, And the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest."' + "Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and the LORD changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves." + Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. + When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard [it], and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt. + Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and [certain] men with him [went] into Egypt. + And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people. + But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death. + + + In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying-- + thus says the LORD to me-- "Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck, + and send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. + "Command them [to go] to their masters, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, + "I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight. + "Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. + "All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. + "It will be, [that] the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine and with pestilence," declares the LORD, "until I have destroyed it by his hand. + "But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.' + "For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish. + "But the nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let remain on its land," declares the LORD, "and they will till it and dwell in it."'" + I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! + "Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon? + "So do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you; + for I have not sent them," declares the LORD, "but they prophesy falsely in My name, in order that I may drive you out and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you." + [Then] I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, 'Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon'; for they are prophesying a lie to you. + "Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin? + "But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now entreat the LORD of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. + "For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, + which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. + "Yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem, + 'They will be carried to Babylon and they will be there until the day I visit them,' declares the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.'" + + + Now in the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. + 'Within two years I am going to bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. + 'I am also going to bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,' declares the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'" + Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, + and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD confirm your words which you have prophesied to bring back the vessels of the LORD'S house and all the exiles, from Babylon to this place. + "Yet hear now this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people! + "The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of calamity and of pestilence. + "The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known [as] one whom the LORD has truly sent." + Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. + Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD, 'Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.'" Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way. + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, + "Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of iron." + 'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field."'" + Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. + "Therefore thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have counseled rebellion against the LORD.'" + So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month. + + + Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. + (This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) + [The letter was sent] by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, + 'Build houses and live [in them]; and plant gardens and eat their produce. + 'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. + 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.' + "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. + 'For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. + "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. + 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. + 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. + 'You will seek Me and find [Me] when you search for Me with all your heart. + 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' + "Because you have said, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon '-- + for thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile-- + thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. + 'I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, + because they have not listened to My words,' declares the LORD, 'which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,' declares the LORD. + "You, therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name, 'Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes. + 'Because of them a curse will be used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, + because they have acted foolishly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who knows and am a witness," declares the LORD.'" + To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, + "The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar, + now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you? + "For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, '[The exile] will be long; build houses and live [in them] and plant gardens and eat their produce.'"'" + Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet. + Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, + "Send to all the exiles, saying, 'Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, "Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie," + therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people," declares the LORD, "because he has preached rebellion against the LORD."'" + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, + "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. + 'For behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.' The LORD says, 'I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.'" + Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah: + "For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. + 'Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man [With] his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And [why] have all faces turned pale? + 'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it. + 'It shall come about on that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. + 'But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. + 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant,' declares the LORD, 'And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid. + 'For I am with you,' declares the LORD, 'to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished.' + "For thus says the LORD, 'Your wound is incurable And your injury is serious. + 'There is no one to plead your cause; [No] healing for [your] sore, No recovery for you. + 'All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the punishment of a cruel one, Because your iniquity is great [And] your sins are numerous. + 'Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your iniquity is great [And] your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you. + 'Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; And those who plunder you will be for plunder, And all who prey upon you I will give for prey. + 'For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an outcast, saying: "It is Zion; no one cares for her."' + "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, And the palace will stand on its rightful place. + 'From them will proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who celebrate; And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant. + 'Their children also will be as formerly, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all their oppressors. + 'Their leader shall be one of them, And their ruler shall come forth from their midst; And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?' declares the LORD. + 'You shall be My people, And I will be your God.'" + Behold, the tempest of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping tempest; It will burst on the head of the wicked. + The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and until He has accomplished The intent of His heart; In the latter days you will understand this. + + + "At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people." + Thus says the LORD, "The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness-- Israel, when it went to find its rest." + The LORD appeared to him from afar, [saying], "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. + "Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. + "Again you will plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy [them]. + "For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out, 'Arise, and let us go up [to] Zion, To the LORD our God.'" + For thus says the LORD, "Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, 'O LORD, save Your people, The remnant of Israel.' + "Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here. + "With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn." + Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, And say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock." + For the LORD has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. + "They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD-- Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again. + "Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. + "I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness," declares the LORD. + Thus says the LORD, "A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation [and] bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more." + Thus says the LORD, "Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD, "And they will return from the land of the enemy. + "There is hope for your future," declares the LORD, "And [your] children will return to their own territory. + "I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the LORD my God. + 'For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on [my] thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.' + "Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly [still] remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him," declares the LORD. + "Set up for yourself roadmarks, Place for yourself guideposts; Direct your mind to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities. + "How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth-- A woman will encompass a man." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes, 'The LORD bless you, O abode of righteousness, O holy hill!' + "Judah and all its cities will dwell together in it, the farmer and they who go about with flocks. + "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes." + At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me. + "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. + "As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. + "In those days they will not say again, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.' + "But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge. + "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, + not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. + "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. + "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." + Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: + "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever." + Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD. + "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. + "The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. + "And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever." + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. + Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which [was in] the house of the king of Judah, + because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, "Why do you prophesy, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; + and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; + and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him," declares the LORD. "If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed "'?" + And Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, + 'Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, "Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy [it]."' + "Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the LORD and said to me, 'Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy [it] for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. + "I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. + "I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. + "Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed [copy containing] the terms and conditions and the open [copy]; + and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle's [son] and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. + "And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, + 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time." + 'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land."' + "After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the LORD, saying, + 'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, + who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; + great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; + who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, [and] even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day. + 'You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; + and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. + 'They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them. + 'Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see [it]. + 'You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses "-- although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'" + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, + "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" + Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. + "The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where [people] have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. + "Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands," declares the LORD. + "Indeed this city has been to Me [a] [provocation of] My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, + because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger-- they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + "They have turned [their] back to Me and not [their] face; though [I] taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. + "But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. + "They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. + "Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.' + "Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. + "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; + and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for [the good of] their children after them. + "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. + "I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. + "For thus says the LORD, 'Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. + 'Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, "It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans." + 'Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,' declares the LORD." + + + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, + "Thus says the LORD who made [the earth], the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, + 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' + "For thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are broken down [to make a defense] against the siege ramps and against the sword, + 'While [they] are coming to fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have slain in My anger and in My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: + 'Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. + 'I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. + 'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. + 'It will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.' + "Thus says the LORD, 'Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, "It is a waste, without man and without beast," [that is], in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, + the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, "Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting"; [and of those] who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,' says the LORD. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who rest their flocks. + 'In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,' says the LORD. + 'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. + 'In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. + 'In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is [the name] by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.' + "For thus says the LORD, 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; + and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.'" + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, + "Thus says the LORD, 'If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, + then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. + 'As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.'" + And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, + "Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the LORD chose, He has rejected them'? Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. + "Thus says the LORD, 'If My covenant [for] day and night [stand] not, [and] the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, + then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.'" + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying, + "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. + 'You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.'"' + "Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you, 'You will not die by the sword. + 'You will die in peace; and as [spices] were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn [spices] for you; and they will lament for you, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word," declares the LORD. + Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem + when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, [that is], Lachish and Azekah, for they [alone] remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah. + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them: + that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage. + And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set [them free]. + But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, + "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, + "At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. + "Although recently you [had] turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. + "Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants."' + "Therefore thus says the LORD, 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,' declares the LORD, 'to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. + 'I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, [when] they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts-- + the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf-- + I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. + 'Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you. + 'Behold, I am going to command,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.'" + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, + "Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink." + Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites, + and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. + Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine and cups; and I said to them, "Drink wine!" + But they said, "We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, 'You shall not drink wine, you or your sons, forever. + 'You shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed and you shall not plant a vineyard or own one; but in tents you shall dwell all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.' + "We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons or our daughters, + nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; and we do not have vineyard or field or seed. + "We have only dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and have done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. + "But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, 'Come and let us go to Jerusalem before the army of the Chaldeans and before the army of the Arameans.' So we have dwelt in Jerusalem." + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?" declares the LORD. + "The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are observed. So they do not drink [wine] to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. But I have spoken to you again and again; yet you have not listened to Me. + "Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending [them] again and again, saying: 'Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me. + 'Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.'"' + "Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.'" + Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you; + therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always."'" + + + In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, + "Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I [first] spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. + "Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin." + Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD which He had spoken to him. + Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, "I am restricted; I cannot go into the house of the LORD. + "So you go and read from the scroll which you have written at my dictation the words of the LORD to the people in the LORD'S house on a fast day. And also you shall read them to all [the people of] Judah who come from their cities. + "Perhaps their supplication will come before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people." + Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house. + Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD. + Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house, to all the people. + Now when Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the LORD from the book, + he went down to the king's house, into the scribe's chamber. And behold, all the officials were sitting there-- Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the [other] officials. + Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the book to the people. + Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, "Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and went to them. + They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them. + When they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one to another and said to Baruch, "We will surely report all these words to the king." + And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? [Was it] at his dictation?" + Then Baruch said to them, "He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book." + Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are." + So they went to the king in the court, but they had deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they reported all the words to the king. + Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king. + Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with [a fire] burning in the brazier before him. + When Jehudi had read three or four columns, [the king] cut it with a scribe's knife and threw [it] into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. + Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments. + Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. + And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll and the words which Baruch had written at the dictation of Jeremiah, saying, + "Take again another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned. + "And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the LORD, "You have burned this scroll, saying, 'Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will make man and beast to cease from it?'" + 'Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, "He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. + "I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity, and I will bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the calamity that I have declared to them-- but they did not listen."'" + Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them. + + + Now Zedekiah the son of Josiah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah, reigned as king in place of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. + But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. + Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Please pray to the LORD our God on our behalf." + Now Jeremiah was [still] coming in and going out among the people, for they had not [yet] put him in the prison. + Meanwhile, Pharaoh's army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they lifted the [siege] from Jerusalem. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, + "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt. + "The Chaldeans will also return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire."' + "Thus says the LORD, 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," for they will not go. + 'For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were [only] wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'" + Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had lifted [the siege] from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, + that Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to take possession of [some] property there among the people. + While he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are going over to the Chaldeans!" + But Jeremiah said, "A lie! I am not going over to the Chaldeans"; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. + Then the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison. + For Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days. + Now King Zedekiah sent and took him [out]; and in his palace the king secretly asked him and said, "Is there a word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is!" Then he said, "You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon!" + Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "[In] what [way] have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? + "Where then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land '? + "But now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there." + Then King Zedekiah gave commandment, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse. + + + Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, + "Thus says the LORD, 'He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his [own] life as booty and stay alive.' + "Thus says the LORD, 'This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.'" + Then the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm." + So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can [do] nothing against you." + Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern [of] Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. + But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, while he was in the king's palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin; + and Ebed-melech went out from the king's palace and spoke to the king, saying, + "My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city." + Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies." + So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went into the king's palace to [a place] beneath the storeroom and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. + Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes"; and Jeremiah did so. + So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse. + Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the LORD; and the king said to Jeremiah, "I am going to ask you something; do not hide anything from me." + Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me." + But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret saying, "As the LORD lives, who made this life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of these men who are seeking your life." + Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. + 'But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.'" + Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me." + But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the LORD in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live. + "But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the LORD has shown me: + 'Then behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, "Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back." + 'They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.'" + Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die. + "But if the officials hear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, 'Tell us now what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide [it] from us and we will not put you to death,' + then you are to say to them, 'I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'" + Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. So he reported to them in accordance with all these words which the king had commanded; and they ceased speaking with him, since the conversation had not been overheard. + So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem was captured. + + + Now when Jerusalem was captured in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; + in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth [day] of the month, the city [wall] was breached. + Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer [the] Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. + When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. + Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah. + He then blinded Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon. + The Chaldeans also burned with fire the king's palace and the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. + As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had gone over to him and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard carried [them] into exile in Babylon. + But some of the poorest people who had nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at that time. + Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, + "Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you." + So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent [word], along with Nebushazban the Rab-saris, and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; + they even sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people. + Now the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guardhouse, saying, + "Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. + "But I will deliver you on that day," declares the LORD, "and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread. + "For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your [own] life as booty, because you have trusted in Me," declares the LORD.'" + + + The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. + Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, "The LORD your God promised this calamity against this place; + and the LORD has brought [it] on and done just as He promised. Because you [people] sinned against the LORD and did not listen to His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you. + "But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come [along], and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, never mind. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go." + As Jeremiah was still not going back, [he said], "Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go." So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift and let him go. + Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land. + Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon. + So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, [both] they and their men. + Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, "Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, that it may go well with you. + "Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand [for you] before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather in wine and summer fruit and oil and put [them] in your [storage] vessels, and live in your cities that you have taken over." + Likewise, also all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the [other] countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. + Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven away and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in wine and summer fruit in great abundance. + Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah + and said to him, "Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. + Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, "Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish?" + But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, "Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael." + + + In the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and [one] of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. While they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, + Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. + Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, [that is] with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war. + Now it happened on the next day after the killing of Gedaliah, when no one knew about [it], + that eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed, having grain offerings and incense in their hands to bring to the house of the LORD. + Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went; and as he met them, he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!" + Yet it turned out that as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men that were with him slaughtered them [and cast them] into the cistern. + But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to death; for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field." So he refrained and did not put them to death along with their companions. + Now as for the cistern where Ishmael had cast all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down because of Gedaliah, it was the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. + Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had put under the charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and proceeded to cross over to the sons of Ammon. + But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. + So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. + Now as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the commanders of the forces that were with him, they were glad. + So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. + But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon. + Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, [that is], the men who were soldiers, [the] women, [the] children, and [the] eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. + And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt + because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. + + + Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great approached + and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, [that is] for all this remnant; because we are left [but] a few out of many, as your own eyes [now] see us, + that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do." + Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard [you]. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD will answer you. I will not keep back a word from you." + Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the LORD your God will send you to us. + "Whether [it] is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God." + Now at the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. + Then he called for Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him, and for all the people both small and great, + and said to them, "Thus says the LORD the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him: + 'If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent concerning the calamity that I have inflicted on you. + 'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are [now] fearing; do not be afraid of him,' declares the LORD, 'for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand. + 'I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil. + 'But if you are going to say, "We will not stay in this land," so as not to listen to the voice of the LORD your God, + saying, "No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of a trumpet or hunger for bread, and we will stay there"; + then in that case listen to the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "If you really set your mind to enter Egypt and go in to reside there, + then the sword, which you are afraid of, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there [in] Egypt, and you will die there. + "So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or refugees from the calamity that I am going to bring on them."'" + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "As My anger and wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach; and you will see this place no more." + The LORD has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah, "Do not go into Egypt!" You should clearly understand that today I have testified against you. + For you have [only] deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the LORD your God, saying, "Pray for us to the LORD our God; and whatever the LORD our God says, tell us so, and we will do it." + So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God, even in whatever He has sent me to [tell] you. + Therefore you should now clearly understand that you will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence, in the place where you wish to go to reside. + + + But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God-- that is, all these words-- + Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there'; + but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon." + So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah. + But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the entire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away, in order to reside in the land of Judah-- + the men, the women, the children, the king's daughters and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah-- + and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the LORD) and went in as far as Tahpanhes. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, + "Take [some] large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the brick [terrace] which is at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some [of the] Jews; + and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I am going to set his throne [right] over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his canopy over them. + "He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are [meant] for death [will be given over] to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword. + "And I shall set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself with his garment, and he will depart from there safely. + "He will also shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire."'" + + + The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of Pathros, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them, + because of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices [and] to serve other gods whom they had not known, [neither] they, you, nor your fathers. + 'Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, "Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate." + 'But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods. + 'Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day. + 'Now then thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, "Why are you doing great harm to yourselves, so as to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, + provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? + "Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + "But they have not become contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers."' + "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah. + 'And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword [and] meet their end by famine. Both small and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach. + 'And I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence. + 'So there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are longing to return and live; for none will return except [a few] refugees.'" + Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, [as] a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, + "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you! + "But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for [then] we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune. + "But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine." + "And," [said the women], "when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that we made for her [sacrificial] cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?" + Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women-- even to all the people who were giving him [such] an answer-- saying, + "As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them and did not [all this] come into His mind? + "So the LORD was no longer able to endure [it], because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as [it is] this day. + "Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as [it has] this day." + Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt, + thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: 'As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled [it] with your hands, saying, "We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!' + "Nevertheless hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, 'Behold, I have sworn by My great name,' says the LORD, 'never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "As the Lord GOD lives." + 'Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone. + 'Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. + 'This will be the sign to you,' declares the LORD, 'that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.' + "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, [who was] his enemy and was seeking his life.'" + + + [This] [is] the message which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written down these words in a book at Jeremiah's dictation, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying: + "Thus says the LORD the God of Israel to you, O Baruch: + 'You said, "Ah, woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest."' + "Thus you are to say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, what I have built I am about to tear down, and what I have planted I am about to uproot, that is, the whole land." + 'But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek [them]; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,' declares the LORD, 'but I will give your life to you as booty in all the places where you may go.'" + + + That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. + To Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: + "Line up the shield and buckler, And draw near for the battle! + "Harness the horses, And mount the steeds, And take your stand with helmets [on]! Polish the spears, Put on the scale-armor! + "Why have I seen [it]? They are terrified, They are drawing back, And their mighty men are defeated And have taken refuge in flight, Without facing back; Terror is on every side!" Declares the LORD. + Let not the swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen. + Who is this that rises like the Nile, Like the rivers whose waters surge about? + Egypt rises like the Nile, Even like the rivers whose waters surge about; And He has said, "I will rise and cover [that] land; I will surely destroy the city and its inhabitants." + Go up, you horses, and drive madly, you chariots, That the mighty men may march forward: Ethiopia and Put, that handle the shield, And the Lydians, that handle [and] bend the bow. + For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the sword will devour and be satiated And drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a slaughter for the Lord GOD of hosts, In the land of the north by the river Euphrates. + Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you. + The nations have heard of your shame, And the earth is full of your cry [of distress]; For one warrior has stumbled over another, And both of them have fallen down together. + [This is] the message which the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt: + "Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and Tahpanhes; Say, 'Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the sword has devoured those around you.' + "Why have your mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them down. + "They have repeatedly stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen one against another. Then they said, 'Get up! And let us go back To our own people and our native land Away from the sword of the oppressor.' + "They cried there, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt [is] [but] a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!' + "As I live," declares the King Whose name is the LORD of hosts, "Surely one shall come [who looms up] like Tabor among the mountains, Or like Carmel by the sea. + "Make your baggage ready for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt, For Memphis will become a desolation; It will even be burned down [and] bereft of inhabitants. + "Egypt is a pretty heifer, [But] a horsefly is coming from the north-- it is coming! + "Also her mercenaries in her midst Are like fattened calves, For even they too have turned back [and] have fled away together; They did not stand [their ground]. For the day of their calamity has come upon them, The time of their punishment. + "Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes. + "They have cut down her forest," declares the LORD; "Surely it will no [more] be found, Even though they are [now] more numerous than locusts And are without number. + "The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Given over to the power of the people of the north." + The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says, "Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him. + "I shall give them over to the power of those who are seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his officers. Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old," declares the LORD. + "But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, Nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from afar, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be undisturbed And secure, with no one making [him] tremble. + "O Jacob My servant, do not fear," declares the LORD, "For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished." + + + That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh conquered Gaza. + Thus says the LORD: "Behold, waters are going to rise from the north And become an overflowing torrent, And overflow the land and all its fullness, The city and those who live in it; And the men will cry out, And every inhabitant of the land will wail. + "Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his stallions, The tumult of his chariots, [and] the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for [their] children, Because of the limpness of [their] hands, + On account of the day that is coming To destroy all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon Every ally that is left; For the LORD is going to destroy the Philistines, The remnant of the coastland of Caphtor. + "Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has been ruined. O remnant of their valley, How long will you gash yourself? + "Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; Be at rest and stay still. + "How can it be quiet, When the LORD has given it an order? Against Ashkelon and against the seacoast-- There He has assigned it." + + + Concerning Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Woe to Nebo, for it has been destroyed; Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured; The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and shattered. + "There is praise for Moab no longer; In Heshbon they have devised calamity against her: 'Come and let us cut her off from [being] a nation!' You too, Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow after you. + "The sound of an outcry from Horonaim, 'Devastation and great destruction!' + "Moab is broken, Her little ones have sounded out a cry [of distress]. + "For by the ascent of Luhith They will ascend with continual weeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the anguished cry of destruction. + "Flee, save your lives, That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness. + "For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures, Even you yourself will be captured; And Chemosh will go off into exile Together with his priests and his princes. + "A destroyer will come to every city, So that no city will escape; The valley also will be ruined And the plateau will be destroyed, As the LORD has said. + "Give wings to Moab, For she will flee away; And her cities will become a desolation, Without inhabitants in them. + "Cursed be the one who does the LORD'S work negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood. + "Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, [like wine] on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed. + "Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will send to him those who tip [vessels], and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars. + "And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. + "How can you say, 'We are mighty warriors, And men valiant for battle '? + "Moab has been destroyed and men have gone up to his cities; His choicest young men have also gone down to the slaughter," Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. + "The disaster of Moab will soon come, And his calamity has swiftly hastened. + "Mourn for him, all you who [live] around him, Even all of you who know his name; Say, 'How has the mighty scepter been broken, A staff of splendor!' + "Come down from your glory And sit on the parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, He has ruined your strongholds. + "Stand by the road and keep watch, O inhabitant of Aroer; Ask him who flees and her who escapes [And] say, 'What has happened?' + "Moab has been put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the Arnon That Moab has been destroyed. + "Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, Jahzah and against Mephaath, + against Dibon, Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, + against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, + against Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. + "The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken," declares the LORD. + "Make him drunk, for he has become arrogant toward the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock. + "Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake [your head in scorn]. + "Leave the cities and dwell among the crags, O inhabitants of Moab, And be like a dove that nests Beyond the mouth of the chasm. + "We have heard of the pride of Moab-- he [is] very proud-- Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance and his self-exaltation. + "I know his fury," declares the LORD, "But it is futile; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing. + "Therefore I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres. + "More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your tendrils stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen. + "So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread [them] with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts [of joy]. + "From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim [and to] Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. + "I will make an end of Moab," declares the LORD, "the one who offers [sacrifice] on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods. + "Therefore My heart wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. + "For every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins. + "On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable vessel," declares the LORD. + "How shattered it is! [How] they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back-- he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him." + For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one will fly swiftly like an eagle And spread out his wings against Moab. + "Kerioth has been captured And the strongholds have been seized, So the hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that day Will be like the heart of a woman in labor. + "Moab will be destroyed from [being] a people Because he has become arrogant toward the LORD. + "Terror, pit and snare are [coming] upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," declares the LORD. + "The one who flees from the terror Will fall into the pit, And the one who climbs up out of the pit Will be caught in the snare; For I shall bring upon her, [even] upon Moab, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD. + "In the shadow of Heshbon The fugitives stand without strength; For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon And a flame from the midst of Sihon, And it has devoured the forehead of Moab And the scalps of the riotous revelers. + "Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive And your daughters into captivity. + "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab In the latter days," declares the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab. + + + Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thus says the LORD: "Does Israel have no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad And his people settled in its cities? + "Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "That I will cause a trumpet blast of war to be heard Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; And it will become a desolate heap, And her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel will take possession of his possessors," Says the LORD. + "Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament, And rush back and forth inside the walls; For Malcam will go into exile Together with his priests and his princes. + "How boastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing [away], O backsliding daughter Who trusts in her treasures, [saying], 'Who will come against me?' + "Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you," Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, "From all [directions] around you; And each of you will be driven out headlong, With no one to gather the fugitives together. + "But afterward I will restore The fortunes of the sons of Ammon," Declares the LORD. + Concerning Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good counsel been lost to the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? + "Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan, For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him At the time I punish him. + "If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave gleanings? If thieves [came] by night, They would destroy [only] until they had enough. + "But I have stripped Esau bare, I have uncovered his hiding places So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring has been destroyed along with his relatives And his neighbors, and he is no more. + "Leave your orphans behind, I will keep [them] alive; And let your widows trust in Me." + For thus says the LORD, "Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink [it], and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink [it]. + "For I have sworn by Myself," declares the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins." + I have heard a message from the LORD, And an envoy is sent among the nations, [saying], "Gather yourselves together and come against her, And rise up for battle!" + "For behold, I have made you small among the nations, Despised among men. + "As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle's, I will bring you down from there," declares the LORD. + "Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss at all its wounds. + "Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors," says the LORD, "no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it. + "Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan against a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me [into court]? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?" + Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. + The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. + Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor. + Concerning Damascus. "Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot be calmed. + "Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have taken hold of her Like a woman in childbirth. + "How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy! + "Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD of hosts. + "I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified towers of Ben-hadad." + Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD, "Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate the men of the east. + "They will take away their tents and their flocks; They will carry off for themselves Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will call out to one another, 'Terror on every side!' + "Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor," declares the LORD; "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you And devised a scheme against you. + "Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely," declares the LORD. "It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone. + "Their camels will become plunder, And their many cattle for booty, And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners [of their hair]; And I will bring their disaster from every side," declares the LORD. + "Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, A desolation forever; No one will live there, Nor will a son of man reside in it." + That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, The finest of their might. + 'I will bring upon Elam the four winds From the four ends of heaven, And will scatter them to all these winds; And there will be no nation To which the outcasts of Elam will not go. + 'So I will shatter Elam before their enemies And before those who seek their lives; And I will bring calamity upon them, Even My fierce anger,' declares the LORD, 'And I will send out the sword after them Until I have consumed them. + 'Then I will set My throne in Elam And destroy out of it king and princes,' Declares the LORD. + 'But it will come about in the last days That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,'" Declares the LORD. + + + The word which the LORD spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet: + "Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal [it but] say, 'Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; Her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.' + "For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away! + "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, [both] they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek. + "They will ask for the way to Zion, [turning] their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD [in] an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. + "My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside [on] the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill And have forgotten their resting place. + "All who came upon them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said, 'We are not guilty, Inasmuch as they have sinned against the LORD [who is] the habitation of righteousness, Even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.' + "Wander away from the midst of Babylon And go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; Be also like male goats at the head of the flock. + "For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon A horde of great nations from the land of the north, And they will draw up [their] battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior Who does not return empty-handed. + "Chaldea will become plunder; All who plunder her will have enough," declares the LORD. + "Because you are glad, because you are jubilant, O you who pillage My heritage, Because you skip about like a threshing heifer And neigh like stallions, + Your mother will be greatly ashamed, She who gave you birth will be humiliated. Behold, [she will be] the least of the nations, A wilderness, a parched land and a desert. + "Because of the indignation of the LORD she will not be inhabited, But she will be completely desolate; Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified And will hiss because of all her wounds. + "Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on every side, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, do not be sparing with [your] arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD. + "Raise your battle cry against her on every side! She has given herself up, her pillars have fallen, Her walls have been torn down. For this is the vengeance of the LORD: Take vengeance on her; As she has done [to others, so] do to her. + "Cut off the sower from Babylon And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From before the sword of the oppressor They will each turn back to his own people And they will each flee to his own land. + "Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven [them] away. The first one [who] devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one [who] has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. + "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. + 'And I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. + 'In those days and at that time,' declares the LORD, 'search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.' + "Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Slay and utterly destroy them," declares the LORD, "And do according to all that I have commanded you. + "The noise of battle is in the land, And great destruction. + "How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations! + "I set a snare for you and you were also caught, O Babylon, While you yourself were not aware; You have been found and also seized Because you have engaged in conflict with the LORD." + The LORD has opened His armory And has brought forth the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord GOD of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans. + Come to her from the farthest border; Open up her barns, Pile her up like heaps And utterly destroy her, Let nothing be left to her. + Put all her young bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment. + There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, Vengeance for His temple. + "Summon many against Babylon, All those who bend the bow: Encamp against her on every side, Let there be no escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all that she has done, [so] do to her; For she has become arrogant against the LORD, Against the Holy One of Israel. + "Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, And all her men of war will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD. + "Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one," Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, "For your day has come, The time when I will punish you. + "The arrogant one will stumble and fall With no one to raise him up; And I will set fire to his cities And it will devour all his environs." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "The sons of Israel are oppressed, And the sons of Judah as well; And all who took them captive have held them fast, They have refused to let them go. + "Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case So that He may bring rest to the earth, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon. + "A sword against the Chaldeans," declares the LORD, "And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her officials and her wise men! + "A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be shattered! + "A sword against their horses and against their chariots And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her, And they will become women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered! + "A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up! For it is a land of idols, And they are mad over fearsome idols. + "Therefore the desert creatures will live [there] along with the jackals; The ostriches also will live in it, And it will never again be inhabited Or dwelt in from generation to generation. + "As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors," declares the LORD, "No man will live there, Nor will [any] son of man reside in it. + "Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. + "They seize [their] bow and javelin; They are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, Marshalled like a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Babylon. + "The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands hang limp; Distress has gripped him, Agony like a woman in childbirth. + "Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make them run away from it, and whoever is chosen I will appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me [into court]? And who then is the shepherd who can stand before Me?" + Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Babylon, and His purposes which He has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: surely they will drag them off, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. + At the shout, "Babylon has been seized!" the earth is shaken, and an outcry is heard among the nations. + + + Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The spirit of a destroyer. + "I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of [her] calamity. + "Let not him who bends his bow bend [it], Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction. + "They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And pierced through in their streets." + For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel. + Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the LORD'S time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her. + Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad. + Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed. + We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, For her judgment has reached to heaven And towers up to the very skies. + The LORD has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion The work of the LORD our God! + Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; For it is the vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple. + Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Place men in ambush! For the LORD has both purposed and performed What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon. + O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your end. + The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: "Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you." + [It is] He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens. + When He utters His voice, [there is] a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain And brings forth the wind from His storehouses. + All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. + They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. + The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And of the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name. + [He says], "You are My war-club, [My] weapon of war; And with you I shatter nations, And with you I destroy kingdoms. + "With you I shatter the horse and his rider, And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider, + And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter old man and youth, And with you I shatter young man and virgin, + And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and prefects. + "But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes," declares the LORD. + "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD, "And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags, And I will make you a burnt out mountain. + "They will not take from you [even] a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD. + Lift up a signal in the land, Blow a trumpet among the nations! Consecrate the nations against her, Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz; Appoint a marshal against her, Bring up the horses like bristly locusts. + Consecrate the nations against her, The kings of the Medes, Their governors and all their prefects, And every land of their dominion. + So the land quakes and writhes, For the purposes of the LORD against Babylon stand, To make the land of Babylon A desolation without inhabitants. + The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They stay in the strongholds; Their strength is exhausted, They are becoming [like] women; Their dwelling places are set on fire, The bars of her [gates] are broken. + One courier runs to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To tell the king of Babylon That his city has been captured from end [to end]; + The fords also have been seized, And they have burned the marshes with fire, And the men of war are terrified. + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor At the time it is stamped firm; Yet in a little while the time of harvest will come for her." + "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me [and] crushed me, He has set me down [like] an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away. + "May the violence [done] to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon," The inhabitant of Zion will say; And, "May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea," Jerusalem will say. + Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am going to plead your case And exact full vengeance for you; And I will dry up her sea And make her fountain dry. + "Babylon will become a heap [of ruins], a haunt of jackals, An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants. + "They will roar together like young lions, They will growl like lions' cubs. + "When they become heated up, I will serve [them] their banquet And make them drunk, that they may become jubilant And may sleep a perpetual sleep And not wake up," declares the LORD. + "I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams together with male goats. + "How Sheshak has been captured, And the praise of the whole earth been seized! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations! + "The sea has come up over Babylon; She has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves. + "Her cities have become an object of horror, A parched land and a desert, A land in which no man lives And through which no son of man passes. + "I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down! + "Come forth from her midst, My people, And each of you save yourselves From the fierce anger of the LORD. + "Now so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that [will be] heard in the land-- For the report will come one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence [will be] in the land With ruler against ruler-- + Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst. + "Then heaven and earth and all that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, For the destroyers will come to her from the north," Declares the LORD. + Indeed Babylon is to fall [for] the slain of Israel, [As] also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen. + You who have escaped the sword, Depart! Do not stay! Remember the LORD from afar, And let Jerusalem come to your mind. + We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; Disgrace has covered our faces, For aliens have entered The holy places of the LORD'S house. + "Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will punish her idols, And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land. + "Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens, And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold, From Me destroyers will come to her," declares the LORD. + The sound of an outcry from Babylon, And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! + For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon, And He will make [her] loud noise vanish from her. And their waves will roar like many waters; The tumult of their voices sounds forth. + For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, And her mighty men will be captured, Their bows are shattered; For the LORD is a God of recompense, He will fully repay. + "I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up," Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed And her high gates will be set on fire; So the peoples will toil for nothing, And the nations become exhausted [only] for fire." + The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (Now Seraiah was quartermaster.) + So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, [that is], all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. + Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud, + and say, 'You, O LORD, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.' + "And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, + and say, 'Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. + + + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + He did evil in the sight of the LORD like all that Jehoiakim had done. + For through the anger of the LORD [this] came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + Now it came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth [day] of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. + So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. + On the ninth [day] of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. + Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which [was] by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. + Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. + The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah. + Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death. + Now on the tenth [day] of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who was in the service of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. + He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every large house he burned with fire. + So all the army of the Chaldeans who [were] with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. + Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the artisans. + But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. + Now the bronze pillars which belonged to the house of the LORD and the stands and the bronze sea, which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried all their bronze to Babylon. + They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the pans and all the bronze vessels which were used in [temple] service. + The captain of the guard also took away the bowls, the firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the pans and the drink offering bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. + The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, [and] the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD-- the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. + As for the pillars, the height of each pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and it [was] twelve cubits in circumference and four fingers in thickness, [and] hollow. + Now a capital of bronze was on it; and the height of each capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these, including pomegranates. + There were ninety-six exposed pomegranates; all the pomegranates [numbered] a hundred on the network all around. + Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple. + He also took from the city one official who was overseer of the men of war, and seven of the king's advisers who were found in the city, and the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. + Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land. + These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the seventh year 3,023 Jews; + in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem; + in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all. + Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. + Then he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who [were] with him in Babylon. + So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life. + For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion all the days of his life until the day of his death. + + + + + How lonely sits the city That was full of people! She has become like a widow Who was [once] great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer! + She weeps bitterly in the night And her tears are on her cheeks; She has none to comfort her Among all her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies. + Judah has gone into exile under affliction And under harsh servitude; She dwells among the nations, [But] she has found no rest; All her pursuers have overtaken her In the midst of distress. + The roads of Zion are in mourning Because no one comes to the appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate; Her priests are groaning, Her virgins are afflicted, And she herself is bitter. + Her adversaries have become her masters, Her enemies prosper; For the LORD has caused her grief Because of the multitude of her transgressions; Her little ones have gone away As captives before the adversary. + All her majesty Has departed from the daughter of Zion; Her princes have become like deer That have found no pasture; And they have fled without strength Before the pursuer. + In the days of her affliction and homelessness Jerusalem remembers all her precious things That were from the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the adversary And no one helped her. The adversaries saw her, They mocked at her ruin. + Jerusalem sinned greatly, Therefore she has become an unclean thing. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Even she herself groans and turns away. + Her uncleanness was in her skirts; She did not consider her future. Therefore she has fallen astonishingly; She has no comforter. "See, O LORD, my affliction, For the enemy has magnified himself!" + The adversary has stretched out his hand Over all her precious things, For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, The ones whom You commanded That they should not enter into Your congregation. + All her people groan seeking bread; They have given their precious things for food To restore their lives themselves. "See, O LORD, and look, For I am despised." + "Is it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain Which was severely dealt out to me, Which the LORD inflicted on the day of His fierce anger. + "From on high He sent fire into my bones, And it prevailed [over them]. He has spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back; He has made me desolate, Faint all day long. + "The yoke of my transgressions is bound; By His hand they are knit together. They have come upon my neck; He has made my strength fail. The Lord has given me into the hands Of [those against whom] I am not able to stand. + "The Lord has rejected all my strong men In my midst; He has called an appointed time against me To crush my young men; The Lord has trodden [as in] a wine press The virgin daughter of Judah. + "For these things I weep; My eyes run down with water; Because far from me is a comforter, One who restores my soul. My children are desolate Because the enemy has prevailed." + Zion stretches out her hands; There is no one to comfort her; The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob That the ones round about him should be his adversaries; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them. + "The LORD is righteous; For I have rebelled against His command; Hear now, all peoples, And behold my pain; My virgins and my young men Have gone into captivity. + "I called to my lovers, [but] they deceived me; My priests and my elders perished in the city While they sought food to restore their strength themselves. + "See, O LORD, for I am in distress; My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword slays; In the house it is like death. + "They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of my calamity; They are glad that You have done [it]. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, That they may become like me. + "Let all their wickedness come before You; And deal with them as You have dealt with me For all my transgressions; For my groans are many and my heart is faint." + + + How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He has cast from heaven to earth The glory of Israel, And has not remembered His footstool In the day of His anger. + The Lord has swallowed up; He has not spared All the habitations of Jacob. In His wrath He has thrown down The strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He has brought [them] down to the ground; He has profaned the kingdom and its princes. + In fierce anger He has cut off All the strength of Israel; He has drawn back His right hand From before the enemy. And He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire Consuming round about. + He has bent His bow like an enemy; He has set His right hand like an adversary And slain all that were pleasant to the eye; In the tent of the daughter of Zion He has poured out His wrath like fire. + The Lord has become like an enemy. He has swallowed up Israel; He has swallowed up all its palaces, He has destroyed its strongholds And multiplied in the daughter of Judah Mourning and moaning. + And He has violently treated His tabernacle like a garden [booth]; He has destroyed His appointed meeting place. The LORD has caused to be forgotten The appointed feast and sabbath in Zion, And He has despised king and priest In the indignation of His anger. + The Lord has rejected His altar, He has abandoned His sanctuary; He has delivered into the hand of the enemy The walls of her palaces. They have made a noise in the house of the LORD As in the day of an appointed feast. + The LORD determined to destroy The wall of the daughter of Zion. He has stretched out a line, He has not restrained His hand from destroying, And He has caused rampart and wall to lament; They have languished together. + Her gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations; The law is no more. Also, her prophets find No vision from the LORD. + The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground, they are silent. They have thrown dust on their heads; They have girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Have bowed their heads to the ground. + My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is poured out on the earth Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When little ones and infants faint In the streets of the city. + They say to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers' bosom. + How shall I admonish you? To what shall I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I liken you as I comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as the sea; Who can heal you? + Your prophets have seen for you False and foolish [visions]; And they have not exposed your iniquity So as to restore you from captivity, But they have seen for you false and misleading oracles. + All who pass along the way Clap their hands [in derision] at you; They hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem, "Is this the city of which they said, 'The perfection of beauty, A joy to all the earth '?" + All your enemies Have opened their mouths wide against you; They hiss and gnash [their] teeth. They say, "We have swallowed [her] up! Surely this is the day for which we waited; We have reached [it], we have seen [it]." + The LORD has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word Which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing, And He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the might of your adversaries. + Their heart cried out to the Lord, "O wall of the daughter of Zion, Let [your] tears run down like a river day and night; Give yourself no relief, Let your eyes have no rest. + "Arise, cry aloud in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street." + See, O LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord? + On the ground in the streets Lie young and old; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword. You have slain [them] in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered, not sparing. + You called as in the day of an appointed feast My terrors on every side; And there was no one who escaped or survived In the day of the LORD'S anger. Those whom I bore and reared, My enemy annihilated them. + + + I am the man who has seen affliction Because of the rod of His wrath. + He has driven me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. + Surely against me He has turned His hand Repeatedly all the day. + He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away, He has broken my bones. + He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship. + In dark places He has made me dwell, Like those who have long been dead. + He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. + Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer. + He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. + He is to me like a bear lying in wait, [Like] a lion in secret places. + He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate. + He bent His bow And set me as a target for the arrow. + He made the arrows of His quiver To enter into my inward parts. + I have become a laughingstock to all my people, Their [mocking] song all the day. + He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drunk with wormwood. + He has broken my teeth with gravel; He has made me cower in the dust. + My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness. + So I say, "My strength has perished, And [so has] my hope from the LORD." + Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. + Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. + This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. + The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. + [They] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. + "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." + The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. + [It is] good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. + [It is] good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth. + Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid [it] on him. + Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope. + Let him give his cheek to the smiter, Let him be filled with reproach. + For the Lord will not reject forever, + For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. + For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men. + To crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land, + To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, + To defraud a man in his lawsuit-- Of these things the Lord does not approve. + Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded [it]? + [Is it] not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? + Why should [any] living mortal, or [any] man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? + Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. + We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; + We have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned. + You have covered [Yourself] with anger And pursued us; You have slain [and] have not spared. + You have covered Yourself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through. + [You have made us mere] offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples. + All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. + Panic and pitfall have befallen us, Devastation and destruction; + My eyes run down with streams of water Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. + My eyes pour down unceasingly, Without stopping, + Until the LORD looks down And sees from heaven. + My eyes bring pain to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. + My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird; + They have silenced me in the pit And have placed a stone on me. + Waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!" + I called on Your name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit. + You have heard my voice, "Do not hide Your ear from my [prayer for] relief, From my cry for help." + You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!" + O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause; You have redeemed my life. + O LORD, You have seen my oppression; Judge my case. + You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me. + You have heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me. + The lips of my assailants and their whispering [Are] against me all day long. + Look on their sitting and their rising; I am their mocking song. + You will recompense them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands. + You will give them hardness of heart, Your curse will be on them. + You will pursue them in anger and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD! + + + How dark the gold has become, [How] the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street. + The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands! + Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; [But] the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness. + The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, [But] no one breaks [it] for them. + Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits. + For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her. + Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy [in] body than corals, Their polishing [was like] lapis lazuli. + Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood. + Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field. + The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. + The LORD has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations. + The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor [did] any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem. + Because of the sins of her prophets [And] the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous; + They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments. + "Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; [Men] among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell [with us]." + The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders. + Yet our eyes failed, [Looking] for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save. + They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come. + Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness. + The breath of our nostrils, the LORD'S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations." + Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; [But] the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked. + [The punishment] of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. [But] He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins! + + + Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; Look, and see our reproach! + Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, Our houses to aliens. + We have become orphans without a father, Our mothers are like widows. + We have to pay for our drinking water, Our wood comes [to us] at a price. + Our pursuers are at our necks; We are worn out, there is no rest for us. + We have submitted to Egypt [and] Assyria to get enough bread. + Our fathers sinned, [and] are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities. + Slaves rule over us; There is no one to deliver us from their hand. + We get our bread at the risk of our lives Because of the sword in the wilderness. + Our skin has become as hot as an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine. + They ravished the women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah. + Princes were hung by their hands; Elders were not respected. + Young men worked at the grinding mill, And youths stumbled under [loads] of wood. + Elders are gone from the gate, Young men from their music. + The joy of our hearts has ceased; Our dancing has been turned into mourning. + The crown has fallen from our head; Woe to us, for we have sinned! + Because of this our heart is faint, Because of these things our eyes are dim; + Because of Mount Zion which lies desolate, Foxes prowl in it. + You, O LORD, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation. + Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long? + Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old, + Unless You have utterly rejected us [And] are exceedingly angry with us. + + + + + Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth [day] of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. + (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile, + the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the LORD came upon him.) + As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. + Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. + Each of them had four faces and four wings. + Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. + Under their wings on their four sides [were] human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, + their wings touched one another; [their faces] did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. + As for the form of their faces, [each] had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. + Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another [being], and two covering their bodies. + And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. + In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. + And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning. + Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for [each of] the four of them. + The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship [was] like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship [being] as if one wheel were within another. + Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved. + As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about. + Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose [also]. + Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings [was] in the wheels. + Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings [was] in the wheels. + Now over the heads of the living beings [there was] something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. + Under the expanse their wings [were stretched out] straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. + I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. + And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. + Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, [was] a figure with the appearance of a man. + Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and [there was] a radiance around Him. + As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so [was] the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. + + + Then He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!" + As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard [Him] speaking to me. + Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. + "I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' + "As for them, whether they listen or not-- for they are a rebellious house-- they will know that a prophet has been among them. + "And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. + "But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. + "Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you." + Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll [was] in it. + When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe. + + + Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." + So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. + He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. + Then He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. + "For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, [but] to the house of Israel, + nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you; + yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate. + "Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. + "Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house." + Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely. + "Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.'" + Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His place." + And I [heard] the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound. + So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong on me. + Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them. + At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. + "When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. + "Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. + "Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. + "However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself." + The hand of the LORD was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you." + So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. + The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up in your house. + "As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them. + "Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house. + "But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. + + + "Now you son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem. + "Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, raise up a ramp, pitch camps and place battering rams against it all around. + "Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel. + "As for you, lie down on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their iniquity for the number of days that you lie on it. + "For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their iniquity, three hundred and ninety days; thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. + "When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, [but] on your right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. + "Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it. + "Now behold, I will put ropes on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege. + "But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days. + "Your food which you eat [shall be] twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time. + "The water you drink shall be the sixth part of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time. + "You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked [it] in their sight over human dung." + Then the LORD said, "Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them." + But I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth." + Then He said to me, "See, I will give you cow's dung in place of human dung over which you will prepare your bread." + Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, behold, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and in horror, + because bread and water will be scarce; and they will be appalled with one another and waste away in their iniquity. + + + "As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it [as] a barber's razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. + "One third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one third and strike [it] with the sword all around the city, and one third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. + "Take also a few in number from them and bind them in the edges of your [robes]. + "Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel. + "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with lands around her. + 'But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations and against My statutes more than the lands which surround her; for they have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.' + "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have more turmoil than the nations which surround you [and] have not walked in My statutes, nor observed My ordinances, nor observed the ordinances of the nations which surround you,' + therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I, even I, am against you, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. + 'And because of all your abominations, I will do among you what I have not done, and the like of which I will never do again. + 'Therefore, fathers will eat [their] sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you and scatter all your remnant to every wind. + 'So as I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare. + 'One third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. + 'Thus My anger will be spent and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased; then they will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them. + 'Moreover, I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations which surround you, in the sight of all who pass by. + 'So it will be a reproach, a reviling, a warning and an object of horror to the nations who surround you when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath and raging rebukes. I, the LORD, have spoken. + 'When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will also intensify the famine upon you and break the staff of bread. + 'Moreover, I will send on you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you of children; plague and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, the LORD, have spoken.'" + + + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them + and say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: "Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places. + "So your altars will become desolate and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. + "I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars. + "In all your dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. + "The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD. + "However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries. + "Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. + "Then they will know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them."' + "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Clap your hand, stamp your foot and say, "Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, famine and plague! + "He who is far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them. + "Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak-- the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols. + "So throughout all their habitations I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am the LORD."'" + + + Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. + 'Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. + 'For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare [you], but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the LORD!' + "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming! + 'An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come! + 'Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near-- tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. + 'Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. + 'My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the LORD, do the smiting. + 'Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! [Your] doom has gone forth; the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. + 'Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness. None of them [shall remain], none of their people, none of their wealth, nor anything eminent among them. + 'The time has come, the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for wrath is against all their multitude. + 'Indeed, the seller will not regain what he sold as long as they [both] live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his iniquity. + 'They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all their multitude. + 'The sword is outside and the plague and the famine are within. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also consume those in the city. + 'Even when their survivors escape, they will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, each over his own iniquity. + 'All hands will hang limp and all knees will become [like] water. + 'They will gird themselves with sackcloth and shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame [will be] on all faces and baldness on all their heads. + 'They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling. + 'They transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and they made the images of their abominations [and] their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them. + 'I will give it into the hands of the foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. + 'I will also turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it. + 'Make the chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. + 'Therefore, I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong ones cease, and their holy places will be profaned. + 'When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. + 'Disaster will come upon disaster and rumor will be [added] to rumor; then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law will be lost from the priest and counsel from the elders. + 'The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their conduct I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the LORD.'" + + + It came about in the sixth year, on the fifth [day] of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell on me there. + Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man; from His loins and downward [there was] the appearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the appearance of glowing metal. + He stretched out the form of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner [court], where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was [located]. + And behold, the glory of the God of Israel [was] there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain. + Then He said to me, "Son of man, raise your eyes now toward the north." So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate [was] this idol of jealousy at the entrance. + And He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations." + Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. + He said to me, "Son of man, now dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. + And He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here." + So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts [and] detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. + Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. + Then He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.'" + And He said to me, "Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing." + Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the LORD'S house which [was] toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. + He said to me, "Do you see [this], son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these." + Then He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. + He said to me, "Do you see [this], son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have filled the land with violence and provoked Me repeatedly? For behold, they are putting the twig to their nose. + "Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them." + + + Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying, "Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand." + Behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. + Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case. + The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, [even] through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst." + But to the others He said in my hearing, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. + "Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary." So they started with the elders who [were] before the temple. + And He said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!" Thus they went out and struck down [the people] in the city. + As they were striking [the people] and I [alone] was left, I fell on my face and cried out saying, "Alas, Lord GOD! Are You destroying the whole remnant of Israel by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?" + Then He said to me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood and the city is full of perversion; for they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!' + "But as for Me, My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but I will bring their conduct upon their heads." + Then behold, the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case reported, saying, "I have done just as You have commanded me." + + + Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them. + And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, "Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter [them] over the city." And he entered in my sight. + Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. + Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. + Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks. + It came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he entered and stood beside a wheel. + Then the cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took [some] and put [it] into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took [it] and went out. + The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man's hand under their wings. + Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels [was] like the gleam of a Tarshish stone. + As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. + When they moved, they went in [any of] their four directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which they faced, without turning as they went. + Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. + The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels. + And each one had four faces. The first face [was] the face of a cherub, the second face [was] the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. + Then the cherubim rose up. They are the living beings that I saw by the river Chebar. + Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would go beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels would not turn from beside them. + When the cherubim stood still, the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, the wheels would rise with them, for the spirit of the living beings [was] in them. + Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. + When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. + These are the living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they [were] cherubim. + Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings [was] the form of human hands. + As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead. + + + Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD'S house which faced eastward. And behold, [there were] twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. + He said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city, + who say, 'Is not [the time] near to build houses? This [city] is the pot and we are the flesh.' + "Therefore, prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!" + Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, "Say, 'Thus says the LORD, "So you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts. + "You have multiplied your slain in this city, filling its streets with them." + 'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city are the flesh and this [city] is the pot; but I will bring you out of it. + "You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you," the Lord GOD declares. + "And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. + "You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD. + "This [city] will not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, [but] I will judge you to the border of Israel. + "Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."'" + Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?" + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, [are those] to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Go far from the LORD; this land has been given us as a possession.' + "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone."' + "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."' + "When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. + "And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, + that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. + "But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads," declares the Lord GOD. + Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. + The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. + And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me. + Then I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me. + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. + "Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand though they are a rebellious house. + "Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you will go out at evening in their sight, as those going into exile. + "Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and go out through it. + "Load [the baggage] on [your] shoulder in their sight [and] carry [it] out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel." + I did so, as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark [and] carried [the baggage] on [my] shoulder in their sight. + In the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?' + "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "This burden [concerns] the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it."' + "Say, 'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.' + "The prince who is among them will load [his baggage] on [his] shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring [it] out. He will cover his face so that he can not see the land with [his] eyes. + "I will also spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there. + "I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them. + "So they will know that I am the LORD when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries. + "But I will spare a few of them from the sword, the famine and the pestilence that they may tell all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the LORD." + Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. + "Then say to the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, "They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because their land will be stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it. + "The inhabited cities will be laid waste and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the LORD."'" + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, what is this proverb you [people] have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are long and every vision fails '? + "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel." But tell them, "The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision. + "For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. + "For I the LORD will speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it," declares the Lord GOD.'" + Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many years [from now], and he prophesies of times far off.' + "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,"'" declares the Lord GOD. + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Listen to the word of the LORD! + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing. + "O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins. + "You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD. + "They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of [their] word. + "Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, 'The LORD declares,' but it is not I who have spoken?"'" + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you," declares the Lord GOD. + "So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD. + "It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; + [so] tell those who plaster [it] over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out. + "Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered [it]?'" + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume [it] in wrath. + "So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am the LORD. + "Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I willre the living beings that I saw nd its plasterers are gone, + [along with] the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' declares the Lord GOD. + "Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own inspiration. Prophesy against them + and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the women who sew [magic] bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of [persons] of every stature to hunt down lives! Will you hunt down the lives of My people, but preserve the lives [of others] for yourselves? + "For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death some who should not die and to keep others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies."'" + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against your [magic] bands by which you hunt lives there as birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let them go, even those lives whom you hunt as birds. + "I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am the LORD. + "Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way [and] preserve his life, + therefore, you women will no longer see false visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am the LORD." + + + Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. + And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? + "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and [then] comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, + in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."' + "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations. + "For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and [then] comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person. + "I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD. + "But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. + "They will bear [the punishment of] their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be, + in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD." + Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, + even [though] these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their [own] righteousness they could [only] deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD. + "If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, + [though] these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either [their] sons or [their] daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate. + "Or [if] I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,' + even [though] these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either [their] sons or [their] daughters, but they alone would be delivered. + "Or [if] I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, + even [though] Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either [their] son or [their] daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness." + For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it! + "Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, [both] sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. + "Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done in vain whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD. + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, how is the wood of the vine [better] than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? + "Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can [men] take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel? + "If it has been put into the fire for fuel, [and] the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it [then] useful for anything? + "Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything! + "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; + and I set My face against them. [Though] they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them. + 'Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,'" declares the Lord GOD. + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations + and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem, "Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. + "As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. + "No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born. + "When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you [while you were] in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you [while you were] in your blood, 'Live!' + "I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments; [your] breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare. + "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD. + "Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. + "I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. + "I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. + "I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. + "Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. + "Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD. + "But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be [willing]. + "You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen. + "You also took your beautiful jewels [made] of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. + "Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them. + "Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened," declares the Lord GOD. + "Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? + "You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through [the fire]. + "Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood. + "Then it came about after all your wickedness ('Woe, woe to you!' declares the Lord GOD), + that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square. + "You built yourself a high place at the top of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. + "You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and multiplied your harlotry to make Me angry. + "Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and diminished your rations. And I delivered you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd conduct. + "Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. + "You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied."'" + "How languishing is your heart," declares the Lord GOD, "while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot. + "When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square, in disdaining money, you were not like a harlot. + "You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! + "Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction for your harlotries. + "Thus you are different from those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give money and no money is given you; thus you are different." + Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD. + Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols, + therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved [and] all those whom you hated. So I will gather them against you from every direction and expose your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness. + "Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. + "I will also give you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your jewels, and will leave you naked and bare. + "They will incite a crowd against you and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. + "They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will stop you from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer pay your lovers. + "So I will calm My fury against you and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be pacified and angry no more. + "Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your conduct down on your own head," declares the Lord GOD, "so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your [other] abominations. + "Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote [this] proverb concerning you, saying, 'Like mother, like daughter.' + "You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. + "Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. + "Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they. + "As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. + "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. + "Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw [it]. + "Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed. + "Also bear your disgrace in that you have made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your disgrace, in that you made your sisters appear righteous. + "Nevertheless, I will restore their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity, + in order that you may bear your humiliation and feel ashamed for all that you have done when you become a consolation to them. + "Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will [also] return to your former state. + "As [the name of] your sister Sodom was not heard from your lips in your day of pride, + before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of Edom and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines-- those surrounding [you] who despise you. + "You have borne [the penalty of] your lewdness and abominations," the LORD declares. + For thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant. + "Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. + "Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, [both] your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. + "Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, + so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done," the Lord GOD declares. + + + Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel, + saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "A great eagle with great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. + "He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. + "He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed [it] beside abundant waters; he set it [like] a willow. + "Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches. + "But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. + "It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit [and] become a splendid vine."' + "Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers-- so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots [again]. + "Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it-- wither on the beds where it grew?"'" + Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Say now to the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things [mean]?' Say, 'Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon. + 'He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, + that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, [but] keeping his covenant that it might continue. + 'But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? + 'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'Surely in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. + 'Pharaoh with [his] mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. + 'Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.'" + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will inflict on his head. + "I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there [regarding] the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. + "All the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken." + Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also take [a sprig] from the lofty top of the cedar and set [it] out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant [it] on a high and lofty mountain. + "On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. + "All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform [it]." + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children's teeth are set on edge '? + "As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. + "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. + "But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, + and does not eat at the mountain [shrines] or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period-- + if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, [but] gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, + if he does not lend [money] on interest or take increase, [if] he keeps his hand from iniquity [and] executes true justice between man and man, + [if] he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully-- he is righteous [and] will surely live," declares the Lord GOD. + "Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother + (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain [shrines], and defiles his neighbor's wife, + oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols [and] commits abomination, + he lends [money] on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head. + "Now behold, he has a son who has observed all his father's sins which he committed, and observing does not do likewise. + "He does not eat at the mountain [shrines] or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife, + or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, [but] he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, + he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, [but] executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father's iniquity, he will surely live. + "As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed [his] brother and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity. + "Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. + "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. + "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + "All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. + "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? + "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. + "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? + "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. + "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. + "Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + "But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? + "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. + "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? + "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." + + + "As for you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel + and say, 'What was your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions, She reared her cubs. + 'When she brought up one of her cubs, He became a lion, And he learned to tear [his] prey; He devoured men. + 'Then nations heard about him; He was captured in their pit, And they brought him with hooks To the land of Egypt. + 'When she saw, as she waited, [That] her hope was lost, She took another of her cubs And made him a young lion. + 'And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion, He learned to tear [his] prey; He devoured men. + 'He destroyed their fortified towers And laid waste their cities; And the land and its fullness were appalled Because of the sound of his roaring. + 'Then nations set against him On every side from [their] provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was captured in their pit. + 'They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel. + 'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and full of branches Because of abundant waters. + 'And it had strong branches [fit] for scepters of rulers, And its height was raised above the clouds So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. + 'But it was plucked up in fury; It was cast down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch was torn off So that it withered; The fire consumed it. + 'And now it is planted in the wilderness, In a dry and thirsty land. + 'And fire has gone out from [its] branch; It has consumed its shoots [and] fruit, So that there is not in it a strong branch, A scepter to rule.'" This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation. + + + Now in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you."' + "Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers; + and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God, + on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. + "I said to them, 'Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.' + "But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. + "But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they [lived], in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. + "So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. + "I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. + "Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. + "But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; and My sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. + "But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out. + "Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands, + because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their idols. + "Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not cause their annihilation in the wilderness. + "I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. + 'I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. + 'Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.' + "But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, [if] a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. + "But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. + "Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, + because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers. + "I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live; + and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through [the fire] so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the LORD."' + "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by acting treacherously against Me. + "When I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings. + "Then I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you go?' So its name is called Bamah to this day."' + "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? + "When you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you. + "What comes into your mind will not come about, when you say: 'We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.' + "As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you. + "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; + and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. + "As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you," declares the Lord GOD. + "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; + and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD. + "As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD, "Go, serve everyone his idols; but later you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols. + "For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them and there I will seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. + "As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. + "And you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your forefathers. + "There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done. + "Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.'" + Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, set your face toward Teman, and speak out against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev, + and say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from south to north will be burned by it. + "All flesh will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched."'" + Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not [just] speaking parables?'" + + + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and speak against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel; + and say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. + "Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south [to] north. + "Thus all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will not return [to its sheath] again."' + "As for you, son of man, groan with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight. + "And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,' declares the Lord GOD." + Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD.' Say, 'A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished! + 'Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!' Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree? + "It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. + "Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the officials of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people, therefore strike [your] thigh. + "For [there is] a testing; and what if even the rod which despises will be no more?" declares the Lord GOD. + "You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap [your] hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, + that [their] hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made [for striking] like lightning, it is wrapped up [in readiness] for slaughter. + "Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed. + "I will also clap My hands together, and I will appease My wrath; I, the LORD, have spoken." + The word of the LORD came to me saying, + "As for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city. + "You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem. + "For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver. + "Into his right hand came the divination, 'Jerusalem,' to set battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall. + "And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have [sworn] solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized. + "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear-- because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand. + 'And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,' + thus says the Lord GOD, 'Remove the turban and take off the crown; this [will] no longer [be] the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high. + 'A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it [to Him].' + "And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach,' and say: 'A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to consume, that it may be like lightning-- + while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you-- to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end. + 'Return [it] to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. + 'I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, skilled in destruction. + 'You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.'" + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations. + "You shall say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "A city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come, and that makes idols, contrary to her [interest], for defilement! + "You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and defiled by your idols which you have made. Thus you have brought your day near and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mocking to all the lands. + "Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you of ill repute, full of turmoil. + "Behold, the rulers of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood. + "They have treated father and mother lightly within you. The alien they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you. + "You have despised My holy things and profaned My sabbaths. + "Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain [shrines]. In your midst they have committed acts of lewdness. + "In you they have uncovered [their] fathers' nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. + "One has committed abomination with his neighbor's wife and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another in you has humbled his sister, his father's daughter. + "In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me," declares the Lord GOD. + "Behold, then, I smite My hand at your dishonest gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you. + "Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong in the days that I will deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken and will act. + "I will scatter you among the nations and I will disperse you through the lands, and I will consume your uncleanness from you. + "You will profane yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am the LORD."'" + And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver. + "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. + 'As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt [it], so I will gather [you] in My anger and in My wrath and I will lay you [there] and melt you. + 'I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it. + 'As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you.'" + And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, say to her, 'You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.' + "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. + "Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. + "Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood [and] destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. + "Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD has not spoken. + "The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. + "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. + "Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord GOD. + + + The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, + "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; + and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. + "Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And [as for] their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah. + "Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, [her] neighbors, + who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. + "She bestowed her harlotries on them, all of whom [were] the choicest men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself. + "She did not forsake her harlotries from [the time in] Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her. + "Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. + "They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they slew her with the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her. + "Now her sister Oholibah saw [this], yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister. + "She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, magnificently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. + "I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took the same way. + "So she increased her harlotries. And she saw men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, + girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, like the Babylonians [in] Chaldea, the land of their birth. + "When she saw them she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. + "The Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. And when she had been defiled by them, she became disgusted with them. + "She uncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then I became disgusted with her, as I had become disgusted with her sister. + "Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. + "She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is [like] the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is [like] the issue of horses. + "Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth. + "Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold I will arouse your lovers against you, from whom you were alienated, and I will bring them against you from every side: + the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, [and] all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. + 'They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs. + 'I will set My jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and your survivors will be consumed by the fire. + 'They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. + 'Thus I will make your lewdness and your harlotry [brought] from the land of Egypt to cease from you, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.' + "For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom you were alienated. + 'They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries. + 'These things will be done to you because you have played the harlot with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. + 'You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.' + "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'You will drink your sister's cup, Which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; It contains much. + 'You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, The cup of horror and desolation, The cup of your sister Samaria. + 'You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments And tear your breasts; for I have spoken,' declares the Lord GOD. + "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, bear now the [punishment] of your lewdness and your harlotries.'" + Moreover, the LORD said to me, "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. + "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through [the fire] to them as food. + "Again, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My sabbaths. + "For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house. + "Furthermore, they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came-- for whom you bathed, painted your eyes and decorated yourselves with ornaments; + and you sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it on which you had set My incense and My oil. + "The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort. And they put bracelets on the hands of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads. + "Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adulteries, 'Will they now commit adultery with her when she is [thus]?' + "But they went in to her as they would go in to a harlot. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. + "But they, righteous men, will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands. + "For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Bring up a company against them and give them over to terror and plunder. + 'The company will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will slay their sons and their daughters and burn their houses with fire. + 'Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and not commit lewdness as you have done. + 'Your lewdness will be requited upon you, and you will bear the penalty of [worshiping] your idols; thus you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'" + + + And the word of the LORD came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, + "Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. + "Speak a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Put on the pot, put [it] on and also pour water in it; + Put in it the pieces, Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder; Fill [it] with choice bones. + "Take the choicest of the flock, And also pile wood under the pot. Make it boil vigorously. Also seethe its bones in it." + 'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the bloody city, To the pot in which there is rust And whose rust has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, Without making a choice. + "For her blood is in her midst; She placed it on the bare rock; She did not pour it on the ground To cover it with dust. + "That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on the bare rock, That it may not be covered." + 'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. + "Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, Boil the flesh well And mix in the spices, And let the bones be burned. + "Then set it empty on its coals So that it may be hot And its bronze may glow And its filthiness may be melted in it, Its rust consumed. + "She has wearied [Me] with toil, Yet her great rust has not gone from her; [Let] her rust [be] in the fire! + "In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I [would] have cleansed you, Yet you are not clean, You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again Until I have spent My wrath on you. + "I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.'" + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. + "Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover [your] mustache and do not eat the bread of men." + So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. + The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?" + Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me saying, + 'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. + 'You will do as I have done; you will not cover [your] mustache and you will not eat the bread of men. + 'Your turbans will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep, but you will rot away in your iniquities and you will groan to one another. + 'Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'" + 'As for you, son of man, will [it] not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes and their heart's delight, their sons and their daughters, + that on that day he who escapes will come to you with information for [your] ears? + 'On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.'" + + + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face toward the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them, + and say to the sons of Ammon, 'Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you said, 'Aha!' against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, + therefore, behold, I am going to give you to the sons of the east for a possession, and they will set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. + "I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and the sons of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Thus you will know that I am the LORD." + 'For thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, + therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am the LORD." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because Moab and Seir say, 'Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,' + therefore, behold, I am going to deprive the flank of Moab of [its] cities, of its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon and Kiriathaim, + and I will give it for a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the sons of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. + "Thus I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them," + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. + "I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance," declares the Lord GOD. + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity," + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. + "I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the LORD when I lay My vengeance on them."'" + + + Now in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, [now that] she is laid waste,' + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. + 'They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. + 'She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' declares the Lord GOD, 'and she will become spoil for the nations. + 'Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be slain by the sword, and they will know that I am the LORD.'" + For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army. + "He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and he will make siege walls against you, cast up a ramp against you and raise up a large shield against you. + "The blow of his battering rams he will direct against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. + "Because of the multitude of his horses, the dust [raised by] them will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of cavalry and wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. + "With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will slay your people with the sword; and your strong pillars will come down to the ground. + "Also they will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise, break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses, and throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water. + "So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more. + "I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I the LORD have spoken," declares the Lord GOD. + Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre, "Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter occurs in your midst? + "Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment and be appalled at you. + "They will take up a lamentation over you and say to you, 'How you have perished, O inhabited one, From the seas, O renowned city, Which was mighty on the sea, She and her inhabitants, Who imposed her terror On all her inhabitants! + 'Now the coastlands will tremble On the day of your fall; Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea Will be terrified at your passing.'" + For thus says the Lord GOD, "When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, + then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. + "I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again," declares the Lord GOD. + + + Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "And you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; + and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.' + "Your borders are in the heart of the seas; Your builders have perfected your beauty. + "They have made all [your] planks of fir trees from Senir; They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. + "Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars; With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus. + "Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt So that it became your distinguishing mark; Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah. + "The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots. + "The elders of Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams; All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise. + "Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they set forth your splendor. + "The sons of Arvad and your army were on your walls, [all] around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls [all] around; they perfected your beauty. + "Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all [kinds] of wealth; with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid for your wares. + "Javan, Tubal and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise. + "Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares. + "The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment. + "Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies. + "Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil and balm they paid for your merchandise. + "Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all [kinds] of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool. + "Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia and sweet cane were among your merchandise. + "Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. + "Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams and goats; for these they were your customers. + "The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all [kinds] of spices, and with all [kinds] of precious stones and gold. + "Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur [and] Chilmad traded with you. + "They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors [and] tightly wound cords, [which were] among your merchandise. + "The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. And you were filled and were very glorious In the heart of the seas. + "Your rowers have brought you Into great waters; The east wind has broken you In the heart of the seas. + "Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise And all your men of war who are in you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your overthrow. + "At the sound of the cry of your pilots The pasture lands will shake. + "All who handle the oar, The sailors [and] all the pilots of the sea Will come down from their ships; They will stand on the land, + And they will make their voice heard over you And will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads, They will wallow in ashes. + "Also they will make themselves bald for you And gird themselves with sackcloth; And they will weep for you in bitterness of soul With bitter mourning. + "Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you And lament over you: 'Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea? + 'When your wares went out from the seas, You satisfied many peoples; With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise You enriched the kings of earth. + 'Now that you are broken by the seas In the depths of the waters, Your merchandise and all your company Have fallen in the midst of you. + 'All the inhabitants of the coastlands Are appalled at you, And their kings are horribly afraid; They are troubled in countenance. + 'The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever.'"'" + + + The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, + "Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your heart is lifted up And you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas'; Yet you are a man and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God-- + Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; There is no secret that is a match for you. + "By your wisdom and understanding You have acquired riches for yourself And have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries. + "By your great wisdom, by your trade You have increased your riches And your heart is lifted up because of your riches-- + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have made your heart Like the heart of God, + Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, The most ruthless of the nations. And they will draw their swords Against the beauty of your wisdom And defile your splendor. + 'They will bring you down to the pit, And you will die the death of those who are slain In the heart of the seas. + 'Will you still say, "I am a god," In the presence of your slayer, Though you are a man and not God, In the hands of those who wound you? + 'You will die the death of the uncircumcised By the hand of strangers, For I have spoken!' declares the Lord GOD!"'" + Again the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. + "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. + "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you [there]. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. + "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. + "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. + "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. + "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. + "All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever."'" + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against her + and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, And I will be glorified in your midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments in her, And I will manifest My holiness in her. + "For I will send pestilence to her And blood to her streets, And the wounded will fall in her midst By the sword upon her on every side; Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am the Lord GOD." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. + "They will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."'" + + + In the tenth year, in the tenth [month], on the twelfth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. + "Speak and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers, That has said, 'My Nile is mine, and I myself have made [it].' + "I will put hooks in your jaws And make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales. And I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, And all the fish of your rivers will cling to your scales. + "I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers; You will fall on the open field; you will not be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky. + "Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, Because they have been [only] a staff [made] of reed to the house of Israel. + "When they took hold of you with the hand, You broke and tore all their hands; And when they leaned on you, You broke and made all their loins quake." + 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will bring upon you a sword and I will cut off from you man and beast. + "The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, 'The Nile is mine, and I have made [it],' + therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol [to] Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia. + "A man's foot will not pass through it, and the foot of a beast will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. + "So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands." + 'For thus says the Lord GOD, "At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. + "I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. + "It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. + "And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD."'" + Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first [month], on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it." + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army. + "I have given him the land of Egypt [for] his labor which he performed, because they acted for Me," declares the Lord GOD. + "On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + The word of the LORD came again to me saying, + "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Wail, 'Alas for the day!' + "For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time [of doom] for the nations. + "A sword will come upon Egypt, And anguish will be in Ethiopia; When the slain fall in Egypt, They take away her wealth, And her foundations are torn down. + "Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword." + 'Thus says the LORD, "Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall And the pride of her power will come down; From Migdol [to] Syene They will fall within her by the sword," Declares the Lord GOD. + "They will be desolate In the midst of the desolated lands; And her cities will be In the midst of the devastated cities. + "And they will know that I am the LORD, When I set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are broken. + "On that day messengers will go forth from Me in ships to frighten secure Ethiopia; and anguish will be on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it comes!" + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. + "He and his people with him, The most ruthless of the nations, Will be brought in to destroy the land; And they will draw their swords against Egypt And fill the land with the slain. + "Moreover, I will make the Nile canals dry And sell the land into the hands of evil men. And I will make the land desolate And all that is in it, By the hand of strangers; I the LORD have spoken." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt. + "I will make Pathros desolate, Set a fire in Zoan And execute judgments on Thebes. + "I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The stronghold of Egypt; I will also cut off the hordes of Thebes. + "I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be breached And Memphis [will have] distresses daily. + "The young men of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall by the sword, And the women will go into captivity. + "In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break there the yoke bars of Egypt. Then the pride of her power will cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity. + "Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, And they will know that I am the LORD."'" + In the eleventh year, in the first [month], on the seventh of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, that it may be strong to hold the sword. + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. + 'I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands. + 'For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man. + 'Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. + 'When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the LORD.'" + + + In the eleventh year, in the third [month], on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes, 'Whom are you like in your greatness? + 'Behold, Assyria [was] a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high, And its top was among the clouds. + 'The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place, And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field. + 'Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field And its boughs became many and its branches long Because of many waters as it spread them out. + 'All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs, And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, And all great nations lived under its shade. + 'So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; For its roots extended to many waters. + 'The cedars in God's garden could not match it; The cypresses could not compare with its boughs, And the plane trees could not match its branches. No tree in God's garden could compare with it in its beauty. + 'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches, And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it. + 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness, + therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away. + "Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it. + "On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its [fallen] branches + so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand [erect] in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day when it went down to Sheol I caused lamentations; I closed the deep over it and held back its rivers. And [its] many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it. + "I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I made it go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit; and all the well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, were comforted in the earth beneath. + "They also went down with it to Sheol to those who were slain by the sword; and those who were its strength lived under its shade among the nations. + "To which among the trees of Eden are you thus equal in glory and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath; you will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who were slain by the sword. So is Pharaoh and all his hordes!"' declares the Lord GOD." + + + In the twelfth year, in the twelfth [month], on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, 'You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, Yet you are like the monster in the seas; And you burst forth in your rivers And muddied the waters with your feet And fouled their rivers.'" + Thus says the Lord GOD, "Now I will spread My net over you With a company of many peoples, And they shall lift you up in My net. + "I will leave you on the land; I will cast you on the open field. And I will cause all the birds of the heavens to dwell on you, And I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with you. + "I will lay your flesh on the mountains And fill the valleys with your refuse. + "I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood As far as the mountains, And the ravines will be full of you. + "And when [I] extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud And the moon will not give its light. + "All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you And will set darkness on your land," Declares the Lord GOD. + "I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations, into lands which you have not known. + "I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they will tremble every moment, every man for his own life, on the day of your fall." + For thus says the Lord GOD, "The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. + "By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your hordes to fall; all of them are tyrants of the nations, And they will devastate the pride of Egypt, And all its hordes will be destroyed. + "I will also destroy all its cattle from beside many waters; And the foot of man will not muddy them anymore And the hoofs of beasts will not muddy them. + "Then I will make their waters settle And will cause their rivers to run like oil," Declares the Lord GOD. + "When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, And the land is destitute of that which filled it, When I smite all those who live in it, Then they shall know that I am the LORD. + "This is a lamentation and they shall chant it. The daughters of the nations shall chant it. Over Egypt and over all her hordes they shall chant it," declares the Lord GOD. + In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and bring it down, her and the daughters of the powerful nations, to the nether world, with those who go down to the pit; + 'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised.' + "They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. She is given over to the sword; they have drawn her and all her hordes away. + "The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him [and] his helpers from the midst of Sheol, 'They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.' + "Assyria is there and all her company; her graves are round about her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, + whose graves are set in the remotest parts of the pit and her company is round about her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living. + "Elam is there and all her hordes around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, who instilled their terror in the land of the living and bore their disgrace with those who went down to the pit. + "They have made a bed for her among the slain with all her hordes. Her graves are around it, they are all uncircumcised, slain by the sword (although their terror was instilled in the land of the living), and they bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit; they were put in the midst of the slain. + "Meshech, Tubal and all their hordes are there; their graves surround them. All of them were slain by the sword uncircumcised, though they instilled their terror in the land of the living. + "Nor do they lie beside the fallen heroes of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war and whose swords were laid under their heads; but the punishment for their iniquity rested on their bones, though the terror of [these] heroes [was once] in the land of the living. + "But in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken and lie with those slain by the sword. + "There also is Edom, its kings and all its princes, who for [all] their might are laid with those slain by the sword; they will lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit. + "There also are the chiefs of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who in spite of the terror resulting from their might, in shame went down with the slain. So they lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit. + "These Pharaoh will see, and he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword, [even] Pharaoh and all his army," declares the Lord GOD. + "Though I instilled a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among [the] uncircumcised [along] with those slain by the sword, [even] Pharaoh and all his hordes," declares the Lord GOD. + + + And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, + and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, + then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his [own] head. + 'He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. + 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.' + "Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. + "When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. + "But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life. + "Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus you have spoken, saying, "Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?"' + "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?' + "And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.' + "When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he [so] trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. + "But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, + [if a] wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + "None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live. + "Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right. + "When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. + "But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. + "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways." + Now in the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth of the tenth month, the refugees from Jerusalem came to me, saying, "The city has been taken." + Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me in the evening, before the refugees came. And He opened my mouth at the time [they] came to me in the morning; so my mouth was opened and I was no longer speechless. + Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, they who live in these waste places in the land of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was [only] one, yet he possessed the land; so to us who are many the land has been given as a possession.' + "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You eat [meat] with the blood [in it], lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? + "You rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?"' + "Thus you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of pestilence. + "I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pride of her power will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through. + "Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed."' + "But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, 'Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.' + "They come to you as people come, and sit before you [as] My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires [expressed] by their mouth, [and] their heart goes after their gain. + "Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. + "So when it comes to pass-- as surely it will-- then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst." + + + Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? + "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat [sheep] without feeding the flock. + "Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. + "They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. + "My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek [for them]."'" + Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: + "As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but [rather] the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; + therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."'" + For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. + "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. + "I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. + "I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. + "I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD. + "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment. + "As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. + 'Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? + 'As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!'" + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them, "Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. + "Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, + therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another. + "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. + "And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken. + "I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. + "I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. + "Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. + "They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make [them] afraid. + "I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. + "Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people," declares the Lord GOD. + "As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God," declares the Lord GOD. + + + Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it + and say to it, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, And I will stretch out My hand against you And make you a desolation and a waste. + "I will lay waste your cities And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end, + therefore as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you. + "I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation and I will cut off from it the one who passes through and returns. + "I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain by the sword will fall. + "I will make you an everlasting desolation and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "Because you have said, 'These two nations and these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,' although the LORD was there, + therefore as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will deal [with you] according to your anger and according to your envy which you showed because of your hatred against them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. + "Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard all your revilings which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel saying, 'They are laid desolate; they are given to us for food.' + "And you have spoken arrogantly against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard [it]." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "As all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation. + "As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be a desolation, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD."' + + + "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because the enemy has spoken against you, 'Aha!' and, 'The everlasting heights have become our possession,' + therefore prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people."'" + 'Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy [and] with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey." + 'Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.' + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults. + 'But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. + 'For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown. + 'I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt. + 'I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the LORD. + 'Yes, I will cause men-- My people Israel-- to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.' + "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because they say to you, "You are a devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children," + therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,' declares the Lord GOD. + "I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble any longer," declares the Lord GOD.'" + Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. + "Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. + "Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. + "When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.' + "But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. + "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. + "I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. + "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. + "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. + "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. + "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. + "You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. + "Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. + "I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. + "Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. + "I am not doing [this] for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!" + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. + "The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. + "They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified [and] inhabited.' + "Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places [and] planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. + "Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the LORD."'" + + + The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. + He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, [there were] very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, [they were] very dry. + He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know." + Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.' + "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. + 'I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'" + So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. + And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. + Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'" + So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. + Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' + "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. + "Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. + "I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.'" + The word of the LORD came again to me saying, + "And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' + "Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. + "When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?' + say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."' + "The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. + "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; + and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. + "They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God. + "My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. + "They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. + "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. + "My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. + "And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."'" + + + And the word of the LORD came to me saying, + "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him + and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. + "I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company [with] buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; + Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them [with] shield and helmet; + Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah [from] the remote parts of the north with all its troops-- many peoples with you. + "Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. + "After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, [whose inhabitants] have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. + "You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, + and you will say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, + to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are [now] inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.' + "Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"' + "Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know [it]? + "You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army; + and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for [many] years that I would bring you against them? + "It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "that My fury will mount up in My anger. + "In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare [that] on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. + "The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. + "I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains," declares the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his brother. + "With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. + "I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."' + + + "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal; + and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. + "I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. + "You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. + "You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken," declares the Lord GOD. + "And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD. + "My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. + "Behold, it is coming and it shall be done," declares the Lord GOD. "That is the day of which I have spoken. + "Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn [them], both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them. + "They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them," declares the Lord GOD. + "On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call [it] the valley of Hamon-gog. + "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. + "Even all the people of the land will bury [them]; and it will be to their renown [on] the day that I glorify Myself," declares the Lord GOD. + "They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. + "As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. + "And even [the] name of [the] city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land."' + "As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, "Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. + "You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as [though they were] rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. + "So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. + "You will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war," declares the Lord GOD. + "And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. + "And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward. + "The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. + "According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them."'" + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. + "They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their [own] land with no one to make [them] afraid. + "When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. + "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them [again] to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. + "I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD. + + + In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was taken, on that same day the hand of the LORD was upon me and He brought me there. + In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and on it to the south [there was] a structure like a city. + So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. + The man said to me, "Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show [it] to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see." + And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the temple all around, and in the man's hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, [each of which was] a cubit and a handbreadth. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one rod; and the height, one rod. + Then he went to the gate which faced east, went up its steps and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod in width; and the other threshold [was] one rod in width. + The guardroom [was] one rod long and one rod wide; and [there were] five cubits between the guardrooms. And the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward [was] one rod. + Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward, one rod. + He measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its side pillars, two cubits. And the porch of the gate was faced inward. + The guardrooms of the gate toward the east [numbered] three on each side; the three of them had the same measurement. The side pillars also had the same measurement on each side. + And he measured the width of the gateway, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. + [There was] a barrier [wall] one cubit [wide] in front of the guardrooms on each side; and the guardrooms [were] six cubits [square] on each side. + He measured the gate from the roof of the one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits from [one] door to [the] door opposite. + He made the side pillars sixty cubits [high]; the gate [extended] round about to the side pillar of the courtyard. + [From] the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate [was] fifty cubits. + [There were] shuttered windows [looking] toward the guardrooms, and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And [there were] windows all around inside; and on [each] side pillar [were] palm tree ornaments. + Then he brought me into the outer court, and behold, [there were] chambers and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. + The pavement ([that is], the lower pavement) [was] by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. + Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court, a hundred cubits on the east and on the north. + [As for] the gate of the outer court which faced the north, he measured its length and its width. + It had three guardrooms on each side; and its side pillars and its porches had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length [was] fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. + Its windows and its porches and its palm tree ornaments [had] the same measurements as the gate which faced toward the east; and it was reached by seven steps, and its porch [was] in front of them. + The inner court had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as [the gate] on the east; and he measured a hundred cubits from gate to gate. + Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate toward the south; and he measured its side pillars and its porches according to those same measurements. + The gate and its porches had windows all around like those other windows; the length [was] fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. + [There were] seven steps going up to it, and its porches [were] in front of them; and it had palm tree ornaments on its side pillars, one on each side. + The inner court had a gate toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. + Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to those same measurements. + Its guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches [were] according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it [was] fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. + [There were] porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. + Its porches [were] toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments [were] on its side pillars, and its stairway [had] eight steps. + He brought me into the inner court toward the east. And he measured the gate according to those same measurements. + Its guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches [were] according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it [was] fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. + Its porches [were] toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments [were] on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway [had] eight steps. + Then he brought me to the north gate; and he measured [it] according to those same measurements, + [with] its guardrooms, its side pillars and its porches. And the gate had windows all around; the length [was] fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. + Its side pillars [were] toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments [were] on its side pillars on each side, and its stairway had eight steps. + A chamber with its doorway was by the side pillars at the gates; there they rinse the burnt offering. + In the porch of the gate [were] two tables on each side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. + On the outer side, as one went up to the gateway toward the north, [were] two tables; and on the other side of the porch of the gate [were] two tables. + Four tables [were] on each side next to the gate; [or], eight tables on which they slaughter [sacrifices]. + For the burnt offering [there were] four tables of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and one cubit high, on which they lay the instruments with which they slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice. + The double hooks, one handbreadth in length, were installed in the house all around; and on the tables [was] the flesh of the offering. + From the outside to the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, [one of] which was at the side of the north gate, with its front toward the south, and one at the side of the south gate facing toward the north. + He said to me, "This is the chamber which faces toward the south, [intended] for the priests who keep charge of the temple; + but the chamber which faces toward the north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from the sons of Levi come near to the LORD to minister to Him." + He measured the court, a [perfect] square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the temple. + Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured [each] side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. + The length of the porch [was] twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits; and at the stairway by which it was ascended [were] columns belonging to the side pillars, one on each side. + + + Then he brought me to the nave and measured the side pillars; six cubits wide on each side [was] the width of the side pillar. + The width of the entrance [was] ten cubits and the sides of the entrance [were] five cubits on each side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. + Then he went inside and measured each side pillar of the doorway, two cubits, and the doorway, six cubits [high]; and the width of the doorway, seven cubits. + He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave; and he said to me, "This is the most holy [place]." + Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits; and the width of the side chambers, four cubits, all around about the house on every side. + The side chambers were in three stories, one above another, and thirty in each story; and the side chambers extended to the wall which [stood] on their inward side all around, that they might be fastened, and not be fastened into the wall of the temple [itself]. + The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story. Because the structure surrounding the temple went upward by stages on all sides of the temple, therefore the width of the temple [increased] as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest [story] to the highest by way of the second [story]. + I saw also that the house had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full rod of six long cubits [in height]. + The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers [was] five cubits. But the free space between the side chambers belonging to the temple + and the [outer] chambers [was] twenty cubits in width all around the temple on every side. + The doorways of the side chambers toward the free space [consisted of] one doorway toward the north and another doorway toward the south; and the width of the free space [was] five cubits all around. + The building that [was] in front of the separate area at the side toward the west [was] seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building [was] five cubits thick all around, and its length [was] ninety cubits. + Then he measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; the separate area with the building and its walls [were] also a hundred cubits long. + Also the width of the front of the temple and [that of] the separate areas along the east [side totaled] a hundred cubits. + He measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, a hundred cubits; [he] also [measured] the inner nave and the porches of the court. + The thresholds, the latticed windows and the galleries round about their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and [from] the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), + over the entrance, and to the inner house, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement. + It was carved with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, + a man's face toward the palm tree on one side and a young lion's face toward the palm tree on the other side; they were carved on all the house all around. + From the ground to above the entrance cherubim and palm trees were carved, as well as [on] the wall of the nave. + The doorposts of the nave were square; as for the front of the sanctuary, the appearance of one doorpost was like that of the other. + The altar [was] of wood, three cubits high and its length two cubits; its corners, its base and its sides [were] of wood. And he said to me, "This is the table that is before the LORD." + The nave and the sanctuary each had a double door. + Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging leaves; two [leaves] for one door and two leaves for the other. + Also there were carved on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls; and [there was] a threshold of wood on the front of the porch outside. + [There were] latticed windows and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch; thus [were] the side chambers of the house and the thresholds. + + + Then he brought me out into the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me to the chamber which [was] opposite the separate area and opposite the building toward the north. + Along the length, [which was] a hundred cubits, [was] the north door; the width [was] fifty cubits. + Opposite the twenty [cubits] which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, [was] gallery corresponding to gallery in three stories. + Before the chambers [was] an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of one [hundred] cubits; and their openings [were] on the north. + Now the upper chambers [were] smaller because the galleries took more [space] away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. + For they [were] in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore [the upper chambers] were set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones. + As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length [was] fifty cubits. + For the length of the chambers which [were] in the outer court [was] fifty cubits; and behold, [the length of those] facing the temple [was] a hundred cubits. + Below these chambers [was] the entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court. + In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, facing the separate area and facing the building, [there were] chambers. + The way in front of them [was] like the appearance of the chambers which [were] on the north, according to their length so was their width, and all their exits [were] both according to their arrangements and openings. + Corresponding to the openings of the chambers which were toward the south was an opening at the head of the way, the way in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them. + Then he said to me, "The north chambers [and] the south chambers, which are opposite the separate area, they are the holy chambers where the priests who are near to the LORD shall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; for the place is holy. + "When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people." + Now when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around. + He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the measuring reed. + He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed. + On the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. + He turned to the west side [and] measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. + He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length five hundred and the width five hundred, to divide between the holy and the profane. + + + Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; + and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. + And [it was] like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions [were] like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. + And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. + And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. + Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me. + He said to me, "Son of man, [this is] the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, + by setting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with [only] the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. + "Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever. + "As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. + "If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write [it] in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them. + "This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain all around [shall be] most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. + "And these are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): the base [shall be] a cubit and the width a cubit, and its border on its edge round about one span; and this [shall be] the [height] of the base of the altar. + "From the base on the ground to the lower ledge [shall be] two cubits and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge [shall be] four cubits and the width one cubit. + "The altar hearth [shall be] four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns. + "Now the altar hearth [shall be] twelve [cubits] long by twelve wide, square in its four sides. + "The ledge [shall be] fourteen [cubits] long by fourteen wide in its four sides, the border around it [shall be] half a cubit and its base [shall be] a cubit round about; and its steps shall face the east." + And He said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it. + 'You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, who draw near to Me to minister to Me,' declares the Lord GOD, 'a young bull for a sin offering. + 'You shall take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge and on the border round about; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. + 'You shall also take the bull for the sin offering, and it [shall be] burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary. + 'On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and they shall cleanse the altar as they cleansed [it] with the bull. + 'When you have finished cleansing [it], you shall present a young bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. + 'You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall throw salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. + 'For seven days you shall prepare daily a goat for a sin offering; also a young bull and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be prepared. + 'For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it. + 'When they have completed the days, it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,' declares the Lord GOD." + + + Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut. + The LORD said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. + "As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the porch of the gate and shall go out by the same way." + Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD, and I fell on my face. + The LORD said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the LORD and concerning all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary. + "You shall say to the rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel, + when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, [even] My house, when you offered My food, the fat and the blood; for they made My covenant void-- [this] in addition to all your abominations. + "And you have not kept charge of My holy things yourselves, but you have set [foreigners] to keep charge of My sanctuary." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary. + "But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. + "Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house and ministering in the house; they shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. + "Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them," declares the Lord GOD, "that they shall bear [the punishment for] their iniquity. + "And they shall not come near to Me to serve as a priest to Me, nor come near to any of My holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. + "Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that shall be done in it. + "But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood," declares the Lord GOD. + "They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep My charge. + "It shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and wool shall not be on them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house. + "Linen turbans shall be on their heads and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with [anything which makes them] sweat. + "When they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. + "Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not let their locks grow long; they shall only trim [the hair of] their heads. + "Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court. + "And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman but shall take virgins from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. + "Moreover, they shall teach My people [the] [difference] between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. + "In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My sabbaths. + "They shall not go to a dead person to defile [themselves]; however, for father, for mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a husband, they may defile themselves. + "After he is cleansed, seven days shall elapse for him. + "On the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering," declares the Lord GOD. + "And it shall be with regard to an inheritance for them, [that] I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel-- I am their possession. + "They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. + "The first of all the first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house. + "The priests shall not eat any bird or beast that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces. + + + "And when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an allotment to the LORD, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of 25,000 [cubits], and the width shall be 20,000. It shall be holy within all its boundary round about. + "Out of this there shall be for the holy place a square round about five hundred by five hundred [cubits], and fifty cubits for its open space round about. + "From this area you shall measure a length of 25,000 [cubits] and a width of 10,000 [cubits]; and in it shall be the sanctuary, the most holy place. + "It shall be the holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the LORD, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. + "[An area] 25,000 [cubits] in length and 10,000 in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, [and] for their possession cities to dwell in. + "You shall give the city possession of [an area] 5,000 [cubits] wide and 25,000 [cubits] long, alongside the allotment of the holy portion; it shall be for the whole house of Israel. + "The prince shall have [land] on either side of the holy allotment and the property of the city, adjacent to the holy allotment and the property of the city, on the west side toward the west and on the east side toward the east, and in length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. + "This shall be his land for a possession in Israel; so My princes shall no longer oppress My people, but they shall give [the rest of] the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your expropriations from My people," declares the Lord GOD. + "You shall have just balances, a just ephah and a just bath. + "The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity, so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; their standard shall be according to the homer. + "The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, [and] fifteen shekels shall be your maneh. + "This is the offering that you shall offer: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat; a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley; + and the prescribed portion of oil ([namely], the bath of oil), a tenth of a bath from [each] kor ([which is] ten baths [or] a homer, for ten baths are a homer); + and one sheep from [each] flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel-- for a grain offering, for a burnt offering and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them," declares the Lord GOD. + "All the people of the land shall give to this offering for the prince in Israel. + "It shall be the prince's part [to provide] the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the drink offerings, at the feasts, on the new moons and on the sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel; he shall provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "In the first [month], on the first of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and cleanse the sanctuary. + "The priest shall take some of the blood from the sin offering and put [it] on the door posts of the house, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. + "Thus you shall do on the seventh [day] of the month for everyone who goes astray or is naive; so you shall make atonement for the house. + "In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. + "On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. + "[During] the seven days of the feast he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven bulls and seven rams without blemish on every day of the seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering. + "He shall provide as a grain offering an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram and a hin of oil with an ephah. + "In the seventh [month], on the fifteenth day of the month, at the feast, he shall provide like this, seven days for the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering and the oil." + + + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "The gate of the inner court facing east shall be shut the six working days; but it shall be opened on the sabbath day and opened on the day of the new moon. + "The prince shall enter by way of the porch of the gate from outside and stand by the post of the gate. Then the priests shall provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate and then go out; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. + "The people of the land shall also worship at the doorway of that gate before the LORD on the sabbaths and on the new moons. + "The burnt offering which the prince shall offer to the LORD on the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish; + and the grain offering shall be an ephah with the ram, and the grain offering with the lambs as much as he is able to give, and a hin of oil with an ephah. + "On the day of the new moon [he shall offer] a young bull without blemish, also six lambs and a ram, [which] shall be without blemish. + "And he shall provide a grain offering, an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, and a hin of oil with an ephah. + "When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the porch of the gate and go out by the same way. + "But when the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate. And he who enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. No one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered but shall go straight out. + "When they go in, the prince shall go in among them; and when they go out, he shall go out. + "At the festivals and the appointed feasts the grain offering shall be an ephah with a bull and an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as one is able to give, and a hin of oil with an ephah. + "When the prince provides a freewill offering, a burnt offering, or peace offerings [as] a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he does on the sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and the gate shall be shut after he goes out. + "And you shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. + "Also you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, a sixth of an ephah and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour, a grain offering to the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance. + "Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering." + 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "If the prince gives a gift [out of] his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. + "But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince. His inheritance [shall be] only his sons'; it shall belong to them. + "The prince shall not take from the people's inheritance, thrusting them out of their possession; he shall give his sons inheritance from his own possession so that My people will not be scattered, anyone from his possession."'" + Then he brought me through the entrance, which [was] at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests, which faced north; and behold, there [was] a place at the extreme rear toward the west. + He said to me, "This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering [and] where they shall bake the grain offering, in order that they may not bring [them] out into the outer court to transmit holiness to the people." + Then he brought me out into the outer court and led me across to the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court [there was] a [small] court. + In the four corners of the court [there were] enclosed courts, forty [cubits] long and thirty wide; these four in the corners [were] the same size. + [There was] a row [of masonry] round about in them, around the four of them, and boiling places were made under the rows round about. + Then he said to me, "These are the boiling places where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifices of the people." + + + Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. + He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of [the gate] that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. + When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water [reaching] the ankles. + Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water [reaching] the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through [the water], water [reaching] the loins. + Again he measured a thousand; [and it was] a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, [enough] water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. + He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen [this]?" Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. + Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there [were] very many trees on the one side and on the other. + Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters [of the sea] become fresh. + "It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and [the others] become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. + "And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. + "But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. + "By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all [kinds of] trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." + Thus says the Lord GOD, "This [shall be] the boundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph [shall have] two portions. + "You shall divide it for an inheritance, each one equally with the other; for I swore to give it to your forefathers, and this land shall fall to you as an inheritance. + "This [shall be] the boundary of the land: on the north side, from the Great Sea [by] the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad; + Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. + "The boundary shall extend from the sea [to] Hazar-enan [at] the border of Damascus, and on the north toward the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. + "The east side, from between Hauran, Damascus, Gilead and the land of Israel, [shall be] the Jordan; from the [north] border to the eastern sea you shall measure. This is the east side. + "The south side toward the south [shall extend] from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook [of Egypt and] to the Great Sea. This is the south side toward the south. + "The west side [shall be] the Great Sea, from the [south] border to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side. + "So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. + "You shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the aliens who stay in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. + "And in the tribe with which the alien stays, there you shall give [him] his inheritance," declares the Lord GOD. + + + "Now these are the names of the tribes: from the northern extremity, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, [as far as] Hazar-enan [at] the border of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath, running from east to west, Dan, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Asher, from the east side to the west side, Naphtali, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west side, Reuben, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one [portion]. + "And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the allotment which you shall set apart, 25,000 [cubits] in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. + "The allotment that you shall set apart to the LORD [shall be] 25,000 [cubits] in length and 10,000 in width. + "The holy allotment shall be for these, [namely] for the priests, toward the north 25,000 [cubits in length], toward the west 10,000 in width, toward the east 10,000 in width, and toward the south 25,000 in length; and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in its midst. + "[It shall be] for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray. + "It shall be an allotment to them from the allotment of the land, a most holy place, by the border of the Levites. + "Alongside the border of the priests the Levites [shall have] 25,000 [cubits] in length and 10,000 in width. The whole length [shall be] 25,000 [cubits] and the width 10,000. + "Moreover, they shall not sell or exchange any of it, or alienate this choice [portion] of land; for it is holy to the LORD. + "The remainder, 5,000 [cubits] in width and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open spaces; and the city shall be in its midst. + "These [shall be] its measurements: the north side 4,500 [cubits], the south side 4,500 [cubits], the east side 4,500 [cubits], and the west side 4,500 [cubits]. + "The city shall have open spaces: on the north 250 [cubits], on the south 250 [cubits], on the east 250 [cubits], and on the west 250 [cubits]. + "The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment shall be 10,000 [cubits] toward the east and 10,000 toward the west; and it shall be alongside the holy allotment. And its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. + "The workers of the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. + "The whole allotment [shall be] 25,000 by 25,000 [cubits]; you shall set apart the holy allotment, a square, with the property of the city. + "The remainder [shall be] for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy allotment and of the property of the city; in front of the 25,000 [cubits] of the allotment toward the east border and westward in front of the 25,000 toward the west border, alongside the portions, [it shall be] for the prince. And the holy allotment and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it. + "Exclusive of the property of the Levites and the property of the city, [which] are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, [everything] between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall be for the prince. + "As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one [portion]. + "Beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one [portion]. + "And beside the border of Gad, at the south side toward the south, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook [of Egypt], to the Great Sea. + "This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for an inheritance, and these are their [several] portions," declares the Lord GOD. + "These are the exits of the city: on the north side, 4,500 [cubits] by measurement, + shall be the gates of the city, named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. + "On the east side, 4,500 [cubits], shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. + "On the south side, 4,500 [cubits] by measurement, shall be three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. + "On the west side, 4,500 [cubits, shall be] three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. + "[The city shall be] 18,000 [cubits] round about; and the name of the city from [that] day [shall be], 'The LORD is there.'" + + + + + In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. + The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. + Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, + youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every [branch of] wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and [he ordered him] to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. + The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and [appointed] that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service. + Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. + Then the commander of the officials assigned [new] names to them; and to Daniel he assigned [the name] Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. + But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought [permission] from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. + Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, + and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king." + But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, + "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. + "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see." + So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. + At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food. + So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. + As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every [branch of] literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all [kinds of] visions and dreams. + Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. + The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service. + As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] conjurers who [were] in all his realm. + And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. + + + Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. + Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. + The king said to them, "I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream." + Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation." + The king replied to the Chaldeans, "The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. + "But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation." + They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation." + The king replied, "I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm, + that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation." + The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has [ever] asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. + "Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with [mortal] flesh." + Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. + So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill [them]. + Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; + he said to Arioch, the king's commander, "For what reason is the decree from the king [so] urgent?" Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. + So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. + Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, + so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. + Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; + Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. + "It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. + "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. + "To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king's matter." + Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king." + Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!" + The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?" + Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians [nor] diviners are able to declare [it] to the king. + "However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind [while] on your bed. + "As for you, O king, [while] on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. + "But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than [in] any [other] living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. + "You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. + "The head of that statue [was made] of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, + its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. + "You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. + "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. + "This [was] the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king. + "You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; + and wherever the sons of men dwell, [or] the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given [them] into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. + "After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. + "Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. + "In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. + "[As] the toes of the feet [were] partly of iron and partly of pottery, [so] some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. + "And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. + "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and [that] kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. + "Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." + Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. + The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery." + Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. + And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel [was] at the king's court. + + + Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which [was] sixty cubits [and] its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. + Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent [word] to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. + Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Then the herald loudly proclaimed: "To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and [men of every] language, + that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. + "But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire." + Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and [men of every] language fell down [and] worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. + For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews. + They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: "O king, live forever! + "You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image. + "But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. + "There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, [namely] Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up." + Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. + Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? + "Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, [very well]. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?" + Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. + "If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. + "But [even] if [He does] not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." + Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. + He commanded certain valiant warriors who [were] in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast [them] into the furnace of blazing fire. + Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their [other] clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. + For this reason, because the king's command [was] urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. + But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire [still] tied up. + Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king." + He said, "Look! I see four men loosed [and] walking [about] in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of [the] gods!" + Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. + The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around [and] saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire [even] come upon them. + Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. + "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." + Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon. + + + Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and [men of every] language that live in all the earth: "May your peace abound! + "It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. + "How great are His signs And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom And His dominion is from generation to generation. + "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. + "I saw a dream and it made me fearful; and [these] fantasies [as I lay] on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. + "So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. + "Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me. + "But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, [saying], + 'O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell [me] the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation. + 'Now [these were] the visions in my mind [as I lay] on my bed: I was looking, and behold, [there was] a tree in the midst of the earth and its height [was] great. + 'The tree grew large and became strong And its height reached to the sky, And it [was] visible to the end of the whole earth. + 'Its foliage [was] beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it [was] food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all living creatures fed themselves from it. + 'I was looking in the visions in my mind [as I lay] on my bed, and behold, an [angelic] watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. + 'He shouted out and spoke as follows: "Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches. + "Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze [around it] In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth. + "Let his mind be changed from [that of] a man And let a beast's mind be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him. + "This sentence is by the decree of the [angelic] watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men." + 'This is the dream [which] I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell [me] its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.' + "Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar replied, 'My lord, [if only] the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! + 'The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth + and whose foliage [was] beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which [was] food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged-- + it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. + 'In that the king saw an [angelic] watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, "Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze [around it] in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him," + this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: + that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. + 'And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that [it is] Heaven [that] rules. + 'Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by [doing] righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to [the] poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.' + "All [this] happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. + "Twelve months later he was walking on the [roof of] the royal palace of Babylon. + "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' + "While the word [was] in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, [saying], 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, + and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place [will be] with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.' + "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' [feathers] and his nails like birds' [claws]. + "But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom [endures] from generation to generation. + "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And [among] the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' + "At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. + "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride." + + + Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. + When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. + Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which [was] in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. + They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. + Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. + Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. + The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and [have] a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third [ruler] in the kingdom." + Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. + Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew [even] paler, and his nobles were perplexed. + The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale. + "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans [and] diviners. + "[This was] because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation." + Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? + "Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. + "Just now the wise men [and] the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message. + "But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and [wear] a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third [ruler] in the kingdom." + Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. + "O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. + "Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and [men of every] language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. + "But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and [his] glory was taken away from him. + "He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like [that of] beasts, and his dwelling place [was] with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and [that] He sets over it whomever He wishes. + "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, + but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified. + "Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out. + "Now this is the inscription that was written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.' + "This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE '-- God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. + "'TEKEL '-- you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. + "'PERES '-- your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians." + Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and [put] a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he [now] had authority as the third [ruler] in the kingdom. + That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. + So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. + + + It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, + and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. + Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. + Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or [evidence of] corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was [to be] found in him. + Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find [it] against him with regard to the law of his God." + Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live forever! + "All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den. + "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." + Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. + Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. + Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. + Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king's injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions' den?" The king replied, "The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." + Then they answered and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day." + Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set [his] mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. + Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed." + Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you." + A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. + Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. + Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions' den. + When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" + Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever! + "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime." + Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. + The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. + Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and [men of every] language who were living in all the land: "May your peace abound! + "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion [will be] forever. + "He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has [also] delivered Daniel from the power of the lions." + So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. + + + In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind [as he lay] on his bed; then he wrote the dream down [and] related the [following] summary of it. + Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. + "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. + "The first [was] like a lion and had [the] wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. + "And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs [were] in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much meat!' + "After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. + "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. + "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great [boasts]. + "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took [His] seat; His vesture [was] like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne [was] ablaze with flames, Its wheels [were] a burning fire. + "A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened. + "Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. + "As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. + "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. + "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and [men of every] language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. + "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. + "I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: + 'These great beasts, which are four [in number], are four kings [who] will arise from the earth. + 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.' + "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, [and which] devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, + and [the meaning] of the ten horns that [were] on its head and the other [horn] which came up, and before which three [of them] fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great [boasts] and which was larger in appearance than its associates. + "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them + until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. + "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the [other] kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. + 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. + 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. + 'But the court will sit [for judgment], and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. + 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of [all] the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom [will be] an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.' + "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself." + + + In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously. + I looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. + Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns [were] long, but one [was] longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last. + I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no [other] beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified [himself]. + While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat [had] a conspicuous horn between his eyes. + He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. + I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power. + Then the male goat magnified [himself] exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous [horns] toward the four winds of heaven. + Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful [Land]. + It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. + It even magnified [itself] to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. + And on account of transgression the host will be given over [to the horn] along with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform [its will] and prosper. + Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision [about] the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?" + He said to me, "For 2,300 evenings [and] mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored." + When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. + And I heard the voice of a man between [the banks of] Ulai, and he called out and said, "Gabriel, give this [man] an understanding of the vision." + So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end." + Now while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright. + He said, "Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for [it] pertains to the appointed time of the end. + "The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. + "The shaggy goat [represents] the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. + "The broken [horn] and the four [horns that] arose in its place [represent] four kingdoms [which] will arise from [his] nation, although not with his power. + "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run [their course], A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. + "His power will be mighty, but not by his [own] power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform [his will]; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. + "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify [himself] in his heart, And he will destroy many while [they are] at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency. + "The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For [it] pertains to many days [in the future]." + Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up [again] and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain [it]. + + + In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans-- + in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was [revealed as] the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, [namely], seventy years. + So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek [Him by] prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. + I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, + we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. + "Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. + "Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day-- to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. + "Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. + "To the Lord our God [belong] compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; + nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. + "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. + "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done [anything] like what was done to Jerusalem. + "As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. + "Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. + "And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day-- we have sinned, we have been wicked. + "O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people [have become] a reproach to all those around us. + "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. + "O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. + "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name." + Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, + while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in [my] extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. + He gave [me] instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. + "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell [you], for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. + "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy [place]. + "So you are to know and discern [that] from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince [there will be] seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. + "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end [will come] with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. + "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [will come] one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." + + + In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and [one of] great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. + In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. + I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. + On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, + I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with [a belt of] pure gold of Uphaz. + His body also [was] like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. + Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. + So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. + But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. + Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. + He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. + Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding [this] and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. + "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. + "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet [future]." + When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. + And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, "O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. + "For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me." + Then [this] one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. + He said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." + Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. + "However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these [forces] except Michael your prince. + + + "In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him. + "And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all [of them]; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole [empire] against the realm of Greece. + "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. + "But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his [own] descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and [given] to others besides them. + "Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with [one] of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain [will be] a great dominion [indeed]. + "After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in [those] times. + "But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against [their] army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display [great] strength. + "Also their gods with their metal images [and] their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from [attacking] the king of the North for [some] years. + "Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his [own] land. + "His sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again wage war up to his [very] fortress. + "The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but [that] multitude will be given into the hand of the [former]. + "When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. + "For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment. + "Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. + "Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand [their ground], not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. + "But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will [be able to] withstand him; he will also stay [for a time] in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. + "He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand [for him] or be on his side. + "Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn. + "So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more. + "Then in his place one will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of [his] kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle. + "In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. + "The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. + "After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small [force of] people. + "In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest [parts] of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but [only] for a time. + "He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. + "Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain. + "As for both kings, their hearts will be [intent] on evil, and they will speak lies [to each other] at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still [to come] at the appointed time. + "Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be [set] against the holy covenant, and he will take action and [then] return to his [own] land. + "At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. + "For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. + "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. + "By smooth [words] he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. + "Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for [many] days. + "Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. + "Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because [it is] still [to come] at the appointed time. + "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. + "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any [other] god; for he will magnify himself above [them] all. + "But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor [him] with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. + "He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with [the help of] a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge [him] and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price. + "At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow [them] and pass through. + "He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many [countries] will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. + "Then he will stretch out his hand against [other] countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. + "But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians [will follow] at his heels. + "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. + "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. + + + "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands [guard] over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. + "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace [and] everlasting contempt. + "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. + "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." + Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. + And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long [will it be] until the end of [these] wonders?" + I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half [a [time]; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these [events] will be completed. + As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, "My lord, what [will be] the outcome of these [events]?" + He said, "Go [your way], Daniel, for [these] words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. + "Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. + "From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there will be] 1,290 days. + "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! + "But as for you, go [your way] to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise [again] for your allotted portion at the end of the age." + + + + + The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. + When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and [have] children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD." + So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. + And the LORD said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. + "On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." + Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. + "But I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses or horsemen." + When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. + And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God." + Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, "You are not My people," It will be said to them, "[You are] the sons of the living God." + And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, And they will appoint for themselves one leader, And they will go up from the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel. + + + Say to your brothers, "Ammi," and to your sisters, "Ruhamah." + "Contend with your mother, contend, For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; And let her put away her harlotry from her face And her adultery from between her breasts, + Or I will strip her naked And expose her as on the day when she was born. I will also make her like a wilderness, Make her like desert land And slay her with thirst. + "Also, I will have no compassion on her children, Because they are children of harlotry. + "For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, Who give [me] my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.' + "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, And I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths. + "She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find [them]. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my first husband, For it was better for me then than now!' + "For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, [Which] they used for Baal. + "Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time And My new wine in its season. I will also take away My wool and My flax [Given] to cover her nakedness. + "And then I will uncover her lewdness In the sight of her lovers, And no one will rescue her out of My hand. + "I will also put an end to all her gaiety, Her feasts, her new moons, her sabbaths And all her festal assemblies. + "I will destroy her vines and fig trees, Of which she said, 'These are my wages Which my lovers have given me.' And I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field will devour them. + "I will punish her for the days of the Baals When she used to offer sacrifices to them And adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me," declares the LORD. + "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Bring her into the wilderness And speak kindly to her. + "Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. + "It will come about in that day," declares the LORD, "That you will call Me Ishi And will no longer call Me Baali. + "For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will be mentioned by their names no more. + "In that day I will also make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, The birds of the sky And the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, And will make them lie down in safety. + "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, + And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD. + "It will come about in that day that I will respond," declares the LORD. "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth, + And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and to the oil, And they will respond to Jezreel. + "I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, '[You are] my God!'" + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman [who] is loved by [her] husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes." + So I bought her for myself for fifteen [shekels] of silver and a homer and a half of barley. + Then I said to her, "You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you." + For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or [sacred] pillar and without ephod or household idols. + Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days. + + + Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. + [There is] swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. + Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear. + Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. + So you will stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your mother. + My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. + The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. + They feed on the sin of My people And direct their desire toward their iniquity. + And it will be, like people, like priest; So I will punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds. + They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD. + Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding. + My people consult their wooden idol, and their [diviner's] wand informs them; For a spirit of harlotry has led [them] astray, And they have played the harlot, [departing] from their God. + They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains And burn incense on the hills, Under oak, poplar and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot And your brides commit adultery. + I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot Or your brides when they commit adultery, For [the men] themselves go apart with harlots And offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes; So the people without understanding are ruined. + Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Do not let Judah become guilty; Also do not go to Gilgal, Or go up to Beth-aven And take the oath: "As the LORD lives!" + Since Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn heifer, Can the LORD now pasture them Like a lamb in a large field? + Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone. + Their liquor gone, They play the harlot continually; Their rulers dearly love shame. + The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices. + + + Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Listen, O house of the king! For the judgment applies to you, For you have been a snare at Mizpah And a net spread out on Tabor. + The revolters have gone deep in depravity, But I will chastise all of them. + I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; For now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot, Israel has defiled itself. + Their deeds will not allow them To return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, And they do not know the LORD. + Moreover, the pride of Israel testifies against him, And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also has stumbled with them. + They will go with their flocks and herds To seek the LORD, but they will not find [Him]; He has withdrawn from them. + They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, For they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their land. + Blow the horn in Gibeah, The trumpet in Ramah. Sound an alarm at Beth-aven: "Behind you, Benjamin!" + Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I declare what is sure. + The princes of Judah have become like those who move a boundary; On them I will pour out My wrath like water. + Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, Because he was determined to follow [man's] command. + Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim And like rottenness to the house of Judah. + When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria And sent to King Jareb. But he is unable to heal you, Or to cure you of your wound. + For I [will be] like a lion to Ephraim And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver. + I will go away [and] return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. + + + "Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn [us], but He will heal us; He has wounded [us], but He will bandage us. + "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. + "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." + What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud And like the dew which goes away early. + Therefore I have hewn [them] in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And the judgments on you are [like] the light that goes forth. + For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. + But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me. + Gilead is a city of wrongdoers, Tracked with bloody [footprints]. + And as raiders wait for a man, [So] a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Surely they have committed crime. + In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim's harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself. + Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, When I restore the fortunes of My people. + + + When I would heal Israel, The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, And the evil deeds of Samaria, For they deal falsely; The thief enters in, Bandits raid outside, + And they do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds are all around them; They are before My face. + With their wickedness they make the king glad, And the princes with their lies. + They are all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker Who ceases to stir up [the fire] From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. + On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers, + For their hearts are like an oven [As] they approach their plotting; Their anger smolders all night, In the morning it burns like a flaming fire. + All of them are hot like an oven, And they consume their rulers; All their kings have fallen. None of them calls on Me. + Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned. + Strangers devour his strength, Yet he does not know [it]; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know [it]. + Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet they have not returned to the LORD their God, Nor have they sought Him, for all this. + So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. + When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation to their assembly. + Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me. + And they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, They turn away from Me. + Although I trained [and] strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me. + They turn, [but] not upward, They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This [will be] their derision in the land of Egypt. + + + [Put] the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle [the enemy comes] against the house of the LORD, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law. + They cry out to Me, "My God, we of Israel know You!" + Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him. + They have set up kings, but not by Me; They have appointed princes, but I did not know [it]. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, That they might be cut off. + He has rejected your calf, O Samaria, [saying], "My anger burns against them!" How long will they be incapable of innocence? + For from Israel is even this! A craftsman made it, so it is not God; Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces. + For they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; It yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up. + Israel is swallowed up; They are now among the nations Like a vessel in which no one delights. + For they have gone up to Assyria, [Like] a wild donkey all alone; Ephraim has hired lovers. + Even though they hire [allies] among the nations, Now I will gather them up; And they will begin to diminish Because of the burden of the king of princes. + Since Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, They have become altars of sinning for him. + Though I wrote for him ten thousand [precepts] of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing. + As for My sacrificial gifts, They sacrifice the flesh and eat [it], [But] the LORD has taken no delight in them. Now He will remember their iniquity, And punish [them] for their sins; They will return to Egypt. + For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; And Judah has multiplied fortified cities, But I will send a fire on its cities that it may consume its palatial dwellings. + + + Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations! For you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved [harlots]' earnings on every threshing floor. + Threshing floor and wine press will not feed them, And the new wine will fail them. + They will not remain in the LORD'S land, But Ephraim will return to Egypt, And in Assyria they will eat unclean [food]. + They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD, Their sacrifices will not please Him. [Their bread will] [be] like mourners' bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves [alone]; It will not enter the house of the LORD. + What will you do on the day of the appointed festival And on the day of the feast of the LORD? + For behold, they will go because of destruction; Egypt will gather them up, Memphis will bury them. Weeds will take over their treasures of silver; Thorns [will be] in their tents. + The days of punishment have come, The days of retribution have come; Let Israel know [this]! The prophet is a fool, The inspired man is demented, Because of the grossness of your iniquity, And [because] your hostility is [so] great. + Ephraim [was] a watchman with my God, a prophet; [Yet] the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways, [And] there is [only] hostility in the house of his God. + They have gone deep in depravity As in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their iniquity, He will punish their sins. + I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first [season]. [But] they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, And they became as detestable as that which they loved. + As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird-- No birth, no pregnancy and no conception! + Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them until not a man is left. Yes, woe to them indeed when I depart from them! + Ephraim, as I have seen, Is planted in a pleasant meadow like Tyre; But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter. + Give them, O LORD-- what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. + All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels. + Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, They will bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the precious ones of their womb. + My God will cast them away Because they have not listened to Him; And they will be wanderers among the nations. + + + Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the [sacred] pillars. + Their heart is faithless; Now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars [And] destroy their [sacred] pillars. + Surely now they will say, "We have no king, For we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?" + They speak [mere] words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. + The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has departed from it. + The thing itself will be carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel. + Samaria will be cut off [with] her king Like a stick on the surface of the water. + Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars; Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!" + From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; There they stand! Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity overtake them in Gibeah? + When it is My desire, I will chastise them; And the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt. + Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, But I will come over her fair neck [with a yoke]; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself. + Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. + You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors, + Therefore a tumult will arise among your people, And all your fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, [When] mothers were dashed in pieces with [their] children. + Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off. + + + When Israel [was] a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. + The more they called them, The more they went from them; They kept sacrificing to the Baals And burning incense to idols. + Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; But they did not know that I healed them. + I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down [and] fed them. + They will not return to the land of Egypt; But Assyria-- he will be their king Because they refused to return [to Me]. + The sword will whirl against their cities, And will demolish their gate bars And consume [them] because of their counsels. + So My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call them to [the One] on high, None at all exalts [Him]. + How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled. + I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, And I will not come in wrath. + They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar And [His] sons will come trembling from the west. + They will come trembling like birds from Egypt And like doves from the land of Assyria; And I will settle them in their houses, declares the LORD. + Ephraim surrounds Me with lies And the house of Israel with deceit; Judah is also unruly against God, Even against the Holy One who is faithful. + + + Ephraim feeds on wind, And pursues the east wind continually; He multiplies lies and violence. Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt. + The LORD also has a dispute with Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him according to his deeds. + In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And in his maturity he contended with God. + Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel And there He spoke with us, + Even the LORD, the God of hosts, The LORD is His name. + Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually. + A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, He loves to oppress. + And Ephraim said, "Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labors they will find in me No iniquity, which [would be] sin." + But I [have been] the LORD your God since the land of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, As in the days of the appointed festival. + I have also spoken to the prophets, And I gave numerous visions, And through the prophets I gave parables. + Is there iniquity [in] Gilead? Surely they are worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls, Yes, their altars are like the stone heaps Beside the furrows of the field. + Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram, And Israel worked for a wife, And for a wife he kept [sheep]. + But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel from Egypt, And by a prophet he was kept. + Ephraim has provoked to bitter anger; So his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him And bring back his reproach to him. + + + When Ephraim spoke, [there was] trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, But through Baal he did wrong and died. + And now they sin more and more, And make for themselves molten images, Idols skillfully made from their silver, All of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them, "Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!" + Therefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney. + Yet I [have been] the LORD your God Since the land of Egypt; And you were not to know any god except Me, For there is no savior besides Me. + I cared for you in the wilderness, In the land of drought. + As [they had] their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me. + So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside. + I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them like a lioness, [As] a wild beast would tear them. + [It is] your destruction, O Israel, That [you are] against Me, against your help. + Where now is your king That he may save you in all your cities, And your judges of whom you requested, "Give me a king and princes "? + I gave you a king in My anger And took him away in My wrath. + The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is stored up. + The pains of childbirth come upon him; He is not a wise son, For it is not the time that he should delay at the opening of the womb. + Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight. + Though he flourishes among the reeds, An east wind will come, The wind of the LORD coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will become dry And his spring will be dried up; It will plunder [his] treasury of every precious article. + Samaria will be held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, Their little ones will be dashed in pieces, And their pregnant women will be ripped open. + + + Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. + Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity And receive [us] graciously, That we may present the fruit of our lips. + "Assyria will not save us, We will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again, 'Our god,' To the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy." + I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. + I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like [the cedars of] Lebanon. + His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like [the cedars of] Lebanon. + Those who live in his shadow Will again raise grain, And they will blossom like the vine. His renown [will be] like the wine of Lebanon. + O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; From Me comes your fruit. + Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; [Whoever] is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them. + + + + + The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: + Hear this, O elders, And listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has [anything like] this happened in your days Or in your fathers' days? + Tell your sons about it, And [let] your sons [tell] their sons, And their sons the next generation. + What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten. + Awake, drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you wine drinkers, On account of the sweet wine That is cut off from your mouth. + For a nation has invaded my land, Mighty and without number; Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, And it has the fangs of a lioness. + It has made my vine a waste And my fig tree splinters. It has stripped them bare and cast [them] away; Their branches have become white. + Wail like a virgin girded with sackcloth For the bridegroom of her youth. + The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off From the house of the LORD. The priests mourn, The ministers of the LORD. + The field is ruined, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails. + Be ashamed, O farmers, Wail, O vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field is destroyed. + The vine dries up And the fig tree fails; The pomegranate, the palm also, and the apple tree, All the trees of the field dry up. Indeed, rejoicing dries up From the sons of men. + Gird yourselves [with sackcloth] And lament, O priests; Wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth O ministers of my God, For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God. + Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders [And] all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD. + Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty. + Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God? + The seeds shrivel under their clods; The storehouses are desolate, The barns are torn down, For the grain is dried up. + How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep suffer. + To You, O LORD, I cry; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field. + Even the beasts of the field pant for You; For the water brooks are dried up And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. + + + Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, + A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, [So] there is a great and mighty people; There has never been [anything] like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. + A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them. + Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run. + With a noise as of chariots They leap on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle. + Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale. + They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths. + They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks. + They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief. + Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. + The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it? + "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; + And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. + Who knows whether He will [not] turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, [Even] a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? + Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, + Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her [bridal] chamber. + Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'" + Then the LORD will be zealous for His land And will have pity on His people. + The LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied [in full] with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. + "But I will remove the northern [army] far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things." + Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the LORD has done great things. + Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. + So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the LORD your God; For He has given you the early rain for [your] vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before. + The threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. + "Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. + "You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame. + "Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the LORD your God, And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. + "It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. + "Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. + "I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. + "The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. + "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. + + + "For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, + I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land. + "They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot And sold a girl for wine that they may drink. + "Moreover, what are you to Me, O Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense on your head. + "Since you have taken My silver and My gold, brought My precious treasures to your temples, + and sold the sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their territory, + behold, I am going to arouse them from the place where you have sold them, and return your recompense on your head. + "Also I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a distant nation," for the LORD has spoken. + Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! + Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty man." + Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves there. Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones. + Let the nations be aroused And come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I will sit to judge All the surrounding nations. + Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. + Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. + The sun and moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. + The LORD roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel. + Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, And strangers will pass through it no more. + And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim. + Egypt will become a waste, And Edom will become a desolate wilderness, Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood. + But Judah will be inhabited forever And Jerusalem for all generations. + And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged, For the LORD dwells in Zion. + + + + + The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. + He said, "The LORD roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds' pasture grounds mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries up." + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because they threshed Gilead with [implements] of sharp iron. + "So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad. + "I will also break the [gate] bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden; So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir," Says the LORD. + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because they deported an entire population To deliver [it] up to Edom. + "So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. + "I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon; I will even unleash My power upon Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines will perish," Says the Lord GOD. + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom And did not remember [the] covenant of brotherhood. + "So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre And it will consume her citadels." + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he stifled his compassion; His anger also tore continually, And he maintained his fury forever. + "So I will send fire upon Teman And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah." + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead In order to enlarge their borders. + "So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah And it will consume her citadels Amid war cries on the day of battle, And a storm on the day of tempest. + "Their king will go into exile, He and his princes together," says the LORD. + + + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Moab and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. + "So I will send fire upon Moab And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth; And Moab will die amid tumult, With war cries and the sound of a trumpet. + "I will also cut off the judge from her midst And slay all her princes with him," says the LORD. + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because they rejected the law of the LORD And have not kept His statutes; Their lies also have led them astray, Those after which their fathers walked. + "So I will send fire upon Judah And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem." + Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke its [punishment], Because they sell the righteous for money And the needy for a pair of sandals. + "These who pant after the [very] dust of the earth on the head of the helpless Also turn aside the way of the humble; And a man and his father resort to the same girl In order to profane My holy name. + "On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar, And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined. + "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Though his height [was] like the height of cedars And he [was] strong as the oaks; I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below. + "It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, And I led you in the wilderness forty years That you might take possession of the land of the Amorite. + "Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. + "But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, 'You shall not prophesy!' + "Behold, I am weighted down beneath you As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves. + "Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life. + "He who grasps the bow will not stand [his ground], The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life. + "Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day," declares the LORD. + + + Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: + "You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." + Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? + Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured [something]? + Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all? + If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? + Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. + A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? + Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see [the] great tumults within her and [the] oppressions in her midst. + "But they do not know how to do what is right," declares the LORD, "these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels." + Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted." + Thus says the LORD, "Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion's mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-- With [the] corner of a bed and [the] cover of a couch! + "Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. + "For on the day that I punish Israel's transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the ground. + "I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end," Declares the LORD. + + + Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, "Bring now, that we may drink!" + The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness, "Behold, the days are coming upon you When they will take you away with meat hooks, And the last of you with fish hooks. + "You will go out [through] breaches [in the walls], Each one straight before her, And you will be cast to Harmon," declares the LORD. + "Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days. + "Offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened, And proclaim freewill offerings, make them known. For so you love [to do], you sons of Israel," Declares the Lord GOD. + "But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. + "Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you While [there were] still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city And on another city I would not send rain; One part would be rained on, While the part not rained on would dry up. + "So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water, But would not be satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. + "I smote you with scorching [wind] and mildew; And the caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. + "I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. + "I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. + "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel." + For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name. + + + Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: + She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She [lies] neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. + For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city which goes forth a thousand [strong] Will have a hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred [strong] Will have ten left to the house of Israel." + For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live. + "But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble. + "Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench [it] for Bethel, + [For] those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth." + He who made the Pleiades and Orion And changes deep darkness into morning, Who also darkens day [into] night, Who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the surface of the earth, The LORD is His name. + It is He who flashes forth [with] destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. + They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks [with] integrity. + Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, [Though] you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine. + For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, [You] who distress the righteous [and] accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate. + Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. + Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said! + Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. + Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, "There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the farmer to mourning And professional mourners to lamentation. + "And in all the vineyards [there is] wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD. + Alas, you who are longing for the day of the LORD, For what purpose [will] the day of the LORD [be] to you? It [will be] darkness and not light; + As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him. + [Will] not the day of the LORD [be] darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it? + "I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. + "Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept [them]; And I will not [even] look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. + "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. + "But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. + "Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? + "You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. + "Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. + + + Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who [feel] secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes. + Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours? + Do you put off the day of calamity, And would you bring near the seat of violence? + Those who recline on beds of ivory And sprawl on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall, + Who improvise to the sound of the harp, [And] like David have composed songs for themselves, + Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils, Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. + Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of the exiles, And the sprawlers' banqueting will pass away. + The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, the LORD God of hosts has declared: "I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, And detest his citadels; Therefore I will deliver up [the] city and all it contains." + And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. + Then one's uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up to carry out [his] bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, "Is anyone else with you?" And that one will say, "No one." Then he will answer, "Keep quiet. For the name of the LORD is not to be mentioned." + For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments. + Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood, + You who rejoice in Lodebar, And say, "Have we not by our [own] strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?" + "For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel," declares the LORD God of hosts, "And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the brook of the Arabah." + + + Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop [was] after the king's mowing. + And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, "Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small?" + The LORD changed His mind about this. "It shall not be," said the LORD. + Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend [with them] by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land. + Then I said, "Lord GOD, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?" + The LORD changed His mind about this. "This too shall not be," said the Lord GOD. + Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. + The LORD said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer. + "The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." + Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent [word] to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. + "For thus Amos says, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'" + Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! + "But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence." + Then Amos replied to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. + "But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel.' + "Now hear the word of the LORD: you are saying, 'You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.' + "Therefore, thus says the LORD, 'Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a [measuring] line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'" + + + Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, [there was] a basket of summer fruit. + He said, "What do you see, Amos?" And I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me, "The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them no longer. + "The songs of the palace will turn to wailing in that day," declares the Lord GOD. "Many [will be] the corpses; in every place they will cast them forth in silence." + Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, + saying, "When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat [market], To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales, + So as to buy the helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And [that] we may sell the refuse of the wheat?" + The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob, "Indeed, I will never forget any of their deeds. + "Because of this will not the land quake And everyone who dwells in it mourn? Indeed, all of it will rise up like the Nile, And it will be tossed about And subside like the Nile of Egypt. + "It will come about in that day," declares the Lord GOD, "That I will make the sun go down at noon And make the earth dark in broad daylight. + "Then I will turn your festivals into mourning And all your songs into lamentation; And I will bring sackcloth on everyone's loins And baldness on every head. And I will make it like [a time of] mourning for an only son, And the end of it will be like a bitter day. + "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. + "People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find [it]. + "In that day the beautiful virgins And the young men will faint from thirst. + "[As for] those who swear by the guilt of Samaria, Who say, 'As your god lives, O Dan,' And, 'As the way of Beersheba lives,' They will fall and not rise again." + + + I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape. + "Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down. + "Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them. + "And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it slay them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good." + The Lord GOD of hosts, The One who touches the land so that it melts, And all those who dwell in it mourn, And all of it rises up like the Nile And subsides like the Nile of Egypt; + The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The LORD is His name. + "Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir? + "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," Declares the LORD. + "For behold, I am commanding, And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations As [grain] is shaken in a sieve, But not a kernel will fall to the ground. + "All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say, 'The calamity will not overtake or confront us.' + "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; + That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name," Declares the LORD who does this. + "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. + "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live [in them]; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. + "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God. + + + + + The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom-- We have heard a report from the LORD, And an envoy has been sent among the nations [saying], "Arise and let us go against her for battle "-- + "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised. + "The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to earth?' + "Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down," declares the LORD. + "If thieves came to you, If robbers by night-- O how you will be ruined!-- Would they not steal [only] until they had enough? If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave [some] gleanings? + "O how Esau will be ransacked, [And] his hidden treasures searched out! + "All the men allied with you Will send you forth to the border, And the men at peace with you Will deceive you and overpower you. [They who eat] your bread Will set an ambush for you. (There is no understanding in him.) + "Will I not on that day," declares the LORD, "Destroy wise men from Edom And understanding from the mountain of Esau? + "Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman, So that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter. + "Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered [with] shame, And you will be cut off forever. + "On the day that you stood aloof, On the day that strangers carried off his wealth, And foreigners entered his gate And cast lots for Jerusalem-- You too were as one of them. + "Do not gloat over your brother's day, The day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah In the day of their destruction; Yes, do not boast In the day of [their] distress. + "Do not enter the gate of My people In the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity In the day of their disaster. And do not loot their wealth In the day of their disaster. + "Do not stand at the fork of the road To cut down their fugitives; And do not imprison their survivors In the day of their distress. + "For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head. + "Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, All the nations will drink continually. They will drink and swallow And become as if they had never existed. + "But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, And it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions. + "Then the house of Jacob will be a fire And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau [will be] as stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau," For the LORD has spoken. + Then [those of] the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, And [those of] the Shephelah the Philistine [plain]; Also, possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, And Benjamin [will possess] Gilead. + And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel, Who are [among] the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Will possess the cities of the Negev. + The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion To judge the mountain of Esau, And the kingdom will be the LORD'S. + + + + + The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, + "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." + But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. + The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. + Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten [it] for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. + So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps [your] god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish." + Each man said to his mate, "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity [has struck] us." So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. + Then they said to him, "Tell us, now! On whose account [has] this calamity [struck] us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" + He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land." + Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. + So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"-- for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. + He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm [has come] upon you." + However, the men rowed [desperately] to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming [even] stormier against them. + Then they called on the LORD and said, "We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased." + So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. + Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. + And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. + + + Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, + and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. + "For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. + "So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.' + "Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. + "I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars [was] around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. + "While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. + "Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, + But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD." + Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. + + + Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, + "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." + So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk. + Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." + Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. + When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered [himself] with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. + He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. + "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. + "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish." + When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do [it]. + + + But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. + He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my [own] country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. + "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." + The LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?" + Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. + So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. + But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. + When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with [all] his soul to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life." + Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death." + Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and [which] you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. + "Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know [the difference] between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" + + + + + The word of the LORD which came [to] Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. + Hear, O peoples, all of you; Listen, O earth and all it contains, And let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple. + For behold, the LORD is coming forth from His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. + The mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water poured down a steep place. + All this is for the rebellion of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? + For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, Planting places for a vineyard. I will pour her stones down into the valley And will lay bare her foundations. + All of her idols will be smashed, All of her earnings will be burned with fire And all of her images I will make desolate, For she collected [them] from a harlot's earnings, And to the earnings of a harlot they will return. + Because of this I must lament and wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals And a mourning like the ostriches. + For her wound is incurable, For it has come to Judah; It has reached the gate of my people, [Even] to Jerusalem. + Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all. At Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust. + Go on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir, in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan does not escape. The lamentation of Beth-ezel: "He will take from you its support." + For the inhabitant of Maroth Becomes weak waiting for good, Because a calamity has come down from the LORD To the gate of Jerusalem. + Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitant of Lachish-- She was the beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion-- Because in you were found The rebellious acts of Israel. + Therefore you will give parting gifts On behalf of Moresheth-gath; The houses of Achzib [will] become a deception To the kings of Israel. + Moreover, I will bring on you The one who takes possession, O inhabitant of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will enter Adullam. + Make yourself bald and cut off your hair, Because of the children of your delight; Extend your baldness like the eagle, For they will go from you into exile. + + + Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands. + They covet fields and then seize [them], And houses, and take [them] away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. + Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time. + "On that day they will take up against you a taunt And utter a bitter lamentation [and] say, 'We are completely destroyed! He exchanges the portion of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He apportions our fields.' + "Therefore you will have no one stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the LORD. + 'Do not speak out,' [so] they speak out. [But if] they do not speak out concerning these things, Reproaches will not be turned back. + "Is it being said, O house of Jacob: 'Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are these His doings?' Do not My words do good To the one walking uprightly? + "Recently My people have arisen as an enemy-- You strip the robe off the garment From unsuspecting passers-by, [From] those returned from war. + "The women of My people you evict, Each [one] from her pleasant house. From her children you take My splendor forever. + "Arise and go, For this is no place of rest Because of the uncleanness that brings on destruction, A painful destruction. + "If a man walking after wind and falsehood Had told lies [and said], 'I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,' He would be spokesman to this people. + "I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its pasture They will be noisy with men. + "The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, And the LORD at their head." + + + And I said, "Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice? + "You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones, + Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop [them] up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle." + Then they will cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds. + Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have [something] to bite with their teeth, They cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war. + Therefore [it will be] night for you-- without vision, And darkness for you-- without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them. + The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all cover [their] mouths Because there is no answer from God. + On the other hand I am filled with power-- With the Spirit of the LORD-- And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin. + Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight, + Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice. + Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us." + Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple [will become] high places of a forest. + + + And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. + Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. + And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war. + Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make [them] afraid, For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. + Though all the peoples walk Each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. + "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will assemble the lame And gather the outcasts, Even those whom I have afflicted. + "I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever. + "As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come-- Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. + "Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, Or has your counselor perished, That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth? + "Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies. + "And now many nations have been assembled against you Who say, 'Let her be polluted, And let our eyes gloat over Zion.' + "But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His purpose; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. + "Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, For your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples, That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. + + + "Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek. + "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, [Too] little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." + Therefore He will give them [up] until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. + And He will arise and shepherd [His flock] In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. + This One will be [our] peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. + They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver [us] from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory. + Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. + The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue. + Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off. + "It will be in that day," declares the LORD, "That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. + "I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. + "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. + "I will cut off your carved images And your [sacred] pillars from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands. + "I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities. + "And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations which have not obeyed." + + + Hear now what the LORD is saying, "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice. + "Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the LORD, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the LORD has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute. + "My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer Me. + "Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam. + "My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, [And] from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD." + With what shall I come to the LORD [And] bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? + Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn [for] my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? + He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? + The voice of the LORD will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? + "Is there yet a man in the wicked house, [Along with] treasures of wickedness And a short measure [that is] cursed? + "Can I justify wicked scales And a bag of deceptive weights? + "For the rich men of [the] city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. + "So also I will make [you] sick, striking you down, Desolating [you] because of your sins. + "You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will [try to] remove [for safekeeping], But you will not preserve [anything], And what you do preserve I will give to the sword. + "You will sow but you will not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not drink wine. + "The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk. Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people." + + + Woe is me! For I am Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, [Or] a first-ripe fig [which] I crave. + The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright [person] among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net. + Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together. + The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur. + Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips. + For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household. + But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. + Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. + I will bear the indignation of the LORD Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, [And] I will see His righteousness. + Then my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will look on her; At that time she will be trampled down Like mire of the streets. + [It will be] a day for building your walls. On that day will your boundary be extended. + It [will be] a day when they will come to you From Assyria and the cities of Egypt, From Egypt even to the Euphrates, Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain. + And the earth will become desolate because of her inhabitants, On account of the fruit of their deeds. + Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, The flock of Your possession Which dwells by itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the days of old. + "As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles." + Nations will see and be ashamed Of all their might. They will put [their] hand on [their] mouth, Their ears will be deaf. + They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread And they will be afraid before You. + Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. + He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. + You will give truth to Jacob [And] unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old. + + + + + The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. + A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. + The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. + He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither. + Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it. + Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him. + The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. + But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness. + Whatever you devise against the LORD, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. + Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed As stubble completely withered. + From you has gone forth One who plotted evil against the LORD, A wicked counselor. + Thus says the LORD, "Though they are at full [strength] and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. + "So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you, And I will tear off your shackles." + The LORD has issued a command concerning you: "Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible." + Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is cut off completely. + + + The one who scatters has come up against you. Man the fortress, watch the road; Strengthen your back, summon all [your] strength. + For the LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel, Even though devastators have devastated them And destroyed their vine branches. + The shields of his mighty men are [colored] red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are [enveloped] in flashing steel When he is prepared [to march], And the cypress [spears] are brandished. + The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes. + He remembers his nobles; They stumble in their march, They hurry to her wall, And the mantelet is set up. + The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace is dissolved. + It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts. + Though Nineveh [was] like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; "Stop, stop," But no one turns back. + Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no limit to the treasure-- Wealth from every kind of desirable object. + She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in the whole body And all their faces are grown pale! + Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness and lion's cub prowled, With nothing to disturb [them]? + The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed [enough] for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh. + "Behold, I am against you," declares the LORD of hosts. "I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard." + + + Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies [and] pillage; [Her] prey never departs. + The noise of the whip, The noise of the rattling of the wheel, Galloping horses And bounding chariots! + Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, Many slain, a mass of corpses, And countless dead bodies-- They stumble over the dead bodies! + [All] because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries. + "Behold, I am against you," declares the LORD of hosts; "And I will lift up your skirts over your face, And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace. + "I will throw filth on you And make you vile, And set you up as a spectacle. + "And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say, 'Nineveh is devastated! Who will grieve for her?' Where will I seek comforters for you?" + Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart [was] the sea, Whose wall [consisted] of the sea? + Ethiopia was [her] might, And Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers. + Yet she became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her small children were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with fetters. + You too will become drunk, You will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy. + All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit-- When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth. + Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars. + Draw for yourself water for the siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold! + There fire will consume you, The sword will cut you down; It will consume you as the locust [does]. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the swarming locust. + You have increased your traders more than the stars of heaven-- The creeping locust strips and flies away. + Your guardsmen are like the swarming locust. Your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. + Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your nobles are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to regather [them]. + There is no relief for your breakdown, Your wound is incurable. All who hear about you Will clap [their] hands over you, For on whom has not your evil passed continually? + + + + + The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. + How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save. + Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause [me] to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. + Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted. + "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because [I am] doing something in your days-- You would not believe if you were told. + "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs. + "They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves. + "Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping [down] to devour. + "All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces [moves] forward. They collect captives like sand. + "They mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it. + "Then they will sweep through [like] the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god." + Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. + [Your] eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness [with favor]. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? + [Why] have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? + [The Chaldeans] bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. + Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful. + Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing? + + + I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved. + Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe [it] on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. + "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. + "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. + "Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples. + "Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery [and] insinuations against him And say, 'Woe to him who increases what is not his-- For how long-- And makes himself rich with loans?' + "Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. + "Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you-- Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants. + "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high, To be delivered from the hand of calamity! + "You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself. + "Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, And the rafter will answer it from the framework. + "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence! + "Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing? + "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. + "Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make [them] drunk So as to look on their nakedness! + "You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your [own] nakedness. The cup in the LORD'S right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace [will come] upon your glory. + "For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of [its] beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants. + "What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, [Or] an image, a teacher of falsehood? For [its] maker trusts in his [own] handiwork When he fashions speechless idols. + "Woe to him who says to a [piece of] wood, 'Awake!' To a mute stone, 'Arise!' [And] that is [your] teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it. + "But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him." + + + A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. + LORD, I have heard the report about You [and] I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. + God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. + [His] radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays [flashing] from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power. + Before Him goes pestilence, And plague comes after Him. + He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, The ancient hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. + I saw the tents of Cushan under distress, The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling. + Did the LORD rage against the rivers, Or [was] Your anger against the rivers, Or [was] Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, On Your chariots of salvation? + Your bow was made bare, The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah. You cleaved the earth with rivers. + The mountains saw You [and] quaked; The downpour of waters swept by. The deep uttered forth its voice, It lifted high its hands. + Sun [and] moon stood in their places; They went away at the light of Your arrows, At the radiance of Your gleaming spear. + In indignation You marched through the earth; In anger You trampled the nations. + You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation of Your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the evil To lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah. + You pierced with his own spears The head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; Their exultation [was] like those Who devour the oppressed in secret. + You trampled on the sea with Your horses, On the surge of many waters. + I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise [who] will invade us. + Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, [Though] the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, + Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. + The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' [feet], And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments. + + + + + The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah: + "I will completely remove all [things] From the face of the earth," declares the LORD. + "I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. + "So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, [And] the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. + "And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down [and] swear to the LORD and [yet] swear by Milcom, + And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him." + Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests. + "Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice That I will punish the princes, the king's sons And all who clothe themselves with foreign garments. + "And I will punish on that day all who leap on the [temple] threshold, Who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit. + "On that day," declares the LORD, "There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills. + "Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off. + "It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!' + "Moreover, their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit [them], And plant vineyards but not drink their wine." + Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. + A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, + A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers. + I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung. + Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD'S wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth. + + + Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, + Before the decree takes effect-- The day passes like the chaff-- Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you. + Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD'S anger. + For Gaza will be abandoned And Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod will be driven out at noon And Ekron will be uprooted. + Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; And I will destroy you So that there will be no inhabitant. + So the seacoast will be pastures, [With] caves for shepherds and folds for flocks. + And the coast will be For the remnant of the house of Judah, They will pasture on it. In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening; For the LORD their God will care for them And restore their fortune. + "I have heard the taunting of Moab And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, With which they have taunted My people And become arrogant against their territory. + "Therefore, as I live," declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, "Surely Moab will be like Sodom And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah-- A place possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them And the remainder of My nation will inherit them." + This they will have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the LORD of hosts. + The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his [own] place. + "You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword." + And He will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness. + Flocks will lie down in her midst, All beasts which range in herds; Both the pelican and the hedgehog Will lodge in the tops of her pillars; Birds will sing in the window, Desolation [will be] on the threshold; For He has laid bare the cedar work. + This is the exultant city Which dwells securely, Who says in her heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." How she has become a desolation, A resting place for beasts! Everyone who passes by her will hiss [And] wave his hand [in contempt]. + + + Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, The tyrannical city! + She heeded no voice, She accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the LORD, She did not draw near to her God. + Her princes within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing for the morning. + Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. + The LORD is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the unjust knows no shame. + "I have cut off nations; Their corner towers are in ruins. I have made their streets desolate, With no one passing by; Their cities are laid waste, Without a man, without an inhabitant. + "I said, 'Surely you will revere Me, Accept instruction.' So her dwelling will not be cut off [According to] all that I have appointed concerning her. But they were eager to corrupt all their deeds. + "Therefore wait for Me," declares the LORD, "For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All My burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal. + "For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder. + "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings. + "In that day you will feel no shame Because of all your deeds By which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst Your proud, exulting ones, And you will never again be haughty On My holy mountain. + "But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the LORD. + "The remnant of Israel will do no wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to make them tremble." + Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph], O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all [your] heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! + The LORD has taken away [His] judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more. + In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. + "The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. + "I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts-- They came from you, [O Zion]; [The] reproach [of exile] is a burden on them. + "Behold, I am going to deal at that time With all your oppressors, I will save the lame And gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown In all the earth. + "At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes," Says the LORD. + + + + + In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, [even] the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'" + Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, + "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [lies] desolate?" + Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! + "You have sown much, but harvest little; [you] eat, but [there is] not [enough] to be satisfied; [you] drink, but [there is] not [enough] to become drunk; [you] put on clothing, but no one is warm [enough]; and he who earns, earns wages [to put] into a purse with holes." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! + "Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD. + "[You] look for much, but behold, [it comes] to little; when you bring [it] home, I blow it [away]. Why?" declares the LORD of hosts, "Because of My house which [lies] desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. + "Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. + "I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands." + Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD. + Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, "'I am with you,' declares the LORD." + So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, + on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king. + + + On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying, + "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying, + 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? + 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts. + 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!' + "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. + 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. + 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts. + 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts." + On the twenty-fourth of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Ask now the priests [for] a ruling: + 'If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any [other] food, will it become holy?'" And the priests answered, "No." + Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will [the latter] become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean." + Then Haggai said, "'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. + 'But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD, + from that time [when] one came to a [grain] heap of twenty [measures], there would be only ten; and [when] one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be [only] twenty. + 'I smote you [and] every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you [did] not [come] [back] to Me,' declares the LORD. + 'Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month]; from the day when the temple of the LORD was founded, consider: + 'Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne [fruit]. Yet from this day on I will bless [you].'" + Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth [day] of the month, saying, + "Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. + 'I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.' + 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet [ring], for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts. + + + + + In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, + "The LORD was very angry with your fathers. + "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts. + "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds."' But they did not listen or give heed to Me," declares the LORD. + "Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? + "But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'As the LORD of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.'"'" + On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows: + I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. + Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are." + And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth." + So they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, "We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet." + Then the angel of the LORD said, "O LORD of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant these seventy years?" + The LORD answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words. + So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. + "But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster." + 'Therefore thus says the LORD, "I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem."' + "Again, proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem."'" + Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, [there were] four horns. + So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?" And he answered me, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." + Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. + I said, "What are these coming to do?" And he said, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these [craftsmen] have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up [their] horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it." + + + Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, [there was] a man with a measuring line in his hand. + So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is." + And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, + and said to him, "Run, speak to that young man, saying, 'Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. + 'For I,' declares the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" + "Ho there! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens," declares the LORD. + "Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon." + For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. + "For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. + "Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD. + "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. + "The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. + "Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused from His holy habitation." + + + Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. + The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" + Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. + He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes." + Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by. + And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing [here]. + 'Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you-- indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. + 'For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. + 'In that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'every one of you will invite his neighbor to [sit] under [his] vine and under [his] fig tree.'" + + + Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. + He said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; + also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side." + Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, my lord?" + So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." + Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. + 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel [you will become] a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'" + Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish [it]. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. + "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel-- [these are] the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth." + Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?" + And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden [oil] from themselves?" + So he answered me, saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." + Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth." + + + Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, [there was] a flying scroll. + And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits." + Then he said to me, "This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. + "I will make it go forth," declares the LORD of hosts, "and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones." + Then the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth." + I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This is the ephah going forth." Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the land + (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah." + Then he said, "This is Wickedness!" And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening. + Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. + I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "Where are they taking the ephah?" + Then he said to me, "To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal." + + + Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains [were] bronze mountains. + With the first chariot [were] red horses, with the second chariot black horses, + with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses. + Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?" + The angel replied to me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, + with one of which the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country. + "When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth." And He said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth. + Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, "See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north." + The word of the LORD also came to me, saying, + "Take [an offering] from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. + "Take silver and gold, make an [ornate] crown and set [it] on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. + "Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. + "Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices."' + "Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah. + "Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD." Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God. + + + In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth [day] of the ninth month, [which is] Chislev. + Now [the town of] Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD, + speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, "Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?" + Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, + "Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? + 'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? + 'Are not [these] the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?'" + Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, + "Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; + and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.' + "But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. + "They made their hearts [like] flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. + "And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts; + "but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate." + + + Then the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.' + "Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts [will be called] the Holy Mountain.' + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. + 'And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.' + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of hosts. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; + and I will bring them [back] and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.' + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, [those] who [spoke] in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. + 'For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I set all men one against another. + 'But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' declares the LORD of hosts. + 'For [there will be] peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these [things]. + 'It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.' + "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Just as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and I have not relented, + so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! + 'These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. + 'Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,' declares the LORD." + Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth [months] will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.' + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, '[It will] yet [be] that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. + 'The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, "Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go." + 'So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.' + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'" + + + The burden of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the LORD), + And Hamath also, which borders on it; Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. + For Tyre built herself a fortress And piled up silver like dust, And gold like the mire of the streets. + Behold, the Lord will dispossess her And cast her wealth into the sea; And she will be consumed with fire. + Ashkelon will see [it] and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron, for her expectation has been confounded. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited. + And a mongrel race will dwell in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. + And I will remove their blood from their mouth And their detestable things from between their teeth. Then they also will be a remnant for our God, And be like a clan in Judah, And Ekron like a Jebusite. + But I will camp around My house because of an army, Because of him who passes by and returns; And no oppressor will pass over them anymore, For now I have seen with My eyes. + Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph], O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. + I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. + As for you also, because of the blood of [My] covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. + Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you. + For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior's sword. + Then the LORD will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And will march in the storm winds of the south. + The LORD of hosts will defend them. And they will devour and trample on the sling stones; And they will drink [and] be boisterous as with wine; And they will be filled like a [sacrificial] basin, [Drenched] like the corners of the altar. + And the LORD their God will save them in that day As the flock of His people; For [they are as] the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land. + For what comeliness and beauty [will be] theirs! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. + + + Ask rain from the LORD at the time of the spring rain-- The LORD who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to [each] man. + For the teraphim speak iniquity, And the diviners see lying visions And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore [the people] wander like sheep, They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. + "My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the male goats; For the LORD of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, And will make them like His majestic horse in battle. + "From them will come the cornerstone, From them the tent peg, From them the bow of battle, From them every ruler, [all] of them together. + "They will be as mighty men, Treading down [the enemy] in the mire of the streets in battle; And they will fight, for the LORD [will be] with them; And the riders on horses will be put to shame. + "I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph, And I will bring them back, Because I have had compassion on them; And they will be as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. + "Ephraim will be like a mighty man, And their heart will be glad as if [from] wine; Indeed, their children will see [it] and be glad, Their heart will rejoice in the LORD. + "I will whistle for them to gather them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will be as numerous as they were before. + "When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back. + "I will bring them back from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria; And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon Until no [room] can be found for them. + "And they will pass through the sea [of] distress And He will strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the scepter of Egypt will depart. + "And I will strengthen them in the LORD, And in His name they will walk," declares the LORD. + + + Open your doors, O Lebanon, That a fire may feed on your cedars. + Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the glorious [trees] have been destroyed; Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the impenetrable forest has come down. + There is a sound of the shepherds' wail, For their glory is ruined; There is a sound of the young lions' roar, For the pride of the Jordan is ruined. + Thus says the LORD my God, "Pasture the flock [doomed] to slaughter. + "Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and [each of] those who sell them says, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I have become rich!' And their own shepherds have no pity on them. + "For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD; "but behold, I will cause the men to fall, each into another's power and into the power of his king; and they will strike the land, and I will not deliver [them] from their power." + So I pastured the flock [doomed] to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. + Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me. + Then I said, "I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh." + I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. + So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD. + I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give [me] my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty [shekels] of silver as my wages. + Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter, [that] magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty [shekels] of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. + Then I cut in pieces my second staff Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. + The LORD said to me, "Take again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd. + "For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat [sheep] and tear off their hoofs. + "Woe to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered And his right eye will be blind." + + + The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. [Thus] declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, + "Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. + "It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. + "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. + "Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.' + "In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem. + "The LORD also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. + "In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David [will be] like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. + "And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. + "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. + "In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. + "The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; + the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; + all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves. + + + "In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity. + "It will come about in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. + "And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD'; and his father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies. + "Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive; + but he will say, 'I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth.' + "And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will say, '[Those] with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.' + "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate," Declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones. + "It will come about in all the land," Declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off [and] perish; But the third will be left in it. + "And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" + + + Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. + For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. + Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. + In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. + You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, [and] all the holy ones with Him! + In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. + For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. + And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. + And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be [the only] one, and His name [the only] one. + All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's wine presses. + People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security. + Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. + It will come about in that day that a great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another's hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. + Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. + So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps. + Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. + And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. + If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no [rain will fall] on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. + This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. + In that day there will [be inscribed] on the bells of the horses, "HOLY TO THE LORD." And the cooking pots in the LORD'S house will be like the bowls before the altar. + Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day. + + + + + The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. + "I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "[Was] not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved Jacob; + but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and [appointed] his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness." + Though Edom says, "We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins"; thus says the LORD of hosts, "They may build, but I will tear down; and [men] will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the LORD is indignant forever." + Your eyes will see this and you will say, "The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel!" + "'A son honors [his] father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?' + "[You] are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be despised.' + "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. + "But now will you not entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. + "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle [fire on] My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "nor will I accept an offering from you. + "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name [will be] great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering [that is] pure; for My name [will be] great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts. + "But you are profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.' + "You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and [what is] lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the LORD. + "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations." + + + "And now this commandment is for you, O priests. + "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them [already], because you are not taking [it] to heart. + "Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. + "Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of hosts. + "My covenant with him was [one of] life and peace, and I gave them to him [as an object of] reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. + "True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. + "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. + "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts. + "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction. + "Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? + "Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. + "[As] for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob [everyone] who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of hosts. + "This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts [it with] favor from your hand. + "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. + "But not one has done [so] who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did [that] one [do] while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. + "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." + You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, "How have we wearied [Him]?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them," or, "Where is the God of justice?" + + + "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts. + "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. + "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness. + "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. + "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts. + "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. + "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept [them]. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' + "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. + "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation [of you]! + "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. + "Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast [its grapes]," says the LORD of hosts. + "All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts. + "Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?' + "You have said, 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts? + 'So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.'" + Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. + "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare [My] own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." + So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. + + + "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." + "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. + "You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the LORD of hosts. + "Remember the law of Moses My servant, [even the] statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. + "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. + "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to [their] children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." + + + + + The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: + Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. + Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. + Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. + Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. + Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. + Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. + Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. + Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. + Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. + Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. + After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. + Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. + Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. + Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. + Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. + So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. + Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. + And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. + But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. + "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." + Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: + "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." + And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took [Mary] as his wife, + but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. + + + Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, + "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." + When Herod the king heard [this], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. + Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. + They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: + 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'" + Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. + And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found [Him], report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." + After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over [the place] where the Child was. + When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. + After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. + And having been warned [by God] in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. + Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." + So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. + He remained there until the death of Herod. [This was] to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." + Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. + Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: + "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE." + But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, + "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." + So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. + But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned [by God] in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, + and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. [This was] to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." + + + Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, + "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." + For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'" + Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. + Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; + and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. + But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? + "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; + and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. + "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. + "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. + "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." + Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan [coming] to John, to be baptized by him. + But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" + But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit [it] at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. + After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove [and] lighting on Him, + and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." + + + Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. + And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. + And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." + But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" + Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, + and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON [their] HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" + Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" + Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; + and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." + Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" + Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and [began] to minister to Him. + Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; + and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. + [This was] to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: + "THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES-- + "THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED." + From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." + Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. + And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." + Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. + Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. + Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. + Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. + The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. + Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and [the] Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and [from] beyond the Jordan. + + + When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. + He opened His mouth and [began] to teach them, saying, + "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. + "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. + "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. + "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. + "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. + "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. + "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. + "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. + "Blessed are you when [people] insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. + "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. + "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty [again]? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. + "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; + nor does [anyone] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. + "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. + "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. + "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. + "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others [to do] the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches [them], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. + "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. + "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' + "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty [enough to go] into the fiery hell. + "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, + leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. + "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. + "Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. + "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; + but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. + "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. + "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. + "It was said, 'WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE'; + but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for [the] reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. + "Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.' + "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, + or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. + "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. + "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes ' [or] 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil. + "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' + "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. + "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. + "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. + "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. + "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' + "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, + so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on [the] evil and [the] good, and sends rain on [the] righteous and [the] unrighteous. + "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? + "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing [than others]? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? + "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. + + + "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. + "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. + "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, + so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you. + "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. + "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you. + "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. + "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. + "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. + 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. + 'Give us this day our daily bread. + 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. + 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen].' + "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. + "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. + "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites [do], for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. + "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face + so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you. + "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. + "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; + for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. + "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. + "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! + "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. + "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, [as to] what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, [as to] what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? + "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and [yet] your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? + "And who of you by being worried can add a [single] hour to his life? + "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, + yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. + "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is [alive] today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, [will He] not much more [clothe] you? You of little faith! + "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' + "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. + "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. + "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. + + + "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. + "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. + "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? + "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? + "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. + "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. + "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. + "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. + "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? + "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? + "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! + "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. + "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. + "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. + "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. + "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn [bushes] nor figs from thistles, are they? + "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. + "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. + "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. + "So then, you will know them by their fruits. + "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter]. + "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' + "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' + "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. + "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. + "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. + "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall." + When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; + for He was teaching them as [one] having authority, and not as their scribes. + + + When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. + And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." + Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. + And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." + And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, + and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." + Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." + But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. + "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does [it]." + Now when Jesus heard [this], He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. + "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline [at the table] with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; + but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." + And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that [very] moment. + When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. + He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. + When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. + [This was] to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES." + Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side [of the sea]. + Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." + Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air [have] nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." + Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." + But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." + When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. + And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. + And they came to [Him] and woke Him, saying, "Save [us], Lord; we are perishing!" + He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. + The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" + When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. [They were] so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. + And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" + Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. + The demons [began] to entreat Him, saying, "If You [are] [going to] cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." + And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. + The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. + And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region. + + + Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over [the sea] and came to His own city. + And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven." + And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This [fellow] blasphemes." + And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? + "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk '? + "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "-- then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." + And he got up and went home. + But when the crowds saw [this], they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. + As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. + Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining [at the table] in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. + When the Pharisees saw [this], they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" + But when Jesus heard [this], He said, "[It is] not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. + "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." + Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" + And Jesus said to them, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. + "But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. + "Nor do [people] put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved." + While He was saying these things to them, a [synagogue] official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live." + Jesus got up and [began] to follow him, and [so did] His disciples. + And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; + for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." + But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." + When Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, + He said, "Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep." And they [began] laughing at Him. + But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. + This news spread throughout all that land. + As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" + When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." + Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." + And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows [about this]!" + But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land. + As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. + After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, [and were] saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." + But the Pharisees were saying, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." + Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. + Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. + Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. + "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." + + + Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. + Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; + Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; + Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. + These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in [the] way of [the] Gentiles, and do not enter [any] city of the Samaritans; + but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. + "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' + "Heal [the] sick, raise [the] dead, cleanse [the] lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. + "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, + or a bag for [your] journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. + "And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave [that city]. + "As you enter the house, give it your greeting. + "If the house is worthy, give it your [blessing of] peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your [blessing of] peace. + "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. + "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the] land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. + "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. + "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to [the] courts and scourge you in their synagogues; + and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. + "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. + "For it is not you who speak, but [it is] the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. + "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father [his] child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. + "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. + "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish [going through] the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. + "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. + "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more [will they malign] the members of his household! + "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. + "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear [whispered] in [your] ear, proclaim upon the housetops. + "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. + "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And [yet] not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. + "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. + "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. + "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. + "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. + "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. + "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; + and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. + "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. + "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. + "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. + "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. + "He who receives a prophet in [the] name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. + "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." + + + When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. + Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent [word] by his disciples + and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" + Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: + [the] BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and [the] lame walk, [the] lepers are cleansed and [the] deaf hear, [the] dead are raised up, and [the] POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. + "And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me." + As these men were going [away], Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? + "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft [clothing]? Those who wear soft [clothing] are in kings' palaces! + "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. + "This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' + "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen [anyone] greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. + "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. + "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. + "And if you are willing to accept [it], John himself is Elijah who was to come. + "He who has ears to hear, let him hear. + "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other [children], + and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' + "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' + "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." + Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. + "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. + "Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in [the] day of judgment than for you. + "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. + "Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in [the] day of judgment, than for you." + At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from [the] wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. + "Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. + "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal [Him]. + "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. + "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. + "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." + + + At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads [of grain] and eat. + But when the Pharisees saw [this], they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." + But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, + how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? + "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? + "But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. + "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent. + "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." + Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. + And a man [was there] whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"-- so that they might accuse Him. + And He said to them, "What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? + "How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." + Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. + But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, [as to] how they might destroy Him. + But Jesus, aware of [this], withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, + and warned them not to tell who He was. + [This was] to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: + "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. + "HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. + "A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. + "AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE." + Then a demon-possessed man [who was] blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. + All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?" + But when the Pharisees heard [this], they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons." + And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. + "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? + "If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast [them] out? For this reason they will be your judges. + "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. + "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong [man]? And then he will plunder his house. + "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. + "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. + "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the [age] to come. + "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. + "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. + "The good man brings out of [his] good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of [his] evil treasure what is evil. + "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. + "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." + Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." + But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and [yet] no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; + for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. + "The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. + "[The] Queen of [the] South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. + "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find [it]. + "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds [it] unoccupied, swept, and put in order. + "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." + While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. + Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You." + But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" + And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! + "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." + + + That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. + And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. + And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; + and as he sowed, some [seeds] fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. + "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. + "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. + "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. + "And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. + "He who has ears, let him hear." + And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" + Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. + "For whoever has, to him [more] shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. + "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. + "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; + FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' + "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. + "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and did not hear [it]. + "Hear then the parable of the sower. + "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil [one] comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. + "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; + yet he has no [firm] root in himself, but is [only] temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. + "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. + "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." + Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. + "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. + "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. + "The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' + "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' + "But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. + 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" + He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; + and this is smaller than all [other] seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES." + He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened." + All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. + [This was] to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD." + Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." + And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, + and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil [one]; + and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. + "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. + "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, + and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. + "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid [again]; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. + "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, + and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. + "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering [fish] of every kind; + and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good [fish] into containers, but the bad they threw away. + "So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, + and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes." + And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old." + When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. + He came to His hometown and [began] teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where [did] this man [get] this wisdom and [these] miraculous powers? + "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? + "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then [did] this man [get] all these things?" + And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his [own] household." + And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. + + + At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, + and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." + For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. + For John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." + Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet. + But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before [them] and pleased Herod, + so [much] that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. + Having been prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." + Although he was grieved, the king commanded [it] to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. + He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. + And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. + His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus. + Now when Jesus heard [about John], He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard [of this], they followed Him on foot from the cities. + When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. + When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." + But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them [something] to eat!" + They said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." + And He said, "Bring them here to Me." + Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed [the food], and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the crowds, + and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. + There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. + Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. + After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. + But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. + And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. + When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. + But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." + Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." + And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. + But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" + Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" + When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. + And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!" + When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. + And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent [word] into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; + and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched [it] were cured. + + + Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, + "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." + And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? + "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' + "But you say, 'Whoever says to [his] father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given [to God]," + he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And [by this] you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. + "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: + 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. + 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" + After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand. + "[It is] not what enters into the mouth [that] defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." + Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?" + But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. + "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." + Peter said to Him, "Explain the parable to us." + Jesus said, "Are you still lacking in understanding also? + "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? + "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. + "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. + "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." + Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. + And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and [began] to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." + But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." + But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." + But she came and [began] to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" + And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." + But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." + Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. + Departing from there, Jesus went along by the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there. + And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them [those who were] lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. + So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. + And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." + The disciples said to Him, "Where would we get so many loaves in [this] desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?" + And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish." + And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; + and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people. + And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. + And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. + And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into the boat and came to the region of Magadan. + + + The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. + But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you say, '[It will be] fair weather, for the sky is red.' + "And in the morning, '[There will be] a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot [discern] the signs of the times? + "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them and went away. + And the disciples came to the other side [of the sea], but they had forgotten to bring [any] bread. + And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + They began to discuss [this] among themselves, saying, "[He said that] because we did not bring [any] bread." + But Jesus, aware of this, said, "You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? + "Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets [full] you picked up? + "Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets [full] you picked up? + "How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. + Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" + And they said, "Some [say] John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." + He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" + Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." + And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven. + "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. + "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." + Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. + From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. + Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid [it], Lord! This shall never happen to You." + But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." + Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. + "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. + "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? + "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. + "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." + + + Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. + And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. + And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. + Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" + When the disciples heard [this], they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. + And Jesus came to [them] and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid." + And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. + As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead." + And His disciples asked Him, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" + And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; + but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." + Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. + When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, + "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. + "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." + And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." + And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. + Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" + And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. + ["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]" + And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; + and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved. + When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma [tax] came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma [tax]?" + He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?" + When Peter said, "From strangers," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are exempt. + "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me." + + + At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" + And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, + and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. + "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. + "And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; + but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. + "Woe to the world because of [its] stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! + "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. + "If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. + "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. + ["For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost]. + "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? + "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. + "So it is not [the] will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. + "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. + "But if he does not listen [to you], take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. + "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. + "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. + "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. + "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." + Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" + Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. + "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. + "When he had begun to settle [them], one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. + "But since he did not have [the means] to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. + "So the slave fell [to the ground] and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' + "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. + "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and [began] to choke [him], saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' + "So his fellow slave fell [to the ground] and [began] to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' + "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. + "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. + "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. + 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' + "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. + "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." + + + When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; + and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. + [Some] Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful [for a man] to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" + And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created [them] from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, + and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH '? + "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." + They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND [her] AWAY?" + He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. + "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." + The disciples said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry." + But He said to them, "Not all men [can] accept this statement, but [only] those to whom it has been given. + "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are [also] eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept [this], let him accept [it]." + Then [some] children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. + But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." + After laying His hands on them, He departed from there. + And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" + And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is [only] One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." + [Then] he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; + HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." + The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" + Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go [and] sell your possessions and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." + But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. + And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. + "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." + When the disciples heard [this], they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" + And looking at [them] Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." + Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?" + And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. + "But many [who are] first will be last; and [the] last, first. + + + "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. + "When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. + "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; + and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And [so] they went. + "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. + "And about the eleventh [hour] he went out and found others standing [around]; and he said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day long?' + "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' + "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last [group] to the first.' + "When those [hired] about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. + "When those [hired] first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. + "When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, + saying, 'These last men have worked [only] one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' + "But he answered and said to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? + 'Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. + 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?' + "So the last shall be first, and the first last." + As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve [disciples] aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, + "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, + and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify [Him], and on the third day He will be raised up." + Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. + And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." + But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able." + He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on [My] left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father." + And hearing [this], the ten became indignant with the two brothers. + But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and [their] great men exercise authority over them. + "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, + and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; + just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." + As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. + And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" + The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" + And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" + They said to Him, "Lord, [we want] our eyes to be opened." + Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. + + + When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, + saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied [there] and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. + "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." + This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: + "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'" + The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, + and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. + Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. + The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" + When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" + And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." + And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. + And He said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." + And [the] blind and [the] lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. + But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant + and said to Him, "Do You hear what these [children] are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" + And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. + Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. + Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be [any] fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered. + Seeing [this], the disciples were amazed and asked, "How did the fig tree wither [all] at once?" + And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. + "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." + When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?" + Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. + "The baptism of John was from what [source], from heaven or from men?" And they [began] reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' + "But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet." + And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. + "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' + "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. + "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I [will], sir'; but he did not go. + "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. + "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing [this], did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him. + "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. + "When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. + "The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. + "Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. + "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' + "But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' + "They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. + "Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?" + They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the [proper] seasons." + Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES '? + "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. + "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." + When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. + When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet. + + + Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, + "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. + "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. + "Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are [all] butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' + "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, + and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. + "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. + "Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. + 'Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find [there], invite to the wedding feast.' + "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. + "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, + and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. + "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' + "For many are called, but few [are] chosen." + Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. + And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. + "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" + But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? + "Show Me the coin [used] for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. + And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" + They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." + And hearing [this], they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away. + On that day [some] Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, + asking, "Teacher, Moses said, 'IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.' + "Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; + so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. + "Last of all, the woman died. + "In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had [married] her." + But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. + "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. + "But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: + 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB '? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." + When the crowds heard [this], they were astonished at His teaching. + But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. + One of them, a lawyer, asked Him [a question], testing Him, + "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" + And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' + "This is the great and foremost commandment. + "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' + "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." + Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: + "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "[The son] of David." + He said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying, + 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET "'? + "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?" + No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question. + + + Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, + saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; + therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say [things] and do not do [them]. + "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with [so much as] a finger. + "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels [of their garments]. + "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, + and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. + "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. + "Do not call [anyone] on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. + "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, [that is], Christ. + "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. + "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. + "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. + ["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation]. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. + "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, [that] is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' + "You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? + "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, [that] is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' + "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? + "Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears [both] by the altar and by everything on it. + "And whoever swears by the temple, swears [both] by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. + "And whoever swears by heaven, swears [both] by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. + "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. + "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. + "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, + and say, 'If we had been [living] in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in [shedding] the blood of the prophets.' + "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. + "Fill up, then, the measure [of the guilt] of your fathers. + "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? + "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, + so that upon you may fall [the guilt of] all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. + "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. + "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. + "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! + "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'" + + + Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. + And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." + As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" + And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. + "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. + "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for [those things] must take place, but [that] is not yet the end. + "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. + "But all these things are [merely] the beginning of birth pangs. + "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. + "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. + "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. + "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. + "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. + "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. + "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), + then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. + "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. + "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. + "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! + "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. + "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. + "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. + "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There [He is],' do not believe [him]. + "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. + "Behold, I have told you in advance. + "So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, [or], 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe [them]. + "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. + "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. + "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. + "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. + "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. + "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; + so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, [right] at the door. + "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. + "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. + "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. + "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. + "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, + and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. + "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. + "Two women [will be] grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. + "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. + "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. + "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think [He will]. + "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? + "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. + "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. + "But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' + and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; + the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect [him] and at an hour which he does not know, + and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + + + "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. + "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. + "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, + but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. + "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and [began] to sleep. + "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet [him].' + "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. + "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' + "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you [too]; go instead to the dealers and buy [some] for yourselves.' + "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. + "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' + "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' + "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. + "For [it is] just like a man [about] to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. + "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. + "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. + "In the same manner the one who [had received] the two [talents] gained two more. + "But he who received the one [talent] went away, and dug [a hole] in the ground and hid his master's money. + "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. + "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' + "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' + "Also the one who [had received] the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' + "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' + "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no [seed]. + 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' + "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no [seed]. + 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my [money] back with interest. + 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' + "For to everyone who has, [more] shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. + "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. + "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; + and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. + "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. + 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me [something] to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me [something] to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; + naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' + "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You [something] to drink? + 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? + 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' + "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, [even] the least [of them], you did it to Me.' + "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; + for I was hungry, and you gave Me [nothing] to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; + I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' + "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' + "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' + "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." + + + When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, + "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is [to be] handed over for crucifixion." + Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; + and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. + But they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people." + Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, + a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined [at the table]. + But the disciples were indignant when they saw [this], and said, "Why this waste? + "For this [perfume] might have been sold for a high price and [the money] given to the poor." + But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. + "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. + "For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. + "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her." + Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests + and said, "What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?" And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. + From then on he [began] looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. + Now on the first [day] of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?" + And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near; I [am to] keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'" + The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. + Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining [at the table] with the twelve disciples. + As they were eating, He said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me." + Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord?" + And He answered, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. + "The Son of Man [is to] go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." + And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" Jesus said to him, "You have said [it] yourself." + While they were eating, Jesus took [some] bread, and after a blessing, He broke [it] and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." + And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave [it] to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; + for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. + "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." + After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. + Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.' + "But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." + But Peter said to Him, "[Even] though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." + Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that this [very] night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." + Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." All the disciples said the same thing too. + Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." + And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. + Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." + And He went a little beyond [them], and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." + And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you [men] could not keep watch with Me for one hour? + "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." + He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." + Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. + And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. + Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. + "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" + While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, [who came] from the chief priests and elders of the people. + Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him." + Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. + And Jesus said to him, "Friend, [do] what you have come for." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. + And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. + Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. + "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? + "How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, [which say] that it must happen this way?" + At that time Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as [you would] against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. + "But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets." Then all the disciples left Him and fled. + Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. + But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome. + Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. + They did not find [any], even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, + and said, "This man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" + The high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" + But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God." + Jesus said to him, "You have said it [yourself]; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN." + Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; + what do you think?" They answered, "He deserves death!" + Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, + and said, "Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?" + Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." + But he denied [it] before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." + When he had gone out to the gateway, another [servant-girl] saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." + And again he denied [it] with an oath, "I do not know the man." + A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are [one] of them; for even the way you talk gives you away." + Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed. + And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. + + + Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; + and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor. + Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, + saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See [to that] yourself!" + And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. + The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood." + And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers. + For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. + Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF THE ONE WHOSE PRICE HAD BEEN SET by the sons of Israel; + AND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER'S FIELD, AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME." + Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said to him, "[It is as] you say." + And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. + Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" + And He did not answer him with regard to even a [single] charge, so the governor was quite amazed. + Now at [the] feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people [any] one prisoner whom they wanted. + At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. + So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" + For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. + While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him [a message], saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him." + But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. + But the governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." + Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" + And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!" + When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see [to that] yourselves." + And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" + Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. + Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole [Roman] cohort around Him. + They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. + And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" + They spat on Him, and took the reed and [began] to beat Him on the head. + After they had mocked Him, they took the [scarlet] robe off Him and put His [own] garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. + As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross. + And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, + they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting [it], He was unwilling to drink. + And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. + And sitting down, they [began] to keep watch over Him there. + And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." + At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. + And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads + and saying, "You who [are going to] destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." + In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking [Him] and saying, + "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. + "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE [Him] now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" + The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. + Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. + About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" + And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, [began] saying, "This man is calling for Elijah." + Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. + But the rest [of them] said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him." + And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. + And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. + The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; + and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. + Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" + Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. + Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. + When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. + This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given [to him]. + And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, + and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. + And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave. + Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, + and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I [am to] rise again.' + "Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first." + Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it [as] secure as you know how." + And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. + + + Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. + And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. + And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. + The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. + The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. + "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. + "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." + And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. + And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. + Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me." + Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. + And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, + and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' + "And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." + And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, [and is] to this day. + But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. + When they saw Him, they worshiped [Him]; but some were doubtful. + And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. + "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, + teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." + + + + + The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. + As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; + THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" + John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. + And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. + John was clothed with camel's hair and [wore] a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. + And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. + "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." + In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. + Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; + and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." + Immediately the Spirit impelled Him [to] [go] out into the wilderness. + And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. + Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, + and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." + As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. + And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." + Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. + Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. + Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. + They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and [began] to teach. + They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as [one] having authority, and not as the scribes. + Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, + saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-- the Holy One of God!" + And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" + Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. + They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." + Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee. + And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. + Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. + And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them. + When evening came, after the sun had set, they [began] bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. + And the whole city had gathered at the door. + And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was. + In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. + Simon and his companions searched for Him; + they found Him, and said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." + He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for." + And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons. + And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." + Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." + Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. + And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, + and He said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." + But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere. + + + When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. + And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. + And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. + Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. + And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." + But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, + "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?" + Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? + "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk '? + "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "-- He said to the paralytic, + "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." + And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." + And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. + As He passed by, He saw Levi the [son] of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. + And it happened that He was reclining [at the table] in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. + When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?" + And hearing [this], Jesus said to them, "[It is] not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." + John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" + And Jesus said to them, "While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. + "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. + "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. + "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins [as well]; but [one puts] new wine into fresh wineskins." + And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads [of grain]. + The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" + And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; + how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar [the] high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for [anyone] to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?" + Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. + "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." + + + He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. + They were watching Him [to see] if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. + He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" + And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. + After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. + The Pharisees went out and immediately [began] conspiring with the Herodians against Him, [as] [to] how they might destroy Him. + Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and [also] from Judea, + and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. + And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; + for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. + Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, "You are the Son of God!" + And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was. + And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. + And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He [could] send them out to preach, + and to have authority to cast out the demons. + And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), + and James, the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, "Sons of Thunder "); + and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; + and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. + And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. + When His own people heard [of] [this], they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses." + The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." + And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? + "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. + "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. + "If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! + "But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. + "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; + but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin "-- + because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." + Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent [word] to Him and called Him. + A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You." + Answering them, He said, "Who are My mother and My brothers?" + Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! + "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." + + + He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. + And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, + "Listen [to this]! Behold, the sower went out to sow; + as he was sowing, some [seed] fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. + "Other [seed] fell on the rocky [ground] where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. + "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. + "Other [seed] fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. + "Other [seeds] fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." + And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, [began] asking Him [about] the parables. + And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, + so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN." + And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? + "The sower sows the word. + "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. + "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky [places], who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; + and they have no [firm] root in themselves, but are [only] temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. + "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, + but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. + "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." + And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not [brought] to be put on the lampstand? + "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has [anything] been secret, but that it would come to light. + "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." + And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. + "For whoever has, to him [more] shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him." + And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; + and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-- how, he himself does not know. + "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. + "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." + And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? + "[It is] like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, + yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE." + With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; + and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples. + On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." + Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. + And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. + Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" + And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. + And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" + They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" + + + They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. + When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, + and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; + because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. + Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. + Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; + and shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" + For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" + And He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." + And he [began] to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. + Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. + [The demons] implored Him, saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." + Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand [of them]; and they were drowned in the sea. + Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And [the people] came to see what it was that had happened. + They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened. + Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and [all] about the swine. + And they began to implore Him to leave their region. + As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. + And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and [how] He had mercy on you." + And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. + When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. + One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet + and implored Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death; [please] come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live." + And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. + A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, + and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse-- + after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind [Him] and touched His cloak. + For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." + Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. + Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power [proceeding] from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?" + And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" + And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. + But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. + And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction." + While He was still speaking, they came from the [house of] the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?" + But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid [any] [longer], only believe." + And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. + They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and [people] loudly weeping and wailing. + And entering in, He said to them, "Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep." + They [began] laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and entered [the room] where the child was. + Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). + Immediately the girl got up and [began] to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. + And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that [something] should be given her to eat. + + + Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. + When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man [get] these things, and what is [this] wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? + "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. + Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his [own] relatives and in his [own] household." + And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. + And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. + And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; + and He instructed them that they should take nothing for [their] journey, except a mere staff-- no bread, no bag, no money in their belt-- + but [to] wear sandals; and [He added], "Do not put on two tunics." + And He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. + "Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them." + They went out and preached that [men] should repent. + And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. + And King Herod heard [of it], for His name had become well known; and [people] were saying, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him." + But others were saying, "He is Elijah." And others were saying, "[He is] a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old]." + But when Herod heard [of it], he kept saying, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen!" + For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. + For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." + Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not [do so]; + for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. + A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; + and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you." + And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom." + And she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." + Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." + And although the king was very sorry, [yet] because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. + Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded [him] to bring [back] his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, + and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. + When his disciples heard [about this], they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb. + The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. + And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many [people] coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) + They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. + [The people] saw them going, and many recognized [them] and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. + When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. + When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and it is already quite late; + send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." + But He answered them, "You give them [something] to eat!" And they said to Him, "Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them [something] to eat?" + And He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go look!" And when they found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." + And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. + They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. + And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed [the food] and broke the loaves and He kept giving [them] to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. + They all ate and were satisfied, + and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. + There were five thousand men who ate the loaves. + Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of [Him] to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. + After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. + When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. + Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. + But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; + for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid." + Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, + for they had not gained any insight from the [incident of] the loaves, but their heart was hardened. + When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. + When they got out of the boat, immediately [the people] recognized Him, + and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. + Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. + + + The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, + and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. + (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, [thus] observing the traditions of the elders; + and [when they come] from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) + The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" + And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. + 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' + "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." + He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. + "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; + but you say, 'If a man says to [his] father or [his] mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given [to God]),' + you no longer permit him to do anything for [his] father or [his] mother; + [thus] invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." + After He called the crowd to Him again, He [began] saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: + there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. + ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.]" + When he had left the crowd [and] entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. + And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, + because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" ([Thus He] declared all foods clean.) + And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. + "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, + deeds of coveting [and] wickedness, [as well] [as] deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride [and] foolishness. + "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." + Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know [of it]; yet He could not escape notice. + But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. + Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. + And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." + But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, [but] even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." + And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter." + And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. + Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. + They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. + Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue [with the saliva]; + and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" + And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he [began] speaking plainly. + And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. + They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." + + + In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, + "I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. + "If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance." + And His disciples answered Him, "Where will anyone be able [to find enough] bread here in [this] desolate place to satisfy these people?" + And He was asking them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven." + And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. + They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. + And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. + About four thousand were [there]; and He sent them away. + And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha. + The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. + Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, "Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." + Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side. + And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. + And He was giving orders to them, saying, "Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." + They [began] to discuss with one another [the fact] that they had no bread. + And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you discuss [the fact] that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? + "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, + when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." + "When [I broke] the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to Him, "Seven." + And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?" + And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. + Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" + And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see [them] like trees, walking around." + Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and [began] to see everything clearly. + And He sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." + Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "Who do people say that I am?" + They told Him, saying, "John the Baptist; and others [say] Elijah; but others, one of the prophets." + And He [continued] by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ." + And He warned them to tell no one about Him. + And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. + And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. + But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." + And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. + "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. + "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? + "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? + "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." + + + And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." + Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; + and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. + Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. + Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. + Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" + All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. + As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. + They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. + They asked Him, saying, "[Why is it] that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" + And He said to them, "Elijah does first come and restore all things. And [yet] how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? + "But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him." + When they came [back] to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and [some] scribes arguing with them. + Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and [began] running up to greet Him. + And He asked them, "What are you discussing with them?" + And one of the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; + and whenever it seizes him, it slams him [to the ground] and he foams [at the mouth], and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not [do it]." + And He answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!" + They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he [began] rolling around and foaming [at the mouth]. + And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. + "It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" + And Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." + Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief." + When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." + After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and [the boy] became so much like a corpse that most [of them] said, "He is dead!" + But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. + When He came into [the] house, His disciples [began] questioning Him privately, "Why could we not drive it out?" + And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." + From there they went out and [began] to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know [about it]. + For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later." + But they did not understand [this] statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. + They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He [began] to question them, "What were you discussing on the way?" + But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which [of them was] the greatest. + Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." + Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, + "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me." + John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." + But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. + "For he who is not against us is for us. + "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as [followers] of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. + "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. + "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, + [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED]. + "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, + [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED]. + "If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, + where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. + "For everyone will be salted with fire. + "Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty [again]? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." + + + Getting up, He went from there to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds gathered around Him again, and, according to His custom, He once more [began] to teach them. + [Some] Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and [began] to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. + And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" + They said, "Moses permitted [a man] TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND [her] AWAY." + But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. + "But from the beginning of creation, [God] MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. + "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, + AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. + "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." + In the house the disciples [began] questioning Him about this again. + And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; + and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery." + And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. + But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. + "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it [at] [all]." + And He took them in His arms and [began] blessing them, laying His hands on them. + As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" + And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. + "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" + And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." + Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." + But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. + And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" + The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! + "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." + They were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" + Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." + Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You." + Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, + but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. + "But many [who are] first will be last, and the last, first." + They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, + [saying], "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. + "They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill [Him], and three days later He will rise again." + James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." + And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" + They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on [Your] left, in Your glory." + But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" + They said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. + "But to sit on My right or on [My] left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." + Hearing [this], the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. + Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. + "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; + and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. + "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." + Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar [named] Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. + When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" + Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" + And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him [here]." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." + Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. + And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, [I want] to regain my sight!" + And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and [began] following Him on the road. + + + As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, + and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied [there], on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it [here]. + "If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here." + They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. + Some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" + They spoke to them just as Jesus had told [them], and they gave them permission. + They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. + And many spread their coats in the road, and others [spread] leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. + Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; + Blessed [is] the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" + Jesus entered Jerusalem [and came] into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. + On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. + Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went [to see] if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. + He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening. + Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; + and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. + And He [began] to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS '? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." + The chief priests and the scribes heard [this], and [began] seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. + When evening came, they would go out of the city. + As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots [up]. + Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered." + And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. + "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be [granted] him. + "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be [granted] you. + "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. + ["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.]" + They came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, + and [began] saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?" + And Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and [then] I will tell you by what authority I do these things. + "Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me." + They [began] reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' + "But shall we say, 'From men '?"-- they were afraid of the people, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet. + Answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things." + + + And He began to speak to them in parables: "A man PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT, AND DUG A VAT UNDER THE WINE PRESS AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. + "At the [harvest] time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive [some] of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. + "They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. + "Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. + "And he sent another, and that one they killed; and [so with] many others, beating some and killing others. + "He had one more [to send], a beloved son; he sent him last [of all] to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' + "But those vine-growers said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!' + "They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. + "What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. + "Have you not even read this Scripture: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]; + THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES '?" + And they were seeking to seize Him, and [yet] they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And [so] they left Him and went away. + Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. + They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? + "Shall we pay or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at." + They brought [one]. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's." + And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him. + [Some] Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and [began] questioning Him, saying, + "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. + "There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. + "The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; + and [so] all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. + "In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her." + Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? + "For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. + "But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the [passage] about [the burning] bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob '? + "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken." + One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" + Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; + AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' + "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." + The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; + AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." + When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. + And Jesus [began] to say, as He taught in the temple, "How [is it that] the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? + "David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET."' + "David himself calls Him 'Lord'; so in what sense is He his son?" And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him. + In His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and [like] respectful greetings in the market places, + and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, + who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation." + And He sat down opposite the treasury, and [began] observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. + A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. + Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; + for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." + + + As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" + And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down." + As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, + "Tell us, when will these things be, and what [will be] the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" + And Jesus began to say to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. + "Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am [He!]' and will mislead many. + "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; [those things] must take place; but [that is] not yet the end. + "For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will [also] be famines. These things are [merely] the beginning of birth pangs. + "But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to [the] courts, and you will be flogged in [the] synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. + "The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. + "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but [it is] the Holy Spirit. + "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father [his] child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. + "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. + "But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. + "The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; + and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. + "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! + "But pray that it may not happen in the winter. + "For those days will be a [time of] tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. + "Unless the Lord had shortened [those] days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. + "And then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ'; or, 'Behold, [He is] there'; do not believe [him]; + for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. + "But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance. + "But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, + AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. + "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. + "And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. + "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. + "Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, [right] at the door. + "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. + "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. + "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father [alone]. + "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the [appointed] time will come. + "[It is] like a man away on a journey, [who] upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, [assigning] to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. + "Therefore, be on the alert-- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning-- + in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. + "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'" + + + Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill [Him]; + for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people." + While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining [at the table], there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; [and] she broke the vial and poured it over His head. + But some were indignantly [remarking] to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted? + "For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and [the money] given to the poor." And they were scolding her. + But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. + "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. + "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. + "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her." + Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. + They were glad when they heard [this], and promised to give him money. And he [began] seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time. + On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover [lamb] was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?" + And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; + and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' + "And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished [and] ready; prepare for us there." + The disciples went out and came to the city, and found [it] just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. + When it was evening He came with the twelve. + As they were reclining [at the table] and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me-- one who is eating with Me." + They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?" + And He said to them, "[It is] one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. + "For the Son of Man [is to] go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! [It would have been] good for that man if he had not been born." + While they were eating, He took [some] bread, and after a blessing He broke [it], and gave [it] to them, and said, "Take [it]; this is My body." + And when He had taken a cup [and] given thanks, He gave [it] to them, and they all drank from it. + And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. + "Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." + After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. + And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.' + "But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." + But Peter said to Him, "[Even] though all may fall away, yet I will not." + And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times." + But [Peter] kept saying insistently, "[Even] if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing also. + They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." + And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. + And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." + And He went a little beyond [them], and fell to the ground and [began] to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. + And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." + And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? + "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." + Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. + And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. + And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. + "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" + Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, [who were] from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. + Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard." + After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, "Rabbi!" and kissed Him. + They laid hands on Him and seized Him. + But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. + And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as [you would] against a robber? + "Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but [this has] [taken place] to fulfill the Scriptures." + And they all left Him and fled. + A young man was following Him, wearing [nothing but] a linen sheet over [his] naked [body]; and they seized him. + But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked. + They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. + Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire. + Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. + For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. + Some stood up and [began] to give false testimony against Him, saying, + "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" + Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. + The high priest stood up [and came] forward and questioned Jesus, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" + But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed [One]?" + And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN." + Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? + "You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. + Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers received Him with slaps [in the face]. + As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, + and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene." + But he denied [it], saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." And he went out onto the porch, and a rooster crowed. + The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, "This is [one] of them!" + But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are [one] of them, for you are a Galilean too." + But he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!" + Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep. + + + Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. + Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him, "[It is as] you say." + The chief priests [began] to accuse Him harshly. + Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, "Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!" + But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed. + Now at [the] feast he used to release for them [any] one prisoner whom they requested. + The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. + The crowd went up and began asking him [to] [do] as he had been accustomed to do for them. + Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" + For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. + But the chief priests stirred up the crowd [to ask] him to release Barabbas for them instead. + Answering again, Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" + They shouted back, "Crucify Him!" + But Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify Him!" + Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. + The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole [Roman] cohort. + They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; + and they began to acclaim Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" + They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. + After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His [own] garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him. + They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. + Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. + They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. + And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them [to decide] what each man should take. + It was the third hour when they crucified Him. + The inscription of the charge against Him read, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." + They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. + [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with transgressors.]" + Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who [are] [going to] destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, + save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" + In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking [Him] among themselves and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. + "Let [this] Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!" Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him. + When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. + At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" + When some of the bystanders heard it, they [began] saying, "Behold, He is calling for Elijah." + Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down." + And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. + And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. + When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" + There were also [some] women looking on from a distance, among whom [were] Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. + When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and [there were] many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. + When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, + Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. + Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. + And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. + Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. + Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of Joses were looking on [to see] where He was laid. + + + When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. + Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. + They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" + Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. + Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. + And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, [here is] the place where they laid Him. + "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'" + They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. + [Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. + She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. + When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. + After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. + They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. + Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining [at the table]; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. + And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. + "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. + "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; + they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly [poison], it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." + So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. + And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed]. [[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation].] + + + + + Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, + just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, + it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write [it] out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; + so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. + In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. + They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. + But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. + Now it happened [that] while he was performing his priestly service before God in the [appointed] order of his division, + according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. + And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. + And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. + Zacharias was troubled when he saw [the angel], and fear gripped him. + But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. + "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. + "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. + "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. + "It is he who will go [as a forerunner] before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." + Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this [for certain]? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." + The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. + "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." + The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. + But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. + When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home. + After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, + "This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked [with favor] upon [me], to take away my disgrace among men." + Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, + to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. + And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." + But she was very perplexed at [this] statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. + The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. + "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. + "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; + and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." + Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" + The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. + "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. + "For nothing will be impossible with God." + And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. + Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, + and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. + When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. + And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! + "And how has it [happened] to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? + "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. + "And blessed [is] she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." + And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, + And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. + "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. + "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. + "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. + "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered [those who were] proud in the thoughts of their heart. + "He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. + "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. + "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, + As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever." + And Mary stayed with her about three months, and [then] returned to her home. + Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. + Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. + And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. + But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John." + And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." + And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. + And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John." And they were all astonished. + And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue [loosed], and he [began] to speak in praise of God. + Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. + All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, "What then will this child [turn out to] be?" For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him. + And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: + "Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, + And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant-- + As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-- + Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; + To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, + The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, + To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, + In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. + "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; + To give to His people [the] knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, + Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, + TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace." + And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel. + + + Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. + This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. + And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. + Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, + in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. + While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. + And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. + In the same region there were [some] shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. + And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. + But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; + for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. + "This [will be] a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." + And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, + "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." + When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds [began] saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." + So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. + When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. + And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. + But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. + The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. + And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was [then] called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. + And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord + (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY [firstborn] MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD "), + and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS." + And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. + And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. + And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, + then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, + "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; + For my eyes have seen Your salvation, + Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, + A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel." + And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. + And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this [Child] is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-- + and a sword will pierce even your own soul-- to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." + And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with [her] husband seven years after her marriage, + and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. + At that very moment she came up and [began] giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. + When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. + The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. + Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. + And when He became twelve, they went up [there] according to the custom of the Feast; + and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, + but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they [began] looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. + When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. + Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. + And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. + When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." + And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's [house]?" + But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. + And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all [these] things in her heart. + And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. + + + Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, + in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. + And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; + as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. + 'EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; + AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.'" + So he [began] saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? + "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. + "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." + And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?" + And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." + And [some] tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" + And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." + [Some] soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And [what about] us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse [anyone] falsely, and be content with your wages." + Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, + John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. + "His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." + So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. + But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, + Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison. + Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, + and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." + When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, + the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, + the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, + the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, + the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, + the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, + the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, + the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, + the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, + the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, + the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, + the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, + the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, + the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, + the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, + the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. + + + Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness + for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. + And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." + And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'" + And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. + And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. + "Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." + Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" + And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; + for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,' + and, 'ON [their] HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" + And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" + When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. + And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. + And He [began] teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. + And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. + And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, + "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, + TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." + And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. + And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." + And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" + And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'" + And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. + "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; + and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, [in the land] of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. + "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." + And all [the people] in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; + and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. + But passing through their midst, He went His way. + And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; + and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. + In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, + "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-- the Holy One of God!" + But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst [of the people], he came out of him without doing him any harm. + And amazement came upon them all, and they [began] talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out." + And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district. + Then He got up and [left] the synagogue, and entered Simon's home. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. + And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them. + While the sun was setting, all those who had any [who were] sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. + Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. + When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. + But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." + So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. + + + Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; + and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. + And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and [began] teaching the people from the boat. + When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." + Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say [and] let down the nets." + When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets [began] to break; + so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. + But when Simon Peter saw [that], he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" + For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; + and so also [were] James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." + When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. + While He was in one of the cities, behold, [there was] a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." + And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him. + And He ordered him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." + But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear [Him] and to be healed of their sicknesses. + But Jesus Himself would [often] slip away to the wilderness and pray. + One day He was teaching; and there were [some] Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting [there], who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and [from] Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was [present] for Him to perform healing. + And [some] men [were] carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. + But not finding any [way] to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle [of the crowd], in front of Jesus. + Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." + The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this [man] who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" + But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? + "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk '? + "But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,"-- He said to the paralytic-- "I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." + Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. + They were all struck with astonishment and [began] glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today." + After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me." + And he left everything behind, and got up and [began] to follow Him. + And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other [people] who were reclining [at the table] with them. + The Pharisees and their scribes [began] grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" + And Jesus answered and said to them, "[It is] not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. + "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." + And they said to Him, "The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the [disciples] of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink." + And Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? + "But [the] days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." + And He was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. + "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. + "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. + "And no one, after drinking old [wine] wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good [enough].'" + + + Now it happened that He was passing through [some] grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating [the grain]. + But some of the Pharisees said, "Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" + And Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, + how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?" + And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." + On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. + The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely [to see] if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find [reason] to accuse Him. + But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And he got up and came forward. + And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" + After looking around at them all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And he did [so]; and his hand was restored. + But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus. + It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. + And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: + Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; + and Matthew and Thomas; James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; + Judas [the son] of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. + Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and [there was] a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, + who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. + And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing [them] all. + And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He [began] to say, "Blessed [are] you [who are] poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. + "Blessed [are] you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed [are] you who weep now, for you shall laugh. + "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. + "Be glad in that day and leap [for joy], for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. + "But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. + "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe [to you] who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. + "Woe [to you] when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. + "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, + bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. + "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. + "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. + "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. + "If you love those who love you, what credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them. + "If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is [that] to you? For even sinners do the same. + "If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same [amount]. + "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil [men]. + "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. + "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. + "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, [and] running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." + And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? + "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. + "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? + "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. + "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. + "For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. + "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil [man] out of the evil [treasure] brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. + "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? + "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: + he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. + "But the one who has heard and has not acted [accordingly], is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." + + + When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. + And a centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. + When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. + When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him; + for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue." + Now Jesus [started] on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; + for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but [just] say the word, and my servant will be healed. + "For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." + Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." + When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. + Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. + Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. + When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." + And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" + The dead man sat up and began to speak. And [Jesus] gave him back to his mother. + Fear gripped them all, and they [began] glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" + This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district. + The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. + Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" + When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, 'Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'" + At that very time He cured many [people] of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many [who were] blind. + And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: [the] BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, [the] lame walk, [the] lepers are cleansed, and [the] deaf hear, [the] dead are raised up, [the] POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. + "Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me." + When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? + "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are [found] in royal palaces! + "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. + "This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' + "I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." + When all the people and the tax collectors heard [this], they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. + But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. + "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? + "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' + "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!' + "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' + "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children." + Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined [at the table]. + And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining [at the table] in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, + and standing behind [Him] at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. + Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." + And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." + "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. + "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" + Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." + Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. + "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. + "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. + "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." + Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." + Those who were reclining [at the table] with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this [man] who even forgives sins?" + And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." + + + Soon afterwards, He [began] going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, + and [also] some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, + and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. + When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: + "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. + "Other [seed] fell on rocky [soil], and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. + "Other [seed] fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. + "Other [seed] fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + His disciples [began] questioning Him as to what this parable meant. + And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest [it is] in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. + "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. + "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. + "Those on the rocky [soil are] those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no [firm] root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. + "The [seed] which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to maturity. + "But the [seed] in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. + "Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. + "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor [anything] secret that will not be known and come to light. + "So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him [more] shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him." + And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. + And it was reported to Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You." + But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it." + Now on one of [those] days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out. + But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they [began] to be swamped and to be in danger. + They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. + And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" + Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. + And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. + Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me." + For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and [yet] he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. + And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. + They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. + Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and [the demons] implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. + And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. + When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and [out] in the country. + [The people] went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. + Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. + And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. + But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, + "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. + And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. + And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus' feet, and [began] to implore Him to come to his house; + for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him. + And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, + came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. + And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You." + But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me." + When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. + And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." + While He was still speaking, someone came from [the house of] the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore." + But when Jesus heard [this], He answered him, "Do not be afraid [any longer]; only believe, and she will be made well." + When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother. + Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep." + And they [began] laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. + He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" + And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for [something] to be given her to eat. + Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened. + + + And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. + And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. + And He said to them, "Take nothing for [your] journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not [even] have two tunics apiece. + "Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. + "And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." + Departing, they [began] going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. + Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, + and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. + Herod said, "I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see Him. + When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. + But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He [began] speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing. + Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place." + But He said to them, "You give them [something] to eat!" And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." + (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down [to eat] in groups of about fifty each." + They did so, and had them all sit down. + Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke [them], and kept giving [them] to the disciples to set before the people. + And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets [full]. + And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the people say that I am?" + They answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others [say] Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again." + And He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." + But He warned them and instructed [them] not to tell this to anyone, + saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day." + And He was saying to [them] all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. + "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. + "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? + "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and [the glory] of the Father and of the holy angels. + "But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." + Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. + And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing [became] white [and] gleaming. + And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, + who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. + Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. + And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah "-- not realizing what he was saying. + While he was saying this, a cloud formed and [began] to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. + Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, [My] Chosen One; listen to Him!" + And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen. + On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. + And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only [boy], + and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming [at the mouth]; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him [as it leaves]. + "I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not." + And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." + While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him [to the ground] and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. + And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, + "Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." + But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement. + An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. + But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, + and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great." + John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." + But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder [him]; for he who is not against you is for you." + When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; + and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. + But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. + When His disciples James and John saw [this], they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" + But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; + for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.]" And they went on to another village. + As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." + And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air [have] nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." + And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." + But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." + Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." + But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." + + + Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. + And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. + "Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. + "Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. + "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace [be] to this house.' + "If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. + "Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. + "Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; + and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' + "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, + 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off [in protest] against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' + "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. + "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. + "But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. + "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! + "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." + The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." + And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. + "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. + "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." + At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from [the] wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. + "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal [Him]." + Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed [are] the eyes which see the things you see, + for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see [them], and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear [them]." + And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" + And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" + And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." + And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE." + But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" + Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. + "And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. + "Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. + "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, + and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on [them]; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. + "On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' + "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' [hands]?" + And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same." + Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. + She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. + But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up [to Him] and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." + But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; + but [only] one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." + + + It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples." + And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. + 'Give us each day our daily bread. + 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" + Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; + for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; + and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you [anything].' + "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him [anything] because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. + "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. + "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. + "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? + "Or [if] he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? + "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" + And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. + But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." + Others, to test [Him], were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. + But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house [divided] against itself falls. + "If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. + "And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. + "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. + "When a strong [man], fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. + "But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. + "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. + "When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' + "And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. + "Then it goes and takes [along] seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." + While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." + But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." + As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and [yet] no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. + "For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. + "The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. + "The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. + "No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. + "The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. + "Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. + "If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." + Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined [at the table]. + When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. + But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. + "You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? + "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you. + "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every [kind of] garden herb, and [yet] disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. + "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. + "Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over [them] are unaware [of it]." + One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, "Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too." + But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. + "Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and [it was] your fathers [who] killed them. + "So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build [their tombs]. + "For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they will kill and [some] they will persecute, + so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, + from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house [of God]; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.' + "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering." + When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, + plotting against Him to catch [Him] in something He might say. + + + Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first [of all,]"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. + "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. + "Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops. + "I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. + "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! + "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? [Yet] not one of them is forgotten before God. + "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. + "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; + but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. + "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. + "When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; + for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." + Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the [family] inheritance with me." + But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" + Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not [even] when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." + And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. + "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' + "Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. + 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years [to come]; take your ease, eat, drink [and] be merry."' + "But God said to him, 'You fool! This [very] night your soul is required of you; and [now] who will own what you have prepared?' + "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." + And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about [your] life, [as to] what you will eat; nor for your body, [as to] what you will put on. + "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. + "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and [yet] God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! + "And which of you by worrying can add a [single] hour to his life's span? + "If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? + "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. + "But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is [alive] today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more [will He clothe] you? You men of little faith! + "And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. + "For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. + "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. + "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. + "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. + "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. + "Be dressed in readiness, and [keep] your lamps lit. + "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open [the door] to him when he comes and knocks. + "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself [to serve], and have them recline [at the table], and will come up and wait on them. + "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds [them] so, blessed are those [slaves]. + "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. + "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." + Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone [else] as well?" + And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? + "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. + "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. + "But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, [both] men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; + the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect [him] and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. + "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, + but the one who did not know [it], and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. + "I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! + "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! + "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; + for from now on five [members] in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. + "They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." + And He was also saying to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it turns out. + "And when [you see] a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out [that way]. + "You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? + "And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? + "For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on [your] way [there] make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. + "I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent." + + + Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. + And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were [greater] sinners than all [other] Galileans because they suffered this [fate]? + "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. + "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were [worse] culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? + "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." + And He [began] telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. + "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' + "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; + and if it bears fruit next year, [fine]; but if not, cut it down.'" + And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. + And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. + When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." + And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and [began] glorifying God. + But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, [began] saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." + But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water [him]? + "And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" + As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him. + So He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? + "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES." + And again He said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? + "It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened." + And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. + And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there [just] a few who are being saved?" And He said to them, + "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. + "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' + "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; + and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' + "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. + "And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline [at the table] in the kingdom of God. + "And behold, [some] are last who will be first and [some] are first who will be last." + Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, "Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You." + And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third [day] I reach My goal.' + "Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next [day]; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. + "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen [gathers] her brood under her wings, and you would not [have it]! + "Behold, your house is left to you [desolate]; and I say to you, you will not see Me until [the time] comes when you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'" + + + It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on [the] Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. + And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. + And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" + But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. + And He said to them, "Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?" + And they could make no reply to this. + And He [began] speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor [at the table], saying to them, + "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, + and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give [your] place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. + "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. + "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." + And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and [that] will be your repayment. + "But when you give a reception, invite [the] poor, [the] crippled, [the] lame, [the] blind, + and you will be blessed, since they do not have [the means] to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." + When one of those who were reclining [at the table] with Him heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" + But He said to him, "A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; + and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' + "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.' + "Another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' + "Another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.' + "And the slave came [back] and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' + "And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' + "And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel [them] to come in, so that my house may be filled. + 'For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'" + Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, + "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. + "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. + "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? + "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, + saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' + "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand [men] to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? + "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. + "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. + "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? + "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + + + Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. + Both the Pharisees and the scribes [began] to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." + So He told them this parable, saying, + "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? + "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. + "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' + "I tell you that in the same way, there will be [more] joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. + "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? + "When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' + "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." + And He said, "A man had two sons. + "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. + "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. + "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. + "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. + "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving [anything] to him. + "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! + 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; + I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."' + "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion [for him], and ran and embraced him and kissed him. + "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' + "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; + and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; + for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate. + "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. + "And he summoned one of the servants and [began] inquiring what these things could be. + "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' + "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and [began] pleading with him. + "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and [yet] you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; + but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' + "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. + 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and [has begun] to live, and [was] lost and has been found.'" + + + Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this [manager] was reported to him as squandering his possessions. + "And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' + "The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. + 'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' + "And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he [began] saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' + "And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' + "Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' + "And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. + "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. + "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. + "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [use of] unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true [riches] to you? + "And if you have not been faithful in [the use of] that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? + "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." + Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. + And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. + "The Law and the Prophets [were proclaimed] until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. + "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. + "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery. + "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. + "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, + and longing to be fed with the [crumbs] which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. + "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. + "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. + "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' + "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. + 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and [that] none may cross over from there to us.' + "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- + for I have five brothers-- in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' + "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' + "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' + "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" + + + He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! + "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. + "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. + "And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him." + The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" + And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you. + "Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? + "But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and [properly] clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink '? + "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? + "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done [only] that which we ought to have done.'" + While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. + As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; + and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" + When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed. + Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, + and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. + Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-- where are they? + "Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" + And He said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well." + Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; + nor will they say, 'Look, here [it is]!' or, 'There [it is]!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." + And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. + "They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after [them]. + "For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. + "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. + "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: + they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. + "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; + but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. + "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. + "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. + "Remember Lot's wife. + "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses [his life] will preserve it. + "I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. + "There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. + ["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.]" + And answering they said to Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said to them, "Where the body [is], there also the vultures will be gathered." + + + Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, + saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. + "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' + "For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, + yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'" + And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said; + now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? + "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" + And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: + "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. + "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. + 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' + "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' + "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." + And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they [began] rebuking them. + But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. + "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it [at all]." + A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" + And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. + "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" + And he said, "All these things I have kept from [my] youth." + When Jesus heard [this], He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." + But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. + And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! + "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." + They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" + But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God." + Peter said, "Behold, we have left our own [homes] and followed You." + And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, + who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life." + Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. + "For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, + and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." + But the disciples understood none of these things, and [the meaning of] this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. + As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. + Now hearing a crowd going by, he [began] to inquire what this was. + They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. + And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" + Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" + And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, + "What do you want Me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, [I want] to regain my sight!" + And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." + Immediately he regained his sight and [began] following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God. + + + He entered Jericho and was passing through. + And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. + Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. + So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. + When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." + And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. + When they saw it, they all [began] to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." + Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." + And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. + "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." + While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. + So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and [then] return. + "And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business [with this] until I come [back].' + "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' + "When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. + "The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.' + "And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.' + "The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.' + "And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.' + "Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; + for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.' + "He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? + 'Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' + "Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' + "And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas [already].' + "I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. + "But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence." + After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. + When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, + saying, "Go into the village ahead of [you]; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it [here]. + "If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say, 'The Lord has need of it.'" + So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. + As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" + They said, "The Lord has need of it." + They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus [on it]. + As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. + As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, + shouting: "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" + Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." + But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" + When He approached [Jerusalem], He saw the city and wept over it, + saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. + "For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, + and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." + Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, + saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." + And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, + and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said. + + + On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted [Him], + and they spoke, saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?" + Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me: + "Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" + They reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' + "But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." + So they answered that they did not know where [it came] from. + And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things." + And He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. + "At the [harvest] time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him [some] of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. + "And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. + "And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. + "The owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' + "But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, 'This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.' + "So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? + "He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be!" + But Jesus looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]'? + "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." + The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them. + So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they [could] deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor. + They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. + "Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" + But He detected their trickery and said to them, + "Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." + And He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." + And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent. + Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), + and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES, having a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. + "Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; + and the second + and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. + "Finally the woman died also. + "In the resurrection therefore, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her." + Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, + but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; + for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. + "But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the [passage about the burning] bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. + "Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him." + Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well." + For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything. + Then He said to them, "How [is it that] they say the Christ is David's son? + "For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, + UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' + "Therefore David calls Him 'Lord,' and how is He his son?" + And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, + "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, + who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." + + + And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. + And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. + And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [of them]; + for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on." + And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said, + "[As for] these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down." + They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what [will be] the sign when these things are about to take place?" + And He said, "See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am [He],' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. + "When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end [does] not [follow] immediately." + Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, + and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. + "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. + "It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. + "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; + for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. + "But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put [some] of you to death, + and you will be hated by all because of My name. + "Yet not a hair of your head will perish. + "By your endurance you will gain your lives. + "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. + "Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; + because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. + "Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; + and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. + "There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, + men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. + "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. + "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." + Then He told them a parable: "Behold the fig tree and all the trees; + as soon as they put forth [leaves], you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. + "So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. + "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. + "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. + "Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; + for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. + "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." + Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. + And all the people would get up early in the morning [to come] to Him in the temple to listen to Him. + + + Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. + The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. + And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. + And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. + They were glad and agreed to give him money. + So he consented, and [began] seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd. + Then came the [first] day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover [lamb] had to be sacrificed. + And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." + They said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?" + And He said to them, "When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. + "And you shall say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' + "And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there." + And they left and found [everything] just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. + When the hour had come, He reclined [at the table], and the apostles with Him. + And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; + for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." + And when He had taken a cup [and] given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; + for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes." + And when He had taken [some] bread [and] given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." + And in the same way [He took] the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. + "But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. + "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!" + And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. + And there arose also a dispute among them [as to] which one of them was regarded to be greatest. + And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' + "But [it is] not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. + "For who is greater, the one who reclines [at the table] or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines [at the table]? But I am among you as the one who serves. + "You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; + and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you + that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded [permission] to sift you like wheat; + but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." + But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" + And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me." + And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "[No], nothing." + And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. + "For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, 'AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS'; for that which refers to Me has [its] fulfillment." + They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough." + And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. + When He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." + And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and [began] to pray, + saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." + Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. + And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. + When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, + and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation." + While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd [came], and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. + But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" + When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" + And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. + But Jesus answered and said, "Stop! No more of this." And He touched his ear and healed him. + Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? + "While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours." + Having arrested Him, they led Him [away] and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. + After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. + And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too." + But he denied [it], saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." + A little later, another saw him and said, "You are [one] of them too!" But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" + After about an hour had passed, another man [began] to insist, saying, "Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too." + But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. + The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." + And he went out and wept bitterly. + Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, + and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, "Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?" + And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming. + When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council [chamber], saying, + "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe; + and if I ask a question, you will not answer. + "But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD." + And they all said, "Are You the Son of God, then?" And He said to them, "Yes, I am." + Then they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth." + + + Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. + And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." + So Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him and said, "[It is as] you say." + Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man." + But they kept on insisting, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place." + When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. + And when he learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time. + Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. + And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. + And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. + And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. + Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other. + Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, + and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. + "No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. + "Therefore I will punish Him and release Him." + [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner]. + But they cried out all together, saying, "Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!" + (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) + Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, + but they kept on calling out, saying, "Crucify, crucify Him!" + And he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt [demanding] death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him." + But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices [began] to prevail. + And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. + And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. + When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. + And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. + But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. + "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' + "Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, 'COVER US.' + "For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" + Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him. + When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. + But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. + And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." + The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, + and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" + Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." + One of the criminals who were hanged [there] was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" + But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? + "And we indeed [are suffering] justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." + And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" + And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." + It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, + because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. + And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last. + Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he [began] praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent." + And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, [began] to return, beating their breasts. + And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things. + And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man + (he had not consented to their plan and action), [a man] from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; + this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. + And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. + It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. + Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. + Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. + + + But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. + And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, + but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. + While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; + and as [the women] were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, [the men] said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? + "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, + saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." + And they remembered His words, + and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. + Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the [mother] of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. + But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. + But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. + And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. + And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. + While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and [began] traveling with them. + But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. + And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad. + One [of them], named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?" + And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, + and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. + "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. + "But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, + and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. + "Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see." + And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! + "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" + Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. + And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. + But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is [getting] toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." So He went in to stay with them. + When He had reclined [at the table] with them, He took the bread and blessed [it], and breaking [it], He [began] giving [it] to them. + Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. + They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" + And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, + saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." + They [began] to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. + While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be to you." + But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. + And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? + "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." + And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. + While they still could not believe [it] because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" + They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; + and He took it and ate [it] before them. + Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." + Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, + and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, + and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. + "You are witnesses of these things. + "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." + And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. + While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. + And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, + and were continually in the temple praising God. + + + + + In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. + He was in the beginning with God. + All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. + In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. + The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. + There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. + He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. + He was not the Light, but [he came] to testify about the Light. + There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. + He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. + He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. + But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name, + who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. + And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. + John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" + For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. + For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. + No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained [Him]. + This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" + And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." + They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." + Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" + He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said." + Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. + They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" + John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, [but] among you stands One whom you do not know. + "[It is] He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." + These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. + The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! + "This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' + "I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." + John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. + "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' + "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." + Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, + and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" + The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. + And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" + He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. + One of the two who heard John [speak] and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. + He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah " (which translated means Christ). + He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas " (which is translated Peter). + The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." + Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. + Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." + Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." + Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" + Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." + Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." + Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." + And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." + + + On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; + and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. + When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." + And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." + His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." + Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. + Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim. + And He said to them, "Draw [some] out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it [to him]. + When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, + and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when [the people] have drunk freely, [then he serves] the poorer [wine]; [but] you have kept the good wine until now." + This beginning of [His] signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. + After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and [His] brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days. + The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated [at their tables]. + And He made a scourge of cords, and drove [them] all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; + and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." + His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." + The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" + Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." + The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" + But He was speaking of the temple of His body. + So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. + Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. + But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, + and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. + + + Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; + this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God [as] a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." + Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." + Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" + Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. + "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. + "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' + "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." + Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" + Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? + "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. + "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? + "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. + "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; + so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. + "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. + "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. + "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. + "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. + "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. + "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." + After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. + John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and [people] were coming and were being baptized-- + for John had not yet been thrown into prison. + Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification. + And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him." + John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. + "You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of Him.' + "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. + "He must increase, but I must decrease. + "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. + "What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. + "He who has received His testimony has set his seal to [this], that God is true. + "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. + "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. + "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." + + + Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John + (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), + He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. + And He had to pass through Samaria. + So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; + and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. + There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." + For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. + Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) + Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." + She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? + "You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?" + Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; + but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." + The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw." + He said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here." + The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband'; + for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly." + The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. + "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you [people] say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." + Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. + "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. + "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. + "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." + The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us." + Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am [He]." + At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?" + So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, + "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I [have] done; this is not the Christ, is it?" + They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. + Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." + But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." + So the disciples were saying to one another, "No one brought Him [anything] to eat, did he?" + Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. + "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and [then] comes the harvest '? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. + "Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. + "For in this [case] the saying is true, 'One sows and another reaps.' + "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor." + From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I [have] done." + So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. + Many more believed because of His word; + and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." + After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. + For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. + So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. + Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. + When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring [Him] to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. + So Jesus said to him, "Unless you [people] see signs and wonders, you [simply] will not believe." + The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." + Jesus said to him, "Go; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. + As he was now going down, [his] slaves met him, saying that his son was living. + So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." + So the father knew that [it was] at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed and his whole household. + This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. + + + After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep [gate] a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. + In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; + for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted]. + A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. + When Jesus saw him lying [there], and knew that he had already been a long time [in that condition], He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?" + The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me." + Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." + Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and [began] to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. + So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet." + But he answered them, "He who made me well was the one who said to me, 'Pick up your pallet and walk.'" + They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Pick up [your pallet] and walk '?" + But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in [that] place. + Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you." + The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. + For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. + But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." + For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. + Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless [it is] something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. + "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and [the Father] will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. + "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. + "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, + so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. + "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; + and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is [the] Son of Man. + "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, + and will come forth; those who did the good [deeds] to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil [deeds] to a resurrection of judgment. + "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. + "If I [alone] testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. + "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. + "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. + "But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. + "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. + "But the testimony which I have is greater than [the testimony of] John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish-- the very works that I do-- testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. + "And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. + "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. + "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; + and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. + "I do not receive glory from men; + but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. + "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. + "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the [one and] only God? + "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. + "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. + "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" + + + After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). + A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. + Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. + Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. + Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?" + This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. + Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little." + One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, + "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" + Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. + Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. + When they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost." + So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. + Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." + So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. + Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, + and after getting into a boat, they [started to] cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. + The sea [began] to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. + Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. + But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." + So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. + The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but [that] His disciples had gone away alone. + There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. + So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. + When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You get here?" + Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. + "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." + Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" + Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." + So they said to Him, "What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? + "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'" + Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. + "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." + Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread." + Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. + "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. + "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. + "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. + "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. + "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." + Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven." + They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven '?" + Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. + "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. + "It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. + "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. + "I am the bread of life. + "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. + "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. + "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." + Then the Jews [began] to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us [His] flesh to eat?" + So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. + "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. + "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. + "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. + "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. + "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." + These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. + Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard [this] said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" + But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? + "[What] then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? + "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. + "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. + And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." + As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. + So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" + Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. + "We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." + Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and [yet] one of you is a devil?" + Now He meant Judas [the son] of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. + + + After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. + Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. + Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. + "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be [known] publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." + For not even His brothers were believing in Him. + So Jesus said to them, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. + "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. + "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come." + Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee. + But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret. + So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, "Where is He?" + There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray." + Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews. + But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and [began to] teach. + The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?" + So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. + "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or [whether] I speak from Myself. + "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. + "Did not Moses give you the Law, and [yet] none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" + The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?" + Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel. + "For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on [the] Sabbath you circumcise a man. + "If a man receives circumcision on [the] Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on [the] Sabbath? + "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." + So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? + "Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they? + "However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from." + Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. + "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me." + So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. + But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?" + The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. + Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. + "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." + The Jews then said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? + "What is this statement that He said, 'You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come '?" + Now on the last day, the great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. + "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" + But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified. + [Some] of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet." + Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? + "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" + So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. + Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. + The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" + The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks." + The Pharisees then answered them, "You have not also been led astray, have you? + "No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? + "But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed." + Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, + "Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?" + They answered him, "You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee." + [Everyone went to his home. + + + But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. + Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and [began] to teach them. + The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center [of the court], + they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. + "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" + They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. + But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him [be the] first to throw a stone at her." + Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. + When they heard it, they [began] to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center [of the court]. + Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" + She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.]" + Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." + So the Pharisees said to Him, "You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true." + Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. + "You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. + "But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone [in it], but I and the Father who sent Me. + "Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. + "I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me." + So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also." + These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come. + Then He said again to them, "I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come." + So the Jews were saying, "Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come '?" + And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. + "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am [He], you will die in your sins." + So they were saying to Him, "Who are You?" Jesus said to them, "What have I been saying to you [from] the beginning? + "I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world." + They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. + So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [He], and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. + "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." + As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. + So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, [then] you are truly disciples of Mine; + and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." + They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free '?" + Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. + "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. + "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. + "I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. + "I speak the things which I have seen with [My] Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from [your] father." + They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. + "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. + "You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." + Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. + "Why do you not understand what I am saying? [It is] because you cannot hear My word. + "You are of [your] father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [nature], for he is a liar and the father of lies. + "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. + "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? + "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear [them], because you are not of God." + The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" + Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. + "But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death." + The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets [also]; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.' + "Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out [to be]?" + Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'; + and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. + "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw [it] and was glad." + So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" + Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." + Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. + + + As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. + And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" + Jesus answered, "[It was] neither [that] this man sinned, nor his parents; but [it was] so that the works of God might be displayed in him. + "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. + "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." + When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, + and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came [back] seeing. + Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?" + Others were saying, "This is he," [still] others were saying, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the one." + So they were saying to him, "How then were your eyes opened?" + He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went away and washed, and I received sight." + They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know." + They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. + Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. + Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see." + Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them. + So they said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet." + The Jews then did not believe [it] of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, + and questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?" + His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; + but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." + His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. + For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." + So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." + He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." + So they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" + He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear [it] again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" + They reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. + "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from." + The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and [yet] He opened my eyes. + "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. + "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. + "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." + They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they put him out. + Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" + He answered, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" + Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you." + And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. + And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." + Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" + Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains. + + + "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. + "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. + "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. + "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. + "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." + This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. + So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. + "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. + "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. + "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have [it] abundantly. + "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. + "He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters [them]. + "[He flees] because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. + "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, + even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. + "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock [with] one shepherd. + "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. + "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." + A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. + Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?" + Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?" + At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; + it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. + The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." + Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. + "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. + "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; + and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. + "My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's hand. + "I and the Father are one." + The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. + Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" + The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out [to be] God." + Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS '? + "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), + do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God '? + "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; + but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." + Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. + And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. + Many came to Him and were saying, "While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true." + Many believed in Him there. + + + Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. + It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. + So the sisters sent [word] to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." + But when Jesus heard [this], He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." + Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. + So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days [longer] in the place where He was. + Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." + The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" + Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. + "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." + This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." + The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." + Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. + So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, + and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." + Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to [his] fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." + So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. + Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; + and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning [their] brother. + Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. + Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. + "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." + Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." + Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." + Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, + and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" + She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, [even] He who comes into the world." + When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." + And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. + Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. + Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. + Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." + When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her [also] weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, + and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." + Jesus wept. + So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" + But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" + So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. + Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been [dead] four days." + Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" + So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. + "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." + When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." + The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." + Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. + But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. + Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. + "If we let Him [go on] like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." + But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, + nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." + Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, + and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. + So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. + Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. + Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. + So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?" + Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him. + + + Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. + So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining [at the] [table] with Him. + Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. + But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, + "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor [people]?" + Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. + Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. + "For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me." + The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. + But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; + because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. + On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, + took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and [began] to shout, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." + Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, + "FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT." + These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. + So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify [about Him]. + For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. + So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him." + Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; + these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and [began to] ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." + Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. + And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. + "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. + "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. + "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour '? But for this purpose I came to this hour. + "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." + So the crowd [of people] who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." + Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. + "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. + "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." + But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. + The crowd then answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" + So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. + "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. + But though He had performed so many signs before them, [yet] they were not believing in Him. + [This was] to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?" + For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, + "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM." + These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. + Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing [Him], for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; + for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. + And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. + "He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. + "I have come [as] Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. + "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. + "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. + "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment [as to] what to say and what to speak. + "I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." + + + Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. + During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, [the son] of Simon, to betray Him, + [Jesus], knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, + got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. + Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. + So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" + Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter." + Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." + Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, [then wash] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." + Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all [of you]." + For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean." + So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined [at the table] again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? + "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for [so] I am. + "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. + "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor [is] one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. + "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. + "I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but [it is] that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.' + "From now on I am telling you before [it] comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am [He]. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." + When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me." + The disciples [began] looking at one another, at a loss [to know] of which one He was speaking. + There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. + So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, "Tell [us] who it is of whom He is speaking." + He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" + Jesus then answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, [the son] of Simon Iscariot. + After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." + Now no one of those reclining [at the table] knew for what purpose He had said this to him. + For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need of for the feast"; or else, that he should give something to the poor. + So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night. + Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; + if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. + "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' + "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. + "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." + Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." + Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You." + Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. + + + "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. + "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. + "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, [there] you may be also. + "And you know the way where I am going." + Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" + Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. + "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." + Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." + Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and [yet] you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how [can] you say, 'Show us the Father '? + "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. + "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. + "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. + "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do [it]. + "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. + "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; + [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. + "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. + "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you [will] see Me; because I live, you will live also. + "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. + "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." + Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" + Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. + "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. + "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. + "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. + "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. + "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. + "Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. + "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; + but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. + + + "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. + "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every [branch] that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. + "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. + "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you abide in Me. + "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. + "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. + "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. + "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples. + "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. + "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. + "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and [that] your joy may be made full. + "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. + "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. + "You are My friends if you do what I command you. + "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. + "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. + "This I command you, that you love one another. + "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it hated] you. + "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. + "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. + "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. + "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. + "He who hates Me hates My Father also. + "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. + "But [they have done this] to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, 'THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.' + "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, [that is] the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, + and you [will] testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. + + + "These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. + "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. + "These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. + "But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. + "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' + "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. + "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. + "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; + concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; + and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; + and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. + "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear [them] now. + "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. + "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you. + "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose [it] to you. + "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." + [Some] of His disciples then said to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father '?" + So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while '? We do not know what He is talking about." + Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, "Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'? + "Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. + "Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. + "Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one [will] take your joy away from you. + "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. + "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. + "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. + "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; + for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. + "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father." + His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. + "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God." + Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? + "Behold, an hour is coming, and has [already] come, for you to be scattered, each to his own [home], and to leave Me alone; and [yet] I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. + "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." + + + Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, + even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. + "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. + "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. + "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. + "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. + "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; + for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received [them] and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. + "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; + and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. + "I am no longer in the world; and [yet] they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, [the name] which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We [are]. + "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. + "But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. + "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. + "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil [one]. + "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. + "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. + "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. + "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. + "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; + that they may all be one; even as You, Father, [are] in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. + "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; + I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. + "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. + "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; + and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." + + + When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. + Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. + Judas then, having received the [Roman] cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. + So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" + They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am [He]." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. + So when He said to them, "I am [He]," they drew back and fell to the ground. + Therefore He again asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." + Jesus answered, "I told you that I am [He]; so if you seek Me, let these go their way," + to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one." + Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus. + So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" + So the [Roman] cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, + and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. + Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. + Simon Peter was following Jesus, and [so] [was] another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, + but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. + Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also [one] of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." + Now the slaves and the officers were standing [there], having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. + The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. + Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. + "Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said." + When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?" + Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?" + So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. + Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You are not also [one] of His disciples, are you?" He denied [it], and said, "I am not." + One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" + Peter then denied [it] again, and immediately a rooster crowed. + Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. + Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" + They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you." + So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," + to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die. + Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" + Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" + Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" + Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." + Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say [correctly] that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." + Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in Him. + "But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?" + So they cried out again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas." Now Barabbas was a robber. + + + Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. + And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; + and they [began] to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps [in the face]. + Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." + Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. [Pilate] said to them, "Behold, the Man!" + So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him." + The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out [to] [be] the Son of God." + Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was [even] more afraid; + and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. + So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" + Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has [the] greater sin." + As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out [to be] a king opposes Caesar." + Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. + Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" + So they cried out, "Away with [Him], away with [Him], crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." + So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. + They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. + There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. + Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS." + Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin [and] in Greek. + So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'" + Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." + Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and [also] the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. + So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, [to decide] whose it shall be"; [this was] to fulfill the Scripture: "THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS." + Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. + When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" + Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household]. + After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty." + A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon [a branch] [of] hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. + Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. + Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away. + So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; + but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. + But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. + And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. + For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN." + And again another Scripture says, "THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED." + After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret [one] for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. + Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds [weight]. + So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. + Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. + Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. + + + Now on the first [day] of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone [already] taken away from the tomb. + So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." + So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. + The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; + and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying [there]; but he did not go in. + And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying [there], + and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. + So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. + For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. + So the disciples went away again to their own homes. + But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; + and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. + And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." + When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there], and did not know that it was Jesus. + Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." + Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). + Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" + Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and [that] He had said these things to her. + So when it was evening on that day, the first [day] of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace [be] with you." + And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. + So Jesus said to them again, "Peace [be] with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." + And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. + "If you forgive the sins of any, [their sins] have been forgiven them; if you retain the [sins] of any, they have been retained." + But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. + So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." + After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace [be] with you." + Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." + Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" + Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed [are] they who did not see, and [yet] believed." + Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; + but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. + + + After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested [Himself] in this way. + Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the [sons] of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. + Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. + But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. + So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." + And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find [a catch]." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. + Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped [for work]), and threw himself into the sea. + But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net [full] of fish. + So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire [already] laid and fish placed on it, and bread. + Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." + Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. + Jesus said to them, "Come [and] have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. + Jesus came and took the bread and gave [it] to them, and the fish likewise. + This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. + So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." + He said to him again a second time, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." + He said to him the third time, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to [go]." + Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" + Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following [them]; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" + So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" + Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what [is that] to you? You follow Me!" + Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but [only], "If I want him to remain until I come, what [is that] to you?" + This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. + And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. + + + + + The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, + until the day when He was taken up [to heaven], after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. + To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over [a period of] forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. + Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," [He said], "you heard of from Me; + for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." + So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" + He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; + but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." + And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. + And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. + They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." + Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. + When they had entered [the city], they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [the] [son] of James. + These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with [the] women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. + At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, + "Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. + "For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry." + (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. + And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) + "For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT'; and, 'LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.' + "Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us-- + beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us-- one of these [must] become a witness with us of His resurrection." + So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. + And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen + to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." + And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. + + + When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. + And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. + And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. + And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. + Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. + And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. + They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? + "And how is it that we each hear [them] in our own language to which we were born? + "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, + Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, + Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them in our [own] tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." + And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" + But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine." + But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. + "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is [only] the third hour of the day; + but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: + 'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; + EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. + 'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. + 'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. + 'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.' + "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- + this [Man], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put [Him] to death. + "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. + "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. + 'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; + BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. + 'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.' + "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. + "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT [one] OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, + he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. + "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. + "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. + "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, + UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' + "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-- this Jesus whom you crucified." + Now when they heard [this], they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" + Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. + "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." + And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" + So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. + They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. + Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. + And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; + and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. + Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, + praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. + + + Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth [hour], the hour of prayer. + And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. + When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he [began] asking to receive alms. + But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!" + And he [began] to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. + But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene-- walk!" + And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. + With a leap he stood upright and [began] to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. + And all the people saw him walking and praising God; + and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to [beg] alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. + While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. + But when Peter saw [this], he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? + "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, [the one] whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. + "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, + but put to death the Prince of life, [the one] whom God raised from the dead, [a fact] to which we are witnesses. + "And on the basis of faith in His name, [it is] the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which [comes] through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. + "And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. + "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. + "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; + and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, + whom heaven must receive until [the] period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. + "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. + 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' + "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and [his] successors onward, also announced these days. + "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' + "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one [of you] from your wicked ways." + + + As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple [guard] and the Sadducees came up to them, + being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. + And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. + But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. + On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; + and Annas the high priest [was there], and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. + When they had placed them in the center, they [began to] inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" + Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, + if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, + let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead-- by this [name] this man stands here before you in good health. + "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, [but] WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]. + "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." + Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and [began] to recognize them as having been with Jesus. + And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. + But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they [began] to confer with one another, + saying, "What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. + "But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name." + And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. + But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; + for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." + When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; + for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. + When they had been released, they went to their own [companions] and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. + And when they heard [this], they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, + who by the Holy Spirit, [through] the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, 'WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? + 'THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.' + "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, + to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. + "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, + while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." + And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and [began] to speak the word of God with boldness. + And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one [of them] claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. + And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. + For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales + and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. + Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), + and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. + + + But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, + and kept back [some] of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. + But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back [some] of the price of the land? + "While it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." + And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. + The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. + Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. + And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price." + Then Peter [said] to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out [as well]." + And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. + And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things. + At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. + But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. + And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to [their number], + to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. + Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. + But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. + They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. + But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, + "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." + Upon hearing [this], they entered into the temple about daybreak and [began] to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent [orders] to the prison house for them to be brought. + But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back, + saying, "We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside." + Now when the captain of the temple [guard] and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. + But someone came and reported to them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" + Then the captain went along with the officers and [proceeded] to bring them [back] without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned). + When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, + saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." + But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. + "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. + "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. + "And we are witnesses of these things; and [so is] the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." + But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. + But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. + And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. + "For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. + "After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away [some] people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. + "So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; + but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God." + They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and [then] released them. + So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for [His] name. + And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus [as] the Christ. + + + Now at this time while the disciples were increasing [in number], a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic [Jews] against the [native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving [of food]. + So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. + "Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. + "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." + The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. + And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. + The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. + And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. + But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, [including] both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. + But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. + Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and [against] God." + And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. + They put forward false witnesses who said, "This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; + for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us." + And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel. + + + The high priest said, "Are these things so?" + And he said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, + and said to him, 'LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.' + "Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, [God] had him move to this country in which you are now living. + "But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and [yet], even when he had no child, He promised that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION, AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM. + "But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. + "'AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.' + "And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so [Abraham] became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father of] Jacob, and Jacob [of] the twelve patriarchs. + "The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. [Yet] God was with him, + and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household. + "Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction [with it], and our fathers could find no food. + "But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers [there] the first time. + "On the second [visit] Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family was disclosed to Pharaoh. + "Then Joseph sent [word] and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons [in all]. + "And Jacob went down to Egypt and [there] he and our fathers died. + "[From there] they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. + "But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, + until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH. + "It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. + "It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father's home. + "And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. + "Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. + "But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. + "And when he saw one [of them] being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. + "And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. + "On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?' + "But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? + 'YOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?' + "At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he became the father of two sons. + "After forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING THORN BUSH. + "When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look [more] closely, there came the voice of the Lord: + 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. + "BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. + 'I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.' + "This Moses whom they disowned, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?' is the one whom God sent [to be] both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. + "This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. + "This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, 'GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.' + "This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and [who was] with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. + "Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, + SAYING TO AARON, 'MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT-- WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.' + "At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. + "But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? + 'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.' + "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed [him] to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. + "And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. + "[David] found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. + "But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. + "However, the Most High does not dwell in [houses] made by [human] hands; as the prophet says: + 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? + 'WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?' + "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. + "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; + you who received the law as ordained by angels, and [yet] did not keep it." + Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they [began] gnashing their teeth at him. + But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; + and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." + But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. + When they had driven him out of the city, they [began] stoning [him]; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. + They went on stoning Stephen as he called on [the Lord] and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" + Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep. + + + Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. + [Some] devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. + But Saul [began] ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. + Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. + Philip went down to the city of Samaria and [began] proclaiming Christ to them. + The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. + For [in the case of] many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out [of them] shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. + So there was much rejoicing in that city. + Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; + and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, "This man is what is called the Great Power of God." + And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. + But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. + Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. + Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, + who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. + For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + Then they [began] laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. + Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, + saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." + But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! + "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. + "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. + "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." + But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." + So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. + But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert [road].) + So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, + and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. + Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." + Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" + And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. + Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. + "IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH." + The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please [tell me], of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?" + Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. + As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" + [And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]" + And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. + When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. + But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea. + + + Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, + and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. + As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; + and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" + And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He [said], "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, + but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." + The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. + Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. + And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. + Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." + And the Lord [said] to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, + and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." + But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; + and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." + But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; + for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." + So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." + And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; + and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, + and immediately he [began] to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." + All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and [who] had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?" + But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this [Jesus] is the Christ. + When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, + but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; + but his disciples took him by night and let him down through [an opening in] the wall, lowering him in a large basket. + When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. + But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. + And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. + And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic [Jews]; but they were attempting to put him to death. + But when the brethren learned [of it], they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. + So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. + Now as Peter was traveling through all [those regions], he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. + There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. + Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed." Immediately he got up. + And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. + Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated [in Greek] is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. + And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. + Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, "Do not delay in coming to us." + So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. + But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. + And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. + It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. + And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner [named] Simon. + + + Now [there was] a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, + a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the [Jewish] people and prayed to God continually. + About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had [just] come in and said to him, "Cornelius!" + And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. + "Now dispatch [some] men to Joppa and send for a man [named] Simon, who is also called Peter; + he is staying with a tanner [named] Simon, whose house is by the sea." + When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, + and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. + On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. + But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; + and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, + and there were in it all [kinds of] four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. + A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" + But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." + Again a voice [came] to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no [longer] consider unholy." + This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. + Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate; + and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. + While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. + "But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself." + Peter went down to the men and said, "Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?" + They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was [divinely] directed by a holy angel to send for you [to come] to his house and hear a message from you." + So he invited them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. + On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. + When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped [him]. + But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am [just] a man." + As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. + And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and [yet] God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. + "That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me." + Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, + and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. + 'Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon [the] tanner by the sea.' + "So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord." + Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand [now] that God is not one to show partiality, + but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. + "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)-- + you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. + "[You know of] Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and [how] He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. + "We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. + "God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, + not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, [that is], to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. + "And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. + "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." + While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. + All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. + For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, + "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we [did], can he?" + And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. + + + Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. + And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, + saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." + But Peter began [speaking] and [proceeded] to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, + "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, + and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. + "I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' + "But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' + "But a voice from heaven answered a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' + "This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. + "And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were [staying], having been sent to me from Caesarea. + "The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house. + "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; + and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' + "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as [He did] upon us at the beginning. + "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' + "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as [He gave] to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" + When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance [that leads] to life." + So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. + But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and [began] speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. + And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. + The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. + Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and [began] to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain [true] to the Lord; + for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. + And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; + and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. + Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. + One of them named Agabus stood up and [began] to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the [reign] of Claudius. + And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send [a contribution] for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. + And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders. + + + Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. + And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. + When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. + When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. + So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. + On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. + And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. + And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." + And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. + When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. + When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." + And when he realized [this], he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. + When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. + When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. + They said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, "It is his angel." + But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened [the door], they saw him and were amazed. + But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these things to James and the brethren." Then he left and went to another place. + Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers [as to] what could have become of Peter. + When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away [to execution]. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there. + Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king's country. + On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and [began] delivering an address to them. + The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" + And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. + But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. + And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with [them] John, who was also called Mark. + + + Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there], prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. + While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." + Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. + So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. + When they reached Salamis, they [began] to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. + When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, + who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. + But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. + But Saul, who was also [known as] Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, + and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? + "Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time." And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. + Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord. + Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. + But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. + After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." + Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: + "The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. + "For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. + "When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance-- [all of which took] about four hundred and fifty years. + "After these things He gave [them] judges until Samuel the prophet. + "Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. + "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.' + "From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, + after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. + "And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not [He]. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.' + "Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. + "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled [these] by condemning [Him]. + "And though they found no ground for [putting Him to] death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. + "When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. + "But God raised Him from the dead; + and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. + "And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, + that God has fulfilled this [promise] to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.' + "[As for the fact] that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY [and] SURE [blessings] OF DAVID.' + "Therefore He also says in another [Psalm], 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.' + "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; + but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. + "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, + and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. + "Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon [you]: + 'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'" + As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. + Now when [the meeting of] the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God. + The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. + But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and [began] contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. + Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. + "For so the Lord has commanded us, 'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'" + When the Gentiles heard this, they [began] rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. + And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. + But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. + But they shook off the dust of their feet [in protest] against them and went to Iconium. + And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. + + + In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. + But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. + Therefore they spent a long time [there] speaking boldly [with reliance] upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. + But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. + And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, + they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; + and there they continued to preach the gospel. + At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. + This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, + said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and [began] to walk. + When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us." + And they [began] calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. + The priest of Zeus, whose [temple] was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. + But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out + and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. + "In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; + and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." + [Even] saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. + But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. + But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. + After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, + strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and [saying], "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." + When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. + They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. + When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. + From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. + When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they [began] to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. + And they spent a long time with the disciples. + + + Some men came down from Judea and [began] teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." + And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, [the brethren] determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. + Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. + When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. + But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses." + The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. + After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. + "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; + and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. + "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? + "But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." + All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. + After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me. + "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. + "With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, + 'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, + SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' + SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO. + "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, + but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. + "For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath." + Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas-- Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, + and they sent this letter by them, "The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. + "Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with [their] words, unsettling your souls, + it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, + men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. + "Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word [of mouth]. + "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: + that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." + So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. + When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. + Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message. + After they had spent time [there], they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. + [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there]. + But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord. + After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [and see] how they are." + Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. + But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. + And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. + But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. + And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. + + + Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, + and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. + Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. + Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. + So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. + They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; + and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; + and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. + A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." + When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. + So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; + and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. + And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. + A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. + And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us. + It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. + Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." + She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment. + But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, + and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, + and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." + The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order [them] to be beaten with rods. + When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; + and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. + But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; + and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. + When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. + But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!" + And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, + and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" + They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." + And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. + And he took them that [very] hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his [household]. + And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. + Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men." + And the jailer reported these words to Paul, [saying], "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace." + But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out." + The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, + and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. + They went out of the prison and entered [the house of] Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. + + + Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. + And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, + explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." + And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. + But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. + When they did not find them, they [began] dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; + and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." + They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. + And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them. + The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. + Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] whether these things were so. + Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. + But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. + Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. + Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. + Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. + So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. + And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. + And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? + "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." + (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.) + So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. + "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. + "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; + nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things; + and He made from one [man] every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined [their] appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, + that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; + for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' + "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. + "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all [people] everywhere should repent, + because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." + Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some [began] to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this." + So Paul went out of their midst. + But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. + + + After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. + And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, + and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. + And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. + But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul [began] devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. + But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood [be] on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." + Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. + Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. + And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid [any longer], but go on speaking and do not be silent; + for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." + And he settled [there] a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. + But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, + saying, "This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." + But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; + but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters." + And he drove them away from the judgment seat. + And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and [began] beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things. + Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. + They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. + When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, + but taking leave of them and saying, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. + When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch. + And having spent some time [there], he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. + Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. + This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; + and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. + And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, + for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. + + + It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. + He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they [said] to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." + And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." + Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." + When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they [began] speaking with tongues and prophesying. + There were in all about twelve men. + And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading [them] about the kingdom of God. + But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. + This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. + God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, + so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. + But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." + Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. + And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" + And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. + This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. + Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. + And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and [began] burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. + So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. + Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." + And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. + About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. + For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; + these he gathered together with the workmen of similar [trades], and said, "Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. + "You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods [at all]. + "Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence." + When they heard [this] and were filled with rage, they [began] crying out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. + And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. + Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. + So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. + Some of the crowd concluded [it was] Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. + But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a [single] outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, "Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the [image] which fell down from heaven? + "So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. + "For you have brought these men [here] who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. + "So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are [available]; let them bring charges against one another. + "But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. + "For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today's events, since there is no [real] cause [for it], and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering." + After saying this he dismissed the assembly. + + + After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. + When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. + And [there] he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. + And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, [the son] of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. + But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. + We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. + On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul [began] talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. + There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. + And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. + But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him." + When he had gone [back] up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. + They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted. + But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. + And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. + Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. + For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. + From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. + And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, + serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; + how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, + solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. + "And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, + except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. + "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. + "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. + "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. + "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. + "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. + "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; + and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. + "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. + "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build [you] up and to give [you] the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. + "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. + "You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my [own] needs and to the men who were with me. + "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" + When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. + And they [began] to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, + grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship. + + + When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; + and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. + When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. + After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. + When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until [we were] out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. + Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again. + When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day. + On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. + Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. + As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. + And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" + When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents [began] begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. + Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." + And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, "The will of the Lord be done!" + After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. + [Some] of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge. + After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. + And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. + After he had greeted them, he [began] to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. + And when they heard it they [began] glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; + and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. + "What, then, is [to be done]? They will certainly hear that you have come. + "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; + take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. + "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication." + Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. + When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, [began] to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, + crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." + For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. + Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. + While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the [Roman] cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. + At once he took along [some] soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. + Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he [began] asking who he was and what he had done. + But among the crowd some were shouting one thing [and] some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. + When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; + for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, "Away with him!" + As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek? + "Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" + But Paul said, "I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people." + When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying, + + + "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now [offer] to you." + And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, + "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. + "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, + as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. + "But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, + and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' + "And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' + "And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. + "And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.' + "But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. + "A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, [and] well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, + came to me, and standing near said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very time I looked up at him. + "And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. + 'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. + 'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.' + "It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, + and I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.' + "And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. + 'And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.' + "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" + They listened to him up to this statement, and [then] they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!" + And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, + the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. + But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?" + When the centurion heard [this], he went to the commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman." + The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes." + The commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born [a citizen]." + Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains. + But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them. + + + Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day." + The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. + Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" + But the bystanders said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" + And Paul said, "I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'" + But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul [began] crying out in the Council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!" + As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. + For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. + And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and [began] to argue heatedly, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" + And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. + But on the night [immediately] following, the Lord stood at his side and said, "Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also." + When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. + There were more than forty who formed this plot. + They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. + "Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near [the place]." + But the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul. + Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, "Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him." + So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you." + The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, [began] to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?" + And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. + "So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you." + So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, "Tell no one that you have notified me of these things." + And he called to him two of the centurions and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen." + [They were] also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor. + And he wrote a letter having this form: + "Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. + "When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. + "And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council; + and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment. + "When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you." + So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. + But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks. + When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. + When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, + he said, "I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also," giving orders for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium. + + + After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney [named] Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul. + After [Paul] had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying [to the governor], "Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, + we acknowledge [this] in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. + "But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing. + "For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. + "And he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. [We wanted to judge him according to our own Law. + "But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, + ordering his accusers to come before you]. By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him." + The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so. + When the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, + since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. + "Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city [itself] did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. + "Nor can they prove to you [the charges] of which they now accuse me. + "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; + having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. + "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience [both] before God and before men. + "Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings; + in which they found me [occupied] in the temple, having been purified, without [any] crowd or uproar. But [there were] some Jews from Asia-- + who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me. + "Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the Council, + other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, 'For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.'" + But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case." + Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and [yet] have [some] freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. + But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him [speak] about faith in Christ Jesus. + But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you." + At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him. + But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned. + + + Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. + And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, + requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem ([at the same time], setting an ambush to kill him on the way). + Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. + "Therefore," he said, "let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him." + After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. + After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, + while Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." + But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these [charges]?" + But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to [the] Jews, as you also very well know. + "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." + Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, "You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go." + Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. + While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; + and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. + "I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. + "So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. + "When the accusers stood up, they [began] bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, + but they [simply] had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. + "Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. + "But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar." + Then Agrippa [said] to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him." + So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. + Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. + "But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. + "Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you [all] and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. + "For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him." + + + Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and [proceeded] to make his defense: + "In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; + especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among [the] Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. + "So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my [own] nation and at Jerusalem; + since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived [as] a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. + "And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; + [the promise] to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve [God] night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. + "Why is it considered incredible among you [people] if God does raise the dead? + "So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. + "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. + "And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. + "While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, + at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. + "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' + "And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. + 'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; + rescuing you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, + to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' + "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, + but [kept] declaring both to those of Damascus first, and [also] at Jerusalem and [then] throughout all the region of Judea, and [even] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. + "For this reason [some] Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. + "So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; + that the Christ was to suffer, [and] that by reason of [His] resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles." + While [Paul] was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! [Your] great learning is driving you mad." + But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. + "For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. + "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." + Agrippa [replied] to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." + And Paul [said], "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." + The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, + and when they had gone aside, they [began] talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment." + And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." + + + When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. + And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. + The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. + From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. + When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. + There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. + When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us [to go] farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; + and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. + When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul [began] to admonish them, + and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." + But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. + Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter [there]. + When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and [began] sailing along Crete, close [inshore]. + But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; + and when the ship was caught [in it] and could not face the wind, we gave way [to it] and let ourselves be driven along. + Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the [ship's] boat under control. + After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on [the shallows] of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. + The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; + and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. + Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing [us], from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned. + When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. + "[Yet] now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but [only] of the ship. + "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, + saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' + "Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. + "But we must run aground on a certain island." + But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors [began] to surmise that they were approaching some land. + They took soundings and found [it to be] twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found [it to be] fifteen fathoms. + Fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak. + But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the [ship's] boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, + Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved." + Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the [ship's] boat and let it fall away. + Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. + "Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish." + Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. + All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. + All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons. + When they had eaten enough, they [began] to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. + When day came, they could not recognize the land; but they did observe a bay with a beach, and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could. + And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the rudders; and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they were heading for the beach. + But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern [began] to be broken up by the force [of the waves]. + The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none [of them] would swim away and escape; + but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, + and the rest [should follow], some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land. + + + When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. + The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. + But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. + When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they [began] saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live." + However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. + But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and [began] to say that he was a god. + Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. + And it happened that the father of Publius was lying [in bed] afflicted with [recurrent] fever and dysentery; and Paul went in [to see] him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. + After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. + They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied [us] with all we needed. + At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead. + After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. + From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. + There we found [some] brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome. + And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. + When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. + After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he [began] saying to them, "Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. + "And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. + "But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. + "For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel." + They said to him, "We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. + "But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere." + When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. + Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. + And when they did not agree with one another, they [began] leaving after Paul had spoken one [parting] word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, + saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; + FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."' + "Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen." + [When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves]. + And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, + preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered. + + + + + Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called [as] an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, + which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, + concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, + who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, + through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about [the] obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, + among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; + to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called [as] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. + For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the [preaching of the] gospel of His Son, is my witness [as to] how unceasingly I make mention of you, + always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. + For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; + that is, that I may be encouraged together with you [while] among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. + I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. + I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. + So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. + For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. + For in it [the] righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS [man] SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." + For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, + because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. + For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. + For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. + Professing to be wise, they became fools, + and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. + Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. + For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. + For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, + and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. + And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, + being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; [they are] gossips, + slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, + without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; + and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. + + + Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. + And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. + But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same [yourself], that you will escape the judgment of God? + Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? + But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, + who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: + to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; + but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. + [There will be] tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, + but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. + For there is no partiality with God. + For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; + for [it is] not the hearers of the Law [who] are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. + For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, + in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, + on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. + But if you bear the name "Jew " and rely upon the Law and boast in God, + and know [His] will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, + and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, + a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, + you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? + You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? + You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? + For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written. + For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. + So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? + And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter [of the Law] and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? + For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. + But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. + + + Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? + Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. + What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? + May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man [be found] a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED." + But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) + May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? + But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? + And why not [say] (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come "? Their condemnation is just. + What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; + as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; + THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; + ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." + "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; + "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; + "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, + DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, + AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." + "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." + Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; + because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law [comes] the knowledge of sin. + But now apart from the Law [the] righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, + even [the] righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; + for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, + being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; + whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. [This was] to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; + for the demonstration, [I say], of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. + Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. + For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. + Or is God [the God] of Jews only? Is He not [the God] of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, + since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. + Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. + + + What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? + For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. + For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." + Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. + But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, + just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: + "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. + "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT." + Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." + How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; + and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, + and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. + For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. + For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; + for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. + For this reason [it is] by faith, in order that [it may be] in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, + (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, [even] God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. + In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE." + Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; + yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, + and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. + Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. + Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, + but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, + [He] who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. + + + Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, + through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. + And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; + and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; + and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. + For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. + For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. + But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. + Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him. + For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. + And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. + Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- + for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. + Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. + But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. + The gift is not like [that which came] through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment [arose] from one [transgression] resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift [arose] from many transgressions resulting in justification. + For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. + So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. + For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. + The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, + so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. + + + What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? + May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? + Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? + Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. + For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, + knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him], in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; + for he who has died is freed from sin. + Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, + knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. + For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. + Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. + Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, + and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God. + For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. + What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! + Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone [as] slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? + But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, + and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. + I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in [further] lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. + For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. + Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. + But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. + For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? + For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. + So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. + Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. + For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were [aroused] by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. + But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. + What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." + But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin [is] dead. + I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; + and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; + for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. + So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. + Therefore did that which is good become [a cause] [of] death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. + For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. + For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I [would] like to [do], but I am doing the very thing I hate. + But if I do the very thing I do not want [to do], I agree with the Law, [confessing] that the Law is good. + So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. + For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good [is] not. + For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. + But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. + I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. + For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, + but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. + Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? + Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. + + + Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. + For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. + For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did]: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [as an offering] for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, + so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. + For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. + For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, + because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able [to do so], + and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. + However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. + If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. + But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. + So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- + for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. + For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. + For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" + The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, + and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him]. + For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. + For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. + For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope + that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. + For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. + And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for [our] adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. + For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he [already] sees? + But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. + In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings too deep for words; + and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to [the will of] God. + And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. + For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; + and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. + What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? + He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? + Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; + who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. + Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? + Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." + But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. + For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, + nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, + that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. + For I could wish that I myself were accursed, [separated] from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, + who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the [temple] service and the promises, + whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. + But [it is] not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are [descended] from Israel; + nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." + That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. + For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON." + And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived [twins] by one man, our father Isaac; + for though [the twins] were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to [His] choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, + it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." + Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." + What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! + For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." + So then it [does] not [depend] on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. + For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." + So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. + You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" + On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? + Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? + What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? + And [He did so] to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, + [even] us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. + As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'" + "AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD." + Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; + FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY." + And just as Isaiah foretold, "UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH." + What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; + but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at [that] law. + Why? Because [they did] not [pursue it] by faith, but as though [it were] by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, + just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." + + + Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for [their] salvation. + For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. + For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. + For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. + For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. + But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), + or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." + But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART "-- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, + that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; + for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. + For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." + For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same [Lord] is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; + for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." + How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? + How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" + However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" + So faith [comes] from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. + But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; "THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD." + But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, "I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU." + And Isaiah is very bold and says, "I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME." + But as for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE." + + + I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. + God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in [the passage about] Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? + "Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE." + But what is the divine response to him? "I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL." + In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to [God's] gracious choice. + But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. + What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; + just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY." + And David says, "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. + "LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER." + I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. + Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! + But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, + if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. + For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will [their] acceptance be but life from the dead? + If the first piece [of dough] is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. + But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, + do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, [remember that] it is not you who supports the root, but the root [supports] you. + You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." + Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; + for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. + Behold then the kindness and severity of the Spirit is, because He inity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. + And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. + For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural [branches] be grafted into their own olive tree? + For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; + and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." + "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." + From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of [God's] choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; + for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. + For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, + so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. + For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. + Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! + For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? + Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? + For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him [be] the glory forever. Amen. + + + Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. + And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. + For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. + For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, + so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. + Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly]: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; + if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; + or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. + [Let] love [be] without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. + [Be] devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; + not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; + rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, + contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. + Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. + Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. + Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. + Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. + If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. + Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. + "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." + Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. + + + Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. + Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. + For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; + for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. + Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. + For because of this you also pay taxes, for [rulers] are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. + Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. + Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled [the] law. + For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." + Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of [the] law. + [Do] this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. + The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. + Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. + But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to [its] lusts. + + + Now accept the one who is weak in faith, [but] not for [the purpose of] passing judgment on his opinions. + One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables [only]. + The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. + Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. + One person regards one day above another, another regards every day [alike]. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. + He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. + For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; + for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. + For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. + But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. + For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." + So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. + Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. + I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. + For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. + Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; + for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. + For he who in this [way] serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. + So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. + Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. + It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or [to do anything] by which your brother stumbles. + The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. + But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because [his eating is] not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. + + + Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not [just] please ourselves. + Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. + For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME." + For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. + Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, + so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. + For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises [given] to the fathers, + and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, "THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME." + Again he says, "REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE." + And again, "PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES, AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM." + Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE." + Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. + And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. + But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, + to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that [my] offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. + Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. + For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, + in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. + And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was [already] named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation; + but as it is written, "THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND." + For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; + but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you + whenever I go to Spain-- for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while-- + but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. + For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. + Yes, they were pleased [to do so], and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. + Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. + I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. + Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, + that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and [that] my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; + so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find [refreshing] rest in your company. + Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. + + + I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; + that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. + Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, + who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; + also [greet] the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. + Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. + Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. + Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. + Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. + Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the [household] of Aristobulus. + Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the [household] of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. + Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. + Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. + Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them. + Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. + Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. + Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. + For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. + For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. + The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. + Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and [so] [do] Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. + I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. + Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. + [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen]. + Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, + but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, [leading] to obedience of faith; + to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. + + + + + Paul, called [as] an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, + To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, + that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, + even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, + so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, + who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. + God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. + Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. + For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's [people], that there are quarrels among you. + Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." + Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? + I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, + so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. + Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. + For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. + For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. + For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." + Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? + For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not [come to] know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. + For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; + but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, + but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. + Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. + For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; + but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, + and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, + so that no man may boast before God. + But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, + so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." + + + And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. + For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. + I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, + and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, + so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. + Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; + but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory; + [the wisdom] which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; + but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND [which] HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." + For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. + For who among men knows the [thoughts] of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the [thoughts] of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. + Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, + which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual [thoughts] with spiritual [words]. + But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. + But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. + For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. + + + And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. + I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able [to receive it]. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, + for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? + For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not [mere] men? + What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave [opportunity] to each one. + I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. + So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. + Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. + For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. + According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. + For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. + Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, + each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is [to be] revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. + If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. + If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. + Do you not know that you are a temple of God and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you? + If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. + Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. + For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "[He is] THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; + and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS." + So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, + whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, + and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. + + + Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. + In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. + But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by [any] human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. + For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. + Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, [but wait] until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of [men's] hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. + Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. + For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? + You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, [I] wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. + For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. + We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. + To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; + and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; + when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, [even] until now. + I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. + For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet [you would] not [have] many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. + Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. + For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. + Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. + But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. + For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. + What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? + + + It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. + You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. + For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. + In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, + [I have decided] to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. + Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump [of dough]? + Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are [in fact] unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. + Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. + I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; + I [did] not at all [mean] with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. + But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. + For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within [the church]? + But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. + + + Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? + Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent [to] [constitute] the smallest law courts? + Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? + So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? + I say [this] to your shame. [Is it] so, [that] there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, + but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? + Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? + On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. [You do] this even to [your] brethren. + Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, + nor thieves, nor [the] covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. + Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. + All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. + Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. + Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. + Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! + Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body [with her]? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." + But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit [with Him]. + Flee immorality. Every [other] sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. + Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? + For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. + + + Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. + But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. + The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. + The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband [does]; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife [does]. + Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. + But this I say by way of concession, not of command. + Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. + But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. + But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn [with passion]. + But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband + (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. + But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. + And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. + For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. + Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases], but God has called us to peace. + For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? + Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. + Was any man called [when he was already] circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. + Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but [what matters is] the keeping of the commandments of God. + Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called. + Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. + For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. + You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. + Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that [condition] in which he was called. + Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. + I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. + Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. + But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. + But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; + and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; + and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. + But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; + but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, + and [his interests] are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. + This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and [to secure] undistracted devotion to the Lord. + But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin [daughter], if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. + But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin [daughter], he will do well. + So then both he who gives his own virgin [daughter] in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better. + A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. + But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God. + + + Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. + If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; + but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. + Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. + For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, + yet for us there is [but] one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we [exist] for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we [exist] through Him. + However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat [food] as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. + But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. + But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. + For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? + For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. + And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. + Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. + + + Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? + If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. + My defense to those who examine me is this: + Do we not have a right to eat and drink? + Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? + Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? + Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? + I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? + For it is written in the Law of Moses, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not concerned about oxen, is He? + Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher [to thresh] in hope of sharing [the crops]. + If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? + If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. + Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the [food] of the temple, [and] those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? + So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. + But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. + For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. + For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. + What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. + For though I am free from all [men], I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. + To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; + to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. + To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. + I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. + Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but [only] one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. + Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then [do it] to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. + Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; + but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. + + + For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; + and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; + and all ate the same spiritual food; + and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. + Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. + Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. + Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY." + Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. + Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. + Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. + Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. + Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. + No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. + Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. + I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. + Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? + Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. + Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? + What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? + [No], but [I say] that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. + You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. + Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? + All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. + Let no one seek his own [good], but that of his neighbor. + Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience' sake; + FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. + If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience' sake. + But if anyone says to you, "This is meat sacrificed to idols," do not eat [it], for the sake of the one who informed [you], and for conscience' sake; + I mean not your own conscience, but the other [man's]; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? + If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks? + Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. + Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; + just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the [profit] of the many, so that they may be saved. + + + Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. + Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. + But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. + Every man who has [something] on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. + But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. + For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. + For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. + For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; + for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake. + Therefore the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on her head, because of the angels. + However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. + For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man [has his birth] through the woman; and all things originate from God. + Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God [with her head] uncovered? + Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, + but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. + But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God. + But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. + For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. + For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. + Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, + for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. + What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. + For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; + and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." + In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it], in remembrance of Me." + For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. + Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. + But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. + For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. + For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. + But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. + But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. + So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. + If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come. + + + Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. + You know that when you were pagans, [you were] led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. + Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. + Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. + And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. + There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all [persons]. + But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. + For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; + to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, + and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another [various] kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. + But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. + For even as the body is one and [yet] has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. + For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. + For the body is not one member, but many. + If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not [a part] of the body," it is not for this reason any the less [a part] of the body. + And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not [a part] of the body," it is not for this reason any the less [a part] of the body. + If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? + But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. + If they were all one member, where would the body be? + But now there are many members, but one body. + And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." + On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; + and those [members] of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, + whereas our more presentable members have no need [of it]. But God has [so] composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that [member] which lacked, + so that there may be no division in the body, but [that] the members may have the same care for one another. + And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if [one] member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. + Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. + And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, [various] kinds of tongues. + All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not [workers of] miracles, are they? + All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? + But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way. + + + If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. + If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. + And if I give all my possessions to feed [the poor], and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. + Love is patient, love is kind [and] is not jealous; love does not brag [and] is not arrogant, + does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong [suffered], + does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; + bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. + Love never fails; but if [there are gifts of] prophecy, they will be done away; if [there are] tongues, they will cease; if [there is] knowledge, it will be done away. + For we know in part and we prophesy in part; + but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. + When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. + For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. + But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. + + + Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual [gifts], but especially that you may prophesy. + For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in [his] spirit he speaks mysteries. + But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. + One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. + Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but [even] more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. + But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? + Yet [even] lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? + For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? + So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. + There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no [kind] is without meaning. + If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. + So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek to abound for the edification of the church. + Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. + For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. + What is [the outcome] then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. + Otherwise if you bless in the spirit [only], how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen " at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? + For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. + I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; + however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. + Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. + In the Law it is written, "BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says the Lord. + So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy [is for a sign], not to unbelievers but to those who believe. + Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? + But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; + the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. + What is [the outcome] then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. + If anyone speaks in a tongue, [it should be] by two or at the most three, and [each] in turn, and one must interpret; + but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. + Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. + But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. + For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; + and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; + for God is not [a God] of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. + The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. + If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. + Was it from you that the word of God [first] went forth? Or has it come to you only? + If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. + But if anyone does not recognize [this], he is not recognized. + Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. + But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. + + + Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, + by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. + For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, + and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, + and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. + After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; + then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; + and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. + For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. + But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. + Whether then [it was] I or they, so we preach and so you believed. + Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? + But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; + and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. + Moreover we are even found [to be] false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. + For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; + and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. + Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. + If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. + But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. + For since by a man [came] death, by a man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. + For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. + But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, + then [comes] the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. + For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. + The last enemy that will be abolished is death. + For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. + When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. + Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? + Why are we also in danger every hour? + I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. + If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE. + Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." + Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak [this] to your shame. + But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?" + You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; + and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. + But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. + All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one [flesh] of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. + There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the [glory] of the earthly is another. + There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. + So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable [body], it is raised an imperishable [body]; + it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; + it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual [body]. + So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam [became] a life-giving spirit. + However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. + The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. + As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. + Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. + Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. + Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, + in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. + For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. + But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. + "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" + The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; + but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. + Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not [in] vain in the Lord. + + + Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. + On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. + When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; + and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me. + But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; + and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. + For I do not wish to see you now [just] in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. + But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; + for a wide door for effective [service] has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. + Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord's work, as I also am. + So let no one despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren. + But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all [his] desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity. + Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. + Let all that you do be done in love. + Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), + that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. + I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. + For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men. + The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. + All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. + The greeting is in my own hand-- Paul. + If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. + The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. + My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, + who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. + For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. + But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; + and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are [sharers] of our comfort. + For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came [to us] in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; + indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; + who delivered us from so great a [peril of] death, and will deliver [us], He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, + you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through [the prayers] [of] many. + For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. + For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; + just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. + In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; + that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. + Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no [at the same time]? + But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. + For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us-- by me and Silvanus and Timothy-- was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. + For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. + Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, + who also sealed us and gave [us] the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. + But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. + Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. + + + But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. + For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? + This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be [the joy] of you all. + For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you. + But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree-- in order not to say too much-- to all of you. + Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which [was] [inflicted] by the majority, + so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort [him], otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. + Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm [your] love for him. + For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. + But one whom you forgive anything, I [forgive] also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, [I did it] for your sakes in the presence of Christ, + so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. + Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, + I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. + But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. + For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; + to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? + For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. + + + Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? + You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; + being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. + Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. + Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as [coming] from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, + who also made us adequate [as] servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. + But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading [as] it was, + how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? + For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. + For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses [it]. + For if that which fades away [was] with glory, much more that which remains [is] in glory. + Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in [our] speech, + and [are] not like Moses, [who] used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. + But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. + But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; + but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. + Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, [there] is liberty. + But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. + + + Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, + but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. + And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, + in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. + For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. + For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. + But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; + [we are] afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; + persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; + always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. + For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. + So death works in us, but life in you. + But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak, + knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. + For all things [are] for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. + Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. + For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, + while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. + + + For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. + For indeed in this [house] we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, + inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. + For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. + Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. + Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- + for we walk by faith, not by sight-- + we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. + Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. + For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. + Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. + We are not again commending ourselves to you but [are] giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have [an answer] for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. + For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. + For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; + and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. + Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him] [in this way] no longer. + Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. + Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, + namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. + Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. + He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. + + + And working together [with Him], we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain-- + for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION "-- + giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, + but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, + in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, + in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, + in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, + by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; [regarded] as deceivers and yet true; + as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, + as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. + Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. + You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. + Now in a like exchange-- I speak as to children-- open wide [to us] also. + Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? + Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? + Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. + "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. + "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. + + + Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. + Make room for us [in your hearts]; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. + I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. + Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. + For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. + But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; + and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. + For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it-- [for] I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while-- + I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to [the point of] repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to [the will of] God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. + For the sorrow that is according to [the will] [of] God produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. + For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. + So although I wrote to you, [it was] not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. + For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. + For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be [the] truth. + His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. + I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you. + + + Now, brethren, we [wish to] make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, + that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. + For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, [they gave] of their own accord, + begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, + and [this], not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. + So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. + But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, [see] that you abound in this gracious work also. + I am not speaking [this] as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. + For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. + I give [my] opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do [this], but also to desire [to do it]. + But now finish doing it also, so that just as [there was] the readiness to desire it, so [there] [may be] also the completion of it by your ability. + For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what [a person] has, not according to what he does not have. + For [this] is not for the ease of others [and] for your affliction, but by way of equality-- + at this present time your abundance [being a] [supply] for their need, so that their abundance also may become [a supply] for your need, that there may be equality; + as it is written, "HE WHO [gathered] MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO [gathered] LITTLE HAD NO LACK." + But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. + For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. + We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in [the things of] the gospel [has spread] through all the churches; + and not only [this], but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and [to show] our readiness, + taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; + for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. + We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of [his] great confidence in you. + As for Titus, [he is] my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, [they are] messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. + Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. + + + For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; + for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, [namely], that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. + But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared; + otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we-- not to speak of you-- will be put to shame by this confidence. + So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. + Now this [I say], he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. + Each one [must do] just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. + And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; + as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." + Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; + you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. + For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. + Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for [your] obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, + while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. + Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! + + + Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! + I ask that when I am present I [need] not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. + For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, + for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. + [We are] destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and [we are] taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, + and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. + You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. + For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, + for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. + For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." + Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons [we are] also in deed when present. + For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. + But we will not boast beyond [our] measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. + For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; + not boasting beyond [our] measure, [that] [is], in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, + so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, [and] not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. + But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. + For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. + + + I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. + For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you [as] a pure virgin. + But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity [of devotion] to Christ. + For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear [this] beautifully. + For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. + But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not [so] in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made [this] evident to you in all things. + Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? + I robbed other churches by taking wages [from] [them] to serve you; + and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. + As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. + Why? Because I do not love you? God knows [I do]! + But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. + For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. + No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. + Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. + Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if [you do], receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. + What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. + Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. + For you, being [so] wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. + For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. + To [my] shame I [must] say that we have been weak [by comparison]. But in whatever respect anyone [else] is bold-- I speak in foolishness-- I am just as bold myself. + Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. + Are they servants of Christ?-- I speak as if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. + Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine [lashes]. + Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. + [I have been] on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from [my] countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; + [I have been] in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. + Apart from [such] external things, there is the daily pressure on me [of] concern for all the churches. + Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? + If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. + The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. + In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, + and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and [so] escaped his hands. + + + Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. + I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. + And I know how such a man-- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows-- + was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. + On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to [my] weaknesses. + For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain [from] [this], so that no one will credit me with more than he sees [in] me or hears from me. + Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself! + Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. + And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. + Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. + I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. + The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. + For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! + Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for [their] parents, but parents for [their] children. + I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? + But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I took you in by deceit. + [Certainly] I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? + I urged Titus [to go], and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit [and walk] in the same steps? + All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. [Actually], it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. + For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps [there will be] strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; + I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced. + + + This is the third time I am coming to you. EVERY FACT IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. + I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest [as well], that if I come again I will not spare [anyone], + since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. + For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God [directed] toward you. + Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test? + But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. + Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. + For we can do nothing against the truth, but [only] for the truth. + For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete. + For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I [need] not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down. + Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. + Greet one another with a holy kiss. + All the saints greet you. + The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. + + + + + Paul, an apostle (not [sent] from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), + and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, + who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, + to whom [be] the glory forevermore. Amen. + I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; + which is [really] not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. + But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! + As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! + For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. + For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. + For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but [I received it] through a revelation of Jesus Christ. + For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; + and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. + But when God, who had set me apart [even] from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased + to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, + nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. + Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. + But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. + (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) + Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. + I was [still] unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; + but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." + And they were glorifying God because of me. + + + Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. + It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but [I did so] in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. + But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. + But [it was] because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. + But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. + But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)-- well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. + But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter [had been] to the circumcised + (for He who effectually worked for Peter in [his] apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), + and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we [might] [go] to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. + [They] only [asked] us to remember the poor-- the very thing I also was eager to do. + But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. + For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he [began] to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. + The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. + But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how [is it that] you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? + "We [are] Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; + nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. + "But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! + "For if I rebuild what I have [once] destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. + "For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. + "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. + "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness [comes] through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." + + + You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed [as] crucified? + This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? + Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? + Did you suffer so many things in vain-- if indeed it was in vain? + So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? + Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. + Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. + The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, [saying], "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." + So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. + For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM." + Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." + However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM." + Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE "-- + in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. + Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is [only] a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. + Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. + What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. + For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. + Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. + Now a mediator is not for one [party only]; whereas God is [only] one. + Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. + But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. + But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. + Therefore the Law has become our tutor [to lead us] to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. + But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. + For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. + For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. + There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. + And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. + + + Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, + but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. + So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. + But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, + so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. + Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" + Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. + However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. + But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? + You observe days and months and seasons and years. + I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. + I beg of you, brethren, become as I [am], for I also [have become] as you [are]. You have done me no wrong; + but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; + and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus [Himself]. + Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. + So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? + They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. + But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. + My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you-- + but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. + Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? + For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. + But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. + This is allegorically speaking, for these [women] are two covenants: one [proceeding] from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. + Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. + But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. + For it is written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND." + And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. + But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him [who was born] according to the Spirit, so it is now also. + But what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN." + So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. + + + It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. + Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. + And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. + You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. + For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. + For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. + You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? + This persuasion [did] not [come] from Him who calls you. + A little leaven leavens the whole lump [of dough]. + I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. + But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. + I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves. + For you were called to freedom, brethren; only [do] not [turn] your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. + For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the [statement], "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." + But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. + But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. + For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. + But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. + Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, + idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, + envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. + But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, + gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. + Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. + If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. + Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. + + + Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; [each one] looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. + Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. + For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. + But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have [reason for] boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. + For each one will bear his own load. + The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches [him]. + Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. + For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. + Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. + So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. + See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. + Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. + For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. + But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. + For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. + And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy [be] upon them, and upon the Israel of God. + From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and [who are] faithful in Christ Jesus: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, + just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love + He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, + to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. + In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace + which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight + He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him + with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, [that is], the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him + also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, + to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. + In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, + who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory. + For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which [exists] among you and your love for all the saints, + do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention [of you] in my prayers; + that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. + [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, + and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might + which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places], + far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. + And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, + which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. + + + And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, + in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. + Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. + But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, + even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), + and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, + so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. + For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; + not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. + For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. + Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision " by the so-called "Circumcision," [which is] performed in the flesh by human hands-- + [remember] that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. + But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. + For He Himself is our peace, who made both [groups into] one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, + by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, [which is] the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, [thus] establishing peace, + and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. + AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; + for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. + So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, + having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner [stone], + in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, + in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. + + + For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- + if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; + that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. + By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, + which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; + [to be specific], that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, + of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. + To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, + and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; + so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly [places]. + [This was] in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, + in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. + Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. + For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, + from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, + that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, + so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, + may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, + and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. + Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, + to Him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. + + + Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, + with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, + being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. + [There is] one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; + one Lord, one faith, one baptism, + one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. + But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. + Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." + (Now this [expression], "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? + He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) + And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, + for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; + until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. + As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; + but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him who is the head, [even] Christ, + from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. + So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, + being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; + and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. + But you did not learn Christ in this way, + if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, + that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, + and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, + and put on the new self, which in [the likeness of] God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. + Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE [of you] WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. + BE ANGRY, AND [yet] DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, + and do not give the devil an opportunity. + He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have [something] to share with one who has need. + Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment], so that it will give grace to those who hear. + Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. + Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. + Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. + + + Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; + and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. + But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; + and [there must be no] filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. + For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. + Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. + Therefore do not be partakers with them; + for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light + (for the fruit of the Light [consists] in all goodness and righteousness and truth), + trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. + Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; + for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. + But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. + For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." + Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, + making the most of your time, because the days are evil. + So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. + And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, + speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; + always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; + and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. + Wives, [be subject] to your own husbands, as to the Lord. + For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself [being] the Savior of the body. + But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives [ought to be] to their husbands in everything. + Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, + so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, + that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. + So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; + for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also [does] the church, + because we are members of His body. + FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. + This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. + Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must [see to it] that she respects her husband. + + + Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. + HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), + SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. + Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. + Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; + not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. + With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, + knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. + And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. + Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. + Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. + For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. + Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. + Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, + and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; + in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil [one]. + And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. + With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, + and [pray] on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, + for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in [proclaiming] it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. + But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. + Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible [love]. + + + + + Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, + always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, + in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. + [For I am] confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. + For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. + For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. + And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, + so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; + having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which [comes] through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. + Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, + so that my imprisonment in [the cause of] Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, + and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. + Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; + the latter [do it] out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; + the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. + What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, + for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, + according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but [that] with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. + For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. + But if [I am] to live [on] in the flesh, this [will mean] fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. + But I am hard-pressed from both [directions], having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for [that] is very much better; + yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. + Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, + so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again. + Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; + in no way alarmed by [your] opponents-- which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that [too], from God. + For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, + experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear [to be] in me. + + + Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, + make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. + Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; + do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. + Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, + who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, + but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. + Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. + For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, + so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, + and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. + So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; + for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for [His] good pleasure. + Do all things without grumbling or disputing; + so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, + holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. + But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. + You too, [I urge you], rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. + But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. + For I have no one [else] of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. + For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. + But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child [serving] his father. + Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things [go] with me; + and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. + But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; + because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. + For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. + Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned [about you]. + Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; + because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. + + + Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things [again] is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. + Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; + for we are the [true] circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, + although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: + circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; + as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. + But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. + More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, + and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith, + that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; + in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. + Not that I have already obtained [it] or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. + Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of [it] yet; but one thing [I do]: forgetting what [lies] behind and reaching forward to what [lies] ahead, + I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. + Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; + however, let us keep living by that same [standard] to which we have attained. + Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. + For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] enemies of the cross of Christ, + whose end is destruction, whose god is [their] appetite, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. + For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; + who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. + + + Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long [to see], my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. + I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. + Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in [the cause of] the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. + Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! + Let your gentle [spirit] be known to all men. The Lord is near. + Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. + And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. + Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. + The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. + But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned [before], but you lacked opportunity. + Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. + I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. + I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. + Nevertheless, you have done well to share [with me] in my affliction. + You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; + for even in Thessalonica you sent [a gift] more than once for my needs. + Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. + But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. + And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. + Now to our God and Father [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen. + Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. + All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. + The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, + To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. + We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, + since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; + because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel + which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as [it has been doing] in you also since the day you heard [of it] and understood the grace of God in truth; + just as you learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, + and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. + For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, + so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; + strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously + giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. + For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, + in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. + He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. + For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. + He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. + He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. + For it was the [Father's] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, + and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say], whether things on earth or things in heaven. + And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, [engaged] in evil deeds, + yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- + if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. + Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. + Of [this church] I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the [preaching of] the word of God, + [that is], the mystery which has been hidden from the [past] ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, + to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. + We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. + For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. + + + For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, + that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God's mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself], + in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. + I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. + For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. + Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, + having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude. + See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. + For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, + and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; + and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; + having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. + When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, + having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. + When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. + Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- + things which are a [mere] shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. + Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on [visions] he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, + and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. + If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, + "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" + (which all [refer] [to] things destined to perish with use)-- in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? + These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence. + + + Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. + Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. + For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. + When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. + Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. + For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, + and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. + But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth. + Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its [evil] practices, + and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- + [a renewal] in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. + So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; + bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. + Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity. + Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. + Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. + Whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. + Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. + Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. + Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. + Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. + Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who [merely] please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. + Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, + knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. + For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. + + + Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. + Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with [an attitude of] thanksgiving; + praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; + that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. + Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. + Let your speech always be with grace, [as though] seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. + As to all my affairs, Tychicus, [our] beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. + [For] I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; + and with him Onesimus, [our] faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your [number]. They will inform you about the whole situation here. + Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and [also] Barnabas's cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); + and [also] Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. + Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. + For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. + Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and [also] Demas. + Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. + When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter [that is coming] from Laodicea. + Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." + I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you. + + + + + Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. + We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention [of you] in our prayers; + constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, + knowing, brethren beloved by God, [His] choice of you; + for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. + You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, + so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. + For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. + For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, + and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, [that is] Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. + + + For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, + but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. + For our exhortation does not [come] from error or impurity or by way of deceit; + but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. + For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed-- God is witness-- + nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. + But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing [mother] tenderly cares for her own children. + Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. + For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, [how] working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. + You are witnesses, and [so is] God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; + just as you know how we [were] exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father [would] his own children, + so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. + For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted [it] not [as] the word of men, but [for] what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. + For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they [did] from the Jews, + who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, + hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost. + But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while-- in person, not in spirit-- were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. + For we wanted to come to you-- I, Paul, more than once-- and [yet] Satan hindered us. + For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? + For you are our glory and joy. + + + Therefore when we could endure [it] no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, + and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, + so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. + For indeed when we were with you, we [kept] telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. + For this reason, when I could endure [it] no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. + But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, + for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; + for now we [really] live, if you stand firm in the Lord. + For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, + as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith? + Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; + and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also [do] for you; + so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. + + + Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us [instruction] as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. + For you know what commandments we gave you by [the authority of] the Lord Jesus. + For this is the will of God, your sanctification; [that is], that you abstain from sexual immorality; + that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, + not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; + [and] that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is [the] avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned [you]. + For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. + So, he who rejects [this] is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. + Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for [anyone] to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; + for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, + and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, + so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need. + But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. + For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. + For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. + For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. + Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. + Therefore comfort one another with these words. + + + Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. + For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. + While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. + But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; + for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; + so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. + For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. + But since we are of [the] day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. + For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, + who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. + Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. + But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, + and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. + We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. + See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. + Rejoice always; + pray without ceasing; + in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. + Do not quench the Spirit; + do not despise prophetic utterances. + But examine everything [carefully]; hold fast to that which is good; + abstain from every form of evil. + Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. + Brethren, pray for us. + Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. + I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + + + + + Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: + Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is [only] fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows [ever] greater; + therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. + [This is] a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. + For after all it is [only] just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, + and [to give] relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, + dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. + These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, + when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-- for our testimony to you was believed. + To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, + so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and [the] Lord Jesus Christ. + + + Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, + that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. + Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, + who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. + Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? + And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. + For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains [will do so] until he is taken out of the way. + Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; + [that is], the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, + and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. + For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, + in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. + But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. + It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. + So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word [of mouth] or by letter from us. + Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, + comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. + + + Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as [it did] also with you; + and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. + But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil [one]. + We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will [continue to] do what we command. + May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. + Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. + For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, + nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we [kept] working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; + not because we do not have the right [to this], but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. + For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. + For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. + Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. + But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. + If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. + [Yet] do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. + Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! + I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, [who is] our hope, + To Timothy, [my] true child in [the] faith: Grace, mercy [and] peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. + As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, + nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than [furthering] the administration of God which is by faith. + But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. + For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, + wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. + But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, + realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers + and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, + according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. + I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, + even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; + and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are [found] in Christ Jesus. + It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost [of all]. + Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. + Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. + This command I entrust to you, Timothy, [my] son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, + keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. + Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. + + + First of all, then, I urge that entreaties [and] prayers, petitions [and] thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, + for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. + This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, + who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. + For there is one God, [and] one mediator also between God and men, [the] man Christ Jesus, + who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony [given] at the proper time. + For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. + Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. + Likewise, [I want] women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, + but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. + A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. + But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. + For it was Adam who was first created, [and] then Eve. + And [it was] not Adam [who] was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. + But [women] will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. + + + It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires [to do]. + An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, + not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. + [He must be] one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity + (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), + [and] not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. + And he must have a good reputation with those outside [the church], so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. + Deacons likewise [must be] men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, + [but] holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. + These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. + Women [must] likewise [be] dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. + Deacons must be husbands of [only] one wife, [and] good managers of [their] children and their own households. + For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. + I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; + but in case I am delayed, [I write] so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. + By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. + + + But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, + by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, + [men] who forbid marriage [and advocate] abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. + For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; + for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. + In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, [constantly] nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. + But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; + for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and [also] for the [life] to come. + It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. + For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. + Prescribe and teach these things. + Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but [rather] in speech, conduct, love, faith [and] purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. + Until I come, give attention to the [public] reading [of Scripture], to exhortation and teaching. + Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. + Take pains with these things; be [absorbed] in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. + Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. + + + Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but [rather] appeal to [him] as a father, [to] the younger men as brothers, + the older women as mothers, [and] the younger women as sisters, in all purity. + Honor widows who are widows indeed; + but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. + Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. + But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. + Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. + But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. + A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, [having been] the wife of one man, + having a reputation for good works; [and] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, [and] if she has devoted herself to every good work. + But refuse [to put] younger widows [on the list], for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, + [thus] incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. + At the same time they also learn [to be] idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper [to mention]. + Therefore, I want younger [widows] to get married, bear children, keep house, [and] give the enemy no occasion for reproach; + for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. + If any woman who is a believer has [dependent] widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed. + The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. + For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages." + Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. + Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful [of sinning]. + I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of [His] chosen angels, to maintain these [principles] without bias, doing nothing in a [spirit of] partiality. + Do not lay hands upon anyone [too] hastily and thereby share [responsibility for] the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. + No longer drink water [exclusively], but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. + The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their [sins] follow after. + Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. + + + All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and [our] doctrine will not be spoken against. + Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these [principles]. + If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, + he is conceited [and] understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, + and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. + But godliness [actually] is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. + For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. + If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. + But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. + For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. + But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance [and] gentleness. + Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. + I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, + that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, + which He will bring about at the proper time-- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, + who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him [be] honor and eternal dominion! Amen. + Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. + [Instruct them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, + storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. + O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly [and] empty chatter [and] the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge "-- + which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, + To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy [and] peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. + I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, + longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. + For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that [it is] in you as well. + For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. + For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. + Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with [me] in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, + who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, + but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, + for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. + For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. + Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. + Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to [you]. + You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. + The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; + but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me-- + the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day-- and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus. + + + You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. + The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. + Suffer hardship with [me], as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. + No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. + Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. + The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. + Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. + Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, + for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. + For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus [and] with [it] eternal glory. + It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; + If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; + If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. + Remind [them] of these things, and solemnly charge [them] in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless [and leads] to the ruin of the hearers. + Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. + But avoid worldly [and] empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, + and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, + [men] who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. + Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." + Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. + Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these [things], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. + Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love [and] peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. + But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. + The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, + with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, + and they may come to their senses [and escape] from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. + + + But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. + For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, + unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, + treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, + holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. + For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, + always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. + Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these [men] also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. + But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also. + Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, + persecutions, [and] sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium [and] at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! + Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. + But evil men and impostors will proceed [from bad] to worse, deceiving and being deceived. + You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned [them], + and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. + All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; + so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. + + + I solemnly charge [you] in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: + preach the word; be ready in season [and] out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. + For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, + and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. + But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. + For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. + I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; + in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. + Make every effort to come to me soon; + for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens [has gone] to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. + Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. + But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. + When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. + Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. + Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. + At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. + But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. + The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen. + Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. + Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus. + Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren. + The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. + + + + + Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, + in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, + but at the proper time manifested, [even] His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, + To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. + For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, + [namely], if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. + For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, + but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, + holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. + For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, + who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not [teach] for the sake of sordid gain. + One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." + This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, + not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. + To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. + They profess to know God, but by [their] deeds they deny [Him], being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. + + + But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. + Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. + Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, + so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, + [to be] sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. + Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; + in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, [with] purity in doctrine, dignified, + sound [in] speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. + [Urge] bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, + not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. + For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, + instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, + looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, + who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. + These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. + + + Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, + to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. + For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. + But when the kindness of God our Savior and [His] love for mankind appeared, + He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, + whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, + so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to [the] hope of eternal life. + This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. + But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. + Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, + knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned. + When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. + Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. + Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. + All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in [the] faith. Grace be with you all. + + + + + Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved [brother] and fellow worker, + and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, + because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; + [and I pray] that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. + For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. + Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you [to do] what is proper, + yet for love's sake I rather appeal [to you]-- since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus-- + I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, + who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. + I have sent him back to you in person, that is, [sending] my very heart, + whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; + but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. + For perhaps he was for this reason separated [from you] for a while, that you would have him back forever, + no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. + If then you regard me a partner, accept him as [you would] me. + But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; + I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). + Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. + Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. + At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. + Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, + [as do] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. + The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, + in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. + And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, + having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. + For to which of the angels did He ever say, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"? And again, "I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"? + And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM." + And of the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE." + But of the Son [He says], "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. + "YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS." + And, "YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; + THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, + AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END." + But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET "? + Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? + + + For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away [from it]. + For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, + how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, + God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. + For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. + But one has testified somewhere, saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? + "YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; + YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. + But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, [namely], Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. + For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. + For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one [Father]; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, + saying, "I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE." + And again, "I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM." And again, "BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME." + Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, + and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. + For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. + Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. + For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. + + + Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; + He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. + For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. + For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. + Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; + but Christ [was faithful] as a Son over His house-- whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. + Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, + DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, + WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED [Me] BY TESTING [Me], AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. + "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; + AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" + Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. + But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is [still] called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. + For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, + while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME." + For who provoked [Him] when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt [led] by Moses? + And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? + And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? + [So] we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. + + + Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. + For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. + For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. + For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh [day]: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS"; + and again in this [passage], "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." + Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, + He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." + For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. + So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. + For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. + Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through [following] the same example of disobedience. + For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. + And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. + Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. + For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. + Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. + + + For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; + he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; + and because of it he is obligated to offer [sacrifices] for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. + And no one takes the honor to himself, but [receives it] when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. + So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"; + just as He says also in another [passage], "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." + In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. + Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. + And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, + being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. + Concerning him we have much to say, and [it is] hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. + For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. + For everyone who partakes [only] of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. + But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. + + + Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, + of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. + And this we will do, if God permits. + For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, + and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, + and [then] have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. + For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; + but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. + But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. + For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. + And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, + so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. + For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, + saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." + And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. + For men swear by one greater [than themselves], and with them an oath [given] as confirmation is an end of every dispute. + In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, + so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. + This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a [hope] both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, + where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. + + + For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, + to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all [the spoils], was first of all, by the translation [of his name], king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. + Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. + Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. + And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. + But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. + But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. + In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one [receives them], of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. + And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, + for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. + Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need [was there] for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? + For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. + For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. + For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. + And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, + who has become [such] not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. + For it is attested [of Him], "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." + For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness + (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. + And inasmuch as [it was] not without an oath + (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER '"); + so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. + The [former] priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, + but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. + Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. + For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; + who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the [sins] of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. + For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, [appoints] a Son, made perfect forever. + + + Now the main point in what has been said [is this]: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, + a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. + For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this [high priest] also have something to offer. + Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; + who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned [by God] when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN." + But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. + For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. + For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; + NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. + "FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. + "AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. + "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." + When He said, "A new [covenant]," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. + + + Now even the first [covenant] had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. + For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which [were] the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. + Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, + having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; + and above it [were] the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. + Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, + but into the second, only the high priest [enters] once a year, not without [taking] blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. + The Holy Spirit [is] signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, + which [is] a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, + since they [relate] only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. + But when Christ appeared [as] a high priest of the good things to come, [He entered] through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; + and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. + For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, + how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? + For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were [committed] under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. + For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. + For a covenant is valid [only] when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. + Therefore even the first [covenant] was not inaugurated without blood. + For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, + saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." + And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. + And according to the Law, [one may] almost [say], all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. + Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. + For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a [mere] copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; + nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. + Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. + And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this [comes] judgment, + so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without [reference to] sin, to those who eagerly await Him. + + + For the Law, since it has [only] a shadow of the good things to come [and] not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. + Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? + But in those [sacrifices] there is a reminder of sins year by year. + For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. + Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; + IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND [sacrifices] FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. + "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" + After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND [sacrifices] FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE [in them]" (which are offered according to the Law), + then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. + By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. + Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; + but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, + waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. + For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. + And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, + "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," [He then says], + "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." + Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer [any] offering for sin. + Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, + by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, + and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, + let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. + Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; + and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, + not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another]; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. + For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, + but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. + Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on [the testimony of] two or three witnesses. + How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? + For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." + It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. + But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, + partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. + For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. + Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. + For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. + FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. + BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. + But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. + + + Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. + For by it the men of old gained approval. + By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. + By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. + By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. + And without faith it is impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. + By faith Noah, being warned [by God] about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. + By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. + By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign [land], dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; + for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. + By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. + Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, [as many descendants] AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. + All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. + For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. + And indeed if they had been thinking of that [country] from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. + But as it is, they desire a better [country], that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. + By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten [son]; + [it was he] to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." + He considered that God is able to raise [people] even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. + By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. + By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, [leaning] on the top of his staff. + By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones. + By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. + By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, + choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, + considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. + By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. + By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. + By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though [they were passing] through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. + By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. + By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. + And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, + who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed [acts of] righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, + quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. + Women received [back] their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; + and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. + They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated + ([men] of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. + And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, + because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. + + + Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, + fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. + For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. + You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; + and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; + FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." + It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father does not discipline? + But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. + Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? + For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness. + All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. + Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, + and make straight paths for your feet, so that [the limb] which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. + Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. + See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; + that [there be] no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a [single] meal. + For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. + For you have not come to [a mountain] that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, + and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which [sound was such that] those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. + For they could not bear the command, "IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED." + And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, "I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling." + But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, + to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of [the] righteous made perfect, + and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than [the blood] of Abel. + See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned [them] on earth, much less [will] we [escape] who turn away from Him who [warns] from heaven. + And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." + This [expression], "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. + Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; + for our God is a consuming fire. + + + Let love of the brethren continue. + Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. + Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, [and] those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. + Marriage [is to be held] in honor among all, and the [marriage] bed [is to be] undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. + [Make sure that] your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," + so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" + Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. + Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today and forever. + Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. + We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. + For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest [as an offering] for sin, are burned outside the camp. + Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. + So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. + For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking [the city] which is to come. + Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. + And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. + Obey your leaders and submit [to them], for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. + Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. + And I urge [you] all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner. + Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, [even] Jesus our Lord, + equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen. + But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. + Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. + Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. + Grace be with you all. + + + + + James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. + Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, + knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. + And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. + But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. + But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. + For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, + [being] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. + But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; + and the rich man [is to glory] in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. + For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. + Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which [the Lord] has promised to those who love Him. + Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. + But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. + Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. + Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. + Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. + In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. + [This] you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak [and] slow to anger; + for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. + Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and [all] that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. + But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. + For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; + for [once] he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. + But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. + If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his [own] heart, this man's religion is worthless. + Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of [our] God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, [and] to keep oneself unstained by the world. + + + My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with [an attitude of] personal favoritism. + For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, + and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," + have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? + Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? + But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? + Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? + If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. + But if you show partiality, you are committing sin [and] are convicted by the law as transgressors. + For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one [point], he has become guilty of all. + For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. + So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by [the] law of liberty. + For judgment [will be] merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. + What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? + If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, + and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for [their] body, what use is that? + Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, [being] by itself. + But someone may [well] say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." + You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. + But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? + Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? + You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; + and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. + You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. + In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? + For just as the body without [the] spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. + + + Let not many [of you] become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. + For we all stumble in many [ways]. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. + Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. + Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. + So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and [yet] it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! + And the tongue is a fire, the [very] world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of [our] life, and is set on fire by hell. + For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. + But no one can tame the tongue; [it is] a restless evil [and] full of deadly poison. + With it we bless [our] Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; + from the same mouth come [both] blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. + Does a fountain send out from the same opening [both] fresh and bitter [water]? + Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor [can] salt water produce fresh. + Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. + But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and [so] lie against the truth. + This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. + For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. + But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. + And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. + + + What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? + You lust and do not have; [so] you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; [so] you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. + You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend [it] on your pleasures. + You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. + Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? + But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." + Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. + Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. + Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. + Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. + Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge [of it]. + There is [only] one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? + Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." + Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are [just] a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. + Instead, [you ought] to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." + But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. + Therefore, to one who knows [the] right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. + + + Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. + Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. + Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! + Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, [and] which has been withheld by you, cries out [against you]; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. + You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. + You have condemned and put to death the righteous [man]; he does not resist you. + Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. + You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. + Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. + As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. + We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and [is] merciful. + But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. + Is anyone among you suffering? [Then] he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. + Is anyone among you sick? [Then] he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; + and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. + Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. + Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. + Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. + My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, + let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. + + + + + Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen + according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. + Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, + to [obtain] an inheritance [which is] imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, + who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. + In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, + so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; + and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, + obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. + As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that [would come] to you made careful searches and inquiries, + seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. + It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look. + Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober [in spirit], fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. + As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts [which were yours] in your ignorance, + but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all [your] behavior; + because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." + If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay [on earth]; + knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, + but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, [the blood] of Christ. + For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you + who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. + Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, + for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, [that is], through the living and enduring word of God. + For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, + BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you. + + + Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, + like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, + if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. + And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, + you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. + For [this] is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER [stone], AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." + This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER [stone]," + and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this [doom] they were also appointed. + But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; + for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. + Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. + Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them], glorify God in the day of visitation. + Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, + or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. + For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. + [Act] as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but [use it] as bondslaves of God. + Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. + Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. + For this [finds] favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. + For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer [for it] you patiently endure it, this [finds] favor with God. + For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, + WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; + and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; + and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. + For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. + + + In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any [of them] are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, + as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. + Your adornment must not be [merely] external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; + but [let it be] the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. + For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; + just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. + You husbands in the same way, live with [your wives] in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. + To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; + not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. + For, "THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. + "HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. + "FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." + Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? + But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, + but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always [being] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; + and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. + For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. + For Christ also died for sins once for all, [the] just for [the] unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; + in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits [now] in prison, + who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through [the] water. + Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, + who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. + + + Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, + so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. + For the time already past is sufficient [for] [you] to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. + In [all] this, they are surprised that you do not run with [them] into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign [you]; + but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. + For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to [the] [will of] God. + The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober [spirit] for the purpose of prayer. + Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. + Be hospitable to one another without complaint. + As each one has received a [special] gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. + Whoever speaks, [is to do so] as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves [is to do] [so] as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. + Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; + but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. + If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. + Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; + but if [anyone suffers] as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. + For [it is] time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if [it] [begins] with us first, what [will be] the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? + AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? + Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. + + + Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as [your] fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, + shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to [the will of] God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; + nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. + And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. + You younger men, likewise, be subject to [your] elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. + Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, + casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. + Be of sober [spirit], be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. + But resist him, firm in [your] faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. + After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen [and] establish you. + To Him [be] dominion forever and ever. Amen. + Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard [him]), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! + She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and [so does] my son, Mark. + Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ. + + + + + Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: + Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; + seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. + For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. + Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in [your] moral excellence, knowledge, + and in [your] knowledge, self-control, and in [your] self-control, perseverance, and in [your] perseverance, godliness, + and in [your] godliness, brotherly kindness, and in [your] brotherly kindness, love. + For if these [qualities] are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. + For he who lacks these [qualities] is blind [or] short-sighted, having forgotten [his] purification from his former sins. + Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; + for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. + Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you [already] know [them], and have been established in the truth which is present with [you]. + I consider it right, as long as I am in this [earthly] dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, + knowing that the laying aside of my [earthly] dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. + And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. + For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. + For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased "-- + and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. + [So] we have the prophetic word [made] more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. + But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of one's own interpretation, + for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. + + + But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. + Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; + and in [their] greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. + For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; + and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; + and [if] He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing [them] to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly [lives] thereafter; + and [if] He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men + (for by what he saw and heard [that] righteous man, while living among them, felt [his] righteous soul tormented day after day by [their] lawless deeds), + [then] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, + and especially those who indulge the flesh in [its] corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, + whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. + But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, + suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, + having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; + forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the [son] of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; + but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, [for] a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. + These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. + For speaking out arrogant [words] of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, + promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. + For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. + For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. + It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, [returns] to wallowing in the mire." + + + This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, + that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior [spoken] by your apostles. + Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with [their] mocking, following after their own lusts, + and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For [ever] since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." + For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God [the] heavens existed long ago and [the] earth was formed out of water and by water, + through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. + But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. + But do not let this one [fact] escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. + The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. + But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. + Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, + looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! + But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. + Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, + and regard the patience of our Lord [as] salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, + as also in all [his] letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as [they do] also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. + You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, + but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him [be] the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. + + + + + What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-- + and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- + what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. + These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. + This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. + If we say that we have fellowship with Him and [yet] walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; + but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. + If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. + If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. + If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. + + + My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; + and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for [those of] the whole world. + By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. + The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; + but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: + the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. + Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. + On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. + The one who says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother is in the darkness until now. + The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. + But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. + I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. + I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. + I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. + Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. + For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. + The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. + Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. + They went out from us, but they were not [really] of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out], so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. + But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. + I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. + Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. + Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. + As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. + This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. + These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. + As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. + Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. + If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. + + + See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and [such] we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. + Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. + And everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. + Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. + You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. + No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. + Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; + the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. + No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. + By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. + For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; + not as Cain, [who] was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. + Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. + We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. + Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. + We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. + But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? + Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. + We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him + in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. + Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; + and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. + This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. + The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. + + + Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. + By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; + and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. + You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. + They are from the world; therefore they speak [as] from the world, and the world listens to them. + We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. + Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. + The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. + By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. + In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. + Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. + No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. + By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. + We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world. + Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. + We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. + By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. + There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. + We love, because He first loved us. + If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. + And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. + + + Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the [child] born of Him. + By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. + For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. + For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith. + Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? + This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. + For there are three that testify: + the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. + If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. + The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. + And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. + He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. + These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. + This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. + And if we know that He hears us [in] whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. + If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not [leading] to death, he shall ask and [God] will for him give life to those who commit sin not [leading] to death. There is a sin [leading] to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. + All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not [leading] to death. + We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. + We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in [the power of] the evil one. + And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. + Little children, guard yourselves from idols. + + + + + The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, + for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: + Grace, mercy [and] peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. + I was very glad to find [some] of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment [to do] from the Father. + Now I ask you, lady, not as though [I were] writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. + And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. + For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ [as] coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. + Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. + Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. + If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into [your] house, and do not give him a greeting; + for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. + Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to [do so] with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. + The children of your chosen sister greet you. + + + + + The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. + Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. + For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, [that is], how you are walking in truth. + I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. + Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially [when they are] strangers; + and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. + For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. + Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. + I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. + For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire [to do so] and puts [them] out of the church. + Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. + Demetrius has received a [good] testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. + I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write [them] to you with pen and ink; + but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face. + Peace [be] to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. + + + + + Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: + May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. + Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. + For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. + Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. + And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, + just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. + Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. + But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" + But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. + Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. + These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; + wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. + [It was] also about these men [that] Enoch, [in] the seventh [generation] from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, + to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." + These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their [own] lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of [gaining an] advantage. + But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, + that they were saying to you, "In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." + These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. + But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, + keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. + And have mercy on some, who are doubting; + save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. + Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, + to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [be] glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. + + + + + The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated [it] by His angel to His bond-servant John, + who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, [even] to all that he saw. + Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. + John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, + and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-- + and He has made us [to be] a kingdom, priests to His God and Father-- to Him [be] the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. + BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. + "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." + I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance [which are] in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. + I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like [the sound] of a trumpet, + saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send [it] to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." + Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; + and in the middle of the lampstands [I saw] one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. + His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. + His feet [were] like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice [was] like the sound of many waters. + In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. + When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, + and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. + "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. + "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. + + + "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: + 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them [to be] false; + and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. + 'But I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love. + 'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place-- unless you repent. + 'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.' + "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: + 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. + 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.' + "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: + 'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. + 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of] immorality. + 'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. + 'Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give [some] of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.' + "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: + 'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. + 'But I have [this] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit [acts of] immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. + 'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. + 'Behold, I will throw her on a bed [of sickness], and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. + 'And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. + 'But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them-- I place no other burden on you. + 'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. + 'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; + AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received [authority] from My Father; + and I will give him the morning star. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' + + + "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. + 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. + 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep [it], and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. + 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. + 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' + "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: + 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. + 'Behold, I will cause [those] of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie-- I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and [make them] know that I have loved you. + 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that [hour] which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. + 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. + 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' + "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: + 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. + 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. + 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, + I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and [that] the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. + 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. + 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. + 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. + 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" + + + After these things I looked, and behold, a door [standing] open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like [the sound] of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." + Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. + And He who was sitting [was] like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and [there was] a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. + Around the throne [were] twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones [I saw] twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. + Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; + and before the throne [there was something] like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. + The first creature [was] like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature [was] like a flying eagle. + And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY [is] THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." + And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, + the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, + "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." + + + I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. + And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" + And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. + Then I [began] to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; + and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." + And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. + And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. + When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. + And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood [men] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. + "You have made them [to be] a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." + Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, + saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." + And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, [be] blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." + And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. + + + Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." + I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. + When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." + And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that [men] would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. + When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. + And I heard [something] like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." + When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." + I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. + When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; + and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" + And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. + I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth [made] of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; + and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. + The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. + Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; + and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; + for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" + + + After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. + And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, + saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." + And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: + from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand [were] sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, + from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, + from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, + from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand [were] sealed. + After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches [were] in their hands; + and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." + And all the angels were standing around the throne and [around] the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, + saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, [be] to our God forever and ever. Amen." + Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" + I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. + "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. + "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; + for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." + + + When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. + And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. + Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. + And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. + Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. + And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. + The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. + The second angel sounded, and [something] like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, + and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. + The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. + The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. + The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. + Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" + + + Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. + He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. + Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. + They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. + And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. + And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. + The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. + They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like [the teeth] of lions. + They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. + They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. + They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. + The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. + Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, + one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." + And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. + The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. + And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: [the riders] had breastplates [the color] of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. + A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. + For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. + The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; + and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. + + + I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; + and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; + and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. + When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them." + Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, + and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, + but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. + Then the voice which I heard from heaven, [I heard] again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." + So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." + I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. + And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings." + + + Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. + "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. + "And I will grant [authority] to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." + These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. + And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. + These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. + When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. + And their dead bodies [will lie] in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. + Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations [will] look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. + And those who dwell on the earth [will] rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. + But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. + And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. + And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. + The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. + Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become [the kingdom] of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." + And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, + saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. + "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time [came] for the dead to be judged, and [the time] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." + And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. + + + A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; + and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. + Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads [were] seven diadems. + And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. + And she gave birth to a son, a male [child], who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. + Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. + And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, + and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. + And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. + Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. + "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. + "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has [only] a short time." + And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male [child]. + But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. + And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. + But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. + So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. + + + And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns [were] ten diadems, and on his heads [were] blasphemous names. + And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like [those] of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. + [I saw] one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed [and followed] after the beast; + they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" + There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. + And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, [that is], those who dwell in heaven. + It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. + All who dwell on the earth will worship him, [everyone] whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. + If anyone has an ear, let him hear. + If anyone [is destined] for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. + Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. + He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. + He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. + And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. + And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. + And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, + and [he provides] that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, [either] the name of the beast or the number of his name. + Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. + + + Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb [was] standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. + And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard [was] like [the sound] of harpists playing on their harps. + And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. + These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These [are] the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. + And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. + And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; + and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." + And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality." + Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, + he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. + "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." + Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. + And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them." + Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud [was] one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. + And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." + Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. + And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. + Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." + So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered [the clusters from] the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. + And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. + + + Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, [which are] the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. + And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. + And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! + "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." + After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, + and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean [and] bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. + Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. + And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. + + + Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." + So the first [angel] went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. + The second [angel] poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like [that] of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. + Then the third [angel] poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. + And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; + for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it." + And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." + The fourth [angel] poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. + Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. + Then the fifth [angel] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, + and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. + The sixth [angel] poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. + And I saw [coming] out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; + for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. + ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") + And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. + Then the seventh [angel] poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." + And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake [was it, and] so mighty. + The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. + And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. + And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. + + + Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, + with whom the kings of the earth committed [acts of] immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." + And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. + The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, + and on her forehead a name [was] written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." + And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. + And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. + "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. + "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, + and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. + "The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is [one] of the seven, and he goes to destruction. + "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. + "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. + "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him [are the] called and chosen and faithful." + And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. + "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. + "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. + "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." + + + After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. + And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. + "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed [acts of] immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality." + I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; + for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. + "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back [to her] double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. + "To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT [as] A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.' + "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. + "And the kings of the earth, who committed [acts of] immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, + standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' + "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more-- + cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every [kind of] citron wood and every article of ivory and every article [made] from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, + and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and [cargoes] of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. + "The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and [men] will no longer find them. + "The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, + saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; + for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, + and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What [city] is like the great city?' + "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!' + "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her." + Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. + "And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; + and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. + "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." + + + After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; + BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." + And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER." + And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" + And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." + Then I heard [something] like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. + "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." + It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright [and] clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. + Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." + Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." + And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. + His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself. + [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. + And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. + From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. + And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." + Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, + so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." + And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. + And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. + And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. + + + Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. + And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; + and he threw him into the abyss, and shut [it] and sealed [it] over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. + Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I [saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. + The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. + Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. + When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, + and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. + And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. + And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. + Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. + And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. + And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one [of them] according to their deeds. + Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. + And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. + + + Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea. + And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. + And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, + and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." + And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." + Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. + "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. + "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part [will be] in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." + Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." + And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, + having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. + It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names [were] written on them, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. + [There were] three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. + And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them [were] the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. + The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. + The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. + And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, [according to] human measurements, which are [also] angelic [measurements]. + The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. + The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; + the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. + And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. + I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. + And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp [is] the Lamb. + The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. + In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; + and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; + and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. + + + Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, + in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve [kinds of] fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. + There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; + they will see His face, and His name [will be] on their foreheads. + And there will no longer be [any] night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. + And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. + "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." + I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. + But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God." + And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. + "Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." + "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward [is] with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. + "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." + Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. + Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. + "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." + The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. + I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; + and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. + He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. + The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. + + + diff --git a/Bibles/NIRV.xml b/Bibles/NIRV.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..97f5efb --- /dev/null +++ b/Bibles/NIRV.xml @@ -0,0 +1,33617 @@ + + + + + + In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. + The earth didn't have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. + God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. + God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness. + God called the light "day." He called the darkness "night." There was evening, and there was morning. It was day one. + God said, "Let there be a huge space between the waters. Let it separate water from water." + And that's exactly what happened. God made the huge space between the waters. He separated the water that was under the space from the water that was above it. + God called the huge space "sky." There was evening, and there was morning. It was day two. + God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place. Let dry ground appear." And that's exactly what happened. + God called the dry ground "land." He called the waters that were gathered together "oceans." And God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let the land produce plants. Let them bear their own seeds. And let there be trees on the land that bear fruit with seeds in it. Let each kind of plant or tree have its own kind of seeds." And that's exactly what happened. + The land produced plants. Each kind of plant had its own kind of seeds. The land produced trees that bore fruit with seeds in it. Each kind of tree had its own kind of seeds. God saw that it was good. + And there was evening, and there was morning. It was day three. + God said, "Let there be lights in the huge space of the sky. Let them separate the day from the night. Let them serve as signs to mark off the seasons and the days and the years. + Let them serve as lights in the huge space of the sky to give light on the earth." And that's exactly what happened. + God made two great lights. He made the larger light to rule over the day. He made the smaller light to rule over the night. He also made the stars. + God put the lights in the huge space of the sky to give light on the earth. + He put them there to rule over the day and the night. He put them there to separate light from darkness. God saw that it was good. + And there was evening, and there was morning. It was day four. + God said, "Let the waters be filled with living things. Let birds fly above the earth across the huge space of the sky." + So God created the great creatures of the ocean. He created every living and moving thing that fills the waters. He created all kinds of them. He created every kind of bird that flies. And God saw that it was good. + God blessed them. He said, "Have little ones and increase your numbers. Fill the water in the oceans. Let there be more and more birds on the earth." + There was evening, and there was morning. It was day five. + God said, "Let the land produce all kinds of living creatures. Let there be livestock, and creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals. Let there be all kinds of them." And that's exactly what happened. + God made all kinds of wild animals. He made all kinds of livestock. He made all kinds of creatures that move along the ground. And God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let us make man in our likeness. Let them rule over the fish in the waters and the birds of the air. Let them rule over the livestock and over the whole earth. Let them rule over all of the creatures that move along the ground." + So God created man in his own likeness. He created him in the likeness of God. He created them as male and female. + God blessed them. He said to them, "Have children and increase your numbers. Fill the earth and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the waters and the birds of the air. Rule over every living creature that moves on the ground." + Then God said, "I am giving you every plant on the face of the whole earth that bears its own seeds. I am giving you every tree that has fruit with seeds in it. All of them will be given to you for food. + "I am giving every green plant to all of the land animals and the birds of the air for food. I am also giving the plants to all of the creatures that move on the ground. I am giving them to every living thing that breathes." And that's exactly what happened. + God saw everything he had made. And it was very good. There was evening, and there was morning. It was day six. + + + So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. + By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing. So on the seventh day he rested from all of his work. + God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. He rested on it. After he had created everything, he rested from all of the work he had done. + Here is the story of the heavens and the earth when they were created. The Lord God made the earth and the heavens. + At that time, bushes had not appeared on the earth. Plants had not come up in the fields. The Lord God had not sent rain on the earth. And there wasn't any man to work the ground. + But streams came up from the earth. They watered the whole surface of the ground. + Then the Lord God formed a man. He made him out of the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into him. And the man became a living person. + The Lord God had planted a garden in the east. It was in Eden. There he put the man he had formed. + The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground. Their fruit was pleasing to look at and good to eat. The tree that gives life forever was in the middle of the garden. The tree that gives the ability to tell the difference between good and evil was also there. + A river watered the garden. It flowed from Eden. From there it separated into four other rivers. + The name of the first river is the Pishon. It winds through the whole land of Havilah. Gold is found there. + The gold of that land is good. Onyx and sweet-smelling resin are also found there. + The name of the second river is the Gihon. It winds through the whole land of Cush. + The name of the third river is the Tigris. It runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. + The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden. He put him there to work its ground and to take care of it. + The Lord God gave the man a command. He said, "You can eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden. + But you must not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you can be sure that you will die." + The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." + The Lord God had formed all of the wild animals. He had also formed all of the birds of the air. He had made all of them out of the ground. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give them. And the name the man gave each living creature became its name. + So the man gave names to all of the livestock. He gave names to all of the birds of the air. And he gave names to all of the wild animals. But Adam didn't find a helper that was right for him. + So the Lord God caused him to fall into a deep sleep. While the man was sleeping, the Lord God took out one of his ribs. He closed up the opening that was in his side. + Then the Lord God made a woman. He made her from the rib he had taken out of the man. And he brought her to him. + The man said, "Her bones have come from my bones. Her body has come from my body. She will be named 'woman,' because she was taken out of a man." + That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two of them will become one. + The man and his wife were both naked. They didn't feel any shame. + + + The serpent was more clever than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden'?" + The woman said to the serpent, "We can eat the fruit of the trees that are in the garden. + But God did say, 'You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it. If you do, you will die.' " + "You can be sure that you won't die," the serpent said to the woman. + "God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree, you will know things you have never known before. You will be able to tell the difference between good and evil. You will be like God." + The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat. It was also pleasing to look at. And it would make a person wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. And he ate it. + Then both of them knew things they had never known before. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves. + Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden. It was the coolest time of the day. They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. + But the Lord God called out to the man. "Where are you?" he asked. + "I heard you in the garden," the man answered. "I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid." + The Lord God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten the fruit of the tree I commanded you not to eat?" + The man said, "It was the woman you put here with me. She gave me some fruit from the tree. And I ate it." + Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me. That's why I ate the fruit." + So the Lord God spoke to the serpent. He said, "Because you have done this, "I am putting a curse on you. You are cursed more than all of the livestock and all of the wild animals. You will crawl on the ground. You will eat dust all of the days of your life. + I will put hatred between you and the woman. Your children and her children will be enemies. Her son will crush your head. And you will crush his heel." + The Lord God said to the woman, "I will greatly increase your pain when you give birth. You will be in pain when you have children. You will long for your husband. And he will rule over you." + The Lord God said to Adam, "You listened to your wife. You ate the fruit of the tree that I commanded you about. I said, 'You must not eat its fruit.' "So I am putting a curse on the ground because of what you did. All the days of your life you will have to work hard to get food from the ground. + You will eat the plants of the field, even though the ground produces thorns and thistles. + You will have to work hard and sweat a lot to produce the food you eat. You were made out of the ground. And you will return to it. You are dust. So you will return to it." + Adam named his wife Eve. She would become the mother of every living person. + The Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife to wear. + The Lord God said, "The man has become like one of us. He can now tell the difference between good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick fruit from the tree of life and eat it. If he does, he will live forever." + So the Lord God drove the man out of the Garden of Eden to work the ground he had been made out of. + The Lord God drove him out and then placed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden. He also placed a flaming sword there. It flashed back and forth. The cherubim and the sword guarded the way to the tree of life. + + + Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the Lord's help I have had a baby boy." + Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain worked the ground. + After some time, Cain gathered some of the things he had grown. He brought them as an offering to the Lord. + But Abel brought the fattest parts of some of the lambs from his flock. They were the male animals that were born first to their mothers. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering. + But he wasn't pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry. His face was sad. + Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why are you looking so sad? + Do what is right. Then you will be accepted. If you don't do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you. It longs to have you. But you must rule over it." + Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." So they went out. There Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. + Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?" + The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. + "So I am putting a curse on you. I am driving you away from the ground. It has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. + When you work the ground, it will not produce its crops for you anymore. You will be a restless person who wanders around on the earth." + Cain said to the Lord, "You are punishing me more than I can take. + Today you are driving me away from the land. I will be hidden from you. I'll be a restless person who wanders around on the earth. Anyone who finds me will kill me." + But the Lord said to him, "No. Anyone who kills you will be paid back seven times." The Lord put a mark on Cain. Then anyone who found him wouldn't kill him. + So Cain went away from the Lord. He lived in the land of Nod. It was east of Eden. + Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city. He named it after his son Enoch. + Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech. + Lamech married two women. One was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah. + Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. + His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of everyone who plays the harp and flute. + Zillah also had a son. His name was Tubal-Cain. He made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. + Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me. You wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man because he wounded me. I have killed a young man because he hurt me. + Anyone who would have killed Cain would have been paid back seven times. But anyone who hurts me will be paid back 77 times." + Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth. She said, "God has given me another child. The child will take the place of Abel, because Cain killed him." + Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship the Lord. + + + Here is the written story of Adam's family line. When God created man, he made him in his own likeness. + He created them as male and female. He blessed them. And he called them "man" when they were created. + When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness. He named him Seth. + Adam lived 800 years after Seth was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Adam lived a total of 930 years. Then he died. + Seth lived 105 years. Then he became the father of Enosh. + Seth lived 807 years after Enosh was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Seth lived a total of 912 years. Then he died. + Enosh lived 90 years. Then he became the father of Kenan. + Enosh lived 815 years after Kenan was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Enosh lived a total of 905 years. Then he died. + Kenan lived 70 years. Then he became the father of Mahalalel. + Kenan lived 840 years after Mahalalel was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Kenan lived a total of 910 years. Then he died. + Mahalalel lived 65 years. Then he became the father of Jared. + Mahalalel lived 830 years after Jared was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years. Then he died. + Jared lived 162 years. Then he became the father of Enoch. + Jared lived 800 years after Enoch was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Jared lived a total of 962 years. Then he died. + Enoch lived 65 years. Then he became the father of Methuselah. + Enoch walked with God 300 years after Methuselah was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Enoch lived a total of 365 years. + Enoch walked with God. Then he couldn't be found, because God took him from this life. + Methuselah lived 187 years. Then he became the father of Lamech. + Methuselah lived 782 years after Lamech was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Methuselah lived a total of 969 years. Then he died. + Lamech lived 182 years. Then he had a son. + He named him Noah. Lamech said, "He will comfort us when we are working. He'll comfort us when our hands work so hard they hurt. We have to work hard. That's because the Lord has put a curse on the ground." + Lamech lived 595 years after Noah was born. He also had other sons and daughters. + Lamech lived a total of 777 years. Then he died. + After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth. + + + Men began to increase their numbers on the earth, and daughters were born to them. + The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. So they married any of them they chose. + Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not struggle with man forever. He will die. He will have only 120 years to live until I judge him." + The Nephilim were on the earth in those days. That was when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. The Nephilim were the heroes of long ago. They were famous men. Nephilim were also on the earth later on. + The Lord saw how bad the sins of man had become on the earth. All of the thoughts in his heart were always directed only toward what was evil. + The Lord was very sad that he had made man on the earth. His heart was filled with pain. + So the Lord said, "I created man on the earth. But I will wipe them out. I will destroy people and animals alike. I will also destroy the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air. I am very sad that I have made man." + But the Lord was pleased with Noah. + Here is the story of Noah. Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked with God. + Noah had three sons. Their names were Shem, Ham and Japheth. + The earth was very sinful in God's eyes. It was full of mean and harmful acts. + God saw how sinful the earth had become. All of the people on earth were leading very sinful lives. + So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people. They have filled the earth with their harmful acts. You can be sure that I am going to destroy both them and the earth. + "So make yourself an ark out of cypress wood. Make rooms in it. Cover it with tar inside and out. + Here is how I want you to build it. The ark has to be 450 feet long. It has to be 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. + Make a roof for it. Leave the sides of the ark open a foot and a half from the top. Put a door in one side of the ark. Make lower, middle and upper decks. + "I am going to bring a flood on the earth. It will destroy all life under the sky. It will destroy every living creature that breathes. Everything on earth will die. + "But I will make my covenant with you. You will enter the ark. Your sons and your wife and your sons' wives will enter it with you. + "Bring two of every living thing into the ark. Bring male and female of them into it. They will be kept alive with you. + Two of every kind of bird will come to you. Two of every kind of animal will come to you. And two of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you. All of them will be kept alive with you. + "Take every kind of food that you will need. Store it away. It will be food for you and for them." + Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him. + + + Then the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the ark with your whole family. I know that you are a godly man among the people of today. + "Take seven of every kind of 'clean' animal with you. Take male and female of them. Take two of every kind of animal that is not 'clean.' Take male and female of them. + Also take seven of every kind of bird. Take male and female of them. That will keep every kind alive. Then they can spread out again over the whole earth. + "Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth. It will rain for 40 days and 40 nights. I will destroy from the face of the earth every living thing I have made." + Noah did everything the Lord commanded him to do. + Noah was 600 years old when the flood came on the earth. + He and his sons entered the ark. His wife and his sons' wives went with them. They entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. + Pairs of "clean" animals and pairs of animals that were not "clean" came to Noah. So did pairs of birds and pairs of all of the creatures that move along the ground. + Male and female of all of them came to Noah and entered the ark. Everything happened exactly as God had commanded Noah. + After seven days the flood came on the earth. + Noah was 600 years old. It was the 17th day of the second month of the year. On that day all of the springs at the bottom of the oceans burst open. God opened the windows of the skies. + Rain fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. + On that same day Noah entered the ark together with Shem, Ham and Japheth. Noah's wife and the wives of his three sons also entered it. + They had every kind of wild animal with them. They had every kind of livestock. They had every kind of creature that moves along the ground. And they had every kind of bird that flies. + Pairs of all living creatures that breathe came to Noah and entered the ark. + The animals going in were male and female of every living thing. Everything happened exactly as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in. + For 40 days the flood kept coming on the earth. As the waters rose higher, they lifted the ark high above the earth. + The waters rose higher and higher on the earth. And the ark floated on the water. + The waters rose on the earth until all of the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. + The waters continued to rise until they covered the mountains by more than 20 feet. + Every living thing that moved on the earth died. The birds, the livestock and the wild animals died. All of the creatures that fill the earth also died. And so did every human being. + Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in it died. + Every living thing on the earth was wiped out. People and animals were destroyed. The creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped out. Everything was destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark were left. + The waters flooded the earth for 150 days. + + + But God showed concern for Noah. He also showed concern for all of the wild animals and livestock that were with Noah in the ark. So God sent a wind over the earth. And the waters began to go down. + The springs at the bottom of the oceans had been closed. The windows of the skies had been closed. And the rain had stopped falling from the sky. + The water continued to go down from the earth. At the end of the 150 days the water had gone down. + On the 17th day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. + The waters continued to go down until the tenth month. On the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains could be seen. + After 40 days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark. + He sent a raven out. It kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. + Then Noah sent a dove out. He wanted to see if the water had gone down from the surface of the ground. + But the dove couldn't find any place to put its feet down. There was still water over the whole surface of the earth. So the dove returned to Noah in the ark. Noah reached out his hand and took the dove in. He brought it back to himself in the ark. + He waited seven more days. Then he sent the dove out from the ark again. + In the evening the dove returned to him. There in its beak was a freshly picked olive leaf! So Noah knew that the water on the earth had gone down. + He waited seven more days. Then he sent the dove out again. But that time it didn't return to him. + It was the first day of the first month of Noah's 601st year. The water had dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering from the ark. He saw that the surface of the ground was dry. + By the 27th day of the second month the earth was completely dry. + Then God said to Noah, + "Come out of the ark. Bring your wife and your sons and their wives with you. + "Bring out every kind of living thing that is with you. Bring the birds, the animals, and all of the creatures that move along the ground. Then they can multiply on the earth. They can have little ones and increase their numbers." + So Noah came out of the ark. His sons and his wife and his sons' wives were with him. + All of the animals came out of the ark. The creatures that move along the ground also came out. So did all of the birds. Everything that moves on the earth came out of the ark. One kind after another came out. + Then Noah built an altar to honor the Lord. He took some of all of the "clean" animals and birds. He sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar. + Their smell was pleasant to the Lord. He said to himself, "I will never put a curse on the ground again because of man. I will not do it even though his heart is always directed toward what is evil. His thoughts are evil from the time he is young. I will never destroy all living things again, as I have just done. + "As long as the earth lasts, there will always be a time to plant and a time to gather the crops. As long as the earth lasts, there will always be cold and heat. There will always be summer and winter, day and night." + + + Then God gave his blessing to Noah and his sons. He said to them, "Have children and increase your numbers. Fill the earth. + "All of the land animals will be afraid of you. All of the birds of the air will fear you. Every creature that moves along the ground will fear you. Every fish in the oceans will also be afraid of you. Every living thing is put under your control. + "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. I have already given you the green plants for food. Now I am giving you everything. + "But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it. + You can be sure that I will hold someone accountable if you are murdered. I will even hold animals accountable if they kill you. I will also hold anyone accountable who murders another person. + "Anyone who murders man will be killed by man. That is because I have made man in my own likeness. + "Have children and increase your numbers. Multiply on the earth and increase your numbers on it." + Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons who were with him. He said, + "I am now making my covenant with you and with all of your children who will be born after you. + I am making it also with every living thing that was with you in the ark. I am making my covenant with the birds, the livestock and all of the wild animals. I am making it with all of the creatures that came out of the ark with you. I am making it with every living thing on earth. + "Here is my covenant that I am making with you. The waters of a flood will never destroy all life again. A flood will never destroy the earth again." + God continued, "My covenant is between me and you and every living thing with you. It is a covenant for all time to come. "Here is the sign of the covenant I am making. + I have put my rainbow in the clouds. It will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. + Sometimes when I bring clouds over the earth, a rainbow will appear in them. + Then I will remember my covenant between me and you and every kind of living thing. The waters will never become a flood to destroy all life again. + "When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it. I will remember that my covenant will last forever. It is a covenant between me and every kind of living thing on earth." + So God said to Noah, "The rainbow is the sign of my covenant. I have made my covenant between me and all life on earth." + The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. + The people who were scattered over the earth came from Noah's three sons. + Noah was a man who worked the ground. He decided to plant a vineyard. + He drank some of its wine. It made him drunk. Then he lay down inside his tent without any clothes on. + Ham saw his father's naked body. Ham was the father of Canaan. Ham went outside and told his two brothers. + But Shem and Japheth took a piece of clothing. They laid it across their shoulders. Then they walked backward into the tent. They covered their father's body. They turned their faces away. They didn't want to see their father's naked body. + Then Noah woke up from his sleep that was caused by the wine. He found out what his youngest son had done to him. + He said, "May a curse be put on Canaan. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers." + Noah also said, "May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed. May Canaan be the slave of Shem. + May God add land to Japheth's territory. May Japheth live in the tents of Shem. And may Canaan be their slave." + After the flood Noah lived 350 years. + Noah lived a total of 950 years. Then he died. + + + Here is the story of Shem, Ham and Japheth. They were Noah's sons. After the flood, they too had sons. + The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanites. + The people who lived by the sea came from all of them. Their tribes and nations spread out into their own territories. Each tribe and nation had its own language. + The sons of Ham were Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. + The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. + Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod grew up to be a mighty hero on the earth. + He was a mighty hunter in the Lord's eyes. That's why people sometimes compare others with Nimrod. They say, "They are like Nimrod, who is a mighty hunter in the Lord's eyes." + At first Nimrod's kingdom was made up of Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh. Those cities were in the land of Babylonia. + From that land he went to Assyria. There he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir and Calah. + He also built Resen. It is between Nineveh and Calah. Nineveh is the great city. + Egypt was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites and Naphtuhites. + He was also the father of the Pathrusites, Casluhites and Caphtorites. The Philistines came from the Casluhites. + Canaan was the father of Sidon. Sidon was his oldest son. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, + Jebusites, Amorites and Girgashites. + And he was the father of the Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, + Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite tribes scattered. + The borders of Canaan went from Sidon toward Gerar all the way to Gaza. Then they went toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim all the way to Lasha. + Those are the sons of Ham. They are listed by their tribes and languages in their territories and nations. + Sons were also born to Shem. Shem was Japheth's younger brother. All of the sons of Eber came from Shem. + The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. + The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. + Arphaxad was the father of Shelah. Shelah was the father of Eber. + Eber was the father of two sons. One was named Peleg. That's because the earth was divided up in his time. His brother was named Joktan. + Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth and Jerah. + He was also the father of Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All of them were sons of Joktan. + The area where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar. It was in the eastern hill country. + Those are the sons of Shem. They are listed by their tribes and languages in their territories and nations. + Those are the tribes of Noah's sons. They are listed by their family lines within their nations. From them the nations spread out over the earth after the flood. + + + The whole world had only one language. All people spoke it. + They moved to the east and found a broad valley in Babylonia. There they settled down. + They said to each other, "Come. Let's make bricks and bake them well." They used bricks instead of stones. They used tar to hold the bricks together. + Then they said, "Come. Let's build a city for ourselves. Let's build a tower that reaches to the sky. We'll make a name for ourselves. Then we won't be scattered over the face of the whole earth." + But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. + The Lord said, "They are one people. And all of them speak the same language. That is why they can do this. Now they will be able to do anything they plan to. + Come. Let us go down and mix up their language. Then they will not understand each other." + So the Lord scattered them from there over the whole earth. And they stopped building the city. + The Lord mixed up the language of the whole world there. That's why the city was named Babel. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. + Here is the story of Shem. It was two years after the flood. When Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. + After Arphaxad was born, Shem lived 500 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. + After Shelah was born, Arphaxad lived 403 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. + After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. + After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. + After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. + After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. + After Nahor was born, Serug lived 200 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. + After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 years. And he had other sons and daughters. + Terah lived for 70 years. Then he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. + Here is the story of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. + Haran died in Ur in Babylonia. That was the land where he had been born. Haran died while his father Terah was still alive. + Abram and Nahor both got married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai. The name of Nahor's wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah. + But Sarai wasn't able to have children. + Terah started out from Ur in Babylonia. He took his son Abram with him. He also took his grandson Lot. Lot was the son of Haran. And Terah took his daughter-in-law Sarai. She was the wife of his son Abram. All of them left together to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled down. + Terah lived for 205 years. He died in Haran. + + + The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country and your people. Leave your father's family. Go to the land I will show you. + "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others. + I will bless those who bless you. I will put a curse on anyone who calls down a curse on you. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you." + So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. + He took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They took all of the things they had gotten in Haran. They also took the workers they had gotten there. They set out for the land of Canaan. And they arrived there. + Abram traveled through the land. He went as far as the large tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the people of Canaan were living in the land. + The Lord appeared to Abram at Shechem. He said, "I will give this land to your children after you." So Abram built an altar there to honor the Lord, who had appeared to him. + From there, Abram went on toward the hills east of Bethel. He set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. Abram built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. + Then Abram left and continued toward the Negev Desert. + At that time there wasn't enough food in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while. + As he was about to enter Egypt, he spoke to his wife Sarai. He said, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. + The people of Egypt will see you. They will say, 'This is his wife.' And they will kill me. But they will let you live. + Say you are my sister. Then I'll be treated well because of you. My life will be spared because of you." + Abram arrived in Egypt. The people of Egypt saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. + When Pharaoh's officials saw her, they bragged to Pharaoh about her. Sarai was taken into his palace. + Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her. So Abram gained more sheep and cattle. He also got more male and female donkeys. And he gained more male and female servants and some camels. + But the Lord sent terrible sicknesses on Pharaoh and everyone in his palace. He did it because of Abram's wife Sarai. + So Pharaoh sent for Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? + Why did you say, 'She's my sister'? That's why I took her to be my wife. Now then, here's your wife. Take her and go!" + Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men. They sent him on his way. He left with his wife and everything he had. + + + Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev Desert. He took his wife and everything he had. Lot went with him. + Abram had become very rich. He had a lot of livestock and silver and gold. + From the Negev Desert, he went from place to place until he came to Bethel. He came to a place between Bethel and Ai. That's where his tent had been earlier. + He had also built an altar there. He worshiped the Lord there. + Lot was moving around with Abram. Lot also had flocks and herds and tents. + But the land didn't have enough food for both of them. They had large herds and many servants. So they weren't able to stay together. + The people who took care of Abram's herds and those who took care of Lot's herds began to argue. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. + So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not argue with each other. The people who take care of your herds and those who take care of mine shouldn't argue with one another. After all, we're part of the same family. + "Isn't the whole land in front of you? Let's separate. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left." + Lot looked up. He saw that the whole Jordan River valley had plenty of water. It was like the garden of the Lord. It was like the land of Egypt near Zoar. That was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. + So Lot chose the whole Jordan River valley for himself. Then he started out toward the east. The two men separated. + Abram lived in the land of Canaan. Lot lived among the cities of the Jordan River valley. He set up his tents near Sodom. + The men of Sodom were evil. They were sinning greatly against the Lord. + The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had left him. He said, "Look up from where you are. Look north and south. Look east and west. + I will give you all of the land that you see. I will give it to you and your children after you forever. + "I will make your children like the dust of the earth. Can dust be counted? If it can, then your children can be counted. + Go. Walk through the land. See how long and wide it is. I am giving it to you." + So Abram moved his tents. He went to live near the large trees of Mamre at Hebron. There he built an altar to honor the Lord. + + + At that time Amraphel was the king of Babylonia. Arioch was the king of Ellasar. Kedorlaomer was the king of Elam. And Tidal was the king of Goiim. + They went to war against five kings. The kings were Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. Bela was also called Zoar. + Those five kings all gathered their armies together in the Valley of Siddim. It was the valley of the Dead Sea. + For 12 years they had been under the rule of Kedorlaomer. But in the 13th year they opposed him. + In the 14th year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who helped him went to war. They won the battle against the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim. They also won the battle against the Zuzites in Ham and the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim. + They did the same thing to the Horites in the hill country of Seir. They marched all the way to El Paran near the desert. + Then they turned back. They went to En Mishpat. En Mishpat was also called Kadesh. They took over the whole territory of the Amalekites. They also won the battle against the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar. + Then the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah marched out. The kings of Admah, Zeboiim and Bela went with them. Bela was also called Zoar. They lined up their armies for battle in the Valley of Siddim. + They got ready to fight against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Babylonia, and Arioch king of Ellasar. There were four kings against five. + The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah ran away from the battle. Some of their men fell into the pits. The rest escaped to the hills. + The four kings took all of the things that belonged to Sodom and Gomorrah. They also took all of their food. Then they went away. + They carried away Lot, Abram's nephew, and the things he owned. Lot was living in Sodom at that time. + One man escaped. He came and reported everything to Abram. Abram was a Hebrew. He was living near the large trees of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was a brother of Eshcol and Aner. All of them helped Abram. + Abram heard that Lot had been captured. So he called out his 318 trained men. All of them were sons of his servants. They chased the enemy as far as Dan. + During the night Abram separated his men into groups. They attacked the enemy and drove them away. They chased them north of Damascus as far as Hobah. + Abram took back all of the things the kings had taken. He brought back his nephew Lot and the things Lot owned. He also brought back the women and the other people. + After Abram won the battle over Kedorlaomer and the kings who helped him, he returned. The king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh. The Valley of Shaveh was also called the King's Valley. + Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem. He brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High. + He gave a blessing to Abram. He said, "May God Most High bless Abram. May the Creator of heaven and earth bless him. + Give praise to God Most High. He gave your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. + The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people. Keep everything else for yourself." + But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord. He is God Most High. He is the Creator of heaven and earth. I have taken an oath. + I have said that I won't accept anything that belongs to you. I won't take even a thread or the strap of a sandal. You will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' + "I'll accept only what my men have eaten and what belongs to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Those three men went with me. Let them have their share." + + + Some time later, Abram had a vision. The Lord said to him, "Abram, do not be afraid. I am like a shield to you. I am your very great reward." + But Abram said, "Lord and King, what can you give me? I still don't have any children. My servant Eliezer comes from Damascus. When I die, he will get everything I own." + Abram continued, "You haven't given me any children. So a servant in my house will get everything I own." + Then a message came to Abram from the Lord. He said, "This man will not get what belongs to you. A son will come from your own body. He will get everything you own." + The Lord took Abram outside and said, "Look up at the sky. Count the stars, if you can." Then he said to him, "That is how many children you will have." + Abram believed the Lord. The Lord accepted Abram because he believed. So his faith made him right with the Lord. + He also said to Abram, "I am the Lord. I brought you out of Ur in Babylonia. I wanted to give you this land to take as your very own." + But Abram said, "Lord and King, how can I know I will take this land as my own?" + So the Lord said to him, "Bring me a young cow. Also bring a goat and a ram. All of them must be three years old. Bring a dove and a young pigeon along with them." + Abram brought all of them to the Lord. Abram cut them in two. He placed the halves opposite each other. But he didn't cut the birds in half. + Then large birds came down to eat the dead bodies of the animals and birds. But Abram chased the large birds away. + As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. A thick and terrible darkness covered him. + Then the Lord said to him, "You can be sure of what I am about to tell you. Your children who live after you will be strangers in a country that does not belong to them. They will become slaves. They will be treated badly for 400 years. + But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. After that, they will leave with all kinds of valuable things. + "But you will die in peace. You will join the members of your family who have already died. You will be buried when you are very old. + "Your children's grandchildren will come back here. That is because the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached the point where I must judge them." + The sun set and darkness fell. Then a burning torch and a fire pot filled with smoke appeared. They passed between the pieces of the animals. + On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram. He said, "I am giving this land to your children after you. It reaches from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates. + It includes the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, + Hittites, Perizzites and Rephaites. + The Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites also live there." + + + Abram's wife Sarai had never had any children by him. But she had a female servant from Egypt named Hagar. + So she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Go and make love to my servant. Maybe I can have a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai had said. + After he had been living in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai gave him her servant Hagar to be his wife. + He made love to Hagar. And she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to look down on the woman who owned her. + Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's your fault that I'm suffering like this. I put my servant in your arms. Now that she knows she's pregnant, she looks down on me. May the Lord judge between you and me. May he decide which of us is right." + "Your servant belongs to you," Abram said. "Do with her what you think is best." Then Sarai treated Hagar badly. So Hagar ran away from her. + The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert. The spring was beside the road to Shur. + He said, "Hagar, you are the servant of Sarai. Where have you come from? Where are you going?" "I'm running away from my owner Sarai," she answered. + Then the angel of the Lord told her, "Go back to the woman who owns you. Obey her." + The angel continued, "I will greatly increase the number of your children after you. You will have more of them than anyone can count." + The angel of the Lord also said to her, "You are now pregnant. You will have a son. You will name him Ishmael. That is because the Lord has heard about your suffering. + He will be like a wild donkey. He will use his power against everyone. And everyone will be against him. He will not be friendly toward any of his relatives." + She gave a name to the Lord who spoke to her. She called him "You are the God who sees me." That's because she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." + That's why the well was named Beer Lahai Roi. It's still there, between Kadesh and Bered. + So Hagar had a son by Abram. And Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had by him. + Abram was 86 years old when Hagar had Ishmael by him. + + + When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, "I am the Mighty God. Walk with me and live without any blame. + I will now put into practice my covenant between me and you. I will greatly increase your numbers." + Abram fell with his face to the ground. God said to him, + "As for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. + "You will not be called Abram anymore. Your name will be Abraham, because I have made you a father of many nations. + I will give you many children. Nations will come from you. And kings will come from you. + "I will make my covenant with you. It will last forever. It will be between me and you and your children after you for all time to come. I will be your God. And I will be the God of all of your family after you. + "You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it forever. So will your children after you. And I will be their God." + Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant. You and your children after you for all time to come must keep it. + "Here is my covenant that you and your children after you must keep. Every male among you must be circumcised. + You must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. + It must be done for all time to come. "Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. That includes those who are born in your house. It also includes those who are bought with money from a stranger. Even those who are not your own children must be included. + Any male who is born in your house or bought with your money must be circumcised. "My covenant will last forever. Your body will have the mark of my covenant on it. + "Any male who has not been circumcised will be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant." + God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai anymore. Her name will be Sarah. + I will give her my blessing. You can be sure that I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of nations will come from her." + Abraham fell with his face to the ground. He laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man who is 100 years old? Will Sarah have a child at the age of 90?" + Abraham said to God, "I wish Ishmael could receive your blessing!" + Then God said, "I will bless Ishmael. But your wife Sarah will have a son by you. And you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him. It will be a covenant that lasts forever. It will be for Isaac and for his family after him. + "As for Ishmael, I have heard you. You can be sure that I will bless him. I will give him children. I will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of 12 rulers. And I will make him into a great nation. + "But I will establish my covenant with Isaac. By this time next year, Sarah will have a son by you." + When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God left him. + On that very day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael. He also circumcised every male who was born in his house or bought with his money. He did exactly as God had told him. + Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. + His son Ishmael was 13. + Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. + And every male in Abraham's house was circumcised along with him. That included those who were born in his house or bought from a stranger. + + + The Lord appeared to Abraham near the large trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent. It was the hottest time of the day. + Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly left the entrance to his tent to meet them. He bowed low to the ground. + He said, "My lord, if you are pleased with me, don't pass me by. + Let a little water be brought. All of you can wash your feet and rest under this tree. + "Let me get you something to eat to give you strength. Then you can go on your way. I want to do this for you now that you have come to me." "All right," they answered. "Go ahead and do it." + So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick!" he said. "Get about half a bushel of fine flour. Mix it and bake some bread." + Then he ran to the herd. He picked out a choice, tender calf. He gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. + Then he brought some butter and milk and the calf that had been prepared. He served them to the three men. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. + "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "Over there, in the tent," he said. + Then the Lord said, "You can be sure that I will return to you about this time next year. Your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent behind him. + Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby. + So she laughed to herself. She thought, "I'm worn out, and my husband is old. Can I really know the joy of having a baby?" + Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Will I really have a baby, now that I am old?' + Is anything too hard for me? I will return to you at the appointed time next year. Sarah will have a son." + Sarah was afraid. So she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." But the Lord said, "Yes, you did." + The men got up to leave. They looked down toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. + Then the Lord said, "Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? + He will certainly become a great and powerful nation. All nations on earth will be blessed because of him. + "I have chosen him. He must direct his children. He must see that the members of his family after him live the way I want them to. So he must direct them to do what is right and fair. Then I, the Lord, will do for Abraham what I have promised him." + The Lord said, "The cries against Sodom and Gomorrah are very great. Their sin is so bad + that I will go down and see for myself. I want to see if what they have done is as bad as the cries that have reached me. If it is not, then I will know." + The men turned away. They went toward Sodom. But Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord. + Then Abraham came up to him. He said, "Will you sweep away godly people along with those who are evil? + What if there are 50 godly people in the city? Will you really sweep it away? Won't you spare the place because of the 50 godly people in it? + "You would never kill godly people along with those who are evil, would you? You wouldn't treat godly and evil people alike. You would never do anything like that! Won't the Judge of the whole earth do what is right?" + The Lord said, "If I find 50 godly people in the city of Sodom, I will save it. I will spare the whole place because of them." + Then Abraham spoke up again. He said, "I have been very bold to speak to the Lord. After all, I'm only dust and ashes. + What if the number of godly people is five less than 50? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find 45 there," he said, "I will not destroy it." + Once again Abraham spoke to him. He asked, "What if only 40 are found there?" He said, "If there are 40, I will not do it." + Then Abraham said, "Lord, don't let your anger burn against me. Let me speak. What if only 30 can be found there?" He answered, "If there are 30, I will not do it." + Abraham said, "I have been very bold to speak to the Lord. What if only 20 are found there?" He said, "If there are 20, I will not destroy it." + Then he said, "Lord, don't let your anger burn against me. Let me speak just one more time. What if only ten are found there?" He answered, "If there are ten, I will not destroy it." + When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham returned home. + + + The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting near the gate of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed down with his face to the ground. + "My lords," he said, "please come to my house. You can wash your feet and spend the night here. Then you can go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered. "We'll spend the night in the street." + But Lot wouldn't give up. So they went with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them. He baked bread without using yeast. And they ate. + Before Lot and his guests had gone to bed, all of the men came from every part of the city of Sodom. Young and old men alike surrounded the house. + They called out to Lot. They said, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us. We want to have sex with them." + Lot went outside to meet them. He shut the door behind him. + He said, "No, my friends. Don't do such an evil thing. + Look, I have two daughters. No man has ever made love to them. I'll bring them out to you now. Then do to them what you want to. But don't do anything to these men. I've brought them inside so they can be safe." + "Get out of our way!" the men of Sodom replied. They said, "This fellow came here as an outsider. Now he wants to act like a judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept trying to force Lot to open the door. Then they moved forward to break it down. + But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house. They shut the door. + Then they made the men who were at the door of the house blind. They blinded young and old men alike. So the men couldn't find the door. + The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here? Do you have sons-in-law, sons or daughters? Does anyone else in the city belong to you? Get them out of here. + We are going to destroy this place. There has been a great cry to the Lord against the people of this city. So he has sent us to destroy it." + Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law. They had promised to get married to his daughters. He said, "Hurry up! Get out of this place! The Lord is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. + The sun was coming up. So the angels tried to get Lot to leave. They said, "Hurry up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out! If you don't, you will be swept away when the city is punished." + Lot didn't move right away. So the men grabbed him by the hand. They also took hold of the hands of his wife and two daughters. They led all of them safely out of the city. The Lord had mercy on them. + As soon as the angels had brought them out, one of them spoke. He said, "Run for your lives! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere in the valley! Run to the mountains! If you don't, you will be swept away!" + But Lot said to them, "No, my lords! Please! + You have done me a big favor. You have been very kind to me by sparing my life. But I can't run to the mountains. This horrible thing that's going to happen will catch up with me. And then I'll die. + "Look, here's a town near enough to run to. It's small. Let me run to it. It's very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." + The Lord said to Lot, "All right. I will also give you what you are asking for. I will not destroy the town you are talking about. + But run there quickly. I can't do anything until you reach it." The town was named Zoar. Zoar means "small." + By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. + Then the Lord sent down burning sulfur. It came down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. It came from the Lord out of the sky. + He destroyed those cities and the whole valley. All of the people who were living in the cities were wiped out. So were the plants in the land. + But Lot's wife looked back. When she did, she became a pillar made out of salt. + Early the next morning Abraham got up. He returned to the place where he had stood in front of the Lord. + He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole valley. He saw thick smoke rising from the land. It looked like smoke from a furnace. + So when God destroyed the cities of the valley, he showed concern for Abraham. He brought Lot out safely when he destroyed the cities where Lot had lived. + Lot and his two daughters left Zoar. They went to settle down in the mountains. Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar. So he and his daughters lived in a cave. + One day the older daughter spoke to the younger one. She said, "Our father is old. There aren't any other men around here to make love to, as people all over the earth do. + So let's get our father to drink wine. Then we can make love to him. We can use our father to continue our family line." + That night they got their father to drink wine. Then the older daughter went in and made love to him. He didn't know when she lay down or when she got up. + The next day the older daughter spoke to the younger one again. She said, "Last night I made love to my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight. Then you go in and make love to him. In that way, we can use our father to continue our family line." + So they got their father to drink wine that night also. Then the younger daughter went and made love to him. Again he didn't know when she lay down or when she got up. + So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. + The older daughter had a son. She named him Moab. He's the father of the Moabites of today. + The younger daughter also had a son. She named him Ben-Ammi. He's the father of the Ammonites of today. + + + Abraham moved away from there into the Negev Desert. He lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar. + There Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She's my sister." Then Abimelech sent for Sarah and took her. He was the king of Gerar. + God came to Abimelech in a dream one night. He said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken. She is already married." + But Abimelech hadn't gone near her. So he said, "Lord, will you destroy a nation that hasn't done anything wrong? + Didn't Abraham say to me, 'She's my sister'? And didn't she also say, 'He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong. I'm not guilty." + Then God spoke to him in the dream. He said, "Yes, I know you had no idea you were doing anything wrong. So I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. + "Now return the man's wife to him. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But what if you do not return her? Then you can be sure that you and all of your people will die." + Early the next morning Abimelech sent for all of his officials. He told them everything that had happened. They were really afraid. + Then Abimelech called Abraham in. He said, "What have you done to us? Have I done something wrong to you? Why have you brought so much guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that shouldn't be done." + Abimelech also asked Abraham, "Why did you do this?" + Abraham replied, "I thought, 'There isn't any respect for God in this place at all. They will kill me because of my wife.' + Besides, she really is my sister. She's the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. + "God had me wander away from my father's house. So I said to her, 'Here is how you can show your love to me. Everywhere we go, say about me, "He's my brother." ' " + Then Abimelech gave Abraham sheep and cattle and male and female slaves. He also returned his wife Sarah to him. + Abimelech said, "Here is my land. Live anywhere you want to." + He said to Sarah, "I'm giving your brother 25 pounds of silver. It will take care of the problem we caused you. And all those who are with you will know that you aren't guilty of doing anything wrong." + Then Abraham prayed to God. And God healed Abimelech. He also healed his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again. + The Lord had kept the women in Abimelech's house from having children. He had done it because of Abraham's wife Sarah. + + + The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. He did for Sarah what he had promised to do. + Sarah became pregnant. She had a son by Abraham when he was old. He was born at the exact time God had promised him. + Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah had by him. + When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. He did it exactly as God had commanded him. + Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him. + Sarah said, "God has given laughter to me. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." + She continued, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? But I've had a son by him when he is old." + Isaac grew. The time came for his mother to stop nursing him. On that day Abraham had a big dinner prepared. + But Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac. Ishmael was the son Hagar had by Abraham. Hagar was Sarah's servant from Egypt. + Sarah said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman's son will never have a share of the family's property with my son Isaac." + What Sarah said upset Abraham very much. After all, Ishmael was his son. + But God said to him, "Do not be so upset about the boy and your servant Hagar. Listen to what Sarah tells you, because your family line will continue through Isaac. + I will make the son of your servant into a nation also. I will do it because he is your child." + Early the next morning Abraham got some food and a bottle of water. The bottle was made out of animal skin. He gave the food and water to Hagar. He placed them on her shoulders. Then he sent her away with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. + When the water in the bottle was gone, she put the boy under a bush. + Then she went off and sat down nearby. She was about as far away as a person can shoot an arrow. She thought, "I can't stand to watch the boy die." As she sat nearby, she began to sob. + God heard the boy crying. Then the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven. He said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. + Lift the boy up. Take him by the hand. I will make him into a great nation." + Then God opened Hagar's eyes. She saw a well of water. So she went and filled the bottle with water. And she gave the boy a drink. + God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and learned to shoot with a bow. + While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got him a wife from Egypt. + At that time Abimelech and Phicol spoke to Abraham. Phicol was the commander of Abimelech's army. They said, "God is with you in everything you do. + Now make a promise to me here while God is watching. Take an oath that you will treat me fairly. Promise that you will treat my children and their children the same way. "I've been kind to you. Now you be kind to me. And be kind to the country where you are living as an outsider." + Abraham said, "I promise with an oath that I'll do it." + Then Abraham objected to Abimelech about what Abimelech's servants had done. They had taken over a well of water. + But Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this. You didn't tell me. Today is the first time I heard about it." + So Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and cattle. The two men made a peace treaty. + Then Abraham took out seven female lambs from his flock. + Abimelech asked Abraham, "What's the meaning of these seven female lambs? Why have you taken them out and put them by themselves?" + Abraham replied, "Accept the seven lambs from me. They will be a witness that I dug this well." + That place was named Beersheba. That's because there the two men made a promise with an oath. + After the peace treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech went back to the land of the Philistines. His army commander Phicol went with him. + Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. There he worshiped the Lord, the God who lives forever. + Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time. + + + Some time later God put Abraham to the test. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," Abraham replied. + Then God said, "Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love. Take Isaac. Go to Moriah. Give him to me there as a burnt offering. Sacrifice him on one of the mountains I will tell you about." + Early the next morning Abraham got up. He put a saddle on his donkey. He took two of his servants and his son Isaac with him. He cut enough wood for the burnt offering. Then he started out for the place God had told him about. + On the third day Abraham looked up. He saw the place a long way off. + He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there and worship. Then we'll come back to you." + Abraham put the wood for the burnt offering on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the knife. The two of them walked on together. + Then Isaac spoke up. He said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said. "But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" + Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." The two of them walked on together. + They reached the place God had told Abraham about. There Abraham built an altar. He arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac. He placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. + Then he reached out his hand. He took the knife to kill his son. + But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. He said, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," Abraham replied. + "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you have respect for God. You have not held back from me your son, your only son." + Abraham looked up. There in a bush he saw a ram. It was caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram. He sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. + So Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. To this day people say, "It will be provided on the mountain of the Lord." + The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham from heaven a second time. + He said, "I am taking an oath in my own name. I will bless you because of what you have done," announces the Lord. "You have not held back your son, your only son. + "So I will certainly bless you. I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. Your children will take over the cities of their enemies. + All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children. All of that will happen because you have obeyed me." + Then Abraham returned to his servants. They started out together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. + Some time later Abraham was told, "Milcah has become a mother. She has had sons by your brother Nahor. + Uz was born first. Then came his brother Buz. Next came Kemuel, the father of Aram. + The other sons are Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel." + Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah had the eight sons by Abraham's brother Nahor. + Nahor had a concubine named Reumah. She also had sons. They were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah. + + + Sarah lived to be 127 years old. + She died at Kiriath Arba. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. It's in the land of Canaan. Sarah's death filled Abraham with sorrow. He went to the place where her body was lying. There he sobbed over her. + Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife. He spoke to the Hittites. He said, + "I'm an outsider. I'm a stranger among you. Sell me some property here as a place for a family tomb. Then I can bury my wife's body." + The Hittites replied to Abraham, + "Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead wife in the best of our tombs. None of us will refuse to sell you his tomb for burying her." + Then Abraham bowed down in front of the Hittites, the people of the land. + He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead wife, then listen to me. Speak to Zohar's son Ephron for me. + Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah. It belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price. I want it as a place to bury my dead wife among you." + Ephron the Hittite was sitting there among his people. He replied to Abraham. All of the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city heard him. + "No, sir," Ephron said. "Listen to me. I will sell you the field. I'll also sell you the cave that's in the field. I will sell it to you in front of my people. Bury your wife." + Again Abraham bowed down in front of the people of the land. + He spoke to Ephron so they could hear him. He said, "Please listen to me. I'll pay the price of the field. Accept it from me. Then I can bury my dead wife there." + Ephron answered Abraham, + "Sir, listen to me. The land is worth ten pounds of silver. But what is that between you and me? Bury your wife." + Abraham agreed to Ephron's offer. He weighed out for him the price he had named. The Hittites there had heard it. The price was ten pounds of silver. Abraham measured it by the weights that were used by those who bought and sold. + So Ephron sold his field in Machpelah near Mamre to Abraham. He bought the field and the cave that was in it. He also bought all of the trees that were inside the borders of the field. Everything was sold + to Abraham as his property. He bought it in front of all of the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. + Then Abraham buried the body of his wife Sarah. He buried her in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan. Mamre is at Hebron. + So the field and the cave that was in it were sold to Abraham by the Hittites. The property became a place for his family tomb. + + + By that time Abraham was very old. The Lord had blessed him in every way. + The best servant in his house was in charge of everything he had. Abraham said to him, "Put your hand under my thigh. + The Lord is the God of heaven and the God of earth. I want you to make a promise with an oath in his name. "I'm living among the people of Canaan. But I want you to promise me that you won't get a wife for my son from their daughters. + Instead, promise me that you will go to my country and to my own relatives. Get a wife for my son Isaac from there." + The servant asked him, "What if the woman doesn't want to come back with me to this land? Then should I take your son back to the country you came from?" + "Make sure you don't take my son back there," Abraham said. + "The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my father's family. He brought me out of my own land. And he made me a promise with an oath. He said, 'I will give this land to your family after you.' The Lord will send his angel ahead of you. So you will be able to get a wife for my son from there. + "The woman may not want to come back with you. If she doesn't, you will be free from your oath. But don't take my son back there." + So the servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh. He promised with an oath to do what his master wanted. + The servant took ten of his master's camels and left. He took with him all kinds of good things from his master. He started out for Aram Naharaim. He made his way to the town of Nahor. + He stopped near the well outside the town. There he made the camels get down on their knees. It was almost evening. It was the time when women go out to get water. + Then he prayed, "Lord, you are the God of my master Abraham. Give me success today. Be kind to my master Abraham. + I'm standing beside this spring. The daughters of the people who live in the town are coming out here to get water. + "I will speak to a young woman. I'll say, 'Please lower your jar so I can have a drink.' Suppose she says, 'Have a drink of water. And I'll get some for your camels too.' Then let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. That's how I'll know you have been kind to my master." + Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out. She had a jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah. Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. + The young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin. No man had made love to her. She went down to the spring. She filled her jar and came up again. + The servant hurried to meet her. He said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." + "Have a drink, sir," she said. She quickly lowered the jar to her hands. And she gave him a drink. + After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll get water for your camels too. I'll keep doing it until they finish drinking." + So she quickly emptied her jar into the stone tub. Then she ran back to the well to get more water. She got enough for all of his camels. + The man didn't say a word. He watched her closely. He wanted to learn whether the Lord had given him success on the journey he had made. + The camels finished drinking. Then the man took out a gold nose ring. It weighed a fifth of an ounce. He also took out two gold bracelets. They weighed four ounces. + Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? And please tell me something else. Is there room in your father's house for us? Can we spend the night there?" + She answered, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel. He's the son Milcah had by Nahor." + She continued, "We have plenty of straw and feed for your camels. We also have room for you to spend the night." + Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord. + He said, "I praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. He hasn't stopped being kind and faithful to my master. The Lord has led me on this journey. He has brought me to the house of my master's relatives." + The young woman ran home. She told her mother's family what had happened. + Rebekah had a brother named Laban. He hurried out to the spring to meet the man. + Laban had seen the nose ring. He had seen the bracelets on his sister's arms. And he had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her. So he went out to the man. He found him standing by the camels near the spring. + "The Lord has given you his blessing," he said. "So come. Why are you standing out here? I've prepared my house for you. I also have a place for the camels." + So the man went to the house. The camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought for the camels. And water was brought for him and his men to wash their feet. + Then food was placed in front of him. But he said, "I won't eat until I've told you what I have to say." "Then tell us," Laban said. + So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. + The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become wealthy. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle. He has given him silver and gold. He has also given him male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. + "My master's wife Sarah had a son by him when she was old. He has given that son everything he owns. + My master made me take an oath. He said, 'I'm living in the land of the people of Canaan. But promise me that you won't get a wife for my son from their daughters. + Instead, go to my father's family and to my own relatives. Get a wife for my son there.' + "Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman won't come back with me?' + "He replied, 'I have walked with the Lord. He will send his angel with you. He will give you success on your journey. So you will be able to get a wife for my son. You will get her from my own relatives and from my father's family. + " 'When you go to my relatives, suppose they refuse to give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.' + "Today I came to the spring. I said, 'Lord, you are the God of my master Abraham. Please give me success on this journey I've made. + " 'I'm standing beside this spring. A young woman will come out to get water. I will speak to her. I'll say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." + Suppose she says, "Have a drink of water. And I'll get some for your camels too." Then let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master's son.' + "Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out. She had a jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and got water. I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' + "She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder. She said, 'Have a drink. And I'll get water for your camels too.' So I drank. She also got water for the camels. + "I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' "She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel. He's the son Milcah had by Nahor.' "Then I put the ring in her nose. I put the bracelets on her arms. + And I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. He had led me on the right road. He had led me to get for my master's son the granddaughter of my master's brother. + "Now will you be kind and faithful to my master? If you will, tell me. And if you won't, tell me. Then I'll know which way to turn." + Laban and Bethuel answered, "The Lord has done all of this. We can't say anything to you one way or the other. + Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master's son, just as the Lord has said." + Abraham's servant heard what they said. So he bowed down to the Lord with his face to the ground. + He brought out gold and silver jewelry. He brought out articles of clothing. He gave all of it to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and her mother. + Then Abraham's servant and the men who were with him ate and drank. They spent the night there. They got up the next morning. Abraham's servant said, "Send me back to my master." + But her brother and her mother replied, "Let the young woman stay with us ten days or so. Then you can go." + But he said to them, "Don't make me wait. The Lord has given me success on my journey. Send me on my way so I can go to my master." + Then they said, "Let's get Rebekah. We'll ask her about it." + So they sent for her. They asked her, "Will you go with this man?" "Yes," she said. + So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way with Abraham's servant and his men. They also sent Rebekah's attendant with her. + And they gave Rebekah their blessing. They said to her, "Dear sister, may your family grow by thousands and thousands. May your children after you take over the cities of their enemies." + Then Rebekah and her female servants got ready. They got on their camels to go with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left. + By that time Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi. He was living in the Negev Desert. + One evening he went out to the field. He wanted to spend some time thinking. When he looked up, he saw camels approaching. + Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel. + She asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "He's my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered her face. + Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done. + Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent that had belonged to his mother Sarah. And he married Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother died. + + + Abraham married another woman. Her name was Keturah. + She had Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah by Abraham. + Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The children of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. + The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All of them came from Keturah. + Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. + But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines. Then he sent them away from his son Isaac. He sent them to the land of the east. + Abraham lived a total of 175 years. + He took his last breath and died when he was very old. He had lived a very long time. Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. + Abraham's sons Isaac and Ishmael buried his body. They put it in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre. It was in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite. + Abraham had bought it from the Hittites. He was buried there with his wife Sarah. + After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. At that time Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. + Here is the story of Abraham's son Ishmael. Hagar had Ishmael by Abraham. She was Sarah's servant from Egypt. + Here are the names of the sons of Ishmael. They are listed in the order they were born. Nebaioth was Ishmael's oldest son. Then came Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, + Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. + All of them were Ishmael's sons. They were rulers of 12 tribes. They all lived in their own settlements and camps. + Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined the members of his family who had already died. + His children settled in the area between Havilah and Shur. It was near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. Ishmael's children weren't friendly toward any of the tribes that were related to them. + Here is the story of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham was the father of Isaac. + Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah. She was the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram. She was also the sister of Laban the Aramean. + Rebekah couldn't have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. And the Lord answered his prayer. His wife Rebekah became pregnant. + The babies struggled with each other inside her. She said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to ask the Lord what she should do. + The Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your body. Two tribes that are now inside you will be separated. One nation will be stronger than the other. The older son will serve the younger one." + The time came for Rebekah to have her babies. There were twin boys in her body. + The first one to come out was red. His whole body was covered with hair. So they named him Esau. + Then his brother came out. His hand was holding onto Esau's heel. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah had them. + The boys grew up. Esau became a skillful hunter. He was a man who liked the open country. But Jacob was a quiet man. He stayed at home among the tents. + Isaac liked the meat of wild animals. So Esau was his favorite son. But Rebekah's favorite was Jacob. + One day Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the open country. He was very hungry. + He said to Jacob, "Quick! Let me have some of that red stew! I'm very hungry!" That's why he was also named Edom. + Jacob replied, "First sell me the rights that belong to you as the oldest son in the family." + "Look, I'm dying of hunger," Esau said. "What good are those rights to me?" + But Jacob said, "First promise me with an oath that you are selling me your rights." So Esau promised to do it. He sold Jacob all of the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son. + Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. Esau ate and drank. Then he got up and left. So Esau didn't care anything at all about the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son. + + + There was very little food in the land. The same thing had been true earlier, in Abraham's time. Isaac went to Abimelech in Gerar. Abimelech was the king of the Philistines. + The Lord appeared to Isaac. He said, "Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land where I tell you to live. + Stay here for a while. I will be with you and give you my blessing. I will give all of these lands to you and your children after you. And I will keep the promise I made with an oath to your father Abraham. + I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. And I will give them all these lands. All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children. + "I will do all of those things because Abraham obeyed me. He did what I required. He kept my commands, my rules and my laws." + So Isaac stayed in Gerar. + The men of that place asked him about his wife. He said, "She's my sister." He was afraid to say, "She's my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me because of Rebekah. She's a beautiful woman." + Isaac had been there a long time. One day Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, looked down from a window. He saw Isaac hugging and kissing his wife Rebekah. + So Abimelech sent for Isaac. He said, "She's really your wife, isn't she? Why did you say, 'She's my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "I thought I might lose my life because of her." + Then Abimelech said, "What have you done to us? What if one of the men had sex with your wife? Then you would have made us guilty." + So Abimelech gave orders to all of the people. He said, "You can be sure that anyone who harms this man or his wife will be put to death." + Isaac planted crops in that land. That same year he gathered 100 times more than he planted. That was because the Lord blessed him. + Isaac became rich. His wealth continued to grow until he became very rich. + He had many flocks and herds and servants. Isaac had so much that the Philistines became jealous of him. + So they stopped up all of the wells the servants of his father Abraham had dug. They filled them with dirt. + Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Move away from us. You have become too powerful for us." + So Isaac moved away from there. He camped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. + Isaac opened up the wells again. They had been dug in the time of his father Abraham. The Philistines had stopped them up after Abraham died. Isaac gave the wells the same names his father had given them. + Isaac's servants dug for wells in the valley. There they discovered a well of fresh water. + But the people of Gerar who took care of their herds argued with the people who took care of Isaac's herds. "The water is ours!" the people of Gerar said. So Isaac named the well Esek. That's because they argued with him. + Then Isaac's servants dug another well. They argued about that one too. So he named it Sitnah. + He moved on from there and dug another well. But no one argued about that one. So he named it Rehoboth. He said, "Now the Lord has given us room. Now we will do well in the land." + From there Isaac went up to Beersheba. + That night the Lord appeared to him. He said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid. I am with you. I will bless you. I will increase the number of your children because of my servant Abraham." + Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. There he set up his tent. And there his servants dug a well. + During that time, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar. Ahuzzath had come with him. So had Phicol, Abimelech's army commander. Ahuzzath was Abimelech's personal adviser. + Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me? You were angry with me and sent me away." + They answered, "We saw clearly that the Lord was with you. So we said, 'We should make an agreement by taking an oath.' The agreement should be between us and you. We want to make a peace treaty with you. + Promise that you won't harm us. We didn't harm you. We always treated you well. We sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you." + Then Isaac had a big dinner prepared for them. They ate and drank. + Early the next morning the men made an agreement with an oath. Then Isaac sent the men of Gerar on their way. And they left in peace. + That day Isaac's servants came to him. They told him about the well they had dug. They said, "We've found water!" + So he named it Shibah. To this day the name of the town has been Beersheba. + When Esau was 40 years old, he got married to Judith. She was the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. He also married Basemath. She was the daughter of Elon the Hittite. + Isaac and Rebekah became very upset because Esau had married Hittite women. + + + Isaac had become old. His eyes were so weak he couldn't see anymore. One day he called for his older son Esau. He said to him, "My son." "Here I am," he answered. + Isaac said, "I'm an old man now. And I don't know when I'll die. + Now then, get your weapons. Get your bow and arrows. Go out to the open country. Hunt some wild animals for me. + Prepare for me the kind of tasty food I like. Bring it to me to eat. Then I'll give you my blessing before I die." + Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. Esau left for the open country. He went to hunt for a wild animal and bring it back. + Then Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. + He said, 'Bring me a wild animal. Prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I'll give you my blessing before I die. The Lord will be my witness.' " + Rebekah continued, "My son, listen carefully. Do what I tell you. + Go out to the flock. Bring me two of the finest young goats. I will prepare tasty food for your father. I'll make it just the way he likes it. + I want you to take it to your father to eat. Then he'll give you his blessing before he dies." + Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "My brother Esau's body is covered with hair. But my skin is smooth. + What if my father touches me? He would know I was trying to trick him. That would bring a curse down on me instead of a blessing." + His mother said to him, "My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say. Go and get the goats for me." + So he went and got the goats. He brought them to his mother. And she prepared some tasty food. She made it just the way his father liked it. + The clothes of her older son Esau were in her house. She took the best of them and put them on her younger son Jacob. + She covered his hands with the skins of the goats. She also covered the smooth part of his neck with them. + Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. + He went to his father and said, "My father." "Yes, my son," Isaac answered. "Who is it?" + Jacob said to his father, "I'm your oldest son Esau. I've done as you told me. Please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing." + Isaac asked his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The Lord your God gave me success," he replied. + Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near so I can touch you, my son. I want to know whether you really are my son Esau." + Jacob went close to his father. Isaac touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau." + Isaac didn't recognize him. His hands were covered with hair like those of his brother Esau. So Isaac blessed him. + "Are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "I am," Jacob replied. + Isaac said, "My son, bring me some of your wild meat to eat. Then I'll give you my blessing." Jacob brought it to him. So Isaac ate. Jacob also brought some wine. And Isaac drank. + Then Jacob's father Isaac said to him, "Come here, my son. Kiss me." + So Jacob went to him and kissed him. When Isaac smelled the clothes, he gave Jacob his blessing. He said, "It really is the smell of my son. It's like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. + May God give you dew from heaven. May he give you the richness of the earth. May he give you plenty of grain and fresh wine. + May nations serve you. May they bow down to you. Rule over your brothers. May the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who call down curses on you be cursed. And may those who bless you be blessed." + When Isaac finished blessing him, Jacob left his father. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. + He too prepared some tasty food. He brought it to his father. Then Esau said to him, "My father, sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing." + His father Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" "I'm your son," he answered. "I'm your oldest son. I'm Esau." + Isaac was shaking all over. He said, "Then who was it that hunted a wild animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my blessing. And he will certainly be blessed!" + Esau heard his father's words. Then he began crying loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, "Bless me! Bless me too, my father!" + But Isaac said, "Your brother came and tricked me. He took your blessing." + Esau said, "Isn't Jacob just the right name for him? He has cheated me two times. First, he took my rights as the oldest son. And now he's taken my blessing!" Then Esau asked, "Haven't you saved any blessing for me?" + Isaac answered Esau, "I've made him ruler over you. I've made all of his relatives serve him. And I've provided him with grain and fresh wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?" + Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!" Then Esau sobbed loudly. + His father Isaac answered him, "You will live far away from the richness of the earth. You will live far away from the dew of heaven above. + You will live by the sword. And you will serve your brother. But you will grow restless. Then you will throw off the heavy load he put on your shoulders." + Esau was angry with Jacob. He was angry because of the blessing his father had given to Jacob. He said to himself, "My father will soon die. The days of sorrow over him are near. Then I'll kill my brother Jacob." + Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said. So she sent for her younger son Jacob. She said to him, "Your brother Esau is comforting himself with the thought of killing you. + "Now then, my son, do what I say. Go at once to my brother Laban in Haran. + Stay with him until your brother's anger calms down. + Stay until your brother isn't angry with you anymore. When he forgets what you did to him, I'll let you know. Then you can come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?" + Then Rebekah spoke to Isaac. She said, "I'm sick of living because of Esau's Hittite wives. Suppose Jacob also marries a Hittite woman. If he does, my life won't be worth living." + + + So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. He commanded him, "Don't get married to a woman from Canaan. + Go at once to Paddan Aram. Go to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Find a wife for yourself there. Take her from among the daughters of your mother's brother Laban. + "May the Mighty God bless you. May he give you children. May he increase your numbers until you become a community of nations. + May he give you and your children after you the blessing he gave to Abraham. Then you can take over the land where you now live as an outsider. It's the land God gave to Abraham." + Isaac sent Jacob on his way. Jacob went to Paddan Aram. He went to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was the brother of Rebekah. And Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau. + Esau found out that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram. Isaac wanted him to get a wife from there. Esau heard that when Isaac blessed Jacob, he commanded him, "Don't get married to a woman from Canaan." + Esau also learned that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. + Then Esau realized how much his father Isaac disliked the women of Canaan. + So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael. Esau added her to the wives he already had. + Jacob left Beersheba and started out for Haran. + He reached a certain place and stopped for the night. The sun had already set. He took one of the stones there and placed it under his head. Then he lay down to sleep. + In a dream he saw a stairway standing on the earth. Its top reached to heaven. The angels of God were going up and coming down on it. + The Lord stood above the stairway. He said, "I am the Lord. I am the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your children after you the land on which you are lying. + They will be like the dust of the earth that can't be counted. They will spread out to the west and to the east. They will spread out to the north and to the south. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you and your children after you. + "I am with you. I will watch over you everywhere you go. And I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." + Jacob woke up from his sleep. Then he thought, "The Lord is certainly in this place. And I didn't even know it." + Jacob was afraid. He said, "How holy this place is! This must be the house of God. This is the gate of heaven." + Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head. He set it up as a pillar. And he poured oil on top of it. + He named that place Bethel. But the city used to be called Luz. + Then Jacob made a promise. He said, "May God be with me. May he watch over me on this journey I'm taking. May he give me food to eat and clothes to wear. + May he do as he has promised so that I can return safely to my father's home. Then you, Lord, will be my God. + This stone I've set up as a pillar will be God's house. And I'll give you a tenth of everything you give me." + + + Then Jacob continued on his journey. He came to the land where the eastern tribes lived. + There he saw a well in the field. Three flocks of sheep were lying near it. The flocks were given water from the well. The stone over the opening of the well was large. + All of the flocks would gather there. The shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's opening. They would give water to the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the opening of the well. + Jacob asked the shepherds, "My friends, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied. + He said to them, "Do you know Nahor's grandson Laban?" "Yes, we know him," they answered. + Then Jacob asked them, "How is he?" "He's fine," they said. "Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep now." + "Look," he said, "the sun is still high in the sky. It's not time for the flocks to be brought together. Give water to the sheep and take them back to the grasslands." + "We can't," they replied. "We have to wait until all of the flocks are brought together. The stone has to be rolled away from the opening of the well. Then we'll give water to the sheep." + He was still talking with them when Rachel came with her father's sheep. It was her job to take care of the flock. + Rachel was the daughter of Laban. He was the brother of Jacob's mother. When Jacob saw Rachel with Laban's sheep, he went over to the well. He rolled the stone away from the opening. He gave water to his uncle's sheep. + Jacob kissed Rachel. Then he began to sob loudly. + He had told Rachel he was a relative of her father. He had also said he was Rebekah's son. Rachel ran and told her father what Jacob had said. + As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he hurried to meet him. Laban hugged Jacob and kissed him. Then he brought him to his home. There Jacob told him everything. + Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." Jacob stayed with Laban for a whole month. + Then Laban said to him, "You are one of my relatives. But is that any reason for you to work for me for nothing? Tell me what your pay should be." + Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah. And the name of the younger one was Rachel. + Leah had weak eyes. But Rachel was beautiful. She had a nice figure. + Jacob was in love with Rachel. He said to Laban, "I'll work for you for seven years to get your younger daughter Rachel." + Laban said, "It's better for me to give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." + So Jacob worked for seven years to get Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her so much. + Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. I've completed my time. I want to make love to her." + So Laban brought all of the people of the place together and had a big dinner prepared. + But when evening came, he gave his daughter Leah to Jacob. And Jacob made love to her. + Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter as her servant. + When Jacob woke up the next morning, there was Leah next to him! So he said to Laban, "What have you done to me? I worked for you to get Rachel, didn't I? Why did you trick me?" + Laban replied, "It isn't our practice here to give the younger daughter to be married before the older one. + Complete this daughter's wedding week. Then we'll give you the younger one also. But you will have to work for another seven years." + So Jacob did it. He completed the week with Leah. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. + Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her servant. + Jacob made love to Rachel also. He loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And he worked for Laban for another seven years. + The Lord saw that Jacob didn't love Leah as much as he loved Rachel. So he let Leah have children. But Rachel wasn't able to have children. + Leah became pregnant. She had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, "The Lord has seen me suffer. Certainly my husband will love me now." + She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, "The Lord heard that Jacob doesn't love me very much. That's why the Lord gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon. + She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, "Now at last my husband will want me. I have had three sons by him." So the boy was named Levi. + She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, "This time I'll praise the Lord." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. + + + Rachel saw that she couldn't have any children by Jacob. So she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!" + Jacob became angry with her. He said, "Do you think I'm God? He's the one who has kept you from having children." + Then she said, "Here's my servant Bilhah. Make love to her so that she can have children for me. Then I too can have a family through her." + So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob made love to her. + And Bilhah became pregnant. She had a son by him. + Then Rachel said, "God has stood up for my rights. He has listened to my prayer and given me a son." So she named him Dan. + Rachel's servant Bilhah became pregnant again. She had a second son by Jacob. + Then Rachel said, "I've had a great struggle with my sister. Now I've won." So she named him Naphtali. + Leah saw that she had stopped having children. So she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. + Leah's servant Zilpah had a son by Jacob. + Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" So she named him Gad. + Leah's servant Zilpah had a second son by Jacob. + Then Leah said, "I'm so happy! The women will call me happy." So she named him Asher. + While the wheat harvest was being gathered, Reuben went out into the fields. He found some mandrake plants. He brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." + But Leah said to her, "Isn't it enough that you took my husband away? Are you going to take my son's mandrakes too?" Rachel said, "All right. Jacob can make love to you tonight if you give me your son's mandrakes." + Jacob came in from the fields that evening. Leah went out to meet him. "You have to sleep with me tonight," she said. "I've bought you with my son's mandrakes." So he made love to her that night. + God listened to Leah. She became pregnant and had a fifth son by Jacob. + Then Leah said, "God has rewarded me because I gave my female servant to my husband." So she named the boy Issachar. + Leah became pregnant again. She had a sixth son by Jacob. + Then Leah said, "God has given me a priceless gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor. I've had six sons by him." So she named the boy Zebulun. + Some time later she had a daughter. She named her Dinah. + Then God listened to Rachel. He showed concern for her. He made it possible for her to have children. + She became pregnant. She had a son. She said, "God has taken my shame away." + She continued, "May the Lord give me another son." So she named him Joseph. + After Rachel had Joseph, Jacob spoke to Laban. He said, "Send me on my way. I want to go back to my own home and country. + Give me my wives and children. I worked for you to get them. So I'll be on my way. You know how much work I've done for you." + But Laban said to him, "If you are pleased with me, stay here. I've discovered that the Lord has blessed me because of you." + He continued, "Name your pay. I'll give it to you." + Jacob said to him, "You know how hard I've worked for you. You know that your livestock has done better under my care. + You had only a little before I came. But that little has become a lot. The Lord has blessed you everywhere I've been. But when can I do something for my own family?" + "What should I give you?" Laban asked. "Don't give me anything," Jacob replied. "Just do one thing for me. Then I'll go on taking care of your flocks and watching over them. + "Let me go through all of your flocks today. Let me remove every sheep that has speckles or spots on it. Let me remove every dark-colored lamb. Let me remove every goat that has spots or speckles on it. They will be my pay. + "My honesty will give witness about me in days to come. It will give witness every time you check on what you have paid me. Suppose I have a goat that doesn't have speckles or spots. Or suppose I have a lamb that isn't dark-colored. Then it will be considered stolen." + "I agree," said Laban. "Let's do what you have said." + That same day Laban removed all of the male goats that had stripes or spots. He removed all of the female goats that had speckles or spots. They were the ones that had white on them. He also removed all of the dark-colored lambs. He had his sons take care of them. + Then he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob. But Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban's flocks. + Jacob took branches that were freshly cut from poplar, almond and plane trees. He made white stripes on them by peeling off the bark. He uncovered the white wood inside the branches. + Then he placed the peeled branches in all of the stone tubs where the animals drank water. He placed them so they would be right in front of the flocks when they came to drink. The flocks were ready to mate when they came to drink. + So they mated in front of the branches. And they had little ones that were striped or speckled or spotted. + Jacob put the little ones of the flock to one side by themselves. But he made the older ones face the striped and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. In that way, he made separate flocks for himself. He didn't put them with Laban's animals. + Every time the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the branches in the stone tubs. He would place them in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches. + But if the animals were weak, he wouldn't place the branches there. So the weak animals went to Laban. And the strong ones went to Jacob. + In this way, Jacob became very rich. He became the owner of large flocks. He also had many male and female servants. And he had many camels and donkeys. + + + Jacob heard what Laban's sons were saying. "Jacob has taken everything our father owned," they said. "He has gained all of this wealth from what belonged to our father." + Jacob noticed that Laban's feelings toward him had changed. + Then the Lord spoke to Jacob. He said, "Go back to your father's land and to your relatives. I will be with you." + So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah. He told them to come out to the fields where his flocks were. + He said to them, "I see that your father's feelings toward me have changed. But the God of my father has been with me. + You know that I've worked for your father with all of my strength. + "But your father has cheated me. He has changed my pay ten times. In spite of everything that's happened, God hasn't let him harm me. + Sometimes Laban would say, 'The speckled ones will be your pay.' Then all the flocks had little ones with speckles. At other times he would say, 'The striped ones will be your pay.' Then all the flocks had little ones with stripes. + So God has taken away your father's livestock and given it to me. + "Once during the mating season I had a dream. In my dream I looked up and saw male goats mating with the flock. The goats had stripes, speckles or spots. + "The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' + He said, 'Look up. See the male goats mating with the flock. All of them have stripes, speckles or spots. That is because I have seen everything that Laban has been doing to you. + " 'I am the God of Bethel. That is where you poured oil on a pillar. There you made a promise to me. Now leave this land. Go back to your own land.' " + Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in our father's property? + Doesn't our father think of us as strangers? First he sold us. Now he has used up what he was paid for us. + All of the wealth God took away from our father really belongs to us and our children. So do what God has told you to do." + Then Jacob put his children and wives on camels. + He drove all of his livestock ahead of him. He also took with him everything he had gotten in Paddan Aram. He left to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. + Laban had gone to clip the wool from his sheep. While he was gone, Rachel stole the statues of family gods that belonged to her father. + And that's not all. Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean. He didn't tell him he was running away. + So Jacob ran off with everything he had. He crossed the Euphrates River. And he headed for the hill country of Gilead. + On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had run away. + He took his relatives with him and went after Jacob. Seven days later he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. + Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. He said to him, "Be careful. Do not say anything to Jacob, whether it is good or bad." + Jacob had set up his tent in the hill country of Gilead. That's where Laban caught up with him. Laban and his relatives camped there too. + Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have tricked me. You have taken my daughters away like prisoners of war. + Why did you run away in secret and trick me? Why didn't you tell me? Then I could have sent you away happily. We could have sung to the music of tambourines and harps. + You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing. + "I have the power to harm you. But last night the God of your father spoke to me. He said, 'Be careful. Do not say anything to Jacob, whether it is good or bad.' + "Now you have run away. You longed to go back to your father's home. But why did you have to steal my gods?" + Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. + "But if you find anyone who has your gods, he will not remain alive. While our relatives are watching, look for yourself. See if there's anything of yours here with me. If you find anything belonging to you, take it." But Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the gods. + So Laban went into Jacob's tent and Leah's tent. He went into the tent of their two female servants. But he didn't find anything. After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent. + Rachel was the one who had taken his family gods. She had put them inside her camel's saddle. She was sitting on them. Laban searched the whole tent. But he didn't find anything. + Rachel said to her father, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't get up for you right now. But don't be angry with me. I'm having my monthly period." So he searched everywhere but couldn't find his family gods. + Jacob was very angry with Laban. "What have I done wrong?" he asked. "What sin have I committed to make you hunt me down like this? + You have searched through all of my things. What have you found that belongs to your family? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine. Let them decide between the two of us. + "I've been with you for 20 years now. The little ones of your sheep and goats were not dead when they were born. I haven't eaten rams from your flocks. + I didn't bring you animals that were torn apart by wild beasts. I made up for the loss myself. Also, you made me pay for anything that was stolen by day or night. + "And what was my life like? The heat burned me in the daytime. And it was so cold at night that I froze. I couldn't sleep. + That's what it was like for the 20 years I was living with you. "I worked for 14 years to get your two daughters. I worked for six years to get my share of your flocks. You changed my pay ten times. + "But the God of my father was with me. He is the God of Abraham and the God Isaac worshiped. If he hadn't been with me, you would certainly have sent me away without anything to show for all of my work. But God has seen my hard times. He has seen all of the work my hands have done. So last night he warned you." + Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters. The children are my children. The flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do today about these daughters of mine? What can I do about the children they've had? + "Come now. Let's make a covenant, you and I. Let it be a witness between us." + So Jacob took a stone. He set it up as a pillar. + He said to his relatives, "Get some stones." So they took stones and put them in a pile. And they ate there by it. + Laban named the pile of stones Jegar Sahadutha. Jacob named it Galeed. + Laban said, "This pile of stones is a witness between you and me today." That's why it was named Galeed. + It was also called Mizpah. That's because Laban said, "May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. + Don't treat my daughters badly. Don't get married to any women besides my daughters. There isn't anyone here to see what we're doing. But remember that God is a witness between you and me." + Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this pile of stones. And here is this pillar. I've set them up between you and me. + This pile is a witness. And this pillar is a witness. They give witness that I won't go past this pile to harm you. And they give witness that you won't go past this pile and pillar to harm me. + "The God of Abraham and Nahor is also the God of their father. May their God decide which of us is right." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the God his father Isaac worshiped. + He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country. And he invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. + Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters. He gave them his blessing. Then he left and returned home. + + + Jacob also went on his way. The angels of God met him. + Jacob saw them. He said, "This is the army of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim. + Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau. Esau lived in the land of Seir. It was also called the country of Edom. + Jacob told the messengers what to do. He said, "Here's what you must tell my master Esau. 'Your servant Jacob says, "I've been staying with Laban. I've remained there until now. + I have cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats. I also have male and female servants. Now I'm sending this message to you. I hope I can please you." ' " + The messengers came back to Jacob. They said, "We went to your brother Esau. He's coming now to meet you. He has 400 men with him." + Jacob was very worried and afraid. So he separated the people who were with him into two groups. He also separated the flocks and herds and camels. + He thought, "Esau may come and attack one group. If he does, the group that's left can escape." + Then Jacob prayed, "You are the God of my grandfather Abraham. You are the God of my father Isaac. "Lord, you are the one who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives. Then I will give you success.' + You have been very kind and faithful to me. But I'm not worthy of any of this. When I crossed this Jordan River, all I had was my walking stick. But now I've become two groups. + "Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau. I'm afraid he'll come and attack me and the mothers with their children. + But you have said, 'I will certainly give you success. I will make your children as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. People will not be able to count them.' " + Jacob spent the night there. He chose a gift for his brother Esau from what he had with him. + He chose 200 female goats and 20 male goats. He chose 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep. + He chose 30 female camels with their little ones. He chose 40 cows and ten bulls. And he chose 20 female donkeys and ten male donkeys. + He put each herd by itself. Then he put his servants in charge of them. He said to his servants, "Go on ahead of me. Keep some space between the herds." + Jacob spoke to his servant who was leading the way. He said, "My brother Esau will meet you. He'll ask, 'Who is your master? Where are you going? And who owns all of these animals in front of you?' + "Then say to Esau, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift to you from him. And he is coming behind us.' " + He also spoke to the second and third servants. He told them and all of the others who followed the herds what to do. He said, "Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. + Make sure you say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.' " Jacob was thinking, "I'll make peace with him with these gifts I'm sending on ahead. When I see him later, maybe he'll welcome me." + So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him. But he himself spent the night in the camp. + That night Jacob got up. He took his two wives, his two female servants and his 11 sons and sent them across the Jabbok River. + After they had crossed the stream, he sent over everything he owned. + So Jacob was left alone. A man struggled with him until morning. + The man saw that he couldn't win. So he touched the inside of Jacob's hip. As Jacob struggled with the man, Jacob's hip was twisted. + Then the man said, "Let me go. It is morning." But Jacob replied, "I won't let you go unless you bless me." + The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. + Then the man said, "Your name will not be Jacob anymore. Instead, it will be Israel. You have struggled with God and with men. And you have won." + Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you want to know my name?" Then he blessed Jacob there. + So Jacob named the place Peniel. He said, "I saw God face to face. But I'm still alive!" + The sun rose above Jacob as he passed by Peniel. He was limping because of his hip. + That's why the people of Israel don't eat the meat attached to the inside of the hip. They don't eat it to this very day. It's because the inside of Jacob's hip was touched. + + + Jacob looked up. And there was Esau, coming with his 400 men! So Jacob separated the children. He put them with Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. + He put the servants and their children in front. He put Leah and her children next. And he put Rachel and Joseph last. + He himself went on ahead. As he came near his brother, he bowed down to the ground seven times. + But Esau ran to meet Jacob. He hugged him and threw his arms around his neck. He kissed him, and they cried. + Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these people with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has so kindly given to me." + Then the female servants and their children came near and bowed down. + Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel. They bowed down too. + Esau asked, "Why did you send all of those herds I saw?" "I hoped I could do something to please you," Jacob replied. + But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself." + "No, please!" said Jacob. "If I've pleased you, accept this gift from me. Seeing your face is like seeing the face of God. You have welcomed me so kindly. + Please accept the present that was brought to you. God has been gracious to me. I have everything I need." Jacob wouldn't give in. So Esau accepted it. + Then Esau said, "Let's be on our way. I'll go with you." + But Jacob said to him, "You know that the children are young. You also know that I have to take care of the cows and female sheep that are nursing their little ones. If the animals are driven hard for just one day, all of them will die. + "So you go on ahead of me. I'll move along only as fast as the herds and the children can go. I'll go slowly until I come to you in Seir." + Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." "Why do that?" Jacob asked. "I just hope I've pleased you." + So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. + But Jacob went to Succoth. There he built a place for himself. He also made shelters for his livestock. That's why the place is named Succoth. + After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan. He camped where he could see the city. + For 100 pieces of silver he bought a piece of land. He got it from the sons of Hamor. Hamor was the father of Shechem. Jacob set up his tent on that piece of land. + He also set up an altar there. He named it El Elohe Israel. + + + Dinah was the daughter Leah had by Jacob. Dinah went out to visit the women of the land. + Hamor the Hivite was the ruler of that area. When his son Shechem saw Dinah, he took her and raped her. + Then his heart longed for Jacob's daughter Dinah. He fell in love with her and spoke tenderly to her. + Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me that woman. I want her to be my wife." + Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been made "unclean." His sons were in the fields with his livestock. So he kept quiet about it until they came home. + Then Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. + Jacob's sons had come in from the fields. They came as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with sadness and anger. Shechem had done a very terrible thing. He had forced Jacob's daughter to have sex with him. He had done something that should never be done in Israel. + But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem wants your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. + "Let your people and ours get married to each other. Give us your daughters as our wives. You can have our daughters as your wives. + You can settle among us. Here is the land. Live in it. Trade in it. Buy property in it." + Then Shechem spoke to Dinah's father and brothers. He said, "I want to please you. I'll give you anything you ask. + Make the price for the bride as high as you want to. I'll pay anything you ask me. Just give me the woman. I want to get married to her." + Their sister Dinah had been made "unclean." So Jacob's sons lied to Shechem and his father Hamor. + They said to them, "We can't do it. We can't give our sister to a man who isn't circumcised. That would bring shame on us. + We'll agree, but only on one condition. You will have to become like us. You will have to circumcise all of your males. + "Then we'll give you our daughters as your wives. And we'll take your daughters as our wives. We'll settle among you and become one people with you. + But if you won't agree to it, then we'll take our sister and go." + Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. + The young man was the most honored of all of the men in his father's family. He didn't lose any time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. + Hamor and his son Shechem went to the city gate. They spoke to the other men in town. + "These men are friendly toward us," they said. "Let them live in our land. Let them trade in it. The land has plenty of room for them. We can get married to their daughters. And they can marry ours. + "But they will agree to live with us as one people only on one condition. All of our males must be circumcised, just as they are. + "Won't their livestock and their property belong to us? Won't all of their animals become ours? So let's say yes to them. Then they'll settle among us." + All of the men who went out through the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. So every male in the city was circumcised. + Three days later, all of them were still in pain. Then Simeon and Levi took their swords. They were Jacob's sons and Dinah's brothers. They attacked the city when the people didn't expect it. They killed every male. + They also killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords. Then they took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. + Jacob's other sons found the dead bodies. They robbed the city where their sister had been made "unclean." + They took the flocks and herds and donkeys. They took everything that was in the city and out in the fields. + They carried everything away. And they took all of the women and children. They took away everything that was in the houses. + Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me. Now I'm like a very bad smell to the Canaanites and Perizzites who live in this land. There aren't many of us. They may join together against me and attack me. Then I and my family will be destroyed." + But they replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?" + + + Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to honor me. That's where I appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau." + So Jacob spoke to his family and to everyone who was with him. He said, "Get rid of the strange gods you have with you. Make yourselves pure, and change your clothes. + Come, let's go up to Bethel. There I'll build an altar to honor God. He answered me when I was in trouble. He's been with me everywhere I've gone." + So they gave Jacob all of the strange gods they had. They also gave him their earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree at Shechem. + Then Jacob and everyone who was with him started out. The terror of God fell on the towns all around them. So no one chased them. + Jacob and all of the people who were with him came to Luz. Luz is also called Bethel. It's in the land of Canaan. + Jacob built an altar at Luz. He named the place El Bethel. There God made himself known to Jacob when he was running away from his brother. + Rebekah's attendant Deborah died. They buried her body under the oak tree below Bethel. So it was called Allon Bacuth. + After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again. And God blessed him. + God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. But you will not be called Jacob anymore. Your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel. + God said to him, "I am the Mighty God. Have children and increase your numbers. A nation and a community of nations will come from you. Kings will come from your body. + I am giving you the land I gave to Abraham and Isaac. I will also give it to your children after you." + Then God left him at the place where he had talked with him. + Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him. He poured out a drink offering on it. He also poured oil on it. + Jacob named the place Bethel. That's where God had talked with him. + They moved on from Bethel. Ephrath wasn't very far away when Rachel began to have a baby. She was having a very hard time of it. + The woman who helped her saw that she was having problems. So she said to her, "Don't be afraid. You have another son." + But Rachel was dying. As she took her last breath, she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. + So Rachel died. Her body was buried beside the road to Ephrath. Ephrath was also called Bethlehem. + Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. The pillar marks the place of Rachel's tomb to this very day. + Israel moved on again. He set up his tent beyond Migdal Eder. + While Israel was living in that area, Reuben went in and made love to Bilhah. She was the concubine of Reuben's father. And Israel heard about it. Here are the 12 sons Jacob had. + Leah was the mother of Reuben, Jacob's oldest son. Her other sons were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. + The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. + The sons of Rachel's female servant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. + The sons of Leah's female servant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. Those were Jacob's sons. They were born in Paddan Aram. + Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre. Mamre is near Kiriath Arba, where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. The place is also called Hebron. + Isaac lived 180 years. + Then he took his last breath and died. He was very old when he joined the members of his family who had already died. His sons Esau and Jacob buried his body. + + + Here is the story of Esau. Esau was also called Edom. + Esau got his wives from among the women of Canaan. He married Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. He also married Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. + And he married Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth. + Adah had Eliphaz by Esau. Basemath had Reuel. + Oholibamah had Jeush, Jalam and Korah. All of them were Esau's sons. They were born in Canaan. + Esau moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob. He took with him his wives, his sons and daughters, and all of the people who lived with him. He also took his livestock and all of his other animals. He took everything he had gotten in Canaan. + Jacob and Esau owned so much that they couldn't remain together. There wasn't enough land for both of them. They had too much livestock. + So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. Esau was also called Edom. + Here is the story of Esau. He's the father of the people of Edom. They live in the hill country of Seir. + Here are the names of Esau's sons. They are Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. + The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz. + Esau's son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna. She had Amalek by Eliphaz. They were grandsons of Esau's wife Adah. + The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. They were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath. + Esau's wife Oholibamah was the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon. She had Jeush, Jalam and Korah by Esau. + Here are the chiefs who were among Esau's sons. Eliphaz was Esau's oldest son. The sons of Eliphaz were Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, + Korah, Gatam and Amalek. They were the chiefs in Edom who were sons of Eliphaz. They were Adah's grandsons. + The sons of Esau's son Reuel were Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. They were the chiefs in Edom who were sons of Reuel. They were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath. + The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah were Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah. They were the chiefs who were sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah. She was Anah's daughter. + That was the family line of Esau. And those were the chiefs. Esau was also called Edom. + Seir the Horite had sons living in the same area. They were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. The sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs. + The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. + The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. + The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. He was the Anah who discovered the hot springs of water in the desert. He found them while he was taking care of the donkeys that belonged to his father Zibeon. + The children of Anah were Dishon and Oholibamah. Oholibamah was the daughter of Anah. + The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran. + The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan. + The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran. + The Horite chiefs were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. They were the Horite chiefs in the land of Seir. They are listed tribe by tribe. + Before Israel had a king, there were kings who ruled in Edom. + Bela became the king of Edom. Bela was the son of Beor. Bela's city was called Dinhabah. + When Bela died, Jobab became the next king. Jobab was the son of Zerah from Bozrah. + When Jobab died, Husham became the next king. Husham was from the land of the Temanites. + When Husham died, Hadad became the next king. Hadad was the son of Bedad. Hadad had won the battle over Midian in the country of Moab. Hadad's city was called Avith. + When Hadad died, Samlah became the next king. Samlah was from Masrekah. + When Samlah died, Shaul became the next king. Shaul was from Rehoboth on the river. + When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan became the next king. Baal-Hanan was the son of Acbor. + When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad became the next king. Hadad's city was called Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel. She was the daughter of Matred. Matred was the daughter of Me-Zahab. + Here are the chiefs who were in the family line of Esau. They are listed by name as chiefs in charge of their tribes and territories. They are Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel and Iram. They were the chiefs of Edom. They ruled over their settlements in the land where they lived. That's the end of the story of Esau. He was the father of the people of Edom. + + + Jacob lived in the land of Canaan. It's the land where his father had stayed. + Here is the story of Jacob. Joseph was a young man. He was 17 years old. He was taking care of the flocks with some of his brothers. They were the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought their father a bad report about them. + Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons. Joseph had been born to him when he was old. Israel made him a beautiful robe. + Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them. So they hated Joseph. They couldn't even speak one kind word to him. + Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. + He said to them, "Listen to the dream I had. + We were tying up bundles of grain out in the field. Suddenly my bundle rose and stood up straight. Your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it." + His brothers said to him, "Do you plan to be king over us? Will you really rule over us?" So they hated him even more because of his dream. They didn't like what he had said. + Then Joseph had another dream. He told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said. "I had another dream. This time the sun and moon and 11 stars were bowing down to me." + He told his father as well as his brothers. Then his father objected. He said, "What about this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers really do that? Will we really come and bow down to the ground in front of you?" + His brothers were jealous of him. But his father kept the matter in mind. + Joseph's brothers had gone to take care of their father's flocks near Shechem. + Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are taking care of the flocks near Shechem. Come. I'm going to send you to them." "All right," Joseph replied. + So Israel said to him, "Go to your brothers. See how they are doing. Also see how the flocks are doing. Then come back and tell me." So he sent him away from the Hebron Valley. Joseph arrived at Shechem. + A man found him wandering around in the fields. He asked Joseph, "What are you looking for?" + He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their flocks?" + "They've moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.' " So Joseph went to look for his brothers. He found them near Dothan. + But they saw him a long way off. Before he reached them, they made plans to kill him. + "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to one another. + "Come. Let's kill him. Let's throw him into one of these empty wells. Let's say that a wild animal ate him up. Then we'll see whether his dreams will come true." + Reuben heard them. He tried to save Joseph from them. "Let's not take his life," he said. + "Let's not spill any blood. Throw him into this empty well here in the desert. But don't harm him yourselves." Reuben said that to save Joseph from them. He was hoping he could take him back to his father. + When Joseph came to his brothers, he was wearing his beautiful robe. They took it away from him. + And they threw him into the well. The well was empty. There wasn't any water in it. + Then they sat down to eat their meal. As they did, they saw some Ishmaelite traders coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, lotion and myrrh. They were on their way to take them down to Egypt. + Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and try to cover up what we've done? + Come. Let's sell him to these traders. Let's not harm him ourselves. After all, he's our brother. He's our own flesh and blood." Judah's brothers agreed with him. + The traders from Midian came by. Joseph's brothers pulled him up out of the well. They sold him to the Ishmaelite traders for eight ounces of silver. Then the traders took him to Egypt. + Later, Reuben came back to the empty well. He saw that Joseph wasn't there. He was so upset that he tore his clothes. + He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Now what should I do?" + Then they got Joseph's beautiful robe. They killed a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. + They took it back to their father. They said, "We found this. Take a look at it. See if it's your son's robe." + Jacob recognized it. He said, "It's my son's robe! A wild animal has eaten him up. Joseph must have been torn to pieces." + Jacob tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. Then he sobbed over his son for many days. + All of Jacob's other sons and daughters came to comfort him. But they weren't able to. He said, "I'll be full of sorrow when I go down into the grave to be with my son." So Joseph's father sobbed over him. + But the traders from Midian sold Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh's officials. He was the captain of the palace guard. + + + At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah. Hirah was from the town of Adullam. + There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and made love to her. + She became pregnant. She had a son. They named him Er. + She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan. + She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib. + Judah got a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar. + But Judah's oldest son Er was evil in the Lord's eyes. So the Lord put him to death. + Then Judah said to Onan, "Make love to your brother's wife. After all, you are her brother-in-law. So carry out your duty to her. Produce children for your brother." + But Onan knew that the children wouldn't belong to him. So every time he made love to his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground. He did it so he wouldn't produce children for his brother. + What he did was evil in the Lord's eyes. So the Lord put him to death also. + Then Judah spoke to his daughter-in-law Tamar. He said, "Live as a widow in your father's home. Wait there until my son Shelah grows up." Judah was thinking, "Shelah might die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's home. + After a long time Judah's wife died. She was the daughter of Shua. When Judah got over his sadness, he went up to Timnah. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him. Men were clipping the wool from Judah's sheep at Timnah. + Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to clip the wool from his sheep." + So she took off her widow's clothes. She covered her face with a veil so people wouldn't know who she was. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim. Enaim is on the road to Timnah. Tamar knew that Shelah had grown up. But she hadn't been given to him as his wife. + Judah saw her. He thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face with a veil. + He didn't realize that she was his daughter-in-law. He went over to her by the side of the road. He said, "Come. Let me make love to you." "What will you give me to make love to you?" she asked. + "I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. "Will you give me something that belongs to you?" she asked. "I'll keep it until you send the goat." + He said, "What should I give you?" "Give me your seal and its string," she answered. "And give me your walking stick." So he gave them to her. Then he had sex with her. And she became pregnant by him. + After she left, she took off her veil. She put on her widow's clothes again. + Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat he had promised. He wanted to get back what he had given to the woman. But his friend Hirah couldn't find her. + He asked the men who lived at Enaim, "Where's the temple prostitute? She used to sit beside the road here." "There hasn't been any temple prostitute here," they said. + So Hirah went back to Judah. He said, "I couldn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there didn't know anything about her. They said, 'There hasn't been any temple prostitute here.' " + Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has. I don't want people making fun of us. After all, I did send her this young goat. We can't help it if you couldn't find her." + About three months later people brought word to Judah. They said, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of being a prostitute. Now she's pregnant." Judah said, "Bring her out! Have her burned to death!" + As Tamar was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. She said, "I am pregnant by the man who owns these." She continued, "Do you recognize this seal and string and walking stick? Do you know who they belong to?" + Judah recognized them. He said, "She's a better person than I am. I should have given her to my son Shelah, but I didn't." Judah never had sex with Tamar again. + The time came for Tamar to have her baby. There were twin boys inside her. + As the babies were being born, one of them stuck out his hand. So the woman who was helping Tamar took a bright red thread. The woman tied it on the baby's wrist. She said, "This one came out first." + But he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out first instead. She said, "Just look at how you have broken out!" So he was called Perez. + Then his brother, who had the red thread on his wrist, came out. So he was named Zerah. + + + Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar had bought him from the Ishmaelite traders who had taken him there. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh's officials. He was the captain of the palace guard. + The Lord was with Joseph. He gave him great success. Joseph lived in Potiphar's house. + Joseph's master saw that the Lord was with him. He saw that the Lord gave Joseph success in everything he did. + So Potiphar was pleased with Joseph. He made him his attendant. He put Joseph in charge of his house. He told Joseph to take good care of everything he owned. + From that time on, the Lord blessed Potiphar's family and servants because of Joseph. He blessed everything Potiphar had in his house and field. + So Potiphar told Joseph to take good care of everything he owned. With Joseph in charge, he didn't have to worry about anything except the food he ate. Joseph was strong and handsome. + After a while, his master's wife noticed Joseph. She said to him, "Make love to me!" + But he said no. "My master has put me in charge," he told her. "Now he doesn't have to worry about anything in the house. He trusts me to take care of everything he owns. + "No one in this house is in a higher position than I am. My master hasn't held anything back from me, except you. You are his wife. So how could I do an evil thing like that? How could I sin against God?" + She spoke to Joseph day after day. But he told her he wouldn't make love to her. He didn't even want to be with her. + One day Joseph went into the house to take care of his duties. None of the family servants was inside. + Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of him by his coat. "Make love to me!" she said. But he left his coat in her hand. And he ran out of the house. + She saw that he had left his coat in her hand and had run out of the house. + So she called her servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew slave has been brought here to make fun of us! He came in here to force me to have sex with him. But I screamed for help. + He heard my scream. So he left his coat beside me and ran out of the house." + She kept Joseph's coat with her until Potiphar came home. + Then she told him her story. She said, "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to rape me. + But I screamed for help. So he left his coat beside me and ran out of the house." + Potiphar's wife told him, "That's how your slave treated me." When Joseph's master heard her story, he became very angry. + So he put Joseph in prison. It was the place where the king's prisoners were kept. While Joseph was there in the prison, + the Lord was with him. He was kind to him. So the man who was running the prison was pleased with Joseph. + He put Joseph in charge of all of the prisoners. He made him accountable for everything that was done there. + The man who ran the prison didn't pay attention to anything that was in Joseph's care. The Lord was with Joseph. He gave Joseph success in everything he did. + + + Some time later, the Egyptian king's baker and wine taster did something their master didn't like. + So Pharaoh became angry with his two officials, the chief wine taster and the chief baker. + He put them in prison in the house of the captain of the palace guard. It was the same prison where Joseph was kept. + The captain put Joseph in charge of those men. So Joseph took care of them. Some time passed while they were in prison. + Then each of the two men had a dream. The men were the Egyptian king's baker and wine taster. They were being held in prison. Both of them had dreams the same night. Each of their dreams had its own meaning. + Joseph came to them the next morning. He saw that they were sad. + They were Pharaoh's officials, and they were in prison with Joseph in his master's house. So he asked them, "Why do you look so sad today?" + "We both had dreams," they answered. "But no one can tell us what they mean." Then Joseph said to them, "Only God knows what dreams mean. Tell me your dreams." + So the chief wine taster told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me. + There were three branches on the vine. As soon as it budded, it flowered. And bunches of ripe grapes grew on it. + "Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes. I squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup. Then I put the cup in his hand." + "Here's what your dream means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. + In three days Pharaoh will let you out of prison. He'll give your position back to you. And you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand. That's what you used to do when you were his wine taster. + "But when everything is going well with you, remember me. Do me a favor. Speak to Pharaoh about me. Get me out of this prison. + I was taken away from the land of the Hebrews by force. Even here I haven't done anything to be put in prison for." + The chief baker saw that Joseph had given a positive meaning to the wine taster's dream. So he said to Joseph, "I had a dream too. There were three baskets of bread on my head. + All kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh were in the top basket. But the birds were eating them out of the basket that was on my head." + "Here's what your dream means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. + In three days Pharaoh will cut your head off. Then he will stick a pole through your body and set the pole up. The birds will eat up your body." + The third day was Pharaoh's birthday. He had a big dinner prepared for all of his officials. He brought the chief wine taster and the chief baker out of prison. He did it in front of his officials. + He gave the chief wine taster's position back to him. Once again the wine taster put the cup into Pharaoh's hand. + But Pharaoh had a pole stuck through the chief baker's body. Then he had the pole set up. Everything happened exactly as Joseph had told them when he explained their dreams. + But the chief wine taster didn't remember Joseph. In fact, he forgot all about him. + + + When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream, he was standing by the Nile River. + Seven cows came up out of the river. They looked healthy and fat. They were eating some of the tall grass that was growing along the river. + After them, seven other cows came up out of the Nile. They looked ugly and skinny. They were standing beside the other cows on the riverbank. + The ugly, skinny cows ate up the seven cows that looked healthy and fat. Then Pharaoh woke up. + He fell asleep again and had a second dream. In that dream, seven heads of grain were growing on one stem. They were healthy and good. + After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and dried up by the east wind. + The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It had been a dream. + In the morning he was worried. So he sent for all of the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But no one could tell him what they meant. + Then the chief wine taster spoke up. He said to Pharaoh, "Now I remember that I've done something wrong. + Pharaoh was once angry with his servants. He put me and the chief baker in prison. We were in the house of the captain of the palace guard. + Each of us had a dream the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. + "A young Hebrew servant was there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams. And he explained them to us. He told each of us the meaning of our dreams. + Things turned out exactly as he said they would. I was given back my position. The other man had a pole stuck through his body." + So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly brought out of the prison. Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh. + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream. No one can tell me what it means. But I've heard that when you hear a dream you can explain it." + "I can't do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh. "But God will give Pharaoh the answer he wants." + Then Pharaoh told Joseph what he had dreamed. He said, "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. + Seven cows came up out of the river. They were fat and good-looking. They were eating the tall grass that was growing along the river. + "After them, seven other cows came up. They were bony and very ugly and thin. I had never seen such ugly cows in the whole land of Egypt. + "The thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. + But even after the thin cows ate up the fat ones, no one could tell that they had eaten them. They looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. + "In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain. They were full and good. They were all growing on one stem. + "After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were weak and thin and dried up by the east wind. + "The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told my dreams to the magicians. But none of them could explain them to me." + Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both of Pharaoh's dreams have the same meaning. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. + The seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads of grain are seven years. Both dreams mean the same thing. + "The seven thin, ugly cows that came up later are seven years. So are the seven worthless heads of grain that were dried up by the east wind. They are seven years when there won't be enough food. + "It's exactly as I said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he's about to do. + Seven years with plenty of food are coming to the whole land of Egypt. + "But seven years when there won't be enough food will follow them. Then everyone will forget about all of the food Egypt had. Terrible hunger will destroy the land. + There won't be anything left to remind people of the years when there was plenty of food in the land. That's how bad the hunger that follows will be. + "God gave the dream to Pharaoh in two forms. That's because the matter has been firmly decided by God. And it's because God will do it soon. + "So Pharaoh should look for a wise and understanding man. He should put him in charge of the land of Egypt. + "Pharaoh should appoint officials to be in charge of the land. They should take a fifth of the harvest in Egypt during the seven years when there's plenty of food. + They should collect all of the extra food of the good years that are coming. Pharaoh should give them authority to store up the grain. They should keep it in the cities for food. + "The grain should be stored up for the country to use later. It will be needed during the seven years when there isn't enough food in Egypt. Then the country won't be destroyed just because it doesn't have enough food." + The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and all of his officials. + So Pharaoh said to them, "The spirit of God is in this man. We can't find anyone else like him, can we?" + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "God has made all of this known to you. No one is as wise and understanding as you are. + You will be in charge of my palace. All of my people must obey your orders. I will be greater than you only because I'm the one who sits on the throne." + So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I'm putting you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." + Then Pharaoh took his ring off his finger. It was the ring he used to stamp all of the official papers. He put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes that were made out of fine linen. He put a gold chain around his neck. + He also had him ride in a chariot. Joseph was now next in command after Pharaoh. People went in front of him and shouted, "Get down on your knees!" By doing all of those things, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh. But without your word, no one will do anything in the whole land of Egypt." + Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him a wife. She was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. Joseph traveled all over the land of Egypt. + Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh's palace and traveled all over Egypt. + During the seven years when there was plenty of food, the land produced more than the people needed. + Joseph collected all of the extra food produced in those seven years in Egypt. He stored it in the cities. In each city he stored up the food that was grown in the fields around it. + Joseph stored up huge amounts of grain. It was like the sand of the sea. There was so much grain it couldn't be measured. So Joseph stopped keeping records of it. + Before the years when there wasn't enough food, two sons were born to Joseph. He had them by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. + Joseph named his first son Manasseh. That's because he said, "God has made me forget all of my trouble and my father's whole family." + He named the second son Ephraim. That's because he said, "God has given me children in the land where I've suffered so much." + The seven years when there was plenty of food in Egypt came to an end. + Then the seven years when there wasn't enough food began. It happened exactly as Joseph had said it would. There wasn't enough food in any of the other lands. But in the whole land of Egypt there was food. + When all of the people of Egypt began to get hungry, they cried out to Pharaoh for food. He told all of the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you." + There wasn't enough food anywhere in the country. So Joseph opened the storerooms. He sold grain to the Egyptians because people were very hungry all over Egypt. + People from all of the other countries came to Egypt. They came to buy grain from Joseph. That's because people were very hungry all over the world. + + + Jacob found out that there was grain in Egypt. So he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" + He continued, "I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go down there. Buy some for us. Then we'll live and not die." + So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain there. + But Jacob didn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with them. He was afraid Benjamin might be harmed. + Israel's sons were among the people who went to buy grain. There wasn't enough food in the land of Canaan. + Joseph was the governor of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all of its people. When Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. + As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he pretended to be a stranger. He spoke to them in a mean way. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We've come to buy food." + Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him. + Then Joseph remembered his dreams about them. So he said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the places where our land isn't guarded very well." + "No, sir," they answered. "We've come to buy food. + All of us are the sons of one man. We're honest men. We aren't spies." + "No!" he said to them. "You have come to see the places where our land isn't guarded very well." + But they replied, "We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one man. He lives in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is now with our father. And one brother is gone." + Joseph said to them, "I still say you are spies! + So I'm going to put you to the test. You can be sure that Pharaoh lives. And you can be just as sure that you won't leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. I promise with an oath that you won't leave here. + Send one of you back to get your brother. The rest of you will be kept in prison. "I'll put your words to the test. Then we'll find out whether you are telling the truth. You can be sure that Pharaoh lives. And you can be just as sure that if you aren't telling the truth, we'll know that you are spies!" + So Joseph kept all of them under guard for three days. + On the third day, Joseph spoke to them again. He said, "Do what I say. Then you will live, because I have respect for God. + If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison. The rest of you may go and take grain back to your hungry families. + "But you must bring your youngest brother to me. That will prove that your words are true. Then you won't die." So they did what he said. + They said to one another, "God is certainly punishing us because of our brother. We saw how troubled he was when he begged us to let him live. But we wouldn't listen. That's why all of this trouble has come to us." + Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we're being held accountable for killing him." + They didn't realize that Joseph could understand what they were saying. He was using someone else to explain their words to him in the Egyptian language. + Joseph turned away from them and began to sob. Then he turned around and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken and tied up right there in front of them. + Joseph gave orders to have their bags filled with grain. He had each man's money put back into his sack. He also made sure they were given food for their journey. + Then the brothers loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. + When night came, they stopped. One of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey. He saw his money in the top of his sack. + "My money has been given back," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." They had a sinking feeling in their hearts. They began to tremble. They turned to each other and said, "What has God done to us?" + They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him everything that had happened to them. They said, + "The man who is the governor of the land spoke to us in a mean way. He treated us as if we were spying on the land. + But we said to him, 'We're honest men. We aren't spies. + We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one father. But now one brother is gone. And our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.' + "Then the man who is the governor of the land spoke to us. He said, 'Here's how I will know whether you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me. Take food for your hungry families and go. + " 'But bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are honest men and not spies. I'll give your brother back to you. And you will be free to trade in the land.' " + They began emptying their sacks. There in each man's sack was his bag of money! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were afraid. + Their father Jacob said to them, "You have taken my children away from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!" + Then Reuben spoke to his father. He said, "You can put both of my sons to death if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. Place him in my care. I'll bring him back." + But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead. He's the only one left here with me. Suppose he's harmed on the journey you are taking. Then I would die as a sad old man. I would go down into the grave full of sorrow." + + + There still wasn't enough food anywhere in the land. + After a while Jacob's family had eaten all of the grain the brothers had brought from Egypt. So their father said to them, "Go back. Buy us a little more food." + But Judah said to him, "The man gave us a strong warning. He said, 'You won't see my face again unless your brother comes with you.' + So send our brother along with us. Then we'll go down and buy food for you. + "If you won't send him, we won't go down. The man said to us, 'You won't see my face again unless your brother comes with you.' " + Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble to me? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?" + They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' "We just answered his questions. How could we possibly know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" + Judah spoke to Israel his father. "Send the boy along with me," he said. "We'll go at once. Then we and you and our children will live and not die. + "I myself promise to keep him safe. You can hold me accountable for him. I'll bring him back to you. I'll set him right here in front of you. If I don't, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life. + "As it is, we've already waited too long. We could have gone to Egypt and back twice by now." + Then their father Israel spoke to them. He said, "If that's the way it has to be, then do what I tell you. Put some of the best things from our land in your bags. Take them down to the man as a gift. Take some lotion and a little honey. Take some spices and myrrh. Take some pistachio nuts and almonds. + Take twice the amount of money with you. You have to give back the money that was put in your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake. + "Also take your brother. Go back to the man at once. + May the Mighty God cause him to show you mercy. May the man let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. And if I lose my sons, I lose them." + So the men took the gifts. They took twice the amount of money. They also took Benjamin. They hurried down to Egypt and went to Joseph. + When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he spoke to the manager of his house. "Take these men to my house," he said. "Kill an animal and prepare dinner. I want them to eat with me at noon." + The manager did what Joseph told him to do. He took the men to Joseph's house. + They were afraid when they were taken to Joseph's house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us. Then he can hold us as slaves and take our donkeys." + So they went up to Joseph's manager. They spoke to him at the entrance to the house. + "Please, sir," they said. "We came down here the first time to buy food. + We opened our sacks at the place where we stopped for the night. Each of us found in our sacks the money we had paid. So we've brought it back with us. + We've also brought more money with us to buy food. We don't know who put our money in our sacks." + "It's all right," the manager said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you riches in your sacks. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. + The manager took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water to wash their feet. He provided feed for their donkeys. + They prepared their gifts for Joseph. He was planning to arrive at noon. They had heard that they were going to eat there. + When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought into the house. They bowed down to the ground in front of him. + He asked them how they were. Then he said, "How is your old father you told me about? Is he still living?" + They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed low to show him honor. + Joseph looked around. Then he saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He asked, "Is this your youngest brother? Is he the one you told me about?" He continued, "May God be gracious to you, my son." + It moved him deeply to see his brother. So Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to cry. He went into his own room and cried there. + Then he washed his face and came out. He calmed down and said, "Serve the food." + They served Joseph by himself. They served the brothers by themselves. They also served the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves. Because of their beliefs, Egyptians couldn't eat with Hebrews. + The brothers had been given places in front of Joseph. They had been seated in the order of their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. That made them look at each other in great surprise. + While they were eating, some food was brought to them from Joseph's table. Benjamin was given five times as much as anyone else. So all of Joseph's brothers ate and drank a lot with him. + + + Joseph told the manager of his house what to do. "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry," he said. "Put each man's money in his sack. + "Then put my silver cup in the youngest one's sack. Put it there along with the money he paid for his grain." So the manager did what Joseph told him to do. + When morning came, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. + They hadn't gone very far from the city when Joseph spoke to his manager. "Go after those men at once," he said. "Catch up with them. Say to them, 'My master was good to you. Why have you paid him back by doing evil? + Isn't this the cup my master drinks from? Doesn't he also use it to figure things out? You have done an evil thing.' " + When the manager caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said. + But they said to him, "Why do you say these things? We would never do anything like that! + We even brought back to you from Canaan the money we found in our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? + "If you find out that any of us has the cup, he will die. And the rest of us will become your slaves." + "All right, then," he said. "As you wish. The one who is found to have the cup will become my slave. But the rest of you will be free from blame." + Each of them quickly put his sack down on the ground and opened it. + Then the manager started to search. He began with the oldest and ended with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack. + When that happened, they were so upset they tore their clothes. Then all of them loaded their donkeys and went back to the city. + Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him. + Joseph said to them, "What have you done? Don't you know that a man like me has ways to figure things out?" + "What can we say to you?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove we haven't done anything wrong? God has shown you that we are guilty. We are now your slaves. All of us are, including the one who was found to have the cup." + But Joseph said, "I would never do anything like that! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace." + Then Judah went up to him. He said, "Please, sir. Let me speak a word to you. Don't be angry with me, even though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. + You asked us, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' + We answered, 'We have an old father. A young son was born to him when he was old. His brother is dead. He's the only one of his mother's sons left. And his father loves him.' + "Then you said to us, 'Bring him down to me. I want to see him for myself.' + "We said to you, 'The boy can't leave his father. If he does, his father will die.' + "But you told us, 'Your youngest brother must come down here with you. If he doesn't, you won't see my face again.' + So we went back to my father. We told him what you had said. + "Then our father said, 'Go back. Buy a little more food.' + "But we said, 'We can't go down. We'll only go if our youngest brother goes there with us. We can't even see the man's face unless our youngest brother goes with us.' + "Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife had two sons by me. + One of them went away from me. And I said, "He must have been torn to pieces." I haven't seen him since. + What if you take this one from me too and he is harmed? Then you would cause me to die as a sad old man. I would go down into the grave full of pain and suffering.' + "So now, what will happen if the boy isn't with us when I go back to my father? His life is closely tied up with the boy's life. + When he sees that the boy isn't with us, he'll die as a sad old man. Because of us, he'll go down into the grave full of sorrow. + "I promised my father I would keep the boy safe. I said, 'Father, I'll bring him back to you. If I don't, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.' + "Now then, please let me stay here. Let me be your slave in place of the boy. Let the boy return with his brothers. + How can I go back to my father if the boy isn't with me? Don't let me see the pain and suffering that would come to my father." + + + Joseph couldn't control himself anymore in front of all of his attendants. He cried out, "Have everyone leave me!" So there wasn't anyone with Joseph when he told his brothers who he was. + He sobbed so loudly that the Egyptians heard him. Everyone in Pharaoh's house heard about it. + Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers weren't able to answer him. They were too afraid of him. + Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." So they did. Then he said, "I am your brother Joseph. I'm the one you sold into Egypt. + But don't be upset. And don't be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to save many lives. + "For two years now, there hasn't been enough food in the land. And for the next five years, people won't be plowing or gathering crops. + But God sent me ahead of you to keep some of you alive on earth. He sent me here to save your lives by an act of mighty power. + "So then, it wasn't you who sent me here. It was God. He made me like a father to Pharaoh. He made me master of Pharaoh's whole house. He made me ruler of the whole land of Egypt. + "Now hurry back to my father. Say to him, 'Your son Joseph says, "God has made me master of the whole land of Egypt. Come down to me. Don't waste any time. + You will live in the area of Goshen. You, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you have will be near me. + There I will provide everything you need. " ' "Five years without enough food are still coming. If you don't come down here, you and your family and everyone who belongs to you will lose everything." ' + "Brothers, you can see for yourselves that it's really I, Joseph, speaking to you. My brother Benjamin can see it too. + "Tell my father about all of the honor that has been given to me in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." + Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and sobbed. Benjamin also hugged him and sobbed. + Joseph kissed all of his brothers and sobbed over them. After that, his brothers talked with him. + The news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come. Pharaoh and all of his officials were pleased. + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Here's what I want you to tell your brothers. Say to them, 'Load your animals. Return to the land of Canaan. + Bring your father and your families back to me. I'll give you the best land in Egypt. You can enjoy all of the good things in the land.' + "And here's something else I want you to tell them. Say to them, 'Take some carts from Egypt. Your children and your wives can use them. Get your father and come back. + Don't worry about the things you have back there. The best of everything in Egypt will belong to you.' " + So the sons of Israel did it. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded. He also gave them supplies for their journey. + He gave new clothes to each of them. But he gave more than seven pounds of silver to Benjamin. He also gave him five sets of clothes. + He sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best things from Egypt. He also sent ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies for his journey. + Then Joseph sent his brothers away. As they were leaving he said to them, "Don't argue on the way!" + So they went up out of Egypt. They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. + They told him, "Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of the whole land of Egypt." Jacob was shocked. He didn't believe them. + So they told him everything Joseph had said to them. Jacob saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back. That gave new life to their father Jacob. + Israel said, "I believe it now! My son Joseph is still alive. I'll go and see him before I die." + + + So Israel started out with everything that belonged to him. When he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. + God spoke to Israel in a vision at night. "Jacob! Jacob!" he said. "Here I am," Jacob replied. + "I am God. I am the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt. There I will make you into a great nation. + I will go down to Egypt with you. You can be sure that I will bring you back again. And when you die, Joseph will close your eyes with his own hand." + Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons put their father Jacob and their families in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to carry them. + So Jacob and his whole family went to Egypt. They took their livestock with them. And they took everything they had gotten in Canaan. + Jacob took his sons and grandsons with him to Egypt. He also took his daughters and granddaughters. He took all of his children and grandchildren with him. + Here are the names of Israel's children and grandchildren who went to Egypt. Jacob and all of his children and grandchildren are included. Reuben was Jacob's oldest son. + The sons of Reuben were 'QF'Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. + The sons of Simeon were 'QF'Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. Shaul was the son of a woman from Canaan. + The sons of Levi were 'QF'Gershon, Kohath and Merari. + The sons of Judah were 'QF'Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. But Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Issachar were 'QF'Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. + The sons of Zebulun were 'QF'Sered, Elon and Jahleel. + Those were the sons and grandsons who were born to Jacob and Leah in Paddan Aram. Leah also had a daughter by Jacob. Her name was Dinah. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Leah was 33. + The sons of Gad were 'QF'Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. + The sons of Asher were 'QF'Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel. + Those were the children and grandchildren who were born to Jacob and Zilpah. Laban had given Zilpah to his daughter Leah. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Zilpah was 16. + The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were 'QF'Joseph and Benjamin. + In Egypt, Asenath had Manasseh and Ephraim by Joseph. Asenath was the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. + The sons of Benjamin were 'QF'Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. + Those were the sons and grandsons who were born to Jacob and Rachel. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Rachel was 14. + The son of Dan was 'QF'Hushim. + The sons of Naphtali were 'QF'Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. + Those were the sons and grandsons who were born to Jacob and Bilhah. Laban had given Bilhah to his daughter Rachel. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Bilhah was seven. + The total number of those who went to Egypt with Jacob was 66. That number includes only his own children and grandchildren. It doesn't include his sons' wives or his grandsons' wives. + The total number of the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt was 70. That includes the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt. + Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph. He sent him to get directions to Goshen. And so they arrived in the area of Goshen. + Then Joseph had his servants get his chariot ready. He went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he came to his father, Joseph threw his arms around him. Then Joseph sobbed for a long time. + Israel said to Joseph, "I have seen for myself that you are still alive. Now I'm ready to die." + Then Joseph spoke to his brothers and to the rest of his father's family. He said, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh. I'll say to him, 'My brothers and the rest of my father's family have come to me. They were living in the land of Canaan. + The men are shepherds. They take care of livestock. They've brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' + "Pharaoh will send for you. He'll ask, 'What do you do for a living?' + You should answer, 'We've taken care of livestock from the time we were boys. We've done just as our fathers did.' It's the practice of the people of Egypt not to mix with shepherds. "So Pharaoh will let you settle in the area of Goshen." + + + Joseph went to Pharaoh. He told him, "My father and brothers have come from the land of Canaan. They've brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own. They are now in Goshen." + Joseph had chosen five of his brothers to meet with Pharaoh. + Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What do you do for a living?" "We're shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh. "And that's what our fathers were." + They also said to him, "We've come to live in Egypt for a while. There isn't enough food anywhere in Canaan. There isn't any grass for our flocks. So please let us settle in Goshen." + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. + The land of Egypt is open to you. Settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. Do any of them have special skills? If they do, put them in charge of my own livestock." + Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in. He brought him in to meet Pharaoh. Jacob gave Pharaoh his blessing. + Then Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" + Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my journey through life are 130. My years have been few and hard. They aren't as many as the years of my fathers before me." + Jacob gave Pharaoh his blessing. Then he left him. + So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt. He gave them property in the best part of the land, just as Pharaoh had directed him to do. That part was known as the territory of Rameses. + Joseph also provided food for his father and brothers. He provided for them and the rest of his father's family. He gave them enough for all of their children. + But there wasn't any food in the whole area. In fact, there wasn't enough food anywhere. Both Egypt and Canaan lost their strength because there wasn't enough food to go around. + Joseph collected all of the money that was in Egypt and Canaan. People paid it to him for the grain they were buying. And Joseph brought it to Pharaoh's palace. + When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all of the Egyptians came to Joseph. They said, "Give us food. Why should we die right in front of your eyes? Our money is all gone." + "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "You say your money is gone. So I'll trade you food for your livestock." + They brought their livestock to Joseph. He traded them food for their animals. They gave him their horses, sheep, goats, cattle and donkeys. He brought the people through that year by trading them food for all of their livestock. + When that year was over, they came to him the next year. They said, "We can't hide the truth from you. Our money is gone. Our livestock belongs to you. We don't have anything left to give you except our bodies and our land. + "Why should we die right in front of your eyes? Why should our land be destroyed as well? Trade us food for ourselves and our land. Then we and our land will belong to Pharaoh. Give us some seeds so we can live and not die. We don't want the land to become a desert." + So Joseph bought all of the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. All of the people of Egypt sold their fields. They did that because there wasn't enough food anywhere. In that way, the land became Pharaoh's. + Joseph made the people slaves from one end of Egypt to the other. + But he didn't buy the land that belonged to the priests. They received a regular share of food from Pharaoh. They had enough food from what Pharaoh gave them. That's why they didn't have to sell their land. + Joseph said to the people, "I've bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. So here are some seeds for you to plant in the ground. + But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. Keep the other four-fifths for yourselves. They will be seeds for the fields. And they will be food for yourselves, your children, and the other people who live with you." + "You have saved our lives," they said. "If you are pleased with us, we will be slaves to Pharaoh." + So Joseph made a law about land in Egypt. It's still the law today. A fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land belonging to the priests didn't become Pharaoh's. + The people of Israel settled in Egypt in the area of Goshen. They received property there. They had children and greatly increased their numbers. + Jacob lived 17 years in Egypt. He lived a total of 147 years. + The time came near for Israel to die. So he sent for his son Joseph. He said to him, "If you are pleased with me, put your hand under my thigh. Promise me that you will be kind and faithful to me. Don't bury me in Egypt. + When I join the members of my family who have already died, carry me out of Egypt. Bury me where they are buried." "I'll do exactly as you say," Joseph said. + "Promise me with an oath that you will do it," Jacob said. So Joseph promised him. And Israel worshiped God as he leaned on the top of his wooden staff. + + + Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. + Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you." So Israel became stronger and sat up in bed. + Jacob said to Joseph, "The Mighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me there. + He said to me, 'I am going to give you children. I will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of nations. And I will give this land to your children after you. It will belong to them forever.' + "Now then, two sons were born to you in Egypt. It happened before I came to you here. They will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will belong to me, in the same way that Reuben and Simeon belong to me. + "Any children who are born to you after them will belong to you. Any territory they receive will come from the land that is given to Ephraim and Manasseh. + "As I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died. It made me very sad. She died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way. We weren't very far away from Ephrath. So I buried her body there beside the road to Ephrath." Ephrath was also called Bethlehem. + Israel saw Joseph's sons. He asked, "Who are they?" + "They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me. I want to give them my blessing." + Israel's eyes were weak because he was old. He couldn't see very well. So Joseph brought his sons close to him. His father kissed them and hugged them. + Israel said to Joseph, "I never thought I'd see your face again. But now God has let me see your children too." + Then Joseph took his sons away from Israel's knees. He bowed down with his face to the ground. + Joseph placed Ephraim on his right, toward Israel's left hand. He placed Manasseh on his left, toward Israel's right hand. Then he brought them close to Jacob. + But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head. He did it even though Ephraim was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh's head. He did it even though Manasseh was the older son. + Then Israel gave Joseph his blessing. He said, "May God bless these boys. He is the God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. They walked with him. He is the God who has been my shepherd all of my life to this very day. + He is the Angel who has saved me from all harm. May he bless these boys. May they be called by my name. May they also be called by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. And may they greatly increase their numbers on the earth." + Joseph saw his father putting his right hand on Ephraim's head. And Joseph didn't like it. So he took hold of his father's hand to move it over to Manasseh's head. + Joseph said to him, "No, my father. Here's my older son. Put your right hand on his head." + But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son. I know. He too will become a nation. He too will become great. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. His children after him will become a group of nations." + On that day, Jacob gave them his blessing. He said, "In the land of Israel, people will bless others in your names. They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' "So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. + Then Israel said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. But God will be with all of you. He'll take you back to the land of your fathers. + But you, Joseph, are over your brothers. So I'm giving you the range of hills I took from the Amorites. I took it with my sword and bow." + + + Then Jacob sent for his sons. He said, "Gather around me so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. + "Sons of Jacob, come together and listen. Listen to your father Israel. + "Reuben, you are my oldest son. You were my first child. You were the first sign of my strength. You were first in honor. You were first in power. + But you are as unsteady as water. So you won't be first anymore. You had sex with your father's concubine in his bed. You lay on his couch and made it 'unclean.' + "Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords have killed a lot of people. + I won't share in their plans. I won't have anything to do with them. They became angry and killed people. They cut the legs of oxen just for the fun of it. + May the Lord put a curse on them because of their terrible anger. I will scatter them in Jacob's land. I will spread them around in Israel. + "Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your enemies will be brought under your control. Your father's sons will bow down to you. + Judah, you are like a lion's cub. You return from hunting, my son. Like a lion, you lie down and sleep. You are like a mother lion. Who dares to wake you up? + The right to rule will not leave Judah. The ruler's rod will not be taken from between his feet. It will be his until the king it belongs to comes. It will be his until the nations obey him. + He will tie his donkey to a vine. He will tie his colt to the very best branch. He will wash his clothes in wine. He will wash his robes in the red juice of grapes. + His eyes will be darker than wine. His teeth will be whiter than milk. + "Zebulun will live by the seashore. He will become a safe harbor for ships. His border will go out toward Sidon. + "Issachar is like a donkey lying down between two saddlebags. + He sees how good his resting place is. He sees that his land is pleasant. So he'll carry a heavy load on his back. He will obey when he's forced to work. + "Dan will do what is fair for his people. He will do it as one of the tribes of Israel. + Dan will be a serpent by the side of the road. He will be a poisonous snake along the path. It bites the horse's heels so that the rider falls off backward. + "Lord, I look to you to save me. + "Gad will be attacked by a group of robbers. But he'll attack them as they run away. + "Asher's food will be rich and sweet. He will provide food that even a king would enjoy. + "Naphtali is a female deer that is set free and gives birth to beautiful fawns. + "Joseph is a vine that grows a lot of fruit. It grows close by a spring. Its branches climb over a wall. + Mean people shot arrows at him. They shot at him because they were angry. + But his bow remained steady. His strong arms moved freely. The hand of the Mighty One of Jacob was with him. The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, stood by him. + Your father's God helps you. The Mighty One blesses you. He gives you blessings from the highest heavens. He gives you blessings from the deepest oceans. He blesses you with children and with a mother's milk. + Your father's blessings are great. They are greater than the blessings from the age-old mountains. They are greater than the gifts from the ancient hills. Let all of those blessings rest on the head of Joseph. Let them rest on the head of the one who is prince among his brothers. + "Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats what he has killed. In the evening he shares what he has stolen." + All of those are the 12 tribes of Israel. That's what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each one the blessing that was just right for him. + Then Jacob gave directions to his sons. He said, "I'm about to join the members of my family who have already died. Bury me with them in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. + "The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan. Abraham had bought it as a place where he could bury his wife's body. He had bought the cave from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. + "The bodies of Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there. So were the bodies of Isaac and his wife Rebekah. I also buried Leah's body there. + Abraham bought the field and the cave from the Hittites." + When Jacob had finished telling his sons what to do, he pulled his feet up into his bed. Then he took his last breath and joined the members of his family who had already died. + + + Joseph threw himself on his father's body. He sobbed over him and kissed him. + Then Joseph talked to the doctors who served him. He told them to prepare the body of his father Israel to be buried. So the doctors prepared it. + They took 40 days to do it. They needed that much time to prepare a body in the right way. The Egyptians sobbed over Jacob for 70 days. + After the days of sorrow had passed, Joseph went to Pharaoh's officials. He said to them, "If you are pleased with me, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, + 'My father made me take an oath and make a promise to him. He said, "I'm about to die. Bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." So let me go up and bury my father. Then I'll come back.' " + Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father. Do what he made you promise to do." + So Joseph went up to bury his father. All of Pharaoh's officials went with him. They were the important people of his court and all of the leaders of Egypt. + All of Joseph's family also went. His brothers and all of the rest of his father's family went too. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. + Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large group. + They came to the threshing floor of Atad. It was near the Jordan River. There they sobbed loudly and bitterly. Joseph set apart seven days of sadness to honor his father's memory. + The people of Canaan who were living there saw how sad all of them were at the threshing floor of Atad. They said, "The Egyptians are having a very special service for the dead." That's why that place near the Jordan River is called Abel of the Egyptians. + So Jacob's sons did exactly as he had commanded them. + They carried his body to the land of Canaan. They buried it in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham had bought the cave as a place where he could bury his wife's body. He had bought it from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. + After Joseph buried his father, he went back to Egypt. His brothers and all of the others who had gone to help him bury his father went back with him. + Now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers were worried. They said, "Remember all of the bad things we did to Joseph? What if he decides to hold those things against us? What if he pays us back for them?" + So they sent a message to Joseph. They said, "Your father gave us directions before he died. + He said, 'Here's what you must say to Joseph. Tell him, "I'm asking you to forgive your brothers. Forgive the terrible things they did to you. Forgive them for treating you so badly." ' Now then, please forgive our sins. We serve the God of your father." When their message came to Joseph, he sobbed. + Then his brothers came and threw themselves down in front of him. "We are your slaves," they said. + But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Do you think I'm God? + You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives. + "So then, don't be afraid. I'll provide for you and your children." He set them free from their fears. And he spoke in a kind way to them. + Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all of his father's family. He lived 110 years. + He lived long enough to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. When the children of Makir were born, they were placed on Joseph's knees and counted as his own children. Makir was the son of Manasseh. + Joseph said to his brothers, "I'm about to die. But I'm sure that God will come to help you. He'll take you up out of this land. He'll bring you to the land he promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." + Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and make a promise to him. He said, "I'm sure that God will come to help you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place." + So Joseph died at the age of 110. They prepared his body to be buried. Then he was placed in a casket in Egypt. + + + + + Here are the names of Israel's children who went to Egypt with Jacob. Each one went with his family. + Jacob's sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, + Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, + Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. + The total number of Jacob's children and grandchildren was 70. Joseph was already in Egypt. + Joseph and all of his brothers died. So did all of their children. + The people of Israel had many children. They greatly increased their numbers. There were so many of them that they filled the land. + Then a new king came to power in Egypt. He didn't know anything about Joseph. + "Look," he said to his people. "The Israelites are far too many for us. + Come. We must deal with them carefully. If we don't, they will increase their numbers even more. Then if war breaks out, they'll join our enemies. They'll fight against us and leave the country." + So the Egyptians put slave drivers over the people of Israel. The slave drivers beat them down and made them work hard. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses so Pharaoh could store things there. + But the more the slave drivers beat them down, the more the Israelites increased their numbers and spread out. So the Egyptians became afraid of them. + They made them work hard. They didn't show them any pity. + They made them suffer with hard labor. They forced them to work with bricks and mud. And they made them do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians didn't show them any pity at all. They made them work very hard. + There were two Hebrew women named Shiphrah and Puah. They helped other women who were having babies. The king of Egypt spoke to them. He said, + "You are the ones who help the other Hebrew women. Watch them when they get into a sitting position to have their babies. Kill the boys. Let the girls live." + But Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. They didn't do what the king of Egypt had told them to do. They let the boys live. + Then the king of Egypt sent for the women. He asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" + The women answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt. They are strong. They have their babies before we get there." + So God was kind to Shiphrah and Puah. And the people of Israel increased their numbers more and more. + Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. So he gave them families of their own. + Then Pharaoh gave an order to all of his people. He said, "You must throw every baby boy into the Nile River. But let every baby girl live." + + + A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married. + She became pregnant and had a son by him. She saw that her baby was a fine child. So she hid him for three months. + After that, she couldn't hide him any longer. So she got a basket that was made out of the stems of tall grass. She coated it with tar. Then she placed the child in it. She put the basket in the tall grass that grew along the bank of the Nile River. + The child's sister wasn't very far away. She wanted to see what would happen to him. + Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile River to take a bath. Her attendants were walking along the bank of the river. She saw the basket in the tall grass. So she sent her female slave to get it. + When she opened it, she saw the baby. He was crying. She felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. + Then his sister spoke to Pharaoh's daughter. She asked, "Do you want me to go and get one of the Hebrew women? She could nurse the baby for you." + "Yes. Go," she answered. So the girl went and got the baby's mother. + Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby. Nurse him for me. I'll pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. + When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter. And he became her son. She named him Moses. She said, "I pulled him out of the water." + Moses grew up. One day, he went out to where his own people were. He watched them while they were hard at work. He saw an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew man. The man was one of Moses' own people. + Moses looked around and didn't see anyone. So he killed the Egyptian. Then he hid his body in the sand. + The next day Moses went out again. He saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one who had started the fight a question. He said, "Why are you hitting another Hebrew man?" + The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking about killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses became afraid. He thought, "People must have heard about what I did." + When Pharaoh heard about what had happened, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses escaped from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. There he sat down by a well. + A priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to fill the stone tubs with water. They wanted to give water to their father's flock. + Some shepherds came along and drove the women away. But Moses got up and helped them. Then he gave water to their flock. + The young women returned to their father Reuel. He asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" + They answered, "An Egyptian saved us from the shepherds. He even got water for us and gave it to the flock." + "Where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." + Moses agreed to stay with the man. And the man gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife. + Zipporah had a son by him. Moses named him Gershom. Moses said, "I'm an outsider in a strange land." + After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned because they were slaves. They also cried out to God. Their cry for help went up to him. + God heard their groans. He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + So God looked on the Israelites with favor. He was concerned about them. + + + Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the western side of the desert. He came to Horeb. It was the mountain of God. + There the angel of the Lord appeared to him from inside a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it didn't burn up. + So Moses thought, "I'll go over and see this strange sight. Why doesn't the bush burn up?" + The Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look. So God spoke to him from inside the bush. He called out, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am," Moses said. + "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground." + He continued, "I am the God of your father. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob." When Moses heard that, he turned his face away. He was afraid to look at God. + The Lord said, "I have seen my people suffer in Egypt. I have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers. I am concerned about their suffering. + "So I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will bring them up out of that land. I will bring them into a good land. It has a lot of room. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. It is the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. + "And now Israel's cry for help has reached me. I have seen the way the Egyptians are beating them down. + So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh. I want you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. They are my people." + But Moses spoke to God. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" he said. "Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" + God said, "I will be with you. I will give you a miraculous sign. It will prove that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain." + Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the people of Israel. Suppose I say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Suppose they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" + God said to Moses, "I am who I am. Here is what you must say to the Israelites. Tell them, 'I am has sent me to you.' " + God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord is the God of your fathers. He has sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham. He is the God of Isaac. And he is the God of Jacob.' My name will always be The Lord. Remember me by that name for all time to come. + "Go. Gather the elders of Israel together. Say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, appeared to me. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. " 'He said, "I have watched over you. I have seen what the Egyptians have done to you. + I have promised to bring you up out of Egypt where you are suffering. I will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey." ' + "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt. You must say to him, 'The Lord has met with us. He is the God of the Hebrews. Let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.' + "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you and your people go. Only a mighty hand could make him do that. + So I will reach my hand out. I will strike the Egyptians with all kinds of miracles. After that, he will let you go. + "I will cause the Egyptians to treat you in a kind way. Then when you leave, you will not go out with your hands empty. + Every woman should ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles made out of silver and gold. Ask them for clothes too. Put them on your children. In that way, you will take the wealth of Egypt along with you." + + + Moses answered, "What if the elders of Israel won't believe me? What if they won't listen to me? Suppose they say, 'The Lord didn't appear to you.' Then what should I do?" + The Lord said to him, "What do you have in your hand?" "A wooden staff," he said. + The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake. He ran away from it. + Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach your hand out. Take the snake by the tail." So he reached out and grabbed hold of the snake. It turned back into a staff in his hand. + The Lord said, "When they see this miraculous sign, they will believe that I appeared to you. I am the God of their fathers. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob." + Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your coat." So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, it was as white as snow. It was covered with a skin disease. + "Now put it back into your coat," the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back into his coat. When he took it out, the skin was healthy again. His hand was like the rest of his skin. + Then the Lord said, "Suppose they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miracle. Then maybe they will believe the second one. + "But suppose they do not believe either miracle. Suppose they will not listen to you. Then get some water from the Nile River. Pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will turn to blood on the ground." + Moses spoke to the Lord. He said, "Lord, I've never been a good speaker. And I haven't gotten any better since you spoke to me. I don't speak very well at all." + The Lord said to him, "Who makes a man able to talk? Who makes him unable to hear or speak? Who makes him able to see? Who makes him blind? It is I, the Lord. + Now go. I will help you speak. I will teach you what to say." + But Moses said, "Lord, please send someone else to do it." + Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses. He said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you. He will be glad to see you. + Speak to him. Put your words in his mouth. Tell him what to say. I will help both of you speak. I will teach you what to do. + He will speak to the people for you. He will be like your mouth. And you will be like God to him. + "But take this wooden staff in your hand. You will be able to do miraculous signs with it." + Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro. He said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I want to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go. I hope everything goes well with you." + The Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt. All of the men who wanted to kill you are dead." + So Moses got his wife and sons. He put them on a donkey. Together they started back to Egypt. And he took the wooden staff in his hand. It was the staff God would use in a powerful way. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "When you return to Egypt, do all of the miracles I have given you the power to do. Do them in the sight of Pharaoh. But I will make his heart stubborn. He will not let the people go. + "Then say to Pharaoh, 'The Lord says, "Israel is like an oldest son to me. + I told you, 'Let my son go. Then he will be able to worship me.' But you refused to let him go. So I will kill your oldest son." ' " + On the way to Egypt, Moses stopped for the night. There the Lord met him and was about to kill him. + But Zipporah got a knife that was made out of hard stone. She circumcised her son with it. Then she touched Moses' feet with the skin she had cut off. "You are a husband who has forced me to spill my son's blood," she said. + So the Lord didn't kill Moses. When she said "husband who has forced me to spill my son's blood," she was talking about circumcision. + The Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to see Moses." So he greeted Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. + Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say. He also told him about all of the miraculous signs he had commanded him to do. + Moses and Aaron gathered all of the elders of Israel together. + Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also did the miracles in the sight of the people. + And they believed. They heard that the Lord was concerned about them. He had seen their suffering. So they bowed down and worshiped him. + + + Later on, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Let my people go. Then they will be able to hold a feast in my honor in the desert.' " + Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him? Why should I let Israel go? I don't even know the Lord. And I won't let Israel go." + Then Moses and Aaron said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't, he might strike us with plagues. Or he might let us be killed with swords." + But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to work!" + Pharaoh continued, "There are large numbers of your people in the land. But you are stopping them from working." + That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the others who were in charge of the people. + He said, "Don't give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw. + But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don't lower the number they have to make. They don't want to work. That's why they are crying out, 'Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.' + Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies." + The slave drivers and the others who were in charge left. They said to the people, "Pharaoh says, 'I won't give you any more straw. + Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.' " + So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw that were left in the fields. + The slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said, "Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw." + They whipped the Israelites who were in charge of the people. Those Israelites had been appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers. The slave drivers asked, "Why didn't you make the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?" + Then the Israelites who were in charge of the people made their appeal to Pharaoh. They asked, "Why have you treated us like this? + You didn't give us any straw. But you told us, 'Make bricks!' We are being whipped. But it's the fault of your own people." + Pharaoh said, "You just don't want to work! That's why you keep saying, 'Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.' + Now get to work. We won't give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks." + The Israelites who were in charge of the people realized they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told, "Don't lower the number of bricks you are required to make each day." + When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them. + They said to Moses and Aaron, "We want the Lord to look at what you have done! We want him to judge you for it! We are like a very bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us with their swords." + Moses returned to the Lord. He said to him, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on these people? Is this why you sent me? + I went to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name. Ever since then, he has brought nothing but trouble on these people. And you haven't saved your people at all." + + + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of my powerful hand, he will let the people of Israel go. Because of my mighty hand, he will drive them out of his country." + God continued, "I am the Lord. + I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the Mighty God. But I did not show them the full meaning of my name, The Lord. + "I also made my covenant with them. I promised to give them the land of Canaan. That is where they lived as outsiders. + Also, I have heard the groans of the Israelites. The Egyptians are keeping them as slaves. But I have remembered my covenant. + "So tell the people of Israel, 'I am the Lord. I will throw off the heavy load the Egyptians have put on your shoulders. I will set you free from being slaves to them. I will reach out my arm and save you with mighty acts when I judge Egypt. + " 'I will take you to be my own people. I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God when I throw off the load the Egyptians have put on your shoulders. + " 'I will bring you to the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I lifted up my hand and promised it to them. The land will belong to you. I am the Lord.' " + Moses reported those things to the Israelites. But they didn't listen to him. That's because they had lost all hope and had to work very hard. + Then the Lord said to Moses, + "Go. Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the people of Israel leave his country." + But Moses spoke to the Lord. "The people won't listen to me," he said. "So why would Pharaoh listen to me? After all, I don't speak very well." + The Lord had spoken to Moses and Aaron. He had talked with them about the Israelites and about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He had commanded Moses and Aaron to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt. + Here were the leaders of the family groups of Reuben, Simeon and Levi. Reuben was the oldest son of Israel. His sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. Those were the family groups of Reuben. + The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. Shaul was the son of a woman from Canaan. Those were the family groups of Simeon. + Here were the names of the sons of Levi that were recorded in their family history. They were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived for 137 years. + The sons of Gershon, by their family groups, were Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived for 133 years. + The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Those were the family groups of Levi that were recorded in their family history. + Amram got married to his father's sister Jochebed. Aaron and Moses were born in Amram's family line. Amram lived for 137 years. + The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zicri. + The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. + Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon. She had Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar by Aaron. + The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. Those were the family groups of Korah. + Eleazar, the son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel. She had Phinehas by Eleazar. Those were the leaders of the families of Levi that were recorded by their groups. + The Lord had spoken to that same Aaron and Moses. He had told them, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt like an army on the march." + They spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt. They were that same Moses and Aaron. + The Lord had spoken to Moses in Egypt. + He had told him, "I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I tell you." + But Moses said to the Lord, "I don't speak very well. So why would Pharaoh listen to me?" + + + Then the Lord said to Moses, "I have made you like God to Pharaoh. And your brother Aaron will be like a prophet to you. + You must say everything I command you to say. Then your brother Aaron must tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. + "But I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn. I will multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt. + In spite of that, he will not listen to you. So I will use my powerful hand against Egypt. When I judge them with mighty acts, I will bring my people Israel out like an army on the march. + "Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will reach out my powerful hand against Egypt. I will bring the people of Israel out of it." + Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded them. + Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh. + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. + He said, "Pharaoh will say to you, 'Do a miracle.' When he does, speak to Aaron. Tell him, 'Take your wooden staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh.' It will turn into a snake." + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did exactly as the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials. It turned into a snake. + Then Pharaoh sent for wise men and those who do evil magic. By doing their magic tricks, the Egyptian magicians did the same things Aaron had done. + Each one threw his staff down. Each staff turned into a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed theirs up. + In spite of that, Pharaoh's heart became stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them, just as the Lord had said. + Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is very stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. + In the morning Pharaoh will go down to the water. Go and wait on the bank of the Nile River to meet him. Take in your hand the wooden staff that turned into a snake. + "Say to Pharaoh, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me in the desert. But up to now you have not listened." + " 'The Lord says, "Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. I will strike the water of the Nile River with the staff that is in my hand. The river will turn into blood. + The fish in the river will die. The river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink its water." ' " + The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Get your staff. Reach your hand out over the waters of Egypt. The streams, waterways, ponds and all of the lakes will turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt. It will even be in the wooden buckets and stone jars.' " + Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded them. Aaron held out his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials. He struck the water of the Nile River. And all of the water turned into blood. + The fish in the Nile died. The river smelled so bad the Egyptians couldn't drink its water. There was blood everywhere in Egypt. + But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. So Pharaoh's heart became stubborn. He wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. + Even that miracle didn't change Pharaoh's mind. In fact, he turned around and went into his palace. + All of the Egyptians dug holes near the Nile River to get drinking water. They couldn't drink water from the river. + Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile River. + + + Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh. Tell him, 'The Lord says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. + " ' "If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. + The Nile River will be full of frogs. They will come up into your palace. You will have frogs in your bedroom and on your bed. They will be in the homes of your officials and your people. They will be in your ovens and in your bread pans. + The frogs will be on you, your people and all of your officials." ' " + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Tell Aaron, 'Reach your hand out. Hold your staff over the streams, waterways and ponds. Make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.' " + So Aaron reached his hand out over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land. + But the magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. They also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. + Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, "Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I'll let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord." + Moses said to Pharaoh, "You can have the honor of setting the time for me to pray. I will pray for you, your officials and your people. I'll pray that the frogs will leave you and your homes. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile River." + "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will happen just as you say. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. + The frogs will leave you and your houses. They will leave your officials and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River." + Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh. Then Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. + And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, courtyards and fields. + The Egyptians piled them up. The land smelled very bad because of them. + But when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were dead, his heart became stubborn. He wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Tell Aaron, 'Reach your wooden staff out. Strike the dust on the ground with it.' Then all over the land of Egypt the dust will turn into gnats." + So they did it. Aaron reached out the staff that was in his hand. He struck the dust on the ground with it. The dust all over the land of Egypt turned into gnats. They landed on people and animals alike. + The magicians tried to produce gnats by doing their magic tricks. But they couldn't. The gnats stayed on people and animals alike. + The magicians said to Pharaoh, "God's powerful finger has done this." But Pharaoh's heart was stubborn. He wouldn't listen, just as the Lord had said. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Get up early in the morning. Talk to Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. Say to him, 'The Lord says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. + If you do not let my people go, I will send large numbers of flies. I will send them on you and your officials. I will send them on your people and into your homes. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies. Even the area where they live will be full of flies. + " ' "But on that day I will treat the area of Goshen differently from yours. That is where my people live. There will not be large numbers of flies in Goshen. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. + I will treat my people differently from yours. The miraculous sign will take place tomorrow." ' " + So the Lord did it. Huge numbers of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace. They came into the homes of his officials. All over Egypt the flies destroyed the land. + Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, "Go. Offer sacrifices to your God here in the land." + But Moses said, "That wouldn't be right. The sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God wouldn't be accepted by the Egyptians because of their beliefs. Suppose we offered sacrifices they couldn't accept. Then they would throw stones at us and try to kill us. + We have to take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, exactly as he commands us." + Pharaoh said, "I will let you and your people go to offer sacrifices. You can offer them to the Lord your God in the desert. But you must not go very far. And pray for me." + Moses replied, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord. Tomorrow the flies will leave you. They will also leave your officials and your people. Just be sure you don't try to trick us again. Let the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord." + Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. + And the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh, his officials and his people. Not one fly remained. + But Pharaoh's heart became stubborn that time also. He wouldn't let the people go. + + + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Go to Pharaoh. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. + Do not refuse to let them go. Do not keep holding them back. + " ' "If you refuse, my powerful hand will bring a terrible plague on you. I will strike your livestock in the fields. I will strike your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats. + But I will treat Israel's livestock differently from yours. No animal that belongs to the people of Israel will die." ' " + The Lord set a time for the plague. He said, "Tomorrow I will send it on the land." + So the next day the Lord sent it. All of the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one animal that belonged to the Israelites died. + Pharaoh sent people to find out what had happened. They discovered that not even one animal that belonged to the Israelites had died. But his heart was still very stubborn. He wouldn't let the people go. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "Take handfuls of ashes from a furnace. Have Moses toss them into the air in front of Pharaoh. + The ashes will turn into fine dust all over the whole land of Egypt. Then boils will break out on people and animals all over the land. Their bodies will be covered with them." + So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and stood in front of Pharaoh. Moses tossed them into the air. Then boils broke out on people and animals alike. + The bodies of all of the Egyptians were covered with boils. The magicians couldn't stand in front of Moses because of the boils that were all over them. + But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart stubborn. Pharaoh wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Get up early in the morning. Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. + " ' "If you do not let them go, I will send the full force of my plagues against you this time. They will strike your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in the whole earth. + " ' "By now I could have reached out my hand. I could have struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. + But I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to show you my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth. + " ' "But you are still against my people. You will not let them go. + So at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm ever to fall on Egypt in its entire history. + " ' "Give an order now to bring your livestock inside to a safe place. Bring in everything that is outside. The hail will fall on all of the people and animals that are left outside. They will die." ' " + The officials of Pharaoh who had respect for what the Lord had said obeyed him. They hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. + But others didn't pay attention to what the Lord had said. They left their slaves and livestock outside. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Reach your hand out toward the sky. Then hail will fall all over Egypt. It will beat down on people and animals alike. It will strike everything that is growing in the fields of Egypt." + Moses reached his wooden staff out toward the sky. Then the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning flashed down to the ground. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. + Hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in Egypt's entire history. + All over Egypt hail struck everything in the fields. It fell on people and animals alike. It beat down everything that was growing in the fields. It tore all of the leaves off the trees. + The only place it didn't hail was in the area of Goshen. That's where the people of Israel were. + Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "This time I've sinned," he said to them. "The Lord has done what is right. I and my people have done what is wrong. + Pray to the Lord, because we've had enough thunder and hail. I'll let you and your people go. You don't have to stay here any longer." + Moses replied, "When I've left the city, I'll lift up my hands and pray to the Lord. The thunder will stop. There won't be any more hail. Then you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. + But I know that you and your officials still don't have any respect for the Lord God." + The barley was ripe. The flax was blooming. So they were both destroyed. + But the wheat and spelt weren't destroyed. That's because they ripen later. + Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He lifted up his hands and prayed to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped. The rain didn't pour down on the land any longer. + Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had stopped. So he sinned again. He and his officials made their hearts stubborn. + So Pharaoh's heart was stubborn. He wouldn't let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had said through Moses. + + + Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh. I have made his heart stubborn. I have also made the hearts of his officials stubborn so I can do my miraculous signs among them. + Then you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren how hard I was on the Egyptians. You can tell them I did great miracles among the people of Egypt. And all of you will know that I am the Lord." + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said to him, "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, 'How long will you refuse to obey me? Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. + " 'If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. + They will cover the ground so that it can't be seen. They will eat what little you have left after the hail. That includes every tree that is growing in your fields. + They will fill your houses. They will be in the homes of all of your officials and your people. Your parents and your people before them have never seen anything like it as long as they have lived here.' " Then Moses turned around and left Pharaoh. + Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the people go. Then they'll be able to worship the Lord their God. After everything that's happened, don't you realize that Egypt is destroyed?" + Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go. Worship the Lord your God," he said. "But just who will be going?" + Moses answered, "We'll go with our young people and old people. We'll go with our sons and daughters. We'll take our flocks and herds. We are supposed to hold a feast in the Lord's honor." + Pharaoh said, "The Lord will really be with all of you if I ever let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are planning to do something bad. + No! I'll only allow the men to go. Then all of you can worship the Lord. After all, that's what you have been asking for." Then Pharaoh drove Moses and Aaron out of his sight. + The Lord said to Moses, "Reach out your hand over Egypt. Locusts will cover the land. They will eat up everything that is growing in the fields. They will eat up everything that was left by the hail." + So Moses reached his wooden staff out over Egypt. Then the Lord made an east wind blow across the land. It blew all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts. + They came into every part of Egypt. They settled down in every area of the country in large numbers. There had never been a plague of locusts like it before. And there will never be one like it again. + The locusts covered the ground until it was black. They ate up everything that was left after the hail. They ate up everything that was growing in the fields. They ate up the fruit on the trees. There was nothing green left on any tree or plant in the whole land of Egypt. + Pharaoh quickly sent for Moses and Aaron. He said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God. I've also sinned against you. + Now forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me." + After Moses left Pharaoh, he prayed to the Lord. + The Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. The wind picked up the locusts. It blew them into the Red Sea. Not even one locust was left anywhere in Egypt. + But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart stubborn. And Pharaoh wouldn't let the people of Israel go. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Reach out your hand toward the sky. Darkness will spread over Egypt. It will be so dark that people can feel it." + So Moses reached out his hand toward the sky. Then complete darkness covered Egypt for three days. + No one could see anyone else or go anywhere for three days. But all of the people of Israel had light where they lived. + Then Pharaoh sent for Moses. He said to him, "Go. Worship the Lord. Even your women and children can go with you. Just leave your flocks and herds behind." + But Moses said, "You must allow us to take animals to offer as sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God. + Our livestock must also go with us. We have to use some of them to worship the Lord our God. We can't leave even one animal behind. Until we get there, we won't know what we are supposed to use to worship the Lord." + But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart stubborn. So he wouldn't let the people go. + Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you don't come to see me again! If you do, you will die." + "I'll do just as you say," Moses replied. "I will never come to see you again." + + + The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you and your people go. When he does, he will drive you completely away. + Tell the men and women alike to ask their neighbors for articles made out of silver and gold." + The Lord caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. Pharaoh's officials and the people had great respect for Moses. + Moses said, "The Lord says, 'About midnight I will go through every part of Egypt. + Every oldest son in Egypt will die. The oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, will die. The oldest son of the female slave, who works at her hand mill, will die. All of the male animals that were born first to their mothers among the cattle will also die. + There will be loud crying all over Egypt. It will be worse than it's ever been before. And nothing like it will ever be heard again. + " 'But among the people of Israel not even one dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the Lord treats Egypt differently from us. + "All of your officials will come and bow down to me. They will say, 'Go, you and all of the people who follow you!' After that, I will leave." Moses burned with anger when he left Pharaoh. + The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will multiply my miracles in Egypt." + Moses and Aaron did all of those miracles in the sight of Pharaoh. But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart stubborn. He wouldn't let the people of Israel go out of his country. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt. + He said, "From now on, this month will be your first month. Each of your years will begin with it. + "Speak to the whole community of Israel. Tell them that on the tenth day of this month each man must get a lamb from his flock. A lamb should be chosen for each family and home. + "Suppose there are not enough people in your family to eat a whole lamb. Then you must share some of it with your nearest neighbor. You must add up the total number of people there are. You must decide how much lamb is needed for each person. + "The animals you choose must be males that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. You may choose either sheep or goats. + Take care of them until the 14th day of the month. Then the whole community of Israel must kill them when the sun goes down. + Take some of the blood. Put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where you eat the lambs. + "That same night eat the meat cooked over the fire. Also eat bitter plants. And eat bread that is made without yeast. + Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water. Instead, cook it over the fire. Cook the head, legs and inside parts. + Do not leave any of it until morning. If some is left over until morning, burn it. + "Eat the meat while your coat is tucked into your belt. Put your sandals on your feet. Take your walking stick in your hand. Eat the food quickly. It is the Lord's Passover. + "That same night I will pass through Egypt. I will strike down every oldest son. I will also kill all of the male animals that were born first to their mothers. And I will judge all of the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. + "The blood on your houses will be a sign for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No deadly plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. + "Always remember this day. For all time to come, you and your children after you must celebrate this day as a feast in honor of the Lord. It is a law that will last forever. + "Eat bread made without yeast for seven days. On the first day remove the yeast from your homes. For the next seven days, anyone who eats anything that has yeast in it must be cut off from Israel. + "On the first and seventh days, come together for a special service. Do not work at all on those days. All you are allowed to do is prepare food for everyone to eat. + "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I brought you out of Egypt on this very day like an army on the march. It is a law that will last for all time to come. + In the first month eat bread that is made without yeast. Eat it from the evening of the 14th day until the evening of the 21st day. + "For seven days do not let any yeast be found in your homes. Anyone who eats anything that has yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. That applies to outsiders and Israelites alike. + Do not eat anything that is made with yeast. No matter where you live, eat bread that is made without yeast." + Then Moses sent for all of the elders of Israel. He said to them, "Go at once. Choose the animals for your families. Each family must kill a Passover lamb. + Get a branch of a hyssop plant. Dip it into the blood in the bowl. Put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you can go out the door of your house until morning. + "The Lord will go through the land to strike the Egyptians down. He'll see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that house. He won't let the destroying angel enter your homes to kill you. + "Obey all of these directions. It's a law for you and your children after you for all time to come. + The Lord will give you the land, just as he promised. When you enter it, keep this holy day. + "Your children will ask you, 'What does this holy day mean to you?' + Tell them, 'It's the Passover sacrifice in honor of the Lord. He passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck the Egyptians down.' " Then the people of Israel bowed down and worshiped. + They did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. + At midnight the Lord struck down every oldest son in Egypt. He killed the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne. He killed all of the oldest sons of prisoners, who were in prison. He also killed all of the male animals that were born first to their mothers among the livestock. + Pharaoh and all of his officials got up during the night. So did all of the Egyptians. There was loud crying in Egypt because someone had died in every home. + During the night, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, "Get out of here! You and the Israelites, leave my people! Go. Worship the Lord, just as you have asked. + Go. Take your flocks and herds, just as you have said. And also give me your blessing." + The Egyptians begged the people of Israel to hurry up and leave the country. "If you don't," they said, "we'll all die!" + So the people took their dough before the yeast was added to it. They carried it on their shoulders in bread pans that were wrapped in clothes. + They did just as Moses had directed them. They asked the Egyptians for articles that were made out of silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes. + The Lord had caused the Egyptians to treat the people of Israel in a kind way. So they gave them what they asked for. The people of Israel took many expensive things that belonged to the Egyptians. + The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth. There were about 600,000 men who were old enough to go into battle. The women and children went with them. + So did many other people. The Israelites also took large flocks and herds with them. + They brought dough from Egypt. With it they baked bread without yeast. The dough didn't have any yeast in it. That's because the people had been driven out of Egypt before they had time to prepare their food. + The people of Israel lived in Egypt for 430 years. + At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all of the Lord's people marched out of Egypt like an army. + The Lord kept watch that night to bring them out of Egypt. So on that same night every year all of the Israelites must keep watch. They must do it to honor the Lord for all time to come. + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "Here are the rules for the Passover. "No one from another country is allowed to eat the Passover meal. + Any slave you have bought is allowed to eat it after you have circumcised him. + But a hired worker or someone who lives with you for a while is not allowed to eat it. + "It must be eaten inside a house. Do not take any of the meat outside. Do not break any of the bones. + The whole community of Israel must celebrate the Passover. + "Suppose an outsider who is living among you wants to celebrate the Lord's Passover. Then all of the males in that home must be circumcised. After that, the person can take part, just like an Israelite. Only males who are circumcised can eat it. + "The same law applies to Israelites and to outsiders who are living among you." + All of the people of Israel did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. + On that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt like an army on the march. + + + The Lord said to Moses, + "Set apart for me the first boy born in every family. The oldest son of every Israelite mother belongs to me. Every male animal that is born first to its mother also belongs to me." + Then Moses said to the people, "Remember this day. It's the day you came out of Egypt. That's the land where you were slaves. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. Don't eat anything that has yeast in it. + You are leaving today. It's the month of Abib. + "The Lord will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites. He took an oath and promised your people of long ago that he would give that land to you. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. When you get there, keep this holy day in this month. + "For seven days eat bread that is made without yeast. On the seventh day hold a feast in the Lord's honor. + Eat bread that is made without yeast during those seven days. Nothing that has yeast in it should be found among you. No yeast should be seen anywhere inside your borders. + "On that day talk to your son. Tell him, 'I'm doing this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' + "When you celebrate this day, it will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a reminder on your forehead. The law of the Lord must be on your lips. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. + Obey this law at the appointed time year after year. + "The Lord will bring you into the land of Canaan. He will give it to you, just as he promised he would. He even took an oath when he made the promise to you and your people of long ago. + "After you arrive there, give to the Lord the oldest son of every mother. Every male animal that is born first to its mother among your livestock belongs to the Lord. + By sacrificing a lamb, buy back every male donkey that is born first to its mother. But if you don't buy the donkey back, break its neck. Buy back every oldest son. + "In days to come, your son will ask you, 'What does this mean?' "When he does, say to him, 'The Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt. That's the land where we were slaves. + Pharaoh was stubborn. He refused to let us go. So the Lord killed every oldest son in Egypt. He also killed every male animal that was born first to its mother. That's why I sacrifice to the Lord every male animal that was born first. And that's why I buy back each oldest son for him.' + "This day will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a sign on your forehead. It will remind you that the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt." + Pharaoh let the people go. The shortest road from Goshen to Canaan went through the Philistine country. But God didn't lead them that way. God said, "If they have to go into battle, they might change their minds. They might return to Egypt." + So God led the people toward the Red Sea by taking them on a road through the desert. The Israelites were prepared for battle when they went up out of Egypt. + Moses took the bones of Joseph along with him. Joseph had made the sons of Israel take an oath and make a promise. He had said, "I'm sure that God will come to help you. When he does, you must carry my bones up from this place with you."--(Genesis 50:25) + The people left Succoth. They camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. + By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. It guided them on their way. At night he led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light. So they could travel by day or at night. + The pillar of cloud didn't leave its place in front of the people during the day. And the pillar of fire didn't leave its place at night. + + + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. + He said, "Tell the people of Israel to turn back. Have them camp near Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the Red Sea. They must camp by the sea, right across from Baal Zephon. + Pharaoh will think, 'The people of Israel are wandering around the land. They don't know which way to go. The desert is all around them.' + "I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn. He will chase them. But I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh and his whole army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." So the Israelites camped by the Red Sea. + The king of Egypt was told that the people had gotten away. Then Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, "What have we done? We've let the people of Israel go! We've lost our slaves and all of the work they used to do for us!" + So he had his chariot made ready. He took his army with him. + He took 600 of the best chariots in Egypt. He also took along all of the other chariots. Officers were in charge of all of them. + The Lord made the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn. So he chased the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. + The Egyptians went after the Israelites. All of Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen and troops went after them. They caught up with them as they camped by the sea. The Israelites were near Pi Hahiroth, across from Baal Zephon. + As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up. There were the Egyptians marching after them! The Israelites were terrified. They cried out to the Lord. + They said to Moses, "Why did you bring us to the desert to die? Weren't there any graves in Egypt? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? + We told you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians.' It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!" + Moses answered the people. He said, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. + The Lord will fight for you. Just be still." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move on. + Hold your wooden staff out. Reach your hand out over the Red Sea to part the water. Then the people can go through the sea on dry ground. + "I will make the hearts of the Egyptians stubborn. They will go in after the Israelites. I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his whole army, his chariots and his horsemen. + "The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will gain glory because of what will happen to all of them." + The angel of God had been traveling in front of Israel's army. Now he moved back and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved away from in front of them. Now it stood behind them. + It came between the armies of Egypt and Israel. All through the night the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other. Neither army went near the other all night long. + Then Moses reached his hand out over the Red Sea. All that night the Lord pushed the sea back with a strong east wind. He turned the sea into dry land. The waters were parted. + The people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left. + The Egyptians chased them. All of Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. + Near the end of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud. He saw the Egyptian army and threw it into a panic. + He kept their chariot wheels from turning freely. That made the chariots hard to drive. The Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for Israel against Egypt." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Reach your hand out over the sea. The waters will flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." + So Moses reached his hand out over the sea. At sunrise the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians tried to run away from the sea. But the Lord swept them into it. + The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen. It covered the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the people of Israel into the sea. Not one of the Egyptians was left. + But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left. + That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of Egypt. Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. + The Israelites saw the great power the Lord showed against the Egyptians. So they had respect for the Lord. They put their trust in him and in his servant Moses. + + + Here is the song that Moses and the people of Israel sang to the Lord. They said, "I will sing to the Lord. He is greatly honored. He has thrown Pharaoh's horses and their riders into the Red Sea. + The Lord gives me strength. I sing about him. He has saved me. He is my God. I will praise him. He is my father's God. I will honor him. + The Lord goes into battle. The Lord is his name. + He has thrown Pharaoh's chariots and army into the Red Sea. Pharaoh's best officers drowned in the sea. + The deep waters covered them. They sank to the bottom like a stone. + "Lord, your right hand was majestic and powerful. Lord, your right hand destroyed your enemies. + Because of your great majesty, you threw down those who opposed you. Your burning anger blazed out. It burned them up like straw. + The powerful blast from your nose piled up the waters. The rushing waters stood firm like a wall. The deep waters stood up in the middle of the sea. + "Your enemies bragged, 'We will chase Israel. We will catch them. We'll divide up what we take from them. We'll eat them alive. We'll pull our swords out. Our powerful hands will destroy them.' + But you blew with your breath. The Red Sea covered your enemies. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. + "Lord, who among the gods is like you? Who is like you? You are majestic and holy. Your glory fills me with wonder. You do wonderful miracles. + You reached out your right hand. The earth swallowed up the Egyptians. + "Because your love is faithful, you will lead the people you have set free. Because you are so strong, you will guide them to the holy place where you live. + The nations will hear about it and tremble. Pain and suffering will take hold of the Philistines. + The chiefs of Edom will be terrified. The leaders of Moab will tremble with fear. The people of Canaan will melt away. + Fear and terror will fall on them. Your powerful arm will make them as still as a stone. Then your people will pass by, Lord. Then the people you created will pass by. + You will bring them in. You will plant them on the mountain you gave them. Lord, you have made that place your home. Lord, your hands have made your holy place secure. + "The Lord will rule for ever and ever." + Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the Red Sea. The Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the people of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground. + Aaron's sister Miriam was a prophet. She took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her. They played tambourines and danced. + Miriam sang to them, "Sing to the Lord. He is greatly honored. He has thrown Pharaoh's horses and their riders into the Red Sea." + Then Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea. They went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert. They didn't find any water there. + When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink its water. It was bitter. That's why the place is named Marah. + The people told Moses they weren't happy with him. They said, "What are we supposed to drink?" + Then Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord showed him a stick. Moses threw it into the water. The water became sweet. There the Lord made a rule and a law for the people. And there he put them to the test. + He said, "I am the Lord your God. Listen carefully to my voice. Do what is right in my eyes. Pay attention to my commands. Obey all of my rules. If you do, I will not send on you any of the sicknesses I sent on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you." + The people came to Elim. It had 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there near the water. + + + The whole community of Israel started out from Elim. They came to the Desert of Sin. It was between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the 15th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. + In the desert the whole community told Moses and Aaron they weren't happy with them. + The Israelites said to them, "We wish the Lord had put us to death in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat. We ate all of the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people must go out each day. Have them gather enough bread for that day. Here is how I will put them to the test. I will see if they will follow my directions. + "On the sixth day they must prepare what they bring in. On that day they must gather twice as much as on the other days." + So Moses and Aaron spoke to all of the people of Israel. They said, "In the evening you will know that the Lord brought you out of Egypt. + And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. He has heard you say you aren't happy with him. Who are we? Why are you telling us you aren't happy with us?" + Moses also said, "You will know that the Lord has heard you speak against him. He will give you meat to eat in the evening. He'll give you all of the bread you want in the morning. But who are we? You aren't speaking against us. You are speaking against the Lord." + Then Moses told Aaron, "Talk to the whole community of Israel. Say to them, 'Come to the Lord. He has heard you speak against him.' " + While Aaron was talking to the whole community of Israel, they looked toward the desert. There was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud! + The Lord said to Moses, + "I have heard the people of Israel talking about how unhappy they are. Tell them, 'When the sun goes down, you will eat meat. In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.' " + That evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning the ground around the camp was covered with dew. + When the dew was gone, thin flakes appeared on the desert floor. They looked like frost on the ground. + The people of Israel saw the flakes. They asked each other, "What's that?" They didn't know what it was. Moses said to them, "It's the bread the Lord has given you to eat. + Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, 'Each one of you should gather as much as you need. Take two quarts for each person who lives in your tent.' " + The people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, and some gathered a little. + When they measured it out, those who gathered a lot didn't have too much. And those who gathered a little had enough. All of them gathered only what they needed. + Then Moses said to them, "Don't keep any of it until morning." + Some of them didn't pay any attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning. But it was full of maggots and began to stink. So Moses became angry with them. + Each morning all of them gathered as much as they needed. But by the hottest time of the day, the thin flakes had melted away. + On the sixth day, the people gathered twice as much. It amounted to four quarts for each person. The leaders of the community came and reported that to Moses. + He said to them, "Here is what the Lord commanded. He said, 'Tomorrow will be a day of rest. It will be a holy Sabbath day. It will be set apart for the Lord. So bake what you want to bake. Boil what you want to boil. Save what is left. Keep it until morning.' " + So they saved it until morning, just as Moses commanded. It didn't stink or get maggots in it. + "Eat it today," Moses said. "Today is a Sabbath day in the Lord's honor. You won't find any flakes on the ground today. + Gather them for six days. But on the seventh day there won't be any. It's the Sabbath." + In spite of what Moses said, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather the flakes. But they didn't find any. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "How long will all of you refuse to obey my commands and my teachings? + Keep in mind that I have given you the Sabbath day. That is why on the sixth day I give you bread for two days. All of you must stay where you are on the seventh day. No one can go out." + So the people rested on the seventh day. + The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seeds. It tasted like wafers that were made with honey. + Moses said, "Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, 'Get two quarts of manna. Keep it for all time to come. Then those who live after you will see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert. I gave it to you when I brought you out of Egypt.' " + So Moses said to Aaron, "Get a jar. Put two quarts of manna in it. Then place it in front of the Lord. Keep it there for all time to come." + Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the manna in front of the tablets of the covenant. He put it there so it would be kept for all time to come. + The people of Israel ate manna for 40 years. They ate it until they came to a land that was settled. They ate it until they reached the border of Canaan. + The jar had an omer of manna in it. An omer was two quarts. + + + The whole community of Israel started out from the Desert of Sin. They traveled from place to place, just as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim. But there wasn't any water for the people to drink. + So they argued with Moses. They said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why are you arguing with me? Why are you putting the Lord to the test?" + But the people were thirsty for water there. So they told Moses they weren't happy with him. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? Did you want us, our children and our livestock to die of thirst?" + Then Moses cried out to the Lord. He said, "What am I going to do with these people? They are almost ready to kill me by throwing stones at me." + The Lord answered Moses. He said, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take some of the elders of Israel along with you. Take in your hand the wooden staff you used when you struck the Nile River. Go. + I will stand there in front of you by the rock at Mount Horeb. Hit the rock. Then water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses hit the rock in the sight of the elders of Israel. + Moses called the place Massah and Meribah. That's because the people of Israel argued with him there. They also put the Lord to the test. They asked, "Is the Lord among us or not?" + The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. + Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men. Then go out and fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I'll stand there with the staff of God in my hands." + So Joshua fought against the Amalekites, just as Moses had ordered. Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. + As long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites were winning. But every time he lowered his hands, the Amalekites began to win. + When Moses' arms got tired, Aaron and Hur got a stone and put it under him. Then he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up. Aaron was on one side, and Hur was on the other. Moses' hands remained steady until sunset. + So Joshua destroyed the Amalekite army with swords. + Then the Lord said to Moses, "That is something to be remembered. So write it on a scroll. Make sure Joshua knows you have done it. I will completely erase the memory of the Amalekites from the earth." + Then Moses built an altar. He called it The Lord Is My Banner. + He said, "I raised my hands toward the throne of the Lord. The Lord will fight against the Amalekites for all time to come." + + + Moses' father-in-law Jethro was the priest of Midian. He heard about everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel. He heard how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. + Moses had sent his wife Zipporah to his father-in-law. So Jethro welcomed her + and her two sons. One son was named Gershom. That's because Moses had said, "I'm an outsider in a strange land." + The other was named Eliezer. That's because Moses had said, "My father's God helped me. He saved me from Pharaoh's sword." + Moses' father-in-law Jethro came to Moses in the desert. Moses' sons and wife came with Jethro. Moses was camped near the mountain of God. + Jethro had sent a message to him. It said, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you. I'm bringing your wife and her two sons." + So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. Moses bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other. Then they went into the tent. + Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians because of how much he loved Israel. He told him about all of their hard times along the way. He told him about how the Lord had saved them. + Jethro was delighted to hear about all of the good things the Lord had done for Israel. He heard about how God had saved them from the power of Egypt. + He said, "I praise the Lord. He saved you and your people from the power of Pharaoh and Egypt. + Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods. See what he did to those who looked down on Israel." + Then Moses' father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron came with all of the elders of Israel. They ate with Moses' father-in-law in the sight of God. + The next day Moses took his seat to serve the people as their judge. They stood around him from morning until evening. + His father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people. So he said, "Aren't you trying to do too much for the people? You are the only judge. And all of these people are standing around you from morning until evening." + Moses answered him. He said, "The people come to me to find out what God wants them to do. + Anytime they don't agree, they come to me. I decide between them. I tell them about God's rules and laws." + Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing isn't good. + You will just get worn out. And so will these people who come to you. There's too much work for you. You can't possibly handle it by yourself. + "Listen to me. I'll give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must speak to God for the people. Take their problems to him. + Teach them the rules and laws. Show them how to live and what to do. + "But choose men of ability from all of the people. They must have respect for God. You must be able to trust them. They must not try to get money by cheating others. Appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. + Let them serve the people as judges. But have them bring every hard case to you. They can decide the easy ones themselves. That will make your load lighter. They will share it with you. + "If this is what God wants and if you do it, then you will be able to carry the load. And all of these people will go home satisfied." + Moses listened to his father-in-law. He did everything Jethro said. + He chose men of ability from the whole community of Israel. He made them leaders of the people. They became officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. + They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses. But they decided the easy ones themselves. + Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro returned to his own country. + + + Exactly three months after the people of Israel left Egypt, they came to the Desert of Sinai. + After they started out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai. They camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. + Then Moses went up to God. The Lord called out to him from the mountain. He said, "Here is what I want you to say to my people, who came from Jacob's family. Tell the Israelites, + "You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt. You saw how I carried you on the wings of eagles and brought you to myself. + " 'Now obey me completely. Keep my covenant. If you do, then out of all of the nations you will be my special treasure. The whole earth is mine. + But you will be a kingdom of priests to serve me. You will be my holy nation.' That is what you must tell the Israelites." + So Moses went back. He sent for the elders of the people. He explained to them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. + All of the people answered together. They said, "We will do everything the Lord has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "I am going to come to you in a thick cloud. The people will hear me speaking with you. They will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. + The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people. Today and tomorrow set them apart for me. Have them wash their clothes. + Have the people ready by the third day. On that day I will come down on Mount Sinai. Everyone will see it. + "Put limits for the people around the mountain. Tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain. Do not even touch the foot of it. You can be sure that all who touch the mountain will be put to death. + Do not lay a hand on any of them. Kill them with stones or shoot them with arrows. Whether they are people or animals, do not let them live.' They may go up to the mountain only when the ram's horn gives out a long blast." + Moses went down the mountain to the people. After he set them apart for the Lord, they washed their clothes. + Then he spoke to the people. He said, "Get ready for the third day. Don't make love." + On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain. A trumpet gave out a very loud blast. Everyone in the camp trembled with fear. + Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God. They stood at the foot of the mountain. + Smoke covered Mount Sinai, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose up from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain trembled and shook. + The sound of the trumpet got louder and louder. Then Moses spoke. And the voice of God answered him. + The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai. He told Moses to come to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. + The Lord said to him, "Go down and warn the people. They must not force their way through to see me. If they do, many of them will die. + The priests approach me when they serve me. But even they must set themselves apart for me. If they do not, my anger will break out against them." + Moses said to the Lord, "The people can't come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us. You said, 'Put limits around the mountain. Set it apart as holy.' " + The Lord replied, "Go down. Bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through. They must not come up to me. If they do, my anger will break out against them." + So Moses went down to the people and told them. + + + Here are all of the words God spoke. He said, + "I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves. + "Do not put any other gods in place of me. + "Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. + Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the children for the sin of their parents. I punish the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me. + But for all time to come I show love to all those who love me and keep my commandments. + "Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses his name. + "Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. + Do all of your work in six days. + But the seventh day is a Sabbath in honor of the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and your animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your cities. + In six days I made the heavens and the earth. I made the oceans and everything in them. But I rested on the seventh day. So I blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. + "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you. + "Do not commit murder. + "Do not commit adultery. + "Do not steal. + "Do not give false witness against your neighbor. + "Do not long for anything that belongs to your neighbor. Do not long for your neighbor's house, wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey." + The people saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the trumpet. They saw the mountain covered with smoke. They trembled with fear and stayed a long way off. + They said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself. Then we'll listen. But don't let God speak to us. If he does, we'll die." + Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. God has come to put you to the test. He wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning." + Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. But the people remained a long way off. + Then the Lord said to Moses, "Here is what you must tell the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You have seen for yourselves what I said to you from heaven. + Do not put any other gods in place of me. Do not make silver or gold statues of them for yourselves. + " 'Make an altar out of dirt for me. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and friendship offerings on it. Sacrifice your sheep, goats and cattle on it. I will come to you and bless you everywhere I cause my name to be honored. + " 'If you make an altar out of stones in honor of me, do not build it with blocks of stone. You will make it "unclean" if you use a tool on it. + " 'Do not walk up steps to my altar. If you do, someone might see your naked body under your robes.' + + + "Here are the laws you must explain to the people of Israel. + "Suppose you buy a Hebrew servant. He must serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, you must set him free. He does not have to pay anything. + "If he does not have a wife when he comes, he must go free alone. But if he has a wife when he comes, she must go with him. + Suppose his master gives him a wife. And suppose she has sons or daughters by him. Then only the man will go free. The woman and her children will belong to her master. + "But suppose the servant says, 'I love my master and my wife and children. I don't want to go free.' + Then his master must take him to the judges. He must be taken to the door or doorpost of his master's house. His master must poke a hole through his ear lobe into the doorpost. Then he will become his servant for life. + "Suppose a man sells his daughter as a servant. Then she can't go free as male servants do. + "But what if the master who has chosen her does not like her? Then he must let the man buy her back. He has no right to sell her to strangers. He has broken his promise to her. + "What if he chooses her to get married to his son? Then he must grant her the rights of a daughter. + "What if he marries another woman? He must still give the first one her food and clothes and make love to her. + If he does not provide her with those three things, she can go free. She does not have to pay anything. + "You can be sure that if anyone hits and kills someone else, he will be put to death. + Suppose he did not do it on purpose. Suppose I let it happen. Then he can escape to a place I will choose. + But suppose he kills someone on purpose. Then take him away from my altar and put him to death. + "If anyone attacks his father or mother, he will be put to death. + "If anyone kidnaps and sells another person, he will be put to death. If he still has the person with him when he is caught, he will be put to death. + "If anyone calls down a curse on his father or mother, he will be put to death. + "Suppose two men get into a fight and argue with each other. One hits the other with a stone or his fist. He does not die but has to stay in bed. + And later he gets up and walks around outside with his walking stick. Then the man who hit him will not be held accountable. But he must pay the one who was hurt for the time he spent in bed. He must be sure that the person is completely healed. + "Suppose a man beats his male or female slave to death with a club. Then he must be punished. + But he will not be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two. After all, the slave is his property. + "Suppose some men are fighting and one of them hits a pregnant woman. And suppose she has her baby early but is not badly hurt. Then the man who hurt her must pay a fine. He must pay what the woman's husband asks for and the court allows. + "But if someone is badly hurt, a life must be taken for a life. + An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. A hand must be cut off for a hand and a foot for a foot. + A burn must be given for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise. + "Suppose a man hits his male or female servant in the eye and destroys it. Then he must let the servant go free to pay for the eye. + "Suppose he knocks out the tooth of a male or female servant. Then he must let the servant go free to pay for the tooth. + "Suppose a bull kills a man or woman with its horns. Then you must kill the bull by throwing stones at it. Its meat must not be eaten. The owner of the bull will not be held accountable. + "But suppose the bull has had the habit of attacking people. And suppose the owner has been warned but has not kept it fenced in. Then if it kills a man or woman, you must kill it with stones. The owner must also be put to death. + "But suppose payment is required of him instead. Then he can save his life by paying what is required. + "The same law applies if the bull wounds a son or daughter with its horns. + "Suppose the bull wounds a male or female slave. Then the owner must pay the slave's master 12 ounces of silver. You must kill the bull with stones. + "Suppose a man uncovers a pit or digs one and does not cover it. And suppose an ox or donkey falls into it. + Then the owner of the pit must pay the animal's owner for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the owner of the pit. + "Suppose a man's bull wounds a neighbor's bull and it dies. Then they must sell the live one. And they must share the money and the dead animal equally. + "But suppose people knew that the bull had the habit of attacking. And suppose the owner did not keep it fenced in. Then he must give another animal to pay for the dead animal. The dead animal will belong to him. + + + "Suppose a man steals an ox or a sheep. And suppose he kills it or sells it. Then he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox. Or he must pay back four sheep or goats for the sheep. + "Suppose you catch a thief breaking into your house. And suppose you hit the thief and kill him. Then you are not guilty of murder. + But suppose it happens after the sun has come up. Then you are guilty of murder. "A thief must pay for what he has stolen. But suppose he does not have anything. Then he must be sold to pay for what he has stolen. + "What if the stolen ox, donkey or sheep is found alive with him? Then the thief must pay back twice as much as he stole. + "Suppose a man lets his livestock eat grass in someone else's field or vineyard. Then he must pay that person back from the best crops of his own field or vineyard. + "Suppose a fire breaks out and spreads into bushes. It burns grain that has been cut and stacked. Or it burns grain that is still growing. Or it burns the whole field. Then the one who started the fire must pay for the loss. + "Suppose a man gives his neighbor silver or other things to keep safe. And suppose they are stolen from the neighbor's house. If the thief is caught, he must pay back twice as much as he stole. + "But suppose the thief is not found. Then the neighbor must go to the judges. They will decide whether the neighbor has stolen the other person's property. + "Suppose you have an ox, donkey, sheep or clothing that does not belong to you. Or you have other property that was lost by someone else. And suppose someone says, 'That belongs to me.' Then both people must bring their case to the judges. The one the judges decide is guilty must pay back twice as much to the other person. + "Suppose a man asks his neighbor to take care of a donkey, ox, sheep or any other animal. And suppose the animal dies or gets hurt. Or suppose it is stolen while no one is looking. + Then the problem will be settled by taking an oath and promising the Lord to tell the truth. "Suppose the neighbor takes an oath and says, 'I didn't steal your property.' Then the owner must accept what the neighbor says. No payment is required. + "But suppose the animal really was stolen. Then the neighbor must pay the owner back. + "Or suppose it was torn to pieces by a wild animal. Then the neighbor must bring in what is left as proof. No payment is required. + "Suppose a man borrows an animal from his neighbor. And it gets hurt or dies while the owner is not there. Then the man must pay for it. + "But suppose the owner is with the animal. Then the man will not have to pay. If he hired the animal, the money he paid to hire it covers the loss. + "Suppose a man meets a virgin who is not engaged. And he talks her into having sex with him. Then he must pay her father the price for a bride. And he must get married to her. + "But suppose her father absolutely refuses to give her to him. Then he must still pay the price for getting married to a virgin. + "Do not let a woman who does evil magic stay alive. Put her to death. + "Anyone who has sex with an animal must be put to death. + "Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than me must be destroyed. + "Do not treat outsiders badly. Do not beat them down. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt. + "Do not take advantage of widows. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died. + "If you do, they might cry out to me. Then I will certainly hear them. + And I will get angry. I will kill you with a sword. Your wives will become widows. Your children's fathers will die. + "Suppose you lend money to one of my people among you who is in need. Then do not be like those who lend money and charge interest. Do not charge any interest. + "Suppose your neighbor owes you money and gives you a coat as a promise to pay it back. Then return it to him by sunset. + That coat is the only thing he owns to wear or sleep in. When he cries out to me, I will listen, because I am loving and kind. + "Do not speak evil things against me. Do not call down a curse on the ruler of your people. + "Do not hold back your grain offerings or wine offerings. "You must give me the oldest of your sons. + Do the same with your cattle and sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days. But give them to me on the eighth day. + "I want you to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of any animal that has been torn by wild animals. Throw it to the dogs. + + + "Do not spread reports that are false. Do not help an evil person by telling lies in court. + "Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into wrong. Do not go along with the crowd. + Do not show favor to a poor person in court. + "Suppose you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering away. Then be sure to take it back to him. + "Suppose you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has fallen down under its load. Then do not leave it there. Be sure you help him with it. + "Be fair to your poor people in their court cases. + Do not have anything to do with a charge that is false. Do not put to death those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. I will not let those who are guilty go free. + "Do not take money from people who want special favors. It makes you blind to the truth. It twists the words of godly people. + "Do not beat an outsider down. You yourselves know how it feels to be outsiders. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt. + "For six years plant your fields and gather your crops. + But during the seventh year do not plow your land or use it. Then the poor people who are among you can get food from it. The wild animals can eat what is left over. Do the same thing with your vineyards and your groves of olive trees. + "Do all of your work in six days. But do not do any work on the seventh day. Then your oxen and donkeys can rest. The slaves who are born in your house can be renewed. And so can the outsiders. + "Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not use the names of other gods. Do not even let them be heard on your lips. + "Three times a year you must celebrate a feast in my honor. + "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Eat bread that is made without yeast for seven days, just as I commanded you. Do it at the appointed time in the month of Abib. You came out of Egypt in that month. "You must not come to worship me with your hands empty. + "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Bring the first share of your crops from your field. "Celebrate the Feast of Booths. Hold it in the fall when you gather in your crops from the field. + "Three times a year all of your men must come to worship me. I am your Lord and King. + "Do not include anything that is made with yeast when you offer me the blood of a sacrifice. "Suppose the fat from sacrifices is left over from my feasts. Then do not keep it until morning. + "Bring the best of the first share of your crops to my house. I am the Lord your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. + "I am sending an angel ahead of you. He will guard you along the way. He will bring you to the place I have prepared. + Pay attention to him. Listen to what he says. Do not refuse to obey him. He will not forgive you if you turn against him. My very Name is in him. + Listen carefully to what he says. Do everything I say. Then I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight against those who fight against you. + "My angel will go ahead of you. He will bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. + "Do not do what they do. Do not bow down to their gods or worship them. You must destroy the statues of their gods. You must break their sacred stones to pieces. + "I am the Lord your God. Worship me. Then I will bless your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. + In your land no woman will give birth to a dead baby. Every woman will be able to have children. I will give you a long life. + "I will send my terror ahead of you. I will throw every nation you meet into a panic. I will make all of your enemies turn their backs and run away. + I will send hornets ahead of you. They will drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. + "But I will not drive them out in just one year. If I did, the land would be deserted. There would be too many wild animals for you. + I will drive them out ahead of you little by little. I will do it until your numbers have increased enough for you to take control of the land. + "I will make your borders secure from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. They will go from the desert to the Euphrates River. "I will hand over to you the people who live in the land. You will drive them out to make room for you. + Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. + Do not let them live in your land. If you do, they will cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, that will certainly be a trap for you." + + + The Lord said to Moses, "You and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel must come up to me. Do not come close when you worship. + Only Moses can come close to me. The others must not come near. And the people may not go up with him." + Moses went and told the people all of the Lord's words and laws. They answered with one voice. They said, "We will do everything the Lord has told us to do." + Then Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. Moses got up early the next morning. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He set up 12 stone pillars. They stood for the 12 tribes of Israel. + Then he sent young Israelite men to offer burnt offerings. They also sacrificed young bulls as friendship offerings to the Lord. + Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls. He sprinkled the other half on the altar. + Then he took the Scroll of the Covenant and read it to the people. They answered, "We will do everything the Lord has told us to do. We will obey him." + Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people. He said, "This is the blood that puts the covenant into effect. The Lord has made this covenant with you in keeping with all of these words." + Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the 70 elders of Israel went up. + They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a street made out of sapphire. It was as clear as the sky itself. + But God didn't raise his hand against those leaders of the people of Israel. They saw God. And they ate and drank. + The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay here. I will give you the stone tablets. They contain the law and commands I have written to teach the people." + Then Moses and Joshua, his helper, started out. Moses went up on the mountain of God. + He said to the elders, "Wait for us here until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you. Anyone who has a problem can go to them." + Moses went up on the mountain. Then the cloud covered it. + The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. The cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called out to Moses from inside the cloud. + The people of Israel saw the glory of the Lord. It looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. + Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. + + + The Lord said to Moses, + "Tell the people of Israel to bring me an offering. You must receive the offering for me from all whose hearts move them to give. + "Here are the offerings you must receive from them. "gold, silver and bronze + blue, purple and bright red yarn and fine linen goat hair + ram skins that are dyed red the hides of sea cows acacia wood + olive oil for the lights spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense + onyx stones and other jewels for the linen apron and chest cloth + "Have them make a sacred tent for me. I will live among them. + Make the holy tent and everything that belongs to it. Make them exactly like the pattern I will show you. + "Have them make a chest out of acacia wood. Make it three feet nine inches long and two feet three inches wide and high. + Cover it inside and outside with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it. + "Make four gold rings for it. Join them to its four bottom corners. Put two rings on one side and two rings on the other. + "Then make poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. + Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. + The poles must remain in the rings of the chest. Do not remove them. + I will give you the tablets of the covenant. When I do, put them into the chest. + "Make its cover out of pure gold. The cover is the place where sin will be paid for. Make it three feet nine inches long and two feet three inches wide. + "Make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. + Put one cherub on each end of it. Make the cherubim as part of the cover itself. + The cherubim must have their wings spread up over the cover. The cherubim must face each other and look toward the cover. + "Place the cover on top of the chest. I will give you the tablets of the covenant. Put them into the chest. + "The chest is the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. I will meet with you above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark. There I will give you all of my commands for the people of Israel. + "Make a table out of acacia wood. Make it three feet long, one foot six inches wide and two feet three inches high. + Cover it with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it. + Also make a rim around it that is three inches wide. Put a strip of gold around the rim. + "Make four gold rings for the table. Join them to the four corners, where the four legs are. + The rings must be close to the rim. They must hold the poles that will be used to carry the table. + "Make the poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. Use them to carry the table. + "Make its plates and dishes out of pure gold. Also make its pitchers and bowls out of pure gold. Use the pitchers and bowls to pour out drink offerings. + "Put the holy bread on the table. It must be near my holy throne on the ark of the covenant at all times. + "Make a lampstand out of pure gold. Hammer out its base and stem. Its buds, blooms and cups must branch out from it. + "Six branches must come out from the sides of the lampstand. Make three on one side and three on the other. + On one branch make three cups that are shaped like almond flowers with buds and blooms. Then put three on the next branch. Do the same with all six branches that come out from the lampstand. + "On the lampstand there must be four cups that are shaped like almond flowers with buds and blooms. + One bud must be under the first pair of branches that come out from the lampstand. Put a second bud under the second pair. And put a third bud under the third pair. Make a total of six branches. + The buds and branches must come out from the lampstand. "The whole lampstand must be one piece that is hammered out of pure gold. + "Then make its seven lamps. Set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. + The trays and wick cutters must be made out of pure gold. + Use 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and everything that is used with it. + "Be sure to make everything just like the pattern I showed you on the mountain. + + + "Make ten curtains out of finely twisted linen for the holy tent. Make them with blue, purple and bright red yarn. Have a skilled worker sew cherubim into the pattern. + Make all of the curtains the same size. They must be 42 feet long and six feet wide. + "Join five of the curtains together. Do the same thing with the other five. + Make loops out of blue strips of cloth along the edge of the end curtain in one set. Do the same thing with the end curtain in the other set. + Make 50 loops on the end curtain of the one set. Do the same thing on the end curtain of the other set. Put the loops across from each other. + Make 50 gold hooks. Use them to join the curtains together so that the holy tent is all one piece. + "Make a total of 11 curtains out of goat hair to put over the holy tent. + Make all 11 curtains the same size. They must be 45 feet long and six feet wide. + "Join five of the curtains together into one set. Do the same thing with the other six. Fold the sixth curtain in half at the front of the tent. + Make 50 loops along the edge of the end curtain in the one set. Do the same thing with the other set. + Then make 50 bronze hooks. Put them in the loops to join the tent together all in one piece. + "Let the extra half curtain hang down at the rear of the holy tent. + The tent curtains will be one foot six inches longer on both sides. What is left over will hang over the sides of the holy tent and cover it. + "Make a covering for the tent. Make it out of ram skins that are dyed red. Put a covering of the hides of sea cows over that. + "Make frames out of acacia wood for the holy tent. + Make each frame 15 feet long and two feet three inches wide. + Add two small wooden pins to each frame. Make the pins stick out so that they are even with each other. Make all of the frames for the holy tent in the same way. + "Make 20 frames for the south side of the holy tent. + And make 40 silver bases to go under them. Make two bases for each frame. Put one under each pin that sticks out. + "For the north side of the holy tent make 20 frames + and 40 silver bases. Put two bases under each frame. + "Make six frames for the west end of the holy tent. + Make two frames for the corners at the far end. + At those two corners the frames must be double from top to bottom. They must be fitted into a single ring. Make both of them the same. + There will be eight frames and 16 silver bases. There will be two bases under each frame. + "Also make crossbars out of acacia wood. Make five for the frames on one side of the holy tent. + Make five for the frames on the other side. And make five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the holy tent. + The center crossbar must reach from end to end at the middle of the frames. + "Cover the frames with gold. Make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also cover the crossbars with gold. + "Set up the holy tent in keeping with the plan I showed you on the mountain. + "Make a curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have a skilled worker sew cherubim into the pattern. + Hang the curtain with gold hooks on four posts that are made out of acacia wood. Cover the posts with gold. Stand them on four silver bases. + Hang the curtain from the hooks. "Place the ark of the covenant behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Room from the Most Holy Room. + Put the cover on the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Room. The cover will be the place where sin is paid for. + "Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the holy tent. And put the lampstand across from it on the south side. + "For the entrance to the tent make a curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have a person who sews skillfully make it. + Make gold hooks for the curtain. Make five posts out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. And make five bronze bases for them. + + + "Build an altar out of acacia wood. It must be four feet six inches high and seven feet six inches square. + Make a horn stick out from each of its upper four corners. Cover the altar with bronze. + "Make all of its tools out of bronze. Make its pots to remove the ashes. Make its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and pans for carrying ashes. + "Make a bronze grate for the altar. Make a bronze ring for each of the four corners of the grate. + Put the grate halfway up the altar on the inside. + "Make poles out of acacia wood for the altar. Cover them with bronze. + Put the poles through the rings. They will be on two sides of the altar for carrying it. + "Make the altar out of boards. Make it hollow. You must make it just as I showed you on the mountain. + "Make a courtyard for the holy tent. The south side must be 150 feet long. It must have curtains that are made out of finely twisted linen. + The curtains must be hung on 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts must have silver hooks and bands on them. + "The north side must also be 150 feet long. It must have curtains with 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts must have silver hooks and bands on them. + "The west end of the courtyard must be 75 feet wide. It must have curtains with ten posts and ten bases. + "The east end of the courtyard, toward the sunrise, must also be 75 feet wide. + On one side of the entrance you must put curtains that are 22 feet six inches long. Hang them on three posts. Each post must have a base. + On the other side you must also put curtains that are 22 feet six inches long. Hang them on three posts. Each post must have a base. + "For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain that is 30 feet long. Make it out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have someone who sews skillfully make it. Hang it on four posts. Each post must have a base. + "All of the posts that are around the courtyard must have silver bands and hooks. They must also have bronze bases. + The courtyard must be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. It must have curtains that are made out of finely twisted linen. They must be seven feet six inches high. The posts must have bronze bases. + "Make all of the other articles used for any purpose in the holy tent out of bronze. That includes all of the tent stakes for the tent and the courtyard. + "Command the people of Israel to bring you clear oil that is made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light. + "Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Tent of Meeting. The lamps will be outside the curtain that is in front of the tablets of the covenant. The lamps must be kept burning in my sight from evening until morning. That is a law for the people of Israel that will last for all time to come. + + + "Have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the people of Israel. His sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar must also be brought. They will serve me as priests. + "Make sacred clothes for your brother Aaron. When he is wearing them, people will honor him. They will have respect for him. + "Speak to all of the skilled workers. I have given them the skill to do this kind of work. Tell them to make clothes for Aaron. He will wear them when he is set apart to serve me as priest. + They must make a chest cloth, a linen apron, an outer robe, an inner robe, a turban and a belt. They must make sacred clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then they will serve me as priests. + Have them use fine gold wire, and blue, purple and bright red yarn, and fine linen. + "Make the linen apron out of fine gold wire, and out of blue, purple and bright red yarn, and out of finely twisted linen. Have a skilled worker make it. + It must have two shoulder straps joined to two of its corners. + "Its skillfully made waistband must be like it. The waistband must be part of the apron itself. Make the waistband out of fine gold wire, and out of blue, purple and bright red yarn, and out of finely twisted linen. + "Get two onyx stones. Carve the names of the sons of Israel on them. + Arrange them in the order of their birth. Carve six names on one stone and six on the other. + Carve the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a jewel cutter carves a seal. "Then put the stones in fancy gold settings. + Connect them to the shoulder straps of the linen apron. The stones will stand for the sons of Israel. Aaron must carry the names on his shoulders as a reminder while he is serving me. + Make fancy gold settings. + Make two braided chains out of pure gold. Make them like ropes. Join the chains to the settings. + "Make a chest cloth that will be used for making decisions. Have a skilled worker make it. Make it like the linen apron. Use fine gold wire, and blue, purple and bright red yarn, and finely twisted linen. + Make it nine inches square. Fold it in half. + "Put four rows of valuable jewels on it. Put a ruby, a topaz and a beryl in the first row. + Put a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald in the second row. + Put a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst in the third row. + And put a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper in the fourth row. Put them in fancy gold settings. + "Use a total of 12 stones. Use one for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone must be carved like a seal with the name of one of the 12 tribes. + "Make braided chains out of pure gold for the chest cloth. Make them like ropes. + Make two gold rings for the chest cloth. Connect them to two corners of it. + Join the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the chest cloth. + Join the other ends of the chains to the two settings. Join them to the shoulder straps on the front of the linen apron. + "Make two gold rings. Connect them to the other two corners of the chest cloth. Put them on the inside edge next to the apron. + Make two more gold rings. Connect them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the apron. Put them close to the seam. Put them right above the waistband of the apron. + The rings of the chest cloth must be tied to the rings of the apron. Tie them to the waistband with blue cord. Then the chest cloth will not swing out from the linen apron. + "When Aaron enters the Holy Room, he will carry the names of the sons of Israel over his heart. Their names will be on the chest cloth of decision. They will be a continuing reminder while he is serving me. + "Also put the Urim and Thummim into the chest cloth. Then they will be over Aaron's heart when he comes to serve me. In that way, Aaron will always have what he needs to make decisions for the people of Israel. He will carry the Urim and Thummim over his heart while he is serving me. + "Make the outer robe of the linen apron completely from blue cloth. + In the center of the robe, make an opening for the head of the priest. Make an edge like a collar around the opening. Then it will not tear. + "Make pomegranates out of blue, purple and bright red yarn. Sew them around the hem of the robe. Sew gold bells between them. + Sew a gold bell between every two pomegranates all around the hem of the robe. + "Aaron must wear the robe when he serves. The bells will jingle when he enters the Holy Room while he is serving me. And they will jingle when he goes out. Then he will not die. + "Make a plate out of pure gold. Carve words on it as if it were a seal. Carve the words set apart for the Lord. + Tie the plate to the front of the turban with a blue cord. + "Aaron must wear it on his forehead all the time. He will be held accountable for all of the sacred gifts the Israelites set apart. Then I will accept the gifts. + "Make the inner robe out of fine linen. And make the turban out of fine linen. Have the belt made by a person who sews skillfully. + "Make inner robes, belts and headbands for Aaron's sons. When they are wearing them, people will honor them. They will also have respect for them. + "Put all of the clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons. Then pour olive oil on them and prepare them to serve me. Set them apart to serve me as priests. + "Make linen underwear that reaches from the waist to the thigh. + Aaron and the priests who are in his family line must wear it when they enter the Tent of Meeting. They must wear it when they approach the altar to serve in the Holy Room. Then they will not be found guilty and die. "For all time to come, that will be a law for Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. + + + "Here is what you must do to set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests. "Get a young bull and two rams. They must not have any flaws. + Get fine wheat flour that does not have yeast in it. Use the flour to make bread, flat cakes that are mixed with olive oil, and wafers that are spread with oil. + Put everything in a basket. Offer them along with the bull and the two rams. + "Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Wash them with water. + "Take the inner robe, the outer robe of the linen apron, the apron itself and the chest cloth. Dress Aaron in them. Take the skillfully made waistband and tie the apron on him with it. + Put the turban on his head. Connect the sacred crown to the turban. + Take the anointing oil and pour it on his head. + "Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes. + Put headbands on them. Tie belts on Aaron and his sons. The work of the priests belongs to them. This is my law that will last for all time to come. "And that is how you must prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me. + "Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. + Kill it in my sight at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + "Dip your finger into some of the bull's blood. Put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. Pour the rest of it out at the base of the altar. + "Then take all of the fat around the inside parts. Take the covering of the liver. Take both kidneys with the fat on them. And burn all of it on the altar. + "But burn the bull's meat, hide and guts outside the camp. It is a sin offering. + "Get one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. + Kill it. Take the blood and sprinkle it against every side of the altar. + "Cut the ram into pieces. Wash the inside parts and the legs. Put them with the head and the other pieces. + Then burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to me. It has a pleasant smell. It is an offering that is made to me with fire. + "Get the other ram. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. + Kill it. Put some of its blood on the right ear lobes of Aaron and his sons. Put some on the thumbs of their right hands. Also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against every side of the altar. + "Get some of the blood from the altar. Also get some of the anointing oil. Sprinkle both of them on Aaron and his clothes and his sons and their clothes. Then he and his sons and their clothes will be set apart to serve me. + "Here is what you must take from the second ram. Take the fat, the fat tail, the fat around the inside parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. It is the ram you must use when you prepare the priests to serve me. + Get a loaf, a flat cake that is made with oil, and a wafer. Take them from the basket of bread that was made without yeast. It is the one that is in front of me. + "Put everything in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Tell them to lift it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. + Then take it from their hands. Burn it on the altar along with the burnt offering. It gives a smell that is pleasant to me. It is an offering that is made to me with fire. + "Get the breast of the ram that is used when you prepare Aaron to serve me. Wave it in front of me as a wave offering. It will be your share of the meat. + "Here are the parts of the second ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. You must set apart the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered. + It will always be the regular share from the people of Israel for Aaron and his sons. The people must give it to me from their friendship offerings. + "Aaron's sacred clothes will belong to his sons who will come after him. Then they can wear them when you anoint them and prepare them to serve me. + The son who comes after him as priest must wear them seven days. He will come and serve in the Holy Room in the Tent of Meeting. + "Get the ram that is sacrificed when you prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me. Cook the meat in a sacred place. + "Aaron and his sons must eat the ram's meat. And they must eat the bread that is in the basket. They must eat all of it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Those are the offerings to pay for their sins. They must eat them. The offerings must be made when Aaron and his sons are set apart and prepared to serve me. No one else can eat them. They are sacred. + "And if any parts of the ram or bread that are sacrificed when you prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me are left until morning, burn them up. They must not be eaten. They are sacred. + "Do everything I have commanded you to do for Aaron and his sons. Take seven days when you prepare them to serve me. + Sacrifice a bull each day. It is a sin offering to pay for their sins. "Make the altar pure. Pour olive oil on it to set it apart. + Take seven days to make the altar pure. Set it apart. Then the altar will be a very holy place. Anything that touches it will be holy. + "Every day offer on the altar two lambs that are a year old. + Offer one in the morning. Offer the other one when the sun goes down. + Along with the first lamb, offer eight cups of fine flour. Mix it with a quart of oil that is made from pressed olives. Along with that, offer a quart of wine as a drink offering. + "Sacrifice the other lamb when the sun goes down. Sacrifice it along with the same grain offering and its drink offering as you do in the morning. It has a pleasant smell. It is an offering that is made to me with fire. + "For all time to come, the burnt offering must be sacrificed regularly. Sacrifice it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting in my sight. There I will meet you and speak to you. + There I will also meet with the people of Israel. My glory will make the place holy. + "So I will set the Tent of Meeting and the altar apart. And I will set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests. + "Then I will live among the people of Israel. And I will be their God. + They will know that I am the Lord their God. They will know that I brought them out of Egypt so I could live among them. I am the Lord their God. + + + "Make an altar for burning incense. Make it out of acacia wood. + It must be one foot six inches square and three feet high. Make a horn stick out from each of its upper four corners. + Cover the top, sides and horns with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it. + "Make two gold rings for the altar below the strip. Put the rings across from each other. They will hold the poles that are used to carry it. + Make the poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. + "Put the altar in front of the curtain that hangs in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The ark will have a cover. It will be the place where sin is paid for. There I will meet with you. + "Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar. He must do it every morning when he takes care of the lamps. + He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at sunset. Incense must be burned regularly to me. Do it for all time to come. + "Do not burn any other incense on the altar. Do not use the altar for burnt offerings or grain offerings. Do not pour drink offerings on it. + "Once a year Aaron must put the blood of a sin offering on its horns to make it pure. He must do it on the day Israel's sin is paid for. Do it for all time to come. The altar is a very holy place to me." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "When you make a list of the people of Israel and count them, they must pay me for their lives at the time they are counted. Then a plague will not come on them when you count them. + "Each one who is counted must pay a fifth of an ounce of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The payment is an offering to me. + Each one who is counted must be 20 years old or more. He must give an offering to me. + "When you make the offering, rich people must not give more than a fifth of an ounce of silver. And poor people must not give less. The offering you give to me will pay for your lives. + "Receive the money from the people of Israel. Use it for any purpose in the Tent of Meeting. It will remind the people that they are paying me for their lives." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Make a large bronze bowl for washing. Make a bronze stand to put it on. Place the bowl between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Put water in it. + "Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with water from it. + When they enter the Tent of Meeting, they must wash with water so that they will not die. They will come to the altar to serve me. They will bring an offering that is made to me with fire. + When they do, they must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. For all time to come, that will be a law for Aaron and the priests who are in his family line." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. + He said, "Get some fine spices. Get 12 pounds eight ounces of liquid myrrh. Get six pounds four ounces of sweet-smelling cinnamon and the same amount of sweet-smelling cane. + Also get 12 pounds eight ounces of cassia. All of the spices must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Get four quarts of olive oil. + "Have a person who makes perfume mix everything into a sacred anointing oil. It will smell sweet. + "Then anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. + Anoint the table for the holy bread and all of its articles. Anoint the lampstand and the things that are used with it. Anoint the altar for burning incense. + Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all of its tools. And anoint the large bowl together with its stand. + You must set them apart so that they will be very holy. Anything that touches them will be holy. + "Anoint Aaron and his sons. Set them apart so that they can serve me as priests. + "Say to the people of Israel, 'This will be my sacred anointing oil for all time to come. + Do not pour it on the bodies of any other men. Do not make any other oil in the same way. It is sacred. So you must think of it as sacred. + Anyone who makes perfume in the same way and puts it on someone who is not a priest must be cut off from his people.' " + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Get some sweet-smelling spices. Get some gum resin, onycha and galbanum. Also get some pure frankincense. Make sure everything is in equal amounts. + "Have a person who makes perfume mix it all up into a sweet-smelling incense. It must have salt in it. It will be pure and sacred. + Grind some of it into powder. Place it in front of the tablets of the covenant in the Tent of Meeting. There I will meet with you. The incense will be very holy to you. + "Do not make any incense for yourselves in the same way. Think of it as holy to me. + Anyone who makes incense in the same way to enjoy its sweet smell must be cut off from his people." + + + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. + He said, "I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri. Uri is the son of Hur. Bezalel is from the tribe of Judah. + I have filled him with the Spirit of God. I have filled him with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. + He can make beautiful patterns in gold, silver and bronze. + He can cut and set stones. He can work with wood. In fact, he can work in all kinds of crafts. + "I have also appointed Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, to help him. Oholiab is from the tribe of Dan. "I have given ability to all of the skilled workers. They can make everything I have commanded you to make. Here is the complete list. + "the Tent of Meeting the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept the cover for the ark + the table for the holy bread and its articles the pure gold lampstand and everything that is used with it the altar for burning incense + the altar for burnt offerings and all of its tools the large bowl with its stand + the sacred clothes for Aaron the priest the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests + the anointing oil the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Room "The skilled workers must make them just as I commanded you." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. + He said, "Tell the people of Israel, 'You must always keep my Sabbath days. That will be the sign of the covenant I have made between me and you for all time to come. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I make you holy. + " 'Keep the Sabbath day. It is holy to you. Those who misuse it must be put to death. Those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. + Do your work in six days. But the seventh day is a Sabbath. You must rest on it. It is set apart for me. Those who work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. + " 'The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath. They must celebrate it for all time to come. It will be a covenant that lasts forever. + It will be the sign of the covenant I have made between me and the people of Israel forever. " 'I made the heavens and the earth in six days. But on the seventh day I did not work. I rested.' " + The Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the two tablets of the covenant. They were made out of stone. The words on them were written by the finger of God. + + + The people saw that Moses took a long time to come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, "Come. Make us a god that will lead us. This fellow Moses brought us up out of Egypt. But we don't know what has happened to him." + Aaron answered them, "Take the gold earrings off your wives, your sons and your daughters. Bring the earrings to me." + So all of the people took off their earrings. They brought them to Aaron. + He took what they gave him and made it into a metal statue of a god. It looked like a calf. He shaped it with a tool. Then the people said, "Israel, here is your god who brought you up out of Egypt." + When Aaron saw it, he built an altar in front of the calf. He said, "Tomorrow will be a feast day in the Lord's honor." + So the next day the people got up early. They sacrificed burnt offerings and brought friendship offerings. They sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance wildly in front of their god. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Go down. Your people you brought up out of Egypt have become very sinful. + They have quickly turned away from what I commanded them. They have made themselves a statue of a god that looks like a calf. They have bowed down and sacrificed to it. And they have said, 'Israel, here is your god who brought you up out of Egypt.' + "I have seen those people," the Lord said to Moses. "They are stubborn. + Now leave me alone. My anger will burn against them. I will destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." + But Moses asked the Lord his God to show favor to the people. "Lord," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people? You used your great power and mighty hand to bring them out of Egypt. + Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out to hurt them. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn away from your burning anger. Please take pity on your people. Don't destroy them! + "Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel. You made a promise. You took an oath in your name. You said, 'I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. I will give them all of this land I promised them. It will belong to them forever.' " + Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn't destroy them as he had said he would. + Moses turned and went down the mountain. He had the two tablets of the covenant in his hands. Words were written on both sides of the tablets, front and back. + The tablets were the work of God. The words had been written by God. They had been carved on the tablets. + Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. So he said to Moses, "It sounds like war in the camp." + Moses replied, "It's not the sound of winning. It's not the sound of losing. It's the sound of singing that I hear." + As Moses approached the camp, he saw the calf. He also saw the people dancing. So he burned with anger. He threw the tablets out of his hands. They broke into pieces at the foot of the mountain. + He took the calf the people had made. He burned it in the fire. Then he ground it into powder. He scattered it on the water. And he made the people of Israel drink it. + He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you? How did they make you lead them into such terrible sin?" + "Please don't be angry," Aaron answered. "You know how these people like to do what is evil. + They said to me, 'Make us a god that will lead us. This fellow Moses brought us up out of Egypt. But we don't know what has happened to him.' + "So I told them, 'Anyone who has any gold jewelry, take it off.' They gave me the gold. I threw it into the fire. And out came this calf!" + Moses saw that the people were running wild. Aaron had let them get out of control. The people had become a joke to their enemies. + Moses stood at the entrance to the camp. He said, "Anyone who is on the Lord's side, come to me." All of the Levites joined him. + Then he spoke to them. He said, "The Lord, the God of Israel, says, 'Each man must put on his sword. Then he must go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other. Each man must kill his brother, friend and neighbor.' " + The Levites did as Moses commanded. About 3,000 of the people died that day. + Then Moses said to the Levites, "You have been set apart for the Lord today. You stood against your own sons and brothers. And he has blessed you this day." + The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will go up to the Lord. Maybe if I pray to him, he will forgive your sin." + So Moses went back to the Lord. He said, "These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold for themselves. + Now please forgive their sin. But if you won't, then erase my name from the scroll you have written." + The Lord replied to Moses, "I will erase from my scroll only the names of those who have sinned against me. + Now go. Lead the people to the place I spoke about. My angel will go ahead of you. But when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." + The Lord struck the people with a plague. That's because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made. + + + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Leave this place. You and the people you brought up out of Egypt must leave it. Go up to the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said to them, 'I will give it to your children after you.' + I will send an angel ahead of you. I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. + "Go up to the land that has plenty of milk and honey. But I will not go with you. You are stubborn. I might destroy you on the way." + When the people heard those painful words, they became sad and began to sob. No one put on any jewelry. + The Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel, 'You are stubborn. If I went with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your jewelry. Then I will decide what to do with you.' " + So the people took off their jewelry at Mount Horeb. + Moses used to take a tent and set it up far outside the camp. He called it the "tent of meeting." Anyone who wanted to ask the Lord a question would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. + When Moses would go out to the tent, all of the people would get up and stand at the entrances to their tents. They would watch Moses until he entered the tent. + As Moses would go into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down. It would stay at the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. + The people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent. Then all of them would stand and worship at the entrances to their tents. + The Lord would speak to Moses face to face. It was like a man speaking to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But Joshua, his young helper, didn't leave the tent. Joshua was the son of Nun. + Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people.' But you haven't let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know your name. I know all about you. And I am pleased with you.' + If you are pleased with me, teach me more about yourself. Then I can know you. And I can continue to please you. Remember that this nation is your people." + The Lord replied, "I will go with you. And I will give you rest." + Then Moses said to him, "If you don't go with us, don't send us up from here. + How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people? You must go with us. How else will we be different from all of the other people on the face of the earth?" + The Lord said to Moses, "I will do exactly what you have asked. I am pleased with you. And I know your name. I know all about you." + Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." + The Lord said, "I will make all of my goodness pass in front of you. And I will announce my name, The Lord, in front of you. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. And I will show love to those I love. + But you can't see my face," he said. "No one can see me and stay alive." + The Lord continued, "There is a place near me where you can stand on a rock. + When my glory passes by, I will put you in an opening in the rock. I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. + Then I will remove my hand. You will see my back. But my face must not be seen." + + + The Lord said to Moses, "Cut out two stone tablets that are just like the first ones. I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. + "Be ready in the morning. Then come up on Mount Sinai. Meet with me there on top of the mountain. + No one must come with you. No one must be seen anywhere on the mountain. Not even the flocks and herds must be allowed to eat grass in front of the mountain." + So Moses carved out two stone tablets that were just like the first ones. Early in the morning he went up Mount Sinai. He carried the two tablets in his hands. He did as the Lord had commanded him to do. + Then the Lord came down in the cloud. He stood there with Moses and announced his name, The Lord. + As he passed in front of Moses, he called out. He said, "I am the Lord, the Lord. I am a God who is tender and kind. I am gracious. I am slow to get angry. I am faithful and full of love. + I continue to show my love to thousands of people. I forgive those who do evil. I forgive those who refuse to obey. And I forgive those who sin. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I punish the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sin of their parents." + Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshiped. + "Lord," he said, "if you are pleased with me, then go with us. Even though these people are stubborn, forgive the evil things we have done. Forgive our sin. And accept us as your people." + Then the Lord said, "I am making a covenant with you. I will do wonderful things in front of all of your people. I will do miracles that have never been done before in any nation in the whole world. The people you live among will see the things that I, the Lord, will do for you. And they will see how wonderful those things really are. + "Obey what I command you today. I will drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites to make room for you. + "Be careful. Do not make a peace treaty with those who live in the land where you are going. They will be a trap to you. + Tear down their altars. Smash their sacred stones. Cut down the poles they use to worship the goddess Asherah. + Do not worship any other god. I am a jealous God. In fact, my name is Jealous. + "Be careful not to make a peace treaty with those who live in the land. They commit sin by offering sacrifices to their gods. They will invite you to eat their sacrifices. + You will choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons. And those daughters will commit sin by worshiping their gods. Then they will lead your sons to do the same thing. + "Do not make statues of gods. + "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread that is made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Do it at the appointed time in the month of Abib. You came out of Egypt in that month. + "Every male animal that is born first to its mother belongs to me. That includes your livestock. It includes herds and flocks alike. + Sacrifice a lamb to buy back every male donkey that is born first to its mother. But if you do not buy the donkey back, break its neck. Buy back every oldest son. "You must not come to worship me with your hands empty. + "Do your work in six days. But you must rest on the seventh day. Even when you are plowing your land or gathering your crops, you must rest on the seventh day. + "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Bring the first share of your wheat crop. "Celebrate the Feast of Booths. Hold it in the fall. + "Three times a year all of your men must come to worship me. I am your Lord and King, the God of Israel. + I will drive out nations ahead of you. I will increase your territory. Go up three times a year to worship me. While you are doing that, I will keep others from wanting to take any of your land for themselves. I am the Lord your God. + "Do not include anything that is made with yeast when you offer me the blood of a sacrifice. You must not keep any of the meat from the sacrifice of the Passover Feast until morning. + "Bring the best of the first share of your crops to my house. I am the Lord your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." + Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down the words I have spoken. I have made a covenant with you and with Israel in keeping with those words." + Moses was there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights. He didn't eat any food or drink any water. The Lord wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant. Those words are the Ten Commandments. + Moses came down from Mount Sinai. He had the two tablets of the covenant in his hands. His face was shining because he had spoken with the Lord. But he didn't realize it. + Aaron and all of the people of Israel saw Moses. His face was shining. So they were afraid to come near him. + But Moses called out to them. So Aaron and all of the leaders of the community came to him. And Moses spoke to them. + After that, all of the people came near him. And he gave them all of the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. + Moses finished speaking to them. Then he put a veil over his face. + But when he would go to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil. He would keep it off until he came out. Then he would tell the people what the Lord had commanded. + They would see that his face was shining. So Moses would put the veil back over his face. He would keep it on until he went in again to speak with the Lord. + + + Moses gathered the whole community of Israel together. He said to them, "Here are the things the Lord has commanded you to do. + You must do your work in six days. But the seventh day will be your holy day. It will be a Sabbath in the Lord's honor. You must rest on it. Anyone who does any work on it must be put to death. + Do not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day." + Moses spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, "Here is what the Lord has commanded. + Take an offering for the Lord from what you have. Those who want to can bring an offering to the Lord. Here is what they can bring. "gold, silver and bronze + blue, purple and bright red yarn and fine linen goat hair + ram skins that are dyed red the hides of sea cows acacia wood + olive oil for the lights spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense + onyx stones and other jewels for the linen apron and the chest cloth + "All of the skilled workers among you must come. They must make everything the Lord has commanded + for the holy tent and its covering. Here is what they must make. "hooks frames crossbars posts bases + the ark of the covenant the poles and cover for the ark the curtain that screens the ark + the table for the holy bread the poles and all of the articles for the table the holy bread + the lampstand for light and everything that is used with it the lamps and the olive oil that gives light + the altar for burning incense the poles for the altar the anointing oil the sweet-smelling incense the curtain for the entrance to the holy tent + the altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grate its poles and all of its tools the large bronze bowl with its stand + the curtains of the courtyard with their posts and bases the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard + the ropes and tent stakes for the holy tent and for the courtyard + the sacred clothes for Aaron the priest the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests" + Then the whole community of Israel left Moses. + Everyone who wanted to give offerings to the Lord brought them to him. The offerings were for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for the sacred clothes, and for any other purpose there. + Every man and woman who wanted to give came. They brought gold jewelry of all kinds. They brought pins, earrings, rings and other jewelry. All of them gave their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. + People brought what they had. They brought blue, purple or bright red yarn or fine linen. They brought goat hair, ram skins that were dyed red, or the hides of sea cows. + Some brought silver or bronze as an offering to the Lord. Others brought acacia wood for any part of the work. + All of the skilled women spun yarn with their hands. They brought blue, purple or bright red yarn or fine linen. + All of the skilled women who wanted to spin the goat hair did so. + The leaders brought onyx stones and other jewels for the linen apron and the chest cloth. + They also brought spices and olive oil. They brought them for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet-smelling incense. + All of the men and women of Israel who wanted to bring offerings to the Lord brought them to him. The offerings were for all of the work the Lord had commanded Moses to tell them to do. + Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel. He said, "The Lord has chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri. Uri is the son of Hur. Bezalel is from the tribe of Judah. + The Lord has filled him with the Spirit of God. He has filled him with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. + He can make beautiful patterns in gold, silver and bronze. + He can cut and set stones. He can work with wood. In fact, he can work in all kinds of arts and crafts. + "And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab the ability to teach others. Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, is from the tribe of Dan. + "The Lord has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work. They carve things and make patterns. They sew skillfully with blue, purple and bright red yarn and on fine linen. They use thread to make beautiful cloth. They have the skill to work in all kinds of crafts. + + + Bezalel and Oholiab must do the work just as the Lord has commanded. So must every skilled worker to whom the Lord has given skill and ability. They must know how to do all of the work for every purpose connected with the sacred tent. And that includes setting it up." + Then Moses sent for Bezalel and Oholiab. He sent for every skilled worker to whom the Lord had given ability and who wanted to come and do the work. + They received from Moses all of the offerings the people of Israel had brought. They had brought the offerings for all of the work for every purpose connected with the holy tent. That included setting it up. The people kept bringing the offerings they chose to give. They brought them morning after morning. + So all of the skilled workers who were working on the holy tent stopped what they were doing. + They said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded us to do." + Then Moses gave an order. A message was sent through the whole camp. It said, "No man or woman should make anything else and offer it for the holy tent." And so the people were kept from bringing more offerings. + There was already more than enough to do all of the work. + All of the skilled workers made the holy tent. They made ten curtains out of finely twisted linen. They made them with blue, purple and bright red yarn. A skilled worker sewed cherubim into the pattern. + All of the curtains were the same size. They were 42 feet long and six feet wide. + The workers joined five of the curtains together. They did the same thing with the other five. + Then they made loops out of blue strips of cloth along the edge of the end curtain in one set. They did the same thing with the end curtain in the other set. + They also made 50 loops on the end curtain of the one set. They did the same thing on the end curtain of the other set. They put the loops across from each other. + Then they made 50 gold hooks. They used them to join curtains together so that the holy tent was all one piece. + The workers made a total of 11 curtains out of goat hair to put over the holy tent. + All 11 curtains were the same size. They were 45 feet long and six feet wide. + The workers joined five of the curtains together into one set. They did the same thing with the other six. + Then they made 50 loops along the edge of the end curtain in the one set. They did the same thing with the other set. + They made 50 bronze hooks. They used them to join the tent together all in one piece. + They made a covering for the tent. They made it out of ram skins that were dyed red. They put a covering of the hides of sea cows over that. + The workers made frames out of acacia wood for the holy tent. + Each frame was 15 feet long and two feet three inches wide. + The workers added two small wooden pins to each frame. The pins stuck out so that they were even with each other. The workers made all of the frames of the holy tent in the same way. + They made 20 frames for the south side of the holy tent. + And they made 40 silver bases to go under them. They made two bases for each frame. They put one under each pin that stuck out. + For the north side of the holy tent they made 20 frames + and 40 silver bases. They put two bases under each frame. + The workers made six frames for the west end of the holy tent. + They made two frames for the corners of the holy tent at the far end. + At those two corners the frames were double from top to bottom. They were fitted into a single ring. The workers made both of them the same. + So there were eight frames and 16 silver bases. There were two bases under each frame. + The workers also made crossbars out of acacia wood. They made five for the frames on one side of the holy tent. + They made five for the frames on the other side. And they made five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the holy tent. + The center crossbar reached from end to end at the middle of the frames. + They covered the frames with gold. They made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also covered the crossbars with gold. + They made the curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. A skilled worker sewed cherubim into the pattern. + The workers made four posts out of acacia wood for the curtain. They covered the posts with gold. They made gold hooks and four silver bases for the posts. + For the entrance to the tent the workers made a curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. A person who sewed skillfully made it. + The workers made five posts with hooks for the curtains. They covered the tops of the posts and their bands with gold. And they made five bronze bases for them. + + + Bezalel made the ark of the covenant out of acacia wood. It was three feet nine inches long and two feet three inches wide and high. + He covered it inside and outside with pure gold. He put a strip of gold around it. + He made four gold rings for it. He joined them to its four bottom corners. He put two rings on one side and two rings on the other. + Then he made poles out of acacia wood. He covered them with gold. + He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. + He made its cover out of pure gold. It was three feet nine inches long and two feet three inches wide. The cover is the place where sin is paid for. + He made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. + He put one cherub on each end of it. + He made the cherubim as part of the cover itself. The cherubim's wings spread up over the cover. The cherubim faced each other and looked toward the cover. + The workers made the table out of acacia wood. It was three feet long, one foot six inches wide and two feet three inches high. + They covered it with pure gold. They put a strip of gold around it. + They also made a rim three inches wide around it. They put a strip of gold around the rim. + They made four gold rings for the table. They joined them to the four corners, where the four legs were. + The rings were close to the rim. They held the poles that were used to carry the table. + The workers made the poles out of acacia wood. They covered them with gold. + They made plates, dishes and bowls out of pure gold for the table. They also made pure gold pitchers to pour out drink offerings. + The workers made the lampstand out of pure gold. They hammered out its base and stem. Its buds, blooms and cups branched out from it. + Six branches came out from the sides of the lampstand. There were three on one side and three on the other. + On one branch there were three cups that were shaped like almond flowers with buds and blooms. There were three on the next branch. There were three on all six branches that came out from the lampstand. + On the lampstand there were four cups that were shaped like almond flowers with buds and blooms. + One bud was under the first pair of branches that came out from the lampstand. A second bud was under the second pair. And a third bud was under the third pair. There was a total of six branches. + The buds and branches came out from the lampstand. The whole lampstand was one piece that was hammered out of pure gold. + The workers made its seven lamps out of pure gold. They also made its trays and wick cutters out of pure gold. + They used 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and everything that was used with it. + The workers made an altar for burning incense. They made it out of acacia wood. It was one foot six inches square and three feet high. A horn stuck out from each of its upper four corners. + The workers covered the top, sides and horns with pure gold. They put a strip of gold around it. + They made two gold rings below the strip. They put the rings across from each other. The rings held the poles that were used to carry it. + The workers made the poles out of acacia wood. They covered them with gold. + They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, sweet-smelling incense. A person who makes perfume made them. + + + The workers made the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood. It was four feet six inches high and seven feet six inches square. + They made a horn stick out from each of its four upper corners. They covered the altar with bronze. + They made all of its tools out of bronze. They made its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and pans for carrying ashes. + They made a bronze grate for the altar. They put the grate halfway up the altar on the inside. + They made a bronze ring for each of the four corners of the grate. + They made poles out of acacia wood. They covered them with bronze. + They put the poles through the rings. The poles were on two sides of the altar for carrying it. The workers made the altar out of boards. They made it hollow. + The workers made the large bronze bowl and its bronze stand. They made them out of the bronze mirrors that belonged to the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Next, the workers made the courtyard. The south side was 150 feet long. It had curtains that were made out of finely twisted linen. + The curtains had 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts had silver hooks and bands on them. + The north side was also 150 feet long. Its curtains had 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts had silver hooks and bands on them. + The west end was 75 feet wide. It had curtains with ten posts and ten bases. The posts had silver hooks and bands on them. + The east end, toward the sunrise, was also 75 feet wide. + Curtains that were 22 feet six inches long were on one side of the entrance. They were hung on three posts. Each post had a base. + Curtains that were 22 feet six inches long were also on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard. They were hung on three posts. Each post had a base. + All of the curtains that were around the courtyard were made out of finely twisted linen. + The bases for the posts were made out of bronze. The hooks and bands that were on the posts were made out of silver. Their tops were covered with silver. So all of the posts of the courtyard had silver bands. + The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. A person who sewed skillfully made it. It was 30 feet long. Like the curtains of the courtyard, it was seven feet six inches high. + It had four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were made out of silver. Their tops were covered with silver. + All of the tent stakes of the holy tent were made out of bronze. So were all of the stakes of the courtyard that was around it. + Here are the amounts of the metals that were used for the holy tent, where the tablets of the covenant were kept. Moses commanded the Levites to record the amounts. The Levites did the work under the direction of Ithamar. Ithamar was the son of the priest Aaron. + Bezalel, the son of Uri, made everything the Lord had commanded Moses. Uri was the son of Hur. Bezalel was from the tribe of Judah. + Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, helped Bezalel. Oholiab was from the tribe of Dan. He could carve things and make patterns. And he could sew skillfully with blue, purple and bright red yarn and on fine linen. + The total weight of the gold from the wave offering was more than a ton. It was weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The gold was used for all of the work that was done in connection with the sacred tent. + The silver that was received from the men in the community who were listed and counted weighed four tons. It was weighed out in keeping with the weights used in the sacred tent. + It amounted to a fifth of an ounce for each person. It was weighed out in keeping with the weights used in the sacred tent. The silver was received from the men who had been listed and counted. All of them were 20 years old or more. Their total number was 603,550. + The four tons of silver were used to make the bases for the holy tent and for the curtain. The 100 bases were made from the four tons. Each base used more than 75 pounds of silver. + The workers used 45 pounds to make the hooks for the posts, to cover the tops of the posts, and to make their bands. + The bronze from the wave offering weighed two and a half tons. + The workers used some of it to make the bases for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They used some for the bronze altar for burnt offerings and its bronze grate and all of its tools. + They used some for the bases for the courtyard that was around the holy tent. They used some for the bases for the courtyard entrance. And they used the rest to make all of the tent stakes for the holy tent and the courtyard that was around it. + + + The workers made clothes from the blue, purple and bright red yarn. The clothes were worn by those who served in the holy tent. The workers also made sacred clothes for Aaron. They made them just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The workers made the linen apron out of fine gold wire, and out of blue, purple and bright red yarn, and out of finely twisted linen. + They hammered out thin sheets of gold. They cut it into fine wire. They sewed it into the blue, purple and bright red yarn and fine linen. A skilled worker made it. + The workers made shoulder straps for the apron. The straps were joined to two of its corners. + Its skillfully made waistband was made like it. The waistband was part of the apron itself. It was made out of fine gold wire, and out of blue, purple and bright red yarn, and out of finely twisted linen. The workers made it just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + They put the onyx stones in fancy gold settings. They carved the names of the sons of Israel on them. They did it the way a person carves a seal. + Then they connected them to the shoulder straps of the linen apron. The stones stood for the sons of Israel and were a reminder for them. The workers did those things just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + Skilled workers made the chest cloth. They made it like the linen apron. They used fine gold wire, and blue, purple and bright red yarn, and finely twisted linen. + The chest cloth was nine inches square. It was folded in half. + They put four rows of valuable jewels on it. A ruby, a topaz and a beryl were in the first row. + A turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald were in the second row. + A jacinth, an agate and an amethyst were in the third row. + And a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper were in the fourth row. The workers put them in fancy gold settings. + They used a total of 12 stones. There was one stone for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone was carved like a seal with the name of one of the 12 tribes. + The workers made braided chains out of pure gold for the chest cloth. They made them like ropes. + They made two fancy gold settings and two gold rings. They connected them to two corners of the chest cloth. + They joined the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the chest cloth. + They joined the other ends of the chains to the two settings. They joined them to the shoulder straps on the front of the linen apron. + The workers made two gold rings. They connected them to the other two corners of the chest cloth. They put them on the inside edge next to the apron. + They made two more gold rings. They connected them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the apron. They put them close to the seam right above the waistband of the apron. + They tied the rings of the chest cloth to the rings of the apron with blue cord. That connected it to the waistband. Then the chest cloth would not swing out from the linen apron. The workers did those things just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The workers made the outer robe of the linen apron completely from blue cloth. The cloth was made by a skillful person. + The workers made an opening like a collar in the center of the robe. They made an edge around the opening. Then it couldn't tear. + They made pomegranates out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. They sewed them around the hem of the robe. + They made bells out of pure gold. They sewed them around the hem between the pomegranates. + They sewed a bell between every two pomegranates all around the hem of the robe. Aaron had to wear the robe when he served as priest. That's what the Lord commanded Moses. + The workers made inner robes out of fine linen for Aaron and his sons. The linen cloth was made by a skillful person. + The workers also made the turban out of fine linen. And they made the headbands and the underwear out of finely twisted linen. + The belt was made out of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and bright red yarn. A person who sewed skillfully made it. The workers did those things just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + They made the plate out of pure gold. It was a sacred crown. They carved words on it as if it were a seal. They carved the words set apart for the Lord. + Then they tied the plate to the turban with a blue cord. They did those things just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + So all of the work on the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The people of Israel did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + Then they brought the holy tent to Moses along with everything that belonged to it. Here are the things they brought. hooks frames crossbars posts bases + the covering of ram skins that were dyed red the covering of the hides of sea cows the curtain that screens the ark + the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept the poles and cover for the ark + the table for the holy bread with all of its articles the holy bread + the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and everything that is used with it the olive oil that gives light + the gold altar for burning incense the anointing oil the sweet-smelling incense the curtain for the entrance to the tent + the bronze altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grate its poles and all of its tools the large bowl with its stand + the curtains of the courtyard with their posts and bases the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard the ropes and tent stakes for the courtyard + the sacred clothes for the priest Aaron the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests + The people of Israel had done all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + Moses looked over the work carefully. He saw that the workers had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses gave them his blessing. + + + Then the Lord said to Moses, + "Set up the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. Set it up on the first day of the first month. + "Place in it the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Screen the ark with the curtain. + Bring in the table for the holy bread. Arrange the loaves of bread on it. Then bring in the lampstand. Set up its lamps. + Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent. + "Place the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. + Place the large bowl between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Put water in the bowl. + "Set up the courtyard around the holy tent. Put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. + "Get the anointing oil. Anoint the holy tent and everything that is in it. Set apart the holy tent and everything that belongs to it. Then it will be holy. + Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all of its tools. Set the altar apart. Then it will be a very holy place. + Anoint the large bowl and its stand. Set them apart. + "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Wash them with water. + Dress Aaron in the sacred clothes. Anoint him and set him apart. Then he will be able to serve me as priest. + "Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes. + Anoint them just as you anointed their father. Then they will be able to serve me as priests. They will be anointed to do the work of priests. That work will last for all time to come." + Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. + So the holy tent was set up. It was the first day of the first month in the second year. + Moses set up the holy tent. He put the bases in place. He put the frames in them. He put in the crossbars. He set up the posts. + He spread the holy tent over the frames. Then he put the coverings over the tent. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him. + He got the tablets of the covenant. He placed them in the ark. He put the poles through its rings. And he put the cover on it. The cover was the place where sin is paid for. + Moses brought the ark into the holy tent. He hung the curtain to screen the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him. + He placed the table for the holy bread in the Tent of Meeting. It was on the north side of the holy tent outside the curtain. + He arranged the loaves of bread on it in the sight of the Lord. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him. + He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting. It stood across from the table on the south side of the holy tent. + He set up the lamps in the sight of the Lord. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him. + He placed the gold altar for burning incense in the Tent of Meeting. He placed it in front of the curtain. + He burned sweet-smelling incense on it. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him. + Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent. + He set the altar for burnt offerings near the entrance to the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him. + He placed the large bowl between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. He put water in the bowl for washing. + Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. + They washed when they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar. They did it as the Lord had commanded Moses. + Then Moses set up the courtyard around the holy tent and altar. He put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses completed the work. + Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting. The glory of the Lord filled the holy tent. + Moses couldn't enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it. The glory of the Lord filled the holy tent. + The people of Israel continued their travels. When the cloud lifted from above the holy tent, they started out. + But if the cloud didn't lift, they did not start out. They stayed until the day it lifted. + So the cloud of the Lord was above the holy tent during the day. Fire was in the cloud at night. The whole community of Israel could see the cloud during all of their travels. + + + + + The Lord called out to Moses. He spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose any one of you brings an offering to the Lord. You must bring an animal from your herd or flock. + " 'If a man brings a burnt offering from the herd, he must offer a male animal. It must not have any flaws. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then the Lord will accept it. + " 'The man must place his hand on the head of the burnt offering. Then the Lord will accept it in place of him. It will pay for his sin. + The young bull must be killed there in the sight of the Lord. " 'Then the priests who are in Aaron's family line must bring its blood to the altar. They must sprinkle it against every side of the altar. The altar stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + " 'The skin must be removed from the animal that is brought for the burnt offering. Then the animal must be cut into pieces. + " 'The priests who are in Aaron's family line must build a fire on the altar. They must place wood on the fire. + Then they must place the pieces of the animal on the burning wood on the altar. The pieces include the head and the fat. + " 'The inside parts of the animal must be washed with water. The legs must also be washed. The priest must burn all of it on the altar. " 'It is a burnt offering. It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, it must be a male animal. It can be a sheep or a goat. It must not have any flaws. + " 'It must be killed at the north side of the altar in the sight of the Lord. The priests who are in Aaron's family line must sprinkle its blood against every side of the altar. + " 'The animal must be cut into pieces. The priest must place them on the burning wood on the altar. The pieces include the head and the fat. + " 'The inside parts must be washed with water. The legs must also be washed. The priest must bring all of it to the altar. He must burn it there. " 'It is a burnt offering. It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, it must be a dove or a young pigeon. + " 'The priest must bring it to the altar. He must twist its head off. Then he must burn the rest of the bird on the altar. Its blood must be emptied out on the side of the altar. + " 'The priest must remove the small bag inside the bird's throat. He must also remove what is in the bag. Then he must throw all of it to the east side of the altar. That is where the ashes are. + He must take hold of the wings of the bird and tear it open. But he must not tear it in two. Then the priest will burn it on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. " 'It is a burnt offering. It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + + + " 'Suppose someone brings a grain offering to the Lord. Then his offering must be made out of fine flour. He must pour olive oil on it. He must also put incense on it. + " 'He must take it to the priests who are in Aaron's family line. A priest must take a handful of the fine flour and oil. He must mix it with all of the incense. Then he must burn that part on the altar. It will be a reminder that all good things come from the Lord. It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to the priests who are in his family line. It is a very holy part of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. + " 'If you bring a grain offering that is baked in an oven, make it out of fine flour. It can be flat cakes that are made without yeast. Mix them with olive oil. Or it can be wafers that are made without yeast. Spread oil on them. + If your grain offering is grilled on a metal plate, make it out of fine flour. Mix it with oil. Make it without yeast. + Break it into pieces. Pour oil on it. It is a grain offering. + If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, make it out of fine flour and oil. + " 'Bring to the Lord your grain offering that is made out of all of those things. Give it to the priest. He must take it to the altar. + He must take out the part of the grain offering that reminds you that all good things come from the Lord. He must burn it on the altar. It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. It is a very holy part of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. + " 'Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast. You must not burn any yeast or honey in an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. + " 'You can bring them to the Lord as an offering of the first share of the food you gather or produce. But they must not be offered on the altar as a pleasant smell. + " 'Put salt on all of your grain offerings. Salt stands for the lasting covenant between you and your God. So do not leave it out of your grain offerings. Add it to all of your offerings. + " 'Suppose you bring to the Lord a grain offering of the first share of your food. Then offer crushed heads of your first grain that have been cooked in fire. + Put olive oil and incense on it. It is a grain offering. + " 'The priest must burn part of the crushed grain and the oil. It will remind you that all good things come from the Lord. The priest must burn it together with all of the incense. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. + + + " 'Suppose someone brings a friendship offering. If he offers an animal from the herd, it can be either male or female. It must not have any flaws. He must offer it in the sight of the Lord. + " 'The man must place his hand on the animal's head. It must be killed at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then the priests who are in Aaron's family line must sprinkle the blood against every side of the altar. + " 'Part of the friendship offering must be given to the Lord as an offering that is made with fire. It must include all of the fat that covers the inside parts or is connected to them. + It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the covering of the liver. All of it must be removed together with the kidneys. + " 'Then the priests who are in Aaron's family line must burn it on the altar. They must burn it on top of the burnt offering on the burning wood. " 'It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'If a man brings an animal from the flock as a friendship offering to the Lord, it can be either male or female. It must not have any flaws. + If he brings a lamb, he must offer it in the sight of the Lord. + The man must place his hand on the lamb's head. It must be killed there in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then the priests who are in Aaron's family line must sprinkle its blood against every side of the altar. + Part of the offering must be brought as a sacrifice that is made to the Lord with fire. It must include the lamb's fat and the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone. It must include all of the fat that covers the inside parts or is connected to them. + It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the covering of the liver. All of it must be removed together with the kidneys. + " 'Then the priest must burn it on the altar as food. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. + " 'If a man brings a goat, he must offer it in the sight of the Lord. + The man must place his hand on its head. It must be killed there in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then the priests who are in Aaron's family line must sprinkle its blood against every side of the altar. + " 'Part of the offering must be brought as an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. It must include all of the fat that covers the inside parts or is connected to them. + It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the covering of the liver. All of it must be removed together with the kidneys. + " 'Then the priest must burn it on the altar as food. It is an offering that is made with fire. It has a pleasant smell. All of the fat belongs to the Lord. + " 'You must not eat any fat or any blood. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose someone sins without meaning to. And that person does something the Lord commands us not to do. + " 'Suppose it is the anointed priest who sins. And suppose he brings guilt on the people. Then he must bring a young bull to the Lord. It must not have any flaws. He must bring it as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. + He must bring the bull to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting in the sight of the Lord. He must place his hand on its head. He must kill it there in the sight of the Lord. + " 'Then the priest must take some of the bull's blood. He must carry it into the Tent of Meeting. + He must dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle some of it seven times in the sight of the Lord. He must do it in front of the curtain of the Most Holy Room. + " 'Then the priest must put some of the blood on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burning incense. The incense has a sweet smell. The altar stands in front of the Lord in the Tent of Meeting. The priest must pour out the rest of the bull's blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. That altar stands at the entrance to the tent. + " 'He must remove all of the fat from the bull for the sin offering. It includes the fat that covers the inside parts or is connected to them. + It includes both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It also includes the covering of the liver. He must remove all of it together with the kidneys. + He must remove it in the same way the fat is removed from an ox that is sacrificed as a friendship offering. Then the priest must burn all of it on the altar for burnt offerings. + " 'But the bull's hide must be taken away. So must all of its meat. So must its head and legs. And so must its inside parts and guts. + In other words, all of the rest of the bull must be taken away. The priest must take it outside the camp. He must take it to a place that is "clean." He must take it to the place where the ashes are thrown. There he must burn it in a wood fire on a pile of ashes. + " 'Or suppose the whole community of Israel sins without meaning to. They do something the Lord commands us not to do. Even if they are not aware of what they have done, they are guilty. + " 'But suppose they become aware of the sin they have committed. Then they must bring a young bull as a sin offering. They must offer it in front of the Tent of Meeting. + The elders of the community must place their hands on the bull's head in the sight of the Lord. The bull must be killed in the sight of the Lord. + " 'Then the anointed priest must take some of the bull's blood into the Tent of Meeting. + He must dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle it seven times in the sight of the Lord. He must do it in front of the curtain. + He must put some of the blood on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. The altar stands in front of the Lord in the Tent of Meeting. The priest must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. That altar stands at the entrance to the tent. + " 'He must remove all of the fat from the bull. He must burn it on the altar. + He must do the same thing with that bull as he did with the bull for the sin offering. When he does, he will pay for the sin of the people. And they will be forgiven. + " 'Then he must take the bull outside the camp. He must burn it just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the whole community. + " 'Or suppose a leader sins without meaning to. If he disobeys any of the commands of the Lord his God, he is guilty. + " 'But suppose he is made aware of the sin he has committed. Then he must bring an offering. It must be a male goat. It must not have any flaws. + He must place his hand on the goat's head. He must kill it. He must do it at the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed in the sight of the Lord. His offering is a sin offering. + " 'Then the priest must dip his finger into some of the blood of the sin offering. He must put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burnt offerings. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. + " 'He must burn all of the fat on the altar. He must burn it in the same way he burned the fat of the friendship offering. When he does, he will pay for the sin of the leader. And the leader will be forgiven. + " 'Or suppose someone in the community sins without meaning to. If he disobeys any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. + " 'But suppose he is made aware of the sin he has committed. Then he must bring an offering for the sin he has committed. It must be a female goat. It must not have any flaws. + He must place his hand on the head of the animal for the sin offering. It must be killed at the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed. + " 'Then the priest must dip his finger into some of the blood. He must put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burnt offerings. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. + " 'He must remove all of the fat in the same way the fat is removed from the friendship offering. He must burn it on the altar. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. When the priest burns the offering, he will pay for the sin of that person. And he will be forgiven. + " 'Suppose he brings a lamb as his sin offering. Then he must bring a female animal. It must not have any flaws. + He must place his hand on its head. He must kill it as a sin offering. He must do it at the place where the animals for burnt offerings are killed. + " 'Then the priest must dip his finger into some of the blood of the sin offering. He must put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burnt offerings. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. + " 'He must remove all of the fat in the same way the fat is removed from the lamb for the friendship offering. He must burn it on the altar on top of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. When he does, he will pay for the sin that person has committed. And he will be forgiven. + + + " 'Suppose a person has been called as a witness to something he has seen or learned about. Then if he does not tell what he knows, he has sinned. And he will be held accountable for it. + " 'Or suppose a person touches something that is not "clean." It could be the dead bodies of wild animals or of livestock. Or it could be the dead bodies of creatures that move along the ground. Even though he is not aware that he touched them, he has become "unclean." And he is guilty. + " 'Or suppose he touches something "unclean" that comes from a human being. It could be anything that would make him "unclean." Suppose he is not aware that he touched it. When he finds out about it, he will be guilty. + " 'Or suppose a person takes an oath and makes a promise to do something without thinking it through. It does not matter what he promised. It does not matter whether he took the oath without thinking about it carefully. And suppose he is not aware that he did not think it through. When he finds out about it, he will be guilty. + " 'When someone is guilty in any of those ways, he must admit he has sinned. + He must bring a sin offering to pay for the sin he has committed. He must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for the person's sin. + " 'Suppose he can't afford a lamb. Then he must get two doves or two young pigeons. He must bring them to the Lord to pay for his sin. One of them is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. + " 'He must bring them to the priest. The priest will offer the one for the sin offering first. He must twist its head. But he must not twist it off completely. + " 'Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar. He must empty out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering. + " 'Then the priest will offer the other bird as a burnt offering. He must do it in the way the law requires. That will pay for the sin the person has committed. And he will be forgiven. + " 'But suppose he can't afford two doves or two young pigeons. Then he must bring eight cups of fine flour as an offering for his sin. It is a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or incense on it. That is because it is a sin offering. + " 'He must bring it to the priest. The priest must take a handful of it. He must burn that part on the altar. It will be a reminder that all good things come from the Lord. The priest must burn it on top of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. It is a sin offering. + " 'In that way the priest will pay for any of the sins the person has committed. And he will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest. It is the same as in the case of the grain offering.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Suppose a person sins by breaking the law. And he does it without meaning to. He sins against me or my priests by refusing to give them one of the holy things that are set apart for them. "Then he must bring me a ram from the flock. It must not have any flaws. It must be worth the required amount of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. It is a guilt offering. It will pay for his sin. + "He must also pay for the holy thing he refused to give. He must add a fifth of its value to it. He must give all of it to the priest. The priest will pay for the person's sin with the ram. It is a guilt offering. And he will be forgiven. + "Suppose a person sins by doing something I command him not to do. Even though he does not know it, he is guilty. He will be held accountable for it. + "He must bring to the priest a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. It must not have any flaws. And it must be worth the required amount of money. "The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for what the person has done wrong without meaning to. And he will be forgiven. + It is a guilt offering. He has been guilty of doing wrong against me." + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Suppose a person sins by not being faithful to me. He does it by tricking his neighbors. He tricks them in connection with something they have placed in his care. He steals from them. Or he cheats them. + Or he finds something they have lost and then tells a lie about it. Or he goes to court. He takes an oath and tells a lie when he witnesses about it. Or he commits any other sin like those sins. + "When he sins in any of those ways, he becomes guilty. He must return what he stole. He must give back what he took by cheating his neighbors. He must return what they placed in his care. He must return the lost property he found. + He must return anything he told a lie about when he witnessed in court. He must pay back everything in full. He must add a fifth of its value to it. He must give all of it to the owner on the day he brings his guilt offering. + "He must bring his guilt offering to the priest to pay for his sin. It is an offering to me. He must bring a ram from the flock. It must not have any flaws. It must be worth the required amount of money. + "The priest will sacrifice the ram to pay for the person's sin. He will do it in my sight. And the person will be forgiven for any of the things he did that made him guilty." + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Give Aaron and the priests who are in his family line a command. Tell them, 'Here are some more rules for burnt offerings. The burnt offering must remain on the altar through the whole night. The fire on the altar must be kept burning until morning. + " 'The priest must put on his linen clothes. He must put on linen underwear next to his body. He must remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has burned up on the altar. He must place them beside the altar. + Then he must take his clothes off and put others on. He must carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is "clean." + " 'The fire on the altar must be kept burning. It must not go out. Every morning the priest must add more wood to the fire. He must place the burnt offering on the fire. He must burn the fat of the friendship offerings on it. + The fire must be kept burning on the altar all the time. It must not go out. + " 'Here are some more rules for grain offerings. The priests who are in Aaron's family line must bring the grain offering to the Lord in front of the altar. + " 'The priest must take a handful of fine flour and olive oil. He must add to it all of the incense that is on the grain offering. He must burn that part on the altar. It will remind him that all good things come from the Lord. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'Aaron and the priests who are in his family line will eat the rest of it. But they must eat it without yeast in a holy place. They must eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. + It must not be baked with yeast. The Lord has given it to the priests as their share of the offerings that are made to him with fire. It is very holy, just like the sin offering and the guilt offering. + " 'Any priests who are in Aaron's family line can eat it. It is their regular share of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. It is their share for all time to come. Anyone who touches those offerings will become holy.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "On the day each high priest who is in Aaron's family line is anointed, he must bring an offering to me. He must bring eight cups of fine flour as a regular grain offering. He must bring half of it in the morning. He must bring the other half in the evening. + Mix it with olive oil. Grill it on a metal plate. Break it in pieces. Bring it as a grain offering. It gives a smell that is pleasant to me. + "The son of Aaron who will become the next high priest after him will prepare the grain offering. It is my regular share. It must be completely burned up. + Every grain offering a high priest offers must be completely burned up. It must not be eaten." + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. Tell them, 'Here are some more rules for sin offerings. You must kill the animal for the sin offering in the sight of the Lord. Kill it in the place where the burnt offering is killed. It is very holy. + The priest who offers it will eat it. He must eat it in a holy place. He must eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. + " 'Anyone who touches any of its meat will become holy. Suppose some of the blood is spilled on someone's clothes. Then you must wash them in a holy place. + Break the clay pot the meat is cooked in. But suppose you cook it in a bronze pot. Then you must scrub the pot and rinse it with water. + " 'Any male in a priest's family can eat the meat. It is very holy. + " 'But suppose some of the blood of a sin offering is brought into the Tent of Meeting. And that blood is brought into the Holy Room to pay for sin. Then that sin offering must not be eaten. It must be burned. + + + " 'Here are some more rules for guilt offerings. The guilt offering is very holy. + You must kill the animal for the guilt offering in the same place where you kill the animal for the burnt offering. Sprinkle its blood against every side of the altar. + " 'Offer all of its fat. It must include the fat tail and the fat that covers the inside parts. + It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the covering of the liver. Remove all of it together with the kidneys. + The priest must burn all of it on the altar. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. It is a guilt offering. + " 'Any male in a priest's family can eat it. But he must eat it in a holy place. It is very holy. + " 'The same law applies to the sin offering and the guilt offering. Both of them belong to the priest who offers them to pay for sin. + The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone can keep its hide for himself. + " 'Every grain offering that is baked in an oven belongs to the priest who offers it. So does every grain offering that is cooked in a pan or grilled on a metal plate. + Every grain offering belongs equally to all of the priests who are in Aaron's family line. That is true whether it is mixed with olive oil or it is dry. + " 'Here are some more rules for friendship offerings a person may bring to the Lord. + " 'Suppose he offers a friendship offering to show he is thankful. Then together with the thank offering he must offer flat cakes of bread. He must make them without yeast. He must mix them with olive oil. Or he must offer wafers that are made without yeast. He must spread oil on them. Or he must offer flat cakes that are made out of fine flour. He must add oil to it. He must work the flour and mix it well. + " 'He must bring another friendship offering along with his thank offering. It should be flat cakes of bread that are made with yeast. + He must bring one of each kind of bread as an offering. One kind is made with yeast. The other is not. Both of them are a gift to the Lord. They belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the friendship offerings. + " 'The person must eat the meat from his thank offering on the day he offers it. He must not leave any of it until morning. + " 'But suppose he brings a friendship offering to keep a promise he has made. Or suppose he brings an offering he chooses to give. Then he must eat the sacrifice on the day he offers it. But if anything is left over, he may eat it the next day. + " 'He must burn up any meat from the sacrifice that is left over until the third day. + Suppose he eats any meat from the friendship offering on the third day. Then the Lord will not accept the offering. He will not accept it as a gift from that person. It is not pure. If the person eats any of it, he will be held accountable for it. + " 'He must not eat meat that touches anything that is "unclean." He must burn it up. Anyone who is "clean" may eat any other meat. + " 'But suppose a person is not "clean" and eats any meat from the friendship offering that belongs to the Lord. Then that person will be cut off from his people. + " 'Suppose a person touches something that is not "clean." It does not matter whether it comes from a human being who is not "clean." It does not matter whether it comes from an animal that is not "clean." It does not matter whether it comes from something that is hated and is not "clean." And suppose the person eats any of the meat from the friendship offering that belongs to the Lord. Then that person will be cut off from his people.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. + Do not eat the fat of any animal that is found dead. Do not eat the fat of an animal that wild animals have torn apart. But you can use the fat for any other purpose. + " 'Suppose an animal has been sacrificed as an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. No one may eat its fat. If he does, he will be cut off from his people. + " 'No matter where you live, do not eat the blood of any bird or animal. + If anyone does, he will be cut off from his people.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose a person brings a friendship offering to the Lord. Then he must bring part of it as his special gift to the Lord. + He must bring it with his own hands. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. He must bring the fat together with the breast. He must lift the breast up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. + The priest will burn the fat on the altar. " 'But the breast belongs to Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. + Give the right thigh from your friendship offerings to the priest as a gift. + The priest who offers the blood and fat from the friendship offering must be given the right thigh. It is his share. + " 'I, the Lord, have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is given. I have taken them from the friendship offerings of the people of Israel. And I have given them to the priest Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. The offerings are their regular share from the people of Israel.' " + That is the part of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire and given to Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. It was given to Aaron and his sons on the day they were set apart to serve the Lord as priests. + On the day they were anointed, the Lord commanded the people of Israel to give that part to them. For all time to come, it will be the regular share of Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. + Those are the rules for burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings and friendship offerings. They are also the rules for the offerings that are given when priests are being prepared to serve the Lord. + They are the rules the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai. He gave them on the day he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord. That took place in the Sinai Desert. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Bring their clothes and the anointing oil. Bring the bull for the sin offering. Also bring two rams. And bring the basket with the bread that is made without yeast. + Then gather the whole community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." + Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. All of the people gathered together at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Moses said to the people, "Here is what the Lord has commanded us to do." + Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the people. He washed Aaron and his sons with water. + He put the inner robe on Aaron. He tied the belt around him. He dressed him in the outer robe. He put the linen apron on him. He took the skillfully made waistband and tied the apron on him with it. He wanted to make sure it was securely tied to him. + Moses placed the chest cloth on Aaron. He put the Urim and Thummim in the chest cloth. + Then he placed the turban on Aaron's head. On the front of the turban he put the gold plate. It was a sacred crown. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. + Then Moses took the anointing oil and poured it on the holy tent. He also poured it on everything that was in it. That's how he set those things apart for the Lord. + He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He poured oil on the altar and all of its tools. He poured it on the large bowl and its stand. He did it to set them apart. + He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head. He anointed him to set him apart to serve the Lord. + Then Moses brought Aaron's sons to the people. He put the inner robes on them. He tied belts around them. He put headbands on them. He did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. + Then he brought the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. + Moses killed the bull. He dipped his finger into some of the blood. He put it on all of the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He did it to make the altar pure. He poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. So he set it apart to make it pure. + Moses also removed all of the fat that was around the inside parts of the bull. He removed the covering of the liver. He took both kidneys and their fat. Then he burned all of it on the altar. + But he burned the rest of the bull outside the camp. He burned up its hide, its meat and its guts. He did it just as the Lord had commanded him. + Then Moses brought the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. + Moses killed the ram. He sprinkled the blood against every side of the altar. + He cut the ram into pieces. He burned the head, the other pieces and the fat. + He washed the inside parts and the legs with water. He burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It had a pleasant smell. It was an offering that was made to the Lord with fire. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. + Then he brought the other ram. It was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. + Moses killed the ram. He put some of its blood on Aaron's right ear lobe. He put some on the thumb of Aaron's right hand. He also put some on the big toe of Aaron's right foot. + Then Moses brought Aaron's sons to the people. He put some of the blood on their right ear lobes. He put some on the thumbs of their right hands. He also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled the rest of the blood against every side of the altar. + He removed the fat, the fat tail and all of the fat around the inside parts. He removed the covering of the liver. He removed both kidneys and their fat. And he removed the right thigh. + Then he took a flat cake of bread from the basket of bread that was made without yeast. The basket was in front of the Lord. Moses took a cake of bread that was made with olive oil. He also took a wafer. He put all of it on the fat parts of the ram and on its right thigh. + He put everything in the hands of Aaron and his sons. He told them to lift it up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. + Then Moses took it from their hands. He burned it on the altar on top of the burnt offering. It was the offering that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. It had a pleasant smell. It was an offering that was made to the Lord with fire. + Moses also lifted the ram's breast up and waved it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. The breast was Moses' share of the ram that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. + Then Moses took some of the anointing oil. He also took some of the blood from the altar. He sprinkled some of the oil and blood on Aaron and his clothes. He also sprinkled some on Aaron's sons and their clothes. That's how he set apart Aaron and his clothes. And that's how he set apart Aaron's sons and their clothes. + Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons. He said, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Eat it there along with the bread from the basket of the offerings that are brought to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Do it just as I commanded you. I said, 'Aaron and his sons must eat it.' + Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. + "Don't leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days. Don't leave until the days that are required to prepare you for serving the Lord have been completed. Stay here for the full seven days. + The Lord commanded what has been done here today. It was done to pay for your sin. + Stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days. Stay here day and night. Do what the Lord requires. Then you won't die. That's the command the Lord gave me." + So Aaron and his sons did everything just as the Lord had commanded through Moses. + + + On the eighth day Moses sent for Aaron, his sons and the elders of Israel. + He said to Aaron, "Bring a bull calf for your sin offering. Bring a ram for your burnt offering. They must not have any flaws. Offer them to the Lord. + "Then speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Bring a male goat for a sin offering. Bring a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering. Both of them must be a year old. They must not have any flaws. + Bring an ox and a ram for a friendship offering. Sacrifice all of them to the Lord. Also bring a grain offering. Mix it with olive oil. Today the Lord will appear to you.' " + The people got the things Moses commanded them to get. They took them to the front of the Tent of Meeting. The whole community came up close to the tent. They stood there in front of the Lord. + Then Moses said, "You have done what the Lord has commanded. So the glory of the Lord will appear to you." + Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar. Sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering. Pay for your sin and the sin of the people. Sacrifice the people's offering. Pay for their sin. Do just as the Lord has commanded." + So Aaron came to the altar. He killed the calf as a sin offering for himself. + His sons brought its blood to him. He dipped his finger into the blood. He put some on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He poured out the rest at the bottom of the altar. + He burned the fat and the kidneys on the altar. He also burned the covering of the liver. All of those parts were from the sin offering. Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + He burned up the meat and the hide outside the camp. + Then he killed the animal for the burnt offering. His sons handed him its blood. He sprinkled it against every side of the altar. + They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece. It included the animal's head. Aaron burned everything on the altar. + He washed the inside parts and the legs. He burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. + Then Aaron brought the people's offering. He took the goat for their sin offering and killed it. He offered it for a sin offering. He did just as he had done with his own sin offering. + He brought the animal for the burnt offering. He offered it in the way the law requires. + He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of it and burned it on the altar. It was in addition to that morning's burnt offering. + Aaron killed the ox and the ram as the friendship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood. He sprinkled it against every side of the altar. + His sons also brought the fat parts of the ox and the ram. They included the fat tail and the layer of fat. They also included the kidneys and the covering of the liver. + Aaron's sons placed everything on the breasts of the animals. Aaron burned the fat on the altar. + He lifted up the breasts and the right thigh and waved them in front of the Lord as a wave offering. He did it just as Moses had commanded. + Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people. He gave them a blessing. He had already sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the friendship offering. So he stepped down from the altar. + Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they gave the people a blessing. The glory of the Lord appeared to all of the people. + The Lord sent fire on the altar. It burned up the burnt offering and the fat parts that were on it. All of the people saw it. Then they shouted for joy. They fell with their faces to the ground. + + + Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron's sons. They got their shallow cups for burning incense. They put fire in them. They added incense to it. They made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn't allowed. They did it against his command. + So the Lord sent fire on them. It burned them up. They died in front of the Lord. + Then Moses spoke to Aaron. He said, "That's what the Lord was talking about when he said, " 'Among those who approach me I will show that I am holy. In the sight of all of the people I will be honored.' "So Aaron remained silent. + Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel. Moses said to them, "Come here. Carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp. Take them away from in front of the Holy Room." + So they came and carried them outside the camp. It was just as Moses had ordered. The bodies of Nadab and Abihu still had their inner robes on them. + Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron's sons. Moses said, "Don't let your hair hang loose. Don't tear your clothes. If you do, you will die. And the Lord will be angry with the whole community. "But all of the people of Israel are allowed to show they are sad. They are your relatives. They can sob over those the Lord has destroyed with fire. + "Don't leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. If you do, you will die. That's because the Lord's anointing oil has made you holy." So they did what Moses told them to do. + Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, + "You and your sons must not drink any kind of wine when you go into the Tent of Meeting. If you do, you will die. That is a law that will last for all time to come. + "You must be able to tell the difference between what is holy and what is not. You must be able to tell the difference between what is 'clean' and what is not. + You must teach the people of Israel all of the rules I have given them through Moses." + Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron's two remaining sons. Moses said, "Take the grain offering that is left over from the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. It is very holy. Make bread without yeast from it. Eat it beside the altar. + Eat it in a holy place. It's your share and your sons' share of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. Those rules are in keeping with the command the Lord gave me. + "But you and your sons and your daughters can eat the breast that was waved. You can also eat the thigh that was offered. Eat them in a place that is 'clean.' They have been given to you and your children. They are your share of the friendship offerings the people of Israel bring. + "The thigh that was offered must be brought together with the fat parts of the offerings that are made with fire. The breast that was waved must be brought in the same way. All of it must be lifted up and waved in front of the Lord as a wave offering. It will be the regular share for you and your children. That's what the Lord has commanded." + Moses asked about the goat that was brought as the sin offering. He found out that it had been burned up. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron's two remaining sons. Moses asked them, + "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in a place that is near the Holy Room? The offering is very holy. It was given to you to take the people's guilt away. It paid for their sin in the sight of the Lord. + The blood of the offering wasn't taken into the Holy Room. So you should have eaten the goat in a place that is near the Holy Room. That's what I commanded." + Aaron replied to Moses, "Today the people sacrificed their sin offering to the Lord. They also sacrificed their burnt offerings to him. But a terrible thing has happened to me. Two of my sons have died. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" + When Moses heard that, he was satisfied. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said to them, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Many animals live on land. Here are the only ones you can eat. + You can eat any animal that has hoofs that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud. + " 'Some animals only chew the cud. Some only have hoofs that are separated in two. You must not eat those animals. " 'Camels chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not "clean" for you. + " 'Rock badgers chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not "clean" for you. + " 'Rabbits chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not "clean" for you. + " 'Pigs have hoofs that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are not "clean" for you. + " 'You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are not "clean" for you. + " 'Many creatures live in the water of the oceans and streams. You can eat all of those that have fins and scales. + " 'But be sure to avoid all of the creatures in the oceans or streams that do not have fins and scales. That includes all of those that move together in groups and all of those that do not. + Be sure to avoid them. Do not eat their meat. Do not even touch their dead bodies. + Be sure to avoid everything that lives in the water that does not have fins and scales. + " 'Here are the birds you must be sure to avoid. Do not eat them. Be sure to avoid them. " 'They include eagles, vultures and black vultures. + They include red kites and all kinds of black kites. + They include all kinds of ravens. + They include horned owls, screech owls, gulls and all kinds of hawks. + " 'They include little owls, cormorants and great owls. + They include white owls, desert owls and ospreys. + They also include storks, hoopoes, bats and all kinds of herons. + " 'Be sure to avoid every flying insect that walks on all fours. + But you can eat some creatures that have wings and walk on all fours. Their legs have joints so they can hop on the ground. + " 'Here are the insects you can eat. You can eat all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers. + But be sure to avoid every other creature that has wings and four legs. + " 'You will make yourselves "unclean" if you eat those things. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be "unclean" until evening. + If a person picks up one of their dead bodies, he must wash his clothes. He will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose an animal has hoofs that are not separated completely in two. Or suppose an animal does not chew the cud. Then those animals are not "clean" for you. If you touch the dead body of any of them, you will not be "clean." + " 'Many animals walk on all fours. But those that walk on their paws are not "clean" for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be "unclean" until evening. + If he picks up their dead bodies, he must wash his clothes. He will be "unclean" until evening. They are not "clean" for him. + " 'Many animals move around on the ground. Here are the ones that are not "clean" for you. They include weasels, rats and all kinds of large lizards. + They also include geckos, monitor lizards, wall lizards, skinks and chameleons. + Those are the animals that move around on the ground that are not "clean" for you. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose one of them dies and falls on something. Then that article will not be "clean." It does not matter what it is used for. It does not matter whether it is made out of wood, cloth, hide or black cloth. Put it in water. It will be "unclean" until evening. After that, it will be "clean." + " 'Suppose one of those animals falls into a clay pot. Then everything that is in the pot will be "unclean." You must break the pot. + Any food that could be eaten but has water on it that came from that pot is not "clean." And any liquid that could be drunk from it is not "clean." + " 'Anything that the dead body of one of those animals falls on becomes "unclean." If it is an oven or cooking pot, break it. It is "unclean." And you must consider it "unclean." + " 'But a spring or a well for collecting water remains "clean." That is true even if the dead body of one of those animals falls into it. But anyone who touches the dead body is not "clean." + " 'If the dead body falls on any seeds that have not been planted yet, the seeds remain "clean." + But suppose water has already been put on the seeds. And suppose the dead body falls on them. Then they are not "clean" for you. + " 'Suppose an animal you are allowed to eat dies. If anyone touches its dead body, he will be "unclean" until evening. + If he eats part of the dead body, he must wash his clothes. He will be "unclean" until evening. If he picks up the dead body, he must wash his clothes. He will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Be sure to avoid every creature that moves around on the ground. Do not eat it. + Do not eat any of those creatures. It does not matter whether they move on their bellies. It does not matter whether they walk on all fours or on many feet. Be sure to avoid them. + Do not make yourselves "unclean" by eating any of those animals. Do not make yourselves "unclean" because of them. Do not let them make you "unclean." + " 'I am the Lord your God. Set yourselves apart. Be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves "unclean" by eating any creatures that move around on the ground. + I am the Lord. I brought you up out of Egypt to be your God. So be holy, because I am holy. + " 'Those are the rules about animals and birds. Those are the rules about every living thing that moves in the water. And those are the rules about every creature that moves around on the ground. + You must be able to tell the difference between what is "clean" and what is not. You must also be able to tell the difference between the living creatures that can be eaten and those that can't.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose a woman becomes pregnant and has a baby boy. Then she will be "unclean" for seven days. It is the same as when she is "unclean" during her monthly period. + On the eighth day the boy must be circumcised. + " 'After that, the woman must wait for 33 days to be made pure from her bleeding. She must not touch anything that is sacred until the 33 days are over. During that time she must not go to the sacred tent. + " 'But suppose she has a baby girl. Then she will be "unclean" for two weeks. It is the same as during her period. After the two weeks, she must wait for 66 days to be made pure from her bleeding. + " 'After she has waited the required number of days to be made pure, she must bring two offerings. She must take them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. She must bring a lamb that is a year old for a burnt offering. She must also bring a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. + The priest must offer them to the Lord. They will pay for her sin. Then she will be "clean" from her bleeding. " 'Those are the rules for a woman who has a baby boy or girl. + " 'But suppose she can't afford a lamb. Then she must bring two doves or two young pigeons. One is for a burnt offering. The other is for a sin offering. The priest will sacrifice those offerings. That will pay for her sin. And she will be "clean." ' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them to say to the people, + "Suppose someone's skin has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot. And suppose it could become a skin disease. Then he must be brought to the priest Aaron. Or he must be brought to a priest who is in Aaron's family line. + "The priest must look carefully at the sore on the person's skin. He must see whether the hair in the sore has turned white. He must also see whether the sore seems to be under the skin. If the sore is white and is under the skin, it is a skin disease. When the priest looks that person over carefully, he must announce that the person is 'unclean.' + "Suppose the spot on the skin is white but does not seem to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in the spot has not turned white. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must look carefully at the sore again. Suppose it has not changed and has not spread in the skin. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for another seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must look carefully at the sore again. If it has faded and has not spread, he must announce that the person is 'clean.' It is only a rash. He must wash his clothes. He will be 'clean.' + "But suppose the rash spreads in the skin after he has shown himself to the priest a second time. Then he must appear in front of the priest again. + The priest must look carefully at the sore. If the rash has spread, he must announce that the person is 'unclean.' He has a skin disease. + "When anyone has a skin disease, he must be brought to the priest. + The priest must look him over carefully. Suppose there is a white swelling in the skin. Suppose it has turned the hair white. And suppose there are open sores in the swelling. + Then the person has a skin disease that will never go away. The priest must announce that he is 'unclean.' The priest must not make the person stay away from everyone else. He is already 'unclean.' + "Suppose the disease breaks out all over his skin. And suppose it covers him from head to foot, as far as the priest can tell. + Then the priest must look him over carefully. If the disease has covered his whole body, the priest must announce that he is 'clean.' All of his skin has turned white. So he is 'clean.' + "But when open sores appear on his skin, he will not be 'clean.' + When the priest sees the open sores, he must announce that he is 'unclean.' The open sores are not 'clean.' He has a skin disease. + "But if the open sores change and turn white, he must go to the priest. + The priest must look him over carefully. If the sores have turned white, the priest must announce that the person is 'clean.' Then he will be 'clean.' + "Suppose someone has a boil on his skin and it heals. + And suppose a white swelling or shiny pink spot appears where the boil was. Then he must show himself to the priest. + "The priest must look at the boil carefully. Suppose it seems to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in it has turned white. Then the priest must announce that the person is 'unclean.' A skin disease has broken out where the boil was. + "But suppose that when the priest looks at the boil carefully, there is no white hair in it. The boil is not under the skin. And it has faded. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. + If the boil is spreading in the skin, the priest must announce that the person is 'unclean.' He has a skin disease. + "But suppose the spot has not changed. And suppose it has not spread. Then it is only a scar from the boil. And the priest must announce that the person is 'clean.' + "Suppose someone has a burn on his skin. And suppose a white or shiny pink spot shows up in the open sores of the burn. + Then the priest must look at the spot carefully. Suppose the hair in it has turned white. And suppose the spot seems to be under the skin. Then the person has a skin disease. It has broken out where he was burned. The priest must announce that the person is 'unclean.' He has a skin disease. + "But suppose the priest looks at the spot carefully. Suppose there is no white hair in it. Suppose the spot is not under the skin. And suppose it has faded. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must look him over carefully. If the spot is spreading in the skin, the priest must announce that the person is 'unclean.' He has a skin disease. + "But suppose the spot has not changed. It has not spread in the skin. And it has faded. Then the burn has caused it to swell. The priest must announce that the person is 'clean.' It is only a scar from the burn. + "Suppose a man or woman has a sore on the head or chin. + Then the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose it seems to be under the skin. And suppose the hair in the sore is yellow and thin. Then the priest must announce that the person is 'unclean.' The sore is an itch. It is a skin disease on the head or chin. + "But suppose the priest looks carefully at that kind of sore. It does not seem to be under the skin. And there is no black hair in it. Then the priest must make the person stay away from everyone else for seven days. + "On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore carefully. Suppose the itch has not spread in the skin. It does not have any yellow hair in it. And it does not seem to be under the skin. + Then the person must shave his head. But he must not shave the area where the disease is. And the priest must make him stay away from everyone else for another seven days. + "On the seventh day the priest must look at the itch carefully. Suppose it has not spread in the skin. And suppose it does not seem to be under the skin. Then the priest must announce that the person is 'clean.' He must wash his clothes. He will be 'clean.' + "But suppose the itch spreads in the skin after the priest announces that the person is 'clean.' + Then the priest must look him over carefully. Suppose the itch has spread. Then the priest does not have to look for yellow hair. The person is not 'clean.' + "But suppose the itch has been stopped and black hair has grown in it, as far as the priest can tell. Then the itch is healed. The person is 'clean.' The priest must announce that he is 'clean.' + "Suppose a man or woman has white spots on the skin. + Then the priest must look at them carefully. Suppose he sees that the spots are dull white. Then a harmless rash has broken out on the skin. That person is 'clean.' + "Suppose a man loses all of the hair on his head. Then he is 'clean.' + Suppose he loses only the hair on the front of his head. Then he is 'clean.' + "But suppose he has a shiny pink sore on his head where his hair was. Then he has a skin disease. It is breaking out on his whole head or on the front of his head. + "The priest must look him over carefully. Suppose the swollen sore on his head or on the front of it is pink and shiny. And suppose it looks like a skin disease. + Then he has a skin disease. He is not 'clean.' The priest must announce that the man is 'unclean.' That is because he has a sore on his head. + "Suppose someone has a skin disease that makes him 'unclean.' Then he must wear torn clothes. He must let his hair hang loose. He must cover the lower part of his face. He must cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' + As long as he has the disease, he remains 'unclean.' He must live alone. He must live outside the camp. + "Suppose some clothes have mold on them. The clothes could be made out of wool or linen. + Or there could be cloth that is woven or knitted out of linen or wool. There could be pieces of leather. Or there could be articles that are made out of leather. + And suppose the mold that is on the clothes or on the woven or knitted cloth looks green or red. Or suppose the green or red mold is on the pieces of leather or the leather articles. Then it is mold that spreads. It must be shown to the priest. + "The priest must look at it carefully. He must keep the article with the mold on it away from everything else for seven days. + On the seventh day he must look at it carefully. Suppose the mold has spread in the clothes or in the woven or knitted cloth. Or suppose it has spread on the pieces of leather or on the leather articles. Then it is mold that destroys. The article is not 'clean.' + "The priest must burn up everything that has the mold in it. He must burn up the clothes or the woven or knitted cloth that is made out of wool or linen. He must burn up the leather articles. The mold destroys. So everything must be burned up. + "But suppose the priest looks at the article carefully. The mold has not spread in the clothes. And it has not spread in the woven or knitted cloth or in the leather articles. + Then he will order someone to wash the article that has the mold on it. After that, the priest must keep the articles away from everything else for another seven days. + "After the article that has the mold on it has been washed, the priest must look at it carefully. Suppose the way the mold looks has not changed. Then even though the mold has not spread, it is not 'clean.' Burn it up. It does not matter which side of the article the mold is on. + "But suppose the priest looks at it carefully. And suppose the mold has faded after the article has been washed. Then the priest must tear out the part that has mold on it. He must tear it out of the clothes or leather. He must tear it out of the woven or knitted cloth. + "But suppose it shows up again in the clothes. Or suppose it shows up again in the woven or knitted cloth or in the leather articles. Then it is spreading. Everything that has the mold on it must be burned up. + "The clothes that have been washed and do not have any more mold on them must be washed again. So must the woven or knitted cloth or the leather articles. Then they will be 'clean.' " + Those are the rules about what to do with anything that has mold on it. They apply to clothes that are made out of wool or linen. They apply to woven and knitted cloth and to leather articles. They give a priest directions about when to announce whether something is "clean" or not. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He told him to say to the people, + "Here are the rules for making someone 'clean' if he has had a skin disease. They apply when he is brought to the priest. + "The priest must go outside the camp. He must look the person over carefully. Suppose he has been healed of his skin disease. + Then the priest will order someone to bring him two live 'clean' birds. He will also order someone to bring him some cedar wood, bright red yarn and branches of a hyssop plant. All of those things will be used to make the person 'clean.' + "The priest will order someone to kill one of the birds. It must be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. + Then the priest must take the live bird. He must dip it into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. He must dip it into the blood together with the cedar wood, the bright red yarn and the hyssop plant. + "The priest will sprinkle the blood on the person who had the skin disease. That will make him 'clean.' The priest must sprinkle him seven times. Then the priest must announce that he is 'clean.' After that, the priest must let the live bird go free in the open fields. + "The person must also wash his clothes to be made 'clean.' He must shave off all of his hair. He must take a bath. Then he will be 'clean.' After that, he may come into the camp. But he must stay outside his tent for seven days. + "On the seventh day he must shave off all of his hair. He must shave his head. He must shave off his beard. He must also shave off his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. Then he will be 'clean.' + "On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one female lamb as an offering. The female must be a year old. The lambs must not have any flaws. He must also bring 24 cups of fine flour as a grain offering. He must mix it with olive oil. He must also bring five ounces of oil. + The priest who announces that the person is 'clean' must bring him and his offerings to me. He must do it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + "Then the priest must take one of the male lambs. He must offer it as a guilt offering. He must offer it along with five ounces of oil. He must lift all of it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. + "He must kill the lamb in the holy place where sin offerings and burnt offerings are killed. The guilt offering belongs to the priest, just as the sin offering does. The guilt offering is very holy. + "The priest must take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the person's right ear lobe. He must put some on the thumb of his right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of his right foot. + "Then the priest must take some of the oil and pour it into his own left hand. + He must dip his right forefinger into the oil that is in his hand. He must use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil in front of me seven times. + "The priest must put some of the oil that is in his hand on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering. He must put some on the person's right ear lobe. He must put some on the thumb of his right hand. He must put some on the big toe of his right foot. + He must put on his head the rest of the oil that is in his hand. It will pay for the person's sin in my sight. + "Then the priest must sacrifice the sin offering. It will pay for the person's sin. He will be made 'clean' after being 'unclean.' After that, the priest will kill the burnt offering. + He will offer it on the altar. He will offer it together with the grain offering. It will pay for the person's sin. Then he will be 'clean.' + "But suppose he is poor. Suppose he can't afford all of those offerings. Then he must bring one male lamb as a guilt offering. It must be lifted up and waved in front of me to pay for his sin. He must also bring eight cups of fine flour along with the lamb. He must mix the flour with olive oil. It is a grain offering. He must offer it along with five ounces of oil. + He must also bring two doves or two young pigeons that he can afford. One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. + "On the eighth day he must bring them to the priest so he can be made 'clean.' He must bring them to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He must do it in my sight. + "The priest must take the lamb for the guilt offering. He must take it together with the five ounces of oil. He must lift all of it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. + He must kill the lamb for the guilt offering. He must take some of its blood and put it on the person's right ear lobe. He must put some on the thumb of his right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of his right foot. + "The priest must pour some of the oil into his own left hand. + He must dip his right forefinger into the oil that is in his hand. He must use his finger to sprinkle some of it seven times in front of me. + "He must put some of the oil that is in his hand on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering. He must put some on the person's right ear lobe. He must put some on the thumb of his right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of his right foot. + He must put on his head the rest of the oil that is in his hand. It will pay for the person's sin in my sight. + "The priest will sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons that the person can afford. + One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. The priest must offer them together with the grain offering. In that way he will pay for the person's sin in my sight. He will do it to make him 'clean.' " + Those are the rules for anyone who has a skin disease. They are for people who can't afford the regular offerings that are required to make them "clean." + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them to say to the people, + "You will enter the land of Canaan. I am giving it to you as your own. When you enter it, suppose I put mold in one of your houses. And suppose the mold spreads. + Then the owner of that house must go and speak to the priest. He must say, 'I've seen something that looks like mold in my house.' + "The priest must order everything to be taken out of the house. It must be done before he goes in to look carefully at the mold. If it is not done, the priest must announce that everything in the house is 'unclean.' "After the house is empty the priest must go in and check it. + He must look carefully at the mold that is on the walls. Suppose it looks as if it has green or red dents in it. And suppose the dents look as if they are behind the surface of the wall. + Then the priest must go out the door. He must close the house up for seven days. + "On the seventh day the priest will return to check the house. Suppose the mold that is on the walls has spread. + Then he must order someone to tear out the stones that have mold on them. He must have them thrown into an 'unclean' place outside the town. + He must have all of the inside walls of the house scraped. Everything that is scraped off must be dumped into an 'unclean' place outside the town. + "Then other stones must be put in the place of the stones that had mold on them. The inside walls of the house must be coated with new clay. + "Suppose the stones have been torn out. The house has been scraped. And the walls have been coated with new clay. But the mold appears again. + "Then the priest must go and look things over carefully. Suppose the mold has spread in the house. Then it is the kind of mold that destroys things. The house is not 'clean.' + "It must be torn down. The stones, the wood and all of the clay coating must be torn out. All of it must be taken out of the town to an 'unclean' place. + "Suppose someone goes into the house while it is closed up. Then he will be 'unclean' until evening. + If he sleeps or eats in the house, he must wash his clothes. + "But suppose the priest comes to look things over carefully. And suppose the mold has not spread after the walls had been coated with new clay. Then he will announce that the house is 'clean.' The mold is gone. + "To make the house pure, the priest must get two birds. He must also get some cedar wood, bright red yarn and branches of a hyssop plant. + He must kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. + "Then he must take the cedar wood, the hyssop plant, the bright red yarn and the live bird. He must dip all of them into the blood of the dead bird. He must also dip them into the fresh water. He must sprinkle the house seven times. + "The priest will use the blood and the water to make the house pure. He will use the live bird to make it pure. He will also use the cedar wood, the hyssop plant and the bright red yarn to make it pure. + "Then he must let the live bird go free in the open fields outside the town. In that way he will make the house pure. It will be 'clean.' " + Those are the rules for skin diseases. They apply to itches. + They apply to mold in clothes or in houses. + They also apply to swellings, rashes or bright red spots on the skin. + Use those rules to decide whether something is "clean" or not. Those are the rules for skin diseases and for mold. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose liquid waste is flowing out of a man's body. That liquid is not "clean." + It does not matter whether it continues to flow out of his body or is blocked. It will make him "unclean." Here is how his liquid body waste will make him "unclean." + " 'Any bed the man who has the flow of liquid body waste lies on will not be "clean." Anything he sits on will not be "clean." + " 'If any of you touches the man's bed, you must wash your clothes. You must take a bath. You will be "unclean" until evening. + Suppose you sit on anything the man sat on. Then you must wash your clothes. You must take a bath. You will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose you touch the man who has the flow of liquid body waste. Then you must wash your clothes. You must take a bath. You will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose you are "clean." And suppose the man who has the flow of liquid waste spits on you. Then you must wash your clothes. You must take a bath. You will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Everything the man sits on when he is riding will be "unclean." + Suppose you touch any of the things that were under him. Then you will be "unclean" until evening. Even if you pick up those things, you must wash your clothes. You must take a bath. You will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose the man who has the liquid flow touches you. And suppose he does it without rinsing his hands with water. Then you must wash your clothes. You must take a bath. You will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose the man touches a clay pot. Then that pot must be broken. Any wooden article he touches must be rinsed with water. + " 'Suppose the man has been healed from his liquid flow. Then he must wait seven days. He must wash his clothes. He must take a bath in fresh water. After that, he will be "clean." + " 'On the eighth day he must get two doves or two young pigeons. He must come to the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There he must give the birds to the priest. + The priest must sacrifice them. One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. In that way the priest will pay for the man's sin in the sight of the Lord. He will do it because the man had a liquid flow. + " 'Suppose semen flows from a man's body. Then he must wash his whole body with water. He will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose clothes or leather have semen on them. Then they must be washed with water. They will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose a man makes love to a woman. And suppose semen flows from his body and touches both of them. Then they must take a bath. They will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose a woman is having her regular period. Then for seven days she will not be pure. Anyone who touches her will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Anything she lies on during her period will be "unclean." Anything she sits on will be "unclean." + " 'If anyone touches her bed, he must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. He will be "unclean" until evening. + If anyone touches anything she sits on, he must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. He will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'It does not matter whether it was her bed or anything she was sitting on. If anyone touches it, he will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose a man makes love to that woman. And suppose blood from her monthly period touches him. Then he will be "unclean" for seven days. Any bed he lies on will be "unclean." + " 'Suppose blood flows from a woman's body for many days. And it happens at a time other than her monthly period. Or blood keeps flowing after her period is over. Then she will be "unclean" as long as the blood continues to flow. She will be "unclean," just as she is during the days of her period. + " 'Any bed she lies on while her blood continues to flow will be "unclean." It is the same as it is when she is having her period. Anything she sits on will be "unclean." It is the same as it is when she is having her period. + " 'If anyone touches those things, he will not be "clean." He must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. He will be "unclean" until evening. + " 'Suppose the woman has been healed from her flow of blood. Then she must wait seven days. After that, she will be "clean." + On the eighth day she must get two doves or two young pigeons. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + " 'The priest must sacrifice them. One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. In that way he will pay for her sin in the sight of the Lord. He will do it because her flow of blood made her "unclean." + " 'You must keep the people of Israel away from things that make them "unclean." Then they will not die for being "unclean." And they will not die for making the place where the Lord lives "unclean." It is in the middle of the camp.' " + Those are the rules for a man who has liquid waste flowing out of his body. They apply to a man who is made "unclean" by semen that flows from his body. + They apply to a woman who is having her monthly period. They apply to a man or woman who has a liquid flow. And they apply to a man who makes love to a woman who is not "clean." + + + The Lord spoke to Moses after two of Aaron's sons had died. They were the sons who died when they came near the Lord. + The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to your brother Aaron. Tell him not to come into the Most Holy Room just anytime he wants to. Tell him not to come behind the curtain that is in front of the cover of the ark. The cover is the place where sin is paid for. If he comes behind the curtain, he will die. That is because I appear in the cloud over the cover. + "Aaron must not enter the area of the sacred tent without bringing a sacrifice. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering. He must also bring a ram for a burnt offering. + "He must put on the sacred inner robe that is made out of linen. He must wear linen underwear next to his body. He must tie the linen belt around him. And he must put on the linen turban. Those are sacred clothes. So he must take a bath before he puts them on. + "The community of Israel must give him two male goats and a ram. The goats are for a sin offering. The ram is for a burnt offering. + "Aaron must offer the bull for his own sin offering. It will pay for his own sin and the sin of his whole family. + "Then he must take the two goats and bring them to me at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + He must cast lots for the two goats. One lot is for me. The other is for the goat that carries the people's sins away. + Aaron must bring the goat that is chosen for me by lot. He must sacrifice it for a sin offering. + "But the goat that is chosen by the other lot must remain alive. First it must be brought in to me to pay for the people's sin. Then it must be sent into the desert as a goat that carries the people's sins away. + "Aaron must bring the bull for his own sin offering. It will pay for his own sin and the sin of his whole family. He must kill the bull for his own sin offering. + "He must take a shallow cup full of burning coals from the altar in my sight. He must get two handfuls of incense that is completely ground up. The incense must smell sweet. He must take the cup and the incense behind the curtain. + He must put the incense on the fire in my sight. The smoke from the incense will hide the cover of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The cover is the place where sin is paid for. Aaron must burn the incense so that he will not die. + "He must dip his finger in the bull's blood. He must sprinkle it on the front of the cover of the ark. He must sprinkle some in front of the cover. He must do it seven times. + "Then Aaron must kill the goat for the sin offering for the people. He must take its blood behind the curtain. There he must do the same thing with it as he did with the bull's blood. He must sprinkle it on the cover of the ark. He must also sprinkle some in front of it. + "That is how he will make the Most Holy Room pure. He must do it because the people of Israel are not 'clean.' They have not obeyed me. They have also committed other sins. Aaron must do the same for the Tent of Meeting because it stands in the middle of the camp. And the camp is not 'clean.' + "No one can be in the Tent of Meeting when Aaron goes into the Most Holy Room to pay for the people's sin. No one can enter the tent until Aaron comes out. He will not come out until he has paid for his own sin and the sin of his whole family. He will not come out until he has also paid for the sin of the whole community of Israel. + "Then he will come out to the altar for burnt offerings. It is in front of the tent where the ark of the Lord is. He will make the altar pure and clean. He will take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood. Then he will put the blood on all of the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. + He will sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times. He will do it to make the altar pure. He will do it to set it apart from the people of Israel. They are not 'clean.' + "Aaron will finish making the Most Holy Room pure and clean. He will finish making the Tent of Meeting and the altar pure. "Then he will bring the live goat out. + He must place both of his hands on its head. While he does that, he must tell me about all of the sins the people of Israel have committed. He must tell me about all of their evil acts and the times they did not obey me. In that way he puts their sins on the goat's head. "Then he will send the goat away into the desert. The goat will be led away by a man who was appointed to do it. + The goat will carry all of their sins on itself to a place where there are no people. And the man will set the goat free in the desert. + "Then Aaron must go into the Tent of Meeting. He must take off the linen clothes he put on before he entered the Most Holy Room. He must leave them there. + He must take a bath in a holy place. And he must put on his regular clothes. "Then he will come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself. He will also sacrifice the burnt offering for the people. That will pay for his own sin and the people's sin. + He will also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. + "The man who sets free the goat that carries the people's sins away must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. After that, he can come back into the camp. + "The bull and the goat for the sin offerings must be taken outside the camp. Their blood was brought into the Most Holy Room. It paid for sin. The hides, meat and guts must be burned up. + "The man who burns them must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. After that, he can come back into the camp. + "Here is a law for you that will last for all time to come. On the tenth day of the seventh month you must not eat anything. You must not do any work. It does not matter whether you are Israelites or outsiders. + "On that day your sin will be paid for. You will be made pure and clean. You will be clean from all of your sins in my sight. + That day is a sabbath for you. You must rest on it. You must not eat anything on that day. That is a law that will last for all time to come. + "The high priest must pay for sin. He must make everything pure and clean. He has been anointed and prepared to become the next high priest after his father. He must put on the sacred clothes that are made out of linen. + He must make the Most Holy Room, the Tent of Meeting and the altar pure. And he must pay for the sin of the priests and all of the people in the whole community. + "Here is a law for you that will last for all time to come. Once a year you must pay for all of the sin of the people of Israel." So it was done, just as the Lord commanded Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons. Speak to all of the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, + "Suppose someone sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat. He sacrifices it in the camp or outside of it. + He does it instead of bringing the animal to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He sacrifices it instead of giving it as an offering to me in front of my holy tent. Then he will be thought of as guilty of spilling blood. Because he has done that, he must be cut off from his people. + " ' "The people of Israel are now making sacrifices in the open fields. But they must bring their sacrifices to the priest. They must bring them to me at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There they must sacrifice them as friendship offerings. + The priest must sprinkle the blood against my altar. It is the altar at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He must burn the fat. It will give a pleasant smell to me. + " ' "Israel must stop offering any of their sacrifices to statues of gods that look like goats. When they offer sacrifices to those statues, they are not faithful to me. That is a law for them that will last for all time to come." ' + "Tell them, 'Suppose someone offers a burnt offering or sacrifice. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. + And suppose he does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to me. Then he must be cut off from his people. + " 'Suppose someone eats meat that still has blood in it. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. I will turn against him if he eats it. I will cut him off from his people. + " 'The life of each creature is in its blood. So I have given you the blood of animals to pay for your sin on the altar. Blood is life. That is why blood pays for your sin. + " 'So I say to the people of Israel, "You must not eat meat that still has blood in it. And an outsider who lives among you must not eat it either." + " 'Suppose any of you hunts any animal or bird that can be eaten. It does not matter whether you are an Israelite or an outsider. You must let the blood flow out of the animal or bird. You must cover the blood with dirt. + " 'That is because every creature's life is its blood. And that is why I have said to the people of Israel, "You must not eat any creature's meat that still has blood in it. Every creature's life is its blood. Anyone who eats that kind of meat must be cut off." + " 'Suppose someone eats anything that is found dead or is torn apart by wild animals. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. He must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. He will be "unclean" until evening. After that, he will be "clean." + " 'But suppose he does not wash his clothes. And suppose he does not take a bath. Then he will be held accountable for what he has done.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'I am the Lord your God. + You must not do what the people of Egypt do. You used to live there. And you must not do what the people of Canaan do. I am bringing you into their land. Do not follow their practices. + " 'You must obey my laws. You must be careful to follow my rules. I am the Lord your God. + Keep my rules and laws. The one who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. + " 'Do not have sex with any of your close relatives. I am the Lord. + " 'Do not bring shame on your father by having sex with your mother. Do not have sex with her. She is your mother. + " 'Do not have sex with any other wife of your father. That would bring shame on your father. + " 'Do not have sex with your sister. It does not matter whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter. It does not matter whether she was born in the same home as you were or somewhere else. + " 'Do not have sex with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter. That would bring shame on you. + " 'Do not have sex with the daughter of your father's wife. She was born to your father. She is your sister. + " 'Do not have sex with your father's sister. She is a close relative on your father's side. + " 'Do not have sex with your mother's sister. She is a close relative on your mother's side. + " 'Do not bring shame on your father's brother by having sex with his wife. She is your aunt. + " 'Do not have sex with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife. Do not have sex with her. + " 'Do not have sex with your brother's wife. That would bring shame on your brother. + " 'Do not have sex with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sex with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter. They are close relatives on her side. Having sex with them is an evil thing. + " 'Do not take your wife's sister as another wife and have sex with her. Do not do it while your wife is still living. + " 'Do not make love to a woman during her monthly period. She is not "clean" at that time. + " 'Do not have sex with your neighbor's wife. That would make you "unclean." + " 'Do not hand over any of your children to be sacrificed to the god Molech. That would be treating my name as if it were not holy. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Do not have sex with a man as you would have sex with a woman. I hate that. + " 'Do not have sex with an animal. Do not make yourself "unclean" by doing that. A woman must not offer herself to an animal to have sex with it. That is a twisted use of sex. + " 'Do not make yourselves "unclean" in any of those ways. That is how other nations became "unclean." So I am going to drive those nations out of the land to make room for you. + Even their land was not "clean." So I punished it because of its sin. The land itself threw out the people who lived there. + " 'But you must keep my rules and my laws. You must not do any of the things I hate. It does not matter whether you are Israelites or outsiders. + " 'All of those things were done by the people who lived in the land before you. That is how the land became "unclean." + If you make the land "unclean," it will throw you out. It will get rid of you just as it got rid of the nations that were there before you. + " 'Suppose you do any of the things I hate. Then you must be cut off from your people. + " 'Do exactly what I require. When you arrive in Canaan, do not follow any of the practices of its people. I hate the things they do. Do not make yourselves "unclean" by doing them. I am the Lord your God.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the whole community of Israel. Tell them, 'Be holy, because I am holy. I am the Lord your God. + " 'All of you must have respect for your mother and father. You must always keep my Sabbath days. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Do not turn away from me to worship statues of gods. Do not make gods out of metal for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Suppose you sacrifice a friendship offering to me. Then do it in the right way. And I will accept it from you. + You must eat it on the same day you sacrifice it or on the next day. Anything that is left over until the third day must be burned up. + " 'If you eat any of it on the third day, it is not pure. I will not accept it. + If you eat it, you will be held accountable. You have misused what is holy to me. You will be cut off from your people. + " 'Suppose you are harvesting your crops. Then do not harvest all the way to the edges of your field. And do not pick up the grain you missed. + Do not go over your vineyard a second time. Do not pick up the grapes that have fallen to the ground. Leave them for poor people and outsiders. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Do not steal. " 'Do not tell lies. " 'Do not cheat one another. + " 'Do not take an oath and give false witness in my name. That would be treating it as if it were not holy. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Do not cheat your neighbor. Do not rob him. " 'Do not hold back the pay of a hired worker until morning. + " 'Do not call a curse down on deaf people. Do not put anything in front of blind people that will make them trip. Instead, have respect for me. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Do not make something that is wrong appear to be right. Treat poor people and rich people in the same way. Do not favor one person over another. Instead, judge everyone fairly. + " 'Do not go around spreading lies among your people. " 'Do not do anything that puts your neighbor's life in danger. I am the Lord. + " 'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Correct your neighbor boldly when he does something wrong. Then you will not share his guilt. + " 'Do not try to get even. Do not hold anything against one of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord. + " 'Obey my rules. " 'Do not let different kinds of animals mate with each other. " 'Do not mix two kinds of seeds and then plant them in your field. " 'Do not wear clothes that are made out of two kinds of cloth. + " 'Suppose a man has sex with a female slave. But she and another man have promised to get married to each other. And her freedom has not yet been paid for or given to her. Then she and the man who had sex with her must be punished. But they must not be put to death, because she had not been set free. + " 'The man must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. It is for a guilt offering to me. + The priest must take the ram for the guilt offering. He must sacrifice it to pay for the man's sin in my sight. Then his sin will be forgiven. + " 'When you enter the land, suppose you plant a fruit tree. Then do not eat its fruit for the first three years. The fruit is not "clean." + In the fourth year all of the fruit will be holy. Offer it as a way of showing praise to me. + But in the fifth year you can eat the fruit. Then you will gather more and more fruit. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Do not eat any meat that still has blood in it. " 'Do not practice any kind of evil magic at all. + " 'Do not cut the hair on the sides of your head. Do not clip off the edges of your beard. + " 'Do not make cuts on your bodies when someone dies. Do not put marks on your skin. I am the Lord. + " 'Do not dishonor your daughter's body by making a prostitute out of her. If you do, the people of Israel will start using prostitutes. The land will be filled with evil. + " 'You must always keep my Sabbath days. Have respect for my sacred tent. I am the Lord. + " 'Do not look for advice from people who get messages from those who have died. Do not go to people who talk to the spirits of the dead. If you do, they will make you "unclean." I am the Lord your God. + " 'Stand up in order to show your respect for old people. Also have respect for me. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Suppose an outsider lives with you in your land. Then do not treat him badly. + Treat him as if he were one of your own people. Love him as you love yourself. Remember that all of you were outsiders in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Be honest when you measure lengths, weights or amounts. + Use honest scales and honest weights. Use honest dry measures. And use honest liquid measures. I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. + " 'Obey all of my rules and laws. Follow them. I am the Lord.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Say to the people of Israel, 'Suppose a person sacrifices one of his children to the god Molech. It does not matter whether that person is an Israelite or an outsider who lives in Israel. He must be put to death. The people of the community must kill him by throwing stones at him. + I will turn against that man. I will cut him off from his people. That is because he sacrificed his child to Molech. He has made my sacred tent "unclean." He has treated my name as if it were not holy. + " 'Suppose the people of the community close their eyes to the fact that the man sacrificed his child to Molech. And suppose they fail to put him to death. + Then I will turn against that man and his family. I will cut him off from his people. I will also cut off all those who follow him by joining themselves to Molech. They are not faithful to me. + " 'Suppose someone looks for advice from people who get messages from those who have died. Or he goes to people who talk to the spirits of the dead. And he follows their advice. Then he has not been faithful to me. So I will turn against him. I will cut him off from his people. + " 'Set yourselves apart for me. Be holy, because I am the Lord your God. + Obey my rules. Follow them. I am the Lord. I make you holy. + " 'If anyone calls down a curse on his father or mother, he will be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother. Anything that happens to him will be his own fault. + " 'Suppose a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife. Then the man and the woman must be put to death. + " 'Suppose a man has sex with his father's wife. Then he has brought shame on his father. The man and the woman must be put to death. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault. + " 'Suppose a man has sex with his daughter-in-law. Then they must be put to death. They have used sex in a twisted way. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault. + " 'Suppose a man has sex with another man as he would have sex with a woman. I hate what they have done. They must be put to death. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault. + " 'Suppose a man gets married to both a woman and her mother. That is evil. All of them must be burned to death. Then there will not be any evil among you. + " 'Suppose a man has sex with an animal. Then he must be put to death. You must also kill the animal. + " 'Suppose a woman has sex with an animal. Then kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault. + " 'Suppose a man gets married to his sister and has sex with her. That is a shameful thing to do. It does not matter whether she is the daughter of his father or of his mother. They must be cut off right in front of their own people. That man has brought shame on his sister. He will be held accountable for what he has done. + " 'Suppose a man makes love to a woman during her monthly period. He has uncovered the place where her bleeding was coming from. And she has let him do it. So they must be cut off from their people. + " 'Do not have sex with the sister of either your mother or your father. That would bring shame on a close relative. Both of you would be held accountable for what you have done. + " 'Suppose a man has sex with his aunt. Then he has brought shame on his uncle. Both of them will be held accountable for what they have done. They will die without having any children. + " 'Suppose a man gets married to his brother's wife. That is something that should never be done. He has brought shame on his brother. Neither of them will have any children. + " 'Obey all of my rules and laws. Follow them. Then the land where I am bringing you to live will not throw you out. + To make room for you, I am going to drive out the nations that are in the land. You must not follow the practices of those nations. I hated those nations because they did all of those things. + " 'But I said to you, "You will take over their land as your own. I will give it to you. It will belong to you. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey." I am the Lord your God. I have set you apart from the other nations. + " 'So you must be able to tell the difference between animals that are "clean" and those that are not. You must know which birds are "clean" and which are not. Do not make yourselves "unclean" by eating any animal or bird that is not "clean." Do not make yourselves "unclean" by eating anything that moves along the ground. I have set all of them apart. They are "unclean" for you. + " 'You must be holy. You must be set apart to me. I am the Lord. I am holy. I have set you apart from the other nations to be my own people. + " 'Suppose a man or woman gets messages from those who have died. Or suppose a man or woman talks to the spirits of the dead. Then you must put that man or woman to death. You must kill them by throwing stones at them. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault.' " + + + The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron. Tell them, 'A priest must not make himself "unclean" by going near the dead body of any of his people. + But he can go near the body of a close relative. It could be his mother, father, son, daughter or brother. + He can also go near a sister who is not married. She would have depended on him because she did not have a husband. The priest can make himself "unclean" by going near her body. + But he must not make himself "unclean" by going near the bodies of people who were only related to him by marriage. Going near them would make him "unclean." + " 'Priests must not shave any part of their heads. They must not shave off the edges of their beards. They must not make cuts on their bodies when someone dies. + " 'Priests must be holy. They must be set apart for me. I am their God. They must not treat my name as if it were not holy. They must be holy because they bring offerings that are made to me with fire. That is my food. + " 'They must not get married to women who are "unclean" because they are prostitutes. They must not marry women who are divorced from their husbands. That is because priests are holy. They are set apart for me. I am their God. + Consider them as holy, because they offer up food to me. Consider them as holy, because I am holy. I am the Lord. I make you holy. + " 'Suppose a priest's daughter makes herself "unclean" by becoming a prostitute. Then she brings shame on her father. She must be burned to death. + " 'The high priest is the one among his brothers whose head has been anointed with olive oil. He has been appointed to wear the priest's clothes. " 'When someone dies, the high priest must not let his hair hang loose. He must not tear his clothes to show how sad he is. + He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself "unclean," even if his father or mother dies. + He must not leave my sacred tent to take part in burying a body. That would bring shame on the tent. My anointing oil has set the high priest apart. I am the Lord. + " 'The woman the high priest gets married to must be a virgin. + He must not marry a widow or a woman who is divorced. He must not marry a woman who is "unclean" because she is a prostitute. He must only get married to a virgin. She must come from his own people. + If he marries a virgin, he makes the children he has by her "clean." I am the Lord. I make him holy.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to Aaron. Tell him, 'For all time to come, no man in your family line who has any flaws can come near to offer food to me. + " 'No man who has any flaws can come near. No man who is blind or disabled can come. No man whose body is scarred or twisted can come. + No man whose foot or hand is disabled can come. + No man whose back is bent can come. No man who is too short can come. No man who has anything wrong with his eyes can come. No man who has boils or running sores can come. No man whose sex glands are crushed can come. + " 'No man in the family line of the priest Aaron who has any flaws can come near me. He can't come to bring the offerings that are made to me with fire. If he has any flaws, he must not come near to offer food to me. + He can eat the holy food. He can also eat my very holy food. + But because he has a flaw, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. If he does, he will make my sacred tent "unclean." I am the Lord. I make everything holy.' " + So Moses told all of those things to Aaron and his sons. He also told them to all of the people of Israel. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Here is what I want you to tell Aaron and his sons. Tell them to treat the sacred offerings with respect. They are the offerings the people of Israel set apart to honor me. So Aaron and his sons must never treat my name as if it were not holy. I am the Lord. + "Say to them, 'Suppose a man in your family line is "unclean." And suppose he comes near the sacred offerings. They are the offerings the people of Israel set apart to honor me. That man must be cut off from serving me as a priest. That applies for all time to come. I am the Lord. + " 'Suppose a man in Aaron's family line has a skin disease. Or suppose liquid waste is flowing out of his body. Then he can't eat the sacred offerings until he is made pure and clean. " 'Suppose he touches something that has been made "unclean" by coming near a dead body. Or suppose he touches someone who has semen flowing from his body. Then he will not be "clean." + Or suppose he touches any crawling thing that makes him "unclean." Or suppose he touches any person who makes him "unclean." It does not matter what he touches that is "unclean." It will make him "unclean." + " 'The one who touches anything of that kind will be "unclean" until evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has taken a bath. + When the sun goes down, he will be "clean." After that, he can eat the sacred offerings. They are his food. + " 'He must not eat anything that is found dead or torn apart by wild animals. If he does, it will make him "unclean." I am the Lord. + " 'The priests must do what I require. But suppose they make fun of what I require. Then they will become guilty and die. I am the Lord. I make them holy. + " 'Only a member of a priest's family can eat the sacred offering. The guest of a priest can't eat it. A priest's hired worker can't eat it either. + " 'But suppose a priest buys a slave with money. Or suppose a slave is born in his house. Then that slave can eat the sacred food. + " 'Suppose a priest's daughter gets married to someone who is not a priest. Then she can't eat any of the food that is brought as a sacred gift. + But suppose the priest's daughter becomes a widow or is divorced. She does not have any children. And she returns to live in her father's house, where she lived when she was young. Then she can eat her father's food. But a person who does not belong to a priest's family can't eat any of it. + " 'Suppose someone eats a sacred offering by mistake. Then he must pay back the priest for the offering. He must also add a fifth of its value to it. + " 'The priests must not allow the sacred offerings to become "unclean." They are the offerings the people of Israel bring to me. + The priests must not allow the offerings to become "unclean" by letting the people eat them. If they do, they will bring guilt on the people. They will have to pay for what they have done. I am the Lord. I make them holy.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons. Speak to all of the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose any of you brings a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord. It does not matter whether you are an Israelite or an outsider who lives in Israel. It does not matter whether you bring the offering to keep a promise or because you choose to give it. + You must bring a male animal that does not have any flaws if you want the Lord to accept it from you. It does not matter whether it is from your cattle, sheep or goats. + Do not bring an animal that has any flaws. If you do, the Lord will not accept it from you. + " 'Suppose any of you brings an animal for a friendship offering to the Lord. Then it must not have any flaws at all. If it does, the Lord will not accept it. It does not matter whether the animal is from your herd or flock. It does not matter whether you bring it to keep a promise or because you choose to give it. + Do not offer a blind animal to the Lord. Do not bring an animal that is hurt or wounded. And do not offer one that has warts or boils or running sores. Do not place any of them on the altar as an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. + " 'But suppose you bring an offering you choose to give. Then you can bring an ox or a sheep whose body is twisted or too small. But the Lord will not accept it if you offer it to keep a promise. + " 'You must not offer the Lord a male animal whose sex glands have been hurt. The glands also must not be crushed, torn or cut. You must not offer that kind of animal in your own land. + And you must not accept that kind of animal from someone who comes from another land. You must not offer it as food for your God. He will not accept it from you. Its body is twisted and has flaws.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "When a calf, lamb or goat is born, it must remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, I will accept it as an offering that is made to me with fire. + Do not kill a cow and its calf on the same day. Do not kill a female sheep and its lamb on the same day. + "Sacrifice a thank offering to me in the right way. Then I will accept it from you. + You must eat it that same day. Do not leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord. + "Obey my commands. Follow them. I am the Lord. + Do not treat my name as if it were not holy. The people of Israel must recognize me as the holy God. I am the Lord. I make you holy. + I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord." + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Here are my appointed feast days. They are the appointed feast days of the Lord. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred feasts. + " 'There are six days when you can work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath. You must rest on it. Come together on that sacred day. You must not do any work on it. No matter where you live, it is a Sabbath day in my honor. + " 'Here are my appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred feasts at their appointed times. + My Passover begins when the sun goes down on the 14th day of the first month. + " 'My Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of that month. For seven days you must eat bread that is made without yeast. + On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day. + On each of the seven days bring an offering that is made to me with fire. On the seventh day come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, bring an offering to me. Gather your crops. Bring the first bundle of grain to the priest. + He must lift the grain up and wave it in front of me. Then I will accept it from you. The priest must wave it on the day after the Sabbath. + " 'On the day he waves the grain for you, you must sacrifice a burnt offering to me. It must be a lamb that does not have any flaws. It must be a year old. + You must bring it together with its grain offering. The grain offering must be 16 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. It is an offering that is made to me with fire. It has a pleasant smell. You must offer a drink offering along with the burnt offering. It must be a quart of wine. + " 'You must not eat any bread until the very day you bring your offering to me. You must not eat any grain that has been cooked or any of your first grain until that time. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live. + " 'The day you brought the grain for the wave offering was the day after the Sabbath. Count off seven full weeks from that day. + Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath. On that day bring me an offering of your first grain. + Bring two loaves of bread that are made with 16 cups of fine flour. They must be baked with yeast. Bring them to me as a wave offering from the first share of your crops. That applies no matter where you live. + " 'Together with the bread, bring seven male lambs. Each lamb must be a year old. It must not have any flaws. Also bring one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to me. They will be offered together with their grain offerings and drink offerings. They are an offering that is made with fire. They give a pleasant smell to me. + " 'Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. Also sacrifice two lambs for a friendship offering. Each of the lambs must be a year old. + The priest must lift the two lambs up and wave them in front of me as a wave offering. He must offer them together with the bread that is made out of the first share of your crops. They are a sacred offering to me. They will be given to the priest. + " 'On that same day tell the people that they must come together for a special service. They must not do any regular work. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live. + " 'Suppose you are gathering your crops. Then do not harvest all the way to the edges of your field. And do not pick up the grain you missed. Leave some for poor people and outsiders. I am the Lord your God.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Say to the people of Israel, 'On the first day of the seventh month you must have a day of rest. It must be a special service that is announced with trumpet blasts. + Do not do any regular work on that day. Instead, bring an offering that is made to me with fire.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when sin is paid for. Come together for a special service. Do not eat any food. Bring an offering that is made to me with fire. + Do not do any work on that day. It is the day when sin is paid for. On that day your sin will be paid for in my sight. I am the Lord your God. + "Suppose you do eat food on that day. Then you will be cut off from your people. + I will destroy anyone among your people who does any work on that day. + You must not do any work at all. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live. + "That day is a sabbath for you. You must rest on it. You must not eat anything on that day. You must keep your sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening." + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Say to the people of Israel, 'On the 15th day of the seventh month my Feast of Booths begins. It lasts for seven days. + " 'On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day. + On each of the seven days bring an offering that is made to me with fire. On the eighth day come together for a special service. Bring an offering that is made to me with fire. That special service is the closing service. Do not do any regular work on that day. + " 'Those are my appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for those sacred feasts. During those times, the people must bring offerings that are made to me with fire. They are burnt offerings and grain offerings. They are sacrifices and drink offerings. Each offering must be brought at its required time. + " 'The feasts are in addition to my Sabbath days. The offerings are in addition to your gifts and anything you have promised. They are also in addition to all of the offerings you choose to give me. + " 'Begin with the 15th day of the seventh month. That is after you have gathered your crops. On that day celebrate my Feast of Booths for seven days. The first day is a day of rest. The eighth day is also a day of rest. + On the first day you must get the best fruit from the trees. You must also get palm leaves, leafy branches and poplar branches. You must be filled with joy in my sight for seven days. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Celebrate my Feast of Booths for seven days each year. That is a law that will last for all time to come. Celebrate the feast in the seventh month. + Live in booths for seven days. All of the people of Israel must live in booths. + Then your children after you will know that I made the people of Israel live in booths. I made them do it after I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' " + So Moses announced to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Command the people of Israel to bring you clear oil that is made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light all the time. + "Aaron must take care of the lamps in my sight from evening until morning all the time. That is a law that will last for all time to come. The lamps are outside the curtain that is in front of the tablets of the covenant in the Tent of Meeting. + The lamps are on the pure gold lampstand in front of me. They must be taken care of all the time. + "Get fine flour and bake 12 loaves of bread. Use 16 cups of flour for each loaf. + Place them in two rows. Put six loaves in each row on the table that is made out of pure gold. The table stands in front of me. + "Along each row put some pure incense. It will remind you that all good things come from me. Burn the incense in place of the bread. The incense is an offering that is made to me with fire. + "The bread must be set out in front of me regularly. Do it every Sabbath day. It will be Israel's duty to provide it for all time to come. + "The bread belongs to Aaron and his sons. They must eat it in a holy place. It is a very holy part of their regular share of the offerings that are made to me with fire." + There was a man who had an Israelite mother. His father was born in Egypt. The man went out among the people of Israel. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. + The son of the Israelite woman spoke evil things against the Lord by using a curse. So the people brought him to Moses. The name of the man's mother was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri. Dibri was from the tribe of Dan. + The people kept her son under guard until they could find out what the Lord wanted them to do. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Get the man who spoke evil things against me. Take him outside the camp. All those who heard him say those things must place their hands on his head. Then the whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. + "Say to the people of Israel, 'If anyone calls down a curse on me, he will be held accountable. + If anyone speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. When he speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death. + " 'If anyone kills another human being, he must be put to death. + If anyone kills someone's animal, he must pay its owner. A life must be taken for a life. + " 'Suppose someone hurts his neighbor. Then what he has done must be done to him. + A bone must be broken for a bone. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. He must be hurt in the same way he hurt someone else. + " 'If anyone kills an animal, he must pay its owner. But if he kills a human being, he must be put to death. + The same law applies whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. I am the Lord your God.' " + Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel. They got the man who had spoken evil things against the Lord. They took him outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. The people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'You will enter the land I am going to give you. When you do, you must honor me every seventh year by not farming the land that year. + " 'For six years plant your fields. Trim the branches in your vineyards and gather your crops. + " 'But the seventh year must be a sabbath for the land. The land must rest during it. It is a sabbath year in my honor. Do not plant your fields. Do not trim the branches in your vineyards. + Do not gather what grows without being planted. And do not gather the grapes from the vines you have not taken care of. The land must have a year of rest. + " 'Anything the land produces during the sabbath year will be food for you. It will be for you and your male and female servants. Your hired workers will eat it. So will people who live with you for a while. + And so will your livestock and the wild animals that are in your land. Anything the land produces can be eaten. + " 'Count off seven sabbaths of years. Count off seven times seven years. The seven sabbaths of years add up to a total of 49 years. + The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when sin is paid for. On that day blow the trumpet all through your land. + " 'Set the 50th year apart. Announce freedom all over the land to everyone who lives there. The 50th year will be a Year of Jubilee for you. Each of you must return to your own family property. And each of you must return to your own tribe. + " 'The 50th year will be a Year of Jubilee for you. Do not plant anything. Do not gather what grows without being planted. And do not gather the grapes from the vines you have not taken care of. + It is a Year of Jubilee. It will be holy for you. Eat only what the fields produce. + " 'In the Year of Jubilee all of you must return to your own property. + " 'Suppose you sell land to one of your own people. Or you buy land from him. Then do not take advantage of each other. + The price you pay must be based on the number of years since the last Year of Jubilee. And the price you charge must be based on the number of years left for gathering crops before the next Year of Jubilee. + " 'When there are many years left, you must raise the price. When there are only a few years left, you must lower the price. That is because what the man is really selling you is the number of crops the land will produce. + Do not take advantage of each other. Instead, have respect for me. I am the Lord your God. + " 'Follow my rules. Be careful to obey my laws. Then you will live safely in the land. + The land will produce its fruit. You will eat as much as you want. And you will live there in safety. + " 'Suppose you say, "In the seventh year we will not plant anything or gather our crops. So what will we eat?" + I will send you a great blessing in the sixth year. The land will produce enough for three years. + While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat food from the old crop. You will continue to eat food from it until the crops from the ninth year are gathered. + " 'The land must not be sold without a way of getting it back. That is because it belongs to me. You are only outsiders who rent my land. + You must make sure that you can buy the land back. That applies to all of the land that belongs to you. + " 'Suppose one of your own people becomes poor. And suppose he has to sell some of his land. Then his nearest relative must come and buy back what he has sold. + " 'But suppose he does not have anyone to buy it back for him. And suppose things go well for him and he earns enough money to buy it back himself. + Then he must decide how much the crops have become worth since the time he sold the land. He must take that amount off the price the land was sold for. He must give the man who is selling it back to him the money that is left. Then he can go back to his own property. + " 'But suppose he has not earned enough money to pay the man back. Then the buyer he sold the land to will keep it until the Year of Jubilee. At that time it will be returned to him. Then he can go back to his property. + " 'Suppose a man sells a house in a city that has a wall around it. Then for a full year after he sells it he has the right to buy it back. + " 'But suppose he does not buy it back before the full year has passed. Then the house in the walled city will continue to belong to the buyer and his children after him. It will not be returned to the seller in the Year of Jubilee. + " 'But houses in villages that do not have walls around them must be treated like property outside walled cities. Those houses can be bought back at any time. And they must be returned in the Year of Jubilee. + " 'The Levites always have the right to buy back their houses in the towns that belong to them. + So their property among the people of Israel can be bought back. That applies to a house that is sold in any of their towns. Any house that is sold must be returned to its original owner in the Year of Jubilee. That is because the houses of the Levites will always belong to them. + " 'But the grasslands around their towns must never be sold. They will belong to them for all time to come. + " 'Suppose one of your own people becomes poor. And suppose he can't take care of himself. Then help him just as you would help an outsider or someone who is living among you for a while. In that way, the man who is poor can continue to live among you. + " 'Do not charge him interest of any kind. Instead, have respect for me. Then the man who has become poor can continue to live among you. + If you lend him money, you must not charge him interest. And you must not sell him food for more than it cost you. + " 'I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. I did it to give you the land of Canaan. I wanted to be your God. + " 'Suppose one of your own people becomes poor. And suppose he sells himself to you. Then do not make him work as a slave. + You must treat him like a hired worker. Or you must treat him like someone who is living among you for a while. " 'He must work for you until the Year of Jubilee. + Then he and his children must be set free. He will go back to his own tribe. He will go back to the property his people have always owned. + " 'The people of Israel are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. So they must not be sold as slaves. + Show them pity when you rule over them. Have respect for me. + " 'You must get your male and female slaves from the nations that are around you. You can buy slaves from them. + You can buy as slaves some of the people who are living among you for a while. You can also buy members of their families who were born among you. They will become your property. + You can leave them to your children as their share of your property. You can make them slaves for life. But when you rule over your own people, you must be kind to them. + " 'Suppose an outsider or someone who is living among you for a while becomes rich. Then suppose one of your own people becomes poor. He sells himself to the outsider who is living among you. Or he sells himself to a member of the outsider's family. + Then he keeps the right to buy himself back after he has sold himself. One of his relatives can buy him back. + An uncle or a cousin can buy himself back after he has sold himself. In fact, any relative in his tribe can do it. Or suppose things go well for him. Then he can buy himself back. + " 'He and his buyer must count the number of years from the time of the sale up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for his freedom must be based on the amount that is paid to a hired man for that number of years. + " 'Suppose there are many years until the Year of Jubilee. Then for his freedom he must pay a larger share of the price that was paid for him. + But suppose there are only a few years left until the Year of Jubilee. Then he must count the number of years that are left. The payment for his freedom must be based on that number. + " 'He must be treated as if he had been hired from year to year. You must make sure that his owner is kind to him when he rules over him. + " 'Suppose he is not bought back in any of those ways. Then he and his children must still be set free in the Year of Jubilee. + That is because the people of Israel belong to me. They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord their God. + + + " 'Do not make statues of gods for yourselves. Do not set up a likeness of a god or a sacred stone for yourselves. Do not place a carved stone in your land and bow down in front of it. I am the Lord your God. + " 'You must always keep my Sabbath days. Have respect for my sacred tent. I am the Lord. + " 'Follow my rules. Be careful to obey my commands. + Then I will send you rain at the right time. The ground will produce its crops. The trees of the field will bear their fruit. + You will continue to thresh your grain until you gather your grapes. You will continue to gather your grapes until you plant your crops. You will have all you want to eat. And you will live in safety in your land. + " 'I will give you peace in the land. You will sleep, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild animals from the land. There will not be any war in your country. + You will hunt down your enemies. You will kill them with your swords. + Five of you will chase 100. And 100 of you will chase 10,000. You will kill your enemies with your swords. + " 'I will look with favor on you. I will give you many children and increase your numbers. And I will keep my covenant with you. + You will still be eating last year's crops when you have to move them out to make room for new crops. + " 'I will live among you. I will not turn away from you. + I will walk among you. I will be your God. And you will be my people. + I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. I did not want you to be slaves in Egypt anymore. I threw off your heavy load. I helped you walk with your heads held high. + " 'But suppose you will not listen to me. You will not carry out all of my commands. + You will say no to my rules and turn away from my laws. And you will break my covenant by failing to carry out all of my commands. + Then here is what I will do to you. All at once I will bring terror on you. I will send sicknesses that will make you weak. I will send fever that will destroy your sight. It will slowly take your life away. When you plant seeds, it will not do you any good. Instead, your enemies will eat what you have planted. + I will turn against you. Then your enemies will win the battle over you. Those who hate you will rule over you. You will run away even when no one is chasing you. + " 'After all of that, suppose you still will not listen to me. Then I will punish you for your sins seven times. + I will break down your stubborn pride. I will make the sky above you like iron, and it will not rain. I will make the ground under you like bronze, and you will not be able to farm it. + You will work with all of your strength, but it will not do you any good. That is because your soil will not produce any crops. The trees of the land will not bear any fruit. + " 'Suppose you continue to be my enemy. And suppose you still refuse to listen to me. Then I will multiply your troubles many times because of your sins. + I will send wild animals against you. They will kill your children. They will destroy your cattle. There will be so few of you left that your roads will be deserted. + " 'After all of those things, suppose you still do not accept my warnings. And suppose you continue to be my enemy. + Then I myself will be your enemy. I will make you suffer for your sins again and again. + I will send war against you to punish you for breaking my covenant. When you go back into your cities, I will send a plague among you. You will be handed over to your enemies. + I will cut off your supply of bread. Ten women will need only one oven to bake your bread. They will weigh out the bread piece by piece. Even when you eat all of it, it will not be enough to satisfy you. + " 'After all of that, suppose you still do not listen to me. And suppose you continue to be my enemy. + Then I will be angry with you. I will be your enemy. I myself will again punish you for your sins over and over. + You will eat the dead bodies of your sons. You will also eat the dead bodies of your daughters. + " 'I will destroy the high places where you worship other gods. I will pull down your incense altars. I will pile up your dead bodies on the lifeless statues of your gods. And I will turn away from you. + I will completely destroy your cities. I will destroy your places of worship. The pleasant smell of your offerings will not give me any delight. + " 'I will destroy your land so completely that your enemies who live there will be shocked. + I will scatter you among the nations. I will pull out my sword and hunt you down. Your land and your cities will be completely destroyed. + " 'Then the deserted land will enjoy its sabbath years. It will rest. It will not be farmed. It will enjoy its sabbaths. But you will become prisoners in the country of your enemies. + The land will rest the whole time it is deserted. It was not able to rest during the sabbaths you lived in it. + " 'Some of you will be left in the lands of your enemies. I will fill your hearts with fear. The sound of a leaf that is blown by the wind will scare you away. You will run as if you were escaping from swords. You will fall down, even though no one is chasing you. + You will trip over one another as if you were running away from the battle. You will run away, even though no one is chasing you. You will not be able to stand and fight against your enemies. + " 'While you are still scattered among the nations, you will die. The lands of your enemies will destroy you. + You who are left in those lands will become weaker and weaker. You will die because of your sins and the sins of your parents. + " 'But suppose you admit that you and your parents have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy. + What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin. + Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land. + " 'You will leave the land. It will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies deserted because you are not there. You will pay for your sins because you said no to my laws. You turned away from my rules. + " 'But even after all of that, I will not say no to you or turn away from you. I will not destroy you completely in the land of your enemies. I will not break my covenant with you. I am the Lord your God. + Because of you, I will remember the covenant I made with the people of Israel who lived before you. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God. The nations saw me do it. I am the Lord.' " + Those are the orders, the laws and the rules of the covenant the Lord made on Mount Sinai. He made it between himself and the people of Israel through Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose someone makes a special promise to set a person apart to serve me. Here is how much it will cost to set that person free from the promise to serve. + " 'The cost for a male between the ages of 20 and 60 is 20 ounces of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. + The cost for a female of the same age is 12 ounces of silver. + " 'The cost for a male between the ages of five and 20 is eight ounces of silver. The cost for a female of the same age is four ounces of silver. + " 'The cost for a male between the ages of one month and five years is two ounces of silver. The cost for a female of the same age is one and a fourth ounces of silver. + " 'The cost for a male who is 60 years old or more is six ounces of silver. The cost for a female of the same age is four ounces of silver. + " 'But suppose the one who makes the special promise is too poor to pay the required amount. Then he must bring to the priest the person who will be set free. The priest will decide the right value for that person. It will be based on how much the one who makes the promise can afford. + " 'Suppose what he promised is an animal that I will accept as an offering. Then the animal that is given to me becomes holy. + The one who makes the promise must not trade it. He must not trade a good animal for a bad one. And he must not trade a bad animal for a good one. Suppose he chooses one animal instead of another. Then both animals become holy. + " 'Suppose the animal he promised is not "clean." Suppose I will not accept it as an offering. Then the animal must be brought to the priest. + He will decide whether it is good or bad. Its value will be what he decides it will be. + Suppose the owner wants to buy the animal back. Then he must add a fifth to its cost. + " 'Suppose a man sets his house apart as something that is holy to me. Then the priest will decide whether it is good or bad. Its value will remain what he decides it will be. + Suppose the man sets his house apart. And suppose later he wants to buy it back. Then he must add a fifth to its value. The house will belong to him again. + " 'Suppose a man sets apart a piece of his family's land to me. Then its value must be decided based on the number of seeds that are required to grow a full crop on it. That value will be 20 ounces of silver for every six bushels of barley seeds. + " 'Suppose he sets his field apart during the Year of Jubilee. Then the value that has been decided will not be changed. + But suppose he sets his field apart after the Year of Jubilee. Then the priest will decide its value based on the number of years that are left until the next Year of Jubilee. The value that was decided will be reduced. + " 'Suppose the man who sets his field apart wants to buy it back. Then he must add a fifth to its value. The field will belong to him again. + But suppose he does not buy the field back. Instead, suppose he sells it to someone else. Then he can never buy it back. + " 'When the field is set free in the Year of Jubilee, it will become holy. It will be like a field that is set apart to me. It will become the property of the priests. + " 'Suppose a man sets apart to me a field he has bought. And suppose it is not part of his family's land. + Then the priest will decide its value based on the number of years that are left until the Year of Jubilee. The man must pay that value on the day it is decided. The money is holy. It is set apart for me. + " 'In the Year of Jubilee the field will go back to the person the man bought it from. That person is the one who had owned the land before. + " 'Every amount of money must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. + " 'But no one can set apart the first male animal that is born to its mother. That animal already belongs to me. It does not matter whether it is an ox or a sheep. It belongs to me. + " 'Suppose it is an animal that is not "clean." Then the owner may buy it back at the value that has been decided. And he must add a fifth to its value. But suppose he does not buy it back. Then it must be sold at the value that has been decided. + " 'But nothing a man owns and sets apart to me can be sold or bought back. It does not matter whether it is a person or an animal or a family's land. Everything that is set apart to me is very holy to me. + " 'No one who is set apart in a special way to be destroyed can be bought back. He must be put to death. + " 'A tenth of everything the land produces belongs to me. That includes grain from the soil and fruit from the trees. It is holy. It is set apart for me. + Suppose a man buys back some of his tenth. Then he must add a fifth of the cost to it. + " 'The whole tenth of his herds and flocks will be holy. They will be set apart for me. That includes every tenth animal that its shepherd marks with his wooden staff. + The owner must not pick out the good animals from the bad. He must not choose one animal instead of another. But if he does, both animals become holy. They can't be bought back.' " + The Lord gave Moses all of those commands on Mount Sinai for the people of Israel. + + + + + The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting. It happened in the Desert of Sinai. The Lord spoke to him on the first day of the second month. It was the second year after the people of Israel came out of Egypt. The Lord said, + "Count all of the men of Israel. Make a list of them by their tribes and families. List every man by name. List them one by one. + Count all of the men who are able to serve in the army. They must be 20 years old or more. I want you and Aaron to make a list of them company by company. + One man from each tribe must help you. Those who help must be the heads of their families. + "Here are the names of the men who must help you. "From the tribe of Reuben will come Elizur, the son of Shedeur. + From the tribe of Simeon will come Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. + From the tribe of Judah will come Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. + From the tribe of Issachar will come Nethanel, the son of Zuar. + From the tribe of Zebulun will come Eliab, the son of Helon. + From the tribe of Ephraim will come Elishama, the son of Ammihud. From the tribe of Manasseh will come Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph's two sons. + From the tribe of Benjamin will come Abidan, the son of Gideoni. + From the tribe of Dan will come Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. + From the tribe of Asher will come Pagiel, the son of Ocran. + From the tribe of Gad will come Eliasaph, the son of Deuel. + From the tribe of Naphtali will come Ahira, the son of Enan." + Those were the men who were appointed from the community. They were the leaders of the tribes of their people. They were the heads of the major families in Israel. + Moses and Aaron went and got the men whose names had been given to them. + Then Moses and Aaron gathered all of the men of Israel together. It was the first day of the second month. The men announced the tribe and family they belonged to. Those who were 20 years old or more were listed by name. They were listed one by one. + Everything was done just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses counted them in the Desert of Sinai. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Reuben, Israel's oldest son. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed one by one. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Simeon. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed one by one. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Gad. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Judah. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Issachar. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Zebulun. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Ephraim, the son of Joseph. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Benjamin. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Dan. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Asher. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500. + Here is the number of men from the tribe of Naphtali. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families. + The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400. + Those were the men Moses and Aaron counted. The 12 leaders of Israel helped them. There was one leader from each tribe. + The men who were counted were able to serve in Israel's army. All of them were 20 years old or more. They were counted family by family. + The total number was 603,550. + But the families of the tribe of Levi were not counted along with the others. + The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, + "You must not count the men from the tribe of Levi. Do not include them when you list the other men of Israel. + "Instead, put the Levites in charge of the holy tent. That is where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The Levites will be in charge of everything that belongs to the holy tent. They must carry the tent and everything that belongs to it. They must take care of it. They must set up camp around it. + "When the holy tent must be moved, the Levites must take it down. And when the tent must be set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone else who goes near it will be put to death. + "The people of Israel must set up their tents by companies. All of them must be in their own camps under their own flags. + "But the Levites must set up their tents around the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Then my anger will not fall on the community of Israel. The Levites will be held accountable for taking care of the tent." + The people of Israel did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "The people of Israel must camp around the Tent of Meeting. But they must not camp too close to it. All of them must camp under their flags and under the banners of their families." + The companies of the camp of Judah must be on the east side. They must set up camp toward the sunrise. They must camp under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Judah is Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. + There are 74,600 men in his company. + The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the tribe of Issachar is Nethanel, the son of Zuar. + There are 54,400 men in his company. + The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the tribe of Zebulun is Eliab, the son of Helon. + There are 57,400 men in his company. + So a total of 186,400 men will be set apart for the camp of Judah. They will be arranged company by company. They will start out first. + The companies of the camp of Reuben will be on the south side. They will be under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Reuben is Elizur, the son of Shedeur. + There are 46,500 men in his company. + The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the tribe of Simeon is Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. + There are 59,300 men in his company. + The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the tribe of Gad is Eliasaph, the son of Deuel. + There are 45,650 men in his company. + So a total of 151,450 men will be set apart for the camp of Reuben. They will be arranged company by company. They will start out second. + Then the camp of the Levites will start out. The Tent of Meeting will go with them. They will march in the middle of the other camps. They will start out in the same order as they do when they set up camp. Each one will be in his own place under his flag. + The companies of the camp of Ephraim will be on the west side. They will be under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Ephraim is Elishama, the son of Ammihud. + There are 40,500 men in his company. + The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the tribe of Manasseh is Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. + There are 32,200 men in his company. + The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the tribe of Benjamin is Abidan, the son of Gideoni. + There are 35,400 men in his company. + So a total of 108,100 men will be set apart for the camp of Ephraim. They will be arranged company by company. They will start out third. + The companies of the camp of Dan will be on the north side. They will be under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Dan is Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. + There are 62,700 men in his company. + The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the tribe of Asher is Pagiel, the son of Ocran. + There are 41,500 men in his company. + The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the tribe of Naphtali is Ahira, the son of Enan. + There are 53,400 men in his company. + So a total of 157,600 men will be set apart for the camp of Dan. They will start out last. They will march under their flags. + Those are the men of Israel. They were counted in keeping with their families. The total number of all of the men who were in the camps is 603,550, company by company. + But the Levites weren't counted along with the other men of Israel. That's what the Lord had commanded Moses. + So the people of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded Moses. That's the way they set up camp under their flags. And that's the way they started out. Each man marched out with his own tribe and family. + + + Here is the story of the family of Aaron and Moses. It belongs to the time when the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai. + Aaron's oldest son was Nadab. His other sons were Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + Those were the names of Aaron's sons. They were the anointed priests. They were prepared to serve the Lord as priests. + But Nadab and Abihu made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn't allowed. So they fell dead in front of him. That happened in the Desert of Sinai. They didn't have any sons. Only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests while their father Aaron was living. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Bring the men of the tribe of Levi to the priest Aaron. They will help him. + They must work at the Tent of Meeting for Aaron and for the whole community. They must do what needs to be done at the holy tent. + They must take care of everything that is connected with the Tent of Meeting. When they do, they are acting for all of the people of Israel. + Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are the men of Israel who must be given completely to him. + "Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who approaches the sacred tent must be put to death." + The Lord also said to Moses, + "I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I have taken them in place of the oldest son who is born to each woman in Israel. The Levites belong to me. + That is because every male that is born first to a mother is mine. In Egypt I struck down all of the males that were born first. I did it when I set apart for myself every male that is born first to a mother in Israel. That is true for men and animals alike. They belong to me. I am the Lord." + The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said, + "Count the Levites by their family groups. Count every male who is a month old or more." + So Moses counted them. He did just as the word of the Lord had commanded him. + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. + The major families from Gershon were Libni and Shimei. + The major families from Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + The major families from Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Those were the major families of the Levites. + The families of Libni and Shimei belonged to the family of Gershon. + All of the males who were a month old or more were counted. There were 7,500 of them. + The families of Gershon had to camp on the west side. They had to camp behind the holy tent. + The leader of the families of Gershon was Eliasaph, the son of Lael. + Here are the duties of the families of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting. They were held accountable for taking care of the holy tent and its coverings. They took care of the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + They took care of the curtains of the courtyard. They took care of the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. The courtyard was all around the holy tent and altar. They also took care of the ropes. In fact, they had to take care of everything that was connected with the use of all of those things. + The families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel belonged to the family of Kohath. + All of the males who were a month old or more were counted. There were 8,600 of them. The families of Kohath were held accountable for taking care of the sacred tent. + They had to camp on the south side of the holy tent. + The leader of the families of Kohath was Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel. + They were held accountable for taking care of the ark of the covenant. They took care of the table for the holy bread. They took care of the lampstand and the two altars. They took care of the articles that were used for serving in the sacred tent. They also took care of the inner curtain. In fact, they had to take care of everything that was connected with the use of all of those things. + The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar. He was the son of the priest Aaron. Eleazar was appointed over those who were held accountable for taking care of the sacred tent. + The families of Mahli and Mushi belonged to the family of Merari. + All of the males who were a month old or more were counted. There were 6,200 of them. + The leader of the families of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. They had to camp on the north side of the holy tent. + They were appointed to take care of the frames of the tent. They took care of its crossbars, posts and bases. They took care of all of its supplies. In fact, they had to take care of everything that was connected with the use of all of those things. + They also took care of the posts of the courtyard that was around the holy tent. And they took care of the bases, tent stakes and ropes. + Moses, Aaron and Aaron's sons had to camp to the east of the holy tent. They had to camp toward the sunrise in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were held accountable for taking care of the sacred tent. They had to do it for the people of Israel. Anyone else who approached the tent would be put to death. + The total number of the Levites was 22,000. They were counted family by family. Every male who was a month old or more was counted. Moses and Aaron counted them, just as the Lord had commanded. + The Lord said to Moses, "Count the males among the people of Israel who were the oldest sons born in their families. Count all those who are a month old or more. Make a list of their names. + Take the Levites for me in their place. And take the livestock of the Levites in place of all of the male animals in Israel that were born first to their mothers. I am the Lord." + So Moses counted all of the oldest sons in Israel. He did just as the Lord had commanded him. + There were 22,273 of those sons who were a month old or more. They were listed by name. + The Lord also said to Moses, + "Take the Levites in place of all the males who were born first in Israel. Also take the livestock of the Levites in place of the livestock of Israel. The Levites belong to me. I am the Lord. + "But there are 273 more males who were born first in Israel than there are male Levites. + Collect two ounces of silver for each of them. Weigh it out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. + Give the silver to Aaron and his sons. It will buy the freedom of the additional sons in Israel." + So Moses collected the silver from the additional sons in Israel to buy their freedom. The Levites took the place of all of the others. + Moses collected 35 pounds of silver. It was weighed out in keeping with the weights that are used in the sacred tent. Moses collected it from the oldest sons in Israel. + He gave the silver to Aaron and his sons. He did just as the Lord had commanded him. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Count the Kohath families of the Levites. Make a list of them family by family. + Count all of the men who are from 30 to 50 years old. Those are the men who must come and serve at the Tent of Meeting. + "Here is the work the men of Kohath must do at the Tent of Meeting. They must take care of the things that are very holy. + "When the camp is ready to move, Aaron and his sons must go into the tent. They must take down the curtain that screens the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. They must cover the ark with the curtain. + Then they must cover that with the hides of sea cows. They must spread a solid blue cloth over the hides. And they must put the poles in place. + "They must spread a blue cloth over the table for the holy bread. They must put the plates, dishes and bowls on the cloth. They must also put the jars for drink offerings on it. The bread that is always kept there must remain on it. + They must spread a bright red cloth over everything. Then they must cover that with the hides of sea cows. And they must put the poles of the table in place. + "They must get a blue cloth. With it they must cover the lampstand that gives light. They must also cover its lamps, trays and wick cutters. And they must cover all of its jars. The jars are for the olive oil that is used in the lampstand. + Then Aaron and his sons must wrap the lampstand and all of the things that are used with it. They must cover it with the hides of sea cows. And they must put it on a frame to carry it. + "They must spread a blue cloth over the gold altar for burning incense. They must cover that with the hides of sea cows. And they must put the poles of the altar in place. + "They must get all of the articles that are used for serving in the sacred tent. They must wrap them in a blue cloth. They must cover that with the hides of sea cows. Then they must put the articles on a frame to carry them. + "They must remove the ashes from the bronze altar for burnt offerings. They must spread a purple cloth over it. + Then they must place all of the tools on it. The tools are used for serving at the altar. They include the pans for carrying ashes. They also include the meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Aaron and his sons must cover the altar with the hides of sea cows. And they must put its poles in place. + "Aaron and his sons must cover all of the holy articles that belong to the holy tent. Then the men of Kohath must get ready to carry everything. They must do it when the camp is ready to move. But they must not touch the holy things. If they do, they will die. The men of Kohath must carry everything that is in the Tent of Meeting. + "The priest Eleazar will be in charge of the olive oil for the light. He is the son of Aaron. Eleazar will be in charge of the sweet-smelling incense. He will be in charge of the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He will be in charge of the entire holy tent. He will also be in charge of everything that is in it. That includes all of the articles that belong to the tent." + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Make sure that the Kohath families are not cut off from the Levites. + I want them to live and not die when they come near the very holy things. So here is what you must do for them. Aaron and his sons must go into the sacred tent and tell each man what to do. They must tell each man what to carry. + But the men of Kohath must not go in and look at the holy things. They must not look at them even for a moment. If they do, they will die." + The Lord said to Moses, + "Count the Gershon families. Make a list of them family by family. + Count all of the men who are from 30 to 50 years old. Those are the men who must come and serve at the Tent of Meeting. + "Here is how the Gershon families must serve. They must carry things. + They must carry the curtains of the holy Tent of Meeting. They must carry its covering and the outside covering of the hides of sea cows. They must carry the curtains that cover the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + They must carry the curtains of the courtyard. The courtyard is all around the holy tent and altar. They must carry the curtain for the entrance. They must carry the ropes. They must also carry all of the supplies that are used for any purpose in the tent. The men of Gershon must do everything that needs to be done with those things. + "All of their work must be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. That includes carrying and everything else they do. Aaron and his sons must tell them what to carry. And that will be their work. + It is what the Gershon families must do at the Tent of Meeting. They must work under the direction of the priest Ithamar. He is the son of Aaron. + "Count the Merari families. Count them family by family. + Count all of the men who are from 30 to 50 years old. Those are the men who must come and serve at the Tent of Meeting. + "Here is the work they must do at the Tent of Meeting. They must carry the frames of the holy tent. They must carry its crossbars, posts and bases. + They must also carry the posts of the courtyard. The courtyard is all around the holy tent. And they must carry the bases for the posts as well as their tent stakes and ropes. They must also carry all of the supplies and everything that is connected with their use. Tell each man exactly what to carry. + That is the work the Merari families must do at the Tent of Meeting. They must work under the direction of the priest Ithamar. He is the son of Aaron." + Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the men of Kohath. They counted them family by family. + They counted all of the men who were from 30 to 50 years old. Those were the men who came and served at the Tent of Meeting. + There were 2,750 men. They were counted family by family. + That was the total of all of the men in the Kohath families who served at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them. They did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses. + The men of Gershon were counted family by family. + All of the men who were from 30 to 50 years old were counted. They were the men who came and served at the Tent of Meeting. + There were 2,630 men. They were counted family by family. + That was the total of the men in the Gershon families who served at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them. They did just as the Lord had commanded. + The men of Merari were counted family by family. + All of the men who were from 30 to 50 years old were counted. They were the men who came and served at the Tent of Meeting. + There were 3,200 men. They were counted family by family. + That was the total of the men in the Merari families. Moses and Aaron counted them. They did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses. + So Moses and Aaron counted all of the Levites. The leaders of Israel helped them. They counted the Levites family by family. + All of the men who were from 30 to 50 years old were counted. They were the men who came and served at the Tent of Meeting. They were also supposed to carry it. + The total number of men was 8,580. + Everything was done as the Lord had commanded through Moses. Each man was given his work. And each one was told what to carry. So they were counted, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Tell the Israelites that certain people must be sent away from the camp. Command them to send away anyone who has a skin disease. They must send away all those who have a liquid waste coming from their bodies. And they must send away those who are not 'clean' because they have touched a dead body. + That applies to men and women alike. Send them out of the camp. They must not make their camp 'unclean.' That is where I live among them." + So the people of Israel did what the Lord commanded. They sent those who were not "clean" out of the camp. They did just as the Lord had directed Moses. + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'Suppose a man or woman does something wrong to someone else. Then that person is not being faithful to the Lord. People like that are guilty. + " 'They must admit they have committed a sin. They must pay in full for what they did wrong. And they must add a fifth to it. Then they must give all of it to the person they have sinned against. + " 'But suppose the person has died. And suppose there is not a close relative who can be paid for the sin that was committed. Then what is paid belongs to the Lord. It must be given to the priest. A ram must be given along with it. The ram must be sacrificed to the Lord to pay for the sin. + " 'All of the sacred gifts the people of Israel bring to a priest will belong to him. + Sacred gifts belong to the man who gives them. But what he gives to a priest will belong to the priest.' " + Then the Lord spoke to Moses again. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'Suppose a man's wife goes down the wrong path. And suppose she is not faithful to him. + She has sex with another man. And suppose what she has done is hidden from her husband. No one knows she is not "clean." So there is no witness against her. And she has not been caught in the act. + " 'Suppose her husband becomes jealous. He does not trust his wife, and she is really not "clean." Or suppose he does not trust her even though she is "clean." + Then he must take his wife to the priest. " 'He must also bring an offering. It must be eight cups of barley flour. The offering is for his wife. He must not pour olive oil on it. And he must not put incense on it. It is a grain offering for being jealous. It calls attention to a person's guilt. + " 'The priest must have her stand in front of the Lord. + He must pour some holy water into a clay jar. He must get some dust from the floor of the holy tent. And he must put it into the water. + The priest must have the woman stand in front of the Lord. Then he must untie her hair. He must place in her hands the offering that calls attention to a person's guilt. It is the grain offering for being jealous. The priest must keep the bitter water with him. It is the water that brings a curse. + " 'Then the priest must have the woman take an oath. He must say to her, "Suppose no other man has had sex with you. And suppose you haven't gone down the wrong path. You have kept yourself pure while you are married to your husband. Then may the bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. + But suppose you have gone down the wrong path while you are married to your husband. You have made yourself 'unclean.' You have had sex with a man who isn't your husband." + " 'At that point the priest must put the woman under the curse of the oath. He must say, "May the Lord cause your people to call a curse down on you. May he cause them to speak against you. May they do it when the Lord makes your body unable to have children. + May this water that brings a curse enter your body. May it make your body unable to have children." " 'Then the woman must say, "Amen. Let it happen." + " 'The priest must write the curses on a scroll. He must wash them off in the bitter water. + It is the water he will have the woman drink. It is bitter water that brings a curse. It will enter her body. And it will cause her to suffer bitterly. + " 'The priest must take from her hands the grain offering for being jealous. He must lift it up and wave it in front of the Lord. He must bring it to the altar. + Then the priest must take a handful of the grain offering. It is the offering that calls attention to a person's guilt. He must burn it on the altar. After that, he must have the woman drink the water. + " 'Suppose she has made herself "unclean." She has not been faithful to her husband. And she has drunk the water that brings a curse. Then it will go into her body. It will cause her to suffer bitterly. It will make her body unable to have children. Her people will call a curse down on her. + " 'But suppose the woman has not made herself "unclean." And suppose she is free from anything that is not "clean." Then she will be free of guilt. And she will be able to have children. + " 'That is the law about being jealous. It applies to a woman who has gone down the wrong path. She has made herself "unclean" while she is married to her husband. + And it applies to a man who becomes jealous. He has doubts about his wife. The priest must have her stand in front of the Lord. He must apply the entire law to her. + The husband will not be guilty of doing anything wrong. But the woman will be punished for her sin.' " + + + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'Suppose a man or woman wants to make a special promise. They want to set themselves apart to the Lord for a certain period of time. They want to be Nazirites. + " 'Then they must not drink any kind of wine. They must not drink vinegar that is made out of wine of any kind. They must not drink grape juice. They must not eat grapes or raisins. + As long as they are Nazirites, they must not eat anything grapevines produce. They must not even eat the seeds or skins of grapes. + " 'They must not use razors on their heads. They must not cut their hair during the whole time they have set themselves apart to the Lord. They must be holy until that time is over. They must let the hair on their heads grow long. + And they must not go near a dead body during that whole time. + " 'But what if their father or mother dies? Or what if their brother or sister dies? Then they must not make themselves "unclean" because of them. The hair on their heads shows they are set apart for God. + During the whole time they are set apart they are holy to the Lord. + " 'Suppose someone dies suddenly in front of them. That makes the hair they have set apart to the Lord "unclean." So they must shave their heads on the day they will be made "clean." That is the seventh day. + " 'Then on the eighth day they must bring two doves. Or they can bring two young pigeons. They must bring them to the priest. He will be at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + The priest must offer one of the birds as a sin offering. And he must offer the other as a burnt offering. The sacrifices will pay for the sin of the Nazirite man or woman. They sinned by being near a dead body. That same day they must set their heads apart as holy. + " 'They must set themselves apart to the Lord again. They must do it for the same period of time they had agreed to at first. And they must bring a male lamb that is a year old as a guilt offering. The days before that day do not count. That is because they became "unclean" during the time they were set apart. + " 'The time when the Nazirites are set apart will come to an end. Here is the law that applies to them at that time. They must be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + " 'There they must sacrifice their offerings to the Lord. They must bring a male lamb that is a year old. It must not have any flaws. It is for a burnt offering. Then they must bring a female lamb that is a year old. It must not have any flaws. It is for a sin offering. And they must bring a ram that does not have any flaws. It is for a friendship offering. + " 'They must sacrifice the offerings together with their grain offerings and drink offerings. And they must also bring a basket of bread that is made without yeast. The offering must include flat cakes that are made out of fine flour mixed with olive oil. And it must include wafers that are spread with oil. + " 'The priest must bring all of those things to the Lord. He must sacrifice the sin offering and the burnt offering. + He must bring the basket of bread that is made without yeast. And he must sacrifice the ram. It will be a friendship offering to the Lord. The priest must bring it together with its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'Then the Nazirites must shave off the hair they had set apart to the Lord. They must do it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And they must put the hair in the fire that burns the sacrifice of the friendship offering. + " 'After the Nazirites have shaved off their hair, the priest must take a boiled shoulder of the ram. He must remove a cake and a wafer from the basket. They must be made without yeast. And he must place the shoulder and the bread in the hands of the Nazirites. + " 'Then he must lift up the shoulder and bread and wave them in front of the Lord. They are a wave offering. They are holy. They belong to the priest. The breast that was waved belongs to him. The thigh that was offered belongs to him too. After the offering is waved, the Nazirites can drink wine. + " 'That is the law of the Nazirites. They promise to sacrifice offerings to the Lord. They do it when they set themselves apart. And they should bring anything else they can afford. They must carry out the promises they have made. They must do it in keeping with the law of the Nazirites.' " + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'Here is how I want you to bless the people of Israel. Say to them, + " ' "May the Lord bless you and take good care of you. + May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. + May the Lord look on you with favor and give you his peace." ' + "In that way they will put the blessing of my name on the people of Israel. And I will bless them." + + + Moses finished setting up the holy tent. Then he anointed it with olive oil. He set it apart to the Lord. He did the same thing with everything that belonged to it. He also anointed the altar. And he set apart to the Lord the altar and all of its tools. + Then the leaders of Israel brought their offerings. The leaders were the heads of the families. They were the leaders of the tribes. They were in charge of the men who had been counted. + They brought gifts to the Lord. They brought six covered carts and 12 oxen. Each leader gave an ox. And every two leaders gave a cart. They put their gifts in front of the holy tent. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Accept the gifts from the leaders. I want their gifts to be used in the work at the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites. They need them to do their work." + So Moses gave the carts and the oxen to the Levites. + He gave two carts and four oxen to the men from the family of Gershon. They needed them to do their work. + He gave four carts and eight oxen to the men from the family of Merari. They needed them to do their work. All of those men were under the direction of the priest Ithamar, the son of Aaron. + But Moses didn't give any carts or oxen to the men from the family of Kohath. They had to carry the holy things on their shoulders. They were accountable for the holy things. + When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings. They placed them in front of the altar. They brought their offerings to set the altar apart. + The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, "Each day one leader must bring his offering. He must bring it to set the altar apart." + On the first day Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, brought his offering. Nahshon was from the tribe of Judah. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Nahshon brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, brought as his offering. + On the second day Nethanel, the son of Zuar, brought his offering. Nethanel was the leader of the tribe of Issachar. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The silver plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. Both were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Nethanel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Nethanel, the son of Zuar, brought as his offering. + On the third day Eliab, the son of Helon, brought his offering. Eliab was the leader of the people of Zebulun. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Eliab brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Eliab, the son of Helon, brought as his offering. + On the fourth day Elizur, the son of Shedeur, brought his offering. Elizur was the leader of the people of Reuben. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Elizur brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Elizur, the son of Shedeur, brought as his offering. + On the fifth day Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, brought his offering. Shelumiel was the leader of the people of Simeon. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl were filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Shelumiel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, brought as his offering. + On the sixth day Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, brought his offering. Eliasaph was the leader of the people of Gad. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Eliasaph brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, brought as his offering. + On the seventh day Elishama, the son of Ammihud, brought his offering. Elishama was the leader of the people of Ephraim. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Elishama brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Elishama, the son of Ammihud, brought as his offering. + On the eighth day Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, brought his offering. Gamaliel was the leader of the people of Manasseh. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He also brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Gamaliel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, brought as his offering. + On the ninth day Abidan, the son of Gideoni, brought his offering. Abidan was the leader of the people of Benjamin. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Abidan brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Abidan, the son of Gideoni, brought as his offering. + On the tenth day Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, brought his offering. Ahiezer was the leader of the people of Dan. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Ahiezer brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, brought as his offering. + On the eleventh day Pagiel, the son of Ocran, brought his offering. Pagiel was the leader of the people of Asher. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Pagiel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Pagiel, the son of Ocran, brought as his offering. + On the twelfth day Ahira, the son of Enan, brought his offering. Ahira was the leader of the people of Naphtali. + He brought one silver plate and one silver sprinkling bowl. The plate weighed three pounds four ounces. The sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. They were weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Each plate and bowl was filled with fine flour that was mixed with olive oil. It was a grain offering. + He brought one gold dish. It weighed four ounces. It was filled with incense. + Ahira brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb that was a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. + He brought one male goat to be sacrificed as a sin offering. + He brought two oxen, five rams and five male goats. He also brought five male lambs that were a year old. All of them would be sacrificed as a friendship offering. That was everything that Ahira, the son of Enan, brought as his offering. + Those were the offerings the leaders of the people of Israel brought. They gave them to set the altar apart when it was anointed with olive oil. They gave 12 silver plates, 12 silver sprinkling bowls and 12 gold dishes. + Each silver plate weighed three pounds four ounces. Each sprinkling bowl weighed one pound 12 ounces. The total weight of the silver dishes was 60 pounds. Everything was weighed in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. + Each of the 12 gold dishes weighed four ounces. They were filled with incense. They were weighed in keeping with the weights used in the sacred tent. The total weight of the gold dishes was three pounds. + The leaders brought 12 young bulls, 12 rams and 12 male lambs that were a year old. That was the total number of animals they gave for the burnt offering. They gave them together with the grain offering. They brought 12 male goats for the sin offering. + The leaders brought 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats and 60 male lambs that were a year old. That was the total number of animals that were sacrificed as the friendship offering. Those were the offerings they brought to set the altar apart. The leaders brought them after the altar was anointed with oil. + Moses entered the Tent of Meeting. He wanted to speak with the Lord. There Moses heard the Lord talking to him. The Lord's voice was speaking to him from between the two cherubim. The cherubim were over the place where sin is paid for. It was the cover on the ark where the tablets of the covenant were kept. The Lord spoke with Moses there. + + + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to Aaron. Say to him, 'Set up the seven lamps. They will give light to the area that is in front of the lampstand.' " + So Aaron did it. He set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand. He did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The lampstand was made out of hammered gold. From its base to its blooms it was made out of hammered gold. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Take the Levites from among the other men of Israel. Make them 'clean' in the usual way. + Here is how to make them pure. Sprinkle the special water on them. Then have them shave their whole bodies. Also have them wash their clothes. That is how they will make themselves pure. + "Have them get a young bull along with its grain offering. The offering must be made out of fine flour mixed with olive oil. Then you must get a second young bull. You must sacrifice it as a sin offering. + "Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting. Gather the whole community of Israel together. + You must bring the Levites to me. The men of Israel must place their hands on them. + Aaron must bring the Levites to me. They are a wave offering from the people of Israel. That is how they will be set apart to do my work. + "I want the Levites to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. Then they must sacrifice one bull as a sin offering to me. And they must sacrifice the other as a burnt offering. The blood of the bulls will pay for the sin of the Levites. + "Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then give them as a wave offering to me. + That is how I want you to set the Levites apart from the other men of Israel. The Levites will belong to me. + "Make the Levites pure. Give them to me as a wave offering. Then they must come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. + They are the men of Israel who will be given to me completely. I have taken them to be my own. I have taken them in place of every son who is born first in his family in Israel. + "Every male that is born first in Israel belongs to me. That is true whether it is a man or an animal. I struck down all of the males that were born first to a mother in Egypt. Then I set apart for myself all of the males that were born first in Israel. + And I have taken the Levites in place of all of the sons who are born first in Israel. + "I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons. I have taken them from all of the men of Israel. I have appointed them to do the work at the Tent of Meeting. They will do it in place of the men of Israel. "That is how they will keep the men of Israel from being guilty when they go near the sacred tent. Then no plague will strike the people of Israel when they go near the tent." + So Moses and Aaron and the whole community of Israel did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The Levites made themselves pure. They washed their clothes. Then Aaron gave them to the Lord as a wave offering. That's how he paid for their sin to make them pure. + After that, the Levites came to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. They worked under the direction of Aaron and his sons. And so Moses and Aaron and the whole community of Israel did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Here is what the Levites must do. Men who are 25 years old or more must come and take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting. + "But when they reach the age of 50, they must not work any longer. They must stop doing their regular work. + They can help their brothers with their duties at the Tent of Meeting. But they themselves should not do the work. That is how you must direct the Levites to do their work." + + + The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first month of the second year after the people came out of Egypt. He said, + "Tell the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast. Have them do it at the appointed time. + Celebrate it when the sun goes down on the 14th day of this month. Obey all of its rules and laws." + So Moses told the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast. + They did it in the Desert of Sinai. They celebrated it when the sun went down on the 14th day of the first month. The people of Israel did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover Feast on that day. That's because they weren't "clean." They had gone near a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day. + They said to Moses, "We went near a dead body. So we aren't 'clean.' But why should we be kept from bringing the Lord's offering at the appointed time? Why shouldn't we bring it along with the other people of Israel?" + Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the Lord wants you to do." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Tell the people of Israel, 'Suppose any of you or your children are not "clean" because you have gone near a dead body. Or suppose you are away on a journey. You can still celebrate the Lord's Passover. + " 'I want you to celebrate it on the 14th day of the second month. You have to do it when the sun goes down. You have to eat the lamb together with bread that is made without yeast. Eat it with bitter plants. + Do not leave any of it until morning. Do not break any of its bones. When you celebrate the Passover Feast, follow all of the rules. + " 'But suppose a man is "clean." He is not on a journey. And he fails to celebrate the Passover Feast. Then he must be cut off from the community of Israel. He did not bring the Lord's offering at the appointed time. He will be punished for his sin. + " 'What if there is an outsider living among you? And what if he wants to celebrate the Lord's Passover? Then he must obey its rules and laws. You must have the same laws for outsiders as you do for the people of Israel.' " + The holy tent was set up. It was the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. On the day it was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening until morning the cloud that was above the tent looked like fire. + That's what continued to happen. The cloud covered the tent. At night the cloud looked like fire. + When the cloud lifted from its place above the tent, the people of Israel started out. Where the cloud settled, the people of Israel camped. + When the Lord gave the command, the people of Israel started out. And when he gave the command, they camped. As long as the cloud stayed above the holy tent, they remained in camp. + Sometimes the cloud remained above the tent for a long time. Then the people of Israel obeyed the Lord's order. They didn't start out. + Sometimes the cloud was above the tent for only a few days. When the Lord would give the command, they would camp. Then when he would give the command, they would start out. + Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they started out. It didn't matter whether it was day or night. When the cloud lifted, the people started out. + It didn't matter whether the cloud stayed above the holy tent for two days or a month or a year. The people of Israel would remain in camp. They wouldn't start out. But when the cloud lifted, they would start out. + When the Lord gave the command, they camped. And when he gave the command, they started out. They obeyed the Lord's order. They obeyed him, just as he had commanded them through Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. Blow them when you want the community to gather together. And blow them when you want the camps to start out. + When both trumpets are blown, the whole community must gather in front of you. They must come to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Suppose only one trumpet is blown. Then the leaders must gather in front of you. They are the heads of the tribes of Israel. + When a trumpet blast is blown, the tribes that are camped on the east side must start out. + When the second blast is blown, the camps on the south side must start out. The blast will tell them when to start. + Blow the trumpets to gather the people together. But do not use the same kind of blast. + "The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets. That is a law for you and your children after you for all time to come. + Suppose you go into battle in your own land. And suppose it is against an enemy who is beating you down. Then blow a blast on the trumpets. If you do, I will remember you. I will save you from your enemies. I am the Lord your God. + You must also blow the trumpets when you are happy. Blow them at your appointed feasts. Blow them at your New Moon Feasts. Blow them when you sacrifice your burnt offerings. Blow them when you sacrifice your friendship offerings. They will remind me of you. I am the Lord your God." + It was the 20th day of the second month of the second year. On that day the cloud began to move. It went up from above the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. + Then the people of Israel started out from the Desert of Sinai. They traveled from place to place. They kept going until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. + The first time they started out, the Lord commanded Moses to tell them to do it. And they did it. + The companies of the camp of Judah went first. They went out under their flag. Nahshon was their commander. He was the son of Amminadab. + Nethanel was over the company of the tribe of Issachar. Nethanel was the son of Zuar. + Eliab was over the company of the tribe of Zebulun. Eliab was the son of Helon. + The holy tent was taken down. The men of Gershon and Merari started out. They carried the tent. + The companies of the camp of Reuben went next. They went out under their flag. Elizur was their commander. He was the son of Shedeur. + Shelumiel was over the company of the tribe of Simeon. Shelumiel was the son of Zurishaddai. + Eliasaph was over the company of the tribe of Gad. Eliasaph was the son of Deuel. + The men of Kohath started out. They carried the holy things. The holy tent had to be set up before they arrived. + The companies of the camp of Ephraim went next. They went out under their flag. Elishama was their commander. He was the son of Ammihud. + Gamaliel was over the company of the tribe of Manasseh. Gamaliel was the son of Pedahzur. + Abidan was over the company of the tribe of Benjamin. Abidan was the son of Gideoni. + Finally, the companies of the camp of Dan started out. They marched out under their flag. They followed behind all of the other companies and guarded them. Ahiezer was their commander. He was the son of Ammishaddai. + Pagiel was over the company of the tribe of Asher. Pagiel was the son of Ocran. + Ahira was over the company of the tribe of Naphtali. Ahira was the son of Enan. + As the companies of Israel started out, that was the order they marched in. + Moses spoke to Hobab, the son of Reuel. Reuel was Moses' father-in-law. Reuel was from Midian. Moses said to Hobab, "We're starting out for the place the Lord promised to us. He said to us, 'I will give it to you.' So come with us. We'll treat you well. The Lord has promised to give good things to Israel." + Hobab answered, "No. I can't go. I'm going back to my own land. I'm returning to my own people." + But Moses said, "Please don't leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert. You can be our guide. + So come with us. The Lord will give us good things. We'll share them with you." + So they started out from the mountain of the Lord. They traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord went in front of them during those three days. It went ahead of them to find a place for them to rest. + They started out from the camp by day. And the cloud of the Lord was above them. + When the ark started out, Moses said, "Lord, rise up! Let your enemies be scattered. Let them run away from you." + When the ark came to rest, Moses said, "Lord, return. Return to the many thousands of people in Israel." + + + The people weren't happy about the hard times they were having. The Lord heard what they were saying. It made him burn with anger. Then the Lord sent fire on them. It blazed out among the people. It burned up some of the outer edges of the camp. + The people cried out to Moses. Then he prayed to the Lord. And the fire died down. + So that place was named Taberah. That's because fire from the Lord had blazed out among them there. + Some people who were with them began to long for other food. Again the people of Israel began to cry out. They said, "We wish we had meat to eat. + We remember the fish we ate in Egypt. It didn't cost us anything. We also remember the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. + But now we've lost all interest in eating. We never see anything but this manna!" + The manna was like coriander seeds. It looked like sap from a tree. + The people went around gathering it. Then they ground it in a small mill they held in their hands. Or they crushed it in a stone bowl. They cooked it in a pot. Or they made cakes out of it. It tasted like something made with olive oil. + When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna also came down. + Moses heard people from every family crying. They were sobbing at the entrances to their tents. The Lord burned with hot anger. So Moses became troubled. + He asked the Lord, "Why have you brought this trouble on me? Why aren't you pleased with me? Why have you loaded me down with the troubles of all of these people? + "Am I like a mother to them? Are they my children? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms? Do I have to carry them the way a nurse carries a baby? Do I have to carry them to the land you promised? You took an oath and promised the land to their people of long ago. + "Where can I get meat for all of these people? They keep crying out to me. They say, 'Give us meat to eat!' + I can't carry all of these people by myself. The load is too heavy for me. + "Is this how you are going to treat me? If you are pleased with me, just put me to death right now. Don't let me live if I have to see myself destroyed anyway." + The Lord said to Moses, "Bring me 70 of Israel's elders. Bring men that you know are leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting. I want them to stand there with you. + I will come down. I will speak with you there. I will take some of my Spirit that is on you. And I will put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the people's load. Then you will not have to carry it alone. + "Tell the people, 'Set yourselves apart for tomorrow. At that time you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you cried out. You said, "We wish we had meat to eat. We were better off in Egypt." " 'Now the Lord will give you meat. And you will eat it. + You will not eat it for just one or two days. You will not eat it for just five, ten or 20 days. + Instead, you will eat it for a whole month. You will eat it until it comes out of your nose. You will eat it until you hate it. " 'The Lord is among you. But you have turned your back on him. You have cried out while he was listening. You have said, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" ' " + But Moses said, "Here I am among 600,000 men on the march. And you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month'! + Would they have enough if flocks and herds were killed for them? Would they have enough even if all of the fish in the ocean were caught for them?" + The Lord answered Moses, "Am I not strong enough? Now you will see whether what I say will come true for you." + So Moses went out. He told the people what the Lord had said. He gathered 70 of their elders together. He had them stand around the Tent of Meeting. + Then the Lord came down in the cloud. He spoke with Moses. He took some of his Spirit that was on Moses. And he put the Spirit on the 70 elders. When the Spirit came on them, they prophesied. But they didn't do it again. + Two men had remained in the camp. Their names were Eldad and Medad. They were listed among the elders. But they didn't go out to the Tent of Meeting. In spite of that, the Spirit came on them too. So they prophesied in the camp. + A young man ran up to Moses. He said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." + Joshua spoke up. He was the son of Nun. Joshua had been Moses' helper from the time he was young. He said, "Moses! Please stop them!" + But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for me? I wish that all of the Lord's people were prophets. And I wish that the Lord would put his Spirit on them." + Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. + The Lord sent out a wind. It drove quail in from the Red Sea. It brought them down all around the camp. They were about three feet above the ground. They could be seen in every direction as far as a person could walk in a day. + The people went out all day and gathered quail. They gathered them all night and all the next day. No one gathered less than 60 bushels. Then they spread the quail out all around the camp. + But while the meat was still in their mouths, the Lord acted. Before the people could swallow it, his anger burned against them. He struck them with a terrible plague. + So the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah. That's where the bodies of the people who had longed for other food were buried. + From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth. And they stayed there. + + + Miriam and Aaron began to say bad things about Moses. That's because Moses had married a woman from Cush. + "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" The Lord heard what they said. + Moses wasn't very proud at all. In fact, he had less pride than anyone else on the face of the earth. + The Lord spoke to Moses, Aaron and Miriam. He said, "All three of you, come out to the Tent of Meeting." So they did. + Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud. He stood at the entrance to the tent. And he told Aaron and Miriam to come to him. Both of them stepped forward. + Then the Lord said, "Listen to my words. "Suppose one of my prophets is among you. I make myself known to him in visions. I speak to him in dreams. + But that is not true of my servant Moses. He is faithful in everything he does in my house. + With Moses I speak face to face. I speak with him clearly. I do not speak in riddles. I let him see something of what I look like. So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" + The anger of the Lord burned against them. And he left them. + When the cloud went up from above the tent, there stood Miriam. She had a disease that made her skin as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her. He saw that she had a skin disease. + So he said to Moses, "We have committed a very foolish sin. Please don't hold it against us. + Don't let Miriam be like a baby that was born dead. Don't let her look like a dead baby whose body is half eaten away." + So Moses cried out to the Lord. He said, "God, please heal her!" + The Lord answered Moses. He said, "Suppose her father had spit in her face. Then she would have been put to shame for seven days. So keep her outside the camp for seven days. After that, you can bring her back." + So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days. The people didn't move on until she was brought back. + After that, the people left Hazeroth. They camped in the Desert of Paran. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Send some men to check out the land of Canaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel. Send one leader from each of Israel's tribes." + So Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. He sent them as the Lord had commanded. All of them were leaders of the people of Israel. + Here are their names. There was Shammua from the tribe of Reuben. Shammua was the son of Zaccur. + There was Shaphat from the tribe of Simeon. Shaphat was the son of Hori. + There was Caleb from the tribe of Judah. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh. + There was Igal from the tribe of Issachar. Igal was the son of Joseph. + There was Hoshea from the tribe of Ephraim. Hoshea was the son of Nun. + There was Palti from the tribe of Benjamin. Palti was the son of Raphu. + There was Gaddiel from the tribe of Zebulun. Gaddiel was the son of Sodi. + There was Gaddi from the tribe of Manasseh. Gaddi was the son of Susi. Manasseh was a tribe of Joseph. + There was Ammiel from the tribe of Dan. Ammiel was the son of Gemalli. + There was Sethur from the tribe of Asher. Sethur was the son of Michael. + There was Nahbi from the tribe of Naphtali. Nahbi was the son of Vophsi. + There was Geuel from the tribe of Gad. Geuel was the son of Maki. + Those are the men Moses sent to check out the land. He gave the name Joshua to Hoshea, the son of Nun. + Moses sent them to check out Canaan. He said, "Go up through the Negev Desert. Go on into the central hill country. + See what the land is like. See whether the people who live there are strong or weak. See whether they are few or many. + "What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Do the towns have high walls around them or not? + How is the soil? Is it rich land or poor land? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." It was the season for the first ripe grapes. + So the men went up and checked out the land. They went from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob. It was in the direction of Lebo Hamath. + They went up through the Negev Desert and came to Hebron. That's where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai lived. They belonged to the family line of Anak. Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan. Zoan was a city in Egypt. + The men came to the Valley of Eshcol. There they cut off a branch that had a single bunch of grapes on it. Two of them carried it on a pole between them. They carried some pomegranates and figs along with it. + That place was called the Valley of Eshcol. That's because the men of Israel cut off a bunch of grapes there. + At the end of 40 days, the men returned from checking out the land. + The men came back to Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel. The people were at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There the men reported to Moses and Aaron and all of the people. They showed them the fruit of the land. + They gave Moses their report. They said, "We went into the land you sent us to. It really does have plenty of milk and honey! Here's some fruit from the land. + "But the people who live there are powerful. Their cities have high walls around them and are very large. We even saw members of the family line of Anak there. + The Amalekites live in the Negev Desert. The Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the central hill country. The Canaanites live near the Mediterranean Sea. They also live along the Jordan River." + Then Caleb interrupted the men who were speaking to Moses. He said, "We should go up and take the land. We can certainly do it." + But the men who had gone up with him spoke. They said, "We can't attack those people. They are stronger than we are." + The men spread a bad report about the land among the people of Israel. They said, "The land we checked out destroys those who live in it. All of the people we saw there are very big and tall. + We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes. And that's also how we seemed to them." The children of Anak came from the Nephilim. + + + That night all of the people in the community raised their voices. They sobbed out loud. + The people of Israel spoke against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, "We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this desert. + Why is the Lord bringing us to this land? We're going to be killed with swords. Our enemies will capture our wives and children. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" + They said to one another, "We should choose another leader. We should go back to Egypt." + Then Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground. They did it in front of the whole community of Israel that was gathered there. + Joshua, the son of Nun, tore his clothes. So did Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. Joshua and Caleb were two of the men who had checked out the land. + They spoke to the whole community of Israel. They said, "We passed through the land and checked it out. It's very good. + If the Lord is pleased with us, he'll lead us into that land. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He'll give it to us. + "But don't refuse to obey him. And don't be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The Lord is with us. So nothing can save them. Don't be afraid of them." + But all of the people talked about killing Joshua and Caleb by throwing stones at them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting. All of the people of Israel saw it. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "How long will these people make fun of me? How long will they refuse to believe in me? They refuse even though I have done many miraculous signs among them. + So I will strike them down with a plague. I will destroy them. But I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than they are." + Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear about it. You used your power to bring these people up from among them. + "And the Egyptians will tell the people who live in Canaan about it. Lord, they have already heard a lot about you. They've heard that you are with these people. They've heard that you have been seen face to face. They've been told that your cloud stays over them. They've heard that you go in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day. They've been told that you go in front of them in a pillar of fire at night. + "Suppose you put these people to death all at one time. Then the nations who have heard those things about you will talk. They'll say, + "The Lord took an oath. He promised to give these people the land of Canaan. But he wasn't able to bring them into it. So he killed them in the desert.' + "Now, Lord, show your strength. You have said, + "I am the Lord. I am slow to get angry. I am full of love. I forgive those who sin. I forgive those who refuse to obey. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I punish the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sin of their parents.' + "Lord, your love is great. So forgive the sin of these people. Forgive them just as you have done from the time they left Egypt until now." + The Lord replied, "I have forgiven them, just as you asked. + You can be sure that I live. You can be sure that my glory fills the whole earth. + "And you can be just as sure that these men will not see the land I promised to give them. They have seen my glory. They have seen the miraculous signs I did in Egypt. And they have seen what I did in the desert. But they did not obey me. And they have put me to the test ten times. + So not even one of them will ever see the land I promised with an oath to give to their people of long ago. No one who has made fun of me will ever see it. + "But my servant Caleb has a different spirit. He follows me with his whole heart. So I will bring him into the land he went to. And his children after him will receive land there. + "The Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys. So turn back tomorrow. Start out toward the desert. Go along the way that leads to the Red Sea." + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "How long will this evil community speak against me? I have heard these Israelites talk about how unhappy they are. + So tell them, 'Here is what I, the Lord, am announcing. You can be sure that I live. And you can be just as sure that I will do to you the very things that I heard you say. + " 'You will die in this desert. Every one of you who is 20 years old or more will die. Every one of you who was counted in the list of the people will die. Every one of you who has spoken out against me will be wiped out. + I lifted up my hand and promised with an oath to make this land your home. But now not all of you will enter the land. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, will enter it. So will Joshua, the son of Nun. They are the only ones who will enter the land. + " 'You have said that your enemies would capture your children. But I will bring your children in to enjoy the land you have turned your backs on. + As for you, you will die in the desert. + Your children will be shepherds here for 40 years. They will suffer because you were not faithful. They will suffer until the last of your bodies lies here in the desert. + For 40 years you will suffer for your sins. That is one year for each of the 40 days you checked out the land. You will know what it is like to have me against you.' + "I, the Lord, have spoken. You can be sure that I will do those things to this whole evil community. They have joined together against me. They will meet their end in this desert. They will die here." + So the Lord struck down the men Moses had sent to check out the land. They had returned and had spread a bad report about the land. And that had made the whole community speak out against Moses. + Those men were to blame for spreading the bad report. So the Lord struck them down. They died of a plague. + Only two of the men who went to check out the land remained alive. One of them was Joshua, the son of Nun. The other was Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. + Moses reported to all of the people of Israel what the Lord had said. And they became very sad. + Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the Lord promised to give us." + But Moses said, "Why aren't you obeying the Lord's command? You won't succeed. + So don't go up. The Lord isn't with you. Your enemies will win the battle over you. + The Amalekites and Canaanites will meet you on the field of battle. You have turned away from the Lord. So he won't be with you. And you will be killed with swords." + But they wouldn't listen. They still went up toward the high hill country. They went up even though Moses didn't move from the camp. They went even though the ark of the Lord's covenant didn't move from the camp. + Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down. They attacked the people of Israel. They won the battle over them. They chased them all the way to Hormah. + + + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am giving you as a home. + When you do, you will give offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. The animals must come from your herd or flock. The offerings will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. They can be either burnt offerings or sacrifices. They can be either for special promises or for feast offerings. Or they can be for offerings you choose to give. + " 'With each of the offerings, the one who brings it must give the Lord a grain offering. It must be eight cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with a quart of olive oil. + Also prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering. You must give it with each lamb that you bring for the burnt offering or the sacrifice. + " 'With a ram prepare a grain offering. It must be 16 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two and a half pints of olive oil. + You must bring two and a half pints of wine as a drink offering. Offer everything as a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'Suppose you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice. You prepare it to keep a special promise to the Lord. Or you prepare it to give as a friendship offering. + Then bring a grain offering with the bull. The grain offering must be 24 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two quarts of olive oil. + Also bring two quarts of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering that is made with fire. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'Each bull or ram must be prepared in the same way. Each lamb or young goat must also be prepared in that way. + Do it for each animal. Do it for as many animals as you prepare. + " 'Everyone in Israel must do those things in that way. He must do them when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'Everyone must always do what the law requires. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or someone else who is living among you. He must do exactly as you do when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'The community must have the same rules for you and for the outsider who is living among you. That law will last for all time to come. In the sight of the Lord, the law applies to you and the outsider alike. + The same laws and rules will apply to you and to the outsider who is living among you.' " + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am taking you to. + You will eat its food. When you do, bring part of it as an offering to the Lord. + Bring a loaf that is made from the first flour you grind. Give it as an offering from the threshing floor. + You must bring the offering to the Lord. You must give it from the first grain you grind. You must do it for all time to come. + " 'Suppose you fail to keep any of the commands the Lord gave Moses. And suppose you do it without meaning to. + That applies to any of the commands the Lord told Moses to give you. And they are in effect from the day the Lord gave them and for all time to come. + Suppose the community sins without meaning to. And suppose they do not know they have sinned. Then the whole community must offer a young bull. They must offer it for a burnt offering. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Along with it, they must offer its required grain offering and drink offering. They must also offer a male goat for a sin offering. + " 'With it the priest will pay for the sin of the whole community of Israel. Then they will be forgiven. They did not mean to commit that sin. And they have brought to the Lord an offering that is made with fire for the wrong thing they did. They have brought a sin offering with it. + " 'The Lord will forgive the whole community of Israel and the outsiders living among them. All of the people had a part in the sin, even though they did not mean to do it. + " 'But suppose just one person sins without meaning to. Then he must bring a female goat for a sin offering. It must be a year old. + With it the priest will pay for the person's sin in the sight of the Lord. He will do it for the one who did wrong by sinning without meaning to. When the sin is paid for, that person will be forgiven. + " 'The same law applies to everyone who sins without meaning to. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. + " 'But suppose someone sins on purpose. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. He speaks evil things against the Lord. He must be cut off from his people. + He has made fun of what the Lord has said. He has broken the Lord's commands. He must certainly be cut off. He is still guilty.' " + The people of Israel were in the desert. One Sabbath day, people saw a man gathering wood. + They brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community. + They kept him under guard. It wasn't clear what should be done to him. + Then the Lord said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. They must do it outside the camp." + So the people took the man outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You must make tassels on the corners of your clothes. A blue cord must be on each tassel. You must do it for all time to come. + You will have the tassels to look at. They will remind you to obey all of the Lord's commands. Then you will be faithful to him. You will not go after what your own hearts and eyes long for. + " 'You will remember to obey all of my commands. And you will be set apart for your God. + I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.' " + + + Korah was the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath. Kohath was the son of Levi. Korah and certain men from the tribe of Reuben turned against Moses. The men from Reuben were Dathan, Abiram and On. Dathan and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. On was the son of Peleth. + All of those men rose up against Moses. And 250 men of Israel joined them. All of them were known as leaders in the community. They had been appointed as members of the ruling body. + They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron. They said to Moses and Aaron, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy. Every one in it is holy. And the Lord is with them. So why do you put yourselves above the Lord's people?" + When Moses heard what they said, he fell with his face to the ground. + Then he spoke to Korah and all of his followers. He said, "In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him. He will show who is holy. He'll bring that person near him. He'll bring the man he chooses near him. + "Korah, here's what you and all of your followers must do. Get some shallow cups for burning incense. + Tomorrow put fire and incense in them. Offer it to the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!" + Moses also said to Korah, "Listen, you Levites! + The God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the community of Israel. He has brought you near him to work at the Lord's holy tent. He has given you to the people so that you can serve them. Isn't all of that enough for you? + He has already brought you and all of the other Levites near him. But now you want to be priests too. + You and all of your followers have joined together against the Lord. Why are you telling Aaron you aren't happy with him?" + Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We won't come! + You have brought us up out of a land that has plenty of milk and honey. You have brought us here to kill us in this desert. Isn't that enough? Now do you also want to act as if you were ruling over us? + "Besides, you haven't brought us into a land that has plenty of milk and honey. You haven't given us fields and vineyards of our own. Are you going to poke out the eyes of these men? No! We won't come!" + Then Moses became very angry. He said to the Lord, "Don't accept their offering. I haven't taken even a donkey from them. In fact, I haven't done anything wrong to any of them." + Moses said to Korah, "You and all of your followers must stand in front of the Lord tomorrow. You must appear there along with Aaron. + Each man must get his shallow cup. He must put incense in it. There will be a total of 250 incense cups. Each man must bring his cup to the Lord. You and Aaron must also bring your cups." + So each man got his cup. He put fire and incense in it. All of the men came with Moses and Aaron. They stood at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Korah gathered all of his followers together at the entrance to the tent. They opposed Moses and Aaron. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Separate yourselves from these people. Then I can put an end to all of them at once." + But Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground. They cried out, "God, you are the God who creates the spirits of all people. Will you be angry with the whole community when only one man sins?" + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Tell the community, 'Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.' " + Moses got up. He went to Dathan and Abiram. The elders of Israel followed him. + Moses warned the community. He said, "Move away from the tents of those evil men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, the Lord will sweep you away because of all of their sins." + So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had already come out. They were standing at the entrances to their tents. Their wives, children and little ones were standing there with them. + Then Moses said, "What is about to happen wasn't my idea. The Lord has sent me to do everything I'm doing. Here is how you will know I'm telling you the truth. + Those men won't die a natural death. Something will happen to them that doesn't usually happen to people. If what I'm telling you isn't true, then you will know that the Lord hasn't sent me. + "But the Lord will make something totally new happen. The ground will open its mouth and swallow them up. It will swallow up everything that belongs to them. They will go down into the grave alive. When that happens, you will know that those men have made fun of the Lord." + As soon as Moses finished speaking all of those words, what he had said came true. The ground under them broke open. + It opened its mouth. It swallowed up those men. In fact, it swallowed up everyone who lived in their houses. It swallowed all of Korah's men. And it swallowed up everything they owned. + They went down into the grave alive. Everything they owned went down with them. The ground closed over them. They died. And so they disappeared from the community. + All of the people of Israel who were around them heard their cries. They ran away from them. They shouted, "The ground is going to swallow us up too!" + Then the Lord sent down fire. It burned up the 250 men who were offering the incense. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the priest Eleazar. He is the son of Aaron. Remind him that the shallow cups are holy. He must take them out of the fire. He must scatter the burning coals away from there. + The men who sinned used those cups. And it cost them their lives. Hammer the cups into bronze sheets that will cover the altar. The cups were offered to the Lord. They have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel." + So the priest Eleazar collected the bronze incense cups. They had been brought by the men who had been burned up. He had them hammered out to cover the altar. + He did just as the Lord had directed Moses to tell him to do. The covering would be a reminder to the people of Israel. It would remind them that no one except a son of Aaron should come and burn incense to the Lord. If people other than priests did that, they would become like Korah and his followers. + The next day the whole community of Israel told Moses and Aaron they weren't happy with them. "You have killed the Lord's people," they said. + The community gathered together to oppose Moses and Aaron. The people walked toward the Tent of Meeting. Suddenly the cloud covered it. The glory of the Lord appeared. + Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Get away from these people. Then I can put an end to all of them at once." And Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground. + Moses said to Aaron, "Take your incense cup. Put incense in it. And put fire from the altar in it. Then hurry to the people and pay for their sin. The Lord has sent his anger. The plague has started." + So Aaron did as Moses said. He ran in among the people. The plague had already started among them. But Aaron offered the incense and paid for their sin. + He stood between those who were alive and those who were dead. And the plague stopped. + But 14,700 people died from the plague. That doesn't include those who had died because of what Korah did. + Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The plague had stopped. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Get 12 wooden staffs from them. Get one from the leader of each of Israel's tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. + Write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. There must be one staff for the head of each of Israel's tribes. + "Put the staffs in the Tent of Meeting. Place them in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. That is where I meet with you. + The staff that belongs to the man I choose will begin to grow new shoots. The people of Israel are never happy with what you do. I will put an end to what they are saying." + So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. Their leaders gave him 12 wooden staffs. They gave one for the leader of each of Israel's tribes. Aaron's staff was among them. + Moses put the staffs in front of the Lord in the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. + The next day Moses entered the tent. He looked at Aaron's staff. It stood for the tribe of Levi. Moses saw that it had not only begun to grow new shoots. It had also produced buds and flowers and almonds. + Then Moses brought out all of the staffs from in front of the Lord. He brought them to all of the people of Israel. They looked at them. And each man took his own staff. + The Lord said to Moses, "Put Aaron's staff back in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The staff will be kept there as a warning to those who refuse to obey. They are never happy with what I do. Aaron's staff will put an end to what they are saying. Then they will not die." + Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. + The people of Israel said to Moses, "We'll die! We are lost! All of us are lost! + Anyone who even comes near the Lord's holy tent will die. Are all of us going to die?" + + + The Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, "You, your sons and your father's family are in charge of the sacred tent. You will be held accountable for sins that are committed against it. And you and your sons will be held accountable for sins that are committed against the office of priest. + "Bring the Levites from your tribe to join you. They will help you when you and your sons serve at the tent where the tablets of the covenant are kept. + They will work for you. They must do everything that needs to be done at the tent. But they must not go near anything that belongs to the sacred tent. And they must not go near the altar. If they do, they and you will die. + They will help you take care of the Tent of Meeting. They will join you in all of the work at the tent. No one else can come near you there. + "You will be held accountable for taking care of the sacred tent and the altar. Then my anger will not fall on the people of Israel again. + I myself have chosen the Levites. I have chosen them from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you. I have set them apart to do the work at the Tent of Meeting. + "But only you and your sons can serve as priests. Only you and your sons can work with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am letting you serve as priests. It is a gift from me. Anyone else who comes near the sacred tent must be put to death." + Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, "I have put you in charge of the offerings that are brought to me. The people of Israel will give me holy offerings. I will give all of their offerings to you and your sons. They are the part that belongs to you. They are your regular share. + "You will have a part of the very holy offerings. It is the part that is not burned in the fire. That part belongs to you and your sons. You will have a part of all of the gifts the people bring me as very holy offerings. It does not matter whether they are grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings. + Eat your part as something that is very holy. Every male will eat it. You must consider it holy. + "Part of the gifts the people of Israel bring as wave offerings will be set to one side. That part will also belong to you. I will give it to you and your sons and daughters. It is your regular share. Everyone in your home who is 'clean' can eat it. + "I will give you all of the finest olive oil and grain the people give me. And I will give you all of the finest fresh wine they give me. They give all of those things as the first share of their harvest. + All of the first shares of the harvest they bring me will belong to you. Everyone in your home who is 'clean' can eat it. + "Everything in Israel that is set apart to me belongs to you. + Offer to me every male that is born first to its mother. It belongs to you. That is true for men and animals alike. But you must buy back every oldest son. Suppose certain animals are not 'clean.' Then you must buy back every male that is born first to its mother. + When they are a month old, you must buy them back. You must pay the price to buy them back. The price is set at two ounces of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. + "But you must not buy back any male calf that is born first. And you must not buy back any male sheep or goat that is born first. They are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar. And burn their fat as an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to me. + "The meat will belong to you. It is just like the breast and the right thigh of the wave offering. Those parts belong to you. + Part of the holy offerings the people of Israel bring to me will be set to one side. No matter what it is, I will give it to you and your sons and daughters. It is your regular share. It is a covenant of salt from me. The salt means that the covenant will last for all time to come for you and your children." + The Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, "You will not receive any part of the land I am giving to Israel. You will not have any share among them. I am your share. I am what you will receive among the people of Israel. + "The people of Israel will give me a tenth of everything they produce. And I will give it to the Levites. They serve at the Tent of Meeting. I will give them the tenth for the work they do there. + From now on the people of Israel must not go near the Tent of Meeting. If they do, they will be punished for their sin. They will die. + "The Levites will do the work at the Tent of Meeting. They will be held accountable for sins that are committed against it. That is a law that will last for all time to come. The Levites will not receive any share among the people of Israel. + Instead, I will give the Levites the tenth as their share. It is the tenth that the people of Israel bring me as an offering. That is why I said the Levites would not have any share of land among the people of Israel." + The Lord said to Moses, + "Speak to the Levites. Say to them, 'You will receive the tenth from the people of Israel. I will give it to you as your share. When I do, you must give a tenth of that tenth as an offering to the Lord. + Your offering will be considered as if you gave grain from a threshing floor. It will be considered as juice from a winepress. + " 'In that way, you also will bring an offering to the Lord. You will bring it from the tenth you receive from the people of Israel. You must give the Lord's part to the priest Aaron. You must bring it from the tenth you receive. + You must bring to the Lord a part of everything that is given to you. It must be the best and holiest part.' + "Say to the Levites, 'You must bring the best part. Then it will be considered as if you gave grain from a threshing floor. It will be considered as juice from a winepress. + You and your families can eat the rest of it anywhere. It is your pay for your work at the Tent of Meeting. + Bring the best part of what you receive. Then you will not be guilty of holding anything back. You will not make the holy offerings of the people of Israel "unclean." You will not die.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Here is what the law I have commanded requires. Tell the people of Israel to bring you a young red cow. It must not have any flaws at all. It must never have pulled a load. + "Give it to the priest Eleazar. It must be taken outside the camp and killed in front of him. + Then the priest Eleazar must put some of its blood on his finger. He must sprinkle the blood toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. He must do it seven times. + "While he watches, the young cow must be burned. Its hide, meat, blood and guts must be burned. + The priest must get some cedar wood, branches of a hyssop plant, and bright red wool. He must throw them on the young cow as it burns. + "After that, the priest must wash his clothes. He must also take a bath. Then he can come into the camp. But he will be 'unclean' until evening. + "The man who burns the young cow must wash his clothes. He must also take a bath. He too will be 'unclean' until evening. + "A man who is 'clean' will gather up the ashes of the young cow. He must put them in a place that is 'clean.' The place must be outside the camp. The ashes will be kept by the community of Israel. They will be added to the special water. The water will be used to make people pure from their sin. + "The man who gathers up the ashes of the young cow must wash his clothes. He too will be 'unclean' until evening. That law is for the people of Israel. It is also for the outsiders who are living among them. The law will last for all time to come. + "Anyone who touches a dead person's body will be 'unclean' for seven days. + He must make himself pure and clean with the special water. He must do it on the third day. He must also do it on the seventh day. Then he will be 'clean.' "But suppose he does not make himself pure and clean on the third and seventh days. Then he will not be 'clean.' + Anyone who touches a dead person's body and does not make himself pure and clean makes my holy tent 'unclean.' He must be cut off from Israel. The special water has not been sprinkled on him. So he is 'unclean.' And he remains 'unclean.' + "Here is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent. Anyone who enters the tent will be 'unclean' for seven days. Anyone who is in the tent will also be 'unclean' for seven days. + And anything in it that is open and has no lid will be 'unclean.' + "Suppose someone is out in the country. And suppose he touches someone who has been killed with a sword. Or he touches someone who has died a natural death. Or he touches a human bone or a grave. Then anyone who touches any of those things will be 'unclean' for seven days. + "Here is what I want you to do for someone who is not 'clean.' Put some ashes from the burned young cow into a jar. Pour fresh water on the ashes. + Then a man who is 'clean' must dip branches of a hyssop plant in the water. He must sprinkle the tent with it. Everything that belongs to the tent must be sprinkled with it. The people who were in the tent must also be sprinkled. Anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave must be sprinkled. So must anyone who has touched someone who has been killed. So must anyone who has touched someone who has died a natural death. + "The man who is 'clean' must sprinkle the person who is not. That must be done on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day the person who is not 'clean' must be made pure and clean. The one who is being made 'clean' must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. Then that evening he will be 'clean.' + "But what if a person who is 'unclean' does not make himself pure and clean? Then he must be cut off from the community. He has made my holy tent 'unclean.' The special water has not been sprinkled on him. He is not 'clean.' + That law will apply to all of those people for all time to come. "The man who sprinkles the special water must also wash his clothes. Anyone who touches the water will be 'unclean' until evening. + Anything that an 'unclean' person touches becomes 'unclean.' And anyone who touches it becomes 'unclean' until evening." + + + In the first month the whole community of Israel arrived at the Desert of Zin. They stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there. Her body was also buried there. + The people didn't have any water. So they gathered together to oppose Moses and Aaron. + They argued with Moses. They said, "We wish we had died when our people fell dead in front of the Lord. + "Why did you bring the Lord's people into this desert? We and our livestock will die here. + Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? Why did you bring us to this terrible place? It doesn't have any grain or figs. It doesn't have any grapes or pomegranates. There isn't even any water for us to drink!" + Moses and Aaron left the people. They went to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There they fell with their faces to the ground. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Get your wooden staff. You and your brother Aaron gather the people together. Then speak to that rock while everyone is watching. It will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community. Then they and their livestock can drink it." + So Moses took the wooden staff from the tent. He did just as the Lord had commanded him. + He and Aaron gathered the people together in front of the rock. Moses said to them, "Listen, you who refuse to obey! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?" + Then Moses raised his arm. He hit the rock twice with his staff. Water poured out. And the people and their livestock drank it. + But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "You did not trust in me enough to honor me. You did not honor me as the holy God in front of the people of Israel. So you will not bring this community into the land I am giving them." + Those were the waters of Meribah. That's where the people of Israel argued with the Lord. And that's where he showed them he is holy. + Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. The messengers said, "The nation of Israel is your brother. They say, 'You know about all of the hard times we've had. + Long ago our people went down into Egypt. We lived there for many years. The Egyptians treated us and our people badly. + But we cried out to the Lord. He heard our cry. He sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. " 'Now here we are at the town of Kadesh. It's on the edge of your territory. + Please let us pass through your country. We won't go through any field or vineyard. We won't drink water from any well. We'll travel along the king's highway. We won't turn to the right or the left. We'll just go straight through your territory.' " + But the people of Edom answered, "You can't pass through here. If you try to, we'll march out against you. We'll attack you with our swords." + The people of Israel replied, "We'll go along the main road. We and our livestock won't drink any of your water. If we do, we'll pay for it. We only want to walk through your country. That's all we ask." + Again the people of Edom answered, "You can't pass through here." Then the people of Edom came out against them. They came with a large and powerful army. + Edom refused to let Israel go through their territory. So Israel turned away from them. + The whole community of Israel started out from Kadesh. They arrived at Mount Hor. + It was near the border of Edom. There the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, + "Aaron will join the members of his family who have already died. He will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel. Both of you refused to obey my command. You did it at the waters of Meribah. + "So get Aaron and his son Eleazar. Take them up Mount Hor. + Take Aaron's official robes off him. Put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will die on Mount Hor. He will join the members of his family who have already died." + Moses did just as the Lord had commanded. The three men went up Mount Hor while the whole community was watching. + Moses took Aaron's official robes off him. He put them on Aaron's son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. + The whole community found out that Aaron had died. So the entire nation of Israel sobbed over him for 30 days. + + + The Canaanite king of the city of Arad lived in the Negev Desert. He heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim. So he attacked the people of Israel. He captured some of them. + Then Israel made a promise to the Lord. They said, "Hand these people over to us. If you do, we will set their cities apart to you in a special way to be destroyed." + The Lord gave Israel what they asked for. He handed the Canaanites over to them. Israel completely destroyed them. They also destroyed their towns. So that place was named Hormah. + The people of Israel traveled from Mount Hor along the way to the Red Sea. They wanted to go around Edom. But they grew tired on the way. + So they spoke against God. They also spoke against Moses. They said to them, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt? Do you want us to die here in the desert? We don't have any bread! We don't have any water! And we hate this awful food!" + Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people of Israel. The snakes bit them. Many of the people died. + The others came to Moses. They said, "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. + The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake. Put it up on a pole. Then anyone who is bitten can look at it and remain alive." + So Moses made a bronze snake. He put it up on a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake remained alive. + The people of Israel moved on. They camped at Oboth. + Then they started out from Oboth. They camped in Iye Abarim. It's in the desert on the eastern border of Moab. + From there they moved on. They camped in the Zered Valley. + They started out from there and camped by the Arnon River. It's in the desert that spreads out into the territory of the Amorites. The Arnon is the border of Moab. It's between Moab and the Amorites. + Here is what the Book of the Wars of the Lord says about it. It says, "Sing about Waheb in Suphah and the valleys. Sing about the Arnon + and the slopes of the valleys. They lead to the place called Ar. They lie along the border of Moab." + From there the people of Israel continued on to Beer. That was the well where the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Gather the people together. I will give them water to drink." + Then Israel sang a song. They said, "Spring up, you well! Sing about it. + Sing about the well the princes dug. Sing about the well the nobles of the people dug. All of their rulers were holding their rods and staffs." Then the people of Israel went from the desert to Mattanah. + They went from Mattanah to Nahaliel. They went from Nahaliel to Bamoth. + And they went from Bamoth to a valley in Moab. It's the valley where the highest slopes of Pisgah look out over a dry and empty land. + The people of Israel sent messengers to speak to Sihon. He was the king of the Amorites. The messengers said to him, + "Let us pass through your country. We won't go off the road into any field or vineyard. We won't drink water from any well. We'll travel along the king's highway. We'll just go straight through your territory." + But Sihon wouldn't let Israel pass through his territory. He gathered his whole army together. Then he marched out into the desert against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought against Israel. + But Israel put him to death with their swords. They took over his land. They took everything from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. But they didn't take over any of the land of the Ammonites. That's because the Ammonites had built strong forts along their border. + The people of Israel captured all of the cities of the Amorites. Then they settled down in them. They captured the city of Heshbon. They also captured all of the settlements that were around it. + Sihon, the king of the Amorites, ruled in Heshbon. He had fought against an earlier king of Moab. Sihon had taken from him all of his land all the way to the Arnon River. + That's why the poets say, "Come to Heshbon. Let it be built again. Let Sihon's city be made as good as new. + "Fire went out from Heshbon. A blaze went out from the city of Sihon. It burned up Ar in Moab. It burned up the citizens who lived on Arnon's hills. + Moab, how terrible it is for you! People of Chemosh, you are destroyed! Chemosh has deserted his sons and daughters. His sons have run away from the battle. His daughters have become prisoners. He has handed all of them over to Sihon, the king of the Amorites. + "But we have taken them over. Heshbon is destroyed all the way to Dibon. We have destroyed them as far as Nophah. Nophah goes all the way to Medeba." + So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. + Moses sent spies to the city of Jazer. The people of Israel captured the settlements that were around it. They drove out the Amorites who were there. + Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan. Og was the king of Bashan. He and his whole army marched out. They went to fight against Israel at Edrei. + The Lord said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of Og. I have handed him over to you. I have given you his whole army. I have also given you his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon." + So the people of Israel struck Og down. They struck his sons down. And they wiped out his whole army. They didn't leave anyone alive. They took over his land for themselves. + + + Then the people of Israel traveled to the flatlands of Moab. They camped along the Jordan River across from Jericho. + Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. Balak was the son of Zippor. + The people of Moab were terrified because there were so many Israelites. In fact, Moab was filled with panic because of the people of Israel. + The Moabites spoke to the elders of Midian. They said, "This huge mob is going to lick up everything around us. They'll lick it up as an ox licks up all of the grass in the fields." Balak, the son of Zippor, was the king of Moab at that time. + He sent messengers to get Balaam. Balaam was the son of Beor. Balaam was at the city of Pethor near the Euphrates River. Pethor was in the land where Balaam had been born. Balak told the messengers to say to Balaam, "A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the face of the land. They've settled down next to me. + So come and put a curse on those people. They are too powerful for me. Maybe I'll be able to win the battle over them. Maybe I'll be able to drive them out of the country. I know that those you bless will be blessed. And I know that those you put a curse on will be cursed." + The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took with them the money they knew Balaam would ask for. They wanted him to use magic and figure things out for them. They came to where Balaam was. And they told him what Balak had said. + "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them. "I'll bring you back the answer the Lord gives me." So the princes of Moab stayed with him. + God came to Balaam. He asked, "Who are these men who are with you?" + Balaam said to God, "Balak king of Moab, the son of Zippor, sent me a message. + He said, 'A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the whole surface of the land. So come. Put a curse on them for me. Maybe I'll be able to fight them. Maybe I'll be able to drive them away.' " + But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. I have blessed them." + The next morning Balaam got up. He said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country. The Lord won't let me go with you." + So the princes of Moab returned to Balak. They said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us." + Then Balak sent other princes. They were more important than the first ones. And there were more of them. + They came to Balaam. They said, "Balak, the son of Zippor, says, 'Don't let anything keep you from coming to me. + I'll make you very rich. I'll do anything you say. Come. Put a curse on those people for me.' " + But Balaam gave them his answer. He said, "Balak could give me his palace filled with silver and gold. Even then, I still couldn't do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord my God commands. + Stay here tonight, just as the others did. I'll find out what else the Lord will tell me." + That night God came to Balaam. He said, "These men have come to get you. So go with them. But do only what I tell you to do." + Balaam got up in the morning. He put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the princes of Moab. + But God was very angry when Balaam went. So the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey. His two servants were with him. + The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. The angel was holding a sword. He was ready for battle. So the donkey left the road and went into a field. Balaam hit the donkey. He wanted to get it back on the road. + Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path. The path went between two vineyards. There were walls on both sides. + The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it moved close to the wall. It crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. He hit the donkey again. + Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead. He stood in a narrow place. There was no room to turn, either right or left. + The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it lay down under Balaam. That made him angry. He hit the donkey with his walking stick. + Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth. It said to Balaam, "What have I done to you? Why did you hit me those three times?" + Balaam answered the donkey. He said, "You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand. If I did, I'd kill you right now." + The donkey said to Balaam, "I'm your own donkey. I'm the one you have always ridden. Haven't you been riding me to this very day? Have I ever made you look foolish before?" "No," he said. + Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes. He saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. He saw that the angel was holding a sword. The angel was ready for battle. So Balaam bowed down. He fell with his face to the ground. + The angel of the Lord spoke to him. He asked him, "Why have you hit your donkey three times? I have come here to oppose you. What you are doing is foolish. + The donkey saw me. It turned away from me three times. Suppose it had not turned away. Then I would certainly have killed you by now. But I would have spared the donkey." + Balaam spoke to the angel of the Lord. He said, "I have sinned. I didn't realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Tell me whether you are pleased with me. If you aren't, I'll go back." + The angel of the Lord spoke to Balaam. He said, "Go with the men. But say only what I tell you to say." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. + Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So he went out to meet him. They met at a Moabite town near the Arnon River. The town was on the border of Balak's territory. + Balak spoke to Balaam. He said, "Didn't I send messengers to you? I wanted you to come quickly. So why didn't you come? I can make you very rich." + "Well, I've come to you now," Balaam replied. "But I can't say just anything. I can only speak the words God puts in my mouth." + Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. + Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep. He gave some to Balaam. He also gave some to the princes who were with him. + The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he saw part of the people of Israel. + + + Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." + Balak did just as Balaam said. The two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering. I'll go and try to find out what the Lord wants me to do. Maybe he'll come and meet with me. Then I'll tell you what he says to me." So Balaam went off to a bare hilltop. + God met with him there. Balaam said, "I've prepared seven altars. On each altar I've offered a bull and a ram." + The Lord put a message in Balaam's mouth. The Lord said, "Go back to Balak. Give him my message." + So Balaam went back to him. He found Balak standing beside his offering. All of the princes of Moab were with him. + Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "Balak brought me from the land of Aram. The king of Moab sent for me from the mountains in the east. 'Come,' he said. 'Put a curse on Jacob's people for me. Come. Speak against Israel.' + But how can I put a curse on people God hasn't cursed? How can I speak against people the Lord hasn't spoken against? + I see them from the rocky peaks. I view them from the hills. I see a group of people who live by themselves. They don't consider themselves to be one of the nations. + Jacob's people are like the dust of the earth. Can dust be counted? Who can count even a fourth of the people of Israel? Let me die as godly people die. Let my death be like theirs!" + Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to put a curse on my enemies! But all you have done is give them a blessing!" + He answered, "I have to speak only the words the Lord puts in my mouth." + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come with me to another place. You can see the people of Israel from there. You will see only some of them. You won't see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me." + So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim. It was on the highest slopes of Pisgah. There he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering. I'll meet with the Lord over there." + The Lord met with Balaam. He put a message in Balaam's mouth. The Lord said, "Go back to Balak. Give him my message." + So he went to him. He found him standing beside his offering. The princes of Moab were with him. Balak asked him, "What did the Lord say?" + Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "Balak, rise up and listen. Son of Zippor, hear me. + God isn't a mere man. He can't lie. He isn't a human being. He doesn't change his mind. He speaks, and then he acts. He makes a promise, and then he keeps it. + He has commanded me to bless Israel. He has given them his blessing. And I can't change it. + "I don't see any trouble coming on the people of Jacob. I don't see any suffering in Israel. The Lord their God is with them. The shout of the King is among them. + God brought them out of Egypt. They are as strong as a wild ox. + There isn't any magic that can hurt the people of Jacob. No one can use magic words to harm Israel. Here is what will be said about the people of Jacob. Here is what will be said about Israel. People will say, 'See what God has done!' + The people of Israel are going to wake up like a female lion. They are going to get up like a male lion. They are like a lion that won't rest until it eats what it has caught. They are like a lion that won't rest until it drinks the blood of what it has killed." + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Don't put a curse on them at all! And don't give them a blessing at all!" + Balaam answered, "Didn't I tell you that I have to do only what the Lord says?" + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come. Let me take you to another place. Perhaps God will be pleased to let you put a curse on them for me from there." + Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor. It looks out over a dry and empty land. + Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." + Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + + + Balaam saw that the Lord was pleased to give his blessing to Israel. So he didn't try to use evil magic as he had done at other times. Instead, he turned and looked toward the desert. + He looked out and saw Israel. They had set up their camps tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him. + Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor. It's the message God gave to the one who sees clearly. + It's the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God. He sees a vision from the Mighty One. He falls down flat with his face toward the ground. His eyes have been opened by the Lord. + "People of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful. Israel, the places where you live are very beautiful. + "They spread out like valleys. They are like gardens beside a river. They are like aloes the Lord has planted. They are like cedar trees beside a stream. + Their water buckets will run over. Their seeds will have plenty of water. "Their king will be greater than King Agag. Their kingdom will be honored. + "God brought them out of Egypt. They are as strong as a wild ox. They eat up nations that are at war with them. They break their bones in pieces. They wound them with their arrows. + Like a male lion they lie down and sleep. They are like a female lion. Who dares to wake them up? May those who bless you be blessed! May those who call down a curse on you be cursed!" + Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He slapped his hands together. He said to Balaam, "I sent for you to put a curse on my enemies. But you have given them a blessing three times. + Get out of here right away! Go home! I said I'd make you very rich. But the Lord has kept you from getting rich." + Balaam answered Balak, "Here is what I told the messengers you sent me. + I said, 'Balak could give me his palace filled with silver and gold. Even if I wanted to, I still couldn't do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord commands. I have to say only what the Lord tells me to say.' + "Now I'm going back to my people. But come. Let me warn you about what these people will do to your people in days to come." + Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor. It's the message God gave to the one who sees clearly. + It's the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God. The Most High God has given him knowledge. He sees a vision from the Mighty One. He falls down flat with his face toward the ground. His eyes have been opened by the Lord. + "I see him, but I don't see him now. I view him, but he isn't near. A star will come from among the people of Jacob. A king will rise up out of Israel. He'll crush the foreheads of the people of Moab. He'll crush the skulls of all of the sons of Sheth. + He'll win the battle over Edom. He'll win the battle over his enemy Seir. But Israel will grow strong. + A ruler will come from among the people of Jacob. He'll destroy those from the city who are still alive." + Then Balaam saw the people of Amalek. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "Amalek was the first nation to attack Israel. But they will finally be destroyed." + Then he saw the Kenites. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "The place where you live is safe. Your nest is on a high cliff. + But you Kenites will be destroyed. Assyria will take you as prisoners." + Then he spoke the message he had received from God. He said, "Who can live when God does this? + Ships will come from the shores of Kittim. They will bring Assyria and Eber under their control. But they themselves will also be destroyed." + Then Balaam got up and returned home. And Balak went on his way. + + + Israel was staying in Shittim. The men of Israel began to commit sexual sins with the women of Moab. + The women invited the men to feasts and sacrifices in honor of their gods. The people ate and bowed down in front of the statues of those gods. + So Israel joined in worshiping the god Baal that was worshiped at Peor. The Lord's anger burned against Israel. + The Lord said to Moses, "Take all of the leaders of these people. Kill them. Put their dead bodies out in the open. I want to see you do it in the middle of the day. Then my anger will not burn against Israel." + So Moses spoke to Israel's judges. He said, "Some of your men have joined in worshiping the god Baal that is worshiped at Peor. Each of you must kill the men in your tribe who have done that." + Then a man of Israel brought a woman of Midian to his family. He did it right in front of the eyes of Moses and the whole community of Israel. They were sobbing at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + Phinehas was a priest. He was the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron. When Phinehas saw what had happened, he left the people. He took a spear in his hand. + He followed the man into a tent. Phinehas stuck the spear through both the man and the woman. Then the Lord stopped the plague against the people of Israel. + But the plague had already killed 24,000 of them. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Phinehas is a priest. He is the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron. Phinehas has turned my anger away from the people of Israel. I am committed to making sure I am honored among them. And he is as committed as I am. Even though I was angry with them, I did not put an end to them. + "So tell Phinehas I am making my covenant with him. It promises to give him peace. + He and his sons after him will have a covenant to be priests forever. That is because he was committed to making sure that I, his God, was honored. In that way he paid for the sin of the people of Israel." + The name of the man of Israel who was killed was Zimri. He was the son of Salu. Zimri was killed along with the woman of Midian. Salu was a family leader in the tribe of Simeon. + The name of the woman of Midian who was killed was Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur. Zur was the chief of a family in Midian. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Treat the people of Midian just as you would treat enemies. Kill them. + After all, they treated you like enemies. They tricked you into worshiping the god Baal that is worshiped at Peor. They also tricked you because of what Cozbi did. She was the woman who was killed when the plague that was connected with Peor came. Cozbi was the daughter of a leader of Midian." + + + After the plague the Lord spoke to Moses and the priest Eleazar. Eleazar was the son of Aaron. The Lord said, + "Count all of the men of Israel. Make a list of them by their families. Count all of the men who are able to serve in Israel's army. They must be 20 years old or more." + At that time the people of Israel were on the flatlands of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. Moses and the priest Eleazar spoke with them. They said, + "Count all of the men who are 20 years old or more. Do it just as the Lord commanded Moses." Here are the men of Israel who came out of Egypt. + Reuben was Israel's oldest son. Here are the names of his sons. The Hanochite family came from Hanoch. The Palluite family came from Pallu. + The Hezronite family came from Hezron. The Carmite family came from Carmi. + Those were the families of Reuben. The number of men was 43,730. + Eliab was the son of Pallu. + Eliab's sons were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were the same community officials who refused to obey Moses and Aaron. They were among the followers of Korah who refused to obey the Lord. + The ground opened its mouth. It swallowed them up along with Korah. The followers of Korah died when fire burned up 250 men. Their deaths were a warning to the rest of Israel. + But the family line of Korah didn't die out completely. + Here are the names of Simeon's sons. They are listed by their families. The Nemuelite family came from Nemuel. The Jaminite family came from Jamin. The Jakinite family came from Jakin. + The Zerahite family came from Zerah. The Shaulite family came from Shaul. + Those were the families of Simeon. The number of the men was 22,200. + Here are the names of Gad's sons. They are listed by their families. The Zephonite family came from Zephon. The Haggite family came from Haggi. The Shunite family came from Shuni. + The Oznite family came from Ozni. The Erite family came from Eri. + The Arodite family came from Arodi. The Arelite family came from Areli. + Those were the families of Gad. The number of the men was 40,500. + Er and Onan were sons of Judah. But they died in Canaan. + Here are the names of Judah's sons. They are listed by their families. The Shelanite family came from Shelah. The Perezite family came from Perez. The Zerahite family came from Zerah. + Here are the names of the sons of Perez. The Hezronite family came from Hezron. The Hamulite family came from Hamul. + Those were the families of Judah. The number of the men was 76,500. + Here are the names of Issachar's sons. They are listed by their families. The Tolaite family came from Tola. The Puite family came from Puah. + The Jashubite family came from Jashub. The Shimronite family came from Shimron. + Those were the families of Issachar. The number of the men was 64,300. + Here are the names of Zebulun's sons. They are listed by their families. The Seredite family came from Sered. The Elonite family came from Elon. The Jahleelite family came from Jahleel. + Those were the families of Zebulun. The number of the men was 60,500. + Here are the names of Joseph's sons. They are listed by their families. The families came from Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph. + Here are the names of Manasseh's sons. The Makirite family came from Makir. Makir was the father of Gilead. The Gileadite family came from Gilead. + Here are the names of Gilead's sons. The Iezerite family came from Iezer. The Helekite family came from Helek. + The Asrielite family came from Asriel. The Shechemite family came from Shechem. + The Shemidaite family came from Shemida. The Hepherite family came from Hepher. + Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Zelophehad didn't have any sons. All he had was daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. + Those were the families of Manasseh. The number of the men was 52,700. + Here are the names of Ephraim's sons. They are listed by their families. The Shuthelahite family came from Shuthelah. The Bekerite family came from Beker. The Tahanite family came from Tahan. + The sons of Shuthelah were the Eranite family. They came from Eran. + Those were the families of Ephraim. The number of the men was 32,500. Those were the sons of Joseph. They are listed by their families. + Here are the names of Benjamin's sons. They are listed by their families. The Belaite family came from Bela. The Ashbelite family came from Ashbel. The Ahiramite family came from Ahiram. + The Shuphamite family came from Shupham. The Huphamite family came from Hupham. + Bela's sons came from Ard and Naaman. The Ardite family came from Ard. The Naamite family came from Naaman. + Those were the families of Benjamin. The number of the men was 45,600. + Here is the name of Dan's son. He is listed by his family. The Shuhamite family came from Shuham. That was the family of Dan. + All of the men in Dan's family were Shuhamites. The number of the men was 64,400. + Here are the names of Asher's sons. They are listed by their families. The Imnite family came from Imnah. The Ishvite family came from Ishvi. The Beriite family came from Beriah. + Here are the names of the families that came from Beriah's sons. The Heberite family came from Heber. The Malkielite family came from Malkiel. + Asher also had a daughter named Serah. + Those were the families of Asher. The number of the men was 53,400. + Here are the names of Naphtali's sons. They are listed by their families. The Jahzeelite family came from Jahzeel. The Gunite family came from Guni. + The Jezerite family came from Jezer. The Shillemite family came from Shillem. + Those were the families of Naphtali. The number of the men was 45,400. + The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730. + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "I will give the land to them. The amount of land each family receives will be based on the number of its men. + Give a larger share to a larger family. Give a smaller share to a smaller family. Each family will receive its share based on the number of men who are listed in it. + "Be sure that you use lots when you give out the land. What each family receives will be based on the number of men listed in its tribe. + Use lots when you give out each share. Use lots for the larger and smaller families alike." + Here are the names of the Levites. They are listed by their families. The Gershonite family came from Gershon. The Kohathite family came from Kohath. The Merarite family came from Merari. + Here are the names of the other Levite families. They are the Libnite family, the Hebronite family, the Mahlite family, the Mushite family, the Korahite family. Amram came from the Kohathite family. + The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed. She was from the family line of Levi. She was born to the Levites in Egypt. Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam were born in the family line of Amram and Jochebed. + Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu. He was also the father of Eleazar and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn't allowed. So they died. + The number of male Levites who were a month old or more was 23,000. They weren't listed along with the other men of Israel. That's because they didn't receive a share among them. + Those are the men who were counted by Moses and the priest Eleazar. At that time the people of Israel were on the flatlands of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. + The men of Israel had been counted before in the Sinai Desert by Moses and the priest Aaron. But not one of them was among the men who were counted this time. + The Lord had told the people of Israel at Kadesh Barnea that they would certainly die in the desert. Not one of them was left alive except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. + + + The daughters of Zelophehad belonged to the family groups of Manasseh. Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Hepher was the son of Gilead. Gilead was the son of Makir. Makir was the son of Manasseh. And Manasseh was the son of Joseph. The names of Zelophehad's daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They approached + the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There they stood in front of Moses and the priest Eleazar. The leaders and the whole community were there too. Zelophehad's daughters said, + "Our father died in the Sinai Desert. But he wasn't one of the men who followed Korah. He wasn't one of those who joined together against the Lord. Our father died because of his own sin. He didn't leave any sons. + "Why should our father's name disappear from his family just because he didn't have a son? Give us property among our father's relatives." + So Moses brought their case to the Lord. + The Lord spoke to him. He said, + "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property. Give them a share among their father's relatives. Turn their father's property over to them. + "Say to the people of Israel, 'Suppose a man dies who doesn't have a son. Then turn his property over to his daughter. + Suppose the man doesn't have a daughter. Then give his property to his brothers. + Suppose the man doesn't have any brothers. Then give his property to his father's brothers. + Suppose his father doesn't have any brothers. Then give his property to the nearest male relative in his family group. It will belong to him. That is what the law will require of the people of Israel. It is just as the Lord commanded me.' " + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Go up this mountain in the Abarim range. See the land I have given the people of Israel. + After you have seen it, you too will join the members of your family who have already died. You will die, just as your brother Aaron did. + "The community refused to obey me at the waters of Meribah Kadesh. At that time, you and Aaron did not obey my command. You did not honor me in front of them as the holy God." Meribah Kadesh is in the Desert of Zin. + Moses spoke to the Lord. He said, + "Lord, you are the God who creates the spirits of all people. Please appoint a man to lead this community. + Put him in charge of them. Tell him to take care of them. Then your people won't be like sheep that don't have a shepherd." + So the Lord said to Moses, "Joshua, the son of Nun, has the ability to be a wise leader. Get him and place your hand on him. + Have him stand in front of the priest Eleazar and the whole community. Put him in charge while everyone is watching. + Give him some of your authority. Then the whole community of Israel will obey him. + "Joshua will stand in front of the priest Eleazar. Eleazar will help him make decisions. Eleazar will get help from me by using the Urim. Joshua and the whole community of Israel must not make any move at all unless I command them to." + Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. He got Joshua and had him stand in front of the priest Eleazar and the whole community. + Then Moses placed his hands on Joshua. And he put him in charge of the people. He did just as the Lord had directed through Moses. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Here is a command I want you to give the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Be sure to bring to the Lord the food for the offerings that are made to him with fire. Do it at the appointed time. It will give a smell that is pleasant to him.' + "Tell them, 'Here is the offering you must bring to the Lord. It should be made with fire. Bring him two lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. Bring them as a regular burnt offering each day. + " 'Prepare one lamb in the morning. Prepare the other when the sun goes down. + Bring a grain offering along with them. It must have eight cups of fine flour. Mix it with a quart of oil that is made from pressed olives. + It is the regular burnt offering. The Lord established it at Mount Sinai. It has a pleasant smell. It is an offering that is made to him with fire. + Along with that, offer a quart of wine as a drink offering. It must be given along with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the Lord at the sacred tent. + " 'Prepare the second lamb when the sun goes down. Sacrifice it along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you prepare in the morning. It is an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'On the Sabbath day, bring an offering of two lambs. They must be a year old. They must not have any flaws. Offer them along with their drink offering. Offer them along with a grain offering of 16 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. + It is the burnt offering for every Sabbath day. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. + " 'On the first day of every month, bring to the Lord a burnt offering. Bring two young bulls and one ram. Also bring seven male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Bring a grain offering along with each bull. It must have 24 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. Bring a grain offering along with the ram. It must have 16 cups of fine flour. Mix it with oil. + Bring a grain offering along with each lamb. It must have eight cups of fine flour. Mix it with oil. It is for a burnt offering. It has a pleasant smell. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. + " 'Bring a drink offering along with each bull. It must have two quarts of wine. Offer two and a half pints along with the ram. And offer one quart along with each lamb. " 'It is the burnt offering for each month. It must be made on the day of each New Moon Feast during the year. + " 'One male goat must be brought to the Lord as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. + " 'The Lord's Passover Feast must be held on the 14th day of the first month. + On the 15th day of the month there must be a feast. For seven days eat bread that is made without yeast. + On the first day come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work. + " 'Bring to the Lord an offering that is made with fire. Bring a burnt offering of two young bulls and one ram. Also bring seven male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare a grain offering along with each bull. The offering must have 24 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. Offer 16 cups along with the ram. + Offer eight cups along with each of the seven lambs. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It will pay for your sin. + "Prepare everything in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. + Prepare the food in that way for the offering that is made with fire. Do it every day for seven days. The offering will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. You must prepare the offering in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. + " 'On the seventh day come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work. + " 'On the day you gather the first share of your crops, bring to the Lord an offering of your first grain. Do it during the Feast of Weeks. Come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work. + " 'Bring a burnt offering of two young bulls and one ram. Also bring seven male lambs that are a year old. The offering will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. + " 'Bring a grain offering along with each bull. It must have 24 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. Offer 16 cups along with the ram. + Offer eight cups along with each of the seven lambs. + " 'Include a male goat to pay for your sin. + " 'Prepare everything along with the drink offerings. Do it in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals do not have any flaws. + + + " 'On the first day of the seventh month, come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work. Blow the trumpets on that day. + " 'Prepare a burnt offering. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Prepare one young bull and one ram. Also prepare seven male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare a grain offering along with the bull. It must have 24 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. Offer 16 cups along with the ram. + Offer eight cups along with each of the seven lambs. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It will pay for your sin. + " 'Each month and each day you must bring burnt offerings. Bring them along with their grain offerings and drink offerings as they are required. " 'The offerings for the Feast of Trumpets are in addition to them. They are offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. They have a pleasant smell. + " 'On the tenth day of the seventh month, come together for a special service. You must not eat anything on that day. You must not do any work on it. + " 'Bring a burnt offering. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Bring one young bull and one ram. Also bring seven male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare a grain offering along with the bull. It must have 24 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. Offer 16 cups along with the ram. + Offer eight cups along with each of the seven lambs. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the offering that pays for sin. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering along with its grain offering. It is also in addition to their drink offerings. + " 'On the 15th day of the seventh month, come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work. Celebrate the Feast of Booths in honor of the Lord for seven days. + " 'Bring an offering that is made with fire. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Bring a burnt offering of 13 young bulls and two rams. Also bring 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare a grain offering along with each of the 13 bulls. It must have 24 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. Offer 16 cups along with each of the two rams. + Offer eight cups along with each of the 14 lambs. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'On the second day prepare 12 young bulls and two rams. Also prepare 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bulls, rams and lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering along with its grain offering. It is also in addition to their drink offerings. + " 'On the third day prepare 11 bulls and two rams. Also prepare 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bulls, rams and lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'On the fourth day prepare ten bulls and two rams. Also prepare 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bulls, rams and lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'On the fifth day prepare nine bulls and two rams. Also prepare 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bulls, rams and lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'On the sixth day prepare eight bulls and two rams. Also prepare 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bulls, rams and lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'On the seventh day prepare seven bulls and two rams. Also prepare 14 male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bulls, rams and lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to its grain offering and drink offering. + " 'On the eighth day come together for a sacred service. Do not do any regular work. + " 'Bring an offering that is made with fire. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Bring a burnt offering of one bull and one ram. Also bring seven male lambs that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. + " 'Prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings. Prepare them along with the bull, the ram and the lambs. Prepare them in keeping with the required number. + " 'Include a male goat as a sin offering. It is in addition to the regular burnt offering. It is also in addition to the grain offering and drink offering. + " 'Here are the offerings you must prepare for the Lord at your appointed feasts. They are burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and friendship offerings. They are in addition to the offerings you bring to keep a special promise you make to the Lord. They are also in addition to the offerings you choose to give.' " + Moses told the people of Israel everything the Lord had commanded him. + + + Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of Israel. He said, "Here is what the Lord commands. + Suppose a man makes a special promise to the Lord. Or suppose he takes an oath and agrees to do something. Then he must keep his promise. He must do everything he said he would do. + "Suppose a young woman is still living in her father's house. She makes a special promise to the Lord. Or she takes an oath and agrees to do something. + "Suppose her father hears about her promise or oath. And he doesn't say anything to her about it. Then she must keep her promise. She must do what she agreed to do. + "But suppose her father doesn't allow her to keep her promises when he hears about them. Then she doesn't have to do what she promised or agreed to do. The Lord will set her free. He'll do it because her father hasn't allowed her to keep her promises. + "Suppose she gets married after she makes a special promise. Or she gets married after agreeing to do something without thinking it through. + Suppose her husband hears about what she did. And he doesn't say anything to her about it. Then she must keep her promise. She must do what she agreed to do. + "But suppose her husband doesn't allow her to keep her promises when he hears about them. Then she doesn't have to do what she promised. She doesn't have to do what she agreed to do without thinking it through. The Lord will set her free. + "Suppose a widow makes a special promise. Or suppose she takes an oath and agrees to do something. Then she must keep her promise. She must do what she agreed to do. The same rules apply to a woman who has been divorced. + "Suppose a woman who is living with her husband makes a special promise. Or she takes an oath and agrees to do something. + Suppose her husband hears about what she did. He doesn't say anything to her about it. And he doesn't try to stop her from keeping her promises. Then she must keep her promise. She must do what she agreed to do. + "But suppose her husband doesn't allow her to keep her promises when he hears about them. Then she doesn't have to do what she promised. She doesn't have to do what she agreed to do. Her husband has kept her from doing what she said she would do. The Lord will set her free. + "Her husband can let her keep any special promise she makes. Or he can refuse to let her keep it. "Suppose she takes an oath and agrees not to eat anything. Then her husband can let her keep her promise. Or he can refuse to let her keep it. + "But suppose day after day her husband doesn't say anything to her about what she did. Then he lets her keep all of her promises. He lets her do everything she agreed to do. That's because he didn't say anything to her when he heard about what she had done. + "But suppose some time after he hears about her promises he doesn't let her keep them. Then she will be guilty. But he will be held accountable for it." + Those are the rules the Lord gave Moses about a man and his wife. And those are the rules the Lord gave about a father and his young daughter who is still living in his house. + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Pay the people of Midian back for what they did to the Israelites. After that, you will join the members of your family who have already died." + So Moses said to the people, "Prepare some of your men for battle. They must go to war against Midian. They will carry out the Lord's plan to punish Midian. + Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel into battle." + So Moses prepared 12,000 men for battle. There were 1,000 from each tribe. They came from the families of Israel. + Moses sent them into battle. He sent 1,000 from each tribe. The priest Phinehas went along with them. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. Phinehas took some articles from the sacred tent with him. He also took the trumpets. The trumpet blasts would tell the people what to do and when to do it. + They fought against Midian, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. They killed every man. + Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba were among the men they killed. Those men were the five kings of Midian. The people of Israel also killed Balaam, the son of Beor, with a sword. + They captured the women and children of Midian. They took for themselves all of the herds, flocks and goods. + They burned up all of the towns where the people of Midian had settled. They also burned up all of their camps. + They carried off everything they had taken. That included the people and the animals. + They brought back to Israel's camp the prisoners and everything else they had taken. They took them to Moses and to the priest Eleazar. They brought them to the whole community. Israel was camped on the flatlands of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. + Moses and the priest Eleazar went to meet them outside the camp. So did all of the leaders of the community. + Moses was angry with the officers of the army who had returned from the battle. Some of them were the commanders of thousands of men. Others were the commanders of hundreds. + "Have you let all of the women remain alive?" Moses asked them. + "The women followed Balaam's advice. They caused the people of Israel to turn away from the Lord. The people worshiped the god Baal that was worshiped at Peor. So a plague struck them. + Kill all of the boys. And kill every woman who has made love to a man. + But save for yourselves every woman who has never made love to a man. + "All of you who have killed anyone must stay outside the camp for seven days. And all of you who have touched anyone who was killed must do the same thing. On the third and seventh days you must make yourselves pure. You must also make your prisoners pure. + Make all of your clothes pure and clean. Everything that is made out of leather, goat hair or wood must be made pure." + Then the priest Eleazar spoke to the soldiers who had gone into battle. He said, "Here is what the law the Lord gave Moses requires. + All of your gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead + must be put through fire. So must everything else that doesn't burn up. Then those things will be 'clean.' But they must also be made pure with the special water. In fact, everything that won't burn up must be put through that water. + On the seventh day wash your clothes. And you will be 'clean.' Then you can come into the camp." + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Here is what you and the priest Eleazar and the family heads of the community must do. You must count all of the people and animals you took. + Divide up some of what you took with the soldiers who fought in the battle. Divide up the rest with the others in the community. + "Set apart a gift for me. Take something from the soldiers who fought in the battle. Set apart one out of every 500 people, cattle, donkeys, sheep and goats. + Take my gift from the soldiers' half. Give it to the priest Eleazar. It is my share. + "Also take something from the half that belongs to the people of Israel. Choose one out of every 50 people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites. They are accountable for taking care of my holy tent." + So Moses and the priest Eleazar did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + What the soldiers took included 675,000 sheep. + There were also 72,000 cattle + and 61,000 donkeys. + And there were 32,000 women who had never made love to a man. + Here is the half that belonged to those who had fought in the battle. There were 337,500 sheep. + From among them, the Lord's gift was 675. + There were 36,000 cattle. From among them, the Lord's gift was 72. + There were 30,500 donkeys. From among them, the Lord's gift was 61. + There were 16,000 women. From among them, the Lord's gift was 32. + Moses gave the gift to the priest Eleazar. It was the Lord's share. Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. + The other half belonged to the people of Israel. Moses set it apart from what belonged to the fighting men. + The community's half was 337,500 sheep, + 36,000 cattle, + 30,500 donkeys + and 16,000 women. + Moses chose one out of every 50 people and animals. He gave them to the Levites. They were accountable for taking care of the Lord's holy tent. Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. + Then the army officers went to Moses. Some of them were the commanders of thousands of men. Others were the commanders of hundreds. + All of them said to Moses, "We have counted the soldiers under our command. Not a single one is missing. + "So we've brought an offering to the Lord. We've brought the gold articles each of us took in the battle. We've also brought armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces. We've brought them to pay for our sin in the sight of the Lord." + Moses and the priest Eleazar accepted the beautiful gold articles from the army officers. + The gold that was received from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds weighed 420 pounds. Moses and Eleazar offered all of it as a gift to the Lord. + Each soldier had taken things from the battle for himself. + Moses and the priest Eleazar accepted the gold from all of the commanders. They brought it into the Tent of Meeting. It reminded the Lord of the people of Israel. + + + The tribes of Reuben and Gad had very large herds and flocks. They looked at the lands of Jazer and Gilead. They saw that those lands were just right for livestock. + So they came to Moses and the priest Eleazar. They also came to the leaders of the community. They said, + "We have seen the cities of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah and Heshbon. We've seen Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon. + All of them are in the land the Lord has brought under Israel's control. This land is just right for livestock. And we have livestock. + "We hope you are pleased with us," they continued. "If you are, please give us this land. Then it will belong to us. But don't make us go across the Jordan River." + Moses spoke to the people of Gad and Reuben. He said, "Should the rest of us go to war while you stay here? + The Lord has given the land of Canaan to the people of Israel. So why would you want to keep them from going over into it? + "That's what your fathers did. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to check out the land. + They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and looked at the land. Then they talked the people of Israel out of entering the land the Lord had given them. + "The Lord's anger was stirred up that day. So he took an oath and made a promise. He said, + "Not one of the men who is 20 years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land. They have not followed me with their whole heart. I took an oath and promised to give the land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + " 'But not one of these men will see it except Caleb and Joshua. Caleb is the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite. And Joshua is the son of Nun. They will see the land. They followed me with their whole heart.' + "The Lord's anger burned against Israel. He made them wander around in the desert for 40 years. They wandered until all of the people who had done evil in his sight had died. + "Now here you are, you bunch of sinners! You have taken the place of your fathers. And you are making the Lord even more angry with Israel. + What if you turn away from following him? Then he'll leave all of these people in the desert again. And it will be your fault when they are destroyed." + Then they came up to Moses. They said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock. We would also like to build cities for our women and children. + "But we're ready to prepare ourselves for battle. We're even ready to go ahead of the people of Israel. We'll go with them until we've brought them to their place. While we're gone, our women and children will live in cities that have high walls around them. That will keep them safe from the people who are living in this land. + "We won't return to our homes until all of the people of Israel have received their share of the land. + "We won't receive any share with them on the west side of the Jordan River. We've already received our share here on the east side." + Then Moses said to them, "Do what you have promised to do. Prepare yourselves to fight for the Lord. + Prepare yourselves and go across the Jordan River. Fight for the Lord until he has driven out his enemies in front of him. + "When the land is under the Lord's control, you can come back here. Your duty to the Lord and Israel will be over. Then the Lord will give you this land as your own. + "But what if you fail to do your duty? Then you will be sinning against the Lord. And you can be sure that your sin will be discovered. It will be brought out into the open. + "So build up cities for your women and children. Make sheep pens for your flocks. But do what you have promised to do." + The people of Gad and Reuben spoke to Moses. They said, "We will do just as you command. + Our children and wives will remain here in the cities of Gilead. So will our flocks and herds. + But we will prepare ourselves for battle. We'll go across the Jordan River and fight for the Lord. We will do just as you have said." + Then Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar. He gave the same orders to Joshua, the son of Nun. He also spoke to the family heads of the tribes of Israel. + He said, "The men of Gad and Reuben must prepare themselves for battle. They must go across the Jordan River with you. They must help you fight for the Lord. They must stay with you until the land has been brought under your control. If they do, give them the land of Gilead as their own. + "But what if they don't get ready for battle? What if they don't go across the Jordan with you? Then they must accept a share with you in Canaan." + The people of Gad and Reuben gave their answer. They said, "We will do what the Lord has said. + We'll get ready for battle. We'll go across the Jordan into Canaan. We'll fight for the Lord there. But the property we receive will be on this side of the Jordan River." + Then Moses gave their land to them. He gave it to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was Joseph's son. One part of that land had belonged to the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites. The other part had belonged to the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan. Moses gave that whole land to those two and a half tribes. It included its cities and the territory around them. + The people of Gad built up the cities of Dibon, Ataroth and Aroer. + They built up Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, + Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran. They built a high wall around each of those cities. They also built sheep pens for their flocks. + The people of Reuben built up Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim. + They also built up Nebo, Baal Meon and Sibmah. They gave new names to the cities they had built up. + The people of Makir, the son of Manasseh, went to the land of Gilead. They captured it. They drove out the Amorites who were living there. + So Moses gave Gilead to the people of Makir, the son of Manasseh. And they settled there. + Jair was a man in the family line of Manasseh. Jair captured Gilead's settlements. He called them Havvoth Jair. + Nobah captured Kenath and the settlements that were around it. He named it after himself. + + + Here are the places where the people of Israel stopped during their journey. When they came out of Egypt, they marched in companies like an army. Moses and Aaron led them. + The Lord commanded Moses to record their journey. Here are the places where they stopped. + The people of Israel started out from Rameses. It was the 15th day of the first month. It was the day after the Passover Feast. They marched out boldly in plain sight of all of the Egyptians. + The Egyptians were burying all of their oldest sons. The Lord had struck them down. He had done it when he punished their gods. + The people of Israel left Rameses and camped at Succoth. + They left Succoth and camped at Etham. Etham was on the edge of the desert. + They left Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth. It was east of Baal Zephon. They camped near Migdol. + They left Pi Hahiroth. Then they passed through the Red Sea into the desert. They traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham. Then they camped at Marah. + They left Marah and went to Elim. Twelve springs and 70 palm trees were there. So they camped at Elim. + They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea. + They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. + They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. + They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. + They left Alush and camped at Rephidim. But there was no water there for the people to drink. + They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai. + They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. + They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. + They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. + They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. + They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. + They left Libnah and camped at Rissah. + They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. + They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. + They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. + They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth. + They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath. + They left Tahath and camped at Terah. + They left Terah and camped at Mithcah. + They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah. + They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. + They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. + They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. + They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. + They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. + They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. + They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh. Kadesh was in the Desert of Zin. + They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor. It was on the border of Edom. + The priest Aaron went up Mount Hor when the Lord commanded him to. That's where he died. It happened on the first day of the fifth month. It was the 40th year after the people of Israel came out of Egypt. + Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. + The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Negev Desert in Canaan. He heard that the people of Israel were coming. + They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. + They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon. + They left Punon and camped at Oboth. + They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim. It was on the border of Moab. + They left Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad. + They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim. + They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountain range of Abarim near Nebo. + They left the mountain range of Abarim and camped on the flatlands of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. + They camped there along the Jordan River from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim. + On the flatlands of Moab the Lord spoke to Moses. He spoke to him by the Jordan River across from Jericho. The Lord said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Go across the Jordan River into Canaan. + Drive out all those who are living in the land. The statues of their gods are made out of stone and metal. Destroy all of those statues. And destroy all of the high places where they are worshiped. + " 'Take the land as your own. Settle down in it. I have given it to you. + Use lots when you give out the land. Do it based on the number of men who are in each tribe and family. Give a larger share to a larger group. And give a smaller group a smaller share. The share they receive by using lots will belong to them. Give out the shares based on the number of men in Israel's tribes. + " 'But suppose you do not drive out the people who are living in the land. Then those you allow to remain there will become like needles in your eyes. They will become like thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. + Then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.' " + + + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Give the people of Israel a command. Tell them, 'You are going to enter Canaan. The land will be given to you as your own. Here are the borders it will have. + " 'Your southern border will include some of the Desert of Zin. It will be along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will start from the end of the Dead Sea. + It will cross south of Scorpion Pass. It will continue on to Zin. From there it will go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon. + There it will turn and join the Wadi of Egypt. It will come to an end at the Mediterranean Sea. + " 'Your western border will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. That will be your border on the west. + " 'For your northern border, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor. + Continue it from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the border will go to Zedad. + It will continue to Ziphron. It will come to an end at Hazar Enan. That will be your border on the north. + " 'For your eastern border, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. + The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah. Riblah is on the east side of Ain. From there the border will continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee. + Then the border will go down along the Jordan River. It will come to an end at the Dead Sea. " 'That will be your land. And those will be its borders on every side.' " + Moses gave the people of Israel a command. He said, "Use lots when you give out the land. Each tribe will have its own share. The Lord has ordered it to be given to the nine and a half tribes. + "The families of the tribes of Reuben and Gad have already received their shares. The families of half of the tribe of Manasseh have also received their share. + Those two and a half tribes have received their shares east of the Jordan River. It flows near Jericho. Their land is toward the sunrise." + The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Here are the names of the men who will give out the shares of the land to your people. They are the priest Eleazar and Joshua, the son of Nun. + Also appoint one leader from each tribe to help give out the land. + Here are their names. "Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, is from the tribe of Judah. + Shemuel, the son of Ammihud, is from the tribe of Simeon. + Elidad, the son of Kislon, is from the tribe of Benjamin. + Bukki, the son of Jogli, is the leader from the tribe of Dan. + Hanniel, the son of Ephod, is the leader from the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was the son of Joseph. + Kemuel, the son of Shiphtan, is the leader from the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim was the son of Joseph. + Elizaphan, the son of Parnach, is the leader from the tribe of Zebulun. + Paltiel, the son of Azzan, is the leader from the tribe of Issachar. + Ahihud, the son of Shelomi, is the leader from the tribe of Asher. + Pedahel, the son of Ammihud, is the leader from the tribe of Naphtali." + Those are the men the Lord commanded to give out the shares of the land. They were commanded to give them to Israel in the land of Canaan. + + + On the flatlands of Moab, the Lord spoke to Moses. It was by the Jordan River across from Jericho. The Lord said, + "Command the people of Israel to give the Levites towns to live in. The towns must come from the shares of land the people will have as their own. Also give the Levites the grasslands that are around the towns. + Then the Levites will have towns to live in. They will also have grasslands that are for their cattle, flocks and all of their other livestock. + "The grasslands that are around each town you give them will go out to 1,500 feet from the town wall. + Outside each town, the east side will measure 3,000 feet. The south side will measure 3,000 feet. The west side will measure 3,000 feet. And the north side will measure 3,000 feet. The town must be in the center. The Levites will have the area around it as grasslands. + "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities to go to for safety. A person who has killed someone can run to one of them. Also give the Levites 42 other towns. + You must give the Levites a total of 48 towns. Also give them the grasslands that are around the towns. + "The towns you give the Levites must come from the land the people of Israel have as their own. So the number you give from each tribe will depend on the size of that tribe's share. Take many towns from a tribe that has many. But take only a few towns from a tribe that has only a few." + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, + "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'You will soon go across the Jordan River. You will enter Canaan. + When you do, choose the cities to go to for safety. People who have killed someone by accident can run to one of those cities. + They will be places of safety for them. People will be safe there from those who want to kill them. Then those who are charged with murder will not die before their case has been brought to the community court. + " 'Six towns will be the cities you can go to for safety. + Three will be east of the Jordan River. The other three will be in Canaan. + " 'Those six towns will be places where the people of Israel can go for safety. Outsiders and any other people living in Israel can also go to them for safety. So anyone who has killed another person by accident can run there. + " 'Suppose a person uses an iron object to hit and kill someone. Then he is a murderer. He must be put to death. + Or suppose a person is holding a stone that could kill. And he uses it to hit and kill someone. Then he is a murderer. He must be put to death. + Or suppose a person is holding a wooden object that could kill. And he uses it to hit and kill someone. Then he is a murderer. He must be put to death. + " 'The dead person's nearest male relative should kill the murderer. When he meets him, he should kill him. + " 'What if a person makes evil plans against someone else? And what if that person pushes him so that he dies? Or what if that person throws something at him so that he dies? + Or what if that person hits the other person with a fist so that the other dies? Then the person who does any of those things must be put to death. He is a murderer. " 'The dead person's nearest male relative should kill the murderer. When he meets him, he should kill him. + " 'But what if a person suddenly pushes someone else without being angry? Or what if that person throws something at him without meaning to? + Or what if that person does not see him and drops a stone on him that kills him? He was not the dead person's enemy. He did not mean to harm him. + " 'Then the court must decide between the person who did the act and the nearest male relative of the one who was killed. Here are the rules the court must follow. + " 'The court must provide a safe place for the person who is charged with murder. It must keep him safe from those who want to kill him. The court must send him back to the city he ran to for safety. He must stay there until the high priest dies. The priest is the one who has been anointed with the holy oil. + " 'But suppose the one who has been charged with murder goes outside that city. + And suppose the dead person's nearest male relative finds that one outside the city. Then the relative can kill the one who has been charged. The relative will not be guilty of murder. + " 'The one who has been charged must stay in that city until the high priest dies. Only then can the one who has been charged return home. + " 'That is what the law requires of you for all time to come. It will apply to you no matter where you live. + " 'Suppose a person kills someone. That person must be put to death as a murderer. But do it only when there are witnesses who can tell what happened. Do not put anyone to death if only one witness tells what happened. + " 'Do not accept payment for a murderer's life. He should die. He must certainly be put to death. + " 'Do not accept payment for anyone who has run to a city for safety. Do not let him buy his freedom to return home. He must not go back and live on his own land before the high priest dies. + " 'Do not pollute the land where you are. Murder pollutes the land. Only one thing can pay to remove the pollution in the land where murder has been committed. The blood of the one who spilled another's blood must be spilled. + So do not make the land where you live "unclean." I live there too. I live among the people of Israel. I am the Lord.' " + + + The heads of the families of Gilead came to Moses. Gilead was the son of Makir. The family heads were from the tribe of Manasseh. So they were in the family line of Joseph. They spoke to Moses in front of the leaders of the families of Israel. + They said, "The Lord commanded you to give shares of the land to the people of Israel. He told you to use lots when you do it. At that time the Lord ordered you to give our brother Zelophehad's share to his daughters. + "Suppose they get married to men who are from other tribes in Israel. Then their share will be taken away from our family's land. It will be added to the land of the tribe they marry into. So a part of the share that was given to us will be taken away. + The Year of Jubilee for the people of Israel will come. Then their share will be added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Their land will be taken away from the share that was given to our tribe." + Then the Lord gave a command to Moses. He told Moses to give an order to the people of Israel. Moses said, "What the tribe in the family line of Joseph is saying is right. + "Here is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters. They can get married to anyone they want to. But they have to get married to someone in their own family's tribe. + "Property in Israel must not pass from one tribe to another. Everyone in Israel must keep his family's share of his tribe's land. + "Suppose a daughter in any tribe of Israel receives land from her parents. Then she must get married to someone in her father's family and tribe. In that way, every family's share will remain in its family line in Israel. + "Property can't pass from one tribe to another. Each tribe of Israel must keep the land it receives." + So Zelophehad's daughters did just as the Lord commanded Moses. + The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah. All of them got married to their cousins on their father's side. + They married men who were in the family line of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. So the land they received remained in their father's family and tribe. + Those are the commands and rules the Lord gave through Moses. He gave them to the people of Israel on the flatlands of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. + + + + + These are the words Moses spoke to all of the people of Israel. At that time, they were in the desert east of the Jordan River. It's in the Arabah Valley across from Suph. They were between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. + It takes 11 days to go from Mount Horeb to Kadesh Barnea if you travel on the Mount Seir road. + It was now the 40th year since the people of Israel had left Egypt. On the first day of the 11th month, Moses spoke to them. He told them everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them. + They had already won the battle over Sihon. Sihon was the king of the Amorites. He had ruled in Heshbon. Israel had also won the battle over Og at Edrei. Og was the king of Bashan. He had ruled in Ashtaroth. + The people were east of the Jordan River in the territory of Moab. There Moses began to explain the law. Here is what he said. + The Lord our God spoke to us at Mount Horeb. He said, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. + Take your tents down. Go into the hill country of the Amorites. Go to all of the people who are their neighbors. Go to the people who live in the Arabah Valley. Travel to the mountains and the western hills. Go to the people in the Negev Desert and along the coast. Travel to the land of Canaan and to Lebanon. Go as far as the great Euphrates River. + "I have given you all of that land. Go in and take it as your own. I took an oath. I promised I would give the land to your fathers. I promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I also said I would give it to their children after them." + At that time I spoke to you. I said, "You are too heavy a load for me to carry alone. + The Lord your God has increased your numbers. Today you are as many as the stars in the sky. + The Lord is the God of your people. May he increase your numbers a thousand times. May he bless you, just as he promised he would. + But I can't handle your problems and troubles all by myself. I can't settle your arguments. + "So choose some wise men from each of your tribes. They must understand how to give good advice. The people must have respect for them. I will appoint those men to have authority over you." + You answered me, "Your suggestion is good." + So I took the leading men of your tribes who were wise and respected. I appointed them to have authority over you. I made them commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. I appointed them to be officials over the tribes. + Here is what I commanded your judges at that time. I said, "Listen to your people's cases when they argue with one another. Judge them fairly. It doesn't matter whether the case is between fellow Israelites or between an Israelite and an outsider. + When you judge them, treat everyone the same. Listen to those who are important and those who are not. Don't be afraid of any man. God is the highest judge. Bring me any case that is too hard for you. I'll listen to it." + At that time I told you everything you should do. + The Lord our God commanded us to start out from Mount Horeb. So we did. We went toward the hill country of the Amorites. We traveled all through the huge and terrible desert you saw. Finally, we reached Kadesh Barnea. + Then I said to you, "You have reached the hill country of the Amorites. The Lord our God is giving it to us. + The Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take it. Do what the Lord says. He's the God of your people. Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope." + Then all of you came to me. You said, "Let's send some men ahead of us. They can check out the land for us and bring back a report. They can suggest to us which way to go. They can tell us about the towns we'll come to." + That seemed like a good idea to me. So I chose 12 of you. I picked one man from each tribe. + They left and went up into the hill country. There they came to the Valley of Eshcol. They checked it out. + They got some of the fruit of that land. They brought it down to us and gave us their report. They said, "The Lord our God is giving us a good land." + But you wouldn't go up. You refused to obey the command of the Lord your God. + You spoke against him in your tents. You said, "The Lord hates us. That's why he brought us out of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites. He wanted to destroy us. + Where can we go? The men who checked out the land have made us lose hope. They say, 'The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large. They have walls that reach up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.' " + Then I said to you, "Don't be terrified. Don't be afraid of them. + The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will fight for you. With your own eyes you saw how he fought for you in Egypt. + "You also saw how the Lord your God brought you through the desert. He carried you everywhere you went, just as a father carries his son. And now you have arrived here." + In spite of that, you didn't trust in the Lord your God. + He went ahead of you on your journey. He was in the fire at night and in the cloud during the day. He found places for you to camp. He showed you the way you should go. + The Lord heard what you said. So he became angry. He took an oath and made a promise. He said, + "I promised to give this good land to your people long ago. But not one of you evil men who are alive today will see it. + "Only Caleb will see the land. He is the son of Jephunneh. I will give him and his children after him the land he walked on. He followed me with his whole heart." + Because of you, the Lord became angry with me also. He said, "You will not enter the land either. + But Joshua, the son of Nun, is your helper. Joshua will enter the land. Help him to be brave. Give him hope. He will lead Israel to take the land as their own. + "You said your little ones would be taken prisoner. But they will enter the land. They do not know right from wrong yet. But I will give them the land. They will take it as their own. + As for you, turn around. Start out toward the desert. Go along the road that leads to the Red Sea." + Then you replied, "We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight. We'll do just as the Lord our God has commanded us." So all of you got your swords and put them on. You thought it would be easy to go up into the hill country. + But the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Tell them, 'Do not go up and fight. I will not be with you. Your enemies will win the battle over you.' " + So I told you what the Lord said. But you wouldn't listen. You refused to obey his command. You were so filled with pride that you marched up into the hill country. + The Amorites who lived in those hills came out and attacked you. Like large numbers of bees they chased you. They beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. + You came back and sobbed in front of the Lord. But he didn't pay any attention to your sobs. He wouldn't listen to you. + So you stayed in Kadesh for many years. You spent a long time in that area. + + + We turned back and started out toward the desert. We went along the road that leads to the Red Sea. That's how the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. + Then the Lord spoke to me. He said, + "You have made your way around this hill country long enough. So now turn north. + "Here are the orders I want you to give the people. Tell them, 'You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives. They are from the family line of Esau. They live in Seir. They will be afraid of you. But be very careful. + Do not make them angry. If you do, they will go to war against you. I will not give you any of their land. You will not have even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. + Pay them with silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.' " + The Lord your God has blessed you in everything your hands have done. He watched over you when you traveled through that huge desert. For these 40 years the Lord your God has been with you. So you have had everything you need. + We went on past our relatives. They are from the family line of Esau. They live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah Valley road. It comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber. We traveled along the desert road of Moab. + Then the Lord said to me, "Do not attack the Moabites. Do not even make them angry. If you do, they will go to war against you. I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Moab to the people in the family line of Lot. I have given it to them as their own." + The Emites used to live there. They were strong people. There were large numbers of them. They were as tall as the Anakites. + Like the Anakites, they too were thought of as Rephaites. But the Moabites called them Emites. + The Horites used to live in Seir. But the people of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites to make room for themselves. Then they settled in their territory. They did just as Israel has done in the land the Lord gave them as their own. + The Lord said, "Now get up. Go across the Zered Valley." So we went across it. + Between the time we left Kadesh Barnea and the time we went across the Zered Valley, 38 years passed. By then, all of the fighting men who had been in our camp from the beginning had died. The Lord had warned them with an oath that it would happen. + He used his power against them until he had gotten rid of all of them. Not one was left in the camp. + Finally, the last of the fighting men among the people died. + Then the Lord spoke to me. He said, + "Today you must pass near the border of Moab. Moab is also called Ar. + "When you come to the Ammonites, do not attack them. Do not make them angry. If you do, they will go to war against you. I will not give you any of their land as your own. I have given it to the people in the family line of Lot. I have given it to them as their own." + That land was also thought of as a land of the Rephaites. They used to live there. But the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. + The Rephaites were strong people. There were large numbers of them. They were as tall as the Anakites. The Lord destroyed the Rephaites to make room for the Ammonites. So the Ammonites drove them out. Then they settled in the territory of the Rephaites. + The Lord had done the same thing for the people of Esau. They lived in Seir. He destroyed the Horites to make room for them. They drove the Horites out. So the people of Esau have lived in Seir in the territory of the Horites to this very day. + The Avvites lived in villages as far away as Gaza. But people came from Crete. They destroyed the Avvites. Then they settled in the territory of the Avvites. + The Lord said, "Start out and go across the valley of the Arnon River. I have handed Sihon over to you. He is the Amorite king of Heshbon. I have also given you his country. Begin to take it as your own. Go to war against him. + "This very day I will bring fear and terror on all of the nations because of you. They will hear about you. They will tremble with fear. Pain and suffering will take hold of them because of you." + I sent messengers from the Desert of Kedemoth. I told them to go to Sihon, the king of Heshbon. They offered him peace. They said, + "Let us pass through your country. We'll stay on the main road. We won't turn off it to one side or the other. + We'll pay you the right amount of silver for food to eat and water to drink. Just let us walk through your country. + The people of Esau, who live in Seir, allowed us to do that. The people of Moab, who live in Ar, also allowed us to do it. So let us walk through until we go across the Jordan River. Then we'll be able to go into the land the Lord our God is giving us." + But Sihon, the king of Heshbon, refused to let us walk through. The Lord your God had made his heart and spirit stubborn. The Lord wanted to hand him over to you. And that's exactly what he has done. + The Lord said to me, "I have begun to hand Sihon and his country over to you. So begin the battle to take his land as your own." + Sihon and his whole army came out to fight against us at Jahaz. + But the Lord our God handed him over to us. We struck him down together with his sons and his whole army. + At that time we took all of his towns. We completely destroyed them. We killed all of the men, women and children. We didn't leave any of them alive. + But we took for ourselves the livestock and everything else from the towns we had captured. + Not a single town was too strong for us. That includes all of the towns from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon River valley all the way to Gilead. It also includes the town in the valley. The Lord our God gave us all of them. + And you obeyed the Lord's command. You didn't go near any part of the land of the Ammonites. That includes the land along the Jabbok River. It also includes the land around the towns that are in the hills. + + + Next, we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, marched out with his whole army. They fought against us at Edrei. + The Lord said to me, "Do not be afraid of Og. I have handed him over to you. I have also handed over his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon. Sihon was the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon." + So the Lord our God also handed Og, the king of Bashan, and his whole army over to us. We struck them down. We didn't leave any of them alive. + At that time we took all of his cities. There were 60 of them. We took the whole area of Argob. That was Og's kingdom in Bashan. + All of those cities had high walls around them. The city gates were made secure with heavy metal bars. There were also large numbers of villages that didn't have walls. + We completely destroyed them. We did to them just as we had done to Sihon, the king of Heshbon. We destroyed all of their cities. We destroyed the men, women and children. + But we kept for ourselves the livestock and everything else we took from their cities. + So at that time we took the territory east of the Jordan River. We captured it from those two Amorite kings. The territory goes all the way from the Arnon River valley to Mount Hermon. + Hermon is called Sirion by the people of Sidon. The Amorites call it Senir. + We captured all of the towns on the high flatlands. We took the whole land of Gilead. And we captured the whole land of Bashan as far away as Salecah and Edrei. Those were towns that belonged to Og's kingdom in Bashan. + Og, the king of Bashan, was the only Rephaite left. His bed was made out of iron. It was more than 13 feet long and six feet wide. It is still in the Ammonite city of Rabbah. + I divided up the land we took over at that time. I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad the territory north of Aroer by the Arnon River valley. It includes half of the hill country of Gilead together with its towns. + I gave the rest of Gilead to half of the tribe of Manasseh. I also gave them the whole land of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. The whole area of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites. + Jair took the whole area of Argob. He was from the family line of Manasseh. Argob goes all the way to the border of the people of Geshur and Maacah. It was named after Jair. So Bashan is called Havvoth Jair to this very day. + I gave Gilead to Makir. + But I gave to the tribes of Reuben and Gad the territory that reaches from Gilead down to the Arnon River valley. It reaches all the way to the Jabbok River. The Jabbok is the northern border of Ammon. The middle of the Arnon River valley is its southern border. + The western border of Reuben and Gad is the Jordan River in the Arabah Valley. It reaches from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It runs below the slopes of Pisgah. + Here is the command I gave at that time to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. I said, "The Lord your God has given you this land as your very own. But all of your strong men must be prepared for battle. They must cross over ahead of the rest of your fellow Israelites. + "But your wives and children can stay in the towns I've given you. You can keep your livestock there too. I know you have a lot of livestock. + Let your families and livestock stay in those towns until the Lord gives peace and rest to the other tribes, just as he has given you peace and rest. And let them stay until the other tribes have taken over the land the Lord your God is giving them. That land is across the Jordan River. After that, each of you may go back to the land I've given you as your very own." + At that time I gave Joshua a command. I said, "Your own eyes have seen everything the Lord your God has done to Sihon and Og. He will do the same thing to all of the kingdoms in the land where you are going. + Don't be afraid of them. The Lord your God himself will fight for you." + At that time I made my appeal to the Lord. I said, + "Lord and King, you have begun to show me how great you are. You have shown me how strong your hand is. You do great works and mighty acts. There isn't any god in heaven or on earth that can do what you do. + Let me go across the Jordan River. Let me see the good land that is beyond it. I want to see that fine hill country and Lebanon." + But the Lord was angry with me because of what you did. He wouldn't listen to me. "That is enough!" the Lord said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. + Go up to the highest slopes of Pisgah. Look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes. But you are not going to go across that Jordan River. + "So appoint Joshua as the new leader. Help him to be brave. Give him hope and strength. He will take these people across the Jordan. You will see the land. But he will lead them into it to take it as their own." + So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor. + + + Israel, listen to the rules and laws I'm going to teach you. Follow them. Then you will live. You will go in and take over the land. The Lord was the God of your people long ago. He's giving you the land. + Don't add to what I'm commanding you. Don't subtract from it either. Instead, obey the commands of the Lord your God that I'm giving you. + Your own eyes saw what the Lord your God did at Baal Peor. He destroyed every one of your people who followed the Baal that was worshiped at Peor. + But all of you who remained true to the Lord your God are still alive today. + I have taught you rules and laws, just as the Lord my God commanded me. Follow them in the land you are entering to take as your very own. + Be careful to keep them. That will show the nations how wise and understanding you are. They will hear about all of those rules. They'll say, "That great nation certainly has wise and understanding people." + The Lord our God is near us every time we pray to him. What other nation is great enough to have its gods that close to them? + I'm giving you the laws of the Lord today. What other nation is great enough to have rules and laws that are as fair as these? + Don't be careless. Instead, be very careful. Don't forget the things your eyes have seen. As long as you live, don't let them slip from your mind. Teach them to your children and their children after them. + Remember the day you stood at Mount Horeb. The Lord your God was there. He said to me, "Bring the people to me to hear my words. I want them to learn to have respect for me as long as they live in the land. I want them to teach my words to their children." + You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain. It blazed with fire that reached as high as the very heavens. There were black clouds and deep darkness. + Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of his words. But you didn't see any shape or form. You only heard a voice. + He announced his covenant to you. That covenant is the Ten Commandments. He commanded you to follow them. Then he wrote them down on two stone tablets. + At that time the Lord directed me to teach you his rules and laws. You must follow them in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to take as your own. + The Lord spoke to you at Mount Horeb out of the fire. But you didn't see any shape or form that day. So be very careful. + Make sure you don't commit a horrible sin. Don't make for yourselves a statue of a god. Don't make a god that looks like a man or woman or anything else. + Don't make one that looks like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the sky. + Don't make a statue that looks like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish that swims in the water. + When you look up at the heavens, you will see the sun and moon. And you will see huge numbers of stars. Don't let anyone tempt you to bow down to the sun, moon or stars. Don't worship things the Lord your God has provided for all of the nations on earth. + Egypt was like a furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure. But the Lord took you and brought you out of Egypt. He wanted you to be his very own people. And that's exactly what you are. + The Lord was angry with me because of what you did. He took an oath that he would never let me go across the Jordan River. He promised that I would never enter that good land. It's the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. + I'll die here in this land. I won't go across the Jordan. But you are about to cross over it. And you are about to take that good land as your own. + Be careful. Don't forget the covenant the Lord your God made with you. Don't make for yourselves a statue of any god at all. He has told you not to. So don't do it. + The Lord your God is like a fire that burns everything up. He's a jealous God. + You will have children and grandchildren. And you will live in the land a long time. But don't commit a horrible sin. Don't make a statue of a god. If you do, that will be an evil thing in the sight of the Lord your God. You will make him angry. + I'm calling out to heaven and earth to be witnesses against you this very day. If you do those things, you will quickly die in the land you are going across the Jordan River to take over. You won't live there very long. You will certainly be destroyed. + The Lord will drive you out of your land. He will scatter you among the nations. Only a few of you will remain alive there. + There you will worship gods that men have made out of wood and stone. Those gods can't see, hear, eat or smell. + Perhaps while you are there, you will look to the Lord your God. You will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. + All of the things I've told you about might happen to you. And you will be in trouble. But later you will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him. + The Lord your God is tender and loving. He won't leave you or destroy you. He won't forget the covenant he made with your people long ago. He took an oath when he made it. + Ask now about the days of long ago. Learn what happened long before your time. Ask about what has happened since the time God created man on the earth. Ask from one end of the world to the other. Has anything as great as this ever happened? Has anything like it ever been heard of? + You heard the voice of God speaking out of fire. And you lived! Has that happened to any other people? + Has any god ever tried to take one nation out of another to be his own? Has any god done it by putting his people to the test? Has any god done it with miraculous signs and wonders or with a war? Has any god reached out his mighty hand and powerful arm? Or has any god shown his people his great and wonderful acts? The Lord your God did all of those things for you in Egypt. With your very own eyes you saw him do them. + The Lord showed you those things so that you might know he is God. There is no other God except him. + From heaven he made you hear his voice. He wanted to teach you. On earth he showed you his great fire. You heard his words coming out of the fire. + He loved your people long ago. He chose their children after them. So he brought you out of Egypt. He used his great strength to do it. + He drove out nations to make room for you. They were greater and stronger than you are. He will bring you into their land. He wants to give it to you as your very own. The whole land is as good as yours right now. + The Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Today you must agree with that and take it to heart. There is no other God. + I'm giving you his rules and commands today. Obey them. Then things will go well with you and your children after you. You will live a long time in the land. The Lord your God is giving you the land for all time to come. + I set apart three cities east of the Jordan River. + Anyone who killed a person he didn't hate and without meaning to do it could run to one of those cities. He could go there and stay alive. + Here are the names of the cities. Bezer was for the people of Reuben. It was in the high flatlands in the desert. Ramoth was for the people of Gad. It was in Gilead. Golan was for the people of Manasseh. It was in Bashan. + Here is the law I gave the people of Israel. + Here are its terms, rules and laws. I gave them to the people when they came out of Egypt. + They were now east of the Jordan River in the valley near Beth Peor. They were in the land of Sihon, the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon. But the people of Israel and I won the battle over him after we came out of Egypt. + We captured his land and made it our own. We also took the land of Og, the king of Bashan. Sihon and Og were the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. + Their land reached from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon River valley to Mount Hermon. + It included the whole Arabah Valley east of the Jordan. It included land all the way to the Dead Sea below the slopes of Pisgah. + + + I sent for all of the people of Israel. Here is what I said to them. Israel, listen to me. Here are the rules and laws I'm announcing to you today. Learn them well. Be sure to follow them. + The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Mount Horeb. + He didn't make it only with our parents. He also made it with us. In fact, he made it with all of us who are alive here today. + The Lord spoke to you face to face. His voice came out of the fire on the mountain. + At that time I stood between the Lord and you. I announced to you the Lord's message. I did it because you were afraid of the fire. You didn't go up the mountain. The Lord said, + "I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves. + "Do not put any other gods in place of me. + "Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. + Do not bow down to them or worship them. I am the Lord your God. I am a jealous God. I punish the children for the sin of their parents. I judge the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me. + But for all time to come I show love to all those who love me and keep my commandments. + "Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses his name. + "Observe the Sabbath day. Keep it holy, just as the Lord your God commanded you. + Do all of your work in six days. + But the seventh day is a Sabbath in honor of the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen, your donkeys and your other animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your cities. I want your male and female servants to rest, just as you do. + Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. The Lord your God reached out his mighty hand and powerful arm and brought you out of there. So he has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. + "Honor your father and mother, just as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long time in the land he is giving you. And things will go well with you there. + "Do not commit murder. + "Do not commit adultery. + "Do not steal. + "Do not give false witness against your neighbor. + "Do not long for your neighbor's wife. Do not long to have anything that belongs to your neighbor. Do not long to have your neighbor's house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey." + Those are the commandments the Lord announced in a loud voice to your whole community. He gave them to you there on the mountain. He spoke out of the fire, cloud and deep darkness. He didn't add anything else. Then he wrote the commandments on two stone tablets. And he gave them to me. + The mountain was blazing with fire. You heard the voice coming out of the darkness. So your elders and all of the leaders of your tribes came to me. + You said, "The Lord our God has shown us his glory and majesty. We have heard his voice coming out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can still stay alive even if God speaks with him. + But why should we die? This great fire will burn us up. We'll die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God again. + "We have heard the voice of the living God. We've heard him speaking out of the fire. Has any other human being ever heard him speak like that and stayed alive? + Go near and listen to everything the Lord our God says. Then tell us what he tells you. We will listen and obey." + The Lord heard you when you spoke to me. He said to me, "I have heard what these people said to you. Everything they said was good. + But I wish they would always have respect for me in their hearts. I wish they would always obey all of my commands. Then things would go well with them and their children forever. + "Go and tell them to return to their tents. + But you stay here with me. Then I will give you all of my commands, rules and laws. You must teach the people to follow them in the land I am giving them as their very own." + So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you. Don't turn away from his commands to the right or the left. + Live exactly as the Lord your God has commanded you to live. Then you will enjoy life in the land you will soon own. Things will go well with you there. You will live there for a long time. + + + The Lord your God has directed me to teach you his commands, rules and laws. Obey them in the land you will take over when you go across the Jordan River. + Then you, your children and their children after them will have respect for the Lord your God as long as you live. Keep all of his rules and commands I'm giving you. If you do, you will enjoy long life. + Israel, listen to me. Make sure you obey me. Then things will go well with you. Your numbers will increase greatly in a land that has plenty of milk and honey. That's what the Lord, the God of your parents, promised you. + Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is the one and only God. + Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength. + The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. + Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up. + Write them down and tie them on your hands as a reminder. Also tie them on your foreheads. + Write them on the doorframes of your houses. Also write them on your gates. + The Lord your God will bring you into the land of Canaan. He took an oath. He promised he would give the land to your fathers. He promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The land has large, wealthy cities you didn't build. + It has houses that are filled with all kinds of good things you didn't provide. It has wells you didn't dig. And it has vineyards and groves of olive trees you didn't plant. You will have plenty to eat. + But be careful that you don't forget the Lord. Remember that he brought you out of Egypt. That's the land where you were slaves. + Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve. When you make promises, take your oaths in his name. + Don't follow other gods. Don't worship the gods of the nations that are around you. + The Lord your God is among you. He is a jealous God. If you worship other gods, his anger will burn against you. And he will destroy you from the face of the land. + Don't put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. + Be sure to obey the Lord's commands. Follow the terms and rules he has given you. + Do what is right and good in the Lord's eyes. Then things will go well with you. You will go in and take over the land. It's the good land the Lord promised with an oath to your people long ago. + You will drive out all of your enemies to make room for you. That's what the Lord said would happen. + Later on, your son might ask you, "What is the meaning of the terms, rules and laws the Lord our God has commanded you to obey?" + If he does, tell him, "We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. But the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt. + With our own eyes we saw the Lord send miraculous signs and wonders. They were great and terrible. He sent them on Egypt and Pharaoh and everyone in his house. + "But the Lord brought us out of Egypt. He planned to bring us into the land of Canaan and give it to us. It's the land he promised with an oath to our people long ago. + "The Lord our God commanded us to obey all of his rules. He commanded us to have respect for him. If we do, we will always succeed and be kept alive. That's what is happening today. + We must make sure we obey the whole law in the sight of the Lord our God. That's what he has commanded us to do. If we obey his law, we'll be doing what he requires of us." + + + The Lord your God will bring you into the land. You are going to enter it and take it as your own. He'll drive many nations out to make room for you. He'll drive out the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Those seven nations are larger and stronger than you are. + The Lord your God will hand them over to you. You will win the battle over them. You must completely destroy them. Don't make a peace treaty with them. Don't show them any mercy. + Don't get married to any of them. Don't give your daughters to their sons. And don't take their daughters for your sons. + If you do, those people will turn your children away from following the Lord. Then your children will serve other gods. The Lord's anger will burn against you. It will quickly destroy you. + So here is what you must do to those people. Break down their altars. Smash their sacred stones. Cut down the poles they use to worship the goddess Asherah. Burn the statues of their gods in the fire. + You are a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. He has chosen you to be his special treasure. He chose you out of all of the nations on the face of the earth to be his people. + The Lord chose you because he loved you very much. He didn't choose you because you had more people than other nations. In fact, you had the smallest number of all. + The Lord chose you because he loved you. He wanted to keep the promise he had made with an oath to your people long ago. That's why he brought you out of Egypt with a mighty hand. He bought you back from the land where you were slaves. He set you free from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. + So I want you to realize that the Lord your God is God. He is the faithful God. He keeps his covenant for all time to come. He keeps it with those who love him and obey his commands. He shows them his love. + But he will pay back those who hate him. He'll destroy them. He'll quickly pay back those who hate him. + So be careful to follow the commands, rules and laws I'm giving you today. + Pay attention to the laws of the Lord your God. Be careful to obey them. Then he will keep his covenant of love with you. That's what he promised with an oath to your people long ago. + The Lord will love you and bless you. He'll increase your numbers. He'll give you many children. He'll bless the crops of your land. He'll give you plenty of grain, olive oil and fresh wine. He'll bless your herds with many calves. He'll give your flocks many lambs. He'll do all of those things for you in the land of Canaan. It's the land he promised your people long ago that he would give you. + He will bless you more than any other nation. All of your men and women will have children. All of your livestock will have little ones. + The Lord will keep you from getting sick. He won't send on you any of the horrible sicknesses you saw all around you in Egypt. But he'll send them on everyone who hates you. + You must destroy all of the nations the Lord your God hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. Don't serve their gods. If you do, they will be a trap for you. + You might say to yourselves, "These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?" + But don't be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all of the Egyptians. + With your own eyes you saw what the Lord did to them. You saw his miraculous signs and wonders. He reached out his mighty hand and powerful arm. The Lord your God used all of those things to bring you out. He will do the same things to all of the nations you are now afraid of. + The Lord your God will also send hornets among them. Some of the people who are left alive will hide from you. But even they will die. + So don't be terrified by them. The Lord your God is with you. He is a great and wonderful God. + The Lord your God will drive out those nations to make room for you. But he will do it little by little. You won't be allowed to get rid of them all at once. If you did, wild animals would multiply all around you. + But the Lord your God will hand those nations over to you. He will throw them into a panic until they are destroyed. + He will hand their kings over to you. You will wipe out their names from the earth. No one will be able to stand up against you. You will destroy them. + Burn the statues of their gods in the fire. Don't long for the silver and gold that is on those statues. Don't take it for yourselves. If you do, it will be a trap for you. The Lord your God hates it. + Don't bring anything he hates into your house. If you do, you will be completely destroyed along with it. So hate it with all your heart. It is set apart to be destroyed. + + + Make sure you follow every command I'm giving you today. Then you will live. You will increase your numbers. You will enter the land and take it as your own. It's the land the Lord promised with an oath to your people long ago. + Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way. He guided you in the desert for these 40 years. He wanted to take your pride away. He wanted to put you to the test and know what was in your hearts. He wanted to see whether you would obey his commands. + He took your pride away. He let you go hungry. Then he gave you manna to eat. You and your parents had never even known anything about manna before. He tested you to teach you that man doesn't live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. + Your clothes didn't wear out during these 40 years. Your feet didn't swell. + Here is what I want you to know in your hearts. The Lord your God trains you, just as parents train their children. + Obey the commands of the Lord your God. Live as he wants you to live. Have respect for him. + The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land. It has streams and pools of water. Springs flow in its valleys and hills. + It has wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. + There is plenty of food in that land. You will have everything you need. Its rocks have iron in them. And you can dig copper out of its hills. + When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God. Praise him for the good land he has given you. + Make sure you don't forget the Lord your God. Don't fail to obey his commands, laws and rules. I'm giving them to you today. + But suppose you don't obey his commands. And suppose you have plenty to eat. You build fine houses and settle down in them. + Your herds and flocks increase their numbers. You also get more and more silver and gold. And everything you have multiplies. + Then your hearts will become proud. And you will forget the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. That's the land where you were slaves. + He led you through that huge and terrible desert. It was a dry land. It didn't have any water. It had poisonous snakes and scorpions. The Lord gave you water out of solid rock. + He gave you manna to eat in the desert. Your parents had never even known anything about manna before. The Lord took your pride away. He put you to the test. He did it so that things would go well with you in the end. + You might say to yourselves, "Our power and our strong hands have made us rich." + But remember the Lord your God. He gives you the ability to produce wealth. That shows he stands by the terms of his covenant. He promised it with an oath to your people long ago. And he's still faithful to his covenant today. + Don't forget the Lord your God. Don't follow other gods. Don't worship them and bow down to them. I give witness against you today that if you do, you will certainly be destroyed. + You will be destroyed just like the nations the Lord your God is destroying to make room for you. That's what will happen if you don't obey him. + + + Israel, listen to me. You are now about to go across the Jordan. You will take over the land of the nations that live there. Those nations are greater and stronger than you are. Their large cities have walls that reach up to the sky. + The people who live there are Anakites. They are strong and tall. You know all about them. You have heard people say, "Who can stand up against the Anakites?" + But today you can be sure the Lord your God will go over there ahead of you. He is like a fire that will burn them up. He'll destroy them. He'll bring them under your control. You will drive them out. You will put an end to them quickly, just as the Lord has promised you. + The Lord your God will drive them out to make room for you. When he does, don't say to yourselves, "The Lord has done it because we are godly. That's why he brought us here to take over this land." That isn't true. The Lord is going to drive out those nations to make room for you because they are very evil. + You are not going in to take over their land because you have done what is right or honest. It's because those nations are so evil. That's why the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. He will do what he said he would do. He took an oath and made a promise to your fathers. He made it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + The Lord your God is giving you this good land to take as your own. But you must understand that it isn't because you are a godly nation. In fact, you are stubborn. + Here is something you must remember. Never forget it. You made the Lord your God angry in the desert. You refused to obey him from the day you left Egypt until you arrived here. + At Mount Horeb you made the Lord angry enough to destroy you. + I went up the mountain. I went there to receive the tablets of the covenant. They were made out of stone. It was the covenant the Lord had made with you. I stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. I didn't eat any food or drink any water. + The Lord gave me two stone tablets. The words on them were written by the finger of God. All of the commandments the Lord gave you were written on the tablets. He announced them to you out of the fire on the mountain. He wrote them on the day you gathered together there. + The 40 days and 40 nights came to an end. Then the Lord gave me the two stone tablets. They were the tablets of the covenant. + The Lord told me, "Go down from here right away. The people you brought out of Egypt have become very sinful. They have quickly turned away from what I commanded them. They have made a metal statue of a god for themselves." + The Lord said to me, "I have seen these people. They are so stubborn! + Do not try to stop me. I am going to destroy them. I will wipe them out from the earth. Then I will make you into a great nation. Your people will be stronger than they were. There will be more of you than there were of them." + So I turned and went down the mountain. It was blazing with fire. I was carrying the two tablets of the covenant. + When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made for yourselves a metal statue of a god. It looked like a calf. You had quickly turned away from the path the Lord had commanded you to follow. + So I threw the two tablets out of my hands. You watched them break into pieces. + Then once again I fell down flat in front of the Lord with my face toward the ground. I lay there for 40 days and 40 nights. I didn't eat any food or drink any water. You had committed a terrible sin. You had done an evil thing in the Lord's sight. You had made him angry. + I was afraid of the Lord's burning anger. He was so angry with you he wanted to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me again. + And he was so angry with Aaron he wanted to destroy him too. But at that time I prayed for Aaron. + I also got that sinful calf you had made. I burned it in the fire. I crushed it and ground it into fine powder. Then I threw the powder into a stream that was flowing down the mountain. + You also made the Lord angry at Taberah, Massah and Kibroth Hattaavah. + The Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea. He said, "Go up and take over the land I have given you." But you refused to do what the Lord your God had commanded you to do. You didn't trust him or obey him. + You have been refusing to obey the Lord as long as I've known you. + I lay down in front of the Lord with my face toward the ground for 40 days and 40 nights. I did it because the Lord had said he would destroy you. + I prayed to him. "Lord and King," I said, "don't destroy your people. They belong to you. You set them free by your great power. You used your mighty hand to bring them out of Egypt. + Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Forgive the people of Israel for being so stubborn. Don't judge them for the evil and sinful things they've done. + "If you do, the Egyptians will say, 'The Lord wasn't able to take them into the land he had promised to give them. He hated them. So he brought them out of Egypt to put them to death in the desert.' + But they are your people. They belong to you. You used your great power to bring them out of Egypt. You reached out your mighty arm and saved them." + + + At that time the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Carve out two stone tablets, just like the first ones. Then come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden chest. + I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you must put the tablets in the chest." + So I made the ark out of acacia wood. I carved out two stone tablets that were just like the first ones. I went up the mountain. I carried the two tablets in my hands. + The Lord wrote on the tablets what he had written before. It was the Ten Commandments. He had announced them to you out of the fire on the mountain. It was on the day you had gathered together there. So the Lord gave the tablets to me. + Then I came back down the mountain. I put the tablets in the ark I had made, just as the Lord had commanded me. And that's where they are now. + Remember how the people of Israel traveled from the wells of Bene Jaakan to Moserah. That's where Aaron died. And his body was buried there. His son Eleazar became the next priest after him. + From Moserah the people traveled to Gudgodah. Then they went on to Jotbathah. That land has streams of water. + At that time the Lord set the tribe of Levi apart. He appointed them to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He wanted them to serve him. He told them to bless the people in his name. And they still do it today. + That's why the Levites don't have any part of the land the Lord gave the other tribes in Israel. They don't have any share among them. The Lord himself is their share. That's what the Lord your God told them. + I had stayed on the mountain for 40 days and nights, just as I did the first time. The Lord listened to me that time also. He didn't want to destroy you. + "Go," the Lord said to me. "Lead the people on their way. Then they can enter the land and take it over. I have taken an oath. I promised I would give the land to their fathers. I promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." + And now, Israel, what is the Lord your God asking you to do? Have respect for him. Live exactly as he wants you to live. Love him. Serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. + Obey the Lord's commands and rules. I'm giving them to you today for your own good. + The heavens belong to the Lord your God. Even the highest heavens belong to him. He owns the earth and everything in it. + But the Lord loved your people very much long ago. You are their children. And he chose you above all of the other nations. His love and his promise remain with you to this very day. + So don't let your hearts be stubborn anymore. Obey the Lord. + The Lord your God is the greatest God of all. He is the greatest Lord of all. He is the great God. He is mighty and wonderful. He treats everyone the same. He doesn't accept any money from those who want special favors. + He stands up for widows and for children whose fathers have died. He loves outsiders. He gives them food and clothes. + So you also must love outsiders. Remember that you yourselves were outsiders in Egypt. + Have respect for the Lord your God. Serve him. Remain true to him. When you make promises, take your oaths in his name. + He is the one you should praise. He's your God. With your own eyes you saw the great and wonderful miracles he did for you. + Long ago, your people went down into Egypt. The total number of them was 70. And now the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars in the sky. + + + Love the Lord your God. Do what he requires. Always obey his rules, laws and commands. + Remember today that your children weren't the ones the Lord your God taught and trained. They didn't see his majesty. They weren't in Egypt when he reached out his mighty hand and powerful arm. + They didn't see the miraculous signs and the other things he did in Egypt. They didn't see what he did to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his whole country. + They weren't there when he destroyed the army of Egypt and its horses and chariots. The Lord swept the waters of the Red Sea over the Egyptians while they were chasing you. He wiped them out forever. + Your children didn't see what he did for you in the desert before you arrived here. + They didn't see what he did to Dathan and Abiram, who were the sons of Eliab. Eliab was from the tribe of Reuben. The earth opened its mouth right in the middle of the Israelite camp. It swallowed up Dathan and Abiram. It swallowed them up together with their families, tents and every living thing that belonged to them. + But with your own eyes you saw all of the great things the Lord has done. + So obey all of the commands I'm giving you today. Then you will be strong enough to go in and take over the land. You will go across the Jordan River and take it as your own. + You will live in the land for a long time. It's the land the Lord promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children after them. He took an oath when he made that promise. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. + You will enter it and take it over. It isn't like the land of Egypt. That's where you came from. You planted your seeds there. You had to water them, just as you have to water a vegetable garden. + But you will soon go across the Jordan River. The land you are going to take over has mountains and valleys in it. It drinks rain from heaven. + It's a land the Lord your God takes care of. His eyes always look on it with favor. He watches over it from the beginning of the year to its end. + So be faithful. Obey the commands the Lord your God is giving you today. Love him. Serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. + Then the Lord will send rain on your land at the right time. He'll send rain in the fall and in the spring. You will be able to gather your grain. You will also be able to make olive oil and fresh wine. + He'll provide grass in the fields for your cattle. You will have plenty to eat. + But be careful. Don't let anyone tempt you to do something wrong. Don't turn away and worship other gods. Don't bow down to them. + If you do, the Lord's anger will burn against you. He'll close up the sky. It won't rain. The ground won't produce its crops. Soon you will die. You won't live to enjoy the good land the Lord is giving you. + So keep my words in your hearts and minds. Write them down and tie them on your hands as a reminder. Also tie them on your foreheads. + Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up. + Write them on the doorframes of your houses. Also write them on your gates. + Then you and your children will live for a long time in the land. The Lord took an oath and promised to give the land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Your family line will continue as long as the heavens remain above the earth. + So be careful. Obey all of the commands I'm giving you to follow. Love the Lord your God. Live exactly as he wants you to live. Remain true to him. + Then the Lord will drive out all of the nations to make room for you. They are larger and stronger than you are. But you will take their land. + Every place you walk on will belong to you. Your territory will go all the way from the desert to Lebanon. It will go from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. + No man will be able to stand up against you. The Lord your God will throw the whole land into a panic because of you. He'll do it everywhere you go, just as he promised you. + Listen to me. I'm setting a blessing and a curse in front of you today. + I'm giving you the commands of the Lord your God today. You will be blessed if you obey them. + But you will be cursed if you don't obey them. So don't turn away from the path I'm now commanding you to take. Don't worship other gods. You haven't known anything about them before. + The Lord your God will bring you into the land to take it over. When he does, you must announce the blessings from Mount Gerizim. You must announce the curses from Mount Ebal. + As you know, those mountains are across the Jordan River. They are beyond the road that runs along the west side of the Jordan. They are near the large trees of Moreh. The mountains are in the territory of the Canaanites, who live in the Arabah Valley near Gilgal. + You are about to go across the Jordan River. You will enter the land and take it over. The Lord your God is giving it to you. You will take it over and live there. + When you do, make sure you obey all of the rules and laws I'm giving you today. + + + Here are the rules and laws you must obey. Be careful to follow them in the land the Lord has given you to take as your own. He's the God of your people who lived long ago. Obey these rules and laws as long as you live in the land. + You will soon drive the nations out of it. Completely destroy all of the places where they worship their gods. Destroy them on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. + Break down their altars. Smash their sacred stones. Burn up the poles they use to worship the goddess Asherah. Cut down the statues of their gods. Wipe out the names of their gods from those places. + You must not worship the Lord your God the way those nations worship their gods. + Instead, go to the special place he will choose from among all of your tribes. He will put his Name there. That's where you must go. + Take your burnt offerings and sacrifices to that place. Bring your special gifts and a tenth of everything you produce. Take with you what you have promised to give. Bring any other offerings you choose to give. And bring the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. + You and your families will eat at the place the Lord your God will choose. He will be with you there. You will find joy in everything you have done. That's because he has blessed you. + You must not do as we're doing here today. All of us are doing only what we think is right. + That's because you haven't yet reached the place the Lord is giving you. Your God will give you peace and rest there. + But first you will go across the Jordan River. You will settle in the land he's giving you. It will belong to you as your share. He will give you peace and rest from all of your enemies around you. You will live in safety. + The Lord your God will choose a special place. He will put his Name there. That's where you must bring everything I command you to bring. That includes your burnt offerings and sacrifices. It includes your special gifts and a tenth of everything you produce. It also includes all of the things of value that you promised to give to the Lord. + Be filled with joy there in the sight of the Lord your God. Your children should also be joyful. So should your male and female servants. And so should the Levites from your towns. The Levites won't receive any part of the land as their share. + Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you want to. + Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes. There obey everything I command you. + But you can kill your animals in any of your towns. You can eat as much of the meat as you want to. You can eat it as if it were antelope or deer meat. That's in keeping with the blessing the Lord your God is giving you. Those who are "clean" and those who are not can eat it. + But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. + Here are the things you must not eat in your own towns. You must not eat the tenth part of your grain, olive oil and fresh wine. It belongs to the Lord. You must not eat the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. Don't eat anything you have promised to give. Don't eat any offerings you have chosen to give. And you must not eat any of your special gifts. + Instead, you must eat all of those things in the sight of the Lord your God. Do it at the place he will choose. You, your children, your male and female servants and the Levites from your towns can eat them. Be filled with joy in the sight of the Lord your God. Be joyful in everything you do. + Don't forget to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land. + The Lord your God will increase your territory, just as he has promised you. When he does, you might get hungry for meat. You might say, "I'd really like some meat." Then you can eat as much of it as you want to. + The Lord your God will choose a special place. He will put his Name there. But suppose it's too far away for you to go to it. Then you can kill animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you. Do it just as I have commanded you. In your own towns you can eat as much of the meat as you want to. + Eat it as you would eat antelope or deer meat. Those who are "clean" and those who are not can eat it. + But be sure you don't eat meat that still has blood in it. The blood is the animal's life. So you must not eat the life along with the meat. + You must not eat the blood. Pour it out on the ground like water. + Don't eat it. Then things will go well with you and your children after you. You will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. + But go to the place the Lord will choose. Take with you the things you have set apart for him. Bring what you have promised to give him. + Sacrifice your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. Offer the meat and the blood there. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured out beside his altar. But you can eat the meat. + Make sure you obey all of the rules I'm giving you. Then things will always go well with you and your children after you. That's because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God. + You are about to attack the land and take it over as your own. When you do, the Lord your God will cut off the nations who live there. He will do it to make room for you. You will drive them out. You will settle in their land. + They will be destroyed to make room for you. But when they are, be careful. Don't be trapped. Don't ask questions about their gods. Don't say, "How do these nations serve their gods? We'll do it in the same way." + You must not worship the Lord your God the way they worship their gods. When they worship, they do all kinds of evil things the Lord hates. They even burn up their children in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. + Be sure you do everything I'm commanding you to do. Don't add anything to my commands. And don't take anything away from them. + + + Suppose a prophet appears among you. Or someone comes who uses dreams to tell what's going to happen. He tells you that a miraculous sign or wonder is going to take place. + The sign or wonder he has spoken about might really take place. And he might say, "Let's follow other gods. Let's worship them." But you haven't known anything about those gods before. + So you must not listen to what that prophet or dreamer has said. The Lord your God is putting you to the test. He wants to know whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. + You must follow him. You must have respect for him. Keep his commands. Obey him. Serve him. Remain true to him. + That prophet or dreamer must be put to death. He told you not to obey the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. He set you free from the land where you were slaves. He commanded you to live the way he wants you to. But that prophet or dreamer has tried to make you turn away from it. Get rid of that evil person. + Suppose your very own brother or sister secretly tempts you to do something wrong. Or your child or the wife you love tempts you. Or your closest friend does it. Suppose one of them says, "Let's go and worship other gods." But you and your people long ago hadn't known anything about those gods before. + They are the gods of the nations that are around you. Those nations might be near or far away. In fact, they might reach from one end of the land to the other. + Don't give in to those who are tempting you. Don't listen to them. Don't feel sorry for them. Don't spare them or save them. + You must certainly put them to death. You must be the first to throw stones at them. Then all of the people must do the same thing. + Put them to death by throwing stones at them. They tried to turn you away from the Lord your God. He brought you out of Egypt. That's the land where you were slaves. + After you kill those who tempted you, all of the people of Israel will hear about it. And they will be too scared to do an evil thing like that again. + The Lord your God is giving you towns to live in. But suppose you hear something bad about one of those towns. + You hear that evil men have appeared among you. They've tried to get the people of their town to do something wrong. They've said, "Let's go and worship other gods." But you haven't known anything about those gods before. + So you must question people. You must check the matter out carefully. If it's true, an evil thing has really happened among you. It's something the Lord hates. + Then you must certainly kill with your swords everyone who lives in that town. Destroy it completely. Wipe out its people and livestock. + Gather all of the goods of that town into the middle of the main street. Burn the town completely. Burn up everything in it. It's a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. The town must remain a pile of stones forever. It must never be built again. + Don't keep anything that should be destroyed. Then the Lord will turn away from his burning anger. He will show you mercy. He'll have deep concern for you. He'll increase your numbers. That's what he promised your people long ago. He took an oath when he made the promise. + The Lord your God will do those things if you obey him. I'm giving you his commands today. And you must obey all of them. You must do what is right in his eyes. + + + You are the children of the Lord your God. Don't cut yourselves to honor the dead. Don't shave the front of your heads to honor them. + You are a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. He has chosen you to be his special treasure. He chose you out of all of the nations on the face of the earth. + Don't eat anything the Lord hates. + Here are the only animals you can eat. You can eat oxen, sheep, goats, + deer, gazelles, roe deer, wild goats, ibexes, antelope and mountain sheep. + You can eat any animal that has hoofs that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud. + Some animals only chew the cud. Others only have hoofs that are completely separated in two. The camel, rabbit and rock badger chew the cud, but they don't have hoofs that are completely separated. So you can't eat them. They are not "clean" for you. + Pigs aren't "clean" for you either. They have hoofs that are completely separated, but they don't chew the cud. So don't eat their meat. And don't touch their dead bodies. + Many creatures live in water. You can eat all of the ones that have fins and scales. + But don't eat anything that doesn't have fins and scales. It isn't "clean" for you. + You can eat any "clean" bird. + But there are many birds you can't eat. They include eagles, vultures, and black vultures. + They include red kites, black kites and all kinds of falcons. + They include all kinds of ravens. + They include horned owls, screech owls, gulls and all kinds of hawks. + They include little owls, great owls, white owls + and desert owls. They include ospreys and cormorants. + They include storks and all kinds of herons. They also include hoopoes and bats. + All insects that fly together in groups are "unclean" for you. So don't eat them. + But you can eat any creature that has wings and is "clean." + If you find something that's already dead, don't eat it. You can give it to an outsider who is living in any of your towns. He can eat it. Or you can sell it to someone who is from another country. But you are a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. Don't cook a young goat in its mother's milk. + Be sure to set apart a tenth of everything your fields produce each year. + Here are the things you should eat in the sight of the Lord your God. You should eat a tenth part of your grain, olive oil and fresh wine. You should also eat the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. Eat all of those things at the special place the Lord your God will choose. He will put his Name there. You will learn to have respect for him always. + But suppose the place the Lord will choose for his Name is too far away from you. And suppose your God has blessed you. And your tenth part is too heavy for you to carry. + Then sell it for silver. Take the silver with you. Go to the place the Lord your God will choose. + Use the silver to buy anything you like. It can be cattle or sheep. It can be any kind of wine. In fact, it can be anything else you wish. Then you and your family can eat there in the sight of the Lord your God. You can be filled with joy. + Don't forget to take care of the Levites who will live in your towns. They won't receive any part of the land as their share. + At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of everything you produce that year. Store it in your towns. + Then the Levites can come and eat. That's because they won't receive any part of the land as their share. The outsiders and widows who live in your towns can come. So can the children whose fathers have died. Everyone can have plenty to eat. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. + + + At the end of every seven years you must forgive people what they owe you. + Have you made a loan to one of your own people? Then forgive what is owed to you. You can't require that person to pay you back. The Lord's time to forgive what is owed has been announced. + You can require someone from another nation to pay you back. But you must forgive your own people what they owe you. + There shouldn't be any poor people among you. The Lord will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you. You will take it over as your own. + The Lord your God will bless you if you obey him completely. Be careful to follow all of the commands I'm giving you today. + The Lord your God will bless you, just as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations. But you won't have to borrow from any of them. You will rule over many nations. But none of them will rule over you. + Suppose there are poor people among you. And suppose they live in one of the towns in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Then don't be mean to them. They are poor. So don't hold back money from them. + Instead, open your hands and lend them what they need. Do it freely. + Be careful not to have an evil thought in your mind. Don't say to yourself, "The seventh year will soon be here. It's the year for forgiving people what they owe." If you think like that, you might treat your needy people badly. You might not give them anything. Then they might make their appeal to the Lord against you. And he will find you guilty of sin. + So give freely to those who are needy. Open your hearts to them. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all of your work. He will bless you in everything you do. + There will always be poor people in the land. So I'm commanding you to give freely to those who are poor and needy in your land. Open your hands to them. + Suppose Hebrew men or women sell themselves to you. If they do, they will serve you for six years. Then in the seventh year you must let them go free. + But when you set them free, don't send them away without anything to show for all of their work. + Freely give them some animals from your flock. Also give them some of your grain and wine. The Lord your God has blessed you richly. Give to them as he has given to you. + Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. The Lord your God set you free. That's why I'm giving you this command today. + But suppose your servant says to you, "I don't want to leave you." He loves you and your family. And you are taking good care of him. + Then take him to the door of your house. Poke a hole through his ear lobe into the doorpost. And he will become your servant for life. Do the same with your female servant. + Don't think you are being cheated when you set your servants free. After all, they have served you for six years. The service of each of them has been worth twice as much as the service of a hired worker. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. + Set apart to the Lord your God every male animal among your livestock that was born first to its mother. Don't put that kind of ox to work. Don't clip the wool from that kind of sheep. + Each year you and your family must eat them. Do it in the sight of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. + Suppose an animal has something wrong with it. It might not be able to see or walk. Or it might have a bad flaw. Then you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. + You must eat it in your own towns. Those who are "clean" and those who are not can eat it. Eat it as if it were antelope or deer meat. + But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. + + + Celebrate the Passover Feast of the Lord your God in the month of Abib. In that month he brought you out of Egypt at night. + Sacrifice an animal from your flock or herd. It is the Passover sacrifice in honor of the Lord your God. Sacrifice it at the special place the Lord will choose. He will put his Name there. + Don't eat the animal along with bread that is made with yeast. Instead, for seven days eat bread that is made without yeast. It's the bread that reminds you of how much you suffered. Remember that you left Egypt in a hurry. Remember it all the days of your life. Don't forget the day you left Egypt. + Don't keep any yeast anywhere in your land for seven days. Don't let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day be left over until the next morning. + You must not sacrifice the Passover animal in any town the Lord your God is giving you. + Sacrifice it only in the special place he will choose for his Name. Sacrifice it there in the evening when the sun goes down. Do it on the same day every year. Be sure it's the day you left Egypt. + Cook it and eat it. Do it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. + For six days eat bread that is made without yeast. On the seventh day come together for a service in honor of the Lord your God. Don't do any work. + Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to cut your grain in the field. + Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks in honor of the Lord your God. Give anything you choose to give as an offering. Do it in keeping with the blessings the Lord has given you. + Be filled with joy in the sight of the Lord your God. Be joyful at the special place he will choose for his Name. You, your children, and your male and female servants should be joyful. So should the Levites who are living in your towns. So should the outsiders and widows who are living among you. And so should the children whose fathers have died. + Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Be careful to obey the rules I'm giving you. + Gather the grain from your threshing floors. Take the fresh wine from your winepresses. Then celebrate the Feast of Booths for seven days. + Be filled with joy at your Feast. You, your children, and your male and female servants should be joyful. So should the Levites, the outsiders, and the widows who are living in your towns. And so should the children whose fathers have died. + For seven days celebrate the Feast in honor of the Lord your God. Do it at the place he will choose. The Lord will bless you when you gather all of your crops. He'll bless you in everything you do. And you will be full of joy. + All of your men must appear in front of the Lord your God at the holy tent. They must go to the place he will choose. They must do it three times a year. They must go there to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. No man should appear in front of the Lord without bringing something with him. + Each of you must bring a gift. Do it in keeping with the way the Lord your God has blessed you. + Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes. Do it in every town the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly. + Do what is right. Treat everyone the same. Don't take money from people who want special favors. It makes those who are wise close their eyes to the truth. It twists the words of those who do what is right. + Follow only what is right. If you do, you will live. You will take over the land the Lord your God is giving you. + Don't set up a wooden pole that is used to worship the goddess Asherah. Don't set it up beside the altar you build to worship the Lord your God. + Don't set up a sacred stone to honor another god. The Lord your God hates Asherah poles and sacred stones. + + + Suppose an ox or sheep has anything at all wrong with it. Then don't sacrifice it to the Lord your God. He hates it. + Someone who is living among you might do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God. It might happen in one of the towns the Lord is giving you. That person is breaking the Lord's covenant. + The person might have worshiped or bowed down to other gods. That person might have bowed down to the sun or moon or stars in the sky. I have commanded you not to do those things. + When you hear that people have done something like that, check the matter out carefully. If it's true, an evil thing has been done in Israel. It's something the Lord hates. + So take the person who has done that evil thing to your city gate. Put that person to death with stones. + The witness of two or three people is required to put someone to death. No one can be put to death because of what only one witness says. It needs the witness of two or three people. + The witnesses must throw the first stones. Then the rest of the people must also throw stones. Get rid of that evil person. + People will bring their cases to your courts. But some cases will be too hard for you to judge. They might be about murders, attacks or other crimes. Then take those hard cases to the place the Lord your God will choose. + Go to a priest, who is a Levite. And go to the judge who is in office at that time. Ask them for their decision. They will give it to you. + They'll hand down their decisions at the place the Lord will choose. You must do what they decide. Be careful to do everything they direct you to do. + Act in keeping with the laws they teach you. Accept the decisions they give you. Don't turn away from what they tell you. Don't turn to the right or the left. + Someone might make fun of the judge. Or he might make fun of the priest who serves the Lord your God at the place he will choose. If the man does that, he must be put to death. Remove that evil person from Israel. + All of the people of Israel will hear about it. And they will be afraid to make fun of a judge or priest again. + You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. You will take it as your own. You will settle down in it. When you do, you will say, "Let's appoint a king over us, just like all of the nations around us." + When that happens, make sure you appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own people. Don't appoint over you someone from another country. Don't choose anyone who isn't from one of the tribes of Israel. + The king must not get large numbers of horses for himself. He must not make the people return to Egypt to get more horses. The Lord has told you, "You must not go back there again." + The king must not have a lot of wives. If he does, he will be led down the wrong path. He must not store up large amounts of silver and gold. + When he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he must make himself a copy of the law I'm teaching you. He must write it on a scroll. He must copy it from the scroll of a priest, who is a Levite. + The king must keep the scroll close to him at all times. He must read it all the days of his life. Then he can learn to have respect for the Lord his God. He can carefully follow all of the words of that law and those rules. + He won't think of himself as being better than his people are. He won't turn away from the law. He won't turn to the right or the left. Then he and his sons after him will rule over his kingdom in Israel for a long time. + + + The priests, who are Levites, won't receive any part of the land of Israel. That also applies to the whole tribe of Levi. They will eat the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. That will be their share. + They won't have any part of the land the Lord gave the other tribes in Israel. The Lord himself is their share, just as he promised them. + Anyone who sacrifices a bull or a sheep owes a share of it to the priests. Their share is the shoulder, jaws and inside parts. + You must give the priests the first share of the harvest of your grain, olive oil and fresh wine. You must also give them the first wool you clip from your sheep. + The Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their sons after them to serve him in his name always. He hasn't chosen priests from any of your other tribes. + Sometimes a Levite will move from the town in Israel where he's living. And he will come to the place the Lord will choose. He'll do it because he really wants to. + Then he can serve in the name of the Lord his God. He'll be like all of the other Levites who serve the Lord there. + He must have an equal share of the good things they have. That applies even if he has already received money by selling things his family owned. + You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you do, don't copy the practices of the nations that are there. The Lord hates those practices. + Here are things you must not do. Don't sacrifice your children in the fire to other gods. Don't practice any kind of evil magic at all. Don't use magic to try to explain the meaning of warnings in the sky or of any other signs. Don't take part in worshiping evil powers. + Don't put a spell on anyone. Don't get messages from those who have died. Don't talk to the spirits of the dead. Don't get advice from the dead. + The Lord your God hates it when anyone does those things. The nations that are in the land he's giving you practice the things he hates. So he will drive out those nations to make room for you. + You must be without blame in the sight of the Lord your God. + You will take over the nations that are in the land the Lord is giving you. They listen to those who practice all kinds of evil magic. But you belong to the Lord your God. He says you must not do those things. + The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must listen to him. + At Mount Horeb you asked the Lord your God for a prophet. You asked him on the day you gathered together. You said, "We don't want to hear the voice of the Lord our God. We don't want to see this great fire anymore. If we do, we'll die." + The Lord said to me, "What they are saying is good. + I will raise up for them a prophet like you. He will be one of their own people. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him to say. + "The prophet will speak in my name. But someone might not listen to what I say through the prophet. Then that person will be accountable to me. + "But suppose a prophet dares to speak in my name something I have not commanded him to say. Or he speaks in the name of other gods. Then that prophet must be put to death." + You will say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message hasn't been spoken by the Lord?" + Sometimes a prophet will announce something in the name of the Lord. And it won't take place or come true. Then that's a message the Lord hasn't told him to speak. That prophet has dared to speak on his own authority. So don't be afraid of him or what he says. + + + The Lord your God will destroy the nations whose land he is giving you. You will drive them out. And you will settle down in their towns and houses. + When you do, set apart for yourselves three cities in the land. It's the land the Lord your God is giving you to take as your own. + Build roads to those cities and separate the land into three parts. Then anyone who kills another person can run to one of the cities for safety. They are in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. + Here is the rule about a person who kills someone. That person can run to one of those cities for safety. The rule applies to all those who kill a neighbor they didn't hate and didn't mean to kill. + For example, suppose a man goes into a forest with his neighbor to cut wood. When he swings his ax to chop down a tree, the head of the ax flies off. And it hits his neighbor and kills him. Then that man can run to one of those cities and save his life. + If he doesn't go to one of those cities, the dead man's nearest male relative might become very angry. He might chase the man. If the city is too far away, he might catch him and kill him. But he isn't worthy of death, because he didn't hate his neighbor. + That's why I command you to set apart for yourselves three cities. + The Lord your God will increase the size of your territory. He took an oath and promised your fathers he would do it. He will give you the whole land he promised them. + But he'll do it only if you are careful to obey all of the laws I'm commanding you today. I'm commanding you to love the Lord your God. I want you to live always as he wants you to live. When he gives you additional land, you must set apart three more cities. + Do it so the blood of those who aren't guilty of murder won't be spilled in your land. It's the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. + But suppose a man hates his neighbor. So he hides and waits for him. Then he attacks him and kills him. And he runs to one of those cities for safety. + If he does, the elders of his own town must send for him. He must be brought back from the city and handed over to the dead man's nearest male relative. The relative will kill him. + Don't feel sorry for him. He has killed someone who hadn't done anything wrong. Crimes like that must be punished in Israel. Then things will go well with you. + Don't move your neighbor's boundary stone. It was set up by people who lived there before you. It marks the border of a field in the land you will receive as your own. The Lord your God is giving you that land. You will take it over. + Suppose someone is charged with committing a crime of any kind. Then one witness won't be enough to prove he is guilty. Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses. + Suppose a witness who tells lies goes to court and brings charges against someone. The witness says that person committed a crime. + Then the two people in the case must stand in front of the Lord. They must stand in front of the priests and the judges who are in office at that time. + The judges must check out the matter carefully. And suppose the witness is proved to be lying. Then he has given false witness against another Israelite. + So do to the lying witness what he tried to do to the other person. Get rid of that evil person. + The rest of the people will hear about it. And they will be afraid. They won't allow such an evil thing to be done among them again. + Don't feel sorry for that evil person. A life must be taken for a life. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. A hand must be cut off for a hand and a foot for a foot. + + + When you go to war against your enemies, you might see that they have horses and chariots. They might even have an army that is stronger than yours. But don't be afraid of them. The Lord your God will be with you. After all, he brought you up out of Egypt. + Just before you go into battle, the priest will come forward. He'll speak to the army. + He'll say, "Men of Israel, listen to me. Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Don't be scared. Don't be afraid. Don't panic. Don't be terrified by them. + The Lord your God is going with you. He'll fight for you. He'll help you win the battle over your enemies." + The officers will speak to the army. They will say, "Has anyone built a new house and not started to live in it? Let him go home. If he doesn't, he might die in battle. Then someone else will live in his house. + Has anyone planted a vineyard and not started to enjoy it? Let him go home. If he doesn't, he might die in battle. Then someone else will enjoy his vineyard. + Has anyone promised to get married to a woman but hasn't done it yet? Let him go home. If he doesn't, he might die in battle. Then someone else will marry her." + The officers will continue, "Is any man afraid? Is anyone scared? Let him go home. Then the other men won't lose hope too." + The officers will finish speaking to the army. When they do, they'll appoint commanders over it. + Suppose you march up to attack a city. Before you attack it, offer peace to its people. + Suppose they accept your offer and open their gates. Then force all of the people in the city to be your slaves. They will have to work for you. + But suppose they refuse your offer of peace and prepare for battle. Then surround that city. Get ready to attack it. + The Lord your God will hand it over to you. When he does, kill all of the men with your swords. + But you can take the women and children for yourselves. You can also take the livestock and everything else in the city. What you have captured from your enemies you can use for yourselves. The Lord your God has given it to you. + That's how you must treat all of the cities that are far away from you. Those cities don't belong to the nations that are nearby. + But what about the cities the Lord your God is giving you as your own? Kill everything in those cities that breathes. + Completely destroy them. Wipe out the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. That's what the Lord your God commanded you to do. + If you don't destroy them, they'll teach you to follow all of the things the Lord hates. He hates the way they worship their gods. If you do those things, you will sin against the Lord your God. + Suppose you surround a city and get ready to attack it. And suppose you fight against it for a long time in order to capture it. Then don't chop its trees down and destroy them. You can eat their fruit. So don't cut them down. The trees of the field aren't people. So why should you attack them? + But you can cut down trees that you know aren't fruit trees. You can build war machines out of their wood. You can use them until you capture the city you are fighting against. + + + Suppose you find someone who has been killed. The body is lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you to take as your own. But no one knows who the killer was. + Then your elders and judges will go out and measure how far it is from the body to the nearby towns. + The elders from the town that is nearest to the body will get a young cow. It must never have been used for work. It must never have pulled a load. + The elders must lead it down into a valley. The valley must not have been farmed. There must be a stream flowing through it. There in the valley the elders must break the cow's neck. + The priests, who are sons of Levi, will step forward. The Lord your God has chosen them to serve him. He wants them to bless the people in his name. He wants them to decide all cases that have to do with people arguing and attacking others. + Then all of the elders from the town that is nearest to the body will wash their hands. They will wash them over the young cow whose neck they broke in the valley. + They'll say to the Lord, "We didn't kill that person. We didn't see it happen. + Accept this payment for the sin of your people Israel. Lord, you have set your people free. Don't hold them guilty for spilling the blood of someone who hasn't done anything wrong." That will pay for the death of that person. + So you will get rid of the guilt of killing someone who didn't do anything wrong. That's because you have done what is right in the Lord's eyes. + Suppose you go to war against your enemies. And the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take them as prisoners. + Then you notice a beautiful woman among them. If you like her, you can get married to her. + Bring her home. Have her shave her head. Have her cut her nails. + Have her throw away the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. Let her live in your house and sob over her parents for a full month. Then you can go to her and be her husband. And she will be your wife. + But suppose you aren't pleased with her. Then let her go where she wants to. You must not sell her. You must not treat her as a slave. You have already brought shame on her. + Suppose a man has two wives. He loves one but not the other. And both of them have sons by him. But the oldest son is the son of the wife the man doesn't love. + Someday he'll leave his property to his sons. When he does, he must not give the rights of the oldest son to the son of the wife he loves. He must give those rights to his oldest son. He must do it even though his oldest son is the son of the wife he doesn't love. + He must recognize the full rights of the oldest son, even though that son is the son of the wife he doesn't love. He must give that son a double share of everything he has. That son is the first sign of his father's strength. So the rights of the oldest son belong to him. + Suppose someone has a very stubborn son. He doesn't obey his father and mother. And he won't listen to them when they try to correct him. + Then his parents will take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. + They will say to the elders, "This son of ours is very stubborn. He won't obey us. He wastes his money. He's always getting drunk." + Then all of the people in his town will put him to death by throwing stones at him. Get rid of that evil person. All of the people of Israel will hear about it. And they will be afraid to disobey their parents. + Suppose a man is put to death for a crime that is worthy of death. And a pole is stuck through his body and set up where people can see it. + Then you must not leave the body on the pole all night. Make sure you bury it that same day. Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God's curse. You must not make the land "unclean." The Lord your God is giving it to you as your own. + + + Suppose you see your neighbor's ox or sheep wandering away. Then don't act as if you didn't see it. Instead, make sure you take it back to him. + Your neighbor might not live near you. Or you might not know who he is. Then take the animal home with you. Keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back. + Do the same thing if you find his donkey, coat or anything he loses. Don't act as if you didn't see it. + Suppose you see your neighbor's donkey or ox that has fallen down on the road. Then don't act as if you didn't see it. Help him get it up on its feet again. + A woman must not wear men's clothes. And a man must not wear women's clothes. The Lord your God hates it when anyone does that. + Suppose you happen to find a bird's nest beside the road. It might be in a tree or on the ground. And suppose the mother bird is sitting on her little birds or on the eggs. Then don't take the mother along with the little ones. + You can take the little ones. But make sure you let the mother go. Then things will go well with you. You will live for a long time. + If you build a new house, put a low wall around the edge of your roof. Then you won't be held accountable if someone falls off your roof and dies. + Don't plant two kinds of seeds in your vineyard. If you do, the crops you grow there will be polluted. Your grapes will also be polluted. + Don't let an ox and a donkey pull the same plow together. + Don't wear clothes made of wool and linen that are woven together. + Make tassels on the four corners of the coat you wear. + Suppose a man gets married to a woman and makes love to her. But then he doesn't like her. + So he tells lies about her and says she's a bad woman. He says, "I got married to this woman. But when I made love to her, I discovered she wasn't a virgin." + Then the woman's parents must bring proof that she was a virgin. They must give the proof to the elders at the gate of the town. + The woman's father will speak to the elders. He'll say, "I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife. But he doesn't like her. + So now he has told lies about her. He has said, 'I discovered that your daughter wasn't a virgin.' But here's the proof that my daughter was a virgin." Then her parents will show the elders of the town the cloth that has her blood on it. + The elders will punish the man. + They'll make him weigh out two and a half pounds of silver. They'll give it to the woman's father. That's because the man has said an Israelite virgin is a bad woman. She will continue to be his wife. He must not divorce her as long as he lives. + But suppose the charge is true. And there isn't any proof that the woman was a virgin. + Then she must be brought to the door of her father's house. There the people of her town will put her to death by throwing stones at her. She has done a very terrible thing in Israel. She has had sex before she got married. Get rid of that evil person. + Suppose a man is seen having sex with another man's wife. Then the man and the woman must both die. Get rid of those evil people. + Suppose a man happens to see a virgin in a town. And she has promised to get married to another man. But the man who happens to see her has sex with her. + Then you must take both of them to the gate of that town. You must put them to death by throwing stones at them. You must kill the woman because she was in a town and didn't scream for help. And you must kill the man because he had sex with another man's wife. Get rid of those evil people. + But suppose a man happens to see a woman out in the country. And she has promised to marry another man. But the man who happens to see her rapes her. Then only the man who has done that will die. + Don't do anything to the woman. She hasn't committed a sin that is worthy of death. That case is like the case of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor. + The man found the woman out in the country. And she screamed. But there wasn't anyone around who could save her. + Suppose a man happens to see a virgin who hasn't promised to marry another man. And the man who happens to see her rapes her. But someone discovers them. + Then the man must weigh out 20 ounces of silver. He must give it to the woman's father. The man must marry the woman, because he raped her. And he can never divorce her as long as he lives. + A man must not get married to his stepmother. He must not bring shame on his father by having sex with her. + + + No man whose sex organs have been crushed or cut can join in worship with the Lord's people. + No one who was born to a woman who wasn't married can join in worship with the Lord's people. That also applies to the person's children for all time to come. + The people of Ammon and Moab can't join in worship with the Lord's people. That also applies to their children after them for all time to come. + The Ammonites and Moabites didn't come to meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt. They even hired Balaam from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to call down a curse on you. Balaam was the son of Beor. + The Lord your God wouldn't listen to Balaam. Instead, he turned the curse into a blessing for you. He did it because he loves you. + So don't make a peace treaty with the Ammonites and Moabites as long as you live. + Don't hate the people of Edom. They are your relatives. Don't hate the people of Egypt. After all, you lived as outsiders in their country. + The great-grandchildren of the Edomites and Egyptians can join in worship with the Lord's people. + There will be times when you are at war with your enemies. And your soldiers will be in camp. Then keep away from anything that isn't pure and clean. + Suppose semen flows from the body of one of your soldiers during the night. Then that will make him "unclean." He must go outside the camp and stay there. + But as evening approaches, he must wash himself. When the sun goes down, he can return to the camp. + Choose a place outside the camp where you can go to the toilet. + Keep a shovel among your tools. When you go to the toilet, dig a hole. Then cover up your waste. + The Lord your God walks around in your camp. He's there to keep you safe. He's also there to hand your enemies over to you. So your camp must be holy. Then he won't see anything among you that is shameful. He won't turn away from you. + If a slave comes to you for safety, don't hand him over to his master. + Let him live among you anywhere he wants to. Let him live in any town he chooses. Don't crush him. + A man or woman in Israel must not become a temple prostitute. + The Lord your God hates the money that men and women get for being prostitutes. So don't take that money into the house of the Lord to pay what you promised to give. + Don't charge your own people any interest. Don't charge them when they borrow money, food or anything else. + You can charge interest to people from another country. But don't charge your own people. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. He will bless you in the land you are entering to take as your own. + Don't put off giving to the Lord your God everything you promise him. He will certainly require it from you. And you will be guilty of committing a sin. + But if you don't make a promise, you won't be guilty. + Make sure you do what you promised to do. With your own mouth you made the promise to the Lord your God. No one forced you to do it. + When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you can eat all of the grapes you want. But don't put any of them in your basket. + When you enter your neighbor's field, you can pick heads of grain. But don't cut down his standing grain. + + + Suppose a man gets married to a woman. But later he decides he doesn't like her. He finds something shameful about her. So he gives her a letter of divorce and sends her away from his house. + Then after she leaves his house she becomes another man's wife. + But her second husband doesn't like her either. So he gives her a letter of divorce and sends her away from his house. Or perhaps he dies. + Then her first husband isn't allowed to marry her again. The Lord would hate that. When her first husband divorced her, she became "unclean." Don't bring sin on the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. + Suppose a man has just gotten married. Then don't send him into battle. Don't give him any other duty either. He's free to stay home for one year. He needs time to make his new wife happy. + Someone might borrow money from you and give you two millstones to keep until you are paid back. Don't keep them. Don't even keep the upper one. That person depends on the millstones to make a living. + Suppose a man is caught kidnapping another Israelite. And he sells or treats that person as a slave. Then the kidnapper must die. Get rid of that evil person. + What about skin diseases? Be very careful to do exactly what the priests, who are Levites, tell you to do. You must be careful to follow the commands I've given them. + Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your way out of Egypt. + Suppose your neighbor borrows something from you. And he offers you something to keep until you get paid back. Then don't go into his house to get it. + Stay outside. Let the man bring it out to you. + He might be poor. You might be given his coat to keep until you get paid back. Don't go to sleep while you still have it. + Return it before the sun goes down. He needs it to sleep in and will thank you for returning it. The Lord your God will see it and know that you have done the right thing. + Don't take advantage of any hired worker who is poor and needy. That applies to your own people. It also applies to outsiders who are living in one of your towns. + Give them their pay every day. They are poor and are counting on it. If you don't pay them, they might cry out to the Lord against you. Then you will be guilty of committing a sin. + Parents must not be put to death because of what their children do. And children must not be put to death because of what their parents do. People must die because of their own sins. + Do what is right and fair for outsiders and for children whose fathers have died. Suppose a widow borrows something from you. And she offers to give you her coat until she pays you back. Don't take it. + Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Remember that the Lord your God set you free from there. That's why I'm commanding you to do those things. + When you are gathering crops in your field, you might leave some grain behind by mistake. Don't go back to get it. Leave it for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. + When you knock olives off your trees, don't go back over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. + When you pick grapes in your vineyard, don't go back over the vines a second time. Leave what remains for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. + Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That's why I'm commanding you to do those things. + + + Suppose two men don't agree about something. Then they must take their case to court. The judges will decide the case. They will let the one who isn't guilty go free. And they will punish the one who is guilty. + The guilty one might have done something that's worthy of a beating. Then the judge will make him lie down and be beaten with a whip right there in court. The number of strokes should fit the crime. + But the judge must not give the guilty man more than 40 strokes. If more than that are used, you will look down on your Israelite neighbor. + Don't stop an ox from eating while you use it to separate grain from straw. + Suppose two brothers are living near each other. And one of them dies without having a son. Then his widow must not get married to anyone outside the family. Her husband's brother should marry her. That's what a brother-in-law is supposed to do. + Her first baby boy will be named after her first husband. Then the dead man's name will not be wiped out in Israel. + But suppose the man doesn't want to get married to his brother's wife. Then she will go to the elders at the gate of the town. She will say, "My husband's brother refuses to keep his brother's name alive in Israel. He won't do for me what a brother-in-law is supposed to do." + Then the elders in his town will send for him. They will talk to him. But he still might say, "I don't want to marry her." + Then his brother's widow will go up to him in front of the elders. She'll pull one of his sandals off his foot. She'll spit in his face. And she'll say, "That's what we do to a man who won't build up his brother's family line." + That man's family line will be known in Israel as The Family of the Man Whose Sandal Was Pulled Off. + Suppose two men are fighting. And the wife of one of them comes to save her husband from his attacker. So she reaches out and grabs hold of his sex organs. + Then you must cut off her hand. Don't feel sorry for her. + Don't have two different scales. You must not have one that weighs things heavier than they really are and another that weighs them lighter than they are. + And don't have two different sets of measures. You must not have one set that measures things larger than they really are and another that measures them smaller than they are. + You must use weights and measures that are honest and exact. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you. + He hates anyone who cheats. + Remember what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt. + You were tired and worn out. They met you on your journey. They attacked everyone who was lagging behind. They didn't have any respect for God. + The Lord your God will give you peace and rest from all of the enemies who are around you. He'll do it in the land he's giving you to take over as your very own. Then you will wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from the earth. Don't forget to do it! + + + You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. You will take it over. You will settle down in it. + When you do, get some of the first share of everything your soil produces. Put it in a basket. It's from the land the Lord your God is giving you. Take your gifts and go to the special place he will choose. He will put his Name there. + Speak to the priest who is in office at that time. Tell him, "I announce today to the Lord your God that I have come to this land. It's the land he promised with an oath to our fathers to give us." + The priest will take the basket from you. He'll set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. + Then you will speak while the Lord is listening. You will say, "My father Jacob was a wanderer from the land of Aram. He went down into Egypt with a few people. He lived there and became the father of a great nation. It had huge numbers of people. + "But the people of Egypt treated us badly. They made us suffer. They made us work very hard. + Then we cried out to the Lord. He is the God of our people who lived long ago. He heard our voice. He saw how much we were suffering. The Egyptians were crushing us. They were making us work very hard. + "So the Lord reached out his mighty hand and powerful arm and brought us out of Egypt. He did great and wonderful things. He did miraculous signs and wonders. + He brought us to this place. He gave us this land. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. + "Now, Lord, I'm bringing you the first share of crops from the soil. After all, you have given them to me." Place the basket in front of the Lord your God. Bow down to him. + You and the Levites and the outsiders among you will be full of joy. You will enjoy all of the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your family. + You will set apart a tenth of everything you produce in the third year. That's the year for giving the tenth to people who have special needs. You will give it to the Levites, outsiders and widows. You will also give it to children whose fathers have died. Then all of them will have plenty to eat in your towns. + Speak to the Lord your God. Say to him, "I have taken your sacred share from my house. I have given it to the Levites, outsiders and widows. I have also given it to children whose fathers have died. I've done everything you commanded me to do. I haven't turned away from your commands. I haven't forgotten any of them. + I haven't eaten any part of your sacred share while I was sobbing over someone who had died. I haven't taken any of it from my house while I was 'unclean.' And I haven't offered any of it to the dead. Lord my God, I've obeyed you. I've done everything you commanded me to do. + "Look down from the holy place where you live in heaven. Bless your people Israel. Bless the land you have given us. It's the land you promised with an oath to give to our fathers. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey." + This very day the Lord your God commands you to follow all of those rules and laws. Be careful to obey them with all your heart and with all your soul. + Today you have announced that the Lord is your God. You have said you would live exactly as he wants you to live. You have agreed to keep his rules, commands and laws. And you have said you would obey him. + Today the Lord has announced that you are his people. He has said that you are his special treasure. He promised that you would be. He has told you to keep all of his commands. + He has announced that he will make you famous. He'll give you more praise and honor than all of the other nations he has made. And he has said that you will be a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. That's exactly what he promised to do. + + + The elders of Israel and I gave commands to the people. We said, "Obey all of the commands we're giving you today. + "You will go across the Jordan River. You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you do, set up some large stones. Put a coat of plaster on them. + Write all of the words of this law on them. Do it when you have crossed over into the land the Lord your God is giving you. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. The Lord is the God of your fathers. He promised you that you would enter the land. + After you have gone across the Jordan, set up those stones on Mount Ebal. Put a coat of plaster on them. We're commanding you today to do that. + "Build an altar there to honor the Lord your God. Make it out of stones. Don't use any iron tool on them. + Use stones you find in the fields to build his altar. Then offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. + Sacrifice friendship offerings there. Eat them and be filled with joy in the sight of the Lord your God. + "You must write all of the words of this law on the stones you have set up. Write the words very clearly." + Then the priests, who are Levites, and I spoke to all of the people of Israel. We said, "Israel, be quiet! Listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God. + Obey him. Follow his commands and rules that we're giving you today." + Here are the commands I gave the people that very day. + You will go across the Jordan River. When you do, I want six tribes to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people. Those tribes are Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. + I want the other six tribes to stand on Mount Ebal to announce some curses. Those tribes are Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. + The Levites will speak to all of the people of Israel in a loud voice. They will say, + "May any man who makes a wooden or metal statue of a god and sets it up in secret be under the Lord's curse. That statue is made by a skilled worker. And the Lord hates it." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who brings shame on his father or mother be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who moves his neighbor's boundary stone be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who leads blind people down the wrong road be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who isn't fair in the way he treats outsiders, widows, and children whose fathers have died be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May any man who has sex with his stepmother be under the Lord's curse. That man brings shame on his father by doing that." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who has sex with animals be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May any man who has sex with his sister be under the Lord's curse. It doesn't matter whether she is his full sister or his half sister." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May any man who has sex with his mother-in-law be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who kills his neighbor secretly be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who accepts money to kill someone who isn't guilty of doing anything wrong be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + "May anyone who doesn't honor the words of this law by obeying them be under the Lord's curse." Then all of the people will say, "Amen!" + + + Make sure you obey the Lord your God completely. Be careful to follow all of his commands. I'm giving them to you today. If you do those things, the Lord will honor you more than all of the other nations on earth. + If you obey the Lord your God, here are the blessings that will come to you and remain with you. + You will be blessed in the cities. You will be blessed out in the country. + Your children will be blessed. Your crops will be blessed. The young animals among your livestock will be blessed. That includes your calves and lambs. + Your baskets and bread pans will be blessed. + You will be blessed no matter where you go. + Enemies will rise up against you. But the Lord will help you win the battle over them. They will come at you from one direction. But they'll run away from you in seven directions. + The Lord your God will bless your barns with plenty of grain and other food. He will bless everything you do. He'll bless you in the land he's giving you. + The Lord your God will make you his holy people. He will set you apart for himself. He took an oath and promised to do that. He promised to do it if you would keep his commands and live exactly as he wants you to live. + All of the nations on earth will see that you belong to the Lord. And they will be afraid of you. + The Lord will give you more than you need. You will have many children. Your livestock will have many little ones. Your crops will do very well. All of that will happen in the land he promised with an oath to your fathers to give you. + The Lord will open up the heavens. That's where he stores his riches. He will send rain on your land at just the right time. He'll bless everything you do. You will lend money to many nations. But you won't have to borrow from any of them. + The Lord your God will make you leaders, not followers. Pay attention to his commands that I'm giving you today. Be careful to follow them. Then you will always be on top. You will never be on the bottom. + Don't turn away from any of the commands I'm giving you today. Don't turn to the right or the left. Don't follow other gods. Don't worship them. + But suppose you don't obey the Lord your God. And you aren't careful to follow all of his commands and rules I'm giving you today. Then he will send curses on you. They'll catch up with you. Here are those curses. + You will be cursed in the cities. You will be cursed out in the country. + Your baskets and bread pans will be cursed. + Your children will be cursed. Your crops will be cursed. Your calves and lambs will be cursed. + You will be cursed no matter where you go. + The Lord will send curses on you. You won't know what's going on. In everything you do, he will be angry with you. You will be destroyed suddenly and completely. That will happen because you did an evil thing when you deserted the Lord. + He will send all kinds of sicknesses on you. He'll send them until he has destroyed you. He'll remove you from the land you are entering to take as your own. + The Lord will make you sick and very weak. He will strike you with fever and swelling. He'll send burning heat. There won't be any rain. The hot winds will completely dry up your crops. All of those things will happen until you die. + The sky above you will be like bronze. The ground beneath you will be like iron. + The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder. It will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. + The Lord will help your enemies win the battle over you. You will come at them from one direction. But you will run away from them in seven directions. You will look so bad that all of the kingdoms on earth will be completely shocked when they see you. + Birds and wild animals will eat up your dead bodies. There won't be anyone left to scare them away. + The Lord will send boils on you, just like the ones he sent on the Egyptians. You will have growths in your bodies and boils on your skin. You will itch all over. No one will be able to heal you. + The Lord will make you lose your mind. He will make you blind. You won't know what's going on. + Even at noon you will have to feel your way around like a blind person in the dark. You won't have success in anything you do. Day after day you will be robbed and beaten down. No one will be able to save you. + You and a woman will promise to get married to each other. But another man will take her and rape her. You will build a house. But you won't live in it. You will plant a vineyard. But you won't eat a single grape from it. + Your ox will be killed right in front of your eyes. But you won't eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away from you by force. And you will never get it back. Your sheep will be given to your enemies. No one will be able to save them. + Your children will be given to another nation. Day after day you will watch for them to come back. But you will only wear out your eyes. You won't be able to help your children. + A nation you don't know anything about will eat what you work to produce on your land. You will be completely beaten down as long as you live. + The things you see will make you lose your mind. + The Lord will send painful boils on your knees and legs. No one will be able to heal them. They will cover you from head to toe. + The Lord will drive you out of the land. And he will drive out the king you place over you. All of you will go to a nation you and your people long ago didn't know anything about. There you will worship other gods. They will be made out of wood and stone. + You will look very bad to all of the nations where the Lord sends you. They will be completely shocked when they see you. They will laugh at you and make fun of you. + You will plant many seeds in your field. But you will gather very little food. Locusts will eat it up. + You will plant vineyards and take care of them. But you won't drink the wine. You won't gather the grapes. Worms will eat them up. + You will have olive trees through your whole country. But you won't use the oil. The olives will drop off the trees. + You will have children. But you won't be able to keep them. They'll be taken away as prisoners. + Large numbers of locusts will eat up the leaves on all of your trees. They will also eat up the crops on your land. + Outsiders who live among you will become your leaders. They will rise higher and higher. But you will sink lower and lower. + They will lend money to you. But you won't be able to lend money to them. They will be the leaders. But you will be the followers. + The Lord your God will send all of those curses on you. They will follow you everywhere. They'll catch up with you. You will be under the Lord's curse until you are destroyed. That's because you didn't obey him. You didn't keep the commands and rules he gave you. + Those curses will remain as miraculous signs and wonders against you and your children after you forever. + You didn't serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness when times were good. + So he will send enemies against you. You will have to serve them. You will be hungry and thirsty. You will be naked and poor. The Lord will put the iron chains of slavery around your necks until he has destroyed you. + The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away. It will come from the ends of the earth. It will dive down on you like an eagle. You won't understand that nation's language. + Its people will look mean. They won't have any respect for old people. They won't show any kindness to young people. + They will eat up the young animals among your livestock. They'll eat up the crops on your land. They'll destroy you. They won't leave you any grain, olive oil or fresh wine. They won't leave you any calves or lambs. They'll destroy you. + They'll surround all of the cities through your whole land. They'll get ready to attack them. They'll do those things until the high, strong walls you trust in fall down. That's what will happen to the cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you. + Your enemies will surround you and get ready to attack you. They will make you suffer greatly. So you will eat your own children. You will eat the dead bodies of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you. + There may be a gentle and caring man among you. But he will treat his own brother badly. He'll be just as mean to the wife he loves and to any of his children who are still alive. + He won't give to a single one of them any part of the dead bodies of his children that he's eating. It will be all he has left to eat. That's how much your enemies will make you suffer when they surround all of your cities to attack them. + There may be a gentle and caring woman among you. She wouldn't even touch the ground with her feet without first putting her sandals on. But she will not share anything with the husband she loves. She won't share with her own children either. + She will eat what comes out of her body after she has a baby. Then she'll even eat her baby. She won't share it with anyone in her family. She'll plan to eat it in secret. There won't be anything else for her to eat because the city she lives in will be surrounded. That's an example of how much your enemies will make you suffer when they are getting ready to attack your cities. + Be careful to follow all of the words of this law. They are written in this scroll. Have respect for the glorious and wonderful name of the Lord your God. If you don't, + he will send terrible plagues on you and your children after you. He'll send horrible and lasting troubles. He'll make you very sick for a long time. + He'll bring on you all of the sicknesses you were afraid of getting when you were in Egypt. You won't be able to get rid of them. + The Lord will also bring on you all of the other kinds of sickness and trouble I haven't written down in this Scroll of the Law. You will be destroyed. + At one time you were as many as the stars in the sky. But there will only be a few of you left. That's because you didn't obey the Lord your God. + It pleased the Lord to give you success and to increase your numbers. But it will please him just as much to wipe you out and destroy you. You will be removed from the land you are entering to take as your own. + Then the Lord will scatter you among all of the nations. He'll spread you around from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship statues of gods that are made out of wood and stone. You and your people long ago hadn't known anything about those gods. + Among those nations you won't find any peace. There won't be any place where you can settle down and rest your feet. There the Lord will give you minds that are filled with worry. He'll give you eyes that are worn out from sobbing. Your hearts won't have any hope. + Your lives will always be in danger. You will be filled with fear night and day. You will never be sure you are safe. + In the morning you will say, "We wish it were evening!" In the evening you will say, "We wish it were morning!" Your hearts will be filled with fear. The things you see will terrify you. + The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships. He'll send you on a journey I said you should never have to make again. You will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves in Egypt. But no one will buy you. + + + These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded me to make with the people of Israel in Moab. The terms were added to the covenant he had made with them at Mount Horeb. + I sent for all of the Israelites. Here is what I said to them. With your own eyes you have seen everything the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh. You have seen what he did to all of Pharaoh's officials and to his whole land. + With your own eyes you saw how the Lord really made them suffer. You saw his miraculous signs and great wonders. + But to this very day the Lord hasn't given you a mind that understands. He hasn't given you eyes that see. He hasn't given you ears that hear. + He led you through the desert for 40 years. During that time your clothes didn't wear out. The sandals on your feet didn't wear out either. + You didn't eat any bread. You didn't drink any kind of wine. The Lord did all of those things because he wanted you to know that he is the Lord your God. + When we got here, Sihon and Og came out to fight against us. Sihon was the king of Heshbon. And Og was the king of Bashan. But we won the battle over them. + We took their land. We gave it to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh as their share. + Be careful to obey the terms of this covenant. Then you will have success in everything you do. + Today all of you are standing here in the sight of the Lord your God. Your leaders and chief men are here. Your elders and officials are here. So are all of the other men of Israel. + Your children and wives are here with you too. So are the outsiders who are living in your camps. They chop your wood and carry your water. + All of you are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God. He is making the covenant with you today. He's sealing it with an oath. + Today he wants to show you that you are his people and that he is your God. That's what he promised with an oath to your fathers. He promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + I'm making this covenant. I'm sealing it with an oath. I'm not making it only with you + who are standing here with us today in the sight of the Lord our God. I'm also making it with those who aren't here today. + You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt. You also know how we passed through other countries on the way here. + You saw the statues of their gods that were made out of wood, stone, silver and gold. The Lord hates those statues. + Make sure there isn't a man or woman among your families or tribes who turns away from the Lord our God. No one must worship the gods of those nations. Make sure that kind of worship doesn't spread like bitter poison through your whole community. + Some people who worship those gods will hear the oath that seals the covenant I'm making. They think they can escape trouble by saying to themselves, "We'll be safe, even though we're stubborn and go our own way." But trouble will come on them everywhere in the land. + The Lord will never be willing to forgive those people. His burning anger will blaze out against them. All of the curses I've written down in this scroll will fall on them. And the Lord will wipe out their names from the earth. + He will find those people in all of the tribes of Israel and give them nothing but trouble. That will be in keeping with all of the curses of the covenant. They are written down in this Scroll of the Law. + Even your children's children will see the troubles that have fallen on the land. They'll see the sicknesses the Lord has brought on it. People who come from countries far away will also see those things. + The whole land will be burned up. Nothing but salt and sulfur will be left. Nothing will be planted there. Nothing will grow there. In fact, nothing will even start to grow there. The land will be like Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim after they were destroyed. The Lord wiped out those cities because he was very angry. + All of the nations will ask, "Why has the Lord done this to the land? What could have made him so very angry?" + And they will hear the answer, "It's because the people who are living there have broken the covenant of the Lord. He's the God of their parents. He made that covenant with them when he brought them out of Egypt. + They went off and worshiped other gods. They bowed down to them. They hadn't known anything about those gods before. The Lord hadn't given those gods to them. + "So the Lord's anger burned against the land. He brought on it all of the curses that are written down in this scroll. + The Lord's anger blazed out against his people. So he pulled them up out of their land. He threw them into another land. And that's where they are now." + The Lord our God keeps certain things hidden. But he makes other things known to us and our children forever. He does it so we can obey all of the words of this law. + + + I have told you about all of those blessings and curses. The Lord will bring them on you. Then you will think carefully about them everywhere the Lord your God scatters you among the nations. + You and your children will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him with all your heart and with all your soul. That will be in keeping with everything I'm commanding you today. + When all of that happens, the Lord your God will bless you with great success again. He will be very kind to you. He'll bring you back from all of the nations where he scattered you. + Suppose you have been forced to go away to the farthest land on earth. The Lord your God will bring you back even from there. + He will bring you to the land that belonged to your people long ago. You will take it over. He'll make you better off than your people were. He'll increase your numbers more than he increased theirs. + The Lord your God will keep your hearts from being stubborn. He'll do the same thing for your children and their children. Then you will love him with all your heart and with all your soul. And you will live. + The Lord your God will put all of those curses on your enemies. They hated you and hunted you down. + You will obey the Lord again. You will follow all of his commands that I'm giving you today. + Then the Lord your God will give you great success in everything you do. You will have many children. Your livestock will have many little ones. Your crops will do very well. The Lord will take delight in you again. He'll give you success. That's what he did for your people long ago. + But you must obey the Lord your God. You must keep his commands and rules. They are written in this Scroll of the Law. You must turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. + What I'm commanding you today is not too hard for you. It isn't beyond your reach. + It isn't up in heaven. So you don't have to ask, "Who will go up into heaven to get it? Who will announce it to us so we can obey it?" + And it isn't beyond the ocean. So you don't have to ask, "Who will go across the ocean to get it? Who will announce it to us so we can obey it?" + No, the message isn't far away at all. In fact, it's really near you. It's in your mouth and in your heart so that you can obey it. + Today I'm giving you a choice. You can have life and success. Or you can have death and harm. + I'm commanding you today to love the Lord your God. I'm commanding you to live exactly as he wants you to live. You must obey his commands, rules and laws. Then you will live. Your numbers will increase. The Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to take as your own. + Don't let your hearts turn away from the Lord. Instead, obey him. Don't let yourselves be drawn away to other gods. And don't bow down to them and worship them. + If you do, I announce to you this very day that you will certainly be destroyed. You are about to go across the Jordan River and take over the land. But you won't live there very long. + I'm calling for heaven and earth to give witness against you this very day. I'm offering you the choice of life or death. You can choose either blessings or curses. But I want you to choose life. Then you and your children will live. + And you will love the Lord your God. You will obey him. You will remain true to him. The Lord is your very life. He will give you many years in the land. He took an oath. He promised to give that land to your fathers. He promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + + + Here are the words I spoke to all of the people of Israel. + I said, "I am now 120 years old. I'm not able to lead you anymore. The Lord has said to me, 'You will not go across the Jordan River.' + "The Lord your God himself will go across ahead of you. He'll destroy the nations that are there in order to make room for you. You will take over their land. Joshua will also go across ahead of you, just as the Lord said he would. + "The Lord will do to those nations what he did to Sihon and Og. He destroyed those Amorite kings along with their land. + The Lord will hand those nations over to you. Then you must do to them everything I've commanded you to do. + "Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid of them. Don't be terrified because of them. The Lord your God will go with you. He will never leave you. He'll never desert you." + Then I sent for Joshua. I spoke to him in front of all of the people of Israel. I said, "Be strong and brave. You must go with these people. They are going into the land the Lord promised with an oath to give to their fathers. You must divide it up among them. They will each receive their share. + The Lord himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He'll never desert you. So don't be afraid. Don't lose hope." + I wrote down that law. I gave it to the priests, who are sons of Levi. They carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I also gave the law to all of the elders of Israel. + Then I commanded them, "You must read this law at the end of every seven years. Do it in the year when you forgive people what they owe. Read it during the Feast of Booths. + That's when all of the people of Israel come to appear in front of the Lord your God at the holy tent. It will be at the place he will choose. You must read this law to them. + "Gather the people together. Gather the men, women and children. Also bring together the outsiders who are living in your towns. Then they can listen and learn to have respect for the Lord your God. And they'll be careful to obey all of the words of this law. + Their children must hear it read too. They don't know this law yet. They too must learn to have respect for the Lord your God. They must respect him as long as you live in the land. You are about to go across the Jordan River and take that land as your very own." + The Lord spoke to me. He said, "The day when you will die is near. Have Joshua go to the Tent of Meeting. Join him there. That is where I will appoint him as the new leader." So Joshua and I went to the Tent of Meeting. + Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud. It stood over the entrance to the tent. + The Lord spoke to me. He said, "You are going to join the members of your family who have already died. The people will not be faithful to me. They will soon join themselves to the strange gods that are worshiped in the land they are entering. The people will desert me. They will break the covenant I made with them. + "On that day I will become angry with them. I will desert them. I will turn my face away from them. And they will be destroyed. Many horrible troubles and hard times will come on them. On that day they will say, 'Trouble has come on us. Our God isn't with us!' + "I will certainly turn away from them on that day. I will do it because they did a very evil thing when they turned to other gods. + "I want you to write down a song for yourselves. Teach it to the people of Israel. Have them sing it. It will be my witness against them. + "I will bring them into a land that has plenty of milk and honey. I promised the land to their fathers. I took an oath when I promised it. In that land they will eat until they have had enough. They will get fat. When they do, they will turn to other gods and worship them. They will turn their backs on me. They will break my covenant. + "Many horrible troubles and hard times will come on them. Then the song I am giving you will be a witness against them. That is because the song will not be forgotten by their children and their children's children. I know what they are likely to do. I know it even before I bring them into the land I promised them with an oath." + So that day I wrote the song down. And I taught it to the people of Israel. + The Lord gave a command to Joshua, the son of Nun. He said, "Be strong and brave. You will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them with an oath. I myself will be with you." + I finished writing the words of that law in a scroll. I wrote them down from beginning to end. + Then I gave a command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I said, + "Take this Scroll of the Law. Place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you. + I know how you refuse to obey the Lord. I know how stubborn you are. You have refused to obey him while I've been living among you. So you will certainly refuse to obey him after I'm dead! + Gather together all of the elders of your tribes and all of your officials. Bring them to me. Then I can speak these words to them. I can call for heaven and earth to give witness against them. + I know that after I'm dead you will certainly become very sinful. You will turn away from the path I've commanded you to take. In days to come, trouble will fall on you. That's because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. You will make him very angry because of the statues of gods your hands have made." + I spoke the words of this song from beginning to end. The whole community of Israel heard them. Here is what I said. + + + Heavens, listen to me. Then I will speak. Earth, hear the words of my mouth. + Let my teaching fall like rain. Let my words come down like dew. Let them be like raindrops on new grass. Let them be like rain on tender plants. + I will make known the name of the Lord. Praise God! How great he is! + He is the Rock. His works are perfect. All of his ways are right. He is faithful. He doesn't do anything wrong. He is honest and fair. + Israel, you have sinned against him very much. It's too bad for you that you aren't his children anymore. You have become a twisted and evil nation. + Is that how you thank the Lord? You aren't wise. You are foolish. Remember, he's your Father. He's your Creator. He made you. He formed you. + Remember the days of old. Think about what the Lord did through those many years. Ask your father. He will tell you. Ask your elders. They'll explain it to you. + The Most High God gave the nations their lands. He divided up the human race. He set up borders for the nations. He did it based on the number of the sons of Israel. + The Lord's people are his share. Jacob is the nation he has received. + The Lord found Israel in a desert land. He found them in an empty and windy wasteland. He took care of them and kept them safe. He guarded them as he would guard his own eyes. + He was like an eagle that stirs up its nest. It hovers over its little ones. It spreads out its wings to catch them. It carries them on its feathers. + The Lord was the only one who led Israel. No other god was with them. + The Lord made them ride on the highest places in the land. He fed them what grew in the fields. He gave them the sweetest honey. He fed them olive oil from a rocky hillside. + He gave them butter and milk from the herds and flocks. He fed them the fattest lambs and goats. He gave them the best of Bashan's rams. He fed them the finest wheat. They drank the bubbling red juice of grapes. + When Israel grew fat, they became stubborn. When they were filled with food, they became fat and heavy. They left the God who made them. They turned away from the Rock who saved them. + They made him jealous by serving strange gods. They made him angry by worshiping statues of gods. He hated those gods. + The people sacrificed to demons, not to God. The demons were gods they hadn't known anything about. Those gods were new to them. Their people long ago didn't worship them. + But then they deserted the Rock. He was their Father. They forgot the God who created them. + When the Lord saw that, he turned away from them. His sons and daughters made him angry. + "I will turn my face away from them," he said. "I will see what will happen to them in the end. They are sinful people. They are unfaithful children. + They made me jealous by serving what is not even a god. They made me angry by worshiping worthless statues of gods. I will use people who are not a nation to make them jealous. I will use a nation that has no understanding to make them angry. + My anger has started a fire. It burns down to the kingdom of the dead. It will eat up the earth and its crops. It will set the base of the mountains on fire. + "I will pile troubles on my people. I will shoot all of my arrows at them. + I will send them hunger. It will make them weak. I will send terrible sickness. I will send deadly plagues. I will send wild animals that will tear them apart. Snakes that glide through the dust will bite them. + In the streets their children will be killed with swords. Their homes will be filled with terror. Young men and women will die. Babies and old people will die. + I said I would scatter them. I said I would wipe them from human memory. + But I was afraid their enemies would make fun of that. I was afraid their attackers would not understand. I was sure they would say, 'We're the ones who've beaten them! The Lord isn't the one who did it.' " + Israel is a nation that doesn't have any sense. They can't understand anything. + I wish they were wise. Then they would understand what's coming. They'd realize what would happen to them in the end. + How could one person chase a thousand? How could two make ten thousand run away? It couldn't happen unless their Rock had deserted them. It couldn't take place unless the Lord had given them up. + Their rock is not like our Rock. Even our enemies know that. + Their vine comes from the vines of Sodom. It comes from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison. Their bunches of grapes taste bitter. + Their wine is like the poison of snakes. It's like the deadly poison of cobras. + The Lord says, "I have kept all of those terrible things stored away. I have kept them sealed up in my strongbox. + I punish people. I will pay them back. The time will come when their feet will slip. Their day of trouble is near. Very soon they will be destroyed." + The Lord will judge his people. He'll show tender love to those who serve him. He will know when their strength is gone. He'll see that no one at all is left. + He'll say, "Where are their gods now? Where is the rock they went to for safety? + Where are the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices? Where are the gods who drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them keep you safe! + "Look! I am the One! There is no other God except me. I put some people to death. I bring others to life. I have wounded, and I will heal. No one can save you from my powerful hand. + I raise my hand to heaven. Here is the oath I take. You can be sure that I live forever. + And you can be just as sure that I will sharpen my flashing sword. My hand will hold it when I judge. I will get even with my enemies. I will pay back those who hate me. + I will make my arrows drip with blood. My sword will destroy people. It will kill some. It will even kill prisoners. It will cut off the heads of enemy leaders." + You nations, be full of joy. Be joyful together with God's people. The Lord will get even with his enemies. He will pay them back for killing those who serve him. He will wipe away the sin of his land and people. + I spoke all of the words of that song to the people. Joshua, the son of Nun, was with me. + I finished speaking all of those words to all of the people of Israel. + Then I said to the people, "Think carefully about all of the words I have announced to you today. I want you to command your children to be careful to obey all of the words of this law. + They aren't just useless words for you. They are your very life. If you obey them, you will live in the land for a long time. It's the land you are going across the Jordan River to take as your own." + On that same day the Lord spoke to me. He said, + "Go up into the Abarim Mountains. Go to Mount Nebo in Moab. It is across from Jericho. From there look out over Canaan. It is the land I am giving the people of Israel to take as their own. + "You will die there on the mountain you have climbed. You will join the members of your family who have already died. In the same way, your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor. He joined the members of his family who had already died. + "You and Aaron disobeyed me in front of the Israelites. It happened at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin. You did not honor me among the Israelites as the holy God. + So you will see the land. But you will see it only from far away. You will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel." + + + Here is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before he died. + He said, "The Lord came from Mount Sinai. Like the rising sun, he shone on his people from Mount Seir. He shone on them from Mount Paran. He came with large numbers of angels. He came from his mountain slopes in the south. + Lord, I'm sure you love your people. All of the Israelites are in your hands. At your feet all of them bow down. And you teach them. + They learn the law I gave them. It belongs to the community of the people of Jacob. + The Lord was king over Israel when the leaders of the people came together. The tribes of Israel were also there." + Here's what Moses said about Reuben. "Let Reuben live. Don't let him die. But let his people be few." + Here's what Moses said about Judah. "Lord, listen to Judah cry out. Bring him to his people. By his own power he stands up for himself. Lord, help him fight against his enemies!" + Here's what Moses said about Levi. "Your Thummim and Urim belong to the man you favored. You put him to the test at Massah. You argued with him at the waters of Meribah. + Levi didn't show special favor to anyone. He did not spare his father and mother. He didn't excuse his relatives or his children. But he watched over your word. He guarded your covenant. + He teaches your rules to the people of Jacob. He teaches your law to Israel. He offers incense to you. He sacrifices whole burnt offerings on your altar. + Lord, bless all of his skills. Be pleased with everything he does. Destroy those who rise up against him. Strike down his enemies until they can't get up." + Here's what Moses said about Benjamin. "Let the one the Lord loves rest safely in him. The Lord guards him all day long. The one the Lord loves rests in his arms." + Here's what Moses said about Joseph. "May the Lord bless Joseph's land. May he bless it with dew from the highest heavens. May he bless it with water from the deepest oceans. + May he bless it with the best crops the sun can produce. May he bless it with the finest crops the moon can give. + May he bless it with the best products of the age-old mountains. May he bless it with the many crops of the ancient hills. + May he bless it with the best gifts that fill the earth. May he bless it with the favor of the One who spoke out of the burning bush. Let all of those blessings rest on the head of Joseph. Let them rest on the head of the one who is prince among his brothers. + His glory is like the glory of a bull that was born first to its mother. His horns are like the horns of a wild ox. He will destroy the nations with them. He'll wipe out the nations that are very far away. The ten thousands of men in Ephraim's army are like the bull and the ox. So are the thousands in the army of Manasseh." + Here's what Moses said about Zebulun and Issachar. "Zebulun, be filled with joy when you go out. Issachar, be joyful in your tents. + You will call for all of the other Israelites to go to the mountain. There you will offer proper sacrifices. You will enjoy the many good things your ships bring you. You will enjoy treasures that are hidden in the sand." + Here's what Moses said about Gad. "May the One who gives Gad more land be praised! Gad lives there like a lion that tears off arms and heads. + He chose the best land for his livestock. The leader's share was kept for him. The leaders of the people came together. Then Gad carried out the Lord's holy plan. He carried out the Lord's decisions for Israel." + Here's what Moses said about Dan. "Dan is like a lion's cub that charges out of the land of Bashan." + Here's what Moses said about Naphtali. "The Lord greatly favors Naphtali. The Lord fills him with his blessing. Naphtali's land will reach south to the Sea of Galilee." + Here's what Moses said about Asher. "Asher is the most blessed of sons. Let his brothers show favor to him. Let him wash his feet with olive oil. + The bars of his gates will be made out of iron and bronze. His strength will last as long as he lives. + "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides in the heavens to help you. He rides on the clouds in his glory. + God lives forever! You can run to him for safety. His powerful arms are always there to carry you. He will drive out your enemies to make room for you. He'll say to you, 'Destroy them!' + So Israel will live alone in safety. Jacob's spring of water is safe in a land that has grain and fresh wine. There the heavens drop their dew. + Israel, how blessed you are! Who is like you? The Lord has saved you. He keeps you safe. He helps you. He's like a glorious sword to you. Your enemies will bow down to you in fear. You will bring them under your control." + + + Moses climbed Mount Nebo. He went up from the flatlands of Moab to the highest slopes of Pisgah. It's across from Jericho. At Pisgah the Lord showed him the whole land from Gilead all the way to Dan. + Moses saw the whole land of Naphtali. He saw the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh. The Lord showed him the whole land of Judah all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. + Moses saw the Negev Desert. He saw the whole area from the Valley of Jericho all the way to Zoar. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees. + Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "This is the land I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I told them, 'I will give this land to your children and their children.' Moses, I have let you see it with your own eyes. But you will not go across the Jordan River to enter it." + Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in Moab, just as the Lord had said. + The Lord buried the body of Moses in Moab. His grave is in the valley across from Beth Peor. But to this day no one knows where it is. + Moses was 120 years old when he died. But his eyes were not weak. He was still very strong. + The people of Israel sobbed over Moses on the flatlands of Moab for 30 days. They did it until their time for sobbing and crying was over. + Joshua, the son of Nun, was filled with wisdom. That's because Moses had placed his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to Joshua. They did what the Lord had commanded Moses. + Since then, Israel has never had a prophet like Moses. The Lord knew him face to face. + Moses did many miraculous signs and wonders. The Lord had sent him to do them in Egypt. Moses did them against Pharaoh, against all of his officials and against his whole land. + No one has ever had the mighty power Moses had. No one has ever done the wonderful acts he did in the sight of all of the people of Israel. + + + + + Moses, the servant of the Lord, died. After that, the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun. Joshua was Moses' helper. The Lord said to Joshua, + "My servant Moses is dead. Now then, I want you and all of these people to get ready to go across the Jordan River. I want all of you to go into the land I am about to give to the people of Israel. + "I will give all of you every place you walk on, just as I promised Moses. + Your territory will reach from the Negev Desert all the way to Lebanon. The great Euphrates River will be to the east. The Mediterranean Sea will be to the west. Your territory will include all of the Hittite country. + "Joshua, no one will be able to stand up against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will never leave you. I will never desert you. + "Be strong and brave. You will lead these people, and they will take the land as their very own. It is the land I promised with an oath to give their people long ago. + "Be strong and very brave. Make sure you obey the whole law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn away from it to the right or the left. Then you will have success everywhere you go. + Never stop reading this Scroll of the Law. Day and night you must think about what it says. Make sure you do everything that is written in it. Then things will go well with you. And you will have great success. + "Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be terrified. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go." + So Joshua gave orders to the officers of the people. He said, + "Go through the camp. Tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will go across the Jordan River right here. You will go in and take over the land. The Lord your God is giving it to you as your very own.' " + Joshua also spoke to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. He said to them, + "Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you. He said, 'The Lord your God is giving you this land. It's a place where you can settle down and live in peace and rest.' + "Your wives, children and livestock can stay here east of the Jordan River. Moses gave you this land. But all of your fighting men must get ready for battle. They must go across ahead of the other tribes. You must help them + until the Lord gives them rest. In the same way, he has already given you rest. You must help them until they also have taken over their land. It's the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you can come back here. Then you can live in your own land. It's the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you east of the Jordan River. It's toward the sunrise." + Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh answered Joshua. They said, "We'll do what you have commanded us to do. We'll go where you send us. + We obeyed Moses completely. And we'll obey you just as completely. But may the Lord your God be with you, just as he was with Moses. + "Suppose people question your authority. And suppose they refuse to obey anything you command them to do. Then they will be put to death. Just be strong and brave!" + + + Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two spies from Shittim. He sent them in secret. He said to them, "Go. Look the land over. Most of all, check out Jericho." So they went to Jericho. They stayed at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab. + The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the people of Israel have come here tonight. They've come to check out the land." + So the king sent a message to Rahab. It said, "Bring out the men who came into your house. They've come to check out the whole land." + But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, "It's true that the men came here. But I didn't know where they had come from. + They left at sunset, when it was time to close the city gate. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You might catch up with them." + But in fact she had taken them up on the roof. There she had hidden them under some flax she had piled up. + The king's men left to hunt down the spies. They took the road that leads to where the Jordan River can be crossed. As soon as they had gone out of the city, the gate was shut. + Rahab went up on the roof before the spies settled down for the night. + She said to them, "I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We are very much afraid of you. Everyone who lives in this country is weak with fear because of you. + "We've heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. We've heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings. They ruled east of the Jordan River. You completely destroyed them. + "When we heard about it, our hearts melted away in fear. Because of you, we aren't brave anymore. The Lord your God is the God who rules over heaven above and earth below. + "Now then, please take an oath. Promise me in the name of the Lord that you will be kind to my family. I've been kind to you. Promise me + that you will spare the lives of my father and mother. Spare my brothers and sisters. Also spare everyone in their families. Promise that you won't put any of us to death." + So the men made a promise to her. "We'll give up our lives to save yours," they said. "But don't tell anyone what we're doing. Then we'll be kind and faithful to you when the Lord gives us the land." + The house Rahab lived in was part of the city wall. So she let the spies down by a rope through the window. + She had said to them, "Go up into the hills. The men who are chasing you won't be able to find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they return. Then you can go on your way." + The men said to her, "You made us take an oath and make a promise. But we won't keep it + unless you do what we say. When we enter the land, you must tie this bright red rope in the window. Tie it in the window you let us down through. "Bring your father and mother into your house. Also bring your brothers and everyone else in your family into your house. + None of you must go out into the street. If you do, anything that happens to you will be your own fault. Don't hold us accountable. "But if anyone hurts someone who is inside the house with you, it will be our fault. And you can hold us accountable. + "Don't tell anyone what we're doing. If you do, we won't have to keep the promise you asked us to make." + "I agree," Rahab replied. "I'll do as you say." So she sent them away, and they left. Then she tied the bright red rope in the window. + When the spies left, they went up into the hills. They stayed there for three days. By that time the men who were chasing them had searched all along the road. They couldn't find them. So they returned. + Then the two spies started back. They went down out of the hills. They went across the Jordan River. They came to Joshua, the son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them. + They said, "We're sure the Lord has given the whole land over to us. All of the people there are weak with fear because of us." + + + Early one morning Joshua and all of the people of Israel started out from Shittim. They went down to the Jordan River. They camped there before they went across it. + After three days the officers went all through the camp. + They gave orders to the people. They said, "Watch for the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. The priests, who are Levites, will be carrying it. When you see it, you must move out from where you are and follow it. + Then you will know which way to go. You have never gone this way before. But don't go near the ark. Stay about 1,000 yards away from it." + Joshua spoke to the people. He said, "Set yourselves apart to the Lord. Tomorrow he'll do amazing things among you." + Joshua said to the priests, "Go and get the ark of the covenant. Walk on ahead of the people." So they went and got it. Then they walked on ahead of them. + The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to honor you in the eyes of all of the people of Israel. Then they will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. + Speak to the priests who carry the ark of the covenant. Tell them, 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan River, go into the water and stand there.' " + Joshua spoke to the people of Israel. He said, "Come here. Listen to what the Lord your God is saying. + You will soon know that the living God is among you. You can be sure that he'll drive out the people who are now living in the land. He'll do it to make room for you. He'll drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. + "The ark will go into the Jordan River ahead of you. It's the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth. + "Choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel. Choose one from each tribe. + "The priests will carry the ark of the Lord. He's the Lord of the whole earth. As soon as the priests step into the Jordan, it will stop flowing. The water that's coming down the river will pile up in one place. That's how you will know that the living God is among you." + So the people took their tents down. They prepared to go across the Jordan River. The priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. + The water of the Jordan was going over its banks. It always does that at the time the crops are being gathered. The priests came to the river. Their feet touched the water's edge. + Right away the water that was coming down the river stopped flowing. It piled up far away at a town called Adam near Zarethan. The water that was flowing down to the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people went across the Jordan River opposite Jericho. + The priests carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the river. They stayed there until the whole nation of Israel had gone across on dry ground. + + + After the whole nation had gone across the Jordan River, the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, + "Choose 12 men from among the people. Choose one from each tribe. + Tell them to get 12 stones from the middle of the river. They must pick them up from right where the priests stood. They must carry the stones over with all of you. And they must put them down at the place where you will stay tonight." + So Joshua called together the 12 men he had appointed from among the people of Israel. There was one man from each tribe. + He said to them, "Go back to the middle of the Jordan River. Go to where the ark of the Lord your God is. Each one of you must pick up a stone. You must carry it on your shoulder. There will be as many stones as there are tribes in Israel. + "The stones will serve as a reminder to you. In days to come, your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' + Tell them that the Lord cut off the flow of water in the Jordan River. Tell them its water stopped flowing when the ark of the covenant of the Lord went across. The stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened there." + So the people of Israel did as Joshua commanded them. They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River. There was one stone for each of the tribes of Israel. It was just as the Lord had told Joshua. The people carried the stones with them to their camp. There they put them down. + Joshua piled up the 12 stones that had been in the middle of the river. They had been right where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are still there to this very day. + The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan River. They stayed there until the people had done everything the Lord had commanded Joshua. It was just as Moses had directed Joshua. All of the people went across quickly. + As soon as they did, the ark of the Lord and the priests also went across to the other side. The people were watching them. + Among the people who went across the river were men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. The men were armed. They went across ahead of the rest of the people of Israel. It was just as Moses had directed them. + There were about 40,000 of them. All of them were ready for battle. They went across in front of the ark of the Lord. They went to the flatlands around Jericho. They were prepared to go to war. + That day the Lord honored Joshua in the eyes of all of the people of Israel. They had respect for Joshua as long as he lived. They respected him just as much as they had respected Moses. + Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, + "Command the priests to come up out of the Jordan River. They are carrying the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept." + So Joshua gave a command to the priests. He said, "Come up out of the Jordan River." + Then the priests came up out of the river. They were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. As soon as they stepped out on dry ground, the water of the Jordan began to flow again. It went over its banks, just as it had done before. + On the tenth day of the first month the people went up out of the Jordan River. They camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. + Joshua set up the 12 stones at Gilgal. They were the ones the people had taken out of the Jordan. + Then he spoke to the people of Israel. He said, "In days to come, your children after you will ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?' + Their parents must tell them, 'Israel went across the Jordan River on dry ground.' + The Lord your God dried up the Jordan for you until you had gone across it. He did to the Jordan River the same thing he had done to the Red Sea. He dried up the Red Sea ahead of us until we had gone across it. + He did it so that all of the nations on earth would know that he is powerful. He did it so that you would always have respect for the Lord your God." + + + All of the Amorite and Canaanite kings heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River. They heard how he had dried it up for the people of Israel until they had gone across it. The Amorite kings lived west of the Jordan. The kings of Canaan lived along the Mediterranean Sea. When all of those kings heard what the Lord had done, their hearts melted away in fear. They weren't brave enough to face the people of Israel anymore. + At that time the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "Make knives out of hard stone. Circumcise the men of Israel." + So Joshua made knives out of hard stone. Then he circumcised the men of Israel at Gibeath Haaraloth. + Here is why Joshua circumcised them. All of the men who came out of Egypt had died. They died while they were going through the Sinai Desert after they had left Egypt. They were the men who were old enough to serve in the army. + All of the men who came out had been circumcised. But all of the men who were born in the desert during the journey from Egypt hadn't been circumcised. + The people of Israel had moved around in the desert for 40 years. By the end of that time all of the men who were old enough to serve in the army when they left Egypt had died. That's because they hadn't obeyed the Lord. The Lord had taken an oath. He had told them they wouldn't see the land. It's the land he had promised with an oath to their people to give us. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. + Because they hadn't obeyed him, he raised up their sons to take their place. They were the ones Joshua circumcised. They hadn't been circumcised yet. That's because no one had circumcised them during the journey. + So Joshua circumcised all of those men. The whole nation remained in the camp until the men were healed. + Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "Today I have taken away from you the shame of being laughed at by Egypt." That's why the place where the men were circumcised has been called Gilgal to this very day. + The people of Israel celebrated the Passover Feast. They observed it on the evening of the 14th day of the month. They did it while they were camped at Gilgal on the flatlands around Jericho. + The day after the Passover, they ate some of the food that was grown in the land. On that very day they ate grain that had been cooked. They also ate bread that was made without yeast. + The manna stopped coming down the day after they ate the food that was grown in the land. The people of Israel didn't have manna anymore. Instead, that year they ate food that was grown in Canaan. + When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. The man was holding a sword. He was ready for battle. Joshua went up to him. He asked, "Are you on our side? Or are you on the side of our enemies?" + "I am not on either side," he replied. "I have come as the commander of the Lord's army." Then Joshua fell with his face to the ground. He asked the man, "What message does my Lord have for me?" + The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground." So Joshua took them off. + + + The gates of Jericho were shut tight and guarded closely because of the people of Israel. No one went out. No one came in. + Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "I have handed Jericho over to you. I have also handed its king and its fighting men over to you. + "March around the city once with all of your fighting men. In fact, do it for six days. + Have seven priests get trumpets that are made out of rams' horns. They must carry them in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. Have the priests blow the trumpets as you march. + "You will hear them blow a long blast on the trumpets. When you do, have all of the men give a loud shout. The wall of the city will fall down. Then the whole army will go up to the city. Every man will go straight in." + So Joshua, the son of Nun, called for the priests. He said to them, "Go and get the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I want seven of you to carry trumpets in front of it." + He gave an order to the men. He said, "Move out! March around the city. Some of the fighting men must march in front of the ark of the Lord." + When Joshua had spoken to the men, the seven priests went forward. They were carrying the seven trumpets as they marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They were blowing the trumpets. The ark of the Lord's covenant was carried behind the priests. + Some of the fighting men marched ahead of the priests who were blowing the trumpets. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. That whole time the priests were blowing the trumpets. + But Joshua had given an order to the fighting men. He had said, "Don't give a war cry. Don't raise your voices. Don't say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" + So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city once. Then the men returned to camp. They spent the night there. + Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests went and got the ark of the Lord. + The seven priests who were carrying the seven trumpets started out. They marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They blew the trumpets. Some of the fighting men marched ahead of them. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. The priests kept blowing the trumpets. + On the second day they marched around the city once. Then the men returned to camp. They did all of those things for six days. + On the seventh day, they got up at sunrise. They marched around the city, just as they had done before. But on that day they went around it seven times. + On the seventh time around, the priests blew a long blast on the trumpets. Then Joshua gave a command to the men. He said, "Shout! The Lord has given you the city! + The city and everything that is in it must be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. But the prostitute Rahab and all those who are with her in her house must be spared. That's because she hid the spies we sent. + "But keep away from the things that have been set apart to the Lord. If you take any of them, you will be destroyed. And you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. You will cause it to be destroyed. + All of the silver and gold is holy. It is set apart to the Lord. So are all of the articles that are made out of bronze and iron. All of those things must be added to the treasures that are kept in the Lord's house." + The priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the fighting men heard the sound, they gave a loud shout. Then the wall fell down. Every man charged straight in. So they took the city. + They set it apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. They destroyed every living thing in it with their swords. They killed men and women. They wiped out young people and old people. They destroyed cattle, sheep and donkeys. + Then Joshua spoke to the two men who had gone in to check out the land. He said, "Go into the prostitute's house. Bring her out. Also bring out everyone who is with her. That's what you promised her you would do when you took an oath." + So the young men who had checked out the land went into Rahab's house. They brought her out along with her parents and brothers. They brought out everyone else who was there with her. They put them in a place that was outside the camp of Israel. + Then they burned the whole city and everything that was in it. But they added the silver and gold to the treasures that were kept in the Lord's house. They also put there the articles that were made out of bronze and iron. + But Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab. He spared her family. He also spared everyone else who was in the house with her. He did it because she hid the spies he had sent to Jericho. Rahab lives among the people of Israel to this very day. + At that time Joshua took an oath and called down a curse. He said, "May the man who tries to rebuild this city of Jericho be under the Lord's curse. "If he lays its foundations, it will cost the life of his oldest son. If he sets up its gates, it will cost the life of his youngest son." + So the Lord was with Joshua. And Joshua became famous everywhere in the land. + + + But the people of Israel weren't faithful to the Lord. They didn't do what they were told to do with the things that had been set apart to him in a special way to be destroyed. Achan had taken some of those things. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel. Achan was the son of Carmi. Carmi was the son of Zimri. And Zimri was the son of Zerah. They were from the tribe of Judah. + Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. Ai is near Beth Aven east of Bethel. Joshua told the men, "Go up and check out the area around Ai." So the men went up and checked it out. + Then they returned to Joshua. They said, "The whole army doesn't have to go up and attack Ai. Send only two or three thousand men. They can take the city. Don't make the whole army go up there. Ai only has a few men." + So only about 3,000 men went up. But the men of Ai drove them away. + They chased the men of Israel from the city gate all the way to Shebarim. They killed about 36 of them on the way down. So the hearts of the people of Israel melted away in fear. + Joshua and the elders of Israel became sad. Joshua tore his clothes. He fell in front of the ark of the Lord with his face to the ground. He remained there until evening. The elders did the same thing. They also sprinkled dust on their heads. + Joshua said, "Lord and King, why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan River? Did you want to hand us over to the Amorites? Did you want them to destroy us? I wish we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! + "Lord, our enemies have driven us away. What can I say? + The people of Canaan will hear about it. So will everyone else in the country. They will surround us. They'll wipe our name from the face of the earth. Then what will you do when people don't honor your great name anymore?" + The Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! What are you doing down there on your face? + "Israel has sinned. I made a covenant with them. I commanded them to keep it. But they have broken it. They have taken some of the things that had been set apart to me in a special way to be destroyed. They have stolen. They have lied. They have taken the things they stole and have put them with their own things. + "That is why the men of Israel can't stand up against their enemies. They turn their backs and run. It is because I have decided to let them be destroyed. You must destroy the things you took that had been set apart to me. If you do not, I will not be with you anymore. + "Go. Set the people apart. Tell them, 'Make yourselves pure. Get ready for tomorrow. Here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, wants you to do. He says, "People of Israel, you have kept some of the things that had been set apart to me in a special way to be destroyed. You can't stand up against your enemies until you get rid of those things." + " 'In the morning, come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses will come forward group by group. The group the Lord chooses will come forward family by family. And the men in the family the Lord chooses will come forward one by one. + " 'Anyone who is caught with the things that had been set apart to the Lord will be destroyed by fire. Everything that belongs to that person will also be destroyed. He has broken the Lord's covenant. He has done a very terrible thing in Israel!' " + Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes. The tribe of Judah was picked. + The groups of Judah came forward. Joshua picked the group of Zerah. He had the group of Zerah come forward by families. The family of Zimri was picked. + He had their men come forward one by one. Achan was picked. Achan was the son of Carmi. Carmi was the son of Zimri. And Zimri was the son of Zerah. Zerah was from the tribe of Judah. + Joshua spoke to Achan. He said, "My son, the Lord is the God of Israel. So give him glory by telling the truth! Give him praise by admitting you have sinned! Tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me." + Achan replied, "It's true! I've sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Here is what I've done. + I saw a beautiful robe from Babylonia among the things we had taken. I saw five pounds of silver. And I saw a gold bar that weighed 20 ounces. I wanted them, so I took them. I hid them in the ground inside my tent. The silver is on the bottom." + So Joshua sent some messengers. They ran to Achan's tent. And there was everything, hidden in his tent! The silver was on the bottom. + They brought the things out of the tent. They took them to Joshua and all of the people of Israel. And they spread them out in the sight of the Lord. + Then Joshua and all of the people grabbed hold of Achan, the son of Zerah. They took the silver, the robe and the gold bar. They took Achan's sons and daughters. They took his cattle, donkeys and sheep. They also took his tent and everything he had. They took all of it to the Valley of Achor. + Joshua said to Achan, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today." Then all of the people killed Achan by throwing stones at him. They also killed the rest of his family with stones. They burned all of them up. + They placed a large pile of rocks on top of Achan's body. The place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since. That pile is still there to this very day. After the people killed Achan, the Lord turned his burning anger away from them. + + + Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. Go up and attack Ai. Take the whole army with you. I have handed the king of Ai over to you. I have given you his people, his city and his land. + "Remember what you did to Jericho and its king. You will do the same thing to Ai and its king. But this time you can keep for yourselves the livestock and everything else you take from them. Have some of your fighting men hide behind the city and take them by surprise." + So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best fighting men. He sent them out at night. + He gave them orders. He said, "Listen carefully to what I'm saying. You must hide behind the city. Don't go very far away from it. All of you must be ready to attack it. + "I and all of the men who are with me will go up to the city. The men of Ai will come out to fight against us, just as they did before. Then we'll run away from them. + They'll chase us until we've drawn them away from the city. They'll say, 'They are running away from us, just as they did before.' "When we run away from them, + come out of your hiding place. Take over the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. + When you have taken it, set it on fire. Do what the Lord has commanded. Make sure you obey my orders." + Then Joshua sent them away. They went to the place where they had planned to hide. They hid in a place west of Ai. It was between Bethel and Ai. But Joshua spent that night with his men. + Early the next morning Joshua brought his men together. He and the leaders of Israel marched in front of them to Ai. + The whole army that was with him marched up to the city. They stopped in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai. There was a valley between them and the city. + Joshua had chosen about 5,000 soldiers. He had ordered them to hide in a place west of Ai. It was between Bethel and Ai. + The men took up their battle positions. All of the men who were in the camp that was north of the city took up their positions. So did those who were supposed to hide west of the city. That night Joshua went into the valley. + The king of Ai saw what the army of Israel was doing. So he and all of his men hurried out of the city early in the morning. They marched out to meet Israel in battle. They went to a place that looked out over the Arabah Valley. The king didn't know that some of Israel's fighting men were hiding behind the city. + Joshua and all of his men let the men of Ai drive them back. The men of Israel ran away toward the desert. + All of the men of Ai were called out to chase them. They chased Joshua. So they were drawn away from the city. + Not even one man remained in Ai or Bethel. All of them went out to chase Israel. When they did, they left the city wide open. + Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "Point the javelin that is in your hand at Ai. I will hand the city over to you." So Joshua pointed his javelin at Ai. + As soon as he did, the men who were hiding behind the city got up quickly. They came out of their hiding places and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it. They quickly set it on fire. + The men of Ai looked back. They saw smoke rising up from the city into the sky. But they couldn't escape in any direction. The men of Israel had been running away toward the desert. But now they turned around to face those who were chasing them. + Joshua and all of his men saw that the men who had been hiding behind the city had captured it. They also saw the smoke that was going up from it. So they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. + The men who had set Ai on fire came out of the city. They also fought against the men of Ai. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle. The army of Israel was on both sides of them. Israel struck them down. They didn't let anyone remain alive or get away. + But they took the king of Ai alive. They brought him to Joshua. + Israel finished killing all of the men of Ai. They destroyed them in the fields and in the desert where they had chased them. They struck every one of them down with their swords. Then all of the men of Israel returned to Ai. And they killed those who were left in it. + The total number of men and women they killed that day was 12,000. They put to death all of the people of Ai. + Joshua kept the javelin that was in his hand pointed at Ai. He didn't lower his hand until he and his men had totally destroyed everyone who lived there. + But this time Israel kept for themselves the livestock and everything else they had taken from the city. The Lord had directed Joshua to let them do it. + So Joshua burned Ai down. He tore it down so it could never be built again. It has been deserted to this very day. + Joshua killed the king of Ai. He stuck a pole through the body. Then he set it up where people could see it. He left it there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered his men to remove the body from the pole. He told them to throw the body down at the entrance of the city gate. They put a large pile of rocks over the body. That pile is still there to this very day. + Joshua built an altar to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. He built it on Mount Ebal. + Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded the people of Israel to do that. Joshua built the altar in keeping with what is written in the Scroll of the Law of Moses. He built an altar out of stones that iron tools had never touched. Then the people offered on the altar burnt offerings to the Lord. They also sacrificed friendship offerings on it. + Joshua copied the written law of Moses on stones. He did it while all of the people of Israel were watching. + They were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All of the people of Israel, including outsiders and citizens, were there. Israel's elders, officials and judges were also there. All of them faced the priests, who were Levites. They were carrying the ark. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim. The other half stood in front of Mount Ebal. Moses, the servant of the Lord, had earlier told them to do it. It was when he had given directions to bless the people of Israel. + Then Joshua read all of the words of the law out loud. He read the blessings and the curses. He read them in keeping with what is written in the Scroll of the Law. + Joshua read every word Moses had commanded. He read them to the whole community of Israel. That included the women and children. It also included the outsiders who were living among them. + + + All of the kings who ruled west of the Jordan River heard about the battles Israel had won. That included the kings who ruled in the central hill country and the western hills. It also included those who ruled along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Lebanon. They were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. + They brought their armies together to fight against Joshua and Israel. + The people of Gibeon heard about what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. + So they decided to trick the people of Israel. They packed supplies as if they were going on a long trip. They loaded their donkeys with old sacks and old wineskins. The wineskins were cracked but had been mended. + The men put worn-out sandals on their feet. The sandals had been patched. The men also wore old clothes. All of the bread they took along was dry and moldy. + They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. They spoke to him and the men of Israel. They said, "We've come from a country that's far away. Make a peace treaty with us." + The men of Israel spoke to the Hivites. They said, "But suppose you live close to us. If you do, we can't make a peace treaty with you." + "We'll serve you," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where do you come from?" + They answered, "We've come from a country that's very far away. We've come because the Lord your God is famous. We've heard reports about him. We've heard about everything he did in Egypt. + "We've heard about everything he did to Sihon and Og. They were the two kings of the Amorites. They ruled east of the Jordan River. Sihon was the king of Heshbon. Og was the king of Bashan. He ruled in Ashtaroth. + "Our elders and all of the people who are living in our country spoke to us. They said, 'Take supplies for your trip. Go and meet the people of Israel. Say to them, "We'll serve you. Make a peace treaty with us." ' + "Look at our bread. It was warm when we packed it. We packed it at home on the day we left to come and see you. But look at how dry and moldy it is now. + When we filled these wineskins, they were new. But look at how cracked they are now. And our clothes and sandals are worn out because we've traveled so far." + The men of Israel looked over the supplies those men had brought. But they didn't ask the Lord what they should do. + Joshua made a peace treaty with the men who had come. He agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community took an oath to show that they agreed with the treaty. + The people of Israel made a peace treaty with the people of Gibeon. But three days later they heard that the people of Gibeon lived close to them. + So the people of Israel started out to go to the cities of those men. On the third day they came to Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. + But they didn't attack those cities. That's because the leaders of the community had taken an oath and made a peace treaty with them. They had taken the oath in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. The whole community told the leaders they weren't happy with them. + But all of the leaders answered, "We've made a peace treaty with them. We've taken an oath in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. So we can't touch them now. + "But here is what we'll do to them. We'll let them live. Then the Lord's anger won't fall on us because we didn't keep the oath we took." + They continued, "Let them live. But let them cut wood and carry water for the whole community." So the leaders kept their promise to them. + Joshua sent for the people of Gibeon. He said, "Why did you trick us? You said, 'We live far away from you.' But in fact you live close to us. + So now you are under a curse. You will always serve us. You will always cut wood and carry water for the house of my God." + They answered Joshua, "We were clearly told what the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to do. He commanded him to give you the whole land. He also ordered him to wipe out all of its people to make room for you. So we were afraid you would kill us. That's why we tricked you. + We are now in your hands. Do to us what you think is good and right." + So Joshua saved the people of Gibeon. He didn't let the people of Israel kill them. + That day he made them cut wood and carry water. They had to serve the community of Israel. They also had to serve at the altar of the Lord at the place where he would choose to put it. And they still serve the people of Israel to this very day. + + + Adoni-Zedek was the king of Jerusalem. He heard that Joshua had taken Ai. He found out that the city had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. He heard that Joshua had done to Ai and its king the same thing he had done to Jericho and its king. Adoni-Zedek heard that the people of Gibeon had made a peace treaty with Israel. He also found out that they were living among the people of Israel. + The things he heard alarmed him and his people very much. That's because Gibeon was an important city. It was like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai. All of its men were good soldiers. + So Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, made an appeal to Hoham, the king of Hebron. He appealed to Piram, the king of Jarmuth. He appealed to Japhia, the king of Lachish. He also made an appeal to Debir, the king of Eglon. + "Come up and help me attack Gibeon," he said. "Its people have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel." + The kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon gathered their armies together. Those five Amorite kings moved all of their troops into position to fight against Gibeon. Then they attacked it. + Joshua was in the camp at Gilgal. The people of Gibeon sent a message to him there. It said, "Don't desert us. We serve you. Come up to us quickly! Save us! Help us! All of the Amorite kings from the central hill country have gathered their armies together to fight against us." + So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his whole army. The army included all of his best fighting men. + The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them. I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to fight against you and win." + Joshua marched all night from Gilgal. He took the Amorite armies by surprise. + The Lord threw them into a panic as Israel marched toward them. Then Israel won a great battle over them at Gibeon. They chased them along the road that goes up to Beth Horon. They struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. + The Amorites ran away as Israel marched toward them. They ran down the road from Beth Horon to Azekah. As they ran, the Lord threw large hailstones down on them from the sky. The hailstones killed more of them than the swords of the men of Israel did. + So the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel. On that day Joshua spoke to the Lord while the people of Israel were listening. He said, "Sun, stand still over Gibeon. Moon, stand still over the Valley of Aijalon." + So the sun stood still. The moon stopped. They didn't move again until the nation won the battle over its enemies. You can read about it in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky. It didn't go down for about a full day. + There has never been a day like it before or since. It was a day when the Lord listened to a mere man. You can be sure that the Lord was fighting for Israel! + Joshua and his whole army returned to the camp at Gilgal. + The five Amorite kings had run away. They had hidden in the cave at Makkedah. + Joshua was told that the five kings had been found. He was also told that they were hiding in the cave at Makkedah. + He said, "Roll some large rocks up to the opening of the cave. Put some men there to guard it. + But keep on going! Chase your enemies. Attack them from behind. Don't let them get back to their cities. The Lord your God has handed them over to you." + So Joshua and the men of Israel completely destroyed them. They killed almost every one of them. But a few escaped. They went back to their cities that had high walls around them. + Then Israel's whole army returned safely to Joshua. He was in the camp at Makkedah. No one in the land dared to say anything against the people of Israel. + Joshua said, "Open up the cave. Bring those five kings out to me." + So Joshua's men brought the five kings out of the cave. They were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. + The men brought them to Joshua. Then he sent for all of the men of Israel. He spoke to the army commanders who had come with him. He said, "Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed their feet on the necks of the kings. + Joshua said to them, "Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. Be strong and brave. This is what the Lord will do to all of the enemies you are going to fight." + Joshua struck the five kings down and killed them. He stuck a pole through each of their bodies. Then he set the poles up where people could see the bodies. He left them there until evening. + At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take the bodies down. So they took them down and threw them into the cave where the kings had been hiding. They placed large rocks at the opening of the cave. And the rocks are still there to this very day. + That day Joshua took Makkedah. He killed its people and their king with the sword. He totally destroyed everyone in it. He didn't leave anyone alive. He did to the king of Makkedah the same thing he had done to the king of Jericho. + Joshua moved on from Makkedah to Libnah. Israel's whole army went with him. They attacked Libnah. + The Lord also handed that city and its king over to Israel. Joshua destroyed the city. He and his men killed everyone in it with their swords. He didn't leave anyone alive there. He did to its king the same thing he had done to the king of Jericho. + Joshua moved on from Libnah to Lachish. Israel's whole army went with him. The men took up their battle positions. Then Joshua attacked Lachish. + The Lord handed it over to Israel. Joshua took the city on the second day of the battle. He destroyed the city. He and his men killed everyone in it with their swords. He had done the same thing to Libnah. + While all of that was happening, Horam had come up to help Lachish. He was the king of Gezer. But Joshua won the battle over him and his army. No one was left alive. + Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon. Israel's whole army went with him. They took up their battle positions. Then they attacked Eglon. + They captured it that same day. They totally destroyed everyone in it with their swords. They had done the same thing to Lachish. + Joshua went up from Eglon to Hebron. Israel's whole army went with him. Then they attacked Hebron. + They took the city. They destroyed it and its villages. They killed all of its people and their king with their swords. They didn't leave anyone alive. They totally destroyed the city and everyone in it. They had done the same thing at Eglon. + Joshua turned back and attacked Debir. Israel's whole army went with him. + They took the city, its king and its villages. They totally destroyed everyone in Debir with their swords. They didn't leave anyone alive. They did to Debir and its king the same thing they had done to Libnah and its king. They had also done the same thing to Hebron. + So Joshua brought the whole area under his control. That included the central hill country and the Negev Desert. It included the western hills and the mountain slopes. It also included all of the kings in that whole area. Joshua didn't leave anyone alive. He totally destroyed everyone who breathed. He did just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. + Joshua brought everyone from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza under his control. He also brought everyone from the whole area of Goshen to Gibeon under his control. + He won the battle over all of those kings and their lands. He did it in one campaign. That's because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. + Then Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal. Israel's whole army went with him. + + + Jabin was the king of Hazor. He heard about the battles Israel had won. So he sent a message to Jobab. Jobab was the king of Madon. Jabin sent the same message to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph. + He also sent it to a lot of other kings. Some ruled in the mountains in the north. Some ruled in the Arabah Valley south of Kinnereth. Others ruled in the western hills. Still others ruled in Naphoth Dor in the west. + Jabin sent the same message to the people of east Canaan and west Canaan. He sent it to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites. They lived in the central hill country. He also sent it to the Hivites who lived below Mount Hermon in the area of Mizpah. + Those kings marched out with all of their troops. They had a large number of horses and chariots. It was a huge army. The fighting men were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. + All of those kings gathered their armies together to fight against Israel. They set up camp together at the Waters of Merom. + The Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel. All of them will be killed. You must cut the legs of their horses. You must burn up their chariots." + So Joshua and his whole army attacked them suddenly. They fought against them at the Waters of Merom. + The Lord handed them over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. They hunted them down all the way to Greater Sidon. They chased them to Misrephoth Maim. They chased them to the Valley of Mizpah in the east. Not one of them was left alive. + Joshua did to them what the Lord had directed him to do. He cut the legs of their horses. He burned up their chariots. + At that time Joshua turned back. He captured Hazor. He killed its king with his sword. Hazor was the most important city in all of those kingdoms. + The army of Israel killed everyone in Hazor with their swords. Its people had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. Israel's army didn't spare anything that breathed. Then Joshua burned up the city. + Joshua took all of those royal cities and their kings. He and his men killed everyone in those cities with their swords. He totally destroyed them. He did just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. + Many cities were built on top of earlier cities that had been destroyed. Israel didn't burn up any of those except Hazor. Joshua burned it up. + The army of Israel kept for themselves the livestock and everything else they took from those cities. But they killed all of the people with their swords. They completely destroyed them. They didn't spare anyone who breathed. + The Lord had commanded his servant Moses to do all of those things. Moses had passed that command on to Joshua. And Joshua carried it out. He did everything the Lord had commanded Moses. + So Joshua took the whole land. He took the central hill country and the whole Negev Desert. He took the whole area of Goshen. He took the western hills. He took the Arabah Valley. He took the mountains of Israel and the hills around them. + He took the area that begins at Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. The area ends at Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. Joshua captured the kings who ruled over that whole land. He struck them down and killed them. + He fought battles against all of those kings for a long time. + Only the Hivites who lived in Gibeon made a peace treaty with the people of Israel. No other city made a treaty with them. So Israel captured all of those cities in battle. + The Lord himself made the hearts of their people stubborn. He made them go to war against Israel so he could totally destroy them. He wanted to wipe them out. He didn't show them any mercy. The Lord had commanded Moses to destroy the people of Canaan. + At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites. They lived all through the hill country of Judah and Israel. They lived in Hebron, Debir and Anab. Joshua totally destroyed the Anakites and their towns. + There weren't any Anakites left alive in Israel's territory. But a few were left alive in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. + So Joshua took the whole land, just as the Lord had directed Moses. Joshua gave the land to Israel as their very own. He divided it up and gave each tribe its share. Then the land had peace and rest. + + + The people of Israel took over the territory east of the Jordan River. The land they took reached from the Arnon River valley to Mount Hermon. It included the whole east side of the Arabah Valley. Israel won the battle over the kings of that whole territory. Here are the lands Israel took from the kings they won the battle over. + They took the land of Sihon. He was the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon. The land he ruled over begins at Aroer. Aroer is on the rim of the Arnon River valley. He ruled from the middle of the valley to the Jabbok River. The Jabbok is the border of Ammon. Sihon's territory included half of Gilead. + He also ruled over the east side of the Arabah Valley. That land begins at the Sea of Galilee. It goes to the Dead Sea and over to Beth Jeshimoth. Then it goes south, below the slopes of Pisgah. + Israel also took the territory of Og. He was the king of Bashan. He was one of the last of the Rephaites. He ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. + He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah and the whole land of Bashan. He ruled all the way to the border of Geshur and Maacah. He ruled over half of Gilead. His land reached the border of Sihon. Sihon was the king of Heshbon. + Moses was the servant of the Lord. Moses and the people of Israel won the battle over those two kings. He gave their land to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. He gave it to them as their share. + Joshua and the people of Israel won the battle over the kings who ruled west of the Jordan River. The lands of the kings reached from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands to the tribes of Israel as their very own. He divided them up and gave each tribe its share. + Those lands included the central hill country, the western hills and the Arabah Valley. They also included the mountain slopes, the Desert of Judah and the Negev Desert. Those lands belonged to the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Here are the kings Israel won the battle over. + the king of Jericho one the king of Ai, which is near Bethel one + the king of Jerusalem one the king of Hebron one + the king of Jarmuth one the king of Lachish one + the king of Eglon one the king of Gezer one + the king of Debir one the king of Geder one + the king of Hormah one the king of Arad one + the king of Libnah one the king of Adullam one + the king of Makkedah one the king of Bethel one + the king of Tappuah one the king of Hepher one + the king of Aphek one the king of Lasharon one + the king of Madon one the king of Hazor one + the king of Shimron Meron one the king of Acshaph one + the king of Taanach one the king of Megiddo one + the king of Kedesh one the king of Jokneam in Carmel one + the king of Dor in Naphoth Dor one the king of Goyim in Gilgal one + the king of Tirzah oneThe total number of kings was 31. + + + Joshua was now very old. The Lord said to him, "You are very old. And there are still very large areas of land that have not been taken over yet. + "Here is the land that remains to be taken over. It includes all of the areas of Philistia and Geshur. + Those areas begin at the Shihor River in the eastern part of Egypt. They go to the territory of Ekron in the north. All of that land is considered as belonging to the people of Canaan. The land that remains to be taken over includes the territory of the five rulers of Philistia. They rule over Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. The Avvites + live south of them. The rest of the land of Canaan that remains to be taken over reaches from Arah all the way to Aphek. Arah belongs to the people of Sidon. The land that remains to be taken over includes the area where the Amorites live. + It includes the area where the people of Byblos live. It also includes all of Lebanon to the east. It reaches from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. + "I myself will drive out all of the people who live in the mountain areas. Those areas reach from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim. They include the area where all of the people of Sidon live. I myself will drive those people out to make room for the people of Israel. "Make sure you set that land apart for Israel. Give it to them as their share, just as I have directed you. + Divide it up among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Give each tribe its share." + The other half of Manasseh's tribe had already received the share of land Moses had given them. Their share was east of the Jordan River. The tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their share too. Moses, the servant of the Lord, had given it to them. + That land starts at Aroer on the rim of the Arnon River valley. It includes the town in the middle of the valley. It includes the high flatlands of Medeba all the way to Dibon. + It also includes all of the towns of Sihon, the king of the Amorites. He had ruled in Heshbon. That area reaches to the border of Ammon. + It also includes Gilead. It includes the territory of Geshur and Maacah. It includes Mount Hermon and the whole land of Bashan all the way to Salecah. + So it includes the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan. Og had ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He was one of the last of the Rephaites. Moses had won the battle over Sihon and Og. He had taken over their land. + But the people of Israel didn't drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah. So they continue to live among the people of Israel to this very day. + Moses hadn't given any share of the land to the tribe of Levi. That's because the offerings that are made with fire are their share. Those offerings are made to the Lord, the God of Israel. Moses gave the Levites what he had promised them. + Here is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, family group by family group. + Their territory starts at Aroer on the rim of the Arnon River valley. It includes the town in the middle of the valley. It includes all of the high flatlands that are near Medeba. + It includes Heshbon and all of its towns on those flatlands. Those towns include Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, + Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath. + They include Kiriathaim, Sibmah and Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley. + They also include Beth Peor, Beth Jeshimoth and the slopes of Pisgah. + All of those towns are on the high flatlands. The territory includes the whole kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites. He had ruled in Heshbon. Moses had won the battle over him and over the chiefs of Midian. Those chiefs were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba. They were princes who helped Sihon fight against Israel. They lived in that country. + The people of Israel killed many of them in battle. They also killed Balaam with a sword. He was the son of Beor. Balaam used magic to find out what was going to happen. + The border of the tribe of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan River. All of those towns and their villages were given to the tribe of Reuben as their very own. Each family group received its share. + Here is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, family group by family group. + Their territory includes Jazer and all of the towns of Gilead. It includes half of the country of Ammon all the way to Aroer, which was near Rabbah. + Their territory reaches from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim. It reaches from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. + In the valley their land includes Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon. It also includes the rest of the kingdom of Sihon. He was the king of Heshbon. His kingdom included the east side of the Jordan River. It reached up to the south end of the Sea of Galilee. + All of those towns and their villages were given to the tribe of Gad as their very own. Each family group received its share. + Here is what Moses had given to half of the tribe of Manasseh, family group by family group. It's what Moses had given to half of Manasseh's family line. + Their territory starts at Mahanaim. It includes the whole land of Bashan. That was the entire kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan. Manasseh's territory includes all of the 60 towns of Jair in Bashan. + It includes half of the land of Gilead. It also includes Ashtaroth and Edrei. They were the royal cities of Og in Bashan. That land was given to half of the family line of Makir. He was the son of Manasseh. Each family group received its share. + Those were the shares of land Moses had given the eastern tribes when he was in the flatlands of Moab. The flatlands are across the Jordan River east of Jericho. + But Moses hadn't given any share to the tribe of Levi. The Lord, the God of Israel, is their share. Moses gave the Levites what he had promised them. + + + The rest of the tribes of Israel received their shares of land in Canaan. The priest Eleazar and Joshua, the son of Nun, decided what each of the tribes should receive. The leaders of the tribes helped them make those decisions. + The shares of nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh were decided by using lots. That's what the Lord had commanded through Moses. + Moses had given two tribes and the other half of the tribe of Manasseh their shares east of the Jordan River. But Moses had not given the Levites a share among the other tribes. + Manasseh and Ephraim were the sons of Joseph. They had become two tribes. The Levites didn't receive any share of the land. They only received towns to live in and grasslands for their flocks and herds. + So the people of Israel divided up the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. + The men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, spoke to Joshua. He said, "You know what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God. He spoke to him at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. + Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to check out the land. I was 40 years old at that time. I brought back an honest report to him. I told him exactly what I had seen. + Several other men of Israel went up with me. What they reported made the hearts of the people melt away in fear. But I followed the Lord my God with my whole heart. + "So on that day Moses took an oath and made a promise to me. He said, 'The land your feet have walked on will be your share. It will be the share of your children forever. That's because you have followed the Lord my God with your whole heart.' --(Deuteronomy 1:36) + "The Lord has done just as he promised. He made the promise while Israel was wandering around in the desert. That was 45 years ago. He has kept me alive all of this time. So here I am today, 85 years old! + I'm still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. I'm just as able to go out to battle now as I was then. + "So give me this hill country. The Lord promised it to me that day. At that time you yourself heard that the Anakites were living there. You also heard that their cities were large and had high walls. But I'll drive them out, just as the Lord said I would. He will help me do it." + Then Joshua blessed Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. He gave him Hebron as his share. + So ever since that time Hebron has belonged to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. That's because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, with his whole heart. + Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. It was named after Arba. He was the greatest man among the Anakites. So the land had peace and rest. + + + Land was given to the tribe of Judah, family group by family group. It reached down to the territory of Edom. It went as far south as the Desert of Zin. + Judah's border on the south started from the bay at the south end of the Dead Sea. + It went across to the south of Scorpion Pass. It continued on to Zin. It went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar. It curved around to Karka. + It then went along to Azmon. There it joined the Wadi of Egypt and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. That was the southern border of Judah. + The border on the east was the Dead Sea. It went north all the way to where the Jordan River enters the sea. The border on the north started at the bay of the Dead Sea. That's where the Jordan River enters the sea. + From there it went up to Beth Hoglah. It continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben. + Then it went from the Valley of Achor up to Debir. It turned north to Gilgal. Gilgal faces the Pass of Adummim south of the valley. The border continued along to the springs of En Shemesh. It came to an end at En Rogel. + Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It went along the south slope of Jerusalem. From there it climbed to the top of the hill that is west of the Hinnom Valley. The hill is also at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. + From the top of the hill the border headed toward the springs of Nephtoah. It went to the towns near Mount Ephron. It went down toward Kiriath Jearim. + Then it curved west from Kiriath Jearim to Mount Seir. It ran along the north slope of Mount Kesalon. It continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed over to Timnah. + It went to the north slope of Ekron. Then it turned toward Shikkeron. It passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The border came to an end at the Mediterranean Sea. + The border on the west was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Those were the borders of the family groups of the tribe of Judah. + Joshua gave a part of Judah's share of land to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. That was in keeping with the Lord's command to Joshua. The share Caleb received was the city of Hebron. It was also called Kiriath Arba. Anak came from the family line of Arba. + Caleb drove three Anakites out of Hebron. Their names were Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. They were from the family line of Anak. + From Hebron, Caleb marched out against the people who were living in Debir. It used to be called Kiriath Sepher. + Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah to be married. I'll give her to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." + Othniel captured it. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him to be his wife. Othniel was the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's brother. + One day Acsah came to Othniel. She begged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb spoke to her. He asked, "What can I do for you?" + She replied, "Do me a special favor. You have given me some land in the Negev Desert. Give me springs of water also." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. + Here is the share of land that was given to the tribe of Judah, family group by family group. + The towns farthest south that were given to Judah were in the Negev Desert. They were near the border of Edom. Here is a list of those towns. Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, + Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, + Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, + Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, + Hazor Hadattah, Hazor, + Amam, Shema, Moladah, + Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, + Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, + Baalah, Iim, Ezem, + Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, + Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, + Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain and Rimmon. The total number of towns was 29. Some of them had villages near them. + Towns were also given to Judah in the western hills. Here is a list of those towns. Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, + Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, + Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, + Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah. Gederah is also called Gederothaim. The total number of towns was 14. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Judah in the western hills. Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, + Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, + Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, + Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, + Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah and Makkedah. The total number of towns was 16. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Judah in the western hills. Libnah, Ether, Ashan, + Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, + Keilah, Aczib and Mareshah. The total number of towns was nine. Some of them had villages near them. + Judah was also given Ekron and the settlements and villages that were around it. + West of Ekron, Judah was given all of the settlements and villages that were near Ashdod. + Judah was given Ashdod and the settlements and villages that were around it. And Judah was given Gaza and its settlements and villages. Judah's territory went all the way to the Wadi of Egypt and the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. + Towns were also given to Judah in the central hill country. Here is a list of those towns. Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, + Dannah, Debir, + Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, + Goshen, Holon and Giloh. The total number of towns was 11. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Judah in the central hill country. Arab, Dumah, Eshan, + Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, + Humtah, Hebron and Zior. The total number of towns was nine. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Judah in the central hill country. Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, + Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, + Kain, Gibeah and Timnah. The total number of towns was ten. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Judah in the central hill country. Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, + Maarath, Beth Anoth and Eltekon. The total number of towns was six. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Judah in the central hill country. Kiriath Jearim and Rabbah. The total number of towns was two. They had villages near them. + Towns were also given to Judah in the desert. Here is a list of those towns. Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, + Nibshan, the City of Salt and En Gedi. The total number of towns was six. Some of them had villages near them. + Judah couldn't drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. So they live there with the people of Judah to this very day. + + + The land that was given to the two tribes in the family line of Joseph began at the Jordan River near Jericho. Their border started east of the springs of Jericho. It went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. + Bethel is also called Luz. From Bethel it crossed over to Ataroth. That's where the Arkites live. + Then it went west down to the territory of the Japhletites. It went all the way to the area of Lower Beth Horon. It went on to Gezer. It came to an end at the Mediterranean Sea. + The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim were from the family line of Joseph. So they received that land as their share. + Here is the territory that was given to the tribe of Ephraim, family group by family group. The border of their share of land started at Ataroth Addar in the east. It went to Upper Beth Horon. + It continued toward the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, it curved toward the east. It went to Taanath Shiloh. It passed by Taanath Shiloh to Janoah on the east. + Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah. It touched Jericho and came to an end at the Jordan River. + From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Valley. It came to an end at the Mediterranean Sea. That was the land that was given to the tribe of Ephraim. Each family group received its share. + The tribe of Ephraim was also given other towns and villages that were set apart for them. Those towns and villages were in the share of land that was given to the tribe of Manasseh. + The people of Ephraim didn't drive out the people of Canaan who were living in Gezer. The people of Canaan live among the people of Ephraim to this very day. But they are forced to work hard for the people of Ephraim. + + + Land was given to the tribe of Manasseh. It was given to Makir. Manasseh was Joseph's oldest son. Makir was Manasseh's oldest son. The people of Gilead came from the family line of Makir. The people of Gilead had received the lands of Gilead and Bashan. That's because the people of Makir were great soldiers. + So land was given to the rest of the people of Manasseh. It was given to the family groups of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. They were the other men in the family line of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. Those were their names by their family groups. + Makir was the son of Manasseh. Gilead was the son of Makir. Hepher was the son of Gilead. And Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Zelophehad didn't have any sons. He only had daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. + The daughters of Zelophehad went to the priest Eleazar and to Joshua, the son of Nun. They also went to the other leaders. They said, "The Lord commanded Moses to give us our share of land among our male relatives." So Joshua gave them land along with their male relatives. That was in keeping with what the Lord had commanded. + Manasseh's share was made up of ten pieces of land. That land was in addition to Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan River. + So the five granddaughters of Hepher in the family line of Manasseh received land, just as the other five sons of Manasseh did. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the family line of Manasseh. + The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Micmethath. Micmethath was east of Shechem. The border ran south from Micmethath. The people who were living at En Tappuah were inside the border. + Manasseh had the land around Tappuah. But the town of Tappuah itself was on the border of Manasseh's land. It belonged to the people of Ephraim. + The border continued south to the Kanah Valley. Some of the towns that belonged to Ephraim were located among the towns of Manasseh. But the border of Manasseh was the north side of the valley. The border came to an end at the Mediterranean Sea. + The land on the south belonged to Ephraim. The land on the north belonged to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea. The tribe of Asher was the border on the north. The tribe of Issachar was the border on the east. + Inside the land that was given to Issachar and Asher, the towns of Beth Shan and Ibleam belonged to Manasseh. The towns of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo and their people also belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh was given all of those towns and the settlements that were around them. The third town in the list was also called Naphoth Dor. + But the people of Manasseh weren't able to take over those towns. That's because the people of Canaan had made up their minds to live in that area. + The people of Israel grew stronger. Then they forced the people of Canaan to work hard for them. But they didn't drive them out completely. + The people in the family line of Joseph spoke to Joshua. They said, "Why have you given us only one share of the land to have as our own? There are large numbers of us. The Lord has blessed us greatly." + "That's true," Joshua said. "There are large numbers of you. And the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you. So go up into the forest. Clear out some land for yourselves in the territory of the Perizzites and Rephaites." + The people in Joseph's family line replied. They said, "The hill country isn't big enough for us. And all of the people of Canaan who live in the flatlands use chariots that have iron parts. They include the people of Beth Shan and its settlements. They also include the people who live in the Valley of Jezreel." + Joshua spoke again to the people in Joseph's family line. He said to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh, "There are large numbers of you. And you are very powerful. You will have more than one piece of land. + You will also have the central hill country. It's covered with trees. Cut them down and clear the land. That whole land from one end to the other will belong to you. The people of Canaan use chariots that have iron parts. And those people are strong. But you can drive them out." + + + The whole community of Israel gathered together at Shiloh. They set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control. + But there were still seven tribes in Israel who had not yet received their shares of land. + So Joshua spoke to the people of Israel. He said, "The Lord, the God of your people, has given you this land. How long will you wait before you begin to take it over? + Appoint three men from each tribe. I'll send them to map out the land. Then they'll write a report about its features. The report will point out the share of land each tribe will receive. Then the men will return to me. + "You must divide the land up into seven shares. Judah must remain in its territory in the south. The people in Joseph's family line must remain in their territory in the north. + Write reports about the features of those seven shares of land. Bring them here to me. Then I'll cast lots for you in the sight of the Lord our God. + "But the Levites don't get any share of your land. That's because their share is to serve the Lord as priests. "The tribes of Gad and Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh have already received their shares. They are on the east side of the Jordan River. Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave their shares to them." + The men started out on their way to map out the land. Joshua directed them, "Go and map out the land. Write a report about its features. Then return to me. I'll cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the sight of the Lord." + So the men left and went through the land. They wrote a report about its features on a scroll. It showed how they divided up the land into seven shares. It listed the towns that were in each share. The men returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. + Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh in the sight of the Lord. There he gave out a share of land to each of the remaining tribes in Israel. + The first lot that was drawn out was for the tribe of Benjamin, family group by family group. The territory they were given was located between the tribes of the people of Judah and the people of Joseph. Here are the borders of Benjamin's territory. + On the north side their border started at the Jordan River. It went past the north slope of Jericho. Then it headed west into the central hill country. It came to an end at the Desert of Beth Aven. + From there it crossed to the south slope of Bethel. Then it went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon. + From the hill that faces Beth Horon on the south the border turned south along the west side of the hill. It came to an end at Kiriath Jearim. That town belongs to the people of Judah. That was the border on the west. + The border on the south side started at the west edge of Kiriath Jearim. It came to an end at the springs of Nephtoah. + It went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Ben Hinnom. The hill is north of the Valley of Rephaim. The border continued down the Hinnom Valley. It went along the south slope of Jerusalem, where the people of Jebus live. It continued on to En Rogel. + Then it curved north. It went to En Shemesh. It continued on to Geliloth. Geliloth faces the Pass of Adummim. The border ran down to the Stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben. + It continued to the north slope of Beth Arabah. It went on down into the Arabah Valley. + From there it went to the north slope of Beth Hoglah. It came to an end at the north bay of the Dead Sea. That's where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. That was the border on the south. + The Jordan River formed the border on the east side. Those were the borders that marked out on all sides the land the family groups of Benjamin received as their share. + Here is a list of towns that were given to the tribe of Benjamin, family group by family group. Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, + Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, + Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, + Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba. The total number of towns and their villages was 12. + Here is another list of towns that were given to Benjamin. Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, + Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, + Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, + Zelah, Haeleph, Jerusalem, Gibeah and Kiriath. The total number of towns and their villages was 14. That was the share of land the family groups of Benjamin received. + + + The second lot that was drawn out was for the tribe of Simeon, family group by family group. The share of land they were given was in the territory of Judah. + Here is what Simeon's share included. Beersheba, Moladah, + Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, + Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, + Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, + Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen. The total number of towns was 13. Some of them had villages near them. + Here's another list of towns that were given to Simeon. Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan. The total number of towns was four. Some of them had villages near them. + The towns and all of the villages that were around them reached all the way to Ramah in the Negev Desert. That was the share of land the tribe of Simeon received, family group by family group. + Simeon's share of land was taken from Judah's share. That's because Judah had more land than they needed. So the people of Simeon received their share of land inside the territory of Judah. + The third lot that was drawn out was for the tribe of Zebulun, family group by family group. Here are the borders of Zebulun's territory. The border of their share of land went as far as Sarid. + It ran west to Maralah and touched Dabbesheth. It reached to the valley near Jokneam. + It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise. It went to the territory of Kisloth Tabor. It went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. + Then it continued east to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin. It came to an end at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. + There the border went around on the north to Hannathon. It came to an end at the Valley of Iphtah El. + Zebulun's territory included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. The total number of towns was 12. Some of them had villages near them. + Those towns and their villages were Zebulun's share, family group by family group. + The fourth lot that was drawn out was for the tribe of Issachar, family group by family group. + Here is what Issachar's share included. Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, + Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, + Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, + Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. + The border touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh. It came to an end at the Jordan River. The total number of towns was 16. Some of them had villages near them. + Those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Issachar received, family group by family group. + The fifth lot that was drawn out was for the tribe of Asher, family group by family group. + Here is what Asher's share included. Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, + Allammelech, Amad and Mishal. On the west the border touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. + Then it turned east toward Beth Dagon. It touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El. It went north to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went past Cabul on the left. + It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah. It reached all the way to Greater Sidon. + The border then turned back toward Ramah. It went to Tyre, a city that had high walls around it. It turned toward Hosah. It came to an end at the Mediterranean Sea in the area of Aczib, + Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. The total number of towns was 22. Some of them had villages near them. + Those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Asher received, family group by family group. + The sixth lot that was drawn out was for Naphtali, family group by family group. + Their border started at Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim. It went past Adami Nekeb and Jabneel. It went to Lakkum and came to an end at the Jordan River. + The border ran west through Aznoth Tabor. It came to an end at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south. It touched Asher on the west. It touched the Jordan on the east. + The cities that had high walls around them were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, + Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, + Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, + Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. The total number of towns was 19. Some of them had villages near them. + Those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Naphtali received, family group by family group. + The seventh lot that was drawn out was for the tribe of Dan, family group by family group. + Here is what Dan's share of land included. Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, + Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, + Elon, Timnah, Ekron, + Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, + Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, + Me Jarkon and Rakkon. Dan's share included the area that faces Joppa. + The people of Dan had trouble taking over their territory. So they went up and attacked Leshem. They took it. They killed its people with their swords. Then they moved into Leshem and settled down there. They named it Dan. That's because they traced their family line back to him. + All of those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Dan received, family group by family group. + The people of Israel finished dividing up the shares of land the tribes received. Then they gave a share to Joshua, the son of Nun. + They did what the Lord had commanded them to do. They gave Joshua the town he asked for. It was Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He built up the town and settled down there. + All of those territories were given out by using lots at Shiloh. The lots were drawn out by the priest Eleazar and by Joshua, the son of Nun. The leaders of the tribes of Israel helped them. The lots were drawn out in front of the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So the work of dividing up the land was finished. + + + Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, + "Tell the people of Israel to choose the cities to go to for safety, just as I directed you through Moses. + Anyone who kills a person by accident can run there for safety. So can anyone who kills a person without meaning to. The one who is charged with murder will be kept safe from the nearest male relative of the person who was killed. + "Suppose the one who is charged runs for safety to one of those cities. Then he must stand in the entrance of the city gate. He must state his case in front of the elders of that city. They must let him come into their city. They must give him a place to live there. + "Suppose the nearest male relative of the person who was killed comes after him. Then the elders must not hand him over to that relative. That's because he didn't mean to kill his neighbor. He didn't make evil plans to do it. + "He must stay in that city until his case has been brought to the community court. He must stay there until the high priest who is serving at that time dies. Then he can go back to his own home. He can return to the town he ran away from." + So the people of Israel set apart Kedesh in Galilee. It's in the hill country of Naphtali. They set apart Shechem. It's in the hill country of Ephraim. They set apart Kiriath Arba. It's in the hill country of Judah. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. + On the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho they chose Bezer. It's in the desert on the high flatlands. It's in the territory of the tribe of Reuben. They chose Ramoth in Gilead. It's in the territory of the tribe of Gad. They chose Golan in the land of Bashan. It's in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh. + Suppose you kill someone by accident. Or another Israelite does it. Or an outsider who lives among you does it. Then any of you can run for safety to one of those cities that have been chosen. There you won't be killed by the nearest male relative of the person who was killed. First your case must be brought to the community court. + + + The leaders of the Levite family groups approached the priest Eleazar and Joshua, the son of Nun. They also approached the leaders of the family groups of Israel's other tribes. + They went to all of them at Shiloh in Canaan. They said to them, "Give us towns to live in. Also give us grasslands for our livestock. That's what the Lord commanded through Moses." + So the people of Israel gave the Levites towns and grasslands out of their own shares of land. They did what the Lord had commanded. Here are the towns the Levites were given. + The first lot that was drawn out was for the people of Kohath, family group by family group. Some of the Levites came from the family line of the priest Aaron. They were given 13 towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. + The rest of Kohath's family groups were given ten towns from the family groups of the tribes of Ephraim and Dan and half of the tribe of Manasseh. + The family groups of Gershon were given 13 towns from the family groups of the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali and half of the tribe of Manasseh. That part of Manasseh was in the land of Bashan. + The family groups of Merari received 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. Each family group received its share. + So the people of Israel gave those towns and their grasslands to the Levites. They did what the Lord had commanded through Moses. + They gave some towns from the territories of the tribes of Judah and Simeon + to the members of the family line of Aaron. The towns were given to the family groups of Kohath. They were Levites. The first lot that was drawn out was for them. Here are the towns the family groups of Kohath were given. + The people of Israel gave them Kiriath Arba and the grasslands that were around it. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. It's in the hill country of Judah. Anak came from the family line of Arba. + But Israel had already given away the fields and villages around the city. They had given them to Caleb as his share. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh. + So they gave Hebron to the members of the family line of the priest Aaron. Hebron was a city where anyone who was charged with murder could go for safety. They also gave them Libnah, + Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Holon, Debir, + Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh. They gave those towns and their grasslands to the family groups of Kohath. The total number of towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon was nine. + The people of Israel gave some towns from the tribe of Benjamin to the family groups of Kohath. The towns were Gibeon, Geba, + Anathoth and Almon. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + So the total number of towns and their grasslands that were given to the priests in the family line of Aaron was 13. + There were other family groups of Kohath among the Levites. They were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim. Here are the towns those other family groups of Kohath were given. + In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem. It was a city where anyone who was charged with murder could go for safety. They were also given Gezer, + Kibzaim and Beth Horon. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + From the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, + Aijalon and Gath Rimmon. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + From half of the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was two. + So all of those ten towns and their grasslands were given to the other family groups of Kohath. + Here are the towns the family groups of Gershon among the Levites were given. From half of the tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in the land of Bashan. Golan was a city where anyone who was charged with murder could go for safety. They also received Be Eshtarah. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was two. + From the tribe of Issacharthey received Kishion, Daberath, + Jarmuth and En Gannim. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + From the tribe of Asherthey received Mishal, Abdon, + Helkath and Rehob. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + From the tribe of Naphtalithey received Kedesh in Galilee. Kedesh was a city where anyone who was charged with murder could go for safety. They also received Hammoth Dor and Kartan. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was three. + So the total number of towns and their grasslands that were given to the family groups of Gershon was 13. + The rest of the Levites were from the family groups of Merari. Here are the towns they were given. From the tribe of Zebulunthey received Jokneam, Kartah, + Dimnah and Nahalal. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + From the tribe of Reubenthey received Bezer, Jahaz, + Kedemoth and Mephaath. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + From the tribe of Gadthey received Ramoth in Gilead. Ramoth was a city where anyone who was charged with murder could go for safety. They also received Mahanaim, + Heshbon and Jazer. The total number of those towns and their grasslands was four. + So the total number of towns that were given to the family groups of Merari was 12. That concludes the list of towns the rest of the Levites received. + The total number of Levite towns and their grasslands in the territory that was given to Israel was 48. + Each of those towns had grasslands around it. That was true of all of them. + So the Lord gave Israel all of the land he had promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Israel took it over. Then they settled down there. + The Lord gave them peace and rest on every side. That's what he had promised their fathers he would do. Not one of their enemies was able to fight against Israel and win. The Lord handed all of their enemies over to them. + The Lord kept all of the good promises he had made to the people of Israel. Every one of them came true. + + + Joshua sent for the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. + He said to them, "You have done everything that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded. You have also obeyed everything I commanded. + For a long time now you haven't deserted the other Israelites. Instead, you have done what the Lord your God sent you to do. You have obeyed him to this very day. + "Now the Lord your God has given the other tribes peace and rest. That's what he promised to do. So return to your homes. They are in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you. It's on the east side of the Jordan River. + "Be very careful to obey the law that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you. He commanded you to love the Lord your God. He told you to live exactly as the Lord wants you to. He told you to obey the Lord's commands. He told you to remain true to the Lord. And he told you to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul." + Joshua gave the eastern tribes his blessing. Then he sent them home. So they went. + Moses had given land in Bashan to half of the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua had given land to the other half of the tribe along with the other tribes on the west side of the Jordan River. When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them. + He said, "Return to your homes. Take your great wealth with you. Return with your large herds of livestock. Take your silver, gold, bronze and iron with you. Return with all of your clothes. Divide up the things you have taken from your enemies. Share them with your people." + So the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh went home. They left the other people of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan. They returned to Gilead. That was their own land. They had gotten it in keeping with the Lord's command through Moses. + The tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth. It was near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. They built a large altar there by the Jordan. + The rest of the people of Israel heard that they had built the altar. They heard that they had built it on the border of Canaan at Geliloth. It was near the Jordan River on the west side. + So the whole community of Israel gathered together at Shiloh. They decided to go to war against the eastern tribes. + The people of Israel sent the priest Phinehas to the land of Gilead. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. They sent him to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. + They sent ten of their leaders with him. There was one for each of the tribes of Israel. Each man was the leader of a family group among the larger family groups of Israel. + They went to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead. They said to them, + "We're speaking for the Lord's whole community. How could you disobey the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord? How could you disobey him by building an altar for yourselves? + "Don't you remember how we sinned at Peor? The Lord struck us with a plague because of what we did. Up to this very day we're still suffering because of that sin. + Are you turning away from the Lord now? "Suppose you disobey the Lord today. If you do, he'll be angry with the whole community of Israel tomorrow. + "If your own land isn't 'clean,' come over to the Lord's land. It's where his holy tent stands. Share our land with us. But don't disobey the Lord. Don't turn against us by building an altar for yourselves. Don't build any altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. + "Remember Achan, the son of Zerah. Achan wasn't faithful to the Lord. He took the things that had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. Didn't the Lord's anger come on the whole community of Israel? And Achan wasn't the only one who died because of his sin." + Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh replied. They answered the leaders of the family groups of Israel. + They said, "The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And we want Israel to know! Have we opposed the Lord? Have we refused to obey him? If we have, don't spare us today. + "Have we built our own altar so we can turn away from the Lord? Have we built it to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it? Have we built it to sacrifice friendship offerings on it? If we have, may the Lord himself hold us accountable. + "No! We built it because we were afraid. Someday your children might speak to our children. We were afraid they might say, 'What do you have to do with the Lord? What do you have to do with the God of Israel? + The Lord has made the Jordan River a border between us and you. You people of Reuben! You people of Gad! You don't have anything to do with the Lord.' If your children say that, they might cause our children to stop worshiping the Lord. + "That's why we said to ourselves, 'Let's get ready and build an altar. But let's not build it to offer burnt offerings or sacrifices on it.' + "So just the opposite is true. The altar will be a witness between us and you. It will be a witness between our children and yours after us. It will also be a witness that we will worship the Lord at his sacred tent. We'll worship him there with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and friendship offerings. Then in days to come your children won't be able to say to ours, 'You don't have anything to do with the Lord.' + "So we said to ourselves, 'Suppose they say that to us sometime. Or suppose they say it to our children after us. Then we'll answer, "Look at this altar. It's exactly like the Lord's altar. Our people built it. They didn't build it to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices on it. Instead, they built it to be a witness between us and you." ' + "We would never refuse to obey the Lord. We would never turn away from him now. We wouldn't build an altar to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices on it. We wouldn't use any altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. That altar stands in front of his holy tent." + The priest Phinehas heard what the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say. The leaders of the family groups of the community of Israel heard it too. All of them were pleased with what they heard. + The priest Phinehas spoke to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. He said, "Today we know that the Lord is with us. That's because you have been faithful to him in this matter. Now you have saved the people of Israel from the Lord's anger against them." + Then the priest Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, returned to Canaan. So did the leaders. All of them went back from their meeting with the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead. They brought a report back to the people of Israel. + The people were glad to hear the report. They praised God. They didn't talk anymore about going to war against the eastern tribes. And they didn't talk anymore about destroying the country where the tribes of Reuben and Gad lived. + The tribes of Reuben and Gad gave the altar a name. They called it A Witness Between Us That the Lord Is God. + + + A long time had passed. The Lord had given Israel peace and rest from all of their enemies who were around them. By that time Joshua was very old. + So he sent for all of the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel. He said to them, "I'm very old. + You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done. You have seen what he's done to all of those nations because of you. The Lord your God fought for you. + "Remember how I've given you all of the land of the nations that remain here. I've given each of your tribes a share of it. It's the land of the nations I won the battle over. It's between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. + The Lord your God himself will drive those nations out of your way. He will push them out to make room for you. You will take over their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. + "Be very strong. Be careful to obey everything that is written in the Scroll of the Law of Moses. Don't turn away from it to the right or the left. + "Don't have anything to do with the nations that remain among you. Don't use the names of their gods for any reason at all. Don't take oaths and make promises in their names. You must not serve them. You must not bow down to them. + You must remain true to the Lord your God, just as you have done until now. + "The Lord has driven out great and powerful nations to make room for you. To this very day no one has been able to fight against you and win. + One of you can chase a thousand away. That's because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised he would. + So be very careful to love the Lord your God. + "But suppose you turn away from him. You mix with the people who are left alive in the nations that remain among you. Later, you and they get married to each other. And you do other kinds of things with them. + Then you can be sure of what the Lord your God will do. He won't drive out those nations to make room for you anymore. Instead, they will become traps and snares for you. They will be like whips on your backs. They will be like thorns in your eyes. All of that will continue until you are destroyed. It will continue until you are removed from this good land. It's the land the Lord your God has given you. + "Now I'm about to die, just as everyone else on earth does. The Lord your God has kept all of the good promises he gave you. Every one of them has come true. Not one has failed to come true. And you know that with all your heart and soul. + "Every good promise of the Lord your God has come true. So you know that the Lord will bring on you all of the evil things he has warned you about. He'll do it until he has destroyed you. He'll do it until he has removed you from this good land. It's the land he has given you. + "Suppose you break the covenant the Lord your God made with you. He commanded you to obey it. But suppose you go and serve other gods. And you bow down to them. Then the Lord's anger will burn against you. You will quickly be destroyed. You will be removed from the good land he has given you." + + + Joshua gathered all of Israel's tribes together at Shechem. He sent for the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel. They came and stood there in the sight of God. + Joshua spoke to all of the people. He said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Long ago your people lived east of the Euphrates River. They worshiped other gods there. Your people included Terah. He was the father of Abraham and Nahor. + " 'I took your father Abraham from the land that is east of the Euphrates. I led him all through Canaan. I gave him many children and grandchildren. I gave him Isaac. + To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau. But Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. + " 'Then I sent Moses and Aaron. I made the people of Egypt suffer because of the plagues I sent on them. But I brought you out of Egypt. + " 'When I brought your parents out, they came to the Red Sea. The people of Egypt chased them with chariots and with men on horses. They chased them all the way to the sea. + But your people cried out to me for help. So I put darkness between you and the people of Egypt. I swept them into the sea. It completely covered them. Your own eyes saw what I did to them. After that, you lived in the desert for a long time. + " 'I brought you to the land of the Amorites. They lived east of the Jordan River. They fought against you. But I handed them over to you. I destroyed them to make room for you. Then you took over their land. + " 'Balak, the son of Zippor, prepared to fight against Israel. Balak was king of Moab. He sent for Balaam. He wanted him to put a curse on you. Balaam was the son of Beor. + But I would not listen to Balaam's curses. So he blessed you again and again. And I saved you from his power. + " 'Then you went across the Jordan River. You came to Jericho. Its people fought against you. So did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites. But I handed them over to you. + " 'I sent hornets ahead of you. They drove your enemies out to make room for you. That included the two Amorite kings. You did not do that with your own swords and bows. + So I gave you a land you had never farmed. I gave you cities you had not built. You are now living in them. And you are eating the fruit of vineyards and olive trees you did not plant.' + "So have respect for the Lord. Serve him. Be completely faithful to him. Throw away the gods your people worshiped east of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord. + "But suppose you don't want to serve him. Then choose for yourselves right now whom you will serve. You can choose the gods your people served east of the Euphrates River. Or you can choose the gods the Amorites serve. After all, you are living in their land. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." + Then the people answered Joshua. They said, "We would never desert the Lord! We would never serve other gods! + The Lord our God himself brought us and our parents up out of Egypt. He brought us out of that land where we were slaves. With our own eyes, we saw those great and miraculous signs he did. He kept us safe on our entire journey. He kept us safe as we traveled through all of the nations. + He drove them out to make room for us. That included the Amorites. They also lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord. That's because he is our God." + Joshua spoke to the people. He said, "You aren't able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won't forgive you when you disobey him. He won't forgive you when you sin against him. + "Suppose you desert the Lord. Suppose you serve the gods that people in other lands serve. If you do, he will turn against you. He will bring trouble on you. He will destroy you, even though he has been good to you." + But the people spoke to Joshua. They said, "No! We will serve the Lord." + Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves. You have said that you have chosen to serve the Lord." "Yes. We are witnesses," they replied. + "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the gods that are among you. People from other lands serve those gods. Give yourselves completely to the Lord, the God of Israel." + Then the people spoke to Joshua. They said, "We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him." + On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people. There at Shechem he wrote down rules and laws for them. + He recorded those things in the Scroll of the Law of God. Then he got a large stone. He set it up in Shechem under the oak tree. It was near the place that had been set apart for the Lord. + "Look!" he said to all of the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all of the words the Lord has spoken to us. Suppose you aren't true to your God. Then the stone will be a witness against you." + Joshua sent the people away. He sent all of them to their own shares of land. + Then Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died. He was the son of Nun. He was 110 years old when he died. + His people buried his body at Timnath Serah on his own property. It's north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim. + Israel served the Lord as long as Joshua lived. They also served him as long as the elders lived. Those were the elders who lived longer than Joshua did. They had seen for themselves everything the Lord had done for Israel. + The people of Israel had brought Joseph's bones up from Egypt. They buried his bones at Shechem in the piece of land Jacob had bought. He had bought it from the sons of Hamor. He had paid 100 pieces of silver for it. Hamor was the father of Shechem. That piece of land became the share that belonged to Joseph's children after him. + Aaron's son Eleazar died. His body was buried at Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim. Gibeah had been given to Eleazar's son Phinehas. + + + + + Joshua died. After that, the people of Israel spoke to the Lord. They asked him, "Who will go up first and fight for us against the people of Canaan?" + The Lord answered, "The tribe of Judah will go. I have handed the land over to them." + Then the men of Judah spoke to their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They said, "Come up with us. Come into the territory Joshua gave us. Help us fight against the people of Canaan. Then we'll go with you into your territory." So the men of Simeon went with them. + When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord helped them. He handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They struck down 10,000 men at Bezek. + Judah found Adoni-Bezek there. They fought against him. They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites. + But Adoni-Bezek ran away. Judah chased him and caught him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. + Adoni-Bezek said, "I cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings. I made them pick up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah brought Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem. That's where he died. + The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and took it. They set the city on fire. They killed its people with their swords. + After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the people of Canaan who were living in the central hill country. They also fought against those who were living in the Negev Desert and the western hills. + Then the men of Judah marched out against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron. The men of Judah won the battle over Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. + From Hebron they marched out against the people who were living in Debir. It used to be called Kiriath Sepher. + Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah to be married. I'll give her to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." + Othniel captured it. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him to be his wife. Othniel was the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's younger brother. + One day Acsah came to Othniel. She begged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb spoke to her. He said, "What can I do for you?" + She replied, "Do me a special favor. You have given me some land in the Negev Desert. Give me springs of water also." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. + Moses' father-in-law was a Kenite. His family went up from Jericho. They went up with the people of Judah to the Desert of Judah. They went there to live among its people. Those people were living in the Negev Desert near Arad. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees. + The men of Judah went with their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They attacked the people of Canaan who were living in Zephath. They set the city apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. That's why the city was called Hormah. + The men of Judah took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. They also took the territory that was around each of those cities. + The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took over the central hill country. But they weren't able to drive the people out of the flatlands. That's because those people used chariots that had some iron parts. + Moses had promised to give Hebron to Caleb. So Hebron was given to Caleb. He drove the three sons of Anak out of it. + But the people of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. So they live there with the people of Benjamin to this very day. + The men of Joseph attacked Bethel. The Lord was with them. + They sent men to Bethel to check it out. It used to be called Luz. + Those who were sent saw a man coming out of the city. They said to him, "Show us how to get into the city. If you do, we'll see that you are treated well." + So he showed them how to get in. The men of Joseph killed the people in the city with their swords. But they spared the man from Bethel. They also spared his whole family. + Then he went to the land of the Hittites. He built a city there. He called it Luz. That's still its name to this very day. + But the tribe of Manasseh didn't drive out the people of Beth Shan. They didn't drive out the people of Taanach, Dor, Ibleam and Megiddo. And they didn't drive out the people of the settlements that are around those cities either. That's because the people of Canaan had made up their minds to continue living in that land. + Later, Israel became stronger. Then they forced the people of Canaan to work hard for them. But Israel never drove them out completely. + The tribe of Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. So they continued to live there among them. + The tribe of Zebulun didn't drive out the Canaanites who were living in Kitron and Nahalol. So they remained among them. But Zebulun forced the Canaanites to work hard for them. + The tribe of Asher didn't drive out the people who were living in Acco and Sidon. They didn't drive out the people of Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek and Rehob. + So the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites who were in the land. + The tribe of Naphtali didn't drive out the people who were living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath. So the people of Naphtali lived among the Canaanites who were in the land. The people of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to work hard for them. + The Amorites made the people of Dan stay in the central hill country. They didn't let them come down into the flatlands. + The Amorites made up their minds to stay in Mount Heres. They also stayed in Aijalon and Shaalbim. But the power of the tribes of Joseph grew. Then the Amorites were forced to work hard for them. + The border of the Amorites started at Scorpion Pass. It went to Sela and even past it. + + + The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim. There he spoke to the people of Israel. "I brought you up out of Egypt," he said. "I led you into this land. It is the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said, 'I will never break the covenant I made with you. + So you must not make a covenant with the people of this land. Instead, you must tear down their altars.' "But you have disobeyed me. Why did you do it? + I have something to tell you. I will not drive those people out to make room for you. They will be like thorns in your sides. Their gods will be a trap to you." + The angel of the Lord spoke those things to all of the people of Israel. Then the people began to sob out loud. + So that place was called Bokim. The people offered sacrifices to the Lord there. + Joshua sent the people of Israel away. Then they went to take over the land. All of them went to their own shares of land. + The people served the Lord as long as Joshua lived. They also served him as long as the elders lived. Those were the elders who lived longer than Joshua did. They had seen all of the great things the Lord had done for Israel. + Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died. He was the son of Nun. He was 110 years old when he died. + His people buried his body on his own property at Timnath Heres. It's north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim. + All of the people of Joshua's time joined the members of their families who had already died. Then those who were born after them grew up. They didn't know the Lord. They didn't know what he had done for Israel. + The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the gods that were named after Baal. + They deserted the Lord, the God of their people. He had brought them out of Egypt. But now the people of Israel followed other gods and worshiped them. They served the gods of the nations that were around them. They made the Lord angry + because they deserted him. They served Baal. They also served the goddesses that were named after Ashtoreth. + The Lord became angry with Israel. So he handed them over to robbers. The robbers stole everything from them. He gave them over to their enemies who were all around them. Israel wasn't able to fight against them anymore and win. + When Israel went out to fight, the Lord's power was against them. He let their enemies win the battle over them. The Lord had warned them with an oath that it would happen. And now they were suffering terribly. + Then the Lord gave them leaders. The leaders saved them from the power of those robbers. + But the people wouldn't listen to their leaders. They weren't faithful to the Lord. They joined themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They didn't obey the Lord's commands as their people before them had done. They quickly turned away from the path their people had taken. + When the Lord gave them a leader, he was with that leader. He saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. He was very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. The enemies beat them down. They treated them badly. + But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They followed other gods. They served them. They worshiped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn't change their stubborn ways. + So the Lord's anger burned against the people of Israel. He said, "This nation has broken my covenant. I made it with their people of long ago. But this nation has not listened to me. + Joshua left some nations in the land when he died. I will not drive those nations out to make room for you anymore. + I will use them to put Israel to the test. I will see whether Israel will live the way I want them to. I will see whether they will follow my path, just as their people did long ago." + The Lord had let those nations remain in the land. He didn't drive them out right away. He didn't hand them over to Joshua. + + + The Lord left some nations in the land. He left them there in order to put the people of Israel to the test. He did it for all those who hadn't lived through any of the wars in Canaan. + He wanted to teach the men in Israel who had never been in battle before. He wanted them to learn how to fight. + So he left the five rulers of the Philistines. He left the people of Canaan and the people of Sidon. He left the Hivites who were living in the Lebanon mountains. They lived in the area that was between Mount Baal Hermon and Lebo Hamath. + The Lord left those nations where they were in order to put Israel to the test. He wanted to see whether they would obey his commands. He had given those commands through Moses to their people of long ago. + So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. + They got married to the daughters of those people. They gave their own daughters to the sons of those people. And they served the gods of those people. + The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God. They served the gods that were named after Baal. They also served the goddesses that were named after Asherah. + So the Lord's anger burned against Israel. He gave them over to the power of Cushan-Rishathaim. He was the king of Aram Naharaim. For eight years Israel was under his rule. + They cried out to the Lord. Then he gave them a man to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's younger brother. + The Spirit of the Lord came on Othniel. So he became Israel's leader. He went to war. The Lord handed Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram, over to him. Othniel overpowered him. + So the land was at peace for 40 years. Then Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died. + Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Because they did that, the Lord gave Eglon power over Israel. Eglon was the king of Moab. + He got the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him. All of them came and attacked Israel. They took over Jericho. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees. + For 18 years the people of Israel were under the rule of Eglon, the king of Moab. + Again the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then he gave them a man to save them. His name was Ehud, the son of Gera. Ehud was left-handed. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. The people of Israel sent Ehud to Eglon, the king of Moab. They sent him to give the king what he required them to bring him. + Ehud had made a sword that had two edges. It was about a foot and a half long. He tied it to his right leg under his clothes. + Eglon, the king of Moab, was a very fat man. Ehud gave him the gift he had brought. + After that, he sent away those who had carried it. + At the place where some statues of gods stood near Gilgal, Ehud turned back. He said, "King Eglon, I have a secret message for you." The king said, "I want everyone to be quiet." And all of his attendants left him. + Then Ehud approached him. King Eglon was sitting alone in the upstairs room of his summer palace. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." So the king got up from his seat. + Then Ehud reached out his left hand. He pulled out the sword that was tied to his right leg. He stuck it into the king's stomach. + Even the handle sank in after the blade. The blade came right out the king's back. Ehud didn't pull the sword out. And the fat closed over it. + Ehud went out to the porch. He shut the doors of the upstairs room behind him. Then he locked them. + After he had gone, the servants came. They found the doors of the upstairs room locked. They said, "Eglon must be going to the toilet in the inside room of the house." + They waited for a long time. They waited so long they became worried. But the king still didn't open the doors of the room. So they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their king. He had fallen to the floor. He was dead. + While Eglon's servants had been waiting, Ehud had gotten away. He passed by the statues of gods and escaped to Seirah. + There in the hill country of Ephraim he blew a trumpet. Then he led the people of Israel down from the hills. + "Follow me," Ehud ordered. "The Lord has handed your enemy Moab over to you." So they followed him down. They took over the only places where people could go across the Jordan River to get to Moab. They didn't let anyone go across. + At that time they struck down about 10,000 men of Moab. All of those men were strong and powerful. But not even one escaped. + That day Moab was brought under the rule of Israel. So the land was at peace for 80 years. + After Ehud, Shamgar became the next leader. He was the son of Anath. He struck down 600 Philistines with a large, pointed stick that was used to drive oxen. He saved Israel too. + + + After Ehud died, the people of Israel once again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + So the Lord gave them over to the power of Jabin. He was a king in Canaan. He ruled in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera. Sisera lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. + Jabin used 900 chariots that had some iron parts. He treated the people of Israel very badly for 20 years. So they cried out to the Lord for help. + Deborah was a prophet. She was the wife of Lappidoth. She was leading Israel at that time. + Under The Palm Tree of Deborah she served the people as their judge. That place was between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. The people of Israel came to her there. They came to have her decide cases for them. She settled matters between them. + Deborah sent for Barak. He was the son of Abinoam. Barak was from Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. Deborah said to Barak, "The Lord, the God of Israel, is giving you a command. He says, 'Go! Take 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. Then lead the way to Mount Tabor. + I will draw Sisera into a trap. He is the commander of Jabin's army. I will bring him, his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River. There I will hand him over to you.' " + Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I'll go. But if you don't go with me, I won't go." + "All right," Deborah said. "I'll go with you. But because of the way you are doing this, you won't receive any honor. The Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went to Kedesh with Barak. + There he sent for Zebulun and Naphtali. And 10,000 men followed him. Deborah also went with him. + Heber, the Kenite, had left the other Kenites. They came from the family line of Hobab. He was the brother-in-law of Moses. Heber set up his tent by the large tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. + Sisera was told that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor. + So Sisera gathered together his 900 chariots that had some iron parts. He also gathered all of his men together. He brought them from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. + Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! Today the Lord will hand Sisera over to you. Hasn't the Lord gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor. His 10,000 men followed him. + As Barak's men marched out, the Lord drove Sisera away from the field of battle. He scattered all of Sisera's chariots. Barak's men struck down Sisera's army with their swords. Sisera left his chariot behind. He ran away on foot. + But Barak chased Sisera's chariots and army. He chased them all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. All of Sisera's men were killed with swords. Not even one was left. + But Sisera ran away on foot. He ran to the tent of Jael. She was the wife of Heber, the Kenite. Sisera ran there because Heber's family was friendly toward Jabin, the king of Hazor. + Jael went out to meet Sisera. "Come in, sir," she said. "Come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent. Then she covered him up. + "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." So Jael opened a bottle of milk. The bottle was made out of animal skin. She gave him a drink of milk. Then she covered him up again. + "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "Someone might come by and ask you, 'Is anyone here?' If that happens, say 'No.' " + But Heber's wife Jael picked up a tent stake and a hammer. She went quietly over to Sisera. He was lying there, fast asleep. He was very tired. She drove the stake through his head right into the ground. So he died. + Barak came by because he was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him. "Come right in," she said. "I'll show you the man you are looking for." So he went in with her. Sisera was lying there with the stake through his head. He was dead. + On that day God brought Jabin under Israel's control. He was a king in Canaan. + Israel's power grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, a king in Canaan. They became so strong that they destroyed him. + + + On that day Deborah and Barak sang a song. Barak was the son of Abinoam. Here is what Deborah and Barak sang. + "The princes in Israel lead the way. The people follow them just because they want to. Praise the Lord! + "Kings, hear this! Rulers, listen! I will sing to the Lord. I will sing. I will make music to the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + "Lord, you went out from Mount Seir. You marched out from the land of Edom. The earth shook. The heavens poured. The clouds poured down their water. + The mountains shook because of the Lord. He was at Mount Sinai. They shook because of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + "The roads were deserted. So travelers used the winding paths. That happened in the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath. It happened in the days of Jael. + Life in the villages of Israel stopped. It stopped until I, Deborah, came. I came as a mother in Israel. + The people chose new gods. Then war came to the city gates. But no shields or spears were seen anywhere. There weren't any among 40,000 men in Israel. + My heart is with the princes in Israel. It's with the people who follow them just because they want to. Praise the Lord! + "Some of you ride on white donkeys. Some of you sit on your saddle blankets. Some of you walk along the road. Think about + the voices of the singers at the watering places. They sing about the right things the Lord does. They sing about the right things his warriors in Israel do. "The people of the Lord went down to the city gates. + 'Wake up, Deborah! Wake up!' they said. 'Wake up! Wake up! Begin to sing! Barak, get up! Son of Abinoam, capture your prisoners!' + "Then the people who were left came down to the nobles. The people of the Lord came to me against the powerful enemy. + Some came from the part of Ephraim where some Amalekites lived. Benjamin was with the people who followed Ephraim. Captains came down from Makir. Those who rule like commanders came down from Zebulun. + The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. The men of Issachar were with Barak. They rushed behind him into the valley. In the territories of Reuben, men looked deeply into their hearts. + Why did they stay among the campfires? Why did they stay to hear shepherds whistling for the flocks? In the territories of Reuben, men looked deeply into their hearts. + Gilead stayed east of the Jordan River. Why did Dan stay near the ships? The men of Asher remained on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They stayed in their safe harbors. + The people of Zebulun put their very lives in danger. So did Naphtali on the hills in the open country. + "Kings came and fought. The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the streams of Megiddo. But they didn't carry any silver away. They didn't take anything at all. + From the heavens the stars fought. From the sky they fought against Sisera. + The Kishon River swept them away. The Kishon is a very old river. My spirit, march on! Be strong! + The hoofs of the horses pounded like thunder. The powerful horses of our enemies galloped away. + 'Let Meroz be cursed,' said the angel of the Lord. 'Let bitter curses fall on its people. They did not come to help the Lord. They did not come to help him against our powerful enemies.' + "May Jael be the most blessed woman of all. May the wife of the Kenite Heber be blessed. May she be the most blessed woman of all those who live in tents. + Sisera asked for water. She gave him milk. In a bowl that was fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk. + Her hand reached out for a tent stake. Her right hand reached for a hammer. She hit Sisera. She crushed his head. She drove the stake right through his head. + He sank down. He fell at her feet. He was lying there. At her feet he sank down. He fell. He fell where he sank down. That's where he died. + "Sisera's mother looked out through the window. From behind the wooden screen she cried out. 'Why is his chariot taking so long to get here?' she said. 'Why can't I hear the noise of his chariots yet?' + Her wisest ladies answer her. And here's what she keeps saying to herself. + She says, 'They must be finding riches to bring back. They must be dividing them up. Each man is getting a woman or two. They are giving colorful clothes to Sisera. The clothes are very beautiful. He will bring some for me to wear. The men must be finding many things to bring home.' + "Lord, may all of your enemies be destroyed. But may those who love you be like the morning sun. May they be like the sun when it shines the brightest." So the land was at peace for 40 years. + + + Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So for seven years he handed them over to the people of Midian. + The Midianites treated the people of Israel very badly. That's why they made hiding places for themselves. They hid in holes in the mountains. They also hid in caves and in other safe places. + Each year the people planted their crops. When they did, the Midianites came into the country and attacked it. So did the Amalekites and other tribes from the east. + They camped on the land. They destroyed the crops all the way to Gaza. They didn't spare any living thing for Israel. They didn't spare sheep or cattle or donkeys. + The Midianites came up with their livestock and tents. They came like huge numbers of locusts. It was impossible to count all of those men and their camels. They came into the land to destroy it. + Midian made the people of Israel very poor. So they cried out to the Lord for help. + They cried out to the Lord because of what Midian had done. + So he sent a prophet to them. The prophet said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'I brought you up out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves. + I saved you from the power of Egypt. I saved you from all those who were beating you down. I drove the people of Canaan out to make room for you. I gave you their land. + " 'I said to you, "I am the Lord your God. You are now living in the land of the Amorites. Do not worship their gods." But you have not listened to me.' " + The angel of the Lord came. He sat down under an oak tree in Ophrah. The tree belonged to Joash. He was from the family line of Abiezer. Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress at Ophrah. He was the son of Joash. Gideon was threshing in a winepress to hide the wheat from the Midianites. + The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. He said, "Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you." + "But sir," Gideon replied, "you say the Lord is with us. Then why has all of this happened to us? Where are all of the wonderful things he has done? Our parents told us about them. They said, 'Didn't the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has deserted us. He has handed us over to Midian." + The Lord turned to Gideon. He said to him, "You are strong. Go and save Israel from the power of Midian. I am sending you." + "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I possibly save Israel? My family group is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. And I'm the least important member of my family." + The Lord answered, "I will be with you. So you will strike down the men of Midian all at one time." + Gideon replied, "If you are pleased with me, give me a special sign. Then I'll know that it's really you talking to me. + Please don't go away until I come back. I'll bring my offering and set it down in front of you." The Lord said, "I will wait until you return." + Gideon went and prepared a young goat. From more than half a bushel of flour he made bread without using yeast. He put the meat in a basket. In a pot he put soup that was made from the meat. Then he brought all of it and offered it to the Lord under the oak tree. + The angel of God spoke to Gideon. He said, "Take the meat and the bread. Place them on this rock. Then pour out the soup." So Gideon did it. + The angel of the Lord had a wooden staff in his hand. With the tip of his staff he touched the meat and the bread. Fire blazed out of the rock. It burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared. + Gideon realized it was the angel of the Lord. He cried out, "Lord and King, I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!" + But the Lord said to him, "May peace be with you! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." + So Gideon built an altar to honor the Lord there. He called it The Lord Is Peace. It still stands in Ophrah to this very day. Ophrah is in the territory that belongs to the family line of Abiezer. + That same night the Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "Get the second bull from your father's herd. Get the one that is seven years old. Tear down the altar your father built in honor of Baal. Cut down the pole that is beside it. The pole is used to worship the goddess Asherah. + "Then build the right kind of altar. Build it in honor of the Lord your God. Build it on top of this hill. Then use the wood from the Asherah pole you cut down. Sacrifice the second bull as a burnt offering." + So Gideon went and got ten of his servants. He did just as the Lord had told him. But he was afraid of his family. He was also afraid of the men in the town. So he did everything at night instead of during the day. + In the morning the men in the town got up. They saw that Baal's altar had been torn down. The Asherah pole that was beside it had been cut down. And the second bull had been sacrificed on the new altar that had been built. + They asked each other, "Who did this?" They looked into the matter carefully. Someone told them, "Gideon, the son of Joash, did it." + The men in the town spoke to Joash. They ordered him, "Bring your son out here. He must die. He has torn down Baal's altar. He has cut down the Asherah pole that was beside it." + But Joash replied to the angry crowd that was around him. He said, "Are you going to stand up for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Those who stand up for him will be put to death by morning! Is Baal really a god? If he is, he can stand up for himself when someone tears down his altar." + That's why Gideon was called Jerub-Baal that day. He said, "Let Baal take his stand against him." Gideon had torn down Baal's altar. + All of the Midianites and Amalekites gathered their armies together. Other tribes from the east joined them. All of them went across the Jordan River. They camped in the Valley of Jezreel. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon. So Gideon blew the trumpet to send for the men of Abiezer. He told them to follow him. + He sent messengers all through Manasseh. He called for the men of Manasseh to fight. He also sent messengers to the men of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali. So all of those men went up to join the others. + Gideon said to God, "You promised you would use me to save Israel. + Please do something for me. I'll put a piece of wool on the threshing floor. Suppose dew is only on the wool tomorrow morning. And suppose the ground all around it is dry. Then I will know that you will use me to save Israel. I'll know that your promise will come true." + And that's what happened. Gideon got up early the next day. He squeezed the dew out of the wool. The water filled a bowl. + Then Gideon said to God, "Don't let your anger burn against me. Let me ask you for just one more thing. Let me use the wool for one more test. This time make the wool dry. And cover the ground with dew." + So that night God did it. Only the wool was dry. The ground all around it was covered with dew. + + + Early in the morning Jerub-Baal and all of his men camped at the spring of Harod. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon. The camp of Midian was north of Gideon's camp. It was in the valley near the hill of Moreh. + The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "I want to hand Midian over to you. But you have too many men for me to do that. I do not want Israel to brag that their own strength has saved them. + So here is what I want you to announce to your men. Tell them, 'Those who tremble with fear can turn back. They can leave Mount Gilead.' " So 22,000 men left. But 10,000 remained. + The Lord spoke to Gideon again. He said, "There are still too many men. So take them down to the water. I will sort them out for you there. If I say, 'This one will go with you,' he will go. But if I say, 'That one will not go with you,' he will not go." + So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord spoke to him. He said, "Some men will drink the way dogs do. They will lap up the water with their tongues. Separate them from those who get down on their knees to drink." + Three hundred men lapped up the water. They brought it up to their mouths with their hands. All of the rest got down on their knees to drink. + The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "With the help of the 300 men who lapped up the water I will save you. I will hand the Midianites over to you. Let all of the other men go home." + So Gideon sent the rest of the men of Israel to their tents. But he kept the 300 men. They took over the supplies and trumpets the others had left. The Midianites had set up their camp in the valley below where Gideon was. + During that night the Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "Get up. Go down against the camp. I am going to hand it over to you. + But what if you are afraid to attack? Then go down to the camp with your servant Purah. + Listen to what they are saying. After that, you will not be afraid to attack the camp." So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the camp. + The Midianites had settled in the valley. So had the Amalekites and all of the other tribes from the east. There were so many of them that they looked like huge numbers of locusts. Like the grains of sand on the seashore, their camels couldn't be counted. + Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend about his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came rolling into the camp of Midian. It hit a tent with great force. The tent turned over and fell down flat." + His friend replied, "That can only be the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash. Gideon is from Israel. God has handed the Midianites over to him. He has given him the whole camp." + Gideon heard the man explain what the dream meant. Then Gideon worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel. He called out, "Get up! The Lord has handed the Midianites over to you." + Gideon separated the 300 men into three companies. He put a trumpet and an empty jar into the hands of each man. And he put a torch inside each jar. + "Watch me," he told them. "Do what I do. I'll go to the edge of the enemy camp. Then do exactly as I do. + I and everyone who is with me will blow our trumpets. Then blow your trumpets from your positions all around the camp. And shout the battle cry, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!' " + Gideon and the 100 men who were with him reached the edge of the enemy camp. It was about ten o'clock at night. It was just after the guard had been changed. Gideon and his men blew their trumpets. They broke the jars that were in their hands. + The three companies blew their trumpets. They smashed their jars. They held their torches in their left hands. They held in their right hands the trumpets they were going to blow. Then they shouted the battle cry, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" + Each man stayed in his position around the camp. But all of the Midianites ran away in fear. They were crying out as they ran. + When the 300 trumpets were blown, the Lord caused all of the men in the enemy camp to start fighting each other. They attacked each other with their swords. The army ran away to Beth Shittah toward Zererah. They ran all the way to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. + The men of Israel from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher and all of Manasseh were called out. They chased the Midianites. + Gideon sent messengers through the entire hill country of Ephraim. They said, "Come on down against the Midianites. Take control of the waters of the Jordan River before they get there. Do it all the way to Beth Barah." So all of the men of Ephraim were called out. They took control of the waters of the Jordan all the way to Beth Barah. + They also captured Oreb and Zeeb. Those men were two of the Midianite leaders. The men of Ephraim killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon. He was by the Jordan River. + + + The men of Ephraim spoke to Gideon. They asked, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you ask us to help you when you went out to fight against Midian?" They spoke very sharply against Gideon. + But he answered them, "What I've done isn't anything compared to what you have done. After Ephraim's grapes have been gathered, isn't what is left over better than all of the grapes that have been gathered from Abiezer's vines? + God handed Oreb and Zeeb over to you. They were Midianite leaders. So what was I able to do compared to what you did?" After Gideon had said that, they didn't feel angry with him anymore. + Gideon and his 300 men were very tired. But they kept on chasing their enemies. They came to the Jordan River and went across it. + Gideon spoke to the men of Succoth. He said, "Give my troops some bread. They are worn out. And I'm still chasing Zebah and Zalmunna. They are the kings of Midian." + But the officials of Succoth objected. They said, "Have you already killed Zebah and Zalmunna? Have you cut their hands off and brought them back to prove it? If you haven't, why should we give bread to your troops?" + Gideon replied, "The Lord will hand Zebah and Zalmunna over to me. When he does, I'll tear your skin with thorns from desert bushes." + From there Gideon went up to Peniel. He asked its men for the same thing. But they answered as the men of Succoth had. + So he said to the men of Peniel, "I'll be back after I've won the battle. Then I'll tear down this tower." + Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor. They had an army of about 15,000 men. That's all that was left of the armies of the tribes from the east. About 120,000 men who carried swords had died in battle. + Gideon went up the trail the people of the desert had made. It ran east of Nobah and Jogbehah. He attacked the army by surprise. + Zebah and Zalmunna ran away. They were the two kings of Midian. Gideon chased them and captured them. He destroyed their whole army. + Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle. He came back through the Pass of Heres. + He caught a young man from Succoth. He asked him about the elders of the town. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth's 77 officials. + Then Gideon came and spoke to the men of Succoth. He said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You made fun of me because of them. You said, 'Have you already killed Zebah and Zalmunna? Have you cut their hands off and brought them back to prove it? If you haven't, why should we give bread to your tired men?' " + Gideon went and got the elders of the town. Then he taught the men of Succoth a lesson. He tore their skin with thorns from desert bushes. + He also pulled down the tower at Peniel. He killed the men in the town. + Then he spoke to Zebah and Zalmunna. He asked, "What were the men like that you killed at Tabor?" "Men like you," they answered. "Each one walked as if he were a prince." + Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers. They were the sons of my own mother. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that if you had spared their lives, I wouldn't kill you." + Then Gideon turned to his oldest son Jether. He said, "Kill them!" But Jether didn't pull out his sword. He was only a boy. So he was afraid. + Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come on. Do it yourself. 'The older the man, the stronger he is.' " So Gideon stepped forward and killed them. Then he took the moon-shaped necklaces off the necks of their camels. + The people of Israel spoke to Gideon. They said, "Rule over us. We want you, your son and your grandson to be our rulers. You have saved us from the power of Midian." + But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you. My son won't rule over you either. The Lord will rule over you." + He continued, "I do ask one thing. I want each of you to give me an earring. I'm talking about the earrings you took from your enemies." It was the practice of the people in the family line of Ishmael to wear gold earrings. + The people of Israel said, "We'll be glad to give them to you." So they spread out a piece of clothing. Each man threw a ring on it from what he had taken. + The weight of the gold rings Gideon asked for was 43 pounds. That didn't include the moon-shaped necklaces the kings of Midian had worn. It didn't include their other necklaces or their purple clothes. And it didn't include the gold chains that had been on the necks of their camels. + Gideon made an object out of all of the gold. It looked like the linen apron the high priest of Israel wore. He placed it in Ophrah. That was his hometown. All of the people of Israel worshiped it there. They weren't faithful to the Lord. So the gold object became a trap to Gideon and his family. + Israel brought Midian under their control. Midian wasn't able to attack Israel anymore. So the land was at peace for 40 years. The peace lasted as long as Gideon was living. + Jerub-Baal, the son of Joash, went back home to live. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon. + He had 70 sons of his own. That's because he had a lot of wives. + And he had a concubine who lived in Shechem. She also had a son by him. Gideon named that son Abimelech. + Gideon, the son of Joash, died when he was very old. His body was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah. Ophrah was in the territory that belonged to the family line of Abiezer. + As soon as Gideon had died, the people of Israel joined themselves to the gods that were named after Baal. Israel wasn't faithful to the Lord. They worshiped Baal-Berith as their god. + They forgot what the Lord their God had done for them. He had saved them from the power of their enemies who were all around them. + Jerub-Baal had done many good things for the people of Israel. But they weren't kind to his family. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon. + + + Abimelech was the son of Jerub-Baal. He went to his mother's brothers in Shechem. He spoke to them and to all of the members of his mother's family group. He said, + "Speak to all of the citizens of Shechem. Tell them, 'You can have all 70 of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you. Or you can have just one man rule over you. Which would you rather have?' Remember, I'm your own flesh and blood." + The brothers told all of that to the citizens of Shechem. Then the people decided to follow Abimelech. They said, "He's related to us." + They gave him 28 ounces of silver. They had taken it from the temple of the god Baal-Berith. Abimelech used it to hire some men. They were wild. They weren't good for anything. They became his followers. + Abimelech went to his father's home in Ophrah. There on a big rock he murdered his 70 brothers. All of them were the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham escaped by hiding. He was Jerub-Baal's youngest son. + All of the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo came together. They gathered at the stone pillar that was beside the large tree in Shechem. They wanted to crown Abimelech as their king. + Jotham was told about it. So he climbed up on top of Mount Gerizim. He shouted down to them, "Citizens of Shechem! Listen to me! Then God will listen to you. + One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to an olive tree, 'Be our king.' + "But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my olive oil? It's used to honor gods and people alike. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?' + "Next, the trees spoke to a fig tree. They said, 'Come and be our king.' + "But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit? It's so good and sweet. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?' + "Then the trees spoke to a vine. They said, 'Come and be our king.' + "But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine? It cheers up gods and people alike. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?' + "Finally, all of the trees spoke to a bush that had thorns. They said, 'Come and be our king.' + "The bush spoke to the trees. It said, 'Do you really want to anoint me as king over you? If you do, come and rest in my shade. But if you don't, I will destroy you! Fire will come out of me and burn up the cedar trees of Lebanon!' + "Did you act in an honest way when you made Abimelech your king? Did you really do the right thing? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you given him the honor he's worthy of? + "Remember that my father fought for you. He put his life in danger for you. He saved you from the power of Midian. + But today you have turned against my father's family. You have murdered his 70 sons on a big rock. Abimelech is only the son of my father's female slave. But you have made him king over the citizens of Shechem. You have done that because he's related to you. + "Have you citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo acted in an honest way toward Jerub-Baal? Have you done the right thing to his family today? If you have, may you be happy with Abimelech! And may he be happy with you! + But if you haven't, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn you up! And let fire come out from you and burn Abimelech up!" + Then Jotham ran away. He escaped to Beer. He lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech. + Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. + Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. They turned against Abimelech. They decided not to follow him anymore. + God made that happen because of what Abimelech had done to Jerub-Baal's 70 sons. He had spilled their blood. God wanted to pay back their brother Abimelech for doing that. He also wanted to pay back the citizens of Shechem. They had helped Abimelech murder his brothers. + The citizens of Shechem opposed Abimelech. So they hid some men on top of the hills. They wanted them to attack and rob everyone who passed by. Abimelech was told about it. + Gaal and his relatives moved into Shechem. He was the son of Ebed. The citizens of Shechem put their trust in Gaal. + The people of Shechem went out into the fields. They gathered the grapes. They pressed the juice out of them by stomping on them. Then they held a feast in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they called down curses on Abimelech. + Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, spoke up. "Who is Abimelech?" he said. "And who is Shechem? Why should we be under Abimelech's rule? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son? Isn't Zebul his helper? It would be better to serve the men of Hamor. He was the father of Shechem. So why should we serve Abimelech? + I wish these people were under my command. Then I would get rid of him. I would say to him, 'Call out your whole army!' " + Zebul was the governor of Shechem. He heard about what Gaal, the son of Ebed, had said. So he burned with anger. + Zebul sent messengers to Abimelech secretly. They said, "Gaal, the son of Ebed, has come to Shechem. His relatives have come with him. They are stirring up the city against you. + So come with your men during the night. Hide in the fields and wait. + In the morning at sunrise, attack the city. Gaal and his men will come out against you. Then do what you can." + So Abimelech and all of his troops started out at night. They went into their hiding places near Shechem. Abimelech had separated them into four companies. + Gaal, the son of Ebed, had already gone out. He was standing at the entrance of the city gate. He had arrived there just as Abimelech and his troops came out of their hiding places. + Gaal saw them. He said to Zebul, "Look! People are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul replied, "You are wrong. Those aren't people. They are just the shadows of the mountains." + But Gaal spoke up again. He said, "Look! People are coming down from the center of the land. Another company is coming from the direction of the fortune tellers' tree." + Then Zebul said to Gaal, "Where is your big talk now? You said, 'Who is Abimelech? Why should we be under his rule?' Aren't these the people you looked down on? Go out and fight against them!" + So Gaal led the citizens out of Shechem. They fought against Abimelech. + He chased Gaal from the field of battle. Many men were wounded as they ran away. Abimelech chased them all the way to the entrance of the city gate. + He stayed in Arumah. Zebul drove Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem. + The next day the people of Shechem went out to work in the fields. Abimelech was told about it. + So he gathered his men together. He separated them into three companies. Then he hid them in the fields and told them to wait. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he got up to attack them. + Abimelech and the men who were with him ran forward. They placed themselves at the entrance of the city gate. Then the other two companies rushed over to the people who were in the fields. There they struck them down. + Abimelech kept up his attack against the city all day long. He didn't stop until he had captured it. Then he killed its people. He destroyed the city. He scattered salt on it to make sure that nothing would be able to grow there. + The citizens who were in the tower of Shechem heard about what was happening. So they went to the safest place in the temple of the god El-Berith. + Abimelech heard that they had gathered together there. + He and all of his men went up Mount Zalmon. He got an ax and cut off some branches. He carried them on his shoulders. He ordered the men who were with him to do the same thing. "Quick!" he said. "Do what you have seen me do!" + So all of the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the place where the people had gone for safety. Then they set the place on fire with the people inside. There were about 1,000 men and women in the tower of Shechem. All of them died. + Next, Abimelech went to Thebez. He surrounded it. Then he attacked it and captured it. + But inside the city there was a strong tower. All of the people in the city ran to it for safety. All of the men and women went into it. They locked themselves in. They climbed up on the roof of the tower. + Abimelech went to the tower and attacked it. He approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire. + But a woman dropped a large millstone on him. It broke his head open. + He quickly called out to the man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Pull out your sword and kill me. Then people can't say, 'A woman killed him.' " So his servant stuck his sword through him. And Abimelech died. + When the people of Israel saw he was dead, they went home. + That's how God paid Abimelech back for the evil thing he had done to his father. He had murdered his 70 brothers. + God also made the men of Shechem pay for all of the evil things they had done. The curse of Jotham came down on them. He was the son of Jerub-Baal. + + + Tola rose up to save Israel. That happened after the time of Abimelech. Tola was from the tribe of Issachar. He was the son of Puah, who was the son of Dodo. Tola lived in Shamir. It's in the hill country of Ephraim. + Tola led Israel for 23 years. After he died, his body was buried in Shamir. + Jair became the leader after Tola. Jair was from the land of Gilead. He led Israel for 22 years. + He had 30 sons. They rode on 30 donkeys. They controlled 30 towns in Gilead. Those towns are called Havvoth Jair to this very day. + After Jair died, his body was buried in Kamon. + Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the gods that were named after Baal. They served the goddesses that were named after Ashtoreth. They worshiped the gods of Aram and Sidon. They served the gods of Moab and Ammon. They also worshiped the gods of the Philistines. The people of Israel deserted the Lord. They didn't serve him anymore. + So the Lord's anger burned against them. He handed them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites. + That year they broke Israel's power completely. They treated the people of Israel badly for 18 years. Those people lived east of the Jordan River. They lived in Gilead. That was the land of the Amorites. + The Ammonites also went across the Jordan. They crossed over to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the people of Ephraim. Israel was suffering terribly. + Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said, "We have sinned against you. We have deserted our God. We have served the gods that are named after Baal." + The Lord replied, "The Egyptians and Amorites beat you down. So did the Ammonites and Philistines. + And so did the Amalekites and the people of Sidon and Maon. Each time you cried out to me for help. And I saved you from their power. + "But you have deserted me. You have served other gods. So I will not save you anymore. + Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you get into trouble!" + But the people of Israel replied to the Lord. They said, "We have sinned. Do to us what you think is best. But please save us now." + Then they got rid of the strange gods that were among them. They served the Lord. And he couldn't stand to see Israel suffer anymore. + The Ammonites were called together to fight. They camped in the land of Gilead. Then the men of Israel gathered together. They camped at the city of Mizpah. + The leaders of Gilead spoke to each other. They said, "Who will lead the attack against the Ammonites? That man will be the ruler of all of the people who live in Gilead." + + + Jephthah was a mighty warrior. He was from the land of Gilead. His father's name was Gilead. Jephthah's mother was a prostitute. + Gilead's wife also had sons by him. When they had grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You aren't going to get any share of our family's property," they said. "You are the son of another woman." + So Jephthah ran away from his brothers. He settled in the land of Tob. A group of men who weren't good for anything gathered around him there. And they followed him. + Some time later, the Ammonites went to war against Israel. + So the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. + "Come with us," they said. "Be our commander. Then we can fight against the Ammonites." + Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me? Didn't you drive me away from my father's house? Why are you coming to me only when you are in trouble?" + The elders of Gilead replied to him. "You are right," they said. "That's why we're turning to you now. Come with us and fight against the Ammonites. Then you will be our leader. You will rule over everyone who lives in Gilead." + Jephthah said, "Suppose you take me back to fight against the Ammonites. And suppose the Lord gives them over to me. Then will I really be your leader?" + The elders of Gilead replied, "The Lord is our witness. We'll certainly do as you say." + So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him their leader and commander. He went to Mizpah. There he repeated to the Lord everything he had said. + Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked, "What do you have against us? Why have you attacked our country?" + The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers. He said, "Israel came up out of Egypt. At that time they took my land away. They took all of the land that was between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached all the way to the Jordan River. Now give it back. Then there will be peace." + Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon. + They said, "Here is what Jephthah says to you. Israel didn't take the land of Moab. They didn't take the land of Ammon. + When Israel came up out of Egypt, they went through the desert to the Red Sea. From there they went on to Kadesh. + "Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom. They said, 'Please let us go through your country.' But the king of Edom wouldn't listen to them. "They sent the same message to the king of Moab. But he refused too. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. + "Next, they traveled through the desert. They traveled along the borders of the lands of Edom and Moab. They passed along the east side of the country of Moab. They camped on the other side of the Arnon River. They didn't enter the territory of Moab. The Arnon River was Moab's border. + "Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon. He was the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon. They said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own land.' + "But Sihon didn't trust Israel to pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered all of his men together. They camped at Jahaz. And they fought against Israel. + "Then the Lord, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and all of his men over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. Amorites were living in the country at that time. And Israel took over all of their land. + They captured all of the land that was between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached from the desert all the way to the Jordan River. + "The Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out to make room for his people. So what right do you have to take it over? + You will take what your god Chemosh gives you, won't you? In the same way, we will take over what the Lord our God has given us. + Are you better than Balak, the son of Zippor? Balak was the king of Moab. Did he ever argue with Israel? Did he ever fight against them? + "For 300 years Israel has been living in Heshbon and Aroer. They have been living in the settlements that are around those cities. They have also been living in all of the towns that are along the Arnon River. Why didn't you take those places back during that time? + "I haven't done anything wrong to you. But you are doing something wrong to me. You have gone to war against me. The Lord is the Judge. So let him decide our case today. Let him settle matters between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon." + But the king of Ammon didn't pay any attention to the message Jephthah sent him. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He went across the territories of Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah in the land of Gilead. From there he attacked the people of Ammon. + Jephthah made a promise to the Lord. He said, "Hand the Ammonites over to me. + If you do, here's what I'll do when I come back from winning the battle. Anything that comes out the door of my house to meet me will belong to you. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." + Then Jephthah went over to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord handed them over to him. + Jephthah destroyed 20 towns between Aroer and the area of Minnith. He destroyed them all the way to Abel Keramim. So Israel brought Ammon under their control. + Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah. And guess who came out to meet him. It was his daughter! She was dancing to the music of tambourines. She was his only child. He didn't have any other sons or daughters. + When Jephthah saw her, he was so upset that he tore his clothes. He cried out, "My daughter! You have filled me with trouble and sorrow. I've made a promise to the Lord. And I can't break it." + "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the Lord. So do to me just what you promised to do. The Ammonites were your enemies. And the Lord has paid them back for what they did to you. + "But please do one thing for me," she continued. "Give me two months to wander around in the hills. Let me sob there with my friends. I want to do that because I'll never get married." + "You can go," he said. He let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills. They were filled with sadness because she would never get married. + After the two months were over, she returned to her father. He did to her just what he had promised to do. And she was a virgin. So that became a practice in Israel. + Each year the young women of Israel go away for four days. They do it in honor of the daughter of Jephthah. He was from the land of Gilead. + + + The men of Ephraim called out their troops. The troops went across the Jordan River to Zaphon. When they arrived, they said to Jephthah, "You went to fight against the Ammonites. Why didn't you ask us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head." + Jephthah answered, "I and my people were taking part in a great struggle. We were at war with the Ammonites. I asked you for help. But you didn't come to save me from their power. + I saw that you wouldn't help. So I put my own life in danger. I went across the Jordan to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord helped me win the battle over them. So why have you come up today to fight against me?" + Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together. They fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck them down. The people of Ephraim had said, "You people of Gilead are nothing but deserters from Ephraim and Manasseh." + The men of Gilead captured the places where people go across the Jordan River to get to Ephraim. Some men of Ephraim weren't killed in the battle. When they arrived at the river, they would say, "Let us go across." Then the men of Gilead would ask each one, "Are you from Ephraim?" Suppose he replied, "No." + Then they would say, "All right. Say 'Shibboleth.' " If he said "Sibboleth," the way he said the word would give him away. He couldn't say it correctly. So they would grab hold of him. Then they would kill him at one of the places where people go across the Jordan. At that time, 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed. + Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then he died. His body was buried in a town in Gilead. Jephthah was from the land of Gilead. + After Jephthah, Ibzan from Bethlehem led Israel. + He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He gave his daughters to be married to men who were outside his family group. He brought in 30 young women to be married to his sons. Those women also came from outside his family group. Ibzan led Israel for seven years. + Then he died. His body was buried in Bethlehem. + After Ibzan, Elon led Israel. He was from the tribe of Zebulun. Elon led Israel for ten years. + Then he died. His body was buried in Aijalon. It was in the land of Zebulun. + After Elon, Abdon led Israel. Abdon was the son of Hillel. Abdon was from Pirathon. + He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. They rode on 70 donkeys. He led Israel for eight years. + Then he died. His body was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim. Pirathon was in the hill country of the Amalekites. Abdon was the son of Hillel. + + + Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years. + A certain man from Zorah was named Manoah. He was from the tribe of Dan. Manoah had a wife who wasn't able to have children. + The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife. He said, "You are not able to have children. But you are going to become pregnant. You will have a baby boy. + Make sure you do not drink any kind of wine. Also make sure you do not eat anything that is 'unclean.' + "You will become pregnant. You will have a son. He must not use a razor on his head. He must not cut his hair. That is because the boy will be a Nazirite. He will be set apart to God from the day he is born. He will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines." + Then the woman went to her husband. She told him, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God. His appearance was so amazing that it filled me with great wonder. I didn't ask him where he came from. And he didn't tell me his name. + "But he said to me, 'You will become pregnant. You will have a son. So do not drink any kind of wine. Do not eat anything that is "unclean." That is because the boy will be a Nazirite. He will belong to God in a special way from the day he is born until the day he dies.' " + Then Manoah prayed to the Lord. He said, "Lord, I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again. He told us we would have a son. We want the man of God to teach us how to bring up the boy." + God heard Manoah. And the angel of God came again to the woman. He came while she was out in the field. But her husband Manoah wasn't with her. + The woman hurried to her husband. She told him, "He's here! The man who appeared to me the other day is here!" + Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he spoke to him. He said, "Are you the one who talked to my wife?" "I am," he replied. + So Manoah asked him, "What will happen when your words come true? What rules should we follow for the boy's life and work?" + The angel of the Lord answered him. He said, "Your wife must do everything I have told her to do. + She must not eat anything that comes from grapevines. She must not drink any kind of wine. She must not eat anything that is 'unclean.' She must do everything I have commanded her to do." + Manoah spoke to the angel of the Lord. He said, "We would like you to stay and eat. We want to prepare a young goat for you." + The angel of the Lord replied, "Even if I stay, I will not eat any of your food. But if you still want to prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord." Manoah didn't realize it was the angel of the Lord. + Then Manoah asked the angel of the Lord a question. "What is your name?" he said. "We want to honor you when your word comes true." + The angel replied, "Why are you asking me what my name is? You would not be able to understand it." + Manoah got a young goat. He brought it together with the grain offering. He sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. Then the Lord did an amazing thing. It happened while Manoah and his wife were watching. + A flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven. The angel of the Lord rose up in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw it, they fell with their faces to the ground. + The angel of the Lord didn't show himself again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah realized it was the angel of the Lord. + "We're going to die!" he said to his wife. "We've seen God!" + But his wife answered, "The Lord doesn't want to kill us. If he did, he wouldn't have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from us. He wouldn't have shown us all of those things. He wouldn't have told us we're going to have a son." + Later, the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. As he grew up, the Lord blessed him. + The Spirit of the Lord began to work in his life. It happened while he was in Mahaneh Dan. It's between Zorah and Eshtaol. + + + Samson went down to Timnah. There he saw a young Philistine woman. + When he returned, he spoke to his father and mother. He said, "I've seen a Philistine woman in Timnah. Get her for me. I want her to be my wife." + His father and mother replied, "Can't we find a wife for you among your relatives? Isn't there one among any of our people? Do you have to go to the Philistines to get a wife? They aren't God's people. They haven't even been circumcised." But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." + Samson's parents didn't know that the Lord wanted things to happen that way. He was working out his plans against the Philistines. That's because the Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time. + Samson went down to Timnah. His father and mother went with him. They approached the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring toward Samson. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. He tore the lion apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as he might have torn a young goat apart. But he didn't tell his father or mother what he had done. + Then he went down and talked with the woman. He liked her. + Some time later, he was going back to get married to her. But he turned off the road to look at the lion's dead body. Large numbers of bees and some honey were in it. + He dug the honey out with his hands. He ate it as he walked along. Then he joined his parents again. He gave them some honey. They ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had taken it from the lion's dead body. + Samson's father went down to see the woman. Samson had a big dinner prepared there. He was following the practice of men when they got married. + When the people saw Samson, they gave him 30 companions. + "Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to the companions. "The dinner will last for seven days. Give me the answer to the riddle before the dinner ends. If you do, I'll give you 30 linen shirts. I'll also give you 30 sets of clothes. + But suppose you can't give me the answer. Then you must give me 30 linen shirts. You must also give me 30 sets of clothes." "Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it." + Samson replied, "Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet." For three days they couldn't give him the answer. + On the fourth day they spoke to Samson's wife. "Get your husband to explain the riddle for us," they said. "If you don't, we'll burn you to death. We'll burn up everyone in your family. Did you invite us here to rob us?" + Then Samson's wife threw herself on him. She sobbed, "You hate me! You don't really love me. You have given my people a riddle. But you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother," he replied. "So why should I explain it to you?" + She cried during the whole seven days the dinner was going on. So on the seventh day he finally told her the answer to the riddle. That's because she kept on asking him to tell her. Then she explained the riddle to her people. + Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town spoke to Samson. They said, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "You have plowed with my young cow. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have known the answer to my riddle." + Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. He went down to Ashkelon. He struck down 30 of their men. He took everything they had with them. And he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Samson was burning with anger as he went up to his father's house. + Samson's wife was given to someone else. She was given to a friend of Samson. The friend had helped him at his wedding. + + + Later on, Samson went to visit his wife. He took a young goat with him. He went at the time the wheat was being gathered. He said, "I'm going to my wife's room." But her father wouldn't let him go in. + Her father said, "I was sure you really hated her. So I gave her to your friend. Isn't her younger sister more beautiful? Take her instead." + Samson said to them, "This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines. I'm going to hurt them badly." + So he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied them in pairs by their tails. Then he tied a torch to each pair of tails. + He lit the torches. He let the foxes loose in the fields of grain that belonged to the Philistines. He burned up the grain that had been cut and stacked. He burned up the grain that was still growing. He also burned up the vineyards and olive trees. + The Philistines asked, "Who did this?" They were told, "Samson did. He's the son-in-law of the man from Timnah. Samson did it because his wife was given to his friend." So the Philistines went up and burned the woman and her father to death. + Samson said to them, "Is that how you act? Then I won't stop until I pay you back." + He struck them down with heavy blows. He killed many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave. It was in the rock of Etam. + The Philistines went up and camped in Judah. They spread out near Lehi. + The men of Judah asked, "Why have you come to fight against us?" "We've come to take Samson as our prisoner," they answered. "We want to do to him what he did to us." + Then 3,000 men from Judah went to get Samson. They went down to the cave that was in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, "Don't you realize the Philistines are ruling over us? What have you done to us?" Samson answered, "I only did to them what they did to me." + The men of Judah said to him, "We've come to tie you up. We're going to hand you over to the Philistines." Samson said, "Take an oath and promise me you won't kill me yourselves." + "We agree," they answered. "We'll only tie you up and hand you over to them. We won't kill you." So they tied him up with two new ropes. They led him up from the rock. + Samson approached Lehi. The Philistines came toward him shouting. Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. The ropes on his arms became like burned thread. They dropped off his hands. + He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey. He grabbed hold of it and struck down 1,000 men. + Then Samson said, "By using a donkey's jawbone I've made them look like donkeys. By using a donkey's jawbone I've struck down 1,000 men." + Samson finished speaking. Then he threw the jawbone away. That's why the place was called Ramath Lehi. + Samson was very thirsty. So he cried out to the Lord. He said, "You have helped me win this great battle. Do I have to die of thirst now? Must I fall into the power of people who haven't even been circumcised? They aren't your people." + Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi. Water came out of it. When Samson drank the water, his strength returned. He felt as good as new. So the spring was called En Hakkore. It's still there in Lehi. + Samson led Israel for 20 years. In those days the Philistines were in the land. + + + One day Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. + The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place. They hid and waited for him at the city gate all night long. They didn't make any move against him during the night. They said, "Let's wait until the sun comes up. Then we'll kill him." + But Samson stayed there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up. He took hold of the doors of the city gate. He also took hold of the two doorposts. He tore them loose, together with their metal bar. He picked them up and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. + Some time later, Samson fell in love again. The woman lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah. + The rulers of the Philistines went to her. They said, "See if you can get him to tell you the secret of why he's so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. Then we can tie him up. We can bring him under our control. Each of us will give you 28 pounds of silver." + So Delilah spoke to Samson. She said, "Tell me the secret of why you are so strong. Tell me how you can be tied up and controlled." + Samson answered her, "Let someone tie me up with seven new leather straps. They must be straps that aren't completely dry. Then I'll become as weak as any other man." + So the Philistine rulers brought seven new leather straps to her. They weren't completely dry. Delilah tied Samson up with them. + Men were hiding in the room. She called out to him. She said, "Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!" But he snapped the leather straps easily. They were like pieces of string that had come too close to a flame. So the secret of why he was so strong wasn't discovered. + Delilah spoke to Samson again. "You have made me look foolish," she said. "You told me a lie. Come on. Tell me how you can be tied up." + Samson said, "Let someone tie me tightly with new ropes. They must be ropes that have never been used. Then I'll become as weak as any other man." + So Delilah got some new ropes. She tied him up with them. Men were hiding in the room. She called out to him. She said, "Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms. They fell off just as if they were threads. + Delilah spoke to Samson again. "Until now, you have been making me look foolish," she said. "You have been telling me lies. This time really tell me how you can be tied up." He replied, "Weave the seven braids of my hair into the cloth on a loom. Then pin my hair to the loom. If you do, I'll become as weak as any other man." So while Samson was sleeping, Delilah took hold of the seven braids of his hair. She wove them into the cloth on a loom. + Then she pinned his hair to the loom. Again she called out to him. She said, "Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!" He woke up from his sleep. He pulled up the pin and the loom, together with the cloth. + Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you'? You won't even share your secret with me. This is the third time you have made me look foolish. And you still haven't told me the secret of why you are so strong." + She continued to pester him day after day. She nagged him until he was sick and tired of it. + So he told her everything. "I've never used a razor on my head," he said. "I've never cut my hair. That's because I've been a Nazirite since the day I was born. A Nazirite is set apart to God. If you shave my head, I won't be strong anymore. I'll become as weak as any other man." + Delilah realized he had told her everything. So she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, "Come back one more time. He has told me everything." So the rulers returned. They brought the silver with them. + Delilah got Samson to go to sleep on her lap. Then she called for a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair. That's how she began to bring him under her control. And he wasn't strong anymore. + She called out, "Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!" He woke up from his sleep. He thought, "I'll go out just as I did before. I'll shake myself free." But he didn't know that the Lord had left him. + Then the Philistines grabbed hold of him. They poked his eyes out. They took him down to Gaza. They put bronze chains around him. Then they made him grind grain in the prison. + His head had been shaved. But the hair on it began to grow again. + The rulers of the Philistines gathered together. They were going to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They were going to celebrate. They said, "Our god has handed our enemy Samson over to us." + When the people saw Samson, they praised their god. They said, "Our god has handed our enemy over to us. Our enemy has destroyed our land. He has killed large numbers of our people." + After they had drunk a lot of wine, they shouted, "Bring Samson out. Let him put on a show for us." So they called Samson out of the prison. He put on a show for them. They had him stand near the temple pillars. + Then he spoke to the servant who was holding his hand. He said, "Put me where I can feel the pillars. I'm talking about the ones that hold the temple up. I want to lean against them." + The temple was crowded with men and women. All of the Philistine rulers were there. About 3,000 men and women were on the roof. They were watching Samson put on a show. + Then he prayed to the Lord. He said, "Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. God, please make me strong just one more time. Let me pay the Philistines back for what they did to my two eyes. Let me do it with only one blow." + Then Samson reached toward the two pillars that were in the middle of the temple. They held the temple up. He put his right hand on one of them. He put his left hand on the other. He leaned hard against them. + Samson said, "Let me die together with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might. The temple came down on the rulers. It fell on all of the people who were in it. So Samson killed many more Philistines when he died than he did while he lived. + Then his brothers went down to get him. So did his father's whole family. All of them brought Samson's body back home. They buried his body in the tomb of his father Manoah. It's between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson had led Israel for 20 years. + + + A man named Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim. + He said to his mother, "Someone took 28 pounds of silver from you. I heard you call down a curse because of it. I have the silver with me. I'm the one who took it." Then his mother said, "My son, may the Lord bless you!" + He gave the 28 pounds of silver back to his mother. She said to him, "I'm taking an oath and setting my silver apart to the Lord. My son, I want you to use part of it for a statue of a god that is made out of wood or stone and covered with silver. Use the rest of it to have another statue made out of silver. That's why I'll give the silver back to you." + He gave the silver back to his mother. She gave five pounds of it to a skilled worker who made things out of silver. He used the silver for the two statues. They were put in Micah's house. + That same Micah had a small temple. He made a sacred linen apron and some statues of gods. He prepared one of his sons to serve as his priest. + In those days Israel didn't have a king. The people did anything they thought was right. + A young Levite had been living in land that belonged to the tribe of Judah. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. + He left that town to look for some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah's house. It was in the hill country of Ephraim. + Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" "I'm a Levite," he said. "I'm from Bethlehem in Judah. I'm looking for a place to stay." + Then Micah said to him, "Live with me. Be my father and priest. I'll give you four ounces of silver a year. I'll also give you clothes and food." + So the Levite agreed to live with him. The young man was just like a son to Micah. + Then Micah prepared the Levite to serve as his priest. He lived in Micah's house. + Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me. This Levite has become my priest." + + + In those days Israel didn't have a king. And in those days the tribe of Dan was looking for a place where they could settle down. They hadn't been able to take over their own share of land among the tribes of Israel. + So the people of Dan sent out five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol. They told them to look the land over and check it out. Those men did it for all of their family groups. The people of Dan told the men, "Go. Check out the land." So they entered the hill country of Ephraim. They went to the house of Micah. That's where they spent the night. + When they came near Micah's house, they recognized a voice. It was the voice of the young Levite. So they turned off the road and stopped there. They asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?" + The Levite told them what Micah had done for him. He said, "He has hired me. I'm his priest." + Then they said to him, "Please ask God for advice. Try to find out whether we'll have success on our journey." + The priest answered them, "Go in peace. The Lord is pleased with your journey." + So the five men left. They came to Laish. There they saw that the people felt secure. They were living in safety. Like the people in Sidon, they weren't expecting anything bad to happen to them. Their land had everything they needed. Things were going very well for them. They lived a long way from the people of Sidon. And they didn't think they would ever need help from anyone else. + The men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol. Their people asked them, "What did you find out?" + They answered, "Come on! Let's attack them! We've seen that the land is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't wait any longer. Go there and take it over. + When you get there, you will find people who aren't expecting anything bad to happen to them. Their land has plenty of room. God has handed it over to you. It's a land that has everything you will ever need." + So 600 men from the tribe of Dan started out from Zorah and Eshtaol. They were prepared for battle. + On their way they set up camp. Their camp was near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That's why the place is called Mahaneh Dan to this very day. It's west of Kiriath Jearim. + From there they went to the hill country of Ephraim. They came to Micah's house. + Then the five men who had looked over the land of Laish spoke to the other members of their tribe. They said, "Don't you know that one of these houses has a sacred linen apron in it? Some statues of family gods are there. It also has two statues of other gods in it. One of them is made out of wood or stone. The other is made out of silver. Now you know what to do." + So they turned off the road and stopped there. They went to the house of the young Levite. He was at Micah's place. They greeted the young man. + The 600 men from Dan stood at the entrance of the gate. They were prepared for battle. + The five men who had looked over the land went inside. They took the two statues. They also took the family gods and the linen apron. During that time, the priest stood at the entrance of the gate. The 600 men stood there with him. They were prepared for battle. + When those men went into Micah's house and took all of those things, the priest spoke to them. He asked, "What are you doing?" + They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us. Be our father and priest. You can serve a whole tribe and family group in Israel as our priest. Isn't that better than serving just one man's family?" + The priest was glad. He took the linen apron and the family gods. He also took the statue of a god that was made out of wood or stone. Then he left with the people. + They put their little children and their livestock in front of them. They also put everything else they owned in front of them. And they turned and went on their way. + The men who lived near Micah were called together. Then they left and caught up with the people of Dan. That's because Dan's people hadn't gone very far from Micah's house. + Those who lived near Micah shouted at them. The people of Dan turned around and spoke to Micah. "What's the matter with you?" they asked. "Why did you call your men out to fight against us?" + He replied, "You took away the gods I made. And you took my priest away. What do I have left? So how can you ask, 'What's the matter with you?' " + The people of Dan answered, "Don't argue with us. Some men get angry quickly. They might attack you. Then you and your family will lose your lives." + So the people of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he turned around and went back home. + The people of Dan took what Micah had made. They also took his priest. They continued on their way to Laish. They went there to fight against peaceful people who weren't expecting to be attacked. They struck them down with their swords. They burned their city down. + No one could save them. They lived a long way from Sidon. And they didn't think they would ever need help from anyone else. Their city was located in a valley near Beth Rehob. The people of Dan rebuilt the city. Then they settled down there. + They named it Dan. That's because they traced their family line back to Dan. He was a son of Israel. The city used to be called Laish. + There the people of Dan set up the statues of gods for themselves. Jonathan and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan. Jonathan was the son of Gershom, the son of Moses. Jonathan and his sons were priests until the time when the land was captured. + They continued to use the statues Micah had made. They used them during the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh. + + + In those days Israel didn't have a king. There was a Levite who lived deep in the hill country of Ephraim. He got a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. + But she wasn't faithful to him. She left him. She went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there for four months. + Then her husband went to see her. He tried to talk her into coming back with him. He had his servant and two donkeys with him. She took her husband into her father's house. When her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. + His father-in-law, the woman's father, begged him to stay. So he remained with him for three days. He ate, drank and slept there. + On the fourth day they got up early. The Levite prepared to leave. But the woman's father spoke to his son-in-law. He said, "Have something to eat. It will give you strength. Then you can go on your way." + So the two of them sat down. They ate and drank together. After that, the woman's father said, "Please stay tonight. Enjoy yourself." + The man got up to go. But his father-in-law talked him into staying. So he stayed there that night. + On the morning of the fifth day, he got up to go. But the woman's father said, "Have something to eat. It will give you strength. Wait until this afternoon!" So the two of them ate together. + Then the man got up to leave. His concubine and his servant got up when he did. But his father-in-law, the woman's father, spoke to him again. "Look," he said. "It's almost evening. The day is nearly over. So spend another night here. Please stay. Enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and go back home." + But the man didn't want to stay another night. So he left. He went toward Jebus. He had his two donkeys and his concubine with him. The donkeys had saddles on them. Jebus is also called Jerusalem. + By the time the travelers came near Jebus, the day was almost over. So the servant said to his master, "Come. Let's stop at this Jebusite city. Let's spend the night here." + His master replied, "No. We won't go into a city where strangers live. The people there aren't from Israel. We'll continue on to Gibeah." + He added, "Come. Let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah. We can spend the night in one of those places." + So they continued on. As they came near Gibeah in Benjamin, the sun went down. + They stopped there to spend the night. They went to the city's main street and sat down. But no one took them home for the night. + That evening an old man came into the city. He had been working in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim. But he was living in Gibeah. The people who lived there were from the tribe of Benjamin. + The old man saw the traveler in the main street. He asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?" + The Levite answered, "We've come from Bethlehem in Judah. We're on our way to Ephraim. I live deep in the hill country there. I've been to Bethlehem. Now I'm going to the house of the Lord. But no one has taken me home for the night. + We have straw and feed for our donkeys. We have food and wine for ourselves. We have enough for me, my female servant and the young man who is with us. We don't need anything." + "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "I'd be happy to supply anything you might need. But don't spend the night in the street." + So the old man took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After the travelers had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink. + They were inside enjoying themselves. But some of the evil men who lived in the city surrounded the house. They pounded on the door. They shouted to the old man who owned the house. They said, "Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him." + The owner of the house went outside. He said to them, "No, my friends. Don't do such an evil thing. This man is my guest. So don't do this terrible thing. + "Look, here is my virgin daughter. And here's the Levite's concubine. I'll bring them out to you now. You can have them. Do to them what you want to. But don't do such a terrible thing to this man." + The men wouldn't listen to him. So the Levite sent his concubine out to them. They forced her to have sex with them. They raped her all night long. As the night was ending, they let her go. + At sunrise she went back to the house where her master was staying. She fell down at the door. She stayed there until daylight. + Later that morning her master got up. He opened the door of the house. He stepped out to continue on his way. But his concubine was lying there. She had fallen at the doorway of the house. Her hands were reaching out toward the door. + He said to her, "Get up. Let's go." But there wasn't any answer. Then he put her dead body on his donkey. And he started out for home. + When he reached home, he got a knife. He cut up his concubine. He cut her into 12 pieces. He sent them into all of the territories of Israel. + Everyone who saw it said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen or done before. Nothing like this has happened since the day the people of Israel came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!" + + + Then all of the people of Israel came out. They came from the whole land between Dan and Beersheba. They also came from the land of Gilead. All of them gathered together in the sight of the Lord at Mizpah. + The leaders of all of the tribes of Israel came. They took their places among the people of God who were gathered together. There were 400,000 fighting men who were carrying swords. + The tribe of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. The people of Israel said, "Tell us how that awful thing happened." + So the Levite spoke. He was the husband of the woman who had been murdered. He said, "I and my concubine went to Gibeah in Benjamin. We spent the night there. + During the night the men of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house. They were planning to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died. + "I took my concubine and cut her into pieces. I sent one piece to each part of Israel's territory. I did it because they had done a very terrible thing in Israel. + All of you men of Israel, speak up now. Give your decision." + All of the men got up together. They said, "None of us will go home. Not one of us will return to his house. + Here is what we'll do to Gibeah. We'll use lots to tell us how to attack the city. + We'll take ten men out of every 100 from all of the tribes of Israel. We'll take 100 from every 1,000. We'll take 1,000 from every 10,000. The men we take will get supplies for the army. Then the army will go to Gibeah in Benjamin. They'll give Gibeah exactly what they should get because of the evil thing they did in Israel." + So all of the men of Israel came together to fight against the city. + The tribes of Israel sent men through the whole tribe of Benjamin. They said, "What about this awful crime that was committed among you? + Hand over those evil men of Gibeah. We'll put them to death. In that way we'll get rid of those evil people." But the people of Benjamin wouldn't listen to the other people of Israel. + They came together at Gibeah from their towns. They came to fight against the other people of Israel. + Right away the people of Benjamin gathered together 26,000 men from their towns. They were carrying swords. The men were added to the 700 who had been chosen from those who were living in Gibeah. + Among all of those men there were 700 who were left-handed. Each of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. + Israel gathered 400,000 men together. They were carrying swords. All of them were fighting men. That number didn't include the tribe of Benjamin. + The people of Israel went up to Bethel. There they spoke to God. They asked him, "Who will go up first and fight for us against the people of Benjamin?" The Lord answered, "The tribe of Judah will go first." + The next morning the people of Israel got up. They set up camp near Gibeah. + The men of Israel went out to fight against the men of Benjamin. They took up their battle positions against them at Gibeah. + The men of Benjamin came out of Gibeah. They killed 22,000 men of Israel on the field of battle that day. + But the men of Israel cheered each other on. They again took up their positions in the places where they had been the first day. + The men of Israel went and sobbed in the sight of the Lord until evening. They spoke to the Lord. They asked, "Should we go up again to fight against the men of Benjamin? They are our fellow Israelites." The Lord answered, "Go up and fight against them." + The men of Israel came near the men of Benjamin on the second day. + The men of Benjamin came out from Gibeah to oppose them. That time they killed 18,000 more men of Israel. All of the men who died had been carrying swords. + Then all of the people of Israel went up to Bethel. They sat there and sobbed in the sight of the Lord. They didn't eat anything that day until evening. Then they brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord. + Again the people of Israel spoke to the Lord. In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there. + Phinehas was serving as priest at the ark. He was the son of Eleazar. Eleazar was the son of Aaron. The people of Israel asked, "Should we go up again to fight against the men of Benjamin? They are our fellow Israelites." The Lord answered, "Go. Tomorrow I will hand them over to you." + Then Israel hid some men and had them wait all around Gibeah. + They went up to fight against the men of Benjamin on the third day. They took up their positions against Gibeah, just as they had done before. + The men of Benjamin came out to fight against them. They were drawn away from the city. They began to wound and kill the men of Israel just as they had done before. About 30 men fell in battle. They fell in the open fields and on the roads. One of the roads led to Bethel. The other led to Gibeah. + The men of Benjamin said, "We're winning the battle over them, just as we did before." But the men of Israel said, "Let's pull back. Let's draw them away from the city to the roads." + All of the men of Israel moved away from their places. They took up new battle positions at Baal Tamar. The men who had been hiding charged out. They came from west of Gibeah. + Then 10,000 of Israel's finest men attacked Gibeah. The men of Benjamin didn't realize they were about to be destroyed. The fighting was very heavy. + The Lord helped Israel win the battle over Benjamin. On that day the men of Israel struck down 25,100 men of Benjamin. All of the men who died had been carrying swords. + Then the men of Benjamin saw that they had lost the battle. The men of Israel had moved away from their positions in front of Benjamin. They had depended on the men they had hidden near Gibeah. + Suddenly the men who had been hiding rushed into Gibeah. They spread out. Then they killed everyone in the city with their swords. + The men of Israel had made a plan with those who had been hiding. They had told them to send up a large cloud of smoke from the city. + Then the men of Israel would turn around and attack. The men of Benjamin had begun to wound and kill the men of Israel. They had struck down about 30 of them. They had said, "We're winning the battle over them, just as we did the first time." + But a column of smoke began to go up from the city. The men of Benjamin turned around. They saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky. + Then the men of Israel turned around and attacked them. The men of Benjamin were terrified. They realized they were going to be destroyed. + So they ran away from the men of Israel. They ran toward the desert. But they couldn't escape the battle. Other men of Israel came out of the towns. There they struck the men of Benjamin down. + They surrounded them. They chased them and easily caught up with them. That happened east of Gibeah. + So 18,000 men of Benjamin fell in battle. All of them were brave fighters. + Some men of Benjamin turned back. They ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. As they did, the men of Israel struck down 5,000 of them along the roads. They kept chasing the men of Benjamin all the way to Gidom. Along the way they struck down 2,000 more. + On that day 25,000 men of Benjamin fell in battle. They had been carrying swords. All of them were brave fighters. + But 600 men turned back. They ran into the desert to the rock of Rimmon. They stayed there for four months. + The men of Israel went back to Benjamin. They killed the people in all of the towns with their swords. They even killed the animals. So they killed everything they found. They set on fire all of the towns they came to. + + + The men of Israel had taken an oath and made a promise at Mizpah. They had said, "Not one of us will give his daughter to be married to a man from Benjamin." + The people went to Bethel. They sat there until evening in the sight of God. They sobbed loudly and bitterly. + "Lord, you are the God of Israel," they cried. "Why has this happened to Israel? Why is one tribe missing from Israel today?" + Early the next day the people built an altar. They brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings. + Then the people of Israel asked, "Has anyone failed to come here in the sight of the Lord? Is anyone missing from all of the tribes of Israel?" The people had made a promise with an oath. They had said that anyone who failed to come to Mizpah in the sight of the Lord should certainly be put to death. + The people of Israel were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. After all, they were their fellow Israelites. "Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel," they said. + "How can we provide wives for the men who are left? We've made a promise with an oath in the sight of the Lord. We've promised not to give any of our daughters to be married to them." + Then they asked, "Has any tribe of Israel failed to come here to Mizpah in the sight of the Lord?" They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come. No one from there had gathered together with the others in the camp. + They counted the people. They found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead had come to Mizpah. + So the community sent 12,000 fighting men to Jabesh Gilead. They directed them to take their swords and kill those who were living there. That included the women and children. + "Here is what you must do," they said. "Kill every male. Also kill every woman who is not a virgin." + They found 400 young women in Jabesh Gilead who had never made love to a man. So they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan. + Then the whole community sent an offer of peace to the men of Benjamin. The men were at the rock of Rimmon. + So the men of Benjamin returned at that time. They were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there weren't enough women for all of them. + The people were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord had left a gap in the tribes of Israel. They weren't complete without Benjamin. + The elders of the community spoke up. They said, "All of the women of Benjamin have been wiped out. So how will we find wives for the men who are left? + The men of Benjamin who are still alive need to have children," they said. "If they don't, a tribe of Israel will be wiped out. + "But we can't give them our daughters to be their wives. We Israelites have taken an oath and made a promise. We've said, 'May anyone who gives a wife to a man from Benjamin be under the Lord's curse.' + "Look, a feast is celebrated every year in Shiloh in honor of the Lord. Shiloh is north of Bethel. It's east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. It's south of Lebonah." + So they told the men of Benjamin what to do. They said, "Go. Hide in the vineyards + and watch. The young women of Shiloh will come out. They'll join in the dancing. When they do, run out of the vineyards. Each of you grab hold of a young woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then go to the land of Benjamin. + "Their fathers or brothers might not be happy with what we're doing. If they aren't, we'll say to them, 'Do us a favor. Help the men of Benjamin. We didn't get wives for them during the battle. You aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. After all, you didn't give your daughters to them. They were stolen from you.' " + So that's what the men of Benjamin did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one. He carried her away to be his wife. Then the men returned to their own share of land. They built the towns again. They settled down in them. + At that time the men of Israel also left. They went home to their tribes and family groups. Each one went to his own share of land. + In those days Israel didn't have a king. The people did anything they thought was right. + + + + + There was a time when Israel didn't have kings to rule over them. But they had leaders to help them. This is a story about some things that happened during that time. There wasn't enough food in the land of Judah. So a man went to live in the country of Moab for a while. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. His wife and two sons went with him. + The man's name was Elimelech. His wife's name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to Moab and lived there. + Naomi's husband Elimelech died. So she was left with her two sons. + They got married to women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. Naomi's family lived in Moab for about ten years. + Then Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. + While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. + She left the place where she had been living. Her two daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. + Naomi spoke to her two daughters-in-law. "Both of you go back," she said. "Each of you go to your own mother's home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. + May he help each of you find a secure place in the home of another husband. May he give you peace and rest." Then she kissed them good-by. They broke down and sobbed loudly. + They said to her, "We'll go back to your people with you." + But Naomi said, "Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands? + "Go home, my daughters. I'm too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I got married to a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. + Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could get married to them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord's powerful hand has been against me!" + When they heard that, they broke down and sobbed again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by. But Ruth held on to her. + "Look," said Naomi. "Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." + But Ruth replied, "Don't try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I'll go. Where you stay I'll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. + Where you die I'll die. And there my body will be buried. I won't let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly." + Naomi realized that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So she stopped trying to make her go back. + The two women continued on their way. At last they arrived in Bethlehem. The whole town was stirred up because of them. The women asked, "Can this possibly be Naomi?" + "Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara. The Mighty One has made my life very bitter. + I was full when I went away. But the Lord has brought me back empty. So why are you calling me Naomi? The Lord has made me suffer. The Mighty One has brought trouble on me." + So Naomi returned from Moab. Ruth, her daughter-in-law from Moab, came with her. They arrived in Bethlehem just when people were beginning to harvest the barley. + + + Naomi had a relative on her husband's side of the family. Her husband's name was Elimelech. The relative's name was Boaz. He was a very important man. + Ruth, who was from Moab, spoke to Naomi. She said, "Let me go out to the fields. I'll pick up the grain that has been left. I'll do it behind anyone who is pleased with me." Naomi said to her, "My daughter, go ahead." + So Ruth went out and began to pick up grain. She worked in the fields behind those who were cutting and gathering the grain. As it turned out, she was working in a field that belonged to Boaz. He was from the family of Elimelech. + Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He greeted those who were cutting and gathering the grain. He said, "May the Lord be with you!" "And may the Lord bless you!" they replied. + Boaz spoke to the man who was in charge of his workers. He asked, "Who is that young woman?" + The man replied, "She's from Moab. She came back from there with Naomi. + She said, 'Please let me walk behind the workers. Let me pick up the grain that is left.' Then she went into the field. She has kept on working there from morning until now. She took only one short rest in the shade." + So Boaz said to Ruth, "Dear woman, listen to me. Don't pick up grain in any other field. Don't go anywhere else. Stay here with my female servants. + Keep your eye on the field where the men are cutting grain. Walk behind the women who are gathering it. Pick up the grain that is left. I've told the men not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go and get a drink. Take water from the jars the men have filled." + When Ruth heard that, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked, "Why are you being so kind to me? In fact, why are you even noticing me? I'm from another country." + Boaz replied, "I've been told all about you. I've heard about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know that you left your father and mother. I know that you left your country. You came to live with people you didn't know before. + "May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May the God of Israel bless you richly. You have come to him to find safety under his care." + "Sir, I hope you will continue to be kind to me," Ruth said. "You have comforted me. You have spoken kindly to me. And I'm not even as important as one of your female servants!" + When it was time to eat, Boaz spoke to Ruth again. "Come over here," he said. "Have some bread. Dip it in the wine vinegar." She sat down with the workers. Then Boaz offered her some grain that had been cooked. She ate all she wanted. She even had some left over. + Ruth got up to pick up more grain. Then Boaz gave orders to his men. He said, "Suppose she takes some stalks from what the women have tied up. If she does, don't make her look bad. + Instead, pull some stalks out for her. Leave them for her to pick up. Don't tell her she shouldn't do it." + So Ruth picked up grain in the field until evening. Then she separated the barley from the straw. It amounted to more than half a bushel. + She carried it back to town. Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out the food that was left over from the lunch Boaz had given her. She gave it to Naomi. + Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you pick up grain today? Where did you work? May the man who noticed you be blessed!" Then Ruth told her about the man whose field she had worked in. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said. + "May the Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "The Lord is still being kind to those who are living and those who are dead." She continued, "That man is a close relative of ours. He's one of our family protectors." + Then Ruth, who was from Moab, said, "He told me more. He even said, 'Stay with my workers until they have finished bringing in all of my grain.' " + Naomi replied to her daughter-in-law Ruth. She said, "That will be good for you, my daughter. Go with his female servants. You might be harmed if you go to someone else's field." + So Ruth stayed close to the female servants of Boaz as she picked up grain. She worked until the time when all of the barley and wheat had been harvested. And she lived with her mother-in-law. + + + One day Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi spoke to her. She said, "My daughter, shouldn't I try to find a secure place for you? Shouldn't you have peace and rest? Shouldn't I find a home where things will go well with you? + You have been with the female servants of Boaz. He's a relative of ours. Tonight he'll be separating the straw from his barley on the threshing floor. + "So wash yourself. Put on some perfume. And put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor. But don't let Boaz know you are there. Wait until he has finished eating and drinking. + Notice where he lies down. Then go over and uncover his feet. Lie down there. He'll tell you what to do." + "I'll do everything you say," Ruth answered. + So she went down to the threshing floor. She did everything her mother-in-law had told her to do. + When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a good mood. He went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Then Ruth approached quietly. She uncovered his feet and lay down there. + In the middle of the night, something surprised Boaz and woke him up. He turned and found a woman lying there at his feet. + "Who are you?" he asked. "I'm Ruth," she said. "You are my family protector. So take good care of me by making me your wife." + "Dear woman, may the Lord bless you," he replied. "You are showing even more kindness now than you did earlier. You didn't run after the younger men, whether they were rich or poor. + Dear woman, don't be afraid. I'll do for you everything you ask. All of the people of my town know that you are a noble woman. + "It's true that I'm a relative of yours. But there's a family protector who is more closely related to you than I am. + So stay here for the night. In the morning if he wants to help you, good. Let him help you. But if he doesn't want to, then I'll do it. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that I'll help you. Lie down here until morning." + So she stayed at his feet until morning. But she got up before anyone could be recognized. Boaz thought, "No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor." + He said to Ruth, "Bring me the coat you have around you. Hold it out." So she did. He poured more than fifty pounds of barley into it and helped her pick it up. Then he went back to town. + Ruth came to her mother-in-law. Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?" Then Ruth told her everything Boaz had done for her. + She said, "He gave me all of this barley. He said, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law with your hands empty.' " + Naomi said, "My daughter, sit down until you find out what happens. The man won't rest until he settles the whole matter today." + + + Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. The family protector he had talked about came by. Then Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend. Sit down." So the man went over and sat down. + Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He said, "Sit down here." So they did. + Then he spoke to the family protector. He said, "Naomi has come back from Moab. She's selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. + I thought I should bring the matter to your attention. I suggest that you buy the land while those who are sitting here and the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. "If you are willing to buy it back, do it. But if you aren't, tell me. Then I'll know. No one has the right to buy it back except you. And I'm next in line." "I'll buy it," he said. + Then Boaz said, "When you buy the land from Naomi and Ruth, who is from Moab, you must get married to Ruth. She's the dead man's widow. So you must take her as your wife. His name must stay with his property." + When the family protector heard that, he said, "Then I can't buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy it. I can't do it." + In earlier times in Israel, there was a certain practice. It was used when family land was bought back and changed owners. The practice made the sale final. One person would take his sandal off and give it to the other. That was how people in Israel showed that a business matter had been settled. + So the family protector said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he took his sandal off. + Then Boaz spoke to the elders and all of the people. He said, "Today you are witnesses. You have seen that I have bought land from Naomi. I have bought all of the property that had belonged to Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. + "I've also taken Ruth, who is from Moab, to become my wife. She is Mahlon's widow. I've decided to get married to her so the dead man's name will stay with his property. Now his name won't disappear from his family line. It won't disappear from the town records. Today you are witnesses!" + Then the elders and all who were at the gate spoke. They said, "We are witnesses. The woman is coming into your home. May the Lord make her to be like Rachel and Leah. Together they built up the nation of Israel. May you be an important person in Ephrathah. May you be famous in Bethlehem. + The Lord will give you children through this young woman. May your family be like the family of Perez. He was the son Tamar had by Judah." + So Boaz got married to Ruth. She became his wife. Then he made love to her. The Lord blessed her so that she became pregnant. And she had a son. + The women said to Naomi, "We praise the Lord. Today he has provided a family protector for you. May this child become famous all over Israel! + He will make your life new again. He'll take care of you when you are old. He's the son of your very own daughter-in-law. She loves you. She is better to you than seven sons." + Then Naomi put the child on her lap and took care of him. + The women who were living there said, "Naomi has a son." They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David. + Here is the family line of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron. + Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. + Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. + Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. + Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David. + + + + + A certain man from Ramathaim in the hill country of Ephraim was named Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Elihu. Elihu was the son of Tohu. Tohu was the son of Zuph. Elkanah belonged to the family line of Zuph. Elkanah lived in the territory of Ephraim. + Elkanah had two wives. One was named Hannah. The other was named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah didn't. + Year after year Elkanah went up from his town to Shiloh. He went there to worship and sacrifice to the Lord who rules over all. Hophni and Phinehas served as priests of the Lord at Shiloh. They were the two sons of Eli. + Every time the day came for Elkanah to offer a sacrifice, he would give a share of the meat to his wife Peninnah. He would also give a share to each of her sons and daughters. + But he would give two shares of meat to Hannah. That's because he loved her. He also gave her two shares because the Lord had kept her from having children. + Peninnah teased Hannah to make her angry. She did it because the Lord had kept Hannah from having children. + Peninnah teased Hannah year after year. Every time Hannah would go up to the house of the Lord, Elkanah's other wife would tease her. She would keep doing it until Hannah cried and wouldn't eat. + Her husband Elkanah would speak to her. He would say, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why don't you eat? Why are you so angry and unhappy? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" + One time when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. + Hannah was very bitter. She sobbed and sobbed. She prayed to the Lord. + She made a promise to him. She said, "Lord, you rule over all. Please see how I'm suffering! Show concern for me! Don't forget about me! Please give me a son! If you do, I'll give him back to you. Then he will serve you all the days of his life. He'll never use a razor on his head. He'll never cut his hair." + As Hannah kept on praying to the Lord, Eli watched her lips. + She was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving. But she wasn't making a sound. Eli thought Hannah was drunk. + He said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." + "That's not true, sir," Hannah replied. "I'm a woman who is deeply troubled. I haven't been drinking wine or beer. I was telling the Lord all of my troubles. + Don't think of me as an evil woman. I've been praying here because I'm very sad. My pain is so great." + Eli answered, "Go in peace. May the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for." + She said, "May you be pleased with me." Then she left and had something to eat. Her face wasn't sad anymore. + Early the next morning Elkanah and his family got up. They worshiped the Lord. Then they went back to their home in Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah. And the Lord showed concern for her. + After some time, Hannah became pregnant. She had a baby boy. She said, "I asked the Lord for him." So she named him Samuel. + Elkanah went up to Shiloh to offer the yearly sacrifice to the Lord. He also went there to keep a promise he had made. His whole family went with him. + But Hannah didn't go. She said to her husband, "When the boy doesn't need me to nurse him anymore, I'll take him to the Lord's house. I'll give him to the Lord there. He'll stay there for the rest of his life." + Her husband Elkanah told her, "Do what you think is best. Stay here at home until Samuel doesn't need you to nurse him anymore. May the Lord make his promise to you come true." So Hannah stayed home. She nursed her son until he didn't need her milk anymore. + When the boy didn't need her to nurse him anymore, she took him with her to Shiloh. She took him there even though he was still very young. She brought him to the Lord's house. She brought along a bull that was three years old. She brought more than half a bushel of flour. She also brought a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin. + After the bull was killed, Elkanah and Hannah brought the boy to Eli. + Hannah said to Eli, "Sir, I'm the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. And that's just as sure as you are alive. + I prayed for this child. The Lord has given me what I asked him for. + So now I'm giving him to the Lord. As long as he lives he'll be given to the Lord." And all of them worshiped the Lord there. + + + Then Hannah prayed. She said, "The Lord has filled my heart with joy. He has made me strong. I can laugh at my enemies. I'm so glad he saved me. + "There isn't anyone holy like the Lord. There isn't anyone except him. There isn't any Rock like our God. + "Don't keep talking so proudly. Don't let your mouth say such proud things. The Lord is a God who knows everything. He judges everything people do. + "The bows of great heroes are broken. But those who trip and fall are made strong. + Those who used to be full have to work for food. But those who used to be hungry aren't hungry anymore. The woman who couldn't have children has seven of them now. But the woman who has had many children is sad now because hers have died. + "The Lord causes people to die. He also gives people life. He brings people down to the grave. He also brings people up. + The Lord makes people poor. He also makes people rich. He brings people down. He also lifts people up. + He raises poor people up from the trash pile. He lifts needy people out of the ashes. He lets them sit with princes. He gives them places of honor. "The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord. On them he has set the world. + He guards the paths of those who are faithful to him. But evil people will lie silent in their dark graves. "People don't win just because they are strong. + Those who oppose the Lord will be totally destroyed. He will thunder against them from heaven. He will judge the earth from one end to the other. "He will give power to his king. He will give honor to his anointed one." + Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of the priest Eli. + Eli's sons were evil men. They didn't know the Lord. + When anyone came to offer a sacrifice, here is what the priests would do. While the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a large fork in his hand. + He would stick it into the pan or pot or small or large kettle. Then the priest would take for himself everything the fork brought up. That's how Eli's sons treated all of the people of Israel who came to Shiloh. + Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come over. He would speak to the man who was offering the sacrifice. He would say, "Give the priest some meat to cook. He won't accept boiled meat from you. All he'll accept is raw meat." + Sometimes the man would say to him, "Let the fat be burned up first. Then take what you want." But the servant would answer, "No. Hand it over right now. If you don't, I'll take it away from you by force." + That sin of Eli's sons was very great in the Lord's sight. That's because they were making fun of his offering. + But the boy Samuel served the Lord. He wore a sacred linen apron. + Each year his mother made him a little robe. She took it to him when she went up to Shiloh with her husband. She did it when her husband went to offer the yearly sacrifice. + Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. He would say, "May the Lord give you children by this woman. May they take the place of the boy she prayed for and gave to him." Then they would go home. + The Lord was gracious to Hannah. She became pregnant. Over a period of years she had three more sons and two daughters. During that whole time the boy Samuel grew up serving the Lord. + Eli was very old. He kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to all of the people of Israel. He also heard how they were having sex with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. + So Eli said to his sons, "Why are you doing those things? All of the people are telling me about the evil things you are doing. + No, my sons. The report I hear isn't good. And it's spreading among the Lord's people. + If a man sins against someone else, God can help that sinner. But if a man sins against the Lord, who can help him?" In spite of what their father Eli said, his sons didn't pay any attention to his warning. That's because the Lord had already decided to put them to death. + The boy Samuel continued to grow stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to the Lord and to people. + A man of God came to Eli. He told him, "The Lord says, 'I made myself clearly known to your relatives who lived long ago. I did it when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh. + I chose your father Aaron to be my priest. I chose him out of all of the tribes of Israel. I told him to go up to my altar. I told him to burn incense. I chose him to wear a linen apron when he served me. I also gave his family all of the offerings that are made with fire by the people of Israel. + " 'Why do all of you laugh at my sacrifices and offerings? I require them to be brought to the house where I live. Why do you honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves on the best parts of every offering that is made by my people Israel?' + "The Lord is the God of Israel. He announced, 'I promised that your family and the family of Aaron would serve me as priests forever.' "But now the Lord announces, 'I will not let that happen! I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me. + The time is coming when I will cut your life short. I will also cut short the lives of those in your family. No man in your family line will grow old. + " 'You will see nothing but trouble in the house where I live. Good things will still happen to Israel. But no man in your family line will ever grow old. + A member of your family will serve me at my altar. But what he does will bring tears to your eyes. Your heart will be sad. And the rest of the men in your family line will die while they are still young. + " 'Something is going to happen to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas. When it does, it will show you that what I am saying is true. They will both die on the same day. + " 'I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what my heart and mind want him to do. I will make his family line very secure. They will always serve as priests to my anointed king. + Everyone who is left in your family line will come and bow down to him. They will beg him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread. They will say, "Please give me a place to serve among the priests. Then I can have food to eat." ' " + + + The boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli. In those days the Lord didn't give many messages to his people. He didn't give them many visions. + One night Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes were becoming so weak he couldn't see very well. + Samuel was lying down in the Lord's house. That's where the ark of God was kept. The lamp of God was still burning. + The Lord called out to Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." + He ran over to Eli. He said, "Here I am. You called out to me." But Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. + Again the Lord called out, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, "Here I am. You called out to me." "My son," Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back and lie down." + Samuel didn't know the Lord yet. That's because the Lord still hadn't given him a message. + The Lord called out to Samuel for the third time. Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, "Here I am. You called out to me." Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. + So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down. If someone calls out to you again, say, 'Speak, Lord. I'm listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. + The Lord came and stood there. He called out, just as he had done the other times. He said, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel replied, "Speak. I'm listening." + The Lord said to Samuel, "Pay attention! I am about to do something terrible in Israel. It will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring. + "At that time I will do everything to Eli and his family that I said I would. I will finish what I have started. + I told Eli I would punish his family forever. He knew his sons were sinning. He knew they were making fun of me. In spite of that, he failed to stop them. + "So I took an oath and made a promise to the family of Eli. I said, 'The sins of Eli's family will never be paid for by bringing sacrifices or offerings.' " + Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord's house. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision he had received. + But Eli called out to him. He said, "Samuel, my son." Samuel answered, "Here I am." + "What did the Lord say to you?" Eli asked. "Don't hide from me anything he told you. If you do, may God punish you greatly." + So Samuel told him everything. He didn't hide anything from him. Then Eli said, "He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is best." + As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him. He made everything Samuel said come true. + So all of the people of Israel recognized that Samuel really was a prophet of the Lord. Everyone from Dan all the way to Beersheba knew it. + The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh. There he made himself known to Samuel through the messages he gave him. + + + And Samuel gave those messages to all of the people of Israel. The people of Israel went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer. The Philistines camped at Aphek. + The Philistines brought their forces together to fight against Israel. As the fighting spread, the men of Israel lost the battle to the Philistines. The Philistines killed about 4,000 of them on the field of battle. + The rest of the Israelite soldiers returned to camp. Then the elders asked them, "Why did the Lord let the Philistines win the battle over us today? Let's bring the ark of the Lord's covenant from Shiloh. Let's take it with us. It will save us from the power of our enemies." + So the people sent men to Shiloh. They brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He sits there on his throne between the cherubim. He is the One who rules over all. Eli's two sons Hophni and Phinehas were with the ark of the covenant of God in Shiloh. + The ark of the Lord's covenant was brought into the camp. Then all of the people of Israel shouted so loudly that the ground shook. + The Philistines heard the noise. They asked, "What's all that shouting about in the Hebrew camp?" Then the Philistines found out that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. + So they were afraid. "A god has come into their camp," they said. "We're in trouble! Nothing like this has ever happened before. + How terrible it will be for us! Who will save us from the power of those mighty gods? They struck down the people of Egypt in the desert. They sent all kinds of plagues on them. + "Philistines, be strong! Fight like men! If you don't, you will come under the control of the Hebrews. You will become their slaves, just as they have been your slaves. Fight like men!" + So the Philistines fought. The people of Israel lost the battle. Every man ran back to his tent. A large number of them were killed. Israel lost 30,000 soldiers who were on foot. + The ark of God was captured. And Eli's two sons Hophni and Phinehas died. + That same day a man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the front lines of the battle. He went to Shiloh. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. + When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair. He was by the side of the road. He was watching because his heart was really concerned about the ark of God. The man entered the town and told everyone what had happened. Then the whole town cried out. + Eli heard the people crying out. He asked, "What's the meaning of all of this noise?" The man hurried over to Eli. + Eli was 98 years old. His eyes were so bad he couldn't see. + The man told Eli, "I've just come from the front lines of the battle. I ran away from there this very day." Eli asked, "What happened, son?" + The man who brought the news replied, "Israel ran away from the Philistines. Large numbers of men in the army were wounded or killed. Your two sons Hophni and Phinehas are also dead. And the ark of God has been captured." + When the man spoke about the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair. He had been sitting by the side of the gate. When he fell, he broke his neck and died. He was old and fat. He had led Israel for 40 years. + The wife of Phinehas was pregnant. She was Eli's daughter-in-law. It was near the time for her baby to be born. She heard the news that the ark of God had been captured. She heard that her father-in-law and her husband were dead. So she went into labor and had her baby. Her pain was so great that her life was slipping away. + As she was dying, the women who were helping her spoke up. They said, "Don't be afraid. You have had a son." But she didn't reply. She didn't pay any attention. + She named the boy Ichabod. She said, "The God of glory has left Israel." She said it because the ark of God had been captured. She also said it because her father-in-law and her husband had died. + She said, "The God of glory has left Israel." She said it because the ark of God had been captured. + + + The Philistines had captured the ark of God. They took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. + They carried the ark into the temple of their god Dagon. They set it down beside the statue of Dagon. + The people of Ashdod got up early the next day. They saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. So they picked the statue of Dagon up. They put it back in its place. + But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple. + That's why to this very day no one steps on the bottom part of the doorway of Dagon's temple at Ashdod. Not even the priests of Dagon step there. + The Lord's powerful hand punished the people of Ashdod and the settlements that were near it. He destroyed them. He made them suffer with growths in their bodies. + The people of Ashdod saw what was happening. They said, "The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us. His powerful hand is punishing us and our god Dagon." + So they called all of the rulers of the Philistines together. They asked them, "What should we do with the ark of the god of Israel?" The rulers answered, "Have the ark moved to Gath." So they moved it. + But after the people of Ashdod had moved the ark, the Lord's hand punished Gath. That threw its people into a great panic. The Lord made them break out with growths in their bodies. It happened to young people and old people alike. + So the ark of God was sent to Ekron. As the ark was entering Ekron, the people of the city cried out. They shouted, "They've brought the ark of the god of Israel to us. They want to kill us and our people." + So they called all of the rulers of the Philistines together. They said, "Send the ark of the god of Israel away. Let it go back to its own place. If you don't, it will kill us and our people." The death of so many people had filled the city with panic. God's powerful hand was punishing the city. + Those who didn't die suffered with growths in their bodies. The people of Ekron cried out to heaven for help. + + + The ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory for seven months. + The Philistines called for the priests and for those who practice evil magic. They wanted their advice. They said to them, "What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place." + They answered, "If you return the ark of the god of Israel, don't send it away empty. Be sure you send a guilt offering to their god along with it. Then you will be healed. You will find out why his hand hasn't stopped punishing you." + The Philistines asked, "What guilt offering should we send to him?" Their advisers replied, "There are five Philistine rulers. So send five gold models of the growths that are in your bodies. Also send five gold models of rats. Do it because the same plague has struck you and your rulers alike. + Make models of the growths and of the rats that are destroying the country. Pay honor to Israel's god. Perhaps his hand will stop punishing you. Maybe it will stop punishing your gods and your land. + "Why are you stubborn, as Pharaoh and the people of Egypt were? God was very hard on them. Only then did they send the people of Israel out. Only then did they let them go on their way. + "Now then, get a new cart ready. Get two cows that have just had calves. Be sure the cows have never pulled a cart before. Tie the cart to them. But take their calves away and put them in a pen. + "Then put the ark of the Lord on the cart. Put the gold models in a chest beside the ark. Send them back to the Lord as a guilt offering. Send the cart on its way. + "But keep an eye on the cart. See if it goes up toward Beth Shemesh to its own territory. If it does, then it's the Lord who has brought this horrible trouble on us. But if it doesn't, then we'll know it wasn't his hand that struck us. We'll know it happened to us by chance." + So that's what they did. They took the two cows and tied the cart to them. They put the calves in a pen. + They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart. They put the chest there along with it. The chest held the gold models of the rats and of the growths. + Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh. They stayed on the road. They were mooing all the way. They didn't turn to the right or the left. The Philistine rulers followed them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh. + The people of Beth Shemesh were working in the valley. They were gathering their wheat crop. They looked up and saw the ark. When they saw it, they were filled with joy. + The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. It stopped there beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood the cart was made out of. They sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. + Some Levites had taken the ark of the Lord off the cart. They had also taken off the chest that held the gold models. They placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings to the Lord. They also made sacrifices to him. + The five Philistine rulers saw everything that happened. On that same day they returned to Ekron. + The Philistines sent gold models of growths as a guilt offering to the Lord. There was one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. + They also sent five gold models of rats. There was one for each of the Philistine towns that belonged to the five rulers. Each of those towns had high walls around it. The towns also had country villages around them. The Levites set the ark of the Lord on a large rock. To this very day the rock gives witness to what happened there. It's in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. + But some of the people of Beth Shemesh looked into the ark of the Lord. So he struck them down. He put 70 of them to death. The rest of the people were filled with sorrow. That's because the Lord had killed so many of them. + The people of Beth Shemesh said, "The Lord is a holy God. Who can stand in front of him? Where can the ark go up to from here?" + Then messengers were sent to the people of Kiriath Jearim. They said, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to your place." + + + So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and got the ark of the Lord. They took it up to Abinadab's house on the hill. They set his son Eleazar apart to guard the ark. + The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim for a long time. It was there for a full 20 years. All of the people of Israel were filled with sorrow. They looked to the Lord for help. + Samuel spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, "Do you really want to return to the Lord with all your hearts? If you do, get rid of your strange gods. Get rid of your statues of goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. Commit yourselves to the Lord. Serve him only. Then he will save you from the powerful hand of the Philistines." + So the people of Israel put away their statues of gods that were named after Baal. They put away their statues of goddesses named after Ashtoreth. They served the Lord only. + Then Samuel said, "Gather all of the people of Israel together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you." + When the people had come together at Mizpah, they went to the well and got water. They poured it out in the sight of the Lord. On that day they didn't eat any food. They admitted they had sinned. They said, "We've sinned against the Lord." Samuel was the leader of Israel at Mizpah. + The Philistines heard that Israel had gathered together at Mizpah. So the Philistine rulers came up to attack them. When the people of Israel heard about it, they were afraid. + They said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God to help us. Keep praying that he'll save us from the powerful hand of the Philistines." + Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord to help Israel. And the Lord answered his prayer. + The Philistines came near to attack Israel. At that time Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He threw them into such a panic that the Israelites were able to chase them away. + The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah. They chased the Philistines all the way to a point below Beth Car. They killed them all along the way. + Then Samuel got a big stone. He set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer. He said, "The Lord has helped us every step of the way." + So Samuel brought the Philistines under Israel's control. The Philistines didn't attack their territory again. The Lord used his powerful hand against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. + The Philistines had captured many towns between Ekron and Gath. But they had to give all of them back. Israel took back the territories near those towns from the powerful hand of the Philistines. During that time Israel and the Amorites were friendly toward each other. + Samuel continued to lead Israel all the days of his life. + From year to year he traveled from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He served Israel as judge in all of those places. + But he always went back to Ramah. That's where his home was. He served Israel as judge there too. And he built an altar there to honor the Lord. + + + When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons to serve as judges for Israel. + The name of his oldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba. + But his sons didn't live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right. + So all of the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. + They said to him, "You are old. Your sons don't live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all of the other nations have." + Samuel wasn't pleased when they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So he prayed to the Lord. + The Lord told him, "Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. + They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day. Now they are deserting you too. + "Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will do." + Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. + Samuel told them, "Here's what the king who rules over you will do. He will take your sons. He'll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. + He'll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots. + "He'll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake. + "He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He'll give them to his attendants. + He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He'll give it to his officials and attendants. + He will also take your male and female servants. He'll take your best cattle and donkeys. He'll use all of them any way he wants to. + "He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves. + "When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won't answer you at that time." + In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. "No!" they said. "We want a king to rule over us. + Then we'll be like all of the other nations. We'll have a king to lead us. He'll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles." + Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. + The Lord answered, "Listen to them. Give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to your own town." + + + There was a man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Kish was a very important person. He was the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror. Zeror was the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah from the tribe of Benjamin. + Kish had a son named Saul. Saul was a handsome young man. There wasn't anyone like him among the people of Israel. He was a head taller than any of them. + The donkeys that belonged to Saul's father Kish were lost. So Kish spoke to his son Saul. He said, "Go and look for the donkeys. Take one of the servants with you." + Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim. They also went through the area around Shalisha. But they didn't find the donkeys. So they went on into the area of Shaalim. But the donkeys weren't there either. Then Saul went through the territory of Benjamin. But they still didn't find the donkeys. + When Saul and the servant who was with him reached the area of Zuph, Saul spoke to him. He said, "Come on. Let's go back. If we don't, my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us." + But the servant replied, "There's a man of God here in Ramah. People have a lot of respect for him. Everything he says comes true. So let's go and see him now. Perhaps he'll tell us which way to go." + Saul said to his servant, "If we go to see the man, what can we give him? There isn't any food in our sacks. We don't have a gift for the man of God. So what can we give him?" + The servant answered Saul again. "Look," he said. "I've got a tenth of an ounce of silver. I'll give it to the man of God. Then maybe he'll tell us which way to go." + In Israel, prophets used to be called seers. So if a man wanted to ask God for advice, he would say, "Come on. Let's go to the seer." + Saul said to his servant, "That's a good idea. Come on. Let's go and ask the seer." So they started out for the town where the man of God lived. + They were going up the hill toward the town. Along the way they met some young women who were coming out to get water from the well. Saul and his servant asked them, "Is the seer here?" + "Yes, he is," they answered. "In fact, he's just up ahead of you. So hurry along. He has just come to our town today. The people are going to offer a sacrifice at the high place where they worship. + As soon as you enter the town, you will find him. He'll be there until he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won't start eating until he gets there. He must bless the sacrifice first. After that, those who are invited will eat. So go on up. You should find him there just about now." + They went up to the town. As they were entering it, they saw Samuel. He was coming toward them. He was on his way up to the high place. + The Lord had spoken to Samuel the day before Saul came. He had said, + "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man. He is from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people Israel. He will save them from the powerful hand of the Philistines. I have seen how much my people are suffering. Their cry for help has reached me." + When Samuel saw a man coming toward him, the Lord spoke to Samuel again. He said, "He is the man I told you about. His name is Saul. He will govern my people." + Saul approached Samuel at the gate of the town. He asked Samuel, "Can you please show me the house where the seer is staying?" + "I'm the seer," Samuel replied. "Go on up to the high place ahead of me. I want you and your servant to eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I'll tell you what's on your mind. Then I'll let you go. + Don't worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago. They've already been found. But who are all of the people of Israel longing for? You and your father's whole family!" + Saul answered, "But I'm from the tribe of Benjamin. It's the smallest tribe in Israel. And my family group is the least important in the whole tribe of Benjamin. So why are you saying that to me?" + Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the room where they would be eating. He seated them at the head table. About 30 people had been invited. + Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you. It's the one I told you to put to one side." + So the cook went and got a choice piece of thigh. He set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat it. It was put to one side for you for this special occasion. We've saved it for you ever since I invited the guests." And Saul ate with Samuel that day. + They came down from the high place to the town. After that, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of Samuel's house. + The next day they got up at about the time the sun was rising. Samuel called out to Saul on the roof. He said, "Get ready. Then I'll send you on your way." So Saul got ready. And he and Samuel went outside together. + As they were on their way down to the edge of town, Samuel spoke to Saul. He said, "Tell the servant to go ahead of us." So the servant went on ahead. Then Samuel continued, "Stay here awhile. I'll give you a message from God." + + + Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul's head and kissed him. He said, "The Lord has anointed you to be the leader of his people. + When you leave me today, you will meet two men. They will be near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They'll say to you, 'The donkeys you have been looking for have been found. Now your father has stopped thinking about them. Instead, he's worried about you. He's asking, "What can I do to find my son?" ' + "You will go on from Zelzah until you come to the large tree at Tabor. Three men will meet you there. They'll be on their way up to Bethel to worship God. One of them will be carrying three young goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. A third will be carrying a bottle of wine. It will be a bottle that is made out of animal skin. + The men will greet you. They'll offer you two loaves of bread. You will accept the loaves from them. + "After that, you will go to Gibeah of God. Some Philistine soldiers are stationed there. As you approach the town, you will meet a group of prophets. They'll be coming down from the high place where they worship. People will be playing lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps at the head of the group. The prophets will be prophesying. + The Spirit of the Lord will come on you with power. Then you will prophesy along with them. You will become a different person. + "All of those things will happen. Then do what you want to do. God is with you. + "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. You can be sure that I'll come down to you there. I'll come and sacrifice burnt offerings and friendship offerings. But you must wait there for seven days until I come to you. Then I'll tell you what to do." + As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart. All of those things happened that day. + When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met Saul. Then the Spirit of God came on him with power. He prophesied along with them. + Those who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets. They asked one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also one of the prophets?" + A man who lived in Gibeah answered, "Yes, he is. In fact, he's their leader." That's why people say, "Is Saul also one of the prophets?" + After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place to worship. + Later, Saul's uncle spoke to him and his servant. He asked, "Where have you been?" "Looking for the donkeys," he said. "But we couldn't find them. So we went to Samuel." + Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you." + Saul replied, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't tell his uncle that Samuel had said he would become king. + Samuel sent a message to the people of Israel. He told them to meet with the Lord at Mizpah. + He said to them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from their powerful hand. I also saved you from the powerful hand of all of the kingdoms that had beaten you down.' + "But now you have turned your backs on your God. He saves you out of all of your trouble and suffering. In spite of that, you have said, 'We refuse to listen. Place a king over us.' "So now gather together to meet with the Lord. Do it tribe by tribe and family group by family group." + Then Samuel had each tribe of Israel come forward. The tribe of Benjamin was chosen. + Next he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward, family group by family group. Matri's group was chosen. Finally Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. But when people looked for him, they realized he wasn't there. + They needed more help from the Lord. So they asked him, "Has the man come here yet?" The Lord said, "Yes. He has hidden himself among the supplies." + So they ran over there and brought him out. When he stood up, the people saw that he was a head taller than any of them. + Samuel spoke to all of the people. He said, "Look at the man the Lord has chosen! There isn't anyone like him among all of the people." Then the people shouted, "May the king live a long time!" + Samuel explained to the people what the king who ruled over them should do. He wrote it down on a scroll. He placed it in front of the Lord in the holy tent. Then he sent the people away. He sent each of them to their own homes. + Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. Some brave men whose hearts God had touched went with Saul. + But some evil people who wanted to stir up trouble said, "How can this fellow save us?" They looked down on him. They didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept quiet about it. + + + Nahash was the king of Ammon. He and his army went up to Jabesh Gilead. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. All of the men of Jabesh spoke to Nahash. They said, "Make a peace treaty with us. Then we'll be under your control." + Nahash, the king of Ammon, replied, "I will make a peace treaty with you. But I'll do it only on one condition. You must let me put out the right eye of every one of you. I want to bring shame on the whole nation of Israel." + The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days to report back to you. We'll send messengers all through Israel. If no one comes to save us, we'll hand ourselves over to you." + The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul. They reported to the people the terms Nahash had required. Then all of the people sobbed out loud. + Just then Saul was coming in from the fields. He was walking behind his oxen. He asked, "What's wrong with the people? Why are they sobbing?" He was told what the men of Jabesh had said. + When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came on him with power. He burned with anger. + He got a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent the pieces by messengers all through Israel. They announced, "You must follow Saul and Samuel. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen." The terror of the Lord fell on the people. So all of them came together with one purpose in mind. + Saul brought his army together at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 from Judah. + The messengers who had come were told, "Go back and report to the men of Jabesh Gilead. Tell them, 'By the hottest time of the day tomorrow, you will be saved.' " The messengers went and reported it to the men of Jabesh. It made those men very happy. + They said to the people of Ammon, "Tomorrow we'll hand ourselves over to you. Then you can do to us what seems best to you." + The next day Saul separated his men into three groups. While it was still dark, they broke into the camp of the Ammonite army. They kept killing the men of Ammon until the hottest time of the day. Those who got away alive were scattered. There weren't two of them left together anywhere. + The people said to Samuel, "Who asked, 'Is Saul going to rule over us?' Bring those people to us. We'll put them to death." + But Saul said, "We won't put anyone to death today! After all, this is the day the Lord has saved Israel." + Then Samuel said to the people, "Come on. Let's go to Gilgal. There we'll agree to have Saul as our king." + So all of the people went to Gilgal. There, with the Lord as witness, they agreed to have Saul as their king. There they sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord. And there Saul and all of the people of Israel celebrated with great joy. + + + Samuel spoke to all of the people of Israel. He said, "I've done everything you asked me to do. I've placed a king over you. + Now you have a king as your leader. But I'm old. My hair is gray. My sons are here with you. I've been your leader from the time I was young until this very day. + "Here I stand. Bring charges against me if you can. The Lord is a witness. And so is his anointed king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I beaten anyone down? Have I accepted money from anyone who wanted special favors? If I've done any of those things, I'll make it right." + "You haven't cheated us," they replied. "You haven't beaten us down. You haven't taken anything from anyone." + Samuel said to them, "The Lord is a witness against you this very day. And so is his anointed king. They are witnesses that I haven't taken anything from any of you." "The Lord is a witness," they said. + Then Samuel said to the people, "The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron. He brought up out of Egypt your people who lived long ago. + Now then, stand here. I'm going to remind you of all of the good things the Lord has done for you and your people. He is a witness. + "After Jacob's family entered Egypt, they cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your people out of Egypt. They settled them in this land. + "But the people forgot the Lord their God. So he gave them over to the powerful hand of Sisera. Sisera was the commander of the army of Hazor. The Lord also gave the people of Israel over to the powerful hand of the Philistines and the king of Moab. All of those nations fought against Israel. + "So the people cried out to the Lord. They said, 'We have sinned. We've deserted the Lord. We've served the gods that are named after Baal. We've served the goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. But save us now from the powerful hands of our enemies. Then we will serve you.' + "The Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and me. He saved you from the hands of your enemies, who were all around you. So you lived in safety. + "But then you saw that Nahash, the king of Ammon, was about to attack you. So you said to me, 'No! We want a king to rule over us.' You said it even though the Lord your God was your king. + Now here is the king you have chosen. He's the one you asked for. The Lord has placed a king over you. + "But you must have respect for the Lord. You must serve him and obey him. You must not say no to his commands. Both you and the king who rules over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, that's good. + But you must not disobey him. You must not say no to his commands. If you do, his powerful hand will punish you. That's what happened to your people who lived before you. + "So stand still. Watch the great thing the Lord is about to do right here in front of you! + It's time to gather in the wheat, isn't it? I'll call out to the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the sight of the Lord. You shouldn't have asked for a king." + Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all of the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel. + They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won't die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all of our other sins." + "Don't be afraid," Samuel replied. "It's true that you have done all of those evil things. But don't turn away from the Lord. Serve him with all your heart. + "Don't turn away and worship statues of gods. They are useless. They can't do you any good. They can't save you either. They are completely useless. + "But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won't turn his back on his people. That's because he was pleased to make you his own people. + "I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I'll teach you to live in a way that is good and right. + "But be sure to have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. Think about the great things he has done for you. + But don't be stubborn. Don't continue to do what is evil. If you do, both you and your king will be swept away." + + + Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years. + He chose 3,000 of Israel's men. Two thousand of them were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel. One thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul sent the rest back to their homes. + Some Philistine soldiers were stationed at Geba. Jonathan attacked them. The other Philistines heard about it. Saul announced, "Let the Hebrew people hear about what has happened!" He had trumpets blown all through the land. + So all of the people of Israel heard the news. They were told, "Saul has attacked the Philistine army camp at Geba. He has made Israel smell very bad to the Philistines." The people of Israel were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. + The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel. They had 3,000 chariots and 6,000 chariot drivers. Their soldiers were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash. It was east of Beth Aven. + The men of Israel saw that their army was in deep trouble. So they hid in caves and bushes. They hid among the rocks. They hid in pits and empty wells. + Some of them even went across the Jordan River. They went to the lands of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal. All of the troops who were with him were shaking with fear. + He waited seven days, just as Samuel had told him to. But Samuel didn't come to Gilgal. And Saul's men began to scatter. + So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the friendship offerings." Then he offered up the burnt offering. + Just as Saul finished offering the sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to greet him. + "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "I saw that the men were scattering. I saw that the Philistines were gathering together at Micmash. You didn't come when you said you would. + So I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down to attack me at Gilgal. And I haven't asked the Lord to show us his favor.' So I felt I had to sacrifice the burnt offering." + "You did a foolish thing," Samuel said. "You haven't obeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. If you had, he would have made your kingdom secure over Israel for all time to come. + But now your kingdom won't last. The Lord has already looked for a man who is dear to his heart. He has appointed him leader of his people. That's because you haven't obeyed the Lord's command." + Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul counted the men who stayed with him. The total number was about 600. + Saul and his son Jonathan were staying in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. What was left of the army was there with them. At the same time, the Philistines camped at Micmash. + Three groups of soldiers went out from the Philistine camp to attack Israel. One group turned and went toward Ophrah in the area of Shual. + Another went toward Beth Horon. The third went toward the border that looked out over the Valley of Zeboim. That valley faces the desert. + There weren't any blacksmiths in the whole land of Israel. That's because the Philistines had said, "The Hebrews might hire them to make swords or spears!" + So all of the people of Israel had to go down to the Philistines. They had to go to them to get their plows, hoes, axes and sickles sharpened. + It cost a fourth of an ounce of silver to sharpen a plow or a hoe. It cost an eighth of an ounce to sharpen a pitchfork or an axe. That's also what it cost to put new tips on large sticks that were used to drive oxen. + So not one of Saul's or Jonathan's soldiers had a sword or spear in his hand when he went out to battle. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had those weapons. + A group of Philistine soldiers had gone out to the pass at Micmash. + + + One day Jonathan, the son of Saul, spoke to the young man who was carrying his armor. "Come on," he said. "Let's go over to the Philistine army camp on the other side of the pass." But he didn't tell his father about it. + Saul was staying just outside Gibeah. He was under a pomegranate tree in Migron. He had about 600 men with him. + Ahijah was one of them. He was wearing a sacred linen apron. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub. Ahitub was the son of Eli's son Phinehas. Eli had been the Lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left. + Jonathan planned to go across the pass to reach the Philistine camp. But there was a cliff on each side of the pass. One cliff was called Bozez. The other was called Seneh. + One cliff stood on the north side of the pass toward Micmash. The other stood on the south side toward Geba. + Jonathan spoke to the young man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Come on. Let's go over to the camp of those fellows who aren't circumcised. Perhaps the Lord will help us. If he does, it won't matter how many or how few of us there are. That won't keep the Lord from saving us." + "Go ahead," the young man said. "Do everything you have in mind. I'm with you all the way." + Jonathan said, "Come on, then. We'll go across the pass toward the Philistines and let them see us. + Suppose they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you.' Then we'll stay where we are. We won't go up to them. + But suppose they say, 'Come up to us.' Then we'll climb up. That will show us that the Lord has handed them over to us." + So Jonathan and the young man let the soldiers in the Philistine camp see them. "Look!" said the Philistines. "Some of the Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." + The men in the Philistine camp shouted to Jonathan and the young man who was carrying his armor. They said, "Come on up here. We'll teach you a thing or two." So Jonathan said to the young man, "Climb up after me. The Lord has handed them over to Israel." + Using his hands and feet, Jonathan climbed up. The young man was right behind him. Jonathan struck the Philistines down. The young man followed him and killed those who were still alive. + In that first attack, Jonathan and the young man killed about 20 men. They did it in an area of about half an acre. + Then panic struck the whole Philistine army. It struck those who were in the camp and the field. It struck those who were at the edge of the camp. It also struck those who were in the groups that had been sent out to attack Israel. The ground shook. It was a panic that God had sent. + Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin saw what was happening. They saw the Philistine army melting away in all directions. + Then Saul spoke to the men who were with him. He said, "Bring the troops together. See who has left our camp." When they did, they discovered that Jonathan and the young man who was carrying his armor weren't there. + Saul said to the priest Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." At that time it was with the people of Israel. + While Saul was talking to the priest, the noise in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to him, "Stop what you are doing." + Then Saul and all of his men gathered together. They went to the battle. They saw that the Philistines were in total disorder. They were striking each other with their swords. + At an earlier time some of the Hebrews had been on the side of the Philistines. They had gone up with them to their camp. But now they changed sides. They joined the people of Israel who were with Saul and Jonathan. + Some of the people had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim. They heard that the Philistines were running away. They quickly joined the battle and chased after them. + So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the fighting continued on past Beth Aven. + The men of Israel became very hungry that day. That's because Saul had put the army under an oath. He had said, "None of you must eat any food before evening comes. You must not eat until I've paid my enemies back for what they did. If you do, may you be under a curse!" So none of the troops ate any food at all. + The whole army entered the woods. There was honey on the ground. + When they went into the woods, they saw the honey dripping out of a honeycomb. No one put any of the honey in his mouth. That's because they were afraid of the oath. + But Jonathan hadn't heard that his father had put the army under an oath. Jonathan had a long stick in his hand. He reached out and dipped the end of it into the honeycomb. He put some honey in his mouth. It gave him new life. + Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father put the army under a strong oath. He said, 'None of you must eat any food today. If you do, may you be under a curse!' That's why the men are weak and ready to faint." + Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how I gained new life after I tasted a little of this honey. + Our soldiers took food from their enemies today. Suppose they had eaten some of it. How much better off they would have been! Even more Philistines would have been killed." + That day the men of Israel struck the Philistines down. They killed them from Micmash to Aijalon. By that time they were tired and worn out. + They grabbed what they had taken from their enemies. They killed some of the sheep, cattle and calves right there on the ground. They ate the meat while the blood was still in it. + Then someone said to Saul, "Look! The men are sinning against the Lord. They're eating meat that still has blood in it." Saul said to them, "You have broken your promise. Roll a large stone over here at once." + He continued, "Go out among the men. Tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep. Kill them here and eat them. Don't sin against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.' " So that night everyone brought the ox he had taken and killed it there. + Then Saul built an altar to honor the Lord. It was the first time he had done that. + Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines tonight. Let's not leave even one of them alive. Let's take everything they have before it gets light." "Do what you think is best," they replied. But the priest said, "Let's ask God for advice first." + So Saul asked God, "Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?" But God didn't answer him that day. + Saul said to the leaders of the army, "Come here. Let's find out what sin has been committed today. + You can be sure that the Lord who saves Israel lives. And you can be just as sure that the sinner must die. He must die even if he's my son Jonathan." But no one said anything. + Then Saul spoke to all of Israel's men. He said, "You stand over there. I and my son Jonathan will stand over here." "Do what you think is best," the men replied. + Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel. He said, "Give me an answer." Jonathan and Saul were chosen by using lots. The other men were cleared of blame. + Saul said, "Cast the lot to find out whether I or my son Jonathan is to blame." And Jonathan was chosen. + Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I only used the end of my stick to get a little honey and taste it. And now do I have to die?" + Saul said, "Jonathan, I must certainly put you to death. If I don't, may God punish me greatly." + But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan be put to death? Never! He has saved Israel in a wonderful way. He did it today with God's help. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that not even one hair on Jonathan's head will fall to the ground." So the men saved Jonathan. He wasn't put to death. + Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines. They went back to their own land. + After Saul's kingdom was set firmly in place in Israel, he fought against their enemies who were all around them. He went to war against Moab, Ammon and Edom. He fought against the kings of Zobah and the Philistines. No matter where he went, he punished his enemies. + He fought bravely. He won the battle over the Amalekites. He saved Israel from the power of those who had carried off what belonged to Israel. + Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. His older daughter was named Merab. His younger daughter was named Michal. + Saul's wife was named Ahinoam. She was the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul's army was named Abner. He was the son of Ner. Ner was Saul's uncle. + Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel. + As long as Saul was king, he had to fight hard against the Philistines. So every time Saul saw a strong or brave man, he took him into his army. + + + Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So listen now to a message from him. + The Lord who rules over all says, 'I will punish the Amalekites because of what they did to Israel. As the people of Israel came up from Egypt, the Amalekites attacked them. + " 'Now go. Attack the Amalekites. Set everything apart that belongs to them. Set it apart to me in a special way to be destroyed. Do not spare the Amalekites. Put the men and women to death. Put the children and babies to death. Also kill the cattle, sheep, camels and donkeys.' " + So Saul brought his men together at Telaim. The total number was 200,000 soldiers on foot from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. + He went to the city of Amalek. He had some of his men hide and wait in the valley. + Then Saul said to the Kenites, "You were kind to all of the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. Get away from the Amalekites. Then I won't have to destroy you along with them." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. + Saul attacked the Amalekites. He struck them down all the way from Havilah to Shur. Shur was near the eastern border of Egypt. + He took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive. He and his men totally destroyed all of Agag's people with swords. + But Saul and the army spared Agag. They spared the best of the sheep and cattle. They spared the fat calves and lambs. They spared everything that was valuable. They weren't willing to completely destroy any of those things. But they totally destroyed everything that was worthless and weak. + Then the Lord gave Samuel a message. He said, + "I am very sorry I have made Saul king. He has turned away from me. He has not done what I directed him to do." When Samuel heard that, he was troubled. He cried out to the Lord during that whole night. + Early the next morning Samuel got up. He went to see Saul. But Samuel was told, "Saul went to Carmel. There he set up a monument in his own honor. Now he has gone on down to Gilgal." + When Samuel got there, Saul said, "May the Lord bless you. I've done what he directed me to do." + But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear the baaing of sheep? Why do I hear the mooing of cattle?" + Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best of the sheep and cattle. They did it to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we totally destroyed everything else." + "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. + Samuel said, "There was a time when you didn't think you were important. But you became the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you to be king over Israel. + He sent you to do something for him. He said, 'Go and set the Amalekites apart. Set those sinful people apart to me in a special way to be destroyed. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.' + "Why didn't you obey the Lord? Why did you grab what you had taken from your enemies? Why did you do what is evil in the sight of the Lord?" + "But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went to do what he sent me to do. I totally destroyed the Amalekites. I brought back Agag, their king. + "The soldiers took sheep and cattle from what had been taken from our enemies. They took the best of what had been set apart to God. They wanted to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal." + But Samuel replied, "What pleases the Lord more? Burnt offerings and sacrifices, or obeying him? It is better to obey than to offer a sacrifice. It is better to do what he says than to offer the fat of rams. + Refusing to obey him is as sinful as using evil magic. Being proud is as evil as worshiping statues of gods. You have refused to do what the Lord told you to do. So he has refused to have you as king." + Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I've broken the Lord's command. I haven't done what you directed me to do. I was afraid of the people. So I did what they said I should do. + Now I beg you, forgive my sin. Come back into town with me so I can worship the Lord." + But Samuel said to him, "I won't go back with you. You have refused to do what the Lord told you to do. So he has refused to have you as king over Israel!" + Samuel turned to leave. But Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. + Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to someone who is better than you. + The One who is the Glory of Israel does not lie. He doesn't change his mind. That's because he isn't a mere man. If he were, he might change his mind." + Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me so I can worship the Lord your God." + So Samuel went back with Saul. And Saul worshiped the Lord. + Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites." Agag wasn't afraid when he came to Samuel. He thought, "The time for me to be put to death must have passed by now." + But Samuel said, "Your sword has killed the children of other women. So the child of your mother will be killed." Samuel put Agag to death at Gilgal in the sight of the Lord. + Then Samuel left to go to Ramah. But Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. + Until the day Samuel died, he didn't go to see Saul again. Samuel was filled with sorrow because of Saul. And the Lord was very sorry he had made Saul king over Israel. + + + The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you be filled with sorrow because of Saul? I have refused to have him as king over Israel. Fill your animal horn with olive oil and go on your way. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." + But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it. Then he'll kill me." The Lord said, "Take a young cow with you. Tell the elders of Bethlehem, 'I've come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.' + Invite Jesse to the sacrifice. Then I will show you what to do. You must anoint for me the one I point out to you." + Samuel did what the Lord said. He arrived at Bethlehem. The elders of the town met him. They were trembling with fear. They asked, "Have you come in peace?" + Samuel replied, "Yes, I've come in peace. I've come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Set yourselves apart to him and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he set Jesse and his sons apart to the Lord. He invited them to the sacrifice. + When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab. He thought, "This has to be the one the Lord wants me to anoint for him." + But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider how handsome or tall he is. I have not chosen him. I do not look at the things people look at. Man looks at how someone appears on the outside. But I look at what is in the heart." + Then Jesse called for Abinadab. He had him walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The Lord hasn't chosen him either." + Then Jesse had Shammah walk by. But Samuel said, "The Lord hasn't chosen him either." + Jesse had seven of his sons walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to him, "The Lord hasn't chosen any of them." + So he asked Jesse, "Are these the only sons you have?" "No," Jesse answered. "My youngest son is taking care of the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him. We won't sit down to eat until he arrives." + So Jesse sent for his son and had him brought in. His skin was tanned. He had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, "Get up and anoint him. He is the one." + So Samuel got the animal horn that was filled with olive oil. He anointed David in front of his brothers. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came on David with power. Samuel went back to Ramah. + The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul. And an evil spirit that was sent by the Lord terrified him. + Saul's attendants said to him, "An evil spirit that was sent by God is terrifying you. + Give us an order to look for someone who can play the harp. He will play it when the evil spirit that was sent by God comes on you. Then you will feel better." + So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays the harp well. Bring him to me." + One of the servants said, "I've seen someone who knows how to play the harp. He is a son of Jesse from Bethlehem. He's a brave man. He would make a good soldier. He's a good speaker. He's very handsome. And the Lord is with him." + Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse. He said, "Send me your son David, the one who takes care of your sheep." + So Jesse got some bread and a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin. He also got a young goat. He loaded everything on the back of a donkey. He sent all of it to Saul with his son David. + David went to Saul and began to serve him. Saul liked him very much. David became one of the men who carried Saul's armor. + Saul sent a message to Jesse. It said, "Let David stay here. I want him to serve me. I'm pleased with him." + When the evil spirit that was sent by God would come on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. That would help Saul. He would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. + + + The Philistines gathered their army together for war. They came to Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes Dammim. It was between Socoh and Azekah. + Saul and the army of Israel gathered together. They camped in the Valley of Elah. They lined up their men to fight against the Philistines. + The Philistine army was camped on one hill. Israel's army was on another. The valley was between them. + A mighty hero named Goliath came out of the Philistine camp. He was from Gath. He was more than nine feet tall. + He had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a coat of bronze armor. It weighed 125 pounds. + On his legs he wore bronze guards. He carried a bronze javelin on his back. + His spear was as big as a weaver's rod. Its iron point weighed 15 pounds. The man who carried his shield walked along in front of him. + Goliath stood and shouted to the soldiers of Israel. He said, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? I'm a Philistine. You are servants of Saul. Choose one of your men. Have him come down and face me. + If he's able to fight and kill me, we'll become your slaves. But if I win and kill him, you will become our slaves and serve us." + Goliath continued, "This very day I dare the soldiers of Israel to send a man down to fight against me." + Saul and the whole army of Israel heard what the Philistine said. They were terrified. + David was the son of an Ephrathite. His name was Jesse. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons. When Saul was king, Jesse was already very old. + Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul into battle. The oldest son was Eliab. The second was Abinadab. The third was Shammah. + David was the youngest. The three oldest sons followed Saul. + But David went back and forth from Saul's camp to Bethlehem. He went to Bethlehem to take care of his father's sheep. + Every morning and evening Goliath came forward and stood there. He did it for 40 days. + Jesse said to his son David, "Get at least half a bushel of grain that has been cooked. Also get ten loaves of bread. Take all of it to your brothers. Hurry to their camp. + Take along these ten chunks of cheese to the commander of their company. Find out how your brothers are doing. Bring me back some word about them. + They are with Saul and all of the men of Israel. They are in the Valley of Elah. They are fighting against the Philistines." + Early in the morning David left his father's flock in the care of a shepherd. David loaded up the food and started out, just as Jesse had directed. David reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions. The soldiers were shouting the war cry. + Israel and the Philistines were lining up their armies for battle. The armies were facing each other. + David left what he had brought with the man who took care of the supplies. He ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. + As David was talking with them, Goliath stepped forward from his line. Goliath was a mighty Philistine hero from Gath. He again dared someone to fight him, and David heard it. + When Israel's army saw Goliath, all of them ran away from him. That's because they were filled with fear. + The men of Israel had been saying, "Just look at how this man keeps stepping forward! Again and again he dares Israel to fight him. The king will make the man who kills him very wealthy. He will also give him his daughter to be his wife. He won't require anyone in his family to pay any taxes in Israel." + David spoke to the men who were standing near him. He asked them, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine? Goliath is bringing shame on Israel. What will be done for the one who removes it? This Philistine isn't even circumcised. He dares the armies of the living God to fight him. Who does he think he is?" + The men told David what Israel's soldiers had been saying. The men told him what would be done for the man who killed Goliath. + David's oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking with the men. So he burned with anger at him. He asked him, "Why have you come down here? Who did you leave those few sheep in the desert with? I know how proud you are. I know how evil your heart is. The only reason you came down here was to watch the battle." + "What have I done now?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" + Then he turned away to speak to some other men. He asked them the same question he had asked before. And they gave him the same answer. + Someone heard what David said and reported it to Saul. So Saul sent for him. + David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone lose hope because of that Philistine. I'll go out and fight him." + Saul replied, "You aren't able to go out there and fight that Philistine. You are too young. He's been a fighting man ever since he was a boy." + But David said to Saul, "I've been taking care of my father's sheep. Sometimes a lion or a bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock. + Then I would go after it and hit it. I would save the sheep it was carrying in its mouth. If it turned around to attack me, I would grab hold of its hair. I would strike it down and kill it. + In fact, I've killed both a lion and a bear. I'll do the same thing to this Philistine. He isn't even circumcised. He has dared the armies of the living God to fight him. + "The Lord saved me from the paw of the lion. He saved me from the paw of the bear. And he'll save me from the powerful hand of this Philistine too." Saul said to David, "Go. And may the Lord be with you." + Then Saul dressed David in his own military clothes. He put a coat of armor on him. He put a bronze helmet on his head. + David put on Saul's sword over his clothes. He walked around for a while in all of that armor because he wasn't used to it. "I can't go out there in all of this armor," he said to Saul. "I'm not used to it." So he took it off. + Then David picked up his wooden staff. He went down to a stream and chose five smooth stones. He put them in the pocket of his shepherd's bag. Then he took his sling in his hand and approached Goliath. + At that same time, the Philistine kept coming closer to David. The man who was carrying Goliath's shield walked along in front of him. + Goliath looked David over. He saw how young he was. He also saw how tanned and handsome he was. And he hated him. + He said to David, "Why are you coming at me with sticks? Do you think I'm only a dog?" The Philistine called down curses on David in the name of his god. + "Come over here," he said. "I'll feed your body to the birds of the air! I'll feed it to the wild animals!" + David said to Goliath, "You are coming to fight against me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I'm coming against you in the name of the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of the armies of Israel. He's the one you have dared to fight against. + "This very day the Lord will hand you over to me. I'll strike you down. I'll cut your head off. This very day I'll feed the bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the air. I'll feed them to the wild animals. Then the whole world will know there is a God in Israel. + "The Lord doesn't save by using a sword or a spear. And everyone who is here will know it. The battle belongs to the Lord. He will hand all of you over to us." + As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet him. + He reached into his bag. He took out a stone. He put it in his sling. He slung it at Goliath. The stone hit him on the forehead and sank into it. He fell to the ground on his face. + So David won the fight against Goliath with a sling and a stone. He struck the Philistine down and killed him. He did it without even using a sword. + David ran and stood over him. He took hold of Goliath's sword and pulled it out. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. The Philistines saw that their hero was dead. So they turned around and ran away. + Then the men of Israel and Judah shouted and rushed forward. They chased the Philistines to the entrance of Gath. They chased them to the gates of Ekron. The dead bodies of the Philistines were scattered all along the road to Gath and Ekron. That's the road that leads to Shaaraim. + Israel's army returned from chasing the Philistines. They had taken everything from the Philistine camp. + David picked up Goliath's head. He brought it to Jerusalem. He put Goliath's weapons in his own tent. + Saul had been watching David as he went out to meet the Philistine. He spoke to Abner, the commander of the army. He said to him, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "King Saul, I don't know. And that's just as sure as you are alive." + The king said, "Find out whose son that young man is." + After David killed Goliath, he returned to the camp. Then Abner brought him to Saul. David was still carrying Goliath's head. + "Young man, whose son are you?" Saul asked him. David said, "I'm the son of Jesse from Bethlehem." + + + David finished talking with Saul. After that, Jonathan and David became close friends. Jonathan loved David just as he loved himself. + From that time on, Saul kept David with him. He didn't let him return to his father's home. + Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him just as he loved himself. + Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his military clothes. He even gave him his sword, his bow and his belt. + David did everything Saul sent him to do. He did it so well that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. That pleased Saul's whole army, including his officers. + After David had killed Goliath, the men of Israel returned home. The women came out of all of the towns of Israel to meet King Saul. They danced and sang joyful songs. They played lutes and tambourines. + As they danced, they sang, "Saul has killed thousands of men. David has killed tens of thousands." + That song made Saul very angry. It really upset him. He said to himself, "They are saying David has killed tens of thousands of men. But they are saying I've killed only thousands. The only thing left for him to get is the kingdom itself." + From that time on, Saul became very jealous of David. So he watched him closely. + The next day an evil spirit that was sent by God came on Saul with power. Saul began to prophesy in his house. At that same time David began to play the harp, just as he usually did. Saul was holding a spear. + He threw it at David. As he did, he said to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David got away from him twice. + The Lord had left Saul and was with David. So Saul was afraid of David. + He sent David away. He put him in command of 1,000 men. David led the troops in battle. + In everything he did, he was very successful. That's because the Lord was with him. + When Saul saw how successful David was, he became afraid of him. + But all of the troops of Israel and Judah loved David. That's because he led them in battle. + Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I'll give her to you to be your wife. Just serve me bravely and fight the Lord's battles." Saul said to himself, "I won't have to lift my hand to strike him down. The Philistines will do that!" + But David said to Saul, "Who am I? Is anyone in my whole family that important in Israel? Am I worthy to become the king's son-in-law?" + The time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab to David. Instead, Saul gave her to Adriel from Meholah to be his wife. + Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David. When they told Saul about it, he was pleased. + "I'll give her to him to be his wife," he said to himself. "Then maybe she'll trap him. And maybe the powerful hand of the Philistines will strike him down." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second chance to become my son-in-law." + Then Saul gave an order to his attendants. He said, "Speak to David in private. Tell him, 'The king is pleased with you. All of his attendants like you. So become his son-in-law.' " + Saul's attendants spoke those very words to David. But David said, "Do you think it's a small thing to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man. I'm not very well known." + Saul's attendants told him what David had said. + Saul said, "Tell David, 'Here's the price the king wants for the bride. He wants you to kill 100 Philistines. Then bring back the skins you cut off when you circumcise them. That's how Saul will get even with his enemies.' " Saul hoped that the powerful hand of the Philistines would strike David down. + Saul's attendants also told David those things. Then David was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the day that was set for the wedding, + David and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. They circumcised them. Then David brought all of the skins and gave them to the king. By doing that, he could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave David his daughter Michal to be his wife. + Saul realized that the Lord was with David. He also realized that his daughter Michal loved David. + So Saul became even more afraid of him. He remained David's enemy as long as he was king. + The Philistine commanders kept on going out to battle. Every time they did, David had more success against them than the rest of Saul's officers. So his name became well known. + + + Saul told his son Jonathan and all of the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan liked David very much. + So Jonathan warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be very careful tomorrow morning. Find a place to hide and stay there. + My father and I will come and stand in the field where you are hiding. I'll speak to him about you. Then I'll tell you what I find out." + Jonathan told his father Saul some good things about David. He said to him, "Please don't do anything to harm David. He hasn't done anything to harm you. And what he's done has helped you a lot. + He put his own life in danger when he killed Goliath. The Lord used him to win a great battle for the whole nation of Israel. When you saw it, you were glad. So why would you do anything to harm a man like David? He isn't guilty of doing anything to harm you. Why would you want to kill him without any reason?" + Saul paid attention to Jonathan. He took an oath and made a promise. He said, "You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that David will not be put to death." + So Jonathan sent for David and told him everything he and Saul had said. Then he brought David to Saul. David served Saul as he had done before. + Once more war broke out. So David went out and fought against the Philistines. He struck them down with so much force that they ran away from him. + But an evil spirit that was sent by the Lord came on Saul. It happened as he was sitting in his house and holding his spear. While David was playing the harp, + Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David got away from him just as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David escaped. + Saul sent some men to watch David's house. He told them to kill David the next morning. But David's wife Michal warned him. She said, "You must run for your life tonight. If you don't, tomorrow you will be killed." + So Michal helped David escape through a window. He ran and got away. + Then Michal got a statue of a god. She laid it on David's bed. She covered it with clothes. And she put some goat hair at the place where David's head would have been. + Saul sent the men to capture David. But Michal told them, "He's sick." + Then Saul sent the men back to see David. He told them, "Bring him up here to me in his bed. Then I'll kill him." + But when the men entered, they found nothing but the statue in the bed. Some goat hair was at the place where David's head would have been. + Saul said to Michal, "Why did you trick me like this? Why did you help my enemy escape?" Michal told him, "He said to me, 'Help me get away. If you don't, I'll kill you.' " + After David had run away and escaped, he went to Samuel at Ramah. He told him everything Saul had done to him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. + Saul was told, "David is in Naioth at Ramah." + So Saul sent some men to capture him. When they got there, they saw a group of prophets who were prophesying. Samuel was standing there as their leader. Then the Spirit of God came on Saul's men. So they also began to prophesy. + Saul was told about it. So he sent some more men. They began to prophesy too. Saul sent some men a third time. And they also began to prophesy. + Finally, Saul decided to go to Ramah himself. He went to the large well at Secu. He asked some people, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. + So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God even came on him. He walked along and prophesied until he came to Naioth. + There he took off his royal robes. Then he prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay there without his robes on all that day and night. That's why people say, "Is Saul also one of the prophets?" + + + David was in Naioth at Ramah. He ran away from there to where Jonathan was. He asked him, "What have I done? What crime have I committed? I haven't done anything to harm your father. So why is he trying to kill me?" + "That will never happen!" Jonathan replied. "You aren't going to die! My father doesn't do anything at all without telling me. So why would he hide that from me? He isn't going to kill you!" + But David took an oath. Then he said, "Your father knows very well that you are pleased with me. He has said to himself, 'I don't want Jonathan to know I'm planning to kill David. If he finds out, he'll be very sad.' But I'm very close to being killed. And that's just as sure as the Lord and you are alive." + Jonathan said to David, "I'll do anything you want me to do for you." + So David said, "Tomorrow is the time for the New Moon Feast. I'm supposed to eat with the king. But let me go and hide in the field. I'll stay there until the evening of the day after tomorrow. + Your father might miss me. If he does, then tell him, 'David begged me to let him hurry home to Bethlehem. A yearly sacrifice is being offered there for his whole family group.' + Your father might say, 'That's all right.' If he does, it will mean I'm safe. But he might become very angry. If he does, you can be sure he's made up his mind to harm me. + "Please be kind to me. You have made a covenant with me in the sight of the Lord. If I'm guilty, kill me yourself! Don't hand me over to your father!" + "I would never do that!" Jonathan said. "Suppose I had even the smallest clue that my father had made up his mind to harm you. Then I would tell you." + David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you in a mean way?" + "Come on," Jonathan said. "Let's go out to the field." So they went there together. + Then Jonathan spoke to David. He said, "I promise you that I'll find out what my father is planning to do. I'll find out by this time the day after tomorrow. The Lord, the God of Israel, is my witness. Suppose my father feels kind toward you. Then I'll send you a message and let you know. + But suppose he wants to harm you. And I don't let you know about it. I don't help you get away safely. Then may the Lord punish me greatly. May he be with you, just as he has been with my father. + "But always be kind to me, just as the Lord is. Be kind to me as long as I live. Then I won't be killed. + And never stop being kind to my family. Don't stop even when the Lord has cut off every one of your enemies from the face of the earth." + So Jonathan made a covenant with David and his family. He said, "May the Lord make David's enemies accountable for what they've done." + Jonathan had David take an oath again because he loved him. In fact, Jonathan loved David just as he loved himself. + Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the time for the New Moon Feast. You will be missed, because your seat at the table will be empty. + Go to the place where you hid when all of this trouble began. Go there the day after tomorrow, when evening is approaching. There's a stone out there called Ezel. + Wait by it. "I'll shoot three arrows to one side of the stone. I'll pretend I'm practicing my shooting. + Then I'll send a boy out there. I'll tell him, 'Go and find the arrows.' Suppose I say to him, 'The arrows are on this side of you. Bring them here.' Then come. That will mean you are safe. You won't be in any danger. And that's just as sure as the Lord is alive. + But suppose I tell the boy, 'The arrows are far beyond you.' Then go. That will mean the Lord is sending you away. + "And remember what we talked about. Remember that the Lord is a witness between you and me forever." + So David hid in the field. When the time for the New Moon Feast came, the king sat down to eat. + He sat in his usual place by the wall. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to Saul. But David's place was empty. + Saul didn't say anything that day. He said to himself, "Something must have happened to David to make him 'unclean.' That must be why he isn't here." + But the next day, David's place was empty again. It was the second day of the month. Finally, Saul spoke to his son Jonathan. He said, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal? He hasn't been here yesterday or today." + Jonathan replied, "David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. + He said, 'Let me go. Our family is offering a sacrifice in the town. My brother has ordered me to be there. Are you pleased with me? If you are, let me go and see my brothers.' That's why he hasn't come to eat at your table." + Saul burned with anger against Jonathan. He said to him, "You are an evil son. You have refused to obey me. I know that you are on the side of Jesse's son. You should be ashamed of that. And your mother should be ashamed of having a son like you. + You will never be king as long as Jesse's son lives on this earth. And you will never have a kingdom either. So send for the son of Jesse. Bring him to me. He must die!" + "Why do you want to put him to death?" Jonathan asked his father. "What has he done?" + But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father wanted to kill David. + So Jonathan got up from the table. He was burning with anger. On that second day of the month, he refused to eat. He was very sad that his father was treating David so badly. + The next morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a young boy with him. + He said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow far beyond him. + The boy came to the place where Jonathan's arrow had fallen. Then Jonathan shouted to him, "The arrow went far beyond you, didn't it?" + He continued, "Hurry up! Run fast! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. + The boy didn't know what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew. + Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy. He told him, "Go back to town. Take the weapons with you." + After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone. He bowed down in front of Jonathan with his face to the ground. He did it three times. Then they kissed each other and cried. But David cried more than Jonathan did. + Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace. In the name of the Lord we have taken an oath. We've promised to be friends. We've said, 'The Lord is a witness between you and me. He's a witness between your children and my children forever.' " Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town. + + + David went to the priest Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech trembled with fear when he met him. He asked David, "Why are you alone? Why isn't anyone with you?" + David answered the priest Ahimelech, "The king gave me a special job to do. He said to me, 'I don't want anyone to know what I'm sending you to do. So don't say anything about it.' I've told my men to meet me at a certain place. + Do you have anything for us to eat? Give me five loaves of bread, or anything else you can find." + But the priest answered David, "I don't have any bread that isn't holy. I only have some holy bread here. But it's for men who haven't made love to women recently." + David replied, "Well, we haven't made love to women recently. That's the way it is every time I lead my men out to battle. We keep ourselves holy even when we do jobs that aren't holy. And that's even more true today." + So the priest gave him the holy bread. It was the only bread he had. It had been removed from the table that was in front of the Lord. On the same day, hot bread had been put in its place. + One of Saul's servants was there that day. He had been made to stay at the holy tent for a while. He was Doeg from Edom. He was Saul's chief shepherd. + David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon. That's because the king's business had to be done right away." + The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath, the Philistine, is here. You killed him in the Valley of Elah. His sword is wrapped in a cloth. It's behind the sacred linen apron. If you want it, take it. It's the only sword here." David said, "There isn't any sword like it. Give it to me." + That day David ran away from Saul. He went to Achish, the king of Gath. + But the servants of Achish spoke to him. They said, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one the Israelites sing about when they dance? They sing, " 'Saul has killed thousands of men. David has killed tens of thousands.' " + David paid close attention to what the servants were saying. He became very much afraid of what Achish, the king of Gath, might do. + So he pretended to be out of his mind when he was with them. As long as he was in Gath, he acted like someone who was crazy. He made marks on the doors of the city gate. He let spit run down his beard. + Achish said to his servants, "Just look at the man! He's out of his mind! Why are you bringing him to me? + Don't I have enough crazy people around me already? So why do you have to bring this fellow here? Just look at how he's carrying on in front of me! Why do you have to bring this man into my house?" + + + David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and the other members of his family heard about it. So they went down to join him there. + Everyone who was in trouble or owed money or was unhappy gathered around him. He became their leader. About 400 men were with him. + From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He spoke to the king of Moab. He said, "Please let my father and mother come and stay with you. Let them stay until I learn what God will do for me." + So David left his parents with the king of Moab. They stayed with him as long as David was in his usual place of safety. + But the prophet Gad spoke to David. He said, "Don't stay in your usual place of safety. Go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. + Saul heard that the place where David and his men were hiding had been discovered. Saul was sitting under a tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. He was holding his spear. All of his officials were standing around him. + Saul said to them, "Men of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think Jesse's son will give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he'll make some of you commanders of thousands of men? Do you think he'll make the rest of you commanders of hundreds? + Is that why all of you have joined together against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with Jesse's son. None of you is concerned about me. No one tells me that my son has stirred up Jesse's son to hide and wait to attack me. But that's exactly what's happening now." + Doeg was standing with Saul's officials. He was from Edom. He said, "I saw Jesse's son David come to Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech is the son of Ahitub. + Ahimelech asked the Lord a question for David. He also gave him food and the sword of Goliath, the Philistine." + Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. He sent for all of the men in his family. They were the priests at Nob. All of them came to the king. + Saul said, "Son of Ahitub, listen to me." "Yes, master," he answered. + Saul said to him, "Why have you and Jesse's son joined together against me? Why did you give him bread and a sword? Why did you ask God a question for him? Now he has turned against me. He is hiding and waiting to attack me right now." + Ahimelech answered the king, "David is true to you. In fact, he's more true to you than anyone else who serves you. He's your own son-in-law. He's the captain of your own personal guards. He's highly respected by everyone in your palace. + Was that day the first time I asked God a question for him? Of course not! "Please don't bring charges against me. Please don't bring charges against anyone in my family. I don't know anything at all about this whole matter." + But the king said, "Ahimelech, you will certainly be put to death. You and your whole family will be put to death." + Then the king gave an order to the guards who were at his side. He said, "Go and kill the priests of the Lord. They are on David's side too. They knew he was running away from me. And they didn't even tell me." But the king's officials wouldn't raise a hand to strike down the priests of the Lord. + Then the king ordered Doeg, "You go and strike the priests down." So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 men who wore linen aprons. + He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep. + But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, escaped. Ahimelech was the son of Ahitub. Abiathar ran away and joined David. + He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. + Then David said to Abiathar, "One day I was at Nob. I saw Doeg, the Edomite, there. I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. Your whole family has been killed. And I'm accountable for it. + So stay with me. Don't be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me." + + + David was told, "The Philistines are fighting against the town of Keilah. They are stealing grain from the threshing floors." + So he asked the Lord for advice. He said, "Should I go and attack those Philistines?" The Lord answered him, "Go and attack them. Save Keilah." + But David's men said to him, "We're afraid here in Judah. Suppose we go to Keilah and fight against the Philistine army. Then we'll be even more afraid." + Once again David asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord answered him, "Go down to Keilah. I am going to hand the Philistines over to you." + So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the Philistines and carried off their livestock. David wounded and killed large numbers of Philistines. And he saved the people of Keilah. + Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, had brought the linen apron down with him from Nob. He did it when he ran away to David at Keilah. + Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. He said, "God has handed him over to me. David has trapped himself by entering a town that has gates and heavy metal bars." + So Saul brought together all of his soldiers to go to battle. He ordered them to go down to Keilah. He told them to surround David and his men. He told them to get ready to attack them. + David learned that Saul was planning to attack him. So he said to the priest Abiathar, "Bring the linen apron." + Then David said, "Lord, you are the God of Israel. I know for sure that Saul plans to come to Keilah. He plans to destroy the town because of me. + Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down here, as I've heard he would? Lord, you are the God of Israel. Please answer me." The Lord said, "He will come down." + Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will." + So David and his men left Keilah. The total number of them was about 600. They kept moving from place to place. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah. So he didn't go there. + Sometimes David stayed in places of safety in the desert. At other times he stayed in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul looked for him. But God didn't hand David over to him. + David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph. There he learned that Saul had come out to kill him. + Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh. He told David that God would make him strong. + "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul won't lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel. And I will be next in command. Even my father Saul knows this." + The two of them made a covenant in the sight of the Lord. Then Jonathan went home. But David remained at Horesh. + The people of Ziph went up to Saul at Gibeah. They said, "David is hiding among us. He's hiding in places of safety at Horesh. Horesh is south of Jeshimon on the hill of Hakilah. + King Saul, come down when it pleases you to come. It will be our duty to hand David over to you." + Saul replied, "May the Lord bless you because you were concerned about me. + Make sure you are right. Go and check things out again. Find out where David usually goes. Find out who has seen him there. People tell me he's very tricky. + Find out about all of the hiding places he uses. Come back to me with all of the facts. I'll go with you. Suppose he's in the area. Then I'll track him down among all of the family groups of Judah." + So they started out. They went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon. Maon is south of Jeshimon in the Arabah Valley. + Saul and his men started out to look for David. David was told about it. So he went down to a rock in the Desert of Maon to hide. Saul heard he was there. So he went into the Desert of Maon to chase David. + Saul was going along one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul. Saul and his army were closing in on David and his men. They were about to capture them. + Just then a messenger came to Saul. He said, "Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking the land." + So Saul stopped chasing David. He went to fight against the Philistines. That's why they call that place Sela Hammahlekoth. + David left that place. He went and lived in places of safety near En Gedi. + + + Saul returned from chasing the Philistines. Then he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." + So Saul took 3,000 of the best soldiers from the whole nation of Israel. He started out to look for David and his men. He planned to look near the Rocky Cliffs of the Wild Goats. + He came to some sheep pens along the way. A cave was there. Saul went in to go to the toilet. David and his men were far back in the cave. + David's men said, "This is the day the Lord told you about. He said to you, 'I will hand your enemy over to you. Then you can deal with him as you want to.' " So David came up close to Saul without being seen. He cut off a corner of Saul's robe. + Later, David felt sorry that he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. + He said to his men, "May the Lord keep me from doing a thing like that to my master again. He is the Lord's anointed king. So I promise that I will never lift my hand to strike him down. The Lord has anointed him." + David said that to warn his men. He didn't allow them to attack Saul. So Saul left the cave and went on his way. + Then David went out of the cave. He called out to Saul, "King Saul! My master!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground. + He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is trying to harm you'? + This very day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Some of my men begged me to kill you. But I spared you. I said, 'I will never lift my hand to strike my master down. He is the Lord's anointed king.' + "Look, my father! Look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe. But I didn't kill you. I want you to know and understand that I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. I haven't turned against you. I haven't done anything to harm you. But you are hunting me down. You want to kill me. + "May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord pay you back because of the wrong things you have done to me. But I won't lay a hand on you. + People say, 'Evil acts come from those who do evil.' So I won't lay a hand on you. + "King Saul, who are you trying to catch? Who do you think you are chasing? I'm nothing but a dead dog or a flea! + May the Lord be our judge. May he decide between us. May he consider my case and stand up for me. May he show that I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. May he save me from your powerful hand." + When David finished speaking, Saul asked him a question. He said, "My son David, is that your voice?" And Saul sobbed out loud. + "You are a better person than I am," he said. "You have treated me well. But I've treated you badly. + You have just now told me about the good things you did to me. The Lord handed me over to you. But you didn't kill me. + Suppose a man finds his enemy. He doesn't let him get away without harming him. May the Lord reward you with many good things. May he do it because of the way you treated me today. + I know for sure that you will be king. I know that the kingdom of Israel will be made secure under your control. + Now take an oath in the name of the Lord. Promise me that you won't cut off my children from my family. Also promise me that you won't wipe out my name from my family line." + So David took an oath and made that promise to Saul. Then Saul returned home. But David and his men went up to his usual place of safety. + + + Samuel died. The whole nation of Israel gathered together. They were filled with sorrow because he was dead. They buried his body at his home in Ramah. Then David went down into the Desert of Maon. + A certain man in Maon was very wealthy. He owned property there at Carmel. He had 1,000 goats and 3,000 sheep. He was clipping the wool off the sheep in Carmel. + His name was Nabal. His wife's name was Abigail. She was a wise and beautiful woman. But her husband was rude and mean in the way he treated others. He was from the family of Caleb. + David was staying in the Desert of Maon. While he was there, he heard that Nabal was clipping the wool off his sheep. + So he sent for ten young men. He said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him for me. + Say to him, 'May you live a long time! May everything go well with you and your family! And may things go well with everything that belongs to you! + " 'I hear that you are clipping the wool off your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we treated them well. The whole time they were at Carmel nothing that belonged to them was stolen. + Ask your own servants. They'll tell you. We've come to you now at a happy time of the year. Please show favor to my young men. Please give me and my men anything you can find for us.' " + When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal the message from David. Then they waited. + Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are running away from their masters these days. + Why should I give away my bread and water? Why should I give away the meat I've prepared for those who clip the wool off my sheep? Why should I give food to men who come from who knows where?" + So David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported to David every word Nabal had spoken. + David said to his men, "Put on your swords!" So they put their swords on. David put his on too. About 400 men went up with David. Two hundred men stayed behind with the supplies. + One of the servants warned Nabal's wife Abigail. He said, "David sent some messengers from the desert to give his greetings to our master. But Nabal shouted at them and made fun of them. + "David's men had been very good to us. They treated us well. The whole time we were near them out in the fields, nothing was stolen. + We were taking care of our sheep near them. During that time, they were like a wall around us night and day. They kept us safe. + "Now think it over. See what you can do. Horrible trouble will soon come to our master and his whole family. He's such an evil man that no one can even talk to him." + Abigail didn't waste any time. She got 200 loaves of bread and two bottles of wine. The bottles were made out of animal skins. She got five sheep that were ready to be cooked. She got a bushel of grain that had been cooked. She got 100 raisin cakes. And she got 200 cakes of pressed figs. She loaded all of it on the backs of donkeys. + Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead. I'll follow you." But she didn't tell her husband Nabal about it. + Abigail rode her donkey into a mountain valley. There she saw David and his men. They were coming down toward her. + David had just said, "Everything we've done hasn't been worth a thing! I watched over that fellow's property in the desert. I made sure none of it was stolen. But he has paid me back evil for good. + I won't leave even one of his men alive until morning. If I do, may God punish me greatly!" + When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey. She bowed down in front of David with her face toward the ground. + She fell at his feet. She said, "Please let me speak to you, sir. Listen to what I'm saying. Let me take the blame myself. + Don't pay any attention to that evil man Nabal. His name means Foolish Person. And that's exactly what he is. He's always doing foolish things. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see the men you sent. + "Sir, the Lord has kept you from killing Nabal and his men. He has kept you from using your own hands to get even. May what's about to happen to Nabal happen to all of your enemies. May it also happen to everyone who wants to harm you. And may it happen just as surely as the Lord and you are alive. + "I've brought a gift for you. Give it to the men who follow you. + Please forgive me for what I've done wrong. "The Lord will certainly give you and your family line a kingdom that will last. That's because you fight the Lord's battles. Don't do anything wrong as long as you live. + "Someone may chase you and try to kill you. But the Lord your God will keep your life safe like a treasure that is hidden in a bag. And he'll destroy your enemies. Their lives will be thrown away, just as a stone is thrown from a sling. + "The Lord will do for you every good thing he promised to do. He'll appoint you leader over Israel. + When that happens, you won't have this heavy load on your mind. You won't have to worry about how you killed people without any reason. You won't have to worry about how you got even. The Lord will give you success. When that happens, please remember me." + David said to Abigail, "Give praise to the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He has sent you today to find me. + May the Lord bless you for what you have done. You have shown a lot of good sense. You have kept me from killing Nabal and his men this very day. You have kept me from using my own hands to get even. + "It's a good thing you came quickly to meet me. If you hadn't come, not one of Nabal's men would have been left alive by sunrise. And that's just as sure as the Lord, the God of Israel, is alive. He has kept me from harming you." + Then David accepted from her what she had brought him. He said, "Go home in peace. I've heard your words. I'll do what you have asked." + Abigail went back to Nabal. He was having a dinner party in the house. It was the kind of dinner a king would have. He had been drinking too much wine. He was very drunk. So she didn't tell him anything at all until sunrise. + The next morning Nabal wasn't drunk anymore. Then his wife told him everything. When she did, his heart grew weak. He became like a stone. + About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal down. And he died. + David heard that Nabal was dead. So he said, "Give praise to the Lord. Nabal made fun of me. But the Lord stood up for me. He has kept me from doing something wrong. He has paid Nabal back for the wrong things he did." Then David sent a message to Abigail. He asked her to become his wife. + His servants went to Carmel. They said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you. He wants you to come back with us and become his wife." + Abigail bowed down with her face toward the ground. She said, "Here I am. I'm ready to serve him. I'm ready to wash the feet of his servants." + Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with David's messengers. Her five female servants went with her. She became David's wife. + David had also gotten married to Ahinoam from Jezreel. Both of them became his wives. + But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's first wife, to Paltiel. Paltiel was from Gallim. He was the son of Laish. + + + Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah. They said, "David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah. It faces Jeshimon." + So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph. He took 3,000 of the best soldiers in Israel with him. They went to the desert to look for David. + Saul set up his camp beside the road. It was on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon. But David stayed in the desert. He saw that Saul had followed him there. + So he sent out scouts. From them he learned that Saul had arrived. + Then David started out. He went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner were lying down. Saul was lying inside the camp. The army was camped all around him. Abner was commander of the army. He was the son of Ner. + Then David spoke to Ahimelech, the Hittite. He also spoke to Joab's brother Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He asked them, "Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?" "I'll go with you," said Abishai. + So that night David and Abishai went into the camp. They found Saul lying asleep inside the camp. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him. + Abishai said to David, "Today God has handed your enemy over to you. So let me pin him to the ground. I can do it with one jab of my spear. I won't even have to strike him twice." + But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! No one can lay a hand on the Lord's anointed king and not be guilty. + You can be sure that the Lord lives," he said. "And you can be just as sure that the Lord himself will strike Saul down. Perhaps he'll die a natural death. Or perhaps he'll go into battle and be killed. + May the Lord keep me from laying a hand on his anointed king. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head. Then let's leave." + So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul's head. Then he and Abishai left. No one saw them. No one knew about what they had done. In fact, no one even woke up. Everyone was sleeping. That's because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep. + David went across to the other side of the valley. He stood on top of a hill far away from Saul's camp. There was a wide space between them. + He called out to the army and to Abner, the son of Ner. He said, "Abner! Aren't you going to answer me?" Abner replied, "Who is calling out to the king?" + David said, "You are a great soldier, aren't you? There isn't anyone else like you in Israel. So why didn't you guard the king? He's your master, isn't he? Someone came into the camp to destroy him. + You didn't guard him. And that isn't good. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that you and your men are worthy of death. That's because you didn't guard your master. He's the Lord's anointed king. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?" + Saul recognized David's voice. He said, "My son David, is that your voice?" David replied, "Yes it is, King Saul, my master." + He continued, "Why are you chasing me? What evil thing have I done? What am I guilty of? + "King Saul, please listen to what I'm saying. Was it the Lord who made you angry with me? If it was, may he accept my offering. Was it people who made you angry at me? If it was, may the Lord send down a curse on them. They have now driven me from my share of the Lord's land. By doing that, they might as well have said, 'Go and serve other gods.' + "Don't spill my blood on the ground far away from where the Lord lives. King Saul, you have come out to look for nothing but a flea. It's as if you were hunting a partridge in the mountains." + Then Saul said, "I have sinned. My son David, come back. Today you thought my life was very special. So I won't try to harm you again. I've really acted like a foolish person. I've made a huge mistake." + "Here's your spear," David answered. "Send one of your young men over to get it. + "The Lord rewards everyone for doing what is right and being faithful. He handed you over to me today. But I wouldn't lay a hand on you. You are the Lord's anointed king. + Today I thought your life had great value. In the same way, may the Lord think of my life as having great value. May he save me from all trouble." + Then Saul said to David, "My son David, may the Lord bless you. You will do great things. You will also have great success." So David went on his way. And Saul returned home. + + + David thought, "Some day the powerful hand of Saul will destroy me. So the best thing I can do is escape. I'll go to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop looking for me everywhere in Israel. His hand won't be able to reach me." + So David and his 600 men left Israel. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maoch. + David and his men settled down in Gath near Achish. Each of David's men had his family with him. David had his two wives with him. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal's widow. + Saul was told that David had run away to Gath. So he didn't look for David anymore. + David said to Achish, "If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of your country towns. I can live there. I don't really need to live near you in the royal city." + So on that day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. It has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since that time. + David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months. + Sometimes David and his men would go up and attack the Geshurites. At other times they would attack the Girzites or the Amalekites. All of those people had lived in the land that reached all the way to Shur and Egypt. They had been there for a long time. + When David would attack an area, he wouldn't leave a man or woman alive. But he would take their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and clothes. Then he would return to Achish. + Achish would ask, "Who did you attack today?" David would answer, "The people who live in the Negev Desert of Judah." Or he would answer, "The people in the Negev Desert of Jerahmeel." Or he would answer, "The people in the Negev Desert of the Kenites." + David wouldn't leave a man or woman alive to be brought back to Gath. He thought, "They might tell on us. They might tell Achish who we really attacked." That's what David did as long as he lived in Philistine territory. + Achish trusted David. He thought, "David has made himself smell very bad to his people, the Israelites. So he'll serve me forever." + + + While David was living in Ziklag, the Philistines gathered their army together. They planned to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "I want you to understand that you and your men must march out with me and my army." + David said, "I understand. You will see for yourself what I can do." Achish replied, "All right. I'll make you my own personal guard for life." + Samuel had died. The whole nation of Israel was filled with sorrow because he was dead. They had buried his body in his own town of Ramah. Saul had gotten rid of people who get messages from those who have died. He had also gotten rid of people who talk to the spirits of the dead. He had thrown all of them out of the land. + The Philistines gathered together and set up camp at Shunem. At the same time, Saul gathered all of the fighting men of Israel together. They set up camp at Gilboa. + When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid. Terror filled his heart. + He asked the Lord for advice. But the Lord didn't answer him through dreams or prophets. He didn't answer him when Saul had the priest use the Urim. + Saul spoke to his attendants. He said, "Find me a woman who gets messages from those who have died. Then I can go and ask her some questions." "There's a woman like that in Endor," they said. + Saul put on different clothes so people wouldn't know who he was. At night he and two of his men went to see the woman. "I want you to talk to a spirit for me," he said. "Bring up the spirit of the dead person I choose." + But the woman said to him, "By now you must know what Saul has done. He has cut off everyone who gets messages from those who have died. He has also cut off everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead. He has thrown all of them out of the land. Why are you trying to trap me? Why do you want to have me put to death?" + Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord. He promised the woman, "You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that you won't be punished for helping me." + Then the woman asked, "Whose spirit should I bring up for you?" "Bring Samuel up," he said. + When the woman saw Samuel, she let out a loud scream. She said to Saul, "Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!" + He said to her, "Don't be afraid. Tell me what you see." The woman said, "I see a spirit. He's coming up out of the ground." + "What does he look like?" Saul asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel. He bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground. + Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you troubled me by bringing me up from the dead?" "I'm having big problems," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me. God has turned away from me. He doesn't answer me anymore. He doesn't speak to me through prophets or dreams. So I've called on you to tell me what to do." + Samuel said, "The Lord has turned away from you. He has become your enemy. So why are you asking me what you should do? + The Lord has spoken through me and has done what he said he would do. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands. He has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to David. + You didn't obey the Lord. You didn't carry out his burning anger against the Amalekites. So he's punishing you today. + "He will hand both Israel and you over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be down here with me. The Lord will also hand Israel's army over to the Philistines." + Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground. What Samuel had said filled Saul with fear. His strength was gone. He hadn't eaten anything all that day and night. + The woman went over to Saul because she saw that he was very upset. She said, "Look, I've obeyed you. I put my own life in danger by doing what you told me to do. + So please listen to me. Let me give you some food. Eat it. Then you will have the strength to go on your way." + But he refused. He said, "I don't want anything to eat." Then his men joined the woman in begging him to eat. Finally, he paid attention to them. He got up from the ground and sat on a couch. + The woman had a fat calf at her house. She killed it at once. She got some flour. She mixed it and baked some bread that didn't have any yeast in it. + Then she set the food in front of Saul and his men. They ate it. That same night they got up and left. + + + The Philistines gathered their whole army together at Aphek. Israel's army camped by the spring of water at Jezreel. + The Philistine rulers marched out in companies of hundreds and thousands. David and his men were marching with Achish behind the others. + The commanders of the Philistines asked, "Why are these Hebrews here?" Achish replied, "That's David, isn't it? Wasn't he an officer of Saul, the king of Israel? He has already been with me for more than a year. I haven't found any fault in him. That's been true from the day he left Saul until now." + But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish. They said, "Send David back. Let him return to the town you gave him. He must not go with us into battle. If he does, he'll turn against us during the fighting. In fact, he might even cut off the heads of our own men. What better way could he choose to win back his master's favor? + Isn't David the one the Israelites sang about when they danced? They sang, " 'Saul has killed thousands of men. David has killed tens of thousands.' " + So Achish called David over to him. He said, "You have been faithful to me. And that's just as sure as the Lord is alive. I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. I haven't found any fault in you. That's been true from the day you came to me until now. But the Philistine rulers aren't pleased to have you come along. + So go back home in peace. Don't do anything that wouldn't please the Philistine rulers." + "But what have I done?" asked David. "What have you found against me from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go and fight against your enemies? After all, you are my king and master." + Achish answered, "You have been as pleasing to me as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said, 'We don't want David to go up with us into battle.' + So get up early in the morning. Take with you the men who used to serve Saul. Leave as soon as the sun begins to come up." + So David and his men got up early in the morning. They went back to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. + + + On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag. The Amalekites had attacked the people of the Negev Desert. They had also attacked Ziklag and burned it. + They had captured the women and everyone else who was in Ziklag. They had taken as prisoners young people and old people alike. But they didn't kill any of them. Instead, they carried them off as they went on their way. + David and his men came to Ziklag. They saw that it had been destroyed by fire. They found out that their wives and sons and daughters had been captured. + So David and his men began to sob out loud. They sobbed until they couldn't sob anymore. + David's two wives had been captured. Their names were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal's widow. + David was greatly troubled. His men were even talking about killing him by throwing stones at him. All of them were very bitter because their sons and daughters had been taken away. But David was made strong by the Lord his God. + Then David spoke to the priest Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. He said, "Bring me the linen apron." Abiathar brought it to him. + David asked the Lord for advice. He said, "Should I chase after the men who attacked Ziklag? If I do, will I catch up with them?" "Chase after them," the Lord answered. "You will certainly catch up with them. You will succeed in saving those who were captured." + David and his 600 men came to the Besor Valley. Some of them stayed behind there. + That's because 200 of them were too tired to go across the valley. But David and the other 400 continued the chase. + David's men found an Egyptian in a field. They brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat. + They gave him part of a cake of pressed figs. They also gave him two raisin cakes. After he ate them, he felt as good as new. That's because he hadn't eaten any food for three days and three nights. He hadn't drunk any water during that time either. + David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?" The man said, "I'm from Egypt. I'm the slave of an Amalekite. My master deserted me when I became ill three days ago. + We attacked the people in the Negev Desert of the Kerethites. We attacked the territory that belongs to Judah. We attacked the people in the Negev Desert of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag." + David asked him, "Can you lead me down to the men who attacked Ziklag?" He answered, "Take an oath in the name of God. Promise me that you won't kill me. Promise that you won't hand me over to my master. Then I'll take you down to them." + He led David down to where the men were. They were scattered all over the countryside. They were eating and drinking and dancing wildly. That's because they had taken a large amount of goods from those they had attacked. They had taken it from the land of the Philistines and from the people of Judah. + David fought against them from sunset until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped except 400 young men. They rode off on camels and got away. + David got everything back that the Amalekites had taken. That included his two wives. + Nothing was missing. Not one young person or old person or boy or girl was missing. None of the goods or anything else the Amalekites had taken was missing. David brought everything back. + He brought back all of the flocks and herds. His men drove them on ahead of the other livestock. They said, "Here's what David has captured." + Then David came to the 200 men who had been too tired to follow him. They had been left behind in the Besor Valley. They came out to welcome David and the people who were with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them. + But some of the men who had gone out with David were evil. They wanted to stir up trouble. They said, "The 200 men didn't go out into battle with us. So we won't share with them the goods we brought back. But each man can take his wife and children and go home." + David replied, "No, my friends. You must not hold back their share of what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe. He has handed over to us the men who attacked Ziklag. + So no one will pay any attention to what you are saying. Each man who stayed with the supplies will receive the same share as each man who went down to the battle. Everyone's share will be the same." + David made that a law and a rule for Israel. It has been followed from that day until now. + David arrived in Ziklag. He sent some of the goods to the elders of Judah. They were his friends. He said, "Here's a present for you. It's part of the things we took from the Lord's enemies." + He sent some goods to the elders who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir. + He sent some to those who were in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa + and Racal. He sent some to those who were in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites. + He sent some to those who were in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach + and Hebron. He also sent some to those who were in all of the other places where he and his men had wandered around. + + + The Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel ran away from them. But many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines kept chasing Saul and his sons. They killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. + The fighting was heavy around Saul. Men who were armed with bows and arrows caught up with him. They shot their arrows at him and wounded him badly. + Saul spoke to the man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Pull out your sword. Stick it through me. If you don't, those fellows who aren't circumcised will come. They'll stick their swords through me and hurt me badly." But the man was terrified. He wouldn't do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. + The man saw that Saul was dead. So he fell on his own sword and died with him. + Saul and his three sons died together that same day. The man who carried his armor also died with them that day. So did all of Saul's men. + The Israelites who lived along the valley saw that their army had run away. So did those who lived across the Jordan River. They saw that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and settled down in them. + The day after the Philistines had won the battle, they came to take what they wanted from the dead bodies. They found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. + So they cut off Saul's head. They took his armor from his body. Then they sent messengers through the whole land of the Philistines. They announced the news in the temple where they had set up statues of their gods. They also announced it among their people. + They put Saul's armor in the temple where they had set up statues of goddesses that were named after Ashtoreth. They hung his body up on the wall of Beth Shan. + The people of Jabesh Gilead heard about what the Philistines had done to Saul. + So all of their brave men traveled through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. They brought them to Jabesh. There they burned them. + Then they got the bones of Saul and his sons and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh. They didn't eat anything for seven days. + + + + + After Saul died, David returned to Ziklag. He had won the battle over the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days. + On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to show him respect. + "Where have you come from?" David asked him. He answered, "I've escaped from Israel's camp." + "What happened?" David asked. "Tell me." He said, "Israel's men ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." + David spoke to the young man who brought him the report. He asked him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" + "I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa," the young man said. "Saul was there too. He was leaning on his spear. The enemy chariots and chariot drivers had almost caught up with him. + Then he turned around and saw me. He called out to me. I said, 'What do you want me to do?' + "He asked me, 'Who are you?' " 'An Amalekite,' I answered. + "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I'm close to death, but I'm still alive.' + "So I stood over him and killed him. I did it because I knew that after he had lost the battle he would be killed anyway. So I took the crown that was on his head. I also took his armband. I've brought them here to you. You are my master." + Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them. All of his men did the same thing. + All of them were filled with sadness. They sobbed over the whole nation of Israel. They didn't eat anything until evening. That's because Saul and Jonathan and the Lord's army had been killed with swords. + David spoke to the young man who had brought him the report. He asked, "Where are you from?" "I'm the son of an outsider, an Amalekite," he answered. + David asked him, "Why weren't you afraid to lift your hand to kill the Lord's anointed king?" + Then David called for one of his men. He said, "Go! Strike him down!" So he struck the man down, and the man died. + That's because David had said to him, "Anything that happens to you will be your own fault. What your own mouth has spoken is a witness against you. You said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed king.' " + David sang a song of sadness about Saul and his son Jonathan. + He ordered that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is called The Song of the Bow. It is written down in the Book of Jashar. David sang, + "Israel, your glorious leaders lie dead on your hills. Your mighty men have fallen. + "Don't announce it in Gath. Don't tell it in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will be glad. The daughters of men who haven't been circumcised will be joyful. + "Mountains of Gilboa, may no dew or rain fall on you. May your fields not produce any offerings of grain. The shield of the mighty king lies polluted there. The shield of Saul lies there. It isn't rubbed with oil anymore. + The bow of Jonathan didn't turn back. The sword of Saul didn't return without being satisfied. They spilled the blood of their enemies. They killed mighty men. + "In life Saul and Jonathan were loved and gracious. In death they were not parted. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions. + "Daughters of Israel, sob over Saul. He dressed you in the finest clothes. He decorated your clothes with ornaments of gold. + "Your mighty men have fallen in battle. Jonathan lies dead on your hills. + My brother Jonathan, I'm filled with sadness because of you. You were very special to me. Your love for me was wonderful. It was more wonderful than the love of women. + "Israel's mighty men have fallen. Their weapons of war are broken." + + + After Saul and Jonathan died, David asked the Lord for advice. "Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The Lord said, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go?" "To Hebron," the Lord answered. + So David went up there with his two wives. Their names were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal's widow. + David also took his men and their families with him. They settled down in Hebron and its towns. + Then the men of Judah came to Hebron. There they anointed David to be king over the people of Judah. David was told that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul's body. + So he sent messengers to them to speak for him. The messengers said, "You were kind to bury the body of your master Saul. May the Lord bless you for that. + And may he now be kind and faithful to you. David will treat you well for being kind to Saul's body. + Now then, be strong and brave. Your master Saul is dead. And the people of Judah have anointed David to be king over them." + Abner, the son of Ner, was commander of Saul's army. He had brought Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim. + There he made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel. He also made him king over Ephraim, Benjamin and other areas of Israel. + Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel. He ruled for two years. But the people of Judah followed David. + David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. + Abner, the son of Ner, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. The men of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, went with him. + Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and David's men also went out. All of them met at the pool in Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool. The other group sat on the other side. + Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight. Let's tell them to fight hand to hand in front of us." "All right. Let them do it," Joab said. + So the young men stood up and were counted off. There were 12 on the side of Benjamin and Saul's son Ish-Bosheth. And there were 12 on David's side. + Each man grabbed one of his enemies by the head. Each one stuck his dagger into the other man's side. And all of them fell down together and died. So that place in Gibeon was named Helkath Hazzurim. + The fighting that day was very heavy. Abner and the men of Israel lost the battle to David's men. + The three sons of Zeruiah were there. Their names were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as quick on his feet as a wild antelope. + He chased Abner. He didn't turn to the right or the left as he chased him. + Abner looked behind him. He asked, "Asahel, is that you?" "It is," he answered. + Then Abner said to him, "Turn to the right or the left. Fight one of the young men. Take his weapons away from him." But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him. + Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! If you don't, I'll strike you down. Then how could I look your brother Joab in the face?" + But Asahel refused to give up the chase. So Abner drove the dull end of his spear into Asahel's stomach. The spear came out of his back. He fell and died right there on the spot. Every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died. + But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. As the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah. It was near Giah on the way to the dry and empty land close to Gibeon. + The men of Benjamin gathered in a group around Abner. They took their stand on top of a hill. + Abner called out to Joab, "Do you want our swords to keep on killing us off? Don't you know that all of this fighting will end in bitter feelings? How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing their fellow Israelites?" + Joab answered, "It's a good thing you spoke up. If you hadn't, the men would have kept on chasing their fellow Israelites until morning. And that's just as sure as God is alive." + So Joab blew a trumpet. All of the men stopped. They didn't chase Israel anymore. They didn't fight anymore either. + All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah Valley. They went across the Jordan River. They kept on going through the whole Bithron. Finally, they came to Mahanaim. + Then Joab returned from chasing Abner. He gathered all of his men together. Besides Asahel, only 19 of David's men were missing. + But David's men had killed 360 men from Benjamin who were with Abner. + They got Asahel's body and buried it in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. They arrived at Hebron at sunrise. + + + The war between Saul's royal house and David's royal house lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger. But the royal house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. + Sons were born to David in Hebron. His first son was Amnon. Amnon's mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. + His second son was Kileab. Kileab's mother was Abigail. She was Nabal's widow from Carmel. The third son was Absalom. His mother was Maacah. She was the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. + The fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith. The fifth son was Shephatiah. His mother was Abital. + The sixth son was Ithream. His mother was David's wife Eglah. Those sons were born to David in Hebron. + The fighting continued between David's royal house and Saul's royal house. Abner gained more and more power in the royal house of Saul. + While Saul was still alive, he had a concubine named Rizpah. She was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you have sex with my father's concubine?" + Abner burned with anger because of what Ish-Bosheth said. He answered, "Do you think I'm only a dog's head? Am I on Judah's side? To this very day I've been true to the royal house of your father Saul. I've been true to his family and friends. I haven't handed you over to David. But now you claim that I've sinned with this woman! + "I will do for David what the Lord promised him with an oath. If I don't, may God punish me greatly. + I'll take the kingdom away from Saul's royal house. I'll set up the throne of David's kingdom over Israel and Judah. He will rule from Dan all the way to Beersheba." + Ish-Bosheth didn't dare to say another word to Abner. He was much too afraid of him. + Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak for him. They said, "Who will rule over this land? Make a covenant with me. Then I'll help you bring all of the people of Israel over to your side." + "Good," said David. "I will make a covenant with you. But there's one thing I want you to do. Bring Saul's daughter Michal to me. Don't come to see me unless she's with you." + Then David sent messengers to Saul's son Ish-Bosheth. He ordered them to say, "Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me. I paid for her with the skins I cut off when I circumcised 100 Philistines." + So Ish-Bosheth gave the order. He sent men who took Michal away from her husband Paltiel. Paltiel was the son of Laish. + But her husband followed her to Bahurim. He was crying all the way. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home!" So he did. + Abner talked with the elders of Israel. He said, "For some time you have wanted to make David your king. + Now do it! The Lord made a promise to David. He said, 'I will save my people Israel from the powerful hand of the Philistines. I will also save them from all of their enemies. I will save them through my servant David.' " + Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything. He told him what Israel and all of the people of Benjamin wanted to do. + Abner had 20 men with him. They came to David at Hebron. So David prepared a big dinner for Abner and his men. + Then Abner said to David, "Let me go right now. I'll gather together all of the people of Israel for you. After all, you are now my king and master. The people can make a covenant with you. Then you can rule over everyone you want to." So David sent Abner away. And he went in peace. + Just then David's men and Joab came back from attacking their enemies. They brought with them the large amount of goods they had taken. But Abner wasn't with David in Hebron anymore. That's because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. + Joab and all of the soldiers who were with him arrived. Then he was told that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to see the king. He was told that the king had sent Abner away. He was also told that Abner had gone in peace. + So Joab went to the king. He said, "What have you done? Abner came to you. Why did you let him get away? Now he's gone! + You know what Abner, the son of Ner, is like. He came to trick you. He wanted to watch your every move. He came to find out everything you are doing." + Then Joab left David. He sent messengers to get Abner. They brought Abner back from the well of Sirah. But David didn't know about it. + When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him to one side. He brought him to the entrance of the city gate. Joab acted as if he wanted to speak to him in private. But he really wanted to get even with him. That's because Abner had spilled the blood of Joab's brother Asahel. So Joab stabbed him in the stomach. And Abner died. + Later on, David heard about it. He said, "I and the people of my kingdom aren't guilty of spilling the blood of Abner, the son of Ner. We are free of blame forever in the sight of the Lord. + "May Joab and his whole family line be held accountable for spilling Abner's blood! May someone in Joab's family always have an open sore or skin disease. May someone in his family always have to use a crutch to walk. May someone in his family be killed with a sword. And may someone in his family never have enough food to eat." + Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner. They did it because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon. + David spoke to Joab and all of the people who were with him. He said, "Tear your clothes. Put on black clothes. Sob when you walk in front of Abner's body." King David himself walked behind it. + Abner's body was buried in Hebron. The king sobbed out loud at Abner's tomb. So did the rest of the people. + King David sang a song of sadness over Abner. He said, "Should Abner have died as sinful people do? + His hands were not tied. His feet were not chained. He died as if he had been killed by evil people." All of the people sobbed over Abner again. + Then all of them came and begged David to eat something. They wanted him to eat while it was still day. But David took an oath. He said, "I won't taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down. If I do, may God punish me greatly!" + All of the people heard it and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. + So on that day all of the people of Judah and Israel understood. They knew that the king didn't have anything to do with the murder of Abner, the son of Ner. + The king spoke to his men. He said, "Don't you realize that a great commander has died in Israel today? + I'm the anointed king. But today I'm weak. These sons of Zeruiah are too powerful for me. May the Lord pay back the one who killed Abner! May he pay him back for the evil thing he has done!" + + + Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had died in Hebron. Then he wasn't so brave anymore. And all of the people of Israel became alarmed. + Two men in Ish-Bosheth's army led small companies that attacked their enemies. The names of the men were Baanah and Recab. They were sons of Rimmon from the town of Beeroth. Rimmon was from the tribe of Benjamin. Beeroth is considered to be part of Benjamin. + That's because the people who used to live in Beeroth had run away to Gittaim. They have lived there as outsiders to this very day. + Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son named Mephibosheth. Both of Mephibosheth's feet were hurt. He was five years old when the news that Saul and Jonathan had died came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and ran. But as she hurried to get away, he fell down. That's how his feet were hurt. + Recab and Baanah started out for the house of Ish-Bosheth. They were the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth. They arrived there during the hottest time of the day. Ish-Bosheth was taking his early afternoon nap. + Recab and his brother Baanah went into the inside part of the house. They acted as if they were going to get some wheat. Instead, they stabbed Ish-Bosheth in the stomach. Then they slipped away. + They had gone into the house while Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They stabbed him and killed him. Then they cut off his head and took it with them. They traveled all night through the Arabah Valley. + They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to King David at Hebron. They said to him, "Here's the head of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul. Saul was your enemy. He often tried to kill you. Today the Lord has paid Saul and his family back. He has let you get even with them. You are our king and master." + David gave an answer to Recab and his brother Baanah. They were the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth. David said, "The Lord has saved me from all of my troubles. + A man once told me, 'Saul is dead.' He thought he was bringing me good news. But I grabbed hold of him. I had him put to death in Ziklag. That's the reward I gave him for his news! And that's just as sure as the Lord is alive. + "Now you evil men have killed a man in his own house. He hadn't done anything wrong. You killed him while he was lying on his own bed. You spilled his blood. So shouldn't I spill your blood? Shouldn't I wipe you off the face of the earth?" + Then David gave an order to his men. They killed Recab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet. They hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they buried the head of Ish-Bosheth in Abner's tomb at Hebron. + + + All of the tribes of Israel came to see David at Hebron. They said, "We are your own flesh and blood. + In the past, Saul was our king. But you led the men of Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, 'You will be the shepherd over my people Israel. You will become their ruler.' " + All of the elders of Israel came to see King David at Hebron. There the king made a covenant with them in the sight of the Lord. They anointed David as king over Israel. + David was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled for 40 years. + In Hebron he ruled over Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled over all of Israel and Judah for 33 years. + The king and his men marched to Jerusalem. They went to attack the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You won't get in here. Even blind people and those who are disabled can keep you from coming in." They thought, "David can't get in here." + But David captured the fort of Zion. It became known as the City of David. + On that day David said, "Anyone who wins the battle over the Jebusites will have to crawl through the water tunnel to get into the city. That's the only way he can reach those 'disabled and blind' enemies of mine." That's why people say, "Those who are 'blind and disabled' won't enter David's palace." + David moved into the fort. He called it the City of David. He built up the area around the fort. He filled in the low places. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. + David became more and more powerful. That's because the Lord God who rules over all was with him. + Hiram was king of Tyre. He sent messengers to David. He sent cedar logs along with them. He also sent skilled workers. They worked with wood and stone. They built a palace for David. + David knew that the Lord had made his position as king secure. He knew that he had made him king over the whole nation of Israel. He knew that the Lord had greatly honored his kingdom. The Lord had done it because the Israelites were his people. + After David left Hebron, he got more concubines and wives in Jerusalem. More sons and daughters were born to him there. + Here is a list of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem. Their names were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. + The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel. So their whole army went to look for him. But David heard about it. He went down to his usual place of safety. + The Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. + So David asked the Lord for advice. He said, "Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord answered him, "Go. You can be sure that I will hand the Philistines over to you." + So David went to Baal Perazim. There he won the battle over the Philistines. He said, "The Lord has broken through against my enemies when I've attacked them, just as water breaks through a dam." That's why the place was called Baal Perazim. + The Philistines left the statues of their gods there. So David and his men carried the statues off. + Once more the Philistines came up. They spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. + So David asked the Lord for advice. The Lord answered, "Do not go straight up. Instead, circle around behind them. Attack them in front of the balsam trees. + Listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. Then move quickly. The sound will mean that I have gone out in front of you. I will strike down the Philistine army." + So David did just as the Lord had commanded him. He struck down the Philistines. He struck them down from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. + + + Again David brought together the best soldiers in Israel. The total number was 30,000. + He and all of his men started out from Baalah in Judah. They wanted to bring the ark of God up to Jerusalem from there. The ark is named after the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. He sits on his throne between the cherubim that are on the ark. + The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was brought from Abinadab's house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. They were the sons of Abinadab. + The ark of God was on the cart. Ahio was walking in front of it. + David was celebrating with all his might in the sight of the Lord. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, rattles and cymbals. + They came to the threshing floor of Nacon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God. + Then the Lord's anger burned against Uzzah. That's because what Uzzah did showed that he didn't have any respect for the Lord. So God struck him down. He died there beside the ark of God. + David was angry because the Lord's burning anger had broken out against Uzzah. That's why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this very day. + David was afraid of the Lord that day. He asked, "How can the ark of the Lord ever be brought to me?" + He didn't want to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. + The ark of the Lord remained in Obed-Edom's house for three months. And the Lord blessed him and his whole family. + King David was told, "The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom. He has also blessed everything that belongs to him. That's because the ark of God is in Obed-Edom's house." So David went down there and brought up the ark. With great joy he brought it up from the house of Obed-Edom. He took it to the City of David. + Those who were carrying the ark of the Lord took six steps forward. Then David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. + David was wearing a sacred linen apron. He danced in the sight of the Lord with all his might. + He did it while he was bringing up the ark of the Lord. The whole community of Israel helped him bring it up. They shouted. They blew trumpets. + The ark of the Lord was brought into the City of David. Saul's daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David leaping and dancing in the sight of the Lord. That made her hate him in her heart. + The ark of the Lord was brought into Jerusalem. It was put in its place in the tent David had set up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord. + After he finished sacrificing those offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord who rules over all. + He gave to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread. He also gave each one a date cake and a raisin cake. Then all of the people went home. + David returned home to bless his family. Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "You are the king of Israel. You have really brought honor to yourself today, haven't you? You have taken off your royal robe right in front of the female slaves of your officials. You acted like someone who is very foolish!" + David said to Michal, "I did it to honor the Lord. He chose me instead of your father or anyone else in Saul's family. He appointed me ruler over his people Israel. I will celebrate in honor of the Lord. + And that's not all. I will bring even less honor to myself. I will bring even more shame on myself. But those female slaves you spoke about will honor me." + Saul's daughter Michal didn't have any children as long as she lived. + + + The king settled down in his palace. The Lord had given him peace and rest from all of his enemies who were around him. + Then the king spoke to the prophet Nathan. He said, "Here I am, living in a palace that has beautiful cedar walls. But the ark of God remains in a tent." + Nathan replied to the king, "Go ahead and do what you want to. The Lord is with you." + That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. The Lord said, + "Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him, 'The Lord says, "Are you the one to build me a house to live in? + I have not lived in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt until now. I have been moving from place to place. I have been living in a tent. + I have moved from place to place with all of the people of Israel. I commanded their rulers to be shepherds over them. I never asked any of those rulers, 'Why haven't you built me a house that has beautiful cedar walls?' " ' + "So tell my servant David, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "I took you away from the grasslands. That's where you were taking care of your father's sheep and goats. I made you ruler over my people Israel. + I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I cut off all of your enemies when you were attacking them. " ' "Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth. + I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will no longer crush them, as they did at first. + That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will give you peace and rest from all of them. " ' "I tell you that I myself will set up a royal house for you. + Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure. + He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name. " ' "I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever. + I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips. + I took my love away from Saul. I removed him from being king. You were there when I did it. But I will never take my love away from your son. + " ' "Your royal house and your kingdom will last forever in my sight. Your throne will last forever." ' " + Nathan reported to David all of the words that the Lord had spoken to him. + Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said, "Lord and King, who am I? My family isn't important. So why have you brought me this far? + I would have thought that you had already done more than enough for me. But now, Lord and King, you have also spoken about what is going to happen to my royal house in days to come. Lord and King, is this your usual way of dealing with people? + "What more can I say to you? Lord and King, you know all about me. + You have done a wonderful thing. You have made it known to me. You have done it because that's what you said you would do. It's exactly what you wanted to do for me. + "Lord and King, how great you are! There isn't anyone like you. There isn't any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears. + "Who is like your people Israel? God, we are the one nation on earth you have saved. You have set us free for yourself. Your name has become famous. You have done great and wonderful things. You have driven out nations and their gods to make room for your people. You saved us when you set us free from Egypt. + You made Israel your very own people forever. Lord, you have become our God. + "And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made to me and my royal house. Do exactly as you promised. + Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, 'The Lord rules over all. He is God over Israel.' My royal house will be made secure in your sight. + "Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. Here's what you have shown me. You told me, 'I will build you a royal house.' So I can boldly offer this prayer to you. + Lord and King, you are God! Your words can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me. + "Now please bless my royal house. Then it will continue forever in your sight. Lord and King, you have spoken. Because you have given my royal house your blessing, it will be blessed forever." + + + While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Metheg Ammah away from them. + David also won the battle over the people of Moab. He made them lie down on the ground. Then he measured them off with a piece of rope. He put two-thirds of them to death. He let the other third remain alive. So the Moabites were brought under David's rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. + David fought against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to take back control of the land along the Euphrates River. + David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer's chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses. + The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them. + He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went. + David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer. He brought the shields to Jerusalem. + He took a huge amount of bronze from Tebah and Berothai. Those towns belonged to Hadadezer. + Tou was king of Hamath. He heard that David had won the battle over the entire army of Hadadezer. + So Tou sent his son Joram to King David. Joram greeted David. He praised him because he had won the battle over Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. So Joram brought with him articles that were made out of silver, gold and bronze. + King David set those articles apart for the Lord. He had done the same thing with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had brought under his control. + Those nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek. He also set apart for the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. + David returned after he had struck down 18,000 men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He became famous for doing it. + He stationed some soldiers all through Edom. The whole nation of Edom was brought under his rule. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went. + David ruled over the whole nation of Israel. He did what was fair and right for all of his people. + Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records. + Zadok, the son of Ahitub, was a priest. Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, was also a priest. Seraiah was the secretary. + Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites. And David's sons were royal advisers. + + + David asked, "Is anyone left from the royal house of Saul? If there is, I want to be kind to him because of Jonathan." + Ziba was a servant in Saul's family. David sent for him to come and see him. The king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "I'm ready to serve you," he replied. + The king asked, "Isn't anyone left from the royal house of Saul? God has been very kind to me. I would like to be kind to someone in the same way." Ziba answered the king, "A son of Jonathan is still living. Both of his feet were hurt." + "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He's in the town of Lo Debar. He's staying at the house of Makir, the son of Ammiel." + So King David had Mephibosheth brought from Makir's house in Lo Debar. + Mephibosheth came to David. He was the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul. Mephibosheth bowed down to David to show him respect. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "I'm ready to serve you," he replied. + "Don't be afraid," David told him. "You can be sure that I will be kind to you because of your father Jonathan. I'll give back to you all of the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. And I'll always provide what you need." + Mephibosheth bowed down to David. He said, "Who am I? Why should you pay attention to me? I'm nothing but a dead dog." + Then the king sent for Saul's servant Ziba. He said to him, "I'm giving your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. + You and your sons and your servants must farm the land for him. You must bring in the crops. Then he'll be taken care of. I'll always provide what he needs." Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. + Then Ziba said to the king, "I'll do anything you command me to do. You are my king and master." So David provided what Mephibosheth needed. He treated him like one of the king's sons. + Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All of the members of Ziba's family became servants of Mephibosheth. + Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. The king always provided what he needed. Both of his feet were hurt. + + + The king of Ammon died. His son Hanun became the next king after him. + David thought, "I'm going to be kind to Hanun. His father Nahash was kind to me." So David sent messengers to Hanun. He wanted them to tell Hanun how sad he was that Hanun's father had died. David's messengers went to the land of Ammon. + The Ammonite nobles spoke to their master Hanun. They said, "David has sent messengers to tell you he is sad. They say he wants to honor your father. But the real reason they've come is to look the city over. They want to destroy it." + So Hanun grabbed hold of David's men. He shaved off half of each man's beard. He cut their clothes off just below the waist and left them half naked. Then he sent them away. + David was told about it. So he sent messengers to his men because they were filled with shame. King David said to them, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out again. Then come back here." + The Ammonites realized that what they had done had made David very angry with them. So they hired 20,000 Aramean soldiers who were on foot. The soldiers came from Beth Rehob and Zobah. The Ammonites also hired the king of Maacah and 1,000 men. And they hired 12,000 men from Tob. + David heard about it. So he sent Joab out with the entire army of Israel's fighting men. + The Ammonites marched out. They took up their battle positions at the entrance of their city gate. The Arameans of Zobah and Rehob gathered their troops together in the open country. So did the men of Tob and Maacah. + Joab saw that there were lines of soldiers in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best troops in Israel. He sent them to march out against the Arameans. + He put the rest of the men under the command of his brother Abishai. Joab sent them to march out against the Ammonites. + He said, "Suppose the Arameans are too strong for me. Then you must come and help me. But suppose the Ammonites are too strong for you. Then I'll come and help you. + "Be strong. Let's be brave as we fight for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he thinks is best." + Then Joab and the troops who were with him marched out to attack the Arameans. They ran away from him. + The Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away. So they ran away from Abishai. They went inside the city. After Joab had fought against the Ammonites, he went back to Jerusalem. + The Arameans saw that they had been driven away by Israel. So they brought their troops together. + Hadadezer had some Arameans brought from east of the Euphrates River. They went to Helam under the command of Shobach. He was the commander of Hadadezer's army. + David was told about it. So he gathered the whole army of Israel together. They went across the Jordan River to Helam. The Arameans lined up their soldiers to go to war against David. They began to fight against him. + But then they ran away from Israel. David killed 700 of their chariot riders. He killed 40,000 of their soldiers who were on foot. He also struck down Shobach, the commander of their army. Shobach died there. + All of the kings who were under the rule of Hadadezer saw that Israel had won the battle over them. So they made a peace treaty with the Israelites. They were brought under Israel's rule. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore. + + + It was spring. It was the time when kings go off to war. So David sent Joab out with the king's special troops and the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites. They went to the city of Rabbah. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. But David remained in Jerusalem. + One evening David got up from his bed. He walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman taking a bath. She was very beautiful. + David sent a messenger to find out who she was. The messenger returned and said, "She is Bathsheba. She's the daughter of Eliam. She's the wife of Uriah. He's a Hittite." + Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him. And he had sex with her. Then she went back home. All of that took place after she had already made herself "clean" from her monthly period. + Later, Bathsheba found out she was pregnant. She sent a message to David. It said, "I'm pregnant." + So David sent a message to Joab. It said, "Send me Uriah, the Hittite." Joab sent him to David. + Uriah came to David. David asked him how Joab and the soldiers were doing. He also asked him how the war was going. + David said to Uriah, "Go home and enjoy some time with your wife." So Uriah left the palace. Then the king sent him a gift. + But Uriah didn't go home. Instead, he slept at the entrance to the palace. He stayed there with all of his master's servants. + David was told, "Uriah didn't go home." So he sent for Uriah. He said to him, "You have been away for a long time. Why didn't you go home?" + Uriah said to David, "The ark and the army of Israel and Judah are out there in tents. My master Joab and your special troops are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink? How could I go there and make love to my wife? I could never do a thing like that. And that's just as sure as you are alive!" + Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day. Tomorrow I'll send you back to the battle." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. + David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him. David got him drunk. But Uriah still didn't go home. In the evening he went out and slept on his mat. He stayed there among his master's servants. + The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab. He sent it along with Uriah. + In it he wrote, "Put Uriah on the front lines. That's where the fighting is the heaviest. Then pull your men back from him. When you do, the Ammonites will strike him down and kill him." + So Joab attacked the city. He put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest enemy fighters were. + The troops came out of the city. They fought against Joab. Some of the men in David's army were killed. Uriah, the Hittite, also died. + Joab sent David a full report of the battle. + He told the messenger, "Tell the king everything that happened in the battle. When you are finished, + his anger might explode. He might ask you, 'Why did you go so close to the city to fight against it? Didn't you know that the enemy soldiers would shoot arrows down from the wall? + Don't you remember how Abimelech, the son of Jerub-Besheth, was killed? A woman dropped a large millstone on him from the wall. That's how he died in Thebez. So why did you go so close to the wall?' If the king asks you that, tell him, 'Your servant Uriah, the Hittite, is also dead.' " + The messenger started out for Jerusalem. When he arrived there, he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. + The messenger said to David, "The men who were in the city were more powerful than we were. They came out to fight against us in the open. But we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. + Then those who were armed with bows shot arrows at us from the wall. Some of your special troops were killed. Your servant Uriah, the Hittite, is also dead." + David told the messenger, "Tell Joab, 'Don't get upset over what happened. Swords kill one person as well as another. So keep on attacking the city. Destroy it.' Tell that to Joab. It will cheer him up." + Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead. She sobbed over him. + When her time of sadness was over, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife. And she had a son by him. But the Lord wasn't pleased with what David had done. + + + The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David. When Nathan came to him, he said, "Two men lived in the same town. One was rich. The other was poor. + The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle. + But all the poor man had was one little female lamb. He had bought it. He raised it. It grew up with him and his children. It shared his food. It drank from his cup. It even slept in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him. + "One day a traveler came to the rich man. The rich man wanted to prepare a meal for him. But he didn't want to kill one of his own sheep or cattle. Instead, he took the little female lamb that belonged to the poor man. Then he cooked it for the traveler who had come to him." + David burned with anger against the rich man. He said to Nathan, "The man who did that is worthy of death. And that's just as sure as the Lord is alive. + The man must pay back four times as much as that lamb was worth. How could he do such a thing? And he wasn't even sorry he had done it." + Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says, 'I anointed you king over Israel. I saved you from Saul's powerful hand. + I gave you everything that belonged to your master Saul. I even put his wives into your arms. I made you king over the people of Israel and Judah. And if all of that had not been enough for you, I would have given you even more. + " 'Why did you turn your back on what I told you to do? You did what is evil in my sight. You made sure that Uriah, the Hittite, would be killed in battle. You took his wife to be your own. You let the men of Ammon kill him with their swords. + " 'So time after time members of your own royal house will be killed with swords. That's because you turned your back on me. You took the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be your own.' + "The Lord also says, 'I am going to bring trouble on you. It will come from your own family. I will take your wives away. Your own eyes will see it. I will give your wives to a man who is close to you. He will have sex with them in the middle of the day. + You committed your sins in secret. But I will make sure that the sin the man commits with your wives will take place in the middle of the day. Everyone in Israel will see it.' " + Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You aren't going to die. + But you have dared to make fun of the Lord. So the son who has been born to you will die." + Nathan went home. Then the Lord made the child that had been born to Uriah's wife by David very sick. + David begged God to heal the child. David didn't eat anything. He spent his nights lying on the ground. + His most trusted servants stood beside him. They wanted him to get up from the ground. But he refused to do it. And he wouldn't eat any food with them. + On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him the child was dead. They thought, "While the child was still alive, we spoke to David. But he wouldn't listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He might do something terrible to himself." + David saw that his servants were whispering to each other. Then he realized the child was dead. "Has the child died?" he asked. "Yes," they replied. "He's dead." + Then David got up from the ground. After he washed himself, he put on lotions. He changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord and worshiped him. Then he went to his own house. He asked for some food. They served it to him. And he ate it. + His servants asked him, "Why are you acting like this? While the child was still alive, you wouldn't eat anything. You cried a lot. But now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" + He answered, "While the child was still alive, I didn't eat anything. And I cried a lot. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord might show favor to me. He might let the child live.' + But now he's dead. So why should I go without eating? Can I bring him back to life again? Someday I'll go to him. But he won't return to me." + Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and made love to her. Some time later she had a son. He was given the name Solomon. The Lord loved him. + So the Lord sent a message through the prophet Nathan. It said, "Name the boy Jedidiah." + During that time, Joab fought against Rabbah. It was the royal city of the Ammonites. It had high walls around it. Joab was about to capture it. + He sent messengers to David. He told them to say, "I have fought against Rabbah. I've taken control of its water supply. + So bring the rest of the troops together. Surround the city and get ready to attack it. Then capture it. If you don't, I'll capture it myself. Then it will be named after me." + So David brought the whole army together and went to Rabbah. He attacked it and captured it. + He took the gold crown off the head of the king of Ammon. The crown weighed 75 pounds. It had jewels in it. It was placed on David's head. He took a huge amount of goods from the city. + He brought out the people who were there. He made them work with saws and iron picks and axes. He forced them to make bricks. He did that to all of the towns in Ammon. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. + + + Some time later, David's son Amnon fell in love with Tamar. She was the beautiful sister of Absalom. He was another one of David's sons. + Amnon's sister Tamar was a virgin. It seemed impossible for him to do what he wanted to do with her. But he wanted her so much it almost made him sick. + Amnon had a friend named Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very clever man. + He asked Amnon, "You are the king's son, aren't you? So why do you look so worn out every morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon answered, "I'm in love with Tamar. She's the sister of my brother Absalom." + "Go to bed," Jonadab said. "Pretend to be sick. Your father will come to see you. When he does, tell him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food right here in front of me where I can watch her. Then she can feed it to me.' " + So Amnon went to bed. He pretended to be sick. The king came to see him. Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come here. I want to watch her make some special bread. Then she can feed it to me." + David sent a message to Tamar at the palace. It said, "Go to your brother Amnon's house. Prepare some food for him." + So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon. He was lying in bed. She got some dough and mixed it. She shaped the bread right there in front of him. And she baked it. + Then she took the bread out of the pan and served it to him. But he refused to eat it. "Send everyone out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left him. + Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food here into my bedroom. Please feed it to me." So Tamar picked up the bread she had prepared. She brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. + She took it to him so he could eat it. But he grabbed hold of her. He said, "My sister, come and have sex with me." + "Don't do this, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me to have sex with you. An evil thing like that should never be done in Israel! Don't do it! + What about me? How could I ever get rid of my shame? And what about you? You would be as foolish as any evil person in Israel. Please speak to the king. He won't keep me from getting married to you." + But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was. So he raped her. + Then Amnon was filled with deep hatred for Tamar. In fact, he hated her now more than he had loved her before. He said to her, "Get up! Get out!" + "No!" she said to him. "Don't send me away. That would be worse than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her. + He sent for his personal servant. He said, "Get this woman out of here. Lock the door behind her." + So his servant threw her out. Then he locked the door behind her. Tamar was wearing a beautiful robe. It was the kind of robe the virgin daughters of the king wore. + She put ashes on her head. She tore the beautiful robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away. She was sobbing out loud as she went. + When her brother Absalom saw her, he spoke to her. He said, "Has Amnon, that brother of yours, forced you to have sex with him? My sister, don't let it upset you. Don't let it bother you. He's your brother." After that, Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house. She was very lonely. + King David heard about everything that had happened. So he became very angry. + Absalom never said a word of any kind to Amnon. He hated Amnon because he had brought shame on his sister Tamar. + Two years later, Absalom invited all of the king's sons to come to Baal Hazor. It was near the border of Ephraim. The workers who clipped the wool off Absalom's sheep were there. + Absalom went to the king. He said, "I've had my workers come to clip the wool. Will you and your officials please join me?" + "No, my son," the king replied. "All of us shouldn't go. It would be too much trouble for you." Although Absalom begged him, the king still refused to go. But he gave Absalom his blessing. + Then Absalom said, "If you won't come, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" + But Absalom begged him. So the king sent Amnon with him. He also sent the rest of his sons. + Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon has had too much wine to drink, I'll say to you, 'Strike Amnon down.' When I do, kill him. Don't be afraid. I've given you an order, haven't I? Be strong and brave." + So Absalom's men killed Amnon, just as Absalom had ordered. Then all of the king's sons got on their mules and rode away. + While they were on their way, a report came to David. It said, "Absalom has struck down all of your sons. Not one of them is left alive." + The king stood up and tore his clothes. Then he lay down on the ground. All of his servants stood near him. They had also torn their clothes. + Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, spoke up. He said, "You shouldn't think that all of the princes have been killed. The only one who is dead is Amnon. Absalom had planned to kill him ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. + You are my king and master. You shouldn't be concerned about this report. It's not true that all of your sons are dead. The only one who is dead is Amnon." + While all of that was taking place, Absalom ran away. The man on guard duty at Jerusalem looked up. He saw many people coming on the road west of him. They were coming down the side of the hill. He went and spoke to the king. He said, "I see men coming down the road from Horonaim. They are coming down the side of the hill." + Jonadab said to the king, "See, your sons are coming. It has happened just as I said it would." + As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in. They were sobbing out loud. The king and all of his servants were also sobbing very bitterly. + When Absalom ran away, he went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud. Talmai was king of Geshur. King David sobbed over his son every day. + So Absalom ran away and went to Geshur. He stayed there for three years. + After some time the king got over his sorrow because of Amnon's death. Then he longed to go to Absalom. + + + Joab, the son of Zeruiah, knew that the king longed to see Absalom. + So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to have a wise woman brought back from there. Joab said to her, "Pretend you are filled with sadness. Put on black clothes. Don't use any makeup. Act like a woman who has spent many days sobbing over someone who has died. + Then go to the king. Give him the message I'm about to give you." And Joab told her what to say. + The woman from Tekoa went to the king. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. She did it to show him respect. She said, "King David, please help me!" + The king asked her, "What's bothering you?" She said, "I'm a widow. My husband is dead. + I had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field. No one was there to separate them. One of my sons struck the other one down and killed him. + "Now my whole family group has risen up against me. They say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down. Then we can put him to death for killing his brother. That will also get rid of the one who will receive the family property.' They want to kill the only living son I have left, just as someone would put out a burning coal. That would leave my husband without any son on the face of the earth to carry on his name." + The king said to the woman, "Go home. I'll give an order to make sure you are taken care of." + But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "You are my king and master. No matter what you do, I and my family will take the blame for it. You and your royal family won't be guilty of doing anything wrong." + The king replied, "If people give you any trouble, bring them to me. They won't bother you again." + She said, "Please pray to the Lord your God. Pray that he will keep our nearest male relative from killing my other son. Then my son won't be destroyed." "You can be sure that the Lord lives," the king said. "And you can be just as sure that not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground." + Then the woman said, "King David, please let me say something else to you." "Go ahead," he replied. + The woman said, "You are the king. So why have you done something that brings so much harm on God's people? When you do that, you hand down a sentence against yourself. You won't let the son you drove away come back. + All of us must die. We are like water that is spilled on the ground. It can't be put back into the jar. But God doesn't take life away. Instead, he finds a way to bring back anyone who was driven away from him. + "King David, I've come here to say this to you now. I've done it because people have made me afraid. I thought, 'I'll go and speak to the king. Perhaps he'll do what I'm asking. + Perhaps he'll agree to save me from the man who is trying to cut off me and my son from the property God gave us.' + "So now I'm saying, 'May what you have told me bring me peace and rest. You are like an angel of God. You know what is good and what is evil. May the Lord your God be with you.' " + Then the king said to the woman, "I'm going to ask you a question. I want you to tell me the truth." "Please ask me anything you want to," the woman said. + The king asked, "Joab told you to say all of this, didn't he?" The woman answered, "What you have told me is exactly right. And that's just as sure as you are alive. It's true that Joab directed me to do this. He told me everything he wanted me to say. + He did it to change the way things now are. You are as wise as an angel of God. You know everything that happens in the land." + Later the king said to Joab, "All right. I'll do what you want. Go. Bring the young man Absalom back." + Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground. He did it to honor the king. And he asked God to bless the king. He said, "You are my king and master. Today I know that you are pleased with me. You have given me what I asked for." + Then Joab went to Geshur. He brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. + But the king said, "He must go to his own house. I don't want him to come and see me." So Absalom went to his own house. He didn't go to see the king. + In the whole land of Israel there wasn't any man as handsome as Absalom was. That's why everyone praised him. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet he didn't have any flaws. + He used to cut his hair when it became too heavy for him. Then he would weigh it. It weighed five pounds in keeping with the standard weights that were used in the palace. + Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. The daughter's name was Tamar. She became a beautiful woman. + Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without going to see the king. + Then Absalom sent for Joab. He wanted to send him to the king. But Joab refused to come to Absalom. So Absalom sent for him a second time. But Joab still refused to come. + Then Absalom said to his servants, "Joab's field is next to mine. He has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. + Joab finally went to Absalom's house. He said to Absalom, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?" + Absalom said to Joab, "I sent a message to you. It said, 'Come here. I want to send you to the king. I want you to ask him for me, "Why did you bring me back from Geshur? I would be better off if I were still there!" ' Now then, I want to go and see the king. If I'm guilty of doing anything wrong, let him put me to death." + So Joab went to the king and told him that. Then the king sent for Absalom. He came in and bowed down to the king with his face toward the ground. And the king kissed Absalom. + + + Some time later, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself. He also got 50 men to run in front of him. + He would get up early. He would stand by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Sometimes a person would come with a case for the king to decide. Then Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "I'm from one of the tribes of Israel." + Absalom would say, "Look, your claims are based on the law. So you have every right to make them. But the king doesn't have anyone here who can listen to your case." + Absalom would continue, "I wish I were appointed judge in the land! Then anyone who has a case or a claim could come to me. I would make sure he is treated fairly." + Sometimes people would approach Absalom and bow down to him. Then he would reach out his hand. He would take hold of them and kiss them. + Absalom did that to all of the people of Israel who came to the king with their cases or claims. That's why the hearts of the people were turned toward him. + After Absalom had lived in Jerusalem for four years, he went and spoke to the king. He said, "Let me go to Hebron. I want to keep a promise I made to the Lord. + When I was living at Geshur in Aram, I made a promise. I said, 'If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I'll go to Hebron and worship him there.' " + The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron. + Then Absalom sent messengers secretly to all of the tribes of Israel. They said, "Listen for the sound of trumpets. As soon as you hear them, say, 'Absalom has become king in Hebron.' " + Absalom had taken 200 men from Jerusalem with him to Hebron. He had invited them to be his guests. They went without having any idea what was going to happen. + While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel. Ahithophel was David's adviser. He came to Absalom from Giloh, his hometown. The number of people who followed Absalom kept growing. So he became more and more able to carry out his plans against David. + A messenger came and spoke to David. He told him, "The hearts of the people are turned toward Absalom." + Then David spoke to all of his officials who were with him in Jerusalem. He said, "Come on! We have to leave right away! If we don't, none of us will escape from Absalom. He'll move quickly to catch up with us. He'll destroy us. His men will kill everyone in the city with their swords." + The king's officials answered him, "You are our king and master. We're ready to do anything you want." + The king started out. Everyone in his whole family went with him. But he left ten concubines behind to take care of the palace. + So the king and all those who were with him left. They stopped at a place that wasn't very far away. + All of David's officials marched past him. All of the Kerethites and Pelethites marched along with them. And all of the 600 men who had come with him from Gath marched in front of him. + The king spoke to Ittai. He was from Gath. The king said to him, "Why do you want to come along with us? Go back. Stay with King Absalom. You are a stranger. You left your own country. + You came to join me only a short time ago. So why should I make you wander around with us now? I don't even know where I'm going. So go on back. Take with you the others who are from your country. And may the Lord be kind and faithful to you." + But Ittai replied to the king, "You are my king and master. I want to be where you are. It doesn't matter whether I live or die. And that's just as sure as the Lord and you are alive." + David said to Ittai, "Go ahead then. Keep marching with my men." So Ittai, the Gittite, kept marching. All of his men and their families marched with him. + All of the people in the countryside sobbed out loud as David and all of his followers passed by. The king went across the Kidron Valley. He and all of the people who were with him moved on toward the desert. + Zadok also went with them. Some of the Levites went with him. They were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark down. Abiathar offered sacrifices until all of the people had left the city. + Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he'll bring me back. He'll let me see the ark again. He'll also let me see Jerusalem again. That's the place where he lives. + But suppose he says, 'I am not pleased with you.' Then I accept that. Let him do to me what he thinks is best." + The king spoke again to the priest Zadok. He said, "You are a prophet, aren't you? Go back to the city in peace. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Also take Abiathar and his son Jonathan with you. + I'll wait at the place in the desert where we can go across the Jordan River. I'll wait there until you send word to let me know what's happening." + So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem. They stayed there. + But David went on up the Mount of Olives. He was sobbing as he went. His head was covered, and he was barefoot. All of the people who were with him covered their heads too. And they were sobbing as they went up. + David had been told, "Ahithophel is one of those who are making secret plans with Absalom against you." So David prayed, "Lord, make Ahithophel's advice look foolish." + David arrived at the top of the Mount of Olives. That's where people used to worship God. Hushai, the Arkite, was there to meet him. His robe was torn. There was dust on his head. + David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be too much trouble for me. + So return to the city. Say to Absalom, 'King Absalom, I'll be your servant. In the past, I was your father's servant. But now I'll be your servant.' If you do that, you can help me by making sure Ahithophel's advice fails. + The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be there with you. Tell them everything you hear in the king's palace. + They have their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan there with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear." + So David's friend Hushai went to Jerusalem. He arrived just as Absalom was entering the city. + + + David went just beyond the top of the Mount of Olives. Ziba was waiting there to meet him. He was Mephibosheth's manager. He had several donkeys with saddles on them. They were carrying 200 loaves of bread and 100 raisin cakes. They were also carrying 100 fig cakes and a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin. + The king asked Ziba, "Why have you brought all of these things?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's family to ride on. The bread and fruit are for the people to eat. The wine will make those who get tired in the desert feel like new again." + Then the king asked, "Where is your master's grandson Mephibosheth?" Ziba said to him, "He's staying in Jerusalem. He thinks, 'Today the people of Israel will give me back my grandfather Saul's kingdom.' " + Then the king said to Ziba, "Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth belongs to you now." "You are my king and master," Ziba said. "I make myself low in front of you. I bow down to you. May you be pleased with me." + King David approached Bahurim. As he did, a man came out toward him. The man was from the same family group that Saul was from. His name was Shimei. He was the son of Gera. As he came out of the town, he called down curses on David. + He threw stones at David and all of his officials. He did it even though all of the troops and the special guard were there. They were to the right and left of David. + As Shimei called down curses, he said, "Get out! Get out, you murderer! You are a worthless and evil man! + You spilled the blood of a lot of people in Saul's family. You took over his kingdom. Now the Lord is paying you back. He has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have been destroyed because you are a murderer!" + Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, spoke to the king. He said, "King David, why should we let this dead dog call down curses on you? Let me go over there. I'll cut off his head." + But the king said, "You and Joab are sons of Zeruiah. What do you and I have in common? Maybe the Lord said to him, 'Call down curses on David.' If he did, who can ask him, 'Why are you doing this?' " + Then David spoke to Abishai and all of his officials. He said, "My very own son Absalom is trying to kill me. How much more should this man from Benjamin want to kill me! Leave him alone. Let him call down curses. The Lord has told him to do it. + Maybe the Lord will see how much I'm suffering. Maybe he'll reward me with good things in place of the curses that are being called down on me today." + So David and his men kept going along the road. At the same time, Shimei was going along the hillside across from him. He was calling down curses as he went. He was throwing stones at David. He was showering him with dirt. + The king and all of the people who were with him came to the place they had planned to go to. They were very tired. So David rested there. + During that time, Absalom and all of the men of Israel came to Jerusalem. Ahithophel was with him. + Then Hushai, the Arkite, went to Absalom. He said to him, "May the king live a long time! May the king live a long time!" Hushai was David's friend. + Absalom asked Hushai, "Is this the way you show love to your friend? Why didn't you go with him?" + Hushai said to Absalom, "Why should I? You are the one the Lord has chosen. These people and all of the men of Israel have also chosen you. I want to be on your side. I want to stay with you. + After all, who else should I serve? Shouldn't I serve the king's son? I will serve you, just as I served your father." + Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?" + Ahithophel answered, "Your father left some concubines behind to take care of the palace. Go and have sex with them. Then all of the people of Israel will hear about it. They will hear that you have made yourself smell very bad to your father. Everyone who is with you will become braver." + So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace. He went in and had sex with his father's concubines. Everyone in Israel saw it. + In those days the advice Ahithophel gave was as good as advice from someone who asks God for guidance. That's what David and Absalom thought about all of Ahithopel's advice. + + + One day Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Here's what I suggest. Choose 12,000 men. Start out tonight and go after David. + Attack him while he's tired and weak. Fill him with terror. Then all of the people who are with him will run away. Don't strike down anyone except the king. + Bring all of the other people back. After the man you want to kill is dead, everyone else will return to you. And none of the people will be harmed." + Ahithophel's plan seemed good to Absalom. It also seemed good to all of the elders of Israel. + But Absalom said, "Send for Hushai, the Arkite. Then we can find out what he suggests." + Hushai came to him. Absalom said, "Ahithophel has given us his advice. Should we do what he says? If we shouldn't, tell us what you would do." + Hushai replied to Absalom, "The advice Ahithophel has given you isn't good this time. + You know your father and his men. They are fighters. They are as strong as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Besides, your father really knows how to fight. He won't spend the night with his troops. + In fact, he's probably hiding in a cave or some other place right now. "Suppose he attacks your troops first. When people hear about it, they'll say, 'Many of the troops who followed Absalom have been killed.' + Then the hearts of your soldiers will melt away in fear. Even those who are as brave as a lion will be terrified. That's because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a fighter. They know that those who are with him are brave. + "So here's what I suggest. Bring together all of the men of Israel from the town of Dan all the way to Beersheba. They are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. You yourself should lead them into battle. + "Then we'll attack David no matter where we find him. As dew completely covers the ground, we'll completely overpower his entire army. We won't leave him or any of his men alive. + He might try to get away by going into a city. If he does, all of us will bring ropes to that city. We'll drag the whole city down into the valley. No one will be able to find even a piece of that city." + Absalom and all of the men of Israel agreed. They said, "The advice of Hushai, the Arkite, is better than the advice of Ahithophel." The Lord had decided that Ahithophel's good advice would fail. The Lord wanted to bring horrible trouble on Absalom. + Hushai spoke to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He said, "Ahithophel has given advice to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He suggested that they should do one thing. But I suggested something else. + "Send a message right away. Tell David, 'Don't spend the night at the place in the desert where people can go across the Jordan River. Make sure you go on across. If you don't, you and all of the people who are with you will be swallowed up.' " + Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel just outside Jerusalem. They knew they would be in danger if anyone saw them entering the city. A female servant was supposed to go and tell them what had happened. Then they were supposed to go and tell King David. + But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom about it. So the two men left quickly. They went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard. They climbed down into it. + The man's wife got a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well. Then she scattered grain on the covering. So no one knew that the men were hiding in the well. + Absalom's men came to the house. They asked the woman, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" She answered, "They went across the brook." When the men looked around, they didn't find anyone. So they returned to Jerusalem. + After the men had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to tell King David what they had found out. They said to him, "Go across the river right away. Ahithophel has told Absalom how to come after you and strike you down." + So David and all of the people who were with him started out. They went across the Jordan River. By sunrise, everyone had crossed over. + Ahithophel saw that his advice wasn't being followed. So he put a saddle on his donkey. He started out for his house in his hometown. When he got there, he put everything in order. He made out his will. Then he killed himself. So he died, and his body was buried in his father's tomb. + David went to Mahanaim. Absalom went across the Jordan River with all of the men of Israel. + Absalom had made Amasa commander of the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether. Jether belonged to the family line of Ishmael. He had gotten married to Abigail. She was the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Zeruiah. Zeruiah was the mother of Joab. + Absalom and the people of Israel camped in the land of Gilead. + David came to Mahanaim. Shobi, the son of Nahash, met him there. Shobi was from Rabbah in the land of Ammon. Makir, the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, met him there too. So did Barzillai from Rogelim in the land of Gilead. + They brought beds, bowls and clay pots. They brought wheat, barley, flour, and grain that had been cooked. They brought beans and lentils. + They brought honey, butter, sheep and cheese that was made from cows' milk. They brought all of that food for David and his people to eat. They said, "These people have become hungry. They've become tired and thirsty in the desert." + + + David brought together the men who were with him. He appointed commanders of thousands over some of them. He appointed commanders of hundreds over the others. + Then David sent the troops out in three companies. One company was under the command of Joab. Another was under Joab's brother Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. The last was under Ittai, the Gittite. The king told the troops, "You can be sure that I myself will march out with you." + But the men said, "You must not march out. If we are forced to run away, our enemies won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care. But you are worth 10,000 of us. So it would be better for you to stay here in the city. Then you can send us help if we need it." + The king said, "I'll do what you think is best." So the king stood beside the city gate. The whole army marched out in companies of hundreds and companies of thousands. + The king gave an order to Joab, Abishai and Ittai. He commanded them, "Be gentle with the young man Absalom. Do it for me." All of the troops heard the king give the commanders that order about Absalom. + David's army marched into the field to fight against Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. + There David's men won the battle over Israel's army. A huge number of men were wounded or killed that day. The total number was 20,000. + The fighting spread out over the whole countryside. But more men were killed in the forest that day than out in the open. + Absalom happened to come across some of David's men. He was riding his mule. The mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in the air. The mule he was riding kept on going. + One of David's men saw what had happened. He told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree." + Joab said to the man, "What! You saw him? Why didn't you strike him down right there? Then I would have had to give you four ounces of silver and a soldier's belt." + But the man replied, "I wouldn't lift my hand to harm the king's son. I wouldn't do it even for 25 pounds of silver. We heard the king's command to you and Abishai and Ittai. He said, 'Be careful not to hurt the young man Absalom. Do it for me.' + Suppose I had put my life in danger by killing him. The king would have found out about it. Nothing is hidden from him. And you wouldn't have stood up for me." + Joab said, "I'm not going to waste any more time on you." So he got three javelins. Then he went over and drove them into Absalom's heart. He did it while Absalom was still hanging there alive in the oak tree. + Ten of the men who were carrying Joab's armor surrounded Absalom. They struck him down and killed him. + Then Joab blew his trumpet. He ordered his troops to stop chasing Israel's army. + Joab's men threw Absalom's body into a big pit in the forest. They covered his body with a large pile of rocks. While all of that was going on, all of the Israelites ran back to their homes. + Earlier in his life Absalom had set up a pillar in the King's Valley. He had put it up as a monument to himself. He thought, "I don't have a son to carry on the memory of my name." So he named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom's Monument to this very day. + Ahimaaz said to Joab, "Let me run and take the news to the king. Let me tell him that the Lord has saved him from the power of his enemies." Ahimaaz was the son of Zadok. + "I don't want you to take the news to the king today," Joab told him. "You can do it some other time. But you must not do it today, because the king's son is dead." + Then Joab said to a man from Cush, "Go. Tell the king what you have seen." The man bowed down in front of Joab. Then he ran off. + Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, spoke again to Joab. He said, "I don't care what happens to me. Please let me run behind the man from Cush." But Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to go? You don't have any news that will bring you a reward." + He said, "I don't care what happens. I want to run." So Joab said, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran across the flatlands of the Jordan River. As he ran, he passed the man from Cush. + David was sitting in the area between the inner and outer gates of the city. The man on guard duty went up to the roof over the entrance of the gate by the wall. As he looked out, he saw someone running alone. + He called out to the king and reported it. The king said, "If the runner is alone, he must be bringing good news." The man came closer and closer. + Then the man on guard duty saw another man running. He called out to the man who was guarding the gate. He said, "Look! There's another man running alone!" The king said, "He must be bringing good news too." + The man on guard duty said, "I can see that the first one runs like Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok." "He's a good man," the king said. "He's bringing good news." + Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, "Everything's all right!" He bowed down in front of the king with his face toward the ground. He said, "You are my king and master. Give praise to the Lord your God! He has handed over to you the men who lifted their hands to kill you." + The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "I saw total disorder. I saw it just as Joab was about to send the king's servant and me to you. But I don't know what it was all about." + The king said, "Stand over there and wait." So he stepped over to one side and stood there. + Then the man from Cush arrived. He said, "You are my king and master. I'm bringing you some good news. The Lord has saved you today from all those who were trying to kill you." + The king asked the man from Cush, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The man replied, "King David, may your enemies be like that young man. May all those who rise up to harm you be like him." + The king was very upset. He went up to the room over the entrance of the gate and sobbed. As he went, he said, "My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you. Absalom! My son, my son!" + + + Someone told Joab, "The king is sobbing over Absalom. He's filled with sadness because his son has died." + The army had won a great battle that day. But their joy turned into sadness. That's because someone had told the troops, "The king is filled with sorrow because his son is dead." + The men came quietly into the city that day. They were like fighting men who are ashamed because they've run away from a battle. + The king covered his face. He sobbed out loud, "My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!" + Then Joab went into the king's house. He said to him, "Today you have made all of your men feel ashamed. They have just saved your life. They have saved the lives of your sons and daughters. And they have saved the lives of your wives and concubines. + "You love those who hate you. You hate those who love you. The commanders and their troops don't mean anything to you. You made that very clear today. I can see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. + "Now go out there and cheer up your men. If you don't, you won't have any of them left with you by sunset. That will be worse for you than all of the troubles you have ever had in your whole life. That's what I promise you with an oath in the Lord's name." + So the king got up and took his seat in the entrance of the city gate. His men were told, "The king is sitting in the entrance of the gate." Then all of them came and stood in front of him. While all of that was going on, the Israelites had run back to their homes. + People from all of the tribes of Israel began to argue with one another. They were saying, "The king saved us from the power of our enemies. He saved us from the power of the Philistines. But now he has left the country because of Absalom. + We anointed Absalom to rule over us. But he has died in battle. So why aren't any of you talking about bringing the king back?" + King David sent a message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. It said, "Speak to the elders of Judah. Tell them I said, 'News has reached me where I'm staying. People all over Israel are talking about bringing me back to my palace. Why should you be the last to do something about it? + You are my relatives. You are my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring me back?' + "Say to Amasa, 'Aren't you my own flesh and blood? From now on you will be the commander of my army in place of Joab. If that isn't true, may God punish me greatly.' " + So the hearts of all of the men of Judah were turned toward David. All of them had the same purpose in mind. They sent a message to the king. It said, "We want you to come back. We want all of your men to come back too." + Then the king returned. He went as far as the Jordan River. The men of Judah had come to Gilgal to welcome the king back. They had come to bring him across the Jordan. + Shimei, the son of Gera, was among them. Shimei was from Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin. He hurried down to welcome King David back. + There were 1,000 people from Benjamin with him. Ziba, the manager of Saul's house, was with him too. And so were Ziba's 15 sons and 20 servants. All of them rushed down to the Jordan River. That's where the king was. + They went across at the place where people usually cross it. Then they brought the king's family back over with them. They were ready to do anything he wanted them to do. Shimei, the son of Gera, had also gone across the Jordan. When he did, he fell down flat with his face toward the ground in front of the king. + He said to him, "You are my king and master. Please don't hold me guilty. Please forgive me for the wrong things I did on the day you left Jerusalem. Please forget all about them. + I know I've sinned. But today I've come down here to welcome you. I'm the first member of Joseph's whole family to do it." + Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for what he did? He called down curses on you. And you are the Lord's anointed king." + But David replied, "You and Joab are sons of Zeruiah. What do you and I have in common? Abishai, you have now become my enemy! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don't I know that today I am king over Israel again?" + So the king took an oath and made a promise to Shimei. He said to him, "You aren't going to be put to death." + Mephibosheth was Saul's grandson. He had also gone down to welcome the king back. He had not taken care of his feet. He hadn't trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes. He hadn't done any of those things from the day the king left Jerusalem until the day he returned safely. + He came from Jerusalem to welcome the king. The king asked him, "Mephibosheth, why didn't you go with me?" + He said, "You are my king and master. I'm disabled. So I thought, 'I'll have a saddle put on my donkey. I'll ride on it. Then I can go with the king.' But my servant Ziba turned against me. + He has told you lies about me. King David, you are like an angel of God. So do what pleases you. + You should have put all of the members of my grandfather's family to death, including me. Instead, you always provided what I needed. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to you?" + The king said to him, "You don't have to say anything else. I order you and Ziba to divide up Saul's fields between you." + Mephibosheth said to the king, "I'm happy that you have arrived home safely. So just let Ziba have everything." + Barzillai had also come down to go across the Jordan River with the king. He wanted to send the king on his way from there. Barzillai was from Rogelim in the land of Gilead. + He was a very old man. He was 80 years old. He had given the king everything he needed while the king was staying in Mahanaim. That's because Barzillai was very wealthy. + The king said to Barzillai, "Come across the river with me. Stay with me in Jerusalem. I'll take good care of you." + But Barzillai said to the king, "I won't live for many more years. So why should I go up to Jerusalem with you? + I'm already 80 years old. I can hardly tell the difference between what is good and what isn't. I can hardly taste what I eat and drink. I can't even hear the voices of male and female singers anymore. So why should I add my problems to yours? + "I'll go across the Jordan River with you for a little way. Why should you reward me by taking care of me? + Let me go back home. Then I can die in my own town. I can be buried there in the tomb of my father and mother. But let Kimham take my place. Let him go across the river with you. Do for him what pleases you." + The king said, "Kimham will go across with me. I'll do for him what pleases you. And I'll do for you anything you want me to do." + So all of the people went across the Jordan River. Then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing. And Barzillai went back home. + After the king had gone across the river, he went to Gilgal. Kimham had gone across with him. All of the troops of Judah and half of the troops of Israel had taken the king across. + Soon all of the men of Israel were coming to the king. They were saying to him, "Why did the men of Judah take you away from us? They are our relatives. What right did they have to bring you and your family across the Jordan River? What right did they have to bring all of your men over with you?" + All of the men of Judah answered the men of Israel. They said, "We did that because the king is our close relative. So why should you be angry about what happened? Have we eaten any of the king's food? Have we taken anything for ourselves?" + Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah. They said, "We have ten of the 12 tribes in the kingdom. So we have a stronger claim on David than you have. Why then are you acting as if you hate us? Weren't we the first ones to talk about bringing back our king?" But the men of Judah answered in an even meaner way than the men of Israel. + + + An evil man who always stirred up trouble happened to be in Gilgal. His name was Sheba, the son of Bicri. Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew his trumpet. Then he shouted, "We don't have any share in David's kingdom! Jesse's son is not our king! Men of Israel, every one of you go back home!" + So all of the men of Israel deserted David. They followed Sheba, the son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king. They remained with him from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem. + David returned to his palace in Jerusalem. He had left ten concubines there to take care of the palace. He put them in a house and kept them under guard. He gave them what they needed. But he didn't make love to them. They were kept under guard until the day they died. They lived as if they were widows. + The king said to Amasa, "Send for the men of Judah. Tell them to come to me within three days. And be here yourself." + So Amasa went to get the men of Judah. But he took longer than the time the king had set for him. + David said to Abishai, "Sheba, the son of Bicri, will do more harm to us than Absalom ever did. Take my men and go after him. If you don't, he'll find cities that have high walls around them. He'll go into one of them and escape from us." + So Joab's men marched out with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They went out with all of the mighty soldiers. All of them were under Abishai's command. They marched out from Jerusalem and went after Sheba, the son of Bicri. + They arrived at the great rock in Gibeon. Amasa went there to welcome them. Joab was wearing his military clothes. Over them at his waist he strapped on a belt that held a dagger. As he stepped forward, the dagger fell out. + Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my friend?" Then Joab reached out his right hand. He took hold of Amasa's beard to kiss him. + Amasa didn't pay any attention to the dagger that was in Joab's left hand. Joab stuck it into his stomach. His insides spilled out on the ground. Joab didn't have to stab him again. Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went after Sheba, the son of Bicri. + One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa's body. He said to the other men, "Are you pleased with Joab? Are you on David's side? Then follow Joab!" + Amasa's body lay covered with his blood in the middle of the road. The man saw that all of the troops stopped there. He realized that everyone was stopping to look at Amasa's body. So he dragged it from the road into a field. Then he threw some clothes on top of it. + After that happened, all of the men continued on with Joab. They went after Sheba, the son of Bicri. + Sheba passed through all of the territory of the tribes of Israel. He arrived at the city of Abel Beth Maacah. He had gone through the entire area of the Berites. They had gathered together and followed him. + Joab and all of his troops came to Abel Beth Maacah. They surrounded it because Sheba was there. They built a ramp up to the city. It stood against the outer wall. They pounded the wall with huge logs to bring it down. + While that was going on, a wise woman called out from the city. She shouted, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to speak to him." + So Joab went toward her. She asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said, "Listen to what I have to say." "I'm listening," he said. + She continued, "Long ago people used to say, 'Get your answer at Abel.' And that would settle the matter. + We are the most peaceful and faithful people in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up what belongs to the Lord?" + "I would never do anything like that!" Joab said. "I would never swallow up or destroy what belongs to the Lord! + That isn't what I have in mind at all. There's a man named Sheba, the son of Bicri, in your city. He's from the hill country of Ephraim. He's trying to kill King David. Hand that man over to me. Then I'll pull my men back from your city." The woman said to Joab, "We'll throw his head down to you from the wall." + Then the woman gave her wise advice to all of the people in the city. They cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bicri. They threw it down to Joab. So he blew his trumpet. Then his men pulled back from the city. Each of them returned to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem. + Joab was commander over Israel's entire army. Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites. + Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records. + Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were priests. + Ira, the Jairite, was David's priest. + + + For three years in a row there wasn't enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn't showing his favor to his people. The Lord said, "It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death." + The people of Gibeon weren't a part of Israel. Instead, they were some of the Amorites who were still left alive. The people of Israel had promised with an oath to spare them. But Saul had tried to put an end to them. That's because he wanted to make Israel and Judah strong. So now King David sent for the people of Gibeon and spoke to them. + He asked them, "What would you like me to do for you? How can I make up for the wrong things that were done to you? I want you to be able to pray that the Lord will once again bless his land." + The people of Gibeon answered him. They said, "No amount of silver or gold can make up for what Saul and his family did to us. And we can't put anyone in Israel to death." "What do you want me to do for you?" David asked. + They answered the king, "Saul nearly destroyed us. He made plans to wipe us out. We don't have anywhere to live in Israel. + So let seven of the males in his family line be given to us. We'll kill them. We'll put their dead bodies out in the open in the sight of the Lord. We'll do it at Gibeah of Saul. Saul was the Lord's chosen king." So King David said, "I'll give seven males to you." + The king spared Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. David had taken an oath in the sight of the Lord. He had promised to be kind to Jonathan and the family line of his father Saul. + But the king chose Armoni and another Mephibosheth. They were the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah. Saul was their father. The king also chose the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab. Adriel, the son of Barzillai, was their father. Adriel was from Meholah. + King David handed them over to the people of Gibeon. They killed them. They put their dead bodies out in the open on a hill in the sight of the Lord. All seven of them died together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest. It happened just when people were beginning to harvest the barley. + Aiah's daughter Rizpah got some black cloth. She spread it out for herself on a rock. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until it rained. The rain poured down from the sky on the dead bodies of the seven males. She didn't let the birds of the air touch them by day. She didn't let the wild animals touch them at night. + Someone told David what Rizpah had done. She was Aiah's daughter and Saul's concubine. + David got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. He got them from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. They had taken them in secret from the main street in Beth Shan. That's where the Philistines had hung their bodies up on the city wall. They had done it after they struck Saul down on Mount Gilboa. + David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Jabesh Gilead. The bones of the seven males who had been killed and put out in the open were also gathered up. + The bones of Saul and his son Jonathan were buried in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. The tomb was at Zela in the territory of Benjamin. Everything the king commanded was done. After that, God answered prayer and blessed the land. + Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines. He became very tired. + Ishbi-Benob belonged to the family line of Rapha. The tip of his bronze spear weighed seven and a half pounds. He was also armed with a new sword. He said he would kill David. + But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, came to save David. He struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men took an oath and made a promise. They said to David, "We never want you to go out with us to battle again. You are the lamp of Israel's kingdom. We want that lamp to keep on burning brightly." + There was another battle against the Philistines. It took place at Gob. At that time Sibbecai killed Saph. Sibbecai was a Hushathite. Saph was from the family line of Rapha. + In another battle against the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan killed Goliath's brother. Elhanan was the son of Jaare-Oregim from Bethlehem. Goliath was from the city of Gath. His spear was as big as a weaver's rod. + There was still another battle. It took place at Gath. A huge man lived there. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. So the total number of his toes and fingers was 24. He was also from the family of Rapha. + He made fun of Israel. So Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of David's brother Shimeah. + Those four Philistine men lived in Gath. They were from the family line of Rapha. David and his men killed them. + + + David sang the words of this song to the Lord. He sang them when the Lord saved him from the powerful hand of all of his enemies and of Saul. + He said, "The Lord is my rock and my fort. He is the One who saves me. + My God is my rock. I go to him for safety. He is like a shield to me. He's the power that saves me. He's my place of safety. I go to him for help. He's my Savior. He saves me from those who want to hurt me. + I call out to the Lord. He is worthy of praise. He saves me from my enemies. + "The waves of death were all around me. A destroying flood swept over me. + The ropes of the grave were tight around me. Death set its trap in front of me. + When I was in trouble I called out to the Lord. I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice. My cry for help reached his ears. + "The earth trembled and shook. The pillars of the heavens rocked back and forth. They trembled because the Lord was angry. + Smoke came out of his nose. Flames of fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals blazed out of it. + He opened the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under his feet. + He got on the cherubim and flew. The wings of the wind lifted him up. + He covered himself with darkness. The dark rain clouds of the sky were like a tent around him. + From the brightness that was all around him flashes of lightning blazed out. + The Lord thundered from heaven. The voice of the Most High God was heard. + He shot his arrows and scattered our enemies. He sent flashes of lightning and chased the enemies away. + The bottom of the sea could be seen. The foundations of the earth were uncovered. It happened when the Lord's anger blazed out. It came like a blast of breath from his nose. + "He reached down from heaven. He took hold of me. He lifted me out of deep waters. + He saved me from my powerful enemies. He set me free from those who were too strong for me. + They stood up to me when I was in trouble. But the Lord helped me. + He brought me out into a wide and safe place. He saved me because he was pleased with me. + "The Lord has been good to me because I do what is right. He has rewarded me because I lead a pure life. + I have lived the way the Lord wanted me to. I haven't done evil by turning away from my God. + I keep all of his laws in mind. I haven't turned away from his commands. + He knows that I am without blame. He knows I've kept myself from sinning. + The Lord has rewarded me for doing what is right. He has rewarded me because I haven't done anything wrong. + "Lord, to those who are faithful you show that you are faithful. To those who are without blame you show that you are without blame. + To those who are pure you show that you are pure. But to those whose paths are crooked you show that you are clever. + You save those who aren't proud. But you watch the proud to bring them down. + Lord, you are my lamp. You bring light into my darkness. + With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers. With the help of my God I can climb over a wall. + "God's way is perfect. The word of the Lord doesn't have any flaws. He is like a shield to all who go to him for safety. + Who is God except the Lord? Who is the Rock except our God? + God gives me strength for the battle. He makes my way perfect. + He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He helps me stand on the highest places. + He trains my hands to fight every battle. My arms can bend a bow of bronze. + Lord, you are like a shield that keeps me safe. You help me win the battle. You bend down to make me great. + You give me a wide path to walk in so that I don't twist my ankles. + "I chased my enemies and crushed them. I didn't turn back until they were destroyed. + I crushed them completely so that they couldn't get up. They fell under my feet. + Lord, you gave me strength to fight the battle. You made my enemies bow down at my feet. + You made them turn their backs and run away. So I destroyed my enemies. + They cried out for help. But there was no one to save them. They called out to you. But you didn't answer them. + I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth. I pounded them and walked on them like mud in the streets. + "You saved me when my own people attacked me. You have kept me as the ruler over nations. People I didn't know serve me now. + People from other lands bow down to me in fear. As soon as they hear me, they obey me. + All of them give up hope. They come trembling out of their hiding places. + "The Lord lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honor to God, the Rock! He is my Savior! + He is the God who pays my enemies back. He brings the nations under my control. + He sets me free from my enemies. You have honored me more than them. You have saved me from men who want to hurt me. + Lord, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing praises to you. + You help me win great battles. You show your faithful love to your anointed king. You show it to me and my family forever." + + + Here are David's last words. He said, "I am David, the son of Jesse. God has given me a message. The Most High God has greatly honored me. The God of Jacob anointed me as king. I am Israel's singer of songs. + "The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me. I spoke his word with my tongue. + The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me, 'A king must rule over people in a way that is right. He must have respect for me when he rules. + Then he will be like the light of morning at sunrise when there aren't any clouds. He will be like the bright sun after rain that makes the grass grow on the earth.' + "Isn't my royal family right with God? Hasn't he made a covenant with me that will last forever? Every part of it was well prepared and made secure. Won't he save me completely? Won't he give me everything I long for? + But evil people are like thorns that are thrown away. You can't pick them up with your hands. + Even if you touch them, you must use an iron tool or a spear. Thorns are burned up right where they are." + Here are the names of David's mighty men. Josheb-Basshebeth was chief of the Three. He was a Tahkemonite. He used his spear against 800 men. He killed all of them at one time. + Next to him was Eleazar. He was one of the three mighty men. He was the son of Dodai, the Ahohite. Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim. That's where Israel's army made fun of the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. Then the men of Israel pulled back. + But Eleazar stayed right where he was. He struck the Philistines down until his hand grew tired. But he still held on to his sword. The Lord helped him win a great battle that day. The troops returned to Eleazar. They came back to him only to take what they wanted from the dead bodies. + Next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee. Shammah was a Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at a place where there was a field full of lentils. Israel's troops ran away from them. + But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He didn't let the Philistines capture it. He struck them down. The Lord helped him win a great battle. + David was at the cave of Adullam. During harvest time, three of the 30 chief men came down to him there. A group of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. + At that time David was in his usual place of safety. Some Philistine troops were stationed at Bethlehem. + David longed for water. He said, "I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the well that is near the gate of Bethlehem." + So the three mighty men fought their way past the Philistine guards. They got some water from the well that was near the gate of Bethlehem. They took the water back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord. + "Lord, I would never drink that water!" David said. "It stands for the blood of these men. They put their lives in danger by going to Bethlehem to get it." So David wouldn't drink it. Those were some of the brave things the three mighty men did. + Abishai was chief over the Three. He was the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah. He used his spear against 300 men. He killed all of them. So he became as famous as the Three were. + In fact, he was even more honored than the Three. He became their commander. But he wasn't included among them. + Benaiah was a great hero from Kabzeel. He was the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah did many brave things. He struck down two of Moab's best fighting men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day. He killed a lion there. + And he struck down a huge Egyptian. The Egyptian was holding a spear. Benaiah went out to fight against him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian's hand. Then he killed him with it. + Those were some of the brave things Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did. He too was as famous as the three mighty men were. + He was honored more than any of the Thirty. But he wasn't included among the Three. David put him in charge of his own personal guards. + Here is a list of David's men who were among the Thirty. Asahel, the brother of Joab Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem + Shammah, the Harodite Elika, the Harodite + Helez, the Paltite Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa + Abiezer from Anathoth Mebunnai, the Hushathite + Zalmon, the Ahohite Maharai from Netophah + Heled, the son of Baanah, from Netophah Ithai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah in Benjamin + Benaiah from Pirathon Hiddai from the valleys of Gaash + Abi-Albon, the Arbathite Azmaveth, the Barhumite + Eliahba, the Shaalbonite the sons of Jashen Jonathan, + the son of Shammah, the Hararite Ahiam, the son of Sharar, the Hararite + Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, the Maacathite Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, from Giloh + Hezro from Carmel Paarai, the Arbite + Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah the son of Hagri + Zelek from Ammon Naharai from Beeroth, who carried the armor of Joab, the son of Zeruiah + Ira, the Ithrite Gareb, the Ithrite + Uriah, the Hittite The total number of men was 37. + + + The Lord's anger burned against Israel. He stirred up David against them. He said, "Go! Count the men of Israel and Judah." + So the king spoke to Joab and the army commanders who were with him. He said, "Go all through the territories of the tribes of Israel. Go from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Count the fighting men. Then I'll know how many there are." + Joab replied to the king. He said, "King David, you are my master. May the Lord your God multiply the troops 100 times. And may you live to see it. But why would you want me to count the fighting men?" + In spite of what Joab said, the king's word had more authority than the word of Joab and the army commanders did. So they left the king and went out to count the fighting men of Israel. + They went across the Jordan River. They camped south of the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley near Aroer. Then they went through Gad and continued on to Jazer. + They went to Gilead and the area of Tahtim Hodshi. They continued to Dan Jaan and on around toward Sidon. + Then they went toward the fort of Tyre. They went to all of the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba. It was in the Negev Desert of Judah. + They finished going through the entire land. Then they came back to Jerusalem. They had been gone for nine months and 20 days. + Joab reported to the king how many fighting men he had counted. In Israel there were 800,000 men who were able to handle a sword. In Judah there were 500,000. + David felt sorry that he had counted the fighting men. So he said to the Lord, "I committed a great sin when I counted Judah and Israel's men. Lord, I beg you to take away my guilt. I've done a very foolish thing." + Before David got up the next morning, a message from the Lord came to the prophet Gad. He was David's seer. The message said, + "Go and tell David, 'The Lord says, "I could punish you in three different ways. Choose one of them for me to use against you." ' " + So Gad went to David. He said to him, "Take your choice. Do you want three years when there won't be enough food in your land? Or do you want three months when you will run away from your enemies while they chase you? Or do you want three days when there will be a plague in your land? Think it over. Then take your pick. Tell me how to answer the One who sent me." + David said to Gad, "I'm suffering terribly. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord. His mercy is great. But don't let me fall into the hands of men." + So the Lord sent a plague on Israel. It lasted from that morning until he decided to end it. From Dan all the way to Beersheba 70,000 people died. + The angel reached his hand out to destroy Jerusalem. But the Lord was very sad because of the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was making the people suffer. He said, "That is enough! Do not kill any more people." The angel of the Lord was at Araunah's threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus. + David saw the angel who was striking the people down. David said to the Lord, "I'm the one who has sinned. I'm the one who has done what is wrong. These people are like sheep. What have they done? Let your powerful hand punish me and my family." + On that day Gad went to David. Gad said to him, "Go up to the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. Build an altar there to honor the Lord." + So David went up and did it. He did what the Lord had commanded through Gad. + Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him. So he went out to welcome them. He bowed down to the king with his face toward the ground. + Araunah said, "King David, you are my master. Why have you come to see me?" "To buy your threshing floor," David answered. "I want to build an altar there to honor the Lord. When I do, the plague on the people will be stopped." + Araunah said to David, "Take anything that pleases you. Offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering. Here are threshing sleds. And here are wooden collars from the necks of the oxen. Use all of the wood to burn the offering. + King David, I'll give all of it to you." Araunah continued, "And may the Lord your God accept you." + But the king replied to Araunah, "No. I want to pay you for it. I won't sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that haven't cost me anything." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen. He paid 20 ounces of silver for them. + David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer and blessed the land. The plague on Israel was stopped. + + + + + King David was now very old. He couldn't keep warm even when blankets were spread over him. + So his servants spoke to him. They said, "You are our king and master. Please let us try to find a young virgin to help you. She can take care of you. She can lie down beside you. Then you can keep warm." + So David's servants looked all over Israel for a beautiful young woman. They found Abishag. She was from the town of Shunem. They brought her to the king. + The woman was very beautiful. She took care of the king and served him. But the king didn't have sex with her. + Adonijah was the son of David and his wife Haggith. He came forward and announced, "I'm going to be the next king." So he got chariots and horses ready. He also got 50 men to run in front of him. + His father had never tried to stop him from doing what he wanted to. His father had never asked him, "Why are you acting the way you do?" Adonijah was also very handsome. Now that Absalom was dead, Adonijah was David's oldest son. + Adonijah talked things over with Joab, the son of Zeruiah. He also talked with the priest Abiathar. They agreed to help him. + But the priest Zadok and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, didn't join Adonijah. The prophet Nathan didn't join him. Shimei and Rei didn't join him. And neither did David's special guard. + Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle and fat calves. He sacrificed them at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all of his brothers, the king's sons, and all of the men of Judah who were royal officials. + But he didn't invite Benaiah or the prophet Nathan. He didn't invite the special guard or his brother Solomon either. + Nathan spoke to Solomon's mother Bathsheba. He asked, "Haven't you heard? Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has made himself king. And King David doesn't even know about it. + "So let me tell you what to do to save your life. It will also save the life of your son Solomon. + Go in and see King David. Say to him, 'You are my king and master. You took an oath. You promised me, "You can be sure that your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne." If that's really true, why has Adonijah become king?' + "While you are still talking to the king, I'll come in. I'll tell him that what you have said is true." + So Bathsheba went to see the old king in his room. Abishag, the Shunammite, was taking care of him there. + Bathsheba bowed low. She got down on her knees in front of the king. "What do you want?" the king asked. + She said to him, "My master, you took an oath in the name of the Lord your God. You promised me, 'Your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne.' + "But now Adonijah has made himself king. And you don't even know about it. + He has sacrificed large numbers of cattle, fat calves and sheep. He has invited all of the king's sons. He has also invited the priest Abiathar and Joab, the commander of the army. But he hasn't invited your son Solomon. + "You are my king and master. All of the people of Israel are watching to see what you will do. They want to find out from you who will sit on the throne after you. + If you don't do something, I and my son Solomon will be treated like people who have committed crimes. That will happen as soon as you join the members of your family who have already died." + While she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived. + The king was told, "The prophet Nathan is here." So Nathan went to the king. He bowed down with his face toward the ground. + Nathan said, "You are my king and master. Have you announced that Adonijah will be king after you? Have you said he will sit on your throne? + Today he has gone down outside the city. He has sacrificed large numbers of cattle, fat calves and sheep. He has invited all of the king's sons. He has also invited the commanders of the army and the priest Abiathar. Even now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, 'May King Adonijah live a long time!' + "But he didn't invite me. He didn't invite the priest Zadok or Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He didn't invite your son Solomon either. + "King David, have you allowed all of that to happen? Did you do it without letting us know about it? Why didn't you tell us who is going to sit on your throne after you?" + King David said, "Tell Bathsheba to come in." So she came and stood in front of the king. + Then the king took an oath and made a promise. He said, "The Lord has saved me from all of my troubles. You can be sure that he lives. + And you can be just as sure that I will do today what I promised in the name of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. I promised you that your son Solomon would be king after me. He will sit on my throne in my place." + Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face toward the ground. She got down on her knees in front of the king. She said, "King David, you are my master. May you live forever!" + King David said, "Tell the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan to come in. Also tell Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to come." So they came to the king. + He said to them, "Take my officials with you. Put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to the Gihon spring. + Have the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anoint him as king over Israel there. Blow a trumpet. Shout, 'May King Solomon live a long time!' + Then come back up to the city with him. Have him sit on my throne. He will rule in my place. I've appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah." + Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king. "Amen!" he said. "May the Lord your God make it come true. + You are my king and master. The Lord has been with you. May he also be with Solomon. King David, may the Lord make Solomon's kingdom even greater than yours!" + So the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan left the palace. Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went with them. So did the Kerethites and Pelethites. They put Solomon on King David's mule. And they brought him down to the Gihon spring. + The priest Zadok had gotten an animal horn that was filled with olive oil. He had taken it from the sacred tent. He anointed Solomon with the oil. The trumpet was blown. All of the people shouted, "May King Solomon live a long time!" + Then they went up toward the city. Solomon was leading the way. The people were playing flutes. They were filled with great joy. The ground shook because of all of the noise. + Adonijah and all of his guests heard it. They were just finishing their meal. Joab heard the sound of the trumpet. So he asked, "What does all of that noise in the city mean?" + While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan arrived. Jonathan was the son of the priest Abiathar. Adonijah said, "Come in. I have respect for you. You must be bringing good news." + "No! I'm not!" Jonathan answered. "Our master King David has made Solomon king. + David sent the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan along with Solomon. He also sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, with him. He sent the Kerethites and Pelethites with him too. They put him on the king's mule. + They took him down to the Gihon spring. There the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anointed him as king. Now they've gone back up to the city. They were cheering all the way. The city is filled with the sound of it. That's the noise you hear. + "And that's not all. Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. + The royal officials came to give their blessing to our master King David. They said, 'May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours! May he make Solomon's kingdom greater than yours!' "While King David was sitting on his bed, he bowed in worship. + He said, 'I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He has let me live to see my son sitting on my throne today as the next king.' " + When all of Adonijah's guests heard that, they were terrified. So they got up and scattered. + Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon might do to him. So he went and grabbed hold of the horns that stuck out from the upper corners of the altar for burnt offerings. + Then Solomon was told, "King Solomon, Adonijah is afraid of you. He's holding onto the horns of the altar. He says, 'I want King Solomon to take an oath today. I want him to promise that he won't kill me with his sword.' " + Solomon replied, "Let him show that he's a man people can respect. Then not even one hair on his head will fall to the ground. But if I find out he's done something evil, he will die." + King Solomon got some men to bring Adonijah down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon. Solomon said, "Go on home." + + + The time came near for David to die. So he gave orders to his son Solomon. He said, + "I'm about to die, just as everyone else on earth does. So be strong. Show how brave you are. + Do everything the Lord your God requires. Live the way he wants you to. Obey his orders and commands. Keep his laws and rules. Do everything that is written in the Law of Moses. Then you will have success in everything you do. You will succeed everywhere you go. + "The Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He said, 'Your sons must be careful about how they live. They must be faithful to me with all their heart and soul. Then you will always have a man sitting on the throne of Israel.' + "You yourself know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me. You know that he killed Abner, the son of Ner, and Amasa, the son of Jether. They were the two commanders of Israel's armies. He killed them in a time of peace. It wasn't a time of war. Joab spilled the blood of Abner and Amasa. It stained the belt that was around his waist. It also stained the sandals on his feet. + You are wise. So I leave him in your hands. Just don't let him live to become an old man. Don't let him die peacefully. + "But be kind to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead. Provide what they need. They were faithful to me when I had to run away from your brother Absalom. + "Don't forget Shimei, the son of Gera. He's still around. He's from Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin. He called down bitter curses on me. He did it on the day I went to Mahanaim. Later, he came down to welcome me at the Jordan River. At that time I took an oath in the name of the Lord. I promised Shimei, 'I won't put you to death with my sword.' + But now I want you to think of him as guilty. You are wise. You will know what to do to him. Don't let him live to become an old man. Put him to death." + David joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David. + He had ruled over Israel for 40 years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron. Then he ruled for 33 years in Jerusalem. + So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David. His position as king was made secure. + Adonijah was the son of David's wife Haggith. He went to Bathsheba. She was Solomon's mother. She asked Adonijah, "Have you come in peace?" He answered, "Yes. I've come in peace." + He continued, "I want to ask you something." "Go ahead," she replied. + He said, "As you know, the kingdom belonged to me. The whole nation of Israel thought of me as their king. But now things have changed. The kingdom belongs to my brother. The Lord has given it to him. + But I have a favor to ask of you. Don't say no to me." "Go ahead," she said. + So he continued, "Please ask King Solomon for a favor. He won't say no to you. Ask him to give me Abishag from Shunem to be my wife." + "All right," Bathsheba replied. "I'll speak to the king for you." + So Bathsheba went to King Solomon. She went to him to speak for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her. He bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for his mother. She sat down at his right side. + "I have one small favor to ask of you," she said. "Don't say no to me." The king replied, "Mother, go ahead and ask. I won't say no to you." + She said, "Let your brother Adonijah get married to Abishag, the Shunammite." + King Solomon answered his mother, "Why are you asking for Abishag, the Shunammite, for Adonijah? You might as well ask me to give him the whole kingdom! After all, he's my older brother. And he doesn't want the kingdom only for himself. He also wants it for the priest Abiathar and for Joab, the son of Zeruiah." + Then King Solomon took an oath and made a promise in the name of the Lord. He said, "Adonijah will pay with his life because of what he has asked for. If he doesn't, may God punish me greatly. + The Lord has made my position as king secure. I'm sitting on the throne of my father David. The Lord has built a royal house for me, just as he promised. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that Adonijah will be put to death today." + So King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah struck Adonijah down. And Adonijah died. + The king spoke to the priest Abiathar. He said, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You should really be put to death. But I won't have it done now. That's because you carried the ark of the Lord and King. You did it for my father David. You shared all of his hard times." + So Solomon wouldn't let Abiathar serve as a priest of the Lord anymore. That's how the message the Lord had spoken at Shiloh came true. He had spoken it about the family of Eli. + News of what Solomon had done reached Joab. Joab had never made evil plans along with Absalom. But he had joined Adonijah. So he ran to the tent of the Lord. He took hold of the horns that stuck out from the upper corners of the altar for burnt offerings. + King Solomon was told that Joab had run to the tent. He was also told that Joab was by the altar. Then Solomon gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He told him, "Go! Strike him down!" + So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord. He said to Joab, "The king says, 'Come on out!' " But Joab answered, "No. I'd rather die here." Benaiah told the king what Joab had said to him. + Then the king commanded Benaiah, "Do what he says. Strike him down. Bury his body. Then I and my family won't be held accountable for the blood Joab spilled. He killed people who weren't guilty of doing anything wrong. + The Lord will pay him back for the blood he spilled. Joab attacked two men. He killed them with his sword. And my father David didn't even know anything about it. "Joab killed Abner, the son of Ner. Abner was the commander of Israel's army. Joab also killed Amasa, the son of Jether. Amasa was the commander of Judah's army. Abner and Amasa were better men than Joab is. They were more honest than he is. + May Joab and his children after him be held forever accountable for spilling the blood of Abner and Amasa. "But may David and his children after him enjoy the Lord's peace and rest forever. May the Lord also give his peace to David's royal house and kingdom forever." + So Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up to the Lord's tent. There he struck Joab down. And he killed him. Joab's body was buried on his own land in the desert. + The king put Benaiah in charge of the army. Benaiah took Joab's place. The king also put the priest Zadok in Abiathar's place. + Then the king sent for Shimei. He said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem. Live there. Don't go anywhere else. + You must not leave the city and go across the Kidron Valley. If you do, you can be sure you will die. And it will be your own fault." + Shimei replied to the king, "You are my king and master. What you say is good. I'll do it." Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time. + Three years after Solomon had talked with Shimei, two of Shimei's slaves ran off. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maacah. Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath." + When Shimei heard that, he put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went to Achish at Gath to look for his slaves. Shimei found them and brought them back from Gath. + Solomon was told that Shimei had left Jerusalem. He was told he had gone to Gath and had returned. + So the king sent for Shimei. He said to him, "Didn't I make you take an oath in the name of the Lord? Didn't I warn you? I said, 'You must not leave the city and go somewhere else. If you do, you can be sure you will die.' At that time you said to me, 'What you say is good. I'll obey your command.' + So why didn't you keep your oath to the Lord? Why didn't you obey the command I gave you?" + The king continued, "You know all of the wrong things you did to my father David. In your heart you know them. Now the Lord will pay you back for what you did. + But I will be blessed. The Lord will make David's kingdom secure forever." + Then the king gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah left the palace and struck Shimei down. And he killed him. So the kingdom was now made secure in Solomon's hands. + + + Solomon and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, agreed to help each other. So Solomon got married to Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her to the City of David. She stayed there until he finished building his palace, the Lord's temple, and the wall that was around Jerusalem. + But the people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places where they worshiped. That's because a temple hadn't been built yet where the Lord would put his Name. + Solomon showed his love for the Lord. He did it by obeying the laws his father David had taught him. But Solomon offered sacrifices at the high places. He also burned incense there. + King Solomon went to the city of Gibeon to offer sacrifices. That's where the most important high place was. He offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar that was there. + The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon. He spoke to him in a dream during the night. God said, "Ask for anything you want me to give you." + Solomon answered, "You have been very kind to my father David, your servant. That's because he was faithful to you. He did what was right. His heart was honest. And you have continued to be very kind to him. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. + "Lord my God, you have now made me king. You have put me in the place of my father David. But I'm only a little child. I don't know how to carry out my duties. + I'm here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. + So give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people. I can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Who can possibly rule over this great nation of yours?" + The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for that. + So God said to him, "You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for understanding. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for, + I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be. + "And that is not all. I will give you what you have not asked for. I will give you riches and honor. As long as you live, no other king will be as great as you are. + Live the way I want you to. Obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did. Then I will let you live for a long time." + Solomon woke up. He realized he had been dreaming. He returned to Jerusalem. He stood in front of the ark of the Lord's covenant. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then he gave a big dinner for all of his officials. + Two prostitutes came to the king. They stood in front of him. + One of them said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. + Three days after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone. There wasn't anyone in the house but the two of us. + "During the night this woman's baby died. It happened because she was lying on top of him. + So she got up in the middle of the night. She took my son from my side while I was asleep. She put him by her breast. Then she put her dead son by my breast. + The next morning, I got up to nurse my son. But he was dead! I looked at him closely in the morning light. And I saw that it wasn't my baby." + The other woman said, "No! The living baby is my son. The dead one belongs to you." But the first woman said, "No! The dead baby is yours. The living one belongs to me." So they argued in front of the king. + The king said, "One of you says, 'My son is alive. Your son is dead.' The other one says, 'No! Your son is dead. Mine is alive.' " + He continued, "Bring me a sword." So a sword was brought to him. + Then he gave an order. He said, "Cut the living child in two. Give half to one woman and half to the other." + The woman whose son was alive was filled with deep concern for her son. She said to the king, "My master, please give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other woman said, "Neither one of us will have him. Cut him in two!" + Then the king made his decision. He said, "Give the living baby to the first woman. Don't kill him. She's his mother." + All of the people of Israel heard about the decision the king had given. That gave them great respect for him. They saw that God had given him wisdom. They knew that Solomon would do what was right and fair when he judged people. + + + So King Solomon ruled over the whole nation of Israel. + Here are the names of his chief officials. Azariah was the priest. He was the son of Zadok. + Elihoreph and Ahijah were secretaries. They were the sons of Shisha. Jehoshaphat kept the records. He was the son of Ahilud. + Benaiah was the commander in chief. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zadok and Abiathar were priests. + Azariah was in charge of the local officials. He was the son of Nathan. Zabud was a priest. He was the king's personal adviser. He was the son of Nathan. + Ahishar was in charge of the palace. Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work for the king. He was the son of Abda. + Solomon also had 12 local governors over the whole land of Israel. They provided supplies for the king and the royal family. Each governor had to provide supplies for one month out of each year. + Here are their names and areas. Ben-Hur's area was the hill country of Ephraim. + Ben-Deker's area was Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan. + Ben-Hesed's area was Arubboth. Socoh and the whole land of Hepher were included in his area. + Ben-Abinadab's area was Naphoth Dor. He got married to Solomon's daughter Taphath. + Baana's area was Taanach, Megiddo and the whole territory of Beth Shan. Beth Shan was next to Zarethan below Jezreel. Baana's area reached from Beth Shan all the way to Abel Meholah. It also went across to Jokmeam. Baana was the son of Ahilud. + Ben-Geber's area was Ramoth Gilead. The settlements of Jair, the son of Manasseh, were included in his area in Gilead. The area of Argob in Bashan was also included. That area had 60 large cities that had high walls around them. The city gates were made secure with heavy bronze bars. + Ahinadab's area was Mahanaim. He was the son of Iddo. + Ahimaaz's area was Naphtali. He had gotten married to Basemath. She was Solomon's daughter. + Baana's area was Asher and Aloth. He was the son of Hushai. + Jehoshaphat's area was Issachar. He was the son of Paruah. + Shimei's area was Benjamin. He was the son of Ela. + Geber's area was Gilead. He was the only governor over the area. He was the son of Uri. Gilead had been the country of Sihon and Og. Sihon had been king of the Amorites. Og had been king of Bashan. + There were many people in Judah and Israel. In fact, they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They ate, drank and were happy. + Solomon ruled over all of the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All of those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life. + Here are the supplies Solomon required every day. 185 bushels of fine flour 375 bushels of meal + ten head of cattle that had been fed by hand 20 head of cattle that had been fed on grasslands 100 sheep and goats deer, antelopes and roebucks the finest birds + Solomon ruled over all of the kingdoms that were west of the Euphrates River. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side. + While Solomon was king, Judah and Israel lived in safety. They were secure from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Each man had his own vine and fig tree. + Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his chariot horses. He had a total of 12,000 horses. + The local officials provided supplies for King Solomon. They provided them for all who ate at the king's table. Each official provided supplies for one month every year. The officials made sure the king had everything he needed. + They also brought barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses. Each of them brought the amounts that were required of them. They brought them to the proper places. + God made Solomon very wise. His understanding couldn't even be measured. It was like the sand on the seashore. People can't measure that either. + Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all of the people of the east. It was greater than all of the wisdom of Egypt. + Solomon was wiser than any other man. He was wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite. He was wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda. They were the sons of Mahol. Solomon became famous in all of the nations that were around him. + He spoke 3,000 proverbs. He wrote 1,005 songs. + He explained all about plants. He knew everything about them, from the cedar trees in Lebanon to the hyssop plants that grow out of walls. He taught about animals and birds. He also taught about reptiles and fish. + The kings of all of the world's nations heard about how wise Solomon was. So they sent their people to listen to him. + + + Hiram was the king of Tyre. He heard that Solomon had been anointed as king. He heard that Solomon had become the next king after his father David. Hiram had always been David's friend. So Hiram sent his messengers to Solomon. + Then Solomon sent a message back to Hiram. It said, + "As you know, my father David had to fight many battles. His enemies attacked him from every side. So he couldn't build a temple where the Lord his God would put his Name. That wouldn't be possible until the Lord had put his enemies under his control. + "But now the Lord my God has given me peace and rest on every side. We don't have any enemies. And we don't have any other major problems either. + So I'm planning to build a temple. I want to build it for the Name of the Lord my God. That's what he told my father David he wanted me to do. He said, 'I will put your son on the throne in your place. He will build a temple. I will put my Name there.' + "So give your men orders to cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. My men will work with yours. I'll pay you for your men's work. I'll pay any amount you decide on. As you know, we don't have anyone who is as skilled in cutting down trees as the men of Sidon are." + When Hiram heard Solomon's message, he was very pleased. He said, "May the Lord be praised today. He has given David a wise son to rule over that great nation." + So Hiram sent a message to Solomon. It said, "I have received the message you sent me. I'll do everything you want me to. I'll provide the cedar and pine logs. + My men will bring them from Lebanon down to the Mediterranean Sea. I'll make them into rafts. I'll float them to the place you want me to. When the rafts arrive, I'll separate the logs from each other. Then you can take them away. "And here's what I want in return. Provide food for all of the people in my palace." + So Hiram supplied Solomon with all of the cedar and pine logs he wanted. + Solomon gave Hiram 125,000 bushels of wheat as food for the people in his palace. He also gave him 115,000 gallons of oil that was made from pressed olives. He did that for Hiram year after year. + The Lord made Solomon wise, just as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon. The two of them made a peace treaty. + King Solomon forced men from all over Israel to work hard for him. There were 30,000 of them. + He sent them off to Lebanon in groups of 10,000 each month. They spent one month in Lebanon. Then they spent two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the people who were forced to work. + Solomon had 70,000 people who carried things. He had 80,000 who cut stones in the hills. + He had 3,300 men who were in charge of the project. They also directed the workers. + The people did what the king commanded. They removed large blocks of fine stone from a rock pit. They used them to provide a foundation for the temple. + The skilled workers of Solomon and Hiram cut and prepared the logs and stones. They would later be used in building the temple. The people of Byblos helped the workers. + + + Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord. It was 480 years after the people of Israel had come out of Egypt. It was in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel. He started in the second month. That was the month of Ziv. + The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long. It was 30 feet wide. And it was 45 feet high. + The temple had a porch in front of the main hall. The porch was as wide as the temple itself. It was 30 feet wide. It came out 15 feet from the front of the temple. + Solomon made narrow windows high up in the temple walls. + He built side rooms around the temple. They were built against the walls of the main hall and the Most Holy Room. + On the first floor the side rooms were seven and a half feet wide. On the second floor they were nine feet wide. And on the third floor they were ten and a half feet wide. Solomon made the walls of the temple thinner as they went up floor by floor. The result was ledges along the walls. So the floor beams of the side rooms rested on the ledges. The beams didn't go into the temple walls. + All of the stones that were used for building the temple were shaped where they were cut. So hammers, chisels and other iron tools couldn't be heard where the temple was being built. + The entrance to the first floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the second floor. From there it went on up to the third floor. + So Solomon built the temple and finished it. He made its roof out of beams and cedar boards. + He built side rooms all along the temple. Each room was seven and a half feet high. They were joined to the temple by cedar beams. + A message came to Solomon from the Lord. The Lord said, + "You are now building this temple. Follow my orders. Keep my rules. Obey all of my commands. Then I will make the promise I gave your father David come true. I will do it through you. + I will live among my people Israel. I will not desert them." + So Solomon built the temple and finished it. + He put cedar boards on its inside walls. He covered them from floor to ceiling. He covered the temple floor with pine boards. + He put up a wall 30 feet from the back of the temple. He made it with cedar boards from floor to ceiling. That formed a room inside the temple. It was the Most Holy Room. + The main hall in front of the room was 60 feet long. + The inside of the temple was covered with cedar wood. Gourds and open flowers were carved on the wood. Everything was cedar. There wasn't any stone showing anywhere. + Solomon prepared the Most Holy Room inside the temple. That's where the ark of the covenant of the Lord would be placed. + The Most Holy Room was 30 feet long. It was 30 feet wide. And it was 30 feet high. Solomon covered the inside of it with pure gold. He prepared the cedar altar for burning incense. He covered it with gold. + Solomon covered the inside of the main hall with pure gold. He placed gold chains across the front of the Most Holy Room. That room was covered with gold. + So Solomon covered the inside of the whole temple with gold. He also covered the altar for burning incense with gold. It was right in front of the Most Holy Room. + For the Most Holy Room Solomon made a pair of cherubim. He made them out of olive wood. Each cherub was 15 feet high. + One wing of the first cherub was seven and a half feet long. The other wing was also seven and a half feet long. So the wings measured 15 feet from tip to tip. + The second cherub's wings also measured 15 feet from tip to tip. The two cherubim had the same size and shape. + Each cherub was 15 feet high. + Solomon placed the cherubim inside the Most Holy Room in the temple. Their wings were spread out. The wing tip of one cherub touched one wall. The wing tip of the other touched the other wall. The tips of their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. + Solomon covered the cherubim with gold. + On the walls that were all around the temple he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. He carved them on the walls of the Most Holy Room and the main hall. + He also covered the floors of those two rooms with gold. + For the entrance to the Most Holy Room he made two doors out of olive wood. Each doorpost had five sides. + On the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. He covered the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. + In the same way he made olive wood doorposts for the entrance to the main hall. Each doorpost had four sides. + He also made two pine doors. Each door had two parts. They turned in bases that were shaped like cups. + He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on the doors. He covered the doors with gold. He hammered the gold evenly over the carvings. + He used blocks of stone to build a wall around the inside courtyard. The first three layers of the wall were made out of stone. The top layer was made out of beautiful cedar wood. + The foundation of the Lord's temple was laid in Solomon's fourth year. It was in the month of Ziv. + The temple was finished in his 11th year. It was in the month of Bul. That was the eighth month. Everything was finished just as the plans required. Solomon had spent seven years building the temple. + + + But it took Solomon 13 years to finish constructing his palace and the other buildings that were related to it. + He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long. It was 75 feet wide. And it was 45 feet high. It had four rows of cedar columns. They held up beautiful cedar beams. + Above the beams was a roof that was made out of cedar boards. It rested on the columns. There were three rows of beams with 15 in each row. The total number of beams was 45. + The windows of the palace were placed high up in the walls. They were in groups of three. And they faced each other. + All of the doorways had frames that were shaped like rectangles. They were in front. They were in groups of three. And they faced each other. + Solomon made a covered area. It was 75 feet long. And it was 45 feet wide. Its roof was held up by columns. In front of it was a porch. In front of that were pillars and a roof that went out beyond them. + Solomon built the throne hall. It was called the Hall of Justice. That's where he would serve as judge. He covered the hall with cedar boards from floor to ceiling. + The palace where he would live was set farther back. Its plan was something like the plan for the hall. Solomon had gotten married to Pharaoh's daughter. He made a palace for her. It was like the hall. + All of those buildings were made out of blocks of very fine stone. They were cut to the right size. They were shaped with a saw on the back and front sides. Those stones were used for the outside of each building and for the large courtyard. They were also used from the foundations up to the roofs. + Large blocks of very fine stone were used for the foundations. Some were 15 feet long. Others were 12 feet long. + The walls that were above them were made out of very fine stones. The stones were cut to the right size. On top of them was a layer of cedar beams. + The large courtyard had a wall around it. The first three layers of the wall were made out of blocks of stone. The top layer was made out of beautiful cedar wood. The same thing was done with the inside courtyard of the Lord's temple and its porch. + King Solomon sent messengers to Tyre. He wanted them to bring Huram back with them. + Huram's mother was a widow. She was from the tribe of Naphtali. Huram's father was from Tyre. He was skilled in working with bronze. Huram also was very skilled. He had done all kinds of work with bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all of the work he was asked to do. + Huram made two bronze pillars. Each of them was 27 feet high. And each was 18 feet around. + Each pillar had a decorated top that was made out of bronze. Each top was seven and a half feet high. + Chains that were linked together hung down from the tops of the pillars. There were seven chains for each top. + Huram made two rows of pomegranates. They circled the chains. The pomegranates decorated the tops of the pillars. Huram did the same thing for each pillar. + The tops on the pillars of the porch were shaped like lilies. The lilies were 6 feet high. + On the tops of both pillars were 200 pomegranates. They were in rows all around the tops. They were above the part that was shaped like a bowl. And they were next to the chains. + Huram set the pillars up at the temple porch. The pillar on the south he named Jakin. The one on the north he named Boaz. + The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the work on the pillars was finished. + Huram made a huge metal bowl for washing. Its shape was round. It measured 15 feet from rim to rim. It was seven and a half feet high. And it was 45 feet around. + Below the rim there was a circle of gourds around the bowl. In every 18 inches around the bowl there were ten gourds. The gourds were arranged in two rows. They were made as part of the bowl itself. + The huge bowl stood on 12 bulls. Three of them faced north. Three faced west. Three faced south. And three faced east. The bowl rested on top of them. Their rear ends were toward the center. + The bowl was three inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup. The rim was shaped like the bloom of a lily. The bowl held 11,500 gallons of water. + Huram also made ten stands out of bronze. They could be moved around. Each stand was six feet long. It was six feet wide. And it was four and a half feet high. + Here is how the stands were made. They had sides that were joined to posts. + On the sides between the posts were lions, bulls and cherubim. They were also on all of the posts. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths that were made out of hammered metal. + Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Each one had a bowl that rested on four supports. They had wreaths on each side. + There was a round opening on the inside of each stand. The opening had a frame that was 18 inches deep. The sides were 27 inches high from the top of the opening to the bottom of the base. There was carving around the opening. The sides of the stands were square, not round. + The four wheels were under the sides. The axles of the wheels were connected to the stand. Each wheel was 27 inches across. + The wheels were made like chariot wheels. All of the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were made out of metal. + Each stand had four handles on it. There was one on each corner. They came out from the stand. + At the top of the stand there was a round band. It was nine inches deep. The sides and supports were connected to the top of the stand. + Huram carved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the sides of the stands. He also carved them on the surfaces of the supports. His carving covered every open space. He had also carved wreaths all around. + That's how he made the ten stands. All of them were made in the same molds. And they had the same size and shape. + Then Huram made ten bronze bowls. Each one held 230 gallons. The bowls measured six feet across. There was one bowl for each of the ten stands. + He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple. He placed the other five on the north side. He put the huge bowl on the south side. It was at the southeast corner of the temple. + He also made the bowls, shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all of the work he had started for King Solomon. Here's what he made for the Lord's temple. + He made the two pillars. He made the two tops for the pillars. The tops were shaped like bowls. He made the two sets of chains that were linked together. They decorated the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars. + He made the 400 pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two rows of pomegranates for each chain. They decorated the bowl-shaped tops of the pillars. + He made the ten stands with their ten bowls. + He made the huge bowl. He made the 12 bulls that were under it. + He made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Huram made all of those objects for King Solomon for the Lord's temple. He made them out of bronze. Then he shined them up. + The king had made them in clay molds. It was done on the flatlands of the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan. + Solomon didn't weigh any of those things. There were too many of them to weigh. No one even tried to weigh the bronze they were made out of. + Solomon also made all of the articles that were in the Lord's temple. He made the golden altar. He made the golden table for the holy bread. + He made the pure gold lampstands. There were five on the right and five on the left. They were in front of the Most Holy Room. He made the gold flowers. He made the gold lamps and tongs. + He made the bowls, wick cutters, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and shallow cups for burning incense. All of them were made out of pure gold. He made the gold bases for the doors of the inside room. That's the Most Holy Room. He also made gold bases for the doors of the main hall of the temple. + King Solomon finished all of the work for the Lord's temple. Then he brought in the things his father David had set apart for the Lord. They included the silver and gold and all of the articles for the Lord's temple. Solomon placed them with the other treasures that were there. + + + Then King Solomon sent for the elders of Israel. He told them to come to him in Jerusalem. They included all of the leaders of the tribes. They also included the chiefs of the families of Israel. Solomon wanted them to bring up the ark of the Lord's covenant from Zion. Zion was the City of David. + All of the men of Israel came together to where King Solomon was. It was at the time of the Feast of Booths. The feast was held in the month of Ethanim. That's the seventh month. + All of the elders of Israel arrived. Then the priests picked up the ark and carried it. + They brought up the ark of the Lord. They also brought up the Tent of Meeting and all of the sacred articles that were in the tent. The priests and Levites carried everything up. + The entire community of Israel had gathered around King Solomon. All of them were in front of the ark. They sacrificed huge numbers of sheep and cattle. There were so many that they couldn't be recorded. In fact, they couldn't even be counted. + The priests brought the ark of the Lord's covenant to its place in the Most Holy Room of the temple. They put it under the wings of the cherubim. + The cherubim's wings were spread out over the place where the ark was. They covered the ark. They also covered the poles that were used to carry it. + The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Room in front of the Most Holy Room. But they couldn't be seen from outside the Holy Room. They are still there to this very day. + There wasn't anything in the ark except the two stone tablets. Moses had placed them in it at Mount Horeb. That's where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites. He made it after they came out of Egypt. + The priests left the Holy Room. Then the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. + The priests couldn't do their work because of it. That's because the glory of the Lord filled his temple. + Then Solomon said, "Lord, you have said you would live in a dark cloud. + As you can see, I've built a beautiful temple for you. You can live in it forever." + The whole community of Israel was standing there. The king turned around and gave them his blessing. + Then he said, "I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. With his own mouth he made a promise to my father David. With his own powerful hand he made it come true. He said, + 'I brought my people Israel out of Egypt. Ever since I did that, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple could be built for my Name. But I have chosen David to rule over my people Israel.' + "With all his heart my father David wanted to build a temple. He wanted to do it so the Lord could put his Name there. The Lord is the God of Israel. + "But the Lord spoke to my father David. He said, 'With all your heart you wanted to build a temple for my Name. It is good that you wanted to do that. + But you will not build the temple. Instead, your son will build the temple for my Name. He is your own flesh and blood.' + "The Lord has kept the promise he made. I've become the next king after my father David. Now I'm sitting on the throne of Israel. That's exactly what the Lord promised would happen. I've built the temple where the Lord will put his Name. He is the God of Israel. + I've provided a place for the ark there. The tablets of the Lord's covenant are inside it. He made that covenant with our people of long ago. He made it when he brought them out of Egypt." + Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord's altar. He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands toward heaven. + He said, "Lord, you are the God of Israel. There is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. You do that when we follow you with all our hearts. + You have kept your promise to my father David. He was your servant. With your mouth you made a promise. With your powerful hand you have made it come true. And today we can see it. + "Lord, you are the God of Israel. Keep the promises you made to my father David. Do it for him. He was your servant. You said to him, 'You will always have a man to sit on the throne of Israel in my sight. That will be true only if your sons are careful in everything they do. They must live in my sight the way you have lived.' + God of Israel, let your promise to my father David come true. + "But will you really live on earth? After all, the heavens can't hold you. In fact, even the highest heavens can't hold you. So this temple I've built certainly can't hold you! + "But please pay attention to my prayer. Lord my God, show me your favor as I make my appeal to you. Listen to my cry for help. Hear the prayer I'm praying to you today. + Let your eyes look toward this temple night and day. You said, 'I will put my Name there.' So please listen to the prayer I'm praying toward this place. + "Hear me when I ask you to show us your favor. Listen to your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Listen to us from heaven. It's the place where you live. When you hear us, forgive us. + "Suppose a man does something wrong to his neighbor. And he is required to take an oath and make a promise. He must come and do it in front of your altar in this temple. + When he does, listen to him from heaven. Take action. Judge between those people. Punish the one who is guilty. Do to him what he has done to his neighbor. Tell everyone that the one who hasn't done anything wrong is free from blame. That will prove he isn't guilty. + "Suppose your people Israel have lost the battle against their enemies. And suppose they've sinned against you. But they turn back to you and praise your name. They pray to you in this temple. And they ask you to show them your favor. + Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Bring them back to the land you gave to their people who lived long ago. + "Suppose your people have sinned against you. And because of that, the sky is closed up and there isn't any rain. But your people pray toward this place. They praise you by admitting they've sinned. And they turn away from their sin because you have made them suffer. + Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live. Send rain on the land you gave them as their share. + "Suppose there isn't enough food in the land. And a plague strikes the land. The hot winds completely dry up our crops. Or locusts or grasshoppers come and eat them up. Or an enemy surrounds one of our cities and gets ready to attack it. Or trouble or sickness comes. + But suppose one of your people prays to you. He asks you to show him your favor. He is aware of how much his own heart is suffering. And he spreads out his hands toward this temple to pray. + Then listen to him from heaven. It's the place where you live. Forgive him. Take action. Deal with him in keeping with everything he does. You know his heart. In fact, you are the only one who knows every human heart. + Your people will have respect for you. They will respect you as long as they are in the land you gave our people long ago. + "Suppose there are strangers who don't belong to your people Israel. And they have come from a land far away. They've come because they've heard about your name. + When they get here, they will find out even more about your great name. They'll hear about how you reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. So they'll come and pray toward this temple. + "Then listen to them from heaven. It's the place where you live. Do what those strangers ask you to do. Then all of the nations on earth will know you. They will have respect for you. They'll respect you just as your own people Israel do. They'll know that your Name is in this house I've built. + "Suppose your people go to war against their enemies. It doesn't matter where you send them. And suppose they pray to you toward the city you have chosen. They pray toward the temple I've built for your Name. + Then listen to them from heaven. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them. + "Suppose your people sin against you. After all, there isn't anyone who doesn't sin. And suppose you get angry with them. You hand them over to their enemies. They take them as prisoners to their own land. It doesn't matter whether it's near or far away. + "But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg you to help them in the land of those who won the battle over them. They say, 'We have sinned. We've done what is wrong. We've done what is evil.' + And they turn back to you with all their heart and soul. Suppose it happens in the land of their enemies who took them away as prisoners. There they pray to you toward the land you gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city you have chosen. And they pray toward the temple I've built for your Name. + "Then listen to them from heaven. It's the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them. + "Your people have sinned against you. Please forgive them. Forgive them for all of the wrong things they've done against you. And make those who won the battle over them show mercy to them. + After all, they are your people. They belong to you. You brought them out of Egypt. You brought them out of that furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure. + "Let your eyes be open to me when I ask you to show us your favor. Let them be open to your people Israel when they ask you to show them your favor. Pay attention to them every time they cry out to you. + "After all, you chose them out of all of the nations in the world. You made them your very own people. You did it just as you had announced through your servant Moses. That's when you brought our people out of Egypt. You are our Lord and King." + Solomon finished all of those prayers. He finished asking the Lord to show his favor to his people. Then he got up from in front of the Lord's altar. He had been down on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven. + He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He blessed them with a loud voice. He said, + "I praise the Lord. He has given peace and rest to his people Israel. That's exactly what he promised to do. He gave his people good promises through his servant Moses. Every single word of those promises has come true. + "May the Lord our God be with us, just as he was with our people who lived long ago. May he never leave us. May he never desert us. + May he turn our hearts to him. Then we will live the way he wants us to. We'll obey the commands, rules and directions he gave our people. + "I've prayed these words to the Lord our God. May he keep them close to him day and night. May he stand up for me. May he also stand up for his people Israel. May he give us what we need every day. + Then all of the nations on earth will know that the Lord is God. They'll know that there isn't any other god. + "But you must commit your lives completely to the Lord our God. You must live by his rules. You must obey his commands. You must always do as you are doing now." + Then the king and the whole community of Israel offered sacrifices to the Lord. + Solomon sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord. He sacrificed 22,000 head of cattle. He also sacrificed 120,000 sheep and goats. So the king and the whole community set the temple of the Lord apart to him. + On that same day the king set the middle area of the courtyard apart to the Lord. It was in front of the Lord's temple. There Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings. He also sacrificed the fat of the friendship offerings there. He did it there because the bronze altar in front of the Lord was too small. It wasn't big enough to hold all of the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the friendship offerings. + At that time Solomon celebrated the Feast of Booths. The whole community of Israel was with him. It was a huge crowd. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath and the Wadi of Egypt. For seven days they celebrated in front of the Lord our God. The feast continued for seven more days. That made a total of 14 days. + On the following day Solomon sent the people away. They asked the Lord to bless the king. Then they went home. The people were glad. Their hearts were full of joy. That's because the Lord had done so many good things for his servant David and his people Israel. + + + Solomon finished building the Lord's temple and the royal palace. He had accomplished everything he had planned to do. + The Lord appeared to him a second time. He had already appeared to him at Gibeon. + The Lord said to him, "I have heard you pray to me. I have heard you ask me to show you my favor. You have built this temple. I have set it apart for myself. My Name will be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. + "But you must walk with me, just as your father David did. Your heart must be honest. It must be without blame. Do everything I command you to do. Obey my rules and laws. + Then I will set up your royal throne over Israel forever. I promised your father David I would do that. I said to him, 'You will always have a man on the throne of Israel.' + "But suppose all of you turn away from me. Or your sons turn away from me. You refuse to obey the commands and rules I have given you. And you go off to serve other gods and worship them. + Then I will cut Israel off from the land. It is the land I gave them. I will turn my back on this temple. I will do it even though I have set it apart for my Name to be there. Then Israel will be hated by all of the nations. They will laugh and joke about Israel. + "This temple is now grand and beautiful. But the time is coming when all those who pass by it will be shocked. They will make fun of it. And they will say, 'Why has the Lord done a thing like this to this land and temple?' + "People will answer, 'Because they have deserted the Lord their God. He brought their people out of Egypt. But they have been holding on to other gods. They've been worshiping them. They've been serving them. That's why the Lord has brought all of this horrible trouble on them.' " + Solomon built the Lord's temple and the royal palace. It took him 20 years to construct those two buildings. + King Solomon gave 20 towns in Galilee to Hiram. That's because Hiram had provided him with all of the cedar and pine logs he wanted. He had also provided him with all of the gold he wanted. Hiram was king of Tyre. + Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him. But he wasn't pleased with them. + "My friend," he asked, "what have you given me? What kind of towns are these?" So he called them the Land of Cabul. And that's what they are still called to this very day. + Hiram had sent four and a half tons of gold to Solomon. + King Solomon forced people to work hard for him. Here is a record of what they did. They built the Lord's temple and Solomon's palace. They filled in the low places. They rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. They built up Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. + Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked Gezer and captured it. He had set it on fire. He had killed the Canaanites who lived there. Then he had given Gezer as a wedding gift to his daughter. She was Solomon's wife. + Solomon rebuilt Gezer. He built up Lower Beth Horon + and Baalath. He built up Tadmor in the desert. All of those towns were in his land. + He built up all of the cities where he could store things. He also built up the towns for his chariots and horses. He built anything he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all of the territory he ruled over. + There were still many people left in the land who weren't Israelites. They included Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. + They were children of the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites came. Those people had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. But the Israelites hadn't been able to kill all of them. Solomon had forced them to work very hard as his slaves. And they still work for Israel to this very day. + But Solomon didn't force any of the men of Israel to work as his slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were his government officials, his officers and his captains. Others were commanders of his chariots and chariot drivers. + Still others were the chief officials who were in charge of his projects. There were 550 officials in charge of those who did the work. + Pharaoh's daughter moved from the City of David up to the palace Solomon had built for her. After that, he filled in the low places near the palace. + Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He sacrificed them on the altar he had built to honor the Lord. Along with the offerings, he burned incense to the Lord. So he carried out his duties for the temple. + King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber. It's near Elath in Edom. It's on the shore of the Red Sea. + Hiram sent his men to serve on the ships together with Solomon's men. Hiram's sailors knew the sea. + All of them sailed to Ophir. They brought back 16 tons of gold. They gave it to King Solomon. + + + The queen of Sheba heard about how famous Solomon was. She also heard about how he served and worshiped the Lord. So she came to test him with hard questions. + She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large group of attendants. Her camels were carrying spices, huge amounts of gold, and valuable jewels. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she wanted to know. + Solomon answered all of her questions. There wasn't anything that was too hard for the king to explain to her. + So the queen of Sheba saw how very wise Solomon was. She saw the palace he had built. + She saw the food that was on his table. She saw his officials sitting there. She saw the robes of the servants who waited on everyone. She saw his wine tasters. And she saw the burnt offerings Solomon sacrificed at the Lord's temple. She could hardly believe everything she had seen. + She said to the king, "Back in my own country I heard a report about you. I heard about how much you had accomplished. I also heard about how wise you are. Everything I heard is true. + But I didn't believe those things. So I came to see for myself. And now I believe it! You are twice as wise and wealthy as people say you are. The report I heard doesn't even begin to tell the whole story about you. + "How happy your men must be! How happy your officials must be! They always get to serve you and hear the wise things you say. + "May the Lord your God be praised. He must take great delight in you. He placed you on the throne of Israel. The Lord will love Israel for all time to come. That's why he has made you king. He knows that you will do what is fair and right." + She gave the king four and a half tons of gold. She also gave him huge amounts of spices and valuable jewels. No one would ever bring to King Solomon as many spices as the queen of Sheba gave him. + Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir. From there they also brought huge amounts of almugwood and valuable jewels. + The king used the almugwood to make supports for the Lord's temple and the royal palace. He also used it to make harps and lyres for those who played the music. That much almugwood has never been brought into Judah or seen there since that day. + King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for. That was in addition to what he had given her out of his royal riches. Then she left. She returned to her own country with her attendants. + Each year Solomon received 25 tons of gold. + That didn't include the money that was brought in by business and trade. It also didn't include the money from all of the kings of Arabia and the governors of Israel. + King Solomon made 200 large shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed seven and a half pounds. + He also made 300 small shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed almost four pounds. The king put all of the shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. + Then he made a large throne. It was decorated with ivory. It was covered with fine gold. + The throne had six steps. Its back had a rounded top. The throne had armrests on both sides of the seat. A statue of a lion stood on each side of the throne. + Twelve lions stood on the six steps. There was one at each end of each step. Nothing like that throne had ever been made for any other kingdom. + All of King Solomon's cups were made out of gold. All of the articles that were used in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were made out of pure gold. Nothing was made out of silver. When Solomon was king, silver wasn't considered to be worth very much. + He had many ships that carried goods to be traded. His ships went to sea along with Hiram's ships. Once every three years the ships returned. They brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and baboons. + King Solomon was richer than all of the other kings on earth. He was also wiser than they were. + People from the whole world wanted to meet Solomon in person. They wanted to see for themselves how wise God had made him. + Year after year, everyone who came to him brought a gift. They brought articles that were made out of silver and gold. They brought robes, weapons and spices. They also brought horses and mules. + Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept some of his horses and chariots in the chariot cities. He kept the others with him in Jerusalem. + The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar wood as common there as sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. + Solomon got horses from Egypt and from Kue. The royal traders bought them from Kue. + They weighed out 15 pounds of silver for a chariot from Egypt. And they weighed out almost four pounds of silver for a horse. They also sold horses and chariots to all of the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans. + + + King Solomon loved many women besides Pharaoh's daughter. They were from other lands. They were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. + The Lord had warned Israel about women from other nations. He had said, "You must not get married to them. If you do, you can be sure they will turn your hearts toward their gods." But Solomon continued to love them anyway. He wouldn't give them up. + He had 700 wives who came from royal families. And he had 300 concubines. His wives led him down the wrong path. + As Solomon grew older, his wives turned his heart toward other gods. He didn't follow the Lord his God with all his heart. So he wasn't like his father David. + Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth was the goddess of the people of Sidon. He also worshiped Molech. Molech was the god of the people of Ammon. The Lord hated that god. + Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn't follow the Lord completely. He didn't do what his father David had done. + There is a hill east of Jerusalem. Solomon built a high place for worshiping Chemosh there. He built a high place for worshiping Molech there too. Chemosh was the god of Moab. Molech was the god of Ammon. The Lord hated both of those gods. + Solomon also built high places so that all of his wives from other nations could worship their gods. Those women burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. + The Lord became angry with Solomon. That's because his heart had turned away from the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He had appeared to Solomon twice. + He had commanded Solomon not to follow other gods. But Solomon didn't obey him. + So the Lord said to Solomon, "You have chosen not to keep my covenant. You have decided not to obey my rules. I commanded you to do what I told you. But you did not do it. So you can be absolutely sure I will tear the kingdom away from you. I will give it to one of your officials. + "But I will not do that while you are still living. Because of your father David I will wait. I will tear the kingdom out of your son's hand. + But I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give him one of the tribes because of my servant David. I will also do it because of Jerusalem. That is the city I have chosen." + Then the Lord brought an enemy against Solomon. The enemy's name was Hadad. He was from Edom. In fact, he belonged to the royal family of Edom. + David had fought against Edom. Joab had been the commander of the army. He had gone up to bury the dead bodies of the Israelites who had been killed in battle. At that time he had struck down all of the men in Edom. + In fact, Joab and all of the men of Israel stayed there for six months. During that time they destroyed all of the men in Edom. + But when Hadad was only a boy, he ran away to Egypt. Some officials from Edom went with him. They had served Hadad's father. + They started out from Midian and went to Paran. They took some men from Paran with them. Then they went to Egypt. They went to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He gave Hadad a house and some land. He also supplied him with food. + Pharaoh was very pleased with Hadad. Pharaoh's wife was Queen Tahpenes. He gave Hadad her sister to be his wife. + The sister of Tahpenes had a son by Hadad. The baby was named Genubath. Tahpenes brought him up in the royal palace. Genubath lived there with Pharaoh's own children. + Hadad heard that David had joined the members of his family who had already died. He also heard that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. Hadad heard those things while he was in Egypt. He said to Pharaoh, "Let me go. I want to return to my own country." + "Why do you want to go back to your own country?" Pharaoh asked. "Don't you have everything you need right here?" "Yes," Hadad replied. "But I want you to let me go anyway!" + God brought another enemy against Solomon. The enemy's name was Rezon. He was the son of Eliada. Rezon had run away from his master Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. + He gathered some men together to follow him. He became the leader of a group of men who had refused to follow David. It happened when David destroyed the troops of Zobah. Then the group that was against David went to Damascus. They settled down there and took control of it. + Rezon was Israel's enemy as long as Solomon was living. Rezon added to the trouble Hadad had caused. So Rezon ruled in Aram. He was Israel's enemy. + Jeroboam refused to follow King Solomon. He was one of Solomon's officials. He was from Zeredah in the territory of Ephraim. His father was Nebat. His mother was a widow named Zeruah. + Here is the story of how Jeroboam refused to follow the king. Solomon had filled in the low places near the palace. He had also repaired the wall of the city of his father David. + Jeroboam was a very important young man. Solomon saw how well he did his work. So he put him in charge of all of the workers in northern Israel. + About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem. The prophet Ahijah met him on the road. Ahijah was from Shiloh. He was wearing a new coat. The two of them were all alone out in the country. + Ahijah grabbed hold of the new coat he had on. He tore it up into 12 pieces. + Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself. The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand. I will give you ten of its tribes. + Solomon will have one of its tribes. I will let him keep it because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem. I have chosen that city out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel. + " 'I will do those things because the tribes have deserted me. They have worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the people of Sidon. They have worshiped Chemosh, the god of the people of Moab. And they have worshiped Molech, the god of the people of Ammon. They have not lived the way I wanted them to. They have not done what is right in my eyes. They have not obeyed my rules and laws as Solomon's father David did. + " 'But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand. I have made him ruler all the days of his life. I have done it because of my servant David. I chose him. He obeyed my commands and rules. + " 'I will take the kingdom out of his son's hands. And I will give you ten of the tribes. + " 'I will give one of the tribes to David's son. Then my servant David will always have a son on his throne in Jerusalem. The lamp of David's kingdom will always burn brightly in my sight. Jerusalem is the city I chose for my Name. + " 'But I will make you king over Israel. You will rule over everything your heart longs for. So you will be the king of Israel. + Do everything I command you to do. Live the way I want you to. Do what is right in my eyes. Obey my rules and commands. That is what my servant David did. If you do those things, I will be with you. I will build you a kingdom. It will last as long as the one I built for David. I will give Israel to you. + " 'I will punish David's family because of what Solomon has done. But I will not punish them forever.' " + Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam ran away to Egypt. He went to Shishak, the king of Egypt. He stayed there until Solomon died. + The other events of Solomon's rule are written down. Everything he did and the wisdom he showed are written down. They are written in the official records of Solomon. + Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over the whole nation of Israel for 40 years. + Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the city of his father David. Solomon's son Rehoboam became the next king after him. + + + Rehoboam went to Shechem. All of the people of Israel had gone there to make him king. + Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was still in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now he returned from Egypt. + So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and the whole community of Israel went to Rehoboam. They said to him, + "Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we'll serve you." + Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days. Then come back to me." So the people went away. + King Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They had served his father Solomon while he was still living. Rehoboam asked them, "What advice can you give me? How should I answer these people?" + They replied, "Serve them today. Give them what they are asking for. Then they'll always serve you." + But Rehoboam didn't accept the advice the elders gave him. Instead, he asked for advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were now serving him. + He asked them, "What's your advice? How should I answer these people? They say to me, 'Make the load your father put on our shoulders lighter.' " + The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied, "These people say to you, 'Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.' Tell them, 'My little finger is stronger than my father's legs. + My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips.' " + Three days later Jeroboam and all of the people returned to Rehoboam. That's because the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." + The king answered the people in a mean way. He didn't accept the advice the elders had given him. + Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said, "My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips." + So the king didn't listen to the people. That's because the Lord had planned it that way. What he had said through Ahijah came true. Ahijah had spoken the Lord's message to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Ahijah was from Shiloh. + All of the people of Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them. So they answered the king. They said, "We don't have any share in David's royal family. We don't have any share in Jesse's son. People of Israel, let's go back to our homes. David's royal family, take care of your own kingdom!" So the people of Israel went home. + But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah. + Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard for King Rehoboam. The king sent him out among all of the Israelites. But they killed him by throwing stones at him. King Rehoboam was able to get away in his chariot. He escaped to Jerusalem. + Israel has refused to follow the royal family of David to this very day. + All of the people of Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned. They sent for him. They wanted him to meet with the whole community. Then they made him king over the entire nation of Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained true to David's royal family. + Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem. He brought together 180,000 fighting men from the royal house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. He had decided to make war against the royal house of Israel. Solomon's son Rehoboam wanted his fighting men to get the kingdom of Israel back for him. + But a message from God came to Shemaiah. He was a man of God. God said to him, + "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Speak to the royal house of Judah and Benjamin. Also speak to the rest of the people. Tell all of them, + 'The Lord says, "Do not go up to fight against the Israelites. They are your relatives. I want every one of you to go back home. Things have happened exactly the way I planned them." ' " So the fighting men obeyed the Lord's message. They went home again, just as he had ordered. + Jeroboam built up the walls of Shechem. It was in the hill country of Ephraim. Jeroboam made Shechem his home. From there he went out and built up Peniel. + Jeroboam thought, "My kingdom still isn't secure. It could very easily go back to the royal family of David. + Suppose the people of Israel go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Lord's temple. If they do, they will again decide to follow Rehoboam as their master. Then they'll kill me. They'll return to King Rehoboam. He is king of Judah." + So King Jeroboam asked for advice. Then he made two golden statues that looked like calves. He said to the people, "It's too hard for you to go up to Jerusalem. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up out of Egypt." + He set up one statue in Bethel. He set up the other one in Dan. + What Jeroboam did was sinful. And it caused Israel to sin. The people even went all the way to Dan to worship the statue that was there. + Jeroboam built temples for worshiping gods on high places. He appointed all kinds of people as priests. They didn't even have to be Levites. + He established a feast. It was on the 15th day of the eighth month. He wanted to make it like the Feast of Booths that was held in Judah. Jeroboam built an altar at Bethel. He offered sacrifices on it. He sacrificed to the calves he had made. He also put priests in Bethel. He did it at the high places he had made. + He offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. It was on the 15th day of the eighth month. That's the month he had chosen for it. So he established the feast for the people of Israel. And he went up to the altar to sacrifice offerings. + + + A man of God went from Judah to Bethel. He had received a message from the Lord. He arrived in Bethel just as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer a sacrifice. + The man cried out. He shouted a message from the Lord against the altar. He said, "Altar! Altar! The Lord says, 'A son named Josiah will be born into the royal family of David. Altar, listen to me! Josiah will sacrifice the priests of the high places on you. They will be the children of the priests who are offering sacrifices here now. So human bones will be burned on you.' " + That same day the man of God spoke about a miraculous sign. He said, "Here is the sign the Lord has announced. This altar will be broken to pieces. The ashes on it will be spilled out." + The man of God announced that message against the altar at Bethel. When King Jeroboam heard it, he reached out his hand from the altar. He said, "Grab him!" But as he reached out his hand toward the man, it dried up. He couldn't even pull it back. + Also, the altar broke into pieces. Its ashes spilled out. That happened in keeping with the miraculous sign the man of God had announced. He had received a message from the Lord. + King Jeroboam spoke to the man of God. He said, "Pray to the Lord your God for me. Pray that my hand will be as good as new again." So the man of God prayed to the Lord for the king. And the king's hand became as good as new. It was just as healthy as it had been before. + The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me. Have something to eat. I'll give you a gift." + But the man of God replied to the king. He said, "What if you were to give me half of what you own? Even then I wouldn't go with you. I wouldn't eat bread or drink water here. + The Lord gave me a command. He said, 'Do not eat bread or drink water there. Do not return the same way you came.' " + So he took another road. He didn't go back on the same road he had taken when he came to Bethel. + An old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons came and spoke to him. They told him everything the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king. + Their father asked them, "Which way did he go?" His sons showed him the road the man of God from Judah had taken. + So he said to his sons, "Put a saddle on the donkey for me." When they had done it, he got on the donkey. + He traveled on the same road the man of God had taken. He found the man sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" "I am," he replied. + So the prophet said to him, "Come home with me. I'll give you something to eat." + The man of God said, "I can't go back to Bethel with you. I can't eat bread or drink water with you there. + I've received a message from the Lord. He told me, 'Do not eat bread or drink water there. Do not return the same way you came.' " + The old prophet answered, "I'm also a prophet, just like you. An angel gave me a message from the Lord. The message said, 'Bring the man of God back with you to your house. Then he can eat bread and drink water with you.' " But the old prophet was telling him a lie. + The man of God returned with him. He ate and drank in his house. + They were sitting at the table. The Lord gave a message to the old prophet who had brought the man of God back. + He cried out to the man who had come from Judah. He told him, "The Lord says, 'You have not done what I told you to do. You have not obeyed the command I gave you. I am the Lord your God. + You came back here and ate bread and drank water. You did it in the place where I told you not to. So your body will not be buried in your family tomb.' " + The man of God finished eating and drinking. Then the old prophet who had brought him back put a saddle on the man's donkey for him. + And the man went on his way. A lion attacked him on the road and killed him. His body was left lying on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing beside it. + Some people passed by. They saw the body lying on the road. They saw the lion standing beside the body. Then they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. + The prophet who had brought the man back from his journey heard about what had happened. He said, "It's the man of God. He didn't do what the Lord told him to do. So the Lord has given him over to the lion. The lion has attacked him and killed him. Everything has happened just as the Lord's message had warned him it would." + The old prophet said to his sons, "Put a saddle on the donkey for me." So they did. + Then he went out. He found the body of the man of God lying on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing beside it. The lion hadn't eaten the body. It hadn't attacked the donkey either. + So the prophet picked up the man's body. He put it on the donkey. He brought it back to his own city. He wanted to sob over him and bury him. + Then he placed the body in his own tomb. People sobbed over him. They said, "My friend! My dear friend!" + After the old prophet had buried the body of the man of God, he spoke to his sons. He said, "When I die, bury my body in the grave where the man of God is buried. Put my bones next to his bones. + I want you to do that because he announced a message from the Lord. He spoke against the altar in Bethel. He also spoke against all of the temples that were on the high places. They are in the towns of Samaria. What the man of God said will certainly come true." + Even after all of that happened, Jeroboam still didn't change his evil ways. Once more he appointed priests for the high places. He made priests out of all kinds of people. In fact, he let anyone become a priest who wanted to. He set them apart to serve at the high places. + All of that was the great sin the royal family of Jeroboam committed. It led to their fall from power. Because of it, they were destroyed from the face of the earth. + + + At that time Abijah became sick. He was the son of Jeroboam. + Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go. Put on some different clothes. Then no one will recognize you as my wife. Go to Shiloh. That's where the prophet Ahijah is. He told me I would be king over the people of Israel. + Take ten loaves of bread with you. Take some cakes and a jar of honey. Go to him. He'll tell you what will happen to our son." + So Jeroboam's wife did what he said. She went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh. Ahijah couldn't see. He was blind because he was so old. + But the Lord had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming. Her son is sick. She'll ask you about him. Give her the answer I give you. When she arrives, she'll pretend to be someone else." + Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door. He said, "Come in. I know that you are Jeroboam's wife. Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have some bad news for you. + "Go. Tell Jeroboam that the Lord has a message for him. The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'I chose you from among the people. I made you the leader of my people Israel. + I tore the kingdom away from the royal house of David. I gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David. He obeyed my commands. He followed me with all his heart. He did only what was right in my eyes. + You have done more evil things than all those who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself. You have made statues of gods out of metal. You have made me very angry. You have turned your back on me. + " 'Because of that, I am going to bring horrible trouble on your royal house. I will cut off from you every male in Israel. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free. I will burn up your royal house, just as someone burns up trash. I will burn it until it is all gone. + Some of the people who belong to you will die in the city. Dogs will eat them up. Others will die in the country. The birds of the air will eat them. I have spoken!' + "Now go back home. When you enter your city, your son will die. + All of the people of Israel will sob over him. Then his body will be buried. He is the only one who belongs to Jeroboam who will be buried. That is because he is the only one in Jeroboam's royal house in whom I have found anything good. I am the Lord, the God of Israel. + "I will choose for myself a king over Israel. He will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This very day your son will die. Can that really be true? Yes. Even now, that is what I am telling you. + "I will strike Israel down. Israel will be like tall grass swaying in the water. I will pull Israel up from this good land by the roots. I gave it to their people who lived long ago. I will scatter Israel to the east side of the Euphrates River. That is because they made me very angry. They made poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. + "I will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed. He has also caused Israel to commit those same sins." + Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left. She went to the city of Tirzah. As soon as she stepped through the doorway of the house, her son died. + His body was buried. All of the people of Israel sobbed over him. That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had said it through his servant, the prophet Ahijah. + The other events of Jeroboam's rule are written down. His wars and how he ruled are written down. They are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jeroboam ruled for 22 years. Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. Jeroboam's son Nadab became the next king after him. + Rehoboam was king in Judah. He was the son of Solomon. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. He ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem. It was the city the Lord had chosen out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel. He wanted to put his Name there. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah from Ammon. + The people of Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. The sins they had committed stirred up his jealous anger. They did more to make him angry than their people who lived before them had done. + Judah also set up for themselves high places for worship. They set up sacred stones. They set up poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. They did it on every high hill and under every green tree. + There were even male prostitutes at the temples in the land. The people took part in all of the practices of other nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven those nations out to make room for the people of Israel. + Shishak attacked Jerusalem. It was in the fifth year that Rehoboam was king. Shishak was king of Egypt. + He carried away the treasures of the Lord's temple. He also carried the treasures of the royal palace away. He took everything. That included all of the gold shields Solomon had made. + So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their place. He gave them to the commanders of the guards who were on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. + Every time the king went to the Lord's temple, the guards carried the shields. Later, they took them back to the room where they were kept. + The other events of Rehoboam's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other. + Rehoboam joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in his family tomb in the City of David. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. His son Abijah became the next king after him. + + + Abijah became king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of Jeroboam's rule over Israel. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat. + Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Maacah. She was Abishalom's daughter. + Abijah committed all of the sins his father had committed before him. Abijah didn't follow the Lord his God with all his heart. He didn't do what King David had done. + But the Lord still kept the lamp of Abijah's kingdom burning brightly in Jerusalem. He did it by giving him a son to be the next king after him. He also did it by making Jerusalem strong. The Lord did those things because of David. + David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He had kept all of the Lord's commands. He had obeyed them all the days of his life. But he hadn't obeyed the Lord in the case of Uriah, the Hittite. + There was war between Jeroboam and Abijah's father Rehoboam. The war continued all through Abijah's life. + The other events of Abijah's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. + Abijah joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David. His son Asa became the next king after him. + Asa became king of Judah. It was in the 20th year that Jeroboam was king of Israel. + Asa ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother's name was Maacah. She was Abishalom's daughter. + Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. That's what King David had done. + Asa threw out of the land the male prostitutes who were at the temples. He got rid of all of the statues of gods his people before him had made. + He even removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother. That's because she had made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. The Lord hated it. So Asa cut it down. He burned it in the Kidron Valley. + Asa didn't remove the high places from Israel. But he committed his whole life completely to the Lord. + He and his father had set apart silver, gold and other articles to the Lord. He brought them into the Lord's temple. + There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings. + Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. He built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah. + Asa took all of the silver and gold that was left among the treasures of the Lord's temple and his own palace. He put his officials in charge of it. He sent the officials to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus. He was the son of Tabrimmon and the grandson of Hezion. + "Let's make a peace treaty between us," Asa said. "My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I'm sending you a gift of silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he'll go back home." + Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and the whole area of Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. + Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah. He went back home to Tirzah. + Then King Asa gave an order to all of the men of Judah. Everyone was required to help. They carried away from Ramah the stones and wood Baasha had been using there. King Asa used them to build up Geba in the territory of Benjamin. He also used them to build up Mizpah. + All of the other events of Asa's rule are written down. Everything he accomplished is written down. Everything he did and the cities he built are written down. They are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. But when Asa became old, his feet began to give him trouble. + He joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in his family tomb. It was in the city of King David. Asa's son Jehoshaphat became the next king after him. + Nadab became king of Israel. It was in the second year that Asa was king of Judah. Nadab ruled over Israel for two years. He was the son of Jeroboam. + Nadab did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way his father had lived. He sinned as his father had sinned. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit the same sins. + Baasha was from the tribe of Issachar. He was the son of Ahijah. Baasha made plans against Nadab and struck him down at Gibbethon. It was a Philistine town. Baasha struck him down while Nadab and all of the men of Israel were getting ready to attack Gibbethon. + He killed Nadab in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha became the next king after Nadab. + As soon as Baasha became king, he killed Jeroboam's whole family. He didn't leave any of them alive. He destroyed every one of them. He did what the Lord had said would happen. The Lord had spoken that message through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh. + The Lord judged Jeroboam's family because of the sins Jeroboam had committed. He had also caused Israel to commit those same sins. He had made the Lord very angry. The Lord is the God of Israel. + The other events of Nadab's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings. + Baasha became king of Israel in Tirzah. It was in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha ruled for 24 years. He was the son of Ahijah. + Baasha did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way Jeroboam had lived. He sinned as Jeroboam had sinned. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit the same sins. + + + The Lord's message against Baasha came to Jehu. Jehu was the son of Hanani. The Lord said, + "I lifted you up from the dust. I made you leader of my people Israel. But you lived the way Jeroboam had lived. You also caused my people Israel to sin. And their sins made me very angry. + "So I am about to destroy you and your royal house. I will make your house like the royal house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. + Some of the people who belong to you will die in the city. Dogs will eat them up. Others will die in the country. The birds of the air will eat them." + The other events of Baasha's rule are written down. What he did and what he accomplished are written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Baasha joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became the next king after him. + The Lord's message came through the prophet Jehu, the son of Hanani. It was against Baasha and his royal house. Baasha had done all kinds of evil things in the sight of the Lord. What he did had made the Lord very angry. So Baasha had become as sinful as the royal house of Jeroboam had been. He had also destroyed it. + Elah became king of Israel. It was in the 26th year that Asa was king of Judah. Elah ruled in Tirzah for two years. He was the son of Baasha. + Zimri was one of Elah's officials. He commanded half of Elah's chariot drivers. He made plans against Elah. Elah was in Tirzah at the time. He was getting drunk in the home of Arza. Arza was in charge of the palace at Tirzah. + Zimri came in. He struck Elah down and killed him. It was in the 27th year of Asa, the king of Judah. Zimri became the next king after Elah. + As soon as Zimri was seated on the throne as king, he killed off Baasha's whole family. He didn't even spare one male. It didn't matter whether it was a relative or a friend. + So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha. That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu. + Baasha and his son Elah had committed all kinds of sin. They had also caused Israel to commit the same sins. So Israel made the Lord very angry. They did it by worshiping worthless statues of gods. The Lord is the God of Israel. + The other events of Elah's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Zimri ruled in Tirzah for seven days. It was in the 27th year that Asa was king of Judah. The army of Israel had set up camp near Gibbethon. It was a Philistine town. + The people of Israel who were in the camp heard that Zimri had made plans against King Elah. They also heard that Zimri had murdered him. So they announced that Omri was king over Israel. He was the commander of the army. They made him king that very day in the camp. + Then Omri and all of his men pulled back from Gibbethon. They marched to Tirzah and surrounded it. They attacked it and captured it. + Zimri saw that they had taken over the city. So he went into the safest place in the royal palace. He set the palace on fire all around him. He died there + because of the sins he had committed. He had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He had lived the way Jeroboam had lived. He had sinned as Jeroboam had sinned. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit the same sins. + The other events of Zimri's rule are written down. The way he turned against King Elah and killed him is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + The people of Israel divided up into two groups. Half of them wanted Tibni to be king. He was the son of Ginath. The other half wanted Omri. + But Omri's followers were stronger than those of Tibni, the son of Ginath. So Tibni died. And Omri began to rule. + Omri became king of Israel. It was in the 31st year that Asa was king of Judah. Omri ruled for 12 years. He ruled in Tirzah for six of those years. + He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer. He weighed out 150 pounds of silver for it. Then he built a city on the hill. He called it Samaria. He named it after Shemer. Shemer had owned the hill before him. + But Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He sinned more than all of the kings who had ruled before him. + He lived the way Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had lived. He sinned as Jeroboam had sinned. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit the same sins. Israel made the Lord very angry. They did it by worshiping worthless statues of gods. The Lord is the God of Israel. + The other events of Omri's rule are written down. Everything he did and the things he accomplished are written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Omri joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became the next king after him. + Ahab became king of Israel. It was in the 38th year that Asa was king of Judah. Ahab ruled over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. He was the son of Omri. + Ahab, the son of Omri, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did more evil things than any of the kings who had ruled before him. + He thought it was only a small thing to commit the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Ahab also got married to Jezebel. She was Ethbaal's daughter. Ethbaal was king of the people of Sidon. Ahab began to serve the god Baal and worship him. + He set up an altar to honor Baal. He set it up in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. + Ahab also made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. He made the Lord very angry. He did more to make him angry than all of the kings of Israel had done before him. The Lord is the God of Israel. + In Ahab's time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son Abiram. When he set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son Segub. That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken it through Joshua, the son of Nun. + + + Elijah was from Tishbe in the land of Gilead. He said to Ahab, "I serve the Lord. He is the God of Israel. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that there won't be any dew or rain on the whole land. There won't be any during the next few years. It won't come until I say so." + Then a message from the Lord came to Elijah. It said, + "Leave this place. Go east and hide in the Kerith Valley. It is east of the Jordan River. + You will drink water from the brook. I have ordered some ravens to feed you there." + So Elijah did what the Lord had told him to do. He went to the Kerith Valley. It was east of the Jordan River. He stayed there. + The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning. They also brought him bread and meat in the evening. He drank water from the brook. + Some time later the brook dried up. It hadn't rained in the land for quite a while. + A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, + "Go right away to Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. Stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." + So Elijah went to Zarephath. He came to the town gate. A widow was there gathering sticks. He called out to her. He asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar? I need a drink." + She went to get the water. Then he called out to her, "Please bring me a piece of bread too." + "I don't have any bread," she replied. "And that's just as sure as the Lord your God is alive. All I have is a small amount of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I'm gathering a few sticks to take home. I'll make one last meal for myself and my son. We'll eat it. After that, we'll die." + Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home. Do what you have said. But first make a little bread for me. Make it out of what you have. Bring it to me. Then make some for yourself and your son. + "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'The jar of flour will not be used up. The jug will always have oil in it. You will have flour and oil until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.' " + She went away and did what Elijah had told her to do. So Elijah had food every day. There was also food for the woman and her family. + The jar of flour wasn't used up. The jug always had oil in it. That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through Elijah. + Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. He got worse and worse. Finally he stopped breathing. + The woman said to Elijah, "You are a man of God. What do you have against me? Did you come to bring my sin out into the open? Did you come to kill my son?" + "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms. He carried him to the upstairs room where he was staying. He put him down on his bed. + Then Elijah cried out to the Lord. He said, "Lord my God, I'm staying with this widow. Have you brought pain and sorrow to her? Have you caused her son to die?" + Then he lay down on the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord. He said, "Lord my God, give this boy's life back to him!" + The Lord answered Elijah's prayer. He gave the boy's life back to him. So the boy lived. + Elijah picked up the boy. He carried him down from the upstairs room into the house. He gave him to his mother. He said, "Look! Your son is alive!" + Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God. I know that the message you have brought from the Lord is true." + + + It was now three years since it had rained. A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, "Go. Speak to Ahab. Then I will send rain on the land." + So Elijah went to speak to Ahab. There wasn't enough food in Samaria. The people there were very hungry. + Ahab had sent for Obadiah. He was in charge of Ahab's palace. Obadiah had great respect for the Lord. + Ahab's wife Jezebel had been killing off the Lord's prophets. So Obadiah had hidden 100 prophets in two caves. He had put 50 in each cave. He had supplied them with food and water. + Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land. Go to all of the springs of water and to the valleys. Maybe we can find some grass there. It will keep the horses and mules alive. Then we won't have to kill any of our animals." + So they decided where each of them would look. Ahab went in one direction. Obadiah went in another. + As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him. He bowed down to the ground. He said, "My master Elijah! Is it really you?" + "Yes," he replied. "Go and tell your master Ahab, 'Elijah is here.' " + "What have I done wrong?" asked Obadiah. "Why are you handing me over to Ahab to be put to death? + "My master has sent people to look for you everywhere. There isn't a nation or kingdom where he hasn't sent someone to look for you. Suppose a nation or kingdom would claim you weren't there. Then Ahab would make them take an oath and say they couldn't find you. And that's just as sure as the Lord your God is alive. + "But now you are telling me to go to my master. You want me to say, 'Elijah is here.' + But the Spirit of the Lord might carry you away when I leave you. Then I won't know where you are. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he'll kill me. "But I've worshiped the Lord ever since I was young. + My master, haven't you heard what I did? Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets. But I hid 100 of them in two caves. I put 50 in each cave. I supplied them with food and water. + And now you are telling me to go to my master Ahab. You want me to say to him, 'Elijah is here.' He'll kill me!" + Elijah said, "I serve the Lord who rules over all. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that I will speak to Ahab today." + Obadiah went back to Ahab. He told Ahab that Elijah wanted to see him. So Ahab went to where Elijah was. + When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you? You are always stirring up trouble in Israel." + "I haven't made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have turned away from the Lord's commands. You have followed the gods that are named after Baal. + "Now send for people from all over Israel. Tell them to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of the god Baal. Also bring the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah. All of them eat at Jezebel's table." + So Ahab sent that message all through Israel. He gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. + Elijah went there and stood in front of the people. He said, "How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is the one and only God, follow him. But if Baal is the one and only God, follow him." The people didn't say anything. + Then Elijah said to them, "I'm the only one of the Lord's prophets left. But Baal has 450 prophets. + Get two bulls for us. Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves. Let them cut it into pieces. Then let them put it on the wood. But don't let them set fire to it. I'll prepare the other bull. I'll put it on the wood. But I won't set fire to it. + Then you pray to your god. And I'll pray to the Lord. The god who answers by sending fire down is the one and only God." Then all of the people said, "What you are saying is good." + Elijah spoke to the prophets of Baal. He said, "Choose one of the bulls. There are many of you. So prepare your bull first. Pray to your god. But don't light the fire." + So they prepared the bull they had been given. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon. "Baal! Answer us!" they shouted. But there wasn't any reply. No one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made. + At noon Elijah began to tease them. "Shout louder!" he said. "I'm sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he's away on a trip. Maybe he's sleeping. You might have to wake him up." + So they shouted louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed. That's what they usually did when things really looked hopeless. + It was now past noon. The prophets of Baal continued to prophesy with all their might. They did it until the time came to offer the evening sacrifice. But there wasn't any reply. No one answered. No one paid any attention. + Then Elijah said to all of the people, "Come here to me." So they went to him. He rebuilt the altar of the Lord. It had been destroyed. + Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The Lord's message had come to Jacob. It had said, "Your name will be Israel." + Elijah used the stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. He dug a ditch around it. The ditch was large enough to hold 13 quarts of seeds. + He arranged the wood for the fire. He cut the bull into pieces. He placed the pieces on the wood. Then he said to some of the people, "Fill four large jars with water. Pour it on the offering and the wood." So they did. + "Do it again," he said. So they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered. And they did it the third time. + The water ran down around the altar. It even filled the ditch. + When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed, "Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that you are God in Israel. Let them know I'm your servant. Let them know I've done all of these things because you commanded me to. + Answer me. Lord, answer me. Then these people will know that you are the one and only God. They'll know that you are turning their hearts back to you again." + The fire of the Lord came down. It burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood and the stones and the soil. It even licked up the water in the ditch. + All of the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, "The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!" + Then Elijah commanded them, "Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one of them get away!" So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death. + Elijah said to Ahab, "Go. Eat and drink. I can hear the sound of a heavy rain." + So Ahab went off to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down toward the ground. Then he put his face between his knees. + "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. So he went up and looked. "I don't see anything there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." + The seventh time the servant said, "I see a cloud. It's as small as a man's hand. It's coming up over the sea." Elijah said, "Go to Ahab. Tell him, 'Tie your chariot to your horse. Go down to Jezreel before the rain stops you.' " + Black clouds filled the sky. The wind came up, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab rode off to Jezreel. + The power of the Lord came on Elijah. He tucked his coat into his belt. And he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. + + + Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done. He told her how Elijah had killed all of the prophets with his sword. + So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah. She said, "You can be sure that I will kill you, just as I killed the other prophets. I'll do it by this time tomorrow. If I don't, may the gods punish me greatly." + Elijah was afraid. So he ran for his life. He came to Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there. + Then he traveled for one day into the desert. He came to a small tree. He sat down under it. He prayed that he would die. "Lord, I've had enough," he said. "Take my life. I'm no better than my people of long ago." + Then he lay down under the tree. And he fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him. The angel said, "Get up and eat." + Elijah looked around. Near his head he saw a flat cake of bread. It had been baked over hot coals. A jar of water was also there. So Elijah ate and drank. Then he lay down again. + The angel of the Lord came to him a second time. He touched him and said, "Get up and eat. Your journey will be long and hard." + So he got up. He ate and drank. The food gave him new strength. He traveled for 40 days and 40 nights. He kept going until he arrived at Horeb. It was the mountain of God. + There he went into a cave and spent the night. A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, "Elijah, what are you doing here?" + He replied, "Lord God who rules over all, I've been very committed to you. The people of Israel have turned their backs on your covenant. They have torn down your altars. They've put your prophets to death with their swords. I'm the only one left. And they are trying to kill me." + The Lord said, "Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by." As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn't in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn't in the earthquake. + After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn't in the fire. And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper. + When Elijah heard it, he pulled his coat over his face. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice said to him, "Elijah, what are you doing here?" + He replied, "Lord God who rules over all, I've been very committed to you. The people of Israel have turned their backs on your covenant. They have torn down your altars. They've put your prophets to death with their swords. I'm the only one left. And they are trying to kill me." + The Lord said to him, "Go back the way you came. Go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram. + Also anoint Jehu as king over Israel. He is the son of Nimshi. And anoint Elisha from Abel Meholah as the next prophet after you. He is the son of Shaphat. + Jehu will put to death anyone who escapes Hazael's sword. And Elisha will put to death anyone who escapes Jehu's sword. + "But I will keep 7,000 people in Israel for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal. And they have not kissed him." + Elijah left Mount Horeb. He saw Elisha, the son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing in a field. He was driving the last of 12 pairs of oxen. Elijah went up to him. He threw his coat around him. + Then Elisha left his oxen. He ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said. "Then I'll come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" + So Elisha left him and went back. He got his two oxen and killed them. He burned the plow to cook the meat. He gave it to the people, and they ate it. Then he started to follow Elijah. He became Elijah's assistant. + + + Ben-Hadad brought his whole army together. He was king of Aram. He went up to Samaria. He took 32 kings and their horses and chariots with him. All of them surrounded Samaria and attacked it. + Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city. They spoke to Ahab, the king of Israel. They told him, "Ben-Hadad says, + 'Your silver and gold belong to me. The best of your wives and children also belong to me.' " + The king of Israel replied, "What you say is true. You are my king and master. I belong to you. And everything I have belongs to you." + The messengers came again. They told Ahab, "Ben-Hadad says, 'I commanded you to give me your silver and gold. I also commanded you to give me your wives and children. + But now I'm going to send my officials to you. They will come about this time tomorrow. They'll search your palace. They'll search the houses of your officials. They'll take everything you value. And they'll carry all of it away.' " + The king of Israel sent for all of the elders of the land. He said to them, "This man is really looking for trouble! He sent for my wives and children. He sent for my silver and gold. And I agreed to give them to him." + All of the elders and people answered, "Don't listen to him. Don't agree to give him what he wants." + So Ahab replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers. He said, "Tell my king and master, 'I will do everything you commanded me to do the first time. But this time, I can't do what you want me to do.' " They took Ahab's answer back to Ben-Hadad. + Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab. It said, "There won't be enough dust left in Samaria to give each of my followers even a handful. If there is, may the gods punish me greatly." + The king of Israel replied. He said, "Tell him, 'Someone who puts his armor on shouldn't brag like someone who takes it off.' " + Ben-Hadad and the kings were in their tents drinking. That's when he heard the message. He ordered his men, "Get ready to attack." So they prepared to attack the city. + During that time a prophet came to Ahab, the king of Israel. He announced, "The Lord says, 'Do you see this huge army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' " + "But who will do it?" Ahab asked. The prophet answered, "The Lord says, 'The young officers who are under the area commanders will do it.' " "And who will start the battle?" he asked. The prophet answered, "You will." + So Ahab sent for the young officers who were under the area commanders. The total number of officers was 232. Ahab gathered together the rest of the men of Israel. The total number of them was 7,000. + They started out at noon. At that time Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings who were helping him were in their tents. They were getting drunk. + The young officers who were under Ahab's area commanders marched out first. Ben-Hadad had sent out scouts. They came back and reported, "Men are marching against us from Samaria." + Ben-Hadad said, "They might be coming to make peace. If they are, take them alive. Or they might be coming to make war. If they are, take them alive." + The young officers marched out of the city. The army was right behind them. + Each man struck down the one who was fighting against him. When that happened, the army of Aram ran away. The men of Israel chased them. But Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse. Some of his horsemen escaped with him. + The king of Israel attacked them. He overpowered the horses and chariots. Large numbers of the men of Aram were wounded or killed. + After that, the prophet came to the king of Israel again. He said, "Make your position stronger. Do what needs to be done. Next spring the king of Aram will attack you again." + During that time, the officials of the king of Aram gave him advice. They said, "The gods of Israel are gods of the hills. That's why they were too strong for us. But suppose we fight them on the flatlands. Then we'll certainly be stronger than they are. + "Here's what you should do. Don't let any of the kings continue as military leaders. Have other officers take their places. + You must also put another army together. It should be just like the one you lost. It should have the same number of horses and chariots. Then we'll be able to fight against Israel on the flatlands. And we'll certainly be stronger than they are." Ben-Hadad agreed with their advice. He did what they suggested. + The next spring Ben-Hadad brought together the men of Aram. They went up to the city of Aphek to fight against Israel. + The men of Israel were also brought together. They were given supplies. They marched out to fight against their enemies. Israel's army camped across from Aram's army. The men of Israel looked like two small flocks of goats that had become separated from the others. But the men of Aram covered the countryside. + The man of God came up to the king of Israel again. He told him, "The Lord says, 'The men of Aram think I am a god of the hills. They do not think I am a god of the valleys. So I will hand their huge army over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' " + For seven days the two armies camped across from each other. On the seventh day the battle began. The men of Israel wounded or killed 100,000 Aramean soldiers on foot. That happened in a single day. + The rest of the men of Aram escaped to the city of Aphek. Its wall fell down on 27,000 of them. Ben-Hadad ran to the city. He hid in a secret room. + His officials said to him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel's royal house often show mercy. So let's go to the king of Israel. Let's wear black clothes. Let's tie ropes around our heads. Perhaps Ahab will spare your life." + So they wore black clothes. They tied ropes around their heads. Then they went to the king of Israel. They told him, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, 'Please let me live.' " The king answered, "Is he still alive? He used to be my friend." + The men thought that was good news. So they quickly used the word Ahab had used. "Yes! Your friend Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. Ben-Hadad came out of the secret room. Then Ahab had him get into his chariot. + "I'll return the cities my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad offered. "You can set up your own market areas in Damascus. That's what my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "If we sign a peace treaty, I'll set you free." So he made a treaty with him. Then Ahab let him go. + There was a group that was called the company of the prophets. A message from the Lord came to one of their members. He said to his companion, "Strike me down with your weapon." But the man wouldn't do it. + The prophet said, "You haven't obeyed the Lord. So as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you." The companion went away. And a lion found him and killed him. + The prophet found another man. He said, "Please strike me down." So the man struck him down and wounded him. + Then the prophet went and stood by the road. He waited for the king to come by. He pulled his headband down over his eyes so no one would recognize him. + The king passed by. Then the prophet called out to him. He said, "I went into the middle of the battle. Someone came to me with a prisoner. He said, 'Guard this man. Don't let him get away. If he does, you will pay for his life with yours. Or you can pay 75 pounds of silver.' + While I was busy here and there, the man disappeared." "That's your sentence," the king of Israel told him. "You have said so yourself." + Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. + He told the king, "The Lord says, 'You have set a man free. But I had said he should be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. So you must pay for his life with yours. You must pay for his people's lives with the lives of your people.' " + The king of Israel was angry. He was in a bad mood. He went back to his palace in Samaria. + + + Some time later King Ahab wanted a certain vineyard. It belonged to Naboth from Jezreel. The vineyard was in Jezreel. It was close to the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria. + Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard. It's close to my palace. I want to use it for a vegetable garden. I'll trade you a better vineyard for it. Or, if you prefer, I'll pay you what it's worth." + But Naboth replied, "May the Lord keep me from giving you the land my family handed down to me." + So Ahab went home. He was angry. He was in a bad mood because of what Naboth from Jezreel had said. He had told him, "I won't give you the land my family handed down to me." So Ahab lay on his bed. He was in a very bad mood. He wouldn't even eat anything. + His wife Jezebel came in. She asked him, "Why are you in such a bad mood? Why won't you eat anything?" + He answered her, "Because I spoke to Naboth from Jezreel. I said, 'Sell me your vineyard. Or, if you prefer, I'll give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I won't sell you my vineyard.' " + His wife Jezebel said, "Is this how the king of Israel acts? Get up! Eat something! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel." + So she wrote some letters in Ahab's name. She stamped them with his seal. Then she sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in the city where Naboth lived. + In those letters she wrote, "Announce a day when people are supposed to go without eating. Have Naboth sit in an important place among the people. + But put two worthless and evil men in seats across from him. Have them witness to the fact that he has called down curses on God and the king. Then take him out of the city. Kill him by throwing stones at him." + So the elders and nobles who lived in that city did what Jezebel wanted. They did everything she directed in the letters she had written to them. + They announced a day of fasting. They had Naboth sit in an important place among the people. + Then two worthless and evil men came and sat across from him. They brought charges against Naboth in front of the people. The two men said, "Naboth has called down curses on God and the king." So they took him outside the city. They killed him by throwing stones at him. + Then they sent a message to Jezebel. They said, "Naboth is dead. We killed him by throwing stones at him." + Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed. As soon as she heard it, she said to Ahab, "Get up. Take over the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel. It's the one he wouldn't sell to you. He isn't alive anymore. He's dead." + Ahab heard that Naboth was dead. So he got up. He went down to take over Naboth's vineyard. + Then a message from the Lord came to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. It said, + "Go down to see Ahab, the king of Israel. He rules in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth's vineyard. He has gone there to take it over. + Tell him, 'The Lord says, "Haven't you murdered a man? Haven't you taken over his property?" ' Then tell him, 'The Lord says, "Dogs licked up Naboth's blood. In that same place dogs will lick up your blood. Yes, I said your blood!" ' " + Ahab said to Elijah, "My enemy! You have found me!" "I have found you," he answered. "That's because you gave yourself over to do evil things. You did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + So the Lord says, 'I am going to bring horrible trouble on you. I will destroy your children after you. I will cut off every male in Israel who is related to you. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free. + I will make your royal house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. I will make it like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. You have made me very angry. You have caused Israel to commit sin.' + "The Lord also says, 'Dogs will eat up Jezebel near the wall of Jezreel.' + "Some of the people who belong to Ahab will die in the city. Dogs will eat them up. Others will die in the country. The birds of the air will eat them." + There was never anyone like Ahab. He gave himself over to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. His wife Jezebel talked him into it. + He acted in the most evil way. He worshiped statues of gods. He was like the Amorites. The Lord drove them out to make room for Israel. + When Ahab heard what Elijah had said, he tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. He went without eating. He even slept in his clothes. He went around looking sad. + Then a message from the Lord came to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. It said, + "Have you seen how Ahab has made himself low in my sight? Because he has done that, I will not bring trouble on him while he lives. But I will bring it on his royal house when his son is king." + + + For three years there wasn't any war between Aram and Israel. + In the third year Jehoshaphat went down to see Ahab, the king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. + The king of Israel had spoken to his officials. He had said, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us? And we aren't even doing anything to take it back from the king of Aram." + So Ahab asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "Yes. I'll go with you. My men will go with you. My horses will also go with you." + Jehoshaphat continued, "First ask the Lord for advice." + So the king of Israel brought about 400 prophets together. He asked them, "Should I go to war against Ramoth Gilead? Or should I stay here?" "Go," they answered. "The Lord will hand it over to you." + But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? If there is, ask him what we should do." + The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat. He said, "There is still one other man we can go to. We can ask the Lord for advice through him. But I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me. He only prophesies bad things. His name is Micaiah. He's the son of Imlah." "You shouldn't say bad things about him," Jehoshaphat replied. + So the king of Israel called for one of his officials. He told him, "Bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, at once." + The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were wearing their royal robes. They were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor. It was near the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All of the prophets were prophesying in front of them. + Zedekiah was the son of Kenaanah. Zedekiah had made horns out of iron. They looked like animal horns. He announced, "The Lord says, 'With these horns you will drive back the men of Aram until they are destroyed.' " + All of the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead," they said. "Win the battle over it. The Lord will hand it over to you." + A messenger went to get Micaiah. He said to him, "Look. The other prophets agree. All of them are saying the king will have success. So agree with them. Say the same thing they do." + But Micaiah said, "You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that I can only tell the king what the Lord tells me to say." + When Micaiah arrived, the king spoke to him. He asked, "Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead? Or should I stay here?" "Attack," he answered. "You will win. The Lord will hand Ramoth Gilead over to you." + The king said to him, "I've made you promise to tell the truth many times before. So don't tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord." + Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all of the people of Israel scattered on the hills. They were like sheep that didn't have a shepherd. The Lord said, 'These people do not have a master. Let each of them go home in peace.' " + The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good about me? He only prophesies bad things." + Micaiah continued, "Listen to the Lord's message. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne. Some of the angels of heaven were standing at his right side. The others were standing at his left side. So all of them were standing around him. + The Lord said, 'Who will try to get Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead? I want him to die there.' "One angel suggested one thing. Another suggested something else. + Finally, a spirit came forward and stood in front of the Lord. The spirit said, 'I'll try to get Ahab to do it.' + " 'How?' the Lord asked. "The spirit said, 'I'll go out and put lies in the mouths of all of his prophets.' " 'You will have success in getting Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.' + "So the Lord has put lies in the mouths of all of your prophets. He has said that great harm will come to you." + Then Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "So you think the spirit that was sent by the Lord went away from me to speak to you, do you?" he asked. "Which way did he go?" + Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inside room to save your life." + Then the king of Israel gave an order. He said, "Take Micaiah away. Send him back to Amon. Amon is the ruler of the city of Samaria. And send him back to Joash. Joash is a member of the royal court. + Tell him, 'The king says, "Put this fellow in prison. Don't give him anything but bread and water until I return safely." ' " + Micaiah announced, "Do you really think you will return safely? If you do, the Lord hasn't spoken through me." He continued, "All of you people, remember what I've said!" + So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went there too. + The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, "I'll go into battle wearing different clothes. Then people won't recognize me. But you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel put on different clothes. Then he went into battle. + The king of Aram had given an order to his 32 chariot commanders. He had said, "Fight only against the king of Israel. Don't fight against anyone else." + The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, "That has to be the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. + Then the commanders saw he wasn't the king of Israel after all. So they stopped chasing him. + But someone shot an arrow without taking aim. The arrow hit the king of Israel between the parts of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Turn the chariot around. Get me out of this battle. I've been wounded." + All day long the battle continued. The king kept himself standing up by leaning against the inside of his chariot. He kept his face toward the men of Aram. The blood from his wound ran down onto the floor of the chariot. That evening he died. + As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army. "Every man must go to his own town!" they said. "Everyone must go to his own land!" + So the king died. He was brought to Samaria. They buried his body there. + They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria. It was where the prostitutes took baths. The dogs licked up Ahab's blood. It happened exactly as the Lord had said it would. + The other events of Ahab's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. That includes the palace he built and decorated with ivory. It also includes the cities he built up and put high walls around. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Ahab joined the members of his family who had already died. His son Ahaziah became the next king after him. + Jehoshaphat began to rule over Judah. It was in the fourth year that Ahab was king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. + Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother's name was Azubah. She was the daughter of Shilhi. + Jehoshaphat followed all of the ways of his father Asa. He didn't wander away from them. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places weren't removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at them. + Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel. + The other events of Jehoshaphat's rule are written down. The brave things he did in battle and everything else he accomplished are written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Jehoshaphat got rid of the rest of the male prostitutes who were at the temples. They had remained in the land even after the rule of his father Asa. + At that time Edom didn't have a king. An appointed official was in charge. + Jehoshaphat built many ships that he used to carry goods to be traded. The ships were supposed to go to Ophir for gold. But they never had a chance to sail. They were wrecked at Ezion Geber. + At that time Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, "Let my men sail with yours." But Jehoshaphat refused. + Jehoshaphat joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the family tomb in the city of King David. His son Jehoram became the next king after him. + Ahaziah became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 17th year that Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled over Israel for two years. He was the son of Ahab. + Ahaziah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way his father and mother had lived. He lived the way Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had lived. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit sin. + Ahaziah served and worshiped the god Baal. He made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry. That's exactly what his father had done. + + + + + After Ahab died, Moab refused to remain under Israel's control. + Ahaziah had fallen through the window of his upstairs room in Samaria. He had hurt himself. So he sent messengers to ask the god Baal-Zebub for advice. Baal-Zebub was the god of the city of Ekron. Ahaziah said to the messengers, "Go and ask Baal-Zebub whether I will get well again." + But the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. He said, "Go up to see the messengers of Ahaziah, the king of Samaria. Tell them, 'You are on your way to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Are you going to that god because you think there is no God in Israel?' + The Lord says to Ahaziah, 'You will never leave the bed you are lying on. You can be sure that you will die!' " So Elijah went to see the messengers. + They returned to the king. He asked them, "Why have you come back?" + "A man met us on our way there," they replied. "He said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him, "The Lord says, 'You are sending messengers to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Are you going to that god because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never leave the bed you are lying on. You can be sure that you will die!' " ' " + The king asked them, "What kind of man came to see you? Who told you those things?" + They replied, "He was wearing clothes that were made out of hair. He had a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah from Tishbe." + Then Ahaziah sent a captain to Elijah. The captain had his company of 50 men with him. Elijah was sitting on top of a hill. The captain went up to him. He said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!' " + Elijah answered the captain, "If I'm really a man of God, may fire come down from heaven! May it burn you and your 50 men up!" Then fire came down from heaven. It burned up the captain and his men. + After that happened, the king sent another captain to Elijah. The captain had his 50 men with him. He said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down at once!' " + Elijah replied, "If I'm really a man of God, may fire come down from heaven! May it burn you and your 50 men up!" Then the fire of God came down from heaven. It burned up the captain and his 50 men. + So the king sent a third captain with his 50 men. The captain went up to Elijah. He fell on his knees in front of him. "Man of God," he begged, "please have respect for my life! Please have respect for the lives of these 50 men! + Fire has come down from heaven. It has burned up the first two captains and all of their men. But please have respect for my life!" + The angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah. He said, "Go down with him. Don't be afraid of him." So Elijah got up. He went down with the captain to the king. + Elijah told the king, "The Lord says, 'You have sent messengers to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Did you go to that god for advice because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never leave the bed you are lying on. You can be sure that you will die!' " + So Ahaziah died. It happened just as the Lord had said it would. He had spoken that message through Elijah. Ahaziah didn't have any sons. So Joram, his younger brother, became the next king after him. It was the second year of Jehoram, the king of Judah. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat. + All of the other events of Ahaziah's rule are written down. The things he did are written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + + + Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. The Lord was going to use a strong wind to take Elijah up to heaven. + Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. The Lord has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "I won't leave you. And that's just as sure as the Lord and you are alive." So they went down to Bethel. + There was a company of prophets at Bethel. They came out to where Elisha was. They asked him, "Do you know what the Lord is going to do? He's going to take your master away from you today." "Yes, I know," Elisha replied. "But don't talk about it." + Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha. The Lord has sent me to Jericho." Elisha replied, "I won't leave you. And that's just as sure as the Lord and you are alive." So they went to Jericho. + There was a company of prophets at Jericho. They went up to where Elisha was. They asked him, "Do you know what the Lord is going to do? He's going to take your master away from you today." "Yes, I know," Elisha replied. "But don't talk about it." + Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here. The Lord has sent me to the Jordan River." Elisha replied, "I won't leave you. And that's just as sure as the Lord and you are alive." So the two of them walked on. + Fifty men from the company of the prophets followed them. The men stopped and stood not far away from them. They faced the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan River. + Elijah rolled his coat up. Then he struck the water with it. The water parted to the right and to the left. The two of them went across the river on dry ground. + After they had gone across, Elijah spoke to Elisha. He said, "Tell me. What can I do for you before I'm taken away from you?" "Please give me a double share of your spirit," Elisha replied. + "You have asked me for something I can't give you," Elijah said. "Only the Lord can give it. But suppose you see me when I'm taken away from you. Then you will receive what you have asked for. If you don't see me, you won't receive it." + They kept walking along and talking together. Suddenly a chariot and horses appeared. Fire was all around them. The chariot and horses came between the two men. Then Elijah went up to heaven in a strong wind. + Elisha saw it. He cried out to Elijah, "My father! You are like a father to me! You are the true chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Elisha didn't see Elijah anymore. Then Elisha took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. + He picked up the coat that had fallen from Elijah. He went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan River. + Then he struck the water with Elijah's coat. "Where is the power of the Lord?" he asked. "Where is the power of the God of Elijah?" When Elisha struck the water, it parted to the right and to the left. He went across the river. + The company of the prophets from Jericho were watching. They said, "The spirit of Elijah has been given to Elisha." They went over to him. They bowed down to him with their faces toward the ground. + "Look," they said. "We have 50 able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has lifted him up. Maybe he has put him down on a mountain or in a valley." "No," Elisha replied. "Don't send them." + But they kept asking until he felt he couldn't say no. So he said, "Send them." And they sent 50 men. They looked for Elijah for three days. But they didn't find him. + So they returned to Elisha. He was staying in Jericho. Elisha said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to go?" + The men of Jericho spoke to Elisha. "Look," they said. "This town has a good location. You can see that for yourself. But the spring of water here is bad. So the land doesn't produce anything." + "Bring me a new bowl," Elisha said. "Put some salt in it." So they brought it to him. + Then he went out to the spring. He threw the salt into it. He told them, "The Lord says, 'I have made this water pure. It will never cause death again. It will never keep the land from producing crops again.' " + The water has stayed pure to this very day. That's what Elisha had said would happen. + Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. He was walking along the road. Some young fellows came out of the town. They made fun of him. "Go on up! You don't even have any hair on your head!" they said. "Go on up! You don't even have any hair on your head!" + He turned around and looked at them. And he called down a curse on them. He did it in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods. They attacked 42 of the young fellows. + Elisha went on to Mount Carmel. From there he returned to Samaria. + + + Joram became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 18th year that Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. Joram ruled for 12 years. He was the son of Ahab. + Joram did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. But he wasn't as bad as his father and mother had been. His father had made a sacred stone that was used to worship the god Baal. Joram got rid of it. + But he kept on committing the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit those same sins. Joram didn't turn away from them. + Mesha raised sheep. He was king of Moab. He had to supply the king of Israel with 100,000 lambs a year. He also had to supply him with the wool of 100,000 rams a year. + Ahab died. Moab's king refused to obey the next king of Israel. + So at that time King Joram started out from Samaria. He gathered all of Israel's troops together. + He also sent a message to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. It said, "The king of Moab is refusing to obey me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" "Yes. I'll go with you," he replied. "My men will go with you. My horses will also go with you." + "What road should we take to attack Moab?" Joram asked. "The one that goes through the Desert of Edom," Jehoshaphat answered. + So the king of Israel started out. The king of Judah and the king of Edom went with him. Their armies marched around the southern end of the Dead Sea. After seven days they ran out of water. There wasn't any water for the men or their animals. + "What should we do now?" exclaimed the king of Israel. "The Lord has called us three kings together. Did he do it only to hand us over to Moab?" + But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? Can't we ask the Lord for advice through him?" An officer of the king of Israel spoke up. He answered, "Elisha is here. He's the son of Shaphat. Elisha used to serve Elijah." + Jehoshaphat said, "The Lord speaks through him." So the king of Israel went down to see Elisha. Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom also went there. + Elisha spoke to the king of Israel. He said, "What do you and I have in common? Go to your father's prophets. Go to your mother's prophets." "No," the king of Israel answered. "The Lord called us three kings together. He did it to hand us over to Moab." + Elisha said, "I serve the Lord who rules over all. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that I have respect for Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. If I didn't, I wouldn't look at you or even notice you. + But now bring me someone who plays the harp." While that person was playing the harp, the Lord's powerful hand came on Elisha. + Elisha announced, "The Lord says, 'Dig a lot of ditches in this valley.' + Do it because the Lord says, 'You will not see wind or rain. But this valley will be filled with water. Then you, your cattle and your other animals will have water to drink.' + "That's an easy thing for the Lord to do. He will also hand Moab over to you. + You will destroy every city that has high walls around it. You will destroy every major town. You will cut down every good tree. You will stop up all of the springs of water. And you will cover every good field with stones." + The next day, the time came to offer the morning sacrifice. And then it happened! Water was flowing from the direction of Edom! In fact, the land was filled with water! + Now all of the people of Moab had heard that the kings had come to fight against them. So Moab sent for all of its fighting men. It didn't matter whether they were young or old. They sent for everyone who could carry a weapon. All of them were stationed at the border. + They got up early in the morning. The sun was already shining on the water. Across the way, the water looked red to the men of Moab. It looked like blood. + "That's blood!" they said. "Those kings must have fought and killed each other. Let's go, Moab! Let's take everything that has any value." + So the men of Moab went to the camp of Israel. Just as they arrived there, the men of Israel got ready to fight. They fought against the men of Moab until they ran away. The men of Israel marched into the land and attacked it. They killed the people of Moab. + They destroyed the towns. Each man threw a large stone on every good field. They did that until the fields were covered. They stopped up all of the springs of water. And they cut down every good tree. The only town that was left with any stones in place was Kir Hareseth. But men who were armed with slings surrounded it. Then they attacked it. + The king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him. So he took with him 700 men who had swords. They tried to break through the battle lines to the king of Edom. But they couldn't do it. + Then the king of Moab got his oldest son. He was the son who would become the next king after him. He offered his son as a sacrifice on the city wall. That shocked and terrified the men of Israel. So they pulled back. And they returned to their own land. + + + The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha. She said, "My husband is dead. You know how much respect he had for the Lord. But he owed money to someone. And now that person is coming to take my two boys away. They will become his slaves." + Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me. What do you have in your house?" "I don't have anything there at all," she said. "All I have is a little olive oil." + Elisha said, "Go around to all of your neighbors. Ask them for empty jars. Get as many as you can. + Then go inside your house. Shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all of the jars. As each jar is filled, put it over to one side." + The woman left him. After that, she shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her. And she kept pouring. + When all of the jars were full, she spoke to one of her sons. She said, "Bring me another jar." But he replied, "There aren't any more left." Then the oil stopped flowing. + She went and told the man of God about it. He said, "Go and sell the oil. Pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on what is left." + One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A rich woman lived there. She begged him to stay and have a meal. So every time he came by, he stopped there to eat. + The woman said to her husband, "That man often comes by here. I know that he is a holy man of God. + Let's make a small room for him on the roof. We'll put a bed and a table in it. We'll also put a chair and a lamp in it. Then he can stay there when he comes to visit us." + One day Elisha came. He went up to his room. He lay down there. + He said to his servant Gehazi, "Go and get the Shunammite woman." So he did. She stood in front of Elisha. + He said to Gehazi, "Tell her, 'You have gone to a lot of trouble for us. Now what can we do for you? Can we speak to the king for you? Or can we speak to the commander of the army for you?' " She replied, "I live among my own people. I have everything I need here." + After she left, Elisha asked Gehazi, "What can we do for her?" Gehazi said, "Well, she doesn't have a son. And her husband is old." + Then Elisha said, "Bring her here again." So he did. She stood in the doorway. + "You will hold a son in your arms," Elisha said. "It will be about this time next year." "No, my master!" she objected. "You are a man of God. So don't lie to me!" + But the woman became pregnant. She had a baby boy. It happened the next year about that same time. That's exactly what Elisha had told her would happen. + The child grew. One day he went out to get his father. His father was with those who were gathering the crops. + The boy said to his father, "My head hurts! It really hurts!" His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." + The servant lifted the boy up. He carried him to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon. Then he died. + She went up to the room on the roof. There she laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out. + She sent for her husband. She said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey. Then I can go quickly to the man of God and return." + "Why do you want to go to him today?" he asked. "It isn't the time for the New Moon Feast. It isn't the Sabbath day." "Don't let that bother you," she said. + She put a saddle on her donkey. She said to her servant, "Let's go. Don't slow down for me unless I tell you to." + So she started out. She came to Mount Carmel. That's where the man of God was. When she was still a long way off, he saw her coming. He said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the woman from Shunem! + Run out there to meet her. Ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?' " "Everything is all right," she said. + She came to the man of God at the mountain. Then she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away. But the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is suffering terribly. But the Lord hasn't told me the reason for it. He has hidden it from me." + "My master, did I ask you for a son?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't get my hopes up'?" + Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your coat into your belt. Take my wooden staff and run to Shunem. Don't say hello to anyone you see. If anyone says hello to you, don't answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face." + But the child's mother said, "I won't leave you. And that's just as sure as the Lord and you are alive." So Elisha got up and followed her. + Gehazi went on ahead. He laid Elisha's wooden staff on the boy's face. But there wasn't any sound. The boy didn't move at all. So Gehazi went back to Elisha. He told him, "The boy hasn't awakened." + Elisha arrived at the house. The boy was dead. He was lying on Elisha's bed. + Elisha went into the room. He shut the door. He was alone with the boy. He prayed to the Lord. + Then he got on the bed. He lay down on the boy. His mouth touched the boy's mouth. His eyes touched the boy's eyes. And his hands touched the boy's hands. As Elisha lay on the boy, the boy's body grew warm. + Elisha turned away. He walked back and forth in the room. Then he got on the bed again. He lay down on the boy once more. The boy sneezed seven times. After that, he opened his eyes. + Elisha sent for Gehazi. He said to him, "Go and get the Shunammite woman." So he did. When she came, Elisha said, "Take your son." + She came in. She fell at Elisha's feet. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. Then she took her son and went out. + Elisha returned to Gilgal. There wasn't enough food to eat in that area. The company of the prophets was meeting with Elisha. So he said to his servant, "Put the large pot over the fire. Cook some stew for these men." + One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs. He found a wild vine. He gathered up some of its gourds. He brought them back with him in his coat. Then he cut them up into the pot of stew. But no one knew what they were. + The stew was poured out for the men. They began to eat it. But then they cried out, "Man of God, the food in that pot will kill us!" They couldn't eat it. + Elisha said, "Get some flour." He put it in the pot. He said, "Serve it to the men to eat." Then there wasn't anything in the pot that could harm them. + A man came from Baal Shalishah. He brought the man of God 20 loaves of barley bread. They had been baked from the first grain that had ripened. He also brought some heads of new grain. "Give this food to the people to eat," Elisha said. + "How can I put this in front of 100 men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. Do it because the Lord says, 'They will eat and have some left over.' " + Then the servant put the food in front of them. They ate it and had some left over. It happened just as the Lord had said it would. + + + Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a very important man in the eyes of his master. And he was highly respected. That's because the Lord had helped him win the battle over Aram's enemies. He was a brave soldier. But he had a skin disease. + Companies of soldiers from Aram had marched out. They had captured a young girl from Israel. She became a servant of Naaman's wife. + She spoke to the woman she was serving. She said, "I wish my master would go and see the prophet who is in Samaria. He would heal my master of his skin disease." + Naaman went to see his own master. He told him what the girl from Israel had said. + "I think you should go," the king of Aram replied. "I'll give you a letter to take to the king of Israel." So Naaman left. He took 750 pounds of silver with him. He also took 150 pounds of gold. And he took ten sets of clothes. + He carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I'm sending my servant Naaman to you with this letter. I want you to heal him of his skin disease." + The king of Israel read the letter. As soon as he did, he tore his royal robes. He said, "Am I God? Can I kill people and bring them back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be healed of his skin disease? He must be trying to pick a fight with me!" + Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes. So he sent the king a message. It said, "Why have you torn your robes? Tell the man to come to me. Then he will know there is a prophet in Israel." + So Naaman went to see Elisha. He took his horses and chariots with him. He stopped at the door of Elisha's house. + Elisha sent a messenger out to him. The messenger said, "Go. Wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times. Then your skin will be healed. You will be pure and clean again." + But Naaman went away angry. He said, "I was sure he would come out to me. I thought he would stand there and pray to the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my skin. Then I would be healed. + And what about the Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus? Aren't they better than any of the rivers of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be made pure and clean?" So he turned and went away. He was burning with anger. + Naaman's servants went over to him. They said, "You are like a father to us. What if the prophet Elisha had told you to do some great thing? Wouldn't you have done it? But he only said, 'Wash yourself. Then you will be pure and clean.' You should be even more willing to do that!" + So Naaman went down to the Jordan River. He dipped himself in it seven times. He did exactly what the man of God had told him to do. Then his skin was made pure again. It became clean like the skin of a young boy. + Naaman and all of his attendants went back to the man of God. Naaman stood in front of Elisha. He said, "Now I know that there is no God anywhere in the whole world except in Israel. Please accept a gift from me." + The prophet answered, "I serve the Lord. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that I won't accept a gift from you." Even though Naaman begged him to take it, Elisha wouldn't. + "I can see that you won't accept a gift from me," said Naaman. "But please let me have some soil from your land. Give me as much as a pair of mules can carry. Here's why I want it. I won't ever bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god again. I'll bring them only to the Lord. I'll worship him on his own soil. + "But there is one thing I hope the Lord will forgive me for. From time to time my master will enter the temple to bow down to his god Rimmon. When he does, he'll lean on my arm. Then I'll have to bow down there also. I hope the Lord will forgive me for that." + "Go in peace," Elisha said. Naaman started out on his way. + Gehazi was the servant of Elisha, the man of God. Gehazi said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman from Aram. He should have accepted the gift he brought. I'm going to run after Naaman. I'm going to get something from him. And that's just as sure as the Lord is alive." + Gehazi hurried after Naaman. Naaman saw him running toward him. So he got down from the chariot to greet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked. + "Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me. They've come from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes.' " + "I wish you would take twice as much silver," said Naaman. He begged Gehazi to accept it. Then Naaman tied up 150 pounds of silver in two bags. He also gave Gehazi two sets of clothes. He gave all of it to two of his own servants. They carried it ahead of Gehazi. + Gehazi came to the hill where Elisha lived. Then the servants handed the things over to Gehazi. He put them away in Elisha's house. He sent the men away, and they left. + Then he went back inside the house. He stood in front of his master Elisha. "Gehazi, where have you been?" Elisha asked. "I didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered. + But Elisha said to him, "Didn't my spirit go with you? I know that the man got down from his chariot to greet you. Is this the time for you to accept money or clothes? Is it the time to take olive groves, vineyards, flocks or herds? Is it the time to accept male and female servants? + You and your children after you will have Naaman's skin disease forever." Then Gehazi left Elisha. And he had Naaman's skin disease. His skin was as white as snow. + + + The company of the prophets spoke to Elisha. They said, "Look. The place where we meet with you is too small for us. + We would like to go to the Jordan River. Each of us can get some wood there. We want to build a place there for us to live in." Elisha said, "Go." + Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with us?" "I will," Elisha replied. + And he went with them. They went to the Jordan. There they began to cut down trees. + One of them was cutting a tree down. The iron blade of his ax fell into the water. "Master!" he cried out. "This ax was borrowed!" + The man of God asked, "Where did the blade fall?" He showed him the place. Then Elisha cut a stick and threw it there. That made the iron blade float. + "Take it out of the water," he said. So the man reached out and took it. + The king of Aram was at war with Israel. He talked things over with his officers. Then he said, "I'm going to set up my camp in a certain place." + The man of God sent a message to the king of Israel. It said, "Try to stay away from that place. Aram's army is going to be down there." + The king of Israel checked on the place the man of God had told him about. Time after time Elisha warned the king. So the king was on guard in those places. + All of that made the king of Aram very angry. He sent for his officers. He said to them, "Tell me. Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" + "You are my king and master," said one of his officers. "None of us is on Israel's side. But Elisha is a prophet in Israel. He tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your own bedroom." + "Go and find out where he is," the king ordered. "Then I can send my men and capture him." The report came back. It said, "He's in Dothan." + Then the king sent horses and chariots and a strong army there. They went at night and surrounded the city. + The servant of the man of God got up the next morning. He went out early. He saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "My master!" the servant said. "What can we do?" + "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." + Elisha prayed, "Lord, open my servant's eyes so he can see." Then the Lord opened his eyes. He looked up and saw the hills. He saw that Elisha was surrounded by horses and chariots. Fire was all around them. + Aram's army came down toward Elisha. Then he prayed to the Lord. He said, "Make these soldiers blind." So the Lord made them blind, just as Elisha had prayed. + Elisha told them, "This isn't the right road. This isn't the right city. Follow me. I'll lead you to the man you are looking for." He led them to Samaria. + They entered the city. Then Elisha said, "Lord, open the eyes of these men. Help them see again." Then the Lord opened their eyes. They looked around. And there they were, inside Samaria! + The king of Israel saw them. So he asked Elisha, "Should I kill them? I need your advice. You are like a father to me. Should I kill them?" + "Don't kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Put some food and water in front of them. Then they can eat and drink. They can go back to their master." + So he prepared a big dinner for them. After they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away. They returned to their master. So the companies of soldiers from Aram stopped attacking Israel's territory. + Some time later, Ben-Hadad gathered his entire army together. Ben-Hadad was the king of Aram. His army marched up and surrounded Samaria. Then they attacked it. + There wasn't enough food anywhere in the city. It was surrounded for so long that people had to weigh out two pounds of silver for a donkey's head. They had to weigh out two ounces of silver for half a pint of seed pods. + One day the king of Israel was walking on top of the wall. A woman cried out to him, "You are my king and master. Please help me!" + The king replied, "If the Lord doesn't help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" + He continued, "What's wrong?" She answered, "A woman said to me, 'Give up your son. Then we can eat him today. Tomorrow we'll eat my son.' + So we cooked my son. Then we ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son. Then we can eat him.' But she had hidden him." + When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his royal robes. As he walked along the wall, the people looked up at him. They saw that he was wearing black clothes under his robes. + He said, "I'll cut the head of Shaphat's son Elisha off his shoulders today. If I don't, may God punish me greatly!" + Elisha was sitting in his house. The elders were sitting there with him. The king went to see Elisha. He sent a messenger on ahead of him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha spoke to the elders. He said, "That murderer is sending someone here to cut my head off. Can't you see that? When the messenger comes, close the door. Hold it shut against him. Can't you hear his master's footsteps right behind him?" + Elisha was still talking to the elders when the messenger came down to him. The king also arrived. He said, "The Lord has sent this horrible trouble on us. Why should I wait any longer for him to help us?" + + + Elisha said, "Listen to a message from the Lord. He says, 'About this time tomorrow, you will be able to buy seven quarts of flour for less than half of an ounce of silver. You will also be able to buy 13 quarts of barley for the same price. That's all you will have to pay for those things at the gate of Samaria.' " + The king was leaning on an officer's arm. The officer spoke to the man of God. He said, "Suppose the Lord opens the windows of the skies. Suppose he pours food down on us. Even if he does, could what you are saying really happen?" "You will see it with your own eyes," answered Elisha. "But you won't eat any of it!" + There were four men who had a skin disease. They were at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. They said to one another, "Why should we stay here until we die? + Suppose we say, 'We'll go into the city.' There isn't any food there, and we'll die. But if we stay here, we'll die anyway. So let's go over to Aram's army camp. Let's give ourselves up. If they spare us, we'll live. If they kill us, we'll die." + At sunset they got up. They went to Aram's army camp. They arrived at the edge of it. But no one was there. + The Lord had caused the soldiers of Aram to hear a noise. It sounded like chariots and horses and a huge army. So the soldiers spoke to one another. They said, "Listen! The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings. He has paid them to attack us!" + So they had gotten up and had run away at sunset. They had left their tents and horses and donkeys behind. They had left the camp as it was. And they had run for their lives. + The men who had a skin disease arrived at the edge of the camp. They entered one of the tents. They ate and drank. Then they carried away silver, gold and clothes. They went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent. They took some things from it and hid them also. + But then they said to one another, "What we're doing isn't right. This is a day of good news. And we're keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until sunrise, we'll be punished. Let's go at once. Let's report this to the royal palace." + So they went. They called out to the people who were guarding the city gates. They told them, "We went into Aram's army camp. No one was there. We didn't hear anyone. The horses and donkeys were still tied up. The tents were left just as they were." + The people who guarded the gates shouted the news. It was reported inside the palace. + The king of Israel got up in the night. He spoke to his officers. He said, "I'll tell you what the men of Aram have done to us. They know we are very hungry. So they have left the camp to hide in the countryside. They are thinking, 'We are sure they'll come out. Then we'll take them alive. And we'll get into the city.' " + One of the king's officers spoke up. He said, "A few horses are still left in the city. Have some men get five of them. They won't be any worse off than all of the other Israelites who are left here. In fact, all of us will soon be dead. So let's send the men to find out what happened." + The men chose two chariots and their horses. The king sent them out to look for Aram's army. He commanded the drivers, "Go and find out what has happened." + They followed the trail of Aram's soldiers all the way to the Jordan River. They found clothes and supplies all along the road. The soldiers had thrown them down when they ran away. So the men returned. They reported to the king what they had seen. + Then the people went out of the city. They took everything of value from Aram's army camp. So seven quarts of flour sold for less than half of an ounce of silver. And 13 quarts of barley sold for the same price. That's exactly what the Lord had said would happen. + The king had put an officer in charge of the city gate. He was the officer on whose arm the king leaned. On their way out of the city, the people knocked the officer down. In the entrance of the gate they walked all over him. And he died. That's exactly what the man of God had said would happen. He had said it when the king came down to his house. + What the man of God had told the king came true. He had said, "About this time tomorrow, you will be able to buy seven quarts of flour for less than half of an ounce of silver. You will also be able to buy 13 quarts of barley for the same price. That's all you will have to pay for those things at the gate of Samaria." + The officer had spoken to the man of God. He had said, "Suppose the Lord opens the windows of the skies. Suppose he pours food down on us. Even if he does, could what you are saying really happen?" The man of God had replied, "You will see it with your own eyes. But you won't eat any of it!" + And that's exactly what happened to the officer. On their way out of the city, the people knocked him down. In the entrance of the gate they walked all over him. And he died. + + + Elisha had brought a woman's son back to life. He had said to her, "Go away with your family. Stay for a while anywhere you can. The Lord has decided that there won't be enough food in the land. That will be true for seven years." + The woman did just as the man of God told her to. She and her family went away. They stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years. + The seven years passed. Then she came back from the land of the Philistines. She went to the king of Israel. She wanted to beg him to get her house and land back. + The king was talking to Gehazi. Gehazi was the servant of the man of God. The king had said, "Tell me about all of the great things Elisha has done." + Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought a dead boy back to life. Just then the woman came to beg the king to get her house and land back. She was the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life. Gehazi said, "King Joram, this is the woman I've been telling you about. And this is her son. He's the one Elisha brought back to life." + The king asked the woman about her house and land. And she told him. Then he appointed an official to look into her case. The king told him, "Give her back everything that belonged to her. That includes all of the money that was earned from her land. It was earned from the day she left the country until now." + Elisha went to Damascus. Ben-Hadad was sick. He was king of Aram. The king was told, "The man of God has come all the way up here." + Then the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift with you. Go and see the man of God. Ask him for the Lord's advice. Ask him whether I will get well again." + Hazael went to see Elisha. He took 40 camels with him as a gift. The camels were loaded with all of the finest goods of Damascus. Hazael went into Elisha's house and stood in front of him. He said, "Ben-Hadad has sent me. He is the king of Aram. He asks, 'Will I get well again?' " + Elisha answered, "Go and speak to him. Tell him, 'Yes. You will get well again.' But the Lord has shown me that he will in fact die." + Elisha stared at him without looking away. He did it until Hazael felt ashamed. Then the man of God began to sob. + "Why are you sobbing?" asked Hazael. "Because I know how much harm you will do to the people of Israel," he answered. "You will set fire to their cities that have high walls around them. You will kill their young men with your sword. You will smash their little children on the ground. You will rip open their pregnant women." + Hazael said, "How could I possibly do a thing like that? I'm nothing but a dog. I don't have that kind of power." "You will become king of Aram," Elisha answered. "That's what the Lord has shown me." + Then Hazael left Elisha. He returned to his master. Ben-Hadad asked, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael replied, "He told me you would get well again." + But the next day Hazael got a thick cloth. He soaked it in water. He spread it over the king's face. He held it there until the king died. Then Hazael became the next king after him. + Jehoram began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the fifth year that Joram was king of Israel. Joram was the son of Ahab. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat. + Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. + He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the royal family of Ahab had done. In fact, he got married to a daughter of Ahab. Jehoram did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + But the Lord didn't want to destroy Judah. That's because the Lord had made a covenant with his servant David. He had promised to keep the lamp of David's kingdom burning brightly for him and his children after him forever. + When Jehoram was king over Judah, Edom refused to remain under Judah's control. They set up their own king. + So Jehoram went to Zair. He took all of his chariots with him. The men of Edom surrounded him and his chariot commanders. He got up at night and fought his way out. But his army ran back home. + To this very day Edom has refused to remain under Judah's control. At that same time, Libnah also refused to remain under the control of Judah. + The other events of Jehoram's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Jehoram joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the family tomb in the City of David. His son Ahaziah became the next king after him. + Ahaziah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the 12th year that Joram was king of Israel. Joram was the son of Ahab. Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram. + Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother's name was Athaliah. She was a granddaughter of Omri. Omri had been the king of Israel. + Ahaziah followed the ways of the royal family of Ahab. Ahaziah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as the family of Ahab had done. That's because he had married into Ahab's family. + Ahaziah joined forces with Joram. They went to war against Hazael at Ramoth Gilead. Joram was the son of Ahab. Hazael was king of Aram. The soldiers of Aram wounded King Joram. + So he returned to Jezreel to give his wounds time to heal. The soldiers of Aram had wounded him at Ramoth in his battle against Hazael, the king of Aram. Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, went down to Jezreel. He went there to see Joram. That's because Joram had been wounded. Ahaziah was king of Judah. Joram was the son of Ahab. + + + The prophet Elisha sent for a man from the company of the prophets. Elisha said to him, "Tuck your coat into your belt. Take this bottle of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth Gilead. + "When you get there, look for Jehu. He's the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him. Get him away from his companions. Take him into an inside room. + Then get the bottle. Pour the oil on his head. Announce to him, 'The Lord says, "I anoint you as king over Israel." ' After that, open the door and run away. Do it quickly!" + So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. + When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. "Commander, I have a message for you," he said. "For which one of us?" asked Jehu. "For you, commander," he replied. + Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head. He announced, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'I am anointing you as king over my people Israel. + You must destroy the royal house of your master Ahab. I will pay them back for spilling the blood of my servants the prophets. I will also pay them back for the blood of all of my servants that Jezebel spilled. + The whole house of Ahab will die out. I will cut off every male in Israel who is related to Ahab. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free. + " 'I will make Ahab's royal house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. I will make it like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. + Dogs will eat up Jezebel on a piece of land at Jezreel. No one will bury her.' " Then the prophet opened the door and ran away. + Jehu went out to where the other officers were. One of them asked him, "Is everything all right? Why did that crazy man come to you?" "You know the man. You know the kinds of things he says," Jehu replied. + "That's not true!" they said. "Tell us." Jehu said, "Here is what he told me. He announced, 'The Lord says, "I am anointing you as king over Israel." ' " + The officers quickly grabbed their coats. They spread them out under Jehu on the bare steps of the house. Then they blew a trumpet. They shouted, "Jehu is king!" + Jehu was the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Jehu made plans against Joram. During that time Joram and Israel's whole army had been guarding Ramoth Gilead. They had been guarding it against Hazael, the king of Aram. + But King Joram had returned to Jezreel. He had gone there to give his wounds time to heal. The soldiers of Aram had wounded him in his battle against Hazael, the king of Aram. Jehu said to his men, "Are you really on my side? If you are, don't let anyone sneak out of the city. Don't let them go and tell the news in Jezreel." + Then Jehu got into his chariot. He rode off to Jezreel. Joram was resting there. And Ahaziah, the king of Judah, had gone down to see him. + A lookout was standing on the roof of the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu's troops approaching. So he called out, "I see some troops coming." "Get a horseman," Joram ordered. "Send him to ride out to them. Have him ask, 'Are you coming in peace?' " + The horseman rode out to where Jehu was. He said, "The king asks, 'Are you coming in peace?' " "What do you know about peace?" Jehu answered. "Get in line behind me." The lookout reported, "The messenger has reached them. But he isn't coming back." + So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them, he told them, "The king asks, 'Are you coming in peace?' " Jehu replied, "What do you know about peace? Get in line behind me." + The lookout reported, "The second messenger has reached them. But he isn't coming back either. The one driving the chariot drives like Jehu, the son of Nimshi. He's driving like a crazy man." + "Get my chariot ready," King Joram ordered. When it was ready, he rode out. Ahaziah, the king of Judah, rode out with him. Each of them was in his own chariot. They both went to meet Jehu. They met him at the piece of land that had belonged to Naboth from Jezreel. + When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "Have you come here in peace, Jehu?" "Your mother Jezebel worships statues of gods," Jehu replied. "She also worships evil powers. The evil things she does have spread everywhere. As long as all of that goes on, how can there be peace?" + Joram turned around and tried to get away. He called out to Ahaziah. He said, "It's treason, Ahaziah!" + Then Jehu shot an arrow at Joram. It hit him between the shoulders. It went through his heart. He sank down slowly in his chariot. + Jehu spoke to Bidkar, his chariot officer. He said, "Pick him up. Throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth from Jezreel. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Joram's father Ahab? It was when the Lord made a prophecy about him. He announced, + 'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons. You can be sure that I will make you pay for it on this piece of land.' So pick him up. Throw him on that piece of land. That's what the Lord said would happen." + Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw what had happened. So he tried to get away. He went up the road toward Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him. He shouted, "Kill him too!" Jehu's men wounded Ahaziah in his chariot. It happened on the way up to Gur near Ibleam. But he escaped to Megiddo. And that's where he died. + Ahaziah's servants took him to Jerusalem in his chariot. They buried his body in his family tomb in the City of David. + Ahaziah had become king of Judah. It was in the 11th year of Joram, the son of Ahab. + Jehu went to Jezreel. Jezebel heard about it. So she put makeup on her eyes and fixed her hair. She looked out of a window. + Jehu entered the gate below. Then Jezebel said, "You are just like Zimri. You murdered your master. Have you come here in peace?" + He looked up at the window. "Who is on my side?" he called out. "Who?" Two or three officials looked down at him. + "Throw her down!" Jehu said. So they threw her down. Some of her blood splashed on the wall. Some of it splashed on Jehu's chariot horses as they ran over her. + Jehu went inside. He ate and drank. "The Lord put a curse on that woman," he said. "Take proper care of her body. Bury it. After all, she was a king's daughter." + So they went out to bury her body. But all they found was her skull, feet and hands. + They went back and reported it to Jehu. He told them, "That's what the Lord said would happen. He announced it through his servant Elijah, who was from Tishbe. He said, 'On a piece of land at Jezreel, dogs will eat up Jezebel's body. + Her body will be left to rot on that piece of land. So no one will be able to say, "Here's where Jezebel is buried." ' " + + + Ahab's royal family in the city of Samaria had a total of 70 sons. Jehu wrote some letters to the officials of the city. He also sent them to the elders there. And he sent them to those who took care of Ahab's children. He said, + "Your master's sons are with you. You also have chariots and horses and weapons. And you are living in a city that has high walls around it. As soon as you read this letter, here's what I want you to do. + Choose the best and most respected son of your master. Place him on his father Joram's throne. Then fight for your master's royal house." + The leaders of Samaria were terrified. They said, "King Joram and King Ahaziah couldn't stand up against Jehu. So how can we?" + The city governor and the person who was in charge of the palace sent a message to Jehu. The message was also from the elders and those who took care of Ahab's children. It said, "We will serve you. We'll do anything you say. We won't appoint anyone to be king. Do what you think is best." + Then Jehu wrote them a second letter. It said, "You say you are on my side. You say you will obey me. If you really mean it, bring me the heads of your master's sons. Meet me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow." There were 70 royal princes. They were with the most important men of the city. Those men were in charge of raising them. + When Jehu's letter arrived, the men went and got the princes. They killed all 70 of them. They put their heads in baskets. Then they sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. + When the messenger arrived, he spoke to Jehu. He told him, "The heads of the princes have been brought here." Then Jehu ordered his men, "Put them in two piles. Stack them up at the entrance of the city gate until morning." + The next morning Jehu went out. He stood in front of all of the people. He said, "You aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. I'm the one who made plans against my master Joram. I killed him. But who killed all of these? + I want you to know that the Lord has spoken against Ahab's royal house. Not a word of what he has said will fail. The Lord has done exactly what he promised through his servant Elijah." + So Jehu killed everyone from Ahab's family who was in Jezreel. He also killed all of Ahab's chief men. And he killed Ahab's close friends and his priests. He didn't leave anyone in Ahab's family alive. + Then Jehu started out for Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, + he saw some people. They were relatives of Ahaziah, the king of Judah. Jehu asked them, "Who are you?" They said, "We are Ahaziah's relatives. We've come down to visit the families of the king and of his mother." + "Take them alive!" Jehu ordered. So his men took them alive. Then they killed them by the well of Beth Eked. They killed a total of 42 men. Jehu didn't leave anyone alive. + After Jehu left there, he came upon Jehonadab. He was the son of Recab. Jehonadab was on his way to see Jehu. Jehu greeted him. He asked, "Are you my friend? You know I'm your friend." "I am," Jehonadab answered. "If that's true," said Jehu, "hold out your hand." So he did. Then Jehu helped him up into the chariot. + Jehu said, "Come along with me. See how committed I am to serve the Lord." He had him ride along in his chariot. + Jehu came to Samaria. He killed everyone who was left there from Ahab's family. And so he wiped out Ahab's royal house. That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message to Elijah. + Then Jehu brought all of the people together. He said to them, "Ahab served the god Baal a little. I will serve him a lot. + Send for all of Baal's prophets. Also send for all of his priests and the others who serve him. Make sure that not a single one is missing. I'm going to hold a great sacrifice to honor Baal. Anyone who doesn't come will be killed." But Jehu was lying to them. He was planning to destroy those who served Baal. + Jehu said, "Call everyone together to honor Baal." So they did. + Then he sent a message all through Israel. All of those who served Baal came. Not a single one of them stayed away. They crowded into Baal's temple. It was full from one end to the other. + Jehu spoke to the one who took care of the sacred robes. He told him, "Bring robes for everyone who serves Baal." So he brought the robes out for them. + Then Jehu went into Baal's temple. Jehonadab, the son of Recab, went with him. Jehu spoke to those who served Baal. He said, "Look around. Make sure that no one who serves the Lord is here with you. Make sure only those who serve Baal are here." + So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu had stationed 80 men outside. He warned them, "I'm placing some men in your hands. Don't let a single one of them escape. If you do, you will pay for his life with yours." + Jehu finished sacrificing the burnt offering. As soon as he did, he gave an order to the guards and officers. He commanded them, "Go inside and kill everyone. Don't let a single one of them escape." So they cut them down with their swords. The guards and officers threw the bodies outside. Then they entered the most sacred area inside Baal's temple. + They brought the sacred stone of Baal outside. They burned it up. + So they destroyed Baal's sacred stone. They also tore down Baal's temple. People have used it as a public toilet to this very day. + So Jehu destroyed the worship of the god Baal in Israel. + But he didn't turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. Jehu worshiped the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. + The Lord said to Jehu, "You have done well. You have accomplished what is right in my eyes. You have done to Ahab's royal house everything I wanted you to do. So your sons after you will sit on the throne of Israel. They will rule until the time of your children's grandchildren." + But Jehu wasn't careful to obey the law of the Lord. He didn't obey the God of Israel with all his heart. He didn't turn away from the sins of Jeroboam. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. + In those days the Lord began to make the kingdom of Israel smaller. Hazael gained control over many parts of Israel. He gained control over all of their territory + east of the Jordan River. It included the whole land of Gilead from Aroer by the Arnon River valley all the way to Bashan. That was the territory of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh. + The other events of Jehu's rule are written down. Everything he did and accomplished is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jehu joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became the next king after him. + Jehu had ruled over Israel in Samaria for 28 years. + + + Athaliah was Ahaziah's mother. She saw that her son was dead. So she began to wipe out the whole royal house of Judah. + But Jehosheba went and got Joash, the son of Ahaziah. She was the daughter of King Jehoram and the sister of Ahaziah. She stole Joash away from among the royal princes. All of them were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. That's how she hid him from Athaliah. And that's why Athaliah didn't kill him. + The child remained hidden with his nurse at the Lord's temple for six years. Athaliah ruled over the land during that time. + In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada sent for the commanders of companies of 100 men. They were the commanders over the Carites and guards. He had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them. He made them take an oath at the temple. Then he showed them the king's son. + He gave them a command. He said, "Here's what you must do. There are five companies of you. Some of you are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath day. A third of you must guard the royal palace. + A third of you must guard the Sur Gate. And a third of you must guard the gate that is behind the guard. All of you must take turns guarding the temple. + "The rest of you are in the other two companies. Normally you are not on duty on the Sabbath. But you also must guard the temple for the king. + Station yourselves around the king. Each man must have his weapon in his hand. Anyone else who approaches your companies must be put to death. Stay close to the king no matter where he goes." + The commanders of the companies did just as the priest Jehoiada ordered. Each commander got his men and came to Jehoiada. Some of the men were going on duty on the Sabbath day. Others were going off duty. + Then Jehoiada gave weapons to the commanders. He gave them spears and shields. The weapons had belonged to King David. They had been in the Lord's temple. + The guards stationed themselves around the new king. Each man had his weapon in his hand. They were near the altar and the temple. They stood from the south side of the temple to its north side. Their line formed half of a circle. + Jehoiada brought Ahaziah's son out. He put the crown on him. He gave him a copy of the covenant. And he announced that Joash was king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. The people clapped their hands. Then they shouted, "May the king live a long time!" + Athaliah heard the noise the guards and the people were making. So she went to the people at the Lord's temple. + She looked. And there was the king! He was standing next to the pillar. That was the usual practice. The officers and trumpet players were standing beside the king. All of the people of the land were filled with joy. They were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her royal robes. She called out, "Treason! It's treason!" + The priest Jehoiada gave an order to the commanders of the companies. They were in charge of the troops. He said to them, "Bring her away from the temple between the line of guards. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her." The priest had said, "She must not be put to death at the Lord's temple." + So they grabbed hold of her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds. There she was put to death. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people. He had the king and people promise that they would be the Lord's people. Jehoiada also made a covenant between the king and the people. + All of the people of the land went to Baal's temple. They tore it down. They smashed to pieces the altars and the statues of gods. They killed Mattan in front of the altars. He was the priest of Baal. Then the priest Jehoiada stationed guards at the temple of the Lord. + He took with him the commanders of companies of 100 men. They were the commanders over the Carites and guards. He also took with him all of the people of the land. All of them brought the new king down from the Lord's temple. They went into the palace. They entered it by going through the gate of the guards. Then the king sat down on the royal throne. + All of the people of the land were filled with joy. And the city was quiet. That's because Athaliah had been killed with a sword at the palace. + Joash was seven years old when he became king. + + + Joash became king of Judah. It was in the seventh year of Jehu's rule. Joash ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years. His mother's name was Zibiah. She was from Beersheba. + Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He lived that way as long as the priest Jehoiada was teaching him. + But the high places weren't removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. + Joash spoke to the priests. He said, "Collect all of the money the people bring as sacred offerings to the Lord's temple. That includes the money that is collected when the men who are able to serve in the army are counted. It includes the money that is received from people who make a special promise to the Lord. It also includes the money people bring to the temple just because they want to. + "Let each priest receive the money from one of the people who are in charge of the temple's treasures. Let all of that money be used to repair the temple where it needs it." + It was now the 23rd year of King Joash. And the priests still hadn't repaired the temple. + So the king sent for the priest Jehoiada and the other priests. He asked them, "Why aren't you repairing the temple where it needs it? Don't take any more money from the people who are in charge of the treasures. Instead, hand it over so the temple can be repaired." + The priests agreed that they wouldn't collect any more money from the people. They also agreed that they wouldn't repair the temple themselves. + The priest Jehoiada got a chest. He drilled a hole in its lid. He placed the chest beside the altar for burnt offerings. The chest was on the right side as people enter the Lord's temple. Some priests guarded the entrance. They put into the chest all of the money the people brought to the temple. + From time to time there was a large amount of money in the chest. When that happened, the royal secretary and the high priest came. They counted the money the people had brought to the temple. Then they put it into bags. + After they added it all up, they used it to repair the temple. They gave it to the men who had been put in charge of the work. Those men used it to pay the workers. They paid the builders and those who worked with wood. + They paid those who cut stones and those who laid them. They bought lumber and blocks of stone. So they used the money to repair the Lord's temple. They also paid all of the other costs to make the temple like new again. + The money the people brought to the Lord's temple wasn't used to make silver bowls. It wasn't used for wick cutters, sprinkling bowls or trumpets. And it wasn't used for any other articles made out of gold or silver. + Instead, it was paid to the workers. They used it to repair the temple. + The royal secretary and the high priest didn't require a report from those who were in charge of the work. That's because they were completely honest. They always paid the workers. + Money was received from those who brought guilt offerings and sin offerings. But it wasn't taken to the Lord's temple. It belonged to the priests. + About that time Hazael, the king of Aram, went up and attacked Gath. Then he captured it. After that, he turned back to attack Jerusalem. + But Joash, the king of Judah, didn't want to go to war. So he got all of the sacred objects. They had been set apart to the Lord by the kings who had ruled over Judah before him. They were Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah. Joash got the gifts he himself had set apart. He got all of the gold that was among the temple treasures. He also got all of the gold from the royal palace. He sent all of those things to Hazael, the king of Aram. Then Hazael pulled his army back from Jerusalem. + The other events of the rule of Joash are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + The officials of Joash made evil plans against him. They killed him at Beth Millo. It happened on the road that goes down to Silla. + The officials who murdered him were Jozabad and Jehozabad. Jozabad was the son of Shimeath. Jehozabad was the son of Shomer. After Joash died, his body was buried in the family tomb in the City of David. His son Amaziah became the next king after him. + + + Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 23rd year of Joash, the king of Judah. Jehoahaz ruled for 17 years. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. Jehoahaz was the son of Jehu. + Jehoahaz did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He committed the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. Jehoahaz didn't turn away from them. + So the Lord's anger burned against Israel. For a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael, the king of Aram. He also kept them under the power of his son Ben-Hadad. + Then Jehoahaz asked the Lord to show him his favor. The Lord listened to him. The Lord saw how badly the king of Aram was treating Israel. + The Lord provided someone to save Israel. And they escaped from the power of Aram. So the people of Israel lived in their own homes, just as they had before. + But the people didn't turn away from the sins of the royal house of Jeroboam. He had caused Israel to commit those same sins. The people continued to commit them. And the pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah remained standing in Samaria. + The army of Jehoahaz had almost nothing left. All it had was 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 soldiers on foot. The king of Aram had destroyed the rest of them. He had made them like dust at threshing time. + The other events of the rule of Jehoahaz are written down. Everything he did and accomplished is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jehoahaz joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash became the next king after him. + Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 37th year that Joash was king of Judah. Jehoash ruled for 16 years. He was the son of Jehoahaz. + Jehoash did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn't turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. And Jehoash continued to commit them. + The other events of the rule of Jehoash are written down. Everything he did and accomplished is written down. That includes his war against Amaziah, the king of Judah. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jehoash joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the royal tombs in Samaria. Jeroboam became the next king on Israel's throne after him. + Elisha was suffering from a sickness. Later he would die from it. Jehoash, the king of Israel, went down to see him. He sobbed over him. "My father!" he cried. "You are like a father to me! You are the true chariots and horsemen of Israel!" + Elisha said to Jehoash, "Get a bow and some arrows." So he did. + "Hold the bow in your hands," Elisha said to the king of Israel. So Jehoash took hold of the bow. Then Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. + "Open the east window," Elisha said. So he did. "Shoot!" Elisha said. So he shot. "That's the Lord's arrow!" Elisha announced. "It means you will win the battle over Aram! You will completely destroy the men of Aram at Aphek." + He continued, "Get some arrows." So the king did. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times. Then he stopped. + The man of God was angry with him. He said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have won the war over Aram. You would have completely destroyed them. But now you will win only three battles over them." + Elisha died. And his body was buried. Some robbers from Moab used to enter the country of Israel every spring. + One day some people of Israel were burying a man's body. Suddenly they saw a group of robbers. So they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. The body touched Elisha's bones. When it did, the man came back to life again. He stood up on his feet. + Hazael, the king of Aram, treated Israel badly. He did it the whole time Jehoahaz was king. + But the Lord showed his favor to Israel. He was tender and kind to them. He showed concern for them. He did all of those things because of the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this very day he hasn't been willing to destroy them. And he hasn't driven them out of his land. + Hazael, the king of Aram, died. His son Ben-Hadad became the next king after him. + Then Jehoash took some towns back from Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael. Ben-Hadad had captured them in battle from Jehoahaz, the father of Jehoash. Jehoash won three battles over Ben-Hadad. So Jehoash took back the Israelite towns. + + + Amaziah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the second year that Jehoash was king of Israel. He was the son of Jehoahaz. Amaziah was the son of Joash. + Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin. She was from Jerusalem. + Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But he didn't do what King David had done. He always followed the example of his father Joash. + The high places weren't removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. + The kingdom was firmly under his control. So he put to death the officials who had murdered his father, the king. + But he didn't put their children to death. He obeyed what is written in the Scroll of the Law of Moses. There the Lord commanded, "Parents must not be put to death because of what their children do. And children must not be put to death because of what their parents do. People must die because of their own sins."--(Deuteronomy 24:16) + Amaziah won the battle over 10,000 men of Edom. It happened in the Valley of Salt. During the battle he captured the town of Sela. He called it Joktheel. That's the name it still has to this very day. + Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the king of Israel. He was the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. The message said, "Come on. Meet me face to face in battle." + But Jehoash, the king of Israel, answered Amaziah, the king of Judah. He said, "A thorn bush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree there. It said, 'Give your daughter to be married to my son.' Then a wild animal in Lebanon came along. It walked all over the thorn bush. + It's true that you have won the battle over Edom. So you are proud. Enjoy your success while you can. But stay home and enjoy it! Why ask for trouble? Why bring yourself crashing down? Why bring Judah down with you?" + But Amaziah wouldn't listen. So Jehoash, the king of Israel, attacked. He and Amaziah, the king of Judah, faced each other in battle. The battle took place at Beth Shemesh in Judah. + Israel drove Judah away. Every man ran home. + Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah at Beth Shemesh. Amaziah was the son of Joash. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. Jehoash went to Jerusalem. He broke down part of its wall. It's the part that went from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. That part of the wall was 600 feet long. + Jehoash took all of the gold, silver and articles that were in the Lord's temple. He also took all of those same kinds of things that were among the treasures of the royal palace. And he took the prisoners. Then he returned to Samaria. + The other events of the rule of Jehoash are written down. Everything he did and accomplished is written down. That includes his war against Amaziah, the king of Judah. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jehoash joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in Samaria in the royal tombs of Israel. His son Jeroboam became the next king after him. + Amaziah king of Judah lived for 15 years after Jehoash king of Israel died. Amaziah was the son of Joash. Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz. + The other events of Amaziah's rule are written down. They are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Some people made evil plans against Amaziah in Jerusalem. So he ran away to Lachish. But they sent men to Lachish after him. There they killed him. + His body was brought back on a horse. Then he was buried in the family tomb in Jerusalem, the City of David. + All of the people of Judah made Uzziah king. He was 16 years old. They made him king in place of his father Amaziah. + Uzziah rebuilt Elath. He brought it under Judah's control again. He did it after Amaziah joined the members of his family who had already died. + Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 15th year that Amaziah was king of Judah. Jeroboam ruled for 41 years. Amaziah was the son of Joash. Jeroboam was the son of Jehoash. + Jeroboam did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn't turn away from any of the sins the earlier Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. That Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. + Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, made the borders of Israel the same as they were before. They reached from Lebo Hamath all the way to the Dead Sea. That's what the Lord, the God of Israel, had said would happen. He had spoken that message through his servant Jonah. The prophet Jonah was the son of Amittai. Jonah was from Gath Hepher. + The Lord had seen how much everyone in Israel was suffering. It didn't matter whether they were slaves or free. They didn't have anyone to help them. + The Lord hadn't said he would wipe out Israel's name from the earth. So he saved them by using the powerful hand of Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash. + The other events of the rule of Jeroboam are written down. Everything he did is written down. What he and his army accomplished is written down. That includes how he brought Damascus and Hamath back under Israel's control. Damascus and Hamath had belonged to the territory of Yaudi. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jeroboam joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the royal tombs of Israel. His son Zechariah became the next king after him. + + + Uzziah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the 27th year that Jeroboam was king of Israel. Uzziah was the son of Amaziah. + Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother's name was Jecoliah. She was from Jerusalem. + Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. + But the high places weren't removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. + The Lord caused King Uzziah to suffer from a skin disease until the day he died. He lived in a separate house. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace. Jotham ruled over the people of the land. + The other events of the rule of Uzziah are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Uzziah joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried near them in the City of David. His son Jotham became the next king after him. + Zechariah became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 38th year that Uzziah was king of Judah. Zechariah ruled for six months. He was the son of Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash. + Zechariah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did what the kings of Israel before him had done. He didn't turn away from the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. + Shallum made evil plans against Zechariah. He attacked Zechariah in front of the people and killed him. Then he became the next king after him. Shallum was the son of Jabesh. + The other events of the rule of Zechariah are written down. They are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message to Jehu. It had said, "Your sons after you will sit on the throne of Israel. They will rule until the time of your children's grandchildren." --(2 Kings 10:30) + Shallum became king of Israel. It was in the 39th year that Uzziah was king of Judah. Shallum ruled in Samaria for one month. He was the son of Jabesh. + Menahem went from Tirzah up to Samaria. There he attacked Shallum, the son of Jabesh. He killed him and became the next king after him. Menahem was the son of Gadi. + The other events of Shallum's rule are written down. The evil things he planned are written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + At that time Menahem started out from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He attacked everyone in the city and the area around it. That's because they refused to open their gates for him. He destroyed Tiphsah. He ripped open all of their pregnant women. + Menahem became king of Israel. It was in the 39th year that Uzziah was king of Judah. Menahem ruled in Samaria for ten years. He was the son of Gadi. + Menahem did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. During his entire rule he didn't turn away from the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. + Then Tiglath-Pileser marched into the land of Israel. He was king of Assyria. Menahem gave him 37 tons of silver to get his help. He wanted to make his control over the kingdom stronger. + Menahem forced Israel to give him that money. Every wealthy person had to give him 20 ounces of silver. All of it went to the king of Assyria. So he pulled his troops back. He didn't stay in the land anymore. + The other events of the rule of Menahem are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Menahem joined the members of his family who had already died. His son Pekahiah became the next king after him. + Pekahiah became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 50th year that Uzziah was king of Judah. Pekahiah ruled for two years. He was the son of Menahem. + Pekahiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn't turn away from the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. + One of Pekahiah's chief officers was Pekah. He was the son of Remaliah. Pekah made evil plans against Pekahiah. He took 50 men of Gilead with him and killed Pekahiah. He also killed Argob and Arieh. He killed all of them in the safest place in the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah. He became the next king after him. + The other events of the rule of Pekahiah are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Pekah became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 52nd year that Uzziah was king of Judah. Pekah ruled for 20 years. He was the son of Remaliah. + Pekah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn't turn away from the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. + During the rule of Pekah, the king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser marched into the land again. He was king of Assyria. He took the towns of Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He also took the lands of Gilead and Galilee. That included the whole territory of Naphtali. He took the people away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. + Then Hoshea made evil plans against Pekah, the son of Remaliah. Hoshea was the son of Elah. Hoshea attacked Pekah and killed him. Then Hoshea became the next king after him. It was in the 20th year of the rule of Jotham, the son of Uzziah. + The other events of the rule of Pekah are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. + Jotham began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the second year that Pekah was king of Israel. He was the son of Remaliah. Jotham was the son of Uzziah. + Jotham was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. His mother's name was Jerusha. She was the daughter of Zadok. + Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. + But the high places weren't removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Lord's temple. + The other events of the rule of Jotham are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + In those days the Lord began to send Rezin and Pekah against Judah. Rezin was king of Aram. Pekah was the son of Remaliah. + Jotham joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the family tomb in the city of King David. His son Ahaz became the next king after him. + + + Ahaz began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the 17th year of the rule of Pekah, the son of Remaliah. Ahaz was the son of Jotham. + Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. Ahaz didn't do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He didn't do what King David had done. + He followed the ways of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his son in the fire to another god. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven out those nations to make room for the people of Israel. + Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places. He also did it on the tops of hills and under every green tree. + Rezin and Pekah marched up to Jerusalem and surrounded it. Rezin was king of Aram. Pekah, the son of Remaliah, was king of Israel. They attacked Ahaz. But they couldn't overpower him. + At that time Rezin, the king of Aram, got back Elath for Aram. He drove out the people of Judah. Then the people of Edom moved into Elath. And they still live there to this very day. + Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser. He was king of Assyria. The message of Ahaz said, "I am your servant. You are my master. Come up and save me from the powerful hands of the kings of Aram and Israel. They are attacking me." + Ahaz took the silver and gold that were in the Lord's temple. He also took the silver and gold that were among the treasures in the royal palace. He sent all of it as a gift to the king of Assyria. + So the king of Assyria did what Ahaz asked him to do. He attacked the city of Damascus and captured it. He sent its people away to Kir. And he put Rezin to death. + Then King Ahaz went to Damascus. He went there to see Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria. Ahaz saw an altar in Damascus. He sent a drawing of it to the priest Uriah. He also sent him plans for building it. + So the priest Uriah built an altar. He followed all of the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. He finished it before Ahaz returned. + The king came back from Damascus. When he saw the altar, he approached it. Then he offered sacrifices on it. + He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering. He poured out his drink offering. And he sprinkled blood from his friendship offerings on the altar. + The bronze altar for burnt offerings stood in front of the Lord. It was between the new altar and the Lord's temple. Ahaz took it away from the front of the temple. He put it on the north side of the new altar. + Then King Ahaz gave orders to the priest Uriah. He said, "Offer sacrifices on the large new altar. Offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering. Offer my burnt offering and my grain offering. Offer the burnt offering of all of the people of the land. Offer their grain offering and their drink offering. Sprinkle on the altar all of the blood from the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar to look for advice and direction." + The priest Uriah did just as King Ahaz had ordered. + Ahaz took away the sides of the bronze stands. He removed the bowls from the stands. He removed the huge bowl from the bronze bulls it stood on. He placed the bowl on a stone base. + He took away the covered area that had been used on the Sabbath day. It had been built at the Lord's temple. He removed the royal entrance that was outside the temple. Ahaz did all of that to honor the king of Assyria. + The other events of the rule of Ahaz are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Ahaz joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the family tomb in the City of David. His son Hezekiah became the next king after him. + + + Hoshea became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 12th year that Ahaz was king of Judah. Hoshea ruled for nine years. He was the son of Elah. + Hoshea did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. But he wasn't as evil as the kings of Israel who ruled before him. + Shalmaneser came up to attack Hoshea. Shalmaneser was king of Assyria. He had been Hoshea's master. He had forced Hoshea to bring him gifts. + But the king of Assyria found out that Hoshea had turned against him. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, the king of Egypt. Hoshea didn't send gifts to the king of Assyria anymore. He had been sending them every year. So Shalmaneser grabbed hold of him and put him in prison. + The king of Assyria marched into the whole land of Israel. He marched to Samaria and surrounded it for three years. From time to time he attacked it. + Finally, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. It was in the ninth year of Hoshea. The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He settled some of them in Halah. He settled others in Gozan on the Habor River. And he settled still others in the towns of the Medes. + All of that took place because the people of Israel had committed sins against the Lord their God. He had brought them up out of Egypt. He had brought them out from under the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. But they worshiped other gods. + The Lord had driven out other nations to make room for them. But they followed the evil practices of those nations. They also followed the practices that the kings of Israel had started. + The people of Israel did things against the Lord their God in secret. What they did wasn't right. They built high places for worship in all of their towns. They built them at lookout towers. They also built them at cities that had high walls around them. + They set up sacred stones. And they set up poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. They did that on every high hill and under every green tree. + The Lord had driven out nations to make room for Israel. But the people of Israel burned incense at every high place, just as those nations had done. The Israelites did evil things that made the Lord very angry. + They worshiped statues of gods. They did it even though the Lord had said, "Do not do that." + The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all of his prophets and seers. He said, "Turn from your evil ways. Keep my commands and rules. Obey every part of my Law. I commanded your people who lived long ago to obey it. And I gave it to you through my servants the prophets." + But the people wouldn't listen. They were as stubborn as their people of long ago had been. Those people didn't trust in the Lord their God. + They refused to obey his rules. They broke the covenant he had made with them. They didn't pay any attention to the warnings he had given them. They worshiped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless. They followed the example of the nations that were around them. They did it even though the Lord had ordered them not to. He had said, "Do not do as they do." They did the very things the Lord had told them not to do. + They turned away from all of the commands of the Lord their God. They made two statues of gods for themselves. The statues were shaped like calves. They made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. They bowed down to all of the stars. And they worshiped the god Baal. + They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced all kinds of evil magic. They gave themselves over to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. All of those things made him very angry. + So the Lord was filled with anger against Israel. He removed them from his land. Only the tribe of Judah was left. + And even Judah didn't obey the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had started. + So the Lord turned his back on all of the people of Israel. He made them suffer. He handed them over to people who stole everything they had. And finally he threw them out of his land. + He tore Israel away from the royal house of David. The people of Israel made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam tried to get Israel to stop following the Lord. He caused them to commit a terrible sin. + The people of Israel were stubborn. They continued to commit all of the sins Jeroboam had committed. They didn't turn away from them. + So the Lord removed them from his land. That's what he had warned them he would do. He had given that warning through all of his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken away from their country. They were forced to go to Assyria. And that's where they still are. + The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon. He also brought them from Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim. He settled all of them in the towns of Samaria. They took the place of the people of Israel. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. + When they first lived there, they didn't worship the Lord. So he sent lions among them. And the lions killed some of the people. + A report was given to the king of Assyria. He was told, "You forced people to leave their own homes. You settled them in the towns of Samaria. But they don't know what the god of that country requires. So he has sent lions among them. And the lions are killing the people off. That's because the people don't know what that god requires." + Then the king of Assyria gave an order. He said, "Get one of the priests you captured from Samaria. Send him back to live there. Have him teach the people what the god of that land requires." + So one of the priests went back to live in Bethel. He was one of those who had been forced to leave Samaria. He taught the people there how to worship the Lord. + In spite of that, the people from each nation made statues of their own gods. They made them in all of the towns where they had settled. They set up those statues in small temples. The people of Samaria had built the temples at the high places. + The people from Babylon made statues of the god Succoth Benoth. Those from Cuthah made statues of Nergal. Those from Hamath made statues of Ashima. + The Avvites made statues of Nibhaz and Tartak. The Sepharvites sacrificed their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech. They were the gods of Sepharvaim. + So the people of Samaria worshiped the Lord. But they also appointed all kinds of their own people to serve them as priests. The priests served in the small temples at the high places. + The people worshiped the Lord. But they also served their own gods. They followed the evil practices of the nations from which they had been brought. + They are still stubborn. They continue in their old practices to this very day. And now they don't even worship the Lord. They don't follow his directions and rules. They don't obey his laws and commands. The Lord had given all of those laws to the family of Jacob. He gave the name Israel to Jacob. + The Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel. At that time he commanded them, "Do not worship any other gods. Do not bow down to them. Do not serve them or sacrifice to them. + I am the one you must worship. I brought you up out of Egypt by my great power. I saved you by reaching out my mighty arm. You must bow down to me. You must offer sacrifices to me. + You must always be careful to follow my directions and rules. You must obey the laws and commands I wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. + "Do not forget the covenant I made with you. And remember, you must not worship other gods. + Instead, worship me. I will save you from the powerful hand of all of your enemies. I am the Lord your God." + But the people wouldn't listen. Instead, they were stubborn. They continued in their old practices. + They worshiped the Lord. But at the same time, they served the statues of their gods. And to this very day their children and grandchildren continue to do what their people before them did. + + + Hezekiah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the third year that Hoshea was king of Israel. He was the son of Elah. Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz. + Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother's name was Abijah. She was the daughter of Zechariah. + Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as King David had done. + Hezekiah removed the high places. He smashed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made. Up to that time the people of Israel had been burning incense to it. They called it Nehushtan. + Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all of the kings of Judah. There was no king like him either before him or after him. + Hezekiah remained true to the Lord. He didn't stop following him. He obeyed the commands the Lord had given Moses. + The Lord was with Hezekiah. He was successful in everything he did. He refused to remain under the control of the king of Assyria. He didn't serve him. + He won the war against the Philistines. He won battles at their lookout towers. He won battles at their cities that had high walls around them. He won battles against the Philistines all the way to Gaza and its territory. + Shalmaneser marched to Samaria and surrounded it. It was in the fourth year of King Hezekiah. That was the seventh year of Hoshea, the king of Israel. He was the son of Elah. Shalmaneser was king of Assyria. + At the end of three years the army of Assyria took Samaria. So it was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah. That was the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Israel. + The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He settled some of them in Halah. He settled others in Gozan on the Habor River. And he settled still others in the towns of the Medes. + Those things happened because the Israelites hadn't obeyed the Lord their God. They had broken the covenant he had made with them. They had refused to do everything Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. They hadn't paid any attention to those commands. They hadn't obeyed them. + Sennacherib attacked and captured all of the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. It was in the 14th year of the rule of Hezekiah. Sennacherib was king of Assyria. + Hezekiah, the king of Judah, sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish. It said, "I have done what is wrong. Pull your troops back from me. Then I'll pay you anything you ask me to." The king of Assyria forced Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to give him 11 tons of silver. Hezekiah also had to give him a ton of gold. + So Hezekiah gave him all of the silver that was in the Lord's temple. He also gave him all of the silver that was among the treasures in the royal palace. + Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had covered the doors and doorposts of the Lord's temple with gold. But now he had to strip it off. He had to give it to the king of Assyria. + The king of Assyria sent his highest commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He also sent his chief officer and his field commander along with a large army. All of them came up to Jerusalem. They stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It was on the road to the Washerman's Field. + They called for King Hezekiah. Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to them. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records. + The field commander said to them, "Give Hezekiah this message. Tell him, " 'Sennacherib is the great king of Assyria. He says, "Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? + You say you have a military plan. You say you have a strong army. But your words don't mean anything. Who are you depending on? Why don't you want to stay under my control? + " ' "You are depending on Egypt. Why are you doing that? Egypt is nothing but a broken papyrus stem. Try leaning on it. It will only cut your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is just like that to everyone who depends on him. + " ' "Suppose you say to me, 'We are depending on the Lord our God.' Didn't Hezekiah remove your god's high places and altars? Didn't Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at the altar in Jerusalem'? + " ' "Come on. Make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I'll give you 2,000 horses. But only if you can put riders on them! + You are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen. You can't drive away even the least important officer among my master's officials. + " ' "Besides, do you think I've come without receiving a message from the Lord? Have I come to attack and destroy this place without a message from him? The Lord himself told me to march out against your country. He told me to destroy it." ' " + Then Shebna, Joah and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, spoke to the field commander. They said, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew. If you do, the people who are on the wall will be able to understand you." + But the commander replied, "My master sent me to say these things. Are these words only for your master and you to hear? Aren't they also for the men who are sitting on the wall? They are going to suffer just like you. They'll have to eat their own waste. They'll have to drink their own urine." + Then the commander stood up and spoke in the Hebrew language. He called out, "Pay attention to what the great king of Assyria is telling you. + He says, 'Don't let Hezekiah trick you. He can't save you from my powerful hand. + Don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord. Don't believe him when he says, "You can be sure that the Lord will save us. This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." ' + "Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, 'Make a peace treaty with me. Come over to my side. Then every one of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree. Every one of you will drink water from your own well. + You will do that until I come back. Then I'll take you to a land that is just like yours. It's a land that has a lot of grain and fresh wine. It has plenty of bread and vineyards. It has olive trees and honey. So choose life! Don't choose death!' "Don't pay any attention to Hezekiah. He's telling you a lie when he says, 'The Lord will save us.' + "Has the god of any nation ever saved his land from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they saved Samaria from my power? + "Which one of all of the gods of those countries has been able to save his land from me? So how can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?" + But the people remained silent. They didn't say anything. That's because King Hezekiah had commanded, "Don't answer him." + Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, went to Hezekiah. Eliakim was in charge of the palace. The secretary Shebna went with him. So did Joah, the son of Asaph. Joah kept the records. All of them went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. They told him what the field commander had said. + + + When King Hezekiah heard what the field commander had said, he tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. Then he went into the Lord's temple. + Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, to the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. He also sent the leading priests and the secretary Shebna to him. All of them were wearing black clothes. + They told Isaiah, "Hezekiah says, 'Today we're in great trouble. The Lord is warning us. He's bringing shame on us. Sometimes babies come to the moment when they should be born. But their mothers aren't strong enough to allow them to be born. Today we are like those mothers. We aren't strong enough to save ourselves. + " 'Perhaps the Lord your God will hear everything the field commander has said. His master, the king of Assyria, has sent him to make fun of the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will punish him for what he has heard him say. So pray for the remaining people who are still alive here.' " + King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah. + Then Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'The Lord says, "Do not be afraid of what you have heard. The officers who are under the king of Assyria have spoken evil things against me. + Listen! I will send him news from his own country. It will upset him so much that he will return home. There I will have him cut down with a sword." ' " + The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. So the commander pulled his troops back from Jerusalem. He went to join the king. He found out that the king was fighting against Libnah. + During that time Sennacherib received a report. He was told that Tirhakah was marching out to fight against him. Tirhakah was the king of Egypt. He was from the land of Cush. Sennacherib sent messengers again to Hezekiah with a letter. It said, + "Tell Hezekiah, the king of Judah, 'Don't let the god you depend on trick you. He says, "Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." But don't believe him. + " 'I'm sure you have heard about what the kings of Assyria have done to all of the other countries. They have destroyed them completely. So do you think you will be saved? + The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Did the gods of those nations save them? Did the gods of Gozan, Haran or Rezeph save them? What about the gods of the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? + Where is the king of Hamath? Where is the king of Arpad? Where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim? Where are the kings of Hena or Ivvah?' " + When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, he read it. Then he went up to the Lord's temple. There he spread the letter out in front of the Lord. + Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He said, "Lord, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all of the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth. + Listen, Lord. Hear us. Open your eyes, Lord. Look at the trouble we're in. Listen to what Sennacherib is saying. You are the living God. And he dares to make fun of you! + "Lord, it's true that the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and their lands. + They have thrown the statues of the gods of those nations into the fire. And they have destroyed them. That's because they weren't really gods at all. They were nothing but statues that were made out of wood and stone. They were made by the hands of men. + "Lord our God, save us from the powerful hand of Sennacherib. Then all of the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are God." + Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz. Isaiah said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'I have heard your prayer about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.' + "Here is the message the Lord has spoken against him. The Lord says, " 'You will not win the battle over Zion. Its people hate you and make fun of you. The people of Jerusalem lift up their heads proudly as you run away. + Who have you laughed at? Who have you spoken evil things against? Who have you raised your voice against? Who have you looked at so proudly? You have done it against me. I am the Holy One of Israel! + Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said, "I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I've climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I've cut down its tallest cedar trees. I've cut down the best of its pine trees. I've reached its farthest parts. I've reached its finest forests. + I've dug wells in strange lands. I've drunk the water from them. I've walked through all of Egypt's streams. I've dried up every one of them." + " 'But I, the Lord, say, "Haven't you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone. + Their people do not have any power left. They are troubled and put to shame. They are like plants in the field. They are like new green plants. They are like grass that grows on a roof. It dries up before it is completely grown. + " ' "But I know where you live. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me. + You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came." ' " + The Lord said, "Hezekiah, here is a miraculous sign for you. "This year you will eat what grows by itself. In the second year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year you will plant your crops and gather them in. You will plant your grapevines and eat their fruit. + The people of Judah who are still alive will be like plants. Once more they will put down roots and produce fruit. + Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who are still left alive. "My great love will make sure that happens. I rule over all. + "Here is a message from me about the king of Assyria. It says, " 'He will not enter this city. He will not even shoot an arrow at it. He will not come near it with a shield. He will not build a ramp in order to climb over its walls. + By the same way he came he will go home. He will not enter this city,' announces the Lord. + " 'I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David.' " + That night the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the Assyrians. He put to death 185,000 soldiers there. The people of Jerusalem got up the next morning. They looked out and saw all of the dead bodies. + So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, took the army tents down. Then he left. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. + One day Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch. His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with their swords. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon became the next king after his father Sennacherib. + + + In those days Hezekiah became very sick. He knew he was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, went to him. Isaiah told Hezekiah, "The Lord says, 'Put everything in order. Make out your will. You are going to die soon. You will not get well again.' " + Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the Lord. He said, + "Lord, please remember how faithful I've been to you. I've lived the way you wanted me to. I've served you with all my heart. I've done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah cried bitterly. + Isaiah was leaving the middle courtyard. Before he had left it, a message came to him from the Lord. He said, + "Go back and speak to Hezekiah. He is the leader of my people. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of King David, says, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. And I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to my temple. + I will add 15 years to your life. And I will save you and this city from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria. I will guard this city. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David." ' " + Then Isaiah said, "Press some figs together. Spread them on a piece of cloth." So that's what they did. Then they applied it to Hezekiah's boil. And he got well again. + Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "You say the Lord will heal me. You say that I'll go up to his temple on the third day from now. What will the miraculous sign be to prove he'll really do that?" + Isaiah answered, "The Lord will do what he has promised. Here is his sign to you. Do you want the shadow the sun makes to go forward ten steps? Or do you want it to go back ten steps?" + "It's easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "So have it go back ten steps." + Then the prophet Isaiah called out to the Lord. And the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps. It went back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway Ahaz had made. + At that time Merodach-Baladan, the king of Babylonia, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Merodach-Baladan was the son of Baladan. + Hezekiah received the messengers. He showed them everything that was in his storerooms. He showed them the silver and gold. He showed them the spices and the fine olive oil. He showed them where he kept his weapons. And he showed them all of his treasures. In fact, he showed them everything that was in his palace and in his whole kingdom. + Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah. He asked him, "What did those men say? Where did they come from?" "They came from a land far away," Hezekiah said. "They came from Babylon." + The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "I showed them all of my treasures." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to the Lord's message. He says, + 'You can be sure the time will come when everything in your palace will be carried off to Babylon. Everything the kings before you have stored up until this day will be taken away. There will not be anything left,' says the Lord. + 'Some of the members of your family line will be taken away. They will be your own flesh and blood. They will include the children who will be born into your family line in years to come. And they will serve the king of Babylonia in his palace.' " + "The message the Lord has spoken through you is good," Hezekiah replied. He thought, "There will be peace and safety while I'm still living." + The other events of the rule of Hezekiah are written down. Everything he accomplished is written down. That includes how he made the pool and the tunnel. He used them to bring water into Jerusalem. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Hezekiah joined the members of his family who had already died. His son Manasseh became the next king after him. + + + Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 55 years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. + Manasseh did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven those nations out to make room for the people of Israel. + Manasseh rebuilt the high places. His father Hezekiah had destroyed them. Manasseh also set up altars to the god Baal. He made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. Ahab, the king of Israel, had done those same things. Manasseh even bowed down to all of the stars. And he worshiped them. + He built altars in the Lord's temple. The Lord had said about his temple, "I will put my Name there in Jerusalem." + In both courtyards of the Lord's temple Manasseh built altars to honor all of the stars. + He sacrificed his own son in the fire to another god. He practiced all kinds of evil magic. He got messages from those who had died. He talked to the spirits of the dead. He did many things that were evil in the sight of the Lord. He made him very angry. + Manasseh had carved a pole for worshiping Asherah. He put it in the temple. The Lord had spoken to David and his son Solomon about the temple. He had said, "My Name will be in this temple and in Jerusalem forever. Out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel I have chosen Jerusalem. + I gave this land to your people who lived long ago. I will not make the Israelites wander away from it again. But they must be careful to do everything I commanded them. They must obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them." + But the people didn't pay any attention. Manasseh led them down the wrong path. They did more evil things than the nations the Lord had destroyed to make room for the people of Israel. + The Lord spoke through his servants the prophets. He said, + "Manasseh, the king of Judah, has committed terrible sins. I hate them. Manasseh has done more evil things than the Amorites who were in the land before him. And he has led Judah to commit sin by worshiping his statues of gods. + "I am the God of Israel. I tell you, 'I am going to bring trouble on Jerusalem and Judah. It will be so horrible that the ears of everyone who hears about it will ring. + I will measure out punishment against Jerusalem, just as I did against Samaria. I used a plumb line against the royal family of Ahab to prove that they did not measure up to my standards. I will use the same plumb line against Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem, just as someone wipes a dish. I will wipe it and turn it upside down. + I will desert those who remain among my people. I will hand them over to their enemies. All of their enemies will rob them. + " 'That is because my people have done what is evil in my sight. They have made me very angry. They have done that from the day their own people came out of Egypt until this very day.' " + Manasseh also spilled the blood of many people who weren't guilty of doing anything wrong. He spilled so much blood that he filled Jerusalem with it from one end of the city to the other. And he caused Judah to commit sin. So they also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + The other events of the rule of Manasseh are written down. Everything he did is written down. That includes the sin he committed. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Manasseh joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in his palace garden. It was called the garden of Uzza. Manasseh's son Amon became the next king after him. + Amon was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for two years. His mother's name was Meshullemeth. She was the daughter of Haruz. She was from Jotbah. + Amon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. + He lived the way his father had lived. He worshiped the statues of the gods his father had worshiped. He bowed down to them. + He deserted the Lord, the God of his people. He didn't live the way the Lord wanted him to. + Amon's officials made plans against him. They murdered the king in his palace. + Then the people of the land killed all those who had made plans against King Amon. They made his son Josiah king in his place. + The other events of the rule of Amon are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Amon's body was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. His son Josiah became the next king after him. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years. His mother's name was Jedidah. She was the daughter of Adaiah. She was from Bozkath. + Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He lived the way King David had lived. He didn't turn away from it to the right or the left. + King Josiah sent his secretary Shaphan to the Lord's temple. It was in the 18th year of Josiah's rule. Shaphan was the son of Azaliah. Azaliah was the son of Meshullam. Josiah said, + "Go up to the high priest Hilkiah. Have him add up the money that has been brought into the Lord's temple. Those who guard the doors have collected it from the people. + "Have them put all of the money in the care of the men who have been put in charge of the work on the Lord's temple. Have them pay the workers who repair it. + Have them pay the builders and those who work with wood. Have them pay those who lay the stones. Also have them buy lumber and blocks of stone to repair the temple. + "But they don't have to report how they use the money that is given to them. That's because they are completely honest." + The high priest Hilkiah spoke to the secretary Shaphan. He said, "I've found the Scroll of the Law in the Lord's temple." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. + Then Shaphan went to King Josiah. He told him, "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the Lord's temple. They've put it in the care of the workers and directors there." + Shaphan continued, "The priest Hilkiah has given me a scroll." Shaphan read some of it to the king. + The king heard the words of the Scroll of the Law. When he did, he tore his royal robes. + He gave orders to the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Acbor, the secretary Shaphan and Asaiah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Acbor was the son of Micaiah. And Asaiah was the king's attendant. Josiah commanded them, + "Go. Ask the Lord for advice. Ask him about what is written in this scroll that has been found. Do it for me. Also do it for the people and the whole nation of Judah. The Lord's anger is burning against us. That's because our people before us didn't obey the words of this scroll. They didn't do everything that is written there about us." + The priest Hilkiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah. So did Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah. Huldah was the wife of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Tikvah. Tikvah was the son of Harhas. Shallum took care of the sacred robes. Huldah lived in the New Quarter of Jerusalem. + She said to them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Tell the man who sent you to me, + "The Lord says, 'I am going to bring horrible trouble on this place and its people. Everything that is written in the scroll the king of Judah has read will take place. + " ' " 'That is because the people have deserted me. They have burned incense to other gods. They have made me very angry because of the statues of gods their hands have made. So my anger will burn against this place. The fire of my anger will not be put out.' " ' + "The king of Judah sent you to ask the Lord for advice. Tell him, 'The Lord is the God of Israel. He has a message for you about the things you heard. He says, + "Your heart was tender. You made yourself low in my sight. You heard what I spoke against this place and its people. I said they would be under a curse. I told them they would be destroyed. You tore your royal robes and sobbed. And I have heard you," announces the Lord. + " ' "You will join the members of your family who have already died. Your body will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all of the trouble I am going to bring on this place." ' " Huldah's answer was taken back to the king. + + + Then the king called together all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + He went up to the Lord's temple. The people of Judah and Jerusalem went with him. So did the priests and prophets. All of them went, from the least important of them to the most important. The king had all of the words of the Scroll of the Covenant read to them. The scroll had been found in the Lord's temple. + The king stood next to his pillar. He agreed to the terms of the covenant in front of the Lord. He promised to follow him and obey his commands, directions and rules. He promised to obey them with all his heart and with all his soul. So he agreed to the terms of the covenant that were written down in that scroll. Then all of the people committed themselves to the covenant. + Certain articles that were in the Lord's temple had been made to honor the god Baal and the goddess Asherah and all of the stars in the sky. The king ordered the high priest Hilkiah to remove those articles. He ordered the priests who were under him and the men who guarded the doors to help Hilkiah. Josiah burned the articles outside Jerusalem. He burned them in the fields in the Kidron Valley. And he took the ashes to Bethel. + He got rid of the priests who served other gods. The kings of Judah had appointed them to burn incense. They burned the incense on the high places of the towns of Judah. And they burned it on the high places around Jerusalem. They burned incense to honor Baal and the sun and moon. They burned it to honor all of the stars. + Josiah removed the Asherah pole from the Lord's temple. It had been used to worship Asherah. He took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. There he burned it. He ground it into powder. And he scattered it over the graves of the ordinary people. + He also tore down the rooms where the male temple prostitutes stayed. Those rooms were in the Lord's temple. The women had made cloth for Asherah in them. + Josiah brought all of the priests from the towns of Judah and destroyed the high places. He destroyed them from Geba all the way to Beersheba. The priests had burned incense on them. Josiah broke down the high places at the gates. That included the high place at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua. It was on the left side of one of Jerusalem's gates. Joshua was the city governor. + The priests of the high places didn't serve at the Lord's altar in Jerusalem. In spite of that, they ate with the other priests. All of them ate bread that was made without yeast. + Josiah destroyed the high places at Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He didn't want anyone to use them to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to the god Molech. + He removed the statues of horses from the entrance to the Lord's temple. The kings of Judah had set them apart to honor the sun. The statues were in the courtyard. They were near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah burned the chariots that had been set apart to honor the sun. + He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had set up. They had put them on the palace roof near the upstairs room of Ahaz. Josiah also pulled down the altars Manasseh had built. They were in the two courtyards of the Lord's temple. Josiah removed the altars from there. He smashed them to pieces. Then he threw the broken pieces into the Kidron Valley. + The king also destroyed the high places that were east of Jerusalem. They were at the southern end of the Mount of Olives. They were the ones Solomon, the king of Israel, had built. He had built a high place for worshiping Ashtoreth. She was the evil goddess of the people of Sidon. Solomon had also built one for worshiping Chemosh. He was the evil god of Moab. And Solomon had built one for worshiping Molech. He was the god of the people of Ammon. The Lord hated that god. + Josiah smashed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. Then he covered all of those places with human bones. + There was an altar at Bethel. It was at the high place that had been made by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit sin. Even that altar and high place were destroyed by Josiah. He burned the high place. He ground it into powder. He also burned the Asherah pole. + Then Josiah looked around. He saw the tombs that were on the side of the hill. He had the bones removed from them. And he burned them on the altar to make it "unclean." That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through a man of God. The man had announced those things long before they took place. + The king asked, "What's that stone on the grave over there?" The men of the city said, "It marks the tomb where the body of a man of God is buried. He came from Judah. He spoke against the altar at Bethel. He announced the very things you have done to it." + "Leave it alone," Josiah said. "Don't let anyone touch his bones." So they spared his bones. They also spared the bones of the prophet who had come from the northern kingdom of Israel. + Josiah did in the rest of the northern kingdom the same things he had done at Bethel. He removed all of the small temples at the high places. He made them "unclean." The kings of Israel had built them in the towns of the northern kingdom. The people in those towns had made the Lord very angry. + Josiah killed all of the priests of those high places on the altars. He burned human bones on the altars. Then he went back to Jerusalem. + The king gave an order to all of the people. He said, "Celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the Lord your God. Do what is written in this Scroll of the Covenant." + A Passover Feast like that one had not been held for a long time. There hadn't been any like it since the days of the judges who led Israel. And there hadn't been any like it during the whole time the kings of Israel and Judah were ruling. + King Josiah celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem to honor the Lord. It was in the 18th year of his rule. + And that's not all. Josiah got rid of those who got messages from people who had died. He got rid of those who talked to the spirits of the dead. He got rid of the statues of family gods and the statues of other gods. He got rid of everything else the Lord hates that was in Judah and Jerusalem. He did it to carry out what the law required. That law was written in the scroll the priest Hilkiah had found in the Lord's temple. + There was no king like Josiah either before him or after him. None of them turned to the Lord as he did. He followed the Lord with all his heart and all his soul. He followed him with all his strength. He did everything the Law of Moses required. + In spite of that, the Lord didn't turn away from his burning anger. It blazed out against Judah. That's because of everything Manasseh had done to make him very angry. + So the Lord said, "I will remove Judah from my land. I will do to them what I did to Israel. I will turn my back on Jerusalem. It is the city I chose. I will also turn my back on this temple. I spoke about it. I said, 'I will put my Name here.' "--(1 Kings 8:29) + The other events of the rule of Josiah are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Pharaoh Neco was king of Egypt. He marched up to the Euphrates River. He went there to help the king of Assyria. It happened while Josiah was king. Josiah marched out to meet Neco in battle. When Neco saw him at Megiddo, he killed him. + Josiah's servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem. They buried his body in his own tomb. Then the people of the land went and got Jehoahaz. They anointed him as king in place of his father Josiah. + Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months. His mother's name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah. + Jehoahaz did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did just as the kings who had ruled before him had done. + Pharaoh Neco put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath. That kept him from ruling in Jerusalem. Neco made the people of Judah pay him a tax of almost four tons of silver and 75 pounds of gold. + Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim king in place of his father Josiah. He changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz with him to Egypt. And that's where Jehoahaz died. + Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Neco the silver and gold he required. To get the money, Jehoiakim taxed the land. He forced the people to give him the silver and gold. He made each one pay him what he required. + Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother's name was Zebidah. She was the daughter of Pedaiah. She was from Rumah. + Jehoiakim did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did just as the kings who had ruled before him had done. + + + During Jehoiakim's rule, Nebuchadnezzar marched into the land and attacked it. He was king of Babylonia. He became Jehoiakim's master for three years. But then Jehoiakim decided he didn't want to remain under Nebuchadnezzar's control. + The Lord sent robbers against Jehoiakim from Babylonia, Aram, Moab and Ammon. He sent them to destroy Judah. That's what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through his servants the prophets. + Those things happened to Judah in keeping with what the Lord had commanded. He brought enemies against his people in order to remove them from his land. He removed them because of all of the sins Manasseh had committed. + He had spilled the blood of many people who weren't guilty of doing anything wrong. In fact, he spilled so much of their blood that he filled Jerusalem with it. So the Lord refused to forgive him. + The other events of the rule of Jehoiakim are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. + Jehoiakim joined the members of his family who had already died. His son Jehoiachin became the next king after him. + The king of Egypt didn't march out from his own country again. That's because the king of Babylonia had taken so much of his territory. That territory reached from the Wadi of Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River. + Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months. His mother's name was Nehushta. She was the daughter of Elnathan. She was from Jerusalem. + Jehoiachin did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did just as his father Jehoiakim had done. + At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, marched to Jerusalem. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. + Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city. He arrived while his officers were attacking it. + Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, handed himself over to him. Jehoiachin's mother did the same thing. And so did all of his attendants, nobles and officials. The king of Babylonia took Jehoiachin away as his prisoner. It was in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule. + He removed all of the treasures from the Lord's temple. He also removed all of the treasures from the royal palace. He took away all of the gold articles that Solomon, the king of Israel, had made for the temple. That's what the Lord had announced would happen. + Nebuchadnezzar took all of the people of Jerusalem to Babylonia as prisoners. That included all of the officers and fighting men. It also included all of the skilled workers. The total number of prisoners was 10,000. Only the poorest people were left in the land. + Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon as his prisoner. He also took the king's mother from Jerusalem to Babylon. And he took Jehoiachin's wives, his officials and the most important men in the land. + The king also forced the whole army of 7,000 soldiers to go away to Babylonia. Those men were strong and able to go to war. And the king forced 1,000 skilled workers to go to Babylonia. + Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah king in his place. And he changed Mattaniah's name to Zedekiah. + Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother's name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah. + Zedekiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did just as Jehoiakim had done. + The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the Lord was angry. In the end he threw them out of his land. Zedekiah also refused to remain under the control of Nebuchadnezzar. + + + Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. He marched out against Jerusalem. All of his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He brought in war machines all around it. + It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah's rule. + By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn't any food left in the city. So the people didn't have anything to eat. + Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah's whole army ran away at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls that were near the king's garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah's army ran toward the Arabah Valley. + But the armies of Babylonia chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the flatlands near Jericho. All of his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction. + The king was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylonia at Riblah. That's where Nebuchadnezzar decided how he would be punished. + His men killed the sons of Zedekiah. They forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Then they poked out his eyes. They put him in bronze chains. And they took him to Babylon. + Nebuzaradan was an official of the king of Babylonia. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. It was on the seventh day of the fifth month. + Nebuzaradan set the Lord's temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all of the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building. + The armies of Babylonia broke down the walls around Jerusalem. That's what the commander told them to do. + Some people still remained in the city. But the commander Nebuzaradan took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the people of the land. That included those who had joined the king of Babylonia. + But the commander left some of the poorest people of the land behind. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields. + The armies of Babylonia destroyed the Lord's temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried the bronze away to Babylon. + They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters and dishes. They took away all of the bronze articles that were used for any purpose in the temple. + The commander of the royal guard took away the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls. So he took away everything that was made out of pure gold or silver. + The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars. It also included the bronze from the huge bowl and the stands. Solomon had made all of those things for the Lord's temple. + Each pillar was 27 feet high. The bronze top of one pillar was four and a half feet high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had a set of chains. + The commander of the guard took some prisoners. They included the chief priest Seraiah and the priest Zephaniah who was under him. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors. + Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer who was in charge of the fighting men. He took the five men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary who was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. And he took 60 of the secretary's men who were still in the city. + The commander Nebuzaradan took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylonia at Riblah. + There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land. + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, appointed Gedaliah to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. + All of Judah's army officers and their men heard about what had happened. They heard that the king had appointed Gedaliah as governor. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came. So did Johanan, the son of Kareah. Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, also came. And so did Jaazaniah, the son of the Maacathite. All of their men came too. Seraiah was from Netophah. + Gedaliah took an oath to give hope to all of those men. He spoke in a kind way to them. He said, "Don't be afraid of the officials from Babylonia. Settle down in the land of Judah. Serve the king of Babylonia. Then things will go well with you." + But in the seventh month Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came with ten men. He killed Gedaliah. He also killed the people of Judah and Babylonia who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama. Ishmael was a member of the royal family. + After he had killed Gedaliah, all of the people ran away to Egypt. Everyone from the least important of them to the most important ran away. The army officers went with them. All of them went to Egypt because they were afraid of the Babylonians. + Evil-Merodach set Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, free from prison. It was in the 37th year after Jehoiachin had been taken away to Babylon. It was also the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylonia. It was on the 27th day of the 12th month. + Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave him a place of honor. Other kings were with Jehoiachin in Babylon. But his place was more important than theirs. + So Jehoiachin put his prison clothes away. For the rest of Jehoiachin's life the king provided what he needed. + The king did that for Jehoiachin day by day as long as he lived. + + + + + Adam, Seth, Enosh, + Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, + Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. + The sons of Noah were Shem, Ham and Japheth. + The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanites. + The sons of Ham were Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. + The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. + Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod grew up to be a mighty hero on the earth. + Egypt was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites and Naphtuhites. + He was also the father of the Pathrusites, Casluhites and Caphtorites. The Philistines came from the Casluhites. + Canaan was the father of Sidon. Sidon was his oldest son. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, + Jebusites, Amorites and Girgashites. + And he was the father of the Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, + Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. + The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. + Arphaxad was the father of Shelah. Shelah was the father of Eber. + Eber was the father of two sons. One was named Peleg. The earth was divided up in his time. His brother was named Joktan. + Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth and Jerah. + He was also the father of Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All of them were sons of Joktan. + Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, + Eber, Peleg, Reu, + Serug, Nahor, Terah, + Abram. Abram was also called Abraham. + The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. + Here are the members of the family line of Hagar. Nebaioth was Ishmael's oldest son. Then came Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, + Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. All of them were Ishmael's sons. + Here are the sons that were born to Abraham's concubine Keturah. They were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. + The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All of them came from Keturah. + Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. + The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. + The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz. Timna had Amalek by Eliphaz. + The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. + The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. + The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. + The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. + The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran. + The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran. + Before Israel had a king, there were kings who ruled in Edom. Bela was the son of Beor. Bela's city was called Dinhabah. + When Bela died, Jobab became the next king. Jobab was the son of Zerah from Bozrah. + When Jobab died, Husham became the next king. Husham was from the land of the people of Teman. + When Husham died, Hadad became the next king. Hadad was the son of Bedad. Hadad had won the battle over Midian in the country of Moab. Hadad's city was called Avith. + When Hadad died, Samlah became the next king. Samlah was from Masrekah. + When Samlah died, Shaul became the next king. Shaul was from Rehoboth on the river. + When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan became the next king. Baal-Hanan was the son of Acbor. + When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad became the next king. Hadad's city was called Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel. She was the daughter of Matred. Matred was the daughter of Me-Zahab. + Hadad also died. The chiefs of Edom were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel and Iram. They were the chiefs of Edom. + + + Here are the names of the sons of Israel. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, + Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, Asher. + The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah. A woman from Canaan had those three sons by him. She was the daughter of Shua. Er was Judah's oldest son. He was evil in the Lord's eyes. So the Lord put him to death. + Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law. She had Perez and Zerah by him. The total number of Judah's sons was five. + The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Darda. The total number of Zerah's sons was five. + The son of Carmi was Achar. He brought trouble on Israel. He took some of the things that had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. When he did that, he disobeyed the Lord's command. + The son of Ethan was Azariah. + Hezron was the father of Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb. + Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the leader of the people of Judah. + Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. + Boaz was the father of Obed. And Obed was the father of Jesse. + Jesse's first son was Eliab. His second son was Abinadab. The third was Shimea. + The fourth was Nethanel. The fifth was Raddai. + The sixth was Ozem. And the seventh was David. + Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. + Abigail was the mother of Amasa. Amasa's father was Jether. Jether belonged to the family line of Ishmael. + Caleb was the son of Hezron. Caleb's wife Azubah had children by him. Jerioth also had children by him. Azubah's sons were Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. + When Azubah died, Caleb got married to Ephrath. She had Hur by him. + Hur was the father of Uri. And Uri was the father of Bezalel. + Later, Hezron made love to the daughter of Makir. He had gotten married to her when he was 60 years old. She had Segub by him. Makir was the father of Gilead. + Segub was the father of Jair. Jair controlled 23 towns in Gilead. + But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair. They also captured Kenath and the settlements that were around it. The total number of towns that were captured was 60. Hezron, Segub and Jair belonged to the family line of Makir. Makir was the father of Gilead. + Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah. Abijah was Hezron's wife. She had Ashhur by him. Ashhur was born after Hezron died. Ashhur was the father of Tekoa. + Here are the sons of Jerahmeel. He was the oldest son of Hezron. Ram was Jerahmeel's oldest son. Then came Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. + Jerahmeel had another wife. Her name was Atarah. She was the mother of Onam. + Here are the sons of Ram. He was the oldest son of Jerahmeel. The sons of Ram were Maaz, Jamin and Eker. + The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur. + Abishur's wife was named Abihail. She had Ahban and Molid by him. + The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim. Seled died without having any children. + The son of Appaim was Ishi. Ishi was the father of Sheshan. Sheshan was the father of Ahlai. + The sons of Jada were Jether and Jonathan. Jada was Shammai's brother. Jether died without having any children. + The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. They belonged to the family line of Jerahmeel. + Sheshan didn't have any sons. All he had was daughters. He had a servant from Egypt named Jarha. + Sheshan gave his daughter to be married to his servant Jarha. She had Attai by Jarha. + Attai was the father of Nathan. Nathan was the father of Zabad. + Zabad was the father of Ephlal. Ephlal was the father of Obed. + Obed was the father of Jehu. Jehu was the father of Azariah. + Azariah was the father of Helez. Helez was the father of Eleasah. + Eleasah was the father of Sismai. Sismai was the father of Shallum. + Shallum was the father of Jekamiah. And Jekamiah was the father of Elishama. + Caleb was the brother of Jerahmeel. Caleb's oldest son was Mesha. Mesha was the father of Ziph. Caleb had another son named Mareshah. Mareshah was the father of Hebron. + The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. + Shema was the father of Raham. Raham was the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. + The son of Shammai was Maon. Maon was the father of Beth Zur. + Caleb had a concubine named Ephah. She was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez. + The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. + Caleb had a concubine named Maacah. She was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. + She was also the mother of Shaaph and Sheva. Shaaph was the father of Madmannah. Sheva was the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Acsah. + All of them belonged to the family line of Caleb. Hur was the oldest son of Ephrathah. Hur was the brother of Shobal. Shobal was the father of Kiriath Jearim. + Hur was the father of Salma. Salma was the father of Bethlehem. Hur was also the father of Hareph. Hareph was the father of Beth Gader. + Here is the family line of Shobal, the father of Kiriath Jearim. It included Haroeh and half of the people of Manahath. + It also included the family groups of Kiriath Jearim. They were the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. The people of Zorah and Eshtaol belonged to those family groups. + Here is the family line of Salma. It included Bethlehem, the people of Netophah, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the people of Manahath, and the Zorites. + It also included the family groups of secretaries who lived at Jabez. They were the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. They were the Kenites who belonged to the family line of Hammath. Hammath was the father of the family line of Recab. + + + Here are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron. His first son was Amnon. Amnon's mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. The second son was Daniel. His mother was Abigail from Carmel. + The third son was Absalom. His mother was Maacah. She was the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. The fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith. + The fifth son was Shephatiah. His mother was Abital. The sixth son was Ithream. David's wife Eglah had Ithream by him. + Those six sons were born to David in Hebron. He ruled there for seven and a half years. After that, he ruled in Jerusalem for 33 years. + Children were born to him there. They included Shammua, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. The mother of those four sons was Bathsheba. She was the daughter of Ammiel. + David's children also included Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. There were nine of them. + David was the father of all of those sons. His concubines also had sons by him. David's sons had a sister named Tamar. + Solomon's son was Rehoboam. Abijah was the son of Rehoboam. Asa was the son of Abijah. Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. + Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat. Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. + Amaziah was the son of Joash. Azariah was the son of Amaziah. Jotham was the son of Azariah. + Ahaz was the son of Jotham. Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz. Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah. + Amon was the son of Manasseh. Josiah was the son of Amon. + Josiah's first son was Johanan. Jehoiakim was his second son. Zedekiah was the third son. Shallum was the fourth son. + The next king after Jehoiakim was his son Jehoiachin. After that, Josiah's son Zedekiah became king. + Here are the members of the family line of Jehoiachin. He was taken as a prisoner to Babylon. His sons were Shealtiel, + Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah. + The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister. + There were also five other sons. They were Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-Hesed. + The family line of Hananiah included Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. It also included the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah and Shecaniah. + The family line of Shecaniah included Shemaiah and his sons. They were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah and Shaphat. The total number of men was six. + The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam. The total number of sons was three. + The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah and Anani. The total number of sons was seven. + + + The family line of Judah included Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. + Reaiah was the son of Shobal and the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. Those were the family groups of the people of Zorah. + The sons of Etam were Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. + Penuel was the father of Gedor. Ezer was the father of Hushah. Those people belonged to the family line of Hur. He was the oldest son of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem. + Ashhur was the father of Tekoa. Ashhur had two wives. Their names were Helah and Naarah. + Naarah had Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari by Ashhur. They belonged to the family line of Naarah. + The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan + and Koz. Koz was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah. He was also the father of the family groups of Aharhel. Aharhel was the son of Harum. + Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez. She had said, "I was in a lot of pain when he was born." + Jabez cried out to the God of Israel. He said, "I wish you would bless me. I wish you would give me more territory. Let your powerful hand be with me. Keep me from harm. Then I won't have any pain." God gave him what he asked for. + Kelub was the brother of Shuhah and the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton. + Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of Ir Nahash. Those were the men of Recah. + The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were Hathath and Meonothai. + Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab. Joab was the father of Ge Harashim. Ge Harashim was called by that name because all of its people were skilled workers. + The sons of Caleb were Iru, Elah and Naam. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh. The son of Elah was Kenaz. + The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel. + The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered's wives had Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah by him. Ishbah was the father of Eshtemoa. + Those were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. Mered had gotten married to her. His wife from Judah had Jered, Heber and Jekuthiel by him. Jered was the father of Gedor. Heber was the father of Soco. Jekuthiel was the father of Zanoah. + Hodiah's wife was the sister of Naham. Her sons were the father of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. + The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon. The family line of Ishi included Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth. + Shelah was the son of Judah. The sons of Shelah were Er and Laadah. Er was the father of Lecah. Laadah was the father of Mareshah. He was also the father of the family groups of the linen workers who lived in Beth Ashbea. + Other sons of Shelah were Jokim, Joash, Saraph and the men of Cozeba. Moab and Jashubi Lehem were ruled by sons of Shelah. The records of all of those matters are very old. + Some of Shelah's sons were potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah. They stayed there and worked for the king. + The family line of Simeon included Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul. + Shallum was Shaul's son. Mibsam was Shallum's son. Mishma was Mibsam's son. + The family line of Mishma included Hammuel. Hammuel was Mishma's son. Zaccur was Hammuel's son. Shimei was Zaccur's son. + Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters. But his brothers didn't have many children. So their whole family group didn't have as many people as Judah had. + Shimei's family group lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, + Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, + Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, + Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. Those were their towns until David became king. + Five of the villages that were around those towns were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token and Ashan. + The territory of all of the villages that were around those towns reached all the way to Baalath. Those were their settlements. The tribe of Simeon kept its own family history. + Simeon's family line included Meshobab, Jamlech and Joshah. Joshah was the son of Amaziah. + Simeon's family line also included Joel and Jehu. Jehu was the son of Joshibiah. Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah. Seraiah was the son of Asiel. + And the family line included Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah + and Ziza. Ziza was the son of Shiphi. Shiphi was the son of Allon. Allon was the son of Jedaiah. Jedaiah was the son of Shimri. And Shimri was the son of Shemaiah. + The men whose names are listed above were leaders of their family groups. Their families greatly increased their numbers. + They spread out all the way to the edge of Gedor east of the valley. They looked for grasslands for their flocks. + They found grasslands that were rich and good. The land had plenty of room. It was peaceful and quiet. Some of the people of Ham had lived there before. + The men whose names are listed lived at the time when Hezekiah was king of Judah. They came and attacked the Hamites in their homes. They also attacked the Meunites who were there. And they completely destroyed them. What happened to them is clear even to this very day. The men of Simeon settled down where the Meunites had lived. They had enough grasslands for their flocks. + Five hundred of those men came into the hill country of Seir and attacked it. They were led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel. Those four men were the sons of Ishi. + They killed the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they still live there to this very day. + + + Here is a list of the sons of Reuben. First, here are a few things about him. Reuben was the oldest son of Israel. But he had sex with his father's concubine. He made his father's bed "unclean." That's why his rights as the oldest son were given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel. So Reuben isn't listed in the family history as the one who had the rights of the oldest son. + Judah was the leader among his brothers. A ruler came from his family line. But the rights of the oldest son belonged to Joseph. + Reuben was the oldest son of Israel. Reuben's sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. + The family line of Joel includes his son Shemaiah. Gog was the son of Shemaiah. Shimei was the son of Gog. + Micah was the son of Shimei. Reaiah was the son of Micah. Baal was the son of Reaiah. + And Beerah was the son of Baal. Beerah was a leader of the people of Reuben. Tiglath-Pileser took Beerah as a prisoner to another country. Tiglath-Pileser was the king of Assyria. + Here are the relatives of the family groups of Reuben. They are listed in their family history. They include Chief Jeiel, Zechariah + and Bela. Bela was the son of Azaz. Azaz was the son of Shema. Shema was the son of Joel. All of them settled in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. + To the east they settled in the land up to the edge of the desert. That desert reaches all the way to the Euphrates River. They settled there because their livestock had increased their numbers in Gilead. + While Saul was king, the people of Reuben went to war against the Hagrites. They won the battle over them. Then they settled down in their houses. They settled through the entire area east of Gilead. + The people of Gad lived next to the people of Reuben in Bashan. They spread out all the way to Salecah. + Joel was their chief. Shapham was next. Then came Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. + Here are their relatives family by family. They included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber. The total number of them was seven. + Those were the sons of Abihail. Abihail was the son of Huri. Huri was the son of Jaroah. Jaroah was the son of Gilead. Gilead was the son of Michael. Michael was the son of Jeshishai. Jeshishai was the son of Jahdo. And Jahdo was the son of Buz. + Ahi was the leader of some of the families of Gad. Ahi was the son of Abdiel. Abdiel was the son of Guni. + The people of Gad lived in the land of Gilead. They lived in the villages of Bashan. They also lived on all of the grasslands of Sharon as far as they reached. + All of those names were written down in the family history. They were written during the time when Jotham was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel. + The tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men who were able to serve in the army. They were able to handle a shield and sword. They were also able to use a bow. They were trained for battle. + They went to war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. + God helped his people fight against the Hagrites and all who were helping them. He handed all of those enemies over to his people. That's because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. + They captured the livestock of the Hagrites. They captured 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep and 2,000 donkeys. They also took 100,000 people as prisoners. + Many others were killed, because God won the battle over them. His people lived in the land until they themselves were taken as prisoners to other countries. + The people in half of the tribe of Manasseh greatly increased their numbers. They settled in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon. Baal Hermon is also called Senir. Another name for it is Mount Hermon. + Here are the leaders of their families. They included Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave fighting men. They were famous. They were the leaders of their families. + But they weren't faithful to the God of their people. They joined themselves to the gods of the nations of the land and worshiped them. God had destroyed those nations to make room for his people. + So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul. He was king of Assyria. He was also called Tiglath-Pileser. He took the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh to other countries as his prisoners. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan. And that's where they still are to this very day. + + + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. + The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + Aaron, Moses and Miriam were born in the family line of Amram. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. + Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. + Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. + Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. + Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. + Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. + Johanan was the father of Azariah. Azariah served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem. + Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. + Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. + Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. + Azariah was the father of Seraiah. And Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak. + Jehozadak was taken away from his own land. The Lord took the people of Judah and Jerusalem to Babylonia. He used Nebuchadnezzar to take them there as prisoners. + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. + The names of the sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Here are the members of the family groups of the Levites. They are listed under the names of their fathers. + Gershon was the father of Libni. Jahath was Libni's son. Zimmah was Jahath's son. + Joah was Zimmah's son. Iddo was Joah's son. Zerah was Iddo's son. And Jeatherai was Zerah's son. + The family line of Kohath included his son Amminadab. Korah was Amminadab's son. Assir was Korah's son. + Elkanah was Assir's son. Ebiasaph was Elkanah's son. Assir was Ebiasaph's son. + Tahath was Assir's son. Uriel was Tahath's son. Uzziah was Uriel's son. And Shaul was Uzziah's son. + The family line of Elkanah included his son Amasai. Amasai was the father of Ahimoth. + Elkanah was Ahimoth's son. Zophai was Elkanah's son. Nahath was Zophai's son. + Eliab was Nahath's son. Jeroham was Eliab's son. Elkanah was Jeroham's son. And Samuel was Elkanah's son. + The sons of Samuel were his first son Joel and his second son Abijah. + The family line of Merari included his son Mahli. Libni was Mahli's son. Shimei was Libni's son. Uzzah was Shimei's son. + Shimea was Uzzah's son. Haggiah was Shimea's son. And Asaiah was Haggiah's son. + Here are the Levites David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord. He did it after the ark was placed there. + The men used their music to serve in front of the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. They served there until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They did their work based on the rules they had been given. + Here are the men who served. The list also includes their sons. The family line of Kohath included Heman. He led the music. He was the son of Joel. Joel was the son of Samuel. + Samuel was the son of Elkanah. Elkanah was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Eliel. Eliel was the son of Toah. + Toah was the son of Zuph. Zuph was the son of Elkanah. Elkanah was the son of Mahath. Mahath was the son of Amasai. + Amasai was the son of Elkanah. Elkanah was the son of Joel. Joel was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Zephaniah. + Zephaniah was the son of Tahath. Tahath was the son of Assir. Assir was the son of Ebiasaph. Ebiasaph was the son of Korah. + Korah was the son of Izhar. Izhar was the son of Kohath. Kohath was the son of Levi. And Levi was the son of Israel. + Heman had a relative named Asaph. Asaph served as Heman's helper at his right side. Asaph was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Shimea. + Shimea was the son of Michael. Michael was the son of Baaseiah. Baaseiah was the son of Malkijah. + Malkijah was the son of Ethni. Ethni was the son of Zerah. Zerah was the son of Adaiah. + Adaiah was the son of Ethan. Ethan was the son of Zimmah. Zimmah was the son of Shimei. + Shimei was the son of Jahath. Jahath was the son of Gershon. And Gershon was the son of Levi. + Here are the Levites in the family line of Merari who served as Heman's helpers at his left side. They were relatives of the Kohathites. Ethan was the son of Kishi. Kishi was the son of Abdi. Abdi was the son of Malluch. + Malluch was the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Amaziah. Amaziah was the son of Hilkiah. + Hilkiah was the son of Amzi. Amzi was the son of Bani. Bani was the son of Shemer. + Shemer was the son of Mahli. Mahli was the son of Mushi. Mushi was the son of Merari. And Merari was the son of Levi. + The rest of the Levites were appointed to do all of the other work at the holy tent. It was the house of God. + Aaron and his sons after him brought the offerings. They sacrificed them on the altar of burnt offering. They also burned incense on the altar of incense. That was part of what they did in the Most Holy Room. That's how they paid for the sin of Israel. They did everything just as Moses, the servant of God, had commanded. + Here are the members of the family line of Aaron. Eleazar was Aaron's son. Phinehas was Eleazar's son. Abishua was Phinehas's son. + Bukki was Abishua's son. Uzzi was Bukki's son. Zerahiah was Uzzi's son. + Meraioth was Zerahiah's son. Amariah was Meraioth's son. Ahitub was Amariah's son. + Zadok was Ahitub's son. And Ahimaaz was Zadok's son. + Here were the places where they settled. They were given to them as their territory. Some were given to the children of Aaron who were from the family group of Kohath. They were given out by using lots. The first lot was for Kohath. + The Kohathites were given Hebron in Judah. They also received the grasslands that were around Hebron. + But the fields and villages that were around the city were given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. + So the people in the family line of Aaron received Hebron. It was a city where people could go for safety. Aaron's family line received Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Hilen and Debir. + They also received Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh. They were given all of those towns together with their grasslands. + From the tribe of Benjamin they received Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth. They received those towns together with their grasslands. All of those towns were handed out to the family groups of Kohath. The total number of towns was 13. + The rest of the members of the family line of Kohath were given ten towns. The towns were from the family groups of half of the tribe of Manasseh. + The members of the family line of Gershon were given 13 towns. They received them family group by family group. Most of the towns were from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali. The rest were from the other half of the tribe of Manasseh. It's in Bashan. + The members of the family line of Merari were given 12 towns. They received them family group by family group. The towns were from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. + So the people of Israel gave the Levites all of those towns and their grasslands. + They gave other towns to them from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. + Some of the family groups of Kohath were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim as their territory. + In the hill country of Ephraim they received Shechem. Shechem was a city where people could go for safety. The Kohathites also received Gezer, + Jokmeam, Beth Horon, + Aijalon and Gath Rimmon. They were given all of those towns together with their grasslands. + From half of the tribe of Manasseh the people of Israel gave the towns of Aner and Bileam. They gave them to the rest of the family groups of Kohath. They gave them together with their grasslands. + Here is what the members of the family line of Gershon were given. They received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth. They received them together with their grasslands. They received them from half of the tribe of Manasseh. + From the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath, + Ramoth and Anem. They received them together with their grasslands. + From the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon, + Hukok and Rehob. They received them together with their grasslands. + From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee. They also received Hammon and Kiriathaim. They were given all of those towns together with their grasslands. + The members of the family line of Merari make up the rest of the Levites. Here is what they were given. From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor. They received them together with their grasslands. + The tribe of Reuben was across the Jordan River east of Jericho. From that tribe the Merarites received Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, + Kedemoth and Mephaath. They received them together with their grasslands. + From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead. They also received Mahanaim, + Heshbon and Jazer. They received all of those towns together with their grasslands. + + + The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. The total number of sons was four. + The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel. They were the leaders of their families. The total number of fighting men who were listed in the history of the family line of Tola was 22,600. That was when David was king. + The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. + Based on their family history, 36,000 of their men were ready for battle. That's because they had many wives and children. + The total number of fighting men who belonged to all of the family groups of Issachar was 87,000. The men were listed in their family history. + The three sons of Benjamin were Bela, Beker and Jediael. + The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They were the leaders of their families. The total number of sons was five. Their family history listed 22,034 fighting men. + The sons of Beker were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All of them were the sons of Beker. + Their family history listed the leaders of their families. It also listed 20,200 fighting men. + The son of Jediael was Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. + All of those sons of Jediael were the leaders of their families. There were 17,200 fighting men who were ready to go to war. + The Shuppites and Huppites belonged to the family line of Ir. The Hushites belonged to the family line of Aher. + The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. They belonged to the family line of Bilhah. + Here is the family line of Manasseh. He had a concubine who was from the land of Aram. She had Asriel and Makir by him. Makir was the father of Gilead. + Makir got married to a woman from among the Huppites and Shuppites. He had a sister named Maacah. Another member of Manasseh's family line was Zelophehad. All he had was daughters. + Makir's wife Maacah had a son by him. She named the boy Peresh. He had a brother named Sheresh. The sons of Sheresh were Ulam and Rakem. + The son of Ulam was Bedan. Those were the members of the family line of Makir, the son of Manasseh. Gilead was the son of Makir. + Gilead's sister was Hammoleketh. She was the mother of Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. + The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam. + Here are the members of the family line of Ephraim. Shuthelah was Ephraim's son. Bered was Shuthelah's son. Tahath was Bered's son. Eleadah was Tahath's son. Tahath was Eleadah's son. + Zabad was Tahath's son. And Shuthelah was Zabad's son. 'QK'Men from Gath killed Ezer and Elead when they went down to steal their livestock. + Their father Ephraim sobbed over them for many days. His relatives came to comfort him. + Then he made love to his wife. She became pregnant and had a baby boy. Ephraim named him Beriah. That's because something bad had happened in his family. + His daughter was Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth Horon. She also built Uzzen Sheerah. + Rephah was Beriah's son. Resheph was Rephah's son. Telah was Resheph's son. Tahan was Telah's son. + Ladan was Tahan's son. Ammihud was Ladan's son. Elishama was Ammihud's son. + Nun was Elishama's son. And Joshua was the son of Nun. + The lands and settlements of the members of Ephraim's line included Bethel and the villages that were around it. Naaran was on the east. Gezer and its villages were on the west. The lands and settlements included Shechem. They also included the villages that were around Shechem all the way to Ayyah and its villages. + Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their villages. The members of the family line of Joseph lived in those towns. Joseph was the son of Israel. + The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. They had a sister named Serah. + The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel. Malkiel was the father of Birzaith. + Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham and their sister Shua. + The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. They were Japhlet's sons. + The sons of Shomer were Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram. + The sons of Shomer's brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. + The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, + Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera. + The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara. + The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. + All of them were members of the family line of Asher. They were the leaders of their families. They were fine men. They were brave fighting men. They were outstanding leaders. The total number of men who were ready for battle was 26,000. They were listed in their family history. + + + Benjamin was the father of Bela. Bela was his first son. Ashbel was his second son. Aharah was the third. + Nohah was the fourth. And Rapha was the fifth. + The sons of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, + Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, + Gera, Shephuphan and Huram. + Here are the members of the family line of Ehud. They were the leaders of the families who were living in Geba. Later, they were taken away from their own land. They were forced to go to Manahath. + The sons of Ehud were Naaman, Ahijah and Gera. Gera took them away from their land. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. + Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab. That happened after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. + His wife Hodesh had sons by him. Their names were Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, + Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. His sons were the leaders of their families. + His wife Hushim had Abitub and Elpaal by him. + The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham and Shemed. Shemed built Ono and Lod and the villages that were around it. + Beriah and Shema were also sons of Elpaal. They were the leaders of the families who were living in Aijalon. Beriah and Shema drove out the people who were living in Gath. + Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, + Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, + Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah. + Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, + Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were other sons of Elpaal. + Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, + Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, + Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. + Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, + Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, + Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, + Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. + Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, + Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zicri were the sons of Jeroham. + All of those men were the leaders of their families. They were listed as chiefs in their family history. They lived in Jerusalem. + Jeiel lived in the city of Gibeon. He was the father of Gibeon. Jeiel had a wife named Maacah. + His oldest son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zeker + and Mikloth. Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. Mikloth and Shimeah also lived in Jerusalem. They lived near their relatives. + Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal. + The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal. Merib-Baal was the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz. + Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. + Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was Binea's son. Eleasah was Raphah's son. And Azel was Eleasah's son. + Azel had six sons. Their names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All of them were the sons of Azel. + Here are the sons of Azel's brother Eshek. Ulam was his first son. Jeush was the second. Eliphelet was the third. + The sons of Ulam were brave fighting men. They could handle a bow. They had many sons and grandsons. The total number of sons and grandsons was 150. All of those men belonged to the family line of Benjamin. + + + The whole community of Israel was listed in their family histories. They were written down in the records of the kings of Israel. The people of Judah were taken away from their own land. They were taken as prisoners to Babylonia. That's because they weren't faithful to the Lord. + The first ones who came back from there were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants. They settled down again in their own towns on their own property. + Some of them lived in Jerusalem. They included people from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. + They included Uthai. He was the son of Ammihud. Ammihud was the son of Omri. Omri was the son of Imri. Imri was the son of Bani. Bani belonged to the family line of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah. + The family line of Shelah included his oldest son Asaiah. It also included the sons of Asaiah. + The family line of Zerah included Jeuel. The total number of the people of Judah was 690. + The family line of Benjamin included Sallu. He was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Hodaviah. Hodaviah was the son of Hassenuah. + Ibneiah was the son of Jeroham. Elah was the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Micri. Meshullam was the son of Shephatiah. Shephatiah was the son of Reuel. Reuel was the son of Ibnijah. + The total number of the people of Benjamin was 956. They were listed in their family history. All of those men were the leaders of their families. + The family line of the priests included Jedaiah, Jehoiarib and Jakin. + It also included Azariah. He was the son of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Meraioth. Meraioth was the son of Ahitub. Azariah was the official who was in charge of the house of God. + Adaiah was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. Maasai was the son of Adiel. Adiel was the son of Jahzerah. Jahzerah was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Meshillemith. Meshillemith was the son of Immer. + The total number of priests was 1,760. They were the leaders of their families. They were able men. It was their duty to serve in the house of God. + The family line of the Levites included Shemaiah. He was the son of Hasshub. Hasshub was the son of Azrikam. Azrikam was the son of Hashabiah. Shemaiah belonged to the family line of Merari. + The family line of the Levites also included Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal and Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Mica. Mica was the son of Zicri. Zicri was the son of Asaph. + Obadiah was the son of Shemaiah. Shemaiah was the son of Galal. Galal was the son of Jeduthun. Berekiah was the son of Asa. Asa was the son of Elkanah. He lived in the villages of the people of Netophah. + The men who guarded the gates were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and other Levites. Shallum was their chief. + He was stationed at the King's Gate on the east side of the temple. That duty has continued to this very day. Those guards belonged to the camp of the Levites. + Shallum was the son of Kore. Kore was the son of Ebiasaph. Ebiasaph was the son of Korah. Shallum and the other Levites in his family belonged to the family line of Korah. They had the duty of guarding the entrances to the temple. Their fathers had also had the duty of guarding the entrance to the house of the Lord. + Long ago Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was in charge of those who guarded the gate. And the Lord was with him. + Zechariah guarded the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He was the son of Meshelemiah. + The total number of the men who were chosen to guard the entrances was 212. They were listed in their family history in their villages. David and the prophet Samuel had appointed them to their positions. They appointed them because they trusted them. + Those Levites and their children after them were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord was also called the temple. + The men who guarded the gates were on the four sides of the temple. They were on the east, west, north and south sides. + From time to time, their relatives in their villages had to come to the temple. They had to share their duties for a week at a time. + The four main men who guarded the gates were Levites. They were trusted with the duty of taking care of the storerooms and the other rooms in the house of God. + They spent the night in their positions around the house of God. That's because they had to guard it. They were in charge of the key that opened the temple each morning. + Some Levites were in charge of the articles that were used when they served at the temple. They counted the articles when they were brought in. They also counted them when they were taken out. + Other Levites were appointed to take care of all of the other articles that belonged to the temple. They also took care of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense and spices. + Some of the priests took care of mixing the spices. + There was a Levite named Mattithiah. He was the oldest son of Shallum. Shallum belonged to the family line of Korah. Mattithiah was trusted with the duty of baking the offering bread. + The bread was placed on the table every Sabbath day. Some Levites in the family line of Kohath were in charge of preparing the bread. + Those who led the music lived in rooms in the temple. They were the leaders of their Levite families. Their only duty was to lead the music. They had to do that work day and night. + All of them were the leaders of their Levite families. They were listed as chiefs in their family history. They lived in Jerusalem. + Jeiel lived in the city of Gibeon. He was the father of Gibeon. Jeiel had a wife named Maacah. + His oldest son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth. + Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. Mikloth and Shimeam lived in Jerusalem. They lived near their relatives. + Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal. + The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal. Merib-Baal was the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea and Ahaz. + Ahaz was the father of Jadah. Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. + Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was Binea's son. Eleasah was Rephaiah's son. And Azel was Eleasah's son. + Azel had six sons. Their names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. They were the sons of Azel. + + + The Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel ran away from them. But many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines kept chasing Saul and his sons. They killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. + The fighting was heavy around Saul. Men who were armed with bows and arrows caught up with him. They shot their arrows at him and wounded him badly. + Saul spoke to the man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Pull out your sword. Stick it through me. If you don't, those men who aren't circumcised will come and hurt me badly." But the man was terrified. He wouldn't do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. + The man saw that Saul was dead. So he fell on his own sword and died. + Saul and his three sons died. All of them died together. + All of the Israelites who lived in the valley saw that their army had run away. They saw that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and settled down in them. + The day after the Philistines had won the battle, they came to take what they wanted from the dead bodies. They found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. + So they took what they wanted from Saul's body. They took his head and his armor. Then they sent messengers through the whole land of the Philistines. They announced the news to the statues of their gods. They also announced it among their people. + They put Saul's armor in the temple of their gods. They hung his head up in the temple of their god Dagon. + The people of Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul. + So all of their brave men went and got the bodies of Saul and his sons. They brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried the bones of Saul and his sons under the great tree that was there. They didn't eat anything for seven days. + Saul died because he wasn't faithful to the Lord. He didn't obey the word of the Lord. He even asked for advice from a person who gets messages from those who have died. + He didn't ask the Lord for advice. So the Lord put him to death. He turned the kingdom over to David. David was the son of Jesse. + + + The whole community of Israel came together to see David at Hebron. They said, "We are your own flesh and blood. + In the past, Saul was our king. But you led the men of Israel in battle. The Lord your God said to you, 'You will be the shepherd over my people Israel. You will become their ruler.' " + All of the elders of Israel came to see King David at Hebron. There he made a covenant with them in the sight of the Lord. They anointed David as king over Israel. It happened just as the Lord had promised through Samuel. + David and all of the men of Israel marched to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was also called Jebus. The Jebusites who lived there + spoke to David. They said, "You won't get in here." But David captured the fort of Zion. It became known as the City of David. + David had said, "Anyone who leads the attack against the Jebusites will become the commander of Israel's army." Joab went up first. So he became the commander of the army. He was the son of Zeruiah. + David moved into the fort. So it was called the City of David. + He built up the city around the fort. He filled in the low places. He built a wall around it. During that time, Joab built up the rest of the city. + David became more and more powerful. That's because the Lord who rules over all was with him. + The chiefs of David's mighty men and the whole community of Israel helped David greatly. They helped him become king over the entire land. That's exactly what the Lord had promised him. + Here is a list of David's mighty men. Jashobeam was chief of the officers. He was a Hacmonite. He used his spear against 300 men. He killed all of them at one time. + Next to him was Eleazar. He was one of the three mighty men. He was the son of Dodai, the Ahohite. + Jashobeam was with David at Pas Dammim. The Philistines had gathered there for battle. Israel's troops ran away from the Philistines. At the place where that happened, there was a field that was full of barley. + The three mighty men took their stand in the middle of the field. They didn't let the Philistines capture it. They struck them down. The Lord helped them win a great battle. + David was near the rock at the cave of Adullam. Three of the 30 chiefs came down to him there. A group of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. + At that time David was in his usual place of safety. Some Philistine troops were stationed at Bethlehem. + David longed for water. He said, "I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the well that is near the gate of Bethlehem!" + So the Three fought their way past the Philistine guards. They got some water from the well that was near the gate of Bethlehem. They took the water back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord. + "I would never drink that water!" David said. "It would be like drinking the blood of these men. They put their lives in danger by going to Bethlehem." The men had put their lives in danger by bringing the water back. So David wouldn't drink it. Those were some of the brave things the three mighty men did. + Abishai was chief over the Three. He was the brother of Joab. He used his spear against 300 men. He killed all of them. So he became as famous as the Three were. + He was honored twice as much as the Three. He became their commander. But he wasn't included among them. + Benaiah was a great hero from Kabzeel. He was the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah did many brave things. He struck down two of Moab's best fighting men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day. He killed a lion there. + And Benaiah struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian was holding a spear as big as a weaver's rod. Benaiah went out to fight against him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian's hand. Then he killed him with it. + Those were some of the brave things Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did. He too was as famous as the three mighty men were. + He was honored more than any of the Thirty. But he wasn't included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his own personal guards. + Here is a list of David's mighty men. Asahel, the brother of Joab Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem + Shammoth, the Harorite Helez, the Pelonite + Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa Abiezer from Anathoth + Sibbecai, the Hushathite Ilai, the Ahohite + Maharai from Netophah Heled, the son of Baanah, from Netophah + Ithai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah in Benjamin Benaiah from Pirathon + Hurai from the valleys of Gaash Abiel, the Arbathite + Azmaveth, the Baharumite Eliahba, the Shaalbonite + the sons of Hashem, the Gizonite Jonathan, the son of Shagee, the Hararite + Ahiam, the son of Sacar, the Hararite Eliphal, the son of Ur + Hepher, the Mekerathite Ahijah, the Pelonite + Hezro from Carmel Naarai, the son of Ezbai + Joel, the brother of Nathan Mibhar, the son of Hagri + Zelek from Ammon Naharai, from Beeroth, who carried the armor of Joab, the son of Zeruiah + Ira, the Ithrite Gareb, the Ithrite + Uriah, the Hittite Zabad, the son of Ahlai + Adina, the son of Shiza, the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites and the 30 men with him + Hanan, the son of Maacah Joshaphat, the Mithnite + Uzzia, the Ashterathite Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham from Aroer + Jediael, the son of Shimri his brother Joha, the Tizite + Eliel, the Mahavite Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam Ithmah from Moab + Eliel Obed Jaasiel, the Mezobaite + + + Some fighting men came to David at Ziklag. They were among those who helped him in battle. David had been forced to hide from Saul, the son of Kish. + The men were armed with bows. They were able to shoot arrows or throw stones from a sling with either hand. They were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Here is a list of them. + Their chief Ahiezer and Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth Beracah Jehu from Anathoth + Ishmaiah, the Gibeonite, who was a mighty man among the Thirty and a leader of the Thirty Jeremiah Jahaziel Johanan Jozabad from Gederah + Eluzai Jerimoth Bealiah Shemariah Shephatiah, the Haruphite + the Korahites Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam + Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor + Some men of Gad went over to David's side at his usual place of safety in the desert. They were brave fighting men. They were ready for battle. They were able to use shields and spears. Their faces were like the faces of lions. They could run as fast as antelopes in the mountains. + Ezer was their chief. Obadiah was next in command. Eliab was third. + Mishmannah was fourth. Jeremiah was fifth. + Attai was sixth. Eliel was seventh. + Johanan was eighth. Elzabad was ninth. + Jeremiah was tenth. And Macbannai was eleventh. + All of those men of Gad were army commanders. The least important of them was equal to 100 men. The most important was equal to 1,000. + They went across the Jordan River when it was flowing over its banks. That happened in the first month of spring. They chased away everyone who lived in the valleys. They chased them away from the east and west sides of the river. + Some men from the territories of Benjamin and Judah also came to David at his usual place of safety. + David went out to meet them. He said to them, "Have you come to me in peace? Have you come to help me? If you have, I'm ready to have you join me. But suppose you have come to hand me over to my enemies when I haven't even harmed anyone. Then may the God of our people see it and judge you." + The Spirit of God came on Amasai. He was chief of the Thirty. He said, "David, we belong to you! Son of Jesse, we're on your side! May you have great success. May those who help you also have success. Your God will help you." So David welcomed them. He made them leaders in his army. + Some men of Manasseh went over to David's side when he marched out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But David and his men didn't help the Philistines. That's because after all of the Philistine rulers had discussed the matter, they sent him away. They said, "Suppose he deserts to his master Saul. Then our heads will be cut off!" + So David went to Ziklag. Here are the men of Manasseh who went over to his side. They were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai. They were leaders of companies of 1,000 men in Manasseh. + They helped David fight against enemy armies. All of the men of Manasseh were brave fighting men. They were commanders in David's army. + Day after day men came to help him. Soon he had a large army. It was like the army of God. + Large numbers of men came to David at Hebron. They were prepared for battle. They came to hand Saul's kingdom over to him, just as the Lord had said. Here are the numbers of the men who came. + The men from Judah carried shields and spears. They were prepared for battle. The total number of them was 6,800. + The fighting men from Simeon were ready for battle. The total number of them was 7,100. + The total number of men from Levi was 4,600. + They included Jehoiada. He was the leader of the family of Aaron. He came with 3,700 men. + They also included Zadok. He was a brave young fighter. He came with 22 officers from his family. + The men from Benjamin were Saul's relatives. Most of them had remained faithful to Saul's family until that time. The total number of them was 3,000. + The men from Ephraim were brave fighting men. They were famous in their own family groups. The total number of them was 20,800. + The men from half of the tribe of Manasseh had been chosen by name to come and make David king. The total number of them was 18,000. + The men from Issachar understood what was going on at that time. They knew what Israel should do. The total number of their chiefs was 200. They came with all of their relatives who were under their command. + The men from Zebulun knew how to fight well. That's because they had done it many times before. They were prepared for battle. They had every kind of weapon. They came to help David with their whole heart. The total number of them was 50,000. + The total number of officers from Naphtali was 1,000. They came with 37,000 men who carried shields and spears. + The men from Dan were ready for battle. The total number of them was 28,600. + The men from Asher knew how to fight well. That's because they had done it many times before. They were prepared for battle. The total number of them was 40,000. + The men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh were armed with every kind of weapon. The men came from the east side of the Jordan River. The total number of them was 120,000. + All of those fighting men offered to serve in the army. Before they came to Hebron, they had agreed completely to make David king over all of the people of Israel. All of the rest of the people also agreed to make David king. + The men spent three days there with David. They ate and drank what their families had given them. + Their neighbors also brought food. They brought it on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. They came from as far away as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali. There was plenty of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep. The people of Israel brought all of those things because they were so happy. + + + David talked with each of his officers. He wanted to get their advice. Some of them were commanders of thousands of men. Others were commanders of hundreds. + David spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, "Let's send word to the rest of our people no matter how far away they live. They live in all of the territories of Israel. Let's also send word to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and grasslands. Let's invite everyone to come and join us. Let's do it if it seems good to you and if that's what the Lord our God wants. + Let's bring the ark of our God back here to us. We didn't use it to ask God for advice during the whole time Saul was king." + So that's what the whole community agreed to do. It seemed right to them. + David gathered all of the people together. They came from the area between the Shihor River in Egypt and Lebo Hamath. They came to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem. + David went to Baalah of Judah. The whole community of Israel went with him. Baalah is also called Kiriath Jearim. All of the people went there to get the ark of God the Lord. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. The ark is named after the Lord. + The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was moved from Abinadab's house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding it. + David was celebrating with all his might in the sight of God. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets. + They came to the threshing floor of Kidon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out his hand to hold the ark steady. + Then the Lord's anger burned against Uzzah. He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So Uzzah died there in front of God. + David was angry because the Lord's burning anger had broken out against Uzzah. That's why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this very day. + David was afraid of God that day. He asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God back here to me?" + So he didn't take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. + The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom. It stayed in his house for three months. And the Lord blessed his family. He also blessed everything that belonged to him. + + + Hiram was king of Tyre. He sent messengers to David. He sent cedar logs along with them. He also sent skilled workers to build a palace for David. They worked with stone and wood. + David knew that the Lord had made his position as king secure. He knew that he had made him king over the whole nation of Israel. He knew that the Lord had greatly honored his kingdom. The Lord had done it because the Israelites were his people. + In Jerusalem David got married to more women. He also became the father of more sons and daughters. + Here is a list of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem. Their names were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. + The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over the entire nation of Israel. So their whole army went to look for him. But David heard about it. He went out to where they were. + The Philistines had come and attacked the people in the Valley of Rephaim. + So David asked God for advice. He said, "Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord answered him, "Go. I will hand them over to you." + So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim. There David won the battle over the Philistines. He said, "God has broken through against my enemies, just as water breaks through a dam." That's why the place was called Baal Perazim. + The Philistines had left the statues of their gods there. So David gave orders to burn them up. + Once more the Philistines attacked the people in the valley. + So David asked God for advice again. God answered him, "Do not go straight up. Instead, circle around them. Attack them in front of the balsam trees. + Listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. Then move out to fight. The sound will mean that I have gone out in front of you. I will strike down the Philistine army." + So David did just as God had commanded him. He and his men struck down the Philistine army. They struck them down from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. + So David became famous in every land. The Lord made all of the nations afraid of him. + + + David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David. Then he prepared a place for the ark of God. He set up a tent for it. + He said, "Only Levites can carry the ark of God. That's because the Lord chose them to carry his ark. He chose them to serve him forever in front of the place where his throne is." + David gathered the whole community of Israel together in Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. + He called together the members of the family line of Aaron. He also called the Levites together. Here are the men who came from the families of the Levites. + From the families of Kohath came the leader Uriel and 120 relatives. + From the families of Merari came the leader Asaiah and 220 relatives. + From the families of Gershon came the leader Joel and 130 relatives. + From the families of Elizaphan came the leader Shemaiah and 200 relatives. + From the families of Hebron came the leader Eliel and 80 relatives. + From the families of Uzziel came the leader Amminadab and 112 relatives. + David sent for the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He also sent for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. They were Levites. + He said to them, "You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must set yourselves apart to serve the Lord and his people. You must bring up the ark of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. Put the ark in the place I've prepared for it. + "Remember when the anger of the Lord our God broke out against us? It was because you Levites didn't bring the ark up the first time. We didn't ask the Lord how to do it in the way the law requires." + So the priests and Levites set themselves apart. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + This time the Levites used the poles to carry the ark of God on their shoulders. That's what Moses had commanded in keeping with the word of the Lord. + David told the Levite leaders to appoint their relatives as singers. He wanted them to sing joyful songs. He also wanted them to play lyres, harps and cymbals along with their singing. + So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel. From his relatives they chose Asaph, the son of Berekiah. Other relatives were from the family of Merari. From them they chose Ethan, the son of Kushaiah. + Along with them they chose their relatives who were next in line. Their names were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They guarded the gates. + Heman, Asaph and Ethan played the bronze cymbals. + Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah played the high notes on the lyres. + Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played the low notes on the harps. + Kenaniah was the leader of the Levites. He was in charge of the singing because he was good at it. + Berekiah and Elkanah guarded the ark. + Some of the priests blew trumpets in front of the ark of God. Their names were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer. Obed-Edom and Jehiah also helped guard the ark. + David and the elders of Israel went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. So did the commanders of companies of 1,000 men. With great joy they brought the ark up from the house of Obed-Edom. + God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. So seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. + David was wearing a robe that was made out of fine linen. So were all of the Levites who were carrying the ark. And so were the singers and the choir director Kenaniah. David was also wearing a sacred linen apron. + So the whole community of Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They shouted. They blew rams' horns and trumpets. They played cymbals, lyres and harps. + The ark of the covenant of the Lord was brought into the City of David. Saul's daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. That made her hate him in her heart. + + + The ark of God was brought into Jerusalem. It was put in the tent David had set up for it. The priests brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings to God. + After David finished sacrificing those offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. + He gave to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread. He also gave each one a date cake and a raisin cake. + He appointed some of the Levites to serve in front of the ark of the Lord. David wanted them to pray, give thanks and praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + Asaph was the leader of those Levites. Zechariah was next. Then came Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps. Asaph played the cymbals. + The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets. They blew them at regular times in front of the ark of the covenant of God. + That day was the first time David gave Asaph and his helpers this psalm of thanks to the Lord. + Give thanks to the Lord. Worship him. Tell the nations what he has done. + Sing to him. Sing praise to him. Tell about all of the wonderful things he has done. + Praise him, because his name is holy. Let the hearts of those who trust in the Lord be glad. + Look to the Lord and to his strength. Always look to him. + Remember the wonderful things he has done. Remember his miracles and how he judged our enemies. + Remember what he has done, you children of his servant Israel. Remember it, you people of Jacob. You are God's chosen ones. + He is the Lord our God. He judges the whole earth. + He will keep his covenant forever. He will keep his promise for all time to come. + He will keep the covenant he made with Abraham. He will keep the oath he took when he made his promise to Isaac. + He made it stand as a law for Jacob. He made it stand as a covenant for Israel. It will last forever. + He said, "I will give you the land of Canaan. It will belong to you." + At first there weren't very many of God's people. There were only a few. And they were strangers in the land. + They wandered from nation to nation. They wandered from one kingdom to another. + But God didn't allow anyone to beat them down. To keep them safe, he gave a command to kings. + He said to them, "Do not touch my anointed ones. Do not harm my prophets." + All you people of the earth, sing to the Lord. Day after day tell about how he saves us. + Tell the nations about his glory. Tell all people about the wonderful things he has done. + The Lord is great. He is really worthy of praise. People should have respect for him as the greatest God of all. + All of the gods of the nations are like their statues. They can't do anything. But the Lord made the heavens. + Glory and majesty are all around him. Strength and joy can be seen in the place where he lives. + Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise the Lord for his glory and strength. + Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him. Bring an offering and come to him. Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness. + All you people of the earth, tremble when you are with him. The world is firmly set in place. It can't be moved. + Let the heavens be filled with joy. Let the earth be glad. Let them say among the nations, "The Lord rules!" + Let the ocean and everything in it roar. Let the fields and everything in them be glad. + Then the trees in the forest will sing with joy. They will sing to the Lord. He will judge the people of the world. + Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. + Cry out, "Save us, God our Savior. Save us. Bring us back from among the nations. Then we will give thanks to you, because your name is holy. We will celebrate by praising you." + Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and ever. Then all of the people said, "Amen!" They also said, "Praise the Lord." + David left Asaph and his helpers to serve in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They served there at regular times. They did it as they were required to do each day. + David also left Obed-Edom and his 68 helpers to serve with them. Obed-Edom and Hosah guarded the gates. Obed-Edom was the son of Jeduthun. + David left the priest Zadok and some other priests in front of the holy tent of the Lord. It was at the high place in Gibeon. + David left them there to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar every morning and evening. They did it in keeping with everything that is written in the Law of the Lord. That's the Law he had given to Israel. + Heman and Jeduthun were with the priests. So were the rest of those who had been chosen by name and appointed to serve. They had been chosen to give thanks to the Lord, "because his faithful love continues forever." + It was the duty of Heman and Jeduthun to blow the trumpets. They also had the duty of playing the cymbals and other instruments for the sacred songs. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at one of the gates. + All of the people left. Everyone went home. And David returned home to bless his family. + + + David settled down in his palace. Then he spoke to the prophet Nathan. He said, "Here I am, living in a palace that has beautiful cedar walls. But the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent." + Nathan replied to David, "Do what you want to. God is with you." + That night a message came to Nathan from God. He said, + "Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him, 'The Lord says, "You are not the one who will build me a house to live in. + I have not lived in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt until now. I have moved my tent from one place to another. I have moved my home from one place to another. + I have moved from place to place with all of the people of Israel. I commanded their leaders to be shepherds over them. I never asked any of those leaders, 'Why haven't you built me a house that has beautiful cedar walls?' " ' + "So tell my servant David, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "I took you away from the grasslands. That is where you were taking care of your father's sheep and goats. I made you ruler over my people Israel. + I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I cut off all of your enemies when you were attacking them. Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth. + " ' "I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore. Sinful people will no longer crush them, as they did at first. + That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will bring all of them under your control. " ' "I tell you that I will build a royal house for your family. + Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will give you one of your own sons to become the next king after you. I will make his kingdom secure. + " ' "He is the one who will build me a house. I will set up his throne. It will last forever. + I will be his father. And he will be my son. I took my love away from the man who ruled before you. But I will never take my love away from your son. + I will place him over my house and my kingdom forever. His throne will last forever." ' " + Nathan reported to David all of the words that the Lord had spoken to him. + Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said, "Lord God, who am I? My family isn't important. So why have you brought me this far? + I would have thought that you had already done more than enough for me. But now, God, you have spoken about what is going to happen to my royal house in days to come. Lord God, you have treated me as if I were the most honored man of all. + "What more can I say to you for honoring me? You know all about me. + Lord, you have done a wonderful thing. You have given me many great promises. All of them are for my good. They are exactly what you wanted to give me. + "Lord, there isn't anyone like you. There isn't any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears. + "Who is like your people Israel? God, we are the one nation on earth you have saved. You have set us free for yourself. Your name has become famous. You have done great and wonderful things. You have driven nations out to make room for your people. You saved us when you set us free from Egypt. No other god has done any of those things for its people. + You made Israel your very own people forever. Lord, you have become our God. + "And now, Lord, let the promise you have made to me and my royal house stand forever. Do exactly as you promised. + When your promise comes true, your name will be honored forever. People will say, 'The Lord rules over all. He is the God over Israel. He is Israel's God.' My royal house will be made secure in your sight. + "My God, you have shown me that you will build me a royal house. So I can pray to you boldly. + Lord, you are God! You have promised many good things to me. + You have been pleased to bless my royal house. Now it will continue forever in your sight. Lord, you have blessed it. And it will be blessed forever." + + + While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Gath away from the Philistines. He also captured the villages that were around Gath. + David also won the battle over the people of Moab. They were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. + David fought against Hadadezer all the way to Hamath. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to take complete control of the land along the Euphrates River. + David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer's chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses. + The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them. + He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went. + David took the gold shields that were carried by the officers of Hadadezer. He brought the shields to Jerusalem. + He took a huge amount of bronze from Tebah and Cun. Those towns belonged to Hadadezer. Later, Solomon used the bronze to make the huge bronze bowl for washing. He also used it to make the pillars and many other bronze articles for the temple. + Tou was king of Hamath. He heard that David had won the battle over the entire army of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. + So Tou sent his son Hadoram to King David. Hadoram greeted David. He praised him because he had won the battle over Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. So Hadoram brought David all kinds of articles that were made out of gold, silver and bronze. + King David set those articles apart for the Lord. He had done the same thing with the silver and gold he had taken from other nations. The nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek. + Abishai struck down 18,000 men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. Abishai was the son of Zeruiah. + He stationed some soldiers in Edom. The whole nation of Edom was brought under his rule. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went. + David ruled over the whole nation of Israel. He did what was fair and right for all of his people. + Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records. + Zadok, the son of Ahitub, was a priest. Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, was also a priest. Shavsha was the secretary. + Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites. And King David's sons were the chief officials who served at his side. + + + Nahash was king of Ammon. After he died, his son became the next king after him. + David thought, "I'm going to be kind to Hanun. His father Nahash was kind to me." So David sent messengers to Hanun. He wanted them to tell Hanun how sad he was that Hanun's father had died. David's messengers went to the land of Ammon. They told Hanun how sad David was. + The Ammonite nobles spoke to Hanun. They said, "David has sent messengers to tell you he is sad. They say he wants to honor your father. But the real reason they've come is to look the land over. They want to destroy it." + So Hanun grabbed hold of David's men. He shaved them. He cut their clothes off just below the waist and left them half naked. Then he sent them away. + Someone came and told David what had happened to his men. So David sent messengers to them because they were filled with shame. King David said to them, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out again. Then come back here." + The Ammonites realized that what they had done had made David very angry with them. So Hanun and the Ammonites got 37 tons of silver. They used it to hire chariots and chariot riders from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah and Zobah. + They hired 32,000 chariots and riders. They also hired the king of Maacah and his troops. All of them came out and camped near Medeba. At the same time the Ammonites brought their troops together from their towns. Then they marched out to fight. + David heard about it. So he sent Joab out with the entire army of Israel's fighting men. + The Ammonites marched out. They took up their battle positions at the entrance to their city. The kings who came to help them gathered their troops together in the open country. + Joab saw that there were lines of soldiers in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best troops in Israel. He sent them to march out against the Arameans. + He put the rest of the men under the command of his brother Abishai. They were sent to march out against the Ammonites. + Joab said, "Suppose the Arameans are too strong for me. Then you must come and help me. But suppose the Ammonites are too strong for you. Then I'll come and help you. + Be strong. Let's be brave as we fight for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he thinks is best." + Then Joab and the troops who were with him marched out to attack the Arameans. They ran away from him. + The Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away. So they also ran away from Joab's brother Abishai. They went inside the city. Then Joab went back to Jerusalem. + The Arameans saw that they had been driven away by Israel. So they sent messengers to get some Arameans from east of the Euphrates River. The Arameans were under the command of Shophach. He was the commander of Hadadezer's army. + David was told about it. So he gathered the whole army of Israel together. They went across the Jordan River. David marched out against the Arameans. He lined up his soldiers opposite them. He lined them up to meet the Arameans in battle. The Arameans began to fight against him. + But then they ran away from Israel. David killed 7,000 of their chariot riders. He killed 40,000 of their soldiers who were on foot. He also killed Shophach, the commander of their army. + The people who were under the rule of Hadadezer saw that Israel had won the battle over them. So they made a peace treaty with David. They were brought under his rule. After that, the Arameans wouldn't help the Ammonites anymore. + + + In the spring, Joab led Israel's army out. It was the time when kings go off to war. Joab destroyed the land of Ammon. He went to the city of Rabbah. He surrounded it and got ready to attack it. But David remained in Jerusalem. Later, Joab attacked Rabbah and completely destroyed it. + David took the gold crown off the head of the king of Ammon. The crown weighed 75 pounds. It had jewels in it. It was placed on David's head. He took a huge amount of goods from the city. + He brought out the people who were there. He made them work with saws and iron picks and axes. David did that to all of the towns in Ammon. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. + War broke out at Gezer against the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai killed Sippai. So the Philistines were brought under Israel's control. Sibbecai was a Hushathite. Sippai was from the family line of Rapha. + In another battle against the Philistines, Elhanan killed Lahmi. Elhanan was the son of Jair. Lahmi was the brother of Goliath. Goliath was from the city of Gath. Lahmi's spear was as big as a weaver's rod. + There was still another battle. It took place at Gath. A huge man lived there. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. So the total number of his toes and fingers was 24. He was also from the family line of Rapha. + He made fun of Israel. So Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of David's brother Shimea. + Those Philistine men lived in Gath. They were from the family line of Rapha. David and his men killed them. + + + Satan rose up against Israel. He stirred up David to count the men of Israel. + So David spoke to Joab and the commanders of the troops. He said, "Go! Count the men of Israel from Beersheba all the way to Dan. Report back to me. Then I'll know how many there are." + Joab replied, "May the Lord multiply his troops 100 times. King David, you are my master. Aren't all of the men under your control? Why would you want me to count them? Do you want to make Israel guilty?" + In spite of what Joab said, the king's word had more authority than Joab's word did. So Joab left and went all through Israel. Then he came back to Jerusalem. + Joab reported to David how many fighting men he had counted. In the whole land of Israel there were 1,100,000 men who could use a sword well. That included 470,000 men in Judah. + But Joab didn't include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the total number. The king's command was sickening to Joab. + It was also evil in the sight of God. So he punished Israel. + Then David said to God, "I committed a great sin when I counted Israel's men. I beg you to take away my guilt. I've done a very foolish thing." + The Lord spoke to David's prophet Gad. He said, + "Go and tell David, 'The Lord says, "I could punish you in three different ways. Choose one of them for me to use against you." ' " + So Gad went to David. He said to him, "The Lord says, 'Take your choice. + You can have three years when there will not be enough food in the land. You can have three months when your enemies will sweep you away. They will catch up with you. They will cut you down with their swords. Or you can have three days when my sword will punish you. That means there would be three days of plague in the land. My angel would strike people down in every part of Israel.' "So take your pick. Tell me how to answer the One who sent me." + David said to Gad, "I'm suffering terribly. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord. His mercy is very great. But don't let me fall into the hands of men." + So the Lord sent a plague on Israel. And 70,000 Israelites died. + God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing it, the Lord saw it. He was very sad because of the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was destroying the people. He said, "That is enough! Do not kill any more people!" The angel of the Lord was standing at Araunah's threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus. + David looked up. He saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth. The angel was holding out a sword over Jerusalem. David and the elders fell with their faces to the ground. They were wearing black clothes. + David said to God, "I ordered the fighting men to be counted. I'm the one who has sinned. I'm the one who has done what is wrong. These people are like sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your powerful hand punish me and my family. But don't let this plague continue to strike your people." + Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up to the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. He wanted David to build an altar there to honor the Lord. + So David went up and did it. He obeyed the message that Gad had spoken in the Lord's name. + Araunah was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel. His four children were with him. They hid themselves. + David approached the threshing floor. Araunah looked up and saw him. So Araunah left the threshing floor. He bowed down to David with his face toward the ground. + David said to him, "Let me have the property your threshing floor is on. I want to build an altar there to honor the Lord. When I do, the plague on the people will be stopped. Sell the threshing floor to me for the full price." + Araunah said to David, "Take it! King David, you are my master. Do what you please. I'll even provide the oxen for the burnt offerings. Use boards from the threshing sleds for the wood. Use the wheat for the grain offering. I'll give all of it to you." + But King David replied to Araunah, "No! I want to pay the full price. I won't take what belongs to you and give it to the Lord. I won't sacrifice a burnt offering that hasn't cost me anything." + So David paid Araunah 15 pounds of gold for the property. + David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He called out to the Lord. The Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings. + Then the Lord spoke to the angel. And the angel put his sword away. + When the angel did that, David was still at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. David saw that the Lord had answered him. So he offered sacrifices there. + At that time, the Lord's holy tent was at the high place in Gibeon. The altar for burnt offerings was there too. Moses had made the holy tent in the desert. + David couldn't go to the tent to pray to God. That's because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord. + + + David announced, "The house of the Lord God will be built here. Israel's altar for burnt offerings will also be here." + David gave orders to bring together the outsiders who were living in Israel. He appointed some of them to cut stones. He wanted them to prepare blocks of stone for building the house of God. + David provided a large amount of iron to make nails. They were for the doors of the gates and for the fittings. He provided more bronze than anyone could weigh. + He also provided more cedar logs than anyone could count. The people of Sidon and Tyre brought large numbers of logs to David. + David said, "My son Solomon is young. He's never done anything like this before. The house that will be built for the Lord should be very grand and wonderful. It should be famous and beautiful in the eyes of all of the nations. I'll get things ready for it." So David got many things ready before he died. + Then he sent for his son Solomon. He told him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. + David said to Solomon, "My son, with all my heart I wanted to build a house for the Lord my God. That's where his Name will be. + But a message from the Lord came to me. It said, 'You have spilled the blood of many people. You have fought many wars. You are not the one who will build a house for my Name. That is because I have seen you spill the blood of many people on the earth. + " 'But you are going to have a son. He will be a man of peace. And I will give him peace and rest from all of his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon. I will give Israel peace and quiet while he is king. + He will build a house for my Name. He will be my son. And I will be his father. I will make his kingdom secure over Israel. It will last forever.' + "My son, may the Lord be with you. May you have success. May you build the house of the Lord your God, just as he said you would. + May the Lord give you good sense. May he give you understanding when he makes you king over Israel. Then you will keep the law of the Lord your God. + "Be careful to obey the rules and laws the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Then you will have success. Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. + "I've tried very hard to provide for the Lord's temple. I've provided 3,750 tons of gold and 37,500 tons of silver. I've provided more bronze and iron than anyone can weigh. I've also given plenty of wood and stone. You can add to it. + "You have a lot of workers. You have people who can cut stones and people who can lay the stones. You have people who can work with wood. You also have people who are skilled in every other kind of work. + Some of them can work with gold and silver. Others can work with bronze and iron. There are more workers than anyone can count. So begin the work. May the Lord be with you." + Then David ordered all of Israel's leaders to help his son Solomon. + He said to them, "The Lord your God is with you. He's given you peace and rest on every side. He's handed the people who are living in the land over to me. The land has been brought under the control of the Lord and his people. + "So look to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Start building the temple of the Lord God. Then bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord into it. Also bring in the sacred articles that belong to God. The temple will be built for the Name of the Lord." + + + David had become very old. So he made his son Solomon king over Israel. + He gathered together all of the leaders of Israel. He also gathered the priests and the Levites together. + The Levites who were 30 years old or more were counted. The total number of men was 38,000. + David said, "From them, 24,000 will direct the work of the Lord's temple. And 6,000 will be officials and judges. + Another 4,000 will guard the gates. And 4,000 will praise the Lord with the instruments of music I've provided for that purpose." + David separated the Levites into groups. He did it based on the sons of Levi. The sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. + Ladan and Shimei belonged to the family of Gershon. + The sons of Ladan were Jehiel, Zetham and Joel. Jehiel was the oldest son. The total number of sons was three. + The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran. The total number of sons was three. They were the leaders of the families of Ladan. + The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. The total number of the sons of Shimei was four. + Jahath was the first son. Ziza was the second son. But Jeush and Beriah didn't have many sons. So they were counted as one family. They had only one task. + The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The total number of sons was four. + Aaron and Moses belonged to Amram's family line. Aaron and his family line were set apart forever as the Lord's priests. They had the duty of setting the most holy things apart to the Lord. They offered sacrifices to the Lord. They served him. They gave blessings in his name forever. + The sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. + The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. + Shubael was the oldest son in the family line of Gershom. + Rehabiah was the oldest son in the family line of Eliezer. Eliezer didn't have any other sons. But Rehabiah had a great many sons. + Shelomith was the oldest son of Izhar. + Jeriah was the first son of Hebron. Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was the third. Jekameam was the fourth. + Micah was the first son of Uzziel. Isshiah was his second son. + The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. + Eleazar died without having any sons. All he had was daughters. They got married to their cousins. The cousins were the sons of Kish. + The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. The total number of sons was three. + Those were the family lines of Levi. They were recorded under the names of the family leaders. Each worker who was 20 years old or more was counted. They served in the Lord's temple. + David had said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He has given peace and rest to his people. He has come to Jerusalem to live there forever. + So the Levites don't need to carry the holy tent anymore. They don't need to carry any of its articles anymore. Those were the articles that were used to serve there." + The Levites who were 20 years old or more were counted. That was in keeping with David's final directions. + The Levites had the duty of helping the members of Aaron's family line. They helped them serve in the Lord's temple. They were in charge of the courtyards and the side rooms. They made all of the sacred things pure and clean. They also had other duties at the house of God. + They were in charge of setting the holy bread out on the table. They prepared the flour for the grain offerings. They made the wafers without using any yeast. They did the baking and the mixing. They measured the amount and size of everything. + They stood every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They did the same thing every evening. + They also did it every time burnt offerings were brought to the Lord. Those offerings were brought every Sabbath day. They were also brought at every New Moon Feast and during the appointed yearly feasts. The Levites served in front of the Lord at regular times. The proper number of Levites was always used when they served. They served in the way the law required of them. + So the Levites carried out their duties for the Tent of Meeting and for the Holy Room. They worked under their relatives who were in the family line of Aaron. They helped them serve at the Lord's temple. + + + Here are the groups of priests the sons of Aaron were separated into. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. They didn't have any sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. + With the help of Zadok and Ahimelech, David separated the priests into groups. Each group served in its appointed order and time. Zadok belonged to the family line of Eleazar. Ahimelech belonged to the family line of Ithamar. + More leaders were found among Eleazar's family line than among Ithamar's. So the priests were separated into their groups based on that fact. There were 16 family leaders from Eleazar's line. There were eight family leaders from Ithamar's line. + The priests were separated into their groups by using lots. That was the fair way to do it. The priests were officials of the temple and officials of God. They came from the family lines of Eleazar and Ithamar. + Shemaiah was a Levite. He was the son of Nethanel. He was the writer who recorded the names of the priests. He wrote them down in front of the king and the officials. The officials included the priest Zadok and Ahimelech. Ahimelech was the son of Abiathar. They also included the leaders of the families of the priests and the Levites. One family was chosen by lot from Eleazar. Then one was chosen from Ithamar. + The 1st lot that was drawn out was for Jehoiarib. The 2nd was for Jedaiah. + The 3rd was for Harim. The 4th was for Seorim. + The 5th was for Malkijah. The 6th was for Mijamin. + The 7th was for Hakkoz. The 8th was for Abijah. + The 9th was for Jeshua. The 10th was for Shecaniah. + The 11th was for Eliashib. The 12th was for Jakim. + The 13th was for Huppah. The 14th was for Jeshebeab. + The 15th was for Bilgah. The 16th was for Immer. + The 17th was for Hezir. The 18th was for Happizzez. + The 19th was for Pethahiah. The 20th was for Jehezkel. + The 21st was for Jakin. The 22nd was for Gamul. + The 23rd was for Delaiah. The 24th was for Maaziah. + That was their appointed order for serving when they entered the Lord's temple. That order was based on the rules Aaron had given them long ago. Everything was done exactly as the Lord had commanded Aaron. The Lord is the God of Israel. + Here are the other members of the family line of Levi. From the sons of Amram came Shubael. From the sons of Shubael came Jehdeiah. + From the sons of Rehabiah came Isshiah. Isshiah was the oldest. + From the people of Izhar came Shelomoth. From the sons of Shelomoth came Jahath. + Jeriah was the first son of Hebron. Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was the third. Jekameam was the fourth. + The son of Uzziel was Micah. From the sons of Micah came Shamir. + The brother of Micah was Isshiah. From the sons of Isshiah came Zechariah. + The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah was Beno. + The sons of Merari from Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri. + From Mahli came Eleazar. Eleazar didn't have any sons. + From Kish came Jerahmeel. Jerahmeel was the son of Kish. + The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. Those were the Levites, family by family. + They cast lots, just as their relatives, the sons of Aaron, had done. They did it in front of King David, Zadok and Ahimelech. They did it in front of the family leaders of the priests. They also did it in front of the family leaders of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated in the same way as the families of the youngest. + + + David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. They set them apart to serve the Lord by prophesying while harps, lyres and cymbals were being played. Here is the list of the men who served in that way. + From the sons of Asaph cameZaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph. He prophesied under the king's direction. + From the sons of Jeduthun cameGedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah. The total number was six. They were under the direction of their father Jeduthun. He prophesied while playing the harp. He used it to thank and praise the Lord. + From the sons of Heman cameBukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. + All of them were sons of the king's prophet Heman. They were given to Heman to bring him honor. That's what God had promised. God gave him 14 sons and three daughters. + All of them were under the direction of their fathers. They played music for the Lord's temple. They served at the house of God by playing cymbals, lyres and harps. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the king's direction. + All of them were trained and skilled in playing music for the Lord. Their total number was 288. That included their relatives. + Young and old alike cast lots for their duties. That was true for students as well as teachers. + The 1st lot that was drawn out was for Asaph. It was for Joseph 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. The 2nd lot was for Gedaliah 'ZZ'and his relatives and sons. The total number was 12. + The 3rd was for Zaccur 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 4th was for Izri 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 5th was for Nethaniah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 6th was for Bukkiah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 7th was for Jesarelah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 8th was for Jeshaiah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 9th was for Mattaniah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 10th was for Shimei 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 11th was for Azarel 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 12th was for Hashabiah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 13th was for Shubael 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 14th was for Mattithiah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 15th was for Jerimoth 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 16th was for Hananiah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 17th was for Joshbekashah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 18th was for Hanani 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 19th was for Mallothi 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 20th was for Eliathah 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 21st was for Hothir 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 22nd was for Giddalti 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 23rd was for Mahazioth 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + The 24th was for Romamti-Ezer 'ZZ'and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12. + + + Here are the groups of men who guarded the gates. From the family of Korah came Meshelemiah, the son of Kore. Kore was one of the sons of Asaph. + Meshelemiah had sons. Zechariah was his first son. Jediael was his second son. Zebadiah was the third. Jathniel was the fourth. + Elam was the fifth. Jehohanan was the sixth. And Eliehoenai was the seventh. + Obed-Edom also had sons. Shemaiah was his first son. Jehozabad was his second son. Joah was the third. Sacar was the fourth. Nethanel was the fifth. + Ammiel was the sixth. Issachar was the seventh. And Peullethai was the eighth. God had blessed Obed-Edom. + His son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their family. That's because they were men of great ability. + The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad. Elzabad's brothers Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. + All of them belonged to the family line of Obed-Edom. They and their sons and relatives were men of ability. They were strong enough to do their work. The total number of men in the family line of Obed-Edom was 62. + Meshelemiah's sons and relatives were able men. Their total number was 18. + Hosah belonged to the family line of Merari. Hosah's first son was Shimri. But Shimri wasn't the oldest son. His father had made him the first. + Hilkiah was Hosah's second son. Tabaliah was the third. Zechariah was the fourth. The total number of Hosah's sons and relatives was 13. + Those groups of men guarded the gates. They worked under their chief men. They served at the Lord's temple, just as their relatives had served. + Lots were cast for each gate, family by family. Young and old alike were chosen. + The lot that was drawn out for the East Gate was for Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah. He gave wise advice. The lot that was drawn out for the North Gate was for him. + The lot for the South Gate was for Obed-Edom. The lot for the storeroom was for his sons. + Lots were drawn out for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road. Those lots were for Shuppim and Hosah. One guard stood next to another. + There were six Levites a day on the east. There were four a day on the north. There were four a day on the south. And there were two at a time at the storeroom. + Two Levite guards were at the courtyard to the west. And four were at the road. + Those were the groups of the men who guarded the gates. They belonged to the family lines of Korah and Merari. + The Levite relatives of the men who guarded the gates were in charge of the treasures in the house of God. They were also in charge of other treasures that had been set apart for God. + Ladan was from the family line of Gershon. Some leaders of families belonged to Ladan's family line. One of them was Jehieli. + The sons of Jehieli were Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasures in the Lord's temple. + Here are the officials who were from the family lines of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + Shubael was from the family line of Moses' son Gershom. Shubael was the officer in charge of the treasures. + His relatives through Eliezer included his son Rehabiah. Jeshaiah was Rehabiah's son. Joram was Jeshaiah's son. Zicri was Joram's son. And Shelomith was Zicri's son. + Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all of the treasures that had been set apart for God. King David had set those treasures apart. Some family leaders had also set them apart. They were the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. The treasures had also been set apart by other army commanders. + Some of the goods that had been taken in battle were set apart to repair the Lord's temple. + The prophet Samuel had set apart some things for God. Saul, the son of Kish, had set apart other things. So had Abner, the son of Ner. And so had Joab, the son of Zeruiah. All of those things and all of the others that had been set apart were taken care of by Shelomith and his relatives. + From the family line of Izhar came Kenaniah and his sons. They were given duties that were away from the temple. They were officials and judges over Israel. + From the family line of Hebron came Hashabiah and his relatives. They were able men. The total number was 1,700. It was their duty to serve the king in Israel west of the Jordan River. It was also their duty to do all of the Lord's work there. + Jeriah was the chief of the family line of Hebron. That's based on their family history. In the 40th year of David's rule, a search was made in the records. That's how men of ability were found in the family line of Hebron at Jazer in Gilead. + Jeriah had 2,700 relatives. They were able men. They were family leaders. King David had put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. They were in charge of matters having to do with God and the king. + + + Here is the list of the Israelites who served in the king's army. They included leaders of families. They included commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. They also included other officers. All of them served the king in everything concerning the army companies that were on duty month by month all through the year. The total number of men in each company was 24,000. + Jashobeam was in charge of the first company for the first month. He was the son of Zabdiel. The total number of men in Jashobeam's company was 24,000. + He belonged to the family line of Perez. He was chief of all of the army officers for the first month. + Dodai was in charge of the second company for the second month. He belonged to the family line of Ahoah. Mikloth was the leader of Dodai's company. The total number of men in Dodai's company was 24,000. + The third army commander for the third month was the priest Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah was the chief. The total number of men in Benaiah's company was 24,000. + That same Benaiah was a mighty man among the Thirty. In fact, he was leader over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his company. + The fourth commander for the fourth month was Joab's brother Asahel. Asahel's son Zebadiah was the next commander after him. The total number of men in Asahel's company was 24,000. + The fifth commander for the fifth month was Shamhuth. He was an Izrahite. The total number of men in Shamhuth's company was 24,000. + The sixth commander for the sixth month was Ira. He was the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa. The total number of men in Ira's company was 24,000. + The seventh commander for the seventh month was Helez. He was a Pelonite from Ephraim. The total number of men in Helez's company was 24,000. + The eighth commander for the eighth month was Sibbecai. He was a Hushathite from Zerah. The total number of men in Sibbecai's company was 24,000. + The ninth commander for the ninth month was Abiezer. He was from Anathoth in Benjamin. The total number of men in Abiezer's company was 24,000. + The tenth commander for the tenth month was Maharai. He was a Netophathite from Zerah. The total number of men in Maharai's company was 24,000. + The 11th commander for the 11th month was Benaiah. He was from Pirathon in Ephraim. The total number of men in Benaiah's company was 24,000. + The 12th commander for the 12th month was Heldai. He was a Netophathite from the family line of Othniel. The total number of men in Heldai's company was 24,000. + Here are the officers over the tribes of Israel. Over the tribe of Reuben was Eliezer, the son of Zicri. Over Simeon was Shephatiah, the son of Maacah. + Over Levi was Hashabiah, the son of Kemuel. Over Aaron was Zadok. + Over Judah was Elihu. He was David's brother. Over Issachar was Omri, the son of Michael. + Over Zebulun was Ishmaiah, the son of Obadiah. Over Naphtali was Jerimoth, the son of Azriel. + Over Ephraim was Hoshea, the son of Azaziah. Over half of the tribe of Manasseh was Joel, the son of Pedaiah. + Over the half of the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead was Iddo, the son of Zechariah. Over Benjamin was Jaasiel, the son of Abner. + Over Dan was Azarel, the son of Jeroham. Those were the officers over the tribes of Israel. + David didn't count the men who were 20 years old or less. That's because the Lord had promised to make the people of Israel as many as the stars in the sky. + Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began to count the men. But he didn't finish. The Lord was angry with Israel because David had begun to count the men. So the number wasn't written down in the official records of King David. + Azmaveth was in charge of the royal storerooms. He was the son of Adiel. Jonathan was in charge of the storerooms in the fields, towns, villages and lookout towers. He was the son of Uzziah. + Ezri was in charge of the workers who farmed the land. He was the son of Kelub. + Shimei was in charge of the vineyards. He was from Ramah. Zabdi was in charge of the grapes from the vineyards. He was also in charge of storing the wine. He was a Shiphmite. + Baal-Hanan was in charge of the olive trees and sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. He was from Geder. Joash was in charge of storing the olive oil. + Shitrai was in charge of the herds that ate grass in Sharon. He was from Sharon. Shaphat was in charge of the herds in the valleys. He was the son of Adlai. + Obil was in charge of the camels. He was from the family line of Ishmael. Jehdeiah was in charge of the donkeys. He was from Meronoth. + Jaziz was in charge of the flocks. He was a Hagrite. All of those men were the officials in charge of King David's property. + Jonathan was David's uncle. He gave good advice. He was a man of understanding. He was also a secretary. Jehiel took care of the king's sons. He was the son of Hacmoni. + Ahithophel was the king's adviser. Hushai was the king's friend. He was an Arkite. + Jehoiada and Abiathar became the next advisers after Ahithophel. Jehoiada was the son of Benaiah. Joab was the commander of the royal army. + + + David asked all of the officials of Israel to come together at Jerusalem. He sent for the officers who were over the tribes. He sent for the commanders of the companies who served the king. He sent for the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. He sent for the officials who were in charge of all of the royal property and livestock. They belonged to the king and his sons. He sent for the palace officials and the mighty men. He also sent for all of the brave fighting men. + King David stood up. He said, "All of you, listen to me. With all my heart I wanted to build a house for the Lord. I wanted it to be a place of peace and rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord. The ark is the stool for our God's feet. I made plans to build the Lord's house. + But God said to me, 'You are not the one who will build a house for my Name. That is because you are a fighting man. You have spilled people's blood.' + "But the Lord chose me. He is the God of Israel. He chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah to lead the tribes. From the families of Judah he chose my family. From my father's sons he chose me. He was pleased to make me king over the whole nation of Israel. + "The Lord has given me many sons. From all of them he has chosen my son Solomon. He wants Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord's kingdom. He wants him to rule over Israel. + He said to me, 'Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards. I have chosen him to be my son. And I will be his father. + I will make his kingdom secure. It will last forever. That will happen if he does not turn away from my commands and laws. He must continue to obey them, just as he is doing now.' + "So I'm giving you a command in the sight of all of the people of Israel. The Lord's community is watching. And our God is listening. I command you to be careful to follow all of the commands of the Lord your God. Then you will own this good land. You will pass it on to your children after you as their share forever. + "My son Solomon, always remember the God of your father. Serve him with all your heart. Do it with a mind that wants to obey him. The Lord looks deep down inside every heart. He understands the real reasons for everything you think. If you look to him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will turn his back on you forever. + Think about it. The Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a holy place where he can live. So be strong. Get to work." + Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the porch of the temple. He gave him the plans for its buildings and its storerooms. He gave him the plans for its upper parts and its inside rooms. He gave him the plans for the place where sin is paid for and forgiven. + He gave him the plans for everything the Spirit of the Lord had put in his mind. There were plans for the courtyards of the Lord's temple. There were plans for all of the rooms that were around it. There were plans for the places where the treasure of God's temple would be kept. There were plans for the places where the things that were set apart for God would be kept. + David told Solomon how to separate the priests and Levites into groups. He gave him directions for all of the work they should do when they served in the Lord's temple. He also showed him how all of the articles should be used at the temple. + Different articles were used for different purposes. David told Solomon how much gold should be used for each gold article. He also told him how much silver should be used for each silver article. + He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold lampstand and its lamps. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver lampstand and its lamps. The amount depended on how each lampstand would be used. + David told Solomon how much gold should be used to make each table for holy bread. He told him how much silver should be used to make the silver tables. + He told him how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers. He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold dish. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver dish. + And he told him how much pure gold should be used to make the altar for burning incense. David also gave Solomon the plan for the chariot of the gold cherubim. They spread their wings over the ark of the covenant of the Lord. + David said, "I have written everything down. The Lord's powerful hand helped me. He helped me understand every part of the plan." + David also said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and brave. Get to work. Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. The Lord God is my God. He is with you. He won't fail you. He won't desert you until all of the work for serving in the Lord's temple is finished. + The groups of the priests and Levites are ready to do all of the work on God's temple. Every worker who is willing and skilled can help you do all of the work. The officials and all of the people will obey every command you give them." + + + Then King David spoke to the whole community. He said, "God has chosen my son Solomon. But Solomon is young. He's never done anything like this before. The task is huge. This grand and wonderful temple won't be built for human beings. It will be built for the Lord God. + "With all of my riches I've done everything I could for the temple of my God. I've provided gold for the gold work and silver for the silver work. I've provided bronze for the bronze work and iron for the iron work. I've given wood for the things that will be made out of wood. I've given onyx and turquoise for the settings. I've given stones of different colors and all kinds of fine stone and marble. I've provided everything in huge amounts. + "With all my heart I want the temple of my God to be built. So I'm giving my personal treasures of gold and silver for it. I'm adding them to everything else I've provided for the holy temple. + I'm giving 110 tons of gold and 260 tons of pure silver. Cover the walls of the buildings with it. + Use it for the gold work and the silver work. Use it for everything the skilled workers will do. How many of you are willing to set yourselves apart to the Lord today?" + Many people were willing to give. They included the leaders of families and the officers of the tribes of Israel. They included the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. They also included the officials who were in charge of the king's work. + All of them gave to the work on God's temple. They gave more than 190 tons of gold and 375 tons of silver. They also gave 675 tons of bronze and 3,750 tons of iron. + Anyone who had valuable jewels added them to the treasure for the Lord's temple. Jehiel was in charge of the temple treasure. He was from the family line of Gershon. + The people were happy when they saw what their leaders had been willing to give. The leaders had given freely. With their whole heart they had given everything to the Lord. King David was filled with joy. + David praised the Lord in front of the whole community. He said, "Lord, we give you praise. You are the God of our father Israel. We give you praise for ever and ever. + Lord, you are great and powerful. Glory, majesty and beauty belong to you. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. Lord, the kingdom belongs to you. You are honored as the One who rules over all. + Wealth and honor come from you. You are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power. You can give honor and strength to everyone. + Our God, we give you thanks. We praise your glorious name. + "But who am I? And who are my people? Without your help we wouldn't be able to give this much. Everything comes from you. We've given back to you only what comes from you. + We are outsiders and strangers in your sight. So were all of our people who lived long ago. Our days on this earth are like a shadow. We don't have any hope. + "Lord our God, we've given more than enough. We've provided it to build you a temple where you will put your holy Name. But all of it comes from you. All of it belongs to you. + My God, I know that you put our hearts to the test. And you are pleased when we are honest. I've given all of these things just because I wanted to. When I did it, I was completely honest with you. And I've been happy to see that your people who are here have also been willing to give to you. + "Lord, you are the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Keep this longing in the hearts of your people forever. Keep their hearts true to you. + Help my son Solomon serve you with all his heart. Then he will keep your commands and rules. He will do what you require. He'll do everything to build the grand and wonderful temple I've provided for." + Then David spoke to the whole community. He said, "Praise the Lord your God." So all of them praised the Lord. He's the God of their people who lived long ago. The whole community bowed low. They fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They did it in front of the Lord and the king. + The next day they offered sacrifices to the Lord. They brought burnt offerings to him. They sacrificed 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 male lambs. They also brought the required drink offerings. And they offered many other sacrifices for the whole community of Israel. + They ate and drank with great joy that day. They did it in the sight of the Lord. Then they announced a second time that Solomon was king. He was the son of David. They anointed Solomon to be ruler in the sight of the Lord. They also anointed Zadok to be priest. + So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord. He ruled as king in place of his father David. Things went well with him. All of the people of Israel obeyed him. + All of the officers and mighty men promised to be completely faithful to King Solomon. So did all of King David's sons. + The Lord greatly honored Solomon in the sight of all of the people. He gave him royal majesty. Solomon was given more glory than any king over Israel had ever had. + David was king over the whole nation of Israel. He was the son of Jesse. + He ruled over Israel for 40 years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem. + He died when he was very old. He had enjoyed a long life. He had enjoyed wealth and honor. His son Solomon became the next king after him. + The events of King David's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the prophets Samuel, Nathan and Gad. + The records tell all about David's rule and power. They tell about what happened concerning him and Israel and the kingdoms of all of the other lands. + + + + + Solomon was the son of David. Solomon made his position secure over his kingdom. The Lord his God was with him. He made Solomon very great. + Solomon spoke to the whole community of Israel. He spoke to the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. He spoke to the judges and all of the leaders in Israel. He spoke to the leaders of Israel's families. + Solomon and the whole community went to the high place at Gibeon. That's because God's Tent of Meeting was there. The Lord's servant Moses had made the tent in the desert. + David had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath Jearim. He had brought it to the place he had prepared for it. He had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem. + But the bronze altar that Bezalel had made was in Gibeon. Bezalel was the son of Uri. Uri was the son of Hur. The altar was in front of the Lord's holy tent. So Solomon and the whole community asked the Lord for advice there. + Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the Lord at the Tent of Meeting. Solomon sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar. + That night God appeared to Solomon. He said to him, "Ask for anything you want me to give you." + Solomon answered God, "You were very kind to my father David. Now you have made me king in his place. + Lord God, let the promise you gave to my father David come true. You have made me king. My people are like the dust of the earth. They can't be counted. + Give me wisdom and knowledge. Then I'll be able to lead these people. Without your help, who would be able to rule this great nation of yours?" + God said to Solomon, "I am glad that those are the things you really want. You have not asked for wealth, riches or honor. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. You have not asked to live for a long time. Instead, you have asked for wisdom and knowledge. You want to be able to rule my people wisely. I have made you king over them. + "So wisdom and knowledge will be given to you. I will also give you wealth, riches and honor. You will have more than any king before you ever had. And no king after you will have as much." + Then Solomon left the high place at Gibeon. He went from the Tent of Meeting there to Jerusalem. And he ruled over Israel. + Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept some of them in the chariot cities. He kept others with him in Jerusalem. + The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar wood as common there as sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. + Solomon got horses from Egypt and Kue. The king's buyers purchased them from Kue. + They could get a chariot from Egypt for 15 pounds of silver. They could get a horse for less than four pounds of silver. They sold horses and chariots to all of the Hittite and Aramean kings. + + + Solomon gave orders to build a temple. That's where the Lord would put his Name. Solomon also gave orders to build a royal palace for himself. + He chose 70,000 men to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of them. + Solomon sent a message to Hiram. Hiram was king of Tyre. The message said, "Send me cedar logs, just as you did for my father David. You sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. + Now I'm about to build a temple. The Name of the Lord my God will be there. I'll set the temple apart for him. "Sweet-smelling incense will be burned in front of him there. The holy bread will be set out at regular times. Burnt offerings will be sacrificed there every morning and evening. They will be sacrificed every Sabbath day. They will be sacrificed at every New Moon Feast. And they will be sacrificed at every yearly appointed feast of the Lord our God. That's a law for Israel that will last for all time to come. + "The temple I'm going to build will be beautiful. That's because our God is greater than all other gods. + So who is able to build a temple for him? After all, the heavens can't hold him. In fact, not even the highest heavens can hold him. So who am I to build a temple for him? It will only be a place to burn sacrifices to him. + "Send me someone who is skilled at working with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He must also be able to work with purple, blue and bright red yarn. He must be skilled in the art of carving. Send him to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers. My father David provided them to help me. + "Also send me cedar, pine and algum logs from Lebanon. I know that your men are skilled in cutting wood there. My men will work with yours. + They'll provide me with plenty of lumber. That's because the temple I'm building must be large and beautiful. + "I'll pay your servants. They will cut the wood. I'll pay them 125,000 bushels of wheat that has been ground up. I'll pay them 125,000 bushels of barley. I'll also pay them 115,000 gallons of wine and 115,000 gallons of olive oil." + King Hiram of Tyre replied to Solomon. He wrote a letter to him. It said, "The Lord loves his people. That's why he has made you their king." + Hiram continued, "I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He made heaven and earth. He has given King David a wise son. You have good sense. You understand what is right. You will build a temple for the Lord. You will also build a palace for yourself. + "I'm sending Huram-Abi to you. He is very skillful. + His mother was from Dan. His father was from Tyre. He is trained to work with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He knows how to work with stone and wood. He can also work with purple, blue and bright red yarn and fine linen. He's skilled in all kinds of carving. He can follow any pattern you give him. He'll work with your skilled workers. He'll also work with those of your father David. David was my master. + "Now please send us what you promised. Send us the wheat, barley, olive oil and wine. + And we'll cut all of the logs from Lebanon you need. We'll make rafts out of them. We'll float them by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem." + Solomon counted all of the outsiders who were living in Israel. He did it after his father David had counted them. There were 153,600 of them. + He chose 70,000 to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of the people to keep them working. + + + Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord. He built it on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. That's where the Lord had appeared to Solomon's father David. He had appeared at the threshing floor of Araunah. Araunah was from Jebus. David had provided the threshing floor. + Solomon began building the temple on the second day of the second month. It was in the fourth year of his rule. + Solomon laid the foundation for God's temple. It was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide. Solomon's men followed the standard measure that was used at that time. + The porch in front of the temple was 30 feet across and 30 feet high. Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold. + He covered the inside of the main hall with pine boards. Then he covered the boards with fine gold. He decorated the hall with palm tree patterns and chain patterns. + He decorated the temple with valuable jewels. The gold he used came from Parvaim. + He covered the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold. He carved cherubim on the walls. + He built the Most Holy Room. It was as long as the temple was wide. It was 30 feet long and 30 feet wide. He covered the inside of the Most Holy Room with 23 tons of fine gold. + He also covered the upper parts with gold. The gold on the nails weighed 20 ounces. + For the Most Holy Room, Solomon made a pair of carved cherubim. He covered them with gold. + The total length of the cherubim's wings from tip to tip was 30 feet. One wing of the first cherub was seven and a half feet long. Its tip touched the temple wall. The other wing was also seven and a half feet long. Its tip touched the wing tip of the other cherub. + In the same way one wing of the second cherub was seven and a half feet long. Its tip touched the other temple wall. The other wing was also seven and a half feet long. Its tip touched the wing tip of the first cherub. + So the total length of the wings of the two cherubim was 30 feet from tip to tip. The cherubim stood facing the main hall. + Solomon made the curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and fine linen. A skilled worker sewed cherubim into its pattern. + In front of the temple, Solomon made two pillars. Each pillar was 26 feet tall. Each had a decorated top that was seven and a half feet high. + Solomon made chains that were linked together. He put them on top of the pillars. He also made 100 pomegranates. He fastened them to the chains. + Solomon set the pillars up in front of the temple. One was on the south. The other was on the north. He named the one on the south Jakin. The one on the north he named Boaz. + + + Solomon made a bronze altar that was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide and 15 feet high. + He made a huge metal bowl for washing. Its shape was round. It measured 15 feet from rim to rim. It was seven and a half feet high. And it was 45 feet around. + Below the rim there was a circle of bull figures around the bowl. In every 18 inches around the bowl there were ten bulls. The bulls were arranged in two rows. They were made as part of the bowl itself. + The bowl stood on 12 bulls. Three of them faced north. Three faced west. Three faced south. And three faced east. The bowl rested on top of them. Their rear ends were toward the center. + The bowl was three inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup. The rim was shaped like the bloom of a lily. The bowl held 17,500 gallons of water. + Solomon made ten smaller bowls for washing. He placed five of them on the south side of the huge bowl. He placed the other five on the north side. The things that were used for the burnt offerings were rinsed in the smaller bowls. But the priests used the huge bowl for washing. + Solomon made ten gold lampstands. He followed the pattern the Lord had given him. He placed the lampstands in the temple. He put five of them on the south side. He put the other five on the north side. + He made ten tables. He placed them in the temple. He put five of them on the south side. He put the other five on the north side. He also made 100 gold sprinkling bowls. + He made the courtyard of the priests. He also made the large courtyard. He made doors for it. He covered the doors with bronze. + He placed the huge bowl on the south side of the courtyard. He put it at the southeast corner. + He also made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work he had started for King Solomon. Here's what he made for God's temple. + He made the two pillars. He made the two tops for the pillars. The tops were shaped like bowls. He made the two sets of chains that were linked together. They decorated the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars. + He made the 400 pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two rows of pomegranates for each chain. They decorated the bowl-shaped tops of the pillars. + He made the stands and their bowls. + He made the huge bowl. He made the 12 bulls that were under it. + He made the pots, shovels and meat forks. He also made all of the articles that were connected with them. Huram-Abi made all of those objects for King Solomon for the Lord's temple. He made them out of bronze. Then he shined them up. + The king had them made in clay molds. It was done on the flatlands of the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan. + Solomon made huge numbers of those articles. There were too many of them to weigh. No one even tried to weigh the bronze they were made out of. + Solomon also made all of the articles that were in God's temple. He made the golden altar. He made the tables for the holy bread. + He made the pure gold lampstands and their lamps. The lamps burned in front of the Most Holy Room, just as the law required. + He made the gold flowers. He made the gold lamps and tongs. They were made out of solid gold. + He made the wick cutters, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and shallow cups for burning incense. All of them were made out of pure gold. He made the gold doors of the temple. They were the inner doors to the Most Holy Room and the doors of the main hall. + + + Solomon finished all of the work for the Lord's temple. Then he brought in the things his father David had set apart for the Lord. They included the silver and gold and all of the articles for God's temple. Solomon placed them with the other treasures that were there. + Then Solomon sent for the elders of Israel. He told them to come to Jerusalem. They included all of the leaders of the tribes. They also included the chiefs of the families of Israel. Solomon wanted them to bring up the ark of the Lord's covenant from Zion. Zion was the City of David. + All of the men of Israel came together to where the king was. It was at the time of the Feast of Booths. The feast was held in the seventh month. + All of the elders of Israel arrived. Then the Levites picked up the ark and carried it. + They brought up the ark. They also brought up the Tent of Meeting and all of the sacred articles that were in the tent. The priests, who were Levites, carried everything up. + The entire community of Israel had gathered around King Solomon. All of them were in front of the ark. They sacrificed huge numbers of sheep and cattle. There were so many that they couldn't be recorded. In fact, they couldn't even be counted. + The priests brought the ark of the Lord's covenant to its place in the Most Holy Room of the temple. They put it under the wings of the cherubim. + The cherubim's wings were spread out over the place where the ark was. They covered the ark. They also covered the poles that were used to carry it. + The poles reached out from the ark. They were so long that their ends could be seen from in front of the Most Holy Room. But they couldn't be seen from outside the Holy Room. They are still there to this very day. + There wasn't anything in the ark except the two tablets. Moses had placed them in it at Mount Horeb. That's where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites. He made it after they came out of Egypt. + The priests left the Holy Room. All of the priests who were there had set themselves apart to the Lord. It didn't matter what group they were in. + All of the Levites who played music stood near the east side of the altar. They included Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives. They were dressed in fine linen. They were playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were joined by 120 priests who were blowing trumpets. + The trumpet players and singers made music together as if they were only one voice. They praised the Lord. They gave thanks to him. Some of them played their trumpets, cymbals and other instruments. The others raised their voices to praise the Lord. They sang, "He is good. His faithful love continues forever." Then a cloud filled the temple of the Lord. + The priests couldn't do their work because of it. The glory of the Lord filled God's temple. + + + Then Solomon said, "Lord, you have said you would live in a dark cloud. + I've built a beautiful temple for you. You can live in it forever." + The whole community of Israel was standing there. The king turned around and gave them his blessing. + Then he said, "I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. With his mouth he made a promise to my father David. With his powerful hands he made it come true. He said, + 'I brought my people out of Egypt. Ever since I did that, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple could be built for my Name. I have not chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. + But now I have chosen Jerusalem. I will put my Name there. And I have chosen David to rule over my people Israel.' + "With all his heart my father David wanted to build a temple. He wanted to do it so the Name of the Lord could be there. The Lord is the God of Israel. + "But the Lord spoke to my father David. He said, 'With all your heart you wanted to build a temple for my Name. It is good that you wanted to do that. + But you will not build the temple. Instead, your son will build the temple for my Name. He is your own flesh and blood.' + "The Lord has kept the promise he made. I've become the next king after my father David. Now I'm sitting on the throne of Israel. That's exactly what the Lord promised would happen. I've built the temple for the Name of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + I've placed the ark there. The tablets of the Lord's covenant are inside it. He made that covenant with the people of Israel." + Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord's altar. He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands to pray. + He had made a bronze stage. It was seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. It was four and a half feet high. He had placed it in the center of the outer courtyard. He stood on the stage. Then he got down on his knees in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands toward heaven. + He said, "Lord, you are the God of Israel. There is no God like you in heaven or on earth. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. You do that when we follow you with all our hearts. + You have kept your promise to my father David. He was your servant. With your mouth you made a promise. With your powerful hand you have made it come true. And today we can see it. + "Lord, you are the God of Israel. Keep the promises you made to my father David. Do it for him. He was your servant. You said to him, 'You will always have a son to sit on the throne of Israel in my sight. That will be true only if your sons are careful in everything they do. They must live the way my law tells them to. That is the way you have lived.' + Lord, you are the God of Israel. So let your promise to your servant David come true. + "But will you really live on earth with human beings? After all, the heavens can't hold you. In fact, even the highest heavens can't hold you. So this temple I've built certainly can't hold you! + "But please pay attention to my prayer. Lord my God, show me your favor as I make my appeal to you. Listen to my cry for help. Hear the prayer I'm praying to you. + Let your eyes look toward this temple day and night. You said you would put your Name here. Listen to the prayer I'm praying toward this place. + "Hear me when I ask you to show us your favor. Listen to your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Listen to us from heaven. It's the place where you live. When you hear us, forgive us. + "Suppose a man does something wrong to his neighbor. And he is required to take an oath and make a promise. He must come and do it in front of your altar in this temple. + When he does, listen to him from heaven. Take action. Judge between the man and his neighbor. Pay back the one who is guilty. Do to him what he has done to the other person. Tell everyone that the person who hasn't done anything wrong is free of blame. That will prove he isn't guilty. + "Suppose your people Israel have lost the battle against their enemies. And suppose they've sinned against you. But they turn back to you and praise your name. They pray to you in this temple. And they ask you to show them your favor. + Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Bring them back to the land you gave to them and their people who lived long ago. + "Suppose your people have sinned against you. And because of that, the sky is closed up and there isn't any rain. But your people pray toward this place. They praise you by admitting they've sinned. And they turn away from their sin because you have made them suffer. + Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live. Send rain on the land you gave them as their share. + "Suppose there isn't enough food in the land. And a plague strikes the land. The hot winds completely dry up our crops. Or locusts or grasshoppers come and eat them up. Or enemies surround one of our cities and get ready to attack it. Or trouble or sickness comes. + But suppose one of your people prays to you. He asks you to show him your favor. He is aware of how much he is suffering. And he spreads out his hands toward this temple to pray. + Then listen to him from heaven. It's the place where you live. Forgive him. Deal with him in keeping with everything he does. You know his heart. In fact, you are the only one who knows every human heart. + "Your people will have respect for you. They will live the way you want them to. They'll live that way as long as they are in the land you gave our people long ago. + "Suppose a stranger who doesn't belong to your people Israel has come from a land far away. He has come because he's heard about your great name. He has heard that you reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. So he comes and prays toward this temple. + Then listen to him from heaven. It's the place where you live. Do what that stranger asks you to do. "Then all of the nations on earth will know you. They will have respect for you. They'll respect you just as your own people Israel do. They'll know that your Name is in this house I've built. + "Suppose your people go to war against their enemies. It doesn't matter where you send them. And suppose they pray to you toward this city you have chosen. They pray toward the temple I've built for your Name. + Then listen to them from heaven. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them. + "Suppose they sin against you. After all, there isn't anyone who doesn't sin. And suppose you get angry with them. You hand them over to their enemies. They take them as prisoners to another land. It doesn't matter whether it's near or far away. + But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg you to help them in the land where they are prisoners. They say, 'We have sinned. We've done what is wrong. We've done what is evil.' + And they turn back to you with all their heart and soul. Suppose it happens in the land where they were taken as prisoners. There they pray toward the land you gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city you have chosen. And they pray toward the temple I've built for your Name. + Then listen to them from heaven. It's the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them. Your people have sinned against you. Please forgive them. + "My God, let your eyes see us. Let your ears pay attention to the prayers that are offered in this place. + "Lord God, rise up and come to your resting place. Come in together with the ark. It's the sign of your power. Lord God, may your priests put on salvation as if it were their clothes. May your faithful people be glad because you are so good. + Lord God, don't turn your back on your anointed king. Remember the great love you promised to your servant David." + + + Solomon finished praying. Then fire came down from heaven. It burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The glory of the Lord filled the temple. + The priests couldn't enter the temple of the Lord. His glory filled it. + All of the people of Israel saw the fire coming down. They saw the glory of the Lord above the temple. So they got down on their knees in the courtyard with their faces toward the ground. They worshiped the Lord. They gave thanks to him. They said, "He is good. His faithful love continues forever." + Then the king and all of the people offered sacrifices to the Lord. + King Solomon sacrificed 22,000 head of cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. So the king and all of the people set the temple of God apart. + The priests and Levites took their positions. The Levites played the Lord's musical instruments. King David had made them for praising the Lord. They were used when he gave thanks to the Lord. He said, "His faithful love continues forever." Across from where the Levites were, the priests blew their trumpets. All of the people of Israel were standing. + Solomon set the middle area of the courtyard apart to the Lord. It was in front of the Lord's temple. There Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings. He also sacrificed the fat of the friendship offerings there. He did it there because the bronze altar he had made couldn't hold all of the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat parts. + At that time Solomon celebrated the Feast of Booths for seven days. The whole community of Israel was with him. It was a huge crowd. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath and the Wadi of Egypt. + On the eighth day they held a service. For seven days they had celebrated by setting the altar apart to honor God. The feast continued for seven more days. + Then Solomon sent the people home. It was the 23rd day of the seventh month. The people were glad. Their hearts were full of joy. That's because the Lord had done good things for David and Solomon and his people Israel. + Solomon finished the Lord's temple and the royal palace. He had done everything he had planned to do in the Lord's temple and his own palace. + The Lord appeared to him at night. He said, "I have heard your prayer. I have chosen this place for myself. It is a temple where sacrifices will be offered. + "Suppose I close up the sky and there isn't any rain. Suppose I command locusts to eat up the crops. And I send a plague among my people. + But they make themselves low in my sight. They pray and look to me. And they turn from their evil ways. Then I will listen to them from heaven. I will forgive their sin. And I will heal their land. After all, they are my people. + "Now my eyes will see them. My ears will pay attention to the prayers they offer in this place. + I have chosen this temple. I have set it apart for myself. My Name will be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. + "But you must walk with me, just as your father David did. Do everything I command you to do. Obey my rules and laws. + Then I will set up your royal throne. I made a covenant with your father David to do that. I said to him, 'You will always have a son to rule over Israel.' + "But suppose all of you turn away from me. You refuse to obey the rules and commands I have given you. And you go off to serve other gods and worship them. + Then I will remove Israel from my land. It is the land I gave them. I will turn my back on this temple. I will do it even though I have set it apart for my Name to be there. I will make all of the nations hate it. They will laugh and joke about it. + "This temple is now so grand and beautiful. But the time is coming when all those who pass by it will be shocked. They will say, 'Why has the Lord done a thing like this to this land and temple?' + "People will answer, 'Because they have deserted the Lord. He is the God of their people who lived long ago. He brought them out of Egypt. But they have been holding on to other gods. They've been worshiping them. They've been serving them. That's why he has brought all of this horrible trouble on them.' " + + + Solomon built the Lord's temple and his own palace. It took him 20 years to build them. After that, + Solomon rebuilt the villages Hiram had given him. He settled Israelites in them. + Then Solomon went to Hamath Zobah. He captured it. + He also built up Tadmor in the desert. He built up all of the cities in Hamath where he could store things. + He rebuilt Lower Beth Horon and Upper Beth Horon. He put up high walls around them. He made their city gates secure with heavy metal bars. + He rebuilt Baalath and all of the cities where he could store things. He also rebuilt all of the cities for his chariots and horses. Solomon built anything he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all of the territory he ruled over. + There were still many people left in the land who weren't Israelites. They included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. + They were children of the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites came. The people of Israel hadn't destroyed them. Solomon had forced them to work very hard as his slaves. And they still work for Israel to this very day. + But Solomon didn't force the men of Israel to work as his slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were commanders of his captains, chariots and chariot drivers. + Still others were King Solomon's chief officials. There were 250 officials in charge of the other men. + Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. He said, "My wife must not live in the palace of David, who was the king of Israel. It's one of the places the ark of the Lord has entered. That makes it holy." + Solomon had built the Lord's altar. It stood in front of the temple porch. On that altar Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord. + Each day he sacrificed what the Law of Moses required. He sacrificed the required offerings every Sabbath day. He also sacrificed them at each New Moon Feast and during the three yearly feasts. Those three were the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. + Solomon followed the orders his father David had given him. He appointed the groups of priests for their duties. He appointed the Levites to lead the people in praising the Lord. They also helped the priests do their required tasks each day. Solomon appointed the groups of men who guarded all of the gates. That's what David, the man of God, had ordered. + King David's commands were followed completely. They applied to the priests and Levites. They also applied to the temple treasure. + All of Solomon's work was carried out. It started the day the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. It ended when the Lord's temple was finished. + Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. + Hiram sent him ships that his own officers commanded. They were men who knew the sea. Together with Solomon's men they sailed to Ophir. They brought back 17 tons of gold. They gave it to King Solomon. + + + The queen of Sheba heard about how famous Solomon was. So she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a very large group of attendants. Her camels were carrying spices, huge amounts of gold, and valuable jewels. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she wanted to know. + He answered all of her questions. There wasn't anything that was too hard for him to explain to her. + So the queen of Sheba saw how wise Solomon was. She saw the palace he had built. + She saw the food that was on his table. She saw his officials sitting there. She saw the robes of the servants who waited on everyone. She saw the robes the wine tasters were wearing. And she saw the burnt offerings Solomon sacrificed at the Lord's temple. She could hardly believe everything she had seen. + She said to the king, "Back in my own country I heard a report about you. I heard about how much you had accomplished. I also heard about how wise you are. Everything I heard is true. + But I didn't believe what people were saying. So I came to see for myself. And now I believe it! You are twice as wise as people say you are. The report I heard doesn't even begin to tell the whole story about you. + "How happy your men must be! How happy your officials must be! They always get to serve you and hear the wise things you say. + "May the Lord your God be praised. He must take great delight in you. He placed you on his throne as king. He put you there to rule for him. Your God loves Israel very much. He longs to take good care of them forever. That's why he has made you king over them. He knows that you will do what is fair and right." + She gave the king four and a half tons of gold. She also gave him huge amounts of spices and valuable jewels. There had never been as many spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + The servants of Hiram and those of Solomon brought gold from Ophir. They also brought algumwood and valuable jewels. + The king used the algumwood to make steps for the Lord's temple and the royal palace. He also used it to make harps and lyres for those who played the music. No one had ever seen that much algumwood in Judah before. + King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for. In fact, he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left. She returned to her own country with her attendants. + Each year Solomon received 25 tons of gold. + That didn't include the money that was brought in by business and trade. All of the kings of Arabia also brought gold and silver to Solomon. So did the governors of Israel. + King Solomon made 200 large shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed seven and a half pounds. + He also made 300 small shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed almost four pounds. The king put all of the shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. + Then he made a large throne. It was decorated with ivory. It was covered with pure gold. + The throne had six steps. A gold stool for the king's feet was connected to it. The throne had armrests on both sides of the seat. A statue of a lion stood on each side of the throne. + Twelve lions stood on the six steps. There was one at each end of each step. Nothing like that throne had ever been made for any other kingdom. + All of King Solomon's cups were made out of gold. All of the articles that were used in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were made out of pure gold. Nothing was made out of silver. When Solomon was king, silver wasn't considered to be worth very much. + He had many ships that carried goods to be traded. The crews of those ships were made up of Hiram's men. Once every three years the ships returned. They brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and baboons. + King Solomon was richer than all of the other kings on earth. He was also wiser than they were. + All of these kings wanted to meet Solomon in person. They wanted to see for themselves how wise God had made him. + Year after year, everyone who came to him brought a gift. They brought articles that were made out of silver and gold. They brought robes, weapons and spices. They also brought horses and mules. + Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his horses and chariots. He had 12,000 horses. He kept some of his horses and chariots in the chariot cities. He kept the others with him in Jerusalem. + Solomon ruled over all of the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled all the way to the border of Egypt. + The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar wood as common there as sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. + Solomon got horses from Egypt. He also got them from many other countries. + The other events of Solomon's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the prophet Nathan. They are written in the prophecy of Ahijah. He was from Shiloh. They are also written in the records of the visions of the prophet Iddo about Jeroboam. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat. + Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over the whole nation of Israel for 40 years. + Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the city of his father David. Solomon's son Rehoboam became the next king after him + + + Rehoboam went to Shechem. All of the people of Israel had gone there to make him king. + Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now he returned from Egypt. + So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and all of the people went to Rehoboam. They said to him, + "Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we'll serve you." + Rehoboam answered, "Come back to me in three days." So the people went away. + Then King Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They had served his father Solomon while he was still living. Rehoboam asked them, "What advice can you give me? How should I answer these people?" + They replied, "Be kind to them. Please them. Give them what they are asking for. Then they'll always serve you." + But Rehoboam didn't accept the advice the elders gave him. He asked for advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were now serving him. + He asked them, "What's your advice? How should I answer these people? They said to me, 'Make the load your father put on our shoulders lighter.' " + The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied, "The people have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.' Tell them, 'My little finger is stronger than my father's legs. + My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips.' " + Three days later Jeroboam and all of the people returned to Rehoboam. That's because the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." + The king answered them in a mean way. He didn't accept the advice of the elders. + Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said, "My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips." + So the king didn't listen to the people. That's because God had planned it that way. What the Lord had said through Ahijah came true. Ahijah had spoken the Lord's message to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Ahijah was from Shiloh. + All of the people of Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them. So they answered the king. They said, "We don't have any share in David's royal family. We don't have any share in Jesse's son. People of Israel, let's go back to our homes. David's royal family, take care of your own kingdom!" So all of the people of Israel went home. + But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah. + Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard for King Rehoboam. The king sent him out among the Israelites. But they killed him by throwing stones at him. Rehoboam was able to get away in his chariot. He escaped to Jerusalem. + Israel has refused to follow the royal family of David to this very day. + + + Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem. He brought together 180,000 fighting men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He had decided to make war against Israel. He wanted his fighting men to get the kingdom of Israel back for him. + But a message came to Shemaiah from the Lord. He was a man of God. The Lord said to him, + "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Speak to all of the people of Israel in Judah and Benjamin. Tell them, + 'The Lord says, "Do not go up to fight against your relatives. I want every one of you to go back home. Things have happened exactly the way I planned them." ' " So the fighting men obeyed the Lord's message. They turned back. They didn't march out against Jeroboam. + Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem. He made Judah more secure by building up their towns. + He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, + Beth Zur, Soco and Adullam. + He also built up Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, + Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, + Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. All of them were cities in Judah and Benjamin that had high walls around them. + Rehoboam made those cities even more secure. He put commanders in them. He gave them plenty of food, olive oil and wine. + He put shields and spears in all of those cities. He made them very strong. So he ruled over Judah and Benjamin. + The priests and Levites were on Rehoboam's side. They came from their territories all over Israel. + The Levites even left their grasslands and other property behind. They came to Judah and Jerusalem. That's because Jeroboam and his sons had refused to accept them as priests of the Lord. + Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the high places. He had made statues of gods that looked like goats and calves. His priests served those gods. + Some people from every tribe in Israel followed the Levites to Jerusalem. With all their hearts they wanted to worship the Lord. He is the God of Israel. They came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to him. He was the God of their people of long ago. + All those who came to Jerusalem made the kingdom of Judah strong. They helped Solomon's son Rehoboam for three years. During that time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived. + Rehoboam got married to Mahalath. She was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail. Abihail was the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. + Mahalath had sons by Rehoboam. Their names were Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. + Then Rehoboam married Maacah. She was the daughter of Absalom. She had sons by Rehoboam. Their names were Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. + Rehoboam loved Absalom's daughter Maacah. In fact, he loved her more than any of his other wives and concubines. He had a total of 18 wives and 60 concubines. And he had a total of 28 sons and 60 daughters. + Rehoboam appointed Maacah's son Abijah to be the chief prince among his brothers. He did it to make him king. + He acted wisely. He scattered some of his sons through all of the territories of Judah and Benjamin. He put them in all of the cities that had high walls around them. He gave them plenty of food and everything else they needed. He also gave them many wives. + + + Rehoboam had made his position as king secure. He had become very strong. Then he turned away from the law of the Lord. So did all of the people of Judah. + They hadn't been faithful to the Lord. So Shishak attacked Jerusalem. It was in the fifth year that Rehoboam was king. Shishak was king of Egypt. + He came with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. Troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites came with him from Egypt. There were so many of them they couldn't be counted. + Shishak captured the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. He came all the way to Jerusalem. + Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah. They had gathered together in Jerusalem. They were afraid of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, "The Lord says, 'You have left me. So now I am leaving you to Shishak.' " + The king and the leaders of Israel made themselves low in the Lord's sight. They said, "The Lord does what is right and fair." + The Lord saw they had made themselves low. So he gave a message to Shemaiah. It said, "They have made themselves low in my sight. So I will not destroy them. Instead, I will soon save them. I will not pour out my burning anger on Jerusalem through Shishak. + But its people will be brought under his control. Then they will learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands." + Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. He carried away the treasures of the Lord's temple. He also carried the treasures of the royal palace away. He took everything. That included the gold shields Solomon had made. + So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their place. He gave them to the commanders of the guards who were on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. + Every time the king went to the Lord's temple, the guards went with him. They carried the shields. Later, they took them back to the room where they were kept. + Rehoboam had made himself low in the Lord's sight. So the Lord turned his anger away from him. Rehoboam wasn't totally destroyed. In fact, some good things happened in Judah. + King Rehoboam had made his position secure in Jerusalem. He continued as king. He was 41 years old when he became king. He ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem. It was the city the Lord had chosen out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel. He wanted to put his Name there. The name of Rehoboam's mother was Naamah from Ammon. + Rehoboam did what was evil. That's because he hadn't worshiped the Lord with all his heart. + The events of Rehoboam's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the prophets Shemaiah and Iddo. The records deal with family histories. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other. + Rehoboam joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah became the next king after him. + + + Abijah became king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of Jeroboam's rule over Israel. + Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Maacah. She was a daughter of Uriel. Uriel was from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. + Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 able fighting men. Jeroboam lined up his soldiers against them. He had 800,000 able troops. + Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim. It's in the hill country of Ephraim. Abijah said, "Jeroboam and all you men of Israel, listen to me! + The Lord is the God of Israel. Don't you know that he has placed David and his sons after him on Israel's throne forever? The Lord made a covenant of salt with David. The salt means the covenant will last for all time to come. + "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, was an official of David's son Solomon. But he refused to obey his master. + Some worthless and evil men gathered around him. They opposed Solomon's son Rehoboam. At that time Rehoboam was young. He couldn't make up his mind. He wasn't strong enough to stand up against those men. + "Now you plan to stand up against the kingdom of the Lord. His kingdom is in the hands of men in David's family line. It's true that you have a huge army. You have the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. + "But you drove out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron. You also drove out the Levites. You appointed your own priests. That's what the people of other nations do. Anyone can come and set himself apart. All he has to do is sacrifice a young bull and seven rams. Then he becomes a priest of gods that aren't really gods at all! + "But the Lord is our God. We haven't deserted him. The priests who serve the Lord belong to the family line of Aaron. The Levites help them. + Every morning and evening the priests bring burnt offerings and sweet-smelling incense to the Lord. They set out the holy bread on the table. That table is 'clean.' They light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. "We always do what the Lord our God requires in his law. But you have deserted him. + God is with us. He's our leader. His priests will blow their trumpets. They will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, don't fight against the Lord. He's the God of your people who lived long ago. You can't possibly succeed." + Jeroboam had sent some troops behind Judah's battle lines. He told them to hide and wait there. He and his men stayed in front of Judah's lines. + Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked from the front and from the back. Then they cried out to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets. + The men of Judah shouted the battle cry. When they did, God drove Jeroboam and all of Israel's men away from Abijah and Judah. + The men of Israel ran away from them. God handed Israel over to Judah. + Abijah and his men wounded and killed large numbers of them. In fact, 500,000 of Israel's able men lay dead or wounded. + So at that time the men of Israel were brought under Judah's control. The men of Judah won the battle over them. That's because they trusted in the Lord. He's the God of their people. + Abijah chased Jeroboam. He took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron. He also took the villages that were around them. + Jeroboam didn't get his power back during the time of Abijah. In fact, the Lord struck him down. And he died. + But Abijah grew stronger. He got married to 14 wives. He had 22 sons and 16 daughters. + The other events of Abijah's rule are written down. The things he did and said are written in the notes of the prophet Iddo. + + + Abijah joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David. His son Asa became the next king after him. While Asa was king, the country had peace and rest for ten years. + Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. + He removed the altars where strange gods were worshiped. He took away the high places. He smashed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. + He commanded Judah to worship the Lord, the God of their people. He commanded them to obey the Lord's laws and commands. + He removed the high places and incense altars from every town in Judah. The kingdom had peace and rest under him. + He built up the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. The land was at peace. No one was at war with Asa during those years. That's because the Lord gave him peace and rest. + "Let's build up our towns," Asa said to the people of Judah. "Let's put walls around them. Let's provide them with towers. Let's make them secure with gates that have heavy metal bars. The land still belongs to us. That's because we've trusted in the Lord our God. We trusted in him, and he has given us peace and rest on every side." So they built. And things went well for them. + Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah. They carried spears and large shields. There were 280,000 men from Benjamin. They were armed with bows and small shields. All of those men were brave soldiers. + Zerah marched out against them. He was from Cush. He had a huge army. He also had 300 chariots. They came all the way to Mareshah. + Asa went out to meet Zerah in battle. They took up their positions in the Valley of Zephathah. It's near Mareshah. + Then Asa called out to the Lord his God. He said, "Lord, there isn't anyone like you. You help the weak against the strong. Lord our God, help us. We trust in you. In your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God. Don't let mere men win the battle over you." + The Lord struck down the men of Cush for Asa and Judah. The Cushites ran away. + Asa and his army chased them all the way to Gerar. A large number of Cushites fell down wounded or dead. So they couldn't fight back. The Lord and his army crushed them. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of goods. + They attacked all of the villages around Gerar. The Lord had made the people in those villages afraid of him. The men of Judah took everything from all of the villages. + They also attacked the camps of those who took care of the herds. They carried off large numbers of sheep, goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. + + + The Spirit of God came on Azariah. He was the son of Oded. + Azariah went out to meet Asa. He said to him, "Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you really look for him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will desert you. + "For a long time Israel didn't worship the true God. They didn't have a priest who taught them. So they didn't know God's law. + But when they were in trouble, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. When they did, they found him. + "In those days it wasn't safe to travel around. The people who lived in all of the areas of the land were having a lot of trouble. + One nation was crushing another. One city was crushing another. That's because God was causing them to suffer terribly. + "But be strong. Don't give up. God will reward you for your work." + Asa heard that prophecy. He paid attention to the words of the prophet Azariah, the son of Oded. So Asa became bolder than ever. He removed the statues of gods from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin. He also removed them from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He did it because he hated those gods. He repaired the altar of the Lord. It was in front of the porch of the Lord's temple. + Then he gathered all of the people of Judah and Benjamin together. He also gathered together the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them. Large numbers of people had come over to him from Israel. They came because they saw that the Lord his God was with him. + They gathered in Jerusalem. It was the third month of the 15th year of Asa's rule. + At that time they sacrificed to the Lord 700 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats. The animals were among the things they had taken after the battle. + They made a covenant to look to the Lord, the God of their people. They looked to him with all their heart and soul. + All those who wouldn't look to the Lord, the God of Israel, would be killed. It wouldn't matter how important they were. It wouldn't matter whether they were men or women. + They took an oath and made a promise to the Lord. They praised him out loud. They shouted. They blew trumpets and horns. + All of the people of Judah were happy about the promise they had made. They turned to God with all their heart. When they did, they found him. So the Lord gave them peace and rest on every side. + King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother. That's because she had made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. The Lord hated it. So Asa cut it down. He broke it up. He burned it in the Kidron Valley. + Asa didn't remove the high places from Israel. But he committed his whole life completely to the Lord. + He and his father had set apart silver, gold and other articles to the Lord. He brought them into God's temple. + There weren't any more wars until the 35th year of Asa's rule. + + + Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. It was in the 36th year of Asa's rule over Judah. Baasha built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah. + Asa took the silver and gold from among the treasures of the Lord's temple and his own palace. He sent it to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus. + "Let's make a peace treaty between us," Asa said. "My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I'm sending you silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he'll go back home." + Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all of the cities in Naphtali where Baasha stored things. + Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah. He stopped working there. + Then King Asa brought all of the men of Judah to Ramah. They carried away the stones and wood Baasha had been using. Asa used them to build up Geba and Mizpah. + At that time the prophet Hanani came to Asa, the king of Judah. He said to him, "You trusted the king of Aram. You didn't trust in the Lord your God. So the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you. + The people of Cush and Libya had a strong army. They had large numbers of chariots and horsemen. But you trusted in the Lord. So he handed them over to you. + The Lord looks out over the whole earth. He gives strength to those who commit their lives completely to him. You have done a foolish thing. From now on you will be at war." + Asa was angry with the prophet because of what he had said. In fact, he was so angry he put him in prison. At the same time, Asa treated some of his own people very badly. + The events of Asa's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. + In the 39th year of Asa's rule his feet began to hurt. The pain was terrible. But even though he was suffering, he didn't look to the Lord for help. All he did was go to the doctors. + In the 41st year of Asa's rule he joined the members of his family who had already died. + His body was buried in a tomb. He had cut it out for himself in the City of David. His body was laid on a wooden frame. It was covered with spices and different mixes of perfume. A huge fire was made in his honor. + + + Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. Jehoshaphat became the next king after him. He made his kingdom strong in case Israel would attack him. + He placed troops in all of the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. He stationed some soldiers in Judah. He also put some in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. + The Lord was with Jehoshaphat. That's because in his early years he lived the way King David had lived. He didn't ask for advice from the gods that were named after Baal. + Instead, he looked to the God of his father. He followed the Lord's commands instead of the practices of Israel. + The Lord made the kingdom secure under Jehoshaphat's control. All of the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat. So he had great wealth and honor. + His heart was committed to living the way the Lord wanted him to. He removed the high places from Judah. He also removed the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. + In the third year of his rule, he sent his officials to teach in the towns of Judah. The officials were Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah. + Some Levites were with them. Their names were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah. The priests Elishama and Jehoram were also with them. + They taught people all through Judah. They took the Scroll of the Law of the Lord with them. They went around to all of the towns of Judah. And they taught the people. + All of the kingdoms of the lands around Judah became afraid of the Lord. So they didn't go to war against Jehoshaphat. + Some Philistines brought to Jehoshaphat the gifts and silver he required of them. The Arabs brought him their flocks. They brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. + Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built forts in Judah. He also built cities in Judah where he could store things. + He had large supplies in the towns of Judah. In Jerusalem he kept men who knew how to fight well. + Here is a list of them, family by family. From Judah there were commanders of companies of 1,000. One of them was Adnah. He commanded 300,000 fighting men. + Another was Jehohanan. He commanded 280,000. + Another was Amasiah, the son of Zicri. Amasiah commanded 200,000. He had offered to serve the Lord. + From Benjamin there were also commanders. One of them was Eliada. He was a brave soldier. He commanded 200,000 men. They were armed with bows and shields. + Another was Jehozabad. He commanded 180,000 men. They were prepared for battle. + Those were the men who served the king. He stationed some other men in the cities all through Judah. The cities had high walls around them. + + + Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor. He joined forces with Ahab by getting married to Ahab's daughter. + Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab killed a lot of sheep and cattle for him and the people who were with him. Ahab tried to get Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth Gilead. + Ahab was the king of Israel. He spoke to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. He asked, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "Yes. I'll go with you. My men will also go with you. We'll join you in the war." + He continued, "First ask the Lord for advice." + So the king of Israel brought 400 prophets together. He asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead? Or should I stay here?" "Go," they answered. "God will hand it over to you." + But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? If there is, ask him what we should do." + The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat. He said, "There is still one other man we can go to. We can ask the Lord for advice through him. But I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me. He only prophesies bad things. His name is Micaiah. He's the son of Imlah." "You shouldn't say bad things about him," Jehoshaphat replied. + So the king of Israel called for one of his officials. He told him, "Bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, at once." + The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were wearing their royal robes. They were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor. It was near the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All of the prophets were prophesying in front of them. + Zedekiah was the son of Kenaanah. Zedekiah had made horns out of iron. They looked like animal horns. He announced, "The Lord says, 'With these horns you will drive back the men of Aram until they are destroyed.' " + All of the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead," they said. "Win the battle over it. The Lord will hand it over to you." + A messenger went to get Micaiah. He said to him, "Look. The other prophets agree. All of them are saying the king will have success. So agree with them. Say the same thing they do." + But Micaiah said, "You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that I can only tell the king what my God says." + When Micaiah arrived, the king spoke to him. He asked, "Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead? Or should I stay here?" "Attack," he answered. "You will win. The people of Ramoth Gilead will be handed over to you." + The king said to him, "I've made you promise to tell the truth many times before. So don't tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord." + Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all of the people of Israel scattered on the hills. They were like sheep that didn't have a shepherd. The Lord said, 'These people do not have a master. Let each of them go home in peace.' " + The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good about me? He only prophesies bad things." + Micaiah continued, "Listen to the Lord's message. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne. Some of the angels of heaven were standing at his right side. The others were standing at his left side. + The Lord said, 'Who will try to get Ahab, the king of Israel, to attack Ramoth Gilead? I want him to die there.' "One angel suggested one thing. Another suggested something else. + Finally, a spirit came forward and stood in front of the Lord. The spirit said, 'I'll try to get Ahab to do it.' " 'How?' the Lord asked. + "The spirit said, 'I'll go and put lies in the mouths of all of his prophets.' " 'You will have success in getting Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.' + "So the Lord has put lies in the mouths of your prophets. He has said that great harm will come to you." + Then Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "So you think the spirit that was sent by the Lord went away from me to speak to you, do you?" he asked. "Which way did he go?" + Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inside room to save your life." + Then the king of Israel gave an order. He said, "Take Micaiah away. Send him back to Amon. Amon is the ruler of the city of Samaria. And send him back to Joash. Joash is a member of the royal court. + Tell them, 'The king says, "Put this fellow in prison. Don't give him anything but bread and water until I return safely." ' " + Micaiah announced, "Do you really think you will return safely? If you do, the Lord hasn't spoken through me." He continued, "All of you people, remember what I've said!" + So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went there too. + The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, "I'll go into battle wearing different clothes. Then people won't recognize me. But you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel put on different clothes. Then he went into battle. + The king of Aram had given an order to his chariot commanders. He had said, "Fight only against the king of Israel. Don't fight against anyone else." + The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, "That's the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. And the Lord helped him. God drew the commanders away from him. + They saw he wasn't the king of Israel after all. So they stopped chasing him. + But someone shot an arrow without taking aim. The arrow hit the king of Israel between the parts of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, "Turn the chariot around. Get me out of this battle. I've been wounded." + All day long the battle continued. The king of Israel kept himself standing up by leaning against the inside of his chariot. He kept his face toward the men of Aram until evening. At sunset he died. + + + Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. + The prophet Jehu went out to meet him. He was the son of Hanani. Jehu said to the king, "You shouldn't help evil people. You shouldn't love those who hate the Lord. The Lord is angry with you. + But there's some good in you. You have gotten rid of all of the poles in the land that are used to worship the goddess Asherah. And you have worshiped God with all your heart." + Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out again among the people. He went from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim. He turned the people back to the Lord, the God of Israel. + Jehoshaphat appointed judges in the land. He put them in all of the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. + He told the judges, "Think carefully about what you do. After all, you aren't judging for mere men. You are judging for the Lord. He's with you every time you make a decision. + Have respect for the Lord. Judge carefully. He is always right. He treats everyone the same. He doesn't want his judges to take money from people who want special favors." + In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat chose some Levites and priests. He also chose some leaders of Israelite families. He appointed all of them to apply the law of the Lord fairly. He wanted them to decide cases. He wanted them to settle matters between people. All of those judges lived in Jerusalem. + Here are the orders Jehoshaphat gave them. He said, "Have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. + Cases will come to you from your fellow judges who live in the other cities. The cases might be about murder or other matters that the law, commands, directions and rules deal with. Warn the judges not to sin against the Lord. If you don't warn them, he will be angry with you and your fellow judges. Do what I say. Then you won't sin. + "The chief priest Amariah will be over you in any matter that concerns the Lord. Zebadiah is the leader of the tribe of Judah. He is the son of Ishmael. Zebadiah will be over you in any matter that concerns the king. The Levites will serve as your officials. Be brave. And may the Lord be with those of you who do well." + + + After that, the Moabites, Ammonites and some Meunites went to war against Jehoshaphat. + Some people came and told him, "A huge army is coming from Edom to fight against you. They have come across the Dead Sea. They are already in Hazazon Tamar." Hazazon Tamar is also called En Gedi. + Jehoshaphat was alarmed. So he decided to ask the Lord for advice. He told all of the people of Judah to go without eating. + The people came together to ask the Lord for help. In fact, they came from every town in Judah to pray to him. + Then Jehoshaphat stood up among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He was in front of the new courtyard at the Lord's temple. + He said, "Lord, you are the God of our people. You are the God who is in heaven. You rule over all of the kingdoms of the nations. Your hands are strong and powerful. No one can fight against you and win. + "Our God, you drove out the people who lived in this land. You drove them out to make room for your people Israel. You gave this land forever to those who belong to the family line of your friend Abraham. + "They have lived in this land. They've built a temple here for your Name. They have said, + 'Suppose trouble comes on us. It doesn't matter whether it's a punishing sword, plague or hunger. We'll serve you. We'll stand in front of this temple where your Name is. We'll cry out to you when we're in trouble. Then you will hear us. You will save us.' + "But here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. You wouldn't allow Israel to march in and attack their territory when the Israelites came from Egypt. So Israel turned away from them. They didn't destroy them. + See how they are paying us back. They are coming to drive us out. They want to take over the land you gave us as our share. + "Our God, won't you please judge them? We don't have the power to face this huge army that's attacking us. We don't know what to do. But we're looking to you to help us." + All of the men of Judah stood there in front of the Lord. Their wives, children and little ones were with them. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel. He was standing among the people of Israel. He was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah was the son of Benaiah. Benaiah was the son of Jeiel. Jeiel was the son of Mattaniah. Jahaziel was a Levite. He was from the family line of Asaph. + Jahaziel said, "King Jehoshaphat, listen! All you who live in Judah and Jerusalem, listen! The Lord says to you, 'Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope because of this huge army. The battle is not yours. It is mine. + " 'Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley in the Desert of Jeruel. + You will not have to fight this battle. Take your positions. Stand firm. You will see how I will save you. Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. Go out and face them tomorrow. I will be with you.' " + Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground. All of the people of Judah and Jerusalem also bowed down. They worshiped the Lord. + Then some Levites from the families of Kohath and Korah stood up. They praised the Lord, the God of Israel. They praised him with very loud voices. + Early in the morning all of the people left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they started out, Jehoshaphat stood up. He said, "Judah, listen to me! People of Jerusalem, listen to me! Have faith in the Lord your God. He'll take good care of you. Have faith in his prophets. Then you will have success." + Jehoshaphat asked the people for advice. Then he appointed men to sing to the Lord. He wanted them to praise him because of his glory and holiness. They marched out in front of the army. They said, "Give thanks to the Lord. His faithful love continues forever." + They began to sing and praise him. Then the Lord hid some men and told them to wait. He wanted them to attack the people of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. They had gone into Judah and attacked it. But they lost the battle. + The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir. They destroyed them. They put an end to them. When they finished killing the men from Seir, they destroyed each other. + The men of Judah came to the place that looks out over the desert. They turned to look down at the huge army. But all they saw was dead bodies lying there on the ground. No one had escaped. + So Jehoshaphat and his men went down there to carry off anything of value. Among the dead bodies they found a lot of supplies, clothes and articles of value. There was more than they could take away. There was so much it took three days to collect all of it. + On the fourth day they gathered together in the Valley of Beracah. There they praised the Lord. That's why it's called the Valley of Beracah to this very day. + Then all of the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned to Jerusalem. They were filled with joy. Jehoshaphat led them. The Lord had made them happy because all of their enemies were dead. + They entered Jerusalem and went to the Lord's temple. They were playing harps, lutes and trumpets. + All of the kingdoms of the surrounding countries began to have respect for God. They had heard how the Lord had fought against Israel's enemies. + The kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace. His God had given him peace and rest on every side. + So Jehoshaphat ruled over Judah. He was 35 years old when he became Judah's king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother's name was Azubah. She was the daughter of Shilhi. + Jehoshaphat followed the ways of his father Asa. He didn't wander away from them. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. + But the high places weren't removed. The people still hadn't worshiped the God of Israel with all their hearts. + The other events of Jehoshaphat's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the official records of Jehu, the son of Hanani. They are written in the records of the kings of Israel. + Jehoshaphat king of Judah and Ahaziah king of Israel agreed to be friends. Ahaziah was guilty of doing what was evil. + Jehoshaphat agreed with him to build a lot of ships. They were built at Ezion Geber. They carried goods that were traded for other goods. + Eliezer was the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah. Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, "You have joined forces with Ahaziah. So the Lord will destroy what you have made." The ships were wrecked. They were never able to sail or trade goods. + + + Jehoshaphat joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the family tomb in the City of David. His son Jehoram became the next king after him. + Jehoram's brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All of them were sons of Jehoshaphat, the king of Israel. + Their father had given them many gifts. He had given them silver, gold and articles of value. He had also given them cities in Judah that had high walls around them. But he had made Jehoram king. That's because Jehoram was his oldest son. + Jehoram made his position secure over his father's kingdom. Then he killed all of his brothers with his sword. He also killed some of the princes of Israel. + Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. + He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the royal family of Ahab had done. In fact, he got married to a daughter of Ahab. Jehoram did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + But the Lord didn't want to destroy the royal family of David. That's because the Lord had made a covenant with him. He had promised to keep the lamp of David's kingdom burning brightly for him and his children after him forever. + When Jehoram was king over Judah, Edom refused to remain under Judah's control. They set up their own king. + So Jehoram went to Edom. He took his officers and all of his chariots with him. The men of Edom surrounded him and his chariot commanders. But he got up at night and fought his way out. + To this very day Edom has refused to remain under Judah's control. At that same time, Libnah also refused to remain under the control of Judah. That's because Jehoram had deserted the Lord, the God of his people. + He had also built high places on the hills of Judah. He had caused the people of Jerusalem to worship other gods. They weren't faithful to the Lord. Jehoram had led Judah down the wrong path. + Jehoram received a letter from the prophet Elijah. It said, "The Lord is the God of your father David. The Lord says, 'You have not followed the ways of your own father Jehoshaphat or of Asa, the king of Judah. + Instead, you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel. You have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to worship other gods, just as the royal family of Ahab did. Also, you have murdered your own brothers. They were members of your own family. They were better men than you are. + " 'So now I am about to strike your people down with a heavy blow. I will strike down your sons, your wives and everything that belongs to you. + And you yourself will be very sick for a long time. The sickness will finally cause your insides to come out.' " + The Lord stirred up the anger of the Philistines against Jehoram. He also stirred up the anger of the Arabs. They lived near the people of Cush. + The Philistines and Arabs attacked Judah. They went in and carried off all of the goods they found in the king's palace. They also took his sons and wives. The only son he had left was Ahaziah. He was the youngest son. + After all of that, the Lord made Jehoram very sick. He couldn't be healed. + After he had been sick for two years, the sickness caused his insides to come out. He died in great pain. His people didn't make a fire in his honor, as they had done for the kings who ruled before him. + Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. No one was sorry when he passed away. His body was buried in the City of David. But it wasn't placed in the tombs of the kings. + + + The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah king in place of Jehoram. Ahaziah was Jehoram's youngest son. Robbers had come with the Arabs into Jehoram's camp. The robbers had killed all of his older sons. So Ahaziah, the king of Judah, began to rule. He was the son of Jehoram. + Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother's name was Athaliah. She was a granddaughter of Omri. + Ahaziah also followed the ways of the royal family of Ahab. That's because Ahaziah's mother gave him bad advice. She told him to do what was wrong. + So he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as the family of Ahab had done. After Ahaziah's father died, the members of Ahab's family became his advisers. That's what destroyed him. + He also followed their advice when he joined forces with Joram, the king of Israel. They went to war against Hazael at Ramoth Gilead. Joram was the son of Ahab. Hazael was king of Aram. The soldiers of Aram wounded Joram. + So he returned to Jezreel to give his wounds time to heal. His enemies had wounded him at Ramoth in his battle against Hazael, the king of Aram. Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, went down to Jezreel. He went there to see Joram. That's because Joram had been wounded. Ahaziah was king of Judah. Joram was the son of Ahab. + Through Ahaziah's visit to Joram, God caused Ahaziah to fall from power. When Ahaziah arrived, he rode out with Joram to meet Jehu, the son of Nimshi. The Lord had anointed Jehu to destroy the royal family of Ahab. + So Jehu punished Ahab's family, just as the Lord had told him to. While he was doing it, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives. They had been serving Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them. + Then he went to look for Ahaziah. Jehu's men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. People buried his body, because they said, "He was a grandson of Jehoshaphat, who followed the Lord with all his heart." So no one in the royal family of Ahaziah was powerful enough to keep the kingdom. + Athaliah was Ahaziah's mother. She saw that her son was dead. So she began to wipe out the whole royal house of Judah. + But Jehosheba went and got Joash, the son of Ahaziah. She was the daughter of King Jehoram. She stole Joash away from among the royal princes. All of them were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, was the wife of the priest Jehoiada. She was also Ahaziah's sister. So Jehosheba hid the child from Athaliah. That's why Athaliah couldn't kill him. + The child remained hidden with the priest and his wife at God's temple for six years. Athaliah ruled over the land during that time. + + + When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada showed how strong he was. He made a covenant with the commanders of companies of 100 men. The commanders were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. + They went all through Judah. They gathered together the Levites and the leaders of Israelite families from all of the towns. They came to Jerusalem. + The whole community made a covenant with the new king at God's temple. Jehoiada said to them, "Ahaziah's son will rule over Judah. That's what the Lord promised concerning the family line of David. + Here's what I want you to do. A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath day must guard the doors. + A third of you must guard the royal palace. And a third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All of the other men must guard the courtyards of the Lord's temple. + "Don't let anyone enter the temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They can enter because they are set apart to the Lord. But all of the other men must guard the places where the Lord has sent them. + "The Levites must station themselves around the new king. Each man must have his weapons in his hand. Anyone else who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king no matter where he goes." + The Levites did just as the priest Jehoiada ordered. So did all of the men of Judah. Each commander got his men. Some of the men were going on duty on the Sabbath day. Others were going off duty. Jehoiada didn't let any of the groups go. + Then he gave weapons to the commanders of the companies. He gave them spears, large shields and small shields. The weapons had belonged to King David. They had been in God's temple. + Jehoiada stationed all of the men around the new king. Each man had his weapon in his hand. They were standing near the altar and the temple. They stood from the south side of the temple to its north side. Their line formed half of a circle. + Jehoiada and his sons brought Ahaziah's son out. They put the crown on him. They gave him a copy of the covenant. And they announced that he was king. They anointed him. Then they shouted, "May the king live a long time!" + Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the new king. So she went to them at the Lord's temple. + She looked. And there was the king! He was standing next to his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpet players were standing beside the king. All of the people of the land were filled with joy. They were blowing trumpets. Singers with their musical instruments were leading the songs of praise. Then Athaliah tore her royal robes. She shouted, "Treason! It's treason!" + The priest Jehoiada sent out the commanders of the companies of 100 men. They were in charge of the troops. He said to them, "Bring her away from the temple between the line of guards. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her." The priest had said, "Don't put her to death at the Lord's temple." + So they grabbed hold of her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds. There they put her to death. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant. He promised that he, the people and the king would be the Lord's people. + All of the people went to Baal's temple. They tore it down. They smashed the altars and the statues of gods. They killed Mattan in front of the altars. He was the priest of Baal. + Then Jehoiada put the priests, who were Levites, in charge of the Lord's temple. David had given them their duties in the temple. He had appointed them to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. He wanted them to do it in keeping with what was written in the Law of Moses. David wanted them to sing and be full of joy. + Jehoiada stationed guards at the gates of the Lord's temple. No one who was "unclean" in any way could enter. + Jehoiada took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all of the people of the land. He brought the new king down from the Lord's temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate. Then they seated the king on the royal throne. + All of the people of the land were filled with joy. And the city was quiet. That's because Athaliah had been killed with a sword. + + + Joash was seven years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years. His mother's name was Zibiah. She was from Beersheba. + Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He lived that way as long as the priest Jehoiada was alive. + Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash. They had sons and daughters by Joash. + Some time later Joash decided to make the Lord's temple look like new again. + He called together the priests and Levites. He said to them, "Go to the towns of Judah. Collect the money that the nation of Israel owes every year. Use it to repair the temple of your God. Do it now." But the Levites didn't do it right away. + So the king sent for the chief priest Jehoiada. He said to him, "Why haven't you required the Levites to bring in the tax from Judah and Jerusalem? It was set up by the Lord's servant Moses and the whole community of Israel. It was used for the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept." + The children of that evil woman Athaliah had broken into God's temple. They had used even its sacred objects for the gods that were named after Baal. + King Joash commanded that a wooden chest be made. It was placed outside near the gate of the Lord's temple. + Then a message went out in Judah and Jerusalem. It said that the people should bring the tax to the Lord. God's servant Moses had required Israel to pay that tax when they were in the desert. + All of the officials and people gladly brought their money. They dropped it into the chest until it was full. + The chest was brought in by the Levites to the king's officials. Every time the officials saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, it was emptied out. The royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest came and emptied it. Then they carried it back to its place. They did it regularly. They collected a great amount of money. + The king and Jehoiada gave it to the men who were doing the work on the Lord's temple. They hired people who could lay the stones and people who could work with wood. They also hired people who could work with iron and bronze. They hired all of them to repair the temple. + The men who were in charge of the work did their best. The repairs went very well under them. They rebuilt God's temple. They did it in keeping with its original plans. They made it stronger. + So they finished the work. Then they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to pay for the articles that were made for the Lord's temple. The articles were used for serving at the temple. They were also used for the burnt offerings. The articles included dishes and other objects that were made out of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were sacrificed continually at the Lord's temple. + Jehoiada had become very old. He died at the age of 130. + His body was buried with the kings in the City of David. That's because he had done so many good things in Israel for God and his temple. + After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah came to King Joash. They bowed down to him. He listened to them. + They turned their backs on the temple of the Lord, the God of their people. They worshiped poles that were made to honor the goddess Asherah. They also worshiped statues of other gods. Because Judah and Jerusalem were guilty of sin, God became angry with them. + The Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him. The prophets gave witness against the people. But they wouldn't listen. + Then the Spirit of God came on the priest Zechariah. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zechariah stood in front of the people. He told them, "God says, 'Why do you refuse to obey my commands? You will not have success. You have deserted me. So I have deserted you.' " + But the people made evil plans against Zechariah. The king ordered them to kill Zechariah by throwing stones at him. They did it in the courtyard of the Lord's temple. + King Joash didn't remember how kind Zechariah's father Jehoiada had been to him. So he killed Jehoiada's son. As Zechariah was dying he said, "May the Lord see this. May he hold you accountable." + In the spring, the army of Aram marched into Judah and Jerusalem against Joash. They killed all of the leaders of the people. They took a large amount of goods from Judah. They sent it to their king in Damascus. + The army of Aram had come with only a few men. But the Lord allowed them to win the battle over a much larger army. Judah had deserted the Lord, the God of their people. That's why the Lord punished Joash. + The army of Aram pulled back. They left Joash badly wounded. His officials planned to do evil things to him. That's because he murdered the son of the priest Jehoiada. They killed Joash in his bed. So he died. His body was buried in the City of David. But it wasn't placed in the tombs of the kings. + Those who made the plans against Joash were Zabad and Jehozabad. Zabad was the son of Shimeath. She was from Ammon. Jehozabad was the son of Shimrith. She was from Moab. + The story of the sons of Joash is written in the notes on the records of the kings. The many prophecies about him are written there too. So is the record of how he made God's temple look like new again. His son Amaziah became the next king after him. + + + Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin. She was from Jerusalem. + Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But he didn't do it with all his heart. + The kingdom was firmly under his control. So he put to death the officials who had murdered his father, the king. + But he didn't put their children to death. He obeyed what is written in the Law, the Scroll of Moses. There the Lord commanded, "Parents must not be put to death because of what their children do. And children must not be put to death because of what their parents do. People must die because of their own sins."--(Deuteronomy 24:16) + Amaziah called the people of Judah together. He arranged them by families under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. He did it for all of the people of Judah and Benjamin. Then he brought together the men who were 20 years old or more. He found out there were 300,000 men who were able to serve in the army. They could handle spears and shields. + He also hired 100,000 fighting men from Israel. He had to pay them almost four tons of silver. + But a man of God came to him. He said, "King Amaziah, these troops from Israel must not march out with you. The Lord is not with Israel. He isn't with any of the people of Ephraim. + Go and fight bravely in battle if you want to. But God will destroy you right in front of your enemies. God has the power to help you or destroy you." + Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about all of that silver I paid for these Israelite troops?" The man of God replied, "The Lord can give you much more than that." + So Amaziah let the troops go who had come to him from Ephraim. He sent them home. They were very angry with Judah. In fact, they were burning with anger when they went home. + Then Amaziah showed how strong he was. He led his army to the Valley of Salt. There he killed 10,000 men of Seir. + The army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff. Then they threw them down. All of them were smashed to pieces. + The troops Amaziah had sent back attacked some towns in Judah. He hadn't allowed the troops to take part in the war. They attacked towns from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed 3,000 people. They carried off huge amounts of goods. + Amaziah returned from killing the men of Edom. He brought back the statues of the gods of Seir. He set them up as his own gods. He bowed down to them. He burned sacrifices to them. + The Lord's anger burned against Amaziah. He sent a prophet to him. The prophet said, "Why do you ask the gods of those people for advice? They couldn't even save their own people from your power!" + While the prophet was still speaking, the king spoke to him. He said, "Did I ask you for advice? Stop! If you don't, you will be struck down." So the prophet stopped. But then he said, "I know that God has decided to destroy you. That's because you have worshiped other gods. You haven't listened to my advice." + Amaziah, the king of Judah, spoke to his advisers. Then he sent a message to Jehoash, the king of Israel. Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz. Jehoahaz was the son of Jehu. Amaziah dared Jehoash, "Come on. Meet me face to face in battle." + But Jehoash, the king of Israel, answered Amaziah, the king of Judah. He said, "A thorn bush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree there. It said, 'Give your daughter to be married to my son.' Then a wild animal in Lebanon came along. It walked all over the thorn bush. + You brag that you have won the battle over Edom. You are very proud. But stay home! Why ask for trouble? Why bring yourself crashing down? Why bring Judah down with you?" + But Amaziah wouldn't listen. That's because God had planned to hand Judah over to Jehoash. After all, they had asked the gods of Edom for advice. + So Jehoash, the king of Israel, attacked. He and Amaziah, the king of Judah, faced each other in battle. The battle took place at Beth Shemesh in Judah. + Israel drove Judah away. Every man ran home. + Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah at Beth Shemesh. Amaziah was the son of Joash. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. Jehoash brought Amaziah to Jerusalem. He broke down part of its wall. It's the part that went from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. That part of the wall was 600 feet long. + Jehoash took all of the gold and silver. He took all of the articles he found in God's temple. Obed-Edom had been in charge of them. Jehoash also took the palace treasures and the prisoners. Then he returned to Samaria. + Amaziah king of Judah lived for 15 years after Jehoash king of Israel died. Amaziah was the son of Joash. Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz. + The other events of Amaziah's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. + Amaziah turned away from following the Lord. From that time on, some people made evil plans against him in Jerusalem. So he ran away to Lachish. But they sent men to Lachish after him. There they killed him. + His body was brought back on a horse. Then he was buried in the family tomb in Jerusalem, the City of Judah. + + + All of the people of Judah made Uzziah king. He was 16 years old. They made him king in place of his father Amaziah. + Uzziah rebuilt Elath. He brought it under Judah's control again. He did it after Amaziah joined the members of his family who had already died. + Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother's name was Jecoliah. She was from Jerusalem. + Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. + He looked to God during the days of Zechariah. Zechariah taught him to have respect for God. As long as Uzziah looked to the Lord, God gave him success. + Uzziah went to war against the Philistines. He broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. Then he rebuilt some towns that were near Ashdod. He also rebuilt some other towns where Philistines lived. + God helped him fight against the Philistines. He also helped him fight against the Meunites and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal. + The Ammonites brought to Uzziah the gifts he required of them. He became famous all the way to the border of Egypt. That's because he had become very powerful. + Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem. They were at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate and the angle of the wall. He made the towers very strong. + He also built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, because he had a lot of livestock. The livestock were in the western hills and on the flatlands. Uzziah had people working in his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the rich lands. That's because he loved the soil. + Uzziah's army was well trained. It was ready to march out by companies in keeping with their numbers. Jeiel and Maaseiah brought them together. Jeiel was the secretary. Maaseiah was the officer. They were under the direction of Hananiah. He was one of the royal officials. + The total number of family leaders who were over the fighting men was 2,600. + An army of 307,500 men was under their command. The men were trained for war. They were a powerful force. They helped the king against his enemies. + Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and stones for their slings. + In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones. Uzziah became famous everywhere. God greatly helped him until he became powerful. + But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride brought him down. He wasn't faithful to the Lord his God. He entered the Lord's temple to burn incense on the altar for burning incense. + The priest Azariah followed him in. So did 80 other brave priests of the Lord. + They stood up to Uzziah. They said, "Uzziah, it isn't right for you to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests are supposed to do that. They are members of the family line of Aaron. They have been set apart to burn incense. So get out of here. Leave the temple. You haven't been faithful. The Lord God won't honor you." + Uzziah was holding a shallow cup. He was ready to burn incense. He became angry. He shouted at the priests in the Lord's temple. He did it near the altar for burning incense. While he was shouting, a skin disease suddenly broke out on his forehead. + The chief priest Azariah looked at him. So did all of the other priests. They saw that Uzziah had a skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the temple. Actually, he himself really wanted to leave. He knew that the Lord was making him suffer. + King Uzziah had the skin disease until the day he died. He lived in a separate house because he had the disease. And he wasn't allowed to enter the Lord's temple. Uzziah's son Jotham was in charge of the palace. Jotham ruled over the people of the land. + The other events of Uzziah's rule from beginning to end were written down by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz. + Uzziah joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried near theirs in a royal burial ground. People said, "He had a skin disease." His son Jotham became the next king after him. + + + Jotham was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. His mother's name was Jerusha. She was the daughter of Zadok. + Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. But Jotham didn't enter the Lord's temple as Uzziah had done. In spite of that, the people continued to do very sinful things. + Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Lord's temple. He did a lot of work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. + He built towns in the hills of Judah. He also built forts and towers in areas that had a lot of trees in them. + Jotham went to war against the king of Ammon. He won the battle over the people of Ammon. That year they paid Jotham almost four tons of silver. They paid him 62,000 bushels of wheat and 62,000 bushels of barley. They also brought him the same amount in the second and third years. + Jotham became powerful. That's because he had worshiped the Lord his God with all his heart. + The other events of Jotham's rule are written down. That includes all of his wars and the other things he did. All of those things are written in the records of the kings of Israel and Judah. + Jotham was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. + Jotham joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David. His son Ahaz became the next king after him. + + + Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. He didn't do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He didn't do what King David had done. + He followed the ways of the kings of Israel. He also made metal statues of gods that were named after Baal. + He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He sacrificed his children in the fire to other gods. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven out those nations to make room for the people of Israel. + Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places. He also did it on the tops of hills and under every green tree. + So the Lord his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The men of Aram won the battle over him. They took many of his people as prisoners. They brought them to Damascus. God also handed Ahaz over to Pekah. His army wounded or killed many of the troops of Ahaz. Pekah was king of Israel. + In one day Pekah killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah. That's because Judah had deserted the Lord, the God of their people. Pekah was the son of Remaliah. + Zicri was a fighting man from Ephraim. He killed Maaseiah, Azrikam and Elkanah. Maaseiah was the king's son. Azrikam was the officer who was in charge of the palace. And Elkanah was next in command after the king. + The men of Israel captured 200,000 wives, sons and daughters from their relatives in Judah. They also took a large amount of goods. They carried all of it back to Samaria. + But a prophet of the Lord was there. His name was Oded. When the army returned to Samaria, he went out to meet them. He said to them, "The Lord is the God of your people. He burned with anger against Judah. So he handed them over to you. But you have killed them. Your anger reached all the way to heaven. + "Now you are planning to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren't you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? + Listen to me! You have taken your relatives from Judah as prisoners. The Lord's anger is burning against you. So send your relatives back." + Then some of the leaders in Ephraim stood up to those who were returning from the war. The leaders were Azariah, Berekiah, Jehizkiah and Amasa. Azariah was the son of Jehohanan. Berekiah was the son of Meshillemoth. Jehizkiah was the son of Shallum. And Amasa was the son of Hadlai. + "Don't bring those prisoners here," they said. "If you do, we'll be guilty in the sight of the Lord. Do you really want to add to our sin and guilt? We're already very guilty. The Lord's anger is burning against Israel." + So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and the goods they had taken. They did it in front of the officials and the whole community. + Azariah, Berekiah, Jehizkiah and Amasa received the prisoners. From the goods that had been taken they gave clothes to all those who were naked. They gave them clothes, sandals, food, drink and healing lotion. They put all of the weak people on donkeys. They took them back to their relatives at Jericho. Then they returned to Samaria. Jericho was also known as the City of Palm Trees. + At that time King Ahaz sent men to the king of Assyria to get help. + The men of Edom had come again and attacked Judah. They had carried prisoners away. + At the same time the Philistines had attacked towns in the western hills and in the Negev Desert of Judah. They had captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth. They had also captured Soco, Timnah and Gimzo and the villages that were around them. They had settled down in all of them. + The Lord had brought Judah down because of Ahaz, their king. Ahaz had stirred up the people of Judah to do evil things. He hadn't been faithful to the Lord at all. + Tiglath-Pileser came to Ahaz. But he gave Ahaz trouble instead of help. Tiglath-Pileser was king of Assyria. + Ahaz took some things from the Lord's temple. He also took some from the royal palace and from the princes. He gave all of them to the king of Assyria. But that didn't help him. + When King Ahaz was in trouble, he became even more unfaithful to the Lord. + He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus. They had won the battle over him. He thought, "The gods of the kings of Aram have helped them. So I'll sacrifice to them. Then they'll help me." But they brought him down. In fact, they brought the whole nation of Israel down. + Ahaz gathered together everything that belonged to God's temple. He took all of it away. He shut the doors of the Lord's temple. He set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. + In every town in Judah he built high places. Sacrifices were burned there to other gods. That made the Lord, the God of his people, very angry. + The other events of the rule of Ahaz and all of his evil practices from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. + Ahaz joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the city of Jerusalem. But it wasn't placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became the next king after him. + + + Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother's name was Abijah. She was the daughter of Zechariah. + Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as King David had done. + In the first month of Hezekiah's first year as king, he opened the doors of the Lord's temple. He repaired them. + He brought the priests and Levites in. He gathered them together in the open area on the east side of the temple. + He said, "Levites, listen to me! Set yourselves apart to the Lord. Set apart the temple of the Lord. He's the God of your people. Remove anything that is 'unclean' from the temple. + Our people weren't faithful. They did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They deserted him. They turned their faces away from the place where he lives. They turned their backs on him. + They also shut the doors of the temple porch. They put the lamps out. They didn't burn incense at the temple. They didn't sacrifice burnt offerings to the God of Israel there. + "So the Lord has become angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them look so bad that everyone is shocked when they see them. They laugh at them. You can see it with your own eyes. + That's why our people have been killed with swords. That's why our sons and daughters and wives have become prisoners. + "So I'm planning to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel. Then he'll turn his burning anger away from us. + "My sons, don't fail to obey the Lord. He has chosen you to stand in front of him and work for him. He wants you to serve him and burn incense to him." + Here are the Levites who went to work. Mahath and Joel were from the family line of Kohath. Mahath was the son of Amasai. Joel was the son of Azariah. Kish and Azariah were from the family line of Merari. Kish was the son of Abdi. Azariah was the son of Jehallelel. Joah and Eden were from the family line of Gershon. Joah was the son of Zimmah. Eden was the son of Joah. + Shimri and Jeiel were from the family line of Elizaphan. Zechariah and Mattaniah were from the family line of Asaph. + Jehiel and Shimei were from the family line of Heman. Shemaiah and Uzziel were from the family line of Jeduthun. + All of those Levites gathered the other Levites together. They set themselves apart to the Lord. Then they went in to purify the Lord's temple. That's what the king had ordered them to do. They did what the Lord told them to. + The priests went into the Lord's temple to make it pure. They brought out to the temple courtyard everything that was "unclean." They had found "unclean" things in the Lord's temple. The Levites took them and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. + On the first day of the first month they began to set everything in the temple apart to the Lord. By the eighth day of the month they reached the Lord's porch. For eight more days they set the Lord's temple itself apart to him. They finished on the 16th day of the first month. + Then they went to King Hezekiah. They reported, "We've purified the whole temple of the Lord. That includes the altar for burnt offerings and all of its tools. It also includes the table for the holy bread and all of its articles. + We've prepared all of the articles King Ahaz had removed. We've set them apart to the Lord. Ahaz had removed them while he was king. He wasn't faithful to the Lord. The articles are now in front of the Lord's altar." + Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together. They went up to the Lord's temple. + They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats with them. They sacrificed the animals as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the temple and for Judah. The king commanded the priests to offer them on the Lord's altar. The priests were from the family line of Aaron. + They killed the bulls. Then they sprinkled the blood on the altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. Then they killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. + The goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the whole community. They placed their hands on them. + Then the priests killed the goats. They put the blood on the altar as a sin offering. It paid for the sin of the whole nation of Israel. The king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for the whole nation. + He stationed the Levites in the Lord's temple. They had cymbals, harps and lyres. They did everything in the way King David, his prophet Gad, and the prophet Nathan had required. The Lord had given commands about all of those things through his prophets. + So the Levites stood ready with David's musical instruments. And the priests had their trumpets ready. + Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. The offering began. Singing to the Lord also began. The singing was accompanied by the trumpets and by the instruments of David. He had been king of Israel. + The whole community bowed down. They worshiped the Lord. At the same time the singers sang. The priests blew their trumpets. All of that continued until the burnt offering had been sacrificed. + So the offerings were finished. King Hezekiah got down on his knees. He worshiped the Lord. So did everyone who was with him. + The king and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord. They used the words of David and the prophet Asaph. They sang praises with joy. They bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord. + Then Hezekiah said, "You have set yourselves apart to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to his temple." So the whole community brought sacrifices and thank offerings. Everyone who wanted to brought burnt offerings. + The whole community brought 70 bulls, 100 rams and 200 male lambs. They brought all of them as burnt offerings to the Lord. + The total number of animals that were set apart as sacrifices to the Lord was 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep and goats. + But there weren't enough priests to skin all of the burnt offerings. So their brother Levites helped them. They worked until the task was finished. By that time other priests had been set apart to the Lord. The Levites had been more careful than the priests when they set themselves apart. + There were large numbers of burnt offerings, along with the drink offerings and the fat from the friendship offerings. They were offered along with the burnt offerings. So the service of the Lord's temple was started up again. + Hezekiah and all of the people were filled with joy. That's because everything had been done so quickly. God had provided for his people in a wonderful way. + + + Hezekiah sent a message to all of the people of Israel and Judah. He also wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited everyone to come to the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. He wanted them to celebrate the Passover Feast in honor of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + The king, his officials and the whole community in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. + They hadn't been able to celebrate it at the regular time. That's because there weren't enough priests who had set themselves apart to the Lord. Also, the people hadn't gathered together in Jerusalem. + The plan seemed good to the king and the whole community. + They decided to send a message all through Israel. It was sent out from Beersheba all the way to Dan. The message invited the people to come to Jerusalem. It invited them to celebrate the Passover in honor of the Lord, the God of Israel. The Passover hadn't been celebrated by large numbers of people for a long time. It hadn't been done in keeping with what was written in the law. + Messengers went all through Israel and Judah. They carried letters from the king and his officials. The king had ordered them to do that. The letters said, "People of Israel, return to the Lord. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Return to him. Then he will return to you who are left in the land. You have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. + "Don't be like the rest of your people and relatives. They weren't faithful to the Lord, the God of their people. That's why he punished them. He made them look so bad that everyone was shocked when they saw them. You can see it for yourselves. + "Don't be stubborn. Don't be as your people were. Obey the Lord. Come to the temple. He has set it apart to himself forever. Serve the Lord your God. Then he'll turn his burning anger away from you. + "Suppose you return to the Lord. Then those who captured your relatives and children will be kind to them. In fact, your relatives and children will come back to this land. The Lord your God is kind and tender. He won't turn away from you if you return to him." + The messengers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh. They went all the way to Zebulun. But the people made fun of them. They laughed at them. + In spite of that, some men from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun made themselves low in the Lord's sight. They went to Jerusalem. + God's powerful hand helped the people of Judah. He helped them agree with one another. So they did what the king and his officials had ordered. They did what the Lord told them to do. + A very large crowd of people gathered together in Jerusalem. They went there to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It took place in the second month. + They removed the altars in Jerusalem. They cleared away the altars for burning incense. They threw all of the altars into the Kidron Valley. + They killed the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the second month. The priests and Levites were filled with shame. They set themselves apart to the Lord. They brought burnt offerings to his temple. + Then they went to their regular positions. They did it just as the Law of Moses, the man of God, required. The Levites gave the blood of the animals to the priests. The priests sprinkled it on the altar. + Many people in the crowd hadn't set themselves apart to the Lord. They weren't "clean." They couldn't set their lambs apart to him. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all of them. + Many people came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun. Most of them hadn't made themselves pure and clean. But they still ate the Passover meal. That was against what was written in the law. But Hezekiah prayed for them. He said, "The Lord is good. May he forgive everyone + who wants to worship God with all his heart. God is the Lord, the God of their people. May God forgive them even if they aren't 'clean' in keeping with the rules of the temple." + The Lord answered Hezekiah's prayer. He healed the people. + The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They celebrated for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests sang to the Lord every day. Their singing was accompanied by musical instruments. The instruments were used to praise the Lord. + Hezekiah spoke words that gave hope to all of the Levites. They understood how to serve the Lord well. For the seven days of the Feast they ate the share that was given to them. They also sacrificed friendship offerings. They praised the Lord, the God of their people. + Then the whole community agreed to celebrate the Feast for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated with joy. + Hezekiah, the king of Judah, provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for the community. The officials provided 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats for them. A large number of priests set themselves apart to the Lord. + The entire community of Judah was filled with joy. So were the priests and Levites. And so were all of the people who had gathered together from Israel. That included the outsiders who had come from Israel. It also included those who lived in Judah. + There was great joy in Jerusalem. There hadn't been anything like it in Israel since the days of Solomon, the son of David. Solomon had been king of Israel. + The priests and Levites gave their blessing to the people. God heard them. Their prayer reached all the way to heaven. It's the holy place where he lives. + + + The Feast came to an end. The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. They smashed the sacred stones. They cut down the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. They destroyed the high places and the altars. They did those things all through Judah and Benjamin. They also did them in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all of the objects that were used to worship other gods. Then the people returned to their own towns and property. + Hezekiah put the priests and Levites in groups based on their duties. The priests sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. The Levites served the Lord by giving thanks and singing praises at the gates of his house. + The king gave some of his own possessions to the temple. He gave them for the morning and evening burnt offerings. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every Sabbath day. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every New Moon feast. And he gave them for the burnt offerings for every yearly appointed feast. He did it in keeping with what is written in the Law of the Lord. + Hezekiah gave an order to the people who were living in Jerusalem. He commanded them to give to the priests and Levites the share they owed them. Then the priests and Levites could give their full attention to the Law of the Lord. + The order went out. Right away the people of Israel began to give freely. They gave the first share of the harvest of their grain, fresh wine, olive oil and honey. They also gave the first share of everything else their fields produced. They brought a large amount. It was a tenth of everything. + The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah brought a tenth of their herds and flocks. They also brought a tenth of the holy things they had set apart to the Lord their God. They put them in piles. + They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month. + Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the Lord. And they blessed his people Israel. + Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. + The chief priest Azariah answered him. He said, "The people have been bringing their gifts to the Lord's temple. Ever since they began to bring them, we've had enough to eat. We have even had plenty to spare. That's because the Lord has blessed his people. So we have a large amount left over." Azariah was from the family line of Zadok. + Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Lord's temple. And it was done. + The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings, a tenth of everything they produced, and the gifts they had set apart to the Lord. The Levite Conaniah was in charge of those things. His brother Shimei was next in command after him. + Conaniah and his brother Shimei had directors who worked under them. Their names were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah. King Hezekiah and Azariah had appointed them. Azariah was the official who was in charge of God's temple. + The Levite Kore guarded the East Gate. He was in charge of the offerings people chose to give to God. He handed out the offerings that were made to the Lord. He also handed out the gifts that had been set apart to the Lord. Kore was the son of Imnah. + Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah helped Kore. They were faithful in helping him in the towns of the priests. They handed out gifts to their brother priests, group by group. They gave the gifts to young men and old men alike. + In addition to that, they handed out gifts to the males who were three years old or more. The names of those males were listed in their family history. All of them would enter the Lord's temple. They would carry out their duties each day. Each group did all of the different things it was supposed to do. + Kore and his Levite companions also handed out gifts to the priests. The priests were listed by their families in their family history. Those Levites also handed out gifts to the Levites who were 20 years old or more. Each group did all of the different things it was supposed to do. + Those groups included all of the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community. All of them were listed in their family history. They were faithful in setting themselves apart to serve the Lord. + Some of the priests, who were from the family line of Aaron, lived in other towns or on farms around their towns. Men were chosen by name to hand out shares to those priests. They gave a share to every male among them. They also gave a share to everyone whose name was written down in the family history of the Levites. + That's what Hezekiah did all through Judah. He did what was good and right. He was faithful to the Lord his God. + He looked to his God. He worked for him with all his heart. That's the way he worked in everything he did to serve God's temple. He obeyed the law. He followed the Lord's commands. So he had success. + + + Hezekiah had been completely faithful to the Lord. But in spite of that, Sennacherib came and marched into Judah. He was the king of Assyria. He surrounded the cities that had high walls around them. He got ready to attack them. He thought he could win the battle over them. He thought he could take them for himself. + Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to Jerusalem to make war against it. + So he asked his officials and military leaders for advice. He asked them about blocking off the water from the springs that were outside the city. They gave him the advice he asked for. + A large group of men gathered together. They blocked all of the springs. They also blocked the stream that flowed through the land. "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?" they asked. + Then Hezekiah worked hard repairing all of the broken parts of the wall. He built towers on it. He built another wall outside that one. He built up the areas that had been filled in around the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields. + He appointed military officers over the people. He gathered the officers together in front of him in the open area at the city gate. He gave them words of hope. He said, + "Be strong. Be brave. Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. The king of Assyria has a huge army with him. But there's a greater power with us than there is with him. + The only thing he has is human strength. But the Lord our God is with us. He will help us. He'll fight our battles." The people had great faith in what Hezekiah, the king of Judah, said. + Later Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and all of his forces surrounded Lachish. They got ready to attack it. At that time, he sent his officers to Jerusalem. They went there with a message for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. The message was also for all of the people of Judah who were there. The message said, + "Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, says, 'Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? Why do you remain in Jerusalem when you are surrounded? + " 'Hezekiah says, "The Lord our God will save us from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria." But he isn't telling you the truth. If you listen to him, you will die of hunger and thirst. + " 'Didn't Hezekiah himself remove your god's high places and altars? Didn't Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship at one altar. You must burn sacrifices on it"? + " 'Don't you know what I and the kings who ruled before me have done? Don't you know what we've done to all of the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to save their lands from my power? + The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Which one of the gods of those nations has been able to save his people from me? So how can your god save you from my power? + " 'Don't let Hezekiah trick you. He's telling you lies. Don't believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from my power. No god has been able to save his people from the power of the kings who ruled before me. So your god won't save you from my power either!' " + Sennacherib's officers spoke even more things against the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. + The king also wrote letters against the Lord. His letters made fun of the God of Israel. They said, "The peoples of other lands have their gods. But those gods didn't save their people from my powerful hand. So the god of Hezekiah won't save his people from my powerful hand either." + Then the officers called out in the Hebrew language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall. They were trying to scare them and make them afraid. That's because they wanted to capture the city. + They were comparing the God of Jerusalem to the gods of the other nations of the world. But those gods were only statues. They had been made by the hands of men. + King Hezekiah cried out in prayer to God in heaven. He prayed about the problem Jerusalem was facing. So did the prophet Isaiah. He was the son of Amoz. + The Lord sent an angel. The angel wiped out all of the enemy's fighting men, leaders and officers. He put an end to them right there in the camp of the Assyrian king. So Sennacherib went back to his own land in shame. He went into the temple of his god. There some of his own sons cut him down with their swords. + So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. He saved them from the power of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. He also saved them from all of their other enemies. He took care of them on every side. + Many people brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord. They brought expensive gifts for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. From then on, all of the nations thought highly of him. + In those days Hezekiah became sick. He knew he was about to die. So he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord answered him. He gave him a miraculous sign. + But Hezekiah's heart was proud. He didn't give thanks for the many kind things the Lord had done for him. So the Lord became angry with him. He also became angry with Judah and Jerusalem. + Then Hezekiah had a change of heart. He was sorry he had been proud. The people of Jerusalem were also sorry they had sinned. So the Lord wasn't angry with them as long as Hezekiah was king. + Hezekiah was very rich. He received great honor. He made storerooms for his silver and gold. He also made them for his jewels, spices, shields and all kinds of expensive things. + He made buildings to store the harvest of grain, fresh wine and olive oil. He made barns for all kinds of cattle. He made sheep pens for his flocks. + He built villages. He gained large numbers of flocks and herds. God had made him very rich. + Hezekiah blocked up the upper opening of the Gihon spring. He directed the water to flow down to the west side of the City of David. He had success in everything he did. + The rulers of Babylon sent messengers to him. They asked him about the miraculous sign that had taken place in the land. Then God left him to put him to the test. He wanted to know everything that was in his heart. + Hezekiah did many things that showed he was faithful to the Lord. Those things and the other events of his rule are written down. They are written in the record of the vision of the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. That record is part of the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. + Hezekiah joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried on the hill where the tombs of David's family are. The whole nation of Judah honored him when he died. So did the people of Jerusalem. Hezekiah's son Manasseh became the next king after him. + + + Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 55 years. + Manasseh did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven those nations out to make room for the people of Israel. + Manasseh rebuilt the high places. His father Hezekiah had destroyed them. Manasseh also set up altars to the gods that were named after Baal. He made poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. He even bowed down to all of the stars. And he worshiped them. + He built altars in the Lord's temple. The Lord had said about his temple, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever." + In both courtyards of the Lord's temple Manasseh built altars to honor all of the stars. + He sacrificed his children in the fire to other gods. He did it in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced all kinds of evil magic. He took part in worshiping evil powers. He got messages from those who had died. He talked to the spirits of the dead. He did many things that were evil in the sight of the Lord. He made him very angry. + Manasseh had carved a statue of a god. He put it in God's temple. God had spoken to David and his son Solomon about the temple. He had said, "My Name will be in this temple and in Jerusalem forever. Out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel I have chosen Jerusalem. + I gave this land to your people who lived long ago. I will not make the Israelites leave it again. But they must be careful to do everything I commanded them. They must follow all of the laws, directions, and rules I gave them through Moses." + But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem down the wrong path. They did more evil things than the nations the Lord had destroyed to make room for the people of Israel. + The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people. But they didn't pay any attention to him. + So the Lord brought the army commanders of the king of Assyria against them. They took Manasseh as a prisoner. They put a hook in his nose. They put him in bronze chains. And they took him to Babylon. + When Manasseh was in trouble, he asked the Lord his God to show favor to him. He made himself very low in the sight of the God of his people. + Manasseh prayed to him. When he did, the Lord felt sorry for him. He answered his prayer. He brought him back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. + After that, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David. It was west of the Gihon spring in the valley. It reached all the way to the entrance of the Fish Gate. It went around the entire hill of Ophel. Manasseh also made the wall much higher. He stationed military commanders in all of the cities in Judah that had high walls around them. + Manasseh got rid of the strange gods. He removed the statue of one of those gods from the Lord's temple. He also removed all of the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem. He threw them out of the city. + Then he made the Lord's altar look like new again. He sacrificed friendship offerings and thank offerings on it. He told the people of Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. + The people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places. But they offered them only to the Lord their God. + The other events of Manasseh's rule are written down in the official records of the kings of Israel. They include his prayer to his God. They also include the words the prophets spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. + Everything about Manasseh is written in the records of the prophets. That includes his prayer and the fact that God felt sorry for him. It includes everything he did before he made himself low in the Lord's sight. It includes all of his sins and the fact that he wasn't faithful to the Lord. It includes the locations where he built high places. It includes the places where he set up poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. And it includes the places where he set up statues of other gods. + Manasseh joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in his palace. His son Amon became the next king after him. + Amon was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for two years. + Amon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all of the statues of gods that Manasseh had made. + He didn't make himself low in the Lord's sight as his father Manasseh had done. So Amon became even more guilty. + Amon's officials made plans against him. They murdered him in his palace. + Then the people of the land killed all those who had made plans against King Amon. They made his son Josiah king in his place. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years. + He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He lived the way King David had lived. He didn't turn away from it to the right or the left. + While he was still young, he began to worship the God of King David. It was the eighth year of Josiah's rule. In his 12th year he began to get rid of the high places in Judah and Jerusalem. He removed the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. He also removed the wooden and metal statues of gods. + He ordered the altars of the gods that were named after Baal to be torn down. He cut to pieces the altars for burning incense that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles. He also smashed the wooden and metal statues of gods. He broke all of them to pieces. He scattered the pieces over the graves of those who had offered sacrifices to those gods. + He burned the bones of the priests on their altars. That's the way he made Judah and Jerusalem pure and clean. + He went to the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon. He went all the way to Naphtali. He also went to the destroyed places around all of those towns. + Everywhere he went he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles. He crushed the statues of gods to powder. He cut to pieces all of the altars for burning incense. He destroyed all of those things everywhere in Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem. + In the 18th year of Josiah's rule, he decided to make the land and temple pure and clean. So he sent Shaphan, Maaseiah and Joah to repair the temple of the Lord his God. Shaphan was the son of Azaliah. Maaseiah was ruler of the city. And Joah, the son of Joahaz, kept the records. + They went to the high priest Hilkiah. They gave him the money that had been brought into God's temple. The Levites who guarded the doors had collected it. They had received some of the money from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the others who remained in Israel. They had received the rest of it from the people of Judah and Benjamin and those who lived in Jerusalem. + They put all of the money in the care of the men who had been appointed to direct the work on the Lord's temple. Those men paid the workers who repaired the temple and made it look like new again. + They also gave money to the builders and those who worked with wood. The workers used it to buy lumber and blocks of stone. The lumber was used for the supports and beams for the buildings. The kings of Judah had let the buildings fall down. + The men were faithful in doing the work. Jahath and Obadiah directed them. They were Levites from the family line of Merari. Zechariah and Meshullam also directed them. They were from the family line of Kohath. The Levites were skilled in playing musical instruments. + They were in charge of the laborers. They directed all of the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries and writers. Others guarded the doors. + The money that had been taken into the Lord's temple was being brought out. At that time the priest Hilkiah found the Scroll of the Law of the Lord. It had been given through Moses. + Hilkiah spoke to the secretary Shaphan. He said, "I've found the Scroll of the Law in the Lord's temple." He gave it to Shaphan. + Then Shaphan took the scroll to King Josiah. He told him, "Your officials are doing everything they've been asked to do. + They have paid out the money that was in the Lord's temple. They've put it in the care of the directors and workers." + Shaphan continued, "The priest Hilkiah has given me a scroll." Shaphan read some of it to the king. + The king heard the words of the Law. When he did, he tore his royal robes. + He gave orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam, Abdon, the secretary Shaphan and Asaiah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Abdon was the son of Micah. And Asaiah was the king's attendant. Josiah commanded them, + "Go. Ask the Lord for advice. Ask him about what is written in this scroll that has been found. Do it for me. Also do it for those who remain in Israel and Judah. The Lord has poured out his burning anger on us. That's because our people before us didn't obey what the Lord had said. They didn't do everything that is written in this scroll." + Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him went to speak to the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Tokhath. Tokhath was the son of Hasrah. Shallum took care of the sacred robes. Huldah lived in the New Quarter of Jerusalem. + She said to them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Tell the man who sent you to me, + "The Lord says, 'I am going to bring horrible trouble on this place and its people. All of the curses that are written down in the scroll that has been read to the king of Judah will take place. + That is because the people have deserted me. They have burned incense to other gods. They have made me very angry because of everything their hands have made. So I will pour out my burning anger on this place. The fire of my anger will not be put out.' " ' + "The king of Judah sent you to ask for advice. Tell him, 'The Lord is the God of Israel. He has a message for you about the things you heard. + He says, "Your heart was tender. You made yourself low in my sight. You heard what I spoke against this place and its people. So you made yourself low. You tore your royal robes and sobbed. And I have heard you," announces the Lord. + " ' "You will join the members of your family who have already died. Your body will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all of the trouble I am going to bring on this place and those who live here." ' " Huldah's answer was taken back to the king. + Then the king called together all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + He went up to the Lord's temple. The people of Judah and Jerusalem went with him. So did the priests and Levites. All of them went, from the least important of them to the most important. The king had all of the words of the Scroll of the Covenant read to them. The scroll had been found in the Lord's temple. + The king stood next to his pillar. He agreed to the terms of the covenant in front of the Lord. He promised to follow him and obey his commands, directions and rules. He promised to obey them with all his heart and with all his soul. So he promised to obey the terms of the covenant that were written down in that scroll. + Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and in Benjamin commit themselves to the covenant. The people of Jerusalem did it in keeping with the covenant of the God of Israel. + Josiah removed all of the statues of gods from the whole territory that belonged to the people of Israel. The Lord hated those statues. Josiah had everyone in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they didn't fail to follow the Lord, the God of their people. + + + Josiah celebrated the Passover Feast in Jerusalem in honor of the Lord. The Passover lamb was killed on the 14th day of the first month. + Josiah appointed the priests to their duties. He cheered them up as they served the Lord at his temple. + The Levites taught all of the people of Israel. The Levites had been set apart to the Lord. Josiah said to them, "Put the sacred ark of the covenant in the temple Solomon built. He was the son of David and king of Israel. The ark must not be carried around on your shoulders. Serve the Lord your God. Serve his people Israel. + Prepare yourselves by families in your groups. Do it based on the directions that were written by David, the king of Israel, and by his son Solomon. + "Stand at the temple. Stand there with a group of Levites for each group of families among your people. + Kill the Passover lambs. Set yourselves apart to the Lord. Prepare the lambs for your people. Do what the Lord commanded through Moses." + Josiah provided animals for the Passover offerings. He gave them for all of the people who were there. He gave a total of 30,000 sheep and goats and 3,000 head of cattle. He gave all of them from his own possessions. + His officials also gave freely. They gave to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel were in charge of God's temple. They gave the priests 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 head of cattle. + Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel also gave offerings. So did Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad. All of them were the leaders of the Levites. They gave 5,000 Passover lambs and 500 head of cattle for the Levites. + The Passover service was arranged. The priests stood in their places. The Levites were in their groups. That's what the king had ordered. + The Passover lambs were killed. The priests sprinkled the blood that had been handed to them. The Levites skinned the animals. + They set the burnt offerings to one side. Those offerings were for the smaller family groups of the people to offer to the Lord. That's what was written in the Scroll of Moses. The Levites did the same thing with the cattle. + They cooked the Passover animals over the fire, just as the law required. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, large kettles and pans. They served the offerings quickly to all of the people. + After that, they got things ready for themselves and the priests. That's because the priests, who were from the family line of Aaron, were busy until dark. They were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat parts. The Levites got things ready for themselves and for the priests, who belonged to Aaron's family line. + Those who played music were from the family line of Asaph. They were in the places that had been set up by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. Jeduthun had been the king's prophet. The guards at each gate didn't have to leave their places. That's because their brother Levites got things ready for them. + So at that time the entire service in honor of the Lord was carried out. The Passover Feast was celebrated. The burnt offerings were sacrificed on the Lord's altar. That's what King Josiah had ordered. + The people of Israel who were there celebrated the Passover at that time. They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. + The Passover hadn't been observed like that in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. None of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover like Josiah's. He celebrated it with the priests and Levites. All of the people of Judah and Israel were there along with the people of Jerusalem. + That Passover Feast was celebrated in the 18th year of Josiah's rule. + Josiah had put the temple in order. After all of that, Neco went up to fight at Carchemish. He was king of Egypt. Carchemish was on the Euphrates River. Josiah marched out to meet Neco in battle. + But Neco sent messengers to him. They said, "King Josiah, there isn't any trouble between you and me. I'm not attacking you at this time. I'm at war with another country. God told me to hurry. He's with me. So stop opposing him. If you don't, he'll destroy you." + But Josiah wouldn't turn away from Neco. He wore different clothes so people wouldn't recognize him. He wanted to go to war against Neco. He wouldn't listen to what God had commanded Neco to say. Instead, he went out to fight him on the flatlands of Megiddo. + Men who had bows shot arrows at King Josiah. After he was hit, he told his officers, "Take me away. I'm badly wounded." + So they took him out of his chariot. They put him in his other chariot. They brought him to Jerusalem. There he died. His body was buried in the tombs of his family. All of the people of Judah and Jerusalem sobbed over him. + Jeremiah wrote songs of sadness about Josiah. To this very day all of the male and female singers remember Josiah by singing those songs. That became a practice in Israel. The songs are written down in the Book of the Songs of Sadness. + Josiah did many things that showed he was faithful to the Lord. Those things and the other events of Josiah's rule were in keeping with what is written in the Law of the Lord. + All of the events from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Israel and Judah. + + + The people of the land went and got Jehoahaz. He was the son of Josiah. The people made Jehoahaz king in Jerusalem in place of his father. + Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months. + The king of Egypt removed him from his throne in Jerusalem. The king of Egypt made the people of Judah pay him a tax of almost four tons of silver and 75 pounds of gold. + Neco, the king of Egypt, made Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem. Eliakim was a brother of Jehoahaz. Neco changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But he took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz with him to Egypt. + Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. + Nebuchadnezzar attacked him. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. He put Jehoiakim in bronze chains. And he took him to Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar also took articles from the Lord's temple. He took them to Babylon. He put them in his own temple there. + The other events of Jehoiakim's rule are written in the records of the kings of Israel and Judah. He did things the Lord hated. Those things and everything that happened to him are also written in those records. His son Jehoiachin became the next king after him. + Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. + In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him. He brought him to Babylon. He also brought articles of value from the Lord's temple. He made Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was Jehoiachin's uncle. + Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. + He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He didn't pay any attention to the message the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah. + Zedekiah also refused to remain under the control of King Nebuchadnezzar. The king had made him take an oath in God's name. But his heart became very stubborn. He wouldn't turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. + And that's not all. The people and the leaders of the priests became more and more unfaithful. They followed all of the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. The people and leaders made the Lord's temple "unclean." The Lord had set the temple in Jerusalem apart in a special way for himself. + The Lord, the God of Israel, sent word to his people through his messengers. He sent it to them again and again. He took pity on his people. He also took pity on the temple where he lived. + But God's people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord's burning anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them. + The Lord brought the king of Babylonia against them. The Babylonian army killed their young people with their swords at the temple. They didn't spare young men or women. They didn't spare the old people either. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. + Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon all of the articles from God's temple. Some of the articles were large. Others were small. He carried off the treasures of the temple. He also carried off the treasures that belonged to the king and his officials. + The Babylonians set God's temple on fire. They broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all of the palaces. They destroyed everything of value there. + Nebuchadnezzar took the rest of the people to Babylon as prisoners. They had escaped from being killed with swords. They served him and his sons. That lasted until the kingdom of Persia became stronger than Babylonia. + The land of Israel enjoyed its sabbath years. It rested. That deserted land wasn't farmed for a full 70 years. What the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah came true. + It was the first year of the rule of Cyrus. He was king of Persia. The Lord stirred him up to send a message all through his kingdom. It happened so that what the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah would come true. The message was written down. It said, + Cyrus, the king of Persia, says, " 'The Lord is the God of heaven. He has given me all of the kingdoms on earth. He has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any one of his people among you can go up to Jerusalem. And may the Lord your God be with you.' " + + + + + It was the first year of the rule of Cyrus. He was king of Persia. The Lord stirred him up to send a message all through his kingdom. It happened so that what the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah would come true. The message was written down. It said, + "Cyrus, the king of Persia, says, " 'The Lord is the God of heaven. He has given me all of the kingdoms on earth. He has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. + " 'Any one of his people among you can go up to Jerusalem. And may your God be with you. You can build the Lord's temple. He is the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. + " 'The people who are still left alive in every place must bring him gifts. They must provide him with silver and gold. They must bring goods and livestock. They should also bring any offerings they choose to. All of those gifts will be for God's temple in Jerusalem.' " + Then everyone God had stirred up got ready to go. They wanted to go up to Jerusalem and build the Lord's temple there. They included the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin. They also included the priests and Levites. + All of their neighbors helped them. They gave them silver and gold articles. They gave them goods and livestock. And they gave them gifts of great value. All of those things were added to the other offerings the people chose to give. + King Cyrus also brought out the articles that belonged to the Lord's temple. Nebuchadnezzar had carried them off from Jerusalem. He had put them in the temple of his own god. + Cyrus, the king of Persia, told Mithredath to bring them out. Mithredath was in charge of the temple treasures. He counted the articles. Then he gave them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. + Here is a list of the articles. There were 30 gold dishes. There were 1,000 silver dishes. There were 29 silver pans. + There were 30 gold bowls. There were 410 matching silver bowls. There were 1,000 other articles. + The total number of gold and silver articles was 5,400. Sheshbazzar took all of them with him to Jerusalem. He brought them along when the Jews who had been forced to leave Judah came back from Babylon. + + + Nebuchadnezzar had taken many Jews away from the land of Judah. He had forced them to go to Babylonia as prisoners. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went back to their own towns. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. + The leaders of the Jews included Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah and Reelaiah. They also included Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah. Here is a list of the men of Israel who returned home. + There were 2,172 from the family line of Parosh. + There were 372 from Shephatiah. + There were 775 from Arah. + There were 2,812 from Pahath-Moab through the family line of Jeshua and Joab. + There were 1,254 from Elam. + There were 945 from Zattu. + There were 760 from Zaccai. + There were 642 from Bani. + There were 623 from Bebai. + There were 1,222 from Azgad. + There were 666 from Adonikam. + There were 2,056 from Bigvai. + There were 454 from Adin. + There were 98 from Ater through the family line of Hezekiah. + There were 323 from Bezai. + There were 112 from Jorah. + There were 223 from Hashum. + There were 95 from Gibbar. + There were 123 from the men of Bethlehem. + There were 56 from Netophah. + There were 128 from Anathoth. + There were 42 from Azmaveth. + There were 743 from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth. + There were 621 from Ramah and Geba. + There were 122 from Micmash. + There were 223 from Bethel and Ai. + There were 52 from Nebo. + There were 156 from Magbish. + There were 1,254 from the other Elam. + There were 320 from Harim. + There were 725 from Lod, Hadid and Ono. + There were 345 from Jericho. + There were 3,630 from Senaah. + Here is a list of the priests. There were 973 from the family line of Jedaiah through the line of Jeshua. + There were 1,052 from Immer. + There were 1,247 from Pashhur. + There were 1,017 from Harim. + Here is a list of the Levites. There were 74 from the family lines of Jeshua and Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah. + Here is a list of the singers. There were 128 from the family line of Asaph. + Here is a list of the men who guarded the temple gates. There were 139 from the family lines of 'ZZ'Shallum, Ater, Talmon, 'ZZ'Akkub, Hatita and Shobai. + Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the temple servants. Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + Keros, Siaha, Padon, + Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, + Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, + Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, + Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, + Uzza, Paseah, Besai, + Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim, + Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + Neziah, Hatipha + Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the servants of Solomon. Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, + Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, + Shephatiah, Hattil, 'ZZ'Pokereth-Hazzebaim, Ami + The total number of the members of the family lines of the temple servants and the servants of Solomon was 392. + Many people came up to Judah from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they weren't able to prove that their families belonged to the people of Israel. + There were 652 of them from the family lines of 'ZZ'Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda. + Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the priests. They were Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. Barzillai had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead. So he was also called Barzillai. + The priests looked for their family records. But they couldn't find them. So they weren't able to serve as priests. They weren't "clean." + The governor gave them an order. He told them not to eat any of the most sacred food. They had to wait until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim to find out what the Lord wanted them to do. + The total number of the entire group that returned was 42,360. + That didn't include their 7,337 male and female slaves. There were also 200 male and female singers. + And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, + 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. + All of the people arrived at the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. Then some of the leaders of the families brought offerings they chose to give. They would be used for rebuilding the house of God. It would stand in the same place it had been before. + The people gave money for the work. It was based on how much they had. They gave 1,100 pounds of gold. They also gave three tons of silver. And they gave 100 sets of clothes for the priests. All of that was added to the temple treasure. + The priests and Levites settled in their own towns. So did the singers, the men who guarded the gates, and the temple servants. The rest of the people of Israel also settled in their own towns. + + + The people of Israel had settled down in their towns. In the seventh month all of them gathered together in Jerusalem. + Then Jeshua began to build the altar for burnt offerings to honor the God of Israel. Jeshua was the son of Jehozadak. The other priests helped Jeshua. So did Zerubbabel and his men. They built the altar in keeping with what is written in the Law of Moses. Moses was a man of God. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. + The people who built the altar were afraid of the nations that were around them. But they built it anyway. They set it up where it had stood before. They sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord. They offered the morning and evening sacrifices on it. + Then they celebrated the Feast of Booths. They did it in keeping with what is written in the Law. They sacrificed the number of burnt offerings that were required for each day. + After they celebrated the Feast of Booths, they sacrificed the regular burnt offerings. They offered the New Moon sacrifices. They also offered the sacrifices for all of the appointed sacred feasts of the Lord. And they sacrificed the offerings the people chose to give him. + On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. They did it even though the foundation of the Lord's temple hadn't been finished yet. + The people gave money to those who worked with stone and those who worked with wood. They gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre. Then those people brought cedar logs down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea. They floated them down to Joppa. Cyrus, the king of Persia, authorized them to do it. + It was the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem. Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, began the work. Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, helped him. So did everyone else. That included the priests and Levites. It also included the rest of those who had returned to Jerusalem. They had been prisoners in Babylonia. Levites who were 20 years old or more were appointed to be in charge of building the Lord's house. + Those who joined together to direct the work included Jeshua and his sons and brothers. They also included Kadmiel and his sons. And they included the sons of Henadad and all of their sons and brothers. All of those men were Levites. Kadmiel and his sons were members of the family line of Hodaviah. + The builders laid the foundation of the Lord's temple. Then the priests came. They were wearing their special clothes. They brought their trumpets with them. The Levites who belonged to the family line of Asaph also came. They brought their cymbals with them. The priests and Levites took their places to praise the Lord. They did everything just as King David had required them to. + They sang to the Lord. They praised him. They gave thanks to him. They said, "The Lord is good. His faithful love to Israel continues forever." All of the people gave a loud shout. They praised the Lord. They were glad because the foundation of the Lord's temple had been laid. + But many of the older priests and Levites and family leaders sobbed out loud. They had seen the first temple. So when they saw the foundation of the second temple being laid, they sobbed. Others shouted with joy. + No one could tell the difference between the shouts of joy and the sounds of sobbing. That's because the people made so much noise. The sound was heard far away. + + + The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard about what the people who had returned from Babylonia were doing. They heard that they were building a temple to honor the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + The enemies came to Zerubbabel. The family leaders of Israel were with him. The enemies said, "We want to help you build. We're just like you. We worship your God. We offer sacrifices to him. We've been doing that ever since the time of Esarhaddon. He was king of Assyria. He brought our people here." + Zerubbabel and Jeshua answered them. So did the rest of the family leaders of Israel. They said, "You can't help us build a temple to honor our God. You aren't part of us. We'll build it ourselves. We'll do it to honor the Lord. He is the God of Israel. Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us to build it." + Then the nations that were around Judah tried to make its people lose hope. They wanted to make them afraid to go on building. + So they hired advisers to work against them. They wanted their plans to fail. They did it during the whole time Cyrus was king of Persia. They kept doing it until Darius became king. + The enemies of the Jews brought charges against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It happened when Xerxes began to rule over Persia. + Then Artaxerxes became king of Persia. During his rule, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their friends wrote a letter to him. It was written in the Aramaic language. And it used the Aramaic alphabet. + Rehum and Shimshai also wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes. Rehum was the commanding officer. Shimshai was the secretary. Their letter was against the people of Jerusalem. It said, + We, Rehum and Shimshai, are writing this letter. Rehum is the commanding officer. Shimshai is the secretary. Our friends join us in writing. They include the judges and officials who are in charge of the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon. They are also over the Elamites from Susa. + And they are over those who were forced to leave their countries. The great King Ashurbanipal, who is worthy of honor, forced them to leave. He settled them in the city of Samaria. He also settled them in other places west of the Euphrates River. + Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to Artaxerxes. We are sending this letter to you, King Artaxerxes. It is from your servants who live west of the Euphrates River. + We want you to know that the Jews who left you and came up to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that evil city. It has caused trouble for a long time. The Jews are making its walls like new again. They are repairing the foundations. + Here is something else we want you to know. Suppose this city is rebuilt. And suppose its walls are made like new again. Then no more taxes, gifts or fees will be collected. And there will be less money for you. + We owe a lot to you. We don't want to see dishonor brought on you. So we're sending this letter to tell you what is going on. + Then you can have a search made in the official records. Have someone check the records of the kings who ruled before you. If you do, you will find out that Jerusalem is an evil city. It causes trouble for kings and countries. For a long time the city has refused to let anyone rule over it. That's why it was destroyed. + We want you to know that this city shouldn't be rebuilt. Its walls shouldn't be made like new again. If that happens, you won't have anything left west of the Euphrates River. + The king replied, I am writing this letter to Rehum, the commanding officer. I am also writing it to Shimshai, the secretary. And I am writing it to your friends who are living in Samaria and in other places west of the Euphrates River. I give you my greetings. + The letter you sent us has been read to me. It has been explained to me in my language. + I gave an order. I had a search made. We found out that Jerusalem has a long history of turning against the kings of the countries that have ruled over it. It has refused to remain under their control. It is always stirring up trouble. + Jerusalem has had powerful kings. Some of them ruled over everything west of the Euphrates. Taxes, gifts and fees were paid to them. + So give an order to those men. Make them stop their work. Then the city won't be rebuilt until I give the order. + Pay careful attention to this matter. Why should we let this danger grow? That would not be in our best interests. + The copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and the secretary Shimshai. It was also read to their friends. Right away they went to the Jews in Jerusalem. They forced them to stop their work. + And so the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to an end. Nothing more was done on it until the second year that Darius was king of Persia. + + + The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke to them in the name of the God of Israel. He had spoken to those prophets. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Iddo. + Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, began to work. So did Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak. They began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there with them. They were helping them. + At that time Tattenai was governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. He and Shethar-Bozenai and their friends went to the Jews. They asked them, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could make this building like new again?" + They also asked, "What are the names of the men who are putting up this building?" + But the God of the Jews was watching over their elders. So they didn't have to stop their work. First a report would have to be sent to Darius. Then they would have to receive his answer in writing. + Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to King Darius. It was from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the Euphrates. Shethar-Bozenai joined him in writing it. So did their friends. They were officials of that land. + The report they sent to the king said, We are sending this letter to you, King Darius. We give you our most friendly greetings. + We want you to know that we went to the land of Judah. We went to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones. They are putting wooden beams in the walls. The people are working hard. The work is moving ahead very quickly under the direction of the people. + We asked the elders some questions. We said to them, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could make this building like new again?" + We also asked them their names. We wanted to write down the names of their leaders for your information. + Here is the answer they gave us. They said, "We serve the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago. The great King Solomon built it and finished it. + But our people made the God of heaven angry. So he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar from Chaldea. He was king of Babylonia. He destroyed this temple. He forced the Jews to leave their own country. He took them away to Babylonia. + "But King Cyrus gave an order to rebuild this house of God. He gave it in the first year he was king of Babylonia. + He even removed some gold and silver articles from the temple of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had brought them there from the house of God in Jerusalem. He had taken them to the temple in Babylon. "Then King Cyrus brought them out. He gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar. Cyrus had appointed him as governor. + He told him, 'Take these articles with you. Go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild the house of God in the same place where it stood before.' + "So Sheshbazzar made the trip to Jerusalem. He laid the foundations of the house of God there. From that day until now the people have been working on it. But they haven't finished it yet." + If it pleases you, King Darius, let a search be made in the official records of the kings of Babylonia. Find out whether King Cyrus really did give an order to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then tell us what you decide to do. + + + King Darius gave an order. He had a search made in the official records that were stored among the treasures at Babylon. + A scroll was found in a safe storeroom at Ecbatana in the land of Media. Here is what was written on it. This is my official reply to your letter. + In the first year that Cyrus was king, he gave an order. It concerned God's temple in Jerusalem. It said, Rebuild the temple. Then the Jews can offer sacrifices there. Lay its foundations. The temple must be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide. + Its walls must have three layers of large stones. They must also have a layer of beautiful wood. Use money from the royal treasures to pay for everything. + The gold and silver articles from the house of God must be returned. Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from the first temple in Jerusalem. And he had brought them to Babylon. Now they must be returned to their places in the temple at Jerusalem. They must be put in the house of God there. + Tattenai, you are governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. I want you to stay away from the temple in Jerusalem. Shethar-Bozenai and the other officials of that area must also stay away from it. + Don't try to stop the work on God's temple. Let the governor of the Jews and their elders rebuild the house of their God. Let them build it in the same place where it stood before. + Here is what I want you to do for the elders of the Jews. Here is how you must help the men who build the house of their God. Pay all of their expenses from the royal treasures. Use the money you collect from the people who live west of the Euphrates. Don't let the work on the temple stop. + Don't fail to give the priests in Jerusalem what they ask for each day. Give them what they need. Give them young bulls, rams and male lambs. The priests can use them to sacrifice burnt offerings to the God of heaven. Also give them wheat, salt, wine and olive oil. + Give them those things so they can offer sacrifices that please the God of heaven. And I want them to pray that things will go well for me and my sons. + Don't change this order. If a man tries to change it, he must be put to death. A pole must be pulled from his house. The pole must be stuck through his body. Then it must be set up where people can see it. Because the man tried to change my royal order, his house must be broken to pieces. + God has chosen to put his Name in the temple at Jerusalem. May he wipe out any king or nation that lifts a hand to change this order. May he also wipe out anyone who tries to destroy the temple in Jerusalem. That's what I have ordered. I am King Darius. Make sure you carry out my order. + The governor Tattenai carried out the order King Darius had sent. So did Shethar-Bozenai and their friends. + The elders of the Jews continued to build the temple. They enjoyed great success because of the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Iddo. The people finished building the temple. That's what the God of Israel had commanded them to do. Cyrus and Darius had given orders allowing them to do it. Later, Artaxerxes supplied many things that were needed in the temple. Those three men were kings of Persia. + So the temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar. It was in the sixth year that Darius was king. + When the house of God was set apart, the people of Israel celebrated with joy. The priests and Levites joined them. So did the rest of those who had returned from Babylonia. + When the house of God was set apart to him, the people sacrificed 100 bulls. They also sacrificed 200 rams and 400 male lambs. As a sin offering for the whole nation of Israel, the people sacrificed 12 male goats. One goat was sacrificed for each tribe in Israel. + The priests were appointed to their companies. And the Levites were appointed to their groups. All of them served God at Jerusalem. They served him in keeping with what is written in the Scroll of Moses. + Those who had returned from Babylonia celebrated the Passover Feast. It was on the 14th day of the first month. + The priests and Levites had made themselves pure and clean. The Levites killed the Passover lamb for everyone who had returned from Babylonia. They also did it for themselves and their relatives, the priests. + So the people of Israel who had returned ate the Passover lamb. They ate it together with all those who had separated themselves from the practices of their neighbors who weren't Jews. Those practices were "unclean." The people worshiped the Lord. He is the God of Israel. + For seven days they celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy. That's because the Lord had filled them with joy. They were glad because he had changed the mind of the king of Persia. So the king had helped them with the work on the house of the God of Israel. + + + After all of those things had happened, Ezra came up to Jerusalem from Babylonia. It was during the rule of Artaxerxes. He was king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah. Seraiah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Hilkiah. + Hilkiah was the son of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Ahitub. + Ahitub was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Meraioth. + Meraioth was the son of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Bukki. + Bukki was the son of Abishua. Abishua was the son of Phinehas. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. And Eleazar was the son of the chief priest Aaron. + So Ezra came up from Babylonia. He was a teacher. He knew the Law of Moses very well. The Lord had given Israel that law. He is the God of Israel. The king had given Ezra everything he asked for. That's because the powerful hand of the Lord his God helped him. + Some of the people of Israel came up to Jerusalem too. They included priests, Levites and singers. They also included the temple servants and those who guarded the temple gates. It was in the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king. + Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king's rule. + Ezra had begun his journey from Babylonia on the first day of the first month. He arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. That's because the gracious hand of his God helped him. + Ezra had committed himself to study and obey the Law of the Lord. He also wanted to teach the Lord's rules and laws in Israel. + Ezra was a priest and teacher. He was an educated man. He knew the Lord's commands and rules for Israel very well. Here is a copy of a letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra. It said, + I, Artaxerxes, am writing this letter. I am the greatest king of all. I have given it to the priest Ezra. He is a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven. I give you my greetings. + Ezra, there are people from Israel in my kingdom. I am giving an order that any of them who want to go to Jerusalem with you can go. The order also allows priests and Levites to go with you. + I and my seven advisers are sending you to see how things are going in Judah and Jerusalem. Find out whether the people there are obeying the Law of your God. You have a copy of that law with you. + I and my advisers have freely given some silver and gold to the God of Israel. He lives in Jerusalem. Take the silver and gold with you. + Also take any other silver and gold you can get from the land of Babylonia. And take the offerings the people and priests choose to give for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. + Make sure you use the money to buy bulls, rams and male lambs. Also buy their grain offerings and drink offerings. Then sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem. + You and the other Jews can do what you think is best with the rest of the silver and gold. Do what your God wants you to do. + Give to the God of Jerusalem all of the articles you are accountable for. Use them for worshiping your God in his temple. + You might need to supply some other things for the temple of your God. If you do, take them from among the royal treasures. + I, King Artaxerxes, also give this order. It applies to all those who are in charge of the treasures west of the Euphrates River. Make sure you provide anything the priest Ezra might ask you to give. He is a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven. + Give Ezra up to three and three-fourths tons of silver. Give him up to 600 bushels of wheat. Give him up to 600 gallons of wine. Also give him up to 600 gallons of olive oil. And give him as much salt as he needs. + Work hard for the temple of the God of heaven. Do everything he has required. I don't want him to be angry with my kingdom and the kingdom of my sons. + I want you to know that you don't have any authority to collect taxes, gifts or fees from these people. You can't collect them from the priests, Levites, singers or those who guard the temple gates. And you can't collect them from the temple servants or other workers at the house of God in Jerusalem. + Ezra, appoint judges and other court officials. When you do it, use the wisdom your God gives you. Those you appoint should do what is right and fair when they judge people. They should do it for everyone who lives west of the Euphrates. They should do it for everyone who knows the laws of your God. And I want you to teach the people who don't know those laws. + Anyone who doesn't obey the law of your God must be punished. The same thing applies to anyone who doesn't obey my law. The people must be punished in keeping with the laws they have broken. Some of them must be put to death. Others must be forced to leave the places where they live. Others must have their property taken away from them. Still others must be put in prison. + People of Israel, give praise to the Lord. He is the God of our people who lived long ago. He has put it in the king's heart to bring honor to the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. The king has honored the Lord in his letter. + The Lord has shown his good favor to me. He has caused the king and his advisers to show me their favor. In fact, all of the king's powerful officials have shown favor to me. The strong hand of the Lord my God helped me. That gave me new strength. So I gathered together leaders from Israel to go up to Jerusalem with me. + + + Many family leaders came up to Jerusalem with me from Babylonia. So did others who were listed with them. It was during the time when Artaxerxes was king. Here is a list of those who came. + Gershom came from the family line of Phinehas. Daniel came from the family line of Ithamar. Hattush came from the family line of David. + Hattush also belonged to the family of Shecaniah. Zechariah came from the family line of Parosh. The total number of men who were listed with him was 150. + Eliehoenai came from the family line of Pahath-Moab. Eliehoenai was the son of Zerahiah. The total number of men with him was 200. + Shecaniah came from the family line of Zattu. Shecaniah was the son of Jahaziel. The total number of men with him was 300. + Ebed came from the family line of Adin. Ebed was the son of Jonathan. The total number of men with him was 50. + Jeshaiah came from the family line of Elam. Jeshaiah was the son of Athaliah. The total number of men with him was 70. + Zebadiah came from the family line of Shephatiah. Zebadiah was the son of Michael. The total number of men with him was 80. + Obadiah came from the family line of Joab. Obadiah was the son of Jehiel. The total number of men with him was 218. + Shelomith came from the family line of Bani. Shelomith was the son of Josiphiah. The total number of men with him was 160. + Zechariah came from the family line of Bebai. Zechariah was the son of Bebai. The total number of men with him was 28. + Johanan came from the family line of Azgad. Johanan was the son of Hakkatan. The total number of men with him was 110. + Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah came from the family line of Adonikam. Some members of their family had gone up to Jerusalem before them. The total number of men with them was 60. + Uthai and Zaccur came from the family line of Bigvai. The total number of men with them was 70. + I gathered the people together at the waterway that flows toward Ahava. We camped there for three days. I looked for Levites among the people and priests. But I didn't find any. + So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan and Jarib. I also sent for Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam. All of them were leaders. And I sent for Joiarib and Elnathan. They were very well educated. + I sent all of those men to Iddo. He was the leader in Casiphia. He and his relatives were temple servants there. I told my men what to say to them. I wanted Iddo and his relatives to bring some attendants to us for the house of our God. + The gracious hand of our God helped us. So they brought us Sherebiah. He was a man of ability. He came from the family line of Mahli. Mahli was the son of Levi. Levi was a son of Israel. They also brought us Sherebiah's sons and brothers. The total number of men was 18. + And they brought Hashabiah and his brothers and nephews. They brought them together with Jeshaiah. He came from the family line of Merari. The total number of men was 20. + They also brought 220 of the temple servants. That was a special group David and his officials had established. They were supposed to help the Levites. All of them were listed by name. + I announced a fast by the waterway that flows toward Ahava. I told the people not to eat any food. In that way, we made ourselves low in the sight of God. We prayed that he would give us and our children a safe journey. We asked him to keep safe everything we owned. + I was ashamed to ask King Artaxerxes for soldiers and horsemen. They could have kept us safe from enemies on the road. But we had told the king that our God would keep us safe. We had said, "The gracious hand of our God helps everyone who looks to him. But he becomes very angry with anyone who deserts him." + So we didn't eat anything. We prayed to our God about all of those matters. And he answered our prayers. + Then I set 12 of the leading priests apart. I also set apart Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their relatives. + I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and other articles. They had been given for the house of our God. The king, his advisers and officials, and all of the people of Israel who were there had given them. + I weighed out 25 tons of silver to those men. I weighed out almost four tons of silver articles. I weighed out almost four tons of gold. + I weighed out 20 gold bowls. They weighed 19 pounds. I also weighed out two fine articles. The bronze they were made out of was highly polished. They were as priceless as gold. + I said to those men, "You are set apart to the Lord. So are these articles. The silver and gold were offered to the Lord by those who chose to give them. He is the God of your people. + Guard all of those things carefully until you weigh them out. Weigh them in the special rooms of the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. Do it in front of the leading priests and the Levites. Make sure the family leaders of Israel are watching." + Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles. All of them had been weighed out. They were going to take them to the house of our God in Jerusalem. + On the 12th day of the first month we started out. We left the waterway that flows toward Ahava. And we headed for Jerusalem. The powerful hand of our God helped us. He kept us safe from enemies and robbers along the way. + So we arrived in Jerusalem. There we rested for three days. + On the fourth day we weighed out the silver and gold. We also weighed out the sacred articles. We weighed everything in the house of our God. We handed all of it over to the priest Meremoth. He was the son of Uriah. Eleazar, Jozabad and Noadiah were with him. Eleazar was the son of Phinehas. Jozabad was the son of Jeshua. Noadiah was the son of Binnui. Jozabad and Noadiah were Levites. + Everything was listed by number and weight. And the total weight was recorded at that time. + Then the people sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They had returned from Babylonia. They offered 12 bulls for the whole nation of Israel. They offered 96 rams and 77 male lambs. All of that was a burnt offering to the Lord. They sacrificed 12 male goats as a sin offering. + They also handed over the king's orders. They gave them to the royal officials and governors who ruled over the land west of the Euphrates River. Then those men helped the people. They also did many things for the house of God. + + + After all of those things had been done, the leaders came to me. They said, "The people of Israel have committed sins. Even the priests and Levites have sinned. They haven't kept themselves separate from the nations that are around them. The Lord hates the practices of those nations. He hates what the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites do. He also hates what the Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites do. + "The men of Israel have gotten married to the daughters of some of those people. They've also taken some of those women for their sons to marry. So they've mixed our holy nation with the nations around us. By getting married to women who don't worship the Lord, we leaders and officials have led the way in breaking our covenant with him. We haven't been faithful to him." + When I heard that, I tore my inner robe and my coat. I pulled hair from my head and beard. I was so shocked I sat down. + Then everyone who trembled with fear because of what the God of Israel had said gathered around me. They came because the people who had returned from Babylonia had not been faithful. So I sat there in shock until the time of the evening sacrifice. + Then I got up. I had been very sad for quite a while. My inner robe and my coat were torn. I fell down on my knees. I spread my hands out to the Lord my God. + I prayed, "You are my God. I'm filled with shame and dishonor. I can hardly look to you and pray. That's because our sins are piled up above our heads. Our guilt reaches all the way to the heavens. + We are filled with it. It has been like that ever since the days of our people who lived long ago. "Kings of other countries have killed many of us and our kings and priests with their swords. They've forced others to leave their own land. They've taken them away as prisoners. They've robbed others. They've made still others feel ashamed and dishonored. "All of those things have happened to us because we've committed so many sins. And that's how things still are to this very day. + "But you are the Lord our God. Now you have shown us your favor for a short time. You have allowed a few of us to remain here. Your temple has given us new hope. So you have made things easier for us. You have given us a little rest from our slavery. + We are still slaves. But you are our God. You haven't deserted us. You haven't left us in our slavery. You have been kind to us. The kings of Persia have seen it. You have given us new life to repair your temple and rebuild it. You have given us a place of safety in Judah and Jerusalem. + "You are our God. What can we say after the way you have blessed us? We said no to what you commanded us to do. + "You gave us your commands through your servants the prophets. You said, 'You are entering the land to take it as your own. The sinful practices of its people have polluted it. They have filled it with their unclean acts from one end to the other. The Lord hates all of their practices. + So don't let your daughters get married to their sons. And don't let their daughters marry your sons. Don't make a peace treaty with them at any time. Then you will be strong. You will eat the good things the land produces. And you will leave all of it to your children as their share. They and their children after them will enjoy it forever.' + "Our evil acts and our terrible sins have brought about the things that have happened to us. You are our God. Because we sinned so much, you should have punished us even more than you have. But you have left many of your people alive. + Suppose we don't obey your commands again. And suppose we continue to get married to people who commit sins that you hate. If we do, you will be so angry with us that you will destroy us. You won't leave us even a few people. You won't leave anyone alive. + "Lord, you are the God of Israel. You are holy. You always do what is right. Today you have left many of your people alive. Here we are with all of our guilt. You see the guilt of our sin. Because we have sinned, not one of us can stand in front of you." + + + Ezra was praying and admitting to God that his people had sinned. He was sobbing and throwing himself down in front of the house of God. Then a large crowd gathered around him. Men, women and children were there. They too sobbed bitterly. + Shecaniah spoke to Ezra. Shecaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shecaniah said, "We haven't been faithful to our God. We've gotten married to women from the nations that are around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel. + So let's make a covenant in the sight of our God. Let's promise to send away all of those women and their children. That's what you have advised us to do. Those who respect our God's commands have given us the same advice. We want to do what the Law says. + "Get up, Ezra. This matter is in your hands. Do what you need to. We will be behind you all the way. Be brave and do it." + So Ezra got up. He made the leading priests and Levites and all of the people of Israel take an oath. He made them promise they would do what Shecaniah had suggested. And they took the oath. + Then Ezra left the house of God. He went to Jehohanan's room. Jehohanan was the son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he didn't eat any food. He didn't drink any water. That's because he was filled with sadness. He sobbed because the people weren't faithful to the Lord's commands. Those people were the ones who had returned from Babylonia. + Then an announcement was sent all through Judah and Jerusalem. All those who had returned were told to gather together in Jerusalem. + They were supposed to come there before three days had passed. If they didn't, they would lose all of their property. They would also be removed from the community of those who had returned. That's what the officials and elders had decided. + Before the three days were over, all of the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered together in Jerusalem. It was the 20th day of the ninth month. They were sitting in the open area in front of the house of God. They were very upset by what they knew would happen. And they were upset because it was raining. + Then the priest Ezra stood up. He said, "You haven't been faithful to the Lord. You have gotten married to women from other lands. So you have added to Israel's guilt. + Admit to the Lord that you have sinned. Tell the God of your people what you have done. Then do what he wants you to do. Separate yourselves from the nations that are around you. Send away your wives from other lands." + The whole community answered with a loud voice. They said, "You are right! We must do as you say. + But there are a lot of people here. And it's the rainy season. So we can't stand outside. Besides, this matter can't be taken care of in just a day or two. That's because we have sinned terribly by what we've done. + "Our officials can act for the whole community. Have everyone in our towns who has married a woman from another land come at a certain time. Tell them to come together with the elders and judges of each town. Then our God will turn his burning anger away from us concerning this whole matter." + Only a few men opposed that. They included Jonathan and Jahzeiah. Meshullam and the Levite Shabbethai joined them. Jonathan was the son of Asahel. Jahzeiah was the son of Tikvah. + So those who had returned did what had been suggested. The priest Ezra chose some family leaders. There was one from each family group. All of them were chosen by name. They sat down to check out each case. They started on the first day of the tenth month. + By the first day of the first month they were finished. They had handled all of the cases of the men who had gotten married to women from other lands. + Among the family lines of the priests, here are the men who had married women from other lands. Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah came from the family line of Jeshua and his brothers. Jeshua was the son of Jehozadak. + All of them made a firm promise to send their wives away. Each of those men brought a ram from his flock as a guilt offering. + Hanani and Zebadiah came from the family line of Immer. + Maaseiah and Elijah came from the family line of Harim. So did Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah. + Elioenai, Maaseiah and Ishmael came from the family line of Pashhur. So did Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. + Among the Levites, here are the men who had married women from other lands. There were Jozabad, Shimei and Kelaiah. There were also Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. Kelaiah's other name was Kelita. + Eliashib came from the singers. Shallum, Telem and Uri came from the men who guarded the temple gates. + Among the other Israelites, here are the men who had married women from other lands. Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah and Mijamin came from the family line of Parosh. So did Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah. + Mattaniah, Zechariah and Jehiel came from the family line of Elam. So did Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah. + Elioenai, Eliashib and Mattaniah came from the family line of Zattu. So did Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza. + Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai came from the family line of Bebai. + Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah came from the family line of Bani. So did Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth. + Adna, Kelal, Benaiah and Maaseiah came from the family line of Pahath-Moab. So did Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh. + Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah and Shimeon came from the family line of Harim. + So did Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah. + Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad and Eliphelet came from the family line of Hashum. So did Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei. + Maadai, Amram and Uel came from the family line of Bani. + So did Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, + Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, + Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu. + Shimei came from the family line of Binnui. + So did Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, + Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, + Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, + Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. + Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad and Zebina came from the family line of Nebo. So did Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. + All of those men had married women from other lands. Some of them had even had children by those wives. + + + + + These are the words of Nehemiah. He was the son of Hacaliah. I was in the safest place in Susa. I was there in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king. It was in the month of Kislev. + At that time Hanani came from Judah with some other men. He was one of my brothers. I asked him and the other men about the Jews who were left alive in Judah. They had returned from Babylonia. I also asked him about Jerusalem. + He and the men who were with him said to me, "Some of the people who returned are still alive. They are back in the land of Judah. But they are having a hard time. People are making fun of them. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down. Its gates have been burned with fire." + When I heard about those things, I sat down and sobbed. For several days I was very sad. I didn't eat any food. And I prayed to the God of heaven. + I said, "Lord, you are the God of heaven. You are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with those who love you and obey your commands. You show them your love. + "Please pay careful attention to my prayer. See how your people are suffering. Please listen to me. I'm praying to you day and night. I'm praying for the people of Israel. We Israelites have committed sins against you. All of us admit it. I and my family have also sinned against you. + We've done some very evil things. We haven't obeyed the commands, rules and laws you gave your servant Moses. + "Remember what you told him. You said, 'If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations. + But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again. I will bring you back from the farthest places on earth. I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.' + "Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt. + Lord, please pay careful attention to my prayer. Listen to the prayers of all of us. We take delight in bringing honor to your name. Give me success today. Help King Artaxerxes show me his favor." I was the king's wine taster. + + + Wine was brought in for King Artaxerxes. It was the month of Nisan in the 20th year of his rule. I got the wine and gave it to him. I hadn't been sad in front of him before. But now I was. + So the king asked me, "Why are you looking so sad? You aren't sick. You must be feeling sad deep down inside." I was really afraid. + But I said to the king, "May you live forever! Why shouldn't I look sad? The city where my people of long ago are buried has been destroyed. And fire has burned up its gates." + The king said to me, "What do you want?" I prayed to the God of heaven. + Then I answered the king, "Are you pleased with me, King Artaxerxes? If it pleases you, send me to Judah. Let me go to the city of Jerusalem. That's where my people are buried. I want to rebuild it." + The queen was sitting beside the king. He turned and asked me, "How long will your journey take? When will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me. So I chose a certain time. + I also said to him, "If it pleases you, may I take some letters with me? I want to give them to the governors of the land west of the Euphrates River. Then they'll help me travel safely through their territory until I arrive in Judah. + "May I also have a letter to Asaph? He takes care of your forest. I want him to give me some logs so I can make beams out of them. I want to use them for the gates of the fort that is by the temple. Some of the logs will be used in the city wall. And I'll need some for the house I'm going to live in." The gracious hand of my God helped me. So the king gave me what I asked for. + Then I went to the governors of the land west of the Euphrates. I gave them the king's letters. He had also sent army officers and horsemen along with me. + Sanballat and Tobiah heard about what was happening. They were very upset that someone had come to work for the good of Israel's people. Sanballat was a Horonite. Tobiah was an official from Ammon. + I went to Jerusalem. I stayed there for three days. + Then at night I took a few men with me to check out the walls. I hadn't told anyone what my God wanted me to do for Jerusalem. There weren't any donkeys with me except the one I was riding on. + That night I went out through the Valley Gate. I went toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate. I checked out the walls of Jerusalem. They had been broken down. I also checked the city gates. Fire had burned them up. + I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool. But there wasn't enough room for my donkey to get through. + It was still night. I went up the Kidron Valley. I kept checking the wall. Finally, I turned back. I went back in through the Valley Gate. + The officials didn't know where I had gone. They didn't know what I had done either. That's because I hadn't said anything to anyone yet. I hadn't told the priests or nobles or officials. And I hadn't spoken to any others who would be rebuilding the wall. + I said to them, "You can see the trouble we're in. Jerusalem has been destroyed. Fire has burned up its gates. Come on. Let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Then people won't make fun of us anymore." + I also told them how the gracious hand of my God was helping me. And I told them what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let's start rebuilding." So they began that good work. + But Sanballat, the Horonite, heard about it. So did Tobiah, the official from Ammon. Geshem, the Arab, heard about it too. All of them laughed at us. They made fun of us. "What do you think you are doing?" they asked. "Are you turning against the king?" + I answered, "The God of heaven will give us success. We serve him. So we'll start rebuilding the walls. But you don't have any share in Jerusalem. You don't have any claim to it. You don't have any right to worship here." + + + The high priest Eliashib and the other priests went to work. They rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They set it apart to God. They put its doors in place. They continued to rebuild the wall up to the Tower of the Hundred. They set the tower apart to God. Then they continued to rebuild the wall all the way to the Tower of Hananel. + Some men from Jericho rebuilt the next part of the wall. And Zaccur rebuilt the next part. He was the son of Imri. + The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate. They laid its beams. They put its doors and metal bolts and bars in place. + Meremoth repaired the next part of the wall. He was the son of Uriah. Uriah was the son of Hakkoz. Next to Meremoth, Meshullam made some repairs. He was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Meshezabel. Next to Meshullam, Zadok also made some repairs. He was the son of Baana. + Some men from Tekoa repaired the next part of the wall. But their nobles refused to do any work at all. They didn't pay any attention to the people who were in charge of the work. + Joiada and Meshullam repaired the Jeshanah Gate. Joiada was the son of Paseah. Meshullam was the son of Besodeiah. Joiada and Meshullam laid the beams of the gate. They put its doors and metal bolts and bars in place. + Next to them, some men from Gibeon and Mizpah made repairs. They included Melatiah from Gibeon and Jadon from Meronoth. Those places were under the authority of the governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. + Uzziel repaired the next part of the wall. He made his living by working with gold. He was the son of Harhaiah. Hananiah made repairs on the next part. He made his living by making perfume. So the wall of Jerusalem was made like new again all the way to the Broad Wall. + Rephaiah repaired the next part. He was the son of Hur. Rephaiah ruled over half of the territory where Jerusalem was located. + Jedaiah repaired the part of the wall that was across from his house. He was the son of Harumaph. Hattush made repairs next to Jedaiah. Hattush was the son of Hashabneiah. + Malkijah and Hasshub repaired another part of the wall. They also repaired the Tower of the Ovens. Malkijah was the son of Harim. Hasshub was the son of Pahath-Moab. + Shallum repaired the next part. His daughters helped him. He was the son of Hallohesh. Shallum ruled over the other half of the territory where Jerusalem was located. + Hanun repaired the Valley Gate. Some people who lived in Zanoah helped him. They rebuilt it. They put its doors and metal bolts and bars in place. They also repaired 500 yards of the wall. They repaired it all the way to the Dung Gate. + Malkijah repaired the Dung Gate. He was the son of Recab. Malkijah ruled over the territory where Beth Hakkerem was located. He rebuilt the gate. He put its doors and metal bolts and bars in place. + Shallun repaired the Fountain Gate. He was the son of Col-Hozeh. Shallun ruled over the territory where Mizpah was located. He rebuilt the gate. He put a roof over it. And he put the doors and metal bolts and bars of the gate in place. He also repaired the wall by the Pool of Siloam. It was near the King's Garden. Shallun repaired the wall as far as the steps that go down from the City of David. + Next to Shallun, Nehemiah made some repairs. He was the son of Azbuk. Nehemiah ruled over half of the territory where Beth Zur was located. He repaired the wall up to the part that was across from the tombs of David. He repaired it all the way to the man-made pool and the House of Heroes. + Next to Nehemiah, some Levites made repairs. They worked under the direction of Rehum. He was the son of Bani. Next to Rehum, Hashabiah made repairs for his territory. He ruled over half of the territory where Keilah was located. + Next to him, other people from that territory made some repairs. They worked under the direction of Binnui. He was the son of Henadad. Binnui ruled over the other half of the territory where Keilah was located. + Next to him, Ezer repaired another part of the wall. He was the son of Jeshua. Ezer ruled over the territory where Mizpah was located. He repaired the part that was across from the place that went up to the storeroom where the weapons were kept. He repaired the wall up to the angle. + Next to him, Baruch worked hard to repair another part of the wall. He was the son of Zabbai. He repaired the part from the angle to the entrance to Eliashib's house. Eliashib was high priest. + Next to Baruch, Meremoth repaired another part. He was the son of Uriah. Uriah was the son of Hakkoz. Meremoth repaired the part from the entrance to Eliashib's house to the end of the house. + Next to Meremoth, some priests from the surrounding area made repairs. + Next to them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the part of the wall that was in front of their house. Next to them, Azariah repaired the part that was beside his house. He was the son of Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ananiah. + Next to Azariah, Binnui made repairs on another part. Binnui was the son of Henadad. Binnui repaired the wall from Azariah's house to the angle and the corner. + Palal worked across from the angle. He was the son of Uzai. Palal also worked across from the tower that was part of the upper palace. It was near the courtyard of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah made some repairs. He was the son of Parosh. + The temple servants who lived on the hill of Ophel helped him. They repaired the wall up to the part that was across from the Water Gate. It was toward the east and the palace tower. + Next to the temple servants, the men from Tekoa repaired another part. They made repairs from the large palace tower to the wall of Ophel. + The priests made repairs above the Horse Gate. Each priest repaired the part of the wall that was in front of his own house. + Next to them, Zadok made repairs across from his house. He was the son of Immer. Next to Zadok, Shemaiah made some repairs. He was the son of Shecaniah. Shemaiah guarded the East Gate. + Next to him, Hananiah and Hanun repaired another part of the wall. Hananiah was the son of Shelemiah. Hanun was the sixth son of Zalaph. Next to Hananiah and Hanun, Meshullam made some repairs. He was the son of Berekiah. Meshullam repaired the part that was across from where he lived. + Next to him, Malkijah made some repairs. He made his living by working with gold. He repaired the wall up to the house of the temple servants and the traders. It was across from the Inspection Gate. He also repaired the wall as far as the room that was above the corner. + The traders and those who made their living by working with gold made some repairs. They repaired the wall from the room above the corner to the Sheep Gate. + + + Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall. So he burned with anger. He became very upset. He made fun of the Jews. + He spoke to his friends and the army of Samaria. He said, "What are those Jews trying to do? Can they make their city wall like new again? Will they offer sacrifices? Can they finish everything in a single day? The stones from their city wall and buildings are piled up like trash. And everything has been badly burned. Can they use those stones to rebuild everything again?" + Tobiah from Ammon was at Sanballat's side. He said, "What are they building? They're putting up a stone wall. But suppose a fox climbs on top of it. Even that will break it down!" + I prayed to God. I said, "Our God, please listen to our prayer. Some people hate us. They're making fun of us. So let others make fun of them. Let them be carried off like stolen goods. Let them be taken to another country as prisoners. + Don't hide your eyes from their guilt. Don't forgive their sins. They have made fun of the builders." + So we rebuilt the wall. We repaired it until all of it was half as high as we wanted it to be. The people worked with all their heart. + But Sanballat and Tobiah heard that Jerusalem's walls continued to be repaired. The Arabs and some people from Ammon heard the same thing. Some men from Ashdod heard about it too. They heard that the gaps in the wall were being filled in. So they burned with anger. + All of them made evil plans to come and fight against Jerusalem. They wanted to stir up trouble against it. + But we prayed to our God. We put guards on duty day and night to watch out for danger. + During that time, the people in Judah spoke up. They said, "The workers are getting weaker and weaker all the time. Broken stones are piled up everywhere. They are in our way. So we can't rebuild the wall." + And our enemies said, "We will be right there among them. We'll kill them. We'll put an end to their work. We'll do it before they even know it or see us." + Then the Jews who lived near our enemies came to us. They told us ten times, "No matter where you are, they'll attack us." + So I stationed some people behind the lowest parts of the wall. That's where our enemies could easily attack us. I stationed the people family by family. They had their swords, spears and bows with them. + I looked things over. Then I stood up and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, "Don't be afraid of your enemies. Remember the Lord. He is great and powerful. So fight for your brothers and sisters. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and homes." + Our enemies heard that we knew what they were trying to do. They heard that God had blocked their evil plans. So all of us returned to the wall. Each of us did our own work. + From that day on, half of my men did the work. The other half were given spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all of the people of Judah. + The people continued to build the wall. Those who carried supplies did their work with one hand. They held a weapon in the other hand. + Each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who blew the trumpet stayed with me. + Then I spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, "This is a big job. It covers a lot of territory. We're separated too far from one another along the wall. + When you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us at that location. Our God will fight for us!" + So we continued the work. Half of the men held spears. We worked from the first light of sunrise until the stars came out at night. + At that time I also spoke to the people. I told them, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. Then they can guard us at night. And they can work during the day." + My relatives and I didn't take our clothes off. My men and the guards didn't take theirs off either. Each man kept his weapon with him, even when he went to get water. + + + Some men and their wives cried out against their Jewish brothers and sisters. + Some of them were saying, "We and our sons and daughters have increased our numbers. Now there are many of us. We have to get some grain so we can eat and stay alive." + Others were saying, "We're being forced to sell our fields, vineyards and homes. We have to do it to buy grain. There isn't enough food for everyone." + Still others were saying, "We've had to borrow money. We needed it to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. + We belong to the same family lines as the rest of our people. Our sons and daughters are as good as theirs. But we've had to sell them off as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been made slaves. But we can't do anything about it. That's because our fields and vineyards now belong to others." + I heard them when they cried out. And I burned with anger when I heard what they were saying. + I thought it over for a while. Then I brought charges against the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are forcing your own people to pay too much interest!" So I called together a large group of people to handle the matter. + I said, "Our Jewish brothers and sisters were sold to other nations. We've done everything we could to buy them back and bring them home. But look at what you are doing! You are actually selling your own people! Now we'll have to buy them back too!" The people kept quiet. They couldn't think of anything to say. + So I continued, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you show respect for our God? Shouldn't you live in a way that will keep our enemies from making fun of us? + "I'm lending the people money and grain. So are my relatives and my men. But you must stop charging too much interest! + "Give the people's fields back to them. Give them back their vineyards, olive groves and houses. Do it right away. You have charged them too much. Give everything back to them. Give them back the one percent on the money, grain, fresh wine and olive oil you have charged them." + "We'll give it back," they said. "And we won't require anything more from them. We'll do exactly as you say." Then I sent for the priests. I made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. + I also shook out my pockets and emptied them. I said, "Some of you might decide not to keep the promise you have made. If that happens, may God shake you out of your house! May he empty you of everything you own! May you be left with nothing at all!" The whole community said, "Amen." They praised the Lord. And the leaders did what they had promised to do. + And that's not all. I was appointed as governor of Judah in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king of Persia. I remained in that position until his 32nd year. During those 12 years, I and my relatives didn't eat the food that was provided for my table. + But there had been governors before me. They had put a heavy load on the people. They had taken a pound of silver from each of them. They had also taken food and wine from them. Their officials had acted like high and mighty rulers over them. But I have great respect for God. So I didn't act like that. + Instead, I spent all of my time working on this wall. All of my men were gathered there to work on it too. We didn't receive any land for ourselves. + Many people ate at my table. They included 150 Jews and officials. They also included leaders who came to us from the nations that were around us. + Each day one ox, six of the best sheep and some birds were prepared for me. Every ten days plenty of wine of all kinds was brought in as well. In spite of all that, I never asked for the food that was provided for my table. That's because the people were already paying too many taxes. + You are my God. Please remember me. Show me your favor. Keep in mind everything I've done for these people. + + + Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, the Arab, heard about what I had done. So did the rest of our enemies. All of them heard I had rebuilt the wall. In fact, they heard there weren't any gaps left in it. But up to that time I hadn't put up the gates at the main entrances to the city. + Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message. They said, "Come. Let's talk with one another. Let's meet in one of the villages on the flatlands of Ono." But they were planning to harm me. + So I sent messengers to them with my answer. I replied, "I'm working on a huge project. So I can't get away. Why should the work stop while I leave it? Why should I go down and talk with you?" + They sent me the same message four times. And I gave them the same answer each time. + Sanballat sent his helper to me a fifth time. He brought the same message. He was carrying a letter that wasn't sealed. + It said, "A report is going around among the nations. Geshem says it's true. We hear that you and the other Jews are planning to turn against the Persian rulers. And that's why you are building the wall. "It's also reported that you are about to become their king. + People say that you have even appointed prophets to make an announcement about you. In Jerusalem they are going to say, 'Judah has a king!' That report will get back to the king of Persia. So come. Let's talk things over." + I sent a reply to Sanballat. I said, "What you are saying isn't really happening. You are just making it up." + All of them were trying to frighten us. They thought, "Their hands will get too weak to do the work. So it won't be completed." But I prayed to God. I said, "Make my hands stronger." + One day I went to Shemaiah's house. He was the son of Delaiah. Delaiah was the son of Mehetabel. Shemaiah had shut himself up in his home. He said, "Let's go to God's house. Let's meet inside the temple. Let's close the temple doors. Some people want to kill you. They will come at night." + But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Should someone like me go into the temple just to save his life? No! I won't go!" + I realized that God hadn't sent Shemaiah. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. That's why he had prophesied lies about me. + They had hired him to scare me. They wanted me to commit a sin by doing what he said. That would give me a bad name in the community. People would find fault with me and my work. + You are my God. Remember what Tobiah and Sanballat have done. Also remember the prophet Noadiah. She and the rest of the prophets have been trying to scare me. + So the city wall was completed on the 25th day of the month of Elul. It was finished in 52 days. + All of our enemies heard about it. All of the nations that were around us became afraid. They weren't sure of themselves anymore. They realized that our God had helped us finish the work. + In those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah. And replies from Tobiah came back to them. + Many people in Judah had taken an oath that they would be faithful to him. That's because he was Shecaniah's son-in-law. Shecaniah was the son of Arah. Tobiah's son Jehohanan had married Meshullam's daughter. Meshullam was the son of Berekiah. + Tobiah's friends kept reporting to me the good things he did. They also kept telling him what I said. And Tobiah himself sent letters to scare me. + + + The wall had been rebuilt. I had put up the gates at the main entrances to the city. Those who guarded the gates were appointed to their positions. So were the singers and Levites. + I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah helped him. Hananiah was commander of the fort that was by the temple. Hanani was an honest man. He had more respect for God than most people do. + I said to Hanani and Hananiah, "Don't open the gates of Jerusalem until the hottest time of the day. Tell the men who guard the gates to shut them before they go off duty. Make sure they lock them up tight. Also appoint as guards some people who live in Jerusalem. Station some of them at their appointed places. Station others near their own homes." + Jerusalem was large. It had a lot of room. But only a few people lived there. The houses hadn't been rebuilt yet. + So my God stirred me up to gather the people together. He also told me to gather the nobles and officials together with them. He wanted me to list them by families. I found the family history of those who had been the first to return. Here is what I found written in it. + Nebuchadnezzar had taken many Jews away from the land of Judah. He had forced them to go to Babylonia as prisoners. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went back to their own towns. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. + The leaders of the Jews included Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah and Nahamani. They also included Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah. Here is a list of the men of Israel who returned home. + There were 2,172 from the family line of Parosh. + There were 372 from Shephatiah. + There were 652 from Arah. + There were 2,818 from Pahath-Moab through the family line of Jeshua and Joab. + There were 1,254 from Elam. + There were 845 from Zattu. + There were 760 from Zaccai. + There were 648 from Binnui. + There were 628 from Bebai. + There were 2,322 from Azgad. + There were 667 from Adonikam. + There were 2,067 from Bigvai. + There were 655 from Adin. + There were 98 from Ater through the family line of Hezekiah. + There were 328 from Hashum. + There were 324 from Bezai. + There were 112 from Hariph. + There were 95 from Gibeon. + There were 188 from the men of Bethlehem and Netophah. + There were 128 from Anathoth. + There were 42 from Beth Azmaveth. + There were 743 from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth. + There were 621 from Ramah and Geba. + There were 122 from Micmash. + There were 123 from Bethel and Ai. + There were 52 from Nebo. + There were 1,254 from the other Elam. + There were 320 from Harim. + There were 345 from Jericho. + There were 721 from Lod, Hadid and Ono. + There were 3,930 from Senaah. + Here is a list of the priests. There were 973 from the family line of Jedaiah through the line of Jeshua. + There were 1,052 from Immer. + There were 1,247 from Pashhur. + There were 1,017 from Harim. + The Levites belonged to the family line of Jeshua through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah. The total number of men was 74. + The singers belonged to the family line of Asaph. The total number of men was 148. + The men who guarded the temple gates belonged to the family lines of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai. The total number of men was 138. + Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the temple servants. Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + Keros, Sia, Padon, + Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, + Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, + Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, + Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, + Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, + Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + Neziah, Hatipha + Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the servants of Solomon. Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, + Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, + Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, Amon + The total number of the members of the family lines of the temple servants and the servants of Solomon was 392. + Many people came up to Judah from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they weren't able to prove that their families belonged to the people of Israel. + There were 642 of them from the family lines of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda. + Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the priests. They were Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. Barzillai had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead. So he was also called Barzillai. + The priests looked for their family records. But they couldn't find them. So they weren't able to serve as priests. They weren't "clean." + The governor gave them an order. He told them not to eat any of the most sacred food. They had to wait until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim to get decisions from the Lord. + The total number of the entire group that returned was 42,360. + That didn't include their 7,337 male and female slaves. There were also 245 male and female singers. + And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, + 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. + Some of the family leaders helped pay for the work. The governor gave 19 pounds of gold to be added to the temple treasure. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 sets of clothes for the priests. + Some of the family leaders gave 375 pounds of gold for the work. They also gave one and a third tons of silver. All of that was added to the temple treasure. + The rest of the people gave a total of 375 pounds of gold and one and a fourth tons of silver. They also gave 67 sets of clothes for the priests. + The priests and Levites settled down in their own towns. So did the singers, the temple servants and the men who guarded the gates. The rest of the people of Israel also settled in their own towns. The people of Israel had settled down in their towns. In the seventh month, + + + all of them gathered together. They went to the open area in front of the Water Gate. They told Ezra to bring out the Scroll of the Law of Moses. The Lord had given Israel that law so they would obey him. Ezra was a teacher of the law. + The priest Ezra brought the Law out to the whole community. It was the first day of the seventh month. The group was made up of men and women and everyone who was old enough to understand what Ezra was going to read. + He read the Law to them from sunrise until noon. He did it as he faced the open area in front of the Water Gate. He read it to the men, women and others who could understand. And all of the people paid careful attention as Ezra was reading the Scroll of the Law. + Ezra, the teacher, stood on a high wooden stage. It had been built for the occasion. Mattithiah, Shema and Anaiah stood at his right side. So did Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah. Pedaiah, Mishael and Malkijah stood at his left side. So did Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. + Ezra opened the scroll. All of the people could see him. That's because he was standing above them. As he opened the scroll, the people stood up. + Ezra praised the Lord. He is the great God. All of the people lifted up their hands. They said, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down. They turned their faces toward the ground. And they worshiped the Lord. + The Levites taught the Law to the people. They remained standing while the Levites taught them. The Levites who were there included Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai and Hodiah. They also included Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah. + All of those Levites read parts of the Scroll of the Law of God to the people. They made it clear to them. They told them what it meant. So the people were able to understand what was being read. + Then Nehemiah and Ezra spoke up. So did the Levites who were teaching the people. All of those men said to the people, "This day is set apart to honor the Lord your God. So don't sob. Don't be sad." All of the people had been sobbing as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah was governor. Ezra was a priest and a teacher of the law. + Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy some good food and sweet drinks. Send some of it to those who don't have any. This day is set apart to honor our Lord. So don't be sad. The joy of the Lord makes you strong." + The Levites calmed all of the people down. They said, "Be quiet. This is a sacred day. So don't be sad." + Then all of the people went away to eat and drink. They shared their food with others. They celebrated with great joy. Now they understood the words they had heard. That's because everything had been explained to them. + All of the family leaders gathered around Ezra, the teacher. So did the priests and Levites. All of them paid attention to the words of the Law. It was the second day of the month. + The Lord had given the Law through Moses. He wanted the people of Israel to obey it. It is written there that they were supposed to live in booths during the Feast of Booths. That Feast was celebrated in the seventh month. + They were also supposed to spread the message all through their towns and in Jerusalem. They were supposed to announce, "Go out into the central hill country. Bring back some branches from olive and wild olive trees. Also bring some from myrtle, palm and shade trees. Use the branches to make booths." + So the people went out and brought some branches back. They built themselves booths on their own roofs. They made them in their courtyards. They put them up in the courtyards of the house of God. They built them in the open area in front of the Water Gate. And they built them in the open area in front of the Gate of Ephraim. + All those who had returned from Babylonia made booths. They lived in them during the Feast of Booths. They hadn't celebrated the Feast with so much joy for a long time. In fact, they had never celebrated it like that from the days of Joshua, the son of Nun, until that very day. So their joy was very great. + Day after day, Ezra read parts of the Scroll of the Law of God to them. He read it out loud from the first day to the last. They celebrated the Feast of Booths for seven days. On the eighth day they gathered together. They followed the required rules for celebrating the Feast. + + + It was the 24th day of the seventh month. The people of Israel gathered together again. They didn't eat any food. They wore black clothes. They put dust on their heads. + The people of Israel separated themselves from everyone else. They stood and admitted they had sinned. They also admitted that their people before them had done evil things. + They stood where they were. They listened while the Levites read parts of the Scroll of the Law of the Lord their God. They listened for a fourth of the day. They spent another fourth of the day admitting their sins. They also worshiped the Lord their God. + The Levites stood on the stairs. They included Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel and Shebaniah. They also included Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. With loud voices they called out to the Lord their God. + Then some Levites spoke up. They included Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani and Hashabneiah. They also included Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah. They said to the people, "Stand up. Praise the Lord your God. He lives for ever and ever!" So the people said, "Lord, may your glorious name be praised. May it be lifted high above every other name that is blessed and praised. + You are the one and only Lord. You made the heavens. You made even the highest heavens. You created all of the stars in the sky. You created the earth and everything that is on it. And you made the oceans and everything that is in them. You give life to everything. Every living being in heaven worships you. + "You are the Lord God. You chose Abram. You brought him out of Ur in Babylonia. You named him Abraham. + You knew that his heart was faithful to you. And you made a covenant with him. You promised to give to his children after him a land of their own. It was the land of the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites. The Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites also lived there. You have kept your promise. That's because you always do what is right and fair. + "You saw how our people suffered long ago in Egypt. You heard them cry out to you at the Red Sea. + You did miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh. You sent plagues on all of his officials. In fact, you sent them on all of the people of Egypt. You knew how they treated our people. They looked down on them. But you made a name for yourself. That name remains to this very day. + "You parted the Red Sea for the people of Israel. They passed through it on dry ground. But you threw into the sea those who chased them. They sank down like a stone into the mighty waters. + By day you led them with a pillar of cloud. At night you led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light to show them the way you wanted them to go. + "You came down on Mount Sinai. From heaven you spoke to our people. You gave them rules and laws. Those laws are right and fair. You gave them orders and commands that are good. + You taught them about your holy Sabbath day. You gave them commands, orders and laws. You did it through your servant Moses. + "When the people were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven. When they were thirsty, you brought them water out of a rock. "You told them to go into the land of Canaan. You told them to take it as their own. It was the land you had promised to give them. You had even raised your hand and taken an oath to do it. + "But our people before us became proud and stubborn. They didn't obey your commands. + They refused to listen to you. They forgot the miracles you had done among them. So they became stubborn. When they refused to obey you, they appointed a leader for themselves. They wanted to go back to being slaves in Egypt. But you are a God who forgives. You are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. So you didn't desert them. + "They made for themselves a metal statue of a god that looked like a calf. They said, 'Here is your god. He brought you up out of Egypt.' And they did evil things that dishonored you. But you still didn't desert them. + "Because you loved them so much, you didn't leave them in the desert. During the day the pillar of cloud didn't stop guiding them on their path. At night the pillar of fire didn't stop shining on the way you wanted them to go. + You gave them your good Spirit to teach them. You didn't hold back your manna from their mouths. And you gave them water when they were thirsty. + For 40 years you took good care of them in the desert. They had everything they needed. Their clothes didn't wear out. And their feet didn't swell up. + "You gave them kingdoms and nations. You even gave them lands far away. They took over the country of Sihon. He was king of Heshbon. They also took over the country of Og. He was king of Bashan. + You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky. You told their parents to enter the land. You told them to take it over. And you brought their children into it. + Their children went into the land. They took it as their own. You brought the people of Canaan under Israel's control. The Canaanites lived in the land. But you handed them over to Israel. You also handed their kings and the other nations in the land over to Israel. You allowed Israel to deal with them just as they wanted to. + "Your people captured cities that had high walls around them. They also took over the rich land in Canaan. They took houses that were filled with all kinds of good things. They took over wells that had already been dug. They took many vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees. They ate until they were very full and satisfied. They were filled with joy because you were so good to them. + "But they didn't obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to turn back to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you. + "So you handed them over to their enemies, who beat them down. Then they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them. You loved them very much. So you sent leaders to help them. The leaders saved them from the powerful hand of their enemies. + "But as soon as the people were enjoying peace and rest again, they did what was evil in your sight. Then you handed them over to their enemies. So their enemies ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard them from heaven. You loved them very much. So you saved them time after time. + "You warned them to obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn't obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. Anyone who obeys them will live by them. But the people didn't care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you. + "For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn't pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them. + But you loved them very much. So you didn't put an end to them. You didn't desert them. That's because you are a gracious God. You are tender and kind. + "Our God, you are great, mighty and wonderful. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. So don't let all of our suffering seem like a small thing in your sight. We've suffered greatly. So have our kings and leaders. So have our priests and prophets. Our people who lived long ago also suffered. And all of your people are suffering right now. In fact, we've been suffering from the time of the kings of Assyria until today. + "In spite of everything that has happened to us, you have been fair. You have been faithful in what you have done. But we did what was wrong. + Our kings and leaders didn't follow your law. Our priests and our people before us didn't follow it either. They didn't pay any attention to your commands. They didn't listen to the warnings you gave them. + They didn't serve you. They didn't turn from their evil ways. They didn't obey you even when they had a kingdom. You were very good to them. And they enjoyed it. You gave them a rich land. It had plenty of room in it. But they still didn't serve you. + "Now look at us. We are slaves today. We're slaves in the land you gave our people long ago. You gave it to them so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. + But we have sinned against you. So its great harvest goes to the kings of Persia. You have placed them over us. They rule over our bodies and cattle just as they please. And we are suffering terribly. + "So we are making a firm agreement. We're writing it down. Our leaders are stamping it with their seals. And so are our Levites and priests." + + + Here are the names of those who stamped the agreement with their seals. The governor Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah Zedekiah, + Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, + Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, + Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, + Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, + Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, + Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, + Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah They were the priests. + Here are the names of the Levites. Jeshua, the son of Azaniah Binnui, one of the sons of Henadad Kadmiel + Here are the names of those who helped them. Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, + Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, + Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, + Hodiah, Bani, Beninu + Here are the names of the leaders of the people. Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, + Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, + Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, + Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, + Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, + Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, + Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, + Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, + Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, + Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, + Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, + Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, + Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, + Malluch, Harim, Baanah + The rest of the people gathered together. They included the priests, the Levites and the men who guarded the gates. They included the singers and temple servants. They also included all those who separated themselves from the surrounding nations to obey the Law of God. All of those men brought their wives with them. And they brought all of their sons and daughters who were old enough to understand what was being agreed to. + All of the men joined the nobles of their people. They made a firm agreement. They put themselves under a curse and took an oath. They promised to follow the Law of God. It had been given through Moses, the servant of God. They promised to obey carefully all of the commands, rules and laws of the Lord our Lord. + The priests, Levites and people said, "We promise not to give our daughters to be married to men from the nations that are around us. And we promise not to let their daughters get married to our sons. + "The people around us will bring goods and grain to sell on the Sabbath day. But we won't buy anything from them on the Sabbath. In fact, we won't buy anything from them on any holy day. Every seventh year we won't farm the land. And we'll forgive people what they owe us. + "We will be accountable for carrying out the commands for serving in the house of our God. Each of us will give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year. + It will pay for the holy bread that is placed on the table in the temple. It will pay for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings. It will pay for the offerings on the Sabbath days. It will pay for the offerings at the New Moon Feasts and appointed feasts. It will pay for the holy offerings. It will be used for sin offerings to pay for the sin of Israel. It will also pay for everything else that needs to be done at the house of our God. + "We are the priests, Levites and people. We have cast lots to decide when each of our families should bring a gift of wood to the house of our God. They will bring it at certain appointed times every year. The wood will be burned on the altar of the Lord our God. That's what the Law requires. + "We will also be accountable for bringing the first share of our crops each year. And we'll bring the first share of every fruit tree. We'll bring them to the Lord's house. + "Each of us will bring our oldest son to the priests who serve there. We'll also bring the male animals that were born first to their mothers among our cattle, herds and flocks. We'll bring them to the house of our God. That's what the Law requires. + "We will also bring the first part of the meal we grind. We'll bring the first of our grain offerings. We'll bring the first share of fruit from all of our trees. And we'll bring the first share of our olive oil and fresh wine. We'll give all of those things to the priests. They'll put them in the storerooms of the house of our God. "And we'll give a tenth of our crops to the Levites. They collect the tenth shares. They do it in all of the towns where we work. + A priest from Aaron's family line must go with the Levites when they receive the tenth shares. And the Levites must bring a tenth of those shares up to the house of our God. They must put it in the rooms where the treasures are stored. + "The people of Israel, including the Levites, must bring their gifts. They must bring grain, olive oil and fresh wine. They must put them in the storerooms where the articles for the temple are kept. That's where the priests stay when they are serving at the temple. The singers and the men who guard the gates also stay there. "We won't forget to take care of the house of our God." + + + The leaders of the people settled down in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots. They did it to choose one person out of every ten. That person was brought to live in the holy city of Jerusalem. The other nine had to stay in their own towns. + The people praised all those who agreed to live in Jerusalem. + Here are the leaders from different parts of the country who settled down in Jerusalem. Some Israelites, priests and Levites lived in the towns of Judah. So did some temple servants and some members of the family lines of Solomon's servants. All of them lived on their own property in the towns of Judah. + At the same time, other people from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. Here are the leaders from the family line of Judah. There was Athaiah. He was the son of Uzziah. Uzziah was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Shephatiah. Shephatiah was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel belonged to the family line of Perez. + There was also Maaseiah. He was the son of Baruch. Baruch was the son of Col-Hozeh. Col-Hozeh was the son of Hazaiah. Hazaiah was the son of Adaiah. Adaiah was the son of Joiarib. Joiarib was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Shelah. + Many able men who belonged to the family line of Perez lived in Jerusalem. The total number of them was 468. + Here are the leaders from the family line of Benjamin. There was Sallu. He was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Joed. Joed was the son of Pedaiah. Pedaiah was the son of Kolaiah. Kolaiah was the son of Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ithiel. Ithiel was the son of Jeshaiah. + There were also Gabbai and Sallai. They were Sallu's followers. The total number of men was 928. + Joel was their chief officer. He was the son of Zicri. A man named Judah was in charge of the New Quarter of Jerusalem. He was the son of Hassenuah. + Here are the leaders from among the priests. There were Jedaiah, Jakin and the son of Joiarib. + There was also Seraiah. He was the son of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Meraioth. Meraioth was the son of Ahitub. Ahitub was a ruler in God's house. + There were also those who helped them. They carried out the work for the temple. The total number of men was 822. There was also Adaiah. He was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Pelaliah. Pelaliah was the son of Amzi. Amzi was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah was the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. + There were also those who helped Adaiah. They were family leaders. The total number of men was 242. There was also Amashsai. He was the son of Azarel. Azarel was the son of Ahzai. Ahzai was the son of Meshillemoth. Meshillemoth was the son of Immer. + There were also those who helped Amashsai. They were able men. The total number of them was 128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel. He was the son of Haggedolim. + Here are the leaders from among the Levites. There was Shemaiah. He was the son of Hasshub. Hasshub was the son of Azrikam. Azrikam was the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Bunni. + There were also Shabbethai and Jozabad. They were two of the leaders of the Levites. They were in charge of the work that was done outside God's house. + There was also Mattaniah. He led in prayer and in giving thanks. He was the son of Mica. Mica was the son of Zabdi. Zabdi was the son of Asaph. There was also Bakbukiah. He was second among those who helped Mattaniah. And there was Abda. He was the son of Shammua. Shammua was the son of Galal. Galal was the son of Jeduthun. + The total number of Levites in the holy city was 284. + Here are the leaders from among the men who guarded the gates. There were Akkub, Talmon and those who helped them. They stood guard at the gates. The total number of men was 172. + The rest of the Israelites were in all of the towns of Judah. The priests and Levites were with them. All of them lived on their own family property. + The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them. + Uzzi was the chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem. He was the son of Bani. Bani was the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of the members of Asaph's family line. They were singers. They were in charge of the worship services at God's house. + The singers received their orders from the Persian king. He told them what they should do every day. + Pethahiah worked for the king in all matters that were connected with the people. He was the son of Meshezabel. Meshezabel belonged to the family line of Zerah. Zerah was the son of Judah. + Many of the people of Judah lived in villages that had fields around them. Some of them lived in Kiriath Arba and the settlements that were around it. Others lived in Dibon and its settlements. Others lived in Jekabzeel and its villages. + Others lived in Jeshua, Moladah and Beth Pelet. + Others lived in Hazar Shual and in Beersheba and its settlements. + Others lived in Ziklag and in Meconah and its settlements. + Others lived in En Rimmon and Zorah. Others lived in Jarmuth, + Zanoah and Adullam and their villages. Others lived in Lachish and its fields. Still others lived in Azekah and its settlements. So the people of Judah were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. + Some of the members of the family line of Benjamin who were from Geba lived in Micmash. Others lived in Aija and in Bethel and its settlements. + Others lived in Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah. + Others lived in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim. + Others lived in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat. + Others lived in Lod and Ono. Still others lived in the Valley of Skilled Workers. + Some of the groups of the Levites from Judah settled in the territory of Benjamin. + + + Some priests and Levites returned to Judah with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Here are the names of those priests and Levites. Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, + Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, + Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, + Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, + Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, + Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, + Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, JedaiahAll of them were the leaders of the priests and those who helped them. They lived in the days of Jeshua. + The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah and Judah. There were also Mattaniah and those who helped him. They were in charge of the songs for giving thanks. + Bakbukiah and Unni helped them. They stood and sang across from them during the services. + Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. + Joiada was the father of Jonathan. And Jonathan was the father of Jaddua. + Here are the names of the family leaders of the priests. They were the leaders in the days of Joiakim. Meraiah was from Seraiah's family. Hananiah was from Jeremiah's family. + Meshullam was from Ezra's family. Jehohanan was from Amariah's family. + Jonathan was from Malluch's family. Joseph was from Shecaniah's family. + Adna was from Harim's family. Helkai was from Meremoth's family. + Zechariah was from Iddo's family. Meshullam was from Ginnethon's family. + Zicri was from Abijah's family. Piltai was from Miniamin's and Moadiah's family. + Shammua was from Bilgah's family. Jehonathan was from Shemaiah's family. + Mattenai was from Joiarib's family. Uzzi was from Jedaiah's family. + Kallai was from Sallu's family. Eber was from Amok's family. + Hashabiah was from Hilkiah's family. And Nethanel was from Jedaiah's family. + The names of the family leaders of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua were written down. So were the names of the family leaders of the priests. That happened while Darius ruled over Persia. + The names of the leaders in Levi's family line up to the time of Johanan were written down. They were written in the official records. Johanan was the son of Eliashib. + The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua. Jeshua was the son of Kadmiel. Those who helped them stood across from them to sing praises and give thanks. One group would sing back to the other. That's what David, the man of God, had ordered. + Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub stood at the gates of the temple. They guarded the storerooms at the gates. + They served in the days of Joiakim. He was the son of Jeshua. Jeshua was the son of Jehozadak. They also served in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra. Nehemiah was governor. Ezra was a priest and a teacher of the law. + The wall of Jerusalem was set apart to God. For that occasion, the Levites were gathered together from where they lived. They were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate that happy occasion. They celebrated the fact that the wall was being set apart to God. They did it by singing and giving their thanks to him. They celebrated by playing music on cymbals, harps and lyres. + The singers were also brought together. Some of them came in from the area around Jerusalem. Others came from the villages where the people of Netophah lived. + Others came from Beth Gilgal. Still others came from the area of Geba and Azmaveth. The singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. + The priests and Levites made themselves pure. Then they made the people, the gates and the wall pure and clean. + I, Nehemiah, had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also appointed two large choirs to sing and give thanks. I told one of them to walk south on top of the wall. That was toward the Dung Gate. + Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them. + Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, + Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah also followed them. + Some priests who had trumpets followed them. So did Zechariah. He was the son of Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of Shemaiah. Shemaiah was the son of Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Micaiah. Micaiah was the son of Zaccur. Zaccur was the son of Asaph. + Those who helped Zechariah also marched along. They were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani. They brought instruments of music with them. That's what David, the man of God, had ordered. Ezra led the group that was marching south. He was a teacher of the law. + At the Fountain Gate they continued straight up the steps of the City of David that went up to the wall. Then the group passed above David's house. They continued on to the Water Gate on the east. + The second choir went north. I followed them on top of the wall. Half of the people went with me. They went past the Tower of the Ovens. They went to the Broad Wall. + They marched over the Gate of Ephraim. They went over the Jeshanah Gate and the Fish Gate. They went past the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred. They continued on to the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped. + Then the two choirs that sang and gave thanks took their places in God's house. So did I. So did half of the officials. + And so did the priests. They were Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah. They had their trumpets with them. + Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer were also there. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. + On that day large numbers of sacrifices were offered. The people were glad because God had given them great joy. The women and children were also very happy. The joyful sound in Jerusalem could be heard far away. + At that time some men were put in charge of the storerooms. That's where all of the gifts the people brought were placed. They included the first shares of their crops. They also included a tenth of everything the Law required. From the fields that were around the towns the people had to bring the shares of their crops that were required by the Law. They gave them to the priests and Levites. That's because the people of Judah were pleased with the priests and Levites who were serving God. + The priests and Levites did everything their God wanted them to do. They made things pure and clean. The singers and those who guarded the temple gates also served God. Everything was done just as David and his son Solomon had commanded. + A long time ago there had been directors for the singers. There had also been directors for the songs for giving thanks and praise to God. It was in the time of David and Asaph. + So now in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all of the people of Israel brought their gifts. They gave the singers and those who guarded the gates what they were supposed to give them every day. They also set apart the shares for the other Levites. And the Levites set apart the shares for the priests in the family line of Aaron. + + + On that same day the Scroll of Moses was read out loud. All of the people heard it. It was written there that no one from Ammon or Moab should ever be allowed to become a member of the community of God. + That's because they hadn't given the people of Israel food and water. Instead, they had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing. + When that law was read, the people of Judah obeyed it. They put out of Israel everyone who was from another nation. + The priest Eliashib had been put in charge of the storerooms in the house of our God. He had worked closely with Tobiah. + He had also provided a large room for Tobiah. It had been used to store the grain offerings. The incense and temple articles had been put there. And a tenth of the grain, olive oil and fresh wine had been kept there. That's what the Law required for the Levites. That's also what it required for the singers and those who guarded the temple gates. The gifts for the priests had been kept there too. + But I wasn't in Jerusalem while all of that was going on. I had returned to the Persian King Artaxerxes, the king of Babylonia. I went to him in the 32nd year of his rule. Some time later I asked him to let me return to Jerusalem. + When I got back, I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done. He had provided a room for Tobiah. It was in the courtyards of God's house. + So I was very unhappy. I threw all of Tobiah's things out of the room. + I gave orders to make the rooms pure and clean again. Then I put the supplies from God's house back into them. That included the grain offerings and the incense. + I also learned that the shares the Levites were supposed to receive hadn't been given to them. So all of the Levites and singers had to leave their regular temple duties. They had to go back and farm their own fields. + I gave a warning to the officials. I asked them, "Why aren't you taking care of God's house?" Then I brought them together. I stationed them in their proper places. I put them back to work. + All of the people of Judah brought a tenth of the grain, olive oil and fresh wine. They took it to the storerooms. + I put some men in charge of the storerooms. They were Shelemiah, Zadok and Pedaiah. Shelemiah was a priest. Zadok was a teacher of the law. And Pedaiah was a Levite. I made Hanan their assistant. He was the son of Zaccur. Zaccur was the son of Mattaniah. I knew that those men could be trusted. They were put in charge of handing out the supplies to their people. + You are my God. Remember me because of what I've done. I've worked faithfully for your temple and its services. So please don't forget the good things I've done. + In those days I saw some men of Judah stomping on grapes in winepresses. They were doing it on the Sabbath day. Others were bringing in grain. They were loading it on donkeys. Still others were loading up wine, grapes, figs and other kinds of things. They were bringing all of it into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. So I warned them not to sell food on that day. + People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish. In fact, they were bringing in all kinds of goods. They were selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. The people of Judah were buying them. + I gave a warning to the nobles of Judah. I said, "Why are you doing such an evil thing? You are misusing the Sabbath day! + Your people before you did the very same things. That's why our God has brought all of this trouble on us. That's why he's making this city suffer so much. Now you are stirring up even more of his anger against Israel. You are misusing the Sabbath day." + Evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath started. So I ordered the gates to be shut. They had to remain closed until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates. I told them not to let anything be brought in on the Sabbath day. + Once or twice some traders and sellers spent the night outside Jerusalem. They were hoping to sell all kinds of goods. + But I gave them a warning. I said, "Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do this again, I'll arrest you." So from that time on they didn't come on the Sabbath anymore. + I commanded the Levites to make themselves pure. Then I told them to go and guard the gates. I wanted the Sabbath day to be kept holy. You are my God. Remember me because of the good things I've done. Be kind to me in keeping with your great love. + In those days I also saw that some men of Judah had gotten married to women from Ashdod. Others had married women from Ammon or Moab. + Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. Or they spoke the language of one of the other nations. They didn't even know how to speak the language of Judah. + So I gave them a warning. I called curses down on them. I beat some of them up. I pulled their hair out. I made them take an oath in God's name. I said, "You must promise not to give your daughters to be married to their sons. You must promise not to let their daughters marry your sons. And you must not marry their daughters either. + "That's how Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned. He married women from other nations. There wasn't a king like him anywhere. His God loved him. In fact, God made him king over the whole nation of Israel. But even he was led into sin by women from other lands. + Now I hear that you too are doing all of the same terrible and evil things. You aren't being faithful to our God. You are marrying women from other lands." + One of the sons of Joiada was the son-in-law of Sanballat. Joiada was the high priest. He was the son of Eliashib. I drove Joiada's son away from me. Sanballat was a Horonite. + You are my God. Remember what those priests have done. They have polluted their own work. They have also polluted the covenant that God made with the priests and Levites long ago. + So I made the priests and Levites pure. I made them pure from every practice that had come from other countries and had polluted them. I gave them their duties. Each one had his own job to do. + I also made plans for gifts of wood to be brought at certain appointed times. And I made plans for the first share of the crops to be brought. You are my God. Please remember me. Show me your favor. + + + + + King Xerxes ruled over the 127 territories in his kingdom. They reached from India all the way to Cush. Here is what happened during the time Xerxes ruled over the whole Persian kingdom. + He was ruling from his royal throne in the safest place in Susa. + In the third year of his rule King Xerxes gave a big dinner. It was for all of his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there. So were the princes and the nobles of the territories he ruled over. + Every day for 180 days he showed his guests the great wealth of his kingdom. He also showed them how glorious his kingdom was. + When those days were over, the king gave another big dinner. It lasted for seven days. It was held in the garden of the king's courtyard. It was for all of the people who lived in the safest place in Susa. Everyone from the least important person to the most important was invited. + The garden was decorated with white and blue linen banners. They hung from ropes that were made out of white linen and purple cloth. The ropes were connected to silver rings on marble pillars. There were gold and silver couches in the garden. They were placed on a floor that was made out of small stones. The floor had purple crystal, marble, mother-of-pearl and other stones of great value. + Royal wine was served in gold cups. Each cup was different from all of the others. There was plenty of wine. The king always provided as much as his guests wanted. + He commanded that they should be allowed to drink as much or as little as they wished. He directed all of his servants to give them what they asked for. + Queen Vashti also gave a big dinner. Only women were invited. It was held in the royal palace of King Xerxes. + On the seventh day Xerxes was in a good mood because he had drunk a lot of wine. So he gave a command to the seven officials who served him. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas. + He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him. He wanted her to come wearing her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and nobles. She was lovely to look at. + The attendants told Queen Vashti what the king had ordered her to do. But she refused to come. So the king became very angry. In fact, he burned with anger. + It was the king's practice to ask advice from those who knew a lot about matters of law and fairness. So he spoke with the wise men who were supposed to understand what was going on at that time. + They were the men who were closest to the king. They were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan. They were the seven nobles of Persia and Media. They were the king's special advisers. In fact, they were the most important men in the kingdom. + "You know the law," the king said. "What should I do to Queen Vashti? She hasn't obeyed my command. The officials told her what I ordered her to do, didn't they?" + Then Memucan gave a reply to the king and the nobles. He said, "Queen Vashti has done what is wrong. But she didn't do it only against you, King Xerxes. She did it also against all of the nobles. And she did it against the people in all of the territories you rule over. + "All of the women will hear about what the queen has done. Then they will look down on their husbands. They'll say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought to him. But she wouldn't come.' + Starting today, the leading women in Persia and Media who have heard about the queen's actions will act in the same way. They'll disobey all of your nobles, just as she disobeyed you. They won't have any respect for their husbands. They won't honor them. + "So if it pleases you, send out a royal order. Let it be written down in the laws of Persia and Media. They can never be changed. Let the royal order say that Vashti can never see you again. Also let her position as queen be given to someone who is better than she is. + "And let your order be announced all through your entire kingdom. Then all of the other women will have respect for their husbands from the least important of them to the most important." + The king and his nobles were pleased with that advice. So he did what Memucan had suggested. + He sent messages out to every territory in the kingdom. He sent them to each territory in its own writing. He sent them to every nation in its own language. The messages announced in each nation's language that every man should rule over his own family. + + + Later, the anger of King Xerxes calmed down. Then he remembered Vashti and what she had done. He also remembered the royal order he had sent out concerning her. + At that time the king's personal attendants made a suggestion. They said, "King Xerxes, let a search be made for some beautiful young virgins for you. + Appoint some officials in every territory in your kingdom. Have them bring all of those beautiful virgins into the safest place in Susa. Put them in the special place where the virgins stay. Then put Hegai in charge of them. He's the eunuch who serves you. He's in charge of the virgins. Let beauty care be given to the new group of virgins. + Then let the one who pleases you the most become queen in Vashti's place." The king liked that advice. So he followed it. + There was a Jew living in the safest place in Susa. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. His name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair. Jair was the son of Shimei. Shimei was the son of Kish. + Nebuchadnezzar had forced Mordecai to leave Jerusalem. He was among the prisoners who were carried off along with Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. + Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. He had brought her up in his own home. She didn't have a father or mother. Hadassah was also called Esther. She was very beautiful. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. He had done it when her father and mother died. + After the king's order and law were announced, many virgins were brought to the safest place in Susa. Hegai was put in charge of them. Esther was also taken to the king's palace. She was put under the control of Hegai. He was in charge of the place where the virgins stayed. + Esther pleased him. He showed her his favor. Right away he provided her with her beauty care and special food. He appointed seven female attendants to help her. They were chosen from the king's palace. He moved her and her attendants into the best part of the place where the virgins stayed. + Esther hadn't told anyone who her people were. She hadn't talked about her family. That's because Mordecai had told her not to. + Mordecai tried to find out how Esther was getting along. He wanted to know what was happening to her. So he walked back and forth near the courtyard by the place where the virgins stayed. He did it every day. + Each virgin had to complete 12 months of beauty care. They used oil of myrrh for six months. And they used perfume and make-up for the other six months. A virgin's turn to go in to King Xerxes could come only after a full 12 months had passed. + And here is how she would go to the king. She would be given anything she wanted from the place where the virgins stayed. She could take it with her to the king's palace. + In the evening she would go there. In the morning she would leave. Then she would go to the special place where the king's concubines stayed. She would be put under the control of Shaashgaz. He was the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would never return to the king unless he was pleased with her. He had to send for her by name before she could go to him again. + Mordecai had adopted Esther. She had been the daughter of his uncle Abihail. Her turn came to go in to the king. She only asked for what Hegai suggested. He was the king's eunuch who was in charge of the place where the virgins stayed. Everyone who saw Esther was pleased with her. + She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal house. It was now the tenth month. That was the month of Tebeth. It was the seventh year of the rule of Xerxes. + The king liked Esther more than he liked any of the other women. She pleased him more than any of the other virgins. So he put a royal crown on her head. He made her queen in Vashti's place. + Then the king gave a big dinner. It was in honor of Esther. All of his nobles and officials were invited. He announced a holiday all through the territories he ruled over. He freely gave many gifts in keeping with his royal wealth. + The virgins were gathered together a second time. At that time Mordecai was sitting at the palace gate. + Esther had kept her family history a secret. She hadn't told anyone who her people were. Mordecai had told her not to. She continued to follow his directions. That's what she had always done when he was bringing her up. + Bigthana and Teresh were two of the king's officers. They guarded the door of the royal palace. They became angry with King Xerxes. So they decided to kill him. They made their evil plans while Mordecai was sitting at the palace gate. + So he found out about it. And he told Queen Esther. Then she reported it to the king. She told him that Mordecai had uncovered the plans against him. + Some people checked Esther's report. And they found out it was true. So the two officials were put to death. Then poles were stuck through them. They were set up where people could see them. All of that was written in the official records. It was written down while the king was watching. + + + After those events, King Xerxes honored Haman. Haman was the son of Hammedatha. He was from the family line of Agag. The king gave Haman a higher position than he had before. He gave him a seat of honor. It was higher than the positions any of the other nobles had. + All of the royal officials at the palace gate got down on their knees. They gave honor to Haman. That's because the king had commanded them to do it. But Mordecai refused to get down on his knees. He wouldn't give Haman any honor at all. + The royal officials at the palace gate asked Mordecai a question. They said, "Why don't you obey the king's command?" + Day after day they spoke to him. But he still refused to obey. So they told Haman about it. They wanted to see whether he would let Mordecai get away with what he was doing. Mordecai had told them he was a Jew. + Haman noticed that Mordecai wouldn't get down on his knees. He wouldn't give Haman any honor. So Haman burned with anger. + But he had found out who Mordecai's people were. So he decided not to kill just Mordecai. He also looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai's people. They were Jews. He wanted to kill all of them everywhere in the kingdom of Xerxes. + The lot was cast in front of Haman. That was done to choose a day and a month. It was the 12th year that Xerxes was king. It was in the first month. That was the month of Nisan. The lot chose the 12th month. That was the month of Adar. The lot was also called [pur. + Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "Certain people are scattered among the nations. They live in all of the territories in your kingdom. Their practices are different from the practices of all other people. They don't obey your laws. It really isn't good for you to put up with them. + "If it pleases you, give the order to destroy them. I'll even add 375 tons of silver to the royal treasures. You can use it to pay the men who take care of the matter." + So the king took his ring off his finger. The ring had his royal seal on it. He gave the ring to Haman. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He was the enemy of the Jews. + "Keep the money," the king said to Haman. "Do what you want to with those people." + The king sent for the royal secretaries. It was the 13th day of the first month. The secretaries wrote down all of Haman's orders. They wrote them down in the writing of each territory in the kingdom. They also wrote them in the language of each nation. The orders were sent to the royal officials. They were also sent to the governors of the territories. And they went out to the nobles of the nations. The orders were written in the name of King Xerxes himself. And they were stamped with his own royal seal. + They were carried by messengers. They were sent to all of the king's territories. The orders commanded people to destroy, kill and wipe out all of the Jews. That included young people and old people alike. It included women and little children. All of the Jews were supposed to be killed on a single day. That day was the 13th day of the 12th month. It was the month of Adar. The orders also commanded people to take the goods that belonged to the Jews. + A copy of the order had to be sent out as law. It had to be sent to every territory in the kingdom. It had to be announced to the people of every nation. Then they would be ready for that day. + The king commanded the messengers to go out. So they did. The order was sent out from the safest place in Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink wine. But the people in the city were bewildered. + + + Mordecai found out about everything that had been done. So he tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. He sat down in ashes. Then he went out into the city. He sobbed out loud. He cried bitter tears. + But he only went as far as the palace gate. That's because no one who was dressed in black clothes was allowed to go through it. + All of the Jews were very sad. They didn't eat anything. They sobbed and cried. Many of them put on black clothes. They were lying down in ashes. They did all of those things in every territory where the king's order and law had been sent. + Esther's eunuchs and female attendants came to her. They told her about Mordecai. So she became very troubled. She wanted him to take his black clothes off. So she sent him other clothes to wear. But he wouldn't accept them. + Then Esther sent for Hathach. He was one of the king's eunuchs. He had been appointed to take care of her. She ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai. She wanted to know why he was so upset. + So Hathach went out to see Mordecai. He was in the open area in front of the palace gate. + Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He told him about the exact amount of money Haman had promised to add to the royal treasures. He said Haman wanted it to be used to pay some men to destroy the Jews. + Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the order. It commanded people to wipe out the Jews. The order had been sent from Susa. Mordecai told Hathach to show the order to Esther. He wanted him to explain it to her. He told him to try and get her to go to the king. He wanted her to beg for mercy. He wanted her to make an appeal to the king for her people. + Hathach went back. He reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. + Then Esther directed him to give an answer to Mordecai. She told him to say, + "There is a certain law that everyone knows about. All of the king's officials know about it. The people in the royal territories know about it. It applies to any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard without being sent for. It says they must be put to death. But there is a way out. Suppose the king reaches out his gold rod toward them. Then their lives will be spared. But 30 days have gone by since the king sent for me." + Esther's words were reported to Mordecai. + Then he sent back an answer. He said, "You live in the king's palace. But don't think that just because you are there you will be the only Jew who will escape. + What if you don't say anything at this time? Then help for the Jews will come from another place. But you and your family will die. Who knows? It's possible that you became queen for a time just like this." + Then Esther sent a reply to Mordecai. She said, + "Go. Gather together all of the Jews who are in Susa. And fast for my benefit. Don't eat or drink anything for three days. Don't do it night or day. I and my attendants will fast just as you do. Then I'll go to the king. I'll do it even though it's against the law. And if I have to die, I'll die." + So Mordecai went away. He carried out all of Esther's directions. + + + On the third day Esther put her royal robes on. She stood in the inner courtyard of the palace. It was in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall. He was facing the entrance. + He saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard. He was pleased with her. So he reached out toward her the gold rod that was in his hand. Then Esther approached him. She touched the tip of the rod. + The king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I'll give it to you. I'll even give you up to half of my kingdom." + Esther replied, "King Xerxes, if it pleases you, come to a big dinner today. I've prepared it for you. Please have Haman come with you." + "Bring Haman at once," the king said to his servants. "Then we'll do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the big dinner Esther had prepared. + As they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther the same question again. He said, "What do you want? I'll give it to you. What do you want me to do for you? I'll even give you up to half of my kingdom." + Esther replied, "Here is what I want. Here is my appeal to you. + I hope you will show me your favor. I hope you will be pleased to give me what I want. And I hope you will be pleased to listen to my appeal. If you are, I'd like you and Haman to come tomorrow to the big dinner I'll prepare for you. Then I'll answer your question." + That day Haman was happy. So he left the palace in a good mood. But then he saw Mordecai at the palace gate. He noticed that Mordecai didn't stand up when he walked by. In fact, Mordecai didn't have any respect for him at all. So he burned with anger against him. + But Haman was able to control himself. He went on home. Haman called his friends and his wife Zeresh together. + He bragged to them about how rich he was. He talked about how many sons he had. He spoke about all of the ways the king had honored him. He bragged about how the king had given him a higher position than any of the other nobles and officials had. + "And that's not all!" Haman added. "I'm the only person Queen Esther invited to come with the king to the big dinner she gave. Now she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. + "But even all of that doesn't satisfy me. I won't be satisfied as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the palace gate." + Haman's wife Zeresh and all of his friends spoke up. They said to him, "Get a pole. In the morning, ask the king to have Mordecai put to death. Have the pole stuck through his body. Set it up at a place where it will be 75 feet above the ground. Everyone will be able to see it there. Then go to the dinner with the king. Have a good time." Haman was delighted with that suggestion. So he got the pole ready. + + + That night the king couldn't sleep. So he ordered the official records of his rule to be brought in. He ordered someone to read them to him. + It was written there that Mordecai had uncovered the plans of Bigthana and Teresh against the king. They had been two of the king's officers who guarded the door of the royal palace. They had decided to kill King Xerxes. + "What great honor has Mordecai received for doing that?" the king asked. "Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered. + The king asked, "Who is in the courtyard?" Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the palace. He had come to speak to the king about putting Mordecai to death. He wanted to talk about putting Mordecai's body up on the pole he had gotten ready for him. + The king's attendants said to him, "Haman is standing in the courtyard." "Bring him in," the king ordered. + Haman entered. Then the king asked him, "What should be done for the man I want to honor?" Haman said to himself, "Is there anyone the king would rather honor than me?" + So he answered the king. He said, "Here is what you should do for the man you want to honor. + Have your servants get a royal robe you have worn. Have them bring a horse you have ridden on. Have a royal crest placed on its head. + Then give the robe and horse to one of your most noble princes. Let the robe be put on the man you want to honor. Let him be led on the horse through the city streets. Let people announce in front of him, 'This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor!' " + "Go right away," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe. Bring the horse. Do exactly what you have suggested. Do it for the Jew Mordecai. He's sitting out there at the palace gate. Make sure you do everything you have suggested." + So Haman got the robe and the horse. He put the robe on Mordecai. And he led him on horseback through the city streets. He walked along in front of him and announced, "This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor!" + After that, Mordecai returned to the palace gate. But Haman rushed home. He covered his head because he was very sad. + He told his wife Zeresh everything that had happened to him. He also told all of his friends. His advisers and his wife Zeresh spoke to him. They said, "Your fall from power started with Mordecai. He's a Jew. So now you can't stand up against him. You are going to be destroyed!" + They were still talking with him when the king's officials arrived. They hurried Haman away to the big dinner Esther had prepared. + + + So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. + They were drinking wine on the second day. The king again asked, "What do you want, Queen Esther? I'll give it to you. What do you want me to do for you? I'll even give you up to half of my kingdom." + Then Queen Esther answered, "King Xerxes, I hope you will show me your favor. I hope you will be pleased to let me live. That's what I want. Please spare my people. That's my appeal to you. + "My people and I have been sold to be destroyed. We've been sold to be killed and wiped out. Suppose we had only been sold as male and female slaves. Then I wouldn't have said anything. That kind of suffering wouldn't be a good enough reason to bother you." + King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is the man who has dared to do such a thing? And where is he?" + Esther said, "The man hates us! He's our enemy! He's this evil Haman!" Then Haman was terrified in front of the king and queen. + The king got up. He was burning with anger. He left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman realized that the king had already decided what he was going to do to him. So he stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. + The king returned from the palace garden to the dinner hall. Just then he saw Haman falling on the couch where Esther was lying. The king shouted, "Will he even rape the queen? Is he going to rape her while she's right here with me in the palace?" As soon as the king finished speaking, his men covered Haman's face. + Then Harbona said, "There's a pole standing near Haman's house. He has gotten it ready for Mordecai. Mordecai is the one who spoke up to help you. Haman had planned to have him put to death. He was going to have the pole stuck through his body. Then he was going to set it up at a place where it would be 75 feet above the ground." Harbona was one of the officials who attended the king. The king said to his men, "Put Haman to death! Stick the pole through his body! Set it up where everyone can see it!" + So they did. And they used the pole Haman had gotten ready for Mordecai. Then the king's anger calmed down. + + + That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther everything Haman had owned. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. Esther had told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. So Mordecai came to see the king. + The king took his ring off. It had his royal seal on it. He had taken it back from Haman. Now he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai in charge of everything Haman had owned. + Esther made another appeal to the king. She fell at his feet and sobbed. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman, the Agagite. He had decided to kill the Jews. + The king reached out his gold rod toward Esther. She got up and stood in front of him. + "King Xerxes, I hope you will show me your favor," she said. "I hope you will think that what I'm asking is the right thing to do. I hope you are pleased with me. If you are, and if it pleases you, let an order be written. Let it take the place of the messages Haman wrote. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He planned to kill the Jews. He wrote orders to destroy us in all of your territories. + I couldn't stand by and see the horrible trouble that would fall on my people! I couldn't stand to see my family destroyed!" + King Xerxes gave a reply to Queen Esther and the Jew Mordecai. He said, "Haman attacked the Jews. So I've given Esther everything he owned. My men have stuck a pole through his dead body. And they've set it up where everyone can see it. + "Now write another order in my name. Do it for the benefit of the Jews. Do what seems best to you. Stamp the order with my royal seal. Nothing that is written in my name and stamped with my seal can ever be changed." + Right away the king sent for the royal secretaries. It was the 23rd day of the third month. That was the month of Sivan. They wrote down all of Mordecai's orders to the Jews. They also wrote them to the royal officials, the governors and the nobles of the 127 territories in his kingdom. The territories reached from India all the way to Cush. The orders were written down in the writing of each territory. They were written in the language of each nation. They were also written to the Jews in their own writing and language. + Mordecai wrote the orders in the name of King Xerxes. He stamped them with the king's royal seal. He sent them by messengers on horseback. They rode fast horses that were raised just for the king. + The Jews in every city could now gather together and fight for their lives. The king's order gave them that right. But what if soldiers from any nation or territory attacked them? What if they attacked their women and children? Then the Jews could destroy, kill and wipe out those soldiers. They could also take the goods that belonged to their enemies. + A day was appointed for the Jews to do that in all of the king's territories. It was the 13th day of the 12th month. That was the month of Adar. + A copy of the order was sent out as law in every territory. It was announced to the people of every nation. So the Jews would be ready on that day. They could pay their enemies back. + The messengers rode on the royal horses. They raced along. That's what the king commanded them to do. The order was also sent out in the safest place in Susa. + Mordecai left the king and went on his way. Mordecai was wearing royal clothes. They were blue and white. He was also wearing a large gold crown. And he was wearing a purple coat. It was made out of fine linen. The city of Susa celebrated with great joy. + The Jews were filled with joy and happiness. They were very glad because now they were being honored. + They celebrated and enjoyed good food. They were glad and full of joy. That was true everywhere the king's order went out. It was true in every territory and every city. Many people from other nations announced that they had become Jews. That's because they were so afraid of the Jews. + + + The king's order had to be carried out on the 13th day of the 12th month. That was the month of Adar. On that day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to win the battle over them. But now everything had changed. The Jews had gained the advantage over those who hated them. + The Jews gathered together in their cities. They gathered in all of the territories King Xerxes ruled over. They came together to attack those who were trying to destroy them. No one could stand up against them. The people from all of the other nations were afraid of them. + All of the nobles in the territories helped the Jews. So did the royal officials, the governors and the king's officers. That's because they were so afraid of Mordecai. + He was well known in the palace. His fame spread all through the territories. So he became more and more important. + The Jews struck down all of their enemies with swords. They killed them and destroyed them. They did what they pleased to those who hated them. + The Jews killed 500 men. They destroyed them in the safest place in Susa. + They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, + Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, + Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha. + They were the ten sons of Haman. He was the son of Hammedatha. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. They didn't take anything that belonged to their enemies. + A report was brought to the king that same day. He was told how many men had been killed in the safest place in Susa. + He said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed 500 men. They destroyed them in the safest place in Susa. They also killed the ten sons of Haman there. What have they done in the rest of my territories? Now what do you want? I'll give it to you. What do you want me to do for you? I'll do that too." + "If it pleases you," Esther answered, "let the Jews in Susa carry out today's order tomorrow also. Stick poles through the dead bodies of Haman's ten sons. Set them up where everyone can see them." + So the king commanded that it be done. An order was sent out in Susa. And the king's men did to the bodies of Haman's sons everything they were told to do. + The Jews in Susa came together on the 14th day of the month of Adar. They put 300 men to death in Susa. But they didn't take anything that belonged to those men. + During that time, the rest of the Jews also gathered together. They lived in the king's territories. They came together to fight for their lives. They didn't want their enemies to bother them anymore. They wanted to get some peace and rest. So they killed 75,000 of their enemies. But they didn't take anything that belonged to them. + It happened on the 13th of Adar. On the 14th day they rested. They made it a day to celebrate with great joy. And they enjoyed good food. + But the Jews in Susa had gathered together on the 13th and 14th. Then on the 15th they rested. They made it a day to celebrate with great joy. And they enjoyed good food. + That's why Jews who live out in the villages celebrate on the 14th of Adar. They celebrate that day with great joy. And they enjoy good food. They also give presents to each other on that day. + Mordecai wrote down those events. He sent letters to all of the Jews all through the territories of King Xerxes. It didn't matter whether the Jews lived nearby or far away. + Mordecai told them to celebrate the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar. He wanted them to do it every year. + Mordecai told the Jews to celebrate the time when they got rest from their enemies. That was the month when their sadness was turned into joy. It was when their sobbing turned into a day for celebrating. He wrote the letters to celebrate those days as times of joy. He wanted the people to enjoy good food. He told them to give presents of food to one another. He also wanted them to give gifts to those who were poor. + So the Jews agreed to continue the celebrating they had started. They kept doing what Mordecai had written to them. + Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He had been the enemy of all of the Jews. He had planned to destroy them. He had cast the lot to destroy them completely. The lot was also called pur. + But the king had found out about Haman's evil plan. So the king had sent out written orders. He had ordered that the evil plan Haman had made against the Jews should come back on his own head. He had also commanded that Haman and his sons should be put to death. Poles should be stuck through their dead bodies. Then they should be set up where everyone could see them. + The days the Jews were celebrating were called Purim. Purim comes from the word pur. Pur means "lot." Now the Jews celebrate those two days every year. They do it because of everything that was written in Mordecai's letter. They also do it because of what they had seen and what had happened to them. + So they established it as a regular practice. They decided they would always observe those two days of the year. They would celebrate in the required way. And they would celebrate at the appointed time. They and their children after them and everyone who joined them would always observe those days. + The days should be remembered and celebrated. They should be remembered by every family for all time to come. They should be celebrated in every territory and in every city. The Jews should never stop celebrating the days of Purim. Their children after them should always remember those days. + So Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote a second letter. She wrote it together with the Jew Mordecai. They wanted to give their full authority to this second letter about Purim. + Mordecai sent letters to all of the Jews in the 127 territories of the kingdom of Xerxes. The letters had messages of kindness and hope in them. + The letters established the days of Purim at their appointed times. They spoke about what the Jew Mordecai and Queen Esther had ordered the people to do. Everything should be done in keeping with the directions the Jews had set up for themselves and their children after them. The directions applied to their times of fasting and sadness. + Esther's order established the rules about Purim. It was written down in the records. + + + King Xerxes required people all through his kingdom to bring him gifts. He required gifts from its farthest shores. + All of his powerful and mighty acts are written down. That includes the whole story of how important Mordecai was. The king had given him a position of great honor. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Media and Persia. + The Jew Mordecai's position was second only to the position of King Xerxes. Mordecai was the most important Jew. All of the other Jews had the highest respect for him. That's because he worked for the good of his people. And he spoke up for the benefit of all of the Jews. + + + + + There was a man who lived in the land of Uz. His name was Job. He was honest. He did what was right. He had respect for God and avoided evil. + Job had seven sons and three daughters. + He owned 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels. He owned 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. He also had a large number of servants. He was the most important man among all of the people in the east. + His sons used to take turns giving big dinners in their homes. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. + When the time for enjoying good food was over, Job would have his children made pure and clean. He would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them. He would do it early in the morning. He would think, "Perhaps my children have sinned. Maybe they have spoken evil things against God in their hearts." That's what Job always did for his children when he felt they had sinned. + One day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came with them. + The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered, "From traveling all around the earth. I've been going from one end of it to the other." + Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn't anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for me and avoids evil." + "You always give Job everything he needs," Satan replied. "That's why he has respect for you. + Haven't you guarded him and his family? Haven't you taken care of everything he has? You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds are spread all through the land. + "But reach out your hand and strike down everything he has. Then I'm sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he'll do it right in front of you." + The Lord said to Satan, "All right. I am handing everything he has over to you. But do not touch the man himself." Then Satan left the Lord and went on his way. + One day Job's sons and daughters were at their oldest brother's house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine. + During that time a messenger came to Job. He said, "The oxen were plowing. The donkeys were eating grass near them. + Then the Sabeans attacked us and carried the animals off. They killed some of the servants with their swords. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" + While he was still speaking, a second messenger came. He said, "God sent lightning from the sky. It struck the sheep and killed them. It burned up some of the servants. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" + While he was still speaking, a third messenger came. He said, "The Chaldeans separated themselves into three groups. They attacked your camels and carried them off. They killed the rest of the servants with their swords. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" + While he was still speaking, a fourth messenger came. He said, "Your sons and daughters were at their oldest brother's house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine. + Suddenly a strong wind blew in from the desert. It struck the four corners of the house. The house fell down on your children. Now all of them are dead. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" + After Job heard all of those reports, he got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord. + He said, "I was born naked. And I'll leave here naked. You have given, and you have taken away. May your name be praised." + In spite of everything, Job didn't sin by blaming God for doing anything wrong. + + + On another day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came to him along with them. + The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered, "From traveling all around the earth. I've been going from one end of it to the other." + Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn't anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for me and avoids evil. You tried to turn me against him. You wanted me to destroy him without any reason. But he still continues to be faithful." + Satan replied, "A man will give everything he has to save himself. So Job is willing to give up the lives of his family to save his own life. + "But reach out your hand and strike his flesh and bones. Then I'm sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he'll do it right in front of you." + The Lord said to Satan, "All right. I am handing him over to you. But you must spare his life." + Then Satan left the Lord and went on his way. He sent painful sores on Job. They covered him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. + He got part of a broken pot. He used it to scrape his skin. He did it while he was sitting in ashes. + His wife said to him, "Are you still continuing to be faithful to the Lord? Speak evil things against him and die!" + Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. We accept good things from God. So we should also accept trouble when he sends it." In spite of everything, Job didn't say anything that was sinful. + Job had three friends named Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They heard about all of the troubles that had come to Job. So they started out from their homes. They had agreed to meet together. They wanted to go and show their concern for Job. They wanted to comfort him. + When they got closer to where he lived, they could see him. But they could hardly recognize him. They began to sob out loud. They tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. + Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him. That's because they saw how much he was suffering. + + + After a while, Job opened his mouth to speak. He called down a curse on the day he had been born. + He said, + "May the day I was born be wiped out. May the night be wiped away when people said, 'A boy is born!' + May that day turn into darkness. May God in heaven not care about it. May no light shine on it. + May darkness and deep shadow take it back. May a cloud settle over it. May blackness cover up its light. + May deep darkness take over the night I was born. May it not be included among the days of the year. May it never appear in any of the months. + May no children ever have been born on that night. May no shout of joy be heard in it. + May people call down a curse on that day. May those who are ready to wake up the sea monster Leviathan curse that day. + May its morning stars become dark. May it lose all hope of ever seeing daylight. May it not see the first light of the morning sun. + It didn't keep my mother from letting me be born. It didn't keep my eyes from seeing trouble. + "Why didn't I die when I was born? Why didn't I die as I came out of my mother's body? + Why was I placed on her knees? Why did her breasts give me milk? + If all of that hadn't happened, I would be lying down in peace. I'd be asleep and at rest in the grave. + I'd be with the earth's kings and advisers. They had built for themselves places that are now destroyed. + I'd be with rulers who used to have gold. They had filled their houses with silver. + Why wasn't I buried like a baby who was born dead? Why wasn't I buried like a child who never saw the light of day? + In the grave, sinful people don't cause trouble anymore. And there those who are tired find rest. + Prisoners also enjoy peace there. They don't hear a slave driver shouting at them anymore. + The least important and most important people are there. And there the slaves are set free from their owners. + "Why is the light that leads to life given to those who suffer? Why is it given to those whose spirits are bitter? + Why is life given to those who long for death that doesn't come? Why is it given to those who would rather search for death than for hidden treasure? + Why is life given to those who are actually happy and glad when they reach the grave? + Why is life given to a man like me? God hasn't told me what will happen to me. He has surrounded me with nothing but trouble. + I sigh instead of eating food. Groans pour out of me like water. + What I was afraid of has come on me. What I worried about has happened to me. + I don't have any peace and quiet. I can't find any rest. All I have is trouble." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied, + "Job, suppose someone tries to talk to you. Will that make you uneasy? I can't keep from speaking up. + Look, you taught many people. You made weak hands strong. + Your words helped those who had fallen down. You made shaky knees strong. + Now trouble comes to you. And you are unhappy about it. It strikes you down. And you are afraid. + Shouldn't you worship God and trust in him? Shouldn't your honest life give you hope? + "Here's something to think about. Have blameless people ever been wiped out? Have honest people ever been completely destroyed? + Here's what I've observed. People gather a crop from what they plant. If they plant evil and trouble, that's what they will harvest. + The breath of God destroys them. The blast of his anger wipes them out. + Powerful lions might roar and growl. But their teeth are broken. + Lions die because they don't have any food. Then their cubs are scattered. + "A message came to me in secret. It was as quiet as a whisper. + I had a scary dream one night. I was sound asleep. + Fear and trembling grabbed hold of me. That made every bone in my body shake. + A spirit glided past my face. The hair on my body stood on end. + Then the spirit stopped. But I couldn't tell what it was. Something stood there in front of me. I heard a soft voice. + It said, 'Can a human being be more right than God? Can a mere man be more pure than the One who made him? + God doesn't trust those who serve him. He even brings charges against his angels. + So he'll certainly find fault with human beings. After all, they are made out of dust. They can be crushed more easily than a moth. + Between sunrise and sunset they are broken to pieces. Nobody even notices. They disappear forever. + Like a tent that falls down, they get weak. They die because they didn't follow God's wisdom.' " + + + Eliphaz continued, "Call out if you want to, Job. But who will answer you? Which one of the holy angels will you turn to? + Anger kills foolish people. Jealousy destroys those who are childish. + I saw that foolish people were having success. But suddenly a curse came down on their houses. + Their children aren't safe at all. They lose their case in court. No one speaks up for them. + Hungry people eat up the crops of those who are foolish. They even take the food that grows among thorns. Thirsty people long for the wealth of the foolish. + Hard times don't just grow out of the soil. Trouble doesn't jump out of the ground. + People are born to have trouble. And that's just as sure as sparks fly up. + "If I were you, I'd make my appeal to God. I'd bring my case to be judged by him. + He does wonderful things that can't be understood. He does miracles that can't even be counted. + He sends rain on the earth. He sends water on the countryside. + He lifts up those who are lowly in spirit. He lifts up those who are sad. He keeps them safe. + He stops those who are tricky from doing what they plan to do. The work of their hands doesn't succeed. + Some people think they are so wise. But God catches them in their own tricks. He sweeps away the evil plans of sinful people. + Darkness covers them in the daytime. At noon they feel their way around as if it were night. + God saves needy people from the cutting words of their enemies. He saves them from their powerful hands. + So those who are poor have hope. And God shuts the mouths of people who don't treat others fairly. + "Blessed is the person God corrects. So don't hate the Mighty One's training. + He wounds. But he also bandages up those he wounds. He harms. But his hands also heal those he harms. + From six troubles he will save you. Even if you are in trouble seven times, no harm will come to you. + When there isn't enough food, God will keep you from dying. When you go into battle, he won't let a sword strike you down. + He will keep you safe from words that can hurt you. You won't need to be afraid when everything is being destroyed. + You will laugh when things are being destroyed. You will enjoy life even when there isn't enough food. You won't be afraid of wild animals. + You will make a covenant with the stones in the fields. They won't keep your crops from growing. Even wild animals will be at peace with you. + You will know that the tent you live in is secure. You will check out your property. You will see that nothing is missing. + You can be sure you will have a lot of children. They will be as many as the blades of grass on the earth. + You will go down to the grave while you are still very strong. You will be like a crop that is gathered at the right time. + "We have carefully studied all of those things. And they are true. So pay attention to them. Apply them to yourself." + + + Job replied, + "I wish my great pain could be weighed! I wish all of my suffering could be weighed on scales! + I'm sure they would weigh more than the grains of sand on the seashore. No wonder I've been so quick to speak! + The Mighty One has shot me with his arrows. I have to drink their poison. God's terrors are aimed at me. + Does a wild donkey cry out when it has enough grass? Does an ox call out when it has plenty of food? + Is food that doesn't have any taste eaten without salt? Is there any flavor in the white of an egg? + I refuse to touch that kind of food. It makes me sick. + "I wish I could have what I'm asking for! I wish God would give me what I'm hoping for! + I wish he would crush me! I wish his powerful hand would cut off my life! + Then I'd still have one thing to comfort me. It would be that I haven't said no to the Holy One's commands. That would give me joy in spite of my pain that never ends. + "I'm so weak that I no longer have any hope. Things have gotten so bad that I can't wait for help anymore. + Am I as strong as stone? Is my body made out of bronze? + I don't have the power to help myself. All hope of success has been taken away from me. + "A man's friends should love him when his hope is gone. They should be faithful to him even if he stops showing respect for the Mighty One. + But my friends aren't faithful to me. They are like streams that only flow for part of the year. They are like rivers that flow over their banks + when the ice begins to break up. The streams rise when the snow starts to melt. + But they stop flowing when the dry season comes. They disappear from their stream beds when the weather warms up. + Groups of traders turn away from their usual paths. They go up into the dry and empty land. And they die there. + Traders from Tema look for water. Traveling merchants from Sheba also hope to find it. + They become troubled because they had expected to find some. But when they arrive at the stream beds, they don't find any water at all. + And now, my friends, you haven't helped me either. You see the horrible condition I'm in. And that makes you afraid. + I've never said, 'Give me something to help me. Use your wealth to set me free. + Save me from the powerful hand of my enemy. Set me free from the power of mean people.' + "Teach me. Then I'll be quiet. Show me what I've done wrong. + Honest words are so painful! But your reasoning doesn't prove anything. + Are you trying to correct what I'm saying? You are treating the words of this hopeless man like nothing but wind. + You would even cast lots for those whose fathers have died. You would even trade away your closest friend. + "But now please look at me. Would I tell you a lie right here in front of you? + Stop what you are saying. Don't be so unfair. Think it over again. You are trying to take my honesty away from me. + Has my mouth spoken anything that is evil? Do my lips say things that are hateful?" + + + Job continued, "Doesn't every man have to work hard on this earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired worker? + I've been like a slave who longs for the evening shadows to come. I've been like a hired worker who can hardly wait to get paid. + I've been given several months that were useless to me. My nights have been filled with suffering. + When I lie down I think, 'How long will it be before I can get up?' The night drags on. I toss and turn until sunrise. + My body is covered with worms and sores. My skin is broken. It has boils all over it. + "My days pass by faster than a weaver can work. They come to an end. I don't have any hope. + God, remember that my life is only a breath. I'll never be happy again. + The eyes that see me now won't see me anymore. You will look for me. But I'll be gone. + When a cloud disappears, it's gone forever. And anyone who goes down to the grave never returns. + He never comes home again. Even his own family doesn't remember him. + "So I won't keep quiet. When I'm suffering greatly, I'll speak out. When my spirit is bitter, I'll tell you how unhappy I am. + Am I the ocean? Am I the sea monster? If I'm not, why do you guard me so closely? + Sometimes I think my bed will comfort me. I think my couch will keep me from being unhappy. + But even then you send me dreams that frighten me. You send me visions that terrify me. + So I would rather choke to death. That would be better than living in this body of mine. + I hate my life. I don't want to live forever. Leave me alone. My days don't mean anything to me. + "What are human beings that you think so much of them? What are they that you pay so much attention to them? + You check up on them every morning. You put them to the test every moment. + Won't you ever look away from me? Won't you leave me alone even for one second? + If I've really sinned, tell me what I've done to you. Why do you watch people so closely? Why do you shoot your arrows at me? Have I become a problem to you? + Why don't you forgive the wrong things I've done? Why don't you forgive me for my sins? I'll soon lie down in the dust of my grave. You will search for me. But I'll be gone." + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite replied, + "Job, how long will you talk like that? Your words don't have any meaning. + Does God ever treat people unfairly? Does the Mighty One make what is wrong appear to be right? + Your children sinned against him. So he punished them for their sin. + But look to God. Make your appeal to the Mighty One. + Be pure and honest. And he will rise up and help you now. He'll return you to the place where you belong. + In the past, things went well with you. But in days to come, things will get even better. + "Find out what your people who lived long ago taught. Discover what those who lived before them learned. + After all, we were born only yesterday. So we don't know anything. Our days on this earth are like a shadow that disappears. + Won't your people of long ago teach you and tell you? Won't the things they said help you understand? + Can grass grow tall where there isn't any swamp? Can plants grow well where there isn't any water? + While they are still growing and haven't been cut, they dry up faster than grass does. + The same thing happens to everyone who forgets God. The hope of ungodly people dies out. + What they trust in is very weak. What they depend on is like a spider's web. + A person leans on it, but it falls apart. He holds on to it, but it gives way. + He is like a plant in the sunshine that receives plenty of water. It spreads its new growth all over the garden. + It wraps its roots around a pile of rocks. It tries to find places to grow among the stones. + But when a plant is pulled up from its spot, that place says, 'I never saw you.' + The life of that plant is sure to dry up. But from the same soil other plants will grow. + "I'm sure God doesn't turn his back on anyone who is honest. And he doesn't help those who do what is evil. + He will fill your mouth with laughter. Shouts of joy will come from your lips. + Your enemies will put on shame as if it were clothes. The tents of sinful people will be gone." + + + Job replied, + "I'm sure that what you have said is true. But how can human beings be right with God? + They might wish to argue with him. But they couldn't answer him even once in a thousand times. + His wisdom is deep. His power is great. No one opposes him and comes away unharmed. + He moves mountains, and they don't even know it. When he is angry, he turns them upside down. + He shakes the earth loose from its place. He makes its pillars tremble. + When he tells the sun not to shine, it doesn't. He turns off the light of the stars. + He's the only one who can spread the heavens out. He alone can walk on the waves of the ocean. + He made the Big Dipper and Orion. He created the Pleiades and the southern stars. + He does wonderful things that can't be understood. He does miracles that can't even be counted. + When he passes by me, I can't see him. When he goes past me, I can't recognize him. + If he takes something, who can stop him? Who would dare to ask him, 'What are you doing?' + God doesn't hold back his anger. Even the helpers of the sea monster Rahab bowed in fear at his feet. + "So how can I disagree with God? How can I possibly argue with him? + Even if I hadn't done anything wrong, I couldn't answer him. I could only beg my Judge to have mercy on me. + Suppose I called out to him and he answered. I don't believe he'd listen to me. + He would send a storm to crush me. He'd increase my wounds without any reason. + He wouldn't let me catch my breath. He'd make my life very bitter. + If it's a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it's a matter of being fair, who would dare to bring charges against him? + Even if I hadn't sinned, what I said would prove me guilty. Even if I were honest, my words would show that I'm wrong. + "Even though I'm honest, I'm not concerned about myself. I hate my own life. + It all amounts to the same thing. That's why I say, 'God destroys honest people and sinful people alike.' + Suppose a plague brings sudden death. Then he laughs when those who haven't sinned lose hope. + Suppose a nation falls into the power of sinful people. Then God makes its judges blind to the truth. If he isn't the one doing it, who is? + "God, my days race by like a runner. They fly away without seeing any joy. + They speed along like papyrus boats. They are like eagles swooping down on their food. + Suppose I say, 'I'll forget about all of my problems. I'll change my frown into a smile.' + Then I'd still be afraid I'd go on suffering. That's because I know you would say I had done something wrong. + In fact, you have already said I'm guilty. So why should I struggle without any reason? + Suppose I clean myself with soap. Suppose I wash my hands with cleanser. + Even then you would throw me into a muddy pit. And even my clothes would hate me. + "God isn't a man like me. I can't answer him. We can't take each other to court. + I wish someone would settle matters between us. I wish someone would force us to work things out. + I wish someone would keep God from punishing me. Then his terror wouldn't frighten me anymore. + I would speak up without being afraid of him. But as things stand now, I can't do that. + + + "I'm sick of living. So I'll talk openly about my problems. I'll speak out because my spirit is bitter. + I'll say to God, 'Don't find me guilty. Instead, tell me what charges you are bringing against me. + Does it make you happy when you crush me? Does it please you to turn your back on what you have made? While you do those things, you smile on the plans of sinful people! + You don't have human eyes. You don't see as people see. + Your days aren't like the days of a human being. Your years aren't like the years of a mere man. + So you search for my mistakes. You look for my sin. + You already know I'm not guilty. No one can save me from your powerful hand. + " 'Your hands shaped me and made me. So are you going to destroy me now? + Remember, you molded me like clay. So are you going to turn me back into dust? + Didn't you pour me out like milk? Didn't you form me like cheese? + Didn't you put skin and flesh on me? Didn't you sew me together with bones and muscles? + You gave me life. You were kind to me. You took good care of me. You watched over me. + " 'But here's what you hid in your heart. Here's what you had on your mind. + If I sinned, you would be watching me. You wouldn't let me go without punishing me. + If I were guilty, how terrible that would be for me! Even if I haven't sinned, I can't be proud of what I've done. That's because I'm so full of shame. I'm drowning in my suffering. + If I become proud, you hunt me down like a lion. You show your mighty power against me. + You bring new witnesses against me. You become more and more angry with me. You use your power against me again and again. + " 'Why did you bring me out of my mother's body? I wish I had died before anyone saw me. + I wish I'd never been born! I wish I'd been carried straight from my mother's body to the grave! + Aren't my few days almost over? Leave me so I can have a moment of joy. + Turn away before I go to the place I can't return from. It's the land of darkness and deep shadow. + It's the land of darkest night and deep shadow and disorder. There even the light is like darkness.' " + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite replied, + "Don't all of your words require an answer? I'm sure that what you are saying can't be right. + Your useless talk won't keep us quiet. Someone has to correct you when you make fun of truth. + You say to God, 'My beliefs are perfect. I'm pure in your sight.' + I wish God would speak. I wish he'd answer you. + I wish he'd show you the secrets of wisdom. After all, true wisdom has two sides. Here's what I want you to know. God has forgotten some of your sins. + "Do you know how deep the mysteries of God are? Can you discover the limits of the Mighty One's knowledge? + They are higher than the heavens. What can you do? They are deeper than the deepest grave. What can you know? + They are longer than the earth. They are wider than the ocean. + "Suppose God comes along and puts you in prison. Suppose he takes you to court. Then who can oppose him? + He certainly knows when people tell lies. When he sees evil, he pays careful attention to it. + A wild donkey's colt can't be born a human being. And a man who doesn't have any sense can't become wise. + "So commit yourself to God completely. Reach out your hands to him for help. + Get rid of all of the sin you have. Don't let anything that is evil stay in your tent. + Then you can face others without feeling any shame. You can stand firm without being afraid. + You can be sure you will forget your troubles. They will be like water that has flowed on by. + Life will be brighter than the sun at noon. And darkness will become like morning. + You will be secure, because there is hope. You will look around you and find a safe place to rest. + You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid. Many people will want you to show them your favor. + But sinful people won't find what they are looking for. They won't be able to escape. All they can hope for is to die." + + + Job replied, + "You people think you know everything, don't you? You are sure that wisdom will die with you! + But I have a brain, just like you. I'm as clever as you are. In fact, everyone knows as much as you do. + "My friends laugh at me all the time, even though I called out to God and he answered. My friends laugh at me, even though I'm honest and right. + People who have an easy life look down on those who have problems. They think trouble comes only to those whose feet are slipping. + Why doesn't anyone bother the tents of robbers? Why do those who make God angry remain secure? They carry the statues of their gods in their hands! + "But ask the animals what God does. They will teach you. Or ask the birds of the air. They will tell you. + Or speak to the earth. It will teach you. Or let the fish of the ocean educate you. + Are there any of those creatures that don't know what the powerful hand of the Lord has done? + He holds the life of every creature in his hand. He controls the breath of every human being. + Our tongues tell us what tastes good and what doesn't. And our ears tell us what's true and what isn't. + Old people are wise. Those who live a long time have understanding. + "Wisdom and power belong to God. Advice and understanding also belong to him. + What he tears down can't be rebuilt. Any man he puts in prison can't be set free. + If he holds back the water, everything dries up. If he lets the water loose, it floods the land. + Strength and success belong to him. Those who tell lies and those who believe them also belong to him. + He removes the wisdom of advisers and leads them away. He makes judges look foolish. + He sets people free from the chains that kings put on them. Then he dresses the kings in the clothes of slaves. + He removes the authority of priests and leads them away. He removes from their positions those who have been in control for a long time. + He shuts the mouths of trusted advisers. He takes away the understanding of elders. + He looks down on proud leaders. He takes away the strength of those who are mighty. + He tells people the secrets of darkness. He brings evil plans out into the light. + He makes nations great, and then he destroys them. He makes nations grow, and then he scatters them. + He takes away the understanding of the leaders of the earth. He makes them wander in a desert where no one lives. + Without any light, they feel their way along in darkness. God makes them unsteady like those who get drunk. + + + "My eyes have seen everything God has done. My ears have heard it and understood it. + What you know, I also know. I'm as clever as you are. + In fact, I long to speak to the Mighty One. I want to argue my case with God. + But you spread lies about me and take away my good name. If you are trying to heal me, you aren't very good doctors! + I wish you would keep your mouths shut! Then people would think you were wise. + Listen to my case. Listen as I make my appeal. + Will you say evil things in order to help God? Will you tell lies for him? + Do you want to be on God's side? Will you argue his case for him? + Would it turn out well if he looked you over carefully? Could you fool him as you fool others? + He would certainly correct you if you took his side in secret. + Wouldn't his glory terrify you? Wouldn't the fear of him fall on you? + Your sayings are as useless as ashes. The answers you give are as weak as clay. + "So be quiet and let me speak. Then I won't care what happens to me. + Why do I put myself in danger? Why do I take my life in my hands? + Even if God kills me, I'll still put my hope in him. I'll argue my case in front of him. + No matter how things turn out, I'm sure I'll still be saved. After all, no ungodly person would dare to come into his court. + Listen carefully to what I'm saying. Pay close attention to my words. + I've prepared my case. And I know I'll be proved right. + Can others bring charges against me? If they can, I'll keep quiet and die. + "God, I won't hide from you. Here are the only two things I want. + Keep your powerful hand far away from me. And stop making me so afraid. + Then send for me, and I'll answer. Or let me speak, and you reply. + How many things have I done wrong? How many sins have I committed? Show me my crime. Show me my sin. + Why do you turn your face away from me? Why do you think of me as your enemy? + I'm already like a leaf that is blown by the wind. Are you going to terrify me even more? I'm already like dry straw. Are you going to keep on chasing me? + You write down bitter things against me. You make me suffer for the sins I committed when I was young. + You put my feet in chains. You watch every step I take. You do it by putting marks on the bottom of my feet. + "People waste away like something that is rotten. They are like clothes that are eaten by moths. + + + They have only a few days to live. Their lives are full of trouble. + They grow like flowers, and then they dry up. They are like shadows that quickly disappear. + "God, why do you keep looking at someone like me? Are you planning to take me to court? + Who can bring what is pure from something that isn't pure? No one! + You decide how long anyone will live. You have established the number of his months. You have set a limit to the number of his days. + So look away from him. Leave him alone. Let him put in his time like a hired worker. + "At least there is hope for a tree. If it's cut down, it will begin to grow again. New branches will appear on it. + Its roots may grow old in the ground. Its stump may die in the soil. + But when it smells water, it will begin to grow. It will send out new growth like a plant. + No man is like that. When he dies, he is buried in a grave. He takes his last breath. Then he is gone. + Water disappears from lakes. Riverbeds become empty and dry. + In the same way, a man lies down and never gets up. He won't wake up or rise from his sleep until the heavens are gone. + "I wish you would hide me in a grave! I wish you would cover me up until your anger passes by! I wish you would set the time for me to spend in the grave and then bring me back up! + If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard work I will wait for the time when you give me new life. + You will call out to me, and I will answer you. Your hands created me. So you will long for me. + Then you will count every step I take. But you won't keep track of my sin. + The wrong things I've done will be sealed up in a bag. You will wipe out my sins by forgiving them. + "A mountain wears away and crumbles. A rock is moved from its place. + Water wears stones away. Storms wash soil away. In the same way, you destroy our hope. + You overpower us completely, and then we're gone. You change the way we look and send us to our graves. + If our children are honored, we don't even know it. If they are dishonored, we don't even see it. + All we feel is the pain of our own bodies. We are full of sadness only for ourselves." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied, + "Job, if you were wise, would you answer us with a lot of meaningless talk? Would you fill your stomach with the hot east wind? + Would you argue with useless words? Would you give worthless speeches? + But you even cause others to lose their respect for God. You make it hard for them to be faithful to him. + Your sin makes you say evil things. You talk like people who twist the truth. + Your own mouth judges you, not mine. Your own lips witness against you. + "Are you the first man who was ever born? Were you created before the hills? + Do you listen in when God speaks with his angels? Do you think you are the only wise person? + What do you know that we don't know? What understanding do you have that we don't have? + People who are old and gray are on our side. And they are even older than your parents! + Aren't God's words of comfort enough for you? He speaks them to you gently. + Why have you let your wild ideas carry you away? Why do your eyes flash with anger? + Why do you get so angry with God? Why do words like those pour out of your mouth? + "Can human beings really be pure? Can mere men really be right with God? + God doesn't trust his holy angels. Even the heavens aren't pure in his sight. + So he'll certainly find fault with human beings. After all, they are evil and sinful. They drink up evil as if it were water. + "Listen to me. I'll explain things to you. Let me tell you what I've seen. + I'll tell you what those who are wise have said. They don't hide anything they've received from their people of long ago. + The land was given only to those people. Their wisdom didn't come from outsiders. And here's what those who are wise have said. + Sinful people always suffer pain. Mean people suffer all their lives. + Terrifying sounds fill their ears. When everything seems to be going well, robbers attack them. + They lose all hope of escaping the darkness of death. They will certainly be killed with swords. + They wander around. They are like food for vultures. They know that the day they will die is near. + Suffering and pain terrify them. Their troubles overpower them, like a king ready to attack his enemies. + They shake their fists at God. They brag about themselves and oppose the Mighty One. + They boldly charge against him with their thick, strong shields. + "Their faces are very fat. Their stomachs hang out. + They'll live in towns that have been destroyed. They'll live in houses where no one else lives. The houses will crumble to pieces. + They won't be rich anymore. Their wealth won't last. Their property will no longer spread out over the land. + They won't escape the darkness of death. A flame will dry up everything they have. The breath of God will blow them away. + Don't let them fool themselves by trusting in what is worthless. They won't get anything out of it. + Even before they die, they'll be paid back in full. No matter what they do, it won't succeed. + They'll be like vines that are stripped of their unripe grapes. They'll be like olive trees that drop their flowers. + People who are ungodly won't have any children. Fire will burn up the tents of people who accept money from those who want special favors. + Instead of having children, ungodly people create suffering. All they produce is evil. They are full of lies." + + + Job replied, + "I've heard many of those things before. You are terrible at comforting me! + Your speeches go on forever. Won't they ever end? What's wrong with you? Why do you keep on arguing? + If you and I changed places, I could say the same things you are saying. I could make fine speeches against you. I could shake my head at you. + But what I might say would give you hope. My words of comfort would help you. + "If I speak, it doesn't help me. And if I keep quiet, my pain doesn't go away. + God has worn me out completely. He has destroyed my whole family. + People can see the condition he has put me in. My thin body stands as a witness against me. + God is angry with me. He attacks me and tears me up. He grinds his teeth at me. He stares at me as if he were my enemy. + People make fun of me. They slap my face and laugh at me. All of them join together against me. + God has turned me over to sinful people. He has handed me over to them. + Everything was going well with me. But he broke me into pieces like a clay pot. He grabbed me by the neck and crushed me. He has taken aim at me. + He shoots his arrows at me from all sides. Without pity, he stabs me in the kidneys. He spills my insides on the ground. + He smashes through me as if I were a wall. He rushes at me like a fighting man. + "I've sewed black cloth over my skin. All I can do is sit here in the dust. + My face is red from crying. I have deep circles under my eyes. + But I haven't harmed anyone. My prayers to God are pure. + "Earth, please don't cover up my blood! May God always hear my cry for help! + Even now my witness is in heaven. The one who speaks up for me is there. + My go-between is my friend as I pour out my tears to God. + He makes his appeal to God to help me as a man begs someone to help his friend. + "Only a few years will pass by. Then I'll go on a journey I won't return from. + + + My strength is almost gone. I won't live much longer. A grave is waiting for me. + People who make fun of me are all around me. I'm forced to watch as they attack me with their words. + "God, please pay the price to have me set free. Who else would put up money for me? + You have closed the minds of those who are trying to comfort me. They don't understand that I haven't done anything wrong. So don't let them win the argument. + Suppose a man tells lies about his friends to get a reward. Then his own children will suffer for it. + "God has made everyone laugh at me. People spit in my face. + My eyes have grown weak because I'm so sad. My body is so thin it hardly casts a shadow. + Those who claim to be honest are shocked when they see me. Those who think they haven't sinned are stirred up against me. They think I'm ungodly. + But godly people will keep doing what is right. Those who have clean hands will grow stronger. + "Come on, all of you! Try again! I can't find a wise person among you. + My life is almost over. My plans are destroyed. And so are the longings of my heart. + People like you turn night into day. Even though it's dark you say, 'Light is nearby.' + Suppose the only home I can hope for is a grave. And suppose I make my bed in the darkness of death. + Suppose I say to the grave, 'You are like a father to me.' And suppose I say to its worms, 'You are like a mother or sister to me.' + Then what hope do I have? Who can give me any hope? + Will hope go down to the gates of death with me? Will we go down together into the dust of the grave?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite replied, + "Job, when will you stop these speeches of yours? Be reasonable! Then we can talk. + Why do you look at us as if we were cattle? Why do you think of us as being stupid? + Your anger is tearing you to pieces. Does the earth have to be deserted just to prove you are right? Must all of the rocks be moved from their places? + "The lamps of sinful people are blown out. Their flames will never burn again. + The lights in their tents become dark. The lamps beside those who are evil go out. + They walk more slowly than they used to. Their own evil plans make them fall. + Their feet take them into a net. They wander right into it. + A trap grabs hold of their heels. It refuses to let them go. + A trap lies in their path. A rope to catch them is hidden on the ground. + Terrors alarm them on every side. They follow them every step of the way. + Trouble would like to eat them up. Danger waits for them when they fall. + It eats away parts of their skin. Death itself feeds on their arms and legs. + They are torn away from the safety of their tents. They are marched off to the one who rules over death. + Fire races through their tents. Burning sulfur is scattered over their homes. + Their roots dry up under them. Their branches dry up above them. + No one on earth remembers them. Their names are forgotten in the land. + They are driven from light into darkness. They are thrown out of the world. + Their family dies out among their people. No one is left where they used to live. + What has happened to them shocks the people in the west. It terrifies the people in the east. + Now you know what the homes of sinners are like. Those who don't know God live in places like that." + + + Job replied, + "How long will you people make me suffer? How long will you crush me with your words? + You have already made fun of me many times. You have attacked me without feeling any shame. + Suppose it's true that I've gone down the wrong path. Then it's my concern, not yours. + Suppose you want to place yourselves above me. Suppose you want to use my shame to prove I'm wrong. + Then I want you to know that God hasn't treated me right. In fact, he has captured me in his net. + "I cry out, 'Someone harmed me!' But I don't get any reply. I call out for help. But I'm not treated fairly. + God has blocked my way, and I can't get through. He has made my paths so dark I can't see where I'm going. + He has taken my wealth away from me. He has stripped me of my honor. + He tears me down on every side until I'm gone. He pulls up the roots of my hope as if I were a tree. + His anger burns against me. He thinks I'm one of his enemies. + His troops march toward me in force. They come at me from every direction. They camp around my tent. + "God has caused my brothers to desert me. The people I used to know are now strangers to me. + My family has gone away. My friends have forgotten me. + My guests and my female servants think of me as a stranger. They look at me as if I were an outsider. + I send for my servant, but he doesn't answer. He doesn't come, even though I beg him to. + My wife can't stand the way my breath smells. My own relatives won't have anything to do with me. + Even little children laugh at me. When I appear, they make fun of me. + All of my close friends hate me. Those I love have turned against me. + I'm nothing but skin and bones. I've only escaped by the skin of my teeth. + "Have pity on me, my friends! Please have pity! God has struck me down with his powerful hand. + Why do you chase after me as he does? Aren't you satisfied with what you have done to me already? + "I wish my words were written down! I wish they were written on a scroll! + I wish they were cut into lead with an iron tool! I wish they were carved in rock forever! + I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end he will stand on the earth. + After my skin has been destroyed, in my body I'll still see God. + I myself will see him with my own eyes. I'll see him, and he won't be a stranger to me. How my heart longs for that day! + "You might say, 'Let's keep bothering Job. After all, he's the cause of all of his suffering.' + But you should be afraid when God comes to judge you. He'll be angry. He'll punish you with his sword. Then you will know that he is the Judge." + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite replied, + "My troubled thoughts force me to answer you. That's because I'm very upset. + What you have just said makes fun of me. So I really have to reply to you. + "I'm sure you must know how things have always been. They've been that way ever since man was placed on this earth. + Those who are evil are happy for only a short time. The joy of ungodly people lasts only for a moment. + Their pride might reach all the way up to the heavens. Their heads might touch the clouds. + But they will disappear forever, like the waste from their own bodies. Anyone who has seen them will say, 'Where did they go?' + Like a dream they will fly away. They will never be seen again. They will be driven away like visions in the night. + The eyes that saw them won't see them anymore. Even their own families won't remember them. + Their children must pay back what they took from poor people. Their own hands must give back the wealth they stole. + They might feel young and very strong. But they will soon lie down in the dust of their graves. + "Anything that is evil tastes sweet to them. They keep it under their tongues for a while. + They can't stand to let it go. So they hold it in their mouths. + But their food will turn sour in their stomachs. It will become like the poison of a serpent inside them. + They will spit out the rich food they swallowed. God will make their stomachs throw it up. + They will suck the poison of a serpent. The fangs of an adder will kill them. + They won't enjoy streams that flow with honey. They won't enjoy rivers that flow with cream. + What they worked for they must give back before they can eat it. They won't enjoy what they have earned. + They've crushed poor people and left them with nothing. They've taken over houses they didn't even build. + "No matter how much they have, they always long for more. But their treasure can't save them. + There isn't anything left for them to eat up. Their success won't last. + While they are enjoying the good life, trouble will catch up with them. Terrible suffering will come on them. + When they've filled their stomachs, God will pour out his burning anger on them. He'll strike them down with blow after blow. + They might run away from iron weapons. But arrows that have bronze tips will wound them. + They will pull the arrows out of their backs. They will remove the shining tips from their livers. They will be filled with terror. + Total darkness hides and waits for their treasures. God will send a fire that will destroy them. It will burn up everything that's left in their tents. + Heaven will show their guilt to everyone. The earth will be a witness against them. + A flood will carry their houses away. Rushing water will wash them away on the day when God judges. + Now you know what God will do to sinful people. Now you know what he has planned for them." + + + Job replied, + "Listen carefully to what I'm saying. Let that be the comfort you people give me. + Put up with me while I speak. After I've spoken, you can make fun of me! + "I'm not arguing with mere human beings. So why shouldn't I be angry and uneasy? + Look at me and be amazed. Put your hand over your mouth and stop talking! + When I think about these things, I'm terrified. My whole body trembles. + Why do sinful people keep on living? The older they grow, the richer they get. + They see their children grow up around them. They watch their family increase in number. + Their homes are safe. They don't have to be afraid. God isn't punishing them. + Every time their bulls mate, their cows become pregnant. And the calves don't die before they are born. + Sinful people send their children out like a flock of lambs. Their little ones dance around. + They sing to the music of tambourines and harps. They have a good time while flutes are being played. + Those who are evil spend their years living well. They go down to their graves in peace. + But they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We don't want to know how you want us to live. + Who is the Mighty One? Why should we serve him? What would we get if we prayed to him?' + But they aren't in control of their own success. So I don't pay any attention to the advice they give. + "How often are their lamps blown out? How often does trouble come on them? How often does God punish them when he's angry? + How often are they like dried-up seed coverings blowing in the wind? How often are they like straw swept away by a storm? + People say, 'God punishes a man's children for his sins.' But let him punish the man himself. Then he'll learn a lesson from it. + Let his own eyes see how he is destroyed. Let him drink the wine of the Mighty One's anger. + What does he care about the family he leaves behind? What does he care about them when his life comes to an end? + "Can anyone teach God anything? After all, he judges even the angels in heaven. + Some people die while they are still very strong. They are completely secure. They have an easy life. + They are well fed. Their bodies are healthy. + Others die while their spirits are bitter. They've never enjoyed anything good. + Side by side they lie in the dust of death. The worms in their graves cover all of them. + "I know exactly what you people are thinking. I know you are planning to do bad things to me. + You are saying to yourselves, 'Where is the great man's house now? Where are the tents where his evil family lived?' + Haven't you ever asked questions of those who travel? Haven't you paid any attention to their stories? + They'll tell you that sinful people are spared from the day of trouble. They'll say that those people are saved from the day when God will judge. + Who speaks against them for the way they act? Who pays them back for what they've done? + Their bodies will be carried to their graves. Guards will watch over their tombs. + The soil in the valley will be pleasant to those who have died. Many people will walk along behind their bodies. Many others will walk in front of them. + "So how can you comfort me with your speeches? They don't make any sense at all. Your answers are nothing but lies!" + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied, + "Can any man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man be of any help to him? + Job, what pleasure would it give the Mighty One if you were right? What would he get if you were completely honest? + "You say you have respect for him. Is that why he corrects you? Is that why he brings charges against you? + Haven't you done many evil things? Don't you sin again and again? + You took clothes away from your relatives just because they owed you some money. You left them naked for no reason at all. + You didn't give any water to people who were tired. You held food back from those who were hungry. + You did it even though you were honored and powerful. You owned land and lived on it. + But you sent widows away without anything. You mistreated children whose fathers had died. + That's why traps have been set all around you. That's why sudden danger terrifies you. + That's why it's so dark you can't even see. That's why a flood covers you up. + "Isn't God in the highest parts of heaven? See how high the highest stars are! + But you still say, 'What does God know? Can he see through the darkest clouds to judge us? + He goes around in the highest heavens. Thick clouds keep him from seeing us.' + Will you stay on the old path that sinful people have walked on? + They were carried off even before they died. Their foundations were washed away by a flood. + They said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can you do to us, you Mighty One?' + But he was the one who filled their houses with good things. So I don't pay any attention to the advice they give. + "Those who do what is right are joyful when they see sinners destroyed. Those who haven't done anything wrong make fun of them. + They say, 'Our enemies are completely destroyed. Fire has burned up their wealth.' + "Job, obey God and be at peace with him. Then he will help you succeed. + Do what he teaches you to do. Keep his words in your heart. + If you return to the Mighty One, you will have what you had before. But first you must remove everything that is evil far from your tent. + You must throw your gold nuggets away. You must toss your gold from Ophir into a valley. + Then the Mighty One himself will be your gold. He'll be like the finest silver to you. + You will find delight in the Mighty One. You will honor God and trust in him. + You will pray to him, and he will hear you. You will keep the promises you made to him. + What you decide to do will be done. Light will shine on the path you take. + When people are brought low you will say, 'Lift them up!' Then God will help them. + He'll even save those who are guilty. He'll save them because your hands are clean." + + + Job replied, + "Even today my problems are more than I can handle. In spite of my groans, God's hand is heavy on me. + I wish I knew where I could find him! I wish I could go to the place where he lives! + I would state my case to him. I'd give him all of my arguments. + I'd find out what his answers would be. I'd think about what he would say. + Would he oppose me with his great power? No. He wouldn't bring charges against me. + I'm an honest person. I could state my case to him. Then my Judge would tell me once and for all that I'm not guilty. + "But if I go to the east, God isn't there. If I go to the west, I don't find him. + When he's working in the north, I don't see him there. When he turns to the south, I don't see him there either. + But he knows every step I take. When he has put me to the test, I'll come out as pure as gold. + My feet have closely followed his steps. I've stayed on his path without turning away. + I haven't disobeyed his commands. I've treasured his words more than my daily bread. + "But he's the only God. Who can oppose him? He does anything he wants to do. + He carries out his plans against me. And he still has many other plans just like them. + That's why I'm so terrified. When I think about all of this, I'm afraid of him. + God has made my heart weak. The Mighty One has filled me with terror. + But even the darkness of death won't make me silent. When the darkness of the grave covers my face, I won't be quiet. + + + "Why doesn't the Mighty One set a time for judging sinful people? Why do those who know him have to keep waiting for that day? + People move their neighbor's boundary stones. They steal their neighbor's flocks. + They take away the donkeys that belong to children whose fathers have died. They take a widow's ox until she has paid what she owes. + They push those who are needy out of their way. They force all of the poor people in the land to go into hiding. + The poor are like wild donkeys in the desert. They have to go around looking for food. The dry and empty land provides the only food for their children. + The poor go to the fields and get a little grain. They gather up what is left in the vineyards of sinners. + The poor don't have any clothes. So they spend the night naked. They don't have anything to cover themselves in the cold. + They are soaked by mountain rains. They hug the rocks because they don't have anything to keep them warm. + Children whose fathers have died are torn away from their mothers. A poor person's baby is taken away to pay back what is owed. + The poor don't have any clothes. They go around naked. They carry bundles of grain, but they still go hungry. + They work very hard as they crush olives. They stomp on grapes in winepresses, but they are still thirsty. + The groans of those who are dying are heard from the city. Those who are wounded cry out for help. But God doesn't charge anyone with doing what is wrong. + "Some people hate it when daylight comes. In the daytime they never walk outside. + When daylight is gone, murderers get up. They kill poor people and those who are in need. In the night they sneak around like robbers. + Those who commit adultery wait until the sun goes down. They think, 'No one will see us.' They keep their faces hidden. + In the dark, people break into houses. But by day they shut themselves in. They don't want anything to do with the light. + The deepest darkness is like morning to them. The terrors of darkness are their friends. + "But sinners are like bubbles on the surface of water. Their share of the land is under God's curse. So no one goes to their vineyards. + Melted snow disappears when the air is hot and dry. And sinners disappear when they go down into their graves. + Even their mothers forget them. The worms in their graves eat them up. No one remembers sinful people anymore. They are cut down like trees. + They mistreat women who aren't able to have children. They aren't kind to widows. + But God is powerful. He even drags away people who are strong. When he rises up against them, they can never be sure they are safe. + God might let them rest and feel secure. But his eyes see how they live. + For a little while they are honored. Then they are gone. They are brought low. And they die like everyone else. They are cut off like heads of grain. + "Who can prove that what I'm saying is wrong? Who can prove that my words aren't true?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite replied, + "God is King. He should be feared. He establishes peace in the highest parts of heaven. + Can anyone count his troops? Is there anyone his light doesn't shine on? + How can human beings be right with God? How can mere people really be pure? + Even the moon isn't bright and the stars aren't pure in God's eyes. + So how about human beings? They are like maggots. How about mere people? They are like worms." + + + Job replied, + "Bildad, you haven't helped people who aren't strong! You haven't saved people who are weak! + You haven't offered advice to those who aren't wise! In fact, you haven't understood anything at all! + Who helped you say those things? Whose spirit was speaking through you? + "The spirits of the dead are suffering greatly. So are those that are under the waters. And so are all those that live in them. + Death is naked in the sight of God. The Grave lies open in front of him. + He spreads out the northern skies over empty space. He hangs the earth over nothing. + He wraps up water in his clouds. They are heavy, but they don't burst. + He covers the face of the full moon. He spreads his clouds over it. + He marks out the place where the sky meets the sea. He marks out the boundary between light and darkness. + The pillars of the heavens shake. They are terrified when his anger blazes out. + With his power he stirred up the oceans. In his wisdom he cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces. + His breath made the skies bright and clear. His hand wounded the serpent that glides through the sea. + Those are only on the edges of what he does. They are only the soft whispers that we hear from him. So who can understand how very powerful he is?" + + + Job continued to speak. He said, + "God hasn't treated me fairly. The Mighty One has made my spirit bitter. You can be sure that God lives. And here's something else you can be sure of. + As long as I have life and God gives me breath, + my mouth won't say evil things. My lips won't tell lies. + I'll never admit you people are right. Until I die, I'll say I'm telling the truth. + I'll continue to say I'm right. I'll never let go of that. I won't blame myself as long as I live. + "May my enemies suffer like sinful people! May my attackers be punished like those who aren't fair! + What hope do ungodly people have when their lives are cut off? What hope do they have when God takes away their lives? + God won't listen to their cry when trouble comes on them. + They won't take delight in the Mighty One. They'll never call out to God. + "I'll teach all of you about God's power. I won't hide the things the Mighty One does. + You have seen those things yourselves. So why do you continue your useless talk? + "Here's what God does to sinful people. Here's what those who are mean receive from the Mighty One. + All of their children will be killed with swords. They'll never have enough to eat. + A plague will kill those who are left alive. The widows of sinful men won't even sob over their own children. + Sinners might store up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay. + But people who do what is right will wear those clothes. People who haven't done anything wrong will divide up that silver. + The house an evil person builds is like a moth's cocoon. It's like a hut that's made by someone on guard duty. + Sinful people lie down wealthy, but their wealth is taken away. When they open their eyes, everything is gone. + Terrors sweep over them like a flood. A storm takes them away during the night. + The east wind carries them off, and they are gone. It sweeps them out of their houses. + It blows against them without mercy. They try to escape from its power. + It claps its hands and makes fun of them. It hisses them out of their houses. + + + "There are mines where silver is found. There are places where gold is purified. + Iron is taken out of the earth. Copper is melted down from ore. + A miner lights up the darkness. He searches for ore in the deepest pits. He looks for it in the blackest darkness. + Far from where people live he cuts a tunnel. He does it in places where others don't go. Far away from people he swings back and forth on ropes. + Food grows on the surface of the earth. But far below, the earth is changed as if by fire. + Sapphires are taken from its rocks. Its dust contains nuggets of gold. + No bird knows the miner's hidden path. No falcon's eye has seen it. + Proud animals don't walk on it. Lions don't prowl there. + The miner attacks the hardest rock. His strong hands uncover the base of the mountains. + He tunnels through the rock. His eyes see all of its treasures. + He searches the places where the rivers begin. He brings hidden things out into the light. + "And where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding live? + No one knows how much it's worth. It can't be found anywhere in the world. + The ocean says, 'It's not in me.' The sea says, 'It's not here either.' + It can't be bought with the finest gold. Its price can't be weighed out in silver. + It can't be bought with gold from Ophir. It can't be bought with priceless onyx or sapphires. + Gold or crystal can't compare with it. It can't be bought with jewels made of gold. + Don't bother to talk about coral and jasper. Wisdom is worth far more than rubies. + A topaz from Cush can't compare with it. It can't be bought with the purest gold. + "So where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding live? + It's hidden from the eyes of every living thing. Even the birds of the air can't find it. + Death and the Grave say, 'Only reports about it have reached our ears.' + But God understands the way to it. He's the only one who knows where it lives. + He sees from one end of the earth to the other. He views everything in the world. + He made the mighty wind. He measured out the waters. + He gave orders for the rain to fall. He made paths for the thunderstorms. + Then he looked at wisdom and set its price. He established it and put it to the test. + He said to human beings, 'Have respect for me. That will prove you are wise. Avoid evil. That will show you have understanding.' " + + + Job continued to speak. He said, + "How I long for the good old days! That's when God watched over me. + The light of his lamp shone on me. I walked through darkness by his light. + Those were the best days of my life. That's when God's friendship blessed my house. + The Mighty One was still with me. My children were all around me. + The path in front of me was like sweet cream. It was as if the rock poured out olive oil for me. + "In those days I went to the city gate. I took my seat as a member of the council. + Young people who saw me stepped to one side. Old people stood up as I approached. + The leaders stopped speaking. They covered their mouths with their hands. + The voices of the nobles became quiet. Their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths. + Everyone who heard me said good things about me. Those who saw me honored me. + That's because I saved poor people who cried out for help. I saved helpless children whose fathers had died. + Those who were dying gave me their blessing. I made the hearts of widows sing. + I put on a godly life as if it were my clothes. Fairness was my robe and my turban. + I was like eyes for those who were blind. I was like feet for those who couldn't walk. + I was like a father to needy people. I stood up for strangers in court. + Sinners are like animals that have powerful teeth. But I took from their mouths the people they had caught. + "I thought, 'I'll die in my own house. The days of my life will be as many as the grains of sand. + My roots will reach down to the water. The dew will lie all night on my branches. + I will remain healthy and strong. My bow will stay as good as new in my hand.' + "People wanted to hear what I had to say. They waited silently for the advice I gave them. + After I had spoken, they didn't speak anymore. My words fell gently on their ears. + They waited for me just as they would wait for showers. They drank my words just as they would drink the spring rain. + When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it. The light of my face lifted their spirits. + I chose the way they should go. I sat as their chief. I lived as a king lives among his troops. I was like someone who comforts those who are sad. + + + "But now those who are younger than I am make fun of me. I wouldn't put even their parents with my sheep dogs! + Their strong hands couldn't give me any help. That's because their strength was gone. + They were weak because they were needy and hungry. They wandered through dry and empty deserts at night. + Among the bushes they gathered salty plants. They ate the roots of desert trees. + They were driven away from society. They were shouted at as if they were robbers. + They were forced to live in dry stream beds. They had to stay among rocks and in holes in the ground. + Like donkeys they cried out among the bushes. There they crowded together and hid. + They were so foolish that no one respected them. They were driven out of the land. + "Now their children laugh at me. They make fun of me with their songs. + They hate me. They stay away from me. They even dare to spit in my face. + God has made my body weak. It's like a tent that has fallen down. So those children do what they want to in front of me. + Many people attack me on my right side. They lay traps for my feet. They come at me from every direction. + They tear up the road I walk on. They succeed in destroying me. They do it without any help. + They attack me like troops smashing through a wall. Among the destroyed buildings they come rolling in. + Terrors sweep over me. My honor is driven away as if by the wind. My safety vanishes like a cloud. + "Now my life is slipping away. Days of suffering grab hold of me. + At night my bones hurt. My gnawing pains never stop. + God's great power becomes like clothes to me. He chokes me like the neck of my shirt. + He throws me down into the mud. I'm nothing but dust and ashes. + "God, I cry out to you. But you don't answer me. I stand up. But all you do is look at me. + You do mean things to me. Your mighty hand attacks me. + You pick me up and blow me away with the wind. You toss me around in the storm. + I know that you will bring me down to death. That's what you have appointed for everyone. + "No one would crush people when they cry out for help in their trouble. + Haven't I sobbed over those who are in trouble? Haven't I felt sorry for poor people? + I hoped good things would happen, but something evil came. I looked for light, but all I saw was darkness. + My insides are always churning. Nothing but days of suffering are ahead of me. + My skin has become dark, but the sun didn't do it. I stand up in the community and cry out for help. + I've become a brother to wild dogs. Owls are my companions. + My skin grows black and peels. My body burns with fever. + My harp is tuned to sadness. My flute makes a sound like sobbing. + + + "I made an agreement with my eyes. I promised not to look at another woman with sexual longing. + What do human beings receive from God above? What do they get from the Mighty One in heaven? + Sinful people are destroyed. Trouble comes to those who do what is wrong. + Doesn't God see how I live? Doesn't he count every step I take? + "I haven't told any lies. My feet haven't hurried to cheat others. + So let God weigh me in honest scales. Then he'll know I haven't done anything wrong. + Suppose my steps have turned away from the right path. Suppose my heart has longed for what my eyes have seen. Or suppose my hands have become 'unclean.' + Then may others eat what I've planted. May my crops be pulled up by the roots. + "Suppose my heart has been tempted by a woman. Or suppose I've prowled around my neighbor's door. + Then may my wife grind another man's grain. May other men have sex with her. + Wanting another woman would have been a shameful thing. It would have been a sin that should be judged. + It's like a fire that burns down to the grave. It would have caused my crops to be pulled up by the roots. + "Suppose I haven't treated my male and female servants fairly when they've brought charges against me. + Then what will I do when God opposes me? What answer will I give him when he asks me to explain myself? + Didn't he who made me make my servants also? Didn't the same God form us inside our mothers? + "I haven't said no to what poor people have wanted. I haven't let widows lose their hope. + I haven't kept my bread to myself. I've shared it with children whose fathers had died. + From the time I was young, I've helped those widows. I've raised those children as a father would. + Suppose I've seen people dying because they didn't have any clothes. I've seen needy people who had nothing to wear. + And they didn't give me their blessing when I warmed them with wool from my sheep. + Suppose I've raised my hand against children whose fathers have died. And I did it because I knew I had power in the courts. + Then let my arm fall from my shoulder. Let it be broken off at the joint. + I was afraid God would destroy me. His glory terrifies me. So I'd never do things like that. + "Suppose I've put my trust in gold. I've said to pure gold, 'You make me feel secure.' + And I'm happy because I'm so wealthy. I'm glad because my hands have earned so much. + Suppose I've worshiped the sun in all of its glory. I've bowed down to the moon in all of its beauty. + My heart has been secretly tempted. My hand has thrown kisses to the sun and moon. + Then those things would have been sins that should be judged. And I wouldn't have been faithful to God in heaven. + "I wasn't happy when hard times came to my enemies. I didn't enjoy seeing the trouble they had. + I didn't allow my mouth to sin by calling down curses on them. + The workers in my house always said, 'Job always gives plenty of food to everyone.' + No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street. My door was always open to travelers. + I didn't hide my sin as others do. I didn't hide my guilt in my heart. + I was never afraid of the crowd. I never worried that my relatives might hate me. I didn't have to keep quiet or stay inside. + "I wish someone would listen to me! I'm signing my name to everything I've said. I hope the Mighty One will give me his answer. I hope the one who brings charges against me will write them down. + I'll wear them on my shoulder. I'll put them on my head like a crown. + I'll give that person a report of every step I take. I'll approach him like a prince. + "Suppose my land cries out against me. And all of its soil is wet with tears. + Suppose I've used up its crops without paying for them. Or I've broken the spirit of its renters. + Then let thorns grow instead of wheat. Let weeds come up instead of barley." The words of Job end here. + + + So the three men stopped answering Job, because he thought he was right. + But Elihu the Buzite burned with anger against Job. That's because Job said he himself was right instead of God. Elihu was the son of Barakel. He was from the family of Ram. + Elihu's anger also burned against Job's three friends. They hadn't found any way to prove that Job was wrong. But they still said he was guilty. + Elihu had waited before he spoke to Job. That's because the others were older than he was. + But he saw that the three men didn't have anything more to say. So he burned with anger. + Elihu the Buzite, the son of Barakel, said, "I'm young, and you are old. So I was afraid to tell you what I know. + I thought, 'Those who are older should speak first. Those who have lived for many years should teach people how to be wise.' + But the spirit in people gives them understanding. The breath of the Mighty One gives them wisdom. + Older people aren't the only ones who are wise. They aren't the only ones who understand what is right. + "So I'm saying you should listen to me. I'll tell you what I know. + I waited while you men spoke. I listened to your reasoning. While you were searching for words, + I paid careful attention to you. But not one of you has proved that Job is wrong. None of you has answered his arguments. + Don't claim, 'We have enough wisdom to answer Job.' Let God, not a mere man, prove that he's wrong. + Job hasn't directed his words against me. I won't answer him with your arguments. + "Job, those men are afraid. They don't have anything else to say. They've run out of words. + Do I have to keep on waiting, now that they are silent? They are just standing there with nothing to say. + I too have something to say. I too will tell what I know. + I'm full of words. My spirit inside me forces me to speak. + Inside I'm like wine that is bottled up. I'm like new wineskins ready to burst. + I must speak so I can feel better. I must open my mouth and reply. + I'll treat everyone the same. I won't praise anyone without meaning it. + If I weren't honest when I praised people, my Maker would soon take me from this life. + + + "Job, listen now to my words. Pay attention to everything I say. + I'm about to open my mouth. My words are on the tip of my tongue. + What I say comes from an honest heart. My lips speak only what I know is true. + The Spirit of God has made me. The breath of the Mighty One gives me life. + So answer me if you can. Prepare yourself to face me. + In God's sight I'm just like you. I too have been made out of clay. + You don't have to be afraid of me. My hand won't be too heavy on you. + "But I heard what you said. And here are the exact words I heard. + You said, 'I'm pure. I haven't sinned in the ways you have charged. I'm clean. I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. + But God has found fault with me. He thinks I'm his enemy. + He puts my feet in chains. He watches every step I take.' + "But I'm telling you that you aren't right when you talk like that. After all, God is greater than a mere man. + Why do you claim that God never answers any of our questions? + He speaks in one way and then another. We might not even realize it. + He might speak in a dream or in a vision at night. That's when people are sound asleep in their beds. + He might speak in their ears. His warnings might terrify them. + He warns men in order to turn them away from sinning. He wants to keep them from being proud. + He wants to stop them from going down into the grave. He doesn't want them to be killed with swords. + Someone might be punished by suffering in bed. The pain in his bones might never go away. + He might feel so bad he can't eat anything. He might even hate the finest food. + His body might waste away to nothing. His bones might have been hidden. But now they stick out. + He might approach the very edge of the grave. The messengers of death might come for him. + "But suppose there is an angel who will speak up for him. The angel is very special. He's one out of a thousand. He will tell that person what is right for him. + He'll be gracious to him. He'll say to God, 'Spare him from going down into the grave. I know a way that can set him free.' + Then his body is made like new again. He becomes as strong and healthy as when he was young. + He prays to God and finds favor with him. He sees God's face and shouts with joy. God makes him right with himself again. + Then the person comes to others and says, 'I sinned. I made what was wrong appear to be right. But I wasn't punished as I should have been. + God set me free. He kept me from going down into the grave. So I'll live to enjoy the light that leads to life.' + "God does all of those things to people. In fact, he does them again and again. + He wants to stop people from going down into the grave. Then the light that leads to life will shine on them. + "Pay attention, Job! Listen to me! Be quiet so I can speak. + If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak up. I want to help you be cleared of all charges. + But if you don't have anything to say, listen to me. Be quiet so I can teach you how to be wise." + + + Elihu continued, + "Hear what I'm saying, you wise men. Listen to me, you who have learned so much. + Our tongues tell us what tastes good and what doesn't. And our ears tell us what's true and what isn't. + So let's choose for ourselves what is right. Let's learn together what is good. + "Job says, 'I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. But God doesn't treat me fairly. + Even though I'm right, he thinks I'm a liar. Even though I'm not guilty, his arrows give me wounds that can't be healed.' + Is there any other man like Job? He laughs at God and makes fun of him. + He's a companion of those who do evil. He spends his time with sinful people. + He asks, 'What good is it to try to please God?' + "So listen to me, you men who have understanding. God would never do what is evil. The Mighty One would never do what is wrong. + He pays a man back for what he's done. He gives him exactly what he should get. + It isn't possible for God to do wrong. The Mighty One would never treat people unfairly. + Who appointed him to rule over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world? + If he really wanted to, he could hold back his spirit and breath. + Then everyone would die together. They would return to the dust. + "Job, if you have understanding, listen to me. Pay attention to what I'm saying. + Can someone who hates to be fair govern? Will you bring charges against the holy and mighty One? + He says to kings, 'You are worthless.' He says to nobles, 'You are evil.' + He doesn't favor princes. He treats rich people and poor people the same. His hands created all of them. + They die suddenly in the middle of the night. God strikes them down, and they pass away. Those who are mighty are removed, but not by human hands. + "His eyes see how people live. He watches every step they take. + There isn't a dark place or deep shadow where those who do what is evil can hide. + God doesn't need to bring charges against men. He knows they are guilty. So he doesn't need to have them appear in his court to be judged. + He destroys the mighty without asking them questions in court. Then he sets others up in their places. + He knows what they do. So he crushes them during the night. + He punishes them for the sins they commit. He does it where everyone can see them. + That's because they turned away from following him. They didn't have respect for anything he does. + They caused poor people to cry out to him. He heard the cries of those who were in need. + But if he remains silent, who can judge him? If he turns his face away, who can see him? He rules over people and nations alike. + He keeps those who are ungodly from ruling. He keeps them from laying traps for others. + "Someone might say to God, 'I'm guilty of sinning, but I won't do it anymore. + Show me my sins that I'm not aware of. If I've done what is wrong, I won't do it again.' + But you refuse to turn away from your sins. So God won't treat you the way you want to be treated. You must decide, Job. I can't do it for you. So tell me what you know. + "You men who have understanding have spoken. You wise men who hear me have said to me, + 'Job doesn't know what he's talking about. The things he has said don't make any sense.' + I wish Job would be put to the hardest test! He answered like someone who is evil. + To his sin he adds even more sin. He claps his hands and makes fun of us. He multiplies his words against God." + + + Elihu continued, + "Job, do you think it's fair for you to say, 'God will clear me of all charges'? + You ask him, 'What good is it for me not to sin? What do I get by not sinning?' + "I'd like to reply to you and to your friends who are with you. + Look up at the heavens. Observe the clouds that are high above you. + If you sin, what does that mean to God? If you sin many times, what does that do to him? + If you do what is right, how does that help him? What does he get from you? + The evil things you do only hurt someone like yourself. The right things you do only help other human beings. + "People cry out when they are beaten down. They beg to be set free from the power of those who are over them. + But no one says, 'Where is the God who made me? He gives us songs even during the night. + He teaches more to us than to wild animals. He makes us wiser than the birds of the air.' + He doesn't answer sinful people when they cry out to him. That's because they are so proud. + In fact, God doesn't listen to their empty cries. The Mighty One doesn't pay any attention to them. + So he certainly won't listen to you. When you say you don't see him, he won't hear you. He won't listen when you state your case to him. He won't pay attention even if you wait for him. + When you say his anger never punishes sin, he won't hear you. He won't listen when you say he doesn't pay any attention to evil. + So you say things that don't mean anything. You use a lot of words, but you don't know what you are talking about." + + + Elihu continued, + "Put up with me a little longer. I'll show you I can speak up for God even more. + I get my knowledge from far away. I'll announce that the One who made me is fair. + You can be sure that my words are true. One who has perfect knowledge is talking to you. + "God is mighty, but he doesn't hate people. He's mighty, and he knows exactly what he's going to do. + He doesn't keep alive those who are evil. Instead, he gives suffering people their rights. + He watches over those who do what is right. He puts them on thrones as if they were kings. He honors them forever. + But some people are held by chains. They are tied up with painful ropes. + God tells them what they've done. He tells them they've become proud and sinned against him. + He makes them listen when he corrects them. He commands them to turn away from the evil things they've done. + If they obey him and serve him, they'll enjoy a long and happy life. Things will go well with them. + But if they don't listen to him, they'll be killed with swords. They'll die because they didn't want to know anything about him. + "Those whose hearts are ungodly are always angry. Even when God puts them in chains, they don't cry out for help. + They die while they are still young. They die among the male prostitutes at the temples. + But God saves suffering people while they are suffering. He speaks to them while they are hurting. + "Job, he wants to take you out of the jaws of trouble. He wants to bring you to a wide and safe place. He'd like to seat you at a table that is loaded with the best food. + But now you are loaded down with the punishment sinners will receive. You have been judged fairly. + Be careful that no one tempts you with riches. Don't take money from people who want special favors, no matter how much it is. + Can your wealth keep you out of trouble? Can all of your mighty efforts keep you going? + Don't long for the night to come so you can drag people away from their homes. + Be careful not to do what is evil. You seem to like evil better than suffering! + "God is honored because he is so powerful. He has no equal as a teacher. + Who has told him what he can do? Who has said to him, 'You have done what is wrong'? + Remember to thank him for what he's done. People have praised him with their songs. + Every human being has seen his work. People can see it from far away. + How great God is! We'll never completely understand him. We'll never find out how long he has lived. + "He makes mist rise from the water. Then it falls as rain into the streams. + The clouds pour down their moisture. Rain showers fall on people everywhere. + Who can understand how God spreads out the clouds? Who can explain how he thunders from his home in heaven? + See how he scatters his lightning around him! He lights up the deepest parts of the ocean. + The rain he sends makes things grow for the nations. He provides them with plenty of food. + He holds lightning bolts in his hands. He commands them to strike their marks. + His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle let us know it's approaching. + + + "When I hear the thunder, my heart pounds. It beats faster inside me. + Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice! Listen to the thunder that comes from him! + He sends his lightning across the sky. It reaches from one end of the earth to the other. + Next comes the sound of his roaring thunder. He thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice fills the air, he doesn't hold anything back. + God's voice thunders in wonderful ways. We'll never understand the great things he does. + He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth.' He tells the rain, 'Pour down your mighty waters.' + He stops everyone from working. He wants them to see his work. + The animals go inside. They remain in their dens. + The storm comes out of its storeroom in the heavens. The cold comes from the driving winds. + The breath of God produces ice. The shallow water freezes over. + He loads the clouds with moisture. He scatters his lightning through them. + He directs the clouds to circle above the surface of the whole earth. They do everything he commands them to do. + He tells the clouds to punish people. Or he brings them to water his earth and show his love. + "Job, listen to me. Stop and think about the wonderful things God does. + Do you know how he controls the clouds? Do you understand how he makes his lightning flash? + Do you know how the clouds stay up in the sky? Do you understand the wonders of the One who has perfect knowledge? + Even your clothes are too hot for you when the land lies quiet under the south wind. + Can you help God spread out the skies? They are as hard as a mirror that's made out of bronze. + "Job, tell us what we should say to God. We can't prepare our case because our minds are dark. + Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be destroyed by him? + No one can look at the sun. It's too bright after the wind has swept the skies clean. + Out of the north, God comes in his shining glory. He comes in all of his wonderful majesty. + We can't reach up to the Mighty One. He is lifted high because of his power. Everything he does is fair and right. So he doesn't crush people. + That's why they have respect for him. He cares about all those who are wise." + + + The Lord spoke to Job out of a storm. He said, + "Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans? You do not know what you are talking about. + Get ready to stand up for yourself. I will ask you some questions. Then I want you to answer me. + "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you know. + Who measured it? I am sure you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? + What was it built on? Who laid its most important stone? + When it happened, the morning stars sang together. All of the angels shouted with joy. + "Who created the ocean? Who caused it to be born? + I put clouds over it as if they were its clothes. I wrapped it in thick darkness. + I set limits for it. I put its doors and metal bars in place. + I said, 'You can come this far. But you can't come any farther. Here is where your proud waves have to stop.' + "Job, have you ever commanded the morning to come? Have you ever shown the sun where to rise? + The daylight takes the earth by its edges as if it were a blanket. Then it shakes sinful people out of it. + The earth takes shape like clay under a seal. Its features stand out like the different parts of your clothes. + Sinners would rather have darkness than light. When the light comes, their power is broken. + "Have you traveled to the springs at the bottom of the ocean? Have you walked in its deepest parts? + Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of darkness? + Do you understand how big the earth is? Tell me, if you know all of those things. + "Where does light come from? And where does darkness live? + Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their houses? + I am sure you know! After all, you were already born! You have lived so many years! + "Have you entered the places where the snow is kept? Have you seen the storerooms for the hail? + I store up snow and hail for times of trouble. I keep them for days of war and battle. + Where does lightning come from? Where do the east winds that blow across the earth live? + Who tells the rain where it should fall? Who makes paths for the thunderstorms? + They bring water to places where no one lives. They water deserts that do not have anyone in them. + They satisfy the needs of dry and empty lands. They make grass start growing there. + Does the rain have a father? Who is the father of the drops of dew? + Does the ice have a mother? Who is the mother of the frost from the heavens? + The waters become as hard as stone. The surface of the ocean freezes over. + "Can you tie up the beautiful Pleiades? Can you untie the ropes that hold Orion together? + Can you bring out all of the stars in their seasons? Can you lead out the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper? + Do you know the laws that govern the heavens? Can you rule over the earth the way I do? + "Can you give orders to the clouds? Can you make them pour rain down on you? + Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? + Who put wisdom in people's hearts? Who gave understanding to their minds? + Who is wise enough to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens? + I tip them over when the ground becomes hard. I do it when the dirt sticks together. + "Do you hunt for food for mother lions? Do you satisfy the hunger of their cubs? + Some of them lie low in their dens. Others lie waiting in the bushes. + Who provides food for ravens when their babies cry out to me? They wander around because they do not have anything to eat. + + + "Job, do you know when mountain goats have their babies? Do you watch when female deer give birth? + Do you count the months until the animals have their babies? Do you know the time when they give birth? + They bend their back legs and have their babies. Then their labor pains stop. + Their little ones grow strong and healthy in the wild. They leave and do not come home again. + "Who let the wild donkeys go free? Who untied their ropes? + I gave them the dry and empty land as their home. I gave them salt flats to live in. + They laugh at all of the noise in town. They do not hear the shouts of the donkey drivers. + They wander over the hills to look for grass. They search for anything green to eat. + "Job, will wild oxen agree to serve you? Will they stay by your feed box at night? + Can you keep them in straight rows with harnesses? Will they plow the valleys behind you? + Will you depend on them for their great strength? Will you let them do your heavy work? + Can you trust them to bring in your grain? Will they take it to your threshing floor? + "The wings of ostriches flap with joy. But they can't compare with the wings and feathers of storks. + Ostriches lay their eggs on the ground. They let them get warm in the sand. + They do not know that something might step on them. A wild animal might walk all over them. + Ostriches are mean to their little ones. They treat them as if they did not belong to them. They do not care that their work was useless. + I did not provide ostriches with wisdom. I did not give them good sense. + But when they spread their feathers to run, they laugh at a horse and its rider. + "Job, do you give horses their strength? Do you put flowing manes on their necks? + Do you make them jump like locusts? They terrify others with their proud snorting. + They paw the ground wildly. They are filled with joy. They charge at their enemies. + They laugh at fear. They are not afraid of anything. They do not run away from swords. + Many arrows rattle at their sides. Flashing spears and javelins are also there. + They are so stirred up that they eat up the ground. They can't stand still when trumpets are blown. + When they hear the trumpets they snort, 'Aha!' They catch the smells of battle far away. They hear the shouts of commanders and the battle cries. + "Job, are you wise enough to teach hawks where to fly? They spread their wings and fly toward the south. + Do you command eagles to fly so high? They build their nests as high as they can. + They live on cliffs and stay there at night. High up on the rocks they think they are safe. + From there they look for their food. They can see it from far away. + Their little ones like to eat blood. Eagles gather where they see dead bodies." + + + The Lord continued, + "I am the Mighty One. Will the man who argues with me correct me? Let him who brings charges against me answer me!" + Job replied to the Lord, + "I'm not worthy. How can I reply to you? I'm putting my hand over my mouth. I'll stop talking. + I spoke once. But I really don't have any answer. I spoke twice. But I won't say anything else." + Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said, + "Get ready to stand up for yourself. I will ask you some more questions. Then I want you to answer me. + "Would you dare to claim that I am not being fair? Would you judge me in order to make yourself seem right? + Is your arm as powerful as mine is? Can your voice thunder as mine does? + Then put on glory and beauty as if they were your clothes. Also put honor and majesty on. + Let loose your great anger. Look at those who are proud and bring them low. + Look at proud people and bring them down. Crush those who are evil right where they are. + Bury their bodies in the dust together. Cover their faces in the grave. + Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you. + "Look at the behemoth. It is a huge animal. I made both of you. It eats grass like an ox. + Look at the strength it has in its hips! What power it has in the muscles of its stomach! + Its tail sways back and forth like a cedar tree. The tendons of its thighs are close together. + Its bones are like tubes made out of bronze. Its legs are like rods made out of iron. + It ranks first among my works. I made it. I can approach it with my sword. + The hills produce food for it. All of the other wild animals play near it. + It lies under lotus plants. It hides in tall grass in the swamps. + The lotus plants hide it in their shade. Poplar trees near streams surround it. + It is not afraid when the river roars. It is secure even when the Jordan River rushes against its mouth. + Can anyone capture it by its eyes? Can anyone trap it and poke a hole through its nose? + + + "Job, can you pull the leviathan out of the sea with a fish hook? Can you tie down its tongue with a rope? + Can you put a rope through its nose? Can you stick a hook through its jaw? + Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak gently to you? + Will it make an agreement with you? Can you make it your slave for life? + Can you make a pet out of it like a bird? Can you put it on a leash for your young women? + Will traders offer you something for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? + Can you fill its body with harpoons? Can you throw fishing spears into its head? + If you touch it, it will fight you. Then you will remember never to touch it again! + No one can possibly control the leviathan. Just looking at it will terrify you. + No one dares to wake it up. So who can possibly stand up to me? + Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything on earth belongs to me. + "Now I will speak about the leviathan's legs. I will talk about its strength and its graceful body. + Who can strip off its outer coat? Who would try to put a bridle on it? + Who dares to open its jaws? Its mouth is filled with terrifying teeth. + Its back has rows of shields that are close together. + Each one is so close to the next one that not even air can pass between them. + They are joined tightly to one another. They stick together and can't be forced apart. + The leviathan's snorting throws out flashes of light. Its eyes shine like the first light of day. + Fire seems to spray out of its mouth. Sparks of fire shoot out. + Smoke pours out of its nose. It is like smoke from a boiling pot over burning grass. + Its breath sets coals on fire. Flames fly out of its mouth. + Its neck is very strong. People run to get out of its way. + Its rolls of fat are close together. They are firm and can't be moved. + Its chest is as hard as rock. It is as hard as a lower millstone. + When the leviathan rises up, even mighty people are terrified. They run away when it moves around wildly. + A sword that strikes it has no effect. Neither does a spear or dart or javelin. + It treats iron as if it were straw. It crushes bronze as if it were rotten wood. + Arrows do not make it run away. Stones that are thrown from slings are like straw hitting it. + A club seems like a piece of straw to it. It laughs when it hears a javelin rattling. + Its undersides are like broken pieces of pottery. It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing sled. + It makes the ocean churn like a boiling pot. It stirs up the sea like perfume someone is making. + It leaves a shiny trail behind it. You would think the ocean had white hair. + Nothing on earth is equal to the leviathan. That creature is not afraid of anything. + It looks down on proud people. It rules over all those who are proud." + + + Job replied to the Lord, + "I know that you can do anything. No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do. + You asked me, 'Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans? You do not know what you are talking about.' I spoke about things I didn't completely understand. I talked about things that were too wonderful for me to know. + "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask you some questions. Then I want you to answer me.' + My ears had heard about you. But now my own eyes have seen you. + So I hate myself. I'm really sorry for what I said about you. That's why I'm sitting in dust and ashes." + After the Lord finished speaking to Job, he spoke to Eliphaz the Temanite. He said, "I am angry with you and your two friends. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has. + "So now get seven bulls and seven rams. Go to my servant Job. Then sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you. And I will accept his prayer. I will not punish you for saying the foolish things you said. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has." + So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them to do. And the Lord accepted Job's prayer. + After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him successful again. He gave him twice as much as he had before. + All of his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came to see him. They ate with him in his house. They showed their concern for him. They comforted him because of all of the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. + The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than the first part. He gave Job 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels. He gave him 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 donkeys. + Job also had seven sons and three daughters. + He named the first daughter Jemimah. He named the second Keziah. And he named the third Keren-Happuch. + Job's daughters were more beautiful than any other women in the whole land. Their father gave them a share of property along with their brothers. + After all of that happened, Job lived for 140 years. He saw his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. + And so he died. He had lived for a very long time. + + + + + BOOK I Blessed is the one who obeys the law of the Lord. He doesn't follow the advice of evil people. He doesn't make a habit of doing what sinners do. He doesn't join those who make fun of the Lord and his law. + Instead, he takes delight in the law of the Lord. He thinks about his law day and night. + He is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water. It always bears its fruit at the right time. Its leaves don't dry up. Everything godly people do turns out well. + Sinful people are not like that at all. They are like straw that the wind blows away. + When the Lord judges them, their life will come to an end. Sinners won't have any place among those who are godly. + The Lord watches over the lives of those who are godly. But the lives of sinful people will lead to their death. + + + Why do the nations plan evil together? Why do they make useless plans? + The kings of the earth take their stand against the Lord. The rulers of the earth gather together against his anointed king. + "Let us break free from their chains," they say. "Let us throw off their ropes." + The One who sits on his throne in heaven laughs. The Lord makes fun of those rulers and their plans. + When he is angry, he warns them. When his anger blazes out, he terrifies them. + He says to them, "I have placed my king on my holy mountain of Zion." + I will announce what the Lord has promised. He said to me, "You are my son. Today I have become your father. + Ask me, and I will give the nations to you. All nations on earth will belong to you. + You will rule them with an iron rod. You will break them to pieces like clay pots." + Kings, be wise! Rulers of the earth, be warned! + Serve the Lord and have respect for him. Serve him with joy and trembling. + Obey the son completely, or he will be angry. Your way of life will lead to your death. His anger can blaze out at any moment. Blessed are all those who go to him for safety. + + + A psalm of David when he ran away from his son Absalom. Lord, I have so many enemies! So many people are rising up against me! + Many are saying about me, "God will not save him." Selah + Lord, you are like a shield that keeps me safe. You honor me. You help me win the battle. + I call out to the Lord. He answers me from his holy hill. Selah + I lie down and sleep. I wake up again, because the Lord takes care of me. + I won't be afraid of the tens of thousands who are lined up against me on every side. + Lord, rise up! My God, save me! Strike all my enemies in the face. Break the teeth of sinful people. + Lord, you are the one who saves. May your blessing be on your people. Selah + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David to be played on stringed instruments. My faithful God, answer me when I call out to you. Give me rest from my trouble. Show me your favor. Hear my prayer. + How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love what will certainly fail you? How long will you pray to statues of gods? Selah + Remember that the Lord has set his faithful people apart for himself. The Lord will hear me when I call out to him. + When you are angry, do not sin. When you are in bed, look deep down inside you and be silent. Selah + Offer sacrifices to the Lord in the right way. Trust in him. + Many are asking, "Who can show us anything good?" Lord, let us see your face smiling on us with favor. + You have filled my heart with great joy. It is greater than the joy of people who have lots of grain and fresh wine. + I will lie down and sleep in peace. Lord, you alone keep me safe. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David to be played on flutes. Lord, listen to my words. Pay attention when I sigh. + My King and my God, listen to me when I cry for help. I pray to you. + Lord, in the morning you hear my voice. In the morning I pray to you. I wait for you in hope. + God, you aren't happy with anything that is evil. Those who do what is wrong can't live where you are. + Those who are proud can't stand in front of you. You hate everyone who does what is evil. + You destroy those who tell lies. Lord, you hate murderers and those who cheat others. + Because of your great love I will come into your house. With deep respect I will bow down toward your holy temple. + Lord, I have many enemies. Lead me in your right path. Make your way smooth and straight for me. + Not a word from their mouths can be trusted. Their hearts are filled with plans to destroy others. Their throats are like open graves. With their tongues they tell lies. + God, show that they are guilty. Let their evil plans bring them down. Send them away because of their many sins. They have refused to obey you. + But let all those who go to you for safety be glad. Let them always sing with joy. Spread your cover over them and keep them safe. Then those who love you will be glad because of you. + Lord, you bless those who do what is right. Like a shield, your loving care keeps them safe. + + + For the director of music. For sheminith. A psalm of David to be played on stringed instruments. Lord, don't correct me when you are angry. Don't punish me when you are burning with anger. + Lord, have mercy on me. I'm so weak. Lord, heal me. My body is full of pain. + My soul is very troubled. Lord, how long will it be until you save me? + Lord, turn to me and help me. Save me. Your love never fails. + People can't remember you when they are dead. How can they praise you when they are in the grave? + My groaning has worn me out. All night long my tears flood my bed. My bed is wet because of my crying. + I'm so sad I can't see very well. My eyesight gets worse because of all of my enemies. + Get away from me, all of you who do evil. The Lord has heard my sobbing. + The Lord has heard my cry for his favor. The Lord accepts my prayer. + All of my enemies will be troubled and put to shame. They will turn back in dishonor. It will happen suddenly. + + + A shiggaion of David. He sang it to the Lord about Cush, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. Lord my God, I go to you for safety. Help me. Save me from all those who are chasing me. + If you don't, they will tear me apart as if they were lions. They will rip me to pieces so that no one can save me. + Lord my God, suppose I have done something wrong. Suppose I am guilty. + I have done evil to my friend. Or I have robbed my enemy without any reason. + If I have done any of those things, let my enemy chase me and catch me. Let him walk all over me. Let him bury me in the dust. Selah + Lord, rise up in your anger. Rise up against the great anger of my enemies. My God, wake up. Command that the right thing be done. + Let all the people of the earth gather around you. Rule over them from your throne in heaven. + Lord, judge all people. Lord, judge me. But remember that I have done what is right. Most High God, remember that I am honest. + God, you always do what is right. You look deep down inside the hearts and minds of people. Bring to an end the terrible things sinful people do. Make godly people safe. + The Most High God is like a shield that keeps me safe. He saves those whose hearts are honest. + God judges fairly. He shows his anger every day. + If evil people don't change their ways, God will sharpen his sword. He will get his bow ready to use. + He has prepared his deadly weapons. He has made his flaming arrows ready. + Anyone who is full of evil plans trouble and ends up telling lies. + Anyone who digs a hole and shovels it out falls into the pit he has made. + The trouble he causes comes back on him. The terrible things he does come down on his own head. + I will give thanks to the Lord because he does what is right. I will sing praise to the Lord Most High. + + + For the director of music. For gittith. A psalm of David. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in the whole earth! You have made your glory higher than the heavens. + You have made sure that children and infants praise you. You have done it because of your enemies. You have done it to put a stop to their talk. + I think about the heavens. I think about what your fingers have created. I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place. + What is a human being that you think about him? What is a son of man that you take care of him? + You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings. You placed on him a crown of glory and honor. + You made human beings the rulers over all that your hands have created. You put everything under their control. + They rule over all flocks and herds and over the wild animals. + They rule over the birds of the air and over the fish in the ocean. They rule over everything that swims in the oceans. + Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in the whole earth! + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of "The Death of the Son." Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. I will tell about all of the miracles you have done. + I will be glad and full of joy because of you. Most High God, I will sing praise to you. + My enemies turn back. They fall down and die right in front of you. + You have proved that I haven't done anything wrong. You have sat on your throne and judged fairly. + You have punished the nations. You have destroyed evil people. You have erased their names from your book for ever and ever. + The enemy has been destroyed forever. You have leveled their cities to the ground. Even the memory of them is gone. + The Lord rules forever. He has set up his throne so that he can judge people. + He will judge the world in keeping with what is right. He will rule over all of its people fairly. + The Lord is a place of safety for those who have been beaten down. He keeps them safe in times of trouble. + Lord, those who know you will trust in you. You have never deserted those who look to you. + Sing praises to the Lord. He rules from his throne in Zion. Tell among the nations what he has done. + The One who pays back murderers remembers. He doesn't forget the cries of those who are hurting. + Lord, see how badly my enemies treat me! Show me your favor. Don't let me go down to the gates of death. + Then I can give praise to you at the gates of the city of Zion. There I will be full of joy because you have saved me. + The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug. Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. + The Lord is known to be fair. Evil people are trapped by what they have done. Higgaion. Selah + Sinful people go down to the grave. So do all the nations that forget God. + But those who are in need will always be remembered. The hope of those who are hurting will never die. + Lord, rise up. Don't let people win the battle. Let the nations come to you and be judged. + Lord, strike them with terror. Let the nations know they are only human. Selah + + + Lord, why are you so far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? + An evil person is proud and hunts down those who are weak. He catches weak people by making clever plans. + He brags about what his heart longs for. He speaks well of those who always want more. He attacks the Lord with his words. + Because he is proud, that evil person doesn't turn to the Lord. There is no room for God in any of his thoughts. + Everything always goes well for him. So he is proud. He doesn't want to have anything to do with God's laws. He makes fun of all of his enemies. + He says to himself, "I will always be secure. I will always be happy. I'll never have any trouble." + His mouth is full of curses and lies and warnings. With his tongue he speaks evil and makes trouble. + Sinful people hide and wait near the villages. From their hiding places they murder those who aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. They watch in secret for those they want to attack. + They hide and wait like a lion in the bushes. From their hiding places they wait to catch those who are helpless. They catch them and drag them off in their nets. + Those they have attacked are beaten up. They fall to the ground. They fall because their attackers are too strong for them. + Sinful people say to themselves, "God doesn't pay any attention. He covers his face. He never sees us." + Lord, rise up! God, show your power! Don't forget those who are helpless. + Why do sinful people attack you with their words? Why do they say to themselves, "He won't hold us accountable"? + God, you see trouble and sadness. You take note of it. You do something about it. So those who are attacked place themselves in your care. You help children whose fathers have died. + Take away the power of bad and sinful people. Hold them accountable for the evil things they do. Uncover all the evil they have done. + The Lord is King for ever and ever. The nations will disappear from his land. + Lord, you hear the longings of those who are hurting. You cheer them up and give them hope. You listen to their cries. + You stand up for those whose fathers have died and for those who have been beaten down. You do it so that no one made of dust may terrify others anymore. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. I run to the Lord for safety. So how can you say to me, "Fly away like a bird to your mountain. + Look! Evil people are bending their bows. They are placing their arrows against the strings. They are planning to shoot from the shadows at those who have honest hearts. + When law and order are being destroyed, what can godly people do?" + The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord is on his throne in heaven. He watches all people. His eyes study them. + The Lord watches over those who do what is right. But he hates sinful people and those who love to hurt others. + He will pour out flaming coals and burning sulfur on those who do what is wrong. A hot and dry wind will destroy them. + The Lord always does what is right. So he loves it when people do what is fair. Those who are honest will enjoy his blessing. + + + For the director of music. For sheminith. A psalm of David. Help, Lord! Those who do what is right are gone. Those who are faithful have disappeared from the earth. + Everyone tells lies to his neighbors. With his lips he praises others, but he doesn't really mean it. + May the Lord cut off all lips that don't mean what they say. May he cut out every tongue that brags. + They say, "We will win the battle with our tongues. Our lips belong to us. No one else is in charge of us." + The Lord says, "The weak are beaten down. Those who are in need groan. So I will stand up to help them. I will keep them safe from those who tell lies about them." + The words of the Lord are perfect. They are like silver made pure in a clay furnace. They are like silver made pure seven times over. + Lord, you will keep us safe. You will always keep sinners from hurting us. + Proud and sinful people walk around openly when the evil they do is praised by others. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Lord, how long must I wait? Will you forget me forever? How long will you turn your face away from me? + How long must I struggle with my thoughts? How long must my heart be sad day after day? How long will my enemies keep winning the battle over me? + Lord my God, look at me and answer me. Give me new life, or I will die. + Then my enemies will say, "We have beaten him." They will be filled with joy when I die. + But I trust in your faithful love. My heart is filled with joy because you will save me. + I will sing to the Lord. He has been so good to me. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Foolish people say in their hearts, "There is no God." They do all kinds of horrible and evil things. No one does anything good. + The Lord looks down from heaven on all people. He wants to see if there are any who understand. He wants to see if there are any who trust in God. + All of them have turned away. They have all become evil. No one does anything good, no one at all. + Won't those who do evil ever learn? They eat up my people as if they were eating bread. They don't call out to the Lord for help. + Just look at them! They are filled with terror because God is among those who do right. + You who do evil make it hard for poor people to do what they plan to do. But the Lord is their place of safety. + How I pray that the One who saves Israel will come out of Zion! Then the Lord will bless his people with great success again. So let the people of Jacob be filled with joy! Let Israel be glad! + + + A psalm of David. Lord, who can live in your sacred tent? Who can stay on your holy hill? + Anyone who lives without blame and does what is right. He speaks the truth from his heart. + He doesn't tell lies about others. He doesn't do wrong to his neighbors. He doesn't say anything bad about them. + He hates sinful people. He honors those who have respect for the Lord. He keeps his promises even when it hurts. + He lends his money without charging too much interest. He doesn't accept money to harm those who aren't guilty. Anyone who lives like that will always be secure. + + + A miktam of David. God, keep me safe. I go to you for safety. + I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord. Without you, I don't have anything that is good." + God's people who live in our land are glorious. I take great delight in them. + Those who run after other gods will have nothing but trouble. I will not pour out offerings of blood to those gods. My lips will not speak their names. + Lord, everything you have given me is good. You have made my life secure. + I am very pleased with what you have given me. I am very happy with what I've received from you. + I will praise the Lord. He gives me good advice. Even at night my heart teaches me. + I know that the Lord is always with me. He is at my right hand. I will always be secure. + So my heart is glad. Joy is on my tongue. My body also will be secure. + You will not leave me in the grave. You will not let your faithful one rot away. + You always show me the path that leads to life. You will fill me with joy when I am with you. You will give me endless pleasures at your right hand. + + + A prayer of David. Lord, hear me when I ask you to treat me fairly. Listen to my cry for help. Hear my prayer. It doesn't come from lips that tell lies. + When you hand down your sentence, may it be in my favor. May your eyes see what is right. + Look deep down into my heart. Study me carefully at night. Put me to the test. You won't find anything wrong. I have made up my mind that my mouth won't say sinful things. + I don't do the things other people do. By obeying your word I have kept myself from acting like those who try to hurt others. + My steps have stayed on your paths. My feet have not slipped. + God, I call out to you because you will answer me. Listen to me. Hear my prayer. + Show the wonder of your great love. By using your powerful right hand, you save those who go to you for safety from their enemies. + Take good care of me, just as you would take care of your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. + Save me from the sinful people who attack me. Save me from my deadly enemies who are all around me. + They make their hearts hard and stubborn. Their mouths speak with pride. + They have tracked me down. They are all around me. Their eyes watch for a chance to throw me to the ground. + They are like a hungry lion, waiting to attack. They are like a powerful lion, hiding in the bushes. + Lord, rise up. Oppose them and bring them down. With your sword, save me from those evil people. + Lord, by your power save me from people like that. They belong to this world. They get their reward in this life. You satisfy the hunger of those you love. Their children have plenty. And those children store up wealth for their children. + + + I love you, Lord. You give me strength. + The Lord is my rock and my fort. He is the One who saves me. My God is my rock. I go to him for safety. He is like a shield to me. He's the power that saves me. He's my place of safety. + I call out to the Lord. He is worthy of praise. He saves me from my enemies. + The ropes of death were almost wrapped around me. A destroying flood swept over me. + The ropes of the grave were tight around me. Death set its trap in front of me. + When I was in trouble, I called out to the Lord. I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice. My cry for help reached his ears. + The earth trembled and shook. The base of the mountains rocked back and forth. It trembled because the Lord was angry. + Smoke came out of his nose. Flames of fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals blazed out of it. + He opened the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under his feet. + He got on the cherubim and flew. The wings of the wind lifted him up. + He covered himself with darkness. The dark rain clouds of the sky were like a tent around him. + Clouds came out of the brightness that was all around him. They came with hailstones and flashes of lightning. + The Lord thundered from heaven. The voice of the Most High God was heard. + He shot his arrows and scattered our enemies. He sent great flashes of lightning and chased the enemies away. + The bottom of the sea could be seen. The foundations of the earth were uncovered. Lord, it happened when your anger blazed out. It came like a blast of breath from your nose. + He reached down from heaven. He took hold of me. He lifted me out of deep waters. + He saved me from my powerful enemies. He set me free from those who were too strong for me. + They stood up to me when I was in trouble. But the Lord helped me. + He brought me out into a wide and safe place. He saved me because he was pleased with me. + The Lord has been good to me because I do what is right. He has rewarded me because I lead a pure life. + I have lived the way the Lord wanted me to. I haven't done evil by turning away from my God. + I keep all of his laws in mind. I haven't turned away from his commands. + He knows that I am without blame. He knows I've kept myself from sinning. + The Lord has rewarded me for doing what is right. He has rewarded me because I haven't done anything wrong. + Lord, to those who are faithful you show that you are faithful. To those who are without blame you show that you are without blame. + To those who are pure you show that you are pure. But to those whose paths are crooked you show that you are clever. + You save those who aren't proud. But you bring down those whose eyes are proud. + Lord, you keep the lamp of my life burning brightly. You are my God. You bring light into my darkness. + With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers. With the help of my God I can climb over a wall. + God's way is perfect. The word of the Lord doesn't have any flaws. He is like a shield to all who go to him for safety. + Who is God except the Lord? Who is the Rock except our God? + God gives me strength for the battle. He makes my way perfect. + He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He helps me stand on the highest places. + He trains my hands to fight every battle. My arms can bend a bow of bronze. + Lord, you are like a shield that keeps me safe. You help me win the battle. Your strong right hand keeps me going. You bend down to make me great. + You give me a wide path to walk on so that I don't twist my ankles. + I chased my enemies and caught them. I didn't turn back until they were destroyed. + I crushed them so that they couldn't get up. They fell under my feet. + Lord, you gave me strength to fight the battle. You made my enemies bow down at my feet. + You made them turn their backs and run away. So I destroyed my enemies. + They cried out for help. But there was no one to save them. They called out to you. But you didn't answer them. + I beat them as fine as dust blown by the wind. I poured them out like mud in the streets. + You saved me when my own people attacked me. You made me the ruler over nations. People I didn't know serve me now. + As soon as they hear me, they obey me. People from other lands bow down to me in fear. + All of them give up hope. They come trembling out of their hiding places. + The Lord lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honor to God my Savior! + He is the God who pays my enemies back. He brings the nations under my control. + He saves me from my enemies. You have honored me more than them. You have saved me from men who want to hurt me. + Lord, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing praises to you. + The Lord helps his king win great battles. He shows his faithful love to his anointed king. He shows it to me and my family forever. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies show that his hands created them. + Day after day they speak about it. Night after night they make it known. + But they don't speak or use words. No sound is heard from them. + At the same time, their voice goes out into the whole earth. Their words go out from one end of the world to the other. God has set up a tent in the heavens for the sun. + The sun is like a groom coming out of the room where he spent his wedding night. The sun is like a great runner who takes delight in running a race. + It rises at one end of the heavens. Then it moves across to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. + The law of the Lord is perfect. It gives us new strength. The laws of the Lord can be trusted. They make childish people wise. + The rules of the Lord are right. They give joy to our hearts. The commands of the Lord shine brightly. They give light to our minds. + The law that brings respect for the Lord is pure. It lasts forever. The directions the Lord gives are true. All of them are completely right. + They are more priceless than gold. They have greater value than huge amounts of pure gold. They are sweeter than honey that is taken from the honeycomb. + I am warned by them. When I obey them, I am greatly rewarded. + Can I know my mistakes? Forgive my hidden faults. + Keep me also from the sins I want to commit. May they not be my master. Then I will be without blame. I will not be guilty of any great sin against your law. + Lord, may the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in your eyes. You are my Rock and my Redeemer. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble. May the God of Jacob keep you safe. + May he send you help from the sacred tent. May he give you aid from Zion. + May he remember all of your sacrifices. May he accept your burnt offerings. Selah + May he give you what your heart longs for. May he make all of your plans succeed. + We will shout with joy when you win the battle. We will lift up our flags in the name of our God. May the Lord give you everything you ask for. + Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed king. He answers him from his holy heaven. The power of God's right hand saves the king. + Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses. But we trust in the Lord our God. + They are brought to their knees and fall down. But we get up and stand firm. + Lord, save the king! Answer us when we call out to you! + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Lord, the king is filled with joy because you are strong. How great is his joy because you help him win his battles! + You have given him what his heart longed for. You haven't kept back from him what his lips asked for. Selah + You welcomed him with rich blessings. You placed a crown of pure gold on his head. + He asked you for life, and you gave it to him. You promised him days that would never end. + His glory is great because you helped him win his battles. You have honored him with glory and majesty. + You have given him blessings that will last forever. You have made him glad and joyful because you are with him. + The king trusts in the Lord. The faithful love of the Most High God will keep the king secure. + You, the king, will capture all of your enemies. Your right hand will take hold of them. + When you appear, you will be like a flaming furnace to them. The Lord will swallow them up in his anger. His fire will burn them up. + You will wipe their children from the face of the earth. You will remove them from the human race. + Your enemies make evil plans against you. They think up evil things to do. But they can't succeed. + You will make them turn their backs and run away when you aim your arrows at them. + Lord, may you be honored because you are strong. We will sing and praise your might. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why do you seem to be so far away when I need you to save me? Why do you seem to be so far away that you can't hear my groans? + My God, I cry out in the daytime. But you don't answer. I cry out at night. I can't keep quiet. + But you rule from your throne as the Holy One. You are the God Israel praises. + Our people of long ago put their trust in you. They trusted in you, and you saved them. + They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you, and you didn't let them down. + People treat me like a worm and not a man. They hate me and look down on me. + All those who see me laugh at me. They shout at me and make fun of me. They shake their heads at me. + They say, "He trusts in the Lord. Let the Lord help him. If the Lord is pleased with him, let him save him." + But you brought me out of my mother's body. You made me trust in you even when I was at my mother's breast. + From the time I was born, you took good care of me. Ever since I came out of my mother's body, you have been my God. + Don't be far away from me. Trouble is near, and there is no one to help me. + Many enemies are all around me. They are like strong bulls from the land of Bashan. + They are like roaring lions that tear to pieces what they kill. They open their mouths wide to attack me. + My strength is like water that is poured out on the ground. I feel as if my bones aren't connected. My heart has turned to wax. It has melted away inside me. + My strength is dried up like a piece of broken pottery. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You bring me down to the edge of the grave. + A group of sinful people has closed in on me. They are all around me like a pack of dogs. They have pierced my hands and my feet. + I can see all of my bones right through my skin. People stare at me. They laugh when I suffer. + They divide up my clothes among them. They cast lots for what I am wearing. + Lord, don't be so far away. You give me strength. Come quickly to help me. + Save me from the sword. Save the only life I have. Save me from the power of those dogs. + Save me from the mouths of those lions. Save me from the horns of those wild oxen. + I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among those who worship you. + You who have respect for the Lord, praise him! All you people of Jacob, honor him! All you people of Israel, worship him! + He has not forgotten the one who is hurting. He has not turned away from his suffering. He has not turned his face away from him. He has listened to his cry for help. + Because of what you have done, I will praise you in the whole community of those who worship you. In front of those who respect you, I will keep my promises. + Those who are poor will eat and be satisfied. Those who look to the Lord will praise him. May their hearts be filled with new hope! + People from one end of the earth to the other will remember and turn to the Lord. The people of all the nations will bow down before him. + The Lord is King. He rules over the nations. + All the rich people of the earth will worship God and take part in his feasts. All those who go down to the edge of the grave will fall on their knees in front of him. I'm talking about those who can hardly keep themselves alive. + Those who are not yet born will serve him. Those who are born later will be told about the Lord. + And they will tell people who have not yet been born that he has done what is right. + + + A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. + He lets me lie down in fields of green grass. He leads me beside quiet waters. + He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name. + Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid. You are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff comfort me. + You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies. You pour oil on my head. My cup runs over. + I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever. + + + A psalm of David. The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it. The world belongs to him. And so do all those who live in it. + He set it firmly on the oceans. He made it secure on the waters. + Who can go up to the temple on the hill of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? + Anyone who has clean hands and a pure heart. He does not worship the statue of a god. He doesn't use the name of that god when he makes a promise. + People like that will receive the Lord's blessing. When God their Savior hands down his sentence, it will be in their favor. + The people who look to God are like that. God of Jacob, they look to you. Selah + Open wide, you gates. Open up, you age-old doors. Then the King of glory will come in. + Who is the King of glory? The Lord, who is strong and mighty. The Lord, who is mighty in battle. + Open wide, you gates. Open wide, you age-old doors. Then the King of glory will come in. + Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord who rules over all. He is the King of glory. Selah + + + A psalm of David. Lord, I worship you. + My God, I trust in you. Don't let me be put to shame. Don't let my enemies win the battle over me. + Those who put their hope in you will never be put to shame. But those who can't be trusted will be put to shame. They have no excuse. + Lord, show me your ways. Teach me how to follow you. + Guide me in your truth. Teach me. You are God my Savior. I put my hope in you all day long. + Lord, remember your great mercy and love. You have shown them to your people for a long time. + Don't remember the sins I committed when I was young. Don't remember how often I refused to obey you. Remember me because you love me. Lord, you are good. + The Lord is honest and good. He teaches sinners to walk in his ways. + He shows those who aren't proud how to do what is right. He teaches them his ways. + All of the Lord's ways are loving and faithful for those who obey what his covenant commands. + Lord, be true to your name. Forgive my sin, even though it is great. + Who is the man who has respect for the Lord? God will teach him the way he has chosen for him. + Things will always go well for him. His children will be given the land. + The Lord shares his plans with those who have respect for him. He makes his covenant known to them. + My eyes always look to the Lord. He alone can set my feet free from the trap. + Turn to me and show me your favor. I am lonely and hurting. + The troubles of my heart have increased. Set me free from my great pain. + Look at how I'm hurting! See how much I suffer! Take away all of my sins. + Look at how many enemies I have! See how terrible their hatred is for me! + Guard my life. Save me. Don't let me be put to shame. I go to you for safety. + May my honest and good life keep me safe. I have put my hope in you. + God, set Israel free from all of their troubles! + + + A psalm of David. Lord, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor. I have lived without blame. I have trusted in the Lord. I have never doubted him. + Lord, test me. Try me out. Look deep down into my heart and mind. + Your love is always with me. I have always lived by your truth. + I don't spend time with people who tell lies. I don't keep company with pretenders. + I hate to be with a group of sinful people. I refuse to spend time with those who are evil. + I wash my hands to show that I'm not guilty. Lord, I come near your altar. + I shout my praise to you. I tell about all the wonderful things you have done. + Lord, I love the house where you live. I love the place where your glory is. + Don't destroy me together with sinners. Don't take my life away along with murderers. + Their hands are always planning to do evil. Their right hands are full of money that bought them off. + But I live without blame. Set me free and show me your favor. + My feet stand on level ground. In the whole community I will praise the Lord. + + + A psalm of David. The Lord gives me light and saves me. Why should I fear anyone? The Lord is my place of safety. Why should I be afraid? + My enemies are evil. They will trip and fall when they attack me and try to eat me alive. + Even if an army attacks me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if war breaks out against me, I will still trust in God. + I'm asking the Lord for only one thing. Here is what I want. I want to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. I want to look at the beauty of the Lord. I want to worship him in his temple. + When I'm in trouble, he will keep me safe in his house. He will hide me in the safety of his holy tent. He will put me on a rock that is very high. + Then I will win the battle over my enemies who are all around me. At his holy tent I will offer my sacrifice with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord. + Lord, hear my voice when I call out to you. Show me your favor and answer me. + My heart says, "Look to him!" Lord, I will look to you. + Don't turn your face away from me. Don't turn me away because you are angry. You have helped me. God my Savior, don't say no to me. Don't desert me. + My father and mother may desert me, but the Lord will accept me. + Lord, teach me your ways. Lead me along a straight path. There are many people who beat me down. + My enemies want to harm me. So don't turn me over to them. Witnesses who tell lies are rising up against me. They are trying to destroy me. + Here is something I am still sure of. I will see the Lord's goodness while I'm still alive. + Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don't lose hope. Wait for the Lord. + + + A psalm of David. Lord, my Rock, I call out to you. Pay attention to me. If you remain silent, I will die. I will be like those who have gone down into the grave. + Hear my cry for your favor when I call out to you for help. Hear me when I lift up my hands in prayer toward your Most Holy Room. + Don't drag me away with sinners. Don't drag me away with those who do evil. They speak in a friendly way to their neighbors. But their hearts are full of hatred. + Pay them back for their evil actions. Pay them back for what their hands have done. Give them exactly what they should get. + They don't care about the Lord's mighty acts. They don't care about what his hands have done. So he will tear them down. He will never build them up again. + Give praise to the Lord. He has heard my cry for his favor. + The Lord gives me strength. He is like a shield that keeps me safe. My heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart jumps for joy. I will sing and give thanks to him. + The Lord gives strength to his people. He guards and saves his anointed king. + Save your people. Bless those who belong to you. Be their shepherd. Take care of them forever. + + + A psalm of David. Praise the Lord, you mighty angels. Praise the Lord for his glory and strength. + Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him. Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness. + The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty waters. + The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic. + The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees. The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon into pieces. + He makes the mountains of Lebanon skip like a calf. He makes Mount Hermon jump like a young wild ox. + The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. + The voice of the Lord shakes the desert. The Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. + The voice of the Lord twists the oak trees. It strips the forests bare. And in his temple everyone cries out, "Glory!" + The Lord on his throne rules over the flood. The Lord rules from his throne as King forever. + The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace. + + + A psalm of David. A song for committing the completed temple to God. Lord, I will give you honor. You brought me out of deep trouble. You didn't give my enemies the joy of seeing me die. + Lord my God, I called out to you for help. And you healed me. + Lord, you brought me up from the edge of the grave. You kept me from going down into the pit. + Sing to the Lord, you who are faithful to him. Praise him, because his name is holy. + His anger lasts for only a moment. But his favor lasts for a person's whole life. Sobbing can remain through the night. But joy comes in the morning. + When I felt safe, I said, "I will always be secure." + Lord, when you showed me your favor, you made my mountain stand firm. But when you turned your face away from me, I was terrified. + Lord, I called out to you. I cried to you for your favor. + I said, "What good will come if I die? What good will come if I go down into the grave? Can the dust of my dead body praise you? Can it tell how faithful you are? + Lord, hear me. Show me your favor. Lord, help me." + You turned my loud crying into dancing. You removed my black clothes and dressed me with joy. + So my heart will sing to you. I can't keep silent. Lord, my God, I will give you thanks forever. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Lord, I have gone to you for safety. Don't let me ever be put to shame. Save me, because you do what is right. + Pay attention to me. Come quickly to help me. Be the rock I go to for safety. Be the strong fort that saves me. + You are my rock and my fort. Lead me and guide me for the honor of your name. + Free me from the trap that is set for me. You are my place of safety. + Into your hands I commit my very life. Lord, set me free. You are my faithful God. + I hate those who worship worthless statues of gods. I trust in the Lord. + I will be glad and full of joy because you love me. You saw that I was hurting. You took note of my great pain. + You have not handed me over to the enemy. You have put me in a wide and safe place. + Lord, show me your favor. I'm in deep trouble. I'm so sad I can hardly see. My whole body grows weak with sadness. + Pain has taken over my life. My years are spent in groaning. I have no strength because I'm hurting so much. My body is getting weaker and weaker. + My neighbors make fun of me because I have so many enemies. My friends are afraid of me. Those who see me on the street run away from me. + They have forgotten me. I might as well be dead. I have become like broken pottery. + I hear the lies many people tell about me. There is terror all around me. Many have joined together against me. They plan to kill me. + But I trust in you, Lord. I say, "You are my God." + My whole life is in your hands. Save me from my enemies. Save me from those who are chasing me. + Let your face smile on me with favor. Save me because your love is faithful. + Lord, I have cried out to you. Don't let me be put to shame. But let sinners be put to shame. Let them lie silent in the grave. + Their lips tell lies. Let them be silenced. They speak with pride against those who do right. They make fun of them. + How great your goodness is! You have stored it up for those who have respect for you. While other people watch, you give it to those who run to you for safety. + They are safe because you are with them. You hide them from the evil plans of their enemies. In your house you keep them safe from those who bring charges against them. + Give praise to the Lord. He showed me his wonderful love when my enemies attacked the city I was in. + I was afraid and said, "I've been cut off from you!" But you heard my cry for your favor. You heard me when I called out to you for help. + Love the Lord, all of you who are faithful to him! The Lord watches over the faithful. But he completely pays back those who are proud. + Be strong, all of you who put your hope in the Lord. Never give up. + + + A maskil of David. Blessed is the one whose lawless acts are forgiven. His sins have been taken away. + Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him. He doesn't want to cheat anyone. + When I kept silent about my sin, my body became weak because I groaned all day long. + Day and night your heavy hand punished me. I became weaker and weaker as I do in the heat of summer. Selah + Then I admitted my sin to you. I didn't cover up the wrong I had done. I said, "I will admit my lawless acts to the Lord." And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah + Let everyone who is godly pray to you while they can still look to you. When troubles come like a flood, they certainly won't reach those who are godly. + You are my hiding place. You will keep me safe from trouble. You will surround me with songs sung by those who praise you because you save your people. Selah + I will guide you and teach you the way you should go. I will give you good advice and watch over you. + Don't be like the horse or the mule. They can't understand anything. They have to be controlled by bits and bridles. If they aren't, they won't come to you. + Sinful people have all kinds of trouble. But the Lord's faithful love is all around those who trust in him. + Be glad because of what the Lord has done for you. Be joyful, you who do what is right! Sing, all of you whose hearts are honest! + + + You who are godly, sing with joy to the Lord. It is right for honest people to praise him. + Praise the Lord with the harp. Make music to him on the lyre that has ten strings. + Sing a new song to him. Play with skill, and shout with joy. + What the Lord says is right and true. He is faithful in everything he does. + The Lord loves what is right and fair. The earth is full of his faithful love. + The heavens were made when the Lord commanded it to happen. All of the stars were created by the breath of his mouth. + He gathers the waters of the sea together. He puts the oceans in their places. + Let the whole earth have respect for the Lord. Let all of the people in the world honor him. + He spoke, and the world came into being. He commanded, and it stood firm. + The Lord blocks the sinful plans of the nations. He keeps them from doing what they want to do. + But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. What he wants to do will last for all time. + Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Blessed are the people he chose to be his own. + From heaven the Lord looks down and sees everyone. + From his throne he watches all those who live on the earth. + He creates the hearts of all people. He is aware of everything they do. + A king isn't saved just because his army is big. A soldier doesn't escape just because he is very strong. + People can't trust a horse to save them either. Though it is very strong, it can't save them. + But the Lord looks with favor on those who respect him. He watches over those who put their hope in his faithful love. + He watches over them to save them from death. He wants to keep them alive when there is no food in the land. + We wait in hope for the Lord. He helps us. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. + Our hearts are full of joy because of him. We trust in him, because he is holy. + Lord, may your faithful love rest on us. We put our hope in you. + + + A psalm of David when he was in front of Abimelech and pretended to be out of his mind. Abimelech drove him away, and he left. I will thank the Lord at all times. My lips will always praise him. + I will honor the Lord. Let those who are hurting hear and be joyful. + Join me in giving glory to the Lord. Let us honor him together. + I looked to the Lord, and he answered me. He saved me from everything I was afraid of. + Those who look to him beam with joy. They are never put to shame. + This poor man called out, and the Lord heard him. He saved him out of all of his troubles. + The angel of the Lord stands guard around those who have respect for him. And he saves them. + Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who goes to him for safety. + You people of God, have respect for the Lord. Those who respect him have everything they need. + The lions may grow weak and hungry. But those who look to the Lord have every good thing they need. + My children, come. Listen to me. I will teach you to have respect for the Lord. + Do you love life and want to see many good days? + Then keep your tongues from speaking evil. Keep your lips from telling lies. + Turn away from evil, and do good. Look for peace, and go after it. + The Lord looks with favor on those who are godly. His ears are open to their cry. + The Lord doesn't look with favor on those who do evil. He removes all memory of them from the earth. + Godly people cry out, and the Lord hears them. He saves them from all of their troubles. + The Lord is close to those whose hearts have been broken. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed. + Anyone who does what is right may have many troubles. But the Lord saves him from all of them. + The Lord watches over all of his bones. Not one of them will be broken. + Sinners will be killed by their own evil. The enemies of godly people will be judged. + The Lord sets those who serve him free. No one who goes to him for safety will be judged. + + + A psalm of David. Lord, stand up against those who stand up against me. Fight against those who fight against me. + Pick up your large shields and your small shields. Rise up and help me. + Get your spear and javelin ready to fight against those who are chasing me. Say to me, "I will save you." + Let those who are trying to kill me be brought down in dishonor. Let those who plan to destroy me be turned back in terror. + Let them be like straw blowing in the wind, while the angel of the Lord drives them away. + Let their path be dark and slippery, while the angel of the Lord chases them. + They set a trap for me without any reason. Without any reason they dug a pit to catch me. + So let them be destroyed without warning. Let the trap they set for me catch them. Let them fall into the pit and be destroyed. + Then I will be full of joy because of what the Lord has done. I will be glad because he has saved me. + My whole being will cry out, "Who is like you, Lord? You save poor people from those who are too strong for them. You save poor and needy people from those who rob them." + Mean people come forward to give witness against me. They ask me things I don't know anything about. + They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them. They leave me without hope. + But when they were sick, I put on black clothes. I made myself low by going without food. My prayers for them weren't always answered. + So I went around crying as if I were crying over my friend or relative. I bowed my head in sadness as if I were sobbing over my mother. + But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy. Attackers gathered against me when I didn't even know it. They kept on telling lies about me. + They were like ungodly people. They made fun of me. They ground their teeth at me in hate. + Lord, how much longer will you just look on? Save me from their deadly attacks. Save the only life I have. Save me from those lions. + I will give you thanks in the whole community. Among all of your people I will praise you. + Don't let those who are my enemies without any reason laugh at me and make fun of me. Don't let those who hate me without any reason wink at me with an evil purpose. + They don't speak words of peace. They make up false charges against those who live quietly in the land. + They open their mouths wide at me. They make fun of me. They say, "With our own eyes we have seen what you did." + Lord, you have seen this. Don't be silent. Lord, don't be far away from me. + Wake up! Rise up to help me! My God and Lord, stand up for me. + Lord my God, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor. You always do what is right. Don't let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall. + Don't let them think, "That's exactly what we wanted!" Don't let them say, "We have swallowed him up." + Let all those who laugh at me because I'm in trouble be ashamed and bewildered. Let all who think they are better than I am put on shame and dishonor as if they were clothes. + Let those who are happy when my name is cleared shout with joy and gladness. Let them always say, "May the Lord be honored. He is pleased when everything goes well with the one who serves him." + You always do what is right. My tongue will speak about it and praise you all day long. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. Here are the words God has given me to say about the evil ways of anyone who sins. He doesn't have any respect for God. + He praises himself so much that he can't see his sin or hate it. + His mouth speaks words that are evil and false. He has stopped being wise. He has stopped doing good. + Even as he lies in bed he makes evil plans. He commits himself to a sinful way of life. He never says no to what is wrong. + Lord, your love is as high as the heavens. Your faithful love reaches up to the skies. + You are as holy as the mountains are high. You are as honest as the oceans are deep. Lord, you keep people and animals safe. + How priceless your faithful love is! Important and ordinary people alike find safety in the shadow of your wings. + They eat well because there is more than enough in your house. You let them drink from your river that flows with good things. + You have the fountain of life. We are filled with light because you give us light. + Keep on loving those who know you. Keep on doing right to those whose hearts are honest. + Don't let the feet of those who are proud step on me. Don't let the hands of those who are evil drive me away. + See how those who do evil have fallen! They are thrown down. They aren't able to get up. + + + A psalm of David. Don't be upset because of sinful people. Don't be jealous of those who do wrong. + Like grass, they will soon dry up. Like green plants, they will soon die. + Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live in the land and enjoy its food. + Find your delight in the Lord. Then he will give you everything your heart really wants. + Commit your life to the Lord. Here is what he will do if you trust in him. + He will make your godly ways shine like the dawn. He will make your honest life shine like the sun at noon. + Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to act. Don't be upset when other people succeed. Don't be upset when they carry out their evil plans. + Keep from being angry. Turn away from anger. Don't be upset. That only leads to evil. + Sinful people will be cut off from the land. But it will be given to those who put their hope in the Lord. + In a little while, there won't be any more sinners. Even if you look for them, you won't be able to find them. + But those who are free of pride will be given the land. They will enjoy great peace. + Sinful people make plans to harm those who do what is right. They grind their teeth at them. + But the Lord laughs at those who do evil. He knows the day is coming when he will judge them. + Sinners pull out their swords. They bend their bows. They want to kill poor and needy people. They plan to murder those who lead honest lives. + But they will be killed with their own swords. Their own bows will be broken. + Those who do what is right may have very little. But it's better than the wealth of many sinners. + The power of those who are evil will be broken. But the Lord takes good care of those who do what is right. + Every day the Lord watches over those who are without blame. What he has given them will last forever. + When trouble comes to them, they will have what they need. When there is little food in the land, they will still have plenty. + But sinful people will die. The Lord's enemies will be like flowers in the field. They will disappear like smoke. + Sinful people borrow and don't pay back. But those who are godly give freely to others. + The Lord will give the land to those he blesses. But he will cut off those he puts a curse on. + If the Lord is pleased with the way a man lives, he makes his steps secure. + Even if the man trips, he won't fall. The Lord's hand takes good care of him. + I once was young, and now I'm old. But I've never seen godly people deserted. I've never seen their children begging for bread. + The godly are always giving and lending freely. Their children will be blessed. + Turn away from evil and do good. Then you will live in the land forever. + The Lord loves those who are honest. He will not desert those who are faithful to him. They will be kept safe forever. But the children of sinners will be cut off from the land. + Those who do what is right will be given the land. They will live in it forever. + The mouths of those who do what is right speak words of wisdom. They say what is honest. + God's law is in their hearts. Their feet do not slip. + Those who are evil hide and wait for godly people. They are trying to kill them. + But the Lord will not leave the godly in their power. He will not let them be found guilty when they are brought into court. + Wait for the Lord to act. Live as he wants you to. He will honor you by giving you the land. When sinners are cut off from it, you will see it. + I saw a mean and sinful person. He was doing well, like a green tree in its own soil. + But he soon passed away and was gone. Even though I looked for him, I couldn't find him. + Think about those who are without blame. Look at those who are honest. A man who loves peace will have a tomorrow. + But all sinners will be destroyed. Those who are evil won't have a tomorrow. They will be cut off from the land. + The Lord saves those who do what is right. He is their place of safety when trouble comes. + The Lord helps them and saves them. He saves them from sinful people because they go to him for safety. + + + A psalm of David. A prayer. Lord, don't correct me when you are angry. Don't punish me when you are burning with anger. + You have wounded me with your arrows. You have struck me with your hand. + Because of your anger, my whole body is sick. Because of my sin, I'm not healthy. + My guilt has become too much for me. It is a load too heavy to carry. + My wounds are ugly. They stink. I've been foolish. I have sinned. + I am bent over. I've been brought very low. All day long I go around sobbing. + My back is filled with burning pain. My whole body is sick. + I am weak. I feel as if I've been broken in pieces. I groan because of the great pain in my heart. + Lord, everything I really want is clearly known to you. You always hear me when I sigh. + My heart pounds. My strength is gone. My eyes can hardly see. + My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds. My neighbors stay far away from me. + Those who are trying to kill me set their traps. Those who want to harm me talk about destroying me. All day long they plan ways to trick me. + I'm like a deaf person. I can't hear. I'm like someone who can't speak, who can't say a word. + I'm like a man who doesn't hear. I'm like someone whose mouth can't make any reply. + Lord, I wait for you to help me. Lord my God, I know you will answer. + I said, "Don't let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall. Don't let them brag when my foot slips." + I am about to fall. My pain never leaves me. + I admit that I have done wrong. I am troubled by my sin. + I have many powerful enemies. They are strong and healthy. They hate me without any reason. + They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them. They tell lies about me because I try to do what is good. + Lord, don't desert me. My God, don't be far away from me. + Lord my Savior, come quickly to help me. + + + For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I said, "I will be careful about how I live. I will not sin by what I say. I will keep my mouth closed when sinful people are near me." + I was silent and kept quiet. I didn't even say anything good. But the pain inside me grew worse. + My heart was deeply troubled. As I thought about what was happening to me, I became even more troubled. Then I spoke out. + I said, "Lord, show me when my life will end. Show me how many days I have left. Tell me how short my life will be. + You have given me only a few days to live. My whole life doesn't seem like anything to you. No man's life lasts any longer than a breath. Selah + People are only shadows as they go here and there. They rush around, but it doesn't mean anything. They pile up wealth, but they don't know who will get it. + "Lord, what can I look forward to now? You are the only hope I have. + Save me from all the wrong things I've done. Don't let foolish people make fun of me. + I keep silent. I don't open my mouth. You are the one who has caused all of this to happen. + Please stop beating me. I'm about to die from the blows of your hand. + You correct and punish people for their sin. Just as a moth eats cloth, you destroy their wealth. No one's life lasts any longer than a breath. Selah + "Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my sobbing. I'm like a guest in your home. I'm only a visitor, like all of my family who lived before me. + Leave me alone. Let me be full of joy again before I die." + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. I was patient while I waited for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry for help. + I was sliding down into the pit of death, and he pulled me out. He brought me up out of the mud and dirt. He set my feet on a rock. He gave me a firm place to stand on. + He gave me a new song to sing. It is a hymn of praise to our God. Many people will see what he has done and will worship him. They will put their trust in the Lord. + Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. He doesn't look to proud people for help. He doesn't turn away to worship statues of gods. + Lord my God, no one can compare with you. You have done many miracles. And you plan to do many more for us. There are too many of them for me to talk about. + You didn't want sacrifices and offerings. You weren't pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. You gave me ears to hear you and obey you. + Then I said, "Here I am. It is written about me in the scroll. + My God, I have come to do what you want. Your law is in my heart." + I have told the whole community of those who worship you that what you do is right. Lord, you know that I haven't kept quiet. + I haven't kept to myself that what you did for me was right. I have spoken about how faithful you were when you saved me. I haven't hidden your love and truth from the whole community. + Lord, don't hold back your mercy from me. May your love and truth always keep me safe. + There are more troubles all around me than I can count. My sins have caught up with me, and I can't see any longer. My sins are more than the hairs of my head. I have lost all hope. + Lord, please save me. Lord, come quickly to help me. + Let all those who are trying to kill me be put to shame. Let them not be honored. Let all those who want to destroy me be turned back in shame. + Some people make fun of me. Let them be shocked when their plans fail. + But let all those who look to you be joyful and glad because of what you have done. Let those who love you because you save them always say, "May the Lord be honored!" + But I am poor and needy. May the Lord be concerned about me. You are the One who helps me and saves me. My God, please don't wait any longer. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Blessed is the one who cares about weak people. When he is in trouble, the Lord saves him. + The Lord will guard him and keep him alive. He will bless him in the land. He won't hand him over to the wishes of his enemies. + The Lord will take care of him when he is lying sick in bed. He will make him well again. + I said, "Lord, show me your favor. Heal me. I have sinned against you." + My enemies are saying bad things about me. They say, "When will he die and be forgotten?" + When anyone comes to see me, he says things he doesn't mean. At the same time, he thinks up lies to tell against me. Then he goes out and spreads those lies around. + All of my enemies whisper to each other about me. They want something terrible to happen to me. + They say, "He is sick and will die very soon. He will never get up from his bed again." + Even my close friend, whom I trusted, has deserted me. I even shared my bread with him. + But Lord, show me your favor. Make me well, so I can pay them back. + Then I will know that you are pleased with me, because my enemies haven't won the battle over me. + You will take good care of me because I've been honest. You will let me be with you forever. + Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen. + + + BOOK II A deer longs for streams of water. God, I long for you in the same way. + I am thirsty for God. I am thirsty for the living God. When can I go and meet with him? + My tears have been my food day and night. All day long people say to me, "Where is your God?" + When I remember what has happened, I tell God all of my troubles. I remember how I used to walk along with the crowd of worshipers. I led them to the house of God. We shouted with joy and gave thanks as we went to the holy feast. + My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me? Put your hope in God. Once again I will have reason to praise him. He is my Savior and + my God. My spirit is very sad deep down inside me. So I will remember you here where the Jordan River begins. I will remember you here on the Hermon mountains and on Mount Mizar. + You have sent wave upon wave of trouble over me. It roars down on me like a waterfall. All of your waves and breakers have rolled over me. + During the day the Lord sends his love to me. During the night I sing about him. I say a prayer to the God who gives me life. + I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go around in sorrow? Why am I beaten down by my enemies?" + My body suffers deadly pain as my enemies make fun of me. All day long they say to me, "Where is your God?" + My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me? Put your hope in God. Once again I will have reason to praise him. He is my Savior and my God. + + + God, when you hand down your decision, let it be in my favor. Stand up for me against an ungodly nation. Save me from those lying and sinful people. + You are God, my place of safety. Why have you turned your back on me? Why must I go around in sorrow? Why am I beaten down by my enemies? + Send out your light and your truth. Let them guide me. Let them bring me back to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. + Then I will go to the altar of God. I will go to God. He is my joy and my delight. God, you are my God. I will praise you by playing the harp. + My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me? Put your hope in God. Once again I will have reason to praise him. He is my Savior and my God. + + + For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. God, we have heard what you did. Those who came before us have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. + With your powerful hand you drove out the nations. You settled our people in the land. You crushed the people who were there. And you made our people do well. + They didn't win the land with their swords. They didn't gain success with their powerful arms. Your powerful right hand and your mighty arm gave them success. You looked on them with favor. You loved them. + You are my King and my God. You give success to the people of Jacob. + With your help we push our enemies back. By your power we walk all over them. + I don't trust in my bow. My sword doesn't bring me success. + But you give us success over our enemies. You put them to shame. + All day long we talk about how great God is. We will praise your name forever. Selah + But now you have turned your back on us and made us low. You don't march out with our armies anymore. + You made us turn and run from our enemies. They have taken what belongs to us. + You handed us over to be eaten up like sheep. You have scattered us among the nations. + You sold your people for very little. You didn't gain anything when you sold them. + You have made us something that our neighbors laugh at. Those who live around us make fun of us and tease us. + The nations make jokes about us. They shake their heads at us. + All day long I am reminded of my shame. My face is covered with it + because of those who laugh at me and attack me with their words. They want to get even with me. + All of this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten you. We had been true to the covenant you made with us. + Our hearts had not turned away from you. Our feet had not wandered from your path. + But you crushed us and left us to the wild dogs. You covered us over with deep darkness. + We didn't forget our God. We didn't spread out our hands in prayer to a strange god. + If we had, God would have discovered it. He knows the secrets of our hearts. + But because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed. + Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't say no to us forever. + Why do you turn your face away from us? Why do you forget our pain and troubles? + We are brought down to the dust. Our bodies lie flat on the ground. + Rise up and help us. Save us because of your faithful love. + + + For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. A wedding song to the tune of "Lilies." My heart is full of beautiful words as I say my poem for the king. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer. + You are the most excellent of men. Your lips have been given the ability to speak gracious words. God has blessed you forever. + Mighty one, put your sword at your side. Put on glory and majesty as if they were your clothes. + In your majesty ride out with power in honor of what is true and right. Do it in honor of all those who are not proud. Let your right hand do wonderful things. + Shoot your sharp arrows into the hearts of your enemies. Let the nations come under your control. + Your throne is the very throne of God. Your kingdom will last for ever and ever. You will rule by treating everyone fairly. + You love what is right and hate what is evil. So your God has placed you above your companions. He has filled you with joy by pouring the sacred oil on your head. + Myrrh and aloes and cassia make all of your robes smell good. In palaces decorated with ivory the music played on stringed instruments makes you glad. + Daughters of kings are among the women you honor. At your right hand is the royal bride dressed in gold from Ophir. + Royal bride, listen. Think about this and pay attention to it. Forget about your people and the home you came from. + The king is charmed by your beauty. Honor him. He is now your master. + The people of Tyre will come with gifts. Wealthy people will try to gain your favor. + The princess comes into the palace in all her glory. Her gown has gold threads running through it. + Dressed in beautiful clothes, she is led to the king. Her virgin companions follow her and are brought to him. + They are led in with joy and gladness. They enter the palace of the king. + Your sons will rule just as your father and grandfather did. You will make them princes through the whole land. + I will make sure that people will always remember you. The nations will praise you for ever and ever. + + + For the director of music. A song of the Sons of Korah. For alamoth. God is our place of safety. He gives us strength. He is always there to help us in times of trouble. + The earth may fall apart. The mountains may fall into the middle of the sea. But we will not be afraid. + The waters of the sea may roar and foam. The mountains may shake when the waters rise. But we will not be afraid. Selah + God's blessings are like a river. They fill the city of God with joy. That city is the holy place where the Most High God lives. + Because God is there, the city will not fall. God will help it at the beginning of the day. + Nations are in disorder. Kingdoms fall. God speaks, and the people of the earth melt in fear. + The Lord who rules over all is with us. The God of Jacob is like a fort to us. Selah + Come and see what the Lord has done. See the places he has destroyed on the earth. + He makes wars stop from one end of the earth to the other. He breaks every bow. He snaps every spear. He burns every shield with fire. + He says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth." + The Lord who rules over all is with us. The God of Jacob is like a fort to us. Selah + + + For the director of music. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all you nations. Shout to God with cries of joy. + How wonderful is the Lord Most High! He is the great King over the whole earth. + He brought nations under our control. He made them fall under us. + He chose our land for us. The people of Jacob are proud of their land, and God loves them. Selah + God went up to his throne while his people were shouting with joy. The Lord went up while trumpets were playing. + Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. + God is the King of the whole earth. Sing a psalm of praise to him. + God rules over the nations. He is seated on his holy throne. + The nobles of the nations come together. They are now part of the people of the God of Abraham. The kings of the earth belong to God. He is greatly honored. + + + A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. The Lord is great. He is really worthy of praise. Praise him in the city of our God, his holy mountain. + Mount Zion is high and beautiful. It brings joy to everyone on earth. Mount Zion is like the highest parts of Mount Zaphon. It is the city of the Great King. + God is there to keep it safe. He has shown himself to be like a fort to the city. + Many kings joined forces. They entered Israel together. + But when they saw Mount Zion, they were amazed. They ran away in terror. + Trembling took hold of them. They felt pain like a woman giving birth to a baby. + Lord, you destroyed them like ships of Tarshish that were torn apart by an east wind. + What we heard we have also seen. We have seen it in the city of the Lord who rules over all. We have seen it in the city of our God. We have heard and seen that God makes her secure forever. Selah + God, inside your temple we think about your faithful love. + God, your fame reaches from one end of the earth to the other. In the same way, people praise you from one end of the earth to the other. You use your power to do what is right. + Mount Zion is filled with joy. The villages of Judah are glad. That's because you judge fairly. + Walk around Zion. Go all around it. Count its towers. + Think carefully about its outer walls. Just look at how safe it is! Then you can tell its people that God keeps them safe. + This God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide to the very end. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. Hear this, all you nations. Listen, all you who live in this world. + Listen, ordinary and important people alike. Listen, those of you who are rich or poor. + My mouth will speak wise words. What I say from my heart will give understanding. + I will pay attention to a proverb. I will explain my riddle as I play the harp. + Why should I be afraid when trouble comes? Why should I fear when sinners are all around me? They are the kind of people who want to take advantage of me. + They trust in their wealth. They brag about how rich they are. + No man can pay for the life of anyone else. No one can give God what that would cost. + The price for a life is very high. No payment is ever enough. + No one can pay enough to live forever and not rot in the grave. + Everyone can see that even wise people die. Foolish and dumb people also pass away. All of them leave their wealth to others. + Their graves will remain their houses forever. Their graves will be their homes for all time to come. Naming lands after themselves won't help either. + Even though people may be very rich, they don't live on and on. They are like the animals. They die. + That's what happens to those who trust in themselves. It also happens to their followers, who agree with what they say. Selah + Like sheep they will end up in the grave. Death will swallow them up. When honest people come to power, a new day will dawn. The bodies of sinners will waste away in the grave. They will end up far away from their princely houses. + But God will save me from the grave. He will certainly take me to himself. Selah + Don't be upset when someone becomes rich. Don't be troubled when he becomes more and more wealthy. + He won't take anything with him when he dies. His riches won't go down to the grave with him. + While he lived, he believed he was blessed. People praised him when things were going well for him. + But he will die, like his people of long ago. He will never again see the light that leads to life. + People who have riches but don't understand are like the animals. They die. + + + A psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks. He calls out to the earth from the sunrise in the east to the sunset in the west. + From Zion, perfect and beautiful, God's glory shines out. + Our God comes, and he won't be silent. A burning fire goes ahead of him. A terrible storm is all around him. + He calls out to heaven and earth to be his witnesses. Then he judges his people. + He says, "Gather my holy people around me. They made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice." + The heavens announce that what God decides is right. He himself is the Judge. Selah + God says, "Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will give witness against you. I am God, your God. + I don't find fault with you because of your sacrifices. I don't find fault with the burnt offerings you always bring me. + I don't need a bull from your barn. I don't need goats from your pens. + Every animal in the forest already belongs to me. And so do the cattle on a thousand hills. + I own every bird in the mountains. The creatures of the field belong to me. + If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you. The world belongs to me. And so does everything in it. + Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? + Bring me thank offerings, because I am your God. Carry out the promises you made to me, because I am the Most High God. + Call out to me when trouble comes. I will save you. And you will honor me." + But here is what God says to sinful people. "What right do you have to speak the words of my laws? How dare you speak the words of my covenant! + You hate my teaching. You turn your back on what I say. + When you see a thief, you join him. You make friends with those who commit adultery. + You use your mouth to speak evil. You use your tongue to spread lies. + You always speak against your brother. You always tell lies about your own mother's son. + You have done those things, and I kept silent. So you thought I was just like you. But now I'm going to correct you. I will bring charges against you. + "You who forget God, think about this. If you don't, I will tear you to pieces. No one will be able to save you. + Anyone who sacrifices thank offerings to me honors me. He makes it possible for me to show him that I am the God who saves." + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. God, show me your favor in keeping with your faithful love. Because your love is so tender and kind, wipe out my lawless acts. + Wash away all of the evil things I've done. Make me pure from my sin. + I know the lawless acts I've committed. I can't forget my sin. + You are the one I've really sinned against. I've done what is evil in your sight. So you are right when you sentence me. You are fair when you judge me. + I know I've been a sinner ever since I was born. I've been a sinner ever since my mother became pregnant with me. + I know that you want truth to be in my heart. You teach me wisdom deep down inside me. + Make me pure by sprinkling me with hyssop plant. Then I will be clean. Wash me. Then I will be whiter than snow. + Let me hear you say, "Your sins are forgiven." That will bring me joy and gladness. Let the body you have broken be glad. + Take away all of my sins. Wipe away all of the evil things I've done. + God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you. + Don't send me away from you. Don't take your Holy Spirit away from me. + Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you. Give me a spirit that obeys you. That will keep me going. + Then I will teach your ways to those who commit lawless acts. And sinners will turn back to you. + You are the God who saves me. I have committed murder. Take away my guilt. Then my tongue will sing about how right you are no matter what you do. + Lord, open my lips so that I can speak. Then my mouth will praise you. + You don't take delight in sacrifice. If you did, I would bring it. You don't take pleasure in burnt offerings. + The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. God, you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin. + May you be pleased to give Zion success. Build up the walls of Jerusalem. + Then holy sacrifices will be offered in the right way. Whole burnt offerings will bring delight to you. And bulls will be offered on your altar. + + + For the director of music. A maskil of David when Doeg, who was from Edom, had gone to Saul. Doeg had told Saul, "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech." You think you are such a big, strong man! Why do you brag about the evil things you've done? You are a dishonor to God all the time. + You plan ways to destroy others. Your tongue is like a blade that has a sharp edge. You are always telling lies. + You love evil instead of good. You would rather lie than tell the truth. Selah + You love to harm others with your words, you liar! + So God will destroy you forever. He will grab hold of you and throw you out of your tent. He will remove you from this life. Selah + Those who do what is right will see it and learn a lesson from it. They will laugh at you and say, + "Just look at this fellow! He didn't depend on God for his safety. He put his trust in all his wealth. He grew strong by destroying others!" + But I am like a healthy olive tree. My roots are deep in the house of God. I trust in your faithful love for ever and ever. + I will praise you forever for what you have done. I will put my hope in you because you are good. I will praise you when I'm with your faithful people. + + + For the director of music. For mahalath. A maskil of David. Foolish people say in their hearts, "There is no God." They do all kinds of horrible and evil things. No one does anything good. + God looks down from heaven on all people. He wants to see if there are any who understand. He wants to see if there are any who trust in God. + All of them have turned away. They have all become evil. No one does anything good, no one at all. + Won't those who do evil ever learn? They eat up my people as if they were eating bread. They don't call out to God for help. + Just look at them! They are filled with terror even when there is nothing to be afraid of! People of Israel, God will scatter the bones of those who attack you. You will put them to shame, because God hates them. + How I pray that the One who saves Israel will come out of Zion! God will bless his people with great success again. So let the people of Jacob be filled with joy! Let Israel be glad! + + + For the director of music. To be played on stringed instruments. A maskil of David when the men from Ziph had gone to Saul. They had said, "Isn't David hiding among us?" God, save me by your power. Set me free by your might. + God, hear my prayer. Listen to what I'm saying. + Strangers are attacking me. Mean people are trying to kill me. They don't care about God. Selah + But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going. + My enemies tell lies about me. Do to them the evil things they planned against me. God, be faithful and destroy them. + I will sacrifice an offering to you just because I choose to. Lord, I will praise your name because it is good. + You have saved me from all of my troubles. With my own eyes I have seen you win the battle over my enemies. + + + For the director of music. A maskil of David to be played on stringed instruments. God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help. + Hear me and answer me. My thoughts upset me. I'm very troubled. + I'm troubled by what my enemies say about me. I'm upset because sinful people stare at me. They cause me all kinds of suffering. When they are angry, they attack me with their words. + I feel great pain deep down inside me. The terrors of death are crushing me. + Fear and trembling have taken hold of me. Panic has overpowered me. + I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away and be at rest. + I would escape to a place far away. I would stay out in the desert. Selah + I would hurry to my place of safety. It would be far away from the winds and storms I'm facing." + Lord, destroy the plans of sinners. Keep them from understanding one another. I see people destroying things and fighting in the city. + Day and night they prowl around on top of its walls. The city is full of crime and trouble. + Forces that destroy are at work inside it. Its streets are full of people who cheat others and take advantage of them. + If an enemy were making fun of me, I could stand it. If he were looking down on me, I could hide from him. + But it's you, someone like myself. It's my companion, my close friend. + We used to enjoy good friendship as we walked with the crowds at the house of God. + Let death take my enemies by surprise. Let them be buried alive, because their hearts and homes are full of evil. + But I call out to God. And the Lord saves me. + Evening, morning and noon I groan and cry out. And he hears my voice. + Even though many enemies are fighting against me, he brings me safely back from the battle. + God sits on his throne forever. He hears my prayers and makes my enemies suffer. Selah They never change their ways. They don't have any respect for God. + My companion attacks his friends. He breaks his promise. + His talk is as smooth as butter. But he has war in his heart. His words flow like olive oil. But they are like swords ready for battle. + Turn your worries over to the Lord. He will keep you going. He will never let godly people fall. + God, you will bring sinners down to the grave. Murderers and liars won't live out even half of their lives. But I trust in you. + + + For the director of music. A miktam of David after the Philistines had captured him in Gath. To the tune of "A Dove on Distant Oak Trees." God, show me your favor. Men are chasing me. All day long they keep attacking me. + Those who tell lies about me chase me all day long. Many proud people are attacking me. + When I'm afraid, I will trust in you. + I trust in God. I praise his word. I trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can people do to me? + All day long they twist my words. They are always making plans to harm me. + They get together and hide. They watch my steps. They hope to kill me. + Make sure you don't let them escape. God, bring down the nations in your anger. + Write down my poem of sadness. List my tears on your scroll. Aren't you making a record of them? + My enemies will turn back when I call out to you for help. Then I will know that God is on my side. + I trust in God. I praise his word. I trust in the Lord. I praise his word. + I trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can mere men do to me? + God, I have made promises to you. I will bring my thank offerings to you. + You have saved me from death. You have kept me from tripping and falling. Now I can live with you in the light that leads to life. + + + For the director of music. A miktam of David when he had run away from Saul into the cave. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Show me your favor, God. Show me your favor. I go to you for safety. I will find safety in the shadow of your wings. There I will stay until the danger is gone. + I cry out to God Most High. I cry out to God, and he carries out his plan for me. + He answers from heaven and saves me. He puts to shame those who chase me. Selah He shows me his love and his truth. + Men who are like lions are all around me. I am lying down among hungry animals. Their teeth are like spears and arrows. Their tongues are like sharp swords. + God, may you be honored above the heavens. Let your glory be over the whole earth. + My enemies spread a net to catch me by the feet. I felt helpless. They dug a pit in my path. But they fell into it themselves. Selah + God, my heart feels secure. My heart feels secure. I will sing and make music to you. + My spirit, wake up! Harp and lyre, wake up! I want to sing and make music before the sun rises. + Lord, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing about you among the people of the earth. + Great is your love. It reaches to the heavens. Your truth reaches to the skies. + God, may you be honored above the heavens. Let your glory be over the whole earth. + + + For the director of music. A miktam of David to the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Are you rulers really fair when you speak? Do you judge people honestly? + No, in your hearts you plan to be unfair. With your hands you do terrible things on the earth. + Even from birth those who are evil go down the wrong path. From the day they are born they go the wrong way and speak lies. + Their words are like the poison of a snake. They are like the poison of a cobra that has covered up its ears. + It won't listen to any tune of a snake charmer, even if the charmer really plays well. + God, break the teeth in the mouths of those sinners! Lord, tear out the sharp teeth of those lions! + Let those people disappear like water that flows away. When they draw their bows, let their arrows be dull. + Let them be like a slug that melts away as it moves along. Let them be like a baby that is born dead and never sees the sun. + Evil people will be swept away quicker than a pot can feel the heat of thorns burning under it. And it doesn't matter if the thorns are green or dry. + Godly people will be glad when those who have hurt them are paid back. They will wash their feet in the blood of those who do evil. + Then people will say, "The godly will get their reward. There really is a God who judges the earth." + + + For the director of music. A miktam of David when Saul had sent men to watch David's house in order to kill him. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." God, save me from my enemies. Keep me safe from those who rise up against me. + Save me from those who do evil. Save me from murderers. + See how they hide and wait for me! Lord, angry people plan to harm me, even though I haven't hurt them in any way or sinned against them. + I haven't done anything wrong to them. But they are ready to attack me. Rise up and help me! Look at what I'm up against! + Lord God who rules over all, rise up. God of Israel, punish all of the nations. Don't show any mercy to those sinful people who have turned against me. Selah + My enemies are like a pack of barking dogs that come back to the city in the evening. They prowl around the city. + Listen to what pours out of their mouths. The words from their lips are like swords. They think, "Who can hear us?" + But you laugh at them, Lord. You make fun of all those nations. + You give me strength. I look to you. God, you are like a fort to me. + You are my loving God. God will march out in front of me. He will let me look down on those who tell lies about me. + Lord, you are like a shield that keeps us safe. Don't kill my enemies all at once. If you do, my people will forget about it. Use your power to make my enemies wander around. Destroy them. + They have sinned with their mouths. Their lips have spoken evil words. They have called down a curse on me and lied. Let them be caught in their pride. + Burn them up in your anger. Burn them up until there isn't anything left of them. Then everyone from one end of the earth to the other will know that God rules over the people of Jacob. Selah + My enemies are like a pack of barking dogs that come back into the city in the evening. They prowl around the city. + They wander around looking for food. They groan if they don't find something that will satisfy them. + But I will sing about your strength. In the morning I will sing about your love. You are like a fort to me. You keep me safe in times of trouble. + + + God, you have turned away from us. You have attacked us. You have been angry. Now turn back to us! + You have shaken the land and torn it open. Fix its cracks, because it is falling apart. + You have shown your people hard times. You have made us drink the wine of your anger. Now we can't even walk straight. + But you lead into battle those who have respect for you. You give them a flag to wave against the enemy's weapons. Selah + Save us. Help us with your powerful right hand, so that those you love may be saved. + God has spoken from his temple. He has said, "I will win the battle. Then I will divide up the land around Shechem. I will divide up the Valley of Succoth. + Gilead belongs to me. So does the land of Manasseh. Ephraim is the strongest tribe. It is like a helmet for my head. Judah is the royal tribe. It is like a ruler's staff. + Moab serves me like one who washes my feet. I toss my sandal on Edom to show that I own it. I shout to Philistia that I have won the battle." + Who will bring me to the city that has high walls around it? Who will lead me to the land of Edom? + God, isn't it you, even though you have now turned away from us? Isn't it you, even though you don't lead our armies into battle anymore? + Help us against our enemies. The help people give doesn't amount to anything. + With your help we will win the battle. You will walk all over our enemies. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David to be played on stringed instruments. God, hear my cry for help. Listen to my prayer. + From a place far away I call out to you. I call out as my heart gets weaker. Lead me to the safety of a rock that is high above me. + You have always kept me safe from my enemies. You are like a strong tower to me. + I long to live in your holy tent forever. There I find safety in the shadow of your wings. Selah + God, you have heard my promises. You have given me what belongs to those who worship you. + Add many days to the king's life. Let him live on and on for many years. + May he always enjoy your blessing as he rules. Let your love and truth keep him safe. + Then I will always sing praise to you. I will keep my promises day after day. + + + For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I find my rest in God alone. He is the One who saves me. + He alone is my rock. He is the One who saves me. He is like a fort to me. I will always be secure. + How long will you enemies attack me? Will all of you throw me down? I'm like a leaning wall. I'm like a fence that is about to fall. + You only want to pull me down from my place of honor. You take delight in telling lies. You bless me with what you say. But in your hearts you call down curses on me. Selah + I will find my rest in God alone. He is the One who gives me hope. + He alone is my rock. He is the One who saves me. He is like a fort to me. I will always be secure. + I depend on God to save me and to honor me. He is my mighty rock. He is my place of safety. + Trust in him at all times, you people. Tell him all of your troubles. God is our place of safety. Selah + Ordinary people are only a breath. Important people are not what they seem to be. If they were weighed on a scale, they wouldn't amount to anything. Together they are only a breath. + Don't trust in money you have taken from others. Don't be proud of things you have stolen. Even if your riches grow, don't put your trust in them. + God, I have heard you say two things. One is that you, God, are strong. + The other is that you, Lord, are loving. I'm sure you will reward each person in keeping with what he has done. + + + A psalm of David when he was in the Desert of Judah. God, you are my God. I greatly long for you. With all my heart I thirst for you in this dry desert where there isn't any water. + I have seen you in the sacred tent. There I have seen your power and your glory. + Your love is better than life. I will bring glory to you with my lips. + I will praise you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands when I pray to you. + I will be as satisfied as if I had eaten the best food there is. I will sing praise to you with my mouth. + As I lie on my bed I remember you. I think of you all night long. + Because you have helped me, I sing in the shadow of your wings. + I hold on to you. Your powerful right hand takes good care of me. + Those who are trying to kill me will be destroyed. They will go down into the grave. + They will be killed with swords. They will become food for wild dogs. + But the king will be filled with joy because of what God has done. All those who take an oath in God's name will praise him. But the mouths of liars will be shut. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. God, hear me as I tell you my problem. Don't let my enemies kill me. + Hide me from those who make evil plans against me. Hide me from that crowd of people who are doing evil. + They make their tongues like sharp swords. They aim their words like deadly arrows. + They shoot from their hiding places at people who aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. They shoot quickly. They aren't afraid of being caught. + They help each other make evil plans. They talk about hiding their traps. They say, "Who can see what we are doing?" + They make plans to do what is evil. They say, "We have thought up a perfect plan!" The hearts and minds of people are so clever! + But God will shoot my enemies with his arrows. He will suddenly strike them down. + He will turn their own words against them. He will destroy them. All those who see them will shake their heads and look down on them. + Everyone will respect God. They will tell about his works. They will think about what he has done. + Let godly people be full of joy because of what the Lord has done. Let them go to him for safety. Let all those whose hearts are honest praise him. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. God, we look forward to praising you in Zion. We will keep our promises to you. + All people will come to you, because you hear and answer prayer. + When our sins became too much for us, you forgave our lawless acts. + Blessed are those you choose and bring near to worship you. You bring us into the courtyards of your holy temple. There in your house we are filled with all kinds of good things. + God our Savior, you answer us by doing wonderful things. You save us by your power. People all over the world and beyond the farthest oceans put their hope in you. + You formed the mountains by your power. You showed how strong you are. + You calmed the oceans and their roaring waves. You calmed the angry words and actions of the nations. + Those who live far away are amazed at the miracles you have done. What you do makes people from one end of the earth to the other sing for joy. + You take care of the land and water it. You make it very rich. You fill your streams with water. You provide the people with grain. That's how you prepare the land. + You water its rows. You smooth out its bumps. You soften it with showers. And you bless its crops. + You bring the year to a close with huge crops. You provide more than enough food. + The grass grows thick even in the desert. The hills are dressed with gladness. + The meadows are covered with flocks and herds. The valleys are dressed with grain. They sing and shout with joy. + + + For the director of music. A song. A psalm. Shout to God with joy, everyone on earth! + Sing about the glory of his name! Give him glorious praise! + Say to God, "What wonderful things you do! Your power is so great that your enemies bow down to you in fear. + Everyone on earth bows down to you. They sing praise to you. They sing praise to your name." Selah + Come and see what God has done. See what wonderful things he has done for his people! + He turned the Red Sea into dry land. The people of Israel passed through the waters on foot. Come, let us be full of joy because of what he did. + He rules by his power forever. His eyes watch the nations. Let no one who refuses to obey him rise up against him. Selah + Praise our God, you nations. Let the sound of the praise you give him be heard. + He has kept us alive. He has kept our feet from slipping. + God, you have put us to the test. You put us through fire to make us like silver. + You put us in prison. You placed heavy loads on our backs. + You let people run over our heads. We went through fire and water. But you brought us to a place where we have everything we need. + I will come to your temple with burnt offerings. I will keep my promises to you. + I made them with my lips. My mouth spoke them when I was in trouble. + I will sacrifice fat animals to you as burnt offerings. I will offer rams, bulls and goats to you. Selah + Come and listen, all of you who have respect for God. Let me tell you what he has done for me. + I cried out to him with my mouth. I praised him with my tongue. + If I had enjoyed having sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. + But God has listened. He has heard my prayer. + Give praise to God. He has accepted my prayer. He has not held his love back from me. + + + For the director of music. A psalm. A song to be played on stringed instruments. God, show us your favor. Bless us. May you smile on us with your favor. Selah + Then your ways will be known on earth. All nations will see that you have the power to save. + God, may the nations praise you. May all of the people on earth praise you. + May the nations be glad and sing with joy. You rule the people of the earth fairly. You guide the nations of the earth. Selah + God, may the nations praise you. May all of the people on earth praise you. + Then the land will produce its crops. God, our God, will bless us. + God will bless us. People from one end of the earth to the other will have respect for him. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. May God rise up and scatter his enemies. May they turn and run away from him. + As wind blows smoke away, so may God blow them away. As fire melts wax, so may he destroy sinful people. + But may those who do what is right be glad and filled with joy when they are with him. May they be happy and joyful. + Sing to God. Sing praise to his name. Lift up a song to the One who rides on the clouds. His name is the Lord. Be glad when you are with him. + God is in his holy temple. He is a father to those whose fathers have died. He takes care of women whose husbands have died. + God gives lonely people a family. He sets prisoners free, and they go out singing. But those who refuse to obey him live in a land that is baked by the sun. + God, you led your people out. You marched through a dry and empty land. Selah + The ground shook when you, the God of Sinai, appeared. The heavens poured down rain when you, the God of Israel, appeared. + God, you gave us plenty of rain. You renewed your worn-out land. + God, your people settled in it. From all of your riches, you provided for those who were poor. + The Lord gave a message. Many people made it widely known. + They said, "Kings and armies are running away. In the camps, Israel's soldiers are dividing up the things they have taken from their enemies. + Even while the soldiers sleep near the campfires, God wins the battle for them. He gives the enemy's silver and gold to Israel, his dove." + The Mighty One has scattered the kings around the land. It was like snow falling on Mount Zalmon. + The mountains of Bashan are majestic. The mountains of Bashan are very rocky. + You rocky mountains are jealous of Mount Zion, aren't you? That's where God chooses to rule. That's where the Lord himself will live forever. + God has come with tens of thousands of his chariots. He has come with thousands and thousands of them. The Lord has come from Mount Sinai. He has entered his holy place. + When he went up to his place on high, he led a line of prisoners. He received gifts from people, even from those who refused to obey him. The Lord God went up to live on Mount Zion. + Give praise to the Lord. Give praise to God our Savior. He carries our heavy loads day after day. Selah + Our God is a God who saves. He is the King and the Lord. He saves us from death. + God will certainly smash the heads of his enemies. He will break the hairy heads of those who keep on sinning. + The Lord says, "I will bring your enemies from Bashan. I will bring them up from the bottom of the sea. + Then your feet can wade in their blood. The tongues of your dogs can lick up all the blood they want." + God, those who worship you come marching into view. My God and King, those who follow you have entered the sacred tent. + The singers are walking in front. Next come those who play the music. Young women playing tambourines are with them. + The leaders sing, "Praise God among all those who worship him. Praise the Lord in the community of Israel." + The little tribe of Benjamin leads the worshipers. Next comes the great crowd of Judah's princes. Then come the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. + God, show us your power. Show us your strength. God, do as you have done before. + Do it from your temple at Jerusalem, where kings will bring you gifts. + Give a strong warning to Egypt, that beast among the tall grass. Warn the leaders of the nations, who are like bulls among the calves. May they bow down before you with gifts of silver. Scatter the nations who like to make war. + Messengers will come from Egypt. The people of Cush will be quick to bring gifts to you. + Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praise to the Lord. Selah + He rides in the age-old skies above. He thunders with his mighty voice. + Tell how powerful God is. He rules as king over Israel. The skies show how powerful he is. + How wonderful is God in his holy place! The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Give praise to God! + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of "Lilies." God, save me. My troubles are like a flood. I'm up to my neck in them. + I'm sinking in deep mud. I have no firm place to stand. I am out in deep water. The waves roll over me. + I'm worn out from calling for help. My throat is very dry. My eyes grow tired looking for my God. + Those who hate me without any reason are more than the hairs on my head. Many people who don't have any reason to be my enemies are trying to destroy me. They force me to give back what I didn't steal. + God, you know how foolish I've been. My guilt is not hidden from you. + Lord, you are the Lord who rules over all. May those who put their hope in you not be dishonored because of me. You are the God of Israel. May those who worship you not be put to shame because of me. + Because of you, people laugh at me. My face is covered with shame. + I'm a stranger to my brothers. I'm an outsider to my own mother's sons. + My great love for your house destroys me. Those who make fun of you make fun of me also. + When I sob and go without eating, they laugh at me. + When I put on black clothes to show how sad I am, people make jokes about me. + Those who gather in public places make fun of me. Those who get drunk make up songs about me. + But Lord, I pray to you. May this be the time you show me your favor. God, answer me because you love me so much. Save me, as you always do. + Save me from the trouble I'm in. It's like slippery mud. Don't let me sink in it. Save me from those who hate me. Save me from the deep water I'm in. + Don't let the floods cover me. Don't let the deep water swallow me up. Don't let the grave close its mouth over me. + Lord, answer me because your love is so good. Turn to me because you are so kind. + Don't turn your face away from me. Answer me quickly. I'm in trouble. + Come near and save me. Set me free from my enemies. + You know how they make fun of me. They dishonor me and put me to shame. You know all about my enemies. + They have broken my heart by saying evil things about me. It has left me helpless. I looked for pity, but I didn't find any. I looked for someone to comfort me, but I didn't find anyone. + They put bitter spices in my food. They gave me vinegar when I was thirsty. + Let their feast be a trap and a snare. Let my enemies get what's coming to them. + Let their eyes grow weak so they can't see. Let their backs be bent forever. + Pour out your anger on them. Let them feel its burning heat. + May their homes be deserted. May no one live in their tents. + They attack those you have wounded. They talk about the pain of those you have hurt. + Charge them with one crime after another. Don't save them. + May their names be erased from the Book of Life. Don't include them in the list of those who do right. + I'm in pain. I'm in deep trouble. God, save me and keep me safe. + I will praise God's name by singing to him. I will bring him glory by giving him thanks. + That will please the Lord more than offering him an ox. It will please him more than offering him a bull with its horns and hoofs. + Poor people will see it and be glad. The hearts of those who worship God will be strengthened. + The Lord hears those who are in need. He doesn't forget his people in prison. + Let heaven and earth praise him. Let the oceans and everything that moves in them praise him. + God will save Zion. He will build the cities of Judah again. Then people will live in them and own the land. + The children of those who serve God will receive it. Those who love him will live there. + + + For the director of music. A prayer of David. God, hurry and save me. Lord, come quickly and help me. + Let those who are trying to kill me be put to shame. Let them not be honored. Let all those who want to destroy me be turned back in shame. + Some people make fun of me. Let them be turned back when their plans fail. + But let all those who look to you be joyful and glad because of what you have done. Let those who love you because you save them always say, "May God be honored!" + But I am poor and needy. God, come quickly to me. You are the One who helps me and saves me. Lord, please don't wait any longer. + + + Lord, I have gone to you for safety. Let me never be put to shame. + You do what is right. Save me and help me. Pay attention to me and save me. + Be my rock of safety that I can always go to. Give the command to save me. You are my rock and my fort. + My God, save me from the power of sinners. Save me from the hands of those who are mean and evil. + You are the King and the Lord. You have always been my hope. I have trusted in you ever since I was young. + From the time I was born I have depended on you. You brought me out of my mother's body. I will praise you forever. + To many people I am an example of how much you care. You are strong. You are my place of safety. + My mouth is filled with praise for you. All day long I will talk about your glory. + Don't push me away when I'm old. Don't desert me when my strength is gone. + My enemies speak against me. Those who want to kill me get together and make evil plans. + They say, "God has deserted him. Go after him and grab him. No one will save him." + God, don't stay so far away from me. My God, come quickly and help me. + May those who bring charges against me die in shame. May those who want to harm me be covered with shame and dishonor. + But I will always have hope. I will praise you more and more. + I will say that what you have done is right. All day long I will talk about how you have saved your people. It is more than I can understand. + Lord and King, I will come and announce your mighty acts. I will announce that you alone do what is right. + God, ever since I was young you have taught me about what you have done. To this very day I tell about your wonderful acts. + God, don't leave me even when I'm old and have gray hair. Let me live to tell my children about your power. Let me tell all of them about your mighty acts. + God, your saving acts reach to the skies. You have done great things. God, who is like you? + You have sent many bitter troubles my way. But you will give me new life. Even if I'm almost in the grave, you will bring me back. + You will honor me more and more. You will comfort me once again. + My God, I will use the harp to praise you because you are always faithful. Holy One of Israel, I will use the lyre to sing praise to you. + My lips will shout with joy when I sing praise to you. You have saved me. + All day long my tongue will say that you have done what is right. Those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame. They have not been honored. + + + A psalm of Solomon. God, give the king the ability to judge fairly. He is your royal son. Help him to do what is right. + Then he will rule your people in the right way. He will be fair to those among your people who are hurting. + The mountains and the hills will produce rich crops, because the people will do what is right. + The king will stand up for those who are hurting. He will save the children of those who are in need. He will crush those who beat others down. + He will rule as long as the sun shines and the moon gives its light. He will rule for all time to come. + He will be like rain falling on the fields. He will be like showers watering the earth. + Godly people will do well as long as he rules. They will have more than they need as long as the moon lasts. + He will rule from ocean to ocean. His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. + The desert tribes will bow down to him. His enemies will lick the dust. + The kings of Tarshish and of places far away will bring him gifts. The kings of Sheba and Seba will give him presents. + All kings will bow down to him. All nations will serve him. + People who are in need will cry out, and he will save them. He will save those who are hurting. They don't have anyone else who can help them. + He will take pity on those who are weak and in need. He will save them from death. + He will save them from people who beat others down. He will save them from people who do mean things to them. Their lives are very special to him. + May he live a long time! May gold from Sheba be given to him. May people always pray for him. May they ask the Lord to bless him all day long. + Let there be plenty of grain everywhere in the land. May it sway in the wind on the tops of the hills. Let crops grow well, like those in Lebanon. Let them grow like the grass of the field. + May the king's name be remembered forever. May his fame last as long as the sun shines. All nations will be blessed because of him. They will call him blessed. + Give praise to the Lord God, the God of Israel. Only he can do wonderful things. + Give praise to his glorious name forever. May his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen. + The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, end here. + + + BOOK III God is truly good to Israel. He is good to those who have pure hearts. + But my feet had almost slipped. I had almost tripped and fallen. + I saw that proud and sinful people were doing well. And I began to long for what they had. + They don't have any troubles. Their bodies are healthy and strong. + They don't have the problems others have. They don't suffer as other people do. + Their pride is like a necklace. They put on meanness as if it were their clothes. + Many sins come out of their hard and stubborn hearts. There is no limit to their proud and evil thoughts. + They laugh at others and speak words of hatred. They are proud. They warn others about the harm they can do to them. + They brag as if they owned heaven itself. They talk as if they controlled the earth. + So people listen to them. They lap up their words like water. + They say, "How can God know what we're doing? Does the Most High God really know that much?" + Here is what sinful people are like. They don't have a care in the world. They keep getting richer and richer. + It seems as if I have kept my heart pure without any reason. It didn't do me any good to wash my hands to show that I wasn't guilty of doing anything wrong. + Day after day I've been in pain. God has punished me every morning. + What if I had said, "I will speak as evil people do"? Then I wouldn't have been faithful to God's children. + I tried to understand it all. But it was more than I could handle. + It troubled me until I entered God's temple. Then I understood what will happen to bad people in the end. + God, I'm sure you will make them slip and fall. You will throw them down and destroy them. + It will happen very suddenly. A terrible death will take them away completely. + A dream goes away when a person wakes up. Lord, it will be like that when you rise up. It will be as if those people were only a dream. + At one time my heart was sad and my spirit was bitter. + I didn't have any sense. I didn't know anything. I acted like a wild animal toward you. + But I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. + You give me wise advice to guide me. And when I die, you will take me away into the glory of heaven. + I don't have anyone in heaven but you. I don't want anything on earth besides you. + My body and my heart may grow weak. God, you give strength to my heart. You are everything I will ever need. + Those who don't want anything to do with you will die. You destroy all those who aren't faithful to you. + But I am close to you. And that's good. Lord and King, I have made you my place of safety. I will talk about everything you have done. + + + A maskil of Asaph. God, why have you turned your back on us for so long? Why does your anger burn against us? We are your very own sheep. + Remember that you chose us to be your own people a long time ago. Remember that you set us free from slavery to be your very own tribe. Remember Mount Zion, where you lived. + Walk through this place that has been torn down beyond repair. See how completely your enemies have destroyed the temple! + In the place where you used to meet with us, your enemies have shouted, "We've won the battle!" They have set up their flags to show they have beaten us. + They acted like people cutting down a forest with axes. + They smashed all of the beautiful wooden walls with their axes and hatchets. + They burned your temple to the ground. They polluted the place where your Name is. + They had said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where you were worshiped in the land. + You don't give us miraculous signs anymore. There aren't any prophets left. None of us knows how long that will last. + God, how long will your enemies make fun of you? Will they attack you with their words forever? + Why don't you help us? Why do you hold back your powerful right hand? Use your strong arms to destroy your enemies! + God, you have been my king for a long time. The whole earth has seen you save us over and over again. + You parted the Red Sea by your power. You broke the heads of that sea monster in Egypt. + You crushed the heads of the sea monster Leviathan. You fed it to the creatures of the desert. + You opened up streams and springs. You dried up rivers that flow all year long. + You rule over the day and the night. You created the sun and the moon. + You decided where the borders of the earth would be. You made both summer and winter. + Lord, remember how your enemies have made fun of you. Remember how foolish people have attacked you with their words. + Don't hand Israel, your dove, over to those wild animals. Don't forget your suffering people forever. + Honor the covenant you made with us. Horrible things are happening in every dark corner of the land. + Don't let your suffering people be put to shame. May those who are poor and needy praise you. + God, rise up. Stand up for your cause. Remember how foolish people make fun of you all day long. + Pay close attention to the shouts of your enemies. The trouble they cause never stops. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of Asaph. A song to the tune of "Do Not Destroy." God, we give thanks to you. We give thanks because your Name is near. People talk about the wonderful things you have done. + You say, "I choose the appointed time to judge people. And I judge them fairly. + When the earth and all of its people tremble, I keep everything from falling to pieces. Selah + To the proud I say, 'Don't brag anymore.' To sinners I say, 'Don't show off your power. + Don't show it off against me. Don't speak with your noses in the air.' " + No one from east or west or north or south can act as judge. + God is the One who judges. He says to one person, "You are guilty." To another he says, "You are not guilty." + In the hand of the Lord is a cup. It is full of wine mixed with spices. It is the wine of his anger. He pours it out. All of the evil people on earth drink it down to the very last drop. + I will speak about this forever. I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. + God will destroy the power of all sinful people. But he will make godly people more powerful. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of Asaph. A song to be played on stringed instruments. In the land of Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel. + His tent is in Jerusalem. The place where he lives is on Mount Zion. + There he broke the deadly arrows of his enemies. He broke their shields and swords. He broke their weapons of war. Selah + God, you shine like a very bright light. You are more majestic than mountains full of wild animals. + Brave soldiers have been robbed of everything they had. Now they lie there, sleeping in death. Not one of them can even lift his hands. + God of Jacob, at your command both horse and chariot lie still. + People should have respect for you alone. Who can stand in front of you when you are angry? + From heaven you handed down your sentence. The land was afraid and became quiet. + God, that happened when you rose up to judge. It happened when you came to save all of your suffering people in the land. Selah + Your anger against sinners brings you praise. Those who live through your anger gather to worship you. + Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them. Let all of the neighboring nations bring gifts to the One who should be respected. + He breaks the proud spirit of rulers. The kings of the earth have respect for him. + + + For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph. I cried out to God for help. I cried out to God to hear me. + When I was in trouble, I looked to the Lord. During the night I lifted up my hands in prayer. But I refused to be comforted. + God, I remembered you, and I groaned. I thought about you, and I became weak. Selah + You kept me from going to sleep. I was so troubled I couldn't speak. + I thought about days gone by. I thought about the years of long ago. + I remembered how I used to sing praise to you in the night. I thought about it, and here is what I asked myself. + "Will the Lord turn away from us forever? Won't he ever show us his kindness again? + Has his faithful love disappeared forever? Has his promise failed for all time? + Has God forgotten to show us his favor? Has he held back his tender love because he was angry?" Selah + Then I thought, "Here is what I will make my appeal to. For many years the Most High God showed how powerful his right hand is." + Lord, I will remember what you did. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. + I will spend time thinking about everything you have done. I will consider all of your mighty acts. + God, everything you do is holy. What god is so great as our God? + You are the God who does miracles. You show your power among the nations. + With your mighty arm you set your people free. You set the children of Jacob and Joseph free. Selah + God, the water of the Red Sea saw you. It saw you and boiled up. The deepest waters were stirred up. + The clouds poured down rain. The skies rumbled with thunder. Lightning flashed back and forth like arrows. + Your thunder was heard in the windstorm. Your lightning lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook. + Your path led through the Red Sea. You walked through the mighty waters. But your footprints were not seen. + You led your people like a flock. You led them by the hands of Moses and Aaron. + + + A maskil of Asaph. My people, listen to my teaching. Pay attention to what I say. + I will open my mouth and tell stories. I will speak about things that were hidden. They happened a long time ago. + We have heard about them and we know them. Our people who lived before us have told us about them. + We won't hide them from our children. We will tell them to those who live after us. We will tell them about what the Lord has done that is worthy of praise. We will talk about his power and the wonderful things he has done. + He gave laws to the people of Jacob. He gave Israel their law. He commanded our people who lived before us to teach his laws to their children. + Then those born later would know his laws. Even their children yet to come would know them. And they in turn would tell their children. + Then they would put their trust in God. They would not forget what he had done. They would obey his commands. + They would not be like their people who lived before them. Those people were stubborn. They refused to obey God. Their hearts were not true to him. Their spirits were not faithful to him. + The soldiers of Ephraim were armed with bows. But they ran away on the day of battle. + They didn't keep the covenant God had made with them. They refused to live by his law. + They forgot what he had done. They didn't remember the wonders he had shown them. + He did miracles right in front of our people who lived long ago. At that time they were living in the land of Egypt, in the area of Zoan. + God parted the Red Sea and led them through it. He made the water stand up like a wall. + He guided them with the cloud during the day. He led them with the light of a fire all night long. + He broke the rocks open in the desert. He gave them as much water as there is in the oceans. + He brought streams out of a rocky cliff. He made water flow down like rivers. + But they continued to sin against him. In the desert they refused to obey the Most High God. + They were stubborn and put God to the test. They ordered him to give them the food they longed for. + They spoke against God. They said, "Can God put food on a table in the desert? + When he struck the rock, streams of water poured out. Huge amounts of water flowed down. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" + When the Lord heard what they said, he was very angry. His anger broke out like fire against the people of Jacob. He became very angry with Israel. + That was because they didn't believe in God. They didn't trust in his power to save them. + But he gave a command to the skies above. He opened the doors of the heavens. + He rained down manna for the people to eat. He gave them the grain of heaven. + Mere men ate the bread of angels. He sent them all of the food they could eat. + He made the east wind blow from the heavens. By his power he caused the south wind to blow. + He rained meat down on them like dust. He sent them birds like sand on the seashore. + He made the birds come down inside their camp. The birds fell all around their tents. + People ate until they had more than enough. He gave them what they had longed for. + But even before they had finished eating, God acted. He did it while the food was still in their mouths. + His anger rose up against them. He put to death the strongest among them. He struck down Israel's young men. + But even after all that, they kept on sinning. Even after they had seen the miracles he did, they still didn't believe. + So he brought their days to an end like a puff of smoke. He ended their years with terror. + Every time God killed some of them, the others would look to him. They gladly turned back to him again. + They remembered that God was their Rock. They remembered that God Most High had set them free. + But they didn't mean it when they praised him. They lied to him when they spoke. + Their hearts were not true to him. They weren't faithful to the covenant he had made with them. + But he was full of tender love. He forgave their sins and didn't destroy his people. Time after time he held back his anger. He didn't let all of his burning anger blaze out. + He remembered that they were only human. He remembered they were only a breath of air that drifts by and doesn't return. + How often they refused to obey him in the desert! How often they caused him sorrow in that dry and empty land! + Again and again they put God to the test. They made the Holy One of Israel sad and angry. + They didn't remember his power. They forgot the day he set them free from those who had beaten them down. + They forgot how he had shown them his miraculous signs in Egypt. They forgot his miracles in the area of Zoan. + He turned the rivers of Egypt into blood. The people of Egypt couldn't drink water from their streams. + He sent large numbers of flies that bit them. He sent frogs that destroyed their land. + He gave their crops to the grasshoppers. He gave their food to the locusts. + He destroyed their vines with hail. He destroyed their fig trees with sleet. + He killed their cattle with hail. Their livestock were struck by lightning. + He brought great trouble on Egypt by pouring out his blazing anger. In his hot anger he sent destroying angels against them. + God prepared a path for his anger. He didn't spare their lives. He gave them over to the plague. + He killed the oldest son of each family in Egypt. He struck down the oldest son in every house in the land of Ham. + But he brought his people out like a flock. He led them like sheep through the desert. + He guided them safely, and they weren't afraid. But the Red Sea swallowed up their enemies. + He brought his people to the border of his holy land. He led them to the central hill country he had taken by his power. + He drove the nations out to make room for his people. He gave to each family a piece of land to pass on to their children. He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. + But they put God to the test. They refused to obey the Most High God. They didn't keep his laws. + Like their people who lived before them, they turned away from him and were not faithful. They were like a bow that doesn't shoot straight. They couldn't be trusted. + They made God angry by going to their high places. They made him jealous by worshiping the statues of their gods. + When God saw what the people were doing, he was very angry. He turned away from them completely. + He deserted the holy tent at Shiloh. He left the tent he had set up among his people. + He allowed the ark to be captured. Into the hands of his enemies he sent the ark where his glory rested. + He let his people be killed with swords. He was very angry with them. + Fire destroyed their young men. Their young women had no one to get married to. + Their priests were killed with swords. Their widows weren't able to cry. + Then the Lord woke up as if he had been sleeping. He was like a man waking up from the deep sleep caused by wine. + He drove his enemies back. He put them to shame that will last forever. + He turned his back on the tents of the people of Joseph. He didn't choose to live in the tribe of Ephraim. + Instead, he chose to live in the tribe of Judah. He chose Mount Zion, which he loved. + There he built his holy place as secure as the heavens. He built it to last forever, like the earth. + He chose his servant David. He took him from the sheep pens. + He brought him from tending sheep to be the shepherd of his people Jacob. He made him the shepherd of Israel, his special people. + David cared for them with a faithful and honest heart. With skilled hands he led them. + + + A psalm of Asaph. God, an army from the nations has attacked your land. They have polluted your holy temple. They have completely destroyed Jerusalem. + They have given the dead bodies of your people as food to the birds of the air. They have given the bodies of your faithful people to the animals of the earth. + They have poured out the blood of your people like water all around Jerusalem. No one is left to bury the dead. + We are something our neighbors joke about. The nations around us laugh at us and make fun of us. + Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Will it be forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? + Pour out your burning anger on the nations that don't pay any attention to you. Pour it out on the kingdoms that don't worship you. + They have swallowed up the people of Jacob. They have destroyed Israel's homeland. + Don't hold against us the sins of our people who lived before us. May you be quick to show us your tender love. We are in great need. + God our Savior, help us. Then glory will come to you. Be true to your name. Save us and forgive our sins. + Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Show the nations that you punish those who kill your people. We want to see it happen. + Listen to the groans of the prisoners. Use your powerful arm to save the lives of those who have been sentenced to death. + Lord, our neighbors have laughed at you. Pay them back seven times for what they have done. + We are your people. We are your very own sheep. We will praise you forever. For all time to come we will keep on praising you. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of Asaph to the tune of "The Lilies of the Covenant." Shepherd of Israel, hear us. You lead the people of Joseph like a flock. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. Show your glory + to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Call your strength into action. Come and save us. + God, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved. + Lord God who rules over all, how long will your anger burn against the prayers of your people? + You have given us tears as our food. You have made us drink tears by the bowlful. + You have let our neighbors fight against us. Our enemies laugh at us. + God who rules over all, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved. + You brought Israel out of Egypt. Israel was like a vine. After you drove the nations out of Canaan, you planted the vine in their land. + You prepared the ground for it. It took root and spread out over the whole land. + The mountains were covered with its shade. The shade of its branches covered the mighty cedar trees. + Your vine sent its branches out all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. They reached as far as the Euphrates River. + Why have you broken down the walls around your vine? Now all who pass by it can pick its grapes. + Wild pigs from the forest destroy it. The creatures of the field feed on it. + God who rules over all, return to us! Look down from heaven and see us! Watch over your vine. + Guard the root you have planted with your powerful right hand. Take care of the branch you have raised up for yourself. + Your vine has been cut down. Fire has burned it up. You have been angry with us, and we are dying. + May you honor the people at your right hand. May you honor the nation you have raised up for yourself. + Then we won't turn away from you. Give us new life. We will worship you. + Lord God who rules over all, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved. + + + For the director of music. For gittith. A psalm of Asaph. Sing joyfully to God! He gives us strength. Give a loud shout to the God of Jacob! + Let the music begin. Play the tambourines. Play sweet music on harps and lyres. + Blow the ram's horn on the day of the New Moon Feast. Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins. + This is an order given to Israel. It is a law of the God of Jacob. + He gave it as a covenant law for the people of Joseph when God went out to punish Egypt. There we heard a language we didn't understand. + God said, "I removed the load from your shoulders. I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets. + You called out when you were in trouble, and I saved you. I answered you out of a thundercloud. I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. Selah + "My people, listen and I will warn you. Israel, I wish you would listen to me! + Don't have anything to do with the gods of other nations. Don't bow down and worship strange gods. + I am the Lord your God. I brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. + "But my people wouldn't listen to me. Israel wouldn't obey me. + So I let them go their own stubborn way. I let them follow their own sinful plans. + "I wish my people would listen to me! I wish Israel would live as I want them to live! + Then I would quickly bring their enemies under control. I would use my power against their attackers. + Those who hate me would bow down to me in fear. They would be punished forever. + But you would be fed with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with the sweetest honey." + + + A psalm of Asaph. God takes his place at the head of a large gathering of rulers and judges. He announces his decisions among them. + He says, "How long will you stand up for those who aren't fair to others? How long will you show favor to sinful people? Selah + Stand up for those who are weak and for those whose fathers have died. See to it that those who are poor and those who are beaten down are treated fairly. + Save the weak and those who are in need. Save them from the power of sinful people. + "You rulers and judges don't know anything. You don't understand anything. You are in the dark about what is right. Law and order have been destroyed all over the world. + "I said, 'Rulers and judges, you are "gods." You are all children of the Most High God.' + But you will die, just like everyone else. You will die like every other ruler." + God, rise up. Judge the earth. All of the nations belong to you. + + + A song. A psalm of Asaph. God, don't keep silent. God, don't keep quiet. Don't be still. + See how your enemies are getting ready for action. See how they are rising up against you. + They make clever plans against your people. They make evil plans against those you love. + "Come," they say. "Let's destroy that whole nation. Then the name of Israel won't be remembered anymore." + All of them agree on the evil plans they have made. They join forces against you. + Their forces include the people of Edom, Ishmael, Moab and Hagar. + They also include the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia and Tyre. + Even Assyria has joined them to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon. Selah + Do to them what you did to the people of Midian. Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. + Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor. Their bodies were left to rot on the ground. + Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb. Do to all of their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna. + They said, "Let's take over the grasslands that belong to God." + My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away. Make them like tumbleweed. + Destroy them as fire burns up a forest. Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire. + Chase them with your mighty winds. Terrify them with your storm. + Lord, put them to shame so that people will worship you. + May they always be filled with terror and shame. May they die in dishonor. + Your name is the Lord. Let them know that you alone are the Most High God over the whole earth. + + + For the director of music. For gittith. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. Lord who rules over all, how lovely is the place where you live! + I long to be in the courtyards of the Lord's temple. I deeply long to be there. My whole being cries out for the living God. + Lord who rules over all, even the sparrow has found a home near your altar. My King and my God, the swallow also has a nest there, where she may have her young. + Blessed are those who live in your house. They are always praising you. Selah + Blessed are those whose strength comes from you. They have decided to travel to your temple. + As they pass through the dry Valley of Baca, they make it a place where water flows. The rain in the fall covers it with pools. + Those people get stronger as they go along, until each of them appears in Zion, where God lives. + Lord God who rules over all, hear my prayer. God of the people of Jacob, listen to me. Selah + God, look with favor on your anointed king. You appointed him to be like a shield that keeps us safe. + A single day in your courtyards is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather guard the door of the house of my God than live in the tents of sinful people. + The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. The Lord blesses us with favor and honor. He doesn't hold back anything good from those whose lives are without blame. + Lord who rules over all, blessed is everyone who trusts in you. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. Lord, you showed favor to your land. You blessed the people of Jacob with great success again. + You forgave the evil things your people did. You took away all of their sins. Selah + You stopped being angry with them. You turned your burning anger away from them. + God our Savior, make us new again. Stop being unhappy with us. + Will you be angry with us forever? Will you be angry for all time to come? + Won't you give us new life again? Then we'll be joyful because of what you have done. + Lord, show us your faithful love. Save us. + I will listen to what God the Lord will say. He promises peace to his faithful people. But they must not return to their foolish ways. + I know he's ready to save those who have respect for him. Then his glory can be seen in our land. + God's truth and faithful love join together. His peace and holiness kiss each other. + His truth springs up from the earth. His holiness looks down from heaven. + The Lord will certainly give what is good. Our land will produce its crops. + God's holiness leads the way in front of him. It prepares the way for his coming. + + + A prayer of David. Lord, hear me and answer me. I am poor and needy. + Keep my life safe. I am faithful to you. You are my God. Save me. I trust in you. + Lord, show me your favor. I call out to you all day long. + Bring joy to me. Lord, I worship you. + Lord, you are good. You are forgiving. You are full of love for all who call out to you. + Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for your favor. + When I'm in trouble, I will call out to you. And you will answer me. + Lord, there's no one like you among the gods. No one can do what you do. + Lord, all of the nations you have made will come and worship you. They will bring glory to you. + You are great. You do wonderful things. You alone are God. + Lord, teach me how you want me to live. Then I will follow your truth. Give me a heart that doesn't want anything more than to worship you. + Lord my God, I will praise you with all my heart. I will bring glory to you forever. + Great is your love for me. You have kept me from going down into the grave. + God, proud people are attacking me. A gang of mean people is trying to kill me. They don't care about you. + But Lord, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. + Turn to me and show me your favor. Give me strength and save me. + Prove your goodness to me. Then my enemies will see it and be put to shame. Lord, you have helped me and given me comfort. + + + A psalm of the Sons of Korah. A song. The Lord has built his city on the holy mountain. + He loves the city of Zion more than all of the other places where the people of Jacob live. + City of God, the Lord says glorious things about you. Selah + He says, "I will include Egypt and Babylon in a list of those who recognize me as king. I will also include Philistia and Tyre, along with Cush. I will say about them, 'They were born in Zion.' " + Certainly it will be said about Zion, "This nation and that nation were born in her. The Most High God himself will make her secure." + Here is what the Lord will write in his list of the nations. "Each of them was born in Zion." Selah + As they make music they will sing, "Zion, all of our blessings come from you." + + + For the director of music. For mahalath leannoth. A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. Lord, you are the God who saves me. Day and night I cry out to you. + Please hear my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help. + I have so many troubles I'm about to die. + People think my life is over. I'm like someone who doesn't have any strength. + People treat me as if I were dead. I'm like those who have been killed and are now in the grave. You don't even remember them anymore. They are cut off from your care. + It seems as if you have put me deep down in the grave, that deep and dark place. + Your burning anger lies heavy on me. All the waves of your anger have crashed over me. Selah + You have taken my closest friends away from me. You have made me sickening to them. I feel trapped. I can't escape. + I'm crying so much I can't see very well. Lord, I call out to you every day. I lift up my hands to you in prayer. + Do you work miracles for those who are dead? Do dead people rise up and praise you? Selah + Do those who are dead speak about your love? Do those who are in the grave tell how faithful you are? + Are your miracles known in that dark place? Are your holy acts known in that land where the dead are forgotten? + Lord, I cry out to you for help. In the morning I pray to you. + Lord, why do you say no to me? Why do you turn your face away from me? + I've been in pain ever since I was young. I've been close to death. You have made me suffer terrible things. I have lost all hope. + Your burning anger has swept over me. Your terrors have destroyed me. + All day long they surround me like a flood. They have closed in all around me. + You have taken my companions and loved ones away from me. The darkness is my closest friend. + + + A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Lord, I will sing about your great love forever. For all time to come, I will tell how faithful you are. + I will tell everyone that your love stands firm forever. I will tell them that you are always faithful, even in heaven itself. + You said, "Here is the covenant I have made with my chosen one. Here is the promise I have made to my servant David. + 'I will make your family line continue forever. I will make your kingdom secure for all time to come.' " Selah + Lord, the heavens praise you for your miracles. When your holy angels gather together, they praise you for how faithful you are. + Who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who among the angels is like the Lord? + God is highly respected among his holy angels. He's more wonderful than all those who are around him. + Lord God who rules over all, who is like you? Lord, you are mighty. You are faithful in everything you do. + You rule over the stormy sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them down. + You crushed Egypt and killed her people. With your powerful arm you scattered your enemies. + The heavens belong to you. The earth is yours also. You made the world and everything that is in it. + You created everything from north to south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing to you with joy. + Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is mighty. + Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Your truth and faithful love lead the way in front of you. + Blessed are those who have learned to shout praise to you. Lord, they live in the light of your favor. + All day long they are full of joy because of who you are. They praise you because you do what is right. + You are their glory. You give them strength. You favor them by honoring our king. + Our king is like a shield that keeps us safe. He belongs to the Lord. He belongs to the Holy One of Israel. + You once spoke to your faithful people in a vision. You said, "I have given strength to a soldier. I have raised up a young man from among the people. + I have found my servant David. I have poured my sacred oil on his head. + My powerful hand will keep him going. My mighty arm will give him strength. + No enemies will require him to bring gifts to them. No evil person will beat him down. + I will crush the king's enemies. I will completely destroy them. + I will love him and be faithful to him. Because of me his power will increase. + I will give him a great kingdom. It will reach from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. + He will call out to me, 'You are my Father. You are my God. You are my Rock and Savior.' + I will also make him my oldest son. Among all the kings of the earth, he will be the most important one. + I will continue to love him forever. I will never break my covenant with him. + I will make his family line continue forever. His kingdom will last as long as the heavens. + "What if his sons turn away from my laws and do not follow them? + What if they disobey my orders and fail to keep my commands? + Then I will punish them for their sins. I will strike them with the rod. I will whip them for their evil acts. + But I will not stop loving David. I will always be faithful to him. + I will not break my covenant. I will not go back on my word. + Once and for all, I have made a promise with an oath. It is based on my holiness. And I will not lie to David. + His family line will continue forever. His kingdom will last as long as the sun. + It will last forever like the moon, that faithful witness in the sky." Selah + But you have turned your back on your anointed king. You have been very angry with him. + You have broken the covenant you made with him. You have thrown your servant's crown into the dirt. + You have broken through the walls around his city. You have completely destroyed his secure places. + All those who pass by have carried off what belonged to him. His neighbors make fun of him. + You have made his enemies strong. You have made all of them happy. + You have made his sword useless. You have not helped him in battle. + You have put an end to his glory. You have knocked his throne to the ground. + You have cut short the days of his life. You have covered him with shame. Selah + Lord, how long will you hide yourself? Will it be forever? How long will your anger burn like fire? + Remember how short my life is. You have created all people for such a useless purpose! + What man can live and not die? Who can escape the power of the grave? Selah + Lord, where is the great love you used to have? You faithfully promised it to David. + Lord, remember how my enemies have made fun of me. I've had to put up with mean words from all of the nations. + Lord, your enemies have said mean things. They have laughed at everything your anointed king has done. + Give praise to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. + + + BOOK IV Lord, from the very beginning you have been like a home to us. + Before you created the world and the mountains were made, from the beginning to the end you are God. + You turn human beings back to dust. You say to them, "Return to dust." + To you a thousand years are like a day that has just gone by. They are like a few hours of the night. + You sweep people away, and they die. They are like new grass that grows in the morning. + In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it's all dried up. + Your anger destroys us. Your burning anger terrifies us. + You have put our sins right in front of you. You have placed our secret sins where you can see them clearly. + You have been angry with us all of our days. We groan as we come to the end of our lives. + We live to be about 70. Or we may live to be 80, if we stay healthy. But all that time is filled with trouble and sorrow. The years quickly pass, and we are gone. + Who knows how powerful your anger is? It's as great as the respect we should have for you. + Teach us to realize how short our lives are. Then our hearts will become wise. + Lord, please stop punishing us! How long will you keep it up? Be kind to us. + Satisfy us with your faithful love every morning. Then we can sing with joy and be glad all of our days. + Make us glad for as many days as you have made us suffer. Give us joy for as many years as we've had trouble. + Show us your mighty acts. Let our children see your glorious power. + May the Lord our God show us his favor. Lord, make what we do succeed. Please make what we do succeed. + + + The person who rests in the shadow of the Most High God will be kept safe by the Mighty One. + I will say about the Lord, "He is my place of safety. He is like a fort to me. He is my God. I trust in him." + He will certainly save you from hidden traps and from deadly sickness. + He will cover you with his wings. Under the feathers of his wings you will find safety. He is faithful. He will keep you safe like a shield or a tower. + You won't have to be afraid of the terrors that come during the night. You won't have to fear the arrows that come at you during the day. + You won't have to be afraid of the sickness that attacks in the darkness. You won't have to fear the plague that destroys at noon. + A thousand may fall dead at your side. Ten thousand may fall near your right hand. But no harm will come to you. + You will see with your own eyes how God punishes sinful people. + The Lord is the one who keeps you safe. So let the Most High God be like a home to you. + Then no harm will come to you. No terrible plague will come near your tent. + The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you. + They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone. + You will walk all over lions and cobras. You will crush mighty lions and poisonous snakes. + The Lord says, "I will save the one who loves me. I will keep him safe, because he trusts in me. + He will call out to me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in times of trouble. I will save him and honor him. + I will give him a long and full life. I will save him." + + + A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day. Lord, it is good to praise you. Most High God, it is good to make music to honor you. + It is good to sing every morning about your love. It is good to sing every night about how faithful you are. + I sing about it to the music of the lyre that has ten strings. I sing about it to the music of the harp. + Lord, you make me glad by what you have done. I sing with joy about the works of your hands. + Lord, how great are the things you do! How wise your thoughts are! + Here is something a man who isn't wise doesn't know. Here is what a foolish person doesn't understand. + Those who are evil spring up like grass. Those who do wrong succeed. But they will be destroyed forever. + But Lord, you are honored forever. + Lord, your enemies will certainly die. All those who do evil will be scattered. + You have made me as strong as a wild ox. You have poured the finest olive oil on me. + I've seen my evil enemies destroyed. I've heard that they have lost the battle. + Those who do what is right will grow like a palm tree. They will grow strong like a cedar tree in Lebanon. + Their roots will be firm in the house of the Lord. They will grow strong and healthy in the courtyards of our God. + When they get old, they will still bear fruit. Like young trees they will stay fresh and strong. + They will say to everyone, "The Lord is honest. He is my Rock. There is no evil in him." + + + The Lord rules. He puts on majesty as if it were clothes. The Lord puts on majesty and strength. The world is firmly set in place. It can't be moved. + Lord, you began to rule a long time ago. You have always existed. + Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice. They have lifted up their pounding waves. + But Lord, you are more powerful than the roar of the ocean. You are stronger than the waves of the sea. Lord, you are powerful in heaven. + Your laws do not change. Lord, your temple will be holy for all time to come. + + + Lord, you are the God who punishes. Since you are the one who punishes, come and show your anger. + Judge of the earth, rise up. Pay back proud people for what they have done. + Lord, how long will those who are evil be glad? How long will they be full of joy? + Proud words pour out of their mouths. All those who do evil are always bragging. + Lord, they crush your people. They beat down those who belong to you. + They kill outsiders. They kill widows. They murder children whose fathers have died. + They say, "The Lord doesn't see what's happening. The God of Jacob doesn't pay any attention to it." + You who aren't wise, pay attention. You foolish people, when will you become wise? + Does he who made the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? + Does he who corrects nations not punish? Does he who teaches human beings not know anything? + The Lord knows what people think. He knows that their thoughts don't amount to anything. + Lord, blessed is the man you correct. Blessed is the person you teach from your law. + You give him rest from times of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap sinners. + The Lord won't say no to his people. He will never desert those who belong to him. + He will again judge people in keeping with what is right. All those who have honest hearts will follow the right way. + Who will rise up for me against sinful people? Who will stand up for me against those who do evil? + Suppose the Lord had not helped me. Then I would soon have been lying quietly in the grave. + I said, "My foot is slipping." But Lord, your love kept me from falling. + I was very worried. But your comfort brought joy to my heart. + Can you have anything to do with rulers who aren't fair? Can those who make laws that cause suffering be friends of yours? + They join together against those who do what is right. They sentence to death those who aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. + But the Lord has become like a fort to me. My God is my rock. I go to him for safety. + He will pay them back for their sins. He will destroy them for their evil acts. The Lord our God will destroy them. + + + Come, let us sing with joy to the Lord. Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us. + Let us come to him and give him thanks. Let us praise him with music and song. + The Lord is the great God. He is the greatest King. He rules over all of the gods. + He owns the deepest parts of the earth. The mountain peaks belong to him. + The ocean is his, because he made it. He formed the dry land with his hands. + Come, let us bow down and worship him. Let us fall on our knees in front of the Lord our Maker. + He is our God. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. We are the people he takes good care of. Listen to his voice today. + If you hear it, don't be stubborn as you were at Meribah. Don't be stubborn as you were that day at Massah in the desert. + There your people of long ago really put me to the test. They did it even though they had seen what I had done for them. + For 40 years I was angry with them. I said, "Their hearts are always going down the wrong path. They do not know how I want them to live." + So when I was angry, I took an oath. I said, "They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them." + + + Sing a new song to the Lord. All you people of the earth, sing to the Lord. + Sing to the Lord. Praise him. Day after day tell about how he saves us. + Tell the nations about his glory. Tell all people about the wonderful things he has done. + The Lord is great. He is really worthy of praise. People should have respect for him as the greatest God of all. + All of the gods of the nations are like their statues. They can't do anything. But the Lord made the heavens. + Glory and majesty are all around him. Strength and glory can be seen in his temple. + Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise the Lord for his glory and strength. + Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him. Bring an offering and come into the courtyards of his temple. + Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness. All you people of the earth, tremble when you are with him. + Say to the nations, "The Lord rules." The world is firmly set in place. It can't be moved. The Lord will judge the people of the world fairly. + Let the heavens be full of joy. Let the earth be glad. Let the ocean and everything in it roar. + Let the fields and everything in them be glad. Then all of the trees in the forest will sing with joy. + They will sing to the Lord, because he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the people of the world in keeping with what is right and true. + + + The Lord rules. Let the earth be glad. Let countries that are far away be full of joy. + Clouds and thick darkness surround him. His rule is built on what is right and fair. + The Lord sends fire ahead of him. It burns up his enemies all around him. + His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees it and trembles. + The mountains melt like wax when the Lord is near. He is the Lord of the whole earth. + The heavens announce that what he does is right. All people everywhere see his glory. + All who worship statues of gods or brag about them are put to shame. All you gods, worship the Lord! + Zion hears about it and is filled with joy. Lord, the villages of Judah are glad because of how you judge. + Lord, you are the Most High God. You rule over the whole earth. You are honored much more than all gods. + Let those who love the Lord hate evil. He guards the lives of those who are faithful to him. He saves them from the power of sinful people. + The light of his favor shines on those who do what is right. Joy comes to those whose hearts are honest. + You who are godly, be glad because of what the Lord has done. Praise him, because his name is holy. + + + A psalm. Sing a new song to the Lord. He has done wonderful things. By the power of his right hand and his holy arm he has saved his people. + The Lord has made known his power to save. He has shown the nations that he does what is right. + He has shown his faithful love to the people of Israel. People from one end of the earth to the other have seen that our God has saved us. + Shout to the Lord with joy, everyone on earth. Burst into joyful songs and make music. + Make music to the Lord with the harp. Sing and make music with the harp. + Blow the trumpets. Give a blast on the ram's horn. Shout to the Lord with joy. He is the King. + Let the ocean and everything in it roar. Let the world and all who live in it shout. + Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing together with joy. + Let them sing to the Lord, because he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the nations of the world in keeping with what is right and fair. + + + The Lord rules. Let the nations tremble. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the earth shake. + Great is the Lord in Zion. He is honored over all of the nations. + Let them praise his great and wonderful name. He is holy. + The King is mighty. He loves what is fair. He has set up the rules for fairness. He has done what is right and fair for the people of Jacob. + Honor the Lord our God. Worship at his feet. He is holy. + Moses and Aaron were two of his priests. Samuel was one of those who worshiped him. They called out to the Lord. And he answered them. + He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud. They obeyed his laws and the orders he gave them. + Lord our God, you answered them. You showed Israel that you are a God who forgives. But when they did wrong, you punished them. + Honor the Lord our God. Worship at his holy mountain. The Lord our God is holy. + + + A psalm for giving thanks. Shout to the Lord with joy, everyone on earth. + Worship the Lord with gladness. Come to him with songs of joy. + I want you to realize that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him. We are his people. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. + Give thanks as you enter the gates of his temple. Give praise as you enter its courtyards. Give thanks to him and praise his name. + The Lord is good. His faithful love continues forever. It will last for all time to come. + + + A psalm of David. I will sing about your love and fairness. Lord, I will sing praise to you. + I will be careful to lead a life that is without blame. When will you come and help me? I will lead a life that is without blame in my house. + I won't look at anything that is evil. I hate the acts of people who aren't faithful to you. I don't even want people like that around me. + I will stay away from those whose hearts are twisted. I don't want to have anything to do with evil. + I will get rid of anyone who tells lies about his neighbor in secret. I won't put up with anyone whose eyes and heart are proud. + I will look with favor on the faithful people in the land. They will live with me. Those whose lives are without blame will serve me. + No one who lies and cheats will live in my house. No one who tells lies will serve me. + Every morning I will get rid of all the sinful people in the land. I will remove from the city of the Lord everyone who does what is evil. + + + A prayer of a suffering man when he is weak and pours out his problems to the Lord. Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for help. + Don't turn your face away from me when I'm in trouble. Pay attention to me. When I call out for help, answer me quickly. + My days are disappearing like smoke. My body burns like glowing coals. + My strength has dried up like grass. I even forget to eat my food. + I groan out loud because of my suffering. I'm nothing but skin and bones. + I'm like a desert owl. I'm like an owl among destroyed buildings. + I can't sleep. I've become like a bird alone on a roof. + All day long my enemies laugh at me. Those who make fun of me use my name as a curse. + I eat ashes as my food. My tears fall into what I'm drinking. + You were very angry with me. So you picked me up and threw me away. + The days of my life are like an evening shadow. I dry up like grass. + But Lord, you are seated on your throne forever. Your fame will continue for all time to come. + You will rise up and show deep concern for Zion. The time has come for you to show favor to it. + The stones of your destroyed city are priceless to us. Even its dust brings deep concern to us. + The nations will worship the Lord. All of the kings on earth will respect his glorious power. + The Lord will build Zion again. He will appear in his glory. + He will answer the prayer of those who don't have anything. He won't say no to their cry for help. + Let this be written down for those born after us. Then people who are not yet born can praise the Lord. + Here is what should be written. "The Lord looked down from his temple in heaven. From heaven he viewed the earth. + He heard the groans of the prisoners. He set free those who were sentenced to death." + So people will talk about him in Zion. They will praise him in Jerusalem. + Nations and kingdoms will gather there to worship the Lord. + When I was still young, he took away my strength. He wasn't going to let me live much longer. + So I said, "My God, don't let me die in the middle of my life. You will live for all time to come. + In the beginning you made the earth secure. You placed it on its foundations. Your hands created the heavens. + They will pass away. But you will remain. They will all wear out like a piece of clothing. You will make them like clothes that are taken off and thrown away. + But you remain the same. Your years will never end. + Our children will live with you. Their sons and daughters will be safe in your care." + + + A psalm of David. I will praise the Lord. Deep down inside me, I will praise him. I will praise him, because his name is holy. + I will praise the Lord. I won't forget anything he does for me. + He forgives all my sins. He heals all my sicknesses. + He saves my life from going down into the grave. His faithful and tender love makes me feel like a king. + He satisfies me with the good things I long for. Then I feel young and strong again, just like an eagle. + The Lord does what is right and fair for all who are beaten down. + He told Moses all about his plans. He let the people of Israel see his mighty acts. + The Lord is tender and kind. He is gracious. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. + He won't keep bringing charges against us. He won't stay angry with us forever. + He doesn't punish us for our sins as much as we should be punished. He doesn't pay us back in keeping with the evil things we've done. + His love for those who have respect for him is as high as the heavens are above the earth. + He has removed our lawless acts from us as far as the east is from the west. + A father is tender and kind to his children. In the same way, the Lord is tender and kind to those who have respect for him. + He knows what we are made of. He remembers that we are dust. + People's lives are like grass. People grow like the flowers in the field. + When the wind blows on them, they are gone. No one can tell that they had ever been there. + But the Lord's love for those who have respect for him lasts for ever and ever. Their children's children will know that he always does what is right. + He always loves those who keep his covenant. He always does what is right for those who remember to obey his commands. + The Lord has set up his throne in heaven. His kingdom rules over all. + Praise the Lord, you angels of his. Praise him, you mighty ones who carry out his orders and obey his word. + Praise the Lord, all you angels in heaven. Praise him, all you who serve him and do what he wants. + Let everything the Lord has made praise him everywhere in his kingdom. I will praise the Lord. + + + I will praise the Lord. Lord my God, you are very great. You are dressed in glory and majesty. + You wrap yourself in light as if it were a robe. You spread the heavens out like a tent. + You build your palace high in the heavens. You make the clouds serve as your chariot. You ride on the wings of the wind. + You make the winds serve as your messengers. You make flashes of lightning serve you. + You placed the earth on its foundations. It can never be moved. + You covered it with the oceans like a blanket. The waters covered the mountains. + But you commanded the waters, and they ran away. At the sound of your thunder they rushed off. + They flowed down the mountains. They went into the valleys. They went to the place you appointed for them. + You drew a line they can't cross. They will never cover the earth again. + You make springs pour water into the valleys. It flows between the mountains. + The springs give water to all of the wild animals. The wild donkeys satisfy their thirst. + The birds of the air build nests by the waters. They sing among the branches. + You water the mountains from your palace high in the clouds. The earth is filled with the things you have made. + You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for people to take care of. That's how they get food from the earth. + There is wine to make people glad. There is olive oil to make them healthy. And there is bread to make them strong. + The cedar trees of Lebanon belong to the Lord. You planted them and gave them plenty of water. + There the birds make their nests. The stork has its home in the pine trees. + The high mountains belong to the wild goats. The cliffs are a safe place for the rock badgers. + The moon serves to mark off the seasons. The sun knows when to go down. + You bring darkness, and it becomes night. Then all the animals of the forest prowl around. + The lions roar while they hunt. All of their food comes from God. + The sun rises, and they slip away. They return to their dens and lie down. + Then a man gets up and goes to work. He keeps working until evening. + Lord, you have made so many things! How wise you were when you made all of them! The earth is full of your creatures. + Look at the ocean, so big and wide! It is filled with more creatures than people can count. It is filled with living things, from the largest to the smallest. + Ships sail back and forth on it. The leviathan, the sea monster you made, plays in it. + All of those creatures depend on you to give them their food when they need it. + When you give it to them, they eat it. When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. + When you turn your face away from them, they are terrified. When you take away their breath, they die and turn back into dust. + When you send your Spirit, you create them. You give new life to the earth. + May the glory of the Lord continue forever. May the Lord be happy with what he has made. + When he looks at the earth, it trembles. When he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke. + I will sing to the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. + May these thoughts of mine please him. I find my joy in the Lord. + But may those who sin be gone from the earth. May evil people disappear. I will praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. + + + Give thanks to the Lord. Worship him. Tell the nations what he has done. + Sing to him. Sing praise to him. Tell about all of the wonderful things he has done. + Praise him, because his name is holy. Let the hearts of those who trust in the Lord be glad. + Look to the Lord and to his strength. Always look to him. + Remember the wonderful things he has done. Remember his miracles and how he judged our enemies. + Remember what he has done, you children of his servant Abraham. Remember it, you people of Jacob, God's chosen ones. + He is the Lord our God. He judges the whole earth. + He will keep his covenant forever. He will keep his promise for all time to come. + He will keep the covenant he made with Abraham. He will keep the oath he took when he made his promise to Isaac. + He made it stand as a law for Jacob. He made it stand as a covenant for Israel. It will last forever. + He said, "I will give you the land of Canaan. It will belong to you." + At first there weren't very many of God's people. There were only a few. And they were strangers in the land. + They wandered from nation to nation. They wandered from one kingdom to another. + But God didn't allow anyone to beat them down. To keep them safe, he gave a command to kings. + He said to them, "Do not touch my anointed ones. Do not harm my prophets." + He made the people in the land go hungry. He destroyed all their food supplies. + He sent a man ahead of them into Egypt. That man was Joseph. He had been sold as a slave. + The Egyptians put his feet in chains. They put an iron collar around his neck. + He was in prison until what he said would happen came true. The word of the Lord proved that he was right. + The king of Egypt sent for Joseph and let him out of prison. The ruler of many nations set him free. + He put Joseph in charge of his palace. He made him ruler over everything he owned. + Joseph was in charge of teaching the princes. He taught the elders how to think and live wisely. + Then the rest of Jacob's family went to Egypt. The people of Israel lived as outsiders in the land of Ham. + The Lord gave his people so many children that there were too many of them for their enemies. + He made the Egyptians hate his people. The Egyptians made evil plans against them. + The Lord sent his servant Moses to the king of Egypt. He sent Aaron, his chosen one, along with him. + The Lord gave them the power to do miraculous signs among the Egyptians. They did his wonders in the land of Ham. + He sent darkness over the land. He did it because the Egyptians had refused to obey his words. + He turned their rivers and streams into blood. He caused the fish in them to die. + Their land was covered with frogs. Frogs even went into the bedrooms of the rulers. + The Lord spoke, and large numbers of flies came. Gnats filled the whole country. + He turned their rain into hail. Lightning flashed all through their land. + He destroyed their vines and fig trees. He broke down the trees in Egypt. + He spoke, and the locusts came. There were so many of them they couldn't be counted. + They ate up every green thing in the land. They ate up what the land produced. + Then he killed the oldest son of every family in Egypt. He struck down the oldest of all of their sons. + He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. The Egyptians loaded them down with silver and gold. From among the tribes of Israel no one got tired or fell down. + The Egyptians were glad when the people of Israel left. They were terrified because of Israel. + The Lord spread out a cloud to cover his people. He gave them a fire to light up the night. + They asked for meat, and he brought them quail. He satisfied them with manna, the bread of heaven. + He broke open a rock, and streams of water poured out. They flowed like a river in the desert. + He remembered the holy promise he had made to his servant Abraham. + His chosen people shouted for joy as he brought them out of Egypt. + He gave them the lands of other nations. He let them take over what others had worked for. + He did it so they might obey his rules and follow his laws. Praise the Lord. + + + Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. + Who can speak enough about the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can praise him as much as he should be praised? + Blessed are those who always do what is fair. Blessed are those who keep doing what is right. + Lord, remember me when you show favor to your people. Help me when you save them. + Then I will enjoy the good things you give your chosen ones. I will be joyful together with your people. I will join them when they praise you. + We have sinned, just as our people of long ago did. We too have done what is evil and wrong. + When our people were in Egypt, they forgot about the Lord's miracles. They didn't remember his many kind acts. At the Red Sea they refused to obey him. + But he saved them for the honor of his name. He did it to make his mighty power known. + He ordered the Red Sea to dry up, and it did. He led his people through it as if it were a desert. + He saved them from the power of their enemies. He set them free from their control. + The waters covered their enemies. Not one of them escaped alive. + Then his people believed his promises and sang praise to him. + But they soon forgot what he had done. They didn't wait for his advice. + In the desert they longed for food. In that dry and empty land they put God to the test. + So he gave them what they asked for. But he also sent a sickness that killed many of them. + In their camp some of them became jealous of Moses. They were also jealous of Aaron. He had been set apart to serve the Lord. + The ground opened up and swallowed Dathan. It buried Abiram and his followers. + Fire blazed among all of them. Flames destroyed those evil people. + At Mount Horeb they made a metal statue of a bull calf. They worshiped that statue of a god. + They traded their glorious God for a statue of a bull that eats grass. + They forgot the God who saved them. They forgot the One who had done great things in Egypt. + They forgot the miracles he did in the land of Ham. They forgot the wonderful things he did by the Red Sea. + So he said he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stood up for them. He kept God's anger from destroying them. + Later on, they refused to enter the pleasant land of Canaan. They didn't believe God's promise. + In their tents they told the Lord how unhappy they were. They didn't obey him. + So he lifted up his hand and promised with an oath that he would make them die in the desert. + He promised he would scatter their children's children among the nations. He would make them die in other lands. + They joined in worshiping the Baal that was worshiped at Peor. They ate food that had been offered to gods that aren't even alive. + Their evil ways made the Lord angry. So a plague broke out among them. + But Phinehas stood up and took action. Then the plague stopped. + What Phinehas did made him right with the Lord. It will be remembered for all time to come. + By the waters of Meribah the Lord's people made him angry. Moses got in trouble because of them. + They refused to obey the Spirit of God. So Moses spoke without thinking. + They didn't destroy the nations in Canaan as the Lord had commanded them. + Instead, they mixed with those nations and adopted their ways. + They worshiped statues of their gods. That became a trap for them. + They sacrificed their sons and daughters as offerings to demons. + They killed those who weren't guilty of doing anything wrong. They killed their own sons and daughters. They sacrificed them as offerings to statues of the gods of Canaan. The land became "unclean" because of the blood of their children. + The people polluted themselves by what they had done. They weren't faithful to the Lord. + So the Lord became angry with his people. He turned away from his own children. + He handed them over to the nations. Their enemies ruled over them. + They beat them down and kept them under their power. + Many times the Lord saved them. But they refused to obey him. So he destroyed them because of their sins. + But he heard them when they cried out. He paid special attention to their suffering. + Because they were his people, he remembered his covenant. Because of his great love, he felt sorry for them. + He made all those who held them as prisoners show concern for them. + Lord our God, save us. Bring us back from among the nations. Then we will give thanks to you, because your name is holy. We will celebrate by praising you. + Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and ever. Let all of the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord. + + + BOOK V Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. + That's what those who have been set free by the Lord should say. He set them free from the power of the enemy. + He brought them back from other lands. He brought them back from east and west, from north and south. + Some of them wandered in deserts that were dry and empty. They couldn't find their way to a city where they could settle down. + They were hungry and thirsty. Their lives were slipping away. + Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And he saved them from their troubles. + He led them straight to a city where they could settle down. + Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles he does for his people. + He gives those who are thirsty all of the water they want. He gives those who are hungry all of the good food they can eat. + Others lived in the deepest darkness. They suffered as prisoners in iron chains. + That's because they hadn't obeyed the words of God. They had refused to follow the advice of the Most High God. + So he made them do work that was hard and bitter. They tripped and fell, and there was no one to help them. + Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And he saved them from their troubles. + He brought them out of the deepest darkness. He broke their chains off. + Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles he does for his people. + He breaks down gates that are made of bronze. He cuts through bars that are made of iron. + Others were foolish. They suffered because of their sins. They suffered because they wouldn't obey the Lord. + They refused to eat anything. They came close to passing through the gates of death. + Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And he saved them from their troubles. + He gave his command and healed them. He saved them from the grave. + Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles he does for his people. + Let them sacrifice thank offerings. Let them talk about what he has done as they sing with joy. + Others sailed out on the ocean in ships. They traded goods on the mighty waters. + They saw the works of the Lord. They saw the miracles he did on the ocean. + He spoke and stirred up a storm. It lifted the waves high. + They rose up to the heavens. Then they went down deep into the ocean. In that kind of danger the people's boldness melted away. + They were unsteady like those who get drunk. They didn't know what to do. + Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And he brought them out of their troubles. + He made the storm as quiet as a whisper. The waves of the ocean calmed down. + The people were glad when the ocean became calm. Then he guided them to the harbor they were looking for. + Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles he does for his people. + Let them honor him among his people who gather for worship. Let them praise him in the meeting of the elders. + He turned rivers into a desert. He turned flowing springs into thirsty ground. + He turned land that produced crops into a salty land where nothing could grow. He did it because the people who lived there were evil. + He turned the desert into pools of water. He turned the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs. + He brought hungry people there to live. They built a city where they could settle down. + They planted fields and vineyards that produced large crops. + He blessed the people, and they greatly increased their numbers. He kept their herds from getting smaller. + Then the number of God's people got smaller. They were brought low by trouble, suffering and sorrow. + The One who looks down on proud nobles made them wander in a desert where no one lives. + But he lifted needy people out of their suffering. He made their families increase like flocks of sheep. + Honest people see it and are filled with joy. But no one who is evil has anything to say. + Let those who are wise pay attention to these things. Let them think about the Lord's great love. + + + A song. A psalm of David. God, my heart feels secure. I will sing and make music to you with all my heart. + Harp and lyre, wake up! I want to sing and make music before the sun rises. + Lord, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing about you among the people of the earth. + Great is your love. It is higher than the heavens. Your truth reaches to the skies. + God, may you be honored above the heavens. Let your glory be over the whole earth. + Save us. Help us with your powerful right hand, so that those you love may be saved. + God has spoken from his temple. He has said, "I will win the battle. Then I will divide up the land around Shechem. I will divide up the Valley of Succoth. + Gilead belongs to me. So does the land of Manasseh. Ephraim is the strongest tribe. It is like a helmet for my head. Judah is the royal tribe. It is like a ruler's staff. + Moab serves me like one who washes my feet. I toss my sandal on Edom to show that I own it. I shout to Philistia that I have won the battle." + Who will bring me to the city that has high walls around it? Who will lead me to the land of Edom? + God, isn't it you, even though you have now turned away from us? Isn't it you, even though you don't lead our armies into battle anymore? + Help us against our enemies. The help people give doesn't amount to anything. + With your help we will win the battle. You will walk all over our enemies. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. God, I praise you. Don't remain silent. + Sinful people who lie and cheat have spoken against me. They have used their tongues to tell lies about me. + They gather all around me with their words of hatred. They attack me without any reason. + They bring charges against me, even though I love them and pray for them. + They pay me back with evil for the good things I do. They pay back my love with hatred. + Appoint an evil person to take my enemies to court. Let him stand at their right hand and bring charges against them. + When they are tried, let them be found guilty. May even their prayers judge them. + May their days be few. Let others take their places as leaders. + May their children's fathers die. May their wives become widows. + May their children be driven from their destroyed homes. May they wander around like beggars. + May everything those people own be taken away to pay for what they owe. May strangers rob them of everything they've worked for. + May no one be kind to them or take pity on the children they leave behind. + May their family line come to an end. May their names be forgotten by those who live after them. + May the Lord remember the evil things their fathers have done. May he never erase the sins of their mothers. + May the Lord never forget their sins. Then he won't let people remember those sinners anymore. + They never thought about doing anything kind. Instead, they drove those who were poor and needy to their deaths. They did the same thing to those whose hearts were broken. + They loved to call down curses on others. May their curses come back on them. They didn't find any pleasure in giving anyone their blessing. May no blessing ever come to them. + They called down curses on others as easily as they put on clothes. Cursing was as natural to them as getting a drink of water or putting olive oil on their bodies. + May their curses cover them like coats. May their curses be wrapped around them like a belt forever. + May that be the Lord's way of paying back those who bring charges against me. May it happen to those who say evil things about me. + But Lord and King, be true to your name. Treat me well. Because your love is so good, save me. + I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded deep down inside me. + I fade away like an evening shadow. I'm like a locust that someone brushes off. + My knees are weak because I've gone without food. My body is very thin. + Those who bring charges against me laugh at me. When they see me, they shake their heads at me. + Lord my God, help me. Save me because you love me. + Lord, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me. You have done it with your own hand. + They may call down a curse on me. But you will give me your blessing. When they attack me, they will be put to shame. But I will be filled with joy. + Those who bring charges against me will be clothed with dishonor. They will be wrapped in shame as if it were a coat. + With my mouth I will continually praise the Lord. I will praise him when all of his people gather for worship. + He stands ready to help those who need it. He saves them from those who have sentenced them to death. + + + A psalm of David. The Lord says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control." + The Lord will make your royal authority spread out from Zion to other lands. You will rule over your enemies who are all around you. + Your troops will be willing to fight for you on the day of battle. You will be wrapped in holy majesty. Just as the dew falls fresh early in the morning, you will always be young and strong. + The Lord has taken an oath and made a promise. He will not change his mind. He has said, "You are a priest forever, just like Melchizedek." + The Lord is at your right hand. He will crush kings on the day when he is angry. + He will judge the nations. He will pile up dead bodies on the field of battle. He will crush the rulers of the whole earth. + He will drink from a brook along the way and receive new strength. And so he will win the battle. + + + Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord with all my heart. I will praise him where honest people gather for worship. + The Lord has done great things. All who take delight in what he has done will spend time thinking about it. + What he does shows his glory and majesty. He will always do what is right. + The Lord causes his miracles to be remembered. He is kind and tender. + He provides food for those who have respect for him. He remembers his covenant forever. + He has shown his people what his power can do. He has given them the lands of other nations. + He is faithful and right in everything he does. All his rules can be trusted. + They will stand firm for ever and ever. They were given by the Lord. He is faithful and honest. + He set his people free. He made a covenant with them that will last forever. His name is holy and wonderful. + If you really want to become wise, you must begin by having respect for the Lord. All those who follow his rules have good understanding. People should praise him forever. + + + Praise the Lord. Blessed is the one who has respect for the Lord. He finds great delight when he obeys God's commands. + His children will be powerful in the land. Because he is honest, his children will be blessed. + His family will have wealth and riches. He will always be blessed for doing what is right. + Even in the darkness light shines on honest people. It shines on those who are kind and tender and godly. + Good things will come to those who are willing to lend freely. Good things will come to those who are fair in everything they do. + They will always be secure. Those who do what is right will be remembered forever. + They aren't afraid when bad news comes. They stand firm because they trust in the Lord. + Their hearts are secure. They aren't afraid. In the end they will see their enemies destroyed. + They have spread their gifts around to poor people. Their good works continue forever. They will be powerful and honored. + Evil people will see it and be upset. They will grind their teeth and become weaker and weaker. What evil people long to do can't succeed. + + + Praise the Lord. Praise him, you who serve the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. + Let us praise the name of the Lord, both now and forever. + From the sunrise in the east to the sunset in the west, may the name of the Lord be praised. + The Lord is honored over all of the nations. His glory reaches to the highest heavens. + Who is like the Lord our God? He sits on his throne in heaven. + He bends down to look at the heavens and the earth. + He raises poor people up from the trash pile. He lifts needy people out of the ashes. + He lets them sit with princes. He lets them sit with the princes of their own people. + He gives children to the woman who doesn't have any children. He makes her a happy mother in her own home. Praise the Lord. + + + The people of Israel came out of Egypt. The people of Jacob left a land where a different language was spoken. + Then Judah became the holy place where God lived. Israel became the land he ruled over. + The Red Sea saw him and parted. The Jordan River stopped flowing. + The mountains leaped like rams. The hills skipped like lambs. + Red Sea, why did you part? Jordan River, why did you stop flowing? + Why did you mountains leap like rams? Why did you hills skip like lambs? + Earth, tremble with fear when the Lord comes. Tremble when the God of Jacob is near. + He turned the rock into a pool. He turned the hard rock into springs of water. + + + Lord, may glory be given to you, not to us. You are loving and faithful. + Why do the nations ask, "Where is their God?" + Our God is in heaven. He does anything he wants to do. + But the statues of their gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by the hands of men. + They have mouths, but they can't speak. They have eyes, but they can't see. + They have ears, but they can't hear. They have noses, but they can't smell. + They have hands, but they can't feel. They have feet, but they can't walk. They have throats, but they can't say anything. + Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them. + People of Israel, trust in the Lord. He helps you. He is like a shield that keeps you safe. + Priests of Aaron, trust in the Lord. He helps you. He is like a shield that keeps you safe. + You who have respect for the Lord, trust in him. He helps you. He is like a shield that keeps you safe. + The Lord remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the people of Israel. He will bless the priests of Aaron. + The Lord will bless those who have respect for him. He will bless important and unimportant people alike. + May the Lord give you many children. May he give them to you and to your children after you. + May the Lord bless you. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. + The highest heavens belong to the Lord. But he has given the earth to human beings. + Dead people don't praise the Lord. Those who lie quietly in the grave don't praise him. + But we who are alive praise the Lord, both now and forever. Praise the Lord. + + + I love the Lord, because he heard my voice. He heard my cry for his favor. + Because he paid attention to me, I will call out to him as long as I live. + The ropes of death were wrapped around me. The horrors of the grave came over me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. + Then I called out to the Lord. I cried out, "Lord, save me!" + The Lord is holy and kind. Our God is full of tender love. + The Lord takes care of those who are as helpless as children. When I was in great need, he saved me. + I said to myself, "Be calm. The Lord has been good to me." + Lord, you have saved me from death. You have dried the tears from my eyes. You have kept me from tripping and falling. + So now I can enjoy life here with you while I'm still living. + I believed in you even when I said to myself, "I'm in great pain." + When I was terrified, I said to myself, "No one tells the truth." + The Lord has been so good to me! How can I ever pay him back? + I will bring an offering of wine to the Lord and thank him for saving me. I will worship him. + In front of all of the Lord's people, I will do what I promised him. + The Lord pays special attention when his faithful people die. + Lord, I serve you. I serve you just as my mother did. You have set me free from the chains of my suffering. + Lord, I will sacrifice a thank offering to you. I will worship you. + In front of all of the Lord's people, I will do what I promised him. + I will keep my promise in the courtyards of the Lord's temple. I will keep my promise in Jerusalem itself. Praise the Lord. + + + All you nations, praise the Lord. All you people on earth, praise him. + Great is his love for us. The Lord is faithful forever. Praise the Lord. + + + Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. + Let the people of Israel say, "His faithful love continues forever." + Let the priests of Aaron say, "His faithful love continues forever." + Let those who have respect for the Lord say, "His faithful love continues forever." + When I was in great pain, I cried out to the Lord. He answered me and set me free. + The Lord is with me. I will not be afraid. What can mere men do to me? + The Lord is with me. He helps me. I will win the battle over my enemies. + It is better to go to the Lord for safety than to trust in mere men. + It is better to go to the Lord for safety than to trust in human leaders. + The nations were all around me. But by the Lord's power I destroyed them. + They were around me on every side. But by the Lord's power I destroyed them. + They attacked me like large numbers of bees. But they died out as quickly as burning thorns. By the Lord's power I destroyed them. + I was pushed back. I was about to be killed. But the Lord helped me. + The Lord gives me strength. I sing about him. He has saved me. + Shouts of joy ring out in the tents of godly people. They praise him for his help in battle. They shout, "The Lord's powerful right hand has done mighty things! + The Lord's powerful right hand has won the battle! The Lord's powerful right hand has done mighty things!" + I will not die. I will live. I will talk about what the Lord has done. + The Lord has really punished me. But he didn't let me die. + Open the gates of the temple for me. I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. + This is the gate of the Lord. Only those who do what is right can go through it. + Lord, I will give thanks to you, because you answered me. You have saved me. + The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all. + The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes. + The Lord has done it on this day. Let us be joyful and glad in it. + Lord, save us. Lord, give us success. + Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. From the temple of the Lord we bless you. + The Lord is God. He has made the light of his favor shine on us. Take branches in your hands. Join in the march on the day of the feast. March up to the corners of the altar. + You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, and I will honor you. + Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. + + + Aleph Blessed are those who live without blame. They live in keeping with the law of the Lord. + Blessed are those who obey his covenant laws. They trust in him with all their hearts. + They don't do anything wrong. They live as he wants them to live. + You have given me rules that I must obey completely. + I hope I will always stand firm in following your orders. + Then I won't be put to shame when I think about all of your commands. + I will praise you with an honest heart as I learn about how fair your decisions are. + I will obey your orders. Please don't leave me all alone. Beth + How can a young person keep his life pure? By living in keeping with your word. + I trust in you with all my heart. Don't let me wander away from your commands. + I have hidden your word in my heart so that I won't sin against you. + Lord, I give praise to you. Teach me your orders. + With my lips I talk about all of the decisions you have made. + Following your covenant laws gives me joy just as great riches give joy to others. + I spend time thinking about your rules. I consider how you want me to live. + I take delight in your orders. I won't fail to obey your word. Gimel + Be good to me, and I will live. I will obey your word. + Open my eyes so that I can see the wonderful truths in your law. + I'm a stranger on earth. Don't hide your commands from me. + My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times. + You correct proud people. They are under your curse. They wander away from your commands. + I obey your covenant laws. So don't let evil people laugh at me or hate me. + Even if rulers sit together and tell lies about me, I will spend time thinking about your orders. + Your covenant laws are my delight. They give me wise advice. Daleth + I lie in the dust. I'm about to die. Keep me alive as you have promised. + I told you how I've lived, and you gave me your answer. Teach me your orders. + Help me understand what your rules can teach me. Then I'll spend time thinking about the miracles you have done. + My sadness has worn me out. Give me strength as you have promised. + Keep me from cheating and telling lies. Be kind and teach me your law. + I have chosen to be faithful to you. I put my trust in your laws. + Lord, I'm careful to obey your covenant laws. Don't let me be put to shame. + I am quick to follow your commands, because you have set my heart free. He + Lord, teach me to follow your orders. Then I will obey them to the very end. + Help me understand your law. Then I will follow it and obey it with all my heart. + Teach me to live as you command, because that makes me very happy. + Make me want to follow your covenant laws instead of wanting to gain things only for myself. + Turn my eyes away from things that are worthless. Keep me alive as you have promised. + Keep your promise to me. Then other people will have respect for you. + Please don't let me be put to shame. Your laws are good. + I really want to follow your rules. Keep me alive, because you do what is right. Waw + Lord, show me your faithful love. Save me as you have promised. + Then I will answer those who make fun of me, because I trust in your word. + Help me always to tell the truth about how faithful you are. I have put my hope in your laws. + I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. + I will lead a full and happy life, because I've tried to obey your rules. + I will talk about your covenant laws to kings. I will not be put to shame. + I take delight in obeying your commands because I love them. + I praise your commands, and I love them. I spend time thinking about your orders. Zayin + Remember what you have said to me. You have given me hope. + Even when I suffer, I am comforted because you promised to keep me alive. + Proud people are always making fun of me. But I don't turn away from your law. + Lord, I remember the laws you gave long ago. I find comfort in them. + I am very angry because evil people have turned away from your law. + No matter where I live, I sing about your orders. + Lord, during the night I remember who you are. That's why I keep your law. + I have really done my best to obey your rules. Heth + Lord, you are everything I need. I have promised to obey your words. + I have looked to you with all my heart. Be kind to me as you have promised. + I have thought about the way I live. And I have decided to follow your covenant laws. + I won't waste any time. I will be quick to obey your commands. + Evil people may tie me up with ropes. But I won't forget to obey your law. + At midnight I get up to give you thanks because your decisions are very fair. + I'm a friend to everyone who has respect for you. I'm a friend to everyone who follows your rules. + Lord, the earth is filled with your love. Teach me your orders. Teth + Lord, be good to me as you have promised. + Increase my knowledge and give me good sense, because I believe in your commands. + Before I went through suffering, I went down the wrong path. But now I obey your word. + You are good, and what you do is good. Teach me your orders. + Proud people have spread lies about me and have taken away my good name. But I follow your rules with all my heart. + Their hearts are hard and stubborn. They don't feel anything. But I take delight in your law. + It was good for me to suffer. That's what helped me to understand your orders. + The law you gave is worth more to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Yodh + You made me and formed me with your own hands. Give me understanding so that I can learn your commands. + May those who have respect for you be filled with joy when they see me. I have put my hope in your word. + Lord, I know that your laws are right. You were faithful to your promise when you made me suffer. + May your faithful love comfort me as you have promised me. + Show me your tender love so that I can live. I take delight in your law. + Proud people have treated me badly without any reason. May they be put to shame. I will spend time thinking about your rules. + May those who have respect for you come to me. Then I can teach them your covenant laws. + May my heart be without blame as I follow your orders. Then I won't be put to shame. Kaph + I deeply long for you to save me. I have put my hope in your word. + My eyes grow tired looking for what you have promised. I say, "When will you comfort me?" + I'm as useless as a wineskin that smoke has dried up. But I don't forget to follow your orders. + How long do I have to wait? When will you punish those who attack me? + Proud people do what is against your law. They dig pits for me to fall into. + All of your commands can be trusted. Help me, because people attack me without any reason. + They almost wiped me off the face of the earth. But I have not turned away from your rules. + Keep me alive, because you love me. Then I will obey the covenant laws you have given. Lamedh + Lord, your word lasts forever. It stands firm in the heavens. + You will be faithful for all time to come. You made the earth, and it continues to exist. + Your laws continue to this very day, because all things serve you. + If I had not taken delight in your law, I would have died because of my suffering. + I will never forget your rules. You have kept me alive, because I obey them. + Save me, because I belong to you. I've tried to obey your rules. + Sinful people are waiting to destroy me. But I will spend time thinking about your covenant laws. + I've learned that everything has its limits. But your commands are perfect. They are always there when I need them. Mem + Lord, I really love your law! All day long I spend time thinking about it. + Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, because your commands are always in my heart. + I know more than all of my teachers do, because I spend time thinking about your covenant laws. + I understand more than the elders do, because I obey your rules. + I've kept my feet from every path that sinners take so that I might obey your word. + I haven't turned away from your laws, because you yourself have taught me. + Your words are very sweet to my taste! They are sweeter than honey to me. + I gain understanding from your rules. So I hate every path that sinners take. Nun + Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me. + I have taken an oath. I have promised to follow your laws, because they are right. + I have suffered very much. Lord, keep me alive as you have promised. + Lord, accept the praise I freely give you. Teach me your laws. + I keep putting my life in danger. But I won't forget to obey your law. + Evil people have set a trap for me. But I haven't wandered away from your rules. + Your covenant laws are your gift to me forever. They fill my heart with joy. + I have decided to obey your orders to the very end. Samekh + I hate people who can't make up their minds. But I love your law. + You are my place of safety. You are like a shield that keeps me safe. I have put my hope in your word. + Get away from me, you who do evil! Then I can do what my God commands me to do. + Keep me going as you have promised. Then I will live. Don't let me lose all hope. + Take good care of me, and I will be saved. I will always honor your orders. + You turn your back on all those who wander away from your orders. They lie and cheat, but it doesn't amount to anything. + You throw away all of the sinners on earth as if they were trash. So I love your covenant laws. + My body trembles because I have respect for you. I have great respect for your laws. Ayin + I have done what is right and fair. So don't leave me to those who beat me down. + Make sure that everything goes well with me. Don't let proud people beat me down. + My eyes grow tired as I look to you to save me. Please save me as you have promised. + Be good to me, because you love me. Teach me your orders. + I serve you. Help me to understand what is right. Then I will understand your covenant laws. + Lord, it's time for you to act. People are breaking your law. + I love your commands more than gold. I love them more than pure gold. + I consider all of your rules to be right. So I hate every path that sinners take. Pe + Your covenant laws are wonderful. So I obey them. + When your words are made clear, they bring light. They bring understanding to childish people. + I open my mouth and pant like a dog, because I long to know your commands. + Turn to me and show me your favor. That's what you've always done for those who love you. + Teach me how to live as you have promised. Don't let any sin be my master. + Set me free from men who beat me down. Then I will obey your rules. + Let your face smile on me with favor. Teach me your orders. + Streams of tears flow from my eyes, because people don't obey your law. Tsadhe + Lord, you do what is fair. And your laws are right. + The laws you have made are fair. They can be completely trusted. + My anger is wearing me out, because my enemies don't pay any attention to your words. + Your promises have proved to be true. I love them. + I'm not important. People look down on me. But I don't forget to obey your rules. + You always do what is right. And your law is true. + I've had my share of trouble and suffering. But I take delight in your commands. + Your covenant laws are always right. Help me to understand them. Then I will live. Qoph + Lord, I call out to you with all my heart. Answer me, and I will obey your orders. + I call out to you. Save me, and I will keep your covenant laws. + I get up before the sun rises. I cry out for help. I've put my hope in your word. + My eyes stay open all night long. I spend my time thinking about your promises. + Listen to me, because you love me. Lord, keep me alive as you have promised. + Those who think up evil plans are near. They have wandered far away from your law. + But Lord, you are near. All your commands are true. + Long ago I learned from your covenant laws that you made them to last forever. Resh + Look at how I'm suffering! Save me, because I haven't forgotten to obey your law. + Stand up for me and set me free. Keep me alive as you have promised. + Those who are evil are far from being saved. They don't want to obey your orders. + Lord, you have deep concern for me. Keep me alive as you have promised. + Many enemies attack me. But I haven't turned away from your covenant laws. + I get very angry when I see people who aren't faithful to you. They don't obey your word. + See how I love your rules! Lord, keep me alive, because you love me. + All your words are true. All your laws are right. They last forever. Sin and Shin + Rulers attack me without any reason. But my heart trembles because of your word. + I'm filled with joy because of your promise. It's like finding a great fortune. + I hate lies with a deep hatred. But I love your law. + Seven times a day I praise you for your laws, because they are right. + Those who love your law enjoy great peace. Nothing can make them trip and fall. + Lord, I wait for you to save me. I follow your commands. + I obey your covenant laws, because I love them greatly. + I obey your rules and your covenant laws, because you know all about how I live. Taw + Lord, may you hear my cry. Give me understanding, just as you said you would. + May you hear my prayer. Save me, just as you promised. + May my lips pour out praise to you, because you teach me your orders. + May my tongue sing about your word, because all of your commands are right. + May your hand be ready to help me, because I have chosen to obey your rules. + Lord, I long for you to save me. I take delight in your law. + Let me live so that I can praise you. May your laws keep me going. + Like a lost sheep, I've gone down the wrong path. Come and look for me, because I haven't forgotten to obey your commands. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. I call out to the Lord when I'm in trouble, and he answers me. + Lord, save me from people whose lips tell lies. Save me from people whose tongues don't tell the truth. + What will the Lord do to you, you lying tongue? And what more will he do? + He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a soldier. He will punish you with burning wood from a desert tree. + How terrible it is for me to live in the tents of the people of Meshech! How terrible to live in the tents of the people of Kedar! + I have lived too long among those who hate peace. + I want peace. But when I speak, they want war. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. I look up to the hills. Where does my help come from? + My help comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. + He won't let your foot slip. He who watches over you won't get tired. + In fact, he who watches over Israel won't get tired or go to sleep. + The Lord watches over you. The Lord is like a shade tree at your right hand. + The sun won't harm you during the day. The moon won't harm you during the night. + The Lord will keep you from every kind of harm. He will watch over your life. + The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David. I was very glad when they said to me, "Let us go up to the house of the Lord." + Jerusalem, our feet are standing inside your gates. + Jerusalem is built like a city where everything is close together. + The tribes of the Lord go there to praise his name. They do it in keeping with the law he gave to Israel. + The thrones of the family line of David are there. That's where the people are judged. + Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Say, "May those who love you be secure. + May there be peace inside your walls. May your people be kept safe." + I'm concerned for my family and friends. So I say to Jerusalem, "May you enjoy peace." + I'm concerned about the house of the Lord our God. So I pray that things will go well with Jerusalem. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. I look up and pray to you. Your throne is in heaven. + Slaves depend on their masters. Maids depend on the women they work for. In the same way, we depend on the Lord our God. We wait for him to show us his favor. + Lord, show us your favor. Show us your favor, because people have made so much fun of us. + We have had to put up with a lot from those who are proud. They were always laughing at us. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David. Here is what Israel should say. Suppose the Lord had not been on our side. + Suppose the Lord had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us. + Suppose he had not been on our side when their anger blazed out against us. Then they would have swallowed us alive. + They would have been like a flood that drowned us. They would have swept over us like a rushing river. + They would have washed us away like a swollen stream. + Give praise to the Lord. He has not let our enemies chew us up. + We have escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap. The trap has been broken, and we have escaped. + Our help comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. They will always be secure. They will last forever. + Like the mountains around Jerusalem, the Lord is all around his people both now and forever. + Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil. + Lord, do good to those who are good. Do good to those whose hearts are honest. + But what about those who have taken paths that are crooked? The Lord will drive them out, along with those who do what is evil. May Israel enjoy peace. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Our enemies took us away from Zion. But when the Lord brought us home, it seemed like a dream to us. + Our mouths were filled with laughter. Our tongues sang with joy. Then the people of other nations said, "The Lord has done great things for them." + The Lord has done great things for us. And we are filled with joy. + Lord, bless us with great success again, as rain makes streams flow in the Negev Desert. + Those who cry as they plant their crops will sing with joy when they gather them in. + Those who go out sobbing as they carry seeds to plant will come back singing with joy. They will bring the new crop back with them. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of Solomon. If the Lord doesn't build a house, the work of its builders is useless. If the Lord doesn't watch over a city, it's useless for those on guard duty to stand watch over it. + It's useless for you to work from early morning until late at night just to get food to eat. God provides for those he loves even while they sleep. + Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from him. + Children who are born to people when they are young are like arrows in the hands of a soldier. + Blessed are those who have many children. They won't be put to shame when they go up against their enemies in court. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Blessed are all those who have respect for the Lord. They live as he wants them to live. + Your work will give you what you need. Blessings and good things will come to you. + As a vine bears a lot of fruit, so your wife will have many children by you. They will sit around your table like young olive trees. + Only a man who has respect for the Lord will be blessed like that. + May the Lord bless you from Zion. May you enjoy the good things that come to Jerusalem all the days of your life. + May you live to see your grandchildren. May Israel enjoy peace. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Here is what Israel should say. Many times my enemies have beaten me down ever since I was a young nation. + Many times my enemies have beaten me down ever since I was a young nation, but they haven't won the battle. + They have made deep wounds in my back. It looks like a field a farmer has plowed. + The Lord does what is right. Sinners had tied me up with ropes. But the Lord has set me free. + May all those who hate Zion be driven back in shame. + May they be like grass that grows on the roof of a house. It dries up before it can grow. + There isn't enough of it to fill a person's hand. There isn't enough to tie up and carry away. + May no one who passes by say to those who hate Zion, "May the blessing of the Lord be on you. We bless you in the name of the Lord." + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Lord, I cry out to you because I'm suffering so deeply. + Lord, listen to me. Pay attention to my cry for your favor. + Lord, suppose you kept a record of sins. Lord, who then wouldn't be found guilty? + But you forgive. So people have respect for you. + With all my heart I wait for the Lord to help me. I put my hope in his word. + I wait for the Lord to help me. I wait with more longing than those on guard duty wait for the morning. I'll say it again. I wait with more longing than those on guard duty wait for the morning. + Israel, put your hope in the Lord, because the Lord's love never fails. He sets his people completely free. + He himself will set Israel free from all of their sins. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David. Lord, my heart isn't proud. My eyes aren't proud either. I don't concern myself with important matters. I don't concern myself with things that are too wonderful for me. + I have made myself calm and content like a young child in its mother's arms. Deep down inside me, I am as content as a young child. + Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forever. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Lord, remember David and all of the hard times he went through. + Lord, he took an oath. Mighty One of Jacob, he made a promise to you. + He said, "I won't enter my house or go to bed. + I won't let my eyes sleep. I won't close my eyelids + until I find a place for the Lord. I want to build a house for the Mighty One of Jacob." + Here are the words we heard in Ephrathah. We heard them again in the fields of Kiriath Jearim. + "Let us go to the Lord's house. Let us worship at his feet. + Lord, rise up and come to your resting place. Come in together with the ark. It's the sign of your power. + May your priests put on godliness as if it were their clothes. May your faithful people sing with joy." + In honor of your servant David, don't turn your back on your anointed king. + The Lord took an oath and made a promise to David. It is a firm promise that he will never break. He said, "After you die, I will place one of your own sons on your throne. + If your sons keep my covenant and the laws I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever." + The Lord has chosen Zion. That's the place where he wants to live. + He has said, "This will be my resting place for ever and ever. Here I will sit on my throne, because that's what I want. + I will greatly bless Zion with everything it needs. I will give plenty of food to the poor people living there. + I will put salvation on its priests as if it were their clothes. God's faithful people will always sing with joy. + "Here in Jerusalem I will raise up a mighty king from the family of David. I will set up the lamp of David's kingdom for my anointed king. Its flame will burn brightly forever. + I will put shame on his enemies as if it were their clothes. But the royal crown he wears will shine with glory." + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David. How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in peace! + It's like the special olive oil that was poured on Aaron's head. It ran down on his beard and on the collar of his robe. + It's as if the dew of Mount Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. There the Lord gives his blessing. He gives life that never ends. + + + A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. All of you who serve the Lord, praise the Lord. All of you who serve at night in the house of the Lord, praise him. + Lift up your hands in the temple and praise the Lord. + May the Lord bless you from Zion. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. + + + Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. You who serve the Lord, praise him. + You who serve in the house of the Lord, praise him. You who serve in the courtyards of the temple of our God, praise him. + Praise the Lord, because he is good. Sing praise to his name, because that is pleasant. + The Lord has chosen the people of Jacob to be his own. He has chosen Israel to be his special treasure. + I know that the Lord is great. I know that our Lord is greater than all gods. + The Lord does anything he wants to do in the heavens and on the earth. He does it even in the deepest parts of the oceans. + He makes clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other. He sends lightning with the rain. He brings the wind out of his storerooms. + He killed the oldest son of each family in Egypt. He struck down the oldest males that were born to people and animals. + He did miraculous signs in Egypt. He did wonders against Pharaoh and everyone who served him. + He destroyed many nations. He killed mighty kings. + He killed Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan. He killed all of the kings of Canaan. + He gave their land as a gift to his people Israel. + Lord, your name continues forever. Lord, your fame will last for all time to come. + When the Lord hands down his sentence, it will be in his people's favor. He will show deep concern for those who serve him. + The statues of the gods of the nations are made of silver and gold. They are made by the hands of men. + They have mouths, but they can't speak. They have eyes, but they can't see. + They have ears, but they can't hear. They have mouths, but they can't breathe. + Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them. + People of Israel, praise the Lord. Priests of Aaron, praise the Lord. + Tribe of Levi, praise the Lord. You who have respect for the Lord, praise him. + Give praise to the Lord in Zion. Give praise to the One who lives in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. + + + Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the greatest God of all. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the most powerful Lord of all. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the only one who can do great miracles. His faithful love continues forever. + By his understanding he made the heavens. His faithful love continues forever. + He spread out the earth on the waters. His faithful love continues forever. + He made the great lights in the sky. His faithful love continues forever. + He made the sun to rule over the day. His faithful love continues forever. + He made the moon and stars to rule over the night. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the One who killed the oldest son of each family in Egypt. His faithful love continues forever. + He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love continues forever. + He did it by reaching out his mighty hand and powerful arm. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the One who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love continues forever. + He brought Israel through the middle of it. His faithful love continues forever. + But he swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the One who led his people through the desert. His faithful love continues forever. + He killed great kings. His faithful love continues forever. + He struck down mighty kings. His faithful love continues forever. + He killed Sihon, the king of the Amorites. His faithful love continues forever. + He killed Og, the king of Bashan. His faithful love continues forever. + He gave their land as a gift. His faithful love continues forever. + He gave it as a gift to his servant Israel. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the One who remembered us when things were going badly for us. His faithful love continues forever. + He set us free from our enemies. His faithful love continues forever. + He gives food to every creature. His faithful love continues forever. + Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love continues forever. + + + We were sitting by the rivers of Babylon. We cried when we remembered what had happened to Zion. + On the nearby poplar trees we hung up our harps. + Those who held us as prisoners asked us to sing. Those who enjoyed hurting us ordered us to sing joyful songs. They said, "Sing one of the songs of Zion to us!" + How can we sing the songs of the Lord while we are in another land? + Jerusalem, if I forget you, may my right hand never be able to play the harp again. + If I don't remember you, may my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth so I can't sing. May it happen if I don't consider Jerusalem to be my greatest joy. + Lord, remember what the people of Edom did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down!" they cried. "Tear it down to the ground!" + People of Babylon, you are sentenced to be destroyed. Happy are those who pay you back for what you have done to us. + Happy are those who grab your babies and smash them against the rocks. + + + A psalm of David. Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. In front of those who think they are gods I will sing praise to you. + I will bow down facing your holy temple. I will praise your name, because you are loving and faithful. You have honored your name and your word more than anything else. + When I called out to you, you answered me. You made me strong and brave. + Lord, may all of the kings on earth praise you when they hear about what you have promised. + Lord, may they sing about what you have done, because your glory is great. + The Lord is in heaven. But he watches over those who are free of pride. He knows those who are proud and stays far away from them. + Trouble is all around me, but you keep me alive. You reach out your hand to put a stop to the anger of my enemies. With your powerful right hand you save me. + Lord, you will do everything you have planned for me. Lord, your faithful love continues forever. You have done so much for us. Don't stop now. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Lord, you have seen what is in my heart. You know all about me. + You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know what I'm thinking even though you are far away. + You know when I go out to work and when I come back home. You know exactly how I live. + Lord, even before I speak a word, you know all about it. + You are all around me. You are behind me and in front of me. You hold me in your power. + I'm amazed at how well you know me. It's more than I can understand. + How can I get away from your Spirit? Where can I go to escape from you? + If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there. + Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east and then cross over to the west where it sinks into the ocean. + Your hand would always be there to guide me. Your right hand would still be holding me close. + Suppose I were to say, "I'm sure the darkness will hide me. The light around me will become as dark as night." + Even that darkness would not be dark to you. The night would shine like the day, because darkness is like light to you. + You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother's body. + How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well. + None of my bones was hidden from you when you made me inside my mother's body. That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth. When you were putting me together there, + your eyes saw my body even before it was formed. You planned how many days I would live. You wrote down the number of them in your book before I had lived through even one of them. + God, your thoughts about me are priceless. No one can possibly add them all up. + If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up, you would still be there with me. + God, I wish you would kill the people who are evil! I wish those murderers would get away from me! + They are your enemies. They misuse your name. They misuse it for their own evil purposes. + Lord, I really hate those who hate you! I really hate those who rise up against you! + I have nothing but hatred for them. I consider them to be my enemies. + God, see what is in my heart. Know what is there. Put me to the test. Know what I'm thinking. + See if there's anything in my life you don't like. Help me live in the way that is always right. + + + For the director of music. A psalm of David. Lord, save me from sinful men. Keep me safe from those who want to hurt me. + They make evil plans in their hearts. They are always starting fights. + Their tongues are as deadly as the tongue of a serpent. The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake. Selah + Lord, keep me out of the hands of sinful people. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt me. They plan to trip me up and make me fall. + Proud people have hidden their traps to catch me. They have spread out their nets. They have set traps for me along my path. Selah + Lord, I say to you, "You are my God." Lord, hear my cry for your favor. + Lord and King, you save me because you are strong. You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle. + Lord, don't give sinners what they want. Don't let their plans succeed. If you do, they will become proud. Selah + Those who are all around me have caused me trouble by what their lips have said. Let that trouble fall on their own heads. + Let burning coals fall on people like that. May they be thrown into the fire. May they be thrown into muddy pits and never get out. + Don't let men who tell lies about me settle down in the land. May trouble hunt down those who want to hurt me. + I know that the Lord makes sure that poor people are treated fairly. He stands up for those who are in need. + I'm sure that those who do right will praise your name. Those who are honest will live with you. + + + A psalm of David. Lord, I call out to you. Come quickly to help me. Listen to me when I call out to you. + May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense. When I lift up my hands in prayer, may it be like the evening sacrifice. + Lord, guard my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. + Don't let my heart be drawn to what is evil. Don't let me join men who do evil. They don't do what is right. Don't let me join them and eat their fancy food. + If a person who does what is right were to strike me, it would be an act of kindness. If that person were to correct me, it would be like pouring olive oil on my head. I wouldn't say no to it. But I always pray against the things that sinful people do. + When their rulers are thrown down from the rocky cliffs, those evil people will realize that my words were true. + They will say, "As clumps of dirt are left from plowing up the ground, so our bones will be scattered near an open grave." + But Lord and King, I keep looking to you. I go to you for safety. Don't let me die. + Keep me from the traps of those who do evil. Save me from the traps they have set for me. + Let evil people fall into their own nets. But let me go safely on my way. + + + A prayer of David when he was in the cave. A maskil. I call out to the Lord. I pray to him for his favor. + I pour out my problem to him. I tell him about my trouble. + When I grow weak, you know what I'm going through. In the path where I walk, people have hidden a trap to catch me. + Look around me, and you will see that no one is concerned about me. I have no place of safety. No one cares whether I live or die. + Lord, I cry out to you. I say, "You are my place of safety. You are everything I need in this life." + Listen to my cry. I am in great need. Save me from those who are chasing me. They are too strong for me. + My troubles are like a prison. Set me free so I can praise your name. Then those who do what is right will gather around me because you have been good to me. + + + A psalm of David. Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for your favor. You are faithful and right. Come and help me. + Don't take me to court and judge me, because in your eyes no living person does what is right. + My enemies chase me. They crush me down to the ground. They make me live in darkness like those who died long ago. + So I grow weak. Deep down inside me, I'm afraid. + I remember what happened long ago. I spend time thinking about all of your acts. I consider what your hands have done. + I spread out my hands to you in prayer. I'm thirsty for you, just as dry ground is thirsty for rain. Selah + Lord, answer me quickly. I'm growing weak. Don't turn your face away from me, or I will be like those who go down into the grave. + In the morning let me hear about your faithful love, because I've put my trust in you. Show me the way I should live, because I pray to you. + Lord, save me from my enemies, because I go to you for safety. + Teach me to do what you want, because you are my God. May your good Spirit lead me on a level path. + Lord, be true to your name. Keep me alive. Because you do what is right, get me out of trouble. + Because your love is faithful, put an end to my enemies. Destroy all of them, because I serve you. + + + A psalm of David. Give praise to the Lord. He is my rock. He trains my hands for war. He trains my fingers for battle. + He is my loving God. He is like a fort to me. He is my place of safety and the One who saves me. He is like a shield that keeps me safe. I go to him for safety. He brings nations under my control. + Lord, what is a human being that you take care of him? What is a son of man that you think about him? + His life doesn't last any longer than a breath. His days are like a shadow that quickly disappears. + Lord, open up your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke. + Send flashes of lightning and scatter my enemies. Shoot your arrows and chase them away. + My enemies are like a mighty flood. Reach down from heaven and save me. Save me from strangers who attack me. + They tell all kinds of lies with their mouths. Even when they make a promise by raising their right hands, they don't mean it. + God, I will sing a new song to you. I will make music to you on a harp that has ten strings. + You are the One who helps kings win battles. You save your servant David from dying by the sword. + Save me. Set me free from strangers who attack me. They tell all kinds of lies with their mouths. Even when they make a promise by raising their right hands, they don't mean it. + While our sons are young, they will be like healthy plants. Our daughters will be like pillars that have been made to decorate a palace. + Our storerooms will be filled with every kind of food. The sheep in our fields will increase by thousands. They will increase by tens of thousands. + Our oxen will pull heavy loads. None of our city walls will be broken down. No one will be carried off as a prisoner. No cries of pain will be heard in our streets. + Blessed are the people about whom all of those things are true. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. + + + A psalm of praise. A psalm of David. I will honor you, my God the King. I will praise your name for ever and ever. + Every day I will praise you. I will praise your name for ever and ever. + Lord, you are great. You are really worthy of praise. No one can completely understand how great you are. + Parents will praise your works to their children. They will tell about your mighty acts. + They will speak about your glorious majesty. I will spend time thinking about your miracles. + They will speak about the powerful and wonderful things you do. I will talk about the great things you have done. + They will celebrate your great goodness. They will sing with joy about your holy acts. + The Lord is gracious. He is kind and tender. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. + The Lord is good to all. He shows deep concern for everything he has made. + Lord, every living thing you have made will praise you. Your faithful people will praise you. + They will tell about your glorious kingdom. They will speak about your power. + Then all people will know about the mighty things you have done. They will know about the glorious majesty of your kingdom. + Your kingdom is a kingdom that will last forever. Your rule will continue for all time to come. The Lord is faithful and will keep all of his promises. He is loving toward everything he has made. + The Lord takes good care of all those who fall. He lifts up all those who feel helpless. + Every living thing looks to you for food. You give it to them exactly when they need it. + You open your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature. + The Lord is right in everything he does. He is loving toward everything he has made. + The Lord is ready to help all those who call out to him. He helps those who really mean it when they call out to him. + He satisfies the needs of those who have respect for him. He hears their cry and saves them. + The Lord watches over all those who love him. But he will destroy all sinful people. + I will praise the Lord with my mouth. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. + + + Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord. + I will praise the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. + Don't put your trust in human leaders. Don't trust in people. They can't save you. + When they die, they return to the ground. On that very day their plans are bound to fail. + Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help. Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God. + He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean. He made everything in them. The Lord remains faithful forever. + He stands up for those who are beaten down. He gives food to hungry people. The Lord sets prisoners free. + The Lord gives sight to those who are blind. The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless. The Lord loves those who do what is right. + The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land. He takes good care of children whose fathers have died. He also takes good care of widows. But he causes evil people to fail in everything they do. + The Lord rules forever. The God of Zion will rule for all time to come. Praise the Lord. + + + Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God! How pleasant and right it is to praise him! + The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers the scattered people of Israel. + He heals those who have broken hearts. He takes care of their wounds. + He decides how many stars there should be. He gives each one of them a name. + Great is our Lord. His power is mighty. There is no limit to his understanding. + The Lord gives strength to those who aren't proud. But he throws evil people down to the ground. + Sing to the Lord and give thanks to him. Make music to our God on the harp. + He covers the sky with clouds. He supplies the earth with rain. He makes grass grow on the hills. + He provides food for the cattle. He provides for the young ravens when they cry out. + He doesn't take pleasure in the strength of horses. He doesn't take delight in the strong legs of men. + The Lord takes delight in those who have respect for him. They put their hope in his faithful love. + Jerusalem, praise the Lord. Zion, praise your God. + He makes the bars of your gates stronger. He blesses the people who live inside you. + He keeps your borders safe and secure. He satisfies you with the finest wheat. + He sends his command to the earth. His word arrives there quickly. + He spreads the snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes. + He throws down his hail like small stones. No one can stand his icy blast. + He gives his command, and the ice melts. He stirs up his winds, and the waters flow. + He has made his word known to the people of Jacob. He has made his laws and rules known to Israel. + He hasn't done that for any other nation. They don't know his laws. Praise the Lord. + + + Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heavens above. + Praise him, all his angels. Praise him, all his angels in heaven. + Praise him, sun and moon. Praise him, all you shining stars. + Praise him, you highest heavens. Praise him, you waters above the skies. + Let all of them praise the name of the Lord, because he gave a command and they were created. + He set them in place for ever and ever. He gave them laws they will always have to obey. + Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all of the deepest parts of the ocean. + Praise him, lightning and hail, snow and clouds. Praise him, you stormy winds that obey him. + Praise him, all you mountains and hills. Praise him, all you fruit trees and cedar trees. + Praise him, all you wild animals and cattle. Praise him, you small creatures and flying birds. + Praise him, you kings of the earth and all nations. Praise him, all you princes and rulers on earth. + Praise him, young men and young women. Praise him, old people and children. + Let them praise the name of the Lord. His name alone is honored. His glory is higher than the earth and the heavens. + He has given his people a strong king. All of his faithful people praise him for that gift. All of the people of Israel are close to his heart. Praise the Lord. + + + Praise the Lord. Sing a new song to the Lord. Sing praise to him in the community of his faithful people. + Let Israel be filled with joy because God is their Maker. Let the people of Zion be glad because he is their King. + Let them praise his name with dancing. Let them make music to him with harps and tambourines. + The Lord takes delight in his people. He saves those who aren't proud. He makes them feel like kings. + Let his faithful people be filled with joy because of that honor. Let them sing with joy even when they are lying in bed. + May they praise God with their mouths. May they hold in their hands a sword that has two edges. + Let them pay the nations back. Let them punish the people of the earth. + Let them put the kings of those nations in chains. Let them put their nobles in iron chains. + Let them carry out God's sentence against the nations. That will bring glory to all of his faithful people. Praise the Lord. + + + Praise the Lord. Praise God in his holy temple. Praise him in his mighty heavens. + Praise him for his powerful acts. Praise him because he is greater than anything else. + Praise him by blowing trumpets. Praise him with harps and lyres. + Praise him with tambourines and dancing. Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. + Praise him with clashing cymbals. Praise him with clanging cymbals. + Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. + + + + + These are the proverbs of Solomon. He was the son of David and the king of Israel. + Proverbs teach you wisdom and train you. They help you understand wise sayings. + They provide you with training and help you live wisely. They lead to what is right and honest and fair. + They give understanding to childish people. They give knowledge and good sense to those who are young. + Let wise people listen and add to what they have learned. Let those who understand what is right get guidance. + What I'm teaching also helps you understand proverbs and stories. It helps you understand the sayings and riddles of those who are wise. + If you really want to gain knowledge, you must begin by having respect for the Lord. But foolish people hate wisdom and training. + My son, listen to your father's advice. Don't turn away from your mother's teaching. + What they teach you will be like a beautiful crown on your head. It will be like a chain to decorate your neck. + My son, if sinners tempt you, don't give in to them. + They might say, "Come along with us. Let's hide and wait to spill someone's blood. Let's catch some harmless people in our trap. + Let's swallow them alive, as the grave does. Let's swallow them whole, like those who go down into the pit. + We'll get all kinds of valuable things. We'll fill our houses with what we steal. + Come and join our gang. We'll share everything we have." + My son, don't go along with them. Don't even set your feet on their paths. + They are always in a hurry to sin. They are quick to spill someone's blood. + How useless it is to spread a net while all the birds are watching! + Those who hide and wait will spill their own blood. They will be caught in their own trap. + That's what happens to everyone who goes after money in the wrong way. That kind of money takes away the lives of those who get it. + Wisdom calls out in the street. She raises her voice in public places. + At the noisy street corners she cries out. Here is what she says near the gates of the city. + "How long will you childish people love your childish ways? How long will you rude people enjoy making fun of God and others? How long will you foolish people hate knowledge? + Suppose you had paid attention to my warning. Then I would have poured out my heart to you. I would have told you what I was thinking. + But you turned away from me when I called out to you. None of you paid attention when I reached out my hand. + You turned away from all my advice. You wouldn't accept my warning. + So I will laugh at you when you are in danger. I will make fun of you when hard times come. + I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm. I will laugh when danger comes your way like a windstorm. I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come. + "Then you will call to me. But I won't answer. You will look for me. But you won't find me. + You hated knowledge. You didn't choose to have respect for the Lord. + You wouldn't accept my advice. You turned your backs on my warnings. + So you will eat the fruit of the way you have lived. You will choke on the fruit of what you have planned. + "Childish people go down the wrong path. They will die. Foolish people are satisfied with the way they live. They will be destroyed. + But those who listen to me will live in safety. They will not worry. They won't be afraid of getting hurt." + + + My son, accept my words. Store up my commands inside you. + Let your ears listen to wisdom. Apply your heart to understanding. + Call out for the ability to be wise. Cry out for understanding. + Look for it as you would look for silver. Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure. + Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord. You will find out how to know God. + The Lord gives wisdom. Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. + He stores up success for honest people. He is like a shield to those who live without blame. He keeps them safe. + He guards the path of those who are honest. He watches over the way of his faithful ones. + You will understand what is right and honest and fair. You will understand the right way to live. + Your heart will become wise. Your mind will delight in knowledge. + Good sense will keep you safe. Understanding will guard you. + Wisdom will save you from the ways of evil men. It will save you from men who twist their words. + Men like that leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways. + They take delight in doing what is wrong. They take joy in twisting everything around. + Their paths are crooked. Their ways are not straight. + Wisdom will save you from a woman who commits adultery. It will save you from a sinful wife and her tempting words. + She leaves the man she married when she was young. She breaks the promise she made to her God. + Her house leads down to death. Her paths lead to the spirits of the dead. + No one who goes to her comes back or reaches the paths of life. + You will walk in the ways of good people. You will follow the paths of those who do right. + Honest people will live in the land. Those who are without blame will remain in it. + But sinners will be cut off from the land. Those who aren't faithful will be torn away from it. + + + My son, do not forget my teaching. Keep my commands in your heart. + They will help you live for many years. They will bring you success. + Don't let love and truth ever leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. + Then you will find favor and a good name in the eyes of God and people. + Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. + In all your ways remember him. Then he will make your paths smooth and straight. + Don't be wise in your own eyes. Have respect for the Lord and avoid evil. + That will bring health to your body. It will make your bones strong. + Honor the Lord with your wealth. Give him the first share of all your crops. + Then your storerooms will be so full they can't hold everything. Your huge jars will spill over with fresh wine. + My son, do not hate the Lord's training. Do not object when he corrects you. + The Lord trains those he loves. He is like a father who trains the son he is pleased with. + Blessed is the one who finds wisdom. Blessed is the one who gains understanding. + Wisdom pays better than silver does. She earns more than gold does. + She is worth more than rubies. Nothing you want can compare with her. + Long life is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. + Her ways are pleasant ways. All her paths lead to peace. + She is a tree of life to those who hold her close. Those who hold on to her will be blessed. + By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations. Through understanding he set the heavens in place. + By his knowledge the seas were separated, and the clouds dropped their dew. + My son, hold on to good sense and the understanding of what is right. Don't let them out of your sight. + They will be life for you. They will be like a gracious necklace around your neck. + Then you will go on your way in safety. You will not trip and fall. + When you lie down, you won't be afraid. When you lie down, you will sleep soundly. + Don't be terrified by sudden trouble. Don't be afraid when sinners are destroyed. + The Lord is the one you will trust in. He will keep your feet from being caught in a trap. + Don't hold back good from those who are worthy of it. Don't hold it back when you can help. + Suppose you have something to give. Don't say to your neighbor, "Come back later. I'll give it to you tomorrow." + Don't plan to harm your neighbor. He lives near you and trusts you. + Don't bring charges against a man without any reason. He has not harmed you. + Don't be jealous of a man who hurts others. Don't choose any of his ways. + The Lord really hates sinful people. But he makes honest people his closest friends. + The Lord puts a curse on the houses of sinners. But he blesses the homes of those who do what is right. + He laughs at proud people who make fun of others. But he gives grace to those who are not proud. + Wise people receive honor. But the Lord puts foolish people to shame. + + + My children, listen to a father's teaching. Pay attention and gain understanding. + I give you good advice. So don't turn away from what I teach you. + I was once a young boy in my father's house. I was my mother's only child. + My father taught me. He said, "Hold on to my words with all your heart. Keep my commands. Then you will live. + Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don't forget my words. Don't turn away from them. + Stay close to wisdom, and she will keep you safe. Love her, and she will watch over you. + Wisdom is best. So get wisdom. No matter what it costs, get understanding. + Value wisdom, and she will lift you up. Hold her close, and she will honor you. + She will set a beautiful crown on your head. She will give you a glorious crown." + My son, listen. Accept what I say. Then you will live for many years. + I guide you in the way of wisdom. I lead you along straight paths. + When you walk, nothing will slow you down. When you run, you won't trip and fall. + Hold on to my teaching. Don't let it go. Guard it well. It is your life. + Don't take the path of evil people. Don't live the way sinners do. + Stay away from their path. Don't travel on it. Turn away from it. Go on your way. + Sinners can't sleep until they do what is evil. They can't rest until they make someone fall. + They do evil just as easily as they eat food. They hurt others as easily as they drink wine. + The path of those who do what is right is like the first gleam of dawn. It shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day. + But the way of those who do what is wrong is like deep darkness. They don't know what makes them trip and fall. + My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. + Don't let them out of your sight. Keep them in your heart. + They are life to those who find them. They are health to your whole body. + Above everything else, guard your heart. It is where your life comes from. + Don't speak with twisted words. Keep evil talk away from your lips. + Let your eyes look straight ahead. Keep looking right in front of you. + Make level paths for your feet to walk on. Only go on ways that are firm. + Don't turn to the right or left. Keep your feet from the path of evil. + + + My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Listen carefully to my wise sayings. + Then you will continue to have good sense. Your lips will keep on speaking words of knowledge. + A woman who commits adultery has lips that drip honey. What she says is smoother than oil. + But in the end she is like bitter poison. She cuts like a sword that has two edges. + Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to the grave. + She doesn't give any thought to her way of life. Her paths are crooked, but she doesn't realize it. + My sons, listen to me. Don't turn away from what I say. + Stay on a path far away from that evil woman. Don't even go near the door of her house. + If you do, you will give your best strength to others. You will give the best years of your life to someone who is mean. + Strangers will use up all of your wealth. Your hard work will make someone else rich. + At the end of your life you will groan. Your skin and your body will be worn out. + You will say, "How I hated to take advice! How my heart refused to be corrected! + I would not obey my teachers. I wouldn't listen to those who taught me. + I was almost totally destroyed. It happened right in front of the whole community." + Drink water from your own well. Drink running water from your own spring. + Should your springs pour out into the streets? Should your streams of water pour out in public places? + No! Let them belong to you alone. Never share them with strangers. + May your fountain be blessed. May the wife you married when you were young make you happy. + She is like a loving doe, a graceful deer. May her breasts always satisfy you. May you always be captured by her love. + My son, why be captured by a woman who commits adultery? Why hug the wife of another man? + The Lord watches a man's ways. He studies all of his paths. + A sinner is trapped by his own evil acts. He is held tight by the ropes of his sins. + He will die because he refused to be corrected. His sins will capture him because he was very foolish. + + + My son, don't put up money for what your neighbor owes. Don't agree to pay up for someone else. + Don't be trapped by what you have said. Don't be caught by the words of your mouth. + Instead, my son, do something to free yourself. Don't fall into your neighbor's hands. Don't be proud. Hurry and make your appeal to your neighbor. + Don't let your eyes go to sleep. Don't let your eyelids close. + As a deer frees itself from a hunter, free yourself. As a bird frees itself from a trapper, free yourself. + You people who don't want to work, think about the ant! Consider its ways and be wise! + It has no commander. It has no leader or ruler. + But it stores up its food in summer. It gathers its food at harvest time. + You lazy people, how long will you lie there? When will you get up from your sleep? + You might sleep a little or take a little nap. You might even fold your hands and rest. + Then you would be poor, as if someone had robbed you. You would have little, as if someone had stolen from you. + A worthless and evil man goes around saying twisted things with his mouth. + He winks with his eyes. He makes signals with his feet. He motions with his fingers. + His plans are evil. He has lies in his heart. He is always stirring up fights. + Trouble will catch up with him in an instant. He will suddenly be destroyed. Nothing can save him. + There are six things the Lord hates. In fact, he hates seven things. + The Lord hates proud eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that kill those who aren't guilty. + He also hates hearts that make evil plans, feet that are quick to do evil, + any witness who pours out lies, and anyone who stirs up family fights. + My son, keep your father's commands. Don't turn away from your mother's teaching. + Tie them to your heart forever. Put them around your neck. + When you walk, they will guide you. When you sleep, they will watch over you. When you wake up, they will speak to you. + Your father's commands are like a lamp. Your mother's teaching is like a light. And the training that corrects you leads to life. + It keeps you from a sinful woman. It keeps you from the smooth tongue of a woman who commits adultery. + Don't hunger in your heart after her beauty. Don't let her eyes capture you. + A prostitute leaves you with only a loaf of bread. Another man's wife hunts your very life. + You can't shovel fire into your lap without burning your clothes. + You can't walk on hot coals without burning your feet. + It's the same for anyone who has sex with another man's wife. Anyone who touches her will be punished. + People don't hate a thief who steals to fill his empty stomach. + But when he is caught, he must pay seven times as much as he stole. It may even cost him everything he has. + A man who commits adultery has no sense. Anyone who does it destroys himself. + He will be beaten up and dishonored. His shame will never be wiped away. + Jealousy stirs up a husband's anger. He will show no mercy when he gets even. + He won't accept any payment. He won't take any money, no matter how much he is offered. + + + My son, obey my words. Store up my commands inside you. + Obey my commands and you will live. Guard my teachings as you would your own eyes. + Tie them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. + Say to wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding a member of your family. + They will keep you from a woman who commits adultery. They will keep you from the smooth talk of a sinful wife. + I stood at the window of my house. I looked out through it. + Among those who were childish I saw a young man who had no sense. + He went down the street near that sinful woman's corner. He walked toward her house. + The sun had gone down. Day was fading. The darkness of night was falling. + A woman came out to meet him. She was dressed like a prostitute and had a clever plan. + She was a loud and pushy woman. She never stayed at home. + Sometimes in the streets, sometimes at other places, at every corner she would wait. + She took hold of the young man and kissed him. With a bold face she spoke to him. + She said, "At home I have meat left over from my offerings. Today I offered what I had promised I would. + So I came out to meet you. I looked for you. And I have found you! + I have covered my bed with colored sheets from Egypt. + I've perfumed my bed with spices. I used myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. + Come, let's drink our fill of love until morning. Let's enjoy ourselves by having sex! + My husband isn't home. He's gone on a long journey. + He took his bag full of money. He won't be home for several days." + She led him down the wrong path with her clever words. She charmed him with her smooth talk. + All at once he followed her. He was like an ox going to be killed. He was like a deer stepping into a trap + until an arrow struck its liver. He was like a bird rushing into a trap. Little did he know it would cost him his life! + My sons, listen to me. Pay attention to what I say. + Don't let your hearts turn to her ways. Don't step onto her paths. + She has brought down a lot of men. She has killed a huge crowd. + Her house is a road to the grave. It leads down to the place of the dead. + + + Doesn't wisdom call out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice? + On the high roads along the way, she takes her place where the paths meet. + Beside the gates leading into the city, she cries out at the entrances. + She says, "Men, I call out to you. I raise my voice to all human beings. + You who are childish, get some good sense. You who are foolish, gain understanding. + Listen! I have worthy things to say. I open my lips to speak what is right. + My mouth speaks what is true. My lips hate evil. + All the words of my mouth are honest. None of them is twisted or sinful. + To those who have understanding, all my words are right. To those who have knowledge, they are true. + Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold. + Wisdom is worth more than rubies. Nothing you want can compare with her. + "I, wisdom, live together with understanding. I have knowledge and good sense. + To have respect for the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and bragging. I hate evil ways and twisted words. + I have good sense and give good advice. I have understanding and power. + By me kings rule. Leaders make laws that are fair. + By me princes govern. By me all nobles rule on earth. + I love those who love me. Those who look for me find me. + With me are riches and honor. With me are lasting wealth and success. + My fruit is better than fine gold. My gifts are better than the finest silver. + I walk in ways that are honest. I take paths that are right. + I leave riches to those who love me. I give them more than they have room for. + "The Lord created me as the first of his works, before his acts of long ago. + I was formed at the very beginning. I was formed before the world began. + Before there were any oceans, I was born. There weren't any springs of water at that time. + Before the mountains were settled in place, I was born. Before there were any hills, I was born. + It happened before the Lord made the earth and its fields. It was before he made the dust of the world. + I was there when he set the heavens in place. When he marked out the place where the sky meets the sea, I was there. + That was when he put the clouds above. It was when he fixed the ocean springs in place. + It was when he set limits for the sea so that the waters had to obey his command. When he marked out the foundations of the earth, I was there. + I was the skilled worker at his side. I was filled with delight day after day. I was always happy to be with him. + His whole world filled me with joy. I took delight in all human beings. + "My children, listen to me. Blessed are those who keep my ways. + Listen to my teaching and be wise. Don't turn away from it. + Blessed is the one who listens to me. He watches every day at my doors. He waits beside my doorway. + Those who find me find life. They receive favor from the Lord. + But those who don't find me harm only themselves. Everyone who hates me loves death." + + + Wisdom has built her house. She has made its seven pillars. + She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine. She has also set her table. + She has sent out her female servants. She calls out from the highest point of the city. + She says, "Let all who are childish come in here!" She speaks to those who have no sense. + "Come and eat my food. Drink the wine I have mixed. + Leave your childish ways and you will live. Walk in the way that leads to understanding. + "When you correct someone who makes fun of others, you might be laughed at. When you warn a sinner, you might get hurt. + Don't warn those who make fun of others. They will hate you. Warn those who are wise. They will love you. + Teach a wise man. He will become even wiser. Teach a person who does right. He will learn even more. + "If you really want to become wise, you must begin by having respect for the Lord. To know the Holy One is to gain understanding. + Through me, you will live a long time. Years will be added to your life. + If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you. If you make fun of others, you alone will suffer." + The woman called Foolishness is loud. She doesn't control herself. She doesn't know anything. + She sits at the door of her house. She sits at the highest point of the city. + She calls out to those who pass by. She calls out to those who go straight on their way. + She says, "Let all who are childish come in here!" She speaks to those who have no sense. + She says, "Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret tastes good!" + But they don't know that dead people are there. They don't know that her guests are in the deepest parts of the grave. + + + These are the proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes his father glad. But a foolish son brings sorrow to his mother. + Riches that are gained by sinning aren't worth anything. But doing what is right saves you from death. + The Lord gives those who do right the food they need. But he lets those who do wrong go hungry. + Hands that don't want to work make you poor. But hands that work hard bring wealth to you. + A child who gathers crops in summer is wise. But a child who sleeps at harvest time brings shame. + Blessings are like crowns on the heads of those who do right. But the trouble caused by what sinners say destroys them. + To remember those who do right is a blessing. But the names of those who do wrong will rot. + A wise heart accepts commands. But foolish chattering destroys you. + Anyone who lives without blame walks safely. But anyone who takes a crooked path will get caught. + An evil wink gets you into trouble. And foolish chattering destroys you. + The mouths of those who do right are a fountain of life. But the trouble caused by what sinners say destroys them. + Hate stirs up fights. But love erases all sins by forgiving them. + Wisdom is found on the lips of those who understand what is right. But those who have no sense are punished. + Wise people store up knowledge. But the mouths of foolish people destroy them. + The wealth of rich people is like a city that makes them feel safe. But having nothing destroys those who are poor. + People who do what is right earn life. But what sinners earn causes them to be punished. + Anyone who pays attention to his training is on his way to life. But anyone who refuses to be corrected leads others down the wrong path. + Anyone who hides hatred has lying lips. And anyone who spreads lies is foolish. + Those who talk a lot are likely to sin. But those who control their tongues are wise. + The tongues of those who do right are like fine silver. But the hearts of those who do wrong aren't worth very much. + The words of those who do right benefit many people. But those who are foolish die because they have no sense. + The blessing of the Lord brings wealth. Trouble doesn't come with it. + A foolish person finds pleasure in doing evil things. But a man who has understanding takes delight in wisdom. + What sinners are afraid of will catch up with them. But those who do right will get what they want. + When the storm is over, sinners are gone. But those who do right stand firm forever. + Anyone who doesn't want to work hurts those who send him. He is like vinegar on the teeth or smoke in the eyes. + Having respect for the Lord leads to a longer life. But the years of evil people are cut short. + Those who do right can expect joy. But the hopes of sinners are bound to fail. + The way of the Lord leads to a safe place for those who do right. But it destroys those who do evil. + Those who do right will never be removed from the land. But those who do wrong will not remain in it. + The mouths of those who do right produce wisdom. But tongues that speak twisted words will be cut out. + Those who do right know the proper thing to say. But those who do wrong speak only twisted words. + + + The Lord hates it when people use scales to cheat others. But he is delighted when people use honest weights. + When pride comes, shame follows. But wisdom comes to those who are not proud. + Those who do what is right are guided by their honest lives. But those who aren't faithful are destroyed by their trickery. + Wealth isn't worth anything when God judges you. But doing what is right saves you from death. + The ways of honest people are made straight because they do what is right. But those who do what is wrong are brought down by their own sins. + Godly people are saved by doing what is right. But those who aren't faithful are trapped by evil longings. + When an evil man dies, his hope dies with him. Everything he expected to gain from his power will be lost. + Those who do right are saved from trouble. But trouble comes on those who do wrong. + With their words ungodly people destroy their neighbors. But those who do what is right escape because of their knowledge. + When those who do right succeed, their city is glad. When those who do wrong die, people shout for joy. + The blessing of honest people builds up a city. But the words of sinners destroy it. + A person who has no sense makes fun of his neighbor. But a man who has understanding controls his tongue. + Those who talk about others tell secrets. But those who can be trusted keep things to themselves. + Without the guidance of good leaders a nation falls. But many good advisers can save it. + Anyone who puts up money for what someone else owes will certainly suffer. But a person who doesn't agree to pay up for someone else is safe. + A woman who has a kind heart gains respect. But men who are not kind gain only wealth. + A kind man benefits himself. But a mean person brings trouble on himself. + Those who do what is wrong really earn nothing. But those who plant what is right will certainly be rewarded. + Right living leads to life. But anyone who runs after evil will die. + The Lord hates those whose hearts are twisted. But he is pleased with those who live without blame. + You can be sure that sinners will be punished. And you can also be sure that godly people will go free. + A beautiful woman who has no sense is like a gold ring in a pig's nose. + What godly people long for ends only in what is good. But what sinners hope for ends only in God's anger. + Some give freely but get even richer. Others don't give what they should but get even poorer. + Anyone who gives a lot will succeed. Anyone who renews others will be renewed. + People call down curses on those who store up grain for themselves. But blessing makes those who are willing to sell feel like kings. + Anyone who looks for what is good finds favor. But bad things happen to a person who plans to do evil. + Those who trust in their riches will fall. But those who do right will be as healthy as a green leaf. + Those who bring trouble on their families will receive nothing but wind. And foolish people will serve wise people. + The fruit that godly people bear is like a tree of life. And those who lead others to do what is right are wise. + Godly people get what they should get on earth. So ungodly people and sinners will certainly get what they should get! + + + Anyone who loves to be trained loves knowledge. Anyone who hates to be corrected is stupid. + The Lord blesses anyone who does good. But he judges any man who is tricky. + If a man does what is evil, he can't become strong and steady. But if people do what is right, they can't be removed from the land. + A noble wife is her husband's crown. But a wife who brings shame is like sickness in his bones. + The plans of godly people are right. But the advice of sinners will lead you the wrong way. + The words of those who are evil hide and wait to spill people's blood. But the speech of those who are honest saves them from traps like that. + Sinners are destroyed and taken away. But the houses of godly people stand firm. + A man is praised for how wise he is. But people hate those who have twisted minds. + Being nobody and having a servant is better than pretending to be somebody and having no food. + Those who do what is right take good care of their animals. But the kindest acts of those who do wrong are mean. + Anyone who farms his land will have plenty of food. But a person who chases dreams has no sense. + Those who do what is wrong want to steal from others. But those who do what is right bear good fruit because of their deep roots. + A sinner is trapped by his sinful talk. But a godly person escapes trouble. + Many good things come from what a man says. And the work of his hands rewards him. + The way of a foolish person seems right to him. But a wise person listens to advice. + Foolish people are easily upset. But wise people pay no attention to hurtful words. + An honest witness tells the truth. But a dishonest witness tells lies. + Thoughtless words cut like a sword. But the tongue of wise people brings healing. + Truthful words last forever. But lies last for only a moment. + There are lies in the hearts of those who plan evil. But there is joy for those who work to bring peace. + No harm comes to godly people. But sinners have all the trouble they can handle. + The Lord hates those whose lips tell lies. But he is pleased with people who tell the truth. + Wise people keep their knowledge to themselves. But the hearts of foolish people shout foolish things. + Hands that work hard will rule. But people who don't want to work will become slaves. + Worry makes a man's heart heavy. But a kind word cheers him up. + Godly people are careful about the friends they choose. But the way of sinners leads them down the wrong path. + Anyone who refuses to work doesn't even cook what he catches. But a man who works hard values what he has. + There is life in doing what is right. Along that path you will never die. + + + A wise child pays attention to what his father teaches him. But anyone who makes fun of others doesn't listen to warnings. + The good things a man says benefit him. But a liar loves to hurt others. + Anyone who guards what he says guards his life. But anyone who speaks without thinking will be destroyed. + People who refuse to work want things and get nothing. But the longings of people who work hard are completely satisfied. + Those who do right hate what is false. But those who do wrong bring shame and dishonor. + Doing right guards those who are honest. But evil destroys those who are sinful. + Some people pretend to be rich but have nothing. Others pretend to be poor but have great wealth. + A man who is rich might have to pay to save his life. But a poor person is not in danger of that. + The lights of godly people shine brightly. But the lamps of sinners are blown out. + Pride only leads to arguing. But those who take advice are wise. + Money that is gained in the wrong way disappears. But money that is gathered little by little grows. + Hope that is put off makes one sick at heart. But a longing that is met is like a tree of life. + Anyone who hates what he is taught will pay for it later. But a person who respects a command will be rewarded. + The teaching of wise people is like a fountain that gives life. It turns those who listen to it away from the jaws of death. + Good understanding wins favor. But the way of liars doesn't last. + Wise people act in keeping with the knowledge they have. But foolish people show how foolish they are. + An evil messenger gets into trouble. But a messenger who is trusted brings healing. + Those who turn away from their training become poor and ashamed. But those who accept warnings are honored. + A longing that is met is like something that tastes sweet. But foolish people hate to turn away from evil. + Anyone who walks with wise people grows wise. But a companion of foolish people suffers harm. + Hard times chase those who are sinful. But success is the reward of those who do right. + A good person leaves what he owns to his children and grandchildren. But a sinner's wealth is stored up for those who do right. + The fields of poor people might produce a lot of food. But those who beat them down destroy it all. + Those who don't correct their children hate them. But those who love them are careful to train them. + Those who do right eat until they are full. But the stomachs of those who do wrong go hungry. + + + A wise woman builds her house. But a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands. + An honest person has respect for the Lord. But a person whose paths are crooked hates him. + Foolish people are punished for what they say. But the things wise people say keep them safe. + Where there are no oxen, the feed box is empty. But a strong ox brings in a great harvest. + An honest witness does not lie. But a dishonest witness pours out lies. + Those who make fun of others look for wisdom and don't find it. But knowledge comes easily to those who understand what is right. + Stay away from a foolish man. You won't find knowledge in what he says. + People are wise and understanding when they think about the way they live. But people are foolish when their foolish ways trick them. + Foolish people laugh at making things right when they sin. But honest people try to do the right thing. + Each heart knows its own sadness. And no one else can share its joy. + The houses of sinners will be destroyed. But the tents of honest people will stand firm. + There is a way that may seem right to a man. But in the end it leads to death. + Even when you laugh, your heart can be hurting. And your joy can end in sadness. + Those who aren't faithful will be paid back for what they've done. And good men will receive rewards for how they've lived. + A childish person believes anything. But a wise person thinks about how he lives. + A wise person has respect for the Lord and avoids evil. But a foolish person gets mad and is thoughtless. + Anyone who gets angry quickly does foolish things. And a man who is tricky is hated. + Childish people act in keeping with their foolish ways. But knowledge makes wise people feel like kings. + Evil people will bow down in front of good people. And those who do wrong will bow down at the gates of those who do right. + Poor people are avoided even by their neighbors. But rich people have many friends. + Anyone who hates his neighbor commits sin. But blessed is the person who is kind to those in need. + Those who plan evil go down the wrong path. But those who plan good find love and truth. + All hard work pays off. But if all you do is talk, you will be poor. + The wealth of wise people is their crown. But the foolish ways of foolish people lead to what is foolish. + An honest witness saves lives. But a dishonest witness tells lies. + Anyone who shows respect for the Lord has a strong tower. It will be a safe place for his children. + Respect for the Lord is like a fountain that gives life. It turns you away from the jaws of death. + A large population is a king's glory. But a prince without followers is destroyed. + Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish he is. + A peaceful heart gives life to the body. But jealousy rots the bones. + Anyone who crushes poor people makes fun of their Maker. But anyone who is kind to those in need honors God. + When trouble comes, sinners are brought down. But godly people have a safe place even when they die. + Wisdom rests in the hearts of those who understand what is right. And even among foolish people she makes herself known. + Doing what is right lifts people up. But sin brings shame to any nation. + A king is pleased with a wise servant. But a servant who is full of shame invites the king's anger. + + + A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger. + The tongues of wise people use knowledge well. But the mouths of foolish people pour out foolish words. + The eyes of the Lord are everywhere. They watch those who are evil and those who are good. + A tongue that brings healing is like a tree of life. But a tongue that tells lies produces a broken spirit. + A foolish person turns his back on how his father has trained him. But anyone who accepts being corrected shows understanding. + The houses of those who do what is right hold great wealth. But those who do what is wrong earn only trouble. + The lips of wise people spread knowledge. But that's not true of the hearts of foolish people. + The Lord hates the sacrifice of sinful people. But the prayers of honest people please him. + The Lord hates how sinners live. But he loves those who run after what is right. + Hard training is in store for anyone who leaves the right path. A person who hates to be corrected will die. + Death and the Grave lie open in front of the Lord. So the hearts of mere men certainly lie open to him! + Anyone who makes fun of others doesn't like to be corrected. He won't ask wise people for advice. + A happy heart makes a face look cheerful. But a sad heart produces a broken spirit. + A heart that understands what is right looks for knowledge. But the mouths of foolish people feed on what is foolish. + All the days of those who are crushed are filled with pain and suffering. But a cheerful heart enjoys a good time that never ends. + It is better to have respect for the Lord and have little than to be rich and have trouble. + A meal of vegetables where there is love is better than the finest meat where there is hatred. + A man who burns with anger stirs up fights. But a person who is patient calms things down. + The way of people who don't want to work is blocked with thorns. But the path of honest people is a wide road. + A wise son makes his father glad. But a foolish son hates his mother. + A person who has no sense enjoys doing foolish things. But a man who has understanding walks straight ahead. + Plans fail without good advice. But they succeed when there are many advisers. + Joy is found in giving the right answer. And how good is a word spoken at the right time! + The path of life leads up for those who are wise. It keeps them from going down to the grave. + The Lord tears down the proud person's house. But he keeps the widow's property safe. + The Lord hates the thoughts of sinful people. But the thoughts of pure people are pleasing to him. + Anyone who always wants more brings trouble to his family. But a person who refuses to be paid off will live. + The hearts of those who do right think about how they will answer. But the mouths of those who do wrong pour out evil. + The Lord is far away from those who do wrong. But he hears the prayers of those who do right. + A cheerful look brings joy to your heart. And good news gives health to your body. + If you listen to a warning, you will live. You will be at home among those who are wise. + Anyone who turns away from his training hates himself. But anyone who accepts being corrected gains understanding. + Having respect for the Lord teaches you how to live wisely. So don't be proud if you want to be honored. + + + People make plans in their hearts. But the Lord controls what they say. + Everything a man does might seem right to him. But the Lord knows what that man is thinking. + Commit to the Lord everything you do. Then your plans will succeed. + The Lord works everything out for his own purposes. Even those who do wrong were made for a day of trouble. + The Lord hates all those who have proud hearts. You can be sure that they will be punished. + Through love and truth sin is paid for. People avoid evil when they have respect for the Lord. + When the way you live pleases the Lord, he makes even your enemies live at peace with you. + It is better to have a little and do right than to have a lot and be unfair. + In your heart you plan your life. But the Lord decides where your steps will take you. + A king might speak as if his words come from God. But what he says should not turn right into wrong. + Honest scales and balances come from the Lord. He made all of the weights in the bag. + A king hates it when his people do what is wrong. A ruler is made secure when they do what is right. + Kings are pleased when what you say is honest. They value people who speak the truth. + An angry king can order your death. But a wise man will try to calm him down. + When a king's face is happy, it means life. His favor is like rain in the spring. + It is much better to get wisdom than gold. It is much better to choose understanding than silver. + The path of honest people takes them away from evil. Those who guard their ways guard their lives. + If you are proud, you will be destroyed. If you are proud, you will fall. + Suppose you are lowly in spirit and are with those who are beaten down. That's better than sharing stolen goods with those who are proud. + If anyone pays attention to what he is taught, he will succeed. Blessed is the person who puts his trust in the Lord. + Wise hearts are known for understanding what is right. Pleasant words make people want to learn more. + Understanding is like a fountain of life to those who have it. But foolish people are punished for the foolish things they do. + The hearts of wise people guide their mouths. Their words make people want to learn more. + Pleasant words are like honey. They are sweet to the spirit and bring healing to the body. + There is a way that may seem right to a man. But in the end it leads to death. + The hunger of a worker makes him work. His hunger drives him on. + A worthless man plans to do evil things. His words are like a burning fire. + A twisted person stirs up fights. Anyone who talks about others comes between close friends. + A man who wants to hurt others tries to get them to sin. He leads them down a path that isn't good. + When he winks with his eyes, he is planning to do wrong. When his lips are tightly closed, he is up to no good. + Gray hair is a glorious crown. You get it by living the right way. + It is better to be patient than to fight. It is better to control your temper than to take a city. + Lots are cast into the lap to make decisions. But everything they decide comes from the Lord. + + + It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet than to eat a big dinner in a house that is full of fighting. + A wise servant will rule over a shameful child. He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member. + Fire tests silver. Heat tests gold. But the Lord tests our hearts. + An evil person listens to evil words. A liar pays attention to words that are harmful. + Anyone who laughs at those who are poor makes fun of their Maker. Anyone who is happy when others suffer will be punished. + Grandchildren are like a crown to older people. And children are proud of their parents. + It isn't proper for foolish people to brag. And it certainly isn't proper for rulers to tell lies! + Money buys favors for those who give it. No matter where they turn, they succeed. + Those who erase a sin by forgiving it show love. But those who talk about it come between close friends. + A person who understands what is right learns more from just a warning than a foolish person learns from 100 strokes with a whip. + An evil person never wants to obey. An official who shows no mercy will be sent against him. + It is better to meet a bear whose cubs have been stolen than to meet a foolish person who is acting foolishly. + Evil will never leave the house of anyone who pays back evil for good. + Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam. So drop the matter before a fight breaks out. + The Lord hates two things. He hates it when the guilty are set free. He also hates it when those who aren't guilty are punished. + What good is money in the hands of a foolish person? He doesn't want to become wise. + A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when trouble comes. + A man who has little sense agrees to pay what other people owe. It isn't wise to put up money for others. + The one who loves to argue loves to sin. The one who builds a high gate is just asking to be destroyed. + If your heart is twisted, you won't succeed. If your tongue tells lies, you will get into trouble. + It is sad to have a foolish child. The parents of a foolish person have no joy. + A cheerful heart makes you healthy. But a broken spirit dries you up. + Anyone who does wrong accepts favors in secret. Then he turns what is right into wrong. + Anyone who understands what is right keeps wisdom in view. But the eyes of a foolish person look everywhere else. + A foolish child makes his father sad and his mother sorry. + It isn't good to punish those who aren't guilty. It isn't good to whip officials just because they are honest. + Anyone who has knowledge controls his words. A man who has understanding is not easily upset. + We think even a foolish person is wise if he keeps silent. We think he understands what is right if he controls his tongue. + + + A person who isn't friendly looks out only for himself. He opposes all good sense. + A foolish person doesn't want to understand. He takes delight in saying only what he thinks. + People hate it when evil comes. And they refuse to honor those who bring shame. + The words of a person's mouth are like deep water. But the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream. + It isn't good to favor those who do wrong. And it isn't good to hold back what is fair from those who aren't guilty. + What a foolish person says leads to arguing. He is just asking for a beating. + The words of a foolish person drag him down. He is trapped by what he says. + The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you. + Anyone who doesn't want to work is like someone who destroys. + The name of the Lord is like a strong tower. Godly people run to it and are safe. + The wealth of rich people is like a city that makes them feel safe. They think of it as a city with walls that can't be climbed. + If a man's heart is proud, he will be destroyed. So don't be proud if you want to be honored. + To answer before listening is foolish and shameful. + A man's cheerful heart gives him strength when he is sick. You can't keep going if you have a broken spirit. + Those whose hearts understand what is right get knowledge. The ears of those who are wise listen for it. + A gift opens the way for the one who gives it. It helps him meet important people. + The first one to tell his case seems right. Then someone else comes forward and questions him. + Casting lots will put a stop to arguing. It will keep the strongest enemies apart. + A broken friendship is harder to deal with than a city that has high walls around it. And arguing is like the locked gates of a mighty city. + A man can fill his stomach with what he says. The words from his lips can satisfy him. + Your tongue has the power of life and death. Those who love to talk will eat the fruit of their words. + The one who finds a wife finds what is good. He receives favor from the Lord. + Poor people beg for mercy. But rich people answer in a mean way. + Even a man who has many companions can be destroyed. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. + + + It is better to be poor and to live without blame than to be foolish and to twist words around. + It isn't good to get all stirred up without knowledge. And it isn't good to be in a hurry and miss the way. + A man's own foolish acts destroy his life. But his heart is angry with the Lord. + Wealth brings many friends. But the friends of poor people leave them alone. + A dishonest witness will be punished. And those who pour out lies will not go free. + Many try to win the favor of rulers. And everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts. + A poor person is avoided by his whole family. His friends avoid him even more. The poor person runs after them to beg. But he can't find them. + Anyone who gets wisdom loves himself. Anyone who values understanding succeeds. + A dishonest witness will be punished. And those who pour out lies will die. + It isn't proper for a foolish person to live in great comfort. And it is much worse when a slave rules over princes! + A man's wisdom makes him patient. He will be honored if he forgives someone who sins against him. + A king's anger is like a lion's roar. But his favor is like dew on the grass. + If a child is foolish, he destroys his father. A nagging wife is like dripping that never stops. + You will receive houses and wealth from your parents. But a wise wife is given by the Lord. + Anyone who doesn't want to work sleeps his life away. And a person who refuses to work goes hungry. + Those who obey what they are taught guard their lives. But those who don't care how they live will die. + Anyone who is kind to poor people lends to the Lord. God will reward him for what he has done. + Train your child. Then there is hope. Don't do anything to bring about his death. + Anyone who burns with anger must pay for it. If you save him, you will have to do it again. + Listen to advice and accept what you are taught. In the end you will be wise. + A man may have many plans in his heart. But the Lord's purpose wins out in the end. + Every man longs for love that never fails. It is better to be poor than to be a liar. + Having respect for the Lord leads to life. Then you will be content and free from trouble. + A person who doesn't want to work leaves his hand in the dish. He won't even bring it back up to his mouth! + If you whip a person who makes fun of others, childish people will learn to be wise. If you warn someone who already understands what is right, he will gain even more knowledge. + A child who robs his father and drives out his mother brings shame and dishonor. + My son, if you stop listening to what I teach you, you will wander away from the words of knowledge. + A dishonest witness makes fun of what is right. The mouths of those who do wrong gulp down evil. + Those who make fun of others will be judged. Foolish people will be punished. + + + Wine causes you to make fun of others, and beer causes you to start fights. Anyone who is led down the wrong path by them is not wise. + A king's anger is like a lion's roar. Anyone who makes him angry may lose his life. + Avoiding a fight brings honor to a man. But every foolish person is quick to argue. + Anyone who refuses to work doesn't plow in the right season. When he looks for a crop at harvest time, he doesn't find it. + The purposes of a man's heart are like deep water. But a man who has understanding brings them out. + Many claim to have love that never fails. But who can find a faithful man? + Anyone who does what is right lives without blame. Blessed are his children after him. + A king sits on his throne to judge. He gets rid of all evil when he sees it. + No one can say, "I have kept my heart pure. I'm clean. I haven't sinned." + The Lord hates two things. He hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are. He also hates measures that measure things larger or smaller than they really are. + A child is known by his actions. He is known by whether his conduct is pure and right. + The Lord has made two things. He has made ears that hear. He has also made eyes that see. + Don't love sleep, or you will become poor. Stay awake, and you will have more food than you need. + "It's no good. It's no good!" says a buyer. Then off he goes and brags about what he bought. + There is gold. There are plenty of rubies. But lips that speak knowledge are a priceless jewel. + Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes. Hold it until you get paid back if he does it for a woman who commits adultery. + Food gained by cheating tastes sweet to a man. But he will end up with a mouth full of sand. + Make plans by asking for guidance. If you go to war, get good advice. + A person who talks about others tells secrets. So avoid anyone who talks too much. + If anyone calls down curses on his father or mother, his lamp will be blown out in total darkness. + Property you gain quickly at the beginning will not be blessed in the end. + Don't say, "I'll get even with you for the wrong you did to me!" Wait for the Lord, and he will save you. + The Lord hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are. Scales that are not honest don't please him. + The Lord directs a man's steps. So how can anyone understand his own way? + A man is trapped if he makes a hasty promise to God and only later thinks about what he said. + A wise king gets rid of evil people. He runs the threshing wheel over them. + The lamp of the Lord searches a man's heart. It searches deep down inside him. + Love and truth keep a king safe. Faithful love makes his throne secure. + Young men are proud of their strength. Gray hair brings honor to old men. + Blows and wounds wash evil away. And beatings make you pure deep down inside. + + + The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it like a stream of water anywhere he pleases. + Everything a man does might seem right to him. But the Lord knows what he is thinking. + Do what is right and fair. The Lord accepts that more than sacrifices. + Proud eyes and a proud heart are the lamp of sinful people. But those things are evil. + The plans of people who work hard succeed. You can be sure that those in a hurry will become poor. + A fortune made by people who tell lies amounts to nothing and leads to death. + The harmful things that evil people do will drag them away. They refuse to do what is right. + The path of those who are guilty is crooked. But the conduct of those who are not guilty is honest. + It is better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife. + A sinful person longs to do evil. He doesn't show his neighbor any mercy. + When you punish someone who makes fun of others, childish people get wise. If you teach a person who is already wise, he will get even more knowledge. + The Blameless One knows where sinners live. And he destroys them. + If you refuse to listen to the cries of poor people, you too will cry out and not be answered. + A secret gift calms anger down. A hidden favor softens great anger. + When you do what is fair, you make godly people glad. But you terrify those who do what is evil. + A man who leaves the path of understanding ends up with those who are dead. + Anyone who loves pleasure will become poor. Anyone who loves wine and oil will never be rich. + Those who do what is evil pay the price for setting godly people free. Those who aren't faithful pay the price for honest people. + It is better to live in a desert than to live with a nagging, angry wife. + The best food and olive oil are stored up in the houses of wise people. But a foolish man eats up everything he has. + Anyone who wants to be godly and loving finds life, success and honor. + Those who are wise can attack a strong city. They can pull down the place of safety its people trust in. + Anyone who is careful about what he says keeps himself out of trouble. + A proud person is called a "mocker." He thinks much too highly of himself. + Some people will die while they are still hungry. That's because their hands refuse to work. + All day long they hunger for more. But godly people give without holding back. + God hates sacrifices that are brought by evil people. He hates it even more when they bring them for the wrong reason. + Witnesses who aren't honest will die. And anyone who listens to them will be destroyed forever. + A sinful man tries to look as if he were bold. But an honest person thinks about how he lives. + No wisdom, wise saying or plan can succeed against the Lord. + You can prepare a horse for the day of battle. But the power to win comes from the Lord. + + + You should want a good name more than you want great riches. To be highly respected is better than having silver or gold. + The Lord made rich people and poor people. That's what they have in common. + Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep going and suffer for it. + Have respect for the Lord and don't be proud. That will bring you wealth and honor and life. + Thorns and traps lie in the paths of evil people. But those who guard themselves stay far away from them. + Train a child in the way he should go. When he is old, he will not turn away from it. + Rich people rule over those who are poor. Borrowers are slaves to lenders. + Anyone who plants evil gathers a harvest of trouble. His power to beat others down will be destroyed. + Anyone who gives freely will be blessed. That's because he shares his food with those who are poor. + If you drive away those who make fun of others, fighting also goes away. Arguing and unkind words will stop. + Have a pure and loving heart, and speak kindly. Then you will be a friend of the king. + The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge. But he does away with the words of those who aren't faithful. + People who don't want to work say, "There's a lion outside!" Or they say, "I'll be murdered if I go out into the streets!" + The mouth of a woman who commits adultery is like a deep pit. Any man the Lord is angry with will fall into it. + A child is going to do foolish things. But correcting him will drive his foolishness far away from him. + One person may beat poor people down in order to get rich. Another person may give gifts to rich people. Both of them will become poor. + Pay attention and listen to the sayings of those who are wise. Apply your heart to the sayings I teach. + It is pleasing when you keep them in your heart. Have all of them ready on your lips. + You are the one I am teaching today. I want you to trust in the Lord. + I have written 30 sayings for you. They will give you knowledge and good advice. + I am teaching you words that are completely true. Then you can give the right answers to the one who sent you. + Don't take advantage of poor people just because they are poor. Don't beat down those who are in need by taking them to court. + The Lord will stand up for them in court. He will take back the stolen goods from those who have robbed them. + Don't be a friend with anyone who burns with anger. Don't go around with a person who gets angry easily. + You might learn his habits. And then you will be trapped by them. + Don't agree to pay for what someone else owes. + Don't put up money for him. If you don't have the money to pay, your bed will be taken right out from under you! + Don't move old boundary stones that your people set up long ago. + Do you see a man who does good work? He will serve kings. He won't serve ordinary people. + + + When you sit down to eat with a ruler, look carefully at what's in front of you. + Put a knife to your throat if you like to eat too much. + Don't long for his fancy food. It can fool you. + Don't wear yourself out to get rich. Be wise enough to say no. + When you take even a quick look at riches, they are gone. They grow wings and fly away into the sky like an eagle. + Don't eat the food of anyone who won't share it. Don't long for his fancy food. + He is the kind of person who is always thinking about how much it costs. "Eat and drink," he says to you. But he doesn't mean it. + You will throw up what little you have eaten. You will have wasted your words of praise. + Don't speak to a foolish person. He will laugh at your wise words. + Don't move old boundary stones. Don't try to take over the fields of children whose fathers have died. + The One who guards them is strong. He will stand up for them in court against you. + Apply your heart to what you are taught. Listen carefully to words of knowledge. + Don't hold back training from a child. If you correct him, he won't die. + So correct him. Then you will save him from death. + My child, if your heart is wise, my heart will be glad. + Deep down inside, I will be happy when you say what is right. + Do not long for what sinners have. But always show great respect for the Lord. + There really is hope for you tomorrow. So your hope will not be cut off. + My child, listen and be wise. Keep your heart on the right path. + Don't join those who drink too much wine. Don't join those who stuff themselves with meat. + Those who drink or eat too much will become poor. If they sleep too much, they'll have to wear rags. + Listen to your father, who gave you life. Don't hate your mother when she is old. + Buy the truth. Don't sell it. Get wisdom, training and understanding. + The father of a godly child is very happy. Anyone who has a wise child is glad. + May your father and mother be glad. May the woman who gave birth to you be happy. + My son, give me your heart. Keep your eyes on the way I live. + A prostitute is like a deep pit. A wife who commits adultery is like a narrow well. + She hides and waits like a thief. She causes many men to sin. + Who has trouble? Who has sorrow? Who argues? Who has problems? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes? + Those who spend too much time with wine. Or those who like to taste wine that is mixed with spices. + Don't look at wine when it is red. Don't look at it when it bubbles in the cup. And don't look at it when it goes down smoothly. + In the end it bites like a snake. It bites like a poisonous serpent. + Your eyes will see strange sights. Your mind will imagine weird things. + You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean. You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat. + "They hit me," you will say. "But I'm not hurt! They beat me. But I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?" + + + Do not want what evil men have. Don't long to be with them. + In their hearts they plan to hurt others. With their lips they talk about making trouble. + By wisdom a house is built. Through understanding it is made secure. + Through knowledge its rooms are filled with priceless and beautiful things. + A wise man has great power. A man who has knowledge increases his strength. + If you go to war, you need guidance. If you want to win, you need many good advisers. + Wisdom is too high for anyone who is foolish. He has nothing to say when people meet at the city gate to conduct business. + Anyone who thinks up sinful things to do will be known as one who plans evil. + Foolish plans are sinful. People hate those who make fun of others. + If you grow weak when trouble comes, your strength is very small! + Save those who are being led away to death. Hold back those who are about to be killed. + Don't say, "But we didn't know anything about this." The One who knows what you are thinking sees it. The One who guards your life knows it. He will pay each person back for what he has done. + Eat honey, my child. It is good. Honey from a honeycomb has a sweet taste. + I want you to know that wisdom is sweet to you. If you find it, there is hope for you tomorrow. So your hope will not be cut off. + Don't hide and wait like a burglar at a godly person's house. Don't rob his home. + Even if godly people fall down seven times, they always get up. But those who are evil are brought down by trouble. + Don't be happy when your enemy falls. When he trips, don't let your heart be glad. + The Lord will see it, but he won't be pleased. He might turn his anger away from your enemy. + Don't be upset because of evil people. Don't long for what sinners have. + Tomorrow evil people won't have any hope. The lamps of sinners will be blown out. + My son, have respect for the Lord and the king. Don't join those who disobey them. + The Lord and the king will suddenly destroy them. Who knows what trouble those two can bring? + Here are more sayings of those who are wise. Taking sides in court is not good. + A curse will fall on those who say the guilty are not guilty. Nations will call down curses on them. People will speak against them. + But it will go well with those who sentence guilty people. Rich blessings will come to them. + An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. + Finish your outdoor work. Get your fields ready. After that, build your house. + Don't give witness against your neighbor without any reason. Don't use your lips to tell lies. + Don't say, "I'll do to him what he did to me. I'll get even with that man for what he did." + I went past the field of someone who didn't want to work. I went past the vineyard of a man who didn't have any sense. + Thorns had grown up everywhere. The ground was covered with weeds. The stone wall had fallen down. + I applied my heart to what I observed. I learned a lesson from what I saw. + You might sleep a little or take a little nap. You might even fold your hands and rest. + Then you would be poor, as if someone had robbed you. You would have little, as if someone had stolen from you. + + + These are more proverbs of Solomon. They were copied down by the men of Hezekiah, the king of Judah. + When God hides a matter, he gets glory. When kings figure out a matter, they get glory. + The heavens are high and the earth is deep. In the same way, the minds of kings are hard to figure out. + Remove the scum from the silver. Then the master worker can make something. + Remove sinful people from where the king is. When he does what is right, his kingdom will be secure. + Don't brag in front of the king. Don't claim a place among great people. + Let the king say to you, "Come up here." That's better than for him to shame you in front of nobles. What you have seen with your own eyes + don't bring too quickly to court. What will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame? + If you talk about a matter with your neighbor, don't tell others what was said. + If you do, someone might hear it and put you to shame. Then no one will ever respect you again. + The right word at the right time is like golden apples in silver jewelry. + A wise person's warning to a listening ear is like a gold earring or jewelry made of fine gold. + A messenger trusted by those who send him is like cool snow at harvest time. He renews the spirit of his masters. + A man who brags about gifts he doesn't give is like wind and clouds that don't produce rain. + If you are patient, you can win an official over to your side. And gentle words can break a bone. + If you find honey, eat just enough. If you eat too much of it, you will throw up. + Don't go to your neighbor's home very often. If he sees too much of you, he will hate you. + A man who gives false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword or a sharp arrow. + Trusting someone who is not faithful when trouble comes is like a bad tooth or a disabled foot. + You may sing songs to a troubled heart. But that's like taking a coat away on a cold day. It's like pouring vinegar on baking soda. + If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. + By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on his head. And the Lord will reward you. + The north wind brings rain. And a crafty tongue brings angry looks. + It is better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife. + Hearing good news from a land far away is like drinking cold water when you are tired. + Sometimes a godly person gives in to those who are evil. Then he becomes like a muddy spring of water or a polluted well. + It isn't good for you to eat too much honey. And you shouldn't try to get others to honor you. + A man who can't control himself is like a city whose walls are broken down. + + + It isn't proper to honor a foolish person. That's like having snow in summer or rain at harvest time. + A curse given for no reason is like a wandering bird or a flying sparrow. It doesn't go anywhere. + A whip is for a horse. A harness is for a donkey. And a beating is for the backs of foolish people. + Don't answer a foolish person in keeping with his foolish acts. If you do, you will be like him yourself. + Answer a foolish person in keeping with his foolish acts. If you do, he won't be wise in his own eyes. + Sending a message in the hand of a foolish person is like cutting off your feet or drinking something harmful. + A proverb in the mouth of a foolish person is like disabled legs that are useless. + Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a stone in a slingshot. + A proverb in the mouth of a foolish person is like a thorn in the hand of someone who is drunk. + Anyone who hires a foolish person or someone who is passing by is like a person who shoots arrows at just anybody. + A foolish person who does the same foolish things again is like a dog that returns to where it has thrown up. + Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a foolish person than for him. + A person who doesn't want to work says, "There's a lion in the road! There's an angry lion wandering in the streets!" + A person who doesn't want to work turns over in bed just like a door that swings back and forth. + A person who doesn't want to work leaves his hand in the dish. He acts as if he is too tired to bring it back up to his mouth. + A person who doesn't want to work is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who give careful answers. + Don't get mixed up in someone else's fight as you are passing by. That's like picking a dog up by its ears. + Suppose a crazy person shoots flaming arrows that can kill. + A man who lies to his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" is just like that person. + If you don't have wood, your fire goes out. If you don't talk about others, arguing dies down. + Coal glows. Wood burns. And a man who argues stirs up fights. + The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you. + Warm words that come from an evil heart are like shiny paint on a clay pot. + Someone who wants to hurt you uses his words to hide his hatred. But his heart is full of lies that cover up his evil plans. + What a person says can be charming. But don't believe him. Seven things that God hates can fill that person's heart. + Hatred can be hidden by lies. But what is evil will be shown to everyone. + If anyone digs a pit, he will fall into it. If he rolls a big stone, it will roll back on him. + A tongue that tells lies hates the people it hurts. And words that seem to praise you destroy you. + + + Don't brag about tomorrow. You don't know what a day will bring. + Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth. Let someone else praise you, and not your own lips. + Stones are heavy. Sand weighs a lot. But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them. + Anger is mean. Great anger overpowers you. But who can face jealousy? + Being warned openly is better than being loved in secret. + Wounds from a friend can be trusted. But an enemy kisses you many times. + When you are full, you even hate honey. When you are hungry, even what is bitter tastes sweet. + A man who wanders away from his home is like a bird that wanders from its nest. + Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart. And a friend is sweeter when he gives you honest advice. + Don't desert your friend or your father's friend. And don't go to your family when trouble strikes you. A neighbor nearby is better than a family member far away. + My child, be wise and bring joy to my heart. Then I can answer anyone who makes fun of me. + Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep on going and suffer for it. + Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes. Hold it until you get paid back if he does it for a woman who commits adultery. + Suppose you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning. Then you might as well be calling down a curse on him. + A nagging wife is like dripping that never stops on a rainy day. + Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind. It's like trying to grab oil with your hand. + As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. + A person who takes good care of a fig tree will eat its fruit. And a person who looks after his master will be honored. + When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face. When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like. + Death and the Grave are never satisfied. A man's eyes are never satisfied either. + Fire tests silver. Heat tests gold. But a man is tested by the praise he receives. + You can grind a foolish person in a mill. You can grind him as you would grind grain with a tool. But you can't remove his foolishness from him. + Be sure you know how your flocks are doing. Pay careful attention to your herds. + Riches don't last forever. And a crown is not secure for all time to come. + The hay is removed, and new growth appears. The grass from the hills is gathered in. + Then your lambs will provide you with clothes. And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field. + You will have plenty of goats' milk. It will feed you and your family. It will also feed your female servants. + + + Sinners run away even when no one is chasing them. But those who do what is right are as bold as lions. + A country has many rulers when its people don't obey. But an understanding king knows how to keep order. + A ruler who beats poor people down is like a pounding rain that leaves no crops. + Those who turn away from the law praise sinners. But those who obey the law oppose them. + Sinful men don't understand what is fair. But those who worship the Lord understand it completely. + It is better to be poor and live without blame than to be rich and follow a crooked path. + A child who obeys the law understands what is right. But a child who likes to eat too much brings shame on his father. + A person who increases his wealth by charging high interest piles it up for someone who will be kind to poor people. + If you don't pay attention to the law, even your prayers are hated. + Those who lead honest people down an evil path will fall into their own trap. But those who are without blame will receive good things. + Rich people may be wise in their own eyes. But a poor person who understands what is right knows what they are really like. + When godly people win, everyone is very happy. But when sinners take charge, everyone hides. + Anyone who hides his sins doesn't succeed. But anyone who admits his sins and gives them up finds mercy. + Blessed is the one who always has respect for the Lord. But anyone who is stubborn will get into trouble. + An evil person who rules over helpless people is like a roaring lion or an angry bear. + A ruler who is mean to his people doesn't have any sense. But anyone who hates money gained in the wrong way will enjoy a long life. + A man who is troubled because he is guilty of murder will be on the run until the day he dies. No one should give him any help. + Anyone who lives without blame is kept safe. But anyone whose path is crooked will suddenly fall. + Anyone who farms his land will have plenty of food. But anyone who chases dreams will be very poor. + A faithful man will be richly blessed. But anyone who wants to get rich will be punished. + Favoring one person over another is not good. But some men will do wrong for a piece of bread. + A man who won't share what he has wants to get rich. He doesn't know he is going to be poor. + It is better to warn a man than to pretend to praise him. In the end he will be more pleased with you. + Anyone who steals from his parents and says, "It's not wrong," is just like a man who destroys. + A person who always wants more stirs up fights. But anyone who trusts in the Lord will succeed. + Anyone who trusts in himself is foolish. But a person who lives wisely is kept safe. + Those who give to poor people will have everything they need. But those who close their eyes to the poor will be under many curses. + When those who are evil take charge, other people hide. But when those who are evil die, godly people grow stronger. + + + A man who still won't obey after being warned many times will suddenly be destroyed. Nothing can save him. + When those who do right grow stronger, the people are glad. But when those who do wrong become rulers, the people groan. + A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad. But a man who spends time with prostitutes wastes his father's wealth. + By doing what is fair, a king makes a country secure. But the one who wants to be paid off tears it down. + A man who only pretends to praise his neighbor is spreading a net to catch him by the feet. + A sinful man is trapped by his own sin. But a godly person can sing and be glad. + Those who do what is right want to treat poor people fairly. But those who do what is wrong don't care about the poor. + Those who make fun of others stir up a city. But wise people turn anger away. + Suppose a wise man goes to court with a foolish person. Then the foolish person gets mad and pokes fun. And there is no peace. + Murderers hate honest people. They try to kill those who do what is right. + A foolish person lets his anger run wild. But a wise person keeps himself under control. + If rulers listen to lies, all their officials become evil. + The Lord gives sight to the eyes of poor people and those who beat others down. That's what they both have in common. + If a king judges poor people fairly, his throne will always be secure. + If a child is corrected, he becomes wise. But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. + When those who do wrong grow stronger, so does sin. But those who do right will see them destroyed. + If you train your children, they will give you peace. They will bring delight to you. + Where there is no message from God, the people don't control themselves. But blessed are those who obey the law. + A servant can't be corrected only by words. Even if he understands, he won't obey. + Have you seen a man who speaks without thinking? There is more hope for foolish people than for him. + If you spoil your servant while he is young, he will bring you sorrow later on. + An angry man stirs up fights. And a person who burns with anger commits many sins. + If a man is proud, he will be made low. But if he isn't proud, he will be honored. + Anyone who helps a thief is his own enemy. When he is put under oath, he doesn't dare give witness. + If you are afraid of people, it will trap you. But if you trust in the Lord, he will keep you safe. + Many people want to meet a ruler. But only the Lord sees that people are treated fairly. + Those who do what is right hate dishonest people. Those who do what is wrong hate honest people. + + + These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. He spoke them as if they came from God. He spoke them to Ithiel and to Ucal. + He said, "I know less than anyone. I don't understand as other men do. + I haven't learned wisdom. And I don't know the Holy One. + Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the palms of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his coat? Who has set all the boundaries of the earth in place? What is his name? What is his son's name? Tell me if you know! + "Every word of God is perfect. He is like a shield to those who trust in him. He keeps them safe. + Don't add to his words. If you do, he will correct you. He will prove that you are a liar. + "Lord, I ask you for two things. Don't refuse me before I die. + Keep lies far away from me. Don't make me either poor or rich, but give me only the bread I need each day. + If you don't, I might have too much. Then I might say I don't know you. I might say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I might become poor and steal. Then I would bring shame to the name of my God. + "Don't tell lies about a servant when you talk to his master. If you do, he will call down curses on you. And you will pay for it. + "Some people call down curses on their fathers. Others don't bless their mothers. + Some are pure in their own eyes. But their dirty sins haven't been washed away. + Some have eyes that are very proud. They look down on others. + Some people have teeth like swords. The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives. They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth. They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy. + "A bloodsucking worm has two daughters. They cry out, 'Give! Give!' "Three things are never satisfied. Four things never say, 'Enough!' + The first is the grave. The second is a woman who can't have a baby. The third is land. It never gets enough water. And the fourth is fire. It never says, 'Enough!' + "Some make fun of their fathers. Others laugh about obeying their mothers. The ravens of the valley will peck their eyes out. Then the vultures will eat them. + "Three things are too amazing for me. There are four things I don't understand. + The first is the way of an eagle in the sky. The second is the way of a snake on a rock. The third is the way of a ship on the ocean. And the fourth is the way of a man with a young woman. + "This is the way of a woman who commits adultery. She eats. She wipes her mouth. Then she says, 'I haven't done anything wrong.' + "Under three things the earth shakes. Under four things it can't stand up. + The first is a servant who becomes a king. The second is a foolish person who is full of food. + The third is a woman who is married but not loved by her husband. And the fourth is a woman servant who takes the place of the woman she works for. + "Four things on earth are small. But they are very wise. + The first are ants. They aren't very strong. But they store up their food in the summer. + The second are rock badgers. They aren't very powerful. But they make their home among the rocks. + The third are locusts. They don't have a king. But they all march forward in ranks. + And the fourth are lizards. Your hand can catch them. But you will find them in kings' palaces. + "Three things walk as if they were kings. Four things move as kings do. + The first is a lion. It is mighty among the animals. It doesn't back away from anything. + The second is a rooster that walks proudly. The third is a billy goat. And the fourth is a king who has his army around him. + "Have you been foolish? Have you thought you were better than others? Have you planned evil? If you have, put your hand over your mouth and stop talking! + If you churn cream, you will produce butter. If you twist a nose, you will produce blood. And if you stir up anger, you will produce a fight." + + + These are the sayings of King Lemuel. His mother taught them to him. She spoke them as if they came from God. + She said, "My son! My very own son! The son I prayed for! + Don't waste your strength on women. Don't waste it on those who destroy kings. + "Lemuel, it isn't good for kings to drink wine. It isn't good for rulers to long for beer. + If they do, they might drink and forget what the law commands. They might take away the rights of all those who are beaten down. + Give beer to those who are dying. Give wine to those who are sad and troubled. + Let them drink and forget how poor they are. Let them forget their suffering. + "Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor. + Speak up and judge fairly. Speak up for the rights of those who are poor and needy." + Who can find a noble wife? She is worth far more than rubies. + Her husband trusts her completely. She gives him all the important things he needs. + She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. + She chooses wool and flax. She loves to work with her hands. + She is like the ships of traders. She brings her food from far away. + She gets up while it is still dark. She provides food for her family. She also gives some to her female servants. + She considers a field and buys it. She uses some of the money she earns to plant a vineyard. + She gets ready to work hard. Her arms are strong. + She sees that her trading earns a lot of money. Her lamp doesn't go out at night. + With one hand she holds the wool. With the other she spins the thread. + She opens her arms to those who are poor. She reaches out her hands to those who are needy. + When it snows, she's not afraid for her family. All of them are dressed in the finest clothes. + She makes her own bed coverings. She is dressed in fine linen and purple clothes. + Her husband is respected at the city gate. There he takes his seat among the elders of the land. + She makes linen clothes and sells them. She supplies belts to the traders. + She puts on strength and honor as if they were her clothes. She can laugh at the days that are coming. + She speaks wisely. She teaches faithfully. + She watches over family matters. She is busy all the time. + Her children stand up and call her blessed. Her husband also rises up, and he praises her. + He says, "Many women do noble things. But you are better than all the others." + Charm can fool you. Beauty fades. But a woman who has respect for the Lord should be praised. + Give her the reward she has earned. Let everything she has done bring praise to her at the city gate. + + + + + These are the words of the Teacher. He was the son of David. He was also king in Jerusalem. + "Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is completely meaningless! Nothing has any meaning." + What does a man get for all of his work? Why does he work so hard on this earth? + People come and people go. But the earth remains forever. + The sun rises. Then it sets. And then it hurries back to where it rises. + The wind blows to the south. Then it turns to the north. Around and around it goes. It always returns to where it started. + Every stream flows into the ocean. But the ocean never gets full. The streams return to the place they came from. + All things are tiresome. They are more tiresome than anyone can say. But our eyes never see enough of anything. Our ears never hear enough. + Everything that has ever been will come back again. Everything that has ever been done will be done again. Nothing is new on earth. + There isn't anything about which someone can say, "Look! Here's something new." It was already here long ago. It was here before we were. + No one remembers the men of long ago. Even those who haven't been born yet won't be remembered by those who will be born after them. + I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. + I spent all of my time studying. I used my wisdom to check everything out. I looked into everything that is done on earth. What a heavy load God has put on men! + I've seen what is done on this earth. It doesn't have any meaning. It's like chasing the wind. + People can't straighten things that are twisted. They can't count things that don't even exist. + I said to myself, "Look, my wisdom has really been growing. In fact, I'm now wiser than anyone who ruled over Jerusalem in the past. I have a lot of wisdom and knowledge." + Then I used my mind to understand what it really means to be wise. And I wanted to know what foolish pleasure is all about. But I found out that that's also like chasing the wind. + A lot of human wisdom leads to a lot of sorrow. More knowledge only brings more sadness. + + + I said to myself, "Come on. I'll put pleasure to the test. I want to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. + "Laughter is foolish," I said. "And what can pleasure do for me?" + I tried cheering myself up by drinking wine. I even tried living in a foolish way. But wisdom was still guiding my mind. I wanted to see what was really important for men to do on earth during the few days of their lives. + So I started some large projects. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards. + I made gardens and parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. + I made lakes to water groves of healthy trees. + I bought male and female slaves. And I had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem ever had before. + I stored up silver and gold for myself. I gathered up the treasures of kings and their kingdoms. I got some male and female singers. I also got many women for myself. Women delight the hearts of men. + I became far more important than anyone in Jerusalem had ever been before. And in spite of everything, I didn't lose my wisdom. + I gave myself everything my eyes wanted. There wasn't any pleasure that I refused to give myself. I took delight in everything I did. And that was what I got for all of my work. + But then I looked over everything my hands had done. I saw what I had worked so hard to get. And nothing had any meaning. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained on this earth. + I decided to think about wisdom. I also thought about foolish pleasure. What more can a new king do? Can he do anything more than others have already done? + I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. + The eyes of a wise man see things clearly. A person who is foolish lives in darkness. But I finally realized that death catches up with both of them. + Then I thought, "What happens to a foolish person will catch up with me too. So what do I gain by being wise?" I said to myself, "That doesn't have any meaning either." + Like a foolish person, a wise man won't be remembered very long. In days to come, both of them will be forgotten. Like a person who is foolish, a wise man must die too! + So I hated life. That's because the work that is done on this earth made me sad. None of it has any meaning. It's like chasing the wind. + I hated everything I had worked for on earth. I'll have to leave all of it to someone who lives after me. + And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Either way, he'll take over everything on earth I've worked so hard for. That doesn't have any meaning either. + So I began to lose hope because of all of my hard work on this earth. + A man might use wisdom, knowledge and skill to do his work. But then he has to leave everything he owns to someone who hasn't worked for it. That doesn't have any meaning either. In fact, it isn't fair. + What does a man get for all of his hard work on earth? What does he get for all of his worries? + As long as he lives, his work is nothing but pain and sorrow. Even at night his mind can't rest. That doesn't have any meaning either. + A man can't do anything better than eat and drink and be satisfied with his work. I'm finally seeing that those things also come from the hand of God. + Without his help, who can eat or find pleasure? + God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness to a man who pleases him. But to a sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth. Then the sinner must hand it over to the one who pleases God. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind. + + + There is a time for everything. There's a time for everything that is done on earth. + There is a time to be born. And there's a time to die. There is a time to plant. And there's a time to pull up what is planted. + There is a time to kill. And there's a time to heal. There is a time to tear down. And there's a time to build up. + There is a time to cry. And there's a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. And there's a time to dance. + There is a time to scatter stones. And there's a time to gather them. There is a time to hug. And there's a time not to hug. + There is a time to search. And there's a time to stop searching. There is a time to keep. And there's a time to throw away. + There is a time to tear. And there's a time to mend. There is a time to be silent. And there's a time to speak. + There is a time to love. And there's a time to hate. There is a time for war. And there's a time for peace. + What does the worker get for his hard work? + I've seen the heavy load God has put on men. + He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also given men a sense of what he's been doing down through the ages. But they can't completely figure out what he's done from the beginning to the end. + They should be happy and do good while they live. I know there's nothing better for them to do than that. + Everyone should eat and drink. People should be satisfied with all of their hard work. That is God's gift to them. + I know that everything God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it. And nothing can be taken from it. God does that so men will have respect for him. + Everything that now exists has already been. And what is coming has existed before. God will judge those who treat others badly. + Here's something else I saw on earth. Where people should be treated right, they are treated wrong. Where people should be treated fairly, they are treated unfairly. + I said to myself, "God will judge godly and sinful people alike. He has a time for every act. He has a time for everything that is done." + I also thought, "God puts human beings to the test. Then they can see they are just like animals. + What happens to animals happens to people too. Death waits for people and animals alike. People die, just as animals do. All of them have the same breath. People don't have any advantage over animals. Nothing has any meaning. + "People and animals go to the same place. All of them come from dust. And all of them return to dust. + Who can know whether the spirit of a man goes up? Who can tell whether the spirit of an animal goes down into the earth?" + So man should enjoy his work. That's what God made him for. I saw that there's nothing better for him to do than that. After all, who can show him what will happen after he is gone? + + + I looked and saw how much people were suffering on this earth. I saw the tears of those who are suffering. They don't have anyone to comfort them. Power is on the side of those who beat them down. Those who are suffering don't have anyone to comfort them. + Then I announced that those who have already died are happier than those who are still alive. + But someone who hasn't been born yet is better off than the dead or the living. That's because he hasn't seen the evil things that are done on earth. + I also saw that man works hard and accomplishes a lot. But he does it only because he wants what his neighbor has. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind. + A foolish person folds his hands and doesn't work. And that destroys him. + One handful with peace and quiet is better than two handfuls with hard work. Working too hard is like chasing the wind. + Again I saw something on earth that didn't mean anything. + A man lived all by himself. He didn't have any sons or brothers. His hard work never ended. But he wasn't happy with what he had. "Who am I working so hard for?" he asked. "Why don't I get the things I enjoy?" That doesn't have any meaning either. In fact, it's a very bad deal! + Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do. + Suppose someone falls down. Then his friend can help him up. But suppose the man who falls down doesn't have anyone to help him up. Then feel sorry for him! + Or suppose two people lie down together. Then they'll keep warm. But how can one person keep warm alone? + One person could be overpowered. But two people can stand up for themselves. And a rope made out of three cords isn't easily broken. + A poor but wise young man is better off than an old but foolish king. That king doesn't pay attention to a warning anymore. + The young man might have come from prison to become king. Or he might have been born poor within the kingdom but still became king. + I saw that everyone was following the young man who had become the new king. + At first, all of the people served him when he became king. But those who came later weren't pleased with the way he was ruling. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind. + + + Be careful what you say when you go to God's house. Go there to listen. Don't be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don't even know it. + Don't be too quick to speak. Don't be in a hurry to say anything to God. He is in heaven. You are on earth. So use only a few words when you speak. + Dreams come to people when they worry a lot. When foolish people talk, they use too many words. + When you make a promise to God, don't wait too long to carry it out. He isn't pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised. + It is better to make no promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it. + Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. Don't object to the temple messenger. Don't say, "My promise was a mistake." Why should God be angry with what you say? Why should he destroy what you have done? + Dreaming too much and talking too much are meaningless. So have respect for God. + Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn't right or fair. Don't be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Others who are even higher are watching both of them. + All of them take what the land produces. And the king himself takes his share from the fields. + Anyone who loves money never has enough. Anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with what he gets. That doesn't have any meaning either. + As more and more goods are made, more and more people use them up. So how can those goods benefit their owner? All he can do is look at them with longing. + The sleep of a worker is sweet. It doesn't matter whether he eats a little or a lot. But the wealth of a rich man keeps him awake at night. + I've seen something very evil on earth. It's when wealth is stored up and then brings harm to its owner. + It's also when wealth is lost because of an unwise business deal. Then there won't be anything left for the owner's son. + A man is born naked. He comes into the world with nothing. And he goes out of it with nothing. He doesn't get anything from his work that he can take with him. + Here's something else that is very evil. A man is born, and a man dies. And what does he get for his work? Nothing. It's like working for the wind. + All his life he eats in darkness. His life is full of trouble, suffering and anger. + I realized that it's good and proper for a man to eat and drink. It's good for him to be satisfied with his hard work on this earth. That's what he should do during the few days of life God has given him. That's what God made him for. + Sometimes God gives a man wealth and possessions. He makes it possible for him to enjoy them. He helps him accept the life he has given him. He helps him to be happy in his work. All of those things are gifts from God. + A man like that doesn't have to think about how his life is going. That's because God fills his heart with joy. + + + I've seen another evil thing on this earth. And it's a heavy load on men. + God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor. He has everything his heart longs for. But God doesn't let him enjoy those things. Instead, strangers enjoy them. That doesn't have any meaning. It's a very evil thing. + A man might have a hundred children. He might live a long time. But suppose he can't enjoy his wealth. And suppose he isn't buried in the proper way. Then it doesn't matter how long he lives. I'm telling you that a baby that is born dead is better off than he is. + That kind of birth doesn't have any meaning. The baby dies in darkness and leaves this world. And in darkness it is forgotten. + It didn't even see the sun. It didn't know anything at all. But it has more rest than that man does. + And that's true even if he lives for 2,000 years but doesn't get to enjoy his wealth. All people die and go to the grave, don't they? + Man eats up everything he works to get. But he is never satisfied. + What advantage does a wise man have over someone who is foolish? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to act toward others? + Being satisfied with what you have is better than always wanting more. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind. + God has already planned what now exists. He has already decided what man is. A man can't argue with the One who is stronger than he is. + The more words people use, the less meaning there is. And that doesn't help anyone. + Who knows what's good for a man? He lives for only a few meaningless days. He passes through life like a shadow. Who can tell him what will happen on earth after he is gone? + + + A good name is better than fine perfume. People can learn more from sobbing when someone dies than from being happy when someone is born. + So it's better to go where people are sobbing than to go where people are having a good time. Everyone will die someday. Those who are still living should really think about that. + Sadness is good for the heart. That's why sorrow is better than laughter. + Those who are wise are found where there is sorrow. But foolish people are found where there is pleasure. + Pay attention to a wise man's warning. That's better than listening to the songs of those who are foolish. + A foolish person's laughter is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. That doesn't have any meaning either. + When a wise man takes wealth by force, he becomes foolish. It is sinful to take money from people who want special favors. + The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it's better to be patient than proud. + Don't become angry quickly. Anger lives in the hearts of foolish people. + Don't say, "Why were things better in the good old days?" It isn't wise to ask that kind of question. + Wisdom is a good thing. It's like getting a share of the family wealth. It benefits those who live on this earth. + Wisdom provides safety, just as money provides safety. But here's the advantage of wisdom. It guards the lives of those who have it. + Think about what God has done. Who can make straight what he has made crooked? + When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, here's something to think about. God has made bad times. He has also made good times. So a man can't find out anything about what's ahead for him. + In my meaningless life here's what I've seen. I've seen a godly man dying even though he is godly. And I've seen a sinful man living a long time even though he is sinful. + Don't claim to be better than you are. And don't claim to be wiser than you are. Why destroy yourself? + Don't be too sinful. And don't be foolish. Why die before your time comes? + It's good to hold on to both of those things. Don't let go of either one. A man who has respect for God will avoid going too far in either direction. + Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. + There isn't anyone on earth who does only what is right and never sins. + Don't pay attention to everything people say. If you do, you might hear your servant calling down a curse on you. + Many times you yourself have called down curses on others. Deep down inside, you know that's true. + I used wisdom to put all of those things to the test. I said, "I've made up my mind to be wise." But it was more than I could accomplish. + No matter what else wisdom may be, it's far away and very deep. Who can find it? + So I tried to understand wisdom more completely. I wanted to study it and figure it out. I tried to find out everything I could about it. I tried to understand why it's foolish to be evil. I wanted to see why choosing foolishness is so unwise. + A woman who hunts a man down is more painful than death. Her heart is like a trap. Her hands are like chains. A man who pleases God will try to get away from her. But she will trap a sinner. + "Look," says the Teacher. "Here's what I've discovered. "I added one thing to another to find out everything I could about wisdom. + I searched and searched but found very little. I did find one honest man among a thousand. But I didn't find one honest woman among a thousand. + Here's the only other thing I found. God made men honest. But they've made many evil plans." + + + Who is like a wise man? Who knows how to explain things? Wisdom makes a man's face bright. It softens the look on his face. + I'm telling you to obey the king's command. You took an oath to serve him. You made a promise to God. + Don't be in a hurry to quit your job in the palace. Don't stand up for something the king doesn't like. He'll do anything he wants to. + He has the final word. So who can ask him, "What are you doing?" + No one who obeys his command will be harmed. Those who are wise will know the proper time and way to approach him. + There's a proper time and way for people to do everything. That's true even though a man might be suffering greatly. + No one knows what lies ahead. So who can tell a person what's going to happen? + He can't stop the wind from blowing. And he doesn't have the power to decide when he will die. No one is let out of the army in times of war. And evil won't let go of those who practice it. + I understood all of those things. I used my mind to study everything that's done on earth. A man sometimes makes life hard for others. But he ends up hurting himself. + I also saw sinful people being buried. They used to come and go from the place of worship. And others praised them in the city where they worshiped. That doesn't have any meaning either. + Sometimes the sentence for a crime isn't carried out quickly. So people make plans to commit even more crimes. + An evil man may be guilty of a hundred crimes and still live a long time. But I know that things will go better with men who have great respect for God. + Sinful people don't respect God. So things won't go well with them. Like a shadow, they won't be around very long. + Here's something else on this earth that doesn't have any meaning. Sometimes godly men get what sinful people should receive. And sinful men get what godly people should receive. Here's what I'm telling you. That doesn't have any meaning either. + So I advise everyone to enjoy life. A man on this earth can't do anything better than eat and drink and be glad. Then he will enjoy his work. He'll be happy all the days of the life God has given him on earth. + I used my mind to understand what it really means to be wise. I wanted to observe the hard work man does on earth. He doesn't close his eyes and go to sleep day or night. + I saw everything God has done. No one can understand what happens on earth. Man might try very hard to figure it out. But he still can't discover what it all means. A wise man might claim he knows. But he can't really understand it either. + + + I thought about all of those things. I realized that those who are wise and do what is right are under God's control. What they do is also under his control. But a man doesn't know whether God will show favor to him. + Everyone will die someday. Death comes to godly and sinful people alike. It comes to good and bad people alike. It comes to "clean" and "unclean" people alike. Those who offer sacrifices and those who don't offer them also die. A good person dies, and so does a sinner. Those who take oaths die. So do those who are afraid to take them. + Here's what is so bad about everything that happens on this earth. Death catches up with all of us. Also, the hearts of people are full of evil. They live in foolish pleasure. After that, they join those who have already died. + Anyone who is living still has hope. Even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! + People who are still alive know they'll die. But those who have died don't know anything. They don't receive any more rewards. And they are soon forgotten. + Their love, hate and jealousy disappear. They will never share again in anything that happens on earth. + Go and enjoy your food. Be joyful as you drink your wine. Now is the time God favors what you do. + Always wear white clothes to show you are happy. Anoint your head with olive oil. + You love your wife. So enjoy life with her. Do it all the days of this meaningless life God has given you on earth. That's what he made you for. That's what you get for all of your hard work on earth. + No matter what you do, work at it with all your might. Remember, you are going to your grave. And there isn't any work or planning or knowledge or wisdom there. + Here's something else I've seen on this earth. Races aren't always won by those who run fast. Battles aren't always won by those who are strong. Wise people don't always have plenty of food. Clever people aren't always wealthy. Those who have learned a lot aren't always favored. God controls the timing of every event. He also controls how things turn out. + A man doesn't know when trouble will come to him. Fish are caught in nets. Birds are taken in traps. And people are trapped by hard times that come when they don't expect them. + Here's something else I saw on this earth. I saw an example of wisdom that touched me deeply. + There was once a small city. Only a few people lived there. A powerful king attacked it. He brought in war machines all around it. + A certain man lived in that city. He was poor but wise. He used his wisdom to save the city. But no one remembered that poor man. + So I said, "It's better to be wise than to be powerful." But people looked down on the poor man's wisdom. No one paid any attention to what he said. + People should listen to the quiet words of those who are wise. That's better than paying attention to the shouts of a ruler of foolish people. + Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But one sinner destroys a lot of good. + + + Dead flies give perfume a bad smell. And a little foolishness can make a lot of wisdom useless. + The hearts of wise people lead them on the right path. But the hearts of foolish people take them down the wrong path. + A foolish person doesn't have any sense at all. He shows everyone he is foolish. He does it even when he is walking along the road. + Suppose a ruler gets very angry with you. If he does, don't quit your job in the palace. Stay calm. That will overcome the effects of your big mistakes. + Here's something evil I've seen on this earth. And it's the kind of mistake that rulers make. + Foolish people are given many important jobs. Rich people are given unimportant ones. + I've seen slaves on horseback. I've also seen princes who were forced to walk as if they were slaves. + Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it. Anyone who breaks through a wall might be bitten by a snake. + Anyone who removes stones from rock pits might get hurt. Anyone who cuts logs might get wounded. + Suppose the blade of an ax is dull. And its edge hasn't been sharpened. Then more effort is needed to use it. But skill will bring success. + Suppose a snake bites before it is charmed. Then there isn't any benefit in being a snake charmer. + A man who is wise says gracious things. But a foolish person is destroyed by what his own lips speak. + At first what he says is foolish. In the end his words are very evil. + He talks too much. No one knows what lies ahead for him. Who can tell him what will happen after he is gone? + The work a foolish person does makes him tired. He doesn't even know the way to town. + How terrible it is for a land whose king used to be a servant! How terrible if its princes get drunk in the morning! + How blessed is the land whose king was born into the royal family! How blessed if its princes eat and drink at the proper time! How blessed if they eat and drink to become strong and not to get drunk! + When a man won't work, the roof falls down. When his hands aren't busy, the house leaks. + People laugh at a dinner party. And wine makes life happy. People think money can buy everything. + Don't call down curses on the king. Don't even think about doing it. Don't call down curses on rich people. Don't even do it in your bedroom. A bird might fly away and carry your words. It might report what you said. + + + Put your money into trade across the ocean. After a while you will earn something from it. + Give shares of what you earn to a lot of people. After all, you don't know what great trouble might come on the land. + Clouds that are full of water pour rain down on the earth. A tree might fall to the south or the north. It will stay in the place where it falls. + Anyone who keeps on watching the wind won't plant seeds. Anyone who keeps looking at the clouds won't gather crops. + You don't know the path the wind takes. You don't know how a baby is made inside its mother. So you can't understand how God works either. He made everything. + In the morning plant your seeds. In the evening keep your hands busy. You don't know what will succeed. It may be one or the other. Or both might do equally well. + Light is sweet. People enjoy being out in the sun. + No matter how many years a man might live, let him enjoy all of them. But let him remember the dark days. There will be many of them. Nothing that's going to happen will have any meaning. + Young man, be happy while you are still young. Let your heart be joyful while you are still strong. Do what your heart tells you to do. Go after what your eyes look at. But I want you to know that God will judge you for everything you do. + So drive worry out of your heart. Get rid of all of your troubles. Being young and strong doesn't have any meaning. + + + Remember the One who created you. Remember him while you are still young. Think about him before your times of trouble come. The years will come when you will say, "I don't find any pleasure in them." + That's when the sunlight will become dark. The moon and the stars will also grow dark. And the clouds will return after it rains. + Remember your Creator before those who guard the house tremble with old age. That's when strong men will be bent over. The women who grind grain will stop because there are so few of them left. Those who look through the windows won't be able to see very well. + Remember your Creator before the front doors are closed. That's when the sound of grinding will fade away. Old men will rise up when they hear birds singing. But they will barely hear any of their songs. + Remember your Creator before you become afraid of places that are too high. You will also be terrified because of danger in the streets. Remember your Creator before the almond trees have buds on them. That's when grasshoppers will drag themselves along. Old men will not want to make love anymore. Man will go to his dark home in the grave. And those who sob over the dead will walk around in the streets. + Remember your Creator before the silver cord is cut. That's when the golden bowl will be broken. The wheel will be broken at the well. The pitcher will be smashed at the spring. + Remember your Creator before you return to the dust you came from. That's when your spirit will go back to God who gave it. + "Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Nothing has any meaning." + The Teacher was wise. He gave knowledge to people. He put many proverbs to the test. He thought about them carefully. Then he wrote them down in order. + He did his best to find just the right words. And what he wrote was honest and true. + The sayings of those who are wise move people to take action. Their collected sayings really nail things down. They are given to us by one Shepherd. + My son, be careful not to pay attention to anything that is added to them. Books will never stop being written. Too much studying makes people tired. + Everything has now been heard. And here's the final thing I want to say. Have respect for God and obey his commandments. That's what everyone should do. + God will judge everything people do. That includes everything they try to hide. He'll judge everything, whether it's good or evil. + + + + + This is the greatest song Solomon ever wrote. A Shulammite woman says to King Solomon, + "I long for your lips to kiss me! Your love makes me happier than wine does. + The lotion you have on pleases me. Your name is like perfume that is poured out. No wonder the young women love you! + Take me away with you. Let us hurry! King Solomon, bring me into your palace." The other women say, "King Solomon, you fill us with joy. You make us happy. We praise your love more than we praise wine." The woman says to the king, "It is right for them to love you! + "Women of Jerusalem, my skin is dark but lovely. It is dark like the tents in Kedar. It's like the curtains of Solomon's tent. + Don't stare at me because I'm dark. The sun has made my skin look like this. My brothers burned with anger against me. They made me take care of the vineyards. I haven't even taken care of my own vineyard. + "King Solomon, I love you. So tell me where you take care of your flock. Tell me where you rest your sheep at noon. Why should I have to act like a prostitute near the flocks of your friends?" The other women say, + "You are the most beautiful woman of all. Don't you know where to find the king? Follow the tracks the sheep make. Take care of your young goats near the tents of the shepherds." King Solomon says to the Shulammite woman, + "You are my love. You are like a mare that pulls one of Pharaoh's chariots. + Your earrings make your cheeks even more beautiful. Your strings of jewels make your neck even more lovely." The other women say to her, + "We will make gold earrings for you. We'll decorate them with silver." The woman says, + "The king was at his table. My perfume gave off a sweet smell. + The one who loves me is like a small bag of myrrh resting between my breasts. + He is like henna flowers from the vineyards of En Gedi." The king says, + "You are so beautiful, my love! So beautiful! Your eyes are like doves." The woman says, + "You are so handsome, my love! So charming! The green field is our bed. + Cedar trees above us are the beams of our house. Fir trees overhead are its rafters. + + + "I am like a rose on the coast of Sharon. I'm like a lily in the valleys." The king says, + "My love, among the young women you are like a lily among thorns." The woman says, + "My love, among the young men you are like an apple tree among the trees of the forest. I'm happy to sit in your shade. Your fruit tastes so sweet to me. + You have taken me to the dinner hall. Your banner of love is lifted high above me. + Give me some raisins to make me strong. Give me some apples to make me feel like new again. Our love has made me weak. + Your left arm is under my head. Your right arm is around me. + Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready. + "Listen! I hear my love! Look! Here he comes! He's leaping across the mountains. He's coming over the hills. + The one who loves me is like an antelope or a young deer. Look! There he stands behind our wall. He's gazing through the window. He's peering through the screen. + He said to me, 'Rise up, my love. Come with me, my beautiful one. + Look! The winter is past. The rains are over and gone. + Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season for singing has come. The cooing of doves is heard in our land. + The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell. Rise up and come, my love. Come with me, my beautiful one.' " The king says, + "You are like a dove in an opening in the rocks. You are like a dove in a hiding place on a mountainside. Show me your face. Let me hear your voice. Your voice is so sweet. Your face is so lovely. + Catch the foxes for us. Catch the little foxes. They destroy our vineyards. The vineyards are in bloom." The woman says, + "My love belongs to me, and I belong to him. Like an antelope, he eats among the lilies. + Until the day begins and the shadows fade away, turn to me, my love. Be like an antelope or like a young deer on the rocky hills. + + + "All night long on my bed I searched for the one my heart loves. I looked for him but didn't find him. + I will get up. I'll go around in the city. I'll look through all of its streets. I'll search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but didn't find him. + Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. 'Have you seen the one my heart loves?' I asked. + As soon as I had passed by them I found the one my heart loves. I threw my arms around him. I didn't let him go until I had brought him to my mother's house. I took him to my mother's room. + Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready." The other women say, + "Who is this man coming up from the desert like a column of smoke? He smells like myrrh and incense made from all of the spices of the trader. + Look! There's Solomon's movable throne. Sixty soldiers accompany it. They have been chosen from the best warriors in Israel. + All of them are wearing swords. They have fought many battles. Each one has his sword at his side. Each is prepared for the terrors of the night. + King Solomon made the movable throne for himself. He made it out of wood from Lebanon. + He formed its posts out of silver. He made its base out of gold. Its seat was covered with purple cloth. It was decorated inside with loving care by the women of Jerusalem. + Women of Zion, come out. Look at King Solomon wearing his crown. His mother placed it on him. She did it on his wedding day. His heart was full of joy." + + + The king says to the Shulammite woman, "You are so beautiful, my love! So beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair flows like a flock of black goats coming down from Mount Gilead. + Your teeth are as clean as a flock of sheep. Their wool has just been clipped. They have just come up from being washed. Each of your teeth has its twin. Not one of them is alone. + Your lips are like a bright red ribbon. Your mouth is so lovely. Your cheeks behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. + Your neck is strong and beautiful like the tower of David. That tower is built with beautiful stones. A thousand shields are hanging on it. All of them belong to mighty soldiers. + Your two breasts are lovely. They are like two young antelopes that eat among the lilies. + I will go to the mountain of myrrh. I'll go to the hill of incense. I'll stay there until the day begins and the shadows fade away. + Every part of you is so beautiful, my love. There is no flaw in you. + "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come with me from Lebanon. Come down from the top of Mount Amana. Come down from the top of Senir. Come to me from the peak of Mount Hermon. Leave the dens where the lions live. Leave the places in the mountains where the leopards stay. + My bride, you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes. My sister, you have stolen my heart with one jewel in your necklace. + My bride, your love is so delightful. My sister, your love makes me happier than wine does. Your perfume smells better than any spice. + Your lips are as sweet as a honeycomb, my bride. Milk and honey are under your tongue. Your clothes smell like the cedar trees in Lebanon. + My bride, you are like a garden that is locked up. My sister, you are like a spring of water that has a fence around it. You are like a fountain that is sealed up. + You are like trees whose branches are loaded with pomegranates, fine fruits, henna and nard, + with saffron, cane and cinnamon. You are like every kind of incense tree. You have myrrh, aloes and all of the finest spices. + You are like a fountain in a garden. You are like a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon." The woman says, + "Wake up, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden. Then its sweet smell will spread everywhere. Let my love come into his garden. Let him taste its fine fruits." + + + The king says, "My bride, I have come into my garden. My sister, I've gathered my myrrh and my spice. I've eaten my honeycomb and my honey. I've drunk my wine and my milk." The other women say to the Shulammite woman and to Solomon, "Friends, eat and drink. Lovers, drink all you want." The woman says, + "I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! The one who loves me is knocking. He says, 'My sister, I love you. Open up so I can come in. You are my dove. You are perfect in every way. My head is soaked with dew. The night air has made my hair wet.' + "But I've taken my robe off. Must I put it on again? I've washed my feet. Must I get them dirty again? + My love put his hand through the opening. My heart began to pound for him. + I got up to open the door for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh. It flowed from my fingers onto the handles of the lock. + I opened the door for my love. But he had left. He was gone. My heart sank because he had left. I looked for him but didn't find him. I called out to him, but he didn't answer. + Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. They beat me. They hurt me. Those on guard duty at the walls took my coat away from me. + Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. If you find the one who loves me, tell him our love has made me weak." The other women say, + "You are the most beautiful woman of all. How is the one you love better than others? How is he better than anyone else? Why do you ask us to make you a promise?" The woman says, + "The one who loves me is tanned and handsome. He's the finest man among 10,000. + His head is like the purest gold. His hair is wavy and as black as a raven. + His eyes are like doves by streams of water. They look as if they've been washed in milk. They are set like jewels in his head. + His cheeks are like beds of spice that give off perfume. His lips are like lilies that drip with myrrh. + His arms are like gold that are set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory that is decorated with sapphires. + His legs are like pillars of marble that are set on bases of pure gold. He looks like the finest cedar tree in the mountains of Lebanon. + His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is delightful. That's what the one who loves me is like. That's what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem." + + + The other women say, "You are the most beautiful woman of all. Where has the one who loves you gone? Which way did he turn? We'll help you look for him." The woman says, + "My love has gone down to his garden. He's gone to the beds of spices. He's eating in the gardens. He's gathering lilies. + I belong to my love, and he belongs to me. He's eating among the lilies." The king says, + "My love, you are as beautiful as the city of Tirzah. You are as lovely as Jerusalem. You are as majestic as troops carrying their banners. + Turn your eyes away from me. They overpower me. Your hair flows like a flock of black goats coming down from Mount Gilead. + Your teeth are as clean as a flock of sheep coming up from being washed. Each of your teeth has its twin. Not one of them is alone. + Your cheeks behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. + There might be 60 queens and 80 concubines. There might be more virgins than anyone can count. + But you are my perfect dove. There isn't anyone like you. You are your mother's favorite daughter. The young women see you and call you blessed. The queens and concubines praise you." The other women say, + "Who is this woman? She is like the sunrise in all of its glory. She is as beautiful as the moon. She is as bright as the sun. She is as majestic as troops carrying their banners." The king says, + "I went down to a grove of nut trees. I wanted to look at the new plants growing in the valley. I wanted to find out whether the vines had budded. I wanted to see if the pomegranate trees had bloomed. + Before I realized it, I was among the royal chariots of my people." The other women say, + "Come back to us. Come back, Shulammite woman. Come back to us. Come back. Then we can look at you." The woman says, "Why do you want to look at me as you would watch a dancer at Mahanaim?" + + + The king says to the Shulammite woman, "You are like a prince's daughter. Your feet in sandals are so beautiful. Your graceful legs are like jewels. The hands of a skilled worker must have shaped them. + Your navel is like a round bowl that always has mixed wine in it. Your waist is like a mound of wheat that is surrounded by lilies. + Your two breasts are lovely. They are like two young antelopes. + Your neck is smooth and beautiful like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the towering mountains of Lebanon that face the city of Damascus. + Your head is like a crown on you. It is as beautiful as Mount Carmel. Your hair is as smooth as purple silk. I am captured by your flowing curls. + You are so beautiful! You please me so much! You are so delightful, my love! + You are as graceful as a palm tree. Your breasts are as sweet as the freshest fruit. + I said, 'I will climb the palm tree. I'll take hold of its fruit.' May your breasts be as sweet as the fruit on the vine. May your breath smell like the tastiest apples. + May your lips be like the finest wine." The woman says, "May my wine go straight to you, my love. May it flow gently over our lips as we sleep. + "I belong to you, my love. And you long for me. + Come, my love. Let's go to the country. Let's spend the night in the villages. + Let's go out to the vineyards early. Let's go and see if the vines have budded. Let's find out whether their flowers have opened. Let's see if the pomegranate trees are blooming. I'll make love to you in the vineyards. + The mandrake flowers give off their strong smell. All of the best things are waiting for us, new and old alike. I've stored them up for you, my love. + + + "I wish you were like a brother to me. I wish my mother's breasts had nursed you. Then if I found you outside, I could kiss you. No one would look down on me. + I'd bring you to my mother's house. She taught me everything I know. I'd give you spiced wine to drink. It's the juice of my pomegranates. + Your left arm is under my head. Your right arm is around me. + Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready." The other women say, + "Who is this woman coming up from the desert? She's leaning on the one who loves her." The woman says to the king, "Under the apple tree I woke you up. That's where your mother became pregnant with you. She went into labor, and you were born there. + Hold me close to your heart like the seal around your neck. Keep me close to yourself like the ring on your finger. My love for you is so strong it won't let you go. Love is as powerful as death. Love's jealousy is as strong as the grave. Love is like a blazing fire. It burns like a mighty flame. + No amount of water can put it out. Rivers can't drown it. Suppose someone offers all of his wealth to buy love. That won't even come close to being enough." The woman's brothers say, + "We have a little sister. Her breasts are still small. What should we do for our sister when she gets engaged? + If she were a wall, we'd build silver towers on her. If she were a door, we'd cover her with cedar boards." The woman says to the king, + "I am a wall. My breasts are like well-built towers. So in your eyes I've become like someone who makes you happy. + Solomon, you had a vineyard in Baal Hamon. You rented your vineyard to others. They had to pay 25 pounds of silver for its fruit. + But I can give my own vineyard to anyone I want to. So I give my 25 pounds of silver to you, Solomon. Give 5 pounds to those who take care of its fruit." The king says, + "My love, you live in the gardens. My friends listen for your voice. But let me hear it now." The woman says, + "Come away with me, my love. Be like an antelope or like a young deer on mountains that are full of spices." + + + + + Here is the vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah had. It came to him when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were ruling. They were kings of Judah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz. + Listen to me, heavens! Pay attention to me, earth! The Lord has said, "I raised children. I brought them up. But they have refused to obey me. + The ox knows its master. The donkey knows where its owner feeds it. But Israel does not know me. My people do not understand me." + They are a sinful nation. They are loaded down with guilt. They are people who do nothing but evil. They are children who are always sinning. They have deserted the Lord. They have turned against the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him. + Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time? Why do you always refuse to obey the Lord? Your head is covered with wounds. Your whole heart is weak. + There isn't a healthy spot on your body from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. There are only wounds, cuts and open sores. They haven't been cleaned up or bandaged or treated with olive oil. + Your country has been deserted. Your cities have been burned down. The food from your fields is being eaten up by outsiders. They are doing it right in front of you. Your land has been completely destroyed. It looks as if strangers have taken it over. + The city of Zion is left like a hut where someone stands guard in a vineyard. It is left like an empty cabin in a melon field. It's like a city that is being attacked. + The Lord who rules over all has let some people live through that time of trouble. If he hadn't, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah. + Rulers of Sodom, hear the Lord's message. People of Gomorrah, listen to the law of our God. + "Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?" asks the Lord. "I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats. + Who asked you to bring all of those animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards? + Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can't stand your evil gatherings. I can't stand the way you celebrate your New Moon Feasts, Sabbath days and special services. + I hate your New Moon Feasts and your other appointed feasts. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it. + You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I will not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I will not listen to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered. + So wash your hands. Make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong! + Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Give hope to those who are beaten down. Cheer them up. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows. + "Come. Let us talk some more about this matter," says the Lord. "Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool. + But you have to be willing to change and obey me. If you are, you will eat the best food that grows on the land. + You must follow me. You must obey me. If you do not, you will be killed with swords." The Lord has spoken. + See how the faithful city of Jerusalem has become like a prostitute! Once it was full of people who treated others fairly. Those who did what was right used to live in it. But now murderers live there! + Jerusalem, your silver isn't pure anymore. Your best wine has been made weak with water. + Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord. They are companions of robbers. All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors. They are always looking for gifts from other people. They don't stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. They don't do it for widows either. + The Lord is the Mighty One of Israel. The Lord who rules over all announces, "Israel, you have become my enemies. I will pay you back for what you have done. Then you will not trouble me anymore. + I will turn my powerful hand against you. I will make you completely clean. I will remove everything that is not pure. + I will give judges to you like the ones you had long ago. I will give you advisers like those you had at the beginning. Then you will be called The City That Does What Is Right. You will also be called The Faithful City." + Zion will be saved when others are treated fairly. Those who are sorry for their sins will be saved when what is right is done. + But sinners and those who refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed. And those who desert the Lord will die. + Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees. You will be full of shame for doing that. You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens. You will be dishonored for doing that. + You will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying. You will be like a garden that doesn't have any water. + Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood. Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire. Everything will be burned up. No one will be there to put the fire out. + + + Here is a vision that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, had about Judah and Jerusalem. + In the last days the mountain where the Lord's temple is located will be famous. It will be the most important mountain of all. It will stand out above the hills. All of the nations will go to it. + People from many nations will go there. They will say, "Come. Let us go up to the Lord's mountain. Let's go to the house of Jacob's God. He will teach us how we should live. Then we will live the way he wants us to." The law of the Lord will be taught at Zion. His message will go out from Jerusalem. + He will judge between the nations. He'll settle problems among many of them. They will hammer their swords into plows. They'll hammer their spears into pruning tools. Nations will not go to war against one another. They won't even train to fight anymore. + People of Jacob, come. Let us live the way the Lord has taught us to. + Lord, you have deserted the people of Jacob. They are your people. The land is full of false beliefs from the east. The people practice evil magic, just as the Philistines do. They make ungodly people their friends. + Their land is full of silver and gold. There is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses. There is no end to their chariots. + Their land is full of statues of gods. They bow down to what their own hands have made. They bow down to what their fingers have shaped. + So man will be brought low. People will be put to shame. Do not forgive them. + Go and hide in caves in the rocks, you people! Hide in holes in the ground. Hide from the terror of the Lord! Hide when he comes in glory and majesty! + A man who brags will be brought low. Men who are proud will be put to shame. The Lord alone will be honored at that time. + The Lord who rules over all has set apart a day when he will judge. He has set it apart for all those who are proud and think they are important. He has set it apart for all those who brag about themselves. All of them will be brought low. + The Lord has set that day apart for all of the cedar trees in Lebanon. They are very tall. He has set it apart for all of the oak trees in Bashan. + He has set it apart for all of the towering mountains. He has set it apart for all of the high hills. + He has set it apart for every high tower and every strong wall. + He has set it apart for every trading ship and every beautiful boat. + A man who brags will be brought low. Men who are proud will be put to shame. The Lord alone will be honored at that time. + And the statues of gods will totally disappear. + People will run and hide in caves in the rocks. They will go into holes in the ground. They will run away from the terror of the Lord. They will run when he comes in glory and majesty. When he comes, he will shake the earth. + Men had made some statues of gods out of silver. They had made others out of gold. Then they worshiped them. But when the Lord comes, they will throw the statues away to the rodents and bats. + They will run and hide in caves in the rocks. They will go into holes in the cliffs. They will run away from the terror of the Lord. They will run when he comes in glory and majesty. When he comes, he will shake the earth. + Stop trusting man. He can't help you. He only lives for a little while. What good is he? + + + Here is what the Lord who rules over all is about to do. The Lord will take away from Jerusalem and Judah supplies and help alike. He will take away all of the supplies of food and water. + He'll take away heroes and soldiers. He'll take away judges and prophets. He'll take away fortune tellers and elders. + He'll take away captains of companies of 50 men. He'll take away government leaders. He'll take away advisers, skilled workers and those who are clever at doing evil magic. + The Lord will make young boys rule over all of them. Mere children will govern them. + People will crush one another. They will fight against each other. They will fight against their neighbors. Young people will attack old people. Ordinary people will attack those who are more important. + A man will grab hold of one of his brothers at his father's home. He will say, "You have a coat. So you be our leader. Take charge of all of these broken-down buildings!" + But at that time the brother will cry out, "I can't help you. I don't have any food or clothing in my house. Don't make me the leader of these people." + Jerusalem is about to fall. And so is Judah. They say and do things against the Lord. They dare to disobey him to his very face. + The look on their faces is a witness against them. They show off their sin, just as the people of Sodom did. They don't even try to hide it. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought trouble on themselves. + Tell those who do what is right that things will go well with them. They will enjoy the results of the good things they've done. + But how terrible it will be for those who do what is evil! Trouble is about to fall on them. They will be paid back for the evil things they've done. + Those who are young crush my people. Women rule over them. My people, your leaders have taken you down the wrong path. They have turned you away from the right path. + The Lord takes his place in court. He stands up to judge the people. + He judges the elders and leaders of his people. He says to them, "My people are like a vineyard. You have destroyed them. The things you have taken from poor people are in your houses. + What do you mean by crushing my people? Why are you grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?" announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. + The Lord continues, "The women in Zion are very proud. They walk along with their noses in the air. They tease men with their eyes. They walk with quick, short steps. Little chains jingle on their ankles. + So I will put sores on the heads of Zion's women. And I will remove the hair from their heads." + At that time the Lord will take away the beautiful things they wear. He will take away their decorations, headbands and moon-shaped necklaces. + He'll take away their earrings, bracelets and veils. + He'll remove their headdresses, ankle chains and belts. He'll take away their perfume bottles and charms. + He'll remove the rings they wear on their fingers and in their noses. + He'll take away their fine robes and their capes and coats. He'll take away their purses + and mirrors. And he'll take away their linen clothes, turbans and shawls. + Instead of smelling sweet, the women will smell bad. Instead of wearing belts, they will wear ropes. Instead of having beautiful hair, they won't have any hair at all. Instead of wearing fine clothes, they'll wear black clothes to show how sad they are. Instead of being beautiful, they'll have the brands of slaves on their bodies. + Jerusalem, your men will be killed with swords. Your soldiers will die in battle. + The city of Zion will be very sad. Like a widow, she will lose everything. She will sit on the ground and sob. + + + At that time seven women will grab hold of one man. They'll say to him, "We will eat our own food. We'll provide our own clothes. Just let us become your wives. Take away our shame!" + At that time Israel's king will be beautiful and glorious. He will be called The Branch of the Lord. The fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of those who are still left alive in Israel. + Those who are left in Zion will be called holy. They will be recorded among those who are alive in Jerusalem. + The Lord will wash away the sin of the women in Zion. He will clean up the blood that was spilled there. He will judge those who spilled that blood. His burning anger will blaze out at them. + Then the Lord will create over Jerusalem a cloud of smoke by day. He will also create a glow of flaming fire at night. They will appear over all of Mount Zion and those who gather together there. The Lord's glory will be like a tent over them. + It will cover them and give them shade from the hot sun all day long. It will be a safe place where they can hide from storms and rain. + + + I will sing a song for the Lord. He is the one I love. It's a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil. + He dug up the soil and removed its stones. He planted the very best vines in it. He built a lookout tower there. He also cut out a winepress for it. Then he kept looking for a crop of good grapes. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit. + So the Lord said, "People of Jerusalem and Judah, you be the judge between me and my vineyard. + What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones? + Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence. And it will be destroyed. I will break down its wall. And people will walk all over it. + I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it." + The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the garden he takes delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering. + How terrible it will be for you who get too many houses! How terrible for you who get too many fields! Finally there won't be any space left in the land. Then you will live all alone. + I heard the Lord who rules over all announce a message. He said, "You can be sure that the great houses will become empty. The fine homes will be left with no one living in them. + A ten-acre vineyard will produce only six gallons of wine. Six bushels of seeds will produce less than a bushel of grain." + How terrible it will be for those who get up early in the morning to start drinking! How terrible for those who stay up late at night until they are drunk with wine! + They have harps and lyres at their big dinners. They have tambourines, flutes and wine. But they don't have any concern for the mighty acts of the Lord. They don't have any respect for what his powerful hands have done. + So my people will be taken away as prisoners. That's because they don't understand what the Lord has done. Their government leaders will die of hunger. The rest of the people won't have any water to drink. + So the grave is hungry to receive them. Its mouth is open wide to swallow them up. Their nobles and the rest of the people will go down into it. They will go there together with all those who have wild parties. + So man will be brought low. People will be put to shame. Those who brag will be brought down. + But the Lord who rules over all will be honored because he judges fairly. The holy God will show that he is holy by doing what is right. + Then sheep will graze as if they were in their own grasslands. Lambs will eat grass among the destroyed buildings where rich people used to live. + How terrible it will be for those who continue to sin and lie about it! How terrible for those who keep on doing what is evil as if they were tied to it! + How terrible for those who say, "Let God hurry up and do what he says he will. We want to see it happen. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan soon. We want to know what it is." + How terrible it will be for those who say that what is evil is good! How terrible for those who say that what is good is evil! How terrible for those who say that darkness is light and light is darkness! How terrible for those who say that what is bitter is sweet and what is sweet is bitter! + How terrible it will be for those who think they are wise! How terrible for those who think they are really clever! + How terrible it will be for those who are heroes at drinking wine! How terrible for those who are heroes at mixing drinks! + How terrible for those who take money to set guilty people free! How terrible for those who don't treat good people fairly! + Flames of fire burn up straw. Dry grass sinks down into those flames. Evil people will be like plants whose roots rot away. They will be like flowers that are blown away like dust. That's because they have said no to the law of the Lord who rules over all. They have turned against the message of the Holy One of Israel. + So the Lord's anger burns against his people. He raises his hand against them. He strikes them down. The mountains shake. The bodies of dead people lie in the streets like trash. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them. + He lifts up a banner to gather the nations that are far away. He whistles for them to come from the farthest places on earth. Here they come. They are moving very quickly. + None of them grows tired. None of them falls down. None of them sleeps or even takes a nap. All of them are ready for battle. Every belt is pulled tight. Not a single sandal strap is broken. + The enemies' arrows are sharp. All of their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are as hard as rock. Their chariot wheels turn like a twister. + The sound of their army is like the roar of lions. It's like the roar of young lions. They growl as they capture what they were chasing. They carry it off. No one can take it away from them. + At that time the enemy army will roar over Israel. It will sound like the roaring of the ocean. If someone looks at the land of Israel, he will see darkness and trouble. The clouds will make even the light become dark. + + + In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on his throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored. + Above him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying. + They were calling out to one another. They were saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all. The whole earth is full of his glory." + The sound of their voices caused the stone doorframe to shake. The temple was filled with smoke. + "How terrible it is for me!" I cried out. "I'm about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all." + A seraph flew over to me. He was holding a hot coal. He had used tongs to take it from the altar. + He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, "This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for." + Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, "Who will I send? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me!" + So he said, "Go and speak to these people. Tell them, " 'You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.' + Make the hearts of these people stubborn. Plug up their ears. Close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. And they might turn to me and be healed." + Then I said, "Lord, how long will it be like that?" He answered, "It will last until the cities of Israel are destroyed and no one is living in them. It will last until the houses are deserted. The fields will be completely destroyed. + It will last until I have sent everyone far away. The land will be totally deserted. + Even if a tenth of the people remain there, the land will be completely destroyed again. But when oak trees and terebinth trees are cut down, stumps are left. And my holy people will be like stumps that begin to grow again." + + + Ahaz was king of Judah. Rezin was king of Aram. And Pekah was king of Israel. Rezin and Pekah marched up to fight against Jerusalem. But they couldn't overpower it. Ahaz was the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah. Pekah was the son of Remaliah. + The royal family of Ahaz was told, "The army of Aram has joined forces with Ephraim's army." So the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled with fear. They shook just as trees in the forest shake when the wind blows through them. + The Lord said to me, "Go out and see Ahaz. Take your son Shear-Jashub with you. Meet Ahaz at the end of the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It is on the road to the Washerman's Field. + "Tell Ahaz, 'Be careful. Stay calm. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope because of the burning anger of Rezin, Aram and the son of Remaliah. After all, they are nothing but a couple of pieces of smoking firewood. + Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have planned to destroy you. They said, + "Let's march into Judah and attack it. Let's tear everything down. Then we can share the land among ourselves. And we can make Tabeel's son king over it." + " 'But I am the Lord and King. I say, " ' "That will not happen. It will not take place. + The capital of Aram is Damascus. And the ruler of Damascus is only Rezin. Do not worry about the people of Ephraim. They will be too crushed to be considered a people. That will happen before 65 years are over. + The capital of Ephraim is Samaria. And the ruler of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." ' " + The Lord spoke to Ahaz through me again. He said, + "I am the Lord your God. Ask me to give you a miraculous sign. It can be anything in the deepest grave or in the highest heaven." + But Ahaz said, "I won't ask. I won't put the Lord to the test." + Then I said, "Listen, you members of the royal family of Ahaz! Isn't it enough for you to test the patience of men? Are you also going to test the patience of my God? + The Lord himself will give you a miraculous sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel. + "The time will come when he is old enough to decide between what is wrong and what is right. By that time he will have only butter and honey to eat. + But even before that happens, the lands of the two kings you are afraid of will be completely destroyed. + "The Lord will also bring the king of Assyria against you. And he will bring him against your people and the whole royal family. That will be a time of trouble unlike any since the people of Ephraim broke away from Judah." + At that time the Lord will whistle for the Egyptians. They will come like flies from the streams of Egypt. He will also whistle for the Assyrians. They will come from their country like bees. + All of them will come and camp in the deep valleys. They will camp in caves in the rocks. And they'll camp near bushes and water holes. + At that time the Lord will use the Assyrians to punish you. Ahaz had hired them earlier from east of the Euphrates River. Now their king will be like a razor in the Lord's hand. He will shave the hair from your head and legs. He will also shave off your beards. + At that time a man will only be able to keep one young cow and two goats alive. + But they will give enough milk and butter to live on. Everyone who is left alive in the land will have nothing but butter and honey to eat. + The land used to have vineyards with 1,000 vines worth 25 pounds of silver. But soon the whole land will be covered with thorns and bushes. + Men will go there to hunt with bows and arrows. That's because it will be covered with bushes and thorns. + All of the hills used to be plowed with hoes. But you won't go there anymore. That's because you will be afraid of the thorns and bushes. Cattle will be turned loose on those hills. And sheep will run there. + + + The Lord said to me, "Get a large scroll. Write 'Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz' on it with a pen. + I will send for Zechariah and the priest Uriah. They can be trusted. They will be witnesses for me. Zechariah is the son of Jeberekiah." + Then I went and made love to my wife, who was a prophet. She became pregnant and had a baby boy. The Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. + "The king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus. He will also carry away the goods that were taken from Samaria. That will happen before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother.' " + The Lord continued, + "I am like the gently flowing stream of Siloam. But the people of Judah have turned their backs on me. They are filled with joy because of the fall of Rezin and the son of Remaliah. + So I am about to bring against these people the king of Assyria and his whole army. The Assyrians will be like the mighty Euphrates River when it is flooding. They will run over everything in their path. + They will sweep on into Judah like a flood. They will pass through Judah and reach all the way to Jerusalem. Immanuel, they will attack your land like an eagle. Their wings will spread out and cover it." + Sound the battle cry, you nations! But you will be torn apart. Listen, all of you lands far away! Prepare for battle! But you will be torn apart. Prepare for battle! But you will be torn apart. + Make your battle plans! But you won't succeed. Give your orders! But they won't be carried out. That's because God is with us. + The Lord put his powerful hand on me and spoke to me. He warned me not to live the way these people live. He said, + "People of Judah, do not agree with those who say Isaiah is guilty of treason. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be afraid. + I am the Lord who rules over all. You must think about me as holy. You must have respect for me. You must fear me. + Then I will be a holy place of safety for you. But for many people in Israel and Judah I will be a stone that causes them to trip. I will be a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem I will be a trap and a snare. + Many of them will trip. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and captured." + Keep safe what the Lord said to you through me. Seal up among my followers what he taught you through me. + I will wait for the Lord. He is turning his face away from Jacob's people. I will put my trust in him. + Here I am. Here are the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and reminders to Israel from the Lord who rules over all. He lives on Mount Zion. + Some will tell you to ask for advice from people who get messages from those who have died. Others will tell you to ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead. But those people only whisper. Their words are barely heard. So shouldn't you ask for advice from your God? Why should you get advice from dead people to help those who are alive? + Follow what the Lord taught you and said to you through me. People who don't speak in keeping with those words won't have any hope in the morning. + They will suffer and be hungry. They'll wander through the land. When they are very hungry, they will become angry. They'll look up toward heaven. They'll call down curses on their king and their God. + Then they will look at the earth. They'll see nothing but suffering and darkness. They'll see terrible sadness. They'll be driven into total darkness. + + + But there won't be any more sadness for those who were suffering. In the past the Lord brought shame on the land of Zebulun. He also brought shame on the land of Naphtali. But in days to come he will honor Galilee, where people from other nations live. He will honor the land along the Mediterranean Sea. And he will honor the territory east of the Jordan River. + The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them. + Lord, you will make our nation larger. You will increase their joy. They will show you how glad they are. They will be as glad as people are at harvest time. They will be as glad as soldiers are when they share the things they've taken after a battle. + You set Israel free from Midian long ago. In the same way, you will break the heavy yoke that weighs Israel down. You will break the wooden beams that are on their shoulders. You will break the rods of those who strike them down. + Every fighting man's boot that is used in battle will be burned up. So will every piece of clothes that is covered with blood. All of them will be thrown into the fire. + A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace. + The authority of his rule will continue to grow. The peace he brings will never end. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom. He will make the kingdom strong and secure. His rule will be based on what is fair and right. It will last forever. The Lord's great love will make sure that happens. He rules over all. + The Lord has sent a message against Jacob's people. He will punish Israel. + All of the people will know about it. Ephraim's people and those who live in Samaria will know about it. Their hearts are very proud. They say, + "The brick buildings have fallen down. But we will rebuild them with blocks of stone. The fig trees have been chopped down. But we'll plant cedar trees in place of them." + In spite of that, the Lord has made Rezin's enemies stronger. He has stirred up Assyria to fight against Israel. + Arameans from the east have opened their mouths and swallowed Israel up. So have Philistines from the west. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them. + But his people have not returned to the One who struck them down. They haven't turned for help to the Lord who rules over all. + So he will cut off from Israel heads and tails alike. In a single day he will cut off palm branches and tall grass alike. The palm branches are the people who rule over others. The tall grass is the people who bow down to them. + The elders and important leaders are the heads. The prophets who teach lies are the tails. + Those who guide the people of Israel are leading them down the wrong path. So those who follow them aren't on the right road. + The Lord will not be pleased with the young men. He won't take pity on widows and on children whose fathers have died. All of them are ungodly and evil. They say sinful things with their mouths. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them. + What is evil burns like a fire. It burns up bushes and thorns. It sets the forest on fire. It sends up a huge column of smoke. + The Lord rules over all. When he gets angry, he will burn up the land. The people will die. Men will eat their brothers. + People will eat up everything they can find on their right. But they'll still be hungry. They will eat everything they can find on their left. But they won't be satisfied. So they will eat the dead bodies of their children. + That's what Manasseh's people will do to Ephraim. And that's what Ephraim's people will do to Manasseh. Together they will turn against Judah. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them. + + + How terrible it will be for you who make laws that aren't fair! How terrible for you who write laws that make life hard for others! + You take away the rights of poor people. You hold back what is fair from my people who are suffering. You take for yourselves what belongs to widows. You rob children whose fathers have died. + What will you do on the day when the Lord punishes you? On that day trouble will come from far away. Who will you run to for help? Who will you trust your riches with? + All you can do is bow down in fear among the prisoners. All you can do is fall among those who have died in battle. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them. + The Lord says, "How terrible it will be for the people of Assyria! They are the war club that carries out my anger. + I will send them against the ungodly nation of Judah. I will order them to fight against my own people. They make me angry. I will order them to take their goods and carry them away. I will order them to walk on my people as if they were walking on mud. + But that is not what the king of Assyria plans. It is not what he has in mind. His purpose is to destroy many nations. His purpose is to put an end to them. + 'Aren't all of my commanders kings?' he says. + 'I took over Calno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus. + My powerful hand grabbed hold of kingdoms whose people worship statues of gods. They had more gods than Jerusalem and Samaria did. + I took over Samaria and its statues of gods. In the same way, I will take Jerusalem and its gods.' " + The Lord will finish everything he has planned to do against Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Then he'll say, "Now I will punish the king of Assyria. I will punish him because his heart and his eyes are so proud. + "The king of Assyria says, " 'I have used my powerful hand to take over all of those nations. I am very wise. I have great understanding. I have wiped out the borders between nations. I've taken their treasures. Like a great hero I've brought their kings under my control. + I've taken the wealth of the nations. It was as easy as reaching into a bird's nest. I've gathered the riches of all of those countries. It was as easy as gathering eggs that have been left in a nest. Not a single baby bird flapped its wings. Not one of them opened its mouth to chirp.' " + Does an ax claim to be more important than the one who swings it? Does a saw brag that it is better than the one who uses it? That would be like a stick swinging someone who picks it up! It would be like a war club waving the one who carries it! + So the Lord who rules over all will send a sickness. The Lord will send it on the king of Assyria's strong fighting men. It will make them weaker and weaker. The army he was so proud of will be completely destroyed. It will be as if it had been burned up in a fire. + The Lord is the light of Israel. He will become a fire. Israel's Holy One will become a flame. In a single day he will burn up all of Assyria's bushes. He will destroy all of their thorns. + He will completely destroy the beauty of their forests and rich farm lands. The Assyrian army will be like a sick man who becomes weaker and weaker. + It will be like the trees of their forests. So few of them will be left standing that even a child could count them. + In days to come, some people will still be left alive in Israel. They will be from Jacob's family line. But they won't depend any longer on the nation that struck them down. Instead, they will truly depend on the Lord. He is the Holy One of Israel. + The people of Jacob who are still alive will return to the Mighty God. + Israel, your people might be as many as the grains of sand by the sea. But only a few of them will return. The Lord has handed down a death sentence. He will destroy his people. What he does is right. + The Lord who rules over all will carry out his sentence. The Lord will destroy the whole land. + The Lord rules over all. The Lord says, "My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian army. They beat you with rods. They lift up war clubs against you, just as the Egyptians did. + Very soon I will not be angry with you anymore. I will turn my anger against the Assyrians. I will destroy them." + The Lord who rules over all will beat them with a whip. He will strike them down as he struck Midian down at the rock of Oreb. And he will reach his wooden staff out over the waters. That's what he did in Egypt. + People of Zion, in days to come he will lift the heavy load of the Assyrians from your shoulders. He will remove their yokes from your necks. They will be broken because you have become so strong. + The Assyrian army has entered the town of Aiath. They have passed through Migron. They have stored up supplies at Micmash. + They have marched through the pass there. They said, "Let's camp for the night at Geba." The people of Ramah tremble with fear. Those who live in Gibeah of Saul run away. + Town of Gallim, cry out! Laishah, listen! Poor Anathoth! + The people of Madmenah are running away. Those who live in Gebim are hiding. + Today the Assyrians have stopped at Nob. They are shaking their fists at Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem. + The Assyrian soldiers are like trees in a forest. The Lord who rules over all will chop them down. The Lord will cut off their branches with his great power. He will chop the tall trees down. He will cut down even the highest ones. + The Mighty One will chop down the forest with his ax. He will cut down the cedar trees in Lebanon. + + + Jesse's family is like a tree that has been cut down. A new little tree will grow from its stump. From its roots a Branch will grow and produce fruit. + The Spirit of the Lord will rest on that Branch. He will help him to be wise and understanding. He will help him make wise plans and carry them out. He will help him know the Lord and have respect for him. + The Branch will take delight in respecting the Lord. He will not judge things only by the way they look. He won't make decisions based simply on what people say. + He will always do what is right when he judges those who are in need. He'll be completely fair when he makes decisions about poor people. When he commands that people be punished, it will happen. When he orders that evil people be put to death, it will take place. + He will put godliness on as if it were his belt. He'll wear faithfulness around his waist. + Wolves will live with lambs. Leopards will lie down with goats. Calves and lions will eat together. And little children will lead them around. + Cows will eat with bears. Their little ones will lie down together. And lions will eat straw like oxen. + A baby will play near a hole where cobras live. A young child will put his hand into a nest where poisonous snakes live. + None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion. The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. + At that time the man who is called the Root from Jesse's family line will be like a banner that brings nations together. They will come to him. And the place where he rules will be glorious. + At that time the Lord will reach out his hand to gather his people a second time. He will bring back those who are left alive. He'll bring them back from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt and Cush. He'll bring them from Elam, Babylonia and Hamath. He will also bring them from the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. + He will lift up a banner. It will show the nations that he is gathering the people of Israel. He'll bring back those who had been taken away as prisoners. He'll gather together the scattered people of Judah. He'll bring them back from all four directions. + Ephraim's people won't be jealous anymore. Judah's attackers will be cut off. Ephraim won't be jealous of Judah. And Judah won't attack Ephraim. + Together they will rush down the slopes of Philistia to the west. They'll take what belongs to the people of the east. They'll take over Edom and Moab. The people of Ammon will be under their control. + The Lord will dry up the Red Sea in Egypt. With his powerful hand he'll send a burning wind to sweep over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into many streams. Then people will be able to go across it wearing sandals. + There was a road the people of Israel used when they came up from Egypt. In the same way, there will be a wide road coming out of Assyria. It will be used by the Lord's people who are left alive there. + + + In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, "Lord, we will praise you. You were angry with us. But now your anger has turned away from us. And you have brought us comfort. + God, you are the one who saves us. We will trust in you. Then we won't be afraid. Lord, you give us strength. We sing about you. Lord, you have saved us." + People of Israel, he will save you. That will bring you joy like water that is brought up from wells. + In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, "Give thanks to the Lord. Worship him. Tell the nations what he has done. Announce how honored he is. + Sing to the Lord. He has done glorious things. Let it be known all over the world. + People of Zion, give a loud shout! Sing with joy! The Holy One of Israel is among you. And he is great." + + + Here is the vision about Babylonia that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw. + Lift up a banner on the top of a bare hill. Shout to the enemy soldiers. Wave for them to enter the gates that are used by the nobles of Babylon. + The Lord has set those soldiers apart to fight for him. He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon. They will be happy when he wins the battle for them. + Listen! I hear a noise in the mountains. It sounds like a huge crowd. Listen! I hear a loud noise among the kingdoms. It sounds like nations gathering together. The Lord who rules over all is bringing an army together for war. + They come from lands far away. They come from the farthest places on earth. The Lord and those weapons of his anger are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylonia. + Cry out! The day of the Lord is near. The Mighty One is coming to destroy them. + Their hands won't be able to help them. Everyone's heart will melt away in fear. + The people will be filled with terror. Pain and suffering will grab hold of them. They will groan with pain like a woman having a baby. They'll look at one another in terror. Their faces will burn with shame. + The day of the Lord is coming. It will be a terrible day. The Lord's burning anger will blaze out. He will make the land dry and empty. He'll destroy the sinners in it. + All of the stars in the sky will stop giving their light. The sun will be darkened as soon as it rises. The moon will not shine. + The Lord will punish the world because it is so evil. He will punish evil people for their sins. He'll put an end to the bragging of those who are proud. He'll bring down the pride of those who don't show any pity. + He'll make men harder to find than pure gold. They will be harder to find than gold from Ophir. + He will make the heavens tremble. He'll shake the earth out of its place. The Lord who rules over all will show how angry he is. At that time his burning anger will blaze out. + Outsiders who live in Babylonia will scatter like antelope that are chased by a hunter. They are like sheep that don't have a shepherd. All of them will return to their own people. They will run back to their own countries. + Those who are captured will have spears stuck through them. Those who are caught will be killed with swords. + Their babies will be smashed to pieces right in front of their eyes. Their houses will be robbed. Their wives will be raped. + The Lord will stir up the Medes to attack the Babylonians. They aren't interested in getting silver. They don't delight in gold. + Instead, they will use their bows and arrows to strike the young men down. They won't even show any mercy to babies. They won't take pity on children. + The city of Babylon is the jewel of kingdoms. It is the glory and pride of the Babylonians. But God will destroy it just as he did Sodom and Gomorrah. + No one will ever live in Babylon again. No one will live there for all time to come. Arabs will never set up their tents there. Shepherds will never rest their flocks there. + But desert creatures will lie down there. Wild dogs will fill its houses. Owls will live there. Wild goats will jump around in it. + Hyenas will cry out in its forts. Wild dogs will bark in its beautiful palaces. The time for Babylon to be punished is near. Its days are numbered. + + + The Lord will show tender love toward Jacob's people. Once again he will choose Israel. He'll settle them in their own land. Outsiders will join them. They and the people of Jacob will become one people. + Nations will help Israel return to their own land. People from other nations will belong to Israel. They will serve them as male and female servants in the Lord's land. The Israelites will make prisoners of those who had held them as prisoners. They will rule over those who had crushed them. + The Lord will put an end to Israel's suffering and trouble. They won't be slaves anymore. + They will make fun of the king of Babylonia. They will say, "See how the one who crushed others has fallen! See how his anger has come to an end! + The Lord has taken away the authority of evil people. He has broken the power of rulers. + When they became angry, they struck nations down. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again. + All of the lands now enjoy peace and rest. They break out into singing. + Even the pine trees are glad. The cedar trees of Lebanon are happy too. They say, 'Babylon, you have fallen. Now no one comes and cuts us down.' + "King of Babylonia, many people in the grave are really excited about meeting you when you go down there. The spirits of the dead get up to welcome you. At one time all of them were leaders in the world. They were kings over the nations. They get up from their thrones. + All of them call out to you. They say, 'You have become weak, just as we are. You have become like us.' + Your grand show of power has been brought down to the grave. The noise of your harps has come down here along with your power. Maggots are spread out under you. Worms cover you. + "King of Babylonia, you thought you were the bright morning star. But now you have fallen from heaven! You once brought nations down. But now you have been thrown down to the earth! + You said in your heart, 'I will go up to heaven. I'll raise my throne above the stars of God. I'll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet. I'll set up my throne on the highest slopes of the sacred mountain. + I will rise above the tops of the clouds. I'll make myself like the Most High God.' + But now you have been brought down to the grave. You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit. + "Those who see you stare at you. They think about what has happened to you. They say to themselves, 'Is this the man who shook the earth? Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear? + Did he turn the world into a desert? Did he destroy its cities? Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?' + "All of the kings of the nations are buried with honor. Each of them lies in his own tomb. + But you have been thrown out of your tomb. You are like a branch that is cut off and thrown away. You are covered with the bodies of those who have been killed with swords. You have been tossed into a stony pit along with them. You are like a dead body that people have walked on. + You won't be buried like other kings. That's because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. "The children of that evil man will be killed. None of them will be left to carry on the family name. + So prepare a place to kill his children. Kill them because of the sins of the rulers who lived before them. They must not rise to power. They must not rule over the world. They must not cover the earth with their cities." + "I will rise up against them," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will destroy Babylon. It will not be remembered anymore. No one will be left alive there. I will destroy its people and their children after them," announces the Lord. + "I will turn it into a place where nothing but owls can live. I will turn it into a swamp. I will sweep through it like a broom and destroy everything," announces the Lord who rules over all. + The Lord who rules over all has taken an oath. He has said, "You can be sure that what I have planned will happen. What I have decided will take place. + I will crush the Assyrians in my land. On my mountains I will walk all over them. The yokes they put on my people will be removed. The heavy load they put on their shoulders will be taken away." + That's how the Lord carries out his plan all over the world. That's how he reaches out his powerful hand to punish all of the nations. + The Lord who rules over all has planned it. Who can stop him? He has reached out his powerful hand. Who can keep him from using it? + A message came to me from the Lord in the year King Ahaz died. The Lord said, + "The rod of Assyria has struck all of you Philistines. But do not be glad that it is broken. That rod is like a snake that will produce an even more poisonous snake. It will produce a darting, poisonous serpent. + Even the poorest people in Israel will have plenty to eat. Those who are in need will lie down in safety. But I will destroy your families. They will die of hunger. I will kill any of them who are still left alive. + "Cities of Philistia, cry out for help! Scream in pain! All of you Philistines, melt away in fear! An army is coming from the north in a cloud of dust. No one in its ranks is falling behind. + What answer should be given to the messengers from that nation? Tell them, 'The Lord has made Zion secure. His suffering people will find safety there.' " + + + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Moab. The city of Ar in Moab is destroyed. It happened in a single night. Kir in Moab is also destroyed. It happened in a single night. + The people of Dibon go up to their temple to worship. They go to their high places to sob. The people of Moab cry over the cities of Nebo and Medeba. All of their heads are shaved. All of their beards have been cut off. + In the streets they wear black clothes. On their roofs and in the market places all of them are crying. They fall down flat with their faces toward the ground. And they sob. + The people of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out. Their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. So the fighting men of Moab cry out. Their hearts are weak. + My heart cries out over Moab. Some who run away get as far as Zoar. Others run all the way to Eglath Shelishiyah. Others go up the road to Luhith. They are sobbing as they go. Still others travel the road to Horonaim. They sing a song of sadness because their town is being destroyed. + The waters at Nimrim are dried up. And so is the grass. The plants have died. Nothing green is left. + The people are trying to escape through the Valley of the Poplar Trees. They are carrying with them the wealth they have collected and stored up. + Their loud cries echo along the border of Moab. They reach as far as Eglaim. Their songs of sadness reach all the way to Beer Elim. + The waters of the city of Dimon are full of blood. But the Lord will bring even more trouble on Dimon. He will bring lions against those who run away from Moab. They will also attack those who remain in the land. + + + People of Moab, send lambs as a gift to the ruler of Judah. Send them from Sela. Send them across the desert. Send them to Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem. + The women of Moab are at the places where people go across the Arnon River. They are like birds that flap their wings when they are pushed from their nest. + The Moabites say to the rulers of Judah, "Give us advice. Make a decision. Cover us with your shadow. Make it like night even at noon. Hide those of us who are running away. Don't turn them over to their enemies. + Let those who have run away from Moab stay with you. Keep them safe from those who are trying to destroy them." Those who crush others will be destroyed. The killing will stop. The attackers will disappear from the earth. + A man from the royal house of David will sit on Judah's throne. He will rule with faithful love. When he judges he will do what is fair. He will be quick to do what is right. + We have heard all about Moab's pride. We have heard how very proud they are. They think they are so much better than others. They brag about themselves. But all of their bragging is nothing but empty words. + So the people of Moab cry out. All of them cry over their country. Sing a song of sadness. Sob over the men of Kir Hareseth. + The vineyards of Heshbon dry up. So do the vines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have walked all over its finest vines. Those vines once reached as far as Jazer. They spread out toward the desert. Their new growth went all the way to the Dead Sea. + Jazer sobs over the vines of Sibmah. And so do I. Heshbon and Elealeh, I soak you with my tears! There isn't any ripe fruit for people to shout about. There isn't any harvest to make them happy. + Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards. No one sings or shouts in the vineyards. No one stomps on grapes at the winepresses. That's because the Lord has put an end to the shouting. + My heart sobs over Moab like a song of sadness played on a harp. Deep down inside me I sob over Kir Hareseth. + Moab's people go to their high place to pray. But all they do is wear themselves out. Their god Chemosh can't help them at all. + That's the message the Lord has already spoken about Moab. + But now he says, "In exactly three years, people will look down on Moab's glory. Now Moab has many people. But by that time only a few of them will be left alive. And even they will be weak." + + + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Damascus. He said, "Damascus will not be a city anymore. Instead, all of its buildings will be knocked down. + The cities of Aroer will be deserted. They will be left to the flocks that lie down there. No one will make them afraid. + Ephraim's people will no longer have cities with high walls around them. Royal power will disappear from Damascus. Those who are left alive in Aram will be like the glory of the people of Israel," announces the Lord who rules over all. + "In days to come, the glory of Jacob's people will fade. Their strength will get weaker and weaker. + It will be as when a worker cuts and gathers grain in the Valley of Rephaim. He gathers up stalks with his arms. Only a few heads of grain are left. + In the same way, only a few people will be left alive. It will be as when workers knock olives off the trees. Only two or three olives are left on the highest branches. Four or five at most are left on the limbs that produce fruit," announces the Lord, the God of Israel. + In days to come, men will look to their Maker for help. They will turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. + They won't trust in the altars they made with their own hands. They won't pay any attention to the poles they used to worship the goddess Asherah. And they won't depend on the incense altars they made with their own fingers. + At that time the strong cities in Israel will be deserted. They will be as they were when the Israelites drove the Canaanites out of them. They will be like places that are taken over by bushes and weeds. The whole land will become dry and empty. + Israel, you have forgotten God, who saves you. You have not remembered the Rock, who keeps you safe. You might set out the finest plants. You might plant vines from other lands. + The plants might start to grow on the day you set them out. The vines might begin to bud on the morning you plant them. But even if they do, there won't be any harvest. Instead, there will be sickness and pain that won't go away. + How terrible it looks for us! Many nations are marching against us. The noise of their armies is like the sound of the ocean. They are making a lot of noise. It sounds like huge waves crashing on the shore. + It sounds like the roar of rushing waters. But when the Lord speaks out against them, they run far away. The wind blows them away like straw on the hills. A strong wind drives them along like tumbleweeds. + In the evening, the nations terrify us. But before morning comes, they are gone. That's what happens to those who steal our goods. That's what happens to those who take what belongs to us. + + + How terrible it will be for the land whose armies are like large numbers of flying insects! That land is along the rivers of Cush. + Its people send messengers on the Nile River. They travel over the water in papyrus boats. Messengers, hurry back home! Go back to your people, who are tall and have smooth skin. Everyone is afraid of them. They are warriors. Their language is different from ours. Their land is divided up by rivers. + Pay attention, all you people of the world! Listen, all you who live on earth! Banners will be lifted up on the mountains. And you will see them. Trumpets will be blown. And you will hear them. + The Lord says to me, "I will look down from heaven, where I live. I will be as quiet as summer heat in the sunshine. I will be as quiet as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." + A farmer cuts off new growth with pruning knives. He cuts down spreading branches and takes them away. He does it before the grapes are harvested. That's when the blooms are gone and the grapes are ripe. In the same way, the Lord will cut off the nations that are gathered against his people. + Their dead bodies will be left for the birds of the mountains to eat. They will be left for the wild animals. The birds will eat the dead bodies all summer long. The wild animals will eat them all through the winter. + At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord who rules over all. The people who are tall and have smooth skin will bring them. Everyone is afraid of those people. They are warriors. Their language is different from ours. Their land is divided up by rivers. They will bring their gifts to Mount Zion. That's where the Lord who rules over all has put his Name. + + + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Egypt. The Lord is coming to Egypt. He's riding on a cloud that moves very fast. The statues of the gods in Egypt tremble with fear because of him. The hearts of the people there melt away inside them. + The Lord says, "I will stir up one Egyptian against another. Relatives will fight against relatives. Neighbors will fight against one another. Cities will fight against cities. Kingdoms will fight against one another. + The people of Egypt will lose hope. I will keep them from doing what they plan to do. They will ask their gods for advice. They will turn to the spirits of dead people for help. They will go to people who get messages from those who have died. They will ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead. + I will hand the Egyptians over to a mean and unkind master. A powerful king will rule over them," announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. + The waters of the Nile River will dry up. The bottom of it will be cracked and dry. + Its waterways will stink. And the streams of Egypt will get smaller and smaller until they dry up. The tall grass that grows along the river will dry up. + So will the plants along the banks of the Nile. Even the planted fields along the Nile will dry up. Everything that grows there will blow away and disappear. + The fishermen will moan. All those who drop hooks into the Nile will sob. Those who throw their nets on the water will become very sad. + Those who make clothes out of flax will lose hope. So will those who weave fine linen. + Those who work with cloth will be unhappy. And all those who work for money will be sick at heart. + The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish. Pharaoh's wise men give advice that doesn't make any sense. How can they dare to say to Pharaoh, "We're among the wise men"? How can they say to him, "We're like the advisers to the kings of long ago"? + Pharaoh, where are your wise men now? Let them tell you what the Lord who rules over all has planned against Egypt. + The officials of Zoan have become foolish. The leaders of Memphis have been lied to. The most important leaders in Egypt have led its people down the wrong path. + The Lord has given them a spirit that makes them feel dizzy. They make Egypt unsteady in everything it does. Egypt is like a person who drinks too much. He throws up and then walks around in the mess he's made. + No one in Egypt can do anything to help them. Its elders and important leaders can't help them. Its prophets and priests can't do anything. Those who rule over others can't help. And those who bow down to them can't help either. + In days to come, the people of Egypt will be as terrified as women. The Lord who rules over all will raise his hand against them. Then they will tremble with fear. + The people of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians. Everyone in Egypt who hears the name of Judah will be terrified. That's because of what the Lord who rules over all is planning to do to them. + At that time the people of five cities in Egypt will use the Hebrew language when they worship the Lord who rules over all. They will take an oath. And they will promise to be faithful to him. One of those cities is called The City of the Sun. + At that time there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of Egypt. There will be a monument to him at its border. + They will remind people that the Lord who rules over all is worshiped in Egypt. The people there will cry out to the Lord because of those who treat them badly. He will send someone to stand up for them and save them. And he will set them free. + So the Lord will make himself known to the people of Egypt. At that time they will recognize that he is the Lord. They will worship him by bringing sacrifices and grain offerings to him. They will make promises to the Lord. And they will keep them. + The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague. But then he will heal them. They will turn to the Lord. And he will answer their prayers and heal them. + At that time there will be a wide road from Egypt to Assyria. The people of Assyria will go to Egypt. And the people of Egypt will go to Assyria. The people of Egypt and Assyria will worship the Lord together. + At that time Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be a blessing to the whole earth. + The Lord who rules over all will bless those three nations. He will say, "Let the Egyptians be blessed. They are my people. Let the Assyrians be blessed. My hands created them. And let the Israelites be blessed. They are my very own people." + + + Sargon sent his highest commander to the city of Ashdod. He attacked it and captured it. Sargon was king of Assyria. + Three years earlier the Lord had spoken to me. He had said, "Take off the black clothes you are wearing. And take your sandals off." So I did. I went around barefoot. I didn't have anything on but my underwear. + After Ashdod was captured, the Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has gone around barefoot for three years. He has not worn anything but his underwear. He is a sign and reminder to Egypt and Cush about what will happen to them. + "The king of Assyria will lead prisoners away from Egypt and Cush. Young people and old people alike will be taken away. Like Isaiah, they will be barefoot. They will not be wearing anything but their underwear. And their backsides will be bare. So the Egyptians will be put to shame. + "People trusted in Cush to help them. They bragged about what Egypt could do for them. But they will be afraid and put to shame. + At that time the people who live on the coast of Philistia will speak up. They will say, 'See what has happened to those we depended on! We ran to them for help. We wanted them to save us from the king of Assyria. Now how can we escape?' " + + + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Babylonia. It is known as the Desert by the Two Rivers. An attack is coming through the desert. It is coming from a land of terror. It's sweeping along like a windstorm blowing across the Negev Desert. + I have seen a vision about something terrible that will happen. People are turning against Babylon. Robbers are taking its goods. Elamites, attack the city! Medes, surround it! The Lord will put an end to all of the suffering Babylon has caused. + The vision fills my body with pain. Pains take hold of me. They are like the pains of a woman having a baby. I am shaken by what I hear. I'm terrified by what I see. + My heart grows weak. Fear makes me tremble. I longed for evening to come. But it brought me horror instead of rest. + In my vision the Babylonians set the tables. They spread the rugs out. They eat. They drink. Get up, you officers! Rub your shields with oil! + The Lord said to me, "Go. Put a guard on duty on Jerusalem's walls. Have him report what he sees. + Tell him to watch for chariots that are pulled by teams of horses. Tell him to watch for men riding on donkeys or camels. Make sure he stays awake. Make sure he stays wide awake." + "My master!" the guard shouts back. "Day after day I stand here on the lookout tower. Every night I stay here on duty. + Look! Here comes a man in a chariot! It's being pulled by a team of horses. He's calling out the news, 'Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All of the statues of its gods lie broken in pieces on the ground!' " + My people, you have been crushed like grain on a threshing floor. But now I'm telling you the good news I've heard. It comes from the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of Israel. + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Edom. Someone is calling out to me from the land of Seir. He says, "Guard, when will the night be over? Guard, how soon will it end?" + The guard answers, "Morning is coming. But the night will return. If you want to ask again, come back and ask." + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Arabia. He told me to give orders to traders from Dedan. They were camping in the bushes of Arabia. + I told them to bring water for those who are thirsty. I also gave orders to those who live in Tema. I told them to bring food for those who are running away. + They are running away from where the fighting is heaviest. That's where the swords are ready to strike. That's where the bows are ready to shoot. + The Lord says to me, "In exactly one year, Kedar's grand show of power will come to an end. + Only a few of Kedar's soldiers who shoot arrows will be left alive." The Lord has spoken. He is the God of Israel. + + + Here is a message the Lord gave me about the Valley of Vision. People of Jerusalem, what's the matter with you? Why have all of you gone up on the roofs of your houses? + Why is your town so full of noise? Why is your city so full of the sound of wild parties? Those among you who died weren't killed with swords. They didn't die in battle. + All of your leaders have run away. They've been captured without a single arrow being shot. All those who were caught were taken away as prisoners. They ran off while your enemies were still far away. + So I said, "Leave me alone. Let me sob bitter tears. Don't try to comfort me. My people have been destroyed." + The Lord who rules over all sent the noise of battle against you. The Lord brought disorder and terror to the Valley of Vision. The walls of the city were knocked down. Cries for help were heard in the mountains. + Soldiers from Elam came armed with bows and arrows. They came with their chariots and horses. Soldiers from Kir got their shields ready. + Your rich valleys filled up with chariots. Horsemen took up their battle positions at your city gates. + Judah wasn't a safe place to live in anymore. When all of that happened, you depended on the weapons in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. + You saw that the City of David had many holes in its walls. They needed to be repaired. You stored up water in the Lower Pool. + You picked out the weaker buildings in Jerusalem. You tore them down and used their stones to strengthen the city walls against attack. + You built a pool between the two walls. You used it to save the water that was running down from the Old Pool. But you didn't look to the One who made it all possible. You didn't pay any attention to the One who planned everything long ago. + The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to sob and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put black clothes on. + Instead, you are enjoying yourselves at wild parties! You are killing cattle and sheep. You are eating their meat and drinking wine. You are saying, "Let's eat and drink, because tomorrow we'll die." + I heard the Lord who rules over all speaking. "Your sin can never be paid for as long as you people live," says the Lord. + The Lord who rules over all speaks. The Lord says, "Go. Speak to the head servant Shebna. He is in charge of the palace. Tell him, + 'What are you doing here outside the city? Who allowed you to cut out a tomb for yourself here? Who said you could carve out your grave on the hillside? Who allowed you to cut out your resting place in the rock? + " 'Watch out, you mighty man! The Lord is about to grab hold of you. He is about to throw you away. + He will roll you up tightly like a ball. He will throw you into a very large country. There you will die. And there the chariots you are so proud of will remain. You bring shame on your master's family! + The Lord will remove you from your job. You will be brought down from your high position. + " 'At that time he will send for his servant Eliakim. He is the son of Hilkiah. + The Lord will put your robe on Eliakim. He will tie your belt around him. He will hand your authority over to him. Eliakim will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. + " 'The Lord will give Eliakim the key of authority in David's royal house. No one can shut what he opens. And no one can open what he shuts. + The Lord will set him firmly in place like a peg that is driven into a wall. He will hold a position of honor in his family. + The good name of his whole family will depend on him. They will be like bowls and jars hanging on a peg. + " 'But a new day is coming,' " announces the Lord who rules over all. " 'At that time the peg that was driven into the wall will give way. It will break off and fall down. And the heavy load hanging on it will also fall.' " The Lord has spoken. + + + Here is a message the Lord gave me about Tyre. Men in the ships of Tarshish, cry out! The city of Tyre is destroyed. Its houses and harbor are gone. That's the message you have received from the island of Cyprus. + People on the island of Tyre, be silent. Traders from the city of Sidon, be quiet. Those who sail on the Mediterranean Sea have made you rich. + Grain from Egypt came across the mighty waters. The harvest of the Nile River brought wealth to Tyre. It became the market place of the nations. + Sidon, be ashamed. Mighty Tyre out in the sea, be ashamed. The sea has spoken. It has said, "It's as if I had never felt labor pains or had children. It's as if I had never brought up sons or daughters. It's as if the city of Tyre had never existed." + The Egyptians will hear about what has happened to Tyre. They'll be very sad and troubled. + People of the island of Tyre, cry out! Go across the sea to Tarshish. + Just look at Tyre. It's no longer the old, old city that was known for its wild parties. It no longer sends its people out to settle in lands far away. + Tyre was a city that produced kings. Its traders were princes. They were honored all over the earth. So who planned to destroy such a city? + The Lord who rules over all planned to do it. He wanted to bring down all of its pride and glory. He wanted to put to shame those who were honored all over the earth. + People of Tarshish, spread out over your land like the waters of the Nile. There isn't anything to hold you back anymore. + The Lord has reached his powerful hand out over the sea. He has made its kingdoms tremble with fear. He has given a command concerning Phoenicia. He has ordered that its forts be destroyed. + He said, "No more wild parties for you! People of Sidon, you are now destroyed! "Leave your city. Go across the sea to Cyprus. Even there you will not find any rest." + Look at the land of the Babylonians. No one lives there anymore. The Assyrians have turned it into a place for desert creatures. They built their towers in order to attack it. They took everything out of its forts. They knocked all of its buildings down. + Men in the ships of Tarshish, cry out! Mighty Tyre is destroyed! + A time is coming when people will forget about Tyre for 70 years. That's the length of a king's life. But at the end of those 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute that people sing about. They say, + "Forgotten prostitute, pick up a harp. Walk through the city. Play the harp well. Sing many songs. Then you will be remembered." + At the end of the 70 years, the Lord will punish Tyre. He will let it return to its way of life as a prostitute. It will earn its living with all of the kingdoms on the face of the earth. + But the money it earns will be set apart for the Lord. The money won't be stored up or kept for Tyre. Instead, it will go to those who live the way the Lord wants them to. It will pay for plenty of food and fine clothes for them. + + + The Lord is going to completely destroy everything on earth. He will twist its surface. He'll scatter those who live on it. + Priests and people alike will suffer. So will masters and their servants. And so will women and their female servants. Sellers and buyers alike will suffer. So will those who borrow and those who lend. And so will those who owe money and those who lend it. + The earth will be completely destroyed. Everything of value will be taken out of it. That's what the Lord has said. + The earth will dry up completely. The world will dry up and waste away. The most important people on earth will fade away. + The earth is polluted by its people. They haven't obeyed the laws of the Lord. They haven't done what he told them to do. They've broken the covenant that will last forever. + So the Lord will send a curse on the earth. Its people will pay for what they've done. They will be burned up. Very few of them will be left. + The vines and fresh wine will dry up completely. Those who used to have a good time will groan. + The happy sounds of tambourines will be gone. The noise of those who enjoy wild parties will stop. The joyful music of harps will become silent. + People will no longer sing as they drink wine. Beer will taste bitter to those who drink it. + Destroyed cities will lie empty. People will lock themselves inside their houses. + In the streets people will cry out for wine. All joy will turn into sadness. All happiness will be driven out of the earth. + All of the buildings will be knocked down. Every city gate will be smashed to pieces. + That's how it will be on the earth. And that's how it will be among the nations. It will be as when workers knock all but a few olives off the trees. It will be like a vine that has only a few grapes left after the harvest. + Those who are left alive will shout with joy. People from the west will praise the Lord because he is the King. + So give glory to him, you who live in the east. Honor the name of the Lord, you who are in the islands of the sea. He is the God of Israel. + From one end of the earth to the other we hear singing. People are saying, "Give glory to the One who always does what is right." But I said, "I feel very bad. I'm getting weaker and weaker. How terrible it is for me! People turn against one another. They can't be trusted. So they turn against each other." + People of the earth, terror, a pit and a trap are waiting for you. + Anyone who runs away from the terror will fall into the pit. Anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. The Lord will open the windows of the skies. He will flood the land. The foundations of the earth will shake. + The earth will be broken up. It will split open. It will be shaken to pieces. + The earth will be unsteady like someone who is drunk. It will sway like a tent in the wind. Its sin will weigh so heavily on it that it will fall. It will never get up again. + At that time the Lord will punish the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens above. He will also punish the kings on the earth below. + They will be brought together like prisoners in chains. They'll be locked up in prison. After many days the Lord will punish them. + The Lord who rules over all will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The elders of the city will be there. They will see his glory. His rule will be so glorious that the sun and moon will be too ashamed to shine. + + + Lord, you are my God. I will honor you. I will praise your name. You have been perfectly faithful. You have done wonderful things. You had planned them long ago. + You have turned cities into piles of trash. You have pulled down the high walls that were around them. You have destroyed our enemies' forts. They will never be rebuilt. + Powerful nations will honor you. Even sinful people from their cities will have respect for you. + Poor people have come to you for safety. You have kept needy people safe when they were in trouble. You have been a place to hide when storms came. You have been a shade from the heat of the sun. Evil people attack us. They are like a storm beating against a wall. + They are like the heat of the desert. You stopped the noisy shouts of our enemies. You kept them from winning the battle over us and singing about it. You are like the shadow of a cloud that cools the earth. + On Mount Zion the Lord who rules over all will prepare a feast for all of the nations. The best and richest foods and the finest aged wines will be served. + On that mountain the Lord will destroy the veil of sadness that covers all of the nations. He will destroy the gloom that is spread over everyone. + He will swallow up death forever. The Lord and King will wipe away the tears from everyone's face. He will remove the shame of his people from the whole earth. The Lord has spoken. + At that time they will say, "He is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. He is the Lord. We trusted in him. Let us be filled with joy because he saved us." + The Lord's powerful hand will keep Mount Zion safe. But he will walk all over Moab. Its people will be crushed, just as straw is crushed in animal waste. + They will try to swim their way out of it. They will spread their hands out in it, just as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim. But God will bring down Moab's pride. None of their skill will help them. + He will pull down their high, strong walls. He will bring them down to the ground. He'll bring them right down to the dust. + + + At that time a song will be sung in the land of Judah. It will say, "We have a strong city. God's saving power surrounds it like walls and towers. + Open its gates so that those who do what is right can enter. They are the people who remain faithful to God. + Lord, you will give perfect peace to anyone who commits himself to be faithful to you. That's because he trusts in you. + "Trust in the Lord forever. The Lord is the Rock. The Lord will keep us safe forever. + He brings down those who are proud. He pulls down cities that have high walls. They fall down flat on the ground. He throws them down to the dust. + The feet of those who were crushed stomp on them. Those who were helpless walk all over them." + Lord, you are honest and fair. You guide those who do what is right. You lead them on a straight path. You make their way smooth. + Lord, we are living the way your laws command us to live. We are waiting for you to act. Our hearts long for you to be true to your name. That's what you are known for. + My heart longs for you at night. My spirit longs for you in the morning. You will come and judge the earth. Then the people of the world will learn to do what is right. + Grace is shown to sinful people. But they still don't learn to do what is right. They keep on doing evil even in a land where others are honest and fair. They don't have any respect for the majesty of the Lord. + Lord, you have raised your hand high to punish them. But they don't even see it. Let them see how much you love your people. Then they will be put to shame. Let the fire you are saving for your enemies burn them up. + Lord, you give us peace. You are the one who has done everything we've accomplished. + Lord, you are our God. Other masters besides you have ruled over us. But your name is the only one we honor. + Those other masters are now dead. They will never live again. Their spirits won't rise from the dead. You punished them and destroyed them. You wiped out all memory of them. + Lord, you have made our nation grow. You have made it larger. You have gained glory for yourself. You have increased the size of our land. + Lord, when your people were suffering, they came to you. When you punished them, they could barely whisper a prayer. + Lord, you made us like a woman who is having a baby. She groans and cries out in pain. + We were pregnant. We groaned with pain. But nothing was born. We didn't bring your saving power to the earth. We didn't give life to the people of the world. + Israel, those among you who have died will live again. Their bodies will rise from the dead. You who lie in the grave, wake up and shout with joy. The dew of the morning gives life to the earth. So the earth will give up its dead people. + My people, go into your houses. Shut the doors behind you. Hide yourselves for a little while. Do it until the Lord's anger is over. + He is coming from the place where he lives. He will punish the people of the earth for their sins. The blood that has been spilled on the earth will be brought out into the open. The ground will no longer hide those who have been killed. + + + At that time the Lord will punish Leviathan with his sword. His great, powerful and deadly sword will punish the serpent that glides through the sea. He will kill that twisting sea monster. + At that time the Lord will sing about his fruitful vineyard. He will say, + "I am the Lord. I watch over my vineyard. I water it all the time. I guard it day and night. I do it so no one can harm it. + I am not angry with my vineyard. I wish thorns and bushes would come up in it. Then I would march out against them in battle. I would set all of them on fire. + So the enemies of my people had better come to me for safety. They should make peace with me. I will say it again. They should make peace with me." + In days to come, Jacob's people will put down roots like a vine. Israel will bud and bloom. They will fill the whole world with fruit. + The Lord struck down those who struck Israel down. But he hasn't punished Israel as much. The Lord killed those who killed many of his people. But he hasn't punished his people as much. + The Lord will use war to punish Israel. He will make them leave their land. With a strong blast of his anger he will drive them out. It will be as if the east wind were blowing. + The people of Jacob will have to pay for their sin. That must happen in order for their sin to be taken away. They will make all of the altar stones like chalk. They will crush them to pieces. No poles that had been used to worship the goddess Asherah will be left standing. No incense altars will be left either. + Cities that have high walls around them will become empty. They will be deserted settlements. They will be like a desert. Calves will eat and lie down in them. They will strip the branches of their trees bare. + When their twigs are dry, they will be broken off. Then women will come and make fires with them. The people of Jacob don't understand the Lord. So the One who made them won't be concerned about them. Their Creator won't show them his favor. + At that time the Lord will separate Israel from other people. He will gather the Israelites together. He will gather them one by one from the Euphrates River all the way to the Wadi of Egypt. + At that time a loud trumpet will be blown. Those who were dying in Assyria will come and worship the Lord. So will those who were taken away to Egypt. All of them will worship the Lord on his holy mountain in Jerusalem. + + + How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a crown of flowers. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower! + The Lord will bring the strong and powerful king of Assyria against Samaria. The Lord will throw that city down to the ground with great force. It will be like a hailstorm. It will be like a wind that destroys everything. It will be like a driving rain and a flooding storm. + That city is like a crown. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. But its enemies will walk all over it. + It sits on a hill above a rich valley. It's like a crown of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away. But it will become like a fig that is ripe before harvest. As soon as someone sees it, he picks it and swallows it. + At that time the Lord who rules over all will be like a glorious crown. He will be like a beautiful wreath for those of his people who will be left alive. + He will help those who are fair when they judge. He will give strength to those who turn back their enemies at the city gate. + Israel's leaders are drunk from wine. They can't walk straight. They are drunk from beer. They are unsteady on their feet. Priests and prophets drink beer. They can't walk straight. They are mixed up from drinking too much wine. They drink too much beer. They are unsteady on their feet. The prophets see visions but don't really understand them. The priests aren't able to make good decisions. + They throw up. All of the tables are covered with the mess they've made. There isn't one spot on the tables that isn't smelly and dirty. + My people are making fun of me. They say, "Who does he think he's trying to teach? Who does he think he's explaining his message to? Is it to children who do not need their mother's milk anymore? Is it to those who have just been taken from her breast? + Here is how he teaches. Do this and do that. Do that and do this. Obey this rule and obey that rule. Obey that rule and obey this rule. Learn a little here and learn a little there." + All right then, these people won't listen to me. So God will speak to them. He will speak by using people who speak unfamiliar languages. He will speak by using the mouths of strangers. + He said to his people, "I am offering you a resting place. Let those who are tired rest." He continued, "I am offering you a place of peace and quiet." But they wouldn't listen. + So then, here is what the Lord's message will become to them. Do this and do that. Do that and do this. Obey this rule and obey that rule. Obey that rule and obey this rule. Learn a little here and learn a little there. So when they try to go forward, they'll fall back and be wounded. They'll be trapped and captured. + Listen to the Lord's message, you who make fun of the truth. Listen, you who rule over these people in Jerusalem. + You brag, "We have entered into a covenant with death. We have made an agreement with the grave. When a terrible plague comes to punish us, it can't touch us. That's because we depend on lies to keep us safe. We hide behind what isn't true." + So the Lord and King speaks. He says, "Look! I am laying a stone in Zion. It is a stone that has been tested. It is the most important stone for a firm foundation. The one who trusts in that stone will never be shaken. + I will use a measuring line to prove that you have not been fair. I will use a plumb line to prove that you have not done what is right. Hail will sweep away the lies you depend on to keep you safe. Water will flood your hiding place. + Your covenant with death will be called off. The agreement you made with the grave will not stand. When the terrible plague comes to punish you, you will be beaten down by it. + As often as it comes, it will carry you away. Morning after morning, day and night, it will come to punish you." If you understand this message, it will bring you absolute terror. + You will be like someone whose bed is too short to lie down on. You will be like those whose blankets are too small to wrap themselves in. + The Lord will rise up to judge, just as he did at Mount Perazim. He will get up to act, just as he did in the Valley of Gibeon. He'll do his work, but it will be strange work. He'll carry out his task, but it will be an unexpected one. + Now stop making fun of me. If you don't, your chains will become heavier. The Lord who rules over all has spoken to me. The Lord has told me he has ordered that the whole land be destroyed. + Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention to what I'm saying. + When a farmer plows in order to plant, does he plow without stopping? Does he keep on breaking up the soil and making the field level? + When he's made the surface even, doesn't he plant caraway seeds? Doesn't he scatter cummin? Doesn't he plant wheat in its proper place? Doesn't he plant barley where it belongs? Doesn't he plant spelt along the edge of the field? + His God directs him. He teaches him the right way to do his work. + Caraway seeds are beaten out with a rod. They aren't separated out under a threshing sled. Cummin seeds are beaten out with a stick. The wheel of a cart isn't rolled over them. + Grain must be ground up to make bread. A farmer separates it out. But he doesn't go on doing it forever. He drives the wheels of a threshing cart over it. But he doesn't let the horses grind it to dust. + All of those insights come from the Lord who rules over all. His advice is wonderful. His wisdom is glorious. + + + Jerusalem, how terrible it will be for you! Ariel, you are the city where David settled. The years will come and go. Keep on celebrating your regular feasts. + The Lord says, "Ariel, I will surround you. Jerusalem, I will get ready to attack you. Your people will sob. They will sing songs of sadness. I will make you like the front of an altar that is covered with blood. + I will be like an army that is camped against you on all sides. I will surround you with towers in order to attack you. I will build my ramps all around you and set up my ladders. + You will be brought down to the grave. You will speak from deep down inside the ground. Your words will be barely heard out of the dust. Your voice will sound like the voice of a ghost coming from under the ground. Your words will sound like a whisper out of the dust." + Jerusalem, all of your enemies will become like fine dust. Their terrifying armies will become like straw that the wind blows away. All of a sudden, in an instant, + the Lord who rules over all will come. He will come with thunder, earthquakes and a lot of noise. He'll bring windstorms and rainstorms with him. He'll send a blazing fire that will burn everything up. + Armies from all of the nations will fight against Ariel. They will attack it and its fort. They'll surround it completely. But suddenly those armies will disappear like a dream. They will vanish like a vision in the night. + They will be like a hungry person who dreams he is eating. But when he wakes up, he's still hungry. They will be like a thirsty person who dreams he is drinking. But when he wakes up, he is weak. His thirst hasn't been satisfied. In the same way, the armies from all of the nations that fight against Mount Zion will disappear. + People of Jerusalem, be shocked and amazed. Make yourselves blind so you can't see anything. Get drunk, but not from wine. Be unsteady on your feet, but not because of beer. + The Lord has made you fall into a deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets. He has covered the heads of your seers so they can't see. + For you, this whole vision is like words that are sealed up in a scroll. Suppose you give it to someone who can read. And suppose you say to him, "Please read this for us." Then he'll answer, "I can't. It's sealed up." + Or suppose you give the scroll to someone who can't read. And suppose you say, "Please read this for us." Then he'll answer, "I don't know how to read." + The Lord says, "These people worship me only with their words. They honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. Their worship doesn't mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules. + So once more I will shock these people with many wonderful acts. I will destroy the wisdom of those who think they are so wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart." + How terrible it will be for people who do everything they can to hide their plans from the Lord! They do their work in darkness. They think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" + They turn everything upside down. How silly they are to think that potters are like the clay they work with! Can what is made say to the one who made it, "You didn't make me"? Can the pot say to the potter, "You don't know anything"? + In a very short time, Lebanon will be turned into rich farm lands. The rich farm lands will seem like a forest. + At that time those who can't hear will hear what is read from the scroll. Those who are blind will come out of gloom and darkness. They will be able to see. + Those who aren't proud will once again find their joy in the Lord. And those who are in need will find their joy in the Holy One of Israel. + Those who don't show any pity will vanish. Those who make fun of others will disappear. All those who look for ways to do what is evil will be cut off. + Without any proof, they claim that a man is guilty. In court they try to trap the one who speaks up for others. By using dishonest witnesses they keep those who aren't guilty from being treated fairly. + Long ago the Lord saved Abraham from trouble. Now he says to Jacob's people, "You will not be ashamed anymore. Your faces will no longer grow pale with fear. + You will see your children living among you. I myself will give you those children. Then you will honor my name. You will recognize how holy I am. I am the Holy One of Jacob. You will have great respect for me. I am the God of Israel. + I will give understanding to you who find yourselves going down the wrong path. You who are always speaking against others will accept what I teach you." + + + "How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!" announces the Lord. "How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me! Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit. So they pile up one sin on top of another. + They go down to Egypt without asking me for advice. They look to Pharaoh to help them. They ask Egypt to keep them safe. + But looking to Pharaoh will only bring them shame. Asking Egypt for help will bring them dishonor. + Their officials have gone to the city of Zoan. Their messengers have arrived in Hanes. + But the people of Judah will be put to shame because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them. Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage. Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor." + Here is a message the Lord gave me about the animals in the Negev Desert. Judah's messengers carry their riches on the backs of donkeys. They carry their treasures on the humps of camels. They travel through a land of danger and suffering. It's a land that is filled with lions. Poisonous snakes are also there. The messengers travel to a nation that can't do them any good. + They travel to Egypt, whose help is totally useless. That's why I call it Rahab the Do-Nothing. + The Lord said to me, "Go now. Write on a tablet for the people of Judah what I am about to say. Also write it on a scroll. In days to come it will be a witness that lasts forever. + The people of Judah refuse to obey me. They are children who tell lies. They will not listen to what I want to teach them. + They say to the seers, 'Don't see any more visions!' They say to the prophets, 'Don't give us any more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy things we want to hear even if they aren't true. + Get out of our way! Get off our path! Keep the Holy One of Israel away from us!' " + So the Holy One of Israel speaks. He says, "You have turned your backs on what I have said. You have depended on telling people lies. You have crushed others. + Those sins are like cracks in a high wall. They get bigger and bigger. Suddenly the wall breaks apart. Then it quickly falls down. + It breaks into small pieces like a clay pot. It breaks up completely. Not one piece is left big enough for taking coals from a fireplace. Not one piece is left for dipping water out of a well." + The Lord and King is the Holy One of Israel. He says, "You will find peace and rest when you turn away from your sins and depend on me. You will receive the strength you need when you stay calm and trust in me. But you do not want to do what I tell you to. + You said, 'No. We'll escape on horses.' So you will have to escape! You said, 'We'll ride off on fast horses.' So those who chase you will use faster horses! + When one of them dares you to fight, a thousand of you will run away. When five of them dare you, all of you will run away. So few of you will be left that you will be like a flagpole on top of a mountain. You will be like only one banner on a hill." + But the Lord longs to show you his favor. He wants to give you his tender love. The Lord is a God who is always fair. Blessed are all those who wait for him to act! + People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you won't sob anymore. When you cry out to the Lord for help, he will show you his favor. As soon as he hears you, he'll answer you. + He might treat you like prisoners. You might eat the bread of trouble. You might drink the water of suffering. But he will be your Teacher. He won't hide himself anymore. You will see him with your own eyes. + You will hear your Teacher's voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or the left. It will say, "Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it." + Then you will get rid of the silver statues of your gods. You won't have anything to do with the gold statues either. All of them are "unclean." So you will throw them away like dirty rags. You will say to them, "Get away from us!" + The Lord will send rain on the seeds you plant in the ground. The crops that grow will be rich and plentiful. At that time your cattle will eat grass in rolling meadows. + The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat the finest feed and crushed grain. The farmers will use pitchforks and shovels to separate it from the straw. + At that time the towers of your enemies will fall down. Their soldiers will die. Streams of water will flow on every high mountain and hill. + The moon will shine like the sun. And the sunlight will be seven times brighter than usual. It will be like the light of seven full days. That will happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds and bruises he has brought on his people. + The Lord will come from far away in all of his power and glory. He will show his burning anger. Thick clouds of smoke will be all around him. His mouth will speak angry words. The words from his tongue will be like a destroying fire. + His breath will be like a rushing flood that rises up to the neck. He'll separate out the nations he is going to destroy. He'll place a bit in their jaws. It will lead them down the road to death. + You will sing as you do on the night you celebrate a holy feast. Your hearts will be filled with joy. You will be as joyful as people playing their flutes as they go up to the mountain of the Lord. He is the Rock of Israel. + The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice. He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them. It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire. It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail. + The voice of the Lord will tear the Assyrians apart. He will strike them down with his mighty rod. + He will strike them with his rod to punish them. Each time he does, his people will celebrate with the music of harps and tambourines. He will use his powerful arm to strike the Assyrians down in battle. + In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, Topheth has been prepared for a long time. It has been made ready for the king of Assyria. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide. It has plenty of wood for the fire. The breath of the Lord will be like a stream of burning sulfur. It will set the wood on fire. + + + How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help! How terrible for those who depend on horses! They trust in how many chariots they have. They trust in how strong their horsemen are. But they don't look to the Holy One of Israel. They don't ask the Lord for his help. + He too is wise. He can bring horrible trouble. He does what he says he'll do. He'll rise up against everyone who does what is evil. He'll fight against those who help them. + The men of Egypt are only human. They aren't God. Their horses are only flesh and blood. They aren't spirits. The Lord will reach out his powerful hand to punish everyone. The Egyptians provide help. But they will be tripped up. The people of Judah receive the help. But they will fall down. All of them will be destroyed. + The Lord says to me, "A powerful lion stands over its food and growls. A lot of shepherds can be brought together to drive it away. But the lion is not frightened by their shouts. It is not upset by the noise they make. In the same way, I will come down from heaven. I will fight on Mount Zion and on its hills. Nothing will drive me away. I am the Lord who rules over all. + Like a bird hovering over its nest, I will guard Jerusalem. I will keep it safe. I will pass over it and save it. I am the Lord who rules over all." + People of Israel, return to the Lord. He's the one you have so strongly opposed. + The time will come when every one of you will turn your backs on your gods of silver and gold. You sinned when you made them with your own hands. + The Lord says, "The Assyrians will be killed with swords. But it will not be men who use them. The swords that kill them will not be used by human beings. The Assyrians will run away from those swords. But their young men will be caught and forced to work hard. + Their hiding places will be destroyed when terror strikes them. When their commanders see their enemy's battle flags, they will be filled with panic," announces the Lord. His fire blazes out from Mount Zion. His furnace burns in Jerusalem. + + + A king will come who will do what is right. His officials will govern fairly. + Each man will be like a place to get out of the wind. He will be like a place to hide from storms. He'll be like streams of water flowing in the desert. He'll be like the shadow of a huge rock in a dry and thirsty land. + Then the eyes of those who see won't be closed anymore. The ears of those who hear will listen to the truth. + The minds of thoughtless people will know and understand. Tongues that stutter will speak clearly. + Foolish people won't be considered noble anymore. Those who are worthless won't be highly respected. + A foolish person says foolish things. His mind is full of evil thoughts. He doesn't do what is right. He tells lies about the Lord. He doesn't give hungry people any food. He doesn't let thirsty people have any water. + The one who is worthless uses sinful methods. He makes evil plans against poor people. He destroys them with his lies. He does it even when those people are right. + But the man who is noble makes noble plans. And by doing noble things he succeeds. + You women who are so contented, pay attention to me. You who feel so secure, listen to what I have to say. + You feel secure now. But in a little over a year you will tremble with fear. The grape harvest will fail. There won't be any fruit. + So tremble, you contented women. Tremble with fear, you who feel so secure. Take your fine clothes off. Put black clothes on. + Beat your chests to show how sad you are. The pleasant fields have been destroyed. The fruitful vines have dried up. + My people's land is overgrown with thorns and bushes. Sob over all of the houses that were once filled with joy. Cry over this city that used to be full of wild parties. + The royal palace will be left empty. The noisy city will be deserted. The fort and lookout tower will become a dry and empty desert forever. Donkeys will enjoy being there. Flocks will eat there. + That will continue until the Holy Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the desert will be turned into rich farm lands. The rich farm lands will seem like a forest. + In the desert and the rich farm lands people will do what is right. And they will treat one another fairly. + Doing what is right will bring peace and rest. When my people do that, they will stay calm and trust in the Lord forever. + They will live in a peaceful land. Their homes will be secure. They will enjoy peace and quiet. + Hail might strip the forests bare. Cities might be completely destroyed. + But how blessed you people will be! You will plant your seeds by every stream. You will let your cattle and donkeys wander anywhere they want to. + + + How terrible it will be for you, you who destroy others! Assyria, you haven't been destroyed yet. How terrible for you, you who turn against others! Others haven't turned against you yet. When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed. When you stop turning against others, others will turn against you. + Lord, show us your favor. We long for you to help us. Make us strong every morning. Save us when we're in trouble. + When the nations hear you thunder, they run away. When you rise up against them, they scatter. + Nations, what you have taken in battle is destroyed. It's as if young locusts had eaten it up. Like large numbers of locusts, people rush to get it. + The Lord is honored. He lives in heaven. He will fill Zion's people with what is fair and right. + He will be the firm foundation for their entire lives. He will give them all of the wisdom, knowledge and saving power they will ever need. Respect for the Lord is the key to that treasure. + Look! Judah's brave men cry out loud in the streets. The messengers who were sent to bring peace sob bitter tears. + The wide roads are deserted. No one travels on them. Our peace treaty with Assyria is broken. Those who witnessed it are looked down on. No one is respected. + The land is filled with sadness and wastes away. Lebanon is full of shame and dries up. The rich land of Sharon is like the Arabah Desert. The trees of Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves. + "Now I will take action," says the Lord. "Now I will be honored. Now I will be respected. + Assyria, your plans and actions are like straw. Your anger is a fire that will destroy you. + The nations will be burned to ashes. They will be like bushes that are cut down and set on fire. + "You nations far away, listen to what I have done! My people who are near, recognize how powerful I am! + The sinners in Zion are terrified. They tremble with fear. They say, 'Who of us can live through the Lord's destroying fire? Who of us can live through the fire that burns forever?' + A person must do what is right. He must be honest and tell the truth. He must not get rich by cheating others. His hands must not receive money from those who want special favors. He must not let his ears listen to plans to commit murder. He must close his eyes to even thinking about doing what is evil. + A person like that will be kept safe. It will be as if he were living on high mountains. It will be as if he were living in a mountain fort. He will have all of the food he needs. And he will never run out of water." + People of Judah, you will see the king in all of his glory and majesty. You will view his kingdom spreading far and wide. + You will think about what used to terrify you. You will say to yourself, "Where is that chief officer of Assyria? Where is the one who forced us to send gifts to his king? Where is the officer in charge of the towers that were used when we were attacked?" + You won't see those proud people anymore. They spoke a strange language. None of us could understand it. + Just look at Zion! It's the city where we celebrate our regular feasts. Turn your eyes toward Jerusalem. It will be a peaceful place to live in. It will be like a tent that will never be moved. Its stakes will never be pulled up. None of its ropes will be broken. + There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of wide rivers and streams. No boat with oars will travel on them. No mighty ship will sail on them. + That's because the Lord is our judge. The Lord gives us our law. The Lord is our king. He will save us. + The ropes on your ship hang loose. The mast isn't very secure. The sail isn't spread out. But the Lord will strike the Assyrians down. Then a large amount of goods will be taken from them and divided up. Even people who are disabled will carry off what was taken. + No one living in Zion will ever say again, "I'm sick." And the sins of those who live there will be forgiven. + + + Nations, come near and listen to me! Pay attention to what I'm about to say. Let the earth and everything in it listen. Let the world and everything that comes out of it pay attention. + The Lord is angry with all of the nations. His anger burns against all of their armies. He will totally destroy them. He will have them killed. + Those who are killed won't be buried. Their dead bodies will be thrown on the ground. They will give off a very bad smell. Their blood will cover the mountains. + All of the stars in the heavens will vanish. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll. All of the stars in the sky will fall like dried-up leaves from a vine. They will drop like wrinkled figs from a fig tree. + The sword of the Lord will finish its deadly work in the sky. Then it will come down to strike Edom. He will totally destroy that nation. + His sword will be red with blood. It will be covered with fat. The blood will flow like the blood of lambs and goats being sacrificed. The fat will be like the fat taken from the kidneys of rams. That's because the Lord will offer a sacrifice in the city of Bozrah. He will kill many people in Edom. + The people and their leaders will be killed like wild oxen and young bulls. Their land will be wet with their blood. The dust will be covered with their fat. + That's because the Lord has set aside a day to pay Edom back. He has set aside a year to pay them back for what they did to the city of Zion. + The streams of Edom will be turned into tar. Its dust will be turned into blazing sulfur. Its land will become burning tar. + The fire will keep burning night and day. It can't be put out. Its smoke will go up forever. Edom will lie empty for all time to come. No one will ever travel through it again. + The desert owl and screech owl will make it their home. The great owl and the raven will build their nests there. God will use his measuring line to show how completely Edom will be destroyed. He will use his plumb line to show how empty Edom will become. + Edom's nobles won't have anything left there that can be called a kingdom. All of its princes will vanish. + Thorns will cover its forts. Bushes and weeds will cover its safest places. It will become a home for wild dogs. It will become a place where owls live. + Desert creatures will meet with hyenas. Wild goats will call out to each other. Night creatures will also sleep there. They will find places where they can rest. + Owls will make their nests and lay their eggs there. And they will hatch them. They will take care of their little ones under the shadow of their wings. Male and female falcons will also gather there. + Look in the scroll of the Lord. There you will read that none of those animals will be missing. Male and female alike will be there. The Lord himself has commanded it. And his Spirit will gather them together. + The Lord will decide what part of the land goes to each animal. Then he will give each one its share. It will belong to them forever. And they will live there for all time to come. + + + The desert and the dry ground will be glad. The dry places will be full of joy. Flowers will grow there. Like the first crocus in the spring, + the desert will bloom with flowers. It will be very glad and shout with joy. The glorious beauty of Lebanon will be given to it. It will be as beautiful as the rich lands of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the glory of the Lord. They will see the beauty of our God. + Strengthen the hands of those who are weak. Help those whose knees give way. + Say to those whose hearts are afraid, "Be strong. Do not fear. Your God will come. He will pay your enemies back. He will come to save you." + Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened. The ears of those who can't hear will be unplugged. + Those who can't walk will leap like a deer. And those who can't speak will shout with joy. Water will pour out in dry places. Streams will flow in the desert. + The burning sand will become a pool of water. The thirsty ground will become bubbling springs. In the places where wild dogs once lay down, tall grass and papyrus will grow. + A wide road will go through the land. It will be called The Way of Holiness. Only those who are pure and clean can travel on it. Only those who lead a holy life can use it. Evil and foolish people can't walk on it. + No lions will use it. No wild animals will be on it. None of them will be there. Only people who have been set free will walk on it. + Those the Lord has saved will return to their land. They will sing as they enter the city of Zion. Joy that lasts forever will be like beautiful crowns on their heads. They will be filled with gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing will be gone. + + + Sennacherib attacked and captured all of the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. It was in the 14th year of the rule of Hezekiah. Sennacherib was king of Assyria. + He sent his field commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He sent him along with a large army. The commander stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It was on the road to the Washerman's Field. + Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to him. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records. + The field commander said to them, "Give Hezekiah this message. Tell him, " 'Sennacherib is the great king of Assyria. He says, "Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? + You say you have a military plan. You say you have a strong army. But your words don't mean anything. Who are you depending on? Why don't you want to stay under my control? + " ' "You are depending on Egypt. Why are you doing that? Egypt is nothing but a broken papyrus stem. Try leaning on it. It will only cut your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is just like that to everyone who depends on him. + " ' "Suppose you say to me, 'We are depending on the Lord our God.' Didn't Hezekiah remove your god's high places and altars? Didn't Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at the altar in Jerusalem'? + " ' "Come on. Make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I'll give you 2,000 horses. But only if you can put riders on them! + You are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen. You can't drive away even the least important officer among my master's officials. + " ' "Besides, do you think I've come without being sent by the Lord? Have I come to attack and destroy this land without receiving a message from him? The Lord himself told me to march out against your country. He told me to destroy it." ' " + Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah spoke to the field commander. They said, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew. If you do, the people who are on the wall will be able to understand you." + But the commander replied, "My master sent me to say these things. Are these words only for your master and you to hear? Aren't they also for the men who are sitting on the wall? They are going to suffer just like you. They'll have to eat their own waste. They'll have to drink their own urine." + Then the commander stood up and spoke in the Hebrew language. He called out, "Pay attention to what the great king of Assyria is telling you. + He says, 'Don't let Hezekiah trick you. He can't save you! + Don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord. Don't believe him when he says, "You can be sure that the Lord will save us. This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." ' + "Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, 'Make a peace treaty with me. Come over to my side. Then every one of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree. Every one of you will drink water from your own well. + You will do that until I come back. Then I'll take you to a land that is just like yours. It's a land that has a lot of grain and fresh wine. It has plenty of bread and vineyards. + " 'Don't let Hezekiah fool you. He's telling you a lie when he says, "The Lord will save us." Has the god of any nation ever saved his land from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they saved Samaria from my power? + Which one of all of the gods of those countries has been able to save his land from me? So how can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?' " + But the people remained silent. They didn't say anything. That's because King Hezekiah had commanded, "Don't answer him." + Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, went to Hezekiah. Eliakim was in charge of the palace. The secretary Shebna went with him. So did Joah, the son of Asaph. Joah kept the records. All of them went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. They told him what the field commander had said. + + + When King Hezekiah heard what the field commander had said, he tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. Then he went into the Lord's temple. + Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, to me. He also sent the leading priests and the secretary Shebna to me. All of them were wearing black clothes. + They told me, "Hezekiah says, 'Today we're in great trouble. The Lord is warning us. He's bringing shame on us. Sometimes babies come to the moment when they should be born. But their mothers aren't strong enough to allow them to be born. Today we are like those mothers. We aren't strong enough to save ourselves. + " 'Perhaps the Lord your God will hear everything the field commander has said. His master, the king of Assyria, has sent him to make fun of the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will punish him for what he has heard him say. So pray for the remaining people who are still alive here.' " + King Hezekiah's officials came to me. + Then I said to them, "Tell your master, 'The Lord says, "Do not be afraid of what you have heard. The officers who are under the king of Assyria have spoken evil things against me. + Listen! I will send him news from his own country. It will upset him so much that he will return home. There I will have him cut down with a sword." ' " + The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. So the commander pulled his troops back from Jerusalem. He went to join the king. He found out that the king was fighting against Libnah. + During that time Sennacherib received a report. He was told that Tirhakah was marching out to fight against him. Tirhakah was king of Egypt. He was from the land of Cush. When Sennacherib heard the report, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah with a letter. It said, + "Tell Hezekiah, the king of Judah, 'Don't let the god you depend on trick you. He says, "Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." But don't believe him. + I'm sure you have heard about what the kings of Assyria have done to all of the other countries. They have destroyed them completely. So do you think you will be saved? + " 'The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Did the gods of those nations save them? Did the gods of Gozan, Haran or Rezeph save them? What about the gods of the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? + Where is the king of Hamath? Where is the king of Arpad? Where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim? Where are the kings of Hena or Ivvah?' " + When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, he read it. Then he went up to the Lord's temple. There he spread the letter out in front of the Lord. + Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He said, + "Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all of the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth. + Listen, Lord. Hear us. Open your eyes, Lord. Look at the trouble we're in. Listen to what Sennacherib is saying. You are the living God. And he dares to make fun of you! + "Lord, it's true that the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and their lands. + They have thrown the statues of the gods of those nations into the fire. And they have destroyed them. That's because they weren't really gods at all. They were nothing but statues that were made out of wood and stone. They were made by human hands. + "Lord our God, save us from the powerful hand of Sennacherib. Then all of the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are God." + I sent a message to Hezekiah. I said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'You have prayed to me about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. + So here is the message I have spoken against him. I am telling him, " ' "You will not win the battle over Zion. Its people hate you and make fun of you. The people of Jerusalem lift up their heads proudly as you run away. + Who have you laughed at? Who have you spoken evil things against? Who have you raised your voice against? Who have you looked at so proudly? You have done it against me. I am the Holy One of Israel! + Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said, 'I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I've climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I've cut down its tallest cedar trees. I've cut down the best of its pine trees. I've reached its farthest mountains. I've reached its finest forests. + I've dug wells in strange lands. I've drunk the water from them. I've walked through all of Egypt's streams. I've dried up every one of them.' + " ' "But I, the Lord, say, 'Haven't you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone. + Their people do not have any power left. They are troubled and put to shame. They are like plants in the field. They are like new green plants. They are like grass that grows on a roof. It dries up before it is completely grown. + " ' " 'But I know where you live. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me. + You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came.' " ' " + The Lord said, "Hezekiah, here is a miraculous sign for you. "This year you will eat what grows by itself. Next year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year you will plant your crops and gather them in. You will plant your grapevines and eat their fruit. + The people of Judah who are still alive will be like plants. Once more they will put down roots and produce fruit. + Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who are still left alive. My great love will make sure that happens. I rule over all. + "Here is a message from me about the king of Assyria. It says, " 'He will not enter this city. He will not even shoot an arrow at it. He will not come near it with a shield. He will not build a ramp in order to climb over its walls. + By the way that he came he will go home. He will not enter this city,' announces the Lord. + "I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David." + Then the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the Assyrians. He put to death 185,000 soldiers there. The people of Jerusalem got up the next morning. They looked out and saw all of the dead bodies. + So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, took the army tents down. Then he left. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. + One day Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch. His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with their swords. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon became the next king after his father Sennacherib. + + + In those days Hezekiah became very sick. He knew he was about to die. I went to see him. I told him, "The Lord says, 'Put everything in order. Make out your will. You are going to die soon. You will not get well again.' " + Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the Lord. He said, + "Lord, please remember how faithful I've been to you. I've lived the way you wanted me to. I've served you with all my heart. I've done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah cried bitterly. + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Go and speak to Hezekiah. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of King David, says, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. I will add 15 years to your life. + And I will save you and this city from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria. I will guard this city. + " ' "Here is a miraculous sign from me. It will show you that I will heal you, just as I promised I would. + The shadow that was made by the sun has gone down ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz. I will make it go back up those ten steps." ' " So the shadow went back up the ten steps it had gone down. + Here is a song of praise that was written by Hezekiah, the king of Judah. He wrote it after he was sick and had gotten well again. + I said, "I'm enjoying the best years of my life. Must I now go through the gates of death? Will the rest of my years be taken away from me?" + I said, "Lord, I'll never see you again while I'm still alive. I'll never see people anymore. I'll never again be with those who live in this world. + My body is like a shepherd's tent. It has been pulled down and carried off. My life is like a piece of cloth that I've rolled up. You have cut it off from the loom. In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end. + I waited patiently until sunrise. But like a lion you broke all of my bones. In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end. + I cried softly like a weak little bird. I groaned like a sad dove. My eyes grew tired as I looked up toward heaven. Lord, I'm in trouble. Please come and help me! + "But what can I say? You have promised to heal me. And you yourself have done it. Once I was proud and bitter. But now I will live the rest of my life free of pride. + Lord, people find the will to live because you keep your promises. And my spirit also finds life in your promises. You brought me back to health. You let me live. + I'm sure it was for my benefit that I suffered such great pain. You love me. You kept me from going down into the pit of death. You have put all of my sins behind your back. + People in the grave can't praise you. Dead people can't sing praise to you. Those who go down to the grave can't hope for you to be faithful to them. + It is those who are alive who praise you. And that's what I'm doing today. Fathers tell their children about how faithful you are. + "You will save me. So we will sing and play music on stringed instruments. We will sing all the days of our lives in your temple." + When Hezekiah was sick, I had said, "Press some figs together. Spread them on a piece of cloth. Apply them to Hezekiah's boil. Then he'll get well again." + At that time Hezekiah had asked me, "What will the miraculous sign be to prove I'll go up to the Lord's temple?" That's when the Lord had made the shadow go back ten steps. + + + At that time Merodach-Baladan, the king of Babylonia, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick but had gotten well again. Merodach-Baladan was the son of Baladan. + Hezekiah gladly received the messengers. He showed them what was in his storerooms. He showed them the silver and gold. He took them to where the spices and the fine olive oil were kept. He showed them where he kept all of his weapons. And he showed them all of his treasures. In fact, he showed them everything that was in his palace and in his whole kingdom. + Then I went to King Hezekiah. I asked him, "What did those men say? Where did they come from?" "They came from a land far away," Hezekiah said. "They came to me from Babylon." + I asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "I showed them all of my treasures." + Then I said to Hezekiah, "Listen to the message of the Lord who rules over all. He says, + 'You can be sure the time will come when everything in your palace will be carried off to Babylon. Everything the kings before you have stored up until this day will be taken away. There will not be anything left,' says the Lord. + " 'Some of the members of your family line will be taken away. They will be your own flesh and blood. They will include the children who will be born into your family line in years to come. And they will serve the king of Babylonia in his palace.' " + "The message the Lord has spoken through you is good," Hezekiah replied. He thought, "There will be peace and safety while I'm still living." + + + "Comfort my people," says your God. "Comfort them. + Speak tenderly to the people of Jerusalem. Announce to them that their hard service has been completed. Tell them that their sin has been paid for. Tell them I have punished them enough for all of their sins." + A messenger is calling out, "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord. Make a straight road through it for our God. + Every valley will be filled in. Every mountain and hill will be made level. The rough ground will be smoothed out. The rocky places will be made flat. + Then the glory of the Lord will appear. And everyone will see it. The Lord has spoken." + Another messenger says, "Cry out." And I said, "What should I cry?" "Cry out, 'All people are like grass. They don't last any longer than flowers in the field. + The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them. So people are just like grass. + The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.' " + Zion, you are bringing good news to your people. Go up on a high mountain and announce it. Jerusalem, you are bringing good news to them. Shout the message loudly. Shout it out loud. Don't be afraid. Say to the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" + The Lord and King is coming with power. His powerful arm will rule for him. He has set his people free. He is bringing them back as his reward. He has won the battle over their enemies. + He takes care of his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have little ones. + Who has measured the oceans by using the palm of his hand? Who has used the width of his hand to mark off the sky? Who has measured out the dust of the earth in a basket? Who has weighed the mountains on scales? Who has weighed the hills in a balance? + Who can ever understand what is in the Lord's mind? Who can ever give him advice? + Did the Lord have to ask anyone to help him understand? Did he have to ask someone to teach him the right way? Who taught him what he knows? Who showed him how to understand? + The nations are only a drop in a bucket to him. He considers them as nothing but dust on the scales. He weighs the islands as if they were only fine dust. + Lebanon doesn't have enough trees to keep his altar fires burning. It doesn't have enough animals to sacrifice as burnt offerings to him. + To him, all of the nations don't amount to anything. He considers them to be worthless. In fact, they are less than nothing in his sight. + So who will you compare God to? Is there any other god like him? + Will you compare him to a statue of a god? Any skilled worker can make a statue. Then another worker covers it with gold and makes silver chains for it. + But someone who is too poor to bring that kind of offering will choose some wood that won't rot. Then he looks for a skilled worker. He pays the worker to make a statue of a god that won't fall over. + Don't you know who made everything? Haven't you heard about him? Hasn't it been told to you from the beginning? Haven't you understood it ever since the earth was made? + God sits on his throne high above the earth. Its people look like grasshoppers to him. He spreads the heavens out like a cover. He sets it up like a tent to live in. + He takes the power of princes away from them. He reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. + They are planted. They are scattered like seeds. They put down roots in the ground. But as soon as that happens, God blows on them and they dry up. Then a windstorm sweeps them away like straw. + "So who will you compare me to? Who is equal to me?" says the Holy One. + Look up toward the sky. Who created everything you see? The Lord causes the stars to come out at night one by one. He gives each one of them a name. His power and strength are great. So none of the stars is missing. + Family of Jacob, why do you say, "The Lord doesn't notice our condition"? People of Israel, why do you say, "Our God doesn't pay any attention to our rightful claims"? + Don't you know who made everything? Haven't you heard about him? The Lord is the God who lives forever. He created everything on earth. He won't become worn out or get tired. No one will ever know how great his understanding is. + He gives strength to those who are tired. He gives power to those who are weak. + Even young people become worn out and get tired. Even the best of them trip and fall. + But those who trust in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak. + + + The Lord says, "People who live on the islands, come and stand quietly in front of me. Let the nations gain new strength in order to state their case. Let them come forward and speak. Let us go to court and find out who is right. + "Who has stirred up a king from the east? Who has helped him win his battles? I hand nations over to him. I bring kings under his control. He turns them into dust with his sword. With his bow he turns them into straw blowing in the wind. + He hunts them down. Then he moves on unharmed. He travels so fast that his feet don't seem to touch the ground. + Who has made that happen? Who has carried it out? Who has created all of the people who have ever lived? I, the Lord, have done it. I was with the first of them. And I will be with the last of them." + The people on the islands have seen that king coming. And it has made them afraid. People tremble with fear from one end of the earth to the other. They come and gather together. + They help each other. They say to one another, "Be strong!" + One skilled worker makes a statue of a god. Another covers it with gold. The first worker says to the second, "You have done a good job." Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer. Still another gives the statue its final shape. The third worker says to the last one, "You have done a good job." Then they nail the statue down so it won't fall over. + The Lord says, "People of Israel, you are my servants. Family of Jacob, I have chosen you. You are the children of my friend Abraham. + I gathered you from one end of the earth to the other. From the farthest places on earth I brought you together. I said, 'You are my servants.' I have chosen you. I have not turned my back on you. + So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. My powerful right hand will take good care of you. I always do what is right. + "All those who are angry with you will be put to shame. And they will be dishonored. Those who oppose you will be destroyed. And they will vanish. + You might search for your enemies. But you will not find them. Those who go to war against you will completely disappear. + I am the Lord your God. I take hold of your right hand. I say to you, 'Do not be afraid. I will help you.' + Family of Jacob, you are as weak as a worm. But do not be afraid. People of Israel, there are only a few of you. But do not be afraid. I myself will help you," announces the Lord. He is the one who sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel. + He says, "I will make you into a threshing sled. It will be new and sharp. It will have many teeth. You will grind the mountains down and crush them. You will turn the hills into nothing but straw. + You will toss them in the air. A strong wind will catch them and blow them away. You will be glad because I will make that happen. You will praise me. I am the Holy One of Israel. + "Those who are poor and needy search for water. But there isn't any. Their tongues are dry because they are thirsty. But I will help them. I am the Lord. I will not desert them. I am Israel's God. + I will make streams flow on the bare hilltops. I will make springs come up in the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water. I will turn the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs. + I will make trees grow in the desert. I will plant cedar and acacia trees there. I will plant myrtle and olive trees there. I will make pine trees grow in the dry and empty desert. I will plant fir and cypress trees there. + Then people will see and know that my powerful hand has done it. They will consider and understand that I have created it. I am the Holy One of Israel." + The Lord says to the nations and their gods, "State your case." Jacob's King says to them, "Prove your case to me. + Show me your facts. Tell me and my people what is going to happen. Tell us what happened in the past. Then we can check it out and see if it is really true. Or announce to us the things that will take place. + Tell us what will happen in the days ahead. Then we will know that you are gods. Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad. Then we will be terrified and filled with fear. + But you are less than nothing. Your actions are completely worthless. I hate it when people worship you. + "I have stirred up a king who will come from the north. He lives in the east. He will bring honor to me. He walks all over rulers as if they were mud. He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay. + Which one of you gods said those things would happen before they did? Who told us about them so we could know them? Who told us ahead of time? Who told us so we could say, 'You are right'? None of you told us about them. None of you told us ahead of time. In fact, no one heard you say anything at all. + I was the first to tell Zion. I said, 'Look! The people of Israel are coming back!' I sent a prophet to Jerusalem with the good news. + I look, but there is no one among the gods that can give me advice. None of them can answer when I ask them the simplest question. + So they are not really gods at all. What they do does not amount to anything. They are as useless as wind. + + + "Here is my servant. I take good care of him. I have chosen him. I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him. He will make everything right among the nations. + He will not shout or cry out. He will not raise his voice in the streets. + He will not break a bent twig. He will not put out a dimly burning flame. He will be faithful and make everything right. + He will not grow weak or lose hope. He will not give up until he makes everything right on the earth. The islands will put their hope in his law." + God created the heavens and spread them out. The Lord made the earth and everything that grows on it. He gives breath to its people. He gives life to those who walk on it. He says to his servant, + "I, the Lord, have chosen you to do what is right. I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you safe. You will put my covenant with the people of Israel into effect. And you will be a light for the other nations. + You will open eyes that can't see. You will set prisoners free. Those who sit in darkness will come out of their cells. + "I am the Lord. That is my name! I will not let any other god share my glory. I will not let statues of gods share my praise. + What I said would happen has taken place. Now I announce new things to you. Before they even begin to happen, I announce them to you." + Sing a new song to the Lord. Sing praise to him from one end of the earth to the other. Sing, you who sail out on the ocean. Sing, all of you creatures in it. Sing, you islands. Sing, all of you who live there. + Let the desert and its towns raise their voices. Let those who live in the settlements of Kedar be glad. Let the people of Sela sing with joy. Let them shout from the tops of the mountains. + Let them give glory to the Lord. Let them praise him in the islands. + The Lord will march out like a mighty warrior. He will stir up his anger like a soldier getting ready to fight. He will shout the battle cry. And he will win the battle over his enemies. + The Lord says, "For a long time I have kept silent. I have been calm and quiet. But now, like a woman having a baby, I cry out. I am struggling to breathe. + I will completely destroy the mountains and hills. I will dry up everything that grows there. I will turn rivers into dry land. I will dry up the pools. + Israel is blind. So I will lead them along paths they had not known before. I will guide them on roads they are not familiar with. I will turn the darkness into light as they travel. I will make the rough places smooth. Those are the things I will do. I will not desert my people. + Some people trust in statues of gods. They say to them, 'You are our gods.' But they will be dishonored. They will be put to shame. + "Israel, listen to me! You can hear, but you do not understand. Look to me! You can see, but you do not know what you are seeing. + The people of Israel serve me. But who is more blind than they are? Who is more deaf than the messengers I send? Who is more blind than those who have committed themselves to be faithful to me? Who is more blind than my servants? + Israel, you have seen many things. But you have not paid any attention to me. Your ears are open. But you do not hear anything I say." + The Lord wanted his people to see how great and glorious his law is. He wanted to show them that he always does what is right. + Enemies have carried off everything they own. All of my people are trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They themselves have become like stolen goods. No one can save them. They have been carried off. And there is no one who will say, "Send them back." + Family of Jacob, who among you will listen to what I'm saying? People of Israel, which one of you will pay close attention in days to come? + Who allowed you to be carried off like stolen goods? Who handed you over to robbers? The Lord did it! We have sinned against him. Israel, you wouldn't follow his ways. You didn't obey his law. + So he poured his burning anger out on you. He had many of you killed off in battle. You were surrounded by flames. But you didn't realize what was happening. Many of you were destroyed. But you didn't learn anything from it. + + + Family of Jacob, the Lord created you. People of Israel, he formed you. He says, "Do not be afraid. I will set you free. I will send for you by name. You belong to me. + You will pass through deep waters. But I will be with you. You will pass through the rivers. But their waters will not sweep over you. You will walk through fire. But you will not be burned. The flames will not harm you. + I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I am the one who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free. I will give up Cush and Seba for you. + You are priceless to me. I love you and honor you. So I will trade other people for you. I will give up other nations to save your lives. + Do not be afraid. I am with you. I will bring your people back from the east. I will gather you from the west. + I will say to the north, 'Let them go!' And I will say to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from far away. Bring my daughters from the farthest places on earth. + Bring back everyone who belongs to me. I created them to bring glory to me. I formed them and made them." + Lead my people into court. They have eyes but can't see. Bring those who have ears but can't hear. + All of the nations are gathering together. All of them are coming. Which one of their gods said ahead of time that the people of Israel would return? Which of them told us anything at all about the past? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right. Then others will hear them. And they will say, "What they said is true." + "People of Israel, you are my witnesses," announces the Lord. "I have chosen you to be my servants. I wanted you to know me and believe in me. I wanted you to understand that I am the one and only God. Before me, there was no other god at all. And there will not be any god after me. + I am the one and only Lord. I am the only one who can save you. + I have made known what would happen. I told you about it. And I saved you. I did it. It was not some other god you worship. You are my witnesses that I am God," announces the Lord. + "And that is not all! I have always been God, and I always will be. No one can save people from my powerful hand. When I do something, who can undo it?" + The Lord sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel. He says, "People of Israel, I will send an army to Babylon to save you. I will cause all of the Babylonians to run away. They will try to escape in the ships they were so proud of. + I am your Lord and King. I am your Holy One. I created you." + Long ago the Lord opened a way for his people to go through the Red Sea. He made a path through the mighty waters. + He caused Egypt to send out its chariots and horses. He sent its entire army to its death. Its soldiers lay down there. They never got up again. They were destroyed. They were blown out like a dimly burning flame. But the Lord says, + "Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep on thinking about them. + I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don't you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land. + Even wild dogs and owls honor me. That is because I provide water in the desert for my people to drink. I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land for my chosen ones. + I do it for the people I made for myself. I want them to sing praise to me. + "Family of Jacob, you have not prayed to me as you should. People of Israel, you have not even begun to get tired while doing it. + You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with your sacrifices. I have not loaded you down by requiring grain offerings. I have not made you tired by requiring you to burn incense. + But you have not bought any sweet-smelling cane for me. You have not given me the fattest parts of your animal sacrifices. Instead, you have loaded me down with your sins. You have made me tired with the wrong things you have done. + "I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts. I do it because of who I am. I will not remember your sins anymore. + But let us go to court together. Remind me of what you have done. State your case. Prove to me that you are not guilty. + Your father Jacob sinned. Your priests and prophets refused to obey me. + So I will put the high officials of your temple to shame. I will let Jacob's family be totally destroyed. And I will let people make fun of Israel. + + + "Family of Jacob, listen to me. You are my servants. People of Israel, I have chosen you. + I made you. I formed you when you were born as a nation. I will help you. So listen to what I am saying. Family of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servants. People of Israel, I have chosen you. + I will pour water out on the thirsty land. I will make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your children. I will pour out my blessing on their children after them. + They will spring up like grass in a meadow. They will grow like poplar trees near flowing streams. + Some will say, 'We belong to the Lord.' Others will call themselves by Jacob's name. Still others will write on their hands, 'We belong to the Lord.' And they will be called by the name of Israel. + "I am Israel's King. I set them free. I am the Lord who rules over all. So listen to what I am saying. I am the First and the Last. I am the one and only God. + Who is like me? Let him come forward and speak boldly. Let him tell me everything that has happened since I created my people long ago. And let him tell me what has not happened yet. Let him announce ahead of time what is going to take place. + Do not tremble with fear. Do not be afraid. Didn't I announce everything that has happened? Didn't I tell you about it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any other God but me? No! There is no other Rock. I do not know even one." + Those who make statues of gods don't amount to anything. And the statues they think so much of are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They don't know anything. So they will be put to shame. + People make statues of gods. But those gods can't do them any good. + People like that will be put to shame. Those who make statues of gods are mere men. Let all of them come together and state their case. They will be terrified and put to shame. + A blacksmith gets his tool. He uses it to shape metal over the burning coals. He uses his hammers to make a statue of a god. He forms it with his powerful arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He doesn't drink any water. He gets weaker and weaker. + A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line. He draws a pattern on it with a marker. He cuts out a statue with sharp tools. He marks it with compasses. He shapes it into the form of a handsome man. He does all of that so he can put it in a temple. + He cuts down a cedar tree. Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree. It might be a tree that grew in the forest. Or it might be a pine tree he planted. And the rain made it grow. + Man gets wood from trees for fuel. He uses some of it to warm himself. He starts a fire and bakes bread. But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it. He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it. + He burns half of the wood in the fire. He prepares a meal over it. He cooks meat over it. He eats until he is full. He also warms himself. He says, "Good! I'm getting warm. The fire is nice and hot." + From the rest of the wood he makes a statue. It becomes his god. He bows down and worships it. He prays to it. He says, "Save me. You are my god." + People like that don't even know what they are doing. Their eyes are shut so that they can't see the truth. Their minds are closed so that they can't understand it. + No one even stops to think about this. No one has any sense or understanding. If anyone did, he would say, "I used half of the wood for fuel. I even baked bread over the fire. I cooked meat. Then I ate it. Should I now make a statue of a god out of the wood that's left over? Should I bow down to a block of wood? The Lord would hate that." + That's as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him down the wrong path. He can't save himself. He can't bring himself to say, "This thing I'm holding in my right hand isn't really a god at all." + The Lord says, "Family of Jacob, remember those things. People of Israel, you are my servants. I have made you. You are my servants. Israel, I will not forget you. + I will sweep your sins away as if they were a cloud. I will blow them away as if they were the morning mist. Return to me. Then I will set you free." + Sing with joy, you heavens! The Lord does wonderful things. Shout out loud, you earth! Burst into song, you mountains! Sing, you forests and all of your trees! The Lord sets the family of Jacob free. He shows his glory in Israel. + The Lord says, "People of Israel, I set you free. I formed you when you were born as a nation. "I am the Lord. I have made everything. I alone spread out the heavens. I formed the earth by myself. + "Some prophets are not really prophets at all. I show that their miraculous signs are fake. I make those who practice evil magic look foolish. I destroy the learning of those who think they are wise. Their knowledge does not make any sense at all. + I make the words of my servants the prophets come true. I carry out what my messengers say will happen. "I say about Jerusalem, 'My people will live there again.' I say about the towns of Judah, 'They will be rebuilt.' I say about their broken-down buildings, 'I will make them like new again.' + I say to the deep waters, 'Dry up. Let your streams become dry.' + I say about Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd. He will accomplish everything I want him to. He will say about Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt." And he will say about the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." ' + + + "Cyrus is my anointed king. I take hold of his right hand. I give him the power to bring nations under his control. I help him strip kings of their power to go to war against him. I break city gates open so he can go through them. I say to him, + 'I will march out ahead of you. I will make the mountains level. I will break down bronze gates. I will cut through their heavy iron bars. + I will give you treasures that are hidden away in dark places. I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel. I am sending for you by name. + Cyrus, I am sending for you by name. I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob. They are my servants. I am doing it for Israel. They are my chosen people. You do not know anything about me. But I am giving you a title of honor. + I am the Lord. There is no other Lord. I am the one and only God. You do not know anything about me. But I will make you strong. + Then people will know there is no God but me. Everyone from where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west will know it. I am the Lord. There is no other Lord. + I cause light to shine. I also create darkness. I bring good times. I also create hard times. I do all of those things. I am the Lord. + " 'Rain down godliness, you heavens above. Let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide to receive it. Let freedom spring to life. Let godliness grow along with it. I have created all of those things. I am the Lord.' " + How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with his Maker! He is like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground. Does clay say to a potter, "What are you making?" Does a pot say, "You don't have any skill"? + How terrible it will be for anyone who says to his father, "Why did you give me life?" How terrible for anyone who says to his mother, "Why have you brought me into the world?" + The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He made them. He says to them, "Are you asking me about what will happen to my children? Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made? + I made the earth. I created man to live there. My own hands spread out the heavens. I put all of the stars in their places. + I will stir up Cyrus and help him win his battles. I will make all of his roads straight. He will rebuild Jerusalem. My people have been taken away from their country. But he will set them free. I will not pay him to do it. He will not receive a reward for it," says the Lord who rules over all. + The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem, "You will get everything Egypt produces. You will receive everything the people of Cush and the tall Sabeans get in trade. All of it will belong to you. And all of those people will walk behind you as slaves. They will be put in chains and come over to you. They will bow down to you. They will admit, 'God is with you. There is no other God.' " + You are a God who hides yourself. You are the God of Israel. You save us. + All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame. They will be dishonored. They will be led away in shame together. + But the Lord will save Israel. He will save them forever. They will never be put to shame or dishonored. That will be true for all time to come. + The Lord created the heavens. He is God. He formed the earth and made it. He set it firmly in place. He didn't create it to be empty. Instead, he formed it for people to live on. He says, "I am the Lord. There is no other Lord. + I have not spoken in secret. I have not spoken from a dark place. I have not said to Jacob's people, 'It is useless to look for me.' I am the Lord. I always speak the truth. I always say what is right. + "Come together, you people of the nations who escaped from Babylonia. Gather together and come into court. Only people who do not know anything would carry around gods that are made out of wood. They pray to gods that can't save them. + Tell me what will happen. State your case. Talk it over together. Who spoke long ago about what would happen? Who said it a long time ago? I did. I am the Lord. I am the one and only God. I always do what is right. I am the one who saves. There is no God but me. + "All of you who live anywhere on earth, turn to me and be saved. I am God. There is no other God. + I have made a promise with an oath in my own name. I have spoken with complete honesty. I will not take back a single word. I said, 'Everyone's knee will bow down to me. Everyone's mouth will take an oath in my name.' + They will say, 'The Lord always does what is right. Only he can make us strong.' " All those who have been angry with the Lord will come to him. And they will be put to shame. + But the Lord will help all of the people of Israel. He will make them right with himself. And they will praise him. + + + The gods Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame. The statues of them are being carried away on the backs of animals. They used to be carried around by the people who worshiped them. But now they've become a heavy load for tired animals. + Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame together. They aren't able to save their own statues. They themselves are carried off as prisoners. + The Lord says, "Family of Jacob, listen to me. Pay attention, you people of Israel who are left alive. I have taken good care of you since your life began. I have carried you since you were born as a nation. + I will continue to carry you even when you are old. I will take good care of you even when your hair is gray. I have made you. And I will carry you. I will take care of you. And I will save you. I am the Lord. + "Who will you compare me to? Who is equal to me? What am I like? Who can you compare me to? + Some people pour gold out of their bags. They weigh out silver on the scales. They hire someone who works with gold to make it into a god. They bow down to it and worship it. + They lift it up on their shoulders and carry it. They set it up in its place. And there it stands. It can't move from that spot. Someone might cry out to it. But it does not answer him. It can't save him from his troubles. + So remember that, you who refuse to obey me. Keep it in your minds and hearts. + "Remember what happened in the past. Think about what took place long ago. I am God. There is no other God. I am God. There is no one like me. + Before something even happens, I announce how it will end. In fact, from times long ago I announced what was still to come. I say, 'My plan will succeed. I will do anything I want to do.' + I will send for a man from the east to carry out my plan. From a land far away, he will come like a bird that eats dead bodies. I will bring about what I have said. I will do what I have planned. + Listen to me, you stubborn people. Pay attention, you who refuse to do what is right. + The time is almost here for me to make everything right. It is not far away. The time for me to save you will not be put off. I will save the city of Zion. I will bring honor to Israel. + + + "City of Babylon, go down and sit in the dust. Leave your throne and sit on the ground. City of the Babylonians, your life will not be comfortable and easy anymore. + Get millstones and grind some flour like a female slave. Take your veil off. Lift your skirts up. Make your legs bare. Wade through the streams. + Everyone will see your naked body. Everyone will see your shame. I will pay you back for what you did. I will not spare any of your people." + The one who sets us free is the Holy One of Israel. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + The Lord says, "City of the Babylonians, go into a dark prison and sit there quietly. You will not be called the queen of kingdoms anymore. + I was angry with my people. I treated them as if they did not belong to me. I handed them over to you. And you did not show them any pity. You even placed heavy loads on their old people. + You said, 'I will continue to be queen forever!' But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out. + "So listen, you who love pleasure. You think you are safe and secure. You say to yourself, 'I am like a god. No one is greater than I am. I'll never be a widow. And my children will never be taken away from me.' + But both of those things will happen to you in a moment. They will take place on a single day. You will lose your children. And you will become a widow. That is what will happen to you. All of your evil magic and powerful spells will not save you. + You have felt secure in your evil ways. You have said, 'No one sees what I'm doing.' Your wisdom and knowledge lead you down the wrong path. You say to yourself, 'I am like a god. No one is greater than I am.' + So horrible trouble will come on you. You will not know how to use your evil magic to make it go away. Great trouble will fall on you. No amount of money can keep it away. Something terrible will happen to you all at once. You will not see it coming ahead of time. + "So keep on casting your magic spells. Keep on practicing your evil magic. You have been doing those things ever since you were a child. Perhaps they will help you. Maybe they will scare your enemies away. + All of the advice you have received has only worn you out! Let those who study the heavens come forward. They claim to know what is going to happen by watching the stars every month. So let them save you from the trouble that is coming on you. + They are just like straw. Fire will burn them up. They can't even save themselves from the powerful flames. They are not like coals that can warm anyone. They are not like a fire to sit by. + They can't do you any good. You have done business with them ever since you were a child. You have always asked them for advice. All of them are bewildered and continue in their own ways. None of them can save you." + + + People of Jacob, listen to me. You are called by the name of Israel. You come from the family line of Judah. You take oaths in the name of the Lord. You pray to Israel's God. But you aren't honest. You don't mean what you say. + You call yourselves citizens of the holy city of Jerusalem. You say you depend on Israel's God. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. He says, + "Long ago I told you ahead of time what would happen. I announced it and made it known. Then all of a sudden I acted. And those things took place. + I knew how stubborn you were. Your neck was as unbending as iron. Your forehead was as hard as bronze. + So I told you those things long ago. Before they happened I announced them to you. I did it so you would not be able to say, 'My statues of gods did them. My wooden and metal gods made them happen.' + You have heard me tell you those things. Think about all of them. Won't you admit they have taken place? "From now on I will tell you about new things that will happen. I have not made them known to you before. + Those things are taking place right now. They did not happen long ago. You have not heard of them before today. So you can't say, 'Oh, yes. I already knew about them.' + You have not heard or understood what I said. Your ears have been plugged up for a long time. I knew very well that you would turn against me. From the day you were born, you have refused to obey me. + For the honor of my own name I put off showing my anger. I hold it back from you so people will continue to praise me. I do not want to destroy you. + I have put you to the test in the furnace of suffering. I have tried to make you pure. But I did not use as much heat as it takes to make silver pure. + I tried to purify you for my own honor. I did it for the honor of my name. How can I let myself be dishonored? I will not give up my glory to any other god. + "Family of Jacob, listen to me. People of Israel, pay attention. I have chosen you. I am the First and the Last. I am the Lord. + With my own hand I laid the foundations of the earth. With my right hand I spread out the heavens. When I send for them, they come and stand ready to obey me. + "People of Israel, come together and listen to me. What other god has said ahead of time that certain things would happen? I have chosen Cyrus. He will carry out my plans against Babylon. He will use his powerful arm against the Babylonians. + I myself have spoken. I have chosen him to carry out my purpose. I will bring him to Babylon. He will succeed in what I tell him to do. + "Come close and listen to me. "From the first time I said Cyrus was coming, I did not do it in secret. When he comes, I will be there." The Lord and King has filled me with his Spirit. People of Israel, he has sent me to you. + The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He sets his people free. He says to them, "I am the Lord your God. I teach you what is best for you. I direct you in the way you should go. + I wish you would pay attention to my commands. If you did, peace would flow over you like a river. Holiness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean. + Your family would be like the sand. Your children after you would be as many as the grains of sand by the sea. It would be impossible to count them. I would always accept the members of your family line. They would never be cut off or destroyed." + People of Israel, leave Babylon! Hurry up and get away from the Babylonians! Here is what I want you to announce. Make it known with shouts of joy. Send the news out from one end of the earth to the other. Say, "The Lord has set Jacob's people free. They are his servants." + They didn't get thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water flow out of the rock for them. He broke the rock open, and water came out of it. + "There is no peace for those who are evil," says the Lord. + + + People who live on the islands, listen to me. Pay attention, you nations far away. Before I was born the Lord chose me to serve him. He appointed me by name. + He made my words like a sharp sword. He hid me in the palm of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow. He took good care of me and kept me safe. + He said to me, "You are my true servant Israel. I will show my glory through you." + But I said, "In spite of my hard work, I feel as if I haven't accomplished anything. I've used up all of my strength. It seems as if everything I've done is worthless. But the Lord will give me what I should receive. My God will reward me." + The Lord formed me in my mother's body to be his servant. He wanted me to bring the family of Jacob back to him. He wanted me to gather the people of Israel to himself. The Lord will honor me. My God will give me strength. + The Lord says to me, "It is not enough for you as my servant to bring the tribes of Jacob back to their land. It is not enough for you to bring back the people of Israel I have kept alive. I will also make you a light for other nations. Then you will make it possible for the whole world to be saved." + The Lord sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel. He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations. He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him, "Kings will see you and rise up to honor you. Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect. I am the Lord. I am faithful. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have chosen you." + The Lord says to his servant, "When it is time to show you my favor, I will answer your prayers. When it is time to save you, I will help you. I will keep you safe. You will put my covenant with the people of Israel into effect. Then their land will be made like new again. Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty. + I want you to say to the prisoners, 'Come out.' Tell those who are in their dark cells, 'You are free!' "On their way home they will eat beside the roads. They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill. + They will not get hungry or thirsty. The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them. The One who shows his tender love to them will guide them. Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water. + I will make roads across the mountains. I will build wide roads for my people. + They will come from far away. Some of them will come from the north. Others will come from the west. Still others will come from Aswan in the south." + Shout with joy, you heavens! Be glad, you earth! Burst into song, you mountains! The Lord will comfort his people. He will show his tender love to those who are suffering. + But the city of Zion said, "The Lord has deserted me. The Lord has forgotten me." + The Lord answers, "Can a mother forget the baby who is nursing at her breast? Can she stop showing her tender love to the child who was born to her? She might forget her child. But I will not forget you. + I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Your walls are never out of my sight. + Your people will hurry back. Those who destroyed you so completely will leave you. + Look up. Look all around you. All of your people are getting together to come back to you. You can be sure that I live," announces the Lord. "And you can be just as sure that your people will be like decorations you will wear. Like a bride, you will wear them proudly. + "Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty. It was turned into a dry and empty desert. But now you will be too small to hold all of your people. And those who destroyed you will be far away. + The children who were born during your time of sorrow will speak to you. They will say, 'This city is too small for us. Give us more space to live in.' + Then you will say to yourself, 'Whose children are these? I lost my children. And I couldn't have any more. My children were taken far away from me. And no one wanted them. Who brought these children up? I was left all alone. So where have these children come from?' " + The Lord and King continues, "I will call out to the nations. I will give a signal to them. They will bring back your sons in their arms. They will carry your daughters on their shoulders. + Their kings will become like fathers to you. Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you. They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground. They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed." + Can goods that were stolen by soldiers be taken away from them? Can prisoners be set free from the powerful Babylonians? + "Yes, they can," the Lord answers. "Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers. Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians. Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you. And I will save your people. + I will make those who beat you down eat the flesh of others. They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine. Then everyone on earth will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob." + + + The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem, "Do you think I divorced your people before you? Is that why I sent them away? If it is, show me the letter of divorce. I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe. You were sold because you sinned against me. Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts. + When I came to save you, why didn't anyone welcome me? When I called out to you, why didn't anyone answer me? Wasn't my arm powerful enough to set you free? Wasn't I strong enough to save you? I dry up the sea with a single command. I turn rivers into a desert. Then fish rot because they do not have any water. They die because they are thirsty. + I make the sky turn dark. It looks as if it is dressed in black clothes." + The Lord and King has taught me what to say. He has taught me how to help those who are tired. He wakes me up every morning. He makes me want to listen like a good student. + The Lord and King has unplugged my ears. I've always obeyed him. I haven't turned away from him. + I let my enemies beat me on my bare back. I let them pull the hair out of my beard. I didn't turn my face away when they made fun of me and spit on me. + The Lord and King helps me. He won't let me be dishonored. So I've made up my mind to keep on serving him. I know he won't let me be put to shame. + He is near. He will prove I haven't done anything wrong. So who will bring charges against me? Let's face each other in court! Who can bring charges against me? Let him come and face me! + The Lord and King helps me. So who will judge me? My enemies will be like clothes that moths have eaten up. They will disappear. + Does anyone among you have respect for the Lord? Does anyone obey the message of the Lord's servant? Let the person who walks in the dark trust in the Lord. Let the one who doesn't have any light to guide him depend on his God. + But all of you sinners who light fires should go ahead and walk in their light. You who carry flaming torches should walk in their light. Here's what I'm going to do to you. I'll make you lie down in great pain. + + + The Lord says, "Listen to me, you who want to do what is right. Pay attention, you who look to me. Consider the rock you were cut out of. Think about the rock pit you were dug from. + Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people. Think about Sarah. She is your mother. When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children. But I blessed him and gave him many of them. + You can be sure that I will comfort Zion's people. I will look with loving concern on all of their destroyed buildings. I will make their deserts like Eden. I will make their dry and empty land like my very own garden. Joy and gladness will be there. People will sing and give thanks to me. + "Listen to me, my people. Pay attention, my nation. My law will go out to the nations. I make everything right. That will be a guiding light for them. + The time for me to set you free is near. I will soon save you. My powerful arm will make everything right among the nations. The islands will put their hope in me. They will wait for my powerful arm to act. + Look up toward the heavens. Then look at the earth. The heavens will vanish like smoke. The earth will wear out like clothes. Those who live there will die like flies. But I will save you forever. My saving power will never end. + "Listen to me, you who know what is right. Pay attention, you who have my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid when mere people make fun of you. Do not be terrified when they laugh at you. + They will be like clothes that moths have eaten up. They will be like wool that worms have chewed up. But my saving power will last forever. I will save you for all time to come." + Wake up! Lord, wake up! Dress your powerful arm with strength as if it were your clothes. Wake up, just as you did in the past. Wake up, as you did long ago. Didn't you cut Rahab to pieces? Didn't you stab that sea monster to death? + Didn't you dry up the Red Sea? Didn't you dry up those deep waters? You made a road on the bottom of that sea. Then those who were set free went across. + Those the Lord has saved will return to their land. They will sing as they enter the city of Zion. Joy that lasts forever will be like beautiful crowns on their heads. They will be filled with gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing will be gone. + The Lord says to his people, "I comfort you because of who I am. Why are you afraid of mere men? They are only human beings. They are like grass that dries up. + How can you forget me? I made you. I spread out the heavens. I laid the foundations of the earth. Why are you terrified every day? Is it because those who are angry with you are crushing you? Is it because they are trying to destroy you? Their anger can't harm you anymore. + You prisoners who are so afraid will soon be set free. You will not die in your prison cells. You will not go without food. + I am the Lord your God. I stir up the ocean. I make its waves roar. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + I have put my words in your mouth. I have kept you safe in the palm of my hand. I set the heavens in place. I laid the foundations of the earth. I say to Zion, 'You are my people.' " + Wake up, Jerusalem! Wake up! Get up! The Lord has handed you the cup of his burning anger. And you have drunk from it. That cup makes men unsteady on their feet. And you have drunk from it to the very last drop. + None of the children who were born to you are left to guide you. None of the children you brought up are left to lead you by the hand. + Nothing but trouble has come to you. You have been wiped out and destroyed. And you have suffered hunger and war. No one feels sorry for you. No one can comfort you. + Your children have fainted. They lie helpless at every street corner. They are like antelope that have been caught in a net. They have felt the full force of the Lord's burning anger. Jerusalem, your God had to warn them strongly. + So listen to me, you suffering people of Jerusalem. You have been made drunk, but not by drinking wine. + Your Lord and King speaks. He is your God. He stands up for his people. He says, "I have taken from you the cup of my burning anger. It made you unsteady on your feet. But you will never drink from that cup again. + Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer. They said to you, 'Fall down flat on the ground. Then we can walk all over you.' And that is exactly what you did. You made your back like a street to be walked on." + + + Wake up! Zion, wake up! Dress yourself with strength as if it were your clothes. Holy city of Jerusalem, put on your clothes of glory. Those who haven't been circumcised will never enter you again. Neither will those who are "unclean." + Get up, Jerusalem! Shake off your dust. Take your place on your throne. Captured people of Zion, remove the chains from your neck. + The Lord says, "When you were sold as slaves, no one paid anything for you. Now no one will pay any money to set you free." + The Lord and King continues, "Long ago my people went down to Egypt. They lived there for a while. Later, Assyria crushed them without any reason. + "Now look at what has happened to them," announces the Lord. "Once again my people have been taken away. And no one paid anything for them. Those who rule over them brag about it," announces the Lord. "All day long without stopping, people speak evil things against my name. + So the day will come when my people will really know the meaning of my name. They will know what kind of God I am. They will know that I told them ahead of time they would return to their land. They will know that it was I." + What a beautiful sight it is to see messengers coming with good news! How beautiful to see them coming down from the mountains with a message about peace! How wonderful it is when they bring the good news that we are saved! How wonderful when they say to Zion, "Your God rules!" + Listen! Those on guard duty are shouting out the message. With their own eyes they see the Lord returning to Zion. So they shout with joy. + Burst into songs of joy together, you broken-down buildings in Jerusalem. The Lord has comforted his people. He has set Jerusalem free. + The Lord will use the power of his holy arm to save his people. All of the nations will see him do it. Everyone from one end of the earth to the other will see it. + You who carry the articles that belong to the Lord's temple, leave Babylon! Leave it! Get out of there! Don't touch anything that isn't pure and clean. Come out of Babylon and be pure. + But this time you won't have to leave in a hurry. You won't have to rush away. The Lord will go ahead of you and lead you. The God of Israel will follow behind you and guard you. + The Lord says, "My servant will act wisely and accomplish his task. He will be highly honored. He will be greatly respected. + Many people were shocked when they saw him. He was so scarred that he did not look like a man at all. His body was so twisted that he did not look like a human being anymore. + But many nations will be surprised when they see what he has done. Kings will be so amazed that they will not be able to say anything. They will understand things they were never told about. They will know the meaning of things they never heard about." + + + Who has believed what we've been saying? Who has seen the Lord's saving power? + His servant grew up like a tender young plant. He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground. He didn't have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him. There wasn't anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him. + Men looked down on him. They didn't accept him. He knew all about sorrow and suffering. He was like someone people turn their faces away from. We looked down on him. We didn't have any respect for him. + He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the pain that should have been ours. But we thought God was punishing him. We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer. + But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us. + All of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from God. All of us have turned to our own way. And the Lord has placed on his servant the sins of all of us. + He was beaten down and made to suffer. But he didn't open his mouth. He was led away like a sheep to be killed. Lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn't open his mouth. + He was arrested and sentenced to death. Then he was taken away. He was cut off from this life. He was punished for the sins of my people. Who among those who were living at that time could have understood those things? + He was given a grave with those who were evil. But his body was buried in the tomb of a rich man. He was killed even though he hadn't harmed anyone. And he had never lied to anyone. + The Lord says, "It was my plan to crush him and cause him to suffer. I made his life a guilt offering to pay for sin. But he will see all of his children after him. In fact, he will continue to live. My plan will be brought about through him. + After he suffers, he will see the light that leads to life. And he will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what he will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins. + So I will give him a place of honor among those who are great. He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle. That is because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice. He was counted among those who had committed crimes. He took the sins of many people on himself. And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong." + + + "Jerusalem, sing! You are now like a woman who never had a child. Burst into song! Shout with joy! You who have never had labor pains, you are now all alone. But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband," says the Lord. + "Make a large area for your tent. Spread out its curtains. Go ahead and make your tent wider. Make its ropes longer. Drive the stakes down deeper. + You will spread out to the right and the left. Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land. They will settle down in the deserted cities of those nations. + "Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore. Do not be afraid of being dishonored. People will no longer make fun of you. You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt. You will no longer remember the shame of being a widow in Babylonia. + I made you. I am now your husband. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have set you free. I am the God of the whole earth. + You were like a wife who was deserted. And her heart was broken. You were like a wife who married young. And her husband sent her away. But now I am calling you to come back," says your God. + "For a brief moment I left you. But because I love you so much, I will bring you back. + For a moment I turned my face away from you. I was very angry with you. But I will show you my loving concern. My faithful love will continue forever," says the Lord. He is the one who set you free. + "During Noah's time I took an oath and made a promise. I said I would never cover the earth with water again. In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you. I will never punish you again. + The mountains might shake. The hills might be removed. But my faithful love for you will never be shaken. And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be broken," says the Lord. He shows you his loving concern. + "Suffering city, you have been beaten by storms. You have not been comforted. I will rebuild you with turquoise stones. I will rebuild your foundations with sapphires. + I will line the top of your city wall with rubies. I will make your gates out of gleaming jewels. And I will make all of your walls out of precious stones. + I will teach all of your children. And they will enjoy great peace. + When you do what is right, you will be made secure. Your leaders will not be mean to you. You will not have anything to be afraid of. You will not be terrified anymore. Terror will not come near you. + People might attack you. But I will not be the cause of it. Those who attack you will give themselves up to you. + "I created blacksmiths. They fan the coals into flames of fire. They make weapons that are fit for their work. I also created those who destroy others. + But no weapon that is used against you will succeed. People might bring charges against you. But you will prove that they are wrong. Those are the things I do for my servants. I make everything right for them," announces the Lord. + + + "Come, all of you who are thirsty. Come and drink the water I offer to you. You who do not have any money, come. Buy and eat the grain I give you. Come and buy wine and milk. You will not have to pay anything for it. + Why spend money on what is not food? Why work for what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me. Then you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the richest food there is. + Listen and come to me. Pay attention to me. Then you will live. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. I will give you my faithful love. I promised it to David. + I made him a witness to the nations. He became a leader and commander over them. + You too will send for nations you do not know. Even though they do not know you, they will hurry and come to you. That is what I will do. I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you." + Turn to the Lord before it's too late. Call out to him while he's still ready to help you. + Let the one who is evil stop doing evil things. And let him quit thinking evil thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord. The Lord will show him his tender love. Let him turn to our God. He is always ready to forgive. + "My thoughts are not like your thoughts. And your ways are not like my ways," announces the Lord. + "The heavens are higher than the earth. And my ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. + The rain and the snow come down from the sky. They do not return to it without watering the earth. They make plants come up and grow. The plants produce seeds for farmers. They also produce food for people to eat. + The words I speak are like that. They will not return to me without producing results. They will accomplish what I want them to. They will do exactly what I sent them to do. + "My people, you will leave Babylonia with joy. You will be led out of it in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song as you go. And all of the trees in the fields will clap their hands. + Pine trees will grow where there used to be bushes that had thorns on them. And myrtle trees will grow where there used to be thorns. That will bring me great fame. It will be a lasting reminder of what I can do. It will not be forgotten." + + + The Lord says, "Do what is fair and right. I will soon come and save you. Soon everyone will know that what I do is right. + Blessed is the man who does what I want him to. He is faithful in keeping the Sabbath day. He does not misuse it. He does not do what is evil on that day." + Suppose an outsider wants to follow the Lord. Then he shouldn't say, "The Lord won't accept me as one of his people." And a eunuch shouldn't say, "I'm like a dry tree that doesn't bear any fruit." + The Lord says, "Suppose some eunuchs keep my Sabbath days. They choose to do what pleases me. And they are faithful in keeping my covenant. + Then I will set up a monument in the area of my temple. Their names will be written on it. That will be better for them than having sons and daughters. The names of the eunuchs will be remembered forever. They will never be forgotten. + "Suppose outsiders want to follow me and serve me. They want to love me and worship me. They keep the Sabbath day and do not misuse it. And they are faithful in keeping my covenant. + Then I will bring them to my holy mountain of Zion. I will give them joy in my house. They can pray there. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on my altar. My house will be called a house where people from all nations can pray." + The Lord and King will gather those who were taken away from their homes in Israel. He announces, "I will gather them to myself. And I will gather others to join them." + Come, all of you enemy nations! Come like wild animals. Come and destroy like animals in the forest. + Israel's prophets are blind. They don't know the Lord. All of them are like watchdogs that can't even bark. They just lie around and dream. They love to sleep. + They are like dogs that love to eat. They never get enough. They are like shepherds who don't have any understanding. All of them do as they please. They only look for what they can get for themselves. + "Come!" they shout. "Let's get some wine! Let's drink all the beer we can! Tomorrow we'll do the same thing. And that will be even better than today." + + + Those who are right with God die. And no one really cares about it. Men who are faithful to the Lord are swept away by trouble. And no one understands why that happens to those who do what is right. + Those who lead honest lives will enjoy peace and rest when they die. + The Lord says, "Come here, you children of women who practice evil magic! You are children of prostitutes and those who commit adultery. + Who are you making fun of? Who are you laughing at? Who are you sticking your tongue out at? You are people who refuse to obey me. You are just a bunch of liars! + You burn with sinful longing among the oak trees. You worship your gods by having sex under every green tree. You sacrifice your children in the valleys. You also do it under the cliffs. + You have chosen some of the smooth stones in the valleys to be your gods. You have joined yourselves to them. You have even poured out drink offerings to them. You have given grain offerings to them. So why should I take pity on you? + You have made your bed to have sex on a very high hill. You went up there to offer your sacrifices. + You have set up statues to remind you of your gods. You have put them behind your doors and doorposts. You deserted me. You invited other lovers into your bed. You climbed into it and welcomed them. You made a deal with them. And you looked at their naked bodies. + You went to the god Molech with olive oil. You took a lot of perfume along with you. You sent your messengers to places far away. You even sent them down to the place of the dead. + All of your efforts wore you out. But you would not say, 'It's hopeless.' You received new strength. So you did not give up. + "Who are you so afraid of that you have not been true to me? You have not remembered me. You do not even care about me. I have not punished you for a long time. That is why you are not afraid of me. + You have not done what is right or good. I will let everyone know about it. And that will not be of any benefit to you. + Go ahead and cry out for help to all of the statues of your gods. See if they can save you! The wind will carry them off. Just a puff of air will blow them away. But anyone who comes to me for safety will receive the land. He will possess my holy mountain of Zion." + A messenger says, "Build up the road! Build it up! Get it ready! Remove anything that would keep my people from coming back." + The One who is highly honored lives forever. His name is holy. He says, "I live in a high and holy place. But I also live with anyone who turns away from his sins. I live with anyone who is not proud. I give new life to him. I give it to anyone who turns away from his sins. + I will not find fault with my people forever. I will not always be angry with them. If I were, I would cause their spirits to grow weak. The very breath of life would go out of the people I created. + I was very angry with them. They always longed for more and more of everything. So I punished them for that sin. I turned my face away from them because I was angry. But they kept on wanting their own way. + I have seen what they have done. But I will heal them. I will guide them. And I will comfort them just as I did before. + Then the people of Israel who are sorry for their sins will praise me. I will give perfect peace to those who are far away and those who are near. And I will heal them," says the Lord. + But those who are evil are like the rolling sea. It never rests. Its waves toss up mud and sand. + "There is no peace for those who are evil," says my God. + + + The Lord told me, "Shout out loud. Do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people that they have refused to obey me. Tell the family of Jacob how much they have sinned. + Day after day they worship me. They seem ready and willing to know how I want them to live. They act as if they were a nation that does what is right. They act as if they have not turned away from my commands. They claim to want me to give them fair decisions. They seem ready and willing to come near and worship me. + 'We have gone without food,' they say. 'Why haven't you noticed it? We have made ourselves suffer. Why haven't you paid any attention to us?' "On the day when you fast, you do as you please. You take advantage of all of your workers. + When you fast, it ends in arguing and fighting. You hit one another with your fists. That is an evil thing to do. The way you are now fasting keeps your prayers from being heard in heaven. + Do you think that is the way I want you to fast? Is it only a time for a man to make himself suffer? Is it only for people to bow their heads like tall grass that is bent by the wind? Is it only for people to lie down on black cloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast? Do you think I can accept that? + "Here is the way I want you to fast. "Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain. + Share your food with hungry people. Provide homeless people with a place to stay. Give naked people clothes to wear. Provide for the needs of your own family. + Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun. I will heal you quickly. I will march out ahead of you. And my glory will follow behind you and guard you. That is because I always do what is right. + You will call out to me for help. And I will answer you. You will cry out. And I will say, 'Here I am.' "Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them. + Work hard to feed hungry people. Satisfy the needs of those who are crushed. Then my blessing will light up your darkness. And the night of your suffering will become as bright as the noonday sun. + I will always guide you. I will satisfy your needs in a land that is baked by the sun. I will make you stronger. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring whose water never runs dry. + Your people will rebuild the cities that were destroyed long ago. And you will build again on the old foundations. You will be called The One Who Repairs Broken Walls. You will be called The One Who Makes City Streets Like New Again. + "Do not work on the Sabbath day. Do not do just anything you want to on my holy day. Make the Sabbath a day you can enjoy. Honor my holy day. Do not work on it. Do not do just anything you want to. Do not talk about things that are worthless. + Then you will find your joy in me. I will give you control over the most important places in the land. And you will enjoy all of the good things in the land I gave your father Jacob." The Lord has spoken. + + + People of Israel, the Lord's arm is not too weak to save you. His ears aren't too deaf to hear your cry for help. + But your sins have separated you from your God. They have caused him to turn his face away from you. So he won't listen to you. + Your hands and fingers are stained with blood. You are guilty of committing murder. Your mouth has told lies. Your tongue says evil things. + People aren't fair when they present their cases in court. They aren't honest when they state their case. They depend on weak arguments. They tell lies. They plan to make trouble. Then they carry it out. + The plans they make are like the eggs of poisonous snakes. Anyone who eats those eggs will die. When one of them is broken, a snake comes out. + Those people weave their evil plans together like a spider's web. But the webs they make can't be used as clothes. They can't cover themselves with what they make. Their acts are evil. They do things to harm others. + They are always in a hurry to sin. They run quickly to murder those who aren't guilty. Their thoughts are evil. They leave a trail of suffering and pain. + They don't know how to live at peace with others. What they do isn't fair. They lead twisted lives. No one who lives like that will enjoy peace and rest. + We aren't being treated fairly. We haven't been set free yet. The God who always does what is right hasn't come to help us. We look for light. But we see nothing but darkness. We look for brightness. But we walk in deep shadows. + Like blind people we feel our way along the wall. We are like those who can't see. At noon we trip and fall as if the sun had already set. Compared to those who are healthy, we are like dead people. + All of us growl like hungry bears. We cry like sad doves. We want the Lord to do what is fair and save us. But he doesn't do it. We long for him to set us free. But the time for that seems far away. + That's because we've done so many things he considers wrong. Our sins prove that we are guilty. The wrong things we've done are always troubling us. We admit that we have sinned. + We've refused to obey the Lord. We've made evil plans against him. We've turned our backs on our God. We've stirred up trouble and refused to follow him. We've told lies that came from our own minds. + So people stop others from doing what is fair. They keep them from doing what is right. No one tells the truth in court anymore. No one is honest there. + In fact, truth can't be found anywhere. Those who refuse to do evil are attacked. The Lord sees that people aren't treating others fairly. That makes him unhappy. + He sees that there is no one who helps his people. He is shocked that no one stands up for them. So he will use his own powerful arm to save them. He has the strength to do it because he is holy. + He will put the armor of holiness on his chest. He'll put the helmet of salvation on his head. He'll pay people back for the wrong things they do. He'll wrap himself in anger as if it were a coat. + He will pay his enemies back for what they have done. He'll pour his anger out on them. He'll punish those who attack him. He'll give the people in the islands what they have coming to them. + People in the west will show respect for the Lord's name. People in the east will worship him because of his glory. The Lord will come like a rushing river that was held back. His breath will drive it along. + "I set my people free. I will come to Mount Zion. I will come to those in Jacob's family who turn away from their sins," announces the Lord. + "Here is the covenant I will make with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit is on you. I have put my words in your mouth. They will never leave your mouth. And they will never leave the mouths of your children or their children after them. That will be true for all time to come," says the Lord. + + + "People of Jerusalem, get up. Shine, because your light has come. My glory will shine on you. + Darkness covers the earth. Thick darkness spreads over the nations. But I will rise and shine on you. My glory will appear over you. + Nations will come to your light. Kings will come to the brightness of your new day. + "Look up. Look all around you. All of your people are getting together to come back to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried like little children. + Then your face will glow with joy. Your heart will beat fast because you are so happy. Wealth from across the ocean will be brought to you. The riches of the nations will come to you. + Herds of young camels will cover your land. They will come from Midian and Ephah. They will also come from Sheba. They'll carry gold and incense. And people will shout praises to me. + All of Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve as your sacrifices. I will accept them as offerings on my altar. That is how I will bring honor to my glorious temple. + "Whose ships are these that sail along like clouds? They fly like doves to their nests. + People from the islands are coming to me. The ships of Tarshish are out in front. They are bringing your children back from far away. Your children are bringing their silver and gold with them. They are coming to honor me. I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you. + "People from other lands will rebuild your walls. Their kings will serve you. When I was angry with you, I struck you. But now I will show you my tender love. + Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring you the wealth of the nations. Their kings will come along with them. + The nation or kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed. It will be completely wiped out. + "Lebanon's glorious trees will be brought to you. Its pines, firs and cypress trees will be brought. They will be used to make my temple beautiful. And I will bring glory to the place where my throne is. + The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you. All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet. Jerusalem, they will call you The City of the Lord. They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel. + "You have been deserted and hated. No one even travels through you. But I will make you into something to be proud of forever. You will be a place of joy for all time to come. + You will get everything you need from kings and nations. You will be like children who are nursing at their mother's breasts. Then you will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob. + Instead of bronze I will bring you gold. In place of iron I will give you silver. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze. In place of stones I will give you iron. I will make peace govern you. I will make godliness rule over you. + People will no longer harm one another in your land. They will not wipe out or destroy anything inside your borders. You will call your walls Salvation. And you will name your gates Praise. + You will not need the light of the sun by day anymore. The bright light of the moon will no longer have to shine on you. I will be your light forever. My glory will shine on you. I am the Lord your God. + Your sun will never set again. Your moon will never lose its light. I will be your light forever. Your days of sorrow will come to an end. + Then all of your people will do what is right. The land will belong to them forever. They will be like a young tree I have planted. My hands have created them. They will show how glorious I am. + The smallest family among you will become a tribe. The smallest tribe will become a mighty nation. I am the Lord. When it is the right time, I will act quickly." + + + The Spirit of the Lord and King is on me. The Lord has anointed me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts have been broken. He has sent me to announce freedom for those who have been captured. He wants me to set prisoners free from their dark prisons. + He has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free. He wants me to announce the day when he will pay his enemies back. Our God has sent me to comfort all those who are sad. + He wants me to help those in Zion who are filled with sorrow. I will put beautiful crowns on their heads in place of ashes. I will anoint them with oil to give them gladness instead of sorrow. I will give them a spirit of praise in place of a spirit of sadness. They will be like oak trees that are strong and straight. The Lord himself will plant them in the land. That will show how glorious he is. + They will rebuild the places that were destroyed long ago. They will repair the buildings that have been broken down for many years. They will make the destroyed cities like new again. They have been broken down for a very long time. + Outsiders will serve you by taking care of your flocks. People from other lands will work in your fields and vineyards. + You will be called priests of the Lord. You will be named workers for our God. You will enjoy the wealth of nations. You will brag about getting their riches. + Instead of being put to shame my people will receive a double share of wealth. Instead of being dishonored they will be glad to be in their land. They will receive a double share of riches there. And they'll be filled with joy that will last forever. + The Lord says, "I love those who do what is right. I hate it when people steal and do other sinful things. So I will be faithful to those who do what is right. And I will bless them. I will make a covenant with them that will last forever. + Their children after them will be famous among the nations. Their families will be praised by people everywhere. All those who see them will agree that I have blessed them." + The people of Jerusalem will say, "We take great delight in the Lord. We are joyful because we belong to our God. He has dressed us with salvation as if it were our clothes. He has put robes of godliness on us. We are like a groom who is dressed up for his wedding. We are like a bride who decorates herself with her jewels. + The soil makes the young plant come up. A garden causes seeds to grow. In the same way, the Lord and King will make godliness grow. And all of the nations will praise him." + + + The Lord says, "For the good of Zion I will not keep silent. For Jerusalem's benefit I will not remain quiet. I will not keep silent until its people's godliness shines like the sunrise. I will not remain quiet until they are saved and shine like a blazing torch. + Jerusalem, the nations will see that I have made everything right for you. All of their kings will see your glory. You will be called by a new name. I myself will give it to you. + You will be like a glorious crown in my strong hand. You will be like a royal crown in my powerful hand. + People will not call you Deserted anymore. They will no longer name your land Empty. Instead, you will be called The One the Lord Delights In. Your land will be named The Married One. I will take delight in you. And your land will be like a bride. + As a young man gets married to a young woman, your people will marry you. As a groom is happy with his bride, I will be full of joy over you." + Jerusalem, I have stationed guards on your walls. They must never be silent day or night. You who call out to the Lord must not give yourselves any rest. + And don't give him any rest until he makes Jerusalem secure. Don't give him any peace until people all over the earth praise that city. + The Lord has taken an oath and made a promise. He has lifted up his right hand and mighty arm. He has promised, "I will never give your grain to your enemies for food again. Outsiders will never again drink the fresh wine you have worked so hard for. + Instead, those who gather the grain will eat it themselves. And they will praise me. Those who gather grapes to make the wine will enjoy it. They will drink it in the courtyards of my temple." + Go out through your gates, people of Jerusalem! Go out! Prepare the way for the rest of your people to return. Build up the road! Build it up! Remove the stones. Raise a banner over the city for the nations to see. + The Lord has announced a message from one end of the earth to the other. He has said, "Tell the people of Zion, 'Look! Your Savior is coming! He is bringing his people back as his reward. He has won the battle over their enemies.' " + They will be called The Holy People. The Lord will set them free. And Jerusalem will be named The City the Lord Cares About. It won't be deserted anymore. + + + Who is this man coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? His clothes are stained bright red. Who is he? He is dressed up in all of his glory. He is marching toward us with great strength. The Lord answers, "It is I. I have won the battle. I am mighty. I have saved my people." + Why are your clothes red? They look as if you have been stomping on grapes in a winepress. + The Lord answers, "I have been stomping on the nations as if they were grapes. No one was there to help me. I walked all over the nations because I was angry. That is why I stomped on them. Their blood splashed all over my clothes. So my clothes were stained bright red. + I decided it was time to pay Israel's enemies back. The year for me to set my people free had come. + I looked around, but no one was there to help me. I was shocked that no one gave me any help. So I used my own powerful arm to save my people. I had the strength to do it because I was angry. + I walked all over the nations because I was angry with them. I made them drink from the cup of my burning anger. I poured their blood out on the ground." + I will talk about the kind things the Lord has done. I'll praise him for everything he's done for us. He has done many good things for the nation of Israel. That's because he loves us and is very kind to us. + In the past he said, "They are my people. They will not turn against me." So he saved them. + When they suffered, he suffered with them. He sent his angel to save them. He set them free because he is loving and kind. He lifted them up and carried them. He did it again and again in days long ago. + But they refused to obey him. They made his Holy Spirit sad. So he turned against them and became their enemy. He himself fought against them. + Then his people remembered what he did long ago. They recalled the days of Moses and his people. They asked, "Where is the One who brought Israel through the Red Sea? Moses led them as the shepherd of his flock. Where is the One who put his Holy Spirit among them? + He used his glorious and powerful arm to help Moses. He parted the waters of the sea in front of them. That mighty act made him famous forever. + He led them through that deep sea. Like a horse in open country, they didn't trip and fall. + Like cattle that are taken down to the flatlands, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord." That's how he guided his people. So he made a glorious name for himself. + Lord, look down from heaven. Look down from your holy and glorious throne. Where is your great love for us? Where is your power? Why don't you show us your tender love and concern? + You are our Father. Abraham might not accept us as his children. Jacob might not recognize us as his family. But you are our Father, Lord. Your name is The One Who Always Sets Us Free. + Lord, why do you let us wander away from you? Why do you let us become so stubborn that we don't respect you? Come back and help us. We are the tribes that belong to you. + For a little while your holy people possessed the land. But now our enemies have torn your temple down. + We are like people you never ruled over. We are like those who don't belong to you. + + + I wish you would open up your heavens and come down to us! I wish the mountains would tremble when you show your power! + Be like a fire that causes twigs to burn. It also makes water boil. So come down and make yourself known to your enemies. Cause the nations to shake with fear when they see your power! + Long ago you did some wonderful things we didn't expect. You came down, and the mountains trembled when you showed your power. + No one's ears have ever heard of a God like you. No one's eyes have ever seen a God who is greater than you. No God but you acts for the good of those who trust in him. + You come to help those who enjoy doing what is right. You help those who thank you for teaching them how to live. But when we continued to disobey you, you became angry with us. So how can we be saved? + All of us have become like someone who is "unclean." All of the good things we do are like polluted rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind. + No one prays to you. No one asks you for help. You have turned your face away from us. You have let us waste away because we have sinned so much. + Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay. You are the potter. Your hands made all of us. + Don't be so angry with us, Lord. Don't remember our sins anymore. Please show us your favor. All of us belong to you. + Your sacred cities have become a desert. Even Zion is a desert. Jerusalem is a dry and empty place. + Our people used to praise you in our holy and glorious temple. But now it has been burned down. Everything we treasured has been destroyed. + Lord, won't you help us even after everything that's happened? Will you keep silent and punish us more than we can stand? + + + The Lord says, "I made myself known to those who were not asking for me. I was found by those who were not trying to find me. I spoke to a nation that did not pray to me. 'Here I am,' I said. 'Here I am.' + All day long I have held out my hands to welcome a stubborn nation. They lead sinful lives. They go where their evil thoughts take them. + They are always making me very angry. They do it right in front of me. They offer sacrifices in the gardens of other gods. They burn incense on altars that are made out of bricks. + They sit among the graves. They spend their nights talking to the spirits of the dead. They eat the meat of pigs. Their cooking pots hold soup that has 'unclean' meat in it. + They say, 'Keep away! Don't come near us! We are too sacred for you!' Those people are like smoke in my nose. They are like a fire that keeps burning all day. + "I will judge them. I have even written it down. I will not keep silent. Instead, I will pay them back for all of their sins. + I will punish them for their sins and the sins of their people before them," says the Lord. "They burned sacrifices on the mountains. They disobeyed me by worshiping other gods on the hills. So I will really punish them for all of the sins they have committed." + The Lord says, "Sometimes juice is still left in grapes that have been crushed. So people say, 'Don't destroy them. Some good juice is still left in them.' That is what I will do for the good of those who serve me. I will not destroy all of my people. + I will give children to the families of Jacob and Judah. They will possess my entire land. My chosen people will be given all of it. Those who serve me will live there. + Their flocks will eat in the rich grasslands of Sharon. Their herds will rest in the Valley of Achor. That is what I will do for my people who follow me. + "But some of you have deserted me. You no longer worship on my holy mountain of Zion. You spread a table for the god that is called Good Fortune. You offer bowls of mixed wine to the god named Fate. + So I will make it your fate to be killed with swords. Each of you will die a horrible death. That is because I called out to you, but you did not answer me. I spoke to you, but you did not listen. You did what is evil in my sight. You chose to do what does not please me." + So the Lord and King says, "Those who serve me will have food to eat. But you will be hungry. My servants will have plenty to drink. But you will be thirsty. Those who serve me will be full of joy. But you will be put to shame. + My servants will sing with joy in their hearts. But you will cry out because of the great pain in your hearts. You will cry because your spirits are sad. + My chosen ones will use your names when they call down curses on others. I am your Lord and King. I will put you to death. But I will give new names to those who serve me. + They will ask me to bless their land. They will do it in my name. I am the God of truth. They will take oaths and make promises in their land. They will do it in my name. I am the God of truth. The troubles of the past will be forgotten. They will be hidden from my eyes. + "I will create new heavens and a new earth. The things that have happened before will not be remembered. They will not even enter your minds. + So be glad and full of joy forever because of what I will create. I will cause others to take delight in Jerusalem. They will be filled with joy when they see its people. + And I will be full of joy because of Jerusalem. I will take delight in my people. Sobbing and crying will not be heard there anymore. + "Babies in Jerusalem will no longer live only a few days. Old people will not fail to live for a very long time. Those who live to the age of 100 will be thought of as still being young when they die. Those who die before they are 100 will be considered as having been under God's curse. + My people will build houses and live in them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. + They will no longer build houses only to have others live in them. They will no longer plant crops only to have others eat them. My people will live to be as old as trees. My chosen ones will enjoy for a long time the things they have worked for. + Their work will not be worthless anymore. They will not have children who are sure to face sudden terror. Instead, I will bless them. I will also bless their children after them. + Even before they call out to me, I will answer them. While they are still speaking, I will hear them. + Wolves and lambs will eat together. Lions will eat straw like oxen. Serpents will not bite anyone. They will eat nothing but dust. None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion," says the Lord. + + + The Lord says, "Heaven is my throne. The earth is under my control. So how could you ever build a house for me? Where would my resting place be? + Didn't my powerful hand make everything? That is how all things were created," announces the Lord. "The person I value is not proud. He is sorry for the wrong things he has done. He has great respect for what I say. + But others are not like that. They sacrifice bulls to me, but at the same time they kill people. They offer lambs to me, but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods. They bring grain offerings to me, but they also offer pig's blood to other gods. They burn incense to me, but they also worship statues of gods. They have chosen to go their own way. They take delight in things I hate. + So I have also made a choice. I will make them suffer greatly. I will bring on them what they are afraid of. When I called out to them, no one answered me. When I spoke to them, no one listened. They did what is evil in my sight. They chose to do what displeases me." + Listen to the word of the Lord. Listen, you who tremble with fear when he speaks. He says, "Some of your own people hate you. They turn their backs on you because you are faithful to me. They make fun of you and say, 'Let the Lord show his glory by saving you. Then we can see how happy you are.' But they will be put to shame. + Hear the loud sounds coming from the city! Listen to the noise coming from the temple! I am the one who is causing it. I am paying my enemies back for everything they have done. + "Zion is like a woman who has a baby before she goes into labor. She has a son even before her labor pains begin. + Who has ever heard of anything like that? Who has ever seen such a thing? Can a country be born in a day? Can a nation be created in a moment? But as soon as Zion goes into labor, her people increase their numbers. + Zion, would I bring you to the moment of birth and not let it happen?" says the Lord. "Would I close up a mother's body when it is time for her baby to be born?" says your God. + "Be glad along with Jerusalem, all you who love her. Be filled with joy because of her. Take great delight in her, all you who sob over her. + You will nurse at her comforting breasts. And you will be satisfied. You will drink until you are full. And you will delight in her rich and plentiful supply." + The Lord continues, "I will cause peace to flow over her like a river. I will make the wealth of nations sweep over her like a flooding stream. You will nurse and be carried in her arms. You will play on her lap. + As a mother comforts her child, I will comfort you. You will find comfort in Jerusalem." + When you see that happen, your hearts will be filled with joy. Just as grass grows quickly, you will succeed. The Lord will show his power to those who serve him. But he will pour out his anger on his enemies. + The Lord will judge them with fire. His chariots are coming like a windstorm. He will pour out his burning anger on his enemies. It will blaze out like flames of fire. + The Lord will bring everyone into court. He will use fire and his sword to punish those he finds guilty. He will put many people to death. + "Some people set themselves apart and make themselves pure. They do it so they can go into the gardens to worship other gods. They do what the worship leader tells them to do. They eat the meat of pigs and rats. They also eat other things I hate. All of those people will come to a horrible end," announces the Lord. + "They have done many evil things. And they plan to do even more. So I will come and gather the people of every nation and language. They will see my glory when I act. + "I will do a miracle among them. I will send to the nations some of those who are left alive. I will send some of them to the people of Tarshish, Libya and Lydia, who are famous for using bows. I will send others to Tubal and Greece. And I will send still others to islands far away. The people who live there have not heard about my fame. They have not seen my glory. Those I send will tell the nations about my glory when I act. + "And they will bring back all of the people of Israel from all of those nations. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. My people will ride on horses, mules and camels. They will come in chariots and wagons," says the Lord. "Those messengers will bring my people as an offering to me. They will bring them to my temple, just as the Israelites bring their grain offerings in bowls that are 'clean.' + And I will choose some of them to be priests and Levites," says the Lord. + "I will make new heavens and a new earth. And they will last forever," announces the Lord. "In the same way, your name and your children after you will last. + Everyone will come and bow down to me. They will do it at every New Moon Feast and on every Sabbath day," says the Lord. + "When they go out of Jerusalem, they will see the dead bodies of those who refused to obey me. The worms that eat the bodies will not die. The fire that burns them will not be put out. It will make everyone sick just to look at them." + + + + + These are the words Jeremiah received from the Lord. He was the son of Hilkiah. Jeremiah was one of the priests at Anathoth. That's a town in the territory of Benjamin. + A message came to Jeremiah from the Lord. It came in the 13th year that Josiah was king over Judah. Josiah was the son of Amon. + The Lord's message also came to Jeremiah during the whole time Jehoiakim was king over Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. The Lord continued to speak to Jeremiah until the fifth month of the 11th year that Zedekiah was king over Judah. That's when the people of Jerusalem were forced to leave their country. Zedekiah was the son of Josiah. Here is what Jeremiah said. + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Before I formed you in your mother's body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations." + "You are my Lord and King," I said. "I don't know how to speak. I'm only a child." + But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I'm only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to. You must say everything I command you to say. + Do not be afraid of the people I send you to. I am with you. I will save you," announces the Lord. + Then the Lord reached out his hand. He touched my mouth and spoke to me. He said, "I have put my words in your mouth. + Today I am appointing you to speak to nations and kingdoms. I want you to pull them up by the roots and tear them down. I want you to destroy them and crush them. But I also want you to build them up and plant them." + A message came to me from the Lord. He asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "The branch of an almond tree," I replied. + The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly. I am watching to see that my word comes true." + Another message came to me from the Lord. He asked me, "What do you see?" "A pot that has boiling water in it," I answered. "It's leaning toward us from the north." + The Lord said to me, "Something very bad will be poured out on everyone who lives in this land. It will come from the north. + I am about to send for all of the armies in the northern kingdoms," announces the Lord. "Their kings will come to Jerusalem. They will set up their thrones at the very gates of the city. They will attack all of the walls that surround the city. They will go to war against all of the towns of Judah. + I will judge my people. They have done many evil things. They have deserted me. They have burned incense to other gods. They have worshiped the gods their own hands have made. + "So get ready! Stand up! Tell them everything I command you to. Do not let them terrify you. If you do, I will terrify you in front of them. + Today I have made you like a city that has a high wall around it. I have made you like an iron pillar and a bronze wall. Now you can stand up against the whole land. You can stand against the kings and officials of Judah. You can stand against its priests and its people. + They will fight against you. But they will not overcome you. I am with you. I will save you," announces the Lord. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Go. Announce my message to the people in Jerusalem. I want everyone to hear it. Tell them, " 'I remember how faithful you were to me when you were young. You loved me as if you were my bride. You followed me through the desert. Nothing had been planted there. + Your people were holy to me. They were the first share of my harvest. All those who destroyed them were held guilty. And trouble came to their enemies,' " announces the Lord. + People of Jacob, hear the Lord's message. Listen, all you tribes of Israel. + The Lord says, "What did your people find wrong with me? Why did they wander so far away from me? They worshiped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless. + They did not ask, 'Where is the Lord? He brought us up out of Egypt. He led us through a dry and empty land. He guided us through deserts and deep valleys. It was a land of darkness where there wasn't any rain. No one lived or traveled there.' + But I brought you into a land that has rich soil. I gave you its fruit and its finest food. In spite of that, you polluted my land. You turned it into something I hate. + The priests did not ask, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who taught my law did not know me. The leaders refused to obey me. The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal. They worshiped worthless statues of gods. + "So I am bringing charges against you again," announces the Lord. "And I will bring charges against your children's children. + Go over to the coasts of the western nations and look. Send people to the land of Kedar and have them look closely. See if there has ever been anything like this. + Has a nation ever changed its gods? Actually, they are not even gods at all. But my people have traded away their glorious God. They have traded me for worthless statues of gods. + Sky above, be shocked over that. Tremble with horror," announces the Lord. + "My people have sinned twice. They have deserted me, even though I am the spring of water that gives life. And they have dug their own wells. But those wells are broken. They can't hold any water. + Are you people of Israel servants? You were not born as slaves, were you? Then why have you been carried off like stolen goods? + Lions have roared. They have growled at you. They have destroyed your land. Your towns are burned and deserted. + The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads to dishonor you. + Haven't you brought that on yourselves? I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me. You left me even while I was leading you. + Why do you go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor River? Why do you go to Assyria to drink from the Euphrates River? + You will be punished because you have sinned. You will be corrected for turning away from me. I am the Lord your God. If you desert me, bad things will happen to you. If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly. I want you to understand that," announces the Lord who rules over all. + "Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you. You tore off the ropes I tied you up with. You said, 'I won't serve you!' In fact, on every high hill you lay down like a prostitute. You worshiped other gods under every green tree. + You were like a good vine when I planted you. You were a healthy plant. Then how did you turn against me? How did you become a bad, wild vine? + You might wash yourself with baking soda. You might use plenty of soap. But I can still see the stains your guilt covers you with," announces the Lord and King. + "You say, 'I am "clean." I haven't followed the gods that are named after Baal.' How can you say that? Remember how you acted in the valley. Consider what you have done. You are like a female camel running quickly here and there. + You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert. She smells the wind when she longs for a mate. Who can hold her back? The males that run after her do not need to wear themselves out. At mating time they will easily find her. + Do not run after other gods until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry. But you said, 'It's no use! I love those gods. I must go after them.' + "A thief is dishonored when he is caught. And you people of Israel are filled with shame. Your kings and officials are dishonored. So are your priests and your prophets. + You say to a piece of wood, 'You are my father.' You say to a stone, 'You are my mother.' You have turned your backs to me. You refuse to look at me. But when you are in trouble, you say, 'Come and save us!' + So where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come when you are in trouble! Let them save you if they can! Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. + "Why do you bring charges against me? All of you have refused to obey me," announces the Lord. + "I punished your people. But it did not do them any good. They did not pay attention when they were corrected. You have killed your prophets with swords. You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion. + "You who are now living, consider my message. I am saying, "Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been like a land of deep darkness? Why do my people say, 'We are free to wander. We won't come to you anymore'? + Does a young woman forget all about her jewelry? Does a bride forget her wedding jewels? But my people have forgotten me more days than anyone can count. + You are very skilled at chasing after love! Even the worst of women can learn from how you act. + The blood of those you have killed is on your clothes. You have destroyed poor people who were not guilty. You did not catch them in the act of breaking in. In spite of all of that, + you say, 'I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. The Lord isn't angry with me.' But I will judge you. That is because you say, 'I haven't sinned.' + Why do you keep on changing your ways so much? Assyria did not help you. And Egypt will not help you either. + So you will also leave Egypt with your hands tied together above your heads. I have turned my back on those you trust. They will not help you. + + + "Suppose a man divorces his wife. What if she then gets married to another man? Should her first husband return to her again? If he does, won't the land become completely 'unclean'? People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute. You have loved many other gods. So do you think you can return to me now?" announces the Lord. + "Look up at the bare hilltops. Is there any place where you have not committed adultery with other gods? By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers. You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert. You have polluted the land. You are like a sinful prostitute. + So I have held the showers back. I have kept the spring rains from falling. But you still have the bold face of a prostitute. You refuse to blush with shame. + You have just now called out to me. You said, 'My Father, you have been my friend ever since I was young. + Will you always be angry with me? Will your anger continue forever?' That is how you talk. But you do all of the evil things you can." + During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree. + "I thought that after they had done all of those things, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw it. And they were not faithful to me either. + "I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many times. But I saw that their sister nation Judah did not have any respect for me. They were not faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods. + "Israel was not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land 'unclean.' They worshiped gods that were made out of stone and wood. + In spite of all that, their sister Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to," announces the Lord. + The Lord said to me, "Israel and Judah have not been faithful to me. But Israel was not as bad as Judah was. + "Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them, " 'Israel, you have not been faithful,' announces the Lord. 'Return to me. Then I will look on you with favor again. My love is faithful,' announces the Lord. 'I will not be angry with you forever. + Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong. You have refused to obey me. I am the Lord your God. You have committed adultery with other gods. You worshiped them under every green tree. And you have not obeyed me,' " announces the Lord. + "You people have not been faithful," announces the Lord. "Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion. + "Then I will give you shepherds who are dear to my heart. Their knowledge and understanding will help them lead you. + In those days your numbers will increase greatly in the land," announces the Lord. "Then people will not talk about the ark of the covenant of the Lord anymore. It will never enter their minds. They will not remember it. The ark will not be missed. And another one will not be made. + "At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord. All of the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do. + "In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel. Together they will come from a land in the north. They will come to the land I gave to your people long ago. I wanted them to have it as their very own. + "I myself said, " 'I would gladly treat you like my children. I would give you a pleasant land. It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.' I thought you would call me 'Father.' I hoped you would always follow me. + But you people are like a woman who is not faithful to her husband. Israel, you have not been faithful to me," announces the Lord. + A cry is heard on the bare hilltops. The people of Israel are sobbing and praying. That's because their lives are so twisted. They've forgotten the Lord their God. + "You have not been faithful," says the Lord. "Return to me. I will heal you. Then you will not turn away from me anymore." "Yes," the people say. "We will come to you. You are the Lord our God. + The gods we worship on the hills and mountains are useless. You are the Lord our God. You are the only one who can save us. + From our earliest years shameful gods have eaten up everything our people worked for. They have eaten up our flocks and herds. They've destroyed our sons and daughters. + Let us lie down in our shame. Let our dishonor cover us. You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you. We and our people before us have sinned. We haven't obeyed you from our earliest years until now." + + + "If you will return, Israel, return to me," announces the Lord. "Put the statues of your gods out of my sight. I hate them. Stop going down the wrong path. + Take all of your oaths in my name. Say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' Let all of your promises be truthful, fair and honest. Then I will bless the nations. And they will take delight in me." + Here is what the Lord is telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He says, "Your hearts are as hard as a field that has not been plowed. So change your ways and produce good crops. Do not plant seeds among thorns. + People of Judah and Jerusalem, obey me. Do not let your hearts be stubborn. If you do, my anger will blaze out against you. It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. No one will be able to put it out. + "Announce my message in Judah. Tell it in Jerusalem. Say, 'Blow trumpets all through the land!' Give a loud shout and say, 'Gather together! Let's run to cities that have high walls around them!' + Warn everyone to go to Zion! Run for safety! Do not wait! I am bringing trouble from the north. Everything will be totally destroyed." + Lions have come out of their den. Those who destroy nations have begun to march out. They have left their place to destroy your land completely. Your towns will be broken to pieces. No one will live in them. + So put on black clothes. Sob and cry over what has happened. The Lord hasn't turned his burning anger away from us. + "A dark day is coming," announces the Lord. "The king and his officials will lose hope. The priests will be shocked. And the prophets will be terrified." + Then I said, "You are my Lord and King. You have completely tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You have told them, 'You will have peace and rest.' But swords are pointed at our throats." + At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be warned. They will be told, "A hot and dry wind is coming, my people. It is blowing toward you from the bare hilltops in the desert. But it does not separate straw from grain. + It is much too strong for that. The wind is coming from me. I am making my decision against you." + Look! Our enemies are approaching like the clouds. Their chariots are coming like a strong wind. Their horses are faster than eagles. How terrible it will be for us! We'll be destroyed! + People of Jerusalem, wash your sins from your hearts and be saved. How long will you hold on to your evil thoughts? + A voice is speaking all the way from the city of Dan. From the hills of Ephraim it announces that trouble is coming. + "Tell the nations. Warn Jerusalem. Say, 'An army will attack you. It is coming from a land far away. It will shout a war cry against the cities of Judah. + It will surround them like people who guard a field. Judah has refused to obey me,' " announces the Lord. + "The army will attack you because of your conduct and actions. That is how you will be punished. It will be so bitter! It will cut deep down into your hearts!" + I'm suffering! I'm really suffering! I'm hurting badly. My heart is suffering so much! It's pounding inside me. I can't keep silent. I've heard the sound of trumpets. I've heard the battle cry. + One trouble follows another. The whole land is destroyed. In an instant my tents are gone. My home disappears in a moment. + How long must I look at our enemy's battle flag? How long must I hear the sound of the trumpets? + The Lord says, "My people are foolish. They do not know me. They are children who do not have any sense. They have no understanding at all. They are skilled in doing what is evil. They do not know how to do what is good." + I looked at the earth. It didn't have any shape. And it was empty. I looked at the sky. Its light was gone. + I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. All of the hills were swaying. + I looked. And there weren't any people. Every bird in the sky had flown away. + I looked. And the fruitful land had become a desert. All of its towns were destroyed. The Lord had done all of that because of his burning anger. + The Lord says, "The whole land will be destroyed. But I will not destroy it completely. + So the earth will be filled with sadness. The sky above will grow dark. I have spoken, and I will not take pity on them. I have made my decision, and I will not change my mind." + People can hear the sound of horsemen. Men who are armed with bows are coming. The people in every town run away. Some of them go into the bushes. Others climb up among the rocks. All of the towns are deserted. No one is living in them. + What are you doing, you who are destroyed? Why do you dress yourself in bright red clothes? Why do you put on jewels of gold? Why do you put makeup on your eyes? You make yourself beautiful for no reason at all. Your lovers hate you. They are trying to kill you. + I hear a cry like the cry of a woman having a baby. I hear a groan like someone having her first child. It's the cry of the people of Zion struggling to breathe. They reach out their hands and say, "Help us! We're fainting! Murderers are about to kill us!" + + + The Lord says, "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look around. Think about what you see. Search through the market places. See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful. If you can, I will forgive this city. + They take all of their oaths in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' But their oaths can't be trusted." + Lord, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck your people down. But they didn't feel any pain. You crushed them. But they refused to be corrected. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to turn away from their sins. + I thought, "The people of Jerusalem are foolish. They don't know how the Lord wants them to live. They don't know what their God requires of them. + So I will go to the leaders. I'll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them." But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with. + So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from him many times. + The Lord says, "Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted me. They have taken their oaths in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. I supplied everything they needed. But they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes. + Your people are like stallions that have plenty to eat. Their sinful longings are out of control. Each of them goes after another man's wife. + Shouldn't I punish them for that?" announces the Lord. "Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things? + "Armies of Babylonia, go through their vineyards and destroy them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches. Those people do not belong to me. + The people of Israel and Judah have not been faithful to me at all," announces the Lord. + They have told lies about the Lord. They said, "He won't do anything! No harm will come to us. We will never see war or be hungry. + The prophets are nothing but wind. Their message doesn't come from the Lord. So let what they say will happen be done to them." + The Lord God rules over all. He says to me, "The people have spoken those words. So my words will be like fire in your mouth. I will make the people like wood. And the fire will burn them up." + "People of Israel, listen to me," announces the Lord. "I am bringing against you a nation from far away. It is an old nation. And it will last for a long time. Its people speak a language you do not know. You can't understand what they are saying. + The bags they carry their arrows in are like an open grave. All of their soldiers are mighty. + They will eat up your crops and your food. They will strike down your sons and daughters. They will kill your sheep and cattle. They will destroy your vines and fig trees. You trust in your cities that have high walls around them. But the people in them will be killed with swords. + "In spite of that, even in those days I will not destroy you completely," announces the Lord. + " 'Jeremiah,' the people will ask, 'Why has the Lord our God done all of this to us?' "Then you will tell them, 'You have deserted the Lord. You have served other gods in your own land. So now you will serve another nation in a land that is not your own.' + "Here is what I want you to announce to the people of Jacob. Tell it in Judah. Tell them I say, + 'Listen to this, you foolish people, who do not have any sense. You have eyes, but you do not see. You have ears, but you do not hear. + Shouldn't you have respect for me?' announces the Lord. 'Shouldn't you tremble with fear in front of me? I made the sand to hold the ocean back. It will do that forever. The ocean can't go past it. The waves might roll, but they can't sweep over it. They might roar, but they can't go across it. + But you people have stubborn hearts. You refuse to obey me. You have turned away from me. You have gone down the wrong path. + You do not say to yourselves, "Let us have respect for the Lord our God. He sends rain in the fall and the spring. He promises us that the harvest will come at the same time each year." + But the things you have done wrong have robbed you of those gifts. Your sins have kept those good things far away from you.' + "Jeremiah, some of my people are evil. They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds. They set traps for men. + A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds. And my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods. They have become rich and powerful. + They have grown fat and heavy. There is no limit to the evil things they do. In court they do not state the case of children whose fathers have died. They do not stand up for poor people. + Shouldn't I punish them for that?" announces the Lord. "Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things? + "Something horrible and shocking has happened in the land. + The prophets prophesy lies. The priests rule by their own authority. And my people love it that way. But what will they do in the end?" + + + The Lord says, "People of Benjamin, run for safety! Run away from Jerusalem! Blow trumpets in Tekoa! Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem! Horrible trouble is coming from the north. The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power. + I will destroy the city of Zion, even though it is very beautiful. + Shepherds will come against it with their flocks. They will set up their tents around it. All of them will take care of their own sheep." + The Babylonians say, "Prepare for battle against Judah! Get up! Let's attack them at noon! But the daylight is fading. The shadows of evening are getting longer. + So get up! Let's attack them at night! Let's destroy their strongest forts!" + The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says, "Cut some trees down. Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem's walls. I must punish that city. It is filled with people who treat others badly. + Wells keep giving fresh water. And Jerusalem keeps on sinning. Its people are always fighting and causing trouble. When I look at them, I see nothing but sickness and wounds. + Jerusalem, listen to my warning. If you do not, I will turn away from you. Your land will become a desert. No one will be able to live there." + The Lord rules over all. He says to me, "People gather the few grapes that are left on a vine. So let Israel's enemies gather the few people who are left alive in the land. Look carefully at the branches again. Do it like someone who gathers the last few grapes." + Who can I speak to? Who can I warn? Who will even listen to me? Their ears are closed so they can't hear. The Lord's message displeases them. They don't take any delight in it. + But the Lord's anger burns inside me. I can no longer hold it in. The Lord says to me, "Pour out my anger on the children in the street. Pour it out on the young people who are gathered together. Husband and wife alike will be caught in it. So will those who are very old. + I will reach out my hand against those who live in the land," announces the Lord. "Then their houses will be turned over to others. So will their fields and their wives. + Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important. Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can. + They bandage the wounds of my people as if they were not very deep. 'Peace, peace,' they say. But there isn't any peace. + Are they ashamed of their hateful actions? No. They do not feel any shame at all. They do not even know how to blush. So they will fall like others who have already fallen. They will be brought down when I punish them," says the Lord. + The Lord tells the people of Judah, "Stand where the roads cross, and look around. Ask where the old paths are. Ask for the good path, and walk on it. Then your hearts will find rest in me. But you said, 'We won't walk on it.' + I appointed prophets to warn you. I said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpets!' But you said, 'We won't listen.' + So pay attention, you nations. Be witnesses for me. Watch what will happen to my people. + Earth, pay attention. I am going to bring trouble on them. I will punish them because of the evil things they have done. They have not listened to my words. They have said no to my law. + What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba? Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away? I do not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices do not please me." + So the Lord says, "I will bring an army against the people of Judah. Parents and children alike will trip and fall. Neighbors and friends will die." + The Lord says to Jerusalem, "Look! An army is coming from the land of the north. I am stirring up a great nation. Its army is coming from a land that is very far away. + Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all. They come riding in on their horses. They sound like the roaring ocean. They are lined up for battle. They are marching out to attack you, city of Zion." + We have heard reports about them. And our hands can't help us. We are suffering greatly. It's like the pain of a woman having a baby. + Don't go out to the fields. Don't walk on the roads. Our enemies have swords. And there is terror on every side. + Put on black clothes, my people. Roll among the ashes. Cry with bitter sobbing just as you would cry for an only child. The one who is going to destroy us will come suddenly. + The Lord says to me, "I have made you like one who tests metals. My people are the ore. I want you to watch them and test the way they live. + All of them are used to disobeying me. They go around telling lies about others. They are like bronze mixed with iron. All of them do very sinful things. + The fire is made very hot so the lead will burn away. But it is impossible to make those people pure. Those who are evil are not removed. + They are like silver that is thrown away. That is because I have not accepted them." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Stand at the gate of my house. Announce my message to the people there. Say, " 'Listen to the Lord's message, all of you people of Judah. You always come through these gates to worship the Lord. + The God of Israel is speaking to you. He is the Lord who rules over all. He says, "Change the way you live and act. Then I will let you live in this place. + " ' "Do not trust in lies. Do not say, 'This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord!' + " ' "You must really change the way you live and act. Treat each other fairly. + Do not treat outsiders or widows badly in this place. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. Do not worship other gods. That will only bring harm to you. + " ' "If you obey me, I will let you live in this place. It is the land I gave your people who lived long ago. It was promised to them for ever and ever. + " ' "But look! You are trusting in worthless lies. + " ' "You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery and tell lies. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you have not known anything about before. + " ' "Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say, 'We are safe.' You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate. + My Name is in this house. But you have made it a den for robbers! I have been watching you!" announces the Lord. + " ' "Go now to the town of Shiloh. Go to the place where I first made a home for my Name. See what I did to it because of the evil things my people Israel were doing. + " ' "I spoke to you again and again," announces the Lord. "I warned you while you were doing all of those things. But you did not listen. I called out to you. But you did not answer. + So what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house where my Name is. It is the temple you trust in. It is the place I gave to you and your people of long ago. + " ' "But I will throw you out of my land. That is exactly what I did to the people of Ephraim. And they are your relatives." ' + "Jeremiah, do not pray for those people. Do not make any appeal or request for them. Do not beg me. I will not listen to you. + "Don't you see what they are doing? They are worshiping other gods in the towns of Judah. They are offering sacrifices to them in the streets of Jerusalem. + The children go out and gather wood. The fathers light the fire. The women mix the dough. They make flat cakes of bread for the goddess who is called the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods. That makes me very angry. + "But am I the one they are hurting?" announces the Lord. "Aren't they only harming themselves? They should be ashamed of it." + So the Lord and King says, "I will pour out my burning anger on this place. It will strike people and animals alike. It will destroy the trees and the crops in the fields. It will burn, and no one will be able to put it out." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Go ahead! Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices. Eat the meat yourselves! + When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. + I also gave them another command. I said, 'Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.' + "But they did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. They went backward and not forward. + "Again and again I sent my servants the prophets to you. They came to you day after day. They prophesied from the time your people left Egypt until now. + "But the people did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They did more evil things than their people who lived before them. + "Jeremiah, when you tell them all of that, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not answer. + "So say to them, 'You are a nation that has not obeyed the Lord your God. You did not pay attention when you were corrected. Truth has died out. You do not tell the truth anymore.' " + The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem, "Cut off your hair. Throw it away. Sing a song of sadness on the bare hilltops. I am very angry with you. I have turned my back on you. I have deserted you. + "The people of Judah have done what is evil in my eyes," announces the Lord. "They have set up statues of their gods. They have worshiped them in the house where my Name is. They have made my house 'unclean.' I hate those statues. + The people have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. There they worship other gods. And there they sacrifice their children in the fire. That is something I did not command. It did not even enter my mind. + "So watch out!" announces the Lord. "The days are coming when people will not call it Topheth anymore. And they will not call it the Valley of Ben Hinnom either. Instead, they will call it the Valley of Death. They will bury the dead bodies of some people in Topheth. But they will run out of room. + Then they will not be able to bury the bodies of other people there. So the bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals. And no one will scare them away. + "I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. The voices of brides and grooms will not be heard anymore. There will not be any sounds of joy in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. The land will become a desert. + + + "At that time the tombs will be opened," announces the Lord. "The bones of the kings and officials of Judah will be brought out. The bones of the priests and prophets will be removed. So will the bones of the people of Jerusalem. + They will lie outside under the sun, moon and all of the stars. "All of those people had loved and served those things. They had followed them and worshiped them. They had asked them for advice. So the bones of those people will not be gathered up or buried again. Instead, they will be like trash lying there on the ground. + "Everyone who is left alive in this evil nation will want to die rather than live. That is what they will long for in the lands where I force them to go," announces the Lord who rules over all. + "Jeremiah, tell them, 'The Lord says, " ' "When people fall down, don't they get up again? When someone turns away, doesn't he come back? + Then why have the people of Jerusalem turned away from me? Why do they always turn away? They keep on telling lies. They refuse to come back to me. + I have listened carefully. But they do not say what is right. They refuse to turn away from their sins. No one says, 'What have I done?' All of them go their own way. They are like horses charging into battle. + Storks know when to fly south. So do doves, swifts and thrushes. But my people do not know what I require them to do. + " ' "How can you people say, 'We are wise. We have the law of the Lord'? Actually, the teachers of the law have told lies about it. Their pens have not written what is true. + Those who think they are wise will be put to shame. They will become terrified. They will be trapped. They have not accepted my message. So what kind of wisdom do they have? + I will give their wives to other men. I will give their fields to new owners. Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important. Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can. + They bandage the wounds of my people as if they were not very deep. 'Peace, peace,' they say. But there isn't any peace. + Are they ashamed of their hateful actions? No. They do not feel any shame at all. They do not even know how to blush. So they will fall like others who have already fallen. They will be brought down when I punish them," says the Lord. + " ' "I will take away their harvest," announces the Lord. "There will not be any grapes on the vines. The trees will not bear any figs. The leaves on the trees will dry up. What I have given them will be taken away from them." ' " + Why are we sitting here? Let's gather together! Let's run to the cities that have high walls around them! Let's die there! The Lord our God has sentenced us to death. He has given us poisoned water to drink. That's because we've sinned against him. + We hoped peace would come. But nothing good has happened to us. We hoped we would finally be healed. But all we got was terror. + When our enemy's horses snort, the noise is heard all the way from Dan. When their stallions neigh, the whole land trembles with fear. They have come to destroy the land and everything in it. The city and everyone who lives there will be destroyed. + "People of Judah, I will send poisonous snakes among you. No one will be able to charm them. And they will bite you," announces the Lord. + Lord, my heart is weak inside me. You comfort me when I'm sad. + Listen to the cries of my people from a land far away. They cry out, "Isn't the Lord in Zion? Isn't its King there anymore?" The Lord says, "Why have they made me so angry by worshiping their wooden gods? Why have they made me angry with their worthless statues of gods from other lands?" + The people say, "The harvest is over. The summer has ended. And we still haven't been saved." + My people are crushed, so I am crushed. I sob, and I am filled with horror. + Isn't there any healing lotion in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor there? Then why doesn't someone heal the wounds of my people? + + + I wish my head were a spring of water! I wish my eyes were a fountain of tears! I would sob day and night over my people who have been killed. + I wish I had somewhere to go in the desert where a traveler could stay! Then I could leave my people. I could get away from them. All of them commit adultery by worshiping other gods. They aren't faithful to the Lord. + "They get ready to use their tongues like bows," announces the Lord. "Their mouths shoot out lies like arrows. They tell lies to gain power in the land. They go from one sin to another. They do not pay any attention to me. + Be on guard against your friends. Do not trust the members of your own family. Every one of them cheats. Every friend tells lies. + One friend cheats another. No one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues how to lie. They wear themselves out sinning. + Jeremiah, you live among people who tell lies. When they lie, they refuse to pay any attention to me," announces the Lord. + So the Lord who rules over all says, "I will put them through the fire to test them. What else can I do? My people are so sinful! + Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They tell lies. With their mouths all of them speak kindly to their neighbors. But in their hearts they set traps for them. + Shouldn't I punish them for that?" announces the Lord. "Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things?" + I will cry and sob over the fields in the hills. I will sing a song of sadness about the desert grasslands. They are dry and empty. No one travels through them. The mooing of cattle isn't heard there. The birds of the air have flown away. All of the animals are gone. + The Lord says, "I will knock all of Jerusalem's buildings down. I will make it a home for wild dogs. The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed. No one will be able to live in them." + Who is wise enough to understand those things? Who has been taught by the Lord? Who can explain them? Why has the land been destroyed so completely? Why has it become like a desert that no one can go across? + The Lord answered me, "Because my people have turned away from my law. I gave it to them. But they have not kept it. They have not obeyed me. + Instead, they have done what their stubborn hearts wanted them to do. They have worshiped the gods that are named after Baal. They have done what their people have taught them to do down through the years." + So now the Lord who rules over all speaks. He is the God of Israel. He says, "I will make these people eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water. + I will scatter them among the nations. They and their people before them have not had anything to do with those nations before. I will chase these people with swords. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them." + The Lord rules over all. He says, "Here is something I want you to think about. Send for the women who sob over the dead. Send for the most skilled among them." + Let them come quickly and sob over us. Let them cry until tears flow from our eyes. Let them sob until water pours out of our eyes. + People are heard sobbing in Zion. They are saying, "We are destroyed! We are filled with shame! We must leave our land. Our houses have been torn down." + Women, hear the Lord's message. Listen to what he's saying. Teach your daughters how to sob over the dead. Teach one another a song of sadness. + Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered our forts. It has removed the children from the streets. It has taken the young people out of the market places. + Say, "The Lord announces, " 'The dead bodies of men will be like trash lying in the open fields. They will lie there like grain that is cut down at harvest time. No one will gather them up.' " + The Lord says, "Do not let a wise man brag about how wise he is. Do not let a strong man boast about how strong he is. Do not let a rich person brag about how rich he is. + But here is what the one who brags should boast about. He should brag that he has understanding and knows me. I want him to know that I am the Lord. No matter what I do on earth, I am always kind, fair and right. And I take delight in that," announces the Lord. + "The days are coming when I will judge people," announces the Lord. "I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their bodies. + That includes the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon and Moab. It also includes all those who live in the desert in places far away. None of the people in those nations is really circumcised. And not even the people of Israel are circumcised in their hearts." + + + People of Israel, listen to what the Lord is telling you. + He says, "Do not follow the practices of other nations. Do not be terrified by warnings in the sky. Do not be afraid, even though the nations are terrified by them. + The practices of those nations are worthless. People cut a tree out of the forest. A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool. + Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down. + The statues of their gods can't speak. They are like scarecrows in a field of melons. They have to be carried around because they can't walk. So do not worship them. They can't do you any harm. And they can't do you any good either." + Lord, no one is like you. You are great. You are mighty and powerful. + King of the nations, everyone should have respect for you. That's what people should give you. Among all of the wise people in the nations there is no one like you. No one can compare with you in all of their kingdoms. + All of them are foolish. They don't have any sense. They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods. + Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish. Gold is brought from Uphaz. People who are skilled in working with wood and gold make a statue. Then they put blue and purple clothes on it. The whole thing is made by skilled workers. + But you are the only true God. You are the only living God. You are the King who rules forever. When you are angry, the earth trembles with fear. The nations can't stand up under your anger. + The Lord says to the Jews who are living in Babylonia, "Tell the people of the nations, 'Your gods did not make the heavens and the earth. In fact, those gods will disappear from the earth. They will vanish from under the heavens.' " + But God used his power to make the earth. His wisdom set the world in place. His understanding spread the heavens out. + When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar. He makes clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other. He sends lightning along with the rain. He brings the wind out from his storerooms. + No one has any sense. No one knows anything at all. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his wooden gods. The metal gods he worships are fakes. They can't even breathe. + They are worthless. People make fun of them. When the Lord judges them, they will be destroyed. + The God of Jacob is not like them. He gives his people everything they need. He made everything that exists. And that includes Israel. It's the nation that belongs to him. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + People of Jerusalem, your enemies have surrounded you. They are attacking you. So gather up what belongs to you. Then leave the land. + The Lord says, "I am about to throw out of this land everyone who lives in it. I will bring trouble on them. They will be captured." + How terrible it will be for me! I've been wounded! And my wound can't be healed! In spite of that, I said to myself, "I'm sick. But I'll have to put up with it." + Jerusalem is like a tent that has been destroyed. All of its ropes have snapped. My people have gone away from me. Now no one is left to set up my tent. I have no one to set it up for me. + The leaders of my people are like shepherds who don't have any sense. They don't ask the Lord for advice. That's why they don't succeed. And that's why their whole flock is scattered like sheep. + Listen! A message is coming! I hear the sound of a great army marching down from the north! It will turn Judah's towns into a desert. They will become a home for wild dogs. + Lord, I know that a man doesn't control his own life. He doesn't direct his own steps. + Correct me, Lord. But please be fair. Don't correct me when you are angry. If you do, nothing will be left of me. + Pour out your burning anger on the nations. They don't pay any attention to you. They refuse to worship you. They have destroyed the people of Jacob. They've wiped them out completely. They've also destroyed the land they lived in. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Listen to the terms of the covenant I made with my people long ago. Tell Judah the terms still apply to them. Tell those who live in Jerusalem that they must obey them too. + "I am the God of Israel. So let the people know what I want them to do. Tell them I am saying, 'May the man who does not obey the terms of the covenant be under my curse. + I gave those terms to your people long ago. That was when I brought them out of Egypt. I saved them out of that furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure.' I said, 'Obey me. Do everything I command you to do. Then you will be my people. And I will be your God. + " 'I raised my hand and made an oath to your people long ago. I promised them I would give them a land that had plenty of milk and honey.' It is the land you own today. I kept my promise." I replied, "Amen, Lord." + The Lord said to me, "Here is what I want you to announce in the towns of Judah. Say it also in the streets of Jerusalem. Tell the people, 'Listen to the terms of my covenant. Obey them. + Long ago I brought your people up from Egypt. From that time until today, I warned them again and again. I said, "Obey me." + " 'But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. So I brought down on them all of the curses of the covenant. I commanded them to obey it. But they refused.' " + The Lord continued, "The people of Judah have made some evil plans. So have those who live in Jerusalem. + All of them have returned to the sins their people committed long ago. Those people refused to listen to what I told them. And now the people of Israel and Judah alike have worshiped other gods and served them. They have broken the covenant I made with their people who lived before them. + "So I say, 'I will bring trouble on them. They will not be able to escape it. They will cry out to me. But I will not listen to them. + " 'The people of Jerusalem and of the towns of Judah will cry out to the gods they burn incense to. But those gods will not help them at all when trouble strikes them. + Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. And in Jerusalem you have set up as many altars as there are streets. You are burning incense to that shameful god Baal.' + "Jeremiah, do not pray for those people. Do not make any appeal or request for them. They will call out to me when they are in trouble. But I will not listen to them. + "I love the people of Judah. But they are working out their evil plans along with many others. So what are they doing in my temple? Can meat that is offered to me keep me from punishing you? When you do evil things, you get a lot of pleasure from them." + People of Judah, the Lord once called you a healthy olive tree. He thought its fruit was beautiful. But now he will come with the roar of a mighty storm. He will set the tree on fire. And its branches will be broken. + The Lord who rules over all planted you. But now he has ordered your enemies to destroy you. The people of Israel and Judah have done what is evil. They have made the Lord very angry by burning incense to Baal. + The Lord told me about the evil plans of my enemies. That's how I knew about them. He showed me what they were doing. + I had been like a gentle lamb that was led off to be killed. I didn't realize they had made plans against me. They had said, "Let's destroy the tree and its fruit. Let's cut him off while he's still living. Then his name won't be remembered anymore." + But Lord, you rule over all. You always judge fairly. You put people's hearts and minds to the test. So pay them back for what they've done. I've committed my cause to you. + The Lord says, "Jeremiah, here is what I am telling you about the men of Anathoth. They want to kill you. They are saying, 'Don't prophesy in the Lord's name. If you do, we will kill you with our own hands.' " + So the Lord who rules over all says, "I will punish them. Their young men will be killed with swords. Their sons and daughters will die of hunger. + Only a few people will be left alive. I will judge the men of Anathoth. I will destroy them when the time to punish them comes." + + + Lord, when I bring a matter to you, you always do what is right. But now I would like to speak with you about whether you are being fair. Why are sinful people successful? Why do those who can't be trusted have an easy life? + You have planted them. Their roots are deep in the ground. They grow and produce fruit. They honor you by what they say. But their hearts are far away from you. + Lord, you know me and see me. You test my thoughts about you. Drag those people off like sheep to be killed! Set them apart for the day of their death! + How long will the land be thirsty for water? How long will the grass in every field be dry? The people who live in the land are evil. So the animals and birds have died. And that's not all. The people are saying, "The Lord won't see what happens to us." + The Lord says, "Suppose you have run in a race with other men. And suppose they have worn you out. Then how would you be able to race against horses? Suppose you feel safe only in open country. Then how would you get along in the bushes near the Jordan River? + Even your own family has turned against you. They have shouted loudly at you. They might say nice things about you. But do not trust them. + "I will turn my back on my people. I will desert my land. I love the people of Judah. In spite of that, I will hand them over to their enemies. + My land has become to me like a lion in the forest. It roars at me. So I hate it. + My own land has become like a spotted hawk. And other hawks surround it and attack it. Come, all of you wild animals! Gather together! Come together to eat up my land. + Many shepherds will destroy my vineyard. They will walk all over it. They will turn my pleasant vineyard into a dry and empty land. + My vineyard will become a desert. It will be dry and empty in my sight. The whole land will be completely destroyed. And no one even cares. + Many will come to destroy it. They will gather on the bare hilltops in the desert. I will use them as my sword to destroy my people. They will kill them from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe. + People will plant wheat. But all they will gather is thorns. They will wear themselves out. But they will not have anything to show for it. My anger is burning against you. So you will be ashamed of the crop you gather." + The Lord continues, "All of my evil neighbors have taken over the land I gave my people Israel. So I will pull them up by their roots from the lands they live in. And I will pull up the roots of the people of Judah from among them. + "But after I pull those nations up, I will show my tender love to them again. I will bring all of them back to their own lands. I will take all of them back to their own countries. + "Suppose they learn to follow the practices of my people. And they take an oath and make a promise in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' They do it just as they once taught my people to take oaths in Baal's name. Then I will give them a place among my people. + "But what if one of those nations does not listen? Then you can be sure I will pull it up by the roots and destroy it," announces the Lord. + + + The Lord said to me, "Go and buy a linen belt. Put it around your waist. But do not let it get wet." + So I bought a belt, just as the Lord had told me to do. And I put it around my waist. + Then another message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Take off the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist. Go to Perath. Hide the belt there in a crack in the rocks." + So I went and hid it at Perath. I did just as the Lord had told me to do. + Many days later the Lord spoke to me again. He told me, "Go to Perath. Get the belt I told you to hide there." + So I went to Perath. I dug up the belt. I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But it had rotted. It was completely useless. + Then another message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "In the same way, I will destroy Judah's pride. And I will destroy the great pride of Jerusalem. + "Those people are evil. They refuse to listen to what I say. They do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They chase after other gods. They serve them and worship them. So they will be like this belt. They will be completely useless. + A belt is tied around a man's waist. In the same way, I tied all of the people of Israel and Judah to me," announces the Lord. "I wanted them to be my people. They should have brought me fame and praise and honor. But they have not listened to me. + "Tell them, 'The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, "Every wineskin should be filled with wine." ' "The people might say to you, 'Don't we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?' + "If they do, tell them, 'The Lord says, "I am going to fill with wine everyone who lives in this land. I will make the kings who sit on David's throne drunk. And I will fill with wine the priests, the prophets and everyone who lives in Jerusalem. + I will smash them against one another. I will punish parents and children alike," announces the Lord. "I will not feel sorry for them. I will not show them any kindness. My tender love for them will not keep me from destroying them." ' " + People of Judah, listen to me. Pay attention. Don't be proud. The Lord has spoken. + Give glory to the Lord your God. Honor him before he sends darkness to cover the land. Do it before you trip and fall on the darkened hills. You hope that light will come. But he will turn it into thick darkness. He will change it to deep shadows. + If you don't listen, I will sob in secret. Because you are so proud, I will sob bitterly. Tears will flow from my eyes. The Lord's flock will be taken away as prisoners. + Speak to the king and his mother. Tell them, "Come down from your thrones. Your glorious crowns are about to fall from your heads." + The gates of the cities in the Negev Desert will be shut tight. There won't be anyone to open them. You will be carried away as prisoners. You will be taken away completely. + Jerusalem, look up! Your enemies are coming from the north. Where is the flock you were supposed to take care of? Where are the sheep you were so proud of? + You have worked hard to make special friends. But the Lord will let them rule over you. Then what will you say? Suffering will take hold of you. It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby. + Suppose you ask yourself, "Why has this happened to me?" It's because you have committed so many sins. That's the reason your skirt has been torn off. That's why your body has been treated so badly. + Can people from Ethiopia change their skin? Can leopards change their spots? It's the same with you. You have always done what is evil. So how can you do what is good? + The Lord says, "I will scatter you like straw that the desert wind blows away. + That is what will happen to you. I have appointed it for you," announces the Lord. "You have forgotten me. You have trusted in other gods. + So I will pull your skirt up over your face. Then people will see the shame of your naked body. + They will see that you have not been faithful to me. You have committed adultery with other gods. And you have acted like a prostitute who does not have any shame. I have seen what you did on the hills and in the fields. And I hate it. How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem! How long will you choose to be 'unclean'?" + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He told me there wouldn't be any rain in the land. He said, + "Judah is filled with sadness. Its cities are wasting away. The people sob over the land. Crying is heard in Jerusalem. + The nobles send their servants to get water. They go to the wells. But they do not find any water. They return with empty jars. They are terrified. They do not have any hope. They cover their heads. + The ground is dry and cracked. There isn't any rain in the land. The farmers are terrified. They cover their heads. + Even the does in the fields desert their newborn fawns. There isn't any grass to eat. + Wild donkeys stand on the bare hilltops. They long for water as wild dogs do. Their eyesight fails because they do not have any grass to eat." + Our sins are a witness against us. Lord, do something for the honor of your name. We have completely turned away from you. We've sinned against you. + You are Israel's only hope. You save us when we're in trouble. Why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler who stays for only one night? + Why are you like a man who is taken by surprise? Why are you like a soldier who can't save anyone? Lord, you are among us. And we are your people. Please don't desert us! + The Lord has given me a message about these people. He says, "They really love to wander away from me. Their feet go down the wrong path. I do not accept these people. I will remember the evil things they have done. I will punish them for their sins." + The Lord continued, "Do not pray that things will go well with them. + Even if they go without food, I will not listen to their cry for help. They might sacrifice burnt offerings and grain offerings. But I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with war, hunger and plague." + But I said, "Lord and King, the prophets keep telling them something else. They say, 'You won't have to suffer from war or hunger. Instead, the Lord will give you peace and rest in this place.' " + Then the Lord said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them. I have not even spoken to them. Everything they tell you about their visions or secret knowledge is a lie. They pretend to bring you messages from other gods. They try to get you to believe their own mistaken ideas. + "So here is what I am saying about the prophets who are prophesying in my name. I did not send them. But they are saying, 'No war or hunger will come to this land.' Those same prophets will die because of war and hunger. + And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem. They will die because of hunger and war. No one will bury their bodies. No one will bury their wives or children. I will pour trouble out on them. That is exactly what they should get. + "Jeremiah, give them this message. Tell them, " 'Let tears flow from my eyes. Let them pour out night and day. Never let them stop. The people of my own nation have suffered a terrible wound. They have been crushed. + Suppose I go into the country. Then I see people who have been killed with swords. Or suppose I go into the city. Then I see people who have died of hunger. Prophet and priest alike have gone to a land they hadn't had anything to do with before.' " + Lord, have you turned your back on Judah completely? Do you hate the city of Zion? Why have you made us suffer? We can't be healed. We hoped peace would come. But nothing good has happened to us. We hoped we would finally be healed. But all we got was terror. + Lord, we admit we've done evil things. We also admit that our people of long ago were guilty. It's true that we've sinned against you. + For the honor of your name, don't turn your back on us. Don't bring shame on your glorious throne in the temple. Remember the covenant you made with us. Please don't break it. + Do any of the worthless gods of the nations bring rain? Do the skies send down showers all by themselves? No. Lord our God, you send the rain. So we put our hope in you. You are the one who does all of those things. + + + Then the Lord said to me, "Suppose Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me. Even then my heart would not feel sorry for these people. Send them away from me! Let them go! + "Suppose they ask you, 'Where should we go?' "Then tell them, 'The Lord says, " ' "Those I have appointed to die will die. Those I have appointed to be killed with swords will be killed with swords. Those I have appointed to die of hunger will die of hunger. Those I have appointed to be taken away as prisoners will be taken away." ' + "I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," announces the Lord. "Swords will kill them. Dogs will drag them away. Birds of the air will eat them up. And wild animals will destroy them. + "I will make all of the kingdoms on earth hate them. That will happen because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. He was king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah. + "Jerusalem, who will have pity on you? Who will sob over you? Who will stop to ask how you are doing? + You have said no to me," announces the Lord. "You keep on turning away from me. So I will destroy you with my own hands. I can't show you my tender love anymore. + I will stand at the city gates of the land. I will separate the straw from the grain. I will destroy my people. I will bring great sorrow on them. They have not changed their ways. + I will increase the number of their widows. They will be more than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noon I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of the young men among my people. All at once I will bring down on them great suffering and terror. + Mothers who have many children will grow weak. They will take their last breath. The sun will set on them while it is still day. They will be dishonored and put to shame. All those who are left alive I will kill with swords. I will have their enemies do it," announces the Lord. + My mother, I wish I had never been born! The whole land opposes me. They fight against me. I haven't made loans to anyone. And I haven't borrowed anything. But everyone still calls down curses on me. + The Lord said, "Jeremiah, I will keep you safe for a good purpose. I will make your enemies ask you to pray for them. They will make their appeal to you when they are in great trouble. + "People of Judah, the armies of Babylonia will come from the north. They are as strong as iron and bronze. Can anyone break their power? + I will give away your wealth and your treasures. Your enemies will carry off everything. And they will not pay anything for it. That will happen because you have sinned so much. You have done it all through your country. + I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you have not had anything to do with before. My anger will start a fire that will burn you up." + Lord, you understand how much I'm suffering. Show concern for me. Take care of me. Pay back those who are trying to harm me. You are patient. Don't take my life away from me. Think about how much shame I suffer because of you. + When I received your words, I ate them. They filled me with joy. My heart took delight in them. Lord God who rules over all, I belong to you. + I never sat around with those who go to wild parties. I never had a good time with them. I sat alone because you had put your powerful hand on me. Your anger against sin was burning inside me. + Why does my pain never end? Why is my wound so deep? Why can't I ever get well? To me you are like a stream that runs dry. You are like a spring that doesn't have any water. + So the Lord says, "Turn away from your sins. Then I will heal you. And then you will be able to serve me. Speak words that are worthy, not worthless. Then you will be speaking for me. Let these people turn to you. But you must not turn to them. + I will make you like a wall to them. I will make you like a strong bronze wall. The people will fight against you. But they will not overcome you. I am with you. I will save you," announces the Lord. + "I will save you from the hands of evil people. I will set you free from those who treat you badly." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "You must not get married. You must not have any sons or daughters in this land." + Here is the Lord's message about the children who are born in this place. He says about them and their parents, + "Some of them will die of deadly sicknesses. No one will sob over them. Their bodies will not be buried. Instead, they will be like trash lying there on the ground. Others will die because of war and hunger. Their bodies will not be buried. Instead, they will become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals." + The Lord says, "Jeremiah, do not enter a house where a meal is being served because someone has died. Do not go there to sob or to comfort the family. I will not bless these people anymore. I have taken my love and pity away from them," announces the Lord. + "Important and ordinary people alike will die in this land. Their bodies will not be buried. No one will sob over them. No one will cut himself or shave his head because of them. + No one will offer food or drink to comfort those who sob over the dead. No one will do it even if someone's father or mother has died. + "Do not enter a house where a big dinner party is being held. Do not sit down there to eat and drink. + I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. I am telling you, 'In your days I will judge your people. You will see it with your own eyes. I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness here in Jerusalem. The voices of brides and grooms will not be heard anymore.' + "Tell these people all of those things. They will ask you, 'Why has the Lord decided to send so much trouble on us? We haven't done anything wrong. We haven't committed any sins against the Lord our God.' + "When they say that, tell them, 'I did it because your people of long ago deserted me,' announces the Lord. 'They followed other gods. They served them and worshiped them. They deserted me. They did not obey my law. + " 'But you have done more evil things than they did. All of you are doing what your stubborn and evil hearts want you to do. You are not obeying me. + " 'So I will throw you out of this land. I will send you away to a land that you and your people have not had anything to do with before. There you will serve other gods day and night. And I will not show you any favor.' + "But a new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time people will no longer say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt. And that's just as sure as he is alive.' + "Instead, they will say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north. He gathered them out of all of the countries where he had forced them to go. And that's just as sure as he is alive.' I will bring them back to the land I gave their people long ago. + "But now I will send for many fishermen," announces the Lord. "They will catch some of these people. After that, I will send for many hunters. They will hunt the others down on every mountain and hill. They will bring them out of the cracks in the rocks. + My eyes see everything these people do. What they do is not hidden from me. I always see their sin. + I will pay them back double for their sin and the evil things they have done. They have made my land 'unclean.' They have set up lifeless statues of their evil gods. They have filled my land with them. I hate those gods." + Lord, you give me strength. You are like a fort to me. When I'm in trouble, I go to you for safety. The nations will come to you from one end of the earth to the other. They will gather together and say, "Our people of long ago didn't own anything except statues of gods. The statues were worthless. They didn't do them any good. + Do men really make their own gods? Yes. But they aren't really gods at all!" + The Lord says, "So I will teach them about myself. This time I will show them how powerful and mighty I am. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + + + "Judah's sin is carved with an iron tool. It is written with a sharp stone. It is carved on the tablets of their hearts. It is written on the horns that stick out from the corners of their altars. + Even their children offer sacrifices to other gods on those altars. They use the poles that were made to worship the goddess Asherah. They worship strange gods beside the green trees and on the high hills. + I will give away my holy Mount Zion to the Babylonians. Your enemies will carry off your wealth and all of your treasures. I will give away your high places. That will happen because you have sinned. You have done it all through your country. + You will lose the land I gave you. And it will be your own fault. I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you have not had anything to do with before. You have set my anger on fire. It will burn forever." + The Lord says, "Those who trust in man are under my curse. They depend on human strength. Their hearts turn away from me. + They will be like a bush in a dry and empty land. They will not enjoy success when it comes. They will live in dry places in the desert. It is a land of salt where no one else lives. + "But I will bless any man who trusts in me. I will show my favor to the one who depends on me. + He will be like a tree that is planted near water. It sends out its roots beside a stream. It is not afraid when heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It does not worry when there is no rain. It always bears fruit." + A human heart is more dishonest than anything else. It can't be healed. Who can understand it? + The Lord says, "I look deep down inside human hearts. I see what is in people's minds. I reward a man in keeping with his conduct. I bless him based on what he has done." + Some people get rich in the wrong way. They are like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn't lay. When their lives are half over, their riches will desert them. In the end they will prove how foolish they have been. + Our temple is where the Lord's glorious throne is. From the beginning it has been high and lifted up. + Lord, you are Israel's only hope. Everyone who deserts you will be put to shame. The names of those who turn away from you will be listed among the dead. Lord, they have deserted you. You are the spring of water that gives life. + Lord, heal me. Then I will be healed. Save me from my enemies. Then I will be saved. You are the one I praise. + They keep saying to me, "What has happened to the message the Lord gave you? Let it come true right now!" + I haven't run away from being the shepherd of your people. You know I haven't wanted the day of Jerusalem's fall to come. You are aware of every word that comes from my lips. + Don't be a terror to me. When I'm in trouble, I go to you for safety. + Let those who attack me be put to shame. But keep me from shame. Let them be terrified. But keep me from terror. Bring the day of trouble on them. Destroy them once and for all. + The Lord said to me, "Go. Stand at the city gate where the people gather together. That is where the kings of Judah go in and out. Also go to all of the other gates of Jerusalem. + Say, 'Listen to the Lord's message, you kings of Judah and all of you people of Judah and Jerusalem. You always come through these gates. + " 'The Lord says, "Make sure you do not carry a load on the Sabbath day. Do not bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. + Do not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath. Do not do any work on that day. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do as I commanded your people long ago. + But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They would not listen or pay attention when I corrected them. + " ' "Be careful to obey me," announces the Lord. "Do not bring a load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do not do any work on it. + " ' "Then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses. The people of Judah and Jerusalem will come along with them. And this city will always have people living in it. + Some will come from the towns of Judah. And some will come in from the villages around Jerusalem. Others will come from the territory of Benjamin. And others will come in from the western hills. Still others will come from the central hill country and the Negev Desert. All of them will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will come bringing grain offerings, incense and thank offerings. They will take all of those offerings to my house. + " ' "But what if you do not obey me? Suppose you do not keep the Sabbath day holy. And suppose you carry a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Then I will start a fire that can't be put out. It will begin at the gates of Jerusalem. It will destroy its mighty towers." ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Go down to the potter's house. I will give you my message there." + So I went down to the potter's house. I saw him working at his wheel. + His hands were shaping a pot out of clay. But he saw that something was wrong with it. So he formed it into another pot. He shaped it in the way that seemed best to him. + Then the Lord's message came to me. He said, + "People of Israel, I can do with you just as this potter does," announces the Lord. "The clay is in the potter's hand. And you are in my hand, people of Israel. + "Suppose at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be pulled up by the roots. And I tell it that it will be torn down and destroyed. + But suppose the nation I warned turns away from its sins. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on it as I had planned. + "Suppose at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be built up and planted. + But it does what is evil in my sight. It does not obey me. Then I will think again about the good things I had wanted to do for it. + "So speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Tell them, 'The Lord says, "Look! I am making plans against you. I am going to bring trouble on you. So each one of you must turn from your evil ways. Change the way you live and act." ' + "But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue to do what we've already planned. All of us will do what our stubborn and evil hearts want us to do.' " + So the Lord says, "Ask the nations a question. Say to them, 'Who has ever heard anything like this? The people of Israel have done a very horrible thing. + Does the snow ever disappear from Lebanon's rocky slopes? Do its cool waters ever stop flowing from places far away? + But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense to worthless gods. Their gods made them trip and fall as they walked on the old paths. They made them use side roads instead of roads that were built up. + So their land will be completely destroyed. People will make fun of it again and again. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will shake their heads. + I will sweep over my people like a wind from the east. I will use the Babylonians to scatter them. I will show them my back and not my face. I will desert them when their day of trouble comes.' " + They said, "Come on. Let's make plans against Jeremiah. We'll still have priests to teach us the law. We'll always have wise people to give us advice. We'll have prophets to bring us messages from the Lord. So come on. Let's speak out against Jeremiah. We shouldn't pay any attention to what he says." + Lord, please listen to me! Hear what my enemies are saying about me! + Should the good things I've done be paid back with evil? But my enemies have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood in front of you and spoke up for them. I tried to turn your anger away from them. + So let their children die of hunger. Let my enemies be killed in war. Let their wives lose their children and husbands. Let their men be put to death. Let their young men be killed in battle. + Bring their enemies against them without warning. Let cries be heard from their houses. They have dug a pit to capture me. They have hidden traps for my feet. + But Lord, you know all about their plans to kill me. Don't forgive their crimes. Don't erase their sins from your sight. Destroy my enemies. Punish them when the time to show your anger comes. + + + The Lord said to me, "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people. Also tell some of the priests to go with you. + Go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom. Stand near the entrance of the gate where broken pieces of pottery are thrown away. "There announce the message I give you. + Tell the people, 'Listen to the Lord's message, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Listen! I am going to bring trouble on Jerusalem. It will be so horrible that it will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring. + " ' "My people have deserted me. They have made this city a place where other gods are worshiped. They have burned sacrifices to them here. They and their people and the kings of Judah had never had anything to do with those gods before. My people have also filled this place with the blood of those who are not guilty of anything. + They have built the high places where they worship Baal. There they sacrifice their children in the fire as offerings to Baal. That is something I did not command or talk about. It did not even enter my mind. + " ' "So watch out!" announces the Lord. "The days are coming when people will not call this place Topheth anymore. And they will not call it the Valley of Ben Hinnom either. Instead, they will call it the Valley of Death. + " ' "In this place I will make the plans of Judah and Jerusalem as useless as a broken jar. I will use their enemies to kill my people with swords. They will die at the hands of those who want to take their lives. I will give their dead bodies as food to the birds of the air and the wild animals. + " ' "I will destroy this city completely. People will make fun of it. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will laugh at its people because of all of their wounds. + I will make the people of this city eat the dead bodies of their sons and daughters. And they will eat one another. They will do it because things will be so bad during the attack. The enemies who want to take their lives will bring all of that trouble on them." ' + "Jeremiah, break the jar while those who go with you are watching. + Tell them, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "This potter's jar is smashed and can't be repaired. And I will smash this nation and this city. People will bury their dead in Topheth. But they will run out of room. + Here is what I will do to Jerusalem and those who live here," announces the Lord. "I will make this city like Topheth. + The houses in Jerusalem will be made 'unclean' like Topheth. So will the houses of the kings of Judah. All of those people burned incense on their roofs to all of the stars. They poured out drink offerings to other gods." ' " + Then I returned from Topheth. That's where the Lord had sent me to prophesy. I stood in the courtyard of the Lord's temple. I spoke to all of the people. I said, + "The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'Listen! I am going to punish this city and the villages that are around it. I am going to bring against them all of the trouble I have announced. That is because my people were stubborn. They would not listen to what I said.' " + + + The priest Pashhur was chief officer in the Lord's temple. He was the son of Immer. Pashhur heard me prophesying that Jerusalem would be destroyed. + So he had me beaten. Then he put me in prison at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the Lord's temple. + The next day Pashhur set me free. I said to him, "The Lord's name for you isn't Pashhur. It's Magor-Missabib. That name means Terror on Every Side. + "The Lord says to you, 'I will make you a terror to yourself. You will also be a terror to all of your friends. With your own eyes you will see them die. Their enemies will kill them with swords. I will hand all of the people of Judah over to the king of Babylonia. He will carry them away to Babylonia or kill them with swords. + " 'I will hand all of the wealth of this city over to Judah's enemies. I will give them all of its products and everything of value. I will turn over to them all of the treasures that belonged to the kings of Judah. They will take those things and carry them off to Babylon. + " 'Pashhur, you and everyone who lives in your house will also be forced to go there. You have prophesied lies to all of your friends. So all of you will die in Babylonia. And that's where your bodies will be buried.' " + Lord, you tricked me, and I was tricked. You overpowered me and won. People make fun of me all day long. Everyone laughs at me. + Every time I speak, I cry out. All you ever tell me to talk about is fighting and trouble. Your message has brought me nothing but dishonor. It has made me suffer shame all day long. + Sometimes I think, "I won't talk about him anymore. I'll never speak in his name again." But then your message burns in my heart. It's like a fire inside my very bones. I'm tired of holding it in. In fact, I can't. + I hear many people whispering, "There is terror on every side! Report Jeremiah! Let's report him to the authorities!" All of my friends are waiting for me to slip. They are saying, "Perhaps he will be tricked into making a mistake. Then we'll win out over him. We'll get even with him." + But you are with me like a mighty warrior. So those who are trying to harm me will trip and fall. They won't win out over me. They will fail. They'll be totally put to shame. Their dishonor will never be forgotten. + Lord, you rule over all. You test those who do what is right. You see what is in people's hearts and minds. So pay them back for what they've done. I've committed my cause to you. + Sing to the Lord, you people! Give praise to him! He saves the lives of those who are in need. He saves them from the powerful hands of sinful people. + May the day I was born be under a curse! May the day I was born to my mother not be blessed! + May the man who brought my father the news be under a curse! He's the one who made my father very glad. He said, "You have had a baby! It's a boy!" + May that man be like the towns the Lord destroyed without pity. May that man hear loud sobs in the morning. May he hear a battle cry at noon. + He should have killed me in my mother's body. He should have made my mother my grave. He should have let her body stay large forever. + Why did I ever come out of my mother's body? I've seen nothing but trouble and sorrow. My days will end in shame. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It came when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur to me. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. Zedekiah sent the priest Zephaniah along with him. Zephaniah was the son of Maaseiah. They said to me, + "Ask the Lord to help us. Nebuchadnezzar is attacking us. He is king of Babylonia. In the past the Lord did wonderful things for us. Maybe he'll do them again. Then Nebuchadnezzar will pull his armies back from us." + But I answered them, "Tell Zedekiah and his people, + 'The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, "The king of Babylonia and his armies are all around this city. They are getting ready to attack you. You have weapons of war in your hands to fight against them. But I am about to turn your weapons against you. And I will bring your enemies inside this city. + " ' "I myself will fight against you. I will reach out my powerful hand and mighty arm. I will come against you with all of my burning anger. + I will strike down those who live in this city. I will kill people and animals alike. They will die of a terrible plague. + " ' "After that, I will hand you over to your enemies who want to kill you," announces the Lord. "I will hand over Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I will hand over his officials and the people in this city who live through the plague, war and hunger. All of them will be turned over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He will kill them with swords. He will not show them any kindness. He will not feel sorry for them. In fact, he will not have any concern for them at all." ' + "Tell the people, 'The Lord says, "I am offering you a choice. You can choose the way that leads to life. Or you can choose the way that leads to death. + Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But those who go out and give themselves up to the Babylonians who are attacking you will live. They will escape with their lives. + " ' "I have decided to do this city harm and not good," announces the Lord. "It will be handed over to the king of Babylonia. And he will destroy it with fire." ' + "Also speak to Judah's royal family. Tell them, 'Listen to the Lord's message. + The Lord says to you who belong to David's royal house, " ' "Every morning do what is right and fair. Save those who have been robbed. Set them free from the people who have treated them badly. If you do not, my anger will blaze out against you. It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. No one will be able to put it out. + Jerusalem, I am against you," announces the Lord. "You live above this valley. You are on a high, rocky flatland. And you say, 'Who can come against us? Who can enter our place of safety?' + But I will punish you in keeping with what you have done," announces the Lord. "I will start a fire in your forests. It will burn up everything around you." ' " + + + The Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Announce my message there. Tell him, + 'King of Judah, listen to the Lord's message. You are sitting on David's throne. You and your officials and your people come through these gates. + The Lord says, "Do what is fair and right. Save those who have been robbed. Set them free from the people who have treated them badly. Do not do anything wrong to outsiders or widows in this place. Do not harm children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. + " ' "Be careful to obey those commands. Then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this palace. They will come riding in chariots and on horses. Their officials and their people will come along with them. + " ' "But suppose you do not obey those commands," announces the Lord. "Then I promise you that this palace will be destroyed. I make that promise by taking an oath in my own name." ' " + The Lord speaks about the palace of the king of Judah. He says, "You are like the land of Gilead to me. You are like the highest mountain in Lebanon. But I will make you like a desert. You will become like towns that no one lives in. + I will send destroyers against you. All of them will come with their weapons. They will cut up your fine cedar beams. They will throw them into the fire. + "People from many nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?' + "And the answer will be, 'Because its people have turned away from the covenant the Lord their God made with them. They have worshiped other gods. And they have served them.' " + Don't sob over dead King Josiah. Don't be sad because he's gone. Instead, sob bitterly over King Jehoahaz. He was forced to leave his country. He will never return. He'll never see his own land again. + Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father Josiah. But he has gone away from this place. That's because the Lord says about him, "He will never return. + He will die in Egypt. That is where he was taken as a prisoner. He will not see this land again." + The Lord says, "How terrible it will be for King Jehoiakim! He builds his palace by mistreating his people. He builds its upstairs rooms with money that was gained by sinning. He makes his own people work for nothing. He does not pay them for what they do. + He says, 'I will build myself a great palace. It will have large rooms upstairs.' So he makes big windows in it. He covers its walls with cedar boards. He decorates it with red paint. + "Jehoiakim, does having more and more cedar boards make you a king? Your father Josiah had enough to eat and drink. He did what was right and fair. So everything went well with him. + He stood up for those who were poor or needy. So everything went well with him. That is what it means to know me," announces the Lord. + "Jehoiakim, the only thing on your mind is to get rich by cheating others. You would even kill people who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. You would mistreat them. You would take everything they own." + So the Lord speaks about King Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah. He says, "His people will not sob over him. They will not say, 'My poor brother! My poor sister!' They will not sob over him. They will not say, 'My poor master! How sad that his glory is gone!' + In fact, he will be buried like a donkey. His body will be dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem." + The Lord says, "People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon. Cry out for help. Let your voice be heard in the land of Bashan. Cry out from the mountains of Abarim. All those who were going to help you are crushed. + When you felt secure, I warned you. But you said, 'I won't listen!' You have acted like that ever since you were young. You have not obeyed me. + The wind will drive all of your shepherds away. All those who were going to help you will be carried off as prisoners. Then you will be dishonored and put to shame. That will happen because you have been so sinful. + Some of you live in Jerusalem in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. You are comfortable in your cedar buildings. But you will groan when pain comes on you. It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby. + "King Jehoiachin, you are the son of Jehoiakim," announces the Lord. "Suppose you were a ring on my right hand. And suppose the ring even had my royal seal on it. Then I would still pull you off my finger. And that is just as sure as I am alive. + "I will hand you over to those who are trying to kill you. I will turn you over to people you are afraid of. I will give you to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. I will hand you over to his armies. + "I will throw you out into another country. I will throw your mother out. Neither of you was born in that country. But both of you will die there. + You will never come back to the land you long to return to." + This man Jehoiachin is like a broken pot. Everyone hates him. No one wants him. Why will he and his children be thrown out of this land? Why will they be sent to a land they didn't have anything to do with before? + Land, land, land, listen to the Lord's message! + The Lord says, "Let the record say that this man did not have any children. Let it report that he did not have any success in life. None of his children will have success either. None of them will sit on David's throne. None of them will ever rule over Judah. + + + "How terrible it will be for the shepherds who lead my people down the wrong path!" announces the Lord. "They are destroying and scattering the sheep that belong to my flock." + So the Lord, the God of Israel, speaks to the shepherds who take care of my people. He tells them, "You have scattered my sheep. You have driven them away. You have not taken good care of them. So I will punish you for the evil things you have done," announces the Lord. + "I myself will gather together those who are left alive in my flock. I will gather them out of all of the countries where I have driven them. And I will bring them back to their own land. There my sheep will have many lambs. Their numbers will increase. + "I will place shepherds over them who will take good care of them. My sheep will not be afraid or terrified anymore. And none of them will be missing," announces the Lord. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time I will raise up from David's royal line a true and rightful Branch. He will be a King who will rule wisely. He will do what is fair and right in the land. + In his days Judah will be saved. Israel will live in safety. And the Branch will be called The Lord Who Makes Us Right With Himself. + "Other days are also coming," announces the Lord. "At that time people will no longer say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt. And that's just as sure as he is alive.' + "Instead, they will say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north. He gathered them out of all of the countries where he had forced them to go. And that's just as sure as he is alive.' Then they will live in their own land." + Here is my message about the prophets. My heart is broken inside me. All of my bones tremble with fear. I am like a man who is drunk. I am like someone who has had too much wine. That's what the Lord's holy words have done to me. + The land is full of people who aren't faithful to the Lord. Now the land is under his curse. And that's why it is thirsty for water. That's why the grasslands in the desert are dry. The prophets are leading sinful lives. They don't use their power in the right way. + "Prophets and priests alike are ungodly," announces the Lord. "Even in my temple I find them sinning. + So their path will become slippery. They will be thrown out into darkness. There they will fall. I will bring trouble on them when the time to punish them comes," announces the Lord. + "Among the prophets of Samaria I saw something I can't stand. They were prophesying in the name of Baal. They were leading my people Israel down the wrong path. + I have also seen something horrible among Jerusalem's prophets. They are not faithful to me. They are not living by the truth. They strengthen the hands of those who do evil. So the people do not turn from their sinful ways. All of them are like the people of Sodom to me. They are just like the people of Gomorrah." + So the Lord who rules over all speaks about the prophets. He says, "I will make them eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water. The prophets of Jerusalem have spread their ungodly ways all through the land." + The Lord who rules over all says to the people of Judah, "Do not listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hopes. They talk about visions that come from their own minds. What they say does not come from my mouth. + They keep speaking to those who hate me. They say, 'The Lord says you will have peace.' They speak to all those who do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They tell them, 'No harm will come to you.' + But which of them has ever stood in my courts? Have they been there to see a vision or hear my message? Who has listened and heard my message there? + A storm will burst out because of my burning anger. A windstorm will sweep down on the heads of sinful people. + My anger will not turn back. I will accomplish everything I plan to do. In days to come you will understand it clearly. + I did not send those prophets. But they have run to tell you their message anyway. I did not speak to them. But they have still prophesied. + Suppose they had stood in my courts. Then they would have announced my message to my people. They would have turned my people from their evil ways. They would have turned them away from their sins. + "Am I only a God who is nearby?" announces the Lord. "Am I not a God who is also far away? + Can anyone hide in secret places so that I can't see him?" announces the Lord. "Don't I fill heaven and earth?" announces the Lord. + "I have heard what the prophets are saying. They prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! The Lord has given me a dream!' + How long will that continue in the hearts of those prophets who tell lies? They try to get others to believe their own mistaken ideas. + They tell one another their dreams. They think that will make my people forget my name. In the same way, their people of long ago forgot my name when they worshiped Baal. + "Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream. But let the one who has my message speak it faithfully. Your prophets have given you straw to eat instead of grain," announces the Lord. + "My message is like fire," announces the Lord. "It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces. + "So I am against those prophets," announces the Lord. "I am against those who steal messages from one another. They claim that the messages come from me. + "Yes," announces the Lord. "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues but still say, 'Here is what the Lord says.' + I am against prophets who talk about dreams that did not come from me," announces the Lord. "They tell foolish lies. Their lies lead my people down the wrong path. "But I did not send those prophets. I did not appoint them. They do not help my people in the least," announces the Lord. + "Jeremiah, those people might ask you a question. Or a prophet or priest might do it. They might ask, 'What message have you received from the Lord?' "Then tell them, 'You ask, "What message?" Here it is. "I will desert you," announces the Lord.' + "A prophet or priest might make a claim. Or someone else might do it. He might claim, 'I have received a message from the Lord.' Then I will punish him and his family. + "Here is what each of you people keeps on saying to your friend or relative. You ask, 'What is the Lord's answer?' Or you ask, 'What has the Lord spoken?' + But you must not talk about 'a message from the Lord' again. That is because your message becomes your own message. And so you twist my words. I am the living God. I am the Lord who rules over all. And I am your God. + "Here is what you keep saying to a prophet. You ask, 'What is the Lord's answer to you?' Or you ask, 'What has the Lord spoken?' + You claim, 'I have received a message from the Lord.' But I really say, 'You used the words, "I have received a message from the Lord." But I told you that you must not claim, "I have received a message from the Lord." ' + "So you can be sure I will forget you. I will throw you out of my sight. I will also destroy the city I gave you and your people. + I will bring shame on you that will last forever. It will never be forgotten." + + + King Jehoiachin was forced to leave Jerusalem. He was the son of Jehoiakim. Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. The officials and all of the skilled workers were forced to leave with him. After they left, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs. They were in front of his temple. + One basket had very good figs in it. They were like figs that ripen early. The other basket had figs that weren't good at all. In fact, they were so bad they couldn't even be eaten. + Then the Lord asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "Figs," I answered. "The good ones are very good. But the others are so bad they can't be eaten." + Then a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I say, 'I consider the people who were forced to leave Judah to be like those good figs. I sent them away from this place. I forced them to go to Babylonia. + My eyes will watch over them. I will be good to them. And I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up. I will not tear them down. I will plant them. I will not pull them up by the roots. + " 'I will change their hearts. Then they will know that I am the Lord. They will be my people. And I will be their God. They will return to me with all their heart. + " 'But there are also figs that are not very good. In fact, they are so bad they can't be eaten,' says the Lord. 'Zedekiah, the king of Judah, is like those bad figs. So are his officials and the people of Jerusalem who are still left alive. I will punish them whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. + " 'I will make all of the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. In fact, they will hate them a great deal. They will laugh and joke about them. They will call down curses on them. All of that will happen no matter where I force them to go. + I will send war, hunger and plague against them. They will be destroyed from the land I gave them and their people of long ago.' " + + + A message about all of the people of Judah came to me from the Lord. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. It was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. + I, the Lord's prophet, spoke to all of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. I said, + "For 23 years the Lord's messages have been coming to me. They began to come in the 13th year that Josiah was king of Judah. He was the son of Amon. The Lord's messages still come to me today. I've spoken to you people again and again. But you haven't listened to me. + "The Lord has sent all of his servants the prophets to you. They've come to you again and again. But you haven't listened. You haven't paid any attention to them. + "They said, 'Each of you must turn from your evil ways and practices. Then you can stay in the land forever. It's the land the Lord gave you and your people long ago. + Don't follow other gods. Don't serve them or worship them. Don't make the Lord angry with the gods your own hands have made. Then he won't harm you.' + " 'But you did not listen to me,' announces the Lord. 'You have made me very angry with the gods your hands have made. And you have brought harm on yourselves.' + "The Lord who rules over all says, 'You have not listened to my words. + So I will send for all of the nations in the north. And I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia,' announces the Lord. " 'I will bring all of them against this land and against you who live here. They will march out against all of the nations that are around this land. I will set them apart in a special way to be destroyed. People will be shocked because of them. And they will make fun of them. Those nations will be destroyed forever. + " 'I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. I will put an end to the voices of brides and grooms. The sound of grinding millstones will not be heard anymore. And lamps will not be lit anymore. + This whole country will become dry and empty. And those nations will serve the king of Babylonia for 70 years. + " 'But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do it when the 70 years are over,' announces the Lord. 'I will make that land a desert forever. + " 'I have spoken against that land. And I will make all of those things happen to it. Everything will happen that is written in this scroll. And I will make everything Jeremiah prophesied against all of the nations come true. + The people of Babylonia will become slaves of many other nations and great kings. I will pay them back for what their hands have done.' " + The Lord is the God of Israel. He said to me, "Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my burning anger. Make all of the nations to which I send you drink it. + When they drink it, they will not even be able to walk straight. It will drive them out of their minds. I am going to send war against them." + So I took the cup from the Lord's hand. I made all of the nations to which he sent me drink from it. + He sent me to Judah's kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would call down curses on them. And that's how things still are today. + Here is a list of the other kings and nations he sent me to. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt his attendants, his officials, all of his people + all of the people from other lands who lived there all of the kings of Uz the Philistine kings of Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron the Philistines who were still living in Ashdod + Edom, Moab, Ammon + all of the kings of Tyre and Sidon the kings of the islands and other lands along the Mediterranean Sea + Dedan, Teman, Buz all of the other places far away in the east + all of the kings of Arabia all of the other kings of people who live in the desert + all of the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media + all of the kings in the north, near and far So he sent me to all of the kingdoms on the face of the earth, one after the other. After all of them drink from the cup of the Lord's anger, the king of Babylonia will drink from it too. + The Lord says, "Tell them, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Drink from this cup. Get drunk and throw up. Fall down and do not get up again. I am going to send war against you." ' + "But they might refuse to take the cup from your hand. They might not want to drink from it. Then tell them, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "You have to drink from it! + I am beginning to bring trouble on the city where I have put my Name. You might think you will not be punished. But you will certainly be punished. I am sending war against everyone who lives on earth," announces the Lord who rules over all.' + "Jeremiah, prophesy against them. Tell them, " 'The Lord will roar from heaven like a lion. His voice will sound like thunder from his holy temple there. He will roar loudly against his land. He will shout like those who stomp on grapes in winepresses. He will shout against everyone who lives on earth. + The noise of battle will be heard from one end of the earth to the other. That's because the Lord will bring charges against the nations. He will judge every human being. He will kill sinful people with his sword,' " announces the Lord. + The Lord who rules over all says, "Look! Horrible trouble is spreading from one nation to another. A mighty storm is rising. It is coming from a place that is very far away." + At that time those the Lord kills will be lying around everywhere. They will be found from one end of the earth to the other. No one will sob over them. Their dead bodies will not be gathered up or buried. Instead, they will be like trash lying there on the ground. + Sob and cry, you shepherds. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. Your time to be killed has come. You will fall and be broken to pieces like fine clay pots. + The shepherds won't have any place to run to. The leaders of the flock won't be able to escape. + Listen to the cries of the shepherds. Hear the sobs of the leaders of the flock. The Lord is destroying their grasslands. + Their peaceful meadows will be completely destroyed because of the Lord's burning anger. + Like a lion he will leave his den. The land of those leaders will become a desert. That's because the sword of the Lord brings great harm. His anger will burn against them. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after Jehoiakim became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. + The Lord said, "Stand in the courtyard of my house. Speak to the people of the towns in Judah. Speak to all those who come to worship in my house. Tell them everything I command you. Do not leave out a single word. + Perhaps they will listen. Maybe they will turn from their evil ways. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on them. I had planned to punish them because of the evil things they had done. + "Tell them, 'The Lord says, "Listen to me. Obey my law that I gave you. + And listen to the words my servants the prophets are speaking. I have sent them to you again and again. But you have not listened to them. + So I will make this house like Shiloh. All of the nations on earth will call down curses on this city." ' " + I spoke those words in the Lord's house. The priests, the prophets and all of the people heard me. + I finished telling all of the people everything the Lord had commanded me to say. But as soon as I did, the priests, the prophets and all of the people grabbed hold of me. They said, "You must die! + Why do you prophesy those things in the Lord's name? Why do you say that this house will become like Shiloh? Why do you say that this city will be empty and deserted?" And all of the people crowded around me in the Lord's house. + The officials of Judah heard what had happened. So they went up from the royal palace to the Lord's house. There they took their places at the entrance of the New Gate. + Then the priests and prophets spoke to the officials and all of the people. They said, "This man should be sentenced to death. He has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!" + Then I spoke to all of the officials and people. I said, "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city. He told me to say everything you have heard. + So change the way you live and act. Obey the Lord your God. Then he won't do what he said he would. He won't bring on you the trouble he said he would bring. + "As for me, I'm in your hands. Do to me what you think is good and right. + But you can be sure of one thing. If you put me to death, you will be held accountable for spilling my blood. And I haven't even done anything wrong. You will bring guilt on yourselves and this city and those who live in it. The Lord has sent me to you. He wanted me to say all of those things so you could hear them. And that's the truth." + Then the officials and all of the people spoke to the priests and prophets. They said, "This man shouldn't be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God." + Some of the elders of the land stepped forward. They spoke to the whole community that was gathered there. They said, + "Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all of the people of Judah. He told them, 'The Lord who rules over all says, " ' "Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds." '--(Micah 3:12) + "Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the Lord. He asked the Lord to show him his favor. And the Lord didn't judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn't bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!" + Uriah was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord. He was from Kiriath Jearim. He was the son of Shemaiah. Uriah prophesied against this city and this land. He said the same things I did. + King Jehoiakim and all of his officers and officials heard Uriah's words. So the king tried to have him put to death. But Uriah heard about it. He was afraid. And he ran away to Egypt. + So King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan to Egypt. He also sent some other men along with him. Elnathan was the son of Acbor. + Those men brought Uriah out of Egypt. They took him to King Jehoiakim. Then the king had Uriah struck down with a sword. He had Uriah's body thrown into one of the graves of the ordinary people. + In spite of that, Ahikam stood up for me. He was the son of Shaphan. Because of Ahikam, I wasn't handed over to the people to be put to death. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. + The Lord said, "Make a yoke out of ropes and wooden boards. Put it on your neck. + "Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah. + Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Here is what I want you to tell your masters. + I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please. + " ' "Now I will hand all of your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is king of Babylonia. I will put even the wild animals under his control. + All of the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them. + " ' "But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague," announces the Lord. "I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it. + " ' "So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practice evil magic. All of them will tell you, 'You won't serve the king of Babylonia.' + " ' "But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die. + " ' "But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there," ' " announces the Lord. + I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, "Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live. + Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That's what the Lord said would happen to any nation that won't serve the king of Babylonia. + "Don't listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You won't serve the king of Babylonia.' They are prophesying lies to you. + 'I have not sent them,' announces the Lord. 'They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.' " + Then I spoke to the priests and all of those people. I said, "The Lord says, 'Do not listen to the prophets who say, "Very soon the articles from the Lord's house will be brought back from Babylon." They are prophesying lies to you. + Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylonia. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed? + " 'If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the articles in my house and the king's palace will not be taken to Babylon. + " 'I am the Lord who rules over all. Do you know what those articles are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge metal bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other articles that are left in this city. + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, did not take those things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. He also took all of the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with him. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim. + " 'I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king's palace and Jerusalem. + They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,' announces the Lord. 'Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.' " + + + The prophet Hananiah spoke to me in the Lord's house. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. It was in the fifth month of his fourth year. Hananiah was from Gibeon. He was the son of Azzur. In front of the priests and all of the people Hananiah said to me, + "The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylonia. + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, removed all of the articles that belong to my house. He took them to Babylon. Before two years are over, I will bring them back to this place. + " 'I will also bring King Jehoiachin back. He is the son of Jehoiakim. And I will bring back all of the others who were taken from Judah to Babylon,' announces the Lord. 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylonia.' " + Then I, the prophet Jeremiah, replied to the prophet Hananiah. I spoke to him in front of the priests and all of the people. They were standing in the Lord's house. + I said, "Amen, Hananiah! May the Lord do those things! May he make the words you have prophesied come true. May he bring back from Babylon the articles that belong to the Lord's house. May he bring back to this place all of the people who were taken away. + "But listen to what I have to say. I want you and all of the people to hear it. + There have been prophets long before you and I were ever born. They have prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms. They have spoken about war, trouble and plague. + But what if a prophet says peace will come? Only if it comes true will he be recognized as one who has been truly sent by the Lord." + The prophet Hananiah took the yoke off my neck. Then he broke it. + In front of all of the people he said, "The Lord says, 'In the same way, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. Before two years are over, I will remove it from the necks of all of the nations.' " When I heard that, I went on my way. + A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off my neck. The message said, + "Go. Tell Hananiah, 'The Lord says, "You have broken a wooden yoke. But in its place you will get an iron yoke." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all of those nations. I will make them serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. So they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals." ' " + Then I, the prophet Jeremiah, spoke to the prophet Hananiah. I said, "Listen, Hananiah! The Lord hasn't sent you. But you have tricked these people. Now they trust in lies. + So the Lord says, 'I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. Before this year is over, you will die. You have taught the people to turn against me.' " + In the seventh month of that very year, the prophet Hananiah died. + + + I, the prophet Jeremiah, sent a letter from Jerusalem to Babylonia. It was for the Jewish elders who were still alive there. It was also for the priests and prophets in Babylonia. And it was for all of the other people Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. + It was sent to them after King Jehoiachin had been forced to leave Jerusalem. His mother and the court officials were taken with him. The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem and all of the skilled workers had also been forced to go to Babylon. + I gave the letter to Elasah and Gemariah. Zedekiah, the king of Judah, had sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. Elasah was the son of Shaphan. Gemariah was the son of Hilkiah. Here is what the letter said. + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He speaks to all those he forced to go from Jerusalem to Babylon. He says, + "Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. + Get married. Have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons. Give your daughters to be married. Then they too can have sons and daughters. Increase your numbers there. Do not let the number of your people get smaller. + "Also work for the success of the city I have sent you to. Pray to the Lord for that city. If it succeeds, you too will enjoy success." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Do not let the prophets trick you. Do not be fooled by those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to people who try to explain their dreams to you. + All of them are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," announces the Lord. + The Lord says, "You will be forced to live in Babylonia for 70 years. After they are over, I will come to you. My gracious promise to you will come true. I will bring you back home. + "I know the plans I have for you," announces the Lord. "I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come. + Then you will call out to me. You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you. + When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me. + "I will be found by you," announces the Lord. "And I will bring you back from where you were taken as prisoners. I will gather you from all of the nations. I will gather you from the places where I have forced you to go," announces the Lord. "I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you away." + You might say, "The Lord has given us prophets in Babylonia." + But here is what the Lord says about the king who now sits on David's throne. He also says it about all of the people who remain in this city. And he says it about all those who did not go with you to Babylon. + The Lord who rules over all says, "I will send war, hunger and plague against them. I will make them like bad figs. They are so bad they can't be eaten. + I will hunt them down with war, hunger and plague. I will make all of the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. They will call down curses on them. All of the nations where I drive them will be shocked at them. They will make fun of them. And they will bring shame on them. + "That is because they have not listened to my words," announces the Lord. "I sent messages to them again and again. I sent them through my servants the prophets. And you who were taken to Babylon have not listened either," announces the Lord. + So listen to the Lord's message. Listen, all of you whom he has sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He speaks about Ahab and Zedekiah. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. Ahab is the son of Kolaiah. Zedekiah is the son of Maaseiah. The Lord says about Ahab and Zedekiah, "I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He will put them to death. You will see it with your own eyes. + "Because of what happens to them, people will use their names when they call down curses on someone. All those who have been taken from Judah to Babylon will use their names in that way. They will say, 'May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab. The king of Babylonia burned them in the fire.' + "That will happen because they have done awful things in Israel. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives. They have spoken lies in my name. I did not tell them to do that. I know what they have done. And I am a witness to it," announces the Lord. + Tell Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, + "The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'You sent letters in your own name to all of the people in Jerusalem. You also sent them to the priest Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah. And you sent them to all of the other priests. " 'You said to Zephaniah, + "The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada. He has put you in charge of the Lord's house. You are supposed to arrest any crazy person who claims to be a prophet. You should put him in prison. You should put iron bands around his neck. + " ' "So why haven't you punished Jeremiah from Anathoth? He claims to be a prophet among you. + He has sent a message to us in Babylon. It says, 'You will be there a long time. So build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.' " ' " + But the priest Zephaniah read the letter to me. + Then a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Send a message to all of the people who were taken away. Tell them, 'The Lord speaks about Shemaiah, the Nehelamite. He says, "Shemaiah has prophesied to you. But I did not send him. He has made you believe a lie. + " ' "So I say, 'I will certainly punish Shemaiah, the Nehelamite. I will also punish his children after him. He will not have any children left among these people. I will do good things for my people. But he will not see them,' " ' " announces the Lord. " ' " 'That is because he has taught people to turn against me.' " ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel. I say, 'Write on a scroll all of the words I have spoken to you. + A new day is coming,' " announces the Lord. " 'At that time I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from where they have been taken as prisoners. I will bring them back to this land. Long ago I gave it to their people to have as their own,' " says the Lord. + Here are the words the Lord spoke about Israel and Judah. He said, + "I am the Lord. I say, " 'Cries of fear are heard. There is terror. There isn't any peace. + Ask and see. Can a man give birth to children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach? Each of them is acting like a woman having a baby. Every face is as pale as death. + How awful that day will be! No other day will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for the people of Jacob. But they will be saved out of it. + " 'At that time I will break the yoke off their necks,' announces the Lord who rules over all. 'I will tear off the ropes that hold them. People from other lands will not make them slaves anymore. + Instead, they will serve me. And they will serve David their king. I will raise him up for them. I am the Lord their God. + " 'People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. Israel, do not be terrified,' " announces the Lord. " 'You can be sure that I will save you. I will bring you out of a place far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they were taken. Your people will have peace and security again. And no one will make them afraid. + I am with you. I will save you,' " announces the Lord. " 'I will completely destroy all of the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will punish you in a way that is fair and right.' " + The Lord says, "Your wound can't be cured. Your pain can't be healed. + No one will stand up for you. There isn't any medicine for your sore. There isn't any healing for you. + All those who were going to help you have forgotten you. They do not care about you. I have struck you as if I were your enemy. I have punished you as if I were very mean. That is because your guilt is so great. You have sinned so much. + Why do you cry out about your wound? Your pain can't be healed. Your guilt is very great. And you have committed many sins. That is why I have done all of those things to you. + "But everyone who destroys you will be destroyed. All of your enemies will be forced to leave their countries. Those who steal from you will be stolen from. I will take the belongings of those who take things from you. + But I will make you healthy again. I will heal your wounds," announces the Lord. "That is because you have been thrown out. You are called Zion, the one no one cares about." + The Lord says, "I will bless Jacob's people with great success again. I will show tender love to Israel. Jerusalem will be rebuilt where it was destroyed. The palace will stand in its proper place. + From those places the songs of people giving thanks will be heard. The sound of great joy will come from there. I will increase the numbers of my people. Their numbers will not become smaller. I will bring them honor. People will have respect for them. + Things will be as they used to be for Jacob's people. I will make their community firm and secure. I will punish everyone who treats them badly. + Their leader will be one of their own people. Their ruler will rise up from among them. I will bring him near. And he will come close to me. He will commit himself to serve me," announces the Lord. + "So you will be my people. And I will be your God." + A storm will burst out because of the Lord's burning anger. A strong wind will sweep down on the heads of evil people. + The Lord's burning anger won't turn back. He will accomplish everything his heart plans to do. In days to come you will understand that. + + + "At that time I will be the God of all of the tribes of Israel," announces the Lord. "And they will be my people." + The Lord says, "Some of my people will live through everything their enemies do to them. They will find help in the desert. I will come to give peace and rest to Israel." + The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said, "I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with faithful love. + I will build you up again. Nation of Israel, you will be rebuilt. Once again you will use your tambourines to celebrate. You will go out and dance with joy. + Once again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Farmers will plant them. They will enjoy their fruit. + There will be a day when those on guard duty will cry out. They will stand on the hills of Ephraim. And they will shout, 'Come! Let's go up to Zion. Let's go up to where the Lord our God is.' " + The Lord says, "Sing with joy because the people of Jacob are blessed. Shout because the Lord has made them the greatest nation. Make your praises heard. Say, 'Lord, save your people. Save the people who are left alive in Israel.' + I will bring them from the land of the north. I will gather them from one end of the earth to the other. Even those who are blind and those who can't walk will be among them. Pregnant women and women having their babies will be among them also. A large number will return. + Their eyes will be filled with tears as they come. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water. I will lead them on a level path where they will not trip or fall. I am Israel's father. And Ephraim is my oldest son. + "Listen to my message, you nations. Announce it on shores far away. Say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather them. He will watch over his flock like a shepherd.' + I will set the people of Jacob free. I will save them from those who are stronger than they are. + They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion. They will be joyful because of everything I give them. I give them grain, olive oil and fresh wine. I give them the young animals in their flocks and herds. Israel will be like a garden that has plenty of water. And they will not be sad anymore. + Then young women will dance and be glad. And so will the men, young and old alike. I will turn their sobbing into gladness. I will comfort them. And I will give them joy instead of sorrow. + I will satisfy the priests. I will give them more than enough. And my people will be filled with the good things I give them," announces the Lord. + The Lord says, "A voice is heard in Ramah. It is the sound of crying and deep sadness. Rachel is crying over her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are gone." + The Lord says, "Do not sob anymore. Do not let tears fall from your eyes. I will reward you for your work," announces the Lord. "Your children will return from the land of the enemy. + So I am giving you hope for the years to come," announces the Lord. "Your children will return to their own land. + "I have heard the groans of Ephraim's people. They say, 'You corrected us like a calf you were training. And we have been trained. Bring us back to you, and we will come back. You are the Lord our God. + After we wandered away from you, we turned away from our sins. After we learned our lesson, we beat our chests in sorrow. We were full of shame. What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.' + Aren't the people of Ephraim my dear children? Aren't they the children I take delight in? I often speak against them. But I still remember them. So my heart longs for them. I love them with a tender love," announces the Lord. + The Lord says, "Put up road signs. Set up stones to show the way. Look carefully for the highway. Look for the road you will take. Return, people of Israel. Return to your towns. + How long will you wander, you people who are not faithful to me? I will create a new thing on earth. A woman will guard a man." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I will bring them back from the place where they were taken. The people in Judah and its towns will say once again, 'Holy temple in Jerusalem, may the Lord bless you. Sacred mountain, may he bless you.' + "People will live together in Judah and all of its towns. Farmers and shepherds will live there. + I will give rest to those who are tired. I will satisfy those who are weak." + When I heard that, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant. + The Lord announces, "The days are coming when I will plant the nation of Israel and Judah again. I will plant it with children and young animals. + "I watched over Israel and Judah to pull them up by the roots. I tore them down. I crushed them. I destroyed them. I brought horrible trouble on them. But now I will watch over them to build them up and plant them," announces the Lord. + "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes. But the children have a bitter taste in their mouths.' + Instead, everyone will die for his own sin. The one who eats sour grapes will taste how bitter they are. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. I will also make it with the people of Judah. + It will not be like the covenant I made with their people long ago. That was when I took them by the hand. I led them out of Egypt. But they broke my covenant. They did it even though I was like a husband to them," announces the Lord. + "This is the covenant I will make with Israel after that time," announces the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God. And they will be my people. + A man will not need to teach his neighbor anymore. And he will not need to teach his friend anymore. He will not say, 'Know the Lord.' Everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me," announces the Lord. "I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore." + The Lord speaks. He makes the sun shine by day. He orders the moon and stars to shine at night. He stirs up the ocean. He makes its waves roar. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + "Suppose my orders for creation disappear from my sight," announces the Lord. "Only then will the people of Israel stop being a nation in my sight." + The Lord says, "Suppose the sky above could be measured. Suppose the foundations of the earth below could be completely discovered. Only then would I turn the people of Israel away. Even though they have committed many sins, I will still accept them," announces the Lord. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me. It will be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. + The measuring line will reach out from there. It will go straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn and reach as far as Goah. + "There is a valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. That whole valley will be holy to me. The side of the Kidron Valley east of the city will be holy to me. It will be holy all the way to the corner of the Horse Gate. The city will never again be pulled up by the roots. It will never be destroyed." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It came in the 10th year that Zedekiah was king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. + The armies of the king of Babylonia were getting ready to attack Jerusalem. I, the prophet Jeremiah, was being held as a prisoner. I was kept in the courtyard of the guard. It was part of Judah's royal palace. + Zedekiah, the king of Judah, had made me a prisoner there. He had said to me, "Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, 'The Lord says, "I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylonia. He will capture it. + " ' "Zedekiah, the king of Judah, will not escape from the powerful hands of the armies of Babylonia. He will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylonia. Zedekiah will speak with him face to face. He will see him with his own eyes. + Nebuchadnezzar will take Zedekiah to Babylon. Zedekiah will remain there until I deal with him," announces the Lord. "Suppose you fight against the armies of Babylonia. If you do, you will not succeed." ' " + I said, "A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + 'Hanamel is going to come to you. He is the son of your uncle Shallum. Hanamel will say, "Buy my field at Anathoth. You are my closest relative. So it's your right and duty to buy it." ' + "Then my cousin Hanamel came to me. I was in the courtyard of the guard. It happened just as the Lord had said it would. Hanamel said, 'Buy my field at Anathoth. It is in the territory of Benjamin. It is your right to buy it and own it. So buy it for yourself.' "I knew that this was the Lord's message. + So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed out seven ounces of silver for him. + I signed and sealed the deed of purchase. I had some people witness everything. And I weighed out the silver on the scales. + "There were two copies of the deed. One was sealed and the other wasn't. The deed included the terms and conditions of the sale. + I gave Baruch the copies of the deed. My cousin Hanamel saw me do it. The witnesses who had signed the deed were there too. So were all of the Jews who were sitting in the courtyard of the guard. Baruch was the son of Neriah. Neriah was the son of Mahseiah. + "I gave Baruch directions in front of all of them. I said, + 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Take this deed of purchase. Take the sealed and unsealed copies. Put them in a clay jar. Then they will last a long time." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land." ' + "I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch, the son of Neriah. Then I prayed to the Lord. I said, + " 'Lord and King, you have reached out your great and powerful arm. You have made the heavens and the earth. Nothing is too hard for you. + " 'You show your love to thousands of people. But you punish children for the sins of their fathers. Great and powerful God, your name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + Your purposes are great. Your acts are mighty. Your eyes see everything people do. You reward each one of them in keeping with his conduct. You do it based on what he has done. + " 'You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt. And you have continued to do them to this very day. You have done them in Israel and among all people. You are still known for doing them. + You brought your people Israel out of Egypt. You did it with miraculous signs and wonders. You reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. You did great and wonderful things. + " 'You gave Israel this land. Long before that, you took an oath. You promised to give their people a land that had plenty of milk and honey. + They came in and took it over. But they did not obey you. They didn't follow your law. They didn't do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all of this trouble on them. + " 'See how ramps are built up against Jerusalem's walls to attack it. The city will be handed over to the armies of Babylonia. They are attacking it. It will fall because of war, hunger and plague. What you said would happen is now happening, as you can see. + Lord and King, the city will be handed over to the armies of Babylonia. In spite of that, you tell me to buy a field. You say, "Pay for it with silver. And have the sale witnessed." ' " + Then a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "I am the Lord. I am the God of all people. Is anything too hard for me?" + So the Lord says, "I am about to hand this city over to the armies of Babylonia. I will give it to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He will capture it. + The armies of Babylonia are now attacking this city. They will come in and set it on fire. They will burn it down. They will burn up the houses where the people made me very angry. They burned incense on their roofs to the god Baal. And they poured out drink offerings to other gods. + "The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight. They have done it since the nation was young. In fact, they have done nothing but make me very angry. They have worshiped statues of gods their own hands have made," announces the Lord. + "This city has always stirred up my burning anger. It has done it since the day it was built. Now I must remove it from my sight. + "The people of Israel and Judah have made me very angry. They have done many evil things. They, their kings and officials have sinned. So have their priests and prophets. And the people of Judah and Jerusalem have also sinned. + They turned their backs to me. They would not face me. I taught them again and again. But they would not listen or pay attention when they were corrected. + "They set up statues of their gods. They did it in the house where I have put my Name. They made my house 'unclean.' I hate those statues. + "The people built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. That is where they sacrifice their children to Molech in the fire. That is something I did not command. It did not even enter my mind. They did something I hate. They made Judah sin." + You people of Judah are saying about this city, "By war, hunger and plague it will be handed over to the king of Babylonia." But the Lord, the God of Israel, says, + "You can be sure that I will gather my people again. I will bring them from all of the lands where I send them when my burning anger blazes out against them. I will bring them back to this place. And I will let them live in safety. + "They will be my people. And I will be their God. + I will give them a single purpose in life. Then, they will always have respect for me. I will do it for their own good. And it will be for the good of their children after them. + "I will make a covenant with them that will last forever. I promise that I will never stop doing good to them. I will cause them to respect me. Then they will never turn away from me again. + I will take pleasure in doing good things for them. I will certainly plant them in this land. I will do those things with all my heart and soul." + The Lord says, "I have brought all of this horrible trouble on these people. But now I will give them all of the good things I have promised them. + "Once more fields will be bought in this land. It is the land about which you now say, 'It is a dry and empty desert. It doesn't have any people or animals in it. It has been handed over to the armies of Babylonia.' + Fields will be bought with silver. Deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed. That will be done in the territory of Benjamin. It will be done in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. It will also be done in the towns of the central hill country. And it will be done in the towns of the western hills and the Negev Desert. I will bless their people with great success again," announces the Lord. + + + I was still being held as a prisoner. I was kept in the courtyard of the guard. Then another message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "I made the earth. I formed it. And I set it in place. The Lord is my name. + Call out to me. I will answer you. I will tell you great things you do not know. You will not be able to understand them." + The Lord is the God of Israel. He speaks about the houses in Jerusalem. He talks about the royal palaces of Judah. The people had torn many of them down. They had used their stones to strengthen the city walls against attack. + That was during their fight with the armies of Babylonia. The Lord says, "The houses will be filled with dead bodies. They will be the bodies of the men I will kill when my anger burns against them. I will hide my face from this city. That is because its people have committed so many sins. + "But now I will bring health and healing to Jerusalem. I will heal my people. I will let them enjoy great peace and security. + I will bring Judah and Israel back from the places where they have been taken. I will build up the nation again. It will be just as it was before. + "I will wash from its people all of the sins they have committed against me. And I will forgive all of the sins they committed when they turned away from me. + "Then this city will bring me fame, joy, praise and honor. All of the nations on earth will hear about the good things I do for this city. They will see the great success and peace I give it. Then they will be filled with wonder. And they will tremble with fear." + The Lord says, "You say about this place, 'It's a dry and empty desert. It doesn't have any people or animals in it.' The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are now deserted. So they do not have any people or animals living in them. But happy sounds will be heard there once more. + They will be the sounds of joy and gladness. The voices of brides and grooms will fill the streets. "And the voices of those who bring thank offerings to my house will be heard there. They will say, 'Give thanks to the Lord who rules over all, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever.'That is because I will bless this land with great success again. It will be as it was before," says the Lord. + The Lord who rules over all says, "This place is a desert. It does not have any people or animals in it. But there will again be grasslands near all of its towns. Shepherds will rest their flocks there. + Flocks will again pass under the hands of shepherds as they count their sheep," says the Lord. "That will be done in the towns of the central hill country. It will be done in the western hills and the Negev Desert. It will be done in the territory of Benjamin. And it will be done in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time my gracious promise to my people will come true. I made it to the people of Israel and the people of Judah. + "In those days and at that time I will make a true and rightful Branch grow from David's royal line. He will do what is fair and right in the land. + In those days Judah will be saved. Jerusalem will live in safety. And it will be called The Lord Who Makes Us Right With Himself." + The Lord says, "David will always have a son to sit on the throne of the nation of Israel. + "The priests, who are Levites, will always have a man to serve me. He will sacrifice burnt offerings. He will burn grain offerings. And he will offer sacrifices." + A message came to me from the Lord. + He said, "Could you ever break my covenant with the day? Could you ever break my covenant with the night? Could you ever stop day and night from coming at their appointed times? + Only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then could my covenant with the Levites who serve me as priests be broken. Only then would David no longer have someone from his family line to rule on his throne. + "Here is what I will do for my servant David. And here is what I will do for the Levites who serve me. I will make their children after them as many as the stars in the sky. And I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. It will be impossible to count them." + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Haven't you noticed what these people are saying? They say, 'The Lord once chose the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But now he has turned his back on them.' So they hate my people. They do not think of them as a nation anymore. + "I say, 'What if I had not made my covenant with day and night? What if I had not established the laws of heaven and earth? + Only then would I turn my back on the children of Jacob and my servant David. Only then would I not choose one of David's sons to rule over the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will bless my people with great success again. I will love them with tender love.' " + + + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, and all of his armies were fighting against Jerusalem. They were also fighting against all of the towns that were around it. All of the kingdoms and nations Nebuchadnezzar ruled over were helping him. At that time a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "I am the Lord, the God of Israel. Go to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. Tell him, 'The Lord says, "I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylonia. He will burn it down. + You will not escape from his powerful hand. You will certainly be captured. You will be handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylonia with your own eyes. He will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon. + " ' "But listen to my promise, Zedekiah. Listen, king of Judah. I say that you will not be killed with a sword. + You will die in a peaceful way. People made fires to honor the kings who died before you. In the same way, they will make a fire in your honor. They will sob over you. They will say, 'My poor master!' I myself make this promise," announces the Lord.' " + Then I, the prophet Jeremiah, told all of that to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. + At that time Nebuchadnezzar's armies were fighting against Jerusalem. They were also fighting against Lachish and Azekah. Those two cities were still holding out. They were the only cities left in Judah that had high walls around them. + A message came to me from the Lord. King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all of the people in Jerusalem. He had told them to set their Hebrew slaves free. + All of them had to do it. That applied to male and female slaves alike. No one was allowed to hold another Jew as a slave. + So all of the officials and people entered into that covenant. They agreed to set their male and female slaves free. They agreed not to hold them as slaves anymore. Instead, they set them free. + But later they changed their minds. They took back the people they had set free. They made them slaves again. + Then a message came to me from the Lord. + The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, "I made a covenant with your people long ago. I brought them out of Egypt. That is the land where they were slaves. I said, + 'Every seventh year you must set your people free. You must set free all of the Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. Let them serve you for six years. Then you must let them go free.'--(Deuteronomy 15:12) But your people did not listen to me. They did not pay any attention to me. + "Recently you turned away from your sins. You did what is right in my eyes. Each of you set your Hebrew slaves free. You even made a covenant in front of me. You did it in the house where I have put my Name. + But now you have turned around. You have treated my name as if it were not holy. Each of you has taken back your male and female slaves. You had set them free to go where they wished. But now you have forced them to become your slaves again." + So the Lord says, "You have not obeyed me. You have not set your Hebrew slaves free. So now I will set you free," announces the Lord. "I will set you free to be destroyed by war, plague and hunger. I will make all of the kingdoms on earth displeased with you. + "The men who have broken my covenant will be punished. They have not lived up to the terms of the covenant they made in front of me. When you made that covenant, you cut a calf in two. Then you walked between its pieces. Now I will cut you to pieces. + That includes all of you who walked between the pieces of the calf. It includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials and the priests. It also includes some of the people of the land. + "So I will hand all of those people over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals. + "I will hand King Zedekiah and his officials over to their enemies. I will hand them over to those who want to kill them. I will give them over to the armies of the king of Babylonia. They have now pulled back from you. + But I am going to give an order," announces the Lord. "I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it. They will take it and burn it down. And I will completely destroy the towns of Judah. No one will be able to live there." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It came during the time Jehoiakim was king over Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message said, + "Go to the members of the family line of Recab. Invite them to come to one of the side rooms in my house. Then give them wine to drink." + So I went to get Jaazaniah. He was the son of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was the son of Habazziniah. I also went to get Jaazaniah's brothers and all of his sons. That included all of the members of the family line of Recab. + I brought them into the Lord's house. I took them into the room of the sons of Hanan. He was the son of Igdaliah. He was also a man of God. His room was next to the room of the officials. Their room was above the room of Maaseiah. He was the son of Shallum. He also was one of those who guarded the temple doors. + Then I got bowls full of wine and some cups. I set them down in front of the men from the family line of Recab. I said to them, "Drink some wine." + But they replied, "We don't drink wine. That's because Jonadab gave us a command. He was the son of Recab. He was also one of our own people from long ago. He commanded, 'You and your children after you must never drink wine. + Also you must never build houses. You must never plant crops or vineyards. You must never have any of those things. Instead, you must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are wandering around.' + "We have done everything Jonadab, the son of Recab, commanded us to do. So we and our wives and our children have never drunk wine. + We have never built houses to live in. We've never had vineyards, fields or crops. + We've always lived in tents. We've completely obeyed everything Jonadab commanded our people of long ago. + "But Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, marched into this land. Then we said, 'Come. We must go to Jerusalem. There we can escape the armies of Babylonia and Aram.' So we have remained in Jerusalem." + Then a message came to me from the Lord. It said, + "The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'Go. Speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Tell them, "Won't you ever learn a lesson? Won't you ever obey my words?" announces the Lord. + " ' "Jonadab, the son of Recab, ordered his children not to drink wine. And they have kept his command. To this very day they do not drink wine. They obey the command Jonadab gave their people long ago. But I have spoken to you again and again. In spite of that, you have not obeyed me. + " ' "Again and again I sent all of my servants the prophets to you. They said, 'Each of you must turn from your evil ways. You must change the way you act. Do not worship other gods. Do not serve them. Then you will live in the land. I gave it to you and your people long ago.' But you have not paid any attention. You have not listened to me. + " ' "The children of Jonadab, the son of Recab, have obeyed the command Jonadab gave them long ago. But the people of Judah have not obeyed me." ' " + So the Lord God who rules over all speaks. The God of Israel says, "Listen! I am going to bring horrible trouble on Judah. I will also bring it on everyone who lives in Jerusalem. I will bring on them every trouble I said I would. I spoke to them. But they did not listen. I called out to them. But they did not answer." + Then I spoke to the members of the family line of Recab. I said, "The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'You have obeyed the command Jonadab gave your people long ago. You have followed all of his directions. You have done everything he ordered.' + So the Lord who rules over all speaks. The God of Israel says, 'Jonadab, the son of Recab, will always have a man from his family to serve me.' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message said, + "Get a scroll. Write on it all of the words I have spoken to you. Write down what I have said about Israel, Judah and all of the other nations. Write what I have said to you from the time of King Josiah until now. + The people of Judah will hear about all of the trouble I plan to bring on them. Maybe then all of them will turn from their evil ways. If they do, I will forgive their sins and the evil things they have done." + So I sent for Baruch, the son of Neriah. I told him to write down all of the words the Lord had spoken to me. And Baruch wrote them on the scroll. + Then I said to him, "I'm not allowed to go to the Lord's temple. + So you go there. Go on a day when the people are fasting. Read to them from the scroll. Read the words of the Lord you wrote down as I gave them to you. Read them to all of the people of Judah who come in from their towns. + They will hear what the Lord will do to them when his burning anger blazes out against them. Then perhaps they will pray to him. And maybe all of them will turn from their evil ways." + Baruch, the son of Neriah, did everything I told him to do. He went to the Lord's temple. There he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. + It was in the fifth year that Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was king of Judah. It was the ninth month of that year. A time of fasting at the Lord's temple had been ordered. All of the people in Jerusalem were told to take part in it. So were those who had come in from the towns of Judah. + Baruch read to all of the people who were at the Lord's temple. He read my words from the scroll. He was in the room of the secretary Gemariah. It was located in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple. Gemariah was the son of Shaphan. + Micaiah was the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. Micaiah heard Baruch reading all of the Lord's words that were written on the scroll. + Then he went down to the secretary's room in the royal palace. All of the officials were sitting there. They included the secretary Elishama and Delaiah, the son of Shemaiah. Elnathan, the son of Acbor, was also there. So was Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. Zedekiah, the son of Hananiah, was there too. And so were all of the other officials. + Micaiah told all of them what he had heard. He told them everything Baruch had read to the people from the scroll. + All of the officials sent Jehudi to speak to Baruch, the son of Neriah. Jehudi was the son of Nethaniah. Nethaniah was the son of Shelemiah. Shelemiah was the son of Cushi. Jehudi said to Baruch, "Come. Bring the scroll you have read to the people." So Baruch went to them. He carried the scroll with him. + The officials said to him, "Please sit down. Read the scroll to us." So Baruch read it to them. + They heard all of its words. Then they looked at each other in fear. They said to Baruch, "We must report all of these words to the king." + They said to Baruch, "Tell us. How did you happen to write all of these things? Did Jeremiah tell you to do it?" + "Yes," Baruch replied. "He told me to write down all of these words. So I wrote them in ink on the scroll." + Then the officials spoke to Baruch. They said, "You and Jeremiah must go and hide. Don't let anyone know where you are." + The officials put the scroll in the room of the secretary Elishama. Then they went to the king in the courtyard. They reported everything to him. + The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from the room of the secretary Elishama. He read it to the king. All of the officials were standing beside the king. So they heard it too. + It was the ninth month. The king was sitting in his winter apartment. A fire was burning in the fire pot in front of him. + Jehudi read three or four columns from the scroll. Then the king cut them off with a secretary's knife. He threw them into the fire pot. He did that until the entire scroll was burned up in the fire. + The king and some of his attendants heard all of those words. But they weren't afraid. They didn't tear their clothes. + Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll. But he wouldn't listen to them. + Instead, the king commanded three men to arrest the secretary Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But the Lord had hidden them. The three were Jerahmeel, Seraiah and Shelemiah. Jerahmeel was a member of the royal court. Seraiah was the son of Azriel. And Shelemiah was the son of Abdeel. + A message came to me from the Lord. It came after the king burned the scroll that had the words Baruch had written down. I had told him to write them. The message said, + "Get another scroll. Write on it all of the words that were on the first one. King Jehoiakim burned that one up. + "Also tell King Jehoiakim, 'The Lord says, "You burned that scroll. You said to Baruch, 'Why did you write that the king of Babylonia would certainly come? Why did you write that he would destroy this land? Why did you write that he would cut off people and animals alike from it?' " + " 'So now the Lord has something to say about Jehoiakim, the king of Judah. He says, "No one from Jehoiakim's family line will sit on David's throne. Jehoiakim's body will be thrown out. It will lie outside in the heat by day and in the frost at night. + I will punish him and his children and his attendants. I will punish them for their sinful ways. I will bring on them all of the trouble I said I would. And I will bring it on the people of Jerusalem and Judah. They have not listened to me." ' " + So I got another scroll. I gave it to the secretary Baruch, the son of Neriah. I told him what to write on it. He wrote down all of the words that were on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned up in the fire. And he added many more words the Lord had given to me. They were similar to those that had already been written. + + + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, appointed Zedekiah to be king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. Zedekiah ruled in place of Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim. + Zedekiah and his attendants didn't pay any attention to what the Lord had said through me. And the people of the land didn't pay any attention either. + But King Zedekiah sent Jehucal to me. He sent the priest Zephaniah along with him. Jehucal was the son of Shelemiah. Zephaniah was the son of Maaseiah. Jehucal and Zephaniah brought the king's message to me. It said, "Please pray to the Lord our God for us." + At that time I was free to come and go among the people. I had not yet been put in prison. + The armies of Babylonia were attacking Jerusalem. They received a report that Pharaoh's army had marched out of Egypt to help Zedekiah. So they pulled back from Jerusalem. + A message came to me from the Lord. + The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, "The king of Judah has sent you to ask me for advice. Tell him, 'Pharaoh's army has marched out to help you. But it will go back to its own land. It will return to Egypt. + Then the armies of Babylonia will come back here. They will attack this city. They will capture it. Then they will burn it down.' + "The Lord says, 'Do not fool yourselves. You think, "The Babylonians will leave us alone." But they will not! + Suppose you destroy all of the armies of Babylonia that are attacking you. Suppose only wounded men are left in their tents. Even then they will come out and burn this city down.' " + The armies of Babylonia had pulled back from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army. + So I started to leave the city. I was planning to go to the territory of Benjamin. I wanted to get my share of the property among the people there. + I got as far as the Benjamin Gate. But the captain of the guard arrested me. He said, "You are going over to the side of the Babylonians!" The captain's name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah. Shelemiah was the son of Hananiah. + I said to Irijah, "That isn't true! I'm not going to the side of the Babylonians." But Irijah wouldn't listen to me. Instead, he arrested me. He brought me to the officials. + They were angry with me. So they had me beaten. Then they took me to the house of the secretary Jonathan. It had been made into a prison. That's where they put me. + I was put into a prison cell that was below ground level. I remained there a long time. + Then King Zedekiah sent for me. He had me brought to the palace. There he spoke to me in private. He asked, "Do you have a message from the Lord for me?" "Yes," I replied. "You will be handed over to the king of Babylonia." + Then I continued, "Why have you put me in prison? What crime have I committed against you? What have I done to your officials or these people? + Where are your prophets who prophesied to you? They said, 'The king of Babylonia won't attack you. He won't march into this land.' + "But now please listen, my king and master. Let me make my appeal to you. Please don't send me back to the house of the secretary Jonathan. If you do, I'll die there." + Then King Zedekiah gave the order. His men put me in the courtyard of the guard. They gave me bread from the street of the bakers. They did it every day until all of the bread in the city was gone. So I remained in the courtyard of the guard. + + + Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal and Pashhur heard what I was telling all of the people. Shephatiah was the son of Mattan. Gedaliah was the son of Pashhur. Jehucal was the son of Shelemiah. And Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. Those four men heard me say, + "The Lord says, 'Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But those who go over to the side of the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives. They will remain alive.' + The Lord also says, 'This city will certainly be handed over to the armies of the king of Babylonia. They will capture it.' " + Then those officials said to the king, "That man should be put to death. What he says is making the soldiers who are left in this city lose hope. It's making all of the people lose hope too. He isn't interested in what is best for the people. In fact, he's trying to destroy them." + "He's in your hands," King Zedekiah answered. "I can't do anything to oppose you." + So they took me and put me into an empty well. It belonged to Malkijah. He was a member of the royal court. His well was in the courtyard of the guard. Zedekiah's men lowered me by ropes into the well. It didn't have any water in it. All it had was mud. And I sank down into the mud. + Ebed-Melech was an official in the royal palace. He was from the land of Cush. He heard that I had been put into the well. The king was sitting by the Benjamin Gate at that time. + Ebed-Melech went out of the palace. He said to the king, + "My king and master, everything those men have done to the prophet Jeremiah is evil. They have thrown him into an empty well. Soon there won't be any more bread in the city. Then he'll starve to death." + So the king gave an order to Ebed-Melech from Cush. He said, "Take 30 men from here with you. Lift the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies." + Then Ebed-Melech took the men with him. He went to a room under the place in the palace where the treasures were stored. He got some old rags and worn-out clothes from there. Then he let them down with ropes to me in the well. + Ebed-Melech from Cush told me what to do. He said, "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms. They'll pad the ropes." So I did. + Then the men pulled me up with the ropes. They lifted me out of the well. And I remained in the courtyard of the guard. + Then King Zedekiah sent for me. He had me brought to the third entrance to the Lord's temple. "I want to ask you something," the king said to me. "Don't hide anything from me." + I said to Zedekiah, "Suppose I give you an answer. You will kill me, won't you? Suppose I give you good advice. You won't listen to me, will you?" + But King Zedekiah took an oath. He promised me secretly, "I won't kill you. And I won't hand you over to those who want to take your life. That's just as sure as the Lord is alive. He's the one who has given us breath." + So I said to Zedekiah, "The Lord God who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'Give yourself up to the officers of the king of Babylonia. Then your life will be spared. And this city will not be burned down. You and your family will remain alive. + " 'But what if you do not give yourself up to them? Then this city will be handed over to the Babylonians. They will burn it down. And you yourself will not escape from their powerful hands.' " + King Zedekiah said to me, "I'm afraid of some of the Jews. They are the ones who have gone over to the side of the Babylonians. The Babylonians might hand me over to them. And those Jews will treat me badly." + "They won't hand you over to them," I replied. "Obey the Lord. Do what I tell you to do. Then things will go well with you. Your life will be spared. + "Don't refuse to give yourself up. The Lord has shown me what will happen if you do. + All of the women who are left in your palace will be brought out. They'll be given to the officials of the king of Babylonia. Those women will say to you, " 'Your trusted friends have tricked you. They have gotten the best of you. Your feet are sunk down in the mud. Your friends have deserted you.' + "All of your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself won't escape from their powerful hands. You will be captured by the king of Babylonia. And this city will be burned down." + Then Zedekiah said to me, "Don't let anyone know about the talk we've had. If you do, you might die. + Suppose the officials find out that I've talked with you. And suppose they come to you and say, 'Tell us what you said to the king. Tell us what the king said to you. Don't hide it from us. If you do, we'll kill you.' + Then tell them, 'I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house. I don't want to die there.' " + All of the officials came to me. And they questioned me. I told them everything the king had ordered me to say. None of them had heard what I told the king. So they didn't say anything else to me. + I remained in the courtyard of the guard. I stayed there until the day Jerusalem was captured. Here is how Jerusalem was captured. + + + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, marched out against it. He came with all of his armies and attacked it. It was in the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah. It was in the tenth month. + The city wall was broken through. It happened on the ninth day of the fourth month. It was in the 11th year of Zedekiah's rule. + All of the officials of the king of Babylonia came. They took seats near the Middle Gate. Nergal-Sharezer from Samgar was there. Nebo-Sarsekim, a chief officer, was also there. So was Nergal-Sharezer, a high official. And all of the other officials of the king of Babylonia were there too. + King Zedekiah and all of the soldiers saw them. Then they ran away. They left the city at night. They went by way of the king's garden. They went out through the gate between the two walls. And they headed toward the Arabah Valley. + But the armies of Babylonia chased them. They caught up with Zedekiah in the flatlands near Jericho. They captured him there. And they took him to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. That's where Nebuchadnezzar decided how he would be punished. + The king of Babylonia killed the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah. He forced Zedekiah to watch it with his own eyes. He also killed all of the nobles of Judah. + Then he poked out Zedekiah's eyes. He put him in bronze chains. And he took him to Babylon. + The Babylonians set the royal palace on fire. They also set fire to the houses of the people. And they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. + Nebuzaradan was commander of the royal guard. Some people still remained in the city. But he took them away to Babylon as prisoners. He also took along those who had gone over to his side. And he took the rest of the people. + Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, left some of the poor people of Judah behind. They didn't own anything. So at that time he gave them vineyards and fields. + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, had given orders about me. He had given them to Nebuzaradan, the commander of the royal guard. Nebuchadnezzar had said, + "Take him. Look after him. Don't harm him. Do for him anything he asks." + So that's what Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, did. Nebushazban and Nergal-Sharezer were with him. So were all of the other officers of the king of Babylonia. Nebushazban was a chief officer. Nergal-Sharezer was a high official. All of those men + sent for me. They had me taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned me over to Gedaliah. They told him to take me back to my home. So I remained among my own people. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. + A message came to me from the Lord. It came while I was being kept in the courtyard of the guard. He said, + "Go. Speak to Ebed-Melech from Cush. Tell him, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I am about to make the words I spoke against this city come true. I will not give success to it. Instead, I will bring horrible trouble on it. At that time my words will come true. You will see it with your own eyes. + " ' "But I will save you on that day," announces the Lord. "You will not be handed over to those you are afraid of. + I will save you. You will not be killed with a sword. Instead, you will escape with your life. That is because you trust in me," announces the Lord.' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It came after Nebuzaradan, the commander of the royal guard, had set me free at Ramah. I was being held by chains when he found me. I was among all of the prisoners from Jerusalem and Judah. We were being taken to Babylon. + But the commander of the guard found me. He said to me, "The Lord your God ordered that this place be destroyed. + And now he has brought it about. He has done exactly what he said he would do. All of these things have happened because you people sinned against the Lord. You didn't obey him. + But today I'm setting you free from the chains that are on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon if you want to. I'll take good care of you there. But if you don't want to come, then don't. The whole country lies in front of you. Go anywhere you want to." + But before I turned to go, Nebuzaradan continued, "Go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The king of Babylonia has appointed Gedaliah to be over the towns of Judah. Go and live with him among your people. Or go anywhere else you want to." Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. The commander gave me food and water. He also gave me a gift. Then he let me go. + So I went to Mizpah to see Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. I stayed with him. I lived among the people who were left behind in the land. + Some of Judah's army officers and their men were still in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylonia had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, as governor over Judah. He had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were still there. They were the poorest people in the land. They hadn't been taken to Babylon. + When the army officers and their men heard those things, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came. So did Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah. Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, also came. The sons of Ephai from Netophah came too. And so did Jaazaniah, the son of the Maacathite. All of their men came with them. + Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to give hope to all of those men. He spoke in a kind way to them. He said, "Don't be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Settle down in the land of Judah. Serve the king of Babylonia. Then things will go well with you. + I myself will stay at Mizpah. I'll speak for you to the officials of Babylonia who come to us. But you must harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil. Put them in your jars. Store them up. And live in the towns you have taken over." + All of the Jews in Moab, Ammon and Edom heard what had happened. So did the Jews in all of the other countries. They heard that the king of Babylonia had left some people behind in Judah. They also heard that he had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, as governor over them. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. + When they heard those things, all of them came back to the land of Judah. They went to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They came from all of the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested a large amount of wine and summer fruit. + Johanan and all of the other army officers who were still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Johanan was the son of Kareah. + The officers said to Gedaliah, "Don't you know that Baalis, the king of Ammon, has sent someone to take your life? It's Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah." But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, didn't believe them. + Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, spoke in private to Gedaliah in Mizpah. He said, "Let me go and kill Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. No one will know about it. Why should he take your life? Why should he cause all of the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered? Why should he cause the people who remain in Judah to die?" + But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, spoke to Johanan, the son of Kareah. He said, "Don't do an awful thing like that! What you are saying about Ishmael isn't true." + + + In the seventh month Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came with ten men to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama. Ishmael was a member of the royal family. He had been one of the king's officers. Ishmael and his ten men were eating together at Mizpah. + They got up and struck down Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, with their swords. They killed him even though the king of Babylonia had appointed him as governor over Judah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. + Ishmael also killed all of the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. And he killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there. + On the next day, people still hadn't found out that Gedaliah had been murdered. + On that day 80 men came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards. They had torn their clothes. And they had cut themselves. They brought grain offerings and incense with them. They took them to the Lord's house. + Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out from Mizpah to meet them. He was sobbing as he went. When he met them, he said, "Come to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam." + They went with him into the city. Then Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the men who were with him killed them. And they threw them into an empty well. + But ten of the men had spoken to Ishmael. They had said, "Don't kill us! We have some wheat and barley. We also have olive oil and honey. We've hidden all of it in a field." So he let them alone. He didn't kill them along with the others. + But he had thrown all of the bodies of the men he had killed into the empty well. That included Gedaliah's body. The well was the one King Asa had made. He had made it when he strengthened Mizpah against attack by Baasha, the king of Israel. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled it with the bodies of those he had killed. + Ishmael made prisoners of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah. That included women who were members of the royal court. It also included all of the others who were left there. Nebuzaradan had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, over them. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them as prisoners. Then he started out to go across the Jordan River to the land of Ammon. Nebuzaradan was the commander of the royal guard. + Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all of the other army officers who were with him were told what had happened. They heard about all of the crimes Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had committed. + So they brought all of their men together. Then they went to fight against Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the large pool in Gibeon. + Ishmael had many people with him. They saw Johanan, the son of Kareah. And they saw the other army officers who were with him. So the people who had been forced to go with Ishmael were glad. + All those whom Ishmael had taken as prisoners at Mizpah turned and went over to the side of Johanan, the son of Kareah. + But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and eight of his men escaped from Johanan. They ran away to the land of Ammon. + Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, led away all of the people from Mizpah who were still alive. All of the other army officers who were with Johanan helped him do it. He had taken them away from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. That happened after Ishmael had murdered Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The people Johanan had taken away included the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had brought from Gibeon. + They went on their way. They stopped at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem. They were going to Egypt. + They wanted to get away from the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The king of Babylonia had appointed Gedaliah as governor over Judah. + + + Then all of the army officers approached me. They included Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, the son of Hoshaiah. All of the people from the least important of them to the most important also came. + All of them said to me, "Please listen to our appeal. Pray to the Lord your God. Pray for all of us who are left here. Once there were many of us. But as you can see, only a few of us are left now. + So pray to the Lord your God. Pray that he'll tell us where we should go. Pray that he'll tell us what we should do." + "I've heard you," I replied. "I'll certainly pray to the Lord your God. I'll do what you have asked me to do. In fact, I'll tell you everything the Lord says. I won't keep anything back from you." + Then they said to me, "We'll do everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us to do. If we don't, may he be a true and faithful witness against us. + It doesn't matter whether what you say is in our favor or not. We're asking you to pray to the Lord our God. And we'll obey him. Things will go well with us. That's because we will obey the Lord our God." + Ten days later a message came to me from the Lord. + So I sent for Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all of the other army officers who were with him. I also gathered together all of the people from the least important of them to the most important. + I said to all of them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. You asked me to present your appeal to him. + He told me, 'Stay in this land. Then I will build you up. I will not tear you down. I will plant you. I will not pull you up by the roots. I am very sad that I had to bring all of this trouble on you. + " 'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylonia. You are afraid of him now. Do not be,' announces the Lord. 'I am with you. I will keep you safe. I will save you from his powerful hands. + I will show you my loving concern. Then he will have concern for you. And he will let you return to your land.' + "But suppose you say, 'We won't stay in this land.' If you do, you will be disobeying the Lord your God. + And suppose you say, 'No! We'll go and live in Egypt. There we won't have to face war anymore. We won't hear the trumpets of war. And we won't get hungry.' + "Then listen to what the Lord says to you who are left in Judah. He is the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of Israel. He says, 'Have you already made up your minds to go to Egypt? Are you going to settle down there? + " 'Then the war you fear will catch up with you there. The hunger you are afraid of will follow you into Egypt. And you will die there. + In fact, that will happen to all those who go and settle in Egypt. All of them will die of war, hunger and plague. Not one of them will live. None of them will escape the trouble I will bring on them.' + "He is the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of Israel. He says, 'My burning anger has been poured out on those who used to live in Jerusalem. In the same way, it will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. People will call down curses on you. They will be shocked at you. They will say bad things about you. And they will bring shame on you. You will never see this place again.' + "The Lord has spoken to you who are left in Judah. He has said, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Here is something you can be sure of. I am warning you about it today. + You made a big mistake when you asked me to pray to the Lord your God. You said, 'Pray to the Lord our God for us. Tell us everything he says. We'll do it.' + "I have told you today what the Lord your God wants you to do. But you still haven't obeyed him. You haven't done anything he sent me to tell you to do. + So here is something else you can be sure of. You will die of war, hunger and plague. You want to go and settle down in Egypt. But you will die there." + + + I finished telling the people everything the Lord their God had said. I told them everything he had sent me to tell them. + After that, Azariah, the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, spoke to me. And all of the proud men joined them. They said, "You are lying! The Lord our God hasn't sent you to speak to us. He hasn't told you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt and settle down there.' + But Baruch, the son of Neriah, is turning you against us. He wants us to be handed over to the Babylonians. Then they can kill us. Or they can take us away to Babylon." + So Johanan, the son of Kareah, disobeyed the Lord's command. So did all of the other army officers and all of the people. They didn't stay in the land of Judah. + Instead Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all of the other army officers led away all of the people who were left in Judah. Those people had returned to Judah from all of the nations where they had been scattered. + Johanan and the other officers also led away many people Nebuzaradan had left in Mizpah. They included men, women and children. They also included women who were members of the royal court. Nebuzaradan had left them with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. He had also left them with the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch, the son of Neriah. Nebuzaradan was commander of the royal guard. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. + So the Jewish leaders disobeyed the Lord. They took everyone to Egypt. They went all the way to Tahpanhes. + In Tahpanhes a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Make sure the Jews are watching you. Then get some large stones. Go to the entrance to Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes. Bury the stones in the clay under the brick walkway there. + "Then tell the Jews, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. And I will set his throne over these stones that are buried here. He will set up his royal tent over them. + He will come and attack Egypt. He will bring death to those I have appointed to die. He will take away as prisoners those I have appointed to be taken away. And he will kill with swords those I have appointed to be killed. + " ' "He will set the temples of the gods of Egypt on fire. He will burn their temples down. He will take the statues of their gods away. Nebuchadnezzar will be like a shepherd who wraps his coat around himself. He will wrap Egypt around himself. And he will leave there unharmed. + At Heliopolis in Egypt he will smash the sacred pillars to pieces. And he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt." ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord about all of the Jews who were living in Lower Egypt. They were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis. It was also about all of the Jews who were living in Upper Egypt. + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He said, "You saw all of the trouble I brought on Jerusalem. I also brought it on all of the towns in Judah. Today they lie there deserted and destroyed. + That is because of the evil things their people did. They made me very angry. They burned incense to other gods. And they worshiped them. They and you and your people of long ago never had anything to do with those gods before. + "Again and again I sent my servants the prophets. They said, 'Don't worship other gods! The Lord hates it!' + "But the people didn't listen. They didn't pay any attention. They didn't turn from their sinful ways. They didn't stop burning incense to other gods. + "So my burning anger was poured out. It blazed out against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. It made them the dry and empty places they are today." + The Lord God who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Why do you want to bring all of this trouble on yourselves? You are cutting off from Judah its men and women. You are cutting off the children and babies. Not one of you will be left. + Why do you want to make me angry with the gods your hands have made? Why do you burn incense to the gods of Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves. All of the nations on earth will call down curses on you. They will bring shame on you. + "Have you forgotten the evil things your people did long ago? The kings and queens of Judah did those same things. So did you and your wives. They were done in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. + "To this very day the people of Judah have not made themselves low in my sight. They have not shown any respect for me. They have not obeyed my law. They have not followed the rules I gave you and your people long ago." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I have decided to bring horrible trouble on you. I will destroy the whole land of Judah. + I will destroy the people of Judah who are left. They had decided to go to Egypt and settle down there. But all of them will die in Egypt. They will die of war or hunger. All of them will die, from the least important of them to the most important. They will die of war or hunger. People will call down curses on them. They will be shocked at them. They will say bad things about them. And they will bring shame on them. + I will use war, hunger and plague to punish the Jews who live in Egypt. I punished Jerusalem in the same way. + "None of the people of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape. Not one of them will live to return to Judah. They long to return and live there. But only a few will escape from Egypt and go back." + All of the Jews who were living in Lower and Upper Egypt gathered to give me their answer. A large crowd had come together. It included men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods. Their wives were there with them. All of them said to me, + "We won't listen to the message you have spoken to us in the Lord's name! + We will certainly do everything we said we would. We'll burn incense to the goddess who is called the Queen of Heaven. We'll pour out drink offerings to her. We'll do just as we and our people before us did. Our kings and our officials also did it. All of us did it in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food. We were well off. We didn't suffer any harm. + "But then we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven. We stopped pouring out drink offerings to her. And ever since that time we haven't had anything. Instead, we've been dying of war and hunger." + The women added, "We burned incense to the Queen of Heaven. We poured out drink offerings to her. And our husbands knew we were making cakes that looked like her. They knew we were pouring out drink offerings to her." + Then I spoke to all of the people who were answering me. I spoke to men and women alike. I said, + "Didn't the Lord know you were burning incense in the towns of Judah? Didn't he care that you were also doing it in the streets of Jerusalem? You and your people before you were doing it. Your kings and officials were doing it too. So were the rest of the people in the land. + "The Lord couldn't put up with the evil things you were doing anymore. He hated the things you did. So people called down curses on your land. It became a dry and empty desert. No one lived there. And that's the way it still is today. + "You have burned incense to other gods. You have sinned against the Lord. You haven't obeyed him or his law. You haven't followed his rules. You haven't lived up to the terms of the covenant he made with you. That's why all of this trouble has come on you. You have seen it with your own eyes." + Then I spoke to all of the people. That included the women. I said, "All you people of Judah in Egypt, listen to the Lord's message. + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'You and your wives have done what you promised you would do. You said, "We will certainly keep the promises we made to the Queen of Heaven. We'll burn incense to her. We'll pour out drink offerings to her." ' "Go ahead then. Do what you said you would! Keep your promises! + But listen to the Lord's message. Listen, all you Jews living in Egypt. 'I take an oath in my own great name,' says the Lord. 'I promise that no one from Judah who lives anywhere in Egypt will ever again pray in my name. None of them will ever take an oath and say, "You can be sure that the Lord and King is alive." + " 'I am watching over them to do them harm and not good. The Jews in Egypt will die of war and hunger until all of them are destroyed. + Some will not be killed. They will return to Judah from Egypt. But they will be very few. Then all of the people of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know the truth. They will know whether what I say or what they say will come true. + " 'I will give you a miraculous sign that I will punish you in this place,' announces the Lord. 'Then you can be sure that my warnings of harm against you will come true.' + The Lord says, 'I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra over to his enemies who want to take his life. In the same way, I handed King Zedekiah over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He was the enemy who wanted to take Zedekiah's life.' " Hophra was king of Egypt. + + + I, the prophet Jeremiah, talked to Baruch, the son of Neriah. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was king of Judah. But it was after Baruch had written down on a scroll the words I was telling him to write. I said, + "The Lord is the God of Israel. Baruch, he says to you, + 'You have said, "How terrible it is for me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I'm worn out from all of my groaning. I can't find any rest." ' " + The Lord said, "Tell Baruch, 'I say, "I will destroy what I have built up. I will pull up by the roots what I have planted. I will do it all through the earth. + So should you long for great things for yourself? Do not long for them. I will bring trouble on everyone," announces the Lord. "But no matter where you go, I will let you escape with your life." ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It was about the nations. + Here is what the Lord says about Egypt. Here is his message against the army of Pharaoh Neco. He was king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, won the battle over his army. That happened at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message says, + "Egyptians, prepare your shields! Prepare large and small shields alike! March out for battle! + Get the horses and chariots ready to ride! Take up your battle positions! Put your helmets on! Shine up your spears! Put on your armor! + What do I see? The Egyptians are terrified. They are pulling back. Their soldiers are losing. They run away as fast as they can. They do not look back. There is terror on every side," announces the Lord. + "Those who run fast can't get away. Those who are strong can't escape. In the north by the Euphrates River they trip and fall. + "Who is this that rises like the Nile River? Who rises like rivers of rushing waters? + Egypt rises like the Nile River. It rises like rivers of rushing waters. Egypt says, 'I will rise and cover the earth. I'll destroy cities and their people.' + Charge, you horses! Drive fast, you chariot drivers! March on, you soldiers! March on, you men of Cush and Put who carry shields. March on, you men of Lydia who draw bows. + But that day belongs to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. It is a day for me to pay back my enemies. The sword will eat until it is satisfied. It will drink until it has no more thirst for blood. I am the Lord. I am the Lord who rules over all. I will offer a sacrifice. I will offer it in the land of the north by the Euphrates River. + "People of Egypt, go up to Gilead and get some healing lotion. But no matter what you try, you will not be healed. There isn't any healing for you. + The nations will hear about your shame. Your cries of pain will fill the earth. One soldier will trip over another. Both of them will fall down together." + Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, was coming to attack Egypt. Here is the message the Lord spoke to me about it. He said, + "Egyptians, here is what I want you to announce in your land. Announce it in Migdol. Also announce it in Memphis and Tahpanhes. Say, 'Take up your battle positions! Get ready! The sword eats up those who are around you.' + Why are your soldiers lying on the ground? They can't stand, because I bring them down. + They will trip again and again. They will fall over one another. They will say, 'Get up. Let's go back home. Let's return to our own people and our own lands. Let's get away from the swords that will bring us great harm.' + The Egyptian soldiers will cry out, 'Pharaoh is our king. But he's only a loud noise. He has missed his chance to win the battle.' + "I am the King. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. Someone will come who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains. He is like Mount Carmel by the Mediterranean Sea. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the King. + "So pack your belongings, you who live in Egypt. You will be taken away from your land. Memphis will be completely destroyed. Its buildings will be broken down. No one will live there. + "Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But Nebuchadnezzar is coming against her from the north. He will bite her like a fly. + Hired soldiers are in Egypt's army. They are like fat calves. All of them will turn and run away. They will not hold their positions. The day of trouble is coming on them. The time for them to be punished is near. + The Egyptians will hiss like a snake that is trying to get away. A powerful army will advance against them. Their enemies will come against them with axes. They will be like those who cut down trees. + Egypt is like a thick forest. But they will chop it down," announces the Lord. "There are more of them than there are locusts. In fact, they can't even be counted. + The nation of Egypt will be put to shame. It will be handed over to the people of the north." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I am about to punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh. I will punish Egypt and its gods and kings. And I will punish those who depend on Pharaoh. + I will hand them over to those who are trying to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, and his officers. But later, many people will live in Egypt again as in times past," announces the Lord. + "People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. Israel, do not be terrified. I will bring you safely out of a place far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they were taken. Your people will have peace and security again. And no one will make them afraid. + People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. I am with you," announces the Lord. "I will completely destroy all of the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will punish you in a way that is fair and right." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. It was about the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. + The Lord said, "The armies of Babylonia are like waters rising in the north. They will become a great flood. They will flow over the land and everything in it. They will flow over the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out. All those who live in the land will sob. + They will sob when they hear galloping horses. They will sob at the noise of enemy chariots. They will sob at the rumble of their wheels. Fathers will not even try to help their children. Their hands will not be able to help them. + The day has come to destroy all of the Philistines. The time has come to cut off all those who could help Tyre and Sidon. I am about to destroy the Philistines. I will not leave anyone alive who came from the coasts of Crete. + The people of Gaza will be so sad they will shave their heads. And Ashkelon's people will be silent. You who remain on the flatlands, how long will you cut yourselves? + " 'Sword of the Lord!' you cry out. 'How long will it be until you rest? Return to the place you came from. Stop killing us! Be still!' + But how can my sword rest when I have given it a command? I have ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the Philistine coast." + + + Here is what the Lord says about Moab. The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "How terrible it will be for Nebo! It will be destroyed. Kiriathaim will be captured. It will be put to shame. Its fort will be broken down. It will be put to shame. + Moab will not be praised anymore. In Heshbon people will plan its fall from power. They will say, 'Come. Let's put an end to that nation.' City of Madmen, you too will be silent because you are sad. My sword will hunt you down. + Listen to the cries from Horonaim. The town is being completely destroyed. + Moab will be broken. Her little ones will cry out. + The people go up the road to Luhith. They are sobbing bitterly as they go. Loud cries are heard on the road down to Horonaim. People cry out because the town is being destroyed. + People of Moab run away! Run for your lives! Become like a lonely bush in the desert. + You trust in the things you can do. You trust in your riches. So you too will be taken away as prisoners. Your god Chemosh will be carried away. So will its priests and officials. + The one who is going to destroy you will come against every town. Not even one of them will escape. The valley and the high flatlands will be destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken. + Sprinkle salt all over Moab. It will be completely destroyed. Its towns will be a dry and empty desert. No one will live in them. + "May a person who is lazy when he does my work be under my curse! May anyone who keeps his sword from killing be under my curse! + "Moab has been at peace and rest from its earliest days. It is like wine that has not been shaken up. It has not been poured from one jar to another. Moab's people have not been taken away from their land. They are like wine that tastes as it always did. Its smell has not changed at all. + But other days are coming," announces the Lord. "At that time I will send people who pour wine from jars. They will pour Moab out like wine. They will empty its jars. They will smash its jugs. + Then Moab's people will be ashamed of their god Chemosh. They will be ashamed just as the people of Israel were when they trusted in their god at Bethel. + "How can you say, 'We are soldiers. We are men who are brave in battle'? + Moab will be destroyed. Its enemies will march into its towns. Her finest young men will die in battle," announces the King. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + "The fall of Moab is near. Its time of trouble will come quickly. + All you who live around it, sob over its people. Be sad, you who know how famous Moab is. Say, 'Its powerful ruler's rod is broken! His glorious staff is smashed.' + "Come down from your glorious city, you who live in Dibon. Come and sit on the thirsty ground. The one who destroys your country will come up and attack you. Your enemies will destroy your cities that have high walls around them. + Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the men who are running away. Ask the women who are escaping. Ask them, 'What has happened?' + Moab has been put to shame. It has been destroyed. Sob and cry out! Tell everyone Moab has been destroyed. Announce it by the Arnon River. + The high flatlands have been judged. So have Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath. + Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim have been judged. + So have Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon. + Kerioth and Bozrah have also been judged. And so have all of the towns of Moab, far and near alike. + Moab's power is gone. Its strength is broken," announces the Lord. + "Moab's people think they are better than I am. So let their enemies make them drunk. Let the people get sick and throw up. Let them roll around in the mess they have made. Let people laugh at them. + Moab, you laughed at Israel, didn't you? Were Israel's people caught among robbers? Is that why you shake your head at them? Is that why you make fun of them every time you talk about them? + Leave your towns, you who live in Moab. Go and live among the rocks. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave. + "We have heard all about Moab's pride. We have heard how very proud they are. They think they are so much better than others. Their pride reaches deep down inside their hearts. + I know how rude they are. But it will not get them anywhere," announces the Lord. "Their bragging does not accomplish anything. + So I cry out over Moab. I cry for all of Moab's people. I groan for the men of Kir Hareseth. + I sob over you as Jazer sobs, you vines of Sibmah. Your branches used to spread out. They went all the way down to the Dead Sea. They reached as far as the sea of Jazer. The one who destroys your country has taken away your grapes and ripe fruit. + Joy has left your orchards. Gladness is gone from your fields. I have stopped the flow of juice from your winepresses. No one stomps on your grapes with shouts of joy. There are shouts. But they are not shouts of joy. + "The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon. It rises as far as Elealeh and Jahaz. It rises from Zoar. It goes all the way to Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. Even the waters at Nimrim are dried up. + In Moab people sacrifice offerings on the high places. They burn incense to their gods. But I will put an end to those people," announces the Lord. + "Like a flute my heart sings a song of sadness for Moab. It sings like a flute for the men of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they had gotten is gone. + Every head is shaved. Every beard is cut off. Every hand is cut. And every waist is covered with black cloth. + Sobbing is the only sound in Moab. It is heard on all of its roofs. It is heard in the market places. I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants," announces the Lord. + "How broken Moab is! How the people sob! They turn away from others because they are so ashamed. All those who are around them laugh at them. They are shocked at them." + The Lord says, "Look! Nebuchadnezzar is like an eagle diving down. He is spreading his wings over Moab. + Kerioth will be captured. Its forts will be taken. At that time the hearts of Moab's soldiers will tremble in fear. They will be like the heart of a woman having a baby. + Moab will be destroyed as a nation. That is because its people thought they were better than I am. + You people of Moab," announces the Lord, "terror, a pit and a trap are waiting for you. + Anyone who runs away from the terror will fall into the pit. Anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. The time is coming when I will punish Moab," announces the Lord. + "In the shadow of Heshbon those who are trying to escape stand helpless. A fire has blazed out from Heshbon. Flames have come out from Sihon's city. It burns the foreheads of Moab's people. It burns the skulls of those who brag loudly. + How terrible it will be for you, Moab! Those who worship Chemosh are destroyed. Your sons are being taken to another country. Your daughters are taken away as prisoners. + "But in days to come I will bless Moab with great success again," announces the Lord. That's the report about how the Lord said he would judge Moab. + + + Here is what the Lord says about the people of Ammon. He says, "Doesn't Israel have any sons? Doesn't Israel have anyone to take over the family property? Then why has the god Molech taken over Gad? Why do those who worship him live in its towns? + But a new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time I will sound the battle cry. I will sound it against Rabbah in the land of Ammon. It will become a pile of broken-down buildings. The villages that are around it will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the Lord. + "Heshbon, sob over Ai! It is destroyed! Cry out, you who live in Rabbah! Put on black clothes and sob. Run here and there inside the walls. Your god Molech will be carried away. So will its priests and officials. + Why do you brag about your valleys? You brag that they produce so many crops. You are an unfaithful country. You trust in your riches. You say, 'Who will attack me?' + I will bring terror on you. It will come from all those who are around you," announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. "Every one of you will be driven away. No one will bring back those who escape. + "But after that, I will bless the people of Ammon with great success again," announces the Lord. + Here is what the Lord says about Edom. The Lord who rules over all says, "Isn't there wisdom in the town of Teman anymore? Can't those who are wise give advice? Has their wisdom disappeared completely? + Turn around and run away, you who live in Dedan. Hide in deep caves. I will bring trouble on Esau's family line. I will do it at the time I punish them. + Edom, suppose grape pickers came to harvest your vines. They would still leave a few grapes. Suppose robbers came at night. They would steal only as much as they wanted. + But I will strip everything away from Esau's people. I will uncover their hiding places. They will not be able to hide anywhere. Their children, relatives and neighbors will die. Then Esau's people will be gone. + Leave your children whose fathers have died. I will watch over them. Your widows can also trust in me." + The Lord says, "What if those who do not have to drink the cup must drink it anyway? Then shouldn't you be punished? You will certainly be punished. You must drink the cup. + I make a promise with an oath in my own name. Bozrah will be destroyed," announces the Lord. "People will be shocked at it. They will bring shame on it. They will call down curses on it. And all of its towns will be destroyed forever." + I've heard a message from the Lord. A messenger was sent to the nations. The Lord told him to say, "Gather yourselves together to attack Edom! Prepare for battle!" + The Lord says to Edom, "I will make you weak among the nations. They will look down on you. + You live in the safety of the rocks. You live on top of the hills. But the terror you stir up has now turned against you. Your proud heart has tricked you. You build your nest as high as an eagle does. But I will bring you down from there," announces the Lord. + "People of Edom, all those who pass by you will be shocked. They will make fun of you because of all of your wounds. + Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. So were the towns that were near them," says the Lord. "You will be just like them. No one will live in your land. No one will stay there even for a short time. + "I will be like a lion coming up from the bushes by the Jordan River. I will hunt in rich grasslands. I will chase you from your land in an instant. What nation will I choose to do it? Which one will I appoint? Is anyone like me? Who would dare to argue with me? What leader can stand against me?" + So listen to what the Lord has planned against the people of Edom. Hear what he has planned against those who live in Teman. Edom's young people will be dragged away. The Lord will completely destroy their grasslands because of them. + When the earth hears Edom fall, it will shake. The people's cries will be heard all the way to the Red Sea. + Look! An enemy is coming. It's like an eagle diving down. It will spread its wings over Bozrah. At that time the hearts of Edom's soldiers will tremble in fear. They'll be like the heart of a woman having a baby. + Here is what the Lord says about Damascus. He says, "The people of Hamath and Arpad are terrified. They have heard bad news. They have lost all hope. They are troubled like the rolling sea. + The people of Damascus have become weak. They have turned to run away. Panic has taken hold of them. Suffering and pain have taken hold of them. Their pain is like the pain of a woman having a baby. + Why hasn't the famous city been deserted? It is the town I take delight in. + You can be sure its young men will fall dead in the streets. All of its soldiers will be put to death at that time," announces the Lord who rules over all. + "I will set the walls of Damascus on fire. It will burn up the strong towers of King Ben-Hadad." + Here is what the Lord says about the land of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, was planning to attack them. The Lord says to the armies of Babylonia, "Prepare for battle. Attack Kedar. Destroy the people of the east. + Their tents and flocks will be taken away from them. Their tents will be carried off. All of their goods and camels will be stolen. People will shout to them, 'There is terror on every side!' + "Run away quickly! You who live in Hazor, stay in deep caves," announces the Lord. "Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, has made plans against you. He has decided to attack you. + "Armies of Babylonia, prepare for battle. Attack a nation that feels secure. Its people do not have any worries," announces the Lord. "That nation does not have gates or heavy metal bars. Its people live all alone. + Their camels will be stolen. Their large herds will be taken away. I will scatter to the winds those who are in places far away. I will bring trouble on them from every side," announces the Lord. + "Hazor will become a home for wild dogs. It will be a dry and empty desert forever. No one will live in that land. No one will stay there even for a short time." + A message came to me from the Lord. It was about Elam. It came shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. + The Lord who rules over all said, "Elam's bow is the secret of its strength. But I will break it. + I will bring the four winds against Elam. I will bring them from all four directions. I will scatter Elam's people to the four winds. They will be taken away to every nation on earth. + I will use Elam's enemies to smash them. Those who are trying to take their lives will kill them. I will bring trouble on Elam's people. My anger will burn against them," announces the Lord. "I will chase them with swords. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them. + I will set up my throne in Elam. I will destroy its king and officials," announces the Lord. + "But in days to come I will bless Elam with great success again," announces the Lord. + + + Here is the message the Lord spoke through me about the city of Babylon and the land of Babylonia. He said, + "Announce this message among the nations. Lift up a banner. Let the nations hear the message. Do not keep anything back. Say, 'Babylon will be captured. The god Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be filled with terror. Babylon's gods will be put to shame. The gods its people made will be filled with terror.' + A nation from the north will attack it. That nation will destroy Babylonia. No one will live there. People and animals alike will run away. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time the people of Israel and Judah will gather together. They will come in tears to me. I am the Lord their God. + They will ask how to get to Zion. Then they will turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to me. They will enter into the covenant I make with them. It will last forever. It will never be forgotten. + "My people have been like lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them down the wrong path. They have caused them to wander in the mountains. They have wandered over mountains and hills. They have forgotten that I am their true resting place. + Everyone who found them destroyed them. Their enemies said, 'We aren't guilty. They sinned against the Lord. He gave them everything they needed. He has always been Israel's hope.' + "People of Judah, run away from Babylon. Leave the land of Babylonia. Be like the goats that lead the flock. + I will stir up great nations that will join forces against Babylon. I will bring them from the land of the north. They will take up their battle positions against Babylon. They will come from the north and capture it. Their arrows will be like skilled soldiers. They will not miss their mark. + So the riches of Babylonia will be taken away. All those who steal from it will have more than enough," announces the Lord. + "People of Babylonia, you have stolen what belongs to me. That has made you glad and full of joy. You dance around like a young cow on a threshing floor. You neigh like stallions. + Because of that, you will bring great shame on your land. Your whole nation will be dishonored. It will become the least important of the nations. It will become a dry and empty desert. + Because I am angry with it, no one will live there. It will be completely deserted. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will make fun of it because of all of its wounds. + "All you who draw the bow, take up your battle positions around Babylon. Shoot at it! Do not spare any arrows! Its people have sinned against me. + Shout against them on every side! They are giving up. The towers of the city are falling. Its walls are being pulled down. I am paying its people back. So pay them back yourselves. Do to them what they have done to others. + Do not leave anyone in Babylonia to plant the fields. Do not leave anyone to harvest the grain. Let each of them return to his own people. Let him run away to his own land. If he doesn't, his enemy's sword will bring him great harm. + "Israel is like a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first lion that ate them up was the king of Assyria. The last one that broke their bones was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I punished the king of Assyria. In the same way, I will punish the king of Babylonia and his land. + But I will bring Israel back to their own grasslands. I will feed them on Mount Carmel and in Bashan. I will satisfy their hunger on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. + A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time people will search for Israel's guilt. But they will not find any. They will search for Judah's sins. But they will not find any. That is because I will forgive the people I have spared. + "Enemies of Babylonia, attack their land of Merathaim. Make war against those who live in Pekod. Chase them and kill them. Destroy them completely," announces the Lord. "Do everything I have commanded you to do. + The noise of battle is heard in the land. It is the noise of a great city being destroyed! + It has been broken to pieces. It was the hammer that broke the whole earth. How empty Babylonia is among the nations! + Babylonia, I set a trap for you. And you were caught before you knew it. You were found and captured. That is because you opposed me. + I have opened up my storeroom. I have brought out the weapons I use when I am angry. I am the Lord and King who rules over all. I have work to do in the land of the Babylonians. + So come against it from far away. Open up its storerooms. Stack everything up like piles of grain. Completely destroy that country. Do not leave anyone alive there. + Kill all of its people. Let them die in battle. How terrible it will be for them! Their time to be judged has come. Now they will be punished. + Listen to those who have escaped. Listen to those who have returned from Babylonia. They are announcing in Zion how I have paid Babylonia back. I have paid it back for destroying my temple. + "Send for men who are armed with bows and arrows. Send them against Babylon. Set up camp all around it. Do not let anyone escape. Pay it back for what its people have done. Do to them what they have done to others. They have dared to disobey me. I am the Holy One of Israel. + You can be sure its young men will fall dead in the streets. All of its soldiers will be put to death at that time," announces the Lord. + "Proud Babylonians, I am against you," announces the Lord. The Lord who rules over all says, "Your day to be judged has come. It is time for you to be punished. + You proud people will trip and fall. No one will help you up. I will start a fire in your towns. It will burn up everyone who is around you." + The Lord who rules over all says, "The people of Israel are being treated badly. So are the people of Judah. Those who have captured them are holding them. They refuse to let them go. + But I am strong and will save them. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. I will stand up for them. I will bring peace and rest to their land. But I will bring trouble to those who live in Babylonia. + "A sword is coming against the Babylonians!" announces the Lord. "It is coming against those who live in Babylonia. It is coming against their officials and wise men. + A sword is coming against their prophets. But they are not really prophets at all! So they will look foolish. A sword is coming against their soldiers! They will be filled with terror. + A sword is coming against their horses and chariots! It is coming against all of the hired soldiers in their armies. They will become like weak women. A sword is coming against their treasures! They will be stolen. + There will not be any rain for their rivers. So they will dry up. Those things will happen because their land is full of statues of gods. Those gods will go crazy with terror. + "Desert creatures and hyenas will live in Babylon. And so will owls. People will never live there again. It will not be lived in for all time to come. + I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. I also destroyed the towns that were near them," announces the Lord. "Babylonia will be just like them. No one will live there. No one will stay there even for a short time. + "Look! An army is coming from the north. I am stirring up a great nation and many kings. They are coming from a land that is very far away. + Their soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all. They come riding in on their horses. They sound like the roaring ocean. They are lined up for battle. They are coming to attack you, city of Babylon. + The king of Babylonia has heard reports about them. His hands can't help him. He is in great pain. It is like the pain of a woman having a baby. + I will be like a lion coming up from the bushes by the Jordan River. I will hunt in rich grasslands. I will chase the people of Babylon from their land in an instant. What nation will I choose to do it? Which one will I appoint? Is anyone like me? Who would dare to argue with me? What leader can stand against me?" + So listen to what the Lord has planned against Babylon. Hear what he has planned against the land of the Babylonians. Their young people will be dragged away. The Lord will completely destroy their grasslands because of them. + When the earth hears that Babylonia has been captured, it will shake. The people's cries will be heard among the nations. + + + The Lord says, "I will stir up the spirits of destroyers. They will march out against Babylonia and its people. + I will send other nations against it to separate the straw from the grain. I will send them to destroy Babylonia completely. They will oppose it on every side. At that time it will be destroyed. + Do not let its soldiers get their bows ready to use. Do not let them put on their armor. Do not spare their young men. Destroy their armies completely. + They will fall down dead in Babylon. They will receive deadly wounds in its streets. + The land of Israel and Judah is full of guilt. Its people have sinned against me. But I have not deserted them. I am their God. I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the Holy One of Israel. + "People of Judah, run away from Babylonia! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of the sins of its people. It is time for me to pay them back. I will punish them for what they have done. + Babylon was like a gold cup in my hand. That city made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank its wine. So now they have gone crazy. + Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Sob over it! Get healing lotion for its pain. Perhaps it can be healed. + "The nations say, 'We would have healed Babylon. But it can't be healed. So let's leave it. Let's each go to our own land. Babylon's sins reach all the way to the skies. They rise up as high as the clouds.' + "The people of Judah say, 'The Lord has made things right for us again. So come. Let's tell in Zion what the Lord our God has done.' + "I have stirred up you kings of the Medes. So sharpen your arrows! Get your shields! I plan to destroy Babylon. I will pay the Babylonians back. They have destroyed my temple. + Lift up a banner! Attack Babylon's walls! Put more guards on duty! Station more of them to watch over you! Hide and wait to attack them! I will do what I have planned. I will do what I have decided to do against the people of Babylon. + You who live by the rivers of Babylon, your end has come. You who are rich in treasures, it is time for you to be destroyed. + I am the Lord who rules over all. I have made a promise with an oath in my own name. I have said, 'I will certainly fill your land with soldiers. They will be as many as a huge number of locusts. They will win the battle over you. They will shout for joy.' + "I used my power to make the earth. I used my wisdom to set the world in place. I used my understanding to spread the heavens out. + When I thunder, the waters in the heavens roar. I make clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other. I send lightning with the rain. I bring out the wind from my storerooms. + "No one has any sense. No one knows anything. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his wooden gods. His metal gods are fakes. They can't even breathe. + They are worthless. People make fun of them. When I judge them, they will be destroyed. + I am not like them. I am the God of Jacob. I give my people everything they need. I can do it because I made everything, including Israel. It is the nation that belongs to me. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + "Babylonia, you are my war club. You are my weapon for battle. I use you to destroy nations. I use you to wipe out kingdoms. + I use you to destroy horses and their riders. I use you to destroy chariots and their drivers. + I use you to destroy men and women. I use you to destroy old people and young people. I use you to destroy young men and young women. + I use you to destroy shepherds and their flocks. I use you to destroy farmers and their oxen. I use you to destroy governors and officials. + "Judah, I will pay Babylon back. You will see it with your own eyes. I will pay back all those who live in Babylonia. I will pay them back for all of the wrong things they have done in Zion," announces the Lord. + "Babylonia, I am against you. Your kingdom is like a destroying mountain. You have destroyed the whole earth," announces the Lord. "I will reach out my hand against you. I will roll you off the cliffs. I will make you like a mountain that has been burned up. + No rock will be taken from you to be used as the most important stone for a building. No stones will be taken from you to be used for a foundation. Your land will be empty forever," announces the Lord. + "Nations, lift up a banner in the land of Babylonia! Blow a trumpet among yourselves! Prepare yourselves for battle against Babylonia. Send the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz against it. Appoint a commander against it. Send many horses against it. Let them be as many as a huge number of locusts. + Prepare yourselves for battle against Babylonia. Prepare the kings of the Medes. Prepare their governors and all of their officials. Prepare all of the countries they rule over. + The Babylonians tremble and shake with fear. My plans against them stand firm. I plan to destroy their land completely. Then no one will live there. + Babylon's soldiers have stopped fighting. They remain in their forts. Their strength is all gone. They have become like weak women. Their buildings are set on fire. The heavy metal bars on their gates are broken. + One messenger after another comes to the king of Babylonia. All of them announce that his entire city is captured. + The places where people go across the Euphrates River have been captured. The swamps have been set on fire. And the soldiers are terrified." + The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "The city of Babylon is like a threshing floor when cattle are walking on it. The time to destroy it will soon come." + The people of Jerusalem say, "Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, has destroyed us. He has thrown us into a panic. He has emptied us out like a jar. Like a snake he has swallowed us up. He has filled his stomach with our rich food. Then he has spit us out of his mouth." + The people continue, "May the people of Babylon pay for the harmful things they have done to us. May those who live in Babylonia pay for spilling the blood of our people." That's what the people who live in Zion say. + So the Lord says, "I will stand up for you. I will pay the Babylonians back for what they did to you. I will dry up their water supply. I will make their springs run dry. + Babylon will have all of its buildings knocked down. It will be a home for wild dogs. No one will live there. People will be shocked at it. They will make fun of it. + All of its people roar like young lions. They growl like lion cubs. + They are stirred up. So I will set a big dinner in front of them. I will make them drunk. And they will shout and laugh. But then they will lie down and die. They will never wake up," announces the Lord. + "I will lead them down like lambs to be put to death. They will be like rams and goats that have been killed. + "Babylon will be captured! The whole earth was very proud of it. But it will be taken over by others! The nations will be shocked when it falls. + Babylon's enemies will sweep over it like an ocean. Like roaring waves they will cover it. + The towns of Babylonia will be empty. It will become a dry and desert land. No one will live there. No one will even travel through it. + I will punish the god Bel in Babylon. I will make Bel spit out what it has swallowed. The nations will not come and worship it anymore. And Babylon's walls will fall down. + "Come out of there, my people! Run for your lives! Run away from my burning anger. + You will hear about terrible things that are happening in Babylonia. But do not lose hope. Do not be afraid. You will hear one thing this year. And you will hear something else next year. You will hear about awful things in the land. You will hear about one ruler fighting against another. + I will punish the gods of Babylon. That time will certainly come. Then the whole land will be full of shame. Its people will lie down and die there. + So heaven and earth and everything in them will shout for joy. They will be glad because of what will happen to Babylon. Armies will attack it from the north. And they will destroy it," announces the Lord. + "Babylon's people have killed my people Israel. They have also killed people all over the earth. So now Babylon itself must fall. + You who have not been killed in the war against Babylon, leave! Do not wait! In a land far away remember me. And think about Jerusalem." + The people of Judah reply, "No one honors us anymore. People make fun of us. Our faces are covered with shame. People from other lands have entered the holy places of the Lord's house." + "But a new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time I will punish the gods of Babylon. And all through its land wounded people will groan. + What if Babylon reached all the way to the sky? What if it made its high walls even stronger? I would still send destroyers against it," announces the Lord. + "The noise of people screaming comes from Babylon. A terrible sound comes from its land. It is the sound of a mighty city being destroyed. + I will destroy Babylon. I will put an end to all of its noise. Waves of enemies will sweep through it like great waters. The roar of their voices will fill the air. + A destroying army will come against Babylon. The soldiers in the city will be captured. Their bows will be broken. I am the Lord God who pays people back. I will pay them back in full. + I will make Babylon's officials and wise men drunk. I will do the same thing to its governors, officers and soldiers. They will lie down and die. They will never wake up," announces the King. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. + The Lord who rules over all says, "Babylon's thick walls will fall down flat. Its high gates will be set on fire. The nations wear themselves out for no reason at all. Their hard work will only be burned up in the flames." + I gave a message to the staff officer Seraiah, the son of Neriah. I told him to take it with him to Babylon. He went there with Zedekiah, the king of Judah. He left in the fourth year of Zedekiah's rule. Neriah was the son of Mahseiah. + I had written about all of the trouble that would come on Babylon. I had written it down on a scroll. It included everything that had been recorded about Babylon. + I said to Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, here's what I want you to do. Make sure that you read all of these words out loud. + Then say, 'Lord, you have said you will destroy this place. You have said that no people or animals will live here. It will be empty forever.' + "Finish reading the scroll. Tie a stone to it. Throw it into the Euphrates River. + Then say, 'In the same way, Babylon will sink down. It will never rise again. That is because I will bring such horrible trouble on it. And its people will fall along with it.' " The words of Jeremiah end here. + + + Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother's name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah. + Zedekiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did just as Jehoiakim had done. + The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the Lord was angry. In the end he threw them out of his land. Zedekiah refused to obey the king of Babylonia. + Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. He marched out against Jerusalem. All of his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. The armies set up camp outside the city. They set up ladders and built ramps and towers all around it. + It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah's rule. + By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn't any food left in the city. So the people didn't have anything to eat. + Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah's whole army ran away. They left the city at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls that were near the king's garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah's army ran toward the Arabah Valley. + But the armies of Babylonia chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the flatlands near Jericho. All of his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction. + The king was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylonia at Riblah. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. That's where Nebuchadnezzar decided how he would be punished. + At Riblah the king of Babylonia killed the sons of Zedekiah. He forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Nebuchadnezzar also killed all of the officials of Judah. + Then he poked out Zedekiah's eyes. He put him in bronze chains. And he took him to Babylon. There he put Zedekiah in prison until the day he died. + Nebuzaradan served the king of Babylonia. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. It was on the tenth day of the fifth month. + Nebuzaradan set the Lord's temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all of the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building. + The armies of Babylonia broke down all of the walls around Jerusalem. That's what the commander told them to do. + Some of the poorest people still remained in the city along with the others. But the commander Nebuzaradan took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the skilled workers. That included the people who had joined the king of Babylonia. + But Nebuzaradan left the rest of the poorest people of the land behind. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields. + The armies of Babylonia destroyed the Lord's temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried all of the bronze away to Babylon. + They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters, sprinkling bowls and dishes. They took away all of the bronze articles that were used for any purpose in the temple. + The commander of the royal guard took away the bowls and the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls, the pots, the lampstands and the dishes. He took away the bowls that were used for drink offerings. So he took away everything that was made out of pure gold or silver. + The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars. It included the bronze from the huge bowl and the 12 bronze bulls that were under it. It also included the stands. King Solomon had made all of those things for the Lord's temple. + Each of the pillars was 27 feet high and 18 feet around. The pillars were hollow. The metal in each of them was three inches thick. + The bronze top of one pillar was seven and a half feet high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had pomegranates. + There were 96 pomegranates on the sides of each of the two tops. The total number of pomegranates above the bronze chains around each top was 100. + The commander of the guard took many prisoners. They included the chief priest Seraiah and the priest Zephaniah who was under him. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors. + Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer who was in charge of the fighting men. He took the seven men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary who was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. And he took 60 of the secretary's men who were still in the city. + The commander Nebuzaradan took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylonia at Riblah. + There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land. + Here is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylon as prisoners. In the seventh year of his rule, he took 3,023 Jews. + In his 18th year, he took 832 people from Jerusalem. + In Nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the royal guard, took 745 Jews to Babylon. The total number of people who were taken to Babylon was 4,600. + Evil-Merodach set Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, free from prison. It was in the 37th year after Jehoiachin had been taken away to Babylon. It was also the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylonia. It was on the 25th day of the 12th month. + Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave him a place of honor. Other kings were with Jehoiachin in Babylon. But his place was more important than theirs. + So Jehoiachin put his prison clothes away. For the rest of Jehoiachin's life the king of Babylonia provided what he needed. + The king did that for Jehoiachin day by day as long as he lived. He did it until the day Jehoiachin died. + + + + + The city of Jerusalem is so empty! It used to be full of people. But now it's like a woman whose husband has died. She used to be great among the nations. She was like a queen among the kingdoms. But now she is a slave. + Jerusalem sobs bitterly at night. Tears run down her cheeks. None of her friends comforts her. All those who were going to help her have turned against her. They have become her enemies. + After Judah's people had suffered greatly, they were taken away as prisoners. Now they live among the nations. They can't find any place to rest. All those who were chasing them have caught up with them. And they can't get away. + The roads to Zion are empty. No one travels to its appointed feasts. All of the public places near its gates are deserted. Its priests groan. Its young women are sad. And Zion itself sobs bitterly. + Its enemies have become its masters. They have an easy life. The Lord has brought suffering to Jerusalem because its people have committed so many sins. Its children have been taken away as prisoners. Their enemies have forced them to leave their homes. + The city of Zion used to be full of glory. But now its glory has faded away. Its princes are like deer. They can't find anything to eat. They are almost too weak to get away from those who hunt them down. + Jerusalem's people are suffering and wandering. They remember all of the treasures they used to have. But they fell into the hands of their enemies. And no one was there to help them. Their enemies looked at them. They laughed because Jerusalem had been destroyed. + Its people have committed many sins. They have become polluted. All those who honored Jerusalem now look down on it. They look at it as if it were a naked woman. The city groans and turns away in shame. + Her skirts are dirty. She didn't think about how things might turn out. Her fall from power amazed everyone. And no one was there to comfort her. She said, "Lord, please pay attention to how much I'm suffering. My enemies have won the battle over me." + Jerusalem's enemies took away all of its treasures. Its people saw strangers enter its temple. The Lord had commanded them not to do that. + All of Jerusalem's people groan as they search for bread. They trade their treasures for food just to stay alive. They say, "Lord, look at us. Think about our condition. Everyone looks down on us." + They also say, "All of you who are passing by, don't you care about what has happened to us? Just look at our condition. Has anyone suffered the way we have? The Lord has brought all of this on us. He has made us suffer. His anger has burned against us. + "He sent fire down from heaven. It went deep down into our very bones. He spread a net to catch us by the feet. He stopped us right where we were. He made our city empty. We are sick all the time. + "We must carry the heavy load of our sins. He tied it on us with his hands. Our sins are heavy on our necks. The Lord has taken away our strength. He has handed us over to our enemies. We can't win the battle over them. + "The Lord has refused to accept any of our soldiers. He has sent for an army to crush our young men. We are like grapes in the Lord's winepress. He has stomped on us, even though we are his very own people. + "That's why we are sobbing. Tears are flowing from our eyes. No one is near to comfort us. No one can heal our spirits. Our children don't have anything. Our enemies are much too strong for us." + Zion reaches out its hands. But no one is there to comfort its people. The Lord has ordered that the neighbors of Jacob's people would become their enemies. Jerusalem has become polluted among them. + Its people say, "The Lord always does what is right. But we refused to obey his commands. Listen, all of you nations. Pay attention to how much we're suffering. Our young women and young men have been taken away as prisoners. + "We called out to those who were going to help us. But they turned against us. Our priests and elders died in the city. They were searching for food just to stay alive. + "Lord, see how upset we are! We are suffering deep down inside. Our hearts are troubled. Again and again we have refused to obey you. Outside the city, people are being killed with swords. Inside, there is nothing but death. + "People have heard us groan. But no one is here to comfort us. Our enemies have heard about all of our troubles. What you have done makes them happy. So please judge them, just as you said you would. Let them become like us. + "Please pay attention to all of their sinful ways. Punish them as you have punished us. You judged us because we had committed so many sins. We groan all the time. And our hearts are weak." + + + See how the Lord covered the city of Zion with the cloud of his anger! He threw Israel's glory down from heaven to earth. When he was angry, he turned his back on his own city. + Without pity the Lord swallowed up all of the homes of Jacob's people. When he was angry, he tore down the forts of the people of Judah. He brought their kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor. + When he burned with anger, he took away Israel's power. He pulled back his powerful right hand as the enemy approached. His burning anger blazed out in Jacob's land. It burned up everything that was near it. + Like an enemy the Lord got his bow ready to use. He had a sword in his right hand. Like an enemy he destroyed everything that used to be pleasing to him. His anger blazed out like fire. It burned up the homes in the city of Zion. + The Lord was like an enemy. He swallowed up Israel. He swallowed up all of its palaces. He destroyed its forts. He filled the people of Judah with sorrow and sadness. + The Lord's temple was like a garden. But he completely destroyed it. He destroyed the place where he used to meet with his people. He made Zion's people forget their appointed feasts and Sabbath days. When he was very angry, he turned his back on king and priest alike. + The Lord deserted his altar. He left his temple. He handed the walls of Jerusalem's palaces over to its enemies. They shouted loudly in the house of the Lord. You would have thought it was the day of an appointed feast. + The Lord decided to tear down the walls around the city of Zion. He measured out what he wanted to destroy. Then he destroyed it with his powerful hand. He made even its towers and walls sing songs of sadness. All of them fell down. + Its gates sank down into the ground. He broke their metal bars and destroyed them. Its king and princes were taken away to other nations. There is no law anymore. Jerusalem's prophets no longer receive visions from the Lord. + The elders of the city of Zion sit silently on the ground. They have sprinkled dust on their heads. They've put on black clothes to show how sad they are. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads toward the ground. + I've cried so much I can't see very well. I'm suffering deep down inside. My heart is broken because my people are destroyed. Children and babies are fainting in the streets of the city. + They say to their mothers, "Where can we find something to eat and drink?" They faint like wounded soldiers in the streets of the city. Their lives are slipping away in their mothers' arms. + City of Jerusalem, what can I say about you? What can I compare you to? People of Zion, what are you like? I want to comfort you. Your wound is as deep as the ocean. Who can heal you? + The visions of your prophets were lies. They weren't worth anything. They didn't show you the sins you had committed. So that's why you were captured. The messages they gave you were lies. They led you down the wrong path. + All those who pass by clap their hands and make fun of you. They laugh at you and shake their heads at the city of Jerusalem. They say, "Could that be the city that was called perfect and beautiful? Is that the city that brought joy to everyone on earth?" + All of your enemies open their mouths wide against you. They laugh at you and grind their teeth. They say, "We have swallowed Jerusalem's people up. This is the day we've waited for. And we've lived to see it." + The Lord has done what he planned to do. He has made what he said come true. He gave the command long ago. He has destroyed you without pity. He has let your enemies laugh at you. He has made them stronger than you are. + People in the city of Zion, cry out from your heart to the Lord. Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Don't stop at all. Don't give your eyes any rest. + Get up. Cry out as the night begins. Tell the Lord all of your troubles. Lift up your hands to him. Pray that the lives of your children will be spared. At every street corner they faint because they are so hungry. + Jerusalem says, "Lord, look at me. Think about my condition. Have you ever treated anyone else like this? Should women have to eat their babies? Should they eat the children they've taken care of? Should priests and prophets be killed in your own temple? + "Young people and old people alike lie dead in the dust of my streets. My young women and young men have been killed with swords. You killed them when you were angry. You put them to death without pity. + "You sent for terrors to come against me on every side. It was as if you were inviting people to enjoy a feast day. Because you were angry, no one escaped. No one was left alive. I took good care of my children and brought them up. But my enemies have destroyed them." + + + I am a man who has suffered greatly. The Lord has used the Babylonians to punish our people. + He has driven me away. He has made me walk in darkness instead of light. + He has turned his powerful hand against me. He has done it again and again, all day long. + He has worn my body out. He has broken my bones. + He has surrounded me and attacked me. He has made me suffer bitterly. He has made things hard for me. + He has made me live in darkness like those who are dead and gone. + He has built walls around me. I can't escape. He has put heavy chains on me. + I call out and cry for help. But he won't listen to me when I pray. + He has put up a stone wall to block my way. He has made my paths crooked. + He has been like a bear waiting to attack me. He has been like a lion hiding in the bushes. + He has dragged me off the path. He has torn me to pieces. And he has left me helpless. + He has gotten his bow ready to use. He has shot his arrows at me. + The arrows from his bag have gone through my heart. + My people laugh at me all the time. They sing and make fun of me all day long. + The Lord has made my life bitter. He has made me suffer bitterly. + He made me chew stones that broke my teeth. He has walked all over me in the dust. + I have lost all hope of ever having any peace. I've forgotten what good times are like. + So I say, "My glory has faded away. My hope in the Lord is gone." + I remember how I suffered and wandered. I remember how bitter my life was. + I remember it very well. My spirit is very sad deep down inside me. + But here is something else I remember. And it gives me hope. + The Lord loves us very much. So we haven't been completely destroyed. His loving concern never fails. + His great love is new every morning. Lord, how faithful you are! + I say to myself, "The Lord is everything I will ever need. So I will put my hope in him." + The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him. He is good to those who look to him. + It is good when people wait quietly for the Lord to save them. + It is good for a man to carry a heavy load of suffering while he is young. + Let him sit alone and not say anything. The Lord has placed that load on him. + Let him bury his face in the dust. There might still be hope for him. + Let him turn his cheek toward those who would slap him. Let him be filled with shame. + The Lord doesn't turn his back on people forever. + He might bring suffering. But he will also show loving concern. How great his faithful love is! + He doesn't want to bring pain or suffering to people. + Every time people crush prisoners under their feet, the Lord knows all about it. + When people refuse to give a man his rights, the Most High God knows it. + When people don't treat a man fairly, the Lord knows it. + Suppose people order something to happen. It won't happen unless the Lord has planned it. + Troubles and good things alike come to people because the Most High God has commanded them to come. + A man who is still alive shouldn't blame God when God punishes him for his sins. + Let's take a good look at the way we're living. Let's return to the Lord. + Let's lift up our hands to God in heaven. Let's pray to him with all our hearts. + Let's say, "We have sinned. We've refused to obey you. And you haven't forgiven us. + "You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger. You have chased us. You have killed our people without pity. + You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger. Our prayers can't get through to you. + You have made us become like trash and garbage among the nations. + "All of our enemies have opened their mouths wide to swallow us up. + We are terrified and trapped. We are broken and destroyed." + Streams of tears flow from my eyes. That's because my people are destroyed. + Tears will never stop flowing from my eyes. My eyes can't get any rest. + I'll sob until the Lord looks down from heaven. I'll cry until he notices my tears. + What I see brings pain to my spirit. All of the people in my city are suffering so much. + Those who were my enemies for no reason at all hunted me down as if I were a bird. + They tried to end my life by throwing me into a deep pit. They threw stones down at me. + The water rose and covered my head. I thought I was going to die. + Lord, I called out to you. I called out from the bottom of the pit. + I prayed, "Please don't close your ears to my cry for help." And you heard my appeal. + You came near when I called out to you. You said, "Do not be afraid." + Lord, you stood up for me in court. You saved my life and set me free. + Lord, you have seen the wrong things people have done to me. Stand up for me again! + You have seen how my enemies have tried to get even with me. You know all about their plans against me. + Lord, you have heard them laugh at me. You know all about their plans against me. + You have heard my enemies whispering among themselves. They speak against me all day long. + Just look at them sitting and standing there! They sing and make fun of me. + Lord, pay them back. Punish them for what their hands have done. + Cover their minds with a veil. Put a curse on them! + Lord, get angry with them and hunt them down. Wipe them off the face of the earth. + + + Look at how the gold has lost its brightness! See how dull the fine gold has become! The sacred jewels are scattered at every street corner. + The priceless children of Zion were worth their weight in gold. But now they are thought of as clay pots made by the hands of a potter. + Even wild dogs nurse their young pups. But my people are as mean as ostriches in the desert. + When our babies get thirsty, their tongues stick to the roofs of their mouths. When our children beg for bread, no one gives them any. + Those who once ate fine food are dying in the streets. Those who wore fancy clothes are now lying on piles of trash. + My people have been punished more than Sodom was. It was destroyed in a moment. No one offered it a helping hand. + Jerusalem's princes were brighter than snow. They were whiter than milk. Their bodies were redder than rubies. They looked like sapphires. + But now they are blacker than coal. No one even recognizes them in the streets. Their skin is wrinkled on their bones. It has become as dry as a stick. + Those who have been killed with swords are better off than those who have to die of hunger. Those who are hungry waste away to nothing. They don't have any food from the fields. + With their own hands, loving mothers have had to cook even their own children. They ate their children when my people were destroyed. + The Lord has become very angry. He has poured out his burning anger. He started a fire in Zion. It burned up the very foundations. + The kings of the earth couldn't believe what was happening. Neither could any of the world's people. Enemies actually attacked and entered the gates of Jerusalem. + It happened because Jerusalem's prophets had sinned. Its priests had done evil things. All of them spilled the blood of those who did what was right. + Now those prophets and priests have to feel their way along the streets like people who are blind. The blood of those they killed has made them "unclean." So no one dares even to touch their clothes. + "Go away! You are 'unclean'!" people cry out to them. "Go away! Get out of here! Don't touch us!" So they run away and wander around. Then people among the nations say, "They can't stay here anymore." + The Lord himself has scattered them. He doesn't watch over them anymore. No one shows the priests any respect. No one honors the elders. + And that's not all. Our eyes grew tired. We looked for help that never came. We watched from our towers. We kept looking for a nation that couldn't save us. + People hunted us down no matter where we went. We couldn't even walk in our streets. Our end was near. We only had a few days to live. Our end had come. + Those who were hunting us down were faster than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains. They hid and waited for us in the desert. + Zedekiah, the Lord's anointed king, was our last hope. But he was caught in their traps. We thought he would keep us safe. We expected to continue living among the nations. + People of Edom, be joyful. You who live in the land of Uz, be glad. But the cup of the Lord's anger will also be passed to you. Then you will become drunk. Your clothes will be stripped off. + People of Zion, the time for you to be punished will come to an end. The Lord won't keep you away from your land any longer. But he will punish your sin, people of Edom. He will show you the evil things you have done. + + + Lord, think about what has happened to us. Look at the shame our enemies have brought on us. + The land you gave us has been turned over to outsiders. Our homes have been given to strangers. + Our fathers have been killed. Our mothers don't have husbands. + We have to buy the water we drink. We have to pay for the wood we use. + Those who chase us are right behind us. We're tired. We can't get any rest. + We put ourselves under the control of Egypt and Assyria just to get enough bread. + Our people before us sinned. And they are now dead. We are being punished because of their sins. + Slaves rule over us. No one can set us free from their powerful hands. + We put our lives in danger just to get some bread to eat. Robbers in the desert might kill us with their swords. + Our skin is as hot as an oven. We are so hungry we're burning up with fever. + Our women have been raped in Zion. Our virgins have been raped in the towns of Judah. + Our princes have been hung up by their hands. No one shows our elders any respect. + Our young men are forced to grind grain at the mill. Our boys almost fall down as they carry heavy loads of wood. + Our elders don't go to the city gate anymore. Our young men have stopped playing their music. + There isn't any joy in our hearts. Our dancing has turned into sobbing. + All of our honor is gone. How terrible it is for us! We have sinned. + So our hearts are weak. Our eyes can't see very clearly. + Mount Zion has been deserted. Wild dogs are prowling all around on it. + Lord, you rule forever. Your throne will last for all time to come. + Why do you always forget us? Why have you deserted us for so long? + Lord, please bring us back to you. Then we can return. Make our lives like new again. + Or have you completely turned away from us? Are you really that angry with us? + + + + + I was 30 years old. I was with my people who had been taken away from their country. We were by the Kebar River in the land of Babylonia. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the heavens were opened. I saw visions of God. + It was the fifth day of the month. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. It was the fifth year since he had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. + A message came to me from the Lord. I was by the Kebar River in Babylonia. The Lord put his strong hand on me there. I am Ezekiel, the son of Buzi. I'm a priest. + I looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. I saw a huge cloud. The fire of lightning was flashing out of it. Bright light surrounded it. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal. + I saw in the fire something that looked like four living creatures. They appeared to have the shape of a man. + But each of them had four faces and four wings. + Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like the feet of a calf. They were as bright as polished bronze. + The creatures had a man's hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. + Their wings touched one another. Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They didn't change their direction as they moved. + Here's what their faces looked like. Each of the four creatures had a man's face. On the right side each had the face of a lion. On the left each had the face of an ox. Each one also had an eagle's face. + That's what their faces looked like. Two of their wings were spread out and lifted up. Each one touched the wing of another creature on either side. The other two wings covered their bodies. + All of the creatures went straight ahead. Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. They didn't change their direction as they went. + The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures. It was bright. Lightning flashed out of it. + The creatures raced back and forth like flashes of lightning. + As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground beside them. Each creature had four faces. + Here's how the wheels looked and worked. They gleamed like chrysolite. All four of them looked alike. Each one seemed to be made like a wheel inside another wheel at right angles. + The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced. The wheels didn't change their direction as the creatures moved. + Their rims were high and terrifying. All four rims were full of eyes all the way around them. + When the creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved. When the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. + Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. And the wheels would rise along with them. That's because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. + When the creatures moved, the wheels also moved. When the creatures stood still, they also stood still. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them. That's because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. + Something that looked like a huge space was spread out above the heads of the living creatures. It gleamed like ice. It was terrifying. + The wings of the creatures were spread out under the space. They reached out toward one another. Each creature had two wings covering its body. + When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like the roar of rushing waters. It sounded like the thundering voice of the Mighty One. It was like the loud noise an army makes. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings. + Then a voice came from above the huge space over their heads. They stood with their wings lowered. + Above the space over their heads was something that looked like a throne made out of sapphire. On the throne high above was a figure that appeared to be human. + From his waist up he looked like glowing metal that was full of fire. From his waist down he looked like fire. Bright light surrounded him. + The glow around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. That's what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell with my face toward the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking. + + + He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet. I will speak to you." + As he spoke, the Spirit of the Lord came into me. He raised me to my feet. I heard him speaking to me. + He said, "Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. That nation has refused to obey me. They have turned against me. They and their people before them have been against me to this very day. + The people I am sending you to are very stubborn. Tell them, 'Here is what the Lord and King says.' + "They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. But whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet was among them. + "Son of man, do not be afraid of them or of what they say. Do not be afraid, even if thorns and bushes are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say. Do not be terrified by them. They always refuse to obey me. + "You must give them my message. They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. + Son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be like those who refuse to obey me. Open your mouth. Eat what I give you." + Then I looked up. I saw a hand reach out to me. A scroll was in it. + He unrolled it in front of me. Both sides had words written on them. They spoke about sadness, sorrow and trouble. + + + He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is in front of you. Eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel." + So I opened my mouth. And he gave me the scroll to eat. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you. Fill your stomach with it." So I ate it. And it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel. Give them my message. + "I am not sending you to people who speak another language that is hard to learn. Instead, I am sending you to the people of Israel. + You are not being sent to many nations whose people speak other languages that are hard to learn. You would not be able to understand them. Suppose I had sent you to them. Then they certainly would have listened to you. + But the people of Israel do not want to listen to you. That is because they do not want to listen to me. "All of the people of Israel are very stubborn. + But I will make you just as stubborn as they are. + I will make you very brave. So do not be afraid of them. Do not let them terrify you, even though they refuse to obey me." + He continued, "Son of man, listen carefully. Take to heart everything I tell you. + Go now to your own people who were brought here as prisoners. Speak to them. Tell them, 'Here is what the Lord and King says.' Speak to them whether they listen or not." + Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. May the glory of the Lord be praised in the place where he lives! + The sound was made by the wings of the living creatures. They were brushing against one another. The sound was also made by the wheels beside them. It was a loud rumbling sound. + Then the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. My spirit was bitter. I was burning with anger. The strong hand of the Lord was on me. + I came to my people who had been brought as prisoners to Tel Abib. It was near the Kebar River. I went to where they were living. There I sat among them for seven days. I was shocked by everything that had happened. + After seven days, a message came to me from the Lord. + He said, "Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me. + "Suppose I say to a sinful person, 'You can be sure you will die.' And you do not warn him. You do not try to get him to change his evil ways in order to save his life. Then he will die because he has sinned. And I will hold you accountable for his death. + "But suppose you do warn that sinful person. And he does not turn away from his sin or his evil ways. Then he will die because he has sinned. But you will have saved yourself. + "Or suppose a godly person turns away from his godliness and does what is evil. And suppose I put something in his way that will trip him up. Then he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The godly things he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you accountable for his death. + "But suppose you do warn a godly person not to sin. And he does not sin. Then you can be sure that he will live because he listened to your warning. And you will have saved yourself." + The strong hand of the Lord was on me. He said, "Get up. Go out to the flatlands. I will speak to you there." + So I got up and went out to the flatlands. The glory of the Lord was standing there. It was just like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River. So I fell with my face toward the ground. + Then the Spirit of the Lord came into me. He raised me to my feet. He said to me, "Go, son of man. Shut yourself inside your house. + Some people will tie you up with ropes. So you will not be able to go out among your people. + I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. Then you will be silent. You will not be able to correct them. They always refuse to obey me. + "But later I will speak to you. I will open your mouth. Then you will tell them, 'Here is what the Lord and King says.' Those who listen will listen. And those who refuse to listen will refuse. They always refuse to obey me. + + + "Son of man, get a clay tablet. Put it in front of you. Draw the city of Jerusalem on it. + Then pretend to surround it and attack it. Make some little models of war machines. Build a ramp up to it. Set camps up around it. Surround it with models of logs to be used for knocking down its gates. + Then get an iron pan. Put it between you and the city. Pretend it is an iron wall. Turn your face toward the city. It will be under attack when you begin to attack it. That will show the people of Israel what is going to happen to Jerusalem. + "Next, lie down on your left side. Pretend that you are putting Israel's sin on yourself. Keep their sin on you for the number of days you lie on your side. + Let each day you lie there stand for one year of their sin. So you will keep Israel's sin on you for 390 days. + "After you have finished that, lie down again. This time lie on your right side. Pretend that you are putting Judah's sin on yourself. Lie there for 40 days. That is one day for each year of their sin. + "Next, turn your face toward the model of Jerusalem under attack. Uncover your arm as if you were a soldier ready to fight. Prophesy against the city. + "I will tie you up with ropes. Then you will not be able to turn from one side to the other. You will stay that way until you have finished attacking Jerusalem. + "Get some wheat and barley. Also get some beans and lentils. And get some millet and spelt. Put everything in a storage jar. Use it to make some bread for yourself. Eat it during the 390 days you are lying down on your side. + Weigh out eight ounces of food to eat each day. Eat it at your regular mealtimes. + Also measure out two thirds of a quart of water. Drink it at your regular mealtimes. + "Eat your food as you would eat a barley cake. Bake it over human waste in front of the people." + The Lord said, "That is how the people of Israel will eat 'unclean' food. They will eat it in the nations where I will drive them." + Then I said, "No, Lord and King! I won't do it! I've never eaten anything that was 'unclean.' From the time I was young until now, I've never eaten anything that was found dead. And I've never eaten anything that was torn apart by wild animals. 'Unclean' meat has never entered my mouth." + "All right," he said. "I will let you bake your bread over waste from cows. You can use that instead of human waste." + He continued, "Son of man, I will cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will be worried as they eat their tiny share of food. They will not have any hope as they drink their tiny share of water. + There will be very little food and water. The people will be shocked as they look at one another. They will become weaker and weaker because of their sin. + + + "Son of man, get a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor. Shave your head and beard with it. Then get a set of scales and weigh the hair. Separate it into three piles. + "Burn up a third of the hair inside the city. Do it when you stop attacking the model of Jerusalem. Next, get another third of the hair. Strike it with a sword all around the city. Then scatter the last third to the winds. That is because I will chase the people with a sword that is ready to strike them down. + But save a few of the hairs. Tuck them away in the clothes you are wearing. + "Next, get a few more hairs. Throw them into the fire. Burn them up. The fire will spread to all of the people of Israel." + The Lord and King says, "This little model stands for Jerusalem. I have placed that city in the center of the nations. Countries are all around it. + But its people are sinful. They have refused to obey my laws and rules. They have turned their backs on my laws. They have not followed my rules. Those people are worse than the nations and countries around them." + The Lord and King continues, "You people have been worse than the nations around you. You have not lived by my rules or kept my laws. You have not even lived up to the standards of the nations around you." + The Lord and King continues, "Jerusalem, I myself am against you. I will punish you in the sight of the nations. + I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. That is because you worship statues of gods. I hate them. + So parents will eat their own children inside the city. And children will eat their parents. I will punish you. And I will scatter to the winds anyone who is left alive. + "You have made my temple 'unclean.' You have set up statues of all of your evil gods. You have done other things I hate. So I will not show you my favor anymore. I will not spare you or feel sorry for you. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + "A third of your people will die of the plague inside your walls. Or they will die of hunger there. Another third will be killed with swords outside your walls. And I will scatter the last third of your people to the winds. I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down. + "Then I will not be angry anymore. My burning anger against them will die down. And I will be satisfied. Then they will know that I have spoken with strong feelings. And my burning anger toward them will come to an end. I am the Lord. + "I will destroy you. I will bring shame on you in the sight of the nations that are around you. All those who pass by will see it. + You will be put to shame. The nations will make fun of you. You will serve as a warning to others. They will be shocked when they see you. So I will punish you because my anger burns against you. You will feel the sting of my warning. I have spoken. I am the Lord. + "I will shoot at you with my deadly, destroying arrows of hunger. I will shoot to kill. I will bring more and more hunger on you. I will cut off your food supply. + I will send hunger and wild animals against you. They will destroy all of your children. Plague and murder will sweep over you. And I will send swords to kill you. I have spoken. I am the Lord." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to the mountains of Israel. Prophesy against them. + Say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to the message of the Lord and King. Here is what he says to the mountains and hills. And here is what he says to the canyons and valleys. He tells them, "I will send swords to kill your people. I will destroy the high places where you worship other gods. + " ' "Your altars will be torn down. Your incense altars will be smashed. And I will kill your people in front of the statues of your gods. + I will put the dead bodies of Israelites in front of those statues. I will scatter your bones around your altars. + " ' "No matter where you live, the towns will be destroyed. The high places will be torn down. So your altars will be completely destroyed. The statues of your gods will be smashed to pieces. Your incense altars will be broken down. And everything you have made will be wiped out. + Your people will fall down dead among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "But I will spare some of you. Some will escape from being killed with swords. You will be scattered among other lands and nations. + You will be taken away to those nations as prisoners. Those of you who escape will remember me. You will recall how much pain your unfaithful hearts gave me. You turned away from me. Your eyes longed to see the statues of your gods. You will hate yourselves because of all of the evil things you have done. I hate those things too. + You will know that I am the Lord. I said I would bring trouble on you. And my warning came true." ' " + The Lord and King said to me, "Clap your hands. Stamp your feet. Cry out, 'How sad!' Do it because the people of Israel have done so many evil things. I hate those things. Israel will be destroyed by war, hunger and plague. + Those who are far away will die of the plague. Those who are near will be killed with swords. Those who are left alive and are spared will die of hunger. And my burning anger toward them will come to an end. + "Then they will know that I am the Lord. Their people will lie dead among the statues of their gods around their altars. Their bodies will lie on every high hill and every mountaintop. They will lie under every green tree and leafy oak tree. They used to offer sweet-smelling incense to all of their gods at those places. + I will reach out my powerful hand against them. The land will become dry and empty. Those people will live from the desert all the way to Diblah. They will know that I am the Lord." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, I am the Lord and King. I say to the land of Israel, 'The end has come! It has come on the four corners of the land. + The end has now come for you. I will pour out my anger on you. I will judge you based on how you have lived. I will pay you back for all of your evil practices. I hate them. + " 'I will not spare you or feel sorry for you. You can be sure that I will pay you back in keeping with how you have lived. I will judge you for your evil practices. I hate them. You will know that I am the Lord.' + "I am the Lord and King. I say, 'Horrible trouble is coming! No one has ever heard of anything like it. + " 'The end has come! The end has come! It has stirred itself up against you. It is here! + Death has come on you who live in the land. The time for you to be destroyed has come. The day when it will happen is near. There is no joy on your mountains. There is nothing but panic. + " 'I am about to pour out all of my burning anger on you. I will judge you based on how you have lived. I will pay you back for all of your evil practices. I hate them. + " 'I will not spare you or feel sorry for you. I will pay you back based on how you have lived. I will judge you for your evil practices. I hate them. You will know that I am the one who strikes you down. I am the Lord. + " 'The day for me to punish you is here! It has come! Death has arrived. The time is ripe for you to be judged. Your pride has grown so much that you will be destroyed. + Your mean and harmful acts have become like a rod. I will use it to punish you for your sins. None of you will be left. No wealth or anything of value will remain. + " 'The time has come! The day has arrived! I will soon pour out my burning anger on the whole crowd of you. Do not let the buyer be happy. Do not let the seller be sad. + The seller will not get back the land that was sold as long as both of them are alive. " 'Ezekiel, the vision I gave you about that whole crowd will come true. They have committed many sins. So none of them will remain alive. + They might blow trumpets. They might get everything ready. But no one will go into battle. I will soon pour out my burning anger on the whole crowd. + " 'There is trouble everywhere. War is outside the city. Plague and hunger are inside it. Those who are out in the country will die in battle. Those in the city will be destroyed by hunger and plague. + All those who escape and are left alive will run to the mountains. They have committed many sins. So they will cry like sad doves in the valleys. + " 'Their hands will be powerless to help them. Their knees will become as weak as water. + They will put on black clothes. They will put on terror as if it were their clothes. Their faces will be covered with shame. Their heads will be shaved. + " 'They will throw their silver into the streets. Their gold will be like an "unclean" thing. Their silver and gold will not be able to save them on the day I pour out my anger on them. They will not be able to satisfy their hunger. Their stomachs will not be full. Their silver and gold have tripped them up. They have made them fall into sin. + My people were so proud of their beautiful jewelry. They used it to make statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. So I will turn their statues into an "unclean" thing for them. + " 'I will hand everything over to strangers. I will turn it over to sinful people in other countries. They will pollute it. + I will turn my face away from my people. Their enemies will pollute my beautiful temple. Robbers will enter it and pollute it. + " 'Ezekiel, get ready to put my people in chains. The land is full of murderers. They are harming one another all over Jerusalem. + I will bring the most evil nations against them. They will take over the houses in the city. I will put an end to the pride of those who are mighty. Their holy places will be polluted. + " 'When terror comes, they will look for peace. But there will not be any. + Trouble after trouble will come. One report will follow another. But they will not be true. The people will try to get visions from the prophets. But there will not be any. The teaching of the law by the priests will be gone. So will advice from the elders. + " 'The king will be filled with sadness. The princes will lose all hope. The hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will punish them based on how they have lived. I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the Lord.' " + + + It was the sixth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house. The elders of Judah were sitting there with me. The Lord and King put his powerful hand on me there. + I looked up and saw a figure that appeared to be human. From his waist down he looked like fire. From his waist up he looked as bright as glowing metal. + He reached out what appeared to be a hand. He took hold of me by the hair of my head. The Spirit of the Lord lifted me up between earth and heaven. In visions God gave me, the Spirit took me to Jerusalem. He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the inner courtyard. The statue of a god was standing there. It made God very angry. + There in front of me was the glory of the God of Israel. It looked just as it did in the vision I had seen on the flatlands. + Then the Lord said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I did. I saw a statue that made God angry. It was in the entrance of the gate north of the altar. + He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what the people of Israel are doing here? They are doing things I hate very much. Those things will cause me to go far away from my temple. But you will see things I hate even more." + Then he brought me to the entrance to the courtyard. I looked up and saw a hole in the wall. + He said to me, "Son of man, dig into the wall." So I did. And I saw a door there. + He continued, "Go through it. Look at the evil things they are doing here. I hate those things." + So I went in and looked. All over the walls were pictures of all kinds of crawling things and other animals. The Lord hates it when people worship those things. There were also carvings of all of the gods of the people of Israel. + In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel. Jaazaniah was standing there among them. He is the son of Shaphan. Each elder was holding a shallow cup. A sweet-smelling cloud of incense was rising from the cups. + The Lord said to me, "Son of man, do you see what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Each of them is in his own room worshiping his own god. They say, 'The Lord doesn't see us. He has deserted the land.' " + He continued, "You will see them doing things I hate even more." + Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord's house. I saw women sitting there. They were sobbing over the god Tammuz. + The Lord said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing? You will see things I hate even more." + Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord's house. About 25 men were there. They were at the entrance to the Lord's temple between the porch and the altar. Their backs were turned toward the temple. Their faces were turned toward the east. And they were bowing down to the sun. + He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen all of that? The people of Judah are doing things here that I hate. This is a very serious matter. They are harming one another all through the land. They continue to make me very angry. Just look at them making fun of me! + So I am angry with them. I will punish them. I will not spare them or feel sorry for them. They might even shout in my ears. But I will not listen to them." + + + Then I heard the Lord call out in a loud voice. He said, "Bring those who guard the city here. Make sure each of them has a weapon." + I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate. It faces north. Each of them had a deadly weapon. A man who was wearing linen clothes came along with them. He was carrying a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. + The glory of the God of Israel had been above the cherubim. It moved from there to the doorway of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He had the writing kit. + The Lord said to him, "Go all through Jerusalem. Look for those who are sad and sorry about all of the things that are being done there. I hate those things. Put a mark on the foreheads of those people." + I heard him speak to the six men. He said, "Follow him through the city. Do not show any pity or concern. + Kill old men and women, young men and women, and children. But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Start at my temple." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. + Then he said to the men, "Make the temple 'unclean.' Fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go!" So they went out and started killing people all through the city. + While they were doing it, I was left alone. I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out, "Lord and King, are you going to destroy all of the Israelites who are still left alive? Will you pour out your burning anger on all those who remain in Jerusalem?" + He answered me, "The sin of Israel and Judah is very great. The land is full of murderers. They are not being fair to one another anywhere in Jerusalem. They say, 'The Lord has deserted the land. He doesn't see us.' + So I will not spare them or feel sorry for them. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault." + Then the man who was wearing linen clothes returned. He had the writing kit. He reported, "I've done what you commanded." + + + I looked up and saw something that appeared to be a throne made out of sapphire. It was above the huge space that was spread out over the heads of the cherubim. + The Lord spoke to the man who was wearing linen clothes. He said, "Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from the fire that is among the cherubim. Scatter the coals over the city." As I watched, he went in. + The cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in. A cloud filled the inner courtyard. + Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim. It moved to the doorway of the temple. The cloud filled the temple. And the courtyard was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord. + The sound the wings of the cherubim made could be heard as far away as the outer courtyard. It was like the voice of the Mighty God when he speaks. + The Lord gave a command to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He said, "Get some coals of fire from among the wheels. Take them from among the cherubim." So the man went in and stood beside a wheel. + Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand. He picked up some of the burning coals that were among the wheels. He handed them to the man who was wearing linen clothes. The man took them and left. + I saw what looked like a man's hands. They were under the wings of the cherubim. + I looked up and saw four wheels beside the cherubim. One wheel was beside each of them. The wheels gleamed like chrysolite. + All four of them looked alike. Each wheel appeared to be inside another wheel at right angles. + The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced. The wheels didn't change their direction as the cherubim moved. The cherubim went in the direction their heads faced. They didn't change their direction as they moved. + Their whole bodies were completely covered with eyes. That included their backs, hands and wings. Their four wheels were covered with eyes too. + I heard someone tell the wheels to start spinning around. + Each of the cherubim had four faces. One face was the face of a cherub. The second was a man's face. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was an eagle's face. + The cherubim rose from the ground. They were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. + When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved. The cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground. As they did, the wheels didn't leave their side. + When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still. When the cherubim rose, the wheels rose along with them. That's because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. + Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the doorway of the temple. It stopped above the cherubim. + While I watched, they spread their wings. They rose from the ground. As they went, the wheels went along with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord's house. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them. + Those were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. I had seen them beneath the God of Israel. I realized that they were cherubim. + Each one had four faces and four wings. Under their wings was what looked like a man's hands. + Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen by the Kebar River. Each of the cherubim went straight ahead. + + + Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. He brought me to the east gate of the Lord's house. There were 25 men at the entrance of the gate. I saw Jaazaniah and Pelatiah among them. They were leaders of the people. Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur. Pelatiah is the son of Benaiah. + The Lord said to me, "Son of man, these men are making evil plans. They are giving bad advice to the city. + They say, 'This is not the time to build houses. The city is like a cooking pot. And we are the meat.' + So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man." + Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me. He told me to tell them, "The Lord says, 'People of Israel, that is what you are saying. But I know what you are thinking. + You have killed many people in this city. In fact, you have filled its streets with dead bodies.' + "So the Lord and King says, 'The bodies you have thrown there are the meat. And the city is the cooking pot. But I will drive you out of it. + You are afraid of the swords of war. But I will bring them against you,' announces the Lord and King. + " 'I will drive you out of the city. I will hand you over to strangers. And I will punish you. + You will be killed with swords. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " 'This city will not be a pot for you. And you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. + Then you will know that I am the Lord. You have not followed my rules. You have not kept my laws. Instead, you have lived by the standards of the nations that are around you.' " + Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died as I was prophesying. Then I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out in a loud voice. I said, "Lord and King, will you destroy all of the Israelites who are still left alive?" + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have spoken about your relatives. They have also spoken about all of the other people of Israel. They have said, 'Stay far away from the Lord. This land was given to us. And it belongs to us.' + "So tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "I sent some of my people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have been their temple in the countries where they have gone." ' + "Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel." ' + "They will return to it. They will remove all of its statues of evil gods. I hate those gods. + I will give my people hearts that are completely committed to me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey me. + Then they will follow my rules. They will be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people. And I will be their God. + "But some people have hearts that are committed to worshiping the statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. Anything that happens to those people will be their own fault," announces the Lord and King. + Then the cherubim spread their wings. The wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them. + The glory of the Lord went up from the city. It stopped above the Mount of Olives east of it. + The Spirit of God lifted me up. He took me to those who had been brought to Babylonia as prisoners. Those are the things that happened in the visions the Spirit gave me. Then the visions I had seen were gone. + I told my people everything the Lord had shown me. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, you are living among people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes that can see. But they do not really see. They have ears that can hear. But they do not really hear. They refuse to obey me. + "Son of man, pack your belongings as if you were going on a long trip. Leave in the daytime. Let the people see you. Start out from where you are. Go to another place. Perhaps they will understand the meaning of what you are doing. But they will still refuse to obey me. + Bring out your belongings packed for a long trip. Do it during the daytime. Let the people see you. Then in the evening, pretend you are being forced to leave home. Let the people see you. + "While the people are watching, dig through the mud bricks of your house. Then take your belongings out through the hole in the wall. + Put them on your shoulder. Carry them out at sunset. Let the people see you. Cover your face so you can't see the land. All of that will show the people of Israel what is going to happen to them." + So I did just as he commanded me. During the day I brought out my things as if I were going on a long trip. In the evening I dug through the wall of my house with my hands. At sunset I took my belongings out. I put them on my shoulders. The people watched what I was doing. + In the morning a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, didn't the people of Israel ask you, 'What are you doing?' They always refuse to obey me. + "Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "This message is about Zedekiah, the prince in Jerusalem. It is also about all of the people of Israel who still live there." ' + Tell them, 'The things I've done are a picture of what's going to happen to you. So what I've done will happen to you. You will be forced to leave home. You will be taken to Babylonia as prisoners.' + "The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder and leave. He will do it at sunset. Someone will dig a hole in a wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so he can't see the land. + I will spread out my net to catch him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylonia. It is the land where the Chaldeans live. But he will not see it. He will die there. + I will scatter to the winds all those who are around him. I will scatter his officials and all of his troops. And I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down. + "They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations. I will send them to other countries. + But I will spare a few of them. I will save them from war, hunger and plague. In those countries they will admit they have done all kinds of evil things. I hate those things. They will know that I am the Lord." + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, tremble with fear as you eat your food. Tremble as you drink your water. + Speak to the people of the land. Say to them, 'Here is what the Lord and King says about those who live in Jerusalem and Israel. He tells them, "They will be worried as they eat their food. They will not have any hope as they drink their water. Their land will be stripped of everything in it because all those who live there are harming one another. + The towns where people live will be completely destroyed. The land will become a dry and empty desert. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' " + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, you have a proverb in the land of Israel. It says, 'The days go by, and not even one vision comes true.' + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "I am going to put an end to that proverb. They will not use that saying in Israel anymore." ' Tell them, 'The days are coming soon when every vision will come true. + There will be no more false visions. People will no longer use magic to find out whether good things are going to happen in Israel. + I am the Lord. So I will say what I want to. And it will come true when I want it to. In your days I will do everything I say I will. But you people always refuse to obey me,' announces the Lord and King." + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, 'The vision Ezekiel sees won't come true for many years. He is prophesying about a time that is a long way off.' + "So tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Everything I say will come true. It will happen when I want it to," announces the Lord and King.' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, prophesy against those who are now prophesying in Israel. What they prophesy comes out of their own minds. Tell them, 'Listen to the Lord's message! + The Lord and King says, "How terrible it will be for you foolish prophets! You say what your own minds tell you to. Your visions did not come from me. + " ' "Israel, your prophets are like wild dogs that live among broken-down buildings. + You have not repaired the cracks in the city wall for the people of Israel. So it will not stand firm in the battle on the day I judge you. + The visions of those prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say, 'The Lord announces.' But I have not sent them. In spite of that, they expect their words to come true. + " ' "You prophets have seen false visions. You have used magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But your magic tricks are lies. So you lied when you said, 'The Lord announces.' I did not even speak to you at all." + " 'The Lord and King says, "I am against you prophets. Your messages are false. Your visions do not come true," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "Israel, my powerful hand will be against the prophets who see false visions. Their magic tricks are lies. They will not be among the leaders of my people. They will not be listed in the records of Israel. In fact, they will not even enter the land. Then you will know that I am the Lord and King. + " ' "They lead my people away from me. They say, 'Peace.' But there isn't any peace. They are like people who build a weak wall. They try to cover up the weakness by painting the wall white. + Tell those who do it that their wall is going to fall. Heavy rains will come. I will send hailstones crashing down. Powerful winds will blow. + The wall will fall down. Then people will ask them, 'Now where is the paint you covered it with?' " + " 'So the Lord and King speaks. He says, "When I am burning with anger, I will send a powerful wind. Hailstones and heavy rains will come. They will fall with great force. + I will tear down the wall you prophets painted over. I will knock it down. The only thing left will be its foundation. When it falls, you will be destroyed along with it. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "So I will pour out all of my burning anger on the wall. I will also send it against you prophets who painted it. I will say to you, 'The wall is gone. You who painted it will be gone too. + You prophets of Israel prophesied to Jerusalem. You saw visions of peace for its people. But there wasn't any peace,' announces the Lord and King." ' + "Son of man, turn your attention to the daughters of your people. What they prophesy comes out of their own minds. So prophesy against them. + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "How terrible it will be for you women who sew magic charms to put around your wrists! You make veils of different lengths to put on your heads. You do those things to trap people. You trap my people. But you will also be trapped. + You have treated me as if I were not holy. You did it among my very own people. You did it for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You told lies to my people. They like to listen to lies. You killed those who should have lived. And you spared those who should have died." + " 'So the Lord and King says, "I am against your magic charms. You use them to trap people as if they were birds. I will tear them off your arms. I will set free the people you trap like birds. + I will tear your veils off your heads. I will save my people from your powerful hands. They will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "I had not made godly people sad. But when you told them lies, you made them lose all hope. You advised sinful people not to turn from their evil ways. You did not want them to save their lives. + So you will never see false visions again. You will not use your magic tricks anymore. I will save my people from your powerful hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' " + + + Some of the elders of Israel came to see me. They sat down with me. + Then a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, these men have thought about nothing but other gods. They have fallen into the evil trap of worshiping them. Should I let those men ask me for any advice? + "Speak to them. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Suppose an Israelite thinks about other gods. And he falls into the evil trap of worshiping them. Then he goes to a prophet to ask for advice. If he does, I myself will tell the prophet to answer him in keeping with his worship of many gods. + I will win back the hearts of the people of Israel. All of them have deserted me for their other gods." ' + "So speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Turn away from your sins! Also turn away from your gods. Give up all of the evil things you have done. I hate them. + " ' "Suppose an Israelite or outsider who lives in Israel separates himself from me. And he thinks about other gods. He falls into the evil trap of worshiping them. Then he goes to a prophet to ask me for advice. If he does, I myself will tell the prophet to answer him. + I will turn against him. I will make an example out of him. People will laugh at him. I will cut him off from you. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "Suppose that prophet is stirred up to give a prophecy. Then I am the one who has stirred him up. And I will reach out my powerful hand against him. I will destroy him from among my people Israel. + The prophet will be as much to blame as the one who asks him for advice. Both of them will be guilty. + Then the people of Israel will no longer wander away from me. And they will not pollute themselves anymore with their many sins. They will be my people. And I will be their God," ' announces the Lord and King." + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, suppose the people in a certain country sin against me. And they are not faithful to me. So I reach out my powerful hand against them. I cut off their food supply. I make them very hungry. I kill them and their animals. + And suppose Noah, Daniel and Job were in that country. Then those three men could save only themselves by doing what is right," announces the Lord and King. + "Or suppose I send wild animals through that country. And they kill all of its children. It becomes a dry and empty desert. No one can pass through it because of the animals. + And suppose those three men were in that country. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. But the land would become a dry and empty desert. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + "Or suppose I send swords to kill the people in that country. And I say, 'Let swords sweep all through the land.' And I kill its people and their animals. + And suppose those three men were in that country. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + "Or suppose I send a plague into that land. And I pour out my burning anger on it by spilling blood. I kill its people and their animals. + And suppose Noah, Daniel and Job were in that land. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves by doing what is right. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + The Lord and King says, "It will get much worse. I will punish Jerusalem in four horrible ways. There will be war, hunger, wild animals and plague. They will destroy the people and their animals. + "But some people will be left alive. Some children will be brought out of the city. They will come to you. You will see how they act and the way they live. And you will be comforted in spite of all of the trouble I brought on Jerusalem. + You will be comforted when you see how they act and the way they live. Then you will know that I did not do anything there without a reason," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, is the wood of a vine better than the wood of any of the trees in the forest? + Can its wood ever be made into anything useful? Can pegs be made from it to hang things on? + "Suppose it is thrown in the fire to be burned. And the fire burns both ends and blackens the middle. Then is it useful for anything? + It was not useful when it was whole. So how can it be made into something useful now? The fire has burned it and blackened it." + The Lord and King says, "Instead of the wood of any tree in the forest, I have given the vine to burn in the fire. I will treat the people who live in Jerusalem the same way. + I will turn against them. They might have come out of the fire. But the fire will destroy them anyway. I will turn against them. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + I will make the land a dry and empty desert. My people have not been faithful to me," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, tell the people of Jerusalem the evil things they have done. I hate those things. + "Tell them, 'The Lord and King speaks to Jerusalem. He says, "Your history in the land of Canaan goes back a long way. Your father was an Amorite. Your mother was a Hittite. + On the day you were born your cord was not cut. You were not washed with water to clean you up. You were not rubbed with salt. And you were not wrapped in large strips of cloth. + No one took pity on you. No one was concerned enough to do any of those things for you. Instead, you were thrown out into an open field. You were hated on the day you were born. + " ' "I was passing by. I saw you kicking around in your blood. As you were lying there, I said to you, 'Live!' + I made you grow like a plant in a field. Soon you had grown up. You became the most beautiful jewel of all. Your breasts had formed. Your hair had grown. But you were naked and bare. + " ' "Later, I was passing by again. I looked at you. I saw that you were old enough for love. So I got married to you and took good care of you. I covered your naked body. I took an oath and made a firm promise to you. I entered into a covenant with you. And you became mine," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "I bathed you with water. I washed the blood off you. And I put lotions on you. + I put a beautiful dress on you. I gave you leather sandals. I dressed you in fine linen. I covered you with expensive clothes. + I decorated you with jewelry. I put bracelets on your arms. I gave you a necklace for your neck. + I put rings on your nose and ears. And I gave you a beautiful crown for your head. + " ' "So you were decorated with gold and silver. Your clothes were made out of fine linen. They were made of expensive and beautiful cloth. Your food was made out of fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful. You became a queen. + You were so beautiful that your fame spread among the nations. The glory I had given you made your beauty perfect," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "But you trusted in your beauty. You used your fame to become a prostitute. You offered your body freely to anyone who passed by. In fact, you gave yourself to anyone who wanted you. + You used some of your clothes to make high places colorful. That is where people worshiped other gods. You were a prostitute there. Things like that should never happen. They should never take place. + " ' "I had given you fine jewelry. It was made out of gold and silver. You used it to make for yourself statues of male gods. You worshiped those gods. You were not faithful to me. + You put your beautiful clothes on them. You offered my oil and incense to them. + You also offered them the food that was made out of fine flour, olive oil and honey. I had given it to you to eat. You offered it as sweet-smelling incense to them. That is what you did," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "Then you got your sons and daughters who belonged to me. And you sacrificed them as food to other gods. Wasn't it enough for you to be a prostitute? + You killed my children. You sacrificed them to other gods. + " ' "You did not remember the days when you were young. At that time you were naked and bare. You were kicking around in your blood. But now you have done evil things. I hate them. You have worshiped other gods. You have not been faithful to me. + " ' "How terrible it will be for you!" announces the Lord and King. "How terrible for you! You continued to sin against me. + Your people built up mounds for themselves in every market place. They put little places of worship on them. + They set them up at every street corner. Jerusalem, you misused your beauty. You offered your body to anyone who passed by. You did it again and again. + " ' "You committed shameful acts with the people of Egypt. They were your neighbors, and they were filled with longing for their lovers. You offered yourself to others again and again. That made me very angry. + So I reached out my powerful hand against you. I made your territory smaller. I handed you over to your Philistine enemies. The people in their towns were shocked by your impure conduct. + " ' "You also committed shameful acts with the people of Assyria. Nothing ever seemed to satisfy you. You could never get enough. + Then you offered yourself to the people of Babylonia. But that did not satisfy you either. There are many traders in the land of Babylonia. + " ' "You can't control yourself," announces the Lord and King. "Just look at all of the things you are doing! You are acting like a prostitute who has no shame at all. + Your people built up mounds at every street corner. You put little places of worship on them in every market place. But you did not really act like a prostitute. You refused to let your lovers pay you anything. + " ' "You unfaithful wife! You would rather be with strangers than with your own husband! + Every prostitute gets paid. But you give gifts to all of your lovers. You offer them money to come to you from everywhere. You want them to make love to you. You are not faithful to me. + As a prostitute, you are the opposite of others. No one runs after you to make love to you. You are exactly the opposite. You pay them. They do not pay you." ' " + You prostitute, listen to the Lord's message. + The Lord and King says, "You poured out your wealth on your lovers. You took your clothes off and made love to them. You did it again and again. You worshiped other gods. I hate them. You even sacrificed your children to them. + "So I am going to gather together all of the lovers you found pleasure with. They include those you loved and those you hated. I will gather them against you from everywhere. I will take your clothes off right in front of them. Then they will see you completely naked. + I will hand down my sentence against you. You will be punished like women who commit adultery and sacrifice their children to other gods. My anger burns against you so much that I will sentence you to death for everything you have done. + "Then I will hand you over to your lovers. They will tear down those mounds you built. They will destroy the little places of worship you put on them. They will take your clothes off. They will remove your fine jewelry. And they will leave you naked and bare. + "They will bring a crowd against you. The crowd will put you to death by throwing stones at you. And they will chop you to pieces with their swords. + They will burn your houses down and punish you. Many women will see it. "I will not let you be a prostitute anymore. You will no longer pay your lovers. + Then my burning anger against you will die down. My jealous anger will turn away from you. I will be calm. I will not be angry anymore. + "You did not remember the days when you were young. The things you did made me very angry. So anything that happens to you will be your own fault," announces the Lord and King. "You added impure conduct to all of the other evil things you did. I hate all of those things. + "All those who use proverbs will use this one about you. They will say, 'Like mother, like daughter.' + You are a true daughter of your mother. She hated her husband and children. And you are a true sister of your sisters. They hated their husbands and children. "Your mother was a Hittite. Your father was an Amorite. + Your older sister was Samaria. She lived north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister was Sodom. She lived south of you with her daughters. + You lived exactly the way they did. You copied their evil practices. I hate those practices. Everything you did was so sinful that you soon became even worse than they were. + "Your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + "Here is the sin your sister Sodom committed. She and her daughters were proud. They ate too much. They were not concerned about others. They did not help those who were poor and in need. + They were very proud. They did many things that were evil in my sight. I hated those things. So I got rid of Sodom and her daughters, just as you have seen. + "Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You sinned even more than they did. I hate those sins. Compared to what you did, you made your sisters seem godly. + So you will be dishonored. You have given your sisters an excuse for what they did. Your sins were far worse than theirs. In fact, your sisters appear to be more godly than you. So then, be ashamed. You will be dishonored. You have made them appear to be godly. + "I will not only give you back what you had before. I will also do the same thing for Sodom and her daughters. And I will do the same for Samaria and her daughters. + That will make you feel dishonored. You will be ashamed of everything you have done. You have made them feel better because you sinned more and were punished more than they were. + Your sisters Sodom and Samaria and their daughters will return to what they were before. And you and your daughters will return to what you were before. + "In the past you would not even mention your sister Sodom. You were proud at that time. + That was before your sin was uncovered. Now the daughters of Edom make fun of you. So do all of her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines. Everyone who lives around you looks down on you. + You will be punished for your impure conduct. I will also punish you for the other evil things you have done. I hate all of those things," announces the Lord. + The Lord and King says, "I will punish you in keeping with what you have done. I sealed with an oath the covenant I made with you. You hated that oath. And you broke my covenant. + "But I will remember my covenant with you. I made it with you when you were young. Now I will make a new covenant with you. It will last forever. + Then you will remember how you have lived. You will be ashamed when I give you Samaria and Sodom. Samaria is your older sister. Sodom is your younger one. I will give them and their daughters to you as daughters. That can't happen based on my old covenant with you. + So I will make my new covenant with you. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + "I will pay for all of the sins you have committed. Then you will remember what you have done. You will be ashamed of it. Because of your shame, you will never speak against me again," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, tell the people of Israel a story about their kings. Let them know what will happen to them. + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "A great eagle came to the city of 'Lebanon.' It had powerful wings and a lot of long feathers. The feathers were colorful and beautiful. The eagle landed in the top of a cedar tree. + It broke off the highest twig. It carried it away to Babylonia. There are many traders in that land. The eagle planted the twig in the city of Babylon. + " ' "Then it got a seed from your land. It put it in rich soil near plenty of water. It planted the seed like a willow tree. + The seed grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward the eagle. And its roots remained under the eagle. So the seed became a vine. It produced branches and put out leaves. + " ' "But there was another great eagle. It also had powerful wings and a lot of feathers. The vine now sent its roots out toward that eagle. It sent them out from the place where it was planted. And it reached out its branches to the eagle for water. + The seed had been planted in good soil near plenty of water. Then it could produce branches and bear fruit. It could become a beautiful vine." ' + "Ezekiel, tell the Israelites, 'The Lord and King asks, "Will the vine grow? Won't it be pulled up by its roots? Won't all of its fruit be stripped off? Won't it dry up? All of its new growth will dry up. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up. + It will not grow even if it is pulled up and planted somewhere else. It will dry up completely when the east wind strikes it. It will dry up in the place where it grew." ' " + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "These people refuse to obey me. Ask them, 'Don't you know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'Nebuchadnezzar went to Jerusalem. He was king of Babylonia. He carried off King Jehoiachin and the nobles. He brought them back with him to the city of Babylon. + " 'Then Nebuchadnezzar made a peace treaty with Zedekiah. He was a member of Jerusalem's royal family. Nebuchadnezzar made him take an oath and promise he would keep the treaty. He also took the leading men of the land away as prisoners. + He did it to bring their kingdom down. It would not rise again. In fact, it would be able to last only by keeping his treaty. + " 'But Zedekiah turned against him. He sent messengers to Egypt. They went there to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does things like that escape? Can he break the peace treaty and still escape? + " 'Zedekiah will die in Babylon,' announces the Lord and King. 'And that is just as sure as I am alive. He will die in the land of King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him on the throne. He is the king whose oath Zedekiah hated. He also broke Nebuchadnezzar's treaty. + " 'So Nebuchadnezzar will build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. He will set up war machines to destroy many lives. Pharaoh will not be able to help Zedekiah during the war. The huge and mighty army of Egypt will not be of any help. + " 'Zedekiah hated Nebuchadnezzar's oath and broke his treaty. He had made a firm promise to keep it. But he broke it anyway. So he will not escape. + " 'The Lord and King says, "Zedekiah hated the oath he took in my name. He broke the treaty. So I will pay him back. And that is just as sure as I am alive. + I will spread out my net to catch him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon. I will judge him there because he was not faithful to me. + " ' "All of Zedekiah's troops will be killed with swords when they try to run away. Those who are left alive will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I have spoken. I am the Lord." + " 'The Lord and King says, "I myself will get a twig from the very top of a cedar tree and plant it. I will break off the highest twig. I will plant it on a very high mountain. + I will plant it on the high mountains of Israel. It will produce branches and bear fruit. It will become a beautiful cedar tree. All kinds of birds will make their nests in it. They will live in the shade of its branches. + All of the trees in the fields will know that I bring tall trees down. I make short trees grow tall. I dry up green trees. And I make dry trees green." " 'I have spoken. I will do it. I am the Lord.' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "You people have a proverb about the land of Israel. What do you mean by it? It says, " 'The parents eat sour grapes. But the children have a bitter taste in their mouths.' + "You will not use that proverb in Israel anymore," announces the Lord and King. "And that is just as sure as I am alive. + Everyone belongs to me. Father and son alike belong to me. People will die because of their own sins. + "Suppose a godly man does what is fair and right. + And he does not eat at the mountain temples. He does not worship the statues of Israel's gods. He does not have sex with another man's wife. He does not make love to his own wife during her monthly period. + He does not treat anyone badly. Instead, he always gives back what he took as security for a loan. He does not steal. Instead, he gives his food to hungry people. He provides clothes for those who are naked. + He does not lend money and charge too much interest. He keeps himself from doing what is wrong. He judges cases fairly. + He follows my rules. He is faithful in keeping my laws. He always does what is right. You can be sure he will live," announces the Lord and King. + "But suppose he has a mean son who harms other people. The son commits murder. Or he does some other things that are wrong. + Suppose he does those things even though his father never did. "Suppose he eats at the mountain temples. And he has sex with another man's wife. + He treats poor and needy people badly. He steals. He does not pay back what he owes. He worships statues of gods. He does other things I hate. + He lends money and charges too much interest. Will a man like that live? He will not! You can be sure he will be put to death. And what happens to him will be his own fault. He did many things I hate. + "But suppose that son has a son of his own. And the son sees all of the sins his father commits. He sees them, but he does not do them. + "Suppose he does not eat at the mountain temples. And he does not worship the statues of Israel's gods. He does not have sex with another man's wife. + He does not treat anyone badly. He does not make people give him something to prove they will pay back what they owe him. He does not steal. Instead, he gives his food to hungry people. He provides clothes for those who are naked. + He keeps himself from committing sins. He does not lend money and charge too much interest. He keeps my laws and follows my rules. He will not die because of his father's sin. You can be sure he will live. + But his father will die because of his own sin. He got rich by cheating others. He robbed his relatives. He also did what was wrong among his people. + "But you still ask, 'Is the son guilty along with his father?' No! The son did what was fair and right. He was careful to keep all of my rules. So you can be sure he will live. + People will die because of their own sins. The son will not be guilty because of what his father did. And the father will not be guilty because of what his son did. The right things a godly person does will be added to his account. The wrong things a sinful person does will be charged against him. + "But suppose a sinful person turns away from all of the sins he has committed. And he keeps all my rules. He does what is fair and right. Then you can be sure he will live. He will not die. + None of the sins he has committed will be held against him. Because of the godly things he has done, he will live. + "When sinful people die, it does not give me any joy," announces the Lord and King. "But when they turn away from their sins and live, that makes me very happy. + "Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And he commits sin. He does the same evil things a sinful person does. He does things I hate. Then he will not live. I will not remember any of the right things he has done. He has not been faithful to me. He has also committed many other sins. So he is guilty. He will die. + "But you say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' Listen to me, people of Israel. What I do is always fair. What you do is not. + "Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And he commits sin. Then he will die because of it. He will die because of the sin he has committed. + "But suppose a sinful person turns away from the evil things he has done. And he does what is fair and right. Then he will save his life. + He thinks about all of the evil things he has done. And he turns away from them. So you can be sure he will live. He will not die. + "But the people of Israel still say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' People of Israel, what I do is always fair. What you do is not. + "So I will judge you people. I will judge each of you in keeping with what you have done," announces the Lord and King. "Turn away from your sins! Turn away from all of the evil things you have done. Then sin will not bring you down. + Get rid of all of the evil things you have done. Let me give you a new heart and a new spirit. Then you will be faithful to me. Why should you die, people of Israel? + When anyone dies, it does not give me any joy," announces the Lord and King. "So turn away from your sins. Then you will live! + + + "Sing a song of sadness about Israel's princes. + Say to Israel, " 'You were like a mother lion to your princes. She lay down among the young lions. She brought up her cubs. + One of them was Jehoahaz. He became a strong lion. He learned to tear apart what he caught. And he ate men up. + The nations heard about him. They trapped him in their pit. They put hooks in his face. And they led him away to Egypt. + " 'The mother lion looked and waited. But all of her hope was gone. So she got another one of her cubs. She made him into a strong lion. + He prowled with the lions. He became very strong. He learned to tear apart what he caught. And he ate men up. + He broke down their forts. He completely destroyed their towns. The land and all those who were in it were terrified when he roared. + Then nations came against him. They came from all around him. They spread out their net to catch him. He was trapped in their pit. + They used hooks to pull him into a cage. They brought him to the king of Babylonia. They put him in prison. So his roar was not heard anymore on the mountains of Israel. + " 'Israel, you were like a vine in a vineyard. It was planted near water. It had a lot of fruit and many branches. There was plenty of water. + Its branches were strong. Each was good enough to be made into a ruler's rod. The vine grew high above all of the leaves. It stood out because it was so tall and had so many branches. + But Nebuchadnezzar became angry. He pulled it up by its roots. He threw it to the ground. The east wind dried it up. Its fruit was stripped off. Its strong branches dried up. And fire destroyed them. + Now it is planted in the Babylonian desert. It is in a dry and thirsty land. + One of its main branches was Zedekiah. Fire spread from it and burned up its fruit. None of its branches is good enough to be made into a ruler's rod.'"That is a song of sadness. And that is how it should be used." + + + It was the seventh year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to ask the Lord for advice. They sat down with me. + Then a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Have you come to ask me for advice? I will not let you do that," announces the Lord and King. "And that is just as sure as I am alive." ' + "Are you going to judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Tell them the evil things their people did long ago. I hate those things. + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "I chose Israel. On that day I raised my hand and took an oath. I made a promise to the members of Jacob's family line. I made myself known to them in Egypt. I raised my hand and told them, 'I am the Lord your God.' + " ' "On that day I promised I would bring them out of Egypt. I told them I would take them to a land I had found for them. It had plenty of milk and honey. It was the most beautiful land of all. + I said to them, 'Each of you must get rid of the statues of the evil gods you worship. Do not pollute yourselves by worshiping the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' + " ' "But they refused to obey me. They would not listen to me. They did not get rid of the evil gods they worshiped. And they did not turn away from Egypt's gods. So I said I would pour out all of my burning anger on them in Egypt. + " ' "But I wanted my name to be honored. I kept it from being treated as if it were not holy. I did not want that to happen in front of the nations my people lived among. I had made myself known to Israel in the sight of those nations. I had brought my people out of Egypt. + " ' "So I led them out of Egypt. I brought them into the Desert of Sinai. + I gave them my rules. I made my laws known to them. The one who obeys them will live by them. + I also told them to observe my Sabbath days. That is the sign of the covenant I made with them. I wanted them to know that I made them holy. I am the Lord. + " ' "But the people of Israel refused to obey me in the desert. They did not follow my rules. They turned their backs on my laws. The one who obeys them will live by them. They totally misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out my burning anger on them. I would destroy them in the desert. + " ' "But I wanted my name to be honored. I kept it from being treated as if it were not holy. I did not want that to happen in front of the nations. They had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt. + " ' "I also raised my hand and took an oath in the desert. I told my people I would not bring them into the land I had given them. It had plenty of milk and honey. It was the most beautiful land of all. + But they turned their backs on my laws. They did not follow my rules. They misused my Sabbaths. Their hearts were committed to worshiping the statues of their gods. + " ' "Then I felt sorry for them. So I did not destroy them. I did not put an end to them in the desert. + I spoke to their children there. I said, 'Do not follow the rules your parents gave you. Do not obey their laws. Do not pollute yourselves by worshiping their gods. + I am the Lord your God. So follow my rules. Be careful to obey my laws. + Keep my Sabbath days holy. That is the sign of the covenant I made with you. You will know that I am the Lord your God.' + " ' "But their children refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They were not careful to keep my laws. The one who obeys them will live by them. They misused my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out all of my burning anger on them in the desert. + " ' "But I kept myself from punishing them at that time. I wanted my name to be honored. So I kept it from being treated as if it were not holy. I did not want that to happen in front of the nations. They had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt. + " ' "I also raised my hand and took an oath in the desert. I told my people I would scatter them among the nations. I would send them to other countries. + They had not obeyed my laws. They had turned their backs on my rules. They had misused my Sabbaths. Their eyes longed to see the statues of their parents' gods. + " ' "I even let them follow rules that were not good. I let them have laws they could not live by. + I let them become polluted by offering sacrifices to other gods. They even sacrificed the first male child who was born in each family. I wanted to fill them with horror. Then they would know that I am the Lord." ' + "Son of man, speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Your people spoke evil things against me long ago. They deserted me. + But I brought them into the land. I had taken an oath and promised to give the land to them. Then they offered sacrifices that made me very angry. They did it on every high hill and under every green tree. There they brought their sweet-smelling incense. And there they poured out their drink offerings. + Then I said to them, 'What? You are going to a high place?' " ' " That high place is called Bamah to this very day. + The Lord said to me, "Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Are you going to pollute yourselves the way your people did? Do you long to see the statues of their evil gods? + You pollute yourselves by offering sacrifices to other gods. You even sacrifice your children in the fire. You continue to do those things to this very day. People of Israel, should I let you ask me for advice? I will not let you do that," announces the Lord and King. "And that is just as sure as I am alive. + " ' "You say, 'We want to be like the other nations. We want to be like all of the other people in the world. They serve gods that are made out of wood and stone.' But what you have in mind will never happen. + I will rule over you by reaching out my mighty hand and powerful arm. I will pour my burning anger out on you," announces the Lord and King. "And that is just as sure as I am alive. + " ' "I will bring you back from the nations. I will gather you together from the countries where you have been scattered. I will reach out my mighty hand and powerful arm. I will pour my burning anger out on you. + I will send you among the nations. There I will judge you face to face. It will be as if I were judging you in the desert again. + Long ago, I judged your people in the desert of Egypt. In the same way, I will judge you," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "I will take note of you as you pass under my shepherd's rod. I will separate those who obey me from those who do not. And I will give the blessings of the new covenant to those of you who obey me. + I will get rid of those among you who turn against me and refuse to obey me. I will bring them out of the land where they are living. But they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "People of Israel, the Lord and King says, 'Go, every one of you! Serve your gods. But later you will listen to me. You will no longer treat my name as if it were not holy. You will not offer sacrifices to other gods anymore. + " ' " 'People of Israel, you will serve me,' announces the Lord and King. 'You will serve me on my high and holy mountain in Jerusalem. There I will accept you. I will require your offerings and your finest gifts. I want you to bring them along with all of your other holy sacrifices. + I will bring you back from the nations. I will gather you together from the countries where you have been scattered. Then I will accept you as if you were sweet-smelling incense. I will show that I am holy among you. The nations will see it. + " ' " 'I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Long ago I raised my hand and took an oath. I promised to give that land to your people. + There you will remember your conduct. You will think about everything you did that polluted you. And you will hate yourselves because of all of the evil things you have done. + " ' " 'People of Israel, I will deal with you for the honor of my name. I will not deal with you based on your evil conduct and sinful practices. Then you will know that I am the Lord,' announces the Lord and King." ' " + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to Judah in the south. Preach against it. Prophesy against its forests. + Tell them, 'Listen to the Lord's message. The Lord and King says, "I am about to set you on fire. The fire will destroy all of your trees. It will burn up green trees and dry trees alike. The blazing flame will not be put out. The faces of everyone from south to north will be burned by it. + Everyone will see that I started the fire. It will not be put out. I am the Lord." ' " + Then I said, "Lord and King, people are talking about me. They are saying, 'Isn't he just telling stories?' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to Jerusalem. Preach against the temple. Prophesy against the land of Israel. + "Tell them, 'The Lord says, "I am against you. I will pull out my sword. I will cut off from you godly people and sinful people alike. + Because I am going to cut them off, my sword will be ready to use. I will strike everyone down from south to north. + Then all people will know that I have pulled out my sword. I will not put it back. I am the Lord." ' + "Groan, son of man! Groan in front of your people with a broken heart and bitter sorrow. + They will ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' "Then you will say, 'Because of the news that is coming. The hearts of all of the people will melt away in fear. Their hands will not be able to help them. Their spirits will grow weak. And their knees will become as weak as water.' "The news is coming! You can be sure those things will happen," announces the Lord and King. + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, prophesy. Say, 'The Lord says, " ' "A sword! A sword! A sharp and shiny sword is coming from Babylonia! + It is sharpened to kill people. It flashes like lightning." ' " The people say, "Should we take delight in the rod of the ruler of the Lord's son Judah? The sword looks down on every stick like that." + The Lord says, "I have told Nebuchadnezzar to shine his sword. It is in his hand. It has been sharpened and shined. It is ready for the killer's hand. + Son of man, cry out and sob. The sword is against my people. It is against all of the princes of Israel. It will kill them along with the rest of my people. So beat your chest in sorrow. + "You can be sure that testing will come. Why does the sword look down on the rod? Because the rod will not continue to rule," announces the Lord and King. + "Son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands. Let the sword strike twice. Let it strike even three times. It is a sword to kill people. It is a sword to kill many people. It is closing in on them from every side. + People's hearts will melt away in fear. Many will be wounded or killed. I have prepared the sword to kill people at all of their city gates. It flashes like lightning. It is in the killer's hand. + Sword, cut to the right. Then cut to the left. Strike people down everywhere your blade is turned. + I too will clap my hands. My burning anger will calm down. I have spoken. I am the Lord." + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, mark out on a map two roads for the sword to take. The sword belongs to the king of Babylonia. Both roads start from the same country. Put up a sign where the road turns off to the city of Rabbah. + Mark out one road for the sword to take against Rabbah in Ammon. Mark out another against Judah and the walls of Jerusalem. + "The king of Babylonia will stop at the place where the two roads meet. He will ask his gods to tell him which way to go. He will cast lots by pulling arrows out of a bag. And he will look carefully at the liver of a sheep. + "His right hand will pull out the arrow for Jerusalem. There he will get huge logs ready to knock down its gates. He will give the command to kill its people. He will sound the battle cry. He will build a ramp up to the city wall. He will bring in his war machines. + "The decision to attack Jerusalem will seem like the wrong advice to those who made a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar. But he will remind them that they are guilty. And he will take them away as prisoners." + So the Lord and King says, "You people have reminded everyone of how guilty you are. You have done it by refusing to obey me or any other authority. Everything you do clearly shows how sinful you are. So you will be taken away as prisoners." + King Zedekiah, the day for you to be punished has finally come. You are an unholy and evil prince in Israel. Your time is up. + The Lord and King says, "Take off your turban. Remove your crown. Things will not be as they were in the past. Those who are not important will be honored. And those who are honored will be brought down. + Jerusalem will fall. I will destroy it. It will not be rebuilt until the true king comes. After all, the kingdom belongs to him. I will give it to him. + "Son of man, prophesy. Say, 'The Lord and King speaks about the Ammonites. He also talks about the way they laugh because of Jerusalem's fall. He says, " ' "A sword! A sword! Nebuchadnezzar's sword is ready to kill you. It is shined to destroy you. It flashes like lightning. + The visions of your prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen to you. But their magic tricks are lies. The sword will strike the necks of you sinful people. You will be killed. The day for you to be punished has finally come. Your time is up. + Ammon, return your sword to its place. In the land where you were created, I will judge you. That is where you came from. + I will pour out my anger on you. I will breathe out my burning anger against you. I will hand you over to mean people. They are skilled at destroying others. + You will be burned in the fire. Your blood will be spilled in your land. You will not be remembered anymore. I have spoken. I am the Lord." ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, are you going to judge Jerusalem? Will you judge this city that has so many murderers in it? Then tell its people they have done many evil things. I hate those things. + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "Your city brings death on itself. You spill blood inside its walls. You pollute yourselves by making statues of gods. + You are guilty of spilling blood. The statues you have made have polluted you. " ' "You have brought your days to a close. The end of your years has come. So the nations will make fun of you. All of the countries will laugh at you. + Those who are near you will tell jokes about you. So will those who are far away. Trouble fills the streets of your sinful city. + " ' "The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood. + They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows. + " ' "You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days. + You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone's blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts. + " ' "You bring shame on your fathers by having sex with their wives. You have sex with women during their monthly period. That is when they are 'unclean.' + One of you has sex with another man's wife. I hate that sin. Another brings shame on his daughter-in-law by having sex with her. Still another has sex with his sister, even though she is his own father's daughter. + " ' "You accept money from people who want special favors. You do it to spill someone's blood. You charge too much interest when you lend money. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "I will clap my hands because I am so angry. You got rich by cheating others. You spilled blood inside the walls of your city. + Will you be brave on the day I deal with you? Will you be strong at that time? I have spoken. I will do it. I am the Lord. + " ' "I will scatter you among the nations. I will send you to other countries. I will put an end to your 'uncleanness.' + You will be polluted in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' " + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, the people of Israel have become like scum to me. All of them are like the copper, tin, iron and lead that are left inside a furnace. They are only the scum that is removed from silver." + So the Lord and King says, "People of Israel, all of you have become like scum. So I will gather you together in Jerusalem. + Men put silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace. They melt it with a blazing fire. In the same way, I will gather you. I will pour out my burning anger on you. I will put you inside the city and melt you. + I will gather you together. My burning anger will blaze out at you. And you will be melted inside Jerusalem. + Silver is melted in a furnace. And you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I have poured out my burning anger on you. I am the Lord." + Another message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, speak to the land. Tell it, 'You have not had any rain or showers. That is because I am angry with you.' + "Ezekiel, the princes of the land are like a roaring lion that tears its food apart. They eat people up. They take treasures and other valuable things. They cause many women in the land to become widows. + "Its priests break my law. They treat things that are set apart to me as if they were not holy. They treat holy and common things as if they were the same. They teach that there is no difference between things that are 'clean' and things that are not. They refuse to keep my Sabbath days. So they treat me as if I were not holy. + "The officials in the land are like wolves that tear their food apart. They spill blood and kill people to get rich. + The prophets cover up those acts for them. The visions of those prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say, 'The Lord and King says,' But I have not spoken to them. + "The people of the land get rich by cheating others. They steal. They crush those who are poor and in need. They treat outsiders badly. They refuse to be fair to them. + "I looked for a man among them who would stand up for Jerusalem. I tried to find someone who would pray to me for the land. Then I would not have to destroy it. But I could not find anyone who would pray for it. + So I will pour out my anger on its people. I will destroy them because my anger burns against them. And anything that happens to them will be their own fault," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, once there were two women. They had the same mother. + They became prostitutes in Egypt. They have been unfaithful to me since they were young. In that land they allowed their breasts to be touched. They permitted their virgin breasts to be kissed. + "The older sister was named Oholah. The younger one was Oholibah. They belonged to me. Sons and daughters were born to them. Oholah stands for Samaria. And Oholibah stands for Jerusalem. + "Oholah was unfaithful to me even while she still belonged to me. She longed for her Assyrian lovers. + They included soldiers who wore blue uniforms. They also included governors and commanders. All of them were young and handsome. They rode horses. + She gave herself as a prostitute to all of Assyria's finest warriors. She polluted herself with the statues of the gods of everyone she longed for. + "She started being a prostitute in Egypt. And she never stopped. When she was young, men had sex with her. They kissed her virgin breasts. They used up all of their sinful longings on her. + "So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers. She longed for them. + They stripped her naked. They took her sons and daughters away. And they killed her with their swords. Other women laughed when that happened. I was the one who had punished her. + "Her sister Oholibah saw it. But her evil longing for sexual sin was worse than her sister's. + She too longed for the men of Assyria. They included governors and commanders. They included soldiers who wore uniforms. They also included men who rode horses. All of them were young and handsome. + I saw that she too polluted herself. So both sisters did the same evil things. + "But Oholibah went even further with her sexual sins. She saw pictures of men drawn on a wall. They were figures of Babylonians drawn in red. + They had belts around their waists. They wore flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers. They were from the land of the Chaldeans. + "As soon as she saw the pictures, she longed for the men. So she sent messengers to them in Babylonia. + Then the Babylonians came to her. They went to bed with her. They made love to her. They polluted her when they had sex with her. After they did it, she became sick of them. So she turned away from them. + "She acted like a prostitute who had no shame at all. She openly showed her naked body. I became sick of what she was doing. So I turned away from her. I had also turned away from her sister. + "But Oholibah offered her body to her lovers again and again. She remembered the days when she was a young prostitute in Egypt. + There she had longed for her lovers. Their private parts seemed as big as those of donkeys. And their flow of semen appeared to be as much as that of horses. + So you wanted to return to the days when you were young. You longed for the time when you first became impure in Egypt. That was when you allowed your breasts to be kissed. And you permitted your young breasts to be touched." + So the Lord and King says, "Oholibah, I will stir up your lovers against you. You became sick of them. You turned away from them. But I will bring them against you from every side. + They include the Babylonians and all of the Chaldeans. They include the men from Pekod, Shoa and Koa. They also include all of the Assyrians. They are young and handsome. Some of them are governors and commanders. Others are chariot officers. Still others are very high officials. All of them ride horses. + "So a huge army will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons. They will take up positions against you on every side. They will carry large and small shields. They will wear helmets. I will turn you over to them to be punished. They will punish you in their own way. + "I will pour out my jealous anger on you. And the army's anger will burn against you. They will cut off your noses and ears. Some of you who are left will be killed with swords. They will take your sons and daughters away. Others of you who are left will be burned up. + The army will also strip your clothes off. They will take your fine jewelry away from you. + "You became an impure prostitute in Egypt. But I will put a stop to all of that. You will no longer want to do any of it. You will not remember Egypt anymore." + The Lord and King says, "I am about to hand you over to people you hate. You became sick of them. You turned away from them. + They will punish you because they hate you so much. They will take everything you have worked for away from you. They will leave you naked and bare. Then everyone will see that you are a prostitute who has no shame at all. You were impure. You offered your body to your lovers again and again. + "That is why you will be punished. You longed for lovers in other nations. You polluted yourself by worshiping their gods. + You did the same things your sister Oholah did. So I will put her cup in your hand. It is filled with the wine of my anger." + The Lord and King says to Oholibah, "You will drink from your sister's cup. It is large and deep. It is filled with the wine of my anger. So others will laugh at you. They will make fun of you. + You will become drunk and sad. The cup of my anger will completely destroy you. It is the same cup your sister Samaria drank from. + You will drink from it until it is empty. Then you will throw it down and break it in pieces. And you will claw at your breasts. I have spoken," announces the Lord and King. + So the Lord and King says, "You have forgotten me. You have pushed me behind your back. You have been impure. You have acted like a prostitute. So I will punish you." + The Lord said to me, "Son of man, are you going to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then tell them they have done many evil things. I hate those things. + They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with the blood of the people they have murdered. They have worshiped other gods. They have not been faithful to me. They have even sacrificed their children as food to other gods. Those children belonged to me. + "Here are some other things the sisters have done to me. They have polluted my temple. They have misused my Sabbath days. + They have sacrificed their children to their gods. On that same day they entered my temple and polluted it. That is what they have done in my house. + "They even sent messengers to bring men from far away. When the men arrived, Oholibah took a bath. She put makeup on her eyes. She put her jewelry on. + She sat down on a beautiful couch. A table was in front of it. There she put the incense and olive oil that belonged to me. + "The noise of a carefree crowd was all around her. Sabeans were brought from the desert. Other men were brought along with them. They put bracelets on the arms of the two sisters. They put beautiful crowns on their heads. + "Then I spoke about Oholibah. She was worn out by adultery. I said, 'Let them use her as a prostitute. After all, that is what she is.' + So they had sex with her. In fact, they had sex with both of those impure women, Oholah and Oholibah. It was just like having sex with prostitutes. + "But men who are right with God will sentence the sisters to be punished. They will be punished in the same way as women who commit adultery and murder. After all, they have committed adultery. And their hands are covered with the blood of the people they have murdered." + The Lord and King says, "Bring an angry crowd against the sisters. Hand them over to those who will terrify them and steal everything they have. + The crowd will kill them by throwing stones at them. They will cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters. And they will burn their houses down. + "So I will put an end to impurity in the land. Then all of its women will be warned. They will not want to be like the sisters. + Those sisters will be punished because of the impure things they have done. They will be judged because they have worshiped other gods. Then they will know that I am the Lord and King." + + + It was the ninth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the tenth day of the tenth month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, write down today's date. The king of Babylonia has surrounded Jerusalem and attacked it this very day. + "Your people refuse to obey me. So tell them a story. Say to them, 'The Lord and King told me, " ' "Put a cooking pot on the fire. Pour water into it. + Put pieces of meat in it. Use all of the best pieces. Use the leg and shoulder. Fill it with the best bones. + Pick the finest animal in the flock. Pile wood under the pot to cook the bones. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the bones in it." ' " + The Lord and King says, "How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. How terrible for the pot that is coated with scum! The scum on it will not go away. Take the meat and bones out of the pot piece by piece. Do not cast lots for them. + "The blood Jerusalem's people spilled is inside its walls. They poured it out on a bare rock. They did not pour it on the ground. If they had, dust would have covered it up. + So I put their blood on the bare rock. I did not want it to be covered up. I poured my burning anger out on them. I paid them back." + So the Lord and King said to me, "How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. I too will pile the wood high. + So pile on the wood. Light the fire. Cook the meat well. Mix in the spices. Let the bones be blackened. + Then set the empty pot on the coals. Let it get hot. Let its copper glow. Then what is not pure in it will melt. Its scum will be burned away. + But it can't be cleaned up. Its thick scum has not been removed. Even fire can't burn it off. + "Jerusalem, you are really impure. I tried to clean you up. But you would not let me make you pure. So you will not be clean again until my burning anger against you has calmed down. + "I have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back. I will not feel sorry for you. I will do what I said I would do. You will be judged for your conduct and actions. I am the Lord," announces the Lord and King. + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, I will take away from you the wife you delight in. It will happen very soon. But do not sing songs of sadness. Do not let any tears flow from your eyes. + Groan quietly. Do not sob out loud over your wife when she dies. Keep your turban on your head. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your face. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies." + So I spoke to my people in the morning. And in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did what I had been commanded to do. + Then the people said to me, "Tell us what these things have to do with us." + So I told them. I said, "A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + 'Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, "The Lord and King says, 'I am about to pollute my temple. I will let the Babylonians burn it down. It is the beautiful building you are so proud of. You take delight in it. You love it. The sons and daughters you left behind will be killed with swords. + " ' " 'So do what Ezekiel did. Do not cover the lower part of your face. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies. + Keep your turbans on your heads. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cry or sob. You will waste away because you have sinned so much. You will groan among yourselves. + " ' " 'What Ezekiel has done will show you what is going to happen to you. You will do just as he has done. Then you will know that I am the Lord and King.' " ' + "Son of man, I will take away their beautiful temple. It is their joy and glory. They take delight in it. Their hearts long for it. I will also take away their sons and daughters. + On the day I destroy everything, a man will escape. He will come and tell you the news. + "At that time I will open your mouth. Then you will no longer be silent. You will speak with the man. That will show them what will happen to them. And they will know that I am the Lord." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to the Ammonites. Prophesy against them. + Tell them, 'Listen to the message of the Lord and King. He says, "You laughed when my temple was polluted. You also laughed when the land of Israel was completely destroyed. You made fun of the people of Judah when they were taken away as prisoners. + So I am going to hand you over to the people of the east. They will set up their tents in your land. They will camp among you. They will eat your fruit. They will drink your milk. + I will turn the city of Rabbah into grasslands for camels. Ammon will become a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' " + The Lord and King says, "You clapped your hands. You stamped your feet. You hated the land of Israel deep down inside you. You were glad because of what happened to it. + So I will reach out my powerful hand against you. I will give you and everything you have to the nations. I will cut you off from them. I will wipe you out. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord." + The Lord and King says, "Moab and Edom said, 'Look! The people of Judah have become like all of the other nations.' + So I will let Moab's enemies attack its lower hills. They will begin at the border towns. Those towns include Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. They are the glory of that land. + I will hand Moab over to the people of the east. I will also give the Ammonites to them. And the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. + I will punish Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord." + The Lord and King says, "Edom got even with the people of Judah. That made them very guilty." + He continues, "I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will kill its people and their animals. I will completely destroy it. They will be killed with swords from Teman all the way to Dedan. + I will use my people Israel to pay Edom back. They will punish Edom because my anger burns against it. They will know how I pay my enemies back," announces the Lord and King. + The Lord and King says, "The Philistines hated Judah deep down inside them. So they tried to get even with them. They had been Judah's enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them." + He continues, "I am about to reach out my hand against the Philistines. I will cut off the Kerethites. I will destroy those who remain along the coast. + You can be sure that I will pay them back. I will punish them because my anger burns against them. When I pay them back, they will know that I am the Lord." + + + It was the first day of a month near the end of the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, Tyre laughed because of what happened to Jerusalem. The people of Tyre said, 'Jerusalem is the gateway to the nations. But the gate is broken. Its doors have swung open to us. Jerusalem has been destroyed. So now we will succeed.' " + The Lord and King says, "But I am against you, Tyre. I will bring many nations against you. They will come in like the waves of the sea. + They will destroy your walls. They will pull your towers down. I will clear away the stones of your broken-down buildings. I will turn you into nothing but a bare rock. + "Out in the Mediterranean Sea your island city will become a place to spread fishnets. I have spoken," announces the Lord and King. "The nations will take you and everything you have. + Your settlements on the coast will be destroyed by war. Then you will know that I am the Lord." + The Lord and King says, "From the north I am going to bring Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre. He is king of Babylonia. He is the greatest king of all. He will come with horses and chariots. Horsemen and a great army will be brought along with him. + "He will go to war against you. He will destroy your settlements on the coast. He will bring in war machines to attack you. A ramp will be built up to your walls. He will use his shields against you. + He will use huge logs to knock your walls down. He will destroy your towers with his weapons. + "He will have so many horses that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will shake because of the noise of his war horses, wagons and chariots. He will enter your gates, just as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. + The hoofs of his horses will pound in your streets. He will kill your people with swords. Your strong pillars will fall to the ground. + "His men will take away from you your wealth and anything else you have. They will pull your walls down. They will completely destroy your fine houses. They will throw the stones and lumber of your broken-down buildings into the sea. + "I will put an end to your noisy songs. No one will hear the music of your harps anymore. + I will turn you into nothing but a bare rock. You will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt. I have spoken. I am the Lord," announces the Lord and King. + The Lord and King speaks to Tyre. He says, "The lands along the coast will shake because of the sound of your fall. Wounded people will groan because so many are dying there. + "Then all of the princes along the coast will step down from their thrones. They will put their robes away. They will take off their beautiful clothes. They will sit on the ground. They will put on terror as if it were their clothes. They will tremble with fear all the time. They will be shocked because of what has happened to you. + "Then they will sing a song of sadness about you. They will say to you, " 'Famous city, you have been completely destroyed! You were filled with sea traders. You and your citizens were a mighty power on the seas. You terrified everyone who lived in you. + The lands along the coast trembled with fear when you fell. The islands in the sea were terrified when you were destroyed.' " + The Lord and King says to Tyre, "I will turn you into an empty city. You will be like cities where no one lives anymore. I will cause the ocean to sweep over you. Its mighty waters will cover you. + So I will bring you down together with those who go down into the grave. The people who are there lived long ago. You will have to live in the earth below. It will be like living in buildings that were destroyed many years ago. You will go down into the grave along with others. And you will never come back. You will not take your place in this world again. + I will bring you to a horrible end. You will be gone forever. People will look for you. But they will never find you," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, sing a song of sadness about Tyre. + It is located at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. It does business with nations on many coasts. Say to it, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "Tyre, you say, 'I am perfect and beautiful.' + You were like a ship that ruled over the high seas. Your builders made you perfect and beautiful. + They cut all of your lumber from pine trees on Mount Hermon. They used a cedar tree from Lebanon to make a mast for you. + They made your oars out of oak trees from Bashan. They made your deck out of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus. They decorated it with ivory. + Your sail was made out of beautiful, Egyptian linen. It served as your banner. Your shades were made out of blue and purple cloth. They were from the coasts of Elishah. + Men from Sidon and Arvad manned your oars. Tyre, your sailors were skillful. + Very skilled workers from Byblos were on board. They kept you waterproof. All of the ships on the sea and their sailors came up beside you. They brought their goods to trade for yours. + " ' "City of Tyre, men from Persia, Lydia and Put served as soldiers in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls. That brought glory to you. + Men from Arvad and Cilicia guarded your walls on every side. Men from Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls. They made you perfect and beautiful. + " ' "Tarshish did business with you because you had so much wealth. They traded silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods. + " ' "Greece, Tubal and Meshech did business with you. They traded slaves and bronze articles for your products. + " ' "Men from Beth Togarmah traded work horses, war horses and mules for your goods. + " ' "Men from Rhodes did business with you. Many lands along the coast bought goods from you. They paid you with ivory tusks and ebony wood. + " ' "Aram did business with you because you had so many products for sale. They traded turquoise, purple cloth and needlework for your goods. They also traded fine linen, coral and rubies for them. + " ' "Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded wheat from Minnith, sweets, honey, olive oil and lotion for your products. + " ' "Damascus traded wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar to you. They did business with you because you had so many products and so much wealth. + " ' "Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought goods from you. They traded wrought iron, cassia and cane for your products. + " ' "Dedan traded saddle blankets to you. + " ' "Arabia and all of the princes of Kedar bought goods from you. They traded you lambs, rams and goats for them. + " ' "Traders from Sheba and Raamah did business with you. They traded the finest spices, jewels and gold for your goods. + " ' "Haran, Canneh and Eden did business with you. So did traders from Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad. + In your market place they traded beautiful clothes, blue cloth, and needlework to you. They also traded colorful rugs that had twisted cords and tight knots. + " ' "The ships of Tarshish carry your products. You are like a ship filled with a heavy load in the middle of the sea. + The sailors who man your oars take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you in pieces in the middle of the sea. + You will be wrecked on that day. Your wealth, goods and products will sink deep into the sea. So will your sailors, officers, carpenters, traders and all of your soldiers. Anyone else on board will sink too. + The lands along the coast will shake when your officers cry out. + All those who man the oars will desert their ships. The sailors and all of the officers will stand on the shore. + They will raise their voices. They will cry bitterly over you. They will sprinkle dust on their heads. They will roll in ashes. + They will shave their heads because of you. And they will put on black clothes. They will sob over you. Their spirits will be greatly troubled. They will be very sad. + As they sob and cry over you, they will sing a song of sadness about you. They will say, 'Who was ever like Tyre? It was destroyed in the sea.' + Your goods went out on the seas. You supplied many nations with what they needed. You had so much wealth and so many products. You made the kings of the earth rich. + Now the sea has torn you apart. You have sunk deep down into it. Your products and all of your people have gone down with you. + All those who live in the lands along the coast are shocked because of what has happened to you. Their kings tremble with fear. Their faces are twisted in horror. + The traders among the nations hiss at you. You have come to a horrible end. And you will be gone forever." ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, speak to Ethbaal. He is the ruler of Tyre. Tell him, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "In your proud heart you say, 'I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the Mediterranean Sea.' But you are only a man. You are not a god. In spite of that, you think you are as wise as a god. + Are you wiser than Daniel? Isn't even one secret hidden from you? + You are wise and understanding. So you have become very wealthy. You have piled up gold and silver among your treasures. + You have used your great skill in trading to increase your wealth. You are very rich. So your heart has become proud." ' " + The Lord and King says, "You think you are wise. In fact, you claim to be as wise as a god. + So I am going to bring strangers against you. They will not show you any pity at all. They will use their swords against your beauty and wisdom. They will strike down your shining glory. + They will bring you down to the grave. You will die a horrible death in the middle of the sea. + Then will you say, 'I am a god'? Will you say that to those who kill you? You will be only a man to those who kill you. You will not be a god to them. + You will die just like those who have not been circumcised. Strangers will kill you. I have spoken," announces the Lord and King. + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, sing a song of sadness about the king of Tyre. Tell him, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "You were the model of perfection. You were full of wisdom. You were perfect and beautiful. + You were in Eden. It was my garden. All kinds of jewels decorated you. Here is a list of them. ruby, topaz and emerald chrysolite, onyx and jasper sapphire, turquoise and beryl Your settings and mountings were made out of gold. On the day you were created, they were prepared. + I appointed you to be like a guardian cherub. I anointed you for that purpose. You were on my holy mountain. You walked among the gleaming jewels. + Your conduct was without blame from the day you were created. But soon you began to sin. + You traded with many nations. You harmed people everywhere. And you sinned. So I sent you away from my mountain in shame. Guardian cherub, I drove you away from among the gleaming jewels. + You thought you were so handsome that it made your heart proud. You thought you were so glorious that it spoiled your wisdom. So I threw you down to the earth. I made an example out of you in front of kings. + Your many sins and dishonest trade polluted your temple. So I made you go up in flames. I turned you into nothing but ashes on the ground. I let everyone see it. + All of the nations that knew you are shocked because of what happened to you. You have come to a horrible end. And you will be gone forever." ' " + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to the city of Sidon. Prophesy against it. + Say, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "Sidon, I am against your people. I will gain glory for myself inside your city walls. I will punish your people. I will show that I am holy among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + I will send a plague on them. I will make blood flow in your streets. Those who are killed will fall inside you. Swords will strike your people on every side. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "The people of Israel will no longer have neighbors who hate them. Those neighbors will not be like sharp and painful thorns anymore. Then Israel will know that I am the Lord and King." ' " + The Lord and King says, "I will gather the people of Israel together from the nations where they have been scattered. I will show that I am holy among them. I will let the nations see it. Then Israel will live in their own land. I gave it to my servant Jacob. + My people will live there in safety. They will build houses. They will plant vineyards. They will live in safety. I will punish all of their neighbors who told lies about them. Then Israel will know that I am the Lord their God." + + + It was the tenth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the 12th day of the tenth month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to Pharaoh Hophra. He is king of Egypt. Prophesy against him and the whole land of Egypt. + Tell him, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "Pharaoh Hophra, I am against you. King of Egypt, you are like a huge monster lying among your streams. You say, 'The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.' + But I will put hooks in your jaws. I will make the fish in your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams. All of the fish will stick to your scales. + I will leave you out in the desert. All of the fish in your streams will be there with you. You will fall down in an open field. You will not be picked up. I will feed you to the wild animals and to the birds of the air. + Then everyone who lives in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. " ' "You have been like a walking stick made out of a papyrus stem. The people of Israel tried to lean on you. + They took hold of you. But you broke under their weight. You tore their shoulders open. They leaned on you. But you snapped in two. And their backs were broken." ' " + So the Lord and King says, "I will send Nebuchadnezzar's sword against you. He will kill your people and their animals. + Egypt will become a dry and empty desert. Then your people will know that I am the Lord. "You said, 'The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.' + So I am against you and your streams. I will destroy the land of Egypt. I will turn it into a dry and empty desert from Migdol all the way to Aswan. I will destroy everything as far as the border of Cush. + "No people or animals will travel through Egypt. No one will even live there for 40 years. + Egypt will be more empty than any other land. Its destroyed cities will lie empty for 40 years. I will scatter the people of Egypt among the nations. I will send them to other countries." + But the Lord and King says, "At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians together from the nations where they were scattered. + I will bring them back from where they were taken as prisoners. I will return them to Upper Egypt. That is where they came from. There they will be an unimportant kingdom. + "Egypt will be the least important kingdom of all. It will never place itself above the other nations again. I will make it very weak. Then it will never again rule over the nations. + The people of Israel will no longer trust in Egypt. Instead, Egypt will remind them of how they sinned when they turned to it for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord and King." + It was the 27th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the first month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, drove his army in a hard military campaign against Tyre. Their helmets rubbed their heads bare. The heavy loads they carried made their shoulders raw. But he and his army did not gain anything from the campaign he led against Tyre. + "So I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He will carry off its wealth. He will take away anything else you have. He will give it to his army. + I have given Egypt to him as a reward for his efforts. After all, he and his army attacked Egypt because I told them to," announces the Lord and King. + "When Nebuchadnezzar wins the battle over Egypt, I will make the people of Israel strong again. Ezekiel, I will open your mouth. And you will be able to speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, prophesy. Say, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "Cry out, 'A terrible day is coming!' + The day is near. The day of the Lord is coming. It will be a cloudy day. The nations have been sentenced to die. + I will send Nebuchadnezzar's sword against Egypt. Cush will suffer terribly. Many will die in Egypt. Then its wealth will be carried away. Its foundations will be torn down. + The people of Cush, Put, Lydia, Libya and the whole land of Arabia will be killed with swords. So will the Jews who live in Egypt. They went there from the covenant land of Israel. And the Egyptians will die too." ' " + The Lord says, "Those who were going to help Egypt will die. The strength Egypt was so proud of will fail. Its people will be killed with swords from Migdol all the way to Aswan," announces the Lord and King. + "Egypt will be more empty than any other land. Its cities will be completely destroyed. + I will set Egypt on fire. All those who came to help it will be crushed. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + "At that time I will send messengers out in ships. They will terrify the people of Cush who are so contented. Cush will suffer greatly when Egypt falls. And you can be sure it will fall." + The Lord and King says, "I will put an end to the huge armies of Egypt. I will use Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, to do it. + He and his armies will attack the land and destroy it. They will not show its people any pity at all. They will use their swords against Egypt. They will fill the land with dead bodies. + I will dry up the streams of the Nile River. I will sell the land to evil men. I will use the powerful hands of strangers to destroy the land and everything in it. "I have spoken. I am the Lord." + The Lord and King says, "I will destroy the statues of Egypt's gods. I will put an end to the gods the people in Memphis worship. Egypt will not have princes anymore. I will spread fear all through the land. + I will completely destroy Upper Egypt. I will set Zoan on fire. I will punish Thebes. + I will pour out my burning anger on Pelusium. It is a fort in eastern Egypt. I will cut off the huge army of Thebes. + I will set Egypt on fire. Pelusium will groan with terrible pain. Thebes will be ripped apart. Memphis will suffer greatly because of everything that happens. + The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will be killed with swords. Their people will be taken away as prisoners. + I will break Egypt's power over other lands. That will be a dark day for Tahpanhes. There the strength Egypt was so proud of will come to an end. Egypt will be covered with clouds. The people in its villages will be taken away as prisoners. + So I will punish Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord." + It was the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the seventh day of the first month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, I have broken the powerful arm of Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. No bandages have been put on his arm to heal it. It has not been put in a cast. So his arm will not be strong enough to use a sword. + I am against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. I will break both of his arms. I will break his healthy arm and his broken one. His sword will fall from his hand. + I will scatter the people of Egypt among the nations. I will send them to other countries. + "I will make the arms of the king of Babylonia stronger. I will put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh. And he will groan in front of Nebuchadnezzar. He will cry out like someone dying from his wounds. + I will make the arms of the king of Babylonia stronger. But the arms of Pharaoh will not be able to help Egypt. I will put my sword in Nebuchadnezzar's hand. He will get ready to use it against Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + "I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. I will send them to other countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord." + + + It was the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the third month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, speak to Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. Also speak to his huge army. Tell him, " 'Who can be compared with your majesty? + Think about what happened to Assyria. Once it was like a cedar tree in Lebanon. It had beautiful branches that provided shade for the forest. It grew very high. Its top was above all of the leaves. + The waters fed it. Deep springs made it grow tall. Their streams flowed all around its base. They made their way to all of the trees in the fields. + So it grew higher than any other tree in the fields. It grew more limbs. Its branches grew long. They spread because they had plenty of water. + All of the birds of the air made their nests in its limbs. All of the wild animals had their babies under its branches. All of the great nations lived in its shade. + Its spreading branches made it majestic and beautiful. Its roots went down deep to where there was plenty of water. + The cedar trees in my garden were no match for it. The pine trees could not equal its limbs. The plane trees could not compare with its branches. No tree in my garden could match its beauty. + I gave it many branches. They made it beautiful. All of the trees in my Garden of Eden were jealous of it.' " + So the Lord and King says, "The cedar tree grew very high. Its top was above all of the leaves. It was proud of how tall it was. + So I handed it over to the Babylonian ruler of the nations. I wanted him to punish it because it was so evil. I decided to get rid of it. + "The Babylonians cut it down and left it there. They did not show it any pity at all. Some of its branches fell on the mountains. Others fell in all of the valleys. They lay broken in all of the stream beds in the land. All of the nations on earth came out from under its shade. And they went on their way. + All of the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree. All of the wild animals moved among its branches. + "So trees that receive plenty of water must never grow so high that it makes them proud. Their tops must never be above the rest of the leaves. No other trees that receive a lot of water must ever grow that high. They are appointed to die and go down into the earth below. They will join the other nations that go down into the grave." + The Lord and King says, "Assyria was like a cedar tree. But I brought it down to the grave. On that day I dried up the deep springs of water and covered them. I held its streams back. I shut off its rich supply of water. Because of that, Lebanon was dressed in darkness as if it were clothes. All of the trees in the fields dried up. + "I brought the cedar tree down to the grave. It joined the other nations that go down there. I made the nations on earth shake because of the sound of its fall. Then all of the trees of Eden were comforted in the earth below. That included the finest and best trees in Lebanon. And it included all the trees that received plenty of water. + Others also went down into the grave along with it. That included those that lived in its shade. And it included those nations that were going to help it. They joined those who had been killed with swords. + "Which one of the trees of Eden can be compared with you? What tree is as glorious and majestic as you are? But you too will be brought down to the earth below. There you will join the trees of Eden. You will lie down with those who have not been circumcised. You will be among those who were killed with swords. "That is what will happen to Pharaoh and his huge armies," announces the Lord and King. + + + It was the 12th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the 12th month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, sing a song of sadness about Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. Tell him, " 'You are like a lion among the nations. You are like a monster in the sea. You move around wildly in your rivers. You churn the water with your feet. You make the streams muddy.' " + The Lord and King says, "I will use a large crowd of people to throw my net over you. They will pull you up in it. + Then I will throw you on the land. I will toss you into an open field. I will let all of the birds of the air settle on you. I will let all of the wild animals eat you up. + I will scatter the parts of your body all over the mountains. I will fill the valleys with your remains. + I will soak the land with your blood. It will flow all the way to the mountains. The valleys will be filled with the parts of your body. + When I wipe you out, I will put a cover over the heavens. I will darken the stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud. The moon will stop shining. + I will darken all of the bright lights in the sky above you. I will bring darkness over your land," announces the Lord and King. + "The hearts of many people will be troubled. That is because I will destroy you among the nations. You had never known anything about those lands before. + Many nations will be shocked when they see what has happened to you. Their kings will tremble with fear when they find out about it. I will get ready to use Nebuchadnezzar as my sword against them. On the day you fall from power, each of the kings will tremble with fear. Each will be afraid he is the next to die." + The Lord and King says, "I will send against you the sword of the king of Babylonia. + I will destroy your huge army. They will be killed with the swords of Babylonia's mighty soldiers. The soldiers will not show them any pity. They will bring Egypt down in all of its pride. Its huge armies will be thrown down. + I will destroy all of its cattle from the places where they have plenty of water. Human feet will never stir the water up again. The hoofs of cattle will not make it muddy anymore. + I will let the waters of Egypt settle. I will make its streams flow like olive oil," announces the Lord and King. + "I will turn Egypt into an empty land. I will strip away everything in it. I will strike down everyone who lives there. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + "That is the song of sadness people will sing about Egypt. Women from other nations will sing it. They will sob over Egypt and its huge armies," announces the Lord and King. + It was the 15th day of a month near the end of the 12th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, sob over the huge army of Egypt. Tell the Egyptians they will go down into the earth below. The women singers from the other mighty nations will go down into the grave along with them and others. + "Tell them, 'Are you any better than others? Since you are not, go down there. Lie down with those who have not been circumcised.' + "They will fall dead among those who were killed with swords. Nebuchadnezzar is ready to use his sword against them. Let Egypt be dragged off together with its huge armies. + "The mighty leaders who are already in the grave will talk about Egypt. They will also speak about the nations that were going to help it. They will say, 'They have come down here. They are lying down with those who had not been circumcised. They are here with those who were killed with swords.' + "Assyria is there with its whole army. Its king is surrounded by the graves of all of its people who were killed with swords. + Their graves are deep down in the pit. Assyria's army lies around the grave of its king. All those who spread terror while they were alive are now dead. They were killed with swords. + "Elam is also there. Its huge armies lie around the grave of its king. All those who spread terror while they were alive are now dead. They were killed with swords. They had not been circumcised. They went down into the earth below. Their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. + "A bed is made for Elam's king among the dead. His huge armies lie around his grave. They had not been circumcised. They were killed with swords. They had spread terror while they were alive. So now their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. They lie down among the dead. + "Meshech and Tubal are also there. Their huge armies lie around the graves of their kings. They had not been circumcised. They had spread their terror while they were alive. So they were killed with swords. + "They lie down with the other dead soldiers who had not been circumcised. They and their weapons had gone down into the grave. Their swords had been placed under their heads. They had spread their terror while they were alive. But now the shame of their sin covers their bones. + "Pharaoh Hophra, you too will be broken. You will lie down among those who had not been circumcised. You will be there with those who were killed with swords. + "Edom is also there. So are its kings and all of its princes. In spite of their power, they lie down with those who were killed with swords. They lie down with those who had not been circumcised. They are there with others who went down into the grave. + "All of the princes of the north are there too. So are all of the people of Sidon. They went down into the grave in dishonor. While they were alive, they used their power to spread terror. They had never been circumcised. But now they lie down there with those who were killed with swords. Their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. + "Pharaoh and his whole army will see all of them. That will comfort him in spite of the fact that his huge armies were killed with swords," announces the Lord and King. + "I let Pharaoh spread terror while he was alive. But now he and his huge armies will be buried with those who had not been circumcised. They will lie down there with those who were killed with swords," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, speak to the people of your own country. Tell them, 'Suppose I send enemies against a land. And its people choose one of their men to stand guard. + He sees the enemies coming against the land. He blows a trumpet to warn the people. + " 'Someone hears the trumpet. But he does not pay any attention to the warning. The enemies come and kill him. Then what happens to him will be his own fault. + He heard the sound of the trumpet. But he did not pay any attention to the warning. So what happened to him was his own fault. If he had paid attention, he would have saved himself. + " 'But suppose the guard sees the enemies coming. And he does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. The enemies come and kill one of them. Then his life has been taken away from him because he sinned. But I will hold the guard accountable for his death.' + "Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me. + "Suppose I say to a sinful person, 'You can be sure that you will die.' And suppose you do not try to get him to change his ways. Then he will die because he has sinned. And I will hold you accountable for his death. + "But suppose you do warn that sinful person. You tell him to change his ways. But he does not do it. Then he will die because he has sinned. But you will have saved yourself. + "Son of man, speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'You are saying, "Our sins and the wrong things we have done weigh us down. We are wasting away because we have sinned so much. So how can we live?" ' + "Tell them, 'When sinful people die, it does not give me any joy. But when they turn away from their sins and live, that makes me very happy. And that is just as sure as I am alive,' announces the Lord and King. 'So turn away from your sins! Change your evil ways! Why should you die, people of Israel?' + "Son of man, speak to the people of your own country. Tell them, 'The right things a godly person does will not save him when he does not obey the Lord. The wrong things a sinful person does will not destroy him when he turns away from them. If a godly person sins, he will not be allowed to live just because he used to do what is right.' + "Suppose I tell someone who is godly that he will live. And he trusts in the fact that he used to do what was right. But now he does what is evil. Then I will not remember any of the right things he has done. He will die because he has done so many evil things. + "Suppose I say to a sinful person, 'You can be sure you will die.' And then he turns away from his sin. He does what is fair and right. + He gives back what he took as security for a loan. He returns what he has stolen. He follows my rules that give life. He does not do what is evil. Then you can be sure he will live. He will not die. + None of the sins he has committed will be held against him. He has done what is fair and right. So you can be sure he will live. + "In spite of that, your people say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' But it is what you do that is not fair. + "Suppose someone who is godly stops doing what is right. And he does what is evil. Then he will die because of it. + But suppose a sinful person turns away from the evil things he has done. And he does what is fair and right. Then he will live by doing that. + "In spite of that, you people of Israel say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' But I will judge each of you based on how you have lived." + It was the 12th year since we had been brought to Babylonia as prisoners. On the fifth day of the tenth month, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to bring me a report. He said, "The city has fallen!" + The evening before the man arrived, the Lord put his strong hand on me. He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened. I was no longer silent. + Then a message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, the people who live in those broken-down buildings in Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one man. But he owned the land. We are many people. The land must certainly belong to us.' + "So tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "You eat meat that still has blood in it. You worship your gods. You commit murder. So should you still possess the land? + You depend on your swords. You do things I hate. Each one of you has sex with your neighbor's wife. So should you still possess the land?" ' + "Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "The people who are left in those broken-down buildings will be killed with swords. Wild animals will eat up those who are out in the country. Those who are in caves and other safe places will die of a plague. And that is just as sure as I am alive. + " ' "I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. The strength Jerusalem is so proud of will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be deserted. No one will travel across them. + So I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. I will punish my people because of all of the evil things they have done. I hate those things. They will know that I am the Lord." ' + "Son of man, your people are talking about you. They are getting together by the walls of their houses and at their doors. They are saying to one another, 'Come. Listen to the Lord's message.' + "My people come to you, just as they usually do. They sit in front of you. They listen to what you say. But they do not put it into practice. With their mouths they claim to be faithful to me. But in their hearts they want what belongs to others. They try to get rich by cheating them. + You are nothing more to them than someone who sings love songs. They say you have a beautiful voice. They think you play an instrument well. They listen to what you say. But they do not put it into practice. + "Everything I have told you will come true. You can be sure of it. Then the people will know that a prophet has been among them." + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "How terrible it will be for you shepherds of Israel! You only take care of yourselves. You should take good care of your flocks. + Instead, you eat the butter. You dress yourselves with the wool. You kill the finest animals. But you do not take care of your flocks. + You have not made the weak ones in the flock stronger. You have not healed the sick. You have not bandaged those that are hurt. You have not brought back those that have wandered away. You have not searched for the lost. When you ruled over them, you were mean to them. You treated them badly. + " ' "So they were scattered because they did not have a shepherd. They became food for all of the wild animals. + My sheep wandered all over the mountains and high hills. They were scattered over the whole earth. No one searched for them. No one looked for them." + " 'Shepherds, listen to the Lord's message. + He says, "My flock does not have a shepherd. Many of my sheep have been stolen. They have become food for all of the wild animals. My shepherds did not care for my sheep. They did not even search for them. Instead, they only took care of themselves. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + " 'Shepherds, listen to the Lord's message. + The Lord and King says, "I am against the shepherds. I will hold them accountable for my flock. I will stop them from taking care of the flock. Then they will not be able to feed themselves anymore. I will save my flock from their mouths. My sheep will no longer be food for them." ' " + The Lord and King says, "I myself will search for my sheep. I will look after them. + A shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them. And I will look after my sheep. I will save them from all of the places where they were scattered on a dark and cloudy day. + "I will bring them out from among the nations. I will gather them together from other countries. I will bring them into their own land. They will eat grass on the mountains of Israel. I will also let them eat in the valleys and in all of the places in the land where people live. + I will take care of them in the best grasslands. They will eat grass on the high mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in the finest grasslands. They will eat grass in the best places on Israel's mountains. + "I myself will take care of my sheep. I will let them lie down in safety," announces the Lord and King. + "I will search for the lost. I will bring back those that have wandered away. I will bandage the ones that are hurt. I will make the weak ones stronger. But I will destroy those that are fat and strong. I will take good care of my sheep. I will treat them fairly." + The Lord and King says, "You are my flock. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will judge between rams and goats. + You already eat in the best grasslands. Must you also stomp all over the other fields? You already drink clear water. Must you also make the rest of the water muddy with your feet? + Must my flock have to eat the grass you have stomped on? Must they drink the water you have made muddy?" + So the Lord and King speaks to them. He says, "I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep. + You push the other sheep around with your hips and shoulders. You use your horns to butt all of the weak sheep. Finally, you drive them away. + But I will save my sheep. They will not be carried off anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another. + "I will place one shepherd over them. He will belong to the family line of my servant David. He will take good care of them. He will look after them. He will be their shepherd. + I am the Lord. I will be their God. And my servant from David's line will be prince among them. I have spoken. I am the Lord. + "I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. I will get rid of the wild animals in the land. Then my sheep can live safely in the desert. They can sleep in the forests. + "I will bless them. I will also bless the places surrounding my holy mountain of Zion. I will send down rain at the right time. There will be showers of blessing. + The trees in the fields will bear their fruit. And the ground will produce its crops. The people will be secure in their land. I will break the chains that hold them. I will save them from the powerful hands of those who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord. + "The nations will not carry them off anymore. Wild animals will no longer eat them up. They will live in safety. And no one will make them afraid. + I will give them a land that is famous for its crops. They will never be hungry there again. The nations will not make fun of them anymore. + "Then they will know that I am with them. I am the Lord their God. And they will know that they are my people Israel," announces the Lord and King. + "You are the sheep belonging to my flock. You are my people. And I am your God," announces the Lord and King. + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to Mount Seir. Prophesy against it. + Tell it, 'The Lord and King says, "Mount Seir, I am against you. I will reach out my powerful hand against you. I will turn you into a dry and empty desert. + I will destroy your towns. Your land will become empty. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "People of Edom, you have been Israel's enemies for a long time. You let many Israelites be killed with swords when they were in great trouble. At that time I used Nebuchadnezzar to punish them and destroy them completely. + Now I will hand you over to murderers. They will hunt you down. You murdered others. So murderers will chase you. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "I will turn Mount Seir into a dry and empty desert. No one will be able to go anywhere or do anything there. + I will fill your mountains with dead bodies. Some of those who are killed with swords will fall down dead on your hills. Others will die in your valleys and in all of your canyons. + I will make your land empty forever. No one will live in your towns. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "You said, 'The nations of Israel and Judah will belong to us. We will take them over.' You said that, even though I was there. I am the Lord. + You were full of anger, jealousy and hatred toward my people. So I will punish you. When I judge you, they will know that I am the Lord. And that is just as sure as I am alive," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "You will know that I have heard all of the terrible things you said about those who live in the mountains of Israel. You made fun of them. You said, 'They have been destroyed. They've been handed over to us. Let's wipe them out.' + You bragged that you were better than I am. You spoke against me. You did not hold anything back. But I heard it." ' " + The Lord and King says, "The whole earth will be glad. But I will make your land empty. + You were happy when the land of Israel became empty. So I will treat you in the same way. Mount Seir, you will be empty. So will the whole land of Edom. Then you will know that I am the Lord." + + + "Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel. Tell them, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to the Lord's message. + The Lord and King says, "Your enemies made fun of you. They bragged, 'The hills you lived in for a long time belong to us now.' " ' + "Ezekiel, prophesy. Say, 'The Lord and King says, "Your enemies destroyed you. They hunted you down from every side. So the rest of the nations took over your land. People talked about you. They told lies about you." ' " + Mountains of Israel, listen to the message of the Lord and King. He speaks to you mountains, hills, canyons and valleys. He speaks to you destroyed cities and deserted towns. The rest of the nations around you took everything of value away from you. They made fun of you. + So the Lord and King says, "My anger burns against those nations. I have spoken against them and the whole land of Edom. They were very happy when they took over my land. Deep down inside them they hated Israel. They wanted to take its grasslands. + "Ezekiel, prophesy about the land of Israel. Speak to the mountains, hills, canyons and valleys. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "My jealous anger burns against the nations. They have laughed at you." + So the Lord and King says, "I raise my hand and take an oath. I promise that the nations around you will also be laughed at. + " ' "Mountains of Israel, you will produce branches and bear fruit for my people Israel. They will come home soon. + I am concerned about you. I will look on you with favor. Farmers will plow your ground. They will plant seeds in it. + " ' "I will multiply the number of people who live in Israel. The towns will no longer be empty. Their broken-down houses will be rebuilt. + I will increase the number of your people and animals. They will have many babies. I will settle people in your towns, just as I did in the past. I will help you succeed more than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "I will let my people Israel walk there again. They will possess you. They will receive you as their own. You will never take their children away from them again." ' " + The Lord and King says, "People say to you mountains, 'You destroy people. You let your nation's children be taken away.' + But I will not let you destroy people anymore. I will no longer let your nation's children be taken away," announces the Lord and King. + "You will not have to listen to the nations laughing at you anymore. People will no longer make fun of you. You will not let your nation fall," announces the Lord and King. + Another message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, the people of Israel used to live in their own land. But they polluted it because of how they acted and the way they lived. To me they were 'unclean' like a woman who was having her monthly period. + "They spilled people's blood in the land. They polluted the land by worshiping other gods. So I poured out my burning anger on them. + I scattered them among the nations. I sent them to other countries. I judged them based on how they acted and the way they lived. + "They treated my name as if it were not holy. They did it everywhere they went among the nations. People said about them, 'They are the Lord's people. But they were forced to leave his land.' + I was concerned about my holy name. The people of Israel treated it as if it were not holy. They did it everywhere they went among the nations. + "But tell the people of Israel, 'The Lord and King speaks. He says, "People of Israel, I will not take action for your benefit. Instead, I will act for the honor of my holy name. You have treated it as if it were not holy. You did it everywhere you went among the nations. + But I will show everyone how holy my great name is. You have treated it as if it were not holy. So I will use you to show the nations how holy I am. Then they will know that I am the Lord," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "I will take you out of the nations. I will gather you together from all of the countries. I will bring you back into your own land. + " ' "I will sprinkle pure water on you. Then you will be 'clean.' I will make you completely pure and clean. I will take all of the statues of your gods away from you. + I will give you new hearts. I will give you a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove your stubborn hearts from you. I will give you hearts that obey me. + " ' "I will put my Spirit in you. I will move you to follow my rules. I want you to be careful to keep my laws. + You will live in the land I gave your people long ago. You will be my people. And I will be your God. + " ' "I will save you from all of your 'uncleanness.' I will give you plenty of grain. You will have more than enough. So you will never be hungry again. + I will multiply the fruit on your trees. I will increase the crops in your fields. Then the nations will no longer make fun of you because you are hungry. + " ' "You will remember your evil ways and the sinful things you have done. You will hate yourselves because you have sinned so much. I also hate your evil practices. + I want you to know that I am not doing those things for your benefit," announces the Lord and King. "People of Israel, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Your conduct has brought dishonor to you." ' " + The Lord and King says, "I will make you pure from all of your sins. On that day I will settle you in your towns again. Your broken-down houses will be rebuilt. + The dry and empty land will be farmed again. "Everyone who passes through it will see that it is no longer empty. + They will say, 'This land was completely destroyed. But now it's like the Garden of Eden. The cities were full of broken-down buildings. They were destroyed and empty. But now they have high walls around them. And people live in them.' + "Then the nations that remain around you will know that I have rebuilt what was once destroyed. I have planted again the fields that were once empty. I have spoken. And I will do it. I am the Lord." + The Lord and King says, "Once again I will answer the prayers of the people of Israel. Here is what I will do for them. I will multiply them as if they were sheep. + Large flocks of animals are sacrificed at Jerusalem during the appointed feasts there. In the same way, the destroyed cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord." + + + The Lord put his strong hand on me. His Spirit brought me away from my home. He put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. + He led me back and forth among them. I saw a huge number of bones in the valley. The bones were very dry. + The Lord asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Lord and King, you are the only one who knows." + Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones. Tell them, 'Dry bones, listen to the Lord's message. + The Lord and King speaks to you. He says, "I will put breath in you. Then you will come to life again. + I will attach tendons to you. I will put flesh on you. I will cover you with skin. So I will put breath in you. And you will come to life again. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' " + So I prophesied just as the Lord commanded me to. As I was prophesying, I heard a noise. It was a rattling sound. The bones came together. One bone connected itself to another. + I saw tendons and flesh appear on them. Skin covered them. But there was no breath in them. + Then the Lord said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell it, 'The Lord and King says, "Breath, come from all four directions. Go into these dead bodies. Then they can live." ' " + So I prophesied just as he commanded me to. And the breath entered them. Then they came to life again. They stood up on their feet. They were like a huge army. + Then the Lord said to me, "Son of man, these bones stand for all of the people of Israel. The people say, 'Our bones are dried up. We've lost all hope. We are cut off.' + "So prophesy. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "My people, I am going to open up your graves. I am going to bring you out of them. I will take you back to the land of Israel. + So I will open up your graves and bring you out of them. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You are my people. + I will put my Spirit in you. And you will live again. I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I have spoken. I have done it," announces the Lord.' " + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, get a stick of wood. Write on it, 'Belonging to the tribe of Judah and the Israelites who are connected with it.' Then get another stick. Write on it, 'Ephraim's stick. Belonging to the tribes of Joseph and all of the Israelites connected with them.' + Join them together into one stick in your hand. + "The people of your own country will ask you, 'What do you mean by this?' + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "I am going to get the stick of Joseph and the Israelites connected with it. That stick is in Ephraim's hand. I am going to join it to Judah's stick. They will become a single stick of wood in my hand." ' + "Show them the sticks you wrote on. + Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them together from all around. I will bring them back to their own land. + There I will make them one nation. They will live on the mountains of Israel. All of them will have one king. They will never be two nations again. They will never again be separated into two kingdoms. + " ' "They will no longer pollute themselves by worshiping any of their evil gods. They will not do wrong things anymore. They always turn away from me. But I will save them from that sin. I will make them pure and clean. They will be my people. And I will be their God. + " ' "A man who belongs to the family line of my servant David will be their king. All of them will have one shepherd. They will follow my laws. And they will be careful to keep my rules. + They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. That is where your people lived long ago. They, their children, their children's children, and their children after them will live there forever. And my servant from David's line will be their prince forever. + " ' "I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. The covenant will last forever. I will make them my people. And I will increase their numbers. I will put my temple among them forever. + I will live with them. I will be their God. And they will be my people. + My temple will be among them forever. Then the nations will know that I make Israel holy. I am the Lord." ' " + + + A message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "Son of man, turn your attention to Gog. He is from the land of Magog. He is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him. + "Tell him, 'The Lord and King says, "Gog, I am against you. You are the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. + But I will turn you around. I will put hooks in your jaws. I will bring you out of your land along with your whole army. Your horses will come with you. Your horsemen will be completely armed. Your huge army will carry large and small shields. All of them will be ready to use their swords. + " ' "The men of Persia, Cush and Put will march out with them. All of them will have shields and helmets. + Gomer and all of its troops will be there too. Beth Togarmah from the far north will also come with all of its troops. Many nations will help you. + " ' "Get ready. Be prepared. Take command of the huge armies that are gathered around you. + After many years you will be called together to fight. Later, you will march into a land that has not had war for a while. Its people were gathered together from many nations. They came to the mountains of Israel. No one had lived in those mountains for a long time. So the people had been brought back from other nations. Now all of the people live in safety. + You, all of your troops and the many nations with you will march up to attack them. All of you will advance like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering their land." + " 'The Lord and King says, "At that time some ideas will come to you. You will make evil plans. + You will say, 'I will march out against a land whose villages don't have walls around them. I'll attack those peaceful people. I'll do it when they aren't expecting it. None of their villages has walls or gates with heavy metal bars on them. + " ' " 'I will rob those people. I'll steal everything they have. Then I'll turn my attention to the destroyed houses where people are living again. They have returned there from other nations. Now they are rich. They have plenty of livestock and all kinds of goods. They are living in Israel. It is the center of the earth.' + " ' "The people of Sheba and Dedan will speak to you. So will the traders of Tarshish and all of its villages. They will say, 'Have you come to rob us? Have you gathered your huge army together to steal our silver and gold? Are you going to take our livestock and goods away from us? Do you plan to carry off everything we have?' " ' + "Son of man, prophesy. Tell Gog, 'The Lord and King says, "A time is coming when my people Israel will be living in safety. You will see that it is a good time to attack them. + So you will come from your place in the far north. Many nations will join you. All of their men will be riding on horses. You will have a huge and mighty army. + They will advance against my people Israel. They will be like a cloud covering their land. Gog, in days to come I will bring you against my land. Then the nations will know me. I will use you to show them how holy I am." + " 'The Lord and King says to Gog, "In the past I spoke about you through my servants, the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. + Here is what will happen in days to come. You will attack the land of Israel. That will stir up my hot anger," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "At that time my burning anger will blaze out at you. There will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. + The fish in the sea, the birds of the air and the wild animals will tremble with fear because of what I will do. So will every creature that moves along the ground. And so will all of the people on earth. The mountains will come crashing down. The cliffs will break into pieces. Every wall will fall to the ground. + " ' "I will punish you on all of my mountains," announces the Lord and King. "Your men will use their swords against one another. + I will judge you. I will send a plague against you. A lot of blood will be spilled. I will send heavy rain, hailstones and burning sulfur down to the earth. They will fall on you and your troops. They will also come down on the many nations that are helping you. + That will show how great and holy I am. I will make myself known to many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." ' + + + "Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Tell him, 'The Lord and King says, "Gog, I am against you. You are the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. + But I will turn you around. I will drag you along. I will bring you from the far north. I will send you against the mountains of Israel. + Then I will knock your bow out of your left hand. I will make your arrows drop from your right hand. + " ' "You will fall dead on the mountains of Israel. You and all of your troops will die there. So will the nations that join you. I will feed you to all kinds of birds that eat dead bodies. So they and the wild animals will eat you up. + You will fall dead in the open fields. I have spoken," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "I will send fire on the land of Magog. It will burn up the people who live in safety on the coast. So they will know that I am the Lord. + " ' "I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I will no longer let them treat my name as if it were not holy. Then the nations will know that I am the Holy One in Israel. I am the Lord. + The day I will judge you is coming. You can be sure of it," announces the Lord and King. "It is the day I have spoken about. + " ' "At that time those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and light a fire. They will use it to burn up the weapons. That includes small and large shields. It also includes bows and arrows, war clubs and spears. It will take seven years to burn all of them up. + People will not gather wood from the fields. They will not cut the forests down. Instead, they will burn the weapons. And they will rob those who robbed them. They will steal from those who stole from them," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "Gog, at that time I will bury you in a grave in Israel. It will be in the valley where people travel east of the Dead Sea. It will block the path of travelers. That is because you and your huge armies will be buried there. So it will be called The Valley of Gog's Armies. + " ' "It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies. They will do it to make the land 'clean' again. + All of the people in the land will bury them. That will bring glory to me. It will be a time to remember," announces the Lord and King. + " ' "After the seven months are over, men will be hired to finish the job of making the land 'clean' again. Some will go all through it. They will look for any remaining human bones on the ground. Other people will bury the bones. + So some will go through the land. When they see a bone, they will put a marker beside it. Then those who dig the graves will take it to The Valley of Gog's Armies. There they will bury it. + That is how they will make the land 'clean' again." ' " Also a town called Gog's Armies will be located there. + The Lord and King said to me, "Son of man, speak to every kind of bird. Call out to all of the wild animals. Tell them, 'Gather together. Come from everywhere. Gather around the sacrifice I am preparing for you. It is the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat human bodies and drink human blood. + " 'You will eat the bodies of mighty men. You will drink the blood of the princes of the earth. You will eat their bodies and drink their blood as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls. You will enjoy it as if you were eating the fattest animals from Bashan. + " 'So I am preparing a sacrifice for you. You will eat fat until you are completely full. You will drink blood until you are drunk. + At my table you will eat horses, riders, mighty men and soldiers until you are full,' announces the Lord and King. + " 'I will show all of the nations my glory. They will see how I punish them when I use my powerful hand against them. + From that time on, the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. + " 'The nations will know that the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners because they sinned against me. They were not faithful to me. So I turned my face away from them. I handed them over to their enemies. All of them were killed with swords. + I punished them because they were "unclean." They did many things that were wrong. So I turned my face away from them.' " + The Lord and King says, "I will now bring the people of Jacob back home again. I will show my tender love for all of the people of Israel. I will make sure that my name is kept holy. + "My people will forget the shameful things they have done. They will not remember all of the ways they were unfaithful to me. They used to live in safety in their land. At that time no one made them afraid. + "So I will bring them back from the nations. I will gather them from the countries of their enemies. And I will use them to show many nations how holy I am. + Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. I let the nations take my people away as prisoners. But now I will bring them back to their own land. I will not leave anyone behind. + I will no longer turn my face away from the people of Israel. I will pour out my Spirit on them," announces the Lord and King. + + + It was the 14th year after Jerusalem had been captured. It was the tenth day of a month near the beginning of the 25th year since we had been brought to Babylonia as prisoners. On that very day the Lord put his strong hand on me. He took me back to my land. + In visions God gave me, he brought me to the land of Israel. He set me on a very high mountain. Some buildings were on the south side of it. They looked like a city. + He took me there. I saw a man who appeared to be made out of bronze. He was standing at the gate of the outer courtyard. He was holding a linen measuring tape and a measuring rod. + The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes. Listen with your ears. Pay attention to everything I show you. That is why the Lord brought you here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see." + I saw a wall that completely surrounded the temple area. The measuring rod in the man's hand was ten and a half feet long. He measured the wall with it. The wall was as thick and as high as one measuring rod. + Then the man went to the gate that faced east. He climbed its steps. He measured the gateway. It was one rod wide. + The rooms where the guards stood were one rod long and one rod wide. The walls between the rooms were almost nine feet thick. The gateway next to the porch was one rod wide. The porch faced the front of the temple. + Then the man measured the porch of the gateway. + It was 14 feet wide. Each of its doorposts was three and a half feet thick. The porch of the gateway faced the front of the temple. + Inside the east gate were three rooms on each side. All of the rooms were the same size. The walls on each side of the rooms had the same thickness. + Then the man measured the entrance of the gateway. It was 17 and a half feet wide and almost 23 feet long. + In front of each room was a wall. It was 21 inches high. The rooms measured ten and a half feet on each side. + Then he measured the gateway from the back wall of one room to the back wall of the room across from it. It was almost 44 feet from the top of one wall to the top of the other. + He measured along the front of the side walls that were all around the inside of the gateway. The total was 105 feet. That didn't include the porch that faced the courtyard. + It was 87 and a half feet from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its porch. + The rooms and their side walls inside the gateway had narrow openings on top of them. So did the porch. All of the openings faced the inside. The front of each side wall was decorated with a palm tree. + Then the man brought me into the outer courtyard. There I saw some rooms and a sidewalk. They had been built all around the courtyard. Along the sidewalk were 30 rooms. + The sidewalk went all the way up to the sides of the gateways. It was as wide as they were long. That was the lower sidewalk. + Then he measured from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner courtyard. The east side measured 175 feet. So did the north side. + Then the man measured the gate that faced north. He wanted to show me how long and wide it was. The gate led into the outer courtyard. + It had three rooms on each side. Their side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the first gateway. They measured 87 and a half feet long and almost 44 feet wide. + Its openings, porch and palm tree decorations measured the same as the ones at the east gate. Seven steps led up to the north gate. Its porch was across from them. + The inner courtyard had a gate. It faced the gate on the north. It was just like the east gate. He measured from one gate to the one across from it. The total was 175 feet. + Then the man led me to the south side of the courtyard. There I saw a gate that faced south. He measured its doorposts and porch. They measured the same as the others. + The gateway and its porch had narrow openings all around. The openings were the same as the others had. The side walls and porch measured 87 and a half feet long and almost 44 feet wide. + Seven steps led up to it. Its porch was across from them. The front of each side wall was decorated with a palm tree. + The inner courtyard also had a gate that faced south. The man measured from that gate to the outer gate on the south side. The total was 175 feet. + Then the man brought me into the inner courtyard. We went through the south gate. He measured it. It was the same size as the others. + Its rooms, side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the other gateways. The gateway and its porch had openings all around. The side walls and porch measured 87 and a half feet long and almost 44 feet wide. + The porches of the gateways around the inner courtyard were almost 44 feet wide and 9 feet long. + Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated its doorposts. Eight steps led up to it. + Then the man brought me to the east side of the inner courtyard. There he measured the gateway. It was the same size as the others. + Its rooms, side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the other gateways. The gateway and its porch had openings all around. The side walls and porch measured 87 and a half feet long and almost 44 feet wide. + Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Each doorpost was decorated with a palm tree. Eight steps led up to the porch. + Then the man brought me to the north gate. He measured it. It was the same size as the others. + Its rooms, side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the other gateways. It had openings all around. The side walls and the porch measured 87 and a half feet long and almost 44 feet wide. + The porch faced the outer courtyard. Each doorpost was decorated with a palm tree. Eight steps led up to the porch. + A room with a doorway was by the porch of each inner gateway. The burnt offerings were washed there. + On each side of the porch of the gateway were two tables. The burnt offerings were killed on them. So were the sin offerings and guilt offerings. + Two more tables were by the outer wall of the gateway porch. They were near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway. Two more tables were on the other side of the steps. + So there were four tables on each side of the gateway. The total number of tables was eight. Animals for sacrifice were killed on all of them. + There were also four other tables for the burnt offerings. They were made out of blocks of stone. Each table was two and a half feet long and two and a half feet wide. And each was almost two feet high. The tools for killing the burnt offerings and other sacrifices were placed on them. + Large hooks hung on the walls all around. Each was three inches long. The meat of the offerings was placed on the tables. + Near the inner gates were two rooms. They were in the inner courtyard. One room was next to the north gate. It faced south. The other one was next to the south gate. It faced north. + The man said to me, "The room that faces south is for the priests who are in charge of the temple. + The one that faces north is for the priests who are in charge of the altar. All of those priests are the sons of Zadok. They are the only Levites who can approach the Lord to serve him." + Then the man measured the courtyard. It was square. It measured 175 feet long and 175 feet wide. And the altar was in front of the temple. + The man brought me to the porch of the temple. He measured the doorposts of the porch. Each of them was almost nine feet wide. The entrance was 24 and a half feet wide. Each of the side walls was a little over five feet wide. + The porch was 35 feet wide. It was 21 feet from front to back. It was reached by some stairs. Pillars were on each side of the doorposts. + + + Then the man brought me to the Holy Room in the temple. There he measured the doorposts. Each of them was ten and a half feet wide. + The entrance was 17 and a half feet wide. Each of its side walls was almost nine feet wide. He also measured the Holy Room. It was 70 feet long and 35 feet wide. + Then he went into the Most Holy Room. There he measured the doorposts at the entrance. Each one of them was three and a half feet wide. The entrance itself was ten and a half feet wide. Each of its side walls was a little over 12 feet wide. + He also measured the Most Holy Room. It was 35 feet long and 35 feet wide. He said to me, "This is the Most Holy Room." It was beyond the back wall of the Holy Room. + Then the man measured the wall of the temple. It was ten and a half feet thick. Each side room around the temple was seven feet wide. + The side rooms were on three floors. There were 30 rooms on each floor. Ledges had been built all around the wall of the temple. So the floor beams of the side rooms rested on the ledges. The beams didn't go into the temple wall. + The side rooms of the temple were wider as we went up floor by floor. A stairway went from the lowest floor all the way up to the top floor. It passed through the middle floor. + I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it. The base formed the foundation of the side rooms. It was as long as one measuring rod. So it was ten and a half feet long. + The outer wall of each side room was almost nine feet thick. The open area between the side rooms of the temple + and the priests' rooms was 35 feet wide all around the temple. + The side rooms had entrances from the open area. One was on the north side. Another was on the south. The base next to the open area was almost nine feet wide all around. + There was a large building right behind the temple. It was on the west side of the outer courtyard. It was 122 and a half feet wide. Its wall was almost nine feet thick all around. And it was 157 and a half feet long. + Then the man measured the temple. It was 175 feet long. The open area and the large building behind the temple also measured 175 feet. + The east side of the inner courtyard was 175 feet wide. That included the front of the temple. + Then the man measured the building that was on the west side of the outer courtyard. It was behind the temple. It was 175 feet long. That included the walkways of the building on each side. The Holy Room, the Most Holy Room and the porch that faced the inner courtyard + were covered with wood. So were the gateways, narrow openings and walkways around those three places. The gateways and everything beyond them were covered with wood. The floor, the wall up to the openings, and the openings themselves were also covered. + The area above the outside of the entrance to the Most Holy Room was decorated. There were also decorations all around the walls of the Most Holy Room. + Carved cherubim and palm trees were used in the decorations. Each cherub had a palm tree next to it. And each palm tree had a cherub next to it. Each cherub had two faces. + One was a man's face. It looked toward the palm tree on one side. The other was the face of a lion. It looked toward the palm tree on the other side. The decorations were carved all around the whole temple. + Cherubim and palm trees decorated the wall of the Holy Room. They were carved from the floor all the way up to the area above the entrance. + The Holy Room had a doorframe that was shaped like a rectangle. So did the Most Holy Room. + A wooden altar stood in the Holy Room. It was a little over five feet high. It was three and a half feet long and three and a half feet wide. Its corners, base and sides were made out of wood. The man said to me, "This is the table that stands in front of the Lord." + The Holy Room had double doors. So did the Most Holy Room. + Each door had two parts that could swing back and forth. + Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the Holy Room. The decorations were like the ones on the walls. A wooden roof went out beyond the front of the porch. + The side walls of the porch had narrow openings on top of them. Palm trees were carved on each side. A wooden roof went out beyond the entrance to each side room of the temple. + + + Then the man led me north into the outer courtyard of the temple. He brought me to the rooms that were across from the inner courtyard. They were across from the outer wall of the temple on the north side. + The rooms were in a building north of the temple. The building had a door that faced north. It was 175 feet long. It was 87 and a half feet wide. + One row of rooms was next to the inner courtyard. The other row was across from the sidewalk of the outer courtyard. Each room was 35 feet long. Walkways in front of each row faced each other on all three floors. + Between the two rows was an inner sidewalk. It was 17 and a half feet wide and 175 feet long. Each of the rooms had a door on the north side. + The rooms on the top floor were narrower than the others. The walkways took up more space from them than they did from the rooms on the other two floors. + The courtyards had pillars. But the rooms on the third floor didn't. So their floor space was smaller than the space in the rooms on the other floors. + The building had an outer wall that was even with the outer row of rooms and with the outer courtyard. The wall continued east of the outer row for 87 and a half feet. + So there were two rows of rooms. The row next to the outer courtyard was 87 and a half feet long. The one closest to the temple was 175 feet long. + The first floor of the building had an entrance on the east side. It led to the outer courtyard. + There were also two rows of rooms in a building next to the south side of the inner courtyard. The building was across from the south wall of the outer courtyard. + Between the two rows was an inner sidewalk. The rooms were like the ones in the north building. They were as long and wide as the rooms on the north. The doorways of the rooms on the south were like the ones on the north. + People entered the south rooms through the doorway at the east end of the inner sidewalk. The south wall continued east of the outer row of rooms. + The man said to me, "The north and south rooms face the inner courtyard. They are the priests' rooms. That is where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the very holy offerings. They will also store them there. That includes the grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings. This place is holy. + "The priests who enter these holy rooms must leave behind the clothes they served in. Then they can go into the outer courtyard. The clothes they served in are holy. So they must put other clothes on. They have to do that before they go near the places where other people go." + The man finished measuring what was inside the temple area. Then he led me out through the east gate. He measured all around the area. + He measured the east side with his measuring rod. It was 875 feet long. + He measured the north side. It was 875 feet long. + He measured the south side. It was 875 feet long. + Finally, he turned and measured the west side. It was 875 feet long. + So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it. The wall was 875 feet long and 875 feet wide. It separated what was holy from what was not. + + + Then the man brought me to the east gate. + There I saw the glory of the God of Israel. He was coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters. His glory made the land shine brightly. + The vision I saw was like the one I had when he came to destroy the city. It was also like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River. I fell with my face toward the ground. + The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the east gate. + Then the Spirit lifted me up. He brought me into the inner courtyard. The glory of the Lord filled the temple. + The man was standing beside me. I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. + He said, "Son of man, this is the place where my throne is. The stool for my feet is also here. I will live here among the people of Israel forever. They will never again treat my name as if it were not holy. They and their kings will not serve other gods anymore. The people will no longer worship the lifeless gods of their kings at their high places. + "The people of Israel placed their own doorway next to my holy doorway. They put their doorposts right beside mine. Nothing but a thin wall separated us. They treated my name as if it were not holy. I hated it when they did that. So I became angry with them and destroyed them. + Now let them stop serving other gods. Let them quit worshiping the lifeless gods of their kings. If they obey me, I will live among them forever. + "Son of man, tell the people of Israel about the temple. Then they will be ashamed of their sins. Let them think carefully about the plan of the temple. + What if they are ashamed of everything they have done? Then show them all of the plans of the temple. Explain to them how it is laid out. Tell them about its exits and entrances. Show them exactly what it will look like. Give them all of its rules and laws. Write everything down so they can see it. Then they will be faithful to its plan. And they will obey all of its rules. + "Here is the law of the temple. The whole area on top of Mount Zion will be very holy. That is the law of the temple." + The man said, "Here is the size of the altar. The standard measurement I am using is 21 inches. The base of the altar is 21 inches high. The base has a ledge that is 21 inches wide. It also has a rim that is nine inches wide around the edge. Here is how high the altar is. + The lower part is three and a half feet high. It has a ledge that is 21 inches wide. The middle part is seven feet high. It has a ledge that is 21 inches wide. + "The top part is where the sacrifices are burned. It is seven feet high. A horn sticks out from each of its upper four corners. + The top part of the altar is square. It is 21 feet long and 21 feet wide. + The middle part is also square. It is 24 and a half feet long. It is 24 and a half feet wide. Its rim is ten and a half inches wide. The base of the altar is 21 inches high all the way around. The steps leading up to the top of the altar face east." + Then the man said to me, "Son of man, the Lord and King speaks. He says, 'Here are the rules for the altar when it is built. Follow them when you sacrifice burnt offerings and sprinkle blood on it. + Give a young bull to the priests as a sin offering. They are Levites from the family of Zadok. They approach me to serve me,' announces the Lord and King. + 'Get some of the bull's blood. Put it on the four horns. Also put it on the four corners of the middle part of the altar and all around the rim. That will make the altar pure and clean. + Use the bull for the sin offering. Burn it in the proper place outside the temple. + " 'On the second day offer a male goat. It must not have any flaws. It is a sin offering to make the altar pure and clean. So do as you did with the bull. + When you finish making the altar pure, offer a young bull and a ram from the flock. They must not have any flaws. + Offer them to me. The priests must sprinkle salt on them. Then they must sacrifice them as a burnt offering to me. + " 'Provide a male goat each day for seven days. It is a sin offering. Also provide a young bull and a ram from the flock. They must not have any flaws. + For seven days the priests must make the altar pure and clean. That is how they will set it apart to me. + " 'From the eighth day on, the priests must bring your burnt offerings and friendship offerings. They must sacrifice them on the altar. Then I will accept you,' announces the Lord and King." + + + Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the temple. It was the one that faced east. It was shut. + The Lord said to me, "This gate must remain shut. It must not be opened. No one can enter through it. It must remain shut because I have entered through it. I am the God of Israel. + The prince is the only one who can sit in the gateway. There he can eat in front of me. He must enter through the porch of the gateway. And he must go out the same way." + Then the man brought me through the north gate. He took me to the front of the temple. I looked up and saw the glory of the Lord. It filled his temple. I fell with my face toward the ground. + The Lord said to me, "Son of man, pay attention. Look carefully. Listen closely to everything I tell you about all of the rules concerning my temple. Pay attention to the entrance to the temple and to all of its exits. + "Speak to the people of Israel. They refuse to obey me. Tell them, 'The Lord and King says, "People of Israel, I have had enough of your evil practices. I hate them. + You brought strangers into my temple. They were not circumcised. Their hearts were stubborn. You polluted my temple. But you offered me food, fat and blood anyway. When you did all of those things, you broke the covenant I made with you. I hated all of the evil things you did. + " ' "You did not do what I told you to. You did not take care of my holy things. Instead, you put other people in charge of my temple." ' " + The Lord and King says, "No stranger whose heart is stubborn can enter my temple. They have not been circumcised. Even if they live among the people of Israel they can't enter it. + "Some Levites wandered far away from me when Israel went down the wrong path. They worshiped the statues of their gods. So they will be punished because they have sinned. + They might serve in my temple. They might be in charge of its gates. They might kill the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people. And they might stand in front of the people and serve them in other ways. + "But they served the people of Israel while they were worshiping their gods. They made the people fall into sin. So I raised my hand and took an oath. I warned them that I would punish them because of their sin," announces the Lord and King. + "They must not approach me to serve me as priests. They must not come near any of my holy things. They must stay away from my very holy offerings. They did many things they should have been ashamed of. I hated those things. + "But I will still put them in charge of the temple duties. They can do all of the work that has to be done there. + "But the priests must approach me to serve me. They are Levites from Zadok's family line. They faithfully carried out their duties in my temple. They obeyed me when the people of Israel turned away from me. Those priests must serve me by offering sacrifices of fat and blood," announces the Lord and King. + "They are the only ones who can enter my temple. Only they can come near to serve me and do my work. + "They will enter the gates of the inner courtyard. When they do, they must wear linen clothes. They will serve at the gates of the inner courtyard or inside the temple. When they do, they must not wear any clothes that are made out of wool. + They must have linen turbans on their heads. They must wear linen underwear around their waists. They must not put anything on that makes them sweat. + "They will go into the outer courtyard where the people are. When they do, they must take off the clothes they have been serving in. They must leave them in the sacred rooms. And they must put other clothes on. Then they will not make the people holy if the people happen to touch their clothes. + "The priests must not shave their heads. They must not let their hair grow long. They must keep it cut short. + No priest can drink wine when he enters the inner courtyard. + They must not get married to widows or divorced women. They can only marry Israelite virgins or the widows of priests. + "The priests must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not. They must show them how to tell the difference between what is 'clean' and what is not. + "When people do not agree, the priests must serve as judges between them. They must make their decisions based on my laws. They must obey my laws and rules for all of my appointed feasts. And they must keep my Sabbath days holy. + "A priest must not make himself 'unclean' by going near a dead person. But suppose the dead person was his father or mother. Or suppose it was his son or daughter or brother or unmarried sister. Then the priest can make himself 'unclean.' + After he is pure and clean again, he must wait seven days. + Then he can go to the inner courtyard to serve in the temple. But when he does, he must sacrifice a sin offering for himself," announces the Lord and King. + "The priests will not receive any part of the land of Israel. I myself will be their only share. + They will eat the grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings. Everything in Israel that is set apart to me in a special way will belong to them. + The best of every first share of the people's crops will belong to the priests. So will all of their special gifts. The people must give the priests the first share of their ground meal. Then I will bless my people's families. + "The priests must not eat any bird or animal that is found dead. They must not eat anything that wild animals have torn apart. + + + "People of Israel, you will divide up the land you will receive. When you do, give me my share of it. It will be a sacred area. It will be eight and a fourth miles long and six and a half miles wide. The entire area will be holy. + The temple area in it will be 875 feet long and 875 feet wide. An 87-and-a-half-foot strip around it will be open land. + "In the sacred area, measure off a large strip of land. It will be eight and a fourth miles long and three and a third miles wide. The temple will be in it. It will be the most holy place of all. + The large strip will be the sacred share of land for the priests. There they will serve in the temple. And they will approach me to serve me there. Their houses will be built on that land. The holy temple will also be located there. + "So the Levites will serve in the temple. They will have an area eight and a fourth miles long and three and a third miles wide. The towns they live in will be located there. + "Give the city an area one and two thirds miles wide and eight and a fourth miles long. It will be right next to the sacred area. It will belong to all of the people of Israel. + "The prince will have land on both sides of the sacred area and the city. Its border will run east and west along the land of one of the tribes. + The prince will own that land in Israel. And my princes will not crush my people anymore. Instead, they will allow the people of Israel to receive their own share of land. It will be divided up based on their tribes." + The Lord and King says, "Princes of Israel, you have gone far enough! Stop hurting others. Do not crush them. Do what is fair and right. Stop taking my people's land away from them," announces the Lord and King. + "Use weights and measures that are honest and exact. + Use the same standard to measure dry and liquid products. Use a 6-bushel measure for dry products. And use a 60-gallon measure for liquids. + Every amount of money must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights. + "You must offer a special gift. It must be 13 and a third cups out of every six bushels of grain. + Give two and a half quarts out of every 60 gallons of olive oil. + Also give one sheep from every flock of 200 sheep. Get them from the grasslands of Israel that receive plenty of water. Use them for grain offerings, burnt offerings and friendship offerings. They will be used to pay for the sin of the people," announces the Lord and King. + "All of the people in the land will take part in that special gift. The prince in Israel will use it. + He must provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings. They will be for the yearly feasts, New Moon Feasts and Sabbath days. So they will be for all of the appointed feasts of the people of Israel. The prince will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and friendship offerings. They will be used to pay for the sin of the people." + The Lord and King says, "Get a young bull. It must not have any flaws. Use it to make the temple pure and clean. Do it on the first day of the first month. + The priest must get some of the blood from the sin offering. He must put some on the doorposts of the temple. He must apply some to the four corners of the middle part of the altar. He must put the rest on the gateposts of the inner courtyard. + "Do the same thing on the seventh day of the month. Do it for those who sin without meaning to. And do it for those who sin without realizing what they are doing. So you will make the temple pure and clean. + "Keep the Passover Feast on the 14th day of the first month. It will last for seven days. During that time you must eat bread that is made without yeast. + "The prince must provide a bull as a sin offering. It will be for him and all of the people of the land. + For each of the seven days of the Feast he must provide seven bulls and seven rams. They must not have any flaws. They will be a burnt offering to me. The prince must also provide a male goat for a sin offering. + He must bring a little over half a bushel for each bull or ram. He must also provide four quarts of olive oil for each of them. + "The seven days of the Feast begin on the 15th day of the seventh month. During those days the prince must provide the same sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and olive oil." + + + The Lord and King says, "On the six working days of each week you must keep the east gate of the inner courtyard of the temple shut. But open it on Sabbath days and during New Moon Feasts. + The prince must enter the temple area through the porch of the gateway. He must stand by the gatepost. The priests must sacrifice his burnt offering and friendship offerings. He must worship at the entrance of the gateway. Then he must leave. But the gate will not be shut until evening. + "On Sabbath days and during New Moon Feasts the people of the land must gather together at the entrance of the temple gateway. That is where they must worship me. + "The prince must bring a burnt offering to me on the Sabbath. It will be six male lambs and a ram. They must not have any flaws. + He must offer a little over half a bushel of grain along with the ram. The grain he offers along with the lambs can be as much as he wants to give. He must also offer four quarts of olive oil for every half bushel of grain. + "On the day of the New Moon Feast the prince must also offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram. They must not have any flaws. + He must offer a little over half a bushel of grain along with the bull or ram. The grain he offers along with the lambs can be as much as he wants to give. He must also offer four quarts of olive oil for every half bushel of grain. + "When the prince enters the temple area, he must go in through the porch of the gateway. He must leave the same way. + "The people of the land must worship me at the appointed feasts. Those who enter through the north gate must leave through the south gate. Those who enter through the south gate must leave through the north gate. They must not leave through the same gate they entered. Each one must go out the opposite gate. + The prince must be among them. He must go in when they go in. And he must leave when they leave. + "At the yearly feasts and other appointed feasts there must be grain offerings. The prince must offer a little over half a bushel of grain along with a bull or ram. The grain he offers along with the lambs can be as much as he wants to give. He must also offer four quarts of olive oil for every half bushel of grain. + He can also bring another offering to me because he chooses to. It might be a burnt offering or friendship offering. When he brings it, the east gate must be opened for him. He will bring his offering just as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he will leave. After he has gone out, the gate must be shut. + "Every day you must provide a lamb that is a year old. It must not have any flaws. It is a burnt offering to me. You must provide it every morning. + You must also offer grain along with it every morning. Bring 13 and a third cups of grain. Also bring one and a third quarts of olive oil to make the flour a little wet. So you will give the grain offering to me. That will be a law that will last for all time to come. + Provide the lamb, grain offering and oil every morning. They will be used for a regular burnt offering." + The Lord and King says, "Suppose the prince makes a gift from his share of land. And he gives it to one of his sons. Then the property will also belong to his sons after him. It will be handed down to them. + "But suppose he makes a gift from his share of land to one of his servants. Then the servant can keep it until the Year of Jubilee. After that, it will be returned to the prince. His property can be handed down only to his sons. It belongs to them. + "The prince must not take any share of land that belongs to the people. He must not drive them off their property. He must give his sons their share out of his own property. Then my people will not be separated from their property." + The man brought me through the entrance at the side of the north building. That's where the priests' sacred rooms were located. He showed me a place west of the building. + He said to me, "This is where the priests will cook the guilt offerings and sin offerings. They will also bake the grain offerings here. Then they will not have to bring the offerings into the outer courtyard. That will keep the people from touching the offerings and becoming holy." + Then the man brought me to the outer courtyard. He led me around to its four corners. In each corner I saw another smaller courtyard. + So in the four corners of the outer courtyard were walled courtyards. Each one was 70 feet long and 52 and a half feet wide. All of them were the same size. + Around the inside of each of the four courtyards was a stone ledge. Places for fire were built all around under each ledge. + The man said to me, "These are the kitchens. Those who serve at the temple will cook the people's sacrifices here." + + + The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple. I saw water flowing east from under a temple gateway. The temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple. It was flowing south of the altar. + Then he brought me out through the north gate of the outer courtyard. He led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east. The water was flowing from the south side of the east gate. + Then the man went toward the east. He had a measuring line in his hand. He measured off 1,750 feet. He led me through water that was up to my ankles. + Then he measured off another 1,750 feet. He led me through water that was up to my knees. Then he measured off another 1,750 feet. He led me through water that was up to my waist. + Then he measured off another 1,750 feet. But now it was a river that I could not go across. The water had risen so high that it was deep enough to swim in. + He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. + When I arrived there, I saw a large number of trees. They were on both sides of the river. + The man said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern territory. It goes down into the Arabah Valley. There it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into it, the water there becomes fresh. + Large numbers of creatures will live where the river flows. It will have huge numbers of fish. This water flows there and makes the salt water fresh. So where the river flows everything will live. + "People will stand along the shore to fish. From En Gedi all the way to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading fishnets. The Dead Sea will have many kinds of fish. They will be like the fish in the Mediterranean Sea. + "But none of the swamps will have fresh water in them. They will stay salty. + "Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not dry up. The trees will always have fruit on them. Every month they will bear fruit. The water from the temple will flow to them. Their fruit will be used for food. And their leaves will be used for healing." + The Lord and King says, "People of Israel, here are the borders you will have after you divide up the land. Each of the 12 tribes will receive a share. But the family of Joseph will have two shares. + Divide the land into equal parts. Long ago I raised my hand and took an oath. I promised to give the land to your people. So all of it will belong to you. + "Here are the borders of the land. "On the north side the border will start at the Mediterranean Sea. It will go by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath. Then it will continue on to Zedad, + Berothah and Sibraim. Sibraim is between Damascus and Hamath. The border will reach all the way to Hazer Hatticon. It is right next to Hauran. + The border will go from the sea to Hazar Enan. It will run north of Damascus and south of Hamath. That will be the north border. + "On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus. It will continue along the Jordan River between Gilead and the land of Israel. It will reach to the Dead Sea and all the way to Tamar. That will be the east border. + "On the south side the border will start at Tamar. It will reach all the way to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. Then it will run along the Wadi of Egypt. It will end at the Mediterranean Sea. That will be the south border. + "On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the border. It will go to a point across from Lebo Hamath. That will be the west border. + "You must divide up this land among yourselves. Do it based on the number of men in your tribes. + Each of the tribes must receive a share of the land. "You must also give some land to the outsiders who have settled among you and who have children. Treat them as if they had been born in Israel. Let them have some land among your tribes. + Outsiders can settle in any tribe. There you must give them their share," announces the Lord and King. + + + "Here are the tribes. They are listed by their names. Dan will receive one share of land. It will be at the northern border of Israel. The border will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo Hamath. Hazar Enan will be part of the border. So will the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath. Dan's northern border will run from east to west. + "Asher will receive one share. It will border the territory of Dan from east to west. + "Naphtali will receive one share. It will border the territory of Asher from east to west. + "Manasseh will receive one share. It will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west. + "Ephraim will receive one share. It will border the territory of Manasseh from east to west. + "Reuben will receive one share. It will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west. + "Judah will receive one share. It will border the territory of Reuben from east to west. + "You must give one share as a special gift to me. It will border the territory of Judah from east to west. It will be eight and a fourth miles wide. It will be as long as the border of each of the territories of the tribes. Its border will run from east to west. The temple will be in the center of that strip of land. + "Give that special share of land to me. It will be eight and a fourth miles long and three and a third miles wide. + It will be the sacred share of land for the priests. It will be eight and a fourth miles long on the north side. It will be three and a third miles wide on the west side. It will be three and a third miles wide on the east side. And it will be eight and a fourth miles long on the south side. My temple will be in the center of it. + "This share of land will be for the priests who are set apart to me. They will come from the family line of Zadok. The members of that family served me faithfully. They did not go down the wrong path as the Levites and other Israelites did. + Their share of land will be a special gift to them. It will be part of the sacred share of the land. It will be very holy. Its border will run along the territory of the Levites. + "The Levites will receive a share. It will be next to the territory of the priests. The Levites' share will be eight and a fourth miles long and three and a third miles wide. + They must not sell or trade any of it. It is the best part of the land. It must not be handed over to anyone else. It is set apart to me. + "The area that remains is one and two thirds miles wide. It is eight and a fourth miles long. It will not be holy. The people in Jerusalem can build houses there. They can use some of it as grasslands. The city will be in the center of it. + Each of the four sides of the city will be one and a half miles long. + Each of the four sides of the city's grasslands will be 437 and a half feet long. + "What remains of the area will be three and a third miles long on the east and west sides. Its border will run along the border of the sacred share. Its crops will supply food for the city workers. + They will farm the area. They will come from all of the tribes of Israel. + The entire area will be a square. Each of its four sides will be eight and a fourth miles long. Set the sacred share apart as a special gift to me. Do the same thing with the property of the city. + "The area that remains on both sides will belong to the prince. So his land does not include the sacred share and the city property. The eastern part of his land will reach from the sacred share all the way to the eastern border. The western part will reach from the sacred share to the western border. The sacred share itself is eight and a fourth miles long on its east and west sides. Both of those areas will be right next to the borders of the two tribes on the north and south sides. They will belong to the prince. The sacred share will be in the center of them. It will have the temple in it. + "The property of the Levites will lie in the center of the prince's share. So will the property of the city. The prince's land will lie between the borders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. + "Here is the land for the rest of the tribes. Benjamin will receive one share. It will reach from the eastern border to the western border. + "Simeon will receive one share. It will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west. + "Issachar will receive one share. It will border the territory of Simeon from east to west. + "Zebulun will receive one share. It will border the territory of Issachar from east to west. + "Gad will receive one share. It will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west. + "The southern border of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. It will continue along the Wadi of Egypt. It will end at the Mediterranean Sea. + "That is the land you must divide among the tribes of Israel. And those will be the shares they will receive," announces the Lord and King. + "Here is a list of the gates of the city. Start with its north side. It will be a mile and a half long. + The city gates will be named after the tribes of Israel. The north side will have three gates. They will be the gates of Reuben, Judah and Levi. + "The east side will be a mile and a half long. It will have three gates. They will be the gates of Joseph, Benjamin and Dan. + "The south side will be a mile and a half long. It will have three gates. They will be the gates of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun. + "The west side will be a mile and a half long. It will have three gates. They will be the gates of Gad, Asher and Naphtali. + "The city will be six miles around. "From that time on, its name will be the Lord is there." + + + + + It was the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem. His armies surrounded the city and attacked it. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. + The Lord handed Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, over to him. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the articles from God's temple. He carried them off to the temple of his god in Babylonia. He put them among the treasures of his god. + The king gave Ashpenaz an order. Ashpenaz was the chief of Nebuchadnezzar's court officials. The king told him to bring in some of the Israelites. He wanted nobles and men from the royal family. + He was looking for young men who were healthy and handsome. They had to be able to learn anything. They had to be well educated. They had to have the ability to understand new things quickly and easily. The king wanted men who could serve in his palace. Ashpenaz was supposed to teach them the Babylonian language and writings. + The king had his servants give them food and wine from his own table. They received a certain amount every day. The young men had to be trained for three years. After that, they could begin to serve the king. + Some of the men were from Judah. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. + The chief official gave them new names. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar. He gave Hananiah the name Shadrach. He gave Mishael the name Meshach. And he gave Azariah the name Abednego. + Daniel decided not to make himself "unclean" by eating the king's food and drinking his wine. So he asked the chief official for a favor. He wanted permission not to make himself "unclean" with the king's food and wine. + God had caused the official to be kind and friendly to Daniel. + But the official refused to do what Daniel asked for. He said, "I'm afraid of the king. He is my master. He has decided what you and your three friends must eat and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men who are the same age you are? When he sees how you look, he might kill me." + So Daniel spoke to one of the guards. The chief official had appointed him over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. + Daniel said to him, "Please test us for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat. And give us only water to drink. + Then compare us with the young men who eat the king's food. See how we look. After that, do what you want to." + So the guard agreed. He tested them for ten days. + After the ten days they looked healthy and well fed. In fact, they looked better than any of the young men who ate the king's food. + So the guard didn't require Daniel and his friends to eat the special food or drink the wine. He gave them vegetables instead. + God gave knowledge and understanding to those four young men. So they understood all kinds of writings and subjects. And Daniel could understand all kinds of visions and dreams. + The three years the king had set for their training ended. So the chief official brought them to Nebuchadnezzar. + The king talked with them. He didn't find anyone equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they began to serve the king. + He asked them for advice in matters that required wisdom and understanding. He always found their answers to be the best. In fact, the men were ten times better than anyone in his kingdom who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. + Daniel served in Babylon until the first year Cyrus ruled over Babylonia. Cyrus was king of Persia. + + + In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule, he had a dream. His mind was troubled. He couldn't sleep. + So the king sent for those who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. He also sent for those who practiced evil magic and those who studied the heavens. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king. + He said to them, "I had a dream. It troubles me. So I want to know what it means." + Then those who studied the heavens answered the king. They spoke in Aramaic. They said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live forever! Tell us what you dreamed. Then we'll explain what it means." + The king replied to them, "I have made up my mind. You must tell me what I dreamed. And you must tell me what it means. If you don't, I'll have you cut to pieces. And I'll have your houses turned into piles of trash. + "So tell me what I dreamed. Explain it to me. Then I'll give you gifts. I'll reward you. I'll give you great honor. So tell me the dream. And tell me what it means." + Once more they replied, "King Nebuchadnezzar, tell us what you dreamed. Then we'll tell you what it means." + The king answered, "I know what you are doing. You are trying to gain more time. You realize that I've made up my mind. + You must tell me the dream. If you don't, you will pay for it. You have gotten together and made evil plans. You hope things will change. So you are telling me lies. But I want you to tell me what I dreamed. Then I'll know that you can tell me what it means." + They answered the king, "There isn't a man on earth who can do what you are asking! No king has ever asked for anything like that. Not even a king as great and mighty as you has asked for it. Those who get knowledge by using magic have never been asked to do what you are asking. And those who study the heavens haven't been asked to do it either. + What you are asking is much too hard. No one can tell you what you dreamed except the gods. And they don't live among human beings." + That made the king very angry. He ordered that all of the wise men in Babylon be put to death. + So the order was given to kill them. Men were sent out to look for Daniel and his friends. They were also supposed to be put to death. + Arioch was the commander of the king's guard. He went out to put the wise men of Babylon to death. So Daniel spoke to him wisely and carefully. + He asked the king's officer, "Why did Nebuchadnezzar give a terrible order like that?" Then Arioch explained to Daniel what was going on. + When Daniel heard that, he went to the king. He told him he would explain the dream to him. But he needed more time. + Then Daniel returned to his house. He explained everything to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. + He asked them to pray that the God of heaven would give him mercy. He wanted God to help him understand the mystery of the king's dream. Then he and his friends wouldn't be killed along with the other wise men in Babylon. + During that night, God gave Daniel a vision. He showed him what the mystery was all about. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. + He said, "May God be praised for ever and ever! He is wise and powerful. + He changes times and seasons. He sets up kings. He removes them from power. The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him. He gives knowledge to those who have understanding. + He explains deep and hidden things. He knows what happens in the darkest places. And where he is, everything is light. + God of my people, I thank and praise you. You have given me wisdom and power. You have made known to me what we asked you for. You have shown us the king's dream." + Then Daniel went to Arioch. The king had appointed him to put the wise men of Babylon to death. Daniel said to him, "Don't kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king. I'll tell him what his dream means." + So Arioch took Daniel to the king at once. Arioch said, "I have found a man among those you brought here from Judah. He can tell you what your dream means." + Nebuchadnezzar spoke to Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar. The king asked him, "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream? And can you tell me what it means?" + Daniel replied, "You have asked us to explain a mystery to you. But no wise man can do that. And those who try to figure things out by using magic can't do it either. + "But there is a God in heaven who can explain mysteries. Nebuchadnezzar, he has shown you what is going to happen. Here is what you dreamed. And here are the visions that passed through your mind while you were lying on your bed. + "My king, while you were still in bed your mind thought about things that haven't happened yet. The One who explains mysteries showed those things to you. + "Now the mystery has been explained to me. But it isn't because I have greater wisdom than anyone else. It's because God wants you to know what the mystery means, my king. He wants you to understand what went through your mind. + "King Nebuchadnezzar, you looked up and saw a large statue standing in front of you. It was huge. It shone brightly. And it terrified you. + The head of the statue was made out of pure gold. Its chest and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and thighs were bronze. + Its legs were made out of iron. And its feet were partly iron and partly baked clay. + "While you were watching, a rock was cut out. But human hands didn't do it. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay. It smashed them. + Then the iron and clay were broken to pieces. So were the bronze, silver and gold. All of them were broken to pieces at the same time. They became like straw on a threshing floor at harvest time. The wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain. It filled the whole earth. + "That was your dream. Now I will tell you what it means. + Nebuchadnezzar, you are the greatest king of all. The God of heaven has given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory. + He has put everyone under your control. He has also given you authority over the wild animals and the birds of the air. It doesn't matter where they live. He has made you ruler over all of them. You are that head of gold. + "After you, another kingdom will take over. It won't be as powerful as yours. Next, a third kingdom will rule over the whole earth. The bronze part of the statue stands for that kingdom. + "Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron. Iron breaks and smashes everything to pieces. And the fourth kingdom will crush and break all of the others. + You saw that the feet and toes were made out of iron and baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be divided up. But it will still be almost as strong as iron. That's why you saw iron mixed with clay. + The toes were partly iron and partly clay. And the fourth kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. + You saw the iron mixed with baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be made up of all kinds of people. They won't hold together any more than iron mixes with clay. + "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed. And no other nation will ever take it over. It will crush all of those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. But it will last forever. + That's what the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain means. Human hands didn't cut the rock out. It broke the statue to pieces. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold. "The great God has shown you what will take place in days to come. The dream is true. And you can trust the meaning I have given you for it." + Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low in front of Daniel. He wanted to honor him. So he ordered that an offering and incense be offered up to him. + The king said to Daniel, "I'm sure your God is the greatest God of all. He is the Lord of kings. He explains mysteries. That's why you were able to explain the mystery of my dream." + Then the king put Daniel in a position of authority. He gave him many gifts. He made him ruler over the city of Babylon and the towns around it. He put him in charge of all of its other wise men. + The king also did what Daniel asked him to. He appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to help Daniel govern Babylon and the towns around it. Daniel himself remained at the royal court. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar made a statue that was covered with gold. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He set it up on the flatlands of Dura near the city of Babylon. + Then the king sent for the royal rulers, high officials and governors. He sent for the advisers, treasurers, judges and court officers. And he sent for all of the other officials of Babylon. He asked them to come to a special gathering to honor the statue he had set up. + So the royal rulers, high officials and governors came together. So did the advisers, treasurers, judges and court officers. All of the other officials joined them. They came to honor the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They stood in front of it. + Then a messenger called out loudly, "Listen, you people who come from every nation! Pay attention, you who speak other languages! Here is what the king commands you to do. + You will soon hear the sound of horns and flutes. You will hear zithers, lyres, harps and pipes. In fact, you will hear all kinds of music. When you do, you must fall down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. + If you don't, you will be thrown into a blazing furnace right away." + All of the people heard the sound of the horns and flutes. They heard the zithers, lyres, harps and other musical instruments. As soon as they did, they fell down and worshiped Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue. They had come from every nation and language. + At that time some people who studied the heavens came forward. They spoke against the Jews. + They said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live forever! + You commanded everyone to fall down and worship the gold statue. You told them to do it when they heard the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, pipes and other musical instruments. + If they didn't, they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. + But you have appointed some Jews to help Daniel govern Babylon and the towns around it. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They don't pay any attention to you, King Nebuchadnezzar. They don't serve your gods. And they refuse to worship the gold statue you have set up." + Nebuchadnezzar burned with anger. He sent for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So they were brought to him. + The king said to them, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is what I heard about you true? Don't you serve my gods? Don't you worship the gold statue I set up? + You will hear the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, pipes and other musical instruments. When you do, fall down and worship the statue I made. If you will, that's very good. But if you won't, you will be thrown at once into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to save you from my powerful hand?" + Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king. They said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to talk about this anymore. + We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your powerful hand. + "But we want you to know this. Even if we knew that our God wouldn't save us, we still wouldn't serve your gods. We wouldn't worship the gold statue you set up." + Then Nebuchadnezzar's anger burned against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The look on his face changed. And he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. + He also gave some of the strongest soldiers in his army a command. He ordered them to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Then he told his men to throw them into the blazing furnace. + So they were tied up. Then they were thrown into the furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, turbans and other clothes. + The king's command was carried out quickly. The furnace was so hot that its flames killed the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it. + So the three men were firmly tied up. And they fell into the blazing furnace. + Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet. He was so amazed he asked his advisers, "Didn't we tie three men up? Didn't we throw three men into the fire?" "Yes, we did," they replied. + The king said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They aren't tied up. And the fire hasn't even harmed them. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods." + Then the king approached the opening of the blazing furnace. He shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, come out! You who serve the Most High God, come here!" So they came out of the fire. + The royal rulers, high officials, governors and advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire hadn't harmed their bodies. Not one hair on their heads was burned. Their robes weren't burned either. And they didn't even smell like smoke. + Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "May the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be praised! He has sent his angel and saved his servants. They trusted in him. They refused to obey my command. They were willing to give up their lives. They would rather die than serve or worship any god except their own God. + "No other god can save people that way. So I'm giving an order. No one from any nation or language can say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If they do, they'll be cut to pieces. And their houses will be turned into piles of trash." + Then the king honored Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave them higher positions in the city of Babylon and the towns around it. + + + I, King Nebuchadnezzar, am writing this letter. I am sending it to you people from every nation and language in the whole world. May you have great success! + I am pleased to tell you what has happened. The Most High God has done miraculous signs and wonders for me. + His miraculous signs are great. His wonders are mighty. His kingdom will last forever. His rule will never end. + I was at home in my palace. I was content and very successful. + But I had a dream that made me afraid. I was lying on my bed. Then dreams and visions passed through my mind. They terrified me. + So I commanded that all of the wise men in Babylon be brought to me. I wanted them to tell me what my dream meant. + Those who try to figure things out by using magic came. So did those who study the heavens. I told all of them what I had dreamed. But they couldn't tell me what it meant. + Finally, Daniel came to me. He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god. The spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told him my dream. + I said, "Belteshazzar, you are chief of the magicians. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you. No mystery is too hard for you to figure out. Here is my dream. Tell me what it means. + "Here are the visions I saw while I was lying on my bed. I looked up and saw a tree standing in the middle of the land. It was very tall. + It had grown to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen anywhere on earth. + Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found shade. The birds of the air lived in its branches. Every creature was fed from that tree. + "While I was still lying on my bed, I looked up. In my visions, I saw a holy messenger. He was coming down from heaven. + He called out in a loud voice. He said, 'Cut the tree down. Break off its branches. Strip its leaves off. Scatter its fruit. Let the animals that are under it run away. Let the birds that are in its branches fly off. + But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it. " 'Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live like the animals among the plants of the earth. + Let him no longer have the mind of a man. Instead, let him be given the mind of an animal. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by. + " 'The decision is announced by holy messengers. So all who are alive will know that the Most High God is King. He rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants. Sometimes he puts the least important men in charge of them.' + "That's the dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, Belteshazzar. None of the wise men in my kingdom can explain it to me. But you can. After all, the spirit of the holy gods is in you." + Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, was very bewildered for a while. His thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its meaning make you afraid." Belteshazzar answered, "My master, I wish the dream were about your enemies! I wish its meaning had to do with them! + You saw a tree. It grew to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth. + Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found shade. The birds of the air lived in its branches. + "My king, you are that tree! You have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky. Your rule has spread to all parts of the earth. + "My king, you saw a holy messenger. He came down from heaven. He said, 'Cut the tree down. Destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it. Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live like the wild animals. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.' + "My king and master, here is what your dream means. The Most High God has given an order against you. + You will be driven away from people. You will live like the wild animals. You will eat grass just as cattle do. You will become wet with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants. + "But he gave a command to leave the stump of the tree along with its roots. That means your kingdom will be given back to you. It will happen when you recognize that the God of heaven rules. + "So, my king, I hope you will accept my advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you." + All of that happened to me. + It took place twelve months later. I was walking on the roof of my palace in Babylon. + I said, "Isn't this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is." + I was still speaking when a voice was heard from heaven. It said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you. + You will be driven away from people. You will live like the wild animals. You will eat grass just as cattle do. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants." + What had been said about me came true at once. I was driven away from people. I ate grass just as cattle do. My body became wet with the dew of heaven. I stayed that way until my hair grew like the feathers of an eagle. My nails became like the claws of a bird. + At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God. I gave honor and glory to the One who lives forever. His rule will last forever. His kingdom will never end. + He considers all of the nations on earth to be nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold his hand back. No one can say to him, "What have you done?" + My honor and glory were returned to me when my mind became clear again. The glory of my kingdom was given back to me. My advisers and nobles came to me. And I was put back on my throne. I became even greater than I had been before. + Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right. All of his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly. + + + King Belshazzar gave a big dinner. He invited a thousand of his nobles to it. He drank wine with them. + While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to his servants. He commanded them to bring in some gold and silver cups. They were the cups his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar had them brought in so everyone could drink from them. That included the king himself, his nobles, his wives and his concubines. + So the servants brought in the gold cups that had been taken from God's temple in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles drank from them. So did his wives and concubines. + As they drank the wine, they praised their gods. The statues of those gods were made out of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood or stone. + Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared. They wrote something on the plaster of the palace wall. It happened near the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote. + His face turned pale. He became so afraid that his knees knocked together. His legs couldn't hold him up any longer. + The king sent for those who try to figure things out by using magic. He also sent for those who study the heavens. All of them were wise men in Babylon. He ordered that they be brought to him. He said to them, "I want one of you to read this writing and tell me what it means. If you do, you will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." + Then all of the king's wise men came in. But they couldn't read the writing. They couldn't tell him what it meant. + So King Belshazzar became even more terrified. His face grew more pale. And his nobles were bewildered. + The queen heard the king and his nobles talking. So she came into the dining hall. "King Belshazzar, may you live forever!" she said. "Don't be afraid! Don't look so pale! + I know a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. He has understanding and wisdom and good sense just like the gods. That was discovered when your father Nebuchadnezzar was king. Nebuchadnezzar appointed him chief of those who tried to figure things out by using magic. He also put him in charge of those who studied the heavens. + "The man's name is Daniel. Your father called him Belteshazzar. He has a clever mind and knowledge and understanding. He is also able to tell what dreams mean. He can explain riddles and solve hard problems. Send for him. He'll tell you what the writing means." + So Daniel was brought to the king. The king said to him, "Are you Daniel? Are you one of the prisoners my father the king brought here from Judah? + I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. I've also heard that you have understanding and good sense and special wisdom. + "The wise men and those who practice magic were brought to me. They were asked to read this writing and tell me what it means. But they couldn't. + "I have heard that you are able to explain things and solve hard problems. I hope you can read this writing and tell me what it means. If you can, you will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." + Then Daniel answered the king. He said, "You can keep your gifts for yourself. You can give your rewards to someone else. But I will read the writing for you. I'll tell you what it means. + "King Belshazzar, the Most High God was good to your father Nebuchadnezzar. He gave him authority and greatness and glory and honor. + God gave him a high position. Then all of the people from every nation and language became afraid of the king. He put to death anyone he wanted to. He spared anyone he wanted to spare. He gave high positions to anyone he wanted to. And he brought down anyone he wanted to bring down. + "But his heart became very stubborn and proud. So he was removed from his royal throne. His glory was stripped away from him. + He was driven away from people. He was given the mind of an animal. He lived like the wild donkeys. He ate grass just as cattle do. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until he recognized that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He puts anyone he wants to in charge of them. + "But you knew all of that, Belshazzar. After all, you are Nebuchadnezzar's son. In spite of that, you are still proud. + You have taken your stand against the Lord of heaven. You had your servants bring cups from his temple to you. You and your nobles drank wine from them. So did your wives and concubines. You praised your gods. The statues of those gods are made out of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood or stone. They can't see or hear or understand anything. But you didn't honor the God who holds in his hand your very life and everything you do. + So he sent the hand that wrote on the wall. + "Here is what was written. mene, mene, tekel, parsin + "And here is what those words mean. #1 means that God has limited the time of your rule. He has brought it to an end. + #1 means that you have been weighed on scales. And you haven't measured up to God's standard. + #1 means that your authority over your kingdom will be taken away from you. It will be given to the Medes and Persians." + Then Belshazzar commanded his servants to dress Daniel in purple clothes. So they did. They put a gold chain around his neck. And he was made the third highest ruler in the kingdom. + That very night Belshazzar, the king of Babylonia, was killed. + His kingdom was given to Darius the Mede. Darius was 62 years old. + + + It pleased Darius to appoint 120 royal rulers over his entire kingdom. + He placed three leaders over them. One of the leaders was Daniel. The royal rulers were made accountable to the three leaders. Then the king wouldn't lose any of his wealth. + Daniel did a better job than the other two leaders or any of the royal rulers. He was an unusually good and able man. So the king planned to put him in charge of the whole kingdom. + But the other two leaders and the royal rulers heard about it. So they looked for a reason to bring charges against Daniel. They tried to find something wrong with the way he ran the government. But they weren't able to. They couldn't find any fault with his work. He could always be trusted. He never did anything wrong. And he always did what he was supposed to. + Finally those men said, "It's almost impossible for us to come up with a reason to bring charges against this man Daniel. If we do, it will have to be in connection with the law of his God." + So the two leaders and the royal rulers went as a group to the king. They said, "King Darius, may you live forever! + All of the royal leaders, high officials, royal rulers, advisers and governors want to make a suggestion. We've agreed that you should give an order. And you should make sure it's obeyed. Here is the command you should give. King Darius, during the next 30 days don't let any of your people pray to any god or man except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions' den. + "Now give the order. Write it down in the laws of the Medes and Persians. Then it can't be changed." + So King Darius put the order in writing. + Daniel found out that the king had signed the order. In spite of that, he did just as he had always done before. He went home to his upstairs room. Its windows opened toward Jerusalem. He went to his room three times a day to pray. He got down on his knees and gave thanks to his God. + Some of the other royal officials went to where Daniel was staying. They saw him praying and asking God for help. + So they went to the king. They spoke to him about his royal order. They said, "King Darius, didn't you sign an official order? It said that for the next 30 days none of your people could pray to any god or man except to you. If they did, they would be thrown into the lions' den." The king answered, "The order must still be obeyed. It's one of the laws of the Medes and Persians. So it can't be changed." + Then they spoke to the king again. They said, "Daniel is one of the prisoners from Judah. He doesn't pay any attention to you, King Darius. He doesn't obey the order you put in writing. He still prays to his God three times a day." + When the king heard that, he was very upset. He didn't want Daniel to be harmed in any way. Until sunset, he did everything he could to save him. + Then the men went as a group to the king. They said to him, "King Darius, remember that no order or law you make can be changed. That's what the laws of the Medes and Persians require." + So the king gave the order. Daniel was brought out and thrown into the lions' den. The king said to him, "You always serve your God faithfully. So may he save you!" + A stone was brought and placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed it with his own special ring. He also sealed it with the rings of his nobles. Then nothing could be done to help Daniel. + The king returned to his palace. He didn't eat anything that night. He didn't ask for anything to be brought to him for his enjoyment. And he couldn't sleep. + As soon as the sun began to rise, the king got up. He hurried to the lions' den. + When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. He said, "Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve him faithfully. So has he been able to save you from the lions?" + Daniel answered, "My king, may you live forever! + My God sent his angel. And his angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven't hurt me at all. That's because I haven't done anything wrong in God's sight. I've never done anything wrong to you either, my king." + The king was filled with joy. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. So they did. They didn't see any wounds on him. That's because he had trusted in his God. + Then the king gave another order. The men who had said bad things about Daniel were brought in. They were thrown into the lions' den. So were their wives and children. Before they hit the bottom of the den, the lions attacked them. And the lions crushed all of their bones. + Then King Darius wrote to the people from every nation and language in the whole world. He said, "May you have great success! + "I order people in every part of my kingdom to respect and honor Daniel's God. "He is the living God. He will live forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed. His rule will never end. + He sets people free and saves them. He does miraculous signs and wonders. He does them in the heavens and on the earth. He has saved Daniel from the power of the lions." + So Daniel had success while Darius was king. Things went well with him during the rule of Cyrus, the Persian. + + + It was the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylon. Daniel had a dream. He was lying on his bed. In his dream, visions passed through his mind. He wrote down what he saw. + Daniel said, "I had a vision at night. I looked up and saw the four winds of heaven. They were stirring up the Mediterranean Sea. + Four large animals came up out of the sea. Each one was different from the others. + "The first animal was like a lion. It had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground. It stood on two feet like a man. And a man's heart was given to it. + "I saw a second animal. It looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides. And it had three ribs between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up! Eat meat until you are full!' + "After that, I saw another animal. It looked like a leopard. On its back were four wings like the wings of a bird. It had four heads. And it was given authority to rule. + "After that, in my vision I looked up and saw a fourth animal. It was terrifying and very powerful. It had large iron teeth. It crushed those it attacked and ate them up. It stomped on anything that was left. It was different from the other animals. And it had ten horns. + "I thought about the horns. Then I saw another horn. It was a little one. It grew up among the other horns. Three of the first horns were pulled up by their roots to make room for it. The little horn had eyes like the eyes of a man. Its mouth was always bragging. + "As I watched, "thrones were set in place. The Eternal God took his seat. His clothes were as white as snow. The hair on his head was white like wool. His throne was blazing with fire. And flames were all around its wheels. + A river of fire was flowing. It was coming out from in front of God. Thousands and thousands of angels served him. Millions of them stood in front of him. The court was seated. And the books were opened. + "Then I continued to watch because of the way the horn was bragging. I kept looking until the fourth animal was killed. I watched until its body was destroyed. It was thrown into the blazing fire. + The authority of the other animals had been stripped away from them. But they were allowed to live for a period of time. + "In my vision I saw One who looked like a son of man. He was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Eternal God. He was led right up to him. + And he was given authority, glory and a kingdom. People from every nation and language worshiped him. His authority will last forever. It will not pass away. His kingdom will never be destroyed. + "My spirit was troubled. The visions that passed through my mind upset me. + I approached an angel who was standing there. I asked him what all of those things really meant. "So he explained everything to me. He told me what it meant. He said, + 'The four large animals stand for four kingdoms. The kingdoms will appear on the earth. + But the holy people of the Most High God will receive the kingdom. They will possess it forever. It will belong to them for ever and ever.' + "Then I wanted to know what the fourth animal stood for. It was different from the others. It was the most terrifying of all. It had iron teeth and bronze claws. It crushed those it attacked and ate them up. It stomped on anything that was left. + "I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head. And I wanted to know about the other horn that grew up later. It caused three of the ten horns to fall out. It appeared to be stronger than the others. It had eyes. And its mouth was always bragging. + "I saw that the horn was at war with God's people. It was winning the battle over them. + But then the Eternal God came. He decided in favor of his holy people. So the time came when the kingdom was given to them. + "Here's how the angel explained it to me. He said, 'The fourth animal stands for a fourth kingdom. It will appear on earth. It will be different from the other kingdoms. It will eat up the whole earth. It will stomp on it and crush it. + The ten horns stand for ten kings. They will come from the fourth kingdom. " 'After them another king will appear. He will be different from the earlier ones. He'll bring three kings under his control. + He'll speak against the Most High God. He'll treat God's people badly. He will try to change the times and laws that were given by God. God's people will be handed over to him for three and a half years. + " 'But the court will open. And the power of that king will be taken away from him. It will be completely destroyed forever. + Then the authority, power and greatness of all of the kingdoms on earth will be handed over to the people of the Most High God. His kingdom will last forever. Every ruler will worship and obey him.' + "That's all I saw. My thoughts deeply troubled me. My face turned pale. But I kept those things to myself." + + + It was the third year of King Belshazzar's rule. After the vision that had already appeared to me, I had another one. + In my vision I saw myself in the city of Susa. It has high walls around it. It is in the land of Elam. In the vision I was beside the Ulai Waterway. + I looked up and saw a ram that had two horns. He was standing beside the waterway. His horns were long. One of them was longer than the other. But it grew up later. + I watched the ram as he charged toward the west. He also charged toward the north and the south. No animal could stand up against him. Not one of them could save anyone from his power. He did as he pleased. And he became great. + I was thinking about all of that. Then a goat suddenly came from the west. He had a large horn between his eyes. He raced across the whole earth without even touching the ground. + He came toward the ram that had the two horns. It was the ram I had seen standing beside the waterway. The goat was burning with anger. He charged at the ram. + I saw him attack the ram with mighty force. He struck the ram and broke his two horns. The ram didn't have the power to stand up against him. The goat knocked him to the ground and stomped on him. No one could save the ram from his power. + The goat became very great. But when his power was at its greatest, his large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. + Out of one of the four horns came another horn. It started small but became more and more powerful. It grew to the south and to the east and toward the beautiful land of Israel. + It grew until it reached the stars in the sky. It threw some of them down to the earth. And it stomped on them. + It set itself up to be as great as God. He is the Prince of the heavenly army. It took the daily sacrifices away from him. And his temple in Jerusalem was brought low. + Because many of God's people refused to obey him, they were handed over to the horn. The daily sacrifices were also given over to it. It was successful no matter what it did. And the true worship of God was thrown down to the ground. + Then I heard a holy angel speaking. Another holy angel spoke to him. He asked, "How long will it take for the vision to come true? The daily sacrifices will be stopped. Those who refuse to obey God will be destroyed. The temple will be handed over to an enemy. And some of the stars will be stomped on." + One of the holy angels said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the temple will be made holy again." + I was watching the vision. And I was trying to understand it. Then I saw someone who looked like a man. + I heard a voice from the Ulai Waterway. It called out, "Gabriel, tell Daniel what his vision means." + Gabriel came close to where I was standing. I was terrified and fell down flat with my face toward the ground. He said to me, "Son of man, I want you to understand that the vision tells about the time of the end." + While he was speaking to me, I was sound asleep. I lay with my face toward the ground. Then he touched me. He raised me to my feet. + He said, "I am going to tell you what will happen later. It will take place when God is angry. The vision tells about the appointed time of the end. + You saw a ram that had two horns. It stands for the kings of Media and Persia. + The goat stands for the king of Greece. The large horn between his eyes is the first king. + Four horns took its place when it was broken off. They stand for four kingdoms that will come from his nation. But those kingdoms will not be as powerful as his. + "Toward the end of their rule, those who refuse to obey God will become completely evil. Then another king will appear. He will have a mean-looking face. He will be a master at making clever plans. + He will become very strong. But he will not get that way by his own power. People will be amazed at the way he destroys everything. He will be successful no matter what he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. + "He will tell lies in order to succeed. He will think he is more important than anyone else. When people feel safe, he will destroy many of them. He will stand up against the greatest Prince of all. Then he will be destroyed. But he will not be killed by human beings. + "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given to you is true. But seal up the vision. It tells about a time far off." + I was worn out. I lay sick for several days. Then I got up and returned to my work for the king. The vision bewildered me. I couldn't understand it. + + + It was the first year that Darius was king of Babylonia. He was from Media and was the son of Xerxes. + In that year I learned from the Scriptures that Jerusalem would remain destroyed for 70 years. That was what the Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah. + So I prayed to the Lord God. I begged him. I made many appeals to him. I didn't eat anything. I put on black clothes. And I sat down in ashes. + I prayed to the Lord my God. I admitted that we had sinned. I said, "Lord, you are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with all those who love you and obey your commands. You show them your love. + "We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws. + We haven't listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings and princes. They also brought your message to all of our people in the land. + "Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren't faithful to you. + Lord, we and our kings and princes and people are covered with shame. We have sinned against you. + "You are the Lord our God. You show us your tender love. You forgive us. But we have turned against you. + You are the Lord our God. But we haven't obeyed you. We haven't kept the laws you gave us through your servants the prophets. + All of the people of Israel have broken your law and turned away from it. They have refused to obey you. "Curses and warnings are written down in the Law of Moses. He was your servant. Those curses have been poured out on us. That's because we have sinned against you. + The warnings you gave us and our rulers have come true. You have brought great trouble on us. Nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever happened anywhere else on earth. + "The curses that are written in the Law of Moses have fallen on us. We have received nothing but trouble. You are the Lord our God. But we haven't asked for your favor. We haven't turned away from our sins. We've refused to pay attention to the laws you gave us. + Lord, you didn't hold back from bringing this trouble on us. You always do what is right. But we haven't obeyed you. + "Lord our God, you used your mighty hand to bring your people out of Egypt. You made a name for yourself. It is still great to this very day. But we have sinned. We've done what is wrong. + Lord, you saved your people before. So turn your burning anger away from Jerusalem again. After all, it is your city. It's your holy mountain. All those who live around us laugh at Jerusalem and your people. That's because we have sinned. Our people before us did evil things too. + "Our God, hear my prayers. Pay attention to the appeals I make to you. Look with favor on your temple that has been destroyed. Do it for your own honor. + Our God, please listen to us. The city that belongs to you has been destroyed. Open your eyes and see it. We aren't asking you to answer our prayers because we are godly. Instead, we're asking you to do it because you love us so much. + "Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive us! Lord, hear our prayers! Take action for your own honor. Our God, please don't wait. Your city and your people belong to you." + I was speaking and praying. I was admitting that I and my people Israel had sinned. I was making my appeal to the Lord my God concerning his holy mountain of Zion. + While I was still praying, Gabriel came to me. I had seen him in my earlier vision. He flew over to me very quickly. It was about the time when the evening sacrifice is offered. + He helped me understand. He said, "Daniel, I have come now to give you a good knowledge and understanding of these things. + You are highly respected. So as soon as you began to pray, the Lord gave you an answer. I have come to tell you what it is. Here is how you must understand the vision. + "The Lord has appointed 70 'weeks' for your people and your holy city. During that time, acts against God's law will be stopped. Sin will come to an end. And the evil things people do will be paid for. Then everyone will always do what is right. Everything that has been made known in visions and prophecies will come true. And the Most Holy Room in the temple will be anointed. + "Here is what I want you to know and understand. There will be seven 'weeks.' Then there will be 62 'weeks.' The seven 'weeks' will begin when an order is given to rebuild Jerusalem and make it like new again. "At the end of the 62 'weeks,' the Anointed King will come. Jerusalem will have streets and a water system when it is rebuilt. But that will be done in times of trouble. + After the 62 'weeks,' the Anointed King will be cut off. His followers will desert him. And everything he has will be taken away from him. The army of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the temple. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. The Lord has ordered that many places be destroyed. + "A covenant will be put into effect with many people for one 'week.' In the middle of the 'week' sacrifices and offerings will come to an end. In one part of the temple a hated thing that destroys will be set up. It will remain until the Lord brings the end he has ordered." + + + It was the third year that Cyrus, the king of Persia, ruled over Babylonia. At that time I was living in Babylon. There the people called me Belteshazzar. A message came to me from God. It was true. It was about a great war. I had a vision that showed me what it meant. + At that time I was very sad for three weeks. + I didn't eat any rich food. No meat or wine touched my lips. I didn't use any lotions at all until the three weeks were over. + I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River. It was the 24th day of the first month. + I looked up and saw a man who was dressed in linen clothes. A belt that was made out of the finest gold was around his waist. + His body gleamed like chrysolite. His face shone like lightning. His eyes were like flaming torches. His arms and legs were as bright as polished bronze. And his voice was like the sound of a large crowd. + I was the only one who saw the vision. The men who were there with me didn't see it. But they were so terrified that they ran and hid. + So I was left alone as I was watching that great vision. I felt very weak. My face turned as pale as death. And I was helpless. + Then I heard the man speak. As I listened to him, I fell sound asleep. My face was toward the ground. + A hand touched me. It pulled me up on my hands and knees. I began to tremble with fear. + The man said, "Daniel, you are highly respected. Think carefully about what I am going to say to you. And stand up. God has sent me to you." When he said that, I trembled as I stood up. + He continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. You decided to get more understanding. You went without food as you worshiped your God. Since the first day you did those things, your words were heard. I have come to give you an answer. + But the prince of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael came to help me. He is one of the leaders of the angels. He helped me win the battle over the king of Persia. + "Now I have come to explain the vision to you. I will tell you what will happen to your people. The vision shows what will take place in days to come." + While he was telling me those things, I bowed with my face toward the ground. I wasn't able to speak. + Then someone who looked like a man touched my lips. I opened my mouth. I began to speak to the one who was standing in front of me. I said, "My master, I'm greatly troubled because of the vision I've seen. And I'm helpless. + How can I talk with you? I feel very weak. In fact, I can hardly breathe." + The one who looked like a man touched me again. He gave me strength. + "Do not be afraid," he said. "You are highly respected. May peace be with you! Be strong now. Be strong." When he spoke to me, I became stronger. I said, "Speak, my master. You have given me strength." + So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece will come. + But first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. No one gives me any help against those princes except Michael. He is your leader. + + + I stepped forward to help him and keep him safe. It was the first year that Darius, the Mede, was king. + "Now then, what I'm about to tell you is true. Three more kings will appear in Persia. Then a fourth one will rule. He will be much richer than all of the others. He will use his wealth to gain power. And he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. + "After him, a mighty king will appear. He will rule with great power. He will do as he pleases. + Not long after his rule ends, his kingdom will be broken up. It will be divided up into four parts. His children will not receive it when he dies. And it will not be as strong as his kingdom. It will be pulled up by the roots. And it will be given to others. + "The king of Egypt will become strong. But one of his commanders will become even stronger. He will rule over his own kingdom with great power. + After many years, the two kingdoms will join forces. The daughter of the next king of Egypt will go to the king of Syria. She will join forces with him. But she will not hold on to her power. And he and his power will not last either. In those days she and her attendants will be put to death. Her father will die. So will the one who helped her. + "Someone from her family line will take her place. He will attack the army of the next king of Syria. Then he will enter his fort. He will fight against that army and win. + He will take the metal statues of their gods. He will also take away their priceless articles of silver and gold. He will carry everything off to Egypt. For many years he will leave the king of Syria alone. + "That king will march into territory that was controlled by Egypt. Then he will return to his own country. + His sons will prepare for war. They will gather a huge army. It will sweep along like a mighty flood. It will fight its way as far as one of the Egyptian forts. + "Another king of Egypt will march out with mighty force. He will fight against the next king of Syria. That king will gather a huge army. But it will lose the battle. + His soldiers will be carried off. Then the king of Egypt will be filled with pride. He will kill many thousands of soldiers. But his success will not last. + "The king of Syria will bring another army together. It will be larger than the first one. After several years, he will march out with a huge army. It will have everything it needs for battle. + "In those times many people will rise up against the next king of Egypt. Lawless men in your own nation will refuse to obey him. That is what you saw in your vision. But they will not succeed. + "Then the king of Syria will go to a certain city that has high walls around it. He will build ramps against them. And he will capture that city. The forces of Egypt will not have the power to stop him. Even their best troops will not be strong enough to stand up against him. + He will do anything he wants to. No one will be able to stand up against him. He will take over the beautiful land of Israel. And he will have the power to destroy it. + "He will decide to come with the might of his entire kingdom. He will join forces with the king of Egypt. And he will give him his daughter to become his wife. He will do it in order to take control of Egypt. But his plans will not succeed. They will not help him. + "Then he will turn his attention to the lands along the Mediterranean coast. He will take over many of them. But a commander will put an end to his proud actions. He will turn his pride back on him. + "After that, the king of Syria will return to the forts in his own country. But he will trip and fall. And he will never be seen again. + "The next king after him will send someone out to collect taxes. The taxes will help maintain the glory of his kingdom. But in a few years the king will be destroyed. It will not happen because someone becomes angry with him or kills him in battle. + "Another king will take his place. Many people will hate him. He will not be honored as a king should be. He will lead an army into the kingdom when its people feel secure. He will make clever plans to capture it. + Then he will sweep away a huge army. The army and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. + "The king of Syria will make an agreement with that prince. But then he will not keep his word. He will rise to power with the help of only a few people. + When the people in the richest areas feel secure, he will attack them. He will do what the kings before him could not do. And he will reward his followers with the goods and wealth he takes. He will make clever plans to take over the forts. But that will last for only a short time. + "He will stir up his strength and courage. With a large army he will go to war against the next king of Egypt. That king will fight against him with a huge and very powerful army. But he will not be able to stand up against him. So the plans of the king of Syria will succeed. + The trusted advisers of the king of Egypt will try to destroy him. His army will be swept away. Many of his soldiers will be wounded or killed. + "The kings of Syria and Egypt will sit at the same table. But in their hearts they will plan to do what is evil. And they will tell lies to each other. But it will not do them any good. God will put an end to their plans at his appointed time. + "The king of Syria will return to his own country. He will go back there with great wealth. But he will make evil plans against the holy temple in Jerusalem. He will do a lot of harm to the temple and the people who worship there. Then he will return to his own country. + "At God's appointed time, the king of Syria will march south again. But this time things will turn out differently. + Roman ships will oppose him. He will lose hope. Then he will turn back. He will take out his anger against the holy temple. And he will show favor to the Jews who desert it. + "His army will come and make the temple area 'unclean.' They will put a stop to the daily sacrifices. Then they will set up a hated thing that destroys. + He will pretend to praise those who have broken the covenant. He will lead them to do what is evil. But the people who know their God will firmly oppose him. + "Those who are wise will teach many others. But for a while, some of the wise will be killed with swords. Others will be burned to death. Still others will be made prisoners. Or they will be robbed of everything they have. + When that happens, they will receive a little help. Many who are not honest will join them. + "So some of the wise people will suffer. They will be made pure in the fire. They will be made spotless until the time of the end. It will still come at God's appointed time. + "A certain king will do as he pleases. He will honor himself. He will put himself above every god. He will say things that have never been heard before against the greatest God of all. He will have success until God is not angry anymore. What God has decided to do must take place. + "The king will not show any respect for the gods his people have always worshiped. He will not respect the one women long for. He will not have respect for any god. Instead, he will put himself above all of them. + In place of them, he will worship a god of war. He will honor a god his people have not had anything to do with before. He will give gold and silver to that god. He will bring jewels and expensive gifts to it. + "He will attack the strongest forts. A new god will help him do it. He will greatly honor those who recognize him as their leader. He will make them rulers over many people. And he will give them land as a reward. + "A king in the south will go to war against him. It will happen at the time of the end. The king who will honor himself will rush out against him. He will come with chariots and horsemen. He will attack with a lot of ships. He will lead his army into many countries. He will sweep through them like a flood. + "He will also march into the beautiful land of Israel. Many countries will fall. But Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be saved from his mighty hand. + His power will reach out into many countries. Even Egypt will not escape. + He will gain control of all of Egypt's riches. He will take their gold and silver treasures. The people of Libya and Cush will be under his control. + "But reports from the east and the north will terrify him. He will burn with anger and march out to destroy many people and wipe them out. + He will set up his royal tents. He will put them between the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful holy mountain of Zion. But his end will come. And no one will help him. + + + "At that time Michael will appear. He is the great leader of the angels who guards your people. There will be a time of terrible suffering. Things will be worse than at any time since nations began. But at that time of suffering your people will be saved. Their names are written in the Book of Life. + "Huge numbers of people who lie dead in their graves will wake up. Some will rise up to life that will never end. Others will rise up to shame that will never end. + Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the sky. Those who lead many others to do what is right will be like the stars for ever and ever. + "But I want you to roll up the scroll, Daniel. Seal it until the time of the end. Many people will go here and there to increase their knowledge." + Then I looked up and saw two other angels. One was on this side of the Tigris River. And one was on the other side. + The man who was dressed in linen was above the waters of the river. One of the angels said to him, "How long will it be before these amazing things come true?" + The man raised both hands toward heaven. I heard him take an oath in the name of the One who lives forever. He answered me, "Three and a half years. Then the power of the holy people will be broken at last. And all of those things will come true." + I heard what he said. But I didn't understand it. So I asked, "My master, what will come of all of this?" + He answered, "Go on your way, Daniel. The scroll is rolled up. It is sealed until the time of the end. + Many people will be made pure in the fire. They will be made spotless. But sinful people will continue to be evil. Not one sinful person will understand. But those who are wise will. + "The daily sacrifices will be stopped. And the hated thing that destroys will be set up. After that, there will be 1,290 days. + Blessed are those who wait for the 1,335 days and reach the end of them. + "Daniel, go on your way until the end. Your body will rest in the grave. Then at the end of the days you will rise from the dead. And you will receive what God has appointed for you." + + + + + A message came to Hosea from the Lord. He was the son of Beeri. The message came while Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. It also came while Jeroboam was king of Israel. He was the son of Jehoash. Here is what Hosea said. + The Lord began to speak through me. He said to me, "Go. Get married to a woman who will commit adultery. Take as your own the children who will be born as a result of her adultery. Marry her because the people of the land are guilty of the worst kind of adultery. They have not been faithful to me." + So I married Gomer. She was the daughter of Diblaim. Gomer became pregnant. And she had a son by me. + Then the Lord said to me, "Name him Jezreel. That is because I will soon punish Jehu's royal family. He killed many people at the city of Jezreel. So I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. + At that time I will break their military power. It will happen in the Valley of Jezreel." + Gomer became pregnant again. She had a daughter. Then the Lord said to me, "Name her Lo-Ruhamah. That is because I will no longer show love to the people of Israel. I will not forgive them anymore. + But I will show love to the people of Judah. And I will save them. I will not use bows or swords or other weapons of war to do it. I will not save them by using horses and horsemen either. Instead, I will use my own power to save them. I am the Lord their God." + Later, Gomer stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah. After that, she had another son. + Then the Lord said, "Name him Lo-Ammi. That is because Israel is no longer my people. And I am no longer their God. + "But the time will come when the people of Israel will be like the sand on the seashore. It can't be measured or counted. Now it is said about them, 'You are not my people.' But at that time they will be called 'children of the living God.' + The people of Judah and Israel will be brought together again. They will appoint one leader. They will increase their numbers in the land. And Jezreel's day will be great. That is because I will plant Israel in the land again. + + + "People of Israel, call your brothers My People. And call your sisters My Loved Ones." + I said to my children, "Talk things over with your mother. Talk to her. She isn't acting like a wife to me anymore. She no longer treats me as her husband. Tell her to stop looking and acting like a prostitute. Tell her not to let her lovers lie on her breasts anymore. + If she doesn't stop it, I will strip her naked. I'll make her as bare as she was on the day she was born. I'll make her like a desert. She will become like dry land. And I'll let her die of thirst." + I won't show my love to Gomer's children. They are the children of other men. + Their mother hasn't been faithful to me. She who became pregnant with them has brought shame on herself. She said, "I will chase after my lovers. They give me my food and water. They provide me with wool and linen. They give me olive oil and wine." + So I will block her path with bushes that have thorns. I'll build a wall around her. Then she can't go to her lovers. + She will still chase after her lovers. But she won't catch them. She'll look for them. But she won't find them. Then she'll say, "I'll go back to my husband. That's where I was at first. I was better off then than I am now." + She wouldn't admit that I was the one who gave her everything she had. I provided her with grain, olive oil and fresh wine. I gave her plenty of silver and gold. But she used it to make statues of Baal. + So I will take away my grain when it gets ripe. I'll take my fresh wine when it's ready. I'll take back my wool and my linen. I gave them to her to cover her naked body. + So now I'll uncover her body. All of her lovers will see it. No one can stop me from punishing her. + I will put a stop to the special times she celebrates. I'll bring an end to the feasts she celebrates each year. I'll stop her New Moon Feasts and her Sabbath days. I'll bring all of her appointed feasts to an end. + I will destroy her vines and her fig trees. She said they were her pay from her lovers. I'll make them like clumps of bushes and weeds. Wild animals will eat them up. + The Lord announces, "Israel burned incense to the gods that were named after Baal. I will punish her for all of the times she did that. She decorated herself with rings and jewelry. Then she went after her lovers. But she forgot all about me. + "So now I am going to draw her back to me. I will lead her into the desert. There I will speak tenderly to her. + I will give her back her vineyards. I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope for her. Then she will love me, as she did when she was young. She will love me just as she did when she came up out of Egypt. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "Israel will call me My Husband. She will no longer call me My Master. + She will no longer speak about the gods that are named after Baal. She will not pray to them for help anymore. + At that time I will make a covenant for the good of my people. I will make it with the wild animals and the birds of the air. It will also be made with the creatures that move on the ground. I will remove bows and swords and other weapons of war from the land. Then my people can lie down in safety. + I will make Israel my own. She will belong to me forever. I will do to her what is right and fair. I will love her tenderly. + I will be faithful to her. And she will recognize me as the Lord. + "So at that time I will answer her," announces the Lord. "I will command the skies to send rain on the earth. + Then the earth will produce grain, olive oil and fresh wine. And Israel will be called Jezreel. That is because I will answer her prayers. + I will plant her in the land for myself. I will show my love to the one I called Not My Loved One. I will say, 'You are my people' to those who were called Not My People. And they will say, 'You are my God.' " + + + The Lord said to me, "Go. Show your love to your wife again. She is loved by another man. And she has committed adultery. But I want you to love her just as I love the people of Israel. They turn to other gods. And they love to offer raisin cakes to Baal and eat them. In spite of that, I love my people." + So I bought Gomer for six ounces of silver and about ten bushels of barley. + Then I told her, "You must wait for me for a long time. You must not be a prostitute. You must not have sex with any man. And I will wait for you." + So the people of Israel will live for a long time without a king or prince. They won't have sacrifices or sacred stones. They won't have sacred linen aprons or statues of family gods. + After that, the people of Israel will return to the Lord their God. They will look to him and to a king from the family line of David. In the last days, they will tremble with fear as they come to the Lord. And they will receive his full blessing. + + + People of Israel, listen to the Lord's message. He is bringing charges against you who live in Israel. He says, "There is no faithfulness or love in the land. No one recognizes me as God. + People call down curses on others. They tell lies and commit murder. They steal and commit adultery. They break all of my laws. They keep on spilling the blood of others. + That is why the land is drying up. All those who live in it are getting weaker and weaker. The wild animals and the birds of the air are dying. So are the fish in the ocean. + "But you priests should not blame the people. You should not find fault with one another. After all, your people could also bring charges against you. + You trip and fall day and night. And the prophets fall down along with you. So I will destroy your nation. She is the one who gave birth to you. + My people are destroyed because they do not know me. "You priests have refused to obey me. So I will refuse to accept you as my priests. You have not paid any attention to my law. So I will not let your children be my priests. + The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have traded their glorious God for that shameful god Baal. + They live off the sins of my people. And they want them to keep on sinning. + So here is what I will do. I will punish people and priests alike. I will judge them because of their sinful lives. I will pay them back for the evil things they have done. + "My people will eat. But they will not have enough. They will have sex with prostitutes. But they will not have any children. That is because they have deserted me. + They have sex with prostitutes. They drink old wine and fresh wine. When they do those things, it destroys their ability to understand. + They ask a wooden statue of a god for advice. They expect to get answers from a stick of wood. They act like prostitutes. That leads them down the wrong path. I am their God. But they are not faithful to me. + They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops. They burn offerings on the hills. They worship under oak, poplar and terebinth trees. The trees provide plenty of shade. So your daughters become prostitutes. And your daughters-in-law commit adultery. + "I will not punish your daughters when they become prostitutes. I will not judge your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. After all, the men themselves have sex with sinful women. They offer sacrifices where temple prostitutes earn their living. People who can't understand will be destroyed! + "Israel, you are not faithful to me. But I do not want Judah to become guilty too. "My people, do not go to Gilgal to offer sacrifices. Do not go up to Bethel to worship other gods. Do not take an oath and say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' + The people of Israel are stubborn. They are as stubborn as a young cow. So how can I take care of them like lambs in a meadow? + The people of Ephraim have joined themselves to other gods. And nothing can be done to help them. + They continue to be unfaithful to me even when their drinks are gone. And their rulers love to do shameful things. + A windstorm will blow all of them away. And their sacrifices will bring shame on them. + + + "Listen to me, you priests! Pay attention, people of Israel! Listen, you members of the royal family! Here is my decision against you. You have been like a trap at Mizpah. You have been like a net spread out on Mount Tabor. + You refuse to obey me. You offer sacrifices to other gods. So I will punish all of you. + People of Ephraim, I know all about you. What you are doing is not hidden from me. Now you have joined yourselves to other gods. You have made yourselves 'unclean.' + "You can't return to me because you have done so many evil things. In your hearts you long to act like prostitutes. You do not recognize me as the Lord. + Israel, your pride witnesses that you are guilty. People of Ephraim, you trip and fall because you have sinned. Judah, you fall down along with them. + Israel, you will come to worship me. You will bring your animals to offer as sacrifices. But you will not find me. I have turned away from you. + You are not faithful to me. Your children do not belong to me. The way you act at your New Moon Feasts will destroy you and your fields. + "My people, blow trumpets in Gibeah! Blow horns in Ramah! Shout the battle cry in Bethel! Say to Benjamin, 'The Assyrian army is coming!' + People of Ephraim, you will be completely destroyed when it is time for me to punish you. You can be sure it will happen. I am announcing it among your tribes. + Judah, your leaders have stolen some land. They have moved their borders farther north. So I will pour out my anger on you like a flood of water. + Ephraim, you will soon be crushed. The Assyrians will stomp all over you. It will happen because you have made up your minds to chase after other gods. + Ephraim, I will be like a moth to you. Judah, I will cause you to rot away. + "Ephraim, you saw how sick you were. Judah, you saw that you were wounded. Ephraim, you turned to Assyria for help. You sent gifts to the great King Tiglath-Pileser. But he is not able to make you well. He can't heal your wounds. + Ephraim, I will be like a lion to you. Judah, I will attack you like a powerful lion. I will tear you to pieces. I will drag you off. Then I will leave you. No one will be able to save you. + I will go back to my home in heaven. I will stay there until you admit you have sinned. Then you will turn to me. You will suffer so much that you will really want me to help you." + + + The people say, "Come. Let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces. But he will heal us. He has wounded us. But he'll bandage our wounds. + After two days he will give us new life. On the third day he'll make us like new again. Then we will enjoy his blessing. + Let's recognize him as the Lord. Let's keep trying to really know him. You can be sure the sun will rise. And you can be just as sure the Lord will appear. He will come to renew us like the winter rains. He will be like the spring rains that water the earth." + The Lord says, "Ephraim, what can I do with you? And what can I do with you, Judah? Your love for me vanishes like the morning mist. It soon disappears like the early dew. + So I used the words of my prophets to cut you in pieces. I used my words to put you to death. When I judged you, I struck you like lightning. + I want mercy and not sacrifice. I want you to recognize me as God instead of bringing me burnt offerings. + Just as Adam disobeyed me, you have broken the covenant I made with you. You were not faithful to me in the land I gave you. + Ramoth Gilead is a city where sinful people live. It is stained with footprints of blood. + On the road to Shechem, groups of priests act like robbers. They hide and wait to attack people. They murder them and commit other shameful crimes. + People of Israel, I have seen a horrible thing in your land. People of Ephraim, you have joined yourselves to other gods. You have made yourselves 'unclean.' + "People of Judah, I have appointed a time for you to be destroyed. "My people, I would like to bless you with great success again." + + + The Lord says, "I would like to heal Israel. But when I try to, Ephraim's sins are brought out into the open. The crimes of Samaria are made known to everyone. The people tell lies. They break into houses and steal. They rob others in the streets. + But they do not realize that I remember all of the evil things they do. Their sins pile up and cover them. I am always aware of those sins. + "Their evil conduct even makes the king glad. Their lies make the princes happy. + But all of the people are unfaithful to the king. Their anger against him burns like the coals in an oven. The baker does not even need to stir up the fire until the dough is ready." + On special days to honor our king, the princes get drunk with wine. And the king enjoys the party. He joins hands with those who pretend to be faithful to him. + Their hearts are as hot as an oven. They make evil plans to get rid of him. Their anger burns like a slow fire all night. In the morning it blazes out like a flaming fire. + All of them are as hot as an oven. They destroy their rulers. All of their kings fall from power. But none of them calls on the Lord for help. + The people of Ephraim mix with the nations. They are like a flat cake that is baked on only one side. + People from other lands make them weaker and weaker. But they don't realize it. Their hair is becoming gray. But they don't even notice it. + The pride of Israel witnesses that they are guilty. But in spite of everything, they don't return to the Lord their God. They don't go to him for help. + The Lord says, "The people of Ephraim are like a dove. They are easily tricked. They do not have any sense at all. First they call out to Egypt for help. Then they turn to Assyria. + When they send for help, I will throw my net over them. I will capture them like birds of the air. I will punish them, just as I warned them I would. + How terrible it will be for them! They have wandered away from me. So they will be destroyed. They have refused to obey me. I long to save them. But they tell lies about me. + They do not cry out to me from their hearts. Instead, they just lie on their beds and sob. They cut themselves when they pray to Baal for grain and fresh wine. So they turn away from me. + I brought them up and made them strong. But they make evil plans against me. + I am the Most High God. But they do not turn to me. They are like a bow that does not shoot straight. Their leaders will be killed with swords. They will die because they have spoken too proudly. The people of Egypt will make fun of them." + + + The Lord said to me, "Put a trumpet to your lips! Give a warning to my people! Assyria is like an eagle. It is ready to attack my land. My people have broken the covenant I made with them. They have refused to obey my law. + Israel shouts to me, 'We recognize you as our God!' + But they have turned away from what is good. So an enemy will chase them. + My people appoint kings I do not want. They choose princes without my permission. They use their silver and gold to make statues of gods. That is how they destroy themselves." + The Lord says, "People of Samaria, throw out your god that looks like a calf! My anger burns against you. How long will it be until you are able to remain faithful to me? + Your calf is not God. A skilled worker from Israel made it. But it will be broken to pieces." + The Lord says, "Worshiping other gods is like worshiping the wind. It is like planting worthless seeds. Assyria is like a windstorm. That is all my people will harvest. There are no heads of grain on the stems that will come up. So they will not produce any flour. Even if they did produce grain, the Assyrians would eat all of it up. + So the people of Israel are swallowed up. Now they are like a worthless pot to me among the nations. + They have gone up to Assyria for help. They are like a wild donkey that wanders around by itself. Ephraim's people have sold themselves to their Assyrian lovers. + They have sold themselves to the nations to get their help. But now I will gather them together. They will get weaker and weaker. The mighty kings of Assyria will crush them. + "Ephraim built many altars where they sacrificed sin offerings to other gods. So their altars have become places where they commit sin. + I wrote down many things in my law for their good. But they considered my laws as something strange. + They offer sacrifices to me. They eat the meat of the animals they bring. But I am not pleased with any of that. I will remember the evil things they have done. I will punish them for their sins. And they will return to Egypt. + Israel has forgotten the One who made them. They have built palaces for themselves. Judah has built forts in many towns. But I will send fire down on their cities. It will burn up their forts." + + + Israel, don't be joyful. Don't be glad as the other nations are. You haven't been faithful to your God. You love to get paid for being a prostitute. Your pay is the grain at every threshing floor. + But soon there won't be any grain or wine to feed you. There won't even be any fresh wine. + You won't remain in the Lord's land. Ephraim, you will return to Egypt. You will eat "unclean" food in Assyria. + You won't pour out wine offerings to the Lord. Your sacrifices won't please him. They'll be like the bread people eat when someone dies. Everyone who eats those sacrifices will be "unclean." They themselves will have to eat that kind of food. They can't bring it into the Lord's temple. + What will you do when your appointed feasts come? What will you do on the Lord's special days? + Some of you will escape without being destroyed. But you will die in Egypt. Your bodies will be buried at Memphis. Weeds will cover your treasures of silver. Thorns will grow up in your tents. + The time when God will punish you is coming. The day when he will judge you is near. I want you to know that. You have committed many sins. And you hate me very much. That's why you think I'm foolish. You think I'm crazy. But the Lord speaks through me. + People of Ephraim, I'm a true prophet. My God is warning you through me. But you set traps for me everywhere I go. You hate me so much you even wait for me in God's house. + You have sunk very deep into sin, just as our people did at Gibeah long ago. God will remember the evil things you have done. He will punish you for your sins. + The Lord says, "When I first found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your people long ago, it was like seeing the early fruit on a fig tree. But then they went to Baal Peor. There they gave themselves to that shameful god Baal. They became as evil as the god they loved. + Ephraim's greatness and glory will be gone. It will fly away like a bird. Women will no longer have children. They will not be able to get pregnant. + But suppose they do have children. Then I will kill every one of them. How terrible it will be for them when I turn away from them!" + Tyre is planted in a pleasant place. And so is Ephraim. But the Assyrians will kill Ephraim's children. + Lord, what should you do to Ephraim's people? Give them women whose babies die before they are born. Give them women whose breasts don't have any milk. + The Lord says, "My people did many evil things in Gilgal. That is why I hated them there. They committed many sins. So I will drive them out of my land. I will not love them anymore. All of their leaders refuse to obey me. + Ephraim is like a worthless plant. Its roots are dried up. It does not produce any fruit. Suppose Ephraim's people have children. Then I will kill the children they love so much." + My God will turn his back on his people. They have not obeyed him. So they will wander among other nations. + + + Israel was like a spreading vine. They produced fruit for themselves. As they grew more fruit, they built more altars. As their land became richer, they made the sacred stones they worshiped more beautiful. + Their hearts are dishonest. So now they must pay for their sins. The Lord will tear their altars down. He'll destroy their sacred stones. + Then they'll say, "We don't have a king. That's because we didn't have any respect for the Lord. But suppose we did have a king. What could he do for us?" + They make a lot of promises. They make agreements among themselves. They take oaths they don't mean to keep. So court cases spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field. + The people who live in Samaria are filled with fear. They are afraid their god that looks like a calf will be carried off from Bethel. They will sob over it. So will the priests who lead them to worship it. The priests were full of joy because their statue was so glorious. But it will be captured and taken far away from them. + It will be carried off to Assyria. The people of Ephraim will be forced to give it to the great king. They will be dishonored. Israel will be ashamed that all they have left to worship is a wooden god. + Samaria's king will be carried off. He will be like a twig floating away in a river. + The high places where Israel worshiped other gods will be destroyed. That's where they sinned against the Lord. Thorns and weeds will grow up there. They will cover the altars. Then the people will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" They'll say to the hills, "Fall on us!" + The Lord says, "Israel, you have done evil things ever since your people sinned at Gibeah long ago. And you are still doing what is evil. War caught up with those who sinned at Gibeah. + So I will punish you when I want to. Nations will gather together to fight against you. They will put you in chains because you have committed so many sins. + Ephraim, you were like a well-trained young cow. It loved to thresh grain. I spared its pretty neck from pulling heavy loads. But now I will make you do hard work. Judah also must plow. So all of the people of Jacob must break up the ground. + Your hearts are as hard as a field that has not been plowed. If you change your ways, you will produce good crops. So plant the seeds of doing what is right. Then you will harvest the fruit of your faithful love. It is time to turn to me. When you do, I will come and shower my blessings on you. + But you have planted the seeds of doing what is wrong. So you have harvested the fruit of your evil conduct. You have had to eat the fruit of your lies. You have trusted in your own strength. You have depended on your many soldiers. + But the roar of battle will come against you. All of your forts will be completely destroyed. It will happen just as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in a battle. Mothers and their children were smashed on the ground. + People of Bethel, that will happen to you. You have committed far too many sins. When the time for me to punish you comes, your king will be completely destroyed." + + + The Lord continues, "When Israel was a young nation, I loved them. I chose to bring my son out of Egypt. + But the more I called out to Israel, the further they went away from me. They brought sacrifices to the statues of the gods that were named after Baal. And they burned incense to them. + I taught Israel to walk. I took them up in my arms. But they did not realize I was the one who took care of them. + I led them with kindness and love. I did not lead them with ropes. I lifted the heavy loads from their shoulders. I bent down and fed them. + "But they refuse to turn away from their sins. So they will return to Egypt. And Assyria will rule over them. + Swords will flash in their cities. The heavy metal bars on their gates will be destroyed. Their plans will come to an end. + My people have made up their minds to turn away from me. Even if they call out to me, I will certainly not honor them. I am the Most High God." + The Lord continues, "People of Ephraim, how can I give you up? Israel, how can I hand you over to your enemies? Can I destroy you as I did the town of Admah? Can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is stirred inside me. It is filled with pity for you. + My anger will not burn against you anymore. I will not completely destroy you. After all, I am God. I am not a mere man. I am the Holy One among you. My burning anger will not come against you. + I will roar like a lion against my enemies. You will follow me. When I roar, my children will come home trembling with fear. You will return from the west. + You will come trembling like birds from Egypt. You will return like doves from Assyria. I will settle you again in your homes," announces the Lord. + The people of Ephraim tell nothing but lies. Israel has not been honest with me. And Judah continues to wander away from God. They have deserted the faithful Holy One. + + + 'PV'1 The people of Ephraim look to others for help. It's like chasing the wind. The wind they keep chasing is hot and dry. They tell more and more lies. They are always hurting others. They make a peace treaty with Assyria. They send olive oil to Egypt to get help. + The Lord is bringing charges against Judah. He will punish Jacob's people because of how they act. He'll pay them back for the evil things they've done. + Even before Jacob was born, he was holding on to his brother's heel. When he became a man, he struggled with God. + At Peniel he struggled with the angel and won. He sobbed and begged for his blessing. God also met with him at Bethel. He talked with him there. + He is the Lord God who rules over all. He wants us to remember that his name is The Lord. + People of Jacob, you must return to your God. You must hold on to love and do what is fair. You must trust in your God always. + You are like a trader who uses dishonest scales. You love to cheat others. + People of Ephraim, you brag, "We are very rich. We've become wealthy. And no one can prove we sinned to gain all of this wealth." + The Lord says, "I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. But I will make you live in tents again. That is what you did when you celebrated the Feast of Booths in the desert. + I spoke to the prophets. They saw many visions. I gave you warnings through them." + The people of Gilead are evil! They aren't worth anything! Gilgal's people sacrifice bulls to other gods. Their altars will become like piles of stones on a plowed field. + Jacob ran away to the country of Aram. There Israel served Laban to get a wife. He took care of sheep to pay for her. + The prophet Moses brought Israel up from Egypt. The Lord used him to take care of them. + But Ephraim's people have made the Lord very angry. Their Lord will hold them accountable for the blood they've spilled. He'll pay them back for the shameful things they've done. + + + When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, the other tribes trembled with fear. Ephraim was honored in Israel. But its people sinned by worshiping Baal. So they were as good as dead. + Now they sin more and more. They use their silver to make statues of gods for themselves. The statues come from their own clever ideas. Skilled workers make all of them. The people pray to those gods. They offer human sacrifices to them. They kiss the gods that look like calves. + So those people will vanish like the morning mist. They will soon disappear like the early dew. They will be like straw that the wind blows around on a threshing floor. They will be like smoke that escapes through a window. + The Lord says, "People of Israel, I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. You must not recognize any God but me. You must not have any Savior except me. + I took care of you in the desert. It was a land of burning heat. + I fed you until you were satisfied. Then you became proud. You forgot all about me. + So I will leap on you like a lion. I will hide and wait beside the road like a leopard. + I will attack you like a bear that is robbed of her cubs. I will rip you wide open. Like a lion I will eat you up. Like a wild animal I will tear you apart. + "Israel, you will be destroyed. I helped you. But you turned against me. + Where is your king? Wasn't he supposed to save you? Where are the rulers in all of your towns? You said, 'Give us a king and princes.' + So I became angry and gave you a king. Then I took him away from you. + Ephraim, your guilt is piling up. I am keeping a record of all of your sins. + You will suffer pain like a woman having a baby. You are like a foolish child. It is time for you to be born. But you refuse to come out of your mother's body. + "I will set you free from the power of the grave. I will save you from death. Death, where are your plagues? Grave, where is your power to destroy? "Ephraim, I will no longer pity you. + Even though you are doing well among the other tribes, trouble will come to you. I will send a hot and dry wind from the east. It will blow in from the desert. Your springs will not have any water. Your wells will dry up. All of your treasures will be taken out of your storerooms. + People of Samaria, you must pay for your sins. You have refused to obey me. You will be killed with swords. Your little children will be smashed on the ground. Your pregnant women will be ripped wide open." + + + Israel, return to the Lord your God. Your sins have destroyed you! + Tell the Lord you are turning away from your sins. Return to him. Say to him, "Forgive us for all of our sins. Please be kind to us. Welcome us back to you. Then our lips will offer you our praise. + Assyria can't save us. We won't trust in our war horses. Our own hands have made statues of gods. But we will never call them our gods again. We are like children whose fathers have died. But you show us your tender love." + Then the Lord will answer, "My people always wander away from me. But I will put an end to that. My anger has turned away from them. Now I will love them freely. + I will be like the dew to Israel. They will bloom like a lily. They will send their roots down deep like a cedar tree in Lebanon. + They will spread out like new branches. They will be as beautiful as an olive tree. They will smell as sweet as the cedar trees in Lebanon. + Once again my people will live in the safety of my shade. They will grow like grain. They will bloom like vines. And they will be as famous as wine from Lebanon. + Ephraim will have nothing more to do with other gods. I will answer the prayers of my people. I will take good care of them. I will be like a green pine tree to them. All of the fruit they bear will come from me." + If you are wise, you will realize that what I've said is true. If you have understanding, you will know what it means. The ways of the Lord are right. People who are right with God live the way he wants them to. But those who refuse to obey him trip and fall. + + + + + A message came to Joel from the Lord. He was the son of Pethuel. Here is what Joel said. + Elders, listen to me. Pay attention, all you who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life? Did it ever happen to your people who lived long ago? + Tell your children about it. Let them tell their children. And let their children tell it to those who live after them. + The giant locusts have eaten what the common locusts have left. The young locusts have eaten what the giant locusts have left. And other locusts have eaten what the young locusts have left. + Get up and sob, you people who drink too much! Cry, all you who drink wine! Cry because the fresh wine has been taken away from you. + The locusts are like an army that has marched into our land. There are so many of them they can't even be counted. Their teeth are as sharp as a lion's teeth. They are like the fangs of a female lion. + The locusts have completely destroyed our vines. They have wiped out our fig trees. They've stripped off the bark and thrown it away. They've left the branches bare. + My people, sob like a virgin who is dressed in black clothes. She is sad because she has lost the young man she was going to marry. + No one brings grain offerings and drink offerings to the Lord's house anymore. So the priests who serve the Lord are filled with sorrow. + Our fields are wiped out. The ground is dried up. The grain is destroyed. The fresh wine is gone. And there isn't any more olive oil. + Farmers, be sad. Cry, you who grow vines. Sob because the wheat and barley are gone. The crops in the fields are destroyed. + The vines and fig trees are dried up. The pomegranate, palm and apple trees don't have any fruit on them. In fact, all of the trees in the fields are dried up. And my people's joy has faded away. + Priests, put on black clothes and sob. Cry, you who serve at the altar. Come, you who serve my God in the temple. Spend the night dressed in black clothes. Sob because no one brings grain offerings and drink offerings to the house of your God anymore. + Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything. Gather them together for a special service. Send for all of the elders who live in the land. Have them come to the house of the Lord your God. And pray to him. + The day of the Lord is near. How sad it will be on that day! The Mighty One is coming to destroy you. + Our food has been taken away right in front of our eyes. There isn't any joy or gladness in the house of our God. + The seeds have dried up in the ground. The grain is also gone. The storerooms have been destroyed. The barns are broken down. + Listen to the cattle groan! The herds wander around. They don't have any grass to eat. The flocks of sheep are also suffering. + Lord, I call out to you. Fire has burned up the grasslands. Flames have destroyed all of the trees in the fields. + Even the wild animals cry out to you for help. The streams of water have dried up. Fire has burned up the grasslands. + + + Priests, blow the trumpets in Zion. Give a warning on my holy mountain. Let everyone who lives in the land tremble with fear. The day of the Lord is coming. It is very near. + That day will be dark and sad. It will be black and cloudy. A huge army of locusts is coming. They will spread across the mountains like the sun when it rises. There has never been an army like it. And there will never be another for all time to come. + Like fire they eat up everything in their path. Behind them it looks as if flames have burned the land. In front of them the land is like the Garden of Eden. Behind them it is a dry and empty desert. Nothing escapes them. + They look like horses. Like war horses they charge ahead. + They sound like chariots as they leap over the mountaintops. They crackle like fire burning up dry weeds. They are like a mighty army that is ready for battle. + When people see them, they tremble with fear. All of their faces turn pale. + The locusts charge ahead like warriors. They climb over walls like soldiers. All of them march in line. They don't turn to the right or the left. + They don't bump into one another. Each of them marches straight ahead. They charge through everything that tries to stop them. But they still stay in line. + They attack a city. They run along its wall. They climb into houses. They enter through windows like robbers. + As they march forward, the earth shakes. The sky trembles as they approach. The sun and moon grow dark. And the stars stop shining. + The Lord thunders with his mighty voice as he leads his army. He has so many forces they can't even be counted. Those who obey his commands are great in number. The day of the Lord is great and terrifying. Who can live through it? + The Lord announces to his people, "Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Sob and cry." + Don't just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God. He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He takes pity on you. He won't destroy you. + Who knows? He might turn toward you and have pity on you. He might even give you his blessing. Then you can bring grain offerings and drink offerings to the Lord your God. + Priests, blow the trumpets in Zion. Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything. Gather them together for a special service. + Bring them together. Set all of them apart to me. Bring together the elders. Gather the children and the babies who are still nursing. Let the groom leave his bedroom. Let the bride leave their marriage bed. + Let the priests who serve the Lord sob. Let them cry between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Lord, spare your people. Don't let others make fun of them. Don't let the nations laugh at them. Don't let them tease your people and say, 'Where is their God?' " + Then the Lord will show concern for his land. He will take pity on his people. + He will reply, "I will send you grain, olive oil and fresh wine. It will be enough to satisfy you completely. I will never allow other nations to make fun of you again. + "I will drive far away from you the army that comes from the north. I will send some of its forces into a dry and empty land. Those in front will be pushed into the Dead Sea. The ones in back will be driven into the Mediterranean Sea. Their dead bodies will give off a bad smell." The Lord has done great things. + Land, don't be afraid. Be glad and full of joy. The Lord has done great things. + Wild animals, don't be afraid. The grasslands are turning green again. The trees are bearing their fruit. The vines and fig trees are producing rich crops. + People of Zion, be glad. Be joyful because of what the Lord your God has done. He has given you the right amount of rain in the fall. He has sent you plenty of showers. He has sent fall and spring rains alike, just as he did before. + Your threshing floors will be covered with grain. Olive oil and fresh wine will spill over from the places where they are stored. + The Lord says, "I sent a great army of locusts to attack you. They included common locusts, giant locusts, young locusts and other locusts. I will make up for the years they ate your crops. + You will have plenty to eat. It will satisfy you completely. Then you will praise me. I am the Lord your God. I have done wonderful miracles for you. My people will never be put to shame again. + You will know that I am with you in Israel. I am the Lord your God. There is no other God. So my people will never be put to shame again. + "After that, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will have dreams. Your young men will have visions. + In those days I will pour out my Spirit on those who serve me, men and women alike. + I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth. There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke. + The sun will become dark. The moon will turn red like blood. It will happen before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. + Everyone who calls out to me will be saved. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem some of my people will be left alive. I have chosen them. That is what I have promised. + + + "At that time I will bless Judah and Jerusalem with great success again. + I will gather all of the nations together. I will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them. I will punish them for what they have done to my people Israel. They scattered them among the nations. They divided up my land among themselves. + They cast lots for my people. They sold boys into slavery to get prostitutes. They sold girls to buy some wine to drink. + "Tyre and Sidon, why are you doing things like that to me? And why are you doing them, all of you people in Philistia? Are you trying to get even with me for something I have done? If you are, I will pay you back for it in a quick and speedy way. + You took my silver and gold. You carried off my finest treasures to your temples. + You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. You wanted to send them far away from their own country. + "But now I will stir them up into action. I will bring them back from the places you sold them to. And I will do to you what you did to them. + I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. And they will sell them to the Sabeans far away." The Lord has spoken. + Announce this among the nations. Tell them to prepare for battle. Nations, get your soldiers ready! Bring all of your fighting men together and march out to attack. + Hammer your plows into swords. Hammer your pruning tools into spears. Let those who are weak say, "We are soldiers!" + Come quickly, all of you surrounding nations. Gather together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Lord, send your soldiers down from heaven! + The Lord says, "Stir up the nations into action! Let them march into the valley where I will judge them. I will take my seat in court. I will judge all of the surrounding nations. + My soldiers, swing your sickles. The nations are ripe for harvest. Come. Stomp on them as if they were grapes. Crush them until the winepress of my anger is full. Do it until the wine spills over from the places where it is stored. The nations have committed far too many sins!" + Huge numbers of soldiers are gathered in the valley where the Lord will hand down his sentence. The day of the Lord is near in that valley. + The sun and moon will become dark. The stars won't shine anymore. + The Lord will roar like a lion from Jerusalem. His voice will sound like thunder from Zion. The earth and sky will tremble. But the Lord will keep the people of Israel safe. He will be a place of safety for them. + The Lord says, "You will know that I am the Lord your God. I live in Zion. It is my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be my holy city. People from other lands will never attack it again. + "At that time fresh wine will drip from the mountains. Milk will flow down from the hills. Water will run through all of Judah's valleys. A fountain will flow out of my temple. It will water the places where acacia trees grow. + But Egypt will be deserted. Edom will become a dry and empty desert. They did terrible harm to the people of Judah. My people were not guilty of doing anything wrong. But Egypt and Edom spilled their blood anyway. + My people will live in Judah and Jerusalem forever. The land will be their home for all time to come. + Egypt and Edom have spilled my people's blood. I will punish them for it." The Lord lives in Zion! + + + + + These are the words of Amos. He was a shepherd from the town of Tekoa. Here is the vision he saw concerning Israel. It came to him two years before the earthquake. At that time Uzziah was king of Judah. Jeroboam was king of Israel. He was the son of Jehoash. Here are the words of Amos. + I said, "The Lord roars like a lion from Jerusalem. His voice sounds like thunder from Zion. The grasslands of the shepherds turn brown. The top of Mount Carmel dries up." + The Lord says, "The people of Damascus have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They used threshing sleds with iron teeth to crush Gilead's people. + So I will send fire to destroy the palace of King Hazael. It will burn up the forts of his son Ben-Hadad. + I will break down the city gate of Damascus. I will cut off the king who lives in the Valley of Aven. He holds the ruler's rod in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will be taken away to Kir as prisoners," says the Lord. + The Lord says, "The people of Gaza have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They captured whole communities. They sold them to Edom. + So I will send fire to destroy the walls of Gaza. It will burn up its forts. + I will cut off the king of Ashdod. He holds the ruler's rod in Ashkelon. I will use my powerful hand against Ekron. Every single Philistine will die," says the Lord and King. + The Lord says, "The people of Tyre have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They captured whole communities. They sold them to Edom. They did not honor the treaty of friendship they had made. + So I will send fire to destroy the walls of Tyre. It will burn up its forts." + The Lord says, "The people of Edom have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They chased Israel with swords that were ready to strike them down. They did not show them any pity. They were angry all the time. Their anger blazed out. It could not be stopped. + So I will send fire to destroy the city of Teman. It will burn up Bozrah's forts." + The Lord says, "The people of Ammon have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They ripped open the pregnant women in Gilead. They wanted to add land to their territory. + So I will set fire to destroy the walls of Rabbah. It will burn up its forts. War cries will be heard on that day of battle. Strong winds will blow on that stormy day. + Ammon's god Molech will be carried away. So will its officials," says the Lord. + + + The Lord says, "The people of Moab have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They burned the bones of Edom's king to ashes. + So I will send fire to destroy Moab. It will burn up Kerioth's forts. Moab will come crashing down with a loud noise. War cries will be heard. So will the blast of trumpets. + I will cut off Moab's ruler. I will also kill all of its officials," says the Lord. + The Lord says, "The people of Judah have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They have refused to obey my law. They have not kept my rules. Other gods have led them down the wrong path. Their people before them worshiped those gods. + So I will send fire to destroy Judah. It will burn up Jerusalem's forts." + The Lord says, "The people of Israel have sinned again and again. So I will punish them. They sell into slavery those who do what is right. They trade needy people for a mere pair of sandals. + They grind the heads of the poor into the dust of the ground. They refuse to be fair to those who are crushed. A father and his son have sex with the same girl. They treat my name as if it were not holy. + They lie down beside every altar on clothes they had taken until the owner paid back what was owed. In the house of their God they drink wine that was taken as fines. + "I destroyed the Amorites to make room for my people in the land. The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees. They were as strong as oak trees. But I cut off their fruit above the ground and their roots below it. + "People of Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I led you in the desert for 40 years. I gave you the land of the Amorites. + I raised up prophets from among your children. I also set some of your young people apart to me as Nazirites. Isn't that true, people of Israel?" announces the Lord. + "But you made the Nazirites drink wine. You commanded the prophets not to prophesy. + "A cart that is loaded with grain crushes anything it runs over. In the same way, I will crush you. + Your fastest runners will not escape. The strongest people will not get away. Even soldiers will not be able to save their own lives. + Men who are armed with bows will lose the battle. Soldiers who are quick on their feet will not escape. Horsemen will not be able to save their own lives. + Even your bravest soldiers will run away naked on that day," announces the Lord. + + + People of Israel, listen to the Lord's message. It is against you. It is against the whole family he brought up out of Egypt. He says, + "Out of all of the families on earth I have chosen only you. So I will punish you because you have committed so many sins." + Do two people walk together unless they've agreed to do so? + Does a lion roar in the bushes when it doesn't have any food? Does it growl in its den when it hasn't caught anything? + Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no one has set a trap for it? Does a net spring up from the earth when there isn't anything for it to catch? + When someone blows a trumpet in a city, don't the people tremble with fear? When trouble comes to a city, hasn't the Lord caused it? + The Lord and King never does anything without telling his servants the prophets about it. + A lion has roared. Who isn't afraid? The Lord and King has spoken. Who can do anything but prophesy? + Speak to the people in the forts of Ashdod and Egypt. Tell them, "Gather together on the mountains of Samaria. Look at the great trouble in that city. Its people are committing many crimes." + "They do not know how to do what is right," announces the Lord. "They pile up stolen goods in their forts." + So the Lord and King says, "Enemies will take over your land. They will pull down your places of safety. They will rob your forts." + The Lord says, "Suppose a shepherd saves only two leg bones from a lion's mouth. Or he might save only a piece of an ear. That is how the Israelites will be saved. They sit in Samaria on the edge of their beds. They lie down in Damascus on their couches." + "Listen to me," announces the Lord. "Witness against the people of Jacob," says the Lord God who rules over all. + "I will punish Israel for their sins. When I do, I will destroy their altars at Bethel. The horns that stick out from the upper corners of their main altar will be cut off. They will fall to the ground. + I will tear their winter houses down. I will also pull down their summer houses. The houses they have decorated with ivory will be destroyed. And their princely houses will be torn down," announces the Lord. + + + Listen to the Lord's message, you women who live on the hill of Samaria. You treat poor people badly. You crush those who are in need. You say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" But you are already as fat as the cows in Bashan. + The Lord and King has taken an oath in his own holy name. He says, "You can be sure that the time will come when your enemies will put hooks in your faces. They will lead every one of you away with fishhooks. + Each of you will go straight out through a gap in the wall. You will be thrown out of the city on the hill where you crush others," announces the Lord. + "People of Samaria, go to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal! Sin there even more! Bring your sacrifices every morning. Every third year, bring a tenth of everything you produce. + Bake some bread with yeast. Burn it as a thank offering. Brag about the offerings you freely give. That is what you Israelites love to do," announces the Lord and King. + "I made sure your stomachs were empty in every city. You did not have enough bread in any of your towns. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me," announces the Lord. + "I also held rain back from you. The time to harvest crops was still three months away. I sent rain on one town. But I held it back from another. One field had rain. Another did not. So it dried up. + People wandered from town to town to look for water. But they did not get enough to drink. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me," announces the Lord. + "Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards. I sent hot winds to dry them up completely. Locusts ate up your fig and olive trees. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me," announces the Lord. + "I sent plagues on you, just as I did on Egypt. I killed your young men with swords. I also let the horses you had captured be killed. I filled your noses with the bad smell of your camps. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me," announces the Lord. + "I destroyed some of you, just as I did Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick that was pulled out of the fire. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me," announces the Lord. + "People of Israel, I will punish you. Because I will do that to you, prepare to meet your God!" + The Lord forms the mountains. He creates the wind. He makes his thoughts known to human beings. He turns sunrise into darkness. He rules over the highest places on earth. His name is The Lord God Who Rules Over All. + + + People of Israel, listen to the Lord's message. Hear my song of sadness about you. I say, + "The people of Israel have fallen. They will never get up again. They are deserted in their own land. No one can lift them up." + The Lord and King says, "A thousand soldiers will march out from a city in Israel. But only a hundred will return. A hundred soldiers will march out from a town. But only ten will come back." + The Lord speaks to the people of Israel. He says, "Look to me and live. + Do not look to Bethel. Do not go to Gilgal. Do not travel to Beersheba. The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners. Nothing will be left of Bethel." + Israel, look to the Lord and live. If you don't, he will sweep through the people of Joseph like a fire. It will burn everything up. And Bethel won't have anyone to put it out. + You turn what is fair into something bitter. What is right you throw down to the ground. + The Lord made the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into sunrise. He makes the day fade into night. He sends for the waters in the clouds. Then he pours them out on the surface of the land. His name is The Lord. + He destroys places of safety. He tears down cities that have high walls around them. + Israel, you hate those who do what is right in court. You can't stand those who tell the truth. + You walk all over poor people. You make them give you grain. You have built stone houses. But you won't live in them. You have planted fruitful vineyards. But you won't drink the wine they produce. + I know how many crimes you have committed. You have sinned far too much. You crush those who do what is right. You accept money from people who want special favors. You take away the rights of poor people in the courts. + So those who are wise keep quiet in times like these. That's because the times are evil. + Look to what is good, not to what is evil. Then you will live. And the Lord God who rules over all will be with you, just as you say he is. + Hate what is evil. Love what is good. Do what is fair in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God who rules over all will show you his favor. After all, you are the only ones left in the family line of Joseph. + The Lord God rules over all. The Lord says, "People will sob in all of the streets. They will be very sad in every market place. Even farmers will be told to cry loudly. People will sob over the dead. + Workers will cry in all of the vineyards. That is because I will punish you," says the Lord. + How terrible it will be for you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you want it to come? That day will be dark, not light. + It will be like a man running away from a lion only to meet a bear. He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall only to be bitten by a snake. + The day of the Lord will be dark, not light. It will be very black. There won't be a ray of sunlight anywhere. + The Lord says, "I hate your holy feasts. I can't stand them. I hate it when you gather together. + You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings. But I will not accept them. You bring your best friendship offerings. But I will not even look at them. + Take the noise of your songs away! I will not listen to the music of your harps. + I want you to treat others fairly. So let fair treatment roll on just as a river does! Always do what is right. Let right living flow along like a stream that never runs dry! + "People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for 40 years in the desert? + Yes. But you have honored the place where your king worshiped other gods. You have carried the stands the statues of your gods were on. You have lifted up the banners of the stars you worship as gods. You made all of those things for yourselves. + So I will send you away as prisoners beyond Damascus," says the Lord. His name is God Who Rules Over All. + + + How terrible it will be for you men who are so contented on Mount Zion! How terrible for you who feel secure on the hill of Samaria! You are famous men from the greatest nation. The people of Israel come to you for help and advice. + Go to the city of Calneh. Look at it. Go from there to the great city of Hamath. Then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are those places better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? + You are trying to avoid the time when trouble will come. But you are only bringing closer the Assyrian rule of terror. + You lie down on beds that are decorated with ivory. You rest on your couches. You eat the best lambs and the fattest calves. + You pluck away on your harps as David did. You play new songs on musical instruments. + You drink wine by the bowlful. You use the finest lotions. But Joseph's people will soon be destroyed. And you aren't even sad about it. + So you will be among the first to be taken away as prisoners. You won't be able to enjoy good food. You won't lie around on couches anymore. + The Lord and King has taken an oath in his own name. He is the Lord God who rules over all. He announces, "I hate the pride of Jacob's people. I can't stand their forts. I will hand the city of Samaria and everything in it over to their enemies." + Ten men might be left in one house. If they are, they will die there. + Relatives might come to burn the dead bodies. If they do, they'll have to carry them out of the house first. They might ask someone still hiding there, "Is anyone here with you?" If the answer is no, the relatives will say, "Be quiet! We must not pray in the Lord's name." + The Lord has already given an order. He will smash large houses to pieces. He will crush small houses to bits. + Horses don't run on rocky ground. People don't plow there with oxen. But you have turned fair treatment into poison. You have turned the fruit of right living into bitterness. + You are happy because you captured the town of Lo Debar. You say, "We were strong enough to take Karnaim too." + But the Lord God rules over all. He announces, "People of Israel, I will stir up a nation against you. They will crush you from Lebo Hamath all the way down to the Arabah Valley." + + + The Lord and King gave me a vision. He was bringing large numbers of locusts on the land. The king's share of the first crop had already been harvested. Now the second crop was coming up. + The locusts stripped the land clean. Then I cried out, "Lord and King, forgive Israel! How can Jacob's people continue? They are such a weak nation!" + So the Lord had pity on them. "I will let them continue for now," he said. + The Lord and King gave me a second vision. He was using fire to punish his people. It dried up the deep waters. It burned the land up. + Then I cried out, "Lord and King, please stop! How can Jacob's people continue? They are such a weak nation!" + So the Lord had pity on them. "I will let them continue for now," the Lord and King said. + Then the Lord gave me a third vision. He was standing by a wall. It had been built very straight, all the way up and down. He was holding a plumb line. + The Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look at what I am doing. I am hanging a plumb line next to my people Israel. It will show how crooked they are. I will no longer spare them. + "The high places where Isaac's people worship other gods will be destroyed. The other places of worship in Israel will also be torn down. I will use my sword to attack Jeroboam's royal family." + Amaziah was priest of Bethel. He sent a message to Jeroboam, the king of Israel. He said, "Amos is making evil plans against you right here in Israel. The people in the land can't stand to listen to what he's saying. + Amos is telling them, " 'Jeroboam will be killed with a sword. The people of Israel will be taken away as prisoners. They will be carried off from their own land.' " + Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out of Israel, you prophet! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your living there. Do your prophesying there. + Don't prophesy here at Bethel anymore. This is where the king worships. The main temple in the kingdom is located here." + Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet. I wasn't even a prophet's son. I was a shepherd. I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. + But the Lord took me away from taking care of the flock. He said to me, 'Go. Prophesy to my people Israel.' + Now then, listen to the Lord's message. You say, " 'Don't prophesy against Israel. Stop preaching against the people of Isaac.' + "But the Lord says, " 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city of Bethel. Your sons and daughters will be killed with swords. Your land will be measured and divided up. And you yourself will die in another country. The people of Israel will be taken away as prisoners. They will be carried off from their own land.' " + + + The Lord and King gave me a vision. He showed me a basket of ripe fruit. + "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I replied. Then the Lord said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel. I will no longer spare them. + "The time is coming when the songs in the temple will turn to crying," announces the Lord and King. "Many, many bodies will be thrown everywhere! So be quiet!" + Listen to me, you who walk all over needy people. You crush those who are poor in the land. + You say, "When will the New Moon Feast be over? Then we can sell our grain. When will the Sabbath day come to an end? Then people can buy our wheat." But you don't measure out the right amount. You raise your prices. You cheat others by using dishonest scales. + You buy poor people to make slaves out of them. You buy those who are in need for a mere pair of sandals. You even sell the worthless parts of your wheat. + People of Jacob, you are proud that the Lord is your God. But he has taken an oath in his own name. He says, "I will never forget anything Israel has done. + "The land will tremble because of what will happen. Everyone who lives in it will sob. So the whole land will rise like the Nile River. It will be stirred up. Then it will settle back down again like that river in Egypt." + The Lord and King announces, "At that time I will make the sun go down at noon. The earth will become dark in the middle of the day. + I will turn your holy feasts into times for sobbing. I will turn all of your songs into crying. You will have to wear black clothes. You will shave your heads. I will make you sob as if your only son had died. The end of that time will be like a bitter day." + The Lord and King announces, "The days are coming when I will send hunger through the land. But people will not be hungry for food. They will not be thirsty for water. Instead, they will be hungry to hear a message from me. + People will wander from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean. They will travel from north to east. They will look for a message from me. But they will not find it. + "At that time "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because they are so thirsty. + Some people take oaths in the name of Samaria's shameful god. Others say, 'People of Dan, you can be sure that your god is alive.' Still others say, 'You can be sure that Beersheba's god is alive.' But all of those people will fall dead. They will never get up again." + + + I saw the Lord standing next to the altar in the temple. He said to me, "Strike the tops of the temple pillars. Then the heavy stones at the base of the entrance will shake. Bring everything down on the heads of everyone there. I will kill with my swords those who are left alive. Not one of them will escape. None will get away. + They might dig down to the deepest parts of the grave. But my powerful hand will take them out of there. They might climb up to the heavens. But I will bring them down from there. + They might hide on top of Mount Carmel. But I will hunt them down and grab hold of them. They might hide from me at the bottom of the ocean. But I will command the serpent to bite them. + Their enemies might take them away as prisoners to another country. But I will command their enemies to kill them with their swords. I will turn my eyes toward them to harm them. I will not help them." + The Lord rules over all. The Lord touches the earth, and it melts. Everyone who lives in it sobs. The whole land rises like the Nile River. Then it settles back down again like that river in Egypt. + The Lord builds his palace high in the heavens. He lays its foundation on the earth. He sends for the waters in the clouds. Then he pours them out on the surface of the land. His name is The Lord. + "You Israelites are just like the people of Cush to me," announces the Lord. "I brought Israel up from Egypt. I also brought the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir. + "I am the Lord and King. My eyes are watching the sinful kingdom of Israel. I will wipe it off the face of the earth. But I will not totally destroy the people of Jacob," announces the Lord. + "I will give an order. I will shake the people of Israel among all of the nations. They will be like grain that is shaken through a screen. Not a pebble will fall to the ground. + All of the sinners among my people will be killed with swords. They say, 'Nothing bad will ever happen to us.' + "The time will come when I will rebuild David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places. I will rebuild what was destroyed. I will make it what it used to be. + Then my people will take control of those who are left alive in Edom. They will also possess all of the nations that belong to me," announces the Lord. He will do all of those things. + "A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time those who plow the land will catch up with those who harvest the crops. Those who stomp on grapes will catch up with those who plant the vines. Fresh wine will drip from the mountains. It will flow down from all of the hills. + I will bring my people Israel back home. I will bless them with great success again. They will rebuild the destroyed cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce. They will make gardens and eat their fruit. + I will plant Israel in their own land. They will never again be removed from the land I have given them," says the Lord your God. + + + + + This is the vision about Edom that Obadiah had. Here is what he said. We've heard a message from the Lord and King. A messenger was sent to the nations. The Lord told him to say, "Get up! Let us go and make war against Edom." + The Lord says to Edom, "I will make you weak among the nations. They will look down on you. + You live in the safety of the rocks. You make your home high up in the mountains. But your proud heart has tricked you. So you say to yourself, 'No one can bring me down to the ground.' + You have built your home as high as an eagle does. You have made your nest among the stars. But I will bring you down from there," announces the Lord. + "Edom, suppose robbers came to you at night. They would steal only as much as they wanted. Suppose grape pickers came to harvest your vines. They would still leave a few grapes. But you are facing horrible trouble! + People of Esau, everything will be taken away from you. Your hidden treasures will be stolen. + All those who are helping you will force you to leave your country. Your friends will trick you and overpower you. Those who eat bread with you will set a trap for you. But you will not see it." + The Lord announces, "At that time I will destroy the wise men of Edom. I will wipe out the men of understanding in the mountains of Esau. + People of Teman, your soldiers will be terrified. Everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down with swords. + You did harmful things to your brothers, the people of Jacob. So you will be covered with shame. You will be destroyed forever. + Strangers entered the gates of Jerusalem. They cast lots to see what each one would get. They carried off its wealth. When that happened, you just stood there and did nothing. You were like one of them. + That was a time of trouble for your brothers. So you should not have looked down on them. The people of Judah were destroyed. So you should not have been happy about it. You should not have laughed at them so much when they were in trouble. + You should not have marched through the gates of my people's city when they were having so much trouble. You should not have looked down on them. You should not have stolen their wealth. + You waited where the roads cross. You wanted to cut down those who were running away. You should not have done that. You handed over to their enemies those who were still left alive. You should not have done that. They were in trouble. + "The day of the Lord is near for all of the nations. Others will do to you what you have done to them. You will be paid back for what you have done. + You Edomites polluted my holy mountain of Zion by drinking and celebrating there. So all of the nations will drink from the cup of my anger. And they will keep on drinking from it. They will vanish. It will be as if they had never existed. + But on Mount Zion some of my people will be left alive. I will save them. Zion will be my holy mountain once again. And the people of Jacob will again receive the land as their own. + They will be like a fire. Joseph's people will be like a flame. The nation of Esau will be like straw. Jacob's people will set Edom on fire and burn it up. No one will be left alive among Esau's people." The Lord has spoken. + Israelites from the Negev Desert will take over Esau's mountains. Israelites from the western hills will possess Philistia. They'll take over the territories of Ephraim and Samaria. Israelites from the tribe of Benjamin will possess the land of Gilead. + Some Israelites were forced to leave their homes. They'll come back to Canaan and possess it all the way to the town of Zarephath. Some people from Jerusalem were taken to the city of Sepharad. They'll return and possess the towns of the Negev Desert. + Leaders from Mount Zion will go and rule over the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will belong to the Lord. + + + + + A message from the Lord came to Jonah. He was the son of Amittai. The Lord said, + "Go to the great city of Nineveh. Preach against it. The sins of its people have come to my attention." + But Jonah ran away from the Lord. He headed for Tarshish. So he went down to the port of Joppa. There he found a ship that was going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board. Then he sailed for Tarshish. He was running away from the Lord. + But the Lord sent a strong wind over the Mediterranean Sea. A wild storm came up. It was so wild that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. + All of the sailors were afraid. Each one cried out to his own god for help. They threw the ship's contents into the sea. They were trying to make the ship lighter. But Jonah had gone below deck. There he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. + The captain went down to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call out to your god for help! Maybe he'll pay attention to what's happening to us. Then we won't die." + The sailors said to one another, "Come. Let's cast lots to find out who is to blame for getting us into all of this trouble." So they did. And Jonah was picked. + They asked him, "What terrible thing have you done to bring all of this trouble on us? Tell us. What do you do for a living? Where do you come from? What is your country? What people do you belong to?" + He answered, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship the Lord. He is the God of heaven. He made the sea and the land." + They found out he was running away from the Lord. That's because he had told them. Then they became terrified. So they asked him, "How could you do a thing like that?" + The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down?" + "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied. "Then it will become calm. I know it's my fault that this terrible storm has come on you." + Instead of doing what he said, the men did their best to row back to land. But they couldn't. The sea got even rougher than before. + Then they cried out to the Lord. They prayed, "Lord, please don't let us die for taking this man's life. After all, he might not be guilty of doing anything wrong. So don't hold us accountable for killing him. Lord, you always do what you want to." + Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard. And the stormy sea became calm. + When the men saw what had happened, they began to have great respect for the Lord. They offered a sacrifice to him. And they made promises to him. + But the Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. + + + From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. + He said, "When I was in trouble, I called out to you. And you answered me. When I had almost drowned, I called out for help. And you listened to my cry. + You threw me into the Mediterranean Sea. I was in the middle of its waters. They were all around me. All of your rolling waves were sweeping over me. + I said, 'I have been driven away from you. But I will look again toward your holy temple in Jerusalem.' + I had almost drowned in the waves. The deep waters were all around me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head. + I sank down to the bottom of the mountains. I thought I had died and gone down into the grave forever. But you brought my life up from the very edge of the pit. You are the Lord my God. + "When my life was nearly over, I remembered you, Lord. My prayer rose up to you. It reached you in your holy temple in heaven. + "Some people worship the worthless statues of their gods. They turn away from the grace you want to give them. + But I will sacrifice a thank offering to you. And I will sing a song of thanks. I will do what I have promised. Lord, you are the one who saves." + The Lord gave the fish a command. And it spit Jonah up onto dry land. + + + A message came to Jonah from the Lord a second time. He said, + "Go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce to its people the message I give you." + Jonah obeyed the Lord. He went to Nineveh. It was a very important city. In fact, it took about three days to see all of it. + On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He announced, "In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed." + The people of Nineveh believed God's warning. They decided not to eat any food for a while. All of them put on black clothes. That's what everyone from the least important of them to the most important did. + The news reached the king of Nineveh. He got up from his throne. He took his royal robes off and dressed himself in black clothes. He sat down in the dust. + Then he sent out a message to the people of Nineveh. He said, "I and my nobles give this order. "Don't let any person or animal taste anything. That includes your herds and flocks. People and animals must not eat or drink anything. + Let people and animals alike be covered with black cloth. All of you must call out to God with all your hearts. Stop doing what is evil. Don't harm others. + Who knows? God might take pity on us. He might turn away from his burning anger. Then we won't die." + God saw what they did. They stopped doing what was evil. So he took pity on them. He didn't destroy them as he had said he would. + + + But Jonah was very upset. He became angry. + He prayed to the Lord and said, "Lord, isn't this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home? That's why I was so quick to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don't want to destroy them. + Lord, take away my life. I'd rather die than live." + But the Lord replied, "Do you have any right to be angry?" + Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city. + Then the Lord God sent a vine and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the vine. + But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up. + When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live." + But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine?" "I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die." + But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine. But you did not take care of it. You did not make it grow. It grew up in one night and died the next. + Nineveh has more than 120,000 people. They can't tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of cattle. So shouldn't I show concern for that great city?" + + + + + A message came to Micah from the Lord. He was from the town of Moresheth. The message came while Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. This is the vision Micah saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Here is what he said. + Listen to me, all of you nations! Earth and everyone who lives in it, pay attention! The Lord and King will be a witness against you. The Lord will speak from his holy temple in heaven. + The Lord is about to come down from his home in heaven. He rules over the highest places on earth. + The mountains will melt under him like wax near a fire. The valleys will be broken apart by water rushing down a slope. + All of that will happen because Jacob's people have done what is wrong. The people of Israel have committed many sins. Who is to blame for the wrong things Jacob has done? Samaria! Who is to blame for the high places where Judah's people worship other gods? Jerusalem! + So the Lord says, "I will turn Samaria into a pile of trash. It will become a place for planting vineyards. I will dump its stones down into the valley. And I will destroy it down to its very foundations. + All of the statues of Samaria's gods will be broken to pieces. All of the gifts its people gave to temple prostitutes will be burned with fire. I will destroy all of the statues of its gods. Samaria collected gifts that were paid to temple prostitutes. So the Assyrians will use the gifts to pay their own temple prostitutes." + I will sob and cry because Samaria will be destroyed. I'll walk around barefoot. I won't have anything on but my underwear. I'll bark like a wild dog. I'll hoot like an owl. + Samaria's wounds can't be healed. The Lord will also judge Judah. Enemies will march up to the very gate of my people. They will reach Jerusalem itself. + Don't tell the people of Gath about it. Don't let them see you sob. People in Beth Ophrah, roll in the dust. + You who live in the town of Shaphir, leave in shame and without your clothes. Those who live in Zaanan won't come out to help you. The people in Beth Ezel will sob. They won't be able to help keep you safe. + Those who live in Maroth will groan with pain as they wait for help. That's because the Lord will bring trouble on them. It will reach the very gate of Jerusalem. + You who live in Lachish, get your horses ready to pull their chariots. You trust in military power. That was the beginning of sin for the people of Zion. The wrong things Israel did were also done by you. + People of Judah, you might as well say good-by to Moresheth near Gath. The town of Aczib won't give any help to the kings of Israel. + An enemy will attack you who live in Mareshah. Israel's glorious leaders will have to run away and hide in the cave of Adullam. + The children you enjoy so much will be taken away as prisoners. So shave your heads and sob. Make them as bare as the head of a vulture. + + + How terrible it will be for those who plan to harm others! How terrible for those who make evil plans before they even get out of bed! As soon as daylight comes, they carry them out. That's because they have the power to do it. + If they want fields or houses, they take them. They cheat men out of their homes and property. + So the Lord says to them, "I am planning to send trouble on you. You will not be able to save yourselves from it. You will not live so proudly anymore. It will be a time of trouble. + At that time people will make fun of you. They will tease you by singing a song of sadness. They will pretend to be you and say, 'We are totally destroyed. Our enemies have divided up our land. The Lord has taken it away from us! He has given our fields to those who turned against us.' " + So you won't even have anyone left in the Lord's community who can divide up the land for you. + "Don't prophesy," the people's prophets say. "Don't prophesy about bad things. Nothing shameful is going to happen to us." + People of Jacob, should others say, "The Lord isn't angry with us. He doesn't do things like that"? The Lord replies, "What I promise brings good things to those who lead honest lives. + But lately my people have attacked one another as if they were enemies. You strip the rich robes off those who happen to pass by. They thought they were as safe as men returning from a battle they had won. + You drive the women among my people out of their pleasant homes. You take my blessing away from their children forever. + Get up! Leave this land! It is no longer your resting place. You have made it 'unclean.' You have completely destroyed it. + Suppose a prophet goes around telling lies. And he prophesies that you will have plenty of wine and beer. Then that kind of prophet would be just right for this nation! + "People of Jacob, I will gather all of you. I will bring together you who are still left alive in Israel. I will gather you together like sheep in a pen. You will be like a flock in its grasslands. Your country will be filled with people. + I will open the way for you to return. I will march in front of you. You will break through the city gates and go free. I am your King. I will pass through the gates in front of you. I will lead the way." + + + Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob's people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You should know how to judge others fairly. + But you hate what is good. And you love what is evil. You are like someone who tears the skin off my people. You pull the meat off their bones. + You eat my people's bodies. You strip their skin off. You break their bones in pieces. You chop them up like meat. You put them in a cooking pot." + The time will come when Israel will cry out to the Lord. But he won't answer them. In fact, he'll turn his face away from them. They have done what is evil. + The Lord says, "You prophets are leading my people down the wrong path. If they feed you, you promise them peace. If they do not, you prepare to go to war against them. + So night will come on you. But you will not have any visions. Darkness will cover you. But you will not be able to figure out what is going to happen. The sun will set on you prophets. The day will become dark for you. + You who see visions will be put to shame. You who try to figure out what is going to happen will be dishonored. All of you will cover your faces. I will not answer you." + The Spirit of the Lord has filled me with power. He helps me do what is fair. He makes me brave. Now I'm prepared to tell Jacob's people what they've done wrong. I'm ready to tell Israel they've sinned. + Listen to me, you leaders of Jacob's people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You hate to do what is fair. You twist everything that is right. + You build up Zion by spilling the blood of others. You build Jerusalem by doing what is evil. + Your judges take money from people who want special favors. Your priests teach only if they get paid for it. Your prophets won't tell fortunes unless they receive money. But you still claim to depend on the Lord. You say, "The Lord is with us. No trouble will come on us." + So because of what you have done, Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds. + + + In the last days the mountain where the Lord's temple is located will be famous. It will be the most important mountain of all. It will stand out above the hills. And nations will go to it. + People from many nations will go there. They will say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mountain. Let's go to the house of Jacob's God. He will teach us how we should live. Then we will live the way he wants us to." The law of the Lord will be taught at Zion. His message will go out from Jerusalem. + He will judge between people from many nations. He'll settle problems among strong nations everywhere. They will hammer their swords into plows. They'll hammer their spears into pruning tools. Nations will not go to war against one another. They won't even train to fight anymore. + Every man will have his own vine and fig tree. And no one will make them afraid. That's what the Lord who rules over all has promised. + Other nations worship and trust in their gods. But we will worship and obey the Lord. He will be our God for ever and ever. + "The time is coming when I will gather those who are disabled," announces the Lord. "I will bring together those who were taken away as prisoners. I will gather those I have allowed to suffer. + I will make the disabled my faithful people. I will make those who were driven away from their homes a strong nation. I will rule over them on Mount Zion. I will be their King from that time on and forever. + Jerusalem, you used to be like a guard tower for my flock. City of Zion, you used to be a place of safety for my people. The glorious kingdom you had before will be given back to you. Once again a king will rule over your people." + Why are you crying out so loudly now? Don't you have a king? Have your advisers died? Is that why pain comes on you like the pain of a woman having a baby? + People of Zion, groan with pain. Cry out like a woman having a baby. Soon you must leave your city. You must camp in the open fields. You will have to go to Babylonia. But that's where the Lord will save you. There he will set you free from the powerful hand of your enemies. + But now many nations have gathered together to attack you. They say, "Let Jerusalem be polluted. We want to see others laugh when Zion suffers!" + But those nations don't know what the Lord has in mind. They don't understand his plan. He will gather them up like bundles of grain. He will take them to his threshing floor. + The Lord says, "People of Zion, get up and crush your enemies. I will make you like a threshing ox. I will give you iron horns and bronze hoofs. So you will crush many nations." They got their money in the wrong way. But you will set it apart to the Lord. You will give their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth. + + + Jerusalem, you are being attacked. So bring your troops together. Our enemies have surrounded us. They want to slap the face of Israel's ruler. + The Lord says, "Bethlehem, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come a ruler over Israel for me. His family line goes back to the early years of your nation. It goes all the way back to days of long ago." Bethlehem was also called Ephrathah. + The Lord will hand his people over to their enemies. That will last until the promised ruler is born. Then his relatives in Judah will return to their land. The Lord will rule over them and the people of Israel. + The promised ruler will stand firm and take care of his flock. The Lord will give him the strength to do it. The Lord his God will give him the authority to rule. His people will live safely. His greatness will reach from one end of the earth to the other. + And he will bring them peace. The Assyrians will attack our land. Enemies will march through our forts. But we will raise up many shepherds against them. We'll send out against them as many leaders as we need to. + They will use their swords to rule over Assyria. They'll rule the land of Nimrod with swords that are ready to strike. The Assyrians will march across our borders and attack our land. But the promised ruler will save us from them. + Jacob's people who are still left alive will be scattered among many nations. They will be like dew the Lord has sent. It doesn't wait for a man's command. They will be like rain that falls on the grass. Rain doesn't wait for someone to give it orders. + So Jacob's people will be scattered among many nations. They will be like a lion among the animals in the forest. They'll be like a young lion among flocks of sheep. Lions attack and tear as they move along. No one can keep them from killing what they want. + Lord, your powerful hand will win the battle over your enemies. All of them will be destroyed. + "At that time I will destroy your war horses," announces the Lord. "I will smash your chariots. + I will destroy the cities in your land. I will tear down all of your forts. + I will destroy your worship of evil powers. You will no longer be able to put a spell on anyone. + I will destroy the statues of your gods. I will take your sacred stones away from you. You will no longer bow down to the gods your hands have made. + I will pull down the poles you used to worship the goddess Asherah. And I will destroy your cities completely. + I will pay back the nations that have not obeyed me. My anger will burn against them." + + + Israel, listen to the Lord's message. He says to me, "Stand up in court. Let the mountains serve as witnesses. Let the hills hear what you have to say." + Hear the Lord's case, you mountains. Listen, you age-old foundations of the earth. The Lord has a case against his people Israel. He is bringing charges against them. + The Lord says, "My people, what have I done to you? Have I made things too hard for you? Answer me. + I brought your people up out of Egypt. I set them free from the land where they were slaves. I sent Moses to lead them. Aaron and Miriam helped him. + Remember how Balak, the king of Moab, planned to put a curse on your people. But Balaam, the son of Beor, gave them a blessing instead. Remember their journey from Shittim to Gilgal. I want you to know that I always do what is right." + The people of Israel say, "What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old? + Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we've done? Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins?" + The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must treat people fairly. You must love others faithfully. And you must be very careful to live the way your God wants you to. + The Lord is calling out to Jerusalem. And it would be wise to pay attention to him. He says, "Listen, tribe of Judah and you people who are gathered in the city. + You sinful people, should I forget that you got your treasures by stealing them? You use dishonest measures to cheat others. I have placed a curse on that practice. + Should I forgive you who use dishonest scales? You use weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are. + The rich people among you harm others. You are always telling lies. You try to fool others by what you say. + So I will strike you down. I will destroy you because you have sinned so much. + You will eat. But you will not be satisfied. Your stomachs will still be empty. You will try to save what you can. But you will not be able to. If you do save something, it will be destroyed in battle. + You will plant seeds. But you will not harvest any crops. You will press olives. But you will not use the oil for yourselves. You will crush grapes. But you will not drink the wine that is made from them. + You have followed the evil practices of King Omri of Israel. You have done what the family of King Ahab did. You have followed their bad example. So I will let you be destroyed. Others will make fun of you. The nations will laugh at you." + + + I'm suffering very much! I'm like someone who gathers summer fruit in a vineyard after the good fruit has already been picked. No grapes are left to eat. None of the early figs I long for remain. + Faithful people have disappeared from the land. Those who are honest are gone. All men hide and wait to spill the blood of others. They use nets to try and trap one another. + They are very good at doing what is evil. Rulers require gifts. Judges accept money from people who want special favors. Those who are powerful always get what they want. All of them make evil plans together. + The best of them are as harmful as thorns. The most honest of them are even worse. The time your prophets warned you about has come. God is about to punish you. Panic has taken hold of you. + Don't trust your neighbors. Don't put your faith in your friends. Be careful of what you say even to your own wife. + Sons don't honor their fathers. Daughters refuse to obey their mothers. Daughters-in-law are against their mothers-in-law. A man's enemies are the members of his own family. + So I will look to the Lord. I'll put my trust in God my Savior. He will hear me. + The people of Jerusalem say, "Don't laugh when we suffer, you enemies of ours! We have fallen. But we'll get up. Even though we sit in the dark, the Lord will give us light. + We've sinned against the Lord. So he is angry with us. That will continue until he takes up our case. Then he'll do what is right for us. He'll bring us out into the light. Then we'll see him save us. + The people of Nineveh will see it too. And they will be put to shame. After all, they said to us, 'Where is the Lord your God?' But we will see them destroyed. Soon they will be stomped on like mud in the streets." + People of Jerusalem, the time will come when your walls will be rebuilt. Land will be added to your territory. + At that time your people will come back to you. They'll return from Assyria and the cities of Egypt. They'll come from the countries between Egypt and the Euphrates River. They'll return from the lands between the seas. They'll come back from the countries between the mountains. + But the rest of the earth will be deserted. The people who live in it have done many evil things. + Lord, be like a shepherd to your people. Take good care of them. They are your flock. They live by themselves in the safety of a forest. Rich grasslands are all around them. Let them eat grass in Bashan and Gilead just as they did long ago. + The Lord says to his people, "I showed your people my wonders when they came out of Egypt long ago. In the same way, I will show them to you." + When the nations see those wonders, they will be put to shame. All of their power will be taken away from them. They will be so amazed that they won't be able to speak or hear. + They'll be forced to eat dust like a snake. They'll be like creatures that have to crawl on the ground. They'll come out of their dens trembling with fear. They'll show respect for the Lord our God. They will also have respect for his people. + Lord, who is a God like you? You forgive sin. You forgive your people when they do what is wrong. You don't stay angry forever. Instead, you take delight in showing your faithful love to them. + Once again you will show loving concern for us. You will completely wipe out the evil things we've done. You will throw all of our sins into the bottom of the sea. + You will be true to Jacob's people. You will show your faithful love to Abraham's children. You will do what you promised to do for our people when you took an oath long ago. + + + + + Here is a message the Lord gave Nahum in a vision about Nineveh. It is written on a scroll. Nahum was from the town of Elkosh. Here is what he said. + The Lord is a jealous God who punishes people. He pays them back for the evil things they do. His anger burns against them. The Lord punishes his enemies. He holds his anger back until the right time to use it. + The Lord is slow to get angry. He is very powerful. The Lord will not let guilty people go without punishing them. When he marches out, he stirs up winds and storms. Clouds are the dust kicked up by his feet. + He controls the seas. He dries them up. He makes all of the rivers run dry. Bashan and Mount Carmel dry up. The flowers in Lebanon fade. + He causes the mountains to shake. The hills melt away. The earth trembles because he is there. So do the world and all those who live in it. + Who can stand firm when his anger burns? Who can live when he is angry? His anger blazes out like fire. He smashes the rocks to pieces. + The Lord is good. When people are in trouble, they can go to him for safety. He takes good care of those who trust in him. + But he will destroy Nineveh with a powerful flood. He will chase his enemies into the darkness of punishment. + The Lord will put an end to anything they plan against him. He won't allow Assyria to win the battle over his people a second time. + His enemies will be tangled up among thorns. Their wine will make them drunk. They'll be burned up like dry straw. + Nineveh, a king has marched out from you. He makes evil plans against the Lord. He gives harmful advice. + The Lord says, "His army has many soldiers. Other nations are helping them. But they will be cut off and pass away. Judah, I punished you. But I will not do it anymore. + Now I will break Assyria's yoke off your neck. I will tear off the ropes that hold you." + Nineveh, the Lord has given an order concerning you. He has said, "You will not have any children to carry on your name. I will destroy the wooden and metal statues that are in the temple of your gods. I will get your grave ready for you. You are worthless." + Look at the mountains of Judah! I see a messenger running to bring good news! He's telling us that peace has come! People of Judah, celebrate your feasts. Carry out your promises. The evil Assyrians won't attack you again. They'll be completely destroyed. + + + Nineveh, armies are coming to attack you. Guard the forts! Watch the roads! Get ready! Gather all of your strength! + Assyria once took everything of value from God's people. Its army destroyed all of their vines. But the Lord will bring back the glory of Jacob's people. He'll make Israel glorious again. + The shields of the soldiers attacking Nineveh are red. The armies are dressed in bright red uniforms. The metal on their chariots flashes when they are prepared for war. Their spears are ready to use. + The chariots race through the main streets. They rush back and forth through them. They look like flaming torches. They dart around like lightning. + The commander of the attackers sends for his special troops. But they trip and fall on their way. They run toward the city wall. They keep their shield in front of them. + They open the gates that hold back the waters of the river. And the palace falls down. + The attackers order that the city's people be taken away as prisoners. The female slaves cry like sad doves. They beat their chests. + Nineveh is like a pool. Its water is draining away. "Stop running away!" someone cries out. But no one turns back. + "Steal the silver!" the attackers shout. "Grab the gold!" The supply is endless. There is plenty of wealth among all of the city's treasures. + Nineveh is destroyed, robbed and stripped! Hearts melt away in fear. Knees give way. Bodies tremble with fear. Everyone's face turns pale. + Assyria is like a lion. Where is the lions' den now? Where did they feed their cubs? Where did all of the lions go? In their den they had nothing to fear. + The lion killed enough for his cubs to eat. He choked what he caught for his mate. He filled his home with what he had killed. He brought to his dens what he had caught. + "Nineveh, I am against you," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will burn up your chariots with fire. Your young lions will be killed with swords. I will leave you nothing on earth to catch. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard." + + + How terrible it will be for Nineveh! It is a city of murderers! It is full of liars! It's filled with stolen goods! The killing never stops! + Whips crack! Wheels clack! Horses charge! Chariots rumble! + Horsemen attack! Swords flash! Spears gleam! Many people die. Dead bodies pile up. They can't even be counted. People trip over them. + All of that was caused by the evil longings of the prostitute Nineveh. That woman who practiced evil magic was very beautiful. She used her sinful charms to make slaves out of the nations. She worshiped evil powers in order to trap others. + "Nineveh, I am against you," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will pull your skirts up over your face. I will show the nations your naked body. Kingdoms will make fun of your shame. + I will throw garbage at you. I will look down on you. I will make an example out of you. + All those who see you will run away from you. They will say, 'Nineveh is destroyed. Who will sob over it?' Where can I find someone to comfort your people?" + Nineveh, are you better than Thebes on the Nile River? There was water all around that city. The river helped to keep it safe. The waters were like a wall around it. + Cush and Egypt gave it all of the strength it needed. Put and Libya also helped it. + But Thebes was captured anyway. Its people were taken away as prisoners. Its babies were smashed to pieces at every street corner. The Assyrian soldiers cast lots for all of its great leaders. They put them in chains and made slaves out of them. + People of Nineveh, you too will get drunk. You will try to hide from your enemies. You will look for a place of safety. + All of your forts are like fig trees that have their first ripe fruit on them. When the trees are shaken, the figs fall into the mouths of those who eat them. + Look at your troops. All of them are weak. The gates of your forts are wide open to your enemies. Fire has destroyed their heavy metal bars. + Prepare for the attack by storing up water! Make your walls as strong as you can! Make some bricks out of clay! Mix the mud to hold them together! Use them to repair the walls! + In spite of all of your hard work, fire will burn you up inside your city. Your enemies will cut you down with their swords. They will destroy you just as grasshoppers eat up crops. Multiply like grasshoppers! Increase your numbers like locusts! + You have more traders than the number of stars in the sky. But like locusts they strip the land. Then they fly away. + Your guards are like grasshoppers. Your officials are like large numbers of locusts. They settle in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun appears, they fly away. And no one knows where they go. + King of Assyria, your leaders are asleep. Your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains. No one is left to gather them together. + Nothing can heal your wounds. You will die of them. All those who hear the news about you clap their hands because you have fallen from power. All of them suffered because you never showed them any pity. + + + + + This is a vision the prophet Habakkuk received from the Lord. Here is what Habakkuk said. + Lord, how long do I have to call out for help? Why don't you listen to me? How long must I keep telling you that things are terrible? Why don't you save us? + Why do you make me watch while people treat others so unfairly? Why do you put up with the wrong things they are doing? I have to look at death. People are harming others. They are arguing and fighting all the time. + The law can't do what it's supposed to do. Fairness never comes out on top. Sinful people surround those who do what is right. So people are never treated fairly. + The Lord replies, "Look at the nations. Watch them. Be totally amazed at what you see. I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. You would not believe it even if someone told you about it. + I am going to send the armies of Babylonia to attack you. They are very mean. They move quickly. They sweep across the whole earth. They take over places that do not belong to them. + They terrify others. They do not recognize any laws but their own. That is how proud they are. + Their horses are faster than leopards. They are meaner than wolves in the dark. Their horsemen charge straight into battle. They ride in from far away. They come down like an eagle diving for its food. + All of them are ready to destroy others. Their huge armies advance like a wind out of the desert. They gather prisoners like sand. + They laugh at kings and make fun of rulers. They laugh at all of the cities that have high walls around them. They build dirt ramps against the walls and capture the cities. + They sweep past like the wind. Then they go on their way. They are guilty. They worship their own strength." + Lord, haven't you existed forever? You are my holy God. So we won't die, will we? Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians to punish your people. My Rock, you have chosen them to judge us. + Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil. You can't put up with the wrong things people do. So why do you put up with those who can't be trusted? The evil Babylonians swallow up those who are more godly than themselves. So why are you silent? + You have made men as if they were only fish in the sea. They are like sea creatures that don't have a ruler. + The evil Babylonians pull all of them up with hooks. They catch them in their nets. They gather them up. So they celebrate. They are glad. + They offer sacrifices to their nets. They burn incense to them. Their nets allow them to live in great comfort. They enjoy the finest food. + Are you going to let them keep on emptying their nets? Will they go on destroying nations without showing them any mercy? + + + I will go up to the lookout tower. I'll station myself on the city wall. I'll wait to see how the Lord will reply to me. Then I'll try to figure out how to answer him. + The Lord replies, "Write down the message I am showing you in a vision. Write it clearly on the tablets you use. Then a messenger can read it and run to announce it. + The message I give you waits for the time I have appointed. It speaks about what is going to happen. And all of it will come true. It might take a while. But wait for it. You can be sure it will come. It will happen when I want it to. + "The Babylonians are very proud. What they want is not good. "But the one who is right with God will live by faith. + "Wine makes the Babylonians do foolish things. They are proud. They never rest. Like the grave, they are always hungry for more. Like death, they are never satisfied. They gather all of the nations to themselves. They take their people away as prisoners. + "Won't those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won't they make fun of them? They will say to them, " 'How terrible it will be for you who pile up stolen goods! You get rich by cheating others. How long will that go on? + Those who owe you money will suddenly rise up. You charge them too much interest. So they will wake up and make you tremble with fear. Then they will take away everything you have. + You have robbed many nations. So the nations that are left will rob you. You have spilled man's blood. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.' + "How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build their kingdom with money they gained by cheating others. They have tried to make the kingdom as secure as possible. After all, they did not want to be destroyed. + They have planned to wipe out many nations. But they have brought shame on their own kingdom. So they must pay with their own lives. + The stones in the walls of their homes will cry out. And the wooden beams will echo that cry. + "How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build cities by spilling the blood of others. They establish towns by committing crimes. + I am the Lord who rules over all. Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire. So the nations wear themselves out for nothing. + The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of my glory. + "How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They give drinks to their neighbors. They pour the drinks from wineskins until their neighbors are drunk. They want to look at their naked bodies. + But the Babylonians will be filled with shame instead of glory. So now it is their turn to drink and be stripped of their clothes. The cup of anger in my powerful right hand is going to punish them. They will be covered with shame instead of glory. + The harm they have done to Lebanon will bring them down. Because they have killed so many animals, animals will terrify them. They have spilled man's blood. They have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. + "If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth? What value is there in a god that teaches lies? The one who trusts in another god worships his own creation. He makes statues of gods that can't speak. + How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They say to a wooden god, 'Come to life!' They say to a stone god, 'Wake up!' Can those gods give advice? They are covered with gold and silver. They can't even breathe. + But I am in my holy temple. Let the whole earth be silent in front of me." + + + This is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. It is on shigionoth. Here is what he said. + Lord, I know how famous you are. I have great respect for you because of your mighty acts. Do them again for us. Make them known in our time. When you are angry, please show us your tender love. + God, you came from Teman. You, the Holy One, came from Mount Paran. [Selah Your glory covered the heavens. Your praise filled the earth. + Your glory was like the sunrise. Rays of light flashed from your mighty hand. Your power was hidden there. + You sent plagues ahead of you. Sickness followed behind you. + When you stood up, the earth shook. When you looked at the nations, they trembled with fear. The age-old mountains crumbled. The ancient hills fell down. Your mighty acts will last forever. + I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble. The people of Midian were suffering greatly. + Lord, did your anger burn against the rivers? Were you angry with the streams? Were you angry with the Red Sea? You rode your horses and chariots to overcome it. + You got your bow ready to use. You asked for many arrows. [Selah You broke up the surface of the earth with rivers. + The mountains saw you and shook. Floods of water swept by. The sea roared. It lifted its waves high. + The sun and moon stood still in the sky. They stopped because your flying arrows flashed by. Your gleaming spear shone like lightning. + When you were angry, you marched across the earth. Because of your anger you destroyed the nations. + You came out to set your people free. You saved your chosen ones. You crushed Pharaoh, the leader of that evil land of Egypt. You stripped him from head to foot. [Selah + His soldiers rushed out to scatter us. They were laughing at us. They thought they would easily destroy us. They saw us as weak people who were trying to hide. So you wounded Pharaoh's head with his own spear. + Your horses charged into the Red Sea. They stirred up the great waters. + I listened and my heart pounded. My lips trembled at the sound. My bones seemed to rot. And my legs shook. But I will be patient. I'll wait for the day of trouble to come on Babylonia. It's the nation that is attacking us. + The fig trees might not bud. The vines might not produce any grapes. The olive crop might fail. The fields might not produce any food. There might not be any sheep in the pens. There might not be any cattle in the barns. + But I will still be glad because of what the Lord has done. God my Savior fills me with joy. + The Lord and King gives me strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He helps me walk on the highest places. This prayer is for the director of music. It should be sung while being accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + + + A message came to Zephaniah from the Lord. He was the son of Cushi. Cushi was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of King Hezekiah. The Lord spoke to Zephaniah during the rule of Josiah. He was king of Judah and the son of Amon. + "I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," announces the Lord. + "I will destroy people and animals alike. I will wipe out the birds of the air and the fish in the waters. I will destroy sinful people along with their gods. I will wipe man off the face of the earth," announces the Lord. + "I will reach out my powerful hand against Judah. I will punish all those who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from that place what is left of Baal worship. The officials and priests who serve other gods will be removed. + I will wipe out those who bow down on their roofs to worship all of the stars. I will destroy those who take oaths not only in my name but also in the name of Molech. + I will cut off those who stop following me. They no longer look to me or ask me for advice. + Be silent in front of me. I am the Lord and King. The day of the Lord is near. I have prepared a sacrifice. I have set apart for myself the people I invited. + When my sacrifice is ready to be offered, I will punish the princes and the king's sons. I will also judge all those who follow the practices of other nations. + At that time I will punish all those who worship other gods. They fill the temples of their gods with lies and other harmful things. + "At that time people at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem will cry out," announces the Lord. "So will those at the New Quarter. The buildings on the hills will come crashing down with a loud noise. + Cry out, you who live in the market places. All of your merchants will be wiped out. Those who trade in silver will be destroyed. + At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish those who are so contented. They are like wine that has not been shaken up. They think, 'The Lord won't do anything. It doesn't matter whether it's good or bad.' + Their wealth will be stolen. Their houses will be destroyed. They will build houses. But they will not live in them. They will plant vineyards. But they will not drink the wine they produce. + "The great day of the Lord is near. In fact, it is coming quickly. Listen! The cries on that day will be bitter. Even soldiers will cry out in fear. + At that time I will pour out my anger. There will be great suffering and pain. It will be a day of horrible trouble. It will be a time of darkness and gloom. It will be filled with the blackest clouds. + Trumpet blasts and battle cries will be heard. Soldiers will attack cities that have forts and corner towers. + I will bring trouble on the people. They will trip and fall as if they were blind. They have sinned against me. Their blood will be poured out like dust. Their bodies will lie rotting on the ground. + Their silver and gold will not be able to save them on the day I pour out my anger. The whole world will be burned up when my jealous anger blazes out. Everyone who lives on earth will come to a sudden end." + + + Gather your people together, you shameful nation of Judah! Gather them together! + Come together before the appointed time arrives. The day of the Lord will sweep in like straw blown by the wind. Soon the Lord's anger will burn against you. The day of his anger will come on you. + So look to him, all of you people in the land who worship him faithfully. You always do what he commands you to do. Continue to do what is right. Don't be proud. Then perhaps the Lord will keep you safe on the day he pours out his anger on the world. + Gaza will be deserted. Ashkelon will be destroyed. Ashdod will be emptied out at noon. Ekron will be pulled up by its roots. + How terrible it will be for you Kerethites who live by the Mediterranean Sea! Philistia, the Lord has spoken against you. What happened to Canaan will happen to you. The Lord says, "I will destroy you. No one will be left." + The Kerethites live in the land by the sea. It will become a place for shepherds and sheep pens. + It will belong to those who are still left alive among the people of Judah. They will find grasslands there. They will take over the houses in Ashkelon and live in them. The Lord their God will take care of them. He will bless them with great success again. + The Lord says, "I have heard Moab make fun of my people. The Ammonites also laughed at them. They told them that bad things would happen to their land. + So Moab will become like Sodom," announces the Lord who rules over all. "Ammon will be like Gomorrah. Weeds and salt pits will cover those countries. They will be dry and empty deserts forever. Those who are still left alive among my people will take all of their valuable things. So they will receive those lands as their own. And that is just as sure as I am alive." The Lord is the God of Israel. + Moab and Ammon will be judged because they are so proud. They made fun of the Lord's people. They laughed at them. + The Lord who rules over all will terrify Moab and Ammon. He will destroy all of the gods on earth. Then the nations on every shore will worship him. All of them will serve him in their own lands. + The Lord says, "People of Cush, you too will be killed with my sword." + The Lord will reach out his powerful hand against the north. He will destroy Assyria. He'll leave Nineveh totally empty. It will be as dry as a desert. + Flocks and herds will lie down there. So will creatures of every kind. Desert owls and screech owls will rest on its pillars. Their cries will echo through the windows. The doorways will be full of trash. The cedar beams will be showing. + Nineveh is a carefree city. It lived in safety. It said to itself, "I am like a god. No one is greater than I am." But it has been destroyed. Wild animals make their home there. All those who pass by laugh and shake their fists at it. + + + How terrible it will be for Jerusalem! Its people crush others. They refuse to obey the Lord. They are "unclean." + They don't obey anyone. They don't accept the Lord's warnings. They don't trust in him. They don't ask their God for his help. + Their officials are like roaring lions. Their rulers are like wolves that hunt in the evening. They don't leave anything to eat in the morning. + Their prophets are proud. They can't be trusted. Their priests pollute the temple. They break the law they teach others to obey. + In spite of that, the Lord is good to Jerusalem. He never does anything that is wrong. Every morning he does what is fair. Each new day he does the right thing. But those who do what is wrong aren't even ashamed of it. + The Lord says to his people, "I have cut off other nations. I have wiped out their forts. I have left their streets deserted. No one walks along them. Their cities are destroyed. Not even one person is left. + I said to you people of Jerusalem, 'Because I cut off other nations, you will have respect for me. Now you will accept my warning.' I wish you had returned to me. Then your homes would not have been torn down. And I would not have had to punish you so much. But you still wanted to go on sinning in every way you could. + So wait for me to come as judge," announces the Lord. "Wait for the day I will stand up to witness against all sinners. I have decided to gather the nations. I will bring the kingdoms together. And I will pour out all of my burning anger on them. The fire of my jealous anger will burn the whole world up. + "But then I will purify what all of the nations say. And they will use their words to worship me. They will serve me together. + My scattered people, you will come to me from beyond the rivers of Cush. You will worship me. You will bring me offerings. + You have done many wrong things to me. But at that time you will not be put to shame anymore. Then I will remove from this city those who take delight in their pride. You will never be proud again on my holy mountain of Zion. + But inside your city I will leave those who are not proud at all. They trust in me. + Those who are still left alive in Israel will not do anything wrong. They will not tell any lies. They will not say anything to fool others. They will eat and lie down in peace. And no one will make them afraid." + People of Zion, sing! Israel, shout loudly! People of Jerusalem, be glad! Let your hearts be full of joy. + The Lord has stopped punishing you. He has made your enemies turn away from you. The Lord is the King of Israel. He is with you. You will never again be afraid that others will harm you. + The time is coming when people will say to Jerusalem, "Zion, don't be afraid. Don't give up. + The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty enough to save you. He will take great delight in you. The quietness of his love will calm you down. He will sing with joy because of you." + The Lord says to his people, "You used to celebrate my appointed feasts in Jerusalem. You are sad because you can't do that anymore. So others make fun of those feasts. That was a heavy load for you to carry. But I will bring you back to your city. + At that time I will punish all those who crushed you. I will save those among you who are disabled. I will gather those who have been scattered. I will give you praise and honor in every land where you were put to shame. + At that time I will gather you together. And I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all of the nations on earth. I will bless you with great success again," says the Lord. + + + + + A message came to the prophet Haggai from the Lord. Haggai gave it to Zerubbabel and Jeshua. It came on the first day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Zerubbabel was governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Jeshua was high priest and the son of Jehozadak. Here is what Haggai said. + The Lord who rules over all says, "The people of Judah are saying, 'The time hasn't come yet for the Lord's temple to be rebuilt.' " + So the message came to me from the Lord. He said, + "My temple is still destroyed. In spite of that, you are living in your houses that have beautiful wooden walls." + The Lord who rules over all says, "Think carefully about how you are living. + You have planted many seeds. But the crops you have gathered are small. So you eat. But you never have enough. You drink. But you are never full. You put your clothes on. But you are not warm. You earn your pay. But it will not buy everything you need." + He continues, "Think carefully about how you are living. + Go up into the mountains. Bring logs down. Use them to rebuild my house. Then I will enjoy it. And you will honor me," says the Lord. + "You expected a lot. But you can see what a small amount it turned out to be," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I blew away what you brought home. Why? Because my temple is still destroyed. In spite of that, each one of you is busy with your own house. + "So because of what you have done, the heavens have held back the dew. And the earth has not produced its crops. + I ordered the rain not to fall on the fields and mountains. Then the ground did not produce any grain. There were not enough grapes to make fresh wine. The trees did not bear enough olives to make oil. People and cattle suffered. All of your hard work failed." + Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, obeyed the Lord their God. So did all of the Lord's people who were still left alive. He had given his message to them through me. He had sent me to speak to them. And the people had respect for him. + I was the Lord's messenger. So I gave his message to the people. I told them, "The Lord announces, 'I am with you.' " + So the Lord stirred up the spirits of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and the high priest Jeshua. He also stirred up the rest of the people to help them. Then everyone began to work on the temple of the Lord who rules over all. He is their God. + It was the 24th day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king. + + + A second message came to me from the Lord. It came on the 21st day of the seventh month. The Lord said, + "Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Also speak to the high priest Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak. And speak to all of my people who are still left alive. Ask them, + 'Did any of you who are here see how beautiful this temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It doesn't look so good, does it? + " 'But be strong, Zerubbabel,' announces the Lord. 'Be strong, Jeshua. Be strong, all of you people in the land,' announces the Lord. 'Start rebuilding. I am with you,' announces the Lord who rules over all. + 'That is what I promised you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit continues to be with you. So do not be afraid.' " + The Lord says, "In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth once more. I will also shake the ocean and the dry land. + I will shake all of the nations. Then what they consider to be priceless will come to my temple. And I will fill the temple with glory," says the Lord who rules over all. + "The silver belongs to me. So does the gold," announces the Lord. + "The new temple will be more beautiful than the first one was," says the Lord. "And in this place I will give peace to my people," announces the Lord who rules over all. + A third message came to me from the Lord. It came on the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king. + The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says, "Ask the priests what the law says. + Suppose someone carries holy meat in the clothes he is wearing. And the clothes touch some bread or stew. Or they touch some wine, olive oil or other food. Then do those things also become holy?" The priests answered, "No." + So I said, "Suppose someone is made 'unclean' by touching a dead body. And then he touches one of those things. Does it become 'unclean' too?" "Yes," the priests replied. "It does." + Then I said, "The Lord announces, 'That is how I look at these people and this nation. Anything they do and anything they sacrifice on the altar is "unclean." + " 'Now think carefully about the time before one stone was laid on top of another in my temple. + People went to get 20 measures of grain. But they could find only 10. They went to where the wine was stored to get 50 measures. But only 20 were there. + You worked very hard to produce all of those things. But I struck them with rot, mold and hail. And you still did not turn to me,' announces the Lord. + " 'It is the 24th day of the ninth month. From this day on, think carefully about the day when the foundation of my temple was laid. Think about it carefully. + Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either. " 'But from this day on I will bless you.' " + A final message came to me from the Lord. It also came on the 24th day of the ninth month. He said, + "Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah. Tell him I will shake the heavens and the earth. + I will throw down royal thrones. I will smash the power of other kingdoms. I will destroy chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders will fall. They will be killed with the swords of their relatives. + " 'Zerubbabel, at that time I will pick you,' announces the Lord. 'You are my servant,' announces the Lord. 'You will be like a ring that has my royal seal on it. I have chosen you,' announces the Lord who rules over all." + + + + + A message came to the prophet Zechariah from the Lord. It was the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. Here is what Zechariah said. + The Lord who rules over all was very angry with our people years ago. + And now he says to us, "Return to me. Then I will return to you," announces the Lord. + "Do not be like your people years ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said, 'Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.' But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention," announces the Lord. + "Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever? + I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them. "Then they had a change of heart. They said, 'The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.' " + During the second year that Darius was king, a message came to me from the Lord. It was the 24th day of the 11th month. That's the month of Shebat. + I had a vision at night. I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a valley. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. + An angel was talking with me. I asked him, "Sir, what are these?" He answered, "I will show you what they are." + Then the man who was standing among the myrtle trees said, "They are the messengers the Lord has sent out. He told them to go all through the earth." + They brought a report to the angel of the Lord. He was standing among the myrtle trees. They said to him, "We have gone all through the earth. We've found the whole world enjoying peace and rest." + Then the angel of the Lord spoke up. He said, "Lord, you rule over all. How long will you keep from showing your tender love to Jerusalem? How long will you keep it from the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years." + So the Lord replied with kind and comforting words. He spoke them to the angel who talked with me. + Then the angel said, "Announce this message. Say, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion. + But I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out." + " 'So the Lord says, "I will return to Jerusalem. I will show its people my tender love. My temple will be rebuilt there. Workers will use a measuring line when they rebuild Jerusalem," announces the Lord. + " 'He says, "My towns will be filled with good things once more. I will comfort Zion. And I will choose Jerusalem again." ' " + Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. + I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. "What are these horns?" I asked. He said, "They are the powerful nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." + Then the Lord showed me four skilled workers. + I asked, "What are they coming to do?" He answered, "They are the powerful nations that scattered the people of Judah. That made them helpless. But the workers have come to terrify the horns. They will destroy the power of those nations. They had used their power to scatter Judah's people." + + + Then I looked up and saw a man. He was holding a measuring line. + "Where are you going?" I asked. "To measure Jerusalem," he answered. "I want to find out how wide and how long it is." + Then the angel who was talking with me left. Another angel came over to him. + He said to him, "Run! Tell that young man Zechariah, 'Jerusalem will be like a city that does not have any walls around it. It will have huge numbers of people and animals in it. + And I myself will be like a wall of fire around it,' announces the Lord. 'I will be the city's glory.' " + "Israel, I have scattered you in all four directions," announces the Lord. "Come quickly! Run away from the land of the north," announces the Lord. + "Come, people of Zion who are in Babylonia! Escape, you who live in the city of Babylon!" + The Lord rules over all. His angel says to Israel, "The Lord has sent me to honor him. He wants me to punish the nations that have robbed you of everything. After all, anyone who hurts you hurts those the Lord loves and guards. + So I will raise my powerful hand to strike your enemies down. Their own slaves will rob them of everything. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me. + " 'People of Zion, shout and be glad! I am coming to live among you,' announces the Lord. + 'At that time many nations will join themselves to me. And they will become my people. I will live among you.' says the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you. + "He will receive Judah as his share in the holy land. And he will choose Jerusalem again. + "All you people of the world, be still because the Lord is coming. He is getting ready to come down from his holy temple in heaven." + + + Then the Lord showed me the high priest Jeshua. He was standing in front of the angel of the Lord. Satan was standing to the right of Jeshua. He was there to bring charges against the high priest. + The Lord said to Satan, "May the Lord correct you! He has chosen Jerusalem. So may he correct you! Isn't this man Jeshua like a burning stick pulled out of the fire?" + Jeshua stood in front of the angel. He was wearing clothes that were very dirty. + The angel spoke to those who were standing near him. He said, "Take his dirty clothes off." He said to Jeshua, "I have taken your sin away. I will put fine clothes on you." + I added, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they did. And they dressed him while the angel of the Lord stood by. + Then the angel spoke to Jeshua. He said, + "The Lord who rules over all says, 'You must live the way I want you to. And you must do what I want you to do. Then you will rule in my temple. You will be in charge of my courtyards. And I will give you a place among these who are standing here. + " 'High priest Jeshua, pay attention! I want you other priests who are sitting with Jeshua to listen also. All of you men are signs of things to come. I am going to bring my servant the Branch. + Look at the stone I have put in front of Jeshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone. I will carve a message on it,' says the Lord who rules over all. 'And I will remove the sin of this land in one day. + " 'At that time each of you will invite your neighbors to visit you. They will sit under your vines and fig trees,' announces the Lord." + + + Then the angel who was talking with me returned. He woke me up. It was as if I had been asleep. + "What do you see?" he asked me. "I see a solid gold lampstand," I answered. "It has a bowl on top of it. There are seven lamps on it. Seven tubes lead to each of them. + There are two olive trees by the lampstand. One is on its right side. The other is on its left." + I asked the angel who was talking with me, "Sir, what are these?" + He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I replied. + So he said to me, "A message came to Zerubbabel from the Lord. He said, 'Your strength will not get my temple rebuilt. Your power will not do it either. Only the power of my Spirit will do it,' says the Lord who rules over all. + "So nothing can stop Zerubbabel from completing the temple. Even a mountain of problems will be smoothed out by him. When the temple is finished, he will put its most important stone in place. Then the people will shout, 'God bless it! God bless it!' " + A message came to me from the Lord. His angel said, + "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple. His hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you. + "Do not look down on the small amount of work done on the temple so far. People will be filled with joy when they see Zerubbabel holding the most important stone. "The seven eyes on the stone are the eyes of the Lord himself. He looks out over the whole earth." + Then I said to the angel, "I see two olive trees. One is on the right side of the lampstand. The other is on the left. What are those trees?" + I continued, "I also see two olive branches. They are next to the two gold pipes that pour out golden olive oil. What are those branches?" + He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I said. + So he told me, "They are Zerubbabel and Jeshua. The Lord of the whole earth has anointed them to serve him." + + + I looked up again and saw a flying scroll. + "What do you see?" the angel asked me. "A flying scroll," I replied. "It's 30 feet long and 15 feet wide." + He said to me, "A curse sent by the Lord is written on it. It is going out over the whole land. Every thief will be driven out of the land. That is what it says on one side of the scroll. Everyone who lies when taking an oath to tell the truth will also be driven out. That is what it says on the other side. + The Lord who rules over all announces, 'I will send the curse out. It will enter the house of the thief. It will also enter the house of anyone who lies when taking an oath in my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it. It will pull down its beams and stones.' " + Then the angel who was talking with me came forward. He said to me, "Look at what is coming." + "What is it?" I asked. "A measuring basket," he replied. "The sins of the people all through the land are in it." + Then the basket's cover was lifted up. It was made out of lead. A woman was sitting in the basket! + The angel said, "She stands for everything that is evil." Then he pushed her down into the basket. He put the lead cover back over its opening. + I looked up and saw two other women. They had wings like the wings of a stork. A wind sent by the Lord carried them along. They lifted the basket up between heaven and earth. + "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel. + He replied, "To the country of Babylonia. A temple will be built for it. When the temple is ready, the basket will be set there in its place." + + + I looked up again and saw four chariots. They were coming out from between two mountains. The mountains were made out of bronze. + The first chariot was pulled by red horses. The second one had black horses. + The third had white horses. And the fourth had spotted horses. All of the horses were powerful. + I asked the angel who was talking with me, "Sir, what are these?" + The angel answered, "The four spirits of heaven. They are going out to serve the Lord of the whole world. + The chariot pulled by the black horses is going toward the north country. The one with the white horses is going toward the west. And the one with the spotted horses is going toward the south." + The powerful horses went out. They were in a hurry to go all over the earth. The angel said, "Go all through the earth!" So they did. + Then the Lord called out to me, "Look! The horses going toward the north have given my Spirit rest in the north country." + A message came to me from the Lord. His angel said, + "Get some silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah. They have just come back from Babylonia. On that same day go to Josiah's house. He is the son of Zephaniah. + Use the silver and gold to make a crown. Set it on the head of the high priest Jeshua. He is the son of Jehozadak. + "Give Jeshua a message from the Lord who rules over all. He says, 'Here is the man whose name is The Branch. He will branch out and build my temple. + That is what he will do. He will be dressed in majesty as if it were his royal robe. He will sit as king on his throne. He will also be a priest there. So he will combine the positions of king and priest in himself.' + "The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Zephaniah's son Hen. The crown will be kept in the Lord's temple. It will remind everyone that the Lord's promises will come true. + "Those who are far away will come to Jerusalem. They will help build the Lord's temple. Then his people will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to them. It will happen if they are careful to obey the Lord their God." + + + During the fourth year that Darius was king, a message came to me from the Lord. It was the fourth day of the ninth month. That's the month of Kislev. + The people of Bethel wanted to ask the Lord to show them his favor. So they sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their men. + They went to the prophets and priests at the Lord's temple. They asked them, "Should we sob and go without eating in the fifth month? That's what we've done for many years." + Then the message came to me from the Lord who rules over all. He said, + "Ask the priests and all of the people in the land a question for me. Say to them, 'You sobbed and fasted in the fifth and seventh months. You did it for the past 70 years. But did you really do it for me? + And when you were eating and drinking, weren't you just enjoying good food for yourselves? + " 'Didn't I tell you the same thing through the earlier prophets? That was when Jerusalem and the towns around it were at rest and enjoyed success. People lived in the Negev Desert and the western hills at that time.' " + Another message came to me from the Lord. + He rules over all. He says to his people, "Treat everyone fairly. Show faithful love and tender concern to one another. + Do not take advantage of widows. Do not mistreat children whose fathers have died. Do not crush strangers or poor people. Do not make evil plans against one another." + But they refused to pay attention to the Lord. They were stubborn. They turned their backs and covered up their ears. + They made their hearts as hard as the hardest stone. They wouldn't listen to the law. They wouldn't pay attention to the Lord's messages. So the Lord who rules over all was very angry. After all, his Spirit had spoken to his people through the earlier prophets. + "When I called, they did not listen," says the Lord. "So when they called, I would not listen. + I used a windstorm to scatter them among all of the nations. They were strangers there. The land they left behind became dry and empty. No one could even travel through it. That is how they turned the pleasant land into a dry and empty desert." + + + Another message came to me from the Lord who rules over all. He said, + "I am very jealous for my people in Zion. In fact, I am burning with jealousy for them." + He continued, "I will return to Zion. I will live among my people in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called The City of Truth. And my mountain will be called The Holy Mountain." + He continued, "Once again old men and women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. All of them will be using canes because they are old. + The city streets will be filled with boys and girls. They will be playing there." + He continued, "All of that might seem wonderful to the people who are living at that time. But it will not seem wonderful to me." + He continued, "I will save my people. I will gather them from the countries of the east and the west. + I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people. I will be their faithful God. I will keep my promises to them." + The Lord who rules over all says to his people, "Listen to the words that were spoken by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They spoke to you when the work on my temple started up again. Let your hands be strong so that you can rebuild the temple. + "Before the work was started again, there was no pay for the people or food for the animals. People could not go about their business safely because of their enemies. I had turned all of them against one another. + But now I will not punish you who are living at this time. I will not treat you as I treated your people before you," announces the Lord who rules over all. + "Your seeds will grow well. Your vines will bear fruit. The ground will produce crops for you. And the heavens will drop their dew on your land. I will give all of those things to those who are still left alive here. + "Judah and Israel, in the past the nations called down curses on you. But now I will save you. You will be a blessing to others. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong so that you can do my work." + The Lord who rules over all says, "Years ago your people made me angry. So I decided to bring trouble on them. I did not show them any pity. + But now I plan to do good things to Jerusalem and Judah again. So do not be afraid. + "Here is what you must do. Speak the truth to one another. Make true and wise decisions in your courts. + Do not make evil plans against your neighbors. When you take an oath to tell the truth, do not lie. Many people love to do that. But I hate all of those things," announces the Lord. + Another message came to me from the Lord who rules over all. He said, + "You have established special times to go without eating. They are your fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. They will become days of joy. They will be happy times for Judah. It will happen if you take delight in telling the truth and bringing about peace." + He continued, "Many nations will still come to you. And those who live in many cities will also come. + The people who live in one city will go to another city. They will say, 'Let's go right away to ask the Lord to show us his favor. Let's look to him as our God. We ourselves are going.' + Large numbers of people and nations will come to Jerusalem. They will look to me. They will ask me to show them my favor." + He continued, "At that time many men from all nations and languages will take hold of one Jew. They will grab hold of the hem of his robe. And they will say, 'We want to go to Jerusalem with you. We've heard that God is with you.' " + + + This is the Lord's message against the land of Hadrach. He will judge Damascus. That's because all of the tribes of Israel look to him. So do other people. + The Lord will judge Hamath too. It's next to Damascus. He will also punish Tyre and Sidon even though they are very clever. + Tyre's people have built a fort for themselves. They've piled up silver like dust. They have as much gold as the dirt in the streets. + But the Lord will take away everything they have. He'll destroy their power on the Mediterranean Sea. And Tyre will be completely burned up. + Ashkelon will see it and become afraid. Gaza will groan with pain. So will Ekron. Its hope will vanish. Gaza will no longer have a king. Ashkelon will be deserted. + Strangers will take over Ashdod. The Lord says, "I will take away everything the Philistines are so proud of. + They will no longer drink the blood of their animal sacrifices. I will remove the 'unclean' food from between their teeth. The Philistines who are left will belong to our God. They will become leaders in Judah. And Ekron will be like the Jebusites. So the Philistines will become part of Israel. + But I will guard my temple against enemy armies. No one will ever crush my people again. I will make sure it does not happen. + "City of Zion, be full of joy! People of Jerusalem, shout! See, your king comes to you. He always does what is right. He has the power to save. He is gentle and riding on a donkey. He is sitting on a donkey's colt. + I will take the chariots away from Ephraim. I will remove the war horses from Jerusalem. I will break the bows that are used in battle. Your king will announce peace to the nations. He will rule from ocean to ocean. His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. + I will set your prisoners free from where their enemies are keeping them. I will do it because of the blood that put my covenant with you into effect. + Return to your place of safety, you prisoners who still have hope. Even now I announce that I will give you back much more than you had before. + I will bend Judah as I bend my bow. I will make Ephraim's people my arrows. Zion, I will stir up your sons. Greece, they will attack your sons. My people, I will use you as my sword." + Then the Lord will appear over his people. His arrows will flash like lightning. The Lord and King will blow the trumpet of his thunder. He'll march out like a storm in the south. + The Lord who rules over all will be like a shield to his people. They will destroy their enemies. They'll use slings to throw stones at them. They'll drink the blood of their enemies as if it were wine. They'll be full like the bowl that is used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. + The Lord their God will save his people on that day. They will be like sheep that belong to his flock. They will gleam in his land like jewels in a crown. + How very beautiful they will be! Grain and fresh wine will make the young men and women strong. + + + People of Judah, ask the Lord to send rain in the spring. He is the one who makes the storm clouds. He sends down showers of rain on all people. He gives everyone the plants in the fields. + Other gods tell lies. Those who practice magic see visions that aren't true. They tell dreams that fool people. They give comfort that doesn't do any good. So the people wander around like sheep. They are crushed because they don't have a shepherd. + The Lord who rules over all says, "My anger burns against the shepherds. I will punish the leaders. I will take care of my flock. They are the people of Judah. I will make them like a proud horse in battle. + The most important building stone will come from the tribe of Judah. The tent stake will also come from it. And the bow that is used in battle will come from it. In fact, every ruler will come from it. + Together they will be like soldiers in battle. They will fight their way through the muddy streets. I will be with them. So they will fight against the horsemen and destroy them. + "I will make the family of Judah strong. I will save the people of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have tender love for them. It will be as if I had not sent them away. I am the Lord their God. I will help them. + The people of Ephraim will become like mighty men. Their hearts will be glad as if they were drinking wine. Their children will see it and be filled with joy. I will make their hearts glad. + I will whistle for my people and gather them in. I will set them free. There will be as many of them as before. + I have scattered them among the nations. But in lands far away they will remember me. They and their children will be kept alive. And they will return. + I will bring them back from Egypt. I will gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon. There will not be enough room for them. + They will pass through a sea of trouble. The stormy sea will calm down. All of the deep places in the Nile River will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down. Egypt's right to rule will disappear. + I will make my people strong. They will worship and obey me," announces the Lord. + + + Lebanon, open your doors! Then fire can burn up your cedar trees. + Pine trees, cry out! The cedar trees have fallen down. The majestic trees are destroyed. Cry out, you oak trees of Bashan! The thick forest has been cut down. + Listen to the shepherds cry out! Their rich grasslands are destroyed. Listen to the lions roar! The trees and bushes along the Jordan River are gone. + The Lord my God says, "Take care of the sheep that are set apart to be sacrificed. + Those who buy them kill them. And they are not punished for it. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the Lord! We're rich!' And their own shepherds do not spare them. + "I will no longer have pity on the people in the land," announces the Lord. "I will hand all of them over to their neighbors and their king. They will crush the people in the land. And I will not save them from their powerful hands." + So I took care of the sheep set apart to be sacrificed. I took special care of those that had been crushed. Then I got two shepherd's staffs. I called one of them Favor. I called the other one Union. And I took care of the flock. + In one month I got rid of three worthless shepherds. The sheep hated me. And I got tired of them. + So I said, "I won't be your shepherd anymore. Let those of you who are dying die. Let those who are passing away pass away. Let those who are left eat one another up." + Then I got my staff called Favor. I broke it. That meant the covenant the Lord had made with all of the nations was broken. + It happened that very day. The sheep that had been crushed were watching me. They knew it was the Lord's message. + I told them, "If you think it is best, give me my pay. But if you don't think so, you keep it." So they paid me 30 silver coins. + The Lord said to me, "Throw the coins to the potter." What a good price they had set for me! So I threw the 30 silver coins to the potter in the Lord's temple. + Then I broke my second staff called Union. That broke the union between Judah and Israel. + The Lord said to me, "Now pretend to be a foolish shepherd. Get the things you need. + I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land. He will not take care of those that are wounded. He will not look for the young ones. He will not heal those that are hurt. He will not feed the healthy ones. Instead, he will eat the best sheep. He will even tear their hoofs off. + "How terrible it will be for that worthless shepherd! He deserts the flock. May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his powerful arm become weak! May his right eye be totally blinded!" + + + This is the Lord's message about Israel. The Lord spread out the heavens. He laid the foundation of the earth. He created the spirits of all men. He says, + "Jerusalem will be like a cup in my hand. It will make all of the surrounding nations drunk from the wine of my anger. Judah will be attacked by its enemies. So will Jerusalem. + "At that time all of the nations on earth will gather together against Jerusalem. Then it will become like a rock that can't be moved. All of the nations that try to move it will only hurt themselves. + On that day I will fill every horse with panic. I will make every rider crazy," announces the Lord. "I will watch over the people of Judah. But I will make all of the horses of the nations blind. + "Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong. That's because the Lord who rules over all is their God.' + "At that time Judah's leaders will be like a fire pot in a pile of wood. They will be like a burning torch among bundles of grain. They will destroy all of the surrounding nations on every side. But Jerusalem will remain unharmed in its place. + "I will save the houses in Judah first. The honor of David's family line is great. So is the honor of those who live in Jerusalem. But their honor will not be greater than the honor of the rest of Judah. + "At that time I will be like a shield to those who live in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest among them will be great warriors like David. And David's family line will be like the Angel of the Lord who leads them. + On that day I will begin to destroy all of the nations that attack Jerusalem. + "I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on David's family line. I will also send it on those who live in Jerusalem. They will look to me. I am the one they have pierced. They will sob over me as someone sobs over an only child who has died. They will be full of sorrow over me, just like someone who is full of sorrow over an oldest son. + "At that time there will be a lot of crying in Jerusalem. It will sound like the sobs of the people at Hadad Rimmon over Josiah's death in the Valley of Megiddo. + Everyone in the land will sob. Each family will cry by themselves and their wives by themselves. That will include the family lines of David, Nathan, + Levi, Shimei and + all of the others. + + + "At that time a fountain will be opened for the benefit of David's family line. It will also bless the others who live in Jerusalem. It will wash away their sins. It will make them pure and clean. + "On that day I will remove the names of other gods from the land. They will not even be remembered anymore," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will drive the evil prophets out of the land. I will get rid of the spirit that put lies in their mouths. + Some people might still prophesy. But their own fathers and mothers will speak to them. They will tell them, 'You must die. You have told lies in the Lord's name.' When they prophesy, their own parents will stab them. + "At that time every prophet will be ashamed of his vision. He will no longer pretend to be a true prophet. He will not put on clothes that are made out of hair in order to trick people. + In fact, he will say, 'I'm not really a prophet. I'm a farmer. I've farmed the land since I was young.' + Suppose someone asks him, 'What are those wounds on your body?' Then he will answer, 'I was given these wounds at the house of my friends.' + "My sword, wake up! Attack my shepherd! Attack the man who is close to me," announces the Lord who rules over all. "Strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep will be scattered. And I will turn my hand against their little ones. + Here is what will happen in the whole land," announces the Lord. "Two-thirds of the people will be struck down and die. But one-third will be left. + I will put that third in the fire. I will make them as pure as silver. I will test them like gold. They will call out to me. And I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people.' And they will say, 'The Lord is our God.' " + + + The day of the Lord is coming. At that time Jerusalem's enemies will steal everything its people have. They will divide it up right in front of them. + The Lord will gather all of the nations together. They will fight against Jerusalem. They'll capture the city. Its houses will be robbed. Its women will be raped. Half of the people will be taken away as prisoners. But the rest of them won't be taken. + Then the Lord will march out and fight against those nations. He will go to war against them. + On that day he will stand on the Mount of Olives. It's east of Jerusalem. It will be split in two from east to west. Half of the mountain will move north. The other half will move south. A large valley will be formed. + The people will run away through that mountain valley. It will reach all the way to Azel. They'll run away just as they ran from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come. All of the holy ones will come with him. + There won't be any light on that day. The sun, moon and stars will not shine. + It will be a day unlike any other. It won't be separated into day and night. It will be a day known only to the Lord. After that day is over, there will be light again. + At that time water that gives life will flow out from Jerusalem. Half of it will run into the Dead Sea. The other half will go to the Mediterranean Sea. The water will flow in summer and winter. + The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord. His name will be the only name. + The whole land south of Jerusalem will be changed. From Geba to Rimmon it will become like the Arabah Valley. But Jerusalem will be raised up. It will remain in its place. From the Benjamin Gate to the First Gate to the Corner Gate nothing will be changed. From the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepress the city will remain the same. + People will live in it. Jerusalem will never be destroyed again. It will be secure. + The Lord will punish all of the nations that fought against Jerusalem. He'll strike them with a plague. It will make their bodies rot while they are still standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their heads. Their tongues will rot in their mouths. + On that day the Lord will fill people with great panic. They will grab one another by the hand. And they'll attack each other. + Judah will also fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all of the surrounding nations will be collected. Huge amounts of gold, silver and clothes will be gathered up. + The same kind of plague will strike the horses, mules, camels and donkeys. In fact, it will strike all of the animals in the army camps. + But some people from all of the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will still be left alive. All of them will go up there to worship the King. He is the Lord who rules over all. Year after year they will celebrate the Feast of Booths. + Some nations might not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King. If they don't, they won't have any rain. + The people of Egypt might not go up there to take part. Then they won't have any rain either. That's the plague the Lord will send on the nations that don't go to celebrate the Feast of Booths. + Egypt will be punished. So will all of the other nations that don't celebrate the Feast. + On that day holy to the Lord will be carved on the bells of the horses. The cooking pots in the Lord's temple will be just like the sacred bowls in front of the altar for burnt offerings. + Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be set apart to the Lord. All those who come to offer sacrifices will get some of the pots and cook in them. At that time there won't be any Canaanites in the Lord's temple. He is the Lord who rules over all. + + + + + This is the Lord's message to Israel through Malachi. + "Israel, I have loved you," says the Lord. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' "Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother?" says the Lord. "But I chose Jacob + instead of Esau. I turned Esau's mountains into a dry and empty land. I left that land of Edom to the wild dogs in the desert." + Edom might say, "We have been crushed. But we'll rebuild our cities." The Lord who rules over all says, "They might rebuild their cities. But I will destroy them. They will be called The Evil Land. My anger will always remain on them. + You will see it with your own eyes. You will say, 'The Lord is great! He rules even beyond the borders of Israel!' + "A son honors his father. A servant honors his master. If I am a father, where is the honor I should have? If I am a master, where is the respect you should give me?" says the Lord who rules over all. "You priests look down on me. "But you ask, 'How have we looked down on you?' + "You put 'unclean' food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we made you "unclean?" ' "You do it by looking down on my altar. + You sacrifice blind animals to me. Isn't that wrong? You sacrifice disabled or sick animals. Isn't that wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the Lord who rules over all. + "Now you dare to ask me to show you my favor! But as long as you give offerings like those, how can I accept you?" says the Lord. + "You might as well shut the temple doors! Then you would not light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you," says the Lord. "I will not accept any of the offerings you bring. + "My name will be great among the nations. They will worship me from where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be brought to me. That is because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord. + "But you treat my name as if it were not holy. You say my altar is 'unclean.' And you look down on its food. + You say, 'What a heavy load our work is!' And you turn your nose up as if you hate working for me," says the Lord who rules over all. "You bring animals that have been hurt. Or you bring disabled or sick animals. Then you dare to offer them to me as sacrifices! Should I accept them from you?" says the Lord. + "Suppose you have a male sheep or goat that does not have any flaws. And you promise to offer it to me. But then you sacrifice an animal that has flaws. When you do that, you cheat me. And anyone who cheats me is under my curse. After all, I am a great king," says the Lord who rules over all. "The other nations have respect for my name. So why don't you respect it? + + + "Now I am giving a warning to you priests. + Listen to it. Honor me with all your heart," says the Lord who rules over all. "If you do not, I will send a curse on you. I will turn your blessings into curses. In fact, I have already done that because you have not honored me with all your heart. + "Because of what you have done, I will punish your children. I will smear the guts from your sacrifices on your faces. And you will be carried off to the dump along with them. + You will know that I have given you a warning. I have warned you so that my covenant with Levi will continue," says the Lord who rules over all. + "My covenant promised Levi life and peace. So I gave them to him. I required him to respect me. And he had great respect for my name. + True teaching came from his mouth. Nothing but the truth came from his lips. He walked with me in peace. He did what was right. He turned many people away from their sins. + "The lips of a priest should guard knowledge. People should look for true teaching from his mouth. After all, he is my messenger. + But you have turned away from the right path. Your teaching has caused many people to trip and fall. You have broken my covenant with Levi," says the Lord who rules over all. + "So I have caused all of the people to hate you. They have lost respect for you. You have not done what I told you to do. Instead, you have favored one person over another in matters of the law." + People of Judah, all of us have one Father. One God created us. So why do we break the covenant the Lord made with our people long ago? We don't even keep our promises to one another. + You have broken your promises. A hateful thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. The Lord loves his temple. But you have polluted it. You men have married women who worship other gods. + May the Lord punish you who do that. It doesn't matter who you are. May the Lord who rules over all cut you off from the tents of Jacob's people. May he remove you even if you bring offerings to him. + Here's something else you do. You flood the Lord's altar with your tears. You sob and cry because he doesn't pay attention to your offerings anymore. He doesn't accept them from your hands with pleasure. + You ask, "Why?" It's because the Lord is holding you accountable. He watches how you treat the wife you married when you were young. You have broken your promise to her. You did it even though she's your partner. You promised to stay married to her. And the Lord was a witness to it. + Hasn't he made the two of you one? Both of you belong to him in body and spirit. And why has he made you one? Because he was looking for godly children. So guard yourself in your spirit. Don't break your promise to the wife you married when you were young. + "I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel. "I hate it when people do anything that harms others," says the Lord who rules over all. So guard yourself in your spirit. And don't break your promises. + You have worn the Lord out by what you keep saying. "How have we worn him out?" you ask. You have done it by saying, "All those who do evil things are good in the Lord's sight. And he is pleased with them." Or you ask, "Is God really fair?" + + + The Lord who rules over all says, "I will send my messenger. He will prepare my way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant will come. He is the one you long for." + But who can live through the day when he comes? Who will be left standing when he appears? He will be like a fire that makes things pure. He will be like soap that makes things clean. + He will act like one who makes silver pure. And he will purify the Levites, just as gold and silver are purified with fire. Then the Lord's people will bring proper offerings. + And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to him. It will be as it was in days and years gone by. + "So I will come and judge you. I will be quick to bring charges against all of you," says the Lord who rules over all. "I will bring charges against you sinful people who do not have any respect for me. That includes those who practice evil magic. It includes those who commit adultery and those who tell lies in court. It includes those who cheat workers out of their pay. It includes those who crush widows. It also includes those who mistreat children whose fathers have died. And it includes those who take away the rights of outsiders in the courts. + "I am the Lord. I do not change. That is why I have not destroyed you members of Jacob's family. + You have turned away from my rules. You have not obeyed them. You have lived that way ever since the days of your people long ago. Return to me. Then I will return to you," says the Lord who rules over all. "But you ask, 'How can we return?' + "Will a man dare to steal from me? But you rob me! "You ask, 'How do we rob you?' "By holding back your offerings. You also steal from me when you do not bring me a tenth of everything you produce. + So you are under my curse. In fact, your whole nation is under it. That is because you are robbing me. + "Bring the entire tenth to the storerooms in my temple. Then there will be plenty of food. Put me to the test," says the Lord. "Then you will see that I will throw open the windows of heaven. I will pour out so many blessings that you will not have enough room for them. + I will keep bugs from eating up your crops. And your grapes will not drop from the vines before they are ripe," says the Lord. + "Then all of the nations will call you blessed. Your land will be delightful," says the Lord who rules over all. + "You have spoken bad things against me," says the Lord. "But you ask, 'What have we spoken against you?' + "You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. What did we gain by obeying his laws? And what did we get by pretending to be sad in front of the Lord? + But now we call proud people blessed. Things go well with those who do what is evil. And God doesn't even punish those who argue with him.' " + Those who had respect for the Lord talked with one another. They cheered each other up. And the Lord heard them. A list of people and what they did was written on a scroll in front of him. It included the names of those who respected the Lord and honored him. + "They will belong to me," says the Lord who rules over all. "They will be my special treasure. I will spare them just as a loving father spares his son who serves him. + Then once again you will see the difference between godly people and sinful people. And you will see the difference between those who serve me and those who do not. + + + "You can be sure the day of the Lord is coming. My anger will burn like a furnace. All those who are proud will be like straw. So will all those who do what is evil. The day that is coming will set them on fire," says the Lord who rules over all. "Not even a root or a branch will be left to them. + "But here is what will happen for you who have respect for me. The sun that brings life will rise. Its rays will bring healing to my people. You will go out and leap like calves that have just been let out of the barn. + "Then you will stomp on sinful people. They will be like ashes under your feet. That will happen on the day I act," says the Lord. + "Remember the law my servant Moses gave you. Remember the rules and laws I gave him at Mount Horeb. They were for the whole nation of Israel. + "I will send you the prophet Elijah. He will come before the day of the Lord arrives. It will be a great and terrifying day. + Elijah will teach parents how to love their children. He will also teach children how to honor their parents. If that does not happen, I will come. And I will put a curse on the land." + + + + + + + This is a record of the family line of Jesus Christ. He is the son of David. He is also the son of Abraham. + Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. + Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. Tamar was their mother. Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. + Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. + Salmon was the father of Boaz. Rahab was Boaz's mother. Boaz was the father of Obed. Ruth was Obed's mother. Obed was the father of Jesse. + And Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon. Solomon's mother had been Uriah's wife. + Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa. + Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah. + Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. + Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah. + And Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers. At that time, the Jewish people were forced to go away to Babylon. + After this, the family line continued. Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. + Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. + Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. + Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. + Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary. And Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called Christ. + So there were 14 generations from Abraham to David. There were 14 from David until the Jewish people were forced to go away to Babylon. And there were 14 from that time to the Christ. + This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary and Joseph had promised to get married. But before they started to live together, it became clear that she was going to have a baby. She became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. + Her husband Joseph was a godly man. He did not want to put her to shame in public. So he planned to divorce her quietly. + But as Joseph was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary home as your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. + She is going to have a son. You must give him the name Jesus. That is because he will save his people from their sins." + All of this took place to bring about what the Lord had said would happen. He had said through the prophet, + "The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel."--(Isaiah 7:14) The name Immanuel means "God with us." + Joseph woke up. He did what the angel of the Lord commanded him to do. He took Mary home as his wife. + But he did not make love to her until after she gave birth to a son. And Joseph gave him the name Jesus. + + + Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea. After Jesus' birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. + They asked, "Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have come to worship him." + When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. + So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ was going to be born. + "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied. "This is what the prophet has written. He said, + " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah. A ruler will come out of you. He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' " --(Micah 5:2) + Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. + He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, "Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship him too." + After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. + When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. + The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and myrrh. + But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road. + When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him." + Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the child and his mother Mary. + They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, "I chose to bring my son out of Egypt."--(Hosea 11:1) + Herod realized that the Wise Men had tricked him. So he became very angry. He gave orders concerning Bethlehem and the area around it. All the boys two years old and under were to be killed. This agreed with the time when the Wise Men had seen the star. + In this way, the words the prophet Jeremiah spoke came true. He had said, + "A voice is heard in Ramah. It's the sound of crying and deep sadness. Rachel is crying over her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are gone." --(Jeremiah 31:15) + After Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. + The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother. Go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead." + So Joseph got up. He took the child and his mother Mary back to the land of Israel. + But then he heard that Archelaus was king of Judea. Archelaus was ruling in place of his father Herod. This made Joseph afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, Joseph went back to the land of Galilee instead. + There he lived in a town called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said about Jesus came true. They had said, "He will be called a Nazarene." + + + In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea. + He said, "Turn away from your sins! The kingdom of heaven is near." + John is the one the prophet Isaiah had spoken about. He had said, "A messenger is calling out in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him.' " --(Isaiah 40:3) + John's clothes were made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. + People went out to him from Jerusalem and all of Judea. They also came from the whole area around the Jordan River. + When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan. + John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them, "You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God's anger? + Produce fruit that shows you have turned away from your sins. + Don't think you can say to yourselves, 'Abraham is our father.' I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. + The ax is already lying at the roots of the trees. All the trees that don't produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire. + "I baptize you with water, calling you to turn away from your sins. But after me, one will come who is more powerful than I am. And I'm not fit to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + His pitchfork is in his hand to clear the straw from his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can't be put out." + Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted to be baptized by John. + But John tried to stop him. He told Jesus, "I need to be baptized by you. So why do you come to me?" + Jesus replied, "Let it be this way for now. It is right for us to do this. It carries out God's holy plan." Then John agreed. + As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. + A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him." + + + The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted him. + After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry. + The tempter came to him. He said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." + Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man doesn't live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "--(Deuteronomy 8:3) + Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. He had him stand on the highest point of the temple. + "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. It is written, " 'The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you. They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone.' " --(Psalm 91:11,12) + Jesus answered him, "It is also written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "--(Deuteronomy 6:16) + Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. + "If you bow down and worship me," he said, "I will give you all of this." + Jesus said to him, "Get away from me, Satan! It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.' "--(Deuteronomy 6:13) + Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of him. + John had been put in prison. When Jesus heard about this, he returned to Galilee. + Jesus left Nazareth. He went to live in the city of Capernaum. It was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. + In that way, what the prophet Isaiah had said came true. He had said, + "Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Galilee, where non?Jewish people live! Land along the Mediterranean Sea! Territory east of the Jordan River! + The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them." --(Isaiah 9:1,2) + From that time on Jesus began to preach. "Turn away from your sins!" he said. "The kingdom of heaven is near." + One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw two brothers. They were Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen. + "Come. Follow me," Jesus said. "I will make you fishers of people." + At once they left their nets and followed him. + Going on from there, he saw two other brothers. They were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. As they were preparing their nets, Jesus called out to them. + Right away they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus. + Jesus went all over Galilee. There he taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of God's kingdom. He healed every illness and sickness the people had. + News about him spread all over Syria. People brought to him all who were ill with different kinds of sicknesses. Some were suffering great pain. Others were controlled by demons. Some were shaking wildly. Others couldn't move at all. And Jesus healed all of them. + Large crowds followed him. Some people came from Galilee, from the area known as the Ten Cities, and from Jerusalem and Judea. Others came from the area across the Jordan River. + + + Jesus saw the crowds. So he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him. + Then he began to teach them. He said, + "Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. + Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted. + Blessed are those who are free of pride. They will be given the earth. + Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right. They will be filled. + Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be shown mercy. + Blessed are those whose hearts are pure. They will see God. + Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called sons of God. + Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. + "Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you because of me. You are also blessed when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. + Be joyful and glad. Your reward in heaven is great. In the same way, people hurt the prophets who lived long ago. + "You are the salt of the earth. But suppose the salt loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything. It will be thrown out. People will walk all over it. + "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can't be hidden. + Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house. + "In the same way, let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven. + "Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed. + "Do not break even one of the least important commandments. And do not teach others to break them. If you do, you will be called the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, practice and teach these commands. Then you will be called important in the kingdom of heaven. + "Here is what I tell you. You must be more godly than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. If you are not, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. + "You have heard what was said to people who lived long ago. They were told, 'Do not commit murder.--(Exodus 20:13) Anyone who murders will be judged for it.' + But here is what I tell you. Do not be angry with your brother. Anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' must stand trial in the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire in hell. + "Suppose you are offering your gift at the altar. And you remember that your brother has something against you. + Leave your gift in front of the altar. First go and make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift. + "Suppose someone has a claim against you and is taking you to court. Settle the matter quickly. Do it while you are still with him on your way. If you don't, he may hand you over to the judge. The judge may hand you over to the officer. And you may be thrown into prison. + What I'm about to tell you is true. You will not get out until you have paid the very last penny! + "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'--(Exodus 20:14) + But here is what I tell you. Do not even look at a woman in the wrong way. Anyone who does has already committed adultery with her in his heart. + "If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. Your eye is only one part of your body. It is better to lose it than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. + "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Your hand is only one part of your body. It is better to lose it than for your whole body to go into hell. + "It has been said, 'Suppose a man divorces his wife. If he does, he must give her a letter of divorce.'--(Deuteronomy 24:1) + But here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who gets married to the divorced woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him. + "Again, you have heard what was said to your people long ago. They were told, 'Do not break the promises you make to the Lord. Keep the oaths you have made to him.' + But here is what I tell you. Do not make any promises like that at all. Do not make them in the name of heaven. That is God's throne. + Do not make them in the name of the earth. That is the stool for God's feet. Do not make them in the name of Jerusalem. That is the city of the Great King. + And do not take an oath in the name of your head. You can't make even one hair white or black. + "Just let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes.' Let your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more than this comes from the evil one. + "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth.'--(Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21) + But here is what I tell you. Do not fight against an evil person. "Suppose someone hits you on your right cheek. Turn your other cheek to him also. + Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let him have your coat also. + Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with him. + "Give to the one who asks you for something. Don't turn away from the one who wants to borrow something from you. + "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor.--(Leviticus 19:18) Hate your enemy.' + But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. + Then you will be sons of your Father who is in heaven. "He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don't. + "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. + If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. + So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. + + + "Be careful not to do 'good works' in front of others. Don't do them to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you. + "When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by others. What I'm about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. + "When you give to the needy, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. + Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you. He sees what you do secretly. + "When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by others. What I'm about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. + "When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can't be seen. He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly. + "When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. + Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him. + "This is how you should pray. " 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. + May your kingdom come. May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven. + Give us today our daily bread. + Forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us. + Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted. Save us from the evil one.' + "Forgive people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. + But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. + "When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I'm about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. + "But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. + Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can't be seen, will know it. He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly. + "Do not put away riches for yourselves on earth. Moths and rust can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. + Instead, put away riches for yourselves in heaven. There, moths and rust do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. + Your heart will be where your riches are. + "The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are good. Then your whole body will be full of light. + But suppose your eyes are bad. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark! + "No one can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one of them and love the other. Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can't serve God and Money at the same time. + "I tell you, do not worry. Don't worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don't worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than eating? Aren't there more important things for the body than clothes? + "Look at the birds of the air. They don't plant or gather crops. They don't put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are? + "Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? + "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don't work or make clothing. + But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. + "If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won't he dress you even better? After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small! + "So don't worry. Don't say, 'What will we eat?' Or, 'What will we drink?' Or, 'What will we wear?' + People who are ungodly run after all of those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. + "But put God's kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you. + "So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. + + + "Do not judge others. Then you will not be judged. + You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others. + "You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend's eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye. + How can you say to your friend, 'Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye'? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye? + "You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend's eye. + "Do not give holy things to dogs. Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they might walk all over them. Then they might turn around and tear you to pieces. + "Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. + Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. The door will be opened to the one who knocks. + "Suppose your son asks for bread. Which of you will give him a stone? + Or suppose he asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake? + Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! + "In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you. This is what is written in the Law and in the Prophets. + "Enter God's kingdom through the narrow gate. The gate is large and the road is wide that lead to death and hell. Many people go that way. + But the gate is small and the road is narrow that lead to life. Only a few people find it. + "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you pretending to be sheep. But on the inside they are hungry wolves. + You can tell what they really are by what they do. "Do people pick grapes from bushes? Do they pick figs from thorns? + In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit. But a bad tree bears bad fruit. + A good tree can't bear bad fruit. And a bad tree can't bear good fruit. + Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down. It is thrown into the fire. + You can tell each tree by its fruit. + "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants will enter. + "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord! Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we drive out demons in your name? Didn't we do many miracles in your name?' + Then I will tell them clearly, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!' + "So then, everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock. + The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. But it does not fall. It is built on the rock. + "But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. + The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash." + Jesus finished saying all these things. The crowds were amazed at his teaching. + He taught like one who had authority. He did not speak like their teachers of the law. + + + Jesus came down from the mountainside. Large crowds followed him. + A man who had a skin disease came and got down on his knees in front of Jesus. He said, "Lord, if you are willing to make me 'clean,' you can do it." + Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing to do it," he said. "Be 'clean'!" Right away the man was healed of his skin disease. + Then Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone. Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the gift Moses commanded. It will be a witness to them." + When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman commander came to him. He asked Jesus for help. + "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home and can't move. He is suffering terribly." + Jesus said, "I will go and heal him." + The commander replied, "Lord, I am not good enough to have you come into my house. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. + I myself am a man under authority. And I have soldiers who obey my orders. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes. I tell that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." + When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those following him, "What I'm about to tell you is true. In Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong. + "I say to you that many will come from the east and the west. They will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. They will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + But those who think they belong to the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness. There they will sob and grind their teeth." + Then Jesus said to the Roman commander, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. + When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother?in?law. She was lying in bed. She had a fever. + Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to wait on him. + When evening came, many people controlled by demons were brought to Jesus. He drove out the spirits with a word. He healed all who were sick. + He did it to make what the prophet Isaiah had said come true. He had said, "He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the sicknesses that should have been ours." --(Isaiah 53:4) + Jesus saw the crowd around him. So he gave his disciples orders to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. + Then a teacher of the law came to him. He said, "Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go." + Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." + Another follower said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." + But Jesus told him, "Follow me. Let the dead bury their own dead." + Jesus got into a boat. His disciples followed him. + Suddenly a terrible storm came up on the lake. The waves crashed over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. + The disciples went and woke him up. They said, "Lord! Save us! We're going to drown!" + He replied, "Your faith is so small! Why are you so afraid?" Then Jesus got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop. It became completely calm. + The disciples were amazed. They asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" + Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the area of the Gadarenes. Two men controlled by demons met him. They came from the tombs. The men were so wild that no one could pass that way. + "Son of God, what do you want with us?" they shouted. "Have you come here to punish us before the time for us to be judged?" + Not very far away, a large herd of pigs was feeding. + The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." + Jesus said to them, "Go!" So the demons came out of the men and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned in the water. + Those who were tending the pigs ran off. They went into the town and reported all this. They told the people what had happened to the men who had been controlled by demons. + Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their area. + + + Jesus stepped into a boat. He went over to the other side of the lake and came to his own town. + Some men brought to him a man who could not walk. He was lying on a mat. Jesus saw that they had faith. So he said to the man, "Don't lose hope, son. Your sins are forgiven." + Then some teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is saying a very evil thing!" + Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, "Why do you have evil thoughts in your hearts? + Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or to say, 'Get up and walk'? + I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he spoke to the man who could not walk. "Get up," he said. "Take your mat and go home." + The man got up and went home. + When the crowd saw this, they were filled with wonder. They praised God for giving that kind of authority to men. + As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him. Matthew got up and followed him. + Later Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house. Many tax collectors and "sinners" came. They ate with Jesus and his disciples. + The Pharisees saw this. So they asked the disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" + Jesus heard that. So he said, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor. Sick people do. + Go and learn what this means, 'I want mercy and not sacrifice.'--(Hosea 6:6) I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me." + One day John's disciples came. They said to Jesus, "We and the Pharisees go without eating. Why don't your disciples go without eating?" + Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the groom be sad while he is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast. + "People don't sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. The new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse. + "People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst. The wine will run out, and the wineskins will be destroyed. No, everyone pours new wine into new wineskins. Then both are saved." + While Jesus was saying this, a ruler came. He got down on his knees in front of Jesus. He said, "My daughter has just died. But come and place your hand on her. Then she will live again." + Jesus got up and went with him. So did his disciples. + Just then a woman came up behind Jesus. She had a sickness that made her bleed. It had lasted for 12 years. She touched the edge of his clothes. + She thought, "I only need to touch his clothes. Then I will be healed." + Jesus turned and saw her. "Dear woman, don't give up hope," he said. "Your faith has healed you." The woman was healed at that very moment. + When Jesus entered the ruler's house, he saw the flute players there. And he saw the noisy crowd. + He said, "Go away. The girl is not dead. She is sleeping." But they laughed at him. + After the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in. He took the girl by the hand, and she got up. + News about what Jesus had done spread all over that area. + As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him. They called out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" + When Jesus went indoors, the blind men came to him. He asked them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. + Then he touched their eyes. He said, "It will happen to you just as you believed." + They could now see again. Jesus strongly warned them, "Be sure that no one knows about this." + But they went out and spread the news. They talked about him all over that area. + While they were going out, another man was brought to Jesus. A demon controlled him, and he could not speak. + When the demon was driven out, the man spoke. The crowd was amazed. They said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." + But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the power of the prince of demons." + Jesus went through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues. He preached the good news of the kingdom. And he healed every illness and sickness. + When he saw the crowds, he felt deep concern for them. They were beaten down and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. + Then Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is huge. But there are only a few workers. + So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest field." + + + Jesus called for his 12 disciples to come to him. He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every illness and sickness. + Here are the names of the 12 apostles. First are Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. Then come James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. + Next are Philip and Bartholomew, and also Thomas and Matthew the tax collector. Two more are James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus. + The last are Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Judas is the one who was later going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. + Jesus sent these 12 out with the following orders. "Do not go among those who aren't Jews," he said. "Do not enter any town of the Samaritans. + Instead, go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that have become lost. + As you go, preach this message, 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' + Heal those who are sick. Bring those who are dead back to life. Make those who have skin diseases 'clean' again. Drive out demons. You have received freely, so give freely. + "Do not take along any gold, silver or copper in your belts. + Do not take a bag for the journey. Do not take extra clothes or sandals or walking sticks. A worker should be given what he needs. + "When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is willing to welcome you. Stay at that person's house until you leave. + As you enter the home, greet those who live there. + If that home welcomes you, give it your blessing of peace. If it does not, don't bless it. + "Some people may not welcome you or listen to your words. If they don't, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. + What I'm about to tell you is true. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. + "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as harmless as doves. + "Watch out! Men will hand you over to the local courts. They will whip you in their synagogues. + You will be brought to governors and kings because of me. You will be witnesses to them and to those who aren't Jews. + "But when they arrest you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the right words to say. + It will not be you speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you. + "Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. + Everyone will hate you because of me. But anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved. + "When people attack you in one place, escape to another. What I'm about to tell you is true. You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. + "A student is not better than his teacher. A servant is not better than his master. + It is enough for the student to be like his teacher. And it is enough for the servant to be like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, what can the others who live there expect? + "So don't be afraid of your enemies. Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. + What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight. What is whispered in your ear, shout from the rooftops. + Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. + "Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing it. + He even counts every hair on your head! + So don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. + "What about someone who says in front of others that he knows me? I will also say in front of my Father who is in heaven that I know him. + But what about someone who says in front of others that he doesn't know me? I will say in front of my Father who is in heaven that I don't know him. + "Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I didn't come to bring peace. I came to bring a sword. + I have come to turn " 'sons against their fathers. Daughters will refuse to obey their mothers. Daughters?in?law will be against their mothers?in?law. + A man's enemies will be the members of his own family.' --(Micah 7:6) + "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. + And anyone who does not pick up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. + If anyone finds his life, he will lose it. If anyone loses his life because of me, he will find it. + "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me. + Suppose someone welcomes a prophet as a prophet. That one will receive a prophet's reward. And suppose someone welcomes a godly person as a godly person. That one will receive a godly person's reward. + Suppose someone gives even a cup of cold water to a little one who follows me. What I'm about to tell you is true. That one will certainly be rewarded." + + + Jesus finished teaching his 12 disciples. Then he went on to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. + John was in prison. When he heard what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to him. + They asked Jesus, "Are you the one who was supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?" + Jesus replied, "Go back to John. Report to him what you hear and see. + Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are healed. Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is preached to those who are poor. + Blessed are those who do not give up their faith because of me." + As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. He said, "What did you go out into the desert to see? Tall grass waving in the wind? + If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. People who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. + Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. + He is the one written about in Scripture. It says, " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way for you.' --(Malachi 3:1) + "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one more important than John the Baptist has ever been born. But the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is more important than he is. + Since the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven has been advancing with force. And forceful people are taking hold of it. + All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John came. + If you are willing to accept it, John is the Elijah who was supposed to come. + Those who have ears should listen. + "What can I compare today's people to? They are like children sitting in the market places and calling out to others. They say, + " 'We played the flute for you. But you didn't dance. We sang a funeral song. But you didn't become sad.' + When John came, he didn't eat or drink as you do. And people say, 'He has a demon.' + But when the Son of Man came, he ate and drank as you do. And people say, 'This fellow is always eating and drinking far too much. He's a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' Those who act wisely prove that wisdom is right." + Jesus began to speak against the cities where he had done most of his miracles. The people there had not turned away from their sins. So he said, + "How terrible it will be for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! Suppose the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon. They would have turned away from their sins long ago. They would have put on black clothes. They would have sat down in ashes. + But I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Tyre and Sidon than for you. + "And what about you, Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will go down to the place of the dead. Suppose the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom. It would still be here today. + But I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom than for you." + At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father. You are Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from the wise and educated. But you have shown them to little children. + Yes, Father. This is what you wanted. + "My Father has given all things to me. The Father is the only one who knows the Son. And the only ones who know the Father are the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to make him known. + "Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. + Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls. + Serving me is easy, and my load is light." + + + One Sabbath day Jesus walked through the grainfields. His disciples were hungry. So they began to break off some heads of grain and eat them. + The Pharisees saw this. They said to Jesus, "Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. But your disciples are doing it anyway!" + Jesus answered, "Haven't you read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. + So he entered the house of God. He and his men ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. + Haven't you read the Law? It tells how every Sabbath day the priests in the temple have to do their work on that day. But they are not considered guilty. + "I tell you that one who is more important than the temple is here. + Scripture says, 'I want mercy and not sacrifice.'--(Hosea 6:6) You don't know what those words mean. If you did, you would not bring charges against those who are not guilty. + The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day." + Going on from that place, Jesus went into their synagogue. + A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. The Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. So they asked him, "Does the Law allow us to heal on the Sabbath day?" + He said to them, "What if one of your sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath? Won't you take hold of it and lift it out? + A man is worth more than sheep! So the Law allows us to do good on the Sabbath day." + Then Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out. It was as good as new, just as good as the other hand. + But the Pharisees went out and planned how to kill Jesus. + Jesus knew all about the Pharisees' plans. So he left that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick people. + But he warned them not to tell who he was. + This was to make what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah come true. It says, + "Here is my servant. I have chosen him. He is the one I love. I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him. He will announce to the nations that everything will be made right. + He will not argue or cry out. No one will hear his voice in the streets. + He will not break a bent twig. He will not put out a dimly burning flame. He will make everything right. + The nations will put their hope in him." --(Isaiah 42:1?4) + A man controlled by demons was brought to Jesus. The man was blind and could not speak. Jesus healed him. Then the man could speak and see. + All the people were amazed. They said, "Could this be the Son of David?" + The Pharisees heard this. So they said, "This fellow drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons." + Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "Every kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. Every city or family that is divided against itself will not stand. + If Satan drives out Satan, he fights against himself. Then how can his kingdom stand? + You say I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Then by whose power do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. + But suppose I drive out demons by the Spirit of God. Then God's kingdom has come to you. + "Or think about this. How can you enter a strong man's house and just take what the man owns? You must first tie him up. Then you can rob his house. + "Anyone who is not with me is against me. Anyone who does not gather sheep with me scatters them. + So here is what I tell you. Every sin and every evil word spoken against God will be forgiven. But speaking evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. + Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. A person like that won't be forgiven either now or in days to come. + "If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good. If you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell a tree by its fruit. + "You nest of poisonous snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? Your mouths say everything that is in your hearts. + A good man says good things. These come from the good that is put away inside him. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is put away inside him. + But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, people will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. + By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty." + Some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law came to Jesus. They said, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." + He answered, "Evil and unfaithful people ask for a miraculous sign! But none will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. + Jonah was in the stomach of a huge fish for three days and three nights. Something like that will happen to the Son of Man. He will spend three days and three nights in the grave. + "The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that those people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now one who is more important than Jonah is here. + "The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon's wisdom. And now one who is more important than Solomon is here. + "What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a man? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn't find it. + Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives there, it finds the house empty. The house has been swept clean and put in order. + Then the evil spirit goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That man is worse off than before. That is how it will be with the evil people of today." + While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside. They wanted to speak to him. + Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to speak to you." + Jesus replied to him, "Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?" + Jesus pointed to his disciples. He said, "Here is my mother! Here are my brothers! + Anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother or sister or mother." + + + That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. + Large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it. All the people stood on the shore. + Then he told them many things by using stories. He said, "A farmer went out to plant his seed. + He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. + Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn't much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn't deep. + When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. + Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. + Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. + Those who have ears should listen." + The disciples came to him. They asked, "Why do you use stories when you speak to the people?" + He replied, "You have been given the chance to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. It has not been given to outsiders. + Everyone who has that kind of knowledge will be given more. In fact, they will have very much. If anyone doesn't have that kind of knowledge, even what little he has will be taken away from him. + Here is why I use stories when I speak to the people. I say, "They look, but they don't really see. They listen, but they don't really hear or understand. + "In them the words of the prophet Isaiah come true. He said, " 'You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing. + The hearts of these people have become stubborn. They can barely hear with their ears. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. They might turn to the Lord, and then he would heal them.' --(Isaiah 6:9,10) + "But blessed are your eyes because they see. And blessed are your ears because they hear. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Many prophets and godly people wanted to see what you see. But they didn't see it. They wanted to hear what you hear. But they didn't hear it. + "Listen! Here is the meaning of the story of the farmer. + People hear the message about the kingdom but do not understand it. Then the evil one comes. He steals what was planted in their hearts. Those people are like the seed planted on a path. + Others received the seed that fell on rocky places. They are those who hear the message and at once receive it with joy. + But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. + Others received the seed that fell among the thorns. They are those who hear the message. But then the worries of this life and the false promises of wealth crowd it out. They keep it from producing fruit. + But still others received the seed that fell on good soil. They are those who hear the message and understand it. They produce a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than the farmer planted." + Jesus told the crowd another story. "Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like," he said. "A man planted good seed in his field. + But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came. The enemy planted weeds among the wheat and then went away. + The wheat began to grow and form grain. At the same time, weeds appeared. + "The owner's servants came to him. They said, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?' + " 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull the weeds up?' + " 'No,' the owner answered. 'While you are pulling up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat with them. + Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the workers what to do. Here is what I will say to them. First collect the weeds. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat. Bring it into my storeroom.' " + Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. + It is the smallest of all your seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches." + Jesus told them still another story. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast," he said. "A woman mixed it into a large amount of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough." + Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd by using stories. He did not say anything to them without telling a story. + So the words spoken by the prophet came true. He had said, "I will open my mouth and tell stories. I will speak about things that were hidden since the world was made." --(Psalm 78:2) + Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, "Explain to us the story of the weeds in the field." + He answered, "The one who planted the good seed is the Son of Man. + The field is the world. The good seed stands for the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. + The enemy who plants them is the devil. The harvest is judgment day. And the workers are angels. + "The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. That is how it will be on judgment day. + The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin. They will also get rid of all who do evil. + They will throw them into the blazing furnace. There people will sob and grind their teeth. + Then God's people will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Those who have ears should listen. + "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. He was very happy. So he went and sold everything he had. And he bought that field. + "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. + He found one that was very valuable. So he went away and sold everything he had. And he bought that pearl. + "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. It was let down into the lake. It caught all kinds of fish. + When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and gathered the good fish into baskets. But they threw the bad fish away. + This is how it will be on judgment day. The angels will come. They will separate the people who did what is wrong from those who did what is right. + They will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. There the evil ones will sob and grind their teeth. + "Do you understand all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. + He said to them, "Every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings new treasures out of his storeroom as well as old ones." + Jesus finished telling these stories. Then he moved on from there. + He came to his hometown of Nazareth. There he began teaching the people in their synagogue. They were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom? Where did he get this power to do miracles?" they asked. + "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary? Aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? + Aren't all his sisters with us? Then where did this man get all these things?" + They were not pleased with him at all. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not honored in his hometown. He doesn't receive any honor in his own home." + He did only a few miracles there because they had no faith. + + + At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee and Perea, heard reports about Jesus. + He said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead! That is why he has the power to do miracles." + Herod had arrested John. He had tied him up and put him in prison because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod's brother Philip. + John had been saying to Herod, "It is against the Law for you to have her." + Herod wanted to kill John. But he was afraid of the people, because they thought John was a prophet. + On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased Herod very much. + So he promised with an oath to give her anything she asked for. + Her mother told her what to say. So the girl said to Herod, "Give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate." + The king was very upset. But he thought of his promise and his dinner guests. So he told one of his men to give her what she asked for. + Herod had John's head cut off in the prison. + His head was brought in on a big plate and given to the girl. She then carried it to her mother. + John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. + Jesus heard what had happened to John. He wanted to be alone. So he went in a boat to a quiet place. The crowds heard about this. They followed him on foot from the towns. + When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. He healed their sick people. + When it was almost evening, the disciples came to him. "There is nothing here," they said. "It's already getting late. Send the crowds away. They can go and buy some food in the villages." + Jesus replied, "They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat." + "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. + "Bring them here to me," he said. + Then Jesus directed the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the people. + All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces. + The number of men who ate was about 5,000. Women and children also ate. + Right away Jesus made the disciples get into the boat. He had them go on ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Then he sent the crowd away. + After he had sent them away, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. + The boat was already a long way from land. It was being pounded by the waves because the wind was blowing against it. + Early in the morning, Jesus went out to the disciples. He walked on the lake. + They saw him walking on the lake and were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said. And they cried out in fear. + Right away Jesus called out to them, "Be brave! It is I. Don't be afraid." + "Lord, is it you?" Peter asked. "If it is, tell me to come to you on the water." + "Come," Jesus said. So Peter got out of the boat. He walked on the water toward Jesus. + But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid. He began to sink. He cried out, "Lord! Save me!" + Right away Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "Your faith is so small!" he said. "Why did you doubt me?" + When they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. + Then those in the boat worshiped Jesus. They said, "You really are the Son of God!" + They crossed over the lake and landed at Gennesaret. + The men who lived there recognized Jesus. So they sent a message all over the nearby countryside. People brought all their sick to Jesus. + They begged him to let those who were sick just touch the edge of his clothes. And all who touched him were healed. + + + Some Pharisees and some teachers of the law came from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked, + "Why don't your disciples obey what the elders teach? Your disciples don't wash their hands before they eat!" + Jesus replied, "And why don't you obey God's command? You would rather follow your own teachings! + God said, 'Honor your father and mother.'--(Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) He also said, 'If anyone calls down a curse on his father or mother, he will be put to death.'--(Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9) + But you allow people to say to their parents, 'Any help you might have received from us is a gift set apart for God.' + So they do not need to honor their parents with their gift. You make the word of God useless in order to follow your own teachings. + "You pretenders! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you. He said, + " 'These people honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. + Their worship doesn't mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules.' " --(Isaiah 29:13) + Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, "Listen and understand. + What goes into your mouth does not make you 'unclean.' It's what comes out of your mouth that makes you 'unclean.' " + Then the disciples came to him. They asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were angry when they heard this?" + Jesus replied, "There are plants that my Father in heaven has not planted. They will be pulled up by the roots. + Leave them. The Pharisees are blind guides. If a blind person leads another who is blind, both of them will fall into a pit." + Peter said, "Explain this to us." + "Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked them. + "Don't you see? Everything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body. + But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart. Those are the things that make you 'unclean.' + Evil thoughts come out of the heart. So do murder, adultery, and other sexual sins. And so do stealing, false witness, and telling lies about others. + Those are the things that make you 'unclean.' But eating without washing your hands does not make you 'unclean.' " + Jesus left Galilee and went to the area of Tyre and Sidon. + A woman from Canaan lived near Tyre and Sidon. She came to him and cried out, "Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on me! A demon controls my daughter. She is suffering terribly." + Jesus did not say a word. So his disciples came to him. They begged him, "Send her away. She keeps crying out after us." + Jesus answered, "I was sent only to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep." + Then the woman fell to her knees in front of him. "Lord! Help me!" she said. + He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to their dogs." + "Yes, Lord," she said. "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their owners' table." + Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! You will be given what you are asking for." And her daughter was healed at that very moment. + Jesus left there. He walked along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. + Large crowds came to him. They brought blind people and those who could not walk. They also brought disabled people, those who could not speak, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he healed them. + The people were amazed. Those who could not speak were speaking. The disabled were made well. Those not able to walk were walking. Those who were blind could see. So the people praised the God of Israel. + Then Jesus called for his disciples to come to him. He said, "I feel deep concern for these people. They have already been with me three days. They don't have anything to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry. If I do, they will become too weak on their way home." + His disciples answered him. "There is nothing here," they said. "Where could we get enough bread to feed this large crowd?" + "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish." + Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. + He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. Then he broke them and gave them to the disciples. And the disciples passed them out to the people. + All of them ate and were satisfied. After that, the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftover pieces. + The number of men who ate was 4,000. Women and children also ate. + After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat. He went to the area near Magadan. + + + The Pharisees and Sadducees came to put Jesus to the test. They asked him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven. + He replied, "In the evening you look at the sky. You say, 'It will be good weather. The sky is red.' + And in the morning you say, 'Today it will be stormy. The sky is red and cloudy.' You know the meaning of what you see in the sky. But you can't understand the signs of what is happening right now. + An evil and unfaithful people look for a miraculous sign. But none will be given to them except the sign of Jonah." Then Jesus left them and went away. + The disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake. They had forgotten to take bread. + "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + The disciples talked about this among themselves. They said, "He must be saying this because we didn't bring any bread." + Jesus knew what they were saying. So he said, "Your faith is so small! Why are you talking to each other about having no bread? + Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000? Don't you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? + Don't you remember the seven loaves for the 4,000? Don't you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? + How can you possibly not understand? I wasn't talking to you about bread. But watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + Then the disciples understood that Jesus was not telling them to watch out for the yeast used in bread. He was warning them against what the Pharisees and Sadducees taught. + Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. There he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" + They replied, "Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." + "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" + Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ. You are the Son of the living God." + Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! No mere man showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. + Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it. + I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven." + Then Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. + From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples what would happen to him. He told them he must go to Jerusalem. There he must suffer many things from the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. He must be killed and on the third day rise to life again. + Peter took Jesus to one side and began to scold him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This will never happen to you!" + Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are standing in my way. You do not have in mind the things of God. Instead, you are thinking about human things." + Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross and follow me. + If he wants to save his life, he will lose it. But if he loses his life for me, he will find it. + "What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses his soul? Or what can anyone trade for his soul? + The Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory. His angels will come with him. And he will reward everyone in keeping with what they have done. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." + + + After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of James with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. + There in front of them his appearance was changed. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became as white as the light. + Just then Moses and Elijah appeared in front of them. Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus. + Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud surrounded them. A voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!" + When the disciples heard this, they were terrified. They fell with their faces to the ground. + But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." + When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. + They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus told them what to do. "Don't tell anyone what you have seen," he said. "Wait until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." + The disciples asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?" + Jesus replied, "That's right. Elijah is supposed to come and make all things new again. + But I tell you, Elijah has already come. People didn't recognize him. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. In the same way, they are going to make the Son of Man suffer." + Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking to them about John the Baptist. + When they came near the crowd, a man approached Jesus. He got on his knees in front of him. + "Lord," he said, "have mercy on my son. He shakes wildly and suffers a great deal. He often falls into the fire or into the water. + I brought him to your disciples. But they couldn't heal him." + "You unbelieving and evil people!" Jesus replied. "How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." + Jesus ordered the demon to leave the boy, and it came out of him. He was healed at that very moment. + Then the disciples came to Jesus in private. They asked, "Why couldn't we drive out the demon?" + He replied, "Because your faith is much too small. What I'm about to tell you is true. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, it is enough. You can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there.' And it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." + *** + They came together in Galilee. Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. + They will kill him. On the third day he will rise from the dead." Then the disciples were filled with deep sadness. + Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum. There the tax collectors came to Peter. They asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" + "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke first. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "Who do the kings of the earth collect taxes and fees from? Do they collect from their own sons or from others?" + "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons don't have to pay," Jesus said to him. + "But we don't want to make them angry. So go to the lake and throw out your fishing line. Take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth. There you will find the exact coin you need. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." + + + At that time the disciples came to Jesus. They asked him, "Who is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?" + Jesus called a little child over to him. He had the child stand among them. + Jesus said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don't, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. + Anyone who becomes as free of pride as this child is the most important in the kingdom of heaven. + "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. + "But what if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If he does, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and be drowned at the bottom of the sea. + "How terrible it will be for the world because of the things that lead people to sin! Things like that must come. But how terrible for those who cause them! + "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one hand or one foot than to go into hell with two hands and two feet. In hell the fire burns forever. + If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. + "See that you don't look down on one of these little ones. Here is what I tell you. Their angels in heaven can go at any time to see my Father who is in heaven. + *** + "What do you think? Suppose a man owns 100 sheep and one of them wanders away. Won't he leave the 99 sheep on the hills? Won't he go and look for the one that wandered off? + What I'm about to tell you is true. If he finds that sheep, he is happier about the one than about the 99 that didn't wander off. + It is the same with your Father in heaven. He does not want any of these little ones to be lost. + "If your brother sins against you, go to him. Tell him what he did wrong. Keep it between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won him back. + "But what if he won't listen to you? Then take one or two others with you. Scripture says, 'Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.'--(Deuteronomy 19:15) + But what if he also refuses to listen to the witnesses? Then tell it to the church. And what if he refuses to listen even to the church? Then don't treat him as your brother. Treat him as you would treat an ungodly person or a tax collector. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven. + "Again, here is what I tell you. Suppose two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for. My Father in heaven will do it for you. + Where two or three people meet together in my name, I am there with them." + Peter came to Jesus. He asked, "Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" + Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times. + "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. + As the king began to do it, a man who owed him millions of dollars was brought to him. + The man was not able to pay. So his master gave an order. The man, his wife, his children, and all he owned had to be sold to pay back what he owed. + "The servant fell on his knees in front of him. 'Give me time,' he begged. 'I'll pay everything back.' + "His master felt sorry for him. He forgave him what he owed and let him go. + "But then that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he said. + "The other servant fell on his knees. 'Give me time,' he begged him. 'I'll pay you back.' + "But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison. The man would be held there until he could pay back what he owed. + The other servants saw what had happened. It troubled them greatly. They went and told their master everything that had happened. + "Then the master called the first servant in. 'You evil servant,' he said. 'I forgave all that you owed me because you begged me to. + Shouldn't you have had mercy on the other servant just as I had mercy on you?' + In anger his master turned him over to the jailers. He would be punished until he paid back everything he owed. + "This is how my Father in heaven will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." + + + When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee. He went into the area of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. + Large crowds followed him. He healed them there. + Some Pharisees came to put him to the test. They asked, "Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" + Jesus replied, "Haven't you read that in the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female'?--(Genesis 1:27) + He said, 'That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.'--(Genesis 2:24) + They are no longer two, but one. So a man must not separate what God has joined together." + They asked, "Then why did Moses command that a man can give his wife a letter of divorce and send her away?" + Jesus replied, "Moses let you divorce your wives because you were stubborn. But it was not this way from the beginning. + Here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife and gets married to another woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him." + The disciples said to him, "If that's the way it is between a husband and wife, it is better not to get married." + Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept the idea of staying single. Only those who have been helped to live without getting married can accept it. + Some men are not able to have children because they were born that way. Some have been made that way by other people. Others have made themselves that way in order to serve the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept living that way should do it." + Some people brought little children to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on the children and pray for them. But the disciples told the people to stop. + Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. Don't keep them away. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them." + Jesus placed his hands on them. Then he went on from there. + A man came up to Jesus. He asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to receive eternal life?" + "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter the kingdom, obey the commandments." + "Which ones?" the man asked. Jesus said, " 'Do not commit murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false witness. + Honor your father and mother.'--(Exodus 20:12?16; Deuteronomy 5:16?20) And 'love your neighbor as you love yourself.' "--(Leviticus 19:18) + "I have obeyed all those commandments," the young man said. "What else do I need to do?" + Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." + When the young man heard this, he went away sad. He was very rich. + Then Jesus said to his disciples, "What I'm about to tell you is true. It is hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven. + Again I tell you, it is hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But it is even harder for the rich to enter God's kingdom." + When the disciples heard this, they were really amazed. They asked, "Then who can be saved?" + Jesus looked at them and said, "With man, that is impossible. But with God, all things are possible." + Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What reward will be given to us?" + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus said to them. "When all things are made new, the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne. Then you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones. You will judge the 12 tribes of Israel. + Everyone who has left houses or families or fields because of me will receive 100 times as much. They will also receive eternal life. + But many who are first will be last. And many who are last will be first. + + + "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire people to work in his vineyard. + He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day's work. Then he sent them into his vineyard. + "About nine o'clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market place doing nothing. + He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard. I'll pay you what is right.' + So they went. "He went out again about noon and at three o'clock and did the same thing. + About five o'clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' + " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' + "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, 'Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.' + "The workers who were hired about five o'clock came. Each received the usual day's pay. + So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day's pay. + "When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. + 'These people who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said. 'You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.' + "The owner answered one of them. 'Friend,' he said, 'I'm being fair to you. Didn't you agree to work for the usual day's pay? + Take your money and go. I want to give the ones I hired last the same pay I gave you. + Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?' + "So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last." + Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the 12 disciples to one side to talk to them. + "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said. "The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. + Then they will turn him over to people who are not Jews. The people will make fun of him and whip him. They will nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!" + The mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus. Her sons came with her. Getting on her knees, she asked a favor of him. + "What do you want?" Jesus asked. She said, "Promise me that one of my two sons may sit at your right hand in your kingdom. Promise that the other one may sit at your left hand." + "You don't know what you're asking for," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. + Jesus said to them, "You will certainly drink from my cup. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those my Father has prepared them for." + The other ten disciples heard about this. They became angry at the two brothers. + Jesus called them together. He said, "You know about the rulers of the nations. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. + Don't be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. + And anyone who wants to be first must be your slave. + "Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free." + Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. A large crowd followed him. + Two blind men were sitting by the side of the road. They heard that Jesus was going by. So they shouted, "Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!" + The crowd commanded them to stop. They told them to be quiet. But the two men shouted even louder, "Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!" + Jesus stopped and called out to them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. + "Lord," they answered, "we want to be able to see." + Jesus felt deep concern for them. He touched their eyes. Right away they could see. And they followed him. + + + As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples. + He said to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. + If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away." + This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says, + "Say to the city of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey. He is riding on a donkey's colt.' " --(Zechariah 9:9) + The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do. + They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them. Then Jesus sat on the coats. + A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. + Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" --(Psalm 118:26) "Hosanna in the highest heaven!" + When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, "Who is this?" + The crowds answered, "This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." + Jesus entered the temple area. He began chasing out all those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. + He said to them, "It is written that the Lord said, 'My house will be called a house where people can pray.'--(Isaiah 56:7) But you are making it a 'den for robbers.' "--(Jeremiah 7:11) + Blind people and those who were disabled came to Jesus at the temple. There he healed them. + The chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did. They also saw the children in the temple area shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" But when they saw all of this, they became angry. + "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus. "Haven't you ever read about it in Scripture? It says, " 'You have made sure that children and infants praise you.' " --(Psalm 8:2) + Then Jesus left the people and went out of the city to Bethany. He spent the night there. + Early in the morning, Jesus was on his way back to Jerusalem. He was hungry. + He saw a fig tree by the road. He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Right away the tree dried up. + When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?" they asked. + Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, 'Go and throw yourself into the sea.' It will be done. + If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray." + Jesus entered the temple courtyard. While he was teaching there, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "Who gave you this authority?" + Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. + Where did John's baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from men?" They talked to each other about it. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' + But what if we say, 'From men'? We are afraid of the people. Everyone believes that John was a prophet." + So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things either. + "What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' + " 'I will not,' the son answered. But later he changed his mind and went. + "Then the father went to the other son. He said the same thing. The son answered, 'I will, sir.' But he did not go. + "Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you. + John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him. + "Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went away on a journey. + When harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the renters. He told the servants to collect his share of the fruit. + "But the renters grabbed his servants. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him. + Then the man sent other servants to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way. + "Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. + "But the renters saw the son coming. They said to each other, 'This is the one who will receive all the owner's property someday. Come, let's kill him. Then everything will be ours.' + So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him. + "When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those renters?" + "He will destroy those evil people," they replied. "Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." + Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read what the Scriptures say, " 'The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all. The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes'? --(Psalm 118:22,23) + "So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit. + Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on." + The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' stories. They knew he was talking about them. + So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet. + + + Jesus told them more stories. He said, + "Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son. + He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the dinner. The servants told them to come. But they refused. + "Then he sent some more servants. He said, 'Tell those who were invited that I have prepared my dinner. I have killed my oxen and my fattest cattle. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding dinner.' + "But the people paid no attention. One went away to his field. Another went away to his business. + The rest grabbed his servants. They treated them badly and then killed them. + "The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city. + "Then the king said to his servants, 'The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come. + Go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.' + So the servants went out into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad. Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests. + "The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. + 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man couldn't think of anything to say. + "Then the king told his servants, 'Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness. Out there people will sob and grind their teeth.' + "Many are invited, but few are chosen." + The Pharisees went out. They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words. + They sent their followers to him. They sent the Herodians with them. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of honor. You teach the way of God truthfully. You don't let others tell you what to do or say. You don't care how important they are. + Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + But Jesus knew their evil plans. He said, "You pretenders! Why are you trying to trap me? + Show me the coin people use for paying the tax." They brought him a silver coin. + He asked them, "Whose picture is this? And whose words?" + "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God." + When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. + That same day the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead. + "Teacher," they said, "here is what Moses told us. If a man dies without having children, his brother must get married to the widow. He must have children to carry on his brother's name. + There were seven brothers among us. The first one got married and died. Since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. + The same thing happened to the second and third brothers. It happened right on down to the seventh brother. + Finally, the woman died. + Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her." + Jesus replied, "You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God. + When the dead rise, they won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven. + "What about the dead rising? Haven't you read what God said to you? + He said, 'I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.'--(Exodus 3:6) He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living." + When the crowds heard this, they were amazed by what he taught. + The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren't able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together. + One of them was an authority on the law. So he tested Jesus with a question. + "Teacher," he asked, "which is the most important commandment in the Law?" + Jesus replied, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.'--(Deuteronomy 6:5) + This is the first and most important commandment. + And the second is like it. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'--(Leviticus 19:18) + Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments." + The Pharisees were gathered together. Jesus asked them, + "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. + He said to them, "Then why does David call him 'Lord'? The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said, + " 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control." ' --(Psalm 110:1) + So if David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be David's son?" + No one could answer him with a single word. From that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions. + + + Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. + "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat," he said. + "So you must obey them. Do everything they tell you. But don't do what they do. They don't practice what they preach. + They tie up heavy loads and put them on other people's shoulders. But they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger to move them. + "Everything they do is done for others to see. On their foreheads and arms they wear little boxes that hold Scripture verses. They make the boxes very wide. And they make the tassels on their coats very long. + "They love to sit down in the place of honor at dinners. They also love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. + They love to be greeted in the market places. They love it when people call them 'Rabbi.' + "But you shouldn't be called 'Rabbi.' You have only one Master, and you are all brothers. + Do not call anyone on earth 'father.' You have one Father, and he is in heaven. + You shouldn't be called 'teacher.' You have one Teacher, and he is the Christ. + The most important person among you will be your servant. + Anyone who lifts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who is brought down will be lifted up. + "How terrible it will be for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter. And you will not let those enter who are trying to. + *** + "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You travel everywhere to win one person to your faith. Then you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. + "How terrible for you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone takes an oath in the name of the temple, it means nothing. But anyone who takes an oath in the name of the gold of the temple must keep the oath.' + You are blind and foolish! Which is more important? Is it the gold? Or is it the temple that makes the gold holy? + "You also say, 'If anyone takes an oath in the name of the altar, it means nothing. But anyone who takes an oath in the name of the gift on it must keep the oath.' + You blind men! Which is more important? Is it the gift? Or is it the altar that makes the gift holy? + "So anyone who takes an oath in the name of the altar takes an oath in the name of it and of everything on it. + And anyone who takes an oath in the name of the temple takes an oath in the name of it and of the One who lives in it. + And anyone who takes an oath in the name of heaven takes an oath in the name of God's throne and of the One who sits on it. + "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You give God a tenth of your spices, like mint, dill and cummin. But you have not practiced the more important things of the law, like fairness, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first. + You blind guides! You remove the smallest insect from your food. But you swallow a whole camel! + "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You clean the outside of the cup and dish. But on the inside you are full of greed. You only want to satisfy yourselves. + Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish. Then the outside will also be clean. + "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white. They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure and clean. + It is the same with you. On the outside you seem to be doing what is right. But on the inside you are full of what is wrong. You pretend to be what you are not. + "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You build tombs for the prophets. You decorate the graves of the godly. + And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of those who lived before us, we wouldn't have done what they did. We wouldn't have helped to kill the prophets.' + So you give witness against yourselves. You admit that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets. + So finish the sins that those who lived before you started! + "You nest of poisonous snakes! How will you escape from being sentenced to hell? + So I am sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. You will kill some of them. You will nail some to a cross. Others you will whip in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town. + "So you will pay for all the godly people's blood spilled on earth. I mean from the blood of godly Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. Zechariah was the one you murdered between the temple and the altar. + What I'm about to tell you is true. All this will happen to those who are now living. + "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not let me! + Look, your house is left empty. + I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "--(Psalm 118:26) + + + Jesus left the temple. He was walking away when his disciples came up to him. They wanted to call his attention to the temple buildings. + "Do you see all these things?" Jesus asked. "What I'm about to tell you is true. Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down." + Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives. There the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us," they said. "When will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming? What will be the sign of the end?" + Jesus answered, "Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. + Many will come in my name. They will claim, 'I am the Christ!' They will fool many people. + "You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don't be alarmed. Those things must happen. But the end still isn't here. + Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. People will go hungry. There will be earthquakes in many places. + All these are the beginning of birth pains. + "Then people will hand you over to be treated badly and killed. All nations will hate you because of me. + At that time, many will turn away from their faith. They will hate each other. They will hand each other over to their enemies. + Many false prophets will appear. They will fool many people. + Because evil will grow, most people's love will grow cold. + But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. + This good news of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world. It will be a witness to all nations. Then the end will come. + "The prophet Daniel spoke about 'the hated thing that destroys.'--(Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) Someday you will see it standing in the holy place. The reader should understand this. + Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. + No one on the roof should go down into his house to take anything out. + No one in the field should go back to get his coat. + How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! + Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on the Sabbath day. + There will be terrible suffering in those days. It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now. And there will never be anything like it again. + If the time had not been cut short, no one would live. But because of God's chosen people, it will be shortened. + "At that time someone may say to you, 'Look! Here is the Christ!' Or, 'There he is!' Do not believe it. + False Christs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God's chosen people if possible. + See, I have told you ahead of time. + "So if anyone tells you, 'He is far out in the desert,' do not go out there. Or if anyone says, 'He is deep inside the house,' do not believe it. + Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. + The vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body. + "Right after the terrible suffering of those days, " 'The sun will be darkened. The moon will not shine. The stars will fall from the sky. The heavenly bodies will be shaken.' --(Isaiah 13:10; 34:4) + "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations on earth will be sad. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky. He will come with power and great glory. + He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other. + "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. + In the same way, when you see all those things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. + What I'm about to tell you is true. The people living at that time will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. + Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away. + "No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. + "Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. + "In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark. + They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes. + "Two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the other left. + Two women will be grinding with a hand mill. One will be taken and the other left. + "So keep watch. You do not know on what day your Lord will come. + You must understand something. Suppose the owner of the house knew what time of night the robber was coming. Then he would have kept watch. He would not have let his house be broken into. + So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don't expect him. + "Suppose a master puts one of his servants in charge of the other servants in his house. The servant's job is to give them their food at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise servant for this. + It will be good for the servant if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns. + What I'm about to tell you is true. The master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns. + "But suppose that servant is evil. Suppose he says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time.' + Suppose he begins to beat the other servants. And suppose he eats and drinks with those who drink too much. + The master of that servant will come back on a day the servant doesn't expect him. He will return at an hour the servant does not know. + Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send him to the place where pretenders go. There people will sob and grind their teeth. + + + "Here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like at that time. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. + Five of them were foolish. Five were wise. + The foolish ones took their lamps but didn't take any olive oil with them. + The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. + The groom did not come for a long time. So the bridesmaids all grew tired and fell asleep. + "At midnight someone cried out, 'Here's the groom! Come out to meet him!' + "Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready. + The foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.' + " 'No,' they replied. 'There may not be enough for all of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil. Buy some for yourselves.' + "So they went to buy the oil. But while they were on their way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding dinner. Then the door was shut. + "Later, the other bridesmaids also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' + "But he replied, 'What I'm about to tell you is true. I don't know you.' + "So keep watch. You do not know the day or the hour that the groom will come. + "Again, here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like. A man was going on a journey. He sent for his servants and put them in charge of his property. + He gave $10,000 to one. He gave $4,000 to another. And he gave $2,000 to the third. The man gave each servant the amount of money he knew the servant could take care of. Then he went on his journey. + "The servant who had received the $10,000 went at once and put his money to work. He earned $10,000 more. + The one with the $4,000 earned $4,000 more. + But the man who had received $2,000 went and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master's money in it. + "After a long time the master of those servants returned. He wanted to collect all the money they had earned. + The man who had received $10,000 brought the other $10,000. 'Master,' he said, 'you trusted me with $10,000. See, I have earned $10,000 more.' + "His master replied, 'You have done well, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' + "The man with $4,000 also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you trusted me with $4,000. See, I have earned $4,000 more.' + "His master replied, 'You have done well, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' + "Then the man who had received $2,000 came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest where you have not planted. You gather crops where you have not scattered seed. + So I was afraid. I went out and hid your $2,000 in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' + "His master replied, 'You evil, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not planted? You knew that I gather crops where I have not scattered seed? + Well then, you should have put my money in the bank. When I returned, I would have received it back with interest.' + "Then his master commanded the other servants, 'Take the $2,000 from him. Give it to the one who has $20,000. + Everyone who has will be given more. He will have more than enough. And what about anyone who doesn't have? Even what he has will be taken away from him. + Throw that worthless servant outside. There in the darkness, people will sob and grind their teeth.' + "The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit on his throne in the glory of heaven. + All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. + He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left. + "Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, 'My Father has blessed you. Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the world was created. + I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. And you invited me in. + I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was sick. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.' + "Then the people who have done what is right will answer him. 'Lord,' they will ask, 'when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? + When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you? + When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' + "The King will reply, 'What I'm about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' + "Then he will say to those on his left, 'You are cursed! Go away from me into the fire that burns forever. It has been prepared for the devil and his angels. + I was hungry. But you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty. But you gave me nothing to drink. + I was a stranger. But you did not invite me in. I needed clothes. But you did not give me any. I was sick and in prison. But you did not take care of me.' + "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not help you? When did we see you as a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and not help you?' + "He will reply, 'What I'm about to tell you is true. Anything you didn't do for one of the least important of these, you didn't do for me.' + "Then they will go away to be punished forever. But those who have done what is right will receive eternal life." + + + Jesus finished saying all these things. Then he said to his disciples, + "As you know, the Passover Feast is two days away. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross." + Then the chief priests met with the elders of the people. They met in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. + They made plans to arrest Jesus in a clever way. They wanted to kill him. + "But not during the Feast," they said. "The people may stir up trouble." + Jesus was in Bethany. He was in the home of a man named Simon, who had a skin disease. + A woman came to Jesus with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on his head while he was at the table. + When the disciples saw this, they became angry. "Why this waste?" they asked. + "The perfume could have been sold at a high price. The money could have been given to poor people." + Jesus was aware of this. So he said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. + You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. + She poured the perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. + What I'm about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere this good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her." + One of the Twelve went to the chief priests. His name was Judas Iscariot. + He asked, "What will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?" So they counted out 30 silver coins for him. + From then on, Judas watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. + It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The disciples came to Jesus. They asked, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?" + He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man. Tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples." ' " + So the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal. + When evening came, Jesus was at the table with the Twelve. + While they were eating, he said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. One of you will hand me over to my enemies." + The disciples became very sad. One after the other, they began to say to him, "It's not I, Lord, is it?" + Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will hand me over. + The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." + Judas was the one who was going to hand him over. He said, "It's not I, Rabbi, is it?" Jesus answered, "Yes. It is you." + While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body." + Then he took the cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. He said, "All of you drink from it. + This is my blood of the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many. + Here is what I tell you. From now on, I won't drink wine with you again until the day I drink it with you in my Father's kingdom." + Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. + Jesus told them, "This very night you will all turn away because of me. It is written that the Lord said, " 'I will strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' --(Zechariah 13:7) + But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." + Peter replied, "All the others may turn away because of you. But I never will." + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus answered. "It will happen this very night. Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me." + But Peter said, "I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don't know you." And all the other disciples said the same thing. + Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." + He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. He began to be sad and troubled. + Then he said to them, "My soul is very sad. I feel close to death. Stay here. Keep watch with me." + He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want." + Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. + "Watch and pray. Then you won't fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing. But the body is weak." + Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, "My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done." + Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn't keep their eyes open. + So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing. + Then he returned to the disciples. He said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour is near. The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. + Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!" + While Jesus was still speaking, Judas arrived. He was one of the Twelve. A large crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests and the elders of the people had sent them. + Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. "The one I kiss is the man," he said. "Arrest him." + So Judas went to Jesus at once. He said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him. + Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then the men stepped forward. They grabbed Jesus and arrested him. + At that moment, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword. He pulled it out and struck the servant of the high priest with it. He cut off the servant's ear. + "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him. "All who use the sword will die by the sword. + Do you think I can't ask my Father for help? He would send an army of more than 70,000 angels right away. + But then how would the Scriptures come true? They say it must happen in this way." + At that time Jesus spoke to the crowd. "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" he asked. "Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courtyard teaching. And you didn't arrest me. + But all this has happened so that the words of the prophets would come true." Then all the disciples left him and ran away. + Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the elders had come together there. + Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see what would happen. + The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. + But they did not find any proof, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two other witnesses came forward. + They said, "This fellow claimed, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God. I can build it again in three days.' " + Then the high priest stood up. He asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? What are these charges that these men are bringing against you?" + But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I command you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." + "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied. "But here is what I say to all of you. In days to come, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven." + Then the high priest tore his clothes. He said, "He has spoken a very evil thing against God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard him say this evil thing. + What do you think?" "He must die!" they answered. + Then they spit in his face. They hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. + They said, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?" + Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. A female servant came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. + But in front of all of them, Peter said he was not. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. + Then he went out to the gate leading into the courtyard. There another woman saw him. She said to the people, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." + Again he said he was not. With an oath he said, "I don't know the man!" + After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter. "You must be one of them," they said. "The way you talk gives you away." + Then Peter began to call down curses on himself. He took an oath and said to them, "I don't know the man!" Right away a rooster crowed. + Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said. "The rooster will crow," Jesus had told him. "Before it does, you will say three times that you don't know me." Peter went outside. He broke down and sobbed. + + + It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people decided to put Jesus to death. + They tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor. + Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. + "I have sinned," he said. "I handed over a man who is not guilty." "What do we care?" they replied. "That's your problem." + So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. + The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, "It's against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man's death." + So they decided to use the money to buy a potter's field. People from other countries would be buried there. + That is why it has been called The Field of Blood to this very day. + Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, "They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel. + They used the coins to buy a potter's field, just as the Lord commanded me."--(Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1?13; 32:6?9) + Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied. + But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. + Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the charges they are bringing against you?" + But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed. + It was the governor's practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. + At that time they had a well?known prisoner named Barabbas. + So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ?" + Pilate knew that the leaders were jealous. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him. + While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him." + But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death. + "Which of the two do you want me to set free?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. + "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" + "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate. But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!" + Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. "I am not guilty of this man's death," he said. "You are accountable for that!" + All the people answered, "We and our children will accept the guilt for his death!" + Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross. + The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him. + They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him. + Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. "We honor you, king of the Jews!" they said. + They spit on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again. + After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross. + On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross. + They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. + There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it. + When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. + They sat down and kept watch over him there. + Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, ~this is jesus, the king of the jews.= + Two robbers were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left. + Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads + and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" + In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. + "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. + He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He's the one who said, 'I am the Son of God.' " + In the same way the robbers who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him. + From noon until three o'clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. + About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"--(Psalm 22:1) + Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, "He's calling for Elijah." + Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. + The rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." + After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died. + At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. + Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. + They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised to life, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people. + The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, "He was surely the Son of God!" + Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs. + Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee's sons. + As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus. + He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him. + Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. + He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away. + Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb. + The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. + "Sir," they said, "we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, 'After three days I will rise again.' + So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don't, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first." + "Take some guards with you," Pilate answered. "Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can." + So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty. + + + The Sabbath day was now over. It was dawn on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. + There was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. The angel went to the tomb. He rolled back the stone and sat on it. + His body shone like lightning. His clothes were as white as snow. + The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. + The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. + He is not here! He has risen, just as he said he would! Come and see the place where he was lying. + Go quickly! Tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." + So the women hurried away from the tomb. They were afraid, but they were filled with joy. They ran to tell the disciples. + Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings!" he said. They came to him, took hold of his feet and worshiped him. + Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me." + While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city. They reported to the chief priests all that had happened. + When the chief priests met with the elders, they came up with a plan. They gave the soldiers a large amount of money. + They told the soldiers, "We want you to say, 'His disciples came during the night. They stole his body while we were sleeping.' + If the governor hears this report, we will pay him off. That will keep you out of trouble." + So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. This story has spread all around among the Jews to this very day. + Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. + When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some still had their doubts. + Then Jesus came to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. + So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. + Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end." + + + + + This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. + Long ago Isaiah the prophet wrote, "I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way." --(Malachi 3:1) + "A messenger is calling out in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him.' " --(Isaiah 40:3) + And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. + All the people from the countryside of Judea went out to him. All the people from Jerusalem went too. When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan River. + John wore clothes made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey. + Here is what John was preaching. "After me, one will come who is more powerful than I am. I'm not good enough to bend down and untie his sandals. + I baptize you with water. But he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." + At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River. + Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove. + A voice spoke to him from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you." + At once the Holy Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert. + He was in the desert 40 days. There Satan tempted him. The wild animals didn't harm Jesus. Angels took care of him. + After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee. He preached God's good news. + "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!" + One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen. + "Come. Follow me," Jesus said. "I will make you fishers of people." + At once they left their nets and followed him. + Then Jesus walked a little farther. As he did, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat preparing their nets. + Right away he called out to them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men. Then they followed Jesus. + Jesus and those with him went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue. There he began to teach. + The people were amazed at his teaching. He taught them like one who had authority. He did not talk like the teachers of the law. + Just then a man in their synagogue cried out. He was controlled by an evil spirit. He said, + "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God!" + "Be quiet!" said Jesus firmly. "Come out of him!" + The evil spirit shook the man wildly. Then it came out of him with a scream. + All the people were amazed. So they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching! And with so much authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him." + News about Jesus spread quickly all over Galilee. + Jesus and those with him left the synagogue. Right away they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. + Simon's mother-in-law was lying in bed. She had a fever. They told Jesus about her. + So he went to her. He took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her. Then she began to serve them. + That evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who were sick. They also brought all who were controlled by demons. + All the people in town gathered at the door. + Jesus healed many of them. They had all kinds of sicknesses. He also drove out many demons. But he would not let the demons speak, because they knew who he was. + It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed. + Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. + When they found him, they called out, "Everyone is looking for you!" + Jesus replied, "Let's go somewhere else. I want to go to the nearby towns. I must preach there also. That is why I have come." + So he traveled all around Galilee. He preached in their synagogues. He also drove out demons. + A man who had a skin disease came to Jesus. On his knees he begged Jesus. He said, "If you are willing to make me 'clean,' you can do it." + Jesus was filled with deep concern. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing to do it," he said. "Be 'clean'!" + Right away the disease left him. He was healed. + Jesus sent him away at once. He gave the man a strong warning. + "Don't tell this to anyone," he said. "Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. It will be a witness to the priest and the people that you are 'clean.' " + But the man went out and started talking right away. He spread the news to everyone. So Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. He stayed outside in lonely places. But people still came to him from everywhere. + + + A few days later, Jesus entered Capernaum again. The people heard that he had come home. + So many people gathered that there was no room left. There was not even room outside the door. And Jesus preached the word to them. + Four of those who came were carrying a man who could not walk. + But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat. + Jesus saw their faith. So he said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." + Some teachers of the law were sitting there. They were thinking, + "Why is this fellow talking like that? He's saying a very evil thing! Only God can forgive sins!" + Right away Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? + Is it easier to say to this man, 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? + I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus spoke to the man who could not walk. + "I tell you," he said, "get up. Take your mat and go home." + The man got up and took his mat. Then he walked away while everyone watched. All the people were amazed. They praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!" + Once again Jesus went out beside the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd came to him. He began to teach them. + As he walked along he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed him. + Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples. They were part of the large crowd following Jesus. + Some teachers of the law who were Pharisees were there. They saw Jesus eating with "sinners" and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" + Jesus heard that. So he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor. Sick people do. I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me." + John's disciples and the Pharisees were going without eating. Some people came to Jesus. They said to him, "John's disciples are fasting. The disciples of the Pharisees are also fasting. But your disciples are not. Why aren't they?" + Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the groom go without eating while he is with them? They will not fast as long as he is with them. + But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. On that day they will go without eating. + "People don't sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse. + People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins. Then the wine and the wineskins will both be destroyed. No, everyone pours new wine into new wineskins." + One Sabbath day Jesus was walking with his disciples through the grainfields. The disciples began to break off some heads of grain. + The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are your disciples doing it?" + He answered, "Haven't you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. They needed food. + It was when Abiathar was high priest. David entered the house of God and ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. David also gave some to his men." + Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath day was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath day. + So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." + + + Another time Jesus went into the synagogue. A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. + Some Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. They watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day. + Jesus spoke to the man with the weak and twisted hand. "Stand up in front of everyone," he said. + Then Jesus asked them, "What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we kill?" But no one answered. + Jesus looked around at them in anger. He was very upset because their hearts were stubborn. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was as good as new. + Then the Pharisees went out and began to make plans with the Herodians. They wanted to kill Jesus. + Jesus went off to the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. A large crowd from Galilee followed. + People heard about all that Jesus was doing. And many came to him. They came from Judea, Jerusalem, and Idumea. They came from the lands east of the Jordan River. And they came from the area around Tyre and Sidon. + Because of the crowd, Jesus told his disciples to get a small boat ready for him. This would keep the people from crowding him. + Jesus had healed many people. So those who were sick were pushing forward to touch him. + When people with evil spirits saw him, they fell down in front of him. The spirits shouted, "You are the Son of God!" + But Jesus ordered them not to tell who he was. + Jesus went up on a mountainside. He called for certain people to come to him, and they came. + He appointed 12 of them and called them apostles. From that time on they would be with him. He would also send them out to preach. + They would have authority to drive out demons. + So Jesus appointed the Twelve. Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter. + There were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. Jesus gave them the name Boanerges. Boanerges means Sons of Thunder. + There were also Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James, son of Alphaeus. And there were Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealot. + Judas Iscariot was one of them too. He was the one who was later going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. + Jesus entered a house. Again a crowd gathered. It was so large that Jesus and his disciples were not even able to eat. + His family heard about this. So they went to take charge of him. They said, "He is out of his mind." + Some teachers of the law were there. They had come down from Jerusalem. They said, "He is controlled by Beelzebub! He is driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons." + So Jesus called them over and spoke to them by using stories. He said, "How can Satan drive out Satan? + If a kingdom fights against itself, it can't stand. + If a family is divided, it can't stand. + And if Satan fights against himself, and his helpers are divided, he can't stand. That is the end of him. + In fact, none of you can enter a strong man's house and just take what the man owns. You must first tie him up. Then you can rob his house. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Everyone's sins and evil words against God will be forgiven. + But anyone who speaks evil things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. His guilt will last forever." + Jesus said this because the teachers of the law were saying, "He has an evil spirit." + Jesus' mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to get him. + A crowd was sitting around Jesus. They told him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside. They are looking for you." + "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" he asked. + Then Jesus looked at the people sitting in a circle around him. He said, "Here is my mother! Here are my brothers! + Anyone who does what God wants is my brother or sister or mother." + + + Again Jesus began to teach by the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was very large. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it out on the lake. All the people were along the shore at the water's edge. + He taught them many things by using stories. In his teaching he said, + "Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. + He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. + Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn't much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn't deep. + When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. + Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. So the plants did not bear grain. + Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted." + Then Jesus said, "Those who have ears should listen." + Later Jesus was alone. The Twelve asked him about the stories. So did the others around him. + He told them, "The secret of God's kingdom has been given to you. But to outsiders everything is told by using stories. + In that way, " 'They will see but never know what they are seeing. They will hear but never understand. Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' " --(Isaiah 6:9,10) + Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this story? Then how will you understand any stories of this kind? + The seed the farmer plants is God's message. + What is seed scattered on a path like? The message is planted. The people hear the message. Then Satan comes. He takes away the message that was planted in them. + And what is seed scattered on rocky places like? The people hear the message. At once they receive it with joy. + But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. + And what is seed scattered among thorns like? The people hear the message. + But then the worries of this life come to them. Wealth comes with its false promises. The people also long for other things. All of those are the kinds of things that crowd out the message. They keep it from producing fruit. + And what is seed scattered on good soil like? The people hear the message. They accept it. They produce a good crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted." + Jesus said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a large bowl or a bed? Don't you put it on its stand? + What is hidden is meant to be seen. And what is put out of sight is meant to be brought out into the open. + Everyone who has ears should listen." + "Think carefully about what you hear," he said. "As you give, so you will receive. In fact, you will receive even more. + If you have something, you will be given more. If you have nothing, even what you have will be taken away from you." + Jesus also said, "Here is what God's kingdom is like. A farmer scatters seed on the ground. + Night and day the seed comes up and grows. It happens whether the farmer sleeps or gets up. He doesn't know how it happens. + All by itself the soil produces grain. First the stalk comes up. Then the head appears. Finally, the full grain appears in the head. + Before long the grain ripens. So the farmer cuts it down, because the harvest is ready." + Again Jesus said, "What can we say God's kingdom is like? What story can we use to explain it? + It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed planted in the ground. + But when you plant the seed, it grows. It becomes the largest of all garden plants. Its branches are so big that birds can rest in its shade." + Using many stories like those, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand. + He did not say anything to them without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything. + When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." + They left the crowd behind. And they took him along in a boat, just as he was. There were also other boats with him. + A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. + Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, "Teacher! Don't you care if we drown?" + He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm. + He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Don't you have any faith at all yet?" + They were terrified. They asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" + + + They went across the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes. + Jesus got out of the boat. A man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. + The man lived in the tombs. No one could keep him tied up anymore. Not even a chain could hold him. + His hands and feet had often been chained. But he tore the chains apart. And he broke the iron cuffs on his ankles. No one was strong enough to control him. + Night and day he screamed among the tombs and in the hills. He cut himself with stones. + When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran to him. He fell on his knees in front of him. + He shouted at the top of his voice, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me? Promise before God that you won't hurt me!" + This was because Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" + Then Jesus asked the demon, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied. "There are many of us." + And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. + A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. + The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs. Let us go into them." + Jesus allowed it. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. There were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned. + Those who were tending the pigs ran off. They told the people in the town and countryside what had happened. The people went out to see for themselves. + Then they came to Jesus. They saw the man who had been controlled by many demons. He was sitting there. He was now dressed and thinking clearly. All this made the people afraid. + Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man. They told about the pigs as well. + Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area. + Jesus was getting into the boat. The man who had been controlled by demons begged to go with him. + Jesus did not let him. He said, "Go home to your family. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you. Tell them how kind he has been to you." + So the man went away. In the area known as the Ten Cities, he began to tell how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. + Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee in a boat. It landed at the other side. There a large crowd gathered around him. + Then a man named Jairus came. He was a synagogue ruler. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet. + He begged Jesus, "Please come. My little daughter is dying. Place your hands on her to heal her. Then she will live." + So Jesus went with him. A large group of people followed. They crowded around him. + A woman was there who had a sickness that made her bleed. It had lasted for 12 years. + She had suffered a great deal, even though she had gone to many doctors. She had spent all the money she had. But she was getting worse, not better. + Then she heard about Jesus. She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. + She thought, "I just need to touch his clothes. Then I will be healed." + Right away her bleeding stopped. She felt in her body that her suffering was over. + At once Jesus knew that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd. He asked, "Who touched my clothes?" + "You see the people," his disciples answered. "They are crowding against you. And you still ask, 'Who touched me?' " + But Jesus kept looking around. He wanted to see who had touched him. + Then the woman came and fell at his feet. She knew what had happened to her. She was shaking with fear. But she told him the whole truth. + He said to her, "Dear woman, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. You are free from your suffering." + While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus. He was the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?" + But Jesus didn't listen to them. He told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid. Just believe." + He let only Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, follow him. + They came to the home of the synagogue ruler. There Jesus saw a lot of confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly. + He went inside. Then he said to them, "Why all this confusion and sobbing? The child is not dead. She is only sleeping." + But they laughed at him. He made them all go outside. He took only the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him. And he went in where the child was. + He took her by the hand. Then he said to her, "Talitha koum!" This means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" + The girl was 12 years old. Right away she stood up and walked around. They were totally amazed at this. + Jesus gave strict orders not to let anyone know what had happened. And he told them to give her something to eat. + + + Jesus left there and went to his hometown of Nazareth. His disciples went with him. + When the Sabbath day came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given to him? He even does miracles! + Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son? Isn't this the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were not pleased with him at all. + Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not honored in his hometown. He doesn't receive any honor among his relatives. And he doesn't receive any in his own home." + Jesus laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. But he could not do any other miracles there. + He was amazed because they had no faith. Jesus went around teaching from village to village. + He called the Twelve to him. Then he sent them out two by two. He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits. + Here were his orders. "Take only a walking stick for your trip. Do not take bread or a bag. Take no money in your belts. + Wear sandals. But do not take extra clothes. + When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. + Some places may not welcome you or listen to you. If they don't, shake the dust off your feet when you leave. That will be a witness against the people living there." + They went out. And they preached that people should turn away from their sins. + They drove out many demons. They poured olive oil on many sick people and healed them. + King Herod heard about this. Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That is why he has the power to do miracles." + Others said, "He is Elijah." Still others claimed, "He is a prophet. He is like one of the prophets of long ago." + But when Herod heard this, he said, "I had John's head cut off. And now he has been raised from the dead!" + In fact, it was Herod himself who had given orders to arrest John. He had him tied up and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod's brother Philip. But now Herod was married to her. + John had been saying to Herod, "It is against the Law for you to have your brother's wife." + Herodias held that against John. She wanted to kill him. But she could not, + because Herod was afraid of John. So he kept John safe. Herod knew John was a holy man who did what was right. When Herod heard him, he was very puzzled. But he liked to listen to him. + Finally the right time came. Herod gave a big dinner on his birthday. He invited his high officials and military leaders. He also invited the most important men in Galilee. + Then the daughter of Herodias came in and danced. She pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want. I'll give it to you." + And he promised her with an oath, "Anything you ask for I will give you. I'll give you up to half of my kingdom." + She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered. + At once the girl hurried to ask the king. She said, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate right now." + The king was very upset. But he thought of his promise and his dinner guests. So he did not want to say no to the girl. + He sent a man right away to bring John's head. The man went to the prison and cut off John's head. + He brought it back on a big plate. He gave it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. + John's disciples heard about this. So they came and took his body. Then they placed it in a tomb. + The apostles gathered around Jesus. They told him all they had done and taught. + But many people were coming and going. So they did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said to his apostles, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest." + So they went away by themselves in a boat to a quiet place. + But many people who saw them leaving recognized them. They ran from all the towns and got there ahead of them. + When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. + By that time it was late in the day. His disciples came to him. "There is nothing here," they said. "It's already very late. + Send the people away. They can go and buy something to eat in the nearby countryside and villages." + But Jesus answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a person's pay! Should we go and spend that much on bread? Are we supposed to feed them?" + "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five loaves and two fish." + Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. + So they sat down in groups of 100s and 50s. + Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to his disciples to set in front of the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. + All of them ate and were satisfied. + The disciples picked up 12 baskets of broken pieces of bread and fish. + The number of men who had eaten was 5,000. + Right away Jesus made his disciples get into the boat. He had them go on ahead of him to Bethsaida. Then he sent the crowd away. + After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. + When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was alone on land. + He saw the disciples pulling hard on the oars. The wind was blowing against them. Early in the morning, he went out to them. He walked on the lake. When he was about to pass by them, + they saw him walking on the lake. They thought he was a ghost. They cried out. + They all saw him and were terrified. Right away he said to them, "Be brave! It is I. Don't be afraid." + Then he climbed into the boat with them. The wind died down. And they were completely amazed. + They had not understood about the loaves. They were stubborn. + They crossed over the lake and landed at Gennesaret. There they tied up the boat. + As soon as Jesus and his disciples got out, people recognized him. + They ran through that whole area to bring to him those who were sick. They carried them on mats to where they heard he was. + He went into the villages, the towns and the countryside. Everywhere he went, the people brought the sick to the market places. Those who were sick begged him to let them touch just the edge of his clothes. And all who touched him were healed. + + + The Pharisees gathered around Jesus. So did some of the teachers of the law. All of them had come from Jerusalem. + They saw some of his disciples eating food with "unclean" hands. That means they were not washed. + The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands to make them pure. That's what the elders teach. + When they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they wash. And they follow many other teachings. For example, they wash cups, pitchers, and kettles in a special way. + So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioned Jesus. "Why don't your disciples live by what the elders teach?" they asked. "Why do they eat their food with 'unclean' hands?" + He replied, "Isaiah was right. He prophesied about you people who pretend to be good. He said, " 'These people honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. + Their worship doesn't mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules.' --(Isaiah 29:13) + You have let go of God's commands. And you are holding on to the teachings that men have made up." + Jesus then said to them, "You have a fine way of setting aside God's commands! You do this so you can follow your own teachings. + Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother.'--(Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) He also said, 'If anyone calls down a curse on his father or mother, he will be put to death.'--(Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9) + But you allow people to say to their parents, 'Any help you might have received from us is Corban.' (Corban means 'a gift set apart for God.' ) + So you no longer let them do anything for their parents. + You make the word of God useless by putting your own teachings in its place. And you do many things like that." + Again Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, "Listen to me, everyone. Understand this. + Nothing outside of you can make you 'unclean' by going into you. It is what comes out of you that makes you 'unclean.' " + *** + Then he left the crowd and entered the house. His disciples asked him about this teaching. + "Don't you understand?" Jesus asked. "Don't you see? Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them 'unclean.' + It doesn't go into the heart. It goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body." In saying this, Jesus was calling all foods "clean." + He went on to say, "What comes out of people makes them 'unclean.' + Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people's hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing and murder. Adultery, + greed, hate and cheating come from people's hearts too. So do desires that are not pure, and wanting what belongs to others. And so do telling lies about others and being proud and being foolish. + All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him 'unclean.' " + Jesus went from there to a place near Tyre. He entered a house. He did not want anyone to know where he was. But he could not keep it a secret. + Soon a woman heard about him. An evil spirit controlled her little daughter. The woman came to Jesus and fell at his feet. + She was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. + "First let the children eat all they want," he told her. "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to their dogs." + "Yes, Lord," she replied. "But even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." + Then he told her, "That was a good reply. You may go. The demon has left your daughter." + So she went home and found her child lying on the bed. And the demon was gone. + Then Jesus left the area of Tyre and went through Sidon. He went down to the Sea of Galilee and into the area known as the Ten Cities. + There some people brought a man to him. The man was deaf and could hardly speak. They begged Jesus to place his hand on him. + Jesus took the man to one side, away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. + Jesus looked up to heaven. With a deep sigh, he said to the man, "Ephphatha!" That means "Be opened!" + The man's ears were opened. His tongue was freed up, and he began to speak clearly. + Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. + People were really amazed. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes deaf people able to hear. And he makes those who can't speak able to talk." + + + During those days another large crowd gathered. They had nothing to eat. So Jesus called for his disciples to come to him. He said, + "I feel deep concern for these people. They have already been with me three days. They don't have anything to eat. + If I send them away hungry, they will become too weak on their way home. Some of them have come from far away." + His disciples answered him. "There is nothing here," they said. "Where can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" + "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. + He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Then he broke them and gave them to his disciples. They set the loaves down in front of the people. + The disciples also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for them too. He told the disciples to pass them around. + The people ate and were satisfied. After that, the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftover pieces. + About 4,000 men were there. Jesus sent them away. + Then he got into a boat with his disciples. He went to the area of Dalmanutha. + The Pharisees came and began to ask Jesus questions. They wanted to put him to the test. So they asked him for a miraculous sign from heaven. + He sighed deeply. He said, "Why do you people ask for a sign? What I'm about to tell you is true. No sign will be given to you." + Then he left them. He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake. + The disciples had forgotten to bring bread. They had only one loaf with them in the boat. + "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. And watch out for the yeast of Herod." + They talked about this with each other. They said, "He must be saying this because we don't have any bread." + Jesus knew what they were saying. So he asked them, "Why are you talking about having no bread? Why can't you see or understand? Are you stubborn? + Do you have eyes and still don't see? Do you have ears and still don't hear? And don't you remember? + Earlier I broke five loaves for the 5,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. + "Later I broke seven loaves for the 4,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?" "Seven," they answered. + He said to them, "Can't you understand yet?" + Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man. They begged Jesus to touch him. + He took the blind man by the hand. Then he led him outside the village. He spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him. "Do you see anything?" Jesus asked. + The man looked up. He said, "I see people. They look like trees walking around." + Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened so that he could see again. He saw everything clearly. + Jesus sent him home. He told him, "Don't go into the village." + Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" + They replied, "Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say one of the prophets." + "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." + Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. + Jesus then began to teach his disciples. He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught them that the elders would not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law would not accept him either. He must be killed and after three days rise again. + He spoke clearly about this. Peter took Jesus to one side and began to scold him. + Jesus turned and looked at his disciples. He scolded Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You are not thinking about the things of God. Instead, you are thinking about human things." + Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples. He said, "If anyone wants to come after me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross and follow me. + If he wants to save his life, he will lose it. But if he loses his life for me and for the good news, he will save it. + What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses his soul? + Or what can anyone trade for his soul? + "Suppose you are ashamed of me and my words among these adulterous and sinful people. Then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." + + + Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom coming with power." + After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There in front of them his appearance was changed. + His clothes became so white they shone. They were whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. + Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus and his disciples. The two of them were talking with Jesus. + Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + Peter didn't really know what to say, because they were so afraid. + Then a cloud appeared and surrounded them. A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!" + They looked around. Suddenly they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. + They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. He told them to wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. + So they kept the matter to themselves. But they asked each other what "rising from the dead" meant. + Then they asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?" + Jesus replied, "That's right. Elijah does come first. He makes all things new again. So why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and not be accepted? + I tell you, Elijah has come. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. They did it just as it is written about him." + When Jesus and those who were with him came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. The teachers of the law were arguing with them. + When all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with wonder. And they ran to greet him. + "What are you arguing with them about?" Jesus asked. + A man in the crowd answered. "Teacher," he said, "I brought you my son. He is controlled by a spirit. Because of this, my son can't speak anymore. + When the spirit takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth. He grinds his teeth. And his body becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit. But they couldn't do it." + "You unbelieving people!" Jesus replied. "How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me." + So they brought him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground. He rolled around and foamed at the mouth. + Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "Since he was a child," he answered. + "The spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us. Please help us." + " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for the one who believes." + Right away the boy's father cried out, "I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!" + Jesus saw that a crowd was running over to see what was happening. Then he ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. "You spirit that makes him unable to hear and speak!" he said. "I command you, come out of him. Never enter him again." + The spirit screamed. It shook the boy wildly. Then it came out of him. The boy looked so lifeless that many people said, "He's dead." + But Jesus took him by the hand. He lifted the boy to his feet, and the boy stood up. + Jesus went indoors. Then his disciples asked him in private, "Why couldn't we drive out the evil spirit?" + He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." + They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were. + That was because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. They will kill him. After three days he will rise from the dead." + But they didn't understand what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about it. + Jesus and his disciples came to a house in Capernaum. There he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" + But they kept quiet. On the way, they had argued about which one of them was the most important person. + Jesus sat down and called for the Twelve to come to him. Then he said, "If you want to be first, you must be the very last. You must be the servant of everyone." + Jesus took a little child and had the child stand among them. Then he took the child in his arms. He said to them, + "Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me doesn't welcome only me but also the One who sent me." + "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name. We told him to stop, because he was not one of us." + "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me. + Anyone who is not against us is for us. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Suppose someone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to me. That one will certainly not go without a reward. + "What if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If he does, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. + "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter God's kingdom with only one hand than to go into hell with two hands. In hell the fire never goes out. + *** + "If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter God's kingdom with only one foot than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. + *** + "If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out. It would be better for you to enter God's kingdom with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. + In hell, " 'The worms do not die. The fire is not put out.' --(Isaiah 66:24) + Everyone will be salted with fire. + "Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves. And be at peace with each other." + + + Jesus left that place and went into the area of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again crowds of people came to him. As usual, he taught them. + Some Pharisees came to put him to the test. They asked, "Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?" + "What did Moses command you?" he replied. + They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a letter of divorce and send her away." + "You were stubborn. That's why Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. + "But at the beginning of creation, God 'made them male and female.'--(Genesis 1:27) + 'That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. + The two of them will become one.'--(Genesis 2:24) They are no longer two, but one. + So a man must not separate what God has joined together." + When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. + He answered, "What if a man divorces his wife and gets married to another woman? He commits adultery against her. + And what if she divorces her husband and gets married to another man? She commits adultery." + People were bringing little children to Jesus. They wanted him to touch them. But the disciples told the people to stop. + When Jesus saw this, he was angry. He said to his disciples, "Let the little children come to me. Don't keep them away. God's kingdom belongs to people like them. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God's kingdom like a little child will never enter it." + Then he took the children in his arms. He put his hands on them and blessed them. + As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him. He fell on his knees before Jesus. "Good teacher," he said, "what must I do to receive eternal life?" + "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good except God. + You know what the commandments say. 'Do not commit murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false witness. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.' "--(Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20) + "Teacher," he said, "I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy." + Jesus looked at him and loved him. "You are missing one thing," he said. "Go and sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." + The man's face fell. He went away sad, because he was very rich. + Jesus looked around. He said to his disciples, "How hard it is for rich people to enter God's kingdom!" + The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter God's kingdom! + Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for the rich to enter God's kingdom!" + The disciples were even more amazed. They said to each other, "Then who can be saved?" + Jesus looked at them and said, "With man, that is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God." + Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus replied. "Has anyone left home or family or fields for me and the good news? + They will receive 100 times as much in this world. They will have homes and families and fields. But they will also be treated badly by others. In the world to come they will live forever. + But many who are first will be last. And the last will be first." + They were on their way up to Jerusalem. Jesus was leading the way. The disciples were amazed. Those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve to one side. He told them what was going to happen to him. + "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said. "The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to people who are not Jews. + The people will make fun of him and spit on him. They will whip him and kill him. Three days later he will rise from the dead!" + James and John came to Jesus. They were the sons of Zebedee. "Teacher," they said, "we would like to ask a favor of you." + "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. + They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right hand in your glorious kingdom. Let the other one sit at your left hand." + "You don't know what you're asking for," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?" + "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink. And you will go through the baptism I go through. + But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those they are prepared for." + The other ten disciples heard about it. They became angry at James and John. + Jesus called them together. He said, "You know about those who are rulers of the nations. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. + Don't be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. + And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. + Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free." + Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. They were leaving the city. A large crowd was with them. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging. His name was Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus. + He heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. So he began to shout, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" + Many people commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "Son of David! Have mercy on me!" + Jesus stopped and said, "Call for him." So they called out to the blind man, "Cheer up! Get up on your feet! Jesus is calling for you." + He threw his coat to one side. Then he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. + "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to be able to see." + "Go," said Jesus. "Your faith has healed you." Right away he could see. And he followed Jesus along the road. + + + As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. + He said to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. Just as you enter it, you will find a donkey's colt tied there. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. + Someone may ask you, 'Why are you doing this?' If so, say, 'The Lord needs it. But he will send it back here soon.' " + So they left. They found a colt out in the street. It was tied at a doorway. They untied it. + Some people standing there asked, "What are you doing? Why are you untying that colt?" + They answered as Jesus had told them to. So the people let them go. + They brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats over it. Then he sat on it. + Many people spread their coats on the road. Others spread branches they had cut in the fields. + Those in front and those in back shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" --(Psalm 118:25,26) + "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!" + Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything. But it was already late. So he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. + The next day as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, they were hungry. + Not too far away, he saw a fig tree. It was covered with leaves. He went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves. It was not the season for figs. + Then Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And his disciples heard him say it. + When Jesus reached Jerusalem, he entered the temple area. He began chasing out those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. + He would not allow anyone to carry items for sale through the temple courtyards. + Then he taught them. He told them, "It is written that the Lord said, " 'My house will be called a house where people from all nations can pray.' --(Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a 'den for robbers.' "--(Jeremiah 7:11) + The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard about this. They began looking for a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. + When evening came, Jesus and his disciples left the city. + In the morning as Jesus and his disciples walked along, they saw the fig tree. It was dried up all the way down to the roots. + Peter remembered. He said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you put a curse on has dried up!" + "Have faith in God," Jesus said. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Suppose one of you says to this mountain, 'Go and throw yourself into the sea.' You must not doubt in your heart. You must believe that what you say will happen. Then it will be done for you. + "So I tell you, when you pray for something, believe that you have already received it. Then it will be yours. + And when you stand praying, forgive anyone you have anything against. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins." + *** + Jesus and his disciples arrived again in Jerusalem. He was walking in the temple courtyards. Then the chief priests came to him. The teachers of the law and the elders came too. + "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "Who gave you authority to do this?" + Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. + Was John's baptism from heaven? Or did it come from men? Tell me!" + They talked to each other about it. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' + But what if we say, 'From men'?" They were afraid of the people. Everyone believed that John really was a prophet. + So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things either." + + + Jesus began to speak to the people by using stories. He said, "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went away on a journey. + "At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. + But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing. + So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly. + The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others. + "The man had one person left to send. It was his son, and he loved him. He sent him last of all. He said, 'They will respect my son.' + "But the renters said to each other, 'This is the one who will receive all the owner's property someday. Come, let's kill him. Then everything will be ours.' + So they took him and killed him. They threw him out of the vineyard. + "What will the owner of the vineyard do then? He will come and kill those renters. He will give the vineyard to others. + "Haven't you read what Scripture says, " 'The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all. + The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes'?" --(Psalm 118:22,23) + Then the religious leaders looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They knew he had told the story against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away. + Later the religious leaders sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus. They wanted to trap him with his own words. + They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of honor. You don't let others tell you what to do or say. You don't care how important they are. But you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? + Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew what they were trying to do. So he asked, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a silver coin. Let me look at it." + They brought the coin. He asked them, "Whose picture is this? And whose words?" "Caesar's," they replied. + Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God." They were amazed at him. + The Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead. + "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us about a man who died and didn't have any children. But he did leave a wife behind. That man's brother must get married to the widow. He must have children to carry on his dead brother's name. + "There were seven brothers. The first one got married. He died without leaving any children. + The second one got married to the widow. He also died and left no child. It was the same with the third one. + In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. + When the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her." + Jesus replied, "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God. + When the dead rise, they won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven. + "What about the dead rising? Haven't you read in the scroll of Moses the story of the bush? God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.'--(Exodus 3:6) + He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. You have made a big mistake!" + One of the teachers of the law came and heard the Sadducees arguing. He noticed that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer. So he asked him, "Which is the most important of all the commandments?" + Jesus answered, "Here is the most important one. Moses said, 'Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is one. + Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength.'--(Deuteronomy 6:4,5) + And here is the second one. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'--(Leviticus 19:18) There is no commandment more important than these." + "You have spoken well, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one. There is no other God but him. + To love God with all your heart and mind and strength is very important. So is loving your neighbor as you love yourself. These things are more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." + Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely. He said to him, "You are not far from God's kingdom." From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions. + Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard. He asked, "Why do the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? + The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control." ' --(Psalm 110:1) + David himself calls him 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?" The large crowd listened to Jesus with delight. + As he taught, he said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They like to be greeted in the market places. + They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at dinners. + They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish those men very much." + Jesus sat down across from the place where people put their temple offerings. He watched the crowd putting their money into the offering boxes. Many rich people threw large amounts into them. + But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins. They were worth much less than a penny. + Jesus asked his disciples to come to him. He said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. That poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. + They all gave a lot because they are rich. But she gave even though she is poor. She put in everything she had. She gave all she had to live on." + + + Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!" + "Do you see these huge buildings?" Jesus asked. "Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down." + Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. + "Tell us," they said. "When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?" + Jesus said to them, "Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. + Many will come in my name. They will claim, 'I am he.' They will fool many people. + "You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don't be alarmed. Those things must happen. But the end still isn't here. + Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All of those things are the beginning of birth pains. + "Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. + The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. + You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don't worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. + "Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. + Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. + "You will see 'the hated thing that destroys.'--(Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. + No one on the roof should go down into his house to take anything out. + No one in the field should go back to get his coat. + How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! + Pray that this will not happen in winter. + "Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again. + If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God's chosen people, he has shortened it. + "At that time someone may say to you, 'Look! Here is the Christ!' Or, 'Look! There he is!' Do not believe it. + False Christs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God's chosen people if possible. + Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time. + "So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says, " 'The sun will be darkened. The moon will not shine. + The stars will fall from the sky. The heavenly bodies will be shaken.' --(Isaiah 13:10; 34:4) + "At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. + He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. + "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. + In the same way, when you see those things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. + What I'm about to tell you is true. The people living at that time will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. + Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away. + "No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. + "Keep watch! Stay awake! You do not know when that time will come. + It's like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. Each one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch. + "So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. + He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. + "What I say to you, I say to everyone. 'Watch!' " + + + The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a clever way to arrest Jesus. They wanted to kill him. + "But not during the Feast," they said. "The people may stir up trouble." + Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the table in the home of a man named Simon, who had a skin disease. A woman came with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. It was made out of pure nard. She broke the jar open and poured the perfume on Jesus' head. + Some of the people there became angry. They said to one another, "Why waste this perfume? + It could have been sold for more than a year's pay. The money could have been given to poor people." So they found fault with the woman. + "Leave her alone," Jesus said. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. + You will always have poor people with you. You can help them any time you want to. But you will not always have me. + She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. + What I'm about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere the good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her." + Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve. He went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them. + They were delighted to hear that he would do this. They promised to give Judas money. So he watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. + It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That was the time to sacrifice the Passover lamb. Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?" + So he sent out two of his disciples. He told them, "Go into the city. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. + He will enter a house. Say to its owner, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is my guest room? Where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?" ' + He will show you a large upstairs room. It will have furniture and will be ready. Prepare for us to eat there." + The disciples left and went into the city. They found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal. + When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. + While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. One of you who is eating with me will hand me over to my enemies." + The disciples became sad. One by one they said to him, "It's not I, is it?" + "It is one of the Twelve," Jesus replied. "It is the one who dips bread into the bowl with me. + The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." + While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, "Take it. This is my body." + Then he took the cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. All of them drank from it. + "This is my blood of the new covenant," he said to them. "It is poured out for many. + What I'm about to tell you is true. I won't drink wine with you again until the day I drink it in God's kingdom." + Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. + "You will all turn away," Jesus told the disciples. "It is written, " 'I will strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep will be scattered.' --(Zechariah 13:7) + But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." + Peter said, "All the others may turn away. But I will not." + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus answered. "It will happen today, this very night. Before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will say three times that you don't know me." + But Peter would not give in. He said, "I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don't know you." And all the others said the same thing. + Jesus and his disciples went to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, "Sit here while I pray." + He took Peter, James and John along with him. He began to be very upset and troubled. + "My soul is very sad. I feel close to death," he said to them. "Stay here. Keep watch." + He went a little farther. Then he fell to the ground. He prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass by him. + ["Abba]," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want." Abba means Father. + Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? + Watch and pray. Then you won't fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing. But the body is weak." + Once more Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. + Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn't keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him. + Jesus returned the third time. He said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look! The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. + Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!" + Just as Jesus was speaking, Judas appeared. He was one of the Twelve. A crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders had sent them. + Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. "The one I kiss is the man," he said. "Arrest him and have the guards lead him away." + So Judas went to Jesus at once. He said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him. + The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. + Then one of those standing nearby pulled his sword out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. + "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" asked Jesus. "Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? + Every day I was with you. I taught in the temple courtyard, and you didn't arrest me. But the Scriptures must come true." + Then everyone left him and ran away. + A young man was following Jesus. The man was wearing nothing but a piece of linen cloth. When the crowd grabbed him, + he ran away naked. He left his clothing behind. + The crowd took Jesus to the high priest. All of the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law came together. + Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards. He warmed himself at the fire. + The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. But they did not find any proof. + Many witnesses lied about him. But their stories did not agree. + Then some stood up. They gave false witness about him. + "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple made by human hands. In three days I will build another temple, not made by human hands.' " + But what they said did not agree. + Then the high priest stood up in front of them. He asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? What are these charges these men are bringing against you?" + But Jesus remained silent. He gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ? Are you the Son of the Blessed One?" + "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven." + The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. + "You have heard him say a very evil thing against God. What do you think?" They all found him guilty and said he must die. + Then some began to spit at him. They blindfolded him. They hit him with their fists. They said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him. + Peter was below in the courtyard. One of the high priest's female servants came by. + When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with Jesus, that Nazarene," she said. + But Peter said he had not been with him. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said. He went out to the entrance to the courtyard. + The servant saw him there. She said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." + Again he said he was not. After a little while, those standing nearby said to Peter, "You must be one of them. You are from Galilee." + He began to call down curses on himself. He took an oath and said to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about!" + Right away the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had spoken to him. "The rooster will crow twice," he had said. "Before it does, you will say three times that you don't know me." Peter broke down and sobbed. + + + It was very early in the morning. The chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made a decision. They tied Jesus up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate. + "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied. + The chief priests brought many charges against him. + So Pilate asked him again, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they charge you with." + But Jesus still did not reply. Pilate was amazed. + It was the usual practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. + A man named Barabbas was in prison. He was there with some other people who had fought against the country's rulers. They had committed murder while they were fighting against the rulers. + The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. + "Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?" asked Pilate. + He knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous. + But the chief priests stirred up the crowd. So the crowd asked Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead. + "Then what should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. + "Crucify him!" the crowd shouted. + "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate. But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!" + Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd. So he let Barabbas go free. He ordered that Jesus be whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross. + The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace. It was called the Praetorium. They called together the whole company of soldiers. + The soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. + They began to call out to him, "We honor you, king of the Jews!" + Again and again they hit him on the head with a stick. They spit on him. They fell on their knees and pretended to honor him. + After they had made fun of him, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to nail him to a cross. + A man named Simon from Cyrene was passing by. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was on his way in from the country. The soldiers forced him to carry the cross. + They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. + Then they gave him wine mixed with spices. But he did not take it. + They nailed him to the cross. Then they divided up his clothes. They cast lots to see what each of them would get. + It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. + They wrote out the charge against him. It read, ~the king of the jews.= + They crucified two robbers with him. One was on his right and one was on his left. + *** + Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? + Then come down from the cross! Save yourself!" + In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law made fun of him among themselves. "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! + Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross! When we see that, we will believe." Those who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him. + At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours. + At three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? " This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"--(Psalm 22:1) + Some of those standing nearby heard Jesus cry out. They said, "Listen! He's calling for Elijah." + One of them ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. "Leave him alone," he said. "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down." + With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath. + The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. + A Roman commander was standing there in front of Jesus. He heard his cry and saw how Jesus died. Then he said, "This man was surely the Son of God!" + Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joses, was also there. So was Salome. + In Galilee those women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs. Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem. + It was the day before the Sabbath. That day was called Preparation Day. As evening approached, + Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a leading member of the Jewish Council. He was waiting for God's kingdom. + Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So he called for the Roman commander. He asked him if Jesus had already died. + The commander said it was true. So Pilate gave the body to Joseph. + Then Joseph bought some linen cloth. He took the body down and wrapped it in the linen. He put it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. + Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where Jesus' body had been placed. + + + The Sabbath day ended. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices. They were going to apply them to Jesus' body. + Very early on the first day of the week, they were on their way to the tomb. It was just after sunrise. + They asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?" + Then they looked up and saw that the stone had been rolled away. The stone was very large. + They entered the tomb. As they did, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe. He was sitting on the right side. They were alarmed. + "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. But he has risen! He is not here! See the place where they had put him. + Go! Tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. It will be just as he told you.' " + The women were shaking and confused. They went out and ran away from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. + Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. He had driven seven demons out of her. + She went and told those who had been with him. She found them crying. They were very sad. + They heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him. But they did not believe it. + After that, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them. This happened while they were walking out in the country. + The two returned and told the others about it. But the others did not believe them either. + Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating. He spoke firmly to them because they had no faith. They would not believe those who had seen him after he rose from the dead. + He said to them, "Go into all the world. Preach the good news to everyone. + Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who does not believe will be punished. + Here are the miraculous signs that those who believe will do. In my name they will drive out demons. They will speak in languages they had not known before. + They will pick up snakes with their hands. And when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands on sick people. And the people will get well." + When the Lord Jesus finished speaking to them, he was taken up into heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God. + Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere. The Lord worked with them. And he backed up his word by the signs that went with it. + + + + + Many people have attempted to write about the things that have taken place among us. + Reports of these things were handed down to us. There were people who saw these things for themselves from the beginning and then passed the word on. + I myself have carefully looked into everything from the beginning. So it seemed good also to me to write down an orderly report of exactly what happened. I am doing this for you, most excellent Theophilus. + I want you to know that the things you have been taught are true. + Herod was king of Judea. During the time he was ruling, there was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to a group of priests named after Abijah. His wife Elizabeth also came from the family line of Aaron. + Both of them did what was right in God's eyes. They obeyed all the Lord's commandments and rules faithfully. + But they had no children, because Elizabeth was not able to have any. And they were both very old. + One day Zechariah's group was on duty. He was serving as a priest in God's temple. + He happened to be chosen, in the usual way, to go into the temple of the Lord. There he was supposed to burn incense. + The time came for this to be done. All who had gathered to worship were praying outside. + Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right side of the incense altar. + When Zechariah saw him, he was amazed and terrified. + But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a child. It will be a boy, and you must name him John. + He will be a joy and delight to you. His birth will make many people very glad. + He will be important in the Lord's eyes. "He must never use wine or other such drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born. + He will bring many of Israel's people back to the Lord their God. + And he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will teach parents how to love their children. He will also teach people who don't obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord." + Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is old too." + The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I serve God. I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. + And now you will have to be silent. You will not be able to speak until after John is born. That's because you did not believe my words. They will come true when the time is right." + During that time, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out. They wondered why he stayed in the temple so long. + When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple. They knew this because he kept motioning to them. He still could not speak. + When his time of service was over, he returned home. + After that, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She stayed at home for five months. + "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days, he has been kind to me. He has taken away my shame among the people." + In the sixth month after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. + He was sent to a virgin. The girl was engaged to a man named Joseph. He came from the family line of David. The virgin's name was Mary. + The angel greeted her and said, "The Lord has given you special favor. He is with you." + Mary was very upset because of his words. She wondered what kind of greeting this could be. + But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you. + You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must name him Jesus. + He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king like his father David of long ago. + He will rule forever over his people, who came from Jacob's family. His kingdom will never end." + "How can this happen?" Mary asked the angel. "I am a virgin." + The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God. + Your relative Elizabeth is old. And even she is going to have a child. People thought she could not have children. But she has been pregnant for six months now. + Nothing is impossible with God." + "I serve the Lord," Mary answered. "May it happen to me just as you said it would." Then the angel left her. + At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in Judea's hill country. + There she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. + When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby inside her jumped. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. + In a loud voice she called out, "God has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have! + But why is God so kind to me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? + As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy. + You are a woman God has blessed. You have believed that what the Lord has said to you will be done!" + Mary said, "My soul gives glory to the Lord. + My spirit delights in God my Savior. + He has taken note of me even though I am not important. From now on all people will call me blessed. + The Mighty One has done great things for me. His name is holy. + He shows his mercy to those who have respect for him, from parent to child down through the years. + He has done mighty things with his arm. He has scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts. + He has brought down rulers from their thrones. But he has lifted up people who are not important. + He has filled those who are hungry with good things. But he has sent those who are rich away empty. + He has helped the people of Israel, who serve him. He has always remembered to be kind + to Abraham and his children down through the years. He has done it just as he said to our people of long ago." + Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she returned home. + The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby. She gave birth to a son. + Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very kind to her. They shared her joy. + On the eighth day, they came to have the child circumcised. They were going to name him Zechariah, like his father. + But his mother spoke up. "No!" she said. "He must be called John." + They said to her, "No one among your relatives has that name." + Then they motioned to his father. They wanted to find out what he would like to name the child. + He asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was amazed. + Right away Zechariah could speak again. His first words gave praise to God. + The neighbors were all filled with fear and wonder. All through Judea's hill country, people were talking about all these things. + Everyone who heard this wondered about it. And because the Lord was with John, they asked, "What is this child going to be?" + His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. He prophesied, + "Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come and set his people free. + He has acted with great power and has saved us. He did it for those who are from the family line of his servant David. + Long ago holy prophets said he would do it. + He has saved us from our enemies. We are rescued from all who hate us. + He has been kind to our people. He has remembered his holy covenant. + He made an oath to our father Abraham. + He promised to save us from our enemies, so that we could serve him without fear. + He wants us to be holy and godly as long as we live. + "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him. + You will tell his people how they can be saved. You will tell them that their sins can be forgiven. + All of that will happen because our God is tender and caring. His kindness will bring the rising sun to us from heaven. + It will shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death. It will guide our feet on the path of peace." + The child grew up, and his spirit became strong. He lived in the desert until he appeared openly to Israel. + + + In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world. + It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria. + All went to their own towns to be listed. + So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David. + He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby. + While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born. + She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. There was no room for them in the inn. + There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. + An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. + But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. + Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. + Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger." + Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said, + "May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!" + The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." + So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger. + After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this child. + All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. + But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over and over. + The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told. + When the child was eight days old, he was circumcised. At the same time he was named Jesus. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant. + The time for making them pure came as it is written in the Law of Moses. So Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem. There they presented him to the Lord. + In the Law of the Lord it says, "The first boy born in every family must be set apart for the Lord."--(Exodus 13:2,12) + They also offered a sacrifice. They did it in keeping with the Law, which says, "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."--(Leviticus 12:8) + In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God's promise to Israel to happen. The Holy Spirit was with him. + The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. + The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard. Then Jesus' parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required. + Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said, + "Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised. + My eyes have seen your salvation. + You have prepared it in the sight of all people. + It is a light to be given to those who aren't Jews. It will bring glory to your people Israel." + The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. + Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus' mother, "This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him. + The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too." + There was also a prophet named Anna. She was the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. After getting married, she lived with her husband seven years. + Then she was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple. She worshiped night and day, praying and going without eating. + Anna came up to Jesus' family at that very moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free. + Joseph and Mary did everything the Law of the Lord required. Then they returned to Galilee. They went to their own town of Nazareth. + And the child grew and became strong. He was very wise. He was blessed by God's grace. + Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. + When he was 12 years old, they went up to the Feast as usual. + After the Feast was over, his parents left to go back home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But they were not aware of it. + They thought he was somewhere in their group. So they traveled on for a day. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and friends. + They did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. + After three days they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting with the teachers. He was listening to them and asking them questions. + Everyone who heard him was amazed at how much he understood. They also were amazed at his answers. + When his parents saw him, they were amazed. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried about you. We have been looking for you everywhere." + "Why were you looking for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" + But they did not understand what he meant by that. + Then he went back to Nazareth with them, and he obeyed them. But his mother kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. + Jesus became wiser and stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to God and to people. + + + Tiberius Caesar had been ruling for 15 years. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. His brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and Traconitis. Lysanias was ruler of Abilene. + Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God's word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. + He went into all the countryside around the Jordan River. There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. + Here is what is written in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It says, "A messenger is calling out in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him. + Every valley will be filled in. Every mountain and hill will be made level. The crooked roads will become straight. The rough ways will become smooth. + And everyone will see God's salvation.' " --(Isaiah 40:3?5) + John spoke to the crowds coming to be baptized by him. He said, "You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God's anger? + Produce fruit that shows you have turned away from your sins. And don't start saying to yourselves, 'Abraham is our father.' I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. + The ax is already lying at the roots of the trees. All the trees that don't produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire." + "Then what should we do?" the crowd asked. + John answered, "If you have extra clothes, you should share with those who have none. And if you have extra food, you should do the same." + Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" + "Don't collect any more than you are required to," John told them. + Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" John replied, "Don't force people to give you money. Don't bring false charges against people. Be happy with your pay." + The people were waiting. They were expecting something. They were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ. + John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I am will come. I'm not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + His pitchfork is in his hand to toss the straw away from his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can't be put out." + John said many other things to warn the people. He also preached the good news to them. + But John found fault with Herod, the ruler of Galilee, because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod's brother. John also spoke strongly to Herod about all the other evil things he had done. + So Herod locked him up in prison. He added this sin to all his others. + When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened. + The Holy Spirit came down on him in the form of a dove. A voice came from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you." + Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his special work for God and others. It was thought that he was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli. + Heli was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Jannai. Jannai was the son of Joseph. + Joseph was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Amos. Amos was the son of Nahum. Nahum was the son of Esli. Esli was the son of Naggai. + Naggai was the son of Maath. Maath was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Semein. Semein was the son of Josech. Josech was the son of Joda. + Joda was the son of Joanan. Joanan was the son of Rhesa. Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the son of Neri. + Neri was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Addi. Addi was the son of Cosam. Cosam was the son of Elmadam. Elmadam was the son of Er. + Er was the son of Joshua. Joshua was the son of Eliezer. Eliezer was the son of Jorim. Jorim was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. + Levi was the son of Simeon. Simeon was the son of Judah. Judah was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jonam. Jonam was the son of Eliakim. + Eliakim was the son of Melea. Melea was the son of Menna. Menna was the son of Mattatha. Mattatha was the son of Nathan. Nathan was the son of David. + David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was the son of Obed. Obed was the son of Boaz. Boaz was the son of Salmon. Salmon was the son of Nahshon. + Nahshon was the son of Amminadab. Amminadab was the son of Ram. Ram was the son of Hezron. Hezron was the son of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah. + Judah was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham was the son of Terah. Terah was the son of Nahor. + Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son of Shelah. + Shelah was the son of Cainan. Cainan was the son of Arphaxad. Arphaxad was the son of Shem. Shem was the son of Noah. Noah was the son of Lamech. + Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Kenan. + Kenan was the son of Enosh. Enosh was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God. + + + Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. The Spirit led him into the desert. + There the devil tempted him for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. At the end of the 40 days, he was hungry. + The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." + Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man doesn't live only on bread.' "--(Deuteronomy 8:3) + Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place. In an instant, he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. + He said to him, "I will give you all their authority and glory. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. + So if you worship me, it will all be yours." + Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.' "--(Deuteronomy 6:13) + Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem. He had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. + It is written, " 'The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you. + They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone.' " --(Psalm 91:11,12) + Jesus answered, "Scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "--(Deuteronomy 6:16) + When the devil finished all this tempting, he left Jesus until a better time. + Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. News about him spread through the whole countryside. + He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. + Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. And he stood up to read. + The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled it and found the right place. There it is written, + "The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners. He has sent me so that the blind will see again. He wants me to free those who are beaten down. + And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free." --(Isaiah 61:1,2) + Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were staring at him. + He began by saying to them, "Today this passage of Scripture is coming true as you listen." + Everyone said good things about him. They were amazed at the gracious words they heard from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. + Jesus said, "Here is a saying you will certainly apply to me. 'Doctor, heal yourself! Do the things here in your hometown that we heard you did in Capernaum.' " + "What I'm about to tell you is true," he continued. "A prophet is not accepted in his hometown. + I tell you for sure that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. And there had been no rain for three and a half years. There wasn't enough food to eat anywhere in the land. + But Elijah was not sent to any of those widows. Instead, he was sent to a widow in Zarephath near Sidon. + And there were many in Israel who had skin diseases in the days of Elisha the prophet. But not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian." + All the people in the synagogue were very angry when they heard that. + They got up and rwas also a prophet named Anna. Shim to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They planned to throw him down the cliff. + But Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way. + Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee. On the Sabbath day he began to teach the people. + They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. + In the synagogue there was a man controlled by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice. + "Ha!" he said. "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God!" + "Be quiet!" Jesus said firmly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of everybody. And it came out without hurting him. + All the people were amazed. They said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits. And they come out!" + The news about Jesus spread throughout the whole area. + Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. At that time, Simon's mother?in?law was suffering from a high fever. So they asked Jesus to help her. + He bent over her and commanded the fever to leave, and it left her. She got up at once and began to serve them. + At sunset, people brought to Jesus all who were sick. He placed his hands on each one and healed them. + Also, demons came out of many people. The demons shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But he commanded them to be quiet. He would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. + At dawn, Jesus went out to a place where he could be by himself. The people went to look for him. When they found him, they tried to keep him from leaving them. + But he said, "I must announce the good news of God's kingdom to the other towns also. That is why I was sent." + And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. + + + One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around him and listened to the word of God. + Jesus saw two boats at the edge of the water. They had been left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. + He got into the boat that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to go out a little way from shore. Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people. + When he finished speaking, he turned to Simon. He said, "Go out into deep water. Let the nets down so you can catch some fish." + Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." + When they had done so, they caught a large number of fish. There were so many that their nets began to break. + So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. + When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees. "Go away from me, Lord!" he said. "I am a sinful man!" + He and everyone with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught. + So were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who worked with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will catch people." + So they pulled their boats up on shore. Then they left everything and followed him. + While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along. He had a skin disease all over his body. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground. He begged him, "Lord, if you are willing to make me 'clean,' you can do it." + Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing to do it," he said. "Be 'clean'!" Right away the disease left him. + Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone. Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. It will be a witness to the priest and the people that you are 'clean.' " + But the news about Jesus spread even more. So crowds of people came to hear him. They also came to be healed of their sicknesses. + But Jesus often went away to be by himself and pray. + One day Jesus was teaching. Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. They heard that the Lord had given Jesus the power to heal the sick. + Some men came carrying a man who could not walk. He was lying on a mat. They tried to take him into the house to place him in front of Jesus. + They could not find a way to do this because of the crowd. So they went up on the roof. Then they lowered the man on his mat through the opening in the roof tiles. They lowered him into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. + When Jesus saw that they had faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." + The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to think, "Who is this fellow who says such an evil thing? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" + Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? + Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or to say, 'Get up and walk'? + I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he spoke to the man who could not walk. "I tell you," he said, "get up. Take your mat and go home." + Right away, the man stood up in front of them. He took his mat and went home praising God. + Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with wonder. They said, "We have seen unusual things today." + After this, Jesus left the house. He saw a tax collector sitting at the tax booth. The man's name was Levi. "Follow me," Jesus said to him. + Levi got up, left everything and followed him. + Then Levi gave a huge dinner for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. + But the Pharisees and their teachers of the law complained to Jesus' disciples. They said, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" + Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor. Sick people do. + I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to turn away from their sins." + Some of the people who were there said to Jesus, "John's disciples often pray and go without eating. So do the disciples of the Pharisees. But yours go on eating and drinking." + Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the groom go without eating while he is with them? + But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. In those days they will fast." + Then Jesus gave them an example. He said, "People don't tear a patch from new clothes and sew it on old clothes. If they do, they will tear the new clothes. Also, the patch from the new clothes will not match the old clothes. + People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will burst the skins. The wine will run out, and the wineskins will be destroyed. + No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. + After people drink old wine, they don't want the new. They say, 'The old wine is better.' " + + + One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through the grainfields. His disciples began to break off some heads of grain. They rubbed them in their hands and ate them. + Some of the Pharisees said, "It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are you doing it?" + Jesus answered them, "Haven't you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. + He entered the house of God and took the holy bread. He ate the bread that only priests were allowed to eat. David also gave some to his men." + Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day." + On another Sabbath day, Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching. A man whose right hand was weak and twisted was there. + The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were trying to find fault with Jesus. So they watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. + But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He spoke to the man who had the weak and twisted hand. "Get up and stand in front of everyone," he said. So the man got up and stood there. + Then Jesus said to them, "What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we destroy it?" + He looked around at all of them. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was as good as new. + But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were very angry. They began to talk to each other about what they might do to Jesus. + On one of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray. He spent the night praying to God. + When morning came, he called for his disciples to come to him. He chose 12 of them and made them apostles. + Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter. There were also Simon's brother Andrew, James, John, Philip and Bartholomew. + And there were Matthew, Thomas, and James, son of Alphaeus. There were also Simon who was called the Zealot + and Judas, son of James. Judas Iscariot was one of them too. He was the one who would later hand Jesus over to his enemies. + Jesus went down the mountain with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there. A large number of other people were there too. They came from all over Judea, including Jerusalem. They also came from the coast of Tyre and Sidon. + They had all come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses. People who were troubled by evil spirits were made well. + Everyone tried to touch Jesus. Power was coming from him and healing them all. + Jesus looked at his disciples. He said to them, "Blessed are you who are needy. God's kingdom belongs to you. + Blessed are you who are hungry now. You will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are sad now. You will laugh. + Blessed are you when people hate you, when they have nothing to do with you and say bad things about you, and when they treat your name as something evil. They do all this because you are followers of the Son of Man. + "Their people treated the prophets the same way long ago. When these things happen to you, be glad and jump for joy. You will receive many blessings in heaven. + "But how terrible it will be for you who are rich! You have already had your easy life. + How terrible for you who are well fed now! You will go hungry. How terrible for you who laugh now! You will cry and be sad. + How terrible for you when everyone says good things about you! Their people treated the false prophets the same way long ago. + "But here is what I tell you who hear me. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. + Bless those who call down curses on you. And pray for those who treat you badly. + "Suppose someone hits you on one cheek. Turn your other cheek to him also. Suppose someone takes your coat. Don't stop him from taking your shirt. + "Give to everyone who asks you. And if anyone takes what belongs to you, don't ask to get it back. + Do to others as you want them to do to you. + "Suppose you love those who love you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. + And suppose you do good to those who are good to you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even 'sinners' do that. + And suppose you lend money to those who can pay you back. Should anyone praise you for that? Even a 'sinner' lends to 'sinners,' expecting them to pay everything back. + "But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return. And you will be sons of the Most High God. He is kind to people who are evil and are not thankful. + So have mercy, just as your Father has mercy. + "If you do not judge others, then you will not be judged. If you do not find others guilty, then you will not be found guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. + Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you." + Jesus also gave them another example. He asked, "Can a blind person lead another blind person? Won't they both fall into a pit? + Students are not better than their teachers. But everyone who is completely trained will be like his teacher. + "You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend's eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye. + How can you say to your friend, 'Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye'? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye? You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend's eye. + "A good tree doesn't bear bad fruit. And a bad tree doesn't bear good fruit. + You can tell each tree by the kind of fruit it bears. People do not pick figs from thorns. And they don't pick grapes from bushes. + "A good man says good things. These come from the good that is put away in his heart. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is put away in his heart. Their mouths say everything that is in their hearts. + "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and still don't do what I say? + Some people come to me and listen to me and do what I say. I will show you what they are like. + They are like someone who builds a house. He digs down deep and sets it on solid rock. When a flood comes, the river rushes against the house. But the water can't shake it. The house is well built. + "But here is what happens when people listen to my words and do not obey them. They are like someone who builds a house on soft ground instead of solid rock. The moment the river rushes against that house, it falls down. It is completely destroyed." + + + Jesus finished saying all those things to the people. Then he entered Capernaum. + There the servant of a Roman commander was sick and about to die. His master thought highly of him. + The commander heard about Jesus. So he sent some elders of the Jews to him. He told them to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. + They came to Jesus and begged him, "This man deserves to have you do this. + He loves our nation and has built our synagogue." + So Jesus went with them. When Jesus came near the house, the Roman commander sent friends to him. He told them to say, "Lord, don't trouble yourself. I am not good enough to have you come into my house. + That is why I did not even think I was fit to come to you. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. + I myself am a man who is under authority. And I have soldiers who obey my orders. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes. I tell that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." + When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. He turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, "I tell you, even in Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong." + Then the men who had been sent to Jesus returned to the house. They found that the servant was healed. + Some time later, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went along with him. + He approached the town gate. Just then, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. + When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. So he said, "Don't cry." + Then he went up and touched the coffin. Those carrying it stood still. Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" + The dead man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother. + The people were all filled with wonder and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." + This news about Jesus spread all through Judea and the whole country. + John's disciples told him about all these things. So he chose two of them. + He sent them to the Lord. They were to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who was supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?" + The men came to Jesus. They said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask you, 'Are you the one who was supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?' " + At that very time Jesus healed many people. They had illnesses, sicknesses and evil spirits. He also gave sight to many who were blind. + So Jesus replied to the messengers, "Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are healed. Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is preached to those who are poor. + Blessed are those who do not give up their faith because of me." + So John's messengers left. Then Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. He said, "What did you go out into the desert to see? Tall grass waving in the wind? + If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. Those who wear fine clothes and have many expensive things are in palaces. + Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. + "He is the one written about in Scripture. It says, " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way for you.' --(Malachi 3:1) + I tell you, no one more important than John has ever been born. But the least important person in God's kingdom is more important than he is." + All the people who heard Jesus' words agreed that God's way was right. Even the tax collectors agreed. These people had all been baptized by John. + But the Pharisees and the authorities on the law did not accept God's purpose for themselves. They had not been baptized by John. + "What can I compare today's people to?" Jesus asked. "What are they like? + They are like children sitting in the market place and calling out to each other. They say, " 'We played a flute for you. But you didn't dance. We sang a funeral song. But you didn't cry.' + "That is how it has been with John the Baptist. When he came to you, he didn't eat bread or drink wine. And you say, 'He has a demon.' + But when the Son of Man came, he ate and drank as you do. And you say, 'This fellow is always eating and drinking far too much. He's a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' + All who follow wisdom prove that wisdom is right." + One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So he went to the Pharisee's house. He took his place at the table. + There was a woman in that town who had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house. So she came with a special sealed jar of perfume. + She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. She began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them. + The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him. He would know what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!" + Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. + "Two people owed money to a certain lender. One owed him 500 silver coins. The other owed him 50 silver coins. + Neither of them had the money to pay him back. So he let them go without paying. Which of them will love him more?" + Simon replied, "I suppose the one who owed the most money." "You are right," Jesus said. + Then he turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water to wash my feet. But she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. + You did not give me a kiss. But this woman has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in. + You did not put any olive oil on my head. But she has poured perfume on my feet. + So I tell you this. Her many sins have been forgiven. She has loved a lot. But the one who has been forgiven little loves only a little." + Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." + The other guests began to talk about this among themselves. They said, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" + Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." + + + After this, Jesus traveled around from one town and village to another. He announced the good news of God's kingdom. The Twelve were with him. + So were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. One was Mary Magdalene. Seven demons had come out of her. + Another was Joanna, the wife of Cuza. He was the manager of Herod's household. Susanna and many others were there also. These women were helping to support Jesus and the Twelve with their own money. + A large crowd gathered together. People came to Jesus from town after town. As they did, he told a story. He said, + "A farmer went out to plant his seed. He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. People walked on it, and the birds of the air ate it up. + Some seed fell on rocky places. When it grew, the plants dried up because they had no water. + Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up with it and crowded out the plants. + Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 100 times more than the farmer planted." When Jesus said this, he called out, "Those who have ears should listen." + His disciples asked him what the story meant. + He said, "You have been given the chance to understand the secrets of God's kingdom. But to outsiders I speak by using stories. In that way, " 'They see, but they will not know what they are seeing. They hear, but they will not understand what they are hearing.' --(Isaiah 6:9) + "Here is what the story means. The seed is God's message. + People on the path are those who hear. But then the devil comes. He takes away the message from their hearts. He does it so they won't believe. Then they can't be saved. + Those on the rock are the ones who hear the message and receive it with joy. But they have no roots. They believe for a while. But when they are put to the test, they fall away from the faith. + The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear the message. But as they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures. So they do not reach full growth. + "But the seed on good soil stands for those with an honest and good heart. They hear the message. They keep it in their hearts. They remain faithful and produce a good crop. + "People do not light a lamp and then hide it in a jar or put it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand. Then those who come in can see its light. + What is hidden will be seen. And what is out of sight will be brought into the open and made known. + "So be careful how you listen. If you have something, you will be given more. If you have nothing, even what you think you have will be taken away from you." + Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him. But they could not get near him because of the crowd. + Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to see you." + He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and do what it says." + One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and left. + As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. A storm came down on the lake. It was so bad that the boat was about to sink. They were in great danger. + The disciples went and woke Jesus up. They said, "Master! Master! We're going to drown!" He got up and ordered the wind and the huge waves to stop. The storm quieted down. It was completely calm. + "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. They were amazed and full of fear. They asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him." + Jesus and his disciples sailed to the area of the Gerasenes across the lake from Galilee. + When Jesus stepped on shore, he was met by a man from the town. The man was controlled by demons. For a long time he had not worn clothes or lived in a house. He lived in the tombs. + When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet. He shouted at the top of his voice, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me? I beg you, don't hurt me!" + This was because Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times the spirit had taken hold of him. His hands and feet were chained, and he was kept under guard. But he had broken his chains. And then the demon had forced him to go out into lonely places in the countryside. + Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. + And they begged Jesus again and again not to order them to go into the Abyss. + A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. And he allowed it. + When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned. + Those who were tending the pigs saw what had happened. They ran off and reported it in the town and countryside. + The people went out to see what had happened. Then they came to Jesus. They found the man who was now free of the demons. He was sitting at Jesus' feet. He was dressed and thinking clearly. All this made the people afraid. + Those who had seen it told the others how the man who had been controlled by demons was now healed. + Then all the people who lived in the area of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them. They were filled with fear. So he got into the boat and left. + The man who was now free of the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away. He said to him, + "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away. He told people all over town how much Jesus had done for him. + When Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him. They were all expecting him. + Then a man named Jairus came. He was a synagogue ruler. He fell at Jesus' feet. He begged Jesus to come to his house. + His only daughter was dying. She was about 12 years old. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. + A woman was there who had a sickness that made her bleed. Her sickness had lasted for 12 years. No one could heal her. + She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his clothes. Right away her bleeding stopped. + "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. They all said they didn't do it. Then Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pushing against you." + But Jesus said, "Someone touched me. I know that power has gone out from me." + The woman realized that people would notice her. Shaking with fear, she came and fell at his feet. In front of everyone, she told why she had touched him. She also told how she had been healed in an instant. + Then he said to her, "Dear woman, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." + While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus. Jairus was the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," the messenger said. "Don't bother the teacher anymore." + Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just believe. She will be healed." + When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let everyone go in with him. He took only Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. + During this time, all the people were crying and sobbing loudly over the child. "Stop crying!" Jesus said. "She is not dead. She is sleeping." + They laughed at him. They knew she was dead. + But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" + Her spirit returned, and right away she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. + Her parents were amazed. But Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. + + + Jesus called the Twelve together. He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to heal sicknesses. + Then he sent them out to preach about God's kingdom and to heal those who were sick. + He told them, "Don't take anything for the journey. Do not take a walking stick or a bag. Do not take any bread, money or extra clothes. + When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. + Some people may not welcome you. If they don't, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town. This will be a witness against the people living there." + So the Twelve left. They went from village to village. They preached the good news and healed people everywhere. + Now Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything that was going on. He was bewildered, because some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. + Others were saying that Elijah had appeared. Still others were saying that a prophet of long ago had come back to life. + But Herod said, "I had John's head cut off. So who is it that I hear such things about?" And he tried to see Jesus. + The apostles returned. They told Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him. They went off by themselves to a town called Bethsaida. + But the crowds learned about it and followed Jesus. He welcomed them and spoke to them about God's kingdom. He also healed those who needed to be healed. + Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him. They said, "Send the crowd away. They can go to the nearby villages and countryside. There they can find food and a place to stay. There is nothing here." + Jesus replied, "You give them something to eat." The disciples answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. We would have to go and buy food for all this crowd." + About 5,000 men were there. But Jesus said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each." + The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. + Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke them into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples to set in front of the people. + All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces. + One day Jesus was praying alone. Only his disciples were with him. He asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" + They replied, "Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." + "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." + Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone. + He said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead." + Then he said to all of them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross every day and follow me. + If he wants to save his life, he will lose it. But if he loses his life for me, he will save it. + What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up his very self? + "Suppose you are ashamed of me and my words. The Son of Man will come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Then he will be ashamed of you. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom." + About eight days after Jesus said this, he went up on a mountain to pray. He took Peter, John and James with him. + As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. + Two men, Moses and Elijah, + appeared in shining glory. Jesus and the two of them talked together. They spoke about his coming death. He was going to die soon in Jerusalem. + Peter and his companions had been very sleepy. But then they became completely awake. They saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him. + As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter spoke up. "Master," he said to him, "it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He didn't really know what he was saying. + While Jesus was speaking, a cloud appeared. It surrounded them. The disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. + A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I have chosen him. Listen to him." + When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept quiet about this. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen. + The next day Jesus and those who were with him came down from the mountain. A large crowd met Jesus. + A man in the crowd called out. "Teacher," he said, "I beg you to look at my son. He is my only child. + A spirit takes hold of him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him into fits so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him. It is destroying him. + I begged your disciples to drive it out. But they couldn't do it." + "You unbelieving and evil people!" Jesus replied. "How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you?" Then he said to the man, "Bring your son here." + Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him into a fit. The boy fell to the ground. But Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. Then Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father. + They were all amazed at God's greatness. Everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did. Then Jesus said to his disciples, + "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men." + But they didn't understand what this meant. That was because it was hidden from them. And they were afraid to ask Jesus about it. + The disciples began to argue about which one of them would be the most important person. + Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had the child stand beside him. + Then he spoke to them. "Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me," he said. "And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me. The least important person among all of you is the most important." + "Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." + "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "Anyone who is not against you is for you." + The time grew near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. So he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. + He sent messengers on ahead. They went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. + But the people there did not welcome Jesus. That was because he was heading for Jerusalem. + The disciples James and John saw this. They asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?" + But Jesus turned and commanded them not to do it. + They went on to another village. + Once Jesus and those who were with him were walking along the road. A man said to Jesus, "I will follow you no matter where you go." + Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." + He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." + Jesus said to him, "Let dead people bury their own dead. You go and tell others about God's kingdom." + Still another man said, "I will follow you, Lord. But first let me go back and say good?by to my family." + Jesus replied, "Suppose you start to plow and then look back. If you do, you are not fit for service in God's kingdom." + + + After this the Lord appointed 72 others. He sent them out two by two ahead of him. They went to every town and place where he was about to go. + He told them, "The harvest is huge, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. + "Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. + Do not take a purse or bag or sandals. And don't greet anyone on the road. + "When you enter a house, first say, 'May this house be blessed with peace.' + If someone there loves peace, your blessing of peace will rest on him. If not, it will return to you. + Stay in that house. Eat and drink anything they give you. Workers are worthy of their pay. Do not move around from house to house. + "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set down in front of you. + Heal the sick people who are there. Tell them, 'God's kingdom is near you.' + "But what if you enter a town and are not welcomed? Then go into its streets and say, + 'We wipe off even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet. We do it to show that God isn't pleased with you. But here is what you can be sure of. God's kingdom is near.' + "I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom than for that town. + "How terrible it will be for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! Suppose the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon. They would have turned away from their sins long ago. They would have put on black clothes. They would have sat down in ashes. + On judgment day it will be easier for Tyre and Sidon than for you. + "And what about you, Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will go down to the place of the dead. + "Anyone who listens to you listens to me. Anyone who does not accept you does not accept me. And anyone who does not accept me does not accept the One who sent me." + The 72 returned with joy. They said, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we speak in your name." + Jesus replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. + I have given you authority to walk all over snakes and scorpions. You will be able to destroy all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. + But do not be glad when the evil spirits obey you. Instead, be glad that your names are written in heaven." + At that time Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit. He said, "I praise you, Father. You are Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from the wise and educated. But you have shown them to little children. Yes, Father. This is what you wanted. + "My Father has given all things to me. The Father is the only one who knows who the Son is. And the only ones who know the Father are the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to make the Father known." + Then Jesus turned to his disciples. He said to them in private, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. + I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see. But they didn't see it. They wanted to hear what you hear. But they didn't hear it." + One day an authority on the law stood up to put Jesus to the test. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to receive eternal life?" + "What is written in the Law?" Jesus replied. "How do you understand it?" + He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.'--(Deuteronomy 6:5) And, 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' "--(Leviticus 19:18) + "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do that, and you will live." + But the man wanted to make himself look good. So he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" + Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him. They stripped off his clothes and beat him. Then they went away, leaving him almost dead. + A priest happened to be going down that same road. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. + A Levite also came by. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side too. + But a Samaritan came to the place where the man was. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him. + He went to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey. He took him to an inn and took care of him. + The next day he took out two silver coins. He gave them to the owner of the inn. 'Take care of him,' he said. 'When I return, I will pay you back for any extra expense you may have.' + "Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?" + The authority on the law replied, "The one who felt sorry for him." Jesus told him, "Go and do as he did." + Jesus and his disciples went on their way. Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha lived. She welcomed him into her home. + She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. + But Martha was busy with all the things that had to be done. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Don't you care? Tell her to help me!" + "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered. "You are worried and upset about many things. + But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better. And it will not be taken away from her." + + + One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples spoke to him. "Lord," he said, "teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." + Jesus said to them, "When you pray, this is what you should say. " 'Father, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come. + Give us each day our daily bread. + Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.' " + Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose someone has a friend. He goes to him at midnight. He says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. + A friend of mine on a journey has come to stay with me. I have nothing for him to eat.' + "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked. My children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' + "I tell you, that person will not get up. And he won't give the man bread just because he is his friend. But because the man keeps on asking, he will get up. He will give him as much as he needs. + "So here is what I say to you. Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. + Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. And the door will be opened to the one who knocks. + "Fathers, suppose your son asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake instead? + Or suppose he asks for an egg. Which of you will give him a scorpion? + Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" + Jesus was driving out a demon. The man who had the demon could not speak. When the demon left, the man began to speak. The crowd was amazed. + But some of them said, "Jesus is driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons." + Others put Jesus to the test by asking for a miraculous sign from heaven. + Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "Any kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. A family that is divided against itself will fall. + If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom stand? "I say this because of what you claim. You say I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebub. + Suppose I do drive out demons with Beelzebub's help. With whose help do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. + But suppose I drive out demons with the help of God's powerful finger. Then God's kingdom has come to you. + "When a strong man is completely armed and guards his house, what he owns is safe. + But when someone stronger attacks, he is overpowered. The attacker takes away the armor the man had trusted in. Then he divides up what he has stolen. + "Anyone who is not with me is against me. Anyone who does not gather sheep with me scatters them. + "What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a man? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn't find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' + When it arrives there, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. + Then the evil spirit goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That man is worse off than before." + As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out. She shouted, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." + He replied, "Instead, blessed are those who hear God's word and obey it." + As the crowds grew larger, Jesus spoke to them. "The people of today are evil," he said. "They ask for a miraculous sign from God. But none will be given except the sign of Jonah. + He was a sign from God to the people of Nineveh. In the same way, the Son of Man will be a sign from God to the people of today. + "The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the men now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon's wisdom. And now one who is more important than Solomon is here. + "The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that those people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now one who is more important than Jonah is here. + "No one lights a lamp and hides it. No one puts it under a bowl. Instead, people put a lamp on its stand. Then those who come in can see the light. + "Your eye is like a lamp for your body. Suppose your eyes are good. Then your whole body also is full of light. But suppose your eyes are bad. Then your body also is full of darkness. + So make sure that the light inside you is not darkness. + "Suppose your whole body is full of light. And suppose no part of it is dark. Then your body will be completely lit up. It will be as when the light of a lamp shines on you." + Jesus finished speaking. Then a Pharisee invited him to eat with him. So Jesus went in and took his place at the table. + But the Pharisee noticed that Jesus did not wash before the meal. He was surprised. + Then the Lord spoke to him. "You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish," he said. "But inside you are full of greed and evil. + You foolish people! Didn't the one who made the outside make the inside also? + Give to poor people what is inside the dish. Then everything will be clean for you. + "How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of your garden plants, such as mint and rue. But you have forgotten to be fair and to love God. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first. + "How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the most important seats in the synagogues. You love having people greet you in the market places. + "How terrible for you! You are like graves that are not marked. People walk over them without knowing it." + An authority on the law spoke to Jesus. He said, "Teacher, when you say things like that, you say bad things about us too." + Jesus replied, "How terrible for you authorities on the law! You put such heavy loads on people that they can hardly carry them. But you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. + "How terrible for you! You build tombs for the prophets. It was your people of long ago who killed them. + So you give witness that you agree with what your people did long ago. They killed the prophets, and now you build the prophets' tombs. + "So God in his wisdom said, 'I will send prophets and apostles to them. They will kill some. And they will try to hurt others.' + So the people of today will be punished. They will pay for all the prophets' blood spilled since the world began. + I mean from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the temple. Yes, I tell you, the people of today will be punished for all these things. + "How terrible for you authorities on the law! You have taken away the key to the door of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered. And you have stood in the way of those who were entering." + When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law strongly opposed him. They threw a lot of questions at him. + They set traps for him. They wanted to catch him in something he might say. + + + During that time a crowd of many thousands had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on one another. Jesus spoke first to his disciples. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees," he said. "They just pretend to be godly. + Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. + What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. What you have whispered to someone behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops. + "My friends, listen to me. Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but can't do any more than that. + I will show you whom you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the One who can kill the body and also has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him. + "Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them. + In fact, he even counts every hair on your head! So don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. + "What about someone who says in front of others that he knows me? I tell you, the Son of Man will say that he knows that person in front of God's angels. + But what about someone who says in front of others that he doesn't know me? I, the Son of Man, will say that I don't know him in front of God's angels. + "Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. + "You will be brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities. But do not worry about how to stand up for yourselves or what to say. + The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." + Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "tell my brother to divide the family property with me." + Jesus replied, "Friend, who made me a judge or umpire between you?" + Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against wanting to have more and more things. Life is not made up of how much a person has." + Then Jesus told them a story. He said, "A certain rich man's land produced a good crop. + He thought to himself, 'What should I do? I don't have any place to store my crops.' + "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my storerooms and build bigger ones. I will store all my grain and my other things in them. + I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things stored away for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink and have a good time." ' + "But God said to him, 'You foolish man! This very night I will take your life away from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' + "That is how it will be for anyone who stores things away for himself but is not rich in God's eyes." + Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, "I tell you, do not worry. Don't worry about your life and what you will eat. And don't worry about your body and what you will wear. + There is more to life than eating. There are more important things for the body than clothes. + "Think about the ravens. They don't plant or gather crops. They don't have any storerooms at all. But God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds! + "Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? + You can't do that very little thing. So why worry about the rest? + "Think about how the lilies grow. They don't work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. + If that is how God dresses the wild grass, how much better will he dress you! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small! + "Don't spend time thinking about what you will eat or drink. Don't worry about it. + People who are ungodly run after all of those things. Your Father knows that you need them. + "But put God's kingdom first. Then those other things will also be given to you. + "Little flock, do not be afraid. Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. + Sell what you own. Give to those who are poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out. Put away riches in heaven that will not be used up. There, no thief can come near it. There, no moth can destroy it. + Your heart will be where your riches are. + "Be dressed and ready to serve. Keep your lamps burning. + Be like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding dinner. When he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. + "It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready when he comes. What I'm about to tell you is true. The master will then dress himself so he can serve them. He will have them take their places at the table. And he will come and wait on them. + It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready. It will even be good if he comes very late at night. + "But here is what you must understand. Suppose the owner of the house knew at what hour the robber was coming. He would not have let his house be broken into. + You also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don't expect him." + Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this story to us, or to everyone?" + The Lord answered, "Suppose a master puts one of his servants in charge of his other servants. The servant's job is to give them the food they are to receive at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise manager for this. + It will be good for the servant if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns. + What I'm about to tell you is true. The master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns. + "But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time to come back.' Suppose he begins to beat the other servants. Suppose he feeds himself. And suppose he drinks until he gets drunk. + The master of that servant will come back on a day the servant doesn't expect him. He will return at an hour the servant doesn't know. Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send him to the place where unbelievers go. + "Suppose a servant knows his master's wishes. But he doesn't get ready. And he doesn't do what his master wants. That servant will be beaten with many blows. + "But suppose the servant does not know his master's wishes. And suppose he does things for which he should be punished. He will be beaten with only a few blows. "Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. Even more will be asked of the person who is supposed to take care of much. + "I have come to bring fire on the earth. How I wish the fire had already started! + But I have a baptism of suffering to go through. And I will be very troubled until it is completed. + "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you. I have come to separate people. + From now on there will be five members in a family, each one against the other. There will be three against two and two against three. + They will be separated. Father will turn against son and son against father. Mother will turn against daughter and daughter against mother. Mother?in?law will turn against daughter?in?law and daughter?in?law against mother?in?law." + Jesus spoke to the crowd. He said, "You see a cloud rising in the west. Right away you say, 'It's going to rain.' And it does. + The south wind blows. So you say, 'It's going to be hot.' And it is. + You pretenders! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and the sky. Why can't you understand the meaning of what is happening right now? + "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? + Suppose someone has a claim against you, and you are on your way to court. Try hard to settle the matter on the way. If you don't, that person may drag you off to the judge. The judge may turn you over to the officer. And the officer may throw you into prison. + I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny!" + + + Some people who were there at that time told Jesus about certain Galileans. Pilate had mixed their blood with their sacrifices. + Jesus said, "These people from Galilee suffered greatly. Do you think they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? + I tell you, no! But unless you turn away from your sins, you will all die too. + Or what about the 18 people in Siloam? They died when the tower fell on them. Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? + I tell you, no! But unless you turn away from your sins, you will all die too." + Then Jesus told a story. "A man had a fig tree," he said. "It had been planted in his vineyard. When he went to look for fruit on it, he didn't find any. + So he went to the man who took care of the vineyard. He said, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree. But I haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' + " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year. I'll dig around it and feed it. + If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' " + Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath day. + A woman there had been disabled by an evil spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. + Jesus saw her. He asked her to come to him. He said to her, "Woman, you will no longer be disabled. I am about to set you free." + Then he put his hands on her. Right away she stood up straight and praised God. + Jesus had healed the woman on the Sabbath day. This made the synagogue ruler angry. He told the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days. But do not come on the Sabbath." + The Lord answered him, "You pretenders! Doesn't each of you go to the barn and untie his ox or donkey on the Sabbath day? Then don't you lead it out to give it water? + This woman is a member of Abraham's family line. But Satan has kept her disabled for 18 long years. Shouldn't she be set free on the Sabbath day from what was keeping her disabled?" + When Jesus said this, all those who opposed him were put to shame. But the people were delighted. They loved all the wonderful things he was doing. + Then Jesus asked, "What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it to? + It is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a garden. It grew and became a tree. The birds sat in its branches." + Again he asked, "What can I compare God's kingdom to? + It is like yeast that a woman used. She mixed it into a large amount of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough." + Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching the people. He was on his way to Jerusalem. + Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, + "Try very hard to enter through the narrow door. I tell you, many will try to enter and will not be able to. + The owner of the house will get up and close the door. Then you will stand outside knocking and begging. You will say, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you. And I don't know where you come from.' + "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you. You taught in our streets.' + "But he will reply, 'I don't know you. And I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil!' + "You will sob and grind your teeth when you see those who are in God's kingdom. You will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets there. But you yourselves will be thrown out. + People will come from east and west and north and south. They will take their places at the feast in God's kingdom. + Then the last will be first. And the first will be last." + At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus. They said to him, "Leave this place. Go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you." + He replied, "Go and tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons. I will heal people today and tomorrow. And on the third day I will reach my goal.' + In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day. Certainly no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! + "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not let me! + "Look, your house is left empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "--(Psalm 118:26) + + + One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a well?known Pharisee. While he was there, he was being carefully watched. + In front of him was a man whose body was badly swollen. + Jesus turned to the Pharisees and the authorities on the law. He asked them, "Is it breaking the Law to heal on the Sabbath?" + But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man and healed him. Then he sent him away. + He asked them another question. He said, "Suppose one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day. Wouldn't you pull him out right away?" + And they had nothing to say. + Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So he told them a story. + He said, "Suppose someone invites you to a wedding feast. Do not take the place of honor. A person more important than you may have been invited. + If so, the host who invited both of you will come to you. He will say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be filled with shame. You will have to take the least important place. + "But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. + Anyone who lifts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who is brought down will be lifted up." + Then Jesus spoke to his host. "Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner," he said. "Do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back. + "But when you give a big dinner, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can't walk, the disabled and the blind. + Then you will be blessed. Your guests can't pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead." + One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God's kingdom." + Jesus replied, "A certain man was preparing a big dinner. He invited many guests. + Then the day of the dinner arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, 'Come. Everything is ready now.' + "But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said, 'I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.' + "Another said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' + "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' + "The servant came back and reported this to his master. "Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can't walk, the blind and the disabled.' + " 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done. But there is still room.' + "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. + I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my dinner.' " + Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and spoke to them. He said, + "Anyone who comes to me must hate his father and mother. He must hate his wife and children. He must hate his brothers and sisters. And he must hate even his own life. Unless he does, he can't be my disciple. + Anyone who doesn't carry his cross and follow me can't be my disciple. + "Suppose someone wants to build a tower. Won't he sit down first and figure out how much it will cost? Then he will see whether he has enough money to finish it. + Suppose he starts building and is not able to finish. Then everyone who sees what he has done will laugh at him. + They will say, 'This fellow started to build. But he wasn't able to finish.' + "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. And suppose he has 10,000 men, while the other has 20,000 coming against him. Won't he first sit down and think about whether he can win? + "And suppose he decides he can't win. Then he will send some men to ask how peace can be made. He will do this while the other king is still far away. + "In the same way, you must give up everything you have. If you don't, you can't be my disciple. + "Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? + It is not good for the soil. And it is not good for the trash pile. It will be thrown out. "Those who have ears should listen." + + + The tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear Jesus. + But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were whispering among themselves. They said, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." + Then Jesus told them a story. + He said, "Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won't he leave the 99 in the open country? Won't he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it? + When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shoulders + and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep.' + "I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins. + "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She will light a lamp and sweep the house. She will search carefully until she finds the coin. + And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.' + "I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin." + Jesus continued, "There was a man who had two sons. + The younger son spoke to his father. He said, 'Father, give me my share of the family property.' So the father divided his property between his two sons. + "Not long after that, the younger son packed up all he had. Then he left for a country far away. There he wasted his money on wild living. + He spent everything he had. "Then the whole country ran low on food. So the son didn't have what he needed. + He went to work for someone who lived in that country, who sent him to the fields to feed the pigs. + The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. + "Then he began to think clearly again. He said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food! But here I am dying from hunger! + I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven. And I have sinned against you. + I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers." ' + So he got up and went to his father. "While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him. + "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.' + "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. + Bring the fattest calf and kill it. Let's have a big dinner and celebrate. + This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.' "So they began to celebrate. + "The older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. + So he called one of the servants. He asked him what was going on. + " 'Your brother has come home,' the servant replied. 'Your father has killed the fattest calf. He has done this because your brother is back safe and sound.' + "The older brother became angry. He refused to go in. So his father went out and begged him. + "But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've worked like a slave for you. I have always obeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. + But this son of yours wasted your money with some prostitutes. Now he comes home. And for him you kill the fattest calf!' + " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me. Everything I have is yours. + But we had to celebrate and be glad. This brother of yours was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.' " + + + Jesus told his disciples another story. He said, "There was a rich man who had a manager. Some said that the manager was wasting what the rich man owned. + So the rich man told him to come in. He asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Tell me exactly how you have handled what I own. You can't be my manager any longer.' + "The manager said to himself, 'What will I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig. And I'm too ashamed to beg. + I know what I'm going to do. I'll do something so that when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' + "So he called in each person who owed his master something. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?' + " 'I owe 800 gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill. Sit down quickly and change it to 400 gallons.' + "Then he asked the second one, 'And how much do you owe?' " 'I owe 1,000 bushels of wheat,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill and change it to 800 bushels.' + "The manager had not been honest. But the master praised him for being clever. The people of this world are clever in dealing with those who are like themselves. They are more clever than God's people. + "I tell you, use the riches of this world to help others. In that way, you will make friends for yourselves. Then when your riches are gone, you will be welcomed into your eternal home in heaven. + "Suppose you can be trusted with very little. Then you can be trusted with a lot. But suppose you are not honest with very little. Then you will not be honest with a lot. + "Suppose you have not been worthy of trust in handling worldly wealth. Then who will trust you with true riches? + Suppose you have not been worthy of trust in handling someone else's property. Then who will give you property of your own? + "No servant can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one of them and love the other. Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can't serve God and Money at the same time." + The Pharisees loved money. They heard all that Jesus said and made fun of him. + Jesus said to them, "You try to make yourselves look good in the eyes of other people. But God knows your hearts. What is worth a great deal among people is hated by God. + "The teachings of the Law and the Prophets were preached until John came. Since then, the good news of God's kingdom is being preached. And everyone is trying very hard to enter it. + It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest part of a letter to drop out of the Law. + "Anyone who divorces his wife and gets married to another woman commits adultery. Also, the man who gets married to a divorced woman commits adultery. + "Once there was a rich man. He was dressed in purple cloth and fine linen. He lived an easy life every day. + A man named Lazarus was placed at his gate. Lazarus was a beggar. His body was covered with sores. + Even dogs came and licked his sores. All he wanted was to eat what fell from the rich man's table. + "The time came when the beggar died. The angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. + In hell, the rich man was suffering terribly. He looked up and saw Abraham far away. Lazarus was by his side. + So the rich man called out, 'Father Abraham! Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water. Then he can cool my tongue with it. I am in terrible pain in this fire.' + "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember what happened in your lifetime. You received your good things. Lazarus received bad things. Now he is comforted here, and you are in terrible pain. + Besides, a wide space has been placed between us and you. So those who want to go from here to you can't go. And no one can cross over from there to us.' + "The rich man answered, 'Then I beg you, father. Send Lazarus to my family. + I have five brothers. Let Lazarus warn them. Then they will not come to this place of terrible suffering.' + "Abraham replied, 'They have the teachings of Moses and the Prophets. Let your brothers listen to them.' + " 'No, father Abraham,' he said. 'But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will turn away from their sins.' + "Abraham said to him, 'They do not listen to Moses and the Prophets. So they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " + + + Jesus spoke to his disciples. "Things that make people sin are sure to come," he said. "But how terrible it will be for the person who brings them! + Suppose people lead one of these little ones to sin. It would be better for those people to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck. + So watch what you do. "If your brother sins, tell him he is wrong. Then if he turns away from his sins, forgive him. + Suppose he sins against you seven times in one day. And suppose he comes back to you each time and says, 'I'm sorry.' Forgive him." + The apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith!" + He replied, "Suppose you have faith as small as a mustard seed. Then you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up. Be planted in the sea.' And it will obey you. + "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. And suppose the servant came in from the field. Would you say to him, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? + No. Instead, you would say, 'Prepare my supper. Get yourself ready. Wait on me while I eat and drink. Then after that you can eat and drink.' + Would you thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? + "It's the same with you. Suppose you have done everything you were told to do. Then you should say, 'We are not worthy to serve you. We have only done our duty.' " + Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. + As he was going into a village, ten men met him. They had a skin disease. They were standing close by. + And they called out in a loud voice, "Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!" + Jesus saw them and said, "Go. Show yourselves to the priests." While they were on the way, they were healed. + When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God in a loud voice. + He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. + Jesus asked, "Weren't all ten healed? Where are the other nine? + Didn't anyone else return and give praise to God except this outsider?" + Then Jesus said to him, "Get up and go. Your faith has healed you." + Once the Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He replied, "The coming of God's kingdom is not something you can see just by watching for it carefully. + People will not say, 'Here it is.' Or, 'There it is.' God's kingdom is among you." + Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. "The time is coming," he said, "when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you won't see it. + People will tell you, 'There he is!' Or, 'Here he is!' Don't go running off after them. + "When the Son of Man comes, he will be like the lightning. It flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. + But first the Son of Man must suffer many things. He will not be accepted by the people of today. + "Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. + People were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. + "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking. They were buying and selling. They were planting and building. + But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven. And all the people were destroyed. + "It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is shown to the world. + Suppose someone is on the roof of his house on that day. And suppose his goods are inside the house. He should not go down to get them. No one in the field should go back for anything either. + Remember Lot's wife! + Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. Anyone who loses his life will keep it. + "I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed. One person will be taken and the other left. + Two women will be grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other left." + *** + "Where, Lord?" his disciples asked. He replied, "The vultures will gather where there is a dead body." + + + Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to show them that they should always pray and not give up. + He said, "In a certain town there was a judge. He didn't have any respect for God or care about people. + A widow lived in that town. She came to the judge again and again. She kept begging him, 'Make things right for me. Someone is doing me wrong.' + "For some time the judge refused. But finally he said to himself, 'I don't have any respect for God. I don't care about people. + But this widow keeps bothering me. So I will see that things are made right for her. If I don't, she will wear me out by coming again and again!' " + The Lord said, "Listen to what the unfair judge says. + "God's chosen people cry out to him day and night. Won't he make things right for them? Will he keep putting them off? + I tell you, God will see that things are made right for them. He will make sure it happens quickly. "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find people on earth who have faith?" + Jesus told a story to some people who were sure they were right with God. They looked down on everybody else. + He said to them, "Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector. + "The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people,' he said. 'I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector. + I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.' + "But the tax collector stood not very far away. He would not even look up to heaven. He beat his chest and said, 'God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.' + "I tell you, the tax collector went home accepted by God. But not the Pharisee. Everyone who lifts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who is brought down will be lifted up." + People were also bringing babies to Jesus. They wanted him to touch them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people to stop. + But Jesus asked the children to come to him. "Let the little children come to me," he said. "Don't keep them away. God's kingdom belongs to people like them. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God's kingdom like a little child will never enter it." + A certain ruler asked Jesus a question. "Good teacher," he said, "what must I do to receive eternal life?" + "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good except God. + You know what the commandments say. 'Do not commit adultery. Do not commit murder. Do not steal. Do not give false witness. Honor your father and mother.' "--(Exodus 20:12?16; Deuteronomy 5:16?20) + "I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy," the ruler said. + When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You are still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." + When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. He was very rich. + Jesus looked at him. Then he said, "How hard it is for rich people to enter God's kingdom! + Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for the rich to enter God's kingdom!" + Those who heard this asked, "Then who can be saved?" + Jesus replied, "Things that are impossible with people are possible with God." + Peter said to him, "We have left everything we had in order to follow you!" + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus said to them. "Has anyone left home or family for God's kingdom? + They will receive many times as much in this world. In the world to come they will live forever." + Jesus took the Twelve to one side. He told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. + He will be handed over to people who are not Jews. They will make fun of him. They will laugh at him and spit on him. They will whip him and kill him. + On the third day, he will rise from the dead!" + The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them. So they didn't know what Jesus was talking about. + Jesus was approaching Jericho. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging. + The blind man heard the crowd going by. He asked what was happening. + They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." + So the blind man called out, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" + Those who led the way commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "Son of David! Have mercy on me!" + Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus spoke to him. + "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "Lord, I want to be able to see," the blind man replied. + Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you." + Right away he could see. He followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. + + + Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. + A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich. + Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. + So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore?fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way. + Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today." + So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly. + All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, "Jesus has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " + But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took." + Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham's family line. + The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them." + While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God's kingdom was going to appear right away. + Jesus said, "A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. + So he sent for ten of his servants. He gave them each about three months' pay. 'Put this money to work until I come back,' he said. + "But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' + "But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the servants he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it. + "The first one came to him. He said, 'Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.' + " 'You have done well, my good servant!' his master replied. 'You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.' + "The second servant came to his master. He said, 'Sir, your money has earned five times as much.' + "His master answered, 'I will put you in charge of five towns.' + "Then another servant came. He said, 'Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. + I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.' + "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? + Then why didn't you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.' + "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.' + " 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten times as much!' + "He replied, 'I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what he has will be taken away from him. + And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!' " + After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem. + He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, + "Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey's colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. + Someone may ask you, 'Why are you untying it?' If so, say, 'The Lord needs it.' " + Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. + They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" + They replied, "The Lord needs it." + Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. + As he went along, people spread their coats on the road. + Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted, + "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" --(Psalm 118:26) "May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!" + Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "tell your disciples to stop!" + "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." + He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to sob. + He said, "I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. + "The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side. + You didn't recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another." + Then Jesus entered the temple area. He began chasing out those who were selling there. + He told them, "It is written that the Lord said, 'My house will be a house where people can pray.'--(Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a 'den for robbers.' "--(Jeremiah 7:11) + Every day Jesus was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were trying to kill him. So were the leaders among the people. + But they couldn't find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words. + + + One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was preaching the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them. + "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they all said. "Who gave you this authority?" + Jesus replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, + was John's baptism from heaven? Or did it come from men?" + They talked to each other about it. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' + But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet." + So they answered Jesus, "We don't know where John's baptism came from." + Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things either." + Jesus went on to tell the people a story. "A man planted a vineyard," he said. "He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time. + "At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the servant. Then they sent him away with nothing. + So the man sent another servant. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing. + The man sent a third servant. The renters wounded him and threw him out. + "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.' + "But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over. 'This is the one who will receive all the owner's property someday,' they said. 'Let's kill him. Then everything will be ours.' + So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him. "What will the owner of the vineyard do to the renters? + He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "We hope this never happens!" + Jesus looked right at them and said, "Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written, " 'The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all.' --(Psalm 118:22) + Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on." + The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people. + The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be honest. They hoped they could trap Jesus with something he would say. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. + So the spies questioned Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don't favor one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully. + Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + Jesus saw they were trying to trick him. So he said to them, + "Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?" + "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God." + They were not able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. Amazed by his answer, they became silent. + The Sadducees do not believe that people rise from the dead. Some of them came to Jesus with a question. + "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us about a man's brother who dies. Suppose the brother leaves a wife but has no children. Then the man must get married to the widow. He must have children to carry on his dead brother's name. + "There were seven brothers. The first one got married to a woman. He died without leaving any children. + The second one got married to her. + And then the third one got married to her. One after another, the seven brothers got married to her. They all died. None left any children. + Finally, the woman died too. + Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her." + Jesus replied, "People in this world get married. And their parents give them to get married. + But it will not be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in what happens at that time won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married. + They can't die anymore. They are like the angels. They are God's children. They will be given a new form of life when the dead rise. + "Remember the story of Moses and the bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise. The Lord said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.'--(Exodus 3:6) + He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. In his eyes, everyone is alive." + Some of the teachers of the law replied, "You have spoken well, teacher!" + And no one dared to ask him any more questions. + Jesus said to them, "Why do people say that the Christ is the Son of David? + David himself says in the Book of Psalms, " 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand + until I put your enemies under your control." ' --(Psalm 110:1) + David calls him 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?" + All the people were listening. Jesus said to his disciples, + "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted in the market places. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at dinners. + They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish those men very much." + + + As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their gifts into the temple offering boxes. + He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus said. "That poor widow has put in more than all the others. + All of those other people gave a lot because they are rich. But even though she is poor, she put in everything. She had nothing left to live on." + Some of Jesus' disciples were talking about the temple. They spoke about how it was decorated with beautiful stones and with gifts that honored God. But Jesus asked, + "Do you see all this? The time will come when not one stone will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down." + "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" + Jesus replied, "Keep watch! Be careful that you are not fooled. Many will come in my name. They will claim, 'I am he!' And they will say, 'The time is near!' Do not follow them. + Do not be afraid when you hear about wars and about fighting against rulers. Those things must happen first. But the end will not come right away." + Then Jesus said to them, "Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. + In many places there will be powerful earthquakes. People will go hungry. There will be terrible sicknesses. Things will happen that will make people afraid. There will be great and miraculous signs from heaven. + "But before all this, people will arrest you and treat you badly. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons. You will be brought to kings and governors. All this will happen to you because of my name. + In that way you will be witnesses to them. + But make up your mind not to worry ahead of time about how to stand up for yourselves. + I will give you words of wisdom. None of your enemies will be able to withstand them or oppose them. + "Even your parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends will hand you over to the authorities. They will put some of you to death. + Everyone will hate you because of me. + But not a hair on your head will be harmed. + If you stand firm, you will gain life. + "A time is coming when you will see armies surround Jerusalem. Then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. + Those who are in Judea should then escape to the mountains. Those in the city should get out. Those in the country should not enter the city. + This is the time when God will punish Jerusalem. Everything will come true, just as it has been written. + "How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! There will be terrible suffering in the land. There will be great anger against those people. + Some will be killed by the sword. Others will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be overrun by those who aren't Jews until the times of the non?Jews come to an end. + "There will be miraculous signs in the sun, moon and stars. The nations of the earth will be in terrible pain. They will be puzzled by the roaring and tossing of the sea. + Terror will make people faint. They will be worried about what is happening in the world. The sun, moon and stars will be shaken from their places. + "At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud. He will come with power and great glory. + When these things begin to take place, stand up. Hold your head up with joy and hope. The time when you will be set free will be very close." + Jesus told them a story. "Look at the fig tree and all the trees," he said. + "When you see leaves appear on the branches, you know that summer is near. + In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that God's kingdom is near. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. The people living at that time will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. + Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away. + "Be careful. If you aren't, your hearts will be loaded down with wasteful living, drunkenness and the worries of life. Then the day the Son of Man returns will close on you like a trap. You will not be expecting it. + That day will come upon every person who lives on the whole earth. + "Always keep watching. Pray that you will be able to escape all that is about to happen. Also, pray that you will not be judged guilty when the Son of Man comes." + Each day Jesus taught at the temple. And each evening he went to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. + All the people came to the temple early in the morning. They wanted to hear Jesus speak. + + + The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was near. + The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus. They were afraid of the people. + Then Satan entered Judas, who was called Iscariot. Judas was one of the Twelve. + He went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard. He talked with them about how he could hand Jesus over to them. + They were delighted and agreed to give him money. + Judas accepted their offer. He watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. He wanted to do it when no crowd was around. + Then the day of Unleavened Bread came. That was the time the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. + Jesus sent Peter and John on ahead. "Go," he told them. "Prepare for us to eat the Passover meal." + "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. + Jesus replied, "When you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he enters. + Then say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is the guest room? Where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?" ' + He will show you a large upstairs room with furniture in it. Prepare for us to eat there." + Peter and John left. They found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal. + When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles took their places at the table. + He said to them, "I have really looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you. I wanted to do this before I suffer. + I tell you, I will not eat the Passover meal again until it is celebrated in God's kingdom." + After Jesus took the cup, he gave thanks. He said, "Take this cup and share it among yourselves. + I tell you, I will not drink wine with you again until God's kingdom comes." + Then Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to them and said, "This is my body. It is given for you. Every time you eat it, do it in memory of me." + In the same way, after the supper he took the cup. He said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. It is poured out for you. + But someone here is going to hand me over to my enemies. His hand is with mine on the table. + The Son of Man will go to his death, just as God has already decided. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands him over!" + The apostles began to ask each other about this. They wondered which one of them would do it. + They also started to argue. They disagreed about which of them was thought to be the most important person. + Jesus said to them, "The kings of the nations hold power over their people. And those who order them around call themselves Protectors. + But you must not be like that. Instead, the most important among you should be like the youngest. The one who rules should be like the one who serves. + "Who is more important? Is it the one at the table, or the one who serves? Isn't it the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. + You have stood by me during my troubles. + And I give you a kingdom, just as my Father gave me a kingdom. + Then you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. + "Simon, Simon! Satan has asked to sift you disciples like wheat. + But I have prayed for you, Simon. I have prayed that your faith will not fail. When you have turned back, help your brothers to be strong." + But Simon replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." + Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, you will say three times that you don't know me. And you will do it before the rooster crows today." + Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Did you need anything when I sent you without a purse, bag or sandals?" "Nothing," they answered. + He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it. And also take a bag. If you don't have a sword, sell your coat and buy one. + It is written, 'He was counted among those who had committed crimes.'--(Isaiah 53:12) I tell you that what is written about me must come true. Yes, it is already coming true." + The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is enough," he replied. + Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives. His disciples followed him. + When they reached the place, Jesus spoke. "Pray that you won't fall into sin when you are tempted," he said to them. + Then he went a short distance away from them. There he got down on his knees and prayed. + He said, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering away from me. But do what you want, not what I want." + An angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and gave him strength. + Because he was very sad and troubled, he prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. + After that, he got up from prayer and went back to the disciples. He found them sleeping. They were worn out because they were very sad. + "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up! Pray that you won't fall into sin when you are tempted." + While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. The man named Judas was leading them. He was one of the Twelve. Judas approached Jesus to kiss him. + But Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you handing over the Son of Man with a kiss?" + Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen. So they said, "Lord, should we use our swords against them?" + One of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. + But Jesus answered, "Stop this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. + Then Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders. They had all come for him. "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" he asked. "Do you have to come with swords and clubs? + Every day I was with you in the temple courtyard. And you didn't lay a hand on me. But this is your hour. This is when darkness rules." + Then the men arrested Jesus and led him away. They took him into the high priest's house. Peter followed from far away. + They started a fire in the middle of the courtyard. Then they sat down together. Peter sat down with them. + A female servant saw him sitting there in the firelight. She looked closely at him. Then she said, "This man was with Jesus." + But Peter said he had not been with him. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. + A little later someone else saw Peter. "You also are one of them," he said. "No," Peter replied. "I'm not!" + About an hour later, another person spoke up. "This fellow must have been with Jesus," he said. "He is from Galilee." + Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. + The Lord turned and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him. "The rooster will crow today," Jesus had said. "Before it does, you will say three times that you don't know me." + Peter went outside. He broke down and sobbed. + There were men guarding Jesus. They began laughing at him and beating him. + They blindfolded him. They said, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" + They also said many other things to make fun of him. + At dawn the elders of the people met together. These included the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Jesus was led to them. + "If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me. + And if I asked you, you would not answer. + But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." + They all asked, "Are you the Son of God then?" He replied, "You are right in saying that I am." + Then they said, "Why do we need any more witnesses? We have heard it from his own lips." + + + Then the whole group got up and led Jesus off to Pilate. + They began to bring charges against Jesus. They said, "We have found this man misleading our people. He is against paying taxes to Caesar. And he claims to be Christ, a king." + So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied. + Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd. He announced, "I find no basis for a charge against this man." + But they kept it up. They said, "His teaching stirs up the people all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." + When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was from Galilee. + He learned that Jesus was from Herod's area of authority. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. At that time Herod was also in Jerusalem. + When Herod saw Jesus, he was very pleased. He had been wanting to see Jesus for a long time. He had heard much about him. He hoped to see Jesus do a miracle. + Herod asked him many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. + The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there. With loud shouts they brought charges against him. + Herod and his soldiers laughed at him and made fun of him. They dressed him in a beautiful robe. Then they sent him back to Pilate. + That day Herod and Pilate became friends. Before this time they had been enemies. + Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people. + He said to them, "You brought me this man. You said he was turning the people against the authorities. I have questioned him in front of you. I have found no basis for your charges against him. + Herod hasn't either. So he sent Jesus back to us. As you can see, Jesus has done nothing that is worthy of death. + So I will just have him whipped and let him go." + *** + With one voice the crowd cried out, "Kill this man! Give Barabbas to us!" + Barabbas had been thrown into prison. He had taken part in a struggle in the city against the authorities. He had also committed murder. + Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he made an appeal to the crowd again. + But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" + Pilate spoke to them for the third time. "Why?" he asked. "What wrong has this man done? I have found no reason to have him put to death. So I will just have him whipped and let him go." + But with loud shouts they kept calling for Jesus to be crucified. The people's shouts won out. + So Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. + He set free the man they asked for. The man had been thrown in prison for murder and for fighting against the authorities. Pilate gave Jesus over to them so they could carry out their plans. + As they led Jesus away, they took hold of Simon. Simon was from Cyrene. He was on his way in from the country. They put a wooden cross on his shoulders. Then they made him carry it behind Jesus. + A large number of people followed Jesus. Some were women whose hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried loudly because of him. + Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. + The time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the women who can't have children! Blessed are those who never gave birth or nursed babies!' + It is written, " 'The people will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" They'll say to the hills, "Cover us!" ' --(Hosea 10:8) + People do these things when trees are green. So what will happen when trees are dry?" + Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them had broken the law. + The soldiers brought them to the place called The Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. He hung between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left. + Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots. + The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They said, "He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." + The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him. They offered him wine vinegar. + They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." + A written sign had been placed above him. It read, ~this is the king of the jews.= + One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself! Save us!" + But the other criminal scolded him. "Don't you have any respect for God?" he said. "Remember, you are under the same sentence of death. + We are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But this man hasn't done anything wrong." + Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." + Jesus answered him, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise." + It was now about noon. The whole land was covered with darkness until three o'clock. + The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two. + Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my very life." After he said this, he took his last breath. + The Roman commander saw what had happened. He praised God and said, "Jesus was surely a man who did what was right." + The people had gathered to watch that sight. When they saw what happened, they beat their chests and went away. + But all those who knew Jesus stood not very far away, watching those things. They included the women who had followed him from Galilee. + A man named Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council. He was a good and honest man. + He had not agreed with what the leaders had decided and done. He was from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was waiting for God's kingdom. + Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. + He took it down and wrapped it in linen cloth. Then he put it in a tomb cut in the rock. No one had ever been buried there. + It was Preparation Day. The Sabbath was about to begin. + The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it. + Then they went home. There they prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath day in order to obey the Law. + + + It was very early in the morning on the first day of the week. The women took the spices they had prepared. Then they went to the tomb. + They found the stone rolled away from it. + When they entered the tomb, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. + They were wondering about this. Suddenly two men in clothes as bright as lightning stood beside them. + The women were terrified. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. Then the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? + Jesus is not here! He has risen! Remember how he told you he would rise. It was while he was still with you in Galilee. + He said, 'The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people. He must be nailed to a cross. On the third day he will rise from the dead.' " + Then the women remembered Jesus' words. + They came back from the tomb. They told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. + Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them were the ones who told the apostles. + But the apostles did not believe the women. Their words didn't make any sense to them. + But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent over and saw the strips of linen lying by themselves. Then he went away, wondering what had happened. + That same day two of Jesus' followers were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem. + They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. + As they talked about those things, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. + But God kept them from recognizing him. + Jesus asked them, "What are you talking about as you walk along?" They stood still, and their faces were sad. + One of them was named Cleopas. He said to Jesus, "You must be a visitor to Jerusalem. If you lived there, you would know the things that have happened there in the last few days." + "What things?" Jesus asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet. He was powerful in what he said and did in the eyes of God and all of the people. + The chief priests and our rulers handed Jesus over to be sentenced to death. They nailed him to a cross. + But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to set Israel free. Also, it is the third day since all this happened. + "Some of our women amazed us too. Early this morning they went to the tomb. + But they didn't find his body. So they came and told us what they had seen. They saw angels, who said Jesus was alive. + Then some of our friends went to the tomb. They saw it was empty, just as the women had said. They didn't see Jesus' body there." + Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are! How long it takes you to believe all that the prophets said! + Didn't the Christ have to suffer these things and then receive his glory?" + Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures. He began with Moses and all the Prophets. + The two men approached the village where they were going. Jesus acted as if he were going farther. + But they tried hard to keep him from leaving. They said, "Stay with us. It is nearly evening. The day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. + He joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them. + Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight. + They said to each other, "He talked with us on the road. He opened the Scriptures to us. Weren't our hearts burning inside us during that time?" + They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them. They were all gathered together. + They were saying, "It's true! The Lord has risen! He has appeared to Simon!" + Then the two of them told what had happened to them on the way. They told how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread. + The disciples were still talking about this when Jesus himself suddenly stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!" + They were surprised and terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost. + Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled? Why do you have doubts in your minds? + Look at my hands and my feet. It is really I! Touch me and see. A ghost does not have a body or bones. But you can see that I do." + After he said that, he showed them his hands and feet. + But they still did not believe it. They were amazed and filled with joy. So Jesus asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" + They gave him a piece of cooked fish. + He took it and ate it in front of them. + Jesus said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything written about me must happen. Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must come true." + Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. + He told them, "This is what is written. The Christ will suffer. He will rise from the dead on the third day. + His followers will preach in his name. They will tell others to turn away from their sins and be forgiven. People from every nation will hear it, beginning at Jerusalem. + You have seen these things with your own eyes. + "I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But for now, stay in the city. Stay there until you have received power from heaven." + Jesus led his disciples out to the area near Bethany. Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them. + While he was blessing them, he left them. He was taken up into heaven. + Then they worshiped him. With great joy, they returned to Jerusalem. + Every day they went to the temple, praising God. + + + + + In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. + He was with God in the beginning. + All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. + Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people. + The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not understood it. + A man came who was sent from God. His name was John. + He came to give witness about that light. He gave witness so that all people could believe. + John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light. + The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. + The Word was in the world that was made through him. But the world did not recognize him. + He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him. + Some people did accept him. They believed in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God. + To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does. + The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son. He came from the Father. And he was full of grace and truth. + John gives witness about him. He cries out and says, "This was the one I was talking about. I said, 'He who comes after me is more important than I am. He is more important because he existed before I was born.' " + We have all received one blessing after another. God's grace is not limited. + Moses gave us the law. Jesus Christ has given us grace and truth. + No one has ever seen God. But God, the one and only Son, is at the Father's side. He has shown us what God is like. + The Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was. John gave witness to them. + He did not try to hide the truth. He spoke to them openly. He said, "I am not the Christ." + They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet we've been expecting?" they asked. "No," he answered. + They asked one last time, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" + John replied, using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, "I'm the messenger who is calling out in the desert, 'Make the way for the Lord straight.' "--(Isaiah 40:3) + Some Pharisees who had been sent + asked him, "If you are not the Christ, why are you baptizing people? Why are you doing that if you aren't Elijah or the Prophet we've been expecting?" + "I baptize people with water," John replied. "But One is standing among you whom you do not know. + He is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals." + This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. That was where John was baptizing. + The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! + This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A man who comes after me is more important than I am. That's because he existed before I was born.' + I did not know him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this person is. That's the reason I came baptizing with water." + Then John told them, "I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven like a dove. The Spirit remained on Jesus. + I would not have known him. But the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' + I have seen it happen. I give witness that this is the Son of God." + The next day John was again with two of his disciples. + He saw Jesus walking by. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God!" + The two disciples heard him say this. So they followed Jesus. + Then Jesus turned around and saw them following. He asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Rabbi means Teacher. + "Come," he replied. "You will see." So they went and saw where he was staying. They spent the rest of the day with him. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. + Andrew was Simon Peter's brother. Andrew was one of the two disciples who heard what John had said. He had also followed Jesus. + The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon. He told him, "We have found the Messiah." Messiah means Christ. + And he brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas." Cephas means Peter (or rock). + The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." + Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. So were Andrew and Peter. + Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the One that Moses wrote about in the Law. The prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." + "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. + Jesus saw Nathanael approaching. Here is what Jesus said about him. "He is a true Israelite. There is nothing false in him." + "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree. I saw you there before Philip called you." + Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel." + Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." + Then he said to the disciples, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You will see heaven open. You will see the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man." + + + On the third day there was a wedding. It took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. + Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. + When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." + "Dear woman, why do you bring me into this?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." + His mother said to the servants, "Do what he tells you." + Six stone water jars stood nearby. The Jews used water from that kind of jar for special washings to make themselves pure. Each jar could hold 20 to 30 gallons. + Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the top. + Then he told them, "Now dip some out. Take it to the person in charge of the dinner." They did what he said. + The person in charge tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He didn't realize where it had come from. But the servants who had brought the water knew. Then the person in charge called the groom to one side. + He said to him, "Everyone brings out the best wine first. They bring out the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best until now." + That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed his glory by doing it. And his disciples put their faith in him. + After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum. His mother and brothers and disciples went with him. They all stayed there for a few days. + It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + In the temple courtyard he found people who were selling cattle, sheep and doves. Others were sitting at tables exchanging money. + So Jesus made a whip out of ropes. He chased all the sheep and cattle from the temple area. He scattered the coins of the people exchanging money. And he turned over their tables. + He told those who were selling doves, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" + His disciples remembered what had been written. It says, "My great love for your house will destroy me."--(Psalm 69:9) + Then the Jews asked him, "What miraculous sign can you show us? Can you prove your authority to do all of this?" + Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple. I will raise it up again in three days." + The Jews replied, "It has taken 46 years to build this temple. Are you going to raise it up in three days?" + But the temple Jesus had spoken about was his body. + His disciples later remembered what he had said. That was after he had been raised from the dead. Then they believed the Scriptures. They also believed the words that Jesus had spoken. + Meanwhile, he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing. And they believed in his name. + But Jesus did not fully trust them. He knew what people are like. + He didn't need others to tell him what people are like. He already knew what was in the human heart. + + + There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. + He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren't, you couldn't do the miraculous signs you are doing." + Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can see God's kingdom without being born again." + "How can I be born when I am old?" Nicodemus asked. "I can't go back inside my mother! I can't be born a second time!" + Jesus answered, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can enter God's kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. + People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. + You should not be surprised when I say, 'You must all be born again.' + "The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can't tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born through the Spirit." + "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. + "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus. "Don't you understand these things? + "What I'm about to tell you is true. We speak about what we know. We give witness to what we have seen. But still you people do not accept our witness. + I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you do not believe. So how will you believe if I speak about heavenly things? + "No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man. + Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. The Son of Man must be lifted up also. + Then everyone who believes in him can live with God forever. + "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. + "God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him. + Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. + "Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. + "Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. + But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God's help." + After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the countryside of Judea. There he spent some time with them. And he baptized people there. + John was also baptizing. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water. People were coming all the time to be baptized. + That was before John was put in prison. + Some of John's disciples and a certain Jew began to argue. They argued about special washings to make people "clean." + They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing people. He is the one you gave witness about. Everyone is going to him." + John replied, "A person can receive only what God gives him from heaven. + You yourselves are witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ. I was sent ahead of him.' + The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who helps the groom waits and listens for him. He is full of joy when he hears the groom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. + He must become more important. I must become less important. + "The One who comes from above is above everything. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks like someone from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above everything. + He gives witness to what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says. + Anyone who has accepted it has said, 'Yes. God is truthful.' + The One whom God has sent speaks God's words. God gives the Holy Spirit without limit. + "The Father loves the Son and has put everything into his hands. + Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Anyone who says no to the Son will not have life. God's anger remains on him." + + + The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John. + But in fact Jesus was not baptizing. His disciples were. + When the Lord found out about all this, he left Judea. He went back to Galilee again. + Jesus had to go through Samaria. + He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. It was near the piece of land Jacob had given his son Joseph. + Jacob's well was there. Jesus was tired from the journey. So he sat down by the well. It was about noon. + A woman from Samaria came to get some water. Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" + His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. + The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew. I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" She said this because Jews don't have anything to do with Samaritans. + Jesus answered her, "You do not know what God's gift is. And you do not know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would have asked him. He would have given you living water." + "Sir," the woman said, "you don't have anything to get water with. The well is deep. Where can you get this living water? + "Our father Jacob gave us the well. He drank from it himself. So did his sons and his flocks and herds. Are you more important than he is?" + Jesus answered, "All who drink this water will be thirsty again. + But anyone who drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give him will become a spring of water in him. It will flow up into eternal life." + The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty. And I won't have to keep coming here to get water." + He told her, "Go. Get your husband and come back." + "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. + The fact is, you have had five husbands. And the man you have now is not your husband. What you have just said is very true." + "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. + Our people have worshiped on this mountain for a long time. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." + Jesus said, "Believe me, woman. A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. + You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews. + "But a new time is coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for. + "God is spirit. His worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth." + The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming." (He is called Christ.) "When he comes, he will explain everything to us." + Then Jesus said, "I, the one speaking to you, am he." + Just then Jesus' disciples returned. They were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want from her?" No one asked, "Why are you talking with her?" + The woman left her water jar and went back to the town. She said to the people, + "Come. See a man who told me everything I've ever done. Could this be the Christ?" + The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus. + His disciples were saying to him, "Rabbi, eat something!" + But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." + Then his disciples asked each other, "Did someone bring him food?" + Jesus said, "My food is to do what my Father sent me to do. My food is to finish his work. + "You say, 'Four months more, and then it will be harvest time.' But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest right now. + Those who gather the crop are already getting paid. They are already harvesting the crop for eternal life. So those who plant and those who gather can now be glad together. + "Here is a true saying. 'One plants and another gathers.' + I sent you to gather what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work. You have gathered the benefits of their work." + Many of the Samaritans from the town of Sychar believed in Jesus. They believed because of the woman's witness. She said, "He told me everything I've ever done." + Then the Samaritans came to him and tried to get him to stay with them. So he stayed two days. + Because of his words, many more people became believers. + They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said. We have now heard for ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world." + After the two days, Jesus left for Galilee. + He himself had pointed out that a prophet is not respected in his own country. + When he arrived in Galilee, the people living there welcomed him. They had seen everything he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. That was because they had also been there. + Once more, Jesus visited Cana in Galilee. Cana is where he had turned the water into wine. A royal official was there. His son was sick in bed at Capernaum. + The official heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea. So he went to Jesus and begged him to come and heal his son. The boy was close to death. + Jesus told him, "You people will never believe unless you see miraculous signs and wonders." + The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." + Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said, and so he left. + While he was still on his way home, his servants met him. They gave him the news that his boy was living. + He asked what time his son got better. They said to him, "The fever left him yesterday afternoon at one o'clock." + Then the father realized what had happened. That was the exact time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family became believers. + This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. + + + Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a Jewish feast. + In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate is a pool. In the Aramaic language it is called Bethesda. It is surrounded by five rows of columns with a roof over them. + Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down. Among them were those who were blind, those who could not walk, and those who could hardly move. + *** + One person who was there had been disabled for 38 years. + Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" + "Sir," the disabled man replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when an angel stirs the water up. I try to get in, but someone else always goes down ahead of me." + Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." + At once the man was healed. He picked up his mat and walked. The day this happened was a Sabbath. + So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath. The law does not allow you to carry your mat." + But he replied, "The one who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.' " + They asked him, "Who is this fellow? Who told you to pick it up and walk?" + The one who was healed had no idea who it was. Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. + Later Jesus found him at the temple. Jesus said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you." + The man went away. He told the Jews it was Jesus who had made him well. + Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath day. So the Jews began to oppose him. + Jesus said to them, "My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this very day. I am working too." + For this reason the Jews tried even harder to kill him. Jesus was not only breaking the Sabbath. He was even calling God his own Father. He was making himself equal with God. + Jesus answered, "What I'm about to tell you is true. The Son can do nothing by himself. He can do only what he sees his Father doing. What the Father does, the Son also does. + This is because the Father loves the Son. He shows him everything he does. Yes, you will be amazed! The Father will show him even greater things than these. + "The Father raises the dead and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. + "Also, the Father does not judge anyone. He has given the Son the task of judging. + Then all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Those who do not honor the Son do not honor the Father, who sent him. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He will not be found guilty. He has crossed over from death to life. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. A time is coming for me to give life. In fact, it has already begun. The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear it will live. + "The Father has life in himself. He has also allowed the Son to have life in himself. + And the Father has given him the authority to judge. This is because he is the Son of Man. + "Do not be amazed at this. A time is coming when all who are in the grave will hear his voice. + They will all come out of their graves. Those who have done good will rise and live again. Those who have done evil will rise and be found guilty. + "I can do nothing by myself. I judge only as I hear. And my judging is fair. I do not try to please myself. I try only to please the One who sent me. + "If I give witness about myself, it doesn't count. + There is someone else who gives witness in my favor. And I know that his witness about me counts. + "You have sent people to John. He has given witness to the truth. + I do not accept human witness. I only talk about it so you can be saved. + John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. For a while you chose to enjoy his light. + "The witness I have is more important than John's. I am doing the very work the Father gave me to finish. It gives witness that the Father has sent me. + "The Father who sent me has himself given witness about me. You have never heard his voice. You have never seen what he really looks like. + And his word does not live in you. This is because you do not believe the One he sent. + "You study the Scriptures carefully. You study them because you think they will give you eternal life. The Scriptures you study give witness about me. + But you refuse to come to me and receive life. + "I do not accept praise from people. + But I know you. I know that you do not have love for God in your hearts. + I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me. But if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. + "You accept praise from one another. But you make no effort to receive the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe? + "Do not think I will bring charges against you in front of the Father. Moses is the one who does that. And he is the one you build your hopes on. + "Do you believe Moses? Then you should believe me. He wrote about me. + But you do not believe what he wrote. So how are you going to believe what I say?" + + + Some time after this, Jesus crossed over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It is also called the Sea of Tiberias. + A large crowd of people followed him. They had seen the miraculous signs he had done on those who were sick. + Then Jesus went up on a mountainside. There he sat down with his disciples. + The Jewish Passover Feast was near. + Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him. So he said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?" + He asked this only to put Philip to the test. He already knew what he was going to do. + Philip answered him, "Eight months' pay would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" + Another of his disciples spoke up. It was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. + He said, "Here is a boy with five small loaves of barley bread. He also has two small fish. But how far will that go in such a large crowd?" + Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down. The number of men among them was about 5,000. + Then Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks. He handed out the bread to those who were seated. He gave them as much as they wanted. And he did the same with the fish. + When all of them had enough to eat, Jesus spoke to his disciples. "Gather the leftover pieces," he said. "Don't waste anything." + So they gathered what was left over from the five barley loaves. They filled 12 baskets with the pieces left by those who had eaten. + The people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did. Then they began to say, "This must be the Prophet who is supposed to come into the world." + But Jesus knew that they planned to come and force him to be their king. So he went away again to a mountain by himself. + When evening came, Jesus' disciples went down to the Sea of Galilee. + There they got into a boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. By now it was dark. Jesus had not yet joined them. + A strong wind was blowing, and the water became rough. + They rowed three or three and a half miles. Then they saw Jesus coming toward the boat. He was walking on the water. They were terrified. + But he said to them, "It is I. Don't be afraid." + Then they agreed to take him into the boat. Right away the boat reached the shore where they were heading. + The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake realized something. They saw that only one boat had been there. They knew that Jesus had not gotten into it with his disciples. And they knew that the disciples had gone away alone. + Then some boats from Tiberias landed. It was near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord gave thanks. + The crowd realized that Jesus and his disciples were not there. So they got into boats and went to Capernaum to look for Jesus. + They found him on the other side of the lake. They asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" + Jesus answered, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You are not looking for me because you saw miraculous signs. You are looking for me because you ate the loaves until you were full. + Do not work for food that spoils. Work for food that lasts forever. That is the food the Son of Man will give you. God the Father has put his seal of approval on him." + Then they asked him, "What does God want from us? What works does he want us to do?" + Jesus answered, "God's work is to believe in the One he has sent." + So they asked him, "What miraculous sign will you give us? What will you do so we can see it and believe you? + Long ago our people ate the manna in the desert. It is written in Scripture, 'The Lord gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "--(Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25) + Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven. It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. + The bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven. He gives life to the world." + "Sir," they said, "give us this bread from now on." + Then Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever go hungry. And no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty. + "But it is just as I told you. You have seen me, and you still do not believe. + Everyone the Father gives me will come to me. I will never send away anyone who comes to me. + "I have not come down from heaven to do what I want to do. I have come to do what the One who sent me wants me to do. + The One who sent me doesn't want me to lose anyone he has given me. He wants me to raise them up on the last day. + My Father wants all who look to the Son and believe in him to have eternal life. I will raise them up on the last day." + Then the Jews began to complain about Jesus. That was because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." + They said, "Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Don't we know his father and mother? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" + "Stop complaining among yourselves," Jesus answered. + "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me brings him. Then I will raise him up on the last day. + "It is written in the Prophets, 'God will teach all of them.'--(Isaiah 54:13) Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. + "No one has seen the Father except the One who has come from God. Only he has seen the Father. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Everyone who believes has life forever. + "I am the bread of life. + Long ago your people ate the manna in the desert, and they still died. + But here is the bread that comes down from heaven. A person can eat it and not die. + I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Everyone who eats some of this bread will live forever. The bread is my body. I will give it for the life of the world." + Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves. They said, "How can this man give us his body to eat?" + Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You must eat the Son of Man's body and drink his blood. If you don't, you have no life in you. + Anyone who eats my body and drinks my blood has eternal life. I will raise him up on the last day. + "My body is real food. My blood is real drink. + Anyone who eats my body and drinks my blood remains in me. And I remain in him. + "The living Father sent me, and I live because of him. In the same way, those who feed on me will live because of me. + This is the bread that came down from heaven. Long ago your people ate manna and died. But those who feed on this bread will live forever." + He said this while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. + Jesus' disciples heard this. Many of them said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" + Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about his teaching. So he said to them, "Does this upset you? + What if you see the Son of Man go up to where he was before? + The Holy Spirit gives life. The body means nothing at all. The words I have spoken to you are from the Spirit. They give life. + But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe. And he had known who was going to hand him over to his enemies. + So he continued speaking. He said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father helps him." + From this time on, many of his disciples turned back. They no longer followed him. + "You don't want to leave also, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. + Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, who can we go to? You have the words of eternal life. + We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." + Then Jesus replied, "Didn't I choose you, the 12 disciples? But one of you is a devil!" + He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas was one of the Twelve. But later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. + + + After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He stayed away from Judea on purpose. He knew that the Jews there were waiting to kill him. + The Jewish Feast of Booths was near. + Jesus' brothers said to him, "You should leave here and go to Judea. Then your disciples will see the kinds of things you do. + No one who wants to be well known does things in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." + Even Jesus' own brothers did not believe in him. + So Jesus told them, "The right time has not yet come for me. For you, any time is right. + The people of the world can't hate you. But they hate me. This is because I give witness that what they do is evil. + "You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast. For me, the right time has not yet come." + After he said this, he stayed in Galilee. + When his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also. But he went secretly, not openly. + At the Feast the Jews were watching for him. They were asking, "Where is he?" + Many people in the crowd were whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No. He fools the people." + But no one would say anything about him openly. They were afraid of the Jews. + Jesus did nothing until halfway through the Feast. Then he went up to the temple courtyard and began to teach. + The Jews were amazed. They asked, "How did this man learn so much without studying?" + Jesus answered, "What I teach is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me. + Anyone who chooses to do what God wants him to do will find out whether my teaching comes from God or from me. + Someone who speaks on his own does it to get honor for himself. But someone who works for the honor of the One who sent him is truthful. There is nothing false about him. + "Didn't Moses give you the law? But not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?" + "You are controlled by demons," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?" + Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. + Moses gave you circumcision, and so you circumcise a child on the Sabbath day. But circumcision did not really come from Moses. It came from Abraham. + You circumcise a child on the Sabbath day. You think that if you do, you won't break the law of Moses. Then why are you angry with me? I healed a whole man on the Sabbath! + "Stop judging only by what you see. Judge correctly." + Then some of the people of Jerusalem began asking questions. They said, "Isn't this the man some people are trying to kill? + Here he is! He is speaking openly. They aren't saying a word to him. Have the authorities really decided that he is the Christ? + But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." + Jesus was still teaching in the temple courtyard. He cried out, "Yes, you know me. And you know where I am from. I am not here on my own. The One who sent me is true. You do not know him. + But I know him. I am from him, and he sent me." + When he said this, they tried to arrest him. But no one laid a hand on him. His time had not yet come. + Still, many people in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "How will it be when the Christ comes? Will he do more miraculous signs than this man?" + The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering things like this about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. + Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time. Then I will go to the One who sent me. + You will look for me, but you won't find me. You can't come where I am going." + The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man plan to go? Does he think we can't find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks? Will he go there to teach the Greeks? + What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you won't find me'? And, 'You can't come where I am going'?" + It was the last and most important day of the Feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. + Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from inside him." + When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory. + When some of the people heard his words, they said, "This man must be the Prophet we've been expecting." + Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? + Doesn't Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family? Doesn't it say that he will come from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" + So the people did not agree about who Jesus was. + Some wanted to arrest him. But no one laid a hand on him. + Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They asked the guards, "Why didn't you bring him in?" + "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards replied. + "You mean he has fooled you also?" the Pharisees asked. + "Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? + No! But this mob knows nothing about the law. There is a curse on them." + Then Nicodemus, a Pharisee, spoke. He was the one who had gone to Jesus earlier. He asked, + "Does our law find someone guilty without hearing him first? Doesn't it want to find out what he is doing?" + They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Look into it. You will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee." + Then each of them went home. + + + But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. + At sunrise he arrived in the temple courtyard again. All the people gathered around him there. He sat down to teach them. + The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman. She had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in front of the group. + They said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught having sex with a man who was not her husband. + In the Law, Moses commanded us to kill such women by throwing stones at them. Now what do you say?" + They were trying to trap Jesus with that question. They wanted to have a reason to bring charges against him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. + They kept asking him questions. So he stood up and said to them, "Has any one of you not sinned? Then you be the first to throw a stone at her." + He bent down again and wrote on the ground. + Those who heard what he had said began to go away. They left one at a time, the older ones first. Soon only Jesus was left. The woman was still standing there. + Jesus stood up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Hasn't anyone found you guilty?" + "No one, sir," she said. "Then I don't find you guilty either," Jesus said. "Go now and leave your life of sin." + Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, "I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will never walk in darkness. They will have the light that leads to life." + The Pharisees argued with him. "Here you are," they said, "appearing as your own witness. But your witness does not count." + Jesus answered, "Even if I give witness about myself, my witness does count. I know where I came from. And I know where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. + You judge by human standards. I don't judge anyone. + "But if I do judge, what I decide is right. This is because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. + Your own Law says that the witness of two is what counts. + I give witness about myself. My other witness is the Father, who sent me." + Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." + He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area. He was near the place where the offerings were put. But no one arrested him. His time had not yet come. + Once more Jesus spoke to them. "I am going away," he said. "You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. You can't come where I am going." + This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'You can't come where I am going'?" + But Jesus said, "You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world. + I told you that you would die in your sins. Do you believe that I am the one I claim to be? If you don't, you will certainly die in your sins." + "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied. + "I have a lot to say that will judge you. But the One who sent me can be trusted. And I tell the world what I have heard from him." + They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father. + So Jesus said, "You will lift up the Son of Man. Then you will know that I am the one I claim to be. You will also know that I do nothing on my own. I speak just what the Father has taught me. + The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him." + Even while Jesus was speaking, many people put their faith in him. + Jesus spoke to the Jews who had believed him. "If you obey my teaching," he said, "you are really my disciples. + Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free." + They answered him, "We are Abraham's children. We have never been slaves of anyone. So how can you say that we will be set free?" + Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. + A slave has no lasting place in the family. But a son belongs to the family forever. + So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free. + "I know you are Abraham's children. But you are ready to kill me. You have no room for my word. + I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. You do what you have heard from your father. " + "Abraham is our father," they answered. Jesus said, "Are you really Abraham's children? If you are, you will do the things Abraham did. + But you have decided to kill me. I am a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn't do the things you want to do. + You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not children of people who weren't married to each other," they objected. "The only Father we have is God himself." + Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me. I came from God, and now I am here. I have not come on my own. He sent me. + "Why aren't my words clear to you? Because you can't really hear what I say. + You belong to your father, the devil. You want to obey your father's wishes. "From the beginning, the devil was a murderer. He has never obeyed the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his natural language. He does this because he is a liar. He is the father of lies. + "But because I tell the truth, you don't believe me! + Can any of you prove I am guilty of sinning? Am I not telling the truth? Then why don't you believe me? + "Everyone who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you don't hear is that you don't belong to God." + The Jews answered Jesus, "Aren't we right when we say you are a Samaritan? Aren't you controlled by a demon?" + "I am not controlled by a demon," said Jesus. "I honor my Father. You do not honor me. + I am not seeking glory for myself. But there is One who brings glory to me. He is the judge. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who obeys my word will never die." + Then the Jews cried out, "Now we know you are controlled by a demon! Abraham died. So did the prophets. But you say that anyone who obeys your word will never die. + Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died. So did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" + Jesus replied, "If I bring glory to myself, my glory means nothing. You claim that my Father is your God. He is the one who brings glory to me. + You do not know him. But I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him. And I obey his word. + "Your father Abraham was filled with joy at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad." + "You are not even 50 years old," the Jews said to Jesus. "And you have seen Abraham?" + "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus answered. "Before Abraham was born, I am!" + When he said this, they picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus hid himself. He slipped away from the temple area. + + + As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind. He had been blind since he was born. + Jesus' disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?" + "It isn't because this man sinned," said Jesus. "It isn't because his parents sinned. This happened so that God's work could be shown in his life. + While it is still day, we must do the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. + While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." + After he said this, he spit on the ground. He made some mud with the spit. Then he put the mud on the man's eyes. + "Go," he told him. "Wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam means Sent. So the man went and washed. And he came home able to see. + His neighbors and those who had earlier seen him begging asked questions. "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" they asked. + Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No. He only looks like him." But the man who had been blind kept saying, "I am the man." + "Then how were your eyes opened?" they asked. + He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed. Then I could see." + "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. + They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. + The day Jesus made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. + So the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied. "Then I washed. And now I can see." + Some of the Pharisees said, "Jesus has not come from God. He does not keep the Sabbath day." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So the Pharisees did not agree with each other. + Finally they turned again to the blind man. "What do you have to say about him?" they asked. "It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." + The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and now could see. So they sent for his parents. + "Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?" + "We know he is our son," the parents answered. "And we know he was born blind. + But we don't know how he can now see. And we don't know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is an adult. He can speak for himself." + His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. The Jews had already decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. + That was why the man's parents said, "He is an adult. Ask him." + Again they called the man who had been blind to come to them. "Give glory to God by telling the truth!" they said. "We know that the man who healed you is a sinner." + He replied, "I don't know if he is a sinner or not. I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!" + Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" + He answered, "I have already told you. But you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?" + Then they began to attack him with their words. "You are this fellow's disciple!" they said. "We are disciples of Moses! + We know that God spoke to Moses. But we don't even know where this fellow comes from." + The man answered, "That is really surprising! You don't know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. + We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to godly people who do what he wants them to do. + Nobody has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a person born blind. + If this man had not come from God, he could do nothing." + Then the Pharisees replied, "When you were born, you were already deep in sin. How dare you talk like that to us!" And they threw him out of the synagogue. + Jesus heard that the Pharisees had thrown the man out. When he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" + "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me, so I can believe in him." + Jesus said, "You have now seen him. In fact, he is the one speaking with you." + Then the man said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. + Jesus said, "I have come into this world to judge it. I have come so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." + Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this. They asked, "What? Are we blind too?" + Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, you remain guilty. + + + "What I'm about to tell you is true. What if someone does not enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in another way? That person is a thief and a robber. + The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. + The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. + When he has brought all of his own sheep out, he goes on ahead of them. His sheep follow him because they know his voice. + But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him. They don't recognize a stranger's voice." + Jesus used this story. But the Jews who were there didn't understand what he was telling them. + So Jesus said again, "What I'm about to tell you is true. I am like a gate for the sheep. + All those who ever came before me were thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them. + I'm like a gate. Anyone who enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out. And he will find plenty of food. + The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way. + "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. + The hired man is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when the hired man sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. + The man runs away because he is a hired man. He does not care about the sheep. + "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. + They know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I give my life for the sheep. + "I have other sheep that do not belong to this sheep pen. I must bring them in too. They also will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. + "The reason my Father loves me is that I give up my life. But I will take it back again. + No one takes it from me. I give it up myself. I have the authority to give it up. And I have the authority to take it back again. I received this command from my Father." + After Jesus spoke these words, the Jews again could not agree with each other. + Many of them said, "He is controlled by a demon. He has gone crazy! Why should we listen to him?" + But others said, "A person controlled by a demon does not say things like this. Can a demon open the eyes of someone who is blind?" + Then came the Feast of Hanukkah at Jerusalem. It was winter. + Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Porch. + The Jews gathered around him. They said, "How long will you keep us waiting? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." + Jesus answered, "I did tell you. But you do not believe. The kinds of things I do in my Father's name speak for me. + But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep. + "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. + I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one can steal them out of my hand. + My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of my Father's hand. + I and the Father are one." + Again the Jews picked up stones to kill him. + But Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many miracles from the Father. Which one of these are you throwing stones at me for?" + "We are not throwing stones at you for any of these," replied the Jews. "We are stoning you for saying a very evil thing. You are only a man. But you claim to be God." + Jesus answered them, "Didn't God say in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?--(Psalm 82:6) + We know that Scripture is always true. God spoke to some people and called them 'gods.' + If that is true, what about the One the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why do you charge me with saying a very evil thing? Is it because I said, 'I am God's Son'? + "Don't believe me unless I do what my Father does. + But what if I do it? Even if you don't believe me, believe the miracles. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." + Again they tried to arrest him. But he escaped from them. + Then Jesus went back across the Jordan River. He went to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed. + Many people came to him. They said, "John never did a miraculous sign. But everything he said about this man was true." + And in that place many believed in Jesus. + + + A man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. + Mary would later pour perfume on the Lord. She would also wipe his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick in bed. + So the sisters sent a message to Jesus. "Lord," they told him, "the one you love is sick." + When Jesus heard this, he said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory. God's Son will receive glory because of it." + Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. + But after he heard Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. + Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." + "But Rabbi," they said, "a short time ago the Jews tried to kill you with stones. Are you still going back there?" + Jesus answered, "Aren't there 12 hours of daylight? A person who walks during the day won't trip and fall. He can see because of this world's light. + But when he walks at night, he'll trip and fall. He has no light." + After he said this, Jesus went on speaking to them. "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep," he said. "But I am going there to wake him up." + His disciples replied, "Lord, if he's sleeping, he will get better." + Jesus had been speaking about the death of Lazarus. But his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. + So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. + For your benefit, I am glad I was not there. Now you will believe. But let us go to him." + Then Thomas, who was called Didymus, spoke to the rest of the disciples. "Let us go also," he said. "Then we can die with Jesus." + When Jesus arrived, he found out that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. + Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem. + Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary. They had come to comfort them because their brother was dead. + When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. But Mary stayed at home. + "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died. + But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask for." + Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." + Martha answered, "I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day." + Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. + And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?" + "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. I believe that you are the One who was supposed to come into the world." + After she said this, she went back home. She called her sister Mary to one side to talk to her. "The Teacher is here," Martha said. "He is asking for you." + When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. + Jesus had not yet entered the village. He was still at the place where Martha had met him. + Some Jews had been comforting Mary in the house. They noticed how quickly she got up and went out. So they followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to cry there. + Mary reached the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she fell at his feet. She said, "Lord, I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died." + Jesus saw her crying. He saw that the Jews who had come along with her were crying also. His spirit became very sad, and he was troubled. + "Where have you put him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. + Jesus sobbed. + Then the Jews said, "See how much he loved him!" + But some of them said, "He opened the eyes of the blind man. Couldn't he have kept this man from dying?" + Once more Jesus felt very sad. He came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone in front of the entrance. + "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad smell. Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days." + Then Jesus said, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?" + So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up. He said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. + I know that you always hear me. But I said this for the benefit of the people standing here. I said it so they will believe that you sent me." + Then Jesus called in a loud voice. He said, "Lazarus, come out!" + The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen. A cloth was around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the clothes he was buried in and let him go." + Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did. So they put their faith in him. + But some of them went to the Pharisees. They told the Pharisees what Jesus had done. + Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What can we do?" they asked. "This man is doing many miraculous signs. + If we let him keep on doing this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come. They will take away our temple and our nation." + One of them spoke up. His name was Caiaphas. He was high priest at that time. He said, "You don't know anything at all! + You don't realize what is good for you. It is better if one man dies for the people than if the whole nation is destroyed." + He did not say this on his own. But he was high priest at that time. So he told ahead of time that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation. + He also prophesied that Jesus would die for God's children scattered everywhere. He would die to bring them together and make them one. + So from that day on, the Jewish rulers planned to kill Jesus. + Jesus no longer moved around openly among the Jews. Instead, he went away to an area near the desert. He went to a village called Ephraim. There he stayed with his disciples. + It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. Many people went up from the country to Jerusalem. They went there for the special washing that would make them pure before the Passover Feast. + They kept looking for Jesus as they stood in the temple area. They asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" + But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders. They had commanded anyone who found out where Jesus was staying to report it. Then they could arrest him. + + + It was six days before the Passover Feast. Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived. Lazarus was the one Jesus had raised from the dead. + A dinner was given at Bethany to honor Jesus. Martha served the food. Lazarus was among those at the table with Jesus. + Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard. It was an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume. + But Judas Iscariot didn't like what Mary did. He was one of Jesus' disciples. Later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said, + "Why wasn't this perfume sold? Why wasn't the money given to poor people? It was worth a year's pay." + He didn't say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. Judas was in charge of the money bag. He used to help himself to what was in it. + "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "The perfume was meant for the day I am buried. + You will always have the poor among you. But you won't always have me." + Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there, so they came. But they did not come only because of Jesus. They also came to see Lazarus. After all, Jesus had raised him from the dead. + So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too. + Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were starting to follow Jesus. They were putting their faith in him. + The next day the large crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. + So they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet him. They shouted, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" --(Psalm 118:25,26) "Blessed is the King of Israel!" + Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. This is just as it is written in Scripture. It says, + "City of Zion, do not be afraid. See, your king is coming. He is sitting on a donkey's colt." --(Zechariah 9:9) + At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand all this. They realized it only after he had received glory. Then they realized that these things had been written about him. They realized that the people had done these things to him. + A crowd had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead. So they continued to tell everyone about what had happened. + Many people went out to meet him. They had heard that he had done this miraculous sign. + So the Pharisees said to one another, "This isn't getting us anywhere. Look how the whole world is following him!" + There were some Greeks among the people who went up to worship during the Feast. + They came to ask Philip for a favor. Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." + Philip went to tell Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip told Jesus. + Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to receive glory. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only one seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. + "Anyone who loves his life will lose it. But anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it and have eternal life. + Anyone who serves me must follow me. And where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. + "My heart is troubled. What should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No. This is the very reason I came to this hour. + Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven. It said, "I have brought glory to my name. I will bring glory to it again." + The crowd there heard the voice. Some said it was thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus. + Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. + Now it is time for the world to be judged. Now the prince of this world will be thrown out. + But I am going to be lifted up from the earth. When I am, I will bring all people to myself." + He said this to show them how he was going to die. + The crowd spoke up. "The Law tells us that the Christ will remain forever," they said. "So how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?" + Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light. Do this before darkness catches up with you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. + While you have the light, put your trust in it. Then you can become sons of light." When Jesus had finished speaking, he left and hid from them. + Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in front of them. But they still would not believe in him. + This happened as Isaiah the prophet had said it would. He had said, "Lord, who has believed what we've been saying? Who has seen the Lord's saving power?" --(Isaiah 53:1) + For this reason, they could not believe. As Isaiah says in another place, + "The Lord has blinded their eyes. He has closed their minds. So they can't see with their eyes. They can't understand with their minds. They can't turn to the Lord. If they could, he would heal them." --(Isaiah 6:10) + Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. + At the same time that Jesus did those miracles, many of the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not admit they believed. They were afraid they would be thrown out of the synagogue. + They loved praise from people more than praise from God. + Then Jesus cried out, "Anyone who believes in me does not believe in me only. He also believes in the One who sent me. + When he looks at me, he sees the One who sent me. + "I have come into the world to be a light. No one who believes in me will stay in darkness. + "I don't judge a person who hears my words but does not obey them. I didn't come to judge the world. I came to save it. + But there is a judge for anyone who does not accept me and my words. The very words I have spoken will judge him on the last day. + "I did not speak on my own. The Father who sent me commanded me what to say. He also told me how to say it. + I know that his command leads to eternal life. So everything I say is just what the Father has told me to say." + + + It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. So he now showed them how much he really loved them. + The evening meal was being served. The devil had already tempted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. He had told Judas to hand Jesus over to his enemies. + Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his power. He also knew he had come from God and was returning to God. + So he got up from the meal and took off his outer clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist. + After that, he poured water into a large bowl. Then he began to wash his disciples' feet. He dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him. + He came to Simon Peter. "Lord," Peter said to him, "are you going to wash my feet?" + Jesus replied, "You don't realize now what I am doing. But later you will understand." + "No," said Peter. "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you can't share life with me." + "Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet! Wash my hands and my head too!" + Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs to wash only his feet. The rest of his body is clean. And you are clean. But not all of you are." + Jesus knew who was going to hand him over to his enemies. That was why he said not every one was clean. + When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes. Then he returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. + "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' You are right. That is what I am. + I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So you also should wash one another's feet. + I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. A servant is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him. + Now you know these things. So you will be blessed if you do them. + "I am not talking about all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this will happen so that Scripture will come true. It says, 'The one who shares my bread has deserted me.'--(Psalm 41:9) + "I am telling you now, before it happens. When it does happen, you will believe that I am he. + What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who accepts someone I send accepts me. And anyone who accepts me accepts the One who sent me." + After he had said this, Jesus' spirit was troubled. Here is the witness he gave. "What I'm about to tell you is true," he said. "One of you is going to hand me over to my enemies." + His disciples stared at one another. They had no idea which one of them he meant. + The disciple Jesus loved was next to him at the table. + Simon Peter motioned to that disciple. He said, "Ask Jesus which one he means." + The disciple was leaning back against Jesus. He asked him, "Lord, who is it?" + Jesus answered, "It is the one I will give this piece of bread to. I will give it to him after I have dipped it in the dish." He dipped the piece of bread. Then he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. + As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "Do quickly what you are going to do," Jesus told him. + But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. + Judas was in charge of the money. So some of the disciples thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast. Others thought Jesus was talking about giving something to poor people. + As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. + After Judas was gone, Jesus spoke. He said, "Now the Son of Man receives glory. And he brings glory to God. + If the Son brings glory to God, God himself will bring glory to the Son. God will do it at once. + "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me. Just as I told the Jews, so I am telling you now. You can't come where I am going. + "I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. + If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples." + Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going you can't follow now. But you will follow me later." + "Lord," Peter asked, "why can't I follow you now? I will give my life for you." + Then Jesus answered, "Will you really give your life for me? What I'm about to tell you is true. Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me! + + + "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust in me also. + "There are many rooms in my Father's house. If this were not true, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. + If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. Then you will also be where I am. + "You know the way to the place where I am going." + Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. So how can we know the way?" + Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. + If you really knew me, you would know my Father also. From now on, you do know him. And you have seen him." + Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father. That will be enough for us." + Jesus answered, "Don't you know me, Philip? I have been among you such a long time! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? + "Don't you believe that I am in the Father? Don't you believe that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. The Father lives in me. He is the One who is doing his work. + Believe me when I say I am in the Father. Also believe that the Father is in me. Or at least believe what the miracles show about me. + "What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. In fact, he will do even greater things. That is because I am going to the Father. + "And I will do anything you ask in my name. Then the Son will bring glory to the Father. + You may ask me for anything in my name. I will do it. + "If you love me, you will obey what I command. + I will ask the Father. And he will give you another Friend to help you and to be with you forever. + The Friend is the Spirit of truth. The world can't accept him. That is because the world does not see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you. + "I will not leave you like children who don't have parents. I will come to you. + "Before long, the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. + On that day you will realize that I am in my Father. You will know that you are in me, and I am in you. + "Anyone who has my commands and obeys them loves me. My Father will love the one who loves me. I too will love him. And I will show myself to him." + Then Judas spoke. "Lord," he said, "why do you plan to show yourself only to us? Why not also to the world?" The Judas who spoke those words was not Judas Iscariot. + Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him. + Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. The words you hear me say are not my own. They belong to the Father who sent me. + "I have spoken all these things while I am still with you. + But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you. + "I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid. + "You heard me say, 'I am going away. And I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad I am going to the Father. The Father is greater than I am. + I have told you now before it happens. Then when it does happen, you will believe. + "I will not speak with you much longer. The prince of this world is coming. He has no power over me. + But the world must learn that I love the Father. They must also learn that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me to do. "Come now. Let us leave. + + + "I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener. + He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit. + "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. + Remain joined to me, and I will remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can't bear fruit unless you remain joined to me. + "I am the vine. You are the branches. If anyone remains joined to me, and I to him, he will bear a lot of fruit. You can't do anything without me. + If anyone does not remain joined to me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned. + "If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be given to you. + When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples. + "Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love. + If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. + I have told you this so that my joy will be in you. I also want your joy to be complete. + "Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you. + No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends. + You are my friends if you do what I command. + "I do not call you servants anymore. Servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father. + "You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you to go and bear fruit. It is fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. + "Here is my command. Love each other. + "Does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first. + If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. + "Remember the words I spoke to you. I said, 'A servant is not more important than his master.'--(John 13:16) If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. + They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the One who sent me. + "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. + Those who hate me hate my Father also. + "I did miracles among them that no one else did. If I hadn't, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those miracles. And still they have hated both me and my Father. + This has happened so that what is written in their Law would come true. It says, 'They hated me without any reason.'--(Psalms 35:19; 69:4) + "I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will give witness about me. + "You also must give witness. This is because you have been with me from the beginning. + + + "I have told you all of this so that you will not go down the wrong path. + You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, a time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a favor. + They will do things like that because they do not know the Father or me. + "Why have I told you this? So that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you. I didn't tell you this at first because I was with you. + "Now I am going to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' + Because I have said these things, you are filled with sadness. + "But what I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you. + When he comes, he will prove that the world's people are guilty. He will prove their guilt concerning sin and godliness and judgment. + "The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That is because people do not believe in me. + The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That is because I am going to the Father, where you can't see me anymore. + The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That is because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged. + "I have much more to say to you. It is more than you can handle right now. + But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you what is still going to happen. + "He will bring me glory by receiving something from me and showing it to you. + Everything that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Holy Spirit will receive something from me and show it to you. + "In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me." + Some of his disciples spoke to one another. They said, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me'? And what does he mean by saying, 'I am going to the Father'?" + They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying." + Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about those things. So he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant? Didn't you understand when I said, 'In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me'? + What I'm about to tell you is true. You will cry and be full of sorrow while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy. + "A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. This is because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world. + "That's the way it is with you. Now it's your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take your joy away. + "When that day comes, you will no longer ask me for anything. What I'm about to tell you is true. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. + Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive what you ask for. Then your joy will be complete. + "I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father. + When that day comes, you will ask for things in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father instead of you asking him. + No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. He also loves you because you have believed that I came from God. + "I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." + Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking plainly. You are using examples that are clear. + Now we can see that you know everything. You don't even need anyone to ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." + "At last you believe!" Jesus said. + "But a time is coming when you will be scattered and go to your own homes. In fact, that time is already here. You will leave me all alone. But I am not really alone. My Father is with me. + "I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But cheer up! I have won the battle over the world." + + + After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. He said, "Father, the time has come. Bring glory to your Son. Then your Son will bring glory to you. + You gave him authority over all people. He gives eternal life to all those you have given him. + "And what is eternal life? It is knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. + I have brought you glory on earth. I have finished the work you gave me to do. + So now, Father, give glory to me in heaven where your throne is. Give me the glory I had with you before the world began. +& + "I have shown you to the disciples you gave me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me. And they have obeyed your word. + Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. + I gave them the words you gave me. And they accepted them. They knew for certain that I came from you. They believed that you sent me. + "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world. I am praying for those you have given me, because they are yours. + All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. Glory has come to me because of my disciples. + "I will not remain in the world any longer. But they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name. It is the name you gave me. Keep them safe so they can be one, just as you and I are one. + "While I was with them, I guarded them. I kept them safe through the name you gave me. None of them has been lost, except the one who was sentenced to be destroyed. It happened so that Scripture would come true. + "I am coming to you now. But I say these things while I am still in the world. I say them so that those you gave me can have all my joy inside them. + I have given them your word. The world has hated them. This is because they are not part of the world any more than I am. + I do not pray that you will take them out of the world. I pray that you will keep them safe from the evil one. + "They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to it. + Use the truth to make them holy. Your word is truth. + You sent me into the world. In the same way, I have sent them into the world. + I make myself holy for them so that they too can be made holy in a true sense. +& + "I do not pray only for them. I pray also for those who will believe in me because of their message. + Father, I pray that all of them will be one, just as you are in me and I am in you. I want them also to be in us. Then the world will believe that you have sent me. + "I have given them the glory you gave me. I did this so they would be one, just as we are one. + I will be in them, just as you are in me. I want them to be brought together perfectly as one. This will let the world know that you sent me. It will also show the world that you have loved those you gave me, just as you have loved me. + "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, the glory you have given me. You gave it to me because you loved me before the world was created. + "Father, you are holy. The world does not know you, but I know you. Those you have given me know you have sent me. + I have shown you to them. And I will continue to show you to them. Then the love you have for me will be in them. I myself will be in them." +& + + + When Jesus had finished praying, he left with his disciples. They crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a grove of olive trees. Jesus and his disciples went into it. + Judas knew the place. He was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Jesus had often met in that place with his disciples. + So Judas came to the grove. He was guiding a group of soldiers and some officials. The chief priests and the Pharisees had sent them. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. + Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. So he went out and asked them, "Who is it that you want?" + "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, was standing there with them. + When Jesus said, "I am he," they moved back. Then they fell to the ground. + He asked them again, "Who is it that you want?" They said, "Jesus of Nazareth." + "I told you I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." + This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken would come true. He had said, "I have not lost anyone God has given me."--(John 6:39) + Simon Peter had a sword and pulled it out. He struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. + Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shouldn't I drink the cup of suffering the Father has given me?" + Then the group of soldiers, their leader and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They tied him up + and brought him first to Annas. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. + Caiaphas had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. + Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. The high priest knew the other disciple. So that disciple went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard. + But Peter had to wait outside by the door. The other disciple came back. He was the one the high priest knew. He spoke to the woman who was on duty there. Then he brought Peter in. + The woman at the door spoke to Peter. "You are not one of Jesus' disciples, are you?" she asked him. "I am not," he replied. + It was cold. The servants and officials stood around a fire. They had made it to keep warm. Peter was also standing with them. He was warming himself. + Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus. He asked him about his disciples and his teaching. + "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I didn't say anything in secret. + Why question me? Ask the people who heard me. They certainly know what I said." + When Jesus said that, one of the officials nearby hit him in the face. "Is this any way to answer the high priest?" he asked. + "Have I said something wrong?" Jesus replied. "If I have, give witness to it. But if I spoke the truth, why did you hit me?" + While Jesus was still tied up, Annas sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest. + Simon Peter stood there. He was warming himself. Then someone asked him, "You aren't one of Jesus' disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." + One of the high priest's servants was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. He said to Peter, "Didn't I see you with Jesus in the olive grove?" + Again Peter said no. At that very moment a rooster began to crow. + Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning. The Jews did not want to be made "unclean." They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal. So they did not enter the palace. + Pilate came out to them. He asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" + "He has committed crimes," they replied. "If he hadn't, we would not have handed him over to you." + Pilate said, "Take him yourselves. Judge him by your own law." "But we don't have the right to put anyone to death," the Jews complained. + This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken about how he was going to die would come true. + Then Pilate went back inside the palace. He ordered Jesus to be brought to him. Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" + "Is that your own idea?" Jesus asked. "Or did others talk to you about me?" + "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What have you done?" + Jesus said, "My kingdom is not part of this world. If it were, those who serve me would fight. They would try to keep the Jews from arresting me. My kingdom is from another place." + "So you are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right to say I am a king. In fact, that's the reason I was born. I came into the world to give witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me." + "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then Pilate went out again to the Jews. He said, "I find no basis for any charge against him. + But it is your practice for me to set one prisoner free for you at Passover time. Do you want me to set 'the king of the Jews' free?" + They shouted back, "No! Not him! Give us Barabbas!" Barabbas had taken part in an armed struggle against the country's rulers. + + + Then Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. + The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus' head. Then they put a purple robe on him. + They went up to him again and again. They kept saying, "We honor you, king of the Jews!" And they hit him in the face. + Once more Pilate came out. He said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." + Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" + As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. I myself find no basis for a charge against him." + The Jews replied, "We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God." + When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid. + He went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus. But Jesus did not answer him. + "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross." + Jesus answered, "You were given power from heaven. If you weren't, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." + From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. But the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!" + When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge's seat. It was at a place called The Stone Walkway. In the Aramaic language it was called Gabbatha. + It was about noon on Preparation Day in Passover Week. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. + But they shouted, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!" "Should I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. + Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be nailed to a cross. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. + He had to carry his own cross. He went out to a place called The Skull. In the Aramaic language it was called Golgotha. + There they nailed Jesus to the cross. Two other men were crucified with him. One was on each side of him. Jesus was in the middle. + Pilate had a notice prepared. It was fastened to the cross. It read, ~jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.= + Many of the Jews read the sign. The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. The sign was written in the Aramaic, Latin and Greek languages. + The chief priests of the Jews argued with Pilate. They said, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews.' Write that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." + Pilate answered, "I have written what I have written." + When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes. They divided them into four parts. Each soldier got one part. Jesus' long, inner robe was left. It did not have any seams. It was made out of one piece of cloth from top to bottom. + "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's cast lots to see who will get it." This happened so that Scripture would come true. It says, "They divided up my clothes among them. They cast lots for what I was wearing." --(Psalm 22:18) So that is what the soldiers did. + Jesus' mother stood near his cross. So did his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. + Jesus saw his mother there. He also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." + He said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, the disciple took her into his home. + Later Jesus said, "I am thirsty." He knew that everything was now finished. He knew that what Scripture said must come true. + A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a stem of the hyssop plant. Then they lifted it up to Jesus' lips. + After Jesus drank he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died. + It was Preparation Day. The next day would be a special Sabbath. The Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. + The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the other man. + But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead. So they did not break his legs. + Instead, one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side. Right away, blood and water flowed out. + The man who saw it has given witness. And his witness is true. He knows that he tells the truth. He gives witness so that you also can believe. + These things happened in order that Scripture would come true. It says, "Not one of his bones will be broken."--(Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20) + Scripture also says, "They will look to the one they have pierced."--(Zechariah 12:10) + Later Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus' body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a follower of Jesus. But he followed Jesus secretly because he was afraid of the Jews. After Pilate gave him permission, Joseph came and took the body away. + Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought some mixed spices, about 75 pounds. + The two men took Jesus' body. They wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, along with the spices. That was the way the Jews buried people's bodies. + At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. A new tomb was there. No one had ever been put in it before. + That day was the Jewish Preparation Day, and the tomb was nearby. So they placed Jesus there. + + + Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. + So she ran to Simon Peter and another disciple, the one Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don't know where they have put him!" + So Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. + Both of them were running. The other disciple ran faster than Peter. He reached the tomb first. + He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there. But he did not go in. + Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived. He went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there. + He also saw the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself. It was separate from the linen. + The disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed. + They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. + Then the disciples went back to their homes. + But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she cried, she bent over to look into the tomb. + She saw two angels dressed in white. They were seated where Jesus' body had been. One of them was where Jesus' head had been laid. The other sat where his feet had been placed. + They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said. "I don't know where they have put him." + Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't realize that it was Jesus. + "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. So she said, "Sir, did you carry him away? Tell me where you put him. Then I will go and get him." + Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him. Then she cried out in the Aramaic language, "Rabboni!" Rabboni means Teacher. + Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me. I have not yet returned to the Father. Instead, go to those who believe in me. Tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " + Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. She said, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her. + On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!" + Then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were very happy when they saw the Lord. + Again Jesus said, "May peace be with you! The Father has sent me. So now I am sending you." + He then breathed on them. He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. + If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." + Thomas was one of the Twelve. He was called Didymus. He was not with the other disciples when Jesus came. + So they told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "First I must see the nail marks in his hands. I must put my finger where the nails were. I must put my hand into his side. Only then will I believe what you say." + A week later, Jesus' disciples were in the house again. Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!" + Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." + Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" + Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed." + Jesus did many other miraculous signs in front of his disciples. They are not written down in this book. + But these are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to him. + + + After this, Jesus appeared to his disciples again. It was by the Sea of Galilee. Here is what happened. + Simon Peter and Thomas, who was called Didymus, were there together. Nathanael from Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee were with them. So were two other disciples. + "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them. They said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat. That night they didn't catch anything. + Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. + He called out to them, "Friends, don't you have any fish?" "No," they answered. + He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat. There you will find some fish." When they did, they could not pull the net into the boat. There were too many fish in it. + Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Simon Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Peter heard that, he put his coat on. He had taken it off earlier. Then he jumped into the water. + The other disciples followed in the boat. They were towing the net full of fish. The shore was only about 100 yards away. + When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals. There were fish on it. There was also some bread. + Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." + Simon Peter climbed into the boat. He dragged the net to shore. It was full of large fish. There were 153 of them. But even with that many fish the net was not torn. + Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. + Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same thing with the fish. + This was the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. + When Jesus and the disciples had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He asked, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me more than these others do?" "Yes, Lord," he answered. "You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." + Again Jesus asked, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." + Jesus spoke to him a third time. He asked, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt bad because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He answered, "Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. + What I'm about to tell you is true. When you were younger, you dressed yourself. You went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands. Someone else will dress you. Someone else will lead you where you do not want to go." + Jesus said this to point out how Peter would die. His death would bring glory to God. Then Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" + Peter turned around. He saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following them. He was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper. He had said, "Lord, who is going to hand you over to your enemies?" + When Peter saw that disciple, he asked, "Lord, what will happen to him?" + Jesus answered, "Suppose I want him to remain alive until I return. What does that matter to you? You must follow me." + Because of what Jesus said, a false report spread among the believers. The story was told that the disciple Jesus loved wouldn't die. But Jesus did not say he would not die. He only said, "Suppose I want him to remain alive until I return. What does that matter to you?" + This is the disciple who gives witness to these things. He also wrote them down. We know that his witness is true. + Jesus also did many other things. What if every one of them were written down? I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. + + + + + Theophilus, I wrote about Jesus in my earlier book. I wrote about all he did and taught + until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before Jesus left, he gave orders to the apostles he had chosen. He did this through the Holy Spirit. + After his suffering and death, he appeared to them. In many ways he proved that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days. During that time he spoke about God's kingdom. + One day Jesus was eating with them. He gave them a command. "Do not leave Jerusalem," he said. "Wait for the gift my Father promised. You have heard me talk about it. + John baptized with water. But in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." + When the apostles met together, they asked Jesus a question. "Lord," they said, "are you going to give the kingdom back to Israel now?" + He said to them, "You should not be concerned about times or dates. The Father has set them by his own authority. + But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other." + After Jesus said this, he was taken up to heaven. They watched until a cloud hid him from their sight. + While he was going up, they kept on looking at the sky. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothing stood beside them. + "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But he will come back in the same way you saw him go." + The apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. It is almost a mile from the city. + When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Peter, John, James and Andrew were there. Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew were there too. So were James, son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas, son of James. + They all came together regularly to pray. The women joined them too. So did Jesus' mother Mary and his brothers. + In those days Peter stood up among the believers. About 120 of them were there. + Peter said, "Brothers, a long time ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David's mouth about Judas. What he said in Scripture had to come true. Judas was the guide for the men who arrested Jesus. + But Judas was one of us. He shared with us in our work for God." + Judas bought a field with the reward he got for the evil thing he had done. He fell down headfirst in the field. His body burst open. All his insides spilled out. + Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this. So they called that field Akeldama. In their language, Akeldama means The Field of Blood. + Peter said, "Here is what is written in the book of Psalms. It says, " 'May his home be deserted. May no one live in it.' --(Psalm 69:25) The Psalms also say, " 'Let someone else take his place as leader.' --(Psalm 109:8) + So we need to choose someone to take his place. It will have to be a man who was with us the whole time the Lord Jesus lived among us. + That time began when John was baptizing. It ended when Jesus was taken up from us. The one we choose must join us in giving witness that Jesus rose from the dead." + So they suggested two men. One was Joseph, who was called Barsabbas. He was also called Justus. The other man was Matthias. + Then they prayed. "Lord," they said, "you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen. + Show us who should take the place of Judas as an apostle. He gave up being an apostle to go where he belongs." + Then they cast lots. Matthias was chosen. So he was added to the 11 apostles. + + + The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. + Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. + They saw something that looked like tongues of fire. The flames separated and settled on each of them. + All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this. + Godly Jews from every country in the world were staying in Jerusalem. + A crowd came together when they heard the sound. They were bewildered because they each heard the believers speaking in their own language. + The crowd was really amazed. They asked, "Aren't all these people from Galilee? + Why, then, do we each hear them speaking in our own native language? + We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites. We live in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia. We are from Pontus, Asia, + Phrygia and Pamphylia. Others of us are from Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Still others are visitors from Rome. + Some of the visitors are Jews. Others have accepted the Jewish faith. Also, Cretans and Arabs are here. We hear all these people speaking about God's wonders in our own languages!" + They were amazed and bewildered. They asked one another, "What does this mean?" + But some people in the crowd made fun of the believers. "They've had too much wine!" they said. + Then Peter stood up with the Eleven. In a loud voice he spoke to the crowd. "My Jewish friends," he said, "let me explain this to you. All of you who live in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I say. + You think these people are drunk. But they aren't. It's only nine o'clock in the morning! + No, here is what the prophet Joel meant. + He said, " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will have dreams. + In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on those who serve me, both men and women. When I do, they will prophesy. + I will show wonders in the heavens above. I will show miraculous signs on the earth below. There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke. + The sun will become dark. The moon will turn red like blood. This will happen before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. + Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' --(Joel 2:28-32) + "Men of Israel, listen to this! Jesus of Nazareth was a man who had God's approval. God did miracles, wonders and signs among you through Jesus. You yourselves know this. + Long ago God planned that Jesus would be handed over to you. With the help of evil people, you put Jesus to death. You nailed him to the cross. + But God raised him from the dead. He set him free from the suffering of death. It wasn't possible for death to keep its hold on Jesus. + David spoke about him. He said, " 'I know that the Lord is always with me. He is at my right hand. I will always be secure. + So my heart is glad. Joy is on my tongue. My body also will be full of hope. + You will not leave me in the grave. You will not let your Holy One rot away. + You always show me the path that leads to life. You will fill me with joy when I am with you.' --(Psalm 16:8-11) + "Brothers, you can be sure that King David died. He was buried. His tomb is still here today. + But David was a prophet. He knew that God had made a promise to him. He had taken an oath that someone in David's family line would be king after him. + David saw what was ahead. So he spoke about the Christ rising from the dead. He said that the Christ would not be left in the grave. His body wouldn't rot in the ground. + God has raised this same Jesus back to life. We are all witnesses of this. + Jesus has been given a place of honor at the right hand of God. He has received the Holy Spirit from the Father. This is what God had promised. It is Jesus who has poured out what you now see and hear. + David did not go up to heaven. But he said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand. + I will put your enemies under your control." ' --(Psalm 110:1) + "So be sure of this, all you people of Israel. You nailed Jesus to the cross. But God has made him both Lord and Christ." + When the people heard this, their hearts were filled with shame. They said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" + Peter replied, "All of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. + The promise is for you and your children. It is also for all who are far away. It is for all whom the Lord our God will choose." + Peter said many other things to warn them. He begged them, "Save yourselves from these evil people." + Those who accepted his message were baptized. About 3,000 people joined the believers that day. + The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared life together. They broke bread and ate together. And they prayed. + Everyone felt that God was near. The apostles did many wonders and miraculous signs. + All the believers were together. They shared everything they had. + They sold what they owned. They gave each other everything they needed. + Every day they met together in the temple courtyard. In their homes they broke bread and ate together. Their hearts were glad and honest and true. + They praised God. They were respected by all the people. Every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. + + + One day Peter and John were going up to the temple. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. It was the time for prayer. + A man unable to walk was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful. He had been that way since he was born. Every day someone put him near the gate. There he would beg from people going into the temple courtyards. + He saw that Peter and John were about to enter. So he asked them for money. + Peter looked straight at him, and so did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" + So the man watched them closely. He expected to get something from them. + Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk." + Then Peter took him by the right hand and helped him up. At once the man's feet and ankles became strong. + He jumped to his feet and began to walk. He went with Peter and John into the temple courtyards. He walked and jumped and praised God. + All the people saw him walking and praising God. + They recognized him as the same man who used to sit and beg at the temple gate called Beautiful. They were filled with wonder. They were amazed at what had happened to him. + The beggar was holding on to Peter and John. All the people were amazed. They came running to them at Solomon's Porch. + When Peter saw this, he said, "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us? We haven't made this man walk by our own power or godliness. + The God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has done this. He has brought glory to Jesus, who serves him. But you handed Jesus over to be killed. Pilate had decided to let him go. But you spoke against Jesus when he was in Pilate's court. + You spoke against the Holy and Blameless One. You asked for a murderer to be set free instead. + You killed the one who gives life. But God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. + This man whom you see and know was made strong because of faith in Jesus' name. Faith in Jesus has healed him completely. You can see it with your own eyes. + "My friends, I know you didn't realize what you were doing. Neither did your leaders. + But God had given a promise through all the prophets. And this is how he has made his promise come true. He said that his Christ would suffer. + So turn away from your sins. Turn to God. Then your sins will be wiped away. The time will come when the Lord will make everything new. + He will send the Christ. Jesus has been appointed as the Christ for you. + He must remain in heaven until the time when God makes everything new. He promised this long ago through his holy prophets. + Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must listen to everything he tells you. + Those who do not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.'--(Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19) + "Samuel and all the prophets after him spoke about this. They said these days would come. + What the prophets said was meant for you. The covenant God made with your people long ago is yours also. He said to Abraham, 'All nations on earth will be blessed through your children.'--(Genesis 22:18; 26:4) + God raised up Jesus, who serves him. God sent him first to you. He did it to bless you. He wanted to turn each of you from your evil ways." + + + Peter and John were speaking to the people. The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came up to the apostles. + They were very upset by what the apostles were teaching the people. The apostles were saying that because Jesus rose from the dead, people can be raised from the dead. + So the temple authorities arrested Peter and John. It was already evening, so they put them in prison until the next day. + But many who heard the message believed. The number of men who believed grew to about 5,000. + The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. + Annas, the high priest, was there. So were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others in the high priest's family. + They had Peter and John brought to them. They wanted to question them. "By what power did you do this?" they asked. "And through whose name?" + Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. He said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people! + Are you asking us to explain our actions today? Do you want to know why we were kind to a disabled man? Are you asking how he was healed? + Then listen to this, you and all the people of Israel! You nailed Jesus Christ of Nazareth to the cross. But God raised him from the dead. It is through Jesus' name that this man stands healed in front of you. + Scripture says that Jesus is " 'the stone you builders did not accept. But it has become the most important stone of all.' --(Psalm 118:22) + You can't be saved by believing in anyone else. God has given us no other name under heaven that will save us." + The leaders saw how bold Peter and John were. They also realized that Peter and John were ordinary men with no training. This surprised the leaders. They realized that these men had been with Jesus. + The leaders could see the man who had been healed standing there with them. So there was nothing they could say. + They ordered Peter and John to leave the Sanhedrin. Then they talked things over. + "What can we do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle. We can't say it didn't happen. + We have to stop this thing. It must not spread any further among the people. We have to warn these men. They must never speak to anyone in Jesus' name again." + Once again the leaders called in Peter and John. They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in Jesus' name. + But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves. Which is right from God's point of view? Should we obey you? Or God? + There's nothing else we can do. We have to speak about the things we've seen and heard." + The leaders warned them again. Then they let them go. They couldn't decide how to punish Peter and John. They knew that all the people were praising God for what had happened. + The man who had been healed by the miracle was over 40 years old. + Peter and John were allowed to leave. They went back to their own people. They reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. + When the believers heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Lord and King," they said, "you made the heavens, the earth and the sea. You made everything in them. + Long ago you spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, who served you. You said, " 'Why are the nations angry? Why do the people make useless plans? + The kings of the earth take their stand against the Lord. The rulers of the earth gather together against his Anointed King.' --(Psalm 2:1,2) + "In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with those who weren't Jews. They also met with the people of Israel. All of them made plans against your holy servant Jesus. He is the one you anointed. + They did what your power and purpose had already decided should happen. + Now, Lord, consider the bad things they say they are going to do. Help us to be very bold when we speak your word. + Stretch out your hand to heal. Do miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." + After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They were bold when they spoke God's word. + All the believers were agreed in heart and mind. They didn't claim that anything they had was their own. They shared everything they owned. + With great power the apostles continued their teaching. They gave witness that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. And they were greatly blessed by God. + There were no needy persons among them. From time to time, those who owned land or houses sold them. They brought the money from the sales. + They put it down at the apostles' feet. It was then given out to anyone who needed it. + Joseph was a Levite from Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas. The name Barnabas means Son of Help. + Barnabas sold a field he owned. He brought the money from the sale. He put it down at the apostles' feet. + + + A man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, also sold some land. + He kept part of the money for himself. Sapphira knew he had kept it. He brought the rest of it and put it down at the apostles' feet. + Then Peter said, "Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? He made you lie to the Holy Spirit. You have kept some of the money you received for the land. + Didn't the land belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, you could have used the money as you wished. What made you think of doing such a thing? You haven't lied to just anyone. You've lied to God." + When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. All who heard what had happened were filled with fear. + Some young men came and wrapped up his body. They carried him out and buried him. + About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in. She didn't know what had happened. + Peter asked her, "Tell me. Is this the price you and Ananias sold the land for?" "Yes," she said. "That's the price." + Peter asked her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! You can hear the steps of the men who buried your husband. They are at the door. They will carry you out also." + At that very moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in. They saw that Sapphira was dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. + The whole church and all who heard about these things were filled with fear. + The apostles did many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. All the believers used to meet together at Solomon's Porch. + No outsider dared to join them. But the people thought highly of them. + More and more men and women believed in the Lord. They joined the other believers. + So people brought those who were sick into the streets. They placed them on beds and mats. They hoped that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he walked by. + Crowds even gathered from the towns around Jerusalem. They brought their sick. They also brought those who were suffering because of evil spirits. All of them were healed. + The high priest and all his companions were Sadducees. They were very jealous of the apostles. + So they arrested them and put them in the public prison. + But during the night an angel of the Lord came. He opened the prison doors and brought the apostles out. + "Go! Stand in the temple courtyard," the angel said. "Tell the people all about this new life." + Early the next day they did as they had been told. They entered the temple courtyard. There they began to teach the people. The high priest and his companions arrived. They called the Sanhedrin together. The Sanhedrin was a gathering of all the elders of Israel. They sent for the apostles who were in prison. + The officers arrived at the prison. But they didn't find the apostles there. So they went back and reported it. + "We found the prison locked up tight," they said. "The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, we didn't find anyone inside." + When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were bewildered. They wondered what would happen next. + Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courtyard. They are teaching the people." + So the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles back. But they didn't use force. They were afraid the people would kill them by throwing stones at them. + They brought the apostles to be judged by the Sanhedrin. The high priest questioned them. + "We gave you clear orders not to teach in Jesus' name," he said. "But you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. You want to make us guilty of this man's death." + Peter and the other apostles replied, "We must obey God instead of people! + You had Jesus killed by nailing him to a cross. But the God of our people raised Jesus from the dead. + Now Jesus is Prince and Savior. God has proved this by giving him a place of honor at his own right hand. He did it so that he could turn Israel away from their sins and forgive them. + We are witnesses of these things. And so is the Holy Spirit. God has given the Spirit to those who obey him." + When the leaders heard this, they became very angry. They wanted to put the apostles to death. + But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the Sanhedrin. He was a teacher of the law. He was honored by all the people. He ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while. + Then he spoke to the Sanhedrin. "Men of Israel," he said, "think carefully about what you plan to do to these men. + Some time ago Theudas appeared. He claimed he was really somebody. About 400 people followed him. But he was killed. All his followers were scattered. So they accomplished nothing. + After this, Judas from Galilee came along. This was in the days when the Romans made a list of all the people. Judas led a gang of men against the Romans. He too was killed. All his followers were scattered. + So let me give you some advice. Leave these men alone! Let them go! If their plans and actions are only human, they will fail. + But if their plans come from God, you won't be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God." + His speech won the leaders over. They called the apostles in and had them whipped. The leaders ordered them not to speak in Jesus' name. Then they let the apostles go. + The apostles were full of joy as they left the Sanhedrin. They considered it an honor to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. + Day after day, they kept teaching in the temple courtyards and from house to house. They never stopped telling the good news that Jesus is the Christ. + + + In those days the number of believers was growing. The Jews who followed Greek practices complained against the Jews who followed only Jewish practices. They said that the widows of men who followed Greek practices were not being taken care of. They weren't getting their fair share of food each day. + So the Twelve gathered all the believers together. They said, "It wouldn't be right for us to give up teaching God's word in order to wait on tables. + Brothers, choose seven of your men. They must be known as men who are wise and full of the Holy Spirit. We will turn this important work over to them. + Then we can give our attention to prayer and to teaching the word." + This plan pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen. He was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas were chosen too. The group also chose Nicolas from Antioch. He had accepted the Jewish faith. + The group brought them to the apostles. Then the apostles prayed and placed their hands on them. + So God's word spread. The number of believers in Jerusalem grew quickly. Also, a large number of priests began to obey Jesus' teachings. + Stephen was full of God's grace and power. He did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. + But members of the group called the Synagogue of the Freedmen began to oppose him. Some of them were Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria. Others were Jews from Cilicia and Asia Minor. They all began to argue with Stephen. + But he was too wise for them. They couldn't stand up against the Holy Spirit who spoke through him. + Then in secret they talked some men into lying about Stephen. They said, "We heard Stephen speak evil things against Moses. He also spoke evil things against God." + So the people were stirred up. The elders and the teachers of the law were stirred up too. They arrested Stephen and brought him to the Sanhedrin. + They found people who were willing to tell lies. The false witnesses said, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place. He also speaks against the law. + We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place. He says Jesus will change the practices that Moses handed down to us." + All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked right at Stephen. They saw that his face was like the face of an angel. + + + Then the high priest questioned Stephen. "Is what these people are saying true?" he asked. + "Brothers and fathers, listen to me!" Stephen replied. "The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham. At that time Abraham was still in Mesopotamia. He had not yet begun living in Haran. + 'Leave your country and your people,' God said. 'Go to the land I will show you.'--(Genesis 12:1) + "So Abraham left the land of Babylonia. He settled in Haran. After his father died, God sent Abraham to this land where you are now living. + God didn't give him any property here. He didn't give him even a foot of land. But God made a promise to him and to all his family after him. He said they would possess the land. The promise was made even though at that time Abraham had no child. + "Here is what God said to him. 'Your family after you will be strangers in a country that is not their own. They will be slaves and will be treated badly for 400 years. + But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves,' God said. 'After that, they will leave that country and worship me here.'--(Genesis 15:13,14) + "Then God made a covenant with Abraham. God told him that circumcision would show who the members of the covenant were. Abraham became Isaac's father. He circumcised Isaac eight days after he was born. Later, Isaac became Jacob's father. Jacob had 12 sons. They became the founders of the 12 tribes of Israel. + "Jacob's sons were jealous of their brother Joseph. So they sold him as a slave. He was taken to Egypt. But God was with him. + He saved Joseph from all his troubles. God made Joseph wise. He helped him to become the friend of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made Joseph ruler over Egypt and his whole palace. + "There was not enough food for all Egypt and Canaan. This brought great suffering. Jacob and his sons couldn't find food. + But Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt. So he sent his sons on their first visit. + On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was. Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. + "After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family. The total number of people was 75. + Then Jacob went down to Egypt. There he and his family died. + Some of their bodies were brought back to Shechem. They were placed in a tomb Abraham had bought. He had purchased it from Hamor's sons at Shechem for a certain amount of money. + "In Egypt the number of our people grew and grew. It was nearly time for God to make his promise to Abraham come true. + Another king became ruler of Egypt. He knew nothing about Joseph. + He was very evil and dishonest with our people. He beat them down. He forced them to throw out their newborn babies to die. + "At that time Moses was born. He was not an ordinary child. For three months he was taken care of by his family. + Then he was placed outside. But Pharaoh's daughter took him home. She brought him up as her own son. + Moses was taught all the knowledge of the people of Egypt. He became a powerful speaker and a man of action. + "When Moses was 40 years old, he decided to visit the people of Israel. They were his own people. + He saw one of them being treated badly by a man of Egypt. So he went to help him. He got even by killing the man. + Moses thought his own people would realize that God was using him to save them. But they didn't. + "The next day Moses saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to make peace between them. 'Men, you are both of Israel,' he said. 'Why do you want to hurt each other?' + "But the man who was treating the other one badly pushed Moses to one side. He said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? + Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'--(Exodus 2:14) + When Moses heard this, he escaped to Midian. He lived there as a stranger. He became the father of two sons there. + "Forty years passed. Then an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush. This happened in the desert near Mount Sinai. + When Moses saw the bush, he was amazed. He went over for a closer look. There he heard the Lord's voice. + 'I am the God of your fathers,' the Lord said. 'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.'--(Exodus 3:6) Moses shook with fear. He didn't dare to look. + "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground. + I have seen my people beaten down in Egypt. I have heard their groans. I have come down to set them free. Now come. I will send you back to Egypt.'--(Exodus 3:5,7,8,10) + "This is the same Moses the two men of Israel would not accept. They had said, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' But God himself sent Moses to rule the people of Israel and set them free. He spoke to Moses through the angel who had appeared to him in the bush. + So Moses led them out of Egypt. He did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for 40 years in the desert. + "This is the same Moses who spoke to the people of Israel. 'God will send you a prophet,' he said. 'He will be like me. He will come from your own people.'--(Deuteronomy 18:15) + Moses was with the Israelites in the desert. He was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai. Moses was with our people of long ago. He received living words to pass on to us. + "But our people refused to obey Moses. They would not accept him. In their hearts, they wished they were back in Egypt. + They told Aaron, 'Make us a god who will lead us. This fellow Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don't know what has happened to him!'--(Exodus 32:1) + That was the time they made a statue to be their god. It looked like a calf. They brought sacrifices to it. They were glad because of what they had made with their own hands. + But God turned away from them. He left them to worship the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets. There it says, " 'People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for 40 years in the desert? + You lifted up the place where Molech was worshiped. You lifted up the star of your god Rephan. You made statues of them to worship. So I will send you away from your country.' --(Amos 5:25-27) God sent them to Babylon and even farther. + "Long ago our people had with them in the desert the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. Moses had made the holy tent as God had commanded him. It was made like the pattern he had seen. + Our people received the tent from God. They brought it with them when they took the land of Canaan. God drove out the nations that were in their way. At that time Joshua was Israel's leader. "The tent remained in the land until David's time. + David was blessed by God. So David asked if he could build a house for the God of Jacob. + Instead, it was Solomon who built it for him. + "But the Most High God does not live in houses made by human hands. As God says through the prophet, + " 'Heaven is my throne. The earth is under my control. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Where will my resting place be? + Didn't my hand make all these things?' --(Isaiah 66:1,2) + "You people! You won't obey! You are stubborn! You won't listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit! + Was there ever a prophet your people didn't try to hurt? They even killed those who told about the coming of the Blameless One. And now you have handed him over to his enemies. You have murdered him. + The law you received was brought by angels. But you haven't obeyed it." + When the Sanhedrin heard this, they became very angry. They ground their teeth at Stephen. + But he was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up to heaven and saw God's glory. He saw Jesus standing at God's right hand. + "Look!" he said. "I see heaven open. The Son of Man is standing at God's right hand." + When the Sanhedrin heard this, they covered their ears. They yelled at the top of their voices. They all rushed at him. + They dragged him out of the city. They began to throw stones at him to kill him. The witnesses took off their coats. They placed them at the feet of a young man named Saul. + While the members of the Sanhedrin were throwing stones at Stephen, he prayed. "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," he said. + Then he fell on his knees. He cried out, "Lord! Don't hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he died. + + + Saul was there. He had agreed that Stephen should die. On that day the church in Jerusalem began to be attacked and treated badly. All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. + Godly Jews buried Stephen. They sobbed and sobbed over him. + But Saul began to destroy the church. He went from house to house. He dragged men and women away and put them in prison. + The believers who had been scattered preached the word everywhere they went. + Philip went down to a city in Samaria. There he preached about the Christ. + The crowds listened to Philip. They saw the miraculous signs he did. They all paid close attention to what he said. + Evil spirits screamed and came out of many people. Many who were disabled or who couldn't walk were healed. + So there was great joy in that city. + A man named Simon lived in the city. For quite a while he had practiced evil magic there. He amazed all the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great. + All of the people listened to him, from the least important of them to the most important. They exclaimed, "This man is known as the Great Power of God!" + He had amazed them for a long time with his magic. So they followed him. + But Philip preached the good news of God's kingdom. He preached the name of Jesus Christ. So men and women believed and were baptized. + Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip everywhere. He was amazed by the great signs and miracles he saw. + The apostles in Jerusalem heard that people in Samaria had accepted God's word. So they sent Peter and John to them. + When they arrived there, they prayed that the believers would receive the Holy Spirit. + The Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + Then Peter and John placed their hands on them. And they received the Holy Spirit. + Simon watched as the apostles placed their hands on them. He saw that the Spirit was given to them. So he offered money to Peter and John. + He said, "Give me this power too. Then everyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit." + Peter answered, "May your money be destroyed with you! Do you think you can buy God's gift with money? + You have no part or share in this holy work. Your heart is not right with God. + Turn away from this evil sin of yours. Pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. + I see that you are very bitter. You are a prisoner of sin." + Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me. Pray that nothing you have said will happen to me." + Peter and John gave witness and preached the Lord's word. Then they returned to Jerusalem. On the way they preached the good news in many villages in Samaria. + An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. "Go south to the desert road," he said. "It's the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." + So Philip started out. On his way he met an Ethiopian official. The man had an important position. He was in charge of all the wealth of Candace. She was the queen of Ethiopia. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship. + On his way home he was sitting in his chariot. He was reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. + The Holy Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot. Stay near it." + So Philip ran up to the chariot. He heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you're reading?" Philip asked. + "How can I?" he said. "I need someone to explain it to me." So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. + Here is the part of Scripture the official was reading. It says, "He was led like a sheep to be killed. Just as lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off, he did not open his mouth. + When he was treated badly, he was refused a fair trial. Who can say anything about his children? His life was cut off from the earth." --(Isaiah 53:7,8) + The official said to Philip, "Tell me, please. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?" + Then Philip began with that same part of Scripture. He told him the good news about Jesus. + As they traveled along the road, they came to some water. The official said, "Look! Here is water! Why shouldn't I be baptized?" + *** + He gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the official went down into the water. Philip baptized him. + When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official did not see him again. He went on his way full of joy. + Philip was seen next at Azotus. From there he traveled all around. He preached the good news in all the towns. Finally he arrived in Caesarea. + + + Meanwhile, Saul continued to oppose the Lord's followers. He said they would be put to death. He went to the high priest. + He asked the priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus. He wanted to find men and women who belonged to the Way of Jesus. The letters would allow him to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. + On his journey, Saul approached Damascus. Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. + He fell to the ground. He heard a voice speak to him. "Saul! Saul!" the voice said. "Why are you opposing me?" + "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus," he replied. "I am the one you are opposing. + Now get up and go into the city. There you will be told what you must do." + The men traveling with Saul stood there. They weren't able to speak. They had heard the sound. But they didn't see anyone. + Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he couldn't see. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. + For three days he was blind. He didn't eat or drink anything. + In Damascus there was a believer named Ananias. The Lord called out to him in a vision. "Ananias!" he said. "Yes, Lord," he answered. + The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. Ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying. + In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias. The man has come and placed his hands on him. Now he will be able to see again." + "Lord," Ananias answered, "I've heard many reports about this man. They say he has done great harm to God's people in Jerusalem. + Now he has come here to arrest all those who worship you. The chief priests have given him authority to do this." + But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen this man to work for me. He will carry my name to those who aren't Jews and to their kings. He will bring my name to the people of Israel. + I will show him how much he must suffer for me." + Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. He placed his hands on Saul. "Brother Saul," he said, "you saw the Lord Jesus. He appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He has sent me so that you will be able to see again. You will be filled with the Holy Spirit." + Right away something like scales fell from Saul's eyes. And he could see again. He got up and was baptized. + After eating some food, he got his strength back. Saul spent several days with the believers in Damascus. + At once he began to preach in the synagogues. He taught that Jesus is the Son of God. + All who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Isn't he the man who caused great trouble in Jerusalem for those who worship Jesus? Hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" + But Saul grew more and more powerful. The Jews living in Damascus couldn't believe what was happening. Saul proved to them that Jesus is the Christ. + After many days, the Jews had a meeting. They planned to kill Saul. + But he learned about their plan. Day and night they watched the city gates closely in order to kill him. + But his followers helped him escape by night. They lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. + When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the believers. But they were all afraid of him. They didn't believe he was really one of Jesus' followers. + But Barnabas took him to the apostles. He told them about Saul's journey. He said that Saul had seen the Lord. He told how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Barnabas also said that Saul had preached without fear in Jesus' name in Damascus. + So Saul stayed with the believers. He moved about freely in Jerusalem. He spoke boldly in the Lord's name. + He talked and argued with Jews who followed Greek practices. But they tried to kill him. + The other believers heard about this. They took Saul down to Caesarea. From there they sent him off to Tarsus. + Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. The Holy Spirit gave the church strength and boldness. So they grew in numbers. And they worshiped the Lord. + As Peter traveled around the country, he went to visit God's people in Lydda. + There he found a disabled man named Aeneas. For eight years the man had spent most of his time in bed. + "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up! Take care of your mat!" So Aeneas got up right away. + Everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him. They turned to the Lord. + In Joppa there was a believer named Tabitha. Her name in the Greek language was Dorcas. She was always doing good and helping poor people. + About that time she became sick and died. Her body was washed and placed in a room upstairs. + Lydda was near Joppa. The believers heard that Peter was in Lydda. So they sent two men to him. They begged him, "Please come at once!" + Peter went with them. When he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him crying. They showed him the robes and other clothes Dorcas had made while she was still alive. + Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. He turned toward the dead woman. He said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. + He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows. He brought her to them. They saw that she was alive. + This became known all over Joppa. Many people believed in the Lord. + Peter stayed in Joppa for some time. He stayed with Simon, a man who worked with leather. + + + A man named Cornelius lived in Caesarea. He was a Roman commander in the Italian Regiment. + Cornelius and all his family were faithful and worshiped God. He gave freely to people who were in need. He prayed to God regularly. + One day about three o'clock in the afternoon he had a vision. He saw an angel of God clearly. The angel came to him and said, "Cornelius!" + Cornelius was afraid. He stared at the angel. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to poor people have come up like an offering to God. So he has remembered you. + Now send men to Joppa. Have them bring back a man named Simon. He is also called Peter. + He is staying with another Simon, a man who works with leather. His house is by the sea." + The angel who spoke to him left. Then Cornelius called two of his servants. He also called a godly soldier who was one of his attendants. + He told them everything that had happened. Then he sent them to Joppa. + It was about noon the next day. The men were on their journey and were approaching the city. Peter went up on the roof to pray. + He became hungry. He wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, Peter had a vision. + He saw heaven open up. There he saw something that looked like a large sheet. It was being let down to earth by its four corners. + It had all kinds of four-footed animals in it. It also had reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. + Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." + "No, Lord! I will not!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything that is not pure and 'clean.' " + The voice spoke to him a second time. "Do not say anything is not pure that God has made 'clean,' " it said. + This happened three times. Right away the sheet was taken back up to heaven. + Peter was wondering what the vision meant. At that very moment the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house. They stopped at the gate + and called out. They asked if Simon Peter was staying there. + Peter was still thinking about the vision. The Holy Spirit spoke to him. "Simon," he said, "three men are looking for you. + Get up and go downstairs. Don't let anything keep you from going with them. I have sent them." + Peter went down and spoke to the men. "I'm the one you're looking for," he said. "Why have you come?" + The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius, the Roman commander. He is a good man who worships God. All the Jewish people respect him. A holy angel told him to invite you to his house. Cornelius wants to hear what you have to say." + Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter went with the three men. Some of the believers from Joppa went along. + The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them. He had called together his relatives and close friends. + When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him. As a sign of respect, he fell at Peter's feet. + But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said. "I am only a man myself." + Talking with Cornelius, Peter went inside. There he found a large group of people. + He said to them, "You know that it is against our law for a Jew to have anything to do with those who aren't Jews. But God has shown me that I should not say anyone is not pure and 'clean.' + So when you sent for me, I came without asking any questions. May I ask why you sent for me?" + Cornelius answered, "Four days ago at this very hour I was in my house praying. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood in front of me. + He said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. He has remembered your gifts to poor people. + Send someone to Joppa to get Simon Peter. He is a guest in the home of another Simon, who works with leather. He lives by the sea.' + So I sent for you right away. It was good of you to come. Now we are all here. And God is here with us. We are ready to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us." + Then Peter began to speak. "I now realize how true it is that God treats everyone the same," he said. + "He accepts people from every nation. He accepts all who have respect for him and do what is right. + "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel. It is the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. + You know what has happened all through Judea. It started in Galilee after John preached about baptism. + You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil's power. God was with him. + "We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by nailing him to a cross. + But on the third day God raised him from the dead. God allowed Jesus to be seen. + But he wasn't seen by all the people. He was seen only by us. We are witnesses whom God had already chosen. We ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. + "He commanded us to preach to the people. He told us to give witness that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. + All the prophets give witness about him. They say that all who believe in him have their sins forgiven through his name." + While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. + Some Jewish believers had come with Peter. They were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on those who weren't Jews. + They heard them speaking in languages they had not known before. They also heard them praising God. Then Peter said, + "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." + So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. + + + The apostles and the believers all through Judea heard that people who were not Jews had also received God's word. + Peter went up to Jerusalem. There the Jewish believers found fault with him. + They said, "You went into the house of those who aren't Jews. You ate with them." + Peter explained everything to them. He told them exactly what had happened. + "I was in the city of Joppa praying," he said. "There I had a vision. I saw something that looked like a large sheet. It was being let down from heaven by its four corners. It came down to where I was. + I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth. There were also wild animals, reptiles and birds. + Then I heard a voice speaking to me. 'Get up, Peter,' the voice said. 'Kill and eat.' + "I replied, 'No, Lord! I will not! Nothing that is not pure and "clean" has ever entered my mouth.' + "A second time the voice spoke from heaven. 'Do not say anything is not pure that God has made "clean," ' the voice said. + This happened three times. Then the sheet was pulled up into heaven. + "Just then three men stopped at the house where I was staying. They had been sent to me from Caesarea. + The Holy Spirit told me not to let anything keep me from going with them. These six brothers here went with me. We entered the man's house. + He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house. The angel said, 'Send to Joppa for Simon Peter. + He has a message to bring to you. You and your whole family will be saved through it.' + "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them. He came just as he had come on us at the beginning. + Then I remembered the Lord's words. 'John baptized with water,' he had said. 'But you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' + God gave them the same gift he gave those of us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So who was I to think that I could oppose God?" + When they heard this, they didn't object anymore. They praised God. They said, "So then, God has allowed even those who aren't Jews to turn away from their sins and live." + Some believers had been scattered by the suffering that came to them after Stephen's death. They traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. But they told the message only to Jews. + Some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch. There they began to speak to Greeks also. They told them the good news about the Lord Jesus. + The Lord's power was with them. Large numbers of people believed and turned to the Lord. + The church in Jerusalem heard about this. So they sent Barnabas to Antioch. + When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad. He told them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. + Barnabas was a good man. He was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. Large numbers of people came to know the Lord. + Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. + He found him there. Then he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church. They taught large numbers of people. At Antioch the believers were called Christians for the first time. + In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. + One of them was named Agabus. He stood up and spoke through the Spirit. He said there would not be nearly enough food anywhere in the Roman world. This happened while Claudius was the emperor. + The believers decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. All of them helped as much as they could. + They sent their gift to the elders through Barnabas and Saul. + + + About this time, King Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church. He planned to make them suffer greatly. + He had James killed with a sword. James was John's brother. + Herod saw that the death of James pleased the Jews. So he arrested Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. + After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in prison. Peter was placed under guard. He was watched by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put Peter on public trial. It would take place after the Passover Feast. + So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed hard to God for him. + It was the night before Herod was going to bring him to trial. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. Two chains held him there. Lookouts stood guard at the entrance. + Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared. A light shone in the prison cell. The angel struck Peter on his side. Peter woke up. "Quick!" the angel said. "Get up!" The chains fell off Peter's wrists. + Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." Peter did so. "Put on your coat," the angel told him. "Follow me." + Peter followed him out of the prison. But he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. + They passed the first and second guards. Then they came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself. They went through it. They walked the length of one street. Suddenly the angel left Peter. + Then Peter realized what had happened. He said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel. He set me free from Herod's power. He saved me from everything the Jewish people were hoping for." + When Peter understood what had happened, he went to Mary's house. Mary was the mother of John Mark. Many people had gathered in her home. They were praying there. + Peter knocked at the outer entrance. A servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. + She recognized Peter's voice. She was so excited that she ran back without opening the door. "Peter is at the door!" she exclaimed. + "You're out of your mind," they said to her. But she kept telling them it was true. So they said, "It must be his angel." + Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. + Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. He explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the others about this," he said. Then he went to another place. + In the morning the soldiers were bewildered. They couldn't figure out what had happened to Peter. + So Herod had them look everywhere for Peter. But they didn't find him. Then Herod questioned the guards closely. He ordered that they be put to death. Herod went from Judea to Caesarea. He stayed there awhile. + He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they got together and asked for a meeting with him. This was because they depended on the king's country to supply them with food. They gained the support of Blastus and asked for peace. Blastus was a trusted personal servant of the king. + The appointed day came. Herod was seated on his throne. He was wearing his royal robes. He made a speech to the people. + Then they shouted, "This is the voice of a god. It's not the voice of a man." + Right away an angel of the Lord struck Herod down. Herod had not given praise to God. So he was eaten by worms and died. + But God's word continued to increase and spread. + Barnabas and Saul finished their task. Then they returned from Jerusalem. They took John Mark with them. + + + In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. Among them were Barnabas, Simeon, and Lucius from Cyrene. Simeon was also called Niger. Another was Manaen. He had been brought up with Herod, the ruler of Galilee. Saul was among them too. + While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke. "Set apart Barnabas and Saul for me," he said. "I have appointed them to do special work." + The prophets and teachers fasted and prayed. They placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul. Then they sent them off. + Barnabas and Saul were sent on their way by the Holy Spirit. They went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. + They arrived at Salamis. There they preached God's word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. + They traveled all across the island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jew named Bar-Jesus. He was an evil magician and a false prophet. + He was an attendant of Sergius Paulus, the governor. Paulus was a man of understanding. He sent for Barnabas and Saul. He wanted to hear God's word. + But Elymas, the evil magician, opposed them. The name Elymas means "magician." He tried to keep the governor from becoming a believer. + Saul was also known as Paul. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas. He said to him, + "You are a child of the devil! You are an enemy of everything that is right! You cheat people. You use all kinds of tricks. Won't you ever stop twisting the right ways of the Lord? + Now the Lord's hand is against you. You are going to go blind. You won't be able to see the light of the sun for a while." Right away mist and darkness came over him. He tried to feel his way around. He wanted to find someone to lead him by the hand. + When the governor saw what had happened, he believed. He was amazed at what Paul was teaching about the Lord. + From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. There John left them and returned to Jerusalem. + From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down. + The Law and the Prophets were read aloud. Then the synagogue rulers sent word to Paul and his companions. They said, "Brothers, do you have a message of hope for the people? If you do, please speak." + Paul stood up and motioned with his hand. Then he said, "Men of Israel, and you non-Jews who worship God, listen to me! + The God of Israel chose our people who lived long ago. He blessed them greatly while they were in Egypt. With his mighty power he led them out of that country. + He put up with them for about 40 years in the desert. + He destroyed seven nations in Canaan. Then he gave the land to his people as their rightful share. + All of this took about 450 years. "After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. + Then the people asked for a king. He gave them Saul, son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He ruled for 40 years. + God removed him and made David their king. Here is God's witness about him. 'David, son of Jesse, is a man dear to my heart,' he said. 'He will do everything I want him to do.' + "From this man's family line God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus. This is what he had promised. + Before Jesus came, John preached that we should turn away from our sins and be baptized. He preached this to all Israel. + John was coming to the end of his work. 'Who do you think I am?' he said. 'I am not the one you are looking for. No, he is coming after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals.' + "Listen, brothers, you children of Abraham! Listen, you non-Jews who worship God! This message of salvation has been sent to us. + The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus. By finding him guilty, they made the prophets' words come true. These are read every Sabbath day. + The people and their rulers had no reason at all for sentencing Jesus to death. But they asked Pilate to have him killed. + They did everything that had been written about Jesus. Then they took him down from the cross. They laid him in a tomb. + But God raised him from the dead. + For many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are his witnesses to our people. + "We are telling you the good news. What God promised our people long ago + he has done for us, their children. He has raised up Jesus. This is what is written in the second Psalm. It says, " 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.' --(Psalm 2:7) + God raised Jesus from the dead. He will never rot in the grave. This is what is written in Scripture. It says, " 'Holy and sure blessings were promised to David. I will give them to you.' --(Isaiah 55:3) + In another place it says, " 'You will not let your Holy One rot away.' --(Psalm 16:10) + "David carried out God's purpose while he lived. Then he died. He was buried with his people. His body rotted away. + But the One whom God raised from the dead did not rot away. + "My brothers, here is what I want you to know. I announce to you that your sins can be forgiven because of what Jesus has done. + Through him everyone who believes is made right with God. Moses' law could not make you right in God's eyes. + Be careful! Don't let what the prophets spoke about happen to you. They said, + " 'Look, you who make fun of the truth! Wonder and die! I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. You wouldn't believe it even if someone told you.' " --(Habakkuk 1:5) + Paul and Barnabas started to leave the synagogue. The people invited them to say more about these things on the next Sabbath day. + The people were told they could leave the service. Many Jews followed Paul and Barnabas. Many non-Jews who faithfully worshiped the God of the Jews did the same. Paul and Barnabas talked with them. They tried to get them to keep living in God's grace. + On the next Sabbath day, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. + When the Jews saw the crowds, they became very jealous. They said evil things against what Paul was saying. + Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly. "We had to speak God's word to you first," they said. "But you don't accept it. You don't think you are good enough for eternal life. So now we are turning to those who aren't Jews. + This is what the Lord has commanded us to do. He said, " 'I have made you a light for those who aren't Jews. You will bring salvation to the whole earth.' " --(Isaiah 49:6) + When the non-Jews heard this, they were glad. They honored the word of the Lord. All who were appointed for eternal life believed. + The word of the Lord spread through the whole area. + But the Jews stirred up the important women who worshiped God. They also stirred up the men who were leaders in the city. They tried to get them to attack Paul and Barnabas. They threw them out of that area. + Paul and Barnabas didn't like this. So they shook the dust from their feet. They went on to Iconium. + The believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. + + + At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue as usual. They spoke there with great power. Large numbers of Jews and non-Jews became believers. + But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up those who weren't Jews. They poisoned their minds against the two men and the new believers. + So Paul and Barnabas spent a lot of time there. They spoke boldly for the Lord. He gave them the ability to do miraculous signs and wonders. In this way the Lord showed that they were telling the truth about his grace. + The people of the city did not agree with each other. Some were on the side of the Jews. Others were on the side of the apostles. + Jews and non-Jews alike planned to treat Paul and Barnabas badly. Their leaders agreed. They planned to kill them by throwing stones at them. + But Paul and Barnabas found out about the plan. They escaped to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding area. + There they continued to preach the good news. + In Lystra there sat a man who couldn't walk. He hadn't been able to use his feet since the day he was born. + He listened as Paul spoke. Paul looked right at him. He saw that the man had faith to be healed. + So he called out, "Stand up on your feet!" Then the man jumped up and began to walk. + The crowd saw what Paul had done. They shouted in the Lycaonian language. "The gods have come down to us in human form!" they exclaimed. + They called Barnabas Zeus. Paul was the main speaker. So they called him Hermes. + Just outside the city was the temple of the god Zeus. The priest of Zeus brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates. He and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. + But the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about this. So they tore their clothes. They rushed out into the crowd. They shouted, + "Why are you men doing this? We are only human, just like you. We are bringing you good news. Turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the living God. He is the one who made the heavens and the earth and the sea. He made everything in them. + In the past, he let all nations go their own way. + But he has given proof of what he is like. He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven. He gives you crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food. He fills your hearts with joy." + Paul and Barnabas told them all these things. But they had trouble keeping the crowd from offering sacrifices to them. + Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They won the crowd over to their side. They threw stones at Paul. They thought he was dead, so they dragged him out of the city. + The believers gathered around Paul. Then he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. + Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in the city of Derbe. They won large numbers of followers. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. + There they helped the believers gain strength. They told them to remain true to what they had been taught. "We must go through many hard times to enter God's kingdom," they said. + Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church. The elders had trusted in the Lord. Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted. They placed the elders in the Lord's care. + After going through Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas came into Pamphylia. + They preached the word in Perga. Then they went down to Attalia. + From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch. That was where they had been committed to God's grace. They had now completed the work God had given them to do. + When they arrived at Antioch, they gathered the church together. They reported all that God had done through them. They told how he had opened the way for non-Jews to believe. + And they stayed there a long time with the believers. + + + Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch. Here is what they were teaching the believers. "Moses commanded you to be circumcised," they said. "If you aren't, you can't be saved." + But Paul and Barnabas didn't agree with this. They argued strongly with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed to go up to Jerusalem. Some other believers were chosen to go with them. They were supposed to see the apostles and elders about this question. + The church sent them on their way. As they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how those who weren't Jews had turned to God. This news made all the believers very glad. + When they arrived in Jerusalem, the church welcomed them. The apostles and elders welcomed them too. Then Paul and Barnabas reported everything God had done through them. + Some of the believers were Pharisees. They stood up and said, "Those who aren't Jews must be circumcised. They must obey the law of Moses." + The apostles and elders met to consider this question. + After they had talked it over, Peter got up and spoke to them. "Brothers," he said, "you know that some time ago God chose me to take the good news to those who aren't Jews. He wanted them to hear the good news and believe. + God knows the human heart. By giving the Holy Spirit to non-Jews, he showed that he accepted them. He did the same for them as he had done for us. + He showed that there is no difference between us and them. He made their hearts pure because of their faith. + "Now then, why are you trying to test God? You test him when you put a heavy load on the believers' shoulders. Our people of long ago couldn't carry that load. We can't either. + No! We believe we are saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus. Those who aren't Jews are saved in the same way." + Everyone became quiet as they listened to Barnabas and Paul. They were telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among non-Jews. + When they finished, James spoke up. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. + Simon Peter has explained to us how God first showed his concern for those who aren't Jews. He chose some of them to be his very own people. + The prophets' words agree with that. They say, + " 'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. I will rebuild what was destroyed. I will make it what it used to be. + Then the rest of the people can look to the Lord. This means all the non-Jews who belong to me. The Lord says this. He is the one who does these things.' --(Amos 9:11,12) + The Lord does things that have been known for a long time. + "Now here is my opinion. We should not make it hard for the non-Jews who are turning to God. + Here is what we should write to them. They must not eat food polluted by being offered to statues of gods. They must not commit sexual sins. They must not eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And they must not drink blood. + These laws of Moses have been preached in every city from the earliest times. They are read out loud in the synagogues every Sabbath day." + Then the apostles, the elders and the whole church decided what to do. They would choose some of their own men. They would send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. So they chose two leaders among the believers. Their names were Judas Barsabbas and Silas. + Here is the letter they sent with them. The apostles and elders, your brothers, are writing this letter. We are sending it to the non-Jewish believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings. + We have heard that some of our people came to you and caused trouble. You were upset by what they said. But we had given them no authority to go. + So we all agreed to send our dear friends Barnabas and Paul to you. We chose some others to go with them. + Barnabas and Paul have put their lives in danger for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. + So we are sending Judas and Silas with them. What they say will agree with this letter. + It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to give you a load that is too heavy. So here are a few basic rules. + Don't eat food that has been offered to statues of gods. Don't drink blood. Don't eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And don't commit sexual sins. You will do well to keep away from these things. Farewell. + The men were sent down to Antioch. There they gathered the church together. They gave the letter to them. + The people read it. They were glad for its message of hope. + Judas and Silas were prophets. They said many things to give strength and hope to the believers. + Judas and Silas stayed there for some time. Then the believers sent them away with the blessing of peace. They sent them back to those who had sent them out. + *** + Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch. There they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. + Some time later Paul spoke to Barnabas. "Let's go back to all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord," he said. "Let's visit the believers and see how they are doing." + Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. + But Paul didn't think it was wise to take him. Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia. He hadn't continued with them in their work. + Barnabas and Paul strongly disagreed with each other. So they went their separate ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus. + But Paul chose Silas. The believers asked the Lord to give his grace to Paul and Silas as they went. + Paul traveled through Syria and Cilicia. He gave strength to the churches there. + + + Paul came to Derbe. Then he went on to Lystra. A believer named Timothy lived there. His mother was Jewish and a believer. His father was a Greek. + The believers at Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. + Paul wanted to take him along on the journey. So he circumcised Timothy because of the Jews who lived in that area. They all knew that Timothy's father was a Greek. + Paul and his companions traveled from town to town. They reported what the apostles and elders in Jerusalem had decided. The people were supposed to obey what was in the report. + So the churches were made strong in the faith. The number of believers grew every day. + Paul and his companions traveled all through the area of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit had kept them from preaching the word in Asia Minor. + They came to the border of Mysia. From there they tried to enter Bithynia. But the Spirit of Jesus would not let them. + So they passed by Mysia. Then they went down to Troas. + During the night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia standing and begging him. "Come over to Macedonia!" the man said. "Help us!" + After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. We decided that God had called us to preach the good news there. + At Troas we got into a boat. We sailed straight for Samothrace. The next day we went on to Neapolis. + From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony. It is an important city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there several days. + On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate. We walked down to the river. There we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered together. + One of those listening was a woman named Lydia. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her business was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to accept Paul's message. + She and her family were baptized. Then she invited us to her home. "Do you consider me a believer in the Lord?" she asked. "If you do, come and stay at my house." She succeeded in getting us to go home with her. + One day we were going to the place of prayer. On the way we were met by a female slave. She had a spirit that helped her to tell ahead of time what was going to happen. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. + The woman followed Paul and the rest of us around. She shouted, "These men serve the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved." + She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became upset. Turning around, he spoke to the spirit. "In the name of Jesus Christ," he said, "I command you to come out of her!" At that very moment the spirit left her. + The female slave's owners realized that their hope of making money was gone. So they grabbed Paul and Silas. They dragged them into the market place to face the authorities. + They brought them to the judges. "These men are Jews," her owners said. "They are making trouble in our city. + They are suggesting practices that are against Roman law. These are practices we can't accept or take part in." + The crowd joined the attack against Paul and Silas. The judges ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten. + They were whipped without mercy. Then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. + When he received his orders, he put Paul and Silas deep inside the prison. He fastened their feet so they couldn't get away. + About midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. + Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison doors flew open. Everybody's chains came loose. + The jailer woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He pulled out his sword and was going to kill himself. He thought the prisoners had escaped. + "Don't harm yourself!" Paul shouted. "We are all here!" + The jailer called out for some lights. He rushed in, shaking with fear. He fell down in front of Paul and Silas. + Then he brought them out. He asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" + They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and your family will be saved." + They spoke the word of the Lord to him. They also spoke to all the others in his house. + At that hour of the night, the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Right away he and his whole family were baptized. + The jailer brought them into his house. He set a meal in front of them. He and his whole family were filled with joy. They had become believers in God. + Early in the morning the judges sent their officers to the jailer. They ordered him, "Let those men go." + The jailer told Paul, "The judges have ordered me to set you and Silas free. You can leave now. Go in peace." + But Paul replied to the officers. "They beat us in public," he said. "We weren't given a trial. And we are Roman citizens! They threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and personally lead us out." + The officers reported this to the judges. When the judges heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they became afraid. + So they came and said they were sorry. They led them out of the prison. Then they asked them to leave the city. + After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house. There they met with the believers. They told them to be brave. Then they left. + + + Paul and Silas passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia. They came to Thessalonica. A Jewish synagogue was there. + Paul went into the synagogue as he usually did. For three Sabbath days in a row he talked about the Scriptures with the Jews. + He explained and proved that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am telling you about is the Christ!" he said. + His words won some of the Jews over. They joined Paul and Silas. A large number of Greeks who worshiped God joined them too. So did quite a few important women. + But the Jews were jealous. So they rounded up some evil fellows from the market place. Forming a crowd, they started all kinds of trouble in the city. The Jews rushed to Jason's house. They were looking for Paul and Silas. They wanted to bring them out to the crowd. + But they couldn't find them. So they dragged Jason and some other believers to the city officials. "These men have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted. "Now they have come here. + Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all disobeying Caesar's commands. They say there is another king. He is called Jesus." + When the crowd and the city officials heard this, they became very upset. + They made Jason and the others give them money. They wanted to make sure they would return to the court. Then they let them go. + As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. + The Bereans were very glad to receive Paul's message. They studied the Scriptures carefully every day. They wanted to see if what Paul said was true. So they were more noble than the Thessalonians. + Many of the Jews believed. A number of important Greek women also became believers. And so did many Greek men. + The Jews in Thessalonica found out that Paul was preaching God's word in Berea. So they went there too. They stirred up the crowds and got them all worked up. + Right away the believers sent Paul to the coast. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. + The men who went with Paul took him to Athens. Then they returned with orders that Silas and Timothy were supposed to join him as soon as they could. + Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens. He was very upset to see that the city was full of statues of gods. + So he went to the synagogue. There he talked with Jews and with Greeks who worshiped God. Each day he spoke with anyone who happened to be in the market place. + A group of Epicurean and Stoic thinkers began to argue with him. Some of them asked, "What is this fellow chattering about?" Others said, "He seems to be telling us about gods we've never heard of." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus. He was telling them that Jesus had risen from the dead. + They took him to a meeting of the Areopagus. There they said to him, "What is this new teaching you're giving us? + You have some strange ideas. We've never heard them before. We want to know what they mean." + All the people of Athens spent their time talking about and listening to the latest ideas. People from other lands who lived there did the same. + Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus. He said, "Men of Athens! I see that you are very religious in every way. + As I walked around, I looked carefully at the things you worship. I even found an altar with ~to an unknown god= written on it. Now I am going to tell you about this 'unknown god' that you worship. + "He is the God who made the world. He also made everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in temples built by hands. + He is not served by human hands. He doesn't need anything. He himself gives life and breath to all people. He also gives them everything else they have. + From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live. + God did this so that people would seek him. Then perhaps they would reach out for him and find him. They would find him even though he is not far from any of us. + 'In him we live and move and exist.' As some of your own poets have also said, 'We are his children.' + "Yes, we are God's children. So we shouldn't think that God is made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn't a statue planned and made by clever people. + In the past, God didn't judge people for what they didn't know. But now he commands all people everywhere to turn away from their sins. + He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly. He has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to all people by raising that man from the dead." + When they heard Paul talk about the dead rising, some of them made fun of it. But others said, "We want to hear you speak about this again." + So Paul left the meeting of the Areopagus. + A few men became followers of Paul and believed in Jesus. Dionysius was one of them. He was a member of the Areopagus. A woman named Damaris also became a believer. And so did some others. + + + After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. + There he met a Jew named Aquila, who was a native of Pontus. Aquila had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. The emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla. + They were tentmakers, just as he was. So he stayed and worked with them. + Every Sabbath day he went to the synagogue. He was trying to get both Jews and Greeks to believe in the Lord. + Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia. Then Paul spent all his time preaching. He gave witness to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. + But the Jews opposed Paul. They treated him badly. He didn't like this. So he shook out his clothes. Then he said to them, "Anything that happens to you will be your own fault! Don't blame me for it! From now on I will go to people who are not Jews." + Then Paul left the synagogue. He went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a man who worshiped God. + Crispus was the synagogue ruler. He and his whole family came to believe in the Lord. Many others who lived in Corinth heard Paul. They too believed and were baptized. + One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Keep on speaking. Don't be silent. + I am with you. No one will attack you and harm you. I have many people in this city." + So Paul stayed there for a year and a half. He taught them God's word. + At that time Gallio was governor of Achaia. The Jews got together and attacked Paul. They brought him into court. + "This man," they charged, "is trying to talk people into worshiping God in ways that are against the law." + Paul was about to speak up for himself. But just then Gallio spoke to the Jews. "You Jews are not claiming that Paul has committed a crime, whether large or small," he said. "If you were, it would make sense for me to listen to you. + But this is about your own law. It is a question of words and names. Settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." + So he had them thrown out of the court. + Then all the Jews turned against Sosthenes. He was the synagogue ruler. They beat him up in front of the court. But Gallio didn't care at all. + Paul stayed in Corinth for some time. Then he left the believers and sailed for Syria. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea. He did this because he had made a promise to God. + They arrived at Ephesus. There Paul said good-by to Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and talked with the Jews. + The Jews asked him to spend more time with them. But he said no. + As he left, he made them a promise. "If God wants me to," he said, "I will come back." Then he sailed from Ephesus. + When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem. There he greeted the church. He then went down to Antioch. + Paul spent some time in Antioch. Then he left and traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia. He gave strength to all the believers there. + At that time a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was an educated man from Alexandria. He knew the Scriptures very well. + Apollos had been taught the way of the Lord. He spoke with great power. He taught the truth about Jesus. But he only knew about John's baptism. + He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila heard him. So they invited him to their home. There they gave him a better understanding of the way of God. + Apollos wanted to go to Achaia. The brothers agreed with him. They wrote to the believers there. They asked them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who had become believers by God's grace. + He argued strongly against the Jews in public meetings. He proved from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. + + + While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road to Ephesus. When he arrived, he found some believers there. + He asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" "No," they answered. "We haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." + So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. + Paul said, "John baptized people, calling them to turn away from their sins. He told them to believe in the one who was coming after him. Jesus is that one." + After hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + Paul placed his hands on them. Then the Holy Spirit came on them. They spoke in languages they had not known before. They also prophesied. + There were about 12 of them in all. + Paul entered the synagogue. There he spoke boldly for three months. He tried to talk the people into accepting his teaching about God's kingdom. + But some of them wouldn't listen. They refused to believe. In public they said evil things about the Way of Jesus. So Paul left them. He took the believers with him. Each day he talked with people in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. + This went on for two years. So all the Jews and Greeks who lived in Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord. + God did amazing miracles through Paul. + Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to those who were sick. When this happened, their sicknesses were healed and evil spirits left them. + Some Jews went around driving out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to set free those who were controlled by demons. They said, "In Jesus' name I command you to come out. He is the Jesus that Paul is preaching about." + Seven sons of Sceva were doing this. Sceva was a Jewish chief priest. + One day the evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus. And I know about Paul. But who are you?" + Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on Sceva's sons. He overpowered them all. He gave them a terrible beating. They ran out of the house naked and bleeding. + The Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus heard about this. They were all overcome with fear. They held the name of the Lord Jesus in high honor. + Many who believed now came and openly admitted the evil they had done. + A number of those who had practiced evil magic brought their scrolls together. They set them on fire out in the open. They added up the value of the scrolls. They found that it would take more than two lifetimes to earn what the scrolls were worth. + The word of the Lord spread everywhere. It became more and more powerful. + After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem. He went through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been to Jerusalem," he said, "I must visit Rome also." + He sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, to Macedonia. But he stayed a little longer in Asia Minor. + At that time many people became very upset about the Way of Jesus. + There was a man named Demetrius who made things out of silver. He made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. He brought in a lot of business for the other skilled workers. + One day he called them together. He also called others who were in the same kind of business. "Men," he said, "you know that we make good money from our work. + You have seen and heard what this fellow Paul is doing. He has talked to large numbers of people here in Ephesus. Almost everywhere in Asia Minor he has led people away from our gods. He says that the gods we make are not gods at all. + Our work is in danger of losing its good name. People's faith in the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be weakened. Now she is worshiped through all of Asia Minor and the whole world. But soon she will be robbed of her greatness." + When they heard this, they became very angry. They began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + Soon people were making trouble in the whole city. They all rushed into the theater. They dragged Gaius and Aristarchus along with them. These two men had come with Paul from Macedonia. + Paul wanted to appear in front of the crowd. But the believers wouldn't let him. + Some of the officials in Asia Minor were friends of Paul. They sent him a message, begging him not to go into the theater. + The crowd didn't know what was going on. Some were shouting one thing and some another. Most of the people didn't even know why they were there. + The Jews pushed Alexander to the front. Some of the crowd tried to tell him what to say. But he motioned for them to be quiet. He wanted to speak up for himself in front of the people. + But then they realized that he was a Jew. So they all shouted the same thing for about two hours. "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" they yelled. + The city clerk quieted the crowd down. "Men of Ephesus!" he said. "The whole world knows that the city of Ephesus guards the temple of the great Artemis. They know that Ephesus guards her statue, which fell from heaven. + These facts can't be questioned. So calm down. Don't do anything foolish. + "These men haven't robbed any temples. They haven't said evil things against our goddess. But you have brought them here anyhow. + Demetrius and the other skilled workers may feel they have been wronged by someone. Let them bring charges. The courts are open. We have our governors. + Is there anything else you want to bring up? Settle it in a court of law. + As it is, today we are in danger of being charged with causing all this trouble. But there is no reason for it. We wouldn't be able to explain what has happened." + After he said this, he sent the people away. + + + All the trouble came to an end. Then Paul sent for the believers. After cheering them up, he said good-by. He then left for Macedonia. + He traveled through that area, speaking many words of hope to the people. Finally he arrived in Greece. + There he stayed for three months. He was just about to sail for Syria. But the Jews were making plans against him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia. + Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea went with him. Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy went too. Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia Minor also went with him. + These men went on ahead. They waited for us at Troas. + But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Five days later we joined the others at Troas. We stayed there for seven days. + On the first day of the week we met to break bread and eat together. Paul spoke to the people. He kept on talking until midnight because he planned to leave the next day. + There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. + A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. He sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Sound asleep, Eutychus fell from the third floor. When they picked him up from the ground, he was dead. + Paul went down and threw himself on the young man. He put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he told them. "He's alive!" + Then Paul went upstairs again. He broke bread and ate with them. He kept on talking until daylight. Then he left. + The people took the young man home. They were greatly comforted because he was alive. + We went on ahead to the ship. We sailed for Assos. There we were going to take Paul on board. He had planned it this way because he wanted to go there by land. + So he met us at Assos. We took him on board and went on to Mitylene. + The next day we sailed from there. We arrived near Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos. We arrived at Miletus the next day. + Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus. He didn't want to spend time in Asia Minor. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. If he could, he wanted to be there by the day of Pentecost. + From Miletus, Paul sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus. + When they arrived, he spoke to them. "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you," he said. "From the first day I came into Asia Minor, + I was free of pride. I served the Lord with tears. I served him even though I was greatly tested by the evil plans of the Jews. + You know I haven't let anyone keep me from preaching anything that would be helpful to you. I have taught you in public and from house to house. + I have told both Jews and Greeks that they must turn away from their sins to God. They must have faith in our Lord Jesus. + "Now I am going to Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit compels me. I don't know what will happen to me there. + I only know that in every city the Spirit warns me. He tells me that I will face prison and suffering. + But my life means nothing to me. I only want to finish the race. I want to complete the work the Lord Jesus has given me. He wants me to give witness to others about the good news of God's grace. + "I have spent time with you preaching about the kingdom. I know that none of you will ever see me again. + So I tell you today that I am not guilty if anyone has not believed. + I haven't let anyone keep me from telling you everything God wants you to do. + "Keep watch over yourselves. Keep watch over all the believers. The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over them. Be shepherds of God's church. He bought it with his own blood. + "I know that after I leave, wild wolves will come in among you. They won't spare any of the sheep. + Even men from your own people will rise up and twist the truth. They want to get the believers to follow them. + So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning you. Night and day I warned each of you with tears. + "Now I commit you to God's care. I commit you to the word of his grace. It can build you up. Then you will share in what God plans to give all his people. + I haven't longed for anyone's silver or gold or clothing. + You yourselves know that I have used my own hands to meet my needs. I have also met the needs of my companions. + In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " + When Paul had said this, he got down on his knees with all of them and prayed. + They all cried as they hugged and kissed him. + What hurt them the most was that he had said they would never see his face again. Then they went with him to the ship. + + + After we had torn ourselves away from the Ephesian elders, we headed out to sea. We sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes. From there we continued on to Patara. + We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia. So we went on board and headed out to sea. + We came near Cyprus and passed to the south of it. Then we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre. There our ship was supposed to unload. + We found the believers there and stayed with them for seven days. Led by the Holy Spirit, they tried to get Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. + But when it was time to leave, we continued on our way. All the believers and their families went with us out of the city. There on the beach we got down on our knees to pray. + We said good-by to each other. Then we went on board the ship. And they returned home. + Continuing on from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais. There we greeted the brothers and sisters. We stayed with them for a day. + The next day we left and arrived at Caesarea. We stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist. He was one of the seven deacons. + He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. + We stayed there several days. Then a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. + He came over to us. Then he took Paul's belt and tied his own hands and feet with it. He said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'This is how the Jews of Jerusalem will tie up the owner of this belt. They will hand him over to people who are not Jews.' " + When we heard this, we all begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. + He asked, "Why are you crying? Why are you breaking my heart? I'm ready to be put in prison. In fact, I'm ready to die in Jerusalem for the Lord Jesus." + We couldn't change his mind. So we gave up. We said, "May what the Lord wants to happen be done." + After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. + Some of the believers from Caesarea went with us. They brought us to Mnason's home. We were supposed to stay there. Mnason was from Cyprus. He was one of the first believers. + When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters gave us a warm welcome. + The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James. All the elders were there. + Paul greeted them. Then he reported everything God had done among the non-Jews through his work. + When they heard this, they praised God. Then they spoke to Paul. "Brother," they said, "you see that thousands of Jews have become believers. All of them try very hard to obey the law. + They have been told that you teach all the Jews who live among the non-Jews to turn away from Moses. They think that you teach them not to circumcise their children. They think that you teach them to give up our Jewish ways. + "What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. + So do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a promise to God. + Take them with you. Join them in the Jewish practice that makes people pure and clean. Pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know that these reports about you are not true in any way. They will know that you yourself obey the law. + "We have already given written directions to the believers who are not Jews. They must not eat food that has been offered to statues of gods. They must not drink blood. They must not eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And they must not commit sexual sins." + The next day Paul took the men with him. They all made themselves pure and clean in the usual way. Then Paul went to the temple. There he reported the date when the days of cleansing would end. At that time the proper offering would be made for each of them. + The seven days of cleansing were almost over. Some Jews from Asia Minor saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd. They arrested Paul. + "Men of Israel, help us!" they shouted. "This is the man who teaches everyone in all places against our people. He speaks against our law and against this holy place. Besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area. He has made this holy place unclean." + They said this because they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul. They thought Paul had brought him into the temple area. + The whole city was stirred up. People came running from all directions. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Right away the temple gates were shut. + The people were trying to kill Paul. But news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He heard that people were making trouble in the whole city of Jerusalem. + At once he took some officers and soldiers with him. They ran down to the crowd. The people causing the trouble saw the commander and his soldiers. So they stopped beating Paul. + The commander came up and arrested Paul. He ordered him to be held with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done. + Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. But the commander couldn't get the facts because of all the noise. So he ordered that Paul be taken into the fort. + Paul reached the steps. But then the mob became so wild that he had to be carried by the soldiers. + The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Kill him!" + The soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort. Then he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. + "Aren't you the Egyptian who turned some of our people against their leaders? Didn't you lead 4,000 terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" + Paul answered, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. I am a citizen of an important city. Please let me speak to the people." + The commander told him he could. So Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When all of them were quiet, he spoke to them in the Aramaic language. + + + "Brothers and fathers," Paul began, "listen to me now. I want to speak up for myself." + When they heard that he was speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said, + "I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus in Cilicia. But I grew up here in Jerusalem. I was well trained by Gamaliel in the law of our people. I wanted to serve God as much as any of you do today. + I hurt the followers of the Way of Jesus. I sent many of them to their death. I arrested men and women. I threw them into prison. + The high priest and the whole Council can give witness to this. I even had some official letters they had written to their friends in Damascus. So I went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. + "I had almost reached Damascus. About noon a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. + I fell to the ground and heard a voice speak to me. 'Saul! Saul!' it said. 'Why are you opposing me?' + " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth,' he replied. 'I am the one you are opposing.' + "The light was seen by my companions. But they didn't understand the voice of the one speaking to me. + " 'What should I do, Lord?' I asked. " 'Get up,' the Lord said. 'Go into Damascus. There you will be told everything you have been given to do.' + The brightness of the light had blinded me. So my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. + "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a godly Jew who obeyed the law. All the Jews living there respected him very much. + He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' At that very moment I was able to see him. + "Then he said, 'The God of our people has chosen you. He wanted to tell you his plans for you. You have seen the Blameless One. You have heard words from his mouth. + Now you will give witness to all people about what you have seen and heard. + So what are you waiting for? Get up and call on his name. Be baptized. Have your sins washed away.' + "I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple. Then it seemed to me that I was dreaming. + I saw the Lord speaking to me. 'Quick!' he said. 'Leave Jerusalem at once. These people will not accept your witness about me.' + " 'Lord,' I replied, 'these people know what I used to do. I went from one synagogue to another and put believers in prison. I also beat them. + Stephen was a man who gave witness to others about you. I stood there when he was killed. I had agreed that he should die. I even guarded the coats of those who were killing him.' + "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go. I will send you far away to people who are not Jews.' " + The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they shouted, "Kill him! He isn't fit to live!" + They shouted and threw off their coats. They threw dust into the air. + So the commanding officer ordered Paul to be taken into the fort. He gave orders for Paul to be whipped and questioned. He wanted to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. + A commander was standing there as they stretched Paul out to be whipped. Paul said to him, "Does the law allow you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" + When the commander heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it. "What are you going to do?" the commander asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." + So the commanding officer went to Paul. "Tell me," he asked. "Are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," Paul answered. + Then the officer said, "I had to pay a lot of money to become a citizen." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. + Right away those who were about to question him left. Even the officer was alarmed. He realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. + The commanding officer wanted to find out exactly what the Jews had against Paul. So the next day he let Paul out of prison. He ordered a meeting of the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin. Then he brought Paul and had him stand in front of them. + + + Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin. "My brothers," he said, "I have always done my duty to God. To this very day I feel that I have done nothing wrong." + Ananias the high priest heard this. So he ordered the men standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth. + Then Paul said to him, "You pretender! God will hit you! You sit there and judge me by the law. But you yourself broke the law when you commanded them to hit me!" + Those who were standing near Paul said, "How dare you talk like that to God's high priest!" + Paul replied, "Brothers, I didn't realize he was the high priest. It is written, 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.' "--(Exodus 22:28) + Paul knew that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees. So he called out in the Sanhedrin. "My brothers," he said, "I am a Pharisee. I am the son of a Pharisee. I believe that people will rise from the dead. That's why I am on trial." + When he said this, the Pharisees and the Sadducees started to argue. They began to take sides. + The Sadducees say that people will not rise from the dead. They don't believe there are angels or spirits either. But the Pharisees believe all these things. + People were causing trouble and making a lot of noise. Some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up. They argued strongly. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" + The arguing got out of hand. The commanding officer was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by those who were arguing. So he ordered the soldiers to go down and take him away from them by force. They were supposed to bring him into the fort. + The next night the Lord stood near Paul. He said, "Be brave! You have given witness about me in Jerusalem. You must do the same in Rome." + The next morning the Jews gathered secretly to make plans against Paul. They took an oath that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed him. + More than 40 men took part in this plan. + They went to the chief priests and the elders. They said, "We have taken a strong oath. We have made a special promise to God. We will not eat anything until we have killed Paul. + Now then, you and the Sanhedrin must make an appeal to the commanding officer. Ask him to bring Paul to you. Pretend you want more facts about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here." + But Paul's nephew heard about this plan. So he went into the fort and told Paul. + Then Paul called one of the commanders. He said to him, "Take this young man to the commanding officer. He has something to tell him." + So the commander took Paul's nephew to the officer. The commander said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me. He asked me to bring this young man to you. The young man has something to tell you." + The commanding officer took the young man by the hand. He spoke to him in private. "What do you want to tell me?" the officer asked. + He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow. They will pretend they want more facts about him. + Don't give in to them. More than 40 of them are waiting in hiding to attack him. They have taken an oath that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now. All they need is for you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin." + The commanding officer let the young man go. But he gave him a warning. "Don't tell anyone you have reported this to me," he said. + Then the commanding officer called for two of his commanders. He ordered them, "Gather a company of 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 men armed with spears. Get them ready to go to Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight. + Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix." + Here is the letter the officer wrote. + I, Claudius Lysias, am writing this letter. I am sending it to His Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings. + The Jews grabbed Paul. They were about to kill him. But I came with my soldiers and saved him. I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. + I wanted to know why they were bringing charges against him. So I brought him to their Sanhedrin. + I found out that the charge against him was based on questions about their law. But there was no charge against him worthy of death or prison. + Then I was told about a plan against the man. So I sent him to you at once. I also ordered those bringing charges against him to tell you their case. + The soldiers followed their orders. During the night they took Paul with them. They brought him as far as Antipatris. + The next day they let the horsemen go on with him. The soldiers returned to the fort. + The horsemen arrived in Caesarea. They gave the letter to the governor. Then they handed Paul over to him. + The governor read the letter. He asked Paul where he was from. He learned that Paul was from Cilicia. + So he said, "I will hear your case when those bringing charges against you get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace. + + + Five days later Ananias the high priest went down to Caesarea. Some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus went with him. They brought their charges against Paul to the governor. + So Paul was called in. Tertullus began to bring the charges against Paul. He said to Felix, "We have enjoyed a long time of peace while you have been ruling. You are a wise leader. You have made this a better nation. + Most excellent Felix, we gladly admit this everywhere and in every way. And we are very thankful. + I don't want to bother you. But would you be kind enough to listen to us for a short time? + "We have found that Paul is a troublemaker. He stirs up trouble among Jews all over the world. He is a leader of those who follow Jesus of Nazareth. + He even tried to pollute our temple. So we arrested him. + *** + Question him yourself. Then you will learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him." + The Jews said the same thing. They agreed that the charges were true. + The governor motioned for Paul to speak. Paul said, "I know that you have been a judge over this nation for quite a few years. So I am glad to stand up for myself. + About 12 days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. You can easily check on this. + Those bringing charges against me did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple. I wasn't stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. + They can't prove to you any of the charges they are making against me. + "It is true that I worship the God of our people. I am a follower of the Way of Jesus. Those bringing charges against me call it a cult. I believe everything that agrees with the Law. I believe everything written in the Prophets. + I have the same hope in God that these men have. I believe that both the godly and the ungodly will rise from the dead. + So I always try not to do anything wrong in the eyes of God and man. + "I was away for several years. Then I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for those who were poor. I also came to offer sacrifices. + They found me doing this in the temple courtyard. I had already been made pure and clean in the usual way. There was no crowd with me. I didn't stir up any trouble. + "But there are some other Jews who should be here in front of you. They are from Asia Minor. They should bring charges if they have anything against me. + Let the Jews who are here tell you what crime I am guilty of. After all, I was put on trial by the Sanhedrin. + Perhaps they blame me for what I said when I was on trial. I shouted, 'I believe that people will rise from the dead. That is why I am on trial here today.' " + Felix knew all about the Way of Jesus. So he put off the trial for the time being. "Lysias the commanding officer will come," he said. "Then I will decide your case." + He ordered the commander to keep Paul under guard. He told him to give Paul some freedom. He also told him to allow Paul's friends to take care of his needs. + Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla. She was a Jew. Felix sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. + Paul talked about how to live right. He talked about how people should control themselves. He also talked about the time when God will judge everyone. Then Felix became afraid. "That's enough for now!" he said. "You may leave. When I find the time, I will send for you." + He was hoping that Paul would offer him some money to let him go. So he often sent for Paul and talked with him. + Two years passed. Porcius Festus took the place of Felix. But Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor. So he left Paul in prison. + + + Three days after Festus arrived, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. + There the chief priests and Jewish leaders came to him and brought their charges against Paul. + They tried to get Festus to have Paul taken to Jerusalem. They asked for this as a favor. They were planning to hide and attack Paul along the way. They wanted to kill him. + Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea. Soon I'll be going there myself. + Let some of your leaders come with me. If the man has done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him there." + Festus spent eight or ten days in Jerusalem with them. Then he went down to Caesarea. The next day he called the court together. He ordered Paul to be brought to him. + When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many strong charges against him. But they couldn't prove them. + Then Paul spoke up for himself. He said, "I've done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple. I've done nothing wrong against Caesar." + But Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor. So he said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem? Are you willing to go on trial there? Are you willing to face these charges in my court?" + Paul answered, "I'm already standing in Caesar's court. This is where I should go on trial. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jews. You yourself know that very well. + If I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I'm willing to die. But the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true. No one has the right to hand me over to them. I make my appeal to Caesar!" + Festus talked it over with the members of his court. Then he said, "You have made an appeal to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!" + A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea. They came to pay a visit to Festus. + They were spending many days there. So Festus talked with the king about Paul's case. He said, "There's a man here that Felix left as a prisoner. + When I went to Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and the elders brought charges against the man. They wanted him to be found guilty. + "I told them that this is not the way Romans do things. We don't judge people before they have faced those bringing charges against them. They must have a chance to speak up for themselves. + When the Jews came back with me, I didn't waste any time. I called the court together the next day. I ordered the man to be brought in. + Those bringing charges against him got up to speak. But they didn't charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. + Instead, they argued with him about their own beliefs. They didn't agree about a dead man named Jesus. Paul claimed Jesus was alive. + "I had no idea how to look into such matters. So I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem. There he could be tried on these charges. + But Paul made an appeal to have the Emperor decide his case. So I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar." + Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." Festus replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him." + The next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived. They acted like very important people. They entered the courtroom. The most important officers and the leading men of the city came with them. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. + Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all who are here with us, take a good look at this man! Both in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea a large number of Jews have come to me about him. They keep shouting that he shouldn't live any longer. + I have found that he hasn't done anything worthy of death. But he made his appeal to the Emperor. So I decided to send him to Rome. + "I don't have anything certain to write about him to His Majesty. So I have brought him here today. Now all of you will be able to hear him. King Agrippa, it will also be very good for you to hear him. As a result of this hearing, I will have something to write. + It doesn't make sense to send a prisoner to Rome without listing the charges against him." + + + Agrippa said to Paul, "You may now speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand. Then he began to stand up for himself. + "King Agrippa," he said, "I am happy to be able to stand here today. I will speak up for myself against all the charges brought by the Jews. + I am very pleased that you are familiar with Jewish ways. You know the kinds of things they argue about. So I beg you to be patient as you listen to me. + "The Jews all know how I have lived ever since I was a child. They know all about me from the beginning of my life. They know how I lived in my own country and in Jerusalem. + They have known me for a long time. So if they wanted to, they could give witness that I lived by the rules of the Pharisees. Those rules are harder to obey than the rules of any other group in the Jewish faith. + "Today I am on trial because of the hope I have. I believe in what God promised our people long ago. + It is the promise that our 12 tribes are hoping to see come true. Because of this hope they serve God with a true and honest heart day and night. King Agrippa, it is also because of this hope that the Jews are bringing charges against me. + Why should any of you think it is impossible for God to raise the dead? + "I myself believed that I should do everything I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. + That's just what I was doing in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests, I put many of God's people in prison. I agreed that they should die. + I often went from one synagogue to another to have them punished. I tried to force them to speak evil things against Jesus. I hated them so much that I even went to cities in other lands to hurt them. + "On one of these journeys I was on my way to Damascus. I had the authority and commission of the chief priests. + About noon, King Agrippa, I was on the road. I saw a light coming from heaven. It was brighter than the sun. It was shining around me and my companions. + We all fell to the ground. I heard a voice speak to me in the Aramaic language. 'Saul! Saul!' it said. 'Why are you opposing me? It is hard for you to go against what you know is right.' + "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' " 'I am Jesus,' the Lord replied. 'I am the one you are opposing. + Now get up. Stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you to serve me and be my witness. You will tell others that you have seen me today. You will also tell them that I will show myself to you again. + " 'I will save you from your own people and from those who aren't Jews. I am sending you to them + to open their eyes. I want you to turn them from darkness to light. I want you to turn them from Satan's power to God. I want their sins to be forgiven. They will be forgiven when they believe in me. They will have their place among God's people.' + "So then, King Agrippa, I obeyed the vision that appeared from heaven. + First I preached to people in Damascus. Then I preached in Jerusalem and in all Judea. I preached also to people who are not Jews. I told them to turn away from their sins to God. The way they live must prove that they have turned away from their sins. + That's why the Jews grabbed me in the temple courtyard and tried to kill me. + "But God has helped me to this very day. So I stand here and give witness to both small and great. I have been saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses said would happen. + They said the Christ would suffer. He would be the first to rise from the dead. He would announce the light of life to his own people and to those who aren't Jews." + While Paul was still speaking up for himself, Festus interrupted. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you crazy!" + "I am not crazy, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. + The king is familiar with these things. So I can speak openly to him. I am certain he knows everything that has been going on. After all, it was not done in secret. + King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." + Then Agrippa spoke to Paul. "Are you trying to talk me into becoming a Christian?" he said. "Do you think you can do that in such a short time?" + Paul replied, "I don't care if it takes a short time or a long time. I pray to God for you and all who are listening to me today. I pray that you may become like me, except for these chains." + The king stood up. The governor and Bernice and those sitting with them stood up too. + They left the room and began to talk with one another. "Why should this man die or be put in prison?" they said. "He has done nothing worthy of that!" + Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free. But he has made an appeal to Caesar." + + + It was decided that we would sail for Italy. Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a Roman commander named Julius. He belonged to the Imperial Guard. + We boarded a ship from Adramyttium. It was about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia Minor. We headed out to sea. Aristarchus was with us. He was a Macedonian from Thessalonica. + The next day we landed at Sidon. There Julius was kind to Paul. He let Paul visit his friends so they could give him what he needed. + From there we headed out to sea again. We passed the calmer side of Cyprus because the winds were against us. + We sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we landed at Myra in Lycia. + There the commander found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy. He put us on board. + We moved along slowly for many days. We had trouble getting to Cnidus. The wind did not let us stay on course. So we passed the calmer side of Crete, opposite Salmone. + It was not easy to sail along the coast. Then we came to a place called Fair Havens. It was near the town of Lasea. + A lot of time had passed. Sailing had already become dangerous. By now it was after the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting. So Paul gave them a warning. + "Men," he said, "I can see that our trip is going to be dangerous. The ship and everything in it will be lost. Our own lives will be in danger also." + But the commander didn't listen to what Paul said. Instead, he followed the advice of the pilot and the ship's owner. + The harbor wasn't a good place for ships to stay during winter. So most of the people decided we should sail on. They hoped we would reach Phoenix. They wanted to spend the winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete. It faced both southwest and northwest. + A gentle south wind began to blow. They thought that this was what they had been waiting for. So they pulled up the anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. + Before very long, a wind blew down from the island. It had the force of a hurricane. It was called a "northeaster." + The ship was caught by the storm. We could not keep it sailing into the wind. So we gave up and were driven along. + We passed the calmer side of a small island called Cauda. We almost lost the lifeboat. + So the men lifted it on board. Then they tied ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. They were afraid it would get stuck on the sandbars of Syrtis. They lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. + We took a very bad beating from the storm. The next day the crew began to throw the ship's contents overboard. + On the third day, they even threw the ship's gear overboard with their own hands. + The sun and stars didn't appear for many days. The storm was terrible. So we gave up all hope of being saved. + The men had not eaten for a long time. Paul stood up in front of them. "Men," he said, "you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have avoided this harm and loss. + "Now I beg you to be brave. Not one of you will die. Only the ship will be destroyed. + I belong to God and serve him. Last night his angel stood beside me. + The angel said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must go on trial in front of Caesar. God has shown his grace by sparing the lives of all those sailing with you.' + "Men, continue to be brave. I have faith in God. It will happen just as he told me. + But we must run the ship onto the beach of some island." + On the 14th night we were still being driven across the Sea of Adria. About midnight the sailors had a feeling that they were approaching land. + They measured how deep the water was. They found that it was 120 feet deep. A short time later they measured the water again. This time it was 90 feet deep. + They were afraid we would crash against the rocks. So they dropped four anchors from the back of the ship. They prayed that daylight would come. + The sailors wanted to escape from the ship. So they let the lifeboat down into the sea. They pretended they were going to lower some anchors from the front of the ship. + But Paul spoke to the commander and the soldiers. "These men must stay with the ship," he said. "If they don't, you can't be saved." + So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat. They let it drift away. + Just before dawn Paul tried to get them all to eat. "For the last 14 days," he said, "you have wondered what would happen. You have gone without food. You haven't eaten anything. + Now I am asking you to eat some food. You need it to live. Not one of you will lose a single hair from your head." + After Paul said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God. He did this where they all could see him. Then he broke it and began to eat. + All of them were filled with hope. So they ate some food. + There were 276 of us on board. + They ate as much as they wanted. They needed to make the ship lighter. So they threw the rest of the grain into the sea. + When daylight came, they saw a bay with a sandy beach. They didn't recognize the place. But they decided to run the ship onto the beach if they could. + So they cut the anchors loose and left them in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that held the rudders. They lifted the sail at the front of the ship to the wind. Then they headed for the beach. + But the ship hit a sandbar. So the front of it got stuck and wouldn't move. The back of the ship was broken to pieces by the pounding of the waves. + The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners. They wanted to keep them from swimming away and escaping. + But the commander wanted to save Paul's life. So he kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and swim to land. + The rest were supposed to get there on boards or other pieces of the ship. That is how everyone reached land safely. + + + When we were safe on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. + The people of the island were unusually kind. It was raining and cold. So they built a fire and welcomed all of us. + Paul gathered some sticks and put them on the fire. A poisonous snake was driven out by the heat. It fastened itself on Paul's hand. + The people of the island saw the snake hanging from his hand. They said to each other, "This man must be a murderer. He escaped from the sea. But Justice won't let him live." Justice was the name of a goddess. + Paul shook the snake off into the fire. He was not harmed. + The people expected him to swell up. They thought he would suddenly fall dead. They waited for a long time. But they didn't see anything unusual happen to him. So they changed their minds. They said he was a god. + Publius owned property nearby. He was the chief official on the island. He welcomed us to his home. For three days he took care of us. He treated us with kindness. + His father was sick in bed. The man suffered from fever and dysentery. So Paul went in to see him. Paul prayed for him. He placed his hands on him and healed him. + Then the rest of the sick people on the island came. They too were healed. + The people of the island honored us in many ways. When we were ready to sail, they gave us the supplies we needed. + After three months we headed out to sea. We sailed in a ship that had stayed at the island during the winter. It was a ship from Alexandria. On the front of it the figures of twin gods were carved. Their names were Castor and Pollux. + We landed at Syracuse and stayed there for three days. + From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up. The day after that, we reached Puteoli. + There we found some believers. They invited us to spend a week with them. At last we came to Rome. + The brothers and sisters there had heard we were coming. They traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw these people, he thanked God and was cheered up. + When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself. But a soldier guarded him. + Three days later Paul called a meeting of the Jewish leaders. So they came. Paul said to them, "My brothers, I have done nothing against our people. I have also done nothing against what our people of long ago practiced. But I was arrested in Jerusalem. I was handed over to the Romans. + "They questioned me. And they wanted to let me go. They saw I wasn't guilty of any crime worthy of death. + But the Jews objected. So I had to make an appeal to Caesar. "It wasn't that I had anything against my own people. + I share Israel's hope. That is why I am held with this chain. So I have asked to see you and talk with you." + They replied, "We have not received any letters from Judea about you. None of our companions who came from there has reported or said anything bad about you. + But we want to hear what your ideas are. We know that people everywhere are talking against those who believe as you do." + They decided to meet Paul on a certain day. At that time even more people came to the place where he was staying. From morning until evening, he told them about God's kingdom and explained it to them. Using the Law of Moses and the Prophets, he tried to get them to believe in Jesus. + Some believed what he said. Others did not. + They didn't agree with each other. They began to leave after Paul had made a final statement. He said, "The Holy Spirit was right when he spoke to your people long ago. Through Isaiah the prophet the Spirit said, + " 'Go to your people. Say to them, "You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing." + These people's hearts have become stubborn. They can barely hear with their ears. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. They might turn, and then I would heal them.' --(Isaiah 6:9,10) + "Here is what I want you to know. God has sent his salvation to people who are not Jews. And they will listen!" + *** + For two whole years Paul stayed there in a house he rented. He welcomed all who came to see him. + He preached boldly about God's kingdom. No one could keep him from teaching people about the Lord Jesus Christ. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I serve Christ Jesus. I have been appointed to be an apostle. God set me apart to tell others his good news. + He promised the good news long ago. He announced it through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. + The good news is about God's Son. As a human being, the Son of God belonged to King David's family line. + By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was appointed to be the mighty Son of God because he rose from the dead. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. + I received God's grace because of what Jesus did so that I could bring glory to him. He made me an apostle to all those who aren't Jews. I must invite them to have faith in God and obey him. + You also are among those who are appointed to belong to Jesus Christ. + I am sending this letter to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and appointed to be his people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. People all over the world are talking about your faith. + I serve God with my whole heart. I preach the good news about his Son. God knows that I always remember you + in my prayers. I pray that now at last it may be God's plan to open the way for me to visit you. + I long to see you. I want to make you strong by giving you a gift from the Holy Spirit. + I want us to cheer each other up by sharing our faith. + Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I planned many times to visit you. But until now I have been kept from coming. My work has produced results among others who are not Jews. In the same way, I want to see results among you. + I have a duty both to Greeks and to non-Greeks. I have a duty both to wise people and to foolish people. + So I really want to preach the good news also to you who live in Rome. + I am not ashamed of the good news. It is God's power. And it will save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for those who aren't Jews. + The good news shows how God makes people right with himself. From beginning to end, becoming right with God depends on a person's faith. It is written, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."--(Habakkuk 2:4) + God shows his anger from heaven. It is against all the godless and evil things people do. They are so evil that they say no to the truth. + The truth about God is plain to them. God has made it plain. + Ever since the world was created it has been possible to see the qualities of God that are not seen. I'm talking about his eternal power and about the fact that he is God. Those things can be seen in what he has made. So people have no excuse for what they do. + They knew God. But they didn't honor him as God. They didn't thank him. Their thinking became worthless. Their foolish hearts became dark. + They claimed to be wise. But they made fools of themselves. + They would rather have statues of gods than the glorious God who lives forever. Their statues of gods are made to look like people, birds, animals and reptiles. + So God let them go. He allowed them to do what their sinful hearts wanted to. He let them commit sexual sins. They polluted one another's bodies by what they did. + They chose a lie instead of God's truth. They worshiped and served created things. They didn't worship the Creator. But he must be praised forever. Amen. + So God let them go. They were filled with shameful longings. Their women committed sexual acts that were not natural. + In the same way, the men turned away from their natural love for women. They burned with sexual longing for each other. Men did shameful things with other men. They suffered in their bodies for all the twisted things they did. + They didn't think it was important to know God. So God let them go. He allowed them to have dirty minds. They did things they shouldn't do. + They are full of every kind of sin, evil and ungodliness. They want more than they need. They commit murder. They want what belongs to other people. They fight and cheat. They hate others. They say mean things about other people. + They tell lies about them. They hate God. They are rude and proud. They brag. They think of new ways to do evil. They don't obey their parents. + They are foolish. They can't be trusted. They are not loving and kind. + They know that God's commands are right. They know that those who do evil things should die. But they continue to do those very things. They also approve of others who do them. + + + If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing. + We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly. + Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you? + Do you make fun of God's great kindness and favor? Do you make fun of God when he is patient with you? Don't you realize that God's kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins? + But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God's anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown. + God "will give to each person in keeping with what he has done."--(Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12) + God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends. + But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don't accept the truth. They go down an evil path. God will pour out his burning anger on them. + There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the non-Jews. + But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the non-Jews. + God treats everyone the same. + Some people do not know God's law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God's law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. + Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law. + Those who aren't Jews do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don't have the law. + They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them gives witness to that fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty. + People will be judged on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge their secret thoughts. That's part of my good news. + Suppose you call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law. You brag that you are close to God. + You know what God wants. You agree with what is best because the law teaches you. + You are sure you can lead people who are blind. You are sure you are a light for those who are in the dark. + You claim to be able to teach foolish people. You can even teach babies. You think that in the law you have all knowledge and truth. + You teach others. But you don't teach yourself! You preach against stealing. But you steal! + You say that people should not commit adultery. But you commit adultery! You hate statues of gods. But you rob temples! + You brag about the law. But when you break it, you rob God of his honor! + It is written, "Those who aren't Jews say evil things against God's name because of you."--(Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22) + Circumcision has value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, it is just as if you hadn't been circumcised. + Sometimes those who aren't circumcised do what the law requires. Won't God accept them as if they had been circumcised? + Many are not circumcised physically, but they obey the law. They will prove that you are guilty. You are breaking the law, even though you have the written law and are circumcised. + A man is not a Jew if he is a Jew only on the outside. And circumcision is more than just something done to the outside of a man's body. + No, a man is a Jew only if he is a Jew on the inside. And true circumcision means that the heart has been circumcised. It is done by the Holy Spirit. It is more than just obeying the written Law. Then a man's praise will not come from others. It will come from God. + + + Is there any advantage in being a Jew? Is there any value in being circumcised? + There is great value in every way! First of all, the Jews have been given the very words of God. + What if some Jews did not believe? Will the fact that they don't have faith keep God from being faithful? + Not at all! God is true, even though every human being is a liar. It is written, "You are right when you sentence me. You are fair when you judge me." --(Psalm 51:4) + Doesn't the fact that we are wrong prove more clearly that God is right? Then what can we say? Can we say that God is not fair when he brings his anger down on us? As you can tell, I am just using human ways of thinking. + God is certainly fair! If he weren't, how could he judge the world? + Someone might argue, "When I lie, it becomes clearer that God is truthful. It makes his glory shine more brightly. Why then does he find me guilty of sin?" + Why not say, "Let's do evil things so that good things will happen"? Some people actually lie by reporting that this is what we say. They are the ones who should be found guilty. + What should we say then? Are we Jews any better? Not at all! We have already claimed that Jews are sinners. The same is true of those who aren't Jews. + It is written, "No one is right with God, no one at all. + No one understands. No one trusts in God. + All of them have turned away. They have all become worthless. No one does anything good, no one at all." --(Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20) + "Their throats are like open graves. With their tongues they tell lies." --(Psalm 5:9) "The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake." --(Psalm 140:3) + "Their mouths are full of curses and bitterness." --(Psalm 10:7) + "They run quickly to commit murder. + They leave a trail of failure and pain. + They do not know the way of peace." --(Isaiah 59:7,8) + "They don't have any respect for God." --(Psalm 36:1) + What the law says, it says to those who are ruled by the law. Its purpose is to shut every mouth and make the whole world accountable to God. + So it can't be said that anyone will be made right with God by obeying the law. Not at all! The law makes us more aware of our sin. + But now God has shown us how to become right with him. The Law and the Prophets give witness to this. It has nothing to do with obeying the law. + We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. That happens to all who believe. It is no different for the Jews than for anyone else. + Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God's glory. + The free gift of God's grace makes all of us right with him. Christ Jesus paid the price to set us free. + God gave him as a sacrifice to pay for sins. So he forgives the sins of those who have faith in his blood. God did all of that to prove that he is fair. Because of his mercy he did not punish people for the sins they had committed before Jesus died for them. + God did that to prove in our own time that he is fair. He proved that he is right. He also made right with himself those who believe in Jesus. + So who can brag? No one! Are people saved by obeying the law? Not at all! They are saved because of their faith. + We firmly believe that people are made right with God because of their faith. They are not saved by obeying the law. + Is God the God of Jews only? Isn't he also the God of those who aren't Jews? Yes, he is their God too. + There is only one God. When those who are circumcised believe in him, he makes them right with himself. When those who are not circumcised believe in him, he also makes them right with himself. + Does faith make the law useless? Not at all! We agree with the law. + + + What should we say about those things? What did our father Abraham discover about being right with God? + Did he become right with God because of something he did? If so, he could brag about it. But he couldn't brag to God. + What do we find in Scripture? It says, "Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham's faith, and so his faith made him right with God."--(Genesis 15:6) + When a man works, his pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to him. + But things are different with God. He makes evil people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God. + King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed some people are. God makes those people right with himself. But they don't have to do anything in return. David says, + "Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven. Blessed are those whose sins are taken away. + Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him." --(Psalm 32:1,2) + Is that blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have been saying that God accepted Abraham's faith, and so his faith made him right with God. + When did it happen? Was it after Abraham was circumcised, or before? It was before he was circumcised, not after! + He was circumcised as a sign of the covenant God had made with him. It showed that his faith had made him right with God before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all believers who have not been circumcised. God accepts their faith. So their faith makes them right with him. + Abraham is also the father of the circumcised who believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised. + Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God. + Do those who obey the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would have no value. God's promise would be worthless. + The law brings God's anger. Where there is no law, the law can't be broken. + The promise is based on God's grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham's children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all. + It is written, "I have made you a father of many nations."--(Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham's God also speaks of things that do not exist as if they do exist. + When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, "That is how many children you will have."--(Genesis 15:5) + Without becoming weak in his faith, Abraham accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time he was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children. + But he kept believing in God's promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God. + He was absolutely sure that God had the power to do what he had promised. + That's why "God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God." + The words "God accepted Abraham's faith" were written not only for Abraham. + They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself. + Jesus was handed over to die for our sins. He was raised to life in order to make us right with God. + + + We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Through faith in Jesus we have received God's grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God's glory. + And that's not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. + The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. + And hope will never let us down. God has poured his love into our hearts. He did it through the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us. + At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. + It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. + But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. + The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God's anger. + Once we were God's enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives. + And that is not all. We are full of joy in God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of him, God has brought us back to himself. + Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people. + Before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not judged when there is no law. + Death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did. He broke God's command. But he also became a pattern of the One who was going to come. + God's gift is different from Adam's sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God's grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God's gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world. + The result of God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. God judged one sin. That brought guilt. But after many sins, God's gift made people right with him. + One man sinned, and death ruled because of his sin. But we are even more sure of what will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done. Those who receive the rich supply of God's grace will rule with Christ in his kingdom. They have received God's gift and have been made right with him. + One man's sin brought guilt to all people. So also one right act made all people right with God. And all who are right with God will live. + Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God. + The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God's grace increased even more. + Sin ruled because of death. So also grace rules in the lives of those who are right with God. The grace of God brings eternal life because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done. + + + What should we say then? Should we keep on sinning so that God's grace can increase? + Not at all! As far as sin is concerned, we are dead. So how can we keep on sinning? + All of us were baptized into Christ Jesus. Don't you know that we were baptized into his death? + By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father's glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life. + By being baptized, we have been joined with him in his death. We will certainly also be joined with him in his resurrection. + We know that what we used to be was nailed to the cross with him. That happened so our sinful bodies would lose their power. We are no longer slaves of sin. + Those who have died have been set free from sin. + We died with Christ. So we believe that we will also live with him. + We know that Christ was raised from the dead and will never die again. Death doesn't control him anymore. + When he died, he died once and for all time as far as sin is concerned. Now that he lives, he lives as far as God is concerned. + In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead as far as sin is concerned. Now that you believe in Christ Jesus, consider yourselves to be alive as far as God is concerned. + So don't let sin rule your body, which is going to die. Don't obey its evil longings. + Don't give the parts of your body to serve sin. Don't let them be used to do evil. Instead, give yourselves to God. You have been brought from death to life. Give the parts of your body to him to do what is right. + Sin will not be your master. Law does not rule you. God's grace has set you free. + What should we say then? Should we sin because we are not ruled by law but by God's grace? Not at all! + Don't you know that when you give yourselves to obey someone you become that person's slave? You can be slaves of sin. Then you will die. Or you can be slaves who obey God. Then you will live a godly life. + You used to be slaves of sin. But thank God that with your whole heart you obeyed the teachings you were given! + You have been set free from sin. You have become slaves to right living. + Because you are human, you find this hard to understand. So I have said it in a way that will help you understand it. You used to give the parts of your body to be slaves to unclean living. You were becoming more and more evil. Now give your bodies to be slaves to right living. Then you will become holy. + Once you were slaves of sin. At that time right living did not control you. + What benefit did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things lead to death! + You have been set free from sin. God has made you his slaves. The benefit you gain leads to holy living. And the end result is eternal life. + When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done. + + + Brothers and sisters, I am speaking to you who know the law. Don't you know that the law has authority over us only as long as we are alive? + For example, by law a married woman is joined to her husband as long as he is living. But suppose her husband dies. Then the marriage law no longer applies to her. + But suppose that married woman gets married again while her husband is still alive. Then she is called a woman who commits adultery. But suppose her husband dies. Then she is free from that law. She is not guilty of adultery even if she marries another man. + My brothers and sisters, when Christ died you also died as far as the law is concerned. Then it became possible for you to belong to him. He was raised from the dead. Now our lives can be useful to God. + Our sinful nature used to control us. The law stirred up sinful longings in our bodies. So the things we did resulted in death. + But now we have died to what used to control us. We have been set free from the law. Now we serve in the new way of the Holy Spirit. We no longer serve in the old way of the written law. + What should we say then? That the law is sin? Not at all! I wouldn't have known what sin was unless the law had told me. The law said, "Do not want what belongs to other people."--(Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21) If the law hadn't said that, I would not have known what it was like to want what belonged to others. + But the commandment gave sin an opportunity. Sin caused me to want all kinds of things that belonged to others. No one can break a law that doesn't exist. + Before I knew about the law, I was alive. But then the commandment came. Sin came to life, and I died. + I found that the commandment that was supposed to bring life actually brought death. + When the commandment gave sin the opportunity, sin tricked me. It used the commandment to put me to death. + So the law is holy. The commandment also is holy and right and good. + Did what is good cause me to die? Not at all! Sin had to be recognized for what it really is. So it produced death in me through what was good. Because of the commandment, sin became totally sinful. + We know that the law is holy. But I am not. I have been sold to be a slave of sin. + I don't understand what I do. I don't do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate to do. + I do what I don't want to do. So I agree that the law is good. + As it is, I am no longer the one who does these things. It is sin living in me that does them. + I know there is nothing good in my sinful nature. I want to do what is good, but I can't. + I don't do the good things I want to do. I keep on doing the evil things I don't want to do. + I do what I don't want to do. But I am not really the one who is doing it. It is sin living in me. + Here is the law I find working in me. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. + Deep inside me I find joy in God's law. + But I see another law working in the parts of my body. It fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of sin. That law controls the parts of my body. + What a terrible failure I am! Who will save me from this sin that brings death to my body? + I give thanks to God. He will do it through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in my mind I am a slave to God's law. But in my sinful nature I am a slave to the law of sin. + + + Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under God's sentence. + I am now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit. That law gives me life because of what Christ Jesus has done. It has set me free from the law of sin that brings death. + The written law was made weak by our sinful nature. But God did what the written law could not do. He made his Son to be like those who have a sinful nature. He sent him to be an offering for sin. In that way, he judged sin in his Son's human body. + Now we can do everything the law requires. Our sinful nature no longer controls the way we live. The Holy Spirit now controls the way we live. + Don't live under the control of your sinful nature. If you do, you will think about what your sinful nature wants. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit. If you do, you will think about what the Spirit wants. + The way a sinful person thinks leads to death. But the mind controlled by the Spirit brings life and peace. + The sinful mind is at war with God. It does not obey God's law. It can't. + Those who are controlled by their sinful nature can't please God. + But your sinful nature does not control you. The Holy Spirit controls you. The Spirit of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. + Christ lives in you. So your body is dead because of sin. But your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. + The Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies, which are going to die. He will do this by the power of his Spirit, who lives in you. + Brothers and sisters, we have a duty. Our duty is not to live under the control of our sinful nature. + If you live under the control of your sinful nature, you will die. But by the power of the Holy Spirit you can put to death the sins your body commits. Then you will live. + Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. + You didn't receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear once again. Instead you received the Holy Spirit, who makes you God's child. By the Spirit's power we call God "Abba." Abba means Father. + The Spirit himself joins with our spirits. Together they give witness that we are God's children. + As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory. + What we are suffering now is nothing compared with the glory that will be shown in us. + Everything God created looks forward to the time when his children will appear in their full and final glory. + The created world was bound to fail. But that was not the result of its own choice. It was planned that way by the One who made it. God planned + to set the created world free. He didn't want it to rot away completely. Instead, he wanted it to have the same glorious freedom that his children have. + We know that all that God created has been groaning. It is in pain as if it were giving birth to a child. The created world continues to groan even now. + And that's not all. We have the Holy Spirit as the promise of future blessing. But we also groan inside ourselves as we look forward to the time when God will adopt us as full members of his family. Then he will give us everything he has for us. He will raise our bodies and give glory to them. + That's the hope we had when we were saved. But hope that can be seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? + We hope for what we don't have yet. So we are patient as we wait for it. + In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak. We don't know what we should pray for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. He prays with groans too deep for words. + God, who looks into our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit. And the Spirit prays for God's people just as God wants him to pray. + We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose. + God planned that those he had chosen would become like his Son. In that way, Christ will be the first and most honored among many brothers. + And those God has planned for, he has also appointed to be saved. Those he has appointed, he has made right with himself. To those he has made right with himself, he has given his glory. + What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us? + God did not spare his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won't he also freely give us everything else? + Who can bring any charge against God's chosen ones? God makes us right with himself. + Who can sentence us to death? Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God and is also praying for us. He died. More than that, he was raised to life. + Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can trouble or hard times or harm or hunger? Can nakedness or danger or war? + It is written, "Because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed." --(Psalm 44:22) + No! In all these things we will do even more than win! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us. + I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God's love. Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can do that. + Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can do that. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God's love because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done. + + + I speak the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My mind tells me that what I say is true. It is guided by the Holy Spirit. + My heart is full of sorrow. My sadness never ends. + I am so concerned about my people, who are members of my own race. I am ready to be cursed, if that would help them. I am even willing to be separated from Christ. + They are the people of Israel. They have been adopted as God's children. God's glory belongs to them. So do the covenants. They received the law. They were taught to worship in the temple. They were given the promises. + The founders of our nation belong to them. Christ comes from their family line. He is God over all. May he always be praised! Amen. + Their condition does not mean that God's word has failed. Not everyone in the family line of Israel really belongs to Israel. + Not everyone in Abraham's family line is really his child. Not at all! Scripture says, "Your family line will continue through Isaac."--(Genesis 21:12) + In other words, God's children are not just Abraham's natural children. Instead, they are the children God promised to him. They are the ones considered to be Abraham's children. + God promised, "I will return at the appointed time. Sarah will have a son."--(Genesis 18:10,14) + And that's not all. Rebekah's children had the same father. He was our father Isaac. + Here is what happened. Rebekah's twins had not even been born. They hadn't done anything good or bad yet. So they show that God's purpose is based firmly on his free choice. + It was not because of anything they did but because of God's choice. So Rebekah was told, "The older son will serve the younger one."--(Genesis 25:23) + It is written, "I chose Jacob instead of Esau."--(Malachi 1:2,3) + What should we say then? Is God unfair? Not at all! + He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will show love to those I love." --(Exodus 33:19) + So it doesn't depend on what we want or do. It depends on God's mercy. + In Scripture, God says to Pharaoh, "I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to use you to show my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth."--(Exodus 9:16) + So God does what he wants to do. He shows mercy to one person and makes another stubborn. + One of you will say to me, "Then why does God still blame us? Who can oppose what he wants to do?" + But you are a mere man. So who are you to talk back to God? Scripture says, "Can what is made say to the one who made it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "--(Isaiah 29:16; 45:9) + Isn't the potter free to make different kinds of pots out of the same lump of clay? Some are for special purposes. Others are for ordinary use. + What if God chose to show his great anger? What if he chose to make his power known? That is why he put up with people he was angry with. They had been made to be destroyed. + What if he did that to show the riches of his glory to others? Those are the people he shows his mercy to. He had prepared them to receive his glory. + We are those people. He has chosen us. We do not come only from the Jewish race. Many of us are not Jews. + God says in Hosea, "I will call those who are not my people 'my people.' I will call the one who is not my loved one 'my loved one.' " --(Hosea 2:23) + He also says, "Once it was said to them, 'You are not my people.' In that very place they will be called 'children of the living God.' " --(Hosea 1:10) + Isaiah cries out concerning Israel. He says, "The number of people from Israel may be like the sand by the sea. But only a few of them will be saved. + The Lord will carry out his sentence. He will be quick to carry it out on earth, once and for all." --(Isaiah 10:22,23) + Earlier Isaiah had said, "The Lord who rules over all left us children and grandchildren. If he hadn't, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah." --(Isaiah 1:9) + What should we say then? Those who aren't Jews did not look for a way to be right with God. But they found it by having faith. + Israel did look for a law that could make them right with God. But they didn't find it. + Why not? Because they didn't look for it by faith. They tried to get it by working for it. They tripped over the stone that causes people to trip and fall. + It is written, "Look! In Zion I am laying a stone that causes people to trip. It is a rock that makes them fall. The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." --(Isaiah 8:14; 28:16) + + + Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them. + I can give witness about them that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on what they know. + They didn't know how God makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn't do it in God's way. + Christ has completed the law. So now everyone who believes can be right with God. + Moses explained how the law could help a person do what God requires. He said, "The one who does those things will live by them."--(Leviticus 18:5) + But the way to do what God requires must begin by having faith in him. Scripture says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will go up into heaven?' "--(Deuteronomy 30:12) That means to go up into heaven and bring Christ down. + "And do not say, 'Who will go down into the grave?' "--(Deuteronomy 30:13) That means to bring Christ up from the dead. + But what does it say? "The word is near you. It's in your mouth and in your heart."--(Deuteronomy 30:14) That means the word we are preaching. You must put your faith in it. + Say with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord." Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. + With your heart you believe and are made right with God. With your mouth you say that Jesus is Lord. And so you are saved. + Scripture says, "The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."--(Isaiah 28:16) + There is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is Lord of all. He richly blesses everyone who calls on him. + Scripture says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."--(Joel 2:32) + How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them? + And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"--(Isaiah 52:7) + But not all the people of Israel accepted the good news. Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"--(Isaiah 53:1) + So faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the word of Christ. + But I ask, "Didn't the people of Israel hear?" Of course they did. It is written, "Their voice has gone out into the whole earth. Their words have gone out from one end of the world to the other." --(Psalm 19:4) + Again I ask, "Didn't Israel understand?" First, Moses says, "I will use people who are not a nation to make you jealous. I will use a nation that has no understanding to make you angry." --(Deuteronomy 32:21) + Then Isaiah boldly speaks about what God says. God said, "I was found by those who were not trying to find me. I made myself known to those who were not asking for me." --(Isaiah 65:1) + But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said, "All day long I have held out my hands. I have held them out to a stubborn people who do not obey me." --(Isaiah 65:2) + + + So here is what I ask. Did God turn his back on his people? Not at all! I myself belong to Israel. I am one of Abraham's children. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. + God didn't turn his back on his people. After all, he chose them. Don't you know what Scripture says about Elijah? He complained to God about Israel. + He said, "Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have torn down your altars. I'm the only one left. And they are trying to kill me."--(1 Kings 19:10,14) + How did God answer him? God said, "I have kept 7,000 people for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal."--(1 Kings 19:18) + Some are also faithful today. They have been chosen by God's grace. + And if they are chosen by grace, it is no longer a matter of working for it. If it were, grace wouldn't be grace anymore. + What should we say then? Israel did not receive what they wanted so badly. But those who were chosen did. God made the rest of them stubborn. + It is written, "God made it hard for them to understand. He gave them eyes that could not see. He gave them ears that could not hear. And they are still like that today." --(Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10) + David says, "Let their feast be a trap and a snare. Let it make Israel trip and fall. Let Israel get what's coming to them. + Let their eyes grow dark so they can't see. Let their backs be bent forever." --(Psalm 69:22,23) + Again, here is what I ask. They didn't trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, those who aren't Jews can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them. + Israel's sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brought riches to the non-Jews. What greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God! + I am talking to you who are not Jews. I am the apostle to the non-Jews. So I think the work I do for God and others is very important. + I hope somehow to stir up my own people to want what you have. Perhaps I can save some of them. + When they were not accepted, it became possible for the whole world to be brought back to God. So what will happen when they are accepted? It will be like life from the dead. + The first handful of dough that is offered is holy. This makes all of the dough holy. If the root is holy, so are the branches. + Some of the natural branches have been broken off. You are a wild olive branch. But you have been joined to the tree with the other branches. Now you enjoy the life-giving sap of the olive tree root. + So don't think you are better than the other branches. Remember, you don't give life to the root. The root gives life to you. + You will say, "Some branches were broken off so that I could be joined to the tree." + That's true. But they were broken off because they didn't believe. You stand only because you do believe. So don't be proud. Be afraid. + God didn't spare the natural branches. He won't spare you either. + Think about how kind God is! Also think about how firm he is! He was hard on those who stopped following him. But he is kind to you. So you must continue to live in his kindness. If you don't, you also will be cut off. + If the people of Israel do not continue in their unbelief, they will again be joined to the tree. God is able to join them to the tree again. + After all, weren't you cut from a wild olive tree? Weren't you joined to an olive tree that was taken care of? And wasn't that the opposite of how things should be done? How much more easily will the natural branches be joined to their own olive tree! + Brothers and sisters, here is a mystery I want you to understand. It will keep you from being proud. Part of Israel has refused to obey God. That will continue until the full number of non-Jews has entered God's kingdom. + And so all Israel will be saved. It is written, "The One who saves will come from Mount Zion. He will remove sin from Jacob. + Here is my covenant with them. I will take away their sins." --(Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33,34) + As far as the good news is concerned, the people of Israel are enemies. That is for your good. But as far as God's choice is concerned, the people of Israel are loved. That is because of God's promises to the founders of our nation. + God does not take back his gifts. He does not change his mind about those he has chosen. + At one time you did not obey God. But now you have received mercy because Israel did not obey. + In the same way, Israel has not been obeying God. But now they receive mercy because of God's mercy to you. + God has found everyone guilty of not obeying him. So now he can have mercy on everyone. + How very rich are God's wisdom and knowledge! How he judges is more than we can understand! The way he deals with people is more than we can know! + "Who can ever know what is in the Lord's mind? Or who can ever give him advice?" --(Isaiah 40:13) + "Has anyone ever given anything to God, so that God has to pay him back?" --(Job 41:11) + All things come from him. All things are directed by him. All things are for his good. May God be given the glory forever! Amen. + + + Brothers and sisters, God has shown you his mercy. So I am asking you to offer up your bodies to him while you are still alive. Your bodies are a holy sacrifice that is pleasing to God. When you offer your bodies to God, you are worshiping him. + Don't live any longer the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed. Then you will be able to test what God wants for you. And you will agree that what he wants is right. His plan is good and pleasing and perfect. + God's grace has been given to me. So here is what I say to every one of you. Don't think of yourself more highly than you should. Be reasonable when you think about yourself. Keep in mind the amount of faith God has given you. + Each of us has one body with many parts. And the parts do not all have the same purpose. + So also we are many persons. But in Christ we are one body. And each part of the body belongs to all the other parts. + We all have gifts. They differ in keeping with the grace that God has given each of us. Do you have the gift of prophecy? Then use it in keeping with the faith you have. + Is it your gift to serve? Then serve. Is it teaching? Then teach. + Is it telling others how they should live? Then tell them. Is it giving to those who are in need? Then give freely. Is it being a leader? Then work hard at it. Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully. + Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. + Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves. + Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. + When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. + Share with God's people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. + Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not call down curses on them. + Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. + Agree with each other. Don't be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren't considered important. Don't think that you are better than others. + Don't pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. + If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. + My friends, don't try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, "I am the One who judges people. I will pay them back,"--(Deuteronomy 32:35) says the Lord. + Do just the opposite. Scripture says, "If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads." --(Proverbs 25:21,22) + Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good. + + + All of you must be willing to obey completely those who rule over you. There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God. + So when you oppose the authorities, you are opposing those whom God has appointed. Those who do that will be judged. + If you do what is right, you won't need to be afraid of your rulers. But watch out if you do what is wrong! You don't want to be afraid of those in authority, do you? Then do what is right. The one in authority will praise you. + He serves God and will do you good. But if you do wrong, watch out! The ruler doesn't carry a sword for no reason at all. He serves God. And God is carrying out his anger through him. The ruler punishes anyone who does wrong. + You must obey the authorities. Then you will not be punished. You must also obey them because you know it is right. + That's also why you pay taxes. The authorities serve God. Ruling takes up all their time. + Give to everyone what you owe. Do you owe taxes? Then pay them. Do you owe anything else to the government? Then pay it. Do you owe respect? Then give it. Do you owe honor? Then show it. + Pay everything you owe. But you can never pay back all the love you owe each other. Those who love others have done everything the law requires. + Here are some commandments to think about. "Do not commit adultery." "Do not commit murder." "Do not steal." "Do not want what belongs to others."--(Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19,21) These and other commandments are all included in one rule. Here's what it is. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."--(Leviticus 19:18) + Love does not harm its neighbor. So love does everything the law requires. + When you do those things, keep in mind the times we are living in. The hour has come for you to wake up from your sleep. Our full salvation is closer now than it was when we first believed in Christ. + The dark night of evil is nearly over. The day of Christ's return is almost here. So let us get rid of the works of darkness. Let us put on the armor of light. + Let us act as we should, like people living in the daytime. Have nothing to do with wild parties. Don't get drunk. Don't take part in sexual sins or evil conduct. Don't fight with each other. Don't be jealous of anyone. + Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ as your clothing. Don't think about how to satisfy what your sinful nature wants. + + + Accept those whose faith is weak. Don't judge them where you have differences of opinion. + The faith of some people allows them to eat anything. But others eat only vegetables because their faith is weak. + People who eat everything must not look down on those who do not. And people who don't eat everything must not judge those who do. God has accepted them. + Who are you to judge someone else's servants? Whether they are faithful or not is their own master's concern. They will be faithful, because the Lord has the power to make them faithful. + Some people consider one day to be more holy than another. Others think all days are the same. Each person should be absolutely sure in his own mind. + Those who think one day is special do it to honor the Lord. Those who eat meat do it to honor the Lord. They give thanks to God. Those who don't eat meat do it to honor the Lord. They also give thanks to God. + We don't live for ourselves alone. And we don't die all by ourselves. + If we live, we live to honor the Lord. If we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. + Christ died and came back to life. He did this to become the Lord of both the dead and the living. + Now then, who are you to judge your brother or sister? Why do you look down on them? We will all stand in God's courtroom to be judged. + It is written, " 'You can be sure that I live,' says the Lord. 'And you can be just as sure that every knee will bow down in front of me. Every tongue will tell the truth to God.' " --(Isaiah 45:23) + So we will all have to explain to God the things we have done. + Let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put anything in your brother's way that would make him trip and fall. + I am absolutely sure that no food is "unclean" in itself. I say this as one who belongs to the Lord Jesus. But some people may consider a thing to be "unclean." If they do, it is "unclean" for them. + Your brothers and sisters may be upset by what you eat. If they are, you are no longer acting as though you love them. So don't destroy them by what you eat. Christ died for them. + Don't let something you consider good be spoken of as if it were evil. + God's kingdom has nothing to do with eating or drinking. It is a matter of being right with God. It brings the peace and joy the Holy Spirit gives. + Those who serve Christ in this way are pleasing to God. They are pleasing to people too. + So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build each other up. + Don't destroy the work of God because of food. All food is "clean." But it is wrong for you to eat anything that causes someone else to trip and fall. + Don't eat meat if it will cause your brothers and sisters to fall. Don't drink wine or do anything else that will make them fall. + No matter what you think about those things, keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not have to feel guilty for what they allow. + But those who have doubts are guilty if they eat. Their eating is not based on faith. Everything that is not based on faith is sin. + + + We who have strong faith should help the weak with their problems. We should not please only ourselves. + We should all please our neighbors. Let us do what is good for them. Let us build them up. + Even Christ did not please himself. It is written, "Those who make fun of you have made fun of me also."--(Psalm 69:9) + Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They cheer us up and give us hope. + Our God is a God who strengthens you and cheers you up. May he help you agree with each other as you follow Christ Jesus. + Then you can give glory to God with one heart and voice. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Christ has accepted you. So accept one another in order to bring praise to God. + I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews. He teaches us that God is true. He shows us that God will keep the promises he made to the founders of our nation. + Jesus became a servant of the Jews so that people who are not Jews could give glory to God for his mercy. It is written, "I will praise you among those who aren't Jews. I will sing praises to you." --(2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49) + Again it says, "You non-Jews, be full of joy. Be joyful together with God's people." --(Deuteronomy 32:43) + And again it says, "All you non-Jews, praise the Lord. All you nations, sing praises to him." --(Psalm 117:1) + And Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will grow up quickly. He will rule over the nations. Those who aren't Jews will put their hope in him." --(Isaiah 11:10) + May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope. + My brothers and sisters, I am sure that you are full of goodness. What you know is complete. You are able to teach one another. + I have written to you very boldly about some things. I wanted you to think about them again. The grace of God has allowed me + to serve Christ Jesus among those who aren't Jews. My duty as a priest is to preach God's good news. Then the non-Jews will become an offering that pleases God. The Holy Spirit will make the offering holy. + Because I belong to Christ Jesus, I can take pride in my work for God. + I will not try to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me. He has been leading those who aren't Jews to obey God. He has been doing this by what I have said and done. + He has given me power to do signs and miracles. He has given me the power of the Holy Spirit. From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the good news about Christ. + I have always wanted to preach the good news where Christ was not known. I don't want to build on what someone else has started. + It is written, "Those who were not told about him will understand. Those who have not heard will know what it all means." --(Isaiah 52:15) + That's why I have often been kept from coming to you. + Now there is no more place for me to work in those areas. For many years I have been longing to see you. + So I plan to see you when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while I am passing through. And I hope you will help me on my journey there. But first I want to enjoy being with you for a while. + Now I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve God's people there. + The believers in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to take an offering for those who were poor among God's people in Jerusalem. + They were happy to do it. And of course they owe it to them. Those who aren't Jews have shared from the Jews' spiritual blessings. So the non-Jews should share their earthly blessings with the Jews. + I want to finish my task. I want to make sure that the poor in Jerusalem have received the offering. Then I will go to Spain. On my way I will visit you. + I know that when I come to you, I will come with the full blessing of Christ. + Brothers and sisters, I am asking you through the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray for me with the love the Holy Spirit provides. + Pray that I will be saved from those in Judea who do not believe. Pray that my work in Jerusalem will be accepted by God's people there. + Then, as God has planned, I will come to you with joy. Together we will be renewed. + May the God who gives peace be with you all. Amen. + + + I would like you to welcome our sister Phoebe. She serves the church in Cenchrea. + I ask you to receive her as one who belongs to the Lord. Receive her in the way God's people should. Give her any help she may need from you. She has been a great help to many people, including me. + Greet Priscilla and Aquila. They work together with me in serving Christ Jesus. + They have put their lives in danger for me. I am thankful for them. So are all the non-Jewish churches. + Greet also the church that meets in the house of Priscilla and Aquila. Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person in Asia Minor to become a believer in Christ. + Greet Mary. She worked very hard for you. + Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives. They have been in prison with me. They are leaders among the apostles. They became believers in Christ before I did. + Greet Ampliatus. I love him as a brother in the Lord. + Greet Urbanus. He works together with me in serving Christ. And greet my dear friend Stachys. + Greet Apelles. Even though he was put to the test, he remained faithful as one who belonged to Christ. Greet those who live in the house of Aristobulus. + Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet the believers who live in the house of Narcissus. + Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa. Those women work hard for the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis. She is another woman who has worked very hard for the Lord. + Greet Rufus. He is a choice believer in the Lord. And greet his mother. She has been like a mother to me too. + Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon and Hermes. Greet Patrobas, Hermas and the believers with them. + Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister. Greet Olympas and all of God's people with them. + Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send their greetings. + I am warning you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who try to keep you from staying together. They want to trip you up. They teach you things opposite to what you have learned. Stay away from them. + People like that are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving only themselves. With smooth talk and with words they don't mean they fool people who don't know any better. + Everyone has heard that you obey God. So you have filled me with joy. I want you to be wise about what is good. And I want you to have nothing to do with what is evil. + The God who gives peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. + Timothy works together with me. He sends his greetings to you. So do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. + I, Tertius, wrote down this letter. I greet you as a believer in the Lord. + Gaius sends you his greetings. He has welcomed me and the whole church here into his house. Erastus is the director of public works here in the city. He sends you his greetings. Our brother Quartus also greets you. + *** + May God receive glory. He is able to strengthen your faith because of the good news I preach. It is the message about Jesus Christ. It is in keeping with the mystery that was hidden for a very long time. + The mystery has now been made known through the writings of the prophets. The eternal God commanded that it be made known. He wanted all nations to believe and obey him. + May the only wise God receive glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I have been chosen to be an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Sosthenes joins me in writing. + We are sending this letter to you, the members of God's church in Corinth. You have been made holy because you belong to Christ Jesus. God has chosen you to be his holy people. He has done the same for all those everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is their Lord and ours. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + I always thank God for you. I thank him because of the grace he has given to you who belong to Christ Jesus. + You have been blessed in every way because of him. All your teaching of the truth is better. Your understanding of it is more complete. + Our witness about Christ has been proved to be true in you. + There is no gift of the Holy Spirit that you don't have. You are full of hope as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. + God will keep you strong to the very end. Then you will be without blame on the day our Lord Jesus Christ returns. + God is faithful. He has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. + Brothers and sisters, I ask all of you to agree with one another. I make my appeal in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then you won't take sides. You will be in complete agreement in all that you think. + My brothers and sisters, some people who live in Chloe's house have told me you are arguing with each other. + Here is what I mean. One of you says, "I follow Paul." Another says, "I follow Apollos." Another says, "I follow Peter." And still another says, "I follow Christ." + Does Christ take sides? Did Paul die on the cross for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? + I'm thankful that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. + No one can say that you were baptized in my name. + It's true that I also baptized those who live in the house of Stephanas. Besides that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else. + Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to preach the good news. He commanded me not to use the kind of wisdom that people commonly use. That would take all the power away from the cross of Christ. + The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God's power to us who are being saved. + It is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart." --(Isaiah 29:14) + Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where are the great thinkers of this world? Hasn't God made the wisdom of the world foolish? + God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe. + Jews require miraculous signs. Greeks look for wisdom. + But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it's foolish. + But there are those God has chosen, both Jews and others. To them Christ is God's power and God's wisdom. + The foolish things of God are wiser than human wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength. + Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when God chose you. Not many of you were considered wise by human standards. Not many of you were powerful. Not many of you belonged to important families. + But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. + God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. He chose what is not considered to be important to do away with what is considered to be important. + So no one can brag to God. + Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God's wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free. + It is written, "The one who brags should brag about what the Lord has done."--(Jeremiah 9:24) + + + Brothers and sisters, when I came to you I didn't come with fancy words or great wisdom. I preached to you the truth about God's love. + I made up my mind to pay attention to only one thing while I was with you. That one thing was Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. + When I came to you, I was weak and afraid and trembling all over. + I didn't preach my message with clever and compelling words. As I preached, the Holy Spirit showed his power. + That was so you would believe not because of human wisdom but because of God's power. + The words we speak to those who have grown in the faith are wise. Our words are different from the words of the wise people or rulers of this world. People like that aren't going anywhere. + No, we speak about God's secret wisdom. His wisdom has been hidden. But before time began, God planned that his wisdom would bring us heavenly glory. + None of the rulers of this world understood God's wisdom. If they had, they would not have nailed the Lord of glory to the cross. + It is written, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known what God has prepared for those who love him." --(Isaiah 64:4) + But God has shown it to us through his Spirit. The Spirit understands all things. He understands even the deep things of God. + Who can know the thoughts of another person? Only a person's own spirit can know them. In the same way, only the Spirit of God knows God's thoughts. + We have not received the spirit of the world. We have received the Spirit who is from God. The Spirit helps us understand what God has freely given us. + That is what we speak about. We don't use words taught to us by people. We use words taught to us by the Holy Spirit. We use the words of the Spirit to teach the truths of the Spirit. + Some people don't have the Holy Spirit. They don't accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. Things like that are foolish to them. They can't understand them. In fact, such things can't be understood without the Spirit's help. + Everyone who has the Spirit can judge all things. But no one can judge those who have the Spirit. It is written, + "Who can ever know what is in the Lord's mind? Can anyone ever teach him?" --(Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ. + + + Brothers and sisters, I couldn't speak to you as if you were guided by the Holy Spirit. I had to speak to you as if you were following the ways of the world. You aren't growing as Christ wants you to. You are still like babies. + The words I spoke to you were like milk, not like solid food. You weren't ready for solid food yet. And you still aren't ready for it. + You are still following the ways of the world. Some of you are jealous. Some of you argue. So aren't you following the ways of the world? Aren't you acting like ordinary human beings? + One of you says, "I follow Paul." Another says, "I follow Apollos." Aren't you acting like ordinary human beings? + After all, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? We are only people who serve. We helped you to believe. The Lord has given each of us our own work to do. + I planted the seed. Apollos watered it. But God made it grow. + So the one who plants is not important. The one who waters is not important. It is God who makes things grow. He is the One who is important. + The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. The Lord will give each of us a reward for our work. + We work together with God. You are like God's field. You are like his building. + God has given me the grace to lay a foundation as a master builder. Now someone else is building on it. But each one should build carefully. + No one can lay any other foundation than the one that has already been laid. That foundation is Jesus Christ. + A person may build on it using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. + But each person's work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good everyone's work is. + If the building doesn't burn up, God will give the builder a reward for his work. + If the building burns up, the builder will lose everything. The builder will be saved, but only like one escaping through the flames. + Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple? God's Spirit lives in you. + If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. God's temple is holy. And you are that temple. + Don't fool yourselves. Suppose some of you think you are wise by the standards of the world. Then you should become a "fool" so that you can become wise. + The wisdom of this world is foolish in God's eyes. It is written, "God catches wise people in their own tricks."--(Job 5:13) + It is also written, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise don't amount to anything."--(Psalm 94:11) + So no more bragging about human beings! All things are yours. + That means Paul or Apollos or Peter or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All are yours. + You are joined to Christ and belong to him. And Christ is joined to God. + + + Here is how you should think of us. We serve Christ. We are trusted with God's secret truth. + Those who have been given a trust must prove that they are faithful. + I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court. I don't even judge myself. + I don't feel I have done anything wrong. But that doesn't mean I'm not guilty. The Lord judges me. + So don't judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord returns. He will bring to light what is hidden in the dark. He will show the real reasons why people do what they do. At that time each person will receive praise from God. + Brothers and sisters, I have used myself and Apollos as examples to help you. You can learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Don't go beyond what is written." Then you won't be proud that you follow one person instead of another. + Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you brag as though you did not? + You already have everything you want, don't you? Have you already become rich? Have you begun to rule as kings? And did you do that without us? I wish that you really had begun to rule. Then we could rule with you! + It seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of a parade. We are like men sentenced to die in front of a crowd. We have been made a show for the whole creation to see. Angels and people are staring at us. + We are fools for Christ. But you are so wise in Christ! We are weak. But you are so strong! You are honored. But we are looked down on! + Up to this very hour we are hungry and thirsty. We are dressed in rags. We are being treated badly. We have no homes. + We work hard with our own hands. When others call down a curse on us, we bless them. When we are attacked, we put up with it. + When others say bad things about us, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the world's garbage. We are everybody's trash. + I am not writing this to shame you. You are my dear children, and I want to warn you. + You may have 10,000 believers in Christ watching over you. But you don't have many fathers. I became your father by serving Christ Jesus and telling you the good news. + So I'm asking you to follow my example. + That's the reason I'm sending Timothy to you. He is like a son to me, and I love him. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in serving Christ Jesus. And that agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. + Some of you have become proud. You act as if I weren't coming to you. + But I will come very soon, if that's what the Lord wants. Then I will find out how those proud people are talking. I will also find out what power they have. + The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. It is a matter of power. + Which do you want? Should I come to you with a whip? Or should I come in love and with a gentle spirit? + + + It is actually reported that there is sexual sin among you. I'm told that a man is living with his father's wife and is having sex with her. Even people who do not know God don't commit that sin. + And you are proud! Shouldn't you be filled with sadness instead? Shouldn't you have put the man who did that out of your church? + Even though I am not right there with you, I am with you in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did that, just as if I were there. + When you come together in the name of our Lord Jesus, I will be with you in spirit. The power of our Lord Jesus will also be with you. + When you come together like that, hand that man over to Satan. Then his sinful nature will be destroyed. His spirit will be saved on the day the Lord returns. + Your bragging is not good. It is like yeast. Don't you know that just a little yeast works its way through the whole batch of dough? + Get rid of the old yeast. Be like a new batch of dough without yeast. That is what you really are, because Christ has been offered up for us. He is our Passover lamb. + So let us keep the Feast, but not with the old yeast. I'm talking about yeast that is full of hatred and evil. Let us keep the Feast with bread made without yeast. Let us do it with bread that is honest and true. + I wrote a letter to you to tell you to stay away from people who commit sexual sins. + I didn't mean the people of this world who sin that way or who always want more and more. I didn't mean those who cheat or who worship statues of gods. In that case you would have to leave this world! + But here is what I am writing to you. You must stay away from anyone who claims to be a believer but who does those things. Stay away from anyone who commits sexual sins or who always wants more and more things. Stay away from a person who worships statues of gods or who tells lies about others. Stay away from anyone who gets drunk or who cheats. Don't even eat with a person like that. + Is it my business to judge those outside the church? Aren't you supposed to judge those inside the church? + God will judge those outside. Scripture says, "Get rid of that evil person!"--(Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7) + + + Suppose one of you wants to bring a charge against another believer. Should you take it to the ungodly to be judged? Why not take it to God's people? + Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, aren't you able to judge small cases? + Don't you know that we will judge angels? Then we should be able to judge the things of this life even more! + So if you want to press charges in matters like that, appoint as judges members of the church who aren't very important! + I say this to shame you. Is it possible that no one among you is wise enough to judge matters between believers? + Instead, one believer goes to court against another. And this happens in front of unbelievers! + The very fact that you take another believer to court means you have lost the battle already. Why not be treated wrongly? Why not be cheated? + Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong. And you do it to your brothers and sisters. + Don't you know that evil people will not receive God's kingdom? Don't be fooled. Those who commit sexual sins will not receive the kingdom. Neither will those who worship statues of gods or commit adultery. Neither will men who are prostitutes or who commit homosexual acts. + Neither will thieves or those who always want more and more. Neither will those who are often drunk or tell lies or cheat. People who live like that will not receive God's kingdom. + Some of you used to do those things. But your sins were washed away. You were made holy. You were made right with God. All of that was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. + Some of you say, "Everything is permitted for me." But not everything is good for me. Again some of you say, "Everything is permitted for me." But I will not be controlled by anything. + Some of you say, "Food is for the stomach. And the stomach is for food." But God will destroy both of them. The body is not meant for sexual sins. The body is meant for the Lord. And the Lord is meant for the body. + By his power God raised the Lord from the dead. He will also raise us up. + Don't you know that your bodies belong to the body of Christ? Should I take what belongs to Christ and join it to a prostitute? Never! + Don't you know that when you join yourself to a prostitute, you become one with her in body? Scripture says, "The two will become one."--(Genesis 2:24) + But anyone who is joined to the Lord becomes one with him in spirit. + Keep far away from sexual sins. All the other sins a person commits are outside his body. But sexual sins are sins against one's own body. + Don't you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves. + Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God. + + + Now I want to deal with the things you wrote me about. Some of you say, "It is good for a man not to have sex with a woman." + But since there is so much sexual sin, each man should have his own wife. And each woman should have her own husband. + A husband should satisfy his wife's sexual needs. And a wife should satisfy her husband's sexual needs. + The wife's body does not belong only to her. It also belongs to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong only to him. It also belongs to his wife. + You shouldn't stop giving yourselves to each other except when you both agree to do so. And that should be only to give yourselves time to pray for a while. Then you should come together again. In that way, Satan will not tempt you when you can't control yourselves. + I say those things to you as my advice, not as a command. + I wish all of you were like me. But you each have your own gift from God. One has this gift. Another has that. + I speak to those who are not married. I also speak to widows. It is good for you to stay single like me. + But if you can't control yourselves, you should get married. It is better to get married than to burn with sexual longing. + I give a command to those who are married. It is a direct command from the Lord, not from me. A wife must not leave her husband. + But if she does, she must not get married again. Or she can go back to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. + I also have something to say to everyone else. It is from me, not a direct command from the Lord. Suppose a brother has a wife who is not a believer. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. + And suppose a woman has a husband who is not a believer. If he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. + The unbelieving husband has been made holy through his wife. The unbelieving wife has been made holy through her believing husband. If that were not the case, your children would not be pure and clean. But as it is, they are holy. + If the unbeliever leaves, let that person go. In that case, a believing man or woman does not have to stay married. God wants us to live in peace. + Wife, how do you know if you can save your husband? Husband, how do you know if you can save your wife? + But each of you should remain in the place in life that the Lord has given you. Stay as you were when God chose you. That's the rule all the churches must follow. + Was a man already circumcised when God chose him? Then he should not become uncircumcised. Was he uncircumcised when God chose him? Then he should not be circumcised. + Being circumcised means nothing. Being uncircumcised means nothing. Doing what God commands is what counts. + Each of you should stay as you were when God chose you. + Were you a slave when God chose you? Don't let it trouble you. But if you can get your master to set you free, do it. + Those who were slaves when the Lord chose them are now the Lord's free people. Those who were free when God chose them are now slaves of Christ. + Christ has paid the price for you. Don't become slaves of human beings. + Brothers and sisters, you are accountable to God. So all of you should stay as you were when God chose you. + Now I want to say something about virgins. I have no direct command from the Lord. But I give my opinion. Because of the Lord's mercy, I give it as one who can be trusted. + Times are hard for you right now. So I think it's good for you to stay as you are. + Are you married? Then don't get a divorce. Are you single? Then don't look for a wife. + But if you get married, you have not sinned. And if a virgin gets married, she has not sinned. But those who get married will have many troubles in this life. I want to save you from that. + Brothers and sisters, what I mean is that the time is short. From now on, those who have a husband or wife should live as if they did not. + Those who are sad should live as if they were not. Those who are happy should live as if they were not. Those who buy something should live as if it were not theirs to keep. + Those who use the things of the world should not become all wrapped up in them. The world as it now exists is passing away. + I don't want you to have anything to worry about. A single man is concerned about the Lord's matters. He wants to know how he can please the Lord. + But a married man is concerned about the matters of this world. He wants to know how he can please his wife. + His concerns pull him in two directions. A single woman or a virgin is concerned about the Lord's matters. She wants to serve the Lord with both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the matters of this world. She wants to know how she can please her husband. + I'm saying those things for your own good. I'm not trying to hold you back. I want you to be free to live in a way that is right. I want you to give yourselves completely to the Lord. + Suppose a man thinks he is not acting properly toward the virgin he has promised to marry. Suppose she is getting old, and he feels that he should marry her. He should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. + But suppose the man has decided not to marry the virgin. And suppose he has no compelling need to get married and can control himself. If he has made up his mind not to get married, he also does the right thing. + So then, the man who marries the virgin does the right thing. But the man who doesn't marry her does an even better thing. + A woman has to stay married to her husband as long as he lives. If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants to. But the one she marries must belong to the Lord. + In my opinion, she is happier if she stays single. And I also think that I am led by the Spirit of God in saying that. + + + Now I want to deal with food offered to statues of gods. We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people proud. But love builds them up. + Those who think they know something still don't know as they should. + But those who love God are known by God. + So then, here is what I say about eating food that is offered to statues of gods. We know that a god made by human hands is really nothing at all in the world. We know there is only one God. + There may be so-called gods either in heaven or on earth. In fact, there are many "gods" and many "lords." + But for us there is only one God. He is the Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. All things came because of him, and we live because of him. + But not everyone knows that. Some people still think that statues of gods are real gods. When they eat food that was offered to statues of gods, they think of it as food that was offered to real gods. And because they have a weak sense of what is right and wrong, they feel guilty. + But food doesn't bring us close to God. We are no worse if we don't eat. We are no better if we do eat. + But be careful how you use your freedom. Be sure it doesn't trip up someone who is weaker than you. + Suppose you who have that knowledge are eating in a temple of one of those gods. And suppose someone who has a weak sense of what is right and wrong sees you. Won't that person become bold and eat what has been offered to statues of gods? + If so, then your knowledge destroys that weak brother or sister for whom Christ died. + When you sin against other believers in that way, you harm their weak sense of what is right and wrong. By doing that you sin against Christ. + So what should I do if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin? I will never eat meat again. In that way, I will not cause them to fall. + + + Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the result of my work for the Lord? + Even though others may not think of me as an apostle, I am certainly one to you! You are the proof that I am the Lord's apostle. + That is what I say to stand up for myself when people judge me. + Don't we have the right to eat and drink? + Don't we have the right to take a believing wife with us when we travel? The other apostles do. The Lord's brothers do. Peter does. + Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for a living? + Who serves as a soldier but doesn't get paid? Who plants a vineyard but doesn't eat any of its grapes? Who takes care of a flock but doesn't drink any of the milk? + Do I say that from only a human point of view? The Law says the same thing. + Here is what is written in the Law of Moses. "Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw."--(Deuteronomy 25:4) Is it oxen that God is concerned about? + Doesn't he say that for us? Yes, it was written for us. When a farmer plows and separates the grain, he does it because he hopes to share in the crop. + We have planted spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask that we receive from you some of the things we need? + Others have the right to receive help from you. Don't we have even more right to do so? But we didn't use that right. No, we have put up with everything. We didn't want to keep the good news of Christ from spreading. + Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple? Don't you know that those who serve at the altar eat from what is offered on the altar? + In the same way, those who preach the good news should receive their living from their work. That is what the Lord has commanded. + But I haven't used any of those rights. And I'm not writing because I hope you will do things like that for me. I would rather die than have anyone take away my pride in my work. + But when I preach the good news, I can't brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news! + If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I'm only doing my duty. + Then what reward do I get? Here is what it is. I am able to preach the good news free of charge. And I can do it without making use of my rights when I preach it. + I am free. I don't belong to anyone. But I make myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ. + To the Jews I became like a Jew. That was to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one who was under the law, even though I myself am not under the law. That was to win those under the law. + To those who don't have the law I became like one who doesn't have the law. I am not free from God's law. I am under Christ's law. Now I can win those who don't have the law. + To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that in all possible ways I might save some. + I do all of that because of the good news. And I want to share in its blessings. + In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don't you? So run in a way that will get you the prize. + All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. + So I do not run like someone who doesn't run toward the finish line. I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air. + No, I train my body and bring it under control. Then after I have preached to others, I myself will not break the rules and fail to win the prize. + + + Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know about our people who lived long ago. They were all led by the cloud. They all walked through the Red Sea. + They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. + They all ate the same supernatural food. + They all drank the same supernatural water. They drank from the supernatural rock that went with them. That rock was Christ. + But God was not pleased with most of them. Their bodies were scattered all over the desert. + Now those things happened as examples for us. They are supposed to keep us from longing for evil things, as the people of Israel did. + So don't worship statues of gods, as some of them did. It is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance wildly in front of their god."--(Exodus 32:6) + We should not commit sexual sins, as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died. + We should not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. + Don't tell your leaders how unhappy you are with them. That's what some of the people of Israel did. And they were killed by the destroying angel. + Those things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who are living at the time when God's work is being completed. + So be careful. When you think you are standing firm, you might fall. + You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take. But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out so that you can stand up under it. + My dear friends, run away from statues of gods. Don't worship them. + I'm talking to people who are reasonable. Judge for yourselves what I say. + When we give thanks for the cup at the Lord's Supper, aren't we sharing in the blood of Christ? When we break the bread, aren't we sharing in the body of Christ? + Just as there is one loaf, so we who are many are one body. We all eat from the one loaf. + Think about the people of Israel. Don't those who eat the offerings share in the altar? + Do I mean that what is offered to a statue of a god is anything? Do I mean that a statue of a god is anything? + No! But what is offered by those who worship statues of gods is really offered to demons. It is not offered to God. I don't want you to be sharing with demons. + You can't drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too. You can't have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. + Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is? + You say, "Everything is permitted." But not everything is good for us. Again you say, "Everything is permitted." But not everything builds us up. + We should not look out for our own interests. Instead, we should look out for the interests of others. + Eat anything that is sold in the meat market. Don't ask if it's right or wrong. + Scripture says, "The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it."--(Psalm 24:1) + Suppose an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go. Then eat anything that is put in front of you. Don't ask if it's right or wrong. + But suppose someone says to you, "This food has been offered to a statue of a god." Then don't eat it. Keep in mind the good of the one who told you. And don't eat because of a sense of what is right and wrong. + I'm talking about the other person's sense of what is right and wrong, not yours. Why should my freedom be judged by what someone else thinks? + Suppose I give thanks when I eat. Then why should I be blamed for eating food I thank God for? + So eat and drink and do everything else for the glory of God. + Don't do anything that causes another person to trip and fall. It doesn't matter if that person is a Jew or a Greek or a member of God's church. + Follow my example. I try to please everyone in every way. I'm not looking out for what is good for me. I'm looking out for the interests of others. I do it so that they might be saved. + + + Follow my example, just as I follow the example of Christ. + I praise you for being faithful in remembering me. I also praise you for staying true to all my teachings, just as I gave them to you. + Now I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ. The head of the woman is the man. And the head of Christ is God. + Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame on his head. + And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered brings shame on her head. It is just as if her head were shaved. + What if a woman does not cover her head? She should have her hair cut off. But it is shameful for her to cut her hair or shave it off. So she should cover her head. + A man should not cover his head. He is the likeness and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. + The man did not come from the woman. The woman came from the man. + Also, the man was not created for the woman. The woman was created for the man. + That's why a woman should have her head covered. It shows that she is under authority. She should also cover her head because of the angels. + But here is how things are for those who belong to the Lord. The woman is not independent of the man. And the man is not independent of the woman. + The woman came from the man, and the man is born from the woman. But everything comes from God. + You be the judge. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God without covering her head? + Suppose a man has long hair. Doesn't the very nature of things teach you that it is shameful? + And suppose a woman has long hair. Doesn't the very nature of things teach you that it is her glory? Long hair is given to her as a covering. + If anyone wants to argue about that, we don't have any other practice. And God's churches don't either. + In the following matters, I don't praise you. Your meetings do more harm than good. + First, here is what people are telling me. When you come together as a church, you take sides. And in some ways I believe it. + No doubt you need to take sides in order to show which of you God agrees with! + When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat. + As you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anyone else. One remains hungry and another gets drunk. + Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you think so little of God's church that you shame those in it who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you for that? Certainly not! + I passed on to you what I received from the Lord. On the night the Lord Jesus was handed over to his enemies, he took bread. + When he had given thanks, he broke it. He said, "This is my body. It is given for you. Every time you eat it, do it in memory of me." + In the same way, after supper he took the cup. He said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Every time you drink it, do it in memory of me." + When you eat the bread and drink the cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. + So do not eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in a way that isn't worthy of him. If you do, you will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. + A person should take a careful look at himself before he eats the bread and drinks from the cup. + Anyone who eats and drinks must recognize the body of the Lord. If he doesn't, God will judge him for it. + That is why many of you are weak and sick. That is why a number of you have died. + We should judge ourselves. Then we would not be found guilty. + When the Lord judges us, he corrects us. Then we will not be judged along with the rest of the world. + My brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. + Those who are hungry should eat at home. Then when you come together, you will not be judged. When I come, I will give you more directions. + + + Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. + You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn't even speak. + So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God's Spirit says, "May Jesus be cursed." And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, "Jesus is Lord." + There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given by the same Spirit. + There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. + There are different ways to work. But the same God makes it possible for all of us to have all those different things. + The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. + To some people the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives the message of knowledge. + To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. + To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. + All of the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives them to each person, just as he decides. + There is one body. But it has many parts. Even though it has many parts, they make up one body. It is the same with Christ. + We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body. It didn't matter whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. + The body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. + Suppose the foot says, "I am not a hand. So I don't belong to the body." It is still part of the body. + And suppose the ear says, "I am not an eye. So I don't belong to the body." It is still part of the body. + If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? + God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. + If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? + As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body. + The eye can't say to the hand, "I don't need you!" The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you!" + In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can't do without. + The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren't shown. But they are treated with special care. + The parts that can be shown don't need special care. But God has joined together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn't have any. + In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of each other. + If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. + You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. + First, God has appointed apostles in the church. Second, he has appointed prophets. Third, he has appointed teachers. Then he has appointed people who do miracles and those who have gifts of healing. He also appointed those able to help others, those able to direct things, and those who can speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. + Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone a prophet? Is everyone a teacher? Do all work miracles? + Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in languages they had not known before? Do all explain what is said in those languages? + But above all, you should want the more important gifts. And now I will show you the best way of all. + + + Suppose I speak in the languages of human beings and of angels. If I don't have love, I am only a loud gong or a noisy cymbal. + Suppose I have the gift of prophecy. Suppose I can understand all the secret things of God and know everything about him. And suppose I have enough faith to move mountains. If I don't have love, I am nothing at all. + Suppose I give everything I have to poor people. And suppose I give my body to be burned. If I don't have love, I get nothing at all. + Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. + It is not rude. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs. + Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. + It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up. + Love never fails. But prophecy will pass away. Speaking in languages that had not been known before will end. And knowledge will pass away. + What we know now is not complete. What we prophesy now is not perfect. + But when what is perfect comes, the things that are not perfect will pass away. + When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I had the understanding of a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. + Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely. + The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love. + + + Follow the way of love. You should also want the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Most of all, you should want the gift of prophecy. + Anyone who speaks in a language he had not known before doesn't speak to people. He speaks only to God. In fact, no one understands that person. What he says with his spirit remains a mystery. + But anyone who prophesies speaks to people. He says things to make them stronger, to give them hope and to comfort them. + Those who speak in other languages build themselves up. But those who prophesy build up the church. + I would like all of you to speak in other languages. But I would rather have you prophesy. Those who prophesy are more helpful than those who speak in other languages. But that is not the case if those who speak in other languages explain what they have said. Then the whole church can be built up. + Brothers and sisters, suppose I were to come to you and speak in other languages. What good would I be to you? None! I would need to come with new truth or knowledge, or a prophecy or a teaching. + Here are some examples. Certain objects make sounds. Take a flute or a harp. No one will know what the tune is unless different notes are played. + Also, if the trumpet call isn't clear, who will get ready for battle? + It's the same with you. You must speak words that people understand. If you don't, no one will know what you are saying. You will just be speaking into the air. + It is true that there are all kinds of languages in the world. And they all have meaning. + But if I don't understand what someone is saying, I am a stranger to that person. And that person is a stranger to me. + It's the same with you. You want to have gifts of the Spirit. So try to do your best in using gifts that build up the church. + For that reason, those who speak in languages they had not known before should pray that they can explain what they say. + If I pray in another language, my spirit prays. But my mind does not pray. + So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit. But I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit. But I will also sing with my mind. + Suppose you are praising God with your spirit. And suppose there are visitors among you who don't understand what's going on. How can they say "Amen" when you give thanks? They don't know what you are saying. + You might be giving thanks well enough. But the others are not being built up. + I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you do. + But in the church I would rather speak five words that people can understand than 10,000 words in another language. Then I would be teaching others. + Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. Be like babies as far as evil is concerned. But be grown up in your thinking. + In the Law it is written, "Through people who speak unfamiliar languages and through the lips of strangers I will speak to these people. But even then they will not listen to me." --(Isaiah 28:11,12) That is what the Lord says. + So speaking in other languages is a sign for those who don't believe. It is not a sign for those who do believe. But prophecy is for believers. It is not for those who don't believe. + Suppose the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in other languages. And suppose visitors or unbelievers come in. Won't they say you are out of your minds? + But suppose unbelievers or visitors come in while everyone is prophesying. Then they will be shown by all who speak that they are sinners. They will be judged by all. + The secrets of their hearts will be brought out into the open. They will fall down and worship God. They will exclaim, "God is really here among you!" + Brothers and sisters, what should we say then? When you come together, every one of you brings something. You bring a hymn or a teaching or a word from God. You bring a message in another language or explain what was said. All of those things must be done to make the church strong. + No more than two or three people should speak in another language. And they should speak one at a time. Then someone must explain what was said. + If there is no one to explain, the speakers should keep quiet in the church. They can speak to themselves and to God. + Only two or three prophets are supposed to speak. Others should decide if what is being said is true. + What if a message from God comes to someone else who is sitting there? Then the one who is speaking should stop. + Those who prophesy can all take turns. In that way, everyone can be taught and be given hope. + Those who prophesy should control their speaking. + God is not a God of disorder. He is a God of peace. As in all the churches of God's people, + women should remain silent in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak. They must follow the lead of those who are in authority, as the Law says. + If they have a question about something, they should ask their own husbands at home. It is shameful for women to speak in church meetings. + Did the word of God begin with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? + Suppose some think they are prophets or have gifts of the Holy Spirit. They should agree that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. + Anyone who does not recognize that will not be recognized. + Brothers and sisters, you should want to prophesy. And don't stop people from speaking in languages they had not known before. + But everything should be done in a proper and orderly way. + + + Brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the good news I preached to you. You received it and have put your faith in it. + Because you believed the good news, you are saved. But you must hold firmly to the message I preached to you. If you don't, you have believed it for nothing. + What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. + He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be. + He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the Twelve. + After that, he appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time. Most of them are still living. But some have died. + He appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles. + Last of all, he also appeared to me. I was like someone who wasn't born at the right time or in a normal way. + I am the least important of the apostles. I'm not even fit to be called an apostle. I tried to destroy God's church. + But because of God's grace I am what I am. And his grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn't do the work. God's grace was with me. + So whether it was I or the other apostles who preached to you, that is what we preach. And that is what you believed. + We have preached that Christ has been raised from the dead. So how can some of you say that no one rises from the dead? + If no one rises from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. + And if Christ has not been raised, what we preach doesn't mean anything. Your faith doesn't mean anything either. + More than that, we would be lying about God. We have given witness that God raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if the dead are not raised. + If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. + And if Christ has not been raised, your faith doesn't mean anything. Your sins have not been forgiven. + Those who have died believing in Christ are also lost. + Do we have hope in Christ only for this life? Then people should pity us more than anyone else. + But Christ really has been raised from the dead. He is the first of all those who will rise. + Death came because of what a man did. Rising from the dead also comes because of what a man did. + Because of Adam, all people die. So because of Christ, all will be made alive. + But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised. + Then the end will come. Christ will destroy all rule, authority and power. He will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. + Christ must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control. + The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. + Scripture says that God "has put everything under his control."--(Psalm 8:6) It says that "everything" has been put under him. But it is clear that this does not include God himself, who puts everything under Christ. + When he has done that, the Son also will be under God's rule. God puts everything under the Son. In that way, God will be all in all. + Suppose no one rises from the dead. Then what will people do who are baptized for the dead? Suppose the dead are not raised at all. Then why are people baptized for them? + And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour? + I die every day. I really mean that, brothers and sisters. Here is something you can be sure of. I take pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done for you through my work. + Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus for only human reasons? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die." --(Isaiah 22:13) + Don't let anyone fool you. "Bad companions make a good person bad." + You should come back to your senses and stop sinning. Some of you don't know anything about God. I say this to make you ashamed. + But someone might ask, "How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?" + How foolish! What you plant doesn't come to life unless it dies. + When you plant something, it isn't a completely grown plant that you put in the ground. You only plant a seed. Maybe it's wheat or something else. + But God gives the seed a body just as he has planned. And to each kind of seed he gives its own body. + All earthly creatures are not the same. People have one kind of body. Animals have another. Birds have another kind. Fish have still another. + There are also heavenly bodies as well as earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of glory. Earthly bodies have another. + The sun has one kind of glory. The moon has another kind. The stars have still another. And one star's glory is different from that of another star. + It will be like that with bodies that are raised from the dead. The body that is planted does not last forever. The body that is raised from the dead lasts forever. + It is planted without honor. But it is raised in glory. It is planted in weakness. But it is raised in power. + It is planted as an earthly body. But it is raised as a spiritual body. Just as there is an earthly body, there is also a spiritual body. + It is written, "The first man Adam became a living person."--(Genesis 2:7) The last Adam became a spirit that gives life. + What is spiritual did not come first. What is earthly came first. What is spiritual came after that. + The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven. + Those who belong to the earth are like the one who came from the earth. And those who are spiritual are like the one who came from heaven. + We are like the earthly man. And we will be like the man from heaven. + Brothers and sisters, here is what I'm telling you. Bodies made of flesh and blood can't share in the kingdom of God. And what dies can't share in what never dies. + Listen! I am telling you a mystery. We will not all die. But we will all be changed. + That will happen in a flash, as quickly as you can wink an eye. It will happen when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever. And we will be changed. + Our natural bodies don't last forever. They must be dressed with what does last forever. What dies must be dressed with what does not die. + In fact, that is going to happen. What does not last will be dressed with what lasts forever. What dies will be dressed with what does not die. Then what is written will come true. It says, "Death has been swallowed up. It has lost the battle."--(Isaiah 25:8) + "Death, where is the battle you thought you were winning? Death, where is your sting?" --(Hosea 13:14) + The sting of death is sin. And the power of sin is the law. + But let us give thanks to God! He wins the battle for us because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. + My dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Don't let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless. + + + Now I want to deal with the offering of money for God's people. Do what I told the churches in Galatia to do. + On the first day of every week, each of you should put some money away. The amount should be in keeping with how much money you make. Save the money so that you won't have to take up an offering when I come. + When I arrive, I will send some people with your gift to Jerusalem. They will be people you consider to be good. And I will give them letters that explain who they are. + If it seems good for me to go also, they will go with me. + After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you. I will only be passing through Macedonia. + But I might stay with you for a while. I might even spend the winter. Then you can help me on my journey everywhere I go. + I don't want to see you now while I am just passing through. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows it. + But I will stay at Ephesus until the day of Pentecost. + A door has opened wide for me to do some good work here. There are many people who oppose me. + Timothy might come to you. Make sure he has nothing to worry about while he is with you. He is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am. + No one should refuse to accept him. Send him safely on his way so he can return to me. I'm expecting him to come back along with the others. + I want to say something about our brother Apollos. I tried my best to get him to go to you with the others. But he didn't want to go right now. He will go when he can. + Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong. + Be loving in everything you do. + You know that the first believers in Achaia were from the family of Stephanas. They have spent all their time serving God's people. Brothers and sisters, I am asking you + to follow the lead of people like them. Follow everyone who joins in the task and works hard at it. + I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived. They have supplied me with what you couldn't give me. + They renewed my spirit, and yours also. People like that are worthy of honor. + The churches in Asia Minor send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly because of the Lord's love. So does the church that meets in their house. + All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. + I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. + If anyone does not love the Lord, let a curse be on that person! Come, Lord! + May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. + I give my love to all of you who belong to Christ Jesus. Amen. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Timothy our brother joins me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of God's church in Corinth. It is also for all of God's people everywhere in Achaia. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who gives tender love. All comfort comes from him. + He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves have received comfort from God. + We share the sufferings of Christ. We also share his comfort. + If we are having trouble, it is so that you will be comforted and renewed. If we are comforted, it is so that you will be comforted. Then you will be able to put up with the same suffering we have gone through. + Our hope for you remains firm. We know that you suffer just as we do. In the same way, God comforts you just as he comforts us. + Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the hard times we suffered in Asia Minor. We were having a lot of trouble. It was far more than we could stand. We even thought we were going to die. + In fact, in our hearts we felt as if we were under the sentence of death. But that happened so that we would not depend on ourselves but on God. He raises the dead to life. + God has saved us from deadly dangers. And he will continue to do it. We have put our hope in him. He will continue to save us. + You must help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because of what will happen to us. They will thank God for his kindness to us in answer to the prayers of many. + Here is what we take pride in. Our sense of what is right and wrong gives witness that we have acted in God's holy and honest ways. That is how we live in the world. We live that way most of all when we are dealing with you. Our way of living is not wise in the eyes of the world. But it is in keeping with God's grace. + We are writing only what you can read and understand. And here is what I hope. + Up to this point you have understood some of the things we have said. But now I hope that someday you will be able to take pride in us, just as we will take pride in you on the day the Lord Jesus returns. When you are able to do that, you will understand us completely. + I was sure of those things. So I planned to visit you first. Here is how I thought you would be helped twice. + I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia. I would have come back to you from there. Then you would have sent me on my way to Judea. + When I planned all of that, did I do it without much thought? No. I don't make my plans the way the world makes theirs. In the same breath the world says, "Yes! Yes!" and "No! No!" + But just as sure as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." + Silas, Timothy and I preached to you about the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Our message did not say "Yes" and "No" at the same time. The message of Christ has always been "Yes." + God has made a great many promises. They are all "Yes" because of what Christ has done. So through Christ we say "Amen." We want God to receive glory. + He makes both us and you stand firm because we belong to Christ. He anointed us. + He put his Spirit in our hearts and marked us as his own. We can now be sure that he will give us everything he promised us. + I call God as my witness. I wanted to spare you. So I didn't return to Corinth. + Your faith is not under our control. You stand firm in your own faith. But we work together with you for your joy. + + + So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. + If I make you sad, who is going to make me glad? Only you, the one I made sad. + I wrote what I did for a special reason. When I came, I didn't want to be troubled by those who should make me glad. I was sure that all of you would share my joy. + I was very troubled when I wrote to you. My heart was sad. My eyes were full of tears. I didn't want to make you sad. I wanted to let you know that I love you very deeply. + Suppose someone has made us sad. In some ways, he hasn't made me sad so much as he has made all of you sad. But I don't want to put this too strongly. + He has been punished because most of you decided he should be. That is enough for him. + Now you should forgive him and comfort him. Then he won't be sad more than he can stand. + So I'm asking you to tell him again that you still love him. + I wrote to you for a special reason. I wanted to see if you could stand the test. I wanted to see if you could obey everything that was asked of you. + Anyone you forgive I also forgive. Was there anything to forgive? If so, I have forgiven it for your benefit, knowing that Christ is watching. + We don't want Satan to outsmart us. We know how he does his evil work. + I went to Troas to preach the good news about Christ. There I found that the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me. + But I still had no peace of mind. I couldn't find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to the believers at Troas and went on to Macedonia. + Give thanks to God! He always leads us in the winners' parade because we belong to Christ. Through us, God spreads the knowledge of Christ everywhere like perfume. + God considers us to be the sweet smell that Christ is spreading among people who are being saved and people who are dying. + To the one, we are the smell of death. To the other, we are the perfume of life. Who is able to do that work? + Unlike many people, we aren't selling God's word to make money. In fact, it is just the opposite. Because of Christ we speak honestly before God. We speak like people God has sent. + + + Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Some people need letters that speak well of them. Do we need those kinds of letters, either to you or from you? + You yourselves are our letter. You are written on our hearts. Everyone knows you and reads you. + You make it clear that you are a letter from Christ. You are the result of our work for God. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. You are a letter written not on tablets made out of stone but on human hearts. + Through Christ, we can be sure of this because of our faith in God's power. + In ourselves we are not able to claim anything for ourselves. The power to do what we do comes from God. + He has given us the power to serve under a new covenant. The covenant is not based on the written Law of Moses. It comes from the Holy Spirit. The written Law kills, but the Spirit gives life. + The Law was written in letters on stone. Even though it was a way of serving God, it led to death. But even that way of serving God came with glory. And even though the glory was fading, the people of Israel couldn't look at Moses' face very long. + Since all of that is true, won't the work of the Holy Spirit be even more glorious? + The Law that sentences people to death is glorious. How much more glorious is the work of the Spirit! His work makes people right with God. + The glory of the old covenant is nothing compared with the far greater glory of the new. + The glory of the old is fading away. How much greater is the glory of the new! It will last forever. + Since we have that kind of hope, we are very bold. + We are not like Moses. He used to cover his face with a veil. That was to keep the people of Israel from looking at his face while the brightness was fading away. + But their minds were made stubborn. To this very day, the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil has not been removed. Only faith in Christ can take it away. + To this very day, when the Law of Moses is read, a veil covers the minds of those who hear it. + But when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. + Now the Lord is the Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is also there. + Our faces are not covered with a veil. We all display the Lord's glory. We are being changed to become more like him so that we have more and more glory. And the glory comes from the Lord, who is the Holy Spirit. + + + So because of God's mercy, we have work to do. He has given it to us. And we don't give up. + Instead, we have given up doing secret and shameful things. We don't twist God's word. In fact, we do just the opposite. We present the truth plainly. In the sight of God, we make our appeal to everyone's sense of what is right and wrong. + Suppose our good news is covered with a veil. Then it is veiled to those who are dying. + The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They can't see the light of the good news of Christ's glory. He is the likeness of God. + We do not preach about ourselves. We preach about Jesus Christ. We say that he is Lord. And we serve you because of him. + God said, "Let light shine out of darkness."--(Genesis 1:3) He made his light shine in our hearts. It shows us the light of God's glory in the face of Christ. + Treasure is kept in clay jars. In the same way, we have the treasure of the good news in these earthly bodies of ours. That shows that the mighty power of the good news comes from God. It doesn't come from us. + We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn't make us lose hope. + Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out. + We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies. In that way, the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies. + We who are alive are always in danger of death because we are serving Jesus. So his life can be shown in our earthly bodies. + Death is at work in us. But life is at work in you. + It is written, "I believed, and so I have spoken."--(Psalm 116:10) With that same spirit of faith we also believe. And we also speak. + We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And he will also raise us up with Jesus. He will bring us with you to God in heaven. + All of that is for your benefit. God's grace is reaching more and more people. So they will become more and more thankful. They will give glory to God. + We don't give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. + Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. + So we don't spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can't see. What can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can't be seen will last forever. + + + We know that the earthly tent we live in will be destroyed. But we have a building made by God. It is a house in heaven that lasts forever. Human hands did not build it. + During our time on earth we groan. We long to put on our house in heaven as if it were clothing. + Then we will not be naked. + While we live in this tent of ours, we groan under our heavy load. We don't want to be naked. We want to be dressed with our house in heaven. What must die will be swallowed up by life. + God has made us for that very purpose. He has given us the Holy Spirit as a down payment. The Spirit makes us sure of what is still to come. + So here is what we can always be certain about. As long as we are at home in our bodies, we are away from the Lord. + We live by believing, not by seeing. + We are certain about that. We would rather be away from our bodies and at home with the Lord. + So we try our best to please him. We want to please him whether we are at home in our bodies or away from them. + We must all stand in front of Christ to be judged. Each one of us will be judged for the good things and the bad things we do while we are in our bodies. Then each of us will receive what we are supposed to get. + We know what it means to have respect for the Lord. So we try to help other people to understand it. What we are is plain to God. I hope it is also plain to your way of thinking. + We are not trying to make an appeal to you again. But we are giving you a chance to take pride in us. Then you can answer those who take pride in how people look rather than in what is really in their hearts. + Are we out of our minds? That is because we want to serve God. Does what we say make sense? That is because we want to serve you. + Christ's love controls us. We are sure that one person died for everyone. And so everyone died. + Christ died for everyone. He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore. They should live for Christ. He died for them and was raised again. + So from now on we don't look at anyone the way the world does. At one time we looked at Christ in that way. But we don't anymore. + Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! + It is all from God. He brought us back to himself through Christ's death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ. + God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ. He did not hold people's sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him. + So we are Christ's official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God! + Christ didn't have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us. + + + We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God's grace and then do nothing with it. + He says, "When I showed you my favor, I heard you. On the day I saved you, I helped you." --(Isaiah 49:8) I tell you, now is the time God shows his favor. Now is the day he saves. + We don't put anything in anyone's way. So no one can find fault with our work for God. + Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by holding steady. We stand firm in all kinds of trouble, hard times and suffering. + We don't give up when we are beaten or put in prison. When people stir up trouble in the streets, we continue to serve God. We work hard for him. We go without sleep and food. + We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love. + We speak the truth. We serve in the power of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in the right hand and in the left. + We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders. + We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed. + We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything. + Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you. + We are not holding back our love from you. But you are holding back your love from us. + I speak to you as if you were my children. It is only fair that you open your hearts wide to us also. + Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? + How can Christ and Satan agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? + How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said, "I will live with them. I will walk among them. I will be their God. And they will be my people."--(Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27) + "So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch anything that is not pure and clean. Then I will receive you." --(Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34,41) + "I will be your Father. You will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord who rules over all."+/--(2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8) + + + Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So let us make ourselves pure from everything that pollutes our bodies and spirits. Let us be completely holy. We want to honor God. + Make room for us in your hearts. We haven't done anything wrong to anyone. We haven't caused anyone to sin. We haven't taken advantage of anyone. + I don't say this to judge you. I have told you before that you have an important place in our hearts. We would live or die with you. + I have great faith in you. I am very proud of you. I am very happy. Even with all our troubles, my joy has no limit. + When I came to Macedonia, my body wasn't able to rest. I was attacked no matter where I went. I had battles on the outside and fears on the inside. + But God comforts those who are sad. He comforted me when Titus came. + I was comforted not only when he came but also by the comfort you had given him. He told me how much you longed for me. He told me about your deep sadness and concern for me. That made my joy greater than ever. + Even if my letter made you sad, I'm not sorry I sent it. At first I was sorry. I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while. + Now I am happy. I'm not happy because you were made sad. I'm happy because your sadness led you to turn away from your sins. You became sad just as God wanted you to. So you were not hurt in any way by us. + Godly sadness causes us to turn away from our sins and be saved. And we are certainly not sorry about that! But worldly sadness brings death. + Look at what that godly sadness has produced in you. You are working hard to clear yourselves. You are angry and alarmed. You are longing to see me. You are concerned. You are ready to make sure that the right thing is done. In every way you have proved that you are not guilty in that matter. + So even though I wrote to you, it wasn't because of the one who did the wrong. It wasn't because of the one who was hurt. Instead, I wrote you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how faithful you are to us. + All of that cheers us up. We were also very glad to see how happy Titus was. You have all renewed his spirit. + I had bragged about you to him. And you have not let me down. Everything we said to you was true. In the same way, our bragging about you to Titus has also turned out to be true. + His love for you is even greater when he remembers that you all obeyed his teaching. You received him with fear and trembling. + I am glad I can have complete faith in you. + + + Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia. + They have suffered a great deal. But their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely. + I give witness that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own, + they begged us for the chance to share in serving God's people in that way. + They did more than we expected. First they gave themselves to the Lord. Then they gave themselves to us in keeping with what God wanted. + Titus had already started collecting money from you. So we asked him to get you to finish making your kind gift. + You do well in everything else. You do well in faith and in speaking. You do well in knowledge and in complete commitment. And you do well in your love for us. So make sure that you also do well in the grace of giving to others. + I am not commanding you to do it. But I want to put you to the test. I want to find out if you really love God. I want to compare your love with that of others. + You know the grace shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he was rich, he became poor to help you. Because he became poor, you can become rich. + Here is my advice about what is best for you in that matter. Last year you were the first to give. You were also the first to want to give. + So finish the work. Then your longing to do it will be matched by your finishing it. Give on the basis of what you have. + Do you really want to give? Then the gift is received in keeping with what you have, not with what you don't have. + We don't want others to have it easy at your expense. We want things to be equal. + Right now you have plenty in order to take care of what they need. Then they will have plenty to take care of what you need. That will make things equal. + It is written, "Those who gathered a lot didn't have too much. And those who gathered a little had enough."--(Exodus 16:18) + God put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. I am thankful to God for this. + Titus welcomed our appeal. He is also excited about coming to you. It was his own idea. + Along with Titus, we are sending another brother. All the churches praise him for his service in telling the good news. + He was also chosen by the churches to go with us as we bring the offering. We are in charge of it. We want to honor the Lord himself. We want to show how ready we are to help. + We want to keep anyone from blaming us for how we take care of that large gift. + We are trying hard to do what is right in the Lord's eyes and in the eyes of people. + We are also sending another one of our brothers with them. He has often proved to us in many ways that he is very committed. He is now even more committed because he has great faith in you. + Titus is my helper. He and I work together among you. Our brothers are messengers from the churches. They honor Christ. + So show them that you really love them. Show them why we are proud of you. Then the churches can see it. + + + I don't need to write to you about giving to God's people. + I know how much you want to help. I have been bragging about it to the people in Macedonia. I have been telling them that since last year you who live in Achaia were ready to give. You are so excited that it has stirred up most of them to take action. + But I am sending the brothers. Then our bragging about you in this matter will have a good reason. You will be ready, just as I said you would be. + Suppose people from Macedonia come with me and find out that you are not prepared. Then we, as well as you, would be ashamed of being so certain. + So I thought I should try to get the brothers to visit you ahead of time. They will finish the plans for the large gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a gift that is freely given. It will not be given by force. + Here is something to remember. The one who plants only a little will gather only a little. And the one who plants a lot will gather a lot. + You should each give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn't give if you don't want to. You shouldn't give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver. + And God is able to shower all kinds of blessings on you. In all things and at all times you will have everything you need. You will do more and more good works. + It is written, "They have spread their gifts around to poor people. Their good works continue forever." --(Psalm 112:9) + God supplies seed to the planter. He supplies bread for food. God will also supply and increase the amount of your seed. He will increase the results of your good works. + You will be made rich in every way. Then you can always give freely. We will take your many gifts to the people who need them. And they will give thanks to God. + Your gifts meet the needs of God's people. And that's not all. Your gifts also cause many people to thank God. + You have shown yourselves to be worthy by what you have given. So people will praise God because you obey him. That proves that you really believe the good news about Christ. They will also praise God because you share freely with them and with everyone else. + Their hearts will be filled with longing for you when they pray for you. God has given you grace that is better than anything. + Let us give thanks to God for his gift. It is so great that no one can tell how wonderful it really is! + + + Christ is gentle and free of pride. So I make my appeal to you. I, Paul, am the one you call shy when I am face to face with you. But when I am away from you, you call me bold. + I beg you that when I come I won't have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people. They think that I live the way the people of this world live. + I do live in the world. But I don't fight my battles the way the people of the world do. + The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy. + I destroy every claim and every reason that keeps people from knowing God. I keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ. + Until you have obeyed completely, I will be ready to punish you every time you don't obey. + You are looking only at what appears on the surface of things. Suppose you are sure you belong to Christ. Then you should consider again that I belong to Christ just as much as you do. + Do I brag too much about the authority the Lord gave me? If I do, it's because I want to build you up, not pull you down. And I'm not ashamed of that kind of bragging. + Don't think that I'm trying to scare you with my letters. + Some say, "His letters sound important. They are powerful. But in person he doesn't seem like much. And what he says doesn't amount to anything." + People like that have a lot to learn. What I say in my letters when I'm away from you, I will do in my actions when I'm with you. + I don't dare to compare myself with those who praise themselves. I'm not that kind of person. They measure themselves by themselves. They compare themselves with themselves. When they do that, they are not wise. + But I won't brag more than I should. Instead, I will brag only about what I have done in the area God has given me. It is an area that reaches all the way to you. + I am not going too far in my bragging. I would be going too far if I hadn't come to where you live. But I did get there with the good news about Christ. + And I won't brag about work done by others. If I did, I would be bragging more than I should. As your faith continues to grow, I hope that my work among you will greatly increase. + Then I will be able to preach the good news in the areas beyond you. I don't want to brag about work already done in someone else's territory. + But, "The one who brags should brag about what the Lord has done."--(Jeremiah 9:24) + Those who praise themselves are not accepted. Those the Lord praises are accepted. + + + I hope you will put up with a little of my foolish bragging. But you are already doing that. + My jealousy for you comes from God himself. I promised to give you to only one husband. That husband is Christ. I wanted to be able to give you to him as if you were a pure virgin. + But Eve was tricked by the snake's clever lies. And I'm afraid that in the same way your minds will somehow be led down the wrong path. They will be led away from your true and pure love for Christ. + Suppose someone comes to you and preaches about a Jesus different from the Jesus we preached about. Or suppose you receive a spirit different from the one you received before. Or suppose you receive a message of good news different from the one you accepted earlier. You put up with those kinds of things easily enough. + But I don't think I'm in any way less important than those "super-apostles." + I may not be a trained speaker. But I do have knowledge. I've made that very clear to you in every way. + When I preached God's good news to you free of charge, I put myself down in order to lift you up. Was that a sin? + Did I rob other churches when I received help from them so that I could serve you? + When I was with you and needed something, I didn't cause you any expense. The believers who came from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I haven't caused you any expense at all. And I won't ever do it. + I'm sure that the truth of Christ is in me. And I'm just as sure that nobody in Achaia will keep me from bragging. + Why? Because I don't love you? No! God knows I do! + And I will keep on doing what I'm doing. That will stop those who claim they have things to brag about. They think they have a chance to be considered equal with us. + People like that are false apostles. They work hard to trick others. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. + That comes as no surprise. Even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light. + So it doesn't surprise us that those who serve Satan pretend to be serving God. They will finally get exactly what they should. + I will say it again. Don't let anyone think I'm a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would receive a fool. Then I can do a little bragging. + When I brag about myself like this, I'm not talking the way the Lord would. I'm talking like a fool. + Many are bragging the way the people of the world do. So I will brag like that too. + You are so wise! You gladly put up with fools! + In fact, you even put up with anyone who makes you a slave or uses you. You put up with those who take advantage of you. You put up with those who claim to be better than you. You put up with those who slap you in the face. + I'm ashamed to have to say that I was too weak for that! What anyone else dares to brag about, I also dare to brag about. I'm speaking like a fool! + Are they Hebrews? So am I. Do they belong to the people of Israel? So do I. Are they Abraham's children? So am I. + Are they serving Christ? I am serving him even more. I'm out of my mind to talk like this! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have suffered terrible beatings. Again and again I almost died. + Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip. + Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. + I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from people from my own country. I have been in danger from those who aren't Jews. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers. + I have worked very hard. Often I have gone without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Often I have gone without food. I have been cold and naked. + Besides everything else, every day I am concerned about all the churches. It is a very heavy load. + If anyone is weak, I feel weak. If anyone is led into sin, I burn on the inside. + If I have to brag, I will brag about the things that show how weak I am. + I am not lying. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows this. May God be praised forever. + In Damascus the governor who served under King Aretas had their city guarded. He wanted to arrest me. + But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall. So I slipped through the governor's hands. + + + We can't gain anything by bragging. But I have to do it anyway. I am going to tell you what I've seen. I want to talk about what the Lord has shown me. + I know a believer in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven 14 years ago. I don't know if his body was taken up or not. Only God knows. + I don't know if that man was in his body or out of it. Only God knows. But I do know that + he was taken up to paradise. He heard things that couldn't be put into words. They were things that people aren't allowed to talk about. + I will brag about a man like that. But I won't brag about myself. I will brag only about how weak I am. + Suppose I decide to brag. That would not make me a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I don't do it. Then no one will think more of me than he should because of what I do or say. + I could have become proud of myself because of the amazing and wonderful things God has shown me. So I was given a problem that caused pain in my body. It is a messenger from Satan to make me suffer. + Three times I begged the Lord to take it away from me. + But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ's power can rest on me. + Because of how I suffered for Christ, I'm glad that I am weak. I am glad in hard times. I am glad when people say mean things about me. I am glad when things are difficult. And I am glad when people make me suffer. When I am weak, I am strong. + I have made a fool of myself. But you made me do it. You should have praised me. Even though I am nothing, I am in no way less important than the "super-apostles." + You can recognize apostles by the signs, wonders and miracles they do. Those things were faithfully done among you no matter what happened. + How were you less important than the other churches? The only difference was that I didn't cause you any expense. Forgive me for that wrong! + Now I am ready to visit you for the third time. I won't cause you any expense. I don't want what you have. What I really want is you. After all, children shouldn't have to save up for their parents. Parents should save up for their children. + So I will be very happy to spend everything I have for you. I will even spend myself. If I love you more, will you love me less? + In any case, I haven't caused you any expense. But I'm such a tricky fellow! I have caught you by tricking you! + Did I take advantage of you through any of the men I sent to you? + I asked Titus to go to you. And I sent our brother with him. Titus didn't take advantage of you, did he? Didn't I act in the same spirit? Didn't I follow the same path? + All this time, have you been thinking that I've been speaking up for myself? No, I've been speaking with God as my witness. I've been speaking like a believer in Christ. Dear friends, everything I do is to help you become stronger. + I'm afraid that when I come I won't find you as I want you to be. I'm afraid that you won't find me as you want me to be. I'm afraid there will be arguing, jealousy and fits of anger. I'm afraid you will separate into your own little groups. Then you will tell lies about each other. You will talk about each other. I'm afraid you will be proud and cause trouble. + I'm afraid that when I come again my God will put me to shame in front of you. Then I will be sad about many who sinned earlier and have not turned away from it. They have not turned away from uncleanness, sexual sins and wild living. They have done all those things. + + + This will be my third visit to you. Scripture says, "Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses."--(Deuteronomy 19:15) + I already warned you during my second visit. I now say it again while I'm away. When I return, I won't spare those who sinned earlier. I won't spare any of the others either. + You are asking me to prove that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you. He is powerful among you. + It is true that Christ was nailed to the cross because he was weak. But he lives by God's power. In the same way, I share his weakness. But by God's power I will live with him to serve you. + Take a good look at yourselves to see if you are really believers. Test yourselves. Don't you realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test! + I hope you will discover that I haven't failed the test. + I pray to God that you won't do anything wrong. I don't pray so that people will see that I have passed the test. Instead, I pray so that you will do what is right, even if it seems I have failed. + I can't do anything to stop the truth. I can only work for the truth. + I'm glad when I am weak but you are strong. I pray that you will become perfect. + That's why I write these things before I come to you. Then when I do come, I won't have to be hard on you when I use my authority. The Lord gave me the authority to build you up. He didn't give it to me to tear you down. + Finally, brothers and sisters, good-by. Try to be perfect. Pay attention to what I'm saying. Agree with one another. Live in peace. And the God who gives love and peace will be with you. + Greet one another with a holy kiss. + All of God's people send their greetings. + May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love that God has given us, and the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle. People have not sent me. No human authority has sent me. I have been sent by Jesus Christ and by God the Father. God raised Jesus from the dead. + All the brothers who are with me join me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of the churches in Galatia. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Jesus gave his life for our sins. He set us free from this evil world. That was what our God and Father wanted. + Give glory to God for ever and ever. Amen. + I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the One who chose you because of the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different "good news." + What you are accepting is really not the good news at all. It seems that some people have gotten you all mixed up. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ. + But suppose even we should preach a different "good news." Suppose even an angel from heaven should preach it. I'm talking about a different one than the good news we gave you. Let anyone who does that be judged by God forever. + I have already said it. Now I will say it again. Anyone who preaches a "good news" that is different from the one you accepted should be judged by God forever. + Am I now trying to get people to think well of me? Or do I want God to think well of me? Am I trying to please people? If I were, I would not be serving Christ. + Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. The good news I preached is not something a human being made up. + No one gave it to me. No one taught it to me. Instead, I received it from Jesus Christ. He showed it to me. + You have heard of my earlier way of life as a Jew. With all my strength I attacked the church of God. I tried to destroy it. + I was moving ahead in my Jewish way of life. I went beyond many Jews who were my own age. I held firmly to the teachings passed down by my people. + But God set me apart from the time I was born. He showed me his grace by appointing me. He was pleased + to show his Son in my life. He wanted me to preach about Jesus among those who aren't Jews. When God appointed me, I didn't talk to anyone. + I didn't go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went at once into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. + Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem. I went there to get to know Peter. I stayed with him for 15 days. + I didn't see any of the other apostles. I only saw James, the Lord's brother. + Here is what you can be sure of. And God gives witness to it. What I am writing you is not a lie. + Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. + The members of Christ's churches in Judea did not know me in a personal way. + They only heard others say, "The man who used to attack us has changed. He is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." + And they praised God because of me. + + + Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem. This time I went with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. + I went because God showed me what he wanted me to do. I told the people there the good news that I preach among those who aren't Jews. But I spoke in private to those who seemed to be leaders. I was afraid that I was running or had run my race for nothing. + Titus was with me. He was a Greek. But even he was not forced to be circumcised. + That matter came up because some who pretended to be believers had slipped in among us. They wanted to find out about the freedom we have because we belong to Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us slaves again. + We didn't give in to them for a moment. We wanted the truth of the good news to remain with you. + Some people in Jerusalem seemed to be important. It makes no difference to me what they were. God does not judge by what he sees on the outside. Those people added nothing to my message. + In fact, it was just the opposite. They saw that I had been trusted with the task of preaching the good news just as Peter had been. My task was to preach to the non-Jews. Peter's task was to preach to the Jews. + God was working through Peter as an apostle to the Jews. He was also working through me as an apostle to the non-Jews. + James, Peter and John are considered to be pillars in the church. They recognized the special grace that was given to me. So they shook my hand and the hand of Barnabas. They wanted to show they accepted us. They agreed that we should go to the non-Jews. They would go to the Jews. + They asked only one thing. They wanted us to continue to remember poor people. That was what I really wanted to do anyway. + When Peter came to Antioch, I told him to his face that I was against what he was doing. He was clearly wrong. + He used to eat with those who weren't Jews. But certain men came from the group that was led by James. When they arrived, Peter began to draw back. He separated himself from the non-Jews. He was afraid of the circumcision group. + Peter's actions were not honest. The other Jews joined him. Even Barnabas was led down the wrong path. + I saw what they were doing. It was not in line with the truth of the good news. So I spoke to Peter in front of them all. "You are a Jew," I said. "But you live like one who is not. So why do you force non-Jews to follow Jewish ways?" + We are Jews by birth. We are not "non-Jewish sinners." + We know that no one is made right with God by obeying the law. It is by believing in Jesus Christ. So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus. That is so we can be made right with God by believing in Christ, not by obeying the law. No one can be made right with God by obeying the law. + We are trying to be made right with God through Christ. But it is clear that we are sinners. So does that mean that Christ causes us to sin? Certainly not! + Suppose I build again what I had destroyed. Then I prove that I break the Law. + Because of the law, I died as far as the law is concerned. I died so that I might live for God. + I have been crucified with Christ. I don't live any longer. Christ lives in me. My faith in the Son of God helps me to live my life in my body. He loved me. He gave himself for me. + I do not get rid of the grace of God. What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing! + + + You foolish people of Galatia! Who has put you under an evil spell? When I preached, I clearly showed you that Jesus Christ had been nailed to the cross. + I would like to learn just one thing from you. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law? Or did you receive the Spirit by believing what you heard? + Are you so foolish? You began with the Holy Spirit. Are you now trying to complete God's work in you by your own strength? + Have you suffered so much for nothing? And was it really for nothing? + Why does God give you his Spirit? Why does he work miracles among you? Is it because you do what the law says? Or is it because you believe what you have heard? + Think about Abraham. Scripture says, "Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God."--(Genesis 15:6) + So you see, those who have faith are children of Abraham. + Long ago, Scripture knew that God would make non-Jews right with himself by believing in him. He announced the good news ahead of time to Abraham. He said, "All nations will be blessed because of you."--(Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18) + So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham. He was the man of faith. + All who depend on obeying the law are under a curse. It is written, "May everyone who doesn't continue to do everything that is written in the Book of the Law be under God's curse."--(Deuteronomy 27:26) + We know that no one is made right with God by keeping the law. Scripture says, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."--(Habakkuk 2:4) + The law is not based on faith. In fact, it is just the opposite. It teaches that "the one who does those things will live by them."--(Leviticus 18:5) + Christ set us free from the curse of the law. He did it by becoming a curse for us. It is written, "Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God's curse."--(Deuteronomy 21:23) + Christ Jesus set us free so that the blessing given to Abraham would come to non-Jews through Christ. He did it so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit by believing in Christ. + Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example from everyday life. No one can get rid of an official agreement between people. No one can add to it. It can't be changed after it has been made. It is the same with God's covenant. + The promises were given to Abraham. They were also given to his seed. Scripture does not say, "and to seeds." That means many people. It says, "and to your seed."--(Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7) That means one person. And that one person is Christ. + Here is what I mean. The law came 430 years after the promise. But the law does not get rid of God's covenant and promise. The covenant had already been made by God. So the law does not do away with the promise. + The great gift that God has for us does not depend on the law. If it did, it would no longer depend on a promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a free gift through a promise. + Then what was the purpose of the law? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a go-between. + A go-between does not take sides. God didn't use a go-between when he made his promise to Abraham. But the same God was at work in both the law and the promise. + So is the law opposed to God's promises? Certainly not! What if a law had been given that could give life? Then people could become right with God by obeying the law. + But Scripture announces that the whole world is a prisoner because of sin. It does so in order that what was promised might be given to those who believe. The promise comes through faith in Jesus Christ. + Before faith in Christ came, we were held prisoners by the law. We were locked up until faith was made known. + So the law was put in charge until Christ came. He came so that we might be made right with God by believing in Christ. + But now faith in Christ has come. So we are no longer under the control of the law. + You are all children of God by believing in Christ Jesus. + All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ as if he were your clothes. + There is no Jew or Greek. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are all one. + You who belong to Christ are Abraham's seed. You will receive what God has promised. + + + Here is what I have been saying. As long as your own children are young, they are no different from slaves in your house. They are no different, even though they own all of the property. + They are under the care of guardians and those who manage the property. They are under their care until the time when their fathers give them the property. + It is the same with us. When we were children, we were slaves to the basic things the people of the world believe. + But then the right time came. God sent his Son. A woman gave birth to him. He was born under the authority of the law. + He came to set free those who were under the law. He wanted us to be adopted as children with all the rights children have. + Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God "[Abba.]" Abba means Father. + So you aren't slaves any longer. You are God's children. Because you are his children, he gives you what he promised to give his people. + At one time you didn't know God. You were slaves to gods that are really not gods at all. + But now you know God. Even better, God knows you. So why are you turning back to those weak and worthless beliefs? Do you want to be slaves to them all over again? + You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! + I am afraid for you. I am afraid that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. + I make my appeal to you, brothers and sisters. I'm asking you to become like me. After all, I became like you. You didn't do anything wrong to me. + As you know, it was because I was sick that I first preached the good news to you. + My sickness was hard on you. But you didn't put me off. You didn't make fun of me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God. You welcomed me as if I were Christ Jesus himself. + What has happened to all of your joy? If you could have torn out your own eyes and given them to me, you would have. I can give witness to that. + Have I become your enemy now by telling you the truth? + Those people are trying hard to win you over. But it is not for your good. They want to take you away from us. They want you to commit yourselves to them. + It is fine to be committed to something, if the purpose is good. And you shouldn't be committed only when I am with you. You should always be committed. + My dear children, I am in pain for you. Once again I have pain like a woman giving birth. And my pain will continue until Christ makes you like himself. + I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could change my tone of voice. As it is, you bewilder me. + You who want to be under the authority of the law, tell me something. Don't you know what the law says? + It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one. + Abraham's son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God's promise. + Those things can be taken as examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar. + Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That's because she and her children are slaves. + But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother. + It is written, "Be glad, woman, you who have no children. Start shouting, you who have no labor pains. The woman who is all alone has more children than the woman who has a husband." --(Isaiah 54:1) + Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God's promise just as Isaac was. + At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the son born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now. + But what does Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman's son will never have a share of the family's property with the free woman's son."--(Genesis 21:10) + Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman's children. We are the free woman's children. + + + Christ has set us free. He wants us to enjoy freedom. So stand firm. Don't let the chains of slavery hold you again. + Here is what I, Paul, say to you. Don't let yourselves be circumcised. If you do, Christ won't be of any value to you. + I say it again. Every man who lets himself be circumcised must obey the whole law. + Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God's grace. + But we expect to be made completely holy because of our faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit we wait in hope. + Circumcision and uncircumcision aren't worth anything to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The only thing that really counts is faith that shows itself through love. + You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? + The One who chooses you does not keep you from obeying the truth. + You should know that "just a little yeast works its way through the whole batch of dough." + The Lord makes me certain that you will not think in any other way. The one who has gotten you all mixed up will pay the price. It doesn't matter who that may be. + Brothers and sisters, I am not still preaching that people must be circumcised. If I were, why am I still being opposed? If that were what I preach, then the cross wouldn't upset anyone. + So then, what about troublemakers who try to get others to be circumcised? I wish they would go the whole way! I wish they would cut off everything that marks them as men! + My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don't use your freedom as an excuse to live in sin. Instead, serve one another in love. + The whole law can be found in a single command. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."--(Leviticus 19:18) + You must not keep on biting each other. You must not keep eating each other up. Watch out! You might destroy each other. + So I say, live by the Holy Spirit's power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do. + The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That's what makes you do what you don't want to do. + But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law. + What the sinful nature does is clear. It enjoys sexual sins, impure acts and wild living. + It worships statues of gods. It also worships evil powers. It is full of hatred and fighting. It is full of jealousy and fits of anger. It is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups. + It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like that will not receive God's kingdom. + But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful + and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind. + Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed their sinful nature to his cross. They don't want what their sinful nature loves and longs for. + Since we live by the Spirit, let us march in step with the Spirit. + Let us not become proud. Let us not make each other angry. Let us not want what belongs to others. + + + Brothers and sisters, what if someone is caught in a sin? Then you who are guided by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted too. + Carry each other's heavy loads. If you do, you will give the law of Christ its full meaning. + If you think you are somebody when you are nobody, you are fooling yourselves. + Each of you should put your own actions to the test. Then you can take pride in yourself. You won't be comparing yourself to somebody else. + Each of you should carry your own load. + Those who are taught the word must share all good things with their teacher. + Don't be fooled. You can't outsmart God. A man gathers a crop from what he plants. + Some people plant to please their sinful nature. From that nature they will harvest death. Others plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life. + Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don't give up. + So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it. Let us make a special point of doing good to those who belong to the family of believers. + Look at the big letters I'm using as I write to you with my own hand! + Some people want others to think well of them. They are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do it for only one reason. They don't want to suffer by being connected with the cross of Christ. + Even those who are circumcised don't obey the law. But they want you to be circumcised. Then they can brag about what has been done to your body. + I never want to brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through that cross the ways of the world have been crucified as far as I am concerned. And I have been crucified as far as the ways of the world are concerned. + Circumcision and uncircumcision don't mean anything. What really counts is the creation of a new nature. + May peace and mercy be given to all who follow this rule. May peace and mercy be given to the Israel that belongs to God. + Finally, let no one cause trouble for me. My body has marks that show I belong to Jesus. + Brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. I am sending this letter to you, God's people in Ephesus. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are faithful. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Those blessings come from the heavenly world. They belong to us because we belong to Christ. + God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us. + So he decided long ago to adopt us as his children. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it. + All those things bring praise to his glorious grace. God freely gave us his grace because of the One he loves. + We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Through his blood our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God's grace is so rich. + He poured his grace on us by giving us great wisdom and understanding. + He showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ. + It will all come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under one ruler. The ruler is Christ. + We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose. + We were the first to put our hope in Christ. We were chosen to bring praise to his glory. + You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he marked you with a seal. The seal is the Holy Spirit that he promised. + The Spirit marks us as God's own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all of his people completely free. All of those things will bring praise to his glory. + I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I have also heard about your love for all of God's people. That is why + I have not stopped thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. + I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better. + I also pray that your mind might see more clearly. Then you will know the hope God has chosen you to receive. You will know that the things God's people will receive are rich and glorious. + And you will know his great power. It can't be compared with anything else. It is at work for us who believe. It is like the mighty strength + God showed when he raised Christ from the dead. He seated him at his right hand in his heavenly kingdom. + There Christ sits far above all who rule and have authority. He also sits far above all powers and kings. He is above every title that can be given in this world and in the world to come. + God placed all things under Christ's rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church. + The church is Christ's body. It is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way. + + + You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead. + You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don't obey God. + At one time we all lived among them. We tried to satisfy what our sinful nature wanted to do. We followed its longings and thoughts. God was angry with us and everyone else because of the kind of people we were. + But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. + So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God's grace has saved you. + God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom because we belong to Christ Jesus. + He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can't be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. + God's grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn't come from anything you do. It is God's gift. + It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. + God made us. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good things. Long ago God prepared them for us to do. + You who are not Jews by birth, here is what I want you to remember. You are called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "circumcised." But they have only been circumcised in their bodies by human hands. + Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world. + At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. That has brought you near to God. + Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and non-Jews into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us. + Through his body on the cross, Christ put an end to the law with all its commands and rules. He wanted to create one new group of people out of the two. He wanted to make peace between them. + He planned to bring both of them as one body back to God because of the cross. Christ put their hatred to death on that cross. + He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. + Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit. + So you are no longer strangers and outsiders. You are citizens together with God's people. You are members of God's family. + You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building. + The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. + And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit. + + + I, Paul, am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. I am in prison because of my work among you who are not Jews. + I am sure you have heard that God appointed me to share his grace with you. + I'm talking about the mystery God showed me. I have already written a little about it. + By reading it you will be able to understand what I know about the mystery of Christ. + The mystery was not made known to people of other times. But now the Holy Spirit has made it known to God's holy apostles and prophets. + Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God's promises are for non-Jews as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus. + I now serve the good news because God gave me his grace. His power is at work in me. + I am by far the least important of all of God's people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the non-Jews about the wonderful riches that Christ gives. + God told me to make clear to everyone how the mystery came about. In times past it was kept hidden in the mind of God, who created all things. + He wanted the rulers and authorities in the heavenly world to come to know his great wisdom. The church would make it known to them. + That was God's plan from the beginning. He has worked it out through Christ Jesus our Lord. + Through him and through faith in him we can approach God. We can come to him freely. We can come without fear. + So here is what I'm asking you to do. Don't lose hope because I am suffering for you. It will lead to the time when God will give you his glory. + I bow in prayer to the Father because of my work among you. + From the Father his whole family in heaven and on earth gets its name. + I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you. + Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in him. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation. + May you have power with all God's people to understand Christ's love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is. + And may you know his love, even though it can't be known completely. Then you will be filled with everything God has for you. + God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us. + Give him glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. Give him glory through all time and for ever and ever. Amen. + + + I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for. + Don't be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. + The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together. + There is one body. There is one Spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen. + There is one Lord. There is one faith and one baptism. + There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything. + But each one of us has received a gift of grace, just as Christ wanted us to have it. + That is why Scripture says, "When he went up to his place on high, he led a line of prisoners. He gave gifts to people." --(Psalm 68:18) + What does "he went up" mean? It can only mean that he also came down to the lower, earthly places. + The One who came down is the same as the One who went up higher than all the heavens. He did it in order to fill all of creation. + He is the One who gave some the gift to be apostles. He gave some the gift to be prophets. He gave some the gift of preaching the good news. And he gave some the gift to be pastors and teachers. + He did it so that they might prepare God's people to serve. If they do, the body of Christ will be built up. + That will continue until we all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son. Then we will be grown up in the faith. We will receive everything that Christ has for us. + We will no longer be babies in the faith. We won't be like ships tossed around by the waves. We won't be blown here and there by every new teaching. We won't be blown around by the cleverness and tricks of people who try to hide their evil plans. + Instead, we will speak the truth in love. We will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head. + He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together. + Here is what I'm telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live like those who aren't Jews. Their thoughts don't have any purpose. + They can't understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That is because they don't know him. And they don't know him because their hearts are stubborn. + They have lost all feeling for what is right. They have given themselves over to the evil pleasures of their bodies. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they always long for more. + But that is not what you have learned about Christ. + I'm sure you heard of him. I'm sure you were taught by him. What you learned was the truth about Jesus. + You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That's because it is polluted by longing for things that lead you down the wrong path. + You were taught to be made new in your thinking. + You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is. + So each of you must get rid of your lying. Speak the truth to your neighbor. We are all parts of one body. + Scripture says, "When you are angry, do not sin."--(Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. + Don't give the devil a chance. + Those who have been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need. + Don't let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen. + Do not make God's Holy Spirit sad. He marked you with a seal for the day when God will set you completely free. + Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. + Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done. + + + You are the children that God dearly loves. So be just like him. + Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God. + There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among you. Don't do anything unclean. And do not always want more and more. Things like that are not what God's holy people should do. + There must not be any unclean speech or foolish talk or dirty jokes. All of them are out of place. Instead, you should give thanks. + Here is what you can be sure of. Those who give themselves over to sexual sins are lost. So are people whose lives are not pure. The same is true of those who always want more and more. People who do those things might as well worship statues of gods. No one who does them will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God. + Don't let anyone fool you with words that don't mean anything. Because of things like that, God is angry with those who don't obey. + So don't go along with people like that. + At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. + The light produces what is completely good, right and true. + Find out what pleases the Lord. + Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don't produce anything good. Show what they are really like. + It is shameful even to talk about what people who don't obey do in secret. + But everything the light shines on can be seen. + Light makes everything clear. That is why it is said, "Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead. Then Christ will shine on you." + So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren't wise. Live like people who are wise. + Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil. + So don't be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants. + Don't fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. + Speak to each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. + Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ. + Wives, follow the lead of your husbands as you follow the Lord. + The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ's body. He is its Savior. + The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything. + Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her. + He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word. + He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame. + In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself. + After all, people have never hated their own bodies. Instead, they feed and care for their bodies. And that is what Christ does for the church. + We are parts of his body. + Scripture says, "That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one."--(Genesis 2:24) + That is a deep mystery. But I'm talking about Christ and the church. + A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband. + + + Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it's the right thing to do. + Scripture says, "Honor your father and mother." That is the first commandment that has a promise. + "Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth."--(Deuteronomy 5:16) + Fathers, don't make your children angry. Instead, train them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them. + Slaves, obey your masters here on earth. Respect them and honor them with a heart that is true. Obey them just as you would obey Christ. + Don't obey them only to please them when they are watching. Do it because you are slaves of Christ. Be sure your heart does what God wants. + Serve your masters with all your heart. Work as if you were not serving people but the Lord. + You know that the Lord will give you a reward. He will give to each of you in keeping with the good you do. It doesn't matter whether you are slaves or free. + Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. When you warn them, don't be too hard on them. You know that the One who is their Master and yours is in heaven. And he treats everyone the same. + Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power. + Put on all of God's armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil's evil plans. + Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. + So put on all of God's armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing. + So stand firm. Put the belt of truth around your waist. Put the armor of godliness on your chest. + Wear on your feet what will prepare you to tell the good news of peace. + Also, pick up the shield of faith. With it you can put out all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. + Put on the helmet of salvation. And take the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword is God's word. + At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all of God's people. + Pray also for me. Pray that when I open my mouth, the right words will be given to me. Then I can be bold as I tell the mystery of the good news. + Because of the good news, I am being held by chains as the Lord's messenger. So pray that I will be bold as I preach the good news. That's what I should do. + Tychicus is a dear brother. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will tell you everything about me. Then you will know how I am and what I am doing. + That's why I am sending him to you. I want you to know how we are. And I want him to cheer you up. + May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give peace to the brothers and sisters. May they also give them love and faith. + May grace be given to everyone who loves our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that will never die. + + + + + We, Paul and Timothy, are writing this letter. We serve Christ Jesus. We are sending this letter to you, all of God's people in Philippi. You belong to Christ Jesus. We are also sending this letter to your leaders and deacons. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + I thank my God every time I remember you. + In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. + I am happy because you have joined me in spreading the good news. You have done so from the first day until now. + I am sure that the One who began a good work in you will carry it on until it is completed. That will be on the day Christ Jesus returns. + It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth of the good news. Either way, all of you share in God's grace together with me. + God can give witness that I long for all of you. I love you with the love that Christ Jesus gives. + I pray that your love will grow more and more. And let it be based on knowledge and understanding. + Then you will be able to know what is best. You will be pure and without blame until the day Christ returns. + You will be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ. All of those things bring glory and praise to God. + Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. What has happened to me has really helped to spread the good news. + One thing has become clear. I am being held by chains because of my stand for Christ. All of the palace guards and everyone else know it. + Because I am being held by chains, most of the believers in the Lord have become bolder. They now speak God's word more boldly and without fear. + It's true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous. But others preach about Christ to help me in my work. + The last group acts out of love. They know I have been put here to stand up for the good news. + But the others preach about Christ only to get ahead. They are not honest and true. They think they can stir up trouble for me while I am being held by chains. + But what does it matter? Here is the important thing. Whether for reasons that are right or wrong, Christ is being preached about. That makes me very glad. And I will continue to be glad. + I know that you are praying for me. I also know that the Spirit of Jesus Christ will help me. So no matter what happens, I'm sure I will still be saved. + I completely expect and hope that I won't be ashamed in any way. I'm sure I will be brave enough. Now as always Christ will be lifted high through my body. He will be lifted up whether I live or die. + For me, life finds all of its meaning in Christ. Death also has its benefits. + Suppose I go on living in my body. Then I will be able to carry on my work. It will bear a lot of fruit. But what should I choose? I don't know. + I can't decide between the two. I long to leave this world and be with Christ. That is better by far. + But it is more important for you that I stay alive. + I'm sure of that. So I know I will remain with you. And I will continue with all of you to help you grow and be joyful in what you have been taught. + I'm sure I will be with you again. Then your joy in Christ Jesus will be greater than ever because of me. + No matter what happens, live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then I will know that you stand firm with one purpose. I may come and see you or only hear about you. But I will know that you work together as one person. And I will know that you work to spread the teachings of the good news. + So don't be afraid in any way of those who oppose you. That will show them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved. That's what God will do. + Here is what he has given you to do for Christ. You must not only believe in him. You must also suffer for him. + You are going through the same struggle you saw me go through. As you have heard, I am still struggling. + + + Are you cheerful because you belong to Christ? Does his love comfort you? Is the Holy Spirit your companion? Has Christ been gentle and loving toward you? + Then make my joy complete by agreeing with each other. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and purpose. + Don't do anything only to get ahead. Don't do it because you are proud. Instead, be free of pride. Think of others as better than yourselves. + None of you should look out just for your own good. You should also look out for the good of others. + You should think in the same way Christ Jesus does. + In his very nature he was God. But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to. + Instead, he made himself nothing. He took on the very nature of a servant. He was made in human form. + He appeared as a man. He came down to the lowest level. He obeyed God completely, even though it led to his death. In fact, he died on a cross. + So God lifted him up to the highest place. He gave him the name that is above every name. + When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone's knee will bow to worship him. Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow to worship him. + Everyone's mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And God the Father will receive the glory. + My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. + God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to be in keeping with his good purpose. + Do everything without finding fault or arguing. + Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault in a sinful and evil world. Among the people of the world you shine like stars in the heavens. + You shine as you hold out to them the word of life. So I can brag about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn't run or work for nothing. + But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I'm talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. + So you too should be glad and joyful with me. + I hope to send Timothy to you soon if the Lord Jesus allows it. Then I will be cheered up when I receive news about you. + I have no one else like Timothy. He truly cares about how you are doing. + All the others are looking out for their own interests. They are not looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ. + But you know that Timothy has proved himself. He has served with me like a son with his father in spreading the good news. + So I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. + And I'm sure I myself will come soon if the Lord allows it. + But I think it's necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you. He is my brother in the Lord. He is a worker and a soldier of Christ together with me. He is also your messenger. You sent him to take care of my needs. + He longs for all of you. He is troubled because you heard he was sick. + He was very sick. In fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him. He also had mercy on me. God spared me sadness after sadness. + So I want even more to send him to you. Then when you see him again, you will be glad. And I won't worry so much. + Welcome him as a brother in the Lord with great joy. Honor people like him. + He almost died for the work of Christ. He put his life in danger to make up for the help you couldn't give me. + + + Finally, my brothers and sisters, be joyful because you belong to the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write about some important matters to you again. If you know about them, you will have a safe path to follow. + Watch out for those dogs. They do evil things. When they circumcise, it is nothing more than a useless cutting of the body. + But we have been truly circumcised. We worship God by the power of his Spirit. We brag about what Christ Jesus has done. We don't put our trust in our weak human nature. + I have many reasons to trust in my human nature. Others may think they have reasons to trust in theirs. But I have even more. + I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am part of the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am a pure Hebrew. As far as the law is concerned, I am a Pharisee. + As far as being committed is concerned, I opposed and attacked the church. As far as keeping the Law is concerned, I kept it perfectly. + I thought things like that were for my benefit. But now I consider them to be nothing because of Christ. + Even more, I consider everything to be nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. To know him is the best thing of all. Because of him I have lost everything. But I consider all of it to be garbage so I can get to know Christ. + I want to be joined to him. For me, being right with God does not come from the law. It comes because I believe in Christ. It comes from God. It is received by faith. + I want to know Christ better. I want to know the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings. I want to become like him by sharing in his death. + Then by God's grace I will rise from the dead. + I have not yet received all of those things. I have not yet been made perfect. But I move on to take hold of what Christ Jesus took hold of me for. + Brothers and sisters, I don't consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard toward what is ahead of me. + I move on toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus himself. + All of us who are grown up in the faith should see things that way. Maybe you think differently about something. But God will make it clear to you. + Only let us live up to what we have already reached. + Brothers and sisters, join with others in following my example. Pay close attention to those who live in keeping with the pattern we gave you. + I have told you those things many times before. Now I say it again with tears in my eyes. Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. + The only thing they have coming to them is death. Their stomach is their god. They brag about what they should be ashamed of. They think only about earthly things. + But we are citizens of heaven. And we can hardly wait for a Savior from there. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. + He has the power to bring everything under his control. By his power he will change our earthly bodies. They will become like his glorious body. + + + My brothers and sisters, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord's strength. I love you and long for you. Dear friends, you are my joy and my crown. + Here is what I'm asking Euodia and Syntyche to do. I want them to agree with each other because they belong to the Lord. + My true companion, here is what I ask you to do. Help those women. They have served at my side. They have helped me spread the good news. So have Clement and the rest of those who have worked together with me. Their names are all written in the Book of Life. + Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful. + Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. + Don't worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. + Then God's peace will watch over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus. God's peace can never be completely understood. + Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. + Do what you have learned or received or heard from me. Follow my example. The God who gives peace will be with you. + At last you are concerned about me again. That makes me very happy. We belong to the Lord. I know that you have been concerned. But you had no chance to show it. + I'm not saying that because I need anything. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. + I know what it's like not to have what I need. I also know what it's like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. + I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. + But it was good of you to share in my troubles. + And you believers at Philippi know what happened when I left Macedonia. Not one church helped me in the matter of giving and receiving. You were the only one that did. That was in the early days when you first heard the good news. + Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help when I needed it. You did it again and again. + I'm not looking for a gift. I'm looking for what is best for you. + I have received my full pay, and even more than that. I have everything I need. That's because Epaphroditus brought me the gifts you sent. They are a sweet-smelling offering. They are a gift that God accepts. He is pleased with it. + My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus. + Give glory to our God and Father for ever and ever. Amen. + Greet all of God's people. They belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. + All of God's people here send you greetings. Most of all, those who live in the palace of Caesar send you greetings. + May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing. + We are sending this letter to you, our brothers and sisters in Colosse. You belong to Christ. You are holy and faithful. May God our Father give you grace and peace. + We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. + We thank him because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus. We have also heard that you love all of God's people. + Your faith and love are based on the hope you have. What you hope for is stored up for you in heaven. You have already heard about it. You were told about it when the message of truth was given to you. I'm talking about the good news + that has come to you. All over the world the good news is bearing fruit and growing. It has been doing that among you since the day you heard it. That is when you understood God's grace in all its truth. + You learned the good news from Epaphras. He is dear to us. He serves Christ together with us. He faithfully works for Christ and for us among you. + He also told us about your love that comes from the Holy Spirit. + That's why we have not stopped praying for you. We have been praying for you since the day we heard about you. We have been asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants. We pray that he will give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. + We pray that you will lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We pray that you will please him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We want you to grow to know God better. + We want you to be very strong, in keeping with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. Never give up. Be joyful + as you give thanks to the Father. He has made you fit to share with all his people. You will all receive a share in the kingdom of light. + He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. + Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all of our sins have been forgiven. + Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can't be seen. He is first, and he is over all of creation. + All things were created by him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can't be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. Everything was created by him and for him. + Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together. + And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything. + God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ. + God was pleased to bring all things back to himself because of what Christ has done. That includes all things on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ's blood, through his death on the cross. + At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways. + But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ's death has made you holy in God's sight. So now you don't have any flaw. You are free from blame. + But you must keep your faith steady and firm. Don't move away from the hope that the good news holds out to you. It is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, now serve the good news. + I am happy because of what was suffered for you. And in my body I fill up my share in Christ's sufferings. I do it for his body, which is the church. + I serve the church. God appointed me to bring all of his word to you. + That word contains the mystery that has been hidden for many ages. But now it has been made known to God's people. + God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery. He has made it known among those who aren't Jews. And here is what it is. Christ is in you. He is your hope of glory. + We preach about him. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be perfect as people who belong to Christ. + That's what I'm working for. I work hard with all of Christ's strength. His strength works powerfully in me. + + + I want you to know how hard I am working for you. I'm concerned for those who are in Laodicea. I'm also concerned for everyone who has not met me in person. + I want their hearts to be made cheerful and strong. I want them to be joined together in love. Then their understanding will be rich and complete. They will know the mystery of God. That mystery is Christ. + All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. + But I don't want anyone to fool you with fast talk that only sounds good. + So even though I am away from you in body, I am with you in spirit. I am glad to see that you are doing everything in good order. And I am happy that your faith in Christ is so strong. + You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living in him. + Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before. + Make sure no one captures you. They will try to capture you by using false reasoning that has no meaning. Their ideas depend on human teachings. They also depend on the basic things the people of this world believe. They don't depend on Christ. + God's whole nature is living in Christ in human form. + Because you belong to Christ, you have everything you need. He is the ruler over every power and authority. + When you received Christ, you were also circumcised by putting away your sinful nature. Human hands didn't circumcise you. Christ did. + When you were baptized, you were buried together with him. You were raised to life together with him by believing in God's power. God raised Jesus from the dead. + At one time you were dead in your sins. Your sinful nature was not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all of our sins. + He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. + He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross. + So don't let anyone judge you because of what you eat or drink. Don't let anyone judge you about holy days. I'm talking about special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days. + They are only a shadow of the things that were going to come. But what is real is found in Christ. + Some people enjoy pretending they aren't proud. They worship angels. But don't let people like that hold you back from winning the prize. They tell you every little thing about what they have seen. Their minds are not guided by the Holy Spirit. So they are proud of their useless ideas. + They aren't connected to the Head. But the whole body grows from the Head. The muscles and tendons hold the body together. And God causes it to grow. + The people of the world believe certain basic things. You died with Christ as far as things like that are concerned. So why do you act as if you still belong to the world? Here are the rules you follow. + "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" + Rules like that are all going to die out as time goes by. They are only based on human rules and teachings. + It is true that those rules seem wise. Because of them, people give themselves over to their own kind of worship. They pretend they aren't proud. They treat their bodies very badly. But rules like that don't help. They don't stop people from chasing after sinful pleasures. + + + You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God's right hand. + Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think about things that are on earth. + You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God. + Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven's glory. + So put to death anything that belongs to your earthly nature. Get rid of your sexual sins and unclean acts. Don't let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil longings. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods. + God's anger is going to come because of those things. + That's the way you lived at one time in your life. + But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths. + Don't lie to each other. You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. + You have started living a new life. It is being made new so that what you know has the Creator's likeness. + Here there is no Greek or Jew. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not. There is no rude outsider, or even a Scythian. There is no slave or free person. But Christ is everything. And he is in everything. + You are God's chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don't be proud. Be gentle and patient. + Put up with each other. Forgive the things you are holding against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. + And over all of those good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one. + Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. As parts of one body, you were appointed to live in peace. And be thankful. + Let Christ's word live in you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with thanks in your hearts to God. + Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ. + Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. That's what the Lord wants you to do. + Husbands, love your wives. Don't be mean to them. + Children, obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord. + Fathers, don't make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope. + Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don't do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord. + Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters. + Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are serving the Lord Christ. + Anyone who does wrong will be paid back for what he does. God treats everyone the same. + + + Masters, give your slaves what is right and fair. Do it because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. + Spend a lot of time in prayer. Always be watchful and thankful. + Pray for us too. Pray that God will open a door for our message. Then we can preach the mystery of Christ. Because I preached it, I am being held by chains. + Pray that I will preach it clearly, as I should. + Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. + Let the words you speak always be full of grace. Season them with salt. Then you will know how to answer everyone. + Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother. He is a faithful worker. He serves the Lord together with us. + I am sending him to you for one reason. I want you to know what is happening here. I want him to cheer you up and make your hearts strong. + He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother. He is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. + Aristarchus is in prison with me. He sends you his greetings. So does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have been given directions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him. + Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. They are the only Jews who work together with me for God's kingdom. They have been a comfort to me. + Epaphras sends greetings. He is one of you. He serves Christ Jesus. He is always praying hard for you. He prays that you will stand firm in holding to all that God has in mind for us. He prays that you will continue to grow in your knowledge of what God wants you to do. He also prays that you will be completely sure about it. + I am happy to tell you that he is working very hard for you. He is also working hard for everyone in Laodicea and Hierapolis. + Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, sends greetings. So does Demas. + Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea. Also give my greetings to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. + After this letter has been read to you, send it on. Be sure that it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And be sure that you read the letter from Laodicea. + Tell Archippus, "Be sure that you complete the work the Lord gave you to do." + I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I am being held by chains. May grace be with you. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. Silas and Timothy join me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of the church in Thessalonica. You belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be given to you. + We always thank God for all of you. We pray for you. + We never forget you when we pray to our God and Father. Your work is produced by your faith. Your service is the result of your love. Your strength to continue comes from your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. + Brothers and sisters, you are loved by God. We know that he has chosen you. + Our good news didn't come to you only in words. It came with power. It came with the Holy Spirit's help. He gave us complete faith in what we were preaching. You know how we lived among you for your good. + We and the Lord were your examples. You followed us. You suffered terribly. Even so, you welcomed our message with the joy the Holy Spirit gives. + So you became a model to all the believers in the lands of Macedonia and Achaia. + The Lord's message rang out from you. That was true not only in Macedonia and Achaia. Your faith in God has also become known everywhere. So we don't have to say anything about it. + The believers themselves report the kind of welcome you gave us. They tell about how you turned away from statues of gods to serve the living and true God. + They tell about how you are waiting for his Son to come from heaven. God raised him from the dead. He is Jesus. He saves us from God's anger, and his anger is sure to come. + + + Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you was not a failure. + You know what happened earlier in the city of Philippi. We suffered, and people treated us badly there. But God gave us the boldness to tell you his good news. We preached to you even though people opposed us strongly. + The appeal we make is based on truth. It comes from a pure heart. We are not trying to trick you. + In fact, it is just the opposite. God has accepted us to preach. He has trusted us with the good news. We aren't trying to please people. We want to please God. He puts our hearts to the test. + As you know, we never praised you if we didn't mean it. We didn't put on a mask to cover up any sinful longing. God is our witness that this is true. + We were not expecting people to praise us. We were not looking for praise from you or anyone else. As Christ's apostles, we could have caused you some expense. + But we were gentle among you. We were like a mother caring for her little children. + We loved you so much that we were happy to share with you God's good news. We were also happy to share our lives with you. You had become very special to us. + Brothers and sisters, I am sure you remember how hard we worked. We labored night and day while we preached to you God's good news. We didn't want to cause you any expense. + You are witnesses of how we lived among you believers. God is also a witness that we were holy and godly and without blame. + You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. + We gave you hope and strength. We comforted you. We really wanted you to live in a way that is worthy of God. He chooses you to enter his glorious kingdom. + We never stop thanking God for the way you received his word. You heard it from us. But you didn't accept it as a human word. You accepted it for what it really is. It is God's word. It is at work in you who believe. + Brothers and sisters, you became like the members of God's churches in Judea. They are believers in Christ Jesus, just as you are. People in your own country made you suffer. You went through the same things the church members in Judea suffered from the Jews. + The Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets also forced us to leave. They do not please God. They are enemies of everyone. + They try to keep us from speaking to those who aren't Jews. The Jews don't want them to be saved. In that way, the Jews always increase their sins to the limit. God's anger has come on them at last. + Brothers and sisters, we were torn away from you for a short time. We were no longer with you in person, but we kept you in our thoughts. We really longed to see you. So we tried very hard to do so. + We wanted to come to you. Again and again I, Paul, wanted to come. But Satan stopped us. + What is our hope? What is our joy? When our Lord Jesus returns, what is the crown we will delight in? Isn't it you? + Yes, you are our glory and our joy. + + + We couldn't wait any longer. So we thought it was best to be left by ourselves in Athens. + We sent our brother Timothy to give you strength and hope in your faith. He works together with God in spreading the good news about Christ. + We sent him so that no one would be upset by times of testing. You know very well that we have to go through them. + In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that our enemies would make us suffer. As you know very well, it has turned out that way. + That's the reason I sent someone to find out about your faith. I couldn't wait any longer. I was afraid that Satan might have tempted you in some way. Then our efforts would have been useless. + But Timothy has come to us from you just now. He has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have happy memories of us. He has also said that you long to see us, just as we long to see you. + Brothers and sisters, in all our trouble and suffering your faith cheered us up. + Now we really live, because you are standing firm in the Lord. + How can we thank God enough for you because of all the joy that comes only from our God? + Night and day we pray very hard that we will see you again. We want to give you what is missing in your faith. + Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus open up a way for us to come to you. + May the Lord make your love grow. May it be like a rising flood. May your love for one another increase. May it also increase for everyone else. May it be just like our love for you. + May the Lord give you strength in your hearts. Then you will be holy and without blame in the sight of our God and Father. May that be true when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. + + + Finally, brothers and sisters, we taught you how to live in a way that pleases God. In fact, that is how you are living. In the name of the Lord Jesus we ask and beg you to do it more and more. + You know the directions we gave you. They were given by the authority of the Lord Jesus. + God wants you to be made holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins. + He wants all of you to learn to control your own bodies. You must live in a way that is holy. You must live with honor. + Don't long to commit sexual sins like those who don't know God. + None of you should sin against your brother by doing that. You should not take advantage of him. The Lord will punish everyone who commits those kinds of sins. We have already told you and warned you about that. + God chose us to live pure lives. He wants us to be holy. + So if you refuse to accept my teaching, you turn your back on God, not on people. God gives you his Holy Spirit. + We don't need to write to you about love among believers. God himself has taught you to love each other. + In fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters all around Macedonia. But we are asking you to love each other more and more. + Do everything you can to live a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands, just as we told you to. + Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won't have to depend on anyone. + Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don't want you to be sad, as other people are. They don't have any hope. + We believe that Jesus died and rose again. When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already. We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus. + That agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died. + The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God's trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. + After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever. + So cheer each other up with these words of comfort. + + + Brothers and sisters, we don't have to write to you about times and dates. + You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. + People will be saying that everything is peaceful and safe. Then suddenly they will be destroyed. It will happen like birth pains coming on a pregnant woman. None of the people will escape. + Brothers and sisters, you are not in darkness. So that day should not surprise you as a thief would. + All of you are children of the light. You are children of the day. We don't belong to the night. We don't belong to the darkness. + So let us not be like the others. They are asleep. Instead, let us be wide awake and in full control of ourselves. + Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, get drunk at night. + But we belong to the day. So let us control ourselves. Let us put the armor of faith and love on our chest. Let us put on the hope of salvation like a helmet. + God didn't choose us to receive his anger. He chose us to receive salvation because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. + Jesus died for us. Some will be alive when he comes. Others will be dead. Either way, we will live together with him. + So cheer each other up with the hope you have. Build each other up. In fact, that's what you are doing. + Brothers and sisters, we ask you to have respect for the godly leaders who work hard among you. They have authority over you. They correct you. + Have a lot of respect for them. Love them because of what they do. Live in peace with each other. + Brothers and sisters, we are asking you to warn those who don't want to work. Cheer up those who are shy. Help those who are weak. Put up with everyone. + Make sure that nobody pays back one wrong act with another. Always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. + Always be joyful. + Never stop praying. + Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus. + Don't put out the Holy Spirit's fire. + Don't treat prophecies as if they amount to nothing. + Put everything to the test. Hold on to what is good. + Stay away from every kind of evil. + God is the God who gives peace. May he make you holy through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept free from blame. May you be without blame from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes. + The One who has chosen you is faithful. He will do all these things. + Brothers and sisters, pray for us. + Greet all the believers with a holy kiss. + While the Lord is watching, here is what I command you. Have this letter read to all the believers. + May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. Silas and Timothy join me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of the church in Thessalonica. You belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. That is only right, because your faith is growing more and more. The love you all have for each other is increasing. + So among God's churches we brag about the fact that you don't give up easily. We brag about your faith in all the suffering and testing you are going through. + All of this proves that when God judges, he is fair. So you will be considered worthy to enter God's kingdom. You are suffering for his kingdom. + God is fair. He will pay back trouble to those who give you trouble. + He will help you who are troubled. And he will also help us. All of those things will happen when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come in blazing fire. He will come with the angels who are given the power to do what God wants. + He will punish those who don't know God. He will punish those who don't obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. + They will be destroyed forever. They will be shut out of heaven. They will never see the glory of the Lord's power. + All of those things will happen when he comes. On that day his glory will be seen in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. That includes you, because you believed the witness we gave you. + Keeping this in mind, we never stop praying for you. Our God has chosen you. We pray that he will consider you worthy of his choice. We pray that by his power he will make every good thing you have planned come true. We pray that he will make perfect all that you have done by faith. + We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory through what you have done. We also pray that you will receive glory through what he has done. We pray all these things in keeping with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. + + + Brothers and sisters, we want to ask you something. It has to do with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It concerns the time when we will go to be with him. + What if you receive a prophecy, report or letter that is supposed to have come from us? What if it says that the day of the Lord has already come? If it does, we ask you not to become easily upset or alarmed. + Don't let anyone trick you in any way. That day will not come until people rise up against God. It will not come until the man of sin appears. He is a marked man. He is sentenced to be destroyed. + He will oppose everything that is called God. He will oppose everything that is worshiped. He will give himself power over everything. He will set himself up in God's temple. He will announce that he himself is God. + Don't you remember? When I was with you, I used to tell you those things. + Now you know what is holding the man of sin back. He is held back so that he can make his appearance at the right time. + The secret power of sin is already at work. But the one who now holds that power back will keep doing it until he is taken out of the way. + Then the man of sin will appear. The Lord Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth. The glorious brightness of Jesus' coming will destroy the man of sin. + The coming of the man of sin will be Satan's work. His work will be seen in all kinds of fake miracles, signs and wonders. + It will be seen in every kind of evil that fools people who are dying. They are dying because they refuse to love the truth. The truth would save them. + So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie. + Many will not believe the truth. They will take pleasure in evil. They will be judged. + Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. The Lord loves you. God chose you from the beginning. He wanted you to be saved. Salvation comes through the Holy Spirit's work. He makes people holy. It also comes through believing the truth. + He chose you to be saved by accepting the good news that we preach. And you will share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Brothers and sisters, stand firm. Hold on to what we taught you. We passed our teachings on to you by what we preached and wrote. + Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loved us. By his grace God gave us comfort that will last forever. The hope he gave us is good. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father + comfort your hearts. May they make you strong in every good thing you do and say. + + + Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread quickly. Pray that others will honor it just as you did. + And pray that we will be saved from sinful and evil people. Not everyone is a believer. + But the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you. He will guard you from the evil one. + We trust in the Lord. So we are sure that you are doing the things we tell you to do. And we are sure that you will keep on doing them. + May the Lord fill your hearts with God's love. May Christ give you the strength to go on. + Brothers and sisters, here is a command we give you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep away from every believer who doesn't want to work. Keep away from anyone who doesn't live up to the teaching you received from us. + You know how you should follow our example. We worked when we were with you. + We didn't eat anyone's food without paying for it. In fact, it was just the opposite. We worked night and day. We worked very hard so that we wouldn't cause any expense to any of you. + We worked, even though we have the right to receive help from you. We did it in order to be a model for you to follow. + Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said, "Anyone who will not work will not eat." + We hear that some people among you don't want to work. They aren't really busy. Instead, they are bothering others. + We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. So we strongly command people like that to settle down. They have to earn the food they eat. + Brothers and sisters, don't ever get tired of doing the right thing. + Keep an eye on anyone who doesn't obey the directions in our letter. Watch that person closely. Have nothing to do with him. Then he will feel ashamed. + But don't think of him as an enemy. Instead, warn him as a brother or sister. + May the Lord who gives peace give you peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of you. + I, Paul, write this greeting in my own handwriting. That's how I prove that I am the author of all my letters. I always do it that way. + May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus, just as God our Savior commanded. Christ Jesus also commanded it. We have put our hope in him. + Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace. + Stay there in Ephesus. That is what I told you to do when I went into Macedonia. I want you to command certain people not to teach things that aren't true. + Command them not to spend their time on stories that aren't completely true. They must not waste time on family histories that never end. Things like that cause people to argue instead of doing God's work. His work is done by faith. + Love is the purpose of my command. Love comes from a pure heart. It comes from a good sense of what is right and wrong. It comes from faith that is honest and true. + Some have wandered away from those teachings. They would rather talk about things that have no meaning. + They want to be teachers of the law. And they are very sure about that law. But they don't know what they are talking about. + We know that the law is good if it is used properly. + We also know that the law isn't made for godly people. It is made for those who break the law. It is for those who refuse to obey. It is for ungodly and sinful people. It is for those who aren't holy and who don't believe. It is for those who kill their fathers or mothers. It is for murderers. + It is for those who commit adultery. It is for those who have a twisted view of sex. It is for people who buy and sell slaves. It is for liars. It is for those who give witness to things that aren't true. And it is for anything else that is the opposite of true teaching. + True teaching agrees with the glorious good news of the blessed God. He trusted me with that good news. + I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me strength. I thank him that he considered me faithful. And I thank him for appointing me to serve him. + I used to speak evil things against Jesus. I tried to hurt his followers. I really pushed them around. But God showed me mercy anyway. I did those things without knowing any better. I wasn't a believer. + Our Lord poured out more and more of his grace on me. Along with it came faith and love from Christ Jesus. + Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all. + But for that very reason, God showed me mercy. And I am the worst of sinners. He showed me mercy so that Christ Jesus could show that he is very patient. I was an example for those who would come to believe in him. Then they would receive eternal life. + The eternal King will never die. He can't be seen. He is the only God. Give him honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. + My son Timothy, I give you these teachings. They are in keeping with the prophecies that were once made about you. By following them, you can fight the good fight. + Then you will hold on to faith. You will hold on to a good sense of what is right and wrong. Some have not accepted these teachings. By doing that, they have destroyed their faith. They are like a ship that has sunk. + Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have handed them over to Satan. That will teach them not to speak evil things against God. + + + First, I want all of you to pray for everyone. Ask God to bless them. Give thanks for them. + Pray for kings. Pray for all who are in authority. Pray that we will live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. + That is good. It pleases God our Savior. + He wants everyone to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth. + There is only one God. And there is only one go-between for God and human beings. He is the man Christ Jesus. + He gave himself to pay for the sins of everyone. That was a witness given by God at just the right time. + I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. I am telling the truth. I'm not lying. God appointed me to be a teacher of the true faith to those who aren't Jews. + I want men everywhere to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don't want them to be angry when they pray. I don't want them to argue. + I also want women to dress simply. They should wear clothes that are right and proper. They shouldn't braid their hair. They shouldn't wear gold or pearls. They shouldn't spend too much on clothes. + Instead, they should put on good works as if they were their clothes. That is proper for women who claim to worship God. + When a woman is learning, she should be quiet. She should follow the leaders in every way. + I do not let women teach. I do not let them have authority over men. They must be quiet. + Adam was made first. Then Eve was made. + Adam was not the one who was tricked. The woman was tricked and became a sinner. + Will women be saved by having children? Only if they keep on believing, loving, and leading a holy life in a proper way. + + + Here is a saying you can trust. If anyone wants to be a leader in the church, he wants to do a good work for God and people. + A leader must be free from blame. He must be faithful to his wife. In anything he does, he must not go too far. He must control himself. He must be worthy of respect. He must welcome people into his home. He must be able to teach. + He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must be gentle. He must not be a person who likes to argue. He must not love money. + He must manage his own family well. He must make sure that his children obey him and show him proper respect. + Suppose someone doesn't know how to manage his own family. Then how can he take care of God's church? + The leader must not be a new believer. If he is, he might become proud. Then he would be judged just like the devil. + The leader must also be respected by those who are outside the church. Then he will not be put to shame. He will not fall into the devil's trap. + Deacons also must be worthy of respect. They must be honest and true. They must not drink too much wine. They must not try to get money by cheating people. + They must hold on to the deep truths of the faith. Even their own minds tell them to do that. + First they must be tested. Then let them serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. + In the same way, their wives must be worthy of respect. They must not say things that harm others. In anything they do, they must not go too far. They must be worthy of trust in everything. + A deacon must be faithful to his wife. He must manage his children and family well. + Those who have served well earn the full respect of others. They also become more sure of their faith in Christ Jesus. + I hope I can come to you soon. But now I am writing these directions to you. + Then if I have to put off my visit, you will know how you should act in God's family. The family of God is the church of the living God. It is the pillar and foundation of the truth. + There is no doubt that godliness is a great mystery. Jesus appeared in a body. The Holy Spirit proved that he was the Son of God. He was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations. People in the world believed in him. He was taken up to heaven in glory. + + + The Holy Spirit clearly says that in the last days some people will leave the faith. They will follow spirits that will fool them. They will believe things that demons will teach them. + Teachings like those come from liars who pretend to be what they are not. Their sense of what is right and wrong has been burned as if with a hot iron. + They do not allow people to get married. They order them not to eat certain foods. But God created those foods. So people who believe and know the truth should receive them and give thanks for them. + Everything God created is good. You shouldn't turn anything down. Instead, you should thank God for it. + The word of God and prayer make it holy. + Point these things out to the brothers and sisters. Then you will serve Christ Jesus well. You were brought up in the truths of the faith. You received good teaching. You followed it. + Don't have anything to do with godless stories and silly tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. + Training the body has some value. But being godly has value in every way. It promises help for the life you are now living and the life to come. + Here is a saying you can trust. You can accept it completely. + We work hard for it. Here is the saying. We have put our hope in the living God. He is the Savior of all people. Most of all he is the Savior of those who believe. + Command those things. Teach them. + Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure. + Until I come, spend your time reading Scripture out loud to one another. Spend your time preaching and teaching. + Don't fail to use the gift the Holy Spirit gave you. He gave it to you through a message from God. It was given when the elders placed their hands on you. + Keep on doing those things. Give them your complete attention. Then everyone will see how you are coming along. + Be careful of how you live and what you believe. Never give up. Then you will save yourself and those who hear you. + + + Don't tell an older man off. Make an appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as if they were your brothers. + Treat older women as if they were your mothers. Treat younger women as if they were your sisters. Be completely pure in the way you treat them. + Take care of the widows who really need help. + But suppose a widow has children or grandchildren. They should first learn to put their faith into practice. They should care for their own family. In that way they will pay back their parents and grandparents. That pleases God. + The widow who really needs help and is left all alone puts her hope in God. Night and day she keeps on praying. Night and day she asks God for help. + But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still living. + Give those directions to the people also. Then no one can be blamed. + Everyone should provide for his own relatives. Most of all, everyone should take care of his own family. If he doesn't, he has left the faith. He is worse than someone who doesn't believe. + No widow should be put on the list of widows unless she is more than 60 years old. She must also have been faithful to her husband. + She must be well known for the good things she does. That includes bringing up children. It includes inviting guests into her home. It includes washing the feet of God's people. It includes helping those who are in trouble. A widow should spend her time doing all kinds of good things. + Don't put younger widows on that kind of list. They might want pleasure more than they want Christ. Then they would want to get married again. + If they do that, they will be judged. They have broken their first promise. + Besides, they get into the habit of having nothing to do. They go around from house to house. They waste time. They talk about others. They bother people. They say things they shouldn't say. + So here is the advice I give to younger widows. Get married. Have children. Take care of your own homes. Don't give the enemy the chance to tell lies about you. + In fact, some have already turned away to follow Satan. + Suppose a woman is a believer and has widows in her family. She should help them. She shouldn't let the church pay the expenses. Then the church can help the widows who really need it. + The elders who do the church's work well are worth twice as much honor. That is true in a special way of elders who preach and teach. + Scripture says, "Do not stop the ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw."--(Deuteronomy 25:4) Scripture also says, "Workers are worthy of their pay."--(Luke 10:7) + Don't believe a charge against an elder unless two or three witnesses bring it. + Elders who sin should be corrected in front of the other believers. That will be a warning to the others. + I command you to follow those directions. I command you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels. Treat everyone the same. Don't favor one person over another. + Don't be too quick to place your hands on others to set them apart to serve God. Don't take part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. + Stop drinking only water. If your stomach is upset, drink a little wine. It can also help the other sicknesses you often have. + The sins of some people are easy to see. They are already being judged. Others will be judged later. + In the same way, good works are easy to see. But even good works that are hard to see can't stay hidden. + + + All who are forced to serve as slaves should consider their masters worthy of full respect. Then people will not speak evil things against God's name and against what we teach. + Some slaves have masters who are believers. They shouldn't show less respect for their masters just because they are believers. Instead, they should serve them even better. That's because those who benefit from their service are believers. They are loved by them. Teach the slaves those things. Try hard to get them to do them. + Suppose someone teaches ideas that are false. He doesn't agree with the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't agree with godly teaching. + People like that are proud. They don't understand anything. They like to argue more than they should. They can't agree about what words mean. All of that results in wanting what others have. It causes fighting, harmful talk, and evil distrust. + It stirs up trouble all the time among people whose minds are twisted by sin. The truth they once had has been taken away from them. They think they can get rich by being godly. + You gain a lot when you live a godly life. But you must be happy with what you have. + We didn't bring anything into the world. We can't take anything out of it. + If we have food and clothing, we will be happy with that. + People who want to get rich are tempted. They fall into a trap. They are tripped up by wanting many foolish and harmful things. Those who live like that are dragged down by what they do. They are destroyed and die. + Love for money causes all kinds of evil. Some people want to get rich. They have wandered away from the faith. They have wounded themselves with many sorrows. + But you are a man of God. Run away from all of those things. Try hard to do what is right and godly. Have faith, love and gentleness. Hold on to what you believe. + Fight the good fight along with all other believers. Take hold of eternal life. You were chosen for it when you openly told others what you believe. Many witnesses heard you. + God gives life to everything. Christ Jesus told the truth when he gave witness to Pontius Pilate. In the sight of God and Christ, I give you a command. + Obey it until our Lord Jesus Christ appears. Obey it completely. Then no one can find fault with it or you. + God will bring Jesus back at a time that pleases him. God is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the greatest King of all. He is the most powerful Lord of all. + God is the only one who can't die. He lives in light that no one can get close to. No one has seen him. No one can see him. Give honor and power to him forever. Amen. + Command people who are rich in this world not to be proud. Tell them not to put their hope in riches. Wealth is so uncertain. Command those who are rich to put their hope in God. He richly provides us with everything to enjoy. + Command the rich to do what is good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. They must give freely. They must be willing to share. + In that way they will put riches away for themselves. It will provide a firm basis for the next life. Then they will take hold of the life that really is life. + Timothy, guard what God has trusted you with. Turn away from godless chatter. Stay away from opposing ideas that are falsely called knowledge. + Some people believe them. By doing that they have wandered away from the faith. May God's grace be with you. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. He sent me to tell about the promise of life that is found in Christ Jesus. + Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my dear son. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace. + I serve God, knowing that what I have done is right. That is how our people served him long ago. Night and day I thank God for you. Night and day I always remember you in my prayers. + I remember your tears. I long to see you so that I can be filled with joy. + I remember your honest and true faith. It was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. And I am certain that it is now alive in you also. + That is why I remind you to help God's gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire. God put his gift in you when I placed my hands on you. + God didn't give us a spirit that makes us weak and fearful. He gave us a spirit that gives us power and love. It helps us control ourselves. + So don't be ashamed to give witness about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Instead, join with me as I suffer for the good news. God's power will help us do that. + God has saved us. He has chosen us to live a holy life. It wasn't because of anything we have done. It was because of his own purpose and grace. Through Christ Jesus, God gave us that grace even before time began. + It has now been made known through the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus. He has destroyed death. Because of the good news, he has brought life out into the light. That life never dies. + I was appointed to announce the good news. I was appointed to be an apostle and a teacher. + That's why I'm suffering the way I am. But I'm not ashamed. I know the One I have believed in. I am sure he is able to take care of what I have given him. I can trust him with it until the day he returns as judge. + Follow what you heard from me as the pattern of true teaching. Follow it with faith and love because you belong to Christ Jesus. + Guard the truth of the good news that you were trusted with. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. + You know that all the believers in Asia Minor have deserted me. They include Phygelus and Hermogenes. + May the Lord show mercy to all who live in the house of Onesiphorus. He often cheered me up. He was not ashamed that I was being held by chains. + In fact, it was just the opposite. When he was in Rome, he looked everywhere for me. At last he found me. + May Onesiphorus find mercy from the Lord on the day Jesus returns as judge. You know very well how many ways Onesiphorus helped me in Ephesus. + + + My son, be strong in the grace that is found in Christ Jesus. + You have heard me teach in front of many witnesses. Pass on to men you can trust the things you've heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others also. + Like a good soldier of Christ Jesus, share in the hard times with us. + A soldier does not take part in things that don't have anything to do with the army. He wants to please his commanding officer. + In the same way, anyone who takes part in a sport doesn't receive the winner's crown unless he plays by the rules. + The farmer who works hard should be the first to receive a share of the crops. + Think about what I'm saying. The Lord will help you understand what all of it means. + Remember Jesus Christ. He came from David's family line. He was raised from the dead. That is my good news. + I am suffering for it. I have even been put in chains like someone who has committed a crime. But God's word is not held back by chains. + So I put up with everything for the good of God's chosen people. Then they also can be saved. Christ Jesus saves them. He gives them glory that will last forever. + Here is a saying you can trust. If we died with him, we will also live with him. + If we don't give up, we will also rule with him. If we say we don't know him, he will also say he doesn't know us. + Even if we are not faithful, he will remain faithful. He must be true to himself. + Keep reminding the believers of those things. While God is watching, warn them not to argue about words. That doesn't have any value. It only destroys those who listen. + Do your best to please God. Be a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed. Teach the message of truth correctly. + Stay away from godless chatter. Those who take part in it will become more and more ungodly. + Their teaching will spread like a deadly sickness. Hymenaeus and Philetus are two of those teachers. + They have wandered away from the truth. They say that the time when people will rise from the dead has already come. They destroy the faith of some people. + But God's solid foundation stands firm. Here is the message written on it. "The Lord knows who his own people are."--(Numbers 16:5) Also, "All who say they believe in the Lord must turn away from evil." + In a large house there are things made out of gold and silver. But there are also things made out of wood and clay. Some have honorable purposes. Others do not. + Suppose someone stays away from what is not honorable. Then the Master will be able to use him for honorable purposes. He will be made holy. He will be ready to do any good work. + Run away from the evil things that young people long for. Try hard to do what is right. Have faith, love and peace. Do these things together with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. + Don't have anything to do with arguing. It is dumb and foolish. You know it only leads to fights. + Anyone who serves the Lord must not fight. Instead, he must be kind to everyone. He must be able to teach. He must not hold anything against anyone. + He must gently teach those who oppose him. Maybe God will give a change of heart to those who are against you. That will lead them to know the truth. + Maybe they will come to their senses. Maybe they will escape the devil's trap. He has taken them prisoner to do what he wanted. + + + Here is what I want you to know. There will be terrible times in the last days. + People will love themselves. They will love money. They will brag and be proud. They will tear others down. They will not obey their parents. They won't be thankful or holy. + They won't love others. They won't forgive others. They will tell lies about people. They will be out of control. They will be wild. They will hate what is good. + They will turn against their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think they are better than others. They will love what pleases them instead of loving God. + They will act as if they were serving God. But what they do will show that they have turned their backs on God's power. Have nothing to do with those people. + They are the kind who worm their way into the homes of silly women. They get control over them. Women like that are loaded down with sins. They give in to all kinds of evil longings. + They are always learning. But they never come to know the truth. + Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. In the same way, the teachers I'm talking about oppose the truth. Their minds are twisted. As far as the faith is concerned, God doesn't accept them. + They won't get very far. Just like Jannes and Jambres, their foolish ways will be clear to everyone. + But you know all about my teaching. You know how I live and what I live for. You know about my faith and love. You know how patient I am. You know I haven't given up. + You know that I was treated badly. You know that I suffered greatly. You know what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know how badly I have been treated. But the Lord saved me from all of my troubles. + In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be treated badly. + Evil people and pretenders will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, and others will fool them. + But I want you to continue to follow what you have learned. Don't give up what you are sure of. You know the people you learned it from. + You have known the Holy Scriptures ever since you were a little child. They are able to teach you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus. + God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. + By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing. + + + I give you a command in the sight of God and Christ Jesus. Christ will judge the living and the dead. Because he and his kingdom are coming, here is the command I give you. + Preach the word. Be ready to serve God in good times and bad. Correct people's mistakes. Warn them. Cheer them up with words of hope. Be very patient as you do these things. Teach them carefully. + The time will come when people won't put up with true teaching. Instead, they will try to satisfy their own longings. They will gather a large number of teachers around them. The teachers will say what the people want to hear. + The people will turn their ears away from the truth. They will turn to stories that aren't completely true. + But I want you to keep your head no matter what happens. Don't give up when times are hard. Work to spread the good news. Do everything God has given you to do. + I am already being poured out like a drink offering. The time has come for me to leave. + I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. + Now there is a crown waiting for me. It is given to those who are right with God. The Lord, who judges fairly, will give it to me on the day he returns. He will not give it only to me. He will also give it to all those who are longing for him to return. + Do your best to come to me quickly. + Demas has deserted me. He has gone to Thessalonica. He left me because he loved this world. Crescens has gone to Galatia. Titus has gone to Dalmatia. + Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you. He helps me in my work for the Lord. + I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. + When you come, bring my coat. I left it with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my scrolls. Most of all, bring the ones made out of animal skins. + Remember Alexander, the one who works with metal? He did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will pay him back for what he has done. + You too should watch out for him. He strongly opposed our message. + The first time I was put on trial, no one came to help me. Everyone deserted me. I hope they will be forgiven for it. + The Lord stood at my side. He gave me the strength to preach the whole message. Then all those who weren't Jews heard it. I was saved from the lion's mouth. + The Lord will save me from every evil attack. He will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Give him glory for ever and ever. Amen. + Greet Priscilla and Aquila. Greet those who live in the house of Onesiphorus. + Erastus stayed in Corinth. I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. + Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you. So do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers. + May the Lord be with your spirit. May God's grace be with you. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I serve God. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. God sent me to help his chosen people believe in Christ. I have been sent to help them understand the truth that leads to godly living. + Faith and understanding rest on the hope of eternal life. Before time began, God promised to give that life. And he does not lie. + At just the right time he made his word plain. He did it through the preaching that he trusted me with. God our Savior has commanded all those things. + Titus, I am sending you this letter. You are my true son in the faith we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace. + I left you on the island of Crete. There were some things that hadn't been finished. You needed to sort them out. You also had to appoint elders in every town. I told you how to do it. + An elder must be without blame. He must be faithful to his wife. His children must be believers. They must not give anyone a reason to say that they are wild and don't obey. + A church leader is trusted with God's work. That's why he must be without blame. He must not look after only his own interests. He must not get angry easily. He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must not try to get money by cheating people. + Instead, he must welcome people into his home. He must love what is good. He must control his mind and feelings. He must do what is right. He must be holy. He must control what his body longs for. + The message as it has been taught can be trusted. He must hold firmly to it. Then he will be able to use true teaching to comfort others and build them up. He will be able to prove that people who oppose it are wrong. + Many people refuse to obey God. All they do is talk a lot. They try to fool others. No one does these things more than the circumcision group. + They must be stopped. They are destroying entire families. They are teaching things they shouldn't. They do it to get money by cheating people. + Even one of their own prophets has said, "People from Crete are always liars. They are evil beasts. They don't want to work. They live only to eat." + What I have just said is true. So give them a strong warning. Then they will understand the faith correctly. + They will pay no attention to Jewish stories that aren't completely true. They won't listen to the commands of those who turn away from the truth. + To people who are pure, all things are pure. But to those who have twisted minds and don't believe, nothing is pure. In fact, their minds and their sense of what is right and wrong are twisted. + They claim to know God. But their actions show they don't know him. They are hated by God. They refuse to obey him. They aren't fit to do anything good. + + + What you teach must agree with true teaching. + Tell the older men that in anything they do, they must not go too far. They must be worthy of respect. They must control themselves. They must have true faith. They must love others. They must not give up. + In the same way, teach the older women to lead a holy life. They must not tell lies about others. They must not let wine control them. Instead, they must teach what is good. + Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children. + The younger women must control themselves. They must be pure. They must take good care of their homes. They must be kind. They must follow the lead of their husbands. Then no one will be able to speak evil things against God's word. + In the same way, help the young men to control themselves. + Do what is good. Set an example for them in everything. When you teach, be honest and serious. + No one can question the truth. So teach what is true. Then those who oppose you will be ashamed. That's because they will have nothing bad to say about us. + Teach slaves to obey their masters in everything they do. Tell them to try to please their masters. They must not talk back to them. + They must not steal from them. Instead, they must show that they can be trusted completely. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior appealing in every way. + God's saving grace has appeared to all people. + It teaches us to say no to godless ways and sinful longings. We must control ourselves. We must do what is right. We must lead godly lives in today's world. + That's how we should live as we wait for the blessed hope God has given us. We are waiting for Jesus Christ to appear in all his glory. He is our great God and Savior. + He gave himself for us. By doing that, he set us free from all evil. He wanted to make us pure. He wanted us to be his very own people. He wanted us to long to do what is good. + Those are the things you should teach. Cheer people up and give them hope. Correct them with full authority. Don't let anyone look down on you. + + + Remind God's people to obey rulers and authorities. Remind them to be ready to do what is good. + Tell them not to speak evil things against anyone. Remind them to live in peace. They must consider the needs of others. They must be kind and gentle toward all people. + At one time we too acted like fools. We didn't obey God. We were tricked. We were controlled by all kinds of longings and pleasures. We were full of evil. We wanted what belongs to others. People hated us, and we hated one another. + But the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. + He saved us. It wasn't because of the good things we had done. It was because of his mercy. He saved us by washing away our sins. We were born again. The Holy Spirit gave us new life. + God poured out the Spirit on us freely because of what Jesus Christ our Savior has done. + His grace made us right with God. So now we have received the hope of eternal life as God's children. + You can trust that saying. Those things are important. Treat them that way. Then those who have trusted in God will be careful to commit themselves to doing what is good. Those things are excellent. They are for the good of everyone. + But keep away from foolish disagreements. Don't argue about family histories. Don't make trouble. Don't fight about what the law teaches. Don't argue about things like that. It doesn't do any good. It doesn't help anyone. + Warn anyone who tries to get believers to take sides and separate into their own little groups. Warn him more than once. After that, have nothing to do with him. + You can be sure that someone like that is twisted and sinful. His own actions judge him. + I will send Artemas or Tychicus to you. Then do your best to come to me at Nicopolis. I've decided to spend the winter there. + Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos. Send them on their way. See that they have everything they need. + Our people must learn to commit themselves to doing what is good. Then they will be able to provide for the daily needs of others. If they do that, their lives won't turn out to be useless. + Everyone who is with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. May God's grace be with you all. + + + + + I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing. Philemon, we are sending you this letter. You are our dear friend. You work together with us. + We are also sending it to our sister Apphia and to Archippus. He is a soldier of Christ together with us. And we are sending it to the church that meets in your home. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + I always thank my God when I remember you in my prayers. + That's because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I hear about your love for all of God's people. + I pray that you will be active in sharing what you believe. Then you will completely understand every good thing we have in Christ. + Your love has given me great joy. It has cheered me up. My brother, you have renewed the hearts of God's people. + Because of the authority Christ has given me, I could be bold. I could order you to do what you should do anyway. + But I make my appeal to you on the basis of our love for each other. I, Paul, am an old man. I am now also a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. + I make an appeal to you for my son Onesimus. He became a son to me while I was being held by chains. + Before that, he was useless to you. But now he has become useful to you and to me. + I'm sending Onesimus back to you. My very heart goes with him. + I would have liked to keep him with me. Then he could have taken your place in helping me while I'm being held by chains because of the good news. + But I didn't want to do anything unless you agreed. Any favor you do must be done because you want to do it, not because you have to. + Onesimus was separated from you for a little while. Maybe that was so you could have him back for good. + You could have him back not as a slave. Instead, he would be better than a slave. He would be a dear brother. He is very dear to me. But he is even more dear to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. + Do you think of me as a believer who works together with you? Then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. + Has he done anything wrong to you? Does he owe you anything? Then charge it to me. + I'll pay it back. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I won't even mention that you owe me your very life. + My brother, I wish I could receive some benefit from you because we both belong to the Lord. Renew my heart. We know that Christ is the one who really renews it. + I'm sure you will obey. So I'm writing to you. I know you will do even more than I ask. + There is one more thing. Have a guest room ready for me. I hope I can return to all of you in answer to your prayers. + Epaphras sends you greetings. Together with me, he is a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. + Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke work together with me. They also send you greetings. + May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + In the past, God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke at many times. He spoke in different ways. + But in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one whom God appointed to receive all things. God made everything through him. + The Son is the gleaming brightness of God's glory. He is the exact likeness of God's being. He uses his powerful word to hold all things together. He provided the way for people to be made pure from sin. Then he sat down at the right hand of the King, the Majesty in heaven. + So he became higher than the angels. The name he received is more excellent than theirs. + God never said to any of the angels, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." --(Psalm 2:7) Or, "I will be his Father. And he will be my Son." --(2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13) + God's first and only Son is over all things. When God brings him into the world, he says, "Let all of God's angels worship him." --(Deuteronomy 32:43) + Here is something else God says about the angels. "God makes his angels to be like winds. He makes those who serve him to be like flashes of lightning." --(Psalm 104:4) + But here is what he says about the Son. "You are God. Your throne will last for ever and ever. Your kingdom will be ruled by what is right. + You have loved what is right and hated what is evil. So your God has placed you above your companions. He has filled you with joy by pouring the sacred oil on your head." --(Psalm 45:6,7) + He also says, "Lord, in the beginning you made the earth secure. You placed it on its foundations. The heavens are the work of your hands. + They will pass away. But you remain. They will all wear out like a piece of clothing. + You will roll them up like a robe. They will be changed as a person changes clothes. But you remain the same. Your years will never end." --(Psalm 102:25-27) + God never said to an angel, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control." --(Psalm 110:1) + All angels are spirits who serve. God sends them to serve those who will receive salvation. + + + So we must pay more careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. + Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn't obey, they were punished. + Then how will we escape if we don't pay attention to God's great salvation? The Lord first announced that salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. + God gave witness to it through signs and wonders. He gave witness through different kinds of miracles. He also gave witness through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He gave them out as it pleased him. + God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. + There is a place where someone has given witness to it. He said, "What is a human being that you think about him? What is the son of man that you take care of him? + You made him a little lower than the angels. You placed on him a crown of glory and honor. + You have put everything under his control." --(Psalm 8:4-6) So God has put everything under him. Everything is under his control. We do not now see everything under his control. + But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made a little lower than the angels. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown. + God has made everything. He has acted in exactly the right way. He is bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. To do so, he has made the One who saved them perfect because of his sufferings. + The One who makes people holy and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. + He says, "I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters. I will sing your praises among those who worship you." --(Psalm 22:22) + Again he says, "I will put my trust in him." --(Isaiah 8:17) And again he says, "Here I am. Here are the children God has given me." --(Isaiah 8:18) + Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing that, he could destroy the one who rules over the kingdom of death. I'm talking about the devil. + Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear. + It is certainly Abraham's children that he helps. He doesn't help angels. + So he had to be made like his brothers in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them. + He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted. + + + Holy brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his people. So keep thinking about Jesus. He is our apostle. He is our high priest. We believe in him. + Moses was faithful in everything he did in the house of God. In the same way, Jesus was faithful to the One who appointed him. + The person who builds a house has greater honor than the house itself. In the same way, Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses. + Every house is built by someone. But God is the builder of everything. + Moses was faithful as one who serves in the house of God. He gave witness to what God would say in days to come. + But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. We are his house if we continue to come boldly to God. We must also hold on to the hope we take pride in. + The Holy Spirit says, "Listen to his voice today. + If you hear it, don't be stubborn. You were stubborn when you opposed me. You did that when you were put to the test in the desert. + There your people of long ago put me to the test. For 40 years they saw what I did. + That is why I was angry with them. I said, 'Their hearts are always going down the wrong path. They have not known my ways.' + So in my anger I took an oath. I said, 'They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.' " --(Psalm 95:7-11) + Brothers and sisters, make sure that none of you has a sinful heart. Do not let an unbelieving heart turn you away from the living God. + But build one another up every day. Do it as long as there is still time. Then none of you will become stubborn. You won't be fooled by sin's tricks. + We belong to Christ if we hold firmly to the faith we had at first. But we must hold to it until the end. + It has just been said, "Listen to his voice today. If you hear it, don't be stubborn. You were stubborn when you opposed me." --(Psalm 95:7,8) + Who were those who heard and refused to obey? Weren't they all the people Moses led out of Egypt? + Who was God angry with for 40 years? Wasn't it with those who sinned? They died in the desert. + What people did God promise with an oath that they would never enjoy the rest he planned for them? Wasn't it those who didn't obey? + So we see that they weren't able to enter. That's because they didn't believe. + + + God's promise of enjoying his rest still stands. So be careful that none of you fails to receive it. + The good news was preached to our people long ago. It has also been preached to us. The message they heard didn't have any value for them. They didn't combine it with faith. + Now we who have believed enjoy that rest. God said, "When I was angry I took an oath. I said, 'They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.' " --(Psalm 95:11) Ever since God created the world, his work has been finished. + Somewhere he spoke about the seventh day. He said, "On the seventh day God rested from all his work."--(Genesis 2:2) + In the part of Scripture I talked about earlier God said, "They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them."--(Psalm 95:11) + It is still true that some will enjoy that rest. But those who had the good news preached to them earlier didn't go in. That was because they didn't obey. + So God again chose a certain day. He named it Today. He did that when he spoke through David a long time later. As it was said earlier, "Listen to his voice today. If you hear it, don't be stubborn." --(Psalm 95:7,8) + Suppose Joshua had given them rest. If he had, God would not have spoken later about another day. + So there is still a Sabbath rest for God's people. + God rested from his work. Those who enjoy God's rest also rest from their work. + So let us make every effort to enjoy that rest. Then no one will fall into sin by following the example of those who didn't obey God. + The word of God is living and active. It is sharper than any sword that has two edges. It cuts deep enough to separate soul from spirit. It can separate joints from bones. It judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. + Nothing God created is hidden from him. His eyes see everything. He will hold us accountable for everything we do. + We have a great high priest. He has gone up into the heavens. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us hold firmly to what we say we believe. + We have a high priest who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But he did not sin. + So let us boldly approach the throne of grace. Then we will receive mercy. We will find grace to help us when we need it. + + + Every high priest is chosen from among men. He is appointed to act for them in everything that has to do with God. He offers gifts and sacrifices for their sins. + He is able to deal gently with those who have gone down the wrong path without knowing it. He can do that because he himself is weak. + That's why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins. He must also do it for the sins of the people. + No one can take that honor for himself. He must be appointed by God, just as Aaron was. + Even Christ did not take the glory of becoming a high priest for himself. God said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." --(Psalm 2:7) + In another place he said, "You are a priest forever, just like Melchizedek." --(Psalm 110:4) + Jesus prayed while he lived on earth. He made his appeal with loud cries and tears. He prayed to the One who could save him from death. God heard him because he truly honored God. + Jesus was God's Son. But by suffering he learned what it means to obey. + In that way he was made perfect. Eternal salvation comes from him. He saves all those who obey him. + God appointed him to be the high priest, just like Melchizedek. + We have a lot to say about that. But it is hard to explain it to you. You learn too slowly. + By this time you should be teachers. But in fact, you need someone to teach you all over again. You need even the simple truths of God's word. You need milk, not solid food. + Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not want to learn about living a godly life. + Solid food is for those who are grown up. They have trained themselves with a lot of practice. They can tell the difference between good and evil. + + + So let us leave the simple teachings about Christ. Let us grow up as believers. Let us not start all over again with the basic teachings. They taught us that we need to turn away from doing things that lead to death. They taught us that we must have faith in God. + They taught us about different kinds of baptism. They taught us about placing hands on people. They taught us that people will rise from the dead. They taught us that God will judge everyone. And they taught us that what he decides will last forever. + If God permits, we will go beyond those teachings and grow up. + What if some people fall away from the faith? It won't be possible to bring them back. It is true that they have seen the light. They have tasted the heavenly gift. They have shared in the Holy Spirit. + They have tasted the good things of God's word. They have tasted the powers of the age to come. + But they have fallen away from the faith. So it won't be possible to bring them back. They won't be able to turn away from their sins. They are losing everything. That's because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross all over again. They are bringing shame on him in front of everyone. + Some land drinks the rain that falls on it. It produces a crop that is useful to those who farm the land. That land receives God's blessing. + But other land produces only thorns and weeds. That land isn't worth anything. It is in danger of coming under God's curse. In the end, it will be burned. + Dear friends, we have to say these things. But we are sure of better things in your case. We are talking about the things that go along with being saved. + God is fair. He will not forget what you have done. He will remember the love you have shown him. You showed it when you helped his people. And you show it when you keep on helping them. + We want each of you to be faithful to the very end. We want you to be sure of what you hope for. + We don't want you to slow down. Instead, be like those who have faith and are patient. They will receive what God promised. + When God made his promise to Abraham, he took an oath to keep it. But there was no one greater than himself to take an oath by. So he took his oath by making an appeal to himself. + He said, "I will certainly bless you. I will give you many children."--(Genesis 22:17) + Abraham was patient while he waited. Then he received what God promised him. + People take oaths by someone greater than themselves. An oath makes a promise certain. It puts an end to all arguing. + So God took an oath when he made his promise. He wanted to make it very clear that his purpose does not change. He wanted those who would receive what was promised to know that. + God took an oath so we would have good reason not to give up. We have run away from everything else to take hold of the hope offered to us in God's promise. So God gave his promise and his oath. Those two things can't change. He couldn't lie about them. + Our hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure. It goes all the way into the Most Holy Room behind the curtain. + That is where Jesus has gone. He went there to open the way ahead of us. He has become a high priest forever, just like Melchizedek. + + + Melchizedek was the king of Salem. He was the priest of God Most High. He met Abraham, who was returning from winning a battle over some kings. Melchizedek blessed him. + Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means "king of what is right." Also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." + Melchizedek has no father or mother. He has no family line. His days have no beginning. His life has no end. He remains a priest forever, just like the Son of God. + Think how great Melchizedek was. Even our father Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had captured. + Now the law lays down a rule for the sons of Levi who become priests. They must collect a tenth from the people. They must collect it even from those who belong to the family line of Abraham. + Melchizedek did not trace his family line from Levi. But he collected a tenth from Abraham. Melchizedek blessed the one who had received the promises. + Without a doubt, the more important person blesses the less important one. + In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die. But in the other case, it is collected by the one who is said to be living. + Levi collects the tenth. But we might say that Levi paid the tenth through Abraham. + That's because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in Abraham's body. + Suppose the Levites who were priests could have made people perfect. The law was given to the people so they could become perfect through the priests. Then why was there still a need for another priest to come? And why did he need to be like Melchizedek? Why wasn't he from Aaron's family line? + A change of priests requires a change of law. + Those things are said about one who is from a different tribe. No one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. + It is clear that our Lord came from the family line of Judah. Moses said nothing about priests who were from that tribe. + But suppose another priest like Melchizedek appears. Then what we have said is even more clear. + He has not become a priest because of a rule about his family line. He has become a priest because of his powerful life. His life can never be destroyed. + Scripture says, "You are a priest forever, just like Melchizedek." --(Psalm 110:4) + The old rule is done away with. It was weak and useless. + The law didn't make anything perfect. Now a better hope has been given to us. That hope brings us near to God. + The change of priests was made with an oath. Others became priests without any oath. + But Jesus became a priest with an oath. God said to him, "The Lord has taken an oath and made a promise. He will not change his mind. He has said, 'You are a priest forever.' " --(Psalm 110:4) + Because of that oath, Jesus makes the promise of a better covenant certain. + There were many priests in Levi's family line. Death kept them from continuing in office. + But Jesus lives forever. So he always holds the office of priest. + People now come to God through him. And he is able to save them completely and for all time. Jesus lives forever. He prays for them. + A high priest like that meets our need. He is holy, pure and without blame. He isn't like other people. He does not sin. He is lifted high above the heavens. + He isn't like the other high priests. They need to offer sacrifices day after day. First they bring offerings for their own sins. Then they do it for the sins of the people. But Jesus gave one sacrifice for the sins of the people. He gave it once and for all time. He did it by offering himself. + The law appoints men who are weak to be high priests. But God's oath came after the law. The oath appointed the Son. He has been made perfect forever. + + + Here is the point of what we are saying. We have a high priest like that. He sat down at the right hand of the throne of the King, the Majesty in heaven. + He serves in the sacred tent. The Lord set up the true holy tent. A mere man did not set it up. + Every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. So that priest also had to have something to offer. + What if he were on earth? Then he would not be a priest. There are already priests who offer the gifts required by the law. + They serve at a sacred tent. But it is only a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. That's why God warned Moses when he was about to build the holy tent. God said, "Be sure to make everything just like the pattern I showed you on the mountain."--(Exodus 25:40) + Jesus has been given a greater work to do for God. He is the go-between for the new covenant. That covenant is better than the old one. It is based on better promises. + Suppose nothing had been wrong with that first covenant. Then no one would have looked for another covenant. + But God found fault with the people. He said, "A new day is coming, says the Lord. I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. I will also make it with the people of Judah. + It will not be like the covenant I made with their people of long ago. That was when I took them by the hand. I led them out of Egypt. My new covenant will be different because they didn't remain faithful to my old covenant. So I turned away from them, says the Lord. + This is the covenant I will make with Israel after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds. I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God. And they will be my people. + A man will not teach his neighbor anymore. And he will not teach his friend anymore. He will not say, 'Know the Lord.' Everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me. + I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore." --(Jeremiah 31:31-34) + God called that covenant "new." So he has made the first one out of date. And what is out of date and getting older will soon disappear. + + + The first covenant had rules for worship. It also had a sacred tent on earth. + A holy tent was set up. The lampstand was in the first room. So were the table and the holy bread. That was called the Holy Room. + Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Room. + It had the golden altar for incense. It also had the wooden chest called the ark of the covenant. The ark was covered with gold. It held the gold jar of manna. It held Aaron's wooden staff that had budded. It also held the stone tablets. The words of the covenant were written on them. + The cherubim were above the ark. God showed his glory there. The cherubim spread their wings over the place where sin was paid for. But we can't deal with those things more completely now. + That's how everything was arranged in the holy tent. The priests entered it at regular times. They went into the outer room to do their work for God and others. + But only the high priest went into the inner room. He went in only once a year. He never entered without taking blood with him. He offered the blood for himself. He also offered it for the sins the people had committed because they didn't know any better. + Here is what the Holy Spirit was showing us. He was telling us that God had not yet clearly shown the way into the Most Holy Room. It would not be clearly shown as long as the first holy tent was still standing. + That's an example for the present time. It shows us that the gifts and sacrifices they offered were not enough. They were not able to remove the worshiper's feelings of guilt. + They deal only with food and drink and different kinds of special washings. They are rules that deal with things outside our bodies. People had to obey them only until the new covenant came. + Christ came to be the high priest of the good things that are already here. When he came, he went through the greater and more perfect holy tent. The tent was not made by people. In other words, it is not a part of this creation. + He did not enter by spilling the blood of goats and calves. He entered the Most Holy Room by spilling his own blood. He did it once and for all time. He paid the price to set us free from sin forever. + The blood of goats and bulls is sprinkled on people. So are the ashes of a young cow. They are sprinkled on people the Law called unclean. The people are sprinkled to make them holy. That makes them clean on the outside. + But Christ offered himself to God without any flaw. He did this through the power of the eternal Holy Spirit. So how much more will his blood wash from our minds our feelings of guilt for committing sin! Sin always leads to death. But now we can serve the living God. + That's why Christ is the go-between of a new covenant. Now those God calls to himself will receive the eternal gift he promised. They will receive it now that Christ has died to save them. He died to set them free from the sins they committed under the first covenant. + What happens in the case of a will? It is necessary to prove that the person who made the will has died. + A will is in effect only when somebody has died. It never takes effect while the one who made it is still living. + That's why even the first covenant was not put into effect without the spilling of blood. + Moses first announced every commandment of the law to all the people. Then he took the blood of calves. He also took water, bright red wool and branches of a hyssop plant. He sprinkled the scroll. He also sprinkled all of the people. + He said, "This is the blood of the covenant God has commanded you to keep."--(Exodus 24:8) + In the same way, he sprinkled the holy tent with blood. He also sprinkled everything that was used in worship there. + In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be made clean with blood. Without the spilling of blood, no one can be forgiven. + So the copies of the heavenly things had to be made pure with those sacrifices. But the heavenly things themselves had to be made pure with better sacrifices. + Christ did not enter a sacred tent made by people. That tent was only a copy of the true one. He entered heaven itself. He did it to stand in front of God for us. He is there right now. + The high priest enters the Most Holy Room every year. He enters with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again. + If he had, he would have had to suffer many times since the world was created. But now he has appeared once and for all time. He has come at the end of the ages to do away with sin. He has done that by offering himself. + People have to die once. After that, God will judge them. + In the same way, Christ was offered up once. He took away the sins of many people. He will also come a second time. At that time he will not suffer for sin. Instead, he will come to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. + + + The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming. It is not the real things themselves. The same sacrifices have to be offered over and over again. They must be offered year after year. That's why the law can never make perfect those who come near to worship. + If it could, wouldn't the sacrifices have stopped being offered? The worshipers would have been made clean once and for all time. They would not have felt guilty for their sins anymore. + But those offerings remind people of their sins every year. + It isn't possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. + So when Christ came into the world, he said, "You didn't want sacrifices and offerings. Instead, you prepared a body for me. + You weren't pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. + Then I said, 'Here I am. It is written about me in the scroll. God, I have come to do what you want.' " --(Psalm 40:6-8) + First Christ said, "You didn't want sacrifices and offerings. You didn't want burnt offerings and sin offerings. You weren't pleased with them." He said that even though the law required people to bring them. + Then he said, "Here I am. I have come to do what you want." He did away with the first. He did it to put the second in place. + We have been made holy by what God wanted. We have been made holy because Jesus Christ offered his body once and for all time. + Day after day every priest stands and does his special duties. He offers the same sacrifices again and again. But they can never take away sins. + Jesus our priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time. Then he sat down at the right hand of God. + Since that time, he waits for his enemies to be put under his control. + By that one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. + The Holy Spirit also gives witness to us about this. First he says, + "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts. I will write my laws on their minds." --(Jeremiah 31:33) + Then he adds, "I will not remember their sins anymore. I will not remember the evil things they have done." --(Jeremiah 31:34) + Where those have been forgiven, there is no longer any offering for sin. + Brothers and sisters, we are not afraid to enter the Most Holy Room. We enter boldly because of the blood of Jesus. + His way is new because he lives. It has been opened for us through the curtain. I'm talking about his body. + We also have a great priest over the house of God. + So let us come near to God with an honest and true heart. Let us come near with a faith that is sure and strong. Our hearts have been sprinkled. Our minds have been cleansed from a sense of guilt. Our bodies have been washed with pure water. + Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The One who promised is faithful. + Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. + Let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us cheer each other up with words of hope. Let us do it all the more as you see the day coming when Christ will return. + What if we keep sinning on purpose? What if we do it even after we know the truth? Then there is no offering for our sins. + All we can do is to wait in fear for God to judge. His blazing fire will burn up his enemies. + Anyone who did not obey the law of Moses died without mercy if there were two or three witnesses. + What should be done to anyone who has hated the Son of God or has said no to him? What should be done to a person who treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that makes him holy? What should be done to someone who has made fun of the Holy Spirit who brings God's grace? Don't you think people like that should be punished more than anyone else? + We know the One who said, "I am the One who judges people. I will pay them back."--(Deuteronomy 32:35) Scripture also says, "The Lord will judge his people."--(Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14) + It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. + Remember those earlier days after you received the light. At that time you stood firm in a great struggle. You did it even in the face of suffering. + Sometimes you were made fun of in front of others. You were treated badly. At other times you stood side by side with people who were being treated like that. + You suffered together with people in prison. When your property was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew that God had given you better and more lasting things. + So don't throw away your bold faith. It will bring you rich rewards. + You need to be faithful. Then you will do what God wants. You will receive what he has promised. + In just a very little while, "The one who is coming will come. He will not wait. + The one who is in the right will live by faith. If he pulls back, I will not be pleased with him." --(Habakkuk 2:3,4) + But we aren't people who pull back and are destroyed. We are people who believe and are saved. + + + Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see. + That is what the people of long ago were praised for. + We have faith. So we understand that everything was made when God commanded it. That's why we believe that what we see was not made out of what could be seen. + Abel had faith. So he offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. Because of his faith Abel was praised as a godly man. God said good things about his offerings. Because of his faith Abel still speaks. He speaks even though he is dead. + Enoch had faith. So he was taken from this life. He didn't die. He just couldn't be found. God had taken him away. Before God took him, Enoch was praised as one who pleased God. + Without faith it isn't possible to please God. Those who come to God must believe that he exists. And they must believe that he rewards those who look to him. + Noah had faith. So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith he showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God. + Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn't know where he was going. + Because of his faith he made his home in the land God had promised him. He was like an outsider in a strange country. He lived there in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob. They received the same promise he did. + Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations. He was waiting for the city that God planned and built. + Abraham had faith. So God made it possible for him to become a father. He became a father even though he was too old. Sarah also was too old to have children. But Abraham believed that the One who made the promise was faithful. + Abraham was past the time when he could have children. But many children came from that one man. They were as many as the stars in the sky. They were as many as the sand on the seashore. No one could count them. + All those people were still living by faith when they died. They didn't receive the things God had promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a long way off. They openly said that they were outsiders and strangers on earth. + People who say things like that show that they are looking for a country of their own. + What if they had been thinking of the country they had left? Then they could have returned to it. + Instead, they longed for a better country. They wanted one in heaven. So God is pleased when they call him their God. In fact, he has prepared a city for them. + Abraham had faith. So he offered Isaac as a sacrifice. That happened when God put him to the test. Abraham had received the promises. But he was about to offer his one and only son. + God had said to him, "Your family line will continue through Isaac."--(Genesis 21:12) Even so, Abraham was going to offer him up. + Abraham believed that God could raise the dead. In a way, he did receive Isaac back from death. + Isaac had faith. So he blessed Jacob and Esau. He told them what was ahead for them. + Jacob had faith. So he blessed each of Joseph's sons. He blessed them when he was dying. Because of his faith he worshiped God as he leaned on the top of his wooden staff. + Joseph had faith. So he spoke to the people of Israel about their leaving Egypt. He gave directions about his bones. He did that toward the end of his life. + Moses' parents had faith. So they hid him for three months after he was born. They saw he was a special child. They were not afraid of the king's command. + Moses had faith. So he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. That happened after he had grown up. + He chose to be treated badly together with the people of God. He chose that instead of enjoying sin's pleasures for a short time. + He suffered shame because of Christ. He thought it had great value. He considered it better than the riches of Egypt. He was looking ahead to God's reward. + Because of his faith he left Egypt. It wasn't because he was afraid of the king's anger. He didn't let anything stop him. He saw the One who can't be seen. + Because of his faith he was the first to keep the Passover Feast. He commanded the people of Israel to sprinkle blood on their doorways. He did it so that the destroying angel would not touch their oldest sons. + The people had faith. So they passed through the Red Sea. They went through it as if it were dry land. The Egyptians tried to do it also. But they drowned. + The people had faith. So the walls of Jericho fell down. It happened after they had marched around the city for seven days. + Rahab, the prostitute, had faith. So she welcomed the spies. That's why she wasn't killed with those who didn't obey God. + What more can I say? I don't have time to tell about all the others. I don't have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. I don't have time to tell about David, Samuel and the prophets. + Because of their faith they took over kingdoms. They ruled fairly. They received the blessings God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions. + They put out great fires. They escaped being killed by the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became powerful in battle. They beat back armies from other countries. + Women received their dead back. The dead were raised to life again. Others were made to suffer greatly. But they refused to be set free. They did that so that after death they would be raised to a better life. + Some were laughed at. Some were whipped. Still others were held by chains. They were put in prison. + Some were killed with stones. They were sawed in two. They were put to death by the sword. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor. They were attacked. They were treated badly. + The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains. They lived in caves. They lived in holes in the ground. + All of those people were praised because they had faith. But none of them received what God had promised. + God had planned something better for us. So they would only be made perfect together with us. + + + A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. Let us keep on running the race marked out for us. + Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith. He also makes it perfect. He paid no attention to the shame of the cross. He suffered there because of the joy he was looking forward to. Then he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. + He put up with attacks from sinners. So think about him. Then you won't get tired. You won't lose hope. + You struggle against sin. But you have not yet fought to the point of spilling your blood. + You have forgotten that word of hope. It speaks to you as children. It says, "My son, think of the Lord's training as important. Do not lose hope when he corrects you. + The Lord trains those he loves. He punishes everyone he accepts as a son." --(Proverbs 3:11,12) + Put up with hard times. God uses them to train you. He is treating you as children. What children are not trained by their parents? + God trains all of his children. But what if he doesn't train you? Then you are like children of people who weren't married to each other. You are not truly God's children. + Besides, we have all had human parents who trained us. We respected them for it. How much more should we be trained by the Father of our spirits and live! + Our parents trained us for a little while. They did what they thought was best. But God trains us for our good. He wants us to share in his holiness. + No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact, it seems painful. But later on it produces a harvest of godliness and peace. It does that for those who have been trained by it. + So lift your sagging arms. Strengthen your weak knees. + "Make level paths for your feet to walk on."--(Proverbs 4:26) Then those who have trouble walking won't be disabled. Instead, they will be healed. + Try your best to live in peace with everyone. Try to be holy. Without holiness no one will see the Lord. + Be sure that no one misses God's grace. See to it that a bitter plant doesn't grow up. If it does, it will cause trouble. And it will pollute many people. + See to it that no one commits sexual sins. See to it that no one is godless like Esau. He sold the rights to what he would receive as the oldest son. He sold them for a single meal. + As you know, after that he wanted to receive his father's blessing. But he was turned away. With tears he tried to get the blessing. But he couldn't get his father to change his mind. + You haven't come to a mountain that can be touched. You haven't come to a mountain that is burning with fire. You haven't come to darkness, gloom and storm. + You haven't come to a blast from God's trumpet. You haven't come to a voice speaking to you. When people heard that voice long ago, they begged it not to say anything more to them. + What God commanded was too much for them. He said, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be killed with stones."--(Exodus 19:12,13) + The sight was terrifying. Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."--(Deuteronomy 9:19) + But you have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the Jerusalem in heaven. It is the city of the living God. You have come to a joyful gathering of angels. There are thousands and thousands of them. + You have come to the church of God's people. God's first and only Son is over all things. God's people share in what belongs to his Son. Their names are written in heaven. You have come to God. He is the judge of all people. You have come to the spirits of godly people who have been made perfect. + You have come to Jesus. He is the go-between of a new covenant. You have come to the sprinkled blood. It promises better things than the blood of Abel. + Be sure that you don't say no to the One who speaks. People did not escape when they said no to the One who warned them on earth. And what if we turn away from the One who warns us from heaven? How much less will we escape! + At that time his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, "Once more I will shake the earth. I will also shake the heavens."--(Haggai 2:6) + The words "once more" point out that what can be shaken can be taken away. I'm talking about created things. Then what can't be shaken will remain. + We are receiving a kingdom that can't be shaken. So let us be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him. We will worship him with deep respect and wonder. + Our "God is like a fire that burns everything up."--(Deuteronomy 4:24) + + + Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. + Don't forget to welcome strangers. By doing that, some people have welcomed angels without knowing it. + Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them. And remember those who are treated badly as if you yourselves were suffering. + All of you should honor marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge the person who commits adultery. He will judge everyone who commits sexual sins. + Don't be controlled by love for money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you. I will never desert you." --(Deuteronomy 31:6) + So we can say boldly, "The Lord helps me. I will not be afraid. What can a mere man do to me?" --(Psalm 118:6,7) + Remember your leaders. They spoke God's word to you. Think about the results of their way of life. Copy their faith. + Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. + Don't be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good that God's grace makes our hearts strong. Don't depend on foods the Law requires. They have no value for the people who eat them. + Some worship at the holy tent. But we have an altar that they have no right to eat from. + The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Room. He brings their blood as a sin offering. But the bodies are burned outside the camp. + Jesus also suffered outside the city gate. He suffered to make the people holy by spilling his own blood. + So let us go to him outside the camp. Let us be willing to suffer the shame he suffered. + Here we do not have a city that lasts. But we are looking for the city that is going to come. + So let us never stop offering to God our praise through Jesus. Let us offer it as the fruit of lips that say they believe in him. + Don't forget to do good. Don't forget to share with others. God is pleased with those kinds of offerings. + Obey your leaders. Put yourselves under their authority. They keep watch over you. They know they are accountable to God for everything they do. Obey them so that their work will be a joy. If you make their work a heavy load, it won't do you any good. + Pray for us. We feel sure we have done what is right. We long to live as we should in every way. + I beg you to pray that I may return to you soon. + Our Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep. The God who gives peace brought him back from the dead. He did it because of the blood of the eternal covenant. May God + supply you with everything good. Then you can do what he wants. May he do in us what is pleasing to him. We can do it only with the help of Jesus Christ. Give him glory for ever and ever. Amen. + Brothers and sisters, I beg you to accept my word. It tells you to be faithful. I have written you only a short letter. + I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. + Greet all of your leaders. Greet all of God's people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings. + May grace be with you all. + + + + + I, James, am writing this letter. I serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sending this letter to you, the 12 tribes that are scattered among the nations. Greetings. + My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. + Your faith will be put to the test. You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. + The strength to keep going must be allowed to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. + If any of you need wisdom, ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone. He doesn't find fault. + But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. People who doubt are like waves of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. + A man like that shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. + He can't make up his mind. He can never decide what to do. + A believer who finds himself in a low position in life should be proud that God has given him a high position. + But someone who is rich should take pride in his low position. That's because he will fade away like a wild flower. + The sun rises. Its burning heat dries up the plants. Their blossoms fall. Their beauty is destroyed. In the same way, a rich person will fade away even as he goes about his business. + Blessed is the man who keeps on going when times are hard. After he has come through them, he will receive a crown. The crown is life itself. God has promised it to those who love him. + When you are tempted, you shouldn't say, "God is tempting me." God can't be tempted by evil. And he doesn't tempt anyone. + But your own evil longings tempt you. They lead you on and drag you away. + When they are allowed to grow, they give birth to sin. When sin has grown up, it gives birth to death. + My dear brothers and sisters, don't let anyone fool you. + Every good and perfect gift is from God. It comes down from the Father. He created the heavenly lights. He does not change like shadows that move. + God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first and best of everything he created. + My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry. + A man's anger doesn't produce the kind of life God wants. + So get rid of everything that is dirty and sinful. Get rid of the evil that is all around us. Don't be too proud to accept the word that is planted in you. It can save you. + Don't just listen to the word. You fool yourselves if you do that. You must do what it says. + Suppose you listen to the word but don't do what it says. Then you are like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. + After looking at himself, he leaves. Right away he forgets what he looks like. + But suppose you take a good look at the perfect law that gives freedom. You keep looking at it. You don't forget what you've heard, but you do what the law says. Then you will be blessed in what you do. + Suppose you think your beliefs are right because of how you live. But you don't control what you say. Then you are fooling yourselves. Your beliefs are not worth anything at all. + Here are the kinds of beliefs that God our Father accepts as pure and without fault. When widows and children who have no parents are in trouble, take care of them. And keep yourselves from being polluted by the world. + + + My brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So treat everyone the same. + Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes. And suppose a poor man in worn-out clothes also comes in. + Would you show special attention to the one who is wearing fine clothes? Would you say, "Here's a good seat for you"? Would you say to the poor person, "You stand there"? Or "Sit on the floor by my feet"? + If you would, aren't you treating some people better than others? Aren't you like judges who have evil thoughts? + My dear brothers and sisters, listen to me. Hasn't God chosen those who are poor in the world's eyes to be rich in faith? Hasn't he chosen them to receive the kingdom? Hasn't he promised it to those who love him? + But you have put poor people down. Aren't rich people taking advantage of you? Aren't they dragging you into court? + Aren't they speaking evil things against the worthy name of Jesus? Remember, you belong to him. + The royal law is found in Scripture. It says, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."--(Leviticus 19:18) If you really keep that law, you are doing what is right. + But you sin if you don't treat everyone the same. The law judges you because you have broken it. + Suppose you keep the whole law but trip over just one part of it. Then you are guilty of breaking all of it. + God said, "Do not commit adultery."--(Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18) He also said, "Do not commit murder."--(Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17) Suppose you don't commit adultery but do commit murder. Then you have broken the Law. + Speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. + Those who have not shown mercy will not receive mercy when they are judged. To show mercy is better than to judge. + My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people claim they have faith but don't act like it? Can that kind of faith save them? + Suppose a brother or sister has no clothes or food. + Suppose one of you says to them, "Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well." And you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done? + It is the same with faith. If it doesn't cause us to do something, it's dead. + But someone will say, "You have faith. I do good works." Show me your faith that doesn't do good works. And I will show you my faith by what I do. + You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that. And they tremble! + You foolish man! Do you want proof that faith without good works is useless? + Our father Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar. Wasn't he considered to be right with God because of what he did? + So you see that what he believed and what he did were working together. What he did made his faith complete. + That is what Scripture means where it says, "Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God."--(Genesis 15:6) And that's not all. God called Abraham his friend. + So you see that a person is made right with God by what he does. It doesn't happen only because of what he believes. + Didn't God make even Rahab the prostitute right with him? That's because of what she did. She gave the spies a place to stay. Then she sent them off in a different direction. + The body without the spirit is dead. In the same way, faith without good works is dead. + + + My brothers and sisters, most of you shouldn't want to be teachers. You know that those of us who teach will be held more accountable. + All of us get tripped up in many ways. Suppose someone is never wrong in what he says. Then he is a perfect man. He is able to keep his whole body under control. + We put a bit in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us. We can control the whole animal with it. + And how about ships? They are very big. They are driven along by strong winds. But they are steered by a very small rudder. It makes them go where the captain wants to go. + In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body. But it brags a lot. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire. + The tongue also is a fire. The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It pollutes the whole person. It sets a person's whole way of life on fire. And the tongue is set on fire by hell. + People have controlled all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea. They still control them. + But no one can control the tongue. It is an evil thing that never rests. It is full of deadly poison. + With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. With our tongues we call down curses on people. We do it even though they have been created to be like God. + Praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it shouldn't be that way. + Can fresh water and salt water flow out of the same spring? + My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives? Can a grapevine bear figs? Of course not. And a saltwater spring can't produce fresh water either. + Are any of you wise and understanding? You should show it by living a good life. Wise people aren't proud when they do good works. + But suppose your hearts are jealous and bitter. Suppose you are concerned only about getting ahead. Don't brag about it. Don't say no to the truth. + Wisdom like that doesn't come down from heaven. It belongs to the earth. It doesn't come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the devil. + Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead? Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things. + But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That's the most important thing about it. And that's not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn't pretend to be what it is not. + Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed. If they do, it will produce a crop of right living. + + + Why do you fight and argue among yourselves? Isn't it because of your sinful longings? They fight inside you. + You want something, but you can't get it. You kill and want what others have. But you can't have what you want. You argue and fight. You don't have what you want, because you don't ask God. + When you do ask for something, you don't receive it. Why? Because you ask for the wrong reason. You want to spend your money on your sinful pleasures. + You are not faithful to God. Don't you know that to be a friend of the world is to hate God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. + Don't you know what Scripture says? The spirit that God caused to live in us wants us to belong only to God. Don't you think Scripture has a reason for saying that? + God continues to give us more grace. That's why Scripture says, "God opposes those who are proud. But he gives grace to those who are not." --(Proverbs 3:34) + So obey God. Stand up to the devil. He will run away from you. + Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who can't make up your minds. + Be full of sorrow. Cry and sob. Change your laughter to crying. Change your joy to sadness. + Bow down to the Lord. He will lift you up. + My brothers and sisters, don't speak against one another. Anyone who speaks against another believer speaks against the law. And anyone who judges another believer judges the law. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it. Instead, you are acting as if you were its judge. + There is only one Lawgiver and Judge. He is the One who is able to save life or destroy it. But who are you to judge your neighbor? + Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city. We will spend a year there. We will buy and sell and make money." + You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears. + Instead, you should say, "If it pleases the Lord, we will live and do this or that." + As it is, you are proud. You brag about it. That kind of bragging is evil. + So when you know the good things you should do and don't do them, you sin. + + + You rich people, listen to me. Cry and sob, because you will soon be suffering. + Your riches have rotted. Moths have eaten your clothes. + Your gold and silver have lost their brightness. Their dullness will give witness against you. Your wanting more and more will eat your body like fire. You have stored up riches in these last days. + You have even failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields. Their pay is crying out against you. The cries of those who gathered the harvest have reached the ears of the Lord who rules over all. + You have lived an easy life on earth. You have given yourselves everything you wanted. You have made yourselves fat like cattle that will soon be butchered. + You have judged and murdered people who aren't guilty. And they weren't even opposing you. + Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. + You too must be patient. You must stand firm. The Lord will soon come back. + Brothers and sisters, don't find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door! + Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer. + As you know, we think that people who don't give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern. + My brothers and sisters, don't take an oath when you make a promise. Don't call on heaven or earth or anything else to back up what you say. Let your "Yes" be yes. And let your "No" be no. If you don't, you will be judged. + Are any of you in trouble? Then you should pray. Are any of you happy? Then sing songs of praise. + Are any of you sick? Then send for the elders of the church to pray over you. Ask them to anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord. + The prayer offered by those who have faith will make you well. The Lord will heal you. If you have sinned, you will be forgiven. + So admit to one another that you have sinned. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. It makes things happen. + Elijah was just like us. He prayed hard that it wouldn't rain. And it didn't rain on the land for three and a half years. + Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops. + My brothers and sisters, suppose one of you wanders away from the truth and someone brings you back. + Then here is what I want everyone to remember. Anyone who turns a sinner from going down the wrong path will save him from death. God will erase many sins by forgiving him. + + + + + I, Peter, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am sending this letter to you, God's chosen people. You are strangers in the world. You are scattered all over Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. + You have been chosen in keeping with what God the Father had planned. That happened through the Spirit's work to make you pure and holy. God chose you so that you might obey Jesus Christ. He wanted you to be made clean by the blood of Christ. May more and more grace and peace be given to you. + Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a hope that is alive. It is alive because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. + He has given us new birth so that we might share in what belongs to him. It is a gift that can never be destroyed. It can never spoil or even fade away. It is kept in heaven for you. + Through faith you are kept safe by God's power. Your salvation is going to be completed. It is ready to be shown to you in the last days. + Because you know this, you have great joy. You have joy even though you may have had to suffer for a little while. You may have had to suffer sadness in all kinds of trouble. + Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. It is worth more than gold. Gold can pass away even though fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to God. That will happen when Jesus Christ returns. + Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can't be put into words. + You are receiving the salvation of your souls. It is the result of your faith. + The prophets searched very hard and with great care to find out about that salvation. They spoke about the grace that was going to come to you. + They wanted to find out when that salvation would come. The Spirit of Christ in them was telling them about the sufferings of Christ that were going to come. He was also telling them about the glory that would follow. + It was made known to the prophets that they were not serving themselves. Instead, they were serving you when they spoke about the things that you have now heard. Those who have preached the good news to you have told you those things. They have done it with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into those things. + So prepare your minds for action. Control yourselves. Put your hope completely in the grace that will be given to you when Jesus Christ returns. + You should obey. You shouldn't give in to evil longings. They controlled your life when you didn't know any better. + The one who chose you is holy. So you should be holy in all that you do. + It is written, "Be holy, because I am holy."--(Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2) + You call on a Father who judges each person's work without favoring one over another. So live your lives as strangers here. Have the highest respect for God. + The blood of Christ set you free from an empty way of life. That way of life was handed down to you by your own people long ago. You know that you were not bought with things that can pass away, like silver or gold. + Instead, you were bought by the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. He doesn't have any flaws at all. + He was chosen before God created the world. But he came into the world in these last days for you. + Because of what Christ has done, you believe in God. It was God who raised him from the dead. And it was God who gave him glory. So your faith and hope are in God. + You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. So you have an honest and true love for your brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply, from the heart. + You have been born again by means of the living word of God. His word lasts forever. You were not born again from a seed that will die. You were born from a seed that can't die. + It is written, "All people are like grass. All of their glory is like the flowers in the field. The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. + But the word of the Lord stands forever." --(Isaiah 40:6-8) And that word was preached to you. + + + So get rid of every kind of evil. Stop telling lies. Don't pretend to be something you are not. Stop wanting what others have. Don't speak against each other. + Like babies that were just born, you should long for the pure milk of God's word. It will help you grow up as believers. + You can do it now that you have tasted how good the Lord is. + Christ is the living Stone. People did not accept him. But God chose him. God places the highest value on him. + You also are like living stones. As you come to him you are being built into a house for worship. There you will be holy priests. You will offer spiritual sacrifices. God will accept them because of what Jesus Christ has done. + In Scripture it says, "Look! I am placing a stone in Zion. It is a chosen and very valuable stone. It is the most important stone in the building. The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." --(Isaiah 28:16) + The stone is very valuable to you who believe. But to people who do not believe, "The stone the builders did not accept has become the most important stone of all." --(Psalm 118:22) + And, "It is a stone that causes people to trip. It is a rock that makes them fall." --(Isaiah 8:14) They trip and fall because they do not obey the message. That is also what God planned for them. + But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are a people who belong to God. All of this is so that you can sing his praises. He brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light. + Once you were not a people. But now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy. But now you have received mercy. + Dear friends, you are outsiders and strangers in this world. So I'm asking you not to give in to your sinful longings. They fight against your soul. + People who don't believe might say you are doing wrong. But lead good lives among them. Then they will see your good works. And they will give glory to God on the day he comes to judge. + Follow the lead of every human authority. Do it because the Lord wants you to. Obey the king. He is the highest authority. + Obey the governors. The king sends them to punish those who do wrong. He also sends them to praise those who do right. + By doing good you will put a stop to the talk of foolish people. They don't know what they are saying. God wants you to stop them. + Live like free people. But don't use your freedom to cover up evil. Live like people who serve God. + Show proper respect to everyone. Love the community of believers. Have respect for God. Honor the king. + Slaves, obey your masters with all the respect you should give them. Obey not only those who are good and kind. Obey also those who are not kind. + Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because he wants to obey God. That is worthy of praise. + But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honor you for that? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for that. + Christ suffered for you. He left you an example. He expects you to follow in his steps. You too were chosen to suffer. + Scripture says, "He didn't commit any sin. No lies ever came out of his mouth." --(Isaiah 53:9) + People shouted at him and made fun of him. But he didn't do the same back to them. He suffered. But he didn't say that bad things would happen to them. Instead, he trusted in the One who judges fairly. + He himself carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned. Then we would lead godly lives. His wounds have made you whole. + You were like sheep who were wandering away. But now you have returned to the Shepherd. He is the Leader of your souls. + + + Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. Suppose some of them don't believe God's word. Then let them be won to Christ without words by seeing how their wives behave. + Let them see how pure you are. Let them see that your lives are full of respect for God. + Braiding your hair doesn't make you beautiful. Wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes doesn't make you beautiful. + Instead, your beauty comes from inside you. It is the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Beauty like that doesn't fade away. God places great value on it. + This is how the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful. They put their hope in God. And they followed the lead of their own husbands. + Sarah was like that. She obeyed Abraham. She called him her master. Do you want to be like her? Then do what is right. And don't give in to fear. + Husbands, take good care of your wives. They are weaker than you. So treat them with respect. Honor them as those who will share with you the gracious gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers. + Finally, I want all of you to live together in peace. Be understanding. Love one another like members of the same family. Be kind and tender. Don't be proud. + Don't pay back evil with evil. Don't pay back unkind words with unkind words. Instead, pay them back with kind words. That's what you have been chosen to do. You can receive a blessing by doing it. + Scripture says, "Do you want to love life and see good days? Then keep your tongues from speaking evil. Keep your lips from telling lies. + Turn away from evil, and do good. Look for peace, and go after it. + The Lord's eyes look with favor on those who are godly. His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord doesn't look with favor on those who do evil." --(Psalm 34:12-16) + Who is going to hurt you if you really want to do good? + But suppose you suffer for doing what is right. Then you will be blessed. Scripture also says, "Don't fear what others fear. Don't be afraid."--(Isaiah 8:12) + But make sure in your hearts that Christ is Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect. + Live so that you don't have to feel you've done anything wrong. Some people may say evil things about your good conduct as believers in Christ. If they do, they will be put to shame for speaking like that about you. + It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil if that's what God wants. + Christ died for sins once and for all time. The One who did what is right died for those who don't do right. He died to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought him back to life. + By means of the Spirit, Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison. + Long ago they did not obey. God was patient while Noah was building the ark. He waited, but only a few people went into the ark. A total of eight were saved by means of water. + The water of the flood is a picture of the baptism that now saves you also. The baptism I'm talking about has nothing to do with removing dirt from your body. Instead, it promises God that you will keep a clear sense of what is right and wrong. Jesus Christ has saved you by rising from the dead. + He has gone into heaven. He is at God's right hand. Angels, authorities and powers are under his control. + + + Christ suffered in his body. So get ready as a soldier does. Prepare yourselves to think in the same way Christ did. Do it because those who have suffered in their bodies are finished with sin. + As a result, they don't live the rest of their lives on earth controlled by evil human longings. Instead, they live to do what God wants. + You have spent enough time in the past doing what ungodly people choose to do. You lived a wild life. You longed for evil things. You got drunk. You went to wild parties. You worshiped statues of gods. The Lord hates that. + Ungodly people think that it's strange when you no longer join them in what they do. They want you to rush into the same flood of wasteful living. So they say bad things about you. + But they will have to explain their actions to God. He is ready to judge the living and the dead. + That's why the good news was preached even to people who are now dead. Human judges said they were guilty as far as their bodies were concerned. But God set their spirits free to live as he wanted them to. + The end of all things is near. So keep a clear mind. Control yourselves. Then you can pray. + Most of all, love one another deeply. Love erases many sins by forgiving them. + Welcome others into your homes without complaining. + God's gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully. + If you speak, you should do it like one speaking God's very words. If you serve, you should do it with the strength God provides. Then in all things God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Give him the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. + Dear friends, don't be surprised by the painful suffering you are going through. Don't feel as if something strange were happening to you. + Be joyful that you are taking part in Christ's sufferings. Then you will be filled with joy when Christ returns in glory. + Suppose people make fun of you because you believe in Christ. Then you are blessed, because God's Spirit rests on you. He is the Spirit of glory. + Suppose you suffer. Then it shouldn't be because you are a murderer or a thief. It shouldn't be because you do evil things. It shouldn't be because you poke your nose into other people's business. + But suppose you suffer for being a Christian. Then don't be ashamed. Instead, praise God because you are known by that name. + It is time for people to be judged. It will begin with the family of God. And since it begins with us, what will happen to people who don't obey God's good news? + Scripture says, "Suppose it is hard for godly people to be saved. Then what will happen to ungodly people and sinners?" --(Proverbs 11:31) + Some people will suffer because God has planned it that way. They should commit themselves to their faithful Creator. And they should continue to do good. + + + I'm speaking to the elders among you. I was a witness of Christ's sufferings. And I will also share in the glory that is going to come. I'm making my appeal to you as one who is an elder together with you. + Be shepherds of God's flock, the believers who are under your care. Serve as their leaders. Don't serve them because you have to. Instead, do it because you want to. That's what God wants you to do. Don't do it because you want to get more and more money. Do it because you really want to serve. + Don't act as if you were a ruler over those who are under your care. Instead, be examples to the flock. + The Chief Shepherd will come again. Then you will receive the crown of glory. It is a crown that will never fade away. + Young men, follow the lead of those who are older. All of you, put on a spirit that is free of pride toward each other as if it were your clothes. Scripture says, "God opposes those who are proud. But he gives grace to those who are not." --(Proverbs 3:34) + So don't be proud. Put yourselves under God's mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time. + Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you. + Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow. + Stand up to him. Stand firm in what you believe. All over the world you know that your brothers and sisters are going through the same kind of suffering. + God always gives you all the grace you need. So you will only have to suffer for a little while. Then God himself will build you up again. He will make you strong and steady. And he has chosen you to share in his eternal glory because you belong to Christ. + Give him the power for ever and ever. Amen. + I consider Silas to be a faithful brother. With his help I have written you this short letter. I have written it to cheer you up. And I have written to give witness about the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. + The members of the church in Babylon send you their greetings. They were chosen together with you. Mark, my son in the faith, also sends you his greetings. + Greet each other with a friendly kiss. May God give peace to all of you who believe in Christ. + + + + + I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter. I serve Jesus Christ. I am his apostle. I am sending this letter to you who have received a faith as valuable as ours. You received it because our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right and fair for everyone. + May more and more grace and peace be given to you. May they come to you as you learn more about God and about Jesus our Lord. + God's power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life. All of that has come to us because we know the One who chose us. He chose us because of his own glory and goodness. + He has also given us his very great and valuable promises. He did it so you could share in his nature. He also did it so you could escape from the evil in the world. That evil is caused by sinful longings. + So you should try very hard to add goodness to your faith. To goodness, add knowledge. + To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves. To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness. + To godliness, add kindness to believers. And to kindness to believers, add love. + You should possess more and more of those good points. They will make you useful and fruitful as you get to know our Lord Jesus Christ better. + But what if some of you do not have those good points? Then you can't see very well. You are blind. You have forgotten that your past sins have been washed away. + My brothers and sisters, be very sure that God has appointed you to be saved. Be sure that he has chosen you. If you do everything I have just said, you will never trip and fall. + You will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom that lasts forever. It is the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. + So I will always remind you of these things. I'll do it even though you know them. I'll do it even though you now have deep roots in the truth. + I think it is right for me to remind you. It is right as long as I live in this tent. I'm talking about my body. + I know my tent will soon be removed. Our Lord Jesus Christ has made that clear to me. + I hope that you will always be able to remember these things after I'm gone. I will try very hard to see that you do. + We told you about the time our Lord Jesus Christ came with power. But we didn't make up stories when we told you about it. With our own eyes we saw him in all his majesty. + God the Father gave him honor and glory. The voice of the Majestic Glory came to him. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him."--(Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) + We ourselves heard the voice that came from heaven. We were with him on the sacred mountain. + The word of the prophets is made more certain. We have that word. You must pay attention to it. It is like a light shining in a dark place. It will shine until the day Jesus comes. Then the Morning Star will rise in your hearts. + Above all, here is what you must understand. No prophecy in Scripture ever came from a prophet's own understanding. + It never came simply because a prophet wanted it to. Instead, the Holy Spirit guided the prophets as they spoke. So prophecy comes from God. + + + But there were also false prophets among the people. In the same way there will be false teachers among you. In secret they will bring in teachings that will destroy you. They will even turn against the Lord and Master who died to save them. His death paid for their sins. They will quickly destroy themselves. + Many people will follow their shameful ways. They will give the way of truth a bad name. + Those teachers are never satisfied. They want to get something out of you. So they make up stories to take advantage of you. They have been under a sentence of death for a long time. The One who will destroy them has not been sleeping. + God did not spare angels when they sinned. Instead, he sent them to hell. He put them in dark prisons. He will keep them there until he judges them. + God did not spare the world's ungodly people long ago. He brought the flood on them. But Noah preached about the right way to live. God kept him safe. He also saved seven others. + God judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He burned them to ashes. He made them an example of what is going to happen to ungodly people. + God saved Lot. He was a man who did what was right. He was shocked by the dirty, sinful lives of people who didn't obey God's laws. + That good man lived among them day after day. He saw and heard the evil things they were doing. They were breaking God's laws. And his godly spirit was deeply troubled. + So the Lord knows how to keep godly people safe in times of testing. He also knows how to keep ungodly people under guard until the day they will be judged. In the meantime, he continues to punish them. + Most of all, this is true of people who follow the evil longings of their sinful natures. They hate to be under authority. Those false prophets are bold and proud. They aren't afraid to speak evil things against heavenly beings. + Angels are stronger and more powerful than those people. But even angels don't bring to the Lord evil charges against heavenly beings. + Those people speak evil about things they don't understand. They are like wild animals. They do what comes naturally to them. They are born only to be caught and destroyed. Just like animals, they too will die. + They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to have wild parties in the middle of the day. They are like spots and stains. They enjoy their sinful pleasures while they eat with you. + They stare at women who are not their wives. They want to have sex with them. They never stop sinning. They trap those who are not firm in their faith. They have mastered the art of getting what they want. God has placed them under his curse. + They have left God's way. They have wandered off. They follow the way of Balaam, son of Beor. He loved to get paid for doing his evil work. + But a donkey corrected him for the wrong he did. Animals don't speak. But the donkey spoke with a human voice. It tried to stop the prophet from doing a very dumb thing. + Those false prophets are like springs without water. They are like mists driven by a storm. The blackest darkness is reserved for them. + They speak empty, bragging words. They make their appeal to the earthly longings of people's sinful nature. They tempt new believers who are just escaping from the company of sinful people. + They promise to give freedom to the new believers. But they themselves are slaves to sinful living. A person is a slave to anything that controls him. + They may have escaped the sin of the world. They may have come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But what if they are once again caught up in sin? And what if it has become their master? Then they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. + What if they had not known the way of godliness? That would have been better than to have known it and then to have turned their backs on it. The way of godliness is the sacred command that was passed on to them. + What the proverbs say about them is true. "A dog returns to where it has thrown up."--(Proverbs 26:11) And, "A pig that is washed goes back to rolling in the mud." + + + Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders. I want to stir you up to think in a way that is pure. + I want you to remember the words the holy prophets spoke in the past. Remember the command our Lord and Savior gave through your apostles. + First of all, here is what you must understand. In the last days people will make fun of the truth. They will laugh at it. They will follow their own evil longings. + They will say, "Where is this 'return' he promised? Everything goes on in the same way it has since our people of long ago died. In fact, it has continued that way since God first created everything." + Long ago, God's word brought the heavens into being. His word separated the earth from the waters. And the waters surrounded it. But those people forget things like that on purpose. + The waters also flooded the world of that time. It was destroyed. + By God's word the heavens and earth of today are being reserved for fire. They are being kept for the day when God will judge. Then ungodly people will be destroyed. + Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. + The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. He is patient with you. He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins. + But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Fire will destroy everything in them. God will judge the earth and everything in it. + So everything will be destroyed. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives. + Live like that as you look forward to the day of God. It will make the day come more quickly. On that day fire will destroy the heavens. Its heat will melt everything in them. + But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. Godliness will make its home there. All of this is in keeping with God's promise. + Dear friends, I know you are looking forward to that. So try your best to be found pure and without blame. Be at peace with God. + Remember that while our Lord is waiting patiently to return, people are being saved. Our dear brother Paul also wrote to you about that. God made him wise to write as he did. + He writes the same way in all his letters. He speaks about what I have just told you. His letters include some things that are hard to understand. People who don't know better and aren't firm in the faith twist what he says. They twist the other Scriptures too. So they will be destroyed. + Dear friends, you already know that. So be on your guard. Then you won't be led down the wrong path by the mistakes of people who don't obey the law. You won't fall from your safe position. + Grow in the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Get to know him better. Give him glory both now and forever. Amen. + + + + + Here is what we announce to everyone about the Word of life. He was already here from the beginning. We have heard him. We have seen him with our eyes. We have looked at him. Our hands have touched him. + That life has appeared. We have seen him. We give witness about him. And we announce to you that same eternal life. He was already with the Father. He has appeared to us. + We announce to you what we have seen and heard. We do it so you can share life together with us. And we share life with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. + We are writing this to make our joy complete. + Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all. + Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living by the truth. + But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin. + Suppose we claim we are without sin. Then we are fooling ourselves. The truth is not in us. + But God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure. + If we say we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar. His word has no place in our lives. + + + My dear children, I'm writing this to you so that you will not sin. But suppose someone does sin. Then we have one who speaks to the Father for us. He stands up for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. + He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world. + We know that we have come to know God if we obey his commands. + Suppose someone says, "I know him." But suppose that person does not do what God commands. Then that person is a liar and is not telling the truth. + But if anyone obeys God's word, then God's love is truly made complete in that person. Here is how we know we belong to him. + Those who claim to belong to him must live just as Jesus did. + Dear friends, I'm not writing you a new command. Instead, I'm writing one you have heard before. You have had it since the beginning. + But I am writing what amounts to a new command. Its truth was shown in how Jesus lived. It is also shown in how you live. The darkness is passing away. The true light is already shining. + Suppose someone claims to be in the light but hates his brother or sister. Then he is still in the darkness. + Those who love their brothers and sisters are living in the light. There is nothing in them to make them fall into sin. + But those who hate a brother or sister are in the darkness. They walk around in the darkness. They don't know where they are going. The darkness has made them blind. + Dear children, I'm writing to you because your sins have been forgiven. They have been forgiven because of what Jesus has done. + Fathers, I'm writing to you because you have known the One who is from the beginning. Young people, I'm writing to you because you have won the battle over the evil one. Dear children, I'm writing to you because you have known the Father. + Fathers, I'm writing to you because you have known the One who is from the beginning. Young people, I'm writing to you because you are strong. God's word lives in you. You have won the battle over the evil one. + Do not love the world or anything in it. If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. + Here is what people who belong to this world do. They try to satisfy what their sinful natures want to do. They long for what their sinful eyes look at. They brag about what they have and what they do. All of this comes from the world. It doesn't come from the Father. + The world and its evil longings are passing away. But those who do what God wants them to do live forever. + Dear children, we are living in the last days. You have heard that the great enemy of Christ is coming. But even now many enemies of Christ have already come. That's how we know that these are the last days. + The enemies left our group. They didn't really belong to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by leaving they showed that none of them belonged to us. + You have received the Spirit from the Holy One. And all of you know the truth. + I'm not writing to you because you don't know the truth but because you do know it. I'm writing to you because no lie comes from the truth. + Who is the liar? The person who says that Jesus is not the Christ. People who say that are the enemies of Christ. They say no to the Father and the Son. + Those who say no to the Son don't belong to the Father. But anyone who says yes to the Son belongs to the Father also. + Make sure that you don't forget what you have heard from the beginning. Then you will remain joined to the Son and to the Father. + That's what God has promised us. We have eternal life. + I'm writing these things to warn you about those who are trying to lead you down the wrong path. + But you have received the Holy Spirit from God. He continues to live in you. So you don't need anyone to teach you. God's Spirit teaches you about everything. What he says is true. He doesn't lie. Remain joined to Christ, just as you have been taught by the Spirit. + Dear children, remain joined to Christ. Then when he comes, we can be bold. We will not be ashamed to meet him when he comes. + You know that God is right and always does what is right. And you know that everyone who does what is right has been born again because of what God has done. + + + How great is the love the Father has given us so freely! Now we can be called children of God. And that's what we really are! The world doesn't know us because it didn't know him. + Dear friends, now we are children of God. He still hasn't let us know what we will be. But we know that when Christ appears, we will be like him. We will see him as he really is. + He is pure. All who hope to be like him make themselves pure. + Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, breaking the law is sin. + But you know that Christ came to take our sins away. And there is no sin in him. + No one who remains joined to him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has seen him or known him. + Dear children, don't let anyone lead you down the wrong path. Those who do what is right are holy, just as Christ is holy. + Those who do what is sinful belong to the devil. They are just like him. He has been sinning from the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the devil's work. + Those who are born again because of what God has done will not keep on sinning. God's very nature remains in them. They can't go on sinning. They have been born again because of what God has done. + Here is how you can tell the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil. Those who don't do what is right do not belong to God. Those who don't love their brothers and sisters do not belong to him either. + From the beginning we have heard that we should love one another. + Don't be like Cain. He belonged to the evil one. He murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because the things Cain had done were wrong. But the things his brother had done were right. + My brothers and sisters, don't be surprised if the world hates you. + We know that we have left our old dead condition and entered into new life. We know it because we love one another. Those who do not are still living in their old condition. + Those who hate their brothers and sisters are murderers. And you know that murderers do not have eternal life in their hearts. + We know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. + Suppose someone sees a brother or sister in need and is able to help them. If he doesn't take pity on them, how can the love of God be in him? + Dear children, don't just talk about love. Put your love into action. Then it will truly be love. + That's how we know that we hold to the truth. And that's how we put our hearts at rest, knowing that God is watching. + Our hearts may judge us. But God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything. + Dear friends, if our hearts do not judge us, we can be bold with God. + And he will give us anything we ask. That's because we obey his commands. We do what pleases him. + God has commanded us to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. He has also commanded us to love one another. + Those who obey his commands remain joined to him. And he remains joined to them. How do we know that God lives in us? We know it because of the Holy Spirit he gave us. + + + Dear friends, do not believe every spirit. Put the spirits to the test to see if they belong to God. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. + How can you recognize the Spirit of God? Every spirit that agrees that Jesus Christ came in a human body belongs to God. + But every spirit that doesn't agree with this does not belong to God. It is the spirit of the great enemy of Christ. You have heard that the enemy is coming. Even now he is already in the world. + Dear children, you belong to God. You have not accepted the teachings of the false prophets. That's because the One who is in you is more powerful than the one who is in the world. + False prophets belong to the world. So they speak from the world's point of view. The world listens to them. + We belong to God. And those who know God listen to us. But those who don't belong to God don't listen to us. That's how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of lies. + Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born again because of what God has done. That person knows God. + Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. + How did God show his love for us? He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so we could receive life through him. + What is love? It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins. + Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we should also love one another. + No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us. His love is made complete in us. + We know that we belong to him and he belongs to us. He has given us his Holy Spirit. + The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We have seen it. We give witness to it. + God lives in anyone who agrees that Jesus is the Son of God. That kind of person remains joined to God. + So we know that God loves us. We depend on it. God is love. Anyone who leads a life of love shows that he is joined to God. And God is joined to him. + So love is made complete among us. We will be bold on the day God judges us. That's because in this world we love as Jesus did. + There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives fear away. Fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love. + We love because he loved us first. + Anyone who says he loves God but in fact hates his brother or sister is a liar. He doesn't love his brother or sister, whom he has seen. So he can't love God, whom he has not seen. + Here is the command God has given us. Anyone who loves God must also love his brothers and sisters. + + + Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born again because of what God has done. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children as well. + How do we know that we love God's children? We know it when we love God and obey his commands. + Here is what it means to love God. It means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not hard to obey. + That's because everyone who is a child of God has won the battle over the world. Our faith has won the battle for us. + Who is it that has won the battle over the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. + Jesus Christ is the one who was baptized in water and died on the cross. He wasn't just baptized in water. He also died on the cross. The Holy Spirit has given a truthful witness about him. That's because the Spirit is the truth. + There are three that give witness about Jesus. + They are the Holy Spirit, the baptism of Jesus and his death. And the three of them agree. + We accept the witness of people. But the witness of God is more important because it is God who gives it. He has given witness about his Son. + Those who believe in the Son of God have accepted that witness in their hearts. Those who do not believe God's witness are calling him a liar. That's because they have not believed his witness about his Son. + Here is God's witness. He has given us eternal life. That life is found in his Son. + Those who belong to the Son have life. Those who do not belong to the Son of God do not have life. + I'm writing these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. I'm doing it so you will know that you have eternal life. + There is one thing we can be sure of when we come to God in prayer. If we ask anything in keeping with what he wants, he hears us. + If we know that God hears what we ask for, we know that we have it. + Suppose you see your brother or sister commit a sin. But that sin is not the kind that leads to death. Then you should pray for them. And God will give life to them. I'm talking about someone whose sin does not lead to death. But there is a sin that does lead to death. I'm not saying that you should pray about that. + Every wrong thing we do is sin. But there are sins that do not lead to death. + We know that those who are children of God do not keep on sinning. The Son of God keeps them safe. The evil one can't harm them. + We know that we are children of God. We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. + We also know that the Son of God has come. He has given us understanding. Now we can know the One who is true. And we belong to the One who is true. We also belong to his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God. He is eternal life. + Dear children, keep away from statues of gods. + + + + + I, the elder, am writing this letter. I am sending it to the chosen lady and her children. I love all of you because of the truth. I'm not the only one who loves you. So does everyone who knows the truth. + I love you because of the truth that is alive in us. That truth will be with us forever. + God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son will give you grace, mercy and peace. Those blessings will be with us because we love the truth. + It has given me great joy to find some of your children living by the truth. That's just what the Father commanded us to do. + Dear lady, I'm not writing you a new command. I'm writing a command we've had from the beginning. I'm asking that we love one another. + The way we show our love is to obey God's commands. He commands you to lead a life of love. That's what you have heard from the beginning. + Many people who try to fool others have gone out into the world. They don't agree that Jesus Christ came in a human body. People like that try to trick others. They are enemies of Christ. + Watch out that you don't lose what you have worked for. Make sure that you get your complete reward. + Some people run ahead of others. They don't follow the teaching of Christ. People like that don't belong to God. But those who follow the teaching of Christ belong to the Father and the Son. + Suppose someone comes to you and doesn't teach these truths. Then don't take him into your house. Don't welcome him. + Anyone who welcomes him shares in his evil work. + I have a lot to write to you. But I don't want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope I can visit you. Then I can talk with you face to face. That will make our joy complete. + The children of your chosen sister send their greetings. + + + + + I, the elder, am writing this letter. I am sending it to you, my dear friend Gaius. I love you because of the truth. + Dear friend, I know that your spiritual life is going well. I pray that you also may enjoy good health. And I pray that everything else may go well with you. + Some believers came to me and told me that you are faithful to the truth. They told me that you continue to live by it. That gave me great joy. + I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living by the truth. + Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the believers. You are faithful even though they are strangers to you. + They have told the church about your love. Please help them by sending them on their way in a manner that honors God. + They started on their journey to serve Jesus Christ. They didn't receive any help from those who aren't believers. + So we should welcome people like them. We should work together with them for the truth. + I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes won't have anything to do with us. He loves to be the first in everything. + So if I come, I will point out what he is doing. He is saying evil things about us to others. Even that doesn't satisfy him. He refuses to welcome other believers. He also keeps others from welcoming them. In fact, he throws them out of the church. + Dear friend, don't be like those who do evil. Be like those who do good. Anyone who does what is good belongs to God. Anyone who does what is evil hasn't really seen or known God. + Everyone says good things about Demetrius. He lives in keeping with the truth. We also say good things about him. And you know that our witness is true. + I have a lot to write to you. But I don't want to write with pen and ink. + I hope I can see you soon. Then we can talk face to face. May you have peace. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. + + + + + I, Jude, am writing this letter. I serve Jesus Christ. I am a brother of James. I am sending this letter to you who have been chosen by God. You are loved by God the Father. You are kept safe by Jesus Christ. + May more and more mercy, peace, and love be given to you. + Dear friends, I really wanted to write to you about the salvation we share. But now I feel I should write and ask you to stand up for the faith. God's people were trusted with it once and for all time. + Certain people have slipped in among you in secret. Long ago it was written that they would be judged. They are godless people. They use the grace of our God as an excuse for sexual sins. They say no to Jesus Christ. He is our only Lord and King. + I want to remind you about some things you already know. The Lord saved his people. He brought them out of Egypt. But later he destroyed those who did not believe. + Some of the angels didn't stay where they belonged. They didn't keep their positions of authority. The Lord has kept those angels in darkness. They are held by chains that last forever. On judgment day, God will judge them. + The people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them also did evil things. They gave themselves over to sexual sins. They committed sins of the worst possible kind. They are an example of those who are punished with fire. The fire never goes out. + In the very same way, those dreamers pollute their own bodies. They don't accept authority. They speak evil things against heavenly beings. + But not even Michael did that. He was the leader of the angels. He argued with the devil about the body of Moses. But he didn't dare to speak evil things against the devil. Instead, he said, "May the Lord stop you!" + But those people speak evil things against what they don't understand. They are like wild animals. They can't think for themselves. They do what comes naturally to them. Those are the very things that destroy them. + How terrible it will be for them! They followed the way of Cain. They rushed ahead and made the same mistake as Balaam did. They did it because they loved money. They are like Korah. He turned against his leaders. Those people will certainly be destroyed, just as Korah was. + They are like stains at the meals you share. They eat too much. They have no shame. They are shepherds who feed only themselves. They are like clouds without rain. They are blown along by the wind. They are like trees in the fall. Since they have no fruit, they are pulled up. So they die twice. + They are like wild waves of the sea. Their shame rises up like foam. They are like falling stars. God has reserved a place of very black darkness for them. He will keep them there forever. + Enoch was the seventh man in the family line of Adam. He gave a prophecy about those people. He said, "Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones. + He is coming to judge everyone. He is coming to sentence all ungodly people. He will judge them for all the ungodly acts they have done. They have done them in ungodly ways. He will sentence ungodly sinners for all the bad things they have said about him." + Those people complain. They find fault with others. They follow their own evil longings. They brag about themselves. They praise others to help themselves. + Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said was going to happen. + They told you, "In the last days, some people will make fun of the truth. They will follow their own ungodly longings." + They are the people who separate you from one another. They do only what comes naturally. They are not led by the Holy Spirit. + Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Let the Holy Spirit guide and help you when you pray. + The mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ will bring you eternal life. As you wait for his mercy, remain in God's love. + Show mercy to those who doubt. + Pull others out of the fire. Save them. To others, show mercy mixed with fear. Hate even the clothes that are stained by the sins of those who wear them. + Give praise to the One who is able to keep you from falling into sin. He will bring you into his heavenly glory without any fault. He will bring you there with great joy. + Give praise to the only God. He is our Savior. Glory, majesty, power and authority belong to him. Give praise to him through Jesus Christ our Lord. Give praise to the One who was before all time, who now is, and who will be forever. Amen. + + + + + This is the revelation that God gave to Jesus Christ. Jesus shows those who serve God what will happen soon. God made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. + John gives witness to everything he saw. The things he gives witness to are God's word and what Jesus Christ has said. + Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy. Blessed are those who hear it and think everything it says is important. The time when these things will come true is near. + I, John, am writing this letter. I am sending it to the seven churches in Asia Minor. May grace and peace come to you from the One who is, and who was, and who will come. May grace and peace come to you from the seven spirits who are in front of God's throne. + May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ. What Jesus gives witness to can always be trusted. He was the first to rise from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth. Give glory and power to the One who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by pouring out his blood for us. + He has made us members of his royal family. He has made us priests who serve his God and Father. Give him glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. + Look! He is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him will see him. All the nations of the earth will be sad because of him. This will really happen! Amen. + "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, and who was, and who will come. I am the Mighty One." + I, John, am a believer like you. I am a friend who suffers like you. As members of Jesus' royal family, we can put up with anything that happens to us. I was on the island of Patmos because I taught God's word and what Jesus said. + The Holy Spirit took complete control of me on the Lord's Day. I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet. + The voice said, "Write on a scroll what you see. Send it to the seven churches in Asia Minor. They are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." + I turned around to see who was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. + In the middle of them was someone who looked "like a son of man."--(Daniel 7:13) He was dressed in a long robe with a gold strip of cloth around his chest. + The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a blazing fire. + His feet were like bronze metal glowing in a furnace. His voice sounded like rushing waters. + He held seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth came a sharp sword that had two edges. His face was like the sun shining in all of its brightness. + When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. Then he put his right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. + I am the Living One. I was dead. But look! I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death and Hell. + "So write down what you have seen. Write about what is happening now and what will happen later. + Here is what the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand means. They are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven golden lampstands you saw stand for the seven churches. + + + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Ephesus. Here are the words of the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand. He also walks among the seven golden lampstands. He says, + 'I know what you are doing. You work long and hard. I know you can't put up with those who are evil. You have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not. You have found out that they are liars. + You have been faithful and have put up with a lot of trouble because of me. You have not given up. + 'But here is something I hold against you. You don't have as much love as you had at first. + Remember how far you have fallen! Turn away from your sins. Do the things you did at first. If you don't, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. + 'But you do have this in your favor. You hate the way the Nicolaitans act. I hate it too. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches. I will allow those who overcome to eat from the tree of life in God's paradise.' + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Smyrna. Here are the words of the One who is the First and the Last. He is the One who died and came to life again. He says, + 'I know that you suffer and are poor. But you are rich! Some people say they are Jews but are not. I know that their words are evil. Their worship is satanic. + 'Don't be afraid of what you are going to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you. You will be treated badly for ten days. Be faithful, even if it means you must die. Then I will give you a crown. The crown is life itself. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches. Those who overcome will not be hurt at all by the second death.' + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Pergamum. Here are the words of the One with the sharp sword that has two edges. He says, + 'I know that you live where Satan has his throne. But you remain true to me. You did not give up your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness. He was put to death in your city, where Satan lives. + 'But I have a few things against you. You have people there who follow the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balak to lead the people of Israel into sin. So they ate food that had been offered to statues of gods. And they committed sexual sins. + You also have people who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. + 'So turn away from your sins! If you don't, I will come to you soon. I will fight against those people with the sword that comes out of my mouth. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches. I will give hidden manna to those who overcome. I will also give each of them a white stone with a new name written on it. Only the one who receives that name will know what it is.' + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Thyatira. Here are the words of the Son of God. He is the One whose eyes are like blazing fire. His feet are like polished bronze. He says, + 'I know what you are doing. I know your love and your faith. I know how well you have served. I know you don't give up easily. In fact, you are doing more now than you did at first. + 'But here is what I have against you. You put up with that woman Jezebel. She calls herself a prophet. With her teaching, she has led my servants into sexual sin. She has tricked them into eating food offered to statues of gods. + 'I've given her time to turn away from her sinful ways. But she doesn't want to. + She sinned on a bed. So I will make her suffer on a bed. And those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly. Their only way out is to turn away from what she taught them to do. + I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who searches hearts and minds. I will pay each of you back for what you have done. + 'I won't bother the rest of you in Thyatira. You don't follow the teaching of Jezebel. You haven't learned what some people call Satan's deep secrets. + Just hold on to what you have until I come. + 'I'll give authority over the nations to all who overcome and who carry out my plans to the end. + It is written, ' '"He will rule them with an iron rod. He will break them to pieces like clay pots." --(Psalm 2:9) I have received this authority from my Father. + I will also give the morning star to all who overcome. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.' + + + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Sardis. Here are the words of the One who holds the seven spirits of God. He has the seven stars in his hand. He says, 'I know what you are doing. People think you are alive, but you are dead. + Wake up! Strengthen what is left, or it will die. You have not done all that my God wants you to do. + 'So remember what you have been taught and have heard. Obey it. Turn away from your sins. If you don't wake up, I will come like a thief. You won't know when I will come to you. + 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have kept their clothes clean. They will walk with me, dressed in white, because they are worthy. + Those who overcome will also be dressed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life. I will speak of them by name to my Father and his angels. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.' + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Philadelphia. Here are the words of the One who is holy and true. He holds the key of David. No one can shut what he opens. And no one can open what he shuts. He says, + 'I know what you are doing. Look! I have put an open door in front of you. No one can shut it. I know that you don't have much strength. But you have obeyed my word. You have not said no to me. + 'Some people claim they are Jews but are not. They are liars. Their worship is from Satan. I will make them come and fall down at your feet. I will make them say in public that I love you. + 'You have kept my command to put up with anything that happens. So I will keep you from the time of suffering that is going to come to the whole world. It will test those who live on the earth. + 'I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have. Then no one will take away your crown. + 'I'll see to it that those who overcome will be pillars in the temple of my God. They will never leave it again. I will write the name of my God on them. I will write the name of the city of my God on them. This is the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God. I will also write my new name on them. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.' + "Here is what I command you to write to the church in Laodicea. Here are the words of the One who is the Amen. What he gives witness to is faithful and true. He rules over what God has created. He says, + 'I know what you are doing. I know you aren't cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other! + But you are lukewarm. You aren't hot or cold. So I am going to spit you out of my mouth. + 'You say, "I am rich. I've become wealthy and don't need anything." But you don't realize how pitiful and miserable you have become. You are poor, blind and naked. + 'So here's my advice. Buy from me gold made pure by fire. Then you will become rich. Buy from me white clothes to wear. Then you will be able to cover your shameful nakedness. And buy from me healing lotion to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see. + 'I correct and train those I love. So be sincere, and turn away from your sins. + 'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If any of you hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with you. And you will eat with me. + 'I'll give those who overcome the right to sit with me on my throne. In the same way, I overcame. Then I sat down with my Father on his throne. + 'Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.' " + + + After this I looked, and there in front of me was a door standing open in heaven. I heard the voice I had heard before. It sounded like a trumpet. The voice said, "Come up here. I will show you what must happen after this." + At once the Holy Spirit took complete control of me. There in front of me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. + The One who sat there shone like jewels. Around the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. + Twenty-four other thrones surrounded that throne. Twenty-four elders were sitting on them. The elders were dressed in white. They had gold crowns on their heads. + From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunder. Seven lamps were blazing in front of the throne. These stand for the seven spirits of God. + There was something that looked like a sea of glass in front of the throne. It was as clear as crystal. In the inner circle, around the throne, were four living creatures. They were covered with eyes, in front and in back. + The first creature looked like a lion. The second looked like an ox. The third had a man's face. The fourth looked like a flying eagle. + Each of the four living creatures had six wings. Each creature was covered all over with eyes, even under the wings. Day and night, they never stop saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God who rules over all. He was, and he is, and he will come." + The living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the One who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever. + At the same time, the 24 elders fall down and worship the One who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns in front of the throne. They say, + "You are worthy, our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You are worthy because you created all things. They were created and they exist. That is the way you planned it." + + + Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides. It was sealed with seven seals. + I saw a mighty angel calling out in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" + But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one could even look inside it. + I cried and cried because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. + Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not cry! The Lion of the tribe of Judah has won the battle. He is the Root of David. He is able to break the seven seals and open the scroll." + Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if he had been put to death. He stood in the center of the area around the throne. The Lamb was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes. The eyes stand for the seven spirits of God, which are sent out into all the earth. + The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. + Then the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one had a harp. They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which stand for the prayers of God's people. + Here is the new song they sang. "You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its seals. You are worthy because you were put to death. With your blood you bought people for God. They come from every tribe, language, people and nation. + You have made them members of a royal family. You have made them priests to serve our God. They will rule on the earth." + Then I looked and heard the voice of millions and millions of angels. They surrounded the throne. They surrounded the living creatures and the elders. + In a loud voice they sang, "The Lamb, who was put to death, is worthy! He is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength! He is worthy to receive honor and glory and praise!" + All creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them, were singing. I heard them say, "May praise and honor for ever and ever be given to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! Give them glory and power 'XY'for ever and ever!" + The four living creatures said, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. + + + I watched as the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice that sounded like thunder, "Come!" + I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow in his hands. He was given a crown. He rode out like a hero on his way to victory. + The Lamb broke open the second seal. Then I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" + Another horse came out. It was flaming red. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. He was given a large sword. + The Lamb broke open the third seal. Then I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there in front of me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. + Next, I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living creatures. It said, "A quart of wheat for a day's pay. And three quarts of barley for a day's pay. But don't spoil the olive oil and the wine!" + The Lamb broke open the fourth seal. Then I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" + I looked, and there in front of me was a pale horse! Its rider's name was Death. Following close behind him was Hell. They were given power over a fourth of the earth. They were given power to kill people with the sword, hunger and sickness. They could also use the earth's wild animals to kill. + He broke open the fifth seal. I saw souls under the altar. They were the souls of people who were killed because of God's word and their faithful witness. + They called out in a loud voice. "How long, Lord and King, holy and true?" they asked. "How long will you wait to judge those who live on the earth? How long will it be until you pay them back for killing us?" + Then each of them was given a white robe. "Wait a little longer," they were told. "There are still more of your believing brothers and sisters who must be killed." + I watched as he broke open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun turned black like black clothes that were made from the hair of a goat. The whole moon turned as red as blood. + The stars in the sky fell to earth. They dropped like ripe figs from a tree shaken by a strong wind. + The sky rolled back like a scroll. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place. + Everyone hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. This included the kings of the earth, the princes and the generals, rich people and powerful people. It also included every slave and everyone who was free. + They called out to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne! Hide us from the anger of the Lamb! + The great day of their anger has come. Who can live through it?" + + + After this I saw four angels. They were standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth. This kept the winds from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. + Then I saw another angel coming up from the east. He had the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been allowed to harm the land and the sea. + "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees," he said. "Wait until we mark with a seal the foreheads of those who serve our God." + Then I heard how many people were sealed. There were 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. + From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed. From the tribe of Reuben, 12,000. From the tribe of Gad, 12,000. + From the tribe of Asher, 12,000. From the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000. From the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000. + From the tribe of Simeon, 12,000. From the tribe of Levi, 12,000. From the tribe of Issachar, 12,000. + From the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000. From the tribe of Joseph, 12,000. From the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000. + After this I looked, and there in front of me was a huge crowd of people. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb. There were so many that no one could count them. They came from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were wearing white robes. In their hands they were holding palm branches. + They cried out in a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne. Salvation also belongs to the Lamb." + All the angels were standing around the throne. They were standing around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces in front of the throne and worshiped God. + They said, "Amen! May praise and glory and wisdom be given to our God for ever and ever. Give him thanks and honor and power and strength. Amen!" + Then one of the elders spoke to me. "Who are these people dressed in white robes?" he asked. "Where did they come from?" + I answered, "Sir, you know." He said, "They are the ones who have come out of the time of terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. + So "they are in front of the throne of God. They serve him day and night in his temple. The One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. + Never again will they be hungry. Never again will they be thirsty. The sun will not beat down on them. The heat of the desert will not harm them. + The Lamb, who is at the center of the area around the throne, will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." + + + The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Then there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. + I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Seven trumpets were given to them. + Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a shallow gold cup for burning incense. He was given a lot of incense to offer on the golden altar in front of the throne. With the incense he offered the prayers of all God's people. + The smoke of the incense together with the prayers of God's people rose up from the angel's hand. It went up in front of God. + Then the angel took the cup and filled it with fire from the altar. He threw it down on the earth. There were rumblings and thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. + Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets got ready to blow them. + The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up. A third of the trees were burned up. All the green grass was burned up. + The second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood. + A third of the living creatures in the sea died. A third of the ships were destroyed. + The third angel blew his trumpet. Then a great star fell from the sky. It looked like a blazing torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. + The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter. Many people died from it. + The fourth angel blew his trumpet. Then a third of the sun was struck. A third of the moon was struck. A third of the stars were struck. So a third of each of them turned dark. Then a third of the day had no light. The same thing happened to a third of the night. + As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying high in the air. It called out in a loud voice, "How terrible! How terrible it will be for those living on the earth! How terrible! They will suffer as soon as the next three angels blow their trumpets!" + + + The fifth angel blew his trumpet. Then I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the tunnel leading down into the Abyss. + When the star opened the Abyss, smoke rose up from it like the smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. + Out of the smoke came locusts. They settled down on the earth. They were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. + They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree. They were supposed to harm only the people who didn't have God's seal on their foreheads. + They were not allowed to kill them. But they could hurt them over and over for five months. The pain the people suffered was like the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. + In those days, people will look for a way to die but won't find it. They will want to die, but death will escape them. + The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold. Their faces looked like human faces. + Their hair was like women's hair. Their teeth were like lions' teeth. + Their chests were covered with something that looked like armor made out of iron. The sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. + They had tails and stings like scorpions. And in their tails they had power to hurt people over and over for five months. + Their king was the angel of the Abyss. In the Hebrew language his name is Abaddon. In Greek it is Apollyon. + The first terrible judgment is past. Two others are still coming. + The sixth angel blew his trumpet. Then I heard a voice coming from the corners of the golden altar that stands in front of God. + The voice spoke to the sixth angel who had the trumpet. It said, "Set the four angels free who are held at the great river Euphrates." + The four angels had been ready for this very hour and day and month and year. They were set free to kill a third of all people. + The number of troops on horseback was 200,000,000. I heard how many there were. + The horses and riders I saw in my vision had armor on their chests. It was flaming red, dark blue, and yellow like sulfur. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads. Out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. + A third of all people were killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of the horses' mouths. + The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails. The tails were like snakes whose heads could bite. + The people who were not killed by these plagues still did not turn away from what they had been doing. They did not stop worshiping demons. They kept worshiping statues of gods made out of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which can't see or hear or walk. + The people also did not turn away from their murders, witchcraft, sexual sins and stealing. + + + Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was wearing a cloud like a robe. There was a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun. His legs were like pillars of fire. + He was holding a little scroll. It was lying open in his hand. The angel put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. + Then he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. + When they had spoken, I was getting ready to write. But I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said. Do not write it down." + Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. + He made a promise in the name of the One who lives for ever and ever. He took an oath in the name of the One who created the sky, earth and sea and all that is in them. He said, "There will be no more waiting! + But in the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, the last part of God's plan will be carried out. God told all this to the prophets who served him long ago." + Then the voice I had heard from heaven spoke to me again. It said, "Go and take the scroll from the angel standing on the sea and on the land. It is lying open in his hand." + So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will become sour in your stomach. But in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey." + I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. In my mouth it tasted as sweet as honey. But when I had eaten it, it became sour in my stomach. + Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." + + + I was given a long stick that looked like a measuring rod. I was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar. Count the worshipers who are there. + But do not measure the outer courtyard. It has been given to those who aren't Jews. They will overrun the holy city for 42 months. + "I will give power to my two witnesses. They will prophesy for 1,260 days. They will be dressed in black clothes to show how sad they are." + The witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in front of the Lord of the earth. + If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and eats up their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. + These witnesses have power to close up the sky. Then it will not rain while they are prophesying. They also have power to turn the waters into blood. And they can strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want to. + When they have finished giving their witness, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them. He will overpower them and kill them. + Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city where their Lord was nailed to the cross. The city is sometimes pictured as Sodom, or as Egypt. + For three and a half days, people from every tribe, language and nation will stare at their bodies. They will refuse to bury them. + Those who live on the earth will be happy about this and will celebrate. They will send each other gifts, because these two prophets had made them suffer. + But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered the two witnesses. They stood up. Terror struck those who saw them. + Then the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven. It said to them, "Come up here." They went up to heaven in a cloud. Their enemies watched it happen. + At that very hour there was a powerful earthquake. A tenth of the city crumbled and fell. In the earthquake, 7,000 people were killed. Those who lived through it were terrified. They gave glory to the God of heaven. + The second terrible judgment has passed. The third is coming soon. + The seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven. They said, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will rule for ever and ever." + The 24 elders were sitting on their thrones in front of God. They fell on their faces and worshiped God. + They said, "Lord God who rules over all, we give thanks to you. You are the One who is and who was. We give you thanks because you have taken your great power and have begun to rule. + The nations were angry, and the time for your anger has come. The time has come to judge the dead. It is time to reward your servants the prophets and your own people and those who honor you. There is a reward for all your people, both great and small. It is time to destroy those who destroy the earth." + Then God's temple in heaven was opened. Inside it the wooden chest called the ark of his covenant could be seen. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. + + + A great and miraculous sign appeared in heaven. It was a woman wearing the sun like clothes. The moon was under her feet. On her head she wore a crown of 12 stars. + She was pregnant. She cried out in pain because she was about to have a baby. + Then another sign appeared in heaven. It was a huge red dragon. He had seven heads and ten horns. On his seven heads he wore seven crowns. + His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky. It threw them down to earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to have a baby. He wanted to eat her child the moment it was born. + She gave birth to a son. He will rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was taken up to God and to his throne. + The woman escaped into the desert where God had a place prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1,260 days. + There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back. + But the dragon wasn't strong enough. He and his angels lost their place in heaven. + The great dragon was thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him. The dragon is that old serpent called the devil, or Satan. He leads the whole world down the wrong path. + Then I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God have come. The authority of his Christ has come. Satan, who brings charges against our brothers and sisters, has been thrown down. He brings charges against them before our God day and night. + They overcame him because the Lamb gave his life's blood for them. They overcame him by giving witness about Jesus to others. They were willing to risk their lives, even if it led to death. + So be joyful, you heavens! Be glad, all you who live there! But how terrible it will be for the earth and the sea! The devil has come down to you. He is very angry. He knows his time is short." + The dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth. So he chased the woman who had given birth to the boy. + The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle so that she could fly away. She could fly to the place prepared for her in the desert. There she would be taken care of for three and a half years. She would be out of the serpent's reach. + Then the serpent spit water like a river out of his mouth. He wanted to catch her and sweep her away in the flood. + But the earth helped the woman. It opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had spit out. + The dragon was very angry with the woman. He went off to make war against the rest of her children. They obey God's commands and hold firmly to what Jesus has said. + + + The dragon stood on the seashore. I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads. There were ten crowns on his horns. On each head was an evil name that was displeasing to God. + The beast I saw looked like a leopard. But he had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. + One of the beast's heads seemed to have had a deadly wound. But the wound had been healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast. + People worshiped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast. They asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" + The beast was given a mouth to brag and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use his authority for 42 months. + He opened his mouth to speak evil things against God. He told lies about God's character and about the place where God lives and about those who live in heaven with him. + He was allowed to make war against God's people and to overcome them. He was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. + All who live on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Life will worship the beast. The Book of Life belongs to the Lamb whose death was planned before the world was created. + Everyone who has ears should listen. + Everyone who is supposed to be captured will be captured. Everyone who is supposed to be killed with a sword will be killed with a sword. So God's people must be patient and faithful. + Then I saw another beast. This one came out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb. But he spoke like a dragon. + He had all the authority of the first beast. He did what that beast wanted. He made the earth and all who live on it worship the first beast. The first beast was the one whose deadly wound had been healed. + The second beast did great and miraculous signs. He even made fire come from heaven. It came down to earth where everyone could see it. + He did the signs the first beast wanted him to do. In that way the second beast tricked those who live on the earth. He ordered them to set up a statue to honor the first beast. The first beast was the one who had been wounded by the sword and still lived. + The second beast was allowed to give breath to the statue so it could speak. He was allowed to kill all who refused to worship the statue. + He also forced everyone to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. People great or small, rich or poor, free or slave had to receive the mark. + They could not buy or sell anything unless they had the mark. The mark is the name of the beast or the number of his name. + Here is a problem that you have to be wise to figure out. If you can, figure out what the beast's number means. It is man's number. His number is 666. + + + I looked, and there in front of me was the Lamb. He was standing on Mount Zion. With him were 144,000 people. Written on their foreheads were his name and his Father's name. + I heard a sound from heaven. It was like the roar of rushing waters and loud thunder. The sound I heard was like the music of harps being played. + Then everyone sang a new song in front of the throne. They sang it in front of the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000. They had been set free from the evil of the earth. + They had not committed sexual sins with women. They had kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among people as a first offering to God and the Lamb. + Their mouths told no lies. They are without blame. + I saw another angel. He was flying high in the air. He came to tell everyone on earth the good news that will always be true. He told it to every nation, tribe, language and people. + In a loud voice he said, "Have respect for God. Give him glory. The hour has come for God to judge. Worship him who made the heavens and the earth. Worship him who made the sea and the springs of water." + A second angel followed him. He said, "Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! The city of Babylon made all the nations drink the strong wine of her terrible sins." + A third angel followed them. He said in a loud voice, "Watch out, all you who worship the beast and his statue! Watch out, all you who have his mark on your forehead or your hand! + You, too, will drink the wine of God's great anger. His wine has been poured full strength into the cup of his anger. You will be burned with flaming sulfur. The holy angels and the Lamb will see it happen. + The smoke of your terrible suffering will rise for ever and ever. Day and night, there is no rest for you who worship the beast and his statue. There is no rest for you who receive the mark of his name." + God's people need to be very patient. They are the ones who obey God's commands. They remain faithful to Jesus. + Then I heard a voice from heaven. "Write this," it said. "Blessed are the dead who die as believers in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Holy Spirit. "They will rest from their labor. What they have done will not be forgotten." + I looked, and there in front of me was a white cloud. Sitting on the cloud was One who looked "like a son of man."--(Daniel 7:13) He wore a gold crown on his head. In his hand was a sharp, curved blade for cutting grain. + Then another angel came out of the temple. He called in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud. "Take your blade," he said. "Cut the grain. The time has come. The earth is ready to be harvested." + So the one sitting on the cloud swung his blade over the earth. And the earth was harvested. + Another angel came out of the temple in heaven. He too had a sharp, curved blade. + Still another angel came from the altar. He was in charge of the fire on the altar. He called out in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp blade. "Take your blade," he said, "and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth's vine. Its grapes are ripe." + So the angel swung his blade over the earth. He gathered its grapes. Then he threw them into a huge winepress. The winepress stands for God's anger. + In the winepress outside the city, the grapes were stomped on. Blood flowed out of the pit. It spread over the land for about 180 miles. It rose as high as the horses' heads. + + + I saw in heaven another great and miraculous sign. Seven angels were about to bring the seven last plagues. The plagues would complete God's anger. + Then I saw something that looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Standing beside the sea were those who had won the battle over the beast. They had also overcome his statue and the number of his name. They held harps given to them by God. + They sang the song of Moses, who served God, and the song of the Lamb. They sang, "Lord God who rules over all, everything you do is great and wonderful. King of the ages, your ways are true and fair. + Lord, who will not have respect for you? Who will not bring glory to your name? You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you. They see that the things you do are right." + After this I looked, and the temple was opened in heaven. The temple is the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. + Out of the temple came the seven angels who were bringing the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen. They wore gold strips of cloth around their chests. + Then one of the four living creatures gave seven golden bowls to the seven angels. The bowls were filled with the anger of God, who lives for ever and ever. + The temple was filled with smoke that came from the glory and power of God. No one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. + + + Then I heard a loud voice from the temple speaking to the seven angels. "Go," it said. "Pour out the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth." + The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. Ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue. + The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. It turned into blood like the blood of a dead person. Every living thing in the sea died. + The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and on the springs of water. They became blood. + Then I heard the angel who was in charge of the waters. He said, "The way you judge is fair. You are the Holy One. You are the One who is and who was. + The beast's worshipers have poured out the life's blood of your people and your prophets. So you have given those worshipers blood to drink. That's exactly what they should get." + Then I heard the altar reply, "Lord God who rules over all, the way you judge is true and fair." + The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire. + They were burned by the blazing heat. So they spoke evil things against the name of God, who controlled these plagues. But they refused to turn away from their sins. They did not give glory to God. + The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The kingdom of the beast became very dark. People bit their tongues because they were suffering so much. + They spoke evil things against the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. But they refused to turn away from the sins they had committed. + The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its water dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. + Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs. They came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. + They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs. They go out to gather the kings of the whole world for battle. That battle will take place on the great day of the God who rules over all. + "Look! I am coming like a thief! Blessed are those who stay awake and keep their clothes with them. They will not be caught naked. They will not be put to shame." + Then the evil spirits gathered the kings together. The place where the kings met is called Armageddon in the Hebrew language. + The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne. It said, "It is done!" + Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, thunder and a powerful earthquake. There has never been an earthquake as terrible as this since man has lived on earth. + The great city split into three parts. The cities of the nations crumbled and fell. God remembered Babylon the Great. He gave her the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger. + Every island ran away. The mountains could not be found. + Huge hailstones of about 100 pounds each fell from the sky. The hail crushed people. They spoke evil things against God because the plague of hail was so terrible. + + + One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me. He said, "Come. I will show you how the great prostitute will be punished. She is the one who sits on many waters. + The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways. The people living on earth were drunk with the wine of her terrible sins." + Then the angel carried me away in a vision. The Holy Spirit took me into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a bright red beast. It was covered with names that say evil things that are displeasing to God. It had seven heads and ten horns. + The woman was dressed in purple and bright red. She was gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls. In her hand she held a golden cup filled with things that God hates. It was filled with her terrible, dirty sins. + Here is the name that was written on her forehead. mystery the great city of babylon the mother of prostitutes the mother of everything on earth that god hates + I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people. They are the ones who gave witness to Jesus. When I saw her, I was very amazed. + Then the angel said to me, "Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides on. The beast is the one who has the seven heads and ten horns. + The beast that you saw used to exist. But now he does not. He will come up out of the Abyss. He will be destroyed. Some of the people who live on the earth will be amazed when they see the beast. Their names have not been written in the Book of Life from the time the world was created. They will be amazed because even though the beast used to exist and now does not, he will come again. + "Here is a problem that you have to be wise to understand. The seven heads are seven hills that the woman sits on. + They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is ruling, and the other has still not come. When he does come, he must remain for a little while. + "The beast who used to exist, and now does not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the other seven. He will be destroyed. + "The ten horns you saw are ten kings. They have not yet received a kingdom. But for one hour they will receive authority to rule together with the beast. + They have only one purpose. So they give their power and authority to the beast. + They will make war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will overcome them because he is the most powerful Lord of all and the greatest King of all. His appointed, chosen and faithful followers will be with him." + Then the angel spoke to me. "You saw the waters the prostitute sits on," he said. "They stand for all the nations of the world, no matter what their race or language is. + The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will destroy her and leave her naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. + God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose. So they agreed to give the beast their power to rule. They will give him that power until God's words come true. + "The woman you saw stands for the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." + + + After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority. His glory filled the earth with light. + With a mighty voice he shouted, "Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a place where demons live. She has become a den for every evil spirit. She has become a nest for every 'unclean' and hated bird. + All the nations have drunk the strong wine of her terrible sins. The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways. The traders of the world grew rich from her great wealth." + Then I heard another voice from heaven. It said, "Come out of her, my people. Then you will not take part in her sins. You will not suffer from any of her plagues. + Her sins are piled up to heaven. God has remembered her crimes. + Do to her as she has done to others. Pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double dose of what she has mixed for others. + Give her as much pain and suffering as the glory and wealth she gave herself. She brags to herself, 'I rule like a queen. I am not a widow. I will never be sad.' + But she will be plagued by death, sadness and hunger. In a single day they will all catch up with her. She will be burned up by fire. The Lord God who judges her is mighty. + "The kings of the earth who committed terrible sins with her will sob. They will be sad because they used to share her riches. They will see the smoke rising as she burns. + They will be terrified by her suffering. Standing far away, they will exclaim, " 'How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! How terrible for you, Babylon, city of power! In just one hour you have been destroyed!' + "The traders of the world will cry and be sad over her. No one buys what they sell anymore. + Here is what they had for sale. Gold, silver, jewels, pearls. Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth. Every kind of expensive wood. All sorts of articles made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron and marble. + Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense. Wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat. Cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, human slaves. + "The merchants will say, 'The pleasure you longed for has left you. All your riches and glory have disappeared forever.' + The traders who sold these things and became rich because of her will stand far away. Her suffering will terrify them. They will cry and be sad. + They will cry out, " 'How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red! How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls! + In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!' "Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea. + They will see the smoke rising as Babylon burns. They will ask, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' + They will throw dust on their heads. They will cry and be sad. They will cry out, " 'How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! All who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! In just one hour she has been destroyed! + Heaven, be glad for this! God's people, be glad! Apostles and prophets, be glad! God has judged her for the way she treated you.' " + Then a mighty angel picked up a huge rock. It was the size of a large millstone. He threw it into the sea. Then he said, "That is how the great city of Babylon will be thrown down. Never again will it be found. + The songs of musicians will never be heard in you again. Gone will be the music of harp, flute and trumpet. No worker of any kind will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. + The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. Your traders were among the world's most important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led down the wrong path. + You were guilty of the murder of prophets and God's people. You were guilty of the blood of all who have been killed on the earth." + + + After these things I heard a roar in heaven. It sounded like a huge crowd shouting, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. + The way he judges is true and fair. He has judged the great prostitute. She polluted the earth with her terrible sins. God has paid her back for killing those who served him." + Again they shouted, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her fire goes up for ever and ever." + The 24 elders and the four living creatures bowed down. They worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, "Amen! Hallelujah!" + Then a voice came from the throne. It said, "Praise our God, all you who serve him! Praise God, all you who have respect for him, both great and small!" + Then I heard the noise of a huge crowd. It sounded like the roar of rushing waters and like loud thunder. The people were shouting, "Hallelujah! Our Lord God is the King who rules over all. + Let us be joyful and glad! Let us give him glory! It is time for the Lamb's wedding. His bride has made herself ready. + Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear." Fine linen stands for the right things that God's people do. + Here is what the angel told me to write. "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" Then he added, "These are the true words of God." + When I heard this, I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God's servant, just like other believers who hold firmly to what Jesus has taught. Worship God! What Jesus taught is the very heart of prophecy." + I saw heaven standing open. There in front of me was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True. When he judges or makes war, he is always fair. + His eyes are like blazing fire. On his head are many crowns. A name is written on him that only he knows. + He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. His name is The Word of God. + The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses. They were dressed in fine linen, white and clean. + Out of the rider's mouth comes a sharp sword. He will strike down the nations with it. Scripture says, "He will rule them with an iron rod."--(Psalm 2:9) He stomps on the grapes of God's winepress. The winepress stands for the terrible anger of the God who rules over all. + Here is the name that is written on the rider's robe and on his thigh. the greatest king of all and the most powerful lord of all + I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the air, "Come! Gather together for the great supper of God. + Come and eat the dead bodies of kings, generals, and other mighty people. Eat the bodies of horses and their riders. Eat the bodies of all people, free and slave, great and small." + Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies. They had gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. + But the beast and the false prophet were captured. The false prophet had done miraculous signs for the beast. In this way the false prophet had tricked those who had received the mark of the beast and had worshiped his statue. The beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. + The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the rider's mouth. All the birds stuffed themselves with the dead bodies. + + + I saw an angel coming down out of heaven. He had the key to the Abyss. In his hand he held a heavy chain. + He grabbed the dragon, that old serpent. The serpent is also called the devil, or Satan. The angel put him in chains for 1,000 years. + Then he threw him into the Abyss. He locked it and sealed him in. This was to keep Satan from fooling the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. + I saw thrones. Those who had been given authority to judge were sitting on them. I also saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because they had given witness for Jesus and because of God's word. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue. They had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years. + This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended. + Blessed and holy are those who take part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years. + When the 1,000 years are over, Satan will be set free from his prison. + He will go out to fool the nations. He will gather them from the four corners of the earth. He will bring Gog and Magog together for battle. Their troops are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. + They marched across the whole earth. They surrounded the place where God's people were camped. It was the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up. + The devil, who fooled them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. That is where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will all suffer day and night for ever and ever. + I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. When the earth and sky saw his face, they ran away. There was no place for them. + I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what they had done. The things they had done were written in the books. + The sea gave up the dead that were in it. And Death and Hell gave up their dead. Each of the dead was judged by what he had done. + Then Death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. + Anyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. + + + I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone. There was no longer any sea. + I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. + I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, "Now God makes his home with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God. + He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be." + He who was sitting on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true." + He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End. Anyone who is thirsty may drink from the spring of the water of life. It doesn't cost anything! + Anyone who overcomes will receive all this from me. I will be his God, and he will be my child. + "But others will have their place in the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who pollute themselves will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. It is the second death." + One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. The bowls were filled with the seven last plagues. The angel said, "Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." + Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. + It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal. + The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. + There were three gates on the east and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west. + The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. + The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls. + The city was laid out like a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long. + He measured the wall of the city. It was 200 feet thick. The angel did the measuring as a man would. + The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass. + The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was made out of jasper. The second was made out of sapphire. The third was made out of chalcedony. The fourth was made out of emerald. + The fifth was made out of sardonyx. The sixth was made out of carnelian. The seventh was made out of chrysolite. The eighth was made out of beryl. The ninth was made out of topaz. The tenth was made out of chrysoprase. The eleventh was made out of jacinth. The twelfth was made out of amethyst. + The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. Each gate was made out of a single pearl. The main street of the city was made out of pure gold, as clear as glass. + I didn't see a temple in the city. This was because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple. + The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it. God's glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp. + The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it. + Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there. + The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. + Only what is pure will enter it. No one who fools others or does shameful things will enter it. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter the city. + + + Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was as clear as crystal. It flowed from the throne of God and of the Lamb. + It flowed down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit. Its fruit was ripe every month. The leaves of the tree bring healing to the nations. + There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God's servants will serve him. + They will see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. + There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever. + The angel said to me, "You can trust these words. They are true. The Lord is the God of the spirits of the prophets. He sent his angel to show those who serve him the things that must soon take place." + "Look! I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of the prophecy in this book." + I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. After I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel. He is the one who had been showing me these things. + But he said to me, "Don't do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God's servant, just like the other prophets and all who obey the words of this book. Worship God!" + Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this book. These things are about to happen. + Let those who do wrong keep on doing wrong. Let those who are evil continue to be evil. Let those who do what is right keep on doing what is right. And let those who are holy continue to be holy." + "Look! I am coming soon! I bring my rewards with me. I will reward each person for what he has done. + I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End. + "Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will have the right to come to the tree of life. They will be allowed to go through the gates into the city. + "Outside the city are the dogs and those who practice witchcraft. Outside are also those who commit sexual sins and murder. Those who worship statues of gods, and everyone who loves and does what is false, are outside too. + "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this witness for the churches. I am the Root and the Son of David. I am the bright Morning Star." + The Holy Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let those who hear say, "Come!" Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so. + I am warning everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If you add anything to them, God will add to you the plagues told about in this book. + If you take any words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from you your share in the tree of life. He will also take away your place in the Holy City. This book tells about these things. + He who gives witness to these things says, "Yes. I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! + May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. + + + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/Bibles/NLT.xml b/Bibles/NLT.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bff80ea --- /dev/null +++ b/Bibles/NLT.xml @@ -0,0 +1,33617 @@ + + + + + In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. + The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. + Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. + And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. + God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. + Then God said, "Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth." + And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. + God called the space "sky." And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day. + Then God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear." And that is what happened. + God called the dry ground "land" and the waters "seas." And God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let the land sprout with vegetation-- every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And that is what happened. + The land produced vegetation-- all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. + And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day. + Then God said, "Let great lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them mark off the seasons, days, and years. + Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth." And that is what happened. + God made two great lights, the sun and the moon-- the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. + God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, + to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. + And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day. + Then God said, "Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind." + So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird-- each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. + Then God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth." + And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day. + Then God said, "Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind-- livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals." And that is what happened. + God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." + So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. + Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground." + Then God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. + And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground-- everything that has life." And that is what happened. + Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. + + + So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. + On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. + And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. + This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, + neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. The LORD God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. + Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. + Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person. + Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. + The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground-- trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. + A river watered the garden and then flowed out of Eden and divided into four branches. + The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. + The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. + The second branch, called the Gihon, flowed around the entire land of Cush. + The third branch, called the Tigris, flowed east of the land of Asshur. The fourth branch is called the Euphrates. + The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. + But the LORD God warned him, "You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden + -- except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die." + Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." + So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. + He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. + So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening. + Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. + "At last!" the man exclaimed. "This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken from 'man.'" + This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. + Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame. + + + The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" + "Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied. + "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'" + "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. + "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." + The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. + At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. + When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. + Then the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" + He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked." + "Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?" + The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it." + Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." + Then the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. + And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." + Then he said to the woman, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you. " + And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. + It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. + By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return." + Then the man-- Adam-- named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. + And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. + Then the LORD God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!" + So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. + After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. + + + Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, "With the LORD's help, I have produced a man!" + Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. + When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. + Abel also brought a gift-- the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, + but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. + "Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked Cain. "Why do you look so dejected? + You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." + One day Cain suggested to his brother, "Let's go out into the fields." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. + Afterward the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother? Where is Abel?" "I don't know," Cain responded. "Am I my brother's guardian?" + But the LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground! + Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother's blood. + No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." + Cain replied to the LORD, "My punishment is too great for me to bear! + You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!" + The LORD replied, "No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. + So Cain left the LORD's presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. + Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. + Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech. + Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. + Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. + His brother's name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. + Lamech's other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. + One day Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me. + If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!" + Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, "God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed." + When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the LORD by name. + + + This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. + He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them "human." + When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him-- in his very image. He named his son Seth. + After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. + When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. + After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived another 807 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. + When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. + After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. + When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. + After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. + When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. + After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived another 830 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. + When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. + After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. + When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. + After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Enoch lived 365 years, + walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. + When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. + After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. + When Lamech was 182 years old, he became the father of a son. + Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, "May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the LORD has cursed." + After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived another 595 years, and he had other sons and daughters. + Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. + By the time Noah was 500 years old, he was the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + + + Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. + The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. + Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years." + In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. + The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. + So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. + And the LORD said, "I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing-- all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them." + But Noah found favor with the LORD. + This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. + Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. + God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. + So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! + "Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. + Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. + Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat-- lower, middle, and upper. + "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. + But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat-- you and your wife and your sons and their wives. + Bring a pair of every kind of animal-- a male and a female-- into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. + Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. + And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals." + So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. + + + When everything was ready, the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. + Take with you seven pairs-- male and female-- of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. + Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. + Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created." + So Noah did everything as the LORD commanded him. + Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth. + He went on board the boat to escape the flood-- he and his wife and his sons and their wives. + With them were all the various kinds of animals-- those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not-- along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. + They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. + After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth. + When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. + The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights. + That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons-- Shem, Ham, and Japheth-- and their wives. + With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of animal-- domestic and wild, large and small-- along with birds of every kind. + Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes. + A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them. + For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth. + As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface. + Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, + rising more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks. + All the living things on earth died-- birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people. + Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. + God wiped out every living thing on the earth-- people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat. + And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days. + + + But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede. + The underground waters stopped flowing, and the torrential rains from the sky were stopped. + So the floodwaters gradually receded from the earth. After 150 days, + exactly five months from the time the flood began, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. + Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks became visible. + After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat + and released a raven. The bird flew back and forth until the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. + He also released a dove to see if the water had receded and it could find dry ground. + But the dove could find no place to land because the water still covered the ground. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. + After waiting another seven days, Noah released the dove again. + This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. + He waited another seven days and then released the dove again. This time it did not come back. + Noah was now 601 years old. On the first day of the new year, ten and a half months after the flood began, the floodwaters had almost dried up from the earth. Noah lifted back the covering of the boat and saw that the surface of the ground was drying. + Two more months went by, and at last the earth was dry! + Then God said to Noah, + "Leave the boat, all of you-- you and your wife, and your sons and their wives. + Release all the animals-- the birds, the livestock, and the small animals that scurry along the ground-- so they can be fruitful and multiply throughout the earth." + So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat. + And all of the large and small animals and birds came out of the boat, pair by pair. + Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. + And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. + As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night." + + + Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth. + All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. + I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. + But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it. + "And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person's life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. + If anyone takes a human life, that person's life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image. + Now be fruitful and multiply, and repopulate the earth." + Then God told Noah and his sons, + "I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, + and with all the animals that were on the boat with you-- the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals-- every living creature on earth. + Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth." + Then God said, "I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. + I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. + When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, + and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. + When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth." + Then God said to Noah, "Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth." + The sons of Noah who came out of the boat with their father were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham is the father of Canaan.) + From these three sons of Noah came all the people who now populate the earth. + After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. + One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. + Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. + Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked. + When Noah woke up from his stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. + Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham: "May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives." + Then Noah said, "May the LORD, the God of Shem, be blessed, and may Canaan be his servant! + May God expand the territory of Japheth! May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant." + Noah lived another 350 years after the great flood. + He lived 950 years, and then he died. + + + This is the account of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood. + The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. + The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. + Their descendants became the seafaring peoples that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, clan, and national identity. + The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. + The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. + Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. + Since he was the greatest hunter in the world, his name became proverbial. People would say, "This man is like Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world." + He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. + From there he expanded his territory to Assyria, building the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, + and Resen (the great city located between Nineveh and Calah). + Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, + Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came. + Canaan's oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites, + Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, + Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, + Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The Canaanite clans eventually spread out, + and the territory of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha. + These were the descendants of Ham, identified by clan, language, territory, and national identity. + Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber. + The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. + The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. + Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. + Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means "division"), for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups. His brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were descendants of Joktan. + The territory they occupied extended from Mesha all the way to Sephar in the eastern mountains. + These were the descendants of Shem, identified by clan, language, territory, and national identity. + These are the clans that descended from Noah's sons, arranged by nation according to their lines of descent. All the nations of the earth descended from these clans after the great flood. + + + At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. + As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. + They began saying to each other, "Let's make bricks and harden them with fire." (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) + Then they said, "Come, let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world." + But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. + "Look!" he said. "The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! + Come, let's go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other." + In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. + That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the LORD confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. + This is the account of Shem's family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. + After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah. + After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber. + After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. + After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. + After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug. + After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor. + After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah. + After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Terah was 70 years old, he had become the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. + This is the account of Terah's family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. + But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. + Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor's brother Haran.) + But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. + One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. + Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran. + + + The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. + I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. + I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." + So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. + He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth-- his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran-- and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, + Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. + Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants. " And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him. + After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the LORD, and he worshiped the LORD. + Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. + At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. + As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, "Look, you are a very beautiful woman. + When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife. Let's kill him; then we can have her!' + So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you." + And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of Sarai's beauty. + When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. + Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her-- sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. + But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram's wife. + So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. "What have you done to me?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? + Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!" + Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions. + + + So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that they owned. + (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.) + From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before. + This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the LORD again. + Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. + But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. + So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.) + Finally Abram said to Lot, "Let's not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! + The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I'll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I'll go to the left." + Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) + Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. + So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. + But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the LORD. + After Lot had gone, the LORD said to Abram, "Look as far as you can see in every direction-- north and south, east and west. + I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. + And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! + Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you." + So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the LORD. + + + About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim + fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar). + This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea). + For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. + One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, + and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness. + Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar. + Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea. + They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar-- four kings against five. + As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. + The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the spoils of war and the food supplies. + They also captured Lot-- Abram's nephew who lived in Sodom-- and carried off everything he owned. + But one of Lot's men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram's allies. + When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them at Dan. + There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer's army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. + Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives. + After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). + And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. + Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. + And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. + The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered." + Abram replied to the king of Sodom, "I solemnly swear to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, + that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, 'I am the one who made Abram rich.' + I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies-- Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre." + + + Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great." + But Abram replied, "O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since you've given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. + You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir." + Then the LORD said to him, "No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir." + Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!" + And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. + Then the LORD told him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession." + But Abram replied, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?" + The LORD told him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." + So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. + Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. + As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. + Then the LORD said to Abram, "You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. + But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. + (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) + After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction." + After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. + So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, "I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River-- + the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, + Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, + Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites." + + + Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. + So Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal. + So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) + So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. + Then Sarai said to Abram, "This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she's pregnant she treats me with contempt. The LORD will show who's wrong-- you or me!" + Abram replied, "Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit." Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away. + The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. + The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai," she replied. + The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority." + Then he added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count." + And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means 'God hears'), for the LORD has heard your cry of distress. + This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives." + Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, "You are the God who sees me." She also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?" + So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means "well of the Living One who sees me"). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. + So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. + Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born. + + + When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai-- 'God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. + I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants." + At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, + "This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! + What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. + I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! + "I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. + And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God." + Then God said to Abraham, "Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. + This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. + You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. + From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. + All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. + Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant." + Then God said to Abraham, "Regarding Sarai, your wife-- her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. + And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants." + Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of 100?" he thought. "And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?" + So Abraham said to God, "May Ishmael live under your special blessing!" + But God replied, "No-- Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. + As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. + But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year." + When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham. + On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. + Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, + and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. + Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, + along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him. + + + The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. + He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground. + "My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while. + Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. + And since you've honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said." + So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread." + Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. + When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees. + "Where is Sarah, your wife?" the visitors asked."She's inside the tent," Abraham replied. + Then one of them said, "I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!" Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. + Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. + So she laughed silently to herself and said, "How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master-- my husband-- is also so old?" + Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' + Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." + Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, "I didn't laugh." But the LORD said, "No, you did laugh." + Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way. + "Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the LORD asked. + "For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. + I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised." + So the LORD told Abraham, "I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. + I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know." + The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham. + Abraham approached him and said, "Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? + Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city-- will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? + Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" + And the LORD replied, "If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake." + Then Abraham spoke again. "Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. + Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there." + Then Abraham pressed his request further. "Suppose there are only forty?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty." + "Please don't be angry, my Lord," Abraham pleaded. "Let me speak-- suppose only thirty righteous people are found?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it if I find thirty." + Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue-- suppose there are only twenty?" And the LORD replied, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty." + Finally, Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?" And the LORD replied, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten." + When the LORD had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent. + + + That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. + "My lords," he said, "come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again." "Oh no," they replied. "We'll just spend the night out here in the city square." + But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. + But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. + They shouted to Lot, "Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!" + So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. + "Please, my brothers," he begged, "don't do such a wicked thing. + Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection." + "Stand back!" they shouted. "This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he's acting like our judge! We'll treat you far worse than those other men!" And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door. + But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. + Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside. + Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. "Do you have any other relatives here in the city?" they asked. "Get them out of this place-- your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. + For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it." + So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters' fianc�s, "Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is about to destroy it." But the young men thought he was only joking. + At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!" + When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful. + When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, "Run for your lives! And don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!" + "Oh no, my lord!" Lot begged. + "You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. + See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved." + "All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. + But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there." (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means "little place.") + Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. + Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. + He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. + But Lot's wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt. + Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the LORD's presence. + He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace. + But God had listened to Abraham's request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain. + Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. + One day the older daughter said to her sister, "There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can't get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. + Come, let's get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father." + So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again. + The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, "I had sex with our father last night. Let's get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father." + So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again. + As a result, both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their own father. + When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. + When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites. + + + Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, + Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, "She is my sister." So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace. + But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, "You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!" + But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? + Didn't Abraham tell me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'Yes, he is my brother.' I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean." + In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. + Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don't return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die." + Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. + Then Abimelech called for Abraham. "What have you done to us?" he demanded. "What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! + Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?" + Abraham replied, "I thought, 'This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.' + And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her. + When God called me to leave my father's home and to travel from place to place, I told her, 'Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.'" + Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. + Then Abimelech said, "Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live." + And he said to Sarah, "Look, I am giving your 'brother' 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared." + Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. + For the LORD had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham's wife, Sarah. + + + The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. + She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. + And Abraham named their son Isaac. + Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. + Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. + And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. + Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!" + When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. + But Sarah saw Ishmael-- the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar-- making fun of her son, Isaac. + So she turned to Abraham and demanded, "Get rid of that slave-woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won't have it!" + This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. + But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. + But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar's son because he is your son, too." + So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar's shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba. + When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. + Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. "I don't want to watch the boy die," she said, as she burst into tears. + But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, "Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. + Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants." + Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink. + And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, + and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt. + About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do," Abimelech said. + "Swear to me in God's name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner." + Abraham replied, "Yes, I swear to it!" + Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force from Abraham's servants. + "This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech answered. "I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before." + Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. + But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves. + Abimelech asked, "Why have you set these seven apart from the others?" + Abraham replied, "Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well." + Then he named the place Beersheba (which means "well of the oath"), because that was where they had sworn the oath. + After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. + Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God. + And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time. + + + Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called."Yes," he replied. "Here I am." + "Take your son, your only son-- yes, Isaac, whom you love so much-- and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you." + The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. + On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. + "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back." + So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, + Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied."We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" + "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. + When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. + And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. + At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!" + "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son." + Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. + Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." + Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven. + "This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that + I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. + And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed-- all because you have obeyed me." + Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live. + Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor's wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. + The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), + Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. + (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, + Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. + + + When Sarah was 127 years old, + she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her. + Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, + "Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial." + The Hittites replied to Abraham, + "Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way." + Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites and said, + "Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar + to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family." + Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. + "No, my lord," he said to Abraham, "please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead." + Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, + and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. "No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there." + Ephron answered Abraham, + "My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead." + So Abraham agreed to Ephron's price and paid the amount he had suggested-- 400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction. + So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. + It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. + Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). + So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place. + + + Abraham was now a very old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. + One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, "Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. + Swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. + Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac." + The servant asked, "But what if I can't find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?" + "No!" Abraham responded. "Be careful never to take my son there. + For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. + If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there." + So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham's instructions. + Then he loaded ten of Abraham's camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled. + He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water. + "O LORD, God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. + See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. + This is my request. I will ask one of them, 'Please give me a drink from your jug.' If she says, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!'-- let her be the one you have selected as Isaac's wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master." + Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. + Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. + Running over to her, the servant said, "Please give me a little drink of water from your jug." + "Yes, my lord," she answered, "have a drink." And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. + When she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink." + So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels. + The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission. + Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists. + "Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?" + "I am the daughter of Bethuel," she replied. "My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. + Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests." + The man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. + "Praise the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The LORD has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives." + The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. + Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. + He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. Laban said to him, + "Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?" + So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet. + Then food was served. But Abraham's servant said, "I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come." "All right," Laban said, "tell us." + "I am Abraham's servant," he explained. + "And the LORD has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys. + "When Sarah, my master's wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master's son, and my master has given him everything he owns. + And my master made me take an oath. He said, 'Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. + Go instead to my father's house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.' + "But I said to my master, 'What if I can't find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?' + He responded, 'The LORD, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family. + Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.' + "So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: 'O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. + See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, "Please give me a little drink of water from your jug." + If she says, "Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too," let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master's son.' + "Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' + She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!' So I drank, and then she watered the camels. + "Then I asked, 'Whose daughter are you?' She replied, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. + "Then I bowed low and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master's niece to be his son's wife. + So tell me-- will you or won't you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I'll know what to do next." + Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. + Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed." + When Abraham's servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. + Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. + Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.But early the next morning, Abraham's servant said, "Send me back to my master." + "But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days," her brother and mother said. "Then she can go." + But he said, "Don't delay me. The LORD has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master." + "Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks." + So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her.And she replied, "Yes, I will go." + So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her. + They gave her this blessing as she parted: "Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants be strong and conquer the cities of their enemies." + Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham's servant took Rebekah and went on his way. + Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. + One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. + When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. + "Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant.And he replied, "It is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. + Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done. + And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother. + + + Abraham married another wife, whose name was Keturah. + She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. + Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. + Midian's sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah. + Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. + But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east, away from Isaac. + Abraham lived for 175 years, + and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. + His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. + This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah. + After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev. + This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant. + Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael's descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, + Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. + These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped. + Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. + Ishmael's descendants occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives. + This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. + When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean. + Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. + But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked. + And the LORD told her, "The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son." + And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! + The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. + Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau's heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. + As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. + Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. + One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. + Esau said to Jacob, "I'm starved! Give me some of that red stew!" (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means "red.") + "All right," Jacob replied, "but trade me your rights as the firstborn son." + "Look, I'm dying of starvation!" said Esau. "What good is my birthright to me now?" + But Jacob said, "First you must swear that your birthright is mine." So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. + Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn. + + + A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham's time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. + The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. + Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. + I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. + I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions." + So Isaac stayed in Gerar. + When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful." + But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah. + Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, "She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" "Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me," Isaac replied. + "How could you do this to us?" Abimelech exclaimed. "One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin." + Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: "Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!" + When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him. + He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. + He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. + So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac's wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham. + Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too powerful for us." + So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. + He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham's death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them. + Isaac's servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. + But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. "This is our water," they said, and they argued over it with Isaac's herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means "argument"). + Isaac's men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means "hostility"). + Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means "open space"), for he said, "At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land." + From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, + where the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of your father, Abraham," he said. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant." + Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well. + One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. + "Why have you come here?" Isaac asked. "You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land." + They replied, "We can plainly see that the LORD is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let's make a covenant. + Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the LORD has blessed you!" + So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. + Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace. + That very day Isaac's servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. "We've found water!" they exclaimed. + So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means "oath"). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means "well of the oath"). + At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. + But Esau's wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah. + + + One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, "My son." "Yes, Father?" Esau replied. + "I am an old man now," Isaac said, "and I don't know when I may die. + Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. + Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die." + But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, + she said to her son Jacob, "Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, + 'Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the LORD's presence before I die.' + Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. + Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I'll use them to prepare your father's favorite dish. + Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies." + "But look," Jacob replied to Rebekah, "my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. + What if my father touches me? He'll see that I'm trying to trick him, and then he'll curse me instead of blessing me." + But his mother replied, "Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!" + So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. + Then she took Esau's favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. + She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. + Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread. + So Jacob took the food to his father. "My father?" he said."Yes, my son," Isaac answered. "Who are you-- Esau or Jacob?" + Jacob replied, "It's Esau, your firstborn son. I've done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing." + Isaac asked, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The LORD your God put it in my path!" Jacob replied. + Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau." + So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. "The voice is Jacob's, but the hands are Esau's," Isaac said. + But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob's hands felt hairy just like Esau's. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. + "But are you really my son Esau?" he asked."Yes, I am," Jacob replied. + Then Isaac said, "Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing." So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. Then Isaac said to Jacob, + "Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son." + So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, "Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the LORD has blessed! + "From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. + May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed." + As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. + Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said, "Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing." + But Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" Esau replied, "It's your son, your firstborn son, Esau." + Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, "Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came. And yes, that blessing must stand!" + When Esau heard his father's words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. "Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!" he begged. + But Isaac said, "Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing." + Esau exclaimed, "No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven't you saved even one blessing for me?" + Isaac said to Esau, "I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine-- what is left for me to give you, my son?" + Esau pleaded, "But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!" Then Esau broke down and wept. + Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, "You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above. + You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck." + From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: "I will soon be mourning my father's death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob." + But Rebekah heard about Esau's plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, "Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. + So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. + Stay there with him until your brother cools off. + When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?" + Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them." + + + So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, "You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. + Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban's daughters. + May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! + May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham." + So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother's brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean. + Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, "You must not marry a Canaanite woman." + He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. + It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. + So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael's family and married one of Ishmael's daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife's name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son. + Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. + At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. + As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. + At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. + Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions-- to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. + What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you." + Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!" + But he was also afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!" + The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. + He named that place Bethel (which means "house of God"), although the name of the nearby village was Luz. + Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, + and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. + And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me." + + + Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. + He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well. + It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well. + Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, "Where are you from, my friends?" "We are from Haran," they answered. + "Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" he asked."Yes, we do," they replied. + "Is he doing well?" Jacob asked."Yes, he's well," they answered. "Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now." + Jacob said, "Look, it's still broad daylight-- too early to round up the animals. Why don't you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?" + "We can't water the animals until all the flocks have arrived," they replied. "Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats." + Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherd. + And because Rachel was his cousin-- the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother-- and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle's flock. + Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud. + He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father's side-- the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban. + As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story, + Laban exclaimed, "You really are my own flesh and blood!" After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, + Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be." + Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. + There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. + Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, "I'll work for you for seven years if you'll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife." + "Agreed!" Laban replied. "I'd rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me." + So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. + Finally, the time came for him to marry her. "I have fulfilled my agreement," Jacob said to Laban. "Now give me my wife so I can marry her." + So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. + But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. + (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.) + But when Jacob woke up in the morning-- it was Leah! "What have you done to me?" Jacob raged at Laban. "I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?" + "It's not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied. + "But wait until the bridal week is over, then we'll give you Rachel, too-- provided you promise to work another seven years for me." + So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. + (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) + So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years. + When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. + So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me." + She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, "The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son." + Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi, for she said, "Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!" + Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, "Now I will praise the LORD!" And then she stopped having children. + + + When Rachel saw that she wasn't having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!" + Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. "Am I God?" he asked. "He's the one who has kept you from having children!" + Then Rachel told him, "Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too." + So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. + Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. + Rachel named him Dan, for she said, "God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son." + Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. + Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, "I have struggled hard with my sister, and I'm winning!" + Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn't getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. + Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. + Leah named him Gad, for she said, "How fortunate I am!" + Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. + And Leah named him Asher, for she said, "What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me." + One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." + But Leah angrily replied, "Wasn't it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son's mandrakes, too?" Rachel answered, "I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes." + So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. "You must come and sleep with me tonight!" she said. "I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found." So that night he slept with Leah. + And God answered Leah's prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. + She named him Issachar, for she said, "God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife." + Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. + She named him Zebulun, for she said, "God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons." + Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. + Then God remembered Rachel's plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. + She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. "God has removed my disgrace," she said. + And she named him Joseph, for she said, "May the LORD add yet another son to my family." + Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Please release me so I can go home to my own country. + Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you." + "Please listen to me," Laban replied. "I have become wealthy, for the LORD has blessed me because of you. + Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I'll pay it." + Jacob replied, "You know how hard I've worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. + You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The LORD has blessed you through everything I've done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?" + "What wages do you want?" Laban asked again.Jacob replied, "Don't give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I'll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. + Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. + In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you'll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you." + "All right," Laban replied. "It will be as you say." + But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, + who took them a three-days' journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban's flock. + Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. + Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. + And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. + Jacob separated those lambs from Laban's flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban's animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban's. + Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. + But he didn't do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob's. + As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, male and female servants, and many camels and donkeys. + + + But Jacob soon learned that Laban's sons were grumbling about him. "Jacob has robbed our father of everything!" they said. "He has gained all his wealth at our father's expense." + And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban's attitude toward him. + Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you." + So Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to the field where he was watching his flock. + He said to them, "I have noticed that your father's attitude toward me has changed. But the God of my father has been with me. + You know how hard I have worked for your father, + but he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm. + For if he said, 'The speckled animals will be your wages,' the whole flock began to produce speckled young. And when he changed his mind and said, 'The striped animals will be your wages,' then the whole flock produced striped young. + In this way, God has taken your father's animals and given them to me. + "One time during the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the females were streaked, speckled, and spotted. + Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, 'Jacob!' And I replied, 'Yes, here I am.' + "The angel said, 'Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. + I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.' " + Rachel and Leah responded, "That's fine with us! We won't inherit any of our father's wealth anyway. + He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us. + All the wealth God has given you from our father legally belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you." + So Jacob put his wives and children on camels, + and he drove all his livestock in front of him. He packed all the belongings he had acquired in Paddan-aram and set out for the land of Canaan, where his father, Isaac, lived. + At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father's household idols and took them with her. + Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, for they set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving. + So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the hill country of Gilead. + Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. + So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. + But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, "I'm warning you-- leave Jacob alone!" + Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob's. + "What do you mean by stealing away like this?" Laban demanded. "How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? + Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you steal away? And why didn't you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. + Why didn't you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly! + I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, 'Leave Jacob alone!' + I can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father's home. But why have you stolen my gods?" + "I rushed away because I was afraid," Jacob answered. "I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. + But as for your gods, see if you can find them, and let the person who has taken them die! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, identify it before all these relatives of ours, and I will give it back!" But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household idols. + Laban went first into Jacob's tent to search there, then into Leah's, and then the tents of the two servant wives-- but he found nothing. Finally, he went into Rachel's tent. + But Rachel had taken the household idols and hidden them in her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them. When Laban had thoroughly searched her tent without finding them, + she said to her father, "Please, sir, forgive me if I don't get up for you. I'm having my monthly period." So Laban continued his search, but he could not find the household idols. + Then Jacob became very angry, and he challenged Laban. "What's my crime?" he demanded. "What have I done wrong to make you chase after me as though I were a criminal? + You have rummaged through everything I own. Now show me what you found that belongs to you! Set it out here in front of us, before our relatives, for all to see. Let them judge between us! + "For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food. + If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night. + "I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights. + Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times! + In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side-- the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac-- you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!" + Then Laban replied to Jacob, "These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks-- in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? + So come, let's make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment." + So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. + Then he told his family members, "Gather some stones." So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal. + To commemorate the event, Laban called the place Jegar-sahadutha (which means "witness pile" in Aramaic), and Jacob called it Galeed (which means "witness pile" in Hebrew). + Then Laban declared, "This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the covenant we have made today." This explains why it was called Galeed-- "Witness Pile." + But it was also called Mizpah (which means "watchtower"), for Laban said, "May the LORD keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this covenant when we are out of each other's sight. + If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other wives, God will see it even if no one else does. He is a witness to this covenant between us. + "See this pile of stones," Laban continued, "and see this monument I have set between us. + They stand between us as witnesses of our vows. I will never pass this pile of stones to harm you, and you must never pass these stones or this monument to harm me. + I call on the God of our ancestors-- the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of my grandfather Nahor-- to serve as a judge between us." So Jacob took an oath before the fearsome God of his father, Isaac, to respect the boundary line. + Then Jacob offered a sacrifice to God there on the mountain and invited everyone to a covenant feast. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. + Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. + + + As Jacob started on his way again, angels of God came to meet him. + When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, "This is God's camp!" So he named the place Mahanaim. + Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land of Edom. + He told them, "Give this message to my master Esau: 'Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban, + and now I own cattle, donkeys, flocks of sheep and goats, and many servants, both men and women. I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me.'" + After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, "We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you-- with an army of 400 men!" + Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups. + He thought, "If Esau meets one group and attacks it, perhaps the other group can escape." + Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac-- O LORD, you told me, 'Return to your own land and to your relatives.' And you promised me, 'I will treat you kindly.' + I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps! + O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. + But you promised me, 'I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore-- too many to count.'" + Jacob stayed where he was for the night. Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau: + 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, + 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. + He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, "Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds." + He gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: "When my brother, Esau, meets you, he will ask, 'Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?' + You must reply, 'They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right behind us.'" + Jacob gave the same instructions to the second and third herdsmen and to all who followed behind the herds: "You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. + And be sure to say, 'Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.' " Jacob thought, "I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me." + So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp. + During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. + After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions. + This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. + When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket. + Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!" But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." + "What is your name?" the man asked.He replied, "Jacob." + "Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won." + "Please tell me your name," Jacob said."Why do you want to know my name?" the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. + Jacob named the place Peniel (which means "face of God"), for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared." + The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. + (Even today the people of Israel don't eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob's hip.) + + + Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. + He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. + Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. + Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. + Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, "Who are these people with you?" "These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant," Jacob replied. + Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him. + Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him. + "And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?" Esau asked.Jacob replied, "They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship." + "My brother, I have plenty," Esau answered. "Keep what you have for yourself." + But Jacob insisted, "No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! + Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough." And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift. + "Well," Esau said, "let's be going. I will lead the way." + But Jacob replied, "You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die. + Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir." + "All right," Esau said, "but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you." Jacob responded, "That's not necessary. It's enough that you've received me warmly, my lord!" + So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day. + Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means "shelters"). + Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. + Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. + And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel. + + + One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. + But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. + But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. + He said to his father, Hamor, "Get me this young girl. I want to marry her." + Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. + Hamor, Shechem's father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. + Meanwhile, Jacob's sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob's family, something that should never be done. + Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter," he said. "Please let him marry her. + In fact, let's arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. + And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area." + Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah's father and brothers. "Please be kind to me, and let me marry her," he begged. "I will give you whatever you ask. + No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it-- just give me the girl as my wife." + But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob's sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. + They said to them, "We couldn't possibly allow this, because you're not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! + But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, + then we will give you our daughters, and we'll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. + But if you don't agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way." + Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. + Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob's daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, + and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate. + "These men are our friends," they said. "Let's invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. + But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. + But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let's agree to their terms and let them settle here among us." + So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. + But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah's full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, + including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem's house and returned to their camp. + Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob's sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. + They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys-- everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. + They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives. + Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have ruined me! You've made me stink among all the people of this land-- among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!" + "But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?" they retorted angrily. + + + Then God said to Jacob, "Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau." + So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. + We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone." + So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. + As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob's family. + Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. + Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means "God of Bethel"), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau. + Soon after this, Rebekah's old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means "oak of weeping"). + Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, + saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel." So God renamed him Israel. + Then God said, "I am El-Shaddai-- 'God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! + And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you." + Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob. + Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. + And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means "house of God"), because God had spoken to him there. + Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. + After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, "Don't be afraid-- you have another son!" + Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means "son of my sorrow"). The baby's father, however, called him Benjamin (which means "son of my right hand"). + So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). + Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel's grave, and it can be seen there to this day. + Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. + While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: + The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob's oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. + The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. + The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant, were Dan and Naphtali. + The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram. + So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. + Isaac lived for 180 years. + Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him. + + + This is the account of the descendants of Esau (also known as Edom). + Esau married two young women from Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. + He also married his cousin Basemath, who was the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth. + Adah gave birth to a son named Eliphaz for Esau. Basemath gave birth to a son named Reuel. + Oholibamah gave birth to sons named Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. All these sons were born to Esau in the land of Canaan. + Esau took his wives, his children, and his entire household, along with his livestock and cattle-- all the wealth he had acquired in the land of Canaan-- and moved away from his brother, Jacob. + There was not enough land to support them both because of all the livestock and possessions they had acquired. + So Esau (also known as Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir. + This is the account of Esau's descendants, the Edomites, who lived in the hill country of Seir. + These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah; and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. + The descendants of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. + Timna, the concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek. These are the descendants of Esau's wife Adah. + The descendants of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the descendants of Esau's wife Basemath. + Esau also had sons through Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon. Their names were Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + These are the descendants of Esau who became the leaders of various clans: The descendants of Esau's oldest son, Eliphaz, became the leaders of the clans of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, + Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These are the clan leaders in the land of Edom who descended from Eliphaz. All these were descendants of Esau's wife Adah. + The descendants of Esau's son Reuel became the leaders of the clans of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the clan leaders in the land of Edom who descended from Reuel. All these were descendants of Esau's wife Basemath. + The descendants of Esau and his wife Oholibamah became the leaders of the clans of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the clan leaders who descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. + These are the clans descended from Esau (also known as Edom), identified by their clan leaders. + These are the names of the tribes that descended from Seir the Horite. They lived in the land of Edom: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the Horite clan leaders, the descendants of Seir, who lived in the land of Edom. + The descendants of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan also had a sister named Timna. + The descendants of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. + The descendants of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the wilderness while he was grazing his father's donkeys.) + The descendants of Anah were his son, Dishon, and his daughter, Oholibamah. + The descendants of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. + The descendants of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. + The descendants of Dishan were Uz and Aran. + So these were the leaders of the Horite clans: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. The Horite clans are named after their clan leaders, who lived in the land of Seir. + These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: + Bela son of Beor, who ruled in Edom from the city of Dinhabah. + After Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah became king in his place. + After Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites became king in his place. + After Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad became king in his place and ruled from the city of Avith. He was the one who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab. + After Hadad died, Samlah from the city of Masrekah became king in his place. + After Samlah died, Shaul from the city of Rehoboth-on-the-River became king in his place. + After Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Acbor became king in his place. + After Baal-hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad became king in his place and ruled from the city of Pau. Hadad's wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Me-zahab. + These are the names of the leaders of the clans descended from Esau, who lived in the places named for them: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram. These are the leaders of the clans of Edom, listed according to their settlements in the land they occupied. They all descended from Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites. + + + So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner. + This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. + Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph-- a beautiful robe. + But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn't say a kind word to him. + One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. + "Listen to this dream," he said. + "We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!" + His brothers responded, "So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. + Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. "Listen, I have had another dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!" + This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. "What kind of dream is that?" he asked. "Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?" + But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. + Soon after this, Joseph's brothers went to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem. + When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, "Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them." "I'm ready to go," Joseph replied. + "Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along," Jacob said. "Then come back and bring me a report." So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron. + When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. "What are you looking for?" he asked. + "I'm looking for my brothers," Joseph replied. "Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?" + "Yes," the man told him. "They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, 'Let's go on to Dothan.' " So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there. + When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. + "Here comes the dreamer!" they said. + "Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, 'A wild animal has eaten him.' Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!" + But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph's rescue. "Let's not kill him," he said. + "Why should we shed any blood? Let's just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he'll die without our laying a hand on him." Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. + So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. + Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. + Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt. + Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain by killing our brother? His blood would just give us a guilty conscience. + Instead of hurting him, let's sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother-- our own flesh and blood!" And his brothers agreed. + So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt. + Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. + Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, "The boy is gone! What will I do now?" + Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood. + They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: "Look at what we found. Doesn't this robe belong to your son?" + Their father recognized it immediately. "Yes," he said, "it is my son's robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!" + Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. + His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "I will go to my grave mourning for my son," he would say, and then he would weep. + Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard. + + + About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah. + There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her, + she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er. + Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. + And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah's birth, they were living at Kezib. + In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. + But Er was a wicked man in the LORD's sight, so the LORD took his life. + Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother." + But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. + But the LORD considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the LORD took Onan's life, too. + Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Go back to your parents' home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you." (But Judah didn't really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father's home. + Some years later Judah's wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. + Someone told Tamar, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." + Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow's clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. + Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. + So he stopped and propositioned her. "Let me have sex with you," he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law."How much will you pay to have sex with me?" Tamar asked. + "I'll send you a young goat from my flock," Judah promised."But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?" she asked. + "What kind of guarantee do you want?" he replied.She answered, "Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying." So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. + Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothing as usual. + Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn't find her. + So he asked the men who lived there, "Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?" "We've never had a shrine prostitute here," they replied. + So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, "I couldn't find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they've never had a shrine prostitute there." + "Then let her keep the things I gave her," Judah said. "I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn't find her. We'd be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her." + About three months later, Judah was told, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she's pregnant." "Bring her out, and let her be burned!" Judah demanded. + But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?" + Judah recognized them immediately and said, "She is more righteous than I am, because I didn't arrange for her to marry my son Shelah." And Judah never slept with Tamar again. + When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins. + While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child's wrist, announcing, "This one came out first." + But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! "What!" the midwife exclaimed. "How did you break out first?" So he was named Perez. + Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah. + + + When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. + The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. + Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. + This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. + From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar's household for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. + So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing-- except what kind of food to eat!Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, + and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. "Come and sleep with me," she demanded. + But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. + No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God." + She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. + One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. + She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, "Come on, sleep with me!" Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. + When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, + she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. "Look!" she said. "My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. + When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me." + She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. + Then she told him her story. "That Hebrew slave you've brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me," she said. + "But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!" + Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story about how Joseph had treated her. + So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained. + But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. + Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. + The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. + + + Some time later, Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. + Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, + and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. + They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. + While they were in prison, Pharaoh's cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. + When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. + "Why do you look so worried today?" he asked them. + And they replied, "We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean." "Interpreting dreams is God's business," Joseph replied. "Go ahead and tell me your dreams." + So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a grapevine in front of me. + The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes. + I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand." + "This is what the dream means," Joseph said. "The three branches represent three days. + Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. + And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place. + For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it." + When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head. + The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head." + "This is what the dream means," Joseph told him. "The three baskets also represent three days. + Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh." + Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. + He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. + But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. + Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. + + + Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. + In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. + Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. + Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up. + But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. + Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. + And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. + The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. + Finally, the king's chief cup-bearer spoke up. "Today I have been reminded of my failure," he told Pharaoh. + "Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. + One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. + There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. + And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole." + Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it." + "It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease." + So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. "In my dream," he said, "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, + and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. + But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I've never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt. + These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows. + But afterward you wouldn't have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up. + "Then I fell asleep again, and I had another dream. This time I saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. + Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind. + And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean." + Joseph responded, "Both of Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. + The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. + The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine. + "This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. + The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. + But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. + This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. + As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen. + "Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. + Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh's storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. + That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land." + Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. + So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?" + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. + You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours." + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt." + Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. + Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, "Kneel down!" So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. + And Pharaoh said to him, "I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval." + Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt. + He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt. + As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops. + During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities. + He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure. + During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. + Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family." + Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief." + At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end. + Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food. + Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, "Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you." + So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. + And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world. + + + When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you standing around looking at one another? + I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we'll die." + So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. + But Jacob wouldn't let Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him. + So Jacob's sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. + Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. + Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where are you from?" he demanded."From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We have come to buy food." + Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him. + And he remembered the dreams he'd had about them many years before. He said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become." + "No, my lord!" they exclaimed. "Your servants have simply come to buy food. + We are all brothers-- members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!" + "Yes, you are!" Joseph insisted. "You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become." + "Sir," they said, "there are actually twelve of us. We, your servants, are all brothers, sons of a man living in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back there with our father right now, and one of our brothers is no longer with us." + But Joseph insisted, "As I said, you are spies! + This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will never leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here! + One of you must go and get your brother. I'll keep the rest of you here in prison. Then we'll find out whether or not your story is true. By the life of Pharaoh, if it turns out that you don't have a younger brother, then I'll know you are spies." + So Joseph put them all in prison for three days. + On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live. + If you really are honest men, choose one of your brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families. + But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die." To this they agreed. + Speaking among themselves, they said, "Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn't listen. That's why we're in this trouble." + "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy?" Reuben asked. "But you wouldn't listen. And now we have to answer for his blood!" + Of course, they didn't know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. + Now he turned away from them and began to weep. When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. Then he chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes. + Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men's sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother's payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them supplies for their journey home. + So the brothers loaded their donkeys with the grain and headed for home. + But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack. + "Look!" he exclaimed to his brothers. "My money has been returned; it's here in my sack!" Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, "What has God done to us?" + When the brothers came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them. + "The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us," they told him. "He accused us of being spies scouting the land. + But we said, 'We are honest men, not spies. + We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One brother is no longer with us, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan.' + "Then the man who is governor of the land told us, 'This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families and go on home. + But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give you back your brother, and you may trade freely in the land.'" + As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man's sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money. + Jacob exclaimed, "You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!" + Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. I'll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back." + But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. " + + + But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. + When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy us a little more food." + But Judah said, "The man was serious when he warned us, 'You won't see my face again unless your brother is with you.' + If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. + But if you don't let Benjamin go, we won't go either. Remember, the man said, 'You won't see my face again unless your brother is with you.'" + "Why were you so cruel to me?" Jacob moaned. "Why did you tell him you had another brother?" + "The man kept asking us questions about our family," they replied. "He asked, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" + Judah said to his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation-- and not only we, but you and our little ones. + I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don't bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. + If we hadn't wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now." + So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, "If it can't be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts-- balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. + Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone's mistake. + Then take your brother, and go back to the man. + May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it." + So the men packed Jacob's gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. + When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, "These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast." + So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph's palace. + The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph's house. "It's because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here," they said. "He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys." + The brothers approached the manager of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace. + "Sir," they said, "we came to Egypt once before to buy food. + But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man's money-- the exact amount paid-- was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us. + We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks." + "Relax. Don't be afraid," the household manager told them. "Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment." Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them. + The manager then led the men into Joseph's palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys. + They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon. + When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him. + After greeting them, he asked, "How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?" + "Yes," they replied. "Our father, your servant, is alive and well." And they bowed low again. + Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" Joseph asked. "May God be gracious to you, my son." + Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept. + After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, "Bring out the food!" + The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them. + Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest. + And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him. + + + When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: "Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man's money back into his sack. + Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother's sack, along with the money for his grain." So the manager did as Joseph instructed him. + The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys. + But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, "Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, 'Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil? + Why have you stolen my master's silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!' " + When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed. + "What are you talking about?" the brothers responded. "We are your servants and would never do such a thing! + Didn't we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? + If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves." + "That's fair," the man replied. "But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free." + They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. + The palace manager searched the brothers' sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack! + When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city. + Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. + "What have you done?" Joseph demanded. "Don't you know that a man like me can predict the future?" + Judah answered, "Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves-- all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack." + "No," Joseph said. "I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace." + Then Judah stepped forward and said, "Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself. + "My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' + And we responded, 'Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him very much.' + "And you said to us, 'Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.' + But we said to you, 'My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.' + But you told us, 'Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.' + "So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. + Later, when he said, 'Go back again and buy us more food,' + we replied, 'We can't go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We'll never get to see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' + "Then my father said to us, 'As you know, my wife had two sons, + and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. + Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ' + "And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father's life is bound up in the boy's life. + If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. + My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, 'If I don't bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.' + "So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. + For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!" + + + Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, "Out, all of you!" So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. + Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh's palace. + "I am Joseph!" he said to his brothers. "Is my father still alive?" But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. + "Please, come closer," he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. + But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. + This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. + God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. + So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh-- the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. + "Now hurry back to my father and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! + You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. + I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.'" + Then Joseph added, "Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! + Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly." + Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. + Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him. + The news soon reached Pharaoh's palace: "Joseph's brothers have arrived!" Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this. + Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. + Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.'" + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your father here. + Don't worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" + So the sons of Jacob did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. + And he gave each of them new clothes-- but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces of silver. + He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey. + So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, "Don't quarrel about all this along the way!" + And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan. + "Joseph is still alive!" they told him. "And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!" Jacob was stunned at the news-- he couldn't believe it. + But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father's spirits revived. + Then Jacob exclaimed, "It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die." + + + So Jacob set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. + During the night God spoke to him in a vision. "Jacob! Jacob!" he called."Here I am," Jacob replied. + "I am God, the God of your father," the voice said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation. + I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. But you will die in Egypt with Joseph attending to you." + So Jacob left Beersheba, and his sons took him to Egypt. They carried him and their little ones and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them. + They also took all their livestock and all the personal belongings they had acquired in the land of Canaan. So Jacob and his entire family went to Egypt-- + sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters-- all his descendants. + These are the names of the descendants of Israel-- the sons of Jacob-- who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob's oldest son. + The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul's mother was a Canaanite woman.) + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (though Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. + The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. + These were the sons of Leah and Jacob who were born in Paddan-aram, in addition to their daughter, Dinah. The number of Jacob's descendants (male and female) through Leah was thirty-three. + The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. + The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah's sons were Heber and Malkiel. + These were the sons of Zilpah, the servant given to Leah by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob's descendants through Zilpah was sixteen. + The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. + Joseph's sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. + Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. + These were the sons of Rachel and Jacob. The number of Jacob's descendants through Rachel was fourteen. + The son of Dan was Hushim. + The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. + These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob's descendants through Bilhah was seven. + The total number of Jacob's direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his sons' wives, was sixty-six. + In addition, Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt. So altogether, there were seventy members of Jacob's family in the land of Egypt. + As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived there, + Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time. + Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive." + And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's entire family, "I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'My brothers and my father's entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan. + These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.'" + Then he said, "When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, + you must tell him, 'We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.' When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds." + + + Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, "My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen." + Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. + And Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" They replied, "We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors. + We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen." + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, + choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too." + Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. + "How old are you?" Pharaoh asked him. + Jacob replied, "I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors." + Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court. + So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt-- the region of Rameses-- to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded. + And Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children. + Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. + By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh's treasury. + When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. "Our money is gone!" they cried. "But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!" + Joseph replied, "Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock." + So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year. + But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, "We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. + Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate." + So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. + As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other. + The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn't need to sell their land. + Then Joseph said to the people, "Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. + Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones." + "You have saved our lives!" they exclaimed. "May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh's servants." + Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh. + Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. + Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all. + As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, "Please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request: Do not bury me in Egypt. + When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors." So Joseph promised, "I will do as you ask." + "Swear that you will do it," Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed. + + + One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, "Your father is failing rapidly." So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. + When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to see you." So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed. + Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. + He said to me, 'I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.' + "Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. + But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh. + "Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath." + Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. "Are these your sons?" he asked. + "Yes," Joseph told him, "these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt." And Jacob said, "Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them." + Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. + Then Jacob said to Joseph, "I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!" + Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather's knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. + Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob's left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob's right hand. + But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys' heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. + Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked-- the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day, + the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm-- may he bless these boys. May they preserve my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac. And may their descendants multiply greatly throughout the earth." + But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim's head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. + "No, my father," he said. "This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head." + But his father refused. "I know, my son; I know," he replied. "Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations." + So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: "The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, 'May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.' " In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. + Then Jacob said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. + And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow." + + + Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, "Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come. + "Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father. + "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power. + But you are as unruly as a flood, and you will be first no longer. For you went to bed with my wife; you defiled my marriage couch. + "Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence. + May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport. + A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel. + "Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you. + Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness-- who dares to rouse him? + The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor. + He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. + His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. + "Zebulun will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon. + "Issachar is a sturdy donkey, resting between two saddlepacks. + When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor. + "Dan will govern his people, like any other tribe in Israel. + Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse's hooves so its rider is thrown off. + I trust in you for salvation, O LORD! + "Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them when they retreat. + "Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings. + "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. + "Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring-- one of the wild donkeys on the ridge. + Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him. + But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. + May the God of your father help you; May the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessings of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and womb. + May the blessings of your father surpass the blessings of the ancient mountains, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers. + "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening." + These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message. + Then Jacob instructed them, "Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. + This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. + There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. + It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites." + When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death. + + + Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. + Then Joseph told the physicians who served him to embalm his father's body; so Jacob was embalmed. + The embalming process took the usual forty days. And the Egyptians mourned his death for seventy days. + When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh's advisers and said, "Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. + Tell him that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, 'Listen, I am about to die. Take my body back to the land of Canaan, and bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself.' So please allow me to go and bury my father. After his burial, I will return without delay." + Pharaoh agreed to Joseph's request. "Go and bury your father, as he made you promise," he said. + So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh's officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh's household, and all the senior officers of Egypt. + Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. + A great number of chariots and charioteers accompanied Joseph. + When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn memorial service, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph's father. + The local residents, the Canaanites, watched them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad. Then they renamed that place (which is near the Jordan) Abel-mizraim, for they said, "This is a place of deep mourning for these Egyptians." + So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them. + They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephron the Hittite. + After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father's burial. + But now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became fearful. "Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him," they said. + So they sent this message to Joseph: "Before your father died, he instructed us + to say to you: 'Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you-- for their sin in treating you so cruelly.' So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin." When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. + Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. "Look, we are your slaves!" they said. + But Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? + You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. + No, don't be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children." So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. + So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. + He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh's son Makir, whom he claimed as his own. + "Soon I will die," Joseph told his brothers, "but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." + Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, "When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you." + So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + + These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family: + Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, + Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, + Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. + In all, Jacob had seventy descendants in Egypt, including Joseph, who was already there. + In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. + But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land. + Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. + He said to his people, "Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. + We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don't, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country. " + So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. + But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. + So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. + They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands. + Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: + "When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live." + But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. + So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. "Why have you done this?" he demanded. "Why have you allowed the boys to live?" + "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women," the midwives replied. "They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time." + So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. + And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. + Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live." + + + About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. + The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. + But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. + The baby's sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him. + Soon Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. + When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This must be one of the Hebrew children," she said. + Then the baby's sister approached the princess. "Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" she asked. + "Yes, do!" the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother. + "Take this baby and nurse him for me," the princess told the baby's mother. "I will pay you for your help." So the woman took her baby home and nursed him. + Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, "I lifted him out of the water." + Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. + After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. + The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "Why are you beating up your friend?" Moses said to the one who had started the fight. + The man replied, "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" Then Moses was afraid, thinking, "Everyone knows what I did." + And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well. + Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father's flocks. + But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks. + When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, "Why are you back so soon today?" + "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds," they answered. "And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks." + "Then where is he?" their father asked. "Why did you leave him there? Invite him to come and eat with us." + Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. + Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land." + Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. + God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. + + + One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. + There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn up. + "This is amazing," Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go see it." + When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. + "Do not come any closer," the LORD warned. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. + I am the God of your father-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. + Then the LORD told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. + So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey-- the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. + Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. + Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt." + But Moses protested to God, "Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?" + God answered, "I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain." + But Moses protested, "If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' they will ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" + God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you." + God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. + "Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-- has appeared to me. He told me, "I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. + I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey-- the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live."' + "The elders of Israel will accept your message. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD, our God.' + "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him. + So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. + And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. + Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth." + + + But Moses protested again, "What if they won't believe me or listen to me? What if they say, 'The LORD never appeared to you'?" + Then the LORD asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A shepherd's staff," Moses replied. + "Throw it down on the ground," the LORD told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. + Then the LORD told him, "Reach out and grab its tail." So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd's staff in his hand. + "Perform this sign," the LORD told him. "Then they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-- really has appeared to you." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. + "Now put your hand back into your cloak," the LORD said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. + The LORD said to Moses, "If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. + And if they don't believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground." + But Moses pleaded with the LORD, "O Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled." + Then the LORD asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? + Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say." + But Moses again pleaded, "Lord, please! Send anyone else." + Then the LORD became angry with Moses. "All right," he said. "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. + Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. + Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. + And take your shepherd's staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you." + So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. "Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt," Moses said. "I don't even know if they are still alive." "Go in peace," Jethro replied. + Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, "Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died." + So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God. + And the LORD told Moses, "When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. + Then you will tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son. + I commanded you, "Let my son go, so he can worship me." But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!'" + On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted him and was about to kill him. + But Moses' wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, "Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me." + (When she said "a bridegroom of blood," she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the LORD left him alone. + Now the LORD had said to Aaron, "Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses." So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him. + Moses then told Aaron everything the LORD had commanded him to say. And he told him about the miraculous signs the LORD had commanded him to perform. + Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. + Aaron told them everything the LORD had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. + Then the people of Israel were convinced that the LORD had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. + + + After this presentation to Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go so they may hold a festival in my honor in the wilderness." + "Is that so?" retorted Pharaoh. "And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go." + But Aaron and Moses persisted. "The God of the Hebrews has met with us," they declared. "So let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can offer sacrifices to the LORD our God. If we don't, he will kill us with a plague or with the sword." + Pharaoh replied, "Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work! + Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work." + That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: + "Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves! + But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don't reduce the quota. They are lazy. That's why they are crying out, 'Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.' + Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!" + So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people: "This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you. + Go and get it yourselves. Find it wherever you can. But you must produce just as many bricks as before!" + So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw. + Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to push hard. "Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!" they demanded. + Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews. "Why haven't you met your quotas either yesterday or today?" they demanded. + So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. "Please don't treat your servants like this," they begged. + "We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, 'Make bricks!' We are being beaten, but it isn't our fault! Your own people are to blame!" + But Pharaoh shouted, "You're just lazy! Lazy! That's why you're saying, 'Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.' + Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks." + The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, "You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day." + As they left Pharaoh's court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. + The foremen said to them, "May the LORD judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!" + Then Moses went back to the LORD and protested, "Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? + Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!" + + + Then the LORD told Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!" + And God said to Moses, "I am Yahweh-- 'the LORD.' + I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai-- 'God Almighty'-- but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. + And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. + You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. + "Therefore, say to the people of Israel: 'I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. + I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. + I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the LORD!'" + So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country." + "But LORD!" Moses objected. "My own people won't listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I'm such a clumsy speaker! " + But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The LORD commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. + These are the ancestors of some of the clans of Israel: The sons of Reuben, Israel's oldest son, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Their descendants became the clans of Reuben. + The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul's mother was a Canaanite woman.) Their descendants became the clans of Simeon. + These are the descendants of Levi, as listed in their family records: The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Levi lived to be 137 years old.) + The descendants of Gershon included Libni and Shimei, each of whom became the ancestor of a clan. + The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. (Kohath lived to be 133 years old.) + The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, as listed in their family records. + Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons, Aaron and Moses. (Amram lived to be 137 years old.) + The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri. + The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. + Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. Their descendants became the clans of Korah. + Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to his son, Phinehas. These are the ancestors of the Levite families, listed according to their clans. + The Aaron and Moses named in this list are the same ones to whom the LORD said, "Lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army." + It was Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. + When the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, + he said to him, "I am the LORD! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you." + But Moses argued with the LORD, saying, "I can't do it! I'm such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?" + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. + Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. + But I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. + Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces-- my people, the Israelites-- from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. + When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." + So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. + Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh. + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Pharaoh will demand, 'Show me a miracle.' When he does this, say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent. ' " + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! + Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. + They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. + Pharaoh's heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the LORD had predicted. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, and he still refuses to let the people go. + So go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes down to the river. Stand on the bank of the Nile and meet him there. Be sure to take along the staff that turned into a snake. + Then announce to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, "Let my people go, so they can worship me in the wilderness." Until now, you have refused to listen to him. + So this is what the LORD says: "I will show you that I am the LORD." Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood. + The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.'" + Then the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt-- all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.'" + So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood! + The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn't drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. + But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh's heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted. + Pharaoh returned to his palace and put the whole thing out of his mind. + Then all the Egyptians dug along the riverbank to find drinking water, for they couldn't drink the water from the Nile. + Seven days passed from the time the LORD struck the Nile. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. + If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. + The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. + Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.'" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.' " + So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! + But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, "Plead with the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the LORD." + "You set the time!" Moses replied. "Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River." + "Do it tomorrow," Pharaoh said."All right," Moses replied, "it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the LORD our God. + The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River." + So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh's palace, and Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharaoh. + And the LORD did just what Moses had predicted. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields all died. + The Egyptians piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land. + But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted. + So the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.'" + So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats. + Pharaoh's magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike. + "This is the finger of God!" the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's heart remained hard. He wouldn't listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted. + Then the LORD told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh's way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. + If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them. + But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land. + I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.' " + And the LORD did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh's palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies. + Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. "All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God," he said. "But do it here in this land." + But Moses replied, "That wouldn't be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the LORD our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us. + We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, just as he has commanded us." + "All right, go ahead," Pharaoh replied. "I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don't go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me." + Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you, Pharaoh, don't lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." + So Moses left Pharaoh's palace and pleaded with the LORD to remove all the flies. + And the LORD did as Moses asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained. + But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go. + + + "Go back to Pharaoh," the LORD commanded Moses. "Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. + If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, + the hand of the LORD will strike all your livestock-- your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats-- with a deadly plague. + But the LORD will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel's animals will die! + The LORD has already set the time for the plague to begin. He has declared that he will strike the land tomorrow.'" + And the LORD did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn't lose a single animal. + Pharaoh sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh's heart remained stubborn, and he still refused to let the people go. + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. + The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land." + So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike. + Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. + If you don't, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. + By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. + But I have spared you for a purpose-- to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth. + But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. + So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt. + Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.'" + Some of Pharaoh's officials were afraid because of what the LORD had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields. + But those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left theirs out in the open. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt." + So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. + Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. + It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field-- people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. + The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. + Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he confessed. "The LORD is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong. + Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We've had enough. I will let you go; you don't need to stay any longer." + "All right," Moses replied. "As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD. + But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God." + (All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding. + But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.) + So Moses left Pharaoh's court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the LORD, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. + But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. + Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted through Moses. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them. + I've also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them-- and so you will know that I am the LORD." + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. + If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country. + They will cover the land so that you won't be able to see the ground. They will devour what little is left of your crops after the hailstorm, including all the trees growing in the fields. + They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!" And with that, Moses turned and left Pharaoh. + Pharaoh's officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. "How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship the LORD their God! Don't you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?" + So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "All right," he told them, "go and worship the LORD your God. But who exactly will be going with you?" + Moses replied. "We will all go-- young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the LORD." + Pharaoh retorted, "The LORD will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan. + Never! Only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you requested." And Pharaoh threw them out of the palace. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm." + So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the LORD caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. + And the locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt, settling in dense swarms from one end of the country to the other. It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never been another one like it. + For the locusts covered the whole country and darkened the land. They devoured every plant in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had survived the hailstorm. Not a single leaf was left on the trees and plants throughout the land of Egypt. + Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you," he confessed. + "Forgive my sin, just this once, and plead with the LORD your God to take away this death from me." + So Moses left Pharaoh's court and pleaded with the LORD. + The LORD responded by shifting the wind, and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt. + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart again, so he refused to let the people go. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it." + So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. + During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived. + Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses. "Go and worship the LORD," he said. "But leave your flocks and herds here. You may even take your little ones with you." + "No," Moses said, "you must provide us with animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD our God. + All our livestock must go with us, too; not a hoof can be left behind. We must choose our sacrifices for the LORD our God from among these animals. And we won't know how we are to worship the LORD until we get there." + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart once more, and he would not let them go. + "Get out of here!" Pharaoh shouted at Moses. "I'm warning you. Never come back to see me again! The day you see my face, you will die!" + "Very well," Moses replied. "I will never see your face again." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave. + Tell all the Israelite men and women to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold." + (Now the LORD had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel. And Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh's officials and the Egyptian people alike.) + Moses had announced to Pharaoh, "This is what the LORD says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. + All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. + Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. + But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. + All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. 'Please leave!' they will beg. 'Hurry! And take all your followers with you.' Only then will I go!" Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh. + Now the LORD had told Moses earlier, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt." + Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh's presence, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he wouldn't let the Israelites leave the country. + + + While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: + "From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. + Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. + If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. + The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. + "Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. + They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. + That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. + Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal-- including the head, legs, and internal organs-- must be roasted over a fire. + Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning. + "These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the LORD's Passover. + On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! + But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. + "This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD. This is a law for all time. + For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. + On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food. + "Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation. + The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month. + During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites. + During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast." + Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, "Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. + Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. + For the LORD will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down. + "Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. + When you enter the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. + Then your children will ask, 'What does this ceremony mean?' + And you will reply, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.' " When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped. + So the people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded through Moses and Aaron. + And that night at midnight, the LORD struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. + Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. + Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. "Get out!" he ordered. "Leave my people-- and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the LORD as you have requested. + Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave." + All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, "We will all die!" + The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders. + And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. + The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth! + That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. + A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. + For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food. + The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. + In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD's forces left the land. + On this night the LORD kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation. + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the instructions for the festival of Passover. No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal. + But any slave who has been purchased may eat it if he has been circumcised. + Temporary residents and hired servants may not eat it. + Each Passover lamb must be eaten in one house. Do not carry any of its meat outside, and do not break any of its bones. + The whole community of Israel must celebrate this Passover festival. + "If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the LORD's Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite. But no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal. + This instruction applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner living among you." + So all the people of Israel followed all the LORD's commands to Moses and Aaron. + On that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me." + So Moses said to the people, "This is a day to remember forever-- the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the LORD has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.) + On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free. + You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that he would give you this land-- a land flowing with milk and honey.) + For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the LORD. + Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. In fact, there must be no yeast bread or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time. + "On the seventh day you must explain to your children, 'I am celebrating what the LORD did for me when I left Egypt.' + This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the LORD: 'With a strong hand, the LORD rescued you from Egypt.' + So observe the decree of this festival at the appointed time each year. + "This is what you must do when the LORD fulfills the promise he swore to you and to your ancestors. When he gives you the land where the Canaanites now live, + you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the LORD, for they belong to him. + A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the LORD by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son. + "And in the future, your children will ask you, 'What does all this mean?' Then you will tell them, 'With the power of his mighty hand, the LORD brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. + Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the LORD killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the LORD-- except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.' + This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the LORD's mighty hand brought us out of Egypt." + When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, "If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." + So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle. + Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, "God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place." + The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. + The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. + And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. + + + Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses: + "Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. + Then Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!' + And once again I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!" So the Israelites camped there as they were told. + When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. "What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?" they asked. + So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. + He took with him 600 of Egypt's best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. + The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. + The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh's army-- all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon. + As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, + and they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? + Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It's better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!'" + But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. + The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! + Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. + And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. + When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!" + Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. + The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. + Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. + So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! + Then the Egyptians-- all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and charioteers-- chased them into the middle of the sea. + But just before dawn the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. + He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. "Let's get out of here-- away from these Israelites!" the Egyptians shouted. "The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!" + When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, "Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers." + So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. + Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers-- the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. + But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. + That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. + When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses. + + + Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. + The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him-- my father's God, and I will exalt him! + The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name! + Pharaoh's chariots and army he has hurled into the sea. The finest of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. + The deep waters gushed over them; they sank to the bottom like a stone. + "Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power. Your right hand, O LORD, smashes the enemy. + In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you. You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw. + At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard. + "The enemy boasted, 'I will chase them and catch up with them. I will plunder them and consume them. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy them.' + But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. + "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD-- glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? + You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. + "With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. + The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia. + The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt away; + terror and dread fall upon them. The power of your arm makes them lifeless as stone until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you purchased pass by. + You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain-- the place, O LORD, reserved for your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. + The LORD will reign forever and ever!" + When Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the LORD brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground! + Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. + And Miriam sang this song: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea." + Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. + When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means "bitter"). + Then the people complained and turned against Moses. "What are we going to drink?" they demanded. + So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. + He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you." + After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water. + + + Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. + There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. + "If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt," they moaned. "There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. + On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual." + So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "By evening you will realize it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. + In the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?" + Then Moses added, "The LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the LORD, not against us." + Then Moses said to Aaron, "Announce this to the entire community of Israel: 'Present yourselves before the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'" + And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the LORD in the cloud. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "I have heard the Israelites' complaints. Now tell them, 'In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'" + That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. + When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. + The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. "What is it?" they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.And Moses told them, "It is the food the LORD has given you to eat. + These are the LORD's instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent." + So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. + But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed. + Then Moses told them, "Do not keep any of it until morning." + But some of them didn't listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them. + After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. + On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual-- four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. + He told them, "This is what the LORD commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the LORD. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow." + So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. + Moses said, "Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the LORD. There will be no food on the ground today. + You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day." + Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. + The LORD asked Moses, "How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? + They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD's gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day." + So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day. + The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers. + Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt." + Moses said to Aaron, "Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the LORD to preserve it for all future generations." + Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant-- in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. + So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. + The container used to measure the manna was an omer, which was one tenth of an ephah; it held about two quarts. + + + At the LORD's command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. + So once more the people complained against Moses. "Give us water to drink!" they demanded."Quiet!" Moses replied. "Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the LORD?" + But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?" + Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!" + The LORD said to Moses, "Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. + I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink." So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on. + Moses named the place Massah (which means "test") and Meribah (which means "arguing") because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, "Is the LORD here with us or not?" + While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. + Moses commanded Joshua, "Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand." + So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. + As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. + Moses' arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. + As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. + After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven." + Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means "the LORD is my banner"). + He said, "They have raised their fist against the LORD's throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek generation after generation." + + + Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the LORD had rescued them from Egypt. + Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. + (Moses' first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land." + His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, "The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.") + Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses' wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. + Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, "I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons." + So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other's welfare and then went into Moses' tent. + Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the LORD had rescued his people from all their troubles. + Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians. + "Praise the LORD," Jethro said, "for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! + I know now that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians." + Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God's presence. + The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people's disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening. + When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?" + Moses replied, "Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. + When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God's decrees and give them his instructions." + "This is not good!" Moses' father-in-law exclaimed. + "You're going to wear yourself out-- and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. + Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people's representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. + Teach them God's decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. + But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. + They should always be available to solve the people's common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. + If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace." + Moses listened to his father-in-law's advice and followed his suggestions. + He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. + These men were always available to solve the people's common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves. + Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land. + + + Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. + After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai. + Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: + 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. + Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. + And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.' This is the message you must give to the people of Israel." + So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the LORD had commanded him. + And all the people responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded." So Moses brought the people's answer back to the LORD. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you." Moses told the LORD what the people had said. + Then the LORD told Moses, "Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. + Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. + Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, 'Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. + No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.' However, when the ram's horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain. " + So Moses went down to the people. He consecrated them for worship, and they washed their clothes. + He told them, "Get ready for the third day, and until then abstain from having sexual intercourse." + On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram's horn, and all the people trembled. + Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. + All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. + As the blast of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. + The LORD came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain. + Then the LORD told Moses, "Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the LORD, or they will die. + Even the priests who regularly come near to the LORD must purify themselves so that the LORD does not break out and destroy them." + "But LORD," Moses protested, "the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already warned us. You told me, 'Mark off a boundary all around the mountain to set it apart as holy.'" + But the LORD said, "Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. In the meantime, do not let the priests or the people break through to approach the LORD, or he will break out and destroy them." + So Moses went down to the people and told them what the LORD had said. + + + Then God gave the people all these instructions: + "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. + "You must not have any other god but me. + "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. + You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-- even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. + But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. + "You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. + "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. + You have six days each week for your ordinary work, + but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. + For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. + "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. + "You must not murder. + "You must not commit adultery. + "You must not steal. + "You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. + "You must not covet your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor." + When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram's horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. + And they said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen. But don't let God speak directly to us, or we will die!" + "Don't be afraid," Moses answered them, "for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!" + As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. + Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. + "Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me-- your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you. + If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use. + And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness. + + + "These are the regulations you must present to Israel. + "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. + If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him. + "If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. + But the slave may declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don't want to go free.' + If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. + "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. + If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. + But if the slave's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter. + "If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. + If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. + "Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. + But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety. + However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death. + "Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death. + "Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves. + "Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. + "Now suppose two men quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured person does not die but is confined to bed. + If he is later able to walk outside again, even with a crutch, the assailant will not be punished but must compensate his victim for lost wages and provide for his full recovery. + "If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished. + But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property. + "Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman's husband demands and the judges approve. + But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, + an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, + a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise. + "If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. + And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth. + "If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable. + But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death. + However, the dead person's relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded. + "The same regulation applies if the ox gores a boy or a girl. + But if the ox gores a slave, either male or female, the animal's owner must pay the slave's owner thirty silver coins, and the ox must be stoned. + "Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it. + The owner of the pit must pay full compensation to the owner of the animal, but then he gets to keep the dead animal. + "If someone's ox injures a neighbor's ox and the injured ox dies, then the two owners must sell the live ox and divide the price equally between them. They must also divide the dead animal. + But if the ox had a reputation for goring, yet its owner failed to keep it under control, he must pay full compensation-- a live ox for the dead one-- but he may keep the dead ox. + + + "If someone steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen. + "If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. + But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder."A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft. + If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief's possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal. + "If an animal is grazing in a field or vineyard and the owner lets it stray into someone else's field to graze, then the animal's owner must pay compensation from the best of his own grain or grapes. + "If you are burning thornbushes and the fire gets out of control and spreads into another person's field, destroying the sheaves or the uncut grain or the whole crop, the one who started the fire must pay for the lost crop. + "Suppose someone leaves money or goods with a neighbor for safekeeping, and they are stolen from the neighbor's house. If the thief is caught, the compensation is double the value of what was stolen. + But if the thief is not caught, the neighbor must appear before God, who will determine if he stole the property. + "Suppose there is a dispute between two people who both claim to own a particular ox, donkey, sheep, article of clothing, or any lost property. Both parties must come before God, and the person whom God declares guilty must pay double compensation to the other. + "Now suppose someone leaves a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal with a neighbor for safekeeping, but it dies or is injured or gets away, and no one sees what happened. + The neighbor must then take an oath in the presence of the LORD. If the LORD confirms that the neighbor did not steal the property, the owner must accept the verdict, and no payment will be required. + But if the animal was indeed stolen, the guilty person must pay compensation to the owner. + If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the remains of the carcass must be shown as evidence, and no compensation will be required. + "If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it is injured or dies when the owner is absent, the person who borrowed it must pay full compensation. + But if the owner was present, no compensation is required. And no compensation is required if the animal was rented, for this loss is covered by the rental fee. + "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and has sex with her, he must pay the customary bride price and marry her. + But if her father refuses to let him marry her, the man must still pay him an amount equal to the bride price of a virgin. + "You must not allow a sorceress to live. + "Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must certainly be put to death. + "Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed. + "You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. + "You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. + If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. + My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. + "If you lend money to any of my people who are in need, do not charge interest as a money lender would. + If you take your neighbor's cloak as security for a loan, you must return it before sunset. + This coat may be the only blanket your neighbor has. How can a person sleep without it? If you do not return it and your neighbor cries out to me for help, then I will hear, for I am merciful. + "You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers. + "You must not hold anything back when you give me offerings from your crops and your wine."You must give me your firstborn sons. + "You must also give me the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats. But leave the newborn animal with its mother for seven days; then give it to me on the eighth day. + "You must be my holy people. Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been torn up and killed by wild animals. Throw it to the dogs. + + + "You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand. + "You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. + And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor. + "If you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. + If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help. + "In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor. + "Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent. + "Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth. + "You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it's like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. + "Plant and harvest your crops for six years, + but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves. + "You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed. + "Pay close attention to all my instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names. + "Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor. + First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering. + "Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest."Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields. + At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the LORD. + "You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And do not leave the fat from the festival offerings until the next morning. + "As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God."You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. + "See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. + Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. + But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. + For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. + You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars. + "You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. + There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives. + "I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. + I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. + But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. + I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land. + And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you. + "Make no treaties with them or their gods. + They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry." + + + Then the LORD instructed Moses: "Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders. All of you must worship from a distance. + Only Moses is allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come near, and none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain with him." + Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the LORD had given him. All the people answered with one voice, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded." + Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD's instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. + Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. + Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar. + Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey." + Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, "Look, this blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these instructions." + Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain again. + There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. + And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people." + So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God. + Moses told the elders, "Stay here and wait for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a dispute while I am gone, consult with them." + Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. + And the glory of the LORD settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from inside the cloud. + To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the LORD appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. + Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. + Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze; + blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; + tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; + olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; + onyx stones, and other gem stones to be set in the ephod and the priest's chestpiece. + "Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. + You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. + "Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood-- a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. + Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. + Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. + Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. + Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. + These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them. + When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. + "Then make the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. + Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. + Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. + The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. + Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. + I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel. + "Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. + Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge. + Decorate it with a 3-inch border all around, and run a gold molding along the border. + Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs. + Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table. + Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. + Make special containers of pure gold for the table-- bowls, pans, pitchers, and jars-- to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. + Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times. + "Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece-- the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. + Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. + Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. + Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. + There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. + The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. + Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. + The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. + You will need seventy-five pounds of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories. + "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain. + + + "Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. + These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size-- 42 feet long and 6 feet wide. + Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain. + Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last curtain in each set. + The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. + Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle will be made of one continuous piece. + "Make eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. + These eleven curtains must all be exactly the same size-- 45 feet long and 6 feet wide. + Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and join the other six into a second long curtain. Allow 3 feet of material from the second set of curtains to hang over the front of the sacred tent. + Make fifty loops for one edge of each large curtain. + Then make fifty bronze clasps, and fasten the loops of the long curtains with the clasps. In this way, the tent covering will be made of one continuous piece. + The remaining 3 feet of this tent covering will be left to hang over the back of the Tabernacle. + Allow 18 inches of remaining material to hang down over each side, so the Tabernacle is completely covered. + Complete the tent covering with a protective layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather. + "For the framework of the Tabernacle, construct frames of acacia wood. + Each frame must be 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, + with two pegs under each frame. Make all the frames identical. + Make twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. + Also make forty silver bases-- two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. + For the north side of the Tabernacle, make another twenty frames, + with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. + Make six frames for the rear-- the west side of the Tabernacle-- + along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. + These corner frames will be matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Make both of these corner units the same way. + So there will be eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases-- two bases under each frame. + "Make crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle + and five for the south side. Also make five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which will face west. + The middle crossbar, attached halfway up the frames, will run all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. + Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Overlay the crossbars with gold as well. + "Set up this Tabernacle according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain. + "For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. + Hang this curtain on gold hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood. Overlay the posts with gold, and set them in four silver bases. + Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. + "Then put the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Most Holy Place. + Place the table outside the inner curtain on the north side of the Tabernacle, and place the lampstand across the room on the south side. + "Make another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. Make it of finely woven linen and embroider it with exquisite designs, using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + Craft five posts from acacia wood. Overlay them with gold, and hang the curtain from them with gold hooks. Cast five bronze bases for the posts. + + + "Using acacia wood, construct a square altar 7-1/2 feet wide, 7-1/2 feet long, and 4-1/2 feet high. + Make horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar are all one piece. Overlay the altar with bronze. + Make ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans, all of bronze. + Make a bronze grating for it, and attach four bronze rings at its four corners. + Install the grating halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge. + For carrying the altar, make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. + Insert the poles through the rings on the two sides of the altar. + The altar must be hollow, made from planks. Build it just as you were shown on the mountain. + "Then make the courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side, make the curtains 150 feet long. + They will be held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. + Make the curtains the same on the north side-- 150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. + The curtains on the west end of the courtyard will be 75 feet long, supported by ten posts set into ten bases. + The east end of the courtyard, the front, will also be 75 feet long. + The courtyard entrance will be on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 22-1/2 feet long, supported by three posts set into three bases. + The curtain on the left side will also be 22-1/2 feet long, supported by three posts set into three bases. + "For the entrance to the courtyard, make a curtain that is 30 feet long. Make it from finely woven linen, and decorate it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Support it with four posts, each securely set in its own base. + All the posts around the courtyard must have silver rings and hooks and bronze bases. + So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with curtain walls 7-1/2 feet high, made from finely woven linen. The bases for the posts will be made of bronze. + "All the articles used in the rituals of the Tabernacle, including all the tent pegs used to support the Tabernacle and the courtyard curtains, must be made of bronze. + "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. + The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the LORD's presence all night. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel, and it must be observed from generation to generation. + + + "Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests. + Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. + Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. + These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. + So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + "The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. + The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + "Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. + Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. + Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. + Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the LORD. + Make the settings of gold filigree, + then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod. + "Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. + Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale green peridot, and an emerald. + The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. + The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. + The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree. + Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal. + "To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. + Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. + Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. + Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. + Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. + And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. + Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash. + "In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the LORD. + Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron's heart when he goes into the LORD's presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the LORD's will for his people whenever he goes in before the LORD. + "Make the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue cloth, + with an opening for Aaron's head in the middle of it. Reinforce the opening with a woven collar so it will not tear. + Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. + The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem. + Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the LORD, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the LORD's presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die. + "Next make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. + Attach the medallion with a blue cord to the front of Aaron's turban, where it must remain. + Aaron must wear it on his forehead so he may take on himself any guilt of the people of Israel when they consecrate their sacred offerings. He must always wear it on his forehead so the LORD will accept the people. + "Weave Aaron's patterned tunic from fine linen cloth. Fashion the turban from this linen as well. Also make a sash, and decorate it with colorful embroidery. + "For Aaron's sons, make tunics, sashes, and special head coverings that are glorious and beautiful. + Clothe your brother, Aaron, and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they can serve as my priests. + Also make linen undergarments for them, to be worn next to their bodies, reaching from their hips to their thighs. + These must be worn whenever Aaron and his sons enter the Tabernacle or approach the altar in the Holy Place to perform their priestly duties. Then they will not incur guilt and die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and all his descendants after him. + + + "This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no defects. + Then, using choice wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with oil. + Place them all in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the Tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams. + "Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. + Dress Aaron in his priestly garments-- the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chestpiece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him. + Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban. + Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head. + Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics. + Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons. + "Bring the young bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head. + Then slaughter the bull in the LORD's presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Put some of its blood on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest at the base of the altar. + Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all on the altar. + Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering. + "Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams. + Then slaughter the ram, and splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. + Cut the ram into pieces, and wash off the internal organs and the legs. Set them alongside the head and the other pieces of the body, + then burn the entire animal on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD. + "Now take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head. + Then slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar. + Then take some of the blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his sons and on their garments. In this way, they and their garments will be set apart as holy. + "Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh. + Then take one round loaf of bread, one thin cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of bread without yeast that was placed in the LORD's presence. + Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special offering to the LORD. + Afterward take the various breads from their hands, and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. It is a pleasing aroma to the LORD, a special gift for him. + Then take the breast of Aaron's ordination ram, and lift it up in the LORD's presence as a special offering to him. Then keep it as your own portion. + "Set aside the portions of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the LORD as a special offering. + In the future, whenever the people of Israel lift up a peace offering, a portion of it must be set aside for Aaron and his descendants. This is their permanent right, and it is a sacred offering from the Israelites to the LORD. + "Aaron's sacred garments must be preserved for his descendants who succeed him, and they will wear them when they are anointed and ordained. + The descendant who succeeds him as high priest will wear these clothes for seven days as he ministers in the Tabernacle and the Holy Place. + "Take the ram used in the ordination ceremony, and boil its meat in a sacred place. + Then Aaron and his sons will eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance. + They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their purification in the ordination ceremony. No one else may eat them, for these things are set apart and holy. + If any of the ordination meat or bread remains until the morning, it must be burned. It may not be eaten, for it is holy. + "This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons to their offices, just as I have commanded you. The ordination ceremony will go on for seven days. + Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as a sin offering to purify them, making them right with the LORD. Afterward, cleanse the altar by purifying it; make it holy by anointing it with oil. + Purify the altar, and consecrate it every day for seven days. After that, the altar will be absolutely holy, and whatever touches it will become holy. + "These are the sacrifices you are to offer regularly on the altar. Each day, offer two lambs that are a year old, + one in the morning and the other in the evening. + With one of them, offer two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives; also, offer one quart of wine as a liquid offering. + Offer the other lamb in the evening, along with the same offerings of flour and wine as in the morning. It will be a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD. + "These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. Offer them in the LORD's presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you. + I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence. + Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. + Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, + and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God. + + + "Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense. + Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. + Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar. + Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. + Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. + Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there. + "Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. + And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD's presence. This must be done from generation to generation. + Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings. + "Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD's most holy altar." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them. + Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) + All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD. + When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less. + Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the LORD's attention, and it will purify your lives." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. + Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. + They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD-- or they will die! + They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Collect choice spices-- 12-1/2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6-1/4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6-1/4 pounds of fragrant calamus, + and 12-1/2 pounds of cassia-- as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil. + Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil. + Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, + the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, + the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand. + Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy. + "Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests. + And say to the people of Israel, 'This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation. + It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. + Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.'" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather fragrant spices-- resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum-- and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts. + Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense. + Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy. + Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy. + Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. + I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. + He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. + He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! + "And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: + the Tabernacle; the Ark of the Covenant; the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; + the table and its utensils; the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; + the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin with its stand; + the beautifully stitched garments-- the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; + the anointing oil; the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you." + The LORD then gave these instructions to Moses: + "Tell the people of Israel: 'Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. + You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. + You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. + The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. + It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.'" + When the LORD finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God. + + + When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. "Come on," they said, "make us some gods who can lead us. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt." + So Aaron said, "Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me." + All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. + Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, "O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!" + Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, "Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!" + The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. + The LORD told Moses, "Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. + How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" + Then the LORD said, "I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. + Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation." + But Moses tried to pacify the LORD his God. "O LORD!" he said. "Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? + Why let the Egyptians say, 'Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth'? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! + Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.' " + So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. + Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. + These tablets were God's work; the words on them were written by God himself. + When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, "It sounds like war in the camp!" + But Moses replied, "No, it's not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration." + When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. + He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it. + Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, "What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?" + "Don't get so upset, my lord," Aaron replied. "You yourself know how evil these people are. + They said to me, 'Make us gods who will lead us. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.' + So I told them, 'Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.' When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire-- and out came this calf!" + Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. + So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, "All of you who are on the LORD's side, come here and join me." And all the Levites gathered around him. + Moses told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone-- even your brothers, friends, and neighbors." + The Levites obeyed Moses' command, and about 3,000 people died that day. + Then Moses told the Levites, "Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing." + The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin." + So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. + But now, if you will only forgive their sin-- but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!" + But the LORD replied to Moses, "No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me. + Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins." + Then the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made. + + + The LORD said to Moses, "Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, 'I will give this land to your descendants.' + And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way." + When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes. + For the LORD had told Moses to tell them, "You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you." + So from the time they left Mount Sinai, the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes. + It was Moses' practice to take the Tent of Meeting and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the LORD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. + Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. + As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses. + When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. + Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting. + One day Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, 'I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.' + If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people." + The LORD replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest-- everything will be fine for you." + Then Moses said, "If you don't personally go with us, don't make us leave this place. + How will anyone know that you look favorably on me-- on me and on your people-- if you don't go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth." + The LORD replied to Moses, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name." + Moses responded, "Then show me your glorious presence." + The LORD replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. + But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live." + The LORD continued, "Look, stand near me on this rock. + As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. + Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen." + + + Then the LORD told Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed. + Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. + No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain." + So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. + Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. + The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, "Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. + I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected-- even children in the third and fourth generations." + Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. + And he said, "O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession." + The LORD replied, "Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the LORD-- the awesome power I will display for you. + But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + "Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. + Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. + You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. + "You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. + Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. + You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves. + "You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. + "The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats. + A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the LORD by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son."No one may appear before me without an offering. + "You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest. + "You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season. + Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the LORD, the God of Israel. + I will drive out the other nations ahead of you and expand your territory, so no one will covet and conquer your land while you appear before the LORD your God three times each year. + "You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And none of the meat of the Passover sacrifice may be kept over until the next morning. + "As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God."You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel." + Moses remained there on the mountain with the LORD forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the LORD wrote the terms of the covenant-- the Ten Commandments-- on the stone tablets. + When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn't aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the LORD. + So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses' face, they were afraid to come near him. + But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. + Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. + When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. + But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the LORD had given him, + and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the LORD. + + + Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, "These are the instructions the LORD has commanded you to follow. + You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. + You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath." + Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, "This is what the LORD has commanded: + Take a sacred offering for the LORD. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; + blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; + tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; + olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; + onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest's chestpiece. + "Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the LORD has commanded: + the Tabernacle and its sacred tent, its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; + the Ark and its carrying poles; the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement; the inner curtain to shield the Ark; + the table, its carrying poles, and all its utensils; the Bread of the Presence; + for light, the lampstand, its accessories, the lamp cups, and the olive oil for lighting; + the incense altar and its carrying poles; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle; + the altar of burnt offering; the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils; the washbasin with its stand; + the curtains for the walls of the courtyard; the posts and their bases; the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; + the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their ropes; + the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place-- the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests." + So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. + All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the LORD. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. + Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the LORD their offerings of gold-- brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the LORD. + All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather. + And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the LORD. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project. + All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. + All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. + The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest's chestpiece. + They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. + So the people of Israel-- every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the LORD had given them through Moses-- brought their gifts and gave them freely to the LORD. + Then Moses told the people of Israel, "The LORD has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. + The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. + He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. + He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. + And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. + The LORD has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers. + + + "The LORD has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the LORD has commanded." + So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the LORD and were eager to get to work. + Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. + Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. + They went to Moses and reported, "The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the LORD has commanded us to do!" + So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: "Men and women, don't prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!" So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. + Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project. + The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. + All ten curtains were exactly the same size-- 42 feet long and 6 feet wide. + Five of these curtains were joined together to make one long curtain, and the other five were joined to make a second long curtain. + He made fifty loops of blue yarn and put them along the edge of the last curtain in each set. + The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain matched the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. + Then he made fifty gold clasps and fastened the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle was made of one continuous piece. + He made eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. + These eleven curtains were all exactly the same size-- 45 feet long and 6 feet wide. + Bezalel joined five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and the other six were joined to make a second long curtain. + He made fifty loops for the edge of each large curtain. + He also made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the long curtains together. In this way, the tent covering was made of one continuous piece. + He completed the tent covering with a layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather. + For the framework of the Tabernacle, Bezalel constructed frames of acacia wood. + Each frame was 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, + with two pegs under each frame. All the frames were identical. + He made twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. + He also made forty silver bases-- two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. + For the north side of the Tabernacle, he made another twenty frames, + with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. + He made six frames for the rear-- the west side of the Tabernacle-- + along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. + These corner frames were matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Both of these corner units were made the same way. + So there were eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases-- two bases under each frame. + Then he made crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle + and five for the south side. He also made five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which faced west. + He made the middle crossbar to attach halfway up the frames; it ran all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. + He overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. Then he overlaid the crossbars with gold as well. + For the inside of the Tabernacle, Bezalel made a special curtain of finely woven linen. He decorated it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. + For the curtain, he made four posts of acacia wood and four gold hooks. He overlaid the posts with gold and set them in four silver bases. + Then he made another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. He made it of finely woven linen and embroidered it with exquisite designs using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + This curtain was hung on gold hooks attached to five posts. The posts with their decorated tops and hooks were overlaid with gold, and the five bases were cast from bronze. + + + Next Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood-- a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. + He overlaid it inside and outside with pure gold, and he ran a molding of gold all around it. + He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on each side. + Then he made poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + He inserted the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. + Then he made the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- from pure gold. It was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. + He made two cherubim from hammered gold and placed them on the two ends of the atonement cover. + He molded the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. + The cherubim faced each other and looked down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they protected it. + Then Bezalel made the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. + He overlaid it with pure gold and ran a gold molding around the edge. + He decorated it with a 3-inch border all around, and he ran a gold molding along the border. + Then he cast four gold rings for the table and attached them at the four corners next to the four legs. + The rings were attached near the border to hold the poles that were used to carry the table. + He made these poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + Then he made special containers of pure gold for the table-- bowls, pans, jars, and pitchers-- to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. + Then Bezalel made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. He made the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece-- the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. + The lampstand had six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. + Each of the six branches had three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. + The center stem of the lampstand was crafted with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. + There was an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extended from the center stem, all made of one piece. + The almond buds and branches were all of one piece with the center stem, and they were hammered from pure gold. + He also made seven lamps for the lampstand, lamp snuffers, and trays, all of pure gold. + The entire lampstand, along with its accessories, was made from seventy-five pounds of pure gold. + Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. + He overlaid the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and he ran a gold molding around the entire altar. + He made two gold rings and attached them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. + He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + Then he made the sacred anointing oil and the fragrant incense, using the techniques of a skilled incense maker. + + + Next Bezalel used acacia wood to construct the square altar of burnt offering. It was 7-1/2 feet wide, 7-1/2 feet long, and 4-1/2 feet high. + He made horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar were all one piece. He overlaid the altar with bronze. + Then he made all the altar utensils of bronze-- the ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans. + Next he made a bronze grating and installed it halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge. + He cast four rings and attached them to the corners of the bronze grating to hold the carrying poles. + He made the poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. + He inserted the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar. The altar was hollow and was made from planks. + Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Then Bezalel made the courtyard, which was enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side the curtains were 150 feet long. + They were held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. He hung the curtains with silver hooks and rings. + He made a similar set of curtains for the north side-- 150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. He hung the curtains with silver hooks and rings. + The curtains on the west end of the courtyard were 75 feet long, hung with silver hooks and rings and supported by ten posts set into ten bases. + The east end, the front, was also 75 feet long. + The courtyard entrance was on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side was 22-1/2 feet long and was supported by three posts set into three bases. + The curtain on the left side was also 22-1/2 feet long and was supported by three posts set into three bases. + All the curtains used in the courtyard were made of finely woven linen. + Each post had a bronze base, and all the hooks and rings were silver. The tops of the posts of the courtyard were overlaid with silver, and the rings to hold up the curtains were made of silver. + He made the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard of finely woven linen, and he decorated it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It was 30 feet long, and its height was 7-1/2 feet, just like the curtains of the courtyard walls. + It was supported by four posts, each set securely in its own bronze base. The tops of the posts were overlaid with silver, and the hooks and rings were also made of silver. + All the tent pegs used in the Tabernacle and courtyard were made of bronze. + This is an inventory of the materials used in building the Tabernacle of the Covenant. The Levites compiled the figures, as Moses directed, and Ithamar son of Aaron the priest served as recorder. + Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He was assisted by Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman expert at engraving, designing, and embroidering with blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth. + The people brought special offerings of gold totaling 2,193 pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. This gold was used throughout the Tabernacle. + The whole community of Israel gave 7,545 pounds of silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. + This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census. (The tax is one beka, which is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel.) The tax was collected from 603,550 men who had reached their twentieth birthday. + The hundred bases for the frames of the sanctuary walls and for the posts supporting the inner curtain required 7,500 pounds of silver, about 75 pounds for each base. + The remaining 45 pounds of silver was used to make the hooks and rings and to overlay the tops of the posts. + The people also brought as special offerings 5,310 pounds of bronze, + which was used for casting the bases for the posts at the entrance to the Tabernacle, and for the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all the altar utensils. + Bronze was also used to make the bases for the posts that supported the curtains around the courtyard, the bases for the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard, and all the tent pegs for the Tabernacle and the courtyard. + + + The craftsmen made beautiful sacred garments of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth-- clothing for Aaron to wear while ministering in the Holy Place, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Bezalel made the ephod of finely woven linen and embroidered it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + He made gold thread by hammering out thin sheets of gold and cutting it into fine strands. With great skill and care, he worked it into the fine linen with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + The ephod consisted of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. + The decorative sash was made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They mounted the two onyx stones in settings of gold filigree. The stones were engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel, just as a seal is engraved. + He fastened these stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that the priest represents the people of Israel. All this was done just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Bezalel made the chestpiece with great skill and care. He made it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. + He made the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. + They mounted four rows of gemstones on it. The first row contained a red carnelian, a pale green peridot, and an emerald. + The second row contained a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. + The third row contained an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. + The fourth row contained a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones were set in gold filigree. + Each stone represented one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe was engraved on it like a seal. + To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, they made braided cords of pure gold thread. + They also made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings and attached them to the top corners of the chestpiece. + They tied the two gold cords to the rings on the chestpiece. + They tied the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. + Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. + Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash was fastened to the ephod. + They attached the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. In this way, the chestpiece was held securely to the ephod above the decorative sash. All this was done just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Bezalel made the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue woven cloth, + with an opening for Aaron's head in the middle of it. The opening was reinforced with a woven collar so it would not tear. + They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attached them to the hem of the robe. + They also made bells of pure gold and placed them between the pomegranates along the hem of the robe, + with bells and pomegranates alternating all around the hem. This robe was to be worn whenever the priest ministered before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They made tunics for Aaron and his sons from fine linen cloth. + The turban and the special head coverings were made of fine linen, and the undergarments were also made of finely woven linen. + The sashes were made of finely woven linen and embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Finally, they made the sacred medallion-- the badge of holiness-- of pure gold. They engraved it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. + They attached the medallion with a blue cord to Aaron's turban, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + And so at last the Tabernacle was finished. The Israelites had done everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + And they brought the entire Tabernacle to Moses: the sacred tent with all its furnishings, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; + the tent coverings of tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; the inner curtain to shield the Ark; + the Ark of the Covenant and its carrying poles; the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement; + the table and all its utensils; the Bread of the Presence; + the pure gold lampstand with its symmetrical lamp cups, all its accessories, and the olive oil for lighting; + the gold altar; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain for the entrance of the sacred tent; + the bronze altar; the bronze grating and its carrying poles and utensils; the washbasin with its stand; + the curtains for the walls of the courtyard; the posts and their bases; the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs; all the furnishings to be used in worship at the Tabernacle; + the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place-- the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests. + So the people of Israel followed all of the LORD's instructions to Moses. + Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the LORD had commanded him, he blessed them. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the new year. + Place the Ark of the Covenant inside, and install the inner curtain to enclose the Ark within the Most Holy Place. + Then bring in the table, and arrange the utensils on it. And bring in the lampstand, and set up the lamps. + "Place the gold incense altar in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Then hang the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the Tabernacle entrance. + Set the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. + Then set up the courtyard around the outside of the tent, and hang the curtain for the courtyard entrance. + "Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and all its furnishings to consecrate them and make them holy. + Anoint the altar of burnt offering and its utensils to consecrate them. Then the altar will become absolutely holy. + Next anoint the washbasin and its stand to consecrate them. + "Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. + Dress Aaron with the sacred garments and anoint him, consecrating him to serve me as a priest. + Then present his sons and dress them in their tunics. + Anoint them as you did their father, so they may also serve me as priests. With their anointing, Aaron's descendants are set apart for the priesthood forever, from generation to generation." + Moses proceeded to do everything just as the LORD had commanded him. + So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year. + Moses erected the Tabernacle by setting down its bases, inserting the frames, attaching the crossbars, and setting up the posts. + Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the protective layers, just as the LORD had commanded him. + He took the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant and placed them inside the Ark. Then he attached the carrying poles to the Ark, and he set the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- on top of it. + Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and hung the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Next Moses placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side of the Holy Place, just outside the inner curtain. + And he arranged the Bread of the Presence on the table before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him. + He set the lampstand in the Tabernacle across from the table on the south side of the Holy Place. + Then he lit the lamps in the LORD's presence, just as the LORD had commanded him. + He also placed the gold incense altar in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place in front of the inner curtain. + On it he burned the fragrant incense, just as the LORD had commanded him. + He hung the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle, + and he placed the altar of burnt offering near the Tabernacle entrance. On it he offered a burnt offering and a grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Next Moses placed the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could wash themselves. + Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons used water from it to wash their hands and feet. + Whenever they approached the altar and entered the Tabernacle, they washed themselves, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. So at last Moses finished the work. + Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. + Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. + Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. + But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. + The cloud of the LORD hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys. + + + + + The LORD called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the LORD, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats. + "If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you may be accepted by the LORD. + Lay your hand on the animal's head, and the LORD will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him. + Then slaughter the young bull in the LORD's presence, and Aaron's sons, the priests, will present the animal's blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. + Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces. + The sons of Aaron the priest will build a wood fire on the altar. + They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. + But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the flock, it may be either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a male with no defects. + Slaughter the animal on the north side of the altar in the LORD's presence, and Aaron's sons, the priests, will splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. + Then cut the animal in pieces, and the priests will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. + But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "If you present a bird as a burnt offering to the LORD, choose either a turtledove or a young pigeon. + The priest will take the bird to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar. But first he must drain its blood against the side of the altar. + The priest must also remove the crop and the feathers and throw them in the ashes on the east side of the altar. + Then, grasping the bird by its wings, the priest will tear the bird open, but without tearing it apart. Then he will burn it as a burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + + + "When you present grain as an offering to the LORD, the offering must consist of choice flour. You are to pour olive oil on it, sprinkle it with frankincense, + and bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. The priest will scoop out a handful of the flour moistened with oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this representative portion on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons. This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the LORD. + "If your offering is a grain offering baked in an oven, it must be made of choice flour, but without any yeast. It may be presented in the form of thin cakes mixed with olive oil or wafers spread with olive oil. + If your grain offering is cooked on a griddle, it must be made of choice flour mixed with olive oil but without any yeast. + Break it in pieces and pour olive oil on it; it is a grain offering. + If your grain offering is prepared in a pan, it must be made of choice flour and olive oil. + "No matter how a grain offering for the LORD has been prepared, bring it to the priest, who will present it at the altar. + The priest will take a representative portion of the grain offering and burn it on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons as their food. This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the LORD. + "Do not use yeast in preparing any of the grain offerings you present to the LORD, because no yeast or honey may be burned as a special gift presented to the LORD. + You may add yeast and honey to an offering of the first crops of your harvest, but these must never be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God's eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings. + "If you present a grain offering to the LORD from the first portion of your harvest, bring fresh grain that is coarsely ground and roasted on a fire. + Put olive oil on this grain offering, and sprinkle it with frankincense. + The priest will take a representative portion of the grain moistened with oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn it as a special gift presented to the LORD. + + + "If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to the LORD, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects. + Lay your hand on the animal's head, and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Then Aaron's sons, the priests, will splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. + The priest must present part of this peace offering as a special gift to the LORD. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, + the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These must be removed with the kidneys, + and Aaron's sons will burn them on top of the burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "If you present an animal from the flock as a peace offering to the LORD, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects. + If you present a sheep as your offering, bring it to the LORD, + lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons will then splatter the sheep's blood against all sides of the altar. + The priest must present the fat of this peace offering as a special gift to the LORD. This includes the fat of the broad tail cut off near the backbone, all the fat around the internal organs, + the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These must be removed with the kidneys, + and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food presented to the LORD. + "If you present a goat as your offering, bring it to the LORD, + lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons will then splatter the goat's blood against all sides of the altar. + The priest must present part of this offering as a special gift to the LORD. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, + the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These must be removed with the kidneys, + and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. All the fat belongs to the LORD. + "You must never eat any fat or blood. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation, wherever you live." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the LORD's commands. + "If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the LORD a young bull with no defects. + He must bring the bull to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter it before the LORD. + The high priest will then take some of the bull's blood into the Tabernacle, + dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the inner curtain of the sanctuary. + The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the LORD's presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the bull's blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Then the priest must remove all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, + the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along with the kidneys, + just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering, and burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. + But he must take whatever is left of the bull-- its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung-- + and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire. + "If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the LORD's commands, but the people don't realize it, they are still guilty. + When they become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle. + The elders of the community must then lay their hands on the bull's head and slaughter it before the LORD. + The high priest will then take some of the bull's blood into the Tabernacle, + dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the inner curtain. + He will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the LORD's presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Then the priest must remove all the animal's fat and burn it on the altar, + just as he does with the bull offered as a sin offering for the high priest. Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven. + Then the priest must take what is left of the bull and carry it outside the camp and burn it there, just as is done with the sin offering for the high priest. This offering is for the sin of the entire congregation of Israel. + "If one of Israel's leaders sins by violating one of the commands of the LORD his God but doesn't realize it, he is still guilty. + When he becomes aware of his sin, he must bring as his offering a male goat with no defects. + He must lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered before the LORD. This is an offering for his sin. + Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. + Then he must burn all the goat's fat on the altar, just as he does with the peace offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the leader from his sin, making him right with the LORD, and he will be forgiven. + "If any of the common people sin by violating one of the LORD's commands, but they don't realize it, they are still guilty. + When they become aware of their sin, they must bring as an offering for their sin a female goat with no defects. + They must lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered. + Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. + Then he must remove all the goat's fat, just as he does with the fat of the peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar, and it will be a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven. + "If the people bring a sheep as their sin offering, it must be a female with no defects. + They must lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered. + Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. + Then he must remove all the sheep's fat, just as he does with the fat of a sheep presented as a peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the LORD. Through this process, the priest will purify the people from their sin, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven. + + + "If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin. + "Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the carcass of an unclean animal. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your defilement and your guilt. This is true whether it is a wild animal, a domestic animal, or an animal that scurries along the ground. + "Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that makes a person unclean. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your guilt. + "Or suppose you make a foolish vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or for bad. When you realize its foolishness, you must admit your guilt. + "When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. + Then you must bring to the LORD as the penalty for your sin a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the LORD. + "But if you cannot afford to bring a sheep, you may bring to the LORD two turtledoves or two young pigeons as the penalty for your sin. One of the birds will be for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. + You must bring them to the priest, who will present the first bird as the sin offering. He will wring its neck but without severing its head from the body. + Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the sides of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained out at the base of the altar. This is an offering for sin. + The priest will then prepare the second bird as a burnt offering, following all the procedures that have been prescribed. Through this process the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the LORD, and you will be forgiven. + "If you cannot afford to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, you may bring two quarts of choice flour for your sin offering. Since it is an offering for sin, you must not moisten it with olive oil or put any frankincense on it. + Take the flour to the priest, who will scoop out a handful as a representative portion. He will burn it on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the LORD. It is an offering for sin. + Through this process, the priest will purify those who are guilty of any of these sins, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the flour will belong to the priest, just as with the grain offering." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "If one of you commits a sin by unintentionally defiling the LORD's sacred property, you must bring a guilt offering to the LORD. The offering must be your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value with silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. + You must make restitution for the sacred property you have harmed by paying for the loss, plus an additional 20 percent. When you give the payment to the priest, he will purify you with the ram sacrificed as a guilt offering, making you right with the LORD, and you will be forgiven. + "Suppose you sin by violating one of the LORD's commands. Even if you are unaware of what you have done, you are guilty and will be punished for your sin. + For a guilt offering, you must bring to the priest your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value. Through this process the priest will purify you from your unintentional sin, making you right with the LORD, and you will be forgiven. + This is a guilt offering, for you have been guilty of an offense against the LORD." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Suppose one of you sins against your associate and is unfaithful to the LORD. Suppose you cheat in a deal involving a security deposit, or you steal or commit fraud, + or you find lost property and lie about it, or you lie while swearing to tell the truth, or you commit any other such sin. + If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, + or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed. On the same day you must present a guilt offering. + As a guilt offering to the LORD, you must bring to the priest your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value. + Through this process, the priest will purify you before the LORD, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the burnt offering. The burnt offering must be left on top of the altar until the next morning, and the fire on the altar must be kept burning all night. + In the morning, after the priest on duty has put on his official linen clothing and linen undergarments, he must clean out the ashes of the burnt offering and put them beside the altar. + Then he must take off these garments, change back into his regular clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. + Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. + Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out. + "These are the instructions regarding the grain offering. Aaron's sons must present this offering to the LORD in front of the altar. + The priest on duty will take from the grain offering a handful of the choice flour moistened with olive oil, together with all the frankincense. He will burn this representative portion on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + Aaron and his sons may eat the rest of the flour, but it must be baked without yeast and eaten in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. + Remember, it must never be prepared with yeast. I have given it to the priests as their share of the special gifts presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. + Any of Aaron's male descendants may eat from the special gifts presented to the LORD. This is their permanent right from generation to generation. Anyone or anything that touches these offerings will become holy." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "On the day Aaron and his sons are anointed, they must present to the LORD a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour, half to be offered in the morning and half to be offered in the evening. + It must be carefully mixed with olive oil and cooked on a griddle. Then slice this grain offering and present it as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + In each generation, the high priest who succeeds Aaron must prepare this same offering. It belongs to the LORD and must be burned up completely. This is a permanent law. + All such grain offerings of a priest must be burned up entirely. None of it may be eaten." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the sin offering. The animal given as an offering for sin is a most holy offering, and it must be slaughtered in the LORD's presence at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. + The priest who offers the sacrifice as a sin offering must eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. + Anyone or anything that touches the sacrificial meat will become holy. If any of the sacrificial blood spatters on a person's clothing, the soiled garment must be washed in a sacred place. + If a clay pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, it must then be broken. If a bronze pot is used, it must be scoured and thoroughly rinsed with water. + Only males from a priest's family may eat from this offering, for it is most holy. + But the offering for sin may not be eaten if its blood was brought into the Tabernacle as an offering for purification in the Holy Place. It must be completely burned with fire. + + + "These are the instructions for the guilt offering. It is most holy. + The animal sacrificed as a guilt offering must be slaughtered at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered, and its blood must be splattered against all sides of the altar. + The priest will then offer all its fat on the altar, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, + the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These are to be removed with the kidneys, + and the priests will burn them on the altar as a special gift presented to the LORD. This is the guilt offering. + All males from a priest's family may eat the meat. It must be eaten in a sacred place, for it is most holy. + "The same instructions apply to both the guilt offering and the sin offering. Both belong to the priest who uses them to purify someone, making that person right with the LORD. + In the case of the burnt offering, the priest may keep the hide of the sacrificed animal. + Any grain offering that has been baked in an oven, prepared in a pan, or cooked on a griddle belongs to the priest who presents it. + All other grain offerings, whether made of dry flour or flour moistened with olive oil, are to be shared equally among all the priests, the descendants of Aaron. + "These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the LORD. + If you present your peace offering as an expression of thanksgiving, the usual animal sacrifice must be accompanied by various kinds of bread made without yeast-- thin cakes mixed with olive oil, wafers spread with oil, and cakes made of choice flour mixed with olive oil. + This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. + One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the LORD. It will then belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the peace offering against the altar. + The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning. + "If you bring an offering to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary offering, the meat must be eaten on the same day the sacrifice is offered, but whatever is left over may be eaten on the second day. + Any meat left over until the third day must be completely burned up. + If any of the meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, the person who presented it will not be accepted by the LORD. You will receive no credit for offering it. By then the meat will be contaminated; if you eat it, you will be punished for your sin. + "Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up. The rest of the meat may be eaten, but only by people who are ceremonially clean. + If you are ceremonially unclean and you eat meat from a peace offering that was presented to the LORD, you will be cut off from the community. + If you touch anything that is unclean (whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal or any other unclean, detestable thing) and then eat meat from a peace offering presented to the LORD, you will be cut off from the community." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. You must never eat fat, whether from cattle, sheep, or goats. + The fat of an animal found dead or torn to pieces by wild animals must never be eaten, though it may be used for any other purpose. + Anyone who eats fat from an animal presented as a special gift to the LORD will be cut off from the community. + No matter where you live, you must never consume the blood of any bird or animal. + Anyone who consumes blood will be cut off from the community." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present a peace offering to the LORD, bring part of it as a gift to the LORD. + Present it to the LORD with your own hands as a special gift to the LORD. Bring the fat of the animal, together with the breast, and lift up the breast as a special offering to the LORD. + Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his descendants. + Give the right thigh of your peace offering to the priest as a gift. + The right thigh must always be given to the priest who offers the blood and the fat of the peace offering. + For I have reserved the breast of the special offering and the right thigh of the sacred offering for the priests. It is the permanent right of Aaron and his descendants to share in the peace offerings brought by the people of Israel. + This is their rightful share. The special gifts presented to the LORD have been reserved for Aaron and his descendants from the time they were set apart to serve the LORD as priests. + On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded the Israelites to give these portions to the priests as their permanent share from generation to generation." + These are the instructions for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, as well as the ordination offering and the peace offering. + The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Bring Aaron and his sons, along with their sacred garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of bread made without yeast, + and call the entire community of Israel together at the entrance of the Tabernacle. " + So Moses followed the LORD's instructions, and the whole community assembled at the Tabernacle entrance. + Moses announced to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded us to do!" + Then he presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. + He put the official tunic on Aaron and tied the sash around his waist. He dressed him in the robe, placed the ephod on him, and attached the ephod securely with its decorative sash. + Then Moses placed the chestpiece on Aaron and put the Urim and the Thummim inside it. + He placed the turban on Aaron's head and attached the gold medallion-- the badge of holiness-- to the front of the turban, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy. + He sprinkled the oil on the altar seven times, anointing it and all its utensils, as well as the washbasin and its stand, making them holy. + Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, anointing him and making him holy for his work. + Next Moses presented Aaron's sons. He clothed them in their tunics, tied their sashes around them, and put their special head coverings on them, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Then Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull's head, + and Moses slaughtered it. Moses took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on the four horns of the altar to purify it. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Through this process, he made the altar holy by purifying it. + Then Moses took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and he burned it all on the altar. + He took the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burned it on a fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Then Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head, + and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took the ram's blood and splattered it against all sides of the altar. + Then he cut the ram into pieces, and he burned the head, some of its pieces, and the fat on the altar. + After washing the internal organs and the legs with water, Moses burned the entire ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It was a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Then Moses presented the other ram, which was the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head, + and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took some of its blood and applied it to the lobe of Aaron's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. + Next Moses presented Aaron's sons and applied some of the blood to the lobes of their right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. He then splattered the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar. + Next Moses took the fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh. + On top of these he placed a thin cake of bread made without yeast, a cake of bread mixed with olive oil, and a wafer spread with olive oil. All these were taken from the basket of bread made without yeast that was placed in the LORD's presence. + He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and he lifted them up as a special offering to the LORD. + Moses then took all the offerings back from them and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering. This was the ordination offering. It was a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD. + Then Moses took the breast and lifted it up as a special offering to the LORD. This was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, just as the LORD had commanded him. + Next Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, and he sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. In this way, he made Aaron and his sons and their garments holy. + Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, "Boil the remaining meat of the offerings at the Tabernacle entrance, and eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket of offerings for the ordination, just as I commanded when I said, 'Aaron and his sons will eat it.' + Any meat or bread that is left over must then be burned up. + You must not leave the Tabernacle entrance for seven days, for that is when the ordination ceremony will be completed. + Everything we have done today was commanded by the LORD in order to purify you, making you right with him. + Now stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days, and do everything the LORD requires. If you fail to do this, you will die, for this is what the LORD has commanded." + So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had commanded through Moses. + + + After the ordination ceremony, on the eighth day, Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. + He said to Aaron, "Take a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defects, and present them to the LORD. + Then tell the Israelites, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and take a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defects, for a burnt offering. + Also take a bull and a ram for a peace offering and flour moistened with olive oil for a grain offering. Present all these offerings to the LORD because the LORD will appear to you today.' " + So the people presented all these things at the entrance of the Tabernacle, just as Moses had commanded. Then the whole community came forward and stood before the LORD. + And Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded you to do so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." + Then Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to purify yourself and the people. Then present the offerings of the people to purify them, making them right with the LORD, just as he has commanded." + So Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. + His sons brought him the blood, and he dipped his finger in it and put it on the horns of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. + Then he burned on the altar the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + The meat and the hide, however, he burned outside the camp. + Next Aaron slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar. + Then they handed him each piece of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. + Then he washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on the altar along with the rest of the burnt offering. + Next Aaron presented the offerings of the people. He slaughtered the people's goat and presented it as an offering for their sin, just as he had first done with the offering for his own sin. + Then he presented the burnt offering and sacrificed it in the prescribed way. + He also presented the grain offering, burning a handful of the flour mixture on the altar, in addition to the regular burnt offering for the morning. + Then Aaron slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people's peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar. + Then he took the fat of the bull and the ram-- the fat of the broad tail and from around the internal organs-- along with the kidneys and the long lobes of the livers. + He placed these fat portions on top of the breasts of these animals and burned them on the altar. + Aaron then lifted up the breasts and right thighs as a special offering to the LORD, just as Moses had commanded. + After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. + Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community. + Fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground. + + + Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. + So fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD. + Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD meant when he said, 'I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.' " And Aaron was silent. + Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron's cousins, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel. He said to them, "Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp." + So they came forward and picked them up by their garments and carried them out of the camp, just as Moses had commanded. + Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the LORD's anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the LORD's fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. + But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle or you will die, for you have been anointed with the LORD's anointing oil." So they did as Moses commanded. + Then the LORD said to Aaron, + "You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. + You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. + And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses." + Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take what is left of the grain offering after a portion has been presented as a special gift to the LORD, and eat it beside the altar. Make sure it contains no yeast, for it is most holy. + You must eat it in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD. These are the commands I have been given. + But the breast and thigh that were lifted up as a special offering may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel. + You must lift up the thigh and breast as a special offering to the LORD, along with the fat of the special gifts. These parts will belong to you and your descendants as your permanent right, just as the LORD has commanded." + Moses then asked them what had happened to the goat of the sin offering. When he discovered it had been burned up, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons. + "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sacred area?" he demanded. "It is a holy offering! The LORD has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to purify the people, making them right with the LORD. + Since the animal's blood was not brought into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the meat in the sacred area as I ordered you." + Then Aaron answered Moses, "Today my sons presented both their sin offering and their burnt offering to the LORD. And yet this tragedy has happened to me. If I had eaten the people's sin offering on such a tragic day as this, would the LORD have been pleased?" + And when Moses heard this, he was satisfied. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food. + You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud. + You may not, however, eat the following animals that have split hooves or that chew the cud, but not both. The camel chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is ceremonially unclean for you. + The hyrax chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean. + The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean. + The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. + You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you. + "Of all the marine animals, these are ones you may use for food. You may eat anything from the water if it has both fins and scales, whether taken from salt water or from streams. + But you must never eat animals from the sea or from rivers that do not have both fins and scales. They are detestable to you. This applies both to little creatures that live in shallow water and to all creatures that live in deep water. + They will always be detestable to you. You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies. + Any marine animal that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you. + "These are the birds that are detestable to you. You must never eat them: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, + the kite, falcons of all kinds, + ravens of all kinds, + the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds, + the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, + the barn owl, the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture, + the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat. + "You must not eat winged insects that walk along the ground; they are detestable to you. + You may, however, eat winged insects that walk along the ground and have jointed legs so they can jump. + The insects you are permitted to eat include all kinds of locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers. + All other winged insects that walk along the ground are detestable to you. + "The following creatures will make you ceremonially unclean. If any of you touch their carcasses, you will be defiled until evening. + If you pick up their carcasses, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. + "Any animal that has split hooves that are not evenly divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled. + Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. + If you pick up its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. These animals are unclean for you. + "Of the small animals that scurry along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the rat, large lizards of all kinds, + the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. + All these small animals are unclean for you. If any of you touch the dead body of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening. + If such an animal dies and falls on something, that object will be unclean. This is true whether the object is made of wood, cloth, leather, or burlap. Whatever its use, you must dip it in water, and it will remain defiled until evening. After that, it will be ceremonially clean and may be used again. + "If such an animal falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed. + If the water from such a container spills on any food, the food will be defiled. And any beverage in such a container will be defiled. + Any object on which the carcass of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is an oven or hearth, it must be destroyed, for it is defiled, and you must treat it accordingly. + "However, if the carcass of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who touches the carcass will be defiled. + If the carcass falls on seed grain to be planted in the field, the seed will still be considered clean. + But if the seed is wet when the carcass falls on it, the seed will be defiled. + "If an animal you are permitted to eat dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening. + If you eat any of its meat or carry away its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. + "All small animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them. + This includes all animals that slither along on their bellies, as well as those with four legs and those with many feet. All such animals that scurry along the ground are detestable, and you must never eat them. + Do not defile yourselves by touching them. You must not make yourselves ceremonially unclean because of them. + For I am the LORD your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground. + For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy. + "These are the instructions regarding land animals, birds, marine creatures, and animals that scurry along the ground. + By these instructions you will know what is unclean and clean, and which animals may be eaten and which may not be eaten." + + + The LORD said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. + If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. + On the eighth day the boy's foreskin must be circumcised. + After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. + If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. + "When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + The priest will then present them to the LORD to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter. + "If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean." + + + The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons. + The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. + "But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has not changed and the problem has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days. + On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has faded and has not spread, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. It was only a rash. The person's clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. + But if the rash continues to spread after the person has been examined by the priest and has been pronounced clean, the infected person must return to be examined again. + If the priest finds that the rash has spread, he must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is indeed a skin disease. + "Anyone who develops a serious skin disease must go to the priest for an examination. + If the priest finds a white swelling on the skin, and some hair on the spot has turned white, and there is an open sore in the affected area, + it is a chronic skin disease, and the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. In such cases the person need not be quarantined, for it is obvious that the skin is defiled by the disease. + "Now suppose the disease has spread all over the person's skin, covering the body from head to foot. + When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is clean. + But if any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. + The priest must make this pronouncement as soon as he sees an open sore, since open sores indicate the presence of a skin disease. + However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest + for another examination. If the affected areas have indeed turned white, the priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean by declaring, 'You are clean!' + "If anyone has a boil on the skin that has started to heal, + but a white swelling or a reddish white spot develops in its place, that person must go to the priest to be examined. + If the priest examines it and finds it to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair in the affected area has turned white, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. The boil has become a serious skin disease. + But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the person for seven days. + If during that time the affected area spreads on the skin, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, because it is a serious disease. + But if the area grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. + "If anyone has suffered a burn on the skin and the burned area changes color, becoming either reddish white or shiny white, + the priest must examine it. If he finds that the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, a skin disease has broken out in the burn. The priest must then pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease. + But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the infected person for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must examine the person again. If the affected area has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease. + But if the affected area has not changed or spread on the skin and has faded, it is simply a swelling from the burn. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean, for it is only the scar from the burn. + "If anyone, either a man or woman, has a sore on the head or chin, + the priest must examine it. If he finds it is more than skin-deep and has fine yellow hair on it, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. It is a scabby sore of the head or chin. + If the priest examines the scabby sore and finds that it is only skin-deep but there is no black hair on it, he must quarantine the person for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must examine the sore again. If he finds that the scabby sore has not spread, and there is no yellow hair on it, and it appears to be only skin-deep, + the person must shave off all hair except the hair on the affected area. Then the priest must quarantine the person for another seven days. + On the seventh day he will examine the sore again. If it has not spread and appears to be no more than skin-deep, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. The person's clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. + But if the scabby sore begins to spread after the person is pronounced clean, + the priest must do another examination. If he finds that the sore has spread, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair. The infected person is ceremonially unclean. + But if the color of the scabby sore does not change and black hair has grown on it, it has healed. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean. + "If anyone, either a man or woman, has shiny white patches on the skin, + the priest must examine the affected area. If he finds that the shiny patches are only pale white, this is a harmless skin rash, and the person is ceremonially clean. + "If a man loses his hair and his head becomes bald, he is still ceremonially clean. + And if he loses hair on his forehead, he simply has a bald forehead; he is still clean. + However, if a reddish white sore appears on the bald area at the top or back of his head, this is a skin disease. + The priest must examine him, and if he finds swelling around the reddish white sore anywhere on the man's head and it looks like a skin disease, + the man is indeed infected with a skin disease and is unclean. The priest must pronounce him ceremonially unclean because of the sore on his head. + "Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' + As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp. + "Now suppose mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing, + woolen or linen fabric, the hide of an animal, or anything made of leather. + If the contaminated area in the clothing, the animal hide, the fabric, or the leather article has turned greenish or reddish, it is contaminated with mildew and must be shown to the priest. + After examining the affected spot, the priest will put the article in quarantine for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must inspect it again. If the contaminated area has spread, the clothing or fabric or leather is clearly contaminated by a serious mildew and is ceremonially unclean. + The priest must burn the item-- the clothing, the woolen or linen fabric, or piece of leather-- for it has been contaminated by a serious mildew. It must be completely destroyed by fire. + "But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has not spread in the clothing, the fabric, or the leather, + the priest will order the object to be washed and then quarantined for seven more days. + Then the priest must examine the object again. If he finds that the contaminated area has not changed color after being washed, even if it did not spread, the object is defiled. It must be completely burned up, whether the contaminated spot is on the inside or outside. + But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has faded after being washed, he must cut the spot from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather. + If the spot later reappears on the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article, the mildew is clearly spreading, and the contaminated object must be burned up. + But if the spot disappears from the clothing, the fabric, or the leather article after it has been washed, it must be washed again; then it will be ceremonially clean. + "These are the instructions for dealing with mildew that contaminates woolen or linen clothing or fabric or anything made of leather. This is how the priest will determine whether these items are ceremonially clean or unclean." + + + And the LORD said to Moses, + "The following instructions are for those seeking ceremonial purification from a skin disease. Those who have been healed must be brought to the priest, + who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease, + he will perform a purification ceremony, using two live birds that are ceremonially clean, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. + The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh water. + He will take the live bird, the cedar stick, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop branch, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. + The priest will then sprinkle the blood of the dead bird seven times on the person being purified of the skin disease. When the priest has purified the person, he will release the live bird in the open field to fly away. + "The persons being purified must then wash their clothes, shave off all their hair, and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean and may return to the camp. However, they must remain outside their tents for seven days. + On the seventh day they must again shave all the hair from their heads, including the hair of the beard and eyebrows. They must also wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean. + "On the eighth day each person being purified must bring two male lambs and a one-year-old female lamb, all with no defects, along with a grain offering of six quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a cup of olive oil. + Then the officiating priest will present that person for purification, along with the offerings, before the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + The priest will take one of the male lambs and the olive oil and present them as a guilt offering, lifting them up as a special offering before the LORD. + He will then slaughter the male lamb in the sacred area where sin offerings and burnt offerings are slaughtered. As with the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest. It is a most holy offering. + The priest will then take some of the blood of the guilt offering and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified. + "Then the priest will pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand. + He will dip his right finger into the oil in his palm and sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the LORD. + The priest will then apply some of the oil in his palm over the blood from the guilt offering that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified. + The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the LORD. + "Then the priest must present the sin offering to purify the person who was cured of the skin disease. After that, the priest will slaughter the burnt offering + and offer it on the altar along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person who was healed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. + "But anyone who is too poor and cannot afford these offerings may bring one male lamb for a guilt offering, to be lifted up as a special offering for purification. The person must also bring two quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil for the grain offering and a cup of olive oil. + The offering must also include two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford. One of the pair must be used for the sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. + On the eighth day of the purification ceremony, the person being purified must bring the offerings to the priest in the LORD's presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + The priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering, along with the olive oil, and lift them up as a special offering to the LORD. + Then the priest will slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering. He will take some of its blood and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified. + "The priest will also pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand. + He will dip his right finger into the oil in his palm and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD. + The priest will then apply some of the oil in his palm over the blood from the guilt offering that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified. + The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the LORD. + "Then the priest will offer the two turtledoves or the two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford. + One of them is for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, to be presented along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the LORD. + These are the instructions for purification for those who have recovered from a serious skin disease but who cannot afford to bring the offerings normally required for the ceremony of purification." + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew. + The owner of such a house must then go to the priest and say, 'It appears that my house has some kind of mildew.' + Before the priest goes in to inspect the house, he must have the house emptied so nothing inside will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. + Then the priest will go in and examine the mildew on the walls. If he finds greenish or reddish streaks and the contamination appears to go deeper than the wall's surface, + the priest will step outside the door and put the house in quarantine for seven days. + On the seventh day the priest must return for another inspection. If he finds that the mildew on the walls of the house has spread, + the priest must order that the stones from those areas be removed. The contaminated material will then be taken outside the town to an area designated as ceremonially unclean. + Next the inside walls of the entire house must be scraped thoroughly and the scrapings dumped in the unclean place outside the town. + Other stones will be brought in to replace the ones that were removed, and the walls will be replastered. + "But if the mildew reappears after all the stones have been replaced and the house has been scraped and replastered, + the priest must return and inspect the house again. If he finds that the mildew has spread, the walls are clearly contaminated with a serious mildew, and the house is defiled. + It must be torn down, and all its stones, timbers, and plaster must be carried out of town to the place designated as ceremonially unclean. + Those who enter the house during the period of quarantine will be ceremonially unclean until evening, + and all who sleep or eat in the house must wash their clothing. + "But if the priest returns for his inspection and finds that the mildew has not reappeared in the house after the fresh plastering, he will pronounce it clean because the mildew is clearly gone. + To purify the house the priest must take two birds, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. + He will slaughter one of the birds over a clay pot filled with fresh water. + He will take the cedar stick, the hyssop branch, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, and dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the fresh water. Then he will sprinkle the house seven times. + When the priest has purified the house in exactly this way, + he will release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. Through this process, the priest will purify the house, and it will be ceremonially clean. + "These are the instructions for dealing with serious skin diseases, including scabby sores; + and mildew, whether on clothing or in a house; + and a swelling on the skin, a rash, or discolored skin. + This procedure will determine whether a person or object is ceremonially clean or unclean."These are the instructions regarding skin diseases and mildew." + + + The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."Any man who has a bodily discharge is ceremonially unclean. + This defilement is caused by his discharge, whether the discharge continues or stops. In either case the man is unclean. + Any bed on which the man with the discharge lies and anything on which he sits will be ceremonially unclean. + So if you touch the man's bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + If you sit where the man with the discharge has sat, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + If you touch the man with the discharge, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + If the man spits on you, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + Any saddle blanket on which the man rides will be ceremonially unclean. + If you touch anything that was under the man, you will be unclean until evening. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + If the man touches you without first rinsing his hands, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + Any clay pot the man touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil he touches must be rinsed with water. + "When the man with the discharge is healed, he must count off seven days for the period of purification. Then he must wash his clothes and bathe himself in fresh water, and he will be ceremonially clean. + On the eighth day he must get two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle and give his offerings to the priest. + The priest will offer one bird for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the man before the LORD for his discharge. + "Whenever a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water, and he will remain ceremonially unclean until the next evening. + Any clothing or leather with semen on it must be washed in water, and it will remain unclean until evening. + After a man and a woman have sexual intercourse, they must each bathe in water, and they will remain unclean until the next evening. + "Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her during that time will be unclean until evening. + Anything on which the woman lies or sits during the time of her period will be unclean. + If any of you touch her bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + If you touch any object she has sat on, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + This includes her bed or any other object she has sat on; you will be unclean until evening if you touch it. + If a man has sexual intercourse with her and her blood touches him, her menstrual impurity will be transmitted to him. He will remain unclean for seven days, and any bed on which he lies will be unclean. + "If a woman has a flow of blood for many days that is unrelated to her menstrual period, or if the blood continues beyond the normal period, she is ceremonially unclean. As during her menstrual period, the woman will be unclean as long as the discharge continues. + Any bed she lies on and any object she sits on during that time will be unclean, just as during her normal menstrual period. + If any of you touch these things, you will be ceremonially unclean. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. + "When the woman's bleeding stops, she must count off seven days. Then she will be ceremonially clean. + On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the LORD for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding. + "This is how you will guard the people of Israel from ceremonial uncleanness. Otherwise they would die, for their impurity would defile my Tabernacle that stands among them. + These are the instructions for dealing with anyone who has a bodily discharge-- a man who is unclean because of an emission of semen + or a woman during her menstrual period. It applies to any man or woman who has a bodily discharge, and to a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman who is ceremonially unclean." + + + The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, who died after they entered the LORD's presence and burned the wrong kind of fire before him. + The LORD said to Moses, "Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover. + "When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. + He must put on his linen tunic and the linen undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are sacred garments, so he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on. + Aaron must take from the community of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. + "Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the LORD. + Then he must take the two male goats and present them to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the LORD and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel. + Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the LORD. + The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the LORD. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the LORD. + "Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the LORD. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, + he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the LORD. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. + There in the LORD's presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die. + Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover. + "Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat's blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull's blood. + Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites. + No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron enters it for the purification ceremony in the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after purifying himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with the LORD. + "Then Aaron will come out to purify the altar that stands before the LORD. He will do this by taking some of the blood from the bull and the goat and putting it on each of the horns of the altar. + Then he must sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times over the altar. In this way, he will cleanse it from Israel's defilement and make it holy. + "When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. + He will lay both of his hands on the goat's head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people's sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness. + As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people's sins upon itself into a desolate land. + "When Aaron goes back into the Tabernacle, he must take off the linen garments he was wearing when he entered the Most Holy Place, and he must leave the garments there. + Then he must bathe himself with water in a sacred place, put on his regular garments, and go out to sacrifice a burnt offering for himself and a burnt offering for the people. Through this process, he will purify himself and the people, making them right with the LORD. + He must then burn all the fat of the sin offering on the altar. + "The man chosen to drive the scapegoat into the wilderness of Azazel must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he may return to the camp. + "The bull and the goat presented as sin offerings, whose blood Aaron takes into the Most Holy Place for the purification ceremony, will be carried outside the camp. The animals' hides, internal organs, and dung are all to be burned. + The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before returning to the camp. + "On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you. + On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the LORD's presence from all your sins. + It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you. + In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments + and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation. + This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the LORD once each year." Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the LORD had commanded him. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel. This is what the LORD has commanded. + "If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp + instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the LORD, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community. + The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can present them to the LORD as peace offerings. + Then the priest will be able to splatter the blood against the LORD's altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and he will burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + The people must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by offering sacrifices to the goat idols. This is a permanent law for them, to be observed from generation to generation. + "Give them this command as well. If any native Israelite or foreigner living among you offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice + but does not bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to offer it to the LORD, that person will be cut off from the community. + "And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, + for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible. + That is why I have said to the people of Israel, 'You must never eat or drink blood-- neither you nor the foreigners living among you.' + "And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth. + The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, 'You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.' So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community. + "And if any native-born Israelites or foreigners eat the meat of an animal that died naturally or was torn up by wild animals, they must wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. They will remain ceremonially unclean until evening, but then they will be clean. + But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be punished for their sin." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the LORD your God. + So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. + You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the LORD your God. + If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD. + "You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the LORD. + "Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her. + "Do not have sexual relations with any of your father's wives, for this would violate your father. + "Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else's. + "Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, for this would violate yourself. + "Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father's wives, for she is your sister. + "Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister, for she is your father's close relative. + "Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, for she is your mother's close relative. + "Do not violate your uncle, your father's brother, by having sexual relations with his wife, for she is your aunt. + "Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, so you must not have sexual relations with her. + "Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife, for this would violate your brother. + "Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take her granddaughter, whether her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act. + "While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals. + "Do not have sexual relations with a woman during her period of menstrual impurity. + "Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife. + "Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the LORD. + "Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. + "A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act. + "Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. + Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out. + You must obey all my decrees and regulations. You must not commit any of these detestable sins. This applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. + "All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled. + So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now. + Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel. + So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the LORD your God." + + + The LORD also said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. + "Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God. + "Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. + "When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, offer it properly so you will be accepted by God. + The sacrifice must be eaten on the same day you offer it or on the next day. Whatever is left over until the third day must be completely burned up. + If any of the sacrifice is eaten on the third day, it will be contaminated, and I will not accept it. + Anyone who eats it on the third day will be punished for defiling what is holy to the LORD and will be cut off from the community. + "When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. + It is the same with your grape crop-- do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God. + "Do not steal."Do not deceive or cheat one another. + "Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the LORD. + "Do not defraud or rob your neighbor."Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay. + "Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the LORD. + "Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly. + "Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. "Do not stand idly by when your neighbor's life is threatened. I am the LORD. + "Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. + "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. + "You must obey all my decrees."Do not mate two different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two different kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven from two different kinds of thread. + "If a man has sex with a slave girl whose freedom has never been purchased but who is committed to become another man's wife, he must pay full compensation to her master. But since she is not a free woman, neither the man nor the woman will be put to death. + The man, however, must bring a ram as a guilt offering and present it to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + The priest will then purify him before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering, and the man's sin will be forgiven. + "When you enter the land and plant fruit trees, leave the fruit unharvested for the first three years and consider it forbidden. Do not eat it. + In the fourth year the entire crop must be consecrated to the LORD as a celebration of praise. + Finally, in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you follow this pattern, your harvest will increase. I am the LORD your God. + "Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood."Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft. + "Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards. + "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD. + "Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with prostitution and wickedness. + "Keep my Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence toward my sanctuary. I am the LORD. + "Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God. + "Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the LORD. + "Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. + Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. + "Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume. + Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. + "You must be careful to keep all of my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice. I am the LORD." + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel."If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death. + I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech. + And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them, + I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech. + "I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community. + So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the LORD your God. + Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD who makes you holy. + "Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense. + "If a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death. + "If a man violates his father by having sex with one of his father's wives, both the man and the woman must be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense. + "If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both must be put to death. They have committed a perverse act and are guilty of a capital offense. + "If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense. + "If a man marries both a woman and her mother, he has committed a wicked act. The man and both women must be burned to death to wipe out such wickedness from among you. + "If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death, and the animal must be killed. + "If a woman presents herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it, she and the animal must both be put to death. You must kill both, for they are guilty of a capital offense. + "If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a shameful disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from the community. Since the man has violated his sister, he will be punished for his sin. + "If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period, both of them must be cut off from the community, for together they have exposed the source of her blood flow. + "Do not have sexual relations with your aunt, whether your mother's sister or your father's sister. This would dishonor a close relative. Both parties are guilty and will be punished for their sin. + If a man has sex with his uncle's wife, he has violated his uncle. Both the man and woman will be punished for their sin, and they will die childless. + "If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless. + "You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out. + Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. + But I have promised you, 'You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession-- a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from all other people. + "You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you. + You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. + "Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense." + + + The LORD said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron."A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative. + The only exceptions are his closest relatives-- his mother or father, son or daughter, brother, + or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband. + But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage. + "The priests must not shave their heads or trim their beards or cut their bodies. + They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the LORD, gifts of food for their God. + "Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God. + You must treat them as holy because they offer up food to your God. You must consider them holy because I, the LORD, am holy, and I make you holy. + "If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father's holiness, and she must be burned to death. + "The high priest has the highest rank of all the priests. The anointing oil has been poured on his head, and he has been ordained to wear the priestly garments. He must never leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothing. + He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother. + He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD. + "The high priest may marry only a virgin. + He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan, + so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the LORD who makes him holy." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. + No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, + or has a broken foot or arm, + or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or moles, or damaged testicles. + No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. + However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings. + Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the LORD who makes them holy." + So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on my holy name. I am the LORD. + Give them the following instructions."In all future generations, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean when he approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Israel consecrate to the LORD, he must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD. + "If any of Aaron's descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen, + or by touching a small animal that is unclean, or by touching someone who is ceremonially unclean for any reason. + The man who is defiled in any of these ways will remain unclean until evening. He may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has bathed himself in water. + When the sun goes down, he will be ceremonially clean again and may eat from the sacred offerings, for this is his food. + He may not eat an animal that has died a natural death or has been torn apart by wild animals, for this would defile him. I am the LORD. + "The priests must follow my instructions carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for their sin and will die for violating my instructions. I am the LORD who makes them holy. + "No one outside a priest's family may eat the sacred offerings. Even guests and hired workers in a priest's home are not allowed to eat them. + However, if the priest buys a slave for himself, the slave may eat from the sacred offerings. And if his slaves have children, they also may share his food. + If a priest's daughter marries someone outside the priestly family, she may no longer eat the sacred offerings. + But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and has no children to support her, and she returns to live in her father's home as in her youth, she may eat her father's food again. Otherwise, no one outside a priest's family may eat the sacred offerings. + "Any such person who eats the sacred offerings without realizing it must pay the priest for the amount eaten, plus an additional 20 percent. + The priests must not let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought to the LORD + by allowing unauthorized people to eat them. This would bring guilt upon them and require them to pay compensation. I am the LORD who makes them holy." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Give Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living among you."If you present a gift as a burnt offering to the LORD, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, + you will be accepted only if your offering is a male animal with no defects. It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat. + Do not present an animal with defects, because the LORD will not accept it on your behalf. + "If you present a peace offering to the LORD from the herd or the flock, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, you must offer a perfect animal. It may have no defect of any kind. + You must not offer an animal that is blind, crippled, or injured, or that has an oozing sore, a skin sore, or scabs. Such animals must never be offered on the altar as special gifts to the LORD. + If a bull or lamb has a leg that is too long or too short, it may be offered as a voluntary offering, but it may not be offered to fulfill a vow. + If an animal has damaged testicles or is castrated, you may not offer it to the LORD. You must never do this in your own land, + and you must not accept such an animal from foreigners and then offer it as a sacrifice to your God. Such animals will not be accepted on your behalf, for they are mutilated or defective." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it must be left with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a special gift to the LORD. + But you must not slaughter a mother animal and her offspring on the same day, whether from the herd or the flock. + When you bring a thanksgiving offering to the LORD, sacrifice it properly so you will be accepted. + Eat the entire sacrificial animal on the day it is presented. Do not leave any of it until the next morning. I am the LORD. + "You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD. + Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy. + It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the LORD." + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the LORD's appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly. + "You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the LORD's Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live. + "In addition to the Sabbath, these are the LORD's appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year. + "The LORD's Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month. + On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the LORD continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast. + On the first day of the festival, all the people must stop their ordinary work and observe an official day for holy assembly. + For seven days you must present special gifts to the LORD. On the seventh day the people must again stop all their ordinary work to observe an official day for holy assembly." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. + On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the LORD so it may be accepted on your behalf. + On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the LORD. + With it you must present a grain offering consisting of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil. It will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. You must also offer one quart of wine as a liquid offering. + Do not eat any bread or roasted grain or fresh kernels on that day until you bring this offering to your God. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. + "From the day after the Sabbath-- the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering-- count off seven full weeks. + Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. + From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the LORD as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the LORD from the first of your crops. + Along with the bread, present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the LORD. These burnt offerings, together with the grain offerings and liquid offerings, will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + Then you must offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering. + "The priest will lift up the two lambs as a special offering to the LORD, together with the loaves representing the first of your crops. These offerings, which are holy to the LORD, belong to the priests. + That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. + "When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God." + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. On the first day of the appointed month in early autumn, you are to observe a day of complete rest. It will be an official day for holy assembly, a day commemorated with loud blasts of a trumpet. + You must do no ordinary work on that day. Instead, you are to present special gifts to the LORD." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of that same month-- nine days after the Festival of Trumpets. You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the LORD. + Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with the LORD your God. + All who do not deny themselves that day will be cut off from God's people. + And I will destroy anyone among you who does any work on that day. + You must not do any work at all! This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. + This will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and on that day you must deny yourselves. This day of rest will begin at sundown on the ninth day of the month and extend until sundown on the tenth day." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the appointed month-- five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the LORD will last for seven days. + On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work. + For seven days you must present special gifts to the LORD. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the LORD. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day. + ("These are the LORD's appointed festivals. Celebrate them each year as official days for holy assembly by presenting special gifts to the LORD-- burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquid offerings-- each on its proper day. + These festivals must be observed in addition to the LORD's regular Sabbath days, and the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the LORD.) + "Remember that this seven-day festival to the LORD-- the Festival of Shelters-- begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. + On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees-- palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the LORD your God for seven days. + You must observe this festival to the LORD for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation. + For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. + This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God." + So Moses gave the Israelites these instructions regarding the annual festivals of the LORD. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. + This is the lampstand that stands in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron must keep the lamps burning in the LORD's presence all night. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. + Aaron and the priests must tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand continually in the LORD's presence. + "You must bake twelve loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts of flour for each loaf. + Place the bread before the LORD on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two rows, with six loaves in each row. + Put some pure frankincense near each row to serve as a representative offering, a special gift presented to the LORD. + Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the LORD. The bread is to be received from the people of Israel as a requirement of the eternal covenant. + The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD." + One day a man who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father came out of his tent and got into a fight with one of the Israelite men. + During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD with a curse. So the man was brought to Moses for judgment. His mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan. + They kept the man in custody until the LORD's will in the matter should become clear to them. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard the curse to lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire community stone him to death. + Say to the people of Israel: Those who curse their God will be punished for their sin. + Anyone who blasphemes the Name of the LORD must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any native-born Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the Name of the LORD must be put to death. + "Anyone who takes another person's life must be put to death. + "Anyone who kills another person's animal must pay for it in full-- a live animal for the animal that was killed. + "Anyone who injures another person must be dealt with according to the injury inflicted-- + a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whatever anyone does to injure another person must be paid back in kind. + "Whoever kills an animal must pay for it in full, but whoever kills another person must be put to death. + "This same standard applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God." + After Moses gave all these instructions to the Israelites, they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him to death. The Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the LORD said to him, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the LORD every seventh year. + For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, + but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the LORD's Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year. + And don't store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. + But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own during its Sabbath. This applies to you, your male and female servants, your hired workers, and the temporary residents who live with you. + Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces. + "In addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven sets of seven years, adding up to forty-nine years in all. + Then on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, blow the ram's horn loud and long throughout the land. + Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan. + This fiftieth year will be a jubilee for you. During that year you must not plant your fields or store away any of the crops that grow on their own, and don't gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. + It will be a jubilee year for you, and you must keep it holy. But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own. + In the Year of Jubilee each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors. + "When you make an agreement with your neighbor to buy or sell property, you must not take advantage of each other. + When you buy land from your neighbor, the price you pay must be based on the number of years since the last jubilee. The seller must set the price by taking into account the number of years remaining until the next Year of Jubilee. + The more years until the next jubilee, the higher the price; the fewer years, the lower the price. After all, the person selling the land is actually selling you a certain number of harvests. + Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I am the LORD your God. + "If you want to live securely in the land, follow my decrees and obey my regulations. + Then the land will yield large crops, and you will eat your fill and live securely in it. + But you might ask, 'What will we eat during the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?' + Be assured that I will send my blessing for you in the sixth year, so the land will produce a crop large enough for three years. + When you plant your fields in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the large crop of the sixth year. In fact, you will still be eating from that large crop when the new crop is harvested in the ninth year. + "The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me. + "With every purchase of land you must grant the seller the right to buy it back. + If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then a close relative should buy it back for him. + If there is no close relative to buy the land, but the person who sold it gets enough money to buy it back, + he then has the right to redeem it from the one who bought it. The price of the land will be discounted according to the number of years until the next Year of Jubilee. In this way the original owner can then return to the land. + But if the original owner cannot afford to buy back the land, it will remain with the new owner until the next Year of Jubilee. In the jubilee year, the land must be returned to the original owners so they can return to their family land. + "Anyone who sells a house inside a walled town has the right to buy it back for a full year after its sale. During that year, the seller retains the right to buy it back. + But if it is not bought back within a year, the sale of the house within the walled town cannot be reversed. It will become the permanent property of the buyer. It will not be returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee. + But a house in a village-- a settlement without fortified walls-- will be treated like property in the countryside. Such a house may be bought back at any time, and it must be returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee. + "The Levites always have the right to buy back a house they have sold within the towns allotted to them. + And any property that is sold by the Levites-- all houses within the Levitical towns-- must be returned in the Year of Jubilee. After all, the houses in the towns reserved for the Levites are the only property they own in all Israel. + The open pastureland around the Levitical towns may never be sold. It is their permanent possession. + "If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you. + Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense. Instead, show your fear of God by letting him live with you as your relative. + Remember, do not charge interest on money you lend him or make a profit on food you sell him. + I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. + "If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself to you, do not treat him as a slave. + Treat him instead as a hired worker or as a temporary resident who lives with you, and he will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee. + At that time he and his children will no longer be obligated to you, and they will return to their clans and go back to the land originally allotted to their ancestors. + The people of Israel are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, so they must never be sold as slaves. + Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly. + "However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you. + You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, + passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way. + "Suppose a foreigner or temporary resident becomes rich while living among you. If any of your fellow Israelites fall into poverty and are forced to sell themselves to such a foreigner or to a member of his family, + they still retain the right to be bought back, even after they have been purchased. They may be bought back by a brother, + an uncle, or a cousin. In fact, anyone from the extended family may buy them back. They may also redeem themselves if they have prospered. + They will negotiate the price of their freedom with the person who bought them. The price will be based on the number of years from the time they were sold until the next Year of Jubilee-- whatever it would cost to hire a worker for that period of time. + If many years still remain until the jubilee, they will repay the proper proportion of what they received when they sold themselves. + If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they will repay a small amount for their redemption. + The foreigner must treat them as workers hired on a yearly basis. You must not allow a foreigner to treat any of your fellow Israelites harshly. + If any Israelites have not been bought back by the time the Year of Jubilee arrives, they and their children must be set free at that time. + For the people of Israel belong to me. They are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. + + + "Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the LORD your God. + You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD. + "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, + I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. + Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. + "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. + In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. + Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword. + "I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. + You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! + I will live among you, and I will not despise you. + I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. + I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high. + "However, if you do not listen to me or obey all these commands, + and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, + I will punish you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you-- wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them. + I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you! + "And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins. + I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze. + All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit. + "If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins. + I will send wild animals that will rob you of your children and destroy your livestock. Your numbers will dwindle, and your roads will be deserted. + "And if you fail to learn the lesson and continue your hostility toward me, + then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins. + I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. When you run to your towns for safety, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be handed over to your enemies. + I will destroy your food supply, so that ten women will need only one oven to bake bread for their families. They will ration your food by weight, and though you have food to eat, you will not be satisfied. + "If in spite of all this you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me, + then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins. + Then you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters. + I will destroy your pagan shrines and knock down your places of worship. I will leave your lifeless corpses piled on top of your lifeless idols, and I will despise you. + I will make your cities desolate and destroy your places of pagan worship. I will take no pleasure in your offerings that should be a pleasing aroma to me. + Yes, I myself will devastate your land, and your enemies who come to occupy it will be appalled at what they see. + I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins. + Then at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while you are in exile in the land of your enemies. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy the Sabbaths it missed. + As long as the land lies in ruins, it will enjoy the rest you never allowed it to take every seventh year while you lived in it. + "And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies. You will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though fleeing from a sword, and you will fall even when no one pursues you. + Though no one is chasing you, you will stumble over each other as though fleeing from a sword. You will have no power to stand up against your enemies. + You will die among the foreign nations and be devoured in the land of your enemies. + Those of you who survive will waste away in your enemies' lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. + "But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me. + When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins. + Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. + For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees. + "But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the LORD their God. + For their sakes I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD." + These are the decrees, regulations, and instructions that the LORD gave through Moses on Mount Sinai as evidence of the relationship between himself and the Israelites. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate someone to the LORD by paying the value of that person, + here is the scale of values to be used. A man between the ages of twenty and sixty is valued at fifty shekels of silver, as measured by the sanctuary shekel. + A woman of that age is valued at thirty shekels of silver. + A boy between the ages of five and twenty is valued at twenty shekels of silver; a girl of that age is valued at ten shekels of silver. + A boy between the ages of one month and five years is valued at five shekels of silver; a girl of that age is valued at three shekels of silver. + A man older than sixty is valued at fifteen shekels of silver; a woman of that age is valued at ten shekels of silver. + If you desire to make such a vow but cannot afford to pay the required amount, take the person to the priest. He will determine the amount for you to pay based on what you can afford. + "If your vow involves giving an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the LORD, any gift to the LORD will be considered holy. + You may not exchange or substitute it for another animal-- neither a good animal for a bad one nor a bad animal for a good one. But if you do exchange one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy. + If your vow involves an unclean animal-- one that is not acceptable as an offering to the LORD-- then you must bring the animal to the priest. + He will assess its value, and his assessment will be final, whether high or low. + If you want to buy back the animal, you must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. + "If someone dedicates a house to the LORD, the priest will come to assess its value. The priest's assessment will be final, whether high or low. + If the person who dedicated the house wants to buy it back, he must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. Then the house will again be his. + "If someone dedicates to the LORD a piece of his family property, its value will be assessed according to the amount of seed required to plant it-- fifty shekels of silver for a field planted with five bushels of barley seed. + If the field is dedicated to the LORD in the Year of Jubilee, then the entire assessment will apply. + But if the field is dedicated after the Year of Jubilee, the priest will assess the land's value in proportion to the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. Its assessed value is reduced each year. + If the person who dedicated the field wants to buy it back, he must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. Then the field will again be legally his. + But if he does not want to buy it back, and it is sold to someone else, the field can no longer be bought back. + When the field is released in the Year of Jubilee, it will be holy, a field specially set apart for the LORD. It will become the property of the priests. + "If someone dedicates to the LORD a field he has purchased but which is not part of his family property, + the priest will assess its value based on the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. On that day he must give the assessed value of the land as a sacred donation to the LORD. + In the Year of Jubilee the field must be returned to the person from whom he purchased it, the one who inherited it as family property. + (All the payments must be measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) + "You may not dedicate a firstborn animal to the LORD, for the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats already belong to him. + However, you may buy back the firstborn of a ceremonially unclean animal by paying the priest's assessment of its worth, plus 20 percent. If you do not buy it back, the priest will sell it at its assessed value. + "However, anything specially set apart for the LORD-- whether a person, an animal, or family property-- must never be sold or bought back. Anything devoted in this way has been set apart as holy, and it belongs to the LORD. + No person specially set apart for destruction may be bought back. Such a person must be put to death. + "One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy. + If you want to buy back the LORD's tenth of the grain or fruit, you must pay its value, plus 20 percent. + Count off every tenth animal from your herds and flocks and set them apart for the LORD as holy. + You may not pick and choose between good and bad animals, and you may not substitute one for another. But if you do exchange one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy and cannot be bought back." + These are the commands that the LORD gave through Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. + + + + + A year after Israel's departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year he said, + "From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men + twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops, + and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe. + "These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you: Tribe Leader Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur + Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai + Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab + Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar + Zebulun Eliab son of Helon + Ephraim son of Joseph Elishama son of Ammihud Manasseh son of Joseph Gamaliel son of Pedahzur + Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni + Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai + Asher Pagiel son of Ocran + Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel + Naphtali Ahira son of Enan + These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel." + So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders, + and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one, + just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai. + This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families: Tribe Number Reuben (Jacob's oldest son) 46,500 + + Simeon 59,300 + + Gad 45,650 + + Judah 74,600 + + Issachar 54,400 + + Zebulun 57,400 + + Ephraim son of Joseph 40,500 + + Manasseh son of Joseph 32,200 + + Benjamin 35,400 + + Dan 62,700 + + Asher 41,500 + + Naphtali 53,400 + + These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. + They were registered by families-- all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. + The total number was 603,550. + But this total did not include the Levites. + For the LORD had said to Moses, + "Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites. + Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it. + Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death. + Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner. + But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the LORD's anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle." + So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron: + "When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it. + "The divisions of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun are to camp toward the sunrise on the east side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab 74,600 + + Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar 54,400 + + Zebulun Eliab son of Helon 57,400 + + So the total of all the troops on Judah's side of the camp is 186,400. These three tribes are to lead the way whenever the Israelites travel to a new campsite. + "The divisions of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad are to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur 46,500 + + Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai 59,300 + + Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel 45,650 + + So the total of all the troops on Reuben's side of the camp is 151,450. These three tribes will be second in line whenever the Israelites travel. + "Then the Tabernacle, carried by the Levites, will set out from the middle of the camp. All the tribes are to travel in the same order that they camp, each in position under the appropriate family banner. + "The divisions of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin are to camp on the west side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Ephraim Elishama son of Ammihud 40,500 + + Manasseh Gamaliel son of Pedahzur 32,200 + + Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni 35,400 + + So the total of all the troops on Ephraim's side of the camp is 108,100. These three tribes will be third in line whenever the Israelites travel. + "The divisions of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali are to camp on the north side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai 62,700 + + Asher Pagiel son of Ocran 41,500 + + Naphtali Ahira son of Enan 53,400 + + So the total of all the troops on Dan's side of the camp is 157,600. These three tribes will be last, marching under their banners whenever the Israelites travel." + In summary, the troops of Israel listed by their families totaled 603,550. + But as the LORD had commanded, the Levites were not included in this registration. + So the people of Israel did everything as the LORD had commanded Moses. Each clan and family set up camp and marched under their banners exactly as the LORD had instructed them. + + + This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: + The names of Aaron's sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. + But Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD's presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the LORD the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. + They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle. + They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites. + Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants. + Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me, + for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the LORD." + The LORD spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, + "Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older." + So Moses listed them, just as the LORD had commanded. + Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei. + The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his descendants, Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups. + The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libni and Shimei. + There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans. + They were assigned the area to the west of the Tabernacle for their camp. + The leader of the Gershonite clans was Eliasaph son of Lael. + These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance, + the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. + The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + There were 8,600 males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary, + and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle for their camp. + The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. + These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use. + Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary. + The descendants of Merari were composed of the clans descended from Mahli and Mushi. + There were 6,200 males one month old or older among these Merarite clans. + They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. + These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use. + They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes. + The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east toward the sunrise, was reserved for the tents of Moses and of Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel. Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death. + When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the LORD's command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names. + The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the LORD. And the Levites' livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel." + So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded. + The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the LORD. + There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons, + collect five pieces of silver for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs). + Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons." + So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites. + He collected 1,365 pieces of silver on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel). + And Moses gave the silver for the redemption to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Kohathite division of the tribe of Levi. + List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle. + "The duties of the Kohathites at the Tabernacle will relate to the most sacred objects. + When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it. + Then they must cover the inner curtain with fine goatskin leather and spread over that a single piece of blue cloth. Finally, they must put the carrying poles of the Ark in place. + "Next they must spread a blue cloth over the table where the Bread of the Presence is displayed, and on the cloth they will place the bowls, pans, jars, pitchers, and the special bread. + They must spread a scarlet cloth over all of this, and finally a covering of fine goatskin leather on top of the scarlet cloth. Then they must insert the carrying poles into the table. + "Next they must cover the lampstand with a blue cloth, along with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and special jars of olive oil. + Then they must cover the lampstand and its accessories with fine goatskin leather and place the bundle on a carrying frame. + "Next they must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar and cover this cloth with fine goatskin leather. Then they must attach the carrying poles to the altar. + They must take all the remaining furnishings of the sanctuary and wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine goatskin leather, and place them on the carrying frame. + "They must remove the ashes from the altar for sacrifices and cover the altar with a purple cloth. + All the altar utensils-- the firepans, meat forks, shovels, basins, and all the containers-- must be placed on the cloth, and a covering of fine goatskin leather must be spread over them. Finally, they must put the carrying poles in place. + The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred articles. The Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. But they must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. So these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry. + "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will be responsible for the oil of the lampstand, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. In fact, Eleazar will be responsible for the entire Tabernacle and everything in it, including the sanctuary and its furnishings." + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Do not let the Kohathite clans be destroyed from among the Levites! + This is what you must do so they will live and not die when they approach the most sacred objects. Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and assign a specific duty or load to each person. + The Kohathites must never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Gershonite division of the tribe of Levi. + List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle. + "These Gershonite clans will be responsible for general service and carrying loads. + They must carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle itself with its coverings, the outer covering of fine goatskin leather, and the curtain for the Tabernacle entrance. + They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. The Gershonites are responsible for all these items. + Aaron and his sons will direct the Gershonites regarding all their duties, whether it involves moving the equipment or doing other work. They must assign the Gershonites responsibility for the loads they are to carry. + So these are the duties assigned to the Gershonite clans at the Tabernacle. They will be directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. + "Now record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Merarite division of the tribe of Levi. + List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle. + "Their only duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry loads. They will carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases; + also the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, and ropes; and all the accessories and everything else related to their use. Assign the various loads to each man by name. + So these are the duties of the Merarite clans at the Tabernacle. They are directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest." + So Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders of the community listed the members of the Kohathite division by their clans and families. + The list included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle, + and the total number came to 2,750. + So this was the total of all those from the Kohathite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses. + The Gershonite division was also listed by its clans and families. + The list included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle, + and the total number came to 2,630. + So this was the total of all those from the Gershonite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the LORD had commanded. + The Merarite division was also listed by its clans and families. + The list included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle, + and the total number came to 3,200. + So this was the total of all those from the Merarite clans who were eligible for service. Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses. + So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel listed all the Levites by their clans and families. + All the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and for its transportation + numbered 8,580. + When their names were recorded, as the LORD had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry.And so the registration was completed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + The LORD gave these instructions to Moses: + "Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease or a discharge, or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person. + This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them." + So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses and removed such people from the camp. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people-- men or women-- betray the LORD by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty. + They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged. + But if the person who was wronged is dead, and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, the payment belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest. Those who are guilty must also bring a ram as a sacrifice, and they will be purified and made right with the LORD. + All the sacred offerings that the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him. + Each priest may keep all the sacred donations that he receives." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."Suppose a man's wife goes astray, and she is unfaithful to her husband + and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself, even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act. + If her husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself, + the husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense, for it is a jealousy offering-- an offering to prove whether or not she is guilty. + "The priest will then present her to stand trial before the LORD. + He must take some holy water in a clay jar and pour into it dust he has taken from the Tabernacle floor. + When the priest has presented the woman before the LORD, he must unbind her hair and place in her hands the offering of proof-- the jealousy offering to determine whether her husband's suspicions are justified. The priest will stand before her, holding the jar of bitter water that brings a curse to those who are guilty. + The priest will then put the woman under oath and say to her, 'If no other man has had sex with you, and you have not gone astray and defiled yourself while under your husband's authority, may you be immune from the effects of this bitter water that brings on the curse. + But if you have gone astray by being unfaithful to your husband, and have defiled yourself by having sex with another man--' + "At this point the priest must put the woman under oath by saying, 'May the people know that the LORD's curse is upon you when he makes you infertile, causing your womb to shrivel and your abdomen to swell. + Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel. ' And the woman will be required to say, 'Yes, let it be so.' + And the priest will write these curses on a piece of leather and wash them off into the bitter water. + He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings on the curse. When the water enters her body, it will cause bitter suffering if she is guilty. + "The priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman's hand, lift it up before the LORD, and carry it to the altar. + He will take a handful of the flour as a token portion and burn it on the altar, and he will require the woman to drink the water. + If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people. + But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children. + "This is the ritual law for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband's authority, + or if a man becomes jealous and is suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful, the husband must present his wife before the LORD, and the priest will apply this entire ritual law to her. + The husband will be innocent of any guilt in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. + "If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way, + they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins. + As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine-- not even the grape seeds or skins. + "They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the LORD. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long. + And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the LORD. + Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God. + This requirement applies as long as they are set apart to the LORD. + "If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement. + On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way, he will purify them from the guilt they incurred through contact with the dead body. Then they must reaffirm their commitment and let their hair begin to grow again. + The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the LORD as a Nazirite for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering. + "This is the ritual law for Nazirites. At the conclusion of their time of separation as Nazirites, they must each go to the entrance of the Tabernacle + and offer their sacrifices to the LORD: a one-year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering, + a basket of bread made without yeast-- cakes of choice flour mixed with olive oil and wafers spread with olive oil-- along with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. + The priest will present these offerings before the LORD: first the sin offering and the burnt offering; + then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the LORD. + "Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice. + After the Nazirite's head has been shaved, the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket a cake and a wafer made without yeast. He will put them all into the Nazirite's hands. + Then the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the LORD. These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast of the special offering and the thigh of the sacred offering that are lifted up before the LORD. After this ceremony the Nazirites may again drink wine. + "This is the ritual law of the Nazirites, who vow to bring these offerings to the LORD. They may also bring additional offerings if they can afford it. And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazirites." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: + 'May the LORD bless you and protect you. + May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. + May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.' + Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them." + + + On the day Moses set up the Tabernacle, he anointed it and set it apart as holy. He also anointed and set apart all its furnishings and the altar with its utensils. + Then the leaders of Israel-- the tribal leaders who had registered the troops-- came and brought their offerings. + Together they brought six large wagons and twelve oxen. There was a wagon for every two leaders and an ox for each leader. They presented these to the LORD in front of the Tabernacle. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Receive their gifts, and use these oxen and wagons for transporting the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites according to the work they have to do." + So Moses took the wagons and oxen and presented them to the Levites. + He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonite division for their work, + and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarite division for their work. All their work was done under the leadership of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. + But he gave none of the wagons or oxen to the Kohathite division, since they were required to carry the sacred objects of the Tabernacle on their shoulders. + The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar at the time it was anointed. They each placed their gifts before the altar. + The LORD said to Moses, "Let one leader bring his gift each day for the dedication of the altar." + On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab, leader of the tribe of Judah, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nahshon son of Amminadab. + On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of the tribe of Issachar, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nethanel son of Zuar. + On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the tribe of Zebulun, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Eliab son of Helon. + On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the tribe of Reuben, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Elizur son of Shedeur. + On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the tribe of Simeon, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. + On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the tribe of Gad, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Eliasaph son of Deuel. + On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the tribe of Ephraim, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Elishama son of Ammihud. + On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the tribe of Manasseh, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. + On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the tribe of Benjamin, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Abidan son of Gideoni. + On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the tribe of Dan, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, leader of the tribe of Asher, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Pagiel son of Ocran. + On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the tribe of Naphtali, presented his offering. + His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3-1/4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1-3/4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. + He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. + He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, + and a male goat for a sin offering. + For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Ahira son of Enan. + So this was the dedication offering brought by the leaders of Israel at the time the altar was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold incense containers. + Each silver platter weighed 3-1/4 pounds, and each silver basin weighed 1-1/4 pounds. The total weight of the silver was 60 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). + Each of the twelve gold containers that was filled with incense weighed four ounces (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). The total weight of the gold was three pounds. + Twelve young bulls, twelve rams, and twelve one-year-old male lambs were donated for the burnt offerings, along with their prescribed grain offerings. Twelve male goats were brought for the sin offerings. + Twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty one-year-old male lambs were donated for the peace offerings. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed. + Whenever Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the Ark's cover-- the place of atonement-- that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. The LORD spoke to him from there. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand." + So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the LORD had shown Moses. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. + Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean. + Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering. + Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + When you present the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. + Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the LORD as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the LORD's service. + "Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to purify the Levites and make them right with the LORD. + Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the LORD. + In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me. + After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering. + "Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. + For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. + Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. + And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary." + So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the LORD's instructions to Moses. + The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the LORD as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the LORD. + After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the LORD gave Moses concerning the Levites. + The LORD also instructed Moses, + "This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, + and they must retire at the age of fifty. + After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites." + + + A year after Israel's departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. In the first month of that year he said, + "Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time, + at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. Be sure to follow all my decrees and regulations concerning this celebration." + So Moses told the people to celebrate the Passover + in the wilderness of Sinai as twilight fell on the fourteenth day of the month. And they celebrated the festival there, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day + and said, "We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting the LORD's offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?" + Moses answered, "Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the LORD." + This was the LORD's reply to Moses. + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the LORD's Passover. + They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. They must eat the Passover lamb at that time with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. + They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover. + "But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the LORD's offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt. + And if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the LORD, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you." + On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. + This was the regular pattern-- at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. + Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. + In this way, they traveled and camped at the LORD's command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. + If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the LORD. + Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the LORD commanded. Then at the LORD's command they would break camp and move on. + Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on. + Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. + So they camped or traveled at the LORD's command, and they did whatever the LORD told them through Moses. + + + Now the LORD said to Moses, + "Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp. + When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + But if only one trumpet is blown, then only the leaders-- the heads of the clans of Israel-- must present themselves to you. + "When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward. + When you sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on. + But when you call the people to an assembly, blow the trumpets with a different signal. + Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, are allowed to blow the trumpets. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. + "When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the LORD your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. + Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the LORD your God of his covenant with you. I am the LORD your God." + In the second year after Israel's departure from Egypt-- on the twentieth day of the second month-- the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Covenant. + So the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled on from place to place until the cloud stopped in the wilderness of Paran. + When the people set out for the first time, following the instructions the LORD had given through Moses, + Judah's troops led the way. They marched behind their banner, and their leader was Nahshon son of Amminadab. + They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Issachar, led by Nethanel son of Zuar, + and the troops of the tribe of Zebulun, led by Eliab son of Helon. + Then the Tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonite and Merarite divisions of the Levites were next in the line of march, carrying the Tabernacle with them. + Reuben's troops went next, marching behind their banner. Their leader was Elizur son of Shedeur. + They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Simeon, led by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, + and the troops of the tribe of Gad, led by Eliasaph son of Deuel. + Next came the Kohathite division of the Levites, carrying the sacred objects from the Tabernacle. Before they arrived at the next camp, the Tabernacle would already be set up at its new location. + Ephraim's troops went next, marching behind their banner. Their leader was Elishama son of Ammihud. + They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Manasseh, led by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, + and the troops of the tribe of Benjamin, led by Abidan son of Gideoni. + Dan's troops went last, marching behind their banner and serving as the rear guard for all the tribal camps. Their leader was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. + They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Asher, led by Pagiel son of Ocran, + and the troops of the tribe of Naphtali, led by Ahira son of Enan. + This was the order in which the Israelites marched, division by division. + One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, "We are on our way to the place the LORD promised us, for he said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!" + But Hobab replied, "No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family." + "Please don't leave us," Moses pleaded. "You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. + If you do, we'll share with you all the blessings the LORD gives us." + They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the LORD, with the Ark of the LORD's Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest. + As they moved on each day, the cloud of the LORD hovered over them. + And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would shout, "Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!" + And when the Ark was set down, he would say, "Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel!" + + + Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the LORD heard everything they said. Then the LORD's anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. + Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the LORD, the fire stopped. + After that, the area was known as Taberah (which means "the place of burning"), because fire from the LORD had burned among them there. + Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed. + "We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. + But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!" + The manna looked like small coriander seeds, and it was pale yellow like gum resin. + The people would go out and gather it from the ground. They made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like pastries baked with olive oil. + The manna came down on the camp with the dew during the night. + Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. + And Moses said to the LORD, "Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? + Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? + Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, 'Give us meat to eat!' + I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! + If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. + I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone. + "And say to the people, 'Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the LORD heard you when you cried, "Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!" Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. + And it won't be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. + You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the LORD, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" '" + But Moses responded to the LORD, "There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you say, 'I will give them meat for a whole month!' + Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?" + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!" + So Moses went out and reported the LORD's words to the people. He gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the Tabernacle. + And the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again. + Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Spirit rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp. + A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" + Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant since his youth, protested, "Moses, my master, make them stop!" + But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!" + Then Moses returned to the camp with the elders of Israel. + Now the LORD sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground. + So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. + But while they were gorging themselves on the meat-- while it was still in their mouths-- the anger of the LORD blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. + So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means "graves of gluttony") because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt. + From Kibroth-hattaavah the Israelites traveled to Hazeroth, where they stayed for some time. + + + While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. + They said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he spoken through us, too?" But the LORD heard them. + (Now Moses was very humble-- more humble than any other person on earth.) + So immediately the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, "Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!" So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. + Then the LORD descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. "Aaron and Miriam!" he called, and they stepped forward. + And the LORD said to them, "Now listen to what I say: "If there were prophets among you, I, the LORD, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. + But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. + I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the LORD as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?" + The LORD was very angry with them, and he departed. + As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, + he cried out to Moses, "Oh, my master! Please don't punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. + Don't let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth." + So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, I beg you, please heal her!" + But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had done nothing more than spit in her face, wouldn't she be defiled for seven days? So keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back." + So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again. + Then they left Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran. + + + The LORD now said to Moses, + "Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes." + So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. + These were the tribes and the names of their leaders: Tribe Leader Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur + Simeon Shaphat son of Hori + Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh + Issachar Igal son of Joseph + Ephraim Hoshea son of Nun + Benjamin Palti son of Raphu + Zebulun Gaddiel son of Sodi + Manasseh son of Joseph Gaddi son of Susi + Dan Ammiel son of Gemalli + Asher Sethur son of Michael + Naphtali Nahbi son of Vophsi + Gad Geuel son of Maki + These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land. (Moses called Hoshea son of Nun by the name Joshua.) + Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: "Go north through the Negev into the hill country. + See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. + See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps? + Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see." (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.) + So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. + Going north, they passed through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai-- all descendants of Anak-- lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.) + When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs. + That place was called the valley of Eshcol (which means "cluster"), because of the cluster of grapes the Israelite men cut there. + After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned + to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. + This was their report to Moses: "We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country-- a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. + But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! + The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley." + But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!" + But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. "We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!" + So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: "The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. + We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that's what they thought, too!" + + + Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. + Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. "If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!" they complained. + "Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?" + Then they plotted among themselves, "Let's choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!" + Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. + Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. + They said to all the people of Israel, "The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! + And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. + Do not rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don't be afraid of them!" + But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. + And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? + I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!" + But Moses objected. "What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?" he asked the LORD. "They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt. + Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, LORD, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. + Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say, + 'The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.' + "Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, + 'The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-- even children in the third and fourth generations.' + In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt." + Then the LORD said, "I will pardon them as you have requested. + But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD's glory, + not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. + They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. + But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. + Now turn around, and don't go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea. " + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. + Now tell them this: 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. + You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. + You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. + " 'You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. + But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness. + And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness. + " 'Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years-- a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.' + I, the LORD, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!" + The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land-- the ones who incited rebellion against the LORD with their bad report-- + were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. + Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive. + When Moses reported the LORD's words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief. + Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. "Let's go," they said. "We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us." + But Moses said, "Why are you now disobeying the LORD's orders to return to the wilderness? It won't work. + Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. + When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD." + But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD's Covenant left the camp. + Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah. + + + Then the LORD told Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."When you finally settle in the land I am giving you, + you will offer special gifts as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. These gifts may take the form of a burnt offering, a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, a voluntary offering, or an offering at any of your annual festivals, and they may be taken from your herds of cattle or your flocks of sheep and goats. + When you present these offerings, you must also give the LORD a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of olive oil. + For each lamb offered as a burnt offering or a special sacrifice, you must also present one quart of wine as a liquid offering. + "If the sacrifice is a ram, give a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour mixed with a third of a gallon of olive oil, + and give a third of a gallon of wine as a liquid offering. This will be a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "When you present a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to the LORD, + you must also give a grain offering of six quarts of choice flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil, + and give two quarts of wine as a liquid offering. This will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "Each sacrifice of a bull, ram, lamb, or young goat should be prepared in this way. + Follow these instructions with each offering you present. + All of you native-born Israelites must follow these instructions when you offer a special gift as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + And if any foreigners visit you or live among you and want to present a special gift as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, they must follow these same procedures. + Native-born Israelites and foreigners are equal before the LORD and are subject to the same decrees. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. + The same instructions and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigners living among you." + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."When you arrive in the land where I am taking you, + and you eat the crops that grow there, you must set some aside as a sacred offering to the LORD. + Present a cake from the first of the flour you grind, and set it aside as a sacred offering, as you do with the first grain from the threshing floor. + Throughout the generations to come, you are to present a sacred offering to the LORD each year from the first of your ground flour. + "But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the LORD has given you through Moses. + And suppose your descendants in the future fail to do everything the LORD has commanded through Moses. + If the mistake was made unintentionally, and the community was unaware of it, the whole community must present a young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It must be offered along with its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering and with one male goat for a sin offering. + With it the priest will purify the whole community of Israel, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven. For it was an unintentional sin, and they have corrected it with their offerings to the LORD-- the special gift and the sin offering. + The whole community of Israel will be forgiven, including the foreigners living among you, for all the people were involved in the sin. + "If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering. + The priest will sacrifice it to purify the guilty person before the LORD, and that person will be forgiven. + These same instructions apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. + "But those who brazenly violate the LORD's will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the LORD, and they must be cut off from the community. + Since they have treated the LORD's word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt." + One day while the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they discovered a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. + The people who found him doing this took him before Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community. + They held him in custody because they did not know what to do with him. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must be put to death! The whole community must stone him outside the camp." + So the whole community took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. + When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the LORD instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. + The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God. + I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the LORD your God!" + + + One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. + They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. + They united against Moses and Aaron and said, "You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD's people?" + When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground. + Then he said to Korah and his followers, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The LORD will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence. + Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners. + Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the LORD. Then we will see whom the LORD chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!" + Then Moses spoke again to Korah: "Now listen, you Levites! + Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the LORD's Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? + Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? + The LORD is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?" + Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, "We refuse to come before you! + Isn't it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? + What's more, you haven't brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven't given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come." + Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them." + And Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the LORD. Aaron will also be here. + You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the LORD. Aaron will also bring his incense burner." + So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron. + Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community, + and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!" + But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. "O God," they pleaded, "you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?" + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." + So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel. + "Quick!" he told the people. "Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don't touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins." + So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones. + And Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things that I have done-- for I have not done them on my own. + If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the LORD has not sent me. + But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD." + He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. + The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. + So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. + All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. "The earth will swallow us, too!" they cried. + Then fire blazed forth from the LORD and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense. + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals. + Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the LORD's presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel." + So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and he hammered them into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. + This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person-- no one who was not a descendant of Aaron-- should ever enter the LORD's presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the LORD's instructions to Moses were carried out. + But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the LORD's people!" + As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared. + Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, + and the LORD said to Moses, + "Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!" But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. + And Moses said to Aaron, "Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD's anger is blazing against them-- the plague has already begun." + Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. + He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. + But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. + Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel's ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader's name on his staff. + Inscribe Aaron's name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. + Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you. + Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people's murmuring and complaining against you." + So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. + Moses placed the staffs in the LORD's presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant. + When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! + When Moses brought all the staffs out from the LORD's presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff. + And the LORD said to Moses: "Place Aaron's staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths." + So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. + Then the people of Israel said to Moses, "Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! + Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. Are we all doomed to die?" + + + Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood. + "Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi-- your ancestral tribe-- to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant. + But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die. + The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you. + "You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the LORD's anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel. + I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD for service in the Tabernacle. + But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death." + The LORD gave these further instructions to Aaron: "I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share. + You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the most holy offerings-- including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings-- will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons. + You must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it as most holy. + "All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings. + "I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the LORD-- the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain. + All the first crops of their land that the people present to the LORD belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food. + "Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the LORD also belongs to you. + "The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the LORD will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals. + Redeem them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces of silver (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs). + "However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the LORD. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before the altar. + Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the LORD. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant between the LORD and you, and it also applies to your descendants." + And the LORD said to Aaron, "You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. + As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel. + "From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die. + Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites, + because I have given them the Israelites' tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the LORD. This will be the Levites' share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites." + The LORD also told Moses, + "Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive-- a tithe of the tithe-- to the LORD as a sacred offering. + The LORD will consider this offering to be your harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing floor or wine from your own winepress. + You must present one-tenth of the tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the LORD. This is the LORD's sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest. + Be sure to give to the LORD the best portions of the gifts given to you. + "Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress. + You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle. + You will not be considered guilty for accepting the LORD's tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die." + + + The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "Here is another legal requirement commanded by the LORD: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer, a perfect animal that has no defects and has never been yoked to a plow. + Give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. + Eleazar will take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tabernacle. + As Eleazar watches, the heifer must be burned-- its hide, meat, blood, and dung. + Eleazar the priest must then take a stick of cedar, a hyssop branch, and some scarlet yarn and throw them into the fire where the heifer is burning. + "Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Afterward he may return to the camp, though he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. + The man who burns the animal must also wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and he, too, will remain unclean until evening. + Then someone who is ceremonially clean will gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them in a purified place outside the camp. They will be kept there for the community of Israel to use in the water for the purification ceremony. This ceremony is performed for the removal of sin. + The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel and any foreigners who live among them. + "All those who touch a dead human body will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. + They must purify themselves on the third and seventh days with the water of purification; then they will be purified. But if they do not do this on the third and seventh days, they will continue to be unclean even after the seventh day. + All those who touch a dead body and do not purify themselves in the proper way defile the LORD's Tabernacle, and they will be cut off from the community of Israel. Since the water of purification was not sprinkled on them, their defilement continues. + "This is the ritual law that applies when someone dies inside a tent: All those who enter that tent and those who were inside when the death occurred will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. + Any open container in the tent that was not covered with a lid is also defiled. + And if someone in an open field touches the corpse of someone who was killed with a sword or who died a natural death, or if someone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be defiled for seven days. + "To remove the defilement, put some of the ashes from the burnt purification offering in a jar, and pour fresh water over them. + Then someone who is ceremonially clean must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. That person must sprinkle the water on the tent, on all the furnishings in the tent, and on the people who were in the tent; also on the person who touched a human bone, or touched someone who was killed or who died naturally, or touched a grave. + On the third and seventh days the person who is ceremonially clean must sprinkle the water on those who are defiled. Then on the seventh day the people being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe themselves, and that evening they will be cleansed of their defilement. + "But those who become defiled and do not purify themselves will be cut off from the community, for they have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. Since the water of purification has not been sprinkled on them, they remain defiled. + This is a permanent law for the people. Those who sprinkle the water of purification must afterward wash their clothes, and anyone who then touches the water used for purification will remain defiled until evening. + Anything and anyone that a defiled person touches will be ceremonially unclean until evening." + + + In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried. + There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. + The people blamed Moses and said, "If only we had died in the LORD's presence with our brothers! + Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD's people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? + Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!" + Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to them, + and the LORD said to Moses, + "You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock." + So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the LORD. + Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. "Listen, you rebels!" he shouted. "Must we bring you water from this rock?" + Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. + But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!" + This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means "arguing") because there the people of Israel argued with the LORD, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them. + While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent ambassadors to the king of Edom with this message: "This is what your relatives, the people of Israel, say: You know all the hardships we have been through. + Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians. + But when we cried out to the LORD, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us out of Egypt. Now we are camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land. + Please let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won't even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king's road and never leave it until we have passed through your territory." + But the king of Edom said, "Stay out of my land, or I will meet you with an army!" + The Israelites answered, "We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That's all we ask." + But the king of Edom replied, "Stay out! You may not pass through our land." With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. + Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around. + The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. + There, on the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah. + Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. + There you will remove Aaron's priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors." + So Moses did as the LORD commanded. The three of them went up Mount Hor together as the whole community watched. + At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron's son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down. + When the people realized that Aaron had died, all Israel mourned for him thirty days. + + + The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners. + Then the people of Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns." + The LORD heard the Israelites' request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah ever since. + Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, + and they began to speak against God and Moses. "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?" they complained. "There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!" + So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. + Then the people came to Moses and cried out, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes." So Moses prayed for the people. + Then the LORD told him, "Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!" + So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! + The Israelites traveled next to Oboth and camped there. + Then they went on to Iye-abarim, in the wilderness on the eastern border of Moab. + From there they traveled to the valley of Zered Brook and set up camp. + Then they moved out and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness adjacent to the territory of the Amorites. The Arnon is the boundary line between the Moabites and the Amorites. + For this reason [The Book of the Wars of the LORD] speaks of "the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon River, + and the ravines that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab." + From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Assemble the people, and I will give them water." + There the Israelites sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Yes, sing its praises! + Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs." Then the Israelites left the wilderness and proceeded on through Mattanah, + Nahaliel, and Bamoth. + After that they went to the valley in Moab where Pisgah Peak overlooks the wasteland. + The Israelites then sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message: + "Let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won't even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king's road until we have passed through your territory." + But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz. + But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified. + So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages. + Heshbon had been the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had defeated a former Moabite king and seized all his land as far as the Arnon River. + Therefore, the ancient poets wrote this about him: "Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt! Let the city of Sihon be restored. + A fire flamed forth from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It burned the city of Ar in Moab; it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights. + What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab! You are finished, O worshipers of Chemosh! Chemosh has left his sons as refugees, his daughters as captives of Sihon, the Amorite king. + We have utterly destroyed them, from Heshbon to Dibon. We have completely wiped them out as far away as Nophah and Medeba. " + So the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. + After Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the region and drove out the Amorites who lived there. + Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei. + The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon." + And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land. + + + Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. + Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites. + And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. + The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!" So Balak, king of Moab, + sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: "Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me. + Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse." + Balak's messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message to him. + "Stay here overnight," Balaam said. "In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say." So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam. + That night God came to Balaam and asked him, "Who are these men visiting you?" + Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: + 'Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.'" + But God told Balaam, "Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!" + The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's officials, "Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you." + So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us." + Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. + They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don't let anything stop you from coming to help me. + I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!" + But Balaam responded to Balak's messengers, "Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God. + But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me." + That night God came to Balaam and told him, "Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do." + So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. + But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, + Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. + Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. + When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. + Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. + This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. + Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. "What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" it asked Balaam. + "You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!" + "But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life," the donkey answered. "Have I ever done anything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted. + Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him. + "Why did you beat your donkey those three times?" the angel of the LORD demanded. "Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. + Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey." + Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I didn't realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going." + But the angel of the LORD told Balaam, "Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say." So Balaam went on with Balak's officials. + When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land. + "Didn't I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn't you come right away?" Balak asked Balaam. "Didn't you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?" + Balaam replied, "Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth." + Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth, + where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him. + The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him. + + + Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." + Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar. + Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill, + and God met him there. Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar." + The LORD gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message." + So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. + This was the message Balaam delivered: "Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills. 'Come,' he said, 'curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel's doom.' + But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the LORD has not condemned? + I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations. + Who can count Jacob's descendants, as numerous as dust? Who can count even a fourth of Israel's people? Let me die like the righteous; let my life end like theirs." + Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!" + But Balaam replied, "I will speak only the message that the LORD puts in my mouth." + Then King Balak told him, "Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!" + So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. + Then Balaam said to the king, "Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the LORD." + And the LORD met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message." + So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked eagerly. + This was the message Balaam delivered: "Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor. + God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? + Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! + No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king. + God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. + No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, 'What wonders God has done for Israel!' + These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!" + Then Balak said to Balaam, "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!" + But Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you that I can do only what the LORD tells me?" + Then King Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there." + So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland. + Balaam again told Balak, "Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." + So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. + + + By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, + where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, + and this is the message he delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly, + the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: + How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel! + They spread before me like palm groves, like gardens by the riverside. They are like tall trees planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. + Water will flow from their buckets; their offspring have all they need. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. + God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. He devours all the nations that oppose him, breaking their bones in pieces, shooting them with arrows. + Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you." + King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, "I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. + Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward." + Balaam told Balak, "Don't you remember what I told your messengers? I said, + 'Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD.' I told you that I could say only what the LORD says! + Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future." + This is the message Balaam delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly, + the message of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: + I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the foreheads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth. + Edom will be taken over, and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered, while Israel marches on in triumph. + A ruler will rise in Jacob who will destroy the survivors of Ir." + Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: "Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!" + Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message: "Your home is secure; your nest is set in the rocks. + But the Kenites will be destroyed when Assyria takes you captive." + Balaam concluded his messages by saying: "Alas, who can survive unless God has willed it? + Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber, but they, too, will be utterly destroyed." + Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes. + + + While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. + These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. + In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD's anger to blaze against his people. + The LORD issued the following command to Moses: "Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel." + So Moses ordered Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor." + Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear + and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into the woman's stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, + but not before 24,000 people had died. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. + Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. + In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me. " + The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon. + The woman's name was Cozbi; she was the daughter of Zur, the leader of a Midianite clan. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Attack the Midianites and destroy them, + because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor." + + + After the plague had ended, the LORD said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, + "From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war." + So there on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued these instructions to the leaders of Israel: + "List all the men of Israel twenty years old and older, just as the LORD commanded Moses." This is the record of all the descendants of Israel who came out of Egypt. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob's oldest son: The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch. The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu. + The Hezronite clan, named after their ancestor Hezron. The Carmite clan, named after their ancestor Carmi. + These were the clans of Reuben. Their registered troops numbered 43,730. + Pallu was the ancestor of Eliab, + and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the LORD. + But the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, and fire devoured 250 of their followers. This served as a warning to the entire nation of Israel. + However, the sons of Korah did not die that day. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Simeon: The Jemuelite clan, named after their ancestor Jemuel. The Jaminite clan, named after their ancestor Jamin. The Jakinite clan, named after their ancestor Jakin. + The Zoharite clan, named after their ancestor Zohar. The Shaulite clan, named after their ancestor Shaul. + These were the clans of Simeon. Their registered troops numbered 22,200. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Gad: The Zephonite clan, named after their ancestor Zephon. The Haggite clan, named after their ancestor Haggi. The Shunite clan, named after their ancestor Shuni. + The Oznite clan, named after their ancestor Ozni. The Erite clan, named after their ancestor Eri. + The Arodite clan, named after their ancestor Arodi. The Arelite clan, named after their ancestor Areli. + These were the clans of Gad. Their registered troops numbered 40,500. + Judah had two sons, Er and Onan, who had died in the land of Canaan. + These were the clans descended from Judah's surviving sons: The Shelanite clan, named after their ancestor Shelah. The Perezite clan, named after their ancestor Perez. The Zerahite clan, named after their ancestor Zerah. + These were the subclans descended from the Perezites: The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron. The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul. + These were the clans of Judah. Their registered troops numbered 76,500. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Issachar: The Tolaite clan, named after their ancestor Tola. The Puite clan, named after their ancestor Puah. + The Jashubite clan, named after their ancestor Jashub. The Shimronite clan, named after their ancestor Shimron. + These were the clans of Issachar. Their registered troops numbered 64,300. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun: The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered. The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon. The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel. + These were the clans of Zebulun. Their registered troops numbered 60,500. + Two clans were descended from Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim. + These were the clans descended from Manasseh: The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir. The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir's son. + These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites: The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer. The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek. + The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel. The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem. + The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida. The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher. + (One of Hepher's descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters' names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.) + These were the clans of Manasseh. Their registered troops numbered 52,700. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim: The Shuthelahite clan, named after their ancestor Shuthelah. The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker. The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan. + This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites: The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran. + These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500. These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin: The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela. The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel. The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram. + The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham. The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham. + These were the subclans descended from the Belaites: The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard. The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman. + These were the clans of Benjamin. Their registered troops numbered 45,600. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan: The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham. + These were the Shuhamite clans of Dan. Their registered troops numbered 64,400. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher: The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah. The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi. The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah. + These were the subclans descended from the Beriites: The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber. The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel. + Asher also had a daughter named Serah. + These were the clans of Asher. Their registered troops numbered 53,400. + These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali: The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel. The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni. + The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer. The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem. + These were the clans of Naphtali. Their registered troops numbered 45,400. + In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes' populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list. + Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population. + But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list. + Each grant of land must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups." + This is the record of the Levites who were counted according to their clans: The Gershonite clan, named after their ancestor Gershon. The Kohathite clan, named after their ancestor Kohath. The Merarite clan, named after their ancestor Merari. + The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites.Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, + and Amram's wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam. + To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the LORD the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. + The men from the Levite clans who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. But the Levites were not included in the registration of the rest of the people of Israel because they were not given an allotment of land when it was divided among the Israelites. + So these are the results of the registration of the people of Israel as conducted by Moses and Eleazar the priest on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. + Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. + For the LORD had said of them, "They will all die in the wilderness." Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. + + + One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad-- Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. + These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + "Our father died in the wilderness," they said. "He was not among Korah's followers, who rebelled against the LORD; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons. + Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives." + So Moses brought their case before the LORD. + And the LORD replied to Moses, + "The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father's relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father. + "And give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, then give his inheritance to his daughters. + And if he has no daughter either, transfer his inheritance to his brothers. + If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. + But if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. This is a legal requirement for the people of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses." + One day the LORD said to Moses, "Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. + After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, + for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) + Then Moses said to the LORD, + "O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. + Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd." + The LORD replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. + Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. + Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. + When direction from the LORD is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim-- one of the sacred lots cast before the LORD-- to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do." + So Moses did as the LORD commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. + Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions. + "Say to the people: This is the special gift you must present to the LORD as your daily burnt offering. You must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. + Sacrifice one lamb in the morning and the other in the evening. + With each lamb you must offer a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives. + This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + Along with it you must present the proper liquid offering of one quart of alcoholic drink with each lamb, poured out in the Holy Place as an offering to the LORD. + Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same grain offering and liquid offering. It, too, is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering. + This is the burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering. + "On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the LORD of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil-- six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, + and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year. + "On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering. + "On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the LORD's Passover. + On the following day-- the fifteenth day of the month-- a joyous, seven-day festival will begin, but no bread made with yeast may be eaten. + The first day of the festival will be an official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day. + As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the LORD-- two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil-- six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, + and two quarts with each of the seven lambs. + You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the LORD. + Present these offerings in addition to your regular morning burnt offering. + On each of the seven days of the festival, this is how you must prepare the food offering that is presented as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. These will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and liquid offerings. + The seventh day of the festival will be another official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day. + "At the Festival of Harvest, when you present the first of your new grain to the LORD, you must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work on that day. + Present a special burnt offering on that day as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It will consist of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs. + These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil-- six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, + and two quarts with each of the seven lambs. + Also, offer one male goat to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the LORD. + Prepare these special burnt offerings, along with their liquid offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying grain offering. Be sure that all the animals you sacrifice have no defects. + + + "Celebrate the Festival of Trumpets each year on the first day of the appointed month in early autumn. You must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work. + On that day you must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil-- six quarts with the bull, four quarts with the ram, + and two quarts with each of the seven lambs. + In addition, you must sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the LORD. + These special sacrifices are in addition to your regular monthly and daily burnt offerings, and they must be given with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. These offerings are given as a special gift to the LORD, a pleasing aroma to him. + "Ten days later, on the tenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly. On that day, the Day of Atonement, the people must go without food and must do no ordinary work. + You must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + These offerings must be accompanied by the prescribed grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil-- six quarts of choice flour with the bull, four quarts of choice flour with the ram, + and two quarts of choice flour with each of the seven lambs. + You must also sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. This is in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering, and their accompanying liquid offerings. + "Five days later, on the fifteenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly of all the people, and you may do no ordinary work on that day. It is the beginning of the Festival of Shelters, a seven-day festival to the LORD. + On the first day of the festival, you must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It will consist of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings must be accompanied by a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil-- six quarts for each of the thirteen bulls, four quarts for each of the two rams, + and two quarts for each of the fourteen lambs. + You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the second day of this seven-day festival, sacrifice twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the third day of the festival, sacrifice eleven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the fourth day of the festival, sacrifice ten young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the fifth day of the festival, sacrifice nine young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the sixth day of the festival, sacrifice eight young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the seventh day of the festival, sacrifice seven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "On the eighth day of the festival, proclaim another holy day. You must do no ordinary work on that day. + You must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. + Each of these offerings must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. + You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering. + "You must present these offerings to the LORD at your annual festivals. These are in addition to the sacrifices and offerings you present in connection with vows, or as voluntary offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, or peace offerings." + So Moses gave all of these instructions to the people of Israel as the LORD had commanded him. + + + Then Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: + A man who makes a vow to the LORD or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do. + "If a young woman makes a vow to the LORD or a pledge under oath while she is still living at her father's home, + and her father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it, then all her vows and pledges will stand. + But if her father refuses to let her fulfill the vow or pledge on the day he hears of it, then all her vows and pledges will become invalid. The LORD will forgive her because her father would not let her fulfill them. + "Now suppose a young woman makes a vow or binds herself with an impulsive pledge and later marries. + If her husband learns of her vow or pledge and does not object on the day he hears of it, her vows and pledges will stand. + But if her husband refuses to accept her vow or impulsive pledge on the day he hears of it, he nullifies her commitments, and the LORD will forgive her. + If, however, a woman is a widow or is divorced, she must fulfill all her vows and pledges. + "But suppose a woman is married and living in her husband's home when she makes a vow or binds herself with a pledge. + If her husband hears of it and does not object to it, her vow or pledge will stand. + But if her husband refuses to accept it on the day he hears of it, her vow or pledge will be nullified, and the LORD will forgive her. + So her husband may either confirm or nullify any vows or pledges she makes to deny herself. + But if he does not object on the day he hears of it, then he is agreeing to all her vows and pledges. + If he waits more than a day and then tries to nullify a vow or pledge, he will be punished for her guilt." + These are the regulations the LORD gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and a young daughter who still lives at home. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors." + So Moses said to the people, "Choose some men, and arm them to fight the LORD's war of revenge against Midian. + From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle." + So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle. + Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge. + They attacked Midian as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. + All five of the Midianite kings-- Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba-- died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. + Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. + They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived. + After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals, + they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. + Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. + But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle. + "Why have you let all the women live?" he demanded. + "These are the very ones who followed Balaam's advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD's people. + So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man. + Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves. + And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days. + Purify all your clothing, too, and everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood." + Then Eleazar the priest said to the men who were in the battle, "The LORD has given Moses this legal requirement: + Anything made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead-- + that is, all metals that do not burn-- must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure. These metal objects must then be further purified with the water of purification. But everything that burns must be purified by the water alone. + On the seventh day you must wash your clothes and be purified. Then you may return to the camp." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "You and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders of each tribe are to make a list of all the plunder taken in the battle, including the people and animals. + Then divide the plunder into two parts, and give half to the men who fought the battle and half to the rest of the people. + From the army's portion, first give the LORD his share of the plunder-- one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. + Give this share of the army's half to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD. + From the half that belongs to the people of Israel, take one of every fifty of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give this share to the Levites, who are in charge of maintaining the LORD's Tabernacle." + So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. + The plunder remaining from everything the fighting men had taken totaled 675,000 sheep and goats, + 72,000 cattle, + 61,000 donkeys, + and 32,000 virgin girls. + Half of the plunder was given to the fighting men. It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats, + of which 675 were the LORD's share; + 36,000 cattle, of which 72 were the LORD's share; + 30,500 donkeys, of which 61 were the LORD's share; + and 16,000 virgin girls, of whom 32 were the LORD's share. + Moses gave all the LORD's share to Eleazar the priest, just as the LORD had directed him. + Half of the plunder belonged to the people of Israel, and Moses separated it from the half belonging to the fighting men. + It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats, + 36,000 cattle, + 30,500 donkeys, + and 16,000 virgin girls. + From the half-share given to the people, Moses took one of every fifty prisoners and animals and gave them to the Levites, who maintained the LORD's Tabernacle. All this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Then all the generals and captains came to Moses + and said, "We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went out to battle under our command; not one of us is missing! + So we are presenting the items of gold we captured as an offering to the LORD from our share of the plunder-- armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. This will purify our lives before the LORD and make us right with him. " + So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from all the military commanders-- all kinds of jewelry and crafted objects. + In all, the gold that the generals and captains presented as a gift to the LORD weighed about 420 pounds. + All the fighting men had taken some of the plunder for themselves. + So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the LORD that the people of Israel belong to him. + + + The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds, + they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the other leaders of the community. They said, + "Notice the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah, Nebo, and Beon. + The LORD has conquered this whole area for the community of Israel, and it is ideally suited for all our livestock. + If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River." + "Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?" Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben. + "Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the LORD has given them? + Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. + After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the LORD was giving them. + Then the LORD was very angry with them, and he vowed, + 'Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly. + The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the LORD.' + "The LORD was angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation that sinned in the LORD's sight had died. + But here you are, a brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thing! You are making the LORD even angrier with Israel. + If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!" + But they approached Moses and said, "We simply want to build pens for our livestock and fortified towns for our wives and children. + Then we will arm ourselves and lead our fellow Israelites into battle until we have brought them safely to their land. Meanwhile, our families will stay in the fortified towns we build here, so they will be safe from any attacks by the local people. + We will not return to our homes until all the people of Israel have received their portions of land. + But we do not claim any of the land on the other side of the Jordan. We would rather live here on the east side and accept this as our grant of land." + Then Moses said, "If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the LORD's battles, + and if your troops cross the Jordan and keep fighting until the LORD has driven out his enemies, + then you may return when the LORD has conquered the land. You will have fulfilled your duty to the LORD and to the rest of the people of Israel. And the land on the east side of the Jordan will be your property from the LORD. + But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. + Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised." + Then the men of Gad and Reuben replied, "We, your servants, will follow your instructions exactly. + Our children, wives, flocks, and cattle will stay here in the towns of Gilead. + But all who are able to bear arms will cross over to fight for the LORD, just as you have said." + So Moses gave orders to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the clans of Israel. + He said, "The men of Gad and Reuben who are armed for battle must cross the Jordan with you to fight for the LORD. If they do, give them the land of Gilead as their property when the land is conquered. + But if they refuse to arm themselves and cross over with you, then they must accept land with the rest of you in the land of Canaan." + The tribes of Gad and Reuben said again, "We are your servants, and we will do as the LORD has commanded! + We will cross the Jordan into Canaan fully armed to fight for the LORD, but our property will be here on this side of the Jordan." + So Moses assigned land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph. He gave them the territory of King Sihon of the Amorites and the land of King Og of Bashan-- the whole land with its cities and surrounding lands. + The descendants of Gad built the towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, + Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, + Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran. These were all fortified towns with pens for their flocks. + The descendants of Reuben built the towns of Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, + Nebo, Baal-meon, and Sibmah. They changed the names of some of the towns they conquered and rebuilt. + Then the descendants of Makir of the tribe of Manasseh went to Gilead and conquered it, and they drove out the Amorites living there. + So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. + The people of Jair, another clan of the tribe of Manasseh, captured many of the towns in Gilead and changed the name of that region to the Towns of Jair. + Meanwhile, a man named Nobah captured the town of Kenath and its surrounding villages, and he renamed that area Nobah after himself. + + + This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. + At the LORD's direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way. + They set out from the city of Rameses in early spring-- on the fifteenth day of the first month-- on the morning after the first Passover celebration. The people of Israel left defiantly, in full view of all the Egyptians. + Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the LORD had killed the night before. The LORD had defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgment! + After leaving Rameses, the Israelites set up camp at Succoth. + Then they left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. + They left Etham and turned back toward Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and camped near Migdol. + They left Pi-hahiroth and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah. + They left Marah and camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. + They left Elim and camped beside the Red Sea. + They left the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. + They left the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. + They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. + They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. + They left Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. + They left the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. + They left Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. + They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. + They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. + They left Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. + They left Libnah and camped at Rissah. + They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. + They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. + They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. + They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth. + They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath. + They left Tahath and camped at Terah. + They left Terah and camped at Mithcah. + They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah. + They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. + They left Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. + They left Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. + They left Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. + They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. + They left Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. + They left Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. + They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the border of Edom. + While they were at the foot of Mount Hor, Aaron the priest was directed by the LORD to go up the mountain, and there he died. This happened in midsummer, on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after Israel's departure from Egypt. + Aaron was 123 years old when he died there on Mount Hor. + At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the people of Israel were approaching his land. + Meanwhile, the Israelites left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. + Then they left Zalmonah and camped at Punon. + They left Punon and camped at Oboth. + They left Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab. + They left Iye-abarim and camped at Dibon-gad. + They left Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. + They left Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains east of the river, near Mount Nebo. + They left the mountains east of the river and camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. + Along the Jordan River they camped from Beth-jeshimoth as far as the meadows of Acacia on the plains of Moab. + While they were camped near the Jordan River on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, + you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines. + Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy. + You must distribute the land among the clans by sacred lot and in proportion to their size. A larger portion of land will be allotted to each of the larger clans, and a smaller portion will be allotted to each of the smaller clans. The decision of the sacred lot is final. In this way, the portions of land will be divided among your ancestral tribes. + But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. + And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them." + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Give these instructions to the Israelites: When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your special possession, these will be the boundaries. + The southern portion of your country will extend from the wilderness of Zin, along the edge of Edom. The southern boundary will begin on the east at the Dead Sea. + It will then run south past Scorpion Pass in the direction of Zin. Its southernmost point will be Kadesh-barnea, from which it will go to Hazar-addar, and on to Azmon. + From Azmon the boundary will turn toward the Brook of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea. + "Your western boundary will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. + "Your northern boundary will begin at the Mediterranean Sea and run east to Mount Hor, + then to Lebo-hamath, and on through Zedad + and Ziphron to Hazar-enan. This will be your northern boundary. + "The eastern boundary will start at Hazar-enan and run south to Shepham, + then down to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there the boundary will run down along the eastern edge of the Sea of Galilee, + and then along the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. These are the boundaries of your land." + Then Moses told the Israelites, "This territory is the homeland you are to divide among yourselves by sacred lot. The LORD has commanded that the land be divided among the nine and a half remaining tribes. + The families of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received their grants of land + on the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho toward the sunrise." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are the men designated to divide the grants of land among the people. + Enlist one leader from each tribe to help them with the task. + These are the tribes and the names of the leaders: Tribe Leader Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh + Simeon Shemuel son of Ammihud + Benjamin Elidad son of Kislon + Dan Bukki son of Jogli + Manasseh son of Joseph Hanniel son of Ephod + Ephraim son of Joseph Kemuel son of Shiphtan + Zebulun Elizaphan son of Parnach + Issachar Paltiel son of Azzan + Asher Ahihud son of Shelomi + Naphtali Pedahel son of Ammihud + These are the men the LORD has appointed to divide the grants of land in Canaan among the Israelites." + + + While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, + "Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands. + These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock. + The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet from the town walls in every direction. + Measure off 3,000 feet outside the town walls in every direction-- east, south, west, north-- with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns. + "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. + In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites. + These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land." + The LORD said to Moses, + "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally. + These cities will be places of protection from a dead person's relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community. + Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves, + three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan. + These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety. + "But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed. + Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. + Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. + The victim's nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death. + So if someone hates another person and pushes him or throws a dangerous object at him and he dies, it is murder. + Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet. + "But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person, + or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies. + If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim's nearest relative: + The community must protect the slayer from the avenger and must escort the slayer back to live in the city of refuge to which he fled. There he must remain until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the sacred oil. + "But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge, + and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder. + The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property. + These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live. + "All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. + Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death. + And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest. + This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder. + You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel." + + + Then the heads of the clans of Gilead-- descendants of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph-- came to Moses and the family leaders of Israel with a petition. + They said, "Sir, the LORD instructed you to divide the land by sacred lot among the people of Israel. You were told by the LORD to give the grant of land owned by our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. + But if they marry men from another tribe, their grants of land will go with them to the tribe into which they marry. In this way, the total area of our tribal land will be reduced. + Then when the Year of Jubilee comes, their portion of land will be added to that of the new tribe, causing it to be lost forever to our ancestral tribe." + So Moses gave the Israelites this command from the LORD: "The claim of the men of the tribe of Joseph is legitimate. + This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: Let them marry anyone they like, as long as it is within their own ancestral tribe. + None of the territorial land may pass from tribe to tribe, for all the land given to each tribe must remain within the tribe to which it was first allotted. + The daughters throughout the tribes of Israel who are in line to inherit property must marry within their tribe, so that all the Israelites will keep their ancestral property. + No grant of land may pass from one tribe to another; each tribe of Israel must keep its allotted portion of land." + The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses. + Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah all married cousins on their father's side. + They married into the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. Thus, their inheritance of land remained within their ancestral tribe. + These are the commands and regulations that the LORD gave to the people of Israel through Moses while they were camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River across from Jericho. + + + + + These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other. + Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. + But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the LORD had commanded him to say. + This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who had ruled in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who had ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. + While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained the LORD's instructions as follows. + "When we were at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God said to us, 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough. + It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions-- the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River. + Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.'" + Moses continued, "At that time I told you, 'You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself. + The LORD your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! + And may the LORD, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised! + But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? + Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.' + "Then you responded, 'Your plan is a good one.' + So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten. + "At that time I instructed the judges, 'You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions + and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don't be afraid of anyone's anger, for the decision you make is God's decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.' + "At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. + "Then, just as the LORD our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. When we arrived at Kadesh-barnea, + I said to you, 'You have now reached the hill country of the Amorites that the LORD our God is giving us. + Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don't be afraid! Don't be discouraged!' + "But you all came to me and said, 'First, let's send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.' + "This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes. + They headed for the hill country and came to the valley of Eshcol and explored it. + They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, 'The land the LORD our God has given us is indeed a good land.' + "But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in. + You complained in your tents and said, 'The LORD must hate us. That's why he has brought us here from Egypt-- to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered. + Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, "The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there-- the descendants of Anak!"' + "But I said to you, 'Don't be shocked or afraid of them! + The LORD your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. + And you saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.' + "But even after all he did, you refused to trust the LORD your God, + who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. + "When the LORD heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore, + 'Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, + except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the LORD completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.' + "And the LORD was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, 'Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land! + Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it. + I will give the land to your little ones-- your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it. + As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. ' + "Then you confessed, 'We have sinned against the LORD! We will go into the land and fight for it, as the LORD our God has commanded us.' So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack the hill country. + "But the LORD told me to tell you, 'Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.' + "This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against the LORD's command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight. + But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah. + Then you returned and wept before the LORD, but he refused to listen. + So you stayed there at Kadesh for a long time. + + + "Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea, just as the LORD had instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time. + "Then at last the LORD said to me, + 'You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north. + Give these orders to the people: "You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful. + Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land. + If you need food to eat or water to drink, pay them for it. + For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing."' + "So we bypassed the territory of our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We avoided the road through the Arabah Valley that comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber."Then as we turned north along the desert route through Moab, + the LORD warned us, 'Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.'" + (A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants. + Both the Emites and the Anakites are also known as the Rephaites, though the Moabites call them Emites. + In earlier times the Horites had lived in Seir, but they were driven out and displaced by the descendants of Esau, just as Israel drove out the people of Canaan when the LORD gave Israel their land.) + Moses continued, "Then the LORD said to us, 'Get moving. Cross the Zered Brook.' So we crossed the brook. + "Thirty-eight years passed from the time we first left Kadesh-barnea until we finally crossed the Zered Brook! By then, all the men old enough to fight in battle had died in the wilderness, as the LORD had vowed would happen. + The LORD struck them down until they had all been eliminated from the community. + "When all the men of fighting age had died, + the LORD said to me, + 'Today you will cross the border of Moab at Ar + and enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. But do not bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.'" + (That area was once considered the land of the Rephaites, who had lived there, though the Ammonites call them Zamzummites. + They were also as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites. But the LORD destroyed them so the Ammonites could occupy their land. + He had done the same for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, for he destroyed the Horites so they could settle there in their place. The descendants of Esau live there to this day. + A similar thing happened when the Caphtorites from Crete invaded and destroyed the Avvites, who had lived in villages in the area of Gaza.) + Moses continued, "Then the LORD said, 'Now get moving! Cross the Arnon Gorge. Look, I will hand over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and I will give you his land. Attack him and begin to occupy the land. + Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.'" + Moses continued, "From the wilderness of Kedemoth I sent ambassadors to King Sihon of Heshbon with this proposal of peace: + 'Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won't turn off into the fields on either side. + Sell us food to eat and water to drink, and we will pay for it. All we want is permission to pass through your land. + The descendants of Esau who live in Seir allowed us to go through their country, and so did the Moabites, who live in Ar. Let us pass through until we cross the Jordan into the land the LORD our God is giving us.' + "But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through, because the LORD your God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat him, as he has now done. + "Then the LORD said to me, 'Look, I have begun to hand King Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to conquer and occupy his land.' + "Then King Sihon declared war on us and mobilized his forces at Jahaz. + But the LORD our God handed him over to us, and we crushed him, his sons, and all his people. + We conquered all his towns and completely destroyed everyone-- men, women, and children. Not a single person was spared. + We took all the livestock as plunder for ourselves, along with anything of value from the towns we ransacked. + "The LORD our God also helped us conquer Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and the town in the gorge, and the whole area as far as Gilead. No town had walls too strong for us. + However, we avoided the land of the Ammonites all along the Jabbok River and the towns in the hill country-- all the places the LORD our God had commanded us to leave alone. + + + "Next we turned and headed for the land of Bashan, where King Og and his entire army attacked us at Edrei. + But the LORD told me, 'Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his entire army, and I will give you all his land. Treat him just as you treated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.' + "So the LORD our God handed King Og and all his people over to us, and we killed them all. Not a single person survived. + We conquered all sixty of his towns-- the entire Argob region in his kingdom of Bashan. Not a single town escaped our conquest. + These towns were all fortified with high walls and barred gates. We also took many unwalled villages at the same time. + We completely destroyed the kingdom of Bashan, just as we had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon. We destroyed all the people in every town we conquered-- men, women, and children alike. + But we kept all the livestock for ourselves and took plunder from all the towns. + "So we took the land of the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River-- all the way from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon. + (Mount Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians, and the Amorites call it Senir.) + We had now conquered all the cities on the plateau and all Gilead and Bashan, as far as the towns of Salecah and Edrei, which were part of Og's kingdom in Bashan. + (King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.) + "When we took possession of this land, I gave to the tribes of Reuben and Gad the territory beyond Aroer along the Arnon Gorge, plus half of the hill country of Gilead with its towns. + Then I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan-- Og's former kingdom-- to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (This entire Argob region of Bashan used to be known as the land of the Rephaites. + Jair, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh, conquered the whole Argob region in Bashan, all the way to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. Jair renamed this region after himself, calling it the Towns of Jair, as it is still known today.) + I gave Gilead to the clan of Makir. + But I also gave part of Gilead to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The area I gave them extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge in the south to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier. + They also received the Jordan Valley, all the way from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea, with the Jordan River serving as the western boundary. To the east were the slopes of Pisgah. + "At that time I gave this command to the tribes that would live east of the Jordan: 'Although the LORD your God has given you this land as your property, all your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of your Israelite relatives, armed and ready to assist them. + Your wives, children, and numerous livestock, however, may stay behind in the towns I have given you. + When the LORD has given security to the rest of the Israelites, as he has to you, and when they occupy the land the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan River, then you may all return here to the land I have given you.' + "At that time I gave Joshua this charge: 'You have seen for yourself everything the LORD your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. + Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the LORD your God will fight for you.' + "At that time I pleaded with the LORD and said, + 'O Sovereign LORD, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? + Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.' + "But the LORD was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. 'That's enough!' he declared. 'Speak of it no more. + But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. + Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.' + So we stayed in the valley near Beth-peor. + + + "And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. + Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you. + "You saw for yourself what the LORD did to you at Baal-peor. There the LORD your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor. + But all of you who were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today-- every one of you. + "Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. + Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, 'How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!' + For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him? + And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today? + "But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. + Never forget the day when you stood before the LORD your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, 'Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.' + "You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. + And the LORD spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn't see his form; there was only a voice. + He proclaimed his covenant-- the Ten Commandments-- which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. + It was at that time that the LORD commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. + "But be very careful! You did not see the LORD's form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. + So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form-- whether of a man or a woman, + an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, + a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. + And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars-- all the forces of heaven-- don't be seduced into worshiping them. The LORD your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. + Remember that the LORD rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today. + "But the LORD was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. + You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river. + So be careful not to break the covenant the LORD your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the LORD your God has forbidden this. + The LORD your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God. + "In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil in the sight of the LORD your God and will arouse his anger. + "Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed. + For the LORD will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive. + There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone-- gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. + But from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. + "In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the LORD your God and listen to what he tells you. + For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors. + "Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? + Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire-- as you did-- and survived? + Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes. + "He showed you these things so you would know that the LORD is God and there is no other. + He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instruct you. He let you see his great fire here on earth so he could speak to you from it. + Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power. + He drove out nations far greater than you, so he could bring you in and give you their land as your special possession, as it is today. + "So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. + If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time." + Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River. + Anyone who killed another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, could flee there to live in safety. + These were the cities: Bezer on the wilderness plateau for the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad; Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh. + This is the body of instruction that Moses presented to the Israelites. + These are the laws, decrees, and regulations that Moses gave to the people of Israel when they left Egypt, + and as they camped in the valley near Beth-peor east of the Jordan River. (This land was formerly occupied by the Amorites under King Sihon, who ruled from Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites destroyed him and his people when they came up from Egypt. + Israel took possession of his land and that of King Og of Bashan-- the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. + So Israel conquered the entire area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge all the way to Mount Sirion, also called Mount Hermon. + And they conquered the eastern bank of the Jordan River as far south as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.) + + + Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, "Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them! + "The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai. + The LORD did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today. + At the mountain the LORD spoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire. + I stood as an intermediary between you and the LORD, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said: + "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. + "You must not have any other god but me. + "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. + You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-- even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. + But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. + "You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. + "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. + You have six days each week for your ordinary work, + but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. + Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day. + "Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. + "You must not murder. + "You must not commit adultery. + "You must not steal. + "You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. + "You must not covet your neighbor's wife. You must not covet your neighbor's house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. + "The LORD spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me. + "But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me. + They said, 'Look, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live! + But now, why should we risk death again? If the LORD our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire. + Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive? + Go yourself and listen to what the LORD our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.' + "The LORD heard the request you made to me. And he said, 'I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right. + Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. + Go and tell them, "Return to your tents." + But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.'" + So Moses told the people, "You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail. + Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. + + + "These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, + and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the LORD your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. + Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. + "Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. + And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. + And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. + Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. + Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. + Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. + "The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. + The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, + be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. + You must fear the LORD your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. + "You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, + for the LORD your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. + You must not test the LORD your God as you did when you complained at Massah. + You must diligently obey the commands of the LORD your God-- all the laws and decrees he has given you. + Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to give your ancestors. + You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the LORD said you would. + "In the future your children will ask you, 'What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the LORD our God has commanded us to obey?' + "Then you must tell them, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. + The LORD did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. + He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. + And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. + For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us.' + + + "When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. + When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. + You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, + for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. + This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols. + For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. + "The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! + Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. + Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. + But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. + Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today. + "If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the LORD your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors. + He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. + You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young. + And the LORD will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all your enemies! + "You must destroy all the nations the LORD your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you. + Perhaps you will think to yourselves, 'How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?' + But don't be afraid of them! Just remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt. + Remember the great terrors the LORD your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The LORD your God will use this same power against all the people you fear. + And then the LORD your God will send terror to drive out the few survivors still hiding from you! + "No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God. + The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you. + But the LORD your God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed. + He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all. + "You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. + Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction. + + + "Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors. + Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. + Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. + For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell. + Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you for your own good. + "So obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. + For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. + It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. + It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. + When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. + "But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. + For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, + and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! + Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. + Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! + He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. + He did all this so you would never say to yourself, 'I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.' + Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. + "But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. + Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the LORD your God. + + + "Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! + The people are strong and tall-- descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You've heard the saying, 'Who can stand up to the Anakites?' + But recognize today that the LORD your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the LORD has promised. + "After the LORD your God has done this for you, don't say in your hearts, 'The LORD has given us this land because we are such good people!' No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. + It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The LORD your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + You must recognize that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not-- you are a stubborn people. + "Remember and never forget how angry you made the LORD your God out in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until now, you have been constantly rebelling against him. + Even at Mount Sinai you made the LORD so angry he was ready to destroy you. + This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the LORD had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water. + The LORD gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain. + "At the end of the forty days and nights, the LORD handed me the two stone tablets inscribed with the words of the covenant. + Then the LORD said to me, 'Get up! Go down immediately, for the people you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted gold and made an idol for themselves!' + "The LORD also said to me, 'I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. + Leave me alone so I may destroy them and erase their name from under heaven. Then I will make a mighty nation of your descendants, a nation larger and more powerful than they are.' + "So while the mountain was blazing with fire I turned and came down, holding in my hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. + There below me I could see that you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had melted gold and made a calf idol for yourselves. How quickly you had turned away from the path the LORD had commanded you to follow! + So I took the stone tablets and threw them to the ground, smashing them before your eyes. + "Then, as before, I threw myself down before the LORD for forty days and nights. I ate no bread and drank no water because of the great sin you had committed by doing what the LORD hated, provoking him to anger. + I feared that the furious anger of the LORD, which turned him against you, would drive him to destroy you. But again he listened to me. + The LORD was so angry with Aaron that he wanted to destroy him, too. But I prayed for Aaron, and the LORD spared him. + I took your sin-- the calf you had made-- and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain. + "You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah. + And at Kadesh-barnea the LORD sent you out with this command: 'Go up and take over the land I have given you.' But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to put your trust in him or obey him. + Yes, you have been rebelling against the LORD as long as I have known you. + "That is why I threw myself down before the LORD for forty days and nights-- for the LORD said he would destroy you. + I prayed to the LORD and said, 'O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy them. They are your own people. They are your special possession, whom you redeemed from Egypt by your mighty power and your strong hand. + Please overlook the stubbornness and the awful sin of these people, and remember instead your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + If you destroy these people, the Egyptians will say, "The Israelites died because the LORD wasn't able to bring them to the land he had promised to give them." Or they might say, "He destroyed them because he hated them; he deliberately took them into the wilderness to slaughter them." + But they are your people and your special possession, whom you brought out of Egypt by your great strength and powerful arm.' + + + "At that time the LORD said to me, 'Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. Also make a wooden Ark-- a sacred chest to store them in. Come up to me on the mountain, + and I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the ones you smashed. Then place the tablets in the Ark.' + "So I made an Ark of acacia wood and cut two stone tablets like the first two. Then I went up the mountain with the tablets in my hand. + Once again the LORD wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets and gave them to me. They were the same words the LORD had spoken to you from the heart of the fire on the day you were assembled at the foot of the mountain. + Then I turned and came down the mountain and placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant, which I had made, just as the LORD commanded me. And the tablets are still there in the Ark." + (The people of Israel set out from the wells of the people of Jaakan and traveled to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried. His son Eleazar ministered as high priest in his place. + Then they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, a land with many brooks and streams. + At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, and to stand before the LORD as his ministers, and to pronounce blessings in his name. These are their duties to this day. + That is why the Levites have no share of property or possession of land among the other Israelite tribes. The LORD himself is their special possession, as the LORD your God told them.) + "As for me, I stayed on the mountain in the LORD's presence for forty days and nights, as I had done the first time. And once again the LORD listened to my pleas and agreed not to destroy you. + Then the LORD said to me, 'Get up and resume the journey, and lead the people to the land I swore to give to their ancestors, so they may take possession of it.' + "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. + And you must always obey the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. + "Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the LORD your God. + Yet the LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. + Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn. + "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. + He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. + So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. + You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. + He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. + When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky! + + + "You must love the LORD your God and obey all his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands. + Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the LORD your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm. + They didn't see the miraculous signs and wonders he performed in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his land. + They didn't see what the LORD did to the armies of Egypt and to their horses and chariots-- how he drowned them in the Red Sea as they were chasing you. He destroyed them, and they have not recovered to this very day! + "Your children didn't see how the LORD cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here. + They didn't see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them. + But you have seen the LORD perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes! + "Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. + If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants-- a land flowing with milk and honey! + For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden. + Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain-- + a land that the LORD your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year! + "If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the LORD your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, + then he will send the rains in their proper seasons-- the early and late rains-- so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. + He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat. + "But be careful. Don't let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods. + If you do, the LORD's anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the LORD is giving you. + "So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. + Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. + Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, + so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors. + "Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. + Then the LORD will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land. + Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. + No one will be able to stand against you, for the LORD your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land. + "Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! + You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today. + But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before. + "When the LORD your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal. + (These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley, near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.) + For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it, + you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations I am giving you today. + + + "These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live. + "When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods-- high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. + Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods! + "Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. + Rather, you must seek the LORD your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes-- the place where his name will be honored. + There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks. + There you and your families will feast in the presence of the LORD your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the LORD your God has blessed you. + "Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please, + because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. + But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the LORD your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you're living safely in the land, + you must bring everything I command you-- your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow-- to the designated place of worship, the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. + "You must celebrate there in the presence of the LORD your God with your sons and daughters and all your servants. And remember to include the Levites who live in your towns, for they will receive no allotment of land among you. + Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere you like. + You may do so only at the place the LORD will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you. + "But you may butcher your animals and eat their meat in any town whenever you want. You may freely eat the animals with which the LORD your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you now eat gazelle and deer. + But you must not eat the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water. + "But you may not eat your offerings in your hometown-- neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your sacred offerings. + You must eat these in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the LORD your God in all you do. + And be very careful never to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land. + "When the LORD your God expands your territory as he has promised, and you have the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat whenever you want. + It might happen that the designated place of worship-- the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored-- is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle, sheep, or goats the LORD has given you, and you may freely eat the meat in your hometown, as I have commanded you. + Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer. + But never eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not eat the lifeblood with the meat. + Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water. + Do not eat the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD. + "Take your sacred gifts and your offerings given to fulfill a vow to the place the LORD chooses. + You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat. + Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the LORD your God. + "When the LORD your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land, + do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.' + You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. + "So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them. + + + "Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, + and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, 'Come, let us worship other gods'-- gods you have not known before-- + do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. + Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. + The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. + "Suppose someone secretly entices you-- even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend-- and says, 'Let us go worship other gods'-- gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. + They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. + But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. + You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in. + Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery. + Then all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and no one will act so wickedly again. + "When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, you may hear + that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, 'Let us go worship other gods'-- gods you have not known before. + In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you, + you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. + Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. + Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors. + "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him. + + + "Since you are the people of the LORD your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead. + You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure. + "You must not eat any detestable animals that are ceremonially unclean. + These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, + the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the addax, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. + "You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud, + but if the animal doesn't have both, it may not be eaten. So you may not eat the camel, the hare, or the hyrax. They chew the cud but do not have split hooves, so they are ceremonially unclean for you. + And you may not eat the pig. It has split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is ceremonially unclean for you. You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. + "Of all the marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales. + You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales. They are ceremonially unclean for you. + "You may eat any bird that is ceremonially clean. + These are the birds you may not eat: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, + the kite, the falcon, buzzards of all kinds, + ravens of all kinds, + the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds, + the little owl, the great owl, the barn owl, + the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture, the cormorant, + the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat. + "All winged insects that walk along the ground are ceremonially unclean for you and may not be eaten. + But you may eat any winged bird or insect that is ceremonially clean. + "You must not eat anything that has died a natural death. You may give it to a foreigner living in your town, or you may sell it to a stranger. But do not eat it yourselves, for you are set apart as holy to the LORD your God."You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. + "You must set aside a tithe of your crops-- one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. + Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship-- the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored-- and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the LORD your God. + "Now when the LORD your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe. + If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the LORD your God has chosen. + When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want-- cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and celebrate with your household. + And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will receive no allotment of land among you. + "At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town. + Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work. + + + "At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money. + This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the LORD's time of release has arrived. + This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites-- not to the foreigners living among you. + "There should be no poor among you, for the LORD your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. + You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today. + The LORD your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you. + "But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. + Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. + Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the LORD, you will be considered guilty of sin. + Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. + There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. + "If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free. + "When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed. + Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the LORD your God has blessed you. + Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command. + "But suppose your servant says, 'I will not leave you,' because he loves you and your family, and he has done well with you. + In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. And do the same for your female servants. + "You must not consider it a hardship when you release your servants. Remember that for six years they have given you services worth double the wages of hired workers, and the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. + "You must set aside for the LORD your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks. + Instead, you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of the LORD your God each year at the place he chooses. + But if this firstborn animal has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or if anything else is wrong with it, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. + Instead, use it for food for your family in your hometown. Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat it, just as anyone may eat a gazelle or deer. + But you must not eat the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water. + + + "In honor of the LORD your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib, for that was the month in which the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. + Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the LORD your God at the designated place of worship-- the place he chooses for his name to be honored. + Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread-- the bread of suffering-- so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt. + Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those seven days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the next morning. + "You may not sacrifice the Passover in just any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you. + You must offer it only at the designated place of worship-- the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt. + Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the LORD your God chooses. Then you may go back to your tents the next morning. + For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the LORD your God, and no work may be done on that day. + "Count off seven weeks from when you first begin to cut the grain at the time of harvest. + Then celebrate the Festival of Harvest to honor the LORD your God. Bring him a voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received from him. + This is a time to celebrate before the LORD your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you. + Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, so be careful to obey all these decrees. + "You must observe the Festival of Shelters for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain has been threshed and the grapes have been pressed. + This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns. + For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the LORD your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all. + "Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the LORD without a gift for him. + All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God. + "Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the LORD your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly. + You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly. + Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you. + "You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the LORD your God. + And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the LORD your God hates them. + + + "Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts. + "When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violate the covenant. + For instance, they might serve other gods or worship the sun, the moon, or any of the stars-- the forces of heaven-- which I have strictly forbidden. + When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, + then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. + But never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses. + The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you. + "Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide-- for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the LORD your God will choose, + and present them to the Levitical priests or the judge on duty at that time. They will hear the case and declare the verdict. + You must carry out the verdict they announce and the sentence they prescribe at the place the LORD chooses. You must do exactly what they say. + After they have interpreted the law and declared their verdict, the sentence they impose must be fully executed; do not modify it in any way. + Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel. + Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid to act so arrogantly. + "You are about to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, 'We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.' + If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner. + "The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the LORD has told you, 'You must never return to Egypt.' + The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself. + "When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. + He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. + This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. + + + "Remember that the Levitical priests-- that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi-- will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the LORD, for that is their share. + They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The LORD himself is their special possession, just as he promised them. + "These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. + You must also give to the priests the first share of the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and the wool at shearing time. + For the LORD your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the LORD's name forever. + "Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the LORD chooses for worship. + He may minister there in the name of the LORD his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the LORD there. + He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family. + "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. + For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, + or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. + Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the LORD your God will drive them out ahead of you. + But you must be blameless before the LORD your God. + The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the LORD your God forbids you to do such things." + Moses continued, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. + For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.' + "Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is right. + I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. + I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. + But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.' + "But you may wonder, 'How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the LORD?' + If the prophet speaks in the LORD's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. + + + "When the LORD your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes. + Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the LORD your God is giving you. + Survey the territory, and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety. + "If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety. + For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety. + "If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died. + That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge. + "And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them, + you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you-- if you always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways.) + That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people. + "But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge. + In that case, the elders of the murderer's hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person's avenger to be put to death. + Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you. + "When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone's land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property. + "You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. + "If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, + then both the accuser and accused must appear before the LORD by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. + The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, + you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. + Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing. + You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. + + + "When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! + When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. + He will say to them, 'Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. + For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!' + "Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, 'Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might be killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house. + Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit. + Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.' + "Then the officers will also say, 'Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.' + When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders. + "As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace. + If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. + But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. + When the LORD your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town. + But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the LORD your God has given you. + "But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter. + In those towns that the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. + You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the LORD your God has commanded you. + This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the LORD your God. + "When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them? + You may only cut down trees that you know are not valuable for food. Use them to make the equipment you need to attack the enemy town until it falls. + + + "When you are in the land the LORD your God is giving you, someone may be found murdered in a field, and you don't know who committed the murder. + In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns. + When the nearest town has been determined, that town's elders must select from the herd a young cow that has never been trained or yoked to a plow. + They must lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and that has a stream running through it. There in the valley they must break the young cow's neck. + Then the Levitical priests must step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in the LORD's name. They are to decide all legal and criminal cases. + "The elders of the town must wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken. + Then they must say, 'Our hands did not shed this person's blood, nor did we see it happen. + O LORD, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.' Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person's blood. + By following these instructions, you will do what is right in the LORD's sight and will cleanse the guilt of murder from your community. + "Suppose you go out to war against your enemies and the LORD your God hands them over to you, and you take some of them as captives. + And suppose you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her and want to marry her. + If this happens, you may take her to your home, where she must shave her head, cut her nails, + and change the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. She will stay in your home, but let her mourn for her father and mother for a full month. Then you may marry her, and you will be her husband and she will be your wife. + But if you marry her and she does not please you, you must let her go free. You may not sell her or treat her as a slave, for you have humiliated her. + "Suppose a man has two wives, but he loves one and not the other, and both have given him sons. And suppose the firstborn son is the son of the wife he does not love. + When the man divides his inheritance, he may not give the larger inheritance to his younger son, the son of the wife he loves, as if he were the firstborn son. + He must recognize the rights of his oldest son, the son of the wife he does not love, by giving him a double portion. He is the first son of his father's virility, and the rights of the firstborn belong to him. + "Suppose a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, even though they discipline him. + In such a case, the father and mother must take the son to the elders as they hold court at the town gate. + The parents must say to the elders, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a glutton and a drunkard.' + Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid. + "If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and hung on a tree, + the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is cursed in the sight of God. In this way, you will prevent the defilement of the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. + + + "If you see your neighbor's ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don't ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner. + If its owner does not live nearby or you don't know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then you must return it. + Do the same if you find your neighbor's donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don't ignore your responsibility. + "If you see that your neighbor's donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it back on its feet! + "A woman must not put on men's clothing, and a man must not wear women's clothing. Anyone who does this is detestable in the sight of the LORD your God. + "If you happen to find a bird's nest in a tree or on the ground, and there are young ones or eggs in it with the mother sitting in the nest, do not take the mother with the young. + You may take the young, but let the mother go, so that you may prosper and enjoy a long life. + "When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof. + "You must not plant any other crop between the rows of your vineyard. If you do, you are forbidden to use either the grapes from the vineyard or the other crop. + "You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. + "You must not wear clothing made of wool and linen woven together. + "You must put four tassels on the hem of the cloak with which you cover yourself-- on the front, back, and sides. + "Suppose a man marries a woman, but after sleeping with her, he turns against her + and publicly accuses her of shameful conduct, saying, 'When I married this woman, I discovered she was not a virgin.' + Then the woman's father and mother must bring the proof of her virginity to the elders as they hold court at the town gate. + Her father must say to them, 'I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife, and now he has turned against her. + He has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, "I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin." But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity.' Then they must spread her bed sheet before the elders. + The elders must then take the man and punish him. + They must also fine him 100 pieces of silver, which he must pay to the woman's father because he publicly accused a virgin of Israel of shameful conduct. The woman will then remain the man's wife, and he may never divorce her. + "But suppose the man's accusations are true, and he can show that she was not a virgin. + The woman must be taken to the door of her father's home, and there the men of the town must stone her to death, for she has committed a disgraceful crime in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her parents' home. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you. + "If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil. + "Suppose a man meets a young woman, a virgin who is engaged to be married, and he has sexual intercourse with her. If this happens within a town, + you must take both of them to the gates of that town and stone them to death. The woman is guilty because she did not scream for help. The man must die because he violated another man's wife. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you. + "But if the man meets the engaged woman out in the country, and he rapes her, then only the man must die. + Do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no crime worthy of death. She is as innocent as a murder victim. + Since the man raped her out in the country, it must be assumed that she screamed, but there was no one to rescue her. + "Suppose a man has intercourse with a young woman who is a virgin but is not engaged to be married. If they are discovered, + he must pay her father fifty pieces of silver. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he may never divorce her as long as he lives. + "A man must not marry his father's former wife, for this would violate his father. + + + "If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. + "If a person is illegitimate by birth, neither he nor his descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. + "No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. + These nations did not welcome you with food and water when you came out of Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in distant Aram-naharaim to curse you. + But the LORD your God refused to listen to Balaam. He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the LORD your God loves you. + As long as you live, you must never promote the welfare and prosperity of the Ammonites or Moabites. + "Do not detest the Edomites or the Egyptians, because the Edomites are your relatives and you lived as foreigners among the Egyptians. + The third generation of Edomites and Egyptians may enter the assembly of the LORD. + "When you go to war against your enemies, be sure to stay away from anything that is impure. + "Any man who becomes ceremonially defiled because of a nocturnal emission must leave the camp and stay away all day. + Toward evening he must bathe himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp. + "You must have a designated area outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. + Each of you must have a spade as part of your equipment. Whenever you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the spade and cover the excrement. + The camp must be holy, for the LORD your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies. He must not see any shameful thing among you, or he will turn away from you. + "If slaves should escape from their masters and take refuge with you, you must not hand them over to their masters. + Let them live among you in any town they choose, and do not oppress them. + "No Israelite, whether man or woman, may become a temple prostitute. + When you are bringing an offering to fulfill a vow, you must not bring to the house of the LORD your God any offering from the earnings of a prostitute, whether a man or a woman, for both are detestable to the LORD your God. + "Do not charge interest on the loans you make to a fellow Israelite, whether you loan money, or food, or anything else. + You may charge interest to foreigners, but you may not charge interest to Israelites, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you do in the land you are about to enter and occupy. + "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the LORD your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. + However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. + But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the LORD your God. + "When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, but you must not carry any away in a basket. + And when you enter your neighbor's field of grain, you may pluck the heads of grain with your hand, but you must not harvest it with a sickle. + + + "Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes her a letter of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house. + When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. + But if the second husband also turns against her and divorces her, or if he dies, + the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession. + "A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married. + "It is wrong to take a set of millstones, or even just the upper millstone, as security for a loan, for the owner uses it to make a living. + "If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you. + "In all cases involving serious skin diseases, be careful to follow the instructions of the Levitical priests; obey all the commands I have given them. + Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam as you were coming from Egypt. + "If you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to pick up the item he is giving as security. + You must wait outside while he goes in and brings it out to you. + If your neighbor is poor and gives you his cloak as security for a loan, do not keep the cloak overnight. + Return the cloak to its owner by sunset so he can stay warm through the night and bless you, and the LORD your God will count you as righteous. + "Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. + You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don't, they might cry out to the LORD against you, and it would be counted against you as sin. + "Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes. + "True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow's garment as security for her debt. + Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command. + "When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don't go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. + When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don't go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. + When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don't glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. + Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command. + + + "Suppose two people take a dispute to court, and the judges declare that one is right and the other is wrong. + If the person in the wrong is sentenced to be flogged, the judge must command him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of lashes appropriate to the crime. + But never give more than forty lashes; more than forty lashes would publicly humiliate your neighbor. + "You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain. + "If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband's brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. + The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel. + "But if the man refuses to marry his brother's widow, she must go to the town gate and say to the elders assembled there, 'My husband's brother refuses to preserve his brother's name in Israel-- he refuses to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law by marrying me.' + The elders of the town will then summon him and talk with him. If he still refuses and says, 'I don't want to marry her,' + the widow must walk over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she must declare, 'This is what happens to a man who refuses to provide his brother with children.' + Ever afterward in Israel his family will be referred to as 'the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off'! + "If two Israelite men get into a fight and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man, + you must cut off her hand. Show her no pity. + "You must use accurate scales when you weigh out merchandise, + and you must use full and honest measures. + Yes, always use honest weights and measures, so that you may enjoy a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. + All who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the LORD your God. + "Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. + They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. + Therefore, when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this! + + + "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, + put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship-- the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. + Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, 'With this gift I acknowledge to the LORD your God that I have entered the land he swore to our ancestors he would give us.' + The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the LORD your God. + "You must then say in the presence of the LORD your God, 'My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live as a foreigner in Egypt. His family arrived few in number, but in Egypt they became a large and mighty nation. + When the Egyptians oppressed and humiliated us by making us their slaves, + we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. He heard our cries and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression. + So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and powerful arm, with overwhelming terror, and with miraculous signs and wonders. + He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! + And now, O LORD, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.' Then place the produce before the LORD your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him. + Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration. + "Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your crops. In this year of the special tithe you must give your tithes to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that they will have enough to eat in your towns. + Then you must declare in the presence of the LORD your God, 'I have taken the sacred gift from my house and have given it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, just as you commanded me. I have not violated or forgotten any of your commands. + I have not eaten any of it while in mourning; I have not handled it while I was ceremonially unclean; and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God and have done everything you commanded me. + Now look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you swore to our ancestors to give us-- a land flowing with milk and honey.' + "Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey all these decrees and regulations. So be careful to obey them wholeheartedly. + You have declared today that the LORD is your God. And you have promised to walk in his ways, and to obey his decrees, commands, and regulations, and to do everything he tells you. + The LORD has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. + And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the LORD your God, just as he promised." + + + Then Moses and the leaders of Israel gave this charge to the people: "Obey all these commands that I am giving you today. + When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. + Write this whole body of instruction on them when you cross the river to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you-- a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. + When you cross the Jordan, set up these stones at Mount Ebal and coat them with plaster, as I am commanding you today. + "Then build an altar there to the LORD your God, using natural, uncut stones. You must not shape the stones with an iron tool. + Build the altar of uncut stones, and use it to offer burnt offerings to the LORD your God. + Also sacrifice peace offerings on it, and celebrate by feasting there before the LORD your God. + You must clearly write all these instructions on the stones coated with plaster." + Then Moses and the Levitical priests addressed all Israel as follows: "O Israel, be quiet and listen! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God. + So you must obey the LORD your God by keeping all these commands and decrees that I am giving you today." + That same day Moses also gave this charge to the people: + "When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people. + And the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali must stand on Mount Ebal to proclaim a curse. + "Then the Levites will shout to all the people of Israel: + 'Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the LORD.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who dishonors father or mother.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who steals property from a neighbor by moving a boundary marker.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who leads a blind person astray on the road.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who denies justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with one of his father's wives, for he has violated his father.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with an animal.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his sister, whether she is the daughter of his father or his mother.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his mother-in-law.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who attacks a neighbor in secret.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who accepts payment to kill an innocent person.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + 'Cursed is anyone who does not affirm and obey the terms of these instructions.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.' + + + "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. + You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God: + Your towns and your fields will be blessed. + Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. + Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. + Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. + "The LORD will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven! + "The LORD will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. + "If you obey the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways, the LORD will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. + Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the LORD, and they will stand in awe of you. + "The LORD will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. + The LORD will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. + If you listen to these commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. + You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them. + "But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: + Your towns and your fields will be cursed. + Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be cursed. + Your children and your crops will be cursed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be cursed. + Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be cursed. + "The LORD himself will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and abandoning me. + The LORD will afflict you with diseases until none of you are left in the land you are about to enter and occupy. + The LORD will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These disasters will pursue you until you die. + The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze, and the earth beneath will be as hard as iron. + The LORD will change the rain that falls on your land into powder, and dust will pour down from the sky until you are destroyed. + "The LORD will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You will attack your enemies from one direction, but you will scatter from them in seven! You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. + Your corpses will be food for all the scavenging birds and wild animals, and no one will be there to chase them away. + "The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, scurvy, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. + The LORD will strike you with madness, blindness, and panic. + You will grope around in broad daylight like a blind person groping in the darkness, but you will not find your way. You will be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will come to save you. + "You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will sleep with her. You will build a house, but someone else will live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will never enjoy its fruit. + Your ox will be butchered before your eyes, but you will not eat a single bite of the meat. Your donkey will be taken from you, never to be returned. Your sheep and goats will be given to your enemies, and no one will be there to help you. + You will watch as your sons and daughters are taken away as slaves. Your heart will break for them, but you won't be able to help them. + A foreign nation you have never heard about will eat the crops you worked so hard to grow. You will suffer under constant oppression and harsh treatment. + You will go mad because of all the tragedy you see around you. + The LORD will cover your knees and legs with incurable boils. In fact, you will be covered from head to foot. + "The LORD will exile you and your king to a nation unknown to you and your ancestors. There in exile you will worship gods of wood and stone! + You will become an object of horror, ridicule, and mockery among all the nations to which the LORD sends you. + "You will plant much but harvest little, for locusts will eat your crops. + You will plant vineyards and care for them, but you will not drink the wine or eat the grapes, for worms will destroy the vines. + You will grow olive trees throughout your land, but you will never use the olive oil, for the fruit will drop before it ripens. + You will have sons and daughters, but you will lose them, for they will be led away into captivity. + Swarms of insects will destroy your trees and crops. + "The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker. + They will lend money to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail! + "If you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed. + These horrors will serve as a sign and warning among you and your descendants forever. + If you do not serve the LORD your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, + you will serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The LORD will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you. + "The LORD will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand, + a fierce and heartless nation that shows no respect for the old and no pity for the young. + Its armies will devour your livestock and crops, and you will be destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, olive oil, calves, or lambs, and you will starve to death. + They will attack your cities until all the fortified walls in your land-- the walls you trusted to protect you-- are knocked down. They will attack all the towns in the land the LORD your God has given you. + "The siege and terrible distress of the enemy's attack will be so severe that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you. + The most tenderhearted man among you will have no compassion for his own brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving children. + He will refuse to share with them the flesh he is devouring-- the flesh of one of his own children-- because he has nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns. + The most tender and delicate woman among you-- so delicate she would not so much as touch the ground with her foot-- will be selfish toward the husband she loves and toward her own son or daughter. + She will hide from them the afterbirth and the new baby she has borne, so that she herself can secretly eat them. She will have nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns. + "If you refuse to obey all the words of instruction that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the LORD your God, + then the LORD will overwhelm you and your children with indescribable plagues. These plagues will be intense and without relief, making you miserable and unbearably sick. + He will afflict you with all the diseases of Egypt that you feared so much, and you will have no relief. + The LORD will afflict you with every sickness and plague there is, even those not mentioned in this Book of Instruction, until you are destroyed. + Though you become as numerous as the stars in the sky, few of you will be left because you would not listen to the LORD your God. + "Just as the LORD has found great pleasure in causing you to prosper and multiply, the LORD will find pleasure in destroying you. You will be torn from the land you are about to enter and occupy. + For the LORD will scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship foreign gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods made of wood and stone! + There among those nations you will find no peace or place to rest. And the LORD will cause your heart to tremble, your eyesight to fail, and your soul to despair. + Your life will constantly hang in the balance. You will live night and day in fear, unsure if you will survive. + In the morning you will say, 'If only it were night!' And in the evening you will say, 'If only it were morning!' For you will be terrified by the awful horrors you see around you. + Then the LORD will send you back to Egypt in ships, to a destination I promised you would never see again. There you will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves, but no one will buy you." + + + These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites while they were in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Mount Sinai. + Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, "You have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to his whole country-- + all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders. + But to this day the LORD has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear! + For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. + You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he gave you food so you would know that he is the LORD your God. + "When we came here, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. + We took their land and gave it to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh as their grant of land. + "Therefore, obey the terms of this covenant so that you will prosper in everything you do. + All of you-- tribal leaders, elders, officers, all the men of Israel-- are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God. + Your little ones and your wives are with you, as well as the foreigners living among you who chop your wood and carry your water. + You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God. The LORD is making this covenant, including the curses. + By entering into the covenant today, he will establish you as his people and confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + "But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its curses. + I am making this covenant both with you who stand here today in the presence of the LORD our God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today. + "You remember how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the lands of enemy nations as we left. + You have seen their detestable practices and their idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold. + I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you-- no man, woman, clan, or tribe-- will turn away from the LORD our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit. + "Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, 'I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.' This would lead to utter ruin! + The LORD will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the LORD will erase their names from under heaven. + The LORD will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of Instruction. + "Then the generations to come, both your own descendants and the foreigners who come from distant lands, will see the devastation of the land and the diseases the LORD inflicts on it. + They will exclaim, 'The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD destroyed in his intense anger.' + "And all the surrounding nations will ask, 'Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why was he so angry?' + "And the answer will be, 'This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. + Instead, they turned away to serve and worship gods they had not known before, gods that were not from the LORD. + That is why the LORD's anger has burned against this land, bringing down on it every curse recorded in this book. + In great anger and fury the LORD uprooted his people from their land and banished them to another land, where they still live today!' + "The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions. + + + "In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the LORD your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions. + If at that time you and your children return to the LORD your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, + then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. + Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the LORD your God will gather you from there and bring you back again. + The LORD your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors! + "The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! + The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you. + Then you will again obey the LORD and keep all his commands that I am giving you today. + "The LORD your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the LORD will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. + The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. + "This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. + It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, 'Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?' + It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, 'Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?' + No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. + "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. + For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. + "But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, + then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. + "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! + You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." + + + When Moses had finished giving these instructions to all the people of Israel, + he said, "I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has told me, 'You will not cross the Jordan River.' + But the LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the LORD promised. + "The LORD will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites. + The LORD will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you. + So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." + Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, "Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. + Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." + So Moses wrote this entire body of instruction in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, and to the elders of Israel. + Then Moses gave them this command: "At the end of every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters, + you must read this Book of Instruction to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the LORD your God at the place he chooses. + Call them all together-- men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns-- so they may hear this Book of Instruction and learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions. + Do this so that your children who have not known these instructions will hear them and will learn to fear the LORD your God. Do this as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "The time has come for you to die. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tabernacle, so that I may commission him there." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tabernacle. + And the LORD appeared to them in a pillar of cloud that stood at the entrance to the sacred tent. + The LORD said to Moses, "You are about to die and join your ancestors. After you are gone, these people will begin to worship foreign gods, the gods of the land where they are going. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I have made with them. + Then my anger will blaze forth against them. I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they will be devoured. Terrible trouble will come down on them, and on that day they will say, 'These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!' + At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the evil they commit by worshiping other gods. + "So write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel. Help them learn it, so it may serve as a witness for me against them. + For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors-- a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant. + And when great disasters come down on them, this song will stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them." + So that very day Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the Israelites. + Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: "Be strong and courageous, for you must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you." + When Moses had finished writing this entire body of instruction in a book, + he gave this command to the Levites who carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant: + "Take this Book of Instruction and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, so it may remain there as a witness against the people of Israel. + For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive and am here with you, you have rebelled against the LORD. How much more rebellious will you be after my death! + "Now summon all the elders and officials of your tribes, so that I can speak to them directly and call heaven and earth to witness against them. + I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and will turn from the way I have commanded you to follow. In the days to come, disaster will come down on you, for you will do what is evil in the LORD's sight, making him very angry with your actions." + So Moses recited this entire song publicly to the assembly of Israel: + + + "Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say! + Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. + I will proclaim the name of the LORD; how glorious is our God! + He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! + "But they have acted corruptly toward him; when they act so perversely, are they really his children? They are a deceitful and twisted generation. + Is this the way you repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Isn't he your Father who created you? Has he not made you and established you? + Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you. + When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court. + "For the people of Israel belong to the LORD; Jacob is his special possession. + He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes. + Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. + The LORD alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods. + He let them ride over the highlands and feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the rock and olive oil from the stony ground. + He fed them yogurt from the herd and milk from the flock, together with the fat of lambs. He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats, together with the choicest wheat. You drank the finest wine, made from the juice of grapes. + "But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation. + They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods; they provoked his fury with detestable deeds. + They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before, to new gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared. + You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth. + "The LORD saw this and drew back, provoked to anger by his own sons and daughters. + He said, 'I will abandon them; then see what becomes of them. For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity. + They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God; they have provoked my anger with their useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people; I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles. + For my anger blazes forth like fire and burns to the depths of the grave. It devours the earth and all its crops and ignites the foundations of the mountains. + I will heap disasters upon them and shoot them down with my arrows. + I will weaken them with famine, burning fever, and deadly disease. I will send the fangs of wild beasts and poisonous snakes that glide in the dust. + Outside, the sword will bring death, and inside, terror will strike both young men and young women, both infants and the aged. + I would have annihilated them, wiping out even the memory of them. + But I feared the taunt of Israel's enemy, who might misunderstand and say, "Our own power has triumphed! The LORD had nothing to do with this!"' + "But Israel is a senseless nation; the people are foolish, without understanding. + Oh, that they were wise and could understand this! Oh, that they might know their fate! + How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? + But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock, as even they recognize. + Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison, and their clusters are bitter. + Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras. + "The LORD says, 'Am I not storing up these things, sealing them away in my treasury? + I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.' + "Indeed, the LORD will give justice to his people, and he will change his mind about his servants, when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. + Then he will ask, 'Where are their gods, the rocks they fled to for refuge? + Where now are those gods, who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their offerings? Let those gods arise and help you! Let them provide you with shelter! + Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand! + Now I raise my hand to heaven and declare, "As surely as I live, + when I sharpen my flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will take revenge on my enemies and repay those who reject me. + I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh-- the blood of the slaughtered and the captives, and the heads of the enemy leaders."' + "Rejoice with him, you heavens, and let all of God's angels worship him. Rejoice with his people, you nations, and let all the angels be strengthened in him. For he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take revenge against his enemies. He will repay those who hate him and cleanse the land for his people." + So Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people. + When Moses had finished reciting all these words to the people of Israel, + he added: "Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions. + These instructions are not empty words-- they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River." + That same day the LORD said to Moses, + "Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river, and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own special possession. + Then you will die there on the mountain. You will join your ancestors, just as Aaron, your brother, died on Mount Hor and joined his ancestors. + For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there. + So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel." + + + This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death: + "The LORD came from Mount Sinai and dawned upon us from Mount Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran and came from Meribah-kadesh with flaming fire at his right hand. + Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching. + Moses gave us the LORD's instruction, the special possession of the people of Israel. + The LORD became king in Israel-- when the leaders of the people assembled, when the tribes of Israel gathered as one." + Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: "Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number." + Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: "O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring them together as a people. Give them strength to defend their cause; help them against their enemies!" + Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: "O LORD, you have given your Thummim and Urim-- the sacred lots-- to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah. + The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children. + They teach your regulations to Jacob; they give your instructions to Israel. They present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar. + Bless the ministry of the Levites, O LORD, and accept all the work of their hands. Hit their enemies where it hurts the most; strike down their foes so they never rise again." + Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin: "The people of Benjamin are loved by the LORD and live in safety beside him. He surrounds them continuously and preserves them from every harm." + Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: "May their land be blessed by the LORD with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth; + with the rich fruit that grows in the sun, and the rich harvest produced each month; + with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills; + with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty, and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush. May these blessings rest on Joseph's head, crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers. + Joseph has the majesty of a young bull; he has the horns of a wild ox. He will gore distant nations, driving them to the ends of the earth. This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh." + Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar: "May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels. May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents. + They summon the people to the mountain to offer proper sacrifices there. They benefit from the riches of the sea and the hidden treasures in the sand." + Moses said this about the tribe of Gad: "Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad's territory! Gad is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head. + The people of Gad took the best land for themselves; a leader's share was assigned to them. When the leaders of the people were assembled, they carried out the LORD's justice and obeyed his regulations for Israel." + Moses said this about the tribe of Dan: "Dan is a lion's cub, leaping out from Bashan." + Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: "O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the LORD's blessings; may you possess the west and the south." + Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: "May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil. + May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze; may you be secure all your days." + "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. + The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, 'Destroy them!' + So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the heavens drop down dew. + How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs!" + + + Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; + all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; + the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho-- the city of palms-- as far as Zoar. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land." + So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. + The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. + Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. + The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over. + Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. + The LORD sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. + With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel. + + + + + After the death of Moses the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said, + "Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. + I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you-- + from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' + No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. + "Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. + Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. + Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. + This is my command-- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." + Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, + "Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you." + Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He told them, + "Remember what Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you: 'The LORD your God is giving you a place of rest. He has given you this land.' + Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them + until the LORD gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they, too, possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. Only then may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the LORD, assigned to you." + They answered Joshua, "We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. + We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. + Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!" + + + Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, "Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho." So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. + But someone told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." + So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: "Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land." + Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, "Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn't know where they were from. + They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them." + (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) + So the king's men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king's men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut. + Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. + "I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. + For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. + No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. + "Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that + when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families." + "We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety," the men agreed. "If you don't betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land." + Then, since Rahab's house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. + "Escape to the hill country," she told them. "Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way." + Before they left, the men told her, "We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. + When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members-- your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives-- must be here inside the house. + If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. + If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way." + "I accept your terms," she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window. + The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success. + Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. + "The LORD has given us the whole land," they said, "for all the people in the land are terrified of us." + + + Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. + Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, + giving these instructions to the people: "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them. + Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don't come any closer." + Then Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you." + In the morning Joshua said to the priests, "Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river." And so they started out and went ahead of the people. + The LORD told Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. + Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.'" + So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the LORD your God says. + Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. + Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! + Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. + The priests will carry the Ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall." + So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. + It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, + the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. + Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground. + + + When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, + "Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. + Tell them, 'Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.'" + So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen-- one from each of the tribes of Israel. + He told them, "Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the LORD your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder-- twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. + We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' + Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD's Covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever." + So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there. + Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day. + The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the LORD's commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed. + And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the LORD as the people watched. + The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed. + These armed men-- about 40,000 strong-- were ready for battle, and the LORD was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jericho. + That day the LORD made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses. + The LORD had said to Joshua, + "Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the riverbed." + So Joshua gave the command. + As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before. + The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. + It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. + Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean?' + Then you can tell them, 'This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' + For the LORD your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. + He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the LORD's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the LORD your God forever." + + + When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them. + At that time the LORD told Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites. " + So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. + Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness. + Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised. + The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the LORD, and the LORD vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us-- a land flowing with milk and honey. + So Joshua circumcised their sons-- those who had grown up to take their fathers' places-- for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. + After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt." So that place has been called Gilgal to this day. + While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. + The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. + No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan. + When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, "Are you friend or foe?" + "Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the LORD's army." At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. "I am at your command," Joshua said. "What do you want your servant to do?" + The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did as he was told. + + + Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. + But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. + You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. + Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. + When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town." + So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn." + Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD." + After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD's Covenant followed behind them. + Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. + "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!" + So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. + Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD. + The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. + On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. + On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. + The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the town! + Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. + "Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. + Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury." + When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. + They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords-- men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. + Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, "Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute's house and bring her out, along with all her family." + The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. + Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD's house. + So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. + At that time Joshua invoked this curse: "May the curse of the LORD fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates." + So the LORD was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land. + + + But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah. + Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. + When they returned, they told Joshua, "There's no need for all of us to go up there; it won't take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don't make all our people struggle to go up there." + So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai + chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. + Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the LORD until evening. + Then Joshua cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! + Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? + For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?" + But the LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? + Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. + That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. + "Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. + "In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the LORD will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the LORD will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come forward one by one. + The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel." + Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the LORD, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. + Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. + Every member of Zimri's family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out. + Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me." + Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. + Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest." + So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the rest. + They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them on the ground in the presence of the LORD. + Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. + Then Joshua said to Achan, "Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will now bring trouble on you." And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies. + They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the LORD was no longer angry. + + + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. + You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town." + So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night + with these orders: "Hide in ambush close behind the town and be ready for action. + When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them. + We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town. For they will say, 'The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.' Then, while we are running from them, + you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the LORD your God will give it to you. + Set the town on fire, as the LORD has commanded. You have your orders." + So they left and went to the place of ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night. + Early the next morning Joshua roused his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel. + All the fighting men who were with Joshua marched in front of the town and camped on the north side of Ai, with a valley between them and the town. + That night Joshua sent 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town. + So they stationed the main army north of the town and the ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley. + When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn't realize there was an ambush behind the town. + Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten. + Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town. + There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you." Joshua did as he was commanded. + As soon as Joshua gave this signal, all the men in ambush jumped up from their poartion and poured into the town. They quickly captured it and set it on fire. + When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers. + When Joshua and all the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the town, they turned and attacked the men of Ai. + Meanwhile, the Israelites who were inside the town came out and attacked the enemy from the rear. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle, with Israelite fighters on both sides. Israel attacked them, and not a single person survived or escaped. + Only the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua. + When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside. + So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day-- 12,000 in all. + For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed. + Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the LORD had commanded Joshua. + So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day. + Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today. + Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal. + He followed the commands that Moses the LORD's servant had written in the Book of Instruction: "Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools." Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. + And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them. + Then all the Israelites-- foreigners and native-born alike-- along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the LORD, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel. + Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction. + Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them. + + + Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as the Lebanon mountains. + These kings combined their armies to fight as one against Joshua and the Israelites. + But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, + they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. + They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. + When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us." + The Israelites replied to these Hivites, "How do we know you don't live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you." + They replied, "We are your servants." "But who are you?" Joshua demanded. "Where do you come from?" + They answered, "Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all he did in Egypt. + We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River-- King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth). + So our elders and all our people instructed us, 'Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, "We are your servants; please make a treaty with us."' + "This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. + These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey." + So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD. + Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. + Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! + The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. + But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. + But the leaders replied, "Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. + This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath. + Let them live." So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed. + Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you lie to us? Why did you say that you live in a distant land when you live right here among us? + May you be cursed! From now on you will always be servants who cut wood and carry water for the house of my God." + They replied, "We did it because we-- your servants-- were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this. + Now we are at your mercy-- do to us whatever you think is right." + So Joshua did not allow the people of Israel to kill them. + But that day he made the Gibeonites the woodcutters and water carriers for the community of Israel and for the altar of the LORD-- wherever the LORD would choose to build it. And that is what they do to this day. + + + Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. + He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town-- as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors. + So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. + "Come and help me destroy Gibeon," he urged them, "for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel." + So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon. + The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. "Don't abandon your servants now!" they pleaded. "Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us." + So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon. + "Do not be afraid of them," the LORD said to Joshua, "for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you." + Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. + The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah. + As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword. + On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, "Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon." + So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.Is this event not recorded in [The Book of Jashar]? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. + There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day! + Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. + During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah. + When Joshua heard that they had been found, + he issued this command: "Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. + The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don't give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the LORD your God has given you victory over them." + So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. + Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel. + Then Joshua said, "Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me." + So they brought the five kings out of the cave-- the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. + When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, "Come and put your feet on the kings' necks." And they did as they were told. + "Don't ever be afraid or discouraged," Joshua told his men. "Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies." + Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening. + As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day. + That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho. + Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it. + There, too, the LORD gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed the king of Jericho. + From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it. + Here again, the LORD gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah. + During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua's men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors. + Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it. + They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at Lachish. + From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it. + They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population. + Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir. + He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king. + So Joshua conquered the whole region-- the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. + Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon. + Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people. + Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. + + + When King Jabin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to the following kings: King Jobab of Madon; the king of Shimron; the king of Acshaph; + all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee; the kings in the Galilean foothills; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west; + the kings of Canaan, both east and west; the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. + All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore. + The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots." + So Joshua and all his fighting men traveled to the water near Merom and attacked suddenly. + And the LORD gave them victory over their enemies. The Israelites chased them as far as Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward into the valley of Mizpah, until not one enemy warrior was left alive. + Then Joshua crippled the horses and burned all the chariots, as the LORD had instructed. + Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. (Hazor had at one time been the capital of all these kingdoms.) + The Israelites completely destroyed every living thing in the city, leaving no survivors. Not a single person was spared. And then Joshua burned the city. + Joshua slaughtered all the other kings and their people, completely destroying them, just as Moses, the servant of the LORD, had commanded. + But the Israelites did not burn any of the towns built on mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned. + And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors. + As the LORD had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the LORD had given to Moses. + So Joshua conquered the entire region-- the hill country, the entire Negev, the whole area around the town of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountains of Israel, and the Galilean foothills. + The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir in the south, as far north as Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories, + waging war for a long time to accomplish this. + No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated. + For the LORD hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + During this period Joshua destroyed all the descendants of Anak, who lived in the hill country of Hebron, Debir, Anab, and the entire hill country of Judah and Israel. He killed them all and completely destroyed their towns. + None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. + So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the LORD had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war. + + + These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley. + King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, was defeated. His kingdom included Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge to the Jabbok River, which serves as a border for the Ammonites. This territory included the southern half of the territory of Gilead. + Sihon also controlled the Jordan Valley and regions to the east-- from as far north as the Sea of Galilee to as far south as the Dead Sea, including the road to Beth-jeshimoth and southward to the slopes of Pisgah. + King Og of Bashan, the last of the Rephaites, lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei. + He ruled a territory stretching from Mount Hermon to Salecah in the north and to all of Bashan in the east, and westward to the borders of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. This territory included the northern half of Gilead, as far as the boundary of King Sihon of Heshbon. + Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites had destroyed the people of King Sihon and King Og. And Moses gave their land as a possession to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The following is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir. (Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession, + including the hill country, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountain slopes, the Judean wilderness, and the Negev. The people who lived in this region were the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.) These are the kings Israel defeated: + The king of Jericho The king of Ai, near Bethel + The king of Jerusalem The king of Hebron + The king of Jarmuth The king of Lachish + The king of Eglon The king of Gezer + The king of Debir The king of Geder + The king of Hormah The king of Arad + The king of Libnah The king of Adullam + The king of Makkedah The king of Bethel + The king of Tappuah The king of Hepher + The king of Aphek The king of Lasharon + The king of Madon The king of Hazor + The king of Shimron-meron The king of Acshaph + The king of Taanach The king of Megiddo + The king of Kedesh The king of Jokneam in Carmel + The king of Dor in the town of Naphoth-dor The king of Goyim in Gilgal + The king of Tirzah. In all, thirty-one kings were defeated. + + + When Joshua was an old man, the LORD said to him, "You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered. + This is the territory that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and the Geshurites, + and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites + in the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites, including Mearah (which belongs to the Sidonians), stretching northward to Aphek on the border of the Amorites; + the land of the Gebalites and all of the Lebanon mountain area to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath; + and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians."I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you. + Include all this territory as Israel's possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." + Half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their grants of land on the east side of the Jordan, for Moses, the servant of the LORD, had previously assigned this land to them. + Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba, as far as Dibon. + It also included all the towns of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, and extended as far as the borders of Ammon. + It included Gilead, the territory of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, all of Bashan as far as Salecah, + and all the territory of King Og of Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. King Og was the last of the Rephaites, for Moses had attacked them and driven them out. + But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day. + Moses did not assign any allotment of land to the tribe of Levi. Instead, as the LORD had promised them, their allotment came from the offerings burned on the altar to the LORD, the God of Israel. + Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Reuben. + Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba. + It included Heshbon and the other towns on the plain-- Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, + Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, + Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill above the valley, + Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth. + The land of Reuben also included all the towns of the plain and the entire kingdom of Sihon. Sihon was the Amorite king who had reigned in Heshbon and was killed by Moses along with the leaders of Midian-- Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba-- princes living in the region who were allied with Sihon. + The Israelites had also killed Balaam son of Beor, who used magic to tell the future. + The Jordan River marked the western boundary for the tribe of Reuben. The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Reuben. + Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Gad. + Their territory included Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, and half of the land of Ammon, as far as the town of Aroer just west of Rabbah. + It extended from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to Lo-debar. + In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. The western boundary ran along the Jordan River, extended as far north as the tip of the Sea of Galilee, and then turned eastward. + The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Gad. + Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh. + Their territory extended from Mahanaim, including all of Bashan, all the former kingdom of King Og, and the sixty towns of Jair in Bashan. + It also included half of Gilead and King Og's royal cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei. All this was given to the clans of the descendants of Makir, who was Manasseh's son. + These are the allotments Moses had made while he was on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, east of Jericho. + But Moses gave no allotment of land to the tribe of Levi, for the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised that he himself would be their allotment. + + + The remaining tribes of Israel received land in Canaan as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders. + These nine and a half tribes received their grants of land by means of sacred lots, in accordance with the LORD's command through Moses. + Moses had already given a grant of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River, but he had given the Levites no such allotment. + The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes-- Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in with surrounding pasturelands for their livestock and all their possessions. + So the land was distributed in strict accordance with the LORD's commands to Moses. + A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, "Remember what the LORD said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. + I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the LORD, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, + but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God. + So that day Moses solemnly promised me, 'The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God.' + "Now, as you can see, the LORD has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise-- even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. + I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. + So give me the hill country that the LORD promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the LORD is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the LORD said." + So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. + Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. + (Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.)And the land had rest from war. + + + The allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah reached southward to the border of Edom, as far south as the wilderness of Zin. + The southern boundary began at the south bay of the Dead Sea, + ran south of Scorpion Pass into the wilderness of Zin, and then went south of Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. Then it went up to Addar, where it turned toward Karka. + From there it passed to Azmon until it finally reached the Brook of Egypt, which it followed to the Mediterranean Sea. This was their southern boundary. + The eastern boundary extended along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan River. The northern boundary began at the bay where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea, + went up from there to Beth-hoglah, then proceeded north of Beth-arabah to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben's son.) + From that point it went through the valley of Achor to Debir, turning north toward Gilgal, which is across from the slopes of Adummim on the south side of the valley. From there the boundary extended to the springs at En-shemesh and on to En-rogel. + The boundary then passed through the valley of Ben-Hinnom, along the southern slopes of the Jebusites, where the city of Jerusalem is located. Then it went west to the top of the mountain above the valley of Hinnom, and on up to the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. + From there the boundary extended from the top of the mountain to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the towns on Mount Ephron. Then it turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). + The boundary circled west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the town of Kesalon on the northern slope of Mount Jearim, and went down to Beth-shemesh and on to Timnah. + The boundary then proceeded to the slope of the hill north of Ekron, where it turned toward Shikkeron and Mount Baalah. It passed Jabneel and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. + The western boundary was the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. These are the boundaries for the clans of the tribe of Judah. + The LORD commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah's territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak's ancestor. + Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites-- the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak. + From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). + Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher." + Othniel, the son of Caleb's brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel's wife. + When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What's the matter?" + She said, "Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. + This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Judah. + The towns of Judah situated along the borders of Edom in the extreme south were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, + Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, + Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, + Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, + Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), + Amam, Shema, Moladah, + Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, + Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, + Baalah, Iim, Ezem, + Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, + Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, + Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon-- twenty-nine towns with their surrounding villages. + The following towns situated in the western foothills were also given to Judah: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, + Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, + Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, + Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim-- fourteen towns with their surrounding villages. + Also included were Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, + Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, + Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, + Cabbon, Lahmam, Kitlish, + Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah-- sixteen towns with their surrounding villages. + Besides these, there were Libnah, Ether, Ashan, + Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, + Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah-- nine towns with their surrounding villages. + The territory of the tribe of Judah also included Ekron and its surrounding settlements and villages. + From Ekron the boundary extended west and included the towns near Ashdod with their surrounding villages. + It also included Ashdod with its surrounding settlements and villages and Gaza with its settlements and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. + Judah also received the following towns in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, + Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), + Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, + Goshen, Holon, and Giloh-- eleven towns with their surrounding villages. + Also included were the towns of Arab, Dumah, Eshan, + Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, + Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior-- nine towns with their surrounding villages. + Besides these, there were Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, + Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, + Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah-- ten towns with their surrounding villages. + In addition, there were Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, + Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon-- six towns with their surrounding villages. + There were also Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah-- two towns with their surrounding villages. + In the wilderness there were the towns of Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, + Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi-- six towns with their surrounding villages. + But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day. + + + The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan River near Jericho, east of the springs of Jericho, through the wilderness and into the hill country of Bethel. + From Bethel (that is, Luz) it ran over to Ataroth in the territory of the Arkites. + Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and over to the Mediterranean Sea. + This was the homeland allocated to the families of Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. + The following territory was given to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim. The boundary of their homeland began at Ataroth-addar in the east. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon, + then on to the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, the boundary curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah. + From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River. + From Tappuah the boundary extended westward, following the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim. + In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim. + They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day. + + + The next allotment of land was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph's older son. Makir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead. Because his descendants were experienced soldiers, the regions of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to them. + So the allotment on the west side of the Jordan was for the remaining families within the clans of the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These clans represent the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph. + However, Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe." So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the LORD had commanded. + As a result, Manasseh's total allocation came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River, + because the female descendants of Manasseh received a grant of land along with the male descendants. (The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.) + The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah. + The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh's territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. + From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh's territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. + In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh's boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar. + The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher, however, were given to Manasseh: Beth-shan, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphoth-dor), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements. + But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns. They could not drive out the Canaanites who continued to live there. + Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land. + The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, "Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the LORD has blessed us with so many people?" + Joshua replied, "If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live." + The descendants of Joseph responded, "It's true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us." + Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, "Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. + The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots." + + + Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle. + But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land. + Then Joshua asked them, "How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given to you? + Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland. + Let them divide the land into seven sections, excluding Judah's territory in the south and Joseph's territory in the north. + And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, I will cast sacred lots in the presence of the LORD our God to assign land to each tribe. + "The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land. Their role as priests of the LORD is their allotment. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won't receive any more land, for they have already received their grant of land, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them on the east side of the Jordan River." + As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua commanded them, "Go and explore the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will assign the land to the tribes by casting sacred lots here in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh." + The men did as they were told and mapped the entire territory into seven sections, listing the towns in each section. They made a written record and then returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. + And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of the LORD to determine which tribe should have each section. + The first allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. It lay between the territory assigned to the tribes of Judah and Joseph. + The northern boundary of Benjamin's land began at the Jordan River, went north of the slope of Jericho, then west through the hill country and the wilderness of Beth-aven. + From there the boundary went south to Luz (that is, Bethel) and proceeded down to Ataroth-addar on the hill that lies south of Lower Beth-horon. + The boundary then made a turn and swung south along the western edge of the hill facing Beth-horon, ending at the village of Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary. + The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. From that western point it ran to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah, + and down to the base of the mountain beside the valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. From there it went down the valley of Hinnom, crossing south of the slope where the Jebusites lived, and continued down to En-rogel. + From En-rogel the boundary proceeded in a northerly direction and came to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth (which is across from the slopes of Adummim). Then it went down to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben's son.) + From there it passed along the north side of the slope overlooking the Jordan Valley. The border then went down into the valley, + ran past the north slope of Beth-hoglah, and ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea, which is the southern end of the Jordan River. This was the southern boundary. + The eastern boundary was the Jordan River. These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. + These were the towns given to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, + Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, + Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, + Kephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba-- twelve towns with their surrounding villages. + Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, + Mizpeh, Kephirah, Mozah, + Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, + Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim-- fourteen towns with their surrounding villages. This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. + + + The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah's territory. + Simeon's homeland included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, + Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, + Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, + Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, + Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen-- thirteen towns with their surrounding villages. + It also included Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan-- four towns with their villages, + including all the surrounding villages as far south as Baalath-beer (also known as Ramah of the Negev). This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. + Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah's territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah. + The third allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun. The boundary of Zebulun's homeland started at Sarid. + From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam. + In the other direction, the boundary went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth-tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia. + Then it continued east to Gath-hepher, Eth-kazin, and Rimmon and turned toward Neah. + The northern boundary of Zebulun passed Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtah-el. + The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem-- twelve towns with their surrounding villages. + The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun included these towns and their surrounding villages. + The fourth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Issachar. + Its boundaries included the following towns: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, + Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, + Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, + Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. + The boundary also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan River-- sixteen towns with their surrounding villages. + The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Issachar included these towns and their surrounding villages. + The fifth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Asher. + Its boundaries included these towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, + Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The boundary on the west touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath, + then it turned east toward Beth-dagon, and ran as far as Zebulun in the valley of Iphtah-el, going north to Beth-emek and Neiel. It then continued north to Cabul, + Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far as Greater Sidon. + Then the boundary turned toward Ramah and the fortified city of Tyre, where it turned toward Hosah and came to the Mediterranean Sea. The territory also included Mehebel, Aczib, + Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob-- twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages. + The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Asher included these towns and their surrounding villages. + The sixth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali. + Its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and extended across to Adami-nekeb, Jabneel, and as far as Lakkum, ending at the Jordan River. + The western boundary ran past Aznoth-tabor, then to Hukkok, and touched the border of Zebulun in the south, the border of Asher on the west, and the Jordan River on the east. + The fortified towns included in this territory were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, + Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, + Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, + Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh-- nineteen towns with their surrounding villages. + The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali included these towns and their surrounding villages. + The seventh allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Dan. + The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, + Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, + Elon, Timnah, Ekron, + Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, + Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, + Me-jarkon, Rakkon, and the territory across from Joppa. + But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land, so they attacked the town of Laish. They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor. + The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages. + After all the land was divided among the tribes, the Israelites gave a piece of land to Joshua as his allocation. + For the LORD had said he could have any town he wanted. He chose Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the town and lived there. + These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders allocated as grants of land to the tribes of Israel by casting sacred lots in the presence of the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. So the division of the land was completed. + + + The LORD said to Joshua, + "Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses. + Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed. + "Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them. + If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility. + But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled." + The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah. + On the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho, the following cities were designated: Bezer, in the wilderness plain of the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the land of the tribe of Manasseh. + These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the local assembly. + + + Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel. + They came to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our livestock." + So by the command of the LORD the people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own grants of land. + The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. + The other families of the Kohathite clan were allotted ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The clan of Gershon was allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. + The clan of Merari was allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. + So the Israelites obeyed the LORD's command to Moses and assigned these towns and pasturelands to the Levites by casting sacred lots. + The Israelites gave the following towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon + to the descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, since the sacred lot fell to them first: + Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasturelands. (Arba was an ancestor of Anak.) + But the open fields beyond the town and the surrounding villages were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. + The following towns with their pasturelands were given to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Libnah, + Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Holon, Debir, + Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh-- nine towns from these two tribes. + From the tribe of Benjamin the priests were given the following towns with their pasturelands: Gibeon, Geba, + Anathoth, and Almon-- four towns. + So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. + The rest of the Kohathite clan from the tribe of Levi was allotted the following towns and pasturelands from the tribe of Ephraim: + Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Gezer, + Kibzaim, and Beth-horon-- four towns. + The following towns and pasturelands were allotted to the priests from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, + Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon-- four towns. + The half-tribe of Manasseh allotted the following towns with their pasturelands to the priests: Taanach and Gath-rimmon-- two towns. + So in all, ten towns with their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clan. + The descendants of Gershon, another clan within the tribe of Levi, received the following towns with their pasturelands from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone) and Be-eshterah-- two towns. + From the tribe of Issachar they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kishion, Daberath, + Jarmuth, and En-gannim-- four towns. + From the tribe of Asher they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Mishal, Abdon, + Helkath, and Rehob-- four towns. + From the tribe of Naphtali they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan-- three towns. + So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were allotted to the clan of Gershon. + The rest of the Levites-- the Merari clan-- were given the following towns with their pasturelands from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, + Dimnah, and Nahalal-- four towns. + From the tribe of Reuben they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Bezer, Jahaz, + Kedemoth, and Mephaath-- four towns. + From the tribe of Gad they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Mahanaim, + Heshbon, and Jazer-- four towns. + So in all, twelve towns were allotted to the clan of Merari. + The total number of towns and pasturelands within Israelite territory given to the Levites came to forty-eight. + Every one of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it. + So the LORD gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. + And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD helped them conquer all their enemies. + Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true. + + + Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + He told them, "You have done as Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you, and you have obeyed every order I have given you. + During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes. You have been careful to obey the commands of the LORD your God right up to the present day. + And now the LORD your God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go back home to the land that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you as your possession on the east side of the Jordan River. + But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul." + So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went home. + Moses had given the land of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The other half of the tribe was given land west of the Jordan.) As Joshua sent them away and blessed them, + he said to them, "Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies-- the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives." + So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to the LORD's command through Moses. + But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar. + The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River. + So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. + First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel. + When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, + "The whole community of the LORD demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the LORD and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him? + Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the LORD. + And yet today you are turning away from following the LORD. If you rebel against the LORD today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow. + "If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the LORD's land, where the Tabernacle of the LORD is situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the LORD our God. + Didn't divine anger fall on the entire community of Israel when Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned by stealing the things set apart for the LORD? He was not the only one who died because of his sin." + Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel: + "The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the LORD. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. + If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the LORD or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the LORD himself punish us. + "The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, 'What right do you have to worship the LORD, the God of Israel? + The LORD has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the LORD.' So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the LORD. + "So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, + but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, 'You have no claim to the LORD.' + "If they say this, our descendants can reply, 'Look at this copy of the LORD's altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the LORD.' + Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD or turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the LORD our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose." + When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community-- the heads of the clans of Israel-- heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. + Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, "Today we know the LORD is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the LORD." + Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the other leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened. + And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad. + The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar "Witness," for they said, "It is a witness between us and them that the LORD is our God, too." + + + The years passed, and the LORD had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, + called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, "I am now a very old man. + You have seen everything the LORD your God has done for you during my lifetime. The LORD your God has fought for you against your enemies. + I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered-- from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. + This land will be yours, for the LORD your God will himself drive out all the people living there now. You will take possession of their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. + "So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left. + Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. + Rather, cling tightly to the LORD your God as you have done until now. + "For the LORD has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. + Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you, just as he has promised. + So be very careful to love the LORD your God. + "But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, + then know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the LORD your God has given you. + "Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! + But as surely as the LORD your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you. + If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you." + + + Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God. + Joshua said to the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods. + But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac. + To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. + "Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people. + But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers. + When your ancestors cried out to the LORD, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years. + "Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land. + Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, + but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak. + "When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. + And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. + I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build-- the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them. + "So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone. + But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." + The people replied, "We would never abandon the LORD and serve other gods. + For the LORD our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. + It was the LORD who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the LORD, for he alone is our God." + Then Joshua warned the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. + If you abandon the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you." + But the people answered Joshua, "No, we will serve the LORD!" + "You are a witness to your own decision," Joshua said. "You have chosen to serve the LORD." "Yes," they replied, "we are witnesses to what we have said." + "All right then," Joshua said, "destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." + The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone." + So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the LORD. + Joshua recorded these things in the Book of God's Instructions. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of the LORD. + Joshua said to all the people, "This stone has heard everything the LORD said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God." + Then Joshua sent all the people away to their own homelands. + After this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. + They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. + The people of Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him-- those who had personally experienced all that the LORD had done for Israel. + The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the parcel of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph. + Eleazar son of Aaron also died. He was buried in the hill country of Ephraim, in the town of Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas. + + + + + After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?" + The LORD answered, "Judah, for I have given them victory over the land." + The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, "Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory." So the men of Simeon went with Judah. + When the men of Judah attacked, the LORD gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek. + While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated. + Adoni-bezek escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. + Adoni-bezek said, "I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there. + The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire. + Then they went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills. + Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. + From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). + Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher." + Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel's wife. + When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What's the matter?" + She said, "Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. + When the tribe of Judah left Jericho-- the city of palms-- the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses' father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev. + Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed the town. So the town was named Hormah. + In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories. + The LORD was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. + The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak. + The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin. + The descendants of Joseph attacked the town of Bethel, and the LORD was with them. + They sent men to scout out Bethel (formerly known as Luz). + They confronted a man coming out of the town and said to him, "Show us a way into the town, and we will have mercy on you." + So he showed them a way in, and they killed everyone in the town except that man and his family. + Later the man moved to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named it Luz, which is its name to this day. + The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. + When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land. + The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them. + The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun. + The tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. + Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out. + Likewise, the tribe of Naphtali failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. Instead, they moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land. Nevertheless, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali. + As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them back into the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains. + The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves. + The boundary of the Amorites ran from Scorpion Pass to Sela and continued upward from there. + + + The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, "I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. + For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? + So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you." + When the angel of the LORD finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. + So they called the place Bokim (which means "weeping"), and they offered sacrifices there to the LORD. + After Joshua sent the people away, each of the tribes left to take possession of the land allotted to them. + And the Israelites served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him-- those who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. + Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. + They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. + After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. + The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight and served the images of Baal. + They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD. + They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth. + This made the LORD burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them. + Every time Israel went out to battle, the LORD fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress. + Then the LORD raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers. + Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the LORD's commands. + Whenever the LORD raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge's lifetime. For the LORD took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. + But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. + So the LORD burned with anger against Israel. He said, "Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands, + I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. + I did this to test Israel-- to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the LORD as their ancestors did." + That is why the LORD left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all. + + + These are the nations that the LORD left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. + He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. + These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. + These people were left to test the Israelites-- to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses. + So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, + and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods. + The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. + Then the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years. + But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz. + The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the LORD gave Othniel victory over him. + So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died. + Once again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight, and the LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil. + Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms. + And the Israelites served Eglon of Moab for eighteen years. + But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab. + So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing. + He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat. + After delivering the payment, Ehud started home with those who had helped carry the tribute. + But when Ehud reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, "I have a secret message for you." So the king commanded his servants, "Be quiet!" and he sent them all out of the room. + Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you!" As King Eglon rose from his seat, + Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king's belly. + The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king's fat. So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the king's bowels emptied. + Then Ehud closed and locked the doors of the room and escaped down the latrine. + After Ehud was gone, the king's servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room, + so they waited. But when the king didn't come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the doors, they found their master dead on the floor. + While the servants were waiting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols on his way to Seirah. + When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills. + "Follow me," he said, "for the LORD has given you victory over Moab your enemy." So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing. + They attacked the Moabites and killed about 10,000 of their strongest and most able-bodied warriors. Not one of them escaped. + So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and there was peace in the land for eighty years. + After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. + + + After Ehud's death, the Israelites again did evil in the LORD's sight. + So the LORD turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. + Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. + Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. + She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. + One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. + And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him." + Barak told her, "I will go, but only if you go with me." + "Very well," she replied, "I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the LORD's victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. + At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him. + Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses' brother-in-law Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh. + When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, + he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River. + Then Deborah said to Barak, "Get ready! This is the day the LORD will give you victory over Sisera, for the LORD is marching ahead of you." So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. + When Barak attacked, the LORD threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot. + Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera's warriors. Not a single one was left alive. + Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber's family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor. + Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don't be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. + "Please give me some water," he said. "I'm thirsty." So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again. + "Stand at the door of the tent," he told her. "If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no." + But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died. + When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, "Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for." So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple. + So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. + And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him. + + + On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: + "Israel's leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the LORD! + "Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the LORD. I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. + "LORD, when you set out from Seir and marched across the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, and the cloudy skies poured down rain. + The mountains quaked in the presence of the LORD, the God of Mount Sinai-- in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel. + "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways. + There were few people left in the villages of Israel-- until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel. + When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel! + My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the LORD! + "Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys, you who sit on fancy saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road. + Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the LORD and the victories of his villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD marched down to the city gates. + "Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam! + "Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles. The people of the LORD marched down against mighty warriors. + They came down from Ephraim-- a land that once belonged to the Amalekites; they followed you, Benjamin, with your troops. From Makir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun came those who carry a commander's staff. + The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak. They followed Barak, rushing into the valley. But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. + Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds-- to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? Yes, in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. + Gilead remained east of the Jordan. And why did Dan stay home? Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in his harbors. + But Zebulun risked his life, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the battlefield. + "The kings of Canaan came and fought, at Taanach near Megiddo's springs, but they carried off no silver treasures. + The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera. + The Kishon River swept them away-- that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul! + Then the horses' hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera's mighty steeds. + 'Let the people of Meroz be cursed,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the LORD-- to help the LORD against the mighty warriors.' + "Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents. + Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt. + Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg, and with her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head. With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples. + He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. And where he sank, there he died. + "From the window Sisera's mother looked out. Through the window she watched for his return, saying, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why don't we hear the sound of chariot wheels?' + "Her wise women answer, and she repeats these words to herself: + 'They must be dividing the captured plunder-- with a woman or two for every man. There will be colorful robes for Sisera, and colorful, embroidered robes for me. Yes, the plunder will include colorful robes embroidered on both sides.' + "LORD, may all your enemies die like Sisera! But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!" Then there was peace in the land for forty years. + + + The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. So the LORD handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. + The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. + Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, + camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. + These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare. + So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help. + When they cried out to the LORD because of Midian, + the LORD sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. + I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. + I told you, 'I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.' But you have not listened to me." + Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. + The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!" + "Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The LORD brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites." + Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!" + "But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!" + The LORD said to him, "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man." + Gideon replied, "If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the LORD speaking to me. + Don't go away until I come back and bring my offering to you." He answered, "I will stay here until you return." + Gideon hurried home. He cooked a young goat, and with a basket of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the great tree. + The angel of God said to him, "Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it." And Gideon did as he was told. + Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. + When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, I'm doomed! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" + "It is all right," the LORD replied. "Do not be afraid. You will not die." + And Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means "the LORD is peace"). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day. + That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. + Then build an altar to the LORD your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down." + So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father's household and the people of the town. + Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down. In their place a new altar had been built, and on it were the remains of the bull that had been sacrificed. + The people said to each other, "Who did this?" And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash. + "Bring out your son," the men of the town demanded of Joash. "He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole." + But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, "Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!" + From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means "Let Baal defend himself," because he broke down Baal's altar. + Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel. + Then the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram's horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. + He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded. + Then Gideon said to God, "If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, + prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised." + And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. + Then Gideon said to God, "Please don't be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew." + So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew. + + + So Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. + The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. + Therefore, tell the people, 'Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.' " So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight. + But the LORD told Gideon, "There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not." + When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the LORD told him, "Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream." + Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. + The LORD told Gideon, "With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home." + So Gideon collected the provisions and rams' horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon. + That night the LORD said, "Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them! + But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. + Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack." So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. + The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore-- too many to count! + Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, "I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!" + His companion answered, "Your dream can mean only one thing-- God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!" + When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the LORD. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, "Get up! For the LORD has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!" + He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram's horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. + Then he said to them, "Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. + As soon as I and those with me blow the rams' horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'" + It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams' horns and broke their clay jars. + Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" + Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. + When the 300 Israelites blew their rams' horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. + Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian. + Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah." So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told. + They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued to chase the Midianites. Afterward the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan River. + + + Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us this way? Why didn't you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?" And they argued heatedly with Gideon. + But Gideon replied, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't even the leftover grapes of Ephraim's harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer? + God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianite army. What have I accomplished compared to that?" When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon's answer, their anger subsided. + Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy. + When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, "Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." + But the officials of Succoth replied, "Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army." + So Gideon said, "After the LORD gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness." + From there Gideon went up to Peniel and again asked for food, but he got the same answer. + So he said to the people of Peniel, "After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower." + By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with 15,000 warriors-- all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed. + Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, taking the Midianite army by surprise. + Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings, fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors. + After this, Gideon returned from the battle by way of Heres Pass. + There he captured a young man from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven officials and elders in the town. + Gideon then returned to Succoth and said to the leaders, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you taunted me, saying, 'Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your exhausted army.'" + Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness. + He also tore down the tower of Peniel and killed all the men in the town. + Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "The men you killed at Tabor-- what were they like?" "Like you," they replied. "They all had the look of a king's son." + "They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!" Gideon exclaimed. "As surely as the LORD lives, I wouldn't kill you if you hadn't killed them." + Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid. + Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Be a man! Kill us yourself!" So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels. + Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian." + But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you! + However, I do have one request-- that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies." (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.) + "Gladly!" they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder. + The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels. + Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family. + That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon's lifetime-- about forty years-- there was peace in the land. + Then Gideon son of Joash returned home. + He had seventy sons born to him, for he had many wives. + He also had a concubine in Shechem, who gave birth to a son, whom he named Abimelech. + Gideon died when he was very old, and he was buried in the grave of his father, Joash, at Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer. + As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god. + They forgot the LORD their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. + Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon), despite all the good he had done for Israel. + + + One day Gideon's son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles-- his mother's brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother's family, + "Ask the leading citizens of Shechem whether they want to be ruled by all seventy of Gideon's sons or by one man. And remember that I am your own flesh and blood!" + So Abimelech's uncles gave his message to all the citizens of Shechem on his behalf. And after listening to this proposal, the people of Shechem decided in favor of Abimelech because he was their relative. + They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some reckless troublemakers who agreed to follow him. + He went to his father's home at Ophrah, and there, on one stone, they killed all seventy of his half brothers, the sons of Gideon. But the youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and hid. + Then all the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo called a meeting under the oak beside the pillar at Shechem and made Abimelech their king. + When Jotham heard about this, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted, "Listen to me, citizens of Shechem! Listen to me if you want God to listen to you! + Once upon a time the trees decided to elect a king. First they said to the olive tree, 'Be our king!' + But the olive tree refused, saying, 'Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?' + "Then they said to the fig tree, 'You be our king!' + But the fig tree also refused, saying, 'Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?' + "Then they said to the grapevine, 'You be our king!' + But the grapevine also refused, saying, 'Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?' + "Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said, 'Come, you be our king!' + And the thornbush replied to the trees, 'If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'" + Jotham continued, "Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished? + For he fought for you and risked his life when he rescued you from the Midianites. + But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman's son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative. + "If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you. + But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech!" + Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech. + After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years, + God sent a spirit that stirred up trouble between Abimelech and the leading citizens of Shechem, and they revolted. + God was punishing Abimelech for murdering Gideon's seventy sons, and the citizens of Shechem for supporting him in this treachery of murdering his brothers. + The citizens of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot. + One day Gaal son of Ebed moved to Shechem with his brothers and gained the confidence of the leading citizens of Shechem. + During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech. + "Who is Abimelech?" Gaal shouted. "He's not a true son of Shechem, so why should we be his servants? He's merely the son of Gideon, and this Zebul is merely his deputy. Serve the true sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? + If I were in charge here, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, 'Get some soldiers, and come out and fight!' " + But when Zebul, the leader of the city, heard what Gaal was saying, he was furious. + He sent messengers to Abimelech in Arumah, telling him, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to live in Shechem, and now they are inciting the city to rebel against you. + Come by night with an army and hide out in the fields. + In the morning, as soon as it is daylight, attack the city. When Gaal and those who are with him come out against you, you can do with them as you wish." + So Abimelech and all his men went by night and split into four groups, stationing themselves around Shechem. + Gaal was standing at the city gates when Abimelech and his army came out of hiding. + When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, "Look, there are people coming down from the hilltops!" Zebul replied, "It's just the shadows on the hills that look like men." + But again Gaal said, "No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners' Oak. " + Then Zebul turned on him and asked, "Now where is that big mouth of yours? Wasn't it you that said, 'Who is Abimelech, and why should we be his servants?' The men you mocked are right outside the city! Go out and fight them!" + So Gaal led the leading citizens of Shechem into battle against Abimelech. + But Abimelech chased him, and many of Shechem's men were wounded and fell along the road as they retreated to the city gate. + Abimelech returned to Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. + The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields to battle. When Abimelech heard about it, + he divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. When Abimelech saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men jumped up from their hiding places and attacked them. + Abimelech and his group stormed the city gate to keep the men of Shechem from getting back in, while Abimelech's other two groups cut them down in the fields. + The battle went on all day before Abimelech finally captured the city. He killed the people, leveled the city, and scattered salt all over the ground. + When the leading citizens who lived in the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid in the temple of Baal-berith. + Someone reported to Abimelech that the citizens had gathered in the temple, + so he led his forces to Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and chopped some branches from a tree, then put them on his shoulder. "Quick, do as I have done!" he told his men. + So each of them cut down some branches, following Abimelech's example. They piled the branches against the walls of the temple and set them on fire. So all the people who had lived in the tower of Shechem died-- about 1,000 men and women. + Then Abimelech attacked the town of Thebez and captured it. + But there was a strong tower inside the town, and all the men and women-- the entire population-- fled to it. They barricaded themselves in and climbed up to the roof of the tower. + Abimelech followed them to attack the tower. But as he prepared to set fire to the entrance, + a woman on the roof dropped a millstone that landed on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. + He quickly said to his young armor bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me! Don't let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech!" So the young man ran him through with his sword, and he died. + When Abimelech's men saw that he was dead, they disbanded and returned to their homes. + In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he had done against his father by murdering his seventy brothers. + God also punished the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Gideon was fulfilled. + + + After Abimelech died, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, was the next person to rescue Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar but lived in the town of Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. + He judged Israel for twenty-three years. When he died, he was buried in Shamir. + After Tola died, Jair from Gilead judged Israel for twenty-two years. + His thirty sons rode around on thirty donkeys, and they owned thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which are still called the Towns of Jair. + When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. + Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the LORD and no longer served him at all. + So the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, + who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead). + The Ammonites also crossed to the west side of the Jordan and attacked Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.The Israelites were in great distress. + Finally, they cried out to the LORD for help, saying, "We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal." + The LORD replied, "Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, + the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you. + Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore. + Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!" + But the Israelites pleaded with the LORD and said, "We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies." + Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the LORD. And he was grieved by their misery. + At that time the armies of Ammon had gathered for war and were camped in Gilead, and the people of Israel assembled and camped at Mizpah. + The leaders of Gilead said to each other, "Whoever attacks the Ammonites first will become ruler over all the people of Gilead." + + + Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute. + Gilead's wife also had several sons, and when these half brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah off the land. "You will not get any of our father's inheritance," they said, "for you are the son of a prostitute." + So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him. + At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel. + When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah in the land of Tob. The elders said, + "Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!" + But Jephthah said to them, "Aren't you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now when you're in trouble?" + "Because we need you," the elders replied. "If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead." + Jephthah said to the elders, "Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the LORD gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?" + "The LORD is our witness," the elders replied. "We promise to do whatever you say." + So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. At Mizpah, in the presence of the LORD, Jephthah repeated what he had said to the elders. + Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon, asking, "Why have you come out to fight against my land?" + The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers, "When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole my land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and all the way to the Jordan. Now then, give back the land peaceably." + Jephthah sent this message back to the Ammonite king: + "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not steal any land from Moab or Ammon. + When the people of Israel arrived at Kadesh on their journey from Egypt after crossing the Red Sea, + they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking for permission to pass through his land. But their request was denied. Then they asked the king of Moab for similar permission, but he wouldn't let them pass through either. So the people of Israel stayed in Kadesh. + "Finally, they went around Edom and Moab through the wilderness. They traveled along Moab's eastern border and camped on the other side of the Arnon River. But they never once crossed the Arnon River into Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. + "Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, asking for permission to cross through his land to get to their destination. + But King Sihon didn't trust Israel to pass through his land. Instead, he mobilized his army at Jahaz and attacked them. + But the LORD, the God of Israel, gave his people victory over King Sihon. So Israel took control of all the land of the Amorites, who lived in that region, + from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and from the eastern wilderness to the Jordan. + "So you see, it was the LORD, the God of Israel, who took away the land from the Amorites and gave it to Israel. Why, then, should we give it back to you? + You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the LORD our God gives us. + Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he try to make a case against Israel for disputed land? Did he go to war against them? + "Israel has been living here for 300 years, inhabiting Heshbon and its surrounding settlements, all the way to Aroer and its settlements, and in all the towns along the Arnon River. Why have you made no effort to recover it before now? + Therefore, I have not sinned against you. Rather, you have wronged me by attacking me. Let the LORD, who is judge, decide today which of us is right-- Israel or Ammon." + But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephthah's message. + At that time the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. + And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, + I will give to the LORD whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." + So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave him victory. + He crushed the Ammonites, devastating about twenty towns from Aroer to an area near Minnith and as far away as Abel-keramim. In this way Israel defeated the Ammonites. + When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. + When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. "Oh, my daughter!" he cried out. "You have completely destroyed me! You've brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back." + And she said, "Father, if you have made a vow to the LORD, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the LORD has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. + But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin." + "You may go," Jephthah said. And he sent her away for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. + When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died a virgin.So it has become a custom in Israel + for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah's daughter. + + + Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: "Why didn't you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it!" + Jephthah replied, "I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon. + So when I realized you weren't coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the LORD gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?" + The people of Ephraim responded, "You men of Gilead are nothing more than fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh." So Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked the men of Ephraim and defeated them. + Jephthah captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. "Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim?" they would ask. If the man said, "No, I'm not," + they would tell him to say "Shibboleth." If he was from Ephraim, he would say "Sibboleth," because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time. + Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead. + After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. + He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in thirty young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. + When he died, he was buried at Bethlehem. + After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for ten years. + When he died, he was buried at Aijalon in Zebulun. + After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. + He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years. + When he died, he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. + + + Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years. + In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. + The angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah's wife and said, "Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. + So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. + You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines." + The woman ran and told her husband, "A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see. I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name. + But he told me, 'You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.'" + Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, saying, "Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born." + God answered Manoah's prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her. + So she quickly ran and told her husband, "The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!" + Manoah ran back with his wife and asked, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day?" "Yes," he replied, "I am." + So Manoah asked him, "When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy's life and work?" + The angel of the LORD replied, "Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her. + She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food." + Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat." + "I will stay," the angel of the LORD replied, "but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the LORD." (Manoah didn't realize it was the angel of the LORD.) + Then Manoah asked the angel of the LORD, "What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you." + "Why do you ask my name?" the angel of the LORD replied. "It is too wonderful for you to understand." + Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did an amazing thing. + As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. + The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the LORD, + and he said to his wife, "We will certainly die, for we have seen God!" + But his wife said, "If the LORD were going to kill us, he wouldn't have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn't have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles." + When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the LORD blessed him as he grew up. + And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. + + + One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. + When he returned home, he told his father and mother, "A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me." + His father and mother objected. "Isn't there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?" they asked. "Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?" But Samson told his father, "Get her for me! She looks good to me." + His father and mother didn't realize the LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time. + As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. + At that moment the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn't tell his father or mother about it. + When Samson arrived in Timnah, he talked with the woman and was very pleased with her. + Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass. + He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it. But he didn't tell them he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion. + As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men. + When the bride's parents saw him, they selected thirty young men from the town to be his companions. + Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing. + But if you can't solve it, then you must give me thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing." "All right," they agreed, "let's hear your riddle." + So he said: "Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet." Three days later they were still trying to figure it out. + On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father's house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?" + So Samson's wife came to him in tears and said, "You don't love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even given the answer to my father or mother," he replied. "Why should I tell you?" + So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men. + So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson replied, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle!" + Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother. + So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson's best man at the wedding. + + + Later on, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. He said, "I'm going into my wife's room to sleep with her," but her father wouldn't let him in. + "I truly thought you must hate her," her father explained, "so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead." + Samson said, "This time I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines." + Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails. + Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves. + "Who did this?" the Philistines demanded."Samson," was the reply, "because his father-in-law from Timnah gave Samson's wife to be married to his best man." So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burned them to death. + "Because you did this," Samson vowed, "I won't rest until I take my revenge on you!" + So he attacked the Philistines with great fury and killed many of them. Then he went to live in a cave in the rock of Etam. + The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi. + The men of Judah asked the Philistines, "Why are you attacking us?" The Philistines replied, "We've come to capture Samson. We've come to pay him back for what he did to us." + So 3,000 men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, "Don't you realize the Philistines rule over us? What are you doing to us?" But Samson replied, "I only did to them what they did to me." + But the men of Judah told him, "We have come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines." "All right," Samson said. "But promise that you won't kill me yourselves." + "We will only tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines," they replied. "We won't kill you." So they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. + As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists. + Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it. + Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, I've piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I've killed a thousand men!" + When he finished his boasting, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was named Jawbone Hill. + Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the LORD, "You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?" + So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named that place "The Spring of the One Who Cried Out," and it is still in Lehi to this day. + Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the period when the Philistines dominated the land. + + + One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. + Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, "When the light of morning comes, we will kill him." + But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron. + Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. + The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver." + So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely." + Samson replied, "If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else." + So the Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. + She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. + Afterward Delilah said to him, "You've been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now please tell me how you can be tied up securely." + Samson replied, "If I were tied up with brand-new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else." + So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" But again Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread. + Then Delilah said, "You've been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely." Samson replied, "If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else." So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric. + Then she tightened it with the loom shuttle. Again she cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" But Samson woke up, pulled back the loom shuttle, and yanked his hair away from the loom and the fabric. + Then Delilah pouted, "How can you tell me, 'I love you,' when you don't share your secrets with me? You've made fun of me three times now, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong!" + She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. + Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. "My hair has never been cut," he confessed, "for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else." + Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. "Come back one more time," she said, "for he has finally told me his secret." So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. + Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. + Then she cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" When he woke up, he thought, "I will do as before and shake myself free." But he didn't realize the LORD had left him. + So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. + But before long, his hair began to grow back. + The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, "Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!" + When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy to us! The one who killed so many of us is now in our power!" + Half drunk by now, the people demanded, "Bring out Samson so he can amuse us!" So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they had him stand between the pillars supporting the roof. + Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand, "Place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple. I want to rest against them." + Now the temple was completely filled with people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof who were watching as Samson amused them. + Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes." + Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, + he prayed, "Let me die with the Philistines." And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime. + Later his brothers and other relatives went down to get his body. They took him back home and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, where his father, Manoah, was buried. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years. + + + There was a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. + One day he said to his mother, "I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it." "The LORD bless you for admitting it," his mother replied. + He returned the money to her, and she said, "I now dedicate these silver coins to the LORD. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast." + So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah's house. + Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest. + In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. + One day a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem in Judah, arrived in that area. + He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah's house as he was traveling through. + "Where are you from?" Micah asked him.He replied, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am looking for a place to live." + "Stay here with me," Micah said, "and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, plus a change of clothes and your food." + The Levite agreed to this, and the young man became like one of Micah's sons. + So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah's house. + "I know the LORD will bless me now," Micah said, "because I have a Levite serving as my priest." + + + Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. + So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in.When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah's house and spent the night there. + While at Micah's house, they recognized the young Levite's accent, so they went over and asked him, "Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?" + He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah's personal priest. + Then they said, "Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful." + "Go in peace," the priest replied. "For the LORD is watching over your journey." + So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure. The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. + When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, "What did you find?" + The men replied, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don't hesitate to go and take possession of it. + When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!" + So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. + They camped at a place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan to this day. + Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. + The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, "These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?" + Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah's house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly. + As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate, + the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors. + When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah's shrine, he said, "What are you doing?" + "Be quiet and come with us," they said. "Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn't it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?" + The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image. + They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them. + When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah's house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them. + They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, "What's the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?" + "What do you mean, 'What's the matter?' " Micah replied. "You've taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!" + The men of Dan said, "Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family." + So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home. + Then, with Micah's idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. + There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob.Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. + They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel's son, but it had originally been called Laish. + Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. + So Micah's carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh. + + + Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. + But she became angry with him and returned to her father's home in Bethlehem.After about four months, + her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father's house, her father saw him and welcomed him. + Her father urged him to stay awhile, so he stayed three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there. + On the fourth day the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Have something to eat before you go." + So the two men sat down together and had something to eat and drink. Then the woman's father said, "Please stay another night and enjoy yourself." + The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law kept urging him to stay, so he finally gave in and stayed the night. + On the morning of the fifth day he was up early again, ready to leave, and again the woman's father said, "Have something to eat; then you can leave later this afternoon." So they had another day of feasting. + Later, as the man and his concubine and servant were preparing to leave, his father-in-law said, "Look, it's almost evening. Stay the night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way." + But this time the man was determined to leave. So he took his two saddled donkeys and his concubine and headed in the direction of Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). + It was late in the day when they neared Jebus, and the man's servant said to him, "Let's stop at this Jebusite town and spend the night there." + "No," his master said, "we can't stay in this foreign town where there are no Israelites. Instead, we will go on to Gibeah. + Come on, let's try to get as far as Gibeah or Ramah, and we'll spend the night in one of those towns." + So they went on. The sun was setting as they came to Gibeah, a town in the land of Benjamin, + so they stopped there to spend the night. They rested in the town square, but no one took them in for the night. + That evening an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah, where the people were from the tribe of Benjamin. + When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going. + "We have been in Bethlehem in Judah," the man replied. "We are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I'm returning home. But no one has taken us in for the night, + even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys and plenty of bread and wine for ourselves." + "You are welcome to stay with me," the old man said. "I will give you anything you might need. But whatever you do, don't spend the night in the square." + So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together. + While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, "Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him." + The old man stepped outside to talk to them. "No, my brothers, don't do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful. + Here, take my virgin daughter and this man's concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can abuse them and do whatever you like. But don't do such a shameful thing to this man." + But they wouldn't listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally, at dawn they let her go. + At daybreak the woman returned to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door of the house and lay there until it was light. + When her husband opened the door to leave, there lay his concubine with her hands on the threshold. + He said, "Get up! Let's go!" But there was no answer. So he put her body on his donkey and took her home. + When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine's body into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel. + Everyone who saw it said, "Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who's going to speak up?" + + + Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, including those from across the Jordan in the land of Gilead. The entire community assembled in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah. + The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel-- 400,000 warriors armed with swords-- took their positions in the assembly of the people of God. + (Word soon reached the land of Benjamin that the other tribes had gone up to Mizpah.) The Israelites then asked how this terrible crime had happened. + The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, "My concubine and I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin. + That night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead. + So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel, for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime. + Now then, all of you-- the entire community of Israel-- must decide here and now what should be done about this!" + And all the people rose to their feet in unison and declared, "None of us will return home! No, not even one of us! + Instead, this is what we will do to Gibeah; we will draw lots to decide who will attack it. + One tenth of the men from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gibeah of Benjamin for this shameful thing they have done in Israel." + So all the Israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town. + The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What a terrible thing has been done among you! + Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil." But the people of Benjamin would not listen. + Instead, they came from their towns and gathered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites. + In all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 elite troops who lived there. + Among Benjamin's elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing. + Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin's warriors. + Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, "Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?" The LORD answered, "Judah is to go first." + So the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near Gibeah. + Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin. + But Benjamin's warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. + But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they had fought the previous day. + For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD until evening. They had asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the LORD had said, "Go out and fight against them." + So the next day they went out again to fight against the men of Benjamin, + but the men of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword. + Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. + The Israelites went up seeking direction from the LORD. (In those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel, + and Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron was the priest.) The Israelites asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again, or should we stop?" The LORD said, "Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you." + So the Israelites set an ambush all around Gibeah. + They went out on the third day and took their positions at the same place as before. + When the men of Benjamin came out to attack, they were drawn away from the town. And as they had done before, they began to kill the Israelites. About thirty Israelites died in the open fields and along the roads, one leading to Bethel and the other leading back to Gibeah. + Then the warriors of Benjamin shouted, "We're defeating them as we did before!" But the Israelites had planned in advance to run away so that the men of Benjamin would chase them along the roads and be drawn away from the town. + When the main group of Israelite warriors reached Baal-tamar, they turned and took up their positions. Meanwhile, the Israelites hiding in ambush to the west of Gibeah jumped up to fight. + There were 10,000 elite Israelite troops who advanced against Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that Benjamin didn't realize the impending disaster. + So the LORD helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and that day the Israelites killed 25,100 of Benjamin's warriors, all of whom were experienced swordsmen. + Then the men of Benjamin saw that they were beaten.The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin's warriors in order to give those hiding in ambush more room to maneuver against Gibeah. + Then those who were hiding rushed in from all sides and killed everyone in the town. + They had arranged to send up a large cloud of smoke from the town as a signal. + When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin's warriors.By that time Benjamin's warriors had killed about thirty Israelites, and they shouted, "We're defeating them as we did in the first battle!" + But when the warriors of Benjamin looked behind them and saw the smoke rising into the sky from every part of the town, + the men of Israel turned and attacked. At this point the men of Benjamin became terrified, because they realized disaster was close at hand. + So they turned around and fled before the Israelites toward the wilderness. But they couldn't escape the battle, and the people who came out of the nearby towns were also killed. + The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin and chased them relentlessly, finally overtaking them east of Gibeah. + That day 18,000 of Benjamin's strongest warriors died in battle. + The survivors fled into the wilderness toward the rock of Rimmon, but Israel killed 5,000 of them along the road. They continued the chase until they had killed another 2,000 near Gidom. + So that day the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 strong warriors armed with swords, + leaving only 600 men who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months. + And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns-- the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to. + + + The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, "We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin." + Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly. + "O LORD, God of Israel," they cried out, "why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!" + Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it. + Then they said, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we held our assembly in the presence of the LORD?" At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the LORD's presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death. + The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off. + How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?" + So they asked, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the LORD?" And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly. + For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present. + So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. + "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin." + Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. + The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon. + Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them. + The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had made this gap among the tribes of Israel. + So the elders of the assembly asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead? + There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out. + But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse." + Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. + They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards. + When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife! + And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, 'Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.'" + So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them. + Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes. + In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. + + + + + In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. + The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. + Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. + The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, + both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. + Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. + With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. + But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back to your mothers' homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. + May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage." Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. + "No," they said. "We want to go with you to your people." + But Naomi replied, "Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? + No, my daughters, return to your parents' homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? + Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me." + And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. + "Look," Naomi said to her, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same." + But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. + Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!" + When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. + So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. "Is it really Naomi?" the women asked. + "Don't call me Naomi," she responded. "Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. + I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?" + So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest. + + + Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi's husband, Elimelech. + One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it." Naomi replied, "All right, my daughter, go ahead." + So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. + While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. "The LORD be with you!" he said."The LORD bless you!" the harvesters replied. + Then Boaz asked his foreman, "Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?" + And the foreman replied, "She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. + She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes' rest in the shelter." + Boaz went over and said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don't go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. + See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well." + Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. "What have I done to deserve such kindness?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner." + "Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. + May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done." + "I hope I continue to please you, sir," she replied. "You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers." + At mealtime Boaz called to her, "Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine." So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over. + When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, "Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. + And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don't give her a hard time!" + So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. + She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal. + "Where did you gather all this grain today?" Naomi asked. "Where did you work? May the LORD bless the one who helped you!" So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, "The man I worked with today is named Boaz." + "May the LORD bless him!" Naomi told her daughter-in-law. "He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers." + Then Ruth said, "What's more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed." + "Good!" Naomi exclaimed. "Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you'll be safe with him." + So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz's fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law. + + + One day Naomi said to Ruth, "My daughter, it's time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. + Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he's been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. + Now do as I tell you-- take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don't let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. + Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do." + "I will do everything you say," Ruth replied. + So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law. + After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. + Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! + "Who are you?" he asked."I am your servant Ruth," she replied. "Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer." + "The LORD bless you, my daughter!" Boaz exclaimed. "You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. + Now don't worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. + But while it's true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. + Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning." + So Ruth lay at Boaz's feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, "No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor." + Then Boaz said to her, "Bring your cloak and spread it out." He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town. + When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "What happened, my daughter?" Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, + and she added, "He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" + Then Naomi said to her, "Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won't rest until he has settled things today." + + + Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, "Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you." So they sat down together. + Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses. + And Boaz said to the family redeemer, "You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. + I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don't want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you." The man replied, "All right, I'll redeem it." + Then Boaz told him, "Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband's name and keep the land in the family." + "Then I can't redeem it," the family redeemer replied, "because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it." + Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. + So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, "You buy the land." + Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, "You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. + And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today." + Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, "We are witnesses! May the LORD make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. + And may the LORD give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah." + So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. + Then the women of the town said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. + May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!" + Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. + The neighbor women said, "Now at last Naomi has a son again!" And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. + This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron. + Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. + Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. + Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. + Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David. + + + + + There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. + Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. + Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven's Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli-- Hophni and Phinehas. + On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. + And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the LORD had given her no children. + So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the LORD had kept her from having children. + Year after year it was the same-- Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. + "Why are you crying, Hannah?" Elkanah would ask. "Why aren't you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me-- isn't that better than having ten sons?" + Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. + And she made this vow: "O LORD of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut. " + As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her. + Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. + "Must you come here drunk?" he demanded. "Throw away your wine!" + "Oh no, sir!" she replied. "I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. + Don't think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow." + "In that case," Eli said, "go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him." + "Oh, thank you, sir!" she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. + The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her plea, + and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, "I asked the LORD for him." + The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. + But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, "Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the LORD permanently. " + "Whatever you think is best," Elkanah agreed. "Stay here for now, and may the LORD help you keep your promise." So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned. + When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. + After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. + "Sir, do you remember me?" Hannah asked. "I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD. + I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. + Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life." And they worshiped the LORD there. + + + Then Hannah prayed: "My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. + No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. + "Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don't speak with such arrogance! For the LORD is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions. + The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong. + Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away. + The LORD gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up. + The LORD makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up. + He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD's, and he has set the world in order. + "He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone. + Those who fight against the LORD will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the LORD judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one." + Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the LORD by assisting Eli the priest. + Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORD + or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli's sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, + the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli's sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. + Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal's fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting. + The man offering the sacrifice might reply, "Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first." Then the servant would demand, "No, give it to me now, or I'll take it by force." + So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD's sight, for they treated the LORD's offerings with contempt. + But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. + Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. + Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May the LORD give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the LORD. " + And the LORD gave Hannah three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD. + Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. + Eli said to them, "I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? + You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the LORD's people are not good. + If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede?" But Eli's sons wouldn't listen to their father, for the LORD was already planning to put them to death. + Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the LORD and with the people. + One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the LORD: "I revealed myself to your ancestors when the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt. + I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. + So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me-- for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel! + "Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. + The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. + You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. + Those who survive will live in sadness and grief, and their children will die a violent death. + And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day! + "Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. + Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. 'Please,' they will say, 'give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.'" + + + Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. + One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. + The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. + Suddenly the LORD called out, "Samuel!" "Yes?" Samuel replied. "What is it?" + He got up and ran to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?" "I didn't call you," Eli replied. "Go back to bed." So he did. + Then the LORD called out again, "Samuel!" Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?" "I didn't call you, my son," Eli said. "Go back to bed." + Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. + So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?" Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. + So he said to Samuel, "Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, 'Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went back to bed. + And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening." + Then the LORD said to Samuel, "I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. + I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. + I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn't disciplined them. + So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings." + Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said to him. + But Eli called out to him, "Samuel, my son." "Here I am," Samuel replied. + "What did the LORD say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!" + So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn't hold anything back. "It is the LORD's will," Eli replied. "Let him do what he thinks best." + As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. + And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. + The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle. + + + And Samuel's words went out to all the people of Israel. At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. + The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men. + After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?" Then they said, "Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies." + So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Heaven's Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. + When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake! + "What's going on?" the Philistines asked. "What's all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?" When they were told it was because the Ark of the LORD had arrived, + they panicked. "The gods have come into their camp!" they cried. "This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! + Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. + Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don't, we will become the Hebrews' slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!" + So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents. + The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed. + A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. + Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town. + "What is all the noise about?" Eli asked.The messenger rushed over to Eli, + who was ninety-eight years old and blind. + He said to Eli, "I have just come from the battlefield-- I was there this very day." "What happened, my son?" Eli demanded. + "Israel has been defeated by the Philistines," the messenger replied. "The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured." + When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel's judge for forty years. + Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. + She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. "Don't be afraid," they said. "You have a baby boy!" But she did not answer or pay attention to them. + She named the child Ichabod (which means "Where is the glory?"), for she said, "Israel's glory is gone." She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. + Then she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured." + + + After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. + They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. + But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the LORD! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. + But the next morning the same thing happened-- Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the LORD again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. + That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold. + Then the LORD's heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors. + When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, "We can't keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god." + So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, "What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?" The rulers discussed it and replied, "Move it to the town of Gath." So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. + But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the LORD's heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic. + So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, "They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!" + The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, "Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all." For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. + Those who didn't die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven. + + + The Ark of the LORD remained in Philistine territory seven months in all. + Then the Philistines called in their priests and diviners and asked them, "What should we do about the Ark of the LORD? Tell us how to return it to its own country." + "Send the Ark of the God of Israel back with a gift," they were told. "Send a guilt offering so the plague will stop. Then, if you are healed, you will know it was his hand that caused the plague." + "What sort of guilt offering should we send?" they asked.And they were told, "Since the plague has struck both you and your five rulers, make five gold tumors and five gold rats, just like those that have ravaged your land. + Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land. + Don't be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go. + "Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen. + Put the Ark of the LORD on the cart, and beside it place a chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors you are sending as a guilt offering. Then let the cows go wherever they want. + If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the LORD who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don't, we will know it was not his hand that caused the plague. It came simply by chance." + So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen. + Then the Ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart. + And sure enough, without veering off in other directions, the cows went straight along the road toward Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. + The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed! + The cart came into the field of a man named Joshua and stopped beside a large rock. So the people broke up the wood of the cart for a fire and killed the cows and sacrificed them to the LORD as a burnt offering. + Several men of the tribe of Levi lifted the Ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors from the cart and placed them on the large rock. Many sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered to the LORD that day by the people of Beth-shemesh. + The five Philistine rulers watched all this and then returned to Ekron that same day. + The five gold tumors sent by the Philistines as a guilt offering to the LORD were gifts from the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. + The five gold rats represented the five Philistine towns and their surrounding villages, which were controlled by the five rulers. The large rock at Beth-shemesh, where they set the Ark of the LORD, still stands in the field of Joshua as a witness to what happened there. + But the LORD killed seventy men from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the LORD. And the people mourned greatly because of what the LORD had done. + "Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?" they cried out. "Where can we send the Ark from here?" + So they sent messengers to the people at Kiriath-jearim and told them, "The Philistines have returned the Ark of the LORD. Come here and get it!" + + + So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. + The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time-- twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them. + Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, "If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines." + So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD. + Then Samuel told them, "Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." + So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel's judge.) + When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. + "Don't stop pleading with the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines!" they begged Samuel. + So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the LORD as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the LORD to help Israel, and the LORD answered him. + Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. + The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way. + Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means "the stone of help"), for he said, "Up to this point the LORD has helped us!" + So the Philistines were subdued and didn't invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel's lifetime, the LORD's powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. + The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days. + Samuel continued as Israel's judge for the rest of his life. + Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. + Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the LORD at Ramah. + + + As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. + Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. + But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. + Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. + "Look," they told him, "you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have." + Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. + "Do everything they say to you," the LORD replied, "for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. + Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. + Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them." + So Samuel passed on the LORD's warning to the people who were asking him for a king. + "This is how a king will reign over you," Samuel said. "The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. + Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. + The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. + He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. + He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. + He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. + He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. + When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you." + But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said. + "We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle." + So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, + and the LORD replied, "Do as they say, and give them a king." Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. + + + There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. + His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel-- head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. + One day Kish's donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, "Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys." + So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn't find the donkeys anywhere. + Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, "Let's go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!" + But the servant said, "I've just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let's go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go." + "But we don't have anything to offer him," Saul replied. "Even our food is gone, and we don't have a thing to give him." + "Well," the servant said, "I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!" + (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, "Let's go and ask the seer," for prophets used to be called seers.) + "All right," Saul agreed, "let's try it!" So they started into the town where the man of God lived. + As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, "Is the seer here today?" + "Yes," they replied. "Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship. + Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won't begin eating until he arrives to bless the food." + So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship. + Now the LORD had told Samuel the previous day, + "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry." + When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said, "That's the man I told you about! He will rule my people." + Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, "Can you please tell me where the seer's house is?" + "I am the seer!" Samuel replied. "Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I'll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. + And don't worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel's hopes." + Saul replied, "But I'm only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?" + Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests. + Samuel then instructed the cook to bring Saul the finest cut of meat, the piece that had been set aside for the guest of honor. + So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul. "Go ahead and eat it," Samuel said. "I was saving it for you even before I invited these others!" So Saul ate with Samuel that day. + When they came down from the place of worship and returned to town, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of the house and prepared a bed for him there. + At daybreak the next morning, Samuel called to Saul, "Get up! It's time you were on your way." So Saul got ready, and he and Samuel left the house together. + When they reached the edge of town, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead. After the servant was gone, Samuel said, "Stay here, for I have received a special message for you from God." + + + Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul's head. He kissed Saul and said, "I am doing this because the LORD has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession. + When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel's tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, 'Have you seen my son?' + "When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine. + They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept. + "When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. + At that time the Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. + After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. + Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions." + As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel's signs were fulfilled that day. + When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. + When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, "What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?" + And one of those standing there said, "Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?" So that is the origin of the saying "Is even Saul a prophet?" + When Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the place of worship. + "Where have you been?" Saul's uncle asked him and his servant."We were looking for the donkeys," Saul replied, "but we couldn't find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were." + "Oh? And what did he say?" his uncle asked. + "He told us that the donkeys had already been found," Saul replied. But Saul didn't tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom. + Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the LORD at Mizpah. + And he said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. + But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, 'No, we want a king instead!' Now, therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by tribes and clans." + So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the LORD, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. + Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the LORD, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! + So they asked the LORD, "Where is he?" And the LORD replied, "He is hiding among the baggage." + So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else. + Then Samuel said to all the people, "This is the man the LORD has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!" And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!" + Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the LORD. Then Samuel sent the people home again. + When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him. + But there were some scoundrels who complained, "How can this man save us?" And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them.[Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn't allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn't a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.] + + + About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead. But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. "Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants," they pleaded. + "All right," Nahash said, "but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!" + "Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!" replied the elders of Jabesh. "If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms." + When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. + Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, "What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?" So they told him about the message from Jabesh. + Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. + He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: "This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!" And the LORD made the people afraid of Saul's anger, and all of them came out together as one. + When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah. + So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, "We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!" There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived! + The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish." + But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together. + Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, "Now where are those men who said, 'Why should Saul rule over us?' Bring them here, and we will kill them!" + But Saul replied, "No one will be executed today, for today the LORD has rescued Israel!" + Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom." + So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the LORD they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy. + + + Then Samuel addressed all Israel: "I have done as you asked and given you a king. + Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you-- an old, gray-haired man-- and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. + Now testify against me in the presence of the LORD and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong." + "No," they replied, "you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe." + "The LORD and his anointed one are my witnesses today," Samuel declared, "that my hands are clean." "Yes, he is a witness," they replied. + "It was the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron," Samuel continued. "He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. + Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors. + "When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the LORD, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. + But the people soon forgot about the LORD their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them. + "Then they cried to the LORD again and confessed, 'We have sinned by turning away from the LORD and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.' + Then the LORD sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety. + "But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the LORD your God was already your king. + All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the LORD has granted your request. + "Now if you fear and worship the LORD and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the LORD's commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the LORD as your God. + But if you rebel against the LORD's commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors. + "Now stand here and see the great thing the LORD is about to do. + You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the LORD to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the LORD for a king!" + So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the LORD and of Samuel. + "Pray to the LORD your God for us, or we will die!" they all said to Samuel. "For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king." + "Don't be afraid," Samuel reassured them. "You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the LORD with all your heart, and don't turn your back on him. + Don't go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you-- they are totally useless! + The LORD will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the LORD to make you his very own people. + "As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. + But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. + But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away." + + + Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years. + Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul's son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. + Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram's horn throughout the land, saying, "Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!" + All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. + The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. + The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. + Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. + Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn't come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. + So he demanded, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!" And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. + Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, + but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?" Saul replied, "I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. + So I said, 'The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven't even asked for the LORD's help!' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came." + "How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. + But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." + Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left! + Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. + Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, + another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness. + There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn't allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews. + So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith. + (The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax, a sickle, or an ox goad.) + So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan. + The pass at Micmash had meanwhile been secured by a contingent of the Philistine army. + + + One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come on, let's go over to where the Philistines have their outpost." But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing. + Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. + Among Saul's men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD who had served at Shiloh.No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. + To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. + The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. + "Let's go across to the outpost of those pagans," Jonathan said to his armor bearer. "Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" + "Do what you think is best," the armor bearer replied. "I'm with you completely, whatever you decide." + "All right then," Jonathan told him. "We will cross over and let them see us. + If they say to us, 'Stay where you are or we'll kill you,' then we will stop and not go up to them. + But if they say, 'Come on up and fight,' then we will go up. That will be the LORD's sign that he will help us defeat them." + When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, "Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!" + Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, "Come on up here, and we'll teach you a lesson!" "Come on, climb right behind me," Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "for the LORD will help us defeat them!" + So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. + They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre. + Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified. + Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight-- the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. + "Call the roll and find out who's missing," Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone. + Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, "Bring the ephod here!" For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. + But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, "Never mind; let's get going!" + Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. + Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. + Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. + So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven. + Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, "Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening-- before I have full revenge on my enemies." So no one ate anything all day, + even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. + They didn't dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken. + But Jonathan had not heard his father's command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed. + But one of the men saw him and said, "Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint." + "My father has made trouble for us all!" Jonathan exclaimed. "A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. + If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!" + They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint. + That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. + Someone reported to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that still has blood in it." "That is very wrong," Saul said. "Find a large stone and roll it over here. + Then go out among the troops and tell them, 'Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.' " So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. + Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first of the altars he built to the LORD. + Then Saul said, "Let's chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let's destroy every last one of them." His men replied, "We'll do whatever you think is best." But the priest said, "Let's ask God first." + So Saul asked God, "Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?" But God made no reply that day. + Then Saul said to the leaders, "Something's wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. + I vow by the name of the LORD who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!" But no one would tell him what the trouble was. + Then Saul said, "Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there." And the people responded to Saul, "Whatever you think is best." + Then Saul prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent. " Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent. + Then Saul said, "Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan." And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one. + "Tell me what you have done," Saul demanded of Jonathan."I tasted a little honey," Jonathan admitted. "It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?" + "Yes, Jonathan," Saul said, "you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this." + But the people broke in and said to Saul, "Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the LORD lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. + Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home. + Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel's throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction-- against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious. + He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them. + Saul's sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. + Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul's army was Abner, the son of Saul's uncle Ner. + Saul's father, Kish, and Abner's father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel. + The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul's lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army. + + + One day Samuel said to Saul, "It was the LORD who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the LORD! + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. + Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation-- men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys." + So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. + Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. + Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: "Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites packed up and left. + Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. + He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. + Saul and his men spared Agag's life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs-- everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality. + Then the LORD said to Samuel, + "I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night. + Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal." + When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. "May the LORD bless you," he said. "I have carried out the LORD's command!" + "Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded. + "It's true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle," Saul admitted. "But they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else." + Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! Listen to what the LORD told me last night!" "What did he tell you?" Saul asked. + And Samuel told him, "Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD has anointed you king of Israel. + And the LORD sent you on a mission and told you, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.' + Why haven't you obeyed the LORD? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD's sight?" + "But I did obey the LORD," Saul insisted. "I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. + Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." + But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. + Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." + Then Saul admitted to Samuel, "Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. + But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the LORD." + But Samuel replied, "I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king of Israel." + As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. + And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else-- one who is better than you. + And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!" + Then Saul pleaded again, "I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the LORD your God." + So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the LORD. + Then Samuel said, "Bring King Agag to me." Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, "Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!" + But Samuel said, "As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless." And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal. + Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul. + Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the LORD was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel. + + + Now the LORD said to Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king." + But Samuel asked, "How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." "Take a heifer with you," the LORD replied, "and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. + Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me." + So Samuel did as the LORD instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. "What's wrong?" they asked. "Do you come in peace?" + "Yes," Samuel replied. "I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too. + When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Surely this is the LORD's anointed!" + But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." + Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "This is not the one the LORD has chosen." + Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, "Neither is this the one the LORD has chosen." + In the same way all seven of Jesse's sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." + Then Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse replied. "But he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats." "Send for him at once," Samuel said. "We will not sit down to eat until he arrives." + So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.And the LORD said, "This is the one; anoint him." + So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. + Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. + Some of Saul's servants said to him, "A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. + Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again." + "All right," Saul said. "Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here." + One of the servants said to Saul, "One of Jesse's sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that-- he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the LORD is with him." + So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, "Send me your son David, the shepherd." + Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine. + So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer. + Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, "Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him." + And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away. + + + The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. + Saul countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah. + So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them. + Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! + He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. + He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. + The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver's beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield. + Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. "Why are you all coming out to fight?" he called. "I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! + If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! + I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!" + When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. + Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons. + Jesse's three oldest sons-- Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea-- had already joined Saul's army to fight the Philistines. + David was the youngest son. David's three oldest brothers stayed with Saul's army, + but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. + For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army. + One day Jesse said to David, "Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. + And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing. " + David's brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. + So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. + Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. + David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. + As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. + As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. + "Have you seen the giant?" the men asked. "He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man's entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!" + David asked the soldiers standing nearby, "What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?" + And these men gave David the same reply. They said, "Yes, that is the reward for killing him." + But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. "What are you doing around here anyway?" he demanded. "What about those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!" + "What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question!" + He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. + Then David's question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him. + "Don't worry about this Philistine," David told Saul. "I'll go fight him!" + "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth." + But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, + I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. + I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! + The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!" Saul finally consented. "All right, go ahead," he said. "And may the LORD be with you!" + Then Saul gave David his own armor-- a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. + David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before."I can't go in these," he protested to Saul. "I'm not used to them." So David took them off again. + He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. + Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, + sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. + "Am I a dog," he roared at David, "that you come at me with a stick?" And he cursed David by the names of his gods. + "Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!" Goliath yelled. + David replied to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven's Armies-- the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. + Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! + And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD's battle, and he will give you to us!" + As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. + Reaching into his shepherd's bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. + So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. + Then David ran over and pulled Goliath's sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. + Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. + Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. + (David took the Philistine's head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man's armor in his own tent.) + As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, "Abner, whose son is this young man?" "I really don't know," Abner declared. + "Well, find out who he is!" the king told him. + As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand. + "Tell me about your father, young man," Saul said.And David replied, "His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem." + + + After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king's son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends. + From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn't let him return home. + And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. + Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. + Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul's officers alike. + When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. + This was their song: "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!" + This made Saul very angry. "What's this?" he said. "They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they'll be making him their king!" + So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. + The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, + and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice. + Saul was then afraid of David, for the LORD was with David and had turned away from Saul. + Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle. + David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him. + When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. + But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle. + One day Saul said to David, "I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "I'll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself." + "Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king's son-in-law?" David exclaimed. "My father's family is nothing!" + So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah. + In the meantime, Saul's daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. + "Here's another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!" Saul said to himself. But to David he said, "Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!" + Then Saul told his men to say to David, "The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don't you accept the king's offer and become his son-in-law?" + When Saul's men said these things to David, he replied, "How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?" + When Saul's men reported this back to the king, + he told them, "Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want." But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight. + David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, + he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king's requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife. + When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, + Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David's enemy for the rest of his life. + Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul's officers. So David's name became very famous. + + + Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, + told him what his father was planning. "Tomorrow morning," he warned him, "you must find a hiding place out in the fields. + I'll ask my father to go out there with me, and I'll talk to him about you. Then I'll tell you everything I can find out." + The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. "The king must not sin against his servant David," Jonathan said. "He's never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. + Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the LORD brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!" + So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed." + Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before. + War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away. + But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the LORD suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, + Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night. + Then Saul sent troops to watch David's house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't escape tonight, you will be dead by morning." + So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped. + Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat's hair at its head. + When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn't get out of bed. + But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, "Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!" + But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat's hair at its head. + "Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?" Saul demanded of Michal."I had to," Michal replied. "He threatened to kill me if I didn't help him." + So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. + When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, + he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men, and they also began to prophesy. + When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. + Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. "Where are Samuel and David?" he demanded."They are at Naioth in Ramah," someone told him. + But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! + He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, "What? Is even Saul a prophet?" + + + David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. "What have I done?" he exclaimed. "What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?" + "That's not true!" Jonathan protested. "You're not going to die. He always tells me everything he's going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn't hide something like this from me. It just isn't so!" + Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, "Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, 'I won't tell Jonathan-- why should I hurt him?' But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the LORD and by your own soul!" + "Tell me what I can do to help you," Jonathan exclaimed. + David replied, "Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I've always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I'll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. + If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. + If he says, 'Fine!' you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me. + Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend-- for we made a solemn pact before the LORD-- or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don't betray me to him!" + "Never!" Jonathan exclaimed. "You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once." + Then David asked, "How will I know whether or not your father is angry?" + "Come out to the field with me," Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. + Then Jonathan told David, "I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. + But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the LORD strike me and even kill me if I don't warn you so you can escape and live. May the LORD be with you as he used to be with my father. + And may you treat me with the faithful love of the LORD as long as I live. But if I die, + treat my family with this faithful love, even when the LORD destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth." + So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, "May the LORD destroy all your enemies!" + And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. + Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty. + The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile. + I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. + Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, 'They're on this side,' then you will know, as surely as the LORD lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble. + But if I tell him, 'Go farther-- the arrows are still ahead of you,' then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the LORD is sending you away. + And may the LORD make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them." + So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. + He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David's place was empty. + Saul didn't say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, "Something must have made David ceremonially unclean." + But when David's place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?" + Jonathan replied, "David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. + He said, 'Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.' That's why he isn't here at the king's table." + Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. "You stupid son of a whore!" he swore at him. "Do you think I don't know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? + As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you'll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!" + "But why should he be put to death?" Jonathan asked his father. "What has he done?" + Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David. + Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father's shameful behavior toward David. + The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. + "Start running," he told the boy, "so you can find the arrows as I shoot them." So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. + When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, "The arrow is still ahead of you. + Hurry, hurry, don't wait." So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. + He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. + Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town. + As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David. + At last Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD's name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever." Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town. + + + David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. "Why are you alone?" he asked. "Why is no one with you?" + "The king has sent me on a private matter," David said. "He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. + Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have." + "We don't have any regular bread," the priest replied. "But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently." + "Don't worry," David replied. "I never allow my men to be with women when they are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!" + Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread-- the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread. + Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the LORD. + David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword? The king's business was so urgent that I didn't even have time to grab a weapon!" + "I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah," the priest replied. "It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here." "There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!" + So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. + But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. "Isn't he the one the people honor with dances, singing, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" + David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. + So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. + Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman? + We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?" + + + So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. + Then others began coming-- men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented-- until David was the captain of about 400 men. + Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, "Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me." + So David's parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold. + One day the prophet Gad told David, "Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah." So David went to the forest of Hereth. + The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, holding his spear and surrounded by his officers. + "Listen here, you men of Benjamin!" Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. "Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army? + Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You're not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son-- encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!" + Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul's men, spoke up. "When I was at Nob," he said, "I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub. + Ahimelech consulted the LORD for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine." + King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob. + When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, "Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!" "What is it, my king?" Ahimelech asked. + "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?" Saul demanded. "Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?" + "But sir," Ahimelech replied, "is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household! + This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you." + "You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!" the king shouted. + And he ordered his bodyguards, "Kill these priests of the LORD, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn't tell me!" But Saul's men refused to kill the LORD's priests. + Then the king said to Doeg, "You do it." So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. + Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests' families-- men and women, children and babies-- and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. + Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David. + When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD, + David exclaimed, "I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father's family. + Stay here with me, and don't be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both." + + + One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. + David asked the LORD, "Should I go and attack them?" "Yes, go and save Keilah," the LORD told him. + But David's men said, "We're afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don't want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!" + So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, "Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines." + So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah. + Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him. + Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. "Good!" he exclaimed. "We've got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!" + So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men. + But David learned of Saul's plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do. + Then David prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. + Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me." And the LORD said, "He will come." + Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD replied, "Yes, they will betray you." + So David and his men-- about 600 of them now-- left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn't go to Keilah after all. + David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn't let Saul find him. + One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. + Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. + "Don't be afraid," Jonathan reassured him. "My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware." + So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh. + But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. "We know where David is hiding," they said. "He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon. + Come down whenever you're ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!" + "The LORD bless you," Saul said. "At last someone is concerned about me! + Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty. + Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I'll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I'll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!" + So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul.Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon. + When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness. + Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men, + an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. + So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape. + David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi. + + + After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. + So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats. + At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! + "Now's your opportunity!" David's men whispered to him. "Today the LORD is telling you, 'I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.' " So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul's robe. + But then David's conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul's robe. + "The LORD knows I shouldn't have done that to my lord the king," he said to his men. "The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD's anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him." + So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, + David came out and shouted after him, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him. + Then he shouted to Saul, "Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? + This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn't true. For the LORD placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, 'I will never harm the king-- he is the LORD's anointed one.' + Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn't kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me. + "May the LORD judge between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. + As that old proverb says, 'From evil people come evil deeds.' So you can be sure I will never harm you. + Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea? + May the LORD therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!" + When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, "Is that really you, my son David?" Then he began to cry. + And he said to David, "You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. + Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the LORD put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn't do it. + Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the LORD reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. + And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. + Now swear to me by the LORD that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!" + So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold. + + + Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David moved down to the wilderness of Maon. + There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. + This man's name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings. + When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, + he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: + "Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! + I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. + Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David." + David's young men gave this message to Nabal in David's name, and they waited for a reply. + "Who is this fellow David?" Nabal sneered to the young men. "Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. + Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I've slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?" + So David's young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. + "Get your swords!" was David's reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment. + Meanwhile, one of Nabal's servants went to Abigail and told her, "David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. + These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. + In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. + You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He's so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!" + Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys + and said to her servants, "Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly." But she didn't tell her husband Nabal what she was doing. + As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. + David had just been saying, "A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. + May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!" + When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. + She fell at his feet and said, "I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. + I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don't pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent. + "Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. + And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. + Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The LORD will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the LORD's battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life. + "Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the LORD your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! + When the LORD has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, + don't let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won't have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the LORD has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!" + David replied to Abigail, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! + Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. + For I swear by the LORD, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal's men would still be alive tomorrow morning." + Then David accepted her present and told her, "Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband." + When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn't tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. + In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. + About ten days later, the LORD struck him, and he died. + When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise the LORD, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin." Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife. + When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, "David has sent us to take you back to marry him." + She bowed low to the ground and responded, "I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!" + Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David's messengers. And so she became his wife. + David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, making both of them his wives. + Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish. + + + Now some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, "David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshimon." + So Saul took 3,000 of Israel's elite troops and went to hunt him down in the wilderness of Ziph. + Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, + he sent out spies to verify the report of Saul's arrival. + David slipped over to Saul's camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. + "Who will volunteer to go in there with me?" David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother."I'll go with you," Abishai replied. + So David and Abishai went right into Saul's camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him. + "God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!" Abishai whispered to David. "Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won't need to strike twice!" + "No!" David said. "Don't kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the LORD's anointed one? + Surely the LORD will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. + The LORD forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let's get out of here!" + So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul's head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the LORD had put Saul's men into a deep sleep. + David climbed the hill opposite the camp until he was at a safe distance. + Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, "Wake up, Abner!" "Who is it?" Abner demanded. + "Well, Abner, you're a great man, aren't you?" David taunted. "Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven't you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him? + This isn't good at all! I swear by the LORD that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the LORD's anointed! Look around! Where are the king's spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?" + Saul recognized David's voice and called out, "Is that you, my son David?" And David replied, "Yes, my lord the king. + Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime? + But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the LORD. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the LORD's people, and they have said, 'Go, worship pagan gods.' + Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the LORD? Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?" + Then Saul confessed, "I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong." + "Here is your spear, O king," David replied. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. + The LORD gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the LORD placed you in my power, for you are the LORD's anointed one. + Now may the LORD value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles." + And Saul said to David, "Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed." Then David went away, and Saul returned home. + + + But David kept thinking to himself, "Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe." + So David took his 600 men and went over and joined Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath. + David and his men and their families settled there with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives along with him-- Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel. + Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for him. + One day David said to Achish, "If it is all right with you, we would rather live in one of the country towns instead of here in the royal city." + So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag (which still belongs to the kings of Judah to this day), + and they lived there among the Philistines for a year and four months. + David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites-- people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times. + David did not leave one person alive in the villages he attacked. He took the sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing before returning home to see King Achish. + "Where did you make your raid today?" Achish would ask.And David would reply, "Against the south of Judah, the Jerahmeelites, and the Kenites." + No one was left alive to come to Gath and tell where he had really been. This happened again and again while he was living among the Philistines. + Achish believed David and thought to himself, "By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly. Now he will have to stay here and serve me forever!" + + + About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, "You and your men will be expected to join me in battle." + "Very well!" David agreed. "Now you will see for yourself what we can do." Then Achish told David, "I will make you my personal bodyguard for life." + Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. + The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. + When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. + He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. + Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor." + So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman's home at night, accompanied by two of his men."I have to talk to a man who has died," he said. "Will you call up his spirit for me?" + "Are you trying to get me killed?" the woman demanded. "You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?" + But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, "As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this." + Finally, the woman said, "Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?" "Call up Samuel," Saul replied. + When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, "You've deceived me! You are Saul!" + "Don't be afraid!" the king told her. "What do you see?" "I see a god coming up out of the earth," she said. + "What does he look like?" Saul asked."He is an old man wrapped in a robe," she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him. + "Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?" Samuel asked Saul."Because I am in deep trouble," Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won't reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do." + But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy? + The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. + The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. + What's more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat." + Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel's words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. + When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, "Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life. + Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back." + But Saul refused. The men who were with him also urged him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch. + The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread. + She brought the meal to Saul and his men, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night. + + + The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel. + As the Philistine rulers were leading out their troops in groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish. + But the Philistine commanders demanded, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish told them, "This is David, the servant of King Saul of Israel. He's been with me for years, and I've never found a single fault in him from the day he arrived until today." + But the Philistine commanders were angry. "Send him back to the town you've given him!" they demanded. "He can't go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? Is there any better way for him to reconcile himself with his master than by handing our heads over to him? + Isn't this the same David about whom the women of Israel sing in their dances, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" + So Achish finally summoned David and said to him, "I swear by the LORD that you have been a trustworthy ally. I think you should go with me into battle, for I've never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today. But the other Philistine rulers won't hear of it. + Please don't upset them, but go back quietly." + "What have I done to deserve this treatment?" David demanded. "What have you ever found in your servant, that I can't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?" + But Achish insisted, "As far as I'm concerned, you're as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle. + Now get up early in the morning, and leave with your men as soon as it gets light." + So David and his men headed back into the land of the Philistines, while the Philistine army went on to Jezreel. + + + Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. + They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone. + When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, + they wept until they could weep no more. + David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. + David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God. + Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod!" So Abiathar brought it. + Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?" And the LORD told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!" + So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor. + But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men. + Along the way they found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. + They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins, for he hadn't had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. Before long his strength returned. + "To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" David asked him."I am an Egyptian-- the slave of an Amalekite," he replied. "My master abandoned me three days ago because I was sick. + We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag." + "Will you lead me to this band of raiders?" David asked.The young man replied, "If you take an oath in God's name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them." + So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah. + David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels. + David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives. + Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back. + He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. "This plunder belongs to David!" they said. + Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully. + But some evil troublemakers among David's men said, "They didn't go with us, so they can't have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone." + But David said, "No, my brothers! Don't be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. + Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike-- those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment." + From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today. + When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. "Here is a present for you, taken from the LORD's enemies," he said. + The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir, + Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, + Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites, + Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, + Hebron, and all the other places David and his men had visited. + + + Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons-- Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. + The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. + Saul groaned to his armor bearer, "Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me." But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. + When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. + So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day. + When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. + The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. + So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul's death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. + They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan. + But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, + all their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies. + Then they took their bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. + + + + + After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. + On the third day a man arrived from Saul's army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect. + "Where have you come from?" David asked."I escaped from the Israelite camp," the man replied. + "What happened?" David demanded. "Tell me how the battle went." The man replied, "Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead." + "How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?" David demanded of the young man. + The man answered, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him. + When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him. 'How can I help?' I asked him. + "He responded, 'Who are you?'" 'I am an Amalekite,' I told him. + "Then he begged me, 'Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.' + "So I killed him," the Amalekite told David, "for I knew he couldn't live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord." + David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. + They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the LORD's army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. + Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, "Where are you from?" And he replied, "I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land." + "Why were you not afraid to kill the LORD's anointed one?" David asked. + Then David said to one of his men, "Kill him!" So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. + "You have condemned yourself," David said, "for you yourself confessed that you killed the LORD's anointed one." + Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan, + and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in [The Book of Jashar.] + Your pride and joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills! Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen! + Don't announce the news in Gath, don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice and the pagans will laugh in triumph. + O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled; the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil. + The bow of Jonathan was powerful, and the sword of Saul did its mighty work. They shed the blood of their enemies and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes. + How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions. + O women of Israel, weep for Saul, for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing, in garments decorated with gold. + Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on the hills. + How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women! + Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen! Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead. + + + After this, David asked the LORD, "Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?" "Yes," the LORD replied.Then David asked, "Which town should I go to?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered. + David's two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives + and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. + Then the men of Judah came to David and crowned him king over the people of Judah.When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, + he sent them this message: "May the LORD bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial. + May the LORD be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done. + Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king." + But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul's son Ishbosheth. + There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel. + Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David. + David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years. + One day Abner led Ishbosheth's troops from Mahanaim to Gibeon. + About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David's troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool. + Then Abner suggested to Joab, "Let's have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us." "All right," Joab agreed. + So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side-- twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David. + Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other's side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords. + A fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the forces of David. + Joab, Abishai, and Asahel-- the three sons of Zeruiah-- were among David's forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle, + and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything. + When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes, it is," he replied. + "Go fight someone else!" Abner warned. "Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner. + Again Abner shouted to him, "Get away from here! I don't want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?" + But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there. + When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. + Abner's troops from the tribe of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand. + Abner shouted down to Joab, "Must we always be killing each other? Don't you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?" + Then Joab said, "God only knows what would have happened if you hadn't spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary." + So Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel. + All that night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, traveling all through the morning, and didn't stop until they arrived at Mahanaim. + Meanwhile, Joab and his men also returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel. + But 360 of Abner's men had been killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin. + Joab and his men took Asahel's body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father's tomb. Then they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak. + + + That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul's dynasty became weaker and weaker. + These are the sons who were born to David in Hebron: The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. + The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. + The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. + The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David's wife. These sons were all born to David in Hebron. + As the war between the house of Saul and the house of David went on, Abner became a powerful leader among those loyal to Saul. + One day Ishbosheth, Saul's son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father's concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. + Abner was furious. "Am I some Judean dog to be kicked around like this?" he shouted. "After all I have done for your father, Saul, and his family and friends by not handing you over to David, is this my reward-- that you find fault with me about this woman? + May God strike me and even kill me if I don't do everything I can to help David get what the LORD has promised him! + I'm going to take Saul's kingdom and give it to David. I will establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south." + Ishbosheth didn't dare say another word because he was afraid of what Abner might do. + Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, "Doesn't the entire land belong to you? Make a solemn pact with me, and I will help turn over all of Israel to you." + "All right," David replied, "but I will not negotiate with you unless you bring back my wife Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come." + David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul's son: "Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 Philistines." + So Ishbosheth took Michal away from her husband, Palti son of Laish. + Palti followed along behind her as far as Bahurim, weeping as he went. Then Abner told him, "Go back home!" So Palti returned. + Meanwhile, Abner had consulted with the elders of Israel. "For some time now," he told them, "you have wanted to make David your king. + Now is the time! For the LORD has said, 'I have chosen David to save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and from all their other enemies.'" + Abner also spoke with the men of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron to tell David that all the people of Israel and Benjamin had agreed to support him. + When Abner and twenty of his men came to Hebron, David entertained them with a great feast. + Then Abner said to David, "Let me go and call an assembly of all Israel to support my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you to make you their king, and you will rule over everything your heart desires." So David sent Abner safely on his way. + But just after David had sent Abner away in safety, Joab and some of David's troops returned from a raid, bringing much plunder with them. + When Joab arrived, he was told that Abner had just been there visiting the king and had been sent away in safety. + Joab rushed to the king and demanded, "What have you done? What do you mean by letting Abner get away? + You know perfectly well that he came to spy on you and find out everything you're doing!" + Joab then left David and sent messengers to catch up with Abner, asking him to return. They found him at the well of Sirah and brought him back, though David knew nothing about it. + When Abner arrived back at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel. + When David heard about it, he declared, "I vow by the LORD that I and my kingdom are forever innocent of this crime against Abner son of Ner. + Joab and his family are the guilty ones. May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation with a man who has open sores or leprosy or who walks on crutches or dies by the sword or begs for food!" + So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon. + Then David said to Joab and all those who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on burlap. Mourn for Abner." And King David himself walked behind the procession to the grave. + They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king and all the people wept at his graveside. + Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner: "Should Abner have died as fools die? + Your hands were not bound; your feet were not chained. No, you were murdered-- the victim of a wicked plot." All the people wept again for Abner. + David had refused to eat anything on the day of the funeral, and now everyone begged him to eat. But David had made a vow, saying, "May God strike me and even kill me if I eat anything before sundown." + This pleased the people very much. In fact, everything the king did pleased them! + So everyone in Judah and all Israel understood that David was not responsible for Abner's murder. + Then King David said to his officials, "Don't you realize that a great commander has fallen today in Israel? + And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah-- Joab and Abishai-- are too strong for me to control. So may the LORD repay these evil men for their evil deeds." + + + When Ishbosheth, Saul's son, heard about Abner's death at Hebron, he lost all courage, and all Israel became paralyzed with fear. + Now there were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth's raiding parties. They were sons of Rimmon, a member of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Beeroth. The town of Beeroth is now part of Benjamin's territory + because the original people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, where they still live as foreigners. + (Saul's son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child's nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.) + One day Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ishbosheth's house around noon as he was taking his midday rest. + The doorkeeper, who had been sifting wheat, became drowsy and fell asleep. So Recab and Baanah slipped past her. + They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night. + When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth's head to David. "Look!" they exclaimed to the king. "Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you. Today the LORD has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!" + But David said to Recab and Baanah, "The LORD, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness. + Someone once told me, 'Saul is dead,' thinking he was bringing me good news. But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That's the reward I gave him for his news! + How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn't I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?" + So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth's head and buried it in Abner's tomb in Hebron. + + + Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, "We are your own flesh and blood. + In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, 'You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel's leader.' " + So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel. + David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. + He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. + David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, "You'll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!" For the Jebusites thought they were safe. + But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David. + On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, "I hate those 'lame' and 'blind' Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel. " That is the origin of the saying, "The blind and the lame may not enter the house." + So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward. + And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD God of Heaven's Armies was with him. + Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. + And David realized that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. + After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. + These are the names of David's sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. + The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. + So David asked the LORD, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD replied to David, "Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you." + So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. "The LORD did it!" David exclaimed. "He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means "the Lord who bursts through"). + The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them. + But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. + And again David asked the LORD what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," the LORD replied. "Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. + When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the LORD is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army." + So David did what the LORD commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. + + + Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. + He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD of Heaven's Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. + They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house, + carrying the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. + David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments-- lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. + But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. + Then the LORD's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God. + David was angry because the LORD's anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means "to burst out against Uzzah"), as it is still called today. + David was now afraid of the LORD, and he asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of the LORD back into my care?" + So David decided not to move the Ark of the LORD into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. + The Ark of the LORD remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household. + Then King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed-edom's household and everything he has because of the Ark of God." So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. + After the men who were carrying the Ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. + And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. + So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams' horns. + But as the Ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she was filled with contempt for him. + They brought the Ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. + When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes. + When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, "How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!" + David retorted to Michal, "I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. + Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!" + So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life. + + + When King David was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, + the king summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look," David said, "I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!" + Nathan replied to the king, "Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you." + But that same night the LORD said to Nathan, + "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? + I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. + Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel's tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, "Why haven't you built me a beautiful cedar house?"' + "Now go and say to my servant David, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. + I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! + And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won't oppress them as they've done in the past, + starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. " 'Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you-- a dynasty of kings! + For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. + He is the one who will build a house-- a temple-- for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. + I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. + But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. + Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.' " + So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision. + Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? + And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD? + "What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign LORD. + Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant. + "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! + What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. + You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God. + "And now, O LORD God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. + And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, 'The LORD of Heaven's Armies is God over Israel!' And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever. + "O LORD of Heaven's Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you-- a dynasty of kings!' + For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. + And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!" + + + After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest town. + David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David's subjects and paid him tribute money. + David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. + David captured 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots. + When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. + Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David's subjects and paid him tribute money. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went. + David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem, + along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer's towns of Tebah and Berothai. + When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer, + he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze. + King David dedicated all these gifts to the LORD, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated-- + from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek-- and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. + So David became very famous. After his return he destroyed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. In fact, the LORD made David victorious wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people. + Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. + Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. And David's sons served as priestly leaders. + + + One day David asked, "Is anyone in Saul's family still alive-- anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" + He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants. "Are you Ziba?" the king asked."Yes sir, I am," Ziba replied. + The king then asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them." Ziba replied, "Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet." + "Where is he?" the king asked."In Lo-debar," Ziba told him, "at the home of Makir son of Ammiel." + So David sent for him and brought him from Makir's home. + His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, "Greetings, Mephibosheth." Mephibosheth replied, "I am your servant." + "Don't be afraid!" David said. "I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king's table!" + Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, "Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?" + Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. + You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master's household. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will eat here at my table." (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)Ziba replied, + "Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded." And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David's table, like one of the king's own sons. + Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba's household were Mephibosheth's servants. + And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king's table. + + + Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. + David said, "I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me." So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death.But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, + the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, their master, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so they can come in and conquer it!" + So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame. + When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back." For they felt deep shame because of their appearance. + When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob. + When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. + The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields. + When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel's elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields. + He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. + "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. "And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. + Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done." + When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. + And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem. + The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel. So when they regrouped, + they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's forces. + When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle formation and fought against David. + But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. + When all the kings allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to Israel and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites. + + + In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. + Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. + He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite." + Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. + Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, "I'm pregnant." + Then David sent word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent him to David. + When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. + Then he told Uriah, "Go on home and relax. " David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. + But Uriah didn't go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard. + When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, "What's the matter? Why didn't you go home last night after being away for so long?" + Uriah replied, "The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master's men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing." + "Well, stay here today," David told him, "and tomorrow you may return to the army." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. + Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn't get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard. + So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. + The letter instructed Joab, "Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed." + So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting. + And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. + Then Joab sent a battle report to David. + He told his messenger, "Report all the news of the battle to the king. + But he might get angry and ask, 'Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn't they know there would be shooting from the walls? + Wasn't Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?' Then tell him, 'Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.' " + So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. + "The enemy came out against us in the open fields," he said. "And as we chased them back to the city gate, + the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king's men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite." + "Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged," David said. "The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!" + When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. + When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the LORD was displeased with what David had done. + + + So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. + The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. + The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. + One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." + David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! + He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." + Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. + I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. + Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. + From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah's wife to be your own. + "This is what the LORD says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. + You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel." + Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin. + Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the LORD by doing this, your child will die." + After Nathan returned to his home, the LORD sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah's wife. + David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. + The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. + Then on the seventh day the child died. David's advisers were afraid to tell him. "He wouldn't listen to reason while the child was ill," they said. "What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?" + When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. "Is the child dead?" he asked."Yes," they replied, "he is dead." + Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate. + His advisers were amazed. "We don't understand you," they told him. "While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again." + David replied, "I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, 'Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child live.' + But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me." + Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child + and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means "beloved of the LORD"), as the LORD had commanded. + Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. + Joab sent messengers to tell David, "I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. + Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory." + So David gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. + David removed the crown from the king's head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. + He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. + + + Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. + Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her. + But Amnon had a very crafty friend-- his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother Shimea. + One day Jonadab said to Amnon, "What's the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?" So Amnon told him, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." + "Well," Jonadab said, "I'll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you'll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands." + So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, "Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands." + So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him. + When Tamar arrived at Amnon's house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for him. + But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. "Everyone get out of here," Amnon told his servants. So they all left. + Then he said to Tamar, "Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here." So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. + But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, "Come to bed with me, my darling sister." + "No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! Such wicked things aren't done in Israel. + Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me." + But Amnon wouldn't listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. + Then suddenly Amnon's love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. "Get out of here!" he snarled at her. + "No, no!" Tamar cried. "Sending me away now is worse than what you've already done to me." But Amnon wouldn't listen to her. + He shouted for his servant and demanded, "Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!" + So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king's virgin daughters. + But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. + Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, "Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he's your brother. Don't you worry about it." So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom's house. + When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry. + And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister. + Two years later, when Absalom's sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king's sons to come to a feast. + He went to the king and said, "My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?" + The king replied, "No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you." Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing. + "Well, then," Absalom said, "if you can't come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?" "Why Amnon?" the king asked. + But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king. + Absalom told his men, "Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don't be afraid. I'm the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!" + So at Absalom's signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled. + As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one is left alive!" + The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow. + But just then Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimea, arrived and said, "No, don't believe that all the king's sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar. + No, my lord the king, your sons aren't all dead! It was only Amnon." + Meanwhile Absalom escaped.Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming toward the city from the west. He ran to tell the king, "I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill." + "Look!" Jonadab told the king. "There they are now! The king's sons are coming, just as I said." + They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them. + And David mourned many days for his son Amnon.Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. + He stayed there in Geshur for three years. + And King David, now reconciled to Amnon's death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom. + + + Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom. + So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don't put on lotions. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time. + Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you." Then Joab told her what to say. + When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, "O king! Help me!" + "What's the trouble?" the king asked."Alas, I am a widow!" she replied. "My husband is dead. + My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed. + Now the rest of the family is demanding, 'Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn't deserve to inherit his family's property.' They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband's name and family will disappear from the face of the earth." + "Leave it to me," the king told her. "Go home, and I'll see to it that no one touches him." + "Oh, thank you, my lord the king," the woman from Tekoa replied. "If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father's house, and let the king and his throne be innocent." + "If anyone objects," the king said, "bring him to me. I can assure you he will never complain again!" + Then she said, "Please swear to me by the LORD your God that you won't let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he replied, "not a hair on your son's head will be disturbed!" + "Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king," she said."Go ahead and speak," he responded. + She replied, "Why don't you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son. + All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him. + "I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, 'Perhaps the king will listen to me + and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us. + Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.' I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you." + "I must know one thing," the king replied, "and tell me the truth." "Yes, my lord the king," she responded. + "Did Joab put you up to this?" And the woman replied, "My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say. + He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!" + So the king sent for Joab and told him, "All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom." + Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, "At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!" + Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. + But the king gave this order: "Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence." So Absalom did not see the king. + Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. + He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds! + He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter's name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful. + Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never got to see the king. + Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come. + So Absalom said to his servants, "Go and set fire to Joab's barley field, the field next to mine." So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded. + Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?" + And Absalom replied, "Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn't intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me." + So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him. + + + After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. + He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. + Then Absalom would say, "You've really got a strong case here! It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear it. + I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!" + When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn't let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and embraced them. + Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel. + After four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and fulfill a vow I made to him. + For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the LORD in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem." + "All right," the king told him. "Go and fulfill your vow." So Absalom went to Hebron. + But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. "As soon as you hear the ram's horn," his message read, "you are to say, 'Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.'" + He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. + While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David's counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum. + A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, "All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!" + "Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!" David urged his men. "Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster." + "We are with you," his advisers replied. "Do what you think is best." + So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace. + The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house + to let all the king's men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king's bodyguard. + Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, "Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. + You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don't even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the LORD show you his unfailing love and faithfulness. " + But Ittai said to the king, "I vow by the LORD and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens-- whether it means life or death." + David replied, "All right, come with us." So Ittai and all his men and their families went along. + Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness. + Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city. + Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. "If the LORD sees fit," David said, "he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. + But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him." + The king also told Zadok the priest, "Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan. + I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you." + So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there. + David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. + When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" + When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. + But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden. + Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. + Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, + and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on." + So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived. + + + When David had gone a little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine. + "What are these for?" the king asked Ziba.Ziba replied, "The donkeys are for the king's people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness." + "And where is Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson?" the king asked him."He stayed in Jerusalem," Ziba replied. "He said, 'Today I will get back the kingdom of my grandfather Saul.'" + "In that case," the king told Ziba, "I give you everything Mephibosheth owns." "I bow before you," Ziba replied. "May I always be pleasing to you, my lord the king." + As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul's family. + He threw stones at the king and the king's officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. + "Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!" he shouted at David. + "The LORD is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul's clan. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!" + "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?" Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. "Let me go over and cut off his head!" + "No!" the king said. "Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?" + Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn't this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it. + And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today." + So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing as he went and throwing stones at David and tossing dust into the air. + The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River. + Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. + When David's friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. "Long live the king!" he exclaimed. "Long live the king!" + "Is this the way you treat your friend David?" Absalom asked him. "Why aren't you with him?" + "I'm here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the LORD and by all the men of Israel," Hushai replied. + "And anyway, why shouldn't I serve you? Just as I was your father's adviser, now I will be your adviser!" + Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, "What should I do next?" + Ahithophel told him, "Go and sleep with your father's concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you." + So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father's concubines. + Absalom followed Ahithophel's advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God. + + + Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, "Let me choose 12,000 men to start out after David tonight. + I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king, + and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man's life that you seek. Then you will be at peace with all the people." + This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel. + But then Absalom said, "Bring in Hushai the Arkite. Let's see what he thinks about this." + When Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had said. Then he asked, "What is your opinion? Should we follow Ahithophel's advice? If not, what do you suggest?" + "Well," Hushai replied to Absalom, "this time Ahithophel has made a mistake. + You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced man of war. He won't be spending the night among the troops. + He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. And when he comes out and attacks and a few of your men fall, there will be panic among your troops, and the word will spread that Absalom's men are being slaughtered. + Then even the bravest soldiers, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty warrior your father is and how courageous his men are. + "I recommend that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I advise that you personally lead the troops. + When we find David, we'll fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. Then neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. + And if David were to escape into some town, you will have all Israel there at your command. Then we can take ropes and drag the walls of the town into the nearest valley until every stone is torn down." + Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "Hushai's advice is better than Ahithophel's." For the LORD had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom! + Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had said to Absalom and the elders of Israel and what he himself had advised instead. + "Quick!" he told them. "Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him." + Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David. + But a boy spotted them at En-rogel, and he told Absalom about it. So they quickly escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them down inside a well in his courtyard. + The man's wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there. + When Absalom's men arrived, they asked her, "Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman replied, "They were here, but they crossed over the brook." Absalom's men looked for them without success and returned to Jerusalem. + Then the two men crawled out of the well and hurried on to King David. "Quick!" they told him, "cross the Jordan tonight!" And they told him how Ahithophel had advised that he be captured and killed. + So David and all the people with him went across the Jordan River during the night, and they were all on the other bank before dawn. + When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb. + David soon arrived at Mahanaim. By now, Absalom had mobilized the entire army of Israel and was leading his troops across the Jordan River. + Absalom had appointed Amasa as commander of his army, replacing Joab, who had been commander under David. (Amasa was Joab's cousin. His father was Jether, an Ishmaelite. His mother, Abigail daughter of Nahash, was the sister of Joab's mother, Zeruiah.) + Absalom and the Israelite army set up camp in the land of Gilead. + When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash, who came from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and by Makir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim. + They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans, lentils, + honey, butter, sheep, goats, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, "You must all be very hungry and tired and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness." + + + David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them. + He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, "I am going out with you." + But his men objected strongly. "You must not go," they urged. "If we have to turn and run-- and even if half of us die-- it will make no difference to Absalom's troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it." + "If you think that's the best plan, I'll do it," the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands. + And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: "For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom." And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders. + So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, + and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David's men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. + The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword. + During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. + One of David's men saw what had happened and told Joab, "I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree." + "What?" Joab demanded. "You saw him there and didn't kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero's belt!" + "I would not kill the king's son for even a thousand pieces of silver, " the man replied to Joab. "We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake, please spare young Absalom.' + And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son-- and the king would certainly find out who did it-- you yourself would be the first to abandon me." + "Enough of this nonsense," Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom's heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. + Ten of Joab's young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. + Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel. + They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes. + During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom's Monument to this day. + Then Zadok's son Ahimaaz said, "Let me run to the king with the good news that the LORD has rescued him from his enemies." + "No," Joab told him, "it wouldn't be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today." + Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, "Go tell the king what you have seen." The man bowed and ran off. + But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, "Whatever happens, please let me go, too." "Why should you go, my son?" Joab replied. "There will be no reward for your news." + "Yes, but let me go anyway," he begged.Joab finally said, "All right, go ahead." So Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian. + While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them. + He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, "If he is alone, he has news." As the messenger came closer, + the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, "Here comes another one!" The king replied, "He also will have news." + "The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok," the watchman said."He is a good man and comes with good news," the king replied. + Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, "Everything is all right!" He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Praise to the LORD your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king." + "What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?" Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn't know what was happening." + "Wait here," the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside. + Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, "I have good news for my lord the king. Today the LORD has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you." + "What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?" And the Ethiopian replied, "May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!" + The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son." + + + Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom. + As all the people heard of the king's deep grief for his son, the joy of that day's victory was turned into deep sadness. + They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle. + The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!" + Then Joab went to the king's room and said to him, "We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves. + You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. + Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before." + So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him.Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes. + And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, "The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country. + Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?" + Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, "Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready. + You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?" + And David told them to tell Amasa, "Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place." + Then Amasa convinced all the men of Judah, and they responded unanimously. They sent word to the king, "Return to us, and bring back all who are with you." + So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the river. + Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. + A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba's fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king's household across the river, helping him in every way they could. + As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. + "My lord the king, please forgive me," he pleaded. "Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. + I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king." + Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shimei should die, for he cursed the LORD's anointed king!" + "Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!" David exclaimed. "Why have you become my adversary today? This is not a day for execution but for celebration! Today I am once again the king of Israel!" + Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, "Your life will be spared." + Now Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem. + "Why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?" the king asked him. + Mephibosheth replied, "My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, 'Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.' For as you know I am crippled. + Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come. But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best. + All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table! What more can I ask?" + "You've said enough," David replied. "I've decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you." + "Give him all of it," Mephibosheth said. "I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!" + Barzillai of Gilead had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan. + He was very old, about eighty, and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim. + "Come across with me and live in Jerusalem," the king said to Barzillai. "I will take care of you there." + "No," he replied, "I am far too old to go with the king to Jerusalem. + I am eighty years old today, and I can no longer enjoy anything. Food and wine are no longer tasty, and I cannot hear the singers as they sing. I would only be a burden to my lord the king. + Just to go across the Jordan River with the king is all the honor I need! + Then let me return again to die in my own town, where my father and mother are buried. But here is your servant, my son Kimham. Let him go with my lord the king and receive whatever you want to give him." + "Good," the king agreed. "Kimham will go with me, and I will help him in any way you would like. And I will do for you anything you want." + So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king. After David had blessed and embraced him, Barzillai returned to his own home. + The king then crossed over to Gilgal, taking Kimham with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king on his way. + But all the men of Israel complained to the king, "The men of Judah stole the vnumber="2"> He sent the troopsr of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan." + The men of Judah replied, "The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven't eaten any of the king's food or received any special favors!" + "But there are ten tribes in Israel," the others replied. "So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren't we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?" The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel. + + + There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram's horn and began to chant: "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!" + So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. + When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died. + Then the king told Amasa, "Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time." + So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given. + Then David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can't reach him." + So Abishai and Joab, together with the king's bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba. + As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath. + "How are you, my cousin?" Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him. + Amasa didn't notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba. + One of Joab's young men shouted to Amasa's troops, "If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab." + But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab's man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him. + With Amasa's body out of the way, everyone went on with Joab to capture Sheba son of Bicri. + Meanwhile, Sheba traveled through all the tribes of Israel and eventually came to the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the members of his own clan, the Bicrites, assembled for battle and followed him into the town. + When Joab's forces arrived, they attacked Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town's fortifications and began battering down the wall. + But a wise woman in the town called out to Joab, "Listen to me, Joab. Come over here so I can talk to you." + As he approached, the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he replied.So she said, "Listen carefully to your servant." "I'm listening," he said. + Then she continued, "There used to be a saying, 'If you want to settle an argument, ask advice at the town of Abel.' + I am one who is peace loving and faithful in Israel. But you are destroying an important town in Israel. Why do you want to devour what belongs to the LORD?" + And Joab replied, "Believe me, I don't want to devour or destroy your town! + That's not my purpose. All I want is a man named Sheba son of Bicri from the hill country of Ephraim, who has revolted against King David. If you hand over this one man to me, I will leave the town in peace." "All right," the woman replied, "we will throw his head over the wall to you." + Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the ram's horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem. + Now Joab was the commander of the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. + Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. + Sheva was the court secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. + And Ira, a descendant of Jair, was David's personal priest. + + + There was a famine during David's reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the LORD about it. And the LORD said, "The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites." + So the king summoned the Gibeonites. They were not part of Israel but were all that was left of the nation of the Amorites. The people of Israel had sworn not to kill them, but Saul, in his zeal for Israel and Judah, had tried to wipe them out. + David asked them, "What can I do for you? How can I make amends so that you will bless the LORD's people again?" + "Well, money can't settle this matter between us and the family of Saul," the Gibeonites replied. "Neither can we demand the life of anyone in Israel." "What can I do then?" David asked. "Just tell me and I will do it for you." + Then they replied, "It was Saul who planned to destroy us, to keep us from having any place at all in the territory of Israel. + So let seven of Saul's sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the LORD at Gibeon, on the mountain of the LORD. " "All right," the king said, "I will do it." + The king spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who was Saul's grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the LORD. + But he gave them Saul's two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whose mother was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. He also gave them the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, the wife of Adriel son of Barzillai from Meholah. + The men of Gibeon executed them on the mountain before the LORD. So all seven of them died together at the beginning of the barley harvest. + Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the mother of two of the men, spread burlap on a rock and stayed there the entire harvest season. She prevented the scavenger birds from tearing at their bodies during the day and stopped wild animals from eating them at night. + When David learned what Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done, + he went to the people of Jabesh-gilead and retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. (When the Philistines had killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa, the people of Jabesh-gilead stole their bodies from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them.) + So David obtained the bones of Saul and Jonathan, as well as the bones of the men the Gibeonites had executed. + Then the king ordered that they bury the bones in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father, at the town of Zela in the land of Benjamin. After that, God ended the famine in the land. + Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. + Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. + But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David's men declared, "You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?" + After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants. + During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver's beam! + In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. + But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shimea. + These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them. + + + David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. + He sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; + my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. + I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. + "The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me. + The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. + But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears. + "Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger. + Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. + He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. + Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. + He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds. + A great brightness shone around him, and burning coals blazed forth. + The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. + He shot arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused. + Then at the command of the LORD, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. + "He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. + He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. + They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the LORD supported me. + He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. + The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. + For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. + I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. + I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. + The LORD rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. + "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. + To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. + You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them. + O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD lights up my darkness. + In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. + "God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. + For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock? + God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect. + He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. + He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. + You have given me your shield of victory; your help has made me great. + You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. + "I chased my enemies and destroyed them; I did not stop until they were conquered. + I consumed them; I struck them down so they did not get up; they fell beneath my feet. + You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. + You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. + They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer. + I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trampled them in the gutter like dirt. + "You gave me victory over my accusers. You preserved me as the ruler over nations; people I don't even know now serve me. + Foreign nations cringe before me; as soon as they hear of me, they submit. + They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds. + "The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted! + He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he brings down the nations under me + and delivers me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. + For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. + You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever." + + + These are the last words of David: "David, the son of Jesse, speaks-- David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. + "The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue. + The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: 'The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, + is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.' + "Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success. + But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them. + One must use iron tools to chop them down; they will be totally consumed by fire." + These are the names of David's mightiest warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three-- the three mightiest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle. + Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. + He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the LORD gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder! + Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, + but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory. + Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty-- an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there. + David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. + David remarked longingly to his men, "Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem." + So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. + "The LORD forbid that I should drink this!" he exclaimed. "This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me." So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. + Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. + Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. + There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. + Once, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it. + Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors. + He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard. + Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; + Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod; + Helez from Pelon; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; + Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai from Hushah; + Zalmon from Ahoah; Maharai from Netophah; + Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin); + Benaiah from Pirathon; Hurai from Nahale-gaash; + Abi-albon from Arabah; Azmaveth from Bahurim; + Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen; + Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; + Eliphelet son of Ahasbai from Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel from Giloh; + Hezro from Carmel; Paarai from Arba; + Igal son of Nathan from Zobah; Bani from Gad; + Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth, Joab's armor bearer; + Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir; + Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. + + + Once again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. "Go and count the people of Israel and Judah," the LORD told him. + So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Take a census of all the tribes of Israel-- from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south-- so I may know how many people there are." + But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?" + But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel. + First they crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, south of the town in the valley, in the direction of Gad. Then they went on to Jazzier, + then to Gilead in the land of Tahtim-hodshi and to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. + Then they came to the stronghold of Tyre, and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went south to Judah as far as Beersheba. + Having gone through the entire land for nine months and twenty days, they returned to Jerusalem. + Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 capable warriors in Israel who could handle a sword, and 500,000 in Judah. + But after he had taken the census, David's conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing." + The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David's seer. This was the message: + "Go and say to David, 'This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.'" + So Gad came to David and asked him, "Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me." + "I'm in a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. "But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands." + So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. + But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented and said to the death angel, "Stop! That is enough!" At that moment the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + When David saw the angel, he said to the LORD, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep-- what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family." + That day Gad came to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." + So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him. + When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. + "Why have you come, my lord the king?" Araunah asked.David replied, "I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague." + "Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. "Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. + I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice." + But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing." So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. + David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. + + + + + King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm. + So his advisers told him, "Let us find a young virgin to wait on you and look after you, my lord. She will lie in your arms and keep you warm." + So they searched throughout the land of Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag from Shunem and brought her to the king. + The girl was very beautiful, and she looked after the king and took care of him. But the king had no sexual relations with her. + About that time David's son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, "I will make myself king." So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. + Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, "Why are you doing that?" Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome. + Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. + But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah. + Adonijah went to the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of En-rogel, where he sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves. He invited all his brothers-- the other sons of King David-- and all the royal officials of Judah. + But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the king's bodyguard or his brother Solomon. + Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and asked her, "Haven't you heard that Haggith's son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn't even know about it? + If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice. + Go at once to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, didn't you make a vow and say to me, "Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' + And while you are still talking with him, I will come and confirm everything you have said." + So Bathsheba went into the king's bedroom. (He was very old now, and Abishag was taking care of him.) + Bathsheba bowed down before the king."What can I do for you?" he asked her. + She replied, "My lord, you made a vow before the LORD your God when you said to me, 'Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne.' + But instead, Adonijah has made himself king, and my lord the king does not even know about it. + He has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king's sons to attend the celebration. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon. + And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you. + If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died." + While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. + The king's officials told him, "Nathan the prophet is here to see you." Nathan went in and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. + Nathan asked, "My lord the king, have you decided that Adonijah will be the next king and that he will sit on your throne? + Today he has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king's sons to attend the celebration. He also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. They are feasting and drinking with him and shouting, 'Long live King Adonijah!' + But he did not invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or your servant Solomon. + Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who should be the next king?" + King David responded, "Call Bathsheba!" So she came back in and stood before the king. + And the king repeated his vow: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has rescued me from every danger, + your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the LORD, the God of Israel." + Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and exclaimed, "May my lord King David live forever!" + Then King David ordered, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." When they came into the king's presence, + the king said to them, "Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. + There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram's horn and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' + Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah." + "Amen!" Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. "May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen. + And may the LORD be with Solomon as he has been with you, my lord the king, and may he make Solomon's reign even greater than yours!" + So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king's bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David's own mule. + There Zadok the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon with the oil. Then they sounded the ram's horn and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" + And all the people followed Solomon into Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound. + Adonijah and his guests heard the celebrating and shouting just as they were finishing their banquet. When Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn, he asked, "What's going on? Why is the city in such an uproar?" + And while he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. "Come in," Adonijah said to him, "for you are a good man. You must have good news." + "Not at all!" Jonathan replied. "Our lord King David has just declared Solomon king! + The king sent him down to Gihon Spring with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, protected by the king's bodyguard. They had him ride on the king's own mule, + and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him at Gihon Spring as the new king. They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That's what all the noise is about. + What's more, Solomon is now sitting on the royal throne as king. + And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon's reign be even greater than yours!' Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed, + and he said, 'Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.'" + Then all of Adonijah's guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. + Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed onto the horns of the altar. + Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, "Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!" + Solomon replied, "If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die." + So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, "Go on home." + + + As the time of King David's death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon: + "I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. + Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. + If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, 'If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.' + "And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood. + Do with him what you think best, but don't let him grow old and go to his grave in peace. + "Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom. + "And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the LORD that I would not kill him. + But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him. " + Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. + David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. + Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. + One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. "Have you come with peaceful intentions?" she asked him."Yes," he said, "I come in peace. + In fact, I have a favor to ask of you." "What is it?" she asked. + He replied, "As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the LORD wanted it. + So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don't turn me down." "What is it?" she asked. + He replied, "Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem." + "All right," Bathsheba replied. "I will speak to the king for you." + So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah's behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand. + "I have one small request to make of you," she said. "I hope you won't turn me down." "What is it, my mother?" he asked. "You know I won't refuse you." + "Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem," she replied. + "How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?" King Solomon demanded. "You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side." + Then King Solomon made a vow before the LORD: "May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. + The LORD has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the LORD lives, Adonijah will die this very day!" + So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death. + Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign LORD for David my father and you shared all his hardships." + So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the LORD, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the LORD had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli. + Joab had not joined Absalom's earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah's rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah's death, he ran to the sacred tent of the LORD and grabbed onto the horns of the altar. + When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him. + Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the LORD and said to Joab, "The king orders you to come out!" But Joab answered, "No, I will die here." So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said. + "Do as he said," the king replied. "Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab's senseless murders from me and from my father's family. + The LORD will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. + May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the LORD grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne." + So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness. + Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar. + The king then sent for Shimei and told him, "Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don't step outside the city to go anywhere else. + On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head." + Shimei replied, "Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. + But three years later two of Shimei's slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, + he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem. + Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. + So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, "Didn't I make you swear by the LORD and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, 'The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.' + Then why haven't you kept your oath to the LORD and obeyed my command?" + The king also said to Shimei, "You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the LORD now bring that evil on your own head. + But may I, King Solomon, receive the LORD's blessings, and may one of David's descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the LORD." + Then, at the king's command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon's grip. + + + Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the LORD and the wall around the city. + At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the LORD had not yet been built. + Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. + The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. + That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" + Solomon replied, "You showed faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued your faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. + "Now, O LORD my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around. + And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! + Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?" + The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. + So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies-- + I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! + And I will also give you what you did not ask for-- riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! + And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life." + Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet. + Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. + "Please, my lord," one of them began, "this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. + Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house. + "But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. + Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. + And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't my son at all." + Then the other woman interrupted, "It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine." "No," the first woman said, "the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours." And so they argued back and forth before the king. + Then the king said, "Let's get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. + All right, bring me a sword." So a sword was brought to the king. + Then he said, "Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!" + Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, "Oh no, my lord! Give her the child-- please do not kill him!" But the other woman said, "All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!" + Then the king said, "Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!" + When all Israel heard the king's decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice. + + + King Solomon now ruled over all Israel, + and these were his high officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest. + Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army. Zadok and Abiathar were priests. + Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors. Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king. + Ahishar was manager of the palace property. Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the labor force. + Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king's household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year. + These are the names of the twelve governors: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim. + Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan. + Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher. + Ben-abinadab, in all of Naphoth-dor. (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon's daughters.) + Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam. + Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates. + Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim. + Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon's daughters.) + Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth. + Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar. + Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin. + Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan. There was also one governor over the land of Judah. + The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. + Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime. + The daily food requirements for Solomon's palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; + also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry. + Solomon's dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. + During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden. + Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses. + The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. + They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables. + God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. + In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. + He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol-- Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. + He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. + He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. + And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. + + + King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David's son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him. + Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram: + "You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the LORD gave him victory over all his enemies. + But now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. + So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the LORD told him, 'Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.' + "Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!" + When Hiram received Solomon's message, he was very pleased and said, "Praise the LORD today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel." + Then he sent this reply to Solomon: "I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. + My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household." + So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. + In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil. + So the LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace. + Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. + He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. + Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, + and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work. + At the king's command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. + Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon's and Hiram's builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple. + + + It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the LORD. This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt. + The Temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. + The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet from the front of the Temple. + Solomon also made narrow recessed windows throughout the Temple. + He built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple, all the way around the sides and rear of the building. + The complex was three stories high, the bottom floor being 7-1/2 feet wide, the second floor 9 feet wide, and the top floor 10-1/2 feet wide. The rooms were connected to the walls of the Temple by beams resting on ledges built out from the wall. So the beams were not inserted into the walls themselves. + The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site. + The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors. + After completing the Temple structure, Solomon put in a ceiling made of cedar beams and planks. + As already stated, he built a complex of rooms on three sides of the building, attached to the Temple walls by cedar timbers. Each story of the complex was 7-1/2 feet high. + Then the LORD gave this message to Solomon: + "Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. + I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel." + So Solomon finished building the Temple. + The entire inside, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with wood. He paneled the walls and ceilings with cedar, and he used planks of cypress for the floors. + He partitioned off an inner sanctuary-- the Most Holy Place-- at the far end of the Temple. It was 30 feet deep and was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. + The main room of the Temple, outside the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet long. + Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers. + He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the LORD's Covenant would be placed. + This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar. + Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple's interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance to the Most Holy Place. + So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold, including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place. + He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. + The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 7-1/2 feet long. + The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; + each was 15 feet tall. + He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. + He overlaid the two cherubim with gold. + He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. + He overlaid the floor in both rooms with gold. + For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, he made double doors of wild olive wood with five-sided doorposts. + These double doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The doors, including the decorations of cherubim and palm trees, were overlaid with gold. + Then he made four-sided doorposts of wild olive wood for the entrance to the Temple. + There were two folding doors of cypress wood, and each door was hinged to fold back upon itself. + These doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers-- all overlaid evenly with gold. + The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone. + The foundation of the LORD's Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign. + The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul, during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple. + + + Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction. + One of Solomon's buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars. + The hall had a cedar roof. Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms, arranged in three tiers of fifteen each. + On each end of the long hall were three rows of windows facing each other. + All the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames and were arranged in sets of three, facing each other. + Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars, which was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars. + Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. + Solomon's living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. + From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides. + Some of the huge foundation stones were 15 feet long, and some were 12 feet long. + The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used. + The walls of the great courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone, just like the walls of the inner courtyard of the LORD's Temple with its entry room. + King Solomon then asked for a man named Huram to come from Tyre. + He was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon. + Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. + For the tops of the pillars he cast bronze capitals, each 7-1/2 feet tall. + Each capital was decorated with seven sets of latticework and interwoven chains. + He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars. + The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet tall. + The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework. + Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz. + The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished. + Then Huram cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7-1/2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference. + It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin. + The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. + The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons of water. + Huram also made ten bronze water carts, each 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4-1/2 feet tall. + They were constructed with side panels braced with crossbars. + Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations. + Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. There were supporting posts for the bronze basins at the corners of the carts; these supports were decorated on each side with carvings of wreaths. + The top of each cart had a rounded frame for the basin. It projected 1-1/2 feet above the cart's top like a round pedestal, and its opening was 2-1/4 feet across; it was decorated on the outside with carvings of wreaths. The panels of the carts were square, not round. + Under the panels were four wheels that were connected to axles that had been cast as one unit with the cart. The wheels were 2-1/4 feet in diameter + and were similar to chariot wheels. The axles, spokes, rims, and hubs were all cast from molten bronze. + There were handles at each of the four corners of the carts, and these, too, were cast as one unit with the cart. + Around the top of each cart was a rim nine inches wide. The corner supports and side panels were cast as one unit with the cart. + Carvings of cherubim, lions, and palm trees decorated the panels and corner supports wherever there was room, and there were wreaths all around. + All ten water carts were the same size and were made alike, for each was cast from the same mold. + Huram also made ten smaller bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons of water. + He set five water carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple. + He also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls.So at last Huram completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of the LORD: + the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals; + the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars); + the ten water carts holding the ten basins; + the Sea and the twelve oxen under it; + the ash buckets, the shovels, and the bowls. Huram made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the LORD, just as King Solomon had directed. + The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan. + Solomon did not weigh all these things because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be measured. + Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the LORD: the gold altar; the gold table for the Bread of the Presence; + the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs-- all of gold; + the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, dishes, and incense burners-- all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold. + So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the LORD. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated-- the silver, the gold, and the various articles-- and he stored them in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple. + + + Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes-- the leaders of the ancestral families of the Israelites. They were to bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion. + So all the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn in the month of Ethanim. + When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests picked up the Ark. + The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the LORD along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it. + There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count! + Then the priests carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple-- the Most Holy Place-- and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim. + The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles. + These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Temple's main room-- the Holy Place-- but not from the outside. They are still there to this day. + Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt. + When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. + The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. + Then Solomon prayed, "O LORD, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness. + Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever! " + Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing: + "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father, + 'From the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. But I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.'" + Then Solomon said, "My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + But the LORD told him, 'You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, + but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.' + "And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father's place, and I now sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + And I have prepared a place there for the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt." + Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, + and he prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. + You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today. + "And now, O LORD, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, 'If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow me as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.' + Now, O God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David, my father. + "But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! + Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. + May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, 'My name will be there.' May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. + May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive. + "If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar in this Temple, + then hear from heaven and judge between your servants-- the accuser and the accused. Punish the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence. + "If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, + then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave their ancestors. + "If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, + then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession. + "If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people's enemies are in the land besieging their towns-- whatever disaster or disease there is-- + and if your people Israel pray about their troubles, raising their hands toward this Temple, + then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. + Then they will fear you as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors. + "In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name, + for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, + then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name. + "If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to the LORD by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, + then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause. + "If they sin against you-- and who has never sinned?-- you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. + But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, 'We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.' + If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors-- toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name-- + then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. + Forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against you. Make their captors merciful to them, + for they are your people-- your special possession-- whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt. + "May your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of your people Israel. May you hear and answer them whenever they cry out to you. + For when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Sovereign LORD, you told your servant Moses that you had set Israel apart from all the nations of the earth to be your own special possession." + When Solomon finished making these prayers and petitions to the LORD, he stood up in front of the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands raised toward heaven. + He stood and in a loud voice blessed the entire congregation of Israel: + "Praise the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses. + May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. + May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. + And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the LORD be before him constantly, day and night, so that the LORD our God may give justice to me and to his people Israel, according to each day's needs. + Then people all over the earth will know that the LORD alone is God and there is no other. + And may you be completely faithful to the LORD our God. May you always obey his decrees and commands, just as you are doing today." + Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the LORD. + Solomon offered to the LORD a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the LORD. + That same day the king consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the LORD's Temple. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar in the LORD's presence was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings. + Then Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters in the presence of the LORD our God. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. The celebration went on for fourteen days in all-- seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Festival of Shelters. + After the festival was over, Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad because the LORD had been good to his servant David and to his people Israel. + + + So Solomon finished building the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do. + Then the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had done before at Gibeon. + The LORD said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy-- this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. + "As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, + then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: 'One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.' + "But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, + then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. + And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads in amazement. They will ask, 'Why did the LORD do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?' + "And the answer will be, 'Because his people abandoned the LORD their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the LORD has brought all these disasters on them.'" + It took Solomon twenty years to build the LORD's Temple and his own royal palace. At the end of that time, + he gave twenty towns in the land of Galilee to King Hiram of Tyre. (Hiram had previously provided all the cedar and cypress timber and gold that Solomon had requested.) + But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, he was not at all pleased with them. + "What kind of towns are these, my brother?" he asked. So Hiram called that area Cabul (which means "worthless"), as it is still known today. + Nevertheless, Hiram paid Solomon 9,000 pounds of gold. + This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD's Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. + (Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer, killing the Canaanite population and burning it down. He gave the city to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married Solomon. + So Solomon rebuilt the city of Gezer.) He also built up the towns of Lower Beth-horon, + Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness within his land. + He built towns as supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses could be stationed. He built everything he desired in Jerusalem and Lebanon and throughout his entire realm. + There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them for his labor force, and they serve in the labor force to this day. + But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers. + Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects. + Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh's daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. Then he constructed the supporting terraces. + Three times each year Solomon presented burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD. He also burned incense to the LORD. And so he finished the work of building the Temple. + King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, a port near Elath in the land of Edom, along the shore of the Red Sea. + Hiram sent experienced crews of sailors to sail the ships with Solomon's men. + They sailed to Ophir and brought back to Solomon some sixteen tons of gold. + + + When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. + She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. + Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. + When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, + she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD. + She exclaimed to the king, "Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! + I didn't believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. + How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! + Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness." + Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + (In addition, Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels. + The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.) + King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land. + Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. + This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds. + He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. + Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. + The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne. + There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it! + All of King Solomon's drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon's day! + The king had a fleet of trading ships that sailed with Hiram's fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. + So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. + People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. + Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. + Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. + The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. + Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king's traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. + At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram. + + + Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. + The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, 'You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.' Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. + He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. + In Solomon's old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God, as his father, David, had been. + Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. + In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD's sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done. + On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. + Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods. + The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. + He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the LORD's command. + So now the LORD said to him, "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. + But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. + And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city." + Then the LORD raised up Hadad the Edomite, a member of Edom's royal family, to be Solomon's adversary. + Years before, David had defeated Edom. Joab, his army commander, had stayed to bury some of the Israelite soldiers who had died in battle. While there, they killed every male in Edom. + Joab and the army of Israel had stayed there for six months, killing them. + But Hadad and a few of his father's royal officials escaped and headed for Egypt. (Hadad was just a boy at the time.) + They set out from Midian and went to Paran, where others joined them. Then they traveled to Egypt and went to Pharaoh, who gave them a home, food, and some land. + Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad, and he gave him his wife's sister in marriage-- the sister of Queen Tahpenes. + She bore him a son named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh's palace among Pharaoh's own sons. + When the news reached Hadad in Egypt that David and his commander Joab were both dead, he said to Pharaoh, "Let me return to my own country." + "Why?" Pharaoh asked him. "What do you lack here that makes you want to go home?" "Nothing," he replied. "But even so, please let me return home." + God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon's adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah, + and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king. + Rezon was Israel's bitter adversary for the rest of Solomon's reign, and he made trouble, just as Hadad did. Rezon hated Israel intensely and continued to reign in Aram. + Another rebel leader was Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon's own officials. He came from the town of Zeredah in Ephraim, and his mother was Zeruah, a widow. + This is the story behind his rebellion. Solomon was rebuilding the supporting terraces and repairing the walls of the city of his father, David. + Jeroboam was a very capable young man, and when Solomon saw how industrious he was, he put him in charge of the labor force from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph. + One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone in a field, + and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. + Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you! + But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. + For Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did. + " 'But I will not take the entire kingdom from Solomon at this time. For the sake of my servant David, the one whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees, I will keep Solomon as leader for the rest of his life. + But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you. + His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name. + And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires. + If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you. + Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David-- though not forever.'" + Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died. + The rest of the events in Solomon's reign, including all his deeds and his wisdom, are recorded in [The Book of the Acts of Solomon.] + Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. + When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king. + + + Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. + When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. + The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. + "Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects." + Rehoboam replied, "Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer." So the people went away. + Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?" + The older counselors replied, "If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects." + But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. + "What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?" + The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist! + Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!'" + Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam's decision, just as the king had ordered. + But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors + and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, "My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!" + So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the LORD, for it fulfilled the LORD's message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. + When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!" So the people of Israel returned home. + But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah. + King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the labor force, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. + And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David. + When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam's return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David. + When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin-- 180,000 select troops-- to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself. + But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God, + "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, + 'This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!' " So they obeyed the message of the LORD and went home, as the LORD had commanded. + Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel. + Jeroboam thought to himself, "Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. + When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead." + So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, "It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!" + He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan-- at either end of his kingdom. + But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there. + Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people-- those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi. + And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made. + So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense. + + + At the LORD's command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to burn incense. + Then at the LORD's command, he shouted, "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you." + That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, "The LORD has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground." + When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, "Seize that man!" But instantly the king's hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn't pull it back. + At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the LORD. + The king cried out to the man of God, "Please ask the LORD your God to restore my hand again!" So the man of God prayed to the LORD, and the king's hand was restored and he could move it again. + Then the king said to the man of God, "Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift." + But the man of God said to the king, "Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place. + For the LORD gave me this command: 'You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'" + So he left Bethel and went home another way. + As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king. + The old prophet asked them, "Which way did he go?" So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken. + "Quick, saddle the donkey," the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it. + Then he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. The old prophet asked him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" "Yes, I am," he replied. + Then he said to the man of God, "Come home with me and eat some food." + "No, I cannot," he replied. "I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. + For the LORD gave me this command: 'You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'" + But the old prophet answered, "I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the LORD: 'Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.' " But the old man was lying to him. + So they went back together, and the man of God ate and drank at the prophet's home. + Then while they were sitting at the table, a command from the LORD came to the old prophet. + He cried out to the man of God from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: You have defied the word of the LORD and have disobeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. + You came back to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors." + After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet saddled his own donkey for him, + and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. + People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived. + When the prophet heard the report, he said, "It is the man of God who disobeyed the LORD's command. The LORD has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him." + Then the prophet said to his sons, "Saddle a donkey for me." So they saddled a donkey, + and he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey. + So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the donkey and took it back to the town to mourn over him and bury him. + He laid the body in his own grave, crying out in grief, "Oh, my brother!" + Afterward the prophet said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. + For the message the LORD told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true." + But even after this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways. He continued to choose priests from the common people. He appointed anyone who wanted to become a priest for the pagan shrines. + This became a great sin and resulted in the utter destruction of Jeroboam's dynasty from the face of the earth. + + + At that time Jeroboam's son Abijah became very sick. + So Jeroboam told his wife, "Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh-- the man who told me I would become king. + Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy." + So Jeroboam's wife went to Ahijah's home at Shiloh. He was an old man now and could no longer see. + But the LORD had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife will come here, pretending to be someone else. She will ask you about her son, for he is very sick. Give her the answer I give you." + So when Ahijah heard her footsteps at the door, he called out, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else?" Then he told her, "I have bad news for you. + Give your husband, Jeroboam, this message from the LORD, the God of Israel: 'I promoted you from the ranks of the common people and made you ruler over my people Israel. + I ripped the kingdom away from the family of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David, who obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart and always did whatever I wanted. + You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me, + I will bring disaster on your dynasty and will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. I will burn up your royal dynasty as one burns up trash until it is all gone. + The members of Jeroboam's family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures. I, the LORD, have spoken.'" + Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam's wife, "Go on home, and when you enter the city, the child will die. + All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only member of your family who will have a proper burial, for this child is the only good thing that the LORD, the God of Israel, sees in the entire family of Jeroboam. + "In addition, the LORD will raise up a king over Israel who will destroy the family of Jeroboam. This will happen today, even now! + Then the LORD will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the LORD with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship. + He will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin along with him." + So Jeroboam's wife returned to Tirzah, and the child died just as she walked through the door of her home. + And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, as the LORD had promised through the prophet Ahijah. + The rest of the events in Jeroboam's reign, including all his wars and how he ruled, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + Jeroboam reigned in Israel twenty-two years. When Jeroboam died, his son Nadab became the next king. + Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman. + During Rehoboam's reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, provoking his anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors. + For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. + There were even male and female shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. + In the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. + He ransacked the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. + King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. + Whenever the king went to the Temple of the LORD, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom. + The rest of the events in Rehoboam's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + There was constant war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. + When Rehoboam died, he was buried among his ancestors in the City of David. His mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman. Then his son Abijam became the next king. + + + Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel. + He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom. + He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had been. + But for David's sake, the LORD his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem. + For David had done what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and had obeyed the LORD's commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite. + There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam throughout Abijam's reign. + The rest of the events in Abijam's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] There was constant war between Abijam and Jeroboam. + When Abijam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. + Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel. + He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom. + Asa did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, as his ancestor David had done. + He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. + He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. + Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa's heart remained completely faithful to the LORD throughout his life. + He brought into the Temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated. + There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel. + King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa's territory in Judah. + Asa responded by removing all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it with some of his officials to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: + "Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone." + Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, and all the land of Naphtali. + As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. + Then King Asa sent an order throughout Judah, requiring that everyone, without exception, help to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the town of Geba in Benjamin and the town of Mizpah. + The rest of the events in Asa's reign-- the extent of his power, everything he did, and the names of the cities he built-- are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] In his old age his feet became diseased. + When Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.Then Jehoshaphat, Asa's son, became the next king. + Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years. + But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. + Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon. + Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa's reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel. + He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the LORD had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. + This was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit. + The rest of the events in Nadab's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel. + Baasha son of Ahijah began to rule over all Israel in the third year of King Asa's reign in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years. + But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. + + + This message from the LORD was delivered to King Baasha by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani: + "I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler of my people Israel, but you have followed the evil example of Jeroboam. You have provoked my anger by causing my people Israel to sin. + So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat. + The members of Baasha's family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures." + The rest of the events in Baasha's reign and the extent of his power are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Baasha died, he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became the next king. + The message from the LORD against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the LORD's sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The LORD's anger was provoked by Baasha's sins. + Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years. + Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace. + Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa's reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king. + Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, leaving him not even a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends. + So Zimri destroyed the dynasty of Baasha as the LORD had promised through the prophet Jehu. + This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed, and because of the sins they led Israel to commit. They provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. + The rest of the events in Elah's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + Zimri began to rule over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa's reign in Judah, but his reign in Tirzah lasted only seven days. The army of Israel was then attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon. + When they heard that Zimri had committed treason and had assassinated the king, that very day they chose Omri, commander of the army, as the new king of Israel. + So Omri led the entire army of Israel up from Gibbethon to attack Tirzah, Israel's capital. + When Zimri saw that the city had been taken, he went into the citadel of the palace and burned it down over himself and died in the flames. + For he, too, had done what was evil in the LORD's sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. + The rest of the events in Zimri's reign and his conspiracy are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + But now the people of Israel were split into two factions. Half the people tried to make Tibni son of Ginath their king, while the other half supported Omri. + But Omri's supporters defeated the supporters of Tibni. So Tibni was killed, and Omri became the next king. + Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-first year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned twelve years in all, six of them in Tirzah. + Then Omri bought the hill now known as Samaria from its owner, Shemer, for 150 pounds of silver. He built a city on it and called the city Samaria in honor of Shemer. + But Omri did what was evil in the LORD's sight, even more than any of the kings before him. + He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. The people provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. + The rest of the events in Omri's reign, the extent of his power, and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Omri died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Ahab became the next king. + Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. + But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the LORD's sight, even more than any of the kings before him. + And as though it were not enough to follow the example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. + First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. + Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him. + It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub. This all happened according to the message from the LORD concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun. + + + Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, "As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives-- the God I serve-- there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!" + Then the LORD said to Elijah, + "Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. + Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food." + So Elijah did as the LORD told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. + The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. + But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land. + Then the LORD said to Elijah, + "Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you." + So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, "Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?" + As she was going to get it, he called to her, "Bring me a bite of bread, too." + But she said, "I swear by the LORD your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die." + But Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you've said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what's left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. + For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!" + So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. + There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. + Some time later the woman's son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. + Then she said to Elijah, "O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?" + But Elijah replied, "Give me your son." And he took the child's body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. + Then Elijah cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?" + And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, please let this child's life return to him." + The LORD heard Elijah's prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! + Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. "Look!" he said. "Your son is alive!" + Then the woman told Elijah, "Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you." + + + Later on, in the third year of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!" + So Elijah went to appear before Ahab.Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. + So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the LORD. + Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.) + Ahab said to Obadiah, "We must check every spring and valley in the land to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules." + So they divided the land between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. + As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and bowed low to the ground before him. "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" he asked. + "Yes, it is," Elijah replied. "Now go and tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'" + "Oh, sir," Obadiah protested, "what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab? + For I swear by the LORD your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, 'Elijah isn't here,' King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim. + And now you say, 'Go and tell your master, "Elijah is here."' + But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the LORD all my life. + Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the LORD's prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water. + And now you say, 'Go and tell your master, "Elijah is here." ' Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me." + But Elijah said, "I swear by the LORD Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day." + So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah. + When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, "So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?" + "I have made no trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. + Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel. " + So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. + Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent. + Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. + Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. + Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed. + Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood." + So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. + About noontime Elijah began mocking them. "You'll have to shout louder," he scoffed, "for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!" + So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. + They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response. + Then Elijah called to the people, "Come over here!" They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. + He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, + and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. + He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood." + After they had done this, he said, "Do the same thing again!" And when they were finished, he said, "Now do it a third time!" So they did as he said, + and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. + At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. + O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself." + Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! + And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The LORD-- he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!" + Then Elijah commanded, "Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one escape!" So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there. + Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!" + So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. + Then he said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea." The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, "I didn't see anything." Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. + Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, "I saw a little cloud about the size of a man's hand rising from the sea." Then Elijah shouted, "Hurry to Ahab and tell him, 'Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don't hurry, the rain will stop you!'" + And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. + Then the LORD gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel. + + + When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. + So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them." + Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. + Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died." + Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, "Get up and eat!" + He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. + Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you." + So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. + There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the LORD said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" + Elijah replied, "I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too." + "Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. + And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. + When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" + He replied again, "I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too." + Then the LORD told him, "Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. + Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. + Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! + Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!" + So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. + Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, "First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!" Elijah replied, "Go on back, but think about what I have done to you." + So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. + + + About that time King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Israel, and launched attacks against it. + Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: "This is what Ben-hadad says: + 'Your silver and gold are mine, and so are your wives and the best of your children!'" + "All right, my lord the king," Israel's king replied. "All that I have is yours!" + Soon Ben-hadad's messengers returned again and said, "This is what Ben-hadad says: 'I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children. + But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your people. They will take away everything you consider valuable!'" + Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, "Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold." + "Don't give in to any more demands," all the elders and the people advised. + So Ahab told the messengers from Ben-hadad, "Say this to my lord the king: 'I will give you everything you asked for the first time, but I cannot accept this last demand of yours.' " So the messengers returned to Ben-hadad with that response. + Then Ben-hadad sent this message to Ahab: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if there remains enough dust from Samaria to provide even a handful for each of my soldiers." + The king of Israel sent back this answer: "A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won." + Ahab's reply reached Ben-hadad and the other kings as they were drinking in their tents. "Prepare to attack!" Ben-hadad commanded his officers. So they prepared to attack the city. + Then a certain prophet came to see King Ahab of Israel and told him, "This is what the LORD says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD." + Ahab asked, "How will he do it?" And the prophet replied, "This is what the LORD says: The troops of the provincial commanders will do it." "Should we attack first?" Ahab asked."Yes," the prophet answered. + So Ahab mustered the troops of the 232 provincial commanders. Then he called out the rest of the army of Israel, some 7,000 men. + About noontime, as Ben-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still in their tents drinking themselves into a stupor, + the troops of the provincial commanders marched out of the city as the first contingent.As they approached, Ben-hadad's scouts reported to him, "Some troops are coming from Samaria." + "Take them alive," Ben-hadad commanded, "whether they have come for peace or for war." + But Ahab's provincial commanders and the entire army had now come out to fight. + Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses. + However, the king of Israel destroyed the other horses and chariots and slaughtered the Arameans. + Afterward the prophet said to King Ahab, "Get ready for another attack. Begin making plans now, for the king of Aram will come back next spring. " + After their defeat, Ben-hadad's officers said to him, "The Israelite gods are gods of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains. + Only this time replace the kings with field commanders! + Recruit another army like the one you lost. Give us the same number of horses, chariots, and men, and we will fight against them on the plains. There's no doubt that we will beat them." So King Ben-hadad did as they suggested. + The following spring he called up the Aramean army and marched out against Israel, this time at Aphek. + Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside! + Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: The Arameans have said, 'The LORD is a god of the hills and not of the plains.' So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the LORD." + The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day. + The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ben-hadad fled into the town and hid in a secret room. + Ben-hadad's officers said to him, "Sir, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. So let's humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Then perhaps he will let you live." + So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live!' " The king of Israel responded, "Is he still alive? He is my brother!" + The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. "Yes," they said, "your brother Ben-hadad!" "Go and get him," the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot. + Ben-hadad told him, "I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Then Ahab said, "I will release you under these conditions." So they made a new treaty, and Ben-hadad was set free. + Meanwhile, the LORD instructed one of the group of prophets to say to another man, "Hit me!" But the man refused to hit the prophet. + Then the prophet told him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." And when he had gone, a lion did attack and kill him. + Then the prophet turned to another man and said, "Hit me!" So he struck the prophet and wounded him. + The prophet placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king. + As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Sir, I was in the thick of battle, and suddenly a man brought me a prisoner. He said, 'Guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver!' + But while I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared!" "Well, it's your own fault," the king replied. "You have brought the judgment on yourself." + Then the prophet quickly pulled the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. + The prophet said to him, "This is what the LORD says: Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people." + So the king of Israel went home to Samaria angry and sullen. + + + Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. + One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it." + But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors." + So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth's answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat! + "What's the matter?" his wife Jezebel asked him. "What's made you so upset that you're not eating?" + "I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or trade it, but he refused!" Ahab told her. + "Are you the king of Israel or not?" Jezebel demanded. "Get up and eat something, and don't worry about it. I'll get you Naboth's vineyard!" + So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived. + In her letters she commanded: "Call the citizens together for fasting and prayer, and give Naboth a place of honor. + And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death." + So the elders and other town leaders followed the instructions Jezebel had written in the letters. + They called for a fast and put Naboth at a prominent place before the people. + Then the two scoundrels came and sat down across from him. And they accused Naboth before all the people, saying, "He cursed God and the king." So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death. + The town leaders then sent word to Jezebel, "Naboth has been stoned to death." + When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, "You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn't sell you? Well, you can have it now! He's dead!" + So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it. + But the LORD said to Elijah, + "Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth's vineyard in Jezreel, claiming it for himself. + Give him this message: 'This is what the LORD says: Wasn't it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood at the very place where they licked the blood of Naboth!'" + "So, my enemy, you have found me!" Ahab exclaimed to Elijah."Yes," Elijah answered, "I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the LORD's sight. + So now the LORD says, 'I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel! + I am going to destroy your family as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me very angry and have led Israel into sin.' + "And regarding Jezebel, the LORD says, 'Dogs will eat Jezebel's body at the plot of land in Jezreel. ' + "The members of Ahab's family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures." + (No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the LORD's sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. + His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done-- the people whom the LORD had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.) + But when Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning. + Then another message from the LORD came to Elijah: + "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty." + + + For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. + Then during the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel. + During the visit, the king of Israel said to his officials, "Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? And yet we've done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!" + Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, "Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses." + Then Jehoshaphat added, "But first let's find out what the LORD says." + So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, "Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" They all replied, "Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory." + But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here? We should ask him the same question." + The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, "There is one more man who could consult the LORD for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat replied, "That's not the way a king should talk! Let's hear what he has to say." + So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah." + King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab's prophets were prophesying there in front of them. + One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, "This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!" + All the other prophets agreed. "Yes," they said, "go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!" + Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, "Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success." + But Micaiah replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what the LORD tells me to say." + When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?" Micaiah replied sarcastically, "Yes, go up and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!" + But the king replied sharply, "How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the LORD?" + Then Micaiah told him, "In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.' " + "Didn't I tell you?" the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. "He never prophesies anything but trouble for me." + Then Micaiah continued, "Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. + And the LORD said, 'Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?'"There were many suggestions, + and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, 'I can do it!' + " 'How will you do this?' the LORD asked."And the spirit replied, 'I will go out and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to speak lies.'" 'You will succeed,' said the LORD. 'Go ahead and do it.' + "So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the LORD has pronounced your doom." + Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. "Since when did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" he demanded. + And Micaiah replied, "You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!" + "Arrest him!" the king of Israel ordered. "Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. + Give them this order from the king: 'Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!'" + But Micaiah replied, "If you return safely, it will mean that the LORD has not spoken through me!" Then he added to those standing around, "Everyone mark my words!" + So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. + Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his thirty-two chariot commanders: "Attack only the king of Israel. Don't bother with anyone else!" + So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they shouted. But when Jehoshaphat called out, + the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped chasing him. + An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. "Turn the horses and get me out of here!" Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. "I'm badly wounded!" + The battle raged all that day, and the king remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died. + Just as the sun was setting, the cry ran through his troops: "We're done for! Run for your lives!" + So the king died, and his body was taken to Samaria and buried there. + Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the LORD had promised. + The rest of the events in Ahab's reign and everything he did, including the story of the ivory palace and the towns he built, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became the next king. + Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab's reign in Israel. + Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. + Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the example of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. + Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. + The rest of the events in Jehoshaphat's reign, the extent of his power, and the wars he waged are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + He banished from the land the rest of the male and female shrine prostitutes, who still continued their practices from the days of his father, Asa. + (There was no king in Edom at that time, only a deputy.) + Jehoshaphat also built a fleet of trading ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But the ships never set sail, for they met with disaster in their home port of Ezion-geber. + At one time Ahaziah son of Ahab had proposed to Jehoshaphat, "Let my men sail with your men in the ships." But Jehoshaphat refused the request. + When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king. + Ahaziah son of Ahab began to rule over Israel in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria two years. + But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight, following the example of his father and mother and the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel to sin. + He served Baal and worshiped him, provoking the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done. + + + + + After King Ahab's death, the land of Moab rebelled against Israel. + One day Israel's new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. + But the angel of the LORD told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, "Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? + Now, therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.' " So Elijah went to deliver the message. + When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you returned so soon?" + They replied, "A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. 'This is what the LORD says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.'" + "What sort of man was he?" the king demanded. "What did he look like?" + They replied, "He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist." "Elijah from Tishbe!" the king exclaimed. + Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, "Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us." + But Elijah replied to the captain, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all. + So the king sent another captain with fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, the king demands that you come down at once." + Elijah replied, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!" And again the fire of God fell from heaven and killed them all. + Once more the king sent a third captain with fifty men. But this time the captain went up the hill and fell to his knees before Elijah. He pleaded with him, "O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. + See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!" + Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him, and don't be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went with him to the king. + And Elijah said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die." + So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. Since Ahaziah did not have a son to succeed him, his brother Joram became the next king. This took place in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. + The rest of the events in Ahaziah's reign are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + + + When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. + And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Bethel." But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!" So they went down together to Bethel. + The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it." + Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Jericho." But Elisha replied again, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together to Jericho. + Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it." + Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River." But again Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together. + Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. + Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground! + When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away." And Elisha replied, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor." + "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah replied. "If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won't." + As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. + Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. + Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. + He struck the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" Then the river divided, and Elisha went across. + When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, "Elijah's spirit rests upon Elisha!" And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. + "Sir," they said, "just say the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has left him on some mountain or in some valley." "No," Elisha said, "don't send them." + But they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, "All right, send them." So fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah. + Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. "Didn't I tell you not to go?" he asked. + One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. "We have a problem, my lord," they told him. "This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive." + Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl with salt in it." So they brought it to him. + Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, "This is what the LORD says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility. " + And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said. + Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. "Go away, baldy!" they chanted. "Go away, baldy!" + Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them. + From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria. + + + Ahab's son Joram began to rule over Israel in the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twelve years. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not to the same extent as his father and mother. He at least tore down the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had set up. + Nevertheless, he continued in the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed and led the people of Israel to commit. + King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. He used to pay the king of Israel an annual tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. + But after Ahab's death, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. + So King Joram promptly mustered the army of Israel and marched from Samaria. + On the way, he sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you join me in battle against him?" And Jehoshaphat replied, "Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses." + Then Jehoshaphat asked, "What route will we take?" "We will attack from the wilderness of Edom," Joram replied. + The king of Edom and his troops joined them, and all three armies traveled along a roundabout route through the wilderness for seven days. But there was no water for the men or their animals. + "What should we do?" the king of Israel cried out. "The LORD has brought the three of us here to let the king of Moab defeat us." + But King Jehoshaphat of Judah asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD with us? If there is, we can ask the LORD what to do through him." One of King Joram's officers replied, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to be Elijah's personal assistant. " + Jehoshaphat said, "Yes, the LORD speaks through him." So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom went to consult with Elisha. + "Why are you coming to me?" Elisha asked the king of Israel. "Go to the pagan prophets of your father and mother!" But King Joram of Israel said, "No! For it was the LORD who called us three kings here-- only to be defeated by the king of Moab!" + Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I wouldn't even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah. + Now bring me someone who can play the harp." While the harp was being played, the power of the LORD came upon Elisha, + and he said, "This is what the LORD says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water! + You will see neither wind nor rain, says the LORD, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals. + But this is only a simple thing for the LORD, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab! + You will conquer the best of their towns, even the fortified ones. You will cut down all their good trees, stop up all their springs, and ruin all their good land with stones." + The next day at about the time when the morning sacrifice was offered, water suddenly appeared! It was flowing from the direction of Edom, and soon there was water everywhere. + Meanwhile, when the people of Moab heard about the three armies marching against them, they mobilized every man who was old enough to strap on a sword, and they stationed themselves along their border. + But when they got up the next morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it appear red to the Moabites-- like blood. + "It's blood!" the Moabites exclaimed. "The three armies must have attacked and killed each other! Let's go, men of Moab, and collect the plunder!" + But when the Moabites arrived at the Israelite camp, the army of Israel rushed out and attacked them until they turned and ran. The army of Israel chased them into the land of Moab, destroying everything as they went. + They destroyed the towns, covered their good land with stones, stopped up all the springs, and cut down all the good trees. Finally, only Kir-hareseth and its stone walls were left, but men with slings surrounded and attacked it. + When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led 700 of his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines near the king of Edom, but they failed. + Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land. + + + One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves." + "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied. + And Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. + Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled." + So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. + Soon every container was full to the brim!"Bring me another jar," she said to one of her sons."There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. + When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over." + One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat. + She said to her husband, "I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. + Let's build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by." + One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. + He said to his servant Gehazi, "Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her." When she appeared, + Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tell her, 'We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?' " "No," she replied, "my family takes good care of me." + Later Elisha asked Gehazi, "What can we do for her?" Gehazi replied, "She doesn't have a son, and her husband is an old man." + "Call her back again," Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, + "Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!" "No, my lord!" she cried. "O man of God, don't deceive me and get my hopes up like that." + But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said. + One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. + Suddenly he cried out, "My head hurts! My head hurts!" His father said to one of the servants, "Carry him home to his mother." + So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. + She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. + She sent a message to her husband: "Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back." + "Why go today?" he asked. "It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath." But she said, "It will be all right." + So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, "Hurry! Don't slow down unless I tell you to." + As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, "Look, the woman from Shunem is coming. + Run out to meet her and ask her, 'Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?' " "Yes," the woman told Gehazi, "everything is fine." + But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the LORD has not told me what it is." + Then she said, "Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn't I say, 'Don't deceive me and get my hopes up'?" + Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don't talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child's face." + But the boy's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I won't go home unless you go with me." So Elisha returned with her. + Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child's face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, "The child is still dead." + When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet's bed. + He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD. + Then he lay down on the child's body, placing his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the child's eyes, and his hands on the child's hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child's body began to grow warm again! + Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes! + Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. "Call the child's mother!" he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, "Here, take your son!" + She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs. + Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, "Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group." + One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous. + Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, "Man of God, there's poison in this stew!" So they would not eat it. + Elisha said, "Bring me some flour." Then he threw it into the pot and said, "Now it's all right; go ahead and eat." And then it did not harm them. + One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, "Give it to the people so they can eat." + "What?" his servant exclaimed. "Feed a hundred people with only this?" But Elisha repeated, "Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the LORD says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!" + And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the LORD had promised. + + + The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. + At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid. + One day the girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy." + So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. + "Go and visit the prophet," the king of Aram told him. "I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel." So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. + The letter to the king of Israel said: "With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy." + When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, "This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he's just trying to pick a fight with me." + But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: "Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel." + So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house. + But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy." + But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! + Aren't the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?" So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. + But his officers tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!' " + So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child's, and he was healed! + Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant." + But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts." And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused. + Then Naaman said, "All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD. + However, may the LORD pardon me in this one thing: When my master the king goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship there and leans on my arm, may the LORD pardon me when I bow, too." + "Go in peace," Elisha said. So Naaman started home again. + But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, "My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the LORD lives, I will chase after him and get something from him." + So Gehazi set off after Naaman.When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. "Is everything all right?" Naaman asked. + "Yes," Gehazi said, "but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them." + "By all means, take twice as much silver," Naaman insisted. He gave him two sets of clothing, tied up the money in two bags, and sent two of his servants to carry the gifts for Gehazi. + But when they arrived at the citadel, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house. + When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" "I haven't been anywhere," he replied. + But Elisha asked him, "Don't you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? + Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman's leprosy forever." When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow. + + + One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. + Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." "All right," he told them, "go ahead." + "Please come with us," someone suggested."I will," he said. + So he went with them.When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. + But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. "Oh, sir!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!" + "Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. + "Grab it," Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it. + When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, "We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place." + But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there." + So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there. + The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, "Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?" + "It's not us, my lord the king," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!" + "Go and find out where he is," the king commanded, "so I can send troops to seize him." And the report came back: "Elisha is at Dothan." + So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. + When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Oh, sir, what will we do now?" the young man cried to Elisha. + "Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" + Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. + As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, please make them blind." So the LORD struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked. + Then Elisha went out and told them, "You have come the wrong way! This isn't the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to the city of Samaria. + As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria. + When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?" + "Of course not!" Elisha replied. "Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master." + So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel. + Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria. + As a result, there was a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey's head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove's dung sold for five pieces of silver. + One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, "Please help me, my lord the king!" + He answered, "If the LORD doesn't help you, what can I do? I have neither food from the threshing floor nor wine from the press to give you." + But then the king asked, "What is the matter?" She replied, "This woman said to me: 'Come on, let's eat your son today, then we will eat my son tomorrow.' + So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said to her, 'Kill your son so we can eat him,' but she has hidden her son." + When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin. + "May God strike me and even kill me if I don't separate Elisha's head from his shoulders this very day," the king vowed. + Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "A murderer has sent a man to cut off my head. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. We will soon hear his master's steps following him." + While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, "All this misery is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" + + + Elisha replied, "Listen to this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver. " + The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, "That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" But Elisha replied, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" + Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. "Why should we sit here waiting to die?" they asked each other. + "We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway." + So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! + For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. "The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!" they cried to one another. + So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives. + When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. + Finally, they said to each other, "This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace." + So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. "We went out to the Aramean camp," they said, "and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn't a single person around!" + Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace. + The king got out of bed in the middle of the night and told his officers, "I know what has happened. The Arameans know we are starving, so they have left their camp and have hidden in the fields. They are expecting us to leave the city, and then they will take us alive and capture the city." + One of his officers replied, "We had better send out scouts to check into this. Let them take five of the remaining horses. If something happens to them, it will be no worse than if they stay here and die with the rest of us." + So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. + They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. + Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp. So it was true that five quarts of choice flour were sold that day for one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain were sold for one piece of silver, just as the LORD had promised. + The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out.So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house. + The man of God had said to the king, "By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost one piece of silver." + The king's officer had replied, "That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" And the man of God had said, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" + And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate! + + + Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, "Take your family and move to some other place, for the LORD has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years." + So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years. + After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land. + As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, "Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done." + And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land."Look, my lord the king!" Gehazi exclaimed. "Here is the woman now, and this is her son-- the very one Elisha brought back to life!" + "Is this true?" the king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence. + Elisha went to Damascus, the capital of Aram, where King Ben-hadad lay sick. When someone told the king that the man of God had come, + the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift to the man of God. Then tell him to ask the LORD, 'Will I recover from this illness?'" + So Hazael loaded down forty camels with the finest products of Damascus as a gift for Elisha. He went to him and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, has sent me to ask, 'Will I recover from this illness?'" + And Elisha replied, "Go and tell him, 'You will surely recover.' But actually the LORD has shown me that he will surely die!" + Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. + "What's the matter, my lord?" Hazael asked him.Elisha replied, "I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!" + Hazael responded, "How could a nobody like me ever accomplish such great things?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram." + When Hazael left Elisha and went back, the king asked him, "What did Elisha tell you?" And Hazael replied, "He told me that you will surely recover." + But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king's face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram. + Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to rule over Judah in the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel. + Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. + But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the LORD's sight. + But the LORD did not want to destroy Judah, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever. + During Jehoram's reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. + So Jehoram went with all his chariots to attack the town of Zair. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. But Jehoram's army deserted him and fled to their homes. + So Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. + The rest of the events in Jehoram's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + When Jehoram died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Ahaziah became the next king. + Ahaziah son of Jehoram began to rule over Judah in the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. + Ahaziah followed the evil example of King Ahab's family. He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Ahab's family had done, for he was related by marriage to the family of Ahab. + Ahaziah joined Joram son of Ahab, the king of Israel, in his war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. When the Arameans wounded King Joram in the battle, + he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had received at Ramoth. Because Joram was wounded, King Ahaziah of Judah went to Jezreel to visit him. + + + Meanwhile, Elisha the prophet had summoned a member of the group of prophets. "Get ready to travel," he told him, "and take this flask of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth-gilead, + and find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Call him into a private room away from his friends, + and pour the oil over his head. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you to be the king over Israel.' Then open the door and run for your life!" + So the young prophet did as he was told and went to Ramoth-gilead. + When he arrived there, he found Jehu sitting around with the other army officers. "I have a message for you, Commander," he said."For which one of us?" Jehu asked."For you, Commander," he replied. + So Jehu left the others and went into the house. Then the young prophet poured the oil over Jehu's head and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the LORD's people, Israel. + You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of my prophets and all the LORD's servants who were killed by Jezebel. + The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out. I will destroy every one of his male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. + I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah. + Dogs will eat Ahab's wife Jezebel at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury her." Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. + Jehu went back to his fellow officers, and one of them asked him, "What did that madman want? Is everything all right?" "You know how a man like that babbles on," Jehu replied. + "You're hiding something," they said. "Tell us." So Jehu told them, "He said to me, 'This is what the LORD says: I have anointed you to be king over Israel.'" + Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram's horn, shouting, "Jehu is king!" + So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, led a conspiracy against King Joram. (Now Joram had been with the army at Ramoth-gilead, defending Israel against the forces of King Hazael of Aram. + But King Joram was wounded in the fighting and returned to Jezreel to recover from his wounds.) So Jehu told the men with him, "If you want me to be king, don't let anyone leave town and go to Jezreel to report what we have done." + Then Jehu got into a chariot and rode to Jezreel to find King Joram, who was lying there wounded. King Ahaziah of Judah was there, too, for he had gone to visit him. + The watchman on the tower of Jezreel saw Jehu and his company approaching, so he shouted to Joram, "I see a company of troops coming!" "Send out a rider to ask if they are coming in peace," King Joram ordered. + So a horseman went out to meet Jehu and said, "The king wants to know if you are coming in peace." Jehu replied, "What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!" The watchman called out to the king, "The messenger has met them, but he's not returning." + So the king sent out a second horseman. He rode up to them and said, "The king wants to know if you come in peace." Again Jehu answered, "What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!" + The watchman exclaimed, "The messenger has met them, but he isn't returning either! It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he's driving like a madman." + "Quick! Get my chariot ready!" King Joram commanded.Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of land that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. + King Joram demanded, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" Jehu replied, "How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?" + Then King Joram turned the horses around and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, "Treason, Ahaziah!" + But Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot. + Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, "Throw him into the plot of land that belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. Do you remember when you and I were riding along behind his father, Ahab? The LORD pronounced this message against him: + 'I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on this plot of land, says the LORD, for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.' So throw him out on Naboth's property, just as the LORD said." + When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu rode after him, shouting, "Shoot him, too!" So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot at the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to go on as far as Megiddo, but he died there. + His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem, where they buried him with his ancestors in the City of David. + Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab. + When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window. + When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, "Have you come in peace, you murderer? You're just like Zimri, who murdered his master!" + Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, "Who is on my side?" And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. + "Throw her down!" Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses' hooves. + Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he said, "Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king." + But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands. + When they returned and told Jehu, he stated, "This fulfills the message from the LORD, which he spoke through his servant Elijah from Tishbe: 'At the plot of land in Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel's body. + Her remains will be scattered like dung on the plot of land in Jezreel, so that no one will be able to recognize her.'" + + + Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city, and to the guardians of King Ahab's sons. He said, + "The king's sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons. As soon as you receive this letter, + select the best qualified of your master's sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab's dynasty." + But they were paralyzed with fear and said, "We've seen that two kings couldn't stand against this man! What can we do?" + So the palace and city administrators, together with the elders and the guardians of the king's sons, sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants and will do anything you tell us. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think is best." + Jehu responded with a second letter: "If you are on my side and are going to obey me, bring the heads of your master's sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the seventy sons of the king were being cared for by the leaders of Samaria, where they had been raised since childhood. + When the letter arrived, the leaders killed all seventy of the king's sons. They placed their heads in baskets and presented them to Jehu at Jezreel. + A messenger went to Jehu and said, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." So Jehu ordered, "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate, and leave them there until morning." + In the morning he went out and spoke to the crowd that had gathered around them. "You are not to blame," he told them. "I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? + You can be sure that the message of the LORD that was spoken concerning Ahab's family will not fail. The LORD declared through his servant Elijah that this would happen." + Then Jehu killed all who were left of Ahab's relatives living in Jezreel and all his important officials, his personal friends, and his priests. So Ahab was left without a single survivor. + Then Jehu set out for Samaria. Along the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, + he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. "Who are you?" he asked them.And they replied, "We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to visit the sons of King Ahab and the sons of the queen mother." + "Take them alive!" Jehu shouted to his men. And they captured all forty-two of them and killed them at the well of Beth-eked. None of them escaped. + When Jehu left there, he met Jehonadab son of Recab, who was coming to meet him. After they had greeted each other, Jehu said to him, "Are you as loyal to me as I am to you?" "Yes, I am," Jehonadab replied."If you are," Jehu said, "then give me your hand." So Jehonadab put out his hand, and Jehu helped him into the chariot. + Then Jehu said, "Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the LORD." So Jehonadab rode along with him. + When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab's family, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. + Then Jehu called a meeting of all the people of the city and said to them, "Ahab's worship of Baal was nothing compared to the way I will worship him! + Therefore, summon all the prophets and worshipers of Baal, and call together all his priests. See to it that every one of them comes, for I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who fails to come will be put to death." But Jehu's cunning plan was to destroy all the worshipers of Baal. + Then Jehu ordered, "Prepare a solemn assembly to worship Baal!" So they did. + He sent messengers throughout all Israel summoning those who worshiped Baal. They all came-- not a single one remained behind-- and they filled the temple of Baal from one end to the other. + And Jehu instructed the keeper of the wardrobe, "Be sure that every worshiper of Baal wears one of these robes." So robes were given to them. + Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jehonadab son of Recab. Jehu said to the worshipers of Baal, "Make sure no one who worships the LORD is here-- only those who worship Baal." + So they were all inside the temple to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside the building and had warned them, "If you let anyone escape, you will pay for it with your own life." + As soon as Jehu had finished sacrificing the burnt offering, he commanded his guards and officers, "Go in and kill all of them. Don't let a single one escape!" So they killed them all with their swords, and the guards and officers dragged their bodies outside. Then Jehu's men went into the innermost fortress of the temple of Baal. + They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and burned it. + They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day. + In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel. + He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin. + Nonetheless the LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation." + But Jehu did not obey the Law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. + At about that time the LORD began to cut down the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country + east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan. + The rest of the events in Jehu's reign-- everything he did and all his achievements-- are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king. + In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years. + + + When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family. + But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered. + Joash remained hidden in the Temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land. + In the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the LORD. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD's Temple; then he showed them the king's son. + Jehoiada told them, "This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself. + Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace. + The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the LORD's Temple. + Form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through. Stay with the king wherever he goes." + So the commanders did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest, + and he supplied them with the spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the LORD. + The palace guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar. + Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king's son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God's laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!" + When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the palace guards and the people, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening. + When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, "Treason! Treason!" + Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, "Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her." For the priest had said, "She must not be killed in the Temple of the LORD." + So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. + And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the LORD. + Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the palace guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne. + So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king's palace. + Joash was seven years old when he became king. + + + Joash began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu's reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. + All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. + Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. + One day King Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the LORD's Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift. + Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple." + But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. + So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, "Why haven't you repaired the Temple? Don't use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs." + So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple. + Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest. + Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the LORD's Temple and put it into bags. + Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the LORD's Temple-- the carpenters, the builders, + the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy the timber and the finished stone needed for repairing the LORD's Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple's restoration. + The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver bowls, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the LORD. + It was paid to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs. + No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men. + However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the LORD's Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use. + About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. + King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem. + The rest of the events in Joash's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + Joash's officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. + The assassins were Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer-- both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king. + + + Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to rule over Israel in the twenty-third year of King Joash's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria seventeen years. + But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. + So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them repeatedly. + Then Jehoahaz prayed for the LORD's help, and the LORD heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. + So the LORD provided someone to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days. + But they continued to sin, following the evil example of Jeroboam. They also allowed the Asherah pole in Samaria to remain standing. + Finally, Jehoahaz's army was reduced to 50 charioteers, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Aram had killed the others, trampling them like dust under his feet. + The rest of the events in Jehoahaz's reign-- everything he did and the extent of his power-- are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash became the next king. + Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to rule over Israel in the thirty-seventh year of King Joash's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria sixteen years. + But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. + The rest of the events in Jehoash's reign and everything he did, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then his son Jeroboam II became the next king. + When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" he cried. + Elisha told him, "Get a bow and some arrows." And the king did as he was told. + Elisha told him, "Put your hand on the bow," and Elisha laid his own hands on the king's hands. + Then he commanded, "Open that eastern window," and he opened it. Then he said, "Shoot!" So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, "This is the LORD's arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek. + Then he said, "Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground." So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. + But the man of God was angry with him. "You should have struck the ground five or six times!" he exclaimed. "Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times." + Then Elisha died and was buried.Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. + Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet! + King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King Jehoahaz. + But the LORD was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence. + King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad became the next king. + Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the towns that had been taken from Jehoash's father, Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad on three occasions, and he recovered the Israelite towns. + + + Amaziah son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash of Israel. + Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. + Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash. + Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. + When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father. + However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the LORD as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: "Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes." + Amaziah also killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also conquered Sela and changed its name to Joktheel, as it is called to this day. + One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel's king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: "Come and meet me in battle!" + But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: "Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: 'Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it! + "You have indeed defeated Edom, and you are very proud of it. But be content with your victory and stay at home! Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?" + But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah. + Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. + King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah's king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he marched to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. + He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of the LORD. He also seized the treasures from the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria. + The rest of the events in Jehoash's reign and everything he did, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam II became the next king. + King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. + The rest of the events in Amaziah's reign are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + There was a conspiracy against Amaziah's life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there. + They brought his body back to Jerusalem on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. + All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as king in place of his father, Amaziah. + After his father's death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah. + Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, began to rule over Israel in the fifteenth year of King Amaziah's reign in Judah. Jeroboam reigned in Samaria forty-one years. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. + Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. + For the LORD saw the bitter suffering of everyone in Israel, and that there was no one in Israel, slave or free, to help them. + And because the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, he used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them. + The rest of the events in the reign of Jeroboam II and everything he did-- including the extent of his power, his wars, and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah-- are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Jeroboam II died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then his son Zechariah became the next king. + + + Uzziah son of Amaziah began to rule over Judah in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. + He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. + He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. + But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. + The LORD struck the king with leprosy, which lasted until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house. The king's son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land. + The rest of the events in Uzziah's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + When Uzziah died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And his son Jotham became the next king. + Zechariah son of Jeroboam II began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria six months. + Zechariah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, as his ancestors had done. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. + Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, assassinated him in public, and became the next king. + The rest of the events in Zechariah's reign are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + So the LORD's message to Jehu came true: "Your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation." + Shallum son of Jabesh began to rule over Israel in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. Shallum reigned in Samaria only one month. + Then Menahem son of Gadi went to Samaria from Tirzah and assassinated him, and he became the next king. + The rest of the events in Shallum's reign, including his conspiracy, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + At that time Menahem destroyed the town of Tappuah and all the surrounding countryside as far as Tirzah, because its citizens refused to surrender the town. He killed the entire population and ripped open the pregnant women. + Menahem son of Gadi began to rule over Israel in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria ten years. + But Menahem did what was evil in the LORD's sight. During his entire reign, he refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. + Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty-seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power. + Menahem extorted the money from the rich of Israel, demanding that each of them pay fifty pieces of silver to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned from attacking Israel and did not stay in the land. + The rest of the events in Menahem's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + When Menahem died, his son Pekahiah became the next king. + Pekahiah son of Menahem began to rule over Israel in the fiftieth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria two years. + But Pekahiah did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. + Then Pekah son of Remaliah, the commander of Pekahiah's army, conspired against him. With fifty men from Gilead, Pekah assassinated the king, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the palace at Samaria. And Pekah reigned in his place. + The rest of the events in Pekahiah's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + Pekah son of Remaliah began to rule over Israel in the fifty-second year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty years. + But Pekah did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. + During Pekah's reign, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria attacked Israel again, and he captured the towns of Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also conquered the regions of Gilead, Galilee, and all of Naphtali, and he took the people to Assyria as captives. + Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah and assassinated him. He began to rule over Israel in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah. + The rest of the events in Pekah's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.] + Jotham son of Uzziah began to rule over Judah in the second year of King Pekah's reign in Israel. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. + Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done. + But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. He rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the LORD. + The rest of the events in Jotham's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + In those days the LORD began to send King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel to attack Judah. + When Jotham died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And his son Ahaz became the next king. + + + Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah's reign in Israel. + Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done. + Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. + He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree. + Then King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel came up to attack Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. + At that time the king of Edom recovered the town of Elath for Edom. He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites to live there, as they do to this day. + King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: "I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel." + Then Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple of the LORD and the palace treasury and sent it as a payment to the Assyrian king. + So the king of Assyria attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. He also killed King Rezin. + King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he took special note of the altar. Then he sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full detail. + Uriah followed the king's instructions and built an altar just like it, and it was ready before the king returned from Damascus. + When the king returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it. + He presented a burnt offering and a grain offering, he poured out a liquid offering, and he sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on the altar. + Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from its place in front of the LORD's Temple, between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar. + He told Uriah the priest, "Use the new altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the burnt offerings of all the people, as well as their grain offerings and liquid offerings. Sprinkle the blood from all the burnt offerings and sacrifices on the new altar. The bronze altar will be for my personal use only." + Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz commanded him. + Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable water carts. He also removed the great bronze basin called the Sea from the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement. + In deference to the king of Assyria, he also removed the canopy that had been constructed inside the palace for use on the Sabbath day, as well as the king's outer entrance to the Temple of the LORD. + The rest of the events in Ahaz's reign and everything he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + When Ahaz died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king. + + + Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him. + King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria. + But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria's power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison. + Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria. + Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. + This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. + They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced. + The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the LORD their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. + They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. + They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the LORD's anger. + Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the LORD's specific and repeated warnings. + Again and again the LORD had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: "Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees-- the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets." + But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the LORD their God. + They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the LORD's command not to imitate them. + They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. + They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD's anger. + Because the LORD was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land. + But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the LORD their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced. + The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence. + For when the LORD tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin. + And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sins + until the LORD finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day. + The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. + But since these foreign settlers did not worship the LORD when they first arrived, the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. + So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: "The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly." + The king of Assyria then commanded, "Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land." + So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the LORD. + But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built. + Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima. + The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech. + These new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship. + And though they worshiped the LORD, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came. + And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the LORD and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel. + For the LORD had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: "Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. + But worship only the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him. + Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods. + Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. + You must worship only the LORD your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies." + But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. + So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same. + + + Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel. + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. + He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestor David had done. + He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. + Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. + He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. + So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. + He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city. + During the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it. + Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hezekiah's reign and the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, Samaria fell. + At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and placed them in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. + For they refused to listen to the LORD their God and obey him. Instead, they violated his covenant-- all the laws that Moses the LORD's servant had commanded them to obey. + In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. + King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: "I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw." The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold. + To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the LORD and in the palace treasury. + Hezekiah even stripped the gold from the doors of the LORD's Temple and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and he gave it all to the Assyrian king. + Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent his commander in chief, his field commander, and his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. + They summoned King Hezekiah, but the king sent these officials to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. + Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? + Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? + On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable! + "But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the LORD our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem? + "I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! + With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master's troops, even with the help of Egypt's chariots and charioteers? + What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD's direction? The LORD himself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'" + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear." + But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied, "Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine." + Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, "Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! + This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power. + Don't let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, 'The LORD will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!' + "Don't listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me-- open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. + Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one-- a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death!"Don't listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will rescue us!' + Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? + What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? + What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?" + But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him." + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said. + + + When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the LORD. + And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. + They told him, "This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. + But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!" + After King Hezekiah's officials delivered the king's message to Isaiah, + the prophet replied, "Say to your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king's messengers. + Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.' " + Meanwhile, the Assyrian chief of staff left Jerusalem and went to consult the king of Assyria, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah. + Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message: + "This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don't let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. + You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? + Have the gods of other nations rescued them-- such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all! + What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?" + After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD. + And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. + Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God. + "It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. + And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all-- only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. + Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God." + Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer about King Sennacherib of Assyria. + And the LORD has spoken this word against him: "The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee. + "Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel! + By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, 'With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains-- yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest corners and explored its deepest forests. + I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!' + "But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble. + That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall. + "But I know you well-- where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me. + And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Here is the proof that what I say is true: "This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit. + And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and will grow up and flourish. + For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen! + "And this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: "His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. + The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the LORD. + For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it." + That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. + Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. + One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria. + + + About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: "This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness." + When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, + "Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you." Then he broke down and wept bitterly. + But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, this message came to him from the LORD: + "Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD. + I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.'" + Then Isaiah said, "Make an ointment from figs." So Hezekiah's servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered! + Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "What sign will the LORD give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the LORD three days from now?" + Isaiah replied, "This is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps? " + "The shadow always moves forward," Hezekiah replied, "so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead." + So Isaiah the prophet asked the LORD to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz! + Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick. + Hezekiah received the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses-- the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did those men want? Where were they from?" Hezekiah replied, "They came from the distant land of Babylon." + "What did they see in your palace?" Isaiah asked."They saw everything," Hezekiah replied. "I showed them everything I own-- all my royal treasuries." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD: + The time is coming when everything in your palace-- all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now-- will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. + Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king." + Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "This message you have given me from the LORD is good." For the king was thinking, "At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime." + The rest of the events in Hezekiah's reign, including the extent of his power and how he built a pool and dug a tunnel to bring water into the city, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became the next king. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. + He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. + He built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD, the place where the LORD had said, "My name will remain in Jerusalem forever." + He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the LORD's Temple. + Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the LORD's sight, arousing his anger. + Manasseh even made a carved image of Asherah and set it up in the Temple, the very place where the LORD had told David and his son Solomon: "My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem-- the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel. + If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands-- all the laws my servant Moses gave them-- I will not send them into exile from this land that I gave their ancestors." + But the people refused to listen, and Manasseh led them to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land. + Then the LORD said through his servants the prophets: + "King Manasseh of Judah has done many detestable things. He is even more wicked than the Amorites, who lived in this land before Israel. He has caused the people of Judah to sin with his idols. + So this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of those who hear about it will tingle with horror. + I will judge Jerusalem by the same standard I used for Samaria and the same measure I used for the family of Ahab. I will wipe away the people of Jerusalem as one wipes a dish and turns it upside down. + Then I will reject even the remnant of my own people who are left, and I will hand them over as plunder for their enemies. + For they have done great evil in my sight and have angered me ever since their ancestors came out of Egypt." + Manasseh also murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. This was in addition to the sin that he caused the people of Judah to commit, leading them to do evil in the LORD's sight. + The rest of the events in Manasseh's reign and everything he did, including the sins he committed, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + When Manasseh died, he was buried in the palace garden, the garden of Uzza. Then his son Amon became the next king. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz from Jotbah. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as his father, Manasseh, had done. + He followed the example of his father, worshiping the same idols his father had worshiped. + He abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors, and he refused to follow the LORD's ways. + Then Amon's own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. + But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah the next king. + The rest of the events in Amon's reign and what he did are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. Then his son Josiah became the next king. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath. + He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. + In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, the court secretary, to the Temple of the LORD. He told him, + "Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the LORD's Temple. + Entrust this money to the men assigned to supervise the Temple's restoration. Then they can use it to pay workers to repair the Temple of the LORD. + They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the timber and the finished stone needed to repair the Temple. + But don't require the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive, for they are honest and trustworthy men." + Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. + Shaphan went to the king and reported, "Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the LORD to the workers and supervisors at the Temple." + Shaphan also told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." So Shaphan read it to the king. + When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. + Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal adviser: + "Go to the Temple and speak to the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the LORD's great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do." + So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe. + She said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, + 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. + For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.' + "But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the LORD and tell him: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: + You were sorry and humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I said against this city and its people-- that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the LORD. + So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.' " So they took her message back to the king. + + + Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + And the king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets-- all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the LORD's Temple. + The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the LORD's presence. He pledged to obey the LORD by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. + Then the king instructed Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the Temple gatekeepers to remove from the LORD's Temple all the articles that were used to worship Baal, Asherah, and all the powers of the heavens. The king had all these things burned outside Jerusalem on the terraces of the Kidron Valley, and he carried the ashes away to Bethel. + He did away with the idolatrous priests, who had been appointed by the previous kings of Judah, for they had offered sacrifices at the pagan shrines throughout Judah and even in the vicinity of Jerusalem. They had also offered sacrifices to Baal, and to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and to all the powers of the heavens. + The king removed the Asherah pole from the LORD's Temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. Then he ground the ashes of the pole to dust and threw the dust over the graves of the people. + He also tore down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the LORD, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole. + Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests who were living in other towns of Judah. He also defiled the pagan shrines, where they had offered sacrifices-- all the way from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the shrines at the entrance to the gate of Joshua, the governor of Jerusalem. This gate was located to the left of the city gate as one enters the city. + The priests who had served at the pagan shrines were not allowed to serve at the LORD's altar in Jerusalem, but they were allowed to eat unleavened bread with the other priests. + Then the king defiled the altar of Topheth in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, so no one could ever again use it to sacrifice a son or daughter in the fire as an offering to Molech. + He removed from the entrance of the LORD's Temple the horse statues that the former kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were near the quarters of Nathan-melech the eunuch, an officer of the court. The king also burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. + Josiah tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had built on the palace roof above the upper room of Ahaz. The king destroyed the altars that Manasseh had built in the two courtyards of the LORD's Temple. He smashed them to bits and scattered the pieces in the Kidron Valley. + The king also desecrated the pagan shrines east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, where King Solomon of Israel had built shrines for Ashtoreth, the detestable goddess of the Sidonians; and for Chemosh, the detestable god of the Moabites; and for Molech, the vile god of the Ammonites. + He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. Then he desecrated these places by scattering human bones over them. + The king also tore down the altar at Bethel-- the pagan shrine that Jeroboam son of Nebat had made when he caused Israel to sin. He burned down the shrine and ground it to dust, and he burned the Asherah pole. + Then Josiah turned around and noticed several tombs in the side of the hill. He ordered that the bones be brought out, and he burned them on the altar at Bethel to desecrate it. (This happened just as the LORD had promised through the man of God when Jeroboam stood beside the altar at the festival.)Then Josiah turned and looked up at the tomb of the man of God who had predicted these things. + "What is that monument over there?" Josiah asked.And the people of the town told him, "It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted the very things that you have just done to the altar at Bethel!" + Josiah replied, "Leave it alone. Don't disturb his bones." So they did not burn his bones or those of the old prophet from Samaria. + Then Josiah demolished all the buildings at the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria, just as he had done at Bethel. They had been built by the various kings of Israel and had made the LORD very angry. + He executed the priests of the pagan shrines on their own altars, and he burned human bones on the altars to desecrate them. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem. + King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: "You must celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant." + There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. + This Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of King Josiah's reign. + Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the LORD's Temple. + Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. + Even so, the LORD was very angry with Judah because of all the wicked things Manasseh had done to provoke him. + For the LORD said, "I will also banish Judah from my presence just as I have banished Israel. And I will reject my chosen city of Jerusalem and the Temple where my name was to be honored." + The rest of the events in Josiah's reign and all his deeds are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah and his army marched out to fight him, but King Neco killed him when they met at Megiddo. + Josiah's officers took his body back in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land anointed Josiah's son Jehoahaz and made him the next king. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestors had done. + Pharaoh Neco put Jehoahaz in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath to prevent him from ruling in Jerusalem. He also demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute. + Pharaoh Neco then installed Eliakim, another of Josiah's sons, to reign in place of his father, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt as a prisoner, where he died. + In order to get the silver and gold demanded as tribute by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people of Judah, requiring them to pay in proportion to their wealth. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestors had done. + + + During Jehoiakim's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. Jehoiakim surrendered and paid him tribute for three years but then rebelled. + Then the LORD sent bands of Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Judah to destroy it, just as the LORD had promised through his prophets. + These disasters happened to Judah because of the LORD's command. He had decided to banish Judah from his presence because of the many sins of Manasseh, + who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The LORD would not forgive this. + The rest of the events in Jehoiakim's reign and all his deeds are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.] + When Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin became the next king. + The king of Egypt did not venture out of his country after that, for the king of Babylon captured the entire area formerly claimed by Egypt-- from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem. + Jehoiachin did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as his father had done. + During Jehoiachin's reign, the officers of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against Jerusalem and besieged it. + Nebuchadnezzar himself arrived at the city during the siege. + Then King Jehoiachin, along with the queen mother, his advisers, his commanders, and his officials, surrendered to the Babylonians.In the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. + As the LORD had said beforehand, Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the treasures from the LORD's Temple and the royal palace. He stripped away all the gold objects that King Solomon of Israel had placed in the Temple. + King Nebuchadnezzar took all of Jerusalem captive, including all the commanders and the best of the soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans-- 10,000 in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land. + Nebuchadnezzar led King Jehoiachin away as a captive to Babylon, along with the queen mother, his wives and officials, and all Jerusalem's elite. + He also exiled 7,000 of the best troops and 1,000 craftsmen and artisans, all of whom were strong and fit for war. + Then the king of Babylon installed Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, as the next king, and he changed Mattaniah's name to Zedekiah. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. + But Zedekiah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Jehoiakim had done. + These things happened because of the LORD's anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + + + So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls. + Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign. + By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone. + Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king's garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley. + But the Babylonian troops chased the king and caught him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered. + They took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. + They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. + On August 14 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem. + He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city. + Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, then took as exiles the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. + But the captain of the guard allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in Judah to care for the vineyards and fields. + The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the LORD's Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon. + They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, also took the incense burners and basins, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver. + The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the LORD's Temple in the days of King Solomon. + Each of the pillars was 27 feet tall. The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7-1/2 feet high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers. + And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; five of the king's personal advisers; the army commander's chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land. + Then King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan as governor over the people he had left in Judah. + When all the army commanders and their men learned that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they went to see him at Mizpah. These included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, and all their men. + Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonian officials meant them no harm. "Don't be afraid of them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you," he promised. + But in midautumn of that year, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was of the royal family, went to Mizpah with ten men and killed Gedaliah. He also killed all the Judeans and Babylonians who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. + Then all the people of Judah, from the least to the greatest, as well as the army commanders, fled in panic to Egypt, for they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do to them. + In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on April 2 of that year. + He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon. + He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king's presence for the rest of his life. + So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. + + + + + The descendants of Adam were Seth, Enosh, + Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, + Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, + and Noah. The sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. + The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. + The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. + The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. + Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. + Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, + Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came. + Canaan's oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites, + Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, + Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, + Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. + The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. + Arphaxad was the father of Shelah. Shelah was the father of Eber. + Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means "division"), for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups. His brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were descendants of Joktan. + So this is the family line descended from Shem: Arphaxad, Shelah, + Eber, Peleg, Reu, + Serug, Nahor, Terah, + and Abram, later known as Abraham. + The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. + These are their genealogical records: The sons of Ishmael were Nebaioth (the oldest), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, + Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael. + The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. + The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Abraham through his concubine Keturah. + Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. + The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and Amalek, who was born to Timna. + The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. + The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. + The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan's sister was named Timna. + The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. + The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. + The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran. + These are the kings who ruled in Edom before there were kings in Israel: Bela son of Beor, who ruled from his city of Dinhabah. + When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah became king. + When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites became king. + When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad became king and ruled from the city of Avith. He was the one who destroyed the Midianite army in the land of Moab. + When Hadad died, Samlah from the city of Masrekah became king. + When Samlah died, Shaul from the city of Rehoboth on the river became king. + When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Acbor became king. + When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king and ruled from the city of Pau. His wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Me-zahab. + Then Hadad died. The clan leaders of Edom were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram. These were the clan leaders of Edom. + + + The sons of Israel were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, + Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. + Judah had three sons from Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. Their names were Er, Onan, and Shelah. But the LORD saw that the oldest son, Er, was a wicked man, so he killed him. + Later Judah had twin sons from Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law. Their names were Perez and Zerah. So Judah had five sons in all. + The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda-- five in all. + The son of Carmi (a descendant of Zimri) was Achan, who brought disaster on Israel by taking plunder that had been set apart for the LORD. + The son of Ethan was Azariah. + The sons of Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb. + Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of Judah. + Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. + Boaz was the father of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse. + Jesse's first son was Eliab, his second was Abinadab, his third was Shimea, + his fourth was Nethanel, his fifth was Raddai, + his sixth was Ozem, and his seventh was David. + Their sisters were named Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons named Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. + Abigail married a man named Jether, an Ishmaelite, and they had a son named Amasa. + Hezron's son Caleb had sons from his wife Azubah and from Jerioth. Her sons were named Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. + After Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrathah, and they had a son named Hur. + Hur was the father of Uri. Uri was the father of Bezalel. + When Hezron was sixty years old, he married Gilead's sister, the daughter of Makir. They had a son named Segub. + Segub was the father of Jair, who ruled twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead. + (But Geshur and Aram captured the Towns of Jair and also took Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages.) All these were descendants of Makir, the father of Gilead. + Soon after Hezron died in the town of Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah gave birth to a son named Ashhur (the father of Tekoa). + The sons of Jerahmeel, the oldest son of Hezron, were Ram (the firstborn), Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. + Jerahmeel had a second wife named Atarah. She was the mother of Onam. + The sons of Ram, the oldest son of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. + The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur. + The sons of Abishur and his wife Abihail were Ahban and Molid. + The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children, + but Appaim had a son named Ishi. The son of Ishi was Sheshan. Sheshan had a descendant named Ahlai. + The sons of Jada, Shammai's brother, were Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children, + but Jonathan had two sons named Peleth and Zaza. These were all descendants of Jerahmeel. + Sheshan had no sons, though he did have daughters. He also had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. + Sheshan gave one of his daughters to be the wife of Jarha, and they had a son named Attai. + Attai was the father of Nathan. Nathan was the father of Zabad. + Zabad was the father of Ephlal. Ephlal was the father of Obed. + Obed was the father of Jehu. Jehu was the father of Azariah. + Azariah was the father of Helez. Helez was the father of Eleasah. + Eleasah was the father of Sismai. Sismai was the father of Shallum. + Shallum was the father of Jekamiah. Jekamiah was the father of Elishama. + The descendants of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, included Mesha (the firstborn), who became the father of Ziph. Caleb's descendants also included the sons of Mareshah, the father of Hebron. + The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. + Shema was the father of Raham. Raham was the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. + The son of Shammai was Maon. Maon was the father of Beth-zur. + Caleb's concubine Ephah gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez. + The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. + Another of Caleb's concubines, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. + She also gave birth to Shaaph (the father of Madmannah) and Sheva (the father of Macbenah and Gibea). Caleb also had a daughter named Acsah. + These were all descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur, the oldest son of Caleb's wife Ephrathah, were Shobal (the founder of Kiriath-jearim), + Salma (the founder of Bethlehem), and Hareph (the founder of Beth-gader). + The descendants of Shobal (the founder of Kiriath-jearim) were Haroeh, half the Manahathites, + and the families of Kiriath-jearim-- the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites, from whom came the people of Zorah and Eshtaol. + The descendants of Salma were the people of Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, the other half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, + and the families of scribes living at Jabez-- the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. All these were Kenites who descended from Hammath, the father of the family of Recab. + + + These are the sons of David who were born in Hebron: The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel. + The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. + The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David's wife. + These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven and a half years. Then David reigned another thirty-three years in Jerusalem. + The sons born to David in Jerusalem included Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Their mother was Bathsheba, the daughter of Ammiel. + David also had nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. + These were the sons of David, not including his sons born to his concubines. Their sister was named Tamar. + The descendants of Solomon were Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, + Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, + Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, + Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, + Amon, and Josiah. + The sons of Josiah were Johanan (the oldest), Jehoiakim (the second), Zedekiah (the third), and Jehoahaz (the fourth). + The successors of Jehoiakim were his son Jehoiachin and his brother Zedekiah. + The sons of Jehoiachin, who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians, were Shealtiel, + Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. + The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam and Hananiah. (Their sister was Shelomith.) + His five other sons were Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed. + The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. Jeshaiah's son was Rephaiah. Rephaiah's son was Arnan. Arnan's son was Obadiah. Obadiah's son was Shecaniah. + The descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons, Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat-- six in all. + The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam-- three in all. + The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani-- seven in all. + + + The descendants of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. + Shobal's son Reaiah was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. + The descendants of Etam were Jezreel, Ishma, Idbash, their sister Hazzelelponi, + Penuel (the father of Gedor), and Ezer (the father of Hushah). These were the descendants of Hur (the firstborn of Ephrathah), the ancestor of Bethlehem. + Ashhur (the father of Tekoa) had two wives, named Helah and Naarah. + Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. + Helah gave birth to Zereth, Izhar, Ethnan, + and Koz, who became the ancestor of Anub, Zobebah, and all the families of Aharhel son of Harum. + There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. + He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" And God granted him his request. + Kelub (the brother of Shuhah) was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton. + Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of Ir-nahash. These were the descendants of Recah. + The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel's sons were Hathath and Meonothai. + Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the founder of the Valley of Craftsmen, so called because they were craftsmen. + The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz. + The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. + The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered's wives became the mother of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah (the father of Eshtemoa). + He married a woman from Judah, who became the mother of Jered (the father of Gedor), Heber (the father of Soco), and Jekuthiel (the father of Zanoah). Mered also married Bithia, a daughter of Pharaoh, and she bore him children. + Hodiah's wife was the sister of Naham. One of her sons was the father of Keilah the Garmite, and another was the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite. + The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. + Shelah was one of Judah's sons. The descendants of Shelah were Er (the father of Lecah); Laadah (the father of Mareshah); the families of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; + Jokim; the men of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab and Jashubi-lehem. These names all come from ancient records. + They were the pottery makers who lived in Netaim and Gederah. They lived there and worked for the king. + The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zohar, and Shaul. + The descendants of Shaul were Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma. + The descendants of Mishma were Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei. + Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had large families. So Simeon's tribe never grew as large as the tribe of Judah. + They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, + Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, + Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, + Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These towns were under their control until the time of King David. + Their descendants also lived in Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan-- five towns + and their surrounding villages as far away as Baalath. This was their territory, and these names are listed in their genealogical records. + Other descendants of Simeon included Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, + Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, + Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, + and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah. + These were the names of some of the leaders of Simeon's wealthy clans. Their families grew, + and they traveled to the region of Gerar, in the east part of the valley, seeking pastureland for their flocks. + They found lush pastures there, and the land was quiet and peaceful.Some of Ham's descendants had been living in that region. + But during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, these leaders of Simeon invaded the region and completely destroyed the homes of the descendants of Ham and of the Meunites. No trace of them remains today. They killed everyone who lived there and took the land for themselves, because they wanted its good pastureland for their flocks. + Five hundred of these invaders from the tribe of Simeon went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel-- all sons of Ishi. + They destroyed the few Amalekites who had survived, and they have lived there ever since. + + + The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father's concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. + The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph. + The sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The descendants of Joel were Shemaiah, Gog, Shimei, + Micah, Reaiah, Baal, + and Beerah. Beerah was the leader of the Reubenites when they were taken into captivity by King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. + Beerah's relatives are listed in their genealogical records by their clans: Jeiel (the leader), Zechariah, + and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel. The Reubenites lived in the area that stretches from Aroer to Nebo and Baal-meon. + And since they had so many livestock in the land of Gilead, they spread east toward the edge of the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River. + During the reign of Saul, the Reubenites defeated the Hagrites in battle. Then they moved into the Hagrite settlements all along the eastern edge of Gilead. + Next to the Reubenites, the descendants of Gad lived in the land of Bashan as far east as Salecah. + Joel was the leader in the land of Bashan, and Shapham was second-in-command, followed by Janai and Shaphat. + Their relatives, the leaders of seven other clans, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. + These were all descendants of Abihail son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz. + Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was the leader of their clans. + The Gadites lived in the land of Gilead, in Bashan and its villages, and throughout all the pasturelands of Sharon. + All of these were listed in the genealogical records during the days of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel. + There were 44,760 capable warriors in the armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were all skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows. + They waged war against the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites. + They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. + The plunder taken from the Hagrites included 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep and goats, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. + Many of the Hagrites were killed in the battle because God was fighting against them. The people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh lived in their land until they were taken into exile. + The half-tribe of Manasseh was very large and spread through the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. + These were the leaders of their clans: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. These men had a great reputation as mighty warriors and leaders of their clans. + But these tribes were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed. + So the God of Israel caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tiglath-pileser) to invade the land and take away the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as captives. The Assyrians exiled them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day. + + + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. + Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. + Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. + Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. + Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. + Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. + Johanan was the father of Azariah, the high priest at the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. + Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. + Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. + Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. + Azariah was the father of Seraiah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak, + who went into exile when the LORD sent the people of Judah and Jerusalem into captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. + The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The descendants of Gershon included Libni and Shimei. + The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The following were the Levite clans, listed according to their ancestral descent: + The descendants of Gershon included Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, + Joah, Iddo, Zerah, and Jeatherai. + The descendants of Kohath included Amminadab, Korah, Assir, + Elkanah, Abiasaph, Assir, + Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, and Shaul. + The descendants of Elkanah included Amasai, Ahimoth, + Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, + Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah, and Samuel. + The sons of Samuel were Joel (the older) and Abijah (the second). + The descendants of Merari included Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, + Shimea, Haggiah, and Asaiah. + David assigned the following men to lead the music at the house of the LORD after the Ark was placed there. + They ministered with music at the Tabernacle until Solomon built the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They carried out their work, following all the regulations handed down to them. + These are the men who served, along with their sons: Heman the musician was from the clan of Kohath. His genealogy was traced back through Joel, Samuel, + Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, + Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai, + Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, + Tahath, Assir, Abiasaph, Korah, + Izhar, Kohath, Levi, and Israel. + Heman's first assistant was Asaph from the clan of Gershon. Asaph's genealogy was traced back through Berekiah, Shimea, + Michael, Baaseiah, Malkijah, + Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah, + Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei, + Jahath, Gershon, and Levi. + Heman's second assistant was Ethan from the clan of Merari. Ethan's genealogy was traced back through Kishi, Abdi, Malluch, + Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah, + Amzi, Bani, Shemer, + Mahli, Mushi, Merari, and Levi. + Their fellow Levites were appointed to various other tasks in the Tabernacle, the house of God. + Only Aaron and his descendants served as priests. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, and they performed all the other duties related to the Most Holy Place. They made atonement for Israel by doing everything that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded them. + The descendants of Aaron were Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, + Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, + Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, + Zadok, and Ahimaaz. + This is a record of the towns and territory assigned by means of sacred lots to the descendants of Aaron, who were from the clan of Kohath. + This territory included Hebron and its surrounding pasturelands in Judah, + but the fields and outlying areas belonging to the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. + So the descendants of Aaron were given the following towns, each with its pasturelands: Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, + Holon, Debir, + Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh. + And from the territory of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, each with its pasturelands. So thirteen towns were given to the descendants of Aaron. + The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten towns from the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh by means of sacred lots. + The descendants of Gershon received by sacred lots thirteen towns from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and from the Bashan area of Manasseh, east of the Jordan. + The descendants of Merari received by sacred lots twelve towns from the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. + So the people of Israel assigned all these towns and pasturelands to the Levites. + The towns in the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, mentioned above, were assigned to them by means of sacred lots. + The descendants of Kohath were given the following towns from the territory of Ephraim, each with its pasturelands: + Shechem (a city of refuge in the hill country of Ephraim), Gezer, + Jokmeam, Beth-horon, + Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon. + The remaining descendants of Kohath were assigned the towns of Aner and Bileam from the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh, each with its pasturelands. + The descendants of Gershon received the towns of Golan (in Bashan) and Ashtaroth from the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh, each with its pasturelands. + From the territory of Issachar, they were given Kedesh, Daberath, + Ramoth, and Anem, each with its pasturelands. + From the territory of Asher, they received Mashal, Abdon, + Hukok, and Rehob, each with its pasturelands. + From the territory of Naphtali, they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, each with its pasturelands. + The remaining descendants of Merari received the towns of Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmon, and Tabor from the territory of Zebulun, each with its pasturelands. + From the territory of Reuben, east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho, they received Bezer (a desert town), Jahaz, + Kedemoth, and Mephaath, each with its pasturelands. + And from the territory of Gad, they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, + Heshbon, and Jazer, each with its pasturelands. + + + The four sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. + The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel. Each of them was the leader of an ancestral clan. At the time of King David, the total number of mighty warriors listed in the records of these clans was 22,600. + The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. These five became the leaders of clans. + All of them had many wives and many sons, so the total number of men available for military service among their descendants was 36,000. + The total number of mighty warriors from all the clans of the tribe of Issachar was 87,000. All of them were listed in their genealogical records. + Three of Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, and Jediael. + The five sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. Each of them was the leader of an ancestral clan. The total number of mighty warriors from these clans was 22,034, as listed in their genealogical records. + The sons of Beker were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. + Each of them was the leader of an ancestral clan. The total number of mighty warriors and leaders from these clans was 20,200, as listed in their genealogical records. + The son of Jediael was Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. + Each of them was the leader of an ancestral clan. From these clans the total number of mighty warriors ready for war was 17,200. + The sons of Ir were Shuppim and Huppim. Hushim was the son of Aher. + The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. They were all descendants of Jacob's concubine Bilhah. + The descendants of Manasseh through his Aramean concubine included Asriel. She also bore Makir, the father of Gilead. + Makir found wives for Huppim and Shuppim. Makir had a sister named Maacah. One of his descendants was Zelophehad, who had only daughters. + Makir's wife, Maacah, gave birth to a son whom she named Peresh. His brother's name was Sheresh. The sons of Peresh were Ulam and Rakem. + The son of Ulam was Bedan. All these were considered Gileadites, descendants of Makir son of Manasseh. + Makir's sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. + The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. + The descendants of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath, + Zabad, Shuthelah, Ezer, and Elead. These two were killed trying to steal livestock from the local farmers near Gath. + Their father, Ephraim, mourned for them a long time, and his relatives came to comfort him. + Afterward Ephraim slept with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim named him Beriah because of the tragedy his family had suffered. + He had a daughter named Sheerah. She built the towns of Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. + The descendants of Ephraim included Rephah, Resheph, Telah, Tahan, + Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama, + Nun, and Joshua. + The descendants of Ephraim lived in the territory that included Bethel and its surrounding towns to the south, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its surrounding villages to the north as far as Ayyah and its towns. + Along the border of Manasseh were the towns of Beth-shan, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, and their surrounding villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns. + The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. They had a sister named Serah. + The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel (the father of Birzaith). + The sons of Heber were Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham. They had a sister named Shua. + The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. + The sons of Shomer were Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. + The sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. + The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, + Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. + The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. + The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. + Each of these descendants of Asher was the head of an ancestral clan. They were all select men-- mighty warriors and outstanding leaders. The total number of men available for military service was 26,000, as listed in their genealogical records. + + + Benjamin's first son was Bela, the second was Ashbel, the third was Aharah, + the fourth was Nohah, and the fifth was Rapha. + The sons of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, + Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, + Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. + The sons of Ehud, leaders of the clans living at Geba, were exiled to Manahath. + Ehud's sons were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera, who led them into exile, was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. + After Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, he had children in the land of Moab. + Hodesh, his new wife, gave birth to Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, + Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. These sons all became the leaders of clans. + Shaharaim's wife Hushim had already given birth to Abitub and Elpaal. + The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built the towns of Ono and Lod and their nearby villages), + Beriah, and Shema. They were the leaders of the clans living in Aijalon, and they drove out the inhabitants of Gath. + Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, + Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, + Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. + Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, + Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. + Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, + Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, + Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. + Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, + Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, + Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, + Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. + Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, + Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri were the sons of Jeroham. + These were the leaders of the ancestral clans; they were listed in their genealogical records, and they all lived in Jerusalem. + Jeiel (the father of Gibeon) lived in the town of Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, + and his oldest son was named Abdon. Jeiel's other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, + and Mikloth, who was the father of Shimeam. All these families lived near each other in Jerusalem. + Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. + Jonathan was the father of Merib-baal. Merib-baal was the father of Micah. + Micah was the father of Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. + Ahaz was the father of Jadah. Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. + Moza was the father of Binea. Binea was the father of Rephaiah. Rephaiah was the father of Eleasah. Eleasah was the father of Azel. + Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. + Azel's brother Eshek had three sons: the first was Ulam, the second was Jeush, and the third was Eliphelet. + Ulam's sons were all mighty warriors and expert archers. They had many sons and grandsons-- 150 in all. All these were descendants of Benjamin. + + + So all Israel was listed in the genealogical records in [The Book of the Kings of Israel.] The people of Judah were exiled to Babylon because they were unfaithful to the LORD. + The first of the exiles to return to their property in their former towns were priests, Levites, Temple servants, and other Israelites. + Some of the people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh came and settled in Jerusalem. + One family that returned was that of Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah. + Others returned from the Shilonite clan, including Asaiah (the oldest) and his sons. + From the Zerahite clan, Jeuel returned with his relatives. In all, 690 families from the tribe of Judah returned. + From the tribe of Benjamin came Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah; + Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, son of Micri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah. + These men were all leaders of clans, and they were listed in their genealogical records. In all, 956 families from the tribe of Benjamin returned. + Among the priests who returned were Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin, + Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub. Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God. + Other returning priests were Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah, and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer. + In all, 1,760 priests returned. They were heads of clans and very able men. They were responsible for ministering at the house of God. + The Levites who returned were Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari; + Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zicri, son of Asaph; + Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berekiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the area of Netophah. + The gatekeepers who returned were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was the chief gatekeeper. + Prior to this time, they were responsible for the King's Gate on the east side. These men served as gatekeepers for the camps of the Levites. + Shallum was the son of Kore, a descendant of Abiasaph, from the clan of Korah. He and his relatives, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the sanctuary, just as their ancestors had guarded the Tabernacle in the camp of the LORD. + Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers in earlier times, and the LORD had been with him. + And later Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tabernacle. + In all, there were 212 gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed according to the genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men. + These gatekeepers and their descendants, by their divisions, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the LORD when that house was a tent. + The gatekeepers were stationed on all four sides-- east, west, north, and south. + Their relatives in the villages came regularly to share their duties for seven-day periods. + The four chief gatekeepers, all Levites, were trusted officials, for they were responsible for the rooms and treasuries at the house of God. + They would spend the night around the house of God, since it was their duty to guard it and to open the gates every morning. + Some of the gatekeepers were assigned to care for the various articles used in worship. They checked them in and out to avoid any loss. + Others were responsible for the furnishings, the items in the sanctuary, and the supplies, such as choice flour, wine, olive oil, frankincense, and spices. + But it was the priests who blended the spices. + Mattithiah, a Levite and the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread used in the offerings. + And some members of the clan of Kohath were in charge of preparing the bread to be set on the table each Sabbath day. + The musicians, all prominent Levites, lived at the Temple. They were exempt from other responsibilities since they were on duty at all hours. + All these men lived in Jerusalem. They were the heads of Levite families and were listed as prominent leaders in their genealogical records. + Jeiel (the father of Gibeon) lived in the town of Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, + and his oldest son was named Abdon. Jeiel's other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. + Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. All these families lived near each other in Jerusalem. + Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. + Jonathan was the father of Merib-baal. Merib-baal was the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. + Ahaz was the father of Jadah. Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. + Moza was the father of Binea. Binea's son was Rephaiah. Rephaiah's son was Eleasah. Eleasah's son was Azel. + Azel had six sons, whose names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. + + + Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. + The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons-- Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. + The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him. + Saul groaned to his armor bearer, "Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to taunt and torture me." But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. + When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died. + So Saul and his three sons died there together, bringing his dynasty to an end. + When all the Israelites in the Jezreel Valley saw that their army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. + The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons on Mount Gilboa. + So they stripped off Saul's armor and cut off his head. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul's death before their idols and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. + They placed his armor in the temple of their gods, and they fastened his head to the temple of Dagon. + But when everyone in Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, + all their mighty warriors brought the bodies of Saul and his sons back to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones beneath the great tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. + So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD's command, and he even consulted a medium + instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. + + + Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, "We are your own flesh and blood. + In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD your God told you, 'You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.' " + So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel. + Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. + The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, "You'll never get in here!" But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David. + David had said to his troops, "Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!" And Joab, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David's armies. + David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. + He extended the city from the supporting terraces to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. + And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD of Heaven's Armies was with him. + These are the leaders of David's mighty warriors. Together with all Israel, they decided to make David their king, just as the LORD had promised concerning Israel. + Here is the record of David's mightiest warriors: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three-- the mightiest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. + Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. + He was with David in the battle against the Philistines at Pas-dammim. The battle took place in a field full of barley, and the Israelite army fled. + But Eleazar and David held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD saved them by giving them a great victory. + Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty-- an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there. + David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. + David remarked longingly to his men, "Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem." + So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. + "God forbid that I should drink this!" he exclaimed. "This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me." So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. + Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. + Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. + There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. + Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7-1/2 feet tall and whose spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it. + Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the three mightiest warriors. + He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard. + David's mighty warriors also included: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; + Shammah from Harod; Helez from Pelon; + Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; + Sibbecai from Hushah; Zalmon from Ahoah; + Maharai from Netophah; Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; + Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin); Benaiah from Pirathon; + Hurai from near Nahale-gaash; Abi-albon from Arabah; + Azmaveth from Bahurim; Eliahba from Shaalbon; + the sons of Jashen from Gizon; Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; + Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; Eliphal son of Ur; + Hepher from Mekerah; Ahijah from Pelon; + Hezro from Carmel; Paarai son of Ezbai; + Joel, the brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri; + Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth, Joab's armor bearer; + Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir; + Uriah the Hittite; Zabad son of Ahlai; + Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite leader who had thirty men with him; + Hanan son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna; + Uzzia from Ashtaroth; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer; + Jediael son of Shimri; Joha, his brother, from Tiz; + Eliel from Mahavah; Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from Moab; + Eliel and Obed; Jaasiel from Zobah. + + + The following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle. + All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. + Their leader was Ahiezer son of Shemaah from Gibeah; his brother Joash was second-in-command. These were the other warriors: Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu from Anathoth; + Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah; + Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph; + Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites; + Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor. + Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains. + Ezer was their leader. Obadiah was second. Eliab was third. + Mishmannah was fourth. Jeremiah was fifth. + Attai was sixth. Eliel was seventh. + Johanan was eighth. Elzabad was ninth. + Jeremiah was tenth. Macbannai was eleventh. + These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand! + These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks. + Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. + David went out to meet them and said, "If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you." + Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, "We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you." So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops. + Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he set out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent them back, for they said, "It will cost us our heads if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us." + Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each commanded 1,000 troops from the tribe of Manasseh. + They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army. + Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God. + These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the LORD had promised. + From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears. + From the tribe of Simeon, there were 7,100 brave warriors. + From the tribe of Levi, there were 4,600 warriors. + This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command. + This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 members of his family who were all officers. + From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time. + From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan. + From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were designated by name to help David become king. + From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. + From the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David. + From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears. + From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle. + From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle. + From the east side of the Jordan River-- where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived-- there were 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon. + All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. + They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival. + And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel. + + + David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. + Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: "If you approve and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. + It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul." + The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do. + So David summoned all Israel, from the Shihor Brook of Egypt in the south all the way to the town of Lebo-hamath in the north, to join in bringing the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. + Then David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (also called Kiriath-jearim) to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD who is enthroned between the cherubim. + They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. + David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments-- lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. + But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. + Then the LORD's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God. + David was angry because the LORD's anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means "to burst out against Uzzah"), as it is still called today. + David was now afraid of God, and he asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?" + So David did not move the Ark into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. + The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned. + + + Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber, and stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. + And David realized that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and had greatly blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. + Then David married more wives in Jerusalem, and they had more sons and daughters. + These are the names of David's sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them. + The Philistines arrived and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. + So David asked God, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD replied, "Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you." + So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. "God did it!" David exclaimed. "He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So they named that place Baal-perazim (which means "the Lord who bursts through"). + The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, so David gave orders to burn them. + But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. + And once again David asked God what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," God replied. "Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. + When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army." + So David did what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. + So David's fame spread everywhere, and the LORD caused all the nations to fear David. + + + David now built several buildings for himself in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Ark of God and set up a special tent for it. + Then he commanded, "No one except the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The LORD has chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to serve him forever." + Then David summoned all Israel to Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. + This is the number of the descendants of Aaron (the priests) and the Levites who were called together: + From the clan of Kohath, 120, with Uriel as their leader. + From the clan of Merari, 220, with Asaiah as their leader. + From the clan of Gershon, 130, with Joel as their leader. + From the descendants of Elizaphan, 200, with Shemaiah as their leader. + From the descendants of Hebron, 80, with Eliel as their leader. + From the descendants of Uzziel, 112, with Amminadab as their leader. + Then David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and these Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. + He said to them, "You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. + Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the LORD our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly." + So the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to Jerusalem. + Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the LORD had instructed Moses. + David also ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals. + So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel along with his fellow Levites: Asaph son of Berekiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah from the clan of Merari. + The following men were chosen as their assistants: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers-- Obed-edom and Jeiel. + The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals. + Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were chosen to play the harps. + Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were chosen to play the lyres. + Kenaniah, the head Levite, was chosen as the choir leader because of his skill. + Berekiah and Elkanah were chosen to guard the Ark. + Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer-- all of whom were priests-- were chosen to blow the trumpets as they marched in front of the Ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were chosen to guard the Ark. + Then David and the elders of Israel and the generals of the army went to the house of Obed-edom to bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant up to Jerusalem with a great celebration. + And because God was clearly helping the Levites as they carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. + David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the Ark, and also the singers, and Kenaniah the choir leader. David was also wearing a priestly garment. + So all Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD's Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams' horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres. + But as the Ark of the LORD's Covenant entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David skipping about and laughing with joy, she was filled with contempt for him. + + + They brought the Ark of God and placed it inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. + When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD. + Then he gave to every man and woman in all Israel a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. + David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the LORD-- to invoke his blessings, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. + Asaph, the leader of this group, sounded the cymbals. Second to him was Zechariah, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They played the harps and lyres. + The priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, played the trumpets regularly before the Ark of God's Covenant. + On that day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the LORD: + Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. + Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. + Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. + Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. + Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, + you children of his servant Israel, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones. + He is the LORD our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. + Remember his covenant forever-- the commitment he made to a thousand generations. + This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac. + He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant: + "I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession." + He said this when you were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan. + They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. + Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf: + "Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets." + Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. + Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. + Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. + The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the LORD made the heavens! + Honor and majesty surround him; strength and joy fill his dwelling. + O nations of the world, recognize the LORD, recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong. + Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. + Let all the earth tremble before him. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. + Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, "The LORD reigns!" + Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! + Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise, for the LORD is coming to judge the earth. + Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. + Cry out, "Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you." + Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people shouted "Amen!" and praised the LORD. + David arranged for Asaph and his fellow Levites to serve regularly before the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, doing whatever needed to be done each day. + This group included Obed-edom (son of Jeduthun), Hosah, and sixty-eight other Levites as gatekeepers. + Meanwhile, David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the LORD at the place of worship in Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the LORD. + They sacrificed the regular burnt offerings to the LORD each morning and evening on the altar set aside for that purpose, obeying everything written in the Law of the LORD, as he had commanded Israel. + David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others chosen by name to give thanks to the LORD, for "his faithful love endures forever." + They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany their songs of praise to God. And the sons of Jeduthun were appointed as gatekeepers. + Then all the people returned to their homes, and David turned and went home to bless his own family. + + + When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look," David said, "I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the LORD's Covenant is out there under a tent!" + Nathan replied to David, "Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you." + But that same night God said to Nathan, + "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in. + I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another in a Tabernacle. + Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel's leaders, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, "Why haven't you built me a beautiful cedar house?" ' + "Now go and say to my servant David, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. + I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! + And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won't oppress them as they've done in the past, + starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will defeat all your enemies. " 'Furthermore, I declare that the LORD will build a house for you-- a dynasty of kings! + For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong. + He is the one who will build a house-- a temple-- for me. And I will secure his throne forever. + I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you. + I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.'" + So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision. + Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? + And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O LORD God! + "What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like. + For the sake of your servant, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known. + "O LORD, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! + What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way. + You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God. + "And now, O LORD, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever. + And may your name be established and honored forever so that everyone will say, 'The LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel's God!' And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever. + "O my God, I have been bold enough to pray to you because you have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him-- a dynasty of kings! + For you are God, O LORD. And you have promised these good things to your servant. + And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O LORD, it is an eternal blessing!" + + + After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath and its surrounding towns. + David also conquered the land of Moab, and the Moabites who were spared became David's subjects and paid him tribute money. + David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, as far as Hamath, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. + David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots. + When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. + Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David's subjects and paid him tribute money. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went. + David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem, + along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer's towns of Tebah and Cun. Later Solomon melted the bronze and molded it into the great bronze basin called the Sea, the pillars, and the various bronze articles used at the Temple. + When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, + he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of gold, silver, and bronze. + King David dedicated all these gifts to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations-- from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. + Abishai son of Zeruiah destroyed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + He placed army garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. In fact, the LORD made David victorious wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people. + Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. + Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. And David's sons served as the king's chief assistants. + + + Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. + David said, "I am going to show loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me." So David sent messengers to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death.But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, + the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!" + So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame. + When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back." For they felt deep shame because of their appearance. + When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. + They also hired 32,000 chariots and secured the support of the king of Maacah and his army. These forces camped at Medeba, where they were joined by the Ammonite troops that Hanun had recruited from his own towns. + When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. + The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields. + When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel's elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields. + He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. + "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. "And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. + Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done." + When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. + And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they also ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem. + The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they sent messengers and summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops were under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's forces. + When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then David engaged the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. + But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. + When Hadadezer's allies saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to David and became his subjects. After that, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites. + + + In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the land of the Ammonites. In the process he laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. + When David arrived at Rabbah, he removed the crown from the king's head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and he found that it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. + He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes. That is how David dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. + After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of the giants, and so the Philistines were subdued. + During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi's spear was as thick as a weaver's beam! + In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. + But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shimea. + These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them. + + + Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. + So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Take a census of all the people of Israel-- from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north-- and bring me a report so I may know how many there are." + But Joab replied, "May the LORD increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?" + But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem + and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah. + But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do. + God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. + Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing." + Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer. This was the message: + "Go and say to David, 'This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.'" + So Gad came to David and said, "These are the choices the LORD has given you. + You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the LORD brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me." + "I'm in a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. "But let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands." + So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result. + And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the LORD relented and said to the death angel, "Stop! That is enough!" At that moment the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground. + And David said to God, "I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep-- what have they done? O LORD my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people." + Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him through Gad. + Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid. + When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground. + David said to Araunah, "Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague." + "Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. "I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you." + But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!" + So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor. + David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. + Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath. + When David saw that the LORD had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah's threshing floor. + At that time the Tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon. + But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the LORD. + + + Then David said, "This will be the location for the Temple of the LORD God and the place of the altar for Israel's burnt offerings!" + So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. + David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. + He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David. + David said, "My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the LORD must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now." So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. + Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel. + "My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God," David told him. + "But the LORD said to me, 'You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. + But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. + He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.' + "Now, my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the LORD your God. + And may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the Law of the LORD your God as you rule over Israel. + For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart! + "I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the LORD-- nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more. + You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. + You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you!" + Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in this project. + "The LORD your God is with you," he declared. "He has given you peace with the surrounding nations. He has handed them over to me, and they are now subject to the LORD and his people. + Now seek the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the LORD God so that you can bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the LORD's name." + + + When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. + David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites. + All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000. + Then David said, "From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the LORD. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges. + Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have made." + Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi-- Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni and Shimei, the sons of Gershon. + Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel. + These were the leaders of the family of Libni. Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. + Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. + Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons. + Four of the descendants of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the LORD's presence, to serve the LORD, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. + As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi. + The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. + The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader. + Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants. + The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader. + The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth). + The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second). + The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. + Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish. + Three of the descendants of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. + These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the LORD. + For David said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem. + Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place." + In accordance with David's final instructions, all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service. + The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the LORD. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. + They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. + And each morning and evening they stood before the LORD to sing songs of thanks and praise to him. + They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the LORD on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The required number of Levites served in the LORD's presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given. + And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the LORD. + + + This is how Aaron's descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on as priests. + With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, David divided Aaron's descendants into groups according to their various duties. + Eleazar's descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar's into eight, for there were more family leaders among the descendants of Eleazar. + All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. + Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, acted as secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. The descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar took turns casting lots. + The first lot fell to Jehoiarib. The second lot fell to Jedaiah. + The third lot fell to Harim. The fourth lot fell to Seorim. + The fifth lot fell to Malkijah. The sixth lot fell to Mijamin. + The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz. The eighth lot fell to Abijah. + The ninth lot fell to Jeshua. The tenth lot fell to Shecaniah. + The eleventh lot fell to Eliashib. The twelfth lot fell to Jakim. + The thirteenth lot fell to Huppah. The fourteenth lot fell to Jeshebeab. + The fifteenth lot fell to Bilgah. The sixteenth lot fell to Immer. + The seventeenth lot fell to Hezir. The eighteenth lot fell to Happizzez. + The nineteenth lot fell to Pethahiah. The twentieth lot fell to Jehezkel. + The twenty-first lot fell to Jakin. The twenty-second lot fell to Gamul. + The twenty-third lot fell to Delaiah. The twenty-fourth lot fell to Maaziah. + Each group carried out its appointed duties in the house of the LORD according to the procedures established by their ancestor Aaron in obedience to the commands of the LORD, the God of Israel. + These were the other family leaders descended from Levi: From the descendants of Amram, the leader was Shebuel. From the descendants of Shebuel, the leader was Jehdeiah. + From the descendants of Rehabiah, the leader was Isshiah. + From the descendants of Izhar, the leader was Shelomith. From the descendants of Shelomith, the leader was Jahath. + From the descendants of Hebron, Jeriah was the leader, Amariah was second, Jahaziel was third, and Jekameam was fourth. + From the descendants of Uzziel, the leader was Micah. From the descendants of Micah, the leader was Shamir, + along with Isshiah, the brother of Micah. From the descendants of Isshiah, the leader was Zechariah. + From the descendants of Merari, the leaders were Mahli and Mushi. From the descendants of Jaaziah, the leader was Beno. + From the descendants of Merari through Jaaziah, the leaders were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. + From the descendants of Mahli, the leader was Eleazar, though he had no sons. + From the descendants of Kish, the leader was Jerahmeel. + From the descendants of Mushi, the leaders were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the descendants of Levi in their various families. + Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by means of sacred lots, without regard to age or rank. Lots were drawn in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the family leaders of the priests and the Levites. + + + David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God's messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work: + From the sons of Asaph, there were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. They worked under the direction of their father, Asaph, who proclaimed God's messages by the king's orders. + From the sons of Jeduthun, there were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all. They worked under the direction of their father, Jeduthun, who proclaimed God's messages to the accompaniment of the lyre, offering thanks and praise to the LORD. + From the sons of Heman, there were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. + All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer, for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters. + All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the LORD. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. + They and their families were all trained in making music before the LORD, and each of them-- 288 in all-- was an accomplished musician. + The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student. + The first lot fell to Joseph of the Asaph clan and twelve of his sons and relatives. The second lot fell to Gedaliah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The third lot fell to Zaccur and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The fourth lot fell to Zeri and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The fifth lot fell to Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The sixth lot fell to Bukkiah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The seventh lot fell to Asarelah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The eighth lot fell to Jeshaiah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The ninth lot fell to Mattaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The tenth lot fell to Shimei and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The eleventh lot fell to Uzziel and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The twelfth lot fell to Hashabiah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The thirteenth lot fell to Shubael and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The fourteenth lot fell to Mattithiah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The fifteenth lot fell to Jerimoth and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The sixteenth lot fell to Hananiah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The seventeenth lot fell to Joshbekashah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The eighteenth lot fell to Hanani and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The twentieth lot fell to Eliathah and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The twenty-first lot fell to Hothir and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The twenty-second lot fell to Giddalti and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The twenty-third lot fell to Mahazioth and twelve of his sons and relatives. + The twenty-fourth lot fell to Romamti-ezer and twelve of his sons and relatives. + + + These are the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the family of Abiasaph. + The sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah (the oldest), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth), + Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), and Eliehoenai (the seventh). + The sons of Obed-edom, also gatekeepers, were Shemaiah (the oldest), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sacar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth), + Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), and Peullethai (the eighth). God had richly blessed Obed-edom. + Obed-edom's son Shemaiah had sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority in the clan. + Their names were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. Their relatives, Elihu and Semakiah, were also very capable men. + All of these descendants of Obed-edom, including their sons and grandsons-- sixty-two of them in all-- were very capable men, well qualified for their work. + Meshelemiah's eighteen sons and relatives were also very capable men. + Hosah, of the Merari clan, appointed Shimri as the leader among his sons, though he was not the oldest. + His other sons included Hilkiah (the second), Tebaliah (the third), and Zechariah (the fourth). Hosah's sons and relatives, who served as gatekeepers, numbered thirteen in all. + These divisions of the gatekeepers were named for their family leaders, and like the other Levites, they served at the house of the LORD. + They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots. + The responsibility for the east gate went to Meshelemiah and his group. The north gate was assigned to his son Zechariah, a man of unusual wisdom. + The south gate went to Obed-edom, and his sons were put in charge of the storehouse. + Shuppim and Hosah were assigned the west gate and the gateway leading up to the Temple. Guard duties were divided evenly. + Six Levites were assigned each day to the east gate, four to the north gate, four to the south gate, and two pairs at the storehouse. + Six were assigned each day to the west gate, four to the gateway leading up to the Temple, and two to the courtyard. + These were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the clans of Korah and Merari. + Other Levites, led by Ahijah, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to the LORD. + From the family of Libni in the clan of Gershon, Jehiel was the leader. + The sons of Jehiel, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD. + These are the leaders that descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel: + From the clan of Amram, Shebuel was a descendant of Gershom son of Moses. He was the chief officer of the treasuries. + His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zicri, and Shelomoth. + Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of the treasuries containing the gifts that King David, the family leaders, and the generals and captains and other officers of the army had dedicated to the LORD. + These men dedicated some of the plunder they had gained in battle to maintain the house of the LORD. + Shelomoth and his relatives also cared for the gifts dedicated to the LORD by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah. All the other dedicated gifts were in their care, too. + From the clan of Izhar came Kenaniah. He and his sons were given administrative responsibilities over Israel as officials and judges. + From the clan of Hebron came Hashabiah. He and his relatives-- 1,700 capable men-- were put in charge of the Israelite lands west of the Jordan River. They were responsible for all matters related to the things of the LORD and the service of the king in that area. + Also from the clan of Hebron came Jeriah, who was the leader of the Hebronites according to the genealogical records. (In the fortieth year of David's reign, a search was made in the records, and capable men from the clan of Hebron were found at Jazer in the land of Gilead.) + There were 2,700 capable men among the relatives of Jeriah. King David sent them to the east side of the Jordan River and put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were responsible for all matters related to God and to the king. + + + This is the list of Israelite generals and captains, and their officers, who served the king by supervising the army divisions that were on duty each month of the year. Each division served for one month and had 24,000 troops. + Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was commander of the first division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the first month. + He was a descendant of Perez and was in charge of all the army officers for the first month. + Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah, was commander of the second division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the second month. Mikloth was his chief officer. + Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest was commander of the third division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the third month. + This was the Benaiah who commanded David's elite military group known as the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was his chief officer. + Asahel, the brother of Joab, was commander of the fourth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fourth month. Asahel was succeeded by his son Zebadiah. + Shammah the Izrahite was commander of the fifth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fifth month. + Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa was commander of the sixth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the sixth month. + Helez, a descendant of Ephraim from Pelon, was commander of the seventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the seventh month. + Sibbecai, a descendant of Zerah from Hushah, was commander of the eighth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eighth month. + Abiezer from Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin was commander of the ninth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the ninth month. + Maharai, a descendant of Zerah from Netophah, was commander of the tenth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the tenth month. + Benaiah from Pirathon in Ephraim was commander of the eleventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eleventh month. + Heled, a descendant of Othniel from Netophah, was commander of the twelfth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the twelfth month. + The following were the tribes of Israel and their leaders: Tribe Leader Reuben Eliezer son of Zicri Simeon Shephatiah son of Maacah + Levi Hashabiah son of Kemuel Aaron (the priests) Zadok + Judah Elihu (a brother of David) Issachar Omri son of Michael + Zebulun Ishmaiah son of Obadiah Naphtali Jeremoth son of Azriel + Ephraim Hoshea son of Azaziah Manasseh (west) Joel son of Pedaiah + Manasseh in Gilead (east) Iddo son of Zechariah Benjamin Jaasiel son of Abner + Dan Azarel son of Jeroham These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. + When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the LORD had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven. + Joab son of Zeruiah began the census but never finished it because the anger of God fell on Israel. The total number was never recorded in King David's official records. + Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the palace treasuries. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the regional treasuries throughout the towns, villages, and fortresses of Israel. + Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the king's lands. + Shimei from Ramah was in charge of the king's vineyards. Zabdi from Shepham was responsible for the grapes and the supplies of wine. + Baal-hanan from Geder was in charge of the king's olive groves and sycamore-fig trees in the foothills of Judah. Joash was responsible for the supplies of olive oil. + Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Sharon Plain. Shaphat son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys. + Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah from Meronoth was in charge of the donkeys. + Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the king's flocks of sheep and goats. All these officials were overseers of King David's property. + Jonathan, David's uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king's sons. + Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king's friend. + Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king's army. + + + David summoned all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem-- the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions, the other generals and captains, the overseers of the royal property and livestock, the palace officials, the mighty men, and all the other brave warriors in the kingdom. + David rose to his feet and said: "My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a temple where the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, God's footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, + but God said to me, 'You must not build a temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.' + "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father's family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father's family. And from among my father's sons the LORD was pleased to make me king over all Israel. + And from among my sons-- for the LORD has given me many-- he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the LORD's kingdom. + He said to me, 'Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. + And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.' + "So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel-- the LORD's assembly-- I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. + "And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. + So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work." + Then David gave Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surroundings, including the entry room, the storerooms, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, and the inner sanctuary-- which was the place of atonement. + David also gave Solomon all the plans he had in mind for the courtyards of the LORD's Temple, the outside rooms, the treasuries, and the rooms for the gifts dedicated to the LORD. + The king also gave Solomon the instructions concerning the work of the various divisions of priests and Levites in the Temple of the LORD. And he gave specifications for the items in the Temple that were to be used for worship. + David gave instructions regarding how much gold and silver should be used to make the items needed for service. + He told Solomon the amount of gold needed for the gold lampstands and lamps, and the amount of silver for the silver lampstands and lamps, depending on how each would be used. + He designated the amount of gold for the table on which the Bread of the Presence would be placed and the amount of silver for other tables. + David also designated the amount of gold for the solid gold meat hooks used to handle the sacrificial meat and for the basins, pitchers, and dishes, as well as the amount of silver for every dish. + He designated the amount of refined gold for the altar of incense. Finally, he gave him a plan for the LORD's "chariot"-- the gold cherubim whose wings were stretched out over the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. + "Every part of this plan," David told Solomon, "was given to me in writing from the hand of the LORD. " + Then David continued, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly. + The various divisions of priests and Levites will serve in the Temple of God. Others with skills of every kind will volunteer, and the officials and the entire nation are at your command." + + + Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said, "My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals-- it is for the LORD God himself! + Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble. + "And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. + I am donating more than 112 tons of gold from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings + and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the LORD today?" + Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king's administrative officers all gave willingly. + For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron. + They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the LORD under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. + The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD, and King David was filled with joy. + Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly: "O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! + Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. + Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. + "O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! + But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! + We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. + "O LORD our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! + I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. + "O LORD, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. + Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations." + Then David said to the whole assembly, "Give praise to the LORD your God!" And the entire assembly praised the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the LORD and the king. + The next day they brought 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 male lambs as burnt offerings to the LORD. They also brought liquid offerings and many other sacrifices on behalf of all Israel. + They feasted and drank in the LORD's presence with great joy that day.And again they crowned David's son Solomon as their new king. They anointed him before the LORD as their leader, and they anointed Zadok as priest. + So Solomon took the throne of the LORD in place of his father, David, and he succeeded in everything, and all Israel obeyed him. + All the officials, the warriors, and the sons of King David pledged their loyalty to King Solomon. + And the LORD exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him. + So David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. + He reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. + He died at a ripe old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. Then his son Solomon ruled in his place. + All the events of King David's reign, from beginning to end, are written in [The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet,] and [The Record of Gad the Seer.] + These accounts include the mighty deeds of his reign and everything that happened to him and to Israel and to all the surrounding kingdoms. + + + + + Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him very powerful. + Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel-- the generals and captains of the army, the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. + Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God's Tabernacle was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the LORD's servant, had made in the wilderness.) + David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. + But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the LORD. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the LORD. + There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the LORD's presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it. + That night God appeared to Solomon and said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" + Solomon replied to God, "You showed faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. + O LORD God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! + Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?" + God said to Solomon, "Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people-- + I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!" + Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle at the place of worship in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel. + Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. + The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. + Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king's traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. + At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram. + + + Solomon decided to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD, and also a royal palace for himself. + He enlisted a force of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 men to quarry stone in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen. + Solomon also sent this message to King Hiram at Tyre: "Send me cedar logs as you did for my father, David, when he was building his palace. + I am about to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God. It will be a place set apart to burn fragrant incense before him, to display the special sacrificial bread, and to sacrifice burnt offerings each morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, at new moon celebrations, and at the other appointed festivals of the LORD our God. He has commanded Israel to do these things forever. + "This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods. + But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him? + "So send me a master craftsman who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as with purple, scarlet, and blue cloth. He must be a skilled engraver who can work with the craftsmen of Judah and Jerusalem who were selected by my father, David. + "Also send me cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood logs from Lebanon, for I know that your men are without equal at cutting timber in Lebanon. I will send my men to help them. + An immense amount of timber will be needed, for the Temple I am going to build will be very large and magnificent. + In payment for your woodcutters, I will send 100,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of olive oil. " + King Hiram sent this letter of reply to Solomon: "It is because the LORD loves his people that he has made you their king! + Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son, gifted with skill and understanding, who will build a Temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. + "I am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented. + His mother is from the tribe of Dan in Israel, and his father is from Tyre. He is skillful at making things from gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and he also works with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and fine linen. He is also an engraver and can follow any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and those appointed by my lord David, your father. + "Send along the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine that my lord has mentioned. + We will cut whatever timber you need from the Lebanon mountains and will float the logs in rafts down the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Joppa. From there you can transport the logs up to Jerusalem." + Solomon took a census of all foreigners in the land of Israel, like the census his father had taken, and he counted 153,600. + He assigned 70,000 of them as common laborers, 80,000 as quarry workers in the hill country, and 3,600 as foremen. + + + So Solomon began to build the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David, his father. The Temple was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected. + The construction began in midspring, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign. + These are the dimensions Solomon used for the foundation of the Temple of God (using the old standard of measurement). It was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide. + The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. + He paneled the main room of the Temple with cypress wood, overlaid it with fine gold, and decorated it with carvings of palm trees and chains. + He decorated the walls of the Temple with beautiful jewels and with gold from the land of Parvaim. + He overlaid the beams, thresholds, walls, and doors throughout the Temple with gold, and he carved figures of cherubim on the walls. + He made the Most Holy Place 30 feet wide, corresponding to the width of the Temple, and 30 feet deep. He overlaid its interior with 23 tons of fine gold. + The gold nails that were used weighed 20 ounces each. He also overlaid the walls of the upper rooms with gold. + He made two figures shaped like cherubim, overlaid them with gold, and placed them in the Most Holy Place. + The total wingspan of the two cherubim standing side by side was 30 feet. One wing of the first figure was 7-1/2 feet long, and it touched the Temple wall. The other wing, also 7-1/2 feet long, touched one of the wings of the second figure. + In the same way, the second figure had one wing 7-1/2 feet long that touched the opposite wall. The other wing, also 7-1/2 feet long, touched the wing of the first figure. + So the wingspan of the two cherubim side by side was 30 feet. They stood on their feet and faced out toward the main room of the Temple. + Across the entrance of the Most Holy Place he hung a curtain made of fine linen, decorated with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and embroidered with figures of cherubim. + For the front of the Temple, he made two pillars that were 27 feet tall, each topped by a capital extending upward another 7-1/2 feet. + He made a network of interwoven chains and used them to decorate the tops of the pillars. He also made 100 decorative pomegranates and attached them to the chains. + Then he set up the two pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one to the south of the entrance and the other to the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz. + + + Solomon also made a bronze altar 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet high. + Then he cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7-1/2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference. + It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of figures that resembled oxen. There were about six oxen per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin. + The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. + The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 16,500 gallons of water. + He also made ten smaller basins for washing the utensils for the burnt offerings. He set five on the south side and five on the north. But the priests washed themselves in the Sea. + He then cast ten gold lampstands according to the specifications that had been given, and he put them in the Temple. Five were placed against the south wall, and five were placed against the north wall. + He also built ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five along the south wall and five along the north wall. Then he molded 100 gold basins. + He then built a courtyard for the priests, and also the large outer courtyard. He made doors for the courtyard entrances and overlaid them with bronze. + The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple. + Huram-abi also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls.So at last Huram-abi completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of God: + the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals; + the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars); + the water carts holding the basins; + the Sea and the twelve oxen under it; + the ash buckets, the shovels, the meat hooks, and all the related articles. Huram-abi made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the LORD, just as King Solomon had directed. + The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan. + Solomon used such great quantities of bronze that its weight could not be determined. + Solomon also made all the furnishings for the Temple of God: the gold altar; the tables for the Bread of the Presence; + the lampstands and their lamps of solid gold, to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as prescribed; + the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs-- all of the purest gold; + the lamp snuffers, bowls, dishes, and incense burners-- all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, overlaid with gold. + + + So Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the LORD. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated-- the silver, the gold, and the various articles-- and he stored them in the treasuries of the Temple of God. + Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of tribes-- the leaders of the ancestral families of Israel. They were to bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion. + So all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn. + When all the elders of Israel arrived, the Levites picked up the Ark. + The priests and Levites brought up the Ark along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it. + There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count! + Then the priests carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple-- the Most Holy Place-- and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim. + The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles. + These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Temple's main room-- the Holy Place-- but not from the outside. They are still there to this day. + Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left Egypt. + Then the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day. + And the Levites who were musicians-- Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers-- were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. + The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the LORD with these words: "He is good! His faithful love endures forever!" At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. + The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God. + + + Then Solomon prayed, "O LORD, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness. + Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever!" + Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing: + "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father, + 'From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. Nor have I chosen a king to lead my people Israel. + But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name to be honored, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.'" + Then Solomon said, "My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + But the LORD told him, 'You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, + but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.' + "And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father's place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel." + Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer. + Now Solomon had made a bronze platform 7-1/2 feet long, 7-1/2 feet wide, and 4-1/2 feet high and had placed it at the center of the Temple's outer courtyard. He stood on the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven. + He prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. + You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today. + "And now, O LORD, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, 'If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow my Law as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.' + Now, O LORD, God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David. + "But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! + Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you. + May you watch over this Temple day and night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. + May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive. + "If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple, + then hear from heaven and judge between your servants-- the accuser and the accused. Pay back the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence. + "If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn back and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, + then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors. + "If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, + then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession. + "If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people's enemies are in the land besieging their towns-- whatever disaster or disease there is-- + and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, + then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. + Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors. + "In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, + then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name. + "If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, + then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause. + "If they sin against you-- and who has never sinned?-- you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far away or near. + But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, 'We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.' + If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors-- toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name-- + then hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you. + "O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place. + "And now arise, O LORD God, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation; may your loyal servants rejoice in your goodness. + O LORD God, do not reject the king you have anointed. Remember your unfailing love for your servant David." + + + When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. + The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. + When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, "He is good! His faithful love endures forever!" + Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to the LORD. + King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people dedicated the Temple of God. + The priests took their assigned positions, and so did the Levites who were singing, "His faithful love endures forever!" They accompanied the singing with music from the instruments King David had made for praising the LORD. Across from the Levites, the priests blew the trumpets, while all Israel stood. + Solomon then consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the LORD's Temple. He offered burnt offerings and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar he had built could not hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrificial fat. + For the next seven days Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. + On the eighth day they had a closing ceremony, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the Festival of Shelters for seven days. + Then at the end of the celebration, Solomon sent the people home. They were all joyful and glad because the LORD had been so good to David and to Solomon and to his people Israel. + So Solomon finished the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. + Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. + At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. + Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. + My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. + For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy-- a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. + "As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, + then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, 'One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.' + "But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, + then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. + And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, 'Why did the LORD do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?' + "And the answer will be, 'Because his people abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them.'" + + + It took Solomon twenty years to build the LORD's Temple and his own royal palace. At the end of that time, + Solomon turned his attention to rebuilding the towns that King Hiram had given him, and he settled Israelites in them. + Solomon also fought against the town of Hamath-zobah and conquered it. + He rebuilt Tadmor in the wilderness and built towns in the region of Hamath as supply centers. + He fortified the towns of Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, rebuilding their walls and installing barred gates. + He also rebuilt Baalath and other supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses could be stationed. He built everything he desired in Jerusalem and Lebanon and throughout his entire realm. + There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. + These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them for his labor force, and they serve in the labor force to this day. + But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for his labor force. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, officers in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers. + King Solomon appointed 250 of them to supervise the people. + Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh's daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. He said, "My wife must not live in King David's palace, for the Ark of the LORD has been there, and it is holy ground." + Then Solomon presented burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar he had built for him in front of the entry room of the Temple. + He offered the sacrifices for the Sabbaths, the new moon festivals, and the three annual festivals-- the Passover celebration, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters-- as Moses had commanded. + In assigning the priests to their duties, Solomon followed the regulations of his father, David. He also assigned the Levites to lead the people in praise and to assist the priests in their daily duties. And he assigned the gatekeepers to their gates by their divisions, following the commands of David, the man of God. + Solomon did not deviate in any way from David's commands concerning the priests and Levites and the treasuries. + So Solomon made sure that all the work related to building the Temple of the LORD was carried out, from the day its foundation was laid to the day of its completion. + Later Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Elath, ports along the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. + Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers and manned by experienced crews of sailors. These ships sailed to Ophir with Solomon's men and brought back to Solomon almost seventeen tons of gold. + + + When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. + Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. + When the queen of Sheba realized how wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, + she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD. + She exclaimed to the king, "Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! + I didn't believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was told. + How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! + Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne as king to rule for him. Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever, he has made you king over them so you can rule with justice and righteousness." + Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never before had there been spices as fine as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + (In addition, the crews of Hiram and Solomon brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought red sandalwood and precious jewels. + The king used the sandalwood to make steps for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before had such beautiful things been seen in Judah.) + King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for-- gifts of greater value than the gifts she had given him. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land. + Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. + This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the provinces also brought gold and silver to Solomon. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 15 pounds. + He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 7-1/2 pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. + Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. + The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne. + There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it! + All of King Solomon's drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon's day! + The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by the sailors sent by Hiram. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. + So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. + Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. + Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. + Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he had 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities, and some near him in Jerusalem. + He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. + The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. + Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and many other countries. + The rest of the events of Solomon's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in [The Record of Nathan the Prophet,] and [The Prophecy of Ahijah from Shiloh,] and also in [The Visions of Iddo the Seer,] concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. + Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. + When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king. + + + Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. + When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. + The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. + "Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects." + Rehoboam replied, "Come back in three days for my answer." So the people went away. + Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?" + The older counselors replied, "If you are good to these people and do your best to please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects." + But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. + "What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?" + The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist! + Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!'" + Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam's decision, just as the king had ordered. + But Rehoboam spoke harshly to them, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors + and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, "My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!" + So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of God, for it fulfilled the LORD's message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. + When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!" So all the people of Israel returned home. + But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah. + King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the labor force, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. + And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David. + + + When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and Benjamin-- 180,000 select troops-- to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself. + But the LORD said to Shemaiah, the man of God, + "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin: + 'This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!' " So they obeyed the message of the LORD and did not fight against Jeroboam. + Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the defense of Judah. + He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, + Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, + Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, + Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, + Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These became the fortified towns of Judah and Benjamin. + Rehoboam strengthened their defenses and stationed commanders in them, and he stored supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. + He also put shields and spears in these towns as a further safety measure. So only Judah and Benjamin remained under his control. + But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam. + The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to serve the LORD as priests. + Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made. + From all the tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. + This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon. + Rehoboam married his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. + Mahalath had three sons-- Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. + Later Rehoboam married another cousin, Maacah, the daughter of Absalom. Maacah gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. + Rehoboam loved Maacah more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and they gave birth to twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. + Rehoboam appointed Maacah's son Abijah as leader among the princes, making it clear that he would be the next king. + Rehoboam also wisely gave responsibilities to his other sons and stationed some of them in the fortified towns throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin. He provided them with generous provisions, and he found many wives for them. + + + But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the LORD, and all Israel followed him in this sin. + Because they were unfaithful to the LORD, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign. + He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians. + Shishak conquered Judah's fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem. + The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah's leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, "This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak." + Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is right in doing this to us!" + When the LORD saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: "Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. + But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers." + So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. + King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. + Whenever the king went to the Temple of the LORD, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom. + Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD's anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah. + King Rehoboam firmly established himself in Jerusalem and continued to rule. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, a woman from Ammon. + But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart. + The rest of the events of Rehoboam's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in [The Record of Shemaiah the Prophet] and [The Record of Iddo the Seer,] which are part of the genealogical record. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other. + When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king. + + + Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel. + He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.Then war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. + Judah, led by King Abijah, fielded 400,000 select warriors, while Jeroboam mustered 800,000 select troops from Israel. + When the army of Judah arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and shouted to Jeroboam and all Israel: "Listen to me! + Don't you realize that the LORD, the God of Israel, made a lasting covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever? + Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a mere servant of David's son Solomon, rebelled against his master. + Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined him, defying Solomon's son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them. + "Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the LORD that is led by the descendants of David? You may have a vast army, and you have those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods. + But you have chased away the priests of the LORD (the descendants of Aaron) and the Levites, and you have appointed your own priests, just like the pagan nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these so-called gods of yours! + "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve the LORD as priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work. + They present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and evening. They place the Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they light the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him. + So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!" + Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part of his army around behind the men of Judah to ambush them. + When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the LORD for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, + and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah. + The Israelite army fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah in defeat. + Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; 500,000 of Israel's select troops were killed that day. + So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their ancestors. + Abijah and his army pursued Jeroboam's troops and captured some of his towns, including Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their surrounding villages. + So Jeroboam of Israel never regained his power during Abijah's lifetime, and finally the LORD struck him down and he died. + Meanwhile, Abijah of Judah grew more and more powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. + The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, including his words and deeds, are recorded in [The Commentary of Iddo the Prophet.] + + + When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years. + Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the LORD his God. + He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. + He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands. + Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense altars from every one of Judah's towns. So Asa's kingdom enjoyed a period of peace. + During those peaceful years, he was able to build up the fortified towns throughout Judah. No one tried to make war against him at this time, for the LORD was giving him rest from his enemies. + Asa told the people of Judah, "Let us build towns and fortify them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the LORD our God, and he has given us peace on every side." So they went ahead with these projects and brought them to completion. + King Asa had an army of 300,000 warriors from the tribe of Judah, armed with large shields and spears. He also had an army of 280,000 warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, armed with small shields and bows. Both armies were composed of well-trained fighting men. + Once an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah, + so Asa deployed his armies for battle in the valley north of Mareshah. + Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, "O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!" + So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled. + Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by the LORD and his army, and the army of Judah carried off a vast amount of plunder. + While they were at Gerar, they attacked all the towns in that area, and terror from the LORD came upon the people there. As a result, a vast amount of plunder was taken from these towns, too. + They also attacked the camps of herdsmen and captured many sheep, goats, and camels before finally returning to Jerusalem. + + + Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, + and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. "Listen to me, Asa!" he shouted. "Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The LORD will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you. + For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. + But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him. + "During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. + Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem. + But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded." + When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet, he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of the LORD, which stood in front of the entry room of the LORD's Temple. + Then Asa called together all the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa's reign when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. + The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring, during the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. + On that day they sacrificed to the LORD 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle. + Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. + They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death-- whether young or old, man or woman. + They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the LORD with trumpets blaring and rams' horns sounding. + All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the LORD gave them rest from their enemies on every side. + King Asa even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. + Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa's heart remained completely faithful throughout his life. + He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated. + So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. + + + In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa's territory in Judah. + Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: + "Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone." + Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali. + As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it. + Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah. + At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. + Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the LORD, and he handed them over to you. + The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war." + Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people. + The rest of the events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.] + In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the LORD's help but turned only to his physicians. + So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. + He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor. + + + Then Jehoshaphat, Asa's son, became the next king. He strengthened Judah to stand against any attack from Israel. + He stationed troops in all the fortified towns of Judah, and he assigned additional garrisons to the land of Judah and to the towns of Ephraim that his father, Asa, had captured. + The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father's early years and did not worship the images of Baal. + He sought his father's God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel. + So the LORD established Jehoshaphat's control over the kingdom of Judah. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he became very wealthy and highly esteemed. + He was deeply committed to the ways of the LORD. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah. + In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his officials to teach in all the towns of Judah. These officials included Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. + He sent Levites along with them, including Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah. He also sent out the priests Elishama and Jehoram. + They took copies of the Book of the Law of the LORD and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people. + Then the fear of the LORD fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat. + Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. + So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful and built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah. + He stored numerous supplies in Judah's towns and stationed an army of seasoned troops at Jerusalem. + His army was enrolled according to ancestral clans. From Judah there were 300,000 troops organized in units of 1,000, under the command of Adnah. + Next in command was Jehohanan, who commanded 280,000 troops. + Next was Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered for the LORD's service, with 200,000 troops under his command. + From Benjamin there were 200,000 troops equipped with bows and shields. They were under the command of Eliada, a veteran soldier. + Next in command was Jehozabad, who commanded 180,000 armed men. + These were the troops stationed in Jerusalem to serve the king, besides those Jehoshaphat stationed in the fortified towns throughout Judah. + + + Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab's daughter. + A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead. + "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah.Jehoshaphat replied, "Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle." + Then Jehoshaphat added, "But first let's find out what the LORD says." + So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" They all replied, "Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory." + But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here? We should ask him the same question." + The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, "There is one more man who could consult the LORD for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat replied, "That's not the way a king should talk! Let's hear what he has to say." + So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah." + King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab's prophets were prophesying there in front of them. + One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, "This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!" + All the other prophets agreed. "Yes," they said, "go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!" + Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, "Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success." + But Micaiah replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what my God says." + When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" Micaiah replied sarcastically, "Yes, go up and be victorious, for you will have victory over them!" + But the king replied sharply, "How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the LORD?" + Then Micaiah told him, "In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.' " + "Didn't I tell you?" the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. "He never prophesies anything but trouble for me." + Then Micaiah continued, "Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. + And the LORD said, 'Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?'"There were many suggestions, + and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, 'I can do it!'" 'How will you do this?' the LORD asked. + "And the spirit replied, 'I will go out and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to speak lies.'" 'You will succeed,' said the LORD. 'Go ahead and do it.' + "So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the LORD has pronounced your doom." + Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. "Since when did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" he demanded. + And Micaiah replied, "You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!" + "Arrest him!" the king of Israel ordered. "Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. + Give them this order from the king: 'Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!'" + But Micaiah replied, "If you return safely, it will mean that the LORD has not spoken through me!" Then he added to those standing around, "Everyone mark my words!" + So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. + The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. + Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: "Attack only the king of Israel! Don't bother with anyone else." + So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the LORD saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him. + As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him. + An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. "Turn the horses and get me out of here!" Ahab groaned to the driver of the chariot. "I'm badly wounded!" + The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died. + + + When King Jehoshaphat of Judah arrived safely home in Jerusalem, + Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. "Why should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?" he asked the king. "Because of what you have done, the LORD is very angry with you. + Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God." + Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people, traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the people to return to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. + He appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns, + and he said to them, "Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the LORD. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. + Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes." + In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and clan leaders in Israel to serve as judges for cases involving the LORD's regulations and for civil disputes. + These were his instructions to them: "You must always act in the fear of the LORD, with faithfulness and an undivided heart. + Whenever a case comes to you from fellow citizens in an outlying town, whether a murder case or some other violation of God's laws, commands, decrees, or regulations, you must warn them not to sin against the LORD, so that he will not be angry with you and them. Do this and you will not be guilty. + "Amariah the high priest will have final say in all cases involving the LORD. Zebadiah son of Ishmael, a leader from the tribe of Judah, will have final say in all civil cases. The Levites will assist you in making sure that justice is served. Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the LORD be with those who do what is right." + + + After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. + Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) + Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. + So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's help. + Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. + He prayed, "O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! + O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? + Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. + They said, 'Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.' + "And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. + Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. + O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." + As all the men of Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, wives, and children, + the Spirit of the LORD came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. + He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. + Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. + But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!" + Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD. + Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout. + Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed." + After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!" + At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. + The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. + So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped. + King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables-- more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all! + On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the LORD there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today. + Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, overjoyed that the LORD had given them victory over their enemies. + They marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they proceeded to the Temple of the LORD. + When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the LORD himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. + So Jehoshaphat's kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. + So Jehoshaphat ruled over the land of Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. + Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the ways of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight. + During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors. + The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in [The Record of Jehu Son of Hanani,] which is included in [The Book of the Kings of Israel.] + Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked. + Together they built a fleet of trading ships at the port of Ezion-geber. + Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, "Because you have allied yourself with King Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy your work." So the ships met with disaster and never put out to sea. + + + When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king. + Jehoram's brothers-- the other sons of Jehoshaphat-- were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. + Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of silver, gold, and costly items, and also some of Judah's fortified towns. However, he designated Jehoram as the next king because he was the oldest. + But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah. + Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. + But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the LORD's sight. + But the LORD did not want to destroy David's dynasty, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever. + During Jehoram's reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. + So Jehoram went out with his full army and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. + Even so, Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. All this happened because Jehoram had abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors. + He had built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah and had led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to give themselves to pagan gods and to go astray. + Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter: "This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. + Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. + So now the LORD is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. + You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out." + Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians, to attack Jehoram. + They marched against Judah, broke down its defenses, and carried away everything of value in the royal palace, including the king's sons and his wives. Only his youngest son, Ahaziah, was spared. + After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with the severe intestinal disease. + The disease grew worse and worse, and at the end of two years it caused his bowels to come out, and he died in agony. His people did not build a great funeral fire to honor him as they had done for his ancestors. + Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery. + + + Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, their next king, since the marauding bands who came with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigned as king of Judah. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri. + Ahaziah also followed the evil example of King Ahab's family, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Ahab's family had done. They even became his advisers after the death of his father, and they led him to ruin. + Following their evil advice, Ahaziah joined King Joram, the son of King Ahab of Israel, in his war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. When the Arameans wounded Joram in the battle, + he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had received at Ramoth. Because Joram was wounded, King Ahaziah of Judah went to Jezreel to visit him. + But God had decided that this visit would be Ahaziah's downfall. While he was there, Ahaziah went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had appointed to destroy the dynasty of Ahab. + While Jehu was executing judgment against the family of Ahab, he happened to meet some of Judah's officials and Ahaziah's relatives who were traveling with Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them all. + Then Jehu's men searched for Ahaziah, and they found him hiding in the city of Samaria. They brought him to Jehu, who killed him. Ahaziah was given a decent burial because the people said, "He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat-- a man who sought the LORD with all his heart." But none of the surviving members of Ahaziah's family was capable of ruling the kingdom. + When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah's royal family. + But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way, Jehosheba, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid the child so that Athaliah could not murder him. + Joash remained hidden in the Temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land. + + + In the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehoiada the priest decided to act. He summoned his courage and made a pact with five army commanders: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. + These men traveled secretly throughout Judah and summoned the Levites and clan leaders in all the towns to come to Jerusalem. + They all gathered at the Temple of God, where they made a solemn pact with Joash, the young king.Jehoiada said to them, "Here is the king's son! The time has come for him to reign! The LORD has promised that a descendant of David will be our king. + This is what you must do. When you priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, a third of you will serve as gatekeepers. + Another third will go over to the royal palace, and the final third will be at the Foundation Gate. Everyone else should stay in the courtyards of the LORD's Temple. + Remember, only the priests and Levites on duty may enter the Temple of the LORD, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the LORD's instructions and stay outside. + You Levites, form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to enter the Temple. Stay with the king wherever he goes." + So the Levites and all the people of Judah did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. Jehoiada the priest did not let anyone go home after their shift ended. + Then Jehoiada supplied the commanders with the spears and the large and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of God. + He stationed all the people around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar. + Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out Joash, the king's son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God's laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone shouted, "Long live the king!" + When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and the shouts of praise to the king, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening. + When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar at the Temple entrance. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Singers with musical instruments were leading the people in a great celebration. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, "Treason! Treason!" + Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, "Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her." For the priest had said, "She must not be killed in the Temple of the LORD." + So they seized her and led her out to the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and they killed her there. + Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. + And all the people went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. + Jehoiada now put the priests and Levites in charge of the Temple of the LORD, following all the directions given by David. He also commanded them to present burnt offerings to the LORD, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, and to sing and rejoice as David had instructed. + He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD's Temple to keep out those who for any reason were ceremonially unclean. + Then the commanders, nobles, rulers, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD. They went through the upper gate and into the palace, and they seated the king on the royal throne. + So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed. + + + Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. + Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. + Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and he had sons and daughters. + At one point Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple of the LORD. + He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them these instructions: "Go to all the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings, so that we can repair the Temple of your God. Do not delay!" But the Levites did not act immediately. + So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, "Why haven't you demanded that the Levites go out and collect the Temple taxes from the towns of Judah and from Jerusalem? Moses, the servant of the LORD, levied this tax on the community of Israel in order to maintain the Tabernacle of the Covenant. " + Over the years the followers of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Temple of God, and they had used all the dedicated things from the Temple of the LORD to worship the images of Baal. + So now the king ordered a chest to be made and set outside the gate leading to the Temple of the LORD. + Then a proclamation was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem, telling the people to bring to the LORD the tax that Moses, the servant of God, had required of the Israelites in the wilderness. + This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it. + Whenever the chest became full, the Levites would carry it to the king's officials. Then the court secretary and an officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and take it back to the Temple again. This went on day after day, and a large amount of money was collected. + The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the construction supervisors, who hired masons and carpenters to restore the Temple of the LORD. They also hired metalworkers, who made articles of iron and bronze for the LORD's Temple. + The men in charge of the renovation worked hard and made steady progress. They restored the Temple of God according to its original design and strengthened it. + When all the repairs were finished, they brought the remaining money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to make various articles for the Temple of the LORD-- articles for worship services and for burnt offerings, including ladles and other articles made of gold and silver. And the burnt offerings were sacrificed continually in the Temple of the LORD during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. + Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. + He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Judah for God and his Temple. + But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. + They decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. + Yet the LORD sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen. + Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!" + Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple. + That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty-- by killing his son. Zechariah's last words as he died were, "May the LORD see what they are doing and avenge my death!" + In the spring of the year the Aramean army marched against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the nation. Then they sent all the plunder back to their king in Damascus. + Although the Arameans attacked with only a small army, the LORD helped them conquer the much larger army of Judah. The people of Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, so judgment was carried out against Joash. + The Arameans withdrew, leaving Joash severely wounded. But his own officials plotted to kill him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest. They assassinated him as he lay in bed. Then he was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery. + The assassins were Jozacar, the son of an Ammonite woman named Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of a Moabite woman named Shomer. + The account of the sons of Joash, the prophecies about him, and the record of his restoration of the Temple of God are written in [The Commentary on the Book of the Kings.] His son Amaziah became the next king. + + + Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. + Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, but not wholeheartedly. + When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father. + However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the LORD as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: "Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes." + Then Amaziah organized the army, assigning generals and captains for all Judah and Benjamin. He took a census and found that he had an army of 300,000 select troops, twenty years old and older, all trained in the use of spear and shield. + He also paid about 7,500 pounds of silver to hire 100,000 experienced fighting men from Israel. + But a man of God came to him and said, "Your Majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the LORD is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim! + If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up." + Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this!" + So Amaziah discharged the hired troops and sent them back to Ephraim. This made them very angry with Judah, and they returned home in a great rage. + Then Amaziah summoned his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they killed 10,000 Edomite troops from Seir. + They captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, dashing them to pieces on the rocks below. + Meanwhile, the hired troops that Amaziah had sent home raided several of the towns of Judah between Samaria and Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off great quantities of plunder. + When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them! + This made the LORD very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, "Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?" + But the king interrupted him and said, "Since when have I made you the king's counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!" So the prophet stopped with this warning: "I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel." + After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel's king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: "Come and meet me in battle!" + But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: "Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: 'Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it! + "You are saying, 'I have defeated Edom,' and you are very proud of it. But my advice is to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?" + But Amaziah refused to listen, for God was determined to destroy him for turning to the gods of Edom. + So King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah. + Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. + King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah's king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he brought him to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. + He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-edom. He also seized the treasures of the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria. + King Amaziah of Judah lived on for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. + The rest of the events in Amaziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.] + After Amaziah turned away from the LORD, there was a conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there. + They brought his body back on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. + + + All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as king in place of his father. + After his father's death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah. + Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. + He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. + Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success. + Uzziah declared war on the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built new towns in the Ashdod area and in other parts of Philistia. + God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur, and his wars with the Meunites. + The Meunites paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful. + Uzziah built fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the angle in the wall. + He also constructed forts in the wilderness and dug many water cisterns, because he kept great herds of livestock in the foothills of Judah and on the plains. He was also a man who loved the soil. He had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, both on the hillsides and in the fertile valleys. + Uzziah had an army of well-trained warriors, ready to march into battle, unit by unit. This army had been mustered and organized by Jeiel, the secretary of the army, and his assistant, Maaseiah. They were under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's officials. + These regiments of mighty warriors were commanded by 2,600 clan leaders. + The army consisted of 307,500 men, all elite troops. They were prepared to assist the king against any enemy. + Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling stones. + And he produced machines mounted on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to shoot arrows and hurl stones from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the LORD gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful. + But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the LORD his God by entering the sanctuary of the LORD's Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. + Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the LORD, all brave men. + They confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The LORD God will not honor you for this!" + Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the LORD's Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. + When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the LORD had struck him. + So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the LORD. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land. + The rest of the events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. + When Uzziah died, he was buried with his ancestors; his grave was in a nearby burial field belonging to the kings, for the people said, "He had leprosy." And his son Jotham became the next king. + + + Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. + Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done, except that Jotham did not sin by entering the Temple of the LORD. But the people continued in their corrupt ways. + Jotham rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the LORD. He also did extensive rebuilding on the wall at the hill of Ophel. + He built towns in the hill country of Judah and constructed fortresses and towers in the wooded areas. + Jotham went to war against the Ammonites and conquered them. Over the next three years he received from them an annual tribute of 7,500 pounds of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat, and 50,000 bushels of barley. + King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the LORD his God. + The rest of the events of Jotham's reign, including all his wars and other activities, are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.] + He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. + When Jotham died, he was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz became the next king. + + + Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD, as his ancestor David had done. + Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel. He cast metal images for the worship of Baal. + He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. + He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree. + Because of all this, the LORD his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army. + In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah, Israel's king, killed 120,000 of Judah's troops, all of them experienced warriors, because they had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors. + Then Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king's son; Azrikam, the king's palace commander; and Elkanah, the king's second-in-command. + The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria. + But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, "The LORD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed. + And now you are planning to make slaves of these people from Judah and Jerusalem. What about your own sins against the LORD your God? + Listen to me and return these prisoners you have taken, for they are your own relatives. Watch out, because now the LORD's fierce anger has been turned against you!" + Then some of the leaders of Israel-- Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai-- agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle. + "You must not bring the prisoners here!" they declared. "We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the LORD's fierce anger is already turned against Israel." + So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people. + Then the four men just mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own people in Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria. + At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help. + The armies of Edom had again invaded Judah and taken captives. + And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. + The LORD was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the LORD. + So when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him. + Ahaz took valuable items from the LORD's Temple, the royal palace, and from the homes of his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But this did not help him. + Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the LORD. + He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, for he said, "Since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them." But instead, they led to his ruin and the ruin of all Judah. + The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the LORD's Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. + He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of his ancestors. + The rest of the events of Ahaz's reign and everything he did, from beginning to end, are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.] + When Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king. + + + Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became the king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. + He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestor David had done. + In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the LORD and repaired them. + He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. + He said to them, "Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. + Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned the LORD and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him. + They also shut the doors to the Temple's entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel. + "That is why the LORD's anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. + Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured. + But now I will make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. + My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him." + Then these Levites got right to work: From the clan of Kohath: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah. From the clan of Merari: Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel. From the clan of Gershon: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah. + From the family of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel. From the family of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah. + From the family of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei. From the family of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel. + These men called together their fellow Levites, and they all purified themselves. Then they began to cleanse the Temple of the LORD, just as the king had commanded. They were careful to follow all the LORD's instructions in their work. + The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the LORD to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found. From there the Levites carted it all out to the Kidron Valley. + They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year, and in eight days they had reached the entry room of the LORD's Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the LORD itself, which took another eight days. So the entire task was completed in sixteen days. + Then the Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: "We have cleansed the entire Temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils. + We have also recovered all the items discarded by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD, purified and ready for use." + Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the Temple of the LORD. + They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the LORD. + So they killed the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. And finally, they did the same with the male lambs. + The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their hands on them. + The priests then killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made for all Israel. + King Hezekiah then stationed the Levites at the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, lyres, and harps. He obeyed all the commands that the LORD had given to King David through Gad, the king's seer, and the prophet Nathan. + The Levites then took their positions around the Temple with the instruments of David, and the priests took their positions with the trumpets. + Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be placed on the altar. As the burnt offering was presented, songs of praise to the LORD were begun, accompanied by the trumpets and other instruments of David, the former king of Israel. + The entire assembly worshiped the LORD as the singers sang and the trumpets blew, until all the burnt offerings were finished. + Then the king and everyone with him bowed down in worship. + King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship. + Then Hezekiah declared, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, bring your sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of the LORD." So the people brought their sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings, too. + The people brought to the LORD 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs for burnt offerings. + They also brought 600 cattle and 3,000 sheep and goats as sacred offerings. + But there were too few priests to prepare all the burnt offerings. So their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and more priests had been purified, for the Levites had been more conscientious about purifying themselves than the priests had been. + There was an abundance of burnt offerings, along with the usual liquid offerings, and a great deal of fat from the many peace offerings.So the Temple of the LORD was restored to service. + And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people, for everything had been accomplished so quickly. + + + King Hezekiah now sent word to all Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters of invitation to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. He asked everyone to come to the Temple of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. + The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual. + They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem. + This plan for keeping the Passover seemed right to the king and all the people. + So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north, inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating it in great numbers as required in the Law. + At the king's command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said: "O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. + Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. + Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the LORD. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the LORD your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. + "For if you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you." + The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them. + However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. + At the same time, God's hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them all one heart to obey the orders of the king and his officials, who were following the word of the LORD. + So a huge crowd assembled at Jerusalem in midspring to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. + They set to work and removed the pagan altars from Jerusalem. They took away all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. + On the fourteenth day of the second month, one month later than usual, the people slaughtered the Passover lamb. This shamed the priests and Levites, so they purified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Temple of the LORD. + Then they took their places at the Temple as prescribed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. The Levites brought the sacrificial blood to the priests, who then sprinkled it on the altar. + Since many of the people had not purified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter their Passover lamb for them, to set them apart for the LORD. + Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon those + who decide to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony." + And the LORD listened to Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people. + So the people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments. + Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the LORD. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. + The entire assembly then decided to continue the festival another seven days, so they celebrated joyfully for another week. + King Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for offerings, and the officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Meanwhile, many more priests purified themselves. + The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all those who lived in Judah. + There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David's son. + Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from his holy dwelling in heaven. + + + When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes. + Hezekiah then organized the priests and Levites into divisions to offer the burnt offerings and peace offerings, and to worship and give thanks and praise to the LORD at the gates of the Temple. + The king also made a personal contribution of animals for the daily morning and evening burnt offerings, the weekly Sabbath festivals, the monthly new moon festivals, and the annual festivals as prescribed in the Law of the LORD. + In addition, he required the people in Jerusalem to bring a portion of their goods to the priests and Levites, so they could devote themselves fully to the Law of the LORD. + The people of Israel responded immediately and generously by bringing the first of their crops and grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity-- a tithe of all they produced. + The people who had moved to Judah from Israel, and the people of Judah themselves, brought in the tithes of their cattle, sheep, and goats and a tithe of the things that had been dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them up in great heaps. + They began piling them up in late spring, and the heaps continued to grow until early autumn. + When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw these huge piles, they thanked the LORD and his people Israel! + "Where did all this come from?" Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites. + And Azariah the high priest, from the family of Zadok, replied, "Since the people began bringing their gifts to the LORD's Temple, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare. The LORD has blessed his people, and all this is left over." + Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Temple of the LORD. When this was done, + the people faithfully brought all the tithes and gifts to the Temple. Conaniah the Levite was put in charge, assisted by his brother Shimei. + The supervisors under them were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. These appointments were made by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the chief official in the Temple of God. + Kore son of Imnah the Levite, who was the gatekeeper at the East Gate, was put in charge of distributing the voluntary offerings given to God, the gifts, and the things that had been dedicated to the LORD. + His faithful assistants were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah. They distributed the gifts among the families of priests in their towns by their divisions, dividing the gifts fairly among old and young alike. + They distributed the gifts to all males three years old or older, regardless of their place in the genealogical records. The distribution went to all who would come to the LORD's Temple to perform their daily duties according to their divisions. + They distributed gifts to the priests who were listed by their families in the genealogical records, and to the Levites twenty years old or older who were listed according to their jobs and their divisions. + Food allotments were also given to the families of all those listed in the genealogical records, including their little babies, wives, sons, and daughters. For they had all been faithful in purifying themselves. + As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who were living in the open villages around the towns, men were appointed by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to all the Levites listed in the genealogical records. + In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the LORD his God. + In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God's laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful. + + + After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified towns, giving orders for his army to break through their walls. + When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib also intended to attack Jerusalem, + he consulted with his officials and military advisers, and they decided to stop the flow of the springs outside the city. + They organized a huge work crew to stop the flow of the springs, cutting off the brook that ran through the fields. For they said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come here and find plenty of water?" + Then Hezekiah worked hard at repairing all the broken sections of the wall, erecting towers, and constructing a second wall outside the first. He also reinforced the supporting terraces in the City of David and manufactured large numbers of weapons and shields. + He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate. Then Hezekiah encouraged them by saying: + "Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! + He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!" Hezekiah's words greatly encouraged the people. + While King Sennacherib of Assyria was still besieging the town of Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah and all the people in the city: + "This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive my siege of Jerusalem? + Hezekiah has said, 'The LORD our God will rescue us from the king of Assyria.' Surely Hezekiah is misleading you, sentencing you to death by famine and thirst! + Don't you realize that Hezekiah is the very person who destroyed all the LORD's shrines and altars? He commanded Judah and Jerusalem to worship only at the altar at the Temple and to offer sacrifices on it alone. + "Surely you must realize what I and the other kings of Assyria before me have done to all the people of the earth! Were any of the gods of those nations able to rescue their people from my power? + Which of their gods was able to rescue its people from the destructive power of my predecessors? What makes you think your God can rescue you from me? + Don't let Hezekiah deceive you! Don't let him fool you like this! I say it again-- no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!" + And Sennacherib's officers further mocked the LORD God and his servant Hezekiah, heaping insult upon insult. + The king also sent letters scorning the LORD, the God of Israel. He wrote, "Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail." + The Assyrian officials who brought the letters shouted this in Hebrew to the people gathered on the walls of the city, trying to terrify them so it would be easier to capture the city. + These officers talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands. + Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven. + And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword. + That is how the LORD rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the others who threatened them. So there was peace throughout the land. + From then on King Hezekiah became highly respected among all the surrounding nations, and many gifts for the LORD arrived at Jerusalem, with valuable presents for King Hezekiah, too. + About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill. He prayed to the LORD, who healed him and gave him a miraculous sign. + But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the LORD's anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem. + Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So the LORD's anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah's lifetime. + Hezekiah was very wealthy and highly honored. He built special treasury buildings for his silver, gold, precious stones, and spices, and for his shields and other valuable items. + He also constructed many storehouses for his grain, new wine, and olive oil; and he made many stalls for his cattle and pens for his flocks of sheep and goats. + He built many towns and acquired vast flocks and herds, for God had given him great wealth. + He blocked up the upper spring of Gihon and brought the water down through a tunnel to the west side of the City of David. And so he succeeded in everything he did. + However, when ambassadors arrived from Babylon to ask about the remarkable events that had taken place in the land, God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart. + The rest of the events in Hezekiah's reign and his acts of devotion are recorded in [The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah Son of Amoz,] which is included in [The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.] + When Hezekiah died, he was buried in the upper area of the royal cemetery, and all Judah and Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became the next king. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. + He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had broken down. He constructed altars for the images of Baal and set up Asherah poles. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. + He built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD, the place where the LORD had said, "My name will remain in Jerusalem forever." + He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the LORD's Temple. + Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the LORD's sight, arousing his anger. + Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God's Temple, the very place where God had told David and his son Solomon: "My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem-- the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel. + If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands-- all the laws, decrees, and regulations given through Moses-- I will not send them into exile from this land that I set aside for your ancestors." + But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land. + The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. + So the LORD sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. + But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. + And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request. So the LORD brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the LORD alone is God! + After this Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, from west of the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley to the Fish Gate, and continuing around the hill of Ophel. He built the wall very high. And he stationed his military officers in all of the fortified towns of Judah. + Manasseh also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the LORD's Temple. He tore down all the altars he had built on the hill where the Temple stood and all the altars that were in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. + Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it. He also encouraged the people of Judah to worship the LORD, the God of Israel. + However, the people still sacrificed at the pagan shrines, though only to the LORD their God. + The rest of the events of Manasseh's reign, his prayer to God, and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Israel.] + Manasseh's prayer, the account of the way God answered him, and an account of all his sins and unfaithfulness are recorded in [The Record of the Seers.] It includes a list of the locations where he built pagan shrines and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself and repented. + When Manasseh died, he was buried in his palace. Then his son Amon became the next king. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. + He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as his father, Manasseh, had done. He worshiped and sacrificed to all the idols his father had made. + But unlike his father, he did not humble himself before the LORD. Instead, Amon sinned even more. + Then Amon's own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. + But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah the next king. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. + He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. + During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images. + He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished and that the incense altars which stood above them be broken down. He also made sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were smashed and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. + He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem. + He did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, and in the regions all around them. + He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the idols into dust. He cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem. + In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple, Josiah appointed Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, the royal historian, to repair the Temple of the LORD his God. + They gave Hilkiah the high priest the money that had been collected by the Levites who served as gatekeepers at the Temple of God. The gifts were brought by people from Manasseh, Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, as well as from all Judah, Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem. + He entrusted the money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the LORD's Temple. Then they paid the workers who did the repairs and renovation of the Temple. + They hired carpenters and builders, who purchased finished stone for the walls and timber for the rafters and beams. They restored what earlier kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin. + The workers served faithfully under the leadership of Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the Merarite clan, and Zechariah and Meshullam, Levites of the Kohathite clan. Other Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians, + were put in charge of the laborers of the various trades. Still others assisted as secretaries, officials, and gatekeepers. + While they were bringing out the money collected at the LORD's Temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that was written by Moses. + Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. + Shaphan took the scroll to the king and reported, "Your officials are doing everything they were assigned to do. + The money that was collected at the Temple of the LORD has been turned over to the supervisors and workmen." + Shaphan also told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." So Shaphan read it to the king. + When the king heard what was written in the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. + Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal adviser: + "Go to the Temple and speak to the LORD for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the LORD's great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the LORD. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do." + So Hilkiah and the other men went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe. + She said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, + 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the curses written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah will come true. + For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.' + "But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the LORD and tell him: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: + You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the LORD. + So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You yourself will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city and its people.' " So they took her message back to the king. + Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + And the king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the Levites-- all the people from the greatest to the least. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the LORD's Temple. + The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the LORD's presence. He pledged to obey the LORD by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll. + And he required everyone in Jerusalem and the people of Benjamin to make a similar pledge. The people of Jerusalem did so, renewing their covenant with God, the God of their ancestors. + So Josiah removed all detestable idols from the entire land of Israel and required everyone to worship the LORD their God. And throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the LORD, the God of their ancestors. + + + Then Josiah announced that the Passover of the LORD would be celebrated in Jerusalem, and so the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. + Josiah also assigned the priests to their duties and encouraged them in their work at the Temple of the LORD. + He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the LORD: "Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the LORD your God and his people Israel. + Report for duty according to the family divisions of your ancestors, following the directions of King David of Israel and the directions of his son Solomon. + "Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple. + Slaughter the Passover lambs, purify yourselves, and prepare to help those who come. Follow all the directions that the LORD gave through Moses." + Then Josiah provided 30,000 lambs and young goats for the people's Passover offerings, along with 3,000 cattle, all from the king's own flocks and herds. + The king's officials also made willing contributions to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of God's Temple, gave the priests 2,600 lambs and young goats and 300 cattle as Passover offerings. + The Levite leaders-- Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad-- gave 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 cattle to the Levites for their Passover offerings. + When everything was ready for the Passover celebration, the priests and the Levites took their places, organized by their divisions, as the king had commanded. + The Levites then slaughtered the Passover lambs and presented the blood to the priests, who sprinkled the blood on the altar while the Levites prepared the animals. + They divided the burnt offerings among the people by their family groups, so they could offer them to the LORD as prescribed in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. + Then they roasted the Passover lambs as prescribed; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, and brought them out quickly so the people could eat them. + Afterward the Levites prepared Passover offerings for themselves and for the priests-- the descendants of Aaron-- because the priests had been busy from morning till night offering the burnt offerings and the fat portions. The Levites took responsibility for all these preparations. + The musicians, descendants of Asaph, were in their assigned places, following the commands that had been given by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king's seer. The gatekeepers guarded the gates and did not need to leave their posts of duty, for their Passover offerings were prepared for them by their fellow Levites. + The entire ceremony for the LORD's Passover was completed that day. All the burnt offerings were sacrificed on the altar of the LORD, as King Josiah had commanded. + All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. + Never since the time of the prophet Samuel had there been such a Passover. None of the kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover as Josiah did, involving all the priests and Levites, all the people of Jerusalem, and people from all over Judah and Israel. + This Passover celebration took place in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign. + After Josiah had finished restoring the Temple, King Neco of Egypt led his army up from Egypt to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and Josiah and his army marched out to fight him. + But King Neco sent messengers to Josiah with this message: "What do you want with me, king of Judah? I have no quarrel with you today! I am on my way to fight another nation, and God has told me to hurry! Do not interfere with God, who is with me, or he will destroy you." + But Josiah refused to listen to Neco, to whom God had indeed spoken, and he would not turn back. Instead, he disguised himself and led his army into battle on the plain of Megiddo. + But the enemy archers hit King Josiah with their arrows and wounded him. He cried out to his men, "Take me from the battle, for I am badly wounded!" + So they lifted Josiah out of his chariot and placed him in another chariot. Then they brought him back to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried there in the royal cemetery. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. + The prophet Jeremiah composed funeral songs for Josiah, and to this day choirs still sing these sad songs about his death. These songs of sorrow have become a tradition and are recorded in [The Book of Laments.] + The rest of the events of Josiah's reign and his acts of devotion (carried out according to what was written in the Law of the LORD), + from beginning to end-- all are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.] + + + Then the people of the land took Josiah's son Jehoahaz and made him the next king in Jerusalem. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. + Then he was deposed by the king of Egypt, who demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute. + The king of Egypt then installed Eliakim, the brother of Jehoahaz, as the next king of Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Then Neco took Jehoahaz to Egypt as a prisoner. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. + Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and captured it, and he bound Jehoiakim in bronze chains and led him away to Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the treasures from the Temple of the LORD, and he placed them in his palace in Babylon. + The rest of the events in Jehoiakim's reign, including all the evil things he did and everything found against him, are recorded in [The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.] Then his son Jehoiachin became the next king. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. Jehoiachin did what was evil in the LORD's sight. + In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon. Many treasures from the Temple of the LORD were also taken to Babylon at that time. And Nebuchadnezzar installed Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, as the next king in Judah and Jerusalem. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and he refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the LORD. + He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had taken an oath of loyalty in God's name. Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the LORD, the God of Israel. + Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the LORD that had been consecrated in Jerusalem. + The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. + But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the LORD's anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done. + So the LORD brought the king of Babylon against them. The Babylonians killed Judah's young men, even chasing after them into the Temple. They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and young women, the old and the infirm. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. + The king took home to Babylon all the articles, large and small, used in the Temple of God, and the treasures from both the LORD's Temple and from the palace of the king and his officials. + Then his army burned the Temple of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned all the palaces, and completely destroyed everything of value. + The few who survived were taken as exiles to Babylon, and they became servants to the king and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. + So the message of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said. + In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: + "This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the LORD's people may go there for this task. And may the LORD your God be with you!" + + + + + In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: + "This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. + Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! + Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem." + Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the LORD. + And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings. + King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods. + Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah. + This is a list of the items that were returned: gold basins 30 silver basins 1,000 silver incense burners 29 + gold bowls 30 silver bowls 410 other items 1,000 + In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem. + + + Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. + Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile: + The family of Parosh 2,172 + The family of Shephatiah 372 + The family of Arah 775 + The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812 + The family of Elam 1,254 + The family of Zattu 945 + The family of Zaccai 760 + The family of Bani 642 + The family of Bebai 623 + The family of Azgad 1,222 + The family of Adonikam 666 + The family of Bigvai 2,056 + The family of Adin 454 + The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah) 98 + The family of Bezai 323 + The family of Jorah 112 + The family of Hashum 223 + The family of Gibbar 95 + The people of Bethlehem 123 + The people of Netophah 56 + The people of Anathoth 128 + The people of Beth-azmaveth 42 + The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth 743 + The people of Ramah and Geba 621 + The people of Micmash 122 + The people of Bethel and Ai 223 + The citizens of Nebo 52 + The citizens of Magbish 156 + The citizens of Elam 1,254 + The citizens of Harim 320 + The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono 725 + The citizens of Jericho 345 + The citizens of Senaah 3,630 + These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua) 973 + The family of Immer 1,052 + The family of Pashhur 1,247 + The family of Harim 1,017 + These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) 74 + The singers of the family of Asaph 128 + The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai 139 + The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + Keros, Siaha, Padon, + Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, + Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, + Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, + Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, + Uzza, Paseah, Besai, + Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, + Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + Neziah, and Hatipha. + The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, + Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, + Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami. + In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants numbered 392. + Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel. + This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda-- a total of 652 people. + Three families of priests-- Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai-- also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.) + They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests. + The governor told them not to eat the priests' share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the LORD about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim-- the sacred lots. + So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, + in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. + They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, + 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. + When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God's Temple on its original site, + and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests. + So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled in villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel. + + + In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose. + Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. + Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD each morning and evening. + They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed in the Law, sacrificing the number of burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival. + They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the annual festivals as prescribed by the LORD. The people also gave voluntary offerings to the LORD. + Fifteen days before the Festival of Shelters began, the priests had begun to sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD. This was even before they had started to lay the foundation of the LORD's Temple. + Then the people hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil. The logs were brought down from the Lebanon mountains and floated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Joppa, for King Cyrus had given permission for this. + The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem. The work force was made up of everyone who had returned from exile, including Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his fellow priests, and all the Levites. The Levites who were twenty years old or older were put in charge of rebuilding the LORD's Temple. + The workers at the Temple of God were supervised by Jeshua with his sons and relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, all descendants of Hodaviah. They were helped in this task by the Levites of the family of Henadad. + When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD's Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed. + With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the LORD: "He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!" Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD's Temple had been laid. + But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple's foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. + The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance. + + + The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel. + So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here." + But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, "You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us." + Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. + They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne. + Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. + Even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king. + Rehum the governor and Shimshai the court secretary wrote the letter, telling King Artaxerxes about the situation in Jerusalem. + They greeted the king for all their colleagues-- the judges and local leaders, the people of Tarpel, the Persians, the Babylonians, and the people of Erech and Susa (that is, Elam). + They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal had deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of the province west of the Euphrates River. + This is a copy of their letter: "To King Artaxerxes, from your loyal subjects in the province west of the Euphrates River. + "The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls. + And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you. + "Since we are your loyal subjects and do not want to see the king dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information. + We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors' records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it. + We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you." + Then King Artaxerxes sent this reply: "To Rehum the governor, Shimshai the court secretary, and their colleagues living in Samaria and throughout the province west of the Euphrates River. Greetings. + "The letter you sent has been translated and read to me. + I ordered a search of the records and have found that Jerusalem has indeed been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings. In fact, rebellion and revolt are normal there! + Powerful kings have ruled over Jerusalem and the entire province west of the Euphrates River, receiving tribute, customs, and tolls. + Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command. + Be diligent, and don't neglect this matter, for we must not permit the situation to harm the king's interests." + When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building. + So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. + + + At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. + Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them. + But Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?" + They also asked for the names of all the men working on the Temple. + But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision. + This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor, Shethar-bozenai, and the other officials of the province west of the Euphrates River sent to King Darius: + "To King Darius. Greetings. + "The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success. + "We asked the leaders, 'Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?' + And we demanded their names so that we could tell you who the leaders were. + "This was their answer: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel. + But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he abandoned them to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who destroyed this Temple and exiled the people to Babylonia. + However, King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt. + King Cyrus returned the gold and silver cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon. These cups were taken from that temple and presented to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah. + The king instructed him to return the cups to their place in Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple of God there on its original site. + So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The people have been working on it ever since, though it is not yet completed.' + "Therefore, if it pleases the king, we request that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God's Temple in Jerusalem. And then let the king send us his decision in this matter." + + + So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasury. + But it was at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said: + "Memorandum: "In the first year of King Cyrus's reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem. "Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. + Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. + Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God." + So King Darius sent this message: "Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates River-- stay away from there! + Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work. + "Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted. + "Give the priests in Jerusalem whatever is needed in the way of young bulls, rams, and male lambs for the burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven. And without fail, provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil as they need each day. + Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the welfare of the king and his sons. + "Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house. Then they will be tied to it and flogged, and their house will be reduced to a pile of rubble. + May the God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this Temple. "I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed with all diligence." + Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues complied at once with the command of King Darius. + So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. + The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius's reign. + The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile. + During the dedication ceremony for the Temple of God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed. And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel. + Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses. + On April 21 the returned exiles celebrated Passover. + The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. + The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customs to worship the LORD, the God of Israel. + Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the LORD had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel. + + + Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, + son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, + son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, + son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, + son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest. + This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him. + Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants, traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes' reign. + Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year. + He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. + This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel. + King Artaxerxes had given a copy of the following letter to Ezra, the priest and scribe who studied and taught the commands and decrees of the LORD to Israel: + "From Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the teacher of the law of the God of heaven. + "I decree that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may volunteer to return to Jerusalem with you. + I and my council of seven hereby instruct you to conduct an inquiry into the situation in Judah and Jerusalem, based on your God's law, which is in your hand. + We also commission you to take with you silver and gold, which we are freely presenting as an offering to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem. + "Furthermore, you are to take any silver and gold that you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary offerings of the people and the priests that are presented for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem. + These donations are to be used specifically for the purchase of bulls, rams, male lambs, and the appropriate grain offerings and liquid offerings, all of which will be offered on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem. + Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God. + "But as for the cups we are entrusting to you for the service of the Temple of your God, deliver them all to the God of Jerusalem. + If you need anything else for your God's Temple or for any similar needs, you may take it from the royal treasury. + "I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River: 'You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you. + You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt. + Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God's anger against the realm of the king and his sons? + I also decree that no priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, Temple servant, or other worker in this Temple of God will be required to pay tribute, customs, or tolls of any kind.' + "And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God's laws to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it. + Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment." + Praise the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem! + And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the LORD my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem. + + + Here is a list of the family leaders and the genealogies of those who came with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: + From the family of Phinehas: Gershom. From the family of Ithamar: Daniel. From the family of David: Hattush, + a descendant of Shecaniah. From the family of Parosh: Zechariah and 150 other men were registered. + From the family of Pahath-moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and 200 other men. + From the family of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel and 300 other men. + From the family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan and 50 other men. + From the family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and 70 other men. + From the family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael and 80 other men. + From the family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel and 218 other men. + From the family of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah and 160 other men. + From the family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai and 28 other men. + From the family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan and 110 other men. + From the family of Adonikam, who came later: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men. + From the family of Bigvai: Uthai, Zaccur, and 70 other men. + I assembled the exiles at the Ahava Canal, and we camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along. + So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders of the people. I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. + I sent them to Iddo, the leader of the Levites at Casiphia, to ask him and his relatives and the Temple servants to send us ministers for the Temple of God at Jerusalem. + Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they sent us a man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers. He was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi son of Israel. + They also sent Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and twenty of his sons and brothers, + and 220 Temple servants. The Temple servants were assistants to the Levites-- a group of Temple workers first instituted by King David and his officials. They were all listed by name. + And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. + For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, "Our God's hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him." + So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. + I appointed twelve leaders of the priests-- Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten other priests-- + to be in charge of transporting the silver, the gold, the gold bowls, and the other items that the king, his council, his officials, and all the people of Israel had presented for the Temple of God. + I weighed the treasure as I gave it to them and found the totals to be as follows: 24 tons of silver, 7,500 pounds of silver articles, 7,500 pounds of gold, + 20 gold bowls, equal in value to 1,000 gold coins, 2 fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold. + And I said to these priests, "You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the LORD. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. + Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem." + So the priests and the Levites accepted the task of transporting these treasures of silver and gold to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem. + We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19 and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. + So we arrived safely in Jerusalem, where we rested for three days. + On the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed at the Temple of our God and entrusted to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest and to Eleazar son of Phinehas, along with Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui-- both of whom were Levites. + Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded. + Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They presented twelve bulls for all the people of Israel, as well as ninety-six rams and seventy-seven male lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was given as a burnt offering to the LORD. + The king's decrees were delivered to his highest officers and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, who then cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God. + + + When these things had been done, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, "Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. They have taken up the detestable practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. + For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage." + When I heard this, I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked. + Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel came and sat with me because of this outrage committed by the returned exiles. And I sat there utterly appalled until the time of the evening sacrifice. + At the time of the sacrifice, I stood up from where I had sat in mourning with my clothes torn. I fell to my knees and lifted my hands to the LORD my God. + I prayed, "O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. + From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today. + "But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the LORD our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. + For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. + "And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands! + Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, 'The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. + Don't let your daughters marry their sons! Don't take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don't ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.' + "Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant. + But even so, we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. Won't your anger be enough to destroy us, so that even this little remnant no longer survives? + O LORD, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence." + + + While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel-- men, women, and children-- gathered and wept bitterly with him. + Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, a descendant of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But in spite of this there is hope for Israel. + Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God. + Get up, for it is your duty to tell us how to proceed in setting things straight. We are behind you, so be strong and take action." + So Ezra stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel swear that they would do as Shecaniah had said. And they all swore a solemn oath. + Then Ezra left the front of the Temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He spent the night there without eating or drinking anything. He was still in mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles. + Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should come to Jerusalem. + Those who failed to come within three days would, if the leaders and elders so decided, forfeit all their property and be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. + Within three days, all the people of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. This took place on December 19, and all the people were sitting in the square before the Temple of God. They were trembling both because of the seriousness of the matter and because it was raining. + Then Ezra the priest stood and said to them: "You have committed a terrible sin. By marrying pagan women, you have increased Israel's guilt. + So now confess your sin to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these pagan women." + Then the whole assembly raised their voices and answered, "Yes, you are right; we must do as you say!" + Then they added, "This isn't something that can be done in a day or two, for many of us are involved in this extremely sinful affair. And this is the rainy season, so we cannot stay out here much longer. + Let our leaders act on behalf of us all. Let everyone who has a pagan wife come at a scheduled time, accompanied by the leaders and judges of his city, so that the fierce anger of our God concerning this affair may be turned away from us." + Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this course of action, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. + So this was the plan they followed. Ezra selected leaders to represent their families, designating each of the representatives by name. On December 29, the leaders sat down to investigate the matter. + By March 27, the first day of the new year, they had finished dealing with all the men who had married pagan wives. + These are the priests who had married pagan wives: From the family of Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. + They vowed to divorce their wives, and they each acknowledged their guilt by offering a ram as a guilt offering. + From the family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. + From the family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. + From the family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. + These are the Levites who were guilty: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. + This is the singer who was guilty: Eliashib. These are the gatekeepers who were guilty: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. + These are the other people of Israel who were guilty: From the family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. + From the family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. + From the family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. + From the family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. + From the family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. + From the family of Pahath-moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. + From the family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, + Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. + From the family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. + From the family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, + Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, + Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, + Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. + From the family of Binnui: Shimei, + Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, + Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, + Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, + Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. + From the family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. + Each of these men had a pagan wife, and some even had children by these wives. + + + + + These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. + Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. + They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire." + When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. + Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, + listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! + We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. + "Please remember what you told your servant Moses: 'If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. + But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.' + "The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. + O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me." In those days I was the king's cup-bearer. + + + Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. + So the king asked me, "Why are you looking so sad? You don't look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled." Then I was terrified, + but I replied, "Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire." + The king asked, "Well, how can I help you?" With a prayer to the God of heaven, + I replied, "If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried." + The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, "How long will you be gone? When will you return?" After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request. + I also said to the king, "If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah. + And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king's forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself." And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me. + When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king's letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me. + But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel. + So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, + I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. + After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. + Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble. + So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate. + The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders-- the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration. + But now I said to them, "You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!" + Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.They replied at once, "Yes, let's rebuild the wall!" So they began the good work. + But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. "What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" they asked. + I replied, "The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem." + + + Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. + People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri. + The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. + Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana. + Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors. + The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. + Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, people from Gibeon, and people from Mizpah, the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River. + Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall. + Rephaiah son of Hur, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem, was next to them on the wall. + Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah. + Then came Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, who repaired another section of the wall and the Tower of the Ovens. + Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem. + The Valley Gate was repaired by the people from Zanoah, led by Hanun. They set up its doors and installed its bolts and bars. They also repaired the 1,500 feet of wall to the Dung Gate. + The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, the leader of the Beth-hakkerem district. He rebuilt it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. + The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam near the king's garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David. + Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur. He rebuilt the wall from a place across from the tombs of David's family as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors. + Next to him, repairs were made by a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani. Then came Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, who supervised the building of the wall on behalf of his own district. + Next down the line were his countrymen led by Binnui son of Henadad, the leader of the other half of the district of Keilah. + Next to them, Ezer son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section of wall across from the ascent to the armory near the angle in the wall. + Next to him was Baruch son of Zabbai, who zealously repaired an additional section from the angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. + Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz rebuilt another section of the wall extending from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of the house. + The next repairs were made by the priests from the surrounding region. + After them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house. + Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah's house to the angle and the corner. + Palal son of Uzai carried on the work from a point opposite the angle and the tower that projects up from the king's upper house beside the court of the guard. Next to him were Pedaiah son of Parosh, + with the Temple servants living on the hill of Ophel, who repaired the wall as far as a point across from the Water Gate to the east and the projecting tower. + Then came the people of Tekoa, who repaired another section across from the great projecting tower and over to the wall of Ophel. + Above the Horse Gate, the priests repaired the wall. Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house. + Next Zadok son of Immer also rebuilt the wall across from his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the gatekeeper of the East Gate. + Next Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section, while Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall across from where he lived. + Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the wall as far as the housing for the Temple servants and merchants, across from the Inspection Gate. Then he continued as far as the upper room at the corner. + The other goldsmiths and merchants repaired the wall from that corner to the Sheep Gate. + + + Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, + saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they're doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap-- and charred ones at that?" + Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!" + Then I prayed, "Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! + Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders." + At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. + But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. + They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. + But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. + Then the people of Judah began to complain, "The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves." + Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, "Before they know what's happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work." + The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, "They will come from all directions and attack us!" + So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. + Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!" + When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. + But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah + who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. + All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. + Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, "The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. + When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!" + We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. + I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day. + During this time, none of us-- not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me-- ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water. + + + About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. + They were saying, "We have such large families. We need more food to survive." + Others said, "We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine." + And others said, "We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. + We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others." + When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. + After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, "You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!" Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem. + At the meeting I said to them, "We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?" And they had nothing to say in their defense. + Then I pressed further, "What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? + I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. + You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil." + They replied, "We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say." Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised. + I shook out the folds of my robe and said, "If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!" The whole assembly responded, "Amen," and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. + For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah-- from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes-- neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. + The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way. + I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. + I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! + The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor's food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden. + Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it. + + + Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained-- though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. + So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.But I realized they were plotting to harm me, + so I replied by sending this message to them: "I am engaged in a great work, so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?" + Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. + The fifth time, Sanballat's servant came with an open letter in his hand, + and this is what it said: "There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to hiswas the leader of the other halfing. + He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, 'Look! There is a king in Judah!' "You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me." + I replied, "There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing." + They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. + Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, "Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight." + But I replied, "Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won't do it!" + I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. + They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. + Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me. + So on October 2 the wall was finished-- just fifty-two days after we had begun. + When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. + During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah. + For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. + They kept telling me about Tobiah's good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me. + + + After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. + I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. + I said to them, "Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes." + At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt. + So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there: + Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. + Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile: + The family of Parosh 2,172 + The family of Shephatiah 372 + The family of Arah 652 + The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818 + The family of Elam 1,254 + The family of Zattu 845 + The family of Zaccai 760 + The family of Bani 648 + The family of Bebai 628 + The family of Azgad 2,322 + The family of Adonikam 667 + The family of Bigvai 2,067 + The family of Adin 655 + The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah) 98 + The family of Hashum 328 + The family of Bezai 324 + The family of Jorah 112 + The family of Gibbar 95 + The people of Bethlehem and Netophah 188 + The people of Anathoth 128 + The people of Beth-azmaveth 42 + The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth 743 + The people of Ramah and Geba 621 + The people of Micmash 122 + The people of Bethel and Ai 123 + The people of Nebo 52 + The citizens of Elam 1,254 + The citizens of Harim 320 + The citizens of Jericho 345 + The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono 721 + The citizens of Senaah 3,930 + These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua) 973 + The family of Immer 1,052 + The family of Pashhur 1,247 + The family of Harim 1,017 + These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) 74 + The singers of the family of Asaph 148 + The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai 138 + The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, + Keros, Siaha, Padon, + Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai, + Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, + Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, + Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, + Besai, Meunim, Nephusim, + Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, + Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, + Barkos, Sisera, Temah, + Neziah, and Hatipha. + The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, + Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, + Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami. + In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants numbered 392. + Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel. + This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda-- a total of 642 people. + Three families of priests-- Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai-- also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.) + They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests. + The governor told them not to eat the priests' share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the LORD about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim-- the sacred lots. + So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, + in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women. + They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, + 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. + Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins, 50 gold basins, and 530 robes for the priests. + The other leaders gave to the treasury a total of 20,000 gold coins and some 2,750 pounds of silver for the work. + The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, about 2,500 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests. + So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel. In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, + + + all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey. + So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. + He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law. + Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. + Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet. + Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, "Amen! Amen!" as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. + The Levites-- Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah-- then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. + They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. + Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God." For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. + And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!" + And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, "Hush! Don't weep! For this is a sacred day." + So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's words and understood them. + On October 9 the family leaders of all the people, together with the priests and Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to go over the Law in greater detail. + As they studied the Law, they discovered that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month. + He had said that a proclamation should be made throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, telling the people to go to the hills to get branches from olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees. They were to use these branches to make shelters in which they would live during the festival, as prescribed in the Law. + So the people went out and cut branches and used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God's Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate. + So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy! The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun. + Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God on each of the seven days of the festival. Then on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, as was required by law. + + + On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. + Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. + They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the LORD their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God. + The Levites-- Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani-- stood on the stairway of the Levites and cried out to the LORD their God with loud voices. + Then the leaders of the Levites-- Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah-- called out to the people: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!" Then they prayed: "May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise! + "You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you. + "You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham. + When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word. + "You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea. + You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten. + You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters. + You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way. + "You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good. + You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions. + "You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them. + "But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands. + They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, + even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, 'This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!' They committed terrible blasphemies. + "But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. + You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. + For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell! + "Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land. They took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan. + You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors. + "They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased. + Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings. + "But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies. + So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies. + "But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times! + "You warned them to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen. + In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn't listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them. + But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! + "And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors-- all of your people-- from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now. + Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. + Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws. + Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness. + "So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land. + The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery." + The people responded, "In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests." + + + The document was ratified and sealed with the following names: The governor: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah. + The following priests: Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, + Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, + Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, + Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, + Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, + Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, + Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests. + The following Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the family of Henadad, Kadmiel, + and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, + Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, + Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, + Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. + The following leaders: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, + Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, + Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, + Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, + Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, + Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, + Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, + Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, + Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, + Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, + Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, + Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, + Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, + Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. + Then the rest of the people-- the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand-- + joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord: + "We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land, and not to let our sons marry their daughters. + "We also promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it. Every seventh year we will let our land rest, and we will cancel all debts owed to us. + "In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual Temple tax of one-eighth of an ounce of silver for the care of the Temple of our God. + This will provide for the Bread of the Presence; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, the new moon celebrations, and the annual festivals; for the holy offerings; and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel. It will provide for everything necessary for the work of the Temple of our God. + "We have cast sacred lots to determine when-- at regular times each year-- the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God's Temple to be burned on the altar of the LORD our God, as is written in the Law. + "We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the LORD's Temple year after year-- whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees. + We agree to give God our oldest sons and the firstborn of all our herds and flocks, as prescribed in the Law. We will present them to the priests who minister in the Temple of our God. + We will store the produce in the storerooms of the Temple of our God. We will bring the best of our flour and other grain offerings, the best of our fruit, and the best of our new wine and olive oil. And we promise to bring to the Levites a tenth of everything our land produces, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns. + "A priest-- a descendant of Aaron-- will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms. + The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers. "We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God." + + + The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there, too, while the rest stayed where they were. + And the people commended everyone who volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem. + Here is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to live in Jerusalem. (Most of the people, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants continued to live in their own homes in the various towns of Judah, + but some of the people from Judah and Benjamin resettled in Jerusalem.) From the tribe of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the family of Perez. + Also Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, of the family of Shelah. + There were 468 descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem-- all outstanding men. + From the tribe of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah. + After him were Gabbai and Sallai and a total of 928 relatives. + Their chief officer was Joel son of Zicri, who was assisted by Judah son of Hassenuah, second-in-command over the city. + From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; + and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the supervisor of the Temple of God. + Also 822 of their associates, who worked at the Temple. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah, + along with 242 of his associates, who were heads of their families. Also Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, + and 128 of his outstanding associates. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. + From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni. + Also Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were in charge of the work outside the Temple of God. + Also Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph, who led in thanksgiving and prayer. Also Bakbukiah, who was Mattaniah's assistant, and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. + In all, there were 284 Levites in the holy city. + From the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and 172 of their associates, who guarded the gates. + The other priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites lived wherever their family inheritance was located in any of the towns of Judah. + The Temple servants, however, whose leaders were Ziha and Gishpa, all lived on the hill of Ophel. + The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, a descendant of Asaph, whose family served as singers at God's Temple. + Their daily responsibilities were carried out according to the terms of a royal command. + Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the royal adviser in all matters of public administration. + As for the surrounding villages with their open fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba with its settlements, Dibon with its settlements, and Jekabzeel with its villages. + They also lived in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet, + Hazar-shual, Beersheba with its settlements, + Ziklag, and Meconah with its settlements. + They also lived in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, + Zanoah, and Adullam with their surrounding villages. They also lived in Lachish with its nearby fields and Azekah with its surrounding villages. So the people of Judah were living all the way from Beersheba in the south to the valley of Hinnom. + Some of the people of Benjamin lived at Geba, Micmash, Aija, and Bethel with its settlements. + They also lived in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, + Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, + Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, + Lod, Ono, and the Valley of Craftsmen. + Some of the Levites who lived in Judah were sent to live with the tribe of Benjamin. + + + Here is the list of the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, + Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, + Shecaniah, Harim, Meremoth, + Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, + Miniamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, + Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, + Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. + The Levites who returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. + Their associates, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them during the service. + Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. + Joiada was the father of Johanan. Johanan was the father of Jaddua. + Now when Joiakim was high priest, the family leaders of the priests were as follows: Meraiah was leader of the family of Seraiah. Hananiah was leader of the family of Jeremiah. + Meshullam was leader of the family of Ezra. Jehohanan was leader of the family of Amariah. + Jonathan was leader of the family of Malluch. Joseph was leader of the family of Shecaniah. + Adna was leader of the family of Harim. Helkai was leader of the family of Meremoth. + Zechariah was leader of the family of Iddo. Meshullam was leader of the family of Ginnethon. + Zicri was leader of the family of Abijah. There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin. Piltai was leader of the family of Moadiah. + Shammua was leader of the family of Bilgah. Jehonathan was leader of the family of Shemaiah. + Mattenai was leader of the family of Joiarib. Uzzi was leader of the family of Jedaiah. + Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu. Eber was leader of the family of Amok. + Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah. Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah. + A record of the Levite families was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian. + A record of the heads of the Levite families was kept in [The Book of History] down to the days of Johanan, the grandson of Eliashib. + These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as commanded by David, the man of God. + This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah.Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates. + These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe. + For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. + The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites. + They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem. + The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. + I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate. + Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, + along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, + Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. + Then came some priests who played trumpets, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph. + And Zechariah's colleagues were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession. + At the Fountain Gate they went straight up the steps on the ascent of the city wall toward the City of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the Water Gate on the east. + The second choir giving thanks went northward around the other way to meet them. I followed them, together with the other half of the people, along the top of the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, + then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate, past the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate. + The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. + We went together with the trumpet-playing priests-- Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah-- + and the singers-- Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director. + Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. + On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the offerings, the first part of the harvest, and the tithes. They were responsible to collect from the fields outside the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites. For all the people of Judah took joy in the priests and Levites and their work. + They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as commanded by David and his son Solomon, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers. + The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph. + So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. + + + On that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the passage was found that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God. + For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing. + When this passage of the Law was read, all those of foreign descent were immediately excluded from the assembly. + Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, + had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah's disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, various articles for the Temple, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil (which were prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), as well as the offerings for the priests. + I was not in Jerusalem at that time, for I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign, though I later asked his permission to return. + When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I learned about Eliashib's evil deed in providing Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God. + I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah's belongings out of the room. + Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the articles for God's Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense. + I also discovered that the Levites had not been given their prescribed portions of food, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields. + I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, "Why has the Temple of God been neglected?" Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties. + And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms. + I assigned supervisors for the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites. And I appointed Hanan son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah as their assistant. These men had an excellent reputation, and it was their job to make honest distributions to their fellow Levites. + Remember this good deed, O my God, and do not forget all that I have faithfully done for the Temple of my God and its services. + In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. + Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah-- and in Jerusalem at that! + So I confronted the nobles of Judah. "Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?" I asked. + "Wasn't it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!" + Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. + The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. + But I spoke sharply to them and said, "What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!" And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath. + Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love. + About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. + Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all. + So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear in the name of God that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the land. + "Wasn't this exactly what led King Solomon of Israel into sin?" I demanded. "There was no king from any nation who could compare to him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel. But even he was led into sin by his foreign wives. + How could you even think of committing this sinful deed and acting unfaithfully toward God by marrying foreign women?" + One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I banished him from my presence. + Remember them, O my God, for they have defiled the priesthood and the solemn vows of the priests and Levites. + So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work. + I also made sure that the supply of wood for the altar and the first portions of the harvest were brought at the proper times. Remember this in my favor, O my God. + + + + + These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. + At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. + In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. + The celebration lasted 180 days-- a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty. + When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. + The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. + Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king's generosity. + By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted. + At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. + On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him-- Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas-- + to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. + But when they conveyed the king's order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. + He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. + The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan-- seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire. + "What must be done to Queen Vashti?" the king demanded. "What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king's orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?" + Memucan answered the king and his nobles, "Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. + Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. + Before this day is out, the wives of all the king's nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger. + "So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. + When this decree is published throughout the king's vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!" + The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan's counsel. + He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases. + + + But after Xerxes' anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made. + So his personal attendants suggested, "Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. + Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments. + After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti." This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect. + At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. + His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. + This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter. + As a result of the king's decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king's harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai's care. + Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem. + Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. + Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to find out about Esther and what was happening to her. + Before each young woman was taken to the king's bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments-- six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments. + When it was time for her to go to the king's palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem. + That evening she was taken to the king's private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king's wives lived. There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would never go to the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name. + Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai's uncle. (Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther's turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her. + Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. + And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. + To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther's honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone. + Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, + Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai's directions, just as she did when she lived in his home. + One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh-- who were guards at the door of the king's private quarters-- became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. + But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information to Queen Esther. She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report. + When an investigation was made and Mordecai's story was found to be true, the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. This was all recorded in [The Book of the History of King Xerxes' Reign.] + + + Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. + All the king's officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect. + Then the palace officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why are you disobeying the king's command?" + They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew. + When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. + He had learned of Mordecai's nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. + So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes' reign, lots were cast in Haman's presence (the lots were called [purim]) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later. + Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, "There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king's interest to let them live. + If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury." + The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. + The king said, "The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit." + So on April 17 the king's secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king's highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king's signet ring. + Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews-- young and old, including women and children-- must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. + A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. + At the king's command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion. + + + When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. + He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. + And as news of the king's decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes. + When Queen Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it. + Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. + So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate. + Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. + Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. + So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai's message. + Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: + "All the king's officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days." + So Hathach gave Esther's message to Mordecai. + Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: "Don't think for a moment that because you're in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. + If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" + Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: + "Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die." + So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. + + + On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. + When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter. + Then the king asked her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!" + And Esther replied, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king." + The king turned to his attendants and said, "Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested." So the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet. + And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, "Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!" + Esther replied, "This is my request and deepest wish. + If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about." + Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. + However, he restrained himself and went on home.Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, + and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials. + Then Haman added, "And that's not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!" + Then he added, "But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate." + So Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, "Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king." This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up. + + + That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. + In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king's private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes. + "What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?" the king asked.His attendants replied, "Nothing has been done for him." + "Who is that in the outer court?" the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared. + So the attendants replied to the king, "Haman is out in the court." "Bring him in," the king ordered. + So Haman came in, and the king said, "What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?" + So he replied, "If the king wishes to honor someone, + he should bring out one of the king's own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden-- one with a royal emblem on its head. + Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king's robes and led through the city square on the king's horse. Have the official shout as they go, 'This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!'" + "Excellent!" the king said to Haman. "Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!" + So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king's own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, "This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!" + Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated. + When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, "Since Mordecai-- this man who has humiliated you-- is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him." + While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. + + + So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther's banquet. + On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, "Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!" + Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. + For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king." + "Who would do such a thing?" King Xerxes demanded. "Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?" + Esther replied, "This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy." Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. + Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. + In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden.The king exclaimed, "Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?" And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman's face, signaling his doom. + Then Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, "Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination." "Then impale Haman on it!" the king ordered. + So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided. + + + On that same day King Xerxes gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. + The king took off his signet ring-- which he had taken back from Haman-- and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's property. + Then Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. + Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him. + Esther said, "If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king's provinces should be destroyed. + For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?" + Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "I have given Esther the property of Haman, and he has been impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. + Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king's name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king's signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king's name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked." + So on June 25 the king's secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Mordecai dictated. It was sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, and the nobles of all the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The decree was written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples of the empire, including that of the Jews. + The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king's signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king's service. + The king's decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. + The day chosen for this event throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was March 7 of the next year. + A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready to take revenge on their enemies on the appointed day. + So urged on by the king's command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the king's service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. + Then Mordecai left the king's presence, wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great crown of gold, and an outer cloak of fine linen and purple. And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. + The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. + In every province and city, wherever the king's decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them. + + + So on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies. + The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to attack anyone who tried to harm them. But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them. + And all the nobles of the provinces, the highest officers, the governors, and the royal officials helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai. + For Mordecai had been promoted in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces as he became more and more powerful. + So the Jews went ahead on the appointed day and struck down their enemies with the sword. They killed and annihilated their enemies and did as they pleased with those who hated them. + In the fortress of Susa itself, the Jews killed 500 men. + They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, + Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, + Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha-- + the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder. + That very day, when the king was informed of the number of people killed in the fortress of Susa, + he called for Queen Esther. He said, "The Jews have killed 500 men in the fortress of Susa alone, as well as Haman's ten sons. If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces? But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you; tell me and I will do it." + Esther responded, "If it please the king, give the Jews in Susa permission to do again tomorrow as they have done today, and let the bodies of Haman's ten sons be impaled on a pole." + So the king agreed, and the decree was announced in Susa. And they impaled the bodies of Haman's ten sons. + Then the Jews at Susa gathered together on March 8 and killed 300 more men, and again they took no plunder. + Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered together to defend their lives. They gained relief from all their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not take any plunder. + This was done throughout the provinces on March 7, and on March 8 they rested, celebrating their victory with a day of feasting and gladness. + (The Jews at Susa killed their enemies on March 7 and again on March 8, then rested on March 9, making that their day of feasting and gladness.) + So to this day, rural Jews living in remote villages celebrate an annual festival and holiday on the appointed day in late winter, when they rejoice and send gifts of food to each other. + Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes, + calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. + He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy. + So the Jews accepted Mordecai's proposal and adopted this annual custom. + Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots (the lots were called [purim]). + But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman's evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole. + That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots.So because of Mordecai's letter and because of what they had experienced, + the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year. + These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants. + Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen's full authority behind Mordecai's letter to establish the Festival of Purim. + Letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empire of Xerxes. + These letters established the Festival of Purim-- an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of fasting and mourning.) + So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records. + + + King Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands. + His great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are recorded in [The Book of the History of the Kings of Media and Persia.] + Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants. + + + + + There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless-- a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. + He had seven sons and three daughters. + He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and he employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. + Job's sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. + When these celebrations ended-- sometimes after several days-- Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, "Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular practice. + One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. + "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan.Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on." + Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless-- a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil." + Satan replied to the LORD, "Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. + You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! + But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" + "All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence. + One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother's house, + a messenger arrived at Job's home with this news: "Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, + when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." + While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." + While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: "Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." + While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: "Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home. + Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." + Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. + He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!" + In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. + + + One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. + "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan.Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on." + Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless-- a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause." + Satan replied to the LORD, "Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. + But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!" + "All right, do with him as you please," the LORD said to Satan. "But spare his life." + So Satan left the LORD's presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot. + Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. + His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die." + But Job replied, "You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. + When three of Job's friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. + When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. + Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. + + + At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. + He said: + "Let the day of my birth be erased, and the night I was conceived. + Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let no light shine on it. + Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it. + Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months. + Let that night be childless. Let it have no joy. + Let those who are experts at cursing-- whose cursing could rouse Leviathan-- curse that day. + Let its morning stars remain dark. Let it hope for light, but in vain; may it never see the morning light. + Curse that day for failing to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble. + "Why wasn't I born dead? Why didn't I die as I came from the womb? + Why was I laid on my mother's lap? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? + Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace. I would be asleep and at rest. + I would rest with the world's kings and prime ministers, whose great buildings now lie in ruins. + I would rest with princes, rich in gold, whose palaces were filled with silver. + Why wasn't I buried like a stillborn child, like a baby who never lives to see the light? + For in death the wicked cause no trouble, and the weary are at rest. + Even captives are at ease in death, with no guards to curse them. + Rich and poor are both there, and the slave is free from his master. + "Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter? + They long for death, and it won't come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure. + They're filled with joy when they finally die, and rejoice when they find the grave. + Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties? + I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water. + What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. + I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job: + "Will you be patient and let me say a word? For who could keep from speaking out? + "In the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak. + Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. + But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you. + Doesn't your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn't your life of integrity give you hope? + "Stop and think! Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed? + My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. + A breath from God destroys them. They vanish in a blast of his anger. + The lion roars and the wildcat snarls, but the teeth of strong lions will be broken. + The fierce lion will starve for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered. + "This truth was given to me in secret, as though whispered in my ear. + It came to me in a disturbing vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep. + Fear gripped me, and my bones trembled. + A spirit swept past my face, and my hair stood on end. + The spirit stopped, but I couldn't see its shape. There was a form before my eyes. In the silence I heard a voice say, + 'Can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone be pure before the Creator?' + "If God does not trust his own angels and has charged his messengers with foolishness, + how much less will he trust people made of clay! They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth. + They are alive in the morning but dead by evening, gone forever without a trace. + Their tent-cords are pulled and the tent collapses, and they die in ignorance. + + + "Cry for help, but will anyone answer you? Which of the angels will help you? + Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. + I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. + Their children are abandoned far from help; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them. + The hungry devour their harvest, even when it is guarded by brambles. The thirsty pant after their wealth. + But evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth. + People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire. + "If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him. + He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. + He gives rain for the earth and water for the fields. + He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer. + He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed. + He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted. + They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night. + He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong, and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful. + And so at last the poor have hope, and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut. + "But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. + For though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal. + From six disasters he will rescue you; even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil. + He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war. + You will be safe from slander and have no fear when destruction comes. + You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you. + You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you. + You will know that your home is safe. When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing. + You will have many children; your descendants will be as plentiful as grass! + You will go to the grave at a ripe old age, like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time! + "We have studied life and found all this to be true. Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "If my misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, + they would outweigh all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke impulsively. + For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. Their poison infects my spirit. God's terrors are lined up against me. + Don't I have a right to complain? Don't wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food? + Don't people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg? + My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! + "Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire. + I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. + At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. + But I don't have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. + Do I have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze? + No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success. + "One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty. + My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring + when it is swollen with ice and melting snow. + But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. The brook vanishes in the heat. + The caravans turn aside to be refreshed, but there is nothing to drink, so they die. + The caravans from Tema search for this water; the travelers from Sheba hope to find it. + They count on it but are disappointed. When they arrive, their hopes are dashed. + You, too, have given no help. You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid. + But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift? Have I begged for anything of yours for myself? + Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies, or to save me from ruthless people? + Teach me, and I will keep quiet. Show me what I have done wrong. + Honest words can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? + Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation? + You would even send an orphan into slavery or sell a friend. + Look at me! Would I lie to your face? + Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. + Do you think I am lying? Don't I know the difference between right and wrong? + + + "Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand, + like a worker who longs for the shade, like a servant waiting to be paid. + I, too, have been assigned months of futility, long and weary nights of misery. + Lying in bed, I think, 'When will it be morning?' But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn. + My body is covered with maggots and scabs. My skin breaks open, oozing with pus. + "My days fly faster than a weaver's shuttle. They end without hope. + O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again feel happiness. + You see me now, but not for long. You will look for me, but I will be gone. + Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes, those who die will not come back. + They are gone forever from their home-- never to be seen again. + "I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. My bitter soul must complain. + Am I a sea monster or a dragon that you must place me under guard? + I think, 'My bed will comfort me, and sleep will ease my misery,' + but then you shatter me with dreams and terrify me with visions. + I would rather be strangled-- rather die than suffer like this. + I hate my life and don't want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days. + "What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? + For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. + Why won't you leave me alone, at least long enough for me to swallow! + If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O watcher of all humanity? Why make me your target? Am I a burden to you? + Why not just forgive my sin and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust and die. When you look for me, I will be gone." + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite replied to Job: + "How long will you go on like this? You sound like a blustering wind. + Does God twist justice? Does the Almighty twist what is right? + Your children must have sinned against him, so their punishment was well deserved. + But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, + and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home. + And though you started with little, you will end with much. + "Just ask the previous generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors. + For we were born but yesterday and know nothing. Our days on earth are as fleeting as a shadow. + But those who came before us will teach you. They will teach you the wisdom of old. + "Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh? Can marsh grass flourish without water? + While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut, they begin to wither more quickly than grass. + The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate. + Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider's web. + They cling to their home for security, but it won't last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure. + The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden. + Its roots grow down through a pile of stones; it takes hold on a bed of rocks. + But when it is uprooted, it's as though it never existed! + That's the end of its life, and others spring up from the earth to replace it. + "But look, God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he lend a hand to the wicked. + He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. + Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the home of the wicked will be destroyed." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God's sight? + If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? + For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? + "Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. + He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. + If he commands it, the sun won't rise and the stars won't shine. + He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. + He made all the stars-- the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. + He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. + "Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. + If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, 'What are you doing?' + And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet. + "So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? + Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. + And even if I summoned him and he responded, I'm not sure he would listen to me. + For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause. + He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. + If it's a question of strength, he's the strong one. If it's a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? + Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. + "I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me-- I despise my life. + Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That's why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' + When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent. + The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he's not the one who does it, who is? + "My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. + It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. + If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful, + I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. + Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what's the use of trying? + Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye, + you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me. + "God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. + If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. + The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. + Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. + + + "I am disgusted with my life. Let me complain freely. My bitter soul must complain. + I will say to God, 'Don't simply condemn me-- tell me the charge you are bringing against me. + What do you gain by oppressing me? Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands, while smiling on the schemes of the wicked? + Are your eyes like those of a human? Do you see things only as people see them? + Is your lifetime only as long as ours? Is your life so short + that you must quickly probe for my guilt and search for my sin? + Although you know I am not guilty, no one can rescue me from your hands. + " 'You formed me with your hands; you made me, yet now you completely destroy me. + Remember that you made me from dust-- will you turn me back to dust so soon? + You guided my conception and formed me in the womb. + You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. + You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care. + " 'Yet your real motive-- your true intent-- + was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my guilt. + If I am guilty, too bad for me; and even if I'm innocent, I can't hold my head high, because I am filled with shame and misery. + And if I hold my head high, you hunt me like a lion and display your awesome power against me. + Again and again you witness against me. You pour out your growing anger on me and bring fresh armies against me. + " 'Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother's womb? Why didn't you let me die at birth? + It would be as though I had never existed, going directly from the womb to the grave. + I have only a few days left, so leave me alone, that I may have a moment of comfort + before I leave-- never to return-- for the land of darkness and utter gloom. + It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is dark as midnight.'" + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite replied to Job: + "Shouldn't someone answer this torrent of words? Is a person proved innocent just by a lot of talking? + Should I remain silent while you babble on? When you mock God, shouldn't someone make you ashamed? + You claim, 'My beliefs are pure,' and 'I am clean in the sight of God.' + If only God would speak; if only he would tell you what he thinks! + If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve! + "Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty? + Such knowledge is higher than the heavens-- and who are you? It is deeper than the underworld-- what do you know? + It is broader than the earth and wider than the sea. + If God comes and puts a person in prison or calls the court to order, who can stop him? + For he knows those who are false, and he takes note of all their sins. + An empty-headed person won't become wise any more than a wild donkey can bear a human child. + "If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! + Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you. + Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and free of fear. + You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. + Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. + Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. + You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help. + But the wicked will be blinded. They will have no escape. Their only hope is death." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "You people really know everything, don't you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you! + Well, I know a few things myself-- and you're no better than I am. Who doesn't know these things you've been saying? + Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. + People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling. + But robbers are left in peace, and those who provoke God live in safety-- though God keeps them in his power. + "Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. + Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish in the sea speak to you. + For they all know that my disaster has come from the hand of the LORD. + For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being. + The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods. + Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. + "But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his. + What he destroys cannot be rebuilt. When he puts someone in prison, there is no escape. + If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert. If he releases the waters, they flood the earth. + Yes, strength and wisdom are his; deceivers and deceived are both in his power. + He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment; wise judges become fools. + He removes the royal robe of kings. They are led away with ropes around their waist. + He leads priests away, stripped of status; he overthrows those with long years in power. + He silences the trusted adviser and removes the insight of the elders. + He pours disgrace upon princes and disarms the strong. + "He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom. + He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them. + He strips kings of understanding and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland. + They grope in the darkness without a light. He makes them stagger like drunkards. + + + "Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand. + I know as much as you do. You are no better than I am. + As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself. + As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks. + If only you could be silent! That's the wisest thing you could do. + Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments. + "Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake? + Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God's case for him? + What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people? + No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor. + Doesn't his majesty terrify you? Doesn't your fear of him overwhelm you? + Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot. + "Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak, and I will face the consequences. + Yes, I will take my life in my hands and say what I really think. + God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with him. + But this is what will save me-- I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him. + "Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. + I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent. + Who can argue with me over this? And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die. + "O God, grant me these two things, and then I will be able to face you. + Remove your heavy hand from me, and don't terrify me with your awesome presence. + Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and you reply. + Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin. + Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy? + Would you terrify a leaf blown by the wind? Would you chase dry straw? + "You write bitter accusations against me and bring up all the sins of my youth. + You put my feet in stocks. You examine all my paths. You trace all my footprints. + I waste away like rotting wood, like a moth-eaten coat. + + + "How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble! + We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear. + Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature and demand an accounting from me? + Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one! + You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. + So leave us alone and let us rest! We are like hired hands, so let us finish our work in peace. + "Even a tree has more hope! If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches. + Though its roots have grown old in the earth and its stump decays, + at the scent of water it will bud and sprout again like a new seedling. + "But when people die, their strength is gone. They breathe their last, and then where are they? + As water evaporates from a lake and a river disappears in drought, + people are laid to rest and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, they will not wake up nor be roused from their sleep. + "I wish you would hide me in the grave and forget me there until your anger has passed. But mark your calendar to think of me again! + Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death. + You would call and I would answer, and you would yearn for me, your handiwork. + For then you would guard my steps, instead of watching for my sins. + My sins would be sealed in a pouch, and you would cover my guilt. + "But instead, as mountains fall and crumble and as rocks fall from a cliff, + as water wears away the stones and floods wash away the soil, so you destroy people's hope. + You always overpower them, and they pass from the scene. You disfigure them in death and send them away. + They never know if their children grow up in honor or sink to insignificance. + They suffer painfully; their life is full of trouble." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: + "A wise man wouldn't answer with such empty talk! You are nothing but a windbag. + The wise don't engage in empty chatter. What good are such words? + Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? + Your sins are telling your mouth what to say. Your words are based on clever deception. + Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your own lips testify against you. + "Were you the first person ever born? Were you born before the hills were made? + Were you listening at God's secret council? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom? + What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that we do not? + On our side are aged, gray-haired men much older than your father! + "Is God's comfort too little for you? Is his gentle word not enough? + What has taken away your reason? What has weakened your vision, + that you turn against God and say all these evil things? + Can any mortal be pure? Can anyone born of a woman be just? + Look, God does not even trust the angels. Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in his sight. + How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness! + "If you will listen, I will show you. I will answer you from my own experience. + And it is confirmed by the reports of wise men who have heard the same thing from their fathers-- + from those to whom the land was given long before any foreigners arrived. + "The wicked writhe in pain throughout their lives. Years of trouble are stored up for the ruthless. + The sound of terror rings in their ears, and even on good days they fear the attack of the destroyer. + They dare not go out into the darkness for fear they will be murdered. + They wander around, saying, 'Where can I find bread?' They know their day of destruction is near. + That dark day terrifies them. They live in distress and anguish, like a king preparing for battle. + For they shake their fists at God, defying the Almighty. + Holding their strong shields, they defiantly charge against him. + "These wicked people are heavy and prosperous; their waists bulge with fat. + But their cities will be ruined. They will live in abandoned houses that are ready to tumble down. + Their riches will not last, and their wealth will not endure. Their possessions will no longer spread across the horizon. + "They will not escape the darkness. The burning sun will wither their shoots, and the breath of God will destroy them. + Let them no longer fool themselves by trusting in empty riches, for emptiness will be their only reward. + Like trees, they will be cut down in the prime of life; their branches will never again be green. + They will be like a vine whose grapes are harvested too early, like an olive tree that loses its blossoms before the fruit can form. + For the godless are barren. Their homes, enriched through bribery, will burn. + They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. Their womb produces deceit." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! + Won't you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking? + I could say the same things if you were in my place. I could spout off criticism and shake my head at you. + But if it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief. + Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak. + "O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family. + As if to prove I have sinned, you've reduced me to skin and bones. My gaunt flesh testifies against me. + God hates me and angrily tears me apart. He snaps his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes. + People jeer and laugh at me. They slap my cheek in contempt. A mob gathers against me. + God has handed me over to sinners. He has tossed me into the hands of the wicked. + "I was living quietly until he shattered me. He took me by the neck and broke me in pieces. Then he set me up as his target, + and now his archers surround me. His arrows pierce me without mercy. The ground is wet with my blood. + Again and again he smashes against me, charging at me like a warrior. + I wear burlap to show my grief. My pride lies in the dust. + My eyes are red with weeping; dark shadows circle my eyes. + Yet I have done no wrong, and my prayer is pure. + "O earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf. + Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. + My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God. + I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends. + For soon I must go down that road from which I will never return. + + + "My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me. + I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me. + "You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. + You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. + They betray their friends for their own advantage, so let their children faint with hunger. + "God has made a mockery of me among the people; they spit in my face. + My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self. + The virtuous are horrified when they see me. The innocent rise up against the ungodly. + The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger. + "As for all of you, come back with a better argument, though I still won't find a wise man among you. + My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart's desires are broken. + These men say that night is day; they claim that the darkness is light. + What if I go to the grave and make my bed in darkness? + What if I call the grave my father, and the maggot my mother or my sister? + Where then is my hope? Can anyone find it? + No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We will rest together in the dust!" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: + "How long before you stop talking? Speak sense if you want us to answer! + Do you think we are mere animals? Do you think we are stupid? + You may tear out your hair in anger, but will that destroy the earth? Will it make the rocks tremble? + "Surely the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. The sparks of their fire will not glow. + The light in their tent will grow dark. The lamp hanging above them will be quenched. + The confident stride of the wicked will be shortened. Their own schemes will be their downfall. + The wicked walk into a net. They fall into a pit. + A trap grabs them by the heel. A snare holds them tight. + A noose lies hidden on the ground. A rope is stretched across their path. + "Terrors surround the wicked and trouble them at every step. + Hunger depletes their strength, and calamity waits for them to stumble. + Disease eats their skin; death devours their limbs. + They are torn from the security of their homes and are brought down to the king of terrors. + The homes of the wicked will burn down; burning sulfur rains on their houses. + Their roots will dry up, and their branches will wither. + All memory of their existence will fade from the earth, No one will remember their names. + They will be thrust from light into darkness, driven from the world. + They will have neither children nor grandchildren, nor any survivor in the place where they lived. + People in the west are appalled at their fate; people in the east are horrified. + They will say, 'This was the home of a wicked person, the place of one who rejected God.'" + + + Then Job spoke again: + "How long will you torture me? How long will you try to crush me with your words? + You have already insulted me ten times. You should be ashamed of treating me so badly. + Even if I have sinned, that is my concern, not yours. + You think you're better than I am, using my humiliation as evidence of my sin. + But it is God who has wronged me, capturing me in his net. + "I cry out, 'Help!' but no one answers me. I protest, but there is no justice. + God has blocked my way so I cannot move. He has plunged my path into darkness. + He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. + He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished. He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree. + His fury burns against me; he counts me as an enemy. + His troops advance. They build up roads to attack me. They camp all around my tent. + "My relatives stay far away, and my friends have turned against me. + My family is gone, and my close friends have forgotten me. + My servants and maids consider me a stranger. I am like a foreigner to them. + When I call my servant, he doesn't come; I have to plead with him! + My breath is repulsive to my wife. I am rejected by my own family. + Even young children despise me. When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me. + My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me. + I have been reduced to skin and bones and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth. + "Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me. + Must you also persecute me, like God does? Haven't you chewed me up enough? + "Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, + carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock. + "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. + And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! + I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! + "How dare you go on persecuting me, saying, 'It's his own fault'? + You should fear punishment yourselves, for your attitude deserves punishment. Then you will know that there is indeed a judgment." + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: + "I must reply because I am greatly disturbed. + I've had to endure your insults, but now my spirit prompts me to reply. + "Don't you realize that from the beginning of time, ever since people were first placed on the earth, + the triumph of the wicked has been short-lived and the joy of the godless has been only temporary? + Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens and their heads touch the clouds, + yet they will vanish forever, thrown away like their own dung. Those who knew them will ask, 'Where are they?' + They will fade like a dream and not be found. They will vanish like a vision in the night. + Those who once saw them will see them no more. Their families will never see them again. + Their children will beg from the poor, for they must give back their stolen riches. + Though they are young, their bones will lie in the dust. + "They enjoyed the sweet taste of wickedness, letting it melt under their tongue. + They savored it, holding it long in their mouths. + But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour, a poisonous venom in their stomach. + They will vomit the wealth they swallowed. God won't let them keep it down. + They will suck the poison of cobras. The viper will kill them. + They will never again enjoy streams of olive oil or rivers of milk and honey. + They will give back everything they worked for. Their wealth will bring them no joy. + For they oppressed the poor and left them destitute. They foreclosed on their homes. + They were always greedy and never satisfied. Nothing remains of all the things they dreamed about. + Nothing is left after they finish gorging themselves. Therefore, their prosperity will not endure. + "In the midst of plenty, they will run into trouble and be overcome by misery. + May God give them a bellyful of trouble. May God rain down his anger upon them. + When they try to escape an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce them. + The arrow is pulled from their back, and the arrowhead glistens with blood. The terrors of death are upon them. + Their treasures will be thrown into deepest darkness. A wildfire will devour their goods, consuming all they have left. + The heavens will reveal their guilt, and the earth will testify against them. + A flood will sweep away their house. God's anger will descend on them in torrents. + This is the reward that God gives the wicked. It is the inheritance decreed by God." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "Listen closely to what I am saying. That's one consolation you can give me. + Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me. + "My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient. + Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock. + When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles. + "Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful? + They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren. + Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them. + Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry. + They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance. + They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute. + They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace. + And yet they say to God, 'Go away. We want no part of you and your ways. + Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?' + (They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.) + "Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger? + Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all! + " 'Well,' you say, 'at least God will punish their children!' But I say he should punish the ones who sin, so that they understand his judgment. + Let them see their destruction with their own eyes. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty. + For they will not care what happens to their family after they are dead. + "But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful? + One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure, + the picture of good health, vigorous and fit. + Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life. + But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots. + "Look, I know what you're thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me. + You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins. + But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth. + Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster. + No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done. + When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb. + A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose. + "How can your empty clich�s comfort me? All your explanations are lies!" + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: + "Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him? + Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect? + Is it because you're so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you? + No, it's because of your wickedness! There's no limit to your sins. + "For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone. + You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry. + You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it! + You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans. + That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears. + That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you. + "God is so great-- higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars. + But you reply, 'That's why God can't see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness? + For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.' + "Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked? + They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away. + For they said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?' + Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking. + "The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt. + They will say, 'See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.' + "Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. + Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. + If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored-- so clean up your life. + If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, + the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! + "Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. + You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. + You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. + If people are in trouble and you say, 'Help them,' God will save them. + Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. + If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. + I would lay out my case and present my arguments. + Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. + Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing. + Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. + I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. + I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. + "But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. + For I have stayed on God's paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. + I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. + But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does. + So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. + No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me. + God has made me sick at heart; the Almighty has terrified me. + Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere. + + + "Why doesn't the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment? Why must the godly wait for him in vain? + Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers. They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures. + They take the orphan's donkey and demand the widow's ox as security for a loan. + The poor are pushed off the path; the needy must hide together for safety. + Like wild donkeys in the wilderness, the poor must spend all their time looking for food, searching even in the desert for food for their children. + They harvest a field they do not own, and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked. + All night they lie naked in the cold, without clothing or covering. + They are soaked by mountain showers, and they huddle against the rocks for want of a home. + "The wicked snatch a widow's child from her breast, taking the baby as security for a loan. + The poor must go about naked, without any clothing. They harvest food for others while they themselves are starving. + They press out olive oil without being allowed to taste it, and they tread in the winepress as they suffer from thirst. + The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the wounded cry for help, yet God ignores their moaning. + "Wicked people rebel against the light. They refuse to acknowledge its ways or stay in its paths. + The murderer rises in the early dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night he is a thief. + The adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, 'No one will see me then.' He hides his face so no one will know him. + Thieves break into houses at night and sleep in the daytime. They are not acquainted with the light. + The black night is their morning. They ally themselves with the terrors of the darkness. + "But they disappear like foam down a river. Everything they own is cursed, and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards. + The grave consumes sinners just as drought and heat consume snow. + Their own mothers will forget them. Maggots will find them sweet to eat. No one will remember them. Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm. + They cheat the woman who has no son to help her. They refuse to help the needy widow. + "God, in his power, drags away the rich. They may rise high, but they have no assurance of life. + They may be allowed to live in security, but God is always watching them. + And though they are great now, in a moment they will be gone like all others, cut off like heads of grain. + Can anyone claim otherwise? Who can prove me wrong?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: + "God is powerful and dreadful. He enforces peace in the heavens. + Who is able to count his heavenly army? Doesn't his light shine on all the earth? + How can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone born of a woman be pure? + God is more glorious than the moon; he shines brighter than the stars. + In comparison, people are maggots; we mortals are mere worms." + + + Then Job spoke again: + "How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the weak! + How you have enlightened my stupidity! What wise advice you have offered! + Where have you gotten all these wise sayings? Whose spirit speaks through you? + "The dead tremble-- those who live beneath the waters. + The underworld is naked in God's presence. The place of destruction is uncovered. + God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing. + He wraps the rain in his thick clouds, and the clouds don't burst with the weight. + He covers the face of the moon, shrouding it with his clouds. + He created the horizon when he separated the waters; he set the boundary between day and night. + The foundations of heaven tremble; they shudder at his rebuke. + By his power the sea grew calm. By his skill he crushed the great sea monster. + His Spirit made the heavens beautiful, and his power pierced the gliding serpent. + These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?" + + + Job continued speaking: + "I vow by the living God, who has taken away my rights, by the Almighty who has embittered my soul-- + As long as I live, while I have breath from God, + my lips will speak no evil, and my tongue will speak no lies. + I will never concede that you are right; I will defend my integrity until I die. + I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live. + "May my enemy be punished like the wicked, my adversary like those who do evil. + For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off and takes away their life? + Will God listen to their cry when trouble comes upon them? + Can they take delight in the Almighty? Can they call to God at any time? + I will teach you about God's power. I will not conceal anything concerning the Almighty. + But you have seen all this, yet you say all these useless things to me. + "This is what the wicked will receive from God; this is their inheritance from the Almighty. + They may have many children, but the children will die in war or starve to death. + Those who survive will die of a plague, and not even their widows will mourn them. + "Evil people may have piles of money and may store away mounds of clothing. + But the righteous will wear that clothing, and the innocent will divide that money. + The wicked build houses as fragile as a spider's web, as flimsy as a shelter made of branches. + The wicked go to bed rich but wake to find that all their wealth is gone. + Terror overwhelms them like a flood, and they are blown away in the storms of the night. + The east wind carries them away, and they are gone. It sweeps them away. + It whirls down on them without mercy. They struggle to flee from its power. + But everyone jeers at them and mocks them. + + + "People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. + They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock. + They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore. + They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth. + Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire. + Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold. + These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon's eye observe. + No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there. + People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. + They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. + They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures. + "But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? + No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. + 'It is not here,' says the ocean. 'Nor is it here,' says the sea. + It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver. + It's worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. + Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. + Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies. + Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It's worth more than the purest gold. + "But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? + It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it. + Destruction and Death say, 'We've heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.' + "God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, + for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. + He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. + He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. + Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. + And this is what he says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'" + + + Job continued speaking: + "I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, + when he lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness. + When I was in my prime, God's friendship was felt in my home. + The Almighty was still with me, and my children were around me. + My cows produced milk in abundance, and my groves poured out streams of olive oil. + "Those were the days when I went to the city gate and took my place among the honored leaders. + The young stepped aside when they saw me, and even the aged rose in respect at my coming. + The princes stood in silence and put their hands over their mouths. + The highest officials of the city stood quietly, holding their tongues in respect. + "All who heard me praised me. All who saw me spoke well of me. + For I assisted the poor in their need and the orphans who required help. + I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows' hearts to sing for joy. + Everything I did was honest. Righteousness covered me like a robe, and I wore justice like a turban. + I served as eyes for the blind and feet for the lame. + I was a father to the poor and assisted strangers who needed help. + I broke the jaws of godless oppressors and plucked their victims from their teeth. + "I thought, 'Surely I will die surrounded by my family after a long, good life. + For I am like a tree whose roots reach the water, whose branches are refreshed with the dew. + New honors are constantly bestowed on me, and my strength is continually renewed.' + "Everyone listened to my advice. They were silent as they waited for me to speak. + And after I spoke, they had nothing to add, for my counsel satisfied them. + They longed for me to speak as people long for rain. They drank my words like a refreshing spring rain. + When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them. + Like a chief, I told them what to do. I lived like a king among his troops and comforted those who mourned. + + + "But now I am mocked by people younger than I, by young men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my sheepdogs. + A lot of good they are to me-- those worn-out wretches! + They are gaunt with hunger and flee to the deserts, to desolate and gloomy wastelands. + They pluck wild greens from among the bushes and eat from the roots of broom trees. + They are driven from human society, and people shout at them as if they were thieves. + So now they live in frightening ravines, in caves and among the rocks. + They sound like animals howling among the bushes, huddled together beneath the nettles. + They are nameless fools, outcasts from society. + "And now they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me! + They despise me and won't come near me, except to spit in my face. + For God has cut my bowstring. He has humbled me, so they have thrown off all restraint. + These outcasts oppose me to my face. They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path. + They block my road and do everything they can to destroy me. They know I have no one to help me. + They come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down. + I live in terror now. My honor has blown away in the wind, and my prosperity has vanished like a cloud. + "And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days. + At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly. + With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat. + He has thrown me into the mud. I'm nothing more than dust and ashes. + "I cry to you, O God, but you don't answer. I stand before you, but you don't even look. + You have become cruel toward me. You use your power to persecute me. + You throw me into the whirlwind and destroy me in the storm. + And I know you are sending me to my death-- the destination of all who live. + "Surely no one would turn against the needy when they cry for help in their trouble. + Did I not weep for those in trouble? Was I not deeply grieved for the needy? + So I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell. + My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me. + I walk in gloom, without sunlight. I stand in the public square and cry for help. + Instead, I am considered a brother to jackals and a companion to owls. + My skin has turned dark, and my bones burn with fever. + My harp plays sad music, and my flute accompanies those who weep. + + + "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. + For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high? + Isn't it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil? + Doesn't he see everything I do and every step I take? + "Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone? + Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity. + If I have strayed from his pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin, + then let someone else eat the crops I have planted. Let all that I have planted be uprooted. + "If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor's wife, + then let my wife belong to another man; let other men sleep with her. + For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. + It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own. + "If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me, + how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me? + For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb. + "Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? + Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? + No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. + Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, + did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm? + "If I raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side, + then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket! + That would be better than facing God's judgment. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there? + "Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold? + Have I gloated about my wealth and all that I own? + "Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway, + and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship? + If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven. + "Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way? + No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge. + "My servants have never said, 'He let others go hungry.' + I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone. + "Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart? + Have I feared the crowd or the contempt of the masses, so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors? + "If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me. + I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown. + For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince. + "If my land accuses me and all its furrows cry out together, + or if I have stolen its crops or murdered its owners, + then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley." Job's words are ended. + + + Job's three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence. + Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing him. + He was also angry with Job's three friends, for they made God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job's arguments. + Elihu had waited for the others to speak to Job because they were older than he. + But when he saw that they had no further reply, he spoke out angrily. + Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said, "I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think. + I thought, 'Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.' + But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. + Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice. + So listen to me, and let me tell you what I think. + "I have waited all this time, listening very carefully to your arguments, listening to you grope for words. + I have listened, but not one of you has refuted Job or answered his arguments. + And don't tell me, 'He is too wise for us. Only God can convince him.' + If Job had been arguing with me, I would not answer with your kind of logic! + You sit there baffled, with nothing more to say. + Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent? Must I also remain silent? + No, I will say my piece. I will speak my mind. + For I am full of pent-up words, and the spirit within me urges me on. + I am like a cask of wine without a vent, like a new wineskin ready to burst! + I must speak to find relief, so let me give my answers. + I won't play favorites or try to flatter anyone. + For if I tried flattery, my Creator would soon destroy me. + + + "Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. + Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. + I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. + For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. + Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. + Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. + So you don't need to be afraid of me. I won't come down hard on you. + "You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. + You said, 'I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. + God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. + He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.' + "But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. + So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people's complaints? + For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. + He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. + He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. + He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. + He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. + "Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. + They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. + Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. + They are at death's door; the angels of death wait for them. + "But if an angel from heaven appears-- a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright-- + he will be gracious and say, 'Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.' + Then his body will become as healthy as a child's, firm and youthful again. + When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. + He will declare to his friends, 'I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. + God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.' + "Yes, God does these things again and again for people. + He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. + Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. + But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. + But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!" + + + Then Elihu said: + "Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge. + Job said, 'The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.' + So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. + For Job also said, 'I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights. + I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.' + "Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk? + He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men. + He has even said, 'Why waste time trying to please God?' + "Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn't sin! The Almighty can do no wrong. + He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve. + Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice. + Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place? + If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, + all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust. + "Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say. + Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge? + For he says to kings, 'You are wicked,' and to nobles, 'You are unjust.' + He doesn't care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all. + In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. + "For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. + No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes. + We don't set the time when we will come before God in judgment. + He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place. + He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them. + He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see. + For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways. + They cause the poor to cry out, catching God's attention. He hears the cries of the needy. + But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation. + He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people. + "Why don't people say to God, 'I have sinned, but I will sin no more'? + Or 'I don't know what evil I have done-- tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once'? + "Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us. + After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say, + 'Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.' + Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked. + For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God." + + + Then Elihu said: + "Do you think it is right for you to claim, 'I am righteous before God'? + For you also ask, 'What's in it for me? What's the use of living a righteous life?' + "I will answer you and all your friends, too. + Look up into the sky, and see the clouds high above you. + If you sin, how does that affect God? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have on him? + If you are good, is this some great gift to him? What could you possibly give him? + No, your sins affect only people like yourself, and your good deeds also affect only humans. + "People cry out when they are oppressed. They groan beneath the power of the mighty. + Yet they don't ask, 'Where is God my Creator, the one who gives songs in the night? + Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals and wiser than the birds of the sky?' + And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride. + But it is wrong to say God doesn't listen, to say the Almighty isn't concerned. + You say you can't see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait. + You say he does not respond to sinners with anger and is not greatly concerned about wickedness. + But you are talking nonsense, Job. You have spoken like a fool." + + + Elihu continued speaking: + "Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! + I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator. + I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge. + "God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding. + He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted. + He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever. + If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble, + he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride. + He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil. + "If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant. + But if they refuse to listen to him, they will be killed by the sword and die from lack of understanding. + For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help. + They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living. + But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. + "God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food. + But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don't worry, judgment and justice will be upheld. + But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don't let yourself be bribed into sin. + Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress? + Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed. + Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil. + "Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? + No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, 'You have done wrong.' + Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise. + Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance. + "Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted. + He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain. + The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits. + Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven? + See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. + By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance. + He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. + The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger. + + + "My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me. + Listen carefully to the thunder of God's voice as it rolls from his mouth. + It rolls across the heavens, and his lightning flashes in every direction. + Then comes the roaring of the thunder-- the tremendous voice of his majesty. He does not restrain it when he speaks. + God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power. + "He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. + Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power. + The wild animals take cover and stay inside their dens. + The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the driving winds bring the cold. + God's breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water. + He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning. + The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth. + He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love. + "Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God! + Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds? + Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill? + When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still, + he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror. Can you do that? + "So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments. + Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused? + We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds. + So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor. + We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. + No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence." + + + Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: + "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? + Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. + "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. + Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? + What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone + as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? + "Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, + and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? + For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. + I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!' + "Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? + Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness? + As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors. + The light disturbs the wicked and stops the arm that is raised in violence. + "Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths? + Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? + Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know! + "Where does light come from, and where does darkness go? + Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there? + But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced! + "Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail? + (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.) + Where is the path to the source of light? Where is the home of the east wind? + "Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning? + Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives? + Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground and make the tender grass spring up? + "Does the rain have a father? Who gives birth to the dew? + Who is the mother of the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens? + For the water turns to ice as hard as rock, and the surface of the water freezes. + "Can you direct the movement of the stars-- binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion? + Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? + Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth? + "Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain? + Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct? + Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind? + Who is wise enough to count all the clouds? Who can tilt the water jars of heaven + when the parched ground is dry and the soil has hardened into clods? + "Can you stalk prey for a lioness and satisfy the young lions' appetites + as they lie in their dens or crouch in the thicket? + Who provides food for the ravens when their young cry out to God and wander about in hunger? + + + "Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild? + Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery? + They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring. + Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return. + "Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes? + I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland. + It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it. + The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass. + "Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall? + Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you? + Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work? + Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor? + "The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. + She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. + She doesn't worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them. + She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn't care if they die. + For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding. + But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider. + "Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane? + Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying! + It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle. + It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword. + The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash. + It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram's horn blows. + It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance. It quivers at the captain's commands and the noise of battle. + "Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south? + Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest? + It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag. + From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes. + Its young gulp down blood. Where there's a carcass, there you'll find it." + + + Then the LORD said to Job, + "Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?" + Then Job replied to the LORD, + "I am nothing-- how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. + I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say." + Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: + "Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. + "Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? + Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? + All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty. + Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. + Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. + Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. + Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you. + "Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox. + See its powerful loins and the muscles of its belly. + Its tail is as strong as a cedar. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together. + Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron. + It is a prime example of God's handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it. + The mountains offer it their best food, where all the wild animals play. + It lies under the lotus plants, hidden by the reeds in the marsh. + The lotus plants give it shade among the willows beside the stream. + It is not disturbed by the raging river, not concerned when the swelling Jordan rushes around it. + No one can catch it off guard or put a ring in its nose and lead it away. + + + "Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw? + Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike? + Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity? + Will it agree to work for you, to be your slave for life? + Can you make it a pet like a bird, or give it to your little girls to play with? + Will merchants try to buy it to sell it in their shops? + Will its hide be hurt by spears or its head by a harpoon? + If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won't try that again! + No, it is useless to try to capture it. The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down. + And since no one dares to disturb it, who then can stand up to me? + Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine. + "I want to emphasize Leviathan's limbs and its enormous strength and graceful form. + Who can strip off its hide, and who can penetrate its double layer of armor? + Who could pry open its jaws? For its teeth are terrible! + Its scales are like rows of shields tightly sealed together. + They are so close together that no air can get between them. + Each scale sticks tight to the next. They interlock and cannot be penetrated. + "When it sneezes, it flashes light! Its eyes are like the red of dawn. + Lightning leaps from its mouth; flames of fire flash out. + Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes. + Its breath would kindle coals, for flames shoot from its mouth. + "The tremendous strength in Leviathan's neck strikes terror wherever it goes. + Its flesh is hard and firm and cannot be penetrated. + Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a millstone. + When it rises, the mighty are afraid, gripped by terror. + No sword can stop it, no spear, dart, or javelin. + Iron is nothing but straw to that creature, and bronze is like rotten wood. + Arrows cannot make it flee. Stones shot from a sling are like bits of grass. + Clubs are like a blade of grass, and it laughs at the swish of javelins. + Its belly is covered with scales as sharp as glass. It plows up the ground as it drags through the mud. + "Leviathan makes the water boil with its commotion. It stirs the depths like a pot of ointment. + The water glistens in its wake, making the sea look white. + Nothing on earth is its equal, no other creature so fearless. + Of all the creatures, it is the proudest. It is the king of beasts." + + + Then Job replied to the LORD: + "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. + You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I-- and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. + You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' + I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. + I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." + After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. + So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has." + So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job's prayer. + When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before! + Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the LORD had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring. + So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. + He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. + He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. + In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers. + Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. + Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life. + + + + + Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. + But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. + They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. + But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. + They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. + For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. + + + Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? + The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. + "Let us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from slavery to God." + But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. + Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. + For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain." + The king proclaims the LORD's decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father. + Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. + You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.' " + Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! + Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. + Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities-- for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him! A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom. + + + O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. + So many are saying, "God will never rescue him!" Interlude + But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. + I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude + I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. + I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. + Arise, O LORD! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! + Victory comes from you, O LORD. May you bless your people. Interlude For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. + How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies? Interlude + You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him. + Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude + Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the LORD. + Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" Let your face smile on us, LORD. + You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. + In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute. + + + O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. + Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. + Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. + O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked. + Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil. + You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers. + Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe. + Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow. + My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery. + O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. + But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. + For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument. + + + O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. + Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. + I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until you restore me? + Return, O LORD, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. + For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave? + I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. + My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. + Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. + The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer. + May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame. A psalm of David, which he sang to the LORD] concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin. + + + I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors-- rescue me! + If you don't, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me. + O LORD my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice, + if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause, + then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. Interlude + Arise, O LORD, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice! + Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high. + The LORD judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High! + End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God. + God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right. + God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day. + If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. + He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows. + The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. + They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. + The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. + I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument. + + + O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. + You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. + When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers-- the moon and the stars you set in place-- + what are people that you should think about them, mere mortals that you should care for them? + Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. + You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority-- + the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, + the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. + O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Death of the Son." + + + I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. + I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. + My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared. + For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness. + You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever. + The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten. + But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. + He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. + The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. + Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. + Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. + For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer. + LORD, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death. + Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem's gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me. + The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. + The LORD is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude + The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. + But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed. + Arise, O LORD! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Judge the nations! + Make them tremble in fear, O LORD. Let the nations know they are merely human. Interlude + + + O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble? + The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others. + For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD. + The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. + Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies. + They think, "Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!" + Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues. + They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims. + Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets. + Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked. + The wicked think, "God isn't watching us! He has closed his eyes and won't even see what we do!" + Arise, O LORD! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! + Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, "God will never call us to account." + But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans. + Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed. + The LORD is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. + LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. + You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + I trust in the LORD for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! + The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. + The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?" + But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. + The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. + He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. + For the righteous LORD loves justice. The virtuous will see his face. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument. + + + Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! + Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts. + May the LORD cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues. + They say, "We will lie to our hearts' content. Our lips are our own-- who can stop us?" + The LORD replies, "I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do." + The LORD's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. + Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, + even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? + How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? + Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. + Don't let my enemies gloat, saying, "We have defeated him!" Don't let them rejoice at my downfall. + But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. + I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! + The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. + But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! + Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn't think of praying to the LORD. + Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him. + The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the LORD will protect his people. + Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the LORD restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice. A psalm of David. + + + Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? + Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. + Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. + Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. + Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. A psalm of David. + + + Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. + I said to the LORD, "You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you." + The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them! + Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods. + LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. + The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! + I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. + I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. + No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. + For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. + You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. A prayer of David. + + + O LORD, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips. + Declare me innocent, for you see those who do right. + You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say. + I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. + My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. + I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. + Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies. + Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. + Protect me from wicked people who attack me, from murderous enemies who surround me. + They are without pity. Listen to their boasting! + They track me down and surround me, watching for the chance to throw me to the ground. + They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart-- like young lions hiding in ambush. + Arise, O LORD! Stand against them, and bring them to their knees! Rescue me from the wicked with your sword! + By the power of your hand, O LORD, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones. May their children have plenty, leaving an inheritance for their descendants. + Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD]. He sang this song to the LORD] on the day the LORD] rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: + + + I love you, LORD; you are my strength. + The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. + I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. + The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. + The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. + But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. + Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. + Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. + He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. + Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. + He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. + Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. + The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. + He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused. + Then at your command, O LORD, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. + He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. + He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. + They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the LORD supported me. + He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. + The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. + For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. + I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. + I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. + The LORD rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. + To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. + To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. + You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. + You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. + In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. + God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. + For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock? + God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. + He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. + He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. + You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. + You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. + I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered. + I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet. + You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. + You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. + They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer. + I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt. + You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me ruler over nations; people I don't even know now serve me. + As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me. + They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds. + The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted! + He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me + and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. + For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. + You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. + Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. + They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. + Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. + It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. + The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. + The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. + The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. + Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. + They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. + They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. + How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. + Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. + May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm. + May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. + May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude + May he grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed. + May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers. + Now I know that the LORD rescues his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power. + Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. + Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm. + Give victory to our king, O LORD! Answer our cry for help. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. + For you have given him his heart's desire; you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude + You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head. + He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever. + Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty. + You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence. + For the king trusts in the LORD. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling. + You will capture all your enemies. Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you. + You will throw them in a flaming furnace when you appear. The LORD will consume them in his anger; fire will devour them. + You will wipe their children from the face of the earth; they will never have descendants. + Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed. + For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them. + Rise up, O LORD, in all your power. With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Doe of the Dawn." + + + My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? + Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. + Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. + Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. + They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. + But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! + Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, + "Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!" + Yet you brought me safely from my mother's womb and led me to trust you at my mother's breast. + I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born. + Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. + My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! + Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. + My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. + My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. + My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. + I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. + They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. + O LORD, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! + Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs. + Snatch me from the lion's jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen. + I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. + Praise the LORD, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! + For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help. + I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. + The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. + The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. + For royal power belongs to the LORD. He rules all the nations. + Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. + Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. + His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done. A psalm of David. + + + The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. + He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. + He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. + Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. + You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. + Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. A psalm of David. + + + The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. + For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. + Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? + Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. + They will receive the LORD's blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. + Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude + Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. + Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle. + Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. + Who is the King of glory? The LORD of Heaven's Armies-- he is the King of glory. Interlude A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, I give my life to you. + I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. + No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. + Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. + Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. + Remember, O LORD, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. + Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD. + The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. + He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. + The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. + For the honor of your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins. + Who are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they should choose. + They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land. + The LORD is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. + My eyes are always on the LORD, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies. + Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. + My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! + Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. + See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! + Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. + May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. + O God, ransom Israel from all its troubles. A psalm of David. + + + Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. + Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. + For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. + I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites. + I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked. + I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O LORD, + singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders. + I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glorious presence dwells. + Don't let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don't condemn me along with murderers. + Their hands are dirty with evil schemes, and they constantly take bribes. + But I am not like that; I live with integrity. So redeem me and show me mercy. + Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the LORD. A psalm of David. + + + The LORD is my light and my salvation-- so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? + When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. + Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. + The one thing I ask of the LORD-- the thing I seek most-- is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in his Temple. + For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. + Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music. + Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! + My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." + Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation! + Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. + Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. + Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I've never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. + Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. + Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. A psalm of David. + + + I pray to you, O LORD, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. + Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary. + Do not drag me away with the wicked-- with those who do evil-- those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planning evil in their hearts. + Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness. Pay them back for all their evil deeds! Give them a taste of what they have done to others. + They care nothing for what the LORD has done or for what his hands have made. So he will tear them down, and they will never be rebuilt! + Praise the LORD! For he has heard my cry for mercy. + The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. + The LORD gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. + Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever. A psalm of David. + + + Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings; honor the LORD for his glory and strength. + Honor the LORD for the glory of his name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. + The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The LORD thunders over the mighty sea. + The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. + The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. + He makes Lebanon's mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. + The voice of the LORD strikes with bolts of lightning. + The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. + The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, "Glory!" + The LORD rules over the floodwaters. The LORD reigns as king forever. + The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace. A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the Temple. + + + I will exalt you, LORD, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. + O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. + You brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. + Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. + For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. + When I was prosperous, I said, "Nothing can stop me now!" + Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. + I cried out to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, + "What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? + Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD." + You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, + that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever! For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. + Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. + You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. + Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. + I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God. + I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the LORD. + I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. + You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. + Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. + I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within. + I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors-- even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way. + I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot. + I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life. + But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!" + My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. + Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. + Don't let me be disgraced, O LORD, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave. + Silence their lying lips-- those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly. + How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. + You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. + Praise the LORD, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. + In panic I cried out, "I am cut off from the LORD!" But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. + Love the LORD, all you godly ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. + So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD! A psalm of David. + + + Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! + Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! + When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. + Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude + Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude + Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. + For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude + The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. + Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control." + Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. + So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! + + + Let the godly sing for joy to the LORD; it is fitting for the pure to praise him. + Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. + Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. + For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. + He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth. + The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. + He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. + Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him. + For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. + The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. + But the LORD's plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. + What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. + The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. + From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. + He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. + The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. + Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory-- for all its strength, it cannot save you. + But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. + He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. + We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. + In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. + Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone. A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away. + + + I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. + I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. + Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together. + I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. + Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. + In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles. + For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. + Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! + Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. + Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing. + Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD. + Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? + Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! + Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. + The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. + But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. + The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. + The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. + The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. + For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! + Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. + But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. + Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. + Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, "I will give you victory!" + Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me; turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me. + Blow them away like chaff in the wind-- a wind sent by the angel of the LORD. + Make their path dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them. + I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me. I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me. + So let sudden ruin come upon them! Let them be caught in the trap they set for me! Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me. + Then I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be glad because he rescues me. + With every bone in my body I will praise him: "LORD, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?" + Malicious witnesses testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about. + They repay me evil for good. I am sick with despair. + Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered. + I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother. + But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I don't even know; they slander me constantly. + They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me. + How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions! + Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. + Don't let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat. Don't let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow. + They don't talk of peace; they plot against innocent people who mind their own business. + They shout, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it!" + O LORD, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord. + Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord. + Declare me not guilty, O LORD my God, for you give justice. Don't let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles. + Don't let them say, "Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive!" + May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor. + But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, "Great is the LORD, who delights in blessing his servant with peace!" + Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long. For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD]. + + + Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. + In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. + Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good. + They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil. + Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. + Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD. + How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. + You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. + For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. + Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts. + Don't let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around. + Look! Those who do evil have fallen! They are thrown down, never to rise again. A psalm of David. + + + Don't worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. + For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. + Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. + Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. + Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. + He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. + Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. + Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper-- it only leads to harm. + For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land. + Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. + The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity. + The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. + But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming. + The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. + But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. + It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. + For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. + Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. + They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. + But the wicked will die. The LORD's enemies are like flowers in a field-- they will disappear like smoke. + The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. + Those the LORD blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die. + The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. + Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. + Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. + The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing. + Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. + For the LORD loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. + The godly will possess the land and will live there forever. + The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. + They have made God's law their own, so they will never slip from his path. + The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them. + But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial. + Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed. + I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil. + But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them! + Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace. + But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future. + The LORD rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. + The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him. A psalm of David, asking God to remember him. + + + O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage! + Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. + Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. + My guilt overwhelms me-- it is a burden too heavy to bear. + My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. + I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. + A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. + I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. + You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. + My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind. + My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. + Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery. + But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. + I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply. + For I am waiting for you, O LORD. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. + I prayed, "Don't let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall." + I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain. + But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. + I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason. + They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good. + Do not abandon me, O LORD. Do not stand at a distance, my God. + Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior. For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + I said to myself, "I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me." + But as I stood there in silence-- not even speaking of good things-- the turmoil within me grew worse. + The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: + "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered-- how fleeting my life is. + You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." Interlude + We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. + And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. + Rescue me from my rebellion. Do not let fools mock me. + I am silent before you; I won't say a word, for my punishment is from you. + But please stop striking me! I am exhausted by the blows from your hand. + When you discipline us for our sins, you consume like a moth what is precious to us. Each of us is but a breath. Interlude + Hear my prayer, O LORD! Listen to my cries for help! Don't ignore my tears. For I am your guest-- a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me. + Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. + He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. + He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. + Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. + O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. + You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand-- you don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings. + Then I said, "Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: + I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart." + I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O LORD, well know. + I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness. + LORD, don't hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. + For troubles surround me-- too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can't see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. + Please, LORD, rescue me! Come quickly, LORD, and help me. + May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. + Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!" + But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!" + As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble. + The LORD protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. + The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. + "O LORD," I prayed, "have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against you." + But my enemies say nothing but evil about me. "How soon will he die and be forgotten?" they ask. + They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere. + All who hate me whisper about me, imagining the worst. + "He has some fatal disease," they say. "He will never get out of that bed!" + Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me. + LORD, have mercy on me. Make me well again, so I can pay them back! + I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me. + You have preserved my life because I am innocent; you have brought me into your presence forever. + Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen! For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. + I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? + Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, "Where is this God of yours?" + My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! + Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-- my Savior and + my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you-- even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. + I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. + But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. + "O God my rock," I cry, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?" + Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, "Where is this God of yours?" + Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-- my Savior and my God! + + + Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars. + For you are God, my only safe haven. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies? + Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. + There I will go to the altar of God, to God-- the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God! + Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-- my Savior and my God! For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + O God, we have heard it with our own ears-- our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago: + You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors. You crushed their enemies and set our ancestors free. + They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them. + You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel. + Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. + I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. + You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. + O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Interlude + But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle. + You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land. + You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations. + You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale. + You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us. + You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn. + We can't escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces. + All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies. + All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant. + Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path. + Yet you have crushed us in the jackal's desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death. + If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods, + God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart. + But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep. + Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. + Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression? + We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt. + Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love. For the choir director: A love song to be sung to the tune "Lilies." A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet. + You are the most handsome of all. Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever. + Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic! + In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds! + Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies' hearts. The nations fall beneath your feet. + Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. + You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. + Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes. In ivory palaces the music of strings entertains you. + Kings' daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir! + Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. + For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. + The princess of Tyre will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor. + The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown. + In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids. + What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king's palace! + Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands. + I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever. For the choir director: A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices. + + + God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. + So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. + Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude + A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. + God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. + The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God's voice thunders, and the earth melts! + The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude + Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. + He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. + "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." + The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! + For the LORD Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. + He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet. + He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance, the proud possession of Jacob's descendants, whom he loves. Interlude + God has ascended with a mighty shout. The LORD has ascended with trumpets blaring. + Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! + For God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm! + God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne. + The rulers of the world have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham. For all the kings of the earth belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere. A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + How great is the LORD, how deserving of praise, in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain! + It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King! + God himself is in Jerusalem's towers, revealing himself as its defender. + The kings of the earth joined forces and advanced against the city. + But when they saw it, they were stunned; they were terrified and ran away. + They were gripped with terror and writhed in pain like a woman in labor. + You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish shattered by a powerful east wind. + We had heard of the city's glory, but now we have seen it ourselves-- the city of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. It is the city of our God; he will make it safe forever. Interlude + O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. + As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory. + Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice. + Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers. + Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations. + For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die. For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! + High and low, rich and poor-- listen! + For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. + I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp. + Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? + They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. + Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. + Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough + to live forever and never see the grave. + Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. + The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, + but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. + This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude + Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates. + But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude + So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. + For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. + In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. + But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day. + People who boast of their wealth don't understand; they will die, just like animals. A psalm of Asaph. + + + The LORD, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets. + From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. + Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him. + He calls on the heavens above and earth below to witness the judgment of his people. + "Bring my faithful people to me-- those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices." + Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge. Interlude + "O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! + I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. + But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. + For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. + I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. + If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. + Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? + Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. + Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory." + But God says to the wicked: "Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? + For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash. + When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers. + Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies. + You sit around and slander your brother-- your own mother's son. + While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn't care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you. + Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. + But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. + + + Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. + Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. + For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. + Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. + For I was born a sinner-- yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. + But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. + Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. + Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me-- now let me rejoice. + Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. + Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. + Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. + Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. + Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. + Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. + Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. + You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. + The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. + Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. + Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit-- with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar. For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite said to Saul, "David has gone to see Ahimelech." + + + Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don't you realize God's justice continues forever? + All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you're an expert at telling lies. + You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Interlude + You love to destroy others with your words, you liar! + But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude + The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say, + "Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness." + But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God's unfailing love. + I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people. For the choir director: A meditation; a psalm of David. + + + Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! + God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. + But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! + Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn't think of praying to God. + Terror will grip them, terror like they have never known before. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them. + Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When God restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice. For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. + Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. + For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude + But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! + May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. + I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. + For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! + Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. + My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down. + My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. + Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking. + Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! + I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude + How quickly I would escape-- far from this wild storm of hatred. + Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. + Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city. + Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets. + It is not an enemy who taunts me-- I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me-- I could have hidden from them. + Instead, it is you-- my equal, my companion and close friend. + What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. + Let death stalk my enemies; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them. + But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me. + Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice. + He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me. + God, who has ruled forever, will hear me and humble them. Interlude For my enemies refuse to change their ways; they do not fear God. + As for my companion, he betrayed his friends; he broke his promises. + His words are as smooth as butter, but in his heart is war. His words are as soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers! + Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. + But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me. For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Philistines seized him in Gath. To be sung to the tune "Dove on Distant Oaks." + + + O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. + I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. + But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. + I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? + They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me. + They come together to spy on me-- watching my every step, eager to kill me. + Don't let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down. + You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. + My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! + I praise God for what he has promised; Yes, I praise the LORD for what he has promised. + I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? + I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. + For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light. For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" + + + Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. + I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. + He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. Interlude My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness. + I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey-- whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords. + Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth. + My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude + My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! + Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. + I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. + For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. + Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" + + + Justice-- do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? + No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land. + These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. + They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen, + ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play. + Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O LORD! + May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands. + May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun. + God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns. + The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. + Then at last everyone will say, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth." For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David's house in order to kill him. To be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" + + + Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me. + Rescue me from these criminals; save me from these murderers. + They have set an ambush for me. Fierce enemies are out there waiting, LORD, though I have not sinned or offended them. + I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me! + O LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude + They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. + Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. "After all, who can hear us?" they sneer. + But LORD, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations. + You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress. + In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies. + Don't kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield. + Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies. + Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel. Interlude + My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. + They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied. + But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. + O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune "Lily of the Testimony." + + + You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor. + You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles. + You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling. + But you have raised a banner for those who fear you-- a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude + Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. + God has promised this by his holiness: "I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth. + Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings. + But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia." + Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom? + Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies? + Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. + With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes. For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! + From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, + for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. + Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude + For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. + Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations! + May he reign under God's protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. + Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day. For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. + He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. + So many enemies against one man-- all of them trying to kill me. To them I'm just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence. + They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude + Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. + He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. + My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. + O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude + Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air. + Don't make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don't make it the center of your life. + God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; + unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done. A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. + + + O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. + I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. + Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! + I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. + You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. + I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. + Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. + I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. + But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. + They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. + But the king will rejoice in God. All who trust in him will praise him, while liars will be silenced. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + O God, listen to my complaint. Protect my life from my enemies' threats. + Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers. + They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows. + They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly. + They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. "Who will ever notice?" they ask. + As they plot their crimes, they say, "We have devised the perfect plan!" Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning. + But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down. + Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. + Then everyone will be afraid; they will proclaim the mighty acts of God and realize all the amazing things he does. + The godly will rejoice in the LORD and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him. For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David. + + + What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, + for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. + Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. + What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple. + You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. + You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. + You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. + Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. + You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. + You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. + You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. + The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. + The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy! For the choir director: A song. A psalm. + + + Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! + Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. + Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. + Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs." Interlude + Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people! + He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. There we rejoiced in him. + For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance. Interlude + Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises. + Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. + You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. + You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs. + Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance. + Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you-- + yes, the sacred vows that I made when I was in deep trouble. + That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you-- the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma, and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats. Interlude + Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. + For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. + If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. + But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. + Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. For the choir director: A song. A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude + May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. + May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. + Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world. Interlude + May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. + Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. + Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him. For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David. + + + Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate God run for their lives. + Blow them away like smoke. Melt them like wax in a fire. Let the wicked perish in the presence of God. + But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. + Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD-- rejoice in his presence! + Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-- this is God, whose dwelling is holy. + God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. + O God, when you led your people out from Egypt, when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude + the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain before you, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. + You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land. + There your people finally settled, and with a bountiful harvest, O God, you provided for your needy people. + The Lord gives the word, and a great army brings the good news. + Enemy kings and their armies flee, while the women of Israel divide the plunder. + Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures-- doves with wings of silver and feathers of gold. + The Almighty scattered the enemy kings like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon. + The mountains of Bashan are majestic, with many peaks stretching high into the sky. + Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live, where the LORD himself will live forever? + Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots, the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary. + When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the LORD God will live among us there. + Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude + Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death. + But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways. + The Lord says, "I will bring my enemies down from Bashan; I will bring them up from the depths of the sea. + You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood, and even your dogs will get their share!" + Your procession has come into view, O God-- the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary. + Singers are in front, musicians behind; between them are young women playing tambourines. + Praise God, all you people of Israel; praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life. + Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way. Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali. + Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past. + The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your Temple in Jerusalem. + Rebuke these enemy nations-- these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves. Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute. Scatter the nations that delight in war. + Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals; let Ethiopia bow in submission to God. + Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude + Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky. + Tell everyone about God's power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. + God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Lilies." + + + Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. + Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. + I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. + Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn't steal. + O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you. + Don't let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign LORD of Heaven's Armies. Don't let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel. + For I endure insults for your sake; humiliation is written all over my face. + Even my own brothers pretend they don't know me; they treat me like a stranger. + Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. + When I weep and fast, they scoff at me. + When I dress in burlap to show sorrow, they make fun of me. + I am the favorite topic of town gossip, and all the drunks sing about me. + But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. + Rescue me from the mud; don't let me sink any deeper! Save me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters. + Don't let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. + Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. + Don't hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble! + Come and redeem me; free me from my enemies. + You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace. You see all that my enemies are doing. + Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. + But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst. + Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare and their prosperity become a trap. + Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and make their bodies shake continually. + Pour out your fury on them; consume them with your burning anger. + Let their homes become desolate and their tents be deserted. + To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury; they add to the pain of those you have hurt. + Pile their sins up high, and don't let them go free. + Erase their names from the Book of Life; don't let them be counted among the righteous. + I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. + Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. + For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. + The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. + For the LORD hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people. + Praise him, O heaven and earth, the seas and all that move in them. + For God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there and settle in their own land. + The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there in safety. For the choir director: A psalm of David, asking God to remember him. + + + Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, LORD, and help me. + May those who try to kill me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. + Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!" + But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!" + But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O LORD, do not delay. + + + O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. + Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. + Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. + My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors. + O Lord, you alone are my hope. I've trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. + Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother's womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! + My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. + That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. + And now, in my old age, don't set me aside. Don't abandon me when my strength is failing. + For my enemies are whispering against me. They are plotting together to kill me. + They say, "God has abandoned him. Let's go and get him, for no one will help him now." + O God, don't stay away. My God, please hurry to help me. + Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers. Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me. + But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. + I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. + I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. + O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. + Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. + Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God? + You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. + You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. + Then I will praise you with music on the harp, because you are faithful to your promises, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. + I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me. + I will tell about your righteous deeds all day long, for everyone who tried to hurt me has been shamed and humiliated. A psalm of Solomon. + + + Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king's son. + Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly. + May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. + Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors. + May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever! + May the king's rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. + May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. + May he reign from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. + Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust. + The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts. + All kings will bow before him, and all nations will serve him. + He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. + He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. + He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him. + Long live the king! May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long. + May there be abundant grain throughout the land, flourishing even on the hilltops. May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon, and may the people thrive like grass in a field. + May the king's name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise. + Praise the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things. + Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen! + (This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.) A psalm of Asaph. + + + Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. + But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. + For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. + They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. + They don't have troubles like other people; they're not plagued with problems like everyone else. + They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. + These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! + They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others. + They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth. + And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. + "What does God know?" they ask. "Does the Most High even know what's happening?" + Look at these wicked people-- enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. + Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? + I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. + If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. + So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! + Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. + Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. + In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. + When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning. + Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. + I was so foolish and ignorant-- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. + Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. + You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. + Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. + My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. + Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. + But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. A psalm of Asaph. + + + O God, why have you rejected us so long? Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture? + Remember that we are the people you chose long ago, the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession! And remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth. + Walk through the awful ruins of the city; see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. + There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries; there they set up their battle standards. + They swung their axes like woodcutters in a forest. + With axes and picks, they smashed the carved paneling. + They burned your sanctuary to the ground. They defiled the place that bears your name. + Then they thought, "Let's destroy everything!" So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped. + We no longer see your miraculous signs. All the prophets are gone, and no one can tell us when it will end. + How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever? + Why do you hold back your strong right hand? Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them. + You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth. + You split the sea by your strength and smashed the heads of the sea monsters. + You crushed the heads of Leviathan and let the desert animals eat him. + You caused the springs and streams to gush forth, and you dried up rivers that never run dry. + Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun. + You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter. + See how these enemies insult you, LORD. A foolish nation has dishonored your name. + Don't let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves. Don't forget your suffering people forever. + Remember your covenant promises, for the land is full of darkness and violence! + Don't let the downtrodden be humiliated again. Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name. + Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long. + Don't overlook what your enemies have said or their growing uproar. For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" + + + We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds. + God says, "At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked. + When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. Interlude + "I warned the proud, 'Stop your boasting!' I told the wicked, 'Don't raise your fists! + Don't raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.'" + For no one on earth-- from east or west, or even from the wilderness-- should raise a defiant fist. + It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall. + For the LORD holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours out the wine in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs. + But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. + For God says, "I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly." For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be accompanied by stringed instruments. + + + God is honored in Judah; his name is great in Israel. + Jerusalem is where he lives; Mount Zion is his home. + There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy, the shields and swords and weapons of war. Interlude + You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains. + Our boldest enemies have been plundered. They lie before us in the sleep of death. No warrior could lift a hand against us. + At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob, their horses and chariots lay still. + No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes? + From heaven you sentenced your enemies; the earth trembled and stood silent before you. + You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God, and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. Interlude + Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon. + Make vows to the LORD your God, and keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One. + For he breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him. For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. + + + I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! + When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. + I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude + You don't let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray! + I think of the good old days, long since ended, + when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now. + Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? + Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? + Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude + And I said, "This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me." + But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. + They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. + O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? + You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. + By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude + When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. + The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed. + Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook. + Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters-- a pathway no one knew was there! + You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds. A psalm of Asaph. + + + O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, + for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past-- + stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. + We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders. + For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, + so the next generation might know them-- even the children not yet born-- and they in turn will teach their own children. + So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. + Then they will not be like their ancestors-- stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. + The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle. + They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his instructions. + They forgot what he had done-- the great wonders he had shown them, + the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt. + For he divided the sea and led them through, making the water stand up like walls! + In the daytime he led them by a cloud, and all night by a pillar of fire. + He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them water, as from a gushing spring. + He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river! + Yet they kept on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. + They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. + They even spoke against God himself, saying, "God can't give us food in the wilderness. + Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can't give his people bread and meat." + When the LORD heard them, he was furious. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel, + for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them. + But he commanded the skies to open; he opened the doors of heaven. + He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them bread from heaven. + They ate the food of angels! God gave them all they could hold. + He released the east wind in the heavens and guided the south wind by his mighty power. + He rained down meat as thick as dust-- birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore! + He caused the birds to fall within their camp and all around their tents. + The people ate their fill. He gave them what they craved. + But before they satisfied their craving, while the meat was yet in their mouths, + the anger of God rose against them, and he killed their strongest men. He struck down the finest of Israel's young men. + But in spite of this, the people kept sinning. Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him. + So he ended their lives in failure, their years in terror. + When God began killing them, they finally sought him. They repented and took God seriously. + Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer. + But all they gave him was lip service; they lied to him with their tongues. + Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant. + Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times he held back his anger and did not unleash his fury! + For he remembered that they were merely mortal, gone like a breath of wind that never returns. + Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland. + Again and again they tested God's patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel. + They did not remember his power and how he rescued them from their enemies. + They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders on the plain of Zoan. + For he turned their rivers into blood, so no one could drink from the streams. + He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them and hordes of frogs to ruin them. + He gave their crops to caterpillars; their harvest was consumed by locusts. + He destroyed their grapevines with hail and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet. + He abandoned their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. + He loosed on them his fierce anger-- all his fury, rage, and hostility. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels. + He turned his anger against them; he did not spare the Egyptians' lives but ravaged them with the plague. + He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family, the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt. + But he led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness. + He kept them safe so they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies. + He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this land of hills he had won for them. + He drove out the nations before them; he gave them their inheritance by lot. He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes. + But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey his laws. + They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow. + They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols. + When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel. + Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people. + He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands. + He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword, because he was so angry with his own people-- his special possession. + Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs. + Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths. + Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep, like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor. + He routed his enemies and sent them to eternal shame. + But he rejected Joseph's descendants; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. + He chose instead the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loved. + There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens, as solid and enduring as the earth. + He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. + He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob's descendants-- God's own people, Israel. + He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands. A psalm of Asaph. + + + O God, pagan nations have conquered your land, your special possession. They have defiled your holy Temple and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. + They have left the bodies of your servants as food for the birds of heaven. The flesh of your godly ones has become food for the wild animals. + Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem; no one is left to bury the dead. + We are mocked by our neighbors, an object of scorn and derision to those around us. + O LORD, how long will you be angry with us? Forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? + Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you-- on kingdoms that do not call upon your name. + For they have devoured your people Israel, making the land a desolate wilderness. + Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors! Let your compassion quickly meet our needs, for we are on the brink of despair. + Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name. + Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff, asking, "Where is their God?" Show us your vengeance against the nations, for they have spilled the blood of your servants. + Listen to the moaning of the prisoners. Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die. + O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times for the scorn they have hurled at you. + Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation. For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune "Lilies of the Covenant." + + + Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph's descendants like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your radiant glory + to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Show us your mighty power. Come to rescue us! + Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. + O LORD God of Heaven's Armies, how long will you be angry with our prayers? + You have fed us with sorrow and made us drink tears by the bucketful. + You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations. Our enemies treat us as a joke. + Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven's Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. + You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. + You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land. + Our shade covered the mountains; our branches covered the mighty cedars. + We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea; our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River. + But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit? + The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it. + Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven's Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine + that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself. + For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown. + Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice. + Then we will never abandon you again. Revive us so we can call on your name once more. + Turn us again to yourself, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument. + + + Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Jacob. + Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp. + Blow the ram's horn at new moon, and again at full moon to call a festival! + For this is required by the decrees of Israel; it is a regulation of the God of Jacob. + He made it a law for Israel when he attacked Egypt to set us free. I heard an unknown voice say, + "Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. + You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah. Interlude + "Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! + You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. + For it was I, the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. + "But no, my people wouldn't listen. Israel did not want me around. + So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas. + Oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! + How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands would be upon their foes! + Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him; they would be doomed forever. + But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock." A psalm of Asaph. + + + God presides over heaven's court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings: + "How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Interlude + "Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. + Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. + But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core. + I say, 'You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. + But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.'" + Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you. A song. A psalm of Asaph. + + + O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. + Don't you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don't you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? + They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. + "Come," they say, "let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence." + Yes, this was their unanimous decision. They signed a treaty as allies against you-- + these Edomites and Ishmaelites; Moabites and Hagrites; + Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and people from Philistia and Tyre. + Assyria has joined them, too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Interlude + Do to them as you did to the Midianites and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. + They were destroyed at Endor, and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil. + Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did. Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna, + for they said, "Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!" + O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind! + As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, + chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. + Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O LORD. + Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Let them die in disgrace. + Then they will learn that you alone are called the LORD, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth. For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument. + + + How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven's Armies. + I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. + Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O LORD of Heaven's Armies, my King and my God! + What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. Interlude + What joy for those whose strength comes from the LORD, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. + When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. + They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. + O LORD God of Heaven's Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude + O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor to the one you have anointed. + A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. + For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. + O LORD of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you. For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + LORD, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel. + You forgave the guilt of your people-- yes, you covered all their sins. Interlude + You held back your fury. You kept back your blazing anger. + Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. + Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? + Won't you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? + Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. + I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. + Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. + Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! + Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven. + Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest. + Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps. A prayer of David. + + + Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. + Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. + Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. + Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. + O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. + Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD; hear my urgent cry. + I will call to you whenever I'm in trouble, and you will answer me. + No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! + All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. + For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God. + Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. + With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, + for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death. + O God, insolent people rise up against me; a violent gang is trying to kill me. You mean nothing to them. + But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. + Look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant; save me, the son of your servant. + Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O LORD, help and comfort me. A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah. + + + On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the LORD. + He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel. + O city of God, what glorious things are said of you! Interlude + I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me-- also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem! + Regarding Jerusalem it will be said, "Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there." And the Most High will personally bless this city. + When the LORD registers the nations, he will say, "They have all become citizens of Jerusalem." Interlude + The people will play flutes and sing, "The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!" For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. A song to be sung to the tune "The Suffering of Affliction." A psalm of Heman the Ezrahite. + + + O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. + Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. + For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. + I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. + They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. + You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. + Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me. Interlude + You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. + My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O LORD; I lift my hands to you for mercy. + Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Interlude + Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? + Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness? + O LORD, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. + O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? + I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. + Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. + They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. + You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend. A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite. + + + I will sing of the LORD's unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. + Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. + The LORD said, "I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant. I have sworn this oath to him: + 'I will establish your descendants as kings forever; they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.' " Interlude + All heaven will praise your great wonders, LORD; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness. + For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD? What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD? + The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. + O LORD God of Heaven's Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O LORD? You are entirely faithful. + You rule the oceans. You subdue their storm-tossed waves. + You crushed the great sea monster. You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. + The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours-- you created it all. + You created north and south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name. + Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength. + Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants. + Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD. + They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness. + You are their glorious strength. It pleases you to make us strong. + Yes, our protection comes from the LORD, and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king. + Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people. You said, "I have raised up a warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king. + I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil. + I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm I will make him strong. + His enemies will not defeat him, nor will the wicked overpower him. + I will beat down his adversaries before him and destroy those who hate him. + My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, and by my authority he will grow in power. + I will extend his rule over the sea, his dominion over the rivers. + And he will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' + I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on earth. + I will love him and be kind to him forever; my covenant with him will never end. + I will preserve an heir for him; his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven. + But if his descendants forsake my instructions and fail to obey my regulations, + if they do not obey my decrees and fail to keep my commands, + then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their disobedience with beating. + But I will never stop loving him nor fail to keep my promise to him. + No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said. + I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie: + His dynasty will go on forever; his kingdom will endure as the sun. + It will be as eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky!" Interlude + But now you have rejected him and cast him off. You are angry with your anointed king. + You have renounced your covenant with him; you have thrown his crown in the dust. + You have broken down the walls protecting him and ruined every fort defending him. + Everyone who comes along has robbed him, and he has become a joke to his neighbors. + You have strengthened his enemies and made them all rejoice. + You have made his sword useless and refused to help him in battle. + You have ended his splendor and overturned his throne. + You have made him old before his time and publicly disgraced him. Interlude + O LORD, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your anger burn like fire? + Remember how short my life is, how empty and futile this human existence! + No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave. Interlude + Lord, where is your unfailing love? You promised it to David with a faithful pledge. + Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced! I carry in my heart the insults of so many people. + Your enemies have mocked me, O LORD; they mock your anointed king wherever he goes. + Praise the LORD forever! Amen and amen! A prayer of Moses, the man of God. + + + Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! + Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. + You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals!" + For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. + You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. + In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. + We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. + You spread out our sins before you-- our secret sins-- and you see them all. + We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan. + Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. + Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. + Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. + O LORD, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! + Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. + Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. + Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. + And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! + + + Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. + This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. + For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. + He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. + Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. + Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. + Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. + Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. + If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, + no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. + For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. + They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. + You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! + The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. + When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. + I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day. + + + It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. + It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, + accompanied by the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre. + You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. + O LORD, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts. + Only a simpleton would not know, and only a fool would not understand this: + Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. + But you, O LORD, will be exalted forever. + Your enemies, LORD, will surely perish; all evildoers will be scattered. + But you have made me as strong as a wild ox. You have anointed me with the finest oil. + My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents. + But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. + For they are transplanted to the LORD's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. + Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. + They will declare, "The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!" + + + The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. + Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past. + The floods have risen up, O LORD. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. + But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore-- the LORD above is mightier than these! + Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever. + + + O LORD, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! + Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve. + How long, O LORD? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? + How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast? + They crush your people, LORD, hurting those you claim as your own. + They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans. + "The LORD isn't looking," they say, "and besides, the God of Israel doesn't care." + Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? + Is he deaf-- the one who made your ears? Is he blind-- the one who formed your eyes? + He punishes the nations-- won't he also punish you? He knows everything-- doesn't he also know what you are doing? + The LORD knows people's thoughts; he knows they are worthless! + Joyful are those you discipline, LORD, those you teach with your instructions. + You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked. + The LORD will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. + Judgment will again be founded on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it. + Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? + Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. + I cried out, "I am slipping!" but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. + When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. + Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side-- leaders whose decrees permit injustice? + They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. + But the LORD is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide. + God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The LORD our God will destroy them. + + + Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. + Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. + For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods. + He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. + The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. + Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, + for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! + The LORD says, "Don't harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. + For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did. + For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, 'They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.' + So in my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest.'" + + + Sing a new song to the LORD! Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! + Sing to the LORD; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. + Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. + Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. + The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the LORD made the heavens! + Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. + O nations of the world, recognize the LORD; recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong. + Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. + Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. + Tell all the nations, "The LORD reigns!" The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly. + Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! + Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise + before the LORD, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth. + + + The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. + Dark clouds surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. + Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes. + His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles. + The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. + The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees his glory. + Those who worship idols are disgraced-- all who brag about their worthless gods-- for every god must bow to him. + Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the towns of Judah are glad because of your justice, O LORD! + For you, O LORD, are supreme over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. + You who love the LORD, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. + Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. + May all who are godly rejoice in the LORD and praise his holy name! A psalm. + + + Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! + The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! + He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. + Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! + Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, + with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! + Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. + Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy + before the LORD. For the LORD is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness. + + + The LORD is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake! + The LORD sits in majesty in Jerusalem, exalted above all the nations. + Let them praise your great and awesome name. Your name is holy! + Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel. + Exalt the LORD our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy! + Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the LORD for help, and he answered them. + He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them. + O LORD our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong. + Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the LORD our God is holy! A psalm of thanksgiving. + + + Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! + Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. + Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. + Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. + For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. A psalm of David. + + + I will sing of your love and justice, LORD. I will praise you with songs. + I will be careful to live a blameless life-- when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. + I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. + I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. + I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. + I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. + I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. + My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the LORD from their grip. A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD]. + + + LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea! + Don't turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you. + For my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals. + My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite. + Because of my groaning, I am reduced to skin and bones. + I am like an owl in the desert, like a little owl in a far-off wilderness. + I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof. + My enemies taunt me day after day. They mock and curse me. + I eat ashes for food. My tears run down into my drink + because of your anger and wrath. For you have picked me up and thrown me out. + My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering away like grass. + But you, O LORD, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation. + You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem-- and now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help. + For your people love every stone in her walls and cherish even the dust in her streets. + Then the nations will tremble before the LORD. The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory. + For the LORD will rebuild Jerusalem. He will appear in his glory. + He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. + Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the LORD. + Tell them the LORD looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven + to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. + And so the LORD's fame will be celebrated in Zion, his praises in Jerusalem, + when multitudes gather together and kingdoms come to worship the LORD. + He broke my strength in midlife, cutting short my days. + But I cried to him, "O my God, who lives forever, don't take my life while I am so young! + Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. + They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. + But you are always the same; you will live forever. + The children of your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in your presence." A psalm of David. + + + Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. + Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. + He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. + He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. + He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's! + The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. + He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. + The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. + He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. + He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. + For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. + He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. + The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. + For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. + Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. + The wind blows, and we are gone-- as though we had never been here. + But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children + of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! + The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. + Praise the LORD, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. + Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! + Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the LORD. + + + Let all that I am praise the LORD. O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. + You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; + you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. + The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants. + You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved. + You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains. + At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away. + Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. + Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth. + You make springs pour water into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. + They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. + The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. + You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor. + You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth-- + wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength. + The trees of the LORD are well cared for-- the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. + There the birds make their nests, and the storks make their homes in the cypresses. + High in the mountains live the wild goats, and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes. + You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. + You send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals prowl about. + Then the young lions roar for their prey, stalking the food provided by God. + At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest. + Then people go off to their work, where they labor until evening. + O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. + Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. + See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea. + They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. + When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied. + But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. + When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth. + May the glory of the LORD continue forever! The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made! + The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch. + I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! + May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. + Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever. Let all that I am praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. + Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. + Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. + Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. + Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, + you children of his servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones. + He is the LORD our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. + He always stands by his covenant-- the commitment he made to a thousand generations. + This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac. + He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant: + "I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession." + He said this when they were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan. + They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. + Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf: + "Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets." + He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply. + Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them-- Joseph, who was sold as a slave. + They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. + Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph's character. + Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door. + Joseph was put in charge of all the king's household; he became ruler over all the king's possessions. + He could instruct the king's aides as he pleased and teach the king's advisers. + Then Israel arrived in Egypt; Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham. + And the LORD multiplied the people of Israel until they became too mighty for their enemies. + Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites, and they plotted against the LORD's servants. + But the LORD sent his servant Moses, along with Aaron, whom he had chosen. + They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians, and wonders in the land of Ham. + The LORD blanketed Egypt in darkness, for they had defied his commands to let his people go. + He turned their water into blood, poisoning all the fish. + Then frogs overran the land and even invaded the king's bedrooms. + When the LORD spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians, and gnats swarmed across Egypt. + He sent them hail instead of rain, and lightning flashed over the land. + He ruined their grapevines and fig trees and shattered all the trees. + He spoke, and hordes of locusts came-- young locusts beyond number. + They ate up everything green in the land, destroying all the crops in their fields. + Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home, the pride and joy of each family. + The LORD brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled. + Egypt was glad when they were gone, for they feared them greatly. + The LORD spread a cloud above them as a covering and gave them a great fire to light the darkness. + They asked for meat, and he sent them quail; he satisfied their hunger with manna-- bread from heaven. + He split open a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry wasteland. + For he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham. + So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing. + He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted. + All this happened so they would follow his decrees and obey his instructions. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. + Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise him enough? + There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right. + Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people; come near and rescue me. + Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy of your people; let me praise you with those who are your heritage. + Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly! + Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the LORD's miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. + Even so, he saved them-- to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power. + He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert. + So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes. + Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived. + Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise. + Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn't wait for his counsel! + In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God's patience in that dry wasteland. + So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it. + The people in the camp were jealous of Moses and envious of Aaron, the LORD's holy priest. + Because of this, the earth opened up; it swallowed Dathan and buried Abiram and the other rebels. + Fire fell upon their followers; a flame consumed the wicked. + The people made a calf at Mount Sinai; they bowed before an image made of gold. + They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. + They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt-- + such wonderful things in the land of Ham, such awesome deeds at the Red Sea. + So he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the LORD and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them. + The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them. + Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the LORD. + Therefore, he solemnly swore that he would kill them in the wilderness, + that he would scatter their descendants among the nations, exiling them to distant lands. + Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor; they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead! + They angered the LORD with all these things, so a plague broke out among them. + But Phinehas had the courage to intervene, and the plague was stopped. + So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time. + At Meribah, too, they angered the LORD, causing Moses serious trouble. + They made Moses angry, and he spoke foolishly. + Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the LORD had commanded them. + Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs. + They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall. + They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons. + They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan, they polluted the land with murder. + They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD's sight. + That is why the LORD's anger burned against his people, and he abhorred his own special possession. + He handed them over to pagan nations, and they were ruled by those who hated them. + Their enemies crushed them and brought them under their cruel power. + Again and again he rescued them, but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin. + Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries. + He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his unfailing love. + He even caused their captors to treat them with kindness. + Save us, O LORD our God! Gather us back from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you. + Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. + Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. + For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. + Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. + Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. + "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. + He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. + Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. + For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. + Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. + They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High. + That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them. + "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. + He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains. + Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. + For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron. + Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins. + They couldn't stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death's door. + "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. + He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. + Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. + Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts. + Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. + They, too, observed the LORD's power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas. + He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. + Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror. + They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits' end. + "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. + He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. + What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! + Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. + Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. + He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land. + He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there. + But he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water. + He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities. + They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops. + How he blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase. + When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, + the LORD pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands. + But he rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep. + The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent. + Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD. A song. A psalm of David. + + + My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! + Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. + I will thank you, LORD, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. + For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. + Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. + Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. + God has promised this by his holiness: "I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth. + Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings. + But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia." + Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom? + Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies? + Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. + With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + O God, whom I praise, don't stand silent and aloof + while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me. + They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason. + I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them! + They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love. + They say, "Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial. + When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins. + Let his years be few; let someone else take his position. + May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow. + May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes. + May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned. + Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children. + May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation. + May the LORD never forget the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins never be erased from the record. + May the LORD always remember these sins, and may his name disappear from human memory. + For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death. + He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don't you bless him. + Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats. + Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt." + May those curses become the LORD's punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me. + But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good. + For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. + I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust. + My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones. + I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn. + Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. + Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD. + Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing! + May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak. + But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone. + For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them. A psalm of David. + + + The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." + The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem; you will rule over your enemies. + When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. + The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." + The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you. He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts. + He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; he will shatter heads over the whole earth. + But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. He will be victorious. + + + Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. + How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them. + Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. + He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our LORD! + He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. + He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations. + All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. + They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. + He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! + Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! + + + Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands. + Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. + They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. + Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. + Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. + Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. + They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. + They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. + They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. + The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted. + + + Praise the LORD! Yes, give praise, O servants of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD! + Blessed be the name of the LORD now and forever. + Everywhere-- from east to west-- praise the name of the LORD. + For the LORD is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens. + Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? + He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. + He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. + He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! + He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the LORD! + + + When the Israelites escaped from Egypt-- when the family of Jacob left that foreign land-- + the land of Judah became God's sanctuary, and Israel became his kingdom. + The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away. + The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs! + What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way? What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away? + Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, hills, like lambs? + Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. + He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. + + + Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. + Why let the nations say, "Where is their God?" + Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. + Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. + They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. + They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. + They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. + And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. + O Israel, trust the LORD! He is your helper and your shield. + O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the LORD! He is your helper and your shield. + All you who fear the LORD, trust the LORD! He is your helper and your shield. + The LORD remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the people of Israel and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron. + He will bless those who fear the LORD, both great and lowly. + May the LORD richly bless both you and your children. + May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth. + The heavens belong to the LORD, but he has given the earth to all humanity. + The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. + But we can praise the LORD both now and forever! Praise the LORD! + + + I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. + Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! + Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. + Then I called on the name of the LORD: "Please, LORD, save me!" + How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! + The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. + Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me. + He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. + And so I walk in the LORD's presence as I live here on earth! + I believed in you, so I said, "I am deeply troubled, LORD." + In my anxiety I cried out to you, "These people are all liars!" + What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me? + I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the LORD's name for saving me. + I will keep my promises to the LORD in the presence of all his people. + The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die. + O LORD, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains. + I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. + I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people-- + in the house of the LORD in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. + For he loves us with unfailing love; the LORD's faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. + Let all Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." + Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." + Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." + In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. + The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? + Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. + It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people. + It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. + Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. + Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. + They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. + My enemies did their best to kill me, but the LORD rescued me. + The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. + Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! + The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! + I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done. + The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. + Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD. + These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there. + I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory! + The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. + This is the LORD's doing, and it is wonderful to see. + This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. + Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. + Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. + The LORD is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar. + You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! + Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Aleph + + + Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. + Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. + They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. + You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. + Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! + Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. + As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! + I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me! Beth + How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. + I have tried hard to find you-- don't let me wander from your commands. + I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. + I praise you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. + I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. + I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. + I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. + I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. Gimel + Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. + Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. + I am only a foreigner in the land. Don't hide your commands from me! + I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations. + You rebuke the arrogant; those who wander from your commands are cursed. + Don't let them scorn and insult me, for I have obeyed your laws. + Even princes sit and speak against me, but I will meditate on your decrees. + Your laws please me; they give me wise advice. Daleth + I lie in the dust; revive me by your word. + I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your decrees. + Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. + I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word. + Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. + I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. + I cling to your laws. LORD, don't let me be put to shame! + I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding. He + Teach me your decrees, O LORD; I will keep them to the end. + Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. + Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. + Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! + Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. + Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you. + Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good. + I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness. Waw + LORD, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me. + Then I can answer those who taunt me, for I trust in your word. + Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope. + I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. + I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. + I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed. + How I delight in your commands! How I love them! + I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees. Zayin + Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. + Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. + The proud hold me in utter contempt, but I do not turn away from your instructions. + I meditate on your age-old regulations; O LORD, they comfort me. + I become furious with the wicked, because they reject your instructions. + Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. + I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD; therefore, I obey your instructions. + This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments. Heth + LORD, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! + With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised. + I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. + I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. + Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions. + I rise at midnight to thank you for your just regulations. + I am a friend to anyone who fears you-- anyone who obeys your commandments. + O LORD, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees. Teth + You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised. + I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. + I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. + You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees. + Arrogant people smear me with lies, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart. + Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your instructions. + My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. + Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver. Yodh + You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. + May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word. + I know, O LORD, that your regulations are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it. + Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant. + Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight. + Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me; meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments. + Let me be united with all who fear you, with those who know your laws. + May I be blameless in keeping your decrees; then I will never be ashamed. Kaph + I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word. + My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me? + I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees. + How long must I wait? When will you punish those who persecute me? + These arrogant people who hate your instructions have dug deep pits to trap me. + All your commands are trustworthy. Protect me from those who hunt me down without cause. + They almost finished me off, but I refused to abandon your commandments. + In your unfailing love, spare my life; then I can continue to obey your laws. Lamedh + Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven. + Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. + Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans. + If your instructions hadn't sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery. + I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life. + I am yours; rescue me! For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments. + Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind on your laws. + Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. Mem + Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. + Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. + Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws. + I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments. + I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. + I haven't turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well. + How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. + Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Nun + Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. + I've promised it once, and I'll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. + I have suffered much, O LORD; restore my life again as you promised. + LORD, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations. + My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions. + The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments. + Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart's delight. + I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end. Samekh + I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions. + You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. + Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God. + LORD, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. + Sustain me, and I will be rescued; then I will meditate continually on your decrees. + But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees. They are only fooling themselves. + You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum; no wonder I love to obey your laws! + I tremble in fear of you; I stand in awe of your regulations. Ayin + Don't leave me to the mercy of my enemies, for I have done what is just and right. + Please guarantee a blessing for me. Don't let the arrogant oppress me! + My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled. + I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your decrees. + Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. + LORD, it is time for you to act, for these evil people have violated your instructions. + Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold. + Each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way. Pe + Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them! + The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. + I pant with expectation, longing for your commands. + Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. + Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. + Ransom me from the oppression of evil people; then I can obey your commandments. + Look upon me with love; teach me your decrees. + Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions. Tsadhe + O LORD, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. + Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. + I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. + Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. + I am insignificant and despised, but I don't forget your commandments. + Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. + As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. + Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. Qoph + I pray with all my heart; answer me, LORD! I will obey your decrees. + I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws. + I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. + I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. + In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations. + Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions. + But you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true. + I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. Resh + Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions. + Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised. + The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees. + LORD, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. + Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws. + Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word. + See how I love your commandments, LORD. Give back my life because of your unfailing love. + The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. Shin + Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. + I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. + I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. + I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. + Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. + I long for your rescue, LORD, so I have obeyed your commands. + I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. + Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do. Taw + O LORD, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. + Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. + Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. + Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. + Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. + O LORD, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. + Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. + I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. + Rescue me, O LORD, from liars and from all deceitful people. + O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you? How will he increase your punishment? + You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals. + How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar. + I am tired of living among people who hate peace. + I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war! A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + I look up to the mountains-- does my help come from there? + My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! + He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. + Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. + The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. + The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. + The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. + The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. + + + I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." + And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem. + Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached. + All the tribes of Israel-- the LORD's people-- make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the LORD, as the law requires of Israel. + Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David. + Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. + O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. + For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, "May you have peace." + For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. + We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal. + Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. + We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. + + + What if the LORD had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: + What if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us? + They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. + The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. + Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. + Praise the LORD, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! + We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! + Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. + Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever. + The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. + O LORD, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. + But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O LORD. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace! A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! + We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, "What amazing things the LORD has done for them." + Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy! + Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert. + Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. + They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon. + + + Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. + It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. + Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. + Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. + How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + How joyful are those who fear the LORD-- all who follow his ways! + You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! + Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. + That is the LORD's blessing for those who fear him. + May the LORD continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. + May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace! A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this: + From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me. + My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows. + But the LORD is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly. + May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat. + May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown, + ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder. + And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing: "The LORD bless you; we bless you in the LORD's name." A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help. + Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. + LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? + But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. + I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. + I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. + O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. + He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. + + + LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. + Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother's milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. + O Israel, put your hope in the LORD-- now and always. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + LORD, remember David and all that he suffered. + He made a solemn promise to the LORD. He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel, + "I will not go home; I will not let myself rest. + I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber + until I find a place to build a house for the LORD, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel." + We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar. + Let us go to the sanctuary of the LORD; let us worship at the footstool of his throne. + Arise, O LORD, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. + May your priests be clothed in godliness; may your loyal servants sing for joy. + For the sake of your servant David, do not reject the king you have anointed. + The LORD swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: "I will place one of your descendants on your throne. + If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever." + For the LORD has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home. + "This is my resting place forever," he said. "I will live here, for this is the home I desired. + I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food. + I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy. + Here I will increase the power of David; my anointed one will be a light for my people. + I will clothe his enemies with shame, but he will be a glorious king." A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. + + + How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! + For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. + Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting. A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. + + + Oh, praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, you who serve at night in the house of the LORD. + Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the LORD. + May the LORD, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Jerusalem. + + + Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD! Praise him, you who serve the LORD, + you who serve in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. + Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; celebrate his lovely name with music. + For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure. + I know the greatness of the LORD-- that our Lord is greater than any other god. + The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. + He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. + He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals. + He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people. + He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings-- + Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan. + He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel. + Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your fame, O LORD, is known to every generation. + For the LORD will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants. + The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. + They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. + They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. + And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. + O Israel, praise the LORD! O priests-- descendants of Aaron-- praise the LORD! + O Levites, praise the LORD! All you who fear the LORD, praise the LORD! + The LORD be praised from Zion, for he lives here in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights-- His faithful love endures forever. + the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever. + and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. + He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. + He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever. + He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever. + but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever. + He killed powerful kings-- His faithful love endures forever. + Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever. + and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever. + God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance-- His faithful love endures forever. + a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever. + He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. + He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever. + He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. + Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever. + + + Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. + We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees. + For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: "Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!" + But how can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a pagan land? + If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp. + May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don't make Jerusalem my greatest joy. + O LORD, remember what the Edomites did on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. "Destroy it!" they yelled. "Level it to the ground!" + O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. + Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks! A psalm of David. + + + I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. + I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. + As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. + Every king in all the earth will thank you, LORD, for all of them will hear your words. + Yes, they will sing about the LORD's ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great. + Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. + Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. + The LORD will work out his plans for my life-- for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. + You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. + You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. + You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. + You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. + Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! + I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! + If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. + If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, + even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. + I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night-- + but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. + You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. + Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-- how well I know it. + You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. + You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. + How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! + I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! + O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! + They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. + O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? + Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. + Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. + Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. For the choir director: A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, + those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long. + Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude + O LORD, keep me out of the hands of the wicked. Protect me from those who are violent, for they are plotting against me. + The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have stretched out a net; they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude + I said to the LORD, "You are my God!" Listen, O LORD, to my cries for mercy! + O Sovereign LORD, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle. + LORD, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud. Interlude + Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me. + Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can't escape. + Don't let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent. + But I know the LORD will help those they persecute; he will give justice to the poor. + Surely righteous people are praising your name; the godly will live in your presence. A psalm of David. + + + O LORD, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help! + Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering. + Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips. + Don't let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong. + Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don't let me refuse it. But I pray constantly against the wicked and their deeds. + When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff, the wicked will listen to my words and find them true. + Like rocks brought up by a plow, the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial. + I look to you for help, O Sovereign LORD. You are my refuge; don't let them kill me. + Keep me from the traps they have set for me, from the snares of those who do wrong. + Let the wicked fall into their own nets, but let me escape. A psalm of David, regarding his experience in the cave. A prayer. + + + I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD's mercy. + I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. + When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. + I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. + Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say, "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. + Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. + Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me." A psalm of David. + + + Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. + Don't put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you. + My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. + I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. + I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. + I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude + Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die. + Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. + Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to you to hide me. + Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. + For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress. + In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. A psalm of David. + + + Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. + He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me. + O LORD, who are we that you should notice us, mere mortals that you should care for us? + For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow. + Open the heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains so they billow smoke. + Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies! Shoot your arrows and confuse them! + Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies. + Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead. + I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp. + For you grant victory to kings! You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword. + Save me! Rescue me from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead. + May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace. + May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands, + and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares. + Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD. A psalm of praise of David. + + + I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. + I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. + Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. + Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. + I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. + Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. + Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. + The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. + The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. + All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will praise you. + They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. + They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. + For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. + The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. + The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. + When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. + The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. + The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. + He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. + The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. + I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever. + + + Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. + I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. + Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. + When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. + But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. + He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. + He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners. + The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly. + The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. + The LORD will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! + The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. + He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. + He counts the stars and calls them all by name. + How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! + The LORD supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust. + Sing out your thanks to the LORD; sing praises to our God with a harp. + He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures. + He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry. + He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. + No, the LORD's delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. + Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! + For he has strengthened the bars of your gates and blessed your children within your walls. + He sends peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat. + He sends his orders to the world-- how swiftly his word flies! + He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. + He hurls the hail like stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold? + Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. + He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel. + He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know his regulations. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! + Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! + Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! + Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! + Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. + He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked. + Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, + fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, + mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, + wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, + kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, + young men and young women, old men and children. + Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! + He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones-- the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. + O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. + Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. + For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. + Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. + Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands-- + to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, + to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, + to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! + Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! + Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! + Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! + Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. + Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! + + + + + These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. + Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. + Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. + These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. + Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance + by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. + Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. + My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction. + What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. + My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! + They may say, "Come and join us. Let's hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let's ambush the innocent! + Let's swallow them alive, like the grave; let's swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death. + Think of the great things we'll get! We'll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. + Come, throw in your lot with us; we'll all share the loot." + My child, don't go along with them! Stay far away from their paths. + They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. + If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. + But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. + Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life. + Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. + She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: + "How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? + Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share my heart with you and make you wise. + "I called you so often, but you wouldn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. + You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. + So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you-- + when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. + "When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. + For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. + They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. + Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. + For simpletons turn away from me-- to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. + But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm." + + + My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. + Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. + Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. + Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. + Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. + For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. + He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. + He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. + Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. + For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. + Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. + Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted. + These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths. + They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil. + Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong. + Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman. + She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. + Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave. + The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life. + Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous. + For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. + But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted. + + + My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. + If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. + Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. + Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. + Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. + Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. + Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. + Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. + Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. + Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. + My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. + For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. + Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. + For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. + Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. + She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. + She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. + Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. + By wisdom the LORD founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. + By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles beneath the night sky. + My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, + for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. + They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. + You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. + You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, + for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. + Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. + If you can help your neighbor now, don't say, "Come back tomorrow, and then I'll help you." + Don't plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you. + Don't pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm. + Don't envy violent people or copy their ways. + Such wicked people are detestable to the LORD, but he offers his friendship to the godly. + The LORD curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright. + The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. + The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame! + + + My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, + for I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away from my instructions. + For I, too, was once my father's son, tenderly loved as my mother's only child. + My father taught me, "Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. + Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don't forget my words or turn away from them. + Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. + Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. + If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. + She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown." + My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. + I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. + When you walk, you won't be held back; when you run, you won't stumble. + Take hold of my instructions; don't let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. + Don't do as the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers. + Don't even think about it; don't go that way. Turn away and keep moving. + For evil people can't sleep until they've done their evil deed for the day. They can't rest until they've caused someone to stumble. + They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence! + The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. + But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. + My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. + Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, + for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. + Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. + Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. + Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. + Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. + Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. + + + My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel. + Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you've learned. + For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. + But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword. + Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. + For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't realize it. + So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say: + Stay away from her! Don't go near the door of her house! + If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved. + Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. + In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body. + You will say, "How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! + Oh, why didn't I listen to my teachers? Why didn't I pay attention to my instructors? + I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace." + Drink water from your own well-- share your love only with your wife. + Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? + You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. + Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. + She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. + Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman? + For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. + An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. + He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness. + + + My child, if you have put up security for a friend's debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger-- + if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said-- + follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend's mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. + Don't put it off; do it now! Don't rest until you do. + Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. + Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! + Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, + they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. + But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? + A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- + then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. + What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, + signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. + Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. + But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. + There are six things the LORD hates-- no, seven things he detests: + haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, + a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, + a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. + My son, obey your father's commands, and don't neglect your mother's instruction. + Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. + When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. + For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. + It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. + Don't lust for her beauty. Don't let her coy glances seduce you. + For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man's wife will cost you your life. + Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? + Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? + So it is with the man who sleeps with another man's wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished. + Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. + But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house. + But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. + He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased. + For the woman's jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. + He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size. + + + Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. + Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. + Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. + Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. + Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman. + While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, + I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. + He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. + It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell. + The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. + She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. + She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. + She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, + "I've just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. + You're the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! + My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. + I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. + Come, let's drink our fill of love until morning. Let's enjoy each other's caresses, + for my husband is not home. He's away on a long trip. + He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won't return until later this month. " + So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. + He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, + awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life. + So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. + Don't let your hearts stray away toward her. Don't wander down her wayward path. + For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. + Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death. + + + Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! + On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. + By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, + "I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. + You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. + Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, + for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. + My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. + My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. + Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. + For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. + "I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. + All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. + Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine. + Because of me, kings reign, and rulers make just decrees. + Rulers lead with my help, and nobles make righteous judgments. + "I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. + I have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice. + My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! + I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. + Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasuries. + "The LORD formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else. + I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. + I was born before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters. + Before the mountains were formed, before the hills, I was born-- + before he had made the earth and fields and the first handfuls of soil. + I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans. + I was there when he set the clouds above, when he established springs deep in the earth. + I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when he marked off the earth's foundations, + I was the architect at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence. + And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family! + "And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful. + Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don't ignore it. + Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! + For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. + But those who miss me injure themselves. All who hate me love death." + + + Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns. + She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table. + She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city. + "Come in with me," she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, + "Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. + Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment." + Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. + So don't bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. + Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. + Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. + Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. + If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer. + The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn't know it. + She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city. + She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business. + "Come in with me," she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, + "Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!" + But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave. + + + The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. + Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. + The LORD will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked. + Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. + A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace. + The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. + We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away. + The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. + People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall. + People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace. + The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. + Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. + Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding, but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod. + Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. + The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction. + The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin. + People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. + Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. + Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. + The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. + The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. + The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. + Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. + The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted. + When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. + Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes. + Fear of the LORD lengthens one's life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. + The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. + The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. + The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land. + The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off. + The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. + + + The LORD detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. + Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. + Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. + Riches won't help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. + The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. + The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them. + When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength. + The godly are rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. + With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. + The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die. + Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. + It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet. + A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. + Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. + There's danger in putting up security for a stranger's debt; it's safer not to guarantee another person's debt. + A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. + Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. + Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. + Godly people find life; evil people find death. + The LORD detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity. + Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free. + A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout. + The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment. + Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. + The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. + People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need. + If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you! + Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring. + Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise. + The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. + If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners? + + + To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. + The LORD approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness. + Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots. + A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones. + The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous. + The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. + The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm. + A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised. + Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food. + The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel. + A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. + Thieves are jealous of each other's loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit. + The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble. + Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. + Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. + A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. + An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies. + Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. + Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed. + Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace! + No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. + The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. + The wise don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness. + Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. + Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. + The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray. + Lazy people don't even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find. + The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death. + + + A wise child accepts a parent's discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction. + Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. + Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. + Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. + The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace. + Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin. + Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. + The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won't even get threatened. + The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. + Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise. + Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. + Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. + People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. + The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death. + A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction. + Wise people think before they act; fools don't-- and even brag about their foolishness. + An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing. + If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored. + It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them. + Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. + Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous. + Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner's wealth passes to the godly. + A poor person's farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away. + Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them. + The godly eat to their hearts' content, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry. + + + A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. + Those who follow the right path fear the LORD; those who take the wrong path despise him. + A fool's proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keep them safe. + Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest. + An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. + A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding. + Stay away from fools, for you won't find knowledge on their lips. + The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves. + Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation. + Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy. + The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the godly will flourish. + There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. + Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. + Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive their reward. + Only simpletons believe everything they're told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. + The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. + Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated. + Simpletons are clothed with foolishness, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. + Evil people will bow before good people; the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly. + The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many "friends." + It is a sin to belittle one's neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor. + If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness. + Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! + Wealth is a crown for the wise; the effort of fools yields only foolishness. + A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor. + Those who fear the LORD are secure; he will be a refuge for their children. + Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. + A growing population is a king's glory; a prince without subjects has nothing. + People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. + A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. + Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him. + The wicked are crushed by disaster, but the godly have a refuge when they die. + Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart; wisdom is not found among fools. + Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. + A king rejoices in wise servants but is angry with those who disgrace him. + + + A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. + The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. + The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. + Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. + Only a fool despises a parent's discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. + There is treasure in the house of the godly, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble. + The lips of the wise give good advice; the heart of a fool has none to give. + The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright. + The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue godliness. + Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined; whoever hates correction will die. + Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the LORD. How much more does he know the human heart! + Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise. + A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. + A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. + For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. + Better to have little, with fear for the LORD, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. + A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. + A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them. + A lazy person's way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway. + Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their mother. + Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path. + Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. + Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! + The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind. + The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he protects the property of widows. + The LORD detests evil plans, but he delights in pure words. + Greed brings grief to the whole family, but those who hate bribes will live. + The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. + The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous. + A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. + If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. + If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. + Fear of the LORD teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. + + + We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. + People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. + Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. + The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster. + The LORD detests the proud; they will surely be punished. + Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the LORD, people avoid evil. + When people's lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them. + Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. + We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. + The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly. + The LORD demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness. + A king detests wrongdoing, for his rule is built on justice. + The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly. + The anger of the king is a deadly threat; the wise will try to appease it. + When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain. + How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! + The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe. + Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. + Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. + Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful. + The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive. + Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools. + From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive. + Kind words are like honey-- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. + There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. + It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on. + Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze. + A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. + Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path. + With narrowed eyes, people plot evil; with a smirk, they plan their mischief. + Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life. + Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. + We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall. + + + Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting-- and conflict. + A wise servant will rule over the master's disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master's children. + Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. + Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. + Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. + Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. + Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. + A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper! + Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. + A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. + Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished. + It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness. + If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house. + Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out. + Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent-- both are detestable to the LORD. + It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning. + A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. + It's poor judgment to guarantee another person's debt or put up security for a friend. + Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster. + The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble. + It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel. + A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. + The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice. + Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. + Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth. + It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest. + A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. + Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. + + + Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. + Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. + Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt. + Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. + It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent. + Fools' words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. + The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips. + Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one's heart. + A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things. + The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. + The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. + Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. + Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. + The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? + Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. + Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! + The first to speak in court sounds right-- until the cross-examination begins. + Casting lots can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful opponents. + An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars. + Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. + The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. + The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD. + The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults. + There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. + + + Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool. + Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. + People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD. + Wealth makes many "friends"; poverty drives them all away. + A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape. + Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! + The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone. + To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. + A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. + It isn't right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes! + Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. + The king's anger is like a lion's roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass. + A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping. + Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife. + Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. + Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. + If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD-- and he will repay you! + Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. + Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. + Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. + You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail. + Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. + Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. + Lazy people take food in their hand but don't even lift it to their mouth. + If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. + Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace. + If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge. + A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. + Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten. + + + Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise. + The king's fury is like a lion's roar; to rouse his anger is to risk your life. + Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. + Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest. + Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out. + Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? + The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them. + When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good. + Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin"? + False weights and unequal measures-- the LORD detests double standards of every kind. + Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right. + Ears to hear and eyes to see-- both are gifts from the LORD. + If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat! + The buyer haggles over the price, saying, "It's worthless," then brags about getting a bargain! + Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies. + Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger's debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners. + Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth. + Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without wise advice. + A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don't hang around with chatterers. + If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness. + An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end. + Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the LORD to handle the matter. + The LORD detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales. + The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? + Don't trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. + A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat, then runs his threshing wheel over them. + The LORD's light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive. + Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love. + The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old. + Physical punishment cleanses away evil; such discipline purifies the heart. + + + The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases. + People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their heart. + The LORD is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. + Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin. + Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. + Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap. + The violence of the wicked sweeps them away, because they refuse to do what is just. + The guilty walk a crooked path; the innocent travel a straight road. + It's better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. + Evil people desire evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them. + If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded become wise; if you instruct the wise, they will be all the wiser. + The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; he will bring disaster on them. + Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. + A secret gift calms anger; a bribe under the table pacifies fury. + Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers. + The person who strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead. + Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich. + The wicked are punished in place of the godly, and traitors in place of the honest. + It's better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. + The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get. + Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. + The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust. + Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. + Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance. + Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work. + Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! + The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives. + A false witness will be cut off, but a credible witness will be allowed to speak. + The wicked bluff their way through, but the virtuous think before they act. + No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the LORD. + The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. + + + Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. + The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both. + A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. + True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life. + Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. + Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. + Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. + Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end. + Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. + Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear. + Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend. + The LORD preserves those with knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the treacherous. + The lazy person claims, "There's a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!" + The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap; those who make the LORD angry will fall into it. + A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away. + A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty. + Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. + For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips. + I am teaching you today-- yes, you-- so you will trust in the LORD. + I have written thirty sayings for you, filled with advice and knowledge. + In this way, you may know the truth and take an accurate report to those who sent you. + Don't rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court. + For the LORD is their defender. He will ruin anyone who ruins them. + Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, + or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul. + Don't agree to guarantee another person's debt or put up security for someone else. + If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you. + Don't cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by previous generations. + Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people. + + + While dining with a ruler, pay attention to what is put before you. + If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat; + don't desire all the delicacies, for he might be trying to trick you. + Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. + In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. + Don't eat with people who are stingy; don't desire their delicacies. + They are always thinking about how much it costs. "Eat and drink," they say, but they don't mean it. + You will throw up what little you've eaten, and your compliments will be wasted. + Don't waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice. + Don't cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers; don't take the land of defenseless orphans. + For their Redeemer is strong; he himself will bring their charges against you. + Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge. + Don't fail to discipline your children. They won't die if you spank them. + Physical discipline may well save them from death. + My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice! + Everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right. + Don't envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD. + You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed. + My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. + Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, + for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags. + Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don't despise your mother when she is old. + Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. + The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. + So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy. + O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways. + A prostitute is a dangerous trap; a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well. + She hides and waits like a robber, eager to make more men unfaithful. + Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? + It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. + Don't gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. + For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. + You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. + You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. + And you will say, "They hit me, but I didn't feel it. I didn't even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?" + + + Don't envy evil people or desire their company. + For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble. + A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. + Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. + The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. + So don't go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers. + Wisdom is too lofty for fools. Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say. + A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker. + The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker. + If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small. + Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. + Don't excuse yourself by saying, "Look, we didn't know." For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve. + My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. + In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short. + Don't wait in ambush at the home of the godly, and don't raid the house where the godly live. + The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. + Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble. + For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them. + Don't fret because of evildoers; don't envy the wicked. + For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. + My child, fear the LORD and the king. Don't associate with rebels, + for disaster will hit them suddenly. Who knows what punishment will come from the LORD and the king? + Here are some further sayings of the wise: It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment. + A judge who says to the wicked, "You are innocent," will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations. + But it will go well for those who convict the guilty; rich blessings will be showered on them. + An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship. + Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house. + Don't testify against your neighbors without cause; don't lie about them. + And don't say, "Now I can pay them back for what they've done to me! I'll get even with them!" + I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. + I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. + Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: + A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- + then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. + + + These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah. + It is God's privilege to conceal things and the king's privilege to discover them. + No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king's mind! + Remove the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith. + Remove the wicked from the king's court, and his reign will be made secure by justice. + Don't demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. + It's better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Just because you've seen something, + don't be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat? + When arguing with your neighbor, don't betray another person's secret. + Others may accuse you of gossip, and you will never regain your good reputation. + Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket. + To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. + Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer. + A person who promises a gift but doesn't give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain. + Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones. + Do you like honey? Don't eat too much, or it will make you sick! + Don't visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome. + Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. + Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot. + Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone's coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound. + If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. + You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the LORD will reward you. + As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger! + It's better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. + Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty. + If the godly give in to the wicked, it's like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. + It's not good to eat too much honey, and it's not good to seek honors for yourself. + A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. + + + Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest. + Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. + Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! + Don't answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are. + Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation. + Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one's feet or drinking poison! + A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg. + Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. + A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk. + An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots at random. + As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. + There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise. + The lazy person claims, "There's a lion on the road! Yes, I'm sure there's a lion out there!" + As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. + Lazy people take food in their hand but don't even lift it to their mouth. + Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. + Interfering in someone else's argument is as foolish as yanking a dog's ears. + Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon + is someone who lies to a friend and then says, "I was only joking." + Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. + A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. + Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one's heart. + Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. + People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they're deceiving you. + They pretend to be kind, but don't believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils. + While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public. + If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. + A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin. + + + Don't brag about tomorrow, since you don't know what the day will bring. + Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth-- a stranger, not your own lips. + A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier. + Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous. + An open rebuke is better than hidden love! + Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. + A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry. + A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. + The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. + Never abandon a friend-- either yours or your father's. When disaster strikes, you won't have to ask your brother for assistance. It's better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. + Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad. Then I will be able to answer my critics. + A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. + Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger's debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners. + A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse! + A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. + Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands. + As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. + As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer's interests will be rewarded. + As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. + Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. + Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. + You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. + Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, + for riches don't last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation. + After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, + your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. + And you will have enough goats' milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls. + + + The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions. + When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. + A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops. + To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them. + Evil people don't understand justice, but those who follow the LORD understand completely. + Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich. + Young people who obey the law are wise; those with wild friends bring shame to their parents. + Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor. + God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law. + Those who lead good people along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the honest will inherit good things. + Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them. + When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. + People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. + Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. + A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a roaring lion or an attacking bear. + A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people, but one who hates corruption will have a long life. + A murderer's tormented conscience will drive him into the grave. Don't protect him! + The blameless will be rescued from harm, but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed. + A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty. + The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble. + Showing partiality is never good, yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread. + Greedy people try to get rich quick but don't realize they're headed for poverty. + In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery. + Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, "What's wrong with that?" is no better than a murderer. + Greed causes fighting; trusting the LORD leads to prosperity. + Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. + Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. + When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish. + + + Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. + When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan. + The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted. + A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it. + To flatter friends is to lay a trap for their feet. + Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy. + The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don't care at all. + Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger. + If a wise person takes a fool to court, there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction. + The bloodthirsty hate blameless people, but the upright seek to help them. + Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. + If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked. + The poor and the oppressor have this in common-- the LORD gives sight to the eyes of both. + If a king judges the poor fairly, his throne will last forever. + To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. + When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes, but the godly will live to see their downfall. + Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad. + When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. + Words alone will not discipline a servant; the words may be understood, but they are not heeded. + There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking. + A servant pampered from childhood will become a rebel. + An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin. + Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. + If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself. You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify. + Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety. + Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice comes from the LORD. + The righteous despise the unjust; the wicked despise the godly. + + + The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. + I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. + I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. + Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name-- and his son's name? Tell me if you know! + Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. + Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. + O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. + First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. + For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name. + Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. + Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. + They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. + They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances. + They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. + The leech has two suckers that cry out, "More, more!" There are three things that are never satisfied-- no, four that never say, "Enough!": + the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. + The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother's instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures. + There are three things that amaze me-- no, four things that I don't understand: + how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman. + An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, "What's wrong with that?" + There are three things that make the earth tremble-- no, four it cannot endure: + a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, + a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. + There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: + Ants-- they aren't strong, but they store up food all summer. + Hyraxes-- they aren't powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. + Locusts-- they have no king, but they march in formation. + Lizards-- they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings' palaces. + There are three things that walk with stately stride-- no, four that strut about: + the lion, king of animals, who won't turn aside for anything, + the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. + If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. + As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. + + + The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him. + O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, + do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings. + It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol. + For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed. + Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress. + Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more. + Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. + Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. + Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. + Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. + She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. + She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. + She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar. + She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls. + She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. + She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. + She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. + Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. + She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. + She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. + She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. + Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. + She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. + She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. + When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. + She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. + Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: + "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" + Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. + Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. + + + + + These are the words of the Teacher, King David's son, who ruled in Jerusalem. + "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!" + What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? + Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. + The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. + The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. + Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. + Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. + History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. + Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. + We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now. + I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. + I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. + I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless-- like chasing the wind. + What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered. + I said to myself, "Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them." + So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind. + The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. + + + I said to myself, "Come on, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the 'good things' in life." But I found that this, too, was meaningless. + So I said, "Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?" + After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. + I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. + I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. + I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. + I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. + I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! + So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. + Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. + But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless-- like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. + So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?). + I thought, "Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. + For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark." Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. + Both will die. So I said to myself, "Since I will end up the same as the fool, what's the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!" + For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten. + So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless-- like chasing the wind. + I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. + And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! + So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world. + Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn't worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. + So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? + Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. + So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. + For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? + God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless-- like chasing the wind. + + + For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. + A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. + A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. + A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. + A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. + A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. + A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. + A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. + What do people really get for all their hard work? + I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. + Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. + So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. + And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. + And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him. + What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again. + I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! + I said to myself, "In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds." + I also thought about the human condition-- how God proves to people that they are like animals. + For people and animals share the same fate-- both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! + Both go to the same place-- they came from dust and they return to dust. + For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? + So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die. + + + Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. + So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. + But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun. + Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless-- like chasing the wind. + "Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin." + And yet, "Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind." + I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. + This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, "Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?" It is all so meaningless and depressing. + Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. + If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. + Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? + A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. + It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. + Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. + But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth who replaces him. + Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless-- like chasing the wind. + + + As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. + Don't make rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. + Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. + When you make a promise to God, don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. + It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. + Don't let your mouth make you sin. And don't defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. + Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead. + Don't be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. + Even the king milks the land for his own profit! + Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! + The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth-- except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! + People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night's sleep. + There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. + Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children. + We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can't take our riches with us. + And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing-- like working for the wind. + Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud-- frustrated, discouraged, and angry. + Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. + And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life-- this is indeed a gift from God. + God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. + + + There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. + God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless-- a sickening tragedy. + A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn't even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. + His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn't even have had a name, + and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. + He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else-- well, what's the use? + All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. + So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others? + Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless-- like chasing the wind. + Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny. + The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? + In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone? + + + A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. + Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies-- so the living should take this to heart. + Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. + A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time. + Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. + A fool's laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless. + Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. + Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. + Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. + Don't long for "the good old days." This is not wise. + Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. + Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life. + Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? + Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. + I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. + So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? + On the other hand, don't be too wicked either. Don't be a fool! Why die before your time? + Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes. + One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! + Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. + Don't eavesdrop on others-- you may hear your servant curse you. + For you know how often you yourself have cursed others. + I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't work. + Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. + I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness. + I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare. + "This is my conclusion," says the Teacher. "I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. + Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! + But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path." + + + How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its harshness. + Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. + Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. + His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. + Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, + for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. + Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? + None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. + I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. + I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. + When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. + But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. + The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows. + And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless! + So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. + In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people's burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. + I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. + + + This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God's hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. + The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don't. + It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. + There is hope only for the living. As they say, "It's better to be a live dog than a dead lion!" + The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. + Whatever they did in their lifetime-- loving, hating, envying-- is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. + So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! + Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne! + Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. + Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. + I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. + People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy. + Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. + There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. + A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. + So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. + Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. + Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good. + + + As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. + A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. + You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! + If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. + There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake + when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. + I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes-- and princes walking like servants! + When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. + When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax. + Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. + If a snake bites before you charm it, what's the use of being a snake charmer? + Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. + Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; + they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. + Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can't even find their way home. + What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. + Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. + Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. + A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything! + Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don't make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said. + + + Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. + But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead. + When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls. + Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. + Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. + Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another-- or maybe both. + Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. + When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless. + Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. + So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless. + + + Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore." + Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. + Remember him before your legs-- the guards of your house-- start to tremble; and before your shoulders-- the strong men-- stoop. Remember him before your teeth-- your few remaining servants-- stop grinding; and before your eyes-- the women looking through the windows-- see dimly. + Remember him before the door to life's opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. + Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. + Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. + For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. + "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless." + Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. + The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. + The words of the wise are like cattle prods-- painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. + But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. + That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. + God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. + + + + + This is Solomon's song of songs, more wonderful than any other. Young Woman + Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine. + How fragrant your cologne; your name is like its spreading fragrance. No wonder all the young women love you! + Take me with you; come, let's run! The king has brought me into his bedroom. Young Women of Jerusalem How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine. Young Woman How right they are to adore you. + I am dark but beautiful, O women of Jerusalem-- dark as the tents of Kedar, dark as the curtains of Solomon's tents. + Don't stare at me because I am dark-- the sun has darkened my skin. My brothers were angry with me; they forced me to care for their vineyards, so I couldn't care for myself-- my own vineyard. + Tell me, my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among your friends and their flocks? Young Man + If you don't know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock, and graze your young goats by the shepherds' tents. + You are as exciting, my darling, as a mare among Pharaoh's stallions. + How lovely are your cheeks; your earrings set them afire! How lovely is your neck, enhanced by a string of jewels. + We will make for you earrings of gold and beads of silver. Young Woman + The king is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. + My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts. + He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms from the vineyards of En-gedi. Young Man + How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are like doves. Young Woman + You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words! The soft grass is our bed; + fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house, and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters. Young Woman + + + I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley. Young Man + Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women. Young Woman + Like the finest apple tree in the orchard is my lover among other young men. I sit in his delightful shade and taste his delicious fruit. + He escorts me to the banquet hall; it's obvious how much he loves me. + Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am weak with love. + His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. + Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right. + Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. + My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room. + My lover said to me, "Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! + Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. + The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. + The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!" Young Man + My dove is hiding behind the rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely. Young Women of Jerusalem + Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming! Young Woman + My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies. + Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, return to me, my love, like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains. Young Woman + + + One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover. I yearned for him, but he did not come. + So I said to myself, "I will get up and roam the city, searching in all its streets and squares. I will search for the one I love." So I searched everywhere but did not find him. + The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I asked, "Have you seen the one I love?" + Then scarcely had I left them when I found my love! I caught and held him tightly, then I brought him to my mother's house, into my mother's bed, where I had been conceived. + Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right. Young Women of Jerusalem + Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke? Who is it, fragrant with myrrh and frankincense and every kind of spice? + Look, it is Solomon's carriage, surrounded by sixty heroic men, the best of Israel's soldiers. + They are all skilled swordsmen, experienced warriors. Each wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack in the night. + King Solomon's carriage is built of wood imported from Lebanon. + Its posts are silver, its canopy gold; its cushions are purple. It was decorated with love by the young women of Jerusalem. Young Woman + Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most joyous day. Young Man + + + You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead. + Your teeth are as white as sheep, recently shorn and freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin. + Your lips are like scarlet ribbon; your mouth is inviting. Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil. + Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. + Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies. + Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, I will hurry to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. + You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way. + Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Come down from Mount Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, where the lions have their dens and leopards live among the hills. + You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace. + Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices. + Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your clothes are scented like the cedars of Lebanon. + You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain. + Your thighs shelter a paradise of pomegranates with rare spices-- henna with nard, + nard and saffron, fragrant calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, and every other lovely spice. + You are a garden fountain, a well of fresh water streaming down from Lebanon's mountains. Young Woman + Awake, north wind! Rise up, south wind! Blow on my garden and spread its fragrance all around. Come into your garden, my love; taste its finest fruits. Young Man + + + I have entered my garden, my treasure, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spices and eat honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Young Women of Jerusalem Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of your love! Young Woman + I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: "Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." + But I responded, "I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?" + My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. + I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. + I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. + The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls. + Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem-- If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love. Young Women of Jerusalem + Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this? Young Woman + My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others! + His head is finest gold, his wavy hair is black as a raven. + His eyes sparkle like doves beside springs of water; they are set like jewels washed in milk. + His cheeks are like gardens of spices giving off fragrance. His lips are like lilies, perfumed with myrrh. + His arms are like rounded bars of gold, set with beryl. His body is like bright ivory, glowing with lapis lazuli. + His legs are like marble pillars set in sockets of finest gold. His posture is stately, like the noble cedars of Lebanon. + His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend. Young Women of Jerusalem + + + Where has your lover gone, O woman of rare beauty? Which way did he turn so we can help you find him? Young Woman + My lover has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to browse in the gardens and gather the lilies. + I am my lover's, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies. Young Man + You are beautiful, my darling, like the lovely city of Tirzah. Yes, as beautiful as Jerusalem, as majestic as an army with billowing banners. + Turn your eyes away, for they overpower me. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead. + Your teeth are as white as sheep that are freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin. + Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil. + Even among sixty queens and eighty concubines and countless young women, + I would still choose my dove, my perfect one-- the favorite of her mother, dearly loved by the one who bore her. The young women see her and praise her; even queens and royal concubines sing her praises: + "Who is this, arising like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as an army with billowing banners?" + I went down to the grove of walnut trees and out to the valley to see the new spring growth, to see whether the grapevines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom. + Before I realized it, I found myself in the royal chariot with my beloved. Young Women of Jerusalem + Return, return to us, O maid of Shulam. Come back, come back, that we may see you again. Young Man Why do you stare at this young woman of Shulam, as she moves so gracefully between two lines of dancers? + + + How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O queenly maiden. Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a skilled craftsman. + Your navel is perfectly formed like a goblet filled with mixed wine. Between your thighs lies a mound of wheat bordered with lilies. + Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle. + Your neck is as beautiful as an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus. + Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel, and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. The king is held captive by its tresses. + Oh, how beautiful you are! How pleasing, my love, how full of delights! + You are slender like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters of fruit. + I said, "I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit." May your breasts be like grape clusters, and the fragrance of your breath like apples. + May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine, flowing gently over lips and teeth. Young Woman + I am my lover's, and he claims me as his own. + Come, my love, let us go out to the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers. + Let us get up early and go to the vineyards to see if the grapevines have budded, if the blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love. + There the mandrakes give off their fragrance, and the finest fruits are at our door, new delights as well as old, which I have saved for you, my lover. Young Woman + + + Oh, I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother's breasts. Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would criticize me. + I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, my sweet pomegranate wine. + Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me. + Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right. Young Women of Jerusalem + Who is this sweeping in from the desert, leaning on her lover? Young Woman I aroused you under the apple tree, where your mother gave you birth, where in great pain she delivered you. + Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. + Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned. The Young Woman's Brothers + We have a little sister too young to have breasts. What will we do for our sister if someone asks to marry her? + If she is a virgin, like a wall, we will protect her with a silver tower. But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door, we will block her door with a cedar bar. Young Woman + I was a virgin, like a wall; now my breasts are like towers. When my lover looks at me, he is delighted with what he sees. + Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon, which he leases out to tenant farmers. Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver for harvesting its fruit. + But my vineyard is mine to give, and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver. But I will give two hundred pieces to those who care for its vines. Young Man + O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too! Young Woman + Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. + + + + + These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. + Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: "The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. + Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master's care-- but Israel doesn't know its master. My people don't recognize my care for them." + Oh, what a sinful nation they are-- loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. + Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. + You are battered from head to foot-- covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds-- without any soothing ointments or bandages. + Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. + Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman's shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege. + If the LORD of Heaven's Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah. + Listen to the LORD, you leaders of "Sodom." Listen to the law of our God, people of "Gomorrah." + "What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?" says the LORD. "I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. + When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? + Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting-- they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. + I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! + When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. + Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. + Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. + "Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. + If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. + But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. + Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. + Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows. + Therefore, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, "I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes! + I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. + Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City." + Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness. + But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the LORD will be consumed. + You will be ashamed of your idol worship in groves of sacred oaks. You will blush because you worshiped in gardens dedicated to idols. + You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water. + The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire. + + + This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: + In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all-- the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. + People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. + The LORD will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. + Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD! + For the LORD has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans. + Israel is full of silver and gold; there is no end to its treasures. Their land is full of warhorses; there is no end to its chariots. + Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their own hands. + So now they will be humbled, and all will be brought low-- do not forgive them. + Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty. + Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment. + For the LORD of Heaven's Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted. + He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan. + He will level all the high mountains and all the lofty hills. + He will break down every high tower and every fortified wall. + He will destroy all the great trading ships and every magnificent vessel. + Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment. + Idols will completely disappear. + When the LORD rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty. + On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, + while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth. + Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they? + + + The Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, + all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, + army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled craftsmen, and astrologers. + I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers. + People will oppress each other-- man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable. + In those days a man will say to his brother, "Since you have a coat, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!" + But he will reply, "No! I can't help. I don't have any extra food or clothes. Don't put me in charge!" + For Jerusalem will stumble, and Judah will fall, because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him. They provoke him to his face. + The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don't even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves. + Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! + But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve. + Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road. + The LORD takes his place in court and presents his case against his people! + The LORD comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: "You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor. + How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?" demands the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + The LORD says, "Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets. + So the Lord will send scabs on her head; the LORD will make beautiful Zion bald." + On that day of judgment the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces, + earrings, bracelets, and veils; + scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes, perfumes, and charms; + rings, jewels, + party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; + mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls. + Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink. She will wear a rope for a sash, and her elegant hair will fall out. She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes. Shame will replace her beauty. + The men of the city will be killed with the sword, and her warriors will die in battle. + The gates of Zion will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground. + + + In that day so few men will be left that seven women will fight for each man, saying, "Let us all marry you! We will provide our own food and clothing. Only let us take your name so we won't be mocked as old maids." + But in that day, the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel. + All who remain in Zion will be a holy people-- those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem and are recorded among the living. + The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment. + Then the LORD will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. + It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. + + + Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. + He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter. + Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. + What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes? + Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it. + I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it. + The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence. + What sorrow for you who buy up house after house and field after field, until everyone is evicted and you live alone in the land. + But I have heard the LORD of Heaven's Armies swear a solemn oath: "Many houses will stand deserted; even beautiful mansions will be empty. + Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten baskets of seed will yield only one basket of grain." + What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk. + They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties-- lyre and harp, tambourine and flute-- but they never think about the LORD or notice what he is doing. + So my people will go into exile far away because they do not know me. Those who are great and honored will starve, and the common people will die of thirst. + The grave is licking its lips in anticipation, opening its mouth wide. The great and the lowly and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up. + Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down; even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation. + But the LORD of Heaven's Armies will be exalted by his justice. The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness. + In that day lambs will find good pastures, and fattened sheep and young goats will feed among the ruins. + What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart! + They even mock God and say, "Hurry up and do something! We want to see what you can do. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan, for we want to know what it is." + What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. + What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. + What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine and boast about all the alcohol they can hold. + They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent. + Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven's Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. + That is why the LORD's anger burns against his people, and why he has raised his fist to crush them. The mountains tremble, and the corpses of his people litter the streets like garbage. But even then the LORD's anger is not satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike! + He will send a signal to distant nations far away and whistle to those at the ends of the earth. They will come racing toward Jerusalem. + They will not get tired or stumble. They will not stop for rest or sleep. Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal strap broken. + Their arrows will be sharp and their bows ready for battle. Sparks will fly from their horses' hooves, and the wheels of their chariots will spin like a whirlwind. + They will roar like lions, like the strongest of lions. Growling, they will pounce on their victims and carry them off, and no one will be there to rescue them. + They will roar over their victims on that day of destruction like the roaring of the sea. If someone looks across the land, only darkness and distress will be seen; even the light will be darkened by clouds. + + + It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. + Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. + They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" + Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. + Then I said, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven's Armies." + Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. + He touched my lips with it and said, "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven." + Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me." + And he said, "Yes, go, and say to this people, 'Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.' + Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing." + Then I said, "Lord, how long will this go on?" And he replied, "Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; + until the LORD has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. + If even a tenth-- a remnant-- survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed." + + + When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to carry out their plan. + The news had come to the royal court of Judah: "Syria is allied with Israel against us!" So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm. + Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Take your son Shear-jashub and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. + Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah. + Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying, + 'We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah's king.' + But this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; + for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed. + Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm." + Later, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz: + "Ask the LORD your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want-- as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead. " + But the king refused. "No," he said, "I will not test the LORD like that." + Then Isaiah said, "Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn't it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? + All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us'). + By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. + For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted. + "Then the LORD will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!" + In that day the LORD will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. + They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. + In that day the Lord will hire a "razor" from beyond the Euphrates River-- the king of Assyria-- and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people. + In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. + Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. + In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. + The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. + No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there. + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Make a large signboard and clearly write this name on it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. " + I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both known as honest men, to witness my doing this. + Then I slept with my wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said, "Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. + For before this child is old enough to say 'Papa' or 'Mama,' the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria." + Then the LORD spoke to me again and said, + "My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to King Rezin and King Pekah. + Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River-- the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels + and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel. + "Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified. Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! + Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless. Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed. For God is with us! " + The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, + "Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. + Make the LORD of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. + He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. + Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured." + Preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions to those who follow me. + I will wait for the LORD, who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my hope in him. + I and the children the LORD has given me serve as signs and warnings to Israel from the LORD of Heaven's Armies who dwells in his Temple on Mount Zion. + Someone may say to you, "Let's ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do." But shouldn't people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? + Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. + They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven + and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness. + + + Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. + The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. + You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. + For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor's rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. + The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. + For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. + His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen! + The Lord has spoken out against Jacob; his judgment has fallen upon Israel. + And the people of Israel and Samaria, who spoke with such pride and arrogance, will soon know it. + They said, "We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone, and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars." + But the LORD will bring Rezin's enemies against Israel and stir up all their foes. + The Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west will bare their fangs and devour Israel. But even then the LORD's anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. + For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent. They will not seek the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Therefore, in a single day the LORD will destroy both the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed. + The leaders of Israel are the head, and the lying prophets are the tail. + For the leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of destruction. + That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans. For they are all wicked hypocrites, and they all speak foolishness. But even then the LORD's anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. + This wickedness is like a brushfire. It burns not only briers and thorns but also sets the forests ablaze. Its burning sends up clouds of smoke. + The land will be blackened by the fury of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. The people will be fuel for the fire, and no one will spare even his own brother. + They will attack their neighbor on the right but will still be hungry. They will devour their neighbor on the left but will not be satisfied. In the end they will even eat their own children. + Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, Ephraim will feed on Manasseh, and both will devour Judah. But even then the LORD's anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. + + + What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws. + They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans. + What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land? To whom will you turn for help? Where will your treasures be safe? + You will stumble along as prisoners or lie among the dead. But even then the LORD's anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. + "What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger. + I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet. + But the king of Assyria will not understand that he is my tool; his mind does not work that way. His plan is simply to destroy, to cut down nation after nation. + He will say, 'Each of my princes will soon be a king. + We destroyed Calno just as we did Carchemish. Hamath fell before us as Arpad did. And we destroyed Samaria just as we did Damascus. + Yes, we have finished off many a kingdom whose gods were greater than those in Jerusalem and Samaria. + So we will defeat Jerusalem and her gods, just as we destroyed Samaria with hers.'" + After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him-- for he is proud and arrogant. + He boasts, "By my own powerful arm I have done this. With my own shrewd wisdom I planned it. I have broken down the defenses of nations and carried off their treasures. I have knocked down their kings like a bull. + I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest." + But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself? + Therefore, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will send a plague among Assyria's proud troops, and a flaming fire will consume its glory. + The LORD, the Light of Israel, will be a fire; the Holy One will be a flame. He will devour the thorns and briers with fire, burning up the enemy in a single night. + The LORD will consume Assyria's glory like a fire consumes a forest in a fruitful land; it will waste away like sick people in a plague. + Of all that glorious forest, only a few trees will survive-- so few that a child could count them! + In that day the remnant left in Israel, the survivors in the house of Jacob, will no longer depend on allies who seek to destroy them. But they will faithfully trust the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. + A remnant will return; yes, the remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. + But though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant of them will return. The LORD has rightly decided to destroy his people. + Yes, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, has already decided to destroy the entire land. + So this is what the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, says: "O my people in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you with rod and club as the Egyptians did long ago. + In a little while my anger against you will end, and then my anger will rise up to destroy them." + The LORD of Heaven's Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the LORD's staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea. + In that day the LORD will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders. + Look, the Assyrians are now at Aiath. They are passing through Migron and are storing their equipment at Micmash. + They are crossing the pass and are camping at Geba. Fear strikes the town of Ramah. All the people of Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, are running for their lives. + Scream in terror, you people of Gallim! Shout out a warning to Laishah. Oh, poor Anathoth! + There go the people of Madmenah, all fleeing. The citizens of Gebim are trying to hide. + The enemy stops at Nob for the rest of that day. He shakes his fist at beautiful Mount Zion, the mountain of Jerusalem. + But look! The Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will chop down the mighty tree of Assyria with great power! He will cut down the proud. That lofty tree will be brought down. + He will cut down the forest trees with an ax. Lebanon will fall to the Mighty One. + + + Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot-- yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. + And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. + He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. + He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. + He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. + In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. + The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. + The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. + Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD. + In that day the heir to David's throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. + In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people-- those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands. + He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth. + Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end. They will not be rivals anymore. + They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west. Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east. They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab, and Ammon will obey them. + The LORD will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams so it can easily be crossed on foot. + He will make a highway for the remnant of his people, the remnant coming from Assyria, just as he did for Israel long ago when they returned from Egypt. + + + In that day you will sing: "I will praise you, O LORD! You were angry with me, but not any more. Now you comfort me. + See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory." + With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! + In that wonderful day you will sing: "Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! + Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. + Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you." + + + Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon: + "Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty. + I, the LORD, have dedicated these soldiers for this task. Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger, and they will rejoice when I am exalted." + Hear the noise on the mountains! Listen, as the vast armies march! It is the noise and shouting of many nations. The LORD of Heaven's Armies has called this army together. + They come from distant countries, from beyond the farthest horizons. They are the LORD's weapons to carry out his anger. With them he will destroy the whole land. + Scream in terror, for the day of the LORD has arrived-- the time for the Almighty to destroy. + Every arm is paralyzed with fear. Every heart melts, + and people are terrified. Pangs of anguish grip them, like those of a woman in labor. They look helplessly at one another, their faces aflame with fear. + For see, the day of the LORD is coming-- the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it. + The heavens will be black above them; the stars will give no light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will provide no light. + "I, the LORD, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty. + I will make people scarcer than gold-- more rare than the fine gold of Ophir. + For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the LORD of Heaven's Armies displays his wrath in the day of his fierce anger." + Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd. They will try to find their own people and flee to their own land. + Anyone who is captured will be cut down-- run through with a sword. + Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked, and their wives will be raped. + "Look, I will stir up the Medes against Babylon. They cannot be tempted by silver or bribed with gold. + The attacking armies will shoot down the young men with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for children." + Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean pride, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them. + Babylon will never be inhabited again. It will remain empty for generation after generation. Nomads will refuse to camp there, and shepherds will not bed down their sheep. + Desert animals will move into the ruined city, and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures. Owls will live among the ruins, and wild goats will go there to dance. + Hyenas will howl in its fortresses, and jackals will make dens in its luxurious palaces. Babylon's days are numbered; its time of destruction will soon arrive. + + + But the LORD will have mercy on the descendants of Jacob. He will choose Israel as his special people once again. He will bring them back to settle once again in their own land. And people from many different nations will come and join them there and unite with the people of Israel. + The nations of the world will help the LORD's people to return, and those who come to live in their land will serve them. Those who captured Israel will themselves be captured, and Israel will rule over its enemies. + In that wonderful day when the LORD gives his people rest from sorrow and fear, from slavery and chains, + you will taunt the king of Babylon. You will say, "The mighty man has been destroyed. Yes, your insolence is ended. + For the LORD has crushed your wicked power and broken your evil rule. + You struck the people with endless blows of rage and held the nations in your angry grip with unrelenting tyranny. + But finally the earth is at rest and quiet. Now it can sing again! + Even the trees of the forest-- the cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon-- sing out this joyous song: 'Since you have been cut down, no one will come now to cut us down!' + "In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you. + With one voice they all cry out, 'Now you are as weak as we are! + Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.' + "How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. + For you said to yourself, 'I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. + I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.' + Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. + Everyone there will stare at you and ask, 'Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? + Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world's greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?' + "The kings of the nations lie in stately glory, each in his own tomb, + but you will be thrown out of your grave like a worthless branch. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, you will be dumped into a mass grave with those killed in battle. You will descend to the pit. + You will not be given a proper burial, for you have destroyed your nation and slaughtered your people. The descendants of such an evil person will never again receive honor. + Kill this man's children! Let them die because of their father's sins! They must not rise and conquer the earth, filling the world with their cities." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "I, myself, have risen against Babylon! I will destroy its children and its children's children," says the LORD. + "I will make Babylon a desolate place of owls, filled with swamps and marshes. I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!" + The LORD of Heaven's Armies has sworn this oath: "It will all happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided. + I will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel; I will trample them on my mountains. My people will no longer be their slaves nor bow down under their heavy loads. + I have a plan for the whole earth, a hand of judgment upon all the nations. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies has spoken-- who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?" + This message came to me the year King Ahaz died: + Do not rejoice, you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken-- that the king who attacked you is dead. For from that snake a more poisonous snake will be born, a fiery serpent to destroy you! + I will feed the poor in my pasture; the needy will lie down in peace. But as for you, I will wipe you out with famine and destroy the few who remain. + Wail at the gates! Weep in the cities! Melt with fear, you Philistines! A powerful army comes like smoke from the north. Each soldier rushes forward eager to fight. + What should we tell the Philistine messengers? Tell them, "The LORD has built Jerusalem; its walls will give refuge to his oppressed people." + + + This message came to me concerning Moab: In one night the town of Ar will be leveled, and the city of Kir will be destroyed. + Your people will go to their temple in Dibon to mourn. They will go to their sacred shrines to weep. They will wail for the fate of Nebo and Medeba, shaving their heads in sorrow and cutting off their beards. + They will wear burlap as they wander the streets. From every home and public square will come the sound of wailing. + The people of Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out; their voices will be heard as far away as Jahaz! The bravest warriors of Moab will cry out in utter terror. They will be helpless with fear. + My heart weeps for Moab. Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith. Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim. + Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up! The grassy banks are scorched. The tender plants are gone; nothing green remains. + The people grab their possessions and carry them across the Ravine of Willows. + A cry of distress echoes through the land of Moab from one end to the other-- from Eglaim to Beer-elim. + The stream near Dibon runs red with blood, but I am still not finished with Dibon! Lions will hunt down the survivors-- both those who try to escape and those who remain behind. + + + Send lambs from Sela as tribute to the ruler of the land. Send them through the desert to the mountain of beautiful Zion. + The women of Moab are left like homeless birds at the shallow crossings of the Arnon River. + "Help us," they cry. "Defend us against our enemies. Protect us from their relentless attack. Do not betray us now that we have escaped. + Let our refugees stay among you. Hide them from our enemies until the terror is past." When oppression and destruction have ended and enemy raiders have disappeared, + then God will establish one of David's descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right. + We have heard about proud Moab-- about its pride and arrogance and rage. But all that boasting has disappeared. + The entire land of Moab weeps. Yes, everyone in Moab mourns for the cakes of raisins from Kir-hareseth. They are all gone now. + The farms of Heshbon are abandoned; the vineyards at Sibmah are deserted. The rulers of the nations have broken down Moab-- that beautiful grapevine. Its tendrils spread north as far as the town of Jazer and trailed eastward into the wilderness. Its shoots reached so far west that they crossed over the Dead Sea. + So now I weep for Jazer and the vineyards of Sibmah; my tears will flow for Heshbon and Elealeh. There are no more shouts of joy over your summer fruits and harvest. + Gone now is the gladness, gone the joy of harvest. There will be no singing in the vineyards, no more happy shouts, no treading of grapes in the winepresses. I have ended all their harvest joys. + My heart's cry for Moab is like a lament on a harp. I am filled with anguish for Kir-hareseth. + The people of Moab will worship at their pagan shrines, but it will do them no good. They will cry to the gods in their temples, but no one will be able to save them. + The LORD has already said these things about Moab in the past. + But now the LORD says, "Within three years, counting each day, the glory of Moab will be ended. From its great population, only a few of its people will be left alive." + + + This message came to me concerning Damascus: "Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. + The towns of Aroer will be deserted. Flocks will graze in the streets and lie down undisturbed, with no one to chase them away. + The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel's departed glory," declares the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "In that day Israel's glory will grow dim; its robust body will waste away. + The whole land will look like a grainfield after the harvesters have gathered the grain. It will be desolate, like the fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest. + Only a few of its people will be left, like stray olives left on a tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five scattered here and there on the limbs," declares the LORD, the God of Israel. + Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. + They will no longer look to their idols for help or worship what their own hands have made. They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles or worship at the pagan shrines they have built. + Their largest cities will be like a deserted forest, like the land the Hivites and Amorites abandoned when the Israelites came here so long ago. It will be utterly desolate. + Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you. You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you. So you may plant the finest grapevines and import the most expensive seedlings. + They may sprout on the day you set them out; yes, they may blossom on the very morning you plant them, but you will never pick any grapes from them. Your only harvest will be a load of grief and unrelieved pain. + Listen! The armies of many nations roar like the roaring of the sea. Hear the thunder of the mighty forces as they rush forward like thundering waves. + But though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm. + In the evening Israel waits in terror, but by dawn its enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder us, a fitting end for those who destroy us. + + + Listen, Ethiopia-- land of fluttering sails that lies at the headwaters of the Nile, + that sends ambassadors in swift boats down the river. Go, swift messengers! Take a message to a tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction, and whose land is divided by rivers. + All you people of the world, everyone who lives on the earth-- when I raise my battle flag on the mountain, look! When I blow the ram's horn, listen! + For the LORD has told me this: "I will watch quietly from my dwelling place-- as quietly as the heat rises on a summer day, or as the morning dew forms during the harvest." + Even before you begin your attack, while your plans are ripening like grapes, the LORD will cut off your new growth with pruning shears. He will snip off and discard your spreading branches. + Your mighty army will be left dead in the fields for the mountain vultures and wild animals. The vultures will tear at the corpses all summer. The wild animals will gnaw at the bones all winter. + At that time the LORD of Heaven's Armies will receive gifts from this land divided by rivers, from this tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction. They will bring the gifts to Jerusalem, where the LORD of Heaven's Armies dwells. + + + This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The LORD is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear. + "I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian-- brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, province against province. + The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will confuse their plans. They will plead with their idols for wisdom and call on spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead. + I will hand Egypt over to a hard, cruel master. A fierce king will rule them," says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + The waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields. The riverbed will be parched and dry. + The canals of the Nile will dry up, and the streams of Egypt will stink with rotting reeds and rushes. + All the greenery along the riverbank and all the crops along the river will dry up and blow away. + The fishermen will lament for lack of work. Those who cast hooks into the Nile will groan, and those who use nets will lose heart. + There will be no flax for the harvesters, no thread for the weavers. + They will be in despair, and all the workers will be sick at heart. + What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors? + Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the LORD of Heaven's Armies is going to do to Egypt. + The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray. + The LORD has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit. + There is nothing Egypt can do. All are helpless-- the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed. + In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Just to speak the name of Israel will terrorize them, for the LORD of Heaven's Armies has laid out his plans against them. + In that day five of Egypt's cities will follow the LORD of Heaven's Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun. + In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border. + It will be a sign and a witness that the LORD of Heaven's Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. + The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the LORD and will keep it. + The LORD will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them. + In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. + And Israel will be their ally. The three will be together, and Israel will be a blessing to them. + For the LORD of Heaven's Armies will say, "Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!" + + + In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod, + the LORD told Isaiah son of Amoz, "Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals." Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot. + Then the LORD said, "My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign-- a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia. + For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt. + Then the Philistines will be thrown into panic, for they counted on the power of Ethiopia and boasted of their allies in Egypt! + They will say, 'If this can happen to Egypt, what chance do we have? We were counting on Egypt to protect us from the king of Assyria.'" + + + This message came to me concerning Babylon-- the desert by the sea: Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev. + I see a terrifying vision: I see the betrayer betraying, the destroyer destroying. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, attack and lay siege. I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused. + My stomach aches and burns with pain. Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me, like those of a woman in labor. I grow faint when I hear what God is planning; I am too afraid to look. + My mind reels and my heart races. I longed for evening to come, but now I am terrified of the dark. + Look! They are preparing a great feast. They are spreading rugs for people to sit on. Everyone is eating and drinking. But quick! Grab your shields and prepare for battle. You are being attacked! + Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, "Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees. + He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert." + Then the watchman called out, "Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post. + Now at last-- look! Here comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses!" Then the watchman said, "Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!" + O my people, threshed and winnowed, I have told you everything the LORD of Heaven's Armies has said, everything the God of Israel has told me. + This message came to me concerning Edom: Someone from Edom keeps calling to me, "Watchman, how much longer until morning? When will the night be over?" + The watchman replies, "Morning is coming, but night will soon return. If you wish to ask again, then come back and ask." + This message came to me concerning Arabia: O caravans from Dedan, hide in the deserts of Arabia. + O people of Tema, bring water to these thirsty people, food to these weary refugees. + They have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and the terrors of battle. + The Lord said to me, "Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. + Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the LORD, the God of Israel, have spoken!" + + + This message came to me concerning Jerusalem-- the Valley of Vision: What is happening? Why is everyone running to the rooftops? + The whole city is in a terrible uproar. What do I see in this reveling city? Bodies are lying everywhere, killed not in battle but by famine and disease. + All your leaders have fled. They surrendered without resistance. The people tried to slip away, but they were captured, too. + That's why I said, "Leave me alone to weep; do not try to comfort me. Let me cry for my people as I watch them being destroyed." + Oh, what a day of crushing defeat! What a day of confusion and terror brought by the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, upon the Valley of Vision! The walls of Jerusalem have been broken, and cries of death echo from the mountainsides. + Elamites are the archers, with their chariots and charioteers. The men of Kir hold up the shields. + Chariots fill your beautiful valleys, and charioteers storm your gates. + Judah's defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons. + You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool. + You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls. + Between the city walls, you build a reservoir for water from the old pool. But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago. + At that time the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse. + But instead, you dance and play; you slaughter cattle and kill sheep. You feast on meat and drink wine. You say, "Let's feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!" + The LORD of Heaven's Armies has revealed this to me: "Till the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin." That is the judgment of the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + This is what the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, said to me: "Confront Shebna, the palace administrator, and give him this message: + "Who do you think you are, and what are you doing here, building a beautiful tomb for yourself-- a monument high up in the rock? + For the LORD is about to hurl you away, mighty man. He is going to grab you, + crumple you into a ball, and toss you away into a distant, barren land. There you will die, and your glorious chariots will be broken and useless. You are a disgrace to your master! + "Yes, I will drive you out of office," says the LORD. "I will pull you down from your high position. + And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you. + I will dress him in your royal robes and will give him your title and your authority. And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. + I will give him the key to the house of David-- the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. + He will bring honor to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall. + They will give him great responsibility, and he will bring honor to even the lowliest members of his family. " + But the LORD of Heaven's Armies also says: "The time will come when I will pull out the nail that seemed so firm. It will come out and fall to the ground. Everything it supports will fall with it. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + This message came to me concerning Tyre: Weep, O ships of Tarshish, for the harbor and houses of Tyre are gone! The rumors you heard in Cyprus are all true. + Mourn in silence, you people of the coast and you merchants of Sidon. Your traders crossed the sea, + sailing over deep waters. They brought you grain from Egypt and harvests from along the Nile. You were the marketplace of the world. + But now you are put to shame, city of Sidon, for Tyre, the fortress of the sea, says, "Now I am childless; I have no sons or daughters." + When Egypt hears the news about Tyre, there will be great sorrow. + Send word now to Tarshish! Wail, you people who live in distant lands! + Is this silent ruin all that is left of your once joyous city? What a long history was yours! Think of all the colonists you sent to distant places. + Who has brought this disaster on Tyre, that great creator of kingdoms? Her traders were all princes, her merchants were nobles. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies has done it to destroy your pride and bring low all earth's nobility. + Come, people of Tarshish, sweep over the land like the flooding Nile, for Tyre is defenseless. + The LORD held out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He has spoken out against Phoenicia, ordering that her fortresses be destroyed. + He says, "Never again will you rejoice, O daughter of Sidon, for you have been crushed. Even if you flee to Cyprus, you will find no rest." + Look at the land of Babylonia-- the people of that land are gone! The Assyrians have handed Babylon over to the wild animals of the desert. They have built siege ramps against its walls, torn down its palaces, and turned it to a heap of rubble. + Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor is destroyed! + For seventy years, the length of a king's life, Tyre will be forgotten. But then the city will come back to life as in the song about the prostitute: + Take a harp and walk the streets, you forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody and sing your songs so you will be remembered again. + Yes, after seventy years the LORD will revive Tyre. But she will be no different than she was before. She will again be a prostitute to all kingdoms around the world. + But in the end her profits will be given to the LORD. Her wealth will not be hoarded but will provide good food and fine clothing for the LORD's priests. + + + Look! The LORD is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people. + Priests and laypeople, servants and masters, maids and mistresses, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, bankers and debtors-- none will be spared. + The earth will be completely emptied and looted. The LORD has spoken! + The earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither. Even the greatest people on earth waste away. + The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God's instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant. + Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive. + The grapevines waste away, and there is no new wine. All the merrymakers sigh and mourn. + The cheerful sound of tambourines is stilled; the happy cries of celebration are heard no more. The melodious chords of the harp are silent. + Gone are the joys of wine and song; alcoholic drink turns bitter in the mouth. + The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out intruders. + Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land. + The city is left in ruins, its gates battered down. + Throughout the earth the story is the same-- only a remnant is left, like the stray olives left on the tree or the few grapes left on the vine after harvest. + But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the LORD's majesty. + In eastern lands, give glory to the LORD. In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth, songs that give glory to the Righteous One! But my heart is heavy with grief. Weep for me, for I wither away. Deceit still prevails, and treachery is everywhere. + Terror and traps and snares will be your lot, you people of the earth. + Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will be caught in a snare. Destruction falls like rain from the heavens; the foundations of the earth shake. + The earth has broken up. It has utterly collapsed; it is violently shaken. + The earth staggers like a drunk. It trembles like a tent in a storm. It falls and will not rise again, for the guilt of its rebellion is very heavy. + In that day the LORD will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. + They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished. + Then the glory of the moon will wane, and the brightness of the sun will fade, for the LORD of Heaven's Armies will rule on Mount Zion. He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem, in the sight of all the leaders of his people. + + + O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. + You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. + Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you. + But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O LORD, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, + or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled. + In Jerusalem, the LORD of Heaven's Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. + There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. + He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! + In that day the people will proclaim, "This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!" + For the LORD's hand of blessing will rest on Jerusalem. But Moab will be crushed. It will be like straw trampled down and left to rot. + God will push down Moab's people as a swimmer pushes down water with his hands. He will end their pride and all their evil works. + The high walls of Moab will be demolished. They will be brought down to the ground, down into the dust. + + + In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation. + Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. + You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! + Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. + He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. + The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it. + But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. + LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify your name. + All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. + Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the LORD's majesty. + O LORD, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies. + LORD, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. + O LORD our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship. + Those we served before are dead and gone. Their departed spirits will never return! You attacked them and destroyed them, and they are long forgotten. + O LORD, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory! + LORD, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline. + Just as a pregnant woman writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth, so were we in your presence, LORD. + We, too, writhe in agony, but nothing comes of our suffering. We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world. + But those who die in the LORD will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! + Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the LORD's anger has passed. + Look! The LORD is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see. + + + In that day the LORD will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea. + "In that day, sing about the fruitful vineyard. + I, the LORD, will watch over it, watering it carefully. Day and night I will watch so no one can harm it. + My anger will be gone. If I find briers and thorns growing, I will attack them; I will burn them up-- + unless they turn to me for help. Let them make peace with me; yes, let them make peace with me." + The time is coming when Jacob's descendants will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole earth with fruit! + Has the LORD struck Israel as he struck her enemies? Has he punished her as he punished them? + No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east. + The LORD did this to purge Israel's wickedness, to take away all her sin. As a result, all the pagan altars will be crushed to dust. No Asherah pole or pagan shrine will be left standing. + The fortified towns will be silent and empty, the houses abandoned, the streets overgrown with weeds. Calves will graze there, chewing on twigs and branches. + The people are like the dead branches of a tree, broken off and used for kindling beneath the cooking pots. Israel is a foolish and stupid nation, for its people have turned away from God. Therefore, the one who made them will show them no pity or mercy. + Yet the time will come when the LORD will gather them together like handpicked grain. One by one he will gather them-- from the Euphrates River in the east to the Brook of Egypt in the west. + In that day the great trumpet will sound. Many who were dying in exile in Assyria and Egypt will return to Jerusalem to worship the LORD on his holy mountain. + + + What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria-- the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine. + For the Lord will send a mighty army against it. Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain, they will burst upon it like a surging flood and smash it to the ground. + The proud city of Samaria-- the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel-- will be trampled beneath its enemies' feet. + It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. Whoever sees it will snatch it up, as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten. + Then at last the LORD of Heaven's Armies will himself be Israel's glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people. + He will give a longing for justice to their judges. He will give great courage to their warriors who stand at the gates. + Now, however, Israel is led by drunks who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol. The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol and lose themselves in wine. They reel when they see visions and stagger as they render decisions. + Their tables are covered with vomit; filth is everywhere. + "Who does the LORD think we are?" they ask. "Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? + He tells us everything over and over-- one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!" + So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! + God has told his people, "Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest." But they would not listen. + So the LORD will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured. + Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem. + You boast, "We have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave. The coming destruction can never touch us, for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception." + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. + I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away. + I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death, and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave. When the terrible enemy sweeps through, you will be trampled into the ground. + Again and again that flood will come, morning after morning, day and night, until you are carried away." This message will bring terror to your people. + The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you. + The LORD will come as he did against the Philistines at Mount Perazim and against the Amorites at Gibeon. He will come to do a strange thing; he will come to do an unusual deed: + For the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land. So scoff no more, or your punishment will be even greater. + Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention. + Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? + Does he not finally plant his seeds-- black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat-- each in its proper way, and each in its proper place? + The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. + A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin; rather, it is beaten with a light stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin; instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail. + Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn't keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn't pulverize it. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom. + + + "What sorrow awaits Ariel, the City of David. Year after year you celebrate your feasts. + Yet I will bring disaster upon you, and there will be much weeping and sorrow. For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means-- an altar covered with blood. + I will be your enemy, surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls. I will build siege towers and destroy it. + Then deep from the earth you will speak; from low in the dust your words will come. Your voice will whisper from the ground like a ghost conjured up from the grave. + "But suddenly, your ruthless enemies will be crushed like the finest of dust. Your many attackers will be driven away like chaff before the wind. Suddenly, in an instant, + I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire. + All the nations fighting against Jerusalem will vanish like a dream! Those who are attacking her walls will vanish like a vision in the night. + A hungry person dreams of eating but wakes up still hungry. A thirsty person dreams of drinking but is still faint from thirst when morning comes. So it will be with your enemies, with those who attack Mount Zion." + Are you amazed and incredulous? Don't you believe it? Then go ahead and be blind. You are stupid, but not from wine! You stagger, but not from liquor! + For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries. + All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, "We can't read it because it is sealed." + When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, "We don't know how to read." + And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. + Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear." + What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their evil deeds in the dark! "The LORD can't see us," they say. "He doesn't know what's going on!" + How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, "He didn't make me"? Does a jar ever say, "The potter who made me is stupid"? + Soon-- and it will not be very long-- the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. + In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. + The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the LORD. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. + The scoffer will be gone, the arrogant will disappear, and those who plot evil will be killed. + Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent. + That is why the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel, "My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear. + For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel. They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob. + Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction. + + + "What sorrow awaits my rebellious children," says the LORD. "You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. + For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh's protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. + But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced. + For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes, + all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you." + This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev: The caravan moves slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt-- donkeys weighed down with riches and camels loaded with treasure-- all to pay for Egypt's protection. They travel through the wilderness, a place of lionesses and lions, a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live. All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return. + Egypt's promises are worthless! Therefore, I call her Rahab-- the Harmless Dragon. + Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness + that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the LORD's instructions. + They tell the seers, "Stop seeing visions!" They tell the prophets, "Don't tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. + Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your 'Holy One of Israel.'" + This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: "Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, + calamity will come upon you suddenly-- like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down. + You will be smashed like a piece of pottery-- shattered so completely that there won't be a piece big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well." + This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. + You said, 'No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.' But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! + One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop." + So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. + O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. + Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. + Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. + Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, "Good riddance!" + Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. + The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. + In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. + The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter-- like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the LORD begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them. + Look! The LORD is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke. His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire. + His hot breath pours out like a flood up to the neck of his enemies. He will sift out the proud nations for destruction. He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin. + But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs at the holy festivals. You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the mountain of the LORD-- to the Rock of Israel. + And the LORD will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm. It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones. + At the LORD's command, the Assyrians will be shattered. He will strike them down with his royal scepter. + And as the LORD strikes them with his rod of punishment, his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps. Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians. + Topheth-- the place of burning-- has long been ready for the Assyrian king; the pyre is piled high with wood. The breath of the LORD, like fire from a volcano, will set it ablaze. + + + What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. + In his wisdom, the LORD will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers. + For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the LORD raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together. + But this is what the LORD has told me: "When a strong young lion stands growling over a sheep it has killed, it is not frightened by the shouts and noise of a whole crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the LORD of Heaven's Armies will come down and fight on Mount Zion. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies will hover over Jerusalem and protect it like a bird protecting its nest. He will defend and save the city; he will pass over it and rescue it." + Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the LORD. + I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made. + "The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men. The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and flee. The strong young Assyrians will be taken away as captives. + Even the strongest will quake with terror, and princes will flee when they see your battle flags," says the LORD, whose fire burns in Zion, whose flame blazes from Jerusalem. + + + Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. + Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land. + Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. + Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. + In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. + For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the LORD. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. + The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. + But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. + Listen, you women who lie around in ease. Listen to me, you who are so smug. + In a short time-- just a little more than a year-- you careless ones will suddenly begin to care. For your fruit crops will fail, and the harvest will never take place. + Tremble, you women of ease; throw off your complacency. Strip off your pretty clothes, and put on burlap to show your grief. + Beat your breasts in sorrow for your bountiful farms and your fruitful grapevines. + For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone. + The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty. Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze in the empty forts and watchtowers + until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. + Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. + And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. + My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. + Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, + the LORD will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely. + + + What sorrow awaits you Assyrians, who have destroyed others but have never been destroyed yourselves. You betray others, but you have never been betrayed. When you are done destroying, you will be destroyed. When you are done betraying, you will be betrayed. + But LORD, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. + The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee! + Just as caterpillars and locusts strip the fields and vines, so the fallen army of Assyria will be stripped! + Though the LORD is very great and lives in heaven, he will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness. + In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD will be your treasure. + But now your brave warriors weep in public. Your ambassadors of peace cry in bitter disappointment. + Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone. + The land of Israel wilts in mourning. Lebanon withers with shame. The plain of Sharon is now a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel have been plundered. + But the LORD says: "I will stand up and show my power and might. + You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble. Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you. + Your people will be burned up completely, like thornbushes cut down and tossed in a fire. + Listen to what I have done, you nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!" + The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear. Terror seizes the godless. "Who can live with this devouring fire?" they cry. "Who can survive this all-consuming fire?" + Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong-- + these are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance. + Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. + You will think back to this time of terror, asking, "Where are the Assyrian officers who counted our towers? Where are the bookkeepers who recorded the plunder taken from our fallen city?" + You will no longer see these fierce, violent people with their strange, unknown language. + Instead, you will see Zion as a place of holy festivals. You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure. It will be like a tent whose ropes are taut and whose stakes are firmly fixed. + The LORD will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross, that no enemy ship can sail upon. + For the LORD is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. + The enemies' sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share! + The people of Israel will no longer say, "We are sick and helpless," for the LORD will forgive their sins. + + + Come here and listen, O nations of the earth. Let the world and everything in it hear my words. + For the LORD is enraged against the nations. His fury is against all their armies. He will completely destroy them, dooming them to slaughter. + Their dead will be left unburied, and the stench of rotting bodies will fill the land. The mountains will flow with their blood. + The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky like withered leaves from a grapevine, or shriveled figs from a fig tree. + And when my sword has finished its work in the heavens, it will fall upon Edom, the nation I have marked for destruction. + The sword of the LORD is drenched with blood and covered with fat-- with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of rams prepared for sacrifice. Yes, the LORD will offer a sacrifice in the city of Bozrah. He will make a mighty slaughter in Edom. + Even men as strong as wild oxen will die-- the young men alongside the veterans. The land will be soaked with blood and the soil enriched with fat. + For it is the day of the LORD's revenge, the year when Edom will be paid back for all it did to Israel. + The streams of Edom will be filled with burning pitch, and the ground will be covered with fire. + This judgment on Edom will never end; the smoke of its burning will rise forever. The land will lie deserted from generation to generation. No one will live there anymore. + It will be haunted by the desert owl and the screech owl, the great owl and the raven. For God will measure that land carefully; he will measure it for chaos and destruction. + It will be called the Land of Nothing, and all its nobles will soon be gone. + Thorns will overrun its palaces; nettles and thistles will grow in its forts. The ruins will become a haunt for jackals and a home for owls. + Desert animals will mingle there with hyenas, their howls filling the night. Wild goats will bleat at one another among the ruins, and night creatures will come there to rest. + There the owl will make her nest and lay her eggs. She will hatch her young and cover them with her wings. And the buzzards will come, each one with its mate. + Search the book of the LORD, and see what he will do. Not one of these birds and animals will be missing, and none will lack a mate, for the LORD has promised this. His Spirit will make it all come true. + He has surveyed and divided the land and deeded it over to those creatures. They will possess it forever, from generation to generation. + + + Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. + Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. + With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. + Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." + And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. + The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. + The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. + And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there. + Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. + Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. + + + In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. + Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. + These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. + Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? + Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? + On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable! + "But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the LORD our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem? + "I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! + With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master's troops, even with the help of Egypt's chariots and charioteers? + What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD's direction? The LORD himself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'" + Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear." + But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied, "Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine." + Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, "Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! + This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you. + Don't let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, 'The LORD will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!' + "Don't listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me-- open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. + Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one-- a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards. + "Don't let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will rescue us!' Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? + What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? + What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?" + But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him." + Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said. + + + When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the LORD. + And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. + They told him, "This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. + But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!" + After King Hezekiah's officials delivered the king's message to Isaiah, + the prophet replied, "Say to your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king's messengers. + Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.' " + Meanwhile, the Assyrian chief of staff left Jerusalem and went to consult the king of Assyria, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah. + Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message: + "This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don't let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. + You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? + Have the gods of other nations rescued them-- such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all! + What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?" + After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD. + And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: + "O LORD of Heaven's Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. + Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God. + "It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. + And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all-- only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. + Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God. " + Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, + the LORD has spoken this word against him: "The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee. + "Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel! + By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, 'With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains-- yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest heights and explored its deepest forests. + I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!' + "But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble. + That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall. + "But I know you well-- where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me. + And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Here is the proof that what I say is true: "This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit. + And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and grow up and flourish. + For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen! + "And this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: " 'His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. + The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city,' says the LORD. + 'For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.'" + That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. + Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. + One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria. + + + About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: "This is what the LORD says: 'Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.'" + When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, + "Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you." Then he broke down and wept bitterly. + Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD: + "Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, + and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.' + "And this is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised: + I will cause the sun's shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!' " So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps. + When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem: + I said, "In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?" + I said, "Never again will I see the LORD GOD while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or be with those who live in this world. + My life has been blown away like a shepherd's tent in a storm. It has been cut short, as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom. Suddenly, my life was over. + I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over. + Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help. I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!" + But what could I say? For he himself sent this sickness. Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt. + Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live! + Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins. + For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness. + Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next. + Think of it-- the LORD is ready to heal me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD. + Isaiah had said to Hezekiah's servants, "Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover." + And Hezekiah had asked, "What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the LORD?" + + + Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick and that he had recovered. + Hezekiah was delighted with the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses-- the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did those men want? Where were they from?" Hezekiah replied, "They came from the distant land of Babylon." + "What did they see in your palace?" asked Isaiah."They saw everything," Hezekiah replied. "I showed them everything I own-- all my royal treasuries." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven's Armies: + 'The time is coming when everything in your palace-- all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now-- will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,' says the LORD. + 'Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king.'" + Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "This message you have given me from the LORD is good." For the king was thinking, "At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime." + + + "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. + "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the LORD has punished her twice over for all her sins." + Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting, "Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! + Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. + Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!" + A voice said, "Shout!" I asked, "What should I shout?" "Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. + The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. + The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever." + O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" + Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. + He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. + Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? + Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? + Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? + No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. + All the wood in Lebanon's forests and all Lebanon's animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. + The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing-- mere emptiness and froth. + To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? + Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? + Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won't decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won't fall down! + Haven't you heard? Don't you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God-- the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? + God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. + He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. + They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. + "To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One. + Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. + O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? + Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. + He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. + Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. + But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. + + + "Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case. + "Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God's service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind. + He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. + Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he." + The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. + The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, "Be strong!" + The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. "Good," they say. "It's coming along fine." Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won't fall over. + "But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, + I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. + Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. + "See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing. + You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. + For I hold you by your right hand-- I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, 'Don't be afraid. I am here to help you. + Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don't be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.' + You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains. + You will toss them into the air, and the wind will blow them all away; a whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in the LORD. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. + "When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. + I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground. + I will plant trees in the barren desert-- cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine. + I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means-- that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it. + "Present the case for your idols," says the LORD. "Let them show what they can do," says the King of Israel. + "Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what's going to happen. + Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods. In fact, do anything-- good or bad! Do something that will amaze and frighten us. + But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Those who choose you pollute themselves. + "But I have stirred up a leader who will come from the north. I have called him by name from the east. I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay. + "Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word! + I was the first to tell Zion, 'Look! Help is on the way!' I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news. + Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. + See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind. + + + "Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. + He will not shout or raise his voice in public. + He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. + He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction. " + God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, + "I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. + You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. + "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. + Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens." + Sing a new song to the LORD! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. + Join in the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops! + Let the whole world glorify the LORD; let it sing his praise. + The LORD will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies. + He will say, "I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant. + I will level the mountains and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn the rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools. + I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them. + But those who trust in idols, who say, 'You are our gods,' will be turned away in shame. + "Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! + Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? + You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don't really listen." + Because he is righteous, the LORD has exalted his glorious law. + But his own people have been robbed and plundered, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped. They are fair game for anyone and have no one to protect them, no one to take them back home. + Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future? + Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt? It was the LORD, against whom we sinned, for the people would not walk in his path, nor would they obey his law. + Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson. + + + But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. + When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. + For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. + Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. + "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. + I will say to the north and south, 'Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. + Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.'" + Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. + Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth? + "But you are my witnesses, O Israel!" says the LORD. "You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God-- there never has been, and there never will be. + I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no other Savior. + First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God," says the LORD. + "From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done." + This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon, forcing the Babylonians to flee in those ships they are so proud of. + I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator and King. + I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. + I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. + "But forget all that-- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. + For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. + The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. + I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honor me before the whole world. + "But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! + You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense. + You have not brought me fragrant calamus or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. + "I-- yes, I alone-- will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. + Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case to prove your innocence. + From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me; all your leaders broke my laws. + That is why I have disgraced your priests; I have decreed complete destruction for Jacob and shame for Israel. + + + "But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. + The LORD who made you and helps you says: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one. + For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children. + They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank. + Some will proudly claim, 'I belong to the LORD.' Others will say, 'I am a descendant of Jacob.' Some will write the LORD's name on their hands and will take the name of Israel as their own." + This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven's Armies: "I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. + Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. + Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses-- is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock-- not one!" + How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. + Who but a fool would make his own god-- an idol that cannot help him one bit? + All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen-- mere humans-- who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame. + The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint. + Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine. + He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. + Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then-- yes, it's true-- he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! + He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, "Ah, that fire feels good." + Then he takes what's left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. "Rescue me!" he says. "You are my god!" + Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. + The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, "Why, it's just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?" + The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can't help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, "Is this idol that I'm holding in my hand a lie?" + "Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget you. + I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free." + Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel. + This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer and Creator: "I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth? + I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. + But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, 'People will live here again,' and to the towns of Judah, 'You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!' + When I speak to the rivers and say, 'Dry up!' they will be dry. + When I say of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd,' he will certainly do as I say. He will command, 'Rebuild Jerusalem'; he will say, 'Restore the Temple.'" + + + This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. + This is what the LORD says: "I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. + And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness-- secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. + "And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. + I am the LORD; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don't even know me, + so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the LORD, and there is no other. + I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things. + "Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the LORD, created them. + "What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?' + How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, 'Why was I born?' or if it said to its mother, 'Why did you make me this way?'" + This is what the LORD says-- the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: "Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? + I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. + I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people-- without seeking a reward! I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!" + This is what the LORD says: "You will rule the Egyptians, the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans. They will come to you with all their merchandise, and it will all be yours. They will follow you as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees in front of you and say, 'God is with you, and he is the only God. There is no other.' " + Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways. + All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together. + But the LORD will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation. Throughout everlasting ages, they will never again be humiliated and disgraced. + For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. "I am the LORD," he says, "and there is no other. + I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the LORD, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. + "Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save! + Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the LORD? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. + Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. + I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me. " + The people will declare, "The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength." And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed. + In the LORD all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in him they will boast. + + + Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight. + Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together. + "Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. + I will be your God throughout your lifetime-- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. + "To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? + Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! + They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can't even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can't rescue anyone from trouble. + "Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. + Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. + Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. + I will call a swift bird of prey from the east-- a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it. + "Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. + For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel. + + + "Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust. For your days of sitting on a throne have ended. O daughter of Babylonia, never again will you be the lovely princess, tender and delicate. + Take heavy millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, and strip off your robe. Expose yourself to public view. + You will be naked and burdened with shame. I will take vengeance against you without pity." + Our Redeemer, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies, is the Holy One of Israel. + "O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms. + For I was angry with my chosen people and punished them by letting them fall into your hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You oppressed even the elderly. + You said, 'I will reign forever as queen of the world!' You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences. + "Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say, 'I am the only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.' + Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic. + "You felt secure in your wickedness. 'No one sees me,' you said. But your 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' have led you astray, and you said, 'I am the only one, and there is no other.' + So disaster will overtake you, and you won't be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will strike you suddenly, one for which you are not prepared. + "Now use your magical charms! Use the spells you have worked at all these years! Maybe they will do you some good. Maybe they can make someone afraid of you. + All the advice you receive has made you tired. Where are all your astrologers, those stargazers who make predictions each month? Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds. + But they are like straw burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from the flame. You will get no help from them at all; their hearth is no place to sit for warmth. + And all your friends, those with whom you've done business since childhood, will go their own ways, turning a deaf ear to your cries. + + + "Listen to me, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and call on the God of Israel. You don't keep your promises, + even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true. + For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. Your heads are as hard as bronze. + That is why I told you what would happen; I told you beforehand what I was going to do. Then you could never say, 'My idols did it. My wooden image and metal god commanded it to happen!' + You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard. + They are brand new, not things from the past. So you cannot say, 'We knew that all the time!' + "Yes, I will tell you of things that are entirely new, things you never heard of before. For I know so well what traitors you are. You have been rebels from birth. + Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name, I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out. + I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering. + I will rescue you for my sake-- yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols! + "Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last. + It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order." + Have any of your idols ever told you this? Come, all of you, and listen: The LORD has chosen Cyrus as his ally. He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon and to destroy the Babylonian armies. + "I have said it: I am calling Cyrus! I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed. + Come closer, and listen to this. From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen." And now the Sovereign LORD and his Spirit have sent me with this message. + This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. + Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. + Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore-- too many to count! There would have been no need for your destruction, or for cutting off your family name." + Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Leave Babylon and the Babylonians. Sing out this message! Shout it to the ends of the earth! The LORD has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel. + They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert. He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink. + "But there is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD. + + + Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. + He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver. + He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory." + I replied, "But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the LORD's hand; I will trust God for my reward." + And now the LORD speaks-- the one who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength. + He says, "You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." + The LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: "Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the LORD, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." + This is what the LORD says: "At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them. Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel and assign it to its own people again. + I will say to the prisoners, 'Come out in freedom,' and to those in darkness, 'Come into the light.' They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare. + They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the LORD in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters. + And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys. + See, my people will return from far away, from lands to the north and west, and from as far south as Egypt. " + Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. + Yet Jerusalem says, "The LORD has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us." + "Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! + See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem's walls in ruins. + Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away. + Look around you and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live," says the LORD, "they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display. + "Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land will soon be crowded with your people. Your enemies who enslaved you will be far away. + The generations born in exile will return and say, 'We need more room! It's crowded here!' + Then you will think to yourself, 'Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here all alone. Where did all these people come from? Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?'" + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms; they will bring your daughters on their shoulders. + Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame." + Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go? + But the LORD says, "The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. + I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. " + + + This is what the LORD says: "Was your mother sent away because I divorced her? Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors? No, you were sold because of your sins. And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins. + Why was no one there when I came? Why didn't anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish. + I dress the skies in darkness, covering them with clothes of mourning." + The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. + The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. + I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting. + Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. + He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against me now? Where are my accusers? Let them appear! + See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths! + Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God. + But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment. + + + "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance-- all who seek the LORD! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. + Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation." + The LORD will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air. + "Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. + My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. + Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end! + "Listen to me, you who know right from wrong you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people's scorn, nor fear their insults. + For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation." + Wake up, wake up, O LORD! Clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile. + Are you not the same today, the one who dried up the sea, making a path of escape through the depths so that your people could cross over? + Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. + "I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? + Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone! + Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! + For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, 'You are my people!' " + Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the LORD's fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops. + Not one of your children is left alive to take your hand and guide you. + These two calamities have fallen on you: desolation and destruction, famine and war. And who is left to sympathize with you? Who is left to comfort you? + For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The LORD has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them. + But now listen to this, you afflicted ones who sit in a drunken stupor, though not from drinking wine. + This is what the Sovereign LORD, your God and Defender, says: "See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury. + Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors, those who said, 'We will trample you into the dust and walk on your backs.'" + + + Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. + Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. + For this is what the LORD says: "When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you." + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. + What is this?" asks the LORD. "Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long. + But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them." + How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! + The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the LORD returning to Jerusalem. + Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the LORD has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. + The LORD has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. + Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the LORD. + You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the LORD will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind. + See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. + But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. + And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. + + + Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? + My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. + He was despised and rejected-- a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. + Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! + But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. + All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. + He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. + Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. + He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. + But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's good plan will prosper in his hands. + When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. + I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. + + + "Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband," says the LORD. + "Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! + For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. + "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. + For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven's Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. + For the LORD has called you back from your grief-- as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. + "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. + In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. + "Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. + For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD, who has mercy on you. + "O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. + I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. + I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. + You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. + If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat. + "I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. + But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken! + + + "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink-- even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk-- it's all free! + Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. + "Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. + See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. + You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious." + Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. + Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. + "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. + For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. + "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. + It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. + You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! + Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD's name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love." + + + This is what the LORD says: "Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. + Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. + "Don't let foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD say, 'The LORD will never let me be part of his people.' And don't let the eunuchs say, 'I'm a dried-up tree with no children and no future.' + For this is what the LORD says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. + I will give them-- within the walls of my house-- a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear! + "I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. + I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. + For the Sovereign LORD, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel." + Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people! + For the leaders of my people-- the LORD's watchmen, his shepherds-- are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. + Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. + "Come," they say, "let's get some wine and have a party. Let's all get drunk. Then tomorrow we'll do it again and have an even bigger party!" + + + Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. + For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. + "But you-- come here, you witches' children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! + Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! + You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. + Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy? + You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me. + You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies. + You have given olive oil to Molech with many gifts of perfume. You have traveled far, even into the world of the dead, to find new gods to love. + You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary. + "Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you? Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words? Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me? + Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you. + Let's see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over! But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain." + God says, "Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity." + The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. + For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away-- all the souls I have made. + I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. + I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, + bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far," says the LORD, who heals them. + "But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. + There is no peace for the wicked," says my God. + + + "Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don't be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins! + Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. + 'We have fasted before you!' they say. 'Why aren't you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don't even notice it!' "I will tell you why!" I respond. "It's because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. + What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. + You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD? + "No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. + Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. + "Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. + Then when you call, the LORD will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. "Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! + Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. + The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. + Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. + "Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD's holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. + Then the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + Listen! The LORD's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. + It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. + Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption. + No one cares about being fair and honest. The people's lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin. + They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders' webs. Whoever falls into their webs will die, and there's danger even in getting near them. + Their webs can't be made into clothing, and nothing they do is productive. All their activity is filled with sin, and violence is their trademark. + Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Misery and destruction always follow them. + They don't know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good. They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment's peace. + So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom. + We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead. + We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it never comes. We look for rescue, but it is far away from us. + For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are. + We know we have rebelled and have denied the LORD. We have turned our backs on our God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. + Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. + Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. + He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him. + He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion. + He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth. + In the west, people will respect the name of the LORD; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD. + "The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins," says the LORD. + "And this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken! + + + "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. + Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you. + All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. + "Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. + Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands. + Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the LORD. + The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. I will accept their offerings, and I will make my Temple glorious. + "And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests? + They are ships from the ends of the earth, from lands that trust in me, led by the great ships of Tarshish. They are bringing the people of Israel home from far away, carrying their silver and gold. They will honor the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has filled you with splendor. + "Foreigners will come to rebuild your towns. and their kings will serve you. For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will now have mercy on you through my grace. + Your gates will stay open around the clock to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession. + For the nations that refuse to serve you will be destroyed. + "The glory of Lebanon will be yours-- the forests of cypress, fir, and pine-- to beautify my sanctuary. My Temple will be glorious! + The descendants of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the LORD, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel. + "Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations. + Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. + I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. + Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there. + "No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. + Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. + All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory. + The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen." + + + The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. + He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. + To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. + They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations. + Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards. + You will be called priests of the LORD, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches. + Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. + "For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. + Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed." + I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. + The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere. + + + Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. + The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the LORD's own mouth. + The LORD will hold you in his hand for all to see-- a splendid crown in the hand of God. + Never again will you be called "The Forsaken City" or "The Desolate Land." Your new name will be "The City of God's Delight" and "The Bride of God," for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride. + Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. + O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the LORD. + Give the LORD no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth. + The LORD has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: "I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and new wine. + You raised the grain, and you will eat it, praising the LORD. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed." + Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. + The LORD has sent this message to every land: "Tell the people of Israel, 'Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.' " + They will be called "The Holy People" and "The People Redeemed by the LORD." And Jerusalem will be known as "The Desirable Place" and "The City No Longer Forsaken." + + + Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength? "It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who has the power to save!" + Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? + "I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes. + For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. + I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, and my wrath sustained me. + I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground, spilling their blood upon the earth." + I will tell of the LORD's unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love. + He said, "They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again." And he became their Savior. + In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. + But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he became their enemy and fought against them. + Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, "Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people? + Where is the one whose power was displayed when Moses lifted up his hand-- the one who divided the sea before them, making himself famous forever? + Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. + As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led your people, LORD, and gained a magnificent reputation." + LORD, look down from heaven; look from your holy, glorious home, and see us. Where is the passion and the might you used to show on our behalf? Where are your mercy and compassion now? + Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, LORD, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past. + LORD, why have you allowed us to turn from your path? Why have you given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear you? Return and help us, for we are your servants, the tribes that are your special possession. + How briefly your holy people possessed your holy place, and now our enemies have destroyed it. + Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you, as though we had never been known as your people. + + + Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! + As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! + When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! + For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! + You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? + We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. + Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. + And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. + Don't be so angry with us, LORD. Please don't remember our sins forever. Look at us, we pray, and see that we are all your people. + Your holy cities are destroyed. Zion is a wilderness; yes, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin. + The holy and beautiful Temple where our ancestors praised you has been burned down, and all the things of beauty are destroyed. + After all this, LORD, must you still refuse to help us? Will you continue to be silent and punish us? + + + The LORD says, "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name. + All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. + All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars. + At night they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs and make stews with other forbidden foods. + Yet they say to each other, 'Don't come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!' These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away. + "Look, my decree is written out in front of me: I will not stand silent; I will repay them in full! Yes, I will repay them-- + both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors," says the LORD. "For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will pay them back in full! + "But I will not destroy them all," says the LORD. "For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, 'Don't throw them all away-- some of those grapes are good!'), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there. + I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there. + The plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks for my people who have searched for me, and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds. + "But because the rest of you have forsaken the LORD and have forgotten his Temple, and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny, + now I will 'destine' you for the sword. All of you will bow down before the executioner. For when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned-- before my very eyes-- and chose to do what you know I despise." + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "My servants will eat, but you will starve. My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. My servants will rejoice, but you will be sad and ashamed. + My servants will sing for joy, but you will cry in sorrow and despair. + Your name will be a curse word among my people, for the Sovereign LORD will destroy you and will call his true servants by another name. + All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days. + "Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. + Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. + I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more. + "No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young! + In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards. + Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. + They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the LORD, and their children, too, will be blessed. + I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! + The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? + My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. + But those who choose their own ways-- delighting in their detestable sins-- will not have their offerings accepted. When such people sacrifice a bull, it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice. When they sacrifice a lamb, it's as though they had sacrificed a dog! When they bring an offering of grain, they might as well offer the blood of a pig. When they burn frankincense, it's as if they had blessed an idol. + I will send them great trouble-- all the things they feared. For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise." + Hear this message from the LORD, all you who tremble at his words: "Your own people hate you and throw you out for being loyal to my name. 'Let the LORD be honored!' they scoff. 'Be joyful in him!' But they will be put to shame. + What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the LORD taking vengeance against his enemies. + "Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. + Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem's birth pains begin, her children will be born. + Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?" asks the LORD. "No! I would never keep this nation from being born," says your God. + "Rejoice with Jerusalem! Be glad with her, all you who love her and all you who mourn for her. + Drink deeply of her glory even as an infant drinks at its mother's comforting breasts." + This is what the LORD says: "I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the nations will flow to her. Her children will be nursed at her breasts, carried in her arms, and held on her lap. + I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child." + When you see these things, your heart will rejoice. You will flourish like the grass! Everyone will see the LORD's hand of blessing on his servants-- and his anger against his enemies. + See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke. + The LORD will punish the world by fire and by his sword. He will judge the earth, and many will be killed by him. + "Those who 'consecrate' and 'purify' themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center-- feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats-- will come to a terrible end," says the LORD. + "I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. + I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations-- to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations. + They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the LORD. + "And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear," says the LORD. + "All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and from month to month. + And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror." + + + + + These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. + The LORD first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. + The LORD's messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah's son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah's sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives. + The LORD gave me this message: + "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." + "O Sovereign LORD," I said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" + The LORD replied, "Don't say, 'I'm too young,' for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. + And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth and said, "Look, I have put my words in your mouth! + Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant." + Then the LORD said to me, "Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?" And I replied, "I see a branch from an almond tree." + And the LORD said, "That's right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans." + Then the LORD spoke to me again and asked, "What do you see now?" And I replied, "I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north." + "Yes," the LORD said, "for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. + Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the LORD, have spoken! "They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah. + I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil-- for deserting me and burning incense to other gods. Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands! + "Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. + For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land-- the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. + They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + The LORD gave me another message. He said, + "Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the LORD says: "I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness. + In those days Israel was holy to the LORD, the first of his children. All who harmed his people were declared guilty, and disaster fell on them. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Jacob-- all you families of Israel! + This is what the LORD says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves. + They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness-- a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels?' + "And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you. + The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idols. + Therefore, I will bring my case against you," says the LORD. "I will even bring charges against your children's children in the years to come. + "Go west and look in the land of Cyprus; go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone ever heard of anything as strange as this? + Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! + The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay," says the LORD. + "For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me-- the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! + "Why has Israel become a slave? Why has he been carried away as plunder? + Strong lions have roared against him, and the land has been destroyed. The towns are now in ruins, and no one lives in them anymore. + Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes, have destroyed Israel's glory and power. + And you have brought this upon yourselves by rebelling against the LORD your God, even though he was leading you on the way! + "What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and your covenants with Assyria? What good to you are the streams of the Nile or the waters of the Euphrates River? + Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the LORD your God and not to fear him. I, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken! + "Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, 'I will not serve you.' On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols. + But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock-- the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine? + No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! + "You say, 'That's not true! I haven't worshiped the images of Baal!' But how can you say that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins you have done. You are like a restless female camel desperately searching for a mate. + You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. Who can restrain her lust? Those who desire her don't need to search, for she goes running to them! + When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, 'Save your breath. I'm in love with these foreign gods, and I can't stop loving them now!' + "Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets-- all are alike in this. + To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, 'You are my father.' To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say, 'You are my mother.' They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, 'Come and save us!' + But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah. + Why do you accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled," says the LORD. + "I have punished your children, but they did not respond to my discipline. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey. + "O my people, listen to the words of the LORD! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say, 'At last we are free from God! We don't need him anymore!' + Does a young woman forget her jewelry? Does a bride hide her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me. + "How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you! + Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn't catch them breaking into your houses! + And yet you say, 'I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn't angry with me!' But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned. + First here, then there-- you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before. + In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the LORD has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all. + + + "If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?" says the LORD. + "Look at the shrines on every hilltop. Is there any place you have not been defiled by your adultery with other gods? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer. You sit alone like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and your wickedness. + That's why even the spring rains have failed. For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless. + Yet you say to me, 'Father, you have been my guide since my youth. + Surely you won't be angry forever! Surely you can forget about it!' So you talk, but you keep on doing all the evil you can." + During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. + I thought, 'After she has done all this, she will return to me.' But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. + She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution. + Israel treated it all so lightly-- she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been polluted. + But despite all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + Then the LORD said to me, "Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah! + Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the LORD says: "O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. + Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the LORD your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "Return home, you wayward children," says the LORD, "for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel-- one from this town and two from that family-- from wherever you are scattered. + And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding. + "And when your land is once more filled with people," says the LORD, "you will no longer wish for 'the good old days' when you possessed the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark. + In that day Jerusalem will be known as 'The Throne of the LORD.' All nations will come there to honor the LORD. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires. + In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave their ancestors as an inheritance forever. + "I thought to myself, 'I would love to treat you as my own children!' I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land-- the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me 'Father,' and I wanted you never to turn from me. + But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the LORD, have spoken." + Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel's people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the LORD their God. + "My wayward children," says the LORD, "come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts." "Yes, we're coming," the people reply, "for you are the LORD our God. + Our worship of idols on the hills and our religious orgies on the mountains are a delusion. Only in the LORD our God will Israel ever find salvation. + From childhood we have watched as everything our ancestors worked for-- their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters-- was squandered on a delusion. + Let us now lie down in shame and cover ourselves with dishonor, for we and our ancestors have sinned against the LORD our God. From our childhood to this day we have never obeyed him." + + + "O Israel," says the LORD, "if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more. + Then when you swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name." + This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. + O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins. + "Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem! Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land: 'Run for your lives! Flee to the fortified cities!' + Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem: 'Flee now! Do not delay!' For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you from the north." + A lion stalks from its den, a destroyer of nations. It has left its lair and is headed your way. It's going to devastate your land! Your towns will lie in ruins, with no one living in them anymore. + So put on clothes of mourning and weep with broken hearts, for the fierce anger of the LORD is still upon us. + "In that day," says the LORD, "the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled." + Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!" + The time is coming when the LORD will say to the people of Jerusalem, "My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it's not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain. + It is a roaring blast sent by me! Now I will pronounce your destruction!" + Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds! His chariots are like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible it will be, for we are doomed! + O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts? + Your destruction has been announced from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim. + "Warn the surrounding nations and announce this to Jerusalem: The enemy is coming from a distant land, raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah. + They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me," says the LORD. + "Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!" + My heart, my heart-- I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries. + Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed. + How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war? + "My people are foolish and do not know me," says the LORD. "They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!" + I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light. + I looked at the mountains and hills, and they trembled and shook. + I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of the sky had flown away. + I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the LORD's fierce anger. + This is what the LORD says: "The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely. + The earth will mourn and the heavens will be draped in black because of my decree against my people. I have made up my mind and will not change it." + At the noise of charioteers and archers, the people flee in terror. They hide in the bushes and run for the mountains. All the towns have been abandoned-- not a person remains! + What are you doing, you who have been plundered? Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing and put on gold jewelry? Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara? Your primping will do you no good! The allies who were your lovers despise you and seek to kill you. + I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, "Help! I'm being murdered!" + + + "Run up and down every street in Jerusalem," says the LORD. "Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city. + But even when they are under oath, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' they are still telling lies!" + LORD, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent. + Then I said, "But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don't know the ways of the LORD. They don't understand God's laws. + So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the LORD and understand God's laws." But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God's yoke and broken his chains. + So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many. + "How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels. + They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife. + Should I not punish them for this?" says the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? + "Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the LORD. + The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me," says the LORD. + "They have lied about the LORD and said, 'He won't bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine. + God's prophets are all windbags who don't really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!'" + Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Heaven's Armies says: "Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood. + O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you," says the LORD. "It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand. + Their weapons are deadly; their warriors are mighty. + They will devour the food of your harvest; they will devour your sons and daughters. They will devour your flocks and herds; they will devour your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified towns, which you think are so safe. + "Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely," says the LORD. + "And when your people ask, 'Why did the LORD our God do all this to us?' you must reply, 'You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.' + "Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah: + Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. + Have you no respect for me? Why don't you tremble in my presence? I, the LORD, define the ocean's sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. + But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. + They do not say from the heart, 'Let us live in awe of the LORD our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.' + Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. + "Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people. + Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich. + They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor. + Should I not punish them for this?" says the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? + A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land-- + the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes? + + + "Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem! A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction. + O Jerusalem, you are my beautiful and delicate daughter-- but I will destroy you! + Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city. Each chooses a place for his troops to devour. + They shout, 'Prepare for battle! Attack at noon!' 'No, it's too late; the day is fading, and the evening shadows are falling.' + 'Well then, let's attack at night and destroy her palaces!'" + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through. + She spouts evil like a fountain. Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction. I always see her sickness and sores. + Listen to this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn from you in disgust. Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins, a land where no one lives." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "Even the few who remain in Israel will be picked over again, as when a harvester checks each vine a second time to pick the grapes that were missed." + To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the LORD. They don't want to listen at all. + So now I am filled with the LORD's fury. Yes, I am tired of holding it in! "I will pour out my fury on children playing in the streets and on gatherings of young men, on husbands and wives and on those who are old and gray. + Their homes will be turned over to their enemies, as will their fields and their wives. For I will raise my powerful fist against the people of this land," says the LORD. + "From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. + They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. + Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all-- they don't even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them," says the LORD. + This is what the LORD says: "Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, 'No, that's not the road we want!' + I posted watchmen over you who said, 'Listen for the sound of the alarm.' But you replied, 'No! We won't pay attention!' + "Therefore, listen to this, all you nations. Take note of my people's situation. + Listen, all the earth! I will bring disaster on my people. It is the fruit of their own schemes, because they refuse to listen to me. They have rejected my word. + There's no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba. Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands! I will not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me." + Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "I will put obstacles in my people's path. Fathers and sons will both fall over them. Neighbors and friends will die together." + This is what the LORD says: "Look! A great army coming from the north! A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands. + They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like a roaring sea as they ride forward on horses. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem. " + We have heard reports about the enemy, and we wring our hands in fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped us, like those of a woman in labor. + Don't go out to the fields! Don't travel on the roads! The enemy's sword is everywhere and terrorizes us at every turn! + Oh, my people, dress yourselves in burlap and sit among the ashes. Mourn and weep bitterly, as for the loss of an only son. For suddenly the destroying armies will be upon you! + "Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals, that you may determine the quality of my people. + They are the worst kind of rebel, full of slander. They are as hard as bronze and iron, and they lead others into corruption. + The bellows fiercely fan the flames to burn out the corruption. But it does not purify them, for the wickedness remains. + I will label them 'Rejected Silver,' for I, the LORD, am discarding them." + + + The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, + "Go to the entrance of the LORD's Temple, and give this message to the people: 'O Judah, listen to this message from the LORD! Listen to it, all of you who worship here! + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says:" 'Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land. + But don't be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the LORD's Temple is here. They chant, "The LORD's Temple is here! The LORD's Temple is here!" + But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; + only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. + Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever. + " 'Don't be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It's a lie! + Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, + and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, "We are safe!"-- only to go right back to all those evils again? + Don't you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the LORD, have spoken! + " 'Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites. + While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer. + So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors. + And I will send you out of my sight into exile, just as I did your relatives, the people of Israel. ' + "Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don't beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you. + Don't you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods! + Am I the one they are hurting?" asks the LORD. "Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame." + So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves! + When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. + This is what I told them: 'Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!' + "But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. + From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets-- day in and day out. + But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful-- even worse than their ancestors. + "Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond. + Say to them, 'This is the nation whose people will not obey the LORD their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips. + Shave your head in mourning, and weep alone on the mountains. For the LORD has rejected and forsaken this generation that has provoked his fury.' + "The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes," says the LORD. "They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it. + They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! + So beware, for the time is coming," says the LORD, "when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them. + The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away. + I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation. + + + "In that day," says the LORD, "the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem. + They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars-- the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure. + And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken! + "Jeremiah, say to the people, 'This is what the LORD says: " 'When people fall down, don't they get up again? When they discover they're on the wrong road, don't they turn back? + Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back? They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around. + I listen to their conversations and don't hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, "What a terrible thing I have done"? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle! + Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the LORD's laws. + " 'How can you say, "We are wise because we have the word of the LORD," when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies? + These wise teachers will fall into the trap of their own foolishness, for they have rejected the word of the LORD. Are they so wise after all? + I will give their wives to others and their farms to strangers. From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that. They are all frauds. + They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. + Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions? Not at all-- they don't even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them, says the LORD. + I will surely consume them. There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes. Their fruit trees will all die. Whatever I gave them will soon be gone. I, the LORD, have spoken!' + "Then the people will say, 'Why should we wait here to die? Come, let's go to the fortified towns and die there. For the LORD our God has decreed our destruction and has given us a cup of poison to drink because we sinned against the LORD. + We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.' + "The snorting of the enemies' warhorses can be heard all the way from the land of Dan in the north! The neighing of their stallions makes the whole land tremble. They are coming to devour the land and everything in it-- cities and people alike. + I will send these enemy troops among you like poisonous snakes you cannot charm. They will bite you, and you will die. I, the Lord, have spoken!" + My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken. + Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. "Has the LORD abandoned Jerusalem? " the people ask. "Is her King no longer there?" "Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols and their worthless foreign gods?" says the LORD. + "The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone," the people cry, "yet we are not saved!" + I hurt with the hurt of my people. I mourn and am overcome with grief. + Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people? + + + If only my head were a pool of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night for all my people who have been slaughtered. + Oh, that I could go away and forget my people and live in a travelers' shack in the desert. For they are all adulterers-- a pack of treacherous liars. + "My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot out lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth. They only go from bad to worse. They do not know me," says the LORD. + "Beware of your neighbor! Don't even trust your brother! For brother takes advantage of brother, and friend slanders friend. + They all fool and defraud each other; no one tells the truth. With practiced tongues they tell lies; they wear themselves out with all their sinning. + They pile lie upon lie and utterly refuse to acknowledge me," says the LORD. + Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "See, I will melt them down in a crucible and test them like metal. What else can I do with my people? + For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows. They speak friendly words to their neighbors while scheming in their heart to kill them. + Should I not punish them for this?" says the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?" + I will weep for the mountains and wail for the wilderness pastures. For they are desolate and empty of life; the lowing of cattle is heard no more; the birds and wild animals have all fled. + "I will make Jerusalem into a heap of ruins," says the LORD. "It will be a place haunted by jackals. The towns of Judah will be ghost towns, with no one living in them." + Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it to others? Why has the land been so ruined that no one dares to travel through it? + The LORD replies, "This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said. + Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them. + So now, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. + I will scatter them around the world, in places they and their ancestors never heard of, and even there I will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "Consider all this, and call for the mourners. Send for the women who mourn at funerals. + Quick! Begin your weeping! Let the tears flow from your eyes. + Hear the people of Jerusalem crying in despair, 'We are ruined! We are completely humiliated! We must leave our land, because our homes have been torn down.' " + Listen, you women, to the words of the LORD; open your ears to what he has to say. Teach your daughters to wail; teach one another how to lament. + For death has crept in through our windows and has entered our mansions. It has killed off the flower of our youth: Children no longer play in the streets, and young men no longer gather in the squares. + This is what the LORD says: "Bodies will be scattered across the fields like clumps of manure, like bundles of grain after the harvest. No one will be left to bury them." + This is what the LORD says: "Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. + But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "A time is coming," says the LORD, "when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit-- + the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places, and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts." + + + Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O Israel! + This is what the LORD says: "Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them. + Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. + They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won't fall over. + Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good." + LORD, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. + Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you. + People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood! + They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors. + But the LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath. + Say this to those who worship other gods: "Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens." + But God made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. + When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. + The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. + Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. + But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven's Armies is his name! + Pack your bags and prepare to leave; the siege is about to begin. + For this is what the LORD says: "Suddenly, I will fling out all you who live in this land. I will pour great troubles upon you, and at last you will feel my anger." + My wound is severe, and my grief is great. My sickness is incurable, but I must bear it. + My home is gone, and no one is left to help me rebuild it. My children have been taken away, and I will never see them again. + The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the LORD. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered. + Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies as they roll down from the north. The towns of Judah will be destroyed and become a haunt for jackals. + I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. + So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. + Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you-- on the peoples that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness. + + + The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, + "Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of my covenant with them. + Say to them, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant! + For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, "If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God." + I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey-- the land you live in today.' " Then I replied, "Amen, LORD! May it be so." + Then the LORD said, "Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, 'Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires. + For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, "Obey me!" I have repeated this warning over and over to this day, + but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.'" + Again the LORD spoke to me and said, "I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. + They have returned to the sins of their forefathers. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. + Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries. + Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes! + Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame-- altars for burning incense to your god Baal-- as there are streets in Jerusalem. + "Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress. + "What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have done so many immoral things? Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction? They actually rejoice in doing evil! + I, the LORD, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit. But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken. + "I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal." + Then the LORD told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. + I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! "Let's destroy this man and all his words," they said. "Let's cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever." + O LORD of Heaven's Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you. + This is what the LORD says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, "We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the LORD's name." + So this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says about them: "I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death. + Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes." + + + LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? + You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts. + But as for me, LORD, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered! + How long must this land mourn? Even the grass in the fields has withered. The wild animals and birds have disappeared because of the evil in the land. For the people have said, "The LORD doesn't see what's ahead for us!" + "If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan? + Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak. + "I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies. + My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated them with contempt. + My chosen people act like speckled vultures, but they themselves are surrounded by vultures. Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean! + "Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard, trampling down the vines and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness. + They have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares. + On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the LORD devours people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape! + My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the LORD." + Now this is what the LORD says: "I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them. + But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession. + And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives' (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people. + But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it." + So I bought the loincloth as the LORD directed me, and I put it on. + Then the LORD gave me another message: + "Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks." + So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the LORD had instructed me. + A long time afterward the LORD said to me, "Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there." + So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing. + Then I received this message from the LORD: + "This is what the LORD says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. + These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth-- good for nothing! + As a loincloth clings to a man's waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the LORD. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory-- an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me. + "So tell them, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: May all your jars be filled with wine.' And they will reply, 'Of course! Jars are made to be filled with wine!' + "Then tell them, 'No, this is what the LORD means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness-- from the king sitting on David's throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem. + I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the LORD. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.'" + Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. + Give glory to the LORD your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom. + And if you still refuse to listen, I will weep alone because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD's flock will be led away into exile. + Say to the king and his mother, "Come down from your thrones and sit in the dust, for your glorious crowns will soon be snatched from your heads." + The towns of the Negev will close their gates, and no one will be able to open them. The people of Judah will be taken away as captives. All will be carried into exile. + Open up your eyes and see the armies marching down from the north! Where is your flock-- your beautiful flock-- that he gave you to care for? + What will you say when the LORD takes the allies you have cultivated and appoints them as your rulers? Pangs of anguish will grip you, like those of a woman in labor! + You may ask yourself, "Why is all this happening to me?" It is because of your many sins! That is why you have been stripped and raped by invading armies. + Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil. + "I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the desert winds. + This is your allotment, the portion I have assigned to you," says the LORD, "for you have forgotten me, putting your trust in false gods. + I myself will strip you and expose you to shame. + I have seen your adultery and lust, and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills. What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem! How long before you are pure?" + + + This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD, explaining why he was holding back the rain: + "Judah wilts; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt. All the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Jerusalem. + The nobles send servants to get water, but all the wells are dry. The servants return with empty pitchers, confused and desperate, covering their heads in grief. + The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain. The farmers are deeply troubled; they, too, cover their heads. + Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn because there is no grass in the field. + The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills panting like thirsty jackals. They strain their eyes looking for grass, but there is none to be found." + The people say, "Our wickedness has caught up with us, LORD, but help us for the sake of your own reputation. We have turned away from you and sinned against you again and again. + O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble, why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler passing through the land, stopping only for the night? + Are you also confused? Is our champion helpless to save us? You are right here among us, LORD. We are known as your people. Please don't abandon us now!" + So this is what the LORD says to his people: "You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves. Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people. Now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins." + Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for these people anymore. + When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease." + Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, their prophets are telling them, 'All is well-- no war or famine will come. The LORD will surely send you peace.'" + Then the LORD said, "These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. + Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine! + As for the people to whom they prophesy-- their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters-- all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them. + Now, Jeremiah, say this to them: "Night and day my eyes overflow with tears. I cannot stop weeping, for my virgin daughter-- my precious people-- has been struck down and lies mortally wounded. + If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy. If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation. The prophets and priests continue with their work, but they don't know what they're doing." + LORD, have you completely rejected Judah? Do you really hate Jerusalem? Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing? We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror. + LORD, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you. + For the sake of your reputation, LORD, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us. + Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O LORD our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us. + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn't help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight! + And if they say to you, 'But where can we go?' tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: " 'Those who are destined for death, to death; those who are destined for war, to war; those who are destined for famine, to famine; those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.' + "I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," says the LORD. "I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left. + Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. + "Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will weep for you? Who will even bother to ask how you are? + You have abandoned me and turned your back on me," says the LORD. "Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you. I am tired of always giving you another chance. + I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities and take away the children you hold dear. I will destroy my own people, because they refuse to change their evil ways. + There will be more widows than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noontime I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will cause anguish and terror to come upon them suddenly. + The mother of seven grows faint and gasps for breath; her sun has gone down while it is still day. She sits childless now, disgraced and humiliated. And I will hand over those who are left to be killed by the enemy. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + Then I said, "What sorrow is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go. I am neither a lender who threatens to foreclose nor a borrower who refuses to pay-- yet they all curse me." + The LORD replied, "I will take care of you, Jeremiah. Your enemies will ask you to plead on their behalf in times of trouble and distress. + Can a man break a bar of iron from the north, or a bar of bronze? + At no cost to them, I will hand over your wealth and treasures as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land. + I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever. " + Then I said, "LORD, you know what's happening to me. Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors! Please give me time; don't let me die young. It's for your sake that I am suffering. + When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies. + I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I was filled with indignation at their sins. + Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry." + This is how the LORD responds: "If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! + They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the LORD, have spoken! + Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands." + + + The LORD gave me another message. He said, + "Do not get married or have children in this place. + For this is what the LORD says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers: + They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals." + This is what the LORD says: "Do not go to funerals to mourn and show sympathy for these people, for I have removed my protection and peace from them. I have taken away my unfailing love and my mercy. + Both the great and the lowly will die in this land. No one will bury them or mourn for them. Their friends will not cut themselves in sorrow or shave their heads in sadness. + No one will offer a meal to comfort those who mourn at the dead-- not even at the death of a mother or father. No one will send a cup of wine to console them. + "And do not go to their feasts and parties. Do not eat and drink with them at all. + For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: In your own lifetime, before your very eyes, I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in this land. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. + "When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, 'Why has the LORD decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the LORD our God?' + "Then you will give them the LORD's reply: 'It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. + And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me. + So I will throw you out of this land and send you into a foreign land where you and your ancestors have never been. There you can worship idols day and night-- and I will grant you no favors!' + "But the time is coming," says the LORD, "when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.' + Instead, they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.' For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors. + "But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them," says the LORD. "I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves. + I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. + I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds." + LORD, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, "Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols. + Can people make their own gods? These are not real gods at all!" + The LORD says, "Now I will show them my power; now I will show them my might. At last they will know and understand that I am the LORD. + + + "The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron chisel-- engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts and on the corners of their altars. + Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill. + So I will hand over my holy mountain-- along with all your wealth and treasures and your pagan shrines-- as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land. + The wonderful possession I have reserved for you will slip from your hands. I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever." + This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. + They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. + "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. + They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. + "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? + But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." + Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools. + But we worship at your throne-- eternal, high, and glorious! + O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from you will be disgraced. They will be buried in the dust of the earth, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water. + O LORD, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone! + People scoff at me and say, "What is this 'message from the LORD' you talk about? Why don't your predictions come true?" + LORD, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people. I have not urged you to send disaster. You have heard everything I've said. + LORD, don't terrorize me! You alone are my hope in the day of disaster. + Bring shame and dismay on all who persecute me, but don't let me experience shame and dismay. Bring a day of terror on them. Yes, bring double destruction upon them! + This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates. + Say to all the people, 'Listen to this message from the LORD, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. + This is what the LORD says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem's gates on the Sabbath day. + Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, + but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline. + " 'But if you obey me, says the LORD, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, + then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever. + And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the LORD's Temple. + " 'But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.'" + + + The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, + "Go down to the potter's shop, and I will speak to you there." + So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. + But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. + Then the LORD gave me this message: + "O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand. + If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, + but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. + And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, + but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. + "Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.'" + But the people replied, "Don't waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires." + So this is what the LORD says: "Has anyone ever heard of such a thing, even among the pagan nations? My virgin daughter Israel has done something terrible! + Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon? Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry? + But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me; they burn incense to worthless idols. They have stumbled off the ancient highways and walk in muddy paths. + Therefore, their land will become desolate, a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will shake their heads in amazement. + I will scatter my people before their enemies as the east wind scatters dust. And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them and refuse to notice their distress." + Then the people said, "Come on, let's plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don't need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let's spread rumors about him and ignore what he says." + LORD, hear me and help me! Listen to what my enemies are saying. + Should they repay evil for good? They have dug a pit to kill me, though I pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger. + So let their children starve! Let them die by the sword! Let their wives become childless widows. Let their old men die in a plague, and let their young men be killed in battle! + Let screaming be heard from their homes as warriors come suddenly upon them. For they have dug a pit for me and have hidden traps along my path. + LORD, you know all about their murderous plots against me. Don't forgive their crimes and blot out their sins. Let them die before you. Deal with them in your anger. + + + This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you. + Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message. + Say to them, 'Listen to this message from the LORD, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring! + " 'For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods-- idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children. + They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! + So beware, for the time is coming, says the LORD, when this garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. + " 'For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals. + I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. + I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.' + "As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. + Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them. + This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the LORD. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth. + Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah's kings, will become like Topheth-- all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.'" + Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, the garbage dump where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the LORD. He said to the people there, + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.'" + + + Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the LORD, heard what Jeremiah was prophesying. + So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the LORD's Temple. + The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, "Pashhur, the LORD has changed your name. From now on you are to be called 'The Man Who Lives in Terror.' + For this is what the LORD says: 'I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword. + And I will let your enemies plunder Jerusalem. All the famed treasures of the city-- the precious jewels and gold and silver of your kings-- will be carried off to Babylon. + As for you, Pashhur, you and all your household will go as captives to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you prophesied that everything would be all right.'" + O LORD, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me. + When I speak, the words burst out. "Violence and destruction!" I shout. So these messages from the LORD have made me a household joke. + But if I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can't do it! + I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror." They threaten, "If you say anything, we will report it." Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. "He will trap himself," they say, "and then we will get our revenge on him." + But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten. + O LORD of Heaven's Armies, you test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you. + Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors. + Yet I curse the day I was born! May no one celebrate the day of my birth. + I curse the messenger who told my father, "Good news-- you have a son!" + Let him be destroyed like the cities of old that the LORD overthrew without mercy. Terrify him all day long with battle shouts, + because he did not kill me at birth. Oh, that I had died in my mother's womb, that her body had been my grave! + Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame. + + + The LORD spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah, + "Please speak to the LORD for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies." + Jeremiah replied, "Go back to King Zedekiah and tell him, + 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside your walls attacking you. In fact, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city. + I myself will fight against you with a strong hand and a powerful arm, for I am very angry. You have made me furious! + I will send a terrible plague upon this city, and both people and animals will die. + And after all that, says the LORD, I will hand over King Zedekiah, his staff, and everyone else in the city who survives the disease, war, and famine. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their other enemies. He will slaughter them and show them no mercy, pity, or compassion.' + "Tell all the people, 'This is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or death! + Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life! + For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.' + "Say to the royal family of Judah, 'Listen to this message from the LORD! + This is what the LORD says to the dynasty of David: " 'Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Otherwise, my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins. + I will personally fight against the people in Jerusalem, that mighty fortress-- the people who boast, "No one can touch us here. No one can break in here." + And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the LORD. I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you.'" + + + This is what the LORD said to me: "Go over and speak directly to the king of Judah. Say to him, + 'Listen to this message from the LORD, you king of Judah, sitting on David's throne. Let your attendants and your people listen, too. + This is what the LORD says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent! + If you obey me, there will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. The king will ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of attendants and subjects. + But if you refuse to pay attention to this warning, I swear by my own name, says the LORD, that this palace will become a pile of rubble.'" + Now this is what the LORD says concerning Judah's royal palace: "I love you as much as fruitful Gilead and the green forests of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, with no one living within your walls. + I will call for wreckers, who will bring out their tools to dismantle you. They will tear out all your fine cedar beams and throw them on the fire. + "People from many nations will pass by the ruins of this city and say to one another, 'Why did the LORD destroy such a great city?' + And the answer will be, 'Because they violated their covenant with the LORD their God by worshiping other gods.'" + Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss. Instead, weep for the captive king being led away! For he will never return to see his native land again. + For this is what the LORD says about Jehoahaz, who succeeded his father, King Josiah, and was taken away as a captive: "He will never return. + He will die in a distant land and will never again see his own country." + And the LORD says, "What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. He builds injustice into its walls, for he makes his neighbors work for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor. + He says, 'I will build a magnificent palace with huge rooms and many windows. I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar and paint it a lovely red.' + But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king! Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink. But he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him. + He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" says the LORD. + "But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty! You murder the innocent, oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly." + Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah: "The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another, 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!' His subjects will not mourn for him, crying, 'Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!' + He will be buried like a dead donkey-- dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates! + Weep for your allies in Lebanon. Shout for them in Bashan. Search for them in the regions east of the river. See, they are all destroyed. Not one is left to help you. + I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, 'Don't bother me.' You have been that way since childhood-- you simply will not obey me! + And now the wind will blow away your allies. All your friends will be taken away as captives. Surely then you will see your wickedness and be ashamed. + It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish-- anguish like that of a woman in labor. + "As surely as I live," says the LORD, "I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off. + I will hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you so desperately fear-- to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the mighty Babylonian army. + I will expel you and your mother from this land, and you will die in a foreign country, not in your native land. + You will never again return to the land you yearn for. + "Why is this man Jehoiachin like a discarded, broken jar? Why are he and his children to be exiled to a foreign land? + O earth, earth, earth! Listen to this message from the LORD! + This is what the LORD says: 'Let the record show that this man Jehoiachin was childless. He is a failure, for none of his children will succeed him on the throne of David to rule over Judah.' + + + "What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people-- the shepherds of my sheep-- for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for," says the LORD. + Therefore, this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: "Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. + But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. + Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the LORD have spoken! + "For the time is coming," says the LORD, "when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David's line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. + And this will be his name: 'The LORD Is Our Righteousness.' In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. + "In that day," says the LORD, "when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.' + Instead, they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.' Then they will live in their own land." + My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the LORD has spoken against them. + For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning-- its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have. + "Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple," says the LORD. + "Therefore, the paths they take will become slippery. They will be chased through the dark, and there they will fall. For I will bring disaster upon them at the time fixed for their punishment. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people of Israel into sin. + But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were." + Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says concerning the prophets: "I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. For it is because of Jerusalem's prophets that wickedness has filled this land." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says to his people: "Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the LORD! + They keep saying to those who despise my word, 'Don't worry! The LORD says you will have peace!' And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, 'No harm will come your way!' + "Have any of these prophets been in the LORD's presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen? + Look! The LORD's anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked. + The anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this very clearly. + "I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying. + If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds. + Am I a God who is only close at hand?" says the LORD. "No, I am far away at the same time. + Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" says the LORD. + "I have heard these prophets say, 'Listen to the dream I had from God last night.' And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. + How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. + By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal. + "Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! + Does not my word burn like fire?" says the LORD. "Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces? + "Therefore," says the LORD, "I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me. + I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, 'This prophecy is from the LORD!' + I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the LORD have spoken! + "Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, 'What prophecy has the LORD burdened you with now?' You must reply, 'You are the burden! The LORD says he will abandon you!' + "If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, 'I have a prophecy from the LORD,' I will punish that person along with his entire family. + You should keep asking each other, 'What is the LORD's answer?' or 'What is the LORD saying?' + But stop using this phrase, 'prophecy from the LORD.' For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "This is what you should say to the prophets: 'What is the LORD's answer?' or 'What is the LORD saying?' + But suppose they respond, 'This is a prophecy from the LORD!' Then you should say, 'This is what the LORD says: Because you have used this phrase, "prophecy from the LORD," even though I warned you not to use it, + I will forget you completely. I will expel you from my presence, along with this city that I gave to you and your ancestors. + And I will make you an object of ridicule, and your name will be infamous throughout the ages.'" + + + After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the officials of Judah and all the craftsmen and artisans, the LORD gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem. + One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with bad figs that were too rotten to eat. + Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I replied, "Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat." + Then the LORD gave me this message: + "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians. + I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. + I will give them hearts that recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly. + "But the bad figs," the LORD said, "represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. + I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them. + And I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors." + + + This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign. + Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people in Judah and Jerusalem, + "For the past twenty-three years-- from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until now-- the LORD has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened. + "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention. + Each time the message was this: 'Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the LORD gave to you and your ancestors forever. + Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.' + "But you would not listen to me," says the LORD. "You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. + And now the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, + I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. + I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. + This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. + "Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins," says the LORD. "I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever. + I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book-- all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. + Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people." + This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. + When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them." + So I took the cup of anger from the LORD and made all the nations drink from it-- every nation to which the LORD sent me. + I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing. + I gave the cup to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials, and all his people, + along with all the foreigners living in that land. I also gave it to all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod. + Then I gave the cup to the nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, + and the kings of Tyre and Sidon, and the kings of the regions across the sea. + I gave it to Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and to the people who live in distant places. + I gave it to the kings of Arabia, the kings of the nomadic tribes of the desert, + and to the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media. + And I gave it to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other-- all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon himself drank from the cup of the LORD's anger. + Then the LORD said to me, "Now tell them, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink from this cup of my anger. Get drunk and vomit; fall to rise no more, for I am sending terrible wars against you.' + And if they refuse to accept the cup, tell them, 'The LORD of Heaven's Armies says: You have no choice but to drink from it. + I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city that bears my name. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!' + "Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, " 'The LORD will roar against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout like those who tread grapes; he will shout against everyone on earth. + His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with the sword. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!" + In that day those the LORD has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered on the ground like manure. + Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like a fragile vase. + You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape. + Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds. The leaders of the flock are wailing in despair, for the LORD is ruining their pastures. + Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland by the LORD's fierce anger. + He has left his den like a strong lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the LORD's fierce anger. + + + This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. + "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the LORD, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. + Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins. + "Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you will not listen to me and obey my word I have given you, + and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets-- for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them-- + then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.'" + The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the LORD's Temple. + But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the LORD had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. "Kill him!" they shouted. + "What right do you have to prophesy in the LORD's name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants?" And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple. + When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court. + The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. "This man should die!" they said. "You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city." + Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. "The LORD gave me every word that I have spoken. + But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the LORD your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you. + As for me, I am in your hands-- do with me as you think best. + But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the LORD sent me to speak every word you have heard." + Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, "This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." + Then some of the wise old men stood and spoke to all the people assembled there. + They said, "Remember when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands.' + But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the LORD. They begged him for mercy. Then the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm." + At this time Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the LORD. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did. + When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plan and escaped in fear to Egypt. + Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt along with several other men to capture Uriah. + They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave. + Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed. + + + This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah. + This is what the LORD said to me: "Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather thongs. + Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. + Give them this message for their masters: 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: + With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. + Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. + All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. + So you must submit to Babylon's king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon's yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the LORD. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it. + " 'Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, "The king of Babylon will not conquer you." + They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die. + But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" + Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. "If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people. + Why do you insist on dying-- you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the LORD will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon's king? + Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, 'The king of Babylon will not conquer you.' They are liars. + This is what the LORD says: 'I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die-- you and all these prophets, too.'" + Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold articles taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie! + Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed? + If they really are prophets and speak the LORD's messages, let them pray to the LORD of Heaven's Armies. Let them pray that the articles remaining in the LORD's Temple and in the king's palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem will not be carried away to Babylon!' + "For the LORD of Heaven's Armies has spoken about the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles. + King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. + Yes, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple and in the palace of Judah's king: + 'They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,' says the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.'" + + + One day in late summer of that same year-- the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah-- Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said, + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. + Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. + And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the LORD, have spoken!' " + Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple. + He said, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the LORD does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives. + But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. + The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease. + So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the LORD." + Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah's neck and broke it in pieces. + And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, "This is what the LORD says: 'Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.' " With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area. + Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: + "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.'" + Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. + Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the LORD.'" + Two months later the prophet Hananiah died. + + + Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. + This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem. + He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah's ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah's letter said: + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: + "Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. + Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! + And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, + because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them," says the LORD. + This is what the LORD says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. + For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. + In those days when you pray, I will listen. + If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. + I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." + You claim that the LORD has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. + But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem-- your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon. + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. + Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. + For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either," says the LORD. + Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD, all you captives there in Babylon. + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets-- Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah-- who are telling you lies in my name: "I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes. + Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, 'May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!' + For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the LORD, have spoken." + The LORD sent this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite in Babylon: + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah, + "The LORD has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the LORD. You are responsible to put into stocks and neck irons any crazy man who claims to be a prophet. + So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you? + Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said, 'Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.'" + But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah's letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him. + Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: + "Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, 'This is what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies, + I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" + + + The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, + "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. + For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it again. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + This is the message the LORD gave concerning Israel and Judah. + This is what the LORD says: "I hear cries of fear; there is terror and no peace. + Now let me ask you a question: Do men give birth to babies? Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced, hands pressed against their sides like a woman in labor? + In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved! + For in that day," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will break the yoke from their necks and snap their chains. Foreigners will no longer be their masters. + For my people will serve the LORD their God and their king descended from David-- the king I will raise up for them. + "So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel," says the LORD. "For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them. + For I am with you and will save you," says the LORD. "I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished." + This is what the LORD says: "Your injury is incurable-- a terrible wound. + There is no one to help you or to bind up your injury. No medicine can heal you. + All your lovers-- your allies-- have left you and do not care about you anymore. I have wounded you cruelly, as though I were your enemy. For your sins are many, and your guilt is great. + Why do you protest your punishment-- this wound that has no cure? I have had to punish you because your sins are many and your guilt is great. + "But all who devour you will be devoured, and all your enemies will be sent into exile. All who plunder you will be plundered, and all who attack you will be attacked. + I will give you back your health and heal your wounds," says the LORD. "For you are called an outcast-- 'Jerusalem for whom no one cares.' " + This is what the LORD says: "When I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins, and the palace reconstructed as before. + There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them. + Their children will prosper as they did long ago. I will establish them as a nation before me, and I will punish anyone who hurts them. + They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me," says the LORD, "for who would dare to come unless invited? + You will be my people, and I will be your God." + Look! The LORD's anger bursts out like a storm, a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked. + The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this. + + + "In that day," says the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. + This is what the LORD says: "Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel." + Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. + I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines. + Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. + The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD our God.' " + Now this is what the LORD says: "Sing with joy for Israel. Shout for the greatest of nations! Shout out with praise and joy: 'Save your people, O LORD, the remnant of Israel!' + For I will bring them from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the expectant mothers and women in labor. A great company will return! + Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my oldest child. + "Listen to this message from the LORD, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The LORD, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock. + For the LORD has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them. + They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the LORD's good gifts-- the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone. + The young women will dance for joy, and the men-- old and young-- will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. + The priests will enjoy abundance, and my people will feast on my good gifts. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + This is what the LORD says: "A cry is heard in Ramah-- deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted-- for her children are gone." + But now this is what the LORD says: "Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you," says the LORD. "Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. + There is hope for your future," says the LORD. "Your children will come again to their own land. + I have heard Israel saying, 'You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the LORD my God. + I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.' + "Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?" says the LORD. "I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That's why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. + Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again, my virgin Israel; return to your towns here. + How long will you wander, my wayward daughter? For the LORD will cause something new to happen-- Israel will embrace her God. " + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, 'The LORD bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!' + Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness. + For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing." + At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet. + "The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah. + In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "The people will no longer quote this proverb: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste.' + All people will die for their own sins-- those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker. + "The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. + This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD. + "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. + And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." + It is the LORD who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies, and this is what he says: + "I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!" + This is what the LORD says: "Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away for the evil they have done. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "The day is coming," says the LORD, "when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. + A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. + And the entire area-- including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate-- will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be captured or destroyed." + + + The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. This was also the eighteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. + Jerusalem was then under siege from the Babylonian army, and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. + King Zedekiah had put him there, asking why he kept giving this prophecy: "This is what the LORD says: 'I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will take it. + King Zedekiah will be captured by the Babylonians and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. + He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and I will deal with him there,' says the LORD. 'If you fight against the Babylonians, you will never succeed.'" + At that time the LORD sent me a message. He said, + "Your cousin Hanamel son of Shallum will come and say to you, 'Buy my field at Anathoth. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else.'" + Then, just as the LORD had said he would, my cousin Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, "Please buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else, so buy it for yourself." Then I knew that the message I had heard was from the LORD. + So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen pieces of silver for it. + I signed and sealed the deed of purchase before witnesses, weighed out the silver, and paid him. + Then I took the sealed deed and an unsealed copy of the deed, which contained the terms and conditions of the purchase, + and I handed them to Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did all this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all the men of Judah who were there in the courtyard of the guardhouse. + Then I said to Baruch as they all listened, + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.' + For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.'" + Then after I had given the papers to Baruch, I prayed to the LORD: + "O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! + You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation's sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve. + You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt-- things still remembered to this day! And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name famous to this day. + "You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with a strong hand and powerful arm, and with overwhelming terror. + You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before-- a land flowing with milk and honey. + Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your word. They have not done anything you commanded. That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them. + "See how the siege ramps have been built against the city walls! Through war, famine, and disease, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will conquer it. Everything has happened just as you said. + And yet, O Sovereign LORD, you have told me to buy the field-- paying good money for it before these witnesses-- even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians." + Then this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? + Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I will hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will capture it. + The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses where the people provoked my anger by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out liquid offerings to other gods. + Israel and Judah have done nothing but wrong since their earliest days. They have infuriated me with all their evil deeds," says the LORD. + "From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it. + "The sins of Israel and Judah-- the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets-- have stirred up my anger. + My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return. Even though I diligently taught them, they would not receive instruction or obey. + They have set up their abominable idols right in my own Temple, defiling it. + They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly! + "Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, 'It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.' But this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: + I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. + They will be my people, and I will be their God. + And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. + And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. + I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. + "This is what the LORD says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. + Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, 'It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.' + Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold-- deeds signed and sealed and witnessed-- in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the LORD gave him this second message: + "This is what the LORD says-- the LORD who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the LORD: + Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. + For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king's palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy. + You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness. + "Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem's wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. + I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. + I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. + Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them. + "This is what the LORD says: You have said, 'This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.' Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah's other towns, there will be heard once more + the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the LORD. They will sing, 'Give thanks to the LORD of Heaven's Armies, for the LORD is good. His faithful love endures forever!' For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the LORD. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: This land-- though it is now desolate and has no people and animals-- will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks. + Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "The day will come, says the LORD, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them. + "In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David's line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. + In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: 'The LORD Is Our Righteousness.' + For this is what the LORD says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever. + And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me." + Then this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "This is what the LORD says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, + only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. + And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me." + The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, + "Have you noticed what people are saying?-- 'The LORD chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!' They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation. + But this is what the LORD says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky. + I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David's descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them." + + + King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. + You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon. + " 'But listen to this promise from the LORD, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the LORD says: You will not be killed in war + but will die peacefully. People will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, crying, "Alas, our master is dead!" This I have decreed, says the LORD.'" + So Jeremiah the prophet delivered the message to King Zedekiah of Judah. + At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah-- the only fortified cities of Judah not yet captured. + This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves. + He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves-- both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage. + The officials and all the people had obeyed the king's command, + but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again. + So the LORD gave them this message through Jeremiah: + "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. + I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me. + Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name. + But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again. + "Therefore, this is what the LORD says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth. + Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. + Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people-- for you have broken your oath. + I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals. + "I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although Babylon's king has left Jerusalem for a while, + I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there." + + + This is the message the LORD gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah: + "Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the LORD's Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine." + So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons-- representing all the Recabite families. + I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper. + I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink, + but they refused. "No," they said, "we don't drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'You and your descendants must never drink wine. + And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.' + So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters. + We haven't built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops. + We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor. + But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here." + Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 'Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. + The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me. + Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, "Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors." But you would not listen to me or obey me. + The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.' + "Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.'" + Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.' + Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.'" + + + During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: + "Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time. + Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings." + So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that the LORD had given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll. + Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, "I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple. + So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the LORD that I have had you write on this scroll. Read them so the people who are there from all over Judah will hear them. + Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the LORD's forgiveness before it is too late. For the LORD has threatened them with his terrible anger." + Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the LORD to the people at the Temple. + He did this on a day of sacred fasting held in late autumn, during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah had come to Jerusalem to attend the services at the Temple on that day. + Baruch read Jeremiah's words on the scroll to all the people. He stood in front of the Temple room of Gemariah, son of Shaphan the secretary. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance. + When Micaiah son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan heard the messages from the LORD, + he went down to the secretary's room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. + When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people, + the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them. + "Sit down and read the scroll to us," the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested. + When they heard all the messages, they looked at one another in alarm. "We must tell the king what we have heard," they said to Baruch. + "But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?" + So Baruch explained, "Jeremiah dictated them, and I wrote them down in ink, word for word, on this scroll." + "You and Jeremiah should both hide," the officials told Baruch. "Don't tell anyone where you are!" + Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king what had happened. + The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama's room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by. + It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm. + Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up. + Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard. + Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn't listen. + Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the LORD had hidden them. + After the king had burned the scroll on which Baruch had written Jeremiah's words, the LORD gave Jeremiah another message. He said, + "Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned. + Then say to the king, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and empty it of people and animals. + Now this is what the LORD says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied-- exposed to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. + I will punish him and his family and his attendants for their sins. I will pour out on them and on all the people of Jerusalem and Judah all the disasters I promised, for they would not listen to my warnings.'" + So Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary, Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time he added much more! + + + Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. + But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the LORD said through Jeremiah. + Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, "Please pray to the LORD our God for us." + Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased. + At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonian army heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem. + Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: + "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him, 'Pharaoh's army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you. + Then the Babylonians will come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground.' + "This is what the LORD says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren't! + Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!" + When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's approaching army, + Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the territory of Benjamin, to claim his share of the property among his relatives there. + But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, "You are defecting to the Babylonians!" The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah. + "That's not true!" Jeremiah protested. "I had no intention of doing any such thing." But Irijah wouldn't listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials. + They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan's house had been converted into a prison. + Jeremiah was put into a dungeon cell, where he remained for many days. + Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, "Do you have any messages from the LORD?" "Yes, I do!" said Jeremiah. "You will be defeated by the king of Babylon." + Then Jeremiah asked the king, "What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your attendants, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this? + Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? + Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don't send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there." + So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison. + + + Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying, + "This is what the LORD says: 'Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live!' + The LORD also says: 'The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.'" + So these officials went to the king and said, "Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!" + King Zedekiah agreed. "All right," he said. "Do as you like. I can't stop you." + So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it. + But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, + so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. + "My lord the king," he said, "these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone." + So the king told Ebed-melech, "Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies." + So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. + Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, "Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes." Then when Jeremiah was ready, + they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard-- the palace prison-- where he remained. + One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the third entrance of the LORD's Temple. "I want to ask you something," the king said. "And don't try to hide the truth." + Jeremiah said, "If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway." + So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, "As surely as the LORD our Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead." + Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down. + But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground.'" + "But I am afraid to surrender," the king said, "for the Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me!" + Jeremiah replied, "You won't be handed over to them if you choose to obey the LORD. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you. + But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the LORD has revealed to me: + All the women left in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. Then the women will taunt you, saying, 'What fine friends you have! They have betrayed and misled you. When your feet sank in the mud, they left you to your fate!' + All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you will not escape. You will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down." + Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Don't tell anyone you told me this, or you will die! + My officials may hear that I spoke to you, and they may say, 'Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you don't tell us, we will kill you.' + If this happens, just tell them you begged me not to send you back to Jonathan's dungeon, for fear you would die there." + Sure enough, it wasn't long before the king's officials came to Jeremiah and asked him why the king had called for him. But Jeremiah followed the king's instructions, and they left without finding out the truth. No one had overheard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king. + And Jeremiah remained a prisoner in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured. + + + In January of the ninth year of King Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar came with his army to besiege Jerusalem. + Two and a half years later, on July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the Babylonians broke through the wall, and the city fell. + All the officers of the Babylonian army came in and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, and Nebo-sarsekim, a chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the king's adviser, and all the other officers. + When King Zedekiah and all the soldiers saw that the Babylonians had broken into the city, they fled. They waited for nightfall and then slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king's garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley. + But the Babylonian troops chased the king and caught him on the plains of Jericho. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. + He made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons and all the nobles of Judah. + Then they gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. + Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the palace, and tore down the walls of the city. + Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, sent to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city as well as those who had defected to him. + But Nebuzaradan left a few of the poorest people in Judah, and he assigned them vineyards and fields to care for. + King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. + "See that he isn't hurt," he said. "Look after him well, and give him anything he wants." + So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal-sharezer, the king's adviser; and the other officers of Babylon's king + sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people. + The LORD had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison: + "Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, + but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. + Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" + + + The LORD gave a message to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the other captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon. + The captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, "The LORD your God has brought this disaster on this land, + just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the LORD and disobeyed him. That is why it happened. + But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don't want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you-- go wherever you like. + If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. He has been appointed governor of Judah by the king of Babylon. Stay there with the people he rules. But it's up to you; go wherever you like." Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, gave Jeremiah some food and money and let him go. + So Jeremiah returned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and he lived in Judah with the few who were still left in the land. + The leaders of the Judean guerrilla bands in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah-- the men, women, and children who hadn't been exiled to Babylon. + So they went to see Gedaliah at Mizpah. These included: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, and all their men. + Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonians meant them no harm. "Don't be afraid to serve them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you," he promised. + "As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to meet with us. Settle in the towns you have taken, and live off the land. Harvest the grapes and summer fruits and olives, and store them away." + When the Judeans in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the other nearby countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few people in Judah and that Gedaliah was the governor, + they began to return to Judah from the places to which they had fled. They stopped at Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah and then went into the Judean countryside to gather a great harvest of grapes and other crops. + Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. + They said to him, "Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?" But Gedaliah refused to believe them. + Later Johanan had a private conference with Gedaliah and volunteered to kill Ishmael secretly. "Why should we let him come and murder you?" Johanan asked. "What will happen then to the Judeans who have returned? Why should the few of us who are still left be scattered and lost?" + But Gedaliah said to Johanan, "I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael." + + + But in midautumn, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and had been one of the king's high officials, went to Mizpah with ten men to meet Gedaliah. While they were eating together, + Ishmael and his ten men suddenly jumped up, drew their swords, and killed Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor. + Ishmael also killed all the Judeans and the Babylonian soldiers who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. + The next day, before anyone had heard about Gedaliah's murder, + eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria to worship at the Temple of the LORD. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, and had brought along grain offerings and frankincense. + Ishmael left Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he reached them, he said, "Oh, come and see what has happened to Gedaliah!" + But as soon as they were all inside the town, Ishmael and his men killed all but ten of them and threw their bodies into a cistern. + The other ten had talked Ishmael into letting them go by promising to bring him their stores of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey that they had hidden away. + The cistern where Ishmael dumped the bodies of the men he murdered was the large one dug by King Asa when he fortified Mizpah to protect himself against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with corpses. + Then Ishmael made captives of the king's daughters and the other people who had been left under Gedaliah's care in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard. Taking them with him, he started back toward the land of Ammon. + But when Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders heard about Ishmael's crimes, + they took all their men and set out to stop him. They caught up with him at the large pool near Gibeon. + The people Ishmael had captured shouted for joy when they saw Johanan and the other guerrilla leaders. + And all the captives from Mizpah escaped and began to help Johanan. + Meanwhile, Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan into the land of Ammon. + Then Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders took all the people they had rescued in Gibeon-- the soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom Ishmael had captured after he killed Gedaliah. + They took them all to the village of Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem, where they prepared to leave for Egypt. + They were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they heard that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonian king. + + + Then all the guerrilla leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached + Jeremiah the prophet. They said, "Please pray to the LORD your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. + Pray that the LORD your God will show us what to do and where to go." + "All right," Jeremiah replied. "I will pray to the LORD your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you." + Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! + Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us." + Ten days later the LORD gave his reply to Jeremiah. + So he called for Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders, and for all the people, from the least to the greatest. + He said to them, "You sent me to the LORD, the God of Israel, with your request, and this is his reply: + 'Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry about all the punishment I have had to bring upon you. + Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore,' says the LORD. 'For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power. + I will be merciful to you by making him kind, so he will let you stay here in your land.' + "But if you refuse to obey the LORD your God, and if you say, 'We will not stay here; + instead, we will go to Egypt where we will be free from war, the call to arms, and hunger,' + then hear the LORD's message to the remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'If you are determined to go to Egypt and live there, + the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there. + That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape the disaster I will bring upon you there.' + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Just as my anger and fury have been poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.' + "Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: 'Do not go to Egypt!' Don't forget this warning I have given you today. + For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the LORD your God for you. You said, 'Just tell us what the LORD our God says, and we will do it!' + And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the LORD your God any better now than you have in the past. + So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going." + + + When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the LORD their God to all the people, + Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, "You lie! The LORD our God hasn't forbidden us to go to Egypt! + Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, because he wants us to stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile." + So Johanan and the other guerrilla leaders and all the people refused to obey the LORD's command to stay in Judah. + Johanan and the other leaders took with them all the people who had returned from the nearby countries to which they had fled. + In the crowd were men, women, and children, the king's daughters, and all those whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah. The prophet Jeremiah and Baruch were also included. + The people refused to obey the voice of the LORD and went to Egypt, going as far as the city of Tahpanhes. + Then at Tahpanhes, the LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, + "While the people of Judah are watching, take some large rocks and bury them under the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace here in Tahpanhes. + Then say to the people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt. I will set his throne over these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them. + And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt. He will bring death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and war to those destined for war. + He will set fire to the temples of Egypt's gods; he will burn the temples and carry the idols away as plunder. He will pick clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks fleas from his cloak. And he himself will leave unharmed. + He will break down the sacred pillars standing in the temple of the sun in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of Egypt's gods.' " + + + This is the message Jeremiah received concerning the Judeans living in northern Egypt in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and in southern Egypt as well: + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: You saw the calamity I brought on Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. They now lie deserted and in ruins. + They provoked my anger with all their wickedness. They burned incense and worshiped other gods-- gods that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors had ever even known. + "Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, 'Don't do these horrible things that I hate so much.' + But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these gods. + And so my fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Judah and into the streets of Jerusalem, and they are still a desolate ruin today. + "And now the LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, asks you: Why are you destroying yourselves? For not one of you will survive-- not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Judah, not even the babies in your arms. + Why provoke my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the earth. + Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings and queens of Judah, and the sins you and your wives committed in Judah and Jerusalem? + To this very hour you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my word and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you. + "Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to destroy every one of you! + I will take this remnant of Judah-- those who were determined to come here and live in Egypt-- and I will consume them. They will fall here in Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die, from the least to the greatest. They will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. + I will punish them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and disease. + Of that remnant who fled to Egypt, hoping someday to return to Judah, there will be no survivors. Even though they long to return home, only a handful will do so." + Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols-- a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern Egypt-- answered Jeremiah, + "We will not listen to your messages from the LORD! + We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like-- just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! + But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine." + "Besides," the women added, "do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!" + Then Jeremiah said to all of them, men and women alike, who had given him that answer, + "Do you think the LORD did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + It was because the LORD could no longer bear all the disgusting things you were doing that he made your land an object of cursing-- a desolate ruin without inhabitants-- as it is today. + All these terrible things happened to you because you have burned incense to idols and sinned against the LORD. You have refused to obey him and have not followed his instructions, his decrees, and his laws." + Then Jeremiah said to them all, including the women, "Listen to this message from the LORD, all you citizens of Judah who live in Egypt. + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'You and your wives have said, "We will keep our promises to burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven," and you have proved by your actions that you meant it. So go ahead and carry out your promises and vows to her!' + "But listen to this message from the LORD, all you Judeans now living in Egypt: 'I have sworn by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that my name will no longer be spoken by any of the Judeans in the land of Egypt. None of you may invoke my name or use this oath: "As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives." + For I will watch over you to bring you disaster and not good. Everyone from Judah who is now living in Egypt will suffer war and famine until all of you are dead. + Only a small number will escape death and return to Judah from Egypt. Then all those who came to Egypt will find out whose words are true-- mine or theirs! + " 'And this is the proof I give you,' says the LORD, 'that all I have threatened will happen to you and that I will punish you here.' + This is what the LORD says: 'I will turn Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies who want to kill him, just as I turned King Zedekiah of Judah over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.' " + + + The prophet Jeremiah gave a message to Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, after Baruch had written down everything Jeremiah had dictated to him. He said, + "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: + You have said, 'I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven't I had enough pain already? And now the LORD has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.' + "Baruch, this is what the LORD says: 'I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted. + Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don't do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" + + + The following messages were given to Jeremiah the prophet from the LORD concerning foreign nations. + This message concerning Egypt was given in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, on the occasion of the battle of Carchemish when Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, and his army were defeated beside the Euphrates River by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. + "Prepare your shields, and advance into battle! + Harness the horses, and mount the stallions. Take your positions. Put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and prepare your armor. + But what do I see? The Egyptian army flees in terror. The bravest of its fighting men run without a backward glance. They are terrorized at every turn," says the LORD. + "The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall. + "Who is this, rising like the Nile at floodtime, overflowing all the land? + It is the Egyptian army, overflowing all the land, boasting that it will cover the earth like a flood, destroying cities and their people. + Charge, you horses and chariots; attack, you mighty warriors of Egypt! Come, all you allies from Ethiopia, Libya, and Lydia who are skilled with the shield and bow! + For this is the day of the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, a day of vengeance on his enemies. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, yes, until it is drunk with your blood! The Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will receive a sacrifice today in the north country beside the Euphrates River. + "Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing. + The nations have heard of your shame. The earth is filled with your cries of despair. Your mightiest warriors will run into each other and fall down together." + Then the LORD gave the prophet Jeremiah this message about King Nebuchadnezzar's plans to attack Egypt. + "Shout it out in Egypt! Publish it in the cities of Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes! Mobilize for battle, for the sword will devour everyone around you. + Why have your warriors fallen? They cannot stand, for the LORD has knocked them down. + They stumble and fall over each other and say among themselves, 'Come, let's go back to our people, to the land of our birth. Let's get away from the sword of the enemy!' + There they will say, 'Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is a loudmouth who missed his opportunity!' + "As surely as I live," says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "one is coming against Egypt who is as tall as Mount Tabor, or as Mount Carmel by the sea! + Pack up! Get ready to leave for exile, you citizens of Egypt! The city of Memphis will be destroyed, without a single inhabitant. + Egypt is as sleek as a beautiful young cow, but a horsefly from the north is on its way! + Egypt's mercenaries have become like fattened calves. They, too, will turn and run, for it is a day of great disaster for Egypt, a time of great punishment. + Egypt flees, silent as a serpent gliding away. The invading army marches in; they come against her with axes like woodsmen. + They will cut down her people like trees," says the LORD, "for they are more numerous than locusts. + Egypt will be humiliated; she will be handed over to people from the north." + The LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes, and all the other gods of Egypt. I will punish its rulers and Pharaoh, too, and all who trust in him. + I will hand them over to those who want them killed-- to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army. But afterward the land will recover from the ravages of war. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them. + Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you," says the LORD. "I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished." + + + This is the LORD's message to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines of Gaza, before it was captured by the Egyptian army. + This is what the LORD says: "A flood is coming from the north to overflow the land. It will destroy the land and everything in it-- cities and people alike. People will scream in terror, and everyone in the land will wail. + Hear the clatter of stallions' hooves and the rumble of wheels as the chariots rush by. Terrified fathers run madly, without a backward glance at their helpless children. + "The time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed, along with their allies from Tyre and Sidon. Yes, the LORD is destroying the remnant of the Philistines, those colonists from the island of Crete. + Gaza will be humiliated, its head shaved bald; Ashkelon will lie silent. You remnant from the Mediterranean coast, how long will you lament and mourn? + "Now, O sword of the LORD, when will you be at rest again? Go back into your sheath; rest and be still. + "But how can it be still when the LORD has sent it on a mission? For the city of Ashkelon and the people living along the sea must be destroyed." + + + This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo; it will soon lie in ruins. The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured; the fortress will be humiliated and broken down. + No one will ever brag about Moab again, for in Heshbon there is a plot to destroy her. 'Come,' they say, 'we will cut her off from being a nation.' The town of Madmen, too, will be silenced; the sword will follow you there. + Listen to the cries from Horonaim, cries of devastation and great destruction. + All Moab is destroyed. Her little ones will cry out. + Her refugees weep bitterly, climbing the slope to Luhith. They cry out in terror, descending the slope to Horonaim. + Flee for your lives! Hide in the wilderness! + Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive. Your god Chemosh, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands! + "All the towns will be destroyed, and no one will escape-- either on the plateaus or in the valleys, for the LORD has spoken. + Oh, that Moab had wings so she could fly away, for her towns will be left empty, with no one living in them. + Cursed are those who refuse to do the LORD's work, who hold back their swords from shedding blood! + "From his earliest history, Moab has lived in peace, never going into exile. He is like wine that has been allowed to settle. He has not been poured from flask to flask, and he is now fragrant and smooth. + But the time is coming soon," says the LORD, "when I will send men to pour him from his jar. They will pour him out, then shatter the jar! + At last Moab will be ashamed of his idol Chemosh, as the people of Israel were ashamed of their gold calf at Bethel. + "You used to boast, 'We are heroes, mighty men of war.' + But now Moab and his towns will be destroyed. His most promising youth are doomed to slaughter," says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "Destruction is coming fast for Moab; calamity threatens ominously. + You friends of Moab, weep for him and cry! See how the strong scepter is broken, how the beautiful staff is shattered! + "Come down from your glory and sit in the dust, you people of Dibon, for those who destroy Moab will shatter Dibon, too. They will tear down all your towers. + You people of Aroer, stand beside the road and watch. Shout to those who flee from Moab, 'What has happened there?' + "And the reply comes back, 'Moab lies in ruins, disgraced; weep and wail! Tell it by the banks of the Arnon River: Moab has been destroyed!' + Judgment has been poured out on the towns of the plateau-- on Holon and Jahaz and Mephaath, + on Dibon and Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, + on Kiriathaim and Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, + on Kerioth and Bozrah-- all the towns of Moab, far and near. + "The strength of Moab has ended. His arm has been broken," says the LORD. + "Let him stagger and fall like a drunkard, for he has rebelled against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his own vomit, ridiculed by all. + Did you not ridicule the people of Israel? Were they caught in the company of thieves that you should despise them as you do? + "You people of Moab, flee from your towns and live in the caves. Hide like doves that nest in the clefts of the rocks. + We have all heard of the pride of Moab, for his pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart. + I know about his insolence," says the LORD, "but his boasts are empty-- as empty as his deeds. + So now I wail for Moab; yes, I will mourn for Moab. My heart is broken for the men of Kir-hareseth. + "You people of Sibmah, rich in vineyards, I will weep for you even more than I did for Jazer. Your spreading vines once reached as far as the Dead Sea, but the destroyer has stripped you bare! He has harvested your grapes and summer fruits. + Joy and gladness are gone from fruitful Moab. The presses yield no wine. No one treads the grapes with shouts of joy. There is shouting, yes, but not of joy. + "Instead, their awful cries of terror can be heard from Heshbon clear across to Elealeh and Jahaz; from Zoar all the way to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up now. + "I will put an end to Moab," says the LORD, "for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods. + My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared. + The people shave their heads and beards in mourning. They slash their hands and put on clothes made of burlap. + There is crying and sorrow in every Moabite home and on every street. For I have smashed Moab like an old, unwanted jar. + How it is shattered! Hear the wailing! See the shame of Moab! It has become an object of ridicule, an example of ruin to all its neighbors." + This is what the LORD says: "Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Moab. + Its cities will fall, and its strongholds will be seized. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor. + Moab will no longer be a nation, for it has boasted against the LORD. + "Terror and traps and snares will be your lot, O Moab," says the LORD. + "Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will step into a snare. I will see to it that you do not get away, for the time of your judgment has come," says the LORD. + "The people flee as far as Heshbon but are unable to go on. For a fire comes from Heshbon, King Sihon's ancient home, to devour the entire land with all its rebellious people. + "O Moab, they weep for you! The people of the god Chemosh are destroyed! Your sons and your daughters have been taken away as captives. + But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come. I, the LORD, have spoken!" This is the end of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Moab. + + + This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the LORD says: "Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns? + In the days to come," says the LORD, "I will sound the battle cry against your city of Rabbah. It will become a desolate heap of ruins, and the neighboring towns will be burned. Then Israel will take back the land you took from her," says the LORD. + "Cry out, O Heshbon, for the town of Ai is destroyed. Weep, O people of Rabbah! Put on your clothes of mourning. Weep and wail, hiding in the hedges, for your god Molech, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands. + You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you. + But look! I will bring terror upon you," says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Your neighbors will chase you from your land, and no one will help your exiles as they flee. + But I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites in days to come. I, the LORD, have spoken." + This message was given concerning Edom. This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "Is there no wisdom in Teman? Is no one left to give wise counsel? + Turn and flee! Hide in deep caves, you people of Dedan! For when I bring disaster on Edom, I will punish you, too! + Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. If thieves came at night, they would not take everything. + But I will strip bare the land of Edom, and there will be no place left to hide. Its children, its brothers, and its neighbors will all be destroyed, and Edom itself will be no more. + But I will protect the orphans who remain among you. Your widows, too, can depend on me for help." + And this is what the LORD says: "If the innocent must suffer, how much more must you! You will not go unpunished! You must drink this cup of judgment! + For I have sworn by my own name," says the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror and a heap of ruins; it will be mocked and cursed. All its towns and villages will be desolate forever." + I have heard a message from the LORD that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, "Form a coalition against Edom, and prepare for battle!" + The LORD says to Edom, "I will cut you down to size among the nations. You will be despised by all. + You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down," says the LORD. + "Edom will be an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will gasp at the destruction they see there. + It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns," says the LORD. "No one will live there; no one will inhabit it. + I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Edom from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?" + Listen to the LORD's plans against Edom and the people of Teman. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed. + The earth will shake with the noise of Edom's fall, and its cry of despair will be heard all the way to the Red Sea. + Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Bozrah. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor. + This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the LORD says: "The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear, for they have heard the news of their destruction. Their hearts are troubled like a wild sea in a raging storm. + Damascus has become feeble, and all her people turn to flee. Fear, anguish, and pain have gripped her as they grip a woman in labor. + That famous city, a city of joy, will be forsaken! + Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "And I will set fire to the walls of Damascus that will burn up the palaces of Ben-hadad." + This message was given concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which were attacked by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This is what the LORD says: "Advance against Kedar! Destroy the warriors from the East! + Their flocks and tents will be captured, and their household goods and camels will be taken away. Everywhere shouts of panic will be heard: 'We are terrorized at every turn!' + Run for your lives," says the LORD. "Hide yourselves in deep caves, you people of Hazor, for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has plotted against you and is preparing to destroy you. + "Go up and attack that complacent nation," says the LORD. "Its people live alone in the desert without walls or gates. + Their camels and other livestock will all be yours. I will scatter to the winds these people who live in remote places. I will bring calamity upon them from every direction," says the LORD. + "Hazor will be inhabited by jackals, and it will be desolate forever. No one will live there; no one will inhabit it." + This message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the LORD at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "I will destroy the archers of Elam-- the best of their forces. + I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world. + I myself will go with Elam's enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam," says the LORD. "Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely. + I will set my throne in Elam," says the LORD, "and I will destroy its king and officials. + But I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + The LORD gave Jeremiah the prophet this message concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. + This is what the LORD says: "Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced. + For a nation will attack her from the north and bring such destruction that no one will live there again. Everything will be gone; both people and animals will flee. + "In those coming days," says the LORD, "the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the LORD their God. + They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the LORD with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten. + "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can't remember how to get back to the sheepfold. + All who found them devoured them. Their enemies said, 'We did nothing wrong in attacking them, for they sinned against the LORD, their true place of rest, and the hope of their ancestors.' + "But now, flee from Babylon! Leave the land of the Babylonians. Like male goats at the head of the flock, lead my people home again. + For I am raising up an army of great nations from the north. They will join forces to attack Babylon, and she will be captured. The enemies' arrows will go straight to the mark; they will not miss! + Babylonia will be looted until the attackers are glutted with loot. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "You rejoice and are glad, you who plundered my chosen people. You frisk about like a calf in a meadow and neigh like a stallion. + But your homeland will be overwhelmed with shame and disgrace. You will become the least of nations-- a wilderness, a dry and desolate land. + Because of the LORD's anger, Babylon will become a deserted wasteland. All who pass by will be horrified and will gasp at the destruction they see there. + "Yes, prepare to attack Babylon, all you surrounding nations. Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows. For she has sinned against the LORD. + Shout war cries against her from every side. Look! She surrenders! Her walls have fallen. It is the LORD's vengeance, so take vengeance on her. Do to her as she has done to others! + Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands. + "The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones." + Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. + And I will bring Israel home again to its own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. + In those days," says the LORD, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve. + "Go up, my warriors, against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you," says the LORD. + "Let the battle cry be heard in the land, a shout of great destruction. + Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations! + Listen, Babylon, for I have set a trap for you. You are caught, for you have fought against the LORD. + The LORD has opened his armory and brought out weapons to vent his fury. The terror that falls upon the Babylonians will be the work of the Sovereign LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Yes, come against her from distant lands. Break open her granaries. Crush her walls and houses into heaps of rubble. Destroy her completely, and leave nothing! + Destroy even her young bulls-- it will be terrible for them, too! Slaughter them all! For Babylon's day of reckoning has come. + Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon, as they tell in Jerusalem how the LORD our God has taken vengeance against those who destroyed his Temple. + "Send out a call for archers to come to Babylon. Surround the city so none can escape. Do to her as she has done to others, for she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. + Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed," says the LORD. + "See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people," says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Your day of reckoning has arrived-- the day when I will punish you. + O land of arrogance, you will stumble and fall, and no one will raise you up. For I will light a fire in the cities of Babylon that will burn up everything around them." + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged. Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go. + But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest! + "The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians," says the LORD. "It will strike the people of Babylon-- her officials and wise men, too. + The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them. + The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered. + The sword will even strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. + "Soon Babylon will be inhabited by desert animals and hyenas. It will be a home for owls. Never again will people live there; it will lie desolate forever. + I will destroy it as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns," says the LORD. "No one will live there; no one will inhabit it. + "Look! A great army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are rising against you from far-off lands. + They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. As they ride forward on horses, they sound like a roaring sea. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, Babylon. + The king of Babylon has heard reports about the enemy, and he is weak with fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped him, like those of a woman in labor. + "I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?" + Listen to the LORD's plans against Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed. + The earth will shake with the shout, "Babylon has been taken!" and its cry of despair will be heard around the world. + + + This is what the LORD says: "I will stir up a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Babylonia. + Foreigners will come and winnow her, blowing her away as chaff. They will come from every side to rise against her in her day of trouble. + Don't let the archers put on their armor or draw their bows. Don't spare even her best soldiers! Let her army be completely destroyed. + They will fall dead in the land of the Babylonians, slashed to death in her streets. + For the LORD of Heaven's Armies has not abandoned Israel and Judah. He is still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." + Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves! Don't get trapped in her punishment! It is the LORD's time for vengeance; he will repay her in full. + Babylon has been a gold cup in the LORD's hands, a cup that made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank Babylon's wine, and it drove them all mad. + But suddenly Babylon, too, has fallen. Weep for her. Give her medicine. Perhaps she can yet be healed. + We would have helped her if we could, but nothing can save her now. Let her go; abandon her. Return now to your own land. For her punishment reaches to the heavens; it is so great it cannot be measured. + The LORD has vindicated us. Come, let us announce in Jerusalem everything the LORD our God has done. + Sharpen the arrows! Lift up the shields! For the LORD has inspired the kings of the Medes to march against Babylon and destroy her. This is his vengeance against those who desecrated his Temple. + Raise the battle flag against Babylon! Reinforce the guard and station the watchmen. Prepare an ambush, for the LORD will fulfill all his plans against Babylon. + You are a city by a great river, a great center of commerce, but your end has come. The thread of your life is cut. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies has taken this vow and has sworn to it by his own name: "Your cities will be filled with enemies, like fields swarming with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you." + The LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. + When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens are filled with water. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. + The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. + Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. + But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven's Armies is his name! + "You are my battle-ax and sword," says the LORD. "With you I will shatter nations and destroy many kingdoms. + With you I will shatter armies-- destroying the horse and rider, the chariot and charioteer. + With you I will shatter men and women, old people and children, young men and maidens. + With you I will shatter shepherds and flocks, farmers and oxen, captains and officers. + "I will repay Babylon and the people of Babylonia for all the wrong they have done to my people in Jerusalem," says the LORD. + "Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy," says the LORD. "I will raise my fist against you, to knock you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of burnt rubble. + You will be desolate forever. Even your stones will never again be used for building. You will be completely wiped out," says the LORD. + Raise a signal flag to the nations. Sound the battle cry! Mobilize them all against Babylon. Prepare them to fight against her! Bring out the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander, and bring a multitude of horses like swarming locusts! + Bring against her the armies of the nations-- led by the kings of the Medes and all their captains and officers. + The earth trembles and writhes in pain, for everything the LORD has planned against Babylon stands unchanged. Babylon will be left desolate without a single inhabitant. + Her mightiest warriors no longer fight. They stay in their barracks, their courage gone. They have become like women. The invaders have burned the houses and broken down the city gates. + The news is passed from one runner to the next as the messengers hurry to tell the king that his city has been captured. + All the escape routes are blocked. The marshes have been set aflame, and the army is in a panic. + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Babylon is like wheat on a threshing floor, about to be trampled. In just a little while her harvest will begin." + "King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has eaten and crushed us and drained us of strength. He has swallowed us like a great monster and filled his belly with our riches. He has thrown us out of our own country. + Make Babylon suffer as she made us suffer," say the people of Zion. "Make the people of Babylonia pay for spilling our blood," says Jerusalem. + This is what the LORD says to Jerusalem: "I will be your lawyer to plead your case, and I will avenge you. I will dry up her river, as well as her springs, + and Babylon will become a heap of ruins, haunted by jackals. She will be an object of horror and contempt, a place where no one lives. + Her people will roar together like strong lions. They will growl like lion cubs. + And while they lie inflamed with all their wine, I will prepare a different kind of feast for them. I will make them drink until they fall asleep, and they will never wake up again," says the LORD. + "I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats to be sacrificed. + "How Babylon is fallen-- great Babylon, praised throughout the earth! Now she has become an object of horror among the nations. + The sea has risen over Babylon; she is covered by its crashing waves. + Her cities now lie in ruins; she is a dry wasteland where no one lives or even passes by. + And I will punish Bel, the god of Babylon, and make him vomit up all he has eaten. The nations will no longer come and worship him. The wall of Babylon has fallen! + "Come out, my people, flee from Babylon. Save yourselves! Run from the LORD's fierce anger. + But do not panic; don't be afraid when you hear the first rumor of approaching forces. For rumors will keep coming year by year. Violence will erupt in the land as the leaders fight against each other. + For the time is surely coming when I will punish this great city and all her idols. Her whole land will be disgraced, and her dead will lie in the streets. + Then the heavens and earth will rejoice, for out of the north will come destroying armies against Babylon," says the LORD. + "Just as Babylon killed the people of Israel and others throughout the world, so must her people be killed. + Get out, all you who have escaped the sword! Do not stand and watch-- flee while you can! Remember the LORD, though you are in a far-off land, and think about your home in Jerusalem." + "We are ashamed," the people say. "We are insulted and disgraced because the LORD's Temple has been defiled by foreigners." + "Yes," says the LORD, "but the time is coming when I will destroy Babylon's idols. The groans of her wounded people will be heard throughout the land. + Though Babylon reaches as high as the heavens and makes her fortifications incredibly strong, I will still send enemies to plunder her. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "Listen! Hear the cry of Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians. + For the LORD is destroying Babylon. He will silence her loud voice. Waves of enemies pound against her; the noise of battle rings through the city. + Destroying armies come against Babylon. Her mighty men are captured, and their weapons break in their hands. For the LORD is a God who gives just punishment; he always repays in full. + I will make her officials and wise men drunk, along with her captains, officers, and warriors. They will fall asleep and never wake up again!" says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "The thick walls of Babylon will be leveled to the ground, and her massive gates will be burned. The builders from many lands have worked in vain, for their work will be destroyed by fire!" + The prophet Jeremiah gave this message to Seraiah son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah, a staff officer, when Seraiah went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah. This was during the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign. + Jeremiah had recorded on a scroll all the terrible disasters that would soon come upon Babylon-- all the words written here. + He said to Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, read aloud everything on this scroll. + Then say, 'LORD, you have said that you will destroy Babylon so that neither people nor animals will remain here. She will lie empty and abandoned forever.' + When you have finished reading the scroll, tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River. + Then say, 'In this same way Babylon and her people will sink, never again to rise, because of the disasters I will bring upon her.' " This is the end of Jeremiah's messages. + + + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. + But Zedekiah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Jehoiakim had done. + These things happened because of the LORD's anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile.Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls. + Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign. + By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone. + Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king's garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley. + But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and caught him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered. + They took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. + He made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons and all the other officials of Judah. + Then they gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death. + On August 17 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem. + He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city. + Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, then took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. + But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in Judah to care for the vineyards and fields. + The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the LORD's Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon. + They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, basins, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, also took the small bowls, incense burners, basins, pots, lampstands, dishes, bowls used for liquid offerings, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver. + The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea with the twelve bronze oxen beneath it, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the LORD's Temple in the days of King Solomon. + Each of the pillars was 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. They were hollow, with walls 3 inches thick. + The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7-1/2 feet high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around. + There were 96 pomegranates on the sides, and a total of 100 on the network around the top. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers. + And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; seven of the king's personal advisers; the army commander's chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land. + The number of captives taken to Babylon in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign was 3,023. + Then in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year he took 832 more. + In Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more-- a total of 4,600 captives in all. + In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on March 31 of that year. + He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon. + He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king's presence for the rest of his life. + So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. This continued until the day of his death. + + + + + Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave. + She sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one left to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies. + Judah has been led away into captivity, oppressed with cruel slavery. She lives among foreign nations and has no place of rest. Her enemies have chased her down, and she has nowhere to turn. + The roads to Jerusalem are in mourning, for crowds no longer come to celebrate the festivals. The city gates are silent, her priests groan, her young women are crying-- how bitter is her fate! + Her oppressors have become her masters, and her enemies prosper, for the LORD has punished Jerusalem for her many sins. Her children have been captured and taken away to distant lands. + All the majesty of beautiful Jerusalem has been stripped away. Her princes are like starving deer searching for pasture. They are too weak to run from the pursuing enemy. + In the midst of her sadness and wandering, Jerusalem remembers her ancient splendor. But now she has fallen to her enemy, and there is no one to help her. Her enemy struck her down and laughed as she fell. + Jerusalem has sinned greatly, so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag. All who once honored her now despise her, for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated. All she can do is groan and hide her face. + She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out. "LORD, see my misery," she cries. "The enemy has triumphed." + The enemy has plundered her completely, taking every precious thing she owns. She has seen foreigners violate her sacred Temple, the place the LORD had forbidden them to enter. + Her people groan as they search for bread. They have sold their treasures for food to stay alive. "O LORD, look," she mourns, "and see how I am despised. + "Does it mean nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see if there is any suffering like mine, which the LORD brought on me when he erupted in fierce anger. + "He has sent fire from heaven that burns in my bones. He has placed a trap in my path and turned me back. He has left me devastated, racked with sickness all day long. + "He wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity. The Lord sapped my strength and turned me over to my enemies; I am helpless in their hands. + "The Lord has treated my mighty men with contempt. At his command a great army has come to crush my young warriors. The Lord has trampled his beloved city like grapes are trampled in a winepress. + "For all these things I weep; tears flow down my cheeks. No one is here to comfort me; any who might encourage me are far away. My children have no future, for the enemy has conquered us." + Jerusalem reaches out for help, but no one comforts her. Regarding his people Israel, the LORD has said, "Let their neighbors be their enemies! Let them be thrown away like a filthy rag!" + "The LORD is right," Jerusalem says, "for I rebelled against him. Listen, people everywhere; look upon my anguish and despair, for my sons and daughters have been taken captive to distant lands. + "I begged my allies for help, but they betrayed me. My priests and leaders starved to death in the city, even as they searched for food to save their lives. + "LORD, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs, for I have rebelled against you. In the streets the sword kills, and at home there is only death. + "Others heard my groans, but no one turned to comfort me. When my enemies heard about my troubles, they were happy to see what you had done. Oh, bring the day you promised, when they will suffer as I have suffered. + "Look at all their evil deeds, LORD. Punish them, as you have punished me for all my sins. My groans are many, and I am sick at heart." + + + The Lord in his anger has cast a dark shadow over beautiful Jerusalem. The fairest of Israel's cities lies in the dust, thrown down from the heights of heaven. In his day of great anger, the Lord has shown no mercy even to his Temple. + Without mercy the Lord has destroyed every home in Israel. In his anger he has broken down the fortress walls of beautiful Jerusalem. He has brought them to the ground, dishonoring the kingdom and its rulers. + All the strength of Israel vanishes beneath his fierce anger. The Lord has withdrawn his protection as the enemy attacks. He consumes the whole land of Israel like a raging fire. + He bends his bow against his people, as though he were their enemy. His strength is used against them to kill their finest youth. His fury is poured out like fire on beautiful Jerusalem. + Yes, the Lord has vanquished Israel like an enemy. He has destroyed her palaces and demolished her fortresses. He has brought unending sorrow and tears upon beautiful Jerusalem. + He has broken down his Temple as though it were merely a garden shelter. The LORD has blotted out all memory of the holy festivals and Sabbath days. Kings and priests fall together before his fierce anger. + The Lord has rejected his own altar; he despises his own sanctuary. He has given Jerusalem's palaces to her enemies. They shout in the LORD's Temple as though it were a day of celebration. + The LORD was determined to destroy the walls of beautiful Jerusalem. He made careful plans for their destruction, then did what he had planned. Therefore, the ramparts and walls have fallen down before him. + Jerusalem's gates have sunk into the ground. He has smashed their locks and bars. Her kings and princes have been exiled to distant lands; her law has ceased to exist. Her prophets receive no more visions from the LORD. + The leaders of beautiful Jerusalem sit on the ground in silence. They are clothed in burlap and throw dust on their heads. The young women of Jerusalem hang their heads in shame. + I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people. Little children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets. + They cry out to their mothers, "We need food and drink!" Their lives ebb away in the streets like the life of a warrior wounded in battle. They gasp for life as they collapse in their mothers' arms. + What can I say about you? Who has ever seen such sorrow? O daughter of Jerusalem, to what can I compare your anguish? O virgin daughter of Zion, how can I comfort you? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? + Your prophets have said so many foolish things, false to the core. They did not save you from exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false pictures, filling you with false hope. + All who pass by jeer at you. They scoff and insult beautiful Jerusalem, saying, "Is this the city called 'Most Beautiful in All the World' and 'Joy of All the Earth'?" + All your enemies mock you. They scoff and snarl and say, "We have destroyed her at last! We have long waited for this day, and it is finally here!" + But it is the LORD who did just as he planned. He has fulfilled the promises of disaster he made long ago. He has destroyed Jerusalem without mercy. He has caused her enemies to gloat over her and has given them power over her. + Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. + Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger. + "O LORD, think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets be killed within the Lord's Temple? + "See them lying in the streets-- young and old, boys and girls, killed by the swords of the enemy. You have killed them in your anger, slaughtering them without mercy. + "You have invited terrors from all around, as though you were calling them to a day of feasting. In the day of the LORD's anger, no one has escaped or survived. The enemy has killed all the children whom I carried and raised." + + + I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the LORD's anger. + He has led me into darkness, shutting out all light. + He has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. + He has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. + He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. + He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead. + He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains. + And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers. + He has blocked my way with a high stone wall; he has made my road crooked. + He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me. + He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated. + He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows. + He shot his arrows deep into my heart. + My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. + He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. + He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. + Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. + I cry out, "My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!" + The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. + I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. + Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: + The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. + Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. + I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" + The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. + So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. + And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: + Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD's demands. + Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. + Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. + For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. + Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. + For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. + If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, + if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High, + if they twist justice in the courts-- doesn't the Lord see all these things? + Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission? + Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? + Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? + Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD. + Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, + "We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us. + "You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down, and slaughtered us without mercy. + You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you. + You have discarded us as refuse and garbage among the nations. + "All our enemies have spoken out against us. + We are filled with fear, for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined." + Tears stream from my eyes because of the destruction of my people! + My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop + until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. + My heart is breaking over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem. + My enemies, whom I have never harmed, hunted me down like a bird. + They threw me into a pit and dropped stones on me. + The water rose over my head, and I cried out, "This is the end!" + But I called on your name, LORD, from deep within the pit. + You heard me when I cried, "Listen to my pleading! Hear my cry for help!" + Yes, you came when I called; you told me, "Do not fear." + Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case! For you have redeemed my life. + You have seen the wrong they have done to me, LORD. Be my judge, and prove me right. + You have seen the vengeful plots my enemies have laid against me. + LORD, you have heard the vile names they call me. You know all about the plans they have made. + My enemies whisper and mutter as they plot against me all day long. + Look at them! Whether they sit or stand, I am the object of their mocking songs. + Pay them back, LORD, for all the evil they have done. + Give them hard and stubborn hearts, and then let your curse fall on them! + Chase them down in your anger, destroying them beneath the LORD's heavens. + + + How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets! + See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter. + Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children's cries, like ostriches in the desert. + The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them. + The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food. + The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help. + Our princes once glowed with health-- brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels. + But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as wood. + Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger. Starving, they waste away for lack of food from the fields. + Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege. + But now the anger of the LORD is satisfied. His fierce anger has been poured out. He started a fire in Jerusalem that burned the city to its foundations. + Not a king in all the earth-- no one in all the world-- would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem. + Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood. + They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them. + "Get away!" the people shouted at them. "You're defiled! Don't touch us!" So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay. + The LORD himself has scattered them, and he no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders. + We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us. + We couldn't go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed! + Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there. + Our king-- the LORD's anointed, the very life of our nation-- was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth! + Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz, O people of Edom? But you, too, must drink from the cup of the LORD's anger. You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness. + O beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; you will soon return from exile. But Edom, your punishment is just beginning; soon your many sins will be exposed. + + + LORD, remember what has happened to us. See how we have been disgraced! + Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. + We are orphaned and fatherless. Our mothers are widowed. + We have to pay for water to drink, and even firewood is expensive. + Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted but are given no rest. + We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough food to survive. + Our ancestors sinned, but they have died-- and we are suffering the punishment they deserved! + Slaves have now become our masters; there is no one left to rescue us. + We hunt for food at the risk of our lives, for violence rules the countryside. + The famine has blackened our skin as though baked in an oven. + Our enemies rape the women in Jerusalem and the young girls in all the towns of Judah. + Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs, and our elders are treated with contempt. + Young men are led away to work at millstones, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood. + The elders no longer sit in the city gates; the young men no longer dance and sing. + Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. + The garlands have fallen from our heads. Weep for us because we have sinned. + Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears. + For Jerusalem is empty and desolate, a place haunted by jackals. + But LORD, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation. + Why do you continue to forget us? Why have you abandoned us for so long? + Restore us, O LORD, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had! + Or have you utterly rejected us? Are you angry with us still? + + + + + On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. + This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity. + (The LORD gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the LORD take hold of him.) + As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber. + From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, + except that each had four faces and four wings. + Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze. + Under each of their four wings I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings. + The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around. + Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back. + Each had two pairs of outstretched wings-- one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body. + They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around. + The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them. + And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning. + As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each. + The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. + The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. + The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around. + When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too. + The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went. + When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. + Spread out above them was a surface like the sky, glittering like crystal. + Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others' wings, and each had two wings covering its body. + As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings. + As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them. + Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. + From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. + All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the LORD looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone's voice speaking to me. + + + "Stand up, son of man," said the voice. "I want to speak with you." + The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. + "Son of man," he said, "I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. + They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' + And whether they listen or refuse to listen-- for remember, they are rebels-- at least they will know they have had a prophet among them. + "Son of man, do not fear them or their words. Don't be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels. + You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won't listen, for they are completely rebellious! + Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you." + Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, + which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom. + + + The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you-- eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel." + So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. + "Fill your stomach with this," he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. + Then he said, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. + I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. + No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! + But the people of Israel won't listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. + But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. + I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don't be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels." + Then he added, "Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. + Then go to your people in exile and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Do this whether they listen to you or not." + Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the LORD be praised in his place!) + It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them. + The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the LORD's hold on me was strong. + Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River. I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days. + After seven days the LORD gave me a message. He said, + "Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. + If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. + If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. + "If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. + But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too." + Then the LORD took hold of me and said, "Get up and go out into the valley, and I will speak to you there." + So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the LORD, just as I had seen in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down on the ground. + Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said, "Go to your house and shut yourself in. + There, son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people. + And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels. + But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels. + + + "And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it. + Show the city under siege. Build a wall around it so no one can escape. Set up the enemy camp, and surround the city with siege ramps and battering rams. + Then take an iron griddle and place it between you and the city. Turn toward the city and demonstrate how harsh the siege will be against Jerusalem. This will be a warning to the people of Israel. + "Now lie on your left side and place the sins of Israel on yourself. You are to bear their sins for the number of days you lie there on your side. + I am requiring you to bear Israel's sins for 390 days-- one day for each year of their sin. + After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days-- one day for each year of Judah's sin. + "Meanwhile, keep staring at the siege of Jerusalem. Lie there with your arm bared and prophesy her destruction. + I will tie you up with ropes so you won't be able to turn from side to side until the days of your siege have been completed. + "Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and emmer wheat, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use them to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side. + Ration this out to yourself, eight ounces of food for each day, and eat it at set times. + Then measure out a jar of water for each day, and drink it at set times. + Prepare and eat this food as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread." + Then the LORD said, "This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!" + Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, must I be defiled by using human dung? For I have never been defiled before. From the time I was a child until now I have never eaten any animal that died of sickness or was killed by other animals. I have never eaten any meat forbidden by the law." + "All right," the LORD said. "You may bake your bread with cow dung instead of human dung." + Then he told me, "Son of man, I will make food very scarce in Jerusalem. It will be weighed out with great care and eaten fearfully. The water will be rationed out drop by drop, and the people will drink it with dismay. + Lacking food and water, people will look at one another in terror, and they will waste away under their punishment. + + + "Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts. + Place a third of it at the center of your map of Jerusalem. After acting out the siege, burn it there. Scatter another third across your map and chop it with a sword. Scatter the last third to the wind, for I will scatter my people with the sword. + Keep just a bit of the hair and tie it up in your robe. + Then take some of these hairs out and throw them into the fire, burning them up. A fire will then spread from this remnant and destroy all of Israel. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is an illustration of what will happen to Jerusalem. I placed her at the center of the nations, + but she has rebelled against my regulations and decrees and has been even more wicked than the surrounding nations. She has refused to obey the regulations and decrees I gave her to follow. + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: You people have behaved worse than your neighbors and have refused to obey my decrees and regulations. You have not even lived up to the standards of the nations around you. + Therefore, I myself, the Sovereign LORD, am now your enemy. I will punish you publicly while all the nations watch. + Because of your detestable idols, I will punish you like I have never punished anyone before or ever will again. + Parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I will punish you and scatter to the winds the few who survive. + "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will cut you off completely. I will show you no pity at all because you have defiled my Temple with your vile images and detestable sins. + A third of your people will die in the city from disease and famine. A third of them will be slaughtered by the enemy outside the city walls. And I will scatter a third to the winds, chasing them with my sword. + Then at last my anger will be spent, and I will be satisfied. And when my fury against them has subsided, all Israel will know that I, the LORD, have spoken to them in my jealous anger. + "So I will turn you into a ruin, a mockery in the eyes of the surrounding nations and to all who pass by. + You will become an object of mockery and taunting and horror. You will be a warning to all the nations around you. They will see what happens when the LORD punishes a nation in anger and rebukes it, says the LORD. + "I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you. The famine will become more and more severe until every crumb of food is gone. + And along with the famine, wild animals will attack you and rob you of your children. Disease and war will stalk your land, and I will bring the sword of the enemy against you. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + Again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. + Proclaim this message from the Sovereign LORD against the mountains of Israel. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring war upon you, and I will smash your pagan shrines. + All your altars will be demolished, and your places of worship will be destroyed. I will kill your people in front of your idols. + I will lay your corpses in front of your idols and scatter your bones around your altars. + Wherever you live there will be desolation, and I will destroy your pagan shrines. Your altars will be demolished, your idols will be smashed, your places of worship will be torn down, and all the religious objects you have made will be destroyed. + The place will be littered with corpses, and you will know that I alone am the LORD. + "But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. + Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. + They will know that I alone am the LORD and that I was serious when I said I would bring this calamity on them. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Clap your hands in horror, and stamp your feet. Cry out because of all the detestable sins the people of Israel have committed. Now they are going to die from war and famine and disease. + Disease will strike down those who are far away in exile. War will destroy those who are nearby. And anyone who survives will be killed by famine. So at last I will spend my fury on them. + They will know that I am the LORD when their dead lie scattered among their idols and altars on every hill and mountain and under every green tree and every great shade tree-- the places where they offered sacrifices to their idols. + I will crush them and make their cities desolate from the wilderness in the south to Riblah in the north. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to Israel: "The end is here! Wherever you look-- east, west, north, or south-- your land is finished. + No hope remains, for I will unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your detestable sins. + I will turn my eyes away and show no pity. I will repay you for all your detestable sins. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster after disaster is coming your way! + The end has come. It has finally arrived. Your final doom is waiting! + O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning. The time has come; the day of trouble is near. Shouts of anguish will be heard on the mountains, not shouts of joy. + Soon I will pour out my fury on you and unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your detestable sins. + I will turn my eyes away and show no pity. I will repay you for all your detestable sins. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who is striking the blow. + "The day of judgment is here; your destruction awaits! The people's wickedness and pride have blossomed to full flower. + Their violence has grown into a rod that will beat them for their wickedness. None of these proud and wicked people will survive. All their wealth and prestige will be swept away. + Yes, the time has come; the day is here! Buyers should not rejoice over bargains, nor sellers grieve over losses, for all of them will fall under my terrible anger. + Even if the merchants survive, they will never return to their business. For what God has said applies to everyone-- it will not be changed! Not one person whose life is twisted by sin will ever recover. + "The trumpet calls Israel's army to mobilize, but no one listens, for my fury is against them all. + There is war outside the city and disease and famine within. Those outside the city walls will be killed by enemy swords. Those inside the city will die of famine and disease. + The survivors who escape to the mountains will moan like doves, weeping for their sins. + Their hands will hang limp, their knees will be weak as water. + They will dress themselves in burlap; horror and shame will cover them. They will shave their heads in sorrow and remorse. + "They will throw their money in the streets, tossing it out like worthless trash. Their silver and gold won't save them on that day of the LORD's anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their greed can only trip them up. + They were proud of their beautiful jewelry and used it to make detestable idols and vile images. Therefore, I will make all their wealth disgusting to them. + I will give it as plunder to foreigners, to the most wicked of nations, and they will defile it. + I will turn my eyes from them as these robbers invade and defile my treasured land. + "Prepare chains for my people, for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes. Jerusalem is filled with violence. + I will bring the most ruthless of nations to occupy their homes. I will break down their proud fortresses and defile their sanctuaries. + Terror and trembling will overcome my people. They will look for peace but not find it. + Calamity will follow calamity; rumor will follow rumor. They will look in vain for a vision from the prophets. They will receive no teaching from the priests and no counsel from the leaders. + The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people's hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + Then on September 17, during the sixth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the Sovereign LORD took hold of me. + I saw a figure that appeared to be a man. From what appeared to be his waist down, he looked like a burning flame. From the waist up he looked like gleaming amber. + He reached out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair. Then the Spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me to Jerusalem in a vision from God. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the LORD very jealous. + Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I had seen it before in the valley. + Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the LORD so jealous. + "Son of man," he said, "do you see what they are doing? Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even more detestable sins than these!" + Then he brought me to the door of the Temple courtyard, where I could see a hole in the wall. + He said to me, "Now, son of man, dig into the wall." So I dug into the wall and found a hidden doorway. + "Go in," he said, "and see the wicked and detestable sins they are committing in there!" + So I went in and saw the walls engraved with all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel. + Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan in the center. Each of them held an incense burner, from which a cloud of incense rose above their heads. + Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, 'The LORD doesn't see us; he has deserted our land!'" + Then the LORD added, "Come, and I will show you even more detestable sins than these!" + He brought me to the north gate of the LORD's Temple, and some women were sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz. + "Have you seen this?" he asked. "But I will show you even more detestable sins than these!" + Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the LORD's Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the sanctuary of the LORD. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun! + "Have you seen this, son of man?" he asked. "Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and provoking my anger? + Therefore, I will respond in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen." + + + Then the LORD thundered, "Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!" + Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer's case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar. + Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the LORD called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer's case. + He said to him, "Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city." + Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! + Kill them all-- old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple." So they began by killing the seventy leaders. + "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with corpses. Go!" So they went and began killing throughout the city. + While they were out killing, I was all alone. I fell face down on the ground and cried out, "O Sovereign LORD! Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out everyone left in Israel?" + Then he said to me, "The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, 'The LORD doesn't see it! The LORD has abandoned the land!' + So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done." + Then the man in linen clothing, who carried the writer's case, reported back and said, "I have done as you commanded." + + + In my vision I saw what appeared to be a throne of blue lapis lazuli above the crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim. + Then the LORD spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, "Go between the whirling wheels beneath the cherubim, and take a handful of burning coals and scatter them over the city." He did this as I watched. + The cherubim were standing at the south end of the Temple when the man went in, and the cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard. + Then the glory of the LORD rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the LORD. + The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty and could be heard even in the outer courtyard. + The LORD said to the man in linen clothing, "Go between the cherubim and take some burning coals from between the wheels." So the man went in and stood beside one of the wheels. + Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some live coals from the fire burning among them. He put the coals into the hands of the man in linen clothing, and the man took them and went out. + (All the cherubim had what looked like human hands under their wings.) + I looked, and each of the four cherubim had a wheel beside him, and the wheels sparkled like beryl. + All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. + The cherubim could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. They went straight in the direction they faced, never turning aside. + Both the cherubim and the wheels were covered with eyes. The cherubim had eyes all over their bodies, including their hands, their backs, and their wings. + I heard someone refer to the wheels as "the whirling wheels." + Each of the four cherubim had four faces: the first was the face of an ox, the second was a human face, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle. + Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River. + When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved with them. When they lifted their wings to fly, the wheels stayed beside them. + When the cherubim stopped, the wheels stopped. When they flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. + Then the glory of the LORD moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. + And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the LORD's Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. + These were the same living beings I had seen beneath the God of Israel when I was by the Kebar River. I knew they were cherubim, + for each had four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings. + And their faces were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the Kebar, and they traveled straight ahead, just as the others had. + + + Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the east gateway of the LORD's Temple, where I saw twenty-five prominent men of the city. Among them were Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders among the people. + The Spirit said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and giving wicked counsel in this city. + They say to the people, 'Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot. ' + Therefore, son of man, prophesy against them loudly and clearly." + Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say, "This is what the LORD says to the people of Israel: I know what you are saying, for I know every thought that comes into your minds. + You have murdered many in this city and filled its streets with the dead. + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: This city is an iron pot all right, but the pieces of meat are the victims of your injustice. As for you, I will soon drag you from this pot. + I will bring on you the sword of war you so greatly fear, says the Sovereign LORD. + I will drive you out of Jerusalem and hand you over to foreigners, who will carry out my judgments against you. + You will be slaughtered all the way to the borders of Israel. I will execute judgment on you, and you will know that I am the LORD. + No, this city will not be an iron pot for you, and you will not be like meat safe inside it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel, + and you will know that I am the LORD. For you have refused to obey my decrees and regulations; instead, you have copied the standards of the nations around you." + While I was still prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I fell face down on the ground and cried out, "O Sovereign LORD, are you going to kill everyone in Israel?" + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking about you and your relatives and all the people of Israel who are in exile. They are saying, 'Those people are far away from the LORD, so now he has given their land to us!' + "Therefore, tell the exiles, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. + I, the Sovereign LORD, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.' + "When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. + And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, + so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. + But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. + Then the glory of the LORD went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east. + Afterward the Spirit of God carried me back again to Babylonia, to the people in exile there. And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem. + And I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me. + + + Again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people. + "So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels. + Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands. + Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it. + As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel." + So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder. + The next morning this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means. + Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.' + Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives. + "Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving. + Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there. + I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them. + And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the LORD. + But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water. + Tell the people, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their water in despair, for their land will be stripped bare because of their violence. + The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" + Again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, you've heard that proverb they quote in Israel: 'Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.' + Tell the people, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.' Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: 'The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!' + "There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. + For I am the LORD! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, 'He's talking about the distant future. His visions won't come true for a long, long time.' + Therefore, tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!'" + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, 'Listen to the word of the LORD. + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!' + "O people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like jackals digging in the ruins. + They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the LORD. + Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, 'This message is from the LORD,' even though the LORD never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies! + Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, 'This message is from the LORD,' when I have not even spoken to you? + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign LORD. + I will raise my fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions, and they will be banished from the community of Israel. I will blot their names from Israel's record books, and they will never again set foot in their own land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. + "This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, 'All is peaceful' when there is no peace at all! It's as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash! + Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. + And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, 'What happened to your whitewash?' + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury. + I will break down your wall right to its foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + At last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: 'The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone. + They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!' + "Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations. + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves? + You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage. + I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn't want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins. + Because of all this, you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the LORD." + + + Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me, + this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? + Tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the LORD, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. + I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.' + "Therefore, tell the people of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable sins. + I, the LORD, will answer all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice. + I will turn against such people and make a terrible example of them, eliminating them from among my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + " 'And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel. + False prophets and those who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins. + In this way, the people of Israel will learn not to stray from me, polluting themselves with sin. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!'" + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals. + Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign LORD. + "Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through. + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate. + "Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals. + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. + "Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike. + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness. + "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem-- war, famine, wild animals, and disease-- destroying all her people and animals. + Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. + When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are not being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree? + Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? + No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. + Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire! + "And this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned. + And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the LORD. + And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Then another message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable sins. + Give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. + On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth. + No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in a field and left to die. + "But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, 'Live!' + And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked. + And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. + "Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. + I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather. + I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, + a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. + And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods-- choice flour, honey, and olive oil-- and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! + Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign LORD. + "But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. + You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? + You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! + You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. + Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign LORD. + "Then you took your sons and daughters-- the children you had borne to me-- and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough? + Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? + In all your years of adultery and detestable sin, you have not once remembered the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood. + "What sorrow awaits you, says the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, + you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. + On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. + Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, provoking my anger with your increasing promiscuity. + That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct. + You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. + You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia, the land of merchants, but you still weren't satisfied. + "What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign LORD, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. + You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment. + Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. + Prostitutes charge for their services-- but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. + So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you! + "Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the LORD! + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, + this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies-- the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated-- and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. + I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury. + Then I will give you to these many nations who are your lovers, and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you stark naked. + They will band together in a mob to stone you and cut you up with swords. + They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers. + "Then at last my fury against you will be spent, and my jealous anger will subside. I will be calm and will not be angry with you anymore. + But first, because you have not remembered your youth but have angered me by doing all these evil things, I will fully repay you for all of your sins, says the Sovereign LORD. For you have added lewd acts to all your detestable sins. + Everyone who makes up proverbs will say of you, 'Like mother, like daughter.' + For your mother loathed her husband and her children, and so do you. And you are exactly like your sisters, for they despised their husbands and their children. Truly your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. + "Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south. + But you have not merely sinned as they did. You quickly surpassed them in corruption. + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. + Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. + She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen. + "Even Samaria did not commit half your sins. You have done far more detestable things than your sisters ever did. They seem righteous compared to you. + Shame on you! Your sins are so terrible that you make your sisters seem righteous, even virtuous. + "But someday I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and Samaria, and I will restore you, too. + Then you will be truly ashamed of everything you have done, for your sins make them feel good in comparison. + Yes, your sisters, Sodom and Samaria, and all their people will be restored, and at that time you also will be restored. + In your proud days you held Sodom in contempt. + But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned-- by Edom and all her neighbors and by Philistia. + This is your punishment for all your lewdness and detestable sins, says the LORD. + "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will give you what you deserve, for you have taken your solemn vows lightly by breaking your covenant. + Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. + Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant. + And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD. + You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel. + Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: "A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers, covered with many-colored plumage, came to Lebanon. He seized the top of a cedar tree + and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders. + He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a broad river, where it could grow like a willow tree. + It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down into the ground. It produced strong branches and put out shoots. + But then another great eagle came with broad wings and full plumage. So the vine now sent its roots and branches toward him for water, + even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit. + "So now the Sovereign LORD asks: Will this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it up, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army. + But when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well." + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Say to these rebels of Israel: Don't you understand the meaning of this riddle of the eagles? The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes, and brought them to Babylon. + He made a treaty with a member of the royal family and forced him to take an oath of loyalty. He also exiled Israel's most influential leaders, + so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel survive. + "Nevertheless, this man of Israel's royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it? + No! For as surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, the king of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he disregarded and broke. + Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives. + For the king of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape. + "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and disregarding the solemn oath he made in my name. + I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and put him on trial for this treason against me. + And all his best warriors will be killed in battle, and those who survive will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain. + It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. + And all the trees will know that it is I, the LORD, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said!" + + + Then another message came to me from the LORD: + "Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste'? + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. + For all people are mine to judge-- both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die. + "Suppose a certain man is righteous and does what is just and right. + He does not feast in the mountains before Israel's idols or worship them. He does not commit adultery or have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period. + He is a merciful creditor, not keeping the items given as security by poor debtors. He does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. + He grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others, + and faithfully obeys my decrees and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign LORD. + "But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right. + And that son does all the evil things his father would never do-- he worships idols on the mountains, commits adultery, + oppresses the poor and helpless, steals from debtors by refusing to let them redeem their security, worships idols, commits detestable sins, + and lends money at excessive interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame. + "But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father's wickedness and decides against that kind of life. + This son refuses to worship idols on the mountains and does not commit adultery. + He does not exploit the poor, but instead is fair to debtors and does not rob them. He gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. + He helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father's sins; he will surely live. + But the father will die for his many sins-- for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what was clearly wrong among his people. + " 'What?' you ask. 'Doesn't the child pay for the parent's sins?' No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live. + The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent's sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child's sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. + But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. + All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. + "Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. + However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. + "Yet you say, 'The Lord isn't doing what's right!' Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what's right, or is it you? + When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. + And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. + They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. + And yet the people of Israel keep saying, 'The Lord isn't doing what's right!' O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what's right, not I. + "Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don't let them destroy you! + Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? + I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live! + + + "Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel: + "What is your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs. + She raised one of her cubs to become a strong young lion. He learned to hunt and devour prey, and he became a man-eater. + Then the nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt. + "When the lioness saw that her hopes for him were gone, she took another of her cubs and taught him to be a strong young lion. + He prowled among the other lions and stood out among them in his strength. He learned to hunt and devour prey, and he, too, became a man-eater. + He demolished fortresses and destroyed their towns and cities. Their farms were desolated, and their crops were destroyed. The land and its people trembled in fear when they heard him roar. + Then the armies of the nations attacked him, surrounding him from every direction. They threw a net over him and captured him in their pit. + With hooks, they dragged him into a cage and brought him before the king of Babylon. They held him in captivity, so his voice could never again be heard on the mountains of Israel. + "Your mother was like a vine planted by the water's edge. It had lush, green foliage because of the abundant water. + Its branches became strong-- strong enough to be a ruler's scepter. It grew very tall, towering above all others. It stood out because of its height and its many lush branches. + But the vine was uprooted in fury and thrown down to the ground. The desert wind dried up its fruit and tore off its strong branches, so that it withered and was destroyed by fire. + Now the vine is transplanted to the wilderness, where the ground is hard and dry. + A fire has burst out from its branches and devoured its fruit. Its remaining limbs are not strong enough to be a ruler's scepter. "This is a funeral song, and it will be used in a funeral." + + + On August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the LORD. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply. + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: How dare you come to ask me for I message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will tell you nothing!' + "Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were. + Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: When I chose Israel-- when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt-- I took a solemn oath that I, the LORD, would be their God. + I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them-- a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. + Then I said to them, 'Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the LORD your God.' + "But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt. + But I didn't do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. + So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. + There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. + And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the LORD, who had set them apart to be holy. + "But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn't obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness. + But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt. + But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful place on earth. + For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols. + Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness. + "Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents' footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols. + 'I am the LORD your God,' I told them. 'Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations, + and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the LORD your God.' + "But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness. + Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt. + But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations + because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors. + I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. + I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods-- so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the LORD. + "Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, + for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them. + I said to them, 'What is this high place where you are going?' (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah-- 'high place'-- ever since.) + "Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images? + For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will tell you nothing. + "You say, 'We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.' But what you have in mind will never happen. + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power. + And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back from the lands where you are scattered. + I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face. + I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign LORD. + I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. + I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols. + For on my holy mountain, the great mountain of Israel, says the Sovereign LORD, the people of Israel will someday worship me, and I will accept them. There I will require that you bring me all your offerings and choice gifts and sacrifices. + When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch. + Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the LORD. + You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done. + You will know that I am the LORD, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face the south and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev. + Tell the southern wilderness, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Hear the word of the LORD! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north. + And everyone in the world will see that I, the LORD, have set this fire. It will not be put out.'" + Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, 'He only talks in riddles!'" + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries. + Tell her, 'This is what the LORD says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people-- the righteous and the wicked alike. + Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north. + Everyone in the world will know that I am the LORD. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.' + "Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart. + When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, 'I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign LORD says: It is coming! It's on its way!'" + Then the LORD said to me, + "Son of man, give the people this message from the LORD: "A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished. + It is sharpened for terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Now will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power! + Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished; it is being prepared for the executioner. + "Son of man, cry out and wail; pound your thighs in anguish, for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders-- everyone will die! + It will put them all to the test. What chance do they have? says the Sovereign LORD. + "Son of man, prophesy to them and clap your hands. Then take the sword and brandish it twice, even three times, to symbolize the great massacre, the great massacre facing them on every side. + Let their hearts melt with terror, for the sword glitters at every gate. It flashes like lightning and is polished for slaughter! + O sword, slash to the right, then slash to the left, wherever you will, wherever you want. + I, too, will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon's king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon where the road forks into two-- + one road going to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah, and the other to Judah and fortified Jerusalem. + The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices. + The omen in his right hand says, 'Jerusalem!' With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls. + The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them. + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don't even try to hide it! In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see. So now the time of your punishment has come! + "O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here! + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Take off your jeweled crown, for the old order changes. Now the lowly will be exalted, and the mighty will be brought down. + Destruction! Destruction! I will surely destroy the kingdom. And it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it. Then I will hand it over to him. + "And now, son of man, prophesy concerning the Ammonites and their mockery. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: "A sword, a sword is drawn for your slaughter. It is polished to destroy, flashing like lightning! + Your prophets have given false visions, and your fortune-tellers have told lies. The sword will fall on the necks of the wicked for whom the day of final reckoning has come. + "Now return the sword to its sheath, for in your own country, the land of your birth, I will pass judgment upon you. + I will pour out my fury on you and blow on you with the fire of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men who are skilled in destruction. + You will be fuel for the fire, and your blood will be spilled in your own land. You will be utterly wiped out, your memory lost to history, for I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + Now this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins, + and give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: O city of murderers, doomed and damned-- city of idols, filthy and foul-- + you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. + O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near. + "Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder. + Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. + You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. + People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. + Men sleep with their fathers' wives and have intercourse with women who are menstruating. + Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors' wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters. + There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD. + "But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed. + How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said. + I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness. + And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you, you will know that I am the LORD." + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over-- a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead. + So tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem. + Just as copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury. + I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you, + and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my fury on you.'" + Again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. + Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. + Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. + Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people's lives for money! + And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, 'My message is from the Sovereign LORD,' when the LORD hasn't spoken a single word to them. + Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice. + "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one. + So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + This message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother. + They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts. + The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem. + "Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers. + They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses. + And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself. + For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute. + "And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much. + They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land. + "Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution. + She fawned over all the Assyrian officers-- those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses-- all of them attractive young men. + I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister. + "Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall-- pictures of Babylonian military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms. + Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia. + When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her. + So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust. + "In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts. + Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt. + She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey's and emissions like those of a horse. + And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled. + "Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction-- those very nations from which you turned away in disgust. + For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them-- handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses. + They will all come against you from the north with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please. + I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned. + They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels. + In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt. + "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected. + They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world. + You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols. + Because you have followed in your sister's footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank. + "Yes, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "You will drink from your sister's cup of terror, a cup that is large and deep. It is filled to the brim with scorn and derision. + Drunkenness and anguish will fill you, for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation, the same cup your sister Samaria drank. + You will drain that cup of terror to the very bottom. Then you will smash it to pieces and beat your breast in anguish. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! + "And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution." + The LORD said to me, "Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins. + They have committed both adultery and murder-- adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me. + Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day! + On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house. + "You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them. + You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you. + From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads. + Then I said, 'If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!' + And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes. + But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are-- adulterers and murderers. + "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered. + For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes. + In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to others not to follow their wicked example. + You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution-- your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD." + + + On January 15, during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, write down today's date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem. + Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign LORD: "Put a pot on the fire, and pour in some water. + Fill it with choice pieces of meat-- the rump and the shoulder and all the most tender cuts. + Use only the best sheep from the flock, and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and cook the bones along with the meat. + "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a cooking pot whose corruption can't be cleaned out. Take the meat out in random order, for no piece is better than another. + For the blood of her murders is splashed on the rocks. It isn't even spilled on the ground, where the dust could cover it! + So I will splash her blood on a rock for all to see, an expression of my anger and vengeance against her. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her. + Yes, heap on the wood! Let the fire roar to make the pot boil. Cook the meat with many spices, and afterward burn the bones. + Now set the empty pot on the coals. Heat it red hot! Burn away the filth and corruption. + But it's hopeless; the corruption can't be cleaned out. So throw it into the fire. + Your impurity is your lewdness and the corruption of your idolatry. I tried to cleanse you, but you refused. So now you will remain in your filth until my fury against you has been satisfied. + "I, the LORD, have spoken! The time has come, and I won't hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign LORD." + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. + Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends." + So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do. + Then the people asked, "What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?" + So I said to them, "A message came to me from the LORD, + and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judea will be slaughtered by the sword. + Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends. + Your heads will remain covered, and your sandals will not be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will mourn privately for all the evil you have done. + Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the LORD." + Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold-- their joy and glory, their heart's desire, their dearest treasure-- I will also take away their sons and daughters. + And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened. + And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face the land of Ammon and prophesy against its people. + Give the Ammonites this message from the Sovereign LORD: Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD! Because you cheered when my Temple was defiled, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah as she went away into exile, + I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your country. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents on your land. They will harvest all your fruit and drink the milk from your livestock. + And I will turn the city of Rabbah into a pasture for camels, and all the land of the Ammonites into a resting place for sheep and goats. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped and danced and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people, + I will raise my fist of judgment against you. I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because the people of Moab have said that Judah is just like all the other nations, + I will open up their eastern flank and wipe out their glorious frontier towns-- Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. + And I will hand Moab over to nomads from the eastern deserts, just as I handed over Ammon. Yes, the Ammonites will no longer be counted among the nations. + In the same way, I will bring my judgment down on the Moabites. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah. + Therefore, says the Sovereign LORD, I will raise my fist of judgment against Edom. I will wipe out its people and animals with the sword. I will make a wasteland of everything from Teman to Dedan. + I will accomplish this by the hand of my people of Israel. They will carry out my vengeance with anger, and Edom will know that this vengeance is from me. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long-standing contempt. + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will raise my fist of judgment against the land of the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea. + I will execute terrible vengeance against them to punish them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, they will know that I am the LORD." + + + On February 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, 'Ha! She who was the gateway to the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been made desolate, I will become wealthy!' + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am your enemy, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the waves of the sea crashing against your shoreline. + They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down its towers. I will scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock! + It will be just a rock in the sea, a place for fishermen to spread their nets, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD. Tyre will become the prey of many nations, + and its mainland villages will be destroyed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the north I will bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon against Tyre. He is king of kings and brings his horses, chariots, charioteers, and great army. + First he will destroy your mainland villages. Then he will attack you by building a siege wall, constructing a ramp, and raising a roof of shields against you. + He will pound your walls with battering rams and demolish your towers with sledgehammers. + The hooves of his horses will choke the city with dust, and the noise of the charioteers and chariot wheels will shake your walls as they storm through your broken gates. + His horsemen will trample through every street in the city. They will butcher your people, and your strong pillars will topple. + "They will plunder all your riches and merchandise and break down your walls. They will destroy your lovely homes and dump your stones and timbers and even your dust into the sea. + I will stop the music of your songs. No more will the sound of harps be heard among your people. + I will make your island a bare rock, a place for fishermen to spread their nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken. Yes, the Sovereign LORD has spoken! + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: The whole coastline will tremble at the sound of your fall, as the screams of the wounded echo in the continuing slaughter. + All the seaport rulers will step down from their thrones and take off their royal robes and beautiful clothing. They will sit on the ground trembling with horror at your destruction. + Then they will wail for you, singing this funeral song: "O famous island city, once ruler of the sea, how you have been destroyed! Your people, with their naval power, once spread fear around the world. + Now the coastlands tremble at your fall. The islands are dismayed as you disappear. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will make Tyre an uninhabited ruin, like many others. I will bury you beneath the terrible waves of enemy attack. Great seas will swallow you. + I will send you to the pit to join those who descended there long ago. Your city will lie in ruins, buried beneath the earth, like those in the pit who have entered the world of the dead. You will have no place of respect here in the land of the living. + I will bring you to a terrible end, and you will exist no more. You will be looked for, but you will never again be found. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre, + that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the Sovereign LORD: "You boasted, O Tyre, 'My beauty is perfect!' + You extended your boundaries into the sea. Your builders made your beauty perfect. + You were like a great ship built of the finest cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. + They carved your oars from the oaks of Bashan. Your deck of pine from the coasts of Cyprus was inlaid with ivory. + Your sails were made of Egypt's finest linen, and they flew as a banner above you. You stood beneath blue and purple awnings made bright with dyes from the coasts of Elishah. + Your oarsmen came from Sidon and Arvad; your helmsmen were skilled men from Tyre itself. + Wise old craftsmen from Gebal did the caulking. Ships from every land came with goods to barter for your trade. + "Men from distant Persia, Lydia, and Libya served in your great army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you great honor. + Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls. Your towers were manned by men from Gammad. Their shields hung on your walls, completing your beauty. + "Tarshish sent merchants to buy your wares in exchange for silver, iron, tin, and lead. + Merchants from Greece, Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and articles of bronze to trade with you. + "From Togarmah came riding horses, chariot horses, and mules, all in exchange for your goods. + Merchants came to you from Dedan. Numerous coastlands were your captive markets; they brought payment in ivory tusks and ebony wood. + "Syria sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods. They traded turquoise, purple dyes, embroidery, fine linen, and jewelry of coral and rubies. + Judah and Israel traded for your wares, offering wheat from Minnith, figs, honey, olive oil, and balm. + "Damascus sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods, bringing wine from Helbon and white wool from Zahar. + Greeks from Uzal came to trade for your merchandise. Wrought iron, cassia, and fragrant calamus were bartered for your wares. + "Dedan sent merchants to trade their expensive saddle blankets with you. + The Arabians and the princes of Kedar sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats in exchange for your goods. + The merchants of Sheba and Raamah came with all kinds of spices, jewels, and gold in exchange for your wares. + "Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad came with their merchandise, too. + They brought choice fabrics to trade-- blue cloth, embroidery, and multicolored carpets rolled up and bound with cords. + The ships of Tarshish were your ocean caravans. Your island warehouse was filled to the brim! + "But look! Your oarsmen have taken you into stormy seas! A mighty eastern gale has wrecked you in the heart of the sea! + Everything is lost-- your riches and wares, your sailors and pilots, your ship builders, merchants, and warriors. On the day of your ruin, everyone on board sinks into the depths of the sea. + Your cities by the sea tremble as your pilots cry out in terror. + All the oarsmen abandon their ships; the sailors and pilots on shore come to stand on the beach. + They cry aloud over you and weep bitterly. They throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. + They shave their heads in grief for you and dress themselves in burlap. They weep for you with bitter anguish and deep mourning. + As they wail and mourn over you, they sing this sad funeral song: 'Was there ever such a city as Tyre, now silent at the bottom of the sea? + The merchandise you traded satisfied the desires of many nations. Kings at the ends of the earth were enriched by your trade. + Now you are a wrecked ship, broken at the bottom of the sea. All your merchandise and crew have gone down with you. + All who live along the coastlands are appalled at your terrible fate. Their kings are filled with horror and look on with twisted faces. + The merchants among the nations shake their heads at the sight of you, for you have come to a horrible end and will exist no more.' " + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, give the prince of Tyre this message from the Sovereign LORD: "In your great pride you claim, 'I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.' But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are a god. + You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel and think no secret is hidden from you. + With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth-- gold and silver for your treasuries. + Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud. + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you think you are as wise as a god, + I will now bring against you a foreign army, the terror of the nations. They will draw their swords against your marvelous wisdom and defile your splendor! + They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die in the heart of the sea, pierced with many wounds. + Will you then boast, 'I am a god!' to those who kill you? To them you will be no god but merely a man! + You will die like an outcast at the hands of foreigners. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + Then this further message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. + You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone-- red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald-- all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. + I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. + "You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. + Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. + Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings. + You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire out from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. + All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you will exist no more." + Then another message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face the city of Sidon and prophesy against it. + Give the people of Sidon this message from the Sovereign LORD: "I am your enemy, O Sidon, and I will reveal my glory by what I do to you. When I bring judgment against you and reveal my holiness among you, everyone watching will know that I am the LORD. + I will send a plague against you, and blood will be spilled in your streets. The attack will come from every direction, and your people will lie slaughtered within your walls. Then everyone will know that I am the LORD. + No longer will Israel's scornful neighbors prick and tear at her like briers and thorns. For then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Israel will again live in their own land, the land I gave my servant Jacob. For I will gather them from the distant lands where I have scattered them. I will reveal to the nations of the world my holiness among my people. + They will live safely in Israel and build homes and plant vineyards. And when I punish the neighboring nations that treated them with contempt, they will know that I am the LORD their God." + + + On January 7, during the tenth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face Egypt and prophesy against Pharaoh the king and all the people of Egypt. + Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: "I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt-- you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile. For you have said, 'The Nile River is mine; I made it for myself.' + I will put hooks in your jaws and drag you out on the land with fish sticking to your scales. + I will leave you and all your fish stranded in the wilderness to die. You will lie unburied on the open ground, for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds. + All the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds. + When Israel leaned on you, you splintered and broke and stabbed her in the armpit. When she put her weight on you, you gave way, and her back was thrown out of joint. + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring an army against you, O Egypt, and destroy both people and animals. + The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD."Because you said, 'The Nile River is mine; I made it,' + I am now the enemy of both you and your river. I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate wasteland, from Migdol to Aswan, as far south as the border of Ethiopia. + For forty years not a soul will pass that way, neither people nor animals. It will be completely uninhabited. + I will make Egypt desolate, and it will be surrounded by other desolate nations. Its cities will be empty and desolate for forty years, surrounded by other ruined cities. I will scatter the Egyptians to distant lands. + "But this is what the Sovereign LORD also says: At the end of the forty years I will bring the Egyptians home again from the nations to which they have been scattered. + I will restore the prosperity of Egypt and bring its people back to the land of Pathros in southern Egypt from which they came. But Egypt will remain an unimportant, minor kingdom. + It will be the lowliest of all the nations, never again great enough to rise above its neighbors. + "Then Israel will no longer be tempted to trust in Egypt for help. Egypt's shattered condition will remind Israel of how sinful she was to trust Egypt in earlier days. Then Israel will know that I am the Sovereign LORD." + On April 26, the first day of the new year, during the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon fought so hard against Tyre that the warriors' heads were rubbed bare and their shoulders were raw and blistered. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army won no plunder to compensate them for all their work. + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army. + Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the Sovereign LORD, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre. + "And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive, and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + This is another message that came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign LORD: "Weep and wail for that day, + for the terrible day is almost here-- the day of the LORD! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations. + A sword will come against Egypt, and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground. Its wealth will be carried away and its foundations destroyed. The land of Ethiopia will be ravished. + Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all Arabia, and all their other allies will be destroyed in that war. + "For this is what the LORD says: All of Egypt's allies will fall, and the pride of her power will end. From Migdol to Aswan they will be slaughtered by the sword, says the Sovereign LORD. + Egypt will be desolate, surrounded by desolate nations, and its cities will be in ruins, surrounded by other ruined cities. + And the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD when I have set Egypt on fire and destroyed all their allies. + At that time I will send swift messengers in ships to terrify the complacent Ethiopians. Great panic will come upon them on that day of Egypt's certain destruction. Watch for it! It is sure to come! + "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: By the power of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, I will destroy the hordes of Egypt. + He and his armies-- the most ruthless of all-- will be sent to demolish the land. They will make war against Egypt until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground. + I will dry up the Nile River and sell the land to wicked men. I will destroy the land of Egypt and everything in it by the hands of foreigners. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will smash the idols of Egypt and the images at Memphis. There will be no rulers left in Egypt; terror will sweep the land. + I will destroy southern Egypt, set fire to Zoan, and bring judgment against Thebes. + I will pour out my fury on Pelusium, the strongest fortress of Egypt, and I will stamp out the hordes of Thebes. + Yes, I will set fire to all Egypt! Pelusium will be racked with pain; Thebes will be torn apart; Memphis will live in constant terror. + The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle, and the women will be taken away as slaves. + When I come to break the proud strength of Egypt, it will be a dark day for Tahpanhes, too. A dark cloud will cover Tahpanhes, and its daughters will be led away as captives. + And so I will greatly punish Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD." + On April 29, during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. His arm has not been put in a cast so that it may heal. Neither has it been bound up with a splint to make it strong enough to hold a sword. + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am the enemy of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt! I will break both of his arms-- the good arm along with the broken one-- and I will make his sword clatter to the ground. + I will scatter the Egyptians to many lands throughout the world. + I will strengthen the arms of Babylon's king and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he will lie there mortally wounded, groaning in pain. + I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, while the arms of Pharaoh fall useless to his sides. And when I put my sword in the hand of Babylon's king and he brings it against the land of Egypt, Egypt will know that I am the LORD. + I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, dispersing them throughout the earth. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + On June 21, during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, give this message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his hordes: "To whom would you compare your greatness? + You are like mighty Assyria, which was once like a cedar of Lebanon, with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade and with its top high among the clouds. + Deep springs watered it and helped it to grow tall and luxuriant. The water flowed around it like a river, streaming to all the trees nearby. + This great tree towered high, higher than all the other trees around it. It prospered and grew long thick branches because of all the water at its roots. + The birds nested in its branches, and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth. All the great nations of the world lived in its shadow. + It was strong and beautiful, with wide-spreading branches, for its roots went deep into abundant water. + No other cedar in the garden of God could rival it. No cypress had branches to equal it; no plane tree had boughs to compare. No tree in the garden of God came close to it in beauty. + Because I made this tree so beautiful, and gave it such magnificent foliage, it was the envy of all the other trees of Eden, the garden of God. + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because Egypt became proud and arrogant, and because it set itself so high above the others, with its top reaching to the clouds, + I will hand it over to a mighty nation that will destroy it as its wickedness deserves. I have already discarded it. + A foreign army-- the terror of the nations-- has cut it down and left it fallen on the ground. Its branches are scattered across the mountains and valleys and ravines of the land. All those who lived in its shadow have gone away and left it lying there. + "The birds roost on its fallen trunk, and the wild animals lie among its branches. + Let the tree of no other nation proudly exult in its own prosperity, though it be higher than the clouds and it be watered from the depths. For all are doomed to die, to go down to the depths of the earth. They will land in the pit along with everyone else on earth. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When Assyria went down to the grave, I made the deep springs mourn. I stopped its rivers and dried up its abundant water. I clothed Lebanon in black and caused the trees of the field to wilt. + I made the nations shake with fear at the sound of its fall, for I sent it down to the grave with all the others who descend to the pit. And all the other proud trees of Eden, the most beautiful and the best of Lebanon, the ones whose roots went deep into the water, took comfort to find it there with them in the depths of the earth. + Its allies, too, were all destroyed and had passed away. They had gone down to the grave-- all those nations that had lived in its shade. + "O Egypt, to which of the trees of Eden will you compare your strength and glory? You, too, will be brought down to the depths with all these other nations. You will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his hordes. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + On March 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, mourn for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and give him this message: "You think of yourself as a strong young lion among the nations, but you are really just a sea monster, heaving around in your own rivers, stirring up mud with your feet. + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will send many people to catch you in my net and haul you out of the water. + I will leave you stranded on the land to die. All the birds of the heavens will land on you, and the wild animals of the whole earth will gorge themselves on you. + I will scatter your flesh on the hills and fill the valleys with your bones. + I will drench the earth with your gushing blood all the way to the mountains, filling the ravines to the brim. + When I blot you out, I will veil the heavens and darken the stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give you its light. + I will darken the bright stars overhead and cover your land in darkness. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! + "I will disturb many hearts when I bring news of your downfall to distant nations you have never seen. + Yes, I will shock many lands, and their kings will be terrified at your fate. They will shudder in fear for their lives as I brandish my sword before them on the day of your fall. + For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you. + I will destroy your hordes with the swords of mighty warriors-- the terror of the nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all its hordes will be destroyed. + I will destroy all your flocks and herds that graze beside the streams. Never again will people or animals muddy those waters with their feet. + Then I will let the waters of Egypt become calm again, and they will flow as smoothly as olive oil, says the Sovereign LORD. + And when I destroy Egypt and strip you of everything you own and strike down all your people, then you will know that I am the LORD. + Yes, this is the funeral song they will sing for Egypt. Let all the nations mourn. Let them mourn for Egypt and its hordes. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + On March 17, during the twelfth year, another message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, weep for the hordes of Egypt and for the other mighty nations. For I will send them down to the world below in company with those who descend to the pit. + Say to them, 'O Egypt, are you lovelier than the other nations? No! So go down to the pit and lie there among the outcasts. ' + The Egyptians will fall with the many who have died by the sword, for the sword is drawn against them. Egypt and its hordes will be dragged away to their judgment. + Down in the grave mighty leaders will mockingly welcome Egypt and its allies, saying, 'They have come down; they lie among the outcasts, hordes slaughtered by the sword.' + "Assyria lies there surrounded by the graves of its army, those who were slaughtered by the sword. + Their graves are in the depths of the pit, and they are surrounded by their allies. They struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere, but now they have been slaughtered by the sword. + "Elam lies there surrounded by the graves of all its hordes, those who were slaughtered by the sword. They struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere, but now they have descended as outcasts to the world below. Now they lie in the pit and share the shame of those who have gone before them. + They have a resting place among the slaughtered, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes. Yes, they terrorized the nations while they lived, but now they lie in shame with others in the pit, all of them outcasts, slaughtered by the sword. + "Meshech and Tubal are there, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes. They once struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere. But now they are outcasts, all slaughtered by the sword. + They are not buried in honor like their fallen heroes, who went down to the grave with their weapons-- their shields covering their bodies and their swords beneath their heads. Their guilt rests upon them because they brought terror to everyone while they were still alive. + "You too, Egypt, will lie crushed and broken among the outcasts, all slaughtered by the sword. + "Edom is there with its kings and princes. Mighty as they were, they also lie among those slaughtered by the sword, with the outcasts who have gone down to the pit. + "All the princes of the north and the Sidonians are there with others who have died. Once a terror, they have been put to shame. They lie there as outcasts with others who were slaughtered by the sword. They share the shame of all who have descended to the pit. + "When Pharaoh and his entire army arrive, he will take comfort that he is not alone in having his hordes killed, says the Sovereign LORD. + Although I have caused his terror to fall upon all the living, Pharaoh and his hordes will lie there among the outcasts who were slaughtered by the sword. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Once again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, give your people this message: 'When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman. + When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. + Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. + They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. + But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.' + "Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. + If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. + But if you warn them to repent and they don't repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. + "Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, 'Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?' + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die? + "Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. + When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. + And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. + For instance, they might give back a debtor's security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. + None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live. + "Your people are saying, 'The Lord isn't doing what's right,' but it is they who are not doing what's right. + For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die. + But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live. + O people of Israel, you are saying, 'The Lord isn't doing what's right.' But I judge each of you according to your deeds." + On January 8, during the twelfth year of our captivity, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city has fallen!" + The previous evening the LORD had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning. + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, the scattered remnants of Judah living among the ruined cities keep saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.' + So tell these people, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols, and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours? + Murderers! Idolaters! Adulterers! Should the land belong to you?' + "Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die by the sword. And I will send wild animals to eat those living in the open fields. Those hiding in the forts and caves will die of disease. + I will completely destroy the land and demolish her pride. Her arrogant power will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so desolate that no one will even travel through them. + When I have completely destroyed the land because of their detestable sins, then they will know that I am the LORD.' + "Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, 'Come on, let's go hear the prophet tell us what the LORD is saying!' + So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. + You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don't act on it! + But when all these terrible things happen to them-- as they certainly will-- then they will know a prophet has been among them." + + + Then this message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn't shepherds feed their sheep? + You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. + You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. + So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. + They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them. + "Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn't search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. + Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey. + "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. + I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. + I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. + Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. + I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. + I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes-- feed them justice! + "And as for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to his people: I will judge between one animal of the flock and another, separating the sheep from the goats. + Isn't it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn't it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? + Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled? + "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. + For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands. + So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. + And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. + And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. + I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. + The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the LORD. + They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them. + "And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. + In this way, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign LORD. + You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face Mount Seir, and prophesy against its people. + Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: "I am your enemy, O Mount Seir, and I will raise my fist against you to destroy you completely. + I will demolish your cities and make you desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "Your eternal hatred for the people of Israel led you to butcher them when they were helpless, when I had already punished them for all their sins. + As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, since you show no distaste for blood, I will give you a bloodbath of your own. Your turn has come! + I will make Mount Seir utterly desolate, killing off all who try to escape and any who return. + I will fill your mountains with the dead. Your hills, your valleys, and your ravines will be filled with people slaughtered by the sword. + I will make you desolate forever. Your cities will never be rebuilt. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "For you said, 'The lands of Israel and Judah will be ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care that the LORD is there!' + Therefore, as surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will pay back your angry deeds with my own. I will punish you for all your acts of anger, envy, and hatred. And I will make myself known to Israel by what I do to you. + Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard every contemptuous word you spoke against the mountains of Israel. For you said, 'They are desolate; they have been given to us as food to eat!' + In saying that, you boasted proudly against me, and I have heard it all! + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The whole world will rejoice when I make you desolate. + You rejoiced at the desolation of Israel's territory. Now I will rejoice at yours! You will be wiped out, you people of Mount Seir and all who live in Edom! Then you will know that I am the LORD. + + + "Son of man, prophesy to Israel's mountains. Give them this message: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD! + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Your enemies have taunted you, saying, 'Aha! Now the ancient heights belong to us!' + Therefore, son of man, give the mountains of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Your enemies have attacked you from all directions, making you the property of many nations and the object of much mocking and slander. + Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. He speaks to the hills and mountains, ravines and valleys, and to ruined wastes and long-deserted cities that have been destroyed and mocked by the surrounding nations. + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My jealous anger burns against these nations, especially Edom, because they have shown utter contempt for me by gleefully taking my land for themselves as plunder. + "Therefore, prophesy to the hills and mountains, the ravines and valleys of Israel. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am furious that you have suffered shame before the surrounding nations. + Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I have taken a solemn oath that those nations will soon have their own shame to endure. + "But the mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops of fruit for my people-- for they will be coming home again soon! + See, I care about you, and I will pay attention to you. Your ground will be plowed and your crops planted. + I will greatly increase the population of Israel, and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people. + I will increase not only the people, but also your animals. O mountains of Israel, I will bring people to live on you once again. I will make you even more prosperous than you were before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + I will cause my people to walk on you once again, and you will be their territory. You will never again rob them of their children. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The other nations taunt you, saying, 'Israel is a land that devours its own people and robs them of their children!' + But you will never again devour your people or rob them of their children, says the Sovereign LORD. + I will not let you hear those other nations insult you, and you will no longer be mocked by them. You will not be a land that causes its nation to fall, says the Sovereign LORD." + Then this further message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived. To me their conduct was as unclean as a woman's menstrual cloth. + They polluted the land with murder and the worship of idols, so I poured out my fury on them. + I scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they had lived. + But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, 'These are the people of the LORD, but he couldn't keep them safe in his own land!' + Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations. + "Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. + I will show how holy my great name is-- the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD. + For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. + "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. + And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. + And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. + "And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. + I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land. + I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. + Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. + But remember, says the Sovereign LORD, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done! + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. + The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed. + And when I bring you back, people will say, 'This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!' + Then the surrounding nations that survive will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted the wasteland. For I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I say. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am ready to hear Israel's prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock. + They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem's streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the LORD." + + + The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. + He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. + Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign LORD," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that." + Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, 'Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! + I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" + So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. + Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. + Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.'" + So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet-- a great army. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, 'We have become old, dry bones-- all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.' + Therefore, prophesy to them and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. + When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. + I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!'" + Again a message came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, take a piece of wood and carve on it these words: 'This represents Judah and its allied tribes.' Then take another piece and carve these words on it: 'This represents Ephraim and the northern tribes of Israel.' + Now hold them together in your hand as if they were one piece of wood. + When your people ask you what your actions mean, + say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take Ephraim and the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one piece of wood in my hand.' + "Then hold out the pieces of wood you have inscribed, so the people can see them. + And give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. + I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms. + They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful backsliding. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. + "My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees. + They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. + And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever. + I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. + And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the LORD, who makes Israel holy." + + + This is another message that came to me from the LORD: + "Son of man, turn and face Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. + Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: Gog, I am your enemy! + I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws to lead you out with your whole army-- your horses and charioteers in full armor and a great horde armed with shields and swords. + Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. + Gomer and all its armies will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north, and many others. + "Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. + A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel. + You and all your allies-- a vast and awesome army-- will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. + You will say, 'Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! + I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with livestock and other possessions now. They think the whole world revolves around them!' + But Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish will ask, 'Do you really think the armies you have gathered can rob them of silver and gold? Do you think you can drive away their livestock and seize their goods and carry off plunder?' + "Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: When my people are living in peace in their land, then you will rouse yourself. + You will come from your homeland in the distant north with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, + and you will attack my people Israel, covering their land like a cloud. At that time in the distant future, I will bring you against my land as everyone watches, and my holiness will be displayed by what happens to you, Gog. Then all the nations will know that I am the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD asks: Are you the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel's prophets that in the future I would bring you against my people? + But this is what the Sovereign LORD says: When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over! + In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day. + All living things-- the fish in the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people on earth-- will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth. + I will summon the sword against you on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign LORD. Your men will turn their swords against each other. + I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! + In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + + + "Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. + I will turn you around and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. + I will knock the bow from your left hand and the arrows from your right hand, and I will leave you helpless. + You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. + You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD. + And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "In this way, I will make known my holy name among my people of Israel. I will not let anyone bring shame on it. And the nations, too, will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. + That day of judgment will come, says the Sovereign LORD. Everything will happen just as I have declared it. + "Then the people in the towns of Israel will go out and pick up your small and large shields, bows and arrows, javelins and spears, and they will use them for fuel. There will be enough to last them seven years! + They won't need to cut wood from the fields or forests, for these weapons will give them all the fuel they need. They will plunder those who planned to plunder them, and they will rob those who planned to rob them, says the Sovereign LORD. + "And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. It will block the way of those who travel there, and they will change the name of the place to the Valley of Gog's Hordes. + It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land. + Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign LORD. + "After seven months, teams of men will be appointed to search the land for skeletons to bury, so the land will be made clean again. + Whenever bones are found, a marker will be set up so the burial crews will take them to be buried in the Valley of Gog's Hordes. + (There will be a town there named Hamonah, which means 'horde.') And so the land will finally be cleansed. + "And now, son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call all the birds and wild animals. Say to them: Gather together for my great sacrificial feast. Come from far and near to the mountains of Israel, and there eat flesh and drink blood! + Eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of princes as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls-- all fattened animals from Bashan! + Gorge yourselves with flesh until you are glutted; drink blood until you are drunk. This is the sacrificial feast I have prepared for you. + Feast at my banquet table-- feast on horses and charioteers, on mighty men and all kinds of valiant warriors, says the Sovereign LORD. + "In this way, I will demonstrate my glory to the nations. Everyone will see the punishment I have inflicted on them and the power of my fist when I strike. + And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. + The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile-- it was punishment for sin, for they were unfaithful to their God. Therefore, I turned away from them and let their enemies destroy them. + I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins. + "So now, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation! + They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. + When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. + Then my people will know that I am the LORD their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. + And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + On April 28, during the twenty-fifth year of our captivity-- fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem-- the LORD took hold of me. + In a vision from God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. From there I could see toward the south what appeared to be a city. + As he brought me nearer, I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway entrance. He was holding in his hand a linen measuring cord and a measuring rod. + He said to me, "Son of man, watch and listen. Pay close attention to everything I show you. You have been brought here so I can show you many things. Then you will return to the people of Israel and tell them everything you have seen." + I could see a wall completely surrounding the Temple area. The man took a measuring rod that was 10-1/2 feet long and measured the wall, and the wall was 10-1/2 feet thick and 10-1/2 feet high. + Then he went over to the eastern gateway. He climbed the steps and measured the threshold of the gateway; it was 10-1/2 feet front to back. + There were guard alcoves on each side built into the gateway passage. Each of these alcoves was 10-1/2 feet square, with a distance between them of 8-3/4 feet along the passage wall. The gateway's inner threshold, which led to the entry room at the inner end of the gateway passage, was 10-1/2 feet front to back. + He also measured the entry room of the gateway. + It was 14 feet across, with supporting columns 3-1/2 feet thick. This entry room was at the inner end of the gateway structure, facing toward the Temple. + There were three guard alcoves on each side of the gateway passage. Each had the same measurements, and the dividing walls separating them were also identical. + The man measured the gateway entrance, which was 17-1/2 feet wide at the opening and 22-3/4 feet wide in the gateway passage. + In front of each of the guard alcoves was a 21-inch curb. The alcoves themselves were 10-1/2 feet on each side. + Then he measured the entire width of the gateway, measuring the distance between the back walls of facing guard alcoves; this distance was 43-3/4 feet. + He measured the dividing walls all along the inside of the gateway up to the entry room of the gateway; this distance was 105 feet. + The full length of the gateway passage was 87-1/2 feet from one end to the other. + There were recessed windows that narrowed inward through the walls of the guard alcoves and their dividing walls. There were also windows in the entry room. The surfaces of the dividing walls were decorated with carved palm trees. + Then the man brought me through the gateway into the outer courtyard of the Temple. A stone pavement ran along the walls of the courtyard, and thirty rooms were built against the walls, opening onto the pavement. + This pavement flanked the gates and extended out from the walls into the courtyard the same distance as the gateway entrance. This was the lower pavement. + Then the man measured across the Temple's outer courtyard between the outer and inner gateways; the distance was 175 feet. + The man measured the gateway on the north just like the one on the east. + Here, too, there were three guard alcoves on each side, with dividing walls and an entry room. All the measurements matched those of the east gateway. The gateway passage was 87-1/2 feet long and 43-3/4 feet wide between the back walls of facing guard alcoves. + The windows, the entry room, and the palm tree decorations were identical to those in the east gateway. There were seven steps leading up to the gateway entrance, and the entry room was at the inner end of the gateway passage. + Here on the north side, just as on the east, there was another gateway leading to the Temple's inner courtyard directly opposite this outer gateway. The distance between the two gateways was 175 feet. + Then the man took me around to the south gateway and measured its various parts, and they were exactly the same as in the others. + It had windows along the walls as the others did, and there was an entry room where the gateway passage opened into the outer courtyard. And like the others, the gateway passage was 87-1/2 feet long and 43-3/4 feet wide between the back walls of facing guard alcoves. + This gateway also had a stairway of seven steps leading up to it, and an entry room at the inner end, and palm tree decorations along the dividing walls. + And here again, directly opposite the outer gateway, was another gateway that led into the inner courtyard. The distance between the two gateways was 175 feet. + Then the man took me to the south gateway leading into the inner courtyard. He measured it, and it had the same measurements as the other gateways. + Its guard alcoves, dividing walls, and entry room were the same size as those in the others. It also had windows along its walls and in the entry room. And like the others, the gateway passage was 87-1/2 feet long and 43-3/4 feet wide. + (The entry rooms of the gateways leading into the inner courtyard were 14 feet across and 43-3/4 feet wide.) + The entry room to the south gateway faced into the outer courtyard. It had palm tree decorations on its columns, and there were eight steps leading to its entrance. + Then he took me to the east gateway leading to the inner courtyard. He measured it, and it had the same measurements as the other gateways. + Its guard alcoves, dividing walls, and entry room were the same size as those of the others, and there were windows along the walls and in the entry room. The gateway passage measured 87-1/2 feet long and 43-3/4 feet wide. + Its entry room faced into the outer courtyard. It had palm tree decorations on its columns, and there were eight steps leading to its entrance. + Then he took me around to the north gateway leading to the inner courtyard. He measured it, and it had the same measurements as the other gateways. + The guard alcoves, dividing walls, and entry room of this gateway had the same measurements as in the others and the same window arrangements. The gateway passage measured 87-1/2 feet long and 43-3/4 feet wide. + Its entry room faced into the outer courtyard, and it had palm tree decorations on the columns. There were eight steps leading to its entrance. + A door led from the entry room of one of the inner gateways into a side room, where the meat for sacrifices was washed. + On each side of this entry room were two tables, where the sacrificial animals were slaughtered for the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. + Outside the entry room, on each side of the stairs going up to the north entrance, were two more tables. + So there were eight tables in all-- four inside and four outside-- where the sacrifices were cut up and prepared. + There were also four tables of finished stone for preparation of the burnt offerings, each 31-1/2 inches square and 21 inches high. On these tables were placed the butchering knives and other implements for slaughtering the sacrificial animals. + There were hooks, each 3 inches long, fastened to the foyer walls. The sacrificial meat was laid on the tables. + Inside the inner courtyard were two rooms, one beside the north gateway, facing south, and the other beside the south gateway, facing north. + And the man said to me, "The room beside the north inner gate is for the priests who supervise the Temple maintenance. + The room beside the south inner gate is for the priests in charge of the altar-- the descendants of Zadok-- for they alone of all the Levites may approach the LORD to minister to him." + Then the man measured the inner courtyard, and it was a square, 175 feet wide and 175 feet across. The altar stood in the courtyard in front of the Temple. + Then he brought me to the entry room of the Temple. He measured the walls on either side of the opening to the entry room, and they were 8-3/4 feet thick. The entrance itself was 24-1/2 feet wide, and the walls on each side of the entrance were an additional 5-1/4 feet long. + The entry room was 35 feet wide and 21 feet deep. There were ten steps leading up to it, with a column on each side. + + + After that, the man brought me into the sanctuary of the Temple. He measured the walls on either side of its doorway, and they were 10-1/2 feet thick. + The doorway was 17-1/2 feet wide, and the walls on each side of it were 8-3/4 feet long. The sanctuary itself was 70 feet long and 35 feet wide. + Then he went beyond the sanctuary into the inner room. He measured the walls on either side of its entrance, and they were 3-1/2 feet thick. The entrance was 10-1/2 feet wide, and the walls on each side of the entrance were 12-1/4 feet long. + The inner room of the sanctuary was 35 feet long and 35 feet wide. "This," he told me, "is the Most Holy Place." + Then he measured the wall of the Temple, and it was 10-1/2 feet thick. There was a row of rooms along the outside wall; each room was 7 feet wide. + These side rooms were built in three levels, one above the other, with thirty rooms on each level. The supports for these side rooms rested on exterior ledges on the Temple wall; they did not extend into the wall. + Each level was wider than the one below it, corresponding to the narrowing of the Temple wall as it rose higher. A stairway led up from the bottom level through the middle level to the top level. + I saw that the Temple was built on a terrace, which provided a foundation for the side rooms. This terrace was 10-1/2 feet high. + The outer wall of the Temple's side rooms was 8-3/4 feet thick. This left an open area between these side rooms + and the row of rooms along the outer wall of the inner courtyard. This open area was 35 feet wide, and it went all the way around the Temple. + Two doors opened from the side rooms into the terrace yard, which was 8-3/4 feet wide. One door faced north and the other south. + A large building stood on the west, facing the Temple courtyard. It was 122-1/2 feet wide and 157-1/2 feet long, and its walls were 8-3/4 feet thick. + Then the man measured the Temple, and it was 175 feet long. The courtyard around the building, including its walls, was an additional 175 feet in length. + The inner courtyard to the east of the Temple was also 175 feet wide. + The building to the west, including its two walls, was also 175 feet wide.The sanctuary, the inner room, and the entry room of the Temple + were all paneled with wood, as were the frames of the recessed windows. The inner walls of the Temple were paneled with wood above and below the windows. + The space above the door leading into the inner room, and its walls inside and out, were also paneled. + All the walls were decorated with carvings of cherubim, each with two faces, and there was a carving of a palm tree between each of the cherubim. + One face-- that of a man-- looked toward the palm tree on one side. The other face-- that of a young lion-- looked toward the palm tree on the other side. The figures were carved all along the inside of the Temple, + from the floor to the top of the walls, including the outer wall of the sanctuary. + There were square columns at the entrance to the sanctuary, and the ones at the entrance of the Most Holy Place were similar. + There was an altar made of wood, 5-1/4 feet high and 3-1/2 feet across. Its corners, base, and sides were all made of wood. "This," the man told me, "is the table that stands in the LORD's presence." + Both the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place had double doorways, + each with two swinging doors. + The doors leading into the sanctuary were decorated with carved cherubim and palm trees, just as on the walls. And there was a wooden roof at the front of the entry room to the Temple. + On both sides of the entry room were recessed windows decorated with carved palm trees. The side rooms along the outside wall also had roofs. + + + Then the man led me out of the Temple courtyard by way of the north gateway. We entered the outer courtyard and came to a group of rooms against the north wall of the inner courtyard. + This structure, whose entrance opened toward the north, was 175 feet long and 87-1/2 feet wide. + One block of rooms overlooked the 35-foot width of the inner courtyard. Another block of rooms looked out onto the pavement of the outer courtyard. The two blocks were built three levels high and stood across from each other. + Between the two blocks of rooms ran a walkway 17-1/2 feet wide. It extended the entire 175 feet of the complex, and all the doors faced north. + Each of the two upper levels of rooms was narrower than the one beneath it because the upper levels had to allow space for walkways in front of them. + Since there were three levels and they did not have supporting columns as in the courtyards, each of the upper levels was set back from the level beneath it. + There was an outer wall that separated the rooms from the outer courtyard; it was 87-1/2 feet long. + This wall added length to the outer block of rooms, which extended for only 87-1/2 feet, while the inner block-- the rooms toward the Temple-- extended for 175 feet. + There was an eastern entrance from the outer courtyard to these rooms. + On the south side of the Temple there were two blocks of rooms just south of the inner courtyard between the Temple and the outer courtyard. These rooms were arranged just like the rooms on the north. + There was a walkway between the two blocks of rooms just like the complex on the north side of the Temple. This complex of rooms was the same length and width as the other one, and it had the same entrances and doors. The dimensions of each were identical. + So there was an entrance in the wall facing the doors of the inner block of rooms, and another on the east at the end of the interior walkway. + Then the man told me, "These rooms that overlook the Temple from the north and south are holy. Here the priests who offer sacrifices to the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. And because these rooms are holy, they will be used to store the sacred offerings-- the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. + When the priests leave the sanctuary, they must not go directly to the outer courtyard. They must first take off the clothes they wore while ministering, because these clothes are holy. They must put on other clothes before entering the parts of the building complex open to the public." + When the man had finished measuring the inside of the Temple area, he led me out through the east gateway to measure the entire perimeter. + He measured the east side with his measuring rod, and it was 875 feet long. + Then he measured the north side, and it was also 875 feet. + The south side was also 875 feet, + and the west side was also 875 feet. + So the area was 875 feet on each side with a wall all around it to separate what was holy from what was common. + + + After this, the man brought me back around to the east gateway. + Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory. + This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on the ground. + And the glory of the LORD came into the Temple through the east gateway. + Then the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple. + And I heard someone speaking to me from within the Temple, while the man who had been measuring stood beside me. + The LORD said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will live here forever among the people of Israel. They and their kings will not defile my holy name any longer by their adulterous worship of other gods or by honoring the relics of their kings who have died. + They put their idol altars right next to mine with only a wall between them and me. They defiled my holy name by such detestable sin, so I consumed them in my anger. + Now let them stop worshiping other gods and honoring the relics of their kings, and I will live among them forever. + "Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you, so they will be ashamed of all their sins. Let them study its plan, + and they will be ashamed of what they have done. Describe to them all the specifications of the Temple-- including its entrances and exits-- and everything else about it. Tell them about its decrees and laws. Write down all these specifications and decrees as they watch so they will be sure to remember and follow them. + And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple. + "These are the measurements of the altar: There is a gutter all around the altar 21 inches deep and 21 inches wide, with a curb 9 inches wide around its edge. And this is the height of the altar: + From the gutter the altar rises 3-1/2 feet to a lower ledge that surrounds the altar and is 21 inches wide. From the lower ledge the altar rises 7 feet to the upper ledge that is also 21 inches wide. + The top of the altar, the hearth, rises another 7 feet higher, with a horn rising up from each of the four corners. + The top of the altar is square, measuring 21 feet by 21 feet. + The upper ledge also forms a square, measuring 24-1/2 feet by 24-1/2 feet, with a 21-inch gutter and a 10-1/2-inch curb all around the edge. There are steps going up the east side of the altar." + Then he said to me, "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: These will be the regulations for the burning of offerings and the sprinkling of blood when the altar is built. + At that time, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who minister before me, are to be given a young bull for a sin offering, says the Sovereign LORD. + You will take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar, the four corners of the upper ledge, and the curb that runs around that ledge. This will cleanse and make atonement for the altar. + Then take the young bull for the sin offering and burn it at the appointed place outside the Temple area. + "On the second day, sacrifice as a sin offering a young male goat that has no physical defects. Then cleanse and make atonement for the altar again, just as you did with the young bull. + When you have finished the cleansing ceremony, offer another young bull that has no defects and a perfect ram from the flock. + You are to present them to the LORD, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to the LORD. + "Every day for seven days a male goat, a young bull, and a ram from the flock will be sacrificed as a sin offering. None of these animals may have physical defects of any kind. + Do this each day for seven days to cleanse and make atonement for the altar, thus setting it apart for holy use. + On the eighth day, and on each day afterward, the priests will sacrifice on the altar the burnt offerings and peace offerings of the people. Then I will accept you. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + + + Then the man brought me back to the east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple area, but it was closed. + And the LORD said to me, "This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No one will ever open it and pass through, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered here. Therefore, it must always remain shut. + Only the prince himself may sit inside this gateway to feast in the LORD's presence. But he may come and go only through the entry room of the gateway." + Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the LORD filled the Temple of the LORD, and I fell face down on the ground. + And the LORD said to me, "Son of man, take careful notice. Use your eyes and ears, and listen to everything I tell you about the regulations concerning the LORD's Temple. Take careful note of the procedures for using the Temple's entrances and exits. + And give these rebels, the people of Israel, this message from the Sovereign LORD: O people of Israel, enough of your detestable sins! + You have brought uncircumcised foreigners into my sanctuary-- people who have no heart for God. In this way, you defiled my Temple even as you offered me my food, the fat and blood of sacrifices. In addition to all your other detestable sins, you have broken my covenant. + Instead of safeguarding my sacred rituals, you have hired foreigners to take charge of my sanctuary. + "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigners, including those who live among the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if they have not been circumcised and have not surrendered themselves to the LORD. + And the men of the tribe of Levi who abandoned me when Israel strayed away from me to worship idols must bear the consequences of their unfaithfulness. + They may still be Temple guards and gatekeepers, and they may slaughter the animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people. + But they encouraged my people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign LORD. + They may not approach me to minister as priests. They may not touch any of my holy things or the holy offerings, for they must bear the shame of all the detestable sins they have committed. + They are to serve as the Temple caretakers, taking charge of the maintenance work and performing general duties. + "However, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok continued to minister faithfully in the Temple when Israel abandoned me for idols. These men will serve as my ministers. They will stand in my presence and offer the fat and blood of the sacrifices, says the Sovereign LORD. + They alone will enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They will fulfill all my requirements. + "When they enter the gateway to the inner courtyard, they must wear only linen clothing. They must wear no wool while on duty in the inner courtyard or in the Temple itself. + They must wear linen turbans and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that would cause them to perspire. + When they return to the outer courtyard where the people are, they must take off the clothes they wear while ministering to me. They must leave them in the sacred rooms and put on other clothes so they do not endanger anyone by transmitting holiness to them through this clothing. + "They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly. + The priests must not drink wine before entering the inner courtyard. + They may choose their wives only from among the virgins of Israel or the widows of the priests. They may not marry other widows or divorced women. + They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean. + "They will serve as judges to resolve any disagreements among my people. Their decisions must be based on my regulations. And the priests themselves must obey my instructions and decrees at all the sacred festivals, and see to it that the Sabbaths are set apart as holy days. + "A priest must not defile himself by being in the presence of a dead person unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In such cases it is permitted. + Even then, he can return to his Temple duties only after being ceremonially cleansed and then waiting for seven days. + The first day he returns to work and enters the inner courtyard and the sanctuary, he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the Sovereign LORD. + "The priests will not have any property or possession of land, for I alone am their special possession. + Their food will come from the gifts and sacrifices brought to the Temple by the people-- the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Whatever anyone sets apart for the LORD will belong to the priests. + The first of the ripe fruits and all the gifts brought to the LORD will go to the priests. The first samples of each grain harvest and the first of your flour must also be given to the priests so the LORD will bless your homes. + The priests may not eat meat from any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that dies after being attacked by another animal. + + + "When you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside a section for the LORD as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 8-1/3 miles long and 6-2/3 miles wide. The entire area will be holy. + A section of this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet, will be set aside for the Temple. An additional strip of land 87-1/2 feet wide is to be left empty all around it. + Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 8-1/3 miles long and 3-1/3 miles wide. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be located. + This area will be holy, set aside for the priests who minister to the LORD in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple will be located within it. + The strip of sacred land next to it, also 8-1/3 miles long and 3-1/3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns. + "Adjacent to the larger sacred area will be a section of land 8-1/3 miles long and 1-2/3 miles wide. This will be set aside for a city where anyone in Israel can live. + "Two special sections of land will be set apart for the prince. One section will share a border with the east side of the sacred lands and city, and the second section will share a border on the west side. Then the far eastern and western borders of the prince's lands will line up with the eastern and western boundaries of the tribal areas. + These sections of land will be the prince's allotment. Then my princes will no longer oppress and rob my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an allotment to each tribe. + "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign LORD. + Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid. + The homer will be your standard unit for measuring volume. The ephah and the bath will each measure one-tenth of a homer. + The standard unit for weight will be the silver shekel. One shekel will consist of twenty gerahs, and sixty shekels will be equal to one mina. + "You must give this tax to the prince: one bushel of wheat or barley for every 60 you harvest, + one percent of your olive oil, + and one sheep or goat for every 200 in your flocks in Israel. These will be the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings that will make atonement for the people who bring them, says the Sovereign LORD. + All the people of Israel must join in bringing these offerings to the prince. + The prince will be required to provide offerings that are given at the religious festivals, the new moon celebrations, the Sabbath days, and all other similar occasions. He will provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, and peace offerings to purify the people of Israel, making them right with the LORD. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In early spring, on the first day of each new year, sacrifice a young bull with no defects to purify the Temple. + The priest will take blood from this sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, the four corners of the upper ledge of the altar, and the gateposts at the entrance to the inner courtyard. + Do this also on the seventh day of the new year for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance. In this way, you will purify the Temple. + "On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the Passover. This festival will last for seven days. The bread you eat during that time must be made without yeast. + On the day of Passover the prince will provide a young bull as a sin offering for himself and the people of Israel. + On each of the seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, consisting of seven young bulls and seven rams without defects. A male goat will also be given each day for a sin offering. + The prince will provide a basket of flour as a grain offering and a gallon of olive oil with each young bull and ram. + "During the seven days of the Festival of Shelters, which occurs every year in early autumn, the prince will provide these same sacrifices for the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the grain offering, along with the required olive oil. + + + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The east gateway of the inner courtyard will be closed during the six workdays each week, but it will be open on Sabbath days and the days of new moon celebrations. + The prince will enter the entry room of the gateway from the outside. Then he will stand by the gatepost while the priest offers his burnt offering and peace offering. He will bow down in worship inside the gateway passage and then go back out the way he came. The gateway will not be closed until evening. + The common people will bow down and worship the LORD in front of this gateway on Sabbath days and the days of new moon celebrations. + "Each Sabbath day the prince will present to the LORD a burnt offering of six lambs and one ram, all with no defects. + He will present a grain offering of a basket of choice flour to go with the ram and whatever amount of flour he chooses to go with each lamb, and he is to offer one gallon of olive oil for each basket of flour. + At the new moon celebrations, he will bring one young bull, six lambs, and one ram, all with no defects. + With the young bull he must bring a basket of choice flour for a grain offering. With the ram he must bring another basket of flour. And with each lamb he is to bring whatever amount of flour he chooses to give. With each basket of flour he must offer one gallon of olive oil. + "The prince must enter the gateway through the entry room, and he must leave the same way. + But when the people come in through the north gateway to worship the LORD during the religious festivals, they must leave by the south gateway. And those who entered through the south gateway must leave by the north gateway. They must never leave by the same gateway they came in, but must always use the opposite gateway. + The prince will enter and leave with the people on these occasions. + "So at the special feasts and sacred festivals, the grain offering will be a basket of choice flour with each young bull, another basket of flour with each ram, and as much flour as the prince chooses to give with each lamb. Give one gallon of olive oil with each basket of flour. + When the prince offers a voluntary burnt offering or peace offering to the LORD, the east gateway to the inner courtyard will be opened for him, and he will offer his sacrifices as he does on Sabbath days. Then he will leave, and the gateway will be shut behind him. + "Each morning you must sacrifice a one-year-old lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the LORD. + With the lamb, a grain offering must also be given to the LORD-- about three quarts of flour with a third of a gallon of olive oil to moisten the choice flour. This will be a permanent law for you. + The lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil must be given as a daily sacrifice every morning without fail. + "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: If the prince gives a gift of land to one of his sons as his inheritance, it will belong to him and his descendants forever. + But if the prince gives a gift of land from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it only until the Year of Jubilee, which comes every fiftieth year. At that time the land will return to the prince. But when the prince gives gifts to his sons, those gifts will be permanent. + And the prince may never take anyone's property by force. If he gives property to his sons, it must be from his own land, for I do not want any of my people unjustly evicted from their property." + In my vision, the man brought me through the entrance beside the gateway and led me to the sacred rooms assigned to the priests, which faced toward the north. He showed me a place at the extreme west end of these rooms. + He explained, "This is where the priests will cook the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the flour from the grain offerings into bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the sacrifices through the outer courtyard and endangering the people by transmitting holiness to them." + Then he brought me back to the outer courtyard and led me to each of its four corners. In each corner I saw an enclosure. + Each of these enclosures was 70 feet long and 52-1/2 feet wide, surrounded by walls. + Along the inside of these walls was a ledge of stone with fireplaces under the ledge all the way around. + The man said to me, "These are the kitchens to be used by the Temple assistants to boil the sacrifices offered by the people." + + + In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. + The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. + Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. + He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. + Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through. + He asked me, "Have you been watching, son of man?" Then he led me back along the riverbank. + When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. + Then he said to me, "This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. + There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. + Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean. + But the marshes and swamps will not be purified; they will still be salty. + Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing." + This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Divide the land in this way for the twelve tribes of Israel: The descendants of Joseph will be given two shares of land. + Otherwise each tribe will receive an equal share. I took a solemn oath and swore that I would give this land to your ancestors, and it will now come to you as your possession. + "These are the boundaries of the land: The northern border will run from the Mediterranean toward Hethlon, then on through Lebo-hamath to Zedad; + then it will run to Berothah and Sibraim, which are on the border between Damascus and Hamath, and finally to Hazer-hatticon, on the border of Hauran. + So the northern border will run from the Mediterranean to Hazar-enan, on the border between Hamath to the north and Damascus to the south. + "The eastern border starts at a point between Hauran and Damascus and runs south along the Jordan River between Israel and Gilead, past the Dead Sea and as far south as Tamar. This will be the eastern border. + "The southern border will go west from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh and then follow the course of the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean. This will be the southern border. + "On the west side, the Mediterranean itself will be your border from the southern border to the point where the northern border begins, opposite Lebo-hamath. + "Divide the land within these boundaries among the tribes of Israel. + Distribute the land as an allotment for yourselves and for the foreigners who have joined you and are raising their families among you. They will be like native-born Israelites to you and will receive an allotment among the tribes. + These foreigners are to be given land within the territory of the tribe with whom they now live. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! + + + "Here is the list of the tribes of Israel and the territory each is to receive. The territory of Dan is in the extreme north. Its boundary line follows the Hethlon road to Lebo-hamath and then runs on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus, with Hamath to the north. Dan's territory extends all the way across the land of Israel from east to west. + "Asher's territory lies south of Dan's and also extends from east to west. + Naphtali's land lies south of Asher's, also extending from east to west. + Then comes Manasseh south of Naphtali, and its territory also extends from east to west. + South of Manasseh is Ephraim, + and then Reuben, + and then Judah, all of whose boundaries extend from east to west. + "South of Judah is the land set aside for a special purpose. It will be 8-1/3 miles wide and will extend as far east and west as the tribal territories, with the Temple at the center. + "The area set aside for the LORD's Temple will be 8-1/3 miles long and 6-2/3 miles wide. + For the priests there will be a strip of land measuring 8-1/3 miles long by 3-1/3 miles wide, with the LORD's Temple at the center. + This area is set aside for the ordained priests, the descendants of Zadok who served me faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites. + It will be their special portion when the land is distributed, the most sacred land of all. Next to the priests' territory will lie the land where the other Levites will live. + "The land allotted to the Levites will be the same size and shape as that belonging to the priests-- 8-1/3 miles long and 3-1/3 miles wide. Together these portions of land will measure 8-1/3 miles long by 6-2/3 miles wide. + None of this special land may ever be sold or traded or used by others, for it belongs to the LORD; it is set apart as holy. + "An additional strip of land 8-1/3 miles long by 1-2/3 miles wide, south of the sacred Temple area, will be allotted for public use-- homes, pasturelands, and common lands, with a city at the center. + The city will measure 1-1/2 miles on each side-- north, south, east, and west. + Open lands will surround the city for 150 yards in every direction. + Outside the city there will be a farming area that stretches 3-1/3 miles to the east and 3-1/3 miles to the west along the border of the sacred area. This farmland will produce food for the people working in the city. + Those who come from the various tribes to work in the city may farm it. + This entire area-- including the sacred lands and the city-- is a square that measures 8-1/3 miles on each side. + "The areas that remain, to the east and to the west of the sacred lands and the city, will belong to the prince. Each of these areas will be 8-1/3 miles wide, extending in opposite directions to the eastern and western borders of Israel, with the sacred lands and the sanctuary of the Temple in the center. + So the prince's land will include everything between the territories allotted to Judah and Benjamin, except for the areas set aside for the sacred lands and the city. + "These are the territories allotted to the rest of the tribes. Benjamin's territory lies just south of the prince's lands, and it extends across the entire land of Israel from east to west. + South of Benjamin's territory lies that of Simeon, also extending across the land from east to west. + Next is the territory of Issachar with the same eastern and western boundaries. + "Then comes the territory of Zebulun, which also extends across the land from east to west. + The territory of Gad is just south of Zebulun with the same borders to the east and west. + The southern border of Gad runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh and then follows the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean. + "These are the allotments that will be set aside for each tribe's exclusive possession. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! + "These will be the exits to the city: On the north wall, which is 1-1/2 miles long, + there will be three gates, each one named after a tribe of Israel. The first will be named for Reuben, the second for Judah, and the third for Levi. + On the east wall, also 1-1/2 miles long, the gates will be named for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. + The south wall, also 1-1/2 miles long, will have gates named for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. + And on the west wall, also 1-1/2 miles long, the gates will be named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. + "The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be 'The LORD Is There.' " + + + + + During the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. + The LORD gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god. + Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah's royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. + "Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men," he said. "Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon. " + The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. + Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. + The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego. + But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. + Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. + But he responded, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded." + Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. + "Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water," Daniel said. + "At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king's food. Then make your decision in light of what you see." + The attendant agreed to Daniel's suggestion and tested them for ten days. + At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. + So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. + God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams. + When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. + The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. + Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. + Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus. + + + One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn't sleep. + He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, + he said, "I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means." + Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means." + But the king said to the astrologers, "I am serious about this. If you don't tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! + But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!" + They said again, "Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means." + The king replied, "I know what you are doing! You're stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, + 'If you don't tell me the dream, you are doomed.' So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I'll know that you can tell me what it means." + The astrologers replied to the king, "No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! + The king's demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people." + The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. + And because of the king's decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends. + When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. + He asked Arioch, "Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?" So Arioch told him all that had happened. + Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant. + Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. + He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. + That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. + He said, "Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. + He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. + He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. + I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded." + Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, "Don't kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream." + Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, "I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!" + The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), "Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?" + Daniel replied, "There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king's secret. + But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed. + "While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. + And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart. + "In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. + The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, + its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. + As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. + The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth. + "That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. + Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. + He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. + "But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. + Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. + The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. + But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. + This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. + "During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. + That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain." + Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. + The king said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the LORD over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret." + Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. + At Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king's court. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. + Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. + So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Then a herald shouted out, "People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king's command! + When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue. + Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." + So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. + They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "Long live the king! + You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. + That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. + But there are some Jews-- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego-- whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up." + Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, + Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? + I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?" + Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. + If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. + But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." + Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. + Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. + So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. + And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. + So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. + But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?" "Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did," they replied. + "Look!" Nebuchadnezzar shouted. "I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!" + Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. + Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn't even smell of smoke! + Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. + Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!" + Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: "Peace and prosperity to you! + "I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. + How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations. + "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity. + But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. + So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me what my dream meant. + When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. + At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) + "I said to him, 'Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means. + " 'While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth. + The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. + It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree. + " 'Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. + The messenger shouted, "Cut down the tree and lop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Chase the wild animals from its shade and the birds from its branches. + But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the wild animals among the plants of the field. + For seven periods of time, let him have the mind of a wild animal instead of the mind of a human. + For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses-- even to the lowliest of people." + " 'Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.' + "Upon hearing this, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was overcome for a time, frightened by the meaning of the dream. Then the king said to him, 'Belteshazzar, don't be alarmed by the dream and what it means.' "Belteshazzar replied, 'I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, my lord, and not to you! + The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. + It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. + That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth. + " 'Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, "Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time." + " 'This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king. + You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses. + But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules. + " 'King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.' + "But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. + Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. + As he looked out across the city, he said, 'Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.' + "While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. + You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.' + "That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles' feathers and his nails were like birds' claws. + "After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. + All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing these things?' + "When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. + "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud." + + + Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. + While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. + So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. + While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. + Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king's palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, + and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. + The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!" + But when all the king's wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. + So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken. + But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, "Long live the king! Don't be so pale and frightened. + There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar's reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king-- your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar-- made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. + This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means." + So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, "Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? + I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom. + My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. + I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom." + Daniel answered the king, "Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. + Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. + He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. + But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. + He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. + "You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. + For you have proudly defied the LORD of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone-- gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! + So God has sent this hand to write this message. + "This is the message that was written: MENE], MENE], TEKEL], and PARSIN]. + This is what these words mean: [Mene] means 'numbered'-- God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. + [Tekel] means 'weighed'-- you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. + [Parsin] means 'divided'-- your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians." + Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. + That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. + And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two. + + + Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. + The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king's interests. + Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel's great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. + Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. + So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion." + So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, "Long live King Darius! + We are all in agreement-- we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors-- that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human-- except to you, Your Majesty-- will be thrown into the den of lions. + And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked." + So King Darius signed the law. + But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. + Then the officials went together to Daniel's house and found him praying and asking for God's help. + So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. "Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human-- except to you, Your Majesty-- will be thrown into the den of lions?" "Yes," the king replied, "that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked." + Then they told the king, "That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day." + Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. + In the evening the men went together to the king and said, "Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed." + So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, "May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you." + A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. + Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn't sleep at all that night. + Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions' den. + When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?" + Daniel answered, "Long live the king! + My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty." + The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. + Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den. + Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: "Peace and prosperity to you! + "I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. + He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." + So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. + + + Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar's reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw. + In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. + Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others. + The first beast was like a lion with eagles' wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind. + Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, "Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!" + Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird's wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast. + Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast-- terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. + As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. + I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, + and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. + I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn's boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire. + The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer. + As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. + He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal-- it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. + I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. + So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: + "These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. + But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever." + Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet. + I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast's head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. + As I watched, this horn was waging war against God's holy people and was defeating them, + until the Ancient One-- the Most High-- came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. + Then he said to me, "This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. + Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. + He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. + "But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. + Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him." + That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself. + + + During the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me. + In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River. + As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one. + The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great. + While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn't even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes, + headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river, rushing at him in a rage. + The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck him, breaking off both his horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked him down and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from the goat's power. + The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn's place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth. + Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel. + Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them. + It even challenged the Commander of heaven's army by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple. + The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion. So the daily sacrifice was halted, and truth was overthrown. The horn succeeded in everything it did. + Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, "How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven's army be trampled on?" + The other replied, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again." + As I, Daniel, was trying to understand the meaning of this vision, someone who looked like a man stood in front of me. + And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision." + As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground. "Son of man," he said, "you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end." + While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet. + Then he said, "I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time. + The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. + The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. + The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first. + "At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. + He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. + He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power. + "This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret." + Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it. + + + It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. + During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. + So I turned to the LORD God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. + I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. + But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. + We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land. + "Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. + O LORD, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. + But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. + We have not obeyed the LORD our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. + All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. "So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin. + You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem. + Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. + Therefore, the LORD has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The LORD our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him. + "O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. + In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors. + "O our God, hear your servant's prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. + "O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city-- the city that bears your name-- lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. + "O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name." + I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. + As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. + He explained to me, "Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. + The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision. + "A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. + Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler-- the Anointed One-- comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. + "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. + The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him." + + + In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future-- times of war and great hardship. + When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. + All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. + On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, + I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. + His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people. + Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. + So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. + Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. + Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. + And the man said to me, "Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you." When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. + Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. + But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. + Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come." + While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. + Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. + How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe." + Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. + "Don't be afraid," he said, "for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!" As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me." + He replied, "Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come. + Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince. + + + I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.) + "Now then, I will reveal the truth to you. Three more Persian kings will reign, to be succeeded by a fourth, far richer than the others. He will use his wealth to stir up everyone to fight against the kingdom of Greece. + "Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule with great authority and accomplish everything he sets out to do. + But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king's descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others. + "The king of the south will increase in power, but one of his own officials will become more powerful than he and will rule his kingdom with great strength. + "Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters. + But when one of her relatives becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him. + When he returns to Egypt, he will carry back their idols with him, along with priceless articles of gold and silver. For some years afterward he will leave the king of the north alone. + "Later the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south but will soon return to his own land. + However, the sons of the king of the north will assemble a mighty army that will advance like a flood and carry the battle as far as the enemy's fortress. + "Then, in a rage, the king of the south will rally against the vast forces assembled by the king of the north and will defeat them. + After the enemy army is swept away, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will execute many thousands of his enemies. But his success will be short lived. + "A few years later the king of the north will return with a fully equipped army far greater than before. + At that time there will be a general uprising against the king of the south. Violent men among your own people will join them in fulfillment of this vision, but they will not succeed. + Then the king of the north will come and lay siege to a fortified city and capture it. The best troops of the south will not be able to stand in the face of the onslaught. + "The king of the north will march onward unopposed; none will be able to stop him. He will pause in the glorious land of Israel, intent on destroying it. + He will make plans to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will form an alliance with the king of the south. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom from within, but his plan will fail. + "After this, he will turn his attention to the coastland and conquer many cities. But a commander from another land will put an end to his insolence and cause him to retreat in shame. + He will take refuge in his own fortresses but will stumble and fall and be seen no more. + "His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. But after a very brief reign, he will die, though not from anger or in battle. + "The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue. + Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince. + With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. + Without warning he will enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of the rich-- something his predecessors had never done. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but this will last for only a short while. + "Then he will stir up his courage and raise a great army against the king of the south. The king of the south will go to battle with a mighty army, but to no avail, for there will be plots against him. + His own household will cause his downfall. His army will be swept away, and many will be killed. + Seeking nothing but each other's harm, these kings will plot against each other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference, for the end will come at the appointed time. + "The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey. + "Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. + For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant. + "His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. + He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him. + "Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. + During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. + And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come. + "The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. + He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all. + Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses-- a god his ancestors never knew-- and lavish on him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive gifts. + Claiming this foreign god's help, he will attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land among them as their reward. + "Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. + He will enter the glorious land of Israel, and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape. + He will conquer many countries, and even Egypt will not escape. + He will gain control over the gold, silver, and treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians will be his servants. + "But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many. + He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him. + + + "At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. + Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. + Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. + But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase." + Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. + One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, "How long will it be until these shocking events are over?" + The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, "It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened." + I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, "How will all this finally end, my lord?" + But he said, "Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. + Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means. + "From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. + And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days! + "As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you." + + + + + The LORD gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. + When the LORD first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, "Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the LORD and worshiping other gods." + So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. + And the LORD said, "Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu's dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel's independence. + I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley." + Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea, "Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah-- 'Not loved'-- for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. + But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies-- not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God." + After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. + And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi-- 'Not my people'-- for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God. + "Yet the time will come when Israel's people will be like the sands of the seashore-- too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' it will be said, 'You are children of the living God.' + Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be-- the day of Jezreel-- when God will again plant his people in his land. + + + "In that day you will call your brothers Ammi-- 'My people.' And you will call your sisters Ruhamah-- 'The ones I love.' + "But now bring charges against Israel-- your mother-- for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to remove the prostitute's makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts. + Otherwise, I will strip her as naked as she was on the day she was born. I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a dry and barren wilderness. + And I will not love her children, for they were conceived in prostitution. + Their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said, 'I'll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and water, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil and drinks.' + "For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes. I will block her path with a wall to make her lose her way. + When she runs after her lovers, she won't be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, 'I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.' + She doesn't realize it was I who gave her everything she has-- the grain, the new wine, the olive oil; I even gave her silver and gold. But she gave all my gifts to Baal. + "But now I will take back the ripened grain and new wine I generously provided each harvest season. I will take away the wool and linen clothing I gave her to cover her nakedness. + I will strip her naked in public, while all her lovers look on. No one will be able to rescue her from my hands. + I will put an end to her annual festivals, her new moon celebrations, and her Sabbath days-- all her appointed festivals. + I will destroy her grapevines and fig trees, things she claims her lovers gave her. I will let them grow into tangled thickets, where only wild animals will eat the fruit. + I will punish her for all those times when she burned incense to her images of Baal, when she put on her earrings and jewels and went out to look for her lovers but forgot all about me," says the LORD. + "But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. + I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. + When that day comes," says the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.' + O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips, and you will never mention them again. + On that day I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the animals that scurry along the ground so they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety. + I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. + I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the LORD. + "In that day, I will answer," says the LORD. "I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain. + Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees. And they in turn will answer, 'Jezreel'-- 'God plants!' + At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself. I will show love to those I called 'Not loved.' And to those I called 'Not my people,' I will say, 'Now you are my people.' And they will reply, 'You are our God!' " + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them. " + So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine. + Then I said to her, "You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me. " + This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols! + But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the LORD their God and to David's descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the LORD and of his goodness. + + + Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: "There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. + You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere-- one murder after another. + That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. + "Don't point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you. + So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. + My people are being destroyed because they don't know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. + The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols. + "When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed. So the priests are glad when the people sin! + 'And what the priests do, the people also do.' So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds. + They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the LORD + to worship other gods. "Wine has robbed my people of their understanding. + They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God. + They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountaintops. They go up into the hills to burn incense in the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees. "That is why your daughters turn to prostitution, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. + But why should I punish them for their prostitution and adultery? For your men are doing the same thing, sinning with whores and shrine prostitutes. O foolish people! You refuse to understand, so you will be destroyed. + "Though you, Israel, are a prostitute, may Judah avoid such guilt. Do not join the false worship at Gilgal or Beth-aven, even though they take oaths there in the LORD's name. + Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. So should the LORD feed her like a lamb in a lush pasture? + Leave Israel alone, because she is married to idolatry. + When the rulers of Israel finish their drinking, off they go to find some prostitutes. They love shame more than honor. + So a mighty wind will sweep them away. Their sacrifices to idols will bring them shame. + + + "Hear this, you priests. Pay attention, you leaders of Israel. Listen, you members of the royal family. Judgment has been handed down against you. For you have led the people into a snare by worshiping the idols at Mizpah and Tabor. + You have dug a deep pit to trap them at Acacia Grove. But I will settle with you for what you have done. + I know what you are like, O Ephraim. You cannot hide yourself from me, O Israel. You have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband; you are utterly defiled. + Your deeds won't let you return to your God. You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the LORD. + "The arrogance of Israel testifies against her; Israel and Ephraim will stumble under their load of guilt. Judah, too, will fall with them. + When they come with their flocks and herds to offer sacrifices to the LORD, they will not find him, because he has withdrawn from them. + They have betrayed the honor of the LORD, bearing children that are not his. Now their false religion will devour them along with their wealth. + "Sound the alarm in Gibeah! Blow the trumpet in Ramah! Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven! Lead on into battle, O warriors of Benjamin! + One thing is certain, Israel: On your day of punishment, you will become a heap of rubble. + "The leaders of Judah have become like thieves. So I will pour my anger on them like a waterfall. + The people of Israel will be crushed and broken by my judgment because they are determined to worship idols. + I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool. I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood. + "When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were, Israel turned to Assyria-- to the great king there-- but he could neither help nor cure them. + I will be like a lion to Israel, like a strong young lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces! I will carry them off, and no one will be left to rescue them. + Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me." + + + "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. + In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. + Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." + "O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?" asks the LORD. "For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. + I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces-- to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. + I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. + But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust. + "Gilead is a city of sinners, tracked with footprints of blood. + Priests form bands of robbers, waiting in ambush for their victims. They murder travelers along the road to Shechem and practice every kind of sin. + Yes, I have seen something horrible in Ephraim and Israel: My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods! + "O Judah, a harvest of punishment is also waiting for you, though I wanted to restore the fortunes of my people. + + + "I want to heal Israel, but its sins are too great. Samaria is filled with liars. Thieves are on the inside and bandits on the outside! + Its people don't realize that I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them, and I see them all. + "The people entertain the king with their wickedness, and the princes laugh at their lies. + They are all adulterers, always aflame with lust. They are like an oven that is kept hot while the baker is kneading the dough. + On royal holidays, the princes get drunk with wine, carousing with those who mock them. + Their hearts are like an oven blazing with intrigue. Their plot smolders through the night, and in the morning it breaks out like a raging fire. + Burning like an oven, they consume their leaders. They kill their kings one after another, and no one cries to me for help. + "The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake! + Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don't even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don't realize they're old and weak. + Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don't return to the LORD their God or even try to find him. + "The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves, first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria for help. + But as they fly about, I will throw my net over them and bring them down like a bird from the sky. I will punish them for all the evil they do. + "What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me. + They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. They cut themselves, begging foreign gods for grain and new wine, and they turn away from me. + I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me. + They look everywhere except to the Most High. They are as useless as a crooked bow. Their leaders will be killed by their enemies because of their insolence toward me. Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them. + + + "Sound the alarm! The enemy descends like an eagle on the people of the LORD, for they have broken my covenant and revolted against my law. + Now Israel pleads with me, 'Help us, for you are our God!' + But it is too late. The people of Israel have rejected what is good, and now their enemies will chase after them. + The people have appointed kings without my consent, and princes without my knowledge. By making idols for themselves from their silver and gold, they have brought about their own destruction. + "O Samaria, I reject this calf-- this idol you have made. My fury burns against you. How long will you be incapable of innocence? + This calf you worship, O Israel, was crafted by your own hands! It is not God! Therefore, it must be smashed to bits. + "They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind. The stalks of grain wither and produce nothing to eat. And even if there is any grain, foreigners will eat it. + The people of Israel have been swallowed up; they lie among the nations like an old discarded pot. + Like a wild donkey looking for a mate, they have gone up to Assyria. The people of Israel have sold themselves-- sold themselves to many lovers. + But though they have sold themselves to many allies, I will now gather them together for judgment. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king. + "Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning! + Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don't apply to them. + The people of Israel love their rituals of sacrifice, but to me their sacrifices are all meaningless. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt. + Israel has forgotten its Maker and built great palaces, and Judah has fortified its cities. Therefore, I will send down fire on their cities and will burn up their fortresses." + + + O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor. + So now your harvests will be too small to feed you. There will be no grapes for making new wine. + You may no longer stay here in the LORD's land. Instead, you will return to Egypt, and in Assyria you will eat food that is ceremonially unclean. + There you will make no offerings of wine to the LORD. None of your sacrifices there will please him. They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning. All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. They may eat this food themselves, but they may not offer it to the LORD. + What then will you do on festival days? How will you observe the LORD's festivals? + Even if you escape destruction from Assyria, Egypt will conquer you, and Memphis will bury you. Nettles will take over your treasures of silver; thistles will invade your ruined homes. + The time of Israel's punishment has come; the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will know this all too well. Because of your great sin and hostility, you say, "The prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools!" + The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God. + The things my people do are as depraved as what they did in Gibeah long ago. God will not forget. He will surely punish them for their sins. + The LORD says, "O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season. But then they deserted me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped. + The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will not be born or grow in the womb or even be conceived. + Even if you do have children who grow up, I will take them from you. It will be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you alone. + I have watched Israel become as beautiful as Tyre. But now Israel will bring out her children for slaughter." + O LORD, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don't give birth and breasts that give no milk. + The LORD says, "All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels. + The people of Israel are struck down. Their roots are dried up, and they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children." + My God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations. + + + How prosperous Israel is-- a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit. But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build. The more bountiful their harvests, the more beautiful their sacred pillars. + The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. The LORD will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. + Then they will say, "We have no king because we didn't fear the LORD. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?" + They spout empty words and make covenants they don't intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer's field. + The people of Samaria tremble in fear for what might happen to their calf idol at Beth-aven. The people mourn and the priests wail, because its glory will be stripped away. + This idol will be carted away to Assyria, a gift to the great king there. Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will be shamed, because its people have trusted in this idol. + Samaria and its king will be cut off; they will float away like driftwood on an ocean wave. + And the pagan shrines of Aven, the place of Israel's sin, will crumble. Thorns and thistles will grow up around their altars. They will beg the mountains, "Bury us!" and plead with the hills, "Fall on us!" + The LORD says, "O Israel, ever since Gibeah, there has been only sin and more sin! You have made no progress whatsoever. Was it not right that the wicked men of Gibeah were attacked? + Now whenever it fits my plan, I will attack you, too. I will call out the armies of the nations to punish you for your multiplied sins. + "Israel is like a trained heifer treading out the grain-- an easy job she loves. But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck. I will force Judah to pull the plow and Israel to break up the hard ground. + I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.' + "But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies-- trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe. + Now the terrors of war will rise among your people. All your fortifications will fall, just as when Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel. Even mothers and children were dashed to death there. + You will share that fate, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day of judgment dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed. + + + "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. + But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols. + I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn't know or even care that it was I who took care of him. + I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him. + "But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. + War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates. They will destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. + For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don't truly honor me. + "Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. + No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy. + For someday the people will follow me. I, the LORD, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west. + Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again," says the LORD. + Israel surrounds me with lies and deceit, but Judah still obeys God and is faithful to the Holy One. + + + The people of Israel feed on the wind; they chase after the east wind all day long. They pile up lies and violence; they are making an alliance with Assyria while sending olive oil to buy support from Egypt. + Now the LORD is bringing charges against Judah. He is about to punish Jacob for all his deceitful ways, and pay him back for all he has done. + Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. + Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him-- + the LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the LORD is his name! + So now, come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on him. + But no, the people are like crafty merchants selling from dishonest scales-- they love to cheat. + Israel boasts, "I am rich! I've made a fortune all by myself! No one has caught me cheating! My record is spotless!" + "But I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. And I will make you live in tents again, as you do each year at the Festival of Shelters. + I sent my prophets to warn you with many visions and parables." + But the people of Gilead are worthless because of their idol worship. And in Gilgal, too, they sacrifice bulls; their altars are lined up like the heaps of stone along the edges of a plowed field. + Jacob fled to the land of Aram, and there he earned a wife by tending sheep. + Then by a prophet the LORD brought Jacob's descendants out of Egypt; and by that prophet they were protected. + But the people of Israel have bitterly provoked the LORD, so their Lord will now sentence them to death in payment for their sins. + + + When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, the people shook with fear, for that tribe was important in Israel. But the people of Ephraim sinned by worshiping Baal and thus sealed their destruction. + Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands. "Sacrifice to these," they cry, "and kiss the calf idols!" + Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like dew in the morning sun, like chaff blown by the wind, like smoke from a chimney. + "I have been the LORD your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior. + I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land. + But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me. + So now I will attack you like a lion, like a leopard that lurks along the road. + Like a bear whose cubs have been taken away, I will tear out your heart. I will devour you like a hungry lioness and mangle you like a wild animal. + "You are about to be destroyed, O Israel-- yes, by me, your only helper. + Now where is your king? Let him save you! Where are all the leaders of the land, the king and the officials you demanded of me? + In my anger I gave you kings, and in my fury I took them away. + "Ephraim's guilt has been collected, and his sin has been stored up for punishment. + Pain has come to the people like the pain of childbirth, but they are like a child who resists being born. The moment of birth has arrived, but they stay in the womb! + "Should I ransom them from the grave? Should I redeem them from death? O death, bring on your terrors! O grave, bring on your plagues! For I will not take pity on them. + Ephraim was the most fruitful of all his brothers, but the east wind-- a blast from the LORD-- will arise in the desert. All their flowing springs will run dry, and all their wells will disappear. Every precious thing they own will be plundered and carried away. + The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. They will be killed by an invading army, their little ones dashed to death against the ground, their pregnant women ripped open by swords." + + + Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for your sins have brought you down. + Bring your confessions, and return to the LORD. Say to him, "Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises. + Assyria cannot save us, nor can our war-horses. Never again will we say to the idols we have made, 'You are our gods.' No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy." + The LORD says, "Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. + I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. + Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon. + My people will again live under my shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon. + "O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me." + Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall. + + + + + The LORD gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel. + Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? + Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation. + After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too! + Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine-drinkers! All the grapes are ruined, and all your sweet wine is gone. + A vast army of locusts has invaded my land, a terrible army too numerous to count. Its teeth are like lions' teeth, its fangs like those of a lioness. + It has destroyed my grapevines and ruined my fig trees, stripping their bark and destroying it, leaving the branches white and bare. + Weep like a bride dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband. + For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the LORD. So the priests are in mourning. The ministers of the LORD are weeping. + The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone. + Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley-- all the crops of the field-- are ruined. + The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees-- all the fruit trees-- have dried up. And the people's joy has dried up with them. + Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God. + Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to him there. + The day of the LORD is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be! + Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God. + The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns stand empty, and granaries are abandoned. + How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery. + LORD, help us! The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures, and flames have burned up all the trees. + Even the wild animals cry out to you because the streams have dried up, and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures. + + + Sound the alarm in Jerusalem! Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us. + It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. + Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes. + They look like horses; they charge forward like war horses. + Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make-- like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle. + Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror. + The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank. + They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses without missing a step. + They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows. + The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine. + The LORD is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive? + That is why the LORD says, "Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. + Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead." Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. + Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the LORD your God as before. + Blow the ram's horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. + Gather all the people-- the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. + Let the priests, who minister in the LORD's presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, "Spare your people, LORD! Don't let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don't let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, 'Has the God of Israel left them?'" + Then the LORD will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land. + The LORD will reply, "Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations. + I will drive away these armies from the north. I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea, and those at the rear into the Mediterranean. The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land." Surely the LORD has done great things! + Don't be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things. + Don't be afraid, you animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit; fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more. + Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. + The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. + The LORD says, "I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. + Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. + Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced. + "Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. + In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants-- men and women alike. + And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth-- blood and fire and columns of smoke. + The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. + But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called. + + + "At the time of those events," says the LORD, "when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, + I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land. + They cast lots to decide which of my people would be their slaves. They traded boys to obtain prostitutes and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk. + "What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done. + You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples. + You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, so they could take them far from their homeland. + "But I will bring them back from all the places to which you sold them, and I will pay you back for everything you have done. + I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia, a nation far away. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + Say to the nations far and wide: "Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors. Let all your fighting men advance for the attack. + Hammer your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Train even your weaklings to be warriors. + Come quickly, all you nations everywhere. Gather together in the valley." And now, O LORD, call out your warriors! + "Let the nations be called to arms. Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I, the LORD, will sit to pronounce judgment on them all. + Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people." + Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the LORD will soon arrive. + The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine. + The LORD's voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel. + "Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again. + In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. Water will fill the streambeds of Judah, and a fountain will burst forth from the LORD's Temple, watering the arid valley of acacias. + But Egypt will become a wasteland and Edom will become a wilderness, because they attacked the people of Judah and killed innocent people in their land. + "But Judah will be filled with people forever, and Jerusalem will endure through all generations. + I will pardon my people's crimes, which I have not yet pardoned; and I, the LORD, will make my home in Jerusalem with my people." + + + + + This message was given to Amos, a shepherd from the town of Tekoa in Judah. He received this message in visions two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel. + This is what he saw and heard: "The LORD roars from his Temple on Mount Zion; his voice thunders from Jerusalem! Suddenly, the lush pastures of the shepherds dry up. All the grass on Mount Carmel withers and dies." + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They beat down my people in Gilead as grain is threshed with iron sledges. + So I will send down fire on King Hazael's palace, and the fortresses of King Ben-hadad will be destroyed. + I will break down the gates of Damascus and slaughter the people in the valley of Aven. I will destroy the ruler in Beth-eden, and the people of Aram will go as captives to Kir," says the LORD. + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Gaza have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They sent whole villages into exile, selling them as slaves to Edom. + So I will send down fire on the walls of Gaza, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. + I will slaughter the people of Ashdod and destroy the king of Ashkelon. Then I will turn to attack Ekron, and the few Philistines still left will be killed," says the Sovereign LORD. + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Tyre have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They broke their treaty of brotherhood with Israel, selling whole villages as slaves to Edom. + So I will send down fire on the walls of Tyre, and all its fortresses will be destroyed." + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Edom have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They chased down their relatives, the Israelites, with swords, showing them no mercy. In their rage, they slashed them continually and were unrelenting in their anger. + So I will send down fire on Teman, and the fortresses of Bozrah will be destroyed." + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Ammon have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! When they attacked Gilead to extend their borders, they ripped open pregnant women with their swords. + So I will send down fire on the walls of Rabbah, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. The battle will come upon them with shouts, like a whirlwind in a mighty storm. + And their king and his princes will go into exile together," says the LORD. + + + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Moab have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They desecrated the bones of Edom's king, burning them to ashes. + So I will send down fire on the land of Moab, and all the fortresses in Kerioth will be destroyed. The people will fall in the noise of battle, as the warriors shout and the ram's horn sounds. + And I will destroy their king and slaughter all their princes," says the LORD. + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They have rejected the instruction of the LORD, refusing to obey his decrees. They have been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors. + So I will send down fire on Judah, and all the fortresses of Jerusalem will be destroyed." + This is what the LORD says: "The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They sell honorable people for silver and poor people for a pair of sandals. + They trample helpless people in the dust and shove the oppressed out of the way. Both father and son sleep with the same woman, corrupting my holy name. + At their religious festivals, they lounge in clothing their debtors put up as security. In the house of their god, they drink wine bought with unjust fines. + "But as my people watched, I destroyed the Amorites, though they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed the fruit on their branches and dug out their roots. + It was I who rescued you from Egypt and led you through the desert for forty years, so you could possess the land of the Amorites. + I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites. Can you deny this, my people of Israel?" asks the LORD. + "But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink wine, and you commanded the prophets, 'Shut up!' + "So I will make you groan like a wagon loaded down with sheaves of grain. + Your fastest runners will not get away. The strongest among you will become weak. Even mighty warriors will be unable to save themselves. + The archers will not stand their ground. The swiftest runners won't be fast enough to escape. Even those riding horses won't be able to save themselves. + On that day the most courageous of your fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives," says the LORD. + + + Listen to this message that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel and Judah-- against the entire family I rescued from Egypt: + "From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins." + Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? + Does a lion ever roar in a thicket without first finding a victim? Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching its prey? + Does a bird ever get caught in a trap that has no bait? Does a trap spring shut when there's nothing to catch? + When the ram's horn blows a warning, shouldn't the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has planned it? + Indeed, the Sovereign LORD never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. + The lion has roared-- so who isn't frightened? The Sovereign LORD has spoken-- so who can refuse to proclaim his message? + Announce this to the leaders of Philistia and to the great ones of Egypt: "Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria, and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel." + "My people have forgotten how to do right," says the LORD. "Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by theft and violence. + Therefore," says the Sovereign LORD, "an enemy is coming! He will surround them and shatter their defenses. Then he will plunder all their fortresses." + This is what the LORD says: "A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds, and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches. + "Now listen to this, and announce it throughout all Israel, " says the Lord, the LORD God of Heaven's Armies. + "On the very day I punish Israel for its sins, I will destroy the pagan altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. + And I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy-- their winter mansions and their summer houses, too-- all their palaces filled with ivory," says the LORD. + + + Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, "Bring us another drink!" + The Sovereign LORD has sworn this by his holiness: "The time will come when you will be led away with hooks in your noses. Every last one of you will be dragged away like a fish on a hook! + You will be led out through the ruins of the wall; you will be thrown from your fortresses, " says the LORD. + "Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel. Keep on disobeying at Gilgal. Offer sacrifices each morning, and bring your tithes every three days. + Present your bread made with yeast as an offering of thanksgiving. Then give your extra voluntary offerings so you can brag about it everywhere! This is the kind of thing you Israelites love to do," says the Sovereign LORD. + "I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me," says the LORD. + "I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away. + People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me," says the LORD. + "I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees. But still you would not return to me," says the LORD. + "I sent plagues on you like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and led all your horses away. The stench of death filled the air! But still you would not return to me," says the LORD. + "I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me," says the LORD. + "Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!" + For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The LORD God of Heaven's Armies is his name! + + + Listen, you people of Israel! Listen to this funeral song I am singing: + "The virgin Israel has fallen, never to rise again! She lies abandoned on the ground, with no one to help her up." + The Sovereign LORD says: "When a city sends a thousand men to battle, only a hundred will return. When a town sends a hundred, only ten will come back alive." + Now this is what the LORD says to the family of Israel: "Come back to me and live! + Don't worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don't go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing." + Come back to the LORD and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won't be able to quench the flames. + You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt. + It is the LORD who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name! + With blinding speed and power he destroys the strong, crushing all their defenses. + How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth! + You trample the poor, stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses, you will never live in them. Though you plant lush vineyards, you will never drink wine from them. + For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. + So those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time. + Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the LORD God of Heaven's Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. + Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the LORD God of Heaven's Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people. + Therefore, this is what the Lord, the LORD God of Heaven's Armies, says: "There will be crying in all the public squares and mourning in every street. Call for the farmers to weep with you, and summon professional mourners to wail. + There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will destroy them all," says the LORD. + What sorrow awaits you who say, "If only the day of the LORD were here!" You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. + In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion-- only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house-- and he's bitten by a snake. + Yes, the day of the LORD will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope. + "I hate all your show and pretense-- the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. + I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings. + Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. + Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. + "Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel? + No, you served your pagan gods-- Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god-- the images you made for yourselves. + So I will send you into exile, to a land east of Damascus, " says the LORD, whose name is the God of Heaven's Armies. + + + What sorrow awaits you who lounge in luxury in Jerusalem, and you who feel secure in Samaria! You are famous and popular in Israel, and people go to you for help. + But go over to Calneh and see what happened there. Then go to the great city of Hamath and down to the Philistine city of Gath. You are no better than they were, and look at how they were destroyed. + You push away every thought of coming disaster, but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer. + How terrible for you who sprawl on ivory beds and lounge on your couches, eating the meat of tender lambs from the flock and of choice calves fattened in the stall. + You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David. + You drink wine by the bowlful and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation. + Therefore, you will be the first to be led away as captives. Suddenly, all your parties will end. + The Sovereign LORD has sworn by his own name, and this is what he, the LORD God of Heaven's Armies, says: "I despise the arrogance of Israel, and I hate their fortresses. I will give this city and everything in it to their enemies." ( + If there are ten men left in one house, they will all die. + And when a relative who is responsible to dispose of the dead goes into the house to carry out the bodies, he will ask the last survivor, "Is anyone else with you?" When the person begins to swear, "No, by...," he will interrupt and say, "Stop! Don't even mention the name of the LORD.") + When the LORD gives the command, homes both great and small will be smashed to pieces. + Can horses gallop over boulders? Can oxen be used to plow them? But that's how foolish you are when you turn justice into poison and the sweet fruit of righteousness into bitterness. + And you brag about your conquest of Lo-debar. You boast, "Didn't we take Karnaim by our own strength?" + "O people of Israel, I am about to bring an enemy nation against you," says the LORD God of Heaven's Armies. "They will oppress you throughout your land-- from Lebo-hamath in the north to the Arabah Valley in the south." + + + The Sovereign LORD showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king's share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up. + In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel is so small." + So the LORD relented from this plan. "I will not do it," he said. + Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land. + Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small." + Then the LORD relented from this plan, too. "I will not do that either," said the Sovereign LORD. + Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. + And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" I answered, "A plumb line." And the Lord replied, "I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. + The pagan shrines of your ancestors will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end." + Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: "Amos is hatching a plot against you right here on your very doorstep! What he is saying is intolerable. + He is saying, 'Jeroboam will soon be killed, and the people of Israel will be sent away into exile.'" + Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: "Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! + Don't bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king's sanctuary and the national place of worship!" + But Amos replied, "I'm not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I'm just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. + But the LORD called me away from my flock and told me, 'Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.' + Now then, listen to this message from the LORD: "You say, 'Don't prophesy against Israel. Stop preaching against my people. ' + But this is what the LORD says: 'Your wife will become a prostitute in this city, and your sons and daughters will be killed. Your land will be divided up, and you yourself will die in a foreign land. And the people of Israel will certainly become captives in exile, far from their homeland.'" + + + Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. In it I saw a basket filled with ripe fruit. + "What do you see, Amos?" he asked.I replied, "A basket full of ripe fruit." Then the LORD said, "Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment! I will not delay their punishment again. + In that day the singing in the Temple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" + Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample down the needy! + You can't wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. + And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor. Then you enslave poor people for one piece of silver or a pair of sandals. + Now the LORD has sworn this oath by his own name, the Pride of Israel: "I will never forget the wicked things you have done! + The earth will tremble for your deeds, and everyone will mourn. The ground will rise like the Nile River at floodtime; it will heave up, then sink again. + "In that day," says the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day. + I will turn your celebrations into times of mourning and your singing into weeping. You will wear funeral clothes and shave your heads to show your sorrow-- as if your only son had died. How very bitter that day will be! + "The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine on the land-- not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD. + People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. + Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the LORD's word. + And those who swear by the shameful idols of Samaria-- who take oaths in the name of the god of Dan and make vows in the name of the god of Beersheba-- they will all fall down, never to rise again." + + + Then I saw a vision of the Lord standing beside the altar. He said, "Strike the tops of the Temple columns, so that the foundation will shake. Bring down the roof on the heads of the people below. I will kill with the sword those who survive. No one will escape! + "Even if they dig down to the place of the dead, I will reach down and pull them up. Even if they climb up into the heavens, I will bring them down. + Even if they hide at the very top of Mount Carmel, I will search them out and capture them. Even if they hide at the bottom of the ocean, I will send the sea serpent after them to bite them. + Even if their enemies drive them into exile, I will command the sword to kill them there. I am determined to bring disaster upon them and not to help them." + The Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, touches the land and it melts, and all its people mourn. The ground rises like the Nile River at floodtime, and then it sinks again. + The LORD's home reaches up to the heavens, while its foundation is on the earth. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name! + "Are you Israelites more important to me than the Ethiopians? " asks the LORD. "I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir. + "I, the Sovereign LORD, am watching this sinful nation of Israel. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel, " says the LORD. + "For I will give the command and will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one true kernel will be lost. + But all the sinners will die by the sword-- all those who say, 'Nothing bad will happen to us.' + "In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory. + And Israel will possess what is left of Edom and all the nations I have called to be mine. " The LORD has spoken, and he will do these things. + "The time will come," says the LORD, "when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! + I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. + I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. + + + + + This is the vision that the Sovereign LORD revealed to Obadiah concerning the land of Edom. We have heard a message from the LORD that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, "Get ready, everyone! Let's assemble our armies and attack Edom!" + The LORD says to Edom, "I will cut you down to size among the nations; you will be greatly despised. + You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. 'Who can ever reach us way up here?' you ask boastfully. + But even if you soared as high as eagles and built your nest among the stars, I would bring you crashing down," says the LORD. + "If thieves came at night and robbed you (what a disaster awaits you!), they would not take everything. Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. But your enemies will wipe you out completely! + Every nook and cranny of Edom will be searched and looted. Every treasure will be found and taken. + "All your allies will turn against you. They will help to chase you from your land. They will promise you peace while plotting to deceive and destroy you. Your trusted friends will set traps for you, and you won't even know about it. + At that time not a single wise person will be left in the whole land of Edom," says the LORD. "For on the mountains of Edom I will destroy everyone who has understanding. + The mightiest warriors of Teman will be terrified, and everyone on the mountains of Edom will be cut down in the slaughter. + "Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel, you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. + When they were invaded, you stood aloof, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel's enemies. + "You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands. You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune. You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble. + You should not have plundered the land of Israel when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have gloated over their destruction when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have seized their wealth when they were suffering such calamity. + You should not have stood at the crossroads, killing those who tried to escape. You should not have captured the survivors and handed them over in their terrible time of trouble. + "The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. + Just as you swallowed up my people on my holy mountain, so you and the surrounding nations will swallow the punishment I pour out on you. Yes, all you nations will drink and stagger and disappear from history. + "But Jerusalem will become a refuge for those who escape; it will be a holy place. And the people of Israel will come back to reclaim their inheritance. + The people of Israel will be a raging fire, and Edom a field of dry stubble. The descendants of Joseph will be a flame roaring across the field, devouring everything. There will be no survivors in Edom. I, the LORD, have spoken! + "Then my people living in the Negev will occupy the mountains of Edom. Those living in the foothills of Judah will possess the Philistine plains and take over the fields of Ephraim and Samaria. And the people of Benjamin will occupy the land of Gilead. + The exiles of Israel will return to their land and occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath. The captives from Jerusalem exiled in the north will return home and resettle the towns of the Negev. + Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the LORD himself will be king!" + + + + + The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: + "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are." + But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish. + But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. + Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. + So the captain went down after him. "How can you sleep at a time like this?" he shouted. "Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives." + Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. + "Why has this awful storm come down on us?" they demanded. "Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?" + Jonah answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." + The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the LORD. "Oh, why did you do it?" they groaned. + And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, "What should we do to you to stop this storm?" + "Throw me into the sea," Jonah said, "and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault." + Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn't make it. + Then they cried out to the LORD, Jonah's God. "O LORD," they pleaded, "don't make us die for this man's sin. And don't hold us responsible for his death. O LORD, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons." + Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! + The sailors were awestruck by the LORD's great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. + Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. + + + Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. + He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! + You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. + Then I said, 'O LORD, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.' + "I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. + I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! + As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. + Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. + But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone." + Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. + + + Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: + "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you." + This time Jonah obeyed the LORD's command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. + On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" + The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. + When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. + Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: "No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. + People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. + Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us." + When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. + + + This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. + So he complained to the LORD about it: "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. + Just kill me now, LORD! I'd rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen." + The LORD replied, "Is it right for you to be angry about this?" + Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. + And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah's head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. + But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. + And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. "Death is certainly better than living like this!" he exclaimed. + Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?" "Yes," Jonah retorted, "even angry enough to die!" + Then the LORD said, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. + But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?" + + + + + The LORD gave this message to Micah of Moresheth during the years when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. The visions he saw concerned both Samaria and Jerusalem. + Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! Let the earth and everything in it hear. The Sovereign LORD is making accusations against you; the LORD speaks from his holy Temple. + Look! The LORD is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth. + The mountains melt beneath his feet and flow into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill. + And why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel-- yes, the sins of the whole nation. Who is to blame for Israel's rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital! + "So I, the LORD, will make the city of Samaria a heap of ruins. Her streets will be plowed up for planting vineyards. I will roll the stones of her walls into the valley below, exposing her foundations. + All her carved images will be smashed. All her sacred treasures will be burned. These things were bought with the money earned by her prostitution, and they will now be carried away to pay prostitutes elsewhere." + Therefore, I will mourn and lament. I will walk around barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. + For my people's wound is too deep to heal. It has reached into Judah, even to the gates of Jerusalem. + Don't tell our enemies in Gath; don't weep at all. You people in Beth-leaphrah, roll in the dust to show your despair. + You people in Shaphir, go as captives into exile-- naked and ashamed. The people of Zaanan dare not come outside their walls. The people of Beth-ezel mourn, for their house has no support. + The people of Maroth anxiously wait for relief, but only bitterness awaits them as the LORD's judgment reaches even to the gates of Jerusalem. + Harness your chariot horses and flee, you people of Lachish. You were the first city in Judah to follow Israel in her rebellion, and you led Jerusalem into sin. + Send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; there is no hope of saving it. The town of Aczib has deceived the kings of Israel. + O people of Mareshah, I will bring a conqueror to capture your town. And the leaders of Israel will go to Adullam. + Oh, people of Judah, shave your heads in sorrow, for the children you love will be snatched away. Make yourselves as bald as a vulture, for your little ones will be exiled to distant lands. + + + What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so. + When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone's house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family's inheritance. + But this is what the LORD says: "I will reward your evil with evil; you won't be able to pull your neck out of the noose. You will no longer walk around proudly, for it will be a terrible time." + In that day your enemies will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about you: "We are finished, completely ruined! God has confiscated our land, taking it from us. He has given our fields to those who betrayed us. " + Others will set your boundaries then, and the LORD's people will have no say in how the land is divided. + "Don't say such things," the people respond. "Don't prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!" + Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the LORD's Spirit have patience with such behavior? If you would do what is right, you would find my words comforting. + Yet to this very hour my people rise against me like an enemy! You steal the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted you, making them as ragged as men returning from battle. + You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them. + Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and ruined it completely. + Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, "I'll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!" That's just the kind of prophet you would like! + "Someday, O Israel, I will gather you; I will gather the remnant who are left. I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds! + Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the LORD himself will guide you." + + + I said, "Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong, + but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil. You skin my people alive and tear the flesh from their bones. + Yes, you eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. + Then you beg the LORD for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to answer? After all the evil you have done, he won't even look at you!" + This is what the LORD says: "You false prophets are leading my people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food, but you declare war on those who refuse to feed you. + Now the night will close around you, cutting off all your visions. Darkness will cover you, putting an end to your predictions. The sun will set for you prophets, and your day will come to an end. + Then you seers will be put to shame, and you fortune-tellers will be disgraced. And you will cover your faces because there is no answer from God." + But as for me, I am filled with power-- with the Spirit of the LORD. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel's sin and rebellion. + Listen to me, you leaders of Israel! You hate justice and twist all that is right. + You are building Jerusalem on a foundation of murder and corruption. + You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God's laws only for a price; you prophets won't prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the LORD. "No harm can come to us," you say, "for the LORD is here among us." + Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands. + + + In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all-- the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. + People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. + The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. + Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven's Armies has made this promise! + Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the LORD our God forever and ever. + "In that coming day," says the LORD, "I will gather together those who are lame, those who have been exiles, and those whom I have filled with grief. + Those who are weak will survive as a remnant; those who were exiles will become a strong nation. Then I, the LORD, will rule from Jerusalem as their king forever." + As for you, Jerusalem, the citadel of God's people, your royal might and power will come back to you again. The kingship will be restored to my precious Jerusalem. + But why are you now screaming in terror? Have you no king to lead you? Have your wise people all died? Pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth. + Writhe and groan like a woman in labor, you people of Jerusalem, for now you must leave this city to live in the open country. You will soon be sent in exile to distant Babylon. But the LORD will rescue you there; he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies. + Now many nations have gathered against you. "Let her be desecrated," they say. "Let us see the destruction of Jerusalem. " + But they do not know the LORD's thoughts or understand his plan. These nations don't know that he is gathering them together to be beaten and trampled like sheaves of grain on a threshing floor. + "Rise up and crush the nations, O Jerusalem!" says the LORD. "For I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves, so you can trample many nations to pieces. You will present their stolen riches to the LORD, their wealth to the LORD of all the earth." + + + Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. They will strike Israel's leader in the face with a rod. + But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. + The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. + And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. + And he will be the source of peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us. + They will rule Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod. He will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our land. + Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the LORD or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain. + The remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats, pouncing and tearing as they go with no rescuer in sight. + The people of Israel will stand up to their foes, and all their enemies will be wiped out. + "In that day," says the LORD, "I will slaughter your horses and destroy your chariots. + I will tear down your walls and demolish your defenses. + I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune-tellers. + I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars, so you will never again worship the work of your own hands. + I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles and destroy your pagan cities. + I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me." + + + Listen to what the LORD is saying: "Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints. + And now, O mountains, listen to the LORD's complaint! He has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel. + "O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me! + For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you. + Don't you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the LORD, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness." + What can we bring to the LORD? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? + Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? + No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. + Fear the LORD if you are wise! His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem: "The armies of destruction are coming; the LORD is sending them. + What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures? + How can I tolerate your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? + The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth. + "Therefore, I will wound you! I will bring you to ruin for all your sins. + You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you. + You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine. + You keep only the laws of evil King Omri; you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you." + + + How miserable I am! I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest who can find nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig can be found to satisfy my hunger. + The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers. + Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with influence get what they want, and together they scheme to twist justice. + Even the best of them is like a brier; the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns. But your judgment day is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion. + Don't trust anyone-- not your best friend or even your wife! + For the son despises his father. The daughter defies her mother. The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law. Your enemies are right in your own household! + As for me, I look to the LORD for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. + Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. + I will be patient as the LORD punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The LORD will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness. + Then my enemies will see that the LORD is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, "So where is the LORD-- that God of yours?" With my own eyes I will see their downfall; they will be trampled like mud in the streets. + In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt, and your borders will be extended. + People from many lands will come and honor you-- from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt, from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River, and from distant seas and mountains. + But the land will become empty and desolate because of the wickedness of those who live there. + O LORD, protect your people with your shepherd's staff; lead your flock, your special possession. Though they live alone in a thicket on the heights of Mount Carmel, let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago. + "Yes," says the LORD, "I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt." + All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the LORD will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. + Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the LORD our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence. + Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. + Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! + You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago. + + + + + This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh. + The LORD is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and wrath. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! + The LORD is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet. + At his command the oceans dry up, and the rivers disappear. The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade, and the green forests of Lebanon wither. + In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed. + Who can stand before his fierce anger? Who can survive his burning fury? His rage blazes forth like fire, and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence. + The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. + But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. + Why are you scheming against the LORD? He will destroy you with one blow; he won't need to strike twice! + His enemies, tangled like thornbushes and staggering like drunks, will be burned up like dry stubble in a field. + Who is this wicked counselor of yours who plots evil against the LORD? + This is what the LORD says: "Though the Assyrians have many allies, they will be destroyed and disappear. O my people, I have punished you before, but I will not punish you again. + Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression." + And this is what the LORD says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh: "You will have no more children to carry on your name. I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods. I am preparing a grave for you because you are despicable!" + Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is bringing a message of peace. Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah, and fulfill all your vows, for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again. They will be completely destroyed! + + + Your enemy is coming to crush you, Nineveh. Man the ramparts! Watch the roads! Prepare your defenses! Call out your forces! + Even though the destroyer has destroyed Judah, the LORD will restore its honor. Israel's vine has been stripped of branches, but he will restore its splendor. + Shields flash red in the sunlight! See the scarlet uniforms of the valiant troops! Watch as their glittering chariots move into position, with a forest of spears waving above them. + The chariots race recklessly along the streets and rush wildly through the squares. They flash like firelight and move as swiftly as lightning. + The king shouts to his officers; they stumble in their haste, rushing to the walls to set up their defenses. + The river gates have been torn open! The palace is about to collapse! + Nineveh's exile has been decreed, and all the servant girls mourn its capture. They moan like doves and beat their breasts in sorrow. + Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir! The people are slipping away. "Stop, stop!" someone shouts, but no one even looks back. + Loot the silver! Plunder the gold! There's no end to Nineveh's treasures-- its vast, uncounted wealth. + Soon the city is plundered, empty, and ruined. Hearts melt and knees shake. The people stand aghast, their faces pale and trembling. + Where now is that great Nineveh, that den filled with young lions? It was a place where people-- like lions and their cubs-- walked freely and without fear. + The lion tore up meat for his cubs and strangled prey for his mate. He filled his den with prey, his caverns with his plunder. + "I am your enemy!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Your chariots will soon go up in smoke. Your young men will be killed in battle. Never again will you plunder conquered nations. The voices of your proud messengers will be heard no more." + + + What sorrow awaits Nineveh, the city of murder and lies! She is crammed with wealth and is never without victims. + Hear the crack of whips, the rumble of wheels! Horses' hooves pound, and chariots clatter wildly. + See the flashing swords and glittering spears as the charioteers charge past! There are countless casualties, heaps of bodies-- so many bodies that people stumble over them. + All this because Nineveh, the beautiful and faithless city, mistress of deadly charms, enticed the nations with her beauty. She taught them all her magic, enchanting people everywhere. + "I am your enemy!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "And now I will lift your skirts and show all the earth your nakedness and shame. + I will cover you with filth and show the world how vile you really are. + All who see you will shrink back and say, 'Nineveh lies in ruins. Where are the mourners?' Does anyone regret your destruction?" + Are you any better than the city of Thebes, situated on the Nile River, surrounded by water? She was protected by the river on all sides, walled in by water. + Ethiopia and the land of Egypt gave unlimited assistance. The nations of Put and Libya were among her allies. + Yet Thebes fell, and her people were led away as captives. Her babies were dashed to death against the stones of the streets. Soldiers cast lots to get Egyptian officers as servants. All their leaders were bound in chains. + And you, Nineveh, will also stagger like a drunkard. You will hide for fear of the attacking enemy. + All your fortresses will fall. They will be devoured like the ripe figs that fall into the mouths of those who shake the trees. + Your troops will be as weak and helpless as women. The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy and set on fire and burned. + Get ready for the siege! Store up water! Strengthen the defenses! Go into the pits to trample clay, and pack it into molds, making bricks to repair the walls. + But the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down. The enemy will consume you like locusts, devouring everything they see. There will be no escape, even if you multiply like swarming locusts. + Your merchants have multiplied until they outnumber the stars. But like a swarm of locusts, they strip the land and fly away. + Your guards and officials are also like swarming locusts that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day. But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up, all of them will fly away and disappear. + Your shepherds are asleep, O Assyrian king; your princes lie dead in the dust. Your people are scattered across the mountains with no one to gather them together. + There is no healing for your wound; your injury is fatal. All who hear of your destruction will clap their hands for joy. Where can anyone be found who has not suffered from your continual cruelty? + + + + + This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision. + How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! "Violence is everywhere!" I cry, but you do not come to save. + Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. + The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted. + The LORD replied, "Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it. + I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands. + They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like. + Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey. + "On they come, all bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. + They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their fortresses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them! + They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god." + O LORD my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal-- surely you do not plan to wipe us out? O LORD,] our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins. + But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they? + Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader? + Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate? + Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them. "These nets are the gods who have made us rich!" they will claim. + Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests? + + + I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint. + Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. + This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. + "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. + Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples. + "But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying, 'What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You've become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?' + Suddenly, your debtors will take action. They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless. + Because you have plundered many nations; now all the survivors will plunder you. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence. + "What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family's nest beyond the reach of danger. + But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives. + The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint. + "What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption! + Has not the LORD of Heaven's Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain! + For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the LORD. + "What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup on them so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness. + But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced. Come, drink and be exposed! Drink from the cup of the LORD's judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame. + You cut down the forests of Lebanon. Now you will be cut down. You destroyed the wild animals, so now their terror will be yours. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence. + "What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation-- a god that can't even talk! + What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, 'Wake up and save us!' To speechless stone images you say, 'Rise up and teach us!' Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside. + But the LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him." + + + This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk: + I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy. + I see God moving across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One coming from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise. + His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from his hands, where his awesome power is hidden. + Pestilence marches before him; plague follows close behind. + When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. He is the Eternal One! + I see the people of Cushan in distress, and the nation of Midian trembling in terror. + Was it in anger, LORD, that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? No, you were sending your chariots of salvation! + You brandished your bow and your quiver of arrows. You split open the earth with flowing rivers. + The mountains watched and trembled. Onward swept the raging waters. The mighty deep cried out, lifting its hands to the LORD. + The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your brilliant arrows flew and your glittering spear flashed. + You marched across the land in anger and trampled the nations in your fury. + You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and stripped their bones from head to toe. + With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey. + You trampled the sea with your horses, and the mighty waters piled high. + I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. + Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, + yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! + The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) + + + + + The LORD gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. + "I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," says the LORD. + "I will sweep away people and animals alike. I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble, and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth," says the LORD. + "I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. + For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Molech, too. + And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the LORD's guidance or seek my blessings." + Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign LORD, for the awesome day of the LORD's judgment is near. The LORD has prepared his people for a great slaughter and has chosen their executioners. + "On that day of judgment," says the LORD, "I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah and all those following pagan customs. + Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit. + "On that day," says the LORD, "a cry of alarm will come from the Fish Gate and echo throughout the New Quarter of the city. And a great crash will sound from the hills. + Wail in sorrow, all you who live in the market area, for all the merchants and traders will be destroyed. + "I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem's darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad. + So their property will be plundered, their homes will be ransacked. They will build new homes but never live in them. They will plant vineyards but never drink wine from them. + "That terrible day of the LORD is near. Swiftly it comes-- a day of bitter tears, a day when even strong men will cry out. + It will be a day when the LORD's anger is poured out-- a day of terrible distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, + a day of trumpet calls and battle cries. Down go the walled cities and the strongest battlements! + "Because you have sinned against the LORD, I will make you grope around like the blind. Your blood will be poured into the dust, and your bodies will lie rotting on the ground." + Your silver and gold will not save you on that day of the LORD's anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth. + + + Gather together-- yes, gather together, you shameless nation. + Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls and the terrible day of the LORD's anger begins. + Seek the LORD, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you-- protect you from his anger on that day of destruction. + Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned, Ashdod and Ekron torn down. + And what sorrow awaits you Philistines who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan, for this judgment is against you, too! The LORD will destroy you until not one of you is left. + The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture, a place of shepherd camps and enclosures for sheep and goats. + The remnant of the tribe of Judah will pasture there. They will rest at night in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon. For the LORD their God will visit his people in kindness and restore their prosperity again. + "I have heard the taunts of the Moabites and the insults of the Ammonites, mocking my people and invading their borders. + Now, as surely as I live," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, "Moab and Ammon will be destroyed-- destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah. Their land will become a place of stinging nettles, salt pits, and eternal desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them and take their land." + They will receive the wages of their pride, for they have scoffed at the people of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + The LORD will terrify them as he destroys all the gods in the land. Then nations around the world will worship the LORD, each in their own land. + "You Ethiopians will also be slaughtered by my sword," says the LORD. + And the LORD will strike the lands of the north with his fist, destroying the land of Assyria. He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert. + The proud city will become a pasture for flocks and herds, and all sorts of wild animals will settle there. The desert owl and screech owl will roost on its ruined columns, their calls echoing through the gaping windows. Rubble will block all the doorways, and the cedar paneling will be exposed to the weather. + This is the boisterous city, once so secure. "I am the greatest!" it boasted. "No other city can compare with me!" But now, look how it has become an utter ruin, a haven for wild animals. Everyone passing by will laugh in derision and shake a defiant fist. + + + What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime! + No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the LORD or draw near to its God. + Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. + Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God's instructions. + But the LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. But the wicked know no shame. + "I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors-- none at all. + I thought, 'Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won't need to strike again, destroying their homes.' But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds. + Therefore, be patient," says the LORD. "Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations. For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. + "Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the LORD together. + My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings. + On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain. + Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the LORD. + The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid." + Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! + For the LORD will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the LORD himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. + On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, "Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! + For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." + "I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more. + And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. + On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + + + On August 29 of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: The people are saying, 'The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.'" + Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: + "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? + This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Look at what's happening to you! + You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Look at what's happening to you! + Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. + You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. + It's because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. + I have called for a drought on your fields and hills-- a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get." + Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God's people began to obey the message from the LORD their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the LORD their God had sent, the people feared the LORD. + Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: "I am with you, says the LORD!" + So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God's people. They began rebuilding the house of their God, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, + on September 21 of the second year of King Darius's reign. + + + Then on October 17 of that same year, the LORD sent another message through the prophet Haggai. + "Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God's people there in the land: + 'Does anyone remember this house-- this Temple-- in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! + But now the LORD says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.' + "For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. + I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!" + On December 18 of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD sent this message to the prophet Haggai: + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law: + 'If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?' " The priests replied, "No." + Then Haggai asked, "If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?" And the priests answered, "Yes." + Then Haggai responded, "That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the LORD. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin. + Look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the LORD's Temple. + When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. + I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the LORD. + "Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the rebuilding of the LORD's Temple began. Think carefully. + I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you." + On that same day, December 18, the LORD sent this second message to Haggai: + "Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. + I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other. + "But when this happens, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the LORD, for I have chosen you. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!" + + + + + In November of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo: + "I, the LORD, was very angry with your ancestors. + Therefore, say to the people, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.' + Don't be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.' + "Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead. + But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, 'We have received what we deserved from the LORD of Heaven's Armies. He has done what he said he would do.'" + Three months later, on February 15, the LORD sent another message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. + In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were riders on red, brown, and white horses. + I asked the angel who was talking with me, "My lord, what do these horses mean?" "I will show you," the angel replied. + The rider standing among the myrtle trees then explained, "They are the ones the LORD has sent out to patrol the earth." + Then the other riders reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace." + Upon hearing this, the angel of the LORD prayed this prayer: "O LORD of Heaven's Armies, for seventy years now you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long until you again show mercy to them?" + And the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. + Then the angel said to me, "Shout this message for all to hear: 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong. + But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions. + " 'Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem. ' + "Say this also: 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.'" + Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. + "What are these?" I asked the angel who was talking with me.He replied, "These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." + Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths. + "What are these men coming to do?" I asked.The angel replied, "These four horns-- these nations-- scattered and humbled Judah. Now these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw them down and destroy them." + + + When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. + "Where are you going?" I asked.He replied, "I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is." + Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him. + The other angel said, "Hurry, and say to that young man, 'Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won't be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls. + Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the LORD. And I will be the glory inside the city!'" + The LORD says, "Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. + Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!" + After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, "Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. + I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them." Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven's Armies has sent me. + The LORD says, "Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. + Many nations will join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me to you. + The land of Judah will be the LORD's special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. + Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling." + + + Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel's right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. + And the LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire." + Jeshua's clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. + So the angel said to the others standing there, "Take off his filthy clothes." And turning to Jeshua he said, "See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes." + Then I said, "They should also place a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the LORD stood by. + Then the angel of the LORD spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here. + "Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. + Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day. + "And on that day, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree." + + + Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep. + "What do you see now?" he asked.I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. + And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl." + Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" + "Don't you know?" the angel asked."No, my lord," I replied. + Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: 'May God bless it! May God bless it!' " + Then another message came to me from the LORD: + "Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven's Armies has sent me. + Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world.) + Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, + and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?" + "Don't you know?" he asked."No, my lord," I replied. + Then he said to me, "They represent the two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth." + + + I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air. + "What do you see?" the angel asked."I see a flying scroll," I replied. "It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. " + Then he said to me, "This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land. + And this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it-- even its timbers and stones." + Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, "Look up and see what's coming." + "What is it?" I asked.He replied, "It is a basket for measuring grain, and it's filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land." + Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it. + The angel said, "The woman's name is Wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again. + Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, gliding on the wind. They had wings like a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew into the sky. + "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel. + He replied, "To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal." + + + Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. + The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses, + the third by white horses, and the fourth by powerful dappled-gray horses. + "And what are these, my lord?" I asked the angel who was talking with me. + The angel replied, "These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work. + The chariot with black horses is going north, the chariot with white horses is going west, and the chariot with dappled-gray horses is going south." + The powerful horses were eager to set out to patrol the earth. And the LORD said, "Go and patrol the earth!" So they left at once on their patrol. + Then the LORD summoned me and said, "Look, those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there in the land of the north." + Then I received another message from the LORD: + "Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will bring gifts of silver and gold from the Jews exiled in Babylon. As soon as they arrive, meet them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah. + Accept their gifts, and make a crown from the silver and gold. Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. + Tell him, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. + Yes, he will build the Temple of the LORD. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.' + "The crown will be a memorial in the Temple of the LORD to honor those who gave it-- Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah." + People will come from distant lands to rebuild the Temple of the LORD. And when this happens, you will know that my messages have been from the LORD of Heaven's Armies. All this will happen if you carefully obey what the LORD your God says. + + + On December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius's reign, another message came to Zechariah from the LORD. + The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the LORD's favor. + They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the LORD of Heaven's Armies: "Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple's destruction, as we have done for so many years?" + The LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me this message in reply: + "Say to all your people and your priests, 'During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? + And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves? + Isn't this the same message the LORD proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?' " + Then this message came to Zechariah from the LORD: + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. + Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. + "Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. + They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven's Armies was so angry with them. + "Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert." + + + Then another message came to me from the LORD of Heaven's Armies: + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem! + "And now the LORD says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will be called the Holy Mountain. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem's streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. + And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God's people. But is it impossible for me? says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. + I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the LORD of Heaven's Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. + Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other. + "But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings. + Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don't be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple! + "For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don't be afraid. + But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. + Don't scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the LORD." + Here is another message that came to me from the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. + The people of one city will say to the people of another, 'Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the LORD to bless us. Let's worship the LORD of Heaven's Armies. I'm determined to go.' + Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD of Heaven's Armies and to ask for his blessing. + "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, 'Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" + + + This is the message from the LORD against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the LORD. + Doom is certain for Hamath, near Damascus, and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon, though they are so clever. + Tyre has built a strong fortress and has made silver and gold as plentiful as dust in the streets! + But now the Lord will strip away Tyre's possessions and hurl its fortifications into the sea, and it will be burned to the ground. + The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall and will be filled with fear. Gaza will shake with terror, as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed. Gaza's king will be killed, and Ashkelon will be deserted. + Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod. I will destroy the pride of the Philistines. + I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth. Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God and become like a clan in Judah. The Philistines of Ekron will join my people, as the ancient Jebusites once did. + I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies. I am watching closely to ensure that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people's land. + Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey-- riding on a donkey's colt. + I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. + Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon. + Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles. + Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow. Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks. + The LORD will appear above his people; his arrows will fly like lightning! The Sovereign LORD will sound the ram's horn and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert. + The LORD of Heaven's Armies will protect his people, and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones. They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine. They will be filled with blood like a bowl, drenched with blood like the corners of the altar. + On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. + How wonderful and beautiful they will be! The young men will thrive on abundant grain, and the young women will flourish on new wine. + + + Ask the LORD for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture. + Household gods give worthless advice, fortune-tellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce falsehoods that give no comfort. So my people are wandering like lost sheep; they are attacked because they have no shepherd. + "My anger burns against your shepherds, and I will punish these leaders. For the LORD of Heaven's Armies has arrived to look after Judah, his flock. He will make them strong and glorious, like a proud warhorse in battle. + From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle, and all the rulers. + They will be like mighty warriors in battle, trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet. Since the LORD is with them as they fight, they will overthrow even the enemy's horsemen. + "I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the LORD their God, who will hear their cries. + The people of Israel will become like mighty warriors, and their hearts will be made happy as if by wine. Their children, too, will see it and be glad; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD. + When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few who are left, they will grow as numerous as they were before. + Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, they will still remember me in distant lands. They and their children will survive and return again to Israel. + I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will resettle them in Gilead and Lebanon until there is no more room for them all. + They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end. + By my power I will make my people strong, and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the LORD, have spoken!" + + + Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedar forests. + Weep, you cypress trees, for all the ruined cedars; the most majestic ones have fallen. Weep, you oaks of Bashan, for the thick forests have been cut down. + Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their rich pastures are destroyed. Hear the young lions roaring, for their thickets in the Jordan Valley are ruined. + This is what the LORD my God says: "Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter. + The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say, 'Praise the LORD! Now I'm rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. + Likewise, I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," says the LORD. "I will let them fall into each other's hands and into the hands of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not rescue them." + So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter-- the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. + I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month.But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too. + So I told them, "I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And let those who remain devour each other!" + Then I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. + That was the end of my covenant with them. The suffering flock was watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking through my actions. + And I said to them, "If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to." So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. + And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter "-- this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the LORD. + Then I took my other staff, Union, and cut it in two, showing that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. + Then the LORD said to me, "Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. + This illustrates how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves. + "What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye. His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind." + + + This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: "This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. + I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. + On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves. + "On that day," says the LORD, "I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. + And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, 'The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the LORD of Heaven's Armies, their God.' + "On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure. + "The LORD will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. + On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the LORD who goes before them! + For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. + "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. + The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. + "All Israel will mourn, each clan by itself, and with the husbands separate from their wives. The clan of David will mourn alone, as will the clan of Nathan, + the clan of Levi, and the clan of Shimei. + Each of the surviving clans from Judah will mourn separately, and with the husbands separate from their wives. + + + "On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity. + "And on that day," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them. + If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, 'You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the LORD.' And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him. + "On that day people will be ashamed to claim the prophetic gift. No one will pretend to be a prophet by wearing prophet's clothes. + He will say, 'I'm no prophet; I'm a farmer. I began working for a farmer as a boy.' + And if someone asks, 'Then what about those wounds on your chest? ' he will say, 'I was wounded at my friends' house!' + "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs. + Two-thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die," says the LORD. "But one-third will be left in the land. + I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" + + + Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! + I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city. + Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. + On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. + You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. + On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, + yet there will be continuous day! Only the LORD knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. + On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter. + And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD-- his name alone will be worshiped. + All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. + And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed. + And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. + On that day they will be terrified, stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will fight their neighbors hand to hand. + Judah, too, will be fighting at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the neighboring nations will be captured-- great quantities of gold and silver and fine clothing. + This same plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in the enemy camps. + In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. + Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will have no rain. + If the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the LORD will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. + Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don't go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. + On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the LORD will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. + In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Heaven's Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + + + + + This is the message that the LORD gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi. + "I have always loved you," says the LORD.But you retort, "Really? How have you loved us?" And the LORD replies, "This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, + but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau's inheritance into a desert for jackals." + Esau's descendants in Edom may say, "We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins." But the LORD of Heaven's Armies replies, "They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as 'The Land of Wickedness,' and their people will be called 'The People with Whom the LORD Is Forever Angry.' + When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, 'Truly, the LORD's greatness reaches far beyond Israel's borders!'" + The LORD of Heaven's Armies says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!"But you ask, 'How have we ever shown contempt for your name?' + "You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar."Then you ask, 'How have we defiled the sacrifices? '"You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect. + When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?" asks the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "and I will not accept your offerings. + But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table. + You say, 'It's too hard to serve the LORD,' and you turn up your noses at my commands," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?" asks the LORD. + "Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "and my name is feared among the nations! + + + "Listen, you priests-- this command is for you! + Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart. + I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile. + Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. + They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin. + "The words of a priest's lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + But you priests have left God's paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions." + Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors? + Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the LORD's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. + May the LORD cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + Here is another thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn't accept them with pleasure. + You cry out, "Why doesn't the LORD accept my worship?" I'll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. + Didn't the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. + "For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel. "To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty, " says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife." + You have wearied the LORD with your words."How have we wearied him?" you ask.You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the LORD's sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, "Where is the God of justice?" + + + "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. + He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD. + Then once more the LORD will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past. + "At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. + Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies."But you ask, 'How can we return when we have never gone away?' + "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!"But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?'"You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. + You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. + Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! + Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD."But you say, 'What do you mean? What have we said against you?' + "You have said, 'What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD of Heaven's Armies that we are sorry for our sins? + From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.'" + Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. + "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. + Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." + + + The LORD of Heaven's Armies says, "The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed-- roots, branches, and all. + "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. + On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. + "Remember to obey the Law of Moses, my servant-- all the decrees and regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all Israel. + "Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. + His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse." + + + + + This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: + Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. + Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. + Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. + Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. + Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah). + Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa. + Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah. + Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. + Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah. + Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon). + After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. + Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. + Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. + Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. + Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. + All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah. + This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. + Joseph, her fianc�, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. + As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. + And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." + All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: + "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.' " + When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. + But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. + + + Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, + "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him." + King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. + He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?" + "In Bethlehem in Judea," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote: + 'And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.' " + Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. + Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!" + After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. + When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! + They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. + When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. + After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." + That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, + and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt." + Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men's report of the star's first appearance. + Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: + "A cry was heard in Ramah-- weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead." + When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. + "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead." + So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. + But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod's son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. + So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: "He will be called a Nazarene." + + + In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, + "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. " + The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him!' " + John's clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. + People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. + And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. + But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of snakes!" he exclaimed. "Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath? + Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. + Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. + Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. + "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am-- so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire." + Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. + But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?" + But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires. " So John agreed to baptize him. + After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. + And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." + + + Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. + For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. + During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread." + But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " + Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, + and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.' " + Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.' " + Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. + "I will give it all to you," he said, "if you will kneel down and worship me." + "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' " + Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. + When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. + He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. + This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: + "In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, + the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined." + From then on Jesus began to preach, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. " + One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers-- Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew-- throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. + Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" + And they left their nets at once and followed him. + A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. + They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. + Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. + News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed-- he healed them all. + Large crowds followed him wherever he went-- people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. + + + One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, + and he began to teach them. + "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. + God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. + God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. + God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. + God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. + God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. + God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. + God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. + "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. + Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. + "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. + "You are the light of the world-- like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. + No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. + In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. + "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. + I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. + So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. + "But I warn you-- unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! + "You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' + But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. + "So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, + leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. + "When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. + And if that happens, you surely won't be free again until you have paid the last penny. + "You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.' + But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. + So if your eye-- even your good eye-- causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. + And if your hand-- even your stronger hand-- causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. + "You have heard the law that says, 'A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.' + But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. + "You have also heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.' + But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, 'By heaven!' because heaven is God's throne. + And do not say, 'By the earth!' because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, 'By Jerusalem!' for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. + Do not even say, 'By my head!' for you can't turn one hair white or black. + Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Anything beyond this is from the evil one. + "You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' + But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. + If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. + If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. + Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow. + "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. + But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! + In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. + If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. + If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. + But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. + + + "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. + When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do-- blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. + But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. + Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. + "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. + But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. + "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. + Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! + Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. + May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. + Give us today the food we need, + and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. + And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. + "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. + But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. + "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. + But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. + Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. + "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. + Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. + Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. + "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. + But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! + "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. + "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-- whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? + Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? + Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? + "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, + yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. + And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? + "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' + These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. + Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. + "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. + + + "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. + For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. + "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? + How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? + Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. + "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. + "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. + For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. + "You parents-- if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? + Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! + So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. + "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. + "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. + But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. + "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. + You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? + A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. + A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. + So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. + Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. + "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. + On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' + But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.' + "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. + Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. + But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. + When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." + When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, + for he taught with real authority-- quite unlike their teachers of religious law. + + + Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. + Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. "Lord," the man said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean." + Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared. + Then Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." + When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, + "Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain." + Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." + But the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. + I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this,' they do it." + When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel! + And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world-- from east and west-- and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. + But many Israelites-- those for whom the Kingdom was prepared-- will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." + Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened." And the young servant was healed that same hour. + When Jesus arrived at Peter's house, Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. + But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. + That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. + This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases." + When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. + Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." + But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." + Another of his disciples said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." + But Jesus told him, "Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. " + Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. + Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. + The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" + Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm. + The disciples were amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked. "Even the winds and waves obey him!" + When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area. + They began screaming at him, "Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God's appointed time?" + There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. + So the demons begged, "If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs." + "All right, go!" Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. + The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. + Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone. + + + Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. + Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven." + But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, "That's blasphemy! Does he think he's God?" + Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? + Is it easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'? + So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" + And the man jumped up and went home! + Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. + As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. + Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. + But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum? " + When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-- sick people do." + Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." + One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, "Why don't your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?" + Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. + "Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. + "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved." + As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her." + So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. + Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, + for she thought, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." + Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment. + When Jesus arrived at the official's home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. + "Get out!" he told them. "The girl isn't dead; she's only asleep." But the crowd laughed at him. + After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! + The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside. + After Jesus left the girl's home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" + They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?" "Yes, Lord," they told him, "we do." + Then he touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen." + Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, "Don't tell anyone about this." + But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region. + When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn't speak was brought to Jesus. + So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!" they exclaimed. + But the Pharisees said, "He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons." + Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. + When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. + He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. + So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." + + + Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. + Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter's brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James's brother), + Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, + Simon (the zealot), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). + Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: "Don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, + but only to the people of Israel-- God's lost sheep. + Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. + Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! + "Don't take any money in your money belts-- no gold, silver, or even copper coins. + Don't carry a traveler's bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed. + "Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. + When you enter the home, give it your blessing. + If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. + If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. + I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day. + "Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. + But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. + You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. + When you are arrested, don't worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. + For it is not you who will be speaking-- it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. + "A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. + And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. + When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel. + "Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. + Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! + "But don't be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. + What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! + "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. + What is the price of two sparrows-- one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. + And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. + So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. + "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. + But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. + "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. + 'I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. + Your enemies will be right in your own household!' + "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. + If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. + If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. + "Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. + If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. + And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." + + + When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. + John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, + "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?" + Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen-- + the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. + And tell him, 'God blesses those who do not turn away because of me. ' " + As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. "What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? + Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. + Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. + John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, 'Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.' + "I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! + And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. + For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. + And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. + Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! + "To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, + 'We played wedding songs, and you didn't dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn't mourn.' + For John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.' + The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by its results." + Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn't repented of their sins and turned to God. + "What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. + I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. + "And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. + I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you." + At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. + Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! + "My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." + Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. + Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. + For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." + + + At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. + But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." + Jesus said to them, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? + He went into the house of God, and they broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. + And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? + I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! + But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' + For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" + Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, + where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?" (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) + And he answered, "If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. + And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath." + Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! + Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus. + But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, + but he warned them not to reveal who he was. + This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: + "Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. + He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. + He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. + And his name will be the hope of all the world." + Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn't speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. + The crowd was amazed and asked, "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?" + But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons." + Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. + And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. + And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. + But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. + For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger-- someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. + "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. + "Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven-- except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. + Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come. + "A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. + You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. + A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. + And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. + The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." + One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority." + But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. + For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. + "The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here-- but you refuse to repent. + The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here-- but you refuse to listen. + "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. + Then it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. + Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation." + As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. + Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you." + Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" + Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "Look, these are my mother and brothers. + Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!" + + + Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. + A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. + He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:"Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. + As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. + Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. + But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died. + Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. + Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! + Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand." + His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?" + He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. + To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. + That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand. + This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. + For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes-- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.' + "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. + I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it. + "Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: + The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. + The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. + But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. + The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. + The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" + Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. + But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. + When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. + "The farmer's workers went to him and said, 'Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?' + " 'An enemy has done this!' the farmer exclaimed." 'Should we pull out the weeds?' they asked. + " 'No,' he replied, 'you'll uproot the wheat if you do. + Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.'" + Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. + It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches." + Jesus also used this illustration: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough." + Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. + This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: "I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world. " + Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field." + Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. + The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. + The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. + "Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. + The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. + And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! + "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. + "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. + When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! + "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. + When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. + That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, + throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + Do you understand all these things?" "Yes," they said, "we do." + Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old." + When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. + He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?" + Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers-- James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. + All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?" + And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family." + And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. + + + When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, + he said to his advisers, "This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles." + For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod's brother Philip). + John had been telling Herod, "It is against God's law for you to marry her." + Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet. + But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias's daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, + so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. + At her mother's urging, the girl said, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!" + Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. + So John was beheaded in the prison, + and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. + Later, John's disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. + As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. + Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. + That evening the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." + But Jesus said, "That isn't necessary-- you feed them." + "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!" they answered. + "Bring them here," he said. + Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. + They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. + About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! + Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. + After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. + Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. + About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. + When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!" + But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here! " + Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." + "Yes, come," Jesus said.So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. + But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. + Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" + When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. + Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed. + After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. + When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. + They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. + + + Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. + "Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition?" they demanded. "They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat." + Jesus replied, "And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? + For instance, God says, 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.' + But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.' + In this way, you say they don't need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. + You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, + 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. + Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.' " + Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "Listen," he said, "and try to understand. + It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." + Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?" + Jesus replied, "Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, + so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch." + Then Peter said to Jesus, "Explain to us the parable that says people aren't defiled by what they eat." + "Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked. + "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. + But the words you speak come from the heart-- that's what defiles you. + For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. + These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you." + Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. + A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely." + But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. "Tell her to go away," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." + Then Jesus said to the woman, "I was sent only to help God's lost sheep-- the people of Israel." + But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, "Lord, help me!" + Jesus responded, "It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." + She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table." + "Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "your faith is great. Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed. + Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. + A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. + The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel. + Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way." + The disciples replied, "Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?" + Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" They replied, "Seven loaves, and a few small fish." + So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. + Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. + They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. + There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. + Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan. + + + One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. + He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; + red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times! + Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. " Then Jesus left them and went away. + Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. + "Watch out!" Jesus warned them. "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. + Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? + Don't you understand even yet? Don't you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? + Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? + Why can't you understand that I'm not talking about bread? So again I say, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'" + Then at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. + When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" + "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." + Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" + Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." + Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. + Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. + And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." + Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. + From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. + But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said. "This will never happen to you!" + Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." + Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. + If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. + And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? + For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. + And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom." + + + Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. + As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. + Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. + Peter blurted out, "Lord, it's wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I'll make three shelters as memorials-- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + But even as he spoke, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him." + The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. + Then Jesus came over and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." + And when they looked, they saw only Jesus. + As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." + Then his disciples asked him, "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes? " + Jesus replied, "Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready for the Messiah. + But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn't recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer." + Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist. + At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, + "Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. + So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him." + Jesus replied, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." + Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well. + Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, "Why couldn't we cast out that demon?" + "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. " + + After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. + He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead." And the disciples were filled with grief. + On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?" + "Yes, he does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house.But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered? " + "They tax the people they have conquered," Peter replied."Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! + However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us." + + + About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" + Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. + Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. + So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. + "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. + But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. + "What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. + So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. + And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. + "Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. + + "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? + And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! + In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish. + "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. + But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. + If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won't accept the church's decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. + "I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. + "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. + For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." + Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" + "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! + "Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. + In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. + He couldn't pay, so his master ordered that he be sold-- along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned-- to pay the debt. + "But the man fell down before his master and begged him, 'Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' + Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. + "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. + "His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it,' he pleaded. + But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. + "When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. + Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. + Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' + Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. + "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart." + + + When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. + Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick. + Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: "Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?" + "Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made them male and female.' + And he said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' + Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together." + "Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?" they asked. + Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. + And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery-- unless his wife has been unfaithful. " + Jesus' disciples then said to him, "If this is the case, it is better not to marry!" + "Not everyone can accept this statement," Jesus said. "Only those whom God helps. + Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." + One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. + But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." + And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. + Someone came to Jesus with this question: "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" + "Why ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. But to answer your question-- if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments." + "Which ones?" the man asked.And Jesus replied: " 'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. + Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.' " + "I've obeyed all these commandments," the young man replied. "What else must I do?" + Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." + But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions. + Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. + I'll say it again-- it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" + The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. + Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." + Then Peter said to him, "We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get?" + "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. + But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. + + + "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. + He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. + "At nine o'clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. + So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. + So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. + "At five o'clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, 'Why haven't you been working today?' + "They replied, 'Because no one hired us.'"The landowner told them, 'Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.' + "That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. + When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage. + When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage. + When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, + 'Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.' + "He answered one of them, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? + Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. + Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?' + "So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last." + As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. + "Listen," he said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. + Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead." + Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. + "What is your request?" he asked.She replied, "In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left." + But Jesus answered by saying to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" + Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen." + When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. + But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. + But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, + and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. + For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." + As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. + Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" + "Be quiet!" the crowd yelled at them.But they only shouted louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" + When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, "What do you want me to do for you?" + "Lord," they said, "we want to see!" + Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him. + + + As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. + "Go into the village over there," he said. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. + If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will immediately let you take them." + This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, + "Tell the people of Israel, 'Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey-- riding on a donkey's colt.' " + The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. + They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. + Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. + Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!" + The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked. + And the crowds replied, "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." + Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. + He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" + The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. + The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David." But the leaders were indignant. + They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, 'You have taught children and infants to give you praise.' " + Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight. + In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, + and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up. + The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" + Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. + You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it." + When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?" + "I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied. + "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?" They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn't believe John. + But if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet." + So they finally replied, "We don't know." And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things. + "But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' + The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway. + Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go. + "Which of the two obeyed his father?" They replied, "The first." Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. + For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins. + "Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. + At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. + But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. + So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same. + "Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.' + "But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!' + So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him. + "When the owner of the vineyard returns," Jesus asked, "what do you think he will do to those farmers?" + The religious leaders replied, "He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest." + Then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see.' + I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. + Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on. " + When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them-- they were the wicked farmers. + They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet. + + + Jesus also told them other parables. He said, + "The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. + When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! + "So he sent other servants to tell them, 'The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!' + But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. + Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them. + "The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. + And he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren't worthy of the honor. + Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.' + So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. + "But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. + 'Friend,' he asked, 'how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?' But the man had no reply. + Then the king said to his aides, 'Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' + "For many are called, but few are chosen." + Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. + They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. "Teacher," they said, "we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don't play favorites. + Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + But Jesus knew their evil motives. "You hypocrites!" he said. "Why are you trying to trap me? + Here, show me the coin used for the tax." When they handed him a Roman coin, + he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?" + "Caesar's," they replied."Well, then," he said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." + His reply amazed them, and they went away. + That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees-- religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: + "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name.' + Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. + But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. + Last of all, the woman also died. + So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her." + Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God. + For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. + "But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead-- haven't you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, + 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead." + When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching. + But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. + One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: + "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" + Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' + This is the first and greatest commandment. + A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' + The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." + Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: + "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "He is the son of David." + Jesus responded, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah 'my Lord'? For David said, + 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.' + Since David called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?" + No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. + + + Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, + "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. + So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. + They crush people with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. + "Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. + And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. + They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi.' + "Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. + And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. + And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. + The greatest among you must be a servant. + But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. + "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't go in yourselves, and you don't let others enter either. + + "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! + "Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear 'by God's Temple,' but that it is binding to swear 'by the gold in the Temple.' + Blind fools! Which is more important-- the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? + And you say that to swear 'by the altar' is not binding, but to swear 'by the gifts on the altar' is binding. + How blind! For which is more important-- the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? + When you swear 'by the altar,' you are swearing by it and by everything on it. + And when you swear 'by the Temple,' you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. + And when you swear 'by heaven,' you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. + "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law-- justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. + Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! + "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy-- full of greed and self-indulgence! + You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. + "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs-- beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. + Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. + "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. + Then you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.' + "But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. + Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. + Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? + "Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. + As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time-- from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. + I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation. + "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. + And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. + For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!' " + + + As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. + But he responded, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!" + Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? " + Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, + for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. + And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. + Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. + But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. + "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. + And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. + And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. + Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. + But the one who endures to the end will be saved. + And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. + "The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about-- the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) + "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. + A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. + A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. + How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. + And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. + For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. + In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones. + "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. + For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. + See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. + "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! + For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. + Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. + "Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. + And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. + And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world-- from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. + "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. + In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. + I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. + Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. + "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. + "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. + In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. + People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. + "Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. + Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. + "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. + Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. + You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. + "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. + If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. + I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. + But what if the servant is evil and thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' + and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? + The master will return unannounced and unexpected, + and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + + + "The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. + Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. + The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps, + but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. + When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. + "At midnight they were roused by the shout, 'Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' + "All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. + Then the five foolish ones asked the others, 'Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' + "But the others replied, 'We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.' + "But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. + Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, 'Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' + "But he called back, 'Believe me, I don't know you!' + "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return. + "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. + He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last-- dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. + "The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. + The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. + But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money. + "After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. + The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, 'Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.' + "The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together! ' + "The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.' + "The master said, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' + "Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, 'Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. + I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.' + "But the master replied, 'You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn't plant and gathered crops I didn't cultivate, + why didn't you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.' + "Then he ordered, 'Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. + To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. + Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' + "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. + All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. + He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. + "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. + For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. + I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' + "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? + Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? + When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' + "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' + "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. + For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. + I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' + "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' + "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' + "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life." + + + When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, + "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." + At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, + plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. + "But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot." + Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. + While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. + The disciples were indignant when they saw this. "What a waste of money," they said. + "It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor." + But Jesus, aware of this, replied, "Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? + You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. + She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. + I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed." + Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests + and asked, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?" And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. + From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. + On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?" + "As you go into the city," he told them, "you will see a certain man. Tell him, 'The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.'" + So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there. + When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples. + While they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." + Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, "Am I the one, Lord?" + He replied, "One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. + For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!" + Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, "Rabbi, am I the one?" And Jesus told him, "You have said it." + As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it, for this is my body." + And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, "Each of you drink from it, + for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. + Mark my words-- I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom." + Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. + On the way, Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' + But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there." + Peter declared, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you." + Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, Peter-- this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." + "No!" Peter insisted. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the other disciples vowed the same. + Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there to pray." + He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. + He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." + He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." + Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? + Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!" + Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done." + When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. + So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. + Then he came to the disciples and said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look-- the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. + Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!" + And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. + The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss." + So Judas came straight to Jesus. "Greetings, Rabbi!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. + Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. + But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear. + "Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "Those who use the sword will die by the sword. + Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? + But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?" + Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. + But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled. + Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. + Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest's courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. + Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. + But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone's testimony. Finally, two men came forward + who declared, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'" + Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" + But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I demand in the name of the living God-- tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." + Jesus replied, "You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven." + Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, "Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. + What is your verdict?" "Guilty!" they shouted. "He deserves to die!" + Then they began to spit in Jesus' face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, + jeering, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?" + Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean." + But Peter denied it in front of everyone. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. + Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. " + Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. "I don't even know the man," he said. + A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, "You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent." + Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying-- I don't know the man!" And immediately the rooster crowed. + Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he went away, weeping bitterly. + + + Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. + Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. + When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. + "I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem." + Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. + The leading priests picked up the coins. "It wouldn't be right to put this money in the Temple treasury," they said, "since it was payment for murder." + After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. + That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. + This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, "They took the thirty pieces of silver-- the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, + and purchased the potter's field, as the LORD directed. " + Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. "Are you the king of the Jews?" the governor asked him.Jesus replied, "You have said it." + But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. + "Don't you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?" Pilate demanded. + But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor's surprise. + Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd-- anyone they wanted. + This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. + As the crowds gathered before Pilate's house that morning, he asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you-- Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" + (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.) + Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night." + Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. + So the governor asked again, "Which of these two do you want me to release to you?" The crowd shouted back, "Barabbas!" + Pilate responded, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!" + "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!" + Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. The responsibility is yours!" + And all the people yelled back, "We will take responsibility for his death-- we and our children!" + So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. + Some of the governor's soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. + They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. + They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!" + And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. + When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. + Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. + And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). + The soldiers gave him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it. + After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. + Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. + A sign was fastened to the cross above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against him. It read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." + Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. + The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. + "Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!" + The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. + "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! + He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" + Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way. + At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. + At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" + Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. + One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. + But the rest said, "Wait! Let's see whether Elijah comes to save him." + Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. + At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, + and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. + They left the cemetery after Jesus' resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. + The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "This man truly was the Son of God!" + And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. + Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. + As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, + went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. + Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. + He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. + Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. + The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. + They told him, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise from the dead.' + So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first." + Pilate replied, "Take guards and secure it the best you can." + So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it. + + + Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. + Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. + His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. + The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. + Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. + He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. + And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you." + The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message. + And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. + Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there." + As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. + A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. + They told the soldiers, "You must say, 'Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.' + If the governor hears about it, we'll stand up for you so you won't get in trouble." + So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today. + Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. + When they saw him, they worshiped him-- but some of them doubted! + Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. + Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. + Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." + + + + + This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began + just as the prophet Isaiah had written: "Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. + He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him!' " + This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God to receive forgiveness for their sins. + All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. + His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. + John announced: "Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am-- so much greater that I'm not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. + I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!" + One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. + As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. + And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy." + The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, + where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. + Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God's Good News. + "The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!" + One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. + Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" + And they left their nets at once and followed him. + A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee's sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. + He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men. + Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. + The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority-- quite unlike the teachers of religious law. + Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, + "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One sent from God!" + Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. + At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. + Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!" + The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee. + After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew's home. + Now Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. + So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them. + That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. + The whole town gathered at the door to watch. + So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. + Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. + Later Simon and the others went out to find him. + When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you." + But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came." + So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons. + A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said. + Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" + Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. + Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: + "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." + But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn't publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him. + + + When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. + Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, + four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. + They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. + Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven." + But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, + "What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!" + Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts? + Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk'? + So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, + "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" + And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers.They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We've never seen anything like this before!" + Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. + As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. + Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.) + But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such scum? " + When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-- sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." + Once when John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, "Why don't your disciples fast like John's disciples and the Pharisees do?" + Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while the groom is with them. + But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. + "Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. + "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins." + One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. + But the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?" + Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? + He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions." + Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. + So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" + + + Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. + Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. + Jesus said to the man, "Come and stand in front of everyone." + Then he turned to his critics and asked, "Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him. + He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! + At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. + Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, + Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. + Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. + He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. + And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, "You are the Son of God!" + But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. + Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. + Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, + giving them authority to cast out demons. + Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), + James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them "Sons of Thunder"), + Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), + Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). + One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. + When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. "He's out of his mind," they said. + But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, "He's possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That's where he gets the power to cast out demons." + Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. "How can Satan cast out Satan?" he asked. + "A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. + Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. + And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. + Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger-- someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. + "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, + but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences." + He told them this because they were saying, "He's possessed by an evil spirit." + Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. + There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, "Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you." + Jesus replied, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" + Then he looked at those around him and said, "Look, these are my mother and brothers. + Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." + + + Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. + He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: + "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. + As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. + Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. + But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died. + Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. + Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" + Then he said, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand." + Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. + He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, + so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: 'When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.' " + Then Jesus said to them, "If you can't understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? + The farmer plants seed by taking God's word to others. + The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. + The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. + But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. + The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, + but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. + And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" + Then Jesus asked them, "Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. + For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. + Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand." + Then he added, "Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given-- and you will receive even more. + To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them." + Jesus also said, "The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. + Night and day, while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. + The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. + And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come." + Jesus said, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? + It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, + but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade." + Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. + In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them. + As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." + So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). + But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. + Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?" + When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. + Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" + The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey him!" + + + So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. + When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. + This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. + Whenever he was put into chains and shackles-- as he often was-- he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. + Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. + When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. + With a shriek, he screamed, "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me!" + For Jesus had already said to the spirit, "Come out of the man, you evil spirit." + Then Jesus demanded, "What is your name?" And he replied, "My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man." + Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place. + There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. + "Send us into those pigs," the spirits begged. "Let us enter them." + So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. + The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. + A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. + Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. + And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. + As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. + But Jesus said, "No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." + So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. + Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. + Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, + pleading fervently with him. "My little daughter is dying," he said. "Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live." + Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. + A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. + She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. + She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. + For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." + Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. + Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" + His disciples said to him, "Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'" + But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. + Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. + And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over." + While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now." + But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith." + Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). + When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. + He went inside and asked, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead; she's only asleep." + The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. + Holding her hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum," which means "Little girl, get up!" + And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. + Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. + + + Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. + The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?" + Then they scoffed, "He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. + Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." + And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. + And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. + And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. + He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick-- no food, no traveler's bag, no money. + He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. + "Wherever you go," he said, "stay in the same house until you leave town. + But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate." + So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. + And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. + Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, "This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles." + Others said, "He's the prophet Elijah." Still others said, "He's a prophet like the other great prophets of the past." + When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead." + For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip's wife, but Herod had married her. + John had been telling Herod, "It is against God's law for you to marry your brother's wife." + So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod's approval she was powerless, + for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. + Herodias's chance finally came on Herod's birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. + Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. "Ask me for anything you like," the king said to the girl, "and I will give it to you." + He even vowed, "I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!" + She went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother told her, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist!" + So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, "I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!" + Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn't refuse her. + So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John's head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, + brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. + When John's disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb. + The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. + Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. + So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. + But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. + Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. + Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. + Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat." + But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" + "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." + Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. + So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. + Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. + They all ate as much as they wanted, + and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. + A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves! + Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. + After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. + Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. + He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, + but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. + They were all terrified when they saw him.But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage! I am here! " + Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, + for they still didn't understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. + After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore + and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, + and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. + Wherever he went-- in villages, cities, or the countryside-- they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. + + + One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. + They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. + (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. + Similarly, they don't eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to-- such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.) + So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony." + Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, + 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.' + For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition." + Then he said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition. + For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.' + But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.' + In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. + And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others." + Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand. + It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. " + + Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. + "Don't you understand either?" he asked. "Can't you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? + Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer." (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God's eyes.) + And then he added, "It is what comes from inside that defiles you. + For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, + adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. + All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you." + Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret. + Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, + and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, + Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children-- my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." + She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates." + "Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." + And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. + Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. + A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. + Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue. + Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!" + Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly! + Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. + They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak." + + + About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, + "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. + If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance." + His disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?" + Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they replied. + So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. + A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them. + They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. + There were about 4,000 people in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. + Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha. + When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. + When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign." + So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake. + But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. + As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod." + At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. + Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? + 'You have eyes-- can't you see? You have ears-- can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all? + When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said. + "And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said. + "Don't you understand yet?" he asked them. + When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. + Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?" + The man looked around. "Yes," he said, "I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around." + Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. + Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home." + Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" + "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets." + Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah. " + But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. + Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. + As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. + Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. "Get away from me, Satan!" he said. "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." + Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. + If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. + And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? + Is anything worth more than your soul? + If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." + + + Jesus went on to say, "I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!" + Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed, + and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. + Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. + Peter exclaimed, "Rabbi, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make three shelters as memorials-- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + He said this because he didn't really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. + Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him." + Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with them. + As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. + So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by "rising from the dead." + Then they asked him, "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes? " + Jesus responded, "Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready for the Messiah. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt? + But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted." + When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. + When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. + "What is all this arguing about?" Jesus asked. + One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, "Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won't let him talk. + And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn't do it." + Jesus said to them, "You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." + So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. + "How long has this been happening?" Jesus asked the boy's father.He replied, "Since he was a little boy. + The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." + "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." + The father instantly cried out, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!" + When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. "Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak," he said. "I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!" + Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, "He's dead." + But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. + Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?" + Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer. " + Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, + for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead." + They didn't understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. + After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, "What were you discussing out on the road?" + But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. + He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, "Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else." + Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, + "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me." + John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group." + "Don't stop him!" Jesus said. "No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. + Anyone who is not against us is for us. + If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded. + "But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. + If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. + + If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. + + And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It's better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, + 'where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.' + "For everyone will be tested with fire. + Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other." + + + Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them. + Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: "Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?" + Jesus answered them with a question: "What did Moses say in the law about divorce?" + "Well, he permitted it," they replied. "He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away." + But Jesus responded, "He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. + But 'God made them male and female' from the beginning of creation. + 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, + and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, + let no one split apart what God has joined together." + Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. + He told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. + And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery." + One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. + When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. + I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." + Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. + As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" + "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good. + But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.' " + "Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young." + Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." + At this the man's face fell, and he went away very sad, for he had many possessions. + Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" + This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. + In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" + The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. + Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God." + Then Peter began to speak up. "We've given up everything to follow you," he said. + "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, + will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property-- along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. + But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. " + They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. + "Listen," he said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. + They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again." + Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor." + "What is your request?" he asked. + They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left." + But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?" + "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. + But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen." + When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. + So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. + But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, + and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. + For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." + Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. + When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" + "Be quiet!" many of the people yelled at him.But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" + When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" + Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. + "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked."My rabbi, " the blind man said, "I want to see!" + And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. + + + As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. + "Go into that village over there," he told them. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. + If anyone asks, 'What are you doing?' just say, 'The Lord needs it and will return it soon.'" + The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. + As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" + They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. + Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. + Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. + Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! + Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!" + So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples. + The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. + He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. + Then Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" And the disciples heard him say it. + When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, + and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. + He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." + When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. + That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city. + The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. + Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!" + Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. + I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. + I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. + But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. " + + Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. + They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?" + "I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied. + "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!" + They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John. + But do we dare say it was merely human?" For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. + So they finally replied, "We don't know." And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things." + + + Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: "A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. + At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. + But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. + The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. + The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, + until there was only one left-- his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.' + "But the tenant farmers said to one another, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!' + So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard. + "What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?" Jesus asked. "I'll tell you-- he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. + Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. + This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see.' " + The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them-- they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away. + Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. + "Teacher," they said, "we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don't play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us-- is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? + Should we pay them, or shouldn't we?" Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, "Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I'll tell you." + When they handed it to him, he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?" "Caesar's," they replied. + "Well, then," Jesus said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." His reply completely amazed them. + Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees-- religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: + "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name. + Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. + So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. + This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. + So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her." + Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God. + For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. + "But now, as to whether the dead will be raised-- haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' + So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error." + One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" + Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. + And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' + The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." + The teacher of religious law replied, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. + And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law." + Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. + Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, "Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? + For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.' + Since David himself called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with great delight. + Jesus also taught: "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. + And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. + Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished." + Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. + Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. + Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. + For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." + + + As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls." + Jesus replied, "Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!" + Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, + "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?" + Jesus replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, + for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. + And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. + Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. + "When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. + For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. + But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. + "A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. + And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. + "The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where he should not be." (Reader, pay attention!) "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. + A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. + A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. + How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. + And pray that your flight will not be in winter. + For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. + In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days. + "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. + For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. + Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time! + "At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, + the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. + Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. + And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world-- from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. + "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. + In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. + I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. + Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. + "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. + And since you don't know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! + "The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. + You, too, must keep watch! For you don't know when the master of the household will return-- in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. + Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. + I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!" + + + It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. + "But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot." + Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. + Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why waste such expensive perfume?" they asked. + "It could have been sold for a year's wages and the money given to the poor!" So they scolded her harshly. + But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? + You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. + She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. + I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed." + Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. + They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. + On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?" + So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: "As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. + At the house he enters, say to the owner, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' + He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." + So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there. + In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. + As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me." + Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, "Am I the one?" + He replied, "It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. + For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!" + As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it, for this is my body." + And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. + And he said to them, "This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. + I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God." + Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. + On the way, Jesus told them, "All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' + But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there." + Peter said to him, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will." + Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, Peter-- this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me." + "No!" Peter declared emphatically. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the others vowed the same. + They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." + He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. + He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." + He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. + "Abba, Father," he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." + Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? + Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." + Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. + When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say. + When he returned to them the third time, he said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no-- the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. + Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!" + And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders. + The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard." + As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. "Rabbi!" he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss. + Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. + But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear. + Jesus asked them, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? + Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me." + Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. + One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, + he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked. + They took Jesus to the high priest's home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered. + Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest's courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire. + Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn't find any. + Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other. + Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony: + "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.'" + But even then they didn't get their stories straight! + Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" + But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" + Jesus said, "I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven. " + Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, "Why do we need other witnesses? + You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?" "Guilty!" they all cried. "He deserves to die!" + Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. "Prophesy to us," they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away. + Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by + and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, "You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth. " + But Peter denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed. + When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, "This man is definitely one of them!" + But Peter denied it again.A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, "You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean." + Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying-- I don't know this man you're talking about!" + And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he broke down and wept. + + + Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law-- the entire high council-- met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. + Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You have said it." + Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, + and Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?" + But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate's surprise. + Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner-- anyone the people requested. + One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. + The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual. + "Would you like me to release this 'King of the Jews'?" Pilate asked. + (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) + But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. + Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?" + They shouted back, "Crucify him!" + "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!" + So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. + The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor's headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. + They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. + Then they saluted him and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!" + And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. + When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. + A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) + And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). + They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. + Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. + It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. + A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against him. It read, "The King of the Jews." + Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. + + The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. + Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!" + The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! + Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!" Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him. + At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. + Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" + Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. + One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. "Wait!" he said. "Let's see whether Elijah comes to take him down!" + Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. + And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. + When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!" + Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. + They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there. + This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, + Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) + Pilate couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. + The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. + Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. + Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid. + + + Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus' body. + Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. + On the way they were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" + But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. + When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, + but the angel said, "Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. + Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died." + The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen. + After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. + She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. + But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn't believe her. + Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. + They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. + Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. + And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. + Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. + These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. + They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed." + When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. + And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. + + + + + Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. + They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. + Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, + so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. + When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. + Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. + They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. + One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. + As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. + While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. + While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. + Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. + But the angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. + You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, + for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. + And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. + He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly." + Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." + Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! + But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time." + Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. + When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. + When Zechariah's week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. + Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. + "How kind the Lord is!" she exclaimed. "He has taken away my disgrace of having no children." + In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, + to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. + Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! " + Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. + "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! + You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. + He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. + And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" + Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." + The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. + What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's now in her sixth month. + For nothing is impossible with God. " + Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her. + A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town + where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. + At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. + Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. + Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? + When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. + You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." + Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. + How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! + For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. + For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. + He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. + His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. + He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. + He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. + He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. + For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever." + Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. + When it was time for Elizabeth's baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. + And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. + When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. + But Elizabeth said, "No! His name is John!" + "What?" they exclaimed. "There is no one in all your family by that name." + So they used gestures to ask the baby's father what he wanted to name him. + He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is John." + Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. + Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. + Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, "What will this child turn out to be?" For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. + Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: + "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. + He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, + just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. + Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. + He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant-- + the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. + We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, + in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. + "And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. + You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. + Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, + to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." + John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. + + + At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. + (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) + All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. + And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. + He took with him Mary, his fianc�e, who was now obviously pregnant. + And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. + She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. + That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. + Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, + but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. + The Savior-- yes, the Messiah, the Lord-- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! + And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." + Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-- the armies of heaven-- praising God and saying, + "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." + When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." + They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. + After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. + All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, + but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. + The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. + Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. + Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. + The law of the Lord says, "If a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD." + So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord-- "either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." + At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him + and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. + That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, + Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, + "Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. + I have seen your salvation, + which you have prepared for all people. + He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!" + Jesus' parents were amazed at what was being said about him. + Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby's mother, "This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. + As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." + Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. + Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. + She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. + When Jesus' parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. + There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him. + Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. + When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. + After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first, + because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. + When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. + Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. + All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. + His parents didn't know what to think. "Son," his mother said to him, "why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere." + "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" + But they didn't understand what he meant. + Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. + Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. + + + It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. + Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. + Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God to receive forgiveness for their sins. + Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him! + The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. + And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.' " + When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath? + Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. + Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." + The crowds asked, "What should we do?" + John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry." + Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?" + He replied, "Collect no more taxes than the government requires." + "What should we do?" asked some soldiers.John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay." + Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. + John answered their questions by saying, "I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am-- so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire." + John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people. + John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. + So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. + One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, + and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy. " + Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli. + Heli was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Jannai. Jannai was the son of Joseph. + Joseph was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Amos. Amos was the son of Nahum. Nahum was the son of Esli. Esli was the son of Naggai. + Naggai was the son of Maath. Maath was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Semein. Semein was the son of Josech. Josech was the son of Joda. + Joda was the son of Joanan. Joanan was the son of Rhesa. Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the son of Neri. + Neri was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Addi. Addi was the son of Cosam. Cosam was the son of Elmadam. Elmadam was the son of Er. + Er was the son of Joshua. Joshua was the son of Eliezer. Eliezer was the son of Jorim. Jorim was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. + Levi was the son of Simeon. Simeon was the son of Judah. Judah was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jonam. Jonam was the son of Eliakim. + Eliakim was the son of Melea. Melea was the son of Menna. Menna was the son of Mattatha. Mattatha was the son of Nathan. Nathan was the son of David. + David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was the son of Obed. Obed was the son of Boaz. Boaz was the son of Salmon. Salmon was the son of Nahshon. + Nahshon was the son of Amminadab. Amminadab was the son of Admin. Admin was the son of Arni. Arni was the son of Hezron. Hezron was the son of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah. + Judah was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham was the son of Terah. Terah was the son of Nahor. + Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son of Shelah. + Shelah was the son of Cainan. Cainan was the son of Arphaxad. Arphaxad was the son of Shem. Shem was the son of Noah. Noah was the son of Lamech. + Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Kenan. + Kenan was the son of Enosh. Enosh was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God. + + + Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, + where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. + Then the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." + But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone.' " + Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. + "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them," the devil said, "because they are mine to give to anyone I please. + I will give it all to you if you will worship me." + Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' " + Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! + For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect and guard you. + And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.' " + Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.' " + When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. + Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. + He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. + When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. + The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: + "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, + and that the time of the Lord's favor has come. " + He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. + Then he began to speak to them. "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day!" + Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. "How can this be?" they asked. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" + Then he said, "You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: 'Physician, heal yourself'-- meaning, 'Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.' + But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. + "Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. + Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner-- a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. + And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian." + When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. + Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, + but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. + Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. + There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority. + Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon-- an evil spirit-- began shouting at Jesus, + "Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One sent from God!" + Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further. + Amazed, the people exclaimed, "What authority and power this man's words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!" + The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region. + After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon's home, where he found Simon's mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. "Please heal her," everyone begged. + Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them. + As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. + Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak. + Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. + But he replied, "I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent." + So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea. + + + One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. + He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. + Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. + When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish." + "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." + And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! + A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. + When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, "Oh, Lord, please leave me-- I'm too much of a sinner to be around you." + For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. + His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" + And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. + In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. "Lord," he said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean." + Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared. + Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, "Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." + But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. + But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. + One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus. + Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, + but they couldn't reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. + Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven." + But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, "Who does he think he is? That's blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!" + Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts? + Is it easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'? + So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" + And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. + Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, "We have seen amazing things today!" + Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. + So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. + Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. + But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with such scum? " + Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-- sick people do. + I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent." + One day some people said to Jesus, "John the Baptist's disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?" + Jesus responded, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. + But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." + Then Jesus gave them this illustration: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn't even match the old garment. + "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. + New wine must be stored in new wineskins. + But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. 'The old is just fine,' they say." + + + One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples broke off heads of grain, rubbed off the husks in their hands, and ate the grain. + But some Pharisees said, "Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?" + Jesus replied, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? + He went into the house of God and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests can eat. He also gave some to his companions." + And Jesus added, "The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath." + On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. + The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. + But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." So the man came forward. + Then Jesus said to his critics, "I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" + He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! + At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him. + One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. + At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: + Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter's brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, + Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), + Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). + When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. + They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and Jesus also cast out many evil spirits. + Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. + Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. + God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh. + What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. + When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. + "What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. + What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. + What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets. + "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. + Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. + If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. + Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. + Do to others as you would like them to do to you. + "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! + And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! + And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. + "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. + You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. + "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. + Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-- pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. " + Then Jesus gave the following illustration: "Can one blind person lead another? Won't they both fall into a ditch? + Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. + "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? + How can you think of saying, 'Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. + "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. + A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs never grow on thornbushes, nor grapes on bramble bushes. + A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. + "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say? + I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. + It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. + But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins." + + + When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. + At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. + When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. + So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. "If anyone deserves your help, he does," they said, + "for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us." + So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, "Lord, don't trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. + I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. + I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this,' they do it." + When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!" + And when the officer's friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed. + Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. + A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow's only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. + When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" he said. + Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Young man," he said, "I tell you, get up." + Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. + Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, "A mighty prophet has risen among us," and "God has visited his people today." + And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside. + The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, + and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?" + John's two disciples found Jesus and said to him, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'" + At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases and illnesses, and he cast out evil spirits and restored sight to many who were blind. + Then he told John's disciples, "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard-- the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. + And tell him, 'God blesses those who do not turn away because of me. ' " + After John's disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. "What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? + Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. + Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. + John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, 'Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.' + I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!" + When they heard this, all the people-- even the tax collectors-- agreed that God's way was right, for they had been baptized by John. + But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God's plan for them, for they had refused John's baptism. + "To what can I compare the people of this generation?" Jesus asked. "How can I describe them? + They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, 'We played wedding songs, and you didn't dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn't weep.' + For John the Baptist didn't spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.' + The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' + But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. " + One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. + When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. + Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. + When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She's a sinner!" + Then Jesus answered his thoughts. "Simon," he said to the Pharisee, "I have something to say to you." "Go ahead, Teacher," Simon replied. + Then Jesus told him this story: "A man loaned money to two people-- 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. + But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?" + Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt." "That's right," Jesus said. + Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. + You didn't greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. + You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. + "I tell you, her sins-- and they are many-- have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love." + Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven." + The men at the table said among themselves, "Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?" + And Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." + + + Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, + along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; + Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. + One day Jesus told a story to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: + "A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. + Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. + Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. + Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!" When he had said this, he called out, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand." + His disciples asked him what this parable meant. + He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: 'When they look, they won't really see. When they hear, they won't understand.' + "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God's word. + The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. + The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. + The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. + And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. + "No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. + For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. + "So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them." + Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn't get to him because of the crowd. + Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to see you." + Jesus replied, "My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God's word and obey it." + One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and started out. + As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. + The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm! + Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" The disciples were terrified and amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!" + So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. + As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. + As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don't torture me!" + For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon's power. + Jesus demanded, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, for he was filled with many demons. + The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. + There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.So Jesus gave them permission. + Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned. + When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. + People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus' feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. + Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. + And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. + The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, + "No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you." So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him. + On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. + Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come home with him. + His only daughter, who was twelve years old, was dying.As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. + A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. + Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. + "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you." + But Jesus said, "Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me." + When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. + "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace." + While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now." + But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed." + When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn't let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl's father and mother. + The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, "Stop the weeping! She isn't dead; she's only asleep." + But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. + Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, "My child, get up!" + And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. + Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened. + + + One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. + Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. + "Take nothing for your journey," he instructed them. "Don't take a walking stick, a traveler's bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. + Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. + And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate." + So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick. + When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. + Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead. + "I beheaded John," Herod said, "so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?" And he kept trying to see him. + When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. + But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick. + Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, "Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place." + But Jesus said, "You feed them." "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?" + For there were about 5,000 men there.Jesus replied, "Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each." + So the people all sat down. + Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. + They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! + One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" + "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead." + Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!" + Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. + "The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things," he said. "He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead." + Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. + If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. + And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? + If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. + I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God." + About eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain to pray. + And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. + Then two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. + They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. + Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him. + As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, "Master, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make three shelters as memorials-- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." + But even as he was saying this, a cloud came over them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them. + Then a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him." + When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen. + The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. + A man in the crowd called out to him, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. + An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. + I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn't do it." + "You faithless and corrupt people," Jesus said, "how long must I be with you and put up with you?" Then he said to the man, "Bring your son here." + As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. + Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God's power. While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, + "Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies." + But they didn't know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn't understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. + Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. + But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. + Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest." + John said to Jesus, "Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn't in our group." + But Jesus said, "Don't stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you." + As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. + He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. + But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. + When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, "Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?" + But Jesus turned and rebuked them. + So they went on to another village. + As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." + But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." + He said to another person, "Come, follow me." The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." + But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God." + Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family." + But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." + + + The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. + These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. + Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. + Don't take any money with you, nor a traveler's bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don't stop to greet anyone on the road. + "Whenever you enter someone's home, first say, 'May God's peace be on this house.' + If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. + Don't move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. + "If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. + Heal the sick, and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God is near you now.' + But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, + 'We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this-- the Kingdom of God is near!' + I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgment day. + "What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. + Yes, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. + And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. " + Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me." + When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" + "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! + Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. + But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." + At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. + "My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." + Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. + I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it." + One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" + Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?" + The man answered, " 'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " + "Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!" + The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" + Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. + "By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. + A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. + "Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. + Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. + The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' + "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked. + The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same." + As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. + Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. + But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." + But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! + There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." + + + Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." + Jesus said, "This is how you should pray: "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. + Give us each day the food we need, + and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation. " + Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, + 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' + And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' + But I tell you this-- though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. + "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. + For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. + "You fathers-- if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? + Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! + So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." + One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn't speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, + but some of them said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons." + Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. + He knew their thoughts, so he said, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. + You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? + And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. + But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. + For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe-- + until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. + "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. + "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' + So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. + Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before." + As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "God bless your mother-- the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!" + Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." + As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, "This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. + What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God. + "The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here-- but you refuse to listen. + The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here-- but you refuse to repent. + "No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. + "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. + Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. + If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light." + As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. + His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. + Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy-- full of greed and wickedness! + Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? + So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. + "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. + "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. + Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on." + "Teacher," said an expert in religious law, "you have insulted us, too, in what you just said." + "Yes," said Jesus, "what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. + What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago. + But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments! + This is what God in his wisdom said about you: 'I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.' + "As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God's prophets from the creation of the world-- + from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation. + "What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don't enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering." + As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions. + They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him. + + + Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees-- their hypocrisy. + The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. + Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! + "Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. + But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear. + "What is the price of five sparrows-- two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. + And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. + "I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God's angels. + But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God's angels. + Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. + "And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don't worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, + for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said." + Then someone called from the crowd, "Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me." + Jesus replied, "Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?" + Then he said, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own." + Then he told them a story: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. + He said to himself, 'What should I do? I don't have room for all my crops.' + Then he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. + And I'll sit back and say to myself, "My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!"' + "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?' + "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." + Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-- whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. + For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. + Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! + Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? + And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things? + "Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. + And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? + "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don't worry about such things. + These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. + Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. + "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. + "Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. + Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. + "Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, + as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. + The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! + He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. + "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. + You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." + Peter asked, "Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?" + And the Lord replied, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. + If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. + I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. + But what if the servant thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? + The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. + "And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. + But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. + "I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! + I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. + Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! + From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against-- or two in favor and three against. + 'Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.' " + Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, "When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, 'Here comes a shower.' And you are right. + When the south wind blows, you say, 'Today will be a scorcher.' And it is. + You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don't know how to interpret the present times. + "Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right? + When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. + And if that happens, you won't be free again until you have paid the very last penny. " + + + About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. + "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?" Jesus asked. "Is that why they suffered? + Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. + And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? + No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too." + Then Jesus told this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. + Finally, he said to his gardener, 'I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's just taking up space in the garden.' + "The gardener answered, 'Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. + If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.'" + One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, + he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. + When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!" + Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! + But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. "There are six days of the week for working," he said to the crowd. "Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath." + But the Lord replied, "You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don't you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? + This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn't it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?" + This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did. + Then Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? + It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches." + He also asked, "What else is the Kingdom of God like? + It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough." + Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. + Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He replied, + "Work hard to enter the narrow door to God's Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. + When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' + Then you will say, 'But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' + And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.' + "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. + And people will come from all over the world-- from east and west, north and south-- to take their places in the Kingdom of God. + And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then. " + At that time some Pharisees said to him, "Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!" + Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. + Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! + "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. + And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!' " + + + One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. + There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. + Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, "Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?" + When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. + Then he turned to them and said, "Which of you doesn't work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don't you rush to get him out?" + Again they could not answer. + When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: + "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? + The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! + "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. + For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." + Then he turned to his host. "When you put on a luncheon or a banquet," he said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. + Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. + Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you." + Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, "What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!" + Jesus replied with this story: "A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. + When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, 'Come, the banquet is ready.' + But they all began making excuses. One said, 'I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.' + Another said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.' + Another said, 'I now have a wife, so I can't come.' + "The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, 'Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' + After the servant had done this, he reported, 'There is still room for more.' + So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. + For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.'" + A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, + "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison-- your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-- yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. + And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. + "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? + Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. + They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it!' + "Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? + And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. + So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. + "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? + Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!" + + + Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. + This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people-- even eating with them! + So Jesus told them this story: + "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? + And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. + When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' + In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away! + "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? + And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.' + In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents." + To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. + The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. + "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. + About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. + He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. + The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. + "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! + I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, + and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' + "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. + His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ' + "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. + And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, + for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began. + "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, + and he asked one of the servants what was going on. + 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.' + "The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, + but he replied, 'All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. + Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!' + "His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. + We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'" + + + Jesus told this story to his disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer's money. + So the employer called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.' + "The manager thought to himself, 'Now what? My boss has fired me. I don't have the strength to dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg. + Ah, I know how to ensure that I'll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.' + "So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?' + The man replied, 'I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.' So the manager told him, 'Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons. ' + " 'And how much do you owe my employer?' he asked the next man. 'I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,' was the reply. 'Here,' the manager said, 'take the bill and change it to 800 bushels. ' + "The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. + Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. + "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. + And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? + And if you are not faithful with other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? + "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." + The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. + Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. + "Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. + But that doesn't mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God's law to be overturned. + "For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." + Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. + At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. + As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. + "Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, + and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. + "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.' + "But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. + And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.' + "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father's home. + For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of torment.' + "But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.' + "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' + "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'" + + + One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! + It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. + So watch yourselves!"If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. + Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive." + The apostles said to the Lord, "Show us how to increase our faith." + The Lord answered, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,' and it would obey you! + "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? + No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' + And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. + In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'" + As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. + As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, + crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" + He looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. + One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" + He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. + Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? + Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" + And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you. " + One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God can't be detected by visible signs. + You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you. " + Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won't see it. + People will tell you, 'Look, there is the Son of Man,' or 'Here he is,' but don't go out and follow them. + For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. + But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation. + "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. + In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. + "And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business-- eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building-- + until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. + Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. + On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. + Remember what happened to Lot's wife! + If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. + That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. + Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. " + + "Where will this happen, Lord?" the disciples asked.Jesus replied, "Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near." + + + One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. + "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. + A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' + The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, + but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" + Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. + Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? + I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?" + Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: + "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. + The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! + I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' + "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' + I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." + One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. + Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. + I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." + Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" + "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good. + But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.' " + The man replied, "I've carefully obeyed all these commandments since I was young." + When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." + But when the man heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. + When Jesus saw this, he said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! + In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" + Those who heard this said, "Then who in the world can be saved?" + He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God." + Peter said, "We've left our homes to follow you." + "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, + will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come." + Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. + He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. + They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again." + But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about. + As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. + When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. + They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. + So he began shouting, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" + "Be quiet!" the people in front yelled at him.But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" + When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, + "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to see!" + And Jesus said, "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." + Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too. + + + Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. + There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. + He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. + So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. + When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." + Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. + But the people were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled. + Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" + Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. + For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." + The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. + He said, "A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. + Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, 'Invest this for me while I am gone.' + But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want him to be our king.' + "After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. + The first servant reported, 'Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!' + " 'Well done!' the king exclaimed. 'You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.' + "The next servant reported, 'Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.' + " 'Well done!' the king said. 'You will be governor over five cities.' + "But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, 'Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. + I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn't yours and harvesting crops you didn't plant.' + " 'You wicked servant!' the king roared. 'Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I'm a hard man who takes what isn't mine and harvests crops I didn't plant, + why didn't you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.' + "Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, 'Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.' + " 'But, master,' they said, 'he already has ten pounds!' + " 'Yes,' the king replied, 'and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. + And as for these enemies of mine who didn't want me to be their king-- bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.'" + After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. + As they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. + "Go into that village over there," he told them. "As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. + If anyone asks, 'Why are you untying that colt?' just say, 'The Lord needs it.'" + So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. + And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, "Why are you untying that colt?" + And the disciples simply replied, "The Lord needs it." + So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. + As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. + When they reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. + "Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!" + But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!" + He replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" + But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to weep. + "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. + Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. + They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation." + Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. + He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." + After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. + But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said. + + + One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. + They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?" + "Let me ask you a question first," he replied. + "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?" + They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John. + But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet." + So they finally replied that they didn't know. + And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things." + Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years. + At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. + So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. + A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away. + " 'What will I do?' the owner asked himself. 'I know! I'll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.' + "But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!' + So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him."What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?" Jesus asked. + "I'll tell you-- he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others." "How terrible that such a thing should ever happen," his listeners protested. + Jesus looked at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' + Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on." + The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them-- they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people's reaction. + Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. + "Teacher," they said, "we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. + Now tell us-- is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" + He saw through their trickery and said, + "Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?" "Caesar's," they replied. + "Well then," he said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." + So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent. + Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees-- religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. + They posed this question: "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name. + Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. + So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. + Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. + Finally, the woman also died. + So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!" + Jesus replied, "Marriage is for people here on earth. + But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. + And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection. + "But now, as to whether the dead will be raised-- even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' + So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him." + "Well said, Teacher!" remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. + And then no one dared to ask him any more questions. + Then Jesus presented them with a question. "Why is it," he asked, "that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? + For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms: 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand + until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.' + Since David called the Messiah 'Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?" + Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, + "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. + Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished." + + + While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. + Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. + "I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. + For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has." + Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, + "The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!" + "Teacher," they asked, "when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?" + He replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and saying, 'The time has come!' But don't believe them. + And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don't panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won't follow immediately." + Then he added, "Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. + There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. + "But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. + But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. + So don't worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, + for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! + Even those closest to you-- your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends-- will betray you. They will even kill some of you. + And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. + But not a hair of your head will perish! + By standing firm, you will win your souls. + "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. + Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. + For those will be days of God's vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. + How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. + They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. + "And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. + People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. + Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. + So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" + Then he gave them this illustration: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. + When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. + In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. + I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. + Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. + "Watch out! Don't let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, + like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. + Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man." + Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. + The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him. + + + The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. + The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people's reaction. + Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, + and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. + They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. + So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren't around. + Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. + Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, "Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together." + "Where do you want us to prepare it?" they asked him. + He replied, "As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, + say to the owner, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' + He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." + They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there. + When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. + Jesus said, "I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. + For I tell you now that I won't eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." + Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. + For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come." + He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." + After supper he took another cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people-- an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. + "But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. + For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him." + The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing. + Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. + Jesus told them, "In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called 'friends of the people.' + But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. + Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. + "You have stayed with me in my time of trial. + And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right + to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. + But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." + Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you." + But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me." + Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler's bag, or extra clothing, did you need anything?" "No," they replied. + "But now," he said, "take your money and a traveler's bag. And if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! + For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: 'He was counted among the rebels.' Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true." + "Look, Lord," they replied, "we have two swords among us." "That's enough," he said. + Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. + There he told them, "Pray that you will not give in to temptation." + He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, + "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." + Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. + He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. + At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. + "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation." + But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. + But Jesus said, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" + When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, "Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!" + And one of them struck at the high priest's slave, slashing off his right ear. + But Jesus said, "No more of this." And he touched the man's ear and healed him. + Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. "Am I some dangerous revolutionary," he asked, "that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? + Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns." + So they arrested him and led him to the high priest's home. And Peter followed at a distance. + The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. + A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, "This man was one of Jesus' followers!" + But Peter denied it. "Woman," he said, "I don't even know him!" + After a while someone else looked at him and said, "You must be one of them!" "No, man, I'm not!" Peter retorted. + About an hour later someone else insisted, "This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too." + But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. + At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me." + And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. + The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. + They blindfolded him and said, "Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?" + And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him. + At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, + and they said, "Tell us, are you the Messiah?" But he replied, "If I tell you, you won't believe me. + And if I ask you a question, you won't answer. + But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God's right hand. " + They all shouted, "So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?" And he replied, "You say that I am." + "Why do we need other witnesses?" they said. "We ourselves heard him say it." + + + Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. + They began to state their case: "This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king." + So Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You have said it." + Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, "I find nothing wrong with this man!" + Then they became insistent. "But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes-- all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!" + "Oh, is he a Galilean?" Pilate asked. + When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. + Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. + He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. + Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. + Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. + (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.) + Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, + and he announced his verdict. "You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. + Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. + So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him." + + Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, "Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!" + (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) + Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. + But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" + For the third time he demanded, "Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him." + But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. + So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. + As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished. + As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. + A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. + But Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. + For the days are coming when they will say, 'Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.' + People will beg the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and plead with the hills, 'Bury us.' + For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? " + Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. + When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified-- one on his right and one on his left. + Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. + The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One." + The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. + They called out to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" + A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: "This is the King of the Jews." + One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself-- and us, too, while you're at it!" + But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? + We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." + Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." + And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." + By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. + The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. + Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last. + When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, "Surely this man was innocent. " + And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. + But Jesus' friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching. + Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, + but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. + He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. + Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. + This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin. + As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. + Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law. + + + But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. + They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. + So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. + As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. + The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? + He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, + that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day." + Then they remembered that he had said this. + So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples-- and everyone else-- what had happened. + It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. + But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it. + However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened. + That same day two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. + As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. + As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. + But God kept them from recognizing him. + He asked them, "What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?" They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. + Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days." + "What things?" Jesus asked."The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth," they said. "He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. + But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. + We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. + "Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. + They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! + Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said." + Then Jesus said to them, "You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. + Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?" + Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. + By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, + but they begged him, "Stay the night with us, since it is getting late." So he went home with them. + As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. + Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! + They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" + And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, + who said, "The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter. " + Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. + And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. "Peace be with you," he said. + But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! + "Why are you frightened?" he asked. "Why are your hearts filled with doubt? + Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do." + As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. + Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" + They gave him a piece of broiled fish, + and he ate it as they watched. + Then he said, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." + Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. + And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. + It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.' + You are witnesses of all these things. + "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." + Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. + While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. + So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. + And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God. + + + + + In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. + He existed in the beginning with God. + God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. + The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. + The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. + God sent a man, John the Baptist, + to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. + John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. + The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. + He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. + He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. + But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. + They are reborn-- not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. + So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. + John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'" + From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. + For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. + No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son is himself God and is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us. + This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, "Who are you?" + He came right out and said, "I am not the Messiah." + "Well then, who are you?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?" "No," he replied."Are you the Prophet we are expecting?" "No." + "Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?" + John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the LORD's coming!' " + Then the Pharisees who had been sent + asked him, "If you aren't the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?" + John told them, "I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. + Though his ministry follows mine, I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal." + This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. + The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! + He is the one I was talking about when I said, 'A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.' + I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel." + Then John testified, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. + I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' + I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. " + The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. + As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!" + When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. + Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them.They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" + "Come and see," he said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day. + Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. + Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ"). + Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon, son of John-- but you will be called Cephas" (which means "Peter"). + The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come, follow me." + Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown. + Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." + "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" "Come and see for yourself," Philip replied. + As they approached, Jesus said, "Now here is a genuine son of Israel-- a man of complete integrity." + "How do you know about me?" Nathanael asked.Jesus replied, "I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you." + Then Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God-- the King of Israel!" + Jesus asked him, "Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." + Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth. " + + + The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, + and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. + The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus' mother told him, "They have no more wine." + "Dear woman, that's not our problem," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." + But his mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." + Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. + Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." When the jars had been filled, + he said, "Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies." So the servants followed his instructions. + When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. + "A host always serves the best wine first," he said. "Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!" + This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. + After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples. + It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. + In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. + Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. + Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!" + Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me." + But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." + "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." + "What!" they exclaimed. "It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?" + But when Jesus said "this temple," he meant his own body. + After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. + Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. + But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew human nature. + No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like. + + + There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. + After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you." + Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." + "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" + Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. + Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. + So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' + The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." + "How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. + Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? + I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. + But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? + No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. + And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, + so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. + "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. + God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. + "There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. + And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. + All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. + But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. " + Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people. + At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. + (This was before John was thrown into prison.) + A debate broke out between John's disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. + So John's disciples came to him and said, "Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us." + John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. + You yourselves know how plainly I told you, 'I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.' + It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. + He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. + "He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. + He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! + Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. + For he is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. + The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. + And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment." + + + Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John + (though Jesus himself didn't baptize them-- his disciples did). + So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. + He had to go through Samaria on the way. + Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. + Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. + Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." + He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. + The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" + Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." + "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? + And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?" + Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. + But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." + "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water." + "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her. + "I don't have a husband," the woman replied.Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband-- + for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!" + "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet. + So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?" + Jesus replied, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. + You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. + But the time is coming-- indeed it's here now-- when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. + For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." + The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming-- the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." + Then Jesus told her, "I Am the Messiah!" + Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, "What do you want with her?" or "Why are you talking to her?" + The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, + "Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?" + So the people came streaming from the village to see him. + Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, "Rabbi, eat something." + But Jesus replied, "I have a kind of food you know nothing about." + "Did someone bring him food while we were gone?" the disciples asked each other. + Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. + You know the saying, 'Four months between planting and harvest.' But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. + The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! + You know the saying, 'One plants and another harvests.' And it's true. + I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest." + Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I ever did!" + When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, + long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. + Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world." + At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. + He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. + Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there. + As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. + When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. + Jesus asked, "Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?" + The official pleaded, "Lord, please come now before my little boy dies." + Then Jesus told him, "Go back home. Your son will live!" And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. + While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. + He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!" + Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. + This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea. + + + Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. + Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. + Crowds of sick people-- blind, lame, or paralyzed-- lay on the porches. + + One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. + When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?" + "I can't, sir," the sick man said, "for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me." + Jesus told him, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!" + Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, + so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, "You can't work on the Sabbath! The law doesn't allow you to carry that sleeping mat!" + But he replied, "The man who healed me told me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" + "Who said such a thing as that?" they demanded. + The man didn't know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. + But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, "Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you." + Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him. + So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. + But Jesus replied, "My Father is always working, and so am I." + So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God. + So Jesus explained, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. + For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. + For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. + In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, + so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him. + "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. + "And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when the dead will hear my voice-- the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. + The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. + And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. + Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, + and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. + I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. + "If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. + But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. + In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. + Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. + John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. + But I have a greater witness than John-- my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. + And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, + and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me-- the one he sent to you. + "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! + Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. + "Your approval means nothing to me, + because I know you don't have God's love within you. + For I have come to you in my Father's name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. + No wonder you can't believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don't care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God. + "Yet it isn't I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. + If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. + But since you don't believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?" + + + After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. + A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. + Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. + (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) + Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" + He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. + Philip replied, "Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!" + Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. + "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" + "Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered 5,000.) + Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. + After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." + So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. + When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!" + When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. + That evening Jesus' disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. + But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. + Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. + They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, + but he called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here! " + Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination! + The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. + Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. + So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. + They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" + Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. + But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval." + They replied, "We want to perform God's works, too. What should we do?" + Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent." + They answered, "Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? + After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, 'Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " + Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, Moses didn't give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. + The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." + "Sir," they said, "give us that bread every day." + Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. + But you haven't believed in me even though you have seen me. + However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. + For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. + And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. + For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day." + Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." + They said, "Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, 'I came down from heaven'?" + But Jesus replied, "Stop complaining about what I said. + For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. + As it is written in the Scriptures, 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. + (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.) + "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. + Yes, I am the bread of life! + Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. + Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. + I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh." + Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked. + So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. + But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. + For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. + Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. + I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. + I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever." + He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. + Many of his disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?" + Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, "Does this offend you? + Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? + The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. + But some of you do not believe me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn't believe, and he knew who would betray him.) + Then he said, "That is why I said that people can't come to me unless the Father gives them to me." + At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. + Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, "Are you also going to leave?" + Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. + We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God. " + Then Jesus said, "I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil." + He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him. + + + After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. + But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, + and Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! + You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!" + For even his brothers didn't believe in him. + Jesus replied, "Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. + The world can't hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. + You go on. I'm not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come." + After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee. + But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. + The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. + There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, "He's a good man," but others said, "He's nothing but a fraud who deceives the people." + But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. + Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. + The people were surprised when they heard him. "How does he know so much when he hasn't been trained?" they asked. + So Jesus told them, "My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. + Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. + Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. + Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me." + The crowd replied, "You're demon possessed! Who's trying to kill you?" + Jesus replied, "I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. + But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses' law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) + For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? + Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly." + Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? + But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? + But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from." + While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I'm not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don't know him. + But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you." + Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. + Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. "After all," they said, "would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?" + When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. + But Jesus told them, "I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. + You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going." + The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. "Where is he planning to go?" they asked. "Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! + What does he mean when he says, 'You will search for me but not find me,' and 'You cannot go where I am going'?" + On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! + Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' " + (When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) + When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, "Surely this man is the Prophet we've been expecting." + Others said, "He is the Messiah." Still others said, "But he can't be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? + For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born." + So the crowd was divided about him. + Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him. + When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, "Why didn't you bring him in?" + "We have never heard anyone speak like this!" the guards responded. + "Have you been led astray, too?" the Pharisees mocked. + "Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? + This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God's curse is on them!" + Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. + "Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?" he asked. + They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself-- no prophet ever comes from Galilee!" + Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home. + + + Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, + but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. + As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. + "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. + The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?" + They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. + They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" + Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. + When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. + Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" + "No, Lord," she said.And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." + Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." + The Pharisees replied, "You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid." + Jesus told them, "These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don't know this about me. + You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. + And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. + Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. + I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other." + "Where is your father?" they asked.Jesus answered, "Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father." + Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come. + Later Jesus said to them again, "I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going." + The people asked, "Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, 'You cannot come where I am going'?" + Jesus continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. + That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins." + Who are you?" they demanded.Jesus replied, "The one I have always claimed to be. + I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won't. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful." + But they still didn't understand that he was talking about his Father. + So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. + And the one who sent me is with me-- he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him." + Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. + Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. + And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." + "But we are descendants of Abraham," they said. "We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, 'You will be set free'?" + Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. + A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. + So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. + Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there's no room in your hearts for my message. + I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father." + "Our father is Abraham!" they declared."No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. + Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. + No, you are imitating your real father." They replied, "We aren't illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father." + Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. + Why can't you understand what I am saying? It's because you can't even hear me! + For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. + So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don't believe me! + Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me? + Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don't listen because you don't belong to God." + The people retorted, "You Samaritan devil! Didn't we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?" + "No," Jesus said, "I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father-- and you dishonor me. + And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. + I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!" + The people said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, 'Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!' + Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" + Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' + but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. + Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad." + The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham? " + Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am! " + At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple. + + + As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. + "Rabbi," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" + "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. + We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. + But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world." + Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. + He told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "sent"). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! + His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?" + Some said he was, and others said, "No, he just looks like him!" But the beggar kept saying, "Yes, I am the same one!" + They asked, "Who healed you? What happened?" + He told them, "The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.' So I went and washed, and now I can see!" + "Where is he now?" they asked."I don't know," he replied. + Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, + because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. + The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, "He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!" + Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath." Others said, "But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?" So there was a deep division of opinion among them. + Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, "What's your opinion about this man who healed you?" The man replied, "I think he must be a prophet." + The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. + They asked them, "Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?" + His parents replied, "We know this is our son and that he was born blind, + but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself." + His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. + That's why they said, "He is old enough. Ask him." + So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, "God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner." + "I don't know whether he is a sinner," the man replied. "But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!" + "But what did he do?" they asked. "How did he heal you?" + "Look!" the man exclaimed. "I told you once. Didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" + Then they cursed him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! + We know God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where this man comes from." + "Why, that's very strange!" the man replied. "He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from? + We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. + Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. + If this man were not from God, he couldn't have done it." + "You were born a total sinner!" they answered. "Are you trying to teach us?" And they threw him out of the synagogue. + When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man? " + The man answered, "Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him." + "You have seen him," Jesus said, "and he is speaking to you!" + "Yes, Lord, I believe!" the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. + Then Jesus told him, "I entered this world to render judgment-- to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind." + Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, "Are you saying we're blind?" + "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. + + + "I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! + But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. + The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. + After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. + They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice." + Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant, + so he explained it to them: "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. + All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. + Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. + The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. + "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. + A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. + The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. + "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, + just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. + I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. + "The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. + No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." + When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. + Some said, "He's demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?" + Others said, "This doesn't sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" + It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. + He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. + The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." + Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. + But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. + My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. + I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, + for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. + The Father and I are one." + Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. + Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" + They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God." + Jesus replied, "It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, 'I say, you are gods!' + And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God's message were called 'gods,' + why do you call it blasphemy when I say, 'I am the Son of God'? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. + Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work. + But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father." + Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. + He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. + And many followed him. "John didn't perform miraculous signs," they remarked to one another, "but everything he said about this man has come true." + And many who were there believed in Jesus. + + + A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. + This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. + So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." + But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this." + So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, + he stayed where he was for the next two days. + Finally, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." + But his disciples objected. "Rabbi," they said, "only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?" + Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. + But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light." + Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." + The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!" + They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. + So he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. + And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. Come, let's go see him." + Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too-- and die with Jesus." + When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. + Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, + and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. + When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. + Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. + But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." + Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." + "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day." + Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. + Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?" + "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God." + Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, "The Teacher is here and wants to see you." + So Mary immediately went to him. + Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. + When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. + When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." + When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. + "Where have you put him?" he asked them.They told him, "Lord, come and see." + Then Jesus wept. + The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" + But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?" + Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. + "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them.But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible." + Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" + So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. + You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." + Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" + And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!" + Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. + But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. + Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. "What are we going to do?" they asked each other. "This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. + If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation." + Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, "You don't know what you're talking about! + You don't realize that it's better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed." + He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. + And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world. + So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus' death. + As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. + It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. + They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, "What do you think? He won't come for Passover, will he?" + Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him. + + + Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus-- the man he had raised from the dead. + A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. + Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. + But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, + "That perfume was worth a year's wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor." + Not that he cared for the poor-- he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, he often stole some for himself. + Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. + You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." + When all the people heard of Jesus' arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. + Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, + for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus. + The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors + took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!" + Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: + "Don't be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey's colt." + His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. + Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. + That was the reason so many went out to meet him-- because they had heard about this miraculous sign. + Then the Pharisees said to each other, "There's nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!" + Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration + paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, "Sir, we want to meet Jesus." + Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. + Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. + I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels-- a plentiful harvest of new lives. + Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. + Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. + "Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! + Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." + When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. + Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. + The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. + And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." + He said this to indicate how he was going to die. + The crowd responded, "We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?" + Jesus replied, "My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. + Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light." After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. + But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. + This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: "LORD, who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?" + But the people couldn't believe, for as Isaiah also said, + "The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts-- so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them." + Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah's glory. + Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. + For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. + Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. + For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. + I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. + I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. + But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. + I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. + And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say." + + + Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. + It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. + Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. + So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, + and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. + When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" + Jesus replied, "You don't understand now what I am doing, but someday you will." + "No," Peter protested, "you will never ever wash my feet!" Jesus replied, "Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me." + Simon Peter exclaimed, "Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!" + Jesus replied, "A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you." + For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, "Not all of you are clean." + After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? + You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right, because that's what I am. + And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. + I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. + I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. + Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. + "I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, 'The one who eats my food has turned against me.' + I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah. + I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me." + Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!" + The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. + The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. + Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, "Who's he talking about?" + So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, "Lord, who is it?" + Jesus responded, "It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl." And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. + When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, "Hurry and do what you're going to do." + None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. + Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. + So Judas left at once, going out into the night. + As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. + And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. + Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going. + So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. + Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." + Simon Peter asked, "Lord, where are you going?" And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later." + "But why can't I come now, Lord?" he asked. "I'm ready to die for you." + Jesus answered, "Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter-- before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me. + + + "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. + There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? + When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. + And you know the way to where I am going." + "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" + Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. + If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!" + Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." + Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? + Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. + Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. + "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. + You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. + Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! + "If you love me, obey my commandments. + And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. + He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. + No, I will not abandon you as orphans-- I will come to you. + Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. + When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. + Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them." + Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, "Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?" + Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. + Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. + I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. + But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative-- that is, the Holy Spirit-- he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. + "I am leaving you with a gift-- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. + Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. + I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. + "I don't have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, + but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let's be going. + + + "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. + He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. + You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. + Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. + "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. + Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. + But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! + When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. + "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. + When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. + I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! + This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. + There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. + You are my friends if you do what I command. + I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. + You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. + This is my command: Love each other. + "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. + The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. + Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. + They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the One who sent me. + They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. + Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. + If I hadn't done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. + This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: 'They hated me without cause.' + "But I will send you the Advocate-- the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. + And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry. + + + "I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith. + For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. + This is because they have never known the Father or me. + Yes, I'm telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn't tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. + "But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. + Instead, you grieve because of what I've told you. + But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. + And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. + The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me. + Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. + Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. + "There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. + When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. + He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. + All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.' + "In a little while you won't see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again." + Some of the disciples asked each other, "What does he mean when he says, 'In a little while you won't see me, but then you will see me,' and 'I am going to the Father'? + And what does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand." + Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, "Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won't see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. + I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. + It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. + So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. + At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. + You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. + "I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. + Then you will ask in my name. I'm not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, + for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. + Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father." + Then his disciples said, "At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. + Now we understand that you know everything, and there's no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God." + Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe? + But the time is coming-- indeed it's here now-- when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. + I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." + + + After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. + For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. + And this is the way to have eternal life-- to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. + I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. + Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. + "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. + Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, + for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. + "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. + All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. + Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. + During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. + "Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. + I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. + I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. + They do not belong to this world any more than I do. + Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. + Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. + And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. + "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. + I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-- as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. + "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. + I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. + Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! + "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. + I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them." + + + After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. + Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. + The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. + Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. "Who are you looking for?" he asked. + "Jesus the Nazarene," they replied."I Am he," Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) + As Jesus said "I Am he," they all drew back and fell to the ground! + Once more he asked them, "Who are you looking for?" And again they replied, "Jesus the Nazarene." + "I told you that I Am he," Jesus said. "And since I am the one you want, let these others go." + He did this to fulfill his own statement: "I did not lose a single one of those you have given me." + Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's slave. + But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?" + So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. + First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. + Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, "It's better that one man should die for the people." + Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest's courtyard with Jesus. + Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. + The woman asked Peter, "You're not one of that man's disciples, are you?" "No," he said, "I am not." + Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself. + Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. + Jesus replied, "Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. + Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said." + Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. "Is that the way to answer the high priest?" he demanded. + Jesus replied, "If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, why are you beating me?" + Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest. + Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire, they asked him again, "You're not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "No, I am not." + But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?" + Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. + Jesus' trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover. + So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your charge against this man?" + "We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he weren't a criminal!" they retorted. + "Then take him away and judge him by your own law," Pilate told them."Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone," the Jewish leaders replied. + (This fulfilled Jesus' prediction about the way he would die.) + Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. "Are you the king of the Jews?" he asked him. + Jesus replied, "Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?" + "Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?" + Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world." + Pilate said, "So you are a king?" Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true." + "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime. + But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this 'King of the Jews'?" + But they shouted back, "No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!" (Barabbas was a revolutionary.) + + + Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. + The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. + "Hail! King of the Jews!" they mocked, as they slapped him across the face. + Pilate went outside again and said to the people, "I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty." + Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, "Look, here is the man!" + When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" "Take him yourselves and crucify him," Pilate said. "I find him not guilty." + The Jewish leaders replied, "By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God." + When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. + He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. + "Why don't you talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?" + Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin." + Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, "If you release this man, you are no 'friend of Caesar.' Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar." + When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, [Gabbatha]). + It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, "Look, here is your king!" + "Away with him," they yelled. "Away with him! Crucify him!" "What? Crucify your king?" Pilate asked."We have no king but Caesar," the leading priests shouted back. + Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. + Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, [Golgotha]). + There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. + And Pilate posted a sign over him that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." + The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. + Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, "Change it from 'The King of the Jews' to 'He said, I am King of the Jews.'" + Pilate replied, "No, what I have written, I have written." + When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. + So they said, "Rather than tearing it apart, let's throw dice for it. This fulfilled the Scripture that says, "They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing." So that is what they did. + Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, and his mother's sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. + When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, "Dear woman, here is your son." + And he said to this disciple, "Here is your mother." And from then on this disciple took her into his home. + Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." + A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. + When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. + It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn't want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. + So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. + But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs. + One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. + (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe.) + These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, "Not one of his bones will be broken," + and "They will look on the one they pierced." + Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus' body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. + With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. + Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. + The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. + And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. + + + Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. + She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" + Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. + They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. + He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn't go in. + Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, + while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. + Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed-- + for until then they still hadn't understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. + Then they went home. + Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. + She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. + "Dear woman, why are you crying?" the angels asked her."Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him." + She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. + "Dear woman, why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him." + "Mary!" Jesus said.She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for "Teacher"). + "Don't cling to me," Jesus said, "for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." + Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she gave them his message. + That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace be with you," he said. + As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! + Again he said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." + Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. + If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." + One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. + They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." + Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," he said. + Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" + "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. + Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me." + The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. + But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. + + + Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. + Several of the disciples were there-- Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. + Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. + At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was. + He called out, "Fellows, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. + Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!" So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. + Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. + The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. + When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them-- fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. + "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said. + So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn. + "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. + Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. + This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. + After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? " "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. + Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. + A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. + "I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go." + Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me." + Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved-- the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, "Lord, who will betray you?" + Peter asked Jesus, "What about him, Lord?" + Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me." + So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" + This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. + Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. + + + + + In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach + until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. + During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. + Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. + John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." + So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" + He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. + But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." + After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. + As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. + "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!" + Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. + When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying.Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), and Judas (son of James). + They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. + During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. + "Brothers," he said, "the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. + Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us." + (Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines. + The news of his death spread to all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name [Akeldama,] which means "Field of Blood.") + Peter continued, "This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, 'Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.' It also says, 'Let someone else take his position.' + "So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus-- + from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus' resurrection." + So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. + Then they all prayed, "O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen + as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs." + Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. + + + On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. + Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. + Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. + And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. + At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. + When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. + They were completely amazed. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, + and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! + Here we are-- Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, + Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), + Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!" + They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?" they asked each other. + But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, "They're just drunk, that's all!" + Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. + These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o'clock in the morning is much too early for that. + No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: + 'In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. + In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants-- men and women alike-- and they will prophesy. + And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below-- blood and fire and clouds of smoke. + The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives. + But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.' + "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. + But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. + But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. + King David said this about him: 'I see that the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. + No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. + For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. + You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.' + "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. + But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne. + David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. + "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. + Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. + For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand + until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." ' + "So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!" + Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" + Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. + This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles-- all who have been called by the Lord our God." + Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation!" + Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day-- about 3,000 in all. + All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. + A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. + And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. + They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. + They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-- + all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. + + + Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock prayer service. + As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. + When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. + Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, "Look at us!" + The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. + But Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!" + Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. + He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. + All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. + When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! + They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon's Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. + Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. "People of Israel," he said, "what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? + For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-- the God of all our ancestors-- who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate's decision to release him. + You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. + You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact! + "Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed-- and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus' name has healed him before your very eyes. + "Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. + But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah-- that he must suffer these things. + Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. + Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. + For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. + Moses said, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.' + Then Moses said, 'Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God's people.' + "Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. + You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, 'Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.' + When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways." + + + While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. + These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. + They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. + But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. + The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. + Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. + They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?" + Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of our people, + are we being questioned today because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? + Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. + For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' + There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." + The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. + But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. + So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. + "What should we do with these men?" they asked each other. "We can't deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. + But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus' name again." + So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. + But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? + We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard." + The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God + for this miraculous sign-- the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years. + As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. + When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: "O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- + you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, 'Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? + The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against his Messiah.' + "In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. + But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. + And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. + Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus." + After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. + All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. + The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. + There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them + and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. + For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. + He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. + + + But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. + He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife's consent, he kept the rest. + Then Peter said, "Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. + The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God!" + As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. + Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. + About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. + Peter asked her, "Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?" "Yes," she replied, "that was the price." + And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too." + Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. + Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened. + The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon's Colonnade. + But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. + Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord-- crowds of both men and women. + As a result of the apostles' work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. + Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. + The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. + They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. + But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, + "Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!" + So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council-- the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. + But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, + "The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!" + When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. + Then someone arrived with startling news: "The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!" + The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. + Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. + "Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?" he demanded. "Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!" + But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. + The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. + Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. + We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him." + When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. + But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. + Then he said to his colleagues, "Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! + Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. + After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered. + "So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. + But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!" + The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. + The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. + And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: "Jesus is the Messiah." + + + But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. + So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. + And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. + Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word." + Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). + These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them. + So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too. + Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. + But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. + None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. + So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God." + This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. + The lying witnesses said, "This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. + We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us." + At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel's. + + + Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these accusations true?" + This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. + God told him, 'Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.' + So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live. + "But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants-- even though he had no children yet. + God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. + 'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, 'and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.' + "God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation. + "These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him + and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace. + "But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food. + Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons-- our ancestors-- to buy some. + The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh. + Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. + So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors. + Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor's sons in Shechem. + "As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. + But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. + This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die. + "At that time Moses was born-- a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. + When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. + Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action. + "One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. + He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. + Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't. + "The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?' + "But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked. + 'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' + When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born. + "Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. + When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him, + 'I am the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look. + "Then the LORD said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. + I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.' + "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. + And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years. + "Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.' + Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us. + "But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. + They told Aaron, 'Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don't know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.' + So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. + Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, 'Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel? + No, you carried your pagan gods-- the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.' + "Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. + Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David. + "David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. + But it was Solomon who actually built it. + However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says, + 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?' asks the LORD. 'Could you build me such a resting place? + Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?' + "You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you! + Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One-- the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. + You deliberately disobeyed God's law, even though you received it from the hands of angels." + The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. + But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. + And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" + Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him + and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. + As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." + He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died. + + + Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. + (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) + But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. + But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. + Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. + Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. + Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. + So there was great joy in that city. + A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. + Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as "the Great One-- the Power of God." + They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic. + But now the people believed Philip's message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. + Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. + When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent Peter and John there. + As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. + The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. + When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. + "Let me have this power, too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!" + But Peter replied, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! + You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. + Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, + for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin." + "Pray to the Lord for me," Simon exclaimed, "that these terrible things you've said won't happen to me!" + After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News. + As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza." + So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, + and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. + The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage." + Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" + The man replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. + The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. + He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." + The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?" + So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. + As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! There's some water! Why can't I be baptized?" + + He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. + When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. + Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea. + + + Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest. + He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them-- both men and women-- back to Jerusalem in chains. + As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. + He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" + "Who are you, lord?" Saul asked.And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! + Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." + The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one! + Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. + He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. + Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord!" he replied. + The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. + I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again." + "But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! + And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name." + But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. + And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake." + So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." + Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. + Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. + And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is indeed the Son of God!" + All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus' followers in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And didn't he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?" + Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. + After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. + They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. + So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall. + When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! + Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. + So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. + He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. + When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown. + The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. + Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. + There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. + Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!" And he was healed instantly. + Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord. + There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. + About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. + But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, "Please come as soon as possible!" + So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. + But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! + He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive. + The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. + And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides. + + + In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. + He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. + One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said. + Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! + Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. + He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore." + As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. + He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa. + The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, + and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. + He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. + In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. + Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them." + "No, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean. " + But the voice spoke again: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." + The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. + Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house. Standing outside the gate, + they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there. + Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you. + Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don't worry, for I have sent them." + So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?" + They said, "We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message." + So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa. + They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. + As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. + But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being just like you!" + So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled. + Peter told them, "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. + So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me." + Cornelius replied, "Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. + He told me, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! + Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.' + So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you." + Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. + In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. + This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel-- that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. + You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. + And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. + "And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, + but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, + not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. + And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all-- the living and the dead. + He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name." + Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. + The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. + For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.Then Peter asked, + "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?" + So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days. + + + Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. + But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. + "You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!" they said. + Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. + "I was in the town of Joppa," he said, "and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. + When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of small animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. + And I heard a voice say, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.' + " 'No, Lord,' I replied. 'I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean. ' + "But the voice from heaven spoke again: 'Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.' + This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven. + "Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. + The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. + He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, 'Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. + He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!' + "As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. + Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' + And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?" + When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, "We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life." + Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen's death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. + However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. + The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. + When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. + When he arrived and saw this evidence of God's blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. + Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. + Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. + When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) + During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. + One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) + So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. + This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem. + + + About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. + He had the apostle James (John's brother) killed with a sword. + When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) + Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. + But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. + The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. + Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists. + Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." And he did. "Now put on your coat and follow me," the angel ordered. + So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening. + They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. + Peter finally came to his senses. "It's really true!" he said. "The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!" + When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. + He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. + When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, "Peter is standing at the door!" + "You're out of your mind!" they said. When she insisted, they decided, "It must be his angel." + Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. + He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. "Tell James and the other brothers what happened," he said. And then he went to another place. + At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. + Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn't be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while. + Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod's country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod's personal assistant, + and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. + The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It's the voice of a god, not of a man!" + Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. + Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. + When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them. + + + Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called "the black man"), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. + One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them." + So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. + So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. + There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant. + Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. + He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. + But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing. + Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. + Then he said, "You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? + Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time." Instantly mist and darkness came over the man's eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. + When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. + Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. + But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services. + After the usual readings from the books of Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it." + So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. "Men of Israel," he said, "and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me. + "The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors and made them multiply and grow strong during their stay in Egypt. Then with a powerful arm he led them out of their slavery. + He put up with them through forty years of wandering in the wilderness. + Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance. + All this took about 450 years."After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet. + Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. + But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.' + "And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, who is God's promised Savior of Israel! + Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. + As John was finishing his ministry he asked, 'Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon-- and I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.' + "Brothers-- you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles-- this message of salvation has been sent to us! + The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets' words that are read every Sabbath. + They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. + "When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. + But God raised him from the dead! + And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel. + "And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, + and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus: 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. ' + For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, 'I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.' + Another psalm explains it more fully: 'You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.' + This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. + No, it was a reference to someone else-- someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay. + "Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. + Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God-- something the law of Moses could never do. + Be careful! Don't let the prophets' words apply to you. For they said, + 'Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.' " + As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people begged them to speak about these things again the next week. + Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. + The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. + But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. + Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, "It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. + For the Lord gave us this command when he said, 'I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.' " + When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. + So the Lord's message spread throughout that region. + Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. + So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. + And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. + + + The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. + Some of the Jews, however, spurned God's message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. + But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. + But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. + Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. + When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia-- to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. + And there they preached the Good News. + While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting + and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. + So Paul called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet and started walking. + When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, "These men are gods in human form!" + They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. + Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles. + But when Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, + "Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings-- just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. + In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, + but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts." + But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them. + Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. + But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. + After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, + where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. + Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. + Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia. + They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia. + Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed. + Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. + And they stayed there with the believers for a long time. + + + While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: "Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved." + Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question. + The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them-- much to everyone's joy-- that the Gentiles, too, were being converted. + When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them. + But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, "The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses." + So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. + At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. + God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. + He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. + So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? + We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." + Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. + When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me. + Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. + And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: + 'Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, + so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles-- all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken-- + he who made these things known so long ago.' + "And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. + Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. + For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations." + Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders-- Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. + This is the letter they took with them: "This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings! + "We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! + So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, + who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. + We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question. + "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: + You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell." + The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. + And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message. + Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith. + They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace. + + Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there. + After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing." + Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. + But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. + Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. + Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care. + Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. + + + Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. + Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, + so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. + Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. + So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day. + Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. + Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. + So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. + That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" + So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. + We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. + From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days. + On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. + One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. + She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we agreed. + One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. + She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved." + This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And instantly it left her. + Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. + "The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials. + "They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice." + A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. + They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. + So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. + Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. + Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! + The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. + But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!" + The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. + Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" + They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." + And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. + Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. + He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. + The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!" + So the jailer told Paul, "The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace." + But Paul replied, "They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison-- and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!" + When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. + So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. + When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town. + + + Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. + As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. + He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, "This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Messiah." + Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. + But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. + Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted, "and now they are here disturbing our city, too. + And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus." + The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. + So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them. + That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. + And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. + As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. + But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. + The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. + Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him. + While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. + He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. + He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, "What's this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he's picked up?" Others said, "He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods." + Then they took him to the high council of the city. "Come and tell us about this new teaching," they said. + "You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it's all about." + (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) + So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, + for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: 'To an Unknown God.' This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I'm telling you about. + "He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, + and human hands can't serve his needs-- for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. + From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. + "His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him-- though he is not far from any one of us. + For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' + And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. + "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. + For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead." + When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, "We want to hear more about this later." + That ended Paul's discussion with them, + but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. + + + Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. + There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. + Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. + Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. + And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. + But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, "Your blood is upon your own heads-- I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles." + Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. + Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized. + One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! + For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me." + So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. + But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. + They accused Paul of "persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law." + But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul's accusers and said, "Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. + But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters." + And he threw them out of the courtroom. + The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention. + Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. + They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. + They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. + As he left, however, he said, "I will come back later, God willing." Then he set sail from Ephesus. + The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch. + After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers. + Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. + He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John's baptism. + When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. + Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. + He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah. + + + While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. + "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them."No," they replied, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." + "Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked.And they replied, "The baptism of John." + Paul said, "John's baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus." + As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. + There were about twelve men in all. + Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. + But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. + This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia-- both Jews and Greeks-- heard the word of the Lord. + God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. + When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. + A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, "I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!" + Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. + But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?" + Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. + The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. + Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. + A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. + So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect. + Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. "And after that," he said, "I must go on to Rome!" + He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia. + About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. + It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. + He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:"Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. + But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren't really gods at all. And he's done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! + Of course, I'm not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I'm also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis-- this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world-- will be robbed of her great prestige!" + At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. + Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn't let him. + Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater. + Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn't even know why they were there. + The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. + But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. "Citizens of Ephesus," he said. "Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. + Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. + You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. + "If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. + And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. + I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won't know what to say." + Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed. + + + When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. + While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, + where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. + Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. + They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. + After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week. + On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord's Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. + The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. + As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. + Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. "Don't worry," he said, "he's alive!" + Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord's Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. + Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved. + Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, while we traveled by ship. + He joined us there, and we sailed together to Mitylene. + The next day we sailed past the island of Kios. The following day we crossed to the island of Samos, and a day later we arrived at Miletus. + Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn't want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. + But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. + When they arrived he declared, "You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now + I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. + I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. + I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike-- the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. + "And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me, + except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. + But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-- the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. + "And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. + I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it's not my fault, + for I didn't shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know. + "So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock-- his church, purchased with his own blood-- over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. + I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. + Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. + Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you-- my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you. + "And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself. + "I have never coveted anyone's silver or gold or fine clothes. + You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. + And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" + When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. + They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. + They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship. + + + After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. + There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. + We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. + We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. + When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including wives and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, + and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home. + The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. + The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. + He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. + Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. + He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'" + When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. + But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus." + When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." + After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. + Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers. + When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. + The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. + After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. + After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, "You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. + But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They've heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. + What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. + "Here's what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. + Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws. + "As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality." + So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them. + The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, + yelling, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple-- and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles. " + (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.) + The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. + As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. + He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. + Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. + Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn't find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress. + As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. + And the crowd followed behind, shouting, "Kill him, kill him!" + As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, "May I have a word with you?" "Do you know Greek?" the commander asked, surprised. + "Aren't you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?" + "No," Paul replied, "I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people." + The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic. + + + "Brothers and esteemed fathers," Paul said, "listen to me as I offer my defense." + When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. + Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. + And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. + The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. + "As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. + I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' + " 'Who are you, lord?' I asked."And the voice replied, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.' + The people with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice speaking to me. + "I asked, 'What should I do, Lord?'"And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.' + "I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. + A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. + He came and stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And that very moment I could see him! + "Then he told me, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. + For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. + What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.' + "After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. + I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't accept your testimony about me.' + " 'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. + And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.' + "But the Lord said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!'" + The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, "Away with such a fellow! He isn't fit to live!" + They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. + The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. + When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried?" + When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!" + So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I certainly am," Paul replied. + "I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!" Paul answered, "But I am a citizen by birth!" + The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped. + The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them. + + + Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: "Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!" + Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. + But Paul said to him, "God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?" + Those standing near Paul said to him, "Do you dare to insult God's high priest?" + "I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high priest," Paul replied, "for the Scriptures say, 'You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.' " + Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!" + This divided the council-- the Pharisees against the Sadducees-- + for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. + So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. "We see nothing wrong with him," they shouted. "Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him." + As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress. + That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well." + The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. + There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. + They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, "We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. + So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way." + But Paul's nephew-- his sister's son-- heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told Paul. + Paul called for one of the Roman officers and said, "Take this young man to the commander. He has something important to tell him." + So the officer did, explaining, "Paul, the prisoner, called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." + The commander took his hand, led him aside, and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?" + Paul's nephew told him, "Some Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul before the high council tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information. + But don't do it! There are more than forty men hiding along the way ready to ambush him. They have vowed not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent." + "Don't let anyone know you told me this," the commander warned the young man. + Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, "Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight. Also take 200 spearmen and 70 mounted troops. + Provide horses for Paul to ride, and get him safely to Governor Felix." + Then he wrote this letter to the governor: + "From Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings! + "This man was seized by some Jews, and they were about to kill him when I arrived with the troops. When I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I removed him to safety. + Then I took him to their high council to try to learn the basis of the accusations against him. + I soon discovered the charge was something regarding their religious law-- certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death. + But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I immediately sent him on to you. I have told his accusers to bring their charges before you." + So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. + They returned to the fortress the next morning, while the mounted troops took him on to Caesarea. + When they arrived in Caesarea, they presented Paul and the letter to Governor Felix. + He read it and then asked Paul what province he was from. "Cilicia," Paul answered. + "I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive," the governor told him. Then the governor ordered him kept in the prison at Herod's headquarters. + + + Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor. + When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:"Your Excellency, you have provided a long period of peace for us Jews and with foresight have enacted reforms for us. + For all of this we are very grateful to you. + But I don't want to bore you, so please give me your attention for only a moment. + We have found this man to be a troublemaker who is constantly stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the cult known as the Nazarenes. + Furthermore, he was trying to desecrate the Temple when we arrested him. + + You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself." + Then the other Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true. + The governor then motioned for Paul to speak. Paul said, "I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, so I gladly present my defense before you. + You can quickly discover that I arrived in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago to worship at the Temple. + My accusers never found me arguing with anyone in the Temple, nor stirring up a riot in any synagogue or on the streets of the city. + These men cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing. + "But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. + I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. + Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people. + "After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid my people and to offer sacrifices to God. + My accusers saw me in the Temple as I was completing a purification ceremony. There was no crowd around me and no rioting. + But some Jews from the province of Asia were there-- and they ought to be here to bring charges if they have anything against me! + Ask these men here what crime the Jewish high council found me guilty of, + except for the one time I shouted out, 'I am on trial before you today because I believe in the resurrection of the dead!'" + At that point Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, "Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case." + He ordered an officer to keep Paul in custody but to give him some freedom and allow his friends to visit him and take care of his needs. + A few days later Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. + As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. "Go away for now," he replied. "When it is more convenient, I'll call for you again." + He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent for him quite often and talked with him. + After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison. + + + Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, + where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. + They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). + But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. + So he said, "Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations." + About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. + When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn't prove. + Paul denied the charges. "I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government," he said. + Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?" + But Paul replied, "No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. + If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!" + Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!" + A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. + During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. "There is a prisoner here," he told him, "whose case was left for me by Felix. + When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. + I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves. + "When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn't delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. + But the accusations made against him weren't any of the crimes I expected. + Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. + I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. + But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar." + "I'd like to hear the man myself," Agrippa said.And Festus replied, "You will-- tomorrow!" + So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. + Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. + But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome. + "But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. + For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!" + + + Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak in your defense." So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: + "I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, + for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently! + "As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. + If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. + Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors. + In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! + Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead? + "I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. + Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. + Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities. + "One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. + About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. + We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. ' + " 'Who are you, lord?' I asked."And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. + Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. + And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles + to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.' + "And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. + I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God-- and prove they have changed by the good things they do. + Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. + But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- + that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God's light to Jews and Gentiles alike." + Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!" + But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. + And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! + King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do--" + Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?" + Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains." + Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. + As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, "This man hasn't done anything to deserve death or imprisonment." + And Agrippa said to Festus, "He could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar." + + + When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment. + Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a ship whose home port was Adramyttium on the northwest coast of the province of Asia; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province. + The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs. + Putting out to sea from there, we encountered strong headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland. + Keeping to the open sea, we passed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia. + There the commanding officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board. + We had several days of slow sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed across to Crete and along the sheltered coast of the island, past the cape of Salmone. + We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. + We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it. + "Men," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on-- shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well." + But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul. + And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor-- a poor place to spend the winter-- most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure. + When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. + But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a "northeaster") caught the ship and blew it out to sea. + They couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. + We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. + Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind. + The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. + The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard. + The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. + No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. + But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. + For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, + and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' + So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. + But we will be shipwrecked on an island." + About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. + They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep. + At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. + Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. + But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard." + So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away. + Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. "You have been so worried that you haven't touched food for two weeks," he said. + "Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish." + Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. + Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat-- + all 276 of us who were on board. + After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard. + When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. + So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. + But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart. + The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape. + But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land. + The others held onto planks or debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely to shore. + + + Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. + The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. + As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. + The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, "A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live." + But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. + The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn't harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. + Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. + As it happened, Publius's father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. + Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. + As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip. + It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island-- an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. + Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. + From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. + There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. + The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God. + When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier. + Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, "Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. + The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence. + But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. + I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel-- the Messiah-- has already come." + They replied, "We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. + But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere." + So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. + Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. + And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, + 'Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. + For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes-- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.' + So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it." + + For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, + boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. + God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. + The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David's family line, + and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. + Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. + And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. + I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. + God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. + One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. + For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. + When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. + I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. + For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. + So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. + For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-- the Jew first and also the Gentile. + This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." + But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. + They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. + For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. + Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. + Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. + And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. + So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. + They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. + That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. + And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. + Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. + Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. + They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. + They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. + They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. + + + You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. + And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. + Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things? + Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? + But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. + He will judge everyone according to what they have done. + He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. + But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. + There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil-- for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. + But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good-- for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. + For God does not show favoritism. + When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God's written law. And the Jews, who do have God's law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. + For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. + Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. + They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. + And this is the message I proclaim-- that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life. + You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God's law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. + You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. + You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. + You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth. + Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? + You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? + You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. + No wonder the Scriptures say, "The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you." + The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. + And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be his own people? + In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God's law but don't obey it. + For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. + No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. + + + Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? + Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. + True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? + Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, "You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court." + "But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.) + Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? + "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?" + And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned. + Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. + As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous-- not even one. + No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. + All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one." + "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies." "Snake venom drips from their lips." + "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." + "They rush to commit murder. + Destruction and misery always follow them. + They don't know where to find peace." + "They have no fear of God at all." + Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. + For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. + But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. + We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. + For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. + Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. + For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, + for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. + Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. + So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. + After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. + There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. + Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. + + + Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? + If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God's way. + For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." + When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. + But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. + David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: + "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. + Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin." + Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. + But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! + Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous-- even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. + And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. + Clearly, God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. + If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. + For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) + So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. + That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. + Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping-- believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!" + And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead-- and so was Sarah's womb. + Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. + He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. + And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. + And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded + for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. + He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. + + + Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. + Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. + We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. + And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. + And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. + When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. + Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. + But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. + And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. + For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. + So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. + When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. + Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. + Still, everyone died-- from the time of Adam to the time of Moses-- even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. + But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. + And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. + For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. + Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. + Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. + God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. + So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. + + + Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? + Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? + Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? + For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. + Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. + We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. + For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. + And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. + We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. + When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. + So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. + Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. + Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. + Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace. + Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! + Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. + Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. + Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. + Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. + When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. + And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. + But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. + For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + Now, dear brothers and sisters-- you who are familiar with the law-- don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living? + For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. + So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. + So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. + When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. + But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. + Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "You must not covet." + But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. + At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, + and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. + Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. + But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. + But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commands for its own evil purposes. + So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. + I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. + But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. + So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. + And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. + I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. + But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. + I have discovered this principle of life-- that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. + I love God's law with all my heart. + But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. + Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? + Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. + + + So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. + And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. + The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. + He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. + Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. + So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. + For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. + That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. + But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) + And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. + The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. + Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. + For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. + For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. + So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." + For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. + And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. + Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. + For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. + Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, + the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. + For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. + And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. + We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. + But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) + And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. + And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. + And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. + For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. + And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. + What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? + Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? + Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one-- for God himself has given us right standing with himself. + Who then will condemn us? No one-- for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. + Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? + (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") + No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. + And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. + No power in the sky above or in the earth below-- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. + My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief + for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed-- cut off from Christ!-- if that would save them. + They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. + Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. + Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people! + Being descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too. + This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children. + For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." + This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. + But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; + he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, "Your older son will serve your younger son." + In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau." + Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! + For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose." + So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. + For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth." + So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. + Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" + No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" + When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? + In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who were made for destruction. + He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. + And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. + Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, "Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before." + And, "Then, at the place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.' " + And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, "Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved. + For the LORD will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality." + And Isaiah said the same thing in another place: "If the LORD of Heaven's Armies had not spared a few of our children, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah." + What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God's standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. + But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. + Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. + God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." + + + Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. + I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. + For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. + For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. + For Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. + But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven' (to bring Christ down to earth). + And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead' (to bring Christ back to life again)." + In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: + If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. + For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. + As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced. " + Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. + For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." + But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? + And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" + But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "LORD, who has believed our message?" + So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. + But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world." + But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, "I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles." + And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, "I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me." + But regarding Israel, God said, "All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious." + + + I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. + No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, + "LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too." + And do you remember God's reply? He said, "No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!" + It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God's grace-- his undeserved kindness in choosing them. + And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is-- free and undeserved. + So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have-- the ones God has chosen-- but the hearts of the rest were hardened. + As the Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear." + Likewise, David said, "Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. + Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever." + Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. + Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. + I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, + for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. + For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! + And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy-- just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. + But some of these branches from Abraham's tree-- some of the people of Israel-- have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. + But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. + "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me." + Yes, but remember-- those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. + For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either. + Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. + And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. + You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. + I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. + And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. + And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins." + Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. + For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. + Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. + Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God's mercy. + For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. + Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! + For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? + And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? + For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. + + + And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-- the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. + Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. + Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. + Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, + so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. + In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. + If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. + If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. + Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. + Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. + Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. + Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. + When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. + Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. + Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. + Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! + Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. + Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. + Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD. + Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." + Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. + + + Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. + So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. + For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. + The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. + So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. + Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. + Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. + Owe nothing to anyone-- except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law. + For the commandments say, "You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet." These-- and other such commandments-- are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." + Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law. + This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. + The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. + Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. + Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. + + + Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. + For instance, one person believes it's all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. + Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. + Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord's help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval. + In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. + Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. + For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. + If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. + Christ died and rose again for this very purpose-- to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. + So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. + For the Scriptures say, " 'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God. ' " + Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. + So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. + I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. + And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. + Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. + For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. + If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. + So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. + Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. + It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. + You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. + But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. + + + We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. + We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. + For even Christ didn't live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, "The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me." + Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled. + May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. + Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. + Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. + He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: "For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name." + And in another place it is written, "Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles." + And yet again, "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth." + And in another place Isaiah said, "The heir to David's throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him." + I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. + I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. + Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God's grace, + I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. + So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. + Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. + They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. + My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. + I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, "Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand." + In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places. + But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. + I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey. + But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. + For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. + They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. + As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. + And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together. + Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. + Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. + Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other. + And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen. + + + I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. + Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God's people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me. + Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. + In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. + Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. + Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. + Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. + Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. + Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. + Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. + Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord's people from the household of Narcissus. + Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord's workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. + Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me. + Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. + Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them. + Greet each other in Christian love. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings. + And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. + Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. + But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. + The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. + Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews. + I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord's followers. + Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus. + + Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. + But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. + All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes. + I am writing to God's church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. + Through him, God has enriched your church in every way-- with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. + This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. + Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. + He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. + God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. + I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. + For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. + Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul." Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter, " or "I follow only Christ." + Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! + I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, + for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. + (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don't remember baptizing anyone else.) + For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News-- and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. + The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. + As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." + So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. + Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. + It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. + So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. + But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. + This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. + Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. + Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. + God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. + As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. + God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. + Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD." + + + When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn't use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God's secret plan. + For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. + I came to you in weakness-- timid and trembling. + And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. + I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. + Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. + No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God-- his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. + But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. + That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." + But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. + No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. + And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. + When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. + But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. + Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. + For, "Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. + + + Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. + I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, + for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world? + When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I follow Apollos," aren't you acting just like people of the world? + After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. + I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. + It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. + The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. + For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building. + Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. + For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have-- Jesus Christ. + Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials-- gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. + But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. + If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. + But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. + Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? + God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. + Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. + For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." + And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless." + So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you-- + whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, + and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. + + + So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God's mysteries. + Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. + As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point. + My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. + So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time-- before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due. + Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I've been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won't be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another. + For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? + You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God's kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you. + Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor's parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world-- to people and angels alike. + Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. + Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don't have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. + We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. + We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash-- right up to the present moment. + I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. + For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. + So I urge you to imitate me. + That's why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go. + Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. + But I will come-- and soon-- if the Lord lets me, and then I'll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God's power. + For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power. + Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit? + + + I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you-- something that even pagans don't do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. + You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. + Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man + in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. + Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. + Your boasting about this is terrible. Don't you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? + Get rid of the old "yeast" by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. + So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. + When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. + But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. + I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. + It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. + God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you." + + + When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! + Don't you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide even these little things among yourselves? + Don't you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. + If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? + I am saying this to shame you. Isn't there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? + But instead, one believer sues another-- right in front of unbelievers! + Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? + Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. + Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, + or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-- none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. + Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. + You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-- but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. + You say, "Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food." (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can't say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. + And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. + Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! + And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." + But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. + Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. + Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, + for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. + + + Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. + But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. + The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs. + The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. + Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. + I say this as a concession, not as a command. + But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness. + So I say to those who aren't married and to widows-- it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am. + But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust. + But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. + But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife. + Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. + And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. + For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. + (But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) + Don't you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don't you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you? + Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. + For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. + For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments. + Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. + Are you a slave? Don't let that worry you-- but if you get a chance to be free, take it. + And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. + God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world. + Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you. + Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. + Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. + If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. + But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. + But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. + Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. + Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. + I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him. + But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. + His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. + I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. + But if a man thinks that he's treating his fianc�e improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. + But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. + So the person who marries his fianc�e does well, and the person who doesn't marry does even better. + A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. + But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this. + + + Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that "we all have knowledge" about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. + Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much. + But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. + So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. + There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. + But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life. + However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. + It's true that we can't win God's approval by what we eat. We don't lose anything if we don't eat it, and we don't gain anything if we do. + But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. + For if others see you-- with your "superior knowledge"-- eating in the temple of an idol, won't they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? + So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. + And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. + So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live-- for I don't want to cause another believer to stumble. + + + Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn't it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? + Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord's apostle. + This is my answer to those who question my authority. + Don't we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? + Don't we have the right to bring a Christian wife with us as the other disciples and the Lord's brothers do, and as Peter does? + Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? + What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn't have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn't allowed to drink some of the milk? + Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? + For the law of Moses says, "You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain." Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? + Wasn't he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest. + Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren't we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? + If you support others who preach to you, shouldn't we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. + Don't you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. + In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. + Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. + Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn't preach the Good News! + If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. + What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That's why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. + Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. + When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. + When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. + When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. + I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. + Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! + All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. + So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. + I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. + + + I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. + In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. + All of them ate the same spiritual food, + and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. + Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. + These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, + or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, "The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry." + And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. + Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. + And don't grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. + These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. + If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. + The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. + So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. + You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. + When we bless the cup at the Lord's Table, aren't we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren't we sharing in the body of Christ? + And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. + Think about the people of Israel. Weren't they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar? + What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? + No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don't want you to participate with demons. + You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord's Table and at the table of demons, too. + What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord's jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is? + You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-- but not everything is good for you. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-- but not everything is beneficial. + Don't be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. + So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience. + For "the earth is the LORD's, and everything in it." + If someone who isn't a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. + (But suppose someone tells you, "This meat was offered to an idol." Don't eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. + It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? + If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? + So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. + Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. + I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. + + + And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. + I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. + But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. + A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. + But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. + Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering. + A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God's image and reflects God's glory. And woman reflects man's glory. + For the first man didn't come from woman, but the first woman came from man. + And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. + For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority. + But among the Lord's people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. + For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God. + Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head? + Isn't it obvious that it's disgraceful for a man to have long hair? + And isn't long hair a woman's pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. + But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God's other churches. + But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. + First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. + But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God's approval will be recognized! + When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord's Supper. + For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. + What? Don't you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God's church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this! + For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread + and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." + In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people-- an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it." + For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. + So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. + That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. + For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. + That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. + But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. + Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. + So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord's Supper, wait for each other. + If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won't bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I'll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive. + + + Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don't want you to misunderstand this. + You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. + So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. + There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. + There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. + God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. + A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. + To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. + The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. + He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. + It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. + The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. + Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. + Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. + If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. + And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? + If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? + But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. + How strange a body would be if it had only one part! + Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. + The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." + In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. + And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, + while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. + This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. + If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. + All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it. + Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages. + Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? + Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! + So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. + + + If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. + If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. + If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing. + Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud + or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. + It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. + Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. + Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! + Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! + But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. + When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. + Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. + Three things will last forever-- faith, hope, and love-- and the greatest of these is love. + + + Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives-- especially the ability to prophesy. + For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. + But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. + A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. + I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. + Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. + Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. + And if the bugler doesn't sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? + It's the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don't understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space. + There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. + But if I don't understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. + And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. + So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. + For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying. + Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. + For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don't understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don't understand what you are saying? + You will be giving thanks very well, but it won't strengthen the people who hear you. + I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. + But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. + Dear brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. + It is written in the Scriptures: "I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me," says the LORD. + So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. + Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. + But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. + As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, "God is truly here among you." + Well, my brothers and sisters, let's summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. + No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. + But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately. + Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. + But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. + In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. + Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. + For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God's holy people. + Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. + If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings. + Or do you think God's word originated with you Corinthians? Are you the only ones to whom it was given? + If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. + But if you do not recognize this, you yourself will not be recognized. + So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. + But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. + + + Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. + It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you-- unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. + I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. + He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. + He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. + After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. + Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. + Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. + For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I'm not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God's church. + But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me-- and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. + So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed. + But tell me this-- since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? + For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. + And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. + And we apostles would all be lying about God-- for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. + And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. + And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. + In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! + And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. + But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. + So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. + Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. + But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. + After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. + For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. + And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. + For the Scriptures say, "God has put all things under his authority." (Of course, when it says "all things are under his authority," that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) + Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God's authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere. + If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again? + And why should we ourselves risk our lives hour by hour? + For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you. + And what value was there in fighting wild beasts-- those people of Ephesus-- if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, "Let's feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!" + Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character." + Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don't know God at all. + But someone may ask, "How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?" + What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first. + And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. + Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. + Similarly there are different kinds of flesh-- one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. + There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. + The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory. + It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. + Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. + They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. + The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam-- that is, Christ-- is a life-giving Spirit. + What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. + Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. + Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. + Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. + What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. + But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! + It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. + For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. + Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory. + O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? " + For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. + But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. + So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. + + + Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God's people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. + On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don't wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. + When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. + And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me. + I am coming to visit you after I have been to Macedonia, for I am planning to travel through Macedonia. + Perhaps I will stay awhile with you, possibly all winter, and then you can send me on my way to my next destination. + This time I don't want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the Lord will let me. + In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. + There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me. + When Timothy comes, don't intimidate him. He is doing the Lord's work, just as I am. + Don't let anyone treat him with contempt. Send him on his way with your blessing when he returns to me. I expect him to come with the other believers. + Now about our brother Apollos-- I urged him to visit you with the other believers, but he was not willing to go right now. He will see you later when he has the opportunity. + Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. + And do everything with love. + You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God's people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, + to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. + I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren't here to give me. + They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well. + The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. + All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with Christian love. + HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING-- PAUL. + If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come! + May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. + My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.I am writing to God's church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. + He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. + For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. + Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. + We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. + We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. + In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. + And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. + And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety. + We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God's grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. + Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can't understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, + even if you don't understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you. + Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice-- + first on my way to Macedonia and again when I returned from Macedonia. Then you could send me on my way to Judea. + You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say "Yes" when they really mean "No"? + As surely as God is faithful, my word to you does not waver between "Yes" and "No." + For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between "Yes" and "No." He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God's ultimate "Yes," he always does what he says. + For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (which means "Yes") ascends to God for his glory. + It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, + and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. + Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn't return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. + But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. + + + So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. + For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. + That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won't be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. + I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn't want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you. + I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. + Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. + Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. + So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him. + I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. + When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit, + so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. + When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. + But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn't yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him. + But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. + Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. + To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? + You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us. + + + Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! + The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. + Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. + We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. + It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. + He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. + The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. + Shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? + If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! + In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. + So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! + Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. + We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. + But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. + Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. + But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. + For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. + So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-- who is the Spirit-- makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. + + + Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. + We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. + If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. + Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. + You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. + For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. + We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. + We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. + We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. + Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. + Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. + So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. + But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." + We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. + All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. + That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. + For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! + So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. + + + For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. + We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. + For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. + While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. + God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. + So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. + For we live by believing and not by seeing. + Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. + So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. + For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. + Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. + Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. + If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. + Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. + He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. + So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! + This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! + And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. + For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. + So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" + For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. + + + As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. + For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. + We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. + In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. + We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. + We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. + We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. + We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. + We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. + Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. + Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. + There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. + I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! + Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? + What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? + And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. + Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. + And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. " + + + Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. + Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. + I'm not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. + I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles. + When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. + But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. + His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy! + I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. + Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. + For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. + Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. + My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. + We have been greatly encouraged by this.In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. + I had told him how proud I was of you-- and you didn't disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! + Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. + I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you. + + + Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. + They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. + For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. + They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. + They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. + So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. + Since you excel in so many ways-- in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us-- I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. + I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. + You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. + Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. + Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. + Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have. + Of course, I don't mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. + Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. + As the Scriptures say, "Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough." + But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. + Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. + We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. + He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem-- a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. + We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. + We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. + We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. + If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. + So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified. + + + I really don't need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. + For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. + But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don't want to be wrong in my boasting about you. + We would be embarrassed-- not to mention your own embarrassment-- if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren't ready after all I had told them! + So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. + Remember this-- a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. + You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." + And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. + As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever." + For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. + Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. + So two good things will result from this ministry of giving-- the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. + As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. + And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. + Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! + + + Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ-- though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. + Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won't have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. + We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. + We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. + We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. + And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. + Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. + I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn't tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. + I'm not trying to frighten you by my letters. + For some say, " Paul's letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!" + Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. + Oh, don't worry; we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant! + We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. + We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ. + Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. + Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else's territory. + As the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD." + When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. + + + I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. + For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband-- Christ. + But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. + You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. + But I don't consider myself inferior in any way to these "super apostles" who teach such things. + I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I'm not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way. + Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God's Good News to you without expecting anything in return? + I "robbed" other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. + And when I was with you and didn't have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be. + As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this. + Why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do. + But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. + These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. + But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. + So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve. + Again I say, don't think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. + Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. + And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too. + After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! + You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. + I'm ashamed to say that we've been too "weak" to do that!But whatever they dare to boast about-- I'm talking like a fool again-- I dare to boast about it, too. + Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. + Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. + Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. + Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. + I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. + I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. + Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. + Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? + If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. + God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. + When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. + I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him. + + + This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. + I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don't know-- only God knows. + Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know + that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. + That experience is worth boasting about, but I'm not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. + If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, + even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. + Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. + Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. + That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. + You have made me act like a fool-- boasting like this. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these "super apostles," even though I am nothing at all. + When I was with you, I certainly gave you proof that I am an apostle. For I patiently did many signs and wonders and miracles among you. + The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong! + Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don't want what you have-- I want you. After all, children don't provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children. + I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me. + Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery. + But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you? + When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No! For we have the same spirit and walk in each other's steps, doing things the same way. + Perhaps you think we're saying these things just to defend ourselves. No, we tell you this as Christ's servants, and with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you. + For I am afraid that when I come I won't like what I find, and you won't like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. + Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure. + + + This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, "The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses"). + I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them. + I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you. + Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God's power. + Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. + As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority. + We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won't need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come-- even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. + For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. + We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature. + I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won't need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down. + Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. + Greet each other with Christian love. + All of God's people here send you their greetings. + May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. + All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. + All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. + I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News + but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. + Let God's curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. + I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. + Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant. + Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. + I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. + You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion-- how I violently persecuted God's church. I did my best to destroy it. + I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. + But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him + to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. + Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. + Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. + The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord's brother. + I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. + After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. + And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn't know me personally. + All they knew was that people were saying, "The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!" + And they praised God because of me. + + + Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. + I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. + And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile. + Even that question came up only because of some so-called Christians there-- false ones, really-- who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. + But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you. + And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) + Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. + For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles. + In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. + Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do. + But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. + When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. + As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. + When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? + "You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. + Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law." + But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! + Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. + For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law-- I stopped trying to meet all its requirements-- so that I might live for God. + My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. + I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. + + + Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ's death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. + Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. + How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? + Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? + I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. + In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." + The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. + What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you." + So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. + But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." + So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." + This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." + But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." + Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. + Dear brothers and sisters, here's an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. + God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say "to his children, " as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says "to his child"-- and that, of course, means Christ. + This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. + For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise. + Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. + Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. + Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. + But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. + Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. + Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. + And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. + For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. + And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes. + There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. + And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you. + + + Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. + They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. + And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. + But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. + God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. + And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." + Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. + Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. + So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? + You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. + I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. + Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles-- free from those laws.You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. + Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. + But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. + Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. + Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth? + Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. + If someone is eager to do good things for you, that's all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I'm with you. + Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. + I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don't know how else to help you. + Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? + The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave-wife and one from his freeborn wife. + The son of the slave-wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. + These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. + And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. + But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. + As Isaiah said, "Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!" + And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. + But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit. + But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman's son." + So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman. + + + So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. + Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. + I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. + For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. + But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. + For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. + You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? + It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. + This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! + I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. + Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised-- as some say I do-- why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. + I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. + For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. + For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." + But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. + So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. + The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. + But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. + When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, + idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, + envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. + But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, + gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! + Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. + Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. + Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. + + + Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. + Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. + If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. + Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. + For we are each responsible for our own conduct. + Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. + Don't be misled-- you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. + Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. + So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. + Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-- especially to those in the family of faith. + NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING. + Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. + And even those who advocate circumcision don't keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. + As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. + It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. + May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. + From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus. + Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. + Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. + God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. + So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. + He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. + He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. + God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. + And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-- everything in heaven and on earth. + Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. + God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. + And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. + The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. + Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, + I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, + asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. + I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called-- his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. + I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power + that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. + Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-- not only in this world but also in the world to come. + God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. + And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. + + + Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. + You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil-- the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. + All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. + But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, + that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) + For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. + So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. + God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. + Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. + For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. + Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called "uncircumcised heathens" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. + In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. + But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. + For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. + He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. + Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. + He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. + Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. + So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. + Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. + We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. + Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. + + + When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles... + assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. + As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. + As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. + God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. + And this is God's plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. + By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. + Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. + I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. + God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. + This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. + Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence. + So please don't lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored. + When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, + the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. + I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. + Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. + And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. + May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. + Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. + Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. + + + Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. + Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. + Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. + For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. + There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, + and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. + However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. + That is why the Scriptures say, "When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people." + Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. + And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. + Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. + Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. + This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. + Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. + Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. + He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. + With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. + Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. + They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. + But that isn't what you learned about Christ. + Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, + throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. + Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. + Put on your new nature, created to be like God-- truly righteous and holy. + So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. + And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, + for anger gives a foothold to the devil. + If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. + Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. + And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. + Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. + Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. + + + Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. + Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. + Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. + Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes-- these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. + You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. + Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. + Don't participate in the things these people do. + For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! + For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. + Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. + Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. + It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. + But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, + for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light." + So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. + Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. + Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. + Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, + singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. + And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. + And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. + For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. + For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. + As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. + For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her + to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. + He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. + In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. + No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. + And we are members of his body. + As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." + This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. + So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. + + + Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. + "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise: + If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." + Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. + Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. + Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. + Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. + Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. + Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don't threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. + A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. + Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. + For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. + Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. + Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. + For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. + In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. + Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. + Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. + And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. + I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. + To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's work. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose-- to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. + Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. + May God's grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. + + + + + This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. + Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, + for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. + And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. + So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. + God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. + I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. + For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. + May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-- the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ-- for this will bring much glory and praise to God. + And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. + For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. + And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear. + It's true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. + They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. + Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. + But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. + For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. + For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. + For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. + But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don't know which is better. + I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. + But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. + Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. + And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. + Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. + Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. + For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. + We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. + + + Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? + Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. + Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. + Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. + You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. + Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. + Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, + he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. + Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, + that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, + and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. + Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. + For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. + Do everything without complaining and arguing, + so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. + Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. + But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. + Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. + If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. + I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. + All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. + But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. + I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. + And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. + Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. + I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. + And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him-- and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. + So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. + Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. + For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn't do from far away. + + + Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. + Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. + For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, + though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! + I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin-- a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. + I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. + I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. + Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ + and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. + I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, + so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! + I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. + No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, + I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. + Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. + But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. + Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. + For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. + They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. + But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. + He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. + + + Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. + Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. + And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. + Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-- rejoice! + Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. + Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. + Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. + And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. + Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. + How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. + Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. + I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. + For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. + Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. + As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. + Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. + I don't say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. + At the moment I have all I need-- and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. + And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. + Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. + Give my greetings to each of God's holy people-- all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. + And all the rest of God's people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar's household. + May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. + We are writing to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.May God our Father give you grace and peace. + We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. + For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people, + which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. + This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace. + You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ's faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. + He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. + So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. + Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. + We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, + always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. + For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, + who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. + Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, + for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see-- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. + He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. + Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. + For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, + and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. + This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. + Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. + But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God's servant to proclaim it. + I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. + God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. + This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God's people. + For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. + So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. + That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me. + + + I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. + I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. + In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. + I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. + For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. + And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. + Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. + Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. + For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. + So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. + When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision-- the cutting away of your sinful nature. + For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. + You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. + He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. + In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. + So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. + For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. + Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, + and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. + You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, + "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"? + Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. + These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires. + + + Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. + Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. + For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. + And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. + So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. + Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. + You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. + But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. + Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. + Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. + In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. + Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. + Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. + Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. + And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. + Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. + And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. + Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. + Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. + Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. + Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. + Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. + Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. + Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. + But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. + + + Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master-- in heaven. + Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. + Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. + Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. + Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. + Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. + Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord's work. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose-- to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. + I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that's happening here. + Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas's cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. + Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been! + Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. + I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis. + Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. + Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. + After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them. + And say to Archippus, "Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you." + HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING-- PAUL.Remember my chains.May God's grace be with you. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.May God give you grace and peace. + We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. + As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. + We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. + For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. + So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. + As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece-- throughout both Macedonia and Achaia. + And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it, + for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. + And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven-- Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. + + + You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. + You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. + So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. + For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. + Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! + As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. + As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. + We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too. + Don't you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God's Good News to you. + You yourselves are our witnesses-- and so is God-- that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. + And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. + We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. + Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn't think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God-- which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. + And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God's churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. + For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity + as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last. + Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. + We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. + After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! + Yes, you are our pride and joy. + + + Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, + and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God's co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, + and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. + Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come-- and they did, as you well know. + That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless. + But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. + So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. + It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. + How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God's presence. + Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith. + May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. + And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. + May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen. + + + Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. + For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. + God's will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. + Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor-- + not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. + Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. + God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. + Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. + But we don't need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. + Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more. + Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. + Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. + And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. + For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. + We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. + For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. + Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. + So encourage each other with these words. + + + Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don't really need to write you. + For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. + When people are saying, "Everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. + But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. + For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. + So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. + Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. + But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. + For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. + Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. + So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. + Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. + Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. + Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. + See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. + Always be joyful. + Never stop praying. + Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. + Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. + Do not scoff at prophecies, + but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. + Stay away from every kind of evil. + Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. + God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. + Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. + Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love. + I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. + May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. + We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. + And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. + In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. + And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, + in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. + They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. + When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people-- praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. + So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. + Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. + + + Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. + Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. + Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed-- the one who brings destruction. + He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. + Don't you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? + And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. + For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. + Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. + This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. + He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. + So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. + Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. + As for us, we can't help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation-- a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. + He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. + With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. + Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, + comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. + + + Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. + Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. + But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. + And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. + May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. + And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received from us. + For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. + We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. + We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. + Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat." + Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business. + We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. + As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. + Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. + Don't think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. + Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. + HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING-- PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME. + May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. + I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. + When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. + Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don't help people live a life of faith in God. + The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. + But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. + They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don't know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently. + We know that the law is good when used correctly. + For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. + The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching + that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. + I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, + even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. + Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. + This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"-- and I am the worst of them all. + But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. + All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. + Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord's battles. + Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. + Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God. + + + I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. + Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. + This is good and pleases God our Savior, + who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. + For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity-- the man Christ Jesus. + He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. + And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I'm not exaggerating-- just telling the truth. + In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. + And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. + For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. + Women should learn quietly and submissively. + I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. + For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. + And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. + But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty. + + + This is a trustworthy saying: "If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position." + So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. + He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. + He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. + For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church? + An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. + Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap. + In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. + They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. + Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. + In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. + A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. + Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus. + I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, + so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. + Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. + + + Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. + These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. + They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. + Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. + For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer. + If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. + Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. + "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." + This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. + This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. + Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. + Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. + Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. + Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. + Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. + Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. + + + Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. + Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. + Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. + But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God. + Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. + But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. + Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism. + But those who won't care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. + A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. + She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good? + The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. + Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. + And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people's business and talking about things they shouldn't. + So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. + For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan. + If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone. + Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. + For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another place, "Those who work deserve their pay!" + Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. + Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. + I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. + Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. + Don't drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often. + Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. + In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. + + + All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching. + If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved. Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. + Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. + Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. + These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. + Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. + After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. + So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. + But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. + For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. + But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. + Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. + And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, + that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. + For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. + He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. + Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. + Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. + By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. + Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. + Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.May God's grace be with you all. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus. + I am writing to Timothy, my dear son.May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. + Timothy, I thank God for you-- the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. + I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. + I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. + This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. + For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. + So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. + For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time-- to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. + And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. + And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. + That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. + Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me-- a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. + Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. + As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me-- even Phygelus and Hermogenes. + May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. + When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. + May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus. + + + Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. + You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. + Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. + Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. + And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. + And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. + Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. + Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. + And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. + So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. + This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. + If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. + If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. + Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God's presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. + Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. + Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. + This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. + They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith. + But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The LORD knows those who are his," and "All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil." + In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. + If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. + Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. + Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. + A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. + Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. + Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. + + + You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. + For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. + They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. + They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. + They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! + They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. + (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) + These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. + But they won't get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres. + But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. + You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra-- but the Lord rescued me from all of it. + Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. + But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. + But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. + You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. + All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. + God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. + + + I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: + Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. + For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. + They will reject the truth and chase after myths. + But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. + As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. + I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. + And now the prize awaits me-- the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. + Timothy, please come as soon as you can. + Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. + Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. + I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. + When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers. + Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. + Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said. + The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. + But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. + Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. + Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living in the household of Onesiphorus. + Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. + Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters. + May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. + This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God-- who does not lie-- promised them before the world began. + And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him. + I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace. + I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. + An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don't have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. + For an elder must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. + Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. + He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. + For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. + They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. + Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, "The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons." + This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. + They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth. + Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. + Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good. + + + As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. + Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. + Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. + These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, + to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. + In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. + And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. + Teach the truth so that your teaching can't be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. + Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back + or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. + For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. + And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, + while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. + He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. + You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don't let anyone disregard what you say. + + + Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. + They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. + Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. + But-- "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, + he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. + He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. + Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." + This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. + Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. + If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. + For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them. + I am planning to send either Artemas or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them arrives, do your best to meet me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to stay there for the winter. + Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos with their trip. See that they are given everything they need. + Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive. + Everybody here sends greetings. Please give my greetings to the believers-- all who love us.May God's grace be with you all. + + + + + This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, + and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house. + May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. + I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, + because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. + And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. + Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God's people. + That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. + But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me-- Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus. + I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. + Onesimus hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. + I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart. + I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. + But I didn't want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. + It seems Onesimus ran away for a little while so that you could have him back forever. + He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. + So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. + If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. + I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON't mention that you owe me your very soul! + Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ. + I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! + One more thing-- please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon. + Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. + So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. + May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. + And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. + The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. + This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names. + For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. " God also said, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son." + And when he brought his firstborn Son into the world, God said, "Let all of God's angels worship him." + Regarding the angels, he says, "He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire." + But to the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. + You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else." + He also says to the Son, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. + They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. + You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever." + And God never said to any of the angels, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." + Therefore, angels are only servants-- spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. + + + So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. + For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. + So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? + And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. + And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. + For in one place the Scriptures say, "What are people that you should think of them, or a son of man that you should care for him? + Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. + You gave them authority over all things." Now when it says "all things," it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. + What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position "a little lower than the angels"; and because he suffered death for us, he is now "crowned with glory and honor." Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. + God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. + So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. + For he said to God, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people." + He also said, "I will put my trust in him," that is, "I and the children God has given me." + Because God's children are human beings-- made of flesh and blood-- the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. + Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. + We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. + Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. + Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. + + + And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God's messenger and High Priest. + For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God's entire house. + But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. + For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. + Moses was certainly faithful in God's house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. + But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God's entire house. And we are God's house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. + That is why the Holy Spirit says, "Today when you hear his voice, + don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. + There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. + So I was angry with them, and I said, 'Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.' + So in my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest.' " + Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. + You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. + For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. + Remember what it says: "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." + And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn't it the people Moses led out of Egypt? + And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? + And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn't it the people who disobeyed him? + So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest. + + + God's promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. + For this good news-- that God has prepared this rest-- has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't share the faith of those who listened to God. + For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, "In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,' " even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. + We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: "On the seventh day God rested from all his work." + But in the other passage God said, "They will never enter my place of rest." + So God's rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. + So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts." + Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. + So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. + For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. + So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. + For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. + Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. + So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. + This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. + So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. + + + Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. + And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. + That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. + And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. + That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. " + And in another passage God said to him, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." + While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. + Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. + In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. + And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. + There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don't seem to listen. + You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. + For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right. + Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. + + + So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. + You don't need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. + And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. + For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened-- those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, + who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come-- + and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. + When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God's blessing. + But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. + Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don't believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. + For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. + Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. + Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance. + For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: + "I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number." + Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. + Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. + God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. + So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. + This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. + Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. + + + This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. + Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means "king of justice," and king of Salem means "king of peace." + There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors-- no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. + Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. + Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. + But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. + And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. + The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. + In addition, we might even say that these Levites-- the ones who collect the tithe-- paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. + For although Levi wasn't born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham's body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. + So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron? + And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. + For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. + What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. + This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. + Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. + And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." + Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. + For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. + This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron's descendants became priests without such an oath, + but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, "The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: 'You are a priest forever.' " + Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. + There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. + But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. + Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. + He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. + Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins. + The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. + + + Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. + There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. + And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. + If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. + They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain." + But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. + If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. + But when God found fault with the people, he said: "The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. + This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD. + But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. + And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. + And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." + When God speaks of a "new" covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. + + + That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. + There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. + Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. + In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. + Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark's cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now. + When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. + But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. + By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. + This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. + For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies-- physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. + So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. + With his own blood-- not the blood of goats and calves-- he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. + Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity. + Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. + That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. + Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. + The will goes into effect only after the person's death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. + That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. + For after Moses had read each of God's commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God's law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. + Then he said, "This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you." + And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. + In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. + That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. + For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. + And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. + If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. + And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, + so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. + + + The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. + If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. + But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. + For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. + That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. + You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. + Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do your will, O God-- as is written about me in the Scriptures.' " + First, Christ said, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them" (though they are required by the law of Moses). + Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. + For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. + Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. + But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. + There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. + For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. + And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, + "This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." + Then he says, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds." + And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. + And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. + By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. + And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, + let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. + Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. + Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. + And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. + Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. + There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. + For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. + Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us. + For we know the one who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge his own people." + It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. + Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. + Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. + You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. + So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! + Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. + "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. + And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." + But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. + + + Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. + Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. + By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. + It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel's offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. + It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying-- "he disappeared, because God took him." For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. + And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. + It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. + It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. + And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith-- for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. + Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. + It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. + And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead-- a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. + All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. + Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. + If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. + But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. + It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, + even though God had told him, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted." + Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. + It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. + It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. + It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left. + It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command. + It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. + He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. + He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. + It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. + It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. + It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned. + It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down. + It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. + How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. + By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, + quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. + Women received their loved ones back again from death.But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. + Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. + Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. + They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. + All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. + For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. + + + Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. + We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. + Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. + After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. + And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD's discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. + For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." + As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? + If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. + Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? + For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. + No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-- it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. + So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. + Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. + Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. + Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. + Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. + You know that afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears. + You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. + For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. + They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." + Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." + No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. + You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. + You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. + Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! + When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." + This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. + Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. + For our God is a devouring fire. + + + Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. + Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! + Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies. + Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. + Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." + So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" + Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. + Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. + So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. + We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. + Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. + So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. + So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. + For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. + Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. + And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. + Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. + Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. + And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon. + Now may the God of peace-- who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood-- + may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. + I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation. + I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you. + Greet all your leaders and all the believers there. The believers from Italy send you their greetings. + May God's grace be with you all. + + + + + This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.I am writing to the "twelve tribes"-- Jewish believers scattered abroad.Greetings! + Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. + For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. + So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. + If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. + But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. + Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. + Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. + Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. + And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. + The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. + God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. + And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. + Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. + These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. + So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. + Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. + He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. + Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. + Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. + So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. + But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. + For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. + You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. + But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. + If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. + Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. + + + My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? + For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. + If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"-- well, + doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? + Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? + But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? + Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? + Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." + But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. + For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws. + For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. + So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. + There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. + What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? + Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, + and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"-- but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? + So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. + Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." + You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. + How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless? + Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? + You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. + And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. + So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. + Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. + Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. + + + Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. + Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. + We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. + And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. + In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. + And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. + People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, + but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. + Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. + And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! + Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? + Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring. + If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. + But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. + For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. + For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. + But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. + And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. + + + What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? + You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. + And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong-- you want only what will give you pleasure. + You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. + What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? + But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." + So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. + Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. + Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. + Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. + Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. + God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? + Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." + How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-- it's here a little while, then it's gone. + What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." + Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. + Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. + + + Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. + Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. + Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. + For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. + You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. + You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you. + Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. + You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. + Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look-- the Judge is standing at the door! + For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. + We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. + But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. + Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. + Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. + Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. + Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. + Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! + Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. + My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, + you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. + + + + + This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. + God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.May God give you more and more grace and peace. + All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, + and we have a priceless inheritance-- an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. + And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. + So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. + These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. + You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. + The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. + This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. + They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory afterward. + They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. + So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. + So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. + But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. + For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." + And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." + For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. + It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. + God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. + Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. + You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. + For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. + As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. + But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. + + + So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. + Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, + now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. + You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. + And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. + As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." + Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." + And, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. + But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. + "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy." + Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. + Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. + For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority-- whether the king as head of state, + or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. + It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. + For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. + Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. + You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you-- not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. + For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. + Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. + For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. + He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. + He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. + He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. + Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. + + + In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over + by observing your pure and reverent lives. + Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. + You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. + This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. + For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. + In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. + Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. + Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. + For the Scriptures say, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. + Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. + The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil." + Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? + But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. + Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. + But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. + Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! + Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. + So he went and preached to the spirits in prison-- + those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. + And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. + Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority. + + + So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. + You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. + You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy-- their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. + Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. + But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. + That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead-- so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. + The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. + Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. + Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. + God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. + Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. + Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. + Instead, be very glad-- for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. + So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. + If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. + But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! + For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? + And also, "If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?" + So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. + + + And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: + Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly-- not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. + Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. + And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. + In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." + So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. + Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. + Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. + Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. + In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. + All power to him forever! Amen. + I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God's grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. + Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. + Greet each other with Christian love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ. + + + + + This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. + May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. + By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. + And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. + In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, + and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, + and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. + The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. + But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. + So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. + Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. + Therefore, I will always remind you about these things-- even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. + And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. + For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, + so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. + For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes + when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." + We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. + Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place-- until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. + Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, + or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. + + + But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. + Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. + In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. + For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. + And God did not spare the ancient world-- except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. + Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. + But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. + Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. + So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. + He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. + But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings. + These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. + Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. + They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God's curse. + They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. + But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. + These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. + They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. + They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. + And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. + It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. + They prove the truth of this proverb: "A dog returns to its vomit." And another says, "A washed pig returns to the mud." + + + This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. + I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. + Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. + They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created." + They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. + Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. + And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. + But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. + The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. + But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. + Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, + looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. + But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. + And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. + And remember, the Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him-- + speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. + I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. + Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. + + + + + We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. + This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. + We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. + We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. + This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. + So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. + But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. + If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. + But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. + If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. + + + My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. + He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins-- and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. + And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. + If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. + But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. + Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. + Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment-- to love one another-- is the same message you heard before. + Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. + If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. + Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. + But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. + I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. + I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. + I have written to you who are God's children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God's word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. + Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. + For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. + And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. + Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. + These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. + But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. + So I am writing to you not because you don't know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. + And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. + Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. + So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. + And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. + I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. + But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true-- it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. + And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. + Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God's children. + + + See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know him. + Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. + And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. + Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. + And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. + Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. + Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. + But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. + Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. + So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. + This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. + We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. + So don't be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. + If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. + Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them. + We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. + If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion-- how can God's love be in that person? + Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. + Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. + Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. + Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. + And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. + And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. + Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. + + + Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. + This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. + But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. + But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. + Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world's viewpoint, and the world listens to them. + But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. + Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. + But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. + God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. + This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. + Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. + No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. + And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. + Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. + All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. + We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. + And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. + Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. + We love each other because he loved us first. + If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? + And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. + + + Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. + We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments. + Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. + For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. + And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. + And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross-- not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. + So we have these three witnesses-- + the Spirit, the water, and the blood-- and all three agree. + Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. + All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son. + And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. + Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life. + I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. + And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. + And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. + If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. + All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death. + We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. + We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. + And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. + Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts. + + + + + This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth-- as does everyone else who knows the truth-- + because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever. + Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ-- the Son of the Father-- will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. + How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded. + I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. + Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. + I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. + Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. + Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son. + If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don't invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. + Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work. + I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete. + Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God. + + + + + This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. + Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. + Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. + I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. + Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. + They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. + For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. + So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. + I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. + When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. + Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. + Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth. + I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to write it with pen and ink. + For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face. + Peace be with you.Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there. + + + + + This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. + May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love. + Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. + I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. + So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. + And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. + And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment. + In the same way, these people-- who claim authority from their dreams-- live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. + But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.) + But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. + What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion. + When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. + They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness. + Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, "Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones + to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." + These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. + But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. + They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. + These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God's Spirit in them. + But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, + and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. + And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. + Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. + Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. + All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. + + + + + This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, + who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. + God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. + This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; + and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. + He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. + Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him-- even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen! + "I am the Alpha and the Omega-- the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come-- the Almighty One." + I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God's Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. + It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. + It said, "Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." + When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. + And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. + His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. + His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. + He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. + When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. + I am the living one. I died, but look-- I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. + "Write down what you have seen-- both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. + This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. + + + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands: + "I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. + You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. + "But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first! + Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don't repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. + But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: + "I know about your suffering and your poverty-- but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. + Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: + "I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan's city. + "But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. + In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. + Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze: + "I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. + "But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman-- that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet-- to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. + I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. + "Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. + I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. + "But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching ('deeper truths,' as they call them-- depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you + except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. + To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. + They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. + They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star! + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. + + + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive-- but you are dead. + Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. + Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don't wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. + "Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. + All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open. + "I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. + Look, I will force those who belong to Satan's synagogue-- those liars who say they are Jews but are not-- to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. + "Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. + I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. + All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God-- the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. + "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen-- the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's new creation: + "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! + But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! + You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. + So I advise you to buy gold from me-- gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. + I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. + "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. + Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. + "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches." + + + Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this." + And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. + The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones-- like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. + Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. + From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. + In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. + The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. + Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty-- the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come." + Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), + the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, + "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased." + + + Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. + And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?" + But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. + Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. + But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals." + Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. + He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. + And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. + And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. + And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth." + Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. + And they sang in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered-- to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." + And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever." + And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. + + + As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" + I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory. + When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!" + Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere. + When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come!" I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. + And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, "A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and wine." + When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!" + I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. + When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. + They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?" + Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters-- their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred-- had joined them. + I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. + Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. + The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. + Then everyone-- the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person-- all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. + And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. + For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?" + + + Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. + And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, + "Wait! Don't harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants." + And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God-- 144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel: + from Judah 12,000 from Reuben 12,000 from Gad 12,000 + from Asher 12,000 from Naphtali 12,000 from Manasseh 12,000 + from Simeon 12,000 from Levi 12,000 from Issachar 12,000 + from Zebulun 12,000 from Joseph 12,000 from Benjamin 12,000 + After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. + And they were shouting with a mighty shout, "Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!" + And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. + They sang, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen." + Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, "Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?" + And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. + "That is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. + They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. + For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes." + + + When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. + I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. + Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. + The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. + Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake. + Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts. + The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned. + Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, + one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. + Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. + The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water. + Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night. + Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, "Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets." + + + Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. + When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke. + Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. + They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. + They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. + In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them! + The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces. + They had hair like women's hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion. + They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle. + They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people. + Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is [Abaddon,] and in Greek, [Apollyon]-- the Destroyer. + The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming! + Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. + And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River." + Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. + I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops. + And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. + One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues-- by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. + Their power was in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people. + But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood-- idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! + And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. + + + Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. + And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. + And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered. + When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down." + Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. + He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, "There will be no more delay. + When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God's mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets." + Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: "Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." + So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. "Yes, take it and eat it," he said. "It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!" + So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. + Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." + + + Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, "Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. + But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. + And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days." + These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. + If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. + They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. + When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. + And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called "Sodom" and "Egypt," the city where their Lord was crucified. + And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. + All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. + But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. + Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. + At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. + The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly. + Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: "The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever." + The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. + And they said, "We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. + The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth." + Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. + + + Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. + She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth. + Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. + His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born. + She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. + And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days. + Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. + And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. + This great dragon-- the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-- was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. + Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has come at last-- salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth-- the one who accuses them before our God day and night. + And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. + Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time." + When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. + But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time. + Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. + But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. + And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children-- all who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. + Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea. + + + Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. + This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority. + I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery-- but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. + They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. "Who is as great as the beast?" they exclaimed. "Who is able to fight against him?" + Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. + And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his temple-- that is, those who live in heaven. + And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. + And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made-- the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered. + Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. + Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. + Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. + He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. + He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. + And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. + He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. + He required everyone-- small and great, rich and poor, free and slave-- to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. + And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. + Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. + + + Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. + And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. + This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. + They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. + They have told no lies; they are without blame. + And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world-- to every nation, tribe, language, and people. + "Fear God," he shouted. "Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water." + Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, "Babylon is fallen-- that great city is fallen-- because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality." + Then a third angel followed them, shouting, "Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand + must drink the wine of God's anger. It has been poured full strength into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. + The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name." + This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. + And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!" + Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. + Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, "Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe." + So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested. + After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. + Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, "Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment." + So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God's wrath. + The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse's bridle. + + + Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion. + I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. + And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. + Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed." + Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God's Tabernacle, was thrown wide open. + The seven angels who were holding the seven plagues came out of the Temple. They were clothed in spotless white linen with gold sashes across their chests. + Then one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. + The Temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues. + + + Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, "Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God's wrath." + So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. + Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died. + Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. + And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, "You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments. + Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward." + And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just." + Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. + Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory. + Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, + and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. + Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. + And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. + They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty. + "Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed." + And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name [Armageddon]. + Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, "It is finished!" + Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck-- the worst since people were placed on the earth. + The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon's sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. + And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. + There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm. + + + One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. + The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality." + So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. + The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. + A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World." + I could see that she was drunk-- drunk with the blood of God's holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement. + "Why are you so amazed?" the angel asked. "I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. + The beast you saw was once alive but isn't now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died. + "This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings. + Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. + "The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction. + The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. + They will all agree to give him their power and authority. + Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him." + Then the angel said to me, "The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. + The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. + For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. + And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world." + + + After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. + He gave a mighty shout: "Babylon is fallen-- that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal. + For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich." + Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, "Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. + For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds. + Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her. + She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, 'I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.' + Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day-- death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty." + And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. + They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, "How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God's judgment came on you." + The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. + She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble. + She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and bodies-- that is, human slaves. + "The fancy things you loved so much are gone," they cry. "All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again." + The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out, + "How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls! + In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!" And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. + They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, "Where is there another city as great as this?" + And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, "How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone." + Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes. + Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, "Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again. + The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again. + The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries. + In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God's holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world." + + + After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. + His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants." + And again their voices rang out: "Praise the LORD! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!" + Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, "Amen! Praise the LORD!" + And from the throne came a voice that said, "Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest." + Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: "Praise the LORD! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. + Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. + She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear." For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God's holy people. + And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These are true words that come from God." + Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus. " + Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. + His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. + He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. + The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. + From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. + On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. + Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. + Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great." + Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. + And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast-- miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. + Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. + + + Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. + He seized the dragon-- that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan-- and bound him in chains for a thousand years. + The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while. + Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. + This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) + Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. + When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. + He will go out to deceive the nations-- called Gog and Magog-- in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle-- a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. + And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God's people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. + Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. + And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. + I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. + The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. + Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. + And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. + + + Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. + And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. + I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. + He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." + And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." + And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega-- the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. + All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. + "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars-- their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." + Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." + So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. + It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone-- like jasper as clear as crystal. + The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. + There were three gates on each side-- east, north, south, and west. + The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. + The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. + When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. + Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel). + The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. + The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, + the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. + The twelve gates were made of pearls-- each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. + I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. + And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. + The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. + Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. + And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. + Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty-- but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. + + + Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. + It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. + No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. + And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. + And there will be no night there-- no need for lamps or sun-- for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. + Then the angel said to me, "Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon. " + "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book. " + I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. + But he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!" + Then he instructed me, "Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. + Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy." + "Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. + I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." + Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. + Outside the city are the dogs-- the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. + "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star." + The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come." Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. + And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. + And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. + He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! + May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people. + + + diff --git "a/Bibles/The Holy Bible, New International Version\302\256.xml" "b/Bibles/The Holy Bible, New International Version\302\256.xml" new file mode 100644 index 0000000..236415b --- /dev/null +++ "b/Bibles/The Holy Bible, New International Version\302\256.xml" @@ -0,0 +1,33615 @@ + + + + +In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. +Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. +And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. +God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. +God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day. +And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." +So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. +God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-the second day. +And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. +God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. +Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. +The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. +And there was evening, and there was morning-the third day. +And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, +and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. +God made two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. +God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, +to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. +And there was evening, and there was morning-the fourth day. +And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." +So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. +God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." +And there was evening, and there was morning-the fifth day. +And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. +God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. +Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." +So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. +God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." +Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. +And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food." And it was so. +God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day. + + +Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. +By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. +And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. +This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- +and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, +but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- +the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. +Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. +And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. +A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. +The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. +(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) +The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. +The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. +The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. +And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; +but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." +The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." +Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. +So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. +So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. +Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. +The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, 'for she was taken out of man." +For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. +The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. + + +Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" +The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, +but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" +"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. +"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." +When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. +Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. +Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. +But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" +He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." +And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" +The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." +Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." +So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. +And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." +To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." +To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. +It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. +By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." +Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. +The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. +And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." +So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. +After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. + + +Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." +Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. +In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. +But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, +but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. +Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? +If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." +Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. +Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" +The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. +Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. +When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." +Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. +Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." +But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. +So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. +Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. +To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. +Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. +Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. +His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. +Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. +Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. +If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." +Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." +Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD. + + +This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. +He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man. " +When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. +After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. +When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. +And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. +When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. +And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. +When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. +And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. +When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. +And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. +When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. +And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. +When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. +And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. +Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. +When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. +And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. +When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. +He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." +After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. +Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. +After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth. + + +When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, +the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. +Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." +The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. +The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. +The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. +So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them." +But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. +This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. +Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. +Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. +God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. +So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. +So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. +This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. +Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. +I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. +But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. +You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. +Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. +You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them." +Noah did everything just as God commanded him. + + +The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. +Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, +and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. +Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made." +And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him. +Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. +And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. +Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, +male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. +And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth. +In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month-on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. +And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. +On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. +They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. +Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. +The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in. +For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. +The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. +They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. +The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet., +Every living thing that moved on the earth perished-birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. +Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. +Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. +The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. + + +But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. +Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. +The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, +and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. +The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. +After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark +and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. +Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. +But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. +He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. +When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. +He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. +By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. +By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. +Then God said to Noah, +"Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. +Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you-the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground-so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." +So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. +All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds-everything that moves on the earth-came out of the ark, one kind after another. +Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. +The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. +"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." + + +Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. +The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. +Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. +"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. +And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. +"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. +As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." +Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: +"I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you +and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-every living creature on earth. +I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." +And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: +I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. +Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, +I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. +Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." +So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." +The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) +These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. +Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. +When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. +Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. +But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. +When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, +he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." +He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. +May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave." +After the flood Noah lived 350 years. +Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died. + + +This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. The Japhethites +The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. +The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. +The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. +(From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.) The Hamites +The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. +The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. +Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. +He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD." +The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. +From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah +and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. +Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, +Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. +Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, +Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, +Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, +Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered +and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. +These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. The Semites +Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. +The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. +The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. +Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. +Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. +Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, +Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, +Obal, Abimael, Sheba, +Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. +The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. +These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. +These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood. + + +Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. +As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. +They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. +Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." +But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. +The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. +Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." +So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. +That is why it was called Babel -because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. +This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. +And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. +And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. +And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. +And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. +And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. +And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. +And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters. +When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. +And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters. +After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. +This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. +While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. +Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. +Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. +Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. +Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. + + +The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. +"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. +I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." +So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. +He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. +Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. +The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. +From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. +Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. +Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. +As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. +When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. +Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." +When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. +And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. +He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. +But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. +So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? +Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" +Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. + + +So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. +Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. +From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier +and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD. +Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. +But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. +And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. +So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. +Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." +Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) +So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: +Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. +Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. +The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. +All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. +I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. +Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." +So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD. + + +At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim +went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). +All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea ). +For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. +In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim +and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. +Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar. +Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim +against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five. +Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. +The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. +They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. +One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. +When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. +During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. +He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. +After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). +Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, +and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. +And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. +The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." +But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath +that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' +I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me-to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share." + + +After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " +But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" +And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." +Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." +He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." +Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. +He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." +But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" +So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." +Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. +Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. +As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. +Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. +But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. +You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. +In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." +When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. +On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- +the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, +Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, +Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." + + +Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; +so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. +So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. +He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. +Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me." +"Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. +The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. +And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered. +Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." +The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." +The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. +He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." +She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." +That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. +So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. +Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. + + +When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. +I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." +Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, +"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. +No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. +I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. +I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. +The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." +Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. +This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. +You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. +For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner-those who are not your offspring. +Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. +Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." +God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. +I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." +Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" +And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" +Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. +And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. +But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." +When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. +On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. +Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, +and his son Ishmael was thirteen; +Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. +And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him. + + +The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. +Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. +He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. +Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. +Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way-now that you have come to your servant.Very well," they answered, "do as you say." +So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." +Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. +He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. +"Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. +Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. +Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. +So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" +Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' +Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." +Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh." +When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. +Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? +Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. +For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." +Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous +that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." +The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. +Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? +What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? +Far be it from you to do such a thing-to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" +The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." +Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, +what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." +Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." +Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." +Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." +Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." +When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. + + +The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. +"My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." +But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. +Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. +They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." +Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him +and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. +Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." +"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. +But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. +Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. +The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here-sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, +because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." +So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. +With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." +When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. +As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" +But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! +Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. +Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it-it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." +He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. +But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar. ) +By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. +Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the LORD out of the heavens. +Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-and also the vegetation in the land. +But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. +Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. +He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. +So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. +Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. +One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. +Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." +That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. +The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." +So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. +So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. +The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. +The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. + + +Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, +and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. +But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." +Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? +Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands." +Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. +Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die." +Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. +Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done." +And Abimelech asked Abraham, "What was your reason for doing this?" +Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' +Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. +And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'" +Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. +And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." +To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated." +Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, +for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah. + + +Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. +Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. +Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. +When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. +Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. +Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." +And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." +The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. +But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, +and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." +The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. +But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. +I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." +Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. +When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. +Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob. +God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. +Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." +Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. +God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. +While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. +At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do. +Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you." +Abraham said, "I swear it." +Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. +But Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today." +So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty. +Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, +and Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?" +He replied, "Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well." +So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. +After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. +Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. +And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time. + + +Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!Here I am," he replied. +Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." +Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. +On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. +He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." +Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, +Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" +Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. +When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. +Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. +But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!Here I am," he replied. +"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." +Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. +So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." +The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time +and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, +I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, +and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." +Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. +Some time later Abraham was told, "Milcah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: +Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), +Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel." +Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. +His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah. + + +Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. +She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. +Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, +"I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead." +The Hittites replied to Abraham, +"Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead." +Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. +He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf +so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you." +Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. +"No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead." +Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land +and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there." +Ephron answered Abraham, +"Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead." +Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants. +So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre-both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field-was deeded +to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. +Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. +So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site. + + +Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. +He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. +I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, +but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac." +The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?" +"Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. +"The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'-he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. +If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there." +So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter. +Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. +He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water. +Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. +See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. +May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." +Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. +The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. +The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." +"Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. +After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking." +So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. +Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful. +When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. +Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" +She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor." +And she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night." +Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, +saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives." +The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. +Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. +As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. +"Come, you who are blessed by the LORD," he said. "Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." +So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. +Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.Then tell us," Laban said. +So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. +The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. +My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. +And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, +but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.' +"Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come back with me?' +"He replied, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father's family. +Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath even if they refuse to give her to you-you will be released from my oath.' +"When I came to the spring today, I said, 'O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. +See, I am standing beside this spring; if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar," +and if she says to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too," let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master's son.' +"Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' +"She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels also. +"I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?'"She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.'"Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, +and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. +Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn." +Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. +Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed." +When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. +Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. +Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, "Send me on my way to my master." +But her brother and her mother replied, "Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; then you may go." +But he said to them, "Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master." +Then they said, "Let's call the girl and ask her about it." +So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?I will go," she said. +So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. +And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." +Then Rebekah and her maids got ready and mounted their camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left. +Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. +He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. +Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel +and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. +Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. +Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. + + +Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. +She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. +Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. +The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. +Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. +But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. +Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. +Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. +His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, +the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. +After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi. +This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. +These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, +Mishma, Dumah, Massa, +Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. +These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. +Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. +His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers. +This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, +and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. +Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. +The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. +The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." +When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. +The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. +After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. +The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. +Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. +Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. +He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom. ) +Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." +"Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" +But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. +Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. + + +Now there was a famine in the land-besides the earlier famine of Abraham's time-and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. +The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. +Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. +I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, +because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws." +So Isaac stayed in Gerar. +When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful." +When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. +So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her." +Then Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." +So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: "Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." +Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. +The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. +He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. +So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. +Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us." +So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. +Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. +Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. +But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. +Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. +He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land." +From there he went up to Beersheba. +That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham." +Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. +Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. +Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?" +They answered, "We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us'-between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you +that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD." +Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. +Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. +That day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, "We've found water!" +He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba. +When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. +They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah. + + +When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, "My son.Here I am," he answered. +Isaac said, "I am now an old man and don't know the day of my death. +Now then, get your weapons-your quiver and bow-and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. +Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die." +Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, +Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, +'Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.' +Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: +Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. +Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies." +Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I'm a man with smooth skin. +What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing." +His mother said to him, "My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me." +So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. +Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. +She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. +Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. +He went to his father and said, "My father.Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it?" +Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing." +Isaac asked his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?The LORD your God gave me success," he replied. +Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not." +Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." +He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. +"Are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "I am," he replied. +Then he said, "My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. +Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come here, my son, and kiss me." +So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. +May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness- an abundance of grain and new wine. +May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed." +After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father's presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. +He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, "My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing." +His father Isaac asked him, "Who are you?I am your son," he answered, "your firstborn, Esau." +Isaac trembled violently and said, "Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him-and indeed he will be blessed!" +When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, "Bless me-me too, my father!" +But he said, "Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing." +Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!" Then he asked, "Haven't you reserved any blessing for me?" +Isaac answered Esau, "I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?" +Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!" Then Esau wept aloud. +His father Isaac answered him, "Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. +You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck." +Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob." +When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you. +Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. +Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides. +When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I'll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?" +Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living." + + +So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: "Do not marry a Canaanite woman. +Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. +May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. +May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham." +Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. +Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, "Do not marry a Canaanite woman," +and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. +Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; +so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had. +Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. +When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. +He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. +There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. +Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. +I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." +When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." +He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." +Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. +He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. +Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear +so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God +and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." + + +Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. +There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. +When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. +Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?We're from Haran," they replied. +He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?Yes, we know him," they answered. +Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep." +"Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture." +"We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep." +While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. +When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. +Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. +He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father. +As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. +Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, +Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be." +Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. +Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. +Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." +Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." +So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. +Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her." +So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. +But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. +And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant. +When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?" +Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. +Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work." +And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. +Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. +Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. +When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. +Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now." +She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon. +Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi. +She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. + + +When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!" +Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?" +Then she said, "Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family." +So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, +and she became pregnant and bore him a son. +Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son." Because of this she named him Dan. +Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. +Then Rachel said, "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won." So she named him Naphtali. +When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. +Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. +Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" So she named him Gad. +Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. +Then Leah said, "How happy I am! The women will call me happy." So she named him Asher. +During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." +But she said to her, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?Very well," Rachel said, "he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes." +So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me," she said. "I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night. +God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. +Then Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband." So she named him Issachar. +Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. +Then Leah said, "God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. +Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. +Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. +She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace." +She named him Joseph, and said, "May the LORD add to me another son." +After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. +Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I've done for you." +But Laban said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you." +He added, "Name your wages, and I will pay them." +Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. +The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?" +"What shall I give you?" he asked. "Don't give me anything," Jacob replied. "But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: +Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. +And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen." +"Agreed," said Laban. "Let it be as you have said." +That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. +Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban's flocks. +Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. +Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, +they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. +Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban's animals. +Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, +but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. +In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys. + + +Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." +And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been. +Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." +So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. +He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. +You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength, +yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. +If he said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked young. +So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me. +"In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. +The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' +And he said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. +I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'" +Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate? +Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. +Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you." +Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, +and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. +When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods. +Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. +So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for the hill country of Gilead. +On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. +Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. +Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." +Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. +Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war. +Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? +You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing. +I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' +Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?" +Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. +But if you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods. +So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent. +Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. +Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." So he searched but could not find the household gods. +Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. "What is my crime?" he asked Laban. "What sin have I committed that you hunt me down? +Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us. +"I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. +I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. +This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. +It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. +If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you." +Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? +Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us." +So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. +He said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. +Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. +Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." That is why it was called Galeed. +It was also called Mizpah, because he said, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. +If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me." +Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. +This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. +May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. +He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. +Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. + + +Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. +When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim. +Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. +He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. +I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.'" +When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." +In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. +He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape." +Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' +I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. +Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. +But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'" +He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: +two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, +thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. +He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds." +He instructed the one in the lead: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?' +then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'" +He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: "You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. +And be sure to say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.'" For he thought, "I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me." +So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. +That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. +After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. +So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. +When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. +Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." +The man asked him, "What is your name?Jacob," he answered. +Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." +Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. +So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." +The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. +Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon. + + +Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. +He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. +He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. +But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. +Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." +Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. +Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down. +Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said. +But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself." +"No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. +Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it. +Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." +But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. +So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." +Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you.But why do that?" Jacob asked. "Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord." +So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. +Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth. +After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. +For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. +There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel. + + +Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. +When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her. +His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. +And Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl as my wife." +When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home. +Then Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. +Now Jacob's sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter-a thing that should not be done. +But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. +Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. +You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it." +Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. +Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I'll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the girl as my wife." +Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob's sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. +They said to them, "We can't do such a thing; we can't give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. +We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. +Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We'll settle among you and become one people with you. +But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we'll take our sister and go." +Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. +The young man, who was the most honored of all his father's household, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. +So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to their fellow townsmen. +"These men are friendly toward us," they said. "Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. +But the men will consent to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. +Won't their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us give our consent to them, and they will settle among us." +All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. +Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. +They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. +The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. +They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. +They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses. +Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed." +But they replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?" + + +Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau." +So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. +Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone." +So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. +Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. +Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. +There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. +Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So it was named Allon Bacuth. +After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. +God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. "So he named him Israel. +And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. +The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." +Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him. +Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. +Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. +Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. +And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you have another son." +As she breathed her last-for she was dying-she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. +So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). +Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb. +Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. +While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons: +The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. +The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. +The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. +The sons of Leah's maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. +Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. +Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. +Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. + + +This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). +Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite- +also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. +Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, +and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan. +Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan, and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. +Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock. +So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir. +This is the account of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. +These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. +The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz. +Esau's son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau's wife Adah. +The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath. +The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam and Korah. +These were the chiefs among Esau's descendants: The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, +Korah, Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in Edom; they were grandsons of Adah. +The sons of Esau's son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath. +The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah. +These were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these were their chiefs. +These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the region: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, +Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs. +The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. +The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. +The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. +The children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah. +The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran. +The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan. +The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. +These were the Horite chiefs: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, +Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the Horite chiefs, according to their divisions, in the land of Seir. +These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned: +Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah. +When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king. +When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. +When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith. +When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king. +When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king. +When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor succeeded him as king. +When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. +These were the chiefs descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, +Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, +Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, +Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied. This was Esau the father of the Edomites. + + +Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. +This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. +Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. +When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. +Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. +He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: +We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." +His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. +Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." +When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" +His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. +Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, +and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.Very well," he replied. +So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, +a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" +He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?" +"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. +But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. +"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. +"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." +When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. +"Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. +So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe-the richly ornamented robe he was wearing- +and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. +As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. +Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? +Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. +So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. +When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. +He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?" +Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. +They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." +He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces." +Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. +All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son." So his father wept for him. +Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. + + +At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. +There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; +she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. +She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. +She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. +Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. +But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. +Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." +But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. +What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also. +Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house. +After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him. +When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep," +she took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. +When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. +Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you.And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked. +"I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. "Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked. +He said, "What pledge should I give you?Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand," she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. +After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again. +Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. +He asked the men who lived there, "Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here," they said. +So he went back to Judah and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, 'There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here.'" +Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn't find her." +About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant." Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!" +As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are." +Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again. +When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. +As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, "This one came out first." +But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, "So this is how you have broken out!" And he was named Perez. +Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah. + + +Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. +The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. +When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, +Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. +From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. +So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, +and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" +But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. +No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" +And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. +One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. +She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. +When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, +she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. +When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." +She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. +Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. +But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." +When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. +Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, +the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. +So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. +The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. + + +Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. +Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, +and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. +The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, +each of the two men-the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison-had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. +When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. +So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" +"We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." +So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, +and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. +Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand." +"This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. +Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. +But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. +For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon." +When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. +In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." +"This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. +Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your flesh." +Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: +He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, +but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. +The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. + + +When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, +when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. +After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. +And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. +He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. +After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted-thin and scorched by the east wind. +The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. +In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. +Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. +Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. +Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. +Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. +And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged. " +So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. +Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." +"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." +Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, +when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. +After them, seven other cows came up-scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. +The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. +But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. +"In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. +After them, seven other heads sprouted-withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. +The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me." +Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. +The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. +The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. +"It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. +Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, +but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. +The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. +The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon. +"And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. +Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. +They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. +This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine." +The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. +So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?" +Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. +You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." +So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." +Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. +He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. +Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." +Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. +Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. +During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. +Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. +Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. +Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. +Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." +The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." +The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, +and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. +When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you." +When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. +And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world. + + +When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" +He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." +Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. +But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. +So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. +Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. +As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." +Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. +Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected." +"No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. +We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." +"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected." +But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more." +Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! +And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. +Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" +And he put them all in custody for three days. +On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: +If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. +But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do. +They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." +Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." +They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. +He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. +Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, +they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. +At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. +"My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?" +When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, +"The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. +But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. +We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' +"Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. +But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'" +As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. +Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" +Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." +But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." + + +Now the famine was still severe in the land. +So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food." +But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' +If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. +But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'" +Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?" +They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" +Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. +I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. +As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." +Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift-a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. +Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. +Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. +And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." +So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. +When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." +The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house. +Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." +So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. +"Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. +But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver-the exact weight-in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. +We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks." +"It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them. +The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. +They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there. +When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. +He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?" +They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed low to pay him honor. +As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." +Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. +After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food." +They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. +The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. +When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him. + + +Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. +Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said. +As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. +They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? +Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'" +When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. +But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! +We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? +If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." +"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." +Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. +Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. +At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city. +Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. +Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?" +"What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves-we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." +But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace." +Then Judah went up to him and said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. +My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' +And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' +"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' +And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' +But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' +When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. +"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' +But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' +"Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. +One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since. +If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.' +"So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, +sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. +Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!' +"Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. +How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father." + + +Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. +And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. +Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. +Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! +And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. +For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. +But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. +"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. +Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. +You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me-you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. +I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.' +"You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. +Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." +Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. +And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him. +When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. +Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, +and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.' +"You are also directed to tell them, 'Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. +Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.'" +So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. +To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. +And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. +Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" +So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. +They told him, "Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt." Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. +But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. +And Israel said, "I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." + + +So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. +And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!Here I am," he replied. +"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. +I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." +Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. +They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. +He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters-all his offspring. +These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob. +The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. +The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. +The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. +The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. +The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. +The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. +These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all. +The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. +The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. +These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah-sixteen in all. +The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. +In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. +The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. +These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob-fourteen in all. +The son of Dan: Hushim. +The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. +These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel-seven in all. +All those who went to Egypt with Jacob-those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives-numbered sixty-six persons. +With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. +Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, +Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. +Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." +Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. +The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' +When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' +you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians." + + +Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." +He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. +Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." +They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen." +Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, +and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock." +Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, +Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" +And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." +Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. +So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. +Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children. +There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. +Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. +When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up." +"Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." +So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. +When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. +Why should we perish before your eyes-we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate." +So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, +and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. +However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. +Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. +But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children." +"You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh." +So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt-still in force today-that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's. +Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. +Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. +When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, +but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.I will do as you say," he said. +"Swear to me," he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. + + +Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. +When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. +Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me +and said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.' +"Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. +Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. +As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). +When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?" +"They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them." +Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. +Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." +Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. +And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. +But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. +Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, +the Angel who has delivered me from all harm -may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth." +When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. +Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." +But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations." +He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. +Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. +And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow." + + +Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. +"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. +"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. +Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it. +"Simeon and Levi are brothers- their swords are weapons of violence. +Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. +Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. +"Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. +You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse him? +The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. +He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. +His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. +"Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon. +"Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. +When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. +"Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. +Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward. +"I look for your deliverance, O LORD. +"Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. +"Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king. +"Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. +"Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. +With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. +But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, +because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. +Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. +"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder." +All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. +Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, +the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. +There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. +The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. " +When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. + + +Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. +Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, +taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. +When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, +'My father made me swear an oath and said, "I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'" +Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do." +So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him-the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt- +besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. +Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company. +When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. +When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning." That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim. +So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them: +They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. +After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father. +When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" +So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: +'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. +His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. +But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? +You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. +So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. +Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years +and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. +Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." +And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." +So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + +These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: +Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; +Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; +Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. +The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. +Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, +but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. +Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. +"Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. +Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." +So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. +But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites +and worked them ruthlessly. +They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. +The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, +"When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." +The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. +Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" +The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." +So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. +And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. +Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live." + + +Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, +and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. +But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. +His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. +Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. +She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. +Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" +"Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. +Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. +When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." +One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. +Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. +The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" +The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known." +When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. +Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. +Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. +When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" +They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." +"And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." +Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. +Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." +During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. +God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. +So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. + + +Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. +There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. +So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up." +When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." +"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." +Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. +The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. +So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. +And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. +So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." +But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" +And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." +Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" +God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" +God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. +"Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. +And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites-a land flowing with milk and honey.' +"The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' +But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. +So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. +"And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. +Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians." + + +Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" +Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?A staff," he replied. +The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. +Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. +"This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has appeared to you." +Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. +"Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. +Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. +But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground." +Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." +The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? +Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." +But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." +Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. +You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. +He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. +But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." +Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well." +Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." +So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. +The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. +Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, +and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'" +At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met {Moses} and was about to kill him. +But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched {Moses'} feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. +So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.) +The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. +Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform. +Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, +and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, +and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. + + +Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'" +Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go." +Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." +But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" +Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." +That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: +"You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. +But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' +Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." +Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. +Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'" +So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. +The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." +The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?" +Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? +Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." +Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are-lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' +Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." +The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day." +When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, +and they said, "May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." +Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? +Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." +God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. +I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. +I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. +Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. +"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. +I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. +And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'" +Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." +But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" +Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. +These were the heads of their families: The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben. +The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon. +These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. +The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei. +The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years. +The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records. +Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. +The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zicri. +The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. +Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. +The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans. +Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan. +It was this same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions." +They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron. +Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt, +he said to him, "I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you." +But Moses said to the LORD, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?" + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. +You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. +But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, +he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. +And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it." +Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. +Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." +So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. +Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: +Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. +Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. +Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. +Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. +This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. +The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'" +The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt-over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs'-and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars." +Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. +The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. +But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. +Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. +And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river. +Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile. + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. +If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. +The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. +The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.'" +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'" +So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. +But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. +Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." +Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile." +"Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God. +The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile." +After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. +And the LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. +They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. +But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." +They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. +But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. +The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. +If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are. +"'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. +I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.'" +And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies. +Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land." +But Moses said, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? +We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us." +Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me." +Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." +Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, +and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. +But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go. + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship me." +If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, +the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field-on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. +But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'" +The LORD set a time and said, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." +And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. +Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go. +Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. +It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land." +So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. +The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. +But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, +or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. +For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. +But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. +You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. +Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. +Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.'" +Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. +But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt-on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt." +When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; +hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. +Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields-both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. +The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. +Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. +Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer." +Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's. +But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God." +(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. +The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.) +Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. +When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. +So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses. + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them +that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD." +So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. +If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. +They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. +They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians-something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.'" Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. +Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" +Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship the LORD your God," he said. "But just who will be going?" +Moses answered, "We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD." +Pharaoh said, "The LORD be with you-if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. +No! Have only the men go; and worship the LORD, since that's what you have been asking for." Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence. +And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail." +So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; +they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. +They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail-everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. +Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. +Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me." +Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. +And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. +But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt-darkness that can be felt." +So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. +No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. +Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the LORD. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind." +But Moses said, "You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. +Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD." +But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go. +Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die." +"Just as you say," Moses replied, "I will never appear before you again." + + +Now the LORD had said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. +Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold." +(The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.) +So Moses said, "This is what the LORD says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. +Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. +There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt-worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. +But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. +All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, 'Go, you and all the people who follow you!' After that I will leave." Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh. +The LORD had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you-so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." +Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country. + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, +"This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. +Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. +If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. +The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. +Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. +Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. +That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. +Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire-head, legs and inner parts. +Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. +This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. +"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. +The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. +"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance. +For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. +On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat-that is all you may do. +"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. +In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. +For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. +Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread." +Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. +Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. +When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. +"Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. +When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. +And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' +then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped. +The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. +At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. +Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. +During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. +Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." +The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" +So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. +The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. +The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. +The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. +Many other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. +With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. +Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. +At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD's divisions left Egypt. +Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come. +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations for the Passover: "No foreigner is to eat of it. +Any slave you have bought may eat of it after you have circumcised him, +but a temporary resident and a hired worker may not eat of it. +"It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. +The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. +"An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it. +The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you." +All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. +And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal." +Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. +Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. +When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites-the land he swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey-you are to observe this ceremony in this month: +For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD. +Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. +On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' +This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. +You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. +"After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your forefathers, +you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. +Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. +"In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' say to him, 'With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.' +And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand." +When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." +So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle. +Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." +After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. +By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. +Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. +Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' +And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this. +When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" +So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. +He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. +The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. +The Egyptians-all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops-pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. +As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. +They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? +Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" +Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. +The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. +Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. +I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. +The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." +Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, +coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. +Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, +and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. +The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. +During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. +He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." +Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. +The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen-the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. +But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. +That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. +And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. + + +Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. +The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. +The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. +Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. +The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. +"Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. +In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. +By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. +"The enemy boasted, 'I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.' +But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. +"Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? +You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them. +"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. +The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. +The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; +terror and dread will fall upon them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone- until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you bought pass by. +You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance- the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established. +The LORD will reign for ever and ever." +When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. +Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. +Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea." +Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. +When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. ) +So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" +Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. +He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." +Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. + + +The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. +In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. +The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." +Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. +On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." +So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, +and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" +Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD." +Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'" +While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud. +The LORD said to Moses, +"I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'" +That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. +When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. +When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. +This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'" +The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. +And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. +Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." +However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. +Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. +On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much-two omers for each person-and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. +He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" +So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. +"Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. +Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." +Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? +Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." +So the people rested on the seventh day. +The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. +Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'" +So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come." +As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. +The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. +(An omer is one tenth of an ephah.) + + +The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. +So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?" +But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" +Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." +The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. +I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. +And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" +The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. +Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." +So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. +As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. +When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-one on one side, one on the other-so that his hands remained steady till sunset. +So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." +Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. +He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." + + +Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. +After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her +and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land"; +and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh." +Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God. +Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." +So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. +Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them. +Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. +He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. +Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly." +Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. +The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. +When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" +Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. +Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." +Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. +You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. +Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. +Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. +But select capable men from all the people-men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. +Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. +If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied." +Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. +He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. +They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. +Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country. + + +In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt-on the very day-they came to the Desert of Sinai. +After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. +Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: +'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. +Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, +you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." +So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. +The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. +The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. +And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes +and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. +Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. +He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain." +After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. +Then he said to the people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations." +On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. +Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. +Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, +and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. +The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up +and the LORD said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. +Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them." +Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.'" +The LORD replied, "Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them." +So Moses went down to the people and told them. + + +And God spoke all these words: +"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +"You shall have no other gods before me. +"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. +You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, +but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments. +"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. +"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. +Six days you shall labor and do all your work, +but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. +For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. +"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. +"You shall not murder. +"You shall not commit adultery. +"You shall not steal. +"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. +"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." +When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance +and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." +Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." +The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: +Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. +"'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. +If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. +And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.' + + +"These are the laws you are to set before them: +"If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. +If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. +If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. +"But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' +then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. +"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do. +If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. +If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. +If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. +If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money. +"Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. +However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate. +But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death. +"Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death. +"Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. +"Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. +"If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed, +the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed. +"If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, +but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. +"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. +But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, +eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, +burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. +"If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. +And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth. +"If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. +If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death. +However, if payment is demanded of him, he may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded. +This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. +If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned. +"If a man uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, +the owner of the pit must pay for the loss; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his. +"If a man's bull injures the bull of another and it dies, they are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. +However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and the dead animal will be his. + + +"If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. +"If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; +but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. "A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft. +"If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession-whether ox or donkey or sheep-he must pay back double. +"If a man grazes his livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in another man's field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field or vineyard. +"If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution. +"If a man gives his neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor's house, the thief, if he is caught, must pay back double. +But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has laid his hands on the other man's property. +In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, 'This is mine,' both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to his neighbor. +"If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to his neighbor for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, +the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person's property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. +But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must make restitution to the owner. +If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, he shall bring in the remains as evidence and he will not be required to pay for the torn animal. +"If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must make restitution. +But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss. +"If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. +If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins. +"Do not allow a sorceress to live. +"Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death. +"Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed. +"Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. +"Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. +If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. +My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. +"If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. +If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, +because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. +"Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people. +"Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. "You must give me the firstborn of your sons. +Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day. +"You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs. + + +"Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. +"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, +and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit. +"If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. +If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it. +"Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. +Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. +"Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous. +"Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt. +"For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, +but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. +"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed. +"Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips. +"Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. +"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. "No one is to appear before me empty-handed. +"Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. "Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. +"Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD. +"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast. "The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning. +"Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. +"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. +Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. +If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. +My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. +Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. +Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, +and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. +"I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. +I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. +But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. +Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. +"I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. +Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. +Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you." + + +Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, +but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him." +When Moses went and told the people all the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do." +Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. +Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. +Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. +Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." +Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." +Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up +and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. +But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. +The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction." +Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. +He said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them." +When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, +and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. +To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. +Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. +These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; +blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; +ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; +olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; +and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. +"Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. +Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. +"Have them make a chest of acacia wood-two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. +Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. +Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. +Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. +Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. +The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. +Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. +"Make an atonement cover of pure gold-two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. +And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. +Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. +The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. +Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. +There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. +"Make a table of acacia wood-two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. +Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. +Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. +Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. +The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. +Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. +And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. +Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times. +"Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. +Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand-three on one side and three on the other. +Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. +And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. +One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair-six branches in all. +The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. +"Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. +Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. +A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. +See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. + + +"Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman. +All the curtains are to be the same size-twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. +Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. +Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. +Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. +Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit. +"Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle-eleven altogether. +All eleven curtains are to be the same size-thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. +Join five of the curtains together into one set and the other six into another set. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. +Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. +Then make fifty bronze clasps and put them in the loops to fasten the tent together as a unit. +As for the additional length of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over is to hang down at the rear of the tabernacle. +The tent curtains will be a cubit longer on both sides; what is left will hang over the sides of the tabernacle so as to cover it. +Make for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of hides of sea cows. +"Make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. +Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide, +with two projections set parallel to each other. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. +Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle +and make forty silver bases to go under them-two bases for each frame, one under each projection. +For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, make twenty frames +and forty silver bases-two under each frame. +Make six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, +and make two frames for the corners at the far end. +At these two corners they must be double from the bottom all the way to the top, and fitted into a single ring; both shall be like that. +So there will be eight frames and sixteen silver bases-two under each frame. +"Also make crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, +five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. +The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames. +Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold. +"Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain. +"Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. +Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. +Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. +Put the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. +Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side. +"For the entrance to the tent make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen-the work of an embroiderer. +Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them. + + +"Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. +Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. +Make all its utensils of bronze-its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. +Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. +Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. +Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. +The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried. +Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain. +"Make a courtyard for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, +with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. +The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. +"The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. +On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. +Curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, +and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases. +"For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain twenty cubits long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen-the work of an embroiderer-with four posts and four bases. +All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. +The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases. +All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze. +"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. +In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come. + + +"Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. +Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. +Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. +These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. +Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen. +"Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen-the work of a skilled craftsman. +It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. +Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it-of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen. +"Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel +in the order of their birth-six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. +Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings +and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD. +Make gold filigree settings +and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings. +"Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions-the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. +It is to be square-a span long and a span wide-and folded double. +Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; +in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; +in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; +in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. +There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. +"For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. +Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. +Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, +and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. +Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. +Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. +The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod. +"Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. +Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD. +"Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, +with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. +Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. +The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. +Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die. +"Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal:HOLY TO THE LORD. +Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. +It will be on Aaron's forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron's forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD. +"Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. +Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron's sons, to give them dignity and honor. +After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. +"Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. +Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. "This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants. + + +"This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. +And from fine wheat flour, without yeast, make bread, and cakes mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil. +Put them in a basket and present them in it-along with the bull and the two rams. +Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. +Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. +Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred diadem to the turban. +Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. +Bring his sons and dress them in tunics +and put headbands on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. In this way you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. +"Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. +Slaughter it in the LORD's presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +Take some of the bull's blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. +Then take all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. +But burn the bull's flesh and its hide and its offal outside the camp. It is a sin offering. +"Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. +Slaughter it and take the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides. +Cut the ram into pieces and wash the inner parts and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. +Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +"Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. +Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against the altar on all sides. +And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated. +"Take from this ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) +From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the LORD, take a loaf, and a cake made with oil, and a wafer. +Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. +Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron's ordination, wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your share. +"Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons: the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. +This is always to be the regular share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the LORD from their fellowship offerings. +"Aaron's sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. +The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days. +"Take the ram for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place. +At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. +They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred. +And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred. +"Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. +Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. +For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy. +"This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. +Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. +With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. +Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning-a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +"For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak to you; +there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. +"So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. +Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. +They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. + + +"Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. +It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high -its horns of one piece with it. +Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. +Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding-two on opposite sides-to hold the poles used to carry it. +Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. +Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony-before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony-where I will meet with you. +"Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. +He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come. +Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. +Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD." +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. +Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. +All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD. +The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives. +Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives." +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. +Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. +Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the LORD by fire, +they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come." +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, +500 shekels of cassia-all according to the sanctuary shekel-and a hin of olive oil. +Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. +Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, +the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, +the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. +You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. +"Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. +Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. +Do not pour it on men's bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. +Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.'" +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices-gum resin, onycha and galbanum-and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, +and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. +Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. +Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD. +Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people." + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, +and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- +to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, +to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. +Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: +the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent- +the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, +the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand- +and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, +and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you." +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. +"'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. +For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. +The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. +It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'" +When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. + + +When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." +Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." +So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. +He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." +When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." +So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. +They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' +"I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. +Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." +But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? +Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. +Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" +Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. +Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. +The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. +When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp." +Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear." +When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. +And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. +He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?" +"Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil. +They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' +So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" +Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. +So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. +Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" +The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. +Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." +The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." +So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. +But now, please forgive their sin-but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." +The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. +Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." +And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made. + + +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' +I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. +Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way." +When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. +For the LORD had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'" +So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb. +Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. +And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. +As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. +Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. +The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. +Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' +If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." +The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." +Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. +How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" +And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." +Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." +And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. +But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." +Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. +When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. +Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." + + +The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. +Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. +No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain." +So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. +Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. +And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, +maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." +Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. +"O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance." +Then the LORD said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you. +Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. +Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. +Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. +Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. +"Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. +And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. +"Do not make cast idols. +"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. +"The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. +Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. "No one is to appear before me empty-handed. +"Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. +"Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. +Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel. +I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God. +"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Feast remain until morning. +"Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." +Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant-the Ten Commandments. +When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. +When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. +But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. +Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. +When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. +But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, +they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD. + + +Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do: +For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. +Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day." +Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: +From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; +blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; +ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; +olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; +and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. +"All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the LORD has commanded: +the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; +the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it; +the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; +the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; +the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; +the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; +the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; +the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; +the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary-both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests." +Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence, +and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. +All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD. +Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or hides of sea cows brought them. +Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it. +Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun-blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. +And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. +The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. +They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. +All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do. +Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, +and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- +to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, +to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. +And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. +He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers-all of them master craftsmen and designers. + + +So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded." +Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. +They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. +So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work +and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done." +Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, +because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. +All the skilled men among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman. +All the curtains were the same size-twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. +They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. +Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. +They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. +Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit. +They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle-eleven altogether. +All eleven curtains were the same size-thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. +They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. +Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. +They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit. +Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of hides of sea cows. +They made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. +Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide, +with two projections set parallel to each other. They made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. +They made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle +and made forty silver bases to go under them-two bases for each frame, one under each projection. +For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, they made twenty frames +and forty silver bases-two under each frame. +They made six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, +and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle at the far end. +At these two corners the frames were double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both were made alike. +So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases-two under each frame. +They also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, +five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. +They made the center crossbar so that it extended from end to end at the middle of the frames. +They overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also overlaid the crossbars with gold. +They made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. +They made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold. They made gold hooks for them and cast their four silver bases. +For the entrance to the tent they made a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen-the work of an embroiderer; +and they made five posts with hooks for them. They overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold and made their five bases of bronze. + + +Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood-two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. +He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. +He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. +Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. +And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. +He made the atonement cover of pure gold-two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. +Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. +He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. +The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover. +They made the table of acacia wood-two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. +Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. +They also made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. +They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. +The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. +The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. +And they made from pure gold the articles for the table-its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings. +They made the lampstand of pure gold and hammered it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms were of one piece with it. +Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand-three on one side and three on the other. +Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. +And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. +One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair-six branches in all. +The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. +They made its seven lamps, as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. +They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent of pure gold. +They made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high -its horns of one piece with it. +They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. +They made two gold rings below the molding-two on opposite sides-to hold the poles used to carry it. +They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. +They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense-the work of a perfumer. + + +They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. +They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze. +They made all its utensils of bronze-its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. +They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar. +They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating. +They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. +They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards. +They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely twisted linen, +with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. +The north side was also a hundred cubits long and had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. +The west end was fifty cubits wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. +The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide. +Curtains fifteen cubits long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, +and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases. +All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen. +The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands. +The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen-the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high, +with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. +All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze. +These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which were recorded at Moses' command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. +(Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the LORD commanded Moses; +with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan-a craftsman and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.) +The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. +The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel- +one beka per person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more, a total of 603,550 men. +The 100 talents of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and for the curtain-100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base. +They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands. +The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. +They used it to make the bases for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all its utensils, +the bases for the surrounding courtyard and those for its entrance and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and those for the surrounding courtyard. + + +From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary. They also made sacred garments for Aaron, as the LORD commanded Moses. +They made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. +They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen-the work of a skilled craftsman. +They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. +Its skillfully woven waistband was like it-of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the LORD commanded Moses. +They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. +Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses. +They fashioned the breastpiece-the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. +It was square-a span long and a span wide-and folded double. +Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; +in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; +in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; +in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. They were mounted in gold filigree settings. +There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. +For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. +They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. +They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, +and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. +They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. +Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. +They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod-as the LORD commanded Moses. +They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth-the work of a weaver- +with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar, and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. +They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. +And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. +The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the LORD commanded Moses. +For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen-the work of a weaver- +and the turban of fine linen, the linen headbands and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. +The sash was of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn-the work of an embroiderer-as the LORD commanded Moses. +They made the plate, the sacred diadem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. +Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the LORD commanded Moses. +So all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. +Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; +the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; +the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; +the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; +the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; +the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; +the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; +the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; +and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests. +The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses. +Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them. + + +Then the LORD said to Moses: +"Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. +Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. +Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. +Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. +"Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; +place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. +Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. +"Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. +Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. +Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them. +"Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. +Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. +Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. +Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." +Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him. +So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. +When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. +Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the LORD commanded him. +He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. +Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded him. +Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain +and set out the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him. +He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle +and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him. +Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain +and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD commanded him. +Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. +He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the LORD commanded him. +He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, +and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. +They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. +Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. +Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. +Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. +In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; +but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-until the day it lifted. +So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. + + + + +The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. +"'If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. +He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. +He is to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. +The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. +Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. +He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +"'If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, he is to offer a male without defect. +He is to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. +He is to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. +He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +"'If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to offer a dove or a young pigeon. +The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. +He is to remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the altar, where the ashes are. +He shall tear it open by the wings, not severing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. + + +"'When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it +and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. +"'If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of fine flour: cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil, or wafers made without yeast and spread with oil. +If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. +Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. +If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of fine flour and oil. +Bring the grain offering made of these things to the LORD; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. +He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. +"'Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in an offering made to the LORD by fire. +You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. +Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. +"'If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. +Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. +The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as an offering made to the LORD by fire. + + +"'If someone's offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the LORD an animal without defect. +He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar on all sides. +From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, +both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. +Then Aaron's sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +"'If he offers an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the LORD, he is to offer a male or female without defect. +If he offers a lamb, he is to present it before the LORD. +He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. +From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, +both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. +The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +"'If his offering is a goat, he is to present it before the LORD. +He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. +From what he offers he is to make this offering to the LORD by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, +both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. +The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD's. +"'This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands- +"'If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. +He is to present the bull at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD. +Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and carry it into the Tent of Meeting. +He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. +The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the bull's blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering-the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, +both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys- +just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. +But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the inner parts and offal- +that is, all the rest of the bull-he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap. +"'If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty. +When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting. +The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull's head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD. +Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull's blood into the Tent of Meeting. +He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain. +He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar, +and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. +Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community. +"'When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty. +When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. +He is to lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering. +Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. +He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the man's sin, and he will be forgiven. +"'If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty. +When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. +He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. +Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. +He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. +"'If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he is to bring a female without defect. +He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. +Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. +He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven. + + +"'If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible. +"'Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean-whether the carcasses of unclean wild animals or of unclean livestock or of unclean creatures that move along the ground-even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty. +"'Or if he touches human uncleanness-anything that would make him unclean-even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty. +"'Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil-in any matter one might carelessly swear about-even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty. +"'When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned +and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. +"'If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for his sin-one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. +He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not severing it completely, +and is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. +The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven. +"'If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He must not put oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. +He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. It is a sin offering. +In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.'" +The LORD said to Moses: +"When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. +He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things, add a fifth of the value to that and give it all to the priest, who will make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven. +"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. +He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. +It is a guilt offering; he has been guilty of wrongdoing against the LORD." + + +The LORD said to Moses: +"If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, +or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- +when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, +or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. +And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. +In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty." +The LORD said to Moses: +"Give Aaron and his sons this command: 'These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. +The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. +Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. +The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. +The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out. +"'These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron's sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar. +The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. +It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. +Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy. '" +The LORD also said to Moses, +"This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the LORD on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. +Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the LORD's regular share and is to be burned completely. +Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten." +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to Aaron and his sons: 'These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. +The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. +Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. +The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. +Any male in a priest's family may eat it; it is most holy. +But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned. + + +"'These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: +The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides. +All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts, +both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. +The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is a guilt offering. +Any male in a priest's family may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy. +"'The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them. +The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide for himself. +Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who offers it, +and every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron. +"'These are the regulations for the fellowship offering a person may present to the LORD: +"'If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well-kneaded and mixed with oil. +Along with his fellowship offering of thanksgiving he is to present an offering with cakes of bread made with yeast. +He is to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the LORD; it belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. +The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning. +"'If, however, his offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day he offers it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day. +Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up. +If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who offered it, for it is impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible. +"'Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. +But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. +If anyone touches something unclean-whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean, detestable thing-and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. +The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. +Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people. +And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. +If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the LORD is to bring part of it as his sacrifice to the LORD. +With his own hands he is to bring the offering made to the LORD by fire; he is to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the LORD as a wave offering. +The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. +You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution. +The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. +From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.'" +This is the portion of the offerings made to the LORD by fire that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests. +On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their regular share for the generations to come. +These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering, +which the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the Desert of Sinai. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, +and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." +Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +Moses said to the assembly, "This is what the LORD has commanded to be done." +Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. +He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him. +He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. +Then he placed the turban on Aaron's head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the LORD commanded Moses. +Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. +He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. +He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. +Then he brought Aaron's sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the LORD commanded Moses. +He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. +Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it. +Moses also took all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. +But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses. +He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. +Then Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood against the altar on all sides. +He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. +He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire, as the LORD commanded Moses. +He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. +Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. +Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. +He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. +Then from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the LORD, he took a cake of bread, and one made with oil, and a wafer; he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. +He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering. +Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +He also took the breast-Moses' share of the ordination ram-and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD commanded Moses. +Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments. +Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' +Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. +Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. +What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. +You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the LORD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded." +So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD commanded through Moses. + + +On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. +He said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the LORD. +Then say to the Israelites: 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb-both a year old and without defect-for a burnt offering, +and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the LORD, together with a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD will appear to you.'" +They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the LORD. +Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." +Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded." +So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. +His sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. +On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver from the sin offering, as the LORD commanded Moses; +the flesh and the hide he burned up outside the camp. +Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. +They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. +He washed the inner parts and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. +Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat for the people's sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one. +He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way. +He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning's burnt offering. +He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. +But the fat portions of the ox and the ram-the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver- +these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. +Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the LORD as a wave offering, as Moses commanded. +Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. +Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. +Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown. + + +Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. +So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. +Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: "'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.'" Aaron remained silent. +Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary." +So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered. +Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire. +Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting or you will die, because the LORD's anointing oil is on you." So they did as Moses said. +Then the LORD said to Aaron, +"You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. +You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, +and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses." +Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the grain offering left over from the offerings made to the LORD by fire and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy. +Eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons' share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire; for so I have been commanded. +But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites' fellowship offerings. +The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire, to be waved before the LORD as a wave offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children, as the LORD has commanded." +When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and asked, +"Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the LORD. +Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." +Aaron replied to Moses, "Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the LORD have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" +When Moses heard this, he was satisfied. + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"Say to the Israelites: 'Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: +You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. +"'There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. +The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. +The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. +And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. +You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. +"'Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. +But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales-whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water-you are to detest. +And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses. +Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you. +"'These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, +the red kite, any kind of black kite, +any kind of raven, +the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, +the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, +the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, +the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. +"'All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. +There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. +Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. +But all other winged creatures that have four legs you are to detest. +"'You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. +Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'Every animal that has a split hoof not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. +Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. +Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. They are unclean for you. +"'Of the animals that move about on the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, +the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. +Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. +When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. +If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot. +Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean. +Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean. +A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. +If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. +But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you. +"'If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean till evening. +Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'Every creature that moves about on the ground is detestable; it is not to be eaten. +You are not to eat any creature that moves about on the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is detestable. +Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. +I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. +I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. +"'These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves in the water and every creature that moves about on the ground. +You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. +On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. +Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. +If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding. +"'When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. +He shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. "'These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. +If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot on his skin that may become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest. +The priest is to examine the sore on his skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest examines him, he shall pronounce him ceremonially unclean. +If the spot on his skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days. +On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to keep him in isolation another seven days. +On the seventh day the priest is to examine him again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a rash. The man must wash his clothes, and he will be clean. +But if the rash does spread in his skin after he has shown himself to the priest to be pronounced clean, he must appear before the priest again. +The priest is to examine him, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious disease. +"When anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to the priest. +The priest is to examine him, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, +it is a chronic skin disease and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He is not to put him in isolation, because he is already unclean. +"If the disease breaks out all over his skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the infected person from head to foot, +the priest is to examine him, and if the disease has covered his whole body, he shall pronounce that person clean. Since it has all turned white, he is clean. +But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he will be unclean. +When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; he has an infectious disease. +Should the raw flesh change and turn white, he must go to the priest. +The priest is to examine him, and if the sores have turned white, the priest shall pronounce the infected person clean; then he will be clean. +"When someone has a boil on his skin and it heals, +and in the place where the boil was, a white swelling or reddish-white spot appears, he must present himself to the priest. +The priest is to examine it, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease that has broken out where the boil was. +But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days. +If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is infectious. +But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread, it is only a scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. +"When someone has a burn on his skin and a reddish-white or white spot appears in the raw flesh of the burn, +the priest is to examine the spot, and if the hair in it has turned white, and it appears to be more than skin deep, it is an infectious disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious skin disease. +But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and if it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days. +On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious skin disease. +If, however, the spot is unchanged and has not spread in the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scar from the burn. +"If a man or woman has a sore on the head or on the chin, +the priest is to examine the sore, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce that person unclean; it is an itch, an infectious disease of the head or chin. +But if, when the priest examines this kind of sore, it does not seem to be more than skin deep and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days. +On the seventh day the priest is to examine the sore, and if the itch has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it and it does not appear to be more than skin deep, +he must be shaved except for the diseased area, and the priest is to keep him in isolation another seven days. +On the seventh day the priest is to examine the itch, and if it has not spread in the skin and appears to be no more than skin deep, the priest shall pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes, and he will be clean. +But if the itch does spread in the skin after he is pronounced clean, +the priest is to examine him, and if the itch has spread in the skin, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair; the person is unclean. +If, however, in his judgment it is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, the itch is healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. +"When a man or woman has white spots on the skin, +the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; that person is clean. +"When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean. +If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean. +But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on his head or forehead. +The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like an infectious skin disease, +the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head. +"The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' +As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp. +"If any clothing is contaminated with mildew-any woolen or linen clothing, +any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather- +and if the contamination in the clothing, or leather, or woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew and must be shown to the priest. +The priest is to examine the mildew and isolate the affected article for seven days. +On the seventh day he is to examine it, and if the mildew has spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather, whatever its use, it is a destructive mildew; the article is unclean. +He must burn up the clothing, or the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or any leather article that has the contamination in it, because the mildew is destructive; the article must be burned up. +"But if, when the priest examines it, the mildew has not spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather article, +he shall order that the contaminated article be washed. Then he is to isolate it for another seven days. +After the affected article has been washed, the priest is to examine it, and if the mildew has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it with fire, whether the mildew has affected one side or the other. +If, when the priest examines it, the mildew has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the contaminated part out of the clothing, or the leather, or the woven or knitted material. +But if it reappears in the clothing, or in the woven or knitted material, or in the leather article, it is spreading, and whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire. +The clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mildew, must be washed again, and it will be clean." +These are the regulations concerning contamination by mildew in woolen or linen clothing, woven or knitted material, or any leather article, for pronouncing them clean or unclean. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: +The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, +the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. +Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. +He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. +Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields. +"The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days. +On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean. +"On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil. +The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +"Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. +He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. +The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. +The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, +dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times. +The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. +The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the LORD. +"Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering +and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for him, and he will be clean. +"If, however, he is poor and cannot afford these, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, together with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, +and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. +"On the eighth day he must bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD. +The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. +He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. +The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, +and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the LORD. +Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering-on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. +The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. +Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, which the person can afford, +one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed." +These are the regulations for anyone who has an infectious skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing. +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in that land, +the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, 'I have seen something that looks like mildew in my house.' +The priest is to order the house to be emptied before he goes in to examine the mildew, so that nothing in the house will be pronounced unclean. After this the priest is to go in and inspect the house. +He is to examine the mildew on the walls, and if it has greenish or reddish depressions that appear to be deeper than the surface of the wall, +the priest shall go out the doorway of the house and close it up for seven days. +On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls, +he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town. +He must have all the inside walls of the house scraped and the material that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the town. +Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take new clay and plaster the house. +"If the mildew reappears in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house scraped and plastered, +the priest is to go and examine it and, if the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean. +It must be torn down-its stones, timbers and all the plaster-and taken out of the town to an unclean place. +"Anyone who goes into the house while it is closed up will be unclean till evening. +Anyone who sleeps or eats in the house must wash his clothes. +"But if the priest comes to examine it and the mildew has not spread after the house has been plastered, he shall pronounce the house clean, because the mildew is gone. +To purify the house he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop. +He shall kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. +Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. +He shall purify the house with the bird's blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn. +Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean." +These are the regulations for any infectious skin disease, for an itch, +for mildew in clothing or in a house, +and for a swelling, a rash or a bright spot, +to determine when something is clean or unclean. These are the regulations for infectious skin diseases and mildew. + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean. +Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness: +"'Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and anything he sits on will be unclean. +Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +Whoever sits on anything that the man with a discharge sat on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'Whoever touches the man who has a discharge must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'Everything the man sits on when riding will be unclean, +and whoever touches any of the things that were under him will be unclean till evening; whoever picks up those things must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'Anyone the man with a discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'A clay pot that the man touches must be broken, and any wooden article is to be rinsed with water. +"'When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean. +On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest. +The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement before the LORD for the man because of his discharge. +"'When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening. +When a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. +"'When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. +"'Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. +Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +Whoever touches anything she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till evening. +"'If a man lies with her and her monthly flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days; any bed he lies on will be unclean. +"'When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. +Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. +Whoever touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. +"'When she is cleansed from her discharge, she must count off seven days, and after that she will be ceremonially clean. +On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement for her before the LORD for the uncleanness of her discharge. +"'You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.'" +These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen, +for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who lies with a woman who is ceremonially unclean. + + +The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. +The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. +"This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. +He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. +From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. +"Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. +Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +He is to cast lots for the two goats-one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. +Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. +But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. +"Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. +He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. +He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die. +He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. +"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. +In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. +No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel. +"Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. +He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. +"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. +He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites-all their sins-and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. +The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert. +"Then Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. +He shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. +He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. +"The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. +The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up. +The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. +"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work-whether native-born or an alien living among you- +because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. +It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. +The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments +and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community. +"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what the LORD has commanded: +Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it +instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD -that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. +This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. +The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.' +"Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice +and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD -that man must be cut off from his people. +"'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood-I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. +For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. +Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood." +"'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, +because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off." +"'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. +But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. +You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. +You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God. +Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD. +"'No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD. +"'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you. +"'Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative. +"'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother. +"'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness. +"'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living. +"'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period. +"'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. +"'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. +"'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. +"'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. +"'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. +Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. +But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, +for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. +And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. +"'Everyone who does any of these detestable things-such persons must be cut off from their people. +Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. +"'Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God. +"'Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. +"'When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. +It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up. +If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. +Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has desecrated what is holy to the LORD; that person must be cut off from his people. +"'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. +Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. +"'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another. +"'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. +"'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. "'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. +"'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD. +"'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. +"'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD. +"'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. +"'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. +"'Keep my decrees. "'Do not mate different kinds of animals. "'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. "'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. +"'If a man sleeps with a woman who is a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. +The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for a guilt offering to the LORD. +With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the LORD for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven. +"'When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. +In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. +But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God. +"'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. "'Do not practice divination or sorcery. +"'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. +"'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD. +"'Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness. +"'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD. +"'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. +"'Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD. +"'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. +The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God. +"'Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. +Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. +"'Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. +I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. +If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, +I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech. +"'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. +"'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. +Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy. +"'If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head. +"'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife-with the wife of his neighbor-both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. +"'If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. +"'If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads. +"'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. +"'If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you. +"'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal. +"'If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. +"'If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible. +"'If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people. +"'Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible. +"'If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless. +"'If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless. +"'Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. +You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. +But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations. +"'You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground-those which I have set apart as unclean for you. +You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. +"'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, +except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, +or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband-for her he may make himself unclean. +He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself. +"'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. +They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy. +"'They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. +Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy-I who make you holy. +"'If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire. +"'The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. +He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, +nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD. +"'The woman he marries must be a virgin. +He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, +so he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy. '" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to Aaron: 'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. +No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; +no man with a crippled foot or hand, +or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. +No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the LORD by fire. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. +He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; +yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the LORD, who makes them holy. '" +So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the LORD. +"Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD. +"'If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, +or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. +The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. +When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. +He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the LORD. +"'The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the LORD, who makes them holy. +"'No one outside a priest's family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it. +But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food. +If a priest's daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. +But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father's house as in her youth, she may eat of her father's food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat any of it. +"'If anyone eats a sacred offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it. +The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the LORD +by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'If any of you-either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel-presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, +you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. +Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. +When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. +Do not offer to the LORD the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. +You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. +You must not offer to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, +and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the LORD by fire. +Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. +"When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. +It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the LORD. +"Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. +Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy +and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD." + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. +"'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. +"'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: +The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. +On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. +On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. +For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. +He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. +On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, +together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil-an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma-and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. +You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. +"'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. +Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. +From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. +Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings-an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. +The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. +On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. +"'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. +Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. +Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. +Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. +I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. +You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. +It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath." +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. +The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. +For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work. +("'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire-the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. +These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD's Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.) +"'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. +On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. +Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. +Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths +so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" +So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the LORD. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. +Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. +The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually. +"Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. +Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. +Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire. +This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. +It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire." A Blasphemer Stoned +Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. +The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) +They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them. +Then the LORD said to Moses: +"Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. +Say to the Israelites: 'If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; +anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death. +"'If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death. +Anyone who takes the life of someone's animal must make restitution-life for life. +If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: +fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. +Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death. +You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.'" +Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the LORD commanded Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. +For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. +But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. +Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. +Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you-for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, +as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten. +"'Count off seven sabbaths of years-seven times seven years-so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. +Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. +Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. +The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. +For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. +"'In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property. +"'If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other. +You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. +When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops. +Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God. +"'Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. +Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. +You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" +I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. +While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. +"'The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. +Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. +"'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. +If, however, a man has no one to redeem it for him but he himself prospers and acquires sufficient means to redeem it, +he is to determine the value for the years since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own property. +But if he does not acquire the means to repay him, what he sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and he can then go back to his property. +"'If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time he may redeem it. +If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and his descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. +But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee. +"'The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns, which they possess. +So the property of the Levites is redeemable-that is, a house sold in any town they hold-and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. +But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession. +"'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. +Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. +You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. +I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. +"'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. +He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. +Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers. +Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. +Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. +"'Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. +You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. +You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly. +"'If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan, +he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may redeem him: +An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. +He and his buyer are to count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for his release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired man for that number of years. +If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption a larger share of the price paid for him. +If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to compute that and pay for his redemption accordingly. +He is to be treated as a man hired from year to year; you must see to it that his owner does not rule over him ruthlessly. +"'Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, +for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. + + +"'Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God. +"'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD. +"'If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, +I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. +Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. +"'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. +You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. +Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. +"'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. +You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. +I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. +I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. +I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high. +"'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, +and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, +then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. +I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. +"'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. +I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. +Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit. +"'If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. +I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted. +"'If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, +I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. +And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. +When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied. +"'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, +then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. +You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. +I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. +I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. +I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. +I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. +Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. +All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it. +"'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. +They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. +You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. +Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away. +"'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers-their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, +which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies-then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, +I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. +For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. +Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. +But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.'" +These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the LORD established on Mount Sinai between himself and the Israelites through Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values, +set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel; +and if it is a female, set her value at thirty shekels. +If it is a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels and of a female at ten shekels. +If it is a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels of silver and that of a female at three shekels of silver. +If it is a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels and of a female at ten shekels. +If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the specified amount, he is to present the person to the priest, who will set the value for him according to what the man making the vow can afford. +"'If what he vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the LORD, such an animal given to the LORD becomes holy. +He must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if he should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. +If what he vowed is a ceremonially unclean animal-one that is not acceptable as an offering to the LORD -the animal must be presented to the priest, +who will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, that is what it will be. +If the owner wishes to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value. +"'If a man dedicates his house as something holy to the LORD, the priest will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, so it will remain. +If the man who dedicates his house redeems it, he must add a fifth to its value, and the house will again become his. +"'If a man dedicates to the LORD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it-fifty shekels of silver to a homer of barley seed. +If he dedicates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the value that has been set remains. +But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, the priest will determine the value according to the number of years that remain until the next Year of Jubilee, and its set value will be reduced. +If the man who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, he must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become his. +If, however, he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed. +When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it will become the property of the priests. +"'If a man dedicates to the LORD a field he has bought, which is not part of his family land, +the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the man must pay its value on that day as something holy to the LORD. +In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom he bought it, the one whose land it was. +Every value is to be set according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel. +"'No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the LORD; whether an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD's. +If it is one of the unclean animals, he may buy it back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If he does not redeem it, it is to be sold at its set value. +"'But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD -whether man or animal or family land-may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD. +"'No person devoted to destruction may be ransomed; he must be put to death. +"'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. +If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. +The entire tithe of the herd and flock-every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod-will be holy to the LORD. +He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.'" +These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. + + + + +The LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: +"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. +You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army. +One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. +These are the names of the men who are to assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; +from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; +from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; +from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; +from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; +from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; +from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; +from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; +from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran; +from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; +from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan." +These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel. +Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been given, +and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people indicated their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, +as the LORD commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai: +From the descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. +From the descendants of Simeon: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300. +From the descendants of Gad: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650. +From the descendants of Judah: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600. +From the descendants of Issachar: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400. +From the descendants of Zebulun: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400. +From the sons of Joseph: From the descendants of Ephraim: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. +From the descendants of Manasseh: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200. +From the descendants of Benjamin: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400. +From the descendants of Dan: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700. +From the descendants of Asher: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500. +From the descendants of Naphtali: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. +The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400. +These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. +All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. +The total number was 603,550. +The families of the tribe of Levi, however, were not counted along with the others. +The LORD had said to Moses: +"You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. +Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony-over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. +Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near it shall be put to death. +The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each man in his own camp under his own standard. +The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the Testimony so that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the Testimony." +The Israelites did all this just as the LORD commanded Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: +"The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family." +On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. +His division numbers 74,600. +The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. +His division numbers 54,400. +The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. +His division numbers 57,400. +All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first. +On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. +His division numbers 46,500. +The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. +His division numbers 59,300. +The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. +His division numbers 45,650. +All the men assigned to the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, number 151,450. They will set out second. +Then the Tent of Meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in his own place under his standard. +On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. +His division numbers 40,500. +The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. +His division numbers 32,200. +The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. +His division numbers 35,400. +All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100. They will set out third. +On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standard. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. +His division numbers 62,700. +The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran. +His division numbers 41,500. +The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. +His division numbers 53,400. +All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last, under their standards. +These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All those in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. +The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses. +So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each with his clan and family. + + +This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai. +The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. +Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. +Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. +They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. +They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. +Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. +Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death." +The LORD also said to Moses, +"I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, +for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD." +The LORD said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, +"Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more." +So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD. +These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. +These were the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei. +The Kohathite clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. +The Merarite clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, according to their families. +To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans. +The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. +The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle. +The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. +At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, +the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes-and everything related to their use. +To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans. +The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. +The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. +The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. +They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. +The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. +To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans. +The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200. +The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. +The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, +as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes. +Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death. +The total number of Levites counted at the LORD's command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000. +The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. +Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD." +So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. +The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273. +The LORD also said to Moses, +"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD. +To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, +collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. +Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons." +So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. +From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. +Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD. + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: +"Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. +Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting. +"This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things. +When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. +Then they are to cover this with hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place. +"Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it. +Over these they are to spread a scarlet cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place. +"They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the oil used to supply it. +Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of hides of sea cows and put it on a carrying frame. +"Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place. +"They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put them on a carrying frame. +"They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it. +Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of hides of sea cows and put its poles in place. +"After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting. +"Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles." +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not cut off from the Levites. +So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. +But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die." +The LORD said to Moses, +"Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. +Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. +"This is the service of the Gershonite clans as they work and carry burdens: +They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering and the outer covering of hides of sea cows, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, +the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance, the ropes and all the equipment used in its service. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things. +All their service, whether carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You shall assign to them as their responsibility all they are to carry. +This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting. Their duties are to be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. +"Count the Merarites by their clans and families. +Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. +This is their duty as they perform service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases, +as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes, all their equipment and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry. +This is the service of the Merarite clans as they work at the Tent of Meeting under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest." +Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites by their clans and families. +All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, +counted by clans, were 2,750. +This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD's command through Moses. +The Gershonites were counted by their clans and families. +All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting, +counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. +This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD's command. +The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. +All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting, +counted by their clans, were 3,200. +This was the total of those in the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD's command through Moses. +So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. +All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting +numbered 8,580. +At the LORD's command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry. Thus they were counted, as the LORD commanded Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body. +Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them." +The Israelites did this; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the Israelites: 'When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty +and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. +But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with which atonement is made for him. +All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him. +Each man's sacred gifts are his own, but what he gives to the priest will belong to the priest.'" +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him +by sleeping with another man, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act), +and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure-or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure- +then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder offering to draw attention to guilt. +"'The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the LORD. +Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. +After the priest has had the woman stand before the LORD, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse. +Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, "If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. +But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband"- +here the priest is to put the woman under this curse of the oath-"may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell. +May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away. 'Then the woman is to say, "Amen. So be it." +"'The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water. +He shall have the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water will enter her and cause bitter suffering. +The priest is to take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the LORD and bring it to the altar. +The priest is then to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial offering and burn it on the altar; after that, he is to have the woman drink the water. +If she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then when she is made to drink the water that brings a curse, it will go into her and cause bitter suffering; her abdomen will swell and her thigh waste away, and she will become accursed among her people. +If, however, the woman has not defiled herself and is free from impurity, she will be cleared of guilt and will be able to have children. +"'This, then, is the law of jealousy when a woman goes astray and defiles herself while married to her husband, +or when feelings of jealousy come over a man because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand before the LORD and is to apply this entire law to her. +The husband will be innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman will bear the consequences of her sin.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite, +he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. +As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. +"'During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long. +Throughout the period of his separation to the LORD he must not go near a dead body. +Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to God is on his head. +Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the LORD. +"'If someone dies suddenly in his presence, thus defiling the hair he has dedicated, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing-the seventh day. +Then on the eighth day he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him because he sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day he is to consecrate his head. +He must dedicate himself to the LORD for the period of his separation and must bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because he became defiled during his separation. +"'Now this is the law for the Nazirite when the period of his separation is over. He is to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +There he is to present his offerings to the LORD: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, +together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast-cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil. +"'The priest is to present them before the LORD and make the sin offering and the burnt offering. +He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to the LORD, together with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that he dedicated. He is to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering. +"'After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair of his dedication, the priest is to place in his hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and a cake and a wafer from the basket, both made without yeast. +The priest shall then wave them before the LORD as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine. +"'This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD in accordance with his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford. He must fulfill the vow he has made, according to the law of the Nazirite.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: +"'"The LORD bless you and keep you; +the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; +the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."' +"So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." + + +When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. +Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. +They brought as their gifts before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen-an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man's work requires." +So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. +He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, +and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. +But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible. +When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. +For the LORD had said to Moses, "Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar." +The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. +On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering. +The offering he brought was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. +On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon. +On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. +On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. +On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. +On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud. +On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. +On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni. +On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. +On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran. +On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering. +His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; +one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; +one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; +one male goat for a sin offering; +and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. +These were the offerings of the Israelite leaders for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver plates, twelve silver sprinkling bowls and twelve gold dishes. +Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each sprinkling bowl seventy shekels. Altogether, the silver dishes weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. +The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. Altogether, the gold dishes weighed a hundred and twenty shekels. +The total number of animals for the burnt offering came to twelve young bulls, twelve rams and twelve male lambs a year old, together with their grain offering. Twelve male goats were used for the sin offering. +The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed. +When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with him. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.'" +Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. +This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold-from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses. +The LORD said to Moses: +"Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. +To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves. +Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. +Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. +You are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. +Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the LORD. +"After the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, use the one for a sin offering to the LORD and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. +Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the LORD. +In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine. +"After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. +They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. +Every firstborn male in Israel, whether man or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. +And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. +Of all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary." +Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the LORD commanded Moses. +The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD and made atonement for them to purify them. +After that, the Levites came to do their work at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the LORD commanded Moses. +The LORD said to Moses, +"This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting, +but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. +They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites." + + +The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, +"Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. +Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations." +So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, +and they did so in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. +But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day +and said to Moses, "We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the LORD's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?" +Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you." +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Tell the Israelites: 'When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they may still celebrate the LORD's Passover. +They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. +They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations. +But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the LORD's offering at the appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin. +"'An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native-born.'" +On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. +That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. +Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. +At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. +When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out. +Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. +Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. +Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. +At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses: +"Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. +When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +If only one is sounded, the leaders-the heads of the clans of Israel-are to assemble before you. +When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. +At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. +To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same signal. +"The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. +When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. +Also at your times of rejoicing-your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals-you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God." +On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. +Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. +They set out, this first time, at the LORD's command through Moses. +The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. Nahshon son of Amminadab was in command. +Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar, +and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun. +Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out. +The divisions of the camp of Reuben went next, under their standard. Elizur son of Shedeur was in command. +Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon, +and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad. +Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived. +The divisions of the camp of Ephraim went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud was in command. +Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh, +and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin. +Finally, as the rear guard for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out, under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was in command. +Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of Asher, +and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali. +This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out. +Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel." +He answered, "No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people." +But Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. +If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us." +So they set out from the mountain of the LORD and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest. +The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. +Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, "Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you." +Whenever it came to rest, he said, "Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel." + + +Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. +When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down. +So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them. Quail From the LORD +The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! +We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost-also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. +But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" +The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. +The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. +When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. +Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. +He asked the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? +Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? +Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!' +I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. +If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now-if I have found favor in your eyes-and do not let me face my own ruin." +The LORD said to Moses: "Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. +I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone. +"Tell the people: 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The LORD heard you when you wailed, "If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!" Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. +You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, +but for a whole month-until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it-because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" +But Moses said, "Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!' +Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?" +The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." +So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the Tent. +Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again. +However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. +A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." +Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, "Moses, my lord, stop them!" +But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" +Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. +Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. +All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. +But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. +Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food. +From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth and stayed there. + + +Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. +"Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this. +(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) +At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out. +Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, +he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. +But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. +With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" +The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. +When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam-leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; +and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. +Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away." +So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!" +The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." +So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. +After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders." +So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. +These are their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; +from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; +from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; +from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; +from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; +from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; +from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; +from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi; +from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; +from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; +from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; +from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki. +These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.) +When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. +See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. +What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? +How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) +So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo Hamath. +They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) +When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. +That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. +At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. +They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. +They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. +But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. +The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." +Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." +But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." +And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. +We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." + + +That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. +All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! +Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" +And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." +Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. +Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes +and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. +If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. +Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." +But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. +The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? +I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they." +Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. +And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, O LORD, are with these people and that you, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. +If you put these people to death all at one time, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, +'The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath; so he slaughtered them in the desert.' +"Now may the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared: +'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' +In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now." +The LORD replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. +Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, +not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times- +not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. +But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. +Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. " +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: +"How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. +So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: +In this desert your bodies will fall-every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. +Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. +As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. +But you-your bodies will fall in this desert. +Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert. +For forty years-one year for each of the forty days you explored the land-you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' +I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert; here they will die." +So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it- +these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the LORD. +Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived. +When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. +Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the LORD promised." +But Moses said, "Why are you disobeying the LORD's command? This will not succeed! +Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, +for the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword." +Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD's covenant moved from the camp. +Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'After you enter the land I am giving you as a home +and you present to the LORD offerings made by fire, from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the LORD -whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings- +then the one who brings his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil. +With each lamb for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. +"'With a ram prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil, +and a third of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +"'When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow or a fellowship offering to the LORD, +bring with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil. +Also bring half a hin of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner. +Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare. +"'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. +The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: +The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land to which I am taking you +and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the LORD. +Present a cake from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the threshing floor. +Throughout the generations to come you are to give this offering to the LORD from the first of your ground meal. +"'Now if you unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the LORD gave Moses- +any of the LORD's commands to you through him, from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come- +and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. +The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven, for it was not intentional and they have brought to the LORD for their wrong an offering made by fire and a sin offering. +The whole Israelite community and the aliens living among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong. +"'But if just one person sins unintentionally, he must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. +The priest is to make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven. +One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien. +"'But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people. +Because he has despised the LORD's word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.'" +While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. +Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, +and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. +Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp." +So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. +You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. +Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. +I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.'" + + +Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites-Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth-became insolent +and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. +They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?" +When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. +Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. +You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers +and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the LORD. The man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!" +Moses also said to Korah, "Now listen, you Levites! +Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD's tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? +He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. +It is against the LORD that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?" +Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We will not come! +Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us? +Moreover, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!" +Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them." +Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow-you and they and Aaron. +Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it-250 censers in all-and present it before the LORD. You and Aaron are to present your censers also." +So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire assembly. +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." +But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?" +Then the LORD said to Moses, +"Say to the assembly, 'Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'" +Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. +He warned the assembly, "Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins." +So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents. +Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: +If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the LORD has not sent me. +But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt." +As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart +and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. +They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. +At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!" +And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the smoldering remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy- +the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites." +So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, +as the LORD directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD, or he would become like Korah and his followers. +The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "You have killed the LORD's people," they said. +But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. +Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, +and the LORD said to Moses, +"Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." And they fell facedown. +Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started." +So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. +He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. +But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. +Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. +On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. +Place them in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you. +The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites." +So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. +Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony. +The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. +Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his own staff. +The LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die." +Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. +The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! +Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?" + + +The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your father's family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood. +Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony. +They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the Tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar, or both they and you will die. +They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the Tent of Meeting-all the work at the Tent-and no one else may come near where you are. +"You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. +I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the Tent of Meeting. +But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death." +Then the LORD said to Aaron, "I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share. +You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons. +Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy. +"This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it. +"I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest. +All the land's firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it. +"Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours. +The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. +When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. +"But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours. +Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for both you and your offspring." +The LORD said to Aaron, "You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. +"I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting. +From now on the Israelites must not go near the Tent of Meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die. +It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. +Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: 'They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.'" +The LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD's offering. +Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. +In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD's portion to Aaron the priest. +You must present as the LORD's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.' +"Say to the Levites: 'When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress. +You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting. +By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: +"This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. +Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. +Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. +While he watches, the heifer is to be burned-its hide, flesh, blood and offal. +The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. +After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. +The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening. +"A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. +The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them. +"Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days. +He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean. +Whoever touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles the LORD's tabernacle. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean; his uncleanness remains on him. +"This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, +and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean. +"Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days. +"For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. +Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or someone who has been killed or someone who has died a natural death. +The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean. +But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he must be cut off from the community, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, and he is unclean. +This is a lasting ordinance for them. "The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. +Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening." + + +In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. +Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. +They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! +Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? +Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!" +Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." +So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him. +He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" +Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. +But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." +These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them. +Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: "This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us. +Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, +but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. +Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory." +But Edom answered: "You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword." +The Israelites replied: "We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot-nothing else." +Again they answered: "You may not pass through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. +Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them. +The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. +At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, +"Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. +Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. +Remove Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there." +Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. +Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, +and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days. + + +When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. +Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." +The LORD listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah. +They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; +they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" +Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. +The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. +The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." +So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. +The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth. +Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the desert that faces Moab toward the sunrise. +From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley. +They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon, which is in the desert extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. +That is why the Book of the Wars of the LORD says: "...Waheb in Suphah and the ravines, the Arnon +and the slopes of the ravines that lead to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab." +From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together and I will give them water." +Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing about it, +about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank- the nobles with scepters and staffs." Then they went from the desert to Mattanah, +from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, +and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland. +Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites: +"Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway until we have passed through your territory." +But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his entire army and marched out into the desert against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel. +Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified. +Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements. +Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon. +That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon's city be restored. +"Fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the citizens of Arnon's heights. +Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to Sihon king of the Amorites. +"But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed all the way to Dibon. We have demolished them as far as Nophah, which extends to Medeba." +So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. +After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. +Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. +The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon." +So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land. + + +Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. +Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, +and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites. +The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, +sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. +Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed." +The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said. +"Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I will bring you back the answer the LORD gives me." So the Moabite princes stayed with him. +God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" +Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: +'A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.'" +But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed." +The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." +So the Moabite princes returned to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us." +Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. +They came to Balaam and said: "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, +because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me." +But Balaam answered them, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God. +Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the LORD will tell me." +That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you." +Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. +But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. +When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. +Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. +When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. +Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. +When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. +Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" +Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." +The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?No," he said. +Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. +The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. +The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her." +Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back." +The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. +When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. +Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?" +"Well, I have come to you now," Balaam replied. "But can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth." +Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. +Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the princes who were with him. +The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he saw part of the people. + + +Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." +Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar. +Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you." Then he went off to a barren height. +God met with him, and Balaam said, "I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram." +The LORD put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message." +So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the princes of Moab. +Then Balaam uttered his oracle: "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come,' he said, 'curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.' +How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? +From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations. +Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!" +Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!" +He answered, "Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?" +Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will see only a part but not all of them. And from there, curse them for me." +So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. +Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there." +The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message." +So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?" +Then he uttered his oracle: "Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. +God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? +I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it. +"No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. +God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. +There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!' +The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till he devours his prey and drinks the blood of his victims." +Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!" +Balaam answered, "Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?" +Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there." +And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. +Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." +Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + + +Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. +When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him +and he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, +the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: +"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! +"Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. +Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. "Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. +"God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. +Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse them? "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" +Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, "I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. +Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded." +Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, +'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD -and I must say only what the LORD says'? +Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come." +Then he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, +the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: +"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. +Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. +A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city." +Then Balaam saw Amalek and uttered his oracle: "Amalek was first among the nations, but he will come to ruin at last." +Then he saw the Kenites and uttered his oracle: "Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock; +yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive." +Then he uttered his oracle: "Ah, who can live when God does this? +Ships will come from the shores of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin." +Then Balaam got up and returned home and Balak went his own way. + + +While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, +who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. +So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them. +The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel." +So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor." +Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand +and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them-through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; +but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. +Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. +He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites." +The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. +And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family. +The LORD said to Moses, +"Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, +because they treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the affair of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of Peor." + + +After the plague the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, +"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families-all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel." +So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, +"Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses." These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt: +The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanoch, the Hanochite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan; +through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Carmi, the Carmite clan. +These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730. +The son of Pallu was Eliab, +and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah's followers when they rebelled against the LORD. +The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign. +The line of Korah, however, did not die out. +The descendants of Simeon by their clans were: through Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan; through Jamin, the Jaminite clan; through Jakin, the Jakinite clan; +through Zerah, the Zerahite clan; through Shaul, the Shaulite clan. +These were the clans of Simeon; there were 22,200 men. +The descendants of Gad by their clans were: through Zephon, the Zephonite clan; through Haggi, the Haggite clan; through Shuni, the Shunite clan; +through Ozni, the Oznite clan; through Eri, the Erite clan; +through Arodi, the Arodite clan; through Areli, the Arelite clan. +These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500. +Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan. +The descendants of Judah by their clans were: through Shelah, the Shelanite clan; through Perez, the Perezite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan. +The descendants of Perez were: through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Hamul, the Hamulite clan. +These were the clans of Judah; those numbered were 76,500. +The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite clan; +through Jashub, the Jashubite clan; through Shimron, the Shimronite clan. +These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300. +The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were: through Sered, the Seredite clan; through Elon, the Elonite clan; through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan. +These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500. +The descendants of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were: +The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead); through Gilead, the Gileadite clan. +These were the descendants of Gilead: through Iezer, the Iezerite clan; through Helek, the Helekite clan; +through Asriel, the Asrielite clan; through Shechem, the Shechemite clan; +through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; through Hepher, the Hepherite clan. +(Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.) +These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700. +These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; through Beker, the Bekerite clan; through Tahan, the Tahanite clan. +These were the descendants of Shuthelah: through Eran, the Eranite clan. +These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans. +The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were: through Bela, the Belaite clan; through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan; +through Shupham, the Shuphamite clan; through Hupham, the Huphamite clan. +The descendants of Bela through Ard and Naaman were: through Ard, the Ardite clan; through Naaman, the Naamite clan. +These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600. +These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: through Shuham, the Shuhamite clan. These were the clans of Dan: +All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400. +The descendants of Asher by their clans were: through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan; +and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan. +(Asher had a daughter named Serah.) +These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400. +The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were: through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; through Guni, the Gunite clan; +through Jezer, the Jezerite clan; through Shillem, the Shillemite clan. +These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400. +The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730. +The LORD said to Moses, +"The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. +To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. +Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. +Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups." +These were the Levites who were counted by their clans: through Gershon, the Gershonite clan; through Kohath, the Kohathite clan; through Merari, the Merarite clan. +These also were Levite clans: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan. (Kohath was the forefather of Amram; +the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam. +Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. +But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the LORD with unauthorized fire.) +All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them. +These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. +Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. +For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. + + +The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They approached +the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, +"Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. +Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives." +So Moses brought their case before the LORD +and the LORD said to him, +"What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them. +"Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. +If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. +If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. +If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.'" +Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. +After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, +for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) +Moses said to the LORD, +"May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community +to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd." +So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. +Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. +Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. +He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in." +Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. +Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: 'See that you present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma pleasing to me.' +Say to them: 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the LORD: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day. +Prepare one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight, +together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives. +This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +The accompanying drink offering is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the LORD at the sanctuary. +Prepare the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you prepare in the morning. This is an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +"'On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. +This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. +"'On the first of every month, present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; +and with each lamb, a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. +With each bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon during the year. +Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering. +"'On the fourteenth day of the first month the LORD's Passover is to be held. +On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast. +On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. +Present to the LORD an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With each bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; +and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. +Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. +Prepare these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. +In this way prepare the food for the offering made by fire every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the LORD; it is to be prepared in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. +On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. +"'On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. +Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. +With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; +and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. +Include one male goat to make atonement for you. +Prepare these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect. + + +"'On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. +As an aroma pleasing to the LORD, prepare a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; +and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. +Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. +These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are offerings made to the LORD by fire-a pleasing aroma. +"'On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work. +Present as an aroma pleasing to the LORD a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; +and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. +"'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the LORD for seven days. +Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With each of the thirteen bulls prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; +and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'On the second day prepare twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. +"'On the third day prepare eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'On the fourth day prepare ten bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'On the fifth day prepare nine bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'On the sixth day prepare eight bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'On the seventh day prepare seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'On the eighth day hold an assembly and do no regular work. +Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. +With the bull, the ram and the lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. +Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. +"'In addition to what you vow and your freewill offerings, prepare these for the LORD at your appointed feasts: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings. '" +Moses told the Israelites all that the LORD commanded him. + + +Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: "This is what the LORD commands: +When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. +"When a young woman still living in her father's house makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge +and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. +But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the LORD will release her because her father has forbidden her. +"If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself +and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. +But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the LORD will release her. +"Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her. +"If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath +and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. +But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the LORD will release her. +Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. +But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. +If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he is responsible for her guilt." +These are the regulations the LORD gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in his house. + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people." +So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the LORD's vengeance on them. +Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." +So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. +Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. +They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. +Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba-the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. +The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. +They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. +They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, +and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. +Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. +Moses was angry with the officers of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-who returned from the battle. +"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. +"They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. +Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, +but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. +"All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. +Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood." +Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is the requirement of the law that the LORD gave Moses: +Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead +and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. +On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp." +The LORD said to Moses, +"You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. +Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. +From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats. +Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the LORD's part. +From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD's tabernacle." +So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. +The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, +72,000 cattle, +61,000 donkeys +and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man. +The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep, +of which the tribute for the LORD was 675; +36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72; +30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61; +16,000 people, of which the tribute for the LORD was 32. +Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD's part, as the LORD commanded Moses. +The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men- +the community's half-was 337,500 sheep, +36,000 cattle, +30,500 donkeys +and 16,000 people. +From the Israelites' half, Moses selected one out of every fifty persons and animals, as the LORD commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the LORD's tabernacle. +Then the officers who were over the units of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-went to Moses +and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. +So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired-armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces-to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." +Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold-all the crafted articles. +All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels. +Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. +Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD. + + +The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. +So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, +"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon- +the land the LORD subdued before the people of Israel-are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. +If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan." +Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? +Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the LORD has given them? +This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. +After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them. +The LORD's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: +'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob- +not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.' +The LORD's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. +"And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the LORD even more angry with Israel. +If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction." +Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. +But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. +We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. +We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan." +Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this-if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, +and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out before him- +then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free from your obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the LORD. +"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. +Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised." +The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We your servants will do as our lord commands. +Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. +But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the LORD, just as our lord says." +Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. +He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the LORD, then when the land is subdued before you, give them the land of Gilead as their possession. +But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan." +The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the LORD has said. +We will cross over before the LORD into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan." +Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan-the whole land with its cities and the territory around them. +The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, +Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, +Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. +And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, +as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt. +The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. +So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. +Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair. +And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself. + + +Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. +At the LORD's command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages: +The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, +who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had brought judgment on their gods. +The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth. +They left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. +They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol. +They left Pi Hahiroth and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah. +They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. +They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea. +They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. +They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. +They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. +They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. +They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai. +They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. +They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. +They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. +They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. +They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. +They left Libnah and camped at Rissah. +They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. +They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. +They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. +They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth. +They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath. +They left Tahath and camped at Terah. +They left Terah and camped at Mithcah. +They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah. +They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. +They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. +They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. +They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. +They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. +They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. +They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin. +They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. +At the LORD's command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. +Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. +The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming. +They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. +They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon. +They left Punon and camped at Oboth. +They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab. +They left Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad. +They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim. +They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo. +They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. +There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim. +On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, +drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. +Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. +Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes. +"'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. +And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.'" + + +The LORD said to Moses, +"Command the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries: +"'Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern boundary will start from the end of the Salt Sea, +cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, +where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Sea. +"'Your western boundary will be the coast of the Great Sea. This will be your boundary on the west. +"'For your northern boundary, run a line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor +and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, +continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north. +"'For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. +The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Kinnereth. +Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. "'This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.'" +Moses commanded the Israelites: "Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, +because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. +These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise." +The LORD said to Moses, +"These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. +And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land. +These are their names: Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah; +Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon; +Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin; +Bukki son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan; +Hanniel son of Ephod, the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; +Kemuel son of Shiphtan, the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; +Elizaphan son of Parnach, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun; +Paltiel son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar; +Ahihud son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher; +Pedahel son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali." +These are the men the LORD commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan. + + +On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, +"Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. +Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock. +"The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. +Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns. +"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. +In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. +The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few." +Then the LORD said to Moses: +"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, +select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. +They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. +These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. +Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. +These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there. +"'If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. +Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. +Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. +The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. +If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies +or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. +"'But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally +or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, +the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. +The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. +"'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled +and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. +The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property. +"'These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live. +"'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. +"'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death. +"'Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow him to go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. +"'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. +Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.'" + + +The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families. +They said, "When the LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. +Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. +When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our forefathers." +Then at the LORD's command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: "What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. +This is what the LORD commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father. +No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers. +Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. +No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits." +So Zelophehad's daughters did as the LORD commanded Moses. +Zelophehad's daughters-Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah-married their cousins on their father's side. +They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father's clan and tribe. +These are the commands and regulations the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. + + + + +These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan-that is, in the Arabah-opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. +(It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) +In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. +This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. +East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying: +The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. +Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. +See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers-to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-and to their descendants after them." +At that time I said to you, "You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. +The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. +May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! +But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? +Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." +You answered me, "What you propose to do is good." +So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you-as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. +And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. +Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. +And at that time I told you everything you were to do. +Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. +Then I said to you, "You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. +See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." +Then all of you came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to." +The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. +They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it. +Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, "It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us." +But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. +You grumbled in your tents and said, "The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. +Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, 'The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.'" +Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. +The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, +and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." +In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, +who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. +When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: +"Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, +except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly." +Because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either. +But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it. +And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad-they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. +But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. " +Then you replied, "We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us." So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country. +But the LORD said to me, "Tell them, 'Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.'" +So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the LORD's command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. +The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. +You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you. +And so you stayed in Kadesh many days-all the time you spent there. + + +Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the LORD had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. +Then the LORD said to me, +"You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. +Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. +Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. +You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'" +The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. +So we went on past our brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab. +Then the LORD said to me, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession." +(The Emites used to live there-a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. +Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites. +Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the LORD gave them as their possession.) +And the LORD said, "Now get up and cross the Zered Valley." So we crossed the valley. +Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. +The LORD's hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp. +Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, +the LORD said to me, +"Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. +When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot." +(That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. +They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. +The LORD had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day. +And as for the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorites coming out from Caphtor destroyed them and settled in their place.) +"Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. +This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you." +From the desert of Kedemoth I sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon offering peace and saying, +"Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left. +Sell us food to eat and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot- +as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us-until we cross the Jordan into the land the LORD our God is giving us." +But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done. +The LORD said to me, "See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land." +When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, +the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. +At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them-men, women and children. We left no survivors. +But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. +From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The LORD our God gave us all of them. +But in accordance with the command of the LORD our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills. + + +Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei. +The LORD said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon." +So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors. +At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them-the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan. +All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. +We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city-men, women and children. +But all the livestock and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves. +So at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon. +(Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.) +We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, towns of Og's kingdom in Bashan. +(Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.) +Of the land that we took over at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge, including half the hill country of Gilead, together with its towns. +The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh. (The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites. +Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites; it was named after him, so that to this day Bashan is called Havvoth Jair. ) +And I gave Gilead to Makir. +But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. +Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ), below the slopes of Pisgah. +I commanded you at that time: "The LORD your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of your brother Israelites. +However, your wives, your children and your livestock (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, +until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the LORD your God is giving them, across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you." +At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. +Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you." +At that time I pleaded with the LORD: +"O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? +Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan-that fine hill country and Lebanon." +But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. +Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. +But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see." +So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor. + + +Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. +Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. +You saw with your own eyes what the LORD did at Baal Peor. The LORD your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, +but all of you who held fast to the LORD your God are still alive today. +See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. +Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." +What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? +And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? +Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. +Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." +You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. +Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. +He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. +And the LORD directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. +You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, +so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, +or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, +or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. +And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars-all the heavenly array-do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. +But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are. +The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance. +I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. +Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. +For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. +After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time-if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and provoking him to anger, +I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. +The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. +There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. +But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. +When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. +For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. +Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? +Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? +Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? +You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. +From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. +Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, +to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. +Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. +Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. +Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, +to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if he had unintentionally killed his neighbor without malice aforethought. He could flee into one of these cities and save his life. +The cities were these: Bezer in the desert plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. +This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. +These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt +and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. +They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. +This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon), +and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah. + + +Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. +The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. +It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. +The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. +(At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: +"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +"You shall have no other gods before me. +"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. +You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, +but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. +"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. +"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. +Six days you shall labor and do all your work, +but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. +Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. +"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. +"You shall not murder. +"You shall not commit adultery. +"You shall not steal. +"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. +"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." +These are the commandments the LORD proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. +When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me. +And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. +But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. +For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? +Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey." +The LORD heard you when you spoke to me and the LORD said to me, "I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. +Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! +"Go, tell them to return to their tents. +But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess." +So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. +Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. + + +These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, +so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. +Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. +Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. +Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. +These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. +Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. +Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. +Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. +When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you-a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, +houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant-then when you eat and are satisfied, +be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. +Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; +for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. +Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. +Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. +Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers, +thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said. +In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" +tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. +Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders-great and terrible-upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. +But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. +The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. +And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." + + +When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations-the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- +and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. +Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, +for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. +This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. +For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. +The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. +But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. +Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. +But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. +Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today. +If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. +He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land-your grain, new wine and oil-the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. +You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. +The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. +You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you. +You may say to yourselves, "These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?" +But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. +You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. +Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. +Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. +The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. +But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. +He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. +The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. +Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. + + +Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. +Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. +He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. +Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. +Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. +Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. +For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land-a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; +a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; +a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. +When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. +Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. +Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, +and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, +then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. +He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. +You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." +But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. +If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. +Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God. + + +Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. +The people are strong and tall-Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: "Who can stand up against the Anakites?" +But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you. +After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. +It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. +Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. +Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD. +At Horeb you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you. +When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water. +The LORD gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the LORD proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. +At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. +Then the LORD told me, "Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made a cast idol for themselves." +And the LORD said to me, "I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! +Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they." +So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. +When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you. +So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes. +Then once again I fell prostrate before the LORD for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the LORD's sight and so provoking him to anger. +I feared the anger and wrath of the LORD, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the LORD listened to me. +And the LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too. +Also I took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain. +You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, at Massah and at Kibroth Hattaavah. +And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, "Go up and take possession of the land I have given you." But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You did not trust him or obey him. +You have been rebellious against the LORD ever since I have known you. +I lay prostrate before the LORD those forty days and forty nights because the LORD had said he would destroy you. +I prayed to the LORD and said, "O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. +Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. +Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, 'Because the LORD was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the desert.' +But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm." + + +At that time the LORD said to me, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden chest. +I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the chest." +So I made the ark out of acacia wood and chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. +The LORD wrote on these tablets what he had written before, the Ten Commandments he had proclaimed to you on the mountain, out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. +Then I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made, as the LORD commanded me, and they are there now. +(The Israelites traveled from the wells of the Jaakanites to Moserah. There Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar his son succeeded him as priest. +From there they traveled to Gudgodah and on to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water. +At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today. +That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as the LORD your God told them.) +Now I had stayed on the mountain forty days and nights, as I did the first time, and the LORD listened to me at this time also. It was not his will to destroy you. +"Go," the LORD said to me, "and lead the people on their way, so that they may enter and possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give them." +And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, +and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? +To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. +Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. +Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. +For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. +He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. +And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. +Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. +He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. +Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. + + +Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. +Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; +the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; +what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the LORD brought lasting ruin on them. +It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place, +and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. +But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done. +Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, +and so that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. +The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. +But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. +It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. +So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today-to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- +then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. +I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. +Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. +Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. +Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. +Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. +Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, +so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. +If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow-to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him- +then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. +Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. +No man will be able to stand against you. The LORD your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go. +See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- +the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; +the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. +When the LORD your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. +As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, west of the road, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. +You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, +be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today. + + +These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess-as long as you live in the land. +Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. +Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. +You must not worship the LORD your God in their way. +But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; +there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. +There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you. +You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, +since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you. +But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. +Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name-there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD. +And there rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. +Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. +Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you. +Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the LORD your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. +But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. +You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. +Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose-you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns-and you are to rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you put your hand to. +Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land. +When the LORD your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, "I would like some meat," then you may eat as much of it as you want. +If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. +Eat them as you would gazelle or deer. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. +But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. +You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. +Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD. +But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give, and go to the place the LORD will choose. +Present your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat. +Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God. +The LORD your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, +and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same." +You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. +See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. + + +If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, +and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," +you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. +It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. +That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you. +If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, +gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), +do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. +You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. +Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. +If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in +that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), +then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, +you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. +Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt. +None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that the LORD will turn from his fierce anger; he will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, +because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes. + + +You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, +for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession. +Do not eat any detestable thing. +These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, +the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. +You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. +However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof completely divided you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the coney. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. +The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses. +Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. +But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean. +You may eat any clean bird. +But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, +the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon, +any kind of raven, +the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, +the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, +the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, +the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. +All flying insects that swarm are unclean to you; do not eat them. +But any winged creature that is clean you may eat. +Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. +Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. +Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. +But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), +then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. +Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. +And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. +At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, +so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. + + +At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. +This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. +You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. +However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, +if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. +For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. +If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. +Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. +Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. +Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. +There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. +If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. +And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. +Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. +Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today. +But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, +then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant. +Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because his service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. +Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your oxen to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep. +Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose. +If an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. +You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer. +But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. + + +Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib he brought you out of Egypt by night. +Sacrifice as the Passover to the LORD your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for his Name. +Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste-so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. +Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning. +You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the LORD your God gives you +except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. +Roast it and eat it at the place the LORD your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. +For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD your God and do no work. +Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. +Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. +And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name-you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you. +Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees. +Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. +Be joyful at your Feast-you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. +For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. +Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed: +Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you. +Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. +Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. +Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you. +Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God, +and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates. + + +Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him. +If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant, +and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars of the sky, +and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, +take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. +On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. +The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you. +If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge-whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults-take them to the place the LORD your God will choose. +Go to the priests, who are Levites, and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict. +You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they direct you to do. +Act according to the law they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left. +The man who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the LORD your God must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel. +All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again. +When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," +be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. +The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again." +He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. +When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. +It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees +and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel. + + +The priests, who are Levites-indeed the whole tribe of Levi-are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offerings made to the LORD by fire, for that is their inheritance. +They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. +This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the jowls and the inner parts. +You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, +for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD's name always. +If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, +he may minister in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD. +He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions. +When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. +Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, +or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. +Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. +You must be blameless before the LORD your God. +The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. +The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. +For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die." +The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. +I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. +If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. +But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." +You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" +If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. + + +When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, +then set aside for yourselves three cities centrally located in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess. +Build roads to them and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that anyone who kills a man may flee there. +This is the rule concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life-one who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. +For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. +Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. +This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities. +If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them, +because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today-to love the LORD your God and to walk always in his ways-then you are to set aside three more cities. +Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed. +But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, +the elders of his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. +Show him no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you. +Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess. +One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. +If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, +the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. +The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, +then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. +The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. +Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. + + +When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. +When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. +He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. +For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." +The officers shall say to the army: "Has anyone built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may dedicate it. +Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. +Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her." +Then the officers shall add, "Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too." +When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it. +When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. +If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. +If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. +When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. +As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the LORD your God gives you from your enemies. +This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. +However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. +Completely destroy them-the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites-as the LORD your God has commanded you. +Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God. +When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them? +However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls. + + +If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, +your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. +Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke +and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer's neck. +The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. +Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, +and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. +Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for. +So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD. +When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, +if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. +Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails +and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. +If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. +If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, +when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. +He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father's strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him. +If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, +his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. +They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." +Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. +If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, +you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. + + +If you see your brother's ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him. +If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. +Do the same if you find your brother's donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it. +If you see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet. +A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this. +If you come across a bird's nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. +You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life. +When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof. +Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. +Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. +Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together. +Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear. +If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her +and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, "I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity," +then the girl's father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. +The girl's father will say to the elders, "I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. +Now he has slandered her and said, 'I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.' But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity." Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, +and the elders shall take the man and punish him. +They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the girl's father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives. +If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, +she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you. +If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel. +If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, +you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death-the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man's wife. You must purge the evil from among you. +But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. +Do nothing to the girl; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor, +for the man found the girl out in the country, and though the betrothed girl screamed, there was no one to rescue her. +If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, +he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. +A man is not to marry his father's wife; he must not dishonor his father's bed. + + +No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD. +No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. +No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. +For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. +However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. +Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live. +Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country. +The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD. +When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure. +If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. +But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp. +Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. +As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. +For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. +If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand him over to his master. +Let him live among you wherever he likes and in whatever town he chooses. Do not oppress him. +No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. +You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both. +Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. +You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess. +If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. +But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. +Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. +If you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. +If you enter your neighbor's grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to his standing grain. + + +If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, +and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, +and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, +then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. +If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. +Do not take a pair of millstones-not even the upper one-as security for a debt, because that would be taking a man's livelihood as security. +If a man is caught kidnapping one of his brother Israelites and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you. +In cases of leprous diseases be very careful to do exactly as the priests, who are Levites, instruct you. You must follow carefully what I have commanded them. +Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt. +When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. +Stay outside and let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. +If the man is poor, do not go to sleep with his pledge in your possession. +Return his cloak to him by sunset so that he may sleep in it. Then he will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the LORD your God. +Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. +Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. +Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. +Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. +Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. +When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. +When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. +When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. +Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this. + + +When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty. +If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make him lie down and have him flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves, +but he must not give him more than forty lashes. If he is flogged more than that, your brother will be degraded in your eyes. +Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. +If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. +The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. +However, if a man does not want to marry his brother's wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses to carry on his brother's name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me." +Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, "I do not want to marry her," +his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, "This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother's family line." +That man's line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled. +If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, +you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity. +Do not have two differing weights in your bag-one heavy, one light. +Do not have two differing measures in your house-one large, one small. +You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. +For the LORD your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly. +Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. +When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. +When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget! + + +When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, +take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name +and say to the priest in office at the time, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our forefathers to give us." +The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God. +Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. +But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. +Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. +So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. +He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; +and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me." Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. +And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. +When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. +Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. +I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything you commanded me. +Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey." +The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. +You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. +And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. +He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised. + + +Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: "Keep all these commands that I give you today. +When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the LORD your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. +Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. +And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. +Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool upon them. +Build the altar of the LORD your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God. +Sacrifice fellowship offerings there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God. +And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones you have set up." +Then Moses and the priests, who are Levites, said to all Israel, "Be silent, O Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the LORD your God. +Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today." +On the same day Moses commanded the people: +When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. +And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. +The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice: +"Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol-a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hands-and sets it up in secret." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's boundary stone." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife, for he dishonors his father's bed." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" +"Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" + + +If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. +All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: +You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. +The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock-the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. +Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. +You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. +The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. +The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. +The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. +Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. +The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity-in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground-in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. +The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. +The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. +Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. +However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: +You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. +Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. +The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. +You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. +The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. +The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. +The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. +The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. +The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. +The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. +Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. +The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. +The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. +At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. +You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. +Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. +Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. +A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. +The sights you see will drive you mad. +The LORD will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. +The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. +You will become a thing of horror and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where the LORD will drive you. +You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. +You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. +You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. +You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. +Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land. +The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. +He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail. +All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. +They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. +Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, +therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. +The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, +a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. +They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. +They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the LORD your God is giving you. +Because of the suffering that your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you. +Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, +and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. +The most gentle and sensitive woman among you-so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot-will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter +the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For she intends to eat them secretly during the siege and in the distress that your enemy will inflict on you in your cities. +If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name-the LORD your God- +the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. +He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. +The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. +You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God. +Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. +Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods-gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. +Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. +You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. +In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If only it were morning!"-because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. +The LORD will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you. + + +These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb. +Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. +With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. +But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. +During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. +You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God. +When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. +We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. +Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. +All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God-your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, +together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. +You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, +to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. +I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you +who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God but also with those who are not here today. +You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. +You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. +Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. +When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way." This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. +The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. +The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. +Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it. +The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur-nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger. +All the nations will ask: "Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?" +And the answer will be: "It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. +They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. +Therefore the LORD's anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. +In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now." +The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. + + +When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, +and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, +then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. +Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. +He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. +The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. +The LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. +You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. +Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, +if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. The Offer of Life or Death +Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. +It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" +Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" +No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. +See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. +For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. +But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, +I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. +This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live +and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. + + +Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: +"I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not cross the Jordan.' +The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said. +And the LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. +The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. +Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." +Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. +The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." +So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. +Then Moses commanded them: "At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, +when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. +Assemble the people-men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns-so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. +Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." +The LORD said to Moses, "Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, where I will commission him." So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. +Then the LORD appeared at the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the Tent. +And the LORD said to Moses: "You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. +On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, 'Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?' +And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods. +"Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. +When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. +And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath." +So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites. +The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you." +After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, +he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: +"Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. +For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! +Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them. +For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made." +And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: + + +Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. +Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. +I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! +He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. +They have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. +Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you? +Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. +When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. +For the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. +In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, +like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. +The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him. +He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, +with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape. +Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. +They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. +They sacrificed to demons, which are not God- gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. +You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. +The LORD saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters. +"I will hide my face from them," he said, "and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. +They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. +For a fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains. +"I will heap calamities upon them and spend my arrows against them. +I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust. +In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. Young men and young women will perish, infants and gray-haired men. +I said I would scatter them and blot out their memory from mankind, +but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, 'Our hand has triumphed; the LORD has not done all this.'" +They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them. +If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be! +How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? +For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede. +Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison, and their clusters with bitterness. +Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras. +"Have I not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults? +It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." +The LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. +He will say: "Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in, +the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter! +"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. +I lift my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever, +when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. +I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders." +Rejoice, O nations, with his people,, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people. +Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. +When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, +he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. +They are not just idle words for you-they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." +On that same day the LORD told Moses, +"Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. +There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. +This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. +Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel." + + +This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. +He said: "The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes. +Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction, +the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob. +He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel. +"Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few." +And this he said about Judah: "Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!" +About Levi he said: "Your Thummim and Urim belong to the man you favored. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah. +He said of his father and mother, 'I have no regard for them.' He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant. +He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. +Bless all his skills, O LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more." +About Benjamin he said: "Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders." +About Joseph he said: "May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; +with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; +with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; +with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. +In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh." +About Zebulun he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents. +They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer sacrifices of righteousness; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand." +About Gad he said: "Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head. +He chose the best land for himself; the leader's portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the LORD's righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel." +About Dan he said: "Dan is a lion's cub, springing out of Bashan." +About Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake." +About Asher he said: "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. +The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. +"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. +The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' +So Israel will live in safety alone; Jacob's spring is secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew. +Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places. " + + +Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land-from Gilead to Dan, +all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, +the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. +Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." +And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. +He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. +Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. +The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over. +Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. +Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, +who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt-to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. +For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. + + + + +After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: +"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. +I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. +Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates-all the Hittite country-to the Great Sea on the west. +No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. +"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. +Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. +Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. +Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." +So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: +"Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.'" +But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, +"Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' +Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers +until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise." +Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. +Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. +Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!" + + +Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. +The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." +So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." +But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. +At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." +(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) +So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. +Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof +and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. +We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. +When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. +Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign +that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." +"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land." +So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. +Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." +The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us +unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. +If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. +But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." +"Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. +When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. +Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. +They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us." + + +Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. +After three days the officers went throughout the camp, +giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. +Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." +Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." +Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them. +And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. +Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.'" +Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. +This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. +See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. +Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. +And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD -the Lord of all the earth-set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." +So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. +Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, +the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. +The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. + + +When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, +"Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, +and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." +So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, +and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, +to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' +tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." +So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. +Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. +Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, +and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. +The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. +About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for war. +That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses. +Then the LORD said to Joshua, +"Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan." +So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." +And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. +On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. +And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. +He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' +tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' +For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. +He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God." + + +Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites. +At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." +So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. +Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt-all the men of military age-died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. +All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not. +The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. +So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. +And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. +Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. +On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. +The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. +The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan. +Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" +"Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" +The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. + + +Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. +Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. +March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. +Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. +When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." +So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it." +And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD." +When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD's covenant followed them. +The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. +But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" +So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there. +Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. +The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. +So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. +On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. +The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! +The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. +But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. +All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury." +When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. +They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it-men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. +Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." +So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. +Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house. +But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho-and she lives among the Israelites to this day. +At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: "At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates." +So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. + + +But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel. +Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men went up and spied out Ai. +When they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not all the people will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few men are there." +So about three thousand men went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, +who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water. +Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. +And Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! +O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? +The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?" +The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? +Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. +That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. +"Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. +"'In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. +He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!'" +Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken. +The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. +Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. +Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." +Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: +When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." +So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. +They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD. +Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. +Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. +Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since. + + +Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. +You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city." +So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night +with these orders: "Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. +I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. +They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, 'They are running away from us as they did before.' So when we flee from them, +you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The LORD your God will give it into your hand. +When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders." +Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai-but Joshua spent that night with the people. +Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. +The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. +Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. +They had the soldiers take up their positions-all those in the camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley. +When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. +Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the desert. +All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. +Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel. +Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city." So Joshua held out his javelin toward Ai. +As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire. +The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising against the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction, for the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the desert had turned back against their pursuers. +For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from the city, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. +The men of the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives. +But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. +When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the desert where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. +Twelve thousand men and women fell that day-all the people of Ai. +For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai. +But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua. +So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. +He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day. +Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, +as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses-an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. +There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua copied on stones the law of Moses, which he had written. +All Israel, aliens and citizens alike, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, facing those who carried it-the priests, who were Levites. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel. +Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law-the blessings and the curses-just as it is written in the Book of the Law. +There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens who lived among them. + + +Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things-those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)- +they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel. +However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, +they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. +The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. +Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." +The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?" +"We are your servants," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?" +They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, +and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan-Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. +And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."' +This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. +And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." +The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. +Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. +Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. +So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. +But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, +but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. +This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them." +They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community." So the leaders' promise to them was kept. +Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live a long way from you,' while actually you live near us? +You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." +They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. +We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you." +So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. +That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day. + + +Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. +He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. +So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. +"Come up and help me attack Gibeon," he said, "because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." +Then the five kings of the Amorites-the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon-joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. +The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us." +So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. +The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you." +After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. +The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. +As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. +On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." +So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. +There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! +Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. +Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. +When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, +he said, "Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. +But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." +So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely-almost to a man-but the few who were left reached their fortified cities. +The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites. +Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me." +So they brought the five kings out of the cave-the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. +When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. +Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." +Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening. +At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day. +That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. +Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. +The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. +Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. +The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. +Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army-until no survivors were left. +Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. +They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish. +Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. +They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it. +Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. +They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron. +So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. +Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. +All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. +Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. + + +When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph, +and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; +to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. +They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots-a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. +All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. +The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots." +So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, +and the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. +Joshua did to them as the LORD had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots. +At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) +Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself. +Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. +Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds-except Hazor, which Joshua burned. +The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. +As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. +So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, +from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. +Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. +Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. +For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses. +At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. +No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. +So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. + + +These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah: +Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge-from the middle of the gorge-to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. This included half of Gilead. +He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ), to Beth Jeshimoth, and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah. +And the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. +He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan to the border of the people of Geshur and Maacah, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. +Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites conquered them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession. +These are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (their lands Joshua gave as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions- +the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the desert and the Negev-the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites): +the king of Jericho one the king of Ai (near Bethel) one +the king of Jerusalem one the king of Hebron one +the king of Jarmuth one the king of Lachish one +the king of Eglon one the king of Gezer one +the king of Debir one the king of Geder one +the king of Hormah one the king of Arad one +the king of Libnah one the king of Adullam one +the king of Makkedah one the king of Bethel one +the king of Tappuah one the king of Hepher one +the king of Aphek one the king of Lasharon one +the king of Madon one the king of Hazor one +the king of Shimron Meron one the king of Acshaph one +the king of Taanach one the king of Megiddo one +the king of Kedesh one the king of Jokneam in Carmel one +the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor ) one the king of Goyim in Gilgal one +the king of Tirzah one thirty-one kings in all. + + +When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over. +"This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites: +from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite (the territory of the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron-that of the Avvites); +from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek, the region of the Amorites, +the area of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. +"As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, +and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh." +The other half of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the LORD, had assigned it to them. +It extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, +and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites. +It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah- +that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had survived as one of the last of the Rephaites. Moses had defeated them and taken over their land. +But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day. +But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the offerings made by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them. +This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan: +The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba +to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, +Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, +Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, +Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth +-all the towns on the plateau and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba-princes allied with Sihon-who lived in that country. +In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. +The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, clan by clan. +This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, clan by clan: +The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah; +and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir; +and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth ). +These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites, clan by clan. +This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, clan by clan: +The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan-all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns, +half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan). This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh-for half of the sons of Makir, clan by clan. +This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho. +But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them. + + +Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. +Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine-and-a-half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. +Moses had granted the two-and-a-half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest, +for the sons of Joseph had become two tribes-Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds. +So the Israelites divided the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. +Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. +I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, +but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. +So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.' +"Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! +I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. +Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said." +Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. +So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. +(Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.) Then the land had rest from war. + + +The allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south. +Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Salt Sea, +crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. +It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the sea. This is their southern boundary. +The eastern boundary is the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, +went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. +The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and came out at En Rogel. +Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. +From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). +Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah. +It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea. +The western boundary is the coastline of the Great Sea. These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans. +In accordance with the LORD's command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah-Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) +From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites-Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai-descendants of Anak. +From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). +And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." +Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage. +One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What can I do for you?" +She replied, "Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. +This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, clan by clan: +The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the boundary of Edom were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, +Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, +Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, +Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, +Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), +Amam, Shema, Moladah, +Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, +Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, +Baalah, Iim, Ezem, +Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, +Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, +Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain and Rimmon-a total of twenty-nine towns and their villages. +In the western foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, +Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, +Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, +Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim) -fourteen towns and their villages. +Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, +Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, +Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, +Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, +Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah and Makkedah-sixteen towns and their villages. +Libnah, Ether, Ashan, +Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, +Keilah, Aczib and Mareshah-nine towns and their villages. +Ekron, with its surrounding settlements and villages; +west of Ekron, all that were in the vicinity of Ashdod, together with their villages; +Ashdod, its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea. +In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, +Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), +Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, +Goshen, Holon and Giloh-eleven towns and their villages. +Arab, Dumah, Eshan, +Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, +Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) and Zior-nine towns and their villages. +Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, +Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, +Kain, Gibeah and Timnah-ten towns and their villages. +Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, +Maarath, Beth Anoth and Eltekon-six towns and their villages. +Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah-two towns and their villages. +In the desert: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, +Nibshan, the City of Salt and En Gedi-six towns and their villages. +Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah. + + +The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan of Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. +It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth, +descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the sea. +So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance. +This was the territory of Ephraim, clan by clan: The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon +and continued to the sea. From Micmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah on the east. +Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. +From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, clan by clan. +It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites. +They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor. + + +This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph's firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh's firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers. +So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh-the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans. +Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. +They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the LORD's command. +Manasseh's share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, +because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh. +The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. +(Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) +Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the sea. +On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. +Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth ). +Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. +However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely. +The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly." +"If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites." +The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel." +But Joshua said to the house of Joseph-to Ephraim and Manasseh-"You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment +but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out." + + +The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, +but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. +So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? +Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. +You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north. +After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God. +The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to them." +As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, "Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD." +So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. +Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions. +The lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: +On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the desert of Beth Aven. +From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon. +From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side. +The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. +The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel. +It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. +It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah. +It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary. +The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides. +The tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, had the following cities: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, +Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, +Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, +Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba-twelve towns and their villages. +Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, +Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, +Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, +Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-fourteen towns and their villages. This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans. + + +The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon, clan by clan. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah. +It included: Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, +Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, +Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, +Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, +Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen-thirteen towns and their villages; +Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan-four towns and their villages- +and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, clan by clan. +The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah's portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah. +The third lot came up for Zebulun, clan by clan: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid. +Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam. +It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. +Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. +There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. +Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages. +These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, clan by clan. +The fourth lot came out for Issachar, clan by clan. +Their territory included: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, +Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, +Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, +Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. +The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages. +These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, clan by clan. +The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher, clan by clan. +Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, +Allammelech, Amad and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. +It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Cabul on the left. +It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. +The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the sea in the region of Aczib, +Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages. +These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, clan by clan. +The sixth lot came out for Naphtali, clan by clan: +Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. +The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan on the east. +The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, +Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, +Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, +Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages. +These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, clan by clan. +The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, clan by clan. +The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, +Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, +Elon, Timnah, Ekron, +Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, +Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, +Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa. +(But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather.) +These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, clan by clan. +When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, +as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for-Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there. +These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And so they finished dividing the land. + + +Then the LORD said to Joshua: +"Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, +so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. +"When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. +If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. +He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled." +So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. +On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. +Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly. + + +Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel +at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, "The LORD commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock." +So, as the LORD had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance: +The first lot came out for the Kohathites, clan by clan. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. +The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh. +The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. +The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. +So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. +From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name +(these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them): +They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) +But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. +So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, +Jattir, Eshtemoa, +Holon, Debir, +Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands-nine towns from these two tribes. +And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba, +Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands-four towns. +All the towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were thirteen, together with their pasturelands. +The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim: +In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, +Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands-four towns. +Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, +Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands-four towns. +From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands-two towns. +All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans. +The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshtarah, together with their pasturelands-two towns; +from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath, +Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands-four towns; +from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon, +Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands-four towns; +from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands-three towns. +All the towns of the Gershonite clans were thirteen, together with their pasturelands. +The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah, +Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands-four towns; +from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz, +Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands-four towns; +from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, +Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands-four towns in all. +All the towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, were twelve. +The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. +Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns. +So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. +The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. +Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. + + +Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh +and said to them, "You have done all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. +For a long time now-to this very day-you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you. +Now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. +But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." +Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. +(To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan with their brothers.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, +saying, "Return to your homes with your great wealth-with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing-and divide with your brothers the plunder from your enemies." +So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses. +When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. +And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, +the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them. +So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead-to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. +With him they sent ten of the chief men, one for each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans. +When they went to Gilead-to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh-they said to them: +"The whole assembly of the LORD says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? +Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the LORD! +And are you now turning away from the LORD? "'If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. +If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the LORD's land, where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God. +When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.'" +Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: +"The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the LORD, do not spare us this day. +If we have built our own altar to turn away from the LORD and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the LORD himself call us to account. +"No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, 'What do you have to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? +The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you-you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the LORD.' So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the LORD. +"That is why we said, 'Let us get ready and build an altar-but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.' +On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, 'You have no share in the LORD.' +"And we said, 'If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the LORD's altar, which our fathers built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.' +"Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle." +When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community-the heads of the clans of the Israelites-heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. +And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the LORD in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the LORD's hand." +Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. +They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived. +And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God. + + +After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then old and well advanced in years, +summoned all Israel-their elders, leaders, judges and officials-and said to them: "I am old and well advanced in years. +You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you. +Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain-the nations I conquered-between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. +The LORD your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you. +"Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. +Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. +But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now. +"The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. +One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. +So be very careful to love the LORD your God. +"But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, +then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you. +"Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. +But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. +If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you." + + +Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. +Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. +But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, +and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. +"'Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. +When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. +But they cried to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the desert for a long time. +"'I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. +When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. +But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand. +"'Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. +I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you-also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. +So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.' +"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. +But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." +Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! +It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. +And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God." +Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. +If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." +But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD." +Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.Yes, we are witnesses," they replied. +"Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." +And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and obey him." +On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he drew up for them decrees and laws. +And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. +"See!" he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God." +Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. +After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. +And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. +Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel. +And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants. +And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim. + + + + +After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?" +The LORD answered, "Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands." +Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, "Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours." So the Simeonites went with them. +When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. +It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. +Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. +Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. +The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire. +After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. +They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. +From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). +And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." +Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage. +One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What can I do for you?" +She replied, "Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water." Then Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. +The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad. +Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah. +The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron-each city with its territory. +The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots. +As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. +The Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites. +Now the house of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. +When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), +the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, "Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well." +So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. +He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day. +But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. +When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. +Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. +Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor. +Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob, +and because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. +Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. +The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. +And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the house of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. +The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond. + + +The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, +and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? +Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you." +When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, +and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the LORD. +After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. +The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. +Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. +And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. +After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. +Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. +They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger +because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. +In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. +Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. +Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. +Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD 's commands. +Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. +But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. +Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, +I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. +I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." +The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. + + +These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan +(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): +the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. +They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD 's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses. +The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. +They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. +The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. +The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. +But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. +The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. +So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died. +Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. +Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. +The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. +Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer-Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. +Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. +He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. +After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. +At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him. +Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, +Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. +Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. +Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. +After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." +They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their Lord fallen to the floor, dead. +While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. +When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. +"Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. +At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. +That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years. +After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel. + + +After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. +So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. +Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help. +Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. +She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. +She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. +I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'" +Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." +"Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, +where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. +Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. +When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, +Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. +Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. +At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. +But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left. +Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. +Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my Lord, come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. +"I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. +"Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'" +But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. +Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple-dead. +On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. +And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him. + + +On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: +"When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves- praise the LORD! +"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. +"O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. +The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel. +"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. +Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel. +When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. +My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD! +"You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider +the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates. +'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.' +"Then the men who were left came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty. +Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff. +The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. +Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. +Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves. +The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field. +"Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder. +From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. +The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong! +Then thundered the horses' hoofs- galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds. +'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.' +"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. +He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. +Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. +At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell-dead. +"Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?' +The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself, +'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck- all this as plunder?' +"So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years. + + +Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. +Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. +Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. +They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. +They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. +Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help. +When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian, +he sent them a prophet, who said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. +I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. +I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.' But you have not listened to me." +The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. +When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." +"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." +The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" +"But Lord, "Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." +The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." +Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. +Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you." And the LORD said, "I will wait until you return." +Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. +The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so. +With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. +When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" +But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." +So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. +That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. +Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." +So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. +In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! +They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it." +The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it." +But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar." +So that day they called Gideon "Jerub-Baal, "saying, "Let Baal contend with him," because he broke down Baal's altar. +Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. +Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. +He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. +Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- +look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." +And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew-a bowlful of water. +Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." +That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. + + +Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. +The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, +announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. +But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." +So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." +Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. +The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." +So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. +During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. +If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah +and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. +The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. +Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." +His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." +When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands." +Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. +"Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. +When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" +Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. +The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" +While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. +When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. +Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. +Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. +They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan. + + +Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they criticized him sharply. +But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? +God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" At this, their resentment against him subsided. +Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. +He said to the men of Succoth, "Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." +But the officials of Succoth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?" +Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers." +From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had. +So he said to the men of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower." +Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. +Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsuspecting army. +Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army. +Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. +He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Succoth, the elders of the town. +Then Gideon came and said to the men of Succoth, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, 'Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'" +He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. +He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town. +Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?Men like you," they answered, "each one with the bearing of a prince." +Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you." +Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid. +Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. 'As is the man, so is his strength.'" So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels' necks. +The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us-you, your son and your grandson-because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian." +But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." +And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) +They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. +The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels' necks. +Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. +Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years. +Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. +He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. +His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. +Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. +No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and +did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. +They also failed to show kindness to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for them. + + +Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan, +"Ask all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood." +When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." +They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers. +He went to his father's home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. +Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king. +When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. +One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.' +"But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?' +"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.' +"But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?' +"Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.' +"But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?' +"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.' +"The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!' +"Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves- +and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian +(but today you have revolted against my father's family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)- +if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! +But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" +Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech. +After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, +God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech. +God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. +In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelech. +Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. +After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech. +Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son, and isn't Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech? +If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, 'Call out your whole army!'" +When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. +Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. +Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. +In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever your hand finds to do." +So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. +Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance to the city gate just as Abimelech and his soldiers came out from their hiding place. +When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul replied, "You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men." +But Gaal spoke up again: "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and a company is coming from the direction of the soothsayers' tree." +Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should be subject to him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!" +So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelech. +Abimelech chased him, and many fell wounded in the flight-all the way to the entrance to the gate. +Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. +The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech. +So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. +Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down. +All that day Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it. +On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. +When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there, +he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, "Quick! Do what you have seen me do!" +So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died. +Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. +Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women-all the people of the city-fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. +Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, +a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. +Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died. +When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. +Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. +God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them. + + +After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. +He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. +He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. +He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. +When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. +Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him, +he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, +who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. +The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress. +Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals." +The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, +the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? +But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. +Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" +But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." +Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer. +When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. +The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, "Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all those living in Gilead." + + +Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. +Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family," they said, "because you are the son of another woman." +So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him. +Some time later, when the Ammonites made war on Israel, +the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. +"Come," they said, "be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites." +Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now, when you're in trouble?" +The elders of Gilead said to him, "Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be our head over all who live in Gilead." +Jephthah answered, "Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me-will I really be your head?" +The elders of Gilead replied, "The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say." +So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah. +Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: "What do you have against us that you have attacked our country?" +The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah's messengers, "When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably." +Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, +saying: "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. +But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Red Sea and on to Kadesh. +Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Give us permission to go through your country,' but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. +"Next they traveled through the desert, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border. +"Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own place.' +Sihon, however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his men and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. +"Then the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his men into Israel's hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, +capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan. +"Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? +Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess. +Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them? +For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn't you retake them during that time? +I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites." +The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him. +Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. +And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, +whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD 's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." +Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. +He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. +When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. +When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." +"My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. +But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry." +"You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. +After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite custom +that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. + + +The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head." +Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. +When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?" +Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh." +The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," +they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.'" If he said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time. +Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in a town in Gilead. +After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. +He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. +Then Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem. +After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. +Then Elon died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. +After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel. +He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. +Then Abdon son of Hillel died, and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. + + +Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. +A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. +The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. +Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, +because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." +Then the woman went to her husband and told him, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. +But he said to me, 'You will conceive and give birth to a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth until the day of his death.'" +Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born." +God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. +The woman hurried to tell her husband, "He's here! The man who appeared to me the other day!" +Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, "Are you the one who talked to my wife?I am," he said. +So Manoah asked him, "When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?" +The angel of the LORD answered, "Your wife must do all that I have told her. +She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her." +Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you." +The angel of the LORD replied, "Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD." (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.) +Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?" +He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding. " +Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: +As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. +When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD. +"We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!" +But his wife answered, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this." +The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him, +and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. + + +Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. +When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." +His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." +(His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.) +Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. +The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. +Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her. +Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, +which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass. +Now his father went down to see the woman. And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. +When he appeared, he was given thirty companions. +"Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to them. "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. +If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it." +He replied, "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet." For three days they could not give the answer. +On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, "Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father's household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?" +Then Samson's wife threw herself on him, sobbing, "You hate me! You don't really love me. You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer.I haven't even explained it to my father or mother," he replied, "so why should I explain it to you?" +She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people. +Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle." +Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. +And Samson's wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding. + + +Later on, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said, "I'm going to my wife's room." But her father would not let him go in. +"I was so sure you thoroughly hated her," he said, "that I gave her to your friend. Isn't her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead." +Samson said to them, "This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them." +So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, +lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves. +When the Philistines asked, "Who did this?" they were told, "Samson, the Timnite's son-in-law, because his wife was given to his friend." So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. +Samson said to them, "Since you've acted like this, I won't stop until I get my revenge on you." +He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam. +The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. +The men of Judah asked, "Why have you come to fight us?We have come to take Samson prisoner," they answered, "to do to him as he did to us." +Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Don't you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?" He answered, "I merely did to them what they did to me." +They said to him, "We've come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines." Samson said, "Swear to me that you won't kill me yourselves." +"Agreed," they answered. "We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you." So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. +As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. +Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. +Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men." +When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi. +Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the LORD, "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" +Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. +Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. + + +One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. +The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." +But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. +Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. +The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver." +So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued." +Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man." +Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. +With men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. +Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied." +He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man." +So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. +Delilah then said to Samson, "Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied." He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric +and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. +Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." +With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. +So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man." +When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. +Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. +Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him. +Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. +But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. +Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." +When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain." +While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, +Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." +Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. +Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." +Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, +Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. +Then his brothers and his father's whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years. + + +Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim +said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse-I have that silver with me; I took it." Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!" +When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you." +So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house. +Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. +In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. +A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, +left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. +Micah asked him, "Where are you from?I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay." +Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food." +So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons. +Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. +And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." + + +In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. +So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans. They told them, "Go, explore the land." The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. +When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?" +He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, "He has hired me and I am his priest." +Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful." +The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD 's approval." +So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, unsuspecting and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else. +When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, "How did you find things?" +They answered, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen that the land is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take it over. +When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever." +Then six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. +On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan to this day. +From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house. +Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do." +So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and greeted him. +The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance to the gate. +The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate. +When these men went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" +They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?" +Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. +Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left. +When they had gone some distance from Micah's house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. +As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?" +He replied, "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, 'What's the matter with you?'" +The Danites answered, "Don't argue with us, or some hot-tempered men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives." +So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home. +Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. +There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. +They named it Dan after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel-though the city used to be called Laish. +There the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. +They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh. + + +In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. +But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, +her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. +His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there. +On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go." +So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the girl's father said, "Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself." +And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. +On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the girl's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!" So the two of them ate together. +Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Now look, it's almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home." +But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine. +When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let's stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night." +His master replied, "No. We won't go into an alien city, whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah." +He added, "Come, let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places." +So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. +There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night. +That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. +When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?" +He answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house. +We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants-me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don't need anything." +"You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square." +So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink. +While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him." +The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. +Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing." +But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. +At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight. +When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. +He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. +When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. +Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!" + + +Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out as one man and assembled before the LORD in Mizpah. +The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords. +(The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, "Tell us how this awful thing happened." +So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, "I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. +During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died. +I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel's inheritance, because they committed this lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. +Now, all you Israelites, speak up and give your verdict." +All the people rose as one man, saying, "None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. +But now this is what we'll do to Gibeah: We'll go up against it as the lot directs. +We'll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for all this vileness done in Israel." +So all the men of Israel got together and united as one man against the city. +The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What about this awful crime that was committed among you? +Now surrender those wicked men of Gibeah so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. +From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. +At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred chosen men from those living in Gibeah. +Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. +Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fighting men. +The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?" The LORD replied, "Judah shall go first." +The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. +The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. +The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day. +But the men of Israel encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. +The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them." +Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. +This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with swords. +Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD. +And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, +with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministering before it.) They asked, "Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin our brother, or not?" The LORD responded, "Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands." +Then Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. +They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before. +The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads-the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah. +While the Benjamites were saying, "We are defeating them as before," the Israelites were saying, "Let's retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads." +All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place on the west of Gibeah. +Then ten thousand of Israel's finest men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize how near disaster was. +The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. +Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten. Now the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah. +The men who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword. +The men of Israel had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, +and then the men of Israel would turn in the battle. The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the men of Israel (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." +But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky. +Then the men of Israel turned on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come upon them. +So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the desert, but they could not escape the battle. And the men of Israel who came out of the towns cut them down there. +They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. +Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters. +As they turned and fled toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon, the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more. +On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters. +But six hundred men turned and fled into the desert to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. +The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire. + + +The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: "Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite." +The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. +"O LORD, the God of Israel," they cried, "why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?" +Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. +Then the Israelites asked, "Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the LORD?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah should certainly be put to death. +Now the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites. "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel," they said. +"How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?" +Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah?" They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. +For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there. +So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. +"This is what you are to do," they said. "Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin." +They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan. +Then the whole assembly sent an offer of peace to the Benjamites at the rock of Rimmon. +So the Benjamites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them. +The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. +And the elders of the assembly said, "With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? +The Benjamite survivors must have heirs," they said, "so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. +We can't give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.' +But look, there is the annual festival of the LORD in Shiloh, to the north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of Lebonah." +So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, "Go and hide in the vineyards +and watch. When the girls of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, then rush from the vineyards and each of you seize a wife from the girls of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin. +When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, 'Do us a kindness by helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war, and you are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'" +So that is what the Benjamites did. While the girls were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them. +At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance. +In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. + + + + +In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. +The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. +Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. +They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, +both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. +When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. +With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. +Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. +May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud +and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people." +But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? +Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- +would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!" +At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. +"Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." +But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. +Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." +When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. +So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?" +"Don't call me Naomi, "she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. +I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." +So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. + + +Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz. +And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter." +So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. +Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!The LORD bless you!" they called back. +Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, "Whose young woman is that?" +The foreman replied, "She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. +She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter." +So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. +Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled." +At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me-a foreigner?" +Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. +May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." +"May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant-though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls." +At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar." When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. +As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. +Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her." +So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. +She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. +Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said. +"The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." +Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He even said to me, 'Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.'" +Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." +So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law. + + +One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? +Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. +Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. +When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." +"I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. +So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. +When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. +In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. +"Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer." +"The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. +And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. +Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. +Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning." +So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor." +He also said, "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town. +When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?" Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her +and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" +Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today." + + +Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down. +Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. +Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. +I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.I will redeem it," he said. +Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property." +At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it." +(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) +So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he removed his sandal. +Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. +I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!" +Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. +Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah." +So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. +The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! +He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." +Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. +The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. +This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, +Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, +Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, +Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, +Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. + + + + +There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. +He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. +Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. +Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. +But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. +And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. +This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. +Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" +Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. +In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. +And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." +As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. +Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk +and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." +"Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. +Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." +Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." +She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. +Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. +So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him." +When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, +Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always." +"Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. +After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. +When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, +and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. +I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. +So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. + + +Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. +"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. +"Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. +"The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. +Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away. +"The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. +The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. +He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world. +He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails; +those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed." +Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest. +Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD. +Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. +He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. +But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest some meat to roast; he won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw." +If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned up first, and then take whatever you want," the servant would then answer, "No, hand it over now; if you don't, I'll take it by force." +This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's sight, for they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt. +But Samuel was ministering before the LORD -a boy wearing a linen ephod. +Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. +Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would go home. +And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD. +Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. +No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the LORD's people. +If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the LORD's will to put them to death. +And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men. +Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? +I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. +Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?' +"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. +The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line +and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. +Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. +"'And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you-they will both die on the same day. +I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always. +Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, "Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat."'" + + +The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. +One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. +The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. +Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." +And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. +Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me.My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." +Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. +The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. +So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. +The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." +And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. +At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family-from beginning to end. +For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. +Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, 'The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.'" +Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, +but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son." Samuel answered, "Here I am." +"What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." +So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes." +The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. +And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. +The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. + + +And Samuel's word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. +The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. +When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies." +So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. +When the ark of the LORD's covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. +Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, "What's all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?" When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, +the Philistines were afraid. "A god has come into the camp," they said. "We're in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. +Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. +Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!" +So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. +The ark of God was captured, and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. +That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head. +When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry. +Eli heard the outcry and asked, "What is the meaning of this uproar?" The man hurried over to Eli, +who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes were set so that he could not see. +He told Eli, "I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day." Eli asked, "What happened, my son?" +The man who brought the news replied, "Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured." +When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years. +His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. +As she was dying, the women attending her said, "Don't despair; you have given birth to a son." But she did not respond or pay any attention. +She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel"-because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. +She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured." + + +After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. +Then they carried the ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. +When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. +But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. +That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon's temple at Ashdod step on the threshold. +The LORD's hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumors. +When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god." +So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, "What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?" They answered, "Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath." So they moved the ark of the God of Israel. +But after they had moved it, the LORD's hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. +So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people." +So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people." For death had filled the city with panic; God's hand was very heavy upon it. +Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven. + + +When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory seven months, +the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place." +They answered, "If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you." +The Philistines asked, "What guilt offering should we send to him?" They replied, "Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. +Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and pay honor to Israel's god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. +Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way? +"Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. +Take the ark of the LORD and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, +but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us and that it happened to us by chance." +So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. +They placed the ark of the LORD on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. +Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh. +Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. +The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. +The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD. +The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron. +These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the LORD -one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. +And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers-the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock, on which they set the ark of the LORD, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. +But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them, +and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, "Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?" +Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to your place." + + +So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They took it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD. +It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. +And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." +So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. +Then Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you." +When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. +When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. +They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines." +Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him. +While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. +The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. +Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." +So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. +The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. +Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. +From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. +But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD. + + +When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. +The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. +But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. +So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. +They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." +But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. +And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. +As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. +Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." +Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. +He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. +Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. +He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. +He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. +He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. +Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. +He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. +When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." +But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. +Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." +When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. +The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go back to his town." + + +There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. +He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites-a head taller than any of the others. +Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys." +So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them. +When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, "Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us." +But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take." +Saul said to his servant, "If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?" +The servant answered him again. "Look," he said, "I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take." +(Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.) +"Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So they set out for the town where the man of God was. +As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?" +"He is," they answered. "He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. +As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time." +They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place. +Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel: +"About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me." +When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people." +Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?" +"I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. +As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" +Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" +Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited-about thirty in number. +Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside." +So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, 'I have invited guests.'" And Saul dined with Samuel that day. +After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. +They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. +As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"-and the servant did so-"but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God." + + +Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance? +When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, "What shall I do about my son?"' +"Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. +They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them. +"After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. +The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. +Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. +"Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do." +As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. +When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. +When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" +A man who lived there answered, "And who is their father?" So it became a saying: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" +After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place. +Now Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?Looking for the donkeys," he said. "But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel." +Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you." +Saul replied, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship. +Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah +and said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.' +But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, 'No, set a king over us.' So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans." +When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. +Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. +So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage." +They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. +Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!" +Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home. +Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. +But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. + + +Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, "Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you." +But Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel." +The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you." +When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. +Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, "What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?" Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said. +When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger. +He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, "This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel." Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man. +When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand. +They told the messengers who had come, "Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.'" When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. +They said to the Ammonites, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you." +The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. +The people then said to Samuel, "Who was it that asked, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring these men to us and we will put them to death." +But Saul said, "No one shall be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel." +Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship." +So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration. + + +Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. +Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. +Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right." +"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand." +Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.He is witness," they said. +Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt. +Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your fathers. +"After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. +"But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. +They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.' +Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely. +"But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us'-even though the LORD your God was your king. +Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you. +If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God-good! +But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers. +"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! +Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king." +Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel. +The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king." +"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. +Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. +For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. +As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. +But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. +Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." + + +Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years. +Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes. +Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" +So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. +The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. +When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. +Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. +He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. +So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. "And Saul offered up the burnt offering. +Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. +"What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, +I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." +"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. +But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." +Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. +Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. +Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, +another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert. +Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" +So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. +The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. +So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. +Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. + + +One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father. +Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, +among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left. +On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. +One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba. +Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." +"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." +Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. +If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. +But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands." +So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines. "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." +The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson." So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel." +Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. +In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. +Then panic struck the whole army-those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties-and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. +Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. +Then Saul said to the men who were with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there. +Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.) +While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." +Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. +Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. +When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. +So the LORD rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven. +Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food. +The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. +When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. +But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. +Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." +Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. +How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" +That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. +They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. +Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that has blood in it.You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." +Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it.'" So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. +Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had done this. +Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here." +So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day. +Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. +As surely as the LORD who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of the men said a word. +Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.Do what seems best to you," the men replied. +Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. +Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. +Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?" +Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." +But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die-he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. +Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land. +After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. +He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them. +Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. +His wife's name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul's army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul's uncle. +Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel. +All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service. + + +Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. +This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. +Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" +So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim-two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. +Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. +Then he said to the Kenites, "Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. +Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. +He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. +But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. +Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: +"I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. +Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal." +When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions." +But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" +Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest." +"Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.Tell me," Saul replied. +Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. +And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' +Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?" +"But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. +The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." +But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. +For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." +Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. +Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD." +But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!" +As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. +Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors-to one better than you. +He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." +Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God." +So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. +Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." +But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal. +Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. +Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel. + + +The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." +But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' +Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." +Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?" +Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. +When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." +But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." +Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." +Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." +Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." +So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." +So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." +So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. +Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. +Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. +Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." +So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." +One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." +Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." +So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. +David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. +Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him." +Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. + + +Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. +Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. +The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. +A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. +He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; +on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. +His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. +Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. +If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." +Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." +On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. +Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. +Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. +David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, +but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem. +For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. +Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. +Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. +They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines." +Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. +Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. +David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. +As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. +When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. +Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel." +David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" +They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." +When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." +"Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" +He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. +What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. +David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." +Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." +But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, +I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. +Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. +The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." +Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. +David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. +Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. +Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. +He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. +He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. +"Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" +David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. +This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. +All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." +As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. +Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. +So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. +David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. +Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. +When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. +David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent. +As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know." +The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is." +As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head. +"Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem." + + +After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. +From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. +And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. +Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. +Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well. +When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. +As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." +Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" +And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. +The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand +and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. +Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul. +So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. +In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. +When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. +But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns. +Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD." For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!" +But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?" +So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. +Now Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. +"I will give her to him," he thought, "so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law." +Then Saul ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, 'Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.'" +They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known." +When Saul's servants told him what David had said, +Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. +When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, +David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. +When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, +Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. +The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known. + + +Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David +and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. +I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out." +Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. +He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" +Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death." +So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before. +Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him. +But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, +Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. +Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." +So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. +Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. +When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." +Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, "Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him." +But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. +Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, 'Let me get away. Why should I kill you?'" +When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. +Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; +so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. +Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. +Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. +So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. +He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" + + +Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?" +"Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!" +But David took an oath and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death." +Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you." +So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. +If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.' +If he says, 'Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. +As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?" +"Never!" Jonathan said. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?" +David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?" +"Come," Jonathan said, "let's go out into the field." So they went there together. +Then Jonathan said to David: "By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? +But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. +But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, +and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family-not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth." +So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." +And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself. +Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. +The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. +I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. +Then I will send a boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,' then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe; there is no danger. +But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away. +And about the matter you and I discussed-remember, the LORD is witness between you and me forever." +So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat. +He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty. +Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean-surely he is unclean." +But the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" +Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. +He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table." +Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? +As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!" +"Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father. +But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. +Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David. +In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, +and he said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. +When the boy came to the place where Jonathan's arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?" +Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. +(The boy knew nothing of all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) +Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, "Go, carry them back to town." +After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together-but David wept the most. +Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.'" Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town. + + +David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?" +David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. +Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find." +But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here-provided the men have kept themselves from women." +David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!" +So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away. +Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the LORD; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd. +David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent." +The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one." David said, "There is none like it; give it to me." +That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. +But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" +David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. +So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. +Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? +Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?" + + +David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. +All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. +From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?" +So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. +But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. +Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. +Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? +Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today." +But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. +Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine." +Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. +Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub.Yes, my lord," he answered. +Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?" +Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? +Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair." +But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family." +Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me." But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. +The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. +He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. +But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. +He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. +Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. +Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me." + + +When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," +he inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah." +But David's men said to him, "Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!" +Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand." +So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. +(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.) +Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." +And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. +When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." +David said, "O LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. +Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will." +Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will." +So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there. +David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. +While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. +And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. +"Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." +The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. +The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? +Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king." +Saul replied, "The LORD bless you for your concern for me. +Go and make further preparation. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. +Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah." +So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. +Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David. +Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, +a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land." +Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. +And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi. + + +After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." +So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. +He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. +The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe. +Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. +He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." +With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. +Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. +He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? +This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD's anointed.' +See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. +May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. +As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. +"Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? +May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand." +When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. +"You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. +You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. +When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. +I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. +Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family." +So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. + + +Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon. +A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. +His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings. +While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. +So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. +Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! +"'Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. +Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.'" +When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited. +Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. +Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?" +David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. +David said to his men, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies. +One of the servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: "David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. +Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. +Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them. +Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him." +Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. +Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. +As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. +David had just said, "It's been useless-all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. +May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!" +When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. +She fell at his feet and said: "My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. +May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name-his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent. +"Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. +And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. +Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. +Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. +When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, +my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant." +David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. +May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. +Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak." +Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request." +When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until daybreak. +Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. +About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died. +When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head." Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. +His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife." +She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants." +Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. +David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. +But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim. + + +The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?" +So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David. +Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, +he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived. +Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him. +David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?I'll go with you," said Abishai. +So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. +Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice." +But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? +As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. +But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go." +So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep. +Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. +He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?" Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?" +David said, "You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. +What you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the LORD's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?" +Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?" David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." +And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? +Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the LORD has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD! They have now driven me from my share in the LORD's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' +Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea-as one hunts a partridge in the mountains." +Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly." +"Here is the king's spear," David answered. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. +The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. +As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble." +Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph." So David went on his way, and Saul returned home. + + +But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand." +So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath. +David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. +When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. +Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" +So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. +David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months. +Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) +Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish. +When Achish asked, "Where did you go raiding today?" David would say, "Against the Negev of Judah" or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel" or "Against the Negev of the Kenites." +He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, "They might inform on us and say, 'This is what David did.'" And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. +Achish trusted David and said to himself, "He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever." + + +In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army." +David said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do." Achish replied, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life." +Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. +The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. +When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. +He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. +Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.There is one in Endor," they said. +So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name." +But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?" +Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this." +Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?Bring up Samuel," he said. +When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" +The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the ground." +"What does he look like?" he asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. +Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do." +Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? +The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors-to David. +Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. +The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines." +Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night. +When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. +Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way." +He refused and said, "I will not eat." But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch. +The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. +Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left. + + +The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. +As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish. +The commanders of the Philistines asked, "What about these Hebrews?" Achish replied, "Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him." +But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master's favor than by taking the heads of our own men? +Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" +So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don't approve of you. +Turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers." +"But what have I done?" asked David. "What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" +Achish answered, "I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, 'He must not go up with us into battle.' +Now get up early, along with your master's servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light." +So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel. + + +David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, +and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. +When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. +So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. +David's two wives had been captured-Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. +David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. +Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, +and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." +David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind, +for two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the ravine. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit. +They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat- +part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. +David asked him, "To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. +We raided the Negev of the Kerethites and the territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag." +David asked him, "Can you lead me down to this raiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them." +He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. +David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. +David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. +Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. +He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, "This is David's plunder." +Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them. +But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go." +David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. +Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." +David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this. +When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, "Here is a present for you from the plunder of the LORD's enemies." +He sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; +to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa +and Racal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; +to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach +and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where David and his men had roamed. + + +Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. +The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. +The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. +Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. +When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. +So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day. +When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them. +The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. +They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. +They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. +When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul, +all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. +Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. + + + + +After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. +On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor. +"Where have you come from?" David asked him. He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp." +"What happened?" David asked. "Tell me." He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." +Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" +"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. +When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?' +"He asked me, 'Who are you?'"'An Amalekite,' I answered. +"Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.' +"So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord." +Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. +They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. +David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered. +David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?" +Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died. +For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the LORD's anointed.'" +David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, +and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar): +"Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! +"Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice. +"O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul-no longer rubbed with oil. +From the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied. +"Saul and Jonathan- in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. +"O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold. +"How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. +I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women. +"How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!" + + +In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?To Hebron," the LORD answered. +So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. +David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. +Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When David was told that it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul, +he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead to say to them, "The LORD bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. +May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. +Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them." +Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. +He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. +Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. +The length of time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. +Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. +Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side. +Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.All right, let them do it," Joab said. +So they stood up and were counted off-twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. +Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim. +The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's men. +The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle. +He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. +Abner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?It is," he answered. +Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel would not stop chasing him. +Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?" +But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died. +But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. +Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill. +Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?" +Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning. " +So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore. +All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim. +Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing. +But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. +They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak. + + +The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. +Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; +his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; +the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; +and the sixth, Ithream the son of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron. +During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. +Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?" +Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said and he answered, "Am I a dog's head-on Judah's side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven't handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! +May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised him on oath +and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David's throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba." +Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him. +Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, "Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you." +"Good," said David. "I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me." +Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins." +So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. +Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home!" So he went back. +Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, "For some time you have wanted to make David your king. +Now do it! For the LORD promised David, 'By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'" +Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do. +When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men. +Then Abner said to David, "Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a compact with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. +Just then David's men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. +When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace. +So Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! +You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing." +Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. +Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died. +Later, when David heard about this, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. +May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house! May Joab's house never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food." +(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.) +Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner." King David himself walked behind the bier. +They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb. All the people wept also. +The king sang this lament for Abner: "Should Abner have died as the lawless die? +Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before wicked men." And all the people wept over him again. +Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!" +All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. +So on that day all the people and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner. +Then the king said to his men, "Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? +And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!" + + +When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. +Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin-Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, +because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day. +(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.) +Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. +They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away. +They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah. +They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring." +David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, +when a man told me, 'Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! +How much more-when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed-should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!" +So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron. + + +All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. +In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'" +When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. +David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. +In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. +The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here." +Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. +On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies. "That is why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace." +David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. +And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him. +Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. +And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. +After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. +These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, +Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, +Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. +When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. +Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; +so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you." +So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. +The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. +Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; +so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. +As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." +So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. + + +David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. +He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. +They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart +with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. +David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. +When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. +The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God. +Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. +David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" +He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. +The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. +Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. +When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. +David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, +while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. +As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. +They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. +After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. +Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. +When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" +David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel-I will celebrate before the LORD. +I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." +And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. + + +After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, +he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." +Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." +That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: +"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? +I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. +Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' +"Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. +I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. +And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning +and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: +When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. +He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. +I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. +But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. +Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'" +Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. +Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? +And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? +"What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. +For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. +"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. +And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? +You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. +"And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, +so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you. +"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. +O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. +Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." + + +In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines. +David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute. +Moreover, David fought Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. +David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses. +When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. +He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. +David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. +From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze. +When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, +he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze. +King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: +Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. +And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. +He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. +David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. +Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; +Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; +Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were royal advisers. + + +David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" +Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?Your servant," he replied. +The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet." +"Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." +So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. +When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!Your servant," he replied. +"Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." +Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" +Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. +You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) +Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. +Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. +And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet. + + +In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. +David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, +the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?" +So Hanun seized David's men, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away. +When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, "Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back." +When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David's nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob. +On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. +The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country. +Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. +He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. +Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. +Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." +Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. +When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem. +After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. +Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the River; they went to Helam, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them. +When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. +But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. +When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore. + + +In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. +One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, +and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" +Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. +The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." +So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David. +When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. +Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. +But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house. +When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?" +Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" +Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. +At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home. +In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. +In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." +So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. +When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. +Joab sent David a full account of the battle. +He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, +the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? +Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'" +The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. +The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance to the city gate. +Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead." +David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab." +When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. +After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD. + + +The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. +The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, +but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. +"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him." +David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! +He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." +Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. +I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. +Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. +Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' +"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. +You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'" +Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. +But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." +After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. +David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. +The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. +On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." +David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead." +Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. +His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" +He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' +But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." +Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; +and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah. +Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. +Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. +Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me." +So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. +He took the crown from the head of their king -its weight was a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones-and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city +and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. + + +In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. +Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. +Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. +He asked Amnon, "Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." +"Go to bed and pretend to be ill," Jonadab said. "When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.'" +So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand." +David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him." +So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. +Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. "Send everyone out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left him. +Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. +But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister." +"Don't, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. +What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." +But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. +Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!" +"No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her. +He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her." +So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. +Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went. +Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. +When King David heard all this, he was furious. +Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. +Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. +Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?" +"No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing. +Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" +But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons. +Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave." +So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. +While they were on their way, the report came to David: "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left." +The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. +But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's expressed intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. +My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead." +Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, "I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill." +Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons are here; it has happened just as your servant said." +As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly. +Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned for his son every day. +After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. +And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death. + + +Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom. +So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. +Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth. +When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, "Help me, O king!" +The king asked her, "What is troubling you?" She said, "I am indeed a widow; my husband is dead. +I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. +Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.' They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth." +The king said to the woman, "Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf." +But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "My lord the king, let the blame rest on me and on my father's family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt." +The king replied, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you again." +She said, "Then let the king invoke the LORD his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground." +Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.Speak," he replied. +The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? +Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. +"And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; perhaps he will do what his servant asks. +Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from the inheritance God gave us.' +"And now your servant says, 'May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.'" +Then the king said to the woman, "Do not keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.Let my lord the king speak," the woman said. +The king asked, "Isn't the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. +Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God-he knows everything that happens in the land." +The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom." +Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant's request." +Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. +But the king said, "He must go to his own house; he must not see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king. +In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. +Whenever he cut the hair of his head-he used to cut his hair from time to time when it became too heavy for him-he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard. +Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. The daughter's name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman. +Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face. +Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. +Then he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. +Then Joab did go to Absalom's house and he said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" +Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent word to you and said, 'Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!"' Now then, I want to see the king's face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death." +So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom. + + +In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. +He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." +Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you." +And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice." +Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. +Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel. +At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD. +While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: 'If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron. '" +The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron. +Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" +Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. +While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing. +A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." +Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us and put the city to the sword." +The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses." +The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. +So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at a place some distance away. +All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king. +The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. +You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you." +But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be." +David said to Ittai, "Go ahead, march on." So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him. +The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert. +Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city. +Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. +But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him." +The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Aren't you a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take your two sons with you. +I will wait at the fords in the desert until word comes from you to inform me." +So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there. +But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. +Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "O LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness." +When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. +David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. +But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; I was your father's servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,' then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel's advice. +Won't the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king's palace. +Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear." +So David's friend Hushai arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city. + + +When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine. +The king asked Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert." +The king then asked, "Where is your master's grandson?" Ziba said to him, "He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, 'Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.'" +Then the king said to Ziba, "All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.I humbly bow," Ziba said. "May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king." +As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. +He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. +As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! +The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!" +Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." +But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?'" +David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. +It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." +So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. +The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself. +Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. +Then Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to Absalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" +Absalom asked Hushai, "Is this the love you show your friend? Why didn't you go with your friend?" +Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the LORD, by these people, and by all the men of Israel-his I will be, and I will remain with him. +Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you." +Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?" +Ahithophel answered, "Lie with your father's concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father's nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened." +So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. +Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice. + + +Ahithophel said to Absalom, "I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. +I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king +and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed." +This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel. +But Absalom said, "Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say." +When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, "Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion." +Hushai replied to Absalom, "The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. +You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops. +Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place. If he should attack your troops first, whoever hears about it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.' +Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave. +"So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba-as numerous as the sand on the seashore-be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. +Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. +If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a piece of it can be found." +Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel." For the LORD had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom. +Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, "Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. +Now send a message immediately and tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords in the desert; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.'" +Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A servant girl was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. +But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left quickly and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. +His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it. +When Absalom's men came to the woman at the house, they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman answered them, "They crossed over the brook." The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem. +After the men had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, "Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you." +So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. +When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb. +David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. +Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether, an Israelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. +The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. +When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim +brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, +honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows' milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, "The people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert." + + +David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. +David sent the troops out-a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, "I myself will surely march out with you." +But the men said, "You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city." +The king answered, "I will do whatever seems best to you." So the king stood beside the gate while all the men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. +The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, "Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake." And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders. +The army marched into the field to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. +There the army of Israel was defeated by David's men, and the casualties that day were great-twenty thousand men. +The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword. +Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going. +When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree." +Joab said to the man who had told him this, "What! You saw him? Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt." +But the man replied, "Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. ' +And if I had put my life in jeopardy -and nothing is hidden from the king-you would have kept your distance from me." +Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. +And ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him. +Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. +They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes. +During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day. +Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies." +"You are not the one to take the news today," Joab told him. "You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king's son is dead." +Then Joab said to a Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off. +Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, "Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite." But Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to go? You don't have any news that will bring you a reward." +He said, "Come what may, I want to run." So Joab said, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite. +While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. +The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, "If he is alone, he must have good news." And the man came closer and closer. +Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "He must be bringing good news, too." +The watchman said, "It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.He's a good man," the king said. "He comes with good news." +Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well!" He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king." +The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king's servant and me, your servant, but I don't know what it was." +The king said, "Stand aside and wait here." So he stepped aside and stood there. +Then the Cushite arrived and said, "My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has delivered you today from all who rose up against you." +The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man." +The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you-O Absalom, my son, my son!" + + +Joab was told, "The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom." +And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, "The king is grieving for his son." +The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle. +The king covered his face and cried aloud, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!" +Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, "Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. +You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. +Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now." +So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, "The king is sitting in the gateway," they all came before him. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes. +Throughout the tribes of Israel, the people were all arguing with each other, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines. But now he has fled the country because of Absalom; +and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?" +King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: "Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace, since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters? +You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?' +And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.'" +He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. They sent word to the king, "Return, you and all your men." +Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan. Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan. +Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. +With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul's household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was. +They crossed at the ford to take the king's household over and to do whatever he wished. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king +and said to him, "May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. +For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king." +Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the LORD's anointed." +David replied, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?" +So the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king promised him on oath. +Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. +When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, "Why didn't you go with me, Mephibosheth?" +He said, "My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, 'I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.' But Ziba my servant betrayed me. +And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever pleases you. +All my grandfather's descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?" +The king said to him, "Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the fields." +Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has arrived home safely." +Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there. +Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. +The king said to Barzillai, "Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you." +But Barzillai answered the king, "How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? +I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? +Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way? +Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever pleases you." +The king said, "Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever pleases you. And anything you desire from me I will do for you." +So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai returned to his home. +When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over. +Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, "Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?" +All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king's provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?" +Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king; and besides, we have a greater claim on David than you have. So why do you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the men of Judah responded even more harshly than the men of Israel. + + +Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, "We have no share in David, no part in Jesse's son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!" +So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem. +When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows. +Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself." +But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him. +David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us." +So Joab's men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri. +While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath. +Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. +Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab's hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri. +One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!" +Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. +After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri. +Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him. +All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, +a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him." +He went toward her, and she asked, "Are you Joab?I am," he answered. She said, "Listen to what your servant has to say.I'm listening," he said. +She continued, "Long ago they used to say, 'Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it. +We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the LORD's inheritance?" +"Far be it from me!" Joab replied, "Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! +That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you from the wall." +Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem. +Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; +Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; +Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; +and Ira the Jairite was David's priest. + + +During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death." +The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) +David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?" +The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.What do you want me to do for you?" David asked. +They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, +let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul-the Lord 's chosen one." So the king said, "I will give them to you." +The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. +But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. +He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning. +Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night. +When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done, +he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) +David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up. +They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land. +Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. +And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. +But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished." +In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha. +In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod. +In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot-twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. +When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him. +These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men. + + +David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. +He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; +my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior- from violent men you save me. +I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. +"The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. +The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. +In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. +"The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. +Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. +He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. +He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. +He made darkness his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky. +Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. +The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. +He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them. +The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils. +"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. +He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. +They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. +He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. +"The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. +For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. +All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. +I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. +The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. +"To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, +to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. +You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. +You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light. +With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. +"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. +For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? +It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. +He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. +He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. +You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. +You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. +"I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. +I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. +You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. +You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. +They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the LORD, but he did not answer. +I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets. +"You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me, +and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me. +They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. +"The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! +He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, +who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. +Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. +He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever." + + +These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel's singer of songs: +"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. +The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: 'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, +he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.' +"Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? +But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. +Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie." +These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. +Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, +but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. +Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. +But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. +During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. +At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. +David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" +So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. +"Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. +Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. +Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them. +Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. +And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. +Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. +He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. +Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, +Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, +Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, +Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, +Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, +Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, +Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash, +Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, +Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan +son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, +Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, +Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, +Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri, +Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, +Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite +and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. + + +Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." +So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are." +But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?" +The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. +After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. +They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. +Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah. +After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. +Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand. +David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." +Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: +"Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'" +So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me." +David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." +So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. +When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. +When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family." +On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." +So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. +When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. +Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped." +Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. +O king, Araunah gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept you." +But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. +David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. + + + + +When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. +So his servants said to him, "Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm." +Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. +The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her. +Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. +(His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) +Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. +But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah. +Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials, +but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon. +Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it? +Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. +Go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' +While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said." +So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. +Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. "What is it you want?" the king asked. +She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' +But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. +He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. +My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. +Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals." +While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. +And they told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground. +Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? +Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' +But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. +Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" +Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him. +The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, +I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place." +Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever!" +King David said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." When they came before the king, +he said to them: "Take your lord's servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. +There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' +Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah." +Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. +As the LORD was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!" +So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon. +Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" +And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. +Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?" +Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news." +"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king. +The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king's mule, +and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That's the noise you hear. +Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. +Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!' And the king bowed in worship on his bed +and said, 'Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.'" +At this, all Adonijah's guests rose in alarm and dispersed. +But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. +Then Solomon was told, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'" +Solomon replied, "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die." +Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, "Go to your home." + + +When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. +"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, +and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, +and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' +"Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me-what he did to the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. +Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. +"But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom. +"And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: 'I will not put you to death by the sword.' +But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood." +Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. +He had reigned forty years over Israel-seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. +So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established. +Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. Bathsheba asked him, "Do you come peacefully?" He answered, "Yes, peacefully." +Then he added, "I have something to say to you.You may say it," she replied. +"As you know," he said, "the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the LORD. +Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.You may make it," she said. +So he continued, "Please ask King Solomon-he will not refuse you-to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife." +"Very well," Bathsheba replied, "I will speak to the king for you." +When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat down at his right hand. +"I have one small request to make of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." The king replied, "Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you." +So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah." +King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him-after all, he is my older brother-yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!" +Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! +And now, as surely as the LORD lives-he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised-Adonijah shall be put to death today!" +So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died. +To Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign LORD before my father David and shared all my father's hardships." +So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD, fulfilling the word the LORD had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli. +When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. +King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, "Go, strike him down!" +So Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, "The king says, 'Come out!'" But he answered, "No, I will die here." Benaiah reported to the king, "This is how Joab answered me." +Then the king commanded Benaiah, "Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father's house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. +The LORD will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them-Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army-were better men and more upright than he. +May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the LORD's peace forever." +So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert. +The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab's position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest. +Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. +The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head." +Shimei answered the king, "What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said." And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time. +But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran off to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath." +At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath. +When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, +the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, 'On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die'? At that time you said to me, 'What you say is good. I will obey.' +Why then did you not keep your oath to the LORD and obey the command I gave you?" +The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the LORD will repay you for your wrongdoing. +But King Solomon will be blessed, and David's throne will remain secure before the LORD forever." +Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him. The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon's hands. + + +Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. +The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. +Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. +The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. +At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." +Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. +"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. +Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. +So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" +The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. +So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, +I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. +Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. +And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." +Then Solomon awoke-and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court. +Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. +One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. +The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. +"During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. +So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. +The next morning, I got up to nurse my son-and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne." +The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king. +The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'" +Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. +He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." +The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" +Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." +When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. + + +So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. +And these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok-the priest; +Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha-secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud-recorder; +Benaiah son of Jehoiada-commander in chief; Zadok and Abiathar-priests; +Azariah son of Nathan-in charge of the district officers; Zabud son of Nathan-a priest and personal adviser to the king; +Ahishar-in charge of the palace; Adoniram son of Abda-in charge of forced labor. +Solomon also had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year. +These are their names: Ben-Hur-in the hill country of Ephraim; +Ben-Deker-in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan; +Ben-Hesed-in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher were his); +Ben-Abinadab-in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon); +Baana son of Ahilud-in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam; +Ben-Geber-in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the district of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars); +Ahinadab son of Iddo-in Mahanaim; +Ahimaaz-in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon); +Baana son of Hushai-in Asher and in Aloth; +Jehoshaphat son of Paruah-in Issachar; +Shimei son of Ela-in Benjamin; +Geber son of Uri-in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district. +The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. +And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon's subjects all his life. +Solomon's daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, +ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. +For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. +During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree. +Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses. +The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. +They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses. +God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. +Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. +He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite-wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. +He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. +He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. +Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. + + +When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. +Solomon sent back this message to Hiram: +"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. +But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. +I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.' +"So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians." +When Hiram heard Solomon's message, he was greatly pleased and said, "Praise be to the LORD today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation." +So Hiram sent word to Solomon: "I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs. +My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household." +In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted, +and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths, of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. +The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty. +King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel-thirty thousand men. +He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. +Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, +as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workmen. +At the king's command they removed from the quarry large blocks of quality stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple. +The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and the men of Gebal cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple. + + +In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD. +The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. +The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. +He made narrow clerestory windows in the temple. +Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. +The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. +In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built. +The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. +So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. +And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar. +The word of the LORD came to Solomon: +"As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. +And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel." +So Solomon built the temple and completed it. +He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. +He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. +The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. +The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen. +He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. +The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. +Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. +So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary. +In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. +One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits-ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. +The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. +The height of each cherub was ten cubits. +He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. +He overlaid the cherubim with gold. +On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. +He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. +For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood with five-sided jambs. +And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold. +In the same way he made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall. +He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. +He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings. +And he built the inner courtyard of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams. +The foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. +In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it. + + +It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. +He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. +It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns-forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. +Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. +All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other. +He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide. In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof. +He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling. +And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. +All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and trimmed with a saw on their inner and outer faces. +The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits and some eight. +Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. +The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the LORD with its portico. +King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, +whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was a man of Tyre and a craftsman in bronze. Huram was highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him. +He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line. +He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high. +A network of interwoven chains festooned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. +He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital. +The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high. +On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. +He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz. +The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed. +He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. +Below the rim, gourds encircled it-ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. +The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. +It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. +He also made ten movable stands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high. +This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. +On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim-and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. +Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. +On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half. Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. +The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. +The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal. +Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. +At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. +He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. +This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape. +He then made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. +He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. +He also made the basins and shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the LORD: +the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; +the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); +the ten stands with their ten basins; +the Sea and the twelve bulls under it; +the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. All these objects that Huram made for King Solomon for the temple of the LORD were of burnished bronze. +The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. +Solomon left all these things unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. +Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the LORD's temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; +the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs; +the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple. +When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated-the silver and gold and the furnishings-and he placed them in the treasuries of the LORD's temple. + + +Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. +All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. +When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, +and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, +and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. +The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. +The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. +These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. +There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. +When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. +And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. +Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; +I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." +While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. +Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, +'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' +"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. +But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. +Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood-he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.' +"The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. +I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt." +Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven +and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below-you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. +You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it-as it is today. +"Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' +And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true. +"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! +Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. +May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. +Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. +"When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, +then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence. +"When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, +then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers. +"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, +then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. +"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, +and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel-each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- +then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), +so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers. +"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name- +for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm-when he comes and prays toward this temple, +then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. +"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, +then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. +"When they sin against you-for there is no one who does not sin-and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; +and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; +and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; +then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. +And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; +for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. +"May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. +For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt." +When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. +He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: +"Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. +May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. +May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. +And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, +so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. +But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." +Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. +Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD. +On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. +So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him-a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the LORD our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. +On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel. + + +When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, +the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. +The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. +"As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, +I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' +"But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, +then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. +And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' +People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them-that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'" +At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two buildings-the temple of the LORD and the royal palace- +King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and pine and gold he wanted. +But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. +"What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?" he asked. And he called them the Land of Cabul, a name they have to this day. +Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold. +Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD's temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. +(Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife. +And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon, +Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land, +as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses -whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled. +All the people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites), +that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites could not exterminate -these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day. +But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers. +They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon's projects-550 officials supervising the men who did the work. +After Pharaoh's daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the supporting terraces. +Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense before the LORD along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations. +King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. +And Hiram sent his men-sailors who knew the sea-to serve in the fleet with Solomon's men. +They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon. + + +When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. +Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan-with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones-she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. +Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. +When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, +the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. +She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. +But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. +How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! +Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness." +And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. +(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. +The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.) +King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. +The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, +not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land. +King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield. +He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. +Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. +The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. +Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. +All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days. +The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. +King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. +The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. +Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift-articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. +Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. +The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. +Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue - the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. +They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. + + +King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter-Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. +They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. +He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. +As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. +He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. +So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. +On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. +He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. +The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. +Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. +So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. +Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. +Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." +Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. +Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. +Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. +But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. +They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking men from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. +Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. +The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh's own children. +While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me go, that I may return to my own country." +"What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?" Pharaoh asked. "Nothing," Hadad replied, "but do let me go!" +And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. +He gathered men around him and became the leader of a band of rebels when David destroyed the forces of Zobah; the rebels went to Damascus, where they settled and took control. +Rezon was Israel's adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel. +Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon's officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. +Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. +Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. +About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, +and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. +Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. +But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. +I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did. +"'But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes. +I will take the kingdom from his son's hands and give you ten tribes. +I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. +However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. +If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. +I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever.'" +Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon's death. +As for the other events of Solomon's reign-all he did and the wisdom he displayed-are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? +Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. +Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king. + + +Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. +When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. +So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: +"Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." +Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away. +Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked. +They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." +But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. +He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" +The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. +My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'" +Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." +The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, +he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions." +So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. +When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!" So the Israelites went home. +But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them. +King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. +So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. +When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David. +When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin-a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men-to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon. +But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: +"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, +'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered. +Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel. +Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. +If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam." +After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." +One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. +And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there. +Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. +He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. +On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings. + + +By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. +He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.'" +That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out." +When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. +Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the LORD. +Then the king said to the man of God, "Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored." So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before. +The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift." +But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. +For I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.'" +So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel. +Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. +Their father asked them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken. +So he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it +and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?I am," he replied. +So the prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat." +The man of God said, "I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. +I have been told by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.'" +The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (But he was lying to him.) +So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house. +While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the old prophet who had brought him back. +He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. +You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.'" +When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. +As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. +Some people who passed by saw the body thrown down there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. +When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, "It is the man of God who defied the word of the LORD. The LORD has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the LORD had warned him." +The prophet said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me," and they did so. +Then he went out and found the body thrown down on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. +So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him. +Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, "Oh, my brother!" +After burying him, he said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. +For the message he declared by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true." +Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. +This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth. + + +At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, +and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there-the one who told me I would be king over this people. +Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy." +So Jeroboam's wife did what he said and went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh. Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. +But the LORD had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else." +So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. +Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. +I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. +You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back. +"'Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel-slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. +Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The LORD has spoken!' +"As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. +All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the LORD, the God of Israel, has found anything good. +"The LORD will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now. +And the LORD will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the LORD to anger by making Asherah poles. +And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit." +Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. +They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the LORD had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah. +The other events of Jeroboam's reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. +He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king. +Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. +Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. +They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. +There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. +In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. +He carried off the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. +So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. +Whenever the king went to the LORD's temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom. +As for the other events of Rehoboam's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. +And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king. + + +In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, +and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. +He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. +Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. +For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life-except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. +There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout Abijah's lifetime. +As for the other events of Abijah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. +And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king. +In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, +and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. +Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. +He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. +He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. +Although he did not remove the high places, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. +He brought into the temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated. +There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. +Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. +Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. +"Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me." +Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. +When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. +Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah-no one was exempt-and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah. +As for all the other events of Asa's reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. +Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king. +Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. +Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. +Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king. +As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam's whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the LORD given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite- +because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. +As for the other events of Nadab's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. +In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. + + +Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha: +"I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins. +So I am about to consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. +Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." +As for the other events of Baasha's reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king. +Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam-and also because he destroyed it. +In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. +Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah. +Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king. +As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha's whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. +So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu- +because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols. +As for the other events of Elah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. +When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. +Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. +When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, +because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit. +As for the other events of Zimri's reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. +But Omri's followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king. +In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. +He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill. +But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him. +He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols. +As for the other events of Omri's reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king. +In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. +Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. +He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. +He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. +Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. +In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun. + + +Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." +Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: +"Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. +You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." +So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. +The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. +Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. +Then the word of the LORD came to him: +"Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." +So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" +As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." +"As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread-only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it-and die." +Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. +For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" +She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. +For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. +Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. +She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" +"Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. +Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" +Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" +The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. +Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!" +Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." + + +After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." +So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, +and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. +While Jezebel was killing off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) +Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." +So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another. +As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" +"Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'" +"What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? +As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. +But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' +I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. +Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the LORD's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. +And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!" +Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today." +So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. +When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" +"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the Baals. +Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." +So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. +Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. +Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. +Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. +Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire-he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." +Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." +So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. +At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." +So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. +Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. +Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. +Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." +With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. +He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." +"Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. +The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. +At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. +Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." +Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. +When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!" +Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. +And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." +So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. +"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." +The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" +Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. +The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. + + +Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. +So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." +Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, +while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." +Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." +He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. +The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." +So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. +There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" +He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." +The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. +After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. +When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" +He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." +The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. +Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. +Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. +Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him." +So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. +Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you.Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" +So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. + + +Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. +He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: +'Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.'" +The king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours." +The messengers came again and said, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. +But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.'" +The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, "See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him." +The elders and the people all answered, "Don't listen to him or agree to his demands." +So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.'" They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad. +Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful." +The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.'" +Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: "Prepare to attack." So they prepared to attack the city. +Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, "This is what the LORD says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD.'" +"But who will do this?" asked Ahab. The prophet replied, "This is what the LORD says: 'The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.' And who will start the battle?" he asked. The prophet answered, "You will." +So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. +They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. +The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, "Men are advancing from Samaria." +He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive." +The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them +and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. +The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans. +Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again." +Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. +Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. +You must also raise an army like the one you lost-horse for horse and chariot for chariot-so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they." He agreed with them and acted accordingly. +The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. +When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. +The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" +For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. +The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room. +His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life." +Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.'" The king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother." +The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot. +"I will return the cities my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad offered. "You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." So he made a treaty with him, and let him go. +By the word of the LORD one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but the man refused. +So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him. +The prophet found another man and said, "Strike me, please." So the man struck him and wounded him. +Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. +As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' +While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.That is your sentence," the king of Israel said. "You have pronounced it yourself." +Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. +He said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.'" +Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria. + + +Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. +Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." +But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." +So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. +His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?" +He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" +Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." +So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. +In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. +But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death." +So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. +They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. +Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. +Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead." +As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." +When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. +Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: +"Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. +Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood-yes, yours!'" +Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. +'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel-slave or free. +I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' +"And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' +"Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." +(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. +He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.) +When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. +Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: +"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son." + + +For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. +But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. +The king of Israel had said to his officials, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?" +So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." +But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD." +So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-about four hundred men-and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." +But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" +The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied. +So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." +Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. +Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" +All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." +The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." +But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." +When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." +The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" +Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" +The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?" +Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. +And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'"One suggested this, and another that. +Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' +"'By what means?' the LORD asked. "'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. "'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.' +"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." +Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked. +Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room." +The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son +and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'" +Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" +So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. +The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. +Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." +When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "Surely this is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, +the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him. +But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded." +All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. +As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: "Every man to his town; everyone to his land!" +So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. +They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared. +As for the other events of Ahab's reign, including all he did, the palace he built and inlaid with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Ahab rested with his fathers. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king. +Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. +Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. +In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. +Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel. +As for the other events of Jehoshaphat's reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. +There was then no king in Edom; a deputy ruled. +Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail-they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. +At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my men sail with your men," but Jehoshaphat refused. +Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him. +Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. +He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done. + + + + +After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. +Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury." +But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' +Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!'" So Elijah went. +When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you come back?" +"A man came to meet us," they replied. "And he said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!"'" +The king asked them, "What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?" +They replied, "He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite." +Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'" +Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. +At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!'" +"If I am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. +So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. "Man of God," he begged, "please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! +See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!" +The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. +He told the king, "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!" +So he died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. +As for all the other events of Ahaziah's reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? + + +When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. +Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. +The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it." +Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. +The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it." +Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on. +Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. +Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. +When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. +"You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours-otherwise not." +As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. +Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. +He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. +Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. +The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. +"Look," they said, "we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.No," Elisha replied, "do not send them." +But they persisted until he was too ashamed to refuse. So he said, "Send them." And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. +When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to go?" +The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive." +"Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. +Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.'" +And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. +From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" +He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. +And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria. + + +Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. +Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. +Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams. +But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. +So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. +He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?I will go with you," he replied. "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." +"By what route shall we attack?" he asked. "Through the Desert of Edom," he answered. +So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. +"What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?" +But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?" An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. " +Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. +Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab." +Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. +But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha +and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. +For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. +This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. +You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones." +The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was-water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water. +Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. +When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red-like blood. +"That's blood!" they said. "Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!" +But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. +They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well. +When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. +Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land. + + +The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." +Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." +Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. +Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." +She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. +When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. +She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left." +One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. +She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. +Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us." +One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. +He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. +Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?'" She replied, "I have a home among my own people." +"What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old." +Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. +"About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms.No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!" +But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. +The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. +"My head! My head!" he said to his father. His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." +After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. +She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. +She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return." +"Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath.It's all right," she said. +She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." +So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite! +Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?' Everything is all right," she said. +When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why." +"Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?" +Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face." +But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her. +Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened." +When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. +He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. +Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. +Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. +Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your son." +She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out. +Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these men." +One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine. He gathered some of its gourds and filled the fold of his cloak. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. +The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it. +Elisha said, "Get some flour." He put it into the pot and said, "Serve it to the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot. +A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said. +"How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.'" +Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD. + + +Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. +Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. +She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." +Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. +"By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. +The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy." +As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" +When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." +So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. +Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." +But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. +Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. +Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" +So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. +Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant." +The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. +"If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. +But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also-when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this." +"Go in peace," Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance, +Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him." +So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked. +"Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.'" +"By all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. +When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. +Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. "Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha asked. "Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered. +But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? +Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow. + + +The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. +Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live." And he said, "Go." +Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?I will," Elisha replied. +And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. +As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh, my lord," he cried out, "it was borrowed!" +The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. +"Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. +Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place." +The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." +So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. +This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" +"None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." +"Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan." +Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. +When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. +"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." +And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. +As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. +Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria. +After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria. +When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?" +"Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master." +So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory. +Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. +There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey's head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels. +As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, "Help me, my lord the king!" +The king replied, "If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" +Then he asked her, "What's the matter?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son.' +So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him." +When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and there, underneath, he had sackcloth on his body. +He said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!" +Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "Don't you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's footsteps behind him?" +While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" + + +Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." +The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, "Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?You will see it with your own eyes," answered Elisha, "but you will not eat any of it!" +Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die? +If we say, 'We'll go into the city'-the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let's go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die." +At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there, +for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!" +So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. +The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. +Then they said to each other, "We're not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let's go at once and report this to the royal palace." +So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, "We went into the Aramean camp and not a man was there-not a sound of anyone-only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were." +The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace. +The king got up in the night and said to his officers, "I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, 'They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.'" +One of his officers answered, "Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here-yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened." +So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, "Go and find out what has happened." +They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king. +Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the LORD had said. +Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. +It happened as the man of God had said to the king: "About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." +The officer had said to the man of God, "Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?" The man of God had replied, "You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!" +And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died. + + +Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." +The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. +At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. +The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, "Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done." +Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." +The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now." +Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, "The man of God has come all the way up here," +he said to Hazael, "Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult the LORD through him; ask him, 'Will I recover from this illness?'" +Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, "Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, 'Will I recover from this illness?'" +Elisha answered, "Go and say to him, 'You will certainly recover'; but the LORD has revealed to me that he will in fact die." +He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael felt ashamed. Then the man of God began to weep. +"Why is my lord weeping?" asked Hazael. "Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites," he answered. "You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women." +Hazael said, "How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?The LORD has shown me that you will become king of Aram," answered Elisha. +Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael replied, "He told me that you would certainly recover." +But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king's face, so that he died. Then Hazael succeeded him as king. +In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. +He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. +He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. +Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. +In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. +So Jehoram went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home. +To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time. +As for the other events of Jehoram's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king. +In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. +Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. +He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab's family. +Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram; +so King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because he had been wounded. + + +The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. +When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. +Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and run; don't delay!" +So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. +When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. "I have a message for you, commander," he said. "For which of us?" asked Jehu. "For you, commander," he replied. +Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel. +You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel. +The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel-slave or free. +I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. +As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.'" Then he opened the door and ran. +When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, "Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?You know the man and the sort of things he says," Jehu replied. +"That's not true!" they said. "Tell us." Jehu said, "Here is what he told me: 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.'" +They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, "Jehu is king!" +So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram, +but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, "If this is the way you feel, don't let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel." +Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel, because Joram was resting there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him. +When the lookout standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu's troops approaching, he called out, "I see some troops coming.Get a horseman," Joram ordered. "Send him to meet them and ask, 'Do you come in peace?'" +The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, "This is what the king says: 'Do you come in peace?' What do you have to do with peace?" Jehu replied. "Fall in behind me." The lookout reported, "The messenger has reached them, but he isn't coming back." +So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, "This is what the king says: 'Do you come in peace?'" Jehu replied, "What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me." +The lookout reported, "He has reached them, but he isn't coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi-he drives like a madman." +"Hitch up my chariot," Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. +When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "Have you come in peace, Jehu?How can there be peace," Jehu replied, "as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?" +Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, "Treachery, Ahaziah!" +Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. +Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, "Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the LORD made this prophecy about him: +'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.' Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD." +When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, shouting, "Kill him too!" They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam, but he escaped to Megiddo and died there. +His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. +(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.) +Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. +As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, "Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?" +He looked up at the window and called out, "Who is on my side? Who?" Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. +"Throw her down!" Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. +Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman," he said, "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter." +But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. +They went back and told Jehu, who said, "This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel's flesh. +Jezebel's body will be like refuse on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, 'This is Jezebel.'" + + +Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab's children. He said, +"As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons, +choose the best and most worthy of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne. Then fight for your master's house." +But they were terrified and said, "If two kings could not resist him, how can we?" +So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best." +Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, "If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. +When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. +When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, "They have brought the heads of the princes." Then Jehu ordered, "Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning." +The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? +Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah." +So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor. +Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, +he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, "Who are you?" They said, "We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother." +"Take them alive!" he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked-forty-two men. He left no survivor. +After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Recab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, "Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?I am," Jehonadab answered. "If so," said Jehu, "give me your hand." So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. +Jehu said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD." Then he had him ride along in his chariot. +When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab's family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah. +Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. +Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live." But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal. +Jehu said, "Call an assembly in honor of Baal." So they proclaimed it. +Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the ministers of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. +And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, "Bring robes for all the ministers of Baal." So he brought out robes for them. +Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the ministers of Baal, "Look around and see that no servants of the LORD are here with you-only ministers of Baal." +So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: "If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life." +As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. +They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. +They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day. +So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. +However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit-the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. +The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." +Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit. +In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory +east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan. +As for the other events of Jehu's reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. +The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. + + +When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. +But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. +He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. +In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king's son. +He commanded them, saying, "This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath-a third of you guarding the royal palace, +a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple- +and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. +Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes." +The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men-those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty-and came to Jehoiada the priest. +Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the LORD. +The guards, each with his weapon in his hand, stationed themselves around the king-near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. +Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!" +When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the LORD. +She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, "Treason! Treason!" +Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "She must not be put to death in the temple of the LORD." +So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death. +Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. +All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD. +He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne, +and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace. +Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. + + +In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. +Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. +The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. +Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD -the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple. +Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple." +But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. +Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, "Why aren't you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple." +The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves. +Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD. +Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags. +When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD -the carpenters and builders, +the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple. +The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD; +it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple. +They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. +The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the LORD; it belonged to the priests. +About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. +But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers-Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah-and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the LORD and of the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem. +As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla. +The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king. + + +In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. +So the LORD's anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son. +Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD's favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. +The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. +But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria. +Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time. +As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Jehoahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash his son succeeded him as king. +In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them. +As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. +Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. "My father! My father!" he cried. "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" +Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. +"Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. +"Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek." +Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. +The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times." +Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. +Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. +Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. +But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence. +Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. +Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns. + + +In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. +He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. +The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. +After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. +Yet he did not put the sons of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins." +He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day. +Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: "Come, meet me face to face." +But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. +You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?" +Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. +Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. +Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate-a section about six hundred feet long. +He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria. +As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king. +Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. +As for the other events of Amaziah's reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. +He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers, in the City of David. +Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. +He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers. +In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. +He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. +The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. +And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash. +As for the other events of Jeroboam's reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Yaudi, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king. + + +In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. +He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. +The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. +The LORD afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house. Jotham the king's son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. +As for the other events of Azariah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king. +In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. +Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. +The other events of Zechariah's reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. +So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: "Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." +Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. +Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. +The other events of Shallum's reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. +At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women. +In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. +Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. +Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer. +As for the other events of Menahem's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +Menahem rested with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king. +In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. +Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. +One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king. +The other events of Pekahiah's reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. +In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. +In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. +Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah. +As for the other events of Pekah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? +In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. +He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. +The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD. +As for the other events of Jotham's reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) +Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king. + + +In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. +Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God. +He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. +He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. +Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. +At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the men of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day. +Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, "I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me." +And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. +The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death. +Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. +So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. +When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it. +He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on the altar. +The bronze altar that stood before the LORD he brought from the front of the temple-from between the new altar and the temple of the LORD -and put it on the north side of the new altar. +King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: "On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance." +And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered. +King Ahaz took away the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base. +He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the LORD, in deference to the king of Assyria. +As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king. + + +In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. +Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser's vassal and had paid him tribute. +But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. +The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. +In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes. +All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods +and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. +The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. +They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. +At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that provoked the LORD to anger. +They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, "You shall not do this." +The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets." +But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. +They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as they do," and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do. +They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. +They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. +So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, +and even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. +Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence. +When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. +The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them +until the LORD removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there. +The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. +When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. +It was reported to the king of Assyria: "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires." +Then the king of Assyria gave this order: "Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires." +So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the LORD. +Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. +The men from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men from Cuthah made Nergal, and the men from Hamath made Ashima; +the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. +They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. +They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. +To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the LORD nor adhere to the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. +When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: "Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. +But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. +You must always be careful to keep the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. +Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. +Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies." +They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. +Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. + + +In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. +He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. +He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan. ) +Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. +He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. +And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. +From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory. +In King Hezekiah's fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. +At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah's sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. +The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes. +This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD their God, but had violated his covenant-all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out. +In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. +So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: "I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me." The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. +So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. +At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and gave it to the king of Assyria. +The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. +They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them. +The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah: "'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? +You say you have strategy and military strength-but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? +Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. +And if you say to me, "We are depending on the LORD our God"-isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem"? +"'Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses-if you can put riders on them! +How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master's officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? +Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the LORD? The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.'" +Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall." +But the commander replied, "Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the men sitting on the wall-who, like you, will have to eat their own filth and drink their own urine?" +Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! +This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. +Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' +"Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, +until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! "Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.' +Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? +Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? +Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?" +But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him." +Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said. + + +When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. +He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. +They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. +It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives." +When King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah, +Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. +Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.'" +When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. +Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: +"Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, 'Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.' +Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? +Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them: the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? +Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?" +Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. +And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. +Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. +"It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. +They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands. +Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God." +Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. +This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: "'The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you. The Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. +Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! +By your messengers you have heaped insults on the Lord. And you have said, "With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines. I have reached its remotest parts, the finest of its forests. +I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt." +"'Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. +Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. +"'But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me. +Because you rage against me and your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.' +"This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. +Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. +For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. +"Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: "He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. +By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. +I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant." +That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies! +So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. +One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king. + + +In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." +Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, +"Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. +Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: +"Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. +I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'" +Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. +Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?" +Isaiah answered, "This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?" +"It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "Rather, have it go back ten steps." +Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. +At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah's illness. +Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses-the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil-his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. +Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came from Babylon." +The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them." +Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: +The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. +And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." +"The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" +As for the other events of Hezekiah's reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +Hezekiah rested with his fathers. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king. + + +Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. +He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. +He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my Name." +In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. +He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. +He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. +I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them." +But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. +The LORD said through his servants the prophets: +"Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. +Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. +I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. +I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their foes, +because they have done evil in my eyes and have provoked me to anger from the day their forefathers came out of Egypt until this day." +Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end-besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the LORD. +As for the other events of Manasseh's reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king. +Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. +He walked in all the ways of his father; he worshiped the idols his father had worshiped, and bowed down to them. +He forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. +Amon's officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace. +Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place. +As for the other events of Amon's reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king. + + +Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. +In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said: +"Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. +Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the LORD - +the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. +But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting faithfully." +Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. +Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple." +Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. +When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. +He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: +"Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us." +Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. +She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, +'This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. +Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.' +Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: +Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. +Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her answer back to the king. + + +Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. +He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets-all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. +The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. +The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. +He did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem-those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. +He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. +He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah. +Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates-at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate. +Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests. +He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech. +He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. +He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the LORD. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. +The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption-the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of Ammon. +Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones. +Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin-even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. +Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things. +The king asked, "What is that tombstone I see?" The men of the city said, "It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it." +"Leave it alone," he said. "Don't let anyone disturb his bones." So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria. +Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed and defiled all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria that had provoked the LORD to anger. +Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem. +The king gave this order to all the people: "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." +Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. +But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem. +Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the LORD. +Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses. +Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. +So the LORD said, "I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, 'There shall my Name be.'" +As for the other events of Josiah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo. +Josiah's servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father. +Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his fathers had done. +Pharaoh Neco put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. +Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died. +Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Neco the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments. +Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. +And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his fathers had done. + + +During Jehoiakim's reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he changed his mind and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. +The LORD sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him. He sent them to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by his servants the prophets. +Surely these things happened to Judah according to the LORD's command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, +including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive. +As for the other events of Jehoiakim's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? +Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king. +The king of Egypt did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River. +Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done. +At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, +and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. +Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. +As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed all the treasures from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace, and took away all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD. +He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans-a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left. +Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king's mother, his wives, his officials and the leading men of the land. +The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand craftsmen and artisans. +He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah. +Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. +It was because of the LORD's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + + +So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. +The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. +By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. +Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, +but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, +and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. +They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. +On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. +He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. +The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. +Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. +But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. +The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon. +They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. +The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls-all that were made of pure gold or silver. +The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed. +Each pillar was twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was four and a half feet high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar. +The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. +Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. +Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. +There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. +Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. +When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah-Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men. +Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials," he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you." +In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. +At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians. +In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. +He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. +So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. +Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived. + + + + +Adam, Seth, Enosh, +Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, +Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. +The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth. The Japhethites +The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. +The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. +The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. The Hamites +The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. +The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. +Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on earth. +Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, +Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. +Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, +Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, +Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, +Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. The Semites +The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. +Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. +Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. +Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, +Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, +Obal, Abimael, Sheba, +Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. +Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, +Eber, Peleg, Reu, +Serug, Nahor, Terah +and Abram (that is, Abraham). +The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. Descendants of Hagar +These were their descendants: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, +Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, +Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael. Descendants of Keturah +The sons born to Keturah, Abraham's concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. +The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. Descendants of Sarah +Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. +The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. +The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz; by Timna: Amalek. +The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. The People of Seir in Edom +The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. +The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. +The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. +The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran. +The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. The Rulers of Edom +These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned: Bela son of Beor, whose city was named Dinhabah. +When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king. +When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. +When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith. +When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king. +When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king. +When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor succeeded him as king. +When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. +Hadad also died. The chiefs of Edom were: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, +Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, +Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, +Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom. + + +These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, +Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. +The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. +Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. +The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. +The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Darda -five in all. +The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things. +The son of Ethan: Azariah. +The sons born to Hezron were: Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb. From Ram Son of Hezron +Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. +Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, +Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse. +Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, +the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, +the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. +Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. +Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite. Caleb Son of Hezron +Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. +When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. +Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri the father of Bezalel. +Later, Hezron lay with the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead (he had married her when he was sixty years old), and she bore him Segub. +Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead. +(But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair, as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements-sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead. +After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa. Jerahmeel Son of Hezron +The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron: Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. +Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. +The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin and Eker. +The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. +Abishur's wife was named Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid. +The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children. +The son of Appaim: Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan. Sheshan was the father of Ahlai. +The sons of Jada, Shammai's brother: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children. +The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. +Sheshan had no sons-only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. +Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai. +Attai was the father of Nathan, Nathan the father of Zabad, +Zabad the father of Ephlal, Ephlal the father of Obed, +Obed the father of Jehu, Jehu the father of Azariah, +Azariah the father of Helez, Helez the father of Eleasah, +Eleasah the father of Sismai, Sismai the father of Shallum, +Shallum the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah the father of Elishama. The Clans of Caleb +The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron. +The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. +Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. +The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur. +Caleb's concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez. +The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. +Caleb's concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. +She also gave birth to Shaaph the father of Madmannah and to Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Acsah. +These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim, +Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader. +The descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim were: Haroeh, half the Manahathites, +and the clans of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites. +The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, +and the clans of scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Recab. + + +These were the sons of David born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second, Daniel the son of Abigail of Carmel; +the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; +the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah. +These six were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years, +and these were the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. These four were by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel. +There were also Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, +Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, +Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet-nine in all. +All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister. The Kings of Judah +Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, +Jehoram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, +Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, +Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, +Amon his son, Josiah his son. +The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second son, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth. +The successors of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin his son, and Zedekiah. The Royal Line After the Exile +The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive: Shealtiel his son, +Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah. +The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister. +There were also five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-Hesed. +The descendants of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah and of Shecaniah. +The descendants of Shecaniah: Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah and Shaphat-six in all. +The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam-three in all. +The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah and Anani-seven in all. + + +The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. +Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. +These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. +Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father of Bethlehem. +Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. +Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah. +The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, +and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum. +Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." +Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. +Kelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. +Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Recah. +The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. +Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim. It was called this because its people were craftsmen. +The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz. +The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel. +The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered's wives gave birth to Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. +(His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married. +The sons of Hodiah's wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. +The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth. +The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, +Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.) +They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king. +The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul; +Shallum was Shaul's son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son. +The descendants of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son and Shimei his son. +Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah. +They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, +Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, +Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, +Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. +Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token and Ashan-five towns- +and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record. +Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, +Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, +also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, +and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah. +The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly, +and they went to the outskirts of Gedor to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks. +They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet. Some Hamites had lived there formerly. +The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites who were there and completely destroyed them, as is evident to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks. +And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir. +They killed the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day. + + +The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, +and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph)- +the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. +The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, +Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, +and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites. +Their relatives by clans, listed according to their genealogical records: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, +and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. +To the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in Gilead. +During Saul's reign they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated at their hands; they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the entire region east of Gilead. +The Gadites lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salecah: +Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan. +Their relatives, by families, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber-seven in all. +These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. +Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family. +The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended. +All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel. +The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service-able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. +They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. +They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. +They seized the livestock of the Hagrites-fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, +and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile. +The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous; they settled in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon). +These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families. +But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. +So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day. + + +The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. +The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. +The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. +Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas the father of Abishua, +Abishua the father of Bukki, Bukki the father of Uzzi, +Uzzi the father of Zerahiah, Zerahiah the father of Meraioth, +Meraioth the father of Amariah, Amariah the father of Ahitub, +Ahitub the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Ahimaaz, +Ahimaaz the father of Azariah, Azariah the father of Johanan, +Johanan the father of Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem), +Azariah the father of Amariah, Amariah the father of Ahitub, +Ahitub the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Shallum, +Shallum the father of Hilkiah, Hilkiah the father of Azariah, +Azariah the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah the father of Jehozadak. +Jehozadak was deported when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. +The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. +These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. +The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. +The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers: +Of Gershon: Libni his son, Jehath his son, Zimmah his son, +Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son and Jeatherai his son. +The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, +Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, +Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son. +The descendants of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, +Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, +Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son and Samuel his son. +The sons of Samuel: Joel the firstborn and Abijah the second son. +The descendants of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, +Shimea his son, Haggiah his son and Asaiah his son. The Temple Musicians +These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there. +They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. +Here are the men who served, together with their sons: From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, +the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, +the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, +the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, +the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, +the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; +and Heman's associate Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, +the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malkijah, +the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, +the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, +the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi; +and from their associates, the Merarites, at his left hand: Ethan son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, +the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, +the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, +the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. +Their fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. +But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. +These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, +Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, +Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, +Zadok his son and Ahimaaz his son. +These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them): +They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. +But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. +So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, +Hilen, Debir, +Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. +And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. These towns, which were distributed among the Kohathite clans, were thirteen in all. +The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh. +The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan. +The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. +So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands. +From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns. +Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim. +In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer, +Jokmeam, Beth Horon, +Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands. +And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans. +The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands; +from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath, +Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands; +from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon, +Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands; +and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. +The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands; +from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, +Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands; +and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, +Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands. + + +The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron-four in all. +The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel-heads of their families. During the reign of David, the descendants of Tola listed as fighting men in their genealogy numbered 22,600. +The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. +According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children. +The relatives who were fighting men belonging to all the clans of Issachar, as listed in their genealogy, were 87,000 in all. +Three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker and Jediael. +The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri, heads of families-five in all. Their genealogical record listed 22,034 fighting men. +The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Beker. +Their genealogical record listed the heads of families and 20,200 fighting men. +The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. +All these sons of Jediael were heads of families. There were 17,200 fighting men ready to go out to war. +The Shuppites and Huppites were the descendants of Ir, and the Hushites the descendants of Aher. +The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem -the descendants of Bilhah. +The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel was his descendant through his Aramean concubine. She gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead. +Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister's name was Maacah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters. +Makir's wife Maacah gave birth to a son and named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. +The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. +His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. +The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam. +The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, +Zabad his son and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, when they went down to seize their livestock. +Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. +Then he lay with his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his family. +His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah. +Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, +Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, +Nun his son and Joshua his son. +Their lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages all the way to Ayyah and its villages. +Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns. +The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. +The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel, who was the father of Birzaith. +Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham and of their sister Shua. +The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were Japhlet's sons. +The sons of Shomer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram. +The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. +The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, +Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera. +The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara. +The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. +All these were descendants of Asher-heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was 26,000. + + +Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second son, Aharah the third, +Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth. +The sons of Bela were: Addar, Gera, Abihud, +Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, +Gera, Shephuphan and Huram. +These were the descendants of Ehud, who were heads of families of those living in Geba and were deported to Manahath: +Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who deported them and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. +Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. +By his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, +Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. +By Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal. +The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its surrounding villages), +and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of families of those living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath. +Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, +Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, +Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah. +Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, +Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. +Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, +Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, +Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. +Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, +Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, +Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, +Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. +Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, +Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zicri were the sons of Jeroham. +All these were heads of families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem. +Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, +and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, +Gedor, Ahio, Zeker +and Mikloth, who was the father of Shimeah. They too lived near their relatives in Jerusalem. +Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal. +The son of Jonathan: Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah. +The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz. +Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza. +Moza was the father of Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son and Azel his son. +Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. +The sons of his brother Eshek: Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second son and Eliphelet the third. +The sons of Ulam were brave warriors who could handle the bow. They had many sons and grandsons-150 in all. All these were the descendants of Benjamin. + + +All Israel was listed in the genealogies recorded in the book of the kings of Israel. The people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. +Now the first to resettle on their own property in their own towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants. +Those from Judah, from Benjamin, and from Ephraim and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem were: +Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah. +Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. +Of the Zerahites: Jeuel. The people from Judah numbered 690. +Of the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; +Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Micri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah. +The people from Benjamin, as listed in their genealogy, numbered 956. All these men were heads of their families. +Of the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; +Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God; +Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah; and Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer. +The priests, who were heads of families, numbered 1,760. They were able men, responsible for ministering in the house of God. +Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a Merarite; +Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zicri, the son of Asaph; +Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berekiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. +The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their brothers, Shallum their chief +being stationed at the King's Gate on the east, up to the present time. These were the gatekeepers belonging to the camp of the Levites. +Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his fellow gatekeepers from his family (the Korahites) were responsible for guarding the thresholds of the Tent just as their fathers had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD. +In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him. +Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. +Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer. +They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD -the house called the Tent. +The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. +Their brothers in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day periods. +But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. +They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning. +Some of them were in charge of the articles used in the temple service; they counted them when they were brought in and when they were taken out. +Others were assigned to take care of the furnishings and all the other articles of the sanctuary, as well as the flour and wine, and the oil, incense and spices. +But some of the priests took care of mixing the spices. +A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with the responsibility for baking the offering bread. +Some of their Kohathite brothers were in charge of preparing for every Sabbath the bread set out on the table. +Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night. +All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem. +Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, +and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, +Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth. +Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They too lived near their relatives in Jerusalem. +Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal. +The son of Jonathan: Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah. +The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea and Ahaz. +Ahaz was the father of Jadah, Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza. +Moza was the father of Binea; Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son and Azel his son. +Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. + + +Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. +The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. +The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him. +Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. +When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. +So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together. +When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them. +The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. +They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. +They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon. +When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, +all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. +Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, +and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. + + +All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. +In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'" +When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the LORD had promised through Samuel. +David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there +said to David, "You will not get in here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. +David had said, "Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander-in-chief." Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command. +David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. +He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. +And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. +These were the chiefs of David's mighty men-they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised- +this is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. +Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. +He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. +But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. +Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. +At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. +David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" +So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. +"God forbid that I should do this!" he said. "Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?" Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. +Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. +He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them. +Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. +And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver's rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. +Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. +He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. +The mighty men were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, +Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, +Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth, +Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, +Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, +Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, +Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, +Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, +the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, +Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, +Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, +Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, +Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, +Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, +Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, +Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, +Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him, +Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, +Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, +Jediael son of Shimri, his brother Joha the Tizite, +Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, +Eliel, Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. + + +These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; +they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were kinsmen of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin): +Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite, +and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, +Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; +Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites; +and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor. +Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. +Ezer was the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, +Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, +Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, +Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, +Jeremiah the tenth and Macbannai the eleventh. +These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. +It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west. +Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. +David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace, to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you." +Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: "We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you." So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands. +Some of the men of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, "It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.") +When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. +They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. +Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God. +These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said: +men of Judah, carrying shield and spear-6,800 armed for battle; +men of Simeon, warriors ready for battle-7,100; +men of Levi-4,600, +including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, +and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family; +men of Benjamin, Saul's kinsmen-3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul's house until then; +men of Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans-20,800; +men of half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king-18,000; +men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do-200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; +men of Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty-50,000; +men of Naphtali-1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears; +men of Dan, ready for battle-28,600; +men of Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle-40,000; +and from east of the Jordan, men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon-120,000. +All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. +The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. +Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. + + +David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. +He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. +Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul." +The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. +So David assembled all the Israelites, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. +David and all the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim-the ark that is called by the Name. +They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. +David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets. +When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. +The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. +Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. +David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?" +He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. +The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had. + + +Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. +And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel. +In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons and daughters. +These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, +Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, +Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, +Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. +When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. +Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; +so David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, I will hand them over to you." +So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." So that place was called Baal Perazim. +The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire. +Once more the Philistines raided the valley; +so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, "Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. +As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." +So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. +So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him. + + +After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. +Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever." +David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. +He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites: +From the descendants of Kohath, Uriel the leader and 120 relatives; +from the descendants of Merari, Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives; +from the descendants of Gershon, Joel the leader and 130 relatives; +from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives; +from the descendants of Hebron, Eliel the leader and 80 relatives; +from the descendants of Uzziel, Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives. +Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. +He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. +It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way." +So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. +And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. +David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. +So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; +and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. +The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; +Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth, +and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith. +Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it. +Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. +Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark. +So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. +Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. +Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. +So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. +As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. + + +They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. +After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. +Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman. +He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: +Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, +and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. +That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD: +Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. +Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. +Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. +Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. +Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, +O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. +He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. +He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, +the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. +He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: +"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit." +When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, +they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. +He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: +"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." +Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. +Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. +For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. +For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. +Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. +Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, +ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. +Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. +Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" +Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! +Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. +Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. +Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise." +Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD." +David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly, according to each day's requirements. +He also left Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were gatekeepers. +David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon +to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the LORD, which he had given Israel. +With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, "for his love endures forever." +Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate. +Then all the people left, each for his own home, and David returned home to bless his family. + + +After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent." +Nathan replied to David, "Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you." +That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: +"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. +I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. +Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' +"Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. +I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men of the earth. +And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning +and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies. "'I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you: +When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. +He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. +I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. +I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.'" +Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. +Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? +And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God. +"What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, +O LORD. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises. +"There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. +And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? +You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. +"And now, LORD, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, +so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel's God!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you. +"You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. +O LORD, you are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. +Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever." + + +In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines. +David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought tribute. +Moreover, David fought Hadadezer king of Zobah, as far as Hamath, when he went to establish his control along the Euphrates River. +David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses. +When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. +He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went. +David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. +From Tebah and Cun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles. +When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, +he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze. +King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. +Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. +He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went. +David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. +Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; +Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; +Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were chief officials at the king's side. + + +In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. +David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, +the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Haven't his men come to you to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?" +So Hanun seized David's men, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away. +When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, "Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back." +When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David's nostrils, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah and Zobah. +They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle. +On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. +The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. +Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. +He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. +Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. +Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." +Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. +When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem. +After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them. +When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. +But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army. +When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore. + + +In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. +David took the crown from the head of their king -its weight was found to be a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones-and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city +and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. +In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated. +In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod. +In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot-twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. +When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him. +These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men. + + +Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. +So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are." +But Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?" +The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. +Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. +But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. +This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel. +Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." +The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, +"Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'" +So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice: +three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD -days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me." +David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." +So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. +And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. +David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. +David said to God, "Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O LORD my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people." +Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. +So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD. +While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. +Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground. +David said to him, "Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price." +Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this." +But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." +So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. +David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. +Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. +At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. +The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon. +But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. + + +Then David said, "The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel." +So David gave orders to assemble the aliens living in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. +He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. +He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David. +David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it." So David made extensive preparations before his death. +Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. +David said to Solomon: "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. +But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. +But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. +He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.' +"Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would. +May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. +Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. +"I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. +You have many workmen: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as men skilled in every kind of work +in gold and silver, bronze and iron-craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you." +Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. +He said to them, "Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has handed the inhabitants of the land over to me, and the land is subject to the LORD and to his people. +Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD." + + +When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. +He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. +The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. +David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of the temple of the LORD and six thousand are to be officials and judges. +Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose." +David divided the Levites into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. +Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. +The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel-three in all. +The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran-three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan. +And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei-four in all. +Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment. +The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel-four in all. +The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the LORD, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. +The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. +The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. +The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first. +The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous. +The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first. +The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. +The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second. +The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. +Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. +The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth-three in all. +These were the descendants of Levi by their families-the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the LORD. +For David had said, "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, +the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service." +According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more. +The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the temple of the LORD: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God. +They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size. +They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening +and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them. +And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting, for the Holy Place and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the LORD. + + +These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. +But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. +With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. +A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar's descendants than among Ithamar's, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar's descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar's descendants. +They divided them impartially by drawing lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. +The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites-one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar. +The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, +the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, +the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, +the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, +the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, +the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, +the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, +the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, +the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, +the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, +the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, +the twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. +This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him. +As for the rest of the descendants of Levi: from the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. +As for Rehabiah, from his sons: Isshiah was the first. +From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. +The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. +The son of Uzziel: Micah; from the sons of Micah: Shamir. +The brother of Micah: Isshiah; from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. +The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno. +The sons of Merari: from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri. +From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. +From Kish: the son of Kish: Jerahmeel. +And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These were the Levites, according to their families. +They also cast lots, just as their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest. + + +David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: +From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king's supervision. +As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD. +As for Heman, from his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. +All these were sons of Heman the king's seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. +All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. +Along with their relatives-all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD -they numbered 288. +Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties. +The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives, 12 the second to Gedaliah, he and his relatives and sons, 12 +the third to Zaccur, his sons and relatives, 12 +the fourth to Izri, his sons and relatives, 12 +the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the tenth to Shimei, his sons and relatives, 12 +the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and relatives, 12 +the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relatives, 12 +the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the fifteenth to Jerimoth, his sons and relatives, 12 +the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and relatives, 12 +the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and relatives, 12 +the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and relatives, 12 +the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and relatives, 12 +the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and relatives, 12 +the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives, 12 +the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives, 12 + + +The divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph. +Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, +Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth and Eliehoenai the seventh. +Obed-Edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, +Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth. (For God had blessed Obed-Edom.) +His son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father's family because they were very capable men. +The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. +All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work-descendants of Obed-Edom, 62 in all. +Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, who were able men-18 in all. +Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first), +Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all. +These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the temple of the LORD, just as their relatives had. +Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. +The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. +The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. +The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard: +There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. +As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself. +These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari. +Their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things. +The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli, +the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the temple of the LORD. +From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites: +Shubael, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. +His relatives through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zicri his son and Shelomith his son. +Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders. +Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the LORD. +And everything dedicated by Samuel the seer and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah, and all the other dedicated things were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives. +From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges over Israel. +From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives-seventeen hundred able men-were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the king's service. +As for the Hebronites, Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth year of David's reign a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead. +Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king. + + +This is the list of the Israelites-heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men. +In charge of the first division, for the first month, was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. There were 24,000 men in his division. +He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army officers for the first month. +In charge of the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; Mikloth was the leader of his division. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division. +This was the Benaiah who was a mighty man among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division. +The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel the brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah was his successor. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjamite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division. +The officers over the tribes of Israel: over the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zicri; over the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maacah; +over Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron: Zadok; +over Judah: Elihu, a brother of David; over Issachar: Omri son of Michael; +over Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; over Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel; +over the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; over half the tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah; +over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; over Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; +over Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the officers over the tribes of Israel. +David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. +Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David. +Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the outlying districts, in the towns, the villages and the watchtowers. +Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the land. +Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats. +Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil. +Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds grazing in Sharon. Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys. +Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys. +Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks. All these were the officials in charge of King David's property. +Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king's sons. +Ahithophel was the king's counselor. Hushai the Arkite was the king's friend. +Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the royal army. + + +David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors. +King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. +But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.' +"Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. +Of all my sons-and the LORD has given me many-he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. +He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. +I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.' +"So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. +"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. +Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." +Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. +He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. +He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the LORD, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. +He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: +the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; +the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; +the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; +and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the LORD. +"All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan." +David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. +The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command." + + +Then King David said to the whole assembly: "My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God. +With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God-gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble-all of these in large quantities. +Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: +three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, +for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?" +Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. +They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. +Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. +The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. +David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. +Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. +Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. +Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. +"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. +We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. +O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. +I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. +O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. +And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided." +Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king. +The next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. +They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD that day. Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the LORD to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. +So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. +All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David's sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon. +The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before. +David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. +He ruled over Israel forty years-seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. +He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king. +As for the events of King David's reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, +together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands. + + + + +Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. +Then Solomon spoke to all Israel-to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families- +and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God's Tent of Meeting was there, which Moses the LORD's servant had made in the desert. +Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. +But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the LORD; so Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there. +Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. +That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." +Solomon answered God, "You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. +Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. +Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?" +God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, +therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have." +Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting. And he reigned over Israel. +Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. +The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. +Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue - the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. +They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. + + +Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. +He conscripted seventy thousand men as carriers and eighty thousand as stonecutters in the hills and thirty-six hundred as foremen over them. +Solomon sent this message to Hiram king of Tyre: "Send me cedar logs as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. +Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on Sabbaths and New Moons and at the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel. +"The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. +But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him? +"Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen, whom my father David provided. +"Send me also cedar, pine and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your men are skilled in cutting timber there. My men will work with yours +to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. +I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil." +Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon: "Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you their king." +And Hiram added: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the LORD and a palace for himself. +"I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, +whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my Lord, David your father. +"Now let my Lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, +and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them in rafts by sea down to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem." +Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. +He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working. + + +Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. +He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. +The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old standard). +The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits long across the width of the building and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. +He paneled the main hall with pine and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree and chain designs. +He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. +He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls. +He built the Most Holy Place, its length corresponding to the width of the temple-twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. +The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper parts with gold. +In the Most Holy Place he made a pair of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. +The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. +Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. +The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall. +He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it. +In the front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were thirty-five cubits long, each with a capital on top measuring five cubits. +He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains. +He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz. + + +He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. +He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. +Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it-ten to a cubit. The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. +The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. +It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths. +He then made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing. +He made ten gold lampstands according to the specifications for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. +He made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls. +He made the courtyard of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. +He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner. +He also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God: +the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; +the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); +the stands with their basins; +the Sea and the twelve bulls under it; +the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles. All the objects that Huram-Abi made for King Solomon for the temple of the LORD were of polished bronze. +The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. +All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze was not determined. +Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God's temple: the golden altar; the tables on which was the bread of the Presence; +the lampstands of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed; +the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold); +the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall. + + +When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated-the silver and gold and all the furnishings-and he placed them in the treasuries of God's temple. +Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. +And all the men of Israel came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month. +When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, +and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests, who were Levites, carried them up; +and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. +The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. +The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. +These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. +There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. +The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. +All the Levites who were musicians-Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives-stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. +The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, +and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God. + + +Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; +I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." +While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. +Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, +'Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. +But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' +"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. +But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. +Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood-he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.' +"The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. +There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel." +Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. +Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. +He said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth-you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. +You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it-as it is today. +"Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.' +And now, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true. +"But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! +Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. +May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. +Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. +"When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, +then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty and so establish his innocence. +"When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and confess your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, +then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their fathers. +"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, +then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. +"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, +and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel-each one aware of his afflictions and pains, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- +then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of men), +so that they will fear you and walk in your ways all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers. +"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm-when he comes and prays toward this temple, +then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. +"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, +then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. +"When they sin against you-for there is no one who does not sin-and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near; +and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly'; +and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; +then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you. +"Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. +"Now arise, O LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness. +O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant." + + +When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. +The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. +When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "He is good; his love endures forever." +Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. +And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. +The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love endures forever." Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing. +Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions. +So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him-a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. +On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more. +On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel. +When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, +the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. +"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, +if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. +Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. +I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. +"As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, +I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.' +"But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, +then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. +And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' +People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them-that is why he brought all this disaster on them.'" + + +At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the LORD and his own palace, +Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram had given him, and settled Israelites in them. +Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. +He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath. +He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, +as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses -whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled. +All the people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites), +that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites had not destroyed-these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day. +But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. +They were also King Solomon's chief officials-two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men. +Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, "My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy." +On the altar of the LORD that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the LORD, +according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons and the three annual feasts-the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. +In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day's requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered. +They did not deviate from the king's commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries. +All Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid until its completion. So the temple of the LORD was finished. +Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. +And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers, men who knew the sea. These, with Solomon's men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon. + + +When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan-with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones-she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. +Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. +When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built, +the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. +She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. +But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. +How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! +Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the LORD your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness." +Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. +(The men of Hiram and the men of Solomon brought gold from Ophir; they also brought algumwood and precious stones. +The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.) +King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. +The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, +not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. +King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of hammered gold went into each shield. +He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred bekas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. +Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. +The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. +Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. +All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's day. +The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram's men. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. +King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. +All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. +Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift-articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. +Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. +He ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. +The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. +Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries. +As for the other events of Solomon's reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? +Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. +Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king. + + +Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. +When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. +So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: +"Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." +Rehoboam answered, "Come back to me in three days." So the people went away. +Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked. +They replied, "If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." +But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. +He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" +The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell the people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. +My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'" +Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." +The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, +he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions." +So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. +When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!" So all the Israelites went home. +But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them. +King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. +So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. + + +When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin-a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men-to make war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam. +But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: +"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, +'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam. +Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: +Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, +Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, +Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, +Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, +Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. +He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. +He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his. +The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. +The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. +And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. +Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers. +They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during this time. +Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. +She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. +Then he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. +Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. +Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. +He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them. + + +After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. +Because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. +With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, +he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. +Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, "This is what the LORD says, 'You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.'" +The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is just." +When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. +They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands." +When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. +So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. +Whenever the king went to the LORD's temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom. +Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD's anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah. +King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. +He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD. +As for the events of Rehoboam's reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. +Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king. + + +In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, +and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah, a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. +Abijah went into battle with a force of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops. +Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! +Don't you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? +Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master. +Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them. +"And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. +But didn't you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods. +"As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. +Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. +God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed." +Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. +Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets +and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. +The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. +Abijah and his men inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men. +The men of Israel were subdued on that occasion, and the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. +Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. +Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down and he died. +But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. +The other events of Abijah's reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo. + + +And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. +Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. +He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. +He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands. +He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. +He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest. +"Let us build up these towns," he said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. +Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men. +Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with a vast army and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. +Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. +Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you." +The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, +and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the LORD and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. +They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all these villages, since there was much booty there. +They also attacked the camps of the herdsmen and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. + + +The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. +He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. +For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. +But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. +In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. +One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. +But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." +When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple. +Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. +They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. +At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. +They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. +All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. +They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. +All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. +King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley. +Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. +He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated. +There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. + + +In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. +Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. +"Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me." +Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. +When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. +Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah. +At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. +Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. +For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war." +Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. +The events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. +In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. +Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers. +They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor. + + +Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. +He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. +The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals +but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. +The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. +His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. +In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. +With them were certain Levites-Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah-and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. +They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. +The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. +Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats. +Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah +and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. +Their enrollment by families was as follows: From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men; +next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000; +next, Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered himself for the service of the LORD, with 200,000. +From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields; +next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle. +These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah. + + +Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. +Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. +Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war." +But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD." +So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-four hundred men-and asked them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand." +But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" +The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied. +So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." +Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. +Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" +All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." +The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." +But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says." +When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for they will be given into your hand." +The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" +Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" +The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?" +Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. +And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'"One suggested this, and another that. +Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'"'By what means?' the LORD asked. +"'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. "'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.' +"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." +Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked. +Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room." +The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son, +and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'" +Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" +So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. +The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. +Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." +When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "This is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, +for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him. +But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded." +All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died. + + +When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, +Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you. +There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God." +Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. +He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. +He told them, "Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. +Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery." +In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. +He gave them these orders: "You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD. +In every case that comes before you from your fellow countrymen who live in the cities-whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or ordinances-you are to warn them not to sin against the LORD; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not sin. +"Amariah the chief priest will be over you in any matter concerning the LORD, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be over you in any matter concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act with courage, and may the LORD be with those who do well." + + +After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. +Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). +Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. +The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. +Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard +and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. +O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? +They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, +'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.' +"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. +See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. +O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." +All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. +Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. +He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. +Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. +You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" +Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. +Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice. +Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." +After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." +As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. +The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. +When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. +So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value-more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. +On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah to this day. +Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. +They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets. +The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. +And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. +So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. +He walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. +The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers. +The other events of Jehoshaphat's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel. +Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness. +He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships. After these were built at Ezion Geber, +Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade. + + +Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king. +Jehoram's brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. +Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son. +When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel. +Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. +He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. +Nevertheless, because of the covenant the LORD had made with David, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever. +In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. +So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. +To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers. +He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray. +Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: "This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. +But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you. +So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. +You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.'" +The LORD aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. +They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king's palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah, the youngest. +After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. +In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers. +Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. + + +The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders, who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. +Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. +He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father's death they became his advisers, to his undoing. +He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram; +so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded. +Through Ahaziah's visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah's downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. +While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. +He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, "He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom. +When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. +But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah's sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. +He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. + + +In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. +They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, +the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son shall reign, as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David. +Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, +a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the other men are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the LORD. +No one is to enter the temple of the LORD except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the other men are to guard what the LORD has assigned to them. +The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes." +The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men-those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty-for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions. +Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. +He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king-near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. +Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, "Long live the king!" +When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the LORD. +She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, "Treason! Treason!" +Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death at the temple of the LORD." +So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death. +Jehoiada then made a covenant that he and the people and the king would be the LORD's people. +All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. +Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the LORD in the hands of the priests, who were Levites, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the LORD as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. +He also stationed doorkeepers at the gates of the LORD's temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter. +He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the LORD. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne, +and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword. + + +Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. +Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest. +Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters. +Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the LORD. +He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, "Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the temple of your God. Do it now." But the Levites did not act at once. +Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, "Why haven't you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?" +Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals. +At the king's command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the LORD. +A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the desert. +All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full. +Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king's officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. +The king and Jehoiada gave it to the men who carried out the work required for the temple of the LORD. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the LORD's temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple. +The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. +When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the LORD's temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the LORD. +Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. +He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. +After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. +They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem. +Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. +Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the LORD's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'" +But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's temple. +King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May the LORD see this and call you to account." +At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. +Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash. +When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. +Those who conspired against him were Zabad, son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith a Moabite woman. +The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king. + + +Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly. +After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. +Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins." +Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men ready for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. +He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. +But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the LORD is not with Israel-not with any of the people of Ephraim. +Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow." +Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?" The man of God replied, "The LORD can give you much more than that." +So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage. +Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. +The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces. +Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided Judean towns from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder. +When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. +The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, "Why do you consult this people's gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?" +While he was still speaking, the king said to him, "Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?" So the prophet stopped but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel." +After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: "Come, meet me face to face." +But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. +You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?" +Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might hand them over to Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom. +So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. +Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. +Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate-a section about six hundred feet long. +He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria. +Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. +As for the other events of Amaziah's reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? +From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. +He was brought back by horse and was buried with his fathers in the City of Judah. + + +Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. +He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers. +Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. +He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. +He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. +God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. +The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful. +Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. +He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. +Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. +The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. +Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. +Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. +In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. +But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. +Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. +They confronted him and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God." +Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. +When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him. +King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house -leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. +The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. +Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king. + + +Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the LORD. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. +Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. +He built towns in the Judean hills and forts and towers in the wooded areas. +Jotham made war on the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years. +Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God. +The other events in Jotham's reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. +He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. +Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king. + + +Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. +He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshiping the Baals. +He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. +He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. +Therefore the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. +In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah-because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. +Zicri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. +The Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria. +But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, "Because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. +And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren't you also guilty of sins against the LORD your God? +Now listen to me! Send back your fellow countrymen you have taken as prisoners, for the LORD's fierce anger rests on you." +Then some of the leaders in Ephraim-Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai-confronted those who were arriving from the war. +"You must not bring those prisoners here," they said, "or we will be guilty before the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel." +So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. +The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow countrymen at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria. +At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. +The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, +while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. +The LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. +Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. +Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace and from the princes and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him. +In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. +He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel. +Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. +In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger. +The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. +Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king. + + +Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. +In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. +He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side +and said: "Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. +Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD's dwelling place and turned their backs on him. +They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. +Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. +This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. +Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. +My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense." +Then these Levites set to work: from the Kohathites, Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah; from the Merarites, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel; from the Gershonites, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah; +from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; from the descendants of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; +from the descendants of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; from the descendants of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. +When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the LORD, as the king had ordered, following the word of the LORD. +The priests went into the sanctuary of the LORD to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD's temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley. +They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. +Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: "We have purified the entire temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. +We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the LORD's altar." +Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the LORD. +They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the LORD. +So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar. +The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. +The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel. +He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king's seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets. +So the Levites stood ready with David's instruments, and the priests with their trumpets. +Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. +The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed. +When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. +King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. +Then Hezekiah said, "You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the LORD." So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings. +The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs-all of them for burnt offerings to the LORD. +The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. +The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. +There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings. So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. +Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly. + + +Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. +The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. +They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. +The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. +They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written. +At the king's command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read: "People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. +Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. +Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. +If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him." +The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them. +Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. +Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD. +A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. +They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. +They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the LORD. +Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood handed to them by the Levites. +Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the LORD. +Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone +who sets his heart on seeking God-the LORD, the God of his fathers-even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." +And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. +The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests sang to the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD's instruments of praise. +Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the LORD. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the LORD, the God of their fathers. +The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. +Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. +The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the aliens who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah. +There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. +The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. + + +When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property. +Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions-each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites-to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the LORD's dwelling. +The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons and appointed feasts as written in the Law of the LORD. +He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. +As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. +The men of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps. +They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. +When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel. +Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; +and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, "Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over." +Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the LORD, and this was done. +Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Conaniah, a Levite, was in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. +Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were supervisors under Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God. +Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the LORD and also the consecrated gifts. +Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike. +In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records-all who would enter the temple of the LORD to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. +And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. +They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves. +As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farm lands around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites. +This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. +In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. + + +After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. +When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, +he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. +A large force of men assembled, and they blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?" they said. +Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields. +He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: +"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. +With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. +Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there: +"This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? +When Hezekiah says, 'The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,' he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. +Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god's high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it'? +"Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? +Who of all the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? +Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!" +Sennacherib's officers spoke further against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. +The king also wrote letters insulting the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: "Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand." +Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. +They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world-the work of men's hands. +King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. +And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword. +So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side. +Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations. +In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. +But Hezekiah's heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD's wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. +Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD's wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah. +Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. +He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. +He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches. +It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. +But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart. +The other events of Hezekiah's reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. +Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David's descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king. + + +Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. +He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. +He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever." +In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. +He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. +He took the carved image he had made and put it in God's temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. +I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and ordinances given through Moses." +But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. +The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. +So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. +In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. +And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. +Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah. +He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. +Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. +The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. +The other events of Manasseh's reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel. +His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself-all are written in the records of the seers. +Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king. +Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. +But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the LORD; Amon increased his guilt. +Amon's officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. +Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place. + + +Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. +He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. +In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images. +Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles, the idols and the images. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. +He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. +In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, +he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem. +In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God. +They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the doorkeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. +Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the LORD's temple. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple. +They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin. +The men did the work faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites-all who were skilled in playing musical instruments- +had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and doorkeepers. +While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses. +Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan. +Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: "Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. +They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers." +Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. +When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. +He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: +"Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book." +Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. +She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, +'This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people-all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah. +Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.' +Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: +Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. +Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.'" So they took her answer back to the king. +Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. +He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites-all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. +The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book. +Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. +Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers. + + +Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. +He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the LORD's temple. +He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the LORD: "Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel. +Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the directions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon. +"Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow countrymen, the lay people. +Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow countrymen, doing what the LORD commanded through Moses." +Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand sheep and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle-all from the king's own possessions. +His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the administrators of God's temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle. +Also Conaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites. +The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered. +The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals. +They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions of the families of the people to offer to the LORD, as is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. +They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people. +After this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat portions until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests. +The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them. +So at that time the entire service of the LORD was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, as King Josiah had ordered. +The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. +The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. +This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign. +After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. +But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, "What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you." +Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Neco had said at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo. +Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, "Take me away; I am badly wounded." +So they took him out of his chariot, put him in the other chariot he had and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. +Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments. +The other events of Josiah's reign and his acts of devotion, according to what is written in the Law of the LORD - +all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. + + +And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. +Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. +The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. +The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt. +Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. +Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. +Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the LORD and put them in his temple there. +The other events of Jehoiakim's reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king. +Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. +In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the LORD, and he made Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem. +Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the LORD. +He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God's name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the LORD, the God of Israel. +Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. +The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. +But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. +He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. +He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. +They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. +He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. +The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah. +In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: +"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'" + + + + +In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: +"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. +Anyone of his people among you-may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. +And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'" +Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites-everyone whose heart God had moved-prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. +All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. +Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. +Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. +This was the inventory: gold dishes 30 silver dishes 1,000 silver pans 29 +gold bowls 30 matching silver bowls 410 other articles 1,000 +In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem. + + +Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, +in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel: +the descendants of Parosh 2,172 +of Shephatiah 372 +of Arah 775 +of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812 +of Elam 1,254 +of Zattu 945 +of Zaccai 760 +of Bani 642 +of Bebai 623 +of Azgad 1,222 +of Adonikam 666 +of Bigvai 2,056 +of Adin 454 +of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98 +of Bezai 323 +of Jorah 112 +of Hashum 223 +of Gibbar 95 +the men of Bethlehem 123 +of Netophah 56 +of Anathoth 128 +of Azmaveth 42 +of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743 +of Ramah and Geba 621 +of Micmash 122 +of Bethel and Ai 223 +of Nebo 52 +of Magbish 156 +of the other Elam 1,254 +of Harim 320 +of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725 +of Jericho 345 +of Senaah 3,630 +The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973 +of Immer 1,052 +of Pashhur 1,247 +of Harim 1,017 +The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah) 74 +The singers: the descendants of Asaph 128 +The gatekeepers of the temple: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139 +The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, +Keros, Siaha, Padon, +Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, +Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, +Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, +Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, +Uzza, Paseah, Besai, +Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim, +Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, +Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, +Barkos, Sisera, Temah, +Neziah and Hatipha +The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, +Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, +Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami +The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392 +The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel: +The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652 +And from among the priests: The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). +These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. +The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim. +The whole company numbered 42,360, +besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers. +They had 736 horses, 245 mules, +435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. +When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. +According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments. +The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns. + + +When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. +Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. +Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices. +Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. +After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD. +On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the LORD's temple had not yet been laid. +Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia. +In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work, appointing Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the house of the LORD. +Jeshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah ) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all Levites-joined together in supervising those working on the house of God. +When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. +With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. +But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. +No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. + + +When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, +they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here." +But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us." +Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. +They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. +At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. +And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language., +Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: +Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates-the judges and officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, +and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates. +(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates: +The king should know that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations. +Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and the royal revenues will suffer. +Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, +so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place of rebellion from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed. +We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates. +The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings. +The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. +I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. +Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. +Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. +Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests? +As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop. +Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. + + +Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. +Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them. +At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?" +They also asked, "What are the names of the men constructing this building?" +But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received. +This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. +The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: Cordial greetings. +The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction. +We questioned the elders and asked them, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?" +We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information. +This is the answer they gave us: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. +But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. +"However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. +He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. "Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, +and he told him, 'Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.' +So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished." +Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter. + + +King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. +A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it: Memorandum: +In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide, +with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. +Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God. +Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there. +Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. +Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. +Whatever is needed-young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem-must be given them daily without fail, +so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons. +Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble. +May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence. +Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. +So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. +The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. +Then the people of Israel-the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles-celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. +For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. +And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses. +On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. +The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves. +So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. +For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. + + +After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, +the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, +the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, +the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, +the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest- +this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. +Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. +Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. +He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. +For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. +This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel: +Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. +Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. +You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. +Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, +together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. +With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem. +You and your brother Jews may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. +Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. +And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury. +Now I, King Artaxerxes, order all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you- +up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. +Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and of his sons? +You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God. +And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates-all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. +Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. +Praise be to the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way +and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. + + +These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: +of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; of the descendants of David, Hattush +of the descendants of Shecaniah; of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men; +of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men; +of the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men; +of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men; +of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; +of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men; +of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men; +of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men; +of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; +of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men; +of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men; +of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men. +I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. +So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, +and I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his kinsmen, the temple servants in Casiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. +Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah's sons and brothers, 18 men; +and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 men. +They also brought 220 of the temple servants-a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name. +There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. +I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." +So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. +Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, +and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. +I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, +20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold. +I said to them, "You as well as these articles are consecrated to the LORD. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers. +Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel." +Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem. +On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. +So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days. +On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. +Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time. +Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD. +They also delivered the king's orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God. + + +After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. +They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness." +When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. +Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. +Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God +and prayed: "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. +From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. +"But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. +Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem. +"But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded the commands +you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: 'The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. +Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.' +"What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. +Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? +O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence." + + +While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites-men, women and children-gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. +Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. +Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. +Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it." +So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. +Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. +A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. +Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. +Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. +Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. +Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives." +The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: "You are right! We must do as you say. +But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. +Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us." +Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this. +So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, +and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women. +Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. +(They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.) +From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. +From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah. +From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. +Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. +From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. +And among the other Israelites: From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah. +From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah. +From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza. +From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai. +From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth. +From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh. +From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, +Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah. +From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei. +From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, +Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, +Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, +Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu. +From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, +Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, +Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, +Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, +Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. +From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. +All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives. + + + + +The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, +Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. +They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." +When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. +Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, +let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. +We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. +"Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, +but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.' +"They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. +O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king. + + +In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; +so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, +but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" +The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, +and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." +Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. +I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? +And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. +So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. +When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. +I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days +I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. +By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. +Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; +so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. +The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. +Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." +I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. +But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" +I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it." + + +Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. +The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. +The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. +Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. +The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. +The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. +Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah-Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth-places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. +Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. +Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. +Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. +Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. +Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters. +The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. +The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. +The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King's Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. +Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. +Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. +Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. +Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle. +Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. +Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib's house to the end of it. +The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. +Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. +Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah's house to the angle and the corner, +and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh +and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. +Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. +Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. +Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. +Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. +Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; +and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. + + +When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, +and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?" +Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building-if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" +Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. +Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. +So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. +But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. +They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. +But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. +Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." +Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." +Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." +Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. +After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." +When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. +From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah +who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, +and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. +Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. +Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" +So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. +At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day." +Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water. + + +Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. +Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain." +Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine." +Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. +Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others." +When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. +I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" So I called together a large meeting to deal with them +and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. +So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? +I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! +Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them-the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil." +"We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say." Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. +I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!" At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. +Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year-twelve years-neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. +But the earlier governors-those preceding me-placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. +Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. +Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. +Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. +Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people. + + +When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it-though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates- +Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were scheming to harm me; +so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" +Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. +Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter +in which was written: "It is reported among the nations-and Geshem says it is true-that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king +and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: 'There is a king in Judah!' Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together." +I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head." +They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands." +One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you-by night they are coming to kill you." +But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" +I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. +He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. +Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. +So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. +When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. +Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. +For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. +Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. + + +After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. +I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. +I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses." +Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. +So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there: +These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, +in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah): The list of the men of Israel: +the descendants of Parosh 2,172 +of Shephatiah 372 +of Arah 652 +of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818 +of Elam 1,254 +of Zattu 845 +of Zaccai 760 +of Binnui 648 +of Bebai 628 +of Azgad 2,322 +of Adonikam 667 +of Bigvai 2,067 +of Adin 655 +of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98 +of Hashum 328 +of Bezai 324 +of Hariph 112 +of Gibeon 95 +the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188 +of Anathoth 128 +of Beth Azmaveth 42 +of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743 +of Ramah and Geba 621 +of Micmash 122 +of Bethel and Ai 123 +of the other Nebo 52 +of the other Elam 1,254 +of Harim 320 +of Jericho 345 +of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721 +of Senaah 3,930 +The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973 +of Immer 1,052 +of Pashhur 1,247 +of Harim 1,017 +The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74 +The singers: the descendants of Asaph 148 +The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 138 +The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, +Keros, Sia, Padon, +Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, +Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, +Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, +Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, +Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, +Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, +Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, +Barkos, Sisera, Temah, +Neziah and Hatipha +The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, +Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, +Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon +The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392 +The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel: +the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642 +And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). +These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. +The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim. +The whole company numbered 42,360, +besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 245 men and women singers. +There were 736 horses, 245 mules, +435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. +Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 drachmas of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. +Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. +The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests. +The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, + + +all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. +So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. +He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. +Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. +Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. +Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. +The Levites-Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah-instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. +They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. +Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. +Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." +The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." +Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. +On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law. +They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month +and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths"-as it is written. +So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. +The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great. +Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly. + + +On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads. +Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. +They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God. +Standing on the stairs were the Levites-Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani-who called with loud voices to the LORD their God. +And the Levites-Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah-said: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. +You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. +"You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. +You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous. +"You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. +You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. +You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. +By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take. +"You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. +You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. +In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them. +"But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. +They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, +even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, 'This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they committed awful blasphemies. +"Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. +You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. +For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. +"You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. +You made their sons as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their fathers to enter and possess. +Their sons went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. +They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness. +"But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. +So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. +"But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time. +"You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. +For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. +But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. +"Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes-the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. +In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong. +Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them. +Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways. +"But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. +Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress. +"In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it." + + +Those who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah, +Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, +Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, +Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, +Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, +Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, +Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, +Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests. +The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, +and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, +Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, +Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, +Hodiah, Bani and Beninu. +The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, +Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, +Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, +Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, +Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, +Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, +Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, +Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, +Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, +Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, +Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, +Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, +Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, +Malluch, Harim and Baanah. +"The rest of the people-priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand- +all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord. +"We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons. +"When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts. +"We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: +for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals and appointed feasts; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God. +"We-the priests, the Levites and the people-have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. +"We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the LORD each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree. +"As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there. +"Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. +A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. +The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. "We will not neglect the house of our God." + + +Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. +The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. +These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon's servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on his own property in the various towns, +while other people from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem): From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez; +and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah. +The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 able men. +From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, +and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai-928 men. +Joel son of Zicri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the Second District of the city. +From the priests: Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; +Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor in the house of God, +and their associates, who carried on work for the temple-822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, +and his associates, who were heads of families-242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, +and his associates, who were able men-128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. +From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; +Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; +Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. +The Levites in the holy city totaled 284. +The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates-172 men. +The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on his ancestral property. +The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them. +The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph's descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of the house of God. +The singers were under the king's orders, which regulated their daily activity. +Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's agent in all affairs relating to the people. +As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages, +in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet, +in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its settlements, +in Ziklag, in Meconah and its settlements, +in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, +Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. +The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its settlements, +in Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah, +in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim, +in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat, +in Lod and Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen. +Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin. + + +These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, +Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, +Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, +Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, +Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, +Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, +Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. +The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. +Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services. +Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, +Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. +In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah's family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah's, Hananiah; +of Ezra's, Meshullam; of Amariah's, Jehohanan; +of Malluch's, Jonathan; of Shecaniah's, Joseph; +of Harim's, Adna; of Meremoth's, Helkai; +of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam; +of Abijah's, Zicri; of Miniamin's and of Moadiah's, Piltai; +of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shemaiah's, Jehonathan; +of Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi; +of Sallu's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber; +of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's, Nethanel. +The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. +The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. +And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God. +Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. +They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe. +At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. +The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem-from the villages of the Netophathites, +from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. +When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall. +I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. +Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, +along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, +Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, +as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, +and his associates-Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani-with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. +At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. +The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people-past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, +over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped. +The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, +as well as the priests-Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets- +and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. +And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. +At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites. +They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon. +For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. +So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron. + + +On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, +because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) +When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent. +Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, +and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests. +But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission +and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. +I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room. +I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense. +I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. +So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the house of God neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. +All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms. +I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers. +Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services. +In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. +Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. +I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this wicked thing you are doing-desecrating the Sabbath day? +Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath." +When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. +Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. +But I warned them and said, "Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. +Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love. +Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. +Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah. +I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God's name and said: "You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. +Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. +Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?" +One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me. +Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites. +So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. +I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me with favor, O my God. + + + + +This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush: +At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, +and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. +For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. +When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king's palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa. +The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. +Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king's liberality. +By the king's command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished. +Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. +On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him-Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas- +to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. +But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger. +Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times +and were closest to the king-Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. +"According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?" he asked. "She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her." +Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. +For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.' +This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen's conduct will respond to all the king's nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord. +"Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. +Then when the king's edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest." +The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memucan proposed. +He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people's tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household. + + +Later when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. +Then the king's personal attendants proposed, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. +Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. +Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. +Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, +who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. +Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. +When the king's order and edict had been proclaimed, many girls were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. +The girl pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven maids selected from the king's palace and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem. +Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. +Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. +Before a girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. +And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. +In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. +When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. +She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. +Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. +And the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. +When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. +But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. +During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. +But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. +And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were hanged on a gallows. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. + + +After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. +All the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. +Then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?" +Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. +When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. +Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. +In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, they cast the pur (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. +Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them. +If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business." +So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. +"Keep the money," the king said to Haman, "and do with the people as you please." +Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman's orders to the king's satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. +Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews-young and old, women and little children-on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. +A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day. +Spurred on by the king's command, the couriers went out, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered. + + +When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. +But he went only as far as the king's gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. +In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes. +When Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. +Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. +So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate. +Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. +He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. +Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. +Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, +"All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king." +When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, +he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. +For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" +Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: +"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." +So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions. + + +On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. +When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. +Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you." +"If it pleases the king," replied Esther, "let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him." +"Bring Haman at once," the king said, "so that we may do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. +As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." +Esther replied, "My petition and my request is this: +If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question." +Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. +Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, +Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. +"And that's not all," Haman added. "I'm the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. +But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate." +His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy." This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built. + + +That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. +It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. +"What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?" the king asked. "Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered. +The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him. +His attendants answered, "Haman is standing in the court.Bring him in," the king ordered. +When Haman entered, the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?" +So he answered the king, "For the man the king delights to honor, +have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. +Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!'" +"Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended." +So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!" +Afterward Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, +and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, "Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him-you will surely come to ruin!" +While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. + + +So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, +and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." +Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life-this is my petition. And spare my people-this is my request. +For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. " +King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?" +Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman." Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. +The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. +Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?" As soon as the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. +Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, "A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman's house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king." The king said, "Hang him on it!" +So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's fury subsided. + + +That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. +The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's estate. +Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. +Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him. +"If it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. +For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?" +King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows. +Now write another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king's signet ring-for no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked." +At once the royal secretaries were summoned-on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai's orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. +Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king's signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king. +The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies. +The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. +A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. +The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king's command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa. +Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. +For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. +In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them. + + +On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. +The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. +And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. +Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful. +The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. +In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. +They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, +Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, +Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, +the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. +The number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. +The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted." +"If it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on gallows." +So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. +The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. +Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. +This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. +The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. +That is why rural Jews-those living in villages-observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other. +Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, +to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar +as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. +So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. +For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. +But when the plot came to the king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. +(Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, +the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. +These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants. +So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. +And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes-words of goodwill and assurance- +to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. +Esther's decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records. + + +King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. +And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? +Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. + + + + +In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. +He had seven sons and three daughters, +and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. +His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. +When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom. +One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. +The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." +Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." +"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. +"Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. +But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." +The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. +One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, +a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, +and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" +While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" +While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" +While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, +when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" +At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship +and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." +In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. + + +On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. +And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." +Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." +"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. +But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." +The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." +So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. +Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. +His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" +He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. +When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. +When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. +Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. + + +After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. +He said: +"May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!' +That day-may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine upon it. +May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm its light. +That night-may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months. +May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it. +May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan. +May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn, +for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes. +"Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? +Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed? +For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest +with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins, +with rulers who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. +Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? +There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest. +Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver's shout. +The small and the great are there, and the slave is freed from his master. +"Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, +to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, +who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? +Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? +For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water. +What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. +I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." + + +Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: +"If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? +Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. +Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. +But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. +Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? +"Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? +As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. +At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish. +The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken. +The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. +"A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. +Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, +fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake. +A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. +It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: +'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? +If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error, +how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth! +Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever. +Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?' + + +"Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? +Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. +I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. +His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender. +The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. +For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. +Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. +"But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. +He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. +He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. +The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. +He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. +He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. +Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. +He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful. +So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. +"Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. +For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. +From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you. +In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. +You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. +You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. +For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. +You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. +You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. +You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. +"We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself." + + +Then Job replied: +"If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! +It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas- no wonder my words have been impetuous. +The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me. +Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder? +Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg? +I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill. +"Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, +that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! +Then I would still have this consolation- my joy in unrelenting pain- that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. +"What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? +Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze? +Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me? +"A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. +But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow +when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow, +but that cease to flow in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels. +Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go up into the wasteland and perish. +The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope. +They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed. +Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid. +Have I ever said, 'Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth, +deliver me from the hand of the enemy, ransom me from the clutches of the ruthless'? +"Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. +How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove? +Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind? +You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend. +"But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face? +Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake. +Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice? + + +"Does not man have hard service on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired man? +Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired man waiting eagerly for his wages, +so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me. +When I lie down I think, 'How long before I get up?' The night drags on, and I toss till dawn. +My body is clothed with worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering. +"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. +Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again. +The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more. +As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. +He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more. +"Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. +Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard? +When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, +even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, +so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. +I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning. +"What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, +that you examine him every morning and test him every moment? +Will you never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant? +If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to you? +Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? For I will soon lie down in the dust; you will search for me, but I will be no more." + + +Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: +"How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. +Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? +When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin. +But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty, +if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place. +Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. +"Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, +for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. +Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding? +Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? +While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass. +Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. +What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web. +He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold. +He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden; +it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones. +But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, 'I never saw you.' +Surely its life withers away, and from the soil other plants grow. +"Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands of evildoers. +He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. +Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more." + + +Then Job replied: +"Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God? +Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. +His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? +He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. +He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. +He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. +He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. +He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. +He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. +When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. +If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?' +God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. +"How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? +Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. +Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. +He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. +He would not let me regain my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. +If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who will summon him? +Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. +"Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. +It is all the same; that is why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' +When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. +When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? +"My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. +They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. +If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,' +I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. +Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? +Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with washing soda, +you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. +"He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. +If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, +someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. +Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot. + + +"I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. +I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me. +Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked? +Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees? +Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man, +that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin- +though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand? +"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? +Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? +Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, +clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? +You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. +"But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: +If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. +If I am guilty-woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction. +If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me. +You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave. +"Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. +If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave! +Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment's joy +before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, +to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness." + + +Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: +"Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vindicated? +Will your idle talk reduce men to silence? Will no one rebuke you when you mock? +You say to God, 'My beliefs are flawless and I am pure in your sight.' +Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you +and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin. +"Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? +They are higher than the heavens-what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave -what can you know? +Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. +"If he comes along and confines you in prison and convenes a court, who can oppose him? +Surely he recognizes deceitful men; and when he sees evil, does he not take note? +But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey's colt can be born a man. +"Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, +if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, +then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear. +You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. +Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. +You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. +You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor. +But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp." + + +Then Job replied: +"Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! +But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things? +"I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called upon God and he answered- a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! +Men at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. +The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure- those who carry their god in their hands. +"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; +or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. +Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? +In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. +Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? +Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? +"To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. +What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released. +If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. +To him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are his. +He leads counselors away stripped and makes fools of judges. +He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist. +He leads priests away stripped and overthrows men long established. +He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. +He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. +He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light. +He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them. +He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste. +They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. + + +"My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. +What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. +But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. +You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! +If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. +Hear now my argument; listen to the plea of my lips. +Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? +Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? +Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men? +He would surely rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality. +Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? +Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. +"Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may. +Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? +Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. +Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him! +Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say. +Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated. +Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die. +"Only grant me these two things, O God, and then I will not hide from you: +Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. +Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply. +How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin. +Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy? +Will you torment a windblown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff? +For you write down bitter things against me and make me inherit the sins of my youth. +You fasten my feet in shackles; you keep close watch on all my paths by putting marks on the soles of my feet. +"So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths. + + +"Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. +He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. +Do you fix your eye on such a one? Will you bring him before you for judgment? +Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one! +Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. +So look away from him and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired man. +"At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. +Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, +yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. +But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. +As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, +so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep. +"If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! +If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. +You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. +Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. +My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin. +"But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place, +as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope. +You overpower him once for all, and he is gone; you change his countenance and send him away. +If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it. +He feels but the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself." + + +Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: +"Would a wise man answer with empty notions or fill his belly with the hot east wind? +Would he argue with useless words, with speeches that have no value? +But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God. +Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. +Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you. +"Are you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? +Do you listen in on God's council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? +What do you know that we do not know? What insights do you have that we do not have? +The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men even older than your father. +Are God's consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you? +Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, +so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth? +"What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous? +If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, +how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks up evil like water! +"Listen to me and I will explain to you; let me tell you what I have seen, +what wise men have declared, hiding nothing received from their fathers +(to whom alone the land was given when no alien passed among them): +All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless through all the years stored up for him. +Terrifying sounds fill his ears; when all seems well, marauders attack him. +He despairs of escaping the darkness; he is marked for the sword. +He wanders about-food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. +Distress and anguish fill him with terror; they overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack, +because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, +defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield. +"Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, +he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble. +He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. +He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. +Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. +Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. +He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms. +For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. +They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit." + + +Then Job replied: +"I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! +Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? +I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. +But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. +"Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. +Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. +You have bound me-and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me. +God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes. +Men open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me. +God has turned me over to evil men and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked. +All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target; +his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground. +Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior. +"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. +My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; +yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. +"O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! +Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. +My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; +on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. +"Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return. + + +My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me. +Surely mockers surround me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility. +"Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me? +You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph. +If a man denounces his friends for reward, the eyes of his children will fail. +"God has made me a byword to everyone, a man in whose face people spit. +My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow. +Upright men are appalled at this; the innocent are aroused against the ungodly. +Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger. +"But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you. +My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart. +These men turn night into day; in the face of darkness they say, 'Light is near.' +If the only home I hope for is the grave, if I spread out my bed in darkness, +if I say to corruption, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,' +where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? +Will it go down to the gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?" + + +Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: +"When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk. +Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight? +You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place? +"The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. +The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out. +The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down. +His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh. +A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast. +A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path. +Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step. +Calamity is hungry for him; disaster is ready for him when he falls. +It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs. +He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors. +Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling. +His roots dry up below and his branches wither above. +The memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land. +He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. +He has no offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he lived. +Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror. +Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God." + + +Then Job replied: +"How long will you torment me and crush me with words? +Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. +If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone. +If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me, +then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. +"Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice. +He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness. +He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. +He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. +His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies. +His troops advance in force; they build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. +"He has alienated my brothers from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. +My kinsmen have gone away; my friends have forgotten me. +My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger; they look upon me as an alien. +I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth. +My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own brothers. +Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me. +All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. +I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth. +"Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. +Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? +"Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, +that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! +I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. +And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; +I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! +"If you say, 'How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him, ' +you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment. " + + +Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: +"My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed. +I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply. +"Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since man was placed on the earth, +that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. +Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, +he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' +Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night. +The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more. +His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth. +The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust. +"Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, +though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, +yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him. +He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up. +He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him. +He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. +What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading. +For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build. +"Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure. +Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure. +In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him. +When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows upon him. +Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him. +He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him; +total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. +The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him. +A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath. +Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God." + + +Then Job replied: +"Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. +Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. +"Is my complaint directed to man? Why should I not be impatient? +Look at me and be astonished; clap your hand over your mouth. +When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body. +Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? +They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. +Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them. +Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. +They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. +They sing to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of the flute. +They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. +Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. +Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?' +But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. +"Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? +How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? +It is said, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.' Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it! +Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. +For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end? +"Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? +One man dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, +his body well nourished, his bones rich with marrow. +Another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. +Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both. +"I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. +You say, 'Where now is the great man's house, the tents where wicked men lived?' +Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts- +that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, that he is delivered from the day of wrath? +Who denounces his conduct to his face? Who repays him for what he has done? +He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. +The soil in the valley is sweet to him; all men follow after him, and a countless throng goes before him. +"So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!" + + +Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: +"Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him? +What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? +"Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? +Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? +You demanded security from your brothers for no reason; you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked. +You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, +though you were a powerful man, owning land- an honored man, living on it. +And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. +That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, +why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. +"Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars! +Yet you say, 'What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness? +Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.' +Will you keep to the old path that evil men have trod? +They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. +They said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?' +Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. +"The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, +'Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.' +"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. +Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. +If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent +and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, +then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. +Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. +You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. +What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. +When men are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast. +He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." + + +Then Job replied: +"Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. +If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! +I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. +I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say. +Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me. +There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. +"But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. +When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. +But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. +My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. +I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. +"But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases. +He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. +That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. +God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. +Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face. + + +"Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days? +Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen. +They drive away the orphan's donkey and take the widow's ox in pledge. +They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding. +Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children. +They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked. +Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold. +They are drenched by mountain rains and hug the rocks for lack of shelter. +The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt. +Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry. +They crush olives among the terraces; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst. +The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing. +"There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths. +When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief. +The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, 'No eye will see me,' and he keeps his face concealed. +In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light. +For all of them, deep darkness is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness. +"Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards. +As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned. +The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; evil men are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree. +They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow show no kindness. +But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life. +He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways. +For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain. +"If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?" + + +Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: +"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. +Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise? +How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? +If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, +how much less man, who is but a maggot- a son of man, who is only a worm!" + + +Then Job replied: +"How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble! +What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed! +Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth? +"The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. +Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. +He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. +He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. +He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. +He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. +The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. +By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. +By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. +And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?" + + +And Job continued his discourse: +"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul, +as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, +my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit. +I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. +I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. +"May my enemies be like the wicked, my adversaries like the unjust! +For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life? +Does God listen to his cry when distress comes upon him? +Will he find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? +"I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal. +You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk? +"Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty: +However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat. +The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them. +Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, +what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver. +The house he builds is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman. +He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone. +Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night. +The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. +It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power. +It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place. + + +"There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. +Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. +Man puts an end to the darkness; he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. +Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man; far from men he dangles and sways. +The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire; +sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold. +No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon's eye has seen it. +Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there. +Man's hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. +He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. +He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. +"But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? +Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living. +The deep says, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.' +It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver. +It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires. +Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. +Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. +The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold. +"Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? +It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. +Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.' +God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, +for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. +When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, +when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, +then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. +And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'" + + +Job continued his discourse: +"How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, +when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness! +Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house, +when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, +when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil. +"When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, +the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; +the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; +the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. +Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, +because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. +The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. +I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. +I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. +I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. +I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. +"I thought, 'I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. +My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. +My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.' +"Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. +After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. +They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. +When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. +I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners. + + +"But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. +Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them? +Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate wastelands at night. +In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was the root of the broom tree. +They were banished from their fellow men, shouted at as if they were thieves. +They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. +They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth. +A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land. +"And now their sons mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. +They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. +Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence. +On my right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me. +They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me- without anyone's helping them. +They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins they come rolling in. +Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud. +"And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me. +Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest. +In his great power God becomes like clothing to me; he binds me like the neck of my garment. +He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes. +"I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. +You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me. +You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm. +I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living. +"Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress. +Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? +Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. +The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. +I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. +I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. +My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. +My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing. + + +"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. +For what is man's lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high? +Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? +Does he not see my ways and count my every step? +"If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit- +let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless- +if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, +then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. +"If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, +then may my wife grind another man's grain, and may other men sleep with her. +For that would have been shameful, a sin to be judged. +It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest. +"If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me, +what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? +Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? +"If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, +if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless- +but from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my birth I guided the widow- +if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a garment, +and his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep, +if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, +then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. +For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things. +"If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' +if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, +if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, +so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, +then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high. +"If I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him- +I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against his life- +if the men of my household have never said, 'Who has not had his fill of Job's meat?'- +but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler- +if I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart +because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside +("Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense-let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. +Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. +I would give him an account of my every step; like a prince I would approach him.)- +"if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, +if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, +then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley." The words of Job are ended. + + +So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. +But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. +He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. +Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. +But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused. +So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said: "I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. +I thought, 'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.' +But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. +It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. +"Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know. +I waited while you spoke, I listened to your reasoning; while you were searching for words, +I gave you my full attention. But not one of you has proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments. +Do not say, 'We have found wisdom; let God refute him, not man.' +But Job has not marshaled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments. +"They are dismayed and have no more to say; words have failed them. +Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand there with no reply? +I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know. +For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; +inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst. +I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply. +I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man; +for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away. + + +"But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. +I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. +My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. +The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. +Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me. +I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay. +No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you. +"But you have said in my hearing- I heard the very words- +'I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt. +Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. +He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.' +"But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man. +Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words? +For God does speak-now one way, now another- though man may not perceive it. +In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, +he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, +to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, +to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. +Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones, +so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal. +His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out. +His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death. +"Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, +to be gracious to him and say, 'Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him'- +then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth. +He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state. +Then he comes to men and says, 'I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. +He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.' +"God does all these things to a man- twice, even three times- +to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him. +"Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. +If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want you to be cleared. +But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom." + + +Then Elihu said: +"Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning. +For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. +Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. +"Job says, 'I am innocent, but God denies me justice. +Although I am right, I am considered a liar; although I am guiltless, his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.' +What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water? +He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men. +For he says, 'It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God.' +"So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong. +He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves. +It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice. +Who appointed him over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world? +If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, +all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust. +"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. +Can he who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One? +Is he not the One who says to kings, 'You are worthless,' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,' +who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? +They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. +"His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. +There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide. +God has no need to examine men further, that they should come before him for judgment. +Without inquiry he shatters the mighty and sets up others in their place. +Because he takes note of their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. +He punishes them for their wickedness where everyone can see them, +because they turned from following him and had no regard for any of his ways. +They caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he heard the cry of the needy. +But if he remains silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him? Yet he is over man and nation alike, +to keep a godless man from ruling, from laying snares for the people. +"Suppose a man says to God, 'I am guilty but will offend no more. +Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.' +Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know. +"Men of understanding declare, wise men who hear me say to me, +'Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.' +Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost for answering like a wicked man! +To his sin he adds rebellion; scornfully he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God." + + +Then Elihu said: +"Do you think this is just? You say, 'I will be cleared by God. ' +Yet you ask him, 'What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?' +"I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you. +Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you. +If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him? +If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand? +Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only the sons of men. +"Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. +But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, +who teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?' +He does not answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked. +Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it. +How much less, then, will he listen when you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him and you must wait for him, +and further, that his anger never punishes and he does not take the least notice of wickedness. +So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words." + + +Elihu continued: +"Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf. +I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker. +Be assured that my words are not false; one perfect in knowledge is with you. +"God is mighty, but does not despise men; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose. +He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights. +He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. +But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, +he tells them what they have done- that they have sinned arrogantly. +He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. +If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. +But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. +"The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. +They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines. +But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. +"He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. +But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you. +Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. +Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress? +Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes. +Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction. +"God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? +Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'? +Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song. +All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. +How great is God-beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. +"He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; +the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. +Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? +See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. +This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. +He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. +His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach. + + +"At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. +Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. +He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. +After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back. +God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. +He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' +So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor. +The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. +The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds. +The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. +He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. +At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. +He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love. +"Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders. +Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? +Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge? +You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind, +can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze? +"Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness. +Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up? +Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. +Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. +The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. +Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart? " + + +Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: +"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? +Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. +"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. +Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? +On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- +while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? +"Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, +when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, +when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, +when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? +"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, +that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? +The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. +The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. +"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? +Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? +Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. +"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? +Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? +Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years! +"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, +which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? +What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? +Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, +to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, +to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? +Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? +From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens +when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen? +"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? +Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? +Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth? +"Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? +Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? +Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? +Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens +when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together? +"Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions +when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? +Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? + + +"Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? +Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? +They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. +Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. +"Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? +I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. +He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver's shout. +He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. +"Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? +Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? +Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? +Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? +"The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. +She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, +unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. +She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, +for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. +Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. +"Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? +Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? +He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. +He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. +The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. +In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. +At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!' He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry. +"Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? +Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? +He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. +From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. +His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he." + + +The LORD said to Job: +"Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" +Then Job answered the LORD: +"I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. +I spoke once, but I have no answer- twice, but I will say no more." +Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: +"Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. +"Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? +Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his? +Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. +Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, +look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. +Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. +Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you. +"Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. +What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! +His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. +His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. +He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. +The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. +Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. +The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him. +When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth. +Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose? + + +"Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? +Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? +Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words? +Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life? +Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls? +Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? +Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? +If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! +Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering. +No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me? +Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. +"I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form. +Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? +Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? +His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; +each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. +They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. +His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. +Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. +Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. +His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth. +Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him. +The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. +His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. +When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing. +The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. +Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. +Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him. +A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance. +His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. +He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. +Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair. +Nothing on earth is his equal- a creature without fear. +He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud." + + +Then Job replied to the LORD: +"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. +You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. +"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' +My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. +Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." +After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. +So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." +So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer. +After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. +All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. +The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. +And he also had seven sons and three daughters. +The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. +Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. +After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. +And so he died, old and full of years. + + + + +Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. +But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. +He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. +Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. +Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. +For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. + + +Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? +The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. +"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." +The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. +Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, +"I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." +I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. +Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. +You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." +Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. +Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. +Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. + + +O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! +Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah +But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. +To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah +I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. +I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. +Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. +From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah + + +Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. +How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah +Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. +In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah +Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. +Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. +You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. +I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. + + +Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. +Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. +In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. +You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. +The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. +You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. +But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. +Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight your way before me. +Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. +Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. +But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. +For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. + + +O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. +Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. +My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? +Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. +No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? +I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. +My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. +Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. +The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. +All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace. + + +O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, +or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. +O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands- +if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe- +then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah +Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. +Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; +let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. +O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. +My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. +God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. +If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. +He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows. +He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. +He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. +The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head. +I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. + + +O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. +From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. +When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, +what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? +You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. +You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: +all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, +the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. +O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! + + +I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. +I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. +My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. +For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously. +You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. +Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. +The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. +He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. +The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. +Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. +Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. +For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. +O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, +that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation. +The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. +The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah +The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. +But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. +Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. +Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah + + +Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? +In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. +He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. +In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. +His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. +He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." +His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. +He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. +He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. +His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. +He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees." +Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. +Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"? +But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. +Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. +The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. +You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, +defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. + + +In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain. +For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. +When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" +The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. +The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. +On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. +For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. + + +Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. +Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. +May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue +that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips -who is our master?" +"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them." +And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. +O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. +The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men. + + +How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? +How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? +Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; +my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. +But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. +I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me. + + +The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. +The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. +All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. +Will evildoers never learn- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD? +There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. +You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. +Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! + + +LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? +He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart +and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, +who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, +who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. + + +Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. +I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." +As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. +The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. +LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. +The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. +I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. +I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. +Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, +because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. +You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. + + +Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer- it does not rise from deceitful lips. +May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. +Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. +As for the deeds of men- by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. +My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. +I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. +Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. +Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings +from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. +They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. +They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. +They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover. +Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword. +O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. +And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. + + +I love you, O LORD, my strength. +The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. +I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. +The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. +The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. +In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. +The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. +Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. +He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. +He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. +He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky. +Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. +The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. +He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. +The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. +He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. +He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. +They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. +He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. +The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. +For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. +All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. +I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. +The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. +To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, +to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. +You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. +You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. +With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. +As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. +For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? +It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. +He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. +He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. +You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. +You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. +I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. +I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. +You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. +You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. +They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the LORD, but he did not answer. +I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets. +You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. +As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. +They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. +The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! +He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, +who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. +Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name. +He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever. + + +The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. +Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. +There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. +Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, +which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. +It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. +The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. +The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. +The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. +They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. +By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. +Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. +Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. +May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. + + +May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. +May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. +May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah +May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. +We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. +Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. +Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. +They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. +O LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call! + + +O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! +You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah +You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. +He asked you for life, and you gave it to him- length of days, for ever and ever. +Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. +Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. +For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. +Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. +At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. +You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. +Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; +for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow. +Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might. + + +My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? +O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. +Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. +In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. +They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. +But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. +All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: +"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." +Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. +From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. +Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. +Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. +Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. +I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. +My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. +Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. +I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. +They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. +But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. +Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. +Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. +I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. +You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! +For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. +From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. +The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him- may your hearts live forever! +All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, +for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. +All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him- those who cannot keep themselves alive. +Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. +They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn- for he has done it. + + +The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. +He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, +he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. +Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. +You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. +Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. + + +The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; +for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. +Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? +He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. +He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. +Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah +Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. +Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. +Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. +Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty- he is the King of glory. Selah + + +To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; +in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. +No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. +Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; +guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. +Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. +Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. +Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. +He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. +All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. +For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. +Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. +He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. +The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. +My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. +Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. +The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. +Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. +See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! +Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. +May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. +Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles! + + +Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. +Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; +for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. +I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; +I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. +I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD, +proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. +I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells. +Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, +in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. +But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me. +My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD. + + +The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? +When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. +Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. +One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. +For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. +Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. +Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. +My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. +Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior. +Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. +Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. +Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. +I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. +Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. + + +To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. +Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. +Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. +Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. +Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again. +Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. +The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. +The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. +Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. + + +Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. +Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. +The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. +The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. +The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. +He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. +The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. +The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. +The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!" +The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. +The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. + + +I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. +O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. +O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. +Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. +For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. +When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." +O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. +To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: +"What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? +Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help." +You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, +that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. + + +In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. +Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. +Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. +Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. +Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. +I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. +I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. +You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. +Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. +My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. +Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends- those who see me on the street flee from me. +I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. +For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. +But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." +My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. +Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. +Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. +Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. +How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. +In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. +Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. +In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. +Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. +Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. + + +Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. +Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. +When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. +For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah +Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah +Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. +You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah +I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. +Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. +Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. +Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! + + +Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. +Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. +Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. +For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. +The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. +By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. +He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. +Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. +For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. +The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. +But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. +Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. +From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; +from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- +he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. +No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. +A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. +But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, +to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. +We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. +In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. +May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. + + +I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. +My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. +Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. +I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. +Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. +This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. +The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. +Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. +Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. +The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. +Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. +Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, +keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. +Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. +The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; +the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. +The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. +The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. +A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; +he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. +Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. +The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. + + +Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. +Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. +Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." +May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. +May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; +may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them. +Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, +may ruin overtake them by surprise- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. +Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. +My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them." +Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. +They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. +Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, +I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother. +But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. +Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me. +O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. +I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you. +Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. +They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. +They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it." +O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. +Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. +Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me. +Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up." +May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. +May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant." +My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. + + +An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. +For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. +The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. +Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong. +Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. +Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. +How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. +They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. +For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. +Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. +May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. +See how the evildoers lie fallen- thrown down, not able to rise! + + +Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; +for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. +Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. +Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. +Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: +He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. +Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. +Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. +For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. +A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. +But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. +The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; +but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. +The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. +But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. +Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; +for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. +The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. +In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. +But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish-vanish like smoke. +The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; +those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. +If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; +though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. +I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. +They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. +Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. +For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; +the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. +The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. +The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. +The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; +but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. +Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. +I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, +but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. +Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. +But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. +The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. +The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. + + +O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. +For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me. +Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. +My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. +My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. +I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. +My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. +I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. +All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. +My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. +My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. +Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception. +I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; +I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. +I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. +For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips." +For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. +I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. +Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous. +Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good. +O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. +Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior. + + +I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence." +But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased. +My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: +"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. +You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah +Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. +"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. +Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. +I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this. +Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand. +You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth- each man is but a breath. Selah +"Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were. +Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more." + + +I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. +He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. +He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. +Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. +Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. +Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced,; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. +Then I said, "Here I am, I have come- it is written about me in the scroll. +I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." +I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. +I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. +Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. +For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. +Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me. +May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. +May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame. +But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" +Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay. + + +Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. +The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. +The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness. +I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you." +My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?" +Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad. +All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying, +"A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies." +Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. +But you, O LORD, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them. +I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. +In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever. +Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. + + +As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. +My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? +My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" +These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. +Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and +my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar. +Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. +By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life. +I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" +My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" +Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. + + +Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. +You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? +Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. +Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. +Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. + + +We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. +With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish. +It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. +You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. +Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. +I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; +but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. +In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah +But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies. +You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us. +You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations. +You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale. +You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. +You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us. +My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame +at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge. +All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. +Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. +But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. +If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, +would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? +Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. +Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. +Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? +We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. +Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love. + + +My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. +You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. +Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. +In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. +Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. +Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. +You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. +All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad. +Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. +Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. +The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. +The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor. +All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. +In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. +They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. +Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. +I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever. + + +God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. +Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, +though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah +There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. +God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. +Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. +The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah +Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. +He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. +"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." +The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah + + +Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. +How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! +He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. +He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah +God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. +Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. +For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. +God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. +The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. + + +Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. +It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. +God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. +When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, +they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. +Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor. +You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind. +As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah +Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. +Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. +Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. +Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, +consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. +For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. + + +Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, +both low and high, rich and poor alike: +My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. +I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: +Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me- +those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? +No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him- +the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough- +that he should live on forever and not see decay. +For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. +Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. +But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. +This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah +Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. +But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah +Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; +for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. +Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper- +he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. +A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. + + +The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. +From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. +Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. +He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: +"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." +And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah +"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. +I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. +I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, +for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. +I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. +If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. +Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? +Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, +and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." +But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? +You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. +When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. +You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. +You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. +These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. +"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: +He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." + + +Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. +Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. +For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. +Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. +Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. +Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. +Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. +Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. +Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. +Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. +Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. +Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. +Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. +Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. +O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. +You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. +The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. +In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. +Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar. + + +Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? +Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. +You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah +You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue! +Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah +The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, +"Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!" +But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. +I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. + + +The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. +God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. +Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. +Will the evildoers never learn- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God? +There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them. +Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! + + +Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. +Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. +Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life- men without regard for God. Selah +Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. +Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. +I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. +For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. + + +Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; +hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught +at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger. +My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. +Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. +I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest- +I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah +I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm." +Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. +Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it. +Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets. +If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. +But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, +with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God. +Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them. +But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. +Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. +He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. +God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them- Selah men who never change their ways and have no fear of God. +My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. +His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. +Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. +But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you. + + +Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. +My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride. +When I am afraid, I will trust in you. +In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? +All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me. +They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life. +On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations. +Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record? +Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me. +In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise- +in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? +I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you. +For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. + + +Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. +I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me. +He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness. +I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. +Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. +They spread a net for my feet- I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path- but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah +My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. +Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. +I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. +For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. +Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. + + +Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? +No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. +Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. +Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, +that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be. +Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! +Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. +Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. +Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns- whether they be green or dry-the wicked will be swept away. +The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. +Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth." + + +Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. +Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men. +See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD. +I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight! +O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah +They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. +See what they spew from their mouths- they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" +But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations. +O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, +my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me. +But do not kill them, O Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down. +For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, +consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah +They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. +They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied. +But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. +O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. + + +You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry-now restore us! +You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking. +You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. +But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah +Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. +God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. +Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. +Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." +Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? +Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? +Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. +With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. + + +Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. +From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. +For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. +I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah +For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. +Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. +May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. +Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day. + + +My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. +He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. +How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down- this leaning wall, this tottering fence? +They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah +Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. +He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. +My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. +Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah +Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. +Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. +One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, +and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. + + +O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. +I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. +Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. +I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. +My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. +On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. +Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. +My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. +They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. +They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. +But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced. + + +Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy. +Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers. +They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows. +They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear. +They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them?" +They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning. +But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down. +He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. +All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. +Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him! + + +Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. +O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. +When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. +Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. +You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, +who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, +who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. +Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. +You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. +You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. +You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. +The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. +The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. + + +Shout with joy to God, all the earth! +Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! +Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. +All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah +Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf! +He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot- come, let us rejoice in him. +He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations- let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah +Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; +he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. +For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. +You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. +You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. +I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you- +vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. +I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah +Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. +I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. +If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; +but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. +Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! + + +May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah +that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. +May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. +May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah +May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. +Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. +God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. + + +May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. +As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. +But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. +Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is the LORD - and rejoice before him. +A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. +God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. +When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah +the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. +You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. +Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. +The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: +"Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. +Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold." +When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. +The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. +Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? +The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. +When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious- that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. +Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah +Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. +Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. +The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, +that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." +Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. +In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. +Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. +There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. +Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. +Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. +Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. +Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. +Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah +to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. +Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. +You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! + + +Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. +I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. +I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. +Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. +You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you. +May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel. +For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. +I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; +for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. +When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; +when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me. +Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards. +But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. +Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. +Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. +Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. +Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. +Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes. +You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. +Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. +They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. +May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap. +May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. +Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. +May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. +For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. +Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. +May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. +I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. +I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. +This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. +The poor will see and be glad- you who seek God, may your hearts live! +The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. +Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, +for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; +the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there. + + +Hasten, O God, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me. +May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. +May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" turn back because of their shame. +But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!" +Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. + + +In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. +Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. +Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. +Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. +For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. +From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you. +I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. +My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. +Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. +For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. +They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him." +Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. +May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. +But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. +My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. +I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. +Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. +Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. +Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? +Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. +You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. +I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. +My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed. +My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion. + + +Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. +He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. +The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. +He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. +He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. +He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. +In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. +He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. +The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. +The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. +All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. +For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. +He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. +He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. +Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. +Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. +May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. +Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. +Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. +This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. + + +A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. +But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. +For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. +They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. +They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. +Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. +From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. +They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. +Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. +Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. +They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" +This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth. +Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. +All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. +If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. +When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me +till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. +Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. +How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! +As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. +When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, +I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. +Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. +You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. +Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. +My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. +Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. +But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. + + +Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? +Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed- Mount Zion, where you dwelt. +Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. +Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. +They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. +They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. +They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. +They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. +We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. +How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? +Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! +But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. +It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. +It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. +It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. +The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. +It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. +Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name. +Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. +Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. +Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. +Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. +Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually. + + +We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds. +You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. +When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. Selah +To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns. +Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.'" +No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. +But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. +In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. +As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. +I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up. + + +In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. +His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. +There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah +You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. +Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. +At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. +You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? +From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet- +when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah +Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. +Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. +He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth. + + +I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. +When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. +I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah +You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. +I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; +I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: +"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? +Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? +Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah +Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." +I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. +I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. +Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? +You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. +With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah +The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. +The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. +Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. +Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. +You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. + + +O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. +I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- +what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. +We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. +He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, +so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. +Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. +They would not be like their forefathers- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. +The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; +they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. +They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. +He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. +He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. +He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. +He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; +he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. +But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. +They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. +They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert? +When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" +When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, +for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. +Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; +he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. +Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. +He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power. +He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore. +He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. +They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. +But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, +God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. +In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. +So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. +Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. +They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. +But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; +their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. +Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. +He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. +How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland! +Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. +They did not remember his power- the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, +the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. +He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams. +He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. +He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. +He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. +He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. +He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility- a band of destroying angels. +He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. +He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. +But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert. +He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. +Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. +He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. +But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes. +Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. +They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. +When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely. +He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men. +He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. +He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance. +Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs; +their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep. +Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine. +He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. +Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; +but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. +He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. +He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; +from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. +And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. + + +O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. +They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. +They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. +We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. +How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? +Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; +for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. +Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. +Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. +Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. +May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. +Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. +Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. + + +Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth +before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. +Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. +O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? +You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. +You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. +Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. +You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. +You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. +The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. +It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. +Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? +Boars from the forest ravage it and the creatures of the field feed on it. +Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, +the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. +Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. +Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. +Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. +Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. + + +Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! +Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. +Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; +this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. +He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand. +He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. +In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah +"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you- if you would but listen to me, O Israel! +You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. +I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. +"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. +So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. +"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, +how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! +Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. +But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." + + +God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods": +"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Selah +Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. +Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. +"They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. +"I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' +But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler." +Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance. + + +O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. +See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. +With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. +"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." +With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you- +the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, +Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. +Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah +Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, +who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. +Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, +who said, "Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God." +Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. +As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, +so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. +Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. +May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. +Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD - that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. + + +How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! +My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. +Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. +Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah +Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. +As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. +They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. +Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah +Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. +Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. +For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. +O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. + + +You showed favor to your land, O LORD; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. +You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. Selah +You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. +Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. +Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? +Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? +Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. +I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints- but let them not return to folly. +Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. +Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. +Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. +The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. +Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. + + +Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. +Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. +Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. +Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. +You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. +Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. +In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. +Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. +All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. +For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. +Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. +I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. +For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. +The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life- men without regard for you. +But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. +Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. +Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. + + +He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; +the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. +Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah +"I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me- Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" +Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." +The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah +As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." + + +O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. +May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. +For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave. +I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength. +I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. +You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. +Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah +You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; +my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you. +Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah +Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? +Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? +But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you. +Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me? +From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair. +Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. +All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. +You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend. + + +I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. +I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. +You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, +'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'" Selah +The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. +For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? +In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. +O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. +You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. +You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. +The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. +You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name. +Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. +Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. +Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. +They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. +For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. +Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. +Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people. +I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. +My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. +No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him. +I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. +My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. +I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. +He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.' +I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. +I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. +I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure. +"If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, +if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, +I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; +but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. +I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. +Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness- and I will not lie to David- +that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; +it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah +But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one. +You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust. +You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins. +All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. +You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. +You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle. +You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground. +You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. Selah +How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? +Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! +What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? Selah +O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? +Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, +the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O LORD, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. +Praise be to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen. BOOK IV Psalms 90-106 + + +Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. +Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. +You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." +For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. +You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning- +though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. +We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. +You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. +All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. +The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. +Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. +Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. +Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. +Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. +Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. +May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. +May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. + + +He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. +I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." +Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. +He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. +You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, +nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. +A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. +You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. +If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the LORD, who is my refuge- +then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. +For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; +they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. +You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. +"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. +He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. +With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." + + +It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, +to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, +to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. +For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. +How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts! +The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand, +that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed. +But you, O LORD, are exalted forever. +For surely your enemies, O LORD, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered. +You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured upon me. +My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes. +The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; +planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. +They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, +proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." + + +The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. +Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. +The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. +Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea- the LORD on high is mighty. +Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD. + + +O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth. +Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. +How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant? +They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. +They crush your people, O LORD; they oppress your inheritance. +They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless. +They say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed." +Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? +Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? +Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge? +The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile. +Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; +you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. +For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. +Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. +Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? +Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. +When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. +When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. +Can a corrupt throne be allied with you- one that brings on misery by its decrees? +They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. +But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. +He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them. + + +Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. +Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. +For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. +In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. +The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. +Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; +for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, +do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, +where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. +For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways." +So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest." + + +Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. +Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. +Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. +For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. +For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. +Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. +Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. +Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. +Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. +Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. +Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; +let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; +they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. + + +The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. +Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. +Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. +His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. +The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. +The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. +All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols- worship him, all you gods! +Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O LORD. +For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. +Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. +Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. +Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name. + + +Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. +The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. +He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. +Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; +make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, +with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn- shout for joy before the LORD, the King. +Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. +Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy; +let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. + + +The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. +Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. +Let them praise your great and awesome name- he is holy. +The King is mighty, he loves justice- you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. +Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. +Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. +He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. +O LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. +Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. + + +Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. +Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. +Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. +Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. +For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. + + +I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. +I will be careful to lead a blameless life- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. +I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. +Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. +Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. +My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. +No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. +Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD. + + +Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you. +Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. +For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. +My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. +Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones. +I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. +I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof. +All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse. +For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears +because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside. +My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. +But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. +You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. +For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. +The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. +For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. +He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. +Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: +"The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, +to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death." +So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem +when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD. +In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. +So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. +In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. +They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. +But you remain the same, and your years will never end. +The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you." + + +Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. +Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- +who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, +who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, +who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. +The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. +He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: +The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. +He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; +he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. +For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; +as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. +As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; +for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. +As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; +the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. +But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- +with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. +The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. +Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. +Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. +Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul. + + +Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. +He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent +and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. +He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. +He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. +You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. +But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; +they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. +You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth. +He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. +They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. +The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. +He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. +He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth: +wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. +The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. +There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. +The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. +The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. +You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. +The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. +The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. +Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. +How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. +There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small. +There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. +These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. +When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. +When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. +When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. +May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works- +he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. +I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. +May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. +But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD. + + +Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. +Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. +Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. +Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. +Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, +O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. +He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. +He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, +the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. +He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: +"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit." +When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, +they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. +He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: +"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." +He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; +and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave. +They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, +till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true. +The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. +He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, +to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. +Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. +The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, +whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. +He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. +They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. +He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words? +He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. +Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. +He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. +He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; +he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. +He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; +they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. +Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood. +He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. +Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them. +He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. +They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. +He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. +For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. +He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; +he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for- +that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD. + + +Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. +Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise? +Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. +Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, +that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. +We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. +When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. +Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known. +He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. +He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. +The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. +Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. +But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. +In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. +So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. +In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD. +The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram. +Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked. +At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. +They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. +They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, +miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. +So he said he would destroy them- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. +Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. +They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD. +So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert, +make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. +They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; +they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. +But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. +This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. +By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them; +for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips. +They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, +but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. +They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. +They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. +They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. +They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves. +Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. +He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them. +Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. +Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. +But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; +for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. +He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive. +Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. +Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD. + + +Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. +Let the redeemed of the LORD say this- those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, +those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. +Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. +They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. +Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. +He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. +Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, +for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. +Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, +for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. +So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. +Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. +He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. +Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, +for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. +Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. +They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. +Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. +He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. +Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. +Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. +Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. +They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. +For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. +They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. +They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. +Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. +He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. +They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. +Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. +Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. +He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, +and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. +He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; +there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. +They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; +he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. +Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; +he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. +But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. +The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. +Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. + + +My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. +Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. +I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. +For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. +Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. +Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. +God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. +Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. +Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." +Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? +Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? +Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. +With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. + + +O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, +for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. +With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. +In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. +They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. +Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. +When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. +May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. +May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. +May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. +May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. +May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. +May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. +May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. +May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. +For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. +He loved to pronounce a curse- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing- may it be far from him. +He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. +May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. +May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. +But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. +For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. +I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. +My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. +I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. +Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. +Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it. +They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. +My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. +With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him. +For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him. + + +The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." +The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. +Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. +The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." +The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. +He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. +He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head. + + +Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. +Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. +Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. +He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. +He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. +He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. +The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. +They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. +He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever- holy and awesome is his name. +The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. + + +Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. +His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. +Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. +Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. +Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. +Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. +He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. +His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. +He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. +The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. + + +Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. +Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. +From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. +The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. +Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, +who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? +He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; +he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. +He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. + + +When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, +Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. +The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; +the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. +Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, +you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs? +Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, +who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. + + +Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. +Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" +Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. +But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. +They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; +they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; +they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. +Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. +O house of Israel, trust in the LORD - he is their help and shield. +O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD - he is their help and shield. +You who fear him, trust in the LORD - he is their help and shield. +The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, +he will bless those who fear the LORD - small and great alike. +May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children. +May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. +The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man. +It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence; +it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore. Praise the LORD. + + +I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. +Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. +The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. +Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!" +The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. +The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. +Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. +For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, +that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. +I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted." +And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars." +How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? +I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. +I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. +Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. +O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. +I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. +I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, +in the courts of the house of the LORD - in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. + + +Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. +For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. + + +Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. +Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." +Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." +Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." +In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. +The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? +The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. +It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. +It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. +All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. +They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. +They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. +I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. +The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. +Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things! +The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!" +I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. +The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. +Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. +This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. +I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. +The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; +the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. +This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. +O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. +Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. +The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. +You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. +Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. + + +Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. +Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. +They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. +You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. +Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! +Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. +I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. +I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. +How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. +I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. +I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. +Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. +With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. +I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. +I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. +I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. +Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word. +Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. +I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. +My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. +You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands. +Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. +Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. +Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. +I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. +I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees. +Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders. +My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. +Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law. +I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. +I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame. +I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. +Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. +Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. +Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. +Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. +Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. +Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. +Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. +How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness. +May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; +then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word. +Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. +I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. +I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. +I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, +for I delight in your commands because I love them. +I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. +Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. +My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. +The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law. +I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them. +Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law. +Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. +In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law. +This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. +You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words. +I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. +I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. +I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. +Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law. +At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. +I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts. +The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees. +Do good to your servant according to your word, O LORD. +Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands. +Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. +You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. +Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. +Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. +It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. +The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. +Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. +May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. +I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. +May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. +Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. +May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts. +May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes. +May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame. +My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. +My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, "When will you comfort me?" +Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees. +How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors? +The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to your law. +All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause. +They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. +Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth. +Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. +Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. +Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. +If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. +I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. +Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts. +The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes. +To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless. +Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. +Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. +I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. +I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. +I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. +I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. +How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! +I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. +Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. +I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. +I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word. +Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws. +Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law. +The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts. +Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. +My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end. +I hate double-minded men, but I love your law. +You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. +Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! +Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. +Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees. +You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. +All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. +My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws. +I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. +Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me. +My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise. +Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. +I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. +It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken. +Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, +and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path. +Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. +The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. +I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. +Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. +Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. +Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. +Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. +Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. +Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right. +The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy. +My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words. +Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. +Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts. +Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. +Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight. +Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live. +I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees. +I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. +I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. +My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. +Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws. +Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law. +Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true. +Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever. +Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. +Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. +Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees. +Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws. +Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes. +I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word. +See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. +All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. +Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word. +I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil. +I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law. +Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. +Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. +I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands. +I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. +I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you. +May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word. +May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. +May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. +May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. +May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. +I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. +Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. +I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands. + + +I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. +Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. +What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue? +He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree. +Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! +Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. +I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war. + + +I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? +My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. +He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; +indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. +The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; +the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. +The LORD will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; +the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. + + +I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." +Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. +Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. +That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. +There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David. +Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. +May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." +For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." +For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity. + + +I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. +As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy. +Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. +We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant. + + +If the LORD had not been on our side- let Israel say- +if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, +when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; +the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, +the raging waters would have swept us away. +Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. +We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. +Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. + + +Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. +As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. +The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. +Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. +But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel. + + +When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. +Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." +The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. +Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. +Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. +He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. + + +Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. +In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves. +Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. +Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. +Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. + + +Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. +You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. +Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. +Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. +May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, +and may you live to see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel. + + +They have greatly oppressed me from my youth- let Israel say- +they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. +Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. +But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. +May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. +May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow; +with it the reaper cannot fill his hands, nor the one who gathers fill his arms. +May those who pass by not say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD." + + +Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; +O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. +If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? +But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. +I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. +My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. +O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. +He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. + + +My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. +But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. +O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. + + +O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured. +He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: +"I will not enter my house or go to my bed- +I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, +till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob." +We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: +"Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool- +arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. +May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy." +For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one. +The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne- +if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever." +For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: +"This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it- +I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. +I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. +"Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. +I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent." + + +How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! +It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. +It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. + + +Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. +Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. +May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion. + + +Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, +you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. +Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. +For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. +I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. +The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. +He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. +He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals. +He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. +He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- +Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan- +and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel. +Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, through all generations. +For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. +The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. +They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; +they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. +Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. +O house of Israel, praise the LORD; O house of Aaron, praise the LORD; +O house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD. +Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. + + +Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. +Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. +Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. +to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. +who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. +who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. +who made the great lights- His love endures forever. +the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. +the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. +to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. +and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. +with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. +to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. +and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. +but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. +to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever. +who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. +and killed mighty kings- His love endures forever. +Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever. +and Og king of Bashan- His love endures forever. +and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. +an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever. +to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. +and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever. +and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. +Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. + + +By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. +There on the poplars we hung our harps, +for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" +How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? +If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. +May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. +Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!" +O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us- +he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. + + +I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. +I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. +When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. +May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth. +May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. +Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. +Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. +The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands. + + +O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. +You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. +You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. +Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. +You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. +Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. +Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? +If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. +If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, +even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. +If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," +even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. +For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. +I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. +My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, +your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. +How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! +Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. +If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! +They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. +Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? +I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. +Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. +See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. + + +Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, +who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. +They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah +Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. +Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Selah +O LORD, I say to you, "You are my God." Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy. +O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle- +do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah +Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused. +Let burning coals fall upon them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise. +Let slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down men of violence. +I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. +Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you. + + +O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. +May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. +Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. +Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. +Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers; +their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken. +They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. " +But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge-do not give me over to death. +Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. +Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety. + + +I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. +I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. +When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. +Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. +I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." +Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. +Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. + + +O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. +Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. +The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. +So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. +I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. +I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah +Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. +Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. +Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. +Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. +For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. +In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. + + +Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. +He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. +O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? +Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. +Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. +Send forth lightning and scatter {the enemies}; shoot your arrows and rout them. +Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners +whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. +I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, +to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword. +Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. +Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. +Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; +our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. +Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. + + +I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. +Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. +Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. +One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. +They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. +They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. +They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. +The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. +The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. +All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. +They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, +so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. +Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. +The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. +The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. +You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. +The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. +The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. +He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. +The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. +My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. + + +Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. +I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. +Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. +When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. +Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, +the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- the LORD, who remains faithful forever. +He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, +the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. +The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. +The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. + + +Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! +The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. +He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. +He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. +Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. +The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. +Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. +He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. +He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. +His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; +the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. +Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion, +for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. +He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. +He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. +He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. +He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? +He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. +He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. +He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD. + + +Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. +Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. +Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. +Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. +Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. +He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. +Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, +lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, +you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, +wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, +kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, +young men and maidens, old men and children. +Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. +He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD. + + +Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. +Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. +Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. +For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. +Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. +May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, +to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, +to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, +to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD. + + +Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. +Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. +Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, +praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, +praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. +Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. + + + + +The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: +for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; +for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; +for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young- +let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance- +for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. +The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. +Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. +They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. +My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. +If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; +let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; +we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; +throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"- +my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; +for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. +How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! +These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! +Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. +Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; +at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: +"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? +If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. +But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, +since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, +I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- +when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. +"Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. +Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, +since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, +they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. +For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; +but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." + + +My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, +turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, +and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, +and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, +then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. +For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. +He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, +for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. +Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path. +For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. +Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. +Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, +who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, +who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, +whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. +It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, +who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. +For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. +None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. +Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. +For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; +but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it. + + +My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, +for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. +Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. +Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. +Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; +in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. +Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. +This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. +Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; +then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. +My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, +because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. +Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, +for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. +She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. +Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. +Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. +She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. +By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; +by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. +My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; +they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. +Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; +when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. +Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, +for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. +Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. +Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"- when you now have it with you. +Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. +Do not accuse a man for no reason- when he has done you no harm. +Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, +for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence. +The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. +He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. +The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame. + + +Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. +I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. +When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, +he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. +Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. +Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. +Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. +Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. +She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor." +Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. +I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. +When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. +Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. +Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. +Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. +For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. +They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. +The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. +But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. +My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. +Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; +for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. +Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. +Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. +Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. +Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. +Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. + + +My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, +that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. +For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; +but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. +Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. +She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. +Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. +Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, +lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, +lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man's house. +At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. +You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! +I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. +I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly." +Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. +Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? +Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. +May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. +A loving doe, a graceful deer- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. +Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? +For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. +The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. +He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. + + +My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, +if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, +then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! +Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. +Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. +Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! +It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, +yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. +How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? +A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- +and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. +A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, +who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, +who plots evil with deceit in his heart- he always stirs up dissension. +Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy. +There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: +haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, +a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, +a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. +My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. +Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. +When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. +For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, +keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. +Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, +for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. +Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? +Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? +So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. +Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. +Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. +But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. +Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away; +for jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. +He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is. + + +My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. +Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. +Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. +Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your kinsman; +they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words. +At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. +I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. +He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house +at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. +Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. +(She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home; +now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) +She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: +"I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows. +So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! +I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. +I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. +Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love! +My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. +He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon." +With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. +All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose +till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. +Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. +Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. +Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. +Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. + + +Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? +On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; +beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: +"To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. +You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding. +Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. +My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. +All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. +To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge. +Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, +for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. +"I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. +To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. +Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power. +By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; +by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. +I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. +With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. +My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. +I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, +bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full. +"The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,, before his deeds of old; +I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. +When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; +before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, +before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. +I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, +when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, +when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. +Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, +rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. +"Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. +Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. +Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. +For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. +But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death." + + +Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. +She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. +She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. +"Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. +"Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. +Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding. +"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. +Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. +Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. +"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. +For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. +If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer." +The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. +She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, +calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. +"Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. +"Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" +But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave. + + +The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. +Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death. +The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. +Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. +He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. +Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. +The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. +The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. +The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. +He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin. +The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. +Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. +Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment. +Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. +The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. +The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment. +He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. +He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. +When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. +The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. +The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment. +The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. +A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom. +What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted. +When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. +As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him. +The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. +The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. +The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. +The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land. +The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. +The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. + + +The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. +When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. +The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. +Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. +The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. +The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. +When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing. +The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead. +With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape. +When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. +Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. +A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. +A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. +For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure. +He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe. +A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. +A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. +The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. +The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. +The LORD detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are blameless. +Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. +Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. +The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath. +One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. +A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. +People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell. +He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it. +Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. +He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. +The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. +If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! + + +Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. +A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a crafty man. +A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. +A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. +The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. +The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. +Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm. +A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised. +Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. +A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. +He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. +The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes. +An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble. +From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him. +The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. +A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. +A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies. +Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. +Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. +There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. +No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. +The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. +A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly. +Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor. +An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. +A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. +The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions. +In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality. + + +A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. +From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence. +He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. +The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. +The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. +Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. +One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. +A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat. +The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. +Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. +Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. +Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. +He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. +The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. +Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. +Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly. +A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. +He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. +A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil. +He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. +Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous. +A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous. +A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. +He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. +The righteous eat to their hearts' content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry. + + +The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. +He whose walk is upright fears the LORD, but he whose ways are devious despises him. +A fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them. +Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. +A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. +The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. +Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. +The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. +Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. +Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. +The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. +There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. +Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief. +The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his. +A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. +A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. +A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated. +The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. +Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. +The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. +He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. +Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. +All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. +The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly. +A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful. +He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. +The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. +A large population is a king's glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined. +A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. +A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. +He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. +When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge. +Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known. +Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. +A king delights in a wise servant, but a shameful servant incurs his wrath. + + +A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. +The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. +The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. +The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. +A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. +The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings them trouble. +The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. +The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. +The LORD detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness. +Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die. +Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD - how much more the hearts of men! +A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise. +A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. +The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. +All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. +Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. +Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. +A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. +The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. +A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother. +Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course. +Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. +A man finds joy in giving an apt reply- and how good is a timely word! +The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave. +The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact. +The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him. +A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live. +The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. +The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous. +A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. +He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. +He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. +The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. + + +To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. +All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. +Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. +The LORD works out everything for his own ends- even the wicked for a day of disaster. +The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. +Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil. +When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. +Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. +In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. +The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth should not betray justice. +Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making. +Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness. +Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth. +A king's wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease it. +When a king's face brightens, it means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring. +How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! +The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life. +Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. +Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. +Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. +The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. +Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools. +A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. +Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. +There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. +The laborer's appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on. +A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. +A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. +A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good. +He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil. +Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. +Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. +The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. + + +Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. +A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. +The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart. +A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. +He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. +Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. +Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool- how much worse lying lips to a ruler! +A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds. +He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. +A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool. +An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him. +Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly. +If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house. +Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. +Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- the LORD detests them both. +Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? +A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. +A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor. +He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction. +A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble. +To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool. +A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. +A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice. +A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. +A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. +It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity. +A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. +Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. + + +An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. +A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. +When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace. +The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. +It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice. +A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. +A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. +The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts. +One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. +The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. +The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall. +Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. +He who answers before listening- that is his folly and his shame. +A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? +The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. +A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. +The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him. +Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart. +An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel. +From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. +The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. +He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. +A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly. +A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. + + +Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. +It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. +A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. +Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him. +A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free. +Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts. +A poor man is shunned by all his relatives- how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. +He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. +A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish. +It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury- how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! +A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. +A king's rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. +A foolish son is his father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. +Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. +Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. +He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die. +He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. +Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death. +A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. +Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. +Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. +What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. +The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. +The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth! +Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge. +He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. +Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. +A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. +Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools. + + +Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. +A king's wrath is like the roar of a lion; he who angers him forfeits his life. +It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. +A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing. +The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. +Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find? +The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him. +When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes. +Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"? +Differing weights and differing measures- the LORD detests them both. +Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right. +Ears that hear and eyes that see- the LORD has made them both. +Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. +"It's no good, it's no good!" says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase. +Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. +Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman. +Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. +Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance. +A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much. +If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness. +An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end. +Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. +The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. +A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? +It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows. +A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them. +The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being. +Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure. +The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old. +Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being. + + +The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. +All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. +To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. +Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin! +The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. +A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. +The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right. +The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright. +Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. +The wicked man craves evil; his neighbor gets no mercy from him. +When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge. +The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin. +If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. +A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath. +When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. +A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead. +He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich. +The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright. +Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife. +In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. +He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. +A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust. +He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. +The proud and arrogant man-"Mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride. +The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. +All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. +The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable- how much more so when brought with evil intent! +A false witness will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever. +A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways. +There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. +The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. + + +A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. +Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. +A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. +Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. +In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. +Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. +The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. +He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed. +A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. +Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. +He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. +The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful. +The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!" or, "I will be murdered in the streets!" +The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it. +Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. +He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich-both come to poverty. +Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, +for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. +So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you. +Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, +teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you? +Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, +for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. +Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, +or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared. +Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; +if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. +Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers. +Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. + + +When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, +and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. +Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. +Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. +Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. +Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; +for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you. +You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments. +Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words. +Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, +for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. +Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. +Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. +Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. +My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; +my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. +Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. +There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. +Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. +Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, +for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. +Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. +Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. +The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him. +May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice! +My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways, +for a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. +Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men. +Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? +Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. +Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! +In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. +Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. +You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. +"They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?" + + +Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; +for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. +By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; +through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. +A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; +for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers. +Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say. +He who plots evil will be known as a schemer. +The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker. +If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! +Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. +If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? +Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. +Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. +Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place; +for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. +Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, +or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. +Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, +for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. +Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, +for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise +These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good: +Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"- peoples will curse him and nations denounce him. +But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them. +An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. +Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. +Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive. +Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did." +I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; +thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. +I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: +A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- +and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. + + +These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah: +It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. +As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. +Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith; +remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness. +Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men; +it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you have seen with your eyes +do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame? +If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence, +or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation. +A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. +Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. +Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters. +Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give. +Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. +If you find honey, eat just enough- too much of it, and you will vomit. +Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house- too much of you, and he will hate you. +Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor. +Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble. +Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. +If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. +In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. +As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks. +Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. +Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. +Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. +It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor. +Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. + + +Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. +Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. +A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! +Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. +Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. +Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool. +Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. +Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool. +Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. +Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by. +As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. +Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. +The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!" +As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. +The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. +The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. +Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own. +Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows +is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" +Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. +As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. +The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts. +Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. +A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit. +Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. +His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. +If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. +A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. + + +Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. +Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips. +Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both. +Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? +Better is open rebuke than hidden love. +Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. +He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet. +Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. +Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. +Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you- better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. +Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. +The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. +Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman. +If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. +A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; +restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. +As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. +He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored. +As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. +Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man. +The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives. +Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him. +Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; +for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. +When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, +the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. +You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls. + + +The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. +When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order. +A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops. +Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them. +Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully. +Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse. +He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father. +He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. +If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable. +He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance. +A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him. +When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding. +He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. +Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. +Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people. +A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life. +A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him. +He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall. +He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. +A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. +To show partiality is not good- yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread. +A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him. +He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue. +He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"- he is partner to him who destroys. +A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. +He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe. +He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. +When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive. + + +A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy. +When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. +A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. +By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. +Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet. +An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad. +The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. +Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger. +If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace. +Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright. +A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. +If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked. +The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both. +If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure. +The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. +When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall. +Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul. +Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. +A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond. +Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him. +If a man pampers his servant from youth, he will bring grief in the end. +An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. +A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. +The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify. +Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. +Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice. +The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright. + + +The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh-an oracle: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: +"I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding. +I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. +Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! +"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. +Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. +"Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: +Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. +Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. +"Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it. +"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; +those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; +those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; +those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind. +"The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': +the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!' +"The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. +"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: +the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden. +"This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.' +"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: +a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, +an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress. +"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: +Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; +coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; +locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; +a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. +"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: +a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; +a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him. +"If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth! +For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." + + +The sayings of King Lemuel-an oracle his mother taught him: +"O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, +do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. +"It is not for kings, O Lemuel- not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, +lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. +Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; +let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. +"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. +Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character +A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. +Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. +She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. +She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. +She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. +She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. +She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. +She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. +She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. +In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. +She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. +When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. +She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. +Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. +She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. +She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. +She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. +She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. +Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: +"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." +Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. +Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. + + + + +The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: +"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." +What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? +Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. +The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. +The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. +All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. +All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. +What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. +Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. +There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. +I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. +I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! +I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. +What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. +I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge." +Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. +For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. + + +I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. +"Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" +I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly-my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. +I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. +I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. +I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. +I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. +I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man. +I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. +I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. +Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. +Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done? +I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. +The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. +Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless." +For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die! +So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. +I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. +And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. +So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. +For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. +What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? +All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. +A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, +for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? +To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. + + +There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: +a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, +a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, +a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, +a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, +a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, +a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, +a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. +What does the worker gain from his toil? +I have seen the burden God has laid on men. +He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. +I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. +That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. +I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. +Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. +And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment-wickedness was there, in the place of justice-wickedness was there. +I thought in my heart, "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed." +I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. +Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. +All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. +Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?" +So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? + + +Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed- and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors- and they have no comforter. +And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. +But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. +And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. +The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. +Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. +Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: +There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless- a miserable business! +Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: +If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! +Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? +Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. +Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning. +The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. +I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. +There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. + + +Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. +Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. +As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. +When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. +It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. +Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? +Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God. +If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. +The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields. +Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. +As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? +The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. +I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, +or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. +Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. +This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? +All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. +Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him-for this is his lot. +Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God. +He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. + + +I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: +God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. +A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. +It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. +Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man- +even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? +All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. +What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others? +Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. +Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with one who is stronger than he. +The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? +For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? + + +A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. +It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. +Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. +The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. +It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. +Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. +Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. +The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. +Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. +Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. +Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. +Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor. +Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? +When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. +In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. +Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise- why destroy yourself? +Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool- why die before your time? +It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes. +Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. +There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. +Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you- +for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. +All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"- but this was beyond me. +Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound- who can discover it? +So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. +I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. +"Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things- +while I was still searching but not finding- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. +This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes." + + +Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance. +Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God. +Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. +Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?" +Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. +For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him. +Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? +No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it. +All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. +Then too, I saw the wicked buried-those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. +When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. +Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. +Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. +There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. +So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. +When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth-his eyes not seeing sleep day or night- +then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it. + + +So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. +All share a common destiny-the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. +This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. +Anyone who is among the living has hope -even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! +For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. +Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. +Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. +Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. +Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. +Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. +I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. +Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. +I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: +There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. +Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. +So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. +The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. +Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. + + +As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. +The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. +Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is. +If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest. +There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: +Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. +I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. +Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. +Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. +If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. +If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. +Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips. +At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness- +and the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming- who can tell him what will happen after him? +A fool's work wearies him; he does not know the way to town. +Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning. +Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time- for strength and not for drunkenness. +If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks. +A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything. +Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. + + +Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. +Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. +If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. +Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. +As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. +Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. +Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. +However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless. +Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. +So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. + + +Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"- +before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; +when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; +when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; +when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. +Remember him-before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, +and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. +"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!" +Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. +The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. +The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails-given by one Shepherd. +Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. +Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. +For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. + + + + +Solomon's Song of Songs. +Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is more delightful than wine. +Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you! +Take me away with you-let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you! +Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon. +Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun. My mother's sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards; my own vineyard I have neglected. +Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends? +If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds. +I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. +Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. +We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver. +While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. +My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. +My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. +How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. +How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. +The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs. + + +I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. +Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. +Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. +He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. +Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. +His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. +Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. +Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. +My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. +My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. +See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. +Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. +The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." +My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. +Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. +My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies. +Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the rugged hills. + + +All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. +I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. +The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. "Have you seen the one my heart loves?" +Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother's house, to the room of the one who conceived me. +Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. +Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of the merchant? +Look! It is Solomon's carriage, escorted by sixty warriors, the noblest of Israel, +all of them wearing the sword, all experienced in battle, each with his sword at his side, prepared for the terrors of the night. +King Solomon made for himself the carriage; he made it of wood from Lebanon. +Its posts he made of silver, its base of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple, its interior lovingly inlaid by the daughters of Jerusalem. +Come out, you daughters of Zion, and look at King Solomon wearing the crown, the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart rejoiced. + + +How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. +Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. +Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. +Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. +Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies. +Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. +All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you. +Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions' dens and the mountain haunts of the leopards. +You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. +How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice! +Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon. +You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. +Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, +nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices. +You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon. +Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits. + + +I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers. +I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." +I have taken off my robe- must I put it on again? I have washed my feet- must I soil them again? +My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. +I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock. +I opened for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. +The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls! +O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you- if you find my lover, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love. +How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you charge us so? +My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. +His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. +His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. +His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. +His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires. +His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. +His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. + + +Where has your lover gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your lover turn, that we may look for him with you? +My lover has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies. +I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. +You are beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, majestic as troops with banners. +Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead. +Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is alone. +Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. +Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; +but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her. +Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? +I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom. +Before I realized it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people. +Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim? + + +How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince's daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands. +Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. +Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. +Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus. +Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. +How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights! +Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. +I said, "I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit." May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, +and your mouth like the best wine. May the wine go straight to my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth. +I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. +Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. +Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom- there I will give you my love. +The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you, my lover. + + +If only you were to me like a brother, who was nursed at my mother's breasts! Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me. +I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house- she who has taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates. +His left arm is under my head and his right arm embraces me. +Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. +Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you birth. +Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. +Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. +We have a young sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister for the day she is spoken for? +If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. +I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment. +Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels of silver. +But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit. +You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! +Come away, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. + + + + +The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. +Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. +The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." +Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. +Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. +From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness- only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil. +Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. +The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege. +Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. +Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! +"The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. +When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? +Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations- I cannot bear your evil assemblies. +Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. +When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; +wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, +learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. +"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. +If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; +but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. +See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her- but now murderers! +Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. +Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them. +Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. +I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. +I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." +Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness. +But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish. +"You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. +You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. +The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire." + + +This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: +In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. +Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. +He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. +Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. +You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans. +Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. +Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. +So man will be brought low and mankind humbled- do not forgive them. +Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! +The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. +The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), +for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, +for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, +for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, +for every trading ship and every stately vessel. +The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, +and the idols will totally disappear. +Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. +In that day men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. +They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. +Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? + + +See now, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water, +the hero and warrior, the judge and prophet, the soothsayer and elder, +the captain of fifty and man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter. +I will make boys their officials; mere children will govern them. +People will oppress each other- man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the base against the honorable. +A man will seize one of his brothers at his father's home, and say, "You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!" +But in that day he will cry out, "I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people." +Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence. +The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. +Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. +Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done. +Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. +The LORD takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people. +The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. +What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. +The LORD says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. +Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald." +In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, +the earrings and bracelets and veils, +the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, +the signet rings and nose rings, +the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses +and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. +Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. +Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. +The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground. + + +In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!" +In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. +Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. +The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. +Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. +It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. + + +I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. +He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. +"Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. +What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? +Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. +I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it." +The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. +Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. +The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. +A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain." +Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. +They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. +Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. +Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. +So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. +But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. +Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. +Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, +to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." +Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. +Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. +Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, +who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. +Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. +Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. +He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! +Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. +Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. +Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. +In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds. + + +In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. +Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. +And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." +At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. +"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." +Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. +With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." +Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" +He said, "Go and tell this people: "'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' +Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." +Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, +until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. +And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land." + + +When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. +Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. +Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. +Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood-because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. +Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, +"Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." +Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'It will not take place, it will not happen, +for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. +The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" +Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, +"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." +But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." +Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? +Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. +He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. +But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. +The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah-he will bring the king of Assyria." +In that day the LORD will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. +They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. +In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River -the king of Assyria-to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also. +In that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats. +And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. +In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. +Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. +As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run. + + +The LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. +And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me." +Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. +Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria." +The LORD spoke to me again: +"Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, +therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the River - the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks +and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel!" +Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! +Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us. +The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: +"Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. +The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, +and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. +Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured." +Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples. +I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. +Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. +When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? +To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. +Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. +Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness. + + +Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan- +The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. +You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. +For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. +Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. +For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. +Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. +The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. +All the people will know it- Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria- who say with pride and arrogance of heart, +"The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars." +But the LORD has strengthened Rezin's foes against them and has spurred their enemies on. +Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. +But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD Almighty. +So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; +the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. +Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. +Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. +Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke. +By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; no one will spare his brother. +On the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of his own offspring: +Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. + + +Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, +to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. +What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? +Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. +"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! +I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. +But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. +'Are not my commanders all kings?' he says. +'Has not Calno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? +As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria- +shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?'" +When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. +For he says: "'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. +As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as men gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.'" +Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it, or the saw boast against him who uses it? As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up, or a club brandish him who is not wood! +Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. +The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. +The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick man wastes away. +And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down. +In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. +A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. +Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. +The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land. +Therefore, this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: "O my people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. +Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction." +The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt. +In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat. +They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Micmash. +They go over the pass, and say, "We will camp overnight at Geba." Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. +Cry out, O Daughter of Gallim! Listen, O Laishah! Poor Anathoth! +Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover. +This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem. +See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. +He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One. + + +A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. +The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - +and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; +but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. +Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. +The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. +The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. +The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. +They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. +In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. +In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. +He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. +Ephraim's jealousy will vanish, and Judah's enemies will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. +They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. +The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals. +There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt. + + +In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. +Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." +With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. +In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. +Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. +Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." + + +An oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw: +Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles. +I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath- those who rejoice in my triumph. +Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war. +They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens- the LORD and the weapons of his wrath- to destroy the whole country. +Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. +Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. +Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. +See, the day of the LORD is coming -a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. +The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. +I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. +I will make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. +Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger. +Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land. +Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. +Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished. +See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. +Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. +Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. +She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there. +But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. +Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged. + + +The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob. +Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. +On the day the LORD gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage, +you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! +The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, +which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. +All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing. +Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, "Now that you have been laid low, no woodsman comes to cut us down." +The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you- all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones- all those who were kings over the nations. +They will all respond, they will say to you, "You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us." +All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. +How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! +You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. +I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." +But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. +Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, +the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?" +All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. +But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, +you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again. +Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities. +"I will rise up against them," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants," declares the LORD. +"I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD Almighty. +The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. +I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders." +This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. +For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? +This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died: +Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. +The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors. +Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks. +What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? "The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge." + + +An oracle concerning Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! +Dibon goes up to its temple, to its high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved and every beard cut off. +In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping. +Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out, and their hearts are faint. +My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the way to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction. +The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left. +So the wealth they have acquired and stored up they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars. +Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab; their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim, their lamentation as far as Beer Elim. +Dimon's waters are full of blood, but I will bring still more upon Dimon - a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon those who remain in the land. + + +Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of the Daughter of Zion. +Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon. +"Give us counsel, render a decision. Make your shadow like night- at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. +Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer." The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. +In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it- one from the house of David- one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness. +We have heard of Moab's pride- her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and her insolence- but her boasts are empty. +Therefore the Moabites wail, they wail together for Moab. Lament and grieve for the men of Kir Hareseth. +The fields of Heshbon wither, the vines of Sibmah also. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the choicest vines, which once reached Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots spread out and went as far as the sea. +So I weep, as Jazer weeps, for the vines of Sibmah. O Heshbon, O Elealeh, I drench you with tears! The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit and over your harvests have been stilled. +Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards; no one treads out wine at the presses, for I have put an end to the shouting. +My heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir Hareseth. +When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail. +This is the word the LORD has already spoken concerning Moab. +But now the LORD says: "Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab's splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble." + + +An oracle concerning Damascus: "See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. +The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. +The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites," declares the LORD Almighty. +"In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. +It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm- as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. +Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs," declares the LORD, the God of Israel. +In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. +They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. +In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. +You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, +though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain. +Oh, the raging of many nations- they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples- they roar like the roaring of great waters! +Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. +In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. + + +Woe to the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush, +which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers. +All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. +This is what the LORD says to me: "I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." +For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches. +They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter. +At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers- the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty. + + +An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. +"I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian- brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. +The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists. +I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. +The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry. +The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither, +also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river. Every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away and be no more. +The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away. +Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope. +The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart. +The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings"? +Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt. +The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray. +The LORD has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit. +There is nothing Egypt can do- head or tail, palm branch or reed. +In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. +And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them. +In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction. +In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. +It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. +So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. +The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them. +In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. +In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. +The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." + + +In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it- +at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. +Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, +so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared-to Egypt's shame. +Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. +In that day the people who live on this coast will say, 'See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?'" + + +An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. +A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused. +At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. +My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me. +They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields! +This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees. +When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert." +And the lookout shouted, "Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. +Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!'" +O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel. +An oracle concerning Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, "Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?" +The watchman replies, "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again." +An oracle concerning Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia, +bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives. +They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle. +This is what the Lord says to me: "Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will come to an end. +The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar, will be few." The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken. + + +An oracle concerning the Valley of Vision: What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs, +O town full of commotion, O city of tumult and revelry? Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle. +All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using the bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away. +Therefore I said, "Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people." +The Lord, the LORD Almighty, has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains. +Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield. +Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the city gates; +the defenses of Judah are stripped away. And you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest; +you saw that the City of David had many breaches in its defenses; you stored up water in the Lower Pool. +You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall. +You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago. +The Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. +But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink," you say, "for tomorrow we die!" +The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: "Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for," says the Lord, the LORD Almighty. +This is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: "Go, say to this steward, to Shebna, who is in charge of the palace: +What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock? +"Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, O you mighty man. +He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there your splendid chariots will remain- you disgrace to your master's house! +I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position. +"In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. +I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. +I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. +I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father. +All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots-all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars. +"In that day," declares the LORD Almighty, "the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down." The LORD has spoken. + + +An oracle concerning Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them. +Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched. +On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the marketplace of the nations. +Be ashamed, O Sidon, and you, O fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: "I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters." +When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre. +Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island. +Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands? +Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth? +The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. +Till your land as along the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish, for you no longer have a harbor. +The LORD has stretched out his hand over the sea and made its kingdoms tremble. He has given an order concerning Phoenicia that her fortresses be destroyed. +He said, "No more of your reveling, O Virgin Daughter of Sidon, now crushed! "Up, cross over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest." +Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin. +Wail, you ships of Tarshish; your fortress is destroyed! +At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king's life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: +"Take up a harp, walk through the city, O prostitute forgotten; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered." +At the end of seventy years, the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. +Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothes. + + +See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants- +it will be the same for priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. +The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. +The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. +The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. +Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. +The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan. +The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent. +No longer do they drink wine with a song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers. +The ruined city lies desolate; the entrance to every house is barred. +In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. +The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces. +So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest. +They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the LORD's majesty. +Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea. +From the ends of the earth we hear singing: "Glory to the Righteous One." But I said, "I waste away, I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!" +Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. +Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. +The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. +The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls-never to rise again. +In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. +They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. +The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. + + +O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. +You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners' stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. +Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you. +You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall +and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. +On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine- the best of meats and the finest of wines. +On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; +he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. +In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." +The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled under him as straw is trampled down in the manure. +They will spread out their hands in it, as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim. God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands. +He will bring down your high fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust. + + +In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. +Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. +You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. +Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. +He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. +Feet trample it down- the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. +The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. +Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. +My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. +Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD. +O LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them. +LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. +O LORD, our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. +They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. +You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land. +LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. +As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, O LORD. +We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to people of the world. +But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. +Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. +See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer. + + +In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea. +In that day- "Sing about a fruitful vineyard: +I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. +I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. +Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me." +In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. +Has the LORD struck her as he struck down those who struck her? Has she been killed as those were killed who killed her? +By warfare and exile you contend with her- with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows. +By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing. +The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. +When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. +In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. +And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. + + +Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley- to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine! +See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. +That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot. +That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest- as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it. +In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. +He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. +And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. +All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth. +"Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? +For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there." +Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, +to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"- but they would not listen. +So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there- so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured. +Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. +You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." +So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. +I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. +Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. +As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through." The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. +The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. +The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon- to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. +Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land. +Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. +When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? +When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? +His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. +Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick. +Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it. +All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. + + +Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on. +Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth. +I will encamp against you all around; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you. +Brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; out of the dust your speech will whisper. +But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant, +the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. +Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night- +as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating, but he awakens, and his hunger remains; as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion. +Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. +The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). +For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." +Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read." +The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. +Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." +Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" +You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"? +In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest? +In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. +Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. +The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down- +those who with a word make a man out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice. +Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob: "No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. +When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. +Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction." + + +"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; +who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge. +But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace. +Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes, +everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace." +An oracle concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys' backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation, +to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing. +Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. +These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction. +They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. +Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" +Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, +this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. +It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern." +This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. +You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.' Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.' Therefore your pursuers will be swift! +A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill." +Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! +O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. +Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. +Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." +Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!" +He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. +The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. +In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. +The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted. +See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire. +His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. +And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. +The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. +The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. +Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm. +Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze. + + +Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD. +Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers. +But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together. +This is what the LORD says to me: "As a lion growls, a great lion over his prey- and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor- so the LORD Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. +Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it." +Return to him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites. +For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made. +"Assyria will fall by a sword that is not of man; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. They will flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor. +Their stronghold will fall because of terror; at sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic," declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem. + + +See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. +Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. +Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. +The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. +No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. +For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water. +The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. +But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands. +You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! +In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. +Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists. +Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines +and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers- yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. +The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, +till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. +Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. +The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. +My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. +Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, +how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free. + + +Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed. +O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. +At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter. +Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it. +The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. +He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. +Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. +The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected. +The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves. +"Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up. +You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you. +The peoples will be burned as if to lime; like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze." +You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power! +The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" +He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil- +this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. +Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. +In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: "Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?" +You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue. +Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. +There the LORD will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. +For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us. +Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder. +No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven. + + +Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! +The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. +Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. +All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree. +My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. +The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat- the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. +And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat. +For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause. +Edom's streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! +It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. +The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. +Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. +Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. +Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. +The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate. +Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. +He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation. + + +The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, +it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. +Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; +say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." +Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. +Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. +The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. +And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. +No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, +and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. + + +In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. +Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field, +Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him. +The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah, "'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? +You say you have strategy and military strength-but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? +Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. +And if you say to me, "We are depending on the LORD our God"-isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before this altar"? +"'Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses-if you can put riders on them! +How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master's officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? +Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the LORD? The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.'" +Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall." +But the commander replied, "Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the men sitting on the wall-who, like you, will have to eat their own filth and drink their own urine?" +Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! +This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! +Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' +"Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, +until I come and take you to a land like your own-a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. +"Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.' Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? +Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? +Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?" +But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him." +Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said. + + +When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. +He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. +They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. +It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives." +When King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah, +Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. +Listen! I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.'" +When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. +Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt, was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: +"Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, 'Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.' +Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? +Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them-the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? +Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?" +Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. +And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: +"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. +Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. +"It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. +They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. +Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God. " +Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, +this is the word the LORD has spoken against him: "The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises and mocks you. The Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. +Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! +By your messengers you have heaped insults on the Lord. And you have said, 'With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines. I have reached its remotest heights, the finest of its forests. +I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.' +"Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. +Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. +"But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me. +Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came. +"This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. +Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. +For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. +"Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: "He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. +By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city," declares the LORD. +"I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!" +Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies! +So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. +One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king. + + +In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." +Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, +"Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. +Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: +"Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. +And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. +"'This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: +I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.'" So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down. +A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: +I said, "In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?" +I said, "I will not again see the LORD, the LORD, in the land of the living; no longer will I look on mankind, or be with those who now dwell in this world. +Like a shepherd's tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me. +I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me. +I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!" +But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. +Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. +Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. +For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. +The living, the living-they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. +The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD. +Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover." +Hezekiah had asked, "What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the LORD?" + + +At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. +Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses-the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. +Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came to me from Babylon." +The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them." +Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: +The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. +And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." +"The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime." + + +Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. +Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. +A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. +Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. +And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." +A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. +The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. +The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." +You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!" +See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. +He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. +Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? +Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? +Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? +Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. +Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. +Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. +To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? +As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. +A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple. +Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? +He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. +He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. +No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. +"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. +Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. +Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? +Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. +He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. +Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; +but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. + + +"Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment. +"Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow. +He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before. +Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD -with the first of them and with the last-I am he." +The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; +each helps the other and says to his brother, "Be strong!" +The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil. He says of the welding, "It is good." He nails down the idol so it will not topple. +"But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, +I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. +So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. +"All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. +Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. +For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. +Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. +"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. +You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel. +"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. +I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. +I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, +so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it. +"Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King. +"Bring in your idols to tell us what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, +tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear. +But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; he who chooses you is detestable. +"I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes- one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay. +Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, 'He was right'? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. +I was the first to tell Zion, 'Look, here they are!' I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings. +I look but there is no one- no one among them to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them. +See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion. + + +"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. +He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. +A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; +he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." +This is what God the LORD says- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: +"I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, +to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. +"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. +See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." +Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. +Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. +Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands. +The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. +"For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. +I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. +I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. +But those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame. +"Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! +Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? +You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." +It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. +But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, "Send them back." +Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? +Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. +So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart. + + +But now, this is what the LORD says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. +When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. +For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. +Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. +Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. +I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth- +everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." +Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. +All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, "It is true." +"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. +I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. +I have revealed and saved and proclaimed- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. +Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" +This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. +I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." +This is what the LORD says- he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, +who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: +"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. +See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. +The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, +the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. +"Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel. +You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense. +You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses. +"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. +Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. +Your first father sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me. +So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple, and I will consign Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn. + + +"But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. +This is what the LORD says- he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. +For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. +They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. +One will say, 'I belong to the LORD '; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, 'The LORD's,' and will take the name Israel. +"This is what the LORD says- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. +Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come- yes, let him foretell what will come. +Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." +All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. +Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing? +He and his kind will be put to shame; craftsmen are nothing but men. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and infamy. +The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. +The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. +He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. +It is man's fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. +Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm; I see the fire." +From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, "Save me; you are my god." +They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. +No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, "Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?" +He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?" +"Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. +I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." +Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. +"This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, +who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, +who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,' +who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,' +who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid."' + + +"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: +I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. +I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. +For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. +I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, +so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. +I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. +"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it. +"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'? +Woe to him who says to his father, 'What have you begotten?' or to his mother, 'What have you brought to birth?' +"This is what the LORD says- the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? +It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. +I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty." +This is what the LORD says: "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans- they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, 'Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.'" +Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel. +All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together. +But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting. +For this is what the LORD says- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited- he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other. +I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right. +"Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save. +Declare what is to be, present it- let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. +"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. +By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. +They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'" All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. +But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult. + + +Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. +They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. +"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. +Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. +"To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? +Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. +They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles. +"Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. +Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. +I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. +From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. +Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. +I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel. + + +"Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate. +Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams. +Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one." +Our Redeemer-the LORD Almighty is his name- is the Holy One of Israel. +"Sit in silence, go into darkness, Daughter of the Babylonians; no more will you be called queen of kingdoms. +I was angry with my people and desecrated my inheritance; I gave them into your hand, and you showed them no mercy. Even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke. +You said, 'I will continue forever- the eternal queen!' But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen. +"Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, 'I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.' +Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells. +You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, 'I am, and there is none besides me.' +Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you. +"Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. +All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. +Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. +That is all they can do for you- these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you. + + +"Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel- but not in truth or righteousness- +you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel- the LORD Almighty is his name: +I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. +For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. +Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.' +You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? "From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. +They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.' +You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. +For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. +See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. +For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another. +"Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. +My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. +"Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD's chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. +I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission. +"Come near me and listen to this: "From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there." And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit. +This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. +If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. +Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me." +Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob." +They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. +"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked." + + +Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. +He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. +He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor." +But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." +And now the LORD says- he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength- +he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." +This is what the LORD says- the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel- to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." +This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, +to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'"They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. +They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. +I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. +See, they will come from afar- some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan. " +Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. +But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." +"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! +See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. +Your sons hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. +Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride. +"Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away. +The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing, 'This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.' +Then you will say in your heart, 'Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these-where have they come from?'" +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. +Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." +Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued from the fierce? +But this is what the LORD says: "Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. +I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." + + +This is what the LORD says: "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away. +When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. +I clothe the sky with darkness and make sackcloth its covering." +The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. +The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. +I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. +Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. +He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! +It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up. +Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. +But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment. + + +"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; +look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many. +The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. +"Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. +My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. +Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. +"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. +For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations." +Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? +Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? +The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. +"I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, +that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor? +The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread. +For I am the LORD your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD Almighty is his name. +I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my people.'" +Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger. +Of all the sons she bore there was none to guide her; of all the sons she reared there was none to take her by the hand. +These double calamities have come upon you- who can comfort you?- ruin and destruction, famine and sword- who can console you? +Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD and the rebuke of your God. +Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine. +This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. +I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, 'Fall prostrate that we may walk over you.' And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked over." + + +Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. +Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. +For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed." +For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. +"And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock, "declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. +Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I." +How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" +Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. +Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. +The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. +Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. +But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. +See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. +Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness- +so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. + + +Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? +He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. +He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. +Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. +But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. +We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. +He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. +By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. +He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. +Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. +After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. +Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. + + +"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD. +"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. +For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. +"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. +For your Maker is your husband- the LORD Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. +The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit- a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. +"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. +In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. +"To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. +Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. +"O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. +I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. +All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. +In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. +If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. +"See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; +no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. + + +"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. +Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. +Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. +See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. +Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." +Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. +Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. +"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. +"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. +As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, +so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. +You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. +Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." + + +This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. +Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." +Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." +For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant- +to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. +And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant- +these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." +The Sovereign LORD declares- he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered." +Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest! +Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. +They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. +"Come," each one cries, "let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better." + + +The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. +Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. +"But you-come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! +Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars? +You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags. +The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the light of these things, should I relent? +You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices. +Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked on their nakedness. +You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the grave itself! +You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint. +"Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me? +I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. +When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain." +And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people." +For this is what the high and lofty One says- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. +I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me- the breath of man that I have created. +I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. +I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, +creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal them." +But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. +"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." + + +"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. +For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. +'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. +Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. +Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? +"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? +Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? +Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. +Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, +and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. +The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. +Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. +"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, +then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. + + +Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. +But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. +For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. +No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. +They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. +Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. +Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. +The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace. +So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. +Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. +We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. +For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: +rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. +So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. +Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. +He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. +He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. +According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. +From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. +"The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD. +"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD. + + +"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. +See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. +Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. +"Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. +Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. +Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. +All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple. +"Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? +Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. +"Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. +Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations- their kings led in triumphal procession. +For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. +"The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet. +The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. +"Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. +You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. +Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. +No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. +The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. +Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. +Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. +The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly." + + +The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, +to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, +and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. +They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. +Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. +And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. +Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. +"For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. +Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." +I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. +For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. + + +For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. +The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. +You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. +No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. +As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. +I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, +and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. +The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; +but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary." +Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. +The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" +They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. + + +Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." +Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? +"I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. +For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. +I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. +I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground." +I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us- yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. +He said, "Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me"; and so he became their Savior. +In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. +Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. +Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people- where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, +who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses' right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, +who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; +like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name. +Look down from heaven and see from your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us. +But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. +Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance. +For a little while your people possessed your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. +We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name. + + +Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! +As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! +For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. +Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. +You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? +All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. +No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins. +Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. +Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people. +Your sacred cities have become a desert; even Zion is a desert, Jerusalem a desolation. +Our holy and glorious temple, where our fathers praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins. +After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure? + + +"I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' +All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations- +a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick; +who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat; +who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me, for I am too sacred for you!' Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day. +"See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps- +both your sins and the sins of your fathers," says the LORD. "Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds." +This is what the LORD says: "As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, 'Don't destroy it, there is yet some good in it,' so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all. +I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live. +Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me. +"But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, +I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me." +Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. +My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit. +You will leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse; the Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name. +Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. +"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. +But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. +I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. +"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. +They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. +No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. +They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. +Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. +The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD. + + +This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? +Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. +But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig's blood, and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations; +so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me." +Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!' Yet they will be put to shame. +Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve. +"Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. +Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. +Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. +"Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. +For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance." +For this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. +As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." +When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. +See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. +For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. +"Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things-they will meet their end together," declares the LORD. +"And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. +"I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations-to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. +And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD -on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the LORD. "They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels. +And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites," says the LORD. +"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. +From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. +"And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." + + + + +The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. +The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, +and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile. +The word of the LORD came to me, saying, +"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." +"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." +But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. +Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. +Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. +See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." +The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied. +The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." +The word of the LORD came to me again: "What do you see?I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered. +The LORD said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. +I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the LORD. "Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. +I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made. +"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. +Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. +They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: "'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. +Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,'" declares the LORD. +Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. +This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. +They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?' +I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. +The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols. +"Therefore I bring charges against you again," declares the LORD. "And I will bring charges against your children's children. +Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look, send to Kedar and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this: +Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. +Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the LORD. +"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. +Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder? +Lions have roared; they have growled at him. They have laid waste his land; his towns are burned and deserted. +Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head. +Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the LORD your God when he led you in the way? +Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the River? +Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. +"Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, 'I will not serve you!' Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute. +I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? +Although you wash yourself with soda and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me," declares the Sovereign LORD. +"How can you say, 'I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals'? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there, +a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving- in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her. +Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, 'It's no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.' +"As a thief is disgraced when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced- they, their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets. +They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' +Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah. +"Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me," declares the LORD. +"In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravening lion. +"You of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: "Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, 'We are free to roam; we will come to you no more'? +Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number. +How skilled you are at pursuing love! Even the worst of women can learn from your ways. +On your clothes men find the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this +you say, 'I am innocent; he is not angry with me.' But I will pass judgment on you because you say, 'I have not sinned.' +Why do you go about so much, changing your ways? You will be disappointed by Egypt as you were by Assyria. +You will also leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not be helped by them. + + +"If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers- would you now return to me?" declares the LORD. +"Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. +Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame. +Have you not just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth, +will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can." +During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. +I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. +I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. +Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. +In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD. +The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. +Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever. +Only acknowledge your guilt- you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD. +"Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you-one from a town and two from a clan-and bring you to Zion. +Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. +In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. +At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. +In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance. +"I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. +But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. +A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God. +"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God. +Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. +From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers' labor- their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters. +Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the LORD our God." + + +"If you will return, O Israel, return to me," declares the LORD. "If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, +and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' then the nations will be blessed by him and in him they will glory." +This is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: "Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. +Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done- burn with no one to quench it. +"Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: 'Sound the trumpet throughout the land!' Cry aloud and say: 'Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!' +Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction." +A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste your land. Your towns will lie in ruins without inhabitant. +So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us. +"In that day," declares the LORD, "the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled." +Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, how completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace,' when the sword is at our throats." +At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; +a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them." +Look! He advances like the clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! We are ruined! +O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts? +A voice is announcing from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim. +"Tell this to the nations, proclaim it to Jerusalem: 'A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah. +They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,'" declares the LORD. +"Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!" +Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. +Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. +How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? +"My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good." +I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. +I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. +I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away. +I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. +This is what the LORD says: "The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely. +Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back." +At the sound of horsemen and archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them. +What are you doing, O devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why shade your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. +I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child- the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, "Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers." + + +"Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. +Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely." +O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. +I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. +So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. +Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. +"Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. +They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife. +Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? +"Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the LORD. +The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD. +They have lied about the LORD; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. +The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them." +Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. +O house of Israel," declares the LORD, "I am bringing a distant nation against you- an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. +Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. +They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. +"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not destroy you completely. +And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.' +"Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: +Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: +Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. +But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. +They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.' +Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good. +"Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men. +Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful +and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. +Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? +"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: +The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? + + +"Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction. +I will destroy the Daughter of Zion, so beautiful and delicate. +Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her, each tending his own portion." +"Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long. +So arise, let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses!" +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Cut down the trees and build siege ramps against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression. +As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me. +Take warning, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you and make your land desolate so no one can live in it." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes." +To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. +But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. "Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. +Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land," declares the LORD. +"From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. +They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. +Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them," says the LORD. +This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.' +I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But you said, 'We will not listen.' +Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O witnesses, what will happen to them. +Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law. +What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me." +Therefore this is what the LORD says: "I will put obstacles before this people. Fathers and sons alike will stumble over them; neighbors and friends will perish." +This is what the LORD says: "Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth. +They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Zion." +We have heard reports about them, and our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor. +Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side. +O my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us. +"I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore, that you may observe and test their ways. +They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly. +The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out. +They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them." + + +This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +"Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: "'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. +Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" +If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, +if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, +then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. +But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. +"'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, +and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things? +Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD. +"'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. +While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. +Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. +I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.' +"So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. +Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? +The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. +But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame? +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched. +"'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! +For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, +but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. +But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. +From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. +But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.' +"When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. +Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips. +Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath. +"'The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the LORD. They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it. +They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire-something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. +So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. +Then the carcasses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. +I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate. + + +"'At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. +They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground. +Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the LORD Almighty.' +"Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: "'When men fall down, do they not get up? When a man turns away, does he not return? +Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. +I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle. +Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. +"'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? +The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? +Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. +They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace. +Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD. +"'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them. '" +"Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him. +We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror. +The snorting of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there." +"See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," declares the LORD. +O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. +Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?" +"The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." +Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. +Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? + + +Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people. +Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people. +"They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me," declares the LORD. +"Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. +Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. +You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me," declares the LORD. +Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says: "See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people? +Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. +Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?" +I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the desert pastures. They are desolate and untraveled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds of the air have fled and the animals are gone. +"I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there." +What man is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? +The LORD said, "It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. +Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them." +Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. +I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. +Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids. +The sound of wailing is heard from Zion: 'How ruined we are! How great is our shame! We must leave our land because our houses are in ruins.'" +Now, O women, hear the word of the LORD; open your ears to the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament. +Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares. +Say, "This is what the LORD declares: "'The dead bodies of men will lie like refuse on the open field, like cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather them.'" +This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, +but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. +"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh- +Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." + + +Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel. +This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. +For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. +They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. +Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." +No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. +Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. +They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. +Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple- all made by skilled workers. +But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. +"Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'" +But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. +When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. +Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. +They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. +He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance- the LORD Almighty is his name. +Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege. +For this is what the LORD says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured." +Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, "This is my sickness, and I must endure it." +My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My sons are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. +The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered. +Listen! The report is coming- a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals. +I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. +Correct me, LORD, but only with justice- not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. +Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland. + + +This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +"Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. +Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant- +the terms I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, 'Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. +Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'-the land you possess today." I answered, "Amen, LORD." +The LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. +From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, "Obey me." +But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'" +Then the LORD said to me, "There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. +They have returned to the sins of their forefathers, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their forefathers. +Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. +The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. +You have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.' +"Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. +"What is my beloved doing in my temple as she works out her evil schemes with many? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment? When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice. " +The LORD called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken. +The LORD Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done evil and provoked me to anger by burning incense to Baal. +Because the LORD revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. +I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." +But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. +"Therefore this is what the LORD says about the men of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, 'Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD or you will die by our hands'- +therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. +Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.'" + + +You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? +You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. +Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter! +How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, "He will not see what happens to us." +"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? +Your brothers, your own family- even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you. +"I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. +My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her. +Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. +Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. +It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares. +Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the LORD will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe. +They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing. So bear the shame of your harvest because of the LORD's fierce anger." +This is what the LORD says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. +But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. +And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives'-even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal-then they will be established among my people. +But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it," declares the LORD. + + +This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water." +So I bought a belt, as the LORD directed, and put it around my waist. +Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time: +"Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks." +So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD told me. +Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there." +So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless. +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. +These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt-completely useless! +For as a belt is bound around a man's waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.' +"Say to them: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.' And if they say to you, 'Don't we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?' +then tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. +I will smash them one against the other, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.'" +Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. +Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom. +But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive. +Say to the king and to the queen mother, "Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns will fall from your heads." +The cities in the Negev will be shut up, and there will be no one to open them. All Judah will be carried into exile, carried completely away. +Lift up your eyes and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was entrusted to you, the sheep of which you boasted? +What will you say when the LORD sets over you those you cultivated as your special allies? Will not pain grip you like that of a woman in labor? +And if you ask yourself, "Why has this happened to me?"- it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated. +Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. +"I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind. +This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you," declares the LORD, "because you have forgotten me and trusted in false gods. +I will pull up your skirts over your face that your shame may be seen- +your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?" + + +This is the word of the LORD to Jeremiah concerning the drought: +"Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. +The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads. +The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads. +Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass. +Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights and pant like jackals; their eyesight fails for lack of pasture." +Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you. +O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are you like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only a night? +Why are you like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? You are among us, O LORD, and we bear your name; do not forsake us! +This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins." +Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. +Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague." +But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" +Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. +Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. +And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve. +"Speak this word to them: "'Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing; for my virgin daughter-my people- has suffered a grievous wound, a crushing blow. +If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine. Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.'" +Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion? Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. +O LORD, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against you. +For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it. +Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this. + + +Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! +And if they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: "'Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.' +"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. +I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem. +"Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are? +You have rejected me," declares the LORD. "You keep on backsliding. So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; I can no longer show compassion. +I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways. +I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. At midday I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men; suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror. +The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. I will put the survivors to the sword before their enemies," declares the LORD. +Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me. +The LORD said, "Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress. +"Can a man break iron- iron from the north-or bronze? +Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without charge, because of all your sins throughout your country. +I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you." +You understand, O LORD; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering-do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake. +When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. +I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. +Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails? +Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. +I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD. +"I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." + + +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place." +For this is what the LORD says about the sons and daughters born in this land and about the women who are their mothers and the men who are their fathers: +"They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like refuse lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth." +For this is what the LORD says: "Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people," declares the LORD. +"Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut himself or shave his head for them. +No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn for the dead-not even for a father or a mother-nor will anyone give them a drink to console them. +"And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink. +For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place. +"When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?' +then say to them, 'It is because your fathers forsook me,' declares the LORD, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. +But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me. +So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' +"However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' +but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers. +"But now I will send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks. +My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. +I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the lifeless forms of their vile images and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols." +O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. +Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" +"Therefore I will teach them- this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD. + + +"Judah's sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. +Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills. +My mountain in the land and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country. +Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever." +This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. +He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. +"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. +He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." +The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? +"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." +Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool. +A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. +O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water. +Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. +They keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it now be fulfilled!" +I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you. +Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. +Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction. +This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem. +Say to them, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates. +This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. +Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. +Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. +But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, +then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. +People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings, incense and thank offerings to the house of the LORD. +But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.'" + + +This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +"Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." +So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. +But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. +If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, +and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. +And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, +and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. +"Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.' +But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.'" +Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard anything like this? A most horrible thing has been done by Virgin Israel. +Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Do its cool waters from distant sources ever cease to flow? +Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways and in the ancient paths. They made them walk in bypaths and on roads not built up. +Their land will be laid waste, an object of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads. +Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back and not my face in the day of their disaster." +They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says." +Listen to me, O LORD; hear what my accusers are saying! +Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them. +So give their children over to famine; hand them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives be made childless and widows; let their men be put to death, their young men slain by the sword in battle. +Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet. +But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. + + +This is what the LORD says: "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests +and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, +and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. +For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned sacrifices in it to gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. +They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal-something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. +So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. +"'In this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, at the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. +I will devastate this city and make it an object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. +I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives.' +"Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, +and say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. +This is what I will do to this place and to those who live here, declares the LORD. I will make this city like Topheth. +The houses in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled like this place, Topheth-all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs to all the starry hosts and poured out drink offerings to other gods.'" +Jeremiah then returned from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the court of the LORD's temple and said to all the people, +"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Listen! I am going to bring on this city and the villages around it every disaster I pronounced against them, because they were stiff-necked and would not listen to my words.'" + + +When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, +he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the LORD's temple. +The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD's name for you is not Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. +For this is what the LORD says: 'I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. +I will hand over to their enemies all the wealth of this city-all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. +And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.'" +O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. +Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. +But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. +I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him." +But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. +O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. +Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. +Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! +Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, "A child is born to you-a son!" +May that man be like the towns the LORD overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. +For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. +Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? + + +The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: +"Inquire now of the LORD for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us." +But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell Zedekiah, +'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. +I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. +I will strike down those who live in this city-both men and animals-and they will die of a terrible plague. +After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.' +"Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. +Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life. +I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.' +"Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD; +O house of David, this is what the LORD says: "'Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done- burn with no one to quench it. +I am against you, Jerusalem, you who live above this valley on the rocky plateau, declares the LORD - you who say, "Who can come against us? Who can enter our refuge?" +I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you.'" + + +This is what the LORD says: "Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: +'Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, you who sit on David's throne-you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. +This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. +For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. +But if you do not obey these commands, declares the LORD, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.'" +For this is what the LORD says about the palace of the king of Judah: "Though you are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a desert, like towns not inhabited. +I will send destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut up your fine cedar beams and throw them into the fire. +"People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?' +And the answer will be: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.'" +Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss; rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled, because he will never return nor see his native land again. +For this is what the LORD says about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: "He will never return. +He will die in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again." +"Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. +He says, 'I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.' So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red. +"Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. +He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD. +"But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion." +Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: "They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!' They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!' +He will have the burial of a donkey- dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem." +"Go up to Lebanon and cry out, let your voice be heard in Bashan, cry out from Abarim, for all your allies are crushed. +I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me. +The wind will drive all your shepherds away, and your allies will go into exile. Then you will be ashamed and disgraced because of all your wickedness. +You who live in 'Lebanon, 'who are nestled in cedar buildings, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor! +"As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. +I will hand you over to those who seek your life, those you fear-to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Babylonians. +I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. +You will never come back to the land you long to return to." +Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot, an object no one wants? Why will he and his children be hurled out, cast into a land they do not know? +O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD! +This is what the LORD says: "Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah." + + +"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. +Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: "Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD. +"I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. +I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD. +"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. +In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. +"So then, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' +but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land." +Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and his holy words. +The land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land lies parched and the pastures in the desert are withered. The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly. +"Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness," declares the LORD. +"Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year they are punished," declares the LORD. +"Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. +And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah." +Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty says concerning the prophets: "I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. +They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.' +But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? +See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. +The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. +I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. +But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds. +"Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? +Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD. +"I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' +How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? +They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. +Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. +"Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? +"Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. +Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.' +Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD. +"When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' say to them, 'What oracle? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.' +If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household. +This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or relative: 'What is the LORD's answer?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' +But you must not mention 'the oracle of the LORD 'again, because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. +This is what you keep saying to a prophet: 'What is the LORD's answer to you?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' +Although you claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' this is what the LORD says: You used the words, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' even though I told you that you must not claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD.' +Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers. +I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace-everlasting shame that will not be forgotten." + + +After Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the craftsmen and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD. +One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten. +Then the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?Figs," I answered. "The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten." +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. +My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. +I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. +"'But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,' says the LORD, 'so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. +I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule and cursing, wherever I banish them. +I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.'" + + +The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. +So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: +For twenty-three years-from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day-the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. +And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. +They said, "Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you and your fathers for ever and ever. +Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you." +"But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves." +Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, +I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. +I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. +This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. +"But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever. +I will bring upon that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. +They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands." +This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. +When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them." +So I took the cup from the LORD's hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me drink it: +Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn and cursing, as they are today; +Pharaoh king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials and all his people, +and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (those of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); +Edom, Moab and Ammon; +all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea; +Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who are in distant places; +all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who live in the desert; +all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media; +and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other-all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too. +"Then tell them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send among you.' +But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: You must drink it! +See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth, declares the LORD Almighty.' +"Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: "'The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth. +The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,'" declares the LORD. +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth." +At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere-from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground. +Weep and wail, you shepherds; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For your time to be slaughtered has come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery. +The shepherds will have nowhere to flee, the leaders of the flock no place to escape. +Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture. +The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the LORD. +Like a lion he will leave his lair, and their land will become desolate because of the sword of the oppressor and because of the LORD's fierce anger. + + +Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: +"This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. +Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. +Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, +and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), +then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.'" +The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD. +But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, "You must die! +Why do you prophesy in the LORD's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. +When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD's house. +Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!" +Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. +Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. +As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. +Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing." +Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." +Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, +"Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: "'Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.' +"Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the LORD and seek his favor? And did not the LORD relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!" +(Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. +When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt. +King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt, along with some other men. +They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.) +Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death. + + +Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +This is what the LORD said to me: "Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. +Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. +Give them a message for their masters and say, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Tell this to your masters: +With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. +Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. +All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him. +"'"If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I destroy it by his hand. +So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.' +They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. +But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the LORD."'" +I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, "Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live. +Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the LORD has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? +Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they are prophesying lies to you. +'I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. 'They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.'" +Then I said to the priests and all these people, "This is what the LORD says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, 'Very soon now the articles from the LORD's house will be brought back from Babylon.' They are prophesying lies to you. +Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin? +If they are prophets and have the word of the LORD, let them plead with the LORD Almighty that the furnishings remaining in the house of the LORD and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. +For this is what the LORD Almighty says about the pillars, the Sea, the movable stands and the other furnishings that are left in this city, +which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem- +yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the LORD and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: +'They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,' declares the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.'" + + +In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people: +"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. +Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. +I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,' declares the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'" +Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD. +He said, "Amen! May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the LORD's house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. +Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: +From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. +But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true." +Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, +and he said before all the people, "This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.'" At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. +Shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.'" +Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. +Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.'" +In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died. + + +This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. +(This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) +He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: +"Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. +Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. +Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." +Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. +They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD. +This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. +For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. +Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. +You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. +I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." +You may say, "The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon," +but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all the people who remain in this city, your countrymen who did not go with you into exile- +yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like poor figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. +I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth and an object of cursing and horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. +For they have not listened to my words," declares the LORD, "words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either," declares the LORD. +Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: "I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. +Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: 'The LORD treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.' +For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and in my name have spoken lies, which I did not tell them to do. I know it and am a witness to it," declares the LORD. +Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, +"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, +'The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD; you should put any madman who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons. +So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? +He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.'" +Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. +Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"Send this message to all the exiles: 'This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has led you to believe a lie, +this is what the LORD says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has preached rebellion against me.'" + + +This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. +The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the LORD." +These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: +"This is what the LORD says: "'Cries of fear are heard- terror, not peace. +Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? +How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. +"'In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. +Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. +"'So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel,' declares the LORD. 'I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. +I am with you and will save you,' declares the LORD. 'Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.' +"This is what the LORD says: "'Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. +There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. +All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. +Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you. +"'But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. +But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' +"This is what the LORD says: "'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. +From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. +Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them. +Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?' declares the LORD. +"'So you will be my people, and I will be your God.'" +See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. +The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand this. + + +"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people." +This is what the LORD says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel." +The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. +I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. +Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. +There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'" +This is what the LORD says: "Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, 'O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.' +See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. +They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. +"Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: 'He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.' +For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. +They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD - the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. +Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. +I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD. +This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." +This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD. "They will return from the land of the enemy. +So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own land. +"I have surely heard Ephraim's moaning: 'You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. +After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' +Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD. +"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns. +How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter? The LORD will create a new thing on earth- a woman will surround a man." +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: 'The LORD bless you, O righteous dwelling, O sacred mountain.' +People will live together in Judah and all its towns-farmers and those who move about with their flocks. +I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." +At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me. +"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. +Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. +"In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' +Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes-his own teeth will be set on edge. +"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. +It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, "declares the LORD. +"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. +No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." +This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD Almighty is his name: +"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." +This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD. +"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. +The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. +The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished." + + +This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. +The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah. +Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, "Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, 'This is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. +Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hands of the Babylonians but will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. +He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.'" +Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me: +Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, 'Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.' +"Then, just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, 'Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.'"I knew that this was the word of the LORD; +so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. +I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. +I took the deed of purchase-the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy- +and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard. +"In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: +'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. +For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.' +"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD: +"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. +You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, +great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve. +You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. +You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror. +You gave them this land you had sworn to give their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. +They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster upon them. +"See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see. +And though the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, you, O Sovereign LORD, say to me, 'Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.'" +Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? +Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. +The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people provoked me to anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods. +"The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made, declares the LORD. +From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight. +The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done-they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. +They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. +They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. +They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin. +"You are saying about this city, 'By the sword, famine and plague it will be handed over to the king of Babylon'; but this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: +I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. +They will be my people, and I will be their God. +I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. +I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. +I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. +"This is what the LORD says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. +Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, 'It is a desolate waste, without men or animals, for it has been handed over to the Babylonians.' +Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD." + + +While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: +"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it-the LORD is his name: +'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' +For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword +in the fight with the Babylonians: 'They will be filled with the dead bodies of the men I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness. +"'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. +I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. +I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. +Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.' +"This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more +the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD. +"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without men or animals-in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. +In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD. +"'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. +"'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. +In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.' +For this is what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, +nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.'" +The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"This is what the LORD says: 'If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, +then my covenant with David my servant-and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me-can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. +I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.'" +The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"Have you not noticed that these people are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose'? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. +This is what the LORD says: 'If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, +then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'" + + +While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. +You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon. +"'Yet hear the promise of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; +you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, "Alas, O master!" I myself make this promise, declares the LORD.'" +Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, +while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out-Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah. +The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. +Everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Jew in bondage. +So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. +But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again. +Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, +'Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you. After he has served you six years, you must let him go free.' Your fathers, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. +Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. +But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again. +"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the LORD -'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. +The men who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. +The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, +I will hand over to their enemies who seek their lives. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. +"I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. +I am going to give the order, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there." + + +This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: +"Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink." +So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons-the whole family of the Recabites. +I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. +Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, "Drink some wine." +But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. +Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' +We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine +or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. +We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us. +But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, 'Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.' So we have remained in Jerusalem." +Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: +"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, 'Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?' declares the LORD. +'Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. +Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, "Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your fathers." But you have not paid attention or listened to me. +The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.' +"Therefore, this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.'" +Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' +Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.'" + + +In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: +"Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. +Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin." +So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the LORD had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. +Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am restricted; I cannot go to the LORD's temple. +So you go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. +Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each will turn from his wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the LORD are great." +Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the LORD's temple he read the words of the LORD from the scroll. +In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the LORD was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. +From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the LORD's temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll. +When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, +he went down to the secretary's room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. +After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, +all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. +They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them. +When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, "We must report all these words to the king." +Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?" +"Yes," Baruch replied, "he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll." +Then the officials said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don't let anyone know where you are." +After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. +The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. +It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. +Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. +The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. +Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. +Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them. +After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. +Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and cut off both men and animals from it?" +Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. +I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.'" +So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. + + +Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. +Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet. +King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: "Please pray to the LORD our God for us." +Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. +Pharaoh's army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. +Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: +"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, 'Pharaoh's army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. +Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.' +"This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians will surely leave us.' They will not! +Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down." +After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, +Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. +But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, "You are deserting to the Babylonians!" +"That's not true!" Jeremiah said. "I am not deserting to the Babylonians." But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. +They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison. +Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. +Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, "Is there any word from the LORD?Yes," Jeremiah replied, "you will be handed over to the king of Babylon." +Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What crime have I committed against you or your officials or this people, that you have put me in prison? +Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, 'The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land'? +But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there." +King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard. + + +Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, +"This is what the LORD says: 'Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. He will escape with his life; he will live.' +And this is what the LORD says: 'This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.'" +Then the officials said to the king, "This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin." +"He is in your hands," King Zedekiah answered. "The king can do nothing to oppose you." +So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. +But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, +Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to him, +"My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city." +Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies." +So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. +Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes." Jeremiah did so, +and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard. +Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the LORD. "I am going to ask you something," the king said to Jeremiah. "Do not hide anything from me." +Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me." +But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who are seeking your life." +Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. +But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from their hands.'" +King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me." +"They will not hand you over," Jeremiah replied. "Obey the LORD by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. +But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the LORD has revealed to me: +All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: "'They misled you and overcame you- those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.' +"All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down." +Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. +If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, 'Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,' +then tell them, 'I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.'" +All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king. +And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured. + + +This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. +And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. +Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. +When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. +But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. +There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. +Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. +The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. +Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. +But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields. +Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: +"Take him and look after him; don't harm him but do for him whatever he asks." +So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon +sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people. +While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: +"Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. +But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. +I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'" + + +The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. +When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, "The LORD your God decreed this disaster for this place. +And now the LORD has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the LORD and did not obey him. +But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don't come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please." +However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, "Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please." Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. +So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land. +When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, +they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah-Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men. +Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians, "he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. +I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over." +When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, +they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit. +Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah +and said to him, "Don't you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. +Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, "Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?" +But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, "Don't do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true." + + +In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king's officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, +Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. +Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there. +The day after Gedaliah's assassination, before anyone knew about it, +eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD. +Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam." +When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. +But ten of them said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley, oil and honey, hidden in a field." So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. +Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead. +Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah-the king's daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. +When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, +they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. +When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. +All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. +But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites. +Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the survivors from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had brought from Gibeon. +And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt +to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. + + +Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached +Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, "Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. +Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do." +"I have heard you," replied Jeremiah the prophet. "I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you." +Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. +Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God." +Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. +So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. +He said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: +'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. +Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. +I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.' +"However, if you say, 'We will not stay in this land,' and so disobey the LORD your God, +and if you say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,' +then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, +then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. +Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.' +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach; you will never see this place again.' +"O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today +that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' +I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. +So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle." + + +When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of the LORD their God-everything the LORD had sent him to tell them- +Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.' +But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon." +So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD's command to stay in the land of Judah. +Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. +They also led away all the men, women and children and the king's daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. +So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes. +In Tahpanhes the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: +"While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes. +Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. +He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. +He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd wraps his garment around him, so will he wrap Egypt around himself and depart from there unscathed. +There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.'" + + +This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt-in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis -and in Upper Egypt: +"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins +because of the evil they have done. They provoked me to anger by burning incense and by worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew. +Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, 'Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!' +But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. +Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today. +"Now this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant? +Why provoke me to anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations on earth. +Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your fathers and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? +To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your fathers. +"Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah. +I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach. +I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem. +None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives." +Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present-a large assembly-and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, +"We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD! +We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. +But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine." +The women added, "When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?" +Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, +"Did not the LORD remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? +When the LORD could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. +Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see." +Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah in Egypt. +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, 'We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.'"Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! +But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, "As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives." +For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. +Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand-mine or theirs. +"'This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares the LORD, 'so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.' +This is what the LORD says: 'I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life.'" + + +This is what Jeremiah the prophet told Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, after Baruch had written on a scroll the words Jeremiah was then dictating: +"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: +You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'" +The LORD said, "Say this to him: 'This is what the LORD says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the land. +Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.'" + + +This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: +Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: +"Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! +Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor! +What do I see? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are defeated. They flee in haste without looking back, and there is terror on every side," declares the LORD. +"The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall. +"Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters? +Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters. She says, 'I will rise and cover the earth; I will destroy cities and their people.' +Charge, O horses! Drive furiously, O charioteers! March on, O warriors- men of Cush and Put who carry shields, men of Lydia who draw the bow. +But that day belongs to the LORD, the Lord Almighty- a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. +"Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt. But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. +The nations will hear of your shame; your cries will fill the earth. One warrior will stumble over another; both will fall down together." +This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt: +"Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol; proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes: 'Take your positions and get ready, for the sword devours those around you.' +Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the LORD will push them down. +They will stumble repeatedly; they will fall over each other. They will say, 'Get up, let us go back to our own people and our native lands, away from the sword of the oppressor.' +There they will exclaim, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity.' +"As surely as I live," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty, "one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, like Carmel by the sea. +Pack your belongings for exile, you who live in Egypt, for Memphis will be laid waste and lie in ruins without inhabitant. +"Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but a gadfly is coming against her from the north. +The mercenaries in her ranks are like fattened calves. They too will turn and flee together, they will not stand their ground, for the day of disaster is coming upon them, the time for them to be punished. +Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees. +They will chop down her forest," declares the LORD, "dense though it be. They are more numerous than locusts, they cannot be counted. +The Daughter of Egypt will be put to shame, handed over to the people of the north." +The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. +I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past," declares the LORD. +"Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. +Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you," declares the LORD. "Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished." + + +This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza: +This is what the LORD says: "See how the waters are rising in the north; they will become an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and everything in it, the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will wail +at the sound of the hoofs of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Fathers will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp. +For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to cut off all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. +Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant on the plain, how long will you cut yourselves? +"'Ah, sword of the LORD,' you cry, 'how long till you rest? Return to your scabbard; cease and be still.' +But how can it rest when the LORD has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?" + + +Concerning Moab: This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the stronghold will be disgraced and shattered. +Moab will be praised no more; in Heshbon men will plot her downfall: 'Come, let us put an end to that nation.' You too, O Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you. +Listen to the cries from Horonaim, cries of great havoc and destruction. +Moab will be broken; her little ones will cry out. +They go up the way to Luhith, weeping bitterly as they go; on the road down to Horonaim anguished cries over the destruction are heard. +Flee! Run for your lives; become like a bush in the desert. +Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. +The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the LORD has spoken. +Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her towns will become desolate, with no one to live in them. +"A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed! +"Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another- she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. +But days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will send men who pour from jars, and they will pour her out; they will empty her jars and smash her jugs. +Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel. +"How can you say, 'We are warriors, men valiant in battle'? +Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty. +"The fall of Moab is at hand; her calamity will come quickly. +Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, 'How broken is the mighty scepter, how broken the glorious staff!' +"Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitants of the Daughter of Dibon, for he who destroys Moab will come up against you and ruin your fortified cities. +Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping, ask them, 'What has happened?' +Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered. Wail and cry out! Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. +Judgment has come to the plateau- to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath, +to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, +to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, +to Kerioth and Bozrah- to all the towns of Moab, far and near. +Moab's horn is cut off; her arm is broken," declares the LORD. +"Make her drunk, for she has defied the LORD. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule. +Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her? +Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave. +"We have heard of Moab's pride- her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and arrogance and the haughtiness of her heart. +I know her insolence but it is futile," declares the LORD, "and her boasts accomplish nothing. +Therefore I wail over Moab, for all Moab I cry out, I moan for the men of Kir Hareseth. +I weep for you, as Jazer weeps, O vines of Sibmah. Your branches spread as far as the sea; they reached as far as the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes. +Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy. Although there are shouts, they are not shouts of joy. +"The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz, from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up. +In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods," declares the LORD. +"So my heart laments for Moab like a flute; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone. +Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered with sackcloth. +On all the roofs in Moab and in the public squares there is nothing but mourning, for I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants," declares the LORD. +"How shattered she is! How they wail! How Moab turns her back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule, an object of horror to all those around her." +This is what the LORD says: "Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. +Kerioth will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. +Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the LORD. +Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of Moab," declares the LORD. +"Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring upon Moab the year of her punishment," declares the LORD. +"In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon; it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the noisy boasters. +Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. +"Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab. + + +Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the LORD says: "Has Israel no sons? Has she no heirs? Why then has Molech taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns? +But the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the LORD. +"Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, O inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molech will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. +Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? O unfaithful daughter, you trust in your riches and say, 'Who will attack me?' +I will bring terror on you from all those around you," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. "Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives. +"Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," declares the LORD. +Concerning Edom: This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? +Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him. +If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? +But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His children, relatives and neighbors will perish, and he will be no more. +Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me." +This is what the LORD says: "If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. +I swear by myself," declares the LORD, "that Bozrah will become a ruin and an object of horror, of reproach and of cursing; and all its towns will be in ruins forever." +I have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, "Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!" +"Now I will make you small among the nations, despised among men. +The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD. +"Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. +As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns," says the LORD, "so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it. +"Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?" +Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; he will completely destroy their pasture because of them. +At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea. +Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. +Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. +Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. +Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? +Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD Almighty. +"I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad." +Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the LORD says: "Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. +Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. Men will shout to them, 'Terror on every side!' +"Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor," declares the LORD. "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. +"Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence," declares the LORD, "a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live alone. +Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be booty. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side," declares the LORD. +"Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no man will dwell in it." +This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. +I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go. +I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives; I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger," declares the LORD. "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. +I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials," declares the LORD. +"Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the LORD. + + +This is the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians: +"Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say, 'Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.' +A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away. +"In those days, at that time," declares the LORD, "the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the LORD their God. +They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. +"My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. +Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, 'We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.' +"Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock. +For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. +So Babylonia will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill," declares the LORD. +"Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions, +your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations- a wilderness, a dry land, a desert. +Because of the LORD's anger she will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate. All who pass Babylon will be horrified and scoff because of all her wounds. +"Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. +Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others. +Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to his own people, let everyone flee to his own land. +"Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon." +Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. +But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. +In those days, at that time," declares the LORD, "search will be made for Israel's guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare. +"Attack the land of Merathaim and those who live in Pekod. Pursue, kill and completely destroy them," declares the LORD. "Do everything I have commanded you. +The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction! +How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations! +I set a trap for you, O Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the LORD. +The LORD has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Sovereign LORD Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians. +Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant. +Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished. +Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the LORD our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple. +"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. +Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD. +"See, I am against you, O arrogant one," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty, "for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. +The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. +Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon. +"A sword against the Babylonians!" declares the LORD - "against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men! +A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. +A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become women. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. +A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror. +"So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. +As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns," declares the LORD, "so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it. +"Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. +They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon. +The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. +Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?" +Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Babylon, what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians: The young of the flock will be dragged away; he will completely destroy their pasture because of them. +At the sound of Babylon's capture the earth will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations. + + +This is what the LORD says: "See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai. +I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land; they will oppose her on every side in the day of her disaster. +Let not the archer string his bow, nor let him put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; completely destroy her army. +They will fall down slain in Babylon, fatally wounded in her streets. +For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel. +"Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the LORD's vengeance; he will pay her what she deserves. +Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. +Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her! Get balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed. +"'We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.' +"'The LORD has vindicated us; come, let us tell in Zion what the LORD our God has done.' +"Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple. +Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The LORD will carry out his purpose, his decree against the people of Babylon. +You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be cut off. +The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with men, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you. +"He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. +When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. +"Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. +They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. +He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance- the LORD Almighty is his name. +"You are my war club, my weapon for battle- with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms, +with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver, +with you I shatter man and woman, with you I shatter old man and youth, with you I shatter young man and maiden, +with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials. +"Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion," declares the LORD. +"I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth," declares the LORD. "I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. +No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD. +"Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts. +Prepare the nations for battle against her- the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the countries they rule. +The land trembles and writhes, for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand- to lay waste the land of Babylon so that no one will live there. +Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Her dwellings are set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken. +One courier follows another and messenger follows messenger to announce to the king of Babylon that his entire city is captured, +the river crossings seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers terrified." +This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled; the time to harvest her will soon come." +"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out. +May the violence done to our flesh be upon Babylon," say the inhabitants of Zion. "May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia," says Jerusalem. +Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "See, I will defend your cause and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. +Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives. +Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. +But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter- then sleep forever and not awake," declares the LORD. +"I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats. +"How Sheshach will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! What a horror Babylon will be among the nations! +The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her. +Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels. +I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall. +"Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD. +Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. +For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her. +Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her," declares the LORD. +"Babylon must fall because of Israel's slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. +You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger! Remember the LORD in a distant land, and think on Jerusalem." +"We are disgraced, for we have been insulted and shame covers our faces, because foreigners have entered the holy places of the LORD's house." +"But days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish her idols, and throughout her land the wounded will groan. +Even if Babylon reaches the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her," declares the LORD. +"The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians. +The LORD will destroy Babylon; he will silence her noisy din. Waves of enemies will rage like great waters; the roar of their voices will resound. +A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the LORD is a God of retribution; he will repay in full. +I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, officers and warriors as well; they will sleep forever and not awake," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty. +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Babylon's thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames." +This is the message Jeremiah gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. +Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon-all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. +He said to Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. +Then say, 'O LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither man nor animal will live in it; it will be desolate forever.' +When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. +Then say, 'So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall.'" The words of Jeremiah end here. + + +Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. +He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. +It was because of the LORD's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. +So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They camped outside the city and built siege works all around it. +The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. +By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. +Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, +but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, +and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. +There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. +Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death. +On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. +He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. +The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. +Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. +But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. +The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. +They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. +The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings-all that were made of pure gold or silver. +The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed. +Each of the pillars was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference; each was four fingers thick, and hollow. +The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was five cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. +There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred. +The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. +Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. +Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. +There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. +This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; +in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; +in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all. +In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month. +He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. +So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. +Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death. + + + + +How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. +Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. +After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. +The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish. +Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe. +All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursuer. +In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction. +Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away. +Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. "Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed." +The enemy laid hands on all her treasures; she saw pagan nations enter her sanctuary- those you had forbidden to enter your assembly. +All her people groan as they search for bread; they barter their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. "Look, O LORD, and consider, for I am despised." +"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger? +"From on high he sent fire, sent it down into my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long. +"My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have come upon my neck and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand. +"The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah. +"This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed." +Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them. +"The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into exile. +"I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive. +"See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death. +"People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me. +"Let all their wickedness come before you; deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my sins. My groans are many and my heart is faint." + + +How the Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion with the cloud of his anger! He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. +Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob; in his wrath he has torn down the strongholds of the Daughter of Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor. +In fierce anger he has cut off every horn of Israel. He has withdrawn his right hand at the approach of the enemy. He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire that consumes everything around it. +Like an enemy he has strung his bow; his right hand is ready. Like a foe he has slain all who were pleasing to the eye; he has poured out his wrath like fire on the tent of the Daughter of Zion. +The Lord is like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Judah. +He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden; he has destroyed his place of meeting. The LORD has made Zion forget her appointed feasts and her Sabbaths; in his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest. +The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his sanctuary. He has handed over to the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have raised a shout in the house of the LORD as on the day of an appointed feast. +The LORD determined to tear down the wall around the Daughter of Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold his hand from destroying. He made ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away. +Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the LORD. +The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. +My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. +They say to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away in their mothers' arms. +What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? +The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading. +All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?" +All your enemies open their mouths wide against you; they scoff and gnash their teeth and say, "We have swallowed her up. This is the day we have waited for; we have lived to see it." +The LORD has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes. +The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest. +Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street. +"Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have you ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have cared for? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? +"Young and old lie together in the dust of the streets; my young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered them without pity. +"As you summon to a feast day, so you summoned against me terrors on every side. In the day of the LORD's anger no one escaped or survived; those I cared for and reared, my enemy has destroyed." + + +I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. +He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; +indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. +He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. +He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. +He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. +He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. +Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. +He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. +Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, +he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. +He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. +He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. +I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. +He has filled me with bitter herbs and sated me with gall. +He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. +I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. +So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD." +I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. +I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. +Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: +Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. +They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. +I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." +The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; +it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. +It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. +Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. +Let him bury his face in the dust- there may yet be hope. +Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. +For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. +Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. +For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. +To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, +to deny a man his rights before the Most High, +to deprive a man of justice- would not the Lord see such things? +Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? +Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? +Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? +Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. +Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: +"We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. +"You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. +You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. +You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. +"All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. +We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction." +Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. +My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, +until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. +What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city. +Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird. +They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; +the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off. +I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit. +You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief." +You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear." +O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life. +You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me. Uphold my cause! +You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me. +O LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me- +what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. +Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs. +Pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, for what their hands have done. +Put a veil over their hearts, and may your curse be on them! +Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD. + + +How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street. +How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands! +Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. +Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them. +Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps. +The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her. +Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. +But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick. +Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field. +With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. +The LORD has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations. +The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world's people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem. +But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous. +Now they grope through the streets like men who are blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments. +"Go away! You are unclean!" men cry to them. "Away! Away! Don't touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer." +The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor. +Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. +Men stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come. +Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert. +The LORD's anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations. +Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked. +O Daughter of Zion, your punishment will end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O Daughter of Edom, he will punish your sin and expose your wickedness. + + +Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace. +Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, our homes to foreigners. +We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers like widows. +We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price. +Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest. +We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. +Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment. +Slaves rule over us, and there is none to free us from their hands. +We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the desert. +Our skin is hot as an oven, feverish from hunger. +Women have been ravished in Zion, and virgins in the towns of Judah. +Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect. +Young men toil at the millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood. +The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their music. +Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. +The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! +Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim +for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it. +You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. +Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? +Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old +unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. + + + + +In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. +On the fifth of the month-it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin- +the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him. +I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north-an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, +and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, +but each of them had four faces and four wings. +Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. +Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, +and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. +Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. +Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. +Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. +The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. +The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning. +As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. +This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. +As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. +Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. +When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. +Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. +When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. +Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. +Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. +When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. +Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. +Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. +I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. +Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. + + +He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." +As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. +He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. +The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' +And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them. +And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. +You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. +But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." +Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, +which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. + + +And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." +So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. +Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. +He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. +You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel- +not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. +But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. +But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. +I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house." +And he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. +Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen." +Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound-May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place!- +the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. +The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. +I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days-overwhelmed. +At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. +When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. +But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. +"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. +But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself." +The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me, "Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you." +So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. +Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: "Go, shut yourself inside your house. +And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. +I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. +But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. + + +"Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. +Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. +Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel. +"Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. +I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the house of Israel. +"After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. +Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. +I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege. +"Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. +Weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. +Also measure out a sixth of a hin of water and drink it at set times. +Eat the food as you would a barley cake; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel." +The LORD said, "In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them." +Then I said, "Not so, Sovereign LORD! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth." +"Very well," he said, "I will let you bake your bread over cow manure instead of human excrement." +He then said to me: "Son of man, I will cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, +for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin. + + +"Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. +When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair with fire inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword. +But take a few strands of hair and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. +Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to the whole house of Israel. +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. +Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees. +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even conformed to the standards of the nations around you. +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations. +Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. +Therefore in your midst fathers will eat their children, and children will eat their fathers. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds. +Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. +A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword. +"Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath upon them, they will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal. +"I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by. +You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the LORD have spoken. +When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food. +I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the LORD have spoken." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel; prophesy against them +and say: 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. +Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols. +I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. +Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down, and what you have made wiped out. +Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the LORD. +"'But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. +Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me-how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. +And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out "Alas!" because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague. +He that is far away will die of the plague, and he that is near will fall by the sword, and he that survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I spend my wrath upon them. +And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak-places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. +And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah -wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to the land of Israel: The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. +The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. +I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will surely repay you for your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. +The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. It has come! +Doom has come upon you-you who dwell in the land. The time has come, the day is near; there is panic, not joy, upon the mountains. +I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you; I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. +I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will repay you in accordance with your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow. +"The day is here! It has come! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed! +Violence has grown into a rod to punish wickedness; none of the people will be left, none of that crowd-no wealth, nothing of value. +The time has come, the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for wrath is upon the whole crowd. +The seller will not recover the land he has sold as long as both of them live, for the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve his life. +Though they blow the trumpet and get everything ready, no one will go into battle, for my wrath is upon the whole crowd. +"Outside is the sword, inside are plague and famine; those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague. +All who survive and escape will be in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valleys, each because of his sins. +Every hand will go limp, and every knee will become as weak as water. +They will put on sackcloth and be clothed with terror. Their faces will be covered with shame and their heads will be shaved. +They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean thing. Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the LORD 's wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin. +They were proud of their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images. Therefore I will turn these into an unclean thing for them. +I will hand it all over as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, and they will defile it. +I will turn my face away from them, and they will desecrate my treasured place; robbers will enter it and desecrate it. +"Prepare chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence. +I will bring the most wicked of the nations to take possession of their houses; I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated. +When terror comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. +Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders. +The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + +In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign LORD came upon me there. +I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. +He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. +And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain. +Then he said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy. +And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing-the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable." +Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. +He said to me, "Son of man, now dig into the wall." So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there. +And he said to me, "Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here." +So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of Israel. +In front of them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. +He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.'" +Again, he said, "You will see them doing things that are even more detestable." +Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz. +He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this." +He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. +He said to me, "Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! +Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them." + + +Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, "Bring the guards of the city here, each with a weapon in his hand." +And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. +Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side +and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." +As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. +Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. +Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So they went out and began killing throughout the city. +While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?" +He answered me, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' +So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done." +Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, "I have done as you commanded." + + +I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of sapphire above the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim. +The LORD said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in. +Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. +Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD. +The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. +When the LORD commanded the man in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel. +Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. +(Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like the hands of a man.) +I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like chrysolite. +As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. +As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. +Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. +I heard the wheels being called "the whirling wheels." +Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. +Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. +When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. +When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them. +Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. +While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD 's house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. +These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were cherubim. +Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like the hands of a man. +Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead. + + +Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. +The LORD said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. +They say, 'Will it not soon be time to build houses? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.' +Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man." +Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say: "This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. +You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. +You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. +I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners and inflict punishment on you. +You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. +And you will know that I am the LORD, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you." +Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, your brothers-your brothers who are your blood relatives and the whole house of Israel-are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, 'They are far away from the LORD; this land was given to us as our possession.' +"Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.' +"Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' +"They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. +I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. +Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. +But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD." +Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. +The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. +The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me, +and I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me. + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. +"Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. +During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. +While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. +Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel." +So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched. +In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, did not that rebellious house of Israel ask you, 'What are you doing?' +"Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel who are there.' +Say to them, 'I am a sign to you.'"As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives. +"The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. +I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. +I will scatter to the winds all those around him-his staff and all his troops-and I will pursue them with drawn sword. +"They will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. +But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the LORD." +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water. +Say to the people of the land: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. +The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: 'The days go by and every vision comes to nothing'? +Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.' Say to them, 'The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. +For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. +But I the LORD will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.' +"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the LORD! +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! +Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. +You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD. +Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. +Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares," though I have not spoken? +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. +My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. +"'Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, +therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. +When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash you covered it with?" +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. +I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. +So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, +those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD."' +"Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them +and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? +You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. +I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, +therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.'" + + +Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? +Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry. +I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.' +"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! +"'When any Israelite or any alien living in Israel separates himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer him myself. +I will set my face against that man and make him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +"'And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. +They will bear their guilt-the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. +Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, +even if these three men-Noah, Daniel and Job-were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, +as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate. +"Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass throughout the land,' and I kill its men and their animals, +as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. +"Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through bloodshed, killing its men and their animals, +as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness. +"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments-sword and famine and wild beasts and plague-to kill its men and their animals! +Yet there will be some survivors-sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem-every disaster I have brought upon it. +You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest? +Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? +And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? +If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred? +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. +I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. +I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices +and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. +On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. +No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. +"'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" +I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare. +"'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. +"'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. +I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. +I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, +and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. +So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. +And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. +You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur. +You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. +And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. +Also the food I provided for you-the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat-you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? +You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. +In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood. +"'Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, +you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. +At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, offering your body with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. +You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and provoked me to anger with your increasing promiscuity. +So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. +You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. +Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied. +"'How weak-willed you are, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! +When you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment. +"'You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! +Every prostitute receives a fee, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. +So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you. +"'Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the LORD! +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children's blood, +therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see all your nakedness. +I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. +Then I will hand you over to your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you naked and bare. +They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. +They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. +Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry. +"'Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices? +"'Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: "Like mother, like daughter." +You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. +Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom. +You not only walked in their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they. +As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. +"'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. +They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. +Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. +Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. +"'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, +so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. +And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. +You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, +before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines-all those around you who despise you. +You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the LORD. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. +Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. +Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. +So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD. +Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a parable. +Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar, +he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders. +"'He took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, +and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs. +"'But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water. +It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.' +"Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. +Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it-wither away in the plot where it grew?'" +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"Say to this rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Say to them: 'The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon. +Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land, +so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. +But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape? +"'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke. +Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives. +He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape. +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke. +I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there because he was unfaithful to me. +All his fleeing troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. +On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. +All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. "'I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? +"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. +For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son-both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. +"Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. +He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or lie with a woman during her period. +He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. +He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. +He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things +(though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife. +He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. +He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head. +"But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: +"He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. +He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. +He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. +But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. +"Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. +The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. +"But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. +None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. +Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? +"But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. +"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? +If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. +But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. +Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. +Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? +"Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. +Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? +For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! + + +"Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel +and say: "'What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs. +She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he devoured men. +The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt. +"'When she saw her hope unfulfilled, her expectation gone, she took another of her cubs and made him a strong lion. +He prowled among the lions, for he was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he devoured men. +He broke down their strongholds and devastated their towns. The land and all who were in it were terrified by his roaring. +Then the nations came against him, those from regions round about. They spread their net for him, and he was trapped in their pit. +With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel. +"'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. +Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler's scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. +But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them. +Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. +Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler's scepter.' This is a lament and is to be used as a lament." + + +In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.' +"Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers +and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the LORD your God." +On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. +And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God." +"'But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. +But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations they lived among and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt. +Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. +I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. +Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy. +"'Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws-although the man who obeys them will live by them-and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert. +But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. +Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them-a land flowing with milk and honey, most beautiful of all lands- +because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. +Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert. +I said to their children in the desert, "Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. +I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. +Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God." +"'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws-although the man who obeys them will live by them-and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the desert. +But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. +Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, +because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols. +I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; +I let them become defiled through their gifts-the sacrifice of every firstborn -that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.' +"Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me: +When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that provoked me to anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings. +Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?'" (It is called Bamah to this day.) +"Therefore say to the house of Israel: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images? +When you offer your gifts-the sacrifice of your sons in the fire-you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will not let you inquire of me. +"'You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen. +As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. +I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered-with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. +I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. +As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD. +I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. +I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +"'As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. +For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. +I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. +Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your fathers. +There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. +You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. +Say to the southern forest: 'Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. +Everyone will see that I the LORD have kindled it; it will not be quenched.'" +Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! They are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel +and say to her: 'This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. +Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. +Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again.' +"Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. +And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD." +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished- +sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! "'Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my son Judah? The sword despises every such stick. +"'The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped with the hand; it is sharpened and polished, made ready for the hand of the slayer. +Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people; it is against all the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword along with my people. Therefore beat your breast. +"'Testing will surely come. And what if the scepter of Judah, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign LORD.' +"So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter- a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side. +So that hearts may melt and the fallen be many, I have stationed the sword for slaughter at all their gates. Oh! It is made to flash like lightning, it is grasped for slaughter. +O sword, slash to the right, then to the left, wherever your blade is turned. +I too will strike my hands together, and my wrath will subside. I the LORD have spoken." +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. +Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. +For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver. +Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works. +It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive. +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do-because you have done this, you will be taken captive. +"'O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, +this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. +A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.' +"And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about the Ammonites and their insults: "'A sword, a sword, drawn for the slaughter, polished to consume and to flash like lightning! +Despite false visions concerning you and lying divinations about you, it will be laid on the necks of the wicked who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax. +Return the sword to its scabbard. In the place where you were created, in the land of your ancestry, I will judge you. +I will pour out my wrath upon you and breathe out my fiery anger against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, men skilled in destruction. +You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will be shed in your land, you will be remembered no more; for I the LORD have spoken.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices +and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, +you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. +Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil. +"'See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. +In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. +You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths. +In you are slanderous men bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts. +In you are those who dishonor their fathers' bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean. +In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father's daughter. +In you men accept bribes to shed blood; you take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain from your neighbors by extortion. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst. +Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. +I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your uncleanness. +When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the LORD.'" +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. +Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem. +As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace to melt it with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. +I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. +As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath upon you.'" +Again the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, say to the land, 'You are a land that has had no rain or showers in the day of wrath.' +There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. +Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. +Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. +Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says'-when the LORD has not spoken. +The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. +"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. +So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. +They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. +The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. +"Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians-warriors +clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. +She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. +She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust upon her. +"Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. +They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her. +"Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. +She too lusted after the Assyrians-governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. +I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way. +"But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, +with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. +As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. +Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. +When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. +Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. +There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. +So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled. +"Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side- +the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. +They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. +I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. +They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. +So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore. +"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. +They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity +have brought this upon you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. +You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand. +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "You will drink your sister's cup, a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. +You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. +You will drink it and drain it dry; you will dash it to pieces and tear your breasts. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and thrust me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution." +The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, +for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. +They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. +On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house. +"They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry. +You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me. +"The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; Sabeans were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the arms of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads. +Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, 'Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.' +And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. +But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands. +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. +The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses. +"So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. +You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD." + + +In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. +Tell this rebellious house a parable and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it. +Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces-the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones; +take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it. +"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Empty it piece by piece without casting lots for them. +"'For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the dust would cover it. +To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered. +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the wood high. +So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. +Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows so its impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away. +It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire. +"'Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided. +"'I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. +Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners." +So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. +Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?" +So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me: +Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary-the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. +And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners. +You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. +Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.' +"And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well- +on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. +At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. +Say to them, 'Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you said "Aha!" over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, +therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. +I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel, +therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because Moab and Seir said, "Look, the house of Judah has become like all the other nations," +therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns-Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim-the glory of that land. +I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the nations; +and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'" +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because Edom took revenge on the house of Judah and became very guilty by doing so, +therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their animals. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. +I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, +therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. +I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.'" + + +In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, 'Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,' +therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. +They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. +Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations, +and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. +"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. +He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. +He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons. +His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. +The hoofs of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground. +They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea. +I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. +I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you? +Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you. +Then they will take up a lament concerning you and say to you: "'How you are destroyed, O city of renown, peopled by men of the sea! You were a power on the seas, you and your citizens; you put your terror on all who lived there. +Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall; the islands in the sea are terrified at your collapse.' +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast waters cover you, +then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the living. +I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre. +Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'You say, O Tyre, "I am perfect in beauty." +Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection. +They made all your timbers of pine trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. +Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory. +Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail and served as your banner; your awnings were of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah. +Men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen; your skilled men, O Tyre, were aboard as your seamen. +Veteran craftsmen of Gebal were on board as shipwrights to caulk your seams. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came alongside to trade for your wares. +"'Men of Persia, Lydia and Put served as soldiers in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, bringing you splendor. +Men of Arvad and Helech manned your walls on every side; men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls; they brought your beauty to perfection. +"'Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise. +"'Greece, Tubal and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged slaves and articles of bronze for your wares. +"'Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged work horses, war horses and mules for your merchandise. +"'The men of Rhodes traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony. +"'Aram did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise. +"'Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and confections, honey, oil and balm for your wares. +"'Damascus, because of your many products and great wealth of goods, did business with you in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar. +"'Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought your merchandise; they exchanged wrought iron, cassia and calamus for your wares. +"'Dedan traded in saddle blankets with you. +"'Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats. +"'The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices and precious stones, and gold. +"'Haran, Canneh and Eden and merchants of Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad traded with you. +In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted. +"'The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares. You are filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea. +Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces in the heart of the sea. +Your wealth, merchandise and wares, your mariners, seamen and shipwrights, your merchants and all your soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your shipwreck. +The shorelands will quake when your seamen cry out. +All who handle the oars will abandon their ships; the mariners and all the seamen will stand on the shore. +They will raise their voice and cry bitterly over you; they will sprinkle dust on their heads and roll in ashes. +They will shave their heads because of you and will put on sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and with bitter mourning. +As they wail and mourn over you, they will take up a lament concerning you: "Who was ever silenced like Tyre, surrounded by the sea?" +When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth. +Now you are shattered by the sea in the depths of the waters; your wares and all your company have gone down with you. +All who live in the coastlands are appalled at you; their kings shudder with horror and their faces are distorted with fear. +The merchants among the nations hiss at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. +Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? +By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. +By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, +I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. +They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. +Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you. +You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. +You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. +You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. +You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. +Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. +Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. +By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. +All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her +and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I am against you, O Sidon, and I will gain glory within you. They will know that I am the LORD, when I inflict punishment on her and show myself holy within her. +I will send a plague upon her and make blood flow in her streets. The slain will fall within her, with the sword against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD. +"'No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. +They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.'" + + +In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. +Speak to him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself." +But I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams, with all the fish sticking to your scales. +I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and not be gathered or picked up. I will give you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air. +Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the LORD. "'You have been a staff of reed for the house of Israel. +When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched. +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring a sword against you and kill your men and their animals. +Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "'Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it," +therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. +No foot of man or animal will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years. +I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. +"'Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. +I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. +It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. +Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'" +In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. +Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. +I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"On that day I will make a horn grow for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Wail and say, "Alas for that day!" +For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. +A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down. +Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt. +"'This is what the LORD says: "'The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. +Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed. +"'On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. +He and his army-the most ruthless of nations- will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. +I will dry up the streams of the Nile and sell the land to evil men; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the LORD have spoken. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in Egypt, and I will spread fear throughout the land. +I will lay waste Upper Egypt, set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on Thebes. +I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the hordes of Thebes. +I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. Thebes will be taken by storm; Memphis will be in constant distress. +The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity. +Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes when I break the yoke of Egypt; there her proud strength will come to an end. She will be covered with clouds, and her villages will go into captivity. +So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.'" +In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword. +Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. +I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. +I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. +I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. +I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + +In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: "'Who can be compared with you in majesty? +Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. +The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. +So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. +All the birds of the air nested in its boughs, all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade. +It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. +The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the pine trees equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches- no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. +I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God. +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because it towered on high, lifting its top above the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, +I handed it over to the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, +and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. +All the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree, and all the beasts of the field were among its branches. +Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortal men, with those who go down to the pit. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day it was brought down to the grave I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away. +I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the grave with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the trees that were well-watered, were consoled in the earth below. +Those who lived in its shade, its allies among the nations, had also gone down to the grave with it, joining those killed by the sword. +"'Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. "'This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" + + +In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: "'You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'With a great throng of people I will cast my net over you, and they will haul you up in my net. +I will throw you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will let all the birds of the air settle on you and all the beasts of the earth gorge themselves on you. +I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains. +I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with your flesh. +When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. +All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD. +I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among lands you have not known. +I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish my sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life. +"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you. +I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men- the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown. +I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hoofs of cattle. +Then I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the Sovereign LORD. +When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.' +"This is the lament they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign LORD." +In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, with those who go down to the pit. +Say to them, 'Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.' +They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged off with all her hordes. +From within the grave the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, 'They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.' +"Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. +Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword. +"Elam is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword. All who had spread terror in the land of the living went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. +A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain. +"Meshech and Tubal are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. +Do they not lie with the other uncircumcised warriors who have fallen, who went down to the grave with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads? The punishment for their sins rested on their bones, though the terror of these warriors had stalked through the land of the living. +"You too, O Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. +"Edom is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit. +"All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. +"Pharaoh-he and all his army-will see them and he will be consoled for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD. +Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, +and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, +then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. +Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. +But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' +"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. +When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. +But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. +"Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?"' +Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' +"Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' +If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. +And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right- +if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. +None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. +"Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. +If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. +And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. +Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways." +In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city has fallen!" +Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent. +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.' +Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? +You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?' +"Say this to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague. +I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them. +Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done.' +"As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' +My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. +Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. +"When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been among them." + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? +You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. +You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. +So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. +My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. +"'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: +As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, +therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. +"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. +As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. +I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. +I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. +I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. +I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. +"'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. +Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? +Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? +"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. +Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, +I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. +I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. +I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. +"'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety. +I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. +The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. +They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. +I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. +Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. +You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it +and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. +I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +"'Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, +therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. +I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. +I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. +I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +"'Because you have said, "These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them," even though I the LORD was there, +therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. +Then you will know that I the LORD have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, "They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour." +You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. +Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'" + + +"Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession."' +Therefore prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people's malicious talk and slander, +therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD: This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you- +this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.' +Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations. +Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn. +"'But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. +I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, +and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. +I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. +I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because people say to you, "You devour men and deprive your nation of its children," +therefore you will no longer devour men or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign LORD. +No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" +Again the word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman's monthly uncleanness in my sight. +So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. +I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. +And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, 'These are the LORD 's people, and yet they had to leave his land.' +I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone. +"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. +I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. +"'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. +I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. +I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. +And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. +You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. +I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. +I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. +Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. +I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel! +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. +The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. +They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." +Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' +"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, +as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + +The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. +He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. +He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." +Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! +This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. +I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" +So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. +I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. +Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" +So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army. +Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' +Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. +Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. +I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'" +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, 'Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.' Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, 'Ephraim's stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.' +Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand. +"When your countrymen ask you, 'Won't you tell us what you mean by this?' +say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph-which is in Ephraim's hand-and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.' +Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on +and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. +I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. +They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. +"'My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. +They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. +I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. +My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. +Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.'" + + +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him +and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. +I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army-your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. +Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, +also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops-the many nations with you. +"'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. +After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. +You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. +You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people-all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. +I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land." +Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?"' +"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? +You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. +You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. +This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. +In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. +The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. +I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. +I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. +And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' + + +"Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. +I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. +Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. +On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. +You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. +I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD. +"'I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. +It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of. +"'Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up-the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel. +They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog. +"'For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. +All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I am glorified will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground. At the end of the seven months they will begin their search. +As they go through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker beside it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. +(Also a town called Hamonah will be there.) And so they will cleanse the land.' +"Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: 'Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. +You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls-all of them fattened animals from Bashan. +At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. +At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,' declares the Sovereign LORD. +"I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them. +From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. +And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. +I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. +"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. +They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. +When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. +Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. +I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city-on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me and he took me there. +In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. +He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. +The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see." +I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man's hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high. +Then he went to the gate facing east. He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. +The alcoves for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep. +Then he measured the portico of the gateway; +it was eight cubits deep and its jambs were two cubits thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple. +Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. +Then he measured the width of the entrance to the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits. +In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. +Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits from one parapet opening to the opposite one. +He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway-sixty cubits. The measurement was up to the portico facing the courtyard. +The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits. +The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees. +Then he brought me into the outer court. There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms along the pavement. +It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. +Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well as on the north. +Then he measured the length and width of the gate facing north, leading into the outer court. +Its alcoves-three on each side-its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. +Its openings, its portico and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them. +There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits. +Then he led me to the south side and I saw a gate facing south. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. +The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. +Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side. +The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits. +Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. +Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. +(The porticoes of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) +Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it. +Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. +Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. +Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it. +Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, +as did its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. +Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it. +A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings were washed. +In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings were slaughtered. +By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance to the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. +So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other-eight tables in all-on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. +There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high. On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. +And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings. +Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south gate and facing north. +He said to me, "The room facing south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, +and the room facing north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the LORD to minister before him." +Then he measured the court: It was square-a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple. +He brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits and its projecting walls were three cubits wide on either side. +The portico was twenty cubits wide, and twelve cubits from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs, and there were pillars on each side of the jambs. + + +Then the man brought me to the outer sanctuary and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits on each side. +The entrance was ten cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits wide. He also measured the outer sanctuary; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. +Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance; each was two cubits wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were seven cubits wide. +And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the outer sanctuary. He said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place." +Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick, and each side room around the temple was four cubits wide. +The side rooms were on three levels, one above another, thirty on each level. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports were not inserted into the wall of the temple. +The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor. +I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the length of the rod, six long cubits. +The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick. The open area between the side rooms of the temple +and the priests' rooms was twenty cubits wide all around the temple. +There were entrances to the side rooms from the open area, one on the north and another on the south; and the base adjoining the open area was five cubits wide all around. +The building facing the temple courtyard on the west side was seventy cubits wide. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits. +Then he measured the temple; it was a hundred cubits long, and the temple courtyard and the building with its walls were also a hundred cubits long. +The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of the temple, was a hundred cubits. +Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries on each side; it was a hundred cubits. The outer sanctuary, the inner sanctuary and the portico facing the court, +as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows and galleries around the three of them-everything beyond and including the threshold was covered with wood. The floor, the wall up to the windows, and the windows were covered. +In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary +were carved cherubim and palm trees. Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces: +the face of a man toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple. +From the floor to the area above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees were carved on the wall of the outer sanctuary. +The outer sanctuary had a rectangular doorframe, and the one at the front of the Most Holy Place was similar. +There was a wooden altar three cubits high and two cubits square; its corners, its base and its sides were of wood. The man said to me, "This is the table that is before the LORD." +Both the outer sanctuary and the Most Holy Place had double doors. +Each door had two leaves-two hinged leaves for each door. +And on the doors of the outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls, and there was a wooden overhang on the front of the portico. +On the sidewalls of the portico were narrow windows with palm trees carved on each side. The side rooms of the temple also had overhangs. + + +Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms opposite the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall on the north side. +The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide. +Both in the section twenty cubits from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery faced gallery at the three levels. +In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long. Their doors were on the north. +Now the upper rooms were narrower, for the galleries took more space from them than from the rooms on the lower and middle floors of the building. +The rooms on the third floor had no pillars, as the courts had; so they were smaller in floor space than those on the lower and middle floors. +There was an outer wall parallel to the rooms and the outer court; it extended in front of the rooms for fifty cubits. +While the row of rooms on the side next to the outer court was fifty cubits long, the row on the side nearest the sanctuary was a hundred cubits long. +The lower rooms had an entrance on the east side as one enters them from the outer court. +On the south side along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall, were rooms +with a passageway in front of them. These were like the rooms on the north; they had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions. Similar to the doorways on the north +were the doorways of the rooms on the south. There was a doorway at the beginning of the passageway that was parallel to the corresponding wall extending eastward, by which one enters the rooms. +Then he said to me, "The north and south rooms facing the temple courtyard are the priests' rooms, where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings-the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings-for the place is holy. +Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people." +When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate and measured the area all around: +He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits. +He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. +He measured the south side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. +Then he turned to the west side and measured; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. +So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common. + + +Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, +and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. +The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. +The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. +Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. +While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. +He said: "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name-neither they nor their kings-by their prostitution and the lifeless idols of their kings at their high places. +When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. +Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the lifeless idols of their kings, and I will live among them forever. +"Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, +and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple-its arrangement, its exits and entrances-its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations. +"This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple. +"These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits, that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: +From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge it is two cubits high and a cubit wide, and from the smaller ledge up to the larger ledge it is four cubits high and a cubit wide. +The altar hearth is four cubits high, and four horns project upward from the hearth. +The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide. +The upper ledge also is square, fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide, with a rim of half a cubit and a gutter of a cubit all around. The steps of the altar face east." +Then he said to me, "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood upon the altar when it is built: +You are to give a young bull as a sin offering to the priests, who are Levites, of the family of Zadok, who come near to minister before me, declares the Sovereign LORD. +You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the upper ledge and all around the rim, and so purify the altar and make atonement for it. +You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary. +"On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. +When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. +You are to offer them before the LORD, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD. +"For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. +For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. +At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign LORD." + + +Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. +The LORD said to me, "This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. +The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way." +Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown. +The LORD said to me, "Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations regarding the temple of the LORD. Give attention to the entrance of the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary. +Say to the rebellious house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel! +In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. +Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites. +"'The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin. +They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. +But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the house of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign LORD. +They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices. +Yet I will put them in charge of the duties of the temple and all the work that is to be done in it. +"'But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD. +They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and perform my service. +"'When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. +They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. +When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that they do not consecrate the people by means of their garments. +"'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. +No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. +They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests. +They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. +"'In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed feasts, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy. +"'A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself. +After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days. +On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering for himself, declares the Sovereign LORD. +"'I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. +They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. +The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. +The priests must not eat anything, bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals. + + +"'When you allot the land as an inheritance, you are to present to the LORD a portion of the land as a sacred district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide; the entire area will be holy. +Of this, a section 500 cubits square is to be for the sanctuary, with 50 cubits around it for open land. +In the sacred district, measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. In it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. +It will be the sacred portion of the land for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and who draw near to minister before the LORD. It will be a place for their houses as well as a holy place for the sanctuary. +An area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide will belong to the Levites, who serve in the temple, as their possession for towns to live in. +"'You are to give the city as its property an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, adjoining the sacred portion; it will belong to the whole house of Israel. +"'The prince will have the land bordering each side of the area formed by the sacred district and the property of the city. It will extend westward from the west side and eastward from the east side, running lengthwise from the western to the eastern border parallel to one of the tribal portions. +This land will be his possession in Israel. And my princes will no longer oppress my people but will allow the house of Israel to possess the land according to their tribes. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You have gone far enough, O princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. +You are to use accurate scales, an accurate ephah and an accurate bath. +The ephah and the bath are to be the same size, the bath containing a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer is to be the standard measure for both. +The shekel is to consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels equal one mina. +"'This is the special gift you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley. +The prescribed portion of oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath from each cor (which consists of ten baths or one homer, for ten baths are equivalent to a homer). +Also one sheep is to be taken from every flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These will be used for the grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the people, declares the Sovereign LORD. +All the people of the land will participate in this special gift for the use of the prince in Israel. +It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons and the Sabbaths-at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In the first month on the first day you are to take a young bull without defect and purify the sanctuary. +The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the upper ledge of the altar and on the gateposts of the inner court. +You are to do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins unintentionally or through ignorance; so you are to make atonement for the temple. +"'In the first month on the fourteenth day you are to observe the Passover, a feast lasting seven days, during which you shall eat bread made without yeast. +On that day the prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land. +Every day during the seven days of the Feast he is to provide seven bulls and seven rams without defect as a burnt offering to the LORD, and a male goat for a sin offering. +He is to provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin of oil for each ephah. +"'During the seven days of the Feast, which begins in the seventh month on the fifteenth day, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and oil. + + +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened. +The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening. +On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the LORD at the entrance to that gateway. +The burnt offering the prince brings to the LORD on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. +The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah. +On the day of the New Moon he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect. +He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil with each ephah. +When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way. +"'When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. +The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out. +"'At the festivals and the appointed feasts, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as one pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah. +When the prince provides a freewill offering to the LORD -whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings-the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut. +"'Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD; morning by morning you shall provide it. +You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the LORD is a lasting ordinance. +So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular burnt offering. +"'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. +If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. +The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people will be separated from his property.'" +Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north, which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. +He said to me, "This is the place where the priests will cook the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating the people." +He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. +In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide; each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. +Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. +He said to me, "These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple will cook the sacrifices of the people." + + +The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. +He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side. +As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. +He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. +He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in-a river that no one could cross. +He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. +When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. +He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. +Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. +Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds-like the fish of the Great Sea. +But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. +Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph. +You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance. +"This is to be the boundary of the land: "On the north side it will run from the Great Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, +Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. +The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the north boundary. +"On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the east boundary. +"On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the south boundary. +"On the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the west boundary. +"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. +You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. +In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD. + + +"These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo Hamath; Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of its border from the east side to the west side. +"Asher will have one portion; it will border the territory of Dan from east to west. +"Naphtali will have one portion; it will border the territory of Asher from east to west. +"Manasseh will have one portion; it will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west. +"Ephraim will have one portion; it will border the territory of Manasseh from east to west. +"Reuben will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west. +"Judah will have one portion; it will border the territory of Reuben from east to west. +"Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it. +"The special portion you are to offer to the LORD will be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. +This will be the sacred portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the LORD. +This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites, who were faithful in serving me and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. +It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites. +"Alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. Its total length will be 25,000 cubits and its width 10,000 cubits. +They must not sell or exchange any of it. This is the best of the land and must not pass into other hands, because it is holy to the LORD. +"The remaining area, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for the common use of the city, for houses and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it +and will have these measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits. +The pastureland for the city will be 250 cubits on the north, 250 cubits on the south, 250 cubits on the east, and 250 cubits on the west. +What remains of the area, bordering on the sacred portion and running the length of it, will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000 cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the city. +The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the tribes of Israel. +The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits on each side. As a special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of the city. +"What remains on both sides of the area formed by the sacred portion and the city property will belong to the prince. It will extend eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the sacred portion to the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. Both these areas running the length of the tribal portions will belong to the prince, and the sacred portion with the temple sanctuary will be in the center of them. +So the property of the Levites and the property of the city will lie in the center of the area that belongs to the prince. The area belonging to the prince will lie between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin. +"As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side. +"Simeon will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west. +"Issachar will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west. +"Zebulun will have one portion; it will border the territory of Issachar from east to west. +"Gad will have one portion; it will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west. +"The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Great Sea. +"This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions," declares the Sovereign LORD. +"These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, +the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi. +"On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan. +"On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun. +"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali. +"The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. "And the name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD is There." + + + + +In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. +And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. +Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- +young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. +The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. +Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. +The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. +But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. +Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, +but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." +Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, +"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. +Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." +So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. +At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. +So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. +To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. +At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. +The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. +In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. +And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. + + +In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. +So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, +he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means. " +Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." +The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. +But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me." +Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." +Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: +If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me." +The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. +What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men." +This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. +So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. +When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. +He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. +At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. +Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. +He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. +During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven +and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. +He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. +He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. +I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." +Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." +Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means." +The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" +Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, +but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: +"As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. +As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. +"You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue-an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. +The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, +its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. +While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. +Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. +"This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. +You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; +in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. +"After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. +Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron-for iron breaks and smashes everything-and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. +Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. +As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. +And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. +"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. +This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands-a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy." +Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. +The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery." +Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. +Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. + + +King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. +He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. +So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. +Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: +As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. +Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." +Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. +At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. +They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! +You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, +and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. +But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." +Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, +and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? +Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" +Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. +If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. +But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." +Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual +and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. +So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. +The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, +and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. +Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." +He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." +Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, +and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. +Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. +Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." +Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. + + +King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly! +It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. +How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. +I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. +I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. +So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. +When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. +Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) +I said, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. +These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. +The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. +Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. +"In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. +He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. +But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. "'Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. +Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. +"'The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.' +"This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you." +Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you." Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! +The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, +with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air- +you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. +"You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.' +"This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: +You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. +The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. +Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." +All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. +Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, +he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" +The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. +You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes." +Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. +At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. +All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" +At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. +Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. + + +King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. +While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. +So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. +As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. +Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. +His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. +The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." +Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. +So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. +The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. "O king, live forever!" she said. "Don't be alarmed! Don't look so pale! +There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father-your father the king, I say-appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. +This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means." +So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, "Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? +I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. +The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. +Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." +Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. +"O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. +Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. +But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. +He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. +"But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. +Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. +Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. +"This is the inscription that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin +"This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. +Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. +Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." +Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. +That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, +and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. + + +It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, +with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. +Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. +At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. +Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." +So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! +The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. +Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered-in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." +So King Darius put the decree in writing. +Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. +Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. +So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands-in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." +Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day." +When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. +Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed." +So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" +A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. +Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. +At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. +When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" +Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! +My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." +The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. +At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. +Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly! +"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. +He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." +So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. + + +In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. +Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. +Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. +"The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. +"And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!' +"After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. +"After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast-terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. +"While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. +"As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. +A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. +"Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. +(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) +"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. +He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. +"I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. +I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: +'The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. +But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever-yes, for ever and ever.' +"Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws-the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. +I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell-the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. +As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, +until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. +"He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. +The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. +He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. +"'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. +Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' +"This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself." + + +In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. +In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. +I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. +I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. +As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. +He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. +I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. +The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. +Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. +It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. +It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. +Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. +Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled-the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" +He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated." +While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. +And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." +As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end." +While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. +He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. +The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. +The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. +The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. +"In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. +He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. +He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. +"The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future." +I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. + + +In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- +in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. +So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. +I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, +we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. +We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. +"Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame-the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. +O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. +The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; +we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. +All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. +You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. +Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. +The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. +"Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. +O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. +"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. +Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. +O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name." +While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- +while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. +He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. +As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: +"Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. +"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. +After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. +He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. " + + +In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. +At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. +I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. +On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, +I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. +His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. +I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. +So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. +Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. +A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. +He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. +Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. +But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. +Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." +While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. +Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. +How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." +Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. +"Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength." +So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; +but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. + + +And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.) +"Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. +Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. +After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others. +"The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. +After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. +"One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. +He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. +Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. +His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress. +"Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. +When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. +For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped. +"In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. +Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. +The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. +He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. +Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him. +After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more. +"His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. +"He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. +Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. +After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. +When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses-but only for a time. +"With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. +Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. +The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. +The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country. +"At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. +Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. +"His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. +With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. +"Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. +When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. +Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. +"The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. +He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. +Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. +He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. +"At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. +He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. +He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. +He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. +But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. +He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. + + +"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people-everyone whose name is found written in the book-will be delivered. +Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. +Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. +But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." +Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. +One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" +The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." +I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" +He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. +Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. +"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. +Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. +"As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." + + + + +The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel: +When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD." +So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. +Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. +In that day I will break Israel's bow in the Valley of Jezreel." +Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. +Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them-not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God." +After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. +Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God. +"Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' +The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. + + +"Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.' +"Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. +Otherwise I will strip her naked and make her as bare as on the day she was born; I will make her like a desert, turn her into a parched land, and slay her with thirst. +I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery. +Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.' +Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. +She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.' +She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold- which they used for Baal. +"Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover her nakedness. +So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of my hands. +I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days-all her appointed feasts. +I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them. +I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot," declares the LORD. +"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. +There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. +"In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. ' +I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. +In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. +I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. +I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD. +"In that day I will respond," declares the LORD - "I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; +and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. +I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one. 'I will say to those called 'Not my people, You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'" + + +The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." +So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. +Then I told her, "You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you." +For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. +Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. + + +Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. +There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. +Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying. +"But let no man bring a charge, let no man accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest. +You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother- +my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. +The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. +They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. +And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. +"They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves +to prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding +of my people. They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. +They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. +"I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes- a people without understanding will come to ruin! +"Though you commit adultery, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. "Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives!' +The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow? +Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! +Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways. +A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame. + + +"Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, O royal house! This judgment is against you: You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor. +The rebels are deep in slaughter. I will discipline all of them. +I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt. +"Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD. +Israel's arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them. +When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them. +They are unfaithful to the LORD; they give birth to illegitimate children. Now their New Moon festivals will devour them and their fields. +"Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven; lead on, O Benjamin. +Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain. +Judah's leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water. +Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols. +I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah. +"When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores. +For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. +Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." + + +"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. +After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. +Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." +"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. +Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you. +For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. +Like Adam, they have broken the covenant- they were unfaithful to me there. +Gilead is a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood. +As marauders lie in ambush for a man, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes. +I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel. There Ephraim is given to prostitution and Israel is defiled. +"Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed. "Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people, + + +whenever I would heal Israel, the sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed. They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets; +but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me. +"They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies. +They are all adulterers, burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises. +On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers. +Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. +All of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers. All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me. +"Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over. +Foreigners sap his strength, but he does not realize it. His hair is sprinkled with gray, but he does not notice. +Israel's arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the LORD his God or search for him. +"Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless- now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria. +When they go, I will throw my net over them; I will pull them down like birds of the air. When I hear them flocking together, I will catch them. +Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak lies against me. +They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me. +I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against me. +They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt. + + +"Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the LORD because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law. +Israel cries out to me, 'O our God, we acknowledge you!' +But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him. +They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. +Throw out your calf-idol, O Samaria! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? +They are from Israel! This calf-a craftsman has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria. +"They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up. +Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like a worthless thing. +For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers. +Although they have sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king. +"Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning. +I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something alien. +They offer sacrifices given to me and they eat the meat, but the LORD is not pleased with them. Now he will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt. +Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire upon their cities that will consume their fortresses." + + +Do not rejoice, O Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor. +Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine will fail them. +They will not remain in the LORD's land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria. +They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, nor will their sacrifices please him. Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat them will be unclean. This food will be for themselves; it will not come into the temple of the LORD. +What will you do on the day of your appointed feasts, on the festival days of the LORD? +Even if they escape from destruction, Egypt will gather them, and Memphis will bury them. Their treasures of silver will be taken over by briers, and thorns will overrun their tents. +The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac. +The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. +They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins. +"When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved. +Ephraim's glory will fly away like a bird- no birth, no pregnancy, no conception. +Even if they rear children, I will bereave them of every one. Woe to them when I turn away from them! +I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim will bring out their children to the slayer." +Give them, O LORD - what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry. +"Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious. +Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring." +My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations. + + +Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars; as his land prospered, he adorned his sacred stones. +Their heart is deceitful, and now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will demolish their altars and destroy their sacred stones. +Then they will say, "We have no king because we did not revere the LORD. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us?" +They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field. +The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests, those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is taken from them into exile. +It will be carried to Assyria as tribute for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols. +Samaria and its king will float away like a twig on the surface of the waters. +The high places of wickedness will be destroyed- it is the sin of Israel. Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!" +"Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not war overtake the evildoers in Gibeah? +When I please, I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin. +Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground. +Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. +But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, +the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated- as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children. +Thus will it happen to you, O Bethel, because your wickedness is great. When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed. + + +"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. +But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. +It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. +I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them. +"Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? +Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans. +My people are determined to turn from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them. +"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. +I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man- the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath. +They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. +They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their homes," declares the LORD. +Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One. + + +Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt. +The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds. +In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God. +He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there- +the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name of renown! +But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. +The merchant uses dishonest scales; he loves to defraud. +Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin." +"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of your appointed feasts. +I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them." +Is Gilead wicked? Its people are worthless! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Their altars will be like piles of stones on a plowed field. +Jacob fled to the country of Aram; Israel served to get a wife, and to pay for her he tended sheep. +The LORD used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him. +But Ephraim has bitterly provoked him to anger; his Lord will leave upon him the guilt of his bloodshed and will repay him for his contempt. + + +When Ephraim spoke, men trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship and died. +Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of these people, "They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calf-idols." +Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears, like chaff swirling from a threshing floor, like smoke escaping through a window. +"But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. +I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. +When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. +So I will come upon them like a lion, like a leopard I will lurk by the path. +Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open. Like a lion I will devour them; a wild animal will tear them apart. +"You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against me, against your helper. +Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes'? +So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away. +The guilt of Ephraim is stored up, his sins are kept on record. +Pains as of a woman in childbirth come to him, but he is a child without wisdom; when the time arrives, he does not come to the opening of the womb. +"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? "I will have no compassion, +even though he thrives among his brothers. An east wind from the LORD will come, blowing in from the desert; his spring will fail and his well dry up. His storehouse will be plundered of all its treasures. +The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open." + + +Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! +Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. +Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion." +"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. +I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; +his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. +Men will dwell again in his shade. He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon. +O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me." +Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. + + + + +The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel. +Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? +Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. +What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. +Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. +A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. +It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. +Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the husband of her youth. +Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the LORD. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. +The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. +Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. +The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree- all the trees of the field-are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away. +Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. +Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. +Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. +Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes- joy and gladness from the house of our God? +The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. +How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. +To you, O LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. +Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures. + + +Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand- +a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. +Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste- nothing escapes them. +They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. +With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. +At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. +They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. +They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. +They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows. +Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. +The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? +"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." +Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. +Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. +Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. +Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. +Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" +Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. +The LORD will reply to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. +"I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise." Surely he has done great things. +Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things. +Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. +Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. +The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. +"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. +You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. +Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. +"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. +Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. +I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. +The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. +And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. + + +"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, +I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. +They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink. +"Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. +For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. +You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. +"See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. +I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken. +Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. +Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!" +Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD! +"Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. +Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow- so great is their wickedness!" +Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. +The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. +The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. +"Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. +"In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias. +But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. +Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. +Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon." The LORD dwells in Zion! + + + + +The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa-what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. +He said: "The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers." +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, +I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. +I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the LORD. +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, +I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. +I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines is dead," says the Sovereign LORD. +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, +I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses." +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, +I will send fire upon Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah." +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back {my wrath}. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, +I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. +Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together," says the LORD. + + +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not turn back {my wrath}. Because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom's king, +I will send fire upon Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. +I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him," says the LORD. +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back {my wrath}. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, +I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem." +This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back {my wrath}. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. +They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. +They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines. +"I destroyed the Amorite before them, though he was tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below. +"I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. +I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men. Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the LORD. +"But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. +"Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. +The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. +The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. +Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day," declares the LORD. + + +Hear this word the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel-against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt: +"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins." +Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? +Does a lion roar in the thicket when he has no prey? Does he growl in his den when he has caught nothing? +Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set? Does a trap spring up from the earth when there is nothing to catch? +When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? +Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. +The lion has roared- who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken- who can but prophesy? +Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod and to the fortresses of Egypt: "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest within her and the oppression among her people." +"They do not know how to do right," declares the LORD, "who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses." +Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "An enemy will overrun the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses." +This is what the LORD says: "As a shepherd saves from the lion's mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites be saved, those who sit in Samaria on the edge of their beds and in Damascus on their couches. " +"Hear this and testify against the house of Jacob," declares the Lord, the LORD God Almighty. +"On the day I punish Israel for her sins, I will destroy the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. +I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed and the mansions will be demolished," declares the LORD. + + +Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" +The Sovereign LORD has sworn by his holiness: "The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks. +You will each go straight out through breaks in the wall, and you will be cast out toward Harmon, "declares the LORD. +"Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. +Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings- boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do," declares the Sovereign LORD. +"I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. +"I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. +People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. +"Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. +"I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. +"I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. +"Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel." +He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth- the LORD God Almighty is his name. + + +Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lament I take up concerning you: +"Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up." +This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "The city that marches out a thousand strong for Israel will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left." +This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; +do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing. " +Seek the LORD and live, or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire; it will devour, and Bethel will have no one to quench it. +You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground +(he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land- the LORD is his name- +he flashes destruction on the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin), +you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth. +You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. +For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. +Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil. +Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. +Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. +Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD God Almighty, says: "There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail. +There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst," says the LORD. +Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. +It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. +Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light- pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness? +"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. +Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. +Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. +But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! +"Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? +You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god - which you made for yourselves. +Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is God Almighty. + + +Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! +Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? +You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror. +You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. +You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. +You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. +Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. +The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself-the LORD God Almighty declares: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it." +If ten men are left in one house, they too will die. +And if a relative who is to burn the bodies comes to carry them out of the house and asks anyone still hiding there, "Is anyone with you?" and he says, "No," then he will say, "Hush! We must not mention the name of the LORD." +For the LORD has given the command, and he will smash the great house into pieces and the small house into bits. +Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness- +you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar and say, "Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?" +For the LORD God Almighty declares, "I will stir up a nation against you, O house of Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah." + + +This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king's share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. +When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, "Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!" +So the LORD relented. "This will not happen," the LORD said. +This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. +Then I cried out, "Sovereign LORD, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!" +So the LORD relented. "This will not happen either," the Sovereign LORD said. +This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. +And the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos?A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. +"The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam." +Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: "Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. +For this is what Amos is saying: "'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'" +Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. +Don't prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom." +Amos answered Amaziah, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. +But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' +Now then, hear the word of the LORD. You say, "'Do not prophesy against Israel, and stop preaching against the house of Isaac.' +"Therefore this is what the LORD says: "'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will certainly go into exile, away from their native land.'" + + +This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. +"What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. +"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies-flung everywhere! Silence!" +Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, +saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"- skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, +buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat. +The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done. +"Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt. +"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. +I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. +"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. +Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. +"In that day "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. +They who swear by the shame of Samaria, or say, 'As surely as your god lives, O Dan,' or, 'As surely as the god of Beersheba lives'- they will fall, never to rise again." + + +I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: "Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape. +Though they dig down to the depths of the grave, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. +Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. +Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good." +The Lord, the LORD Almighty, he who touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it mourn- the whole land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt- +he who builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land- the LORD is his name. +"Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?" declares the LORD. "Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir? +"Surely the eyes of the Sovereign LORD are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth- yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD. +"For I will give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will reach the ground. +All the sinners among my people will die by the sword, all those who say, 'Disaster will not overtake or meet us.' +"In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, +so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name, "declares the LORD, who will do these things. +"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. +I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. +I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. + + + + +The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom- We have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, "Rise, and let us go against her for battle"- +"See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. +The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' +Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD. +"If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night- Oh, what a disaster awaits you- would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? +But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! +All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it. +"In that day," declares the LORD, "will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, men of understanding in the mountains of Esau? +Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. +Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. +On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. +You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. +You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor look down on them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. +You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble. +"The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. +Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been. +But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance. +The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will set it on fire and consume it. There will be no survivors from the house of Esau." The LORD has spoken. +People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead. +This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev. +Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD's. + + + + +The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: +"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." +But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. +Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. +All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. +The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." +Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. +So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" +He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." +This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) +The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" +"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." +Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. +Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." +Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. +At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. +But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. + + +From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. +He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. +You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. +I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.' +The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. +To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. +"When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. +"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. +But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." +And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. + + +Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: +"Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." +Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city-a visit required three days. +On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." +The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. +When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. +Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. +But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. +Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." +When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. + + +But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. +He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. +Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." +But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?" +Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. +Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. +But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. +When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." +But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die." +But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. +But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" + + + + +The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah-the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. +Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it, that the Sovereign LORD may witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. +Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. +The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. +All this is because of Jacob's transgression, because of the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob's transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem? +"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. +All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used." +Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. +For her wound is incurable; it has come to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself. +Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust. +Pass on in nakedness and shame, you who live in Shaphir. Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; its protection is taken from you. +Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem. +You who live in Lachish, harness the team to the chariot. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. +Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Aczib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel. +I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam. +Shave your heads in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourselves as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile. + + +Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. +They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance. +Therefore, the LORD says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. +In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.'" +Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot. +"Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us." +Should it be said, O house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Does he do such things?Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright? +Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle. +You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever. +Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy. +If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people! +"I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. +One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head." + + +Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice, +you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; +who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?" +Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done. +This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him. +Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. +The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God." +But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. +Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; +who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. +Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us." +Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets. + + +In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. +Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. +He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. +Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. +All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. The LORD 's Plan +"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. +I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. +As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem." +Why do you now cry aloud- have you no king? Has your counselor perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor? +Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies. +But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!" +But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, he who gathers them like sheaves to the threshing floor. +"Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hoofs of bronze and you will break to pieces many nations." You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. + + +Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. +"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. " +Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. +He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. +And he will be their peace. When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against him seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. +They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches into our borders. +The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind. +The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue. +Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed. +"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. +I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. +I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. +I will destroy your carved images and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. +I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles and demolish your cities. +I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me." + + +Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. +Hear, O mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. +"My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. +I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. +My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD." +With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? +Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? +He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. +Listen! The LORD is calling to the city- and to fear your name is wisdom- "Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. +Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the short ephah, which is accursed? +Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? +Her rich men are violent; her people are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. +Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. +You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword. +You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil on yourselves, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine. +You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab's house, and you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations. " + + +What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. +The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. +Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire- they all conspire together. +The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion. +Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. +For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- a man's enemies are the members of his own household. +But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. +Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. +Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the LORD's wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. +Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets. +The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries. +In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. +The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds. +Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago. +"As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders." +Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf. +They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the LORD our God and will be afraid of you. +Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. +You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. +You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago. + + + + +An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. +The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. +The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. +He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. +The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. +Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. +The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, +but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness. +Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. +They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble. +From you, O Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the LORD and counsels wickedness. +This is what the LORD says: "Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be cut off and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, O Judah, I will afflict you no more. +Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away." +The LORD has given a command concerning you, Nineveh: "You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the carved images and cast idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile." +Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed. + + +An attacker advances against you, Nineveh. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength! +The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines. +The shields of his soldiers are red; the warriors are clad in scarlet. The metal on the chariots flashes on the day they are made ready; the spears of pine are brandished. +The chariots storm through the streets, rushing back and forth through the squares. They look like flaming torches; they dart about like lightning. +He summons his picked troops, yet they stumble on their way. They dash to the city wall; the protective shield is put in place. +The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses. +It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away. Its slave girls moan like doves and beat upon their breasts. +Nineveh is like a pool, and its water is draining away. "Stop! Stop!" they cry, but no one turns back. +Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! The supply is endless, the wealth from all its treasures! +She is pillaged, plundered, stripped! Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale. +Where now is the lions' den, the place where they fed their young, where the lion and lioness went, and the cubs, with nothing to fear? +The lion killed enough for his cubs and strangled the prey for his mate, filling his lairs with the kill and his dens with the prey. +"I am against you," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard." + + +Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! +The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! +Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses- +all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. +"I am against you," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. +I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. +All who see you will flee from you and say, 'Nineveh is in ruins-who will mourn for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?" +Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall. +Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. +Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains. +You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy. +All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater. +Look at your troops- they are all women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed their bars. +Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork! +There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and, like grasshoppers, consume you. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts! +You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars of the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away. +Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day- but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where. +O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. +Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal. Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty? + + + + +The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received. +How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? +Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. +Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. +"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. +I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. +They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. +Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; +they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. +They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them. +Then they sweep past like the wind and go on- guilty men, whose own strength is their god." +O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. +Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? +You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. +The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. +Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. +Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? + + +I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. +Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. +For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. +"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright- but the righteous will live by his faith - +indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. +"Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, "'Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?' +Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. +Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. +"Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! +You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. +The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. +"Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! +Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? +For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. +"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. +You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. +The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. +"Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. +Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. +But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." + + +A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. +LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. +God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. +His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. +Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. +He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. +I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. +Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots? +You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers; +the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. +Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. +In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. +You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. Selah +With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. +You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. +I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. +Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, +yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. +The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. + + + + +The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: +"I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. +"I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. +"I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests- +those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molech, +those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him. +Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited. +On the day of the LORD's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes. +On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit. +"On that day," declares the LORD, "a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills. +Wail, you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be ruined. +At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.' +Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. They will build houses but not live in them; they will plant vineyards but not drink the wine. +"The great day of the LORD is near- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. +That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, +a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. +I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. +Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth." + + +Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, +before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you. +Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger. +Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted. +Woe to you who live by the sea, O Kerethite people; the word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines. "I will destroy you, and none will be left." +The land by the sea, where the Kerethites dwell, will be a place for shepherds and sheep pens. +It will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The LORD their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes. +"I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land. +Therefore, as surely as I live," declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, "surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah- a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land." +This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty. +The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the land. The nations on every shore will worship him, every one in its own land. +"You too, O Cushites, will be slain by my sword." +He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. +Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their calls will echo through the windows, rubble will be in the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed. +This is the carefree city that lived in safety. She said to herself, "I am, and there is none besides me." What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists. + + +Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! +She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God. +Her officials are roaring lions, her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. +Her prophets are arrogant; they are treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. +The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame. +"I have cut off nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are destroyed; no one will be left-no one at all. +I said to the city, 'Surely you will fear me and accept correction!' Then her dwelling would not be cut off, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. +Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them- all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. +"Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. +From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. +On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. +But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. +The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid." +Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! +The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. +On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. +The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." +"The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you. +At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame. +At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD. + + + + +In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.'" +Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: +"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" +Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. +You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. +Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. +"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. +Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. +I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." +Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. +Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. +So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, +on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius. + + +On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: +"Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, +'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? +But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. +'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' +"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. +I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. +'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. +'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." +On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: +"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: +If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No." +Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled." +Then Haggai said, "'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled. +"'Now give careful thought to this from this day on -consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. +When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. +I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. +'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: +Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "'From this day on I will bless you.'" +The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: +"Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. +I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. +"'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty." + + + + +In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo: +"The LORD was very angry with your forefathers. +Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty. +Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. +Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? +But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your forefathers? "Then they repented and said, 'The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.'" The Man Among the Myrtle Trees +On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. +During the night I had a vision-and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. +I asked, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are." +Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go throughout the earth." +And they reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace." +Then the angel of the LORD said, "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?" +So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. +Then the angel who was speaking to me said, "Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, +but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.' +"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the LORD Almighty. +"Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.'" +Then I looked up-and there before me were four horns! +I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." +Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. +I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He answered, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people." + + +Then I looked up-and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! +I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is." +Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him +and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. +And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.' +"Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD. +"Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" +For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you-for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye- +I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. +"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. +"Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. +The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. +Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling." + + +Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. +The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" +Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. +The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you." +Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by. +The angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua: +"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. +"'Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. +See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. +"'In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,' declares the LORD Almighty." + + +Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. +He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. +Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." +I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" +He answered, "Do you not know what these are?No, my lord," I replied. +So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. +"What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'" +Then the word of the LORD came to me: +"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. +"Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "(These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth.)" +Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" +Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" +He replied, "Do you not know what these are?No, my lord," I said. +So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." + + +I looked again-and there before me was a flying scroll! +He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. " +And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. +The LORD Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and destroy it, both its timbers and its stones.'" +Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is appearing." +I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a measuring basket. "And he added, "This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land." +Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! +He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth. +Then I looked up-and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. +"Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me. +He replied, "To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place." + + +I looked up again-and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains-mountains of bronze! +The first chariot had red horses, the second black, +the third white, and the fourth dappled-all of them powerful. +I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?" +The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. +The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south." +When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they went throughout the earth. +Then he called to me, "Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north." +The word of the LORD came to me: +"Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. +Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. +Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. +It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.' +The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. +Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God." + + +In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. +The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, together with their men, to entreat the LORD +by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" +Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: +"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? +And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? +Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?'" +And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: +"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. +Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' +"But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. +They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry. +"'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty. +'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'" + + +Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her." +This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. +The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the LORD Almighty. +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. +I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. +Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. +But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the LORD Almighty. +"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. +As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, +"so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. +These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; +do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD. +Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, +and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' +And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him." +This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'" + + +The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus- for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD - +and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful. +Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. +But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire. +Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. +Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. +I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. +But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch. +Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. +I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. +As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. +Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. +I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword. +Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, +and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. +The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. +How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women. + + +Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone. +The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. +"My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. +From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. +Together they will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle. Because the LORD is with them, they will fight and overthrow the horsemen. +"I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. +The Ephraimites will become like mighty men, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD. +I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. +Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. +I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. +They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away. +I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk," declares the LORD. + + +Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! +Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! +Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined! +This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. +Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the LORD, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do not spare them. +For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," declares the LORD. "I will hand everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will oppress the land, and I will not rescue them from their hands." +So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock. +In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them +and said, "I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another's flesh." +Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. +It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD. +I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. +And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter. +Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. +Then the LORD said to me, "Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. +For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs. +"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!" + + +This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: +"I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. +On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. +On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the LORD. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. +Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.' +"On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place. +"The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem's inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. +On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. +On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. +"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. +On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. +The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, +the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, +and all the rest of the clans and their wives. + + +"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. +"On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. +And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, 'You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD's name.' When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him. +"On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet's garment of hair in order to deceive. +He will say, 'I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth. ' +If someone asks him, 'What are these wounds on your body?' he will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.' +"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. +In the whole land," declares the LORD, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. +This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" + + +A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. +I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. +Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. +On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. +You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. +On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. +It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime-a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. +On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. +The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. +The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. +It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. +This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. +On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. +Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected-great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. +A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. +Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. +If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. +If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. +This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. +On that dayHOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. +Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty. + + + + +An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. +"I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?'"Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob, +but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." +Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the LORD Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. +You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD -even beyond the borders of Israel!' +"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?' +"You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. +When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. +"Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty. +"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. +My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. +"But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' +And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. +"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations. + + +"And now this admonition is for you, O priests. +If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. +"Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. +And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD Almighty. +"My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. +True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. +"For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction-because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. +But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the LORD Almighty. +"So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law." +Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? +Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. +As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob -even though he brings offerings to the LORD Almighty. +Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. +You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. +Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. +"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. +You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?" + + +"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. +But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. +He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, +and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. +"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. +"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. +Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' +"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'"In tithes and offerings. +You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. +Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. +I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. +"Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. +"You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?' +"You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? +But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.'" +Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. +"They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. +And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. + + +"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. +But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. +Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty. +"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. +"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. +He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." + + + + +A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: +Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, +Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, +Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, +Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, +and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, +Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, +Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, +Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, +Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, +and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. +After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, +Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, +Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, +Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, +and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. +Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. +This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. +Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. +But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. +She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." +All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: +"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." +When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. +But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. + + +After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem +and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." +When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. +When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. +"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: +"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" +Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. +He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." +After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. +When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. +On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. +And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. +When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." +So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, +where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." +When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. +Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: +"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." +After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt +and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." +So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. +But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, +and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene." + + +In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea +and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." +This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" +John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. +People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. +Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. +But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? +Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. +And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. +The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. +"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. +His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." +Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. +But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" +Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. +As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. +And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." + + +Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. +After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. +The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." +Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" +Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. +"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" +Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" +Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. +"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." +Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" +Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. +When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. +Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- +to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: +"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- +the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." +From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." +As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. +"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." +At once they left their nets and followed him. +Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, +and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. +Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. +News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. +Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. + + +Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, +and he began to teach them saying: +"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. +Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. +Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. +Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. +Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. +Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. +Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. +Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. +"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. +Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. +"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. +"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. +Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. +In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. +"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. +I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. +Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. +For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. +"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' +But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, 'is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. +"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, +leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. +"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. +I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. +"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' +But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. +If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. +And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. +"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' +But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. +"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' +But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; +or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. +And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. +Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. +"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' +But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. +And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. +If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. +Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. +"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' +But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, +that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. +If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? +And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? +Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. + + +"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. +"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. +But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, +so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. +"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. +But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. +And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. +Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. +"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, +your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. +Give us today our daily bread. +Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. +And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ' +For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. +But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. +"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. +But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, +so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. +"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. +But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. +For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. +"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. +But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! +"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. +"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? +Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? +Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? +"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. +Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. +If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? +So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' +For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. +But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. +Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. + + +"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. +For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. +"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? +How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? +You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. +"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. +"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. +For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. +"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? +Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? +If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! +So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. +"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. +But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. +"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. +By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? +Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. +A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. +Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. +Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. +"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. +Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' +Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' +"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. +The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. +But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. +The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." +When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, +because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. + + +When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. +A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." +Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. +Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." +When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. +"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." +Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." +The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. +For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." +When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. +I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. +But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." +Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. +When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. +He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. +When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. +This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." +When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. +Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." +Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." +Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." +But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." +Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. +Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. +The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" +He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. +The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" +When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. +"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" +Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. +The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." +He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. +Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. +Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. + + +Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. +Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." +At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" +Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? +Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? +But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." +And the man got up and went home. +When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. +As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. +While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. +When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" +On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. +But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." +Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" +Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. +"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. +Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." +While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." +Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. +Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. +She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." +Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. +When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, +he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. +After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. +News of this spread through all that region. +As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" +When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?Yes, Lord," they replied. +Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; +and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." +But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. +While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. +And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." +But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons." +Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. +When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. +Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. +Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." + + +He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. +These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; +Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; +Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. +These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. +Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. +As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' +Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. +Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; +take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep. +"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. +As you enter the home, give it your greeting. +If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. +If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. +I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. +I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. +"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. +On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. +But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, +for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. +"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. +All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. +When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. +"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. +It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! +"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. +What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. +Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. +Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. +And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. +So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. +"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. +But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. +"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. +For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- +a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' +"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; +and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. +Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. +"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. +Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. +And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." + + +After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. +When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples +to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" +Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: +The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. +Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." +As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? +If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. +Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. +This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' +I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. +From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. +For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. +And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. +He who has ears, let him hear. +"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: +"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' +For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' +The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by her actions." +Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. +"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. +But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. +And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. +But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." +At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. +Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. +"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. +"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. +Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. +For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." + + +At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. +When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." +He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? +He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. +Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? +I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. +If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. +For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." +Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, +and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" +He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? +How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." +Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. +But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. +Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, +warning them not to tell who he was. +This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: +"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. +He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. +A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. +In his name the nations will put their hope." +Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. +All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" +But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." +Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. +If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? +And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. +But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. +"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. +"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. +And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. +Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. +"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. +You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. +The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. +But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. +For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." +Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." +He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. +For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. +The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. +The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. +"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. +Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. +Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." +While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. +Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." +He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" +Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. +For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." + + +That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. +Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. +Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. +As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. +Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. +But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. +Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. +Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. +He who has ears, let him hear." +The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" +He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. +Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. +This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. +In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. +For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' +But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. +For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. +"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: +When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. +The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. +But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. +The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. +But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." +Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. +But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. +When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. +"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' +"'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' +"'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. +Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" +He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. +Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." +He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." +Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. +So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." +Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." +He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. +The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, +and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. +"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. +The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. +They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. +Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. +"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. +"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. +When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. +"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. +When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. +This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous +and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. +"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. +He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." +When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. +Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. +"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? +Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" +And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." +And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. + + +At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, +and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him." +Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, +for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." +Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet. +On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much +that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. +Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." +The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted +and had John beheaded in the prison. +His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. +John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. +When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. +When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. +As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." +Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." +"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. +"Bring them here to me," he said. +And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. +They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. +The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. +Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. +After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, +but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. +During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. +When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. +But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." +"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." +"Come," he said. +Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" +Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" +And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. +Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." +When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. +And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him +and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed. + + +Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, +"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" +Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? +For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' +But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' +he is not to 'honor his father 'with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. +You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: +"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. +They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" +Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. +What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" +Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" +He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. +Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." +Peter said, "Explain the parable to us." +"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. +"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? +But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' +For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. +These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'" +Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. +A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." +Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." +He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." +The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. +He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." +"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." +Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. +Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. +Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. +The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. +Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." +His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" +"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish." +He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. +Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. +They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. +The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. +After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan. + + +The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. +He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' +and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. +A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. +When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. +"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." +They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread." +Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? +Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? +Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? +How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." +Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. +When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" +They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." +"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" +Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." +Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. +And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. +I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." +Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. +From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. +Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" +Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." +Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. +For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. +What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? +For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. +I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." + + +After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. +There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. +Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. +Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." +While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" +When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. +But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." +When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. +As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." +The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" +Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. +But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." +Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. +When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. +"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. +I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." +"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." +Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. +Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" +He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." +See Footnote +When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. +They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief. +After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" +"Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" +"From others," Peter answered. +"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." + + +At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" +He called a little child and had him stand among them. +And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. +Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. +"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. +But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. +"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! +If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. +And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. +"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. +See Footnote +"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? +And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. +In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. +"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. +But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' +If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. +"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. +"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. +For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." +Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" +Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. +"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. +As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. +Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. +"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' +The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. +"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. +"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' +"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. +When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. +"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. +Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' +In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. +"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." + + +When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. +Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. +Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" +"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' +and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? +So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." +"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" +Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. +I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." +The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry." +Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. +For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." +Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. +Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." +When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. +Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" +"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." +"Which ones?" the man inquired. +Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" +"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" +Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." +When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. +Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. +Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." +When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" +Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." +Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" +Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. +And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. +But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. + + +"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. +He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. +"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. +He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' +So they went. +"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' +"'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' +"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' +"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. +So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. +When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. +'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' +"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? +Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. +Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' +"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." +Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, +"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death +and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" +Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. +"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." +"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?We can," they answered. +Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." +When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. +Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. +Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, +and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- +just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." +As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. +Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" +The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" +Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. +"Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." +Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. + + +As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, +saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. +If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." +This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: +"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" +The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. +They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. +A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. +The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest!" +When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" +The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." +Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. +"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'" +The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. +But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. +"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" +And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. +Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. +Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. +When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. +Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. +If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." +Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" +Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. +John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" +They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." +So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. +"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' +"'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. +"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. +"Which of the two did what his father wanted?The first," they answered. +Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. +"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. +When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. +"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. +Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. +Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. +"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' +So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. +"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" +"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." +Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? +"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. +He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." +When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. +They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. + + +Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: +"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. +He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. +"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' +"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. +The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. +The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. +"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. +Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' +So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. +"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. +'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. +"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' +"For many are invited, but few are chosen." +Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. +They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. +Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" +But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? +Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, +and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" +"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." +When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. +That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. +"Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. +Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. +The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. +Finally, the woman died. +Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" +Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. +At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. +But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, +'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." +When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. +Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. +One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: +"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" +Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' +This is the first and greatest commandment. +And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' +All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." +While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, +"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?The son of David," they replied. +He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, +"'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' +If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" +No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. + + +Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: +"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. +So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. +They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. +"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; +they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; +they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' +"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. +And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. +Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. +The greatest among you will be your servant. +For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. +"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. +See Footnote +"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. +"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' +You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? +You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' +You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? +Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. +And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. +And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. +"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. +You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. +"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. +Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. +"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. +In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. +"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. +And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' +So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. +Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! +"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? +Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. +And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. +I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. +"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. +Look, your house is left to you desolate. +For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" + + +Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. +"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." +As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" +Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. +For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, 'and will deceive many. +You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. +Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. +All these are the beginning of birth pains. +"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. +At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, +and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. +Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, +but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. +And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. +"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- +then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. +Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. +Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. +How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! +Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. +For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. +If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. +At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. +For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. +See, I have told you ahead of time. +"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. +For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. +Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. +"Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' +"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. +And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. +"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. +Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. +I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. +Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. +"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. +As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. +For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; +and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. +Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. +Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. +"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. +But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. +So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. +"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? +It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. +I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. +But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' +and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. +The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. +He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + + +"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. +Five of them were foolish and five were wise. +The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. +The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. +The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. +"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' +"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. +The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' +"'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' +"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. +"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' +"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' +"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. +"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. +To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. +The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. +So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. +But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. +"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. +The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' +"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' +"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' +"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' +"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. +So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' +"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? +Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. +"'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. +For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. +And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' +"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. +All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. +He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. +"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. +For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, +I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' +"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? +When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? +When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' +"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' +"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. +For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, +I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' +"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' +"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' +"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." + + +When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, +"As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." +Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, +and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. +"But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people." +While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, +a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. +When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. +"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." +Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. +The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. +When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. +I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." +Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests +and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. +From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. +On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" +He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'" +So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. +When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. +And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." +They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" +Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. +The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." +Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." +While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." +Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. +This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. +I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." +When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. +Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' +But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." +Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." +"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." +But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same. +Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." +He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. +Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." +Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." +Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. +"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." +He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." +When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. +So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. +Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. +Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" +While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. +Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." +Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. +Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." +Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. +"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. +Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? +But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" +At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. +But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. +Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. +But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. +The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. +But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. +Finally two came forward and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'" +Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" +But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." +"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." +Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. +What do you think?He is worthy of death," they answered. +Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him +and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?" +Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. +But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. +Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." +He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!" +After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away." +Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" +Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. + + +Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. +They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. +When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. +"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood.What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." +So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. +The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." +So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. +That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. +Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, +and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me." +Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. +When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. +Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" +But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor. +Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. +At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. +So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" +For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. +While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." +But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. +"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. +"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" +"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" +When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" +All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" +Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. +Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. +They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, +and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. +They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. +After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. +As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. +They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). +There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. +When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. +And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. +Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. +Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. +Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads +and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" +In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. +"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. +He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" +In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. +From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. +About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" +When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." +Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. +The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." +And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. +At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. +The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. +They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. +When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" +Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. +Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. +As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. +Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. +Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, +and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. +Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. +The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. +"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' +So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." +"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." +So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. + + +After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. +There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. +His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. +The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. +The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. +He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. +Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." +So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. +Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. +Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." +While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. +When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, +telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' +If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." +So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. +Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. +When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. +Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. +Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, +and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." + + + + +The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. +It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- +"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" +And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. +The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. +John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. +And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. +I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." +At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. +As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. +And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." +At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, +and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. +After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. +"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" +As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. +"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." +At once they left their nets and followed him. +When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. +Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. +They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. +The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. +Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, +"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" +"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" +The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. +The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." +News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. +As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. +Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. +So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. +That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. +The whole town gathered at the door, +and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. +Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. +Simon and his companions went to look for him, +and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" +Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." +So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. +A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." +Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" +Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. +Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: +"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." +Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. + + +A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. +So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. +Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. +Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. +When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." +Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, +"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" +Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? +Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? +But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralytic, +"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." +He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" +Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. +As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. +While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. +When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" +On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." +Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" +Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. +But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. +"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. +And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." +One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. +The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" +He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? +In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." +Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. +So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." + + +Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. +Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. +Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." +Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. +He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. +Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. +Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. +When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. +Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. +For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. +Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." +But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was. +Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. +He appointed twelve--designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach +and to have authority to drive out demons. +These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); +James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); +Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot +and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. +Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. +When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." +And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons." +So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? +If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. +If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. +And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. +In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. +I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. +But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." +He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." +Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. +A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." +"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. +Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! +Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." + + +Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. +He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: +"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. +As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. +Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. +But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. +Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. +Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." +Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." +When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. +He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables +so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" +Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? +The farmer sows the word. +Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. +Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. +But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. +Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; +but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. +Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." +He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? +For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. +If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." +"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. +Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." +He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. +Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. +All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. +As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." +Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? +It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. +Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." +With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. +He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. +That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." +Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. +A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. +Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" +He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. +He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" +They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" + + +They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. +When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. +This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. +For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. +Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. +When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. +He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" +For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" +Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" +"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. +A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. +The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." +He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. +Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. +When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. +Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. +Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. +As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. +Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." +So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. +When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. +Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet +and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." +So Jesus went with him. +A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. +She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. +When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, +because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." +Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. +At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" +"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" +But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. +Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. +He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." +While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" +Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." +He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. +When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. +He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." +But they laughed at him. +After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). +Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. +He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. + + +Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. +When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. +"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. +Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." +He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. +And he was amazed at their lack of faith. +Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. +These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. +Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. +Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. +And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." +They went out and preached that people should repent. +They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. +King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." +Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago." +But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!" +For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. +For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." +So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, +because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. +Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. +When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. +The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." +She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?The head of John the Baptist," she answered. +At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter." +The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. +So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, +and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. +On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. +The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. +Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." +So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. +But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. +When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. +By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. +Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." +But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" +"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five--and two fish." +Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. +So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. +Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. +They all ate and were satisfied, +and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. +The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. +Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. +After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. +When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. +He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, +but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, +because they all saw him and were terrified. +Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, +for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. +When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. +As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. +They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. +And wherever he went--into villages, towns or countryside--they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed. + + +The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and +saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. +(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. +When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. ) +So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?" +He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. +They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' +You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." +And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! +For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' +But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), +then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. +Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." +Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. +Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" +See Footnote +After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. +"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? +For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") +He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' +For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, +greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. +All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" +Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. +In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. +The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. +"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." +"Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." +Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." +She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. +Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. +There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. +After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. +He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ). +At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. +Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. +People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." + + +During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, +"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. +If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." +His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" +"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. +He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. +They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. +The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. +About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, +he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. +The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. +He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." +Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. +The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. +"Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." +They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." +Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? +Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? +When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?Twelve," they replied. +"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." +He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" +They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. +He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" +He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." +Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. +Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village. " +Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" +They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." +"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ. " +Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. +He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. +He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. +But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." +Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. +For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. +What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? +Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? +If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." + + +And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." +After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. +His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. +And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. +Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." +(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) +Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" +Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. +As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. +They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. +And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" +Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? +But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him." +When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. +As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. +"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. +A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. +Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." +"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." +So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. +Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" +"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." +"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." +Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" +When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." +The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." +But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. +After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" +He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. " +They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, +because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." +But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. +They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" +But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. +Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." +He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, +"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." +"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." +"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, +for whoever is not against us is for us. +I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. +"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. +If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. +See Footnote +And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. +See Footnote +And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, +where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' +Everyone will be salted with fire. +"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." + + +Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. +Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" +"What did Moses command you?" he replied. +They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." +"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. +"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' +'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, +and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. +Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." +When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. +He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. +And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." +People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. +When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. +I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." +And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. +As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" +"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. +You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" +"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." +Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." +At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. +Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" +The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! +It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." +The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" +Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." +Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" +"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel +will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. +But many who are first will be last, and the last first." +They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. +"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, +who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." +Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." +"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. +They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." +"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" +"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, +but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." +When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. +Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. +Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, +and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. +For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." +Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. +When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" +Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" +Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." +Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. +"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." +"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. + + +As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, +saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. +If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" +They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, +some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" +They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. +When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. +Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. +Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" +"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!Hosanna in the highest!" +Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. +The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. +Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. +Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. +On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, +and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. +And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" +The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. +When evening came, they went out of the city. +In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. +Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" +"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. +"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. +Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. +And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." +See Footnote +They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. +"By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" +Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. +John's baptism--was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!" +They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' +But if we say, 'From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) +So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." + + +He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. +At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. +But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. +Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. +He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. +"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' +"But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' +So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. +"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. +Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; +the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" +Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away. +Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. +They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? +Should we pay or shouldn't we?" +But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?Caesar's," they replied. +Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. +Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. +"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. +Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. +The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. +In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. +At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" +Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? +When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. +Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? +He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" +One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" +"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. +Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' +The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." +"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. +To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." +When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. +While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? +David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' +David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight. +As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, +and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. +They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." +Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. +But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. +Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. +They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on." + + +As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" +"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." +As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, +"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?" +Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. +Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. +When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. +Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. +"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. +And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. +Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. +"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. +All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. +"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. +Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. +Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. +How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! +Pray that this will not take place in winter, +because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again. +If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. +At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. +For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. +So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. +"But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; +the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' +"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. +And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. +"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. +Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. +I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. +Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. +"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. +Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. +It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. +"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. +If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. +What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" + + +Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. +"But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." +While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. +Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? +It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. +"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. +The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. +She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. +I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." +Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. +They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. +On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" +So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. +Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' +He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." +The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. +When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. +While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me--one who is eating with me." +They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?" +"It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. +The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." +While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." +Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. +"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. +"I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." +When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. +"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' +But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." +Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." +"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today--yes, tonight--before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times." +But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same. +They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." +He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. +"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." +Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. +"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." +Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? +Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." +Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. +When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. +Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. +Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" +Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. +Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." +Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. +The men seized Jesus and arrested him. +Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. +"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? +Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." +Then everyone deserted him and fled. +A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, +he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. +They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. +Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. +The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. +Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. +Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: +"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'" +Yet even then their testimony did not agree. +Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" +But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" +"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." +The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. +"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" +They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him. +While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. +When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said. +But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway. +When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." +Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." +He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about." +Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept. + + +Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. +"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. +The chief priests accused him of many things. +So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." +But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. +Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. +A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. +The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. +"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, +knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. +But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. +"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. +"Crucify him!" they shouted. +"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" +Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. +The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. +They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. +And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" +Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. +And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. +A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. +They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). +Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. +And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. +It was the third hour when they crucified him. +The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. +They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. +See Footnote +Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, +come down from the cross and save yourself!" +In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! +Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. +At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. +And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" +When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." +One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said. +With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. +The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. +And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" +Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. +In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there. +It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, +Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. +Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. +When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. +So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. +Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. + + +When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. +Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb +and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" +But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. +As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. +"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. +But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" +Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. +When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. +She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. +When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. +Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. +These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. +Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. +He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. +Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. +And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; +they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." +After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. +Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. + + + + +Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, +just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. +Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, +so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. +In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. +Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. +But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. +Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, +he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. +And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. +Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. +When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. +But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. +He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, +for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. +Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. +And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." +Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." +The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. +And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." +Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. +When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. +When his time of service was completed, he returned home. +After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. +"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." +In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, +to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. +The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." +Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. +But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. +You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. +He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, +and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." +"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" +The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. +Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. +For nothing is impossible with God." +"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. +At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, +where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. +When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. +In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! +But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? +As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. +Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" +And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord +and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, +for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, +for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. +His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. +He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. +He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. +He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. +He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful +to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." +Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. +When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. +Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. +On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, +but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." +They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." +Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. +He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." +Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. +The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. +Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. +His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: +"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. +He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David +(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), +salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- +to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, +the oath he swore to our father Abraham: +to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear +in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. +And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, +to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, +because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven +to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." +And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel. + + +In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. +(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) +And everyone went to his own town to register. +So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. +He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. +While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, +and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. +And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. +An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. +But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. +Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. +This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." +Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, +"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." +When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." +So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. +When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, +and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. +But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. +The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. +On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. +When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord +(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" ), +and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." +Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. +It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. +Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, +Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: +"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. +For my eyes have seen your salvation, +which you have prepared in the sight of all people, +a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." +The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. +Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, +so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." +There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, +and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. +Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. +When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. +And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. +Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. +When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. +After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. +Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. +When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. +After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. +Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. +When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." +"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" +But they did not understand what he was saying to them. +Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. +And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. + + +In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- +during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. +He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. +As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. +Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. +And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" +John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? +Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. +The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." +"What should we do then?" the crowd asked. +John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." +Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" +"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told +them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay." +The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. +John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. +His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." +And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. +But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, +Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. +When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened +and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." +Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, +the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, +the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, +the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, +the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, +the son of Neri, the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, +the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, +the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, +the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, +the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, +the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, +the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, +the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, +the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, +the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, +the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. + + +Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, +where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. +The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." +Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" +The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. +And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. +So if you worship me, it will all be yours." +Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" +The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. +For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; +they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" +Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" +When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. +Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. +He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. +He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. +The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: +"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, +to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." +Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, +and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." +All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. +Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'" +"I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. +I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. +Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. +And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian." +All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. +They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. +But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. +Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. +They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. +In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, +"Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" +"Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. +All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" +And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. +Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. +So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. +When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. +Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. +At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. +But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." +And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. + + +One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, +he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. +He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. +When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." +Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." +When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. +So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. +When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" +For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, +and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. +Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. +While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." +Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. +Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." +Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. +But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. +One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. +Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. +When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. +When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." +The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" +Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? +Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? +But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." +Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. +Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." +After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, +and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. +Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. +But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" +Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. +I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." +They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking." +Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? +But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast." +He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. +And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. +No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. +And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'" + + +One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. +Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" +Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? +He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." +Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." +On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. +The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. +But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there. +Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" +He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. +But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. +One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. +When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: +Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, +Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, +Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. +He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, +who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, +and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. +Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. +Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. +Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. +"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. +"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. +Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. +Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. +"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, +bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. +If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. +Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. +Do to others as you would have them do to you. +"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. +And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. +And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. +But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. +Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. +"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. +Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." +He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? +A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. +"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? +How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. +"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. +Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. +The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. +"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? +I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. +He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. +But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." + + +When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. +There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. +The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. +When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, +because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." +So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. +That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. +For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." +When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." +Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. +Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. +As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. +When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." +Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" +The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. +They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." +This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. +John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, +he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" +When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" +At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. +So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. +Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." +After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? +If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. +But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. +This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' +I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." +(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. +But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) +"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? +They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' +For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' +The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' +But wisdom is proved right by all her children." +Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. +When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, +and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. +When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner." +Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you.Tell me, teacher," he said. +"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. +Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" +Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.You have judged correctly," Jesus said. +Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. +You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. +You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. +Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." +Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." +The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" +Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." + + +After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, +and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; +Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. +While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: +"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. +Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. +Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. +Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." +His disciples asked him what this parable meant. +He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' +"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. +Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. +Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. +The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. +But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. +"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. +For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. +Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." +Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. +Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." +He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." +One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. +As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. +The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" +He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." +They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. +When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. +When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" +For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. +Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" +"Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. +A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. +When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. +When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, +and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. +Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. +Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. +The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, +"Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. +Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. +Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house +because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. +As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. +She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. +"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." +But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." +Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. +Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." +While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more." +Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." +When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. +Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." +They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. +But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" +Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. +Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. + + +When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, +and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. +He told them: "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. +Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. +If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." +So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere. +Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, +others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. +But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him. +When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, +but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. +Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." +He replied, "You give them something to eat." +They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." (About five thousand men were there.) +But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. +Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. +They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. +Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" +They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." +"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." +Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. +And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." +Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. +For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. +What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? +If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. +I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." +About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. +As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. +Two men, Moses and Elijah, +appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. +Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. +As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) +While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. +A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." +When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. +The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. +A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. +A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. +I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not." +"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." +Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. +And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. +While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." +But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. +An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. +Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. +Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." +"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." +"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you." +As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. +And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; +but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. +When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" +But Jesus turned and rebuked them, +and they went to another village. +As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." +Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." +He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." +Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." +Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family." +Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." + + +After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. +He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. +Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. +Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. +"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' +If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. +Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. +"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. +Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' +But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, +'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' +I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. +"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. +But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. +And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. +"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." +The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." +He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. +I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. +However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." +At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. +"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." +Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. +For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." +On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" +"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" +He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" +"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." +But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" +In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. +A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. +So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. +But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. +He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. +The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' +"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" +The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." +As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. +She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. +But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" +"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, +but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." + + +One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." +He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. +Give us each day our daily bread. +Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. '" +Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, +because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' +"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' +I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. +"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. +For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. +"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? +Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? +If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" +Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. +But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons." +Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. +Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. +If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. +Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. +But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. +"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. +But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. +"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters. +"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' +When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. +Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." +As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." +He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." +As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. +For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. +The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. +The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. +"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. +Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. +See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. +Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you." +When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. +But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised. +Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. +You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? +But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. +"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. +"Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. +"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it." +One of the experts in the law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also." +Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. +"Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. +So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. +Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' +Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, +from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. +"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." +When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, +waiting to catch him in something he might say. + + +Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. +There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. +What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. +"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. +But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. +Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. +Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. +"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. +But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. +And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. +"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, +for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." +Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." +Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" +Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." +And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. +He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' +"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. +And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' +"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' +"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." +Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. +Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. +Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! +Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? +Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? +"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. +If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! +And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. +For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. +But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. +"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. +Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. +For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. +"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, +like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. +It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. +It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. +But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. +You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." +Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" +The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? +It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. +I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. +But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. +The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. +"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. +But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. +"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! +But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! +Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. +From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. +They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." +He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. +And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. +Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? +"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? +As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. +I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. " + + +Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. +Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? +I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. +Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? +I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." +Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. +So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' +"'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. +If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" +On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, +and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. +When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." +Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. +Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." +The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? +Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" +When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. +Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? +It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." +Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? +It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." +Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. +Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" +He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. +Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' +"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' +"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' +"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. +People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. +Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." +At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you." +He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' +In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! +"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! +Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" + + +One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. +There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. +Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" +But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. +Then he asked them, "If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?" +And they had nothing to say. +When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: +"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. +If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. +But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. +For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." +Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. +But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, +and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." +When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." +Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. +At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' +"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' +"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' +"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' +"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' +"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' +"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. +I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'" +Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: +"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. +And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. +"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? +For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, +saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' +"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? +If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. +In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. +"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? +It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + + +Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. +But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." +Then Jesus told them this parable: +"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? +And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders +and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' +I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. +"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? +And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' +In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." +Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. +The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. +"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. +After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. +So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. +He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. +"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! +I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. +I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' +So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. +"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' +"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. +Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. +For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. +"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. +So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. +'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' +"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. +But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. +But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' +"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. +But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" + + +Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. +So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' +"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg-- +I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' +"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' +"'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' +"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'"'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' +"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. +I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. +"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. +So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? +And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? +"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." +The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. +He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. +"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. +It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. +"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. +"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. +At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores +and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. +"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. +In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. +So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' +"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. +And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' +"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, +for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' +"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' +"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' +"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" + + +Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. +It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. +So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. +If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." +The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" +He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. +"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? +Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? +Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? +So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" +Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. +As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance +and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" +When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. +One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. +He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. +Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? +Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" +Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." +Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, +nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." +Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. +Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. +For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. +But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. +"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. +People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. +"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. +But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. +"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. +On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. +Remember Lot's wife! +Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. +I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. +Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." +See Footnote +"Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." + + +Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. +He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. +And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' +"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, +yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" +And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. +And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? +I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" +To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: +"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. +The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. +I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' +"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' +"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." +People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. +But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. +I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." +A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" +"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. +You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" +"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. +When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." +When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. +Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! +Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." +Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" +Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." +Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" +"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God +will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." +Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. +He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. +On the third day he will rise again." +The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. +As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. +When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. +They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." +He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" +Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" +Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, +"What do you want me to do for you?Lord, I want to see," he replied. +Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." +Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. + + +Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. +A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. +He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. +So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. +When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." +So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. +All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" +But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." +Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. +For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." +While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. +He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. +So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' +"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' +"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. +"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' +"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' +"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' +"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' +"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. +I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' +"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? +Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' +"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' +"'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' +"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. +But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.'" +After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. +As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, +"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. +If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'" +Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. +As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" +They replied, "The Lord needs it." +They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. +As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. +When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: +"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" +Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" +"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." +As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it +and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. +The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. +They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." +Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. +"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" +Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. +Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. + + +One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. +"Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?" +He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, +John's baptism--was it from heaven, or from men?" +They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' +But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet." +So they answered, "We don't know where it was from." +Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." +He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. +At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. +He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. +He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. +"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.' +"But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' +So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. +"What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!" +Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone '? +Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." +The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. +Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. +So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. +Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" +He saw through their duplicity and said to them, +"Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" +"Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." +They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. +Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. +"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. +Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. +The second +and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. +Finally, the woman died too. +Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" +Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. +But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, +and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. +But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' +He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." +Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" +And no one dared to ask him any more questions. +Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? +David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand +until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' +David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" +While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, +"Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. +They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." + + +As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. +He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. +"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. +All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." +Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, +"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." +"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" +He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. +When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." +Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. +There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. +"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. +This will result in your being witnesses to them. +But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. +For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. +You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. +All men will hate you because of me. +But not a hair of your head will perish. +By standing firm you will gain life. +"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. +Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. +For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. +How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. +They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. +"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. +Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. +At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. +When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." +He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. +When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. +Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. +"I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. +Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. +"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. +For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. +Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." +Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, +and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple. + + +Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, +and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. +Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. +And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. +They were delighted and agreed to give him money. +He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. +Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. +Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." +"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. +He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, +and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' +He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." +They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. +When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. +And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. +For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." +After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. +For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." +And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." +In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. +But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. +The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." +They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. +Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. +Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. +But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. +For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. +You are those who have stood by me in my trials. +And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, +so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. +"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. +But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." +But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." +Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." +Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?Nothing," they answered. +He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. +It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." +The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords.That is enough," he replied. +Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. +On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." +He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, +"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." +An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. +And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. +When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. +"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." +While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, +but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" +When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" +And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. +But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. +Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? +Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour--when darkness reigns." +Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. +But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. +A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." +But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. +A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them.Man, I am not!" Peter replied. +About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." +Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. +The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." +And he went outside and wept bitterly. +The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. +They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" +And they said many other insulting things to him. +At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. +"If you are the Christ, "they said, "tell us." +Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. +But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." +They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." +Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips." + + +Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. +And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king." +So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. +Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man." +But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." +On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. +When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. +When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. +He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. +The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. +Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. +That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies. +Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, +and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. +Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. +Therefore, I will punish him and then release him." +See Footnote +With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" +(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) +Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. +But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" +For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." +But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. +So Pilate decided to grant their demand. +He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. +As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. +A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. +Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. +For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' +Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' +For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" +Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. +When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left. +Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. +The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." +The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar +and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." +There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. +One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" +But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? +We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." +Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. " +Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." +It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, +for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. +Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. +The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." +When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. +But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. +Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, +who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. +Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. +Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. +It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. +The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. +Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. + + +On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. +They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, +but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. +While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. +In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? +He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: +'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" +Then they remembered his words. +When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. +It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. +But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. +Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. +Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. +They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. +As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; +but they were kept from recognizing him. +He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" +They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" +"What things?" he asked. +"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; +but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. +In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning +but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. +Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." +He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! +Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" +And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. +As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. +But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. +When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. +Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. +They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" +They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together +and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." +Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. +While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." +They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. +He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? +Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." +When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. +And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" +They gave him a piece of broiled fish, +and he took it and ate it in their presence. +He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." +Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. +He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, +and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. +You are witnesses of these things. +I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." +When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. +While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. +Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. +And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. + + + + +In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. +He was with God in the beginning. +Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. +In him was life, and that life was the light of men. +The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. +There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. +He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. +He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. +The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. +He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. +He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. +Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- +children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. +The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. +John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" +From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. +For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. +No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. +Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. +He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ. " +They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not.Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." +Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" +John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" +Now some Pharisees who had been sent +questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" +"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. +He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." +This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. +The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! +This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' +I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." +Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. +I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' +I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." +The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. +When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" +When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. +Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" +"Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. +Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. +The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). +And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter ). +The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." +Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. +Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." +"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. +When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." +"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." +Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." +Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." +He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." + + +On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, +and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. +When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." +"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." +His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." +Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. +Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. +Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." +They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside +and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." +This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. +After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. +When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. +In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. +So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. +To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" +His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." +Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" +Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." +The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" +But the temple he had spoken of was his body. +After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. +Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. +But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. +He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. + + +Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. +He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." +In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. " +"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" +Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. +Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. +You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' +The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." +"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. +"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? +I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. +I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? +No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. +Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, +that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. +"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. +For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. +Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. +This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. +Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. +But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." +After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. +Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. +(This was before John was put in prison.) +An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. +They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." +To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. +You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' +The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. +He must become greater; I must become less. +"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. +He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. +The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. +For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. +The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. +Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." + + +The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, +although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. +When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. +Now he had to go through Samaria. +So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. +Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. +When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" +(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) +The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) +Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." +"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? +Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" +Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, +but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." +The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." +He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." +"I have no husband," she replied. +Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." +"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. +Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." +Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. +You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. +Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. +God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." +The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." +Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." +Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" +Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, +"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" +They came out of the town and made their way toward him. +Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." +But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." +Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" +"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. +Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. +Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. +Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. +I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." +Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." +So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. +And because of his words many more became believers. +They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." +After the two days he left for Galilee. +(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) +When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there. +Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. +When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. +"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." +The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." +Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. +While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. +When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." +Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed. +This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee. + + +Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. +Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. +Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. +See Footnote +One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. +When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" +"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." +Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." +At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, +and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." +But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" +So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" +The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. +Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." +The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. +So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. +Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." +For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. +Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. +For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. +For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. +Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, +that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. +"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. +I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. +For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. +And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. +"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice +and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. +By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. +"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. +There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. +"You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. +Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. +John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. +"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. +And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, +nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. +You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, +yet you refuse to come to me to have life. +"I do not accept praise from men, +but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. +I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. +How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? +"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. +If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. +But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" + + +Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), +and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. +Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. +The Jewish Passover Feast was near. +When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" +He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. +Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" +Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, +"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" +Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. +Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. +When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." +So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. +After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." +Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. +When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, +where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. +A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. +When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. +But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." +Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. +The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. +Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. +Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. +When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" +Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. +Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." +Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" +Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." +So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? +Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" +Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. +For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." +"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." +Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. +But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. +All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. +For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. +And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. +For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." +At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." +They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" +"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. +"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. +It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. +No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. +I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. +I am the bread of life. +Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. +But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. +I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." +Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" +Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. +Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. +For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. +Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. +Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. +This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." +He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. +On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" +Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? +What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! +The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. +Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. +He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." +From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. +"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. +Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. +We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." +Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" +(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) + + +After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. +But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, +Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. +No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." +For even his own brothers did not believe in him. +Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. +The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. +You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." +Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. +However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. +Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?" +Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." +Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. +Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. +The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" +Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. +If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. +He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. +Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?" +"You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?" +Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. +Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. +Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? +Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." +At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? +Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? +But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." +Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, +but I know him because I am from him and he sent me." +At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. +Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?" +The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. +Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. +You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." +The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? +What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?" +On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. +Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." +By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. +On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet." +Others said, "He is the Christ." +Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" +Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. +Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. +Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?" +"No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared. +"You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. +"Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? +No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them." +Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, +"Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" +They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee." +Then each went to his own home. + + +But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. +At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. +The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group +and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. +In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" +They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. +But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." +Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. +At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. +Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" +"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." +When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." +The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid." +Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. +You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. +But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. +In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. +I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." +Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" +"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come. +Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." +This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?" +But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. +I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." +"Who are you?" they asked. +"Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied. "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world." +They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. +So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. +The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." +Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. +To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. +Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." +They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" +Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. +Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. +So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. +I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. +I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. " +"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would +do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. +You are doing the things your own father does.We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." +Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. +Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. +You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. +Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! +Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? +He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." +The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" +"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. +I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. +I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." +At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. +Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" +Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. +Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. +Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." +"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!" +"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" +At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. + + +As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. +His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" +"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. +As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. +While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." +Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. +"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. +His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" +Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." +"How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. +He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." +"Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. +They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. +Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. +Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." +Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided. +Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." +The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. +"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?" +"We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. +But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." +His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. +That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." +A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God, "they said. "We know this man is a sinner." +He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" +Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" +He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" +Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! +We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." +The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. +We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. +Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. +If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." +To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. +Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" +"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." +Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." +Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. +Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." +Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" +Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. + + +"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. +The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. +The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. +When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. +But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." +Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. +Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. +All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. +I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. +The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. +"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. +The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. +The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. +"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- +just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. +I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. +The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. +No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." +At these words the Jews were again divided. +Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?" +But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" +Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, +and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. +The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." +Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, +but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. +My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. +I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. +My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. +I and the Father are one." +Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, +but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" +"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." +Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'? +If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- +what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? +Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. +But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." +Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. +Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed +and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." +And in that place many believed in Jesus. + + +Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. +This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. +So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." +When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." +Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. +Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. +Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." +"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" +Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. +It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." +After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." +His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." +Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. +So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, +and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." +Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." +On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. +Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, +and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. +When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. +"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. +But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." +Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." +Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." +Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; +and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" +"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." +And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." +When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. +Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. +When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. +When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." +When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. +"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. +Jesus wept. +Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" +But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" +Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. +"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." +Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" +So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. +I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." +When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" +The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." +Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. +But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. +Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. +"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." +Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! +You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." +He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, +and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. +So from that day on they plotted to take his life. +Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. +When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. +They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" +But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him. + + +Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. +Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. +Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. +But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, +"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. " +He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. +"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. +You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." +Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. +So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, +for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. +The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. +They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!Blessed is the King of Israel!" +Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, +"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." +At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. +Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. +Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. +So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" +Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. +They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." +Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. +Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. +I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. +The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. +Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. +"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. +Father, glorify your name!" +Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. +Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. +Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. +But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." +He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. +The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?" +Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. +Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. +Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. +This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" +For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: +"He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." +Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. +Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; +for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. +Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. +When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. +I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. +"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. +There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. +For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. +I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." + + +It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. +The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. +Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; +so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. +After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. +He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" +Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." +"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." +"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" +Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." +For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. +When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. +"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. +Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. +I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. +I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. +Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. +"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' +"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. +I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." +After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." +His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. +One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. +Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means." +Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" +Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. +As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. +"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. +Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. +As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. +When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. +If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. +"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. +"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. +By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." +Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." +Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." +Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! + + +"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. +In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. +And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. +You know the way to the place where I am going." +Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" +Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. +If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." +Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." +Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? +Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. +Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. +I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. +And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. +You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. +"If you love me, you will obey what I command. +And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- +the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. +I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. +Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. +On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. +Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." +Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" +Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. +He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. +"All this I have spoken while still with you. +But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. +Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. +"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. +I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. +I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, +but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave. + + +"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. +He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. +You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. +Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. +"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. +If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. +If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. +This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. +"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. +If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. +I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. +My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. +Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. +You are my friends if you do what I command. +I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. +You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. +This is my command: Love each other. +"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. +If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. +Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. +They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. +If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. +He who hates me hates my Father as well. +If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. +But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' +"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. +And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. + + +"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. +They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. +They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. +I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. +"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' +Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. +But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. +When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: +in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; +in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; +and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. +"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. +But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. +He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. +All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. +"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." +Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" +They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying." +Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? +I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. +A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. +So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. +In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. +Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. +"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. +In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. +No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. +I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." +Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. +Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." +"You believe at last!" Jesus answered. +"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. +"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." + + +After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: +"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. +Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. +I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. +And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. +"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. +Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. +For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. +I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. +All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. +I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one. +While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. +"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. +I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. +My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. +They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. +Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. +As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. +For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. +"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, +that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. +I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: +I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. +"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. +"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. +I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." + + +When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. +Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. +So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. +Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" +"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. +"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. +Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." +"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." +This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." +Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) +Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" +Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him +and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. +Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. +Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, +but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. +"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not." +It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. +Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. +"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. +Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said." +When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. +"If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" +Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. +As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not." +One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" +Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. +Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. +So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" +"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." +Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." +"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. +Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" +"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" +"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" +Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." +"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." +"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. +But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?" +They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion. + + +Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. +The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe +and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. +Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." +When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" +As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." +The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." +When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, +and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. +"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" +Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." +From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." +When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). +It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. +But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. +Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. +So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). +Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. +Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. +Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. +The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." +Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." +When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. +"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. +Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. +When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," +and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. +Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." +A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. +When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. +Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. +The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. +But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. +Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. +The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. +These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," +and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." +Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. +He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. +Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. +At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. +Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. + + +Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. +So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" +So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. +Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. +He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. +Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, +as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. +Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. +(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) +Then the disciples went back to their homes, +but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb +and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. +They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" +"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. +"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." +Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). +Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" +Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her. +On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" +After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. +Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." +And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. +If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." +Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. +So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." +A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" +Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." +Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" +Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." +Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. +But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. + + +Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: +Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. +"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. +Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. +He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?No," they answered. +He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. +Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. +The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. +When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. +Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." +Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. +Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. +Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. +This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. +When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." +Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." +The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." +Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." +Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" +Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") +When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" +Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." +Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" +This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. +Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. + + + + +In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach +until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. +After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. +On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. +For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." +So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" +He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. +But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." +After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. +They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. +"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." +Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. +When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. +They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. +In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) +and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus-- +he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." +(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. +Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) +"For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, "'May another take his place of leadership.' +Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, +beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." +So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. +Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen +to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." +Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. + + +When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. +Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. +They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. +All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. +Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. +When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. +Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? +Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? +Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, +Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome +(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" +Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" +Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. " +Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. +These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! +No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: +"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. +Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. +I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. +The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. +And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' +"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. +This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. +But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. +David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. +Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, +because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. +You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' +"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. +But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. +Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. +God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. +Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. +For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand +until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' +"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." +When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" +Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. +The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." +With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." +Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. +They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. +Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. +All the believers were together and had everything in common. +Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. +Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, +praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. + + +One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. +Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. +When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. +Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" +So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. +Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." +Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. +He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. +When all the people saw him walking and praising God, +they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. +While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. +When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? +The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. +You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. +You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. +By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. +"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. +But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. +Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, +and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. +He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. +For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. +Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.' +"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. +And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' +When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." + + +The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. +They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. +They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. +But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. +The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. +Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. +They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?" +Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! +If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, +then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. +He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. ' +Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." +When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. +But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. +So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. +"What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. +But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." +Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. +But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. +For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." +After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. +For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. +On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. +When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. +You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? +The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. ' +Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. +They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. +Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. +Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." +After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. +All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. +With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. +There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales +and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. +Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), +sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. + + +Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. +With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. +Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? +Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." +When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. +Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. +About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. +Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?Yes," she said, "that is the price." +Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." +At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. +Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. +The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. +No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. +Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. +As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. +Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. +Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. +They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. +But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. +"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." +At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. +When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin--the full assembly of the elders of Israel--and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, +"We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." +On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this. +Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." +At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. +Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. +"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." +Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! +The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. +God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. +We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." +When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. +But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. +Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. +Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. +After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. +Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. +But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." +His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. +The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. +Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. + + +In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. +So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. +Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them +and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." +This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. +They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. +So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. +Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. +Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, +but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. +Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." +So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. +They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. +For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." +All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. + + +Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?" +To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. +'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.' +"So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. +He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. +God spoke to him in this way: 'Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. +But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.' +Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. +"Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him +and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. +"Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our fathers could not find food. +When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. +On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. +After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. +Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. +Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. +"As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. +Then another king, who knew nothing about Joseph, became ruler of Egypt. +He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. +"At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father's house. +When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. +Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. +"When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. +He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. +Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. +The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' +"But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? +Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' +When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. +"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. +When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: +'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. +"Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. +I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.' +"This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. +He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert. +"This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' +He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us. +"But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. +They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!' +That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. +But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? +You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon. +"Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. +Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, +who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. +But it was Solomon who built the house for him. +"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: +"'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? +Has not my hand made all these things?' +"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! +Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- +you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." +When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. +But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. +"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." +At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, +dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. +While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." +Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. + + +And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. +On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. +But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. +Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. +Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. +When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. +With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. +So there was great joy in that city. +Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, +and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." +They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. +But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. +Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. +When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. +When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, +because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. +Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. +When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money +and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." +Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! +You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. +Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. +For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." +Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." +When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. +Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." +So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, +and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. +The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." +Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. +"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. +The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. +In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." +The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" +Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. +As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" +See Footnote +And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. +When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. +Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. + + +Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest +and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. +As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. +He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" +"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. +"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." +The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. +Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. +For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. +In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!Yes, Lord," he answered. +The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. +In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." +"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. +And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." +But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. +I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." +Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." +Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, +and after taking some food, he regained his strength. +Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. +All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" +Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. +After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, +but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. +But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. +When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. +But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. +So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. +He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. +When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. +Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. +As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. +There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. +"Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. +All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. +In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas ), who was always doing good and helping the poor. +About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. +Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" +Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. +Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. +He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. +This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. +Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. + + +At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. +He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. +One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" +Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. +The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. +He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." +When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. +He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. +About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. +He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. +He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. +It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. +Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." +"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." +The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." +This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. +While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. +They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. +While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. +So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them." +Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?" +The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." +Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. +The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. +As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. +But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself." +Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. +He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. +So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?" +Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me +and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. +Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' +So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us." +Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism +but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. +You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. +You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- +how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. +"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, +but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. +He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. +He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. +All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." +While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. +The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. +For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. +Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." +So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. + + +The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. +So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him +and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them." +Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: +"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. +I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. +Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' +"I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' +"The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' +This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again. +"Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. +The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. +He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. +He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.' +"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. +Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' +So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" +When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." +Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. +Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. +The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. +News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. +When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. +He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. +Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, +and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. +During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. +One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) +The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. +This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. + + +It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. +He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. +When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. +After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. +So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. +The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. +Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. +Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. +Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. +They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. +Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." +When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. +Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. +When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" +"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." +But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. +Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place. +In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. +After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. +Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king's country for their food supply. +On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. +They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." +Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. +But the word of God continued to increase and spread. +When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. + + +In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. +While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." +So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. +The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. +When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. +They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, +who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. +But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. +Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, +"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? +Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." +Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. +From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. +From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. +After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak." +Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! +The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, +he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, +he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance. +All this took about 450 years. +"After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. +After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' +"From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. +Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. +As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.' +"Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. +The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. +Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. +When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. +But God raised him from the dead, +and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. +"We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers +he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. ' +The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' +So it is stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your Holy One see decay.' +"For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. +But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. +"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. +Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. +Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: +"'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'" +As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. +When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. +On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. +When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. +Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. +For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" +When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. +The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. +But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. +So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. +And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. + + +At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. +But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. +So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. +The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. +There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. +But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, +where they continued to preach the good news. +In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. +He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed +and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. +When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" +Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. +The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. +But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: +"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. +In the past, he let all nations go their own way. +Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." +Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. +Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. +But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. +They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, +strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. +Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. +After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, +and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. +From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. +On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. +And they stayed there a long time with the disciples. + + +Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." +This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. +The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. +When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. +Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." +The apostles and elders met to consider this question. +After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. +God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. +He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. +Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? +No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." +The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. +When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. +Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. +The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: +"'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, +that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' +that have been known for ages. +"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. +Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. +For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath." +Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. +With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. +We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. +So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul-- +men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. +Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. +It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: +You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. +The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. +The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. +Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. +After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. +See Footnote +But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. +Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." +Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, +but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. +They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, +but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. +He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. + + +He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. +The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. +Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. +As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. +So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. +Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. +When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. +So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. +During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." +After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. +From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. +From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. +On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. +One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. +When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. +Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. +This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." +She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. +When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. +They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar +by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." +The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. +After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. +Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. +About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. +Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. +The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. +But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" +The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. +He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" +They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." +Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. +At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. +The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family. +When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." +The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace." +But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out." +The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. +They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. +After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left. + + +When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. +As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, +explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, "he said. +Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. +But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. +But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, +and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." +When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. +Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. +As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. +Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. +Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. +When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. +The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. +The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. +While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. +So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. +A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. +Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? +You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." +(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) +Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. +For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:|sc TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. +"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. +And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. +From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. +God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. +'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' +"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. +In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. +For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." +When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." +At that, Paul left the Council. +A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. + + +After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. +There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, +and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. +Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. +When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. +But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." +Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. +Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. +One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. +For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." +So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. +While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. +"This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law." +Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. +But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law--settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." +So he had them ejected from the court. +Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever. +Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. +They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. +When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. +But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus. +When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. +After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. +Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. +He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. +He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. +When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. +For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. + + +While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples +and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." +So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?John's baptism," they replied. +Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." +On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. +When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. +There were about twelve men in all. +Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. +But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. +This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. +God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, +so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. +Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." +Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. +One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" +Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. +When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. +Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. +A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. +In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. +After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." +He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. +About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. +A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. +He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. +And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. +There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." +When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" +Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. +Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. +Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. +The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. +The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. +But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" +The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? +Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. +You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. +If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. +If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. +As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it." +After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. + + +When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. +He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, +where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. +He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. +These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. +But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. +On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. +There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. +Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. +Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" +Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. +The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. +We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. +When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. +The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. +Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. +From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. +When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. +I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. +You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. +I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. +"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. +I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. +However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. +"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. +Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. +For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. +Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. +I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. +Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. +So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. +"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. +I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. +You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. +In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" +When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. +They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. +What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. + + +After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. +We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. +After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. +Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. +But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. +After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. +We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. +Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. +He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. +After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. +Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" +When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. +Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." +When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." +After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. +Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. +When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. +The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. +Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. +When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. +They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. +What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, +so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. +Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. +As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." +The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. +When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, +shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." +(They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) +The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. +While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. +He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. +The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. +Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. +When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. +The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" +As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" +"Do you speak Greek?" he replied. "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" +Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." +Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: + + +"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." +When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. +Then Paul said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. +I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, +as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. +"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. +I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' +"'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. +"'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. +"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. +"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. +"A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. +He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. +"Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. +You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. +And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' +"When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance +and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' +"'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. +And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' +"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" +The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" +As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, +the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. +As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" +When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." +The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?Yes, I am," he answered. +Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. +Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. +The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. + + +Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." +At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. +Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" +Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?" +Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'" +Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." +When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. +(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) +There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" +The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. +The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." +The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. +More than forty men were involved in this plot. +They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. +Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here." +But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. +Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him." +So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." +The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?" +He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. +Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request." +The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me." +Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, "Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. +Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix." +He wrote a letter as follows: +Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings. +This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. +I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. +I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. +When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him. +So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. +The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. +When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. +The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, +he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace. + + +Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. +When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. +Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. +But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly. +"We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect +and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. +See Footnote +By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him." +The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true. +When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. +You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. +My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. +And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. +However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, +and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. +So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. +"After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. +I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance. +But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. +Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin-- +unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: 'It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'" +Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. "When Lysias the commander comes," he said, "I will decide your case." +He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs. +Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. +As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." +At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. +When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison. + + +Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, +where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. +They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. +Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. +Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong." +After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. +When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. +Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." +Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?" +Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. +If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!" +After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!" +A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. +Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. +When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. +"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. +When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. +When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. +Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. +I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. +When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar." +Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him." +The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. +Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. +I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. +But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. +For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." + + +Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: +"King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, +and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. +"The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. +They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. +And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. +This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. +Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? +"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. +And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. +Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. +"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. +About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. +We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' +"Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' +"'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. +I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them +to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' +"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. +First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. +That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. +But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- +that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles." +At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." +"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. +The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. +King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." +Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" +Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." +The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. +They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment." +Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." + + +When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. +We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. +The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. +From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. +When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. +There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. +We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. +We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. +Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, +"Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." +But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. +Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. +When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. +Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. +The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. +As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. +When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. +We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. +On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. +When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. +After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. +But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. +Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me +and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' +So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. +Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." +On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. +They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. +Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. +In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. +Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." +So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away. +Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food--you haven't eaten anything. +Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." +After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. +They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. +Altogether there were 276 of us on board. +When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. +When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. +Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. +But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. +The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. +But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. +The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety. + + +Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. +The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. +Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. +When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." +But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. +The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. +There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. +His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. +When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. +They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. +After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. +We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. +From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. +There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. +The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. +When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. +Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: "My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. +They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. +But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar--not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. +For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain." +They replied, "We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. +But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect." +They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. +Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. +They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: +"'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." +For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' +"Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" +See Footnote +For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. +Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. + + + + +Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- +the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures +regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, +and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. +Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. +And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. +To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. +First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. +God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you +in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you. +I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-- +that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. +I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. +I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. +That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. +I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. +For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." +The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, +since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. +For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. +For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. +Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools +and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. +Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. +They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. +Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. +In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. +Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. +They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, +slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; +they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. +Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. + + +You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. +Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. +So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? +Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? +But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. +God "will give to each person according to what he has done." +To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. +But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. +There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; +but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. +For God does not show favoritism. +All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. +For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. +(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, +since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) +This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. +Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; +if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; +if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, +an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- +you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? +You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? +You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? +As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." +Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. +If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? +The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. +A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. +No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. + + +What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? +Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. +What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? +Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." +But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) +Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? +Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" +Why not say--as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say--"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved. +What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. +As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; +there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. +All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." +"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.The poison of vipers is on their lips." +"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." +"Their feet are swift to shed blood; +ruin and misery mark their ways, +and the way of peace they do not know." +"There is no fear of God before their eyes." +Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. +Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. +But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. +This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, +for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, +and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. +God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- +he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. +Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. +For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. +Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, +since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. +Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. + + +What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? +If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. +What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." +Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. +However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. +David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: +"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. +Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." +Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. +Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! +And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. +And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. +It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. +For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, +because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. +Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. +As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. +Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." +Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. +Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, +being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. +This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." +The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, +but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. +He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. + + +Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, +through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. +Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; +perseverance, character; and character, hope. +And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. +You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. +Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. +But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. +Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! +For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! +Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. +Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- +for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. +Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. +But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! +Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. +For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. +Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. +For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. +The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, +so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. + + +What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? +By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? +Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? +We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. +If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. +For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- +because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. +Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. +For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. +The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. +In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. +Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. +Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. +For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. +What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! +Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? +But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. +You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. +I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. +When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. +What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! +But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. +For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + +Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? +For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. +So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. +So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. +For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. +But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. +What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." +But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. +Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. +I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. +For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. +So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. +Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. +We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. +I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. +And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. +As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. +I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. +For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. +Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. +So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. +For in my inner being I delight in God's law; +but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. +What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? +Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. + + +Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, +because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. +For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, +in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. +Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. +The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; +the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. +Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. +You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. +But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. +And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. +Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. +For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, +because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. +For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." +The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. +Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. +I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. +The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. +For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope +that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. +We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. +Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. +For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? +But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. +In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. +And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. +And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. +For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. +And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. +What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? +He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? +Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. +Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. +Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? +As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." +No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. +For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, +neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + +I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- +I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. +For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, +the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. +Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. +It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. +Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." +In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. +For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son." +Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. +Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: +not by works but by him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger." +Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." +What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! +For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." +It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. +For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." +Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. +One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" +But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" +Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? +What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? +What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- +even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? +As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," +and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" +Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. +For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality." +It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah." +What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; +but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. +Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." +As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." + + +Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. +For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. +Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. +Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. +Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." +But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) +"or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). +But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: +That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. +For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. +As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." +For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, +for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." +How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? +And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" +But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" +Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. +But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." +Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." +And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." +But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." + + +I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. +God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he appealed to God against Israel: +"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? +And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." +So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. +And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. +What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, +as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day." +And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. +May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever." +Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. +But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! +I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry +in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. +For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? +If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. +If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, +do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. +You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." +Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. +For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. +Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. +And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. +After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! +I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. +And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. +And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." +As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, +for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. +Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, +so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. +For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. +Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! +"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" +"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" +For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. + + +Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. +Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. +For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. +Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, +so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. +We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. +If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; +if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. +Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. +Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. +Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. +Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. +Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. +Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. +Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. +Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. +Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. +If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. +Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. +On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." +Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. + + +Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. +Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. +For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. +For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. +Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. +This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. +Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. +Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. +The commandments, "Do not commit adultery,Do not murder,Do not steal,Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." +Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. +And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. +The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. +Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. +Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. + + +Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. +One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. +The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. +Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. +One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. +He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. +For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. +If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. +For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. +You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. +It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" +So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. +Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. +As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. +If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. +Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. +For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, +because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. +Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. +Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. +It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. +So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. +But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. + + +We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. +Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. +For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." +For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. +May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, +so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. +Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. +For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs +so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." +Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." +And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." +And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." +May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. +I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. +I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me +to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. +Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. +I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done-- +by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. +It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. +Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." +This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. +But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, +I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. +Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. +For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. +They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. +So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. +I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. +I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. +Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, +so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. +The God of peace be with you all. Amen. + + +I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. +I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. +Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. +They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. +Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. +Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. +Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. +Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. +Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. +Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. +Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. +Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. +Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. +Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. +Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. +Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. +I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. +For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. +Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. +The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. +Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. +I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. +Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. +See Footnote +Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, +but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him-- +to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. + + + + +Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, +To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours: +Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. +For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- +because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. +Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. +He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. +God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. +I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. +My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. +What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ." +Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? +I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, +so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. +(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) +For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. +For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. +For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." +Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? +For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. +Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, +but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, +but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. +For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. +Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. +But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. +He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, +so that no one may boast before him. +It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. +Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." + + +When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. +For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. +I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. +My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, +so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. +We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. +No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. +None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. +However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- +but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. +The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. +We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. +This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. +The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. +The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: +"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. + + +Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. +I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. +You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? +For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? +What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. +I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. +So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. +The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. +For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. +By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. +For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. +If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, +his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. +If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. +If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. +Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? +If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. +Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. +For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; +and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." +So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, +whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, +and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. + + +So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. +Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. +I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. +My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. +Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. +Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. +For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? +Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! +For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. +We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! +To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. +We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; +when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. +I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. +Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. +Therefore I urge you to imitate me. +For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. +Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. +But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. +For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. +What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit? + + +It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. +And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? +Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. +When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, +hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. +Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? +Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. +Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. +I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- +not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. +But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. +What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? +God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." + + +If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? +Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? +Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! +Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! +I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? +But instead, one brother goes to law against another--and this in front of unbelievers! +The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? +Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. +Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders +nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. +And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. +"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. +"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. +By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. +Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! +Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." +But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. +Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. +Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; +you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. + + +Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. +But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. +The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. +The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. +Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. +I say this as a concession, not as a command. +I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. +Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. +But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. +To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. +But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. +To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. +And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. +For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. +But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. +How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? +Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. +Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. +Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. +Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. +Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. +For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. +You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. +Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. +Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. +Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. +Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. +But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. +What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; +those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; +those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. +I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. +But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- +and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. +I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. +If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. +But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing. +So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better. +A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. +In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. + + +Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. +The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. +But the man who loves God is known by God. +So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. +For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), +yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. +But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. +But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. +Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. +For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? +So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. +When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. +Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. + + +Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? +Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. +This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. +Don't we have the right to food and drink? +Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? +Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? +Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? +Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? +For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? +Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. +If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? +If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? +But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? +In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. +But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. +Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! +If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. +What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it. +Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. +To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. +To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. +To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. +I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. +Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. +Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. +Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. +No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. + + +For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. +They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. +They all ate the same spiritual food +and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. +Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. +Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. +Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." +We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. +We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. +And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. +These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. +So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! +No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. +Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. +I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. +Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? +Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. +Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? +Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? +No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. +You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. +Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? +"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. +Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. +Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, +for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." +If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. +But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake-- +the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? +If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? +So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. +Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- +even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. + + +Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. +I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you. +Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. +Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. +And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is just as though her head were shaved. +If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. +A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. +For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; +neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. +For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. +In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. +For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. +Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? +Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, +but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. +If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God. +In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. +In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. +No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. +When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, +for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. +Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! +For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, +and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." +In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." +For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. +Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. +A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. +For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. +That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. +But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. +When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. +So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. +If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions. + + +Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. +You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. +Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. +There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. +There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. +There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. +Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. +To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, +to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, +to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. +All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. +The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. +For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. +Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. +If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. +And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. +If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? +But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. +If they were all one part, where would the body be? +As it is, there are many parts, but one body. +The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" +On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, +and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, +while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, +so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. +If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. +Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. +And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. +Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? +Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? +But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. + + +If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. +If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. +If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. +Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. +It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. +Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. +It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. +Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. +For we know in part and we prophesy in part, +but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. +When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. +Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. +And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. + + +Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. +For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. +But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. +He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. +I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. +Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? +Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? +Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? +So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. +Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. +If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. +So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. +For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. +For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. +So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. +If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? +You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. +I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. +But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. +Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. +In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord. +Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. +So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? +But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, +and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" +What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. +If anyone speaks in a tongue, two--or at the most three--should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. +If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. +Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. +And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. +For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. +The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. +For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. +As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. +If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. +Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? +If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. +If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. +Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. +But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. + + +Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. +By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. +For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, +that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, +and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. +After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. +Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, +and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. +For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. +But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. +Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. +But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? +If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. +And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. +More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. +For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. +And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. +Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. +If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. +But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. +For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. +For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. +But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. +Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. +For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. +The last enemy to be destroyed is death. +For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. +When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. +Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? +And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? +I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. +If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." +Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." +Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame. +But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" +How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. +When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. +But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. +All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. +There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. +The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. +So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; +it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; +it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. +So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a lifegiving spirit. +The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. +The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. +As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. +And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. +I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. +Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- +in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. +For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. +When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." +"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" +The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. +But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. +Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. + + +Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. +On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. +Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. +If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. +After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you--for I will be going through Macedonia. +Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. +I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. +But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, +because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. +If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. +No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. +Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity. +Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. +Do everything in love. +You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, +to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. +I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. +For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. +The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. +All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. +I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. +If anyone does not love the Lord--a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! +The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. +My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen. + + + + +Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: +Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, +who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. +For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. +If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. +And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. +We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. +Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. +He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, +as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. +Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. +For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, +as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. +Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. +I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. +When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"? +But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." +For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." +For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. +Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, +set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. +I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. +Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. + + +So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. +For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? +I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. +For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. +If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely. +The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. +Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. +I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. +The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. +If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, +in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. +Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, +I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. +But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. +For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. +To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? +Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. + + +Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? +You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. +You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. +Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. +Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. +He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. +Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, +will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? +If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! +For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. +And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! +Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. +We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. +But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. +Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. +But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. +Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. +And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. + + +Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. +Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. +And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. +The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. +For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. +For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. +But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. +We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; +persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. +We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. +For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. +So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. +It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, +because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. +All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. +Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. +For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. +So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. + + +Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. +Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, +because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. +For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. +Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. +Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. +We live by faith, not by sight. +We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. +So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. +For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. +Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. +We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. +If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. +For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. +And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. +So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. +Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! +All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: +that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. +We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. +God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. + + +As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. +For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. +We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. +Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; +in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; +in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; +in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; +through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; +known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; +sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. +We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. +We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. +As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also. +Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? +What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? +What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." +"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." +"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." + + +Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. +Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. +I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. +I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. +For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within. +But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, +and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. +Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- +yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. +Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. +See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. +So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. +By all this we are encouraged. +In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. +And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. +I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. + + +And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. +Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. +For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, +they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. +And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. +So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. +But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. +I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. +For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. +And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. +Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. +For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. +Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. +At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, +as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." +I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. +For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. +And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. +What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. +We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. +For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. +In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. +As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. +Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. + + +There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. +For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. +But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. +For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to say anything about you--would be ashamed of having been so confident. +So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. +Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. +Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. +And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. +As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." +Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. +You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. +This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. +Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. +And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. +Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! + + +By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! +I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. +For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. +The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. +We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. +And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. +You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. +For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. +I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. +For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." +Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. +We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. +We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. +We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. +Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, +so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. +But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." +For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. + + +I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. +I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. +But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. +For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. +But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." +I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. +Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? +I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. +And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. +As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. +Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! +And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. +For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. +And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. +It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. +I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. +In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. +Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. +You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! +In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. +To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! +What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. +Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. +Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. +Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, +I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. +I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. +Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. +Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? +If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. +The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. +In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. +But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. + + +I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. +I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. +And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- +was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. +I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. +Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. +To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. +Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. +But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. +That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. +I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing. +The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance. +How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! +Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. +So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? +Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! +Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you? +I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course? +Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. +For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. +I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. + + +This will be my third visit to you. "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." +I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, +since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. +For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you. +Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? +And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. +Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. +For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. +We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. +This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority--the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. +Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. +Greet one another with a holy kiss. +All the saints send their greetings. +May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. + + + + +Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- +and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: +Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, +who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, +to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. +I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- +which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. +But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! +As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! +Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. +I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. +I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. +For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. +I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. +But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased +to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, +nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. +Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. +I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother. +I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. +Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. +I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. +They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." +And they praised God because of me. + + +Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. +I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. +Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. +This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. +We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. +As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message. +On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. +For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. +James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. +All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. +When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. +Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. +The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. +When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? +"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' +know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. +"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! +If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. +For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. +I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. +I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" + + +You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. +I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? +Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? +Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? +Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? +Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." +Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. +The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." +So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. +All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." +Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." +The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." +Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." +He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. +Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. +The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. +What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. +For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. +What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. +A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. +Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. +But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. +Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. +So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. +Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. +You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, +for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. +There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. +If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. + + +What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. +He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. +So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. +But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, +to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. +Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." +So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. +Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. +But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? +You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! +I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. +I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. +As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. +Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. +What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. +Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? +Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. +It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. +My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, +how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! +Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? +For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. +His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. +These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. +Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. +But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. +For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." +Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. +At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. +But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." +Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. + + +It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. +Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. +Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. +You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. +But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. +For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. +You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? +That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. +"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." +I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. +Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. +As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! +You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. +The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." +If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. +So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. +For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. +But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. +The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; +idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions +and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. +But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, +gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. +Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. +Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. +Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. + + +Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. +Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. +If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. +Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, +for each one should carry his own load. +Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. +Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. +The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. +Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. +Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. +See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! +Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. +Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. +May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. +Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. +Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. +Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. +The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. + + + + +Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: +Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. +For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love +he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- +to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. +In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace +that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. +And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, +to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. +In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, +in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. +And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, +who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. +For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, +I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. +I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. +I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, +and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, +which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, +far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. +And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, +which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. + + +As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, +in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. +All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. +But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, +made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. +And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, +in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. +For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- +not by works, so that no one can boast. +For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. +Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- +remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. +But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. +For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, +by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, +and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. +He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. +For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. +Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, +built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. +In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. +And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. + + +For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- +Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, +that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. +In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, +which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. +This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. +I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. +Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, +and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. +His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, +according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. +In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. +I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. +For this reason I kneel before the Father, +from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. +I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, +so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, +may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, +and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. +Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, +to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. + + +As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. +Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. +Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. +There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- +one Lord, one faith, one baptism; +one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. +But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. +This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." +(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? +He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) +It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, +to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up +until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. +Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. +Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. +From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. +So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. +They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. +Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. +You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. +Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. +You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; +to be made new in the attitude of your minds; +and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. +Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. +"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, +and do not give the devil a foothold. +He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. +Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. +And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. +Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. +Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. + + +Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children +and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. +But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. +Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. +For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. +Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. +Therefore do not be partners with them. +For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light +(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) +and find out what pleases the Lord. +Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. +For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. +But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, +for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." +Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, +making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. +Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. +Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. +Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, +always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. +Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. +Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. +For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. +Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. +Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her +to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, +and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. +In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. +After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- +for we are members of his body. +"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." +This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. +However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. + + +Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. +"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise-- +"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." +Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. +Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. +Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. +Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, +because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. +And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. +Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. +Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. +For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. +Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. +Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, +and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. +In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. +Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. +And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. +Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, +for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. +Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. +I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. +Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. + + + + +Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: +Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +I thank my God every time I remember you. +In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy +because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, +being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. +It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. +God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. +And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, +so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, +filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. +Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. +As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. +Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. +It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. +The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. +The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. +But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. +Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. +I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. +For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. +If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! +I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; +but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. +Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, +so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. +Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel +without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. +For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, +since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. + + +If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, +then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. +Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. +Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. +Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: +Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, +but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. +And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! +Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, +that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, +and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. +Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, +for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. +Do everything without complaining or arguing, +so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe +as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. +But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. +So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. +I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. +I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. +For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. +But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. +I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. +And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. +But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. +For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. +Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. +Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. +Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, +because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. + + +Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. +Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. +For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh-- +though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: +circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; +as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. +But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. +What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ +and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. +I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, +and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. +Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. +Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, +I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. +All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. +Only let us live up to what we have already attained. +Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. +For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. +Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. +But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, +who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. + + +Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! +I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. +Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. +Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! +Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. +Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. +And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. +Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. +Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. +I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. +I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. +I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. +I can do everything through him who gives me strength. +Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. +Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; +for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. +Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. +I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. +And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. +To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. +Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. +All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. +The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. + + + + +Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, +To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. +We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, +because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- +the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel +that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. +You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, +and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. +For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. +And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, +being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully +giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. +For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, +in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. +He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. +For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. +He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. +And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. +For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, +and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. +Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. +But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- +if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. +Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. +I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- +the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. +To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. +We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. +To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. + + +I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. +My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, +in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. +I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. +For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. +So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, +rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. +See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. +For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, +and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. +In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, +having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. +When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, +having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. +And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. +Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. +These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. +Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. +He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. +Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: +"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? +These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. +Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. + + +Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. +Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. +For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. +When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. +Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. +Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. +You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. +But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. +Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices +and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. +Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. +Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. +Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. +And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. +Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. +Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. +And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. +Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. +Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. +Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. +Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. +Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. +Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, +since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. +Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. + + +Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. +Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. +And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. +Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. +Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. +Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. +Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. +I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. +He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. +My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) +Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. +Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. +I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. +Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. +Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. +After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. +Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord." +I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. + + + + +Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. +We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. +We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. +For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, +because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. +You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. +And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. +The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, +for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, +and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. + + +You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. +We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. +For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. +On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. +You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. +We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. +As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. +We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. +Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. +You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. +For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, +encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. +And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. +For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, +who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men +in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. +But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. +For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us. +For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? +Indeed, you are our glory and joy. + + +So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. +We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, +so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. +In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. +For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. +But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. +Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. +For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. +How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? +Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. +Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. +May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. +May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. + + +Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. +For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. +It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; +that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, +not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; +and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. +For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. +Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. +Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. +And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. +Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, +so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. +Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. +We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. +According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. +For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. +After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. +Therefore encourage each other with these words. + + +Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, +for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. +While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. +But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. +You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. +So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. +For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. +But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. +For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. +He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. +Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. +Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. +Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. +And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. +Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. +Be joyful always; +pray continually; +give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. +Do not put out the Spirit's fire; +do not treat prophecies with contempt. +Test everything. Hold on to the good. +Avoid every kind of evil. +May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. +The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. +Brothers, pray for us. +Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. +I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. +The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + + + + +Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: +Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. +Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. +All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. +God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you +and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. +He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. +They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power +on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. +With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. +We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. + + +Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, +not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. +Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. +He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. +Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? +And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. +For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. +And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. +The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, +and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. +For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie +and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. +But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. +He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. +So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. +May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, +encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. + + +Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. +And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. +But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. +We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. +May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. +In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. +For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, +nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. +We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. +For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." +We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. +Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. +And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. +If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. +Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. +Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. +I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. +The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. + + + + +Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, +To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. +As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer +nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith. +The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. +Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. +They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. +We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. +We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, +for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine +that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. +I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. +Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. +The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. +Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. +But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. +Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. +Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, +holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. +Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. + + +I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- +for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. +This is good, and pleases God our Savior, +who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. +For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, +who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time. +And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. +I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. +I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, +but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. +A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. +I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. +For Adam was formed first, then Eve. +And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. +But women will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. + + +Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. +Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, +not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. +He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. +(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) +He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. +He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. +Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. +They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. +They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. +In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. +A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. +Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. +Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, +if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. +Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. + + +The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. +Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. +They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. +For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, +because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. +If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. +Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. +For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. +This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance +(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. +Command and teach these things. +Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. +Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. +Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. +Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. +Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. + + +Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, +older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. +Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. +But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. +The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. +But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. +Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. +If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. +No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, +and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. +As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. +Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. +Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. +So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. +Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. +If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. +The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. +For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." +Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. +Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. +I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. +Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. +Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. +The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. +In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. + + +All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. +Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them. +If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, +he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions +and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. +But godliness with contentment is great gain. +For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. +But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. +People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. +For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. +But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. +Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. +In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you +to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, +which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, +who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. +Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. +Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. +In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. +Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, +which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you. + + + + +Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, +To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. +I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. +Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. +I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. +For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. +For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. +So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, +who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, +but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. +And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. +That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. +What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. +Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. +You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. +May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. +On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. +May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. + + +You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. +And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. +Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. +No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. +Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. +The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. +Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. +Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, +for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. +Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. +Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; +if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; +if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. +Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. +Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. +Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. +Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, +who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. +Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." +In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. +If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. +Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. +Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. +And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. +Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, +and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. + + +But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. +People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, +without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, +treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- +having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. +They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, +always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. +Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. +But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. +You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, +persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. +In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, +while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. +But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, +and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. +All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, +so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. + + +In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: +Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. +For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. +They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. +But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. +For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. +I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. +Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. +Do your best to come to me quickly, +for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. +Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. +I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. +When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. +Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. +You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. +At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. +But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. +The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. +Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. +Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. +Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers. +The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. + + + + +Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness-- +a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, +and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, +To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. +The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. +An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. +Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. +Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. +He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. +For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. +They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain. +Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." +This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith +and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. +To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. +They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. + + +You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. +Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. +Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. +Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, +to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. +Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. +In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness +and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. +Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, +and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. +For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. +It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, +while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, +who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. +These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. + + +Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, +to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. +At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. +But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, +he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, +whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, +so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. +This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. +But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. +Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. +You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. +As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. +Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. +Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. +Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. + + + + +Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, +To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home: +Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. +I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, +because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. +I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. +Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. +Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, +yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus-- +I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. +Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. +I am sending him--who is my very heart--back to you. +I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. +But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. +Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good-- +no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. +So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. +If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. +I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self. +I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. +Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. +And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. +Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. +And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. +The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + +In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, +but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. +The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. +So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. +For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father "? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? +And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." +In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire." +But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. +You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." +He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. +They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. +You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end." +To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? +Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? + + +We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. +For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, +how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. +God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. +It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. +But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? +You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor +and put everything under his feet.? In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. +But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. +In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. +Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. +He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." +And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." +Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- +and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. +For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. +For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. +Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. + + +Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. +He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. +Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. +For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. +Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. +But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. +So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, +do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, +where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. +That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' +So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" +See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. +But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. +We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. +As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." +Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? +And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? +And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? +So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. + + +Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. +For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. +Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" +And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." +And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest." +It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. +Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." +For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. +There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; +for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. +Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. +For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double--edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. +Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. +Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. +For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. +Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. + + +Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. +He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. +This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. +No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. +So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. " +And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." +During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. +Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered +and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him +and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. +We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. +In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! +Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. +But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. + + +Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, +instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. +And God permitting, we will do so. +It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, +who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, +if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. +Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. +But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. +Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation. +God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. +We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. +We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. +When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, +saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." +And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. +Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. +Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. +God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. +We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, +where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. + + +This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, +and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." +Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. +Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! +Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. +This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. +And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. +In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. +One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, +because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor. +If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? +For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. +He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. +For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. +And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, +one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. +For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." +The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless +(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. +And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, +but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'" +Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. +Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; +but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. +Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. +Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. +Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. +For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. + + +The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, +and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. +Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. +If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. +They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." +But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. +For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. +But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. +It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. +This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. +No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. +For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." +By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear. + + +Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. +A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. +Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, +which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. +Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. +When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. +But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. +The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. +This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. +They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order. +When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. +He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. +The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. +How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! +For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. +In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, +because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. +This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. +When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. +He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." +In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. +In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. +It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. +For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. +Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. +Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. +Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, +so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. + + +The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. +If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. +But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, +because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. +Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; +with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. +Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'" +First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). +Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. +And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. +Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. +But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. +Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, +because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. +The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: +"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." +Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." +And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. +Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, +by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, +and since we have a great priest over the house of God, +let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. +Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. +And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. +Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. +If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, +but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. +Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. +How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? +For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." +It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. +Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. +Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. +You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. +So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. +You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. +For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. +But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." +But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. + + +Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. +This is what the ancients were commended for. +By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. +By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. +By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. +And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. +By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. +By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. +By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. +For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. +By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. +And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. +All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. +People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. +If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. +Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. +By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, +even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." +Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. +By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. +By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. +By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. +By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. +By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. +He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. +He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. +By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. +By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. +By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. +By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. +By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. +And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, +who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, +quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. +Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. +Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. +They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- +the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. +These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. +God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. + + +Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. +Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. +Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. +In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. +And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, +because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." +Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? +If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. +Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! +Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. +No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. +Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. +"Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. +Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. +See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. +See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. +Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. +You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; +to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, +because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." +The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." +But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, +to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, +to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. +See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? +At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." +The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. +Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, +for our "God is a consuming fire." + + +Keep on loving each other as brothers. +Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. +Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. +Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. +Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." +So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" +Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. +Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. +Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. +We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. +The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. +And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. +Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. +For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. +Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. +And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. +Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. +Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. +I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. +May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, +equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. +Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. +I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. +Greet all your leaders and all God's people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. +Grace be with you all. + + + + +James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. +Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, +because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. +Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. +If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. +But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. +That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; +he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. +The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. +But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. +For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. +Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. +When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; +but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. +Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. +Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. +Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. +He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. +My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, +for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. +Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. +Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. +Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror +and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. +But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. +If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. +Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. + + +My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. +Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. +If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," +have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? +Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? +But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? +Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? +If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. +But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. +For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. +For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. +Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, +because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! +What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? +Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. +If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? +In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. +But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. +You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. +You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? +Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? +You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. +And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. +You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. +In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? +As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. + + +Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. +We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. +When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. +Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. +Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. +The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. +All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, +but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. +With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. +Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. +Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? +My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. +Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. +But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. +Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. +For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. +But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. +Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. + + +What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? +You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. +When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. +You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. +Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? +But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." +Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. +Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. +Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. +Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. +Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. +There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? +Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." +Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. +Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." +As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. +Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. + + +Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. +Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. +Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. +Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. +You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. +You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. +Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. +You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. +Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! +Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. +As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. +Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. +Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. +Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. +And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. +Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. +Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. +Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. +My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, +remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. + + + + +Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, +who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. +Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, +and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, +who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. +In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. +These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. +Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, +for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. +Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, +trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. +It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. +Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. +As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. +But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; +for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." +Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. +For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, +but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. +He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. +Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. +Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. +For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. +For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, +but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. + + +Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. +Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, +now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. +As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- +you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. +For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." +Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, " +and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. +But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. +Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. +Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. +Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. +Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, +or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. +For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. +Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. +Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. +Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. +For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. +But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. +To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. +"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." +When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. +He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. +For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. + + +Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, +when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. +Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. +Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. +For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, +like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. +Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. +Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. +Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. +For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. +He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. +For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." +Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? +But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." +But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, +keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. +It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. +For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, +through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison +who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, +and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, +who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. + + +Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. +As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. +For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. +They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. +But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. +For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. +The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. +Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. +Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. +Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. +If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. +Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. +But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. +If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. +If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. +However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. +For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? +And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" +So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. + + +To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: +Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; +not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. +And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. +Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." +Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. +Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. +Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. +Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. +And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. +To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. +With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. +She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. +Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. + + + + +Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: +Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. +His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. +Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. +For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; +and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; +and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. +For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. +But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. +Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, +and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. +So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. +I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, +because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. +And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. +We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. +For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." +We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. +And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. +Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. +For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. + + +But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. +Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. +In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. +For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; +if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; +if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; +and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men +(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- +if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. +This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. +Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. +But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. +They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. +With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed--an accursed brood! +They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. +But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness. +These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. +For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. +They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. +If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. +It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. +Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." + + +Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. +I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. +First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. +They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." +But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. +By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. +By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. +But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. +The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. +But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. +Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives +as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. +But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. +So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. +Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. +He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. +Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. +But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. + + + + +That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. +The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. +We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. +We write this to make our joy complete. +This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. +If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. +But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. +If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. +If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. +If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. + + +My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. +He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. +We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. +The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. +But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: +Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. +Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. +Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. +Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. +Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. +But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. +I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. +I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. +I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. +Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. +For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. +The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. +Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. +They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. +But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. +I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. +Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. +No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. +See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. +And this is what he promised us--even eternal life. +I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. +As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. +And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. +If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. + + +How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. +Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. +Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. +Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. +But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. +No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. +Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. +He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. +No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. +This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. +This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. +Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. +Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. +We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. +Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. +This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. +If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? +Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. +This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence +whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. +Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God +and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. +And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. +Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. + + +Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. +This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, +but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. +You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. +They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. +We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. +Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. +Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. +This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. +This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. +Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. +No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. +We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. +And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. +If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. +And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. +In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. +There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. +We love because he first loved us. +If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. +And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. + + +Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. +This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. +This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, +for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. +Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. +This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. +For there are three that testify: +the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. +We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. +Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. +And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. +He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. +I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. +This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. +And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. +If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. +All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. +We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. +We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. +We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. +Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. + + + + +The elder, +To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth--and not I only, but also all who know the truth--because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: +Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love. +It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. +And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. +And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. +Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. +Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. +Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. +If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. +Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. +I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. +The children of your chosen sister send their greetings. + + + + +The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. +Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. +It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. +I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. +Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. +They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. +It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. +We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. +I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. +So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. +Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. +Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone--and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true. +I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. +I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. + + + + +Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: +Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. +Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. +For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. +Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. +And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. +In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. +In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. +But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" +Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals--these are the very things that destroy them. +Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. +These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead. +They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. +Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones +to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." +These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. +But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. +They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." +These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. +But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. +Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. +Be merciful to those who doubt; +snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. +To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- +to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. + + + + +The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, +who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. +Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. +John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits +before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. +To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. +Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. +"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." +I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. +On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, +which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." +I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, +and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. +His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. +His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. +In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. +When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. +I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. +"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. +The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. + + +"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: +I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. +You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. +Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. +Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. +But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. +"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. +I know your afflictions and your poverty-yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. +Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. +"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, doubleedged sword. +I know where you live-where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city-where Satan lives. +Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. +Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. +Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. +"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. +I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. +Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. +I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. +So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. +I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. +Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): +Only hold on to what you have until I come. +To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-- +'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'-- +just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. + + +"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. +Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. +Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. +Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. +He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. +"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. +I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. +I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. +Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. +I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. +Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. +"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. +I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! +So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. +You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. +I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. +Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. +Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. +To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. +He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." + + +After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." +At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. +And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. +Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. +From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. +Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. +In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. +Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." +Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, +the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: +"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." + + +Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. +And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" +But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. +I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. +Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." +Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. +He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. +And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. +And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. +You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." +Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. +In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" +Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" +The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. + + +I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" +I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. +When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" +Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. +When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. +Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" +When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" +I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. +When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. +They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" +Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. +I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, +and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. +The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. +Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. +They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! +For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" + + +After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. +Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: +"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." +Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. +From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, +from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, +from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, +from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. +After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. +And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." +All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, +saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" +Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" +I answered, "Sir, you know." +And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. +Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. +For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." + + +When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. +And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. +Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. +The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. +Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. +Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. +The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. +The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, +a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. +The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- +the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. +The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. +As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" + + +The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. +When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. +And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. +They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. +They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. +During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. +The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. +Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. +They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. +They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. +They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. +The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. +The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. +It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." +And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. +The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. +The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. +A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. +The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. +The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. +Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. + + +Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. +He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, +and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. +And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." +Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. +And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! +But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets." +Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." +So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." +I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. +Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." + + +I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. +But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. +And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." +These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. +If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. +These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. +Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. +Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. +For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. +The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. +But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. +Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. +At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. +The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon. +The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." +And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, +saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. +The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great--and for destroying those who destroy the earth." +Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. + + +A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. +She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. +Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. +His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. +She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. +The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. +And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. +But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. +The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. +Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. +They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. +Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." +When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. +The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. +Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. +But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. +Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. + + +And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. +And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. +One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. +Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" +The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. +He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. +He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. +All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. +He who has an ear, let him hear. +If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. +Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. +He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. +And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. +Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. +He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. +He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, +so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. +This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. + + +Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. +And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. +And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. +These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. +No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. +Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. +He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." +A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." +A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, +he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. +And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." +This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. +Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." +I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. +Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." +So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. +Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. +Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." +The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. +They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. + + +I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues--last, because with them God's wrath is completed. +And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God +and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. +Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." +After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. +Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. +Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. +And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. + + +Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." +The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. +The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. +The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. +Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; +for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." +And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments." +The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. +They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. +The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony +and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. +The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. +Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. +They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. +"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." +Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. +The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" +Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. +The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. +Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. +From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. + + +One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. +With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." +Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. +The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. +This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. +I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. +When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. +The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. +"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. +They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. +The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. +"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. +They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. +They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." +Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. +The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. +For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. +The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." + + +After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. +With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. +For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." +Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; +for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. +Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. +Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' +Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. +"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. +Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!' +"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- +cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; +cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. +"They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' +The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn +and cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! +In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' +"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' +They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! +Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.'" +Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. +The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. +The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. +In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth." + + +After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, +for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." +And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." +The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!" +Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!" +Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. +Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. +Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) +Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." +At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." +I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. +His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. +He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. +The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. +Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. +On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. +And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, +so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." +Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. +But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. +The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. + + +And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. +He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. +He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. +I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. +(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. +Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. +When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison +and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. +They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. +And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. +Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. +And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. +The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. +Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. +If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. + + +Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. +I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. +And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. +He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." +He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." +He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. +He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. +But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." +One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." +And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. +It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. +It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. +There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. +The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. +The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. +The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. +He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. +The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. +The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, +the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. +The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. +I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. +The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. +The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. +On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. +The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. +Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. + + +Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb +down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. +No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. +They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. +There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. +The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place." +"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." +I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. +But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" +Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. +Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy." +"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. +I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. +"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. +Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. +"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." +The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. +I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. +And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. +He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. +The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. + + + diff --git a/Bibles/esv.xml b/Bibles/esv.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..17bf397 --- /dev/null +++ b/Bibles/esv.xml @@ -0,0 +1,33616 @@ + + + + + In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. + The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. + And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. + And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. + God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. + And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." + And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. + And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. + And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. + God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. + And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. + The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. + And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. + And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, + and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. + And God made the two great lights- the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night- and the stars. + And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, + to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. + And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. + And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." + So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. + And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." + And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. + And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds- livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. + And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. + Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." + So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. + And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." + And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. + And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. + And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. + + + Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. + And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. + So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. + These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. + When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, + and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground- + then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. + And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. + And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. + A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. + The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. + And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. + The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. + And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. + The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. + And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, + but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." + Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." + So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. + The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. + So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. + And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. + Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." + Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. + And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. + + + Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" + And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, + but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" + But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. + For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." + So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. + Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. + And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. + But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" + And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." + He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" + The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." + Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." + The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. + I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." + To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." + And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; + thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. + By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." + The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. + And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. + Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever-" + therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. + He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. + + + Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD." + And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. + In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, + and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, + but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. + The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? + If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." + Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. + Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" + And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. + And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. + When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." + Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. + Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." + Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. + Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. + Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. + To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. + And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. + Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. + His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. + Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. + Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. + If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold." + And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him." + To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. + + + This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. + Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. + When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. + The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. + When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. + Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. + When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. + Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. + When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. + Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. + When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. + Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. + When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. + Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. + When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. + Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. + Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. + When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. + Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. + When Lamech had lived 122 years, he fathered a son + and called his name Noah, saying, "Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands." + Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. + Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died. + After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + + + When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, + the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. + Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." + The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. + The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. + And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. + So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." + But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. + These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. + And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. + And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. + And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. + Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. + This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. + Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. + For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. + But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. + And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. + Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. + Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them." + Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him. + + + Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. + Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, + and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. + For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground." + And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. + Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. + And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. + Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, + two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. + And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. + In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. + And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. + On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, + they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. + They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. + And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. + The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. + The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. + And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. + The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. + And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. + Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. + He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. + And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days. + + + But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. + The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, + and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, + and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. + And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. + At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made + and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. + Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. + But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. + He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. + And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. + Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore. + In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. + In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. + Then God said to Noah, + "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. + Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh- birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth- that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." + So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. + Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark. + Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. + And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. + While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." + + + And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. + The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. + Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. + But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. + And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. + "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. + And you, be fruitful and multiply, teem on the earth and multiply in it." + Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, + "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, + and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. + I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." + And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: + I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. + When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, + I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. + When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." + God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." + The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) + These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. + Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. + He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. + And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. + Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. + When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, + he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers." + He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. + May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant." + After the flood Noah lived 350 years. + All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died. + + + These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. + The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. + From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations. + The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. + The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. + Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. + He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD." + The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. + From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and + Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. + Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, + Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim. + Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, + and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, + the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, + the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. + And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. + These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. + To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. + The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. + The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. + Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. + To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. + The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. + These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. + These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. + + + Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. + And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. + And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. + Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." + And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. + And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. + Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech." + So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. + Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. + These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. + And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. + And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. + And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. + And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. + And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. + And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. + And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. + And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. + When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. + Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. + Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. + And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. + Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. + Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. + The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran. + + + Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. + And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. + I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." + So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. + And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, + Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. + Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. + From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. + And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. + Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. + When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, + and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. + Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake." + When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. + And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. + And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. + But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. + So Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? + Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go." + And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had. + + + So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. + Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. + And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, + to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. + And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, + so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, + and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. + Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. + Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." + And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) + So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. + Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. + Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. + The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, + for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. + I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. + Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." + So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. + + + In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, + these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). + And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim ( that is, the Salt Sea). + Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. + In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, + and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. + Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar. + Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim + with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. + Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. + So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. + They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. + Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. + When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. + And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. + Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. + After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). + And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) + And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; + and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. + And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself." + But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, + that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' + I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share." + + + After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." + But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" + And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." + And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." + And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." + And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. + And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess." + But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" + He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." + And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. + And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. + As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. + Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. + But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. + As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. + And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." + When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. + On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, + the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, + the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, + the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites." + + + Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. + And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. + So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. + And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. + And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!" + But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. + The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. + And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai." + The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her." + The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude." + And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. + He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." + So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." + Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. + And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. + Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. + + + When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, + that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." + Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, + "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. + No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. + I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. + And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. + And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." + And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. + This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. + You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. + He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, + both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. + Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." + And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. + I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." + Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" + And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" + God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. + As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. + But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year." + When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. + Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. + Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. + And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. + That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. + And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. + + + And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. + He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth + and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. + Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, + while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." + And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes." + And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. + Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. + They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." + The LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. + Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. + So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" + The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' + Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." + But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh." + Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. + The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, + seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? + For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him." + Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, + I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know." + So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. + Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? + Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? + Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" + And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." + Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. + Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." + Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." + Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." + He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." + Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." + And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. + + + The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth + and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square." + But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. + But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. + And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." + Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, + and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. + Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." + But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. + But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. + And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. + Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. + For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it." + So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. + As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city." + But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. + And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away." + And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords. + Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. + Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there- is it not a little one?- and my life will be saved!" + He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. + Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. + The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. + Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. + And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. + But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. + And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. + And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. + So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived. + Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. + And the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. + Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father." + So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. + The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father." + So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. + Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. + The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. + The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day. + + + From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. + And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. + But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." + Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent people? + Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." + Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. + Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all who are yours." + So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. + Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." + And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this thing?" + Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. + Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. + And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, 'This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother.'" + Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. + And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you." + To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated." + Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. + For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. + + + The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. + And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. + Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. + And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. + Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. + And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." + And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." + And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. + But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. + So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." + And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. + But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. + And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." + So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. + When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. + Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. + And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. + Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation." + Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. + And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. + He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. + At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do. + Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned." + And Abraham said, "I will swear." + When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized, + Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today." + So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. + Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. + And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?" + He said, "These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well." + Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. + So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. + Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. + And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines. + + + After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." + He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." + So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. + On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. + Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." + And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. + And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" + Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. + When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. + Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. + But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." + He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." + And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. + So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." + And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven + and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, + I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, + and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." + So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. + Now after these things it was told to Abraham, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: + Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, + Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." + ( Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. + Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. + + + Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. + And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. + And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, + "I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." + The Hittites answered Abraham, + "Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead." + Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. + And he said to them, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, + that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place." + Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, + "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead." + Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. + And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, "But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there." + Ephron answered Abraham, + "My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead." + Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. + So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over + to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. + After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. + The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites. + + + Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. + And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh, + that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, + but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." + The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" + Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there. + The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. + But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there." + So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. + Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. + And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. + And he said, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. + Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. + Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'- let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master." + Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. + The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. + Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." + She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. + When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." + So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. + The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not. + When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, + and said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" + She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." + She added, "We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night." + The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD + and said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen." + Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things. + Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. + As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. + He said, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." + So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. + Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say." He said, "Speak on." + So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. + The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. + And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. + My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, + but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.' + I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' + But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. + Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' + "I came today to the spring and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, + behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," + and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' + "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' + She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. + Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. + Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. + Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." + Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. + Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken." + When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. + And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. + And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." + Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go." + But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." + They said, "Let us call the young woman and ask her." + And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." + So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. + And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them!" + Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way. + Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. + And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. + And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel + and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. + And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. + Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. + + + Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. + She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. + Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. + The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. + Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. + But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. + These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. + Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. + Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, + the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. + After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. + These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. + These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, + Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. + These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. + (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) + They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen. + These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, + and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean. + And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. + The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. + And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger." + When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. + The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. + Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. + When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. + Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. + Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. + And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Therefore his name was called Edom.) + Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright now." + Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" + Jacob said, "Swear to me now." So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. + Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. + + + Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. + And the LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. + Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. + I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, + because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." + So Isaac settled in Gerar. + When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance. + When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. + So Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac said to him, "Because I thought, 'Lest I die because of her.'" + Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." + So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." + And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, + and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. + He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. + (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) + And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we." + So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the valley of Gerar and settled there. + And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. + But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, + the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. + Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. + And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." + From there he went up to Beersheba. + And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake." + So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well. + When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, + Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?" + They said, "We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, + that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD." + So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. + In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac set them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. + That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, "We have found water." + He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. + When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, + and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. + + + When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am." + He said, "Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. + Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, + and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die." + Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, + Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, + 'Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.' + Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. + Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. + And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies." + But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. + Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing." + His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me." + So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. + Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. + And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. + And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. + So he went in to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" + Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me." + But Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because the LORD your God granted me success." + Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not." + So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." + And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him. + He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He answered, "I am." + Then he said, "Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. + Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come near and kiss me, my son." + So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed! + May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. + Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!" + As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. + He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that you may bless me." + His father Isaac said to him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." + Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, "Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed." + As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, O my father!" + But he said, "Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing." + Esau said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing." Then he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?" + Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?" + Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father." And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. + Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: "Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. + By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck." + Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob." + But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. + Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran + and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away- + until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?" + Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?" + + + Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, "You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. + Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. + God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. + May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!" + Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. + Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, "You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women," + and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. + So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, + Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth. + Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. + And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. + And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! + And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. + Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. + Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." + Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." + And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." + So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. + He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. + Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, + so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, + and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you." + + + Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. + As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was large, + and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. + Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran." + He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him." + He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!" + He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them." + But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep." + While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. + Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. + Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. + And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. + As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, + and Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month. + Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" + Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. + Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. + Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." + Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." + So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. + Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." + So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. + But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. + (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) + And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" + Laban said, "It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. + Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." + Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. + (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) + So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. + When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. + And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me." + She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. + Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. + And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing. + + + When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!" + Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" + Then she said, "Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her." + So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. + And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. + Then Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. + Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. + Then Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed." So she called his name Naphtali. + When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. + Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. + And Leah said, "Good fortune has come!" so she called his name Gad. + Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. + And Leah said, "Happy am I! For women have called me happy." So she called his name Asher. + In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." + But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" Rachel said, "Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." + When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night. + And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. + Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. + And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. + Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. + Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah. + Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. + She conceived and bore a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach." + And she called his name Joseph, saying, "May the LORD add to me another son!" + As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. + Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you." + But Laban said to him, "If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you. + Name your wages, and I will give it." + Jacob said to him, "You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. + For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?" + He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: + let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. + So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen." + Laban said, "Good! Let it be as you have said." + But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge of his sons. + And he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flock. + Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. + He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, + the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. + And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban's flock. + Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, + but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. + Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys. + + + Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth." + And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. + Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you." + So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was + and said to them, "I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. + You know that I have served your father with all my strength, + yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. + If he said, 'The spotted shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore striped. + Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. + In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. + Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am!' + And he said, 'Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. + I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.'" + Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? + Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. + All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do." + So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. + He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. + Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods. + And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. + He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. + When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, + he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. + But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." + And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. + And Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? + Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? + And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. + It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' + And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?" + Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. + Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. + So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's. + Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. + And she said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household gods. + Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, "What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? + For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. + These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. + What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. + There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. + These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. + If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night." + Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? + Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me." + So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. + And Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. + Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. + Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." Therefore he named it Galeed, + and Mizpah, for he said, "The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight. + If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me." + Then Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. + This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. + The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, + and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country. + Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home. + + + Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. + And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's camp!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. + And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, + instructing them, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, 'I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. + I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'" + And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him." + Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, + thinking, "If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape." + And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,' + I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. + Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. + But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'" + So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, + two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, + thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. + These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove." + He instructed the first, "When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?' + then you shall say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.'" + He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, "You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, + and you shall say, 'Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.'"For he thought, "I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me." + So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. + The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. + He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. + And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. + When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. + Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." + And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." + Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." + Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. + So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." + The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. + Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh. + + + And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. + And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. + He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. + But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. + And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, "Who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." + Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. + Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. + Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company that I met?" Jacob answered, "To find favor in the sight of my lord." + But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself." + Jacob said, "No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. + Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." Thus he urged him, and he took it. + Then Esau said, "Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you." + But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. + Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." + So Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord." + So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. + But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. + And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. + And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. + There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. + + + Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. + And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. + And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. + So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this girl for my wife." + Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. + And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. + The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing must not be done. + But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. + Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. + You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it." + Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. + Ask me for as great a bride price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife." + The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. + They said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. + Only on this condition will we agree with you- that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. + Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. + But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone." + Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor's son Shechem. + And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father's house. + So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, + "These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. + Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people- when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. + Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us." + And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. + On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. + They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went away. + The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. + They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. + All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered. + Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household." + But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" + + + God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau." + So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. + Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." + So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. + And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. + And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, + and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. + And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth. + God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. + And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So he called his name Israel. + And God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. + The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you." + Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. + And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. + So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. + Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. + And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for you have another son." + And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. + So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), + and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day. + Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. + While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. + The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. + The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. + The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. + The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. + And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. + Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. + And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. + + + These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). + Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, + and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. + And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; + and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. + Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. + For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. + So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. ( Esau is Edom.) + These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. + These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. + The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. + (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, + Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. + These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. + These are the sons of Esau ( that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs. + These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. + The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna. + These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. + These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. + These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. + These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. + These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. + These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. + These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, + Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, chief by chief in the land of Seir. + These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites. + Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. + Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. + Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. + Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. + Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. + Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. + Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. + Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab. + These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. + + + Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. + These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. + Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. + But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. + Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. + He said to them, "Hear this dream that I have dreamed: + Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." + His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. + Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." + But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?" + And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. + Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. + And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am." + So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. + And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, "What are you seeking?" + "I am seeking my brothers," he said. "Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock." + And the man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. + They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to ki i him. + They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. + Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." + But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." + And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"- that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. + So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. + And they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. + Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. + Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? + Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him. + Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. + When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes + and returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?" + Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. + And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, "This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not." + And he identified it and said, "It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces." + Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. + All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him. + Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. + + + It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. + There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, + and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. + She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. + Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. + And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. + But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. + Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." + But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. + And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. + Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up"- for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house. + In course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. + And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep," + she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. + When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. + He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" + He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it-" + He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. + Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. + When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. + And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." + So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" + And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." + About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." + As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." + Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again. + When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. + And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." + But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez. + Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. + + + Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. + The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. + His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. + So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. + From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. + So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. + And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me." + But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. + He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" + And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. + But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, + she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. + And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, + she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. + And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house." + Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, + and she told him the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. + But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." + As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, "This is the way your servant treated me," his anger was kindled. + And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. + But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. + And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. + The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed. + + + Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. + And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, + and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. + The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. + And one night they both dreamed- the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison- each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. + When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. + So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why are your faces downcast today?" + They said to him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me." + So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, "In my dream there was a vine before me, + and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. + Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand." + Then Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. + In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. + Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. + For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit." + When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, + and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head." + And Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. + In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head- from you!- and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you." + On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. + He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. + But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. + Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. + + + After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, + and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. + And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. + And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. + And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. + And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. + And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. + So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. + Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "I remember my offenses today. + When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, + we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. + A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. + And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged." + Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." + Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. + Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. + Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. + And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, + but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. + I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. + Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, + and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me." + Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. + The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. + The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. + It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. + There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, + but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, + and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. + And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. + Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. + Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. + And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. + That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine." + This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. + And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?" + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. + You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you." + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." + Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. + And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, "Bow the knee!" Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. + Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." + And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. + Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. + During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, + and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. + And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured. + Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. + Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house." + The name of the second he called Ephraim, "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." + The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, + and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. + When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do." + So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. + Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. + + + When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" + And he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die." + So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. + But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. + Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. + Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. + Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. "Where do you come from?" he said. They said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." + And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. + And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, "You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land." + They said to him, "No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. + We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies." + He said to them, "No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see." + And they said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more." + But Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you. You are spies. + By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. + Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." + And he put them all together in custody for three days. + On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: + if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, + and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so. + Then they said to one another, "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us." + And Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood." + They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. + Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. + And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them. + Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. + And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. + He said to his brothers, "My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!" At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" + When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, + "The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. + But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we have never been spies. + We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.' + Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. + Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'" + As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. + And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me." + Then Reuben said to his father, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you." + But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol." + + + Now the famine was severe in the land. + And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food." + But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' + If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. + But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'" + Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?" + They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?" + And Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. + I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. + If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice." + Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. + Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. + Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. + May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." + So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. + When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon." + The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph's house. + And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys." + So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house, + and said, "Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. + And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, + and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks." + He replied, "Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. + And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, + they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there. + When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. + And he inquired about their welfare and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" + They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. + And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!" + Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. + Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, "Serve the food." + They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. + And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. + Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him. + + + Then he commanded the steward of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, + and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph told him. + As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. + They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? + Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.'" + When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. + They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! + Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? + Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants." + He said, "Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent." + Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. + And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. + Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. + When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. + Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?" + And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found." + But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father." + Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. + My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a brother?' + And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.' + Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.' + We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' + Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.' + "When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. + And when our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food,' + we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' + Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. + One left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since. + If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.' + "Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, + as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. + For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.' + Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. + For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father." + + + Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, "Make everyone go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. + And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. + And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. + So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. + And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. + For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. + And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. + So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. + Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. + You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. + There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.' + And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. + You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." + Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. + And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. + When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, "Joseph's brothers have come," it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. + And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, + and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.' + And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. + Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" + The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. + To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. + To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. + Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the way." + So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. + And they told him, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. + But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. + And Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." + + + So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. + And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I." + Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. + I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes." + Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. + They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, + his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt. + Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, + and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. + The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. + The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. + These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. + The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. + The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. + These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob- sixteen persons. + The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. + And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. + And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. + These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob- fourteen persons in all. + The sons of Dan: Hushim. + The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. + These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob- seven persons in all. + All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. + And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy. + He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. + Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. + Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive." + Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. + And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.' + When Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?' + you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians." + + + So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen." + And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. + Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were." + They said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen." + Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. + The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock." + Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. + And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days of the years of your life?" + And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning." + And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. + Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. + And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents. + Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. + And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. + And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone." + And Joseph answered, "Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone." + So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. + And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. + Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate." + So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. + As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. + Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. + Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. + And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones." + And they said, "You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh." + So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's. + Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. + And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. + And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, + but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place." He answered, "I will do as you have said." + And he said, "Swear to me"; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed. + + + After this, Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is ill." So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. + And it was told to Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to you." Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. + And Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, + and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.' + And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. + And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. + As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." + When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" + Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them." + Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. + And Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also." + Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. + And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. + And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). + And he blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, + the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." + When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. + And Joseph said to his father, "Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head." + But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations." + So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'"Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. + Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. + Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow." + + + Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. + "Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father. + "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. + Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it- he went up to my couch! + "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. + Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. + Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. + "Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. + Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? + The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. + Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. + His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. + "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. + "Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. + He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor. + "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. + Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward. + I wait for your salvation, O LORD. + "Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. + "Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. + "Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns. + "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. + The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, + yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), + by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. + The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers. + "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil." + All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. + Then he commanded them and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, + in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. + There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah- + the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites." + When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. + + + Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. + And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. + Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. + And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, + My father made me swear, saying, 'I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.' Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return." + And Pharaoh answered, "Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear." + So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, + as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. + And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. + When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. + When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians." Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. + Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, + for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. + After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. + When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him." + So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died, + 'Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him. + His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." + But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? + As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. + So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. + So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. + And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. + And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." + Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." + So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. + + + + + These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: + Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, + Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, + Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. + All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. + Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. + But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. + Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. + And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. + Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." + Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. + But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. + So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves + and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. + Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, + "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live." + But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. + So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?" + The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." + So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. + And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. + Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live." + + + Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. + The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. + When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. + And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. + Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. + When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." + Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" + And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother. + And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. + When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water." + One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. + He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. + When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?" + He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known." + When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. + Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. + The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. + When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, "How is it that you have come home so soon today?" + They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock." + He said to his daughters, "Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread." + And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. + She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." + During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. + And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. + God saw the people of Israel- and God knew. + + + Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. + And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. + And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned." + When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." + Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." + And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. + Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, + and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. + And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. + Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." + But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" + He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." + Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" + God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" + God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. + Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, + and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."' + And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' + But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. + So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. + And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, + but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians." + + + Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'" + The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." + And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. + But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"- so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand- + "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." + Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. + Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. + "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. + If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." + But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." + Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? + Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." + But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." + Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. + You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. + He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. + And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs." + Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." + And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead." + So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand. + And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. + Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, + and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'" + At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. + Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" + So he let him alone. It was then that she said, "A bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision. + The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. + And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. + Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. + Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. + And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. + + + Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'" + But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go." + Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." + But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens." + And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!" + The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, + "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. + But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.' + Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words." + So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I will not give you straw. + Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.'" + So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. + The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw." + And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?" + Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this? + No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people." + But he said, "You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' + Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks." + The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, "You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day." + They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; + and they said to them, "The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." + Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? + For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all." + + + But the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land." + God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD. + I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. + I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. + Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. + Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. + I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. + I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" + Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. + So the LORD said to Moses, + "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land." + But Moses said to the LORD, "Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?" + But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. + These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. + The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. + These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. + The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. + Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. + The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. + The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. + Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. + Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans. + These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: "Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts." + It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron. + On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, + the LORD said to Moses, "I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you." + But Moses said to the LORD, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?" + + + And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. + You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. + But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, + Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. + The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." + Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. + Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. + Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, + "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Prove yourselves by working a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'" + So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. + Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. + For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. + Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. + Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. + And you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed." + Thus says the LORD, "By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. + The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."'" + And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'" + Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. + And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. + But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. + And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. + Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him,'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. + But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. + The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. + The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants."'" + And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!'" + So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. + But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." + Moses said to Pharaoh, "Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile." + And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. + The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile." + So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. + And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. + And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. + But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'" + And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. + The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. + Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. + Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. + But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. + Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen."'" + And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. + Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." + But Moses said, "It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? + We must go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us." + So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me." + Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." + So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. + And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. + But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. + For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, + behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. + But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die."'" + And the LORD set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land." + And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. + And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. + And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. + It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." + So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. + And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. + But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. + For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. + For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. + But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. + You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. + Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. + Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them."'" + Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, + but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt." + Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. + There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. + The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. + Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail. + Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. + Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." + Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. + But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God." + (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. + But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) + So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. + But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. + So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, + and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD." + So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. + For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, + and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, + and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.'"Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh. + Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?" + So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?" + Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD." + But he said to them, "The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. + No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left." + So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. + The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. + They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. + Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. + Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me." + So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD. + And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt." + So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. + They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. + Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind." + But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. + Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there." + But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. + Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die." + Moses said, "As you say! I will not see your face again." + + + The LORD said to Moses, "Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. + Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry." + And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people. + So Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, + and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. + There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. + But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. + And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, you and all the people who follow you.' And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." + Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land. + + + The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, + "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. + Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. + And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. + Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, + and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. + "Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. + They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. + Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. + And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. + In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. + For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. + The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. + "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. + Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. + On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. + And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. + In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. + For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. + You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread." + Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. + Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. + For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. + You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. + And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. + And when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' + you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of the LORD's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.'"And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. + Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. + At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. + And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. + Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, "Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. + Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!" + The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, "We shall all be dead." + So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. + The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. + And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. + And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. + A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. + And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. + The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. + At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. + It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. + And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, + but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. + No foreigner or hired servant may eat of it. + It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. + All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. + If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. + There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you." + All the people of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. + And on that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." + Then Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. + Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. + And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. + Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. + Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. + You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' + And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. + You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. + "When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, + you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD's. + Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. + And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. + For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' + It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt." + When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt." + But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. + Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here." + And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. + And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. + The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. + + + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. + For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, 'They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.' + And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD." And they did so. + When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" + So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, + and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. + And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. + The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pihahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. + When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. + They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? + Is not this what we said to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." + And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. + The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." + The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. + Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. + And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. + And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." + Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, + coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. + Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. + And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. + The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. + And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, + clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen." + So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. + The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. + But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. + Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. + Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses. + + + Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. + The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. + The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. + "Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. + The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. + Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. + In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. + At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. + The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.' + You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. + "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? + You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. + "You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. + The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. + Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. + Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. + You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. + The LORD will reign forever and ever." + For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. + Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. + And Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea." + Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. + When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. + And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" + And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, + saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer." + Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. + + + They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. + And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, + and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. + On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." + So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, + and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?" + And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him- what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD." + Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'" + And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. + And the LORD said to Moses, + "I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" + In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. + And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. + When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. + This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'" + And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. + But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. + And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning." + But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. + Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. + On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, + he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'" + So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. + Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. + Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none." + On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. + And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? + See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." + So the people rested on the seventh day. + Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. + Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" + And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations." + As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. + The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. + (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.) + + + All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. + Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" + But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" + So Moses cried to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." + And the LORD said to Moses, "Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. + Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. + And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" + Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. + So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." + So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. + Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. + But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. + And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." + And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD is my banner, + saying, "A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." + + + Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. + Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, + along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom ( for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land"), + and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh"). + Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. + And when he sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her," + Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. + Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. + And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. + Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. + Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people." + And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. + The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. + When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?" + And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God; + when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws." + Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. + You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. + Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, + and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. + Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. + And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. + If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace." + So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. + Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. + And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. + Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country. + + + On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. + They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, + while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: + You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. + Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; + and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." + So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. + All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD. + And the LORD said to Moses. "Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, + the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments + and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. + And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. + No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." + So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. + And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman." + On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. + Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. + Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. + And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. + The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish. + Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them." + And Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, 'Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.'" + And the LORD said to him, "Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them." + So Moses went down to the people and told them. + + + And God spoke all these words, saying, + "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + "You shall have no other gods before me. + "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. + You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, + but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. + "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. + "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. + Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, + but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. + For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. + "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. + "You shall not murder. + "You shall not commit adultery. + "You shall not steal. + "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. + "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." + Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off + and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die." + Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." + The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. + You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. + An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. + If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. + And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.' + + + "Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. + When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. + If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. + If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. + But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,' + then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. + "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. + If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. + If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. + If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. + And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. + "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. + But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. + But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. + "Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. + "Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. + "Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. + "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, + then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed. + "When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. + But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money. + "When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. + But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, + eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, + burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. + "When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. + If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. + "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. + But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. + If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. + If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. + If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. + "When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, + the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his. + "When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. + Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his. + + + "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. + "If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, + but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. + If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. + "If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. + "If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution. + "If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. + If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. + For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor. + "If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, + an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. + But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. + If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn. + "If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. + If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee. + "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. + If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins. + "You shall not permit a sorceress to live. + "Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death. + "Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction. + "You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. + You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. + If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, + and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. + "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. + If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, + for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. + "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. + "You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. + You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me. + "You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs. + + + "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. + You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, + nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. + "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. + If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. + "You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. + Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. + And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. + "You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. + "For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, + but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. + "Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed. + "Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. + "Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. + You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. + You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. + Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord GOD. + "You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning. + "The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. + "Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. + Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. + "But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. + "When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, + you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. + You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. + None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. + I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. + And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. + I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. + Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. + And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. + You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. + They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you." + + + Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. + Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him." + Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do." + And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. + And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. + And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. + Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." + And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." + Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, + and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. + And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. + The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." + So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. + And he said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them." + Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. + The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. + Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. + Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. + And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, + blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, + tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, + oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, + onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. + And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. + Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. + "They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. + You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. + You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. + You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. + And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. + The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. + And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. + "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. + And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. + Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. + The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. + And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. + There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. + "You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. + You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. + And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. + And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. + Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. + You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. + And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. + And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly. + "You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. + And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; + three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch- so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. + And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, + and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. + Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. + You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. + Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. + It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. + And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain. + + + "Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. + The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. + Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. + And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. + Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. + And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole. + "You shall also make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. + The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. + You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. + You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. + "You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. + And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. + And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. + And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and a covering of goatskins on top. + "You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. + Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. + There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting together. So shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. + You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; + and forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons; + and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames, + and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under the next frame. + And for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. + And you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; + they shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring. Thus shall it be with both of them; they shall form the two corners. + And there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame. + "You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, + and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. + The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end. + You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. + Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain. + "And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. + And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. + And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. + You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. + And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side. + "You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. + And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them. + + + "You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. + And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. + You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. + You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. + And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. + And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. + And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. + You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. + "You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. + Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. + And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. + And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. + The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. + The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. + On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. + For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. + All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. + The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. + All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. + "You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. + In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. + + + "Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests- Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. + And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. + You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. + These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. + They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. + "And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. + It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. + And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. + You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, + six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. + As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. + And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. + You shall make settings of gold filigree, + and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. + "You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it- of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. + It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. + You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; + and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; + and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; + and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. + There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. + You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. + And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. + And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. + The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. + You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. + And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. + And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. + So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. + And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. + "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. + It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. + On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, + a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. + And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. + "You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, 'Holy to the LORD.' + And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. + It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. + "You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. + "For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. + And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. + You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; + and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. + + + "Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, + and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. + You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. + You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. + Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. + And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. + You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. + Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, + and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. + "Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. + Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting, + and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. + And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. + But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. + "Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, + and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. + Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, + and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. + "You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, + and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. + Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons' garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. + "You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), + and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. + You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. + Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the LORD. It is a food offering to the LORD. + "You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be your portion. + And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests' portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron's and his sons. + It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the LORD. + "The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. + The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days. + "You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. + And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting. + They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. + And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. + "Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, + and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. + Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy. + "Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. + One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. + And with the first lamb a tenth seah of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. + The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. + It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. + There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. + I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. + I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. + And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. + + + "You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. + A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. + You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. + And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. + You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. + And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. + And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, + and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. + You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. + Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD." + The LORD said to Moses, + "When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. + Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. + Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD's offering. + The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives. + You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives." + The LORD said to Moses, + "You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, + with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. + When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. + They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations." + The LORD said to Moses, + "Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, + and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. + And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. + With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, + and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, + and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. + You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. + You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. + And you shall say to the people of Israel, 'This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. + It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. + Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.'" + The LORD said to Moses, "Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), + and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. + You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. + And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. + Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people." + + + The LORD said to Moses, + "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, + and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, + to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, + in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. + And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: + the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, + the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, + and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, + and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, + and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do." + And the LORD said to Moses, + "You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, 'Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. + You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. + Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. + Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. + It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'" + And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. + + + When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." + So Aaron said to them, "Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." + So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. + And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" + When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD." + And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. + They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'" + And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. + Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." + But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? + Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. + Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'" + And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. + Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. + The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. + When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp." + But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear." + And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. + He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. + And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?" + And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. + For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' + So I said to them, 'Let any who have gold take it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf." + And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), + then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, "Who is on the LORD's side? Come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. + And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.'" + And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. + And Moses said, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day." + The next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." + So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people have sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. + But now, if you will forgive their sin- but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written." + But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. + But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them." + Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. + + + The LORD said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.' + I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. + Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people." + When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. + For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.'" + Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. + Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. + Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. + When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. + And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. + Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. + Moses said to the LORD, "See, you say to me, 'Bring up this people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.' + Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." + And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." + And he said to him, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. + For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?" + And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." + Moses said, "Please show me your glory." + And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. + But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." + And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, + and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. + Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen." + + + The LORD said to Moses, "Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. + Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. + No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain." + So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. + The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. + The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, + keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." + And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. + And he said, "If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance." + And he said, "Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. + "Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. + Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. + You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim + (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), + lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, + and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods. + "You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal. + "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. + All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. + The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. + "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. + You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. + Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. + For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year. + "You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. + The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk." + And the LORD said to Moses, "Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." + So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. + When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. + Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. + But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. + Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. + And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. + Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, + the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. + + + Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, "These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do. + Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. + You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day." + Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. + Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; + blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair, + tanned rams' skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, + oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, + and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. + "Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded: + the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; + the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; + the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; + the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; + and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; + the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; + the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; + the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; + the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests." + Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. + And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. + So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD. + And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats' hair or tanned rams' skins or goatskins brought them. + Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the LORD's contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. + And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. + All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats' hair. + And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, + and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. + All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD. + Then Moses said to the people of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; + and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, + to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, + in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. + And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. + He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver- by any sort of workman or skilled designer. + + + "Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded." + And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. + And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, + so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, + and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." + So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, + for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. + And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. + The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size. + He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. + He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. + He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. + And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole. + He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. + The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. + He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. + And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. + And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. + And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins. + Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. + Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. + Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. + The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. + And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. + For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames + and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. + For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. + He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. + And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. + There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases. + He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, + and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. + And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. + And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. + He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. + And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. + He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, + and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze. + + + Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. + And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. + And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. + And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold + and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. + And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. + And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, + one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. + The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim. + He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. + And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it. + And he made a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and made a molding of gold around the rim. + He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. + Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. + He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold. + And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings. + He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it. + And there were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; + three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch- so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. + And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, + and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it. + Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. + And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold. + He made it and all its utensils out of a talent of pure gold. + He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. + He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it, + and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. + And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. + He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer. + + + He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height. + He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. + And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze. + And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down. + He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. + He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. + And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards. + He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; + their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. + And for the north side there were hangings of a hundred cubits, their twenty pillars, their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. + And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. + And for the front to the east, fifty cubits. + The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. + And so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases. + All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. + And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. + And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court. + And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. + And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze. + These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. + Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses; + and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. + All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. + The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: + a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. + The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base. + And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them. + The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels; + with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, + the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court. + + + From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. + And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design. + They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. + And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. + And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. + It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. + And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; + and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; + and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; + and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. + There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. + And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. + And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. + And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. + They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. + Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. + And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. + And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue, + and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear. + On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. + They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates- + a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They also made the coats, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, + and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen, + and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, "Holy to the LORD." + And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. + Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; + the covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins, and the veil of the screen; + the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; + the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; + the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; + the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; + the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; + the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; + the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests. + According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. + And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. + And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. + And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. + And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. + You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, + and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. + And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court. + "Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. + You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. + You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. + Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water + and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. + You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, + and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations." + This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did. + In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. + Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. + And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. + And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, + and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, + and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, + and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. + And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. + He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, + with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. + When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. + And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. + Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. + And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. + Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. + But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. + For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. + + + + + The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. + "If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. + He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. + Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, + and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. + And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; + but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, + and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. + And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, + but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons. + And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. + He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. + He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + + + "When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it + and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings. + "When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. + And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. + You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. + And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. + And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. + And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings. + "No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD. + As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. + You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. + "If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. + And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. + And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the LORD. + + + "If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. + And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. + And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. + Then Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. + If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD, + lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. + Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the LORD its fat; he shall remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. + And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering to the LORD. + "If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD + and lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. + Then he shall offer from it, as his offering for a food offering to the LORD, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. + And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the LORD's. + It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood." + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, + if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering. + He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the LORD. + And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting, + and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the LORD in front of the veil of the sanctuary. + And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the LORD that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering he shall remove from it, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails + and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys + (just as these are taken from the ox of the sacrifice of the peace offerings); and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. + But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung- + all the rest of the bull- he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up. + "If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt, + when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting. + And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD. + Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, + and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil. + And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. + Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. + And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly. + "When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the LORD his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, + or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, + and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering. + Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. + And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven. + "If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, + or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. + And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. + And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. + And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. + "If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish + and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. + Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. + And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the LORD's food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. + + + "If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity; + or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; + or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; + or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; + when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, + he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. + "But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. + He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck but shall not sever it completely, + and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. + Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. + "But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. + And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the LORD's food offerings; it is a sin offering. + Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. + He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. + "If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. + He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. + It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD." + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor + or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely- in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby- + if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found + or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. + And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering. + And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. + And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. + Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. + The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. + Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out. + "And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD in front of the altar. + And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. + It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. + Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the LORD's food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the LORD on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. + It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + The priest from among Aaron's sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the LORD as decreed forever. The whole of it shall be burned. + Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD; it is most holy. + The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. + Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. + And the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. + Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. + But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire. + + + "This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy. + In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar. + And all its fat shall be offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, + the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. + The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering to the LORD; it is a guilt offering. + Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. + The guilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. + And the priest who offers any man's burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. + And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared on a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. + And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron. + "And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the LORD. + If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. + With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. + And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a gift to the LORD. It shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. + And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. + But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. + But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. + If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity. + "Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, + but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the LORD's peace offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. + And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the LORD's peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat. + The fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. + For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the LORD shall be cut off from his people. + Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. + Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. + His own hands shall bring the LORD's food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD. + The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. + And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. + Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion. + For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. + This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the LORD's food offerings, from the day they were presented to serve as priests of the LORD. + The LORD commanded this to be given them by the people of Israel, from the day that he anointed them. It is a perpetual due throughout their generations." + This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering, + which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. + And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting." + And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing that the LORD has commanded to be done." + And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. + And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. + And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. + And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. + And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. + And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. + And Moses brought Aaron's sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. + And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. + And he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. + But the bull and its skin and its flesh and its dung he burned up with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. + And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. + He cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat. + He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. + And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. + Then he presented Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. + Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, + and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. + And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD. + Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. + And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons' garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. + And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, "Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.' + And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. + And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. + As has been done today, the LORD has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. + At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the LORD has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded." + And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD commanded by Moses. + + + On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, + and he said to Aaron, "Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. + And say to the people of Israel, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, + and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.'" + And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. + And Moses said, "This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." + Then Moses said to Aaron, "Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded." + So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. + And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar. + But the fat and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. + The flesh and the skin he burned up with fire outside the camp. + Then he killed the burnt offering, and Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. + And they handed the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head, and he burned them on the altar. + And he washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. + Then he presented the people's offering and took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and killed it and offered it as a sin offering, like the first one. + And he presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the rule. + And he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. + Then he killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for the people. And Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. + But the fat pieces of the ox and of the ram, the fat tail and that which covers the entrails and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver- + they put the fat pieces on the breasts, and he burned the fat pieces on the altar, + but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded. + Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. + And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. + And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. + + + Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. + And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. + Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said, 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'"And Aaron held his peace. + And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp." + So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. + And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, "Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled. + And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses. + And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, + "Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. + You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, + and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses." + Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his surviving sons: "Take the grain offering that is left of the LORD's food offerings, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. + You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons' due, from the LORD's food offerings, for so I am commanded. + But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons' due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel. + The thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the food offerings of the fat pieces to wave for a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be yours and your sons' with you as a due forever, as the LORD has commanded." + Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying, + "Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? + Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded." + And Aaron said to Moses, "Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have approved?" + And when Moses heard that, he approved. + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. + Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. + Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. + And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. + And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. + And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. + You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. + "These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. + But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. + You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. + Everything in the waters that has not fins and scales is detestable to you. + "And these you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, + the kite, the falcon of any kind, + every raven of any kind, + the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind, + the little owl, the cormorant, the short-eared owl, + the barn owl, the tawny owl, the carrion vulture, + the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. + "All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. + Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. + Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. + But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you. + "And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, + and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. + Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. + And all that walk on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, + and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you. + "And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, + the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. + These are unclean to you among all that swarm. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. + And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. It must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. + And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. + Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. + And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you. + Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. + And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean, + but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. + "And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, + and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. + "Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. + Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. + You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. + For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. + For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." + This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, + to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, 'If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. + And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. + Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. + But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. + "'And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, + and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. + And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.'" + + + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, + and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. + But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. + And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days. + And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. + But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. + And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease. + "When a man is afflicted with a leprous disease, he shall be brought to the priest, + and the priest shall look. And if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, + it is a chronic leprous disease in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not shut him up, for he is unclean. + And if the leprous disease breaks out in the skin, so that the leprous disease covers all the skin of the diseased person from head to foot, so far as the priest can see, + then the priest shall look, and if the leprous disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean. + But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. + And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean, for it is a leprous disease. + But if the raw flesh recovers and turns white again, then he shall come to the priest, + and the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the diseased person clean; he is clean. + "If there is in the skin of one's body a boil and it heals, + and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a reddish-white spot, then it shall be shown to the priest. + And the priest shall look, and if it appears deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a case of leprous disease that has broken out in the boil. + But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in it and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall shut him up seven days. + And if it spreads in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a disease. + But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. + "Or, when the body has a burn on its skin and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a spot, reddish-white or white, + the priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the spot has turned white and it appears deeper than the skin, then it is a leprous disease. It has broken out in the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a case of leprous disease. + But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and it is no deeper than the skin, but has faded, the priest shall shut him up seven days, + and the priest shall examine him the seventh day. If it is spreading in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a case of leprous disease. + But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread in the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar of the burn. + "When a man or woman has a disease on the head or the beard, + the priest shall examine the disease. And if it appears deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an itch, a leprous disease of the head or the beard. + And if the priest examines the itching disease and it appears no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for seven days, + and on the seventh day the priest shall examine the disease. If the itch has not spread, and there is in it no yellow hair, and the itch appears to be no deeper than the skin, + then he shall shave himself, but the itch he shall not shave; and the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for another seven days. + And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the itch, and if the itch has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. + But if the itch spreads in the skin after his cleansing, + then the priest shall examine him, and if the itch has spread in the skin, the priest need not seek for the yellow hair; he is unclean. + But if in his eyes the itch is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, the itch is healed and he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. + "When a man or a woman has spots on the skin of the body, white spots, + the priest shall look, and if the spots on the skin of the body are of a dull white, it is leukoderma that has broken out in the skin; he is clean. + "If a man's hair falls out from his head, he is bald; he is clean. + And if a man's hair falls out from his forehead, he has baldness of the forehead; he is clean. + But if there is on the bald head or the bald forehead a reddish-white diseased area, it is a leprous disease breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. + Then the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased swelling is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprous disease in the skin of the body, + he is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean; his disease is on his head. + "The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' + He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. + "When there is a case of leprous disease in a garment, whether a woolen or a linen garment, + in warp or woof of linen or wool, or in a skin or in anything made of skin, + if the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin or in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, it is a case of leprous disease, and it shall be shown to the priest. + And the priest shall examine the disease and shut up that which has the disease for seven days. + Then he shall examine the disease on the seventh day. If the disease has spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof, or in the skin, whatever be the use of the skin, the disease is a persistent leprous disease; it is unclean. + And he shall burn the garment, or the warp or the woof, the wool or the linen, or any article made of skin that is diseased, for it is a persistent leprous disease. It shall be burned in the fire. + "And if the priest examines, and if the disease has not spread in the garment, in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, + then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the disease, and he shall shut it up for another seven days. + And the priest shall examine the diseased thing after it has been washed. And if the appearance of the diseased area has not changed, though the disease has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire, whether the rot is on the back or on the front. + "But if the priest examines, and if the diseased area has faded after it has been washed, he shall tear it out of the garment or the skin or the warp or the woof. + Then if it appears again in the garment, in the warp or the woof, or in any article made of skin, it is spreading. You shall burn with fire whatever has the disease. + But the garment, or the warp or the woof, or any article made of skin from which the disease departs when you have washed it, shall then be washed a second time, and be clean." + This is the law for a case of leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or the woof, or in any article made of skin, to determine whether it is clean or unclean. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, + and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, + the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. + And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. + He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. + And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. + And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days. + And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean. + "And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. + And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. + And he shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. + The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. + Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand + and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. + And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. + And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD. + The priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering. + And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. + "But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil; + also two turtledoves or two pigeons, whichever he can afford. The one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. + And on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the LORD. + And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. + And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. + And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, + and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD. + And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, in the place where the blood of the guilt offering was put. + And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. + And he shall offer, of the turtledoves or pigeons, whichever he can afford, + one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for him who is being cleansed. + This is the law for him in whom is a case of leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing." + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession, + then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, 'There seems to me to be some case of disease in my house.' + Then the priest shall command that they empty the house before the priest goes to examine the disease, lest all that is in the house be declared unclean. And afterward the priest shall go in to see the house. + And he shall examine the disease. And if the disease is in the walls of the house with greenish or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the surface, + then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house and shut up the house seven days. + And the priest shall come again on the seventh day, and look. If the disease has spread in the walls of the house, + then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside the city. + And he shall have the inside of the house scraped all around, and the plaster that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city. + Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other plaster and plaster the house. + "If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it, + then the priest shall go and look. And if the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent leprous disease in the house; it is unclean. + And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place. + Moreover, whoever enters the house while it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening, + and whoever sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes. + "But if the priest comes and looks, and if the disease has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, for the disease is healed. + And for the cleansing of the house he shall take two small birds, with cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop, + and shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water + and shall take the cedarwood and the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, along with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed and in the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times. + Thus he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the fresh water and with the live bird and with the cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn. + And he shall let the live bird go out of the city into the open country. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean." + This is the law for any case of leprous disease: for an itch, + for leprous disease in a garment or in a house, + and for a swelling or an eruption or a spot, + to show when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law for leprous disease. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. + And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is blocked up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. + Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. + And anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + And whoever touches the body of the one with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + And if the one with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + And any saddle on which the one with the discharge rides shall be unclean. + And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries such things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + And an earthenware vessel that the one with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. + "And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean. + And on the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come before the LORD to the entrance of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest. + And the priest shall use them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD for his discharge. + "If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening. + And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. + If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening. + "When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. + And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean. + And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + And whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + Whether it is the bed or anything on which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening. + And if any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. + "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. + Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. + And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. + But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. + And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And the priest shall use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge. + "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst." + This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; + also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died, + and the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. + But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. + He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. + And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. + "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. + Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. + And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, + but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. + "Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. + And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil + and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. + And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. + "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. + Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. + No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. + Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. + And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel. + "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. + And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. + The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. + "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there. + And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. + And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. + And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. + And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire. + And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. + "And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. + For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins. + It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. + And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. + He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. + And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." And Moses did as the LORD commanded him. + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. + If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, + and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. + This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the LORD, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD. + And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. + "And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice + and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people. + "If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. + For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. + Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. + "Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. + For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. + And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. + But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity." + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. + You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. + You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. + You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. + "None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. + And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive. + "You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. + And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. + You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. + You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. + And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. + "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, + and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. + But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you + (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), + lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. + For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. + So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God." + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. + Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. + Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God. + "When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. + It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire. + If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is tainted; it will not be accepted, + and everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned what is holy to the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from his people. + "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. + And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. + "You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. + You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. + "You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. + You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. + "You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. + You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. + "You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. + You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. + "You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material. + "If a man lies sexually with a woman who is a slave, assigned to another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, a distinction shall be made. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free; + but he shall bring his compensation to the LORD, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. + And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the LORD for his sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven for the sin that he has committed. + "When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. + And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. + But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God. + "You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. + You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. + You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD. + "Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity. + You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. + "Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God. + "You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. + "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. + You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. + "You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. + You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. + And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the LORD." + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. + I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. + And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, + then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. + "If a person turns to mediums and wizards, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. + Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. + Keep my statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you. + For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him. + "If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. + If a man lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. + If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them. + If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. + If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. + If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. + If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. + "If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity. + If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people. + You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked one's relative; they shall bear their iniquity. + If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. + If a man takes his brother's wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. + "You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. + And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. + But I have said to you, 'You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the LORD your God, who have separated you from the peoples. + You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. + You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. + "A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them." + + + And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, + except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, + or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). + He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself. + They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body. + They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD's food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. + They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. + You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy. + And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. + "The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. + He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. + He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the LORD. + And he shall take a wife in her virginity. + A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people, + that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. + For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, + or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, + or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. + No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD's food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. + He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things, + but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them." + So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel. + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the LORD. + Say to them, 'If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the LORD, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD. + None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen, + and whoever touches a swarming thing by which he may be made unclean or a person from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his uncleanness may be- + the person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water. + When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food. + He shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the LORD.' + They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the LORD who sanctifies them. + "A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired servant shall eat of a holy thing, + but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food. + If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. + But if a priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's food; yet no lay person shall eat of it. + And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest. + They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the LORD, + and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: for I am the LORD who sanctifies them." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD, + if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. + You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. + And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. + Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the LORD or give them to the LORD as a food offering on the altar. + You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. + Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the LORD; you shall not do it within your land, + neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the LORD. + But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day. + And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. + It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the LORD. + "So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the LORD. + And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, + who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD." + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. + "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places. + "These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. + In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover. + And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. + On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. + But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, + and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. + And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. + And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. + And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. + "You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. + You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. + You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. + And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. + And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. + And you shall make proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. + "And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. + You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. + And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. + For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. + And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. + You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. + It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. + On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. + For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. + "These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, + besides the LORD's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. + "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. + And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. + You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. + You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, + that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." + Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. + Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the LORD regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. + He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the LORD regularly. + "You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. + And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. + And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. + Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. + And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD's food offerings, a perpetual due." + Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, + and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. + And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. + And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. + Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. + "Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. + Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. + If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, + fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. + Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. + You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God." + So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. + For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, + but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. + You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. + The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who lives with you, + and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food. + "You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. + Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. + And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. + That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. + For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. + "In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. + And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. + You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. + If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. + You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God. + "Therefore you shall do my statutes and keep my rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely. + The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely. + And if you say, 'What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?' + I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. + When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating some of the old crop; you shall eat the old until the ninth year, when its crop arrives. + "The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. + And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land. + "If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. + If a man has no one to redeem it and then himself becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, + let him calculate the years since he sold it and pay back the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and then return to his property. + But if he has not sufficient means to recover it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his property. + "If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, he may redeem it within a year of its sale. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption. + If it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong in perpetuity to the buyer, throughout his generations; it shall not be released in the jubilee. + But the houses of the villages that have no wall around them shall be classified with the fields of the land. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the jubilee. + As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem at any time the houses in the cities they possess. + And if one of the Levites exercises his right of redemption, then the house that was sold in a city they possess shall be released in the jubilee. For the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the people of Israel. + But the fields of pastureland belonging to their cities may not be sold, for that is their possession forever. + "If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. + Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. + You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. + I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. + "If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: + he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. + Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. + For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. + You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God. + As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. + You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. + You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly. + "If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, + then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, + or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. + He shall calculate with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall vary with the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be rated as the time of a hired servant. + If there are still many years left, he shall pay proportionately for his redemption some of his sale price. + If there remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall calculate and pay for his redemption in proportion to his years of service. + He shall treat him as a servant hired year by year. He shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. + And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. + For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. + + + "You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God. + You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. + "If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, + then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. + Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. + I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. + You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. + Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. + I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. + You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. + I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. + And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. + I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. + "But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, + if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, + then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. + I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. + And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, + and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. + And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. + "Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. + And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted. + "And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, + then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. + And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. + When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied. + "But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, + then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. + You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. + And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. + And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas. + And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. + And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. + "Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. + As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it. + And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. + They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. + And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. + And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them. + "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, + so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies- if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, + then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. + But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes. + Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. + But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD." + These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between him and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons, + then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. + If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels. + If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels. + If the person is from a month old up to five years old, the valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female the valuation shall be three shekels of silver. + And if the person is sixty years old or over, then the valuation for a male shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. + And if someone is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; the priest shall value him according to what the vower can afford. + "If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the LORD, all of it that he gives to the LORD is holy. + He shall not exchange it or make a substitute for it, good for bad, or bad for good; and if he does in fact substitute one animal for another, then both it and the substitute shall be holy. + And if it is any unclean animal that may not be offered as an offering to the LORD, then he shall stand the animal before the priest, + and the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall be. + But if he wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to the valuation. + "When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the LORD, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. + And if the donor wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth to the valuation price, and it shall be his. + "If a man dedicates to the LORD part of the land that is his possession, then the valuation shall be in proportion to its seed. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. + If he dedicates his field from the year of jubilee, the valuation shall stand, + but if he dedicates his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall calculate the price according to the years that remain until the year of jubilee, and a deduction shall be made from the valuation. + And if he who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, then he shall add a fifth to its valuation price, and it shall remain his. + But if he does not wish to redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed anymore. + But the field, when it is released in the jubilee, shall be a holy gift to the LORD, like a field that has been devoted. The priest shall be in possession of it. + If he dedicates to the LORD a field that he has bought, which is not a part of his possession, + then the priest shall calculate the amount of the valuation for it up to the year of jubilee, and the man shall give the valuation on that day as a holy gift to the LORD. + In the year of jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, to whom the land belongs as a possession. + Every valuation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall make a shekel. + "But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD's. + And if it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back at the valuation, and add a fifth to it; or, if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold at the valuation. + "But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD. + No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death. + "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD. + If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. + And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the LORD. + One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed." + These are the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. + + + + + The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, + "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. + From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. + And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. + And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; + from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; + from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; + from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; + from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; + from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; + from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; + from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; + from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; + from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; + from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan." + These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. + Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, + and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, + as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai. + The people of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500. + Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300. + Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650. + Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600. + Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400. + Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400. + Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500. + Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200. + Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400. + Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700. + Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500. + Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: + those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400. + These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers' house. + So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel- + all those listed were 603,550. + But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. + For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. + But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. + When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. + The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard. + But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony." + Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. + Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, + his company as listed being 74,600. + Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, + his company as listed being 54,400. + Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, + his company as listed being 57,400. + All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march. + "On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, + his company as listed being 46,500. + And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, + his company as listed being 59,300. + Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, + his company as listed being 45,650. + All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second. + "Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard. + "On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, + his company as listed being 40,500. + And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, + his company as listed being 32,200. + Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, + his company as listed being 35,400. + All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march. + "On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, + his company as listed being 62,700. + And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, + his company as listed being 41,500. + Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, + his company as listed being 53,400. + All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard." + These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers' houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. + But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers' house. + + + These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. + These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. + But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. + They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. + They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. + And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. + And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, + for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the LORD." + And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, + "List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list." + So Moses listed them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. + And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. + And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. + And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers' houses. + To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. + Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 7,500. + The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, + with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers' house of the Gershonites. + And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, + the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords- all the service connected with these. + To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. + According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. + The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, + with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers' house of the clans of the Kohathites. + And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. + And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary. + To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. + Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200. + And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. + And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; + also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords. + Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death. + All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the LORD, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000. + And the LORD said to Moses, "List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names. + And you shall take the Levites for me- I am the LORD- instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel." + So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. + And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as listed were 22,273. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. + And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, + you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), + and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over." + So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites. + From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. + And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers' houses, + from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. + This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. + When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. + Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles. + And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular show bread also shall be on it. + Then they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. + And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied. + And they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of goatskin and put it on the carrying frame. + And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. + And they shall take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame. + And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. + And they shall put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. + And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry. + "And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels." + The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, + "Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites, + but deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden, + but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and by their clans. + From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting. + This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: + they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting + and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. + All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. + This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. + "As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers' houses. + From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting. + And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, + and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. + This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest." + And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation listed the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers' houses, + from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting; + and those listed by clans were 2,750. + This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses. + Those listed of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers' houses, + from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the tent of meeting- + those listed by their clans and their fathers' houses were 2,630. + This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD. + Those listed of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers' houses, + from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting- + those listed by clans were 3,200. + This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses. + All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers' houses, + from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting, + those listed were 8,580. + According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the LORD commanded Moses. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. + You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell." + And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD said to Moses, so the people of Israel did. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, + he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. + But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him. + And every contribution, all the holy donations of the people of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. + Each one shall keep his holy donations: whatever anyone gives to the priest shall be his." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, If any man's wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, + if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act, + and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, + then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance. + "And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the LORD. + And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. + And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD and unbind the hair of the woman's head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. + Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, 'If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband's authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. + But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband's authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you, + then' (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) 'the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. + May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.' And the woman shall say, 'Amen, Amen.' + "Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness. + And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain. + And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand and shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar. + And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. + And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. + But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children. + "This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband's authority, goes astray and defiles herself, + or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. + The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity." + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, + he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. + All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. + "All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long. + "All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. + Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. + All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD. + "And if any man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it. + On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest to the entrance of the tent of meeting, + and the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead body. And he shall consecrate his head that same day + and separate himself to the LORD for the days of his separation and bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering. But the previous period shall be void, because his separation was defiled. + "And this is the law for the Nazirite, when the time of his separation has been completed: he shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, + and he shall bring his gift to the LORD, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering, + and a basket of unleavened bread, loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and their grain offering and their drink offerings. + And the priest shall bring them before the LORD and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering, + and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its grain offering and its drink offering. + And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire that is under the sacrifice of the peace offering. + And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram, when it is boiled, and one unleavened loaf out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the hair of his consecration, + and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. They are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed. And after that the Nazirite may drink wine. + "This is the law of the Nazirite. But if he vows an offering to the LORD above his Nazirite vow, as he can afford, in exact accordance with the vow that he takes, then he shall do in addition to the law of the Nazirite." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, + The LORD bless you and keep you; + the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; + the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. + "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them." + + + On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, + the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached + and brought their offerings before the LORD, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. + Then the LORD said to Moses, + "Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service." + So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. + Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. + And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. + But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. + And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. + And the LORD said to Moses, "They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar." + He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. + And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. + On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, the chief of Issachar, made an offering. + He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar. + On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the chief of the people of Zebulun: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. + On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, the chief of the people of Reuben: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur. + On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, the chief of the people of Simeon: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. + On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, the chief of the people of Gad: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. + On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, the chief of the people of Ephraim: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud. + On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, the chief of the people of Manasseh: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. + On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, the chief of the people of Benjamin: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni. + On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, the chief of the people of Dan: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. + On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, the chief of the people of Asher: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran. + On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naphtali: + his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; + one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; + one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; + one male goat for a sin offering; + and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan. + This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the chiefs of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes, + each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, + the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels; + all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; + and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed. + And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him. + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand." + And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. + And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. + Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. + Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. + And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. + When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, + and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD. + Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD to make atonement for the Levites. + And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. + "Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. + And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. + For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. + For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, + and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. + And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary." + Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. + And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. + And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. + And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. + They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties." + + + And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, + "Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. + On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it." + So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. + And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. + And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. + And those men said to him, "We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?" + And Moses said to them, "Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. + In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. + They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. + But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD's offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. + And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native." + On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. + So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. + And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. + At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. + Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. + Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. + And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. + Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. + At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. + And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. + When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. + And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. + But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm. + And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. + And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. + On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God." + In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, + and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. + They set out for the first time at the command of the LORD by Moses. + The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out first by their companies, and over their company was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. + And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out. + And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was Elizur the son of Shedeur. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. + Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. + And the standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was Elishama the son of Ammihud. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni. + Then the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. + And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. + This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out. + And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the LORD has promised good to Israel." + But he said to him, "I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred." + And he said, "Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. + And if you do go with us, whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same will we do to you." + So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days' journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting place for them. + And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp. + And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, "Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you." + And when it rested, he said, "Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel." + + + And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. + Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. + So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them. + Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat! + We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. + But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at." + Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. + The people went about and gathered it and ground it in hand-mills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. + When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it. + Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. + Moses said to the LORD, "Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? + Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,' to the land that you swore to give their fathers? + Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.' + I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. + If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness." + Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. + And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. + And say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, "Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. + You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, + but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'" + But Moses said, "The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!' + Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?" + And the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not." + So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. + Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. + Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. + And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." + And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, "My lord Moses, stop them." + But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" + And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. + Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. + And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. + While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. + Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. + From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth. + + + Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. + And they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it. + Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. + And suddenly the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." And the three of them came out. + And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. + And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. + Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. + With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" + And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed. + When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. + And Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. + Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb." + And Moses cried to the LORD, "O God, please heal her- please." + But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again." + So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. + After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them." + So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. + And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; + from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; + from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; + from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; + from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; + from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; + from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; + from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; + from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; + from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; + from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; + from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. + These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. + Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, "Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, + and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, + and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, + and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. + So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. + They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. ( Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) + And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. + That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there. + At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. + And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. + And they told him, "We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. + However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. + The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan." + But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." + Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are." + So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. + And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." + + + Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. + And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! + Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" + And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt." + Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. + And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes + and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. + If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. + Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." + Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. + And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? + I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." + But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, + and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. + Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, + 'It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.' + And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, + 'The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.' + Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now." + Then the LORD said, "I have pardoned, according to your word. + But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, + none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, + shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. + But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. + Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea." + And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. + Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: + your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, + not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. + But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. + But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. + And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. + According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.' + I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die." + And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land- + the men who brought up a bad report of the land- died by plague before the LORD. + Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive. + When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. + And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, "Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned." + But Moses said, "Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? + Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. + For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you." + But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. + Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, + and you offer to the LORD from the herd or from the flock a food offering or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD, + then he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil; + and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb. + Or for a ram, you shall offer for a grain offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. + And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + And when you offer a bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or for peace offerings to the LORD, + then one shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with half a hin of oil. + And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each lamb or young goat. + As many as you offer, so shall you do with each one, as many as there are. + Every native Israelite shall do these things in this way, in offering a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he shall do as you do. + For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. + One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land to which I bring you + and when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the LORD. + Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. + Some of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD as a contribution throughout your generations. + "But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses, + all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations, + then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering. + And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their mistake. + And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake. + "If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. + And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. + You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. + But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. + Because he has despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him." + While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. + And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. + They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. + And the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." + And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses. + The LORD said to Moses, + "Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. + And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. + So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. + I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God." + + + Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. + And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. + They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" + When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, + and he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him. + Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company; + put fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow, and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!" + And Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi: + is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, + and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? + Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?" + And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, "We will not come up. + Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us? + Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up." + And Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them." + And Moses said to Korah, "Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. + And let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the LORD his censer, 250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer." + So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. + Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation. + And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." + And they fell on their faces and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?" + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." + Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. + And he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins." + So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. + And Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. + If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. + But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD." + And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. + And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. + So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. + And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!" + And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense. + Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. + As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel." + So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, + to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his company- as the LORD said to him through Moses. + But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD." + And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. + And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, + and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces. + And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun." + So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. + And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. + Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. + And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, + and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. + Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. + And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you." + Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. + And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. + On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. + Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die." + Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did. + And the people of Israel said to Moses, "Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. + Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?" + + + So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. + And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. + They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. + They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. + And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. + And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. + And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death." + Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. + This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me, shall be most holy to you and to your sons. + In a most holy place shall you eat it. Every male may eat it; it is holy to you. + This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, all the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. + All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you. + The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. + Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. + Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. + And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. + But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours. + All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you." + And the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. + "To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, + so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. + But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. + For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, 'When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. + And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. + So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest. + Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.' + Therefore you shall say to them, 'When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. + And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. + And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.'" + + + Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, + "This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. + And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. + And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. + And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned. + And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. + Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening. + The one who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and shall be unclean until evening. + And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. + And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them. + "Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. + He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. + Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him. + "This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. + And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. + Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. + For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be added in a vessel. + Then a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. + And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean. + "If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean. + And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. + And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening." + + + And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. + Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. + And the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! + Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? + And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink." + Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, + and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." + And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. + Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" + And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. + And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." + These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy. + Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: + how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. + And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. + Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory." + But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you." + And the people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more." + But he said, "You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. + Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. + And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. + And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, + "Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. + Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. + And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there." + Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. + And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. + And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. + + + When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. + And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction." + And the LORD obeyed the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah. + From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. + And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." + Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. + And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." + So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. + And the people of Israel set out and camped in Oboth. + And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. + From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. + From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. + Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon, + and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab." + And from there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together, so that I may give them water." + Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!- Sing to it!- + the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people delved, with the scepter and with their staffs." And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, + and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, + and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that looks down on the desert. + Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, + "Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory." + But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. + And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. + And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. + For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. + Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established. + For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed the heights of the Arnon. + Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon. + So we overthrew them; Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as Medeba." + Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. + And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. + Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. + But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." + So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land. + + + Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. + And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. + And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. + And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, + sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. + Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed." + So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message. + And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. + And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" + And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, + 'Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.'" + God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." + So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your own land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." + So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us." + Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. + And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: 'Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, + for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.'" + But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. + So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me." + And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you." + So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. + But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. + And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. + Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. + And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. + Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. + When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. + Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" + And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." + And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No." + Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. + And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. + The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live." + Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back." + And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak. + When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. + And Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?" + Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak." + Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. + And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him. + And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people. + + + And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." + Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. + And Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height, + and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram." + And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." + And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. + And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: 'Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!' + How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? + For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations! + Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!" + And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them." + And he answered and said, "Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?" + And Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there." + And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there." + And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak." + And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" + And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor: + God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? + Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. + He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. + God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. + For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What has God wrought!' + Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain." + And Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all." + But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, 'All that the LORD says, that I must do'?" + And Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there." + So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. + And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." + And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. + + + When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. + And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, + and he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, + the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: + How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! + Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. + Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. + God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. + He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you." + And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. + Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, 'I will certainly honor you,' but the LORD has held you back from honor." + And Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, + 'If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak'? + And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days." + And he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, + the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: + I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. + Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly. + And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!" + Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, "Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction." + And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, "Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock. + Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive." + And he took up his discourse and said, "Alas, who shall live when God does this? + But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction." + Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way. + + + While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. + These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. + So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." + And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor." + And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. + When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand + and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. + Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. + And the LORD said to Moses, + "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. + Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, + and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.'" + The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. + And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian. + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Harass the Midianites and strike them down, + for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor." + + + After the plague, the LORD said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, + "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war." + And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, + "Take a census of the people, from twenty years old and upward," as the LORD commanded Moses. The people of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were: + Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the clan of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the clan of the Palluites; + of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the clan of the Carmites. + These are the clans of the Reubenites, and those listed were 43,730. + And the sons of Pallu: Eliab. + The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD + and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a warning. + But the sons of Korah did not die. + The sons of Simeon according to their clans: of Nemuel, the clan of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the clan of the Ja-minites; of Jachin, the clan of the Jachinites; + of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the clan of the Sha-ulites. + These are the clans of the Simeonites, 22,200. + The sons of Gad according to their clans: of Zephon, the clan of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the clan of the Haggites; of Shuni, the clan of the Shunites; + of Ozni, the clan of the Oznites; of Eri, the clan of the Erites; + of Arod, the clan of the Arodites; of Areli, the clan of the Arelites. + These are the clans of the sons of Gad as they were listed, 40,500. + The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. + And the sons of Judah according to their clans were: of Shelah, the clan of the Shelanites; of Perez, the clan of the Perezites; of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites. + And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the clan of the Hamulites. + These are the clans of Judah as they were listed, 76,500. + The sons of Issachar according to their clans: of Tola, the clan of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the clan of the Punites; + of Jashub, the clan of the Ja-shubites; of Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites. + These are the clans of Issachar as they were listed, 64,300. + The sons of Zebulun, according to their clans: of Sered, the clan of the Seredites; of Elon, the clan of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the clan of the Jah-leelites. + These are the clans of the Zeb-ulunites as they were listed, 60,500. + The sons of Joseph according to their clans: Manasseh and Ephraim. + The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the clan of the Machirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites. + These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites; of Helek, the clan of the Helekites; + and of Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites; + and of Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites. + Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters. And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + These are the clans of Manasseh, and those listed were 52,700. + These are the sons of Ephraim according to their clans: of Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the clan of the Becherites; of Tahan, the clan of the Tahanites. + And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the clan of the Eranites. + These are the clans of the sons of Ephraim as they were listed, 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph according to their clans. + The sons of Benjamin according to their clans: of Bela, the clan of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the clan of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the clan of the Ahiramites; + of Shephupham, the clan of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the clan of the Huphamites. + And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the clan of the Ardites; of Naaman, the clan of the Naamites. + These are the sons of Benjamin according to their clans, and those listed were 45,600. + These are the sons of Dan according to their clans: of Shuham, the clan of the Shuhamites. These are the clans of Dan according to their clans. + All the clans of the Shuhamites, as they were listed, were 64,400. + The sons of Asher according to their clans: of Imnah, the clan of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the clan of the Beriites. + Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the clan of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the clan of the Malchielites. + And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. + These are the clans of the sons of Asher as they were listed, 53,400. + The sons of Naphtali according to their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the clan of the Gunites; + of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites. + These are the clans of Naphtali according to their clans, and those listed were 45,400. + This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730. + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. + To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list. + But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. + Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller." + This was the list of the Levites according to their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; of Merari, the clan of the Merarites. + These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram. + The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister. + And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD. + And those listed were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward. For they were not listed among the people of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the people of Israel. + These were those listed by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who listed the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. + But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. + For the LORD had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. + + + Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, + "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. + Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers." + Moses brought their case before the LORD. + And the LORD said to Moses, + "The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. + And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. + And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. + And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. + And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the LORD commanded Moses.'" + The LORD said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. + When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, + because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) + Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, + "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation + who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd." + So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. + Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. + You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. + And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation." + And Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, + and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the LORD directed through Moses. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.' + And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. + The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; + also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil. + It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. + Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. + The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. + "On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: + this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. + "At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; + also three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull, and two tenths of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; + and a tenth of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for every lamb; for a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. + Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. + Also one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. + "On the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD's Passover, + and on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast. Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. + On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, + but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; + also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; + a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; + also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. + You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. + In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. + And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. + "On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, + but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; + also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, + a tenth for each of the seven lambs; + with one male goat, to make atonement for you. + Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish. + + + "On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, + and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; + also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, + and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; + with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; + besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. + "On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work, + but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. + And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, + a tenth for each of the seven lambs: + also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. + "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. + And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; + and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, + and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; + also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. + "On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. + "On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. + "On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. + "On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. + "On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings. + "On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, + with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. + "On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, + but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, + and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; + also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. + "These you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings." + So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. + + + Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, "This is what the LORD has commanded. + If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. + If a woman vows a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth, + and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. + But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the LORD will forgive her, because her father opposed her. + If she marries a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, + and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. + But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void her vow that was on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the LORD will forgive her. + (But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, anything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.) + And if she vowed in her husband's house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath, + and her husband heard of it and said nothing to her and did not oppose her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand. + But if her husband makes them null and void on the day that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the LORD will forgive her. + Any vow and any binding oath to afflict herself, her husband may establish, or her husband may make void. + But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges that are upon her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard of them. + But if he makes them null and void after he has heard of them, then he shall bear her iniquity." + These are the statutes that the LORD commanded Moses about a man and his wife and about a father and his daughter while she is in her youth within her father's house. + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people." + So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian. + You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war." + So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. + And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. + They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every male. + They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. + And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and they took as plunder all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. + All their cities in the places where they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire, + and took all the spoil and all the plunder, both of man and of beast. + Then they brought the captives and the plunder and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the people of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. + Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the chiefs of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. + And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. + Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live? + Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD. + Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. + But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves. + Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever of you has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. + You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, all work of goats' hair, and every article of wood." + Then Eleazar the priest said to the men in the army who had gone to battle: "This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded Moses: + only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, + everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water for impurity. And whatever cannot stand the fire, you shall pass through the water. + You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. And afterward you may come into the camp." + The LORD said to Moses, + "Take the count of the plunder that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation, + and divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. + And levy for the LORD a tribute from the men of war who went out to battle, one out of five hundred, of the people and of the oxen and of the donkeys and of the flocks. + Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the LORD. + And from the people of Israel's half you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the people, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep guard over the tabernacle of the LORD." + And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. + Now the plunder remaining of the spoil that the army took was 675,000 sheep, + 72,000 cattle, + 61,000 donkeys, + and 32,000 persons in all, women who had not known man by lying with him. + And the half, the portion of those who had gone out in the army, numbered 337,500 sheep, + and the LORD's tribute of sheep was 675. + The cattle were 36,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 72. + The donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD's tribute was 61. + The persons were 16,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 32 persons. + And Moses gave the tribute, which was the contribution for the LORD, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. + From the people of Israel's half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had served in the army- + now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, + 36,000 cattle, + and 30,500 donkeys, + and 16,000 persons- + from the people of Israel's half Moses took one of every 50, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites who kept guard over the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. + Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses + and said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us. + And we have brought the LORD's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." + And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles. + And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels. + (The men in the army had each taken plunder for himself.) + And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, as a memorial for the people of Israel before the LORD. + + + Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. + So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, + "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, + the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." + And they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan." + But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? + Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them? + Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. + For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them. + And the LORD's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, + 'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, + none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.' + And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. + And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel! + For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people." + Then they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, + but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. + We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. + For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east." + So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, + and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him + and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. + But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. + Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised." + And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. + Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle, shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, + but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord orders." + So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. + And Moses said to them, "If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. + However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." + And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, "What the LORD has said to your servants, we will do. + We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan." + And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. + And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, + Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, + Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. + And the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, + Nebo, and Baal-meon ( their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. + And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. + And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. + And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair. + And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name. + + + These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. + Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the LORD, and these are their stages according to their starting places. + They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, + while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments. + So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. + And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. + And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. + And they set out from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. + And they set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. + And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. + And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. + And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. + And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. + And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. + And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. + And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. + And they set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. + And they set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. + And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. + And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. + And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. + And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. + And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. + And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. + And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. + And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. + And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. + And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. + And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. + And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. + And they set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. + And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. + And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. + And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. + And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. + And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). + And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom. + And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. + And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. + And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel. + And they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. + And they set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. + And they set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. + And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. + And they set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. + And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. + And they set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. + And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; + they camped by the Jordan from Bethjeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab. + And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. + And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. + You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. + But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. + And I will do to you as I thought to do to them." + + + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), + your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east. + And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon. + And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea. + "For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. This shall be your western border. + "This shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall draw a line to Mount Hor. + From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad. + Then the border shall extend to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border. + "You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. + And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east. + And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around." + Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, "This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. + For the tribe of the people of Reuben by fathers' houses and the tribe of the people of Gad by their fathers' houses have received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manasseh. + The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise." + The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. + You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance. + These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. + Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. + Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. + Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli. + Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod. + And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. + Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. + Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan. + And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. + Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. + These are the men whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan." + + + The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, + "Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. + The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. + The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. + And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities. + The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. + All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. + And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites." + And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, + "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, + then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. + The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. + And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. + You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. + These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there. + "But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. + And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. + Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. + The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. + And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, + or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. + "But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait + or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, + then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. + And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. + But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, + and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. + For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. + And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. + "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. + Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. + And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. + You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. + You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel." + + + The heads of the fathers' houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel. + They said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. + But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. + And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers." + And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, "The tribe of the people of Joseph is right. + This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, 'Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. + The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. + And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. + So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold on to its own inheritance.'" + The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses, + for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father's brothers. + They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan. + These are the commandments and the rules that the LORD commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. + + + + + These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. + It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. + In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them, + after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. + Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying, + "The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. + Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. + See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.' + "At that time I said to you, 'I am not able to bear you by myself. + The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven. + May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you! + How can I bear by myself the weight and burden of you and your strife? + Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.' + And you answered me, 'The thing that you have spoken is good for us to do.' + So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. + And I charged your judges at that time, 'Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. + You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.' + And I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do. + "Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. + And I said to you, 'You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. + See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.' + Then all of you came near me and said, 'Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.' + The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe. + And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. + And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, 'It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.' + "Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. + And you murmured in your tents and said, 'Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. + Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."' + Then I said to you, 'Do not be in dread or afraid of them. + The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, + and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.' + Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God, + who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go. + "And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore, + 'Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, + except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!' + Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, 'You also shall not go in there. + Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. + And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. + But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.' + "Then you answered me, 'We have sinned against the LORD. We ourselves will go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.' And every one of you fastened on his weapons of war and thought it easy to go up into the hill country. + And the LORD said to me, 'Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you be defeated before your enemies.' + So I spoke to you, and you would not listen; but you rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country. + Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do and beat you down in Seir as far as Hormah. + And you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD did not listen to your voice or give ear to you. + So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained there. + + + "Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the LORD told me. And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir. + Then the LORD said to me, + 'You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward + and command the people, "You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. + Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. + You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water of them for money, that you may drink. + For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing."' + So we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber. "And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. + And the LORD said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.' + ( The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. + Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. + The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.) + 'Now rise up and go over the brook Zered.' So we went over the brook Zered. + And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. + For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished. + "So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, + the LORD said to me, + 'Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. + And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.' + (It is also counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there- but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim- + a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place, + as he did for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day. + As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.) + 'Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle. + This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.' + "So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon the king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, + 'Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left. + You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot, + as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God is giving to us.' + But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day. + And the LORD said to me, 'Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.' + Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. + And the LORD our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. + And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors. + Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured. + From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. The LORD our God gave all into our hands. + Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the banks of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, whatever the LORD our God had forbidden us. + + + "Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. + But the LORD said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' + So the LORD our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivor left. + And we took all his cities at that time- there was not a city that we did not take from them- sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. + All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled villages. + And we devoted them to destruction, as we did to Sihon the king of Heshbon, devoting to destruction every city, men, women, and children. + But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as our plunder. + So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon + (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir), + all the cities of the tableland and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. + (For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.) + "When we took possession of this land at that time, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory beginning at Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities. + The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (All that portion of Bashan is called the land of Rephaim. + Jair the Manassite took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called the villages after his own name, Havvoth-jair, as it is to this day.) + To Machir I gave Gilead, + and to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a border, as far over as the river Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites; + the Arabah also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah on the east. + "And I commanded you at that time, saying, 'The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel. + Only your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in the cities that I have given you, + until the LORD gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also occupy the land that the LORD your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.' + And I commanded Joshua at that time, 'Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. So will the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing. + You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.' + "And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, + 'O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? + Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.' + But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, 'Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. + Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. + But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.' + So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor. + + + "And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. + You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. + Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. + But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today. + See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. + Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' + For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? + And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? + "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children- + how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.' + And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. + Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. + And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. + And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess. + "Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, + beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, + the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, + the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. + And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. + But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. + Furthermore, the LORD was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. + For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land. + Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the LORD your God has forbidden you. + For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. + "When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, so as to provoke him to anger, + I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. + And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. + And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. + But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. + When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice. + For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. + "For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. + Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? + Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? + To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. + Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. + And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, + driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, + know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. + Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time." + Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan, + that the manslayer might flee there, anyone who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without being at enmity with him in time past; he may flee to one of these cities and save his life: + Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. + This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel. + These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules, which Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt, + beyond the Jordan in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the people of Israel defeated when they came out of Egypt. + And they took possession of his land and the land of Og, the king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who lived to the east beyond the Jordan; + from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, as far as Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), + together with all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah. + + + And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. + The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. + Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. + The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, + while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: + "'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + "'You shall have no other gods before me. + "'You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. + You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, + but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. + "'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. + "'Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. + Six days you shall labor and do all your work, + but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. + You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. + "'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. + "'You shall not murder. + "'And you shall not commit adultery. + "'And you shall not steal. + "'And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. + "'And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.' + "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. + And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. + And you said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man and man still live. + Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. + For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? + Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.' + "And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. + Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever! + Go and say to them, "Return to your tents." + But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.' + You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. + You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess. + + + "Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, + that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. + Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. + "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. + You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. + And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. + You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. + You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. + You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. + "And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you- with great and good cities that you did not build, + and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant- and when you eat and are full, + then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. + You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you, + for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God, lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. + "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. + You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. + And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers + by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. + "When your son asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?' + then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. + And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. + And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. + And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. + And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.' + + + "When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves, + and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. + You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, + for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. + But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire. + "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. + It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, + but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. + Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, + and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. + You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today. + "And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. + He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. + You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. + And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. + And you shall consume all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. + "If you say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?' + you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, + the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. + Moreover, the LORD your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. + You shall not be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. + The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. + But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. + And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. + The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. + And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction. + + + "The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. + And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. + And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. + Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. + Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. + So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. + For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, + a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, + a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. + And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. + "Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, + lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, + and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, + then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, + who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, + who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. + Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' + You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. + And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. + Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God. + + + "Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves, cities great and fortified up to heaven, + a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' + Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the LORD your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the LORD has promised you. + "Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. + Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. + "Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. + Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD. + Even at Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, and the LORD was so angry with you that he was ready to destroy you. + When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. + And the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the LORD had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. + And at the end of forty days and forty nights the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. + Then the LORD said to me, 'Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you have brought from Egypt have acted corruptly. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them; they have made themselves a metal image.' + "Furthermore, the LORD said to me, 'I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stubborn people. + Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.' + So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. + And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made yourselves a golden calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you. + So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes. + Then I lay prostrate before the LORD as before, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed, in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger. + For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the LORD bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me that time also. + And the LORD was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. + Then I took the sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. And I threw the dust of it into the brook that ran down from the mountain. + "At Taberah also, and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. + And when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and take possession of the land that I have given you,' then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God and did not believe him or obey his voice. + You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you. + "So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. + And I prayed to the LORD, 'O Lord GOD, destroy not your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. + Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin, + lest the land from which you brought us say, "Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness." + For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.' + + + "At that time the LORD said to me, 'Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to me on the mountain and make an ark of wood. + And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.' + So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. + And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the ten commandments that the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. + Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark that I had made. And there they are, as the LORD commanded me." + (The people of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried. And his son Eleazar ministered as priest in his place. + From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with brooks of water. + At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. + Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.) + "I myself stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights, and the LORD listened to me that time also. The LORD was unwilling to destroy you. + And the LORD said to me, 'Arise, go on your journey at the head of the people, so that they may go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them.' + "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, + and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? + Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. + Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. + Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. + For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. + He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. + Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. + You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. + He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. + Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. + + + "You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. + And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, + his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land, + and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day, + and what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place, + and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel. + For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did. + "You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, + and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. + For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. + But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, + a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. + "And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, + he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. + And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. + Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; + then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you. + "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. + You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. + You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, + that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. + For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, + then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves. + Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. + No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you. + "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: + the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, + and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known. + And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. + Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, toward the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oak of Moreh? + For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you. And when you possess it and live in it, + you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today. + + + "These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. + You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. + You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. + You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way. + But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, + and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. + And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. + "You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, + for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you. + But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, + then to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the LORD. + And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. + Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, + but at the place that the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you. + "However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. + Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. + You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, + but you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place that the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that you undertake. + Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land. + "When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire. + If the place that the LORD your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire. + Just as the gazelle or the deer is eaten, so you may eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. + Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. + You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. + You shall not eat it, that all may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. + But the holy things that are due from you, and your vow offerings, you shall take, and you shall go to the place that the LORD will choose, + and offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, but the flesh you may eat. + Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. + "When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, + take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods?- that I also may do the same.' + You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. + "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. + + + "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, + and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' + you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. + You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. + But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + "If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which neither you nor your fathers have known, + some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, + you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. + But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. + You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. + And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you. + "If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you to dwell there, + that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known, + then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, + you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. + You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again. + None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers, + if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God. + + + "You are the sons of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. + For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. + "You shall not eat any abomination. + These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, + the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. + Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. + Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you. + And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. + "Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat. + And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. + "You may eat all clean birds. + But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, + the kite, the falcon of any kind; + every raven of any kind; + the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; + the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl + and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, + the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat. + And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. + All clean winged things you may eat. + "You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. + "You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. + And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. + And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, + then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses + and spend the money for whatever you desire- oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. + And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. + "At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. + And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. + + + "At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. + And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the LORD'S release has been proclaimed. + Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. + But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess- + if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. + For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. + "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, + but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. + Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. + You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. + For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, 'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.' + "If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. + And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. + You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. + You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. + But if he says to you, 'I will not go out from you,' because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, + then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same. + It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired servant he has served you six years. So the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do. + "All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. + You shall eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place that the LORD will choose. + But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. + You shall eat it within your towns. The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer. + Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. + + + "Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. + And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there. + You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction- for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste- that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. + No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain all night until morning. + You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, + but at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt. + And you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the LORD your God will choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. + For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it. + "You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. + Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. + And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. + You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. + "You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. + You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. + For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. + "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. + Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you. + "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. + You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. + Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you. + "You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the LORD your God that you shall make. + And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates. + + + "You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God. + "If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant, + and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, + and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, + then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. + On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. + The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + "If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the LORD your God will choose. + And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision. + Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that the LORD will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you. + According to the instructions that they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left. + The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. + And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again. + "When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' + you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. + Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.' + And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. + "And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. + And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, + that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. + + + "The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD's food offerings as their inheritance. + They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. + And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. + The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. + For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time. + "And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives- and he may come when he desires- to the place that the LORD will choose, + and ministers in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD, + then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony. + "When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. + There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer + or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, + for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. + You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, + for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortunetellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. + "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers- it is to him you shall listen- + just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' + And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. + I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. + And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. + But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' + And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?'- + when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. + + + "When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, + you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. + You shall measure the distances and divide into three parts the area of the land that the LORD your God gives you as a possession, so that any manslayer can flee to them. + "This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past- + as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies- he may flee to one of these cities and live, + lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past. + Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three cities. + And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers- + provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the LORD your God and by walking ever in his ways- then you shall add three other cities to these three, + lest innocent blood be shed in your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you. + "But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities, + then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die. + Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you. + "You shall not move your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. + "A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. + If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, + then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. + The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, + then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. + Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. + + + "When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. + And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people + and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, + for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.' + Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, 'Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. + And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. + And is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.' + And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.' + And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people. + "When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it. + And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you. + But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. + And when the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, + but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you. + Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here. + But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, + but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded, + that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God. + "When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you? + Only the trees that you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls. + + + "If in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, + then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. + And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke. + And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. + Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled. + And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, + and they shall testify, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. + Accept atonement, O LORD, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.' + So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. + "When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, + and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, + and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. + And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. + But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her. + "If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, + then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, + but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his. + "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, + then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, + and they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' + Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear. + "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, + his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. + + + "You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. + And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. + And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother's, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. + You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again. + "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God. + "If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. + You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. + "When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it. + "You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. + You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. + You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together. + "You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself. + "If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her + and accuses her of misconduct and brings a bad name upon her, saying, 'I took this woman, and when I came near her, I did not find in her evidence of virginity,' + then the father of the young woman and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate. + And the father of the young woman shall say to the elders, 'I gave my daughter to this man to marry, and he hates her; + and behold, he has accused her of misconduct, saying, "I did not find in your daughter evidence of virginity." And yet this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the cloak before the elders of the city. + Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him, + and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife. He may not divorce her all his days. + But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, + then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father's house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + "If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. + "If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, + then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + "But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. + But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor, + because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her. + "If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, + then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days. + "A man shall not take his father's wife, so that he does not uncover his father's nakedness. + + + "No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD. + "No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD. + "No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, + because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. + But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you. + You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. + "You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. + Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the LORD. + "When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. + "If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp, + but when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water, and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp. + "You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. + And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. + Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. + "You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. + He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him. + "None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. + You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the LORD your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God. + "You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. + You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. + "If you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. + But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. + You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth. + "If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. + If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain. + + + "When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, + and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, + and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, + then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the LORD. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. + "When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken. + "No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge. + "If a man is found stealing one of his brothers, the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. + "Take care, in a case of leprous disease, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you. As I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. + Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. + "When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. + You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. + And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. + You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. + "You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. + You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin. + "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin. + "You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge, + but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. + "When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. + When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. + When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. + You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this. + + + "If there is a dispute between men and they come into court and the judges decide between them, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty, + then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a number of stripes in proportion to his offense. + Forty stripes may be given him, but not more, lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your brother be degraded in your sight. + "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain. + "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. + And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. + And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.' + Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,' + then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.' + And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.' + "When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, + then you shall cut off her hand. Your eye shall have no pity. + "You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. + You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. + A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. + For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God. + "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, + how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. + Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. + + + "When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, + you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. + And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, 'I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.' + Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. + "And you shall make response before the LORD your God, 'A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. + And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. + Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. + And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. + And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. + And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God. + And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you. + "When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, + then you shall say before the LORD your God, 'I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. + I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. + Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.' + "This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. + You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. + And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, + and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised." + + + Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, "Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. + And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. + And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. + And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. + And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; + you shall build an altar to the LORD your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God, + and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God. + And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly." + Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, "Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the LORD your God. + You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today." + That day Moses charged the people, saying, + "When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. + And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. + And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice: + "'Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.' And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + "'Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' + + + "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. + And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. + Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. + Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. + Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. + Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. + "The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. + The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. + The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. + And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. + And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. + The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. + And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, + and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. + "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. + Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. + Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. + Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. + Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. + "The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. + The LORD will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. + The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish. + And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. + The LORD will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed. + "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. + And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away. + The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed. + The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind, + and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you. + You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit. + Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat any of it. Your donkey shall be seized before your face, but shall not be restored to you. Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, but there shall be no one to help you. + Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless. + A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually, + so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see. + The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. + "The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone. + And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away. + You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. + You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them. + You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off. + You shall father sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours, for they shall go into captivity. + The cricket shall possess all your trees and the fruit of your ground. + The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. + He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. + "All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. + They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. + Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, + therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. + The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, + a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. + It shall eat the offspring of your cattle and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed; it also shall not leave you grain, wine, or oil, the increase of your herds or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish. + "They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all your land. And they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you. + And you shall eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you. + The man who is the most tender and refined among you will begrudge food to his brother, to the wife he embraces, and to the last of the children whom he has left, + so that he will not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children whom he is eating, because he has nothing else left, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your towns. + The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter, + her afterbirth that comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears, because lacking everything she will eat them secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your towns. + "If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, + then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. + And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. + Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. + Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God. + And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. + "And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. + And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the LORD will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul. + Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. + In the morning you shall say, 'If only it were evening!' and at evening you shall say, 'If only it were morning!' because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see. + And the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer." + + + These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb. + And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, + the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. + But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. + I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. + You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. + And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. + We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. + Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. + "You are standing today all of you before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, + your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, + so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today, + that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. + It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, + but with whomever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whomever is not here with us today. + "You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. + And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. + Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, + one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. + The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. + And the LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. + And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick- + the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and wrath- + all the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?' + Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, + and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. + Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, + and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day.' + "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. + + + "And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, + and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, + then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. + If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. + And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. + And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. + And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. + And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. + The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, + when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. + "For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. + It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' + Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' + But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. + "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. + If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. + But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, + I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. + I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, + loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." + + + So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. + And he said to them, "I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.' + The LORD your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken. + And the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. + And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. + Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." + Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. + It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." + Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. + And Moses commanded them, "At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, + when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. + Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, + and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess." + And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. + And the LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent. + And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. + Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, 'Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?' + And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods. + "Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. + For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. + And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give." + So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel. + And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you." + When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, + Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, + "Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. + For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death! + Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. + For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands." + Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel: + + + "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. + May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. + For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! + "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. + They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. + Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you? + Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. + When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. + But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. + "He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. + Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, + the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him. + He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. + Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat- and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape. + "But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. + They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. + They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. + You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth. + "The LORD saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters. + And he said, 'I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. + They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. + For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. + "' And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them; + they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust. + Outdoors the sword shall bereave, and indoors terror, for young man and woman alike, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs. + I would have said, "I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory," + had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, "Our hand is triumphant, it was not the LORD who did all this."' + "For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. + If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! + How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up? + For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. + For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter; + their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps. + "' Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries? + Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.' + For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free. + Then he will say, 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, + who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection! + "'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. + For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, + if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. + I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh- with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy.' + "Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land." + Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. + And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, + he said to them, "Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. + For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess." + That very day the LORD spoke to Moses, + "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. + And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, + because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. + For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel." + + + This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. + He said, "The LORD came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand. + Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you, + when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob. + Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. + "Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few." + And this he said of Judah: "Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him, and be a help against his adversaries." + And of Levi he said, "Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah; + who said of his father and mother, 'I regard them not'; he disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant. + They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. + Bless, O LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again." + Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders." + And of Joseph he said, "Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath, + with the choicest fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months, + with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills, + with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwells in the bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph, on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers. + A firstborn bull- he has majesty, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." + And of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents. + They shall call peoples to their mountain; there they offer right sacrifices; for they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand." + And of Gad he said, "Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp. + He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a commander's portion was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people, with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments for Israel." + And of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps from Bashan." + And of Naphtali he said, "O Naphtali, sated with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the lake and the south." + And of Asher he said, "Most blessed of sons be Asher; let him be the favorite of his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. + Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be. + "There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. + The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy. + So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew. + Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs." + + + Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, + all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, + the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. + And the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, 'I will give it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." + So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, + and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. + Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. + And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. + And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. + And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, + none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, + and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. + + + + + After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, + "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. + Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. + From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. + No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. + Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. + Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. + This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. + Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." + And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, + "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'" + And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, + "Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.' + Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, + until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." + And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. + Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! + Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous." + + + And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. + And it was told to the king of Jericho, "Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." + Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land." + But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. + And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." + But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. + So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out. + Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof + and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. + For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. + And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. + Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign + that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." + And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you." + Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. + And she said to them, "Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way." + The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. + Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. + Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. + But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear." + And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. + They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. + Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. + And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us." + + + Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. + At the end of three days the officers went through the camp + and commanded the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. + Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." + Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." + And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. + The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. + And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" + And Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God." + And Joshua said, "Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. + Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. + Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. + And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap." + So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, + and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), + the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. + Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. + + + When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, + "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, + and command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" + Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. + And Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, + that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' + then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever." + And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. + And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. + For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste. + And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. + The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. + About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. + On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. + And the LORD said to Joshua, + "Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan." + So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." + And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. + The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. + And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. + And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?' + then you shall let your children know, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' + For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, + so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." + + + As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel. + At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time." + So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. + And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. + Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. + For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. + So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. + When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. + And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. + While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. + And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. + And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. + When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" + And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" + And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. + + + Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. + And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. + You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. + Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. + And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him." + So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." + And he said to the people, "Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD." + And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. + The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. + But Joshua commanded the people, "You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout." + So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. + Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. + And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. + And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. + On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. + And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. + And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. + But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. + But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." + So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. + Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. + But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." + So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. + And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. + But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. + Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. "At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." + So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. + + + But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. + Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. + And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few." + So about 3,000 men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, + and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. + Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. + And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! + O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! + For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?" + The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? + Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. + Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. + Get up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you." + In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man. + And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.'" + So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. + And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. + And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. + Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." + And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: + when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." + So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. + And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the LORD. + And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. + And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. + And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. + + + And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. + And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it." + So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. + And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. + And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them. + And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, 'They are fleeing from us, just as before.' So we will flee before them. + Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. + And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you." + So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people. + Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. + And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. + He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. + So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. + And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. + And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. + So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. + Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel. + Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. + And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. + So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. + And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. + And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped. + But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua. + When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword. + And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai. + But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction. + Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the LORD that he commanded Joshua. + So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. + And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. + At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, + just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings. + And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. + And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. + And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. + There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them. + + + As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, + they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel. + But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, + they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, + with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. + And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us." + But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?" + They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" + They said to him, "From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, + and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. + So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us."' + Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. + These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey." + So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. + And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. + At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. + And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. + But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. + But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. + This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them." + And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. + Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us? + Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." + They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you- so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. + And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it." + So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. + But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose. + + + As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, + he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. + So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, + "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." + Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it. + And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." + So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. + And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you." + So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. + And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. + And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. + At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." + And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. + There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD obeyed the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel. + So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. + These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. + And it was told to Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah." + And Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, + but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." + When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, + then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel. + Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave." + And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. + And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings." Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. + And Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." + And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. + But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day. + As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. + And the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it. + And the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. + Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people, until he left none remaining. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon. And they laid siege to it and fought against it. + And they captured it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. And he devoted every person in it to destruction that day, as he had done to Lachish. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron. And they fought against it + and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and devoted it to destruction and every person in it. + Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it + and he captured it with its king and all its towns. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. Just as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king. + So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD God of Israel commanded. + And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. + And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. + Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. + + + When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, + and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, + to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. + And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. + And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel. + And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." + So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. + And the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. + And Joshua did to them just as the LORD said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. + And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. + And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. + And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. + But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. + And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every man they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. + Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. + So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland + from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he captured all their kings and struck them and put them to death. + Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. + There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. + For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses. + And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. + There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. + So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war. + + + Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward: + Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, + and the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Bethjeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; + and Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei + and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. + Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. + And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, + in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites): + the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; + the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; + the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; + the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; + the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; + the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; + the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; + the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; + the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; + the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; + the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; + the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; + the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; + the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; + the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goiim in Galilee, one; + the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings. + + + Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. + This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites + (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, + in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, + and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, + all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. + Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh." + With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them: + from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; + and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; + and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; + all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); these Moses had struck and driven out. + Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. + To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him. + And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the people of Reuben according to their clans. + So their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba; + with Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the tableland; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, + and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, + and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, + and Beth-peor, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Bethjeshimoth, + that is, all the cities of the tableland, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land. + Balaam also, the son of Beor, the one who practiced divination, was killed with the sword by the people of Israel among the rest of their slain. + And the border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the people of Reuben, according to their clans with their cities and villages. + Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of Gad, to the people of Gad, according to their clans. + Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah, + and from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir, + and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. + This is the inheritance of the people of Gad according to their clans, with their cities and villages. + And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was allotted to the half-tribe of the people of Manasseh according to their clans. + Their region extended from Mahanaim, through all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, + and half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. These were allotted to the people of Machir the son of Manasseh for the half of the people of Machir according to their clans. + These are the inheritances that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. + But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them. + + + These are the inheritances that the people of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel gave them to inherit. + Their inheritance was by lot, just as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses for the nine and one-half tribes. + For Moses had given an inheritance to the two and one-half tribes beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. + For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for their livestock and their substance. + The people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses; they allotted the land. + Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. + I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. + But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. + And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' + And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. + I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. + So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said." + Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. + Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. + Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war. + + + The allotment for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south. + And their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. + It goes out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka, + passes along to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary. + And the east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. + And the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. + And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel. + Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite ( that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. + Then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron. Then the boundary bends around to Baalah ( that is, Kiriath-jearim). + And the boundary circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to Beth-shemesh and passes along by Timnah. + The boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron and passes along to Mount Baalah and goes out to Jabneel. Then the boundary comes to an end at the sea. + And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coastline. This is the boundary around the people of Judah according to their clans. + According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). + And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. + And he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. Now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher. + And Caleb said, "Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife." + And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. + When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she got off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?" + She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans. + The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, + Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, + Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, + Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, + Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), + Amam, Shema, Moladah, + Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, + Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, + Baalah, Iim, Ezem, + Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, + Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, + Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages. + And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, + Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, + Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, + Sha-araim, Adithaim, Gederah, Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages. + Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, + Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, + Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, + Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, + Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages. + Libnah, Ether, Ashan, + Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, + Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages. + Ekron, with its towns and its villages; + from Ekron to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. + Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the Brook of Egypt, and the Great Sea with its coastline. + And in the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, + Dannah, Kiriath-sannah ( that is, Debir), + Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, + Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages. + Arab, Dumah, Eshan, + Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, + Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages. + Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, + Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, + Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages. + Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, + Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages. + Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah: two cities with their villages. + In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, + Nibshan, the City of Salt, and Engedi: six cities with their villages. + But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. + + + The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel. + Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites. + Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea. + The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. + The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, + and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, + then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. + From Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans, + together with the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages. + However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor. + + + Then allotment was made to the people of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war. + And allotments were made to the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their clans. + Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. + They approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers." So according to the mouth of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. + Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, + because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh. + The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. + The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim. + Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea, + the land to the south being Ephraim's and that to the north being Manasseh's, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar. + Also in Issachar and in Asher Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; the third is Naphath. + Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. + Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out. + Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the LORD has blessed me?" + And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." + The people of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel." + Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, + but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong." + + + Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them. + There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. + So Joshua said to the people of Israel, "How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? + Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. + They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north. + And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. + The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." + So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, "Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh." + So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, + and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion. + The lot of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to its clans came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph. + On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan. Then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward, and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-aven. + From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (that is, Bethel), then the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon. + Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal ( that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city belonging to the people of Judah. This forms the western side. + And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. And the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. + Then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. And it then goes down the Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to En-rogel. + Then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. Then it goes down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, + and passing on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-arabah it goes down to the Arabah. + Then the boundary passes on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah. And the boundary ends at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border. + The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin, according to their clans, boundary by boundary all around. + Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, + Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, + Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, + Chepharammoni, Ophni, Geba- twelve cities with their villages: + Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, + Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, + Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, + Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim- fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans. + + + The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the people of Simeon, according to their clans, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah. + And they had for their inheritance Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, + Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, + Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, + Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, + Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen- thirteen cities with their villages; + Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan- four cities with their villages, + together with all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Simeon according to their clans. + The inheritance of the people of Simeon formed part of the territory of the people of Judah. Because the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them, the people of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. + The third lot came up for the people of Zebulun, according to their clans. And the territory of their inheritance reached as far as Sarid. + Then their boundary goes up westward and on to Mareal and touches Dabbesheth, then the brook that is east of Jokneam. + From Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor. From there it goes to Daberath, then up to Japhia. + From there it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and going on to Rimmon it bends toward Neah, + then on the north the boundary turns about to Hannathon, and it ends at the Valley of Iphtahel; + and Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem- twelve cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the people of Zebulun, according to their clans- these cities with their villages. + The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the people of Issachar, according to their clans. + Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, + Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, + Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, + Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, Beth-pazzez. + The boundary also touches Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan- sixteen cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Issachar, according to their clans- the cities with their villages. + The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans. + Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, + Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touches Carmel and Shihor-libnath, + then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel. Then it continues in the north to Cabul, + Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Sidon the Great. + Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib, + Ummah, Aphek and Rehob- twenty-two cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans- these cities with their villages. + The sixth lot came out for the people of Naphtali, for the people of Naphtali, according to their clans. + And their boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and it ended at the Jordan. + Then the boundary turns westward to Aznoth-tabor and goes from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun at the south and Asher on the west and Judah on the east at the Jordan. + The fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, + Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, + Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, + Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh- nineteen cities with their villages. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Naphtali according to their clans- the cities with their villages. + The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans. + And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, + Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, + Elon, Timnah, Ekron, + Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, + Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, + and Me-jarkon and Rakkon with the territory over against Joppa. + When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. + This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans- these cities with their villages. + When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances, the people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. + By command of the LORD they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he rebuilt the city and settled in it. + These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land. + + + Then the LORD said to Joshua, + "Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, + that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. + He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. + And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. + And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'" + So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. + And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. + These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation. + + + Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. + And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock." + So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance. + The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. + And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. + The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. + The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. + These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. + Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, + which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. + They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. + But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. + And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands, + Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, + Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, + Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands- nine cities out of these two tribes; + then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, + Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands- four cities. + The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. + As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. + To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, + Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands- four cities; + and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, + Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands- four cities; + and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands- two cities. + The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands. + And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands- two cities; + and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, + Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands- four cities; + and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, + Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands- four cities; + and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands- three cities. + The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. + And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, + Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands- four cities; + and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, + Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands- four cities; + and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, + Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands- four cities in all. + As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. + The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. + These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities. + Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. + And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. + Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. + + + At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, + and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. + You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. + And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. + Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." + So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. + Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, + he said to them, "Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers." + So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through Moses. + And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. + And the people of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel." + And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. + Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, + and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. + And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, + "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD? + Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD, + that you too must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you too rebel against the LORD today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. + But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. + Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'" + Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, + "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today + for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. + No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? + For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. + Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, + but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."' + And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.' + Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!" + When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. + And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD." + Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. + And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. + The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, "For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God." + + + A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, + Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years. + And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. + Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. + The LORD your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. + Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, + that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, + but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. + For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. + One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. + Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. + For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, + know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you. + "And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. + But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, + if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you." + + + Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. + And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. + Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. + And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. + And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. + "'Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. + And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. + Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. + Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, + but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. + And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. + And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. + I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.' + "Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. + And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." + Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, + for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. + And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." + But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. + If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good." + And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD." + Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." + He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel." + And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." + So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. + And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. + And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." + So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. + After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old. + And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. + Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel. + As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. + And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim. + + + + + After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the LORD, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" + The LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." + And Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you." So Simeon went with him. + Then Judah went up and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. + They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. + Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. + And Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. + And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. + And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. + And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai. + From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. + And Caleb said, "He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife." + And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. + When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?" + She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. + And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. + And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. + Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. + And the LORD was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron. + And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. + But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. + The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. + And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. ( Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) + And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, "Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you." + And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. + And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day. + Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. + When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely. + And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. + Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor. + Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, + so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out. + Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them. + The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. + The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. + And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward. + + + Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, "I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, + and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? + So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you." + As soon as the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. + And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the LORD. + When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. + And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. + And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. + And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. + And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. + And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. + And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. + They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. + So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. + Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. + Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. + Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. + Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. + But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. + So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he said, "Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, + I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, + in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not." + So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. + + + Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. + It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. + These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. + They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. + So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. + And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. + And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. + Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. + But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. + The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. + So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. + And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. + He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. + And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. + Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. + And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. + And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. + And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. + But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he commanded, "Silence." And all his attendants went out from his presence. + And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat. + And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. + And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. + Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. + When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber." + And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. + Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. + When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. + And he said to them, "Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. + And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. + So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. + After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. + + + And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died. + And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. + Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. + Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. + She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. + She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, "Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, 'Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. + And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand'?" + Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go." + And she said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. + And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him. + Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh. + When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, + Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. + And Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the LORD go out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. + And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. + And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. + But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. + And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid." So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. + And he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. + And he said to her, "Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'" + But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. + And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple. + So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. + And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan. + + + Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day: + "That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD! + "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing; I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel. + "LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. + The mountains quaked before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel. + "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways. + The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. + When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel? + My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD. + "Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way. + To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD. + "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. + Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for me against the mighty. + From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's staff; + the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. + Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. + Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he stay with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, staying by his landings. + Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field. + "The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. + From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. + The torrent Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! + "Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. + "Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. + "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. + He asked water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble's bowl. + She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple. + Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell- dead. + "Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera wailed through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?' + Her wisest princesses answer, indeed, she answers herself, + 'Have they not found and divided the spoil?- A womb or two for every man; spoil of dyed materials for Sisera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?' + "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." And the land had rest for forty years. + + + The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. + And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. + For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. + They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. + For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number- both they and their camels could not be counted- so that they laid waste the land as they came in. + And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD. + When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites, + the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage. + And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. + And I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.' But you have not obeyed my voice." + Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. + And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor." + And Gideon said to him, "Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian." + And the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?" + And he said to him, "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." + And the LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man." + And he said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speaks with me. + Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay till you return." + So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. + And the angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them." And he did so. + Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. + Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face." + But the LORD said to him, "Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die." + Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. + That night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it + and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down." + So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. + When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. + And they said to one another, "Who has done this thing?" And after they had searched and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing." + Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it." + But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down." + Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar. + Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. + But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. + And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them. + Then Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, + behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said." + And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. + Then Gideon said to God, "Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew." + And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew. + + + Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. + The LORD said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.' + Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.'"Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. + And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' shall not go." + So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink." + And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. + And the LORD said to Gideon, "With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home." + So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. + That same night the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. + But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. + And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. + And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. + When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat." + And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp." + As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand." + And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. + And he said to them, "Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. + When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" + So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. + Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" + Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. + When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. + And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. + Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. + And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan. + + + Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Midian?" And they accused him fiercely. + And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? + God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger against him subsided when he said this. + And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. + So he said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." + And the officials of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?" + So Gideon said, "Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers." + And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. + And he said to the men of Penuel, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower." + Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. + And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. + And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. + Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. + And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. + And he came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?'" + And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. + And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. + Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king." + And he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you." + So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise and kill them!" But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. + Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. + Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian." + Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you." + And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) + And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. + And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. + And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. + So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. + Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. + Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. + And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. + And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. + As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. + And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, + and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. + + + Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, + "Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh." + And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." + And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. + And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. + And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. + When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. + The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' + But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?' + And the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and reign over us.' + But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?' + And the trees said to the vine, 'You come and reign over us.' + But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?' + Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come and reign over us.' + And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.' + "Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved- + for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, + and you have risen up against my father's house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative- + if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. + But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech." + And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother. + Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. + And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, + that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. + And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech. + And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. + And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. + And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? + Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, 'Increase your army, and come out.'" + When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. + And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. + Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. + Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them as your hand finds to do." + So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. + And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. + And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!" And Zebul said to him, "You mistake the shadow of the mountains for men." + Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak." + Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your mouth now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them." + And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. + And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. + And Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives, so that they could not dwell at Shechem. + On the following day, the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told. + He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. + Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. + And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt. + When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith. + Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. + And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done." + So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women. + Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. + But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. + And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. + And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. + Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died. + And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home. + Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. + And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. + + + After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. + And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir. + After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. + And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. + And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. + The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. + So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, + and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. + And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed. + And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals." + And the LORD said to the people of Israel, "Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? + The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. + Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. + Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress." + And the people of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day." + So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel. + Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. + And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." + + + Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. + And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." + Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. + After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. + And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. + And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites." + But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?" + And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." + Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head." + And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say." + So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah. + Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, "What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?" + And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably." + Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites + and said to him, "Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, + but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. + Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please let us pass through your land,' but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. + "Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. + Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, 'Please let us pass through your land to our country,' + but Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. + And the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. + And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. + So then the LORD, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? + Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the LORD our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. + Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? + While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? + I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon." + But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him. + Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. + And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, + then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." + So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. + And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. + Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. + And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow." + And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites." + So she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions." + So he said, "Go." Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. + And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel + that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year. + + + The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire." + And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. + And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?" + Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, "You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh." + And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, "Let me go over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" When he said, "No," + they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell. + Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead. + After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. + He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. + Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem. + After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. + Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. + After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. + He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years. + Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. + + + And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. + There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. + And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. + Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, + for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines." + Then the woman came and told her husband, "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, + but he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'" + Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, "O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born." + And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. + So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, "Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me." + And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to this woman?" And he said, "I am." + And Manoah said, "Now when your words come true, what is to be the child's manner of life, and what is his mission?" + And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. + She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe." + Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you." + And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the LORD." (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD.) + And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?" + And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?" + So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. + And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground. + The angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. + And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, for we have seen God." + But his wife said to him, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these." + And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him. + And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. + + + Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. + Then he came up and told his father and mother, "I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife." + But his father and mother said to him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes." + His father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel. + Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. + Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. + Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes. + After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. + He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion. + His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. + As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. + And Samson said to them, "Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, + but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes." And they said to him, "Put your riddle, that we may hear it." + And he said to them, "Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet." And in three days they could not solve the riddle. + On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?" + And Samson's wife wept over him and said, "You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is." And he said to her, "Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?" + She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people. + And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle." + And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father's house. + And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man. + + + After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a young goat. And he said, "I will go in to my wife in the chamber." But her father would not allow him to go in. + And her father said, "I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead." + And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm." + So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails. + And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards. + Then the Philistines said, "Who has done this?" And they said, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion." And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. + And Samson said to them, "If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit." + And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam. + Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and made a raid on Lehi. + And the men of Judah said, "Why have you come up against us?" They said, "We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us." + Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so have I done to them." + And they said to him, "We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines." And Samson said to them, "Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves." + They said to him, "No; we will only bind you and give you into their hands. We will surely not kill you." So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. + When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. + And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. + And Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men." + As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi. + And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, "You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" + And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day. + And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. + + + Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. + The Gazites were told, "Samson has come here." And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, "Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him." + But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron. + After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. + And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver." + So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you." + Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man." + Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. + Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. + Then Delilah said to Samson, "Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound." + And he said to her, "If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man." + So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread. + Then Delilah said to Samson, "Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man." + So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web. + And she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies." + And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. + And he told her all his heart, and said to her, "A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man." + When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up again, for he has told me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. + She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. + And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him. + And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. + But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. + Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand." + And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, "Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us." + And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Call Samson, that he may entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. + And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them." + Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained. + Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes." + And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. + And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. + Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years. + + + There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. + And he said to his mother, "The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the LORD." + And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, "I dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you." + So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. + And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest. + In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. + Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. + And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. + And Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" And he said to him, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place." + And Micah said to him, "Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living." And the Levite went in. + And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. + And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. + Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest." + + + In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. + So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, "Go and explore the land." And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. + When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?" + And he said to them, "This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest." + And they said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed." + And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD." + Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. + And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, "What do you report?" + They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. + As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth." + So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, + and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. + And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. + Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do." + And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. + Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. + And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. + And when these went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" + And they said to him, "Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?" + And the priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. + So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. + When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. + And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?" + And he said, "You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, 'What is the matter with you?'" + And the people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household." + Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. + But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. + And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. + And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. + And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. + So they set up Micah's carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. + + + In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. + And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. + Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house. And when the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. + And his father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there. + And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go." + So the two of them sat and ate and drank together. And the girl's father said to the man, "Be pleased to spend the night, and let your heart be merry." + And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, till he spent the night there again. + And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart. And the girl's father said, "Strengthen your heart and wait until the day declines." So they ate, both of them. + And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Behold, now the day has waned toward evening. Please, spend the night. Behold, the day draws to its close. Lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow you shall arise early in the morning for your journey, and go home." + But the man would not spend the night. He rose up and departed and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him. + When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said to his master, "Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it." + And his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah." + And he said to his young man, "Come and let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah." + So they passed on and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, + and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night. + And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah. The men of the place were Benjaminites. + And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city. And the old man said, "Where are you going? and where do you come from?" + And he said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of the Lord, but no one has taken me into his house. + We have straw and feed for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your female servant and the young man with your servants. There is no lack of anything." + And the old man said, "Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants. Only, do not spend the night in the square." + So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank. + As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him." + And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. + Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing." + But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. + And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, until it was light. + And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. + He said to her, "Get up, let us be going." But there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey, and the man rose up and went away to his home. + And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. + And all who saw it said, "Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak." + + + Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah. + And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword. + (Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this evil happen?" + And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. + And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. + So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. + Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here." + And all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. + But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, + and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin, for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel." + So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. + And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has taken place among you? + Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. + Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. + And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. + Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. + And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. + The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, "Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first." + Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. + And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. + The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. + But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. + And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them." + So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. + And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword. + Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. + And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, + and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, "Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand." + So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. + And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. + And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. + And the people of Benjamin said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." But the people of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways." + And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. + And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. + And the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword. + So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. + Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. + Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city + the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle." + But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. + Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. + Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. + Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. + Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. + And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. + So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. + But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. + And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire. + + + Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin." + And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. + And they said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?" + And the next day the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. + And the people of Israel said, "Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death." + And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel this day. + What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?" + And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah?" And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly. + For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. + So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. + This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction." + And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. + Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace to them. + And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them. + And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. + Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?" + And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. + Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters." For the people of Israel had sworn, "Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin." + So they said, "Behold, there is the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah." + And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards + and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. + And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, 'Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.'" + And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them. + And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance. + In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. + + + + + In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. + The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. + But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. + These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, + and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. + Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. + So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. + But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. + The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!" Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. + And they said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." + But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? + Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, + would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me." + Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. + And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." + But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. + Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." + And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. + So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?" + She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. + I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?" + So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. + + + Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. + And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." + So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. + And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!" And they answered, "The LORD bless you." + Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" + And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. + She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest." + Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. + Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn." + Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" + But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. + The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!" + Then she said, "I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants." + And at mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. + When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. + And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her." + So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. + And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. + And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz." + And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers." + And Ruth the Moabite said, "Besides, he said to me, 'You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'" + And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted." + So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law. + + + Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? + Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. + Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. + But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do." + And she replied, "All that you say I will do." + So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. + And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. + At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! + He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer." + And he said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. + And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. + And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. + Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning." + So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." + And he said, "Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out." So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. + And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did you fare, my daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her, + saying, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, 'You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'" + She replied, "Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today." + + + Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. + And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. + Then he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. + So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it." + Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance." + Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it." + Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. + So when the redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal. + Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. + Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day." + Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, + and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman." + So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. + Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! + He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." + Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. + And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. + Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, + Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, + Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, + Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, + Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David. + + + + + There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. + He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. + Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. + On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. + But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. + And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. + So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. + And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" + After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. + She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. + And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." + As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. + Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. + And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put away your wine from you." + But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. + Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation." + Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him." + And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. + They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. + And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the LORD." + The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. + But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever." + Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word." So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. + And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young. + Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. + And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. + For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. + Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. + + + And Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. + "There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. + Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. + The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. + Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. + The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. + The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. + He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world. + "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. + The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed." + Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy ministered to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest. + Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. + The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, + and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. + Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw." + And if the man said to him, "Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish," he would say, "No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force." + Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt. + Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. + And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. + Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "May the LORD give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the LORD." So then they would return to their home. + Indeed the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD. + Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. + And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. + No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. + If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death. + Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man. + And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, "Thus the LORD has said, 'Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? + Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. + Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?' + Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. + Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. + Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. + The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. + And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. + And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. + And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, "Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread."'" + + + Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. + At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. + The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. + Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!" + and ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. + And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." + Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. + And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the young man. + Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.'"So Samuel went and lay down in his place. + And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears." + Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. + On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. + And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. + Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever." + Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. + But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." + And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." + So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him." + And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. + And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD. + And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD. + + + And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. + The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. + And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies." + So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. + As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. + And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, + the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. + Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. + Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight." + So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. + And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. + A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. + When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. + When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. + Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. + And the man said to Eli, "I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today." And he said, "How did it go, my son?" + He who brought the news answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured." + As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. + Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. + And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer or pay attention. + And she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. + And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured." + + + When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. + Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. + And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. + But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. + This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. + The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. + And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god." + So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. + But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. + So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people." + They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. + The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. + + + The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. + And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place." + They said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you." + And they said, "What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?" They answered, "Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. + So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. + Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? + Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. + And take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way + and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence." + The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. + And they put the ark of the LORD on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. + And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. + Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. + The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. + And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD. + And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron. + These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, + and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. + And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow. + Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?" + So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you." + + + And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. + From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. + And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." + So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only. + Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." + So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. + Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. + And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines." + So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. + As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel. + And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. + Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the LORD has helped us." + So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. + The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. + Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. + And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. + Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the LORD. + + + When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. + The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. + Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. + Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah + and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations." + But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. + And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. + According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. + Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." + So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. + He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. + And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. + He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. + He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. + He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. + He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. + He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. + And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." + But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, "No! But there shall be a king over us, + that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." + And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. + And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." + + + There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. + And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. + Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, "Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys." + And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. + When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us." + But he said to him, "Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go." + Then Saul said to his servant, "But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" + The servant answered Saul again, "Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way." + (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.) + And Saul said to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was. + As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?" + They answered, "He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. + As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately." + So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. + Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: + "Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me." + When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, "Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people." + Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, "Tell me where is the house of the seer?" + Samuel answered Saul, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. + As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?" + Saul answered, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?" + Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. + And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Put it aside.'" + So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, "See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests." So Saul ate with Samuel that day. + And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. + Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Up, that I may send you on your way." So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. + As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God." + + + Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince over his heritage. + When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, 'The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' + Then you shall go on from there further and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. + And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. + After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. + Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. + Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. + Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do." + When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. + When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. + And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" + And a man of the place answered, "And who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" + When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place. + Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel." + And Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you." + And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. + Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah. + And he said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' + But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands." + Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. + He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. + So they inquired again of the LORD, "Is there a man still to come?" and the LORD said, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage." + Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. + And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!" + Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. + Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. + But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. + + + Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you." + But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel." + The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you." + When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud. + Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, "What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. + And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. + He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!" Then the dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. + When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. + And they said to the messengers who had come, "Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.'"When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. + Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you." + And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. + Then the people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, that we may put them to death." + But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel." + Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom." + So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. + + + And Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. + And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. + Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you." + They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand." + And he said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." And they said, "He is witness." + And Samuel said to the people, "The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. + Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds of the LORD that he performed for you and for your fathers. + When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the LORD and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. + But they forgot the LORD their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. + And they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.' + And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. + And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the LORD your God was your king. + And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. + If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. + But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king. + Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. + Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king." + So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. + And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king." + And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. + And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. + For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself. + Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. + Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. + But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king." + + + Saul was... years old when he began to reign, and he reigned... and two years over Israel. + Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. + Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." + And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. + And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. + When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, + and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. + He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. + So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. + As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. + Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, + I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.' So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." + And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. + But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." + And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. + And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. + And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; + another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. + Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears." + But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, + and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. + So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. + And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. + + + One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his father. + Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, + including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. + Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. + The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. + Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few." + And his armor-bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul." + Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. + If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. + But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us." + So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves." + And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel." + Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. + And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land. + And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic. + And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. + Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Count and see who has gone from us." And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. + So Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. + Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." + Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. + Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. + Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. + So the LORD saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven. + And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people had tasted food. + Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. + And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. + But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. + Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food this day.'"And the people were faint. + Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. + How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great." + They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. + The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. + Then they told Saul, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here." + And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.'"So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. + And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD. + Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." + And Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day. + And Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. + For as the LORD lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. + Then he said to all Israel, "You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." + Therefore Saul said, "O LORD God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O LORD, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. + Then Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was taken. + Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die." + And Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan." + Then the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. + Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. + When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. + And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. + Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. + And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. + Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. + There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself. + + + And Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD. + Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. + Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" + So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. + And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. + Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. + And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. + And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. + But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. + The word of the LORD came to Samuel: + "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night. + And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal." + And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD." + And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?" + Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction." + Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak." + And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. + And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' + Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" + And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. + But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." + And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. + For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." + Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. + Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may worship the LORD." + And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." + As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. + And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. + And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret." + Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God." + So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the LORD. + Then Samuel said, "Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." + And Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. + Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. + And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. + + + The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." + And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' + And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you." + Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, "Do you come peaceably?" + And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. + When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before him." + But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." + Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." + Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." + And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." + Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here." + And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." + Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. + Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. + And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. + Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." + So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me." + One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him." + Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep." + And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. + And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. + And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight." + And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. + + + Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. + And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. + And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. + And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. + He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. + And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. + The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. + He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. + If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." + And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together." + When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. + Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. + The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. + David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, + but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. + For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening. + And Jesse said to David his son, "Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. + Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them." + Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. + And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. + And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. + And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. + As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. + All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. + And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel." + And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" + And the people answered him in the same way, "So shall it be done to the man who kills him." + Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle." + And David said, "What have I done now? Was it not but a word?" + And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. + When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. + And David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." + And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth." + But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, + I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. + Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God." + And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!" + Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, + and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." So David put them off. + Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. + And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. + And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. + And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. + The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field." + Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. + This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, + and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand." + When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. + And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. + So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. + Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. + And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. + And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. + And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. + As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I do not know." + And the king said, "Inquire whose son the boy is." + And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. + And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite." + + + As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. + And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. + Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. + And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. + And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. + As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. + And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands." + And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?" + And Saul eyed David from that day on. + The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. + And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice. + Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. + So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. + And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him. + And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. + But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. + Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him." + And David said to Saul, "Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" + But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. + Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. + Saul thought, "Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, "You shall now be my son-in-law." + And Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in private and say, 'Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king's son-in-law.'" + And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, "Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?" + And the servants of Saul told him, "Thus and so did David speak." + Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.'"Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. + And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired, + David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. + But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, + Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually. + Then the princes of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. + + + And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. + And Jonathan told David, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. + And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you." + And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. + For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?" + And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death." + And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before. + And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. + Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. + And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. + Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." + So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. + Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. + And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." + Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him." + And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head. + Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go. Why should I kill you?'" + Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. + And it was told Saul, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." + Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. + When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. + Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah." + And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. + And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" + + + Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?" + And he said to him, "Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so." + But David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death." + Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you." + David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. + If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.' + If he says, 'Good!' it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him. + Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?" + And Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?" + Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?" + And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So they both went out into the field. + And Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? + But should it please my father to do you harm, the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father. + If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die; + and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth." + And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD take vengeance on David's enemies." + And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. + Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. + On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap. + And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. + And behold, I will send the young man, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,' then you are to come, for, as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. + But if I say to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then go, for the LORD has sent you away. + And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever." + So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. + The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. + Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean." + But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" + Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. + He said, 'Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table." + Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? + For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." + Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" + But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. + And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him. + In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. + And he said to his boy, "Run and find the arrows that I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. + And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" + And Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!" So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. + But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. + And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city." + And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. + Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'"And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city. + + + Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?" + And David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. + Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here." + And the priest answered David, "I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread- if the young men have kept themselves from women." + And David answered the priest, "Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?" + So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. + Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen. + Then David said to Ahimelech, "Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste." + And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me." + And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. + And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" + And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. + So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. + Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? + Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?" + + + David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. + And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men. + And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me." + And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. + Then the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. + Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. + And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, + that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day." + Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, + and he inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." + Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. + And Saul said, "Hear now, son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord." + And Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" + Then Ahimelech answered the king, "And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house? + Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little." + And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house." + And the king said to the guard who stood about him, "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me." But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. + Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and strike the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. + And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword. + But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. + And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. + And David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. + Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping." + + + Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors." + Therefore David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." + But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" + Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand." + And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. + When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. + Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars." + And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. + David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." + Then said David, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. + Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down." + Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you." + Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. + And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand. + David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. + And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. + And he said to him, "Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this." + And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. + Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? + Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand." + And Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me. + Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. + See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah." + And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. + And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. + Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, + a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land." + So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. + And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi. + + + When Saul returned from fol- lowing the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." + Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats' Rocks. + And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. + And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'"Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. + And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. + He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed." + So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. + Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. + And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'? + Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.' + See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. + May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. + As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes wickedness.' But my hand shall not be against you. + After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! + May the LORD therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand." + As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. + He said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. + And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands. + For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. + And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. + Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house." + And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. + + + Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. + And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. + Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite. + David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. + So David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. + And thus you shall greet him: 'Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. + I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. + Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.'" + When David's young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. + And Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. + Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?" + So David's young men turned away and came back and told him all this. + And David said to his men, "Every man strap on his sword!" And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage. + But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. + Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. + They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. + Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him." + Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. + And she said to her young men, "Go on before me; behold, I come after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. + And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. + Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good. + God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him." + When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. + She fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. + Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. + Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. + And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. + Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. + If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. + And when the LORD has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, + my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord taking vengeance himself. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant." + And David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! + Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand! + For as surely as the LORD the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male." + Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition." + And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. + In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. + And about ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died. + When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The LORD has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife. + When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife." + And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." + And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife. + David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives. + Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim. + + + Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?" + So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. + And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, + David sent out spies and learned that Saul had come. + Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him. + Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab's brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, "Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." + So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. + Then said Abishai to David, "God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice." + But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?" + And David said, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. + The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go." + So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them. + Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. + And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner answered, "Who are you who calls to the king?" + And David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. + This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the jar of water that was at his head." + Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." + And he said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? + Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' + Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains." + Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake." + And David answered and said, "Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. + The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD's anointed. + Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation." + Then Saul said to David, "Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them." So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. + + + Then David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand." + So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. + And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow. + And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him. + Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" + So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. + And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. + Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. + And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. + When Achish asked, "Where have you made a raid today?" David would say, "Against the Negeb of Judah," or, "Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites," or, "Against the Negeb of the Kenites." + And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, "Lest they should tell about us and say, 'So David has done.'"Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. + And Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant." + + + In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, "Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army." + David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life." + Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. + The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. + When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. + And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. + Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at En-dor." + So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, "Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you." + The woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?" + But Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." + Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me." + When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." + The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth." + He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. + Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do." + And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? + The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. + Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. + Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines." + Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. + And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, "Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. + Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way." + He refused and said, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. + Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, + and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night. + + + Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. + As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, + the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day." + But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? + Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" + Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. + So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines." + And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" + And Achish answered David and said, "I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.' + Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light." + So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. + + + Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire + and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. + And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. + Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. + David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. + And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. + And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. + And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue." + So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. + But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. + They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, + and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. + And David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. + We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire." + And David said to him, "Will you take me down to this band?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band." + And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. + And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. + David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. + Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. + David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, "This is David's spoil." + Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. + Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart." + But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. + Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike." + And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day. + When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD." + It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, + in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, + in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, + in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, + in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed. + + + Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. + And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. + The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. + Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. + And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. + Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. + And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. + The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. + So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. + They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. + But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, + all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. + And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days. + + + + + After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. + And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. + David said to him, "Where do you come from?" And he said to him, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel." + And David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And he answered, "The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead." + Then David said to the young man who told him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" + And the young man who told him said, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. + And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.' + And he said to me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' + And he said to me 'Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.' + So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord." + Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. + And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. + And David said to the young man who told him, "Where do you come from?" And he answered, "I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite." + David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?" + Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him." And he struck him down so that he died. + And David said to him, "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD's anointed.'" + And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, + and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: + "Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! + Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. + "You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. + "From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. + "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. + "You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. + "How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! "Jonathan lies slain on your high places. + I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. + "How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!" + + + After this David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron." + So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. + And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. + And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul," + David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. + Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. + Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them." + But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, + and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. + Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. + And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. + Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. + And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. + And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." + Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. + And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. + And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. + And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. + And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. + Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I." + Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. + And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?" + But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. + But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. + And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. + Then Abner called to Joab, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?" + And Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning." + So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore. + And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. + Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel. + But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men. + And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron. + + + There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. + And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; + and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; + and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; + and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. + While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. + Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?" + Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. + God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the LORD has sworn to him, + to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba." + And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. + And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you." + And he said, "Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face." + Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines." + And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. + But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." And he returned. + And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, "For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. + Now then bring it about, for the LORD has promised David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.'" + Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do. + When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. + And Abner said to David, "I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. + Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. + When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace." + Then Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? + You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing." + When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. + And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. + Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. + May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!" + So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. + Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier. + They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. + And the king lamented for Abner, saying, "Should Abner die as a fool dies? + Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen." And all the people wept again over him. + Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, "God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!" + And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. + So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. + And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? + And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!" + + + When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. + Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth ( for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; + the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day). + Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. + Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. + And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. + When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, + and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring." + But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, + when one told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. + How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?" + And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. + + + Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. + In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'" + So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. + David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. + At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. + And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off"- thinking, "David cannot come in here." + Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. + And David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack 'the lame and the blind,' who are hated by David's soul." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." + And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. + And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him. + And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. + And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. + And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. + And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. + Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. + And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." + And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, "The LORD has burst through my enemies before me like a bursting flood." Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. + And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away. + And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. + And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. + And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines." + And David did as the LORD commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. + + + David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. + And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. + And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, + with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. + And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. + And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. + And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. + And David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day. + And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" + So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. + And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household. + And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. + And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. + And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. + So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn. + As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart. + And they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. + And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts + and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house. + And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" + And David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD- and I will make merry before the LORD. + I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor." + And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. + + + Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, + the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent." + And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you." + But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, + "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? + I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. + In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' + Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. + And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. + And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, + from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. + When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. + He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. + I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, + but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. + And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'" + In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. + Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? + And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! + And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! + Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. + Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. + And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? + And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. + And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. + And your name will be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,' and the house of your servant David will be established before you. + For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. + And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. + Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever." + + + After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. + And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute. + David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. + And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for a hundred chariots. + And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. + Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. + And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze. + When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, + Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. + These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, + from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. + And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. + Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, + and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary, + and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were priests. + + + And David said, "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" + Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant." + And the king said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?" Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet." + The king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar." + Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. + And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, "Mephibosheth!" And he answered, "Behold, I am your servant." + And David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always." + And he paid homage and said, "What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?" + Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. + And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. + Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons. + And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. + So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet. + + + After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. + And David said, "I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me." So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. + But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?" + So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. + When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return." + When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men. + And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men. + And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country. + When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. + The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. + And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. + Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him." + So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. + And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem. + But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. + And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates. They came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. + And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. + And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. + And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore. + + + In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. + It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. + And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" + So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. ( Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. + And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." + So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. + When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going. + Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. + But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. + When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" + Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing." + Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. + And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. + In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. + In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die." + And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. + And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. + Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. + And he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, + then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? + Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'" + So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. + The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. + Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also." + David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Joab, 'Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.' And encourage him." + When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. + And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. + + + And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. + The rich man had very many flocks and herds, + but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. + Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." + Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, + and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." + Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. + And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. + Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. + Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' + Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. + For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'" + David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. + Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die." + Then Nathan went to his house. And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick. + David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. + And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. + On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm." + But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead." + Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. + Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." + He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' + But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." + Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him + and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD. + Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. + And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. + Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name." + So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it. + And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. + And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. + + + Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. + And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. + But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. + And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." + Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'" + So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand." + Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him." + So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. + And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Send out everyone from me." So everyone went out from him. + Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. + But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister." + She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. + As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." + But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her. + Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up! Go!" + But she said to him, "No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me." But he would not listen to her. + He called the young man who served him and said, "Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her." + Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. + And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. + And her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart." So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. + When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. + But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar. + After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. + And Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant." + But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you." He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. + Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" + But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. + Then Absalom commanded his servants, "Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant." + So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled. + While they were on the way, news came to David, "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left." + Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. + But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. + Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead." + But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. + And Jonadab said to the king, "Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about." + And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly. + But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. + So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. + And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead. + + + Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart went out to Absalom. + And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, "Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. + Go to the king and speak thus to him." So Joab put the words in her mouth. + When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, "Save me, O king." + And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. + And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. + And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.' And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth." + Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you." + And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, "On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless." + The king said, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again." + Then she said, "Please let the king invoke the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed." He said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground." + Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak." + And the woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. + We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. + Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. + For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.' + And your servant thought, 'The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,' for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The LORD your God be with you!" + Then the king answered the woman, "Do not hide from me anything I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king speak." + The king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered and said, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. + In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth." + Then the king said to Joab, "Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom." + And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant." + So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. + And the king said, "Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king's presence. + Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. + And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king's weight. + There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman. + So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence. + Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. + Then he said to his servants, "See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. + Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" + Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent word to you, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.'" + Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. + + + After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. + And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, "From what city are you?" And when he said, "Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel," + Absalom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you." + Then Absalom would say, "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice." + And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. + Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. + And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. + For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD.'" + The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron. + But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, 'Absalom is king at Hebron!'" + With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. + And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. + And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom." + Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword." + And the king's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides." + So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. + And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house. + And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. + Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. + You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you." + But Ittai answered the king, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be." + And David said to Ittai, "Go then, pass on." So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. + And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness. + And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. + Then the king said to Zadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. + But if he says, 'I have no pleasure in you,' behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him." + The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. + See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." + So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there. + But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. + And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." + While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. + David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. + But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,' then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. + Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. + Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear." + So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. + + + When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. + And the king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink." + And the king said, "And where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.'" + Then the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." And Ziba said, "I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king." + When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. + And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. + And Shimei said as he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! + The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood." + Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head." + But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David,' who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" + And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. + It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today." + So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. + And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself. + Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. + And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" + And Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?" + And Hushai said to Absalom, "No, for whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. + And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you." + Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel. What shall we do?" + Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened." + So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. + Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom. + + + Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. + I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, + and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace." + And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel. + Then Absalom said, "Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say." + And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Thus has Ahithophel spoken; shall we do as he says? If not, you speak." + Then Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good." + Hushai said, "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. + Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.' + Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men. + But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. + So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. + If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there." + And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom. + Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled. + Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'" + Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city. + But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it. + And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it. + When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook of water." And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. + After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, "Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you." + Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. + When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. + Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. + Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. + And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. + When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, + brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, + honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness." + + + Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. + And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you." + But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city." + The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. + And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. + So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. + And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. + The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword. + And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great terebinth, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. + And a certain man saw it and told Joab, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak." + Joab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt." + But the man said to Joab, "Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not reach out my hand against the king's son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake protect the young man Absalom.' + On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof." + Joab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. + And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him. + Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them. + And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home. + Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day. + Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run and carry news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies." + And Joab said to him, "You are not to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you shall carry no news, because the king's son is dead." + Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran. + Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?" + "Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite. + Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. + The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he drew nearer and nearer. + The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, "See, another man running alone!" The king said, "He also brings news." + The watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man and comes with good news." + Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, "All is well." And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king." + And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was." + And the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still. + And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, "Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you." + The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man." + And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" + + + It was told Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom." + So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, "The king is grieving for his son." + And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. + The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!" + Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, + because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. + Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now." + Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate." And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his own home. + And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. + But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?" + And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? + You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?' + And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.'" + And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, "Return, both you and all your servants." + So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan. + And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. + And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king, + and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, + and said to the king, "Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. + For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king." + Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, "Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?" + But David said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?" + And the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king gave him his oath. + And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. + And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?" + He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame. + He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. + For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?" + And the king said to him, "Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land." + And Mephibosheth said to the king, "Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home." + Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. + Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. + And the king said to Barzillai, "Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem." + But Barzillai said to the king, "How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? + I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? + Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? + Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you." + And the king answered, "Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you." + Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. + The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way. + Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?" + All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?" + And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. + + + Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, "We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!" + So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem. + And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood. + Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself." + So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. + And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us." + And there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. + When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. + And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. + But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. + And one of Joab's young men took his stand by Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab." + And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him. + When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. + And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in. + And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down. + Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, 'Come here, that I may speak to you.'" + And he came near her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he answered, "I am listening." + Then she said, "They used to say in former times, 'Let them but ask counsel at Abel,' and so they settled a matter. + I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the LORD?" + Joab answered, "Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! + That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall." + Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. + Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; + and Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; + and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; + and Ira the Jairite was also David's priest. + + + Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." + So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. + And David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?" + The Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." And he said, "What do you say that I shall do for you?" + They said to the king, "The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, + let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them." + But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. + The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; + and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. + Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. + When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, + David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. + And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. + And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land. + There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. + And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. + But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel." + After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. + And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. + And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. + And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. + These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. + + + And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. + He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, + my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. + I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. + "For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; + the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. + "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. + "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. + Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. + He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. + He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. + He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. + Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth. + The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. + And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. + Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. + "He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. + He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. + They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. + He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. + "The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. + For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. + For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. + I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. + And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. + "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; + with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. + You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. + For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. + For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. + This God- his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. + "For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? + This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. + He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. + He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. + You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. + You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip; + I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed. + I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet. + For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. + You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them. + They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. + I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets. + "You delivered me from strife with my people; you kept me as the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. + Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me. + Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. + "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation, + the God who gave me vengeance and brought down peoples under me, + who brought me out from my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from men of violence. + "For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. + Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever." + + + Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: + "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. + The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, + he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. + For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? + But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; + but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire." + These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. + And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. + He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. + And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. + But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory. + And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. + David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. + And David said longingly, "Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!" + Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD + and said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. + Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. + He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. + And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. + And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. + These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. + He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. + Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, + Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, + Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, + Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, + Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, + Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, + Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, + Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, + Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, + Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Gilo, + Hezro of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, + Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all. + + + Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah." + So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people." + But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" + But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel. + They crossed the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer. + Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon, + and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba. + So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. + And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000. + But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly." + And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, + "Go and say to David, 'Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.'" + So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, "Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me." + Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man." + So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. + And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, "It is enough; now stay your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. + Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, "Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house." + And Gad came that day to David and said to him, "Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." + So David went up at Gad's word, as the LORD commanded. + And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. + And Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people." + Then Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. + All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "The LORD your God accept you." + But the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. + And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel. + + + + + Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. + Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm." + So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. + The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not. + Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. + His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so?" He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. + He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. + But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David's mighty men were not with Adonijah. + Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, + but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother. + Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? + Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. + Go in at once to King David, and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, "Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then is Adonijah king?' + Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words." + So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). + Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, "What do you desire?" + She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your servant by the LORD your God, saying, 'Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.' + And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. + He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited. + And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. + Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders." + While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. + And they told the king, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. + And Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne'? + For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' + But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. + Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" + Then King David answered, "Call Bathsheba to me." So she came into the king's presence and stood before the king. + And the king swore, saying, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, + as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, 'Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' even so will I do this day." + Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, "May my lord King David live forever!" + King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." So they came before the king. + And the king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. + And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon!' + You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah." + And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so. + As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David." + So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihon. + There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!" + And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. + Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "What does this uproar in the city mean?" + While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news." + Jonathan answered Adonijah, "No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, + and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king's mule. + And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. + Solomon sits on the royal throne. + Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed himself on the bed. + And the king also said, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.'" + Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. + And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. + Then it was told Solomon, "Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'" + And Solomon said, "If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die." + So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house." + + + When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, + "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, + and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, + that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' + "Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. + Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. + But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. + And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' + Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol." + Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. + And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. + So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. + Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, "Do you come peacefully?" He said, "Peacefully." + Then he said, "I have something to say to you." She said, "Speak." + He said, "You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, for it was his from the LORD. + And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me." She said to him, "Speak." + And he said, "Please ask King Solomon- he will not refuse you- to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife." + Bathsheba said, "Very well; I will speak for you to the king." + So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. + Then she said, "I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me." And the king said to her, "Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you." + She said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife." + King Solomon answered his mother, "And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah." + Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! + Now therefore as the LORD lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day." + So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died. + And to Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because you shared in all my father's affliction." + So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, thus fulfilling the word of the LORD that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. + When the news came to Joab- for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom- Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and caught hold of the horns of the altar. + And when it was told King Solomon, "Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar," Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, strike him down." + So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, "The king commands, 'Come out.'"But he said, "No, I will die here." Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me." + The king replied to him, "Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. + The LORD will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. + So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the LORD forevermore." + Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. + The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. + Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. + For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head." + And Shimei said to the king, "What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. + But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei's servants ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, "Behold, your servants are in Gath," + Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. + And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, + the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die'? And you said to me, 'What you say is good; I will obey.' + Why then have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the commandment with which I commanded you?" + The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the LORD will bring back your harm on your own head. + But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever." + Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. + + + Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. + The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD. + Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. + And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. + At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you." + And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. + And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. + And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. + Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" + It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. + And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, + behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. + I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. + And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days." + And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. + Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. + The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. + Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. + And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. + And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. + When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne." + But the other woman said, "No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours." The first said, "No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine." Thus they spoke before the king. + Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead'; and the other says, 'No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.'" + And the king said, "Bring me a sword." So a sword was brought before the king. + And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." + Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him." + Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother." + And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. + + + King Solomon was king over all Israel, + and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; + Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; + Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; + Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king's friend; + Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. + Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. + These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; + Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; + Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); + Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); + Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; + Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); + Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; + Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); + Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; + Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; + Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; + Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land. + Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. + Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. + Solomon's provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, + ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. + For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. + And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. + Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. + And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon's table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. + Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty. + And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, + so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. + For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. + He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. + He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. + And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. + + + Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. + And Solomon sent word to Hiram, + "You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. + But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. + And so I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father, 'Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.' + Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians." + As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, "Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people." + And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. + My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household." + So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, + while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. + And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty. + King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. + And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft. + Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, + besides Solomon's 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work. + At the king's command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. + So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house. + + + In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD. + The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. + The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. + And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. + He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. + The lowest story was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house. + When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the temple while it was being built. + The entrance for the lowest story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third. + So he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar. + He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar. + Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, + "Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. + And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel." + So Solomon built the house and finished it. + He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. + He built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls, and he built this within as an inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place. + The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. + The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen. + The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. + The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar. + And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. + And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold. + In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. + Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. + The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. + The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. + He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. + And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. + Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. + The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms. + For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided. + He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. + So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, + and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. + On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work. + He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams. + In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv. + And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it. + + + Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house. + He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. + And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. + There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. + All the doorways and windows had square frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers. + And he made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and a canopy in front of them. + And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. It was finished with cedar from floor to rafters. + His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall, was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter whom he had taken in marriage. + All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. + The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. + And above were costly stones, cut according to measurement, and cedar. + The great court had three courses of cut stone all around, and a course of cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the LORD and the vestibule of the house. + And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. + He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work. + He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same. + He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. + There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. + Likewise he made pomegranates in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. + Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. + The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital. + He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. + And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished. + Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. + Under its brim were gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. + It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. + Its thickness was a handbreadth, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. + He also made the ten stands of bronze. Each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. + This was the construction of the stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames, + and on the panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames, both above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths of beveled work. + Moreover, each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each. + Its opening was within a crown that projected upward one cubit. Its opening was round, as a pedestal is made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings, and its panels were square, not round. + And the four wheels were underneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. + The wheels were made like a chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. + There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stands. + And on the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its stays and its panels were of one piece with it. + And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. + After this manner he made the ten stands. All of them were cast alike, of the same measure and the same form. + And he made ten basins of bronze. Each basin held forty baths, each basin measured four cubits, and there was a basin for each of the ten stands. + And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the north side of the house. And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house. + Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the LORD: + the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars; + and the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; + the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; + and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea. + Now the pots, the shovels, and the basins, all these vessels in the house of the LORD, which Hiram made for King Solomon, were of burnished bronze. + In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. + And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them; the weight of the bronze was not ascertained. + So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the LORD: the golden altar, the golden table for the bread of the Presence, + the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; + the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple. + Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD. + + + Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. + And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. + And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. + And they brought up the ark of the LORD, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. + And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. + Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. + For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. + And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. + There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. + And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, + so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. + Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. + I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever." + Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. + And he said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, + 'Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there. But I chose David to be over my people Israel.' + Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + But the LORD said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. + Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.' + Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt." + Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, + and said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, + who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. + Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.' + Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father. + "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! + Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, + that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. + And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. + "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, + then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. + "When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, + then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers. + "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, + then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. + "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, + whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, + then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ( for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), + that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. + "Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake + (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, + hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. + "If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, + then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. + "If they sin against you- for there is no one who does not sin- and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, + yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, 'We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,' + if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, + then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause + and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them + ( for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace). + Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you. + For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, as you declared through Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD." + Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. + And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, + "Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. + The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, + that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. + Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, + that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. + Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day." + Then the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD. + Solomon offered as peace offerings to the LORD 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. + The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to receive the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings. + So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days. + On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people. + + + As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king's house and all that Solomon desired to build, + the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. + And the LORD said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. + And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, + then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' + But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, + then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. + And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?' + Then they will say, 'Because they abandoned the LORD their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the LORD has brought all this disaster on them.'" + At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king's house, + and Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. + But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him, they did not please him. + Therefore he said, "What kind of cities are these that you have given me, my brother?" So they are called the land of Cabul to this day. + Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold. + And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the LORD and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer + (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife; + so Solomon rebuilt Gezer) and Lower Beth-horon + and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, + and all the store cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. + All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel- + their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction- these Solomon drafted to be slaves, and so they are to this day. + But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves. They were the soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen. + These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work: 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work. + But Pharaoh's daughter went up from the city of David to her own house that Solomon had built for her. Then he built the Millo. + Three times a year Solomon used to offer up burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built to the LORD, making offerings with it before the LORD. So he finished the house. + King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. + And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, seamen who were familiar with the sea, together with the servants of Solomon. + And they went to Ophir and brought from there gold, 420 talents, and they brought it to King Solomon. + + + Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. + She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. + And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. + And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, + the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. + And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, + but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. + Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! + Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness." + Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. + And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day. + And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants. + Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, + besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield. + And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. + The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. + The throne had six steps, and at the back of the throne was a calf's head, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, + while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. + All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. + For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. + Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. + And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. + Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. + And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. + And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. + And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from Kue at a price. + A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. + + + Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, + from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. + He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. + For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. + For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. + So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done. + Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. + And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. + And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice + and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded. + Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. + Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. + However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen." + And the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom. + For when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, he struck down every male in Edom + (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom). + But Hadad fled to Egypt, together with certain Edomites of his father's servants, Hadad still being a little child. + They set out from Midian and came to Paran and took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him an allowance of food and gave him land. + And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. + And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh. + But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to my own country." + But Pharaoh said to him, "What have you lacked with me that you are now seeking to go to your own country?" And he said to him, "Only let me depart." + God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah. + And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus. + He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing harm as Hadad did. And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria. + Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king. + And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father. + The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. + And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country. + Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. + And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes + (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), + because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did. + Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. + But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you, ten tribes. + Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. + And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. + And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. + And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.'" + Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. + Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? + And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. + And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. + + + Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. + And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. + And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, + "Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you." + He said to them, "Go away for three days, then come again to me." So the people went away. + Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?" + And they said to him, "If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever." + But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. + And he said to them, "What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?" + And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, "Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,' thus shall you say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. + And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'" + So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, "Come to me again the third day." + And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, + he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions." + So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. + And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel went to their tents. + But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. + Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. + So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. + And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only. + When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. + But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: + "Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, + 'Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.'"So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD. + Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. + And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. + If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah." + So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." + And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. + Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. + He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. + And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. + He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings. + + + And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. + And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'" + And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: 'Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.'" + And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Seize him." And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. + The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. + And the king said to the man of God, "Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. + And the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." + And the man of God said to the king, "If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, + for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.'" + So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel. + Now an old prophet lived in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told to their father the words that he had spoken to the king. + And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. + And he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him and he mounted it. + And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am." + Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." + And he said, "I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, + for it was said to me by the word of the LORD, 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.'" + And he said to him, "I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.'"But he lied to him. + So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water. + And as they sat at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back. + And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, + but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'" + And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. + And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. + And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived. + And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, "It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD spoke to him." + And he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." And they saddled it. + And he went and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. + And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city to mourn and to bury him. + And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, "Alas, my brother!" + And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. + For the saying that he called out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass." + After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. + And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth. + + + At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. + And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. + Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." + Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. + And the LORD said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her." When she came, she pretended to be another woman. + But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you. + Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel + and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, + but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, + therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. + Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the LORD has spoken it."' + Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. + And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. + Moreover, the LORD will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth, + the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger. + And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin." + Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. And as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. + And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet. + Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + And the time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. And he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place. + Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. + And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. + For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, + and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. + In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. + He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, + and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. + And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. + Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. + And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. And Abijam his son reigned in his place. + + + Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. + He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. + And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. + Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, + because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. + Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. + The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. + And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. + In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, + and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. + And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done. + He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. + He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. + But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days. + And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. + And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. + Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. + Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, + "Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me." + And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. + And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. + Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. + Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. + And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. + Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. + Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. + So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. + And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. + It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel. + Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. + In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. + + + And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, + "Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, + behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. + Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat." + Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried at Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place. + Moreover, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it. + In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. + But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah, + Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. + When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male of his relatives or his friends. + Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, + for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. + Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, + and the troops who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king." Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. + So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. + And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, + because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. + Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. + But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. + In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. + He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. + Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. + For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. + Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place. + In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. + And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. + And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. + He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. + And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. + In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. + + + Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." + And the word of the LORD came to him, + "Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. + You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." + So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. + And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. + And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. + Then the word of the LORD came to him, + "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you." + So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." + And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." + And she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die." + And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. + For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" + And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. + The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. + After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. + And she said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!" + And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. + And he cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?" + Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again." + And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. + And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives." + And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." + + + After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth." + So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. + And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly, + and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) + And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals." + So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself. + And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?" + And he answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, 'Behold, Elijah is here.'" + And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? + As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, 'He is not here,' he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. + And now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here."' + And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. + Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? + And now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here"'; and he will kill me." + And Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." + So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah. + When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is it you, you troubler of Israel?" + And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. + Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." + So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. + And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word. + Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. + Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. + And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken." + Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it." + And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. + And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." + And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. + And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. + Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down. + Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be your name," + and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. + And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." + And he said, "Do it a second time." And they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time." And they did it a third time. + And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. + And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. + Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back." + Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. + And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God." + And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape." And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there. + And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain." + So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. + And he said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." And he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again," seven times. + And at the seventh time he said, "Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.'" + And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. + And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. + + + Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. + Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." + Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. + But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." + And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat." + And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. + And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." + And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. + There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" + He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." + And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. + And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. + And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" + He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." + And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. + And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. + And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. + Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." + So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. + And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" + And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. + + + Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. + And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad: + 'Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.'" + And the king of Israel answered, "As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have." + The messengers came again and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 'I sent to you, saying, "Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children." + Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.'" + Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him." + And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent." + So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, "Tell my lord the king, 'All that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'"And the messengers departed and brought him word again. + Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me." + And the king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself like he who takes it off.'" + When Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said to his men, "Take your positions." And they took their positions against the city. + And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD." + And Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the governors of the districts." Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You." + Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand. + And they went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him. + The servants of the governors of the districts went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, "Men are coming out from Samaria." + He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive. Or if they have come out for war, take them alive." + So these went out of the city, the servants of the governors of the districts and the army that followed them. + And each struck down his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them, but Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. + And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and struck the Syrians with a great blow. + Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you." + And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. + And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places, + and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so. + In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. + And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. The people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country. + And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because the Syrians have said, "The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys," therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" + And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined. And the people of Israel struck down of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. + And the rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left. Ben-hadad also fled and entered an inner chamber in the city. + And his servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life." + So they tied sackcloth around their waists and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please, let me live.'"And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother." + Now the men were watching for a sign, and they quickly took it up from him and said, "Yes, your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, "Go and bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot. + And Ben-hadad said to him, "The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." And Ahab said, "I will let you go on these terms." So he made a covenant with him and let him go. + And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow at the command of the LORD, "Strike me, please." But the man refused to strike him. + Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have gone from me, a lion shall strike you down." And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion met him and struck him down. + Then he found another man and said, "Strike me, please." And the man struck him- struck him and wounded him. + So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. + And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.' + And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it." + Then he hurried to take the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. + And he said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.'" + And the king of Israel went to his house vexed and sullen and came to Samaria. + + + Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. + And after this Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money." + But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." + And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. + But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?" + And he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.' And he answered, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" + And Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." + So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. + And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. + And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death." + And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, + they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. + And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. + Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned; he is dead." + As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead." + And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. + Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, + "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. + And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"'And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'" + Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. + Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. + And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. + And of Jezebel the LORD also said, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.' + Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat." + ( There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. + He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.) + And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. + And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, + "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house." + + + For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. + But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. + And the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?" + And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." + And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word of the LORD." + Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." + But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?" + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." + Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah." + Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. + And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.'" + And all the prophets prophesied so and said, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king." + And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." + But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak." + And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king." + But the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" + And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'" + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" + And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; + and the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. + Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, 'I will entice him.' + And the LORD said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' + Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you." + Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?" + And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself." + And the king of Israel said, "Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, + and say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace."'" + And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!" + So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. + Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, "Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel." + And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is surely the king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. + And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. + But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded." + And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. + And about sunset a cry went through the army, "Every man to his city, and every man to his country!" + So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. + And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. + Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. + Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. + He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. + Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa. + There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. + Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. + Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehoshaphat was not willing. + And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. + Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. + He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done. + + + + + After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. + Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness." + But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? + Now therefore thus says the LORD, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'"So Elijah went. + The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, "Why have you returned?" + And they said to him, "There came a man to meet us, and said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the LORD, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" + He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?" + They answered him, "He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite." + Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" + But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. + Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, "O man of God, this is the king's order, 'Come down quickly!'" + But Elijah answered them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. + Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, "O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. + Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight." + Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king + and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron- is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?- therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" + So he died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + + + Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. + And Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. + And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?" And he said, "Yes, I know it; keep quiet." + Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. + The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know it; keep quiet." + Then Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. + Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. + Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground. + When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me." + And he said, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so." + And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. + And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. + And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. + Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. + Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. + And they said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the LORD has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send." + But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. + And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?" + Now the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful." + He said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. + Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it." + So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke. + He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" + And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. + From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria. + + + In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twelve years. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. + Nevertheless, he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it. + Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. + But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. + So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. + And he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?" And he said, "I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." + Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom." + So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. + Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." + And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah." + And Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. + And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No; it is the LORD who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." + And Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. + But now bring me a musician." And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. + And he said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I will make this dry streambed full of pools.' + For thus says the LORD, 'You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.' + This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD. He will also give the Moabites into your hand, + and you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water and ruin every good piece of land with stones." + The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water. + When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the border. + And when they rose early in phe morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. + And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!" + But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose and struck the Moabites, till they fled before them. And they went forward, striking the Moabites as they went. + And they overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, till only its stones were left in Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and attacked it. + When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom, but they could not. + Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land. + + + Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." + And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." + Then he said, "Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. + Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside." + So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. + When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." Then the oil stopped flowing. + She came and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest." + One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. + And she said to her husband, "Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. + Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there." + One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. + And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." When he had called her, she stood before him. + And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'"She answered, "I dwell among my own people." + And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old." + He said, "Call her." And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. + And he said, "At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant." + But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. + When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. + And he said to his father, "Oh, my head, my head!" The father said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother." + And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. + And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. + Then she called to her husband and said, "Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again." + And he said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." She said, "All is well." + Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, "Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you." + So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Look, there is the Shunammite. + Run at once to meet her and say to her, 'Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?'"And she answered, "All is well." + And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me." + Then she said, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?'" + He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child." + Then the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. + Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened." + When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. + So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. + Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. + Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. + Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son." + She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. + And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, "Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets." + One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. + And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it. + He said, "Then bring flour." And he threw it into the pot and said, "Pour some out for the men, that they may eat." And there was no harm in the pot. + A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, "Give to the men, that they may eat." + But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and have some left.'" + So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD. + + + Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. + Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. + She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." + So Naaman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel." + And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes. + And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." + And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me." + But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel." + So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. + And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean." + But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. + Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. + But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" + So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. + Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant." + But he said, "As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused. + Then Naaman said, "If not, please let there be given to your servant two mules' load of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. + In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter." + He said to him, "Go in peace." But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, + Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him." + So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, "Is all well?" + And he said, "All is well. My master has sent me to say, 'There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.'" + And Naaman said, "Be pleased to accept two talents." And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. + And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. + He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere." + But he said to him, "Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? + Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever." So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow. + + + Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. + Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there." And he answered, "Go." + Then one of them said, "Be pleased to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go." + So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. + But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, "Alas, my master! It was borrowed." + Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. + And he said, "Take it up." So he reached out his hand and took it. + Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, "At such and such a place shall be my camp." + But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there." + And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. + And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?" + And one of his servants said, "None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom." + And he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him." It was told him, "Behold, he is in Dothan." + So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. + When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" + He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." + Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. + And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. + And Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he led them to Samaria. + As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. + As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?" + He answered, "You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master." + So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. + Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. + And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. + Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!" + And he said, "If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?" + And the king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' + So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, 'Give your son, that we may eat him.' But she has hidden her son." + When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes- now he was passing by on the wall- and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body- + and he said, "May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today." + Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, "Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?" + And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, "This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" + + + But Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria." + Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" But he said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it." + Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? + If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die." + So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. + For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us." + So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. + And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. + Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household." + So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were." + Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king's household. + And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, "I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'" + And one of his servants said, "Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see." + So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see." + So they went after them as far as the Jordan, and behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. + Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. + Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. + For when the man of God had said to the king, "Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria," + the captain had answered the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it." + And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died. + + + Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years." + So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. + And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. + Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done." + And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life." + And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now." + Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, "The man of God has come here," + the king said to Hazael, "Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, saying, 'Shall I recover from this sickness?'" + So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, "Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, 'Shall I recover from this sickness?'" + And Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You shall certainly recover,' but the LORD has shown me that he shall certainly die." + And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept. + And Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women." + And Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Syria." + Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he answered, "He told me that you would certainly recover." + But the next day he took the bed cloth and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place. + In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. + He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. + And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. + Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. + In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. + Then Joram passed over to Zair with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, but his army fled home. + So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. + Now the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. + In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. + He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab. + He went with Joram the son of Ahab to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram. + And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. + + + Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, "Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. + And when you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber. + Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, 'Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and flee; do not linger." + So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. + And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, "I have a word for you, O commander." And Jehu said, "To which of us all?" And he said, "To you, O commander." + So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, "Thus says the LORD the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel. + And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD. + For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. + And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. + And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her." Then he opened the door and fled. + When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know the fellow and his talk." + And they said, "That is not true; tell us now." And he said, "Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.'" + Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, "Jehu is king." + Thus Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ( Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria, + but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) So Jehu said, "If this is your decision, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel." + Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram. + Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, "I see a company." And Joram said, "Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, 'Is it peace?'" + So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, "Thus says the king, 'Is it peace?'"And Jehu said, "What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me." And the watchman reported, saying, "The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back." + Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, "Thus the king has said, 'Is it peace?'"And Jehu answered, "What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me." + Again the watchman reported, "He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously." + Joram said, "Make ready." And they made ready his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his chariot, and went to meet Jehu, and met him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. + And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?" + Then Joram reined about and fled, saying to Ahaziah, "Treachery, O Ahaziah!" + And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot. + Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, "Take him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the LORD made this pronouncement against him: + 'As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons- declares the LORD- I will repay you on this plot of ground.' Now therefore take him up and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the LORD." + When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him and said, "Shoot him also." And they shot him in the chariot at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. + His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David. + In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. + When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. + And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, "Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?" + And he lifted up his face to the window and said, "Who is on my side? Who?" Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. + He said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. + Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, "See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter." + But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. + When they came back and told him, he said, "This is the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, 'In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, + and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.'" + + + Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, + "Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, + select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house." + But they were exceedingly afraid and said, "Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?" + So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes." + Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, "If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time." Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. + And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. + When the messenger came and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning." + Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? + Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what he said by his servant Elijah." + So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining. + Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, + Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, "Who are you?" And they answered, "We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother." + He said, "Take them alive." And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them. + And when he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, "Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?" And Jehonadab answered, "It is." Jehu said, "If it is, give me your hand." So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. + And he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So he had him ride in his chariot. + And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke to Elijah. + Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. + Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live." But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. + And Jehu ordered, "Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal." So they proclaimed it. + And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. + He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, "Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal." So he brought out the vestments for them. + Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal." + Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, "The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life." + So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, "Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape." So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, + and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. + And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. + Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. + But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin- that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. + And the LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." + But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD the God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin. + In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: + from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. + The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. + + + Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. + But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. + And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land. + But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the LORD. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king's son. + And he commanded them, "This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house + ( another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace. + And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the LORD on behalf of the king, + shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in." + The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. + And the priest gave to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the LORD. + And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. + Then he brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, "Long live the king!" + When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the LORD to the people. + And when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!" + Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, "Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest said, "Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD." + So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was put to death. + And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people, that they should be the LORD's people, and also between the king and the people. + Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the LORD. + And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, marching through the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. + So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king's house. + Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign. + + + In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. + And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. + Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places. + Jehoash said to the priests, "All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the LORD, the money for which each man is assessed- the money from the assessment of persons- and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD, + let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered." + But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house. + Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, "Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house." + So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house. + Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the LORD. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD. + And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD. + Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the LORD, + and to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the LORD, and for any outlay for the repairs of the house. + But there were not made for the house of the LORD basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, + for that was given to the workmen who were repairing the house of the LORD with it. + And they did not ask an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly. + The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it belonged to the priests. + At that time Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem, + Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem. + Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. + It was Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son reigned in his place. + + + In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. + And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. + Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. + (Therefore the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. + Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) + For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place. + In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. + He also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. + Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. + Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" + And Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows. + Then he said to the king of Israel, "Draw the bow," and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. + And he said, "Open the window eastward," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. And he said, "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them." + And he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them." And he struck three times and stopped. + Then the man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times." + So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. + And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet. + Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. + But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now. + When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. + Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. + + + In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. + He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. + But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. + And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father. + But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded, "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin." + He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day. + Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face." + And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. + You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?" + But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. + And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. + And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. + And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. + Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. + Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. + And they brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. + And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. + He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. + In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. + He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. + For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. + But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. + Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place. + + + In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. + He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. + Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. + And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land. + Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place. + In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. + Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. + Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + (This was the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, "Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." And so it came to pass.) + Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. + Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. + Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant. + In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. + Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. + Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. + Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? + And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. + In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. + And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. + Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. + In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. + Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. + Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. + He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. + Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. + Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. + Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place. + + + In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. + Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God, as his father David had done, + but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. + And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. + Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. + At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day. + So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me." + Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. + And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin. + When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details. + And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus. + And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it + and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. + And the bronze altar that was before the LORD he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of his altar. + And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, "On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by." + Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded. + And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal. + And the covered way for the Sabbath that had been built inside the house and the outer entrance for the king he caused to go around the house of the LORD, because of the king of Assyria. + Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. + + + In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. + Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. + But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. + Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it. + In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. + And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods + and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. + And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. + They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, + and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, + and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this." + Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets." + But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. + They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. + And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. + And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. + Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only. + Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced. + And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight. + When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin. + The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, + until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day. + And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. + And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. + So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land." + Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land." + So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD. + But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. + The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, + and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. + They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. + So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. + To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. + The LORD made a covenant with them and commanded them, "You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, + but you shall fear the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. + And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods, + and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods, + but you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies." + However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner. + So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children- as their fathers did, so they do to this day. + + + In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. + He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. + He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). + He trusted in the LORD the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. + For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. + And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. + He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. + In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, + and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. + The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, + because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed. + In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. + And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear." And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. + And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. + At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. + And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field. + And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. + And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? + Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? + Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. + But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"? + Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. + How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? + Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.'" + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall." + But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?" + Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! + Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. + Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' + Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, + until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, The LORD will deliver us. + Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? + Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'" + But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him." + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. + + + As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. + And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. + They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. + It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left." + When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, + Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. + Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'" + The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that the king had left Lachish. + Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "Behold, he has set out to fight against you." So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, + "Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. + Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? + Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? + Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'" + Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. + And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: "O LORD the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. + Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. + Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands + and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. + So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone." + Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. + This is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: "She despises you, she scorns you- the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you- the daughter of Jerusalem. + "Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel! + By your messengers you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, 'With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon; I felled its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses; I entered its farthest lodging place, its most fruitful forest. + I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and I dried up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt.' + "Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins, + while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown. + "But I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me. + Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came. + "And this shall be the sign for you: this year eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. + And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. + For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this. + "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. + By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. + For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David." + And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. + Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. + And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. + + + In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.'" + Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, + "Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. + And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: + "Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, + and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake." + And Isaiah said, "Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover." + And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?" + And Isaiah said, "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?" + And Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps." + And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz. + At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. + And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon." + He said, "What have they seen in your house?" And Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: + Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. + And some of your own sons, who shall be born to you, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." + Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?" + The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. + For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. + And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem will I put my name." + And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. + And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. + And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. + And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them." + But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. + And the LORD said by his servants the prophets, + "Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, + therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. + And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. + And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, + because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day." + Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. + Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. + He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them. + He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. + And the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his house. + But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. + Now the rest of the acts of Amon that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his place. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. + In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, + "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. + And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house ( + that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. + But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly." + And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. + And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD." + Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king. + When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. + And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, + "Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." + So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. + And she said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, + Thus says the LORD, behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. + Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. + But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, + because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. + Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'"And they brought back word to the king. + + + Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. + And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. + And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant. + And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. + And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. + And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. + And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. + And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one's left at the gate of the city. + However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. + And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech. + And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. + And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, he pulled down and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. + And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. + And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men. + Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. + And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. + Then he said, "What is that monument that I see?" And the men of the city told him, "It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel." + And he said, "Let him be; let no man move his bones." So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. + And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the LORD to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. + And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem. + And the king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." + For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. + But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem. + Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. + Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him. + Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. + And the LORD said, "I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there." + Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him. + And his servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's place. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. + And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. + And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. + And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. + + + In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. + And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. + Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, + and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon. + Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? + So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. + And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates. + Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. + At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. + And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, + and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign + and carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the LORD had foretold. + He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. + And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. + And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. + And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. + For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + + + And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. + So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. + On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. + Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. + Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. + They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon. + In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month- that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon- Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. + And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. + And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. + And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. + But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. + And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. + And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, + the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. + As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. + The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework. + And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold, + and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five men of the king's council who were found in the city, and the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. + And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. + And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. + Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. + And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you." + But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. + Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. + And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. + And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. + So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, + and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived. + + + + + Adam, Seth, Enosh; + Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; + Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; + Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. + The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. + The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. + The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. + The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. + The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. + Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man. + Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, + Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim. + Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, + and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, + the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, + the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. + The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. + Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. + To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother's name was Joktan. + Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, + Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, + Obal, Abimael, Sheba, + Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. + Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah; + Eber, Peleg, Reu; + Serug, Nahor, Terah; + Abram, that is, Abraham. + The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. + These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, + Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, + Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. + The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. + The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the descendants of Keturah. + Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. + The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. + The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and of Timna, Amalek. + The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. + The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. + The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna. + The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. + The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. + The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. + These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah. + Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. + Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. + Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. + Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. + Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. + Shaul died, and Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his place. + Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. + And Hadad died. The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, + Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, + Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, + Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom. + + + These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, + Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. + The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; these three Bath-shua the Canaanite bore to him. Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death. + His daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. + The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. + The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, five in all. + The son of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing; + and Ethan's son was Azariah. + The sons of Hezron that were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. + Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah. + Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, + Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse. + Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, + Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, + Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. + And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. + Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. + Caleb the son of Hezron fathered children by his wife Azubah, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. + When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. + Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. + Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old, and she bore him Segub. + And Segub fathered Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. + But Geshur and Aram took from them Havvoth-jair, Kenath, and its villages, sixty towns. All these were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead. + After the death of Hezron, Caleb went in to Ephrathah, the wife of Hezron his father, and she bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa. + The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron: Ram, his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. + Jerahmeel also had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. + The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. + The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. + The name of Abishur's wife was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. + The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; and Seled died childless. + The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. + The sons of Jada, Shammai's brother: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died childless. + The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. + Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but Sheshan had an Egyptian slave whose name was Jarha. + So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha his slave, and she bore him Attai. + Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad. + Zabad fathered Ephlal, and Ephlal fathered Obed. + Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah. + Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Eleasah. + Eleasah fathered Sismai, and Sismai fathered Shallum. + Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama. + The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mareshah his firstborn, who fathered Ziph. The son of Mareshah: Hebron. + The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. + Shema fathered Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem fathered Shammai. + The son of Shammai: Maon; and Maon fathered Beth-zur. + Ephah also, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran fathered Gazez. + The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. + Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. + She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. + These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, + Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. + Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had other sons: Haroeh, half of the Menuhoth. + And the clans of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. + The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. + The clans also of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. + + + These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, + the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; + the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; + six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. + These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; + then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. + All these were David's sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister. + The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, + Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, + Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, + Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, + Amon his son, Josiah his son. + The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. + The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; + and the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son, + Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hosh-ama and Nedabiah; + and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; + and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. + The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. + The son of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. + The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. + The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven. + + + The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. + Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. + These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Haz-zelelponi, + and Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. + Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; + Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. + The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. + Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. + Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." + Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked. + Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. + Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. + The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. + Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were craftsmen. + The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah: Kenaz. + The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. + The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married; and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. + And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. + The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. + The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. + The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; + and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem (now the records are ancient). + These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service. + The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; + Shallum was his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. + The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. + Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah. + They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, + Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, + Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, + Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-su-sim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David reigned. + And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities, + along with all their villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record. + Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, + Joel, Jehu the son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, + Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, + Ziza the son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah- + these mentioned by name were princes in their clans, and their fathers' houses increased greatly. + They journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks, + where they found rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful, for the former inhabitants there belonged to Ham. + These, registered by name, came in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and destroyed their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and marked them for destruction to this day, and settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. + And some of them, five hundred men of the Simeonites, went to Mount Seir, having as their leaders Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. + And they defeated the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day. + + + The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel ( for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he could not be enrolled as the oldest son; + though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), + the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. + The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, + Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, + Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a chief of the Reubenites. + And his kinsmen by their clans, when the genealogy of their generations was recorded: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, + and Bela the son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. + He also lived to the east as far as the entrance of the desert this side of the Euphrates, because their livestock had multiplied in the land of Gilead. + And in the days of Saul they waged war against the Hagrites, who fell into their hand. And they lived in their tents throughout all the region east of Gilead. + The sons of Gad lived over against them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah: + Joel the chief, Shapham the second, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. + And their kinsmen according to their fathers' houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber, seven. + These were the sons of Abihail the son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Je-shishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz. + Ahi the son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was chief in their fathers' houses, + and they lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasturelands of Sharon to their limits. + All of these were recorded in genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. + The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. + They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. + And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him. + They carried off their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men alive. + For many fell, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until the exile. + The members of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They were very numerous from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. + These were the heads of their fathers' houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers' houses. + But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. + So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day. + + + The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. + The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua, + Abishua fathered Bukki, Bukki fathered Uzzi, + Uzzi fathered Zerahiah, Zerahiah fathered Meraioth, + Meraioth fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, + Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz, + Ahimaaz fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Johanan, + and Johanan fathered Azariah ( it was he who served as priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem). + Azariah fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, + Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Shallum, + Shallum fathered Hilkiah, Hilkiah fathered Azariah, + Azariah fathered Seraiah, Seraiah fathered Jehozadak; + and Jehozadak went into exile when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. + The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. + And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their fathers. + Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, + Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. + The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, + Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, + Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. + The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth, + Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, + Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. + The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn, the second Abijah. + The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, + Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son. + These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. + They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. + These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer the son of Joel, son of Samuel, + son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, + son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, + son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, + son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, + son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel; + and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, + son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, + son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, + son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, + son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi. + On the left hand were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, + son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, + son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, + son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi. + And their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. + But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. + These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, + Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, + Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, + Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. + These are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the clans of Kohathites, for theirs was the first lot, + to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, + but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. + To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, + Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, + Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands; + and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon, Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities throughout their clans were thirteen. + To the rest of the Kohathites were given by lot out of the clan of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. + To the Gershomites according to their clans were allotted thirteen cities out of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Manasseh in Bashan. + To the Merarites according to their clans were allotted twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. + So the people of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands. + They gave by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities that are mentioned by name. + And some of the clans of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. + They were given the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, + Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands, + Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands, + and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands, for the rest of the clans of the Kohathites. + To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands; + and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, + Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands; + out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, + Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands; + and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. + To the rest of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands, + and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, + Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; + and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, + Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands. + + + The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. + The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers' houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their generations, their number in the days of David being 22,600. + The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all five of them were chief men. + And along with them, by their generations, according to their fathers' houses, were units of the army for war, 36,000, for they had many wives and sons. + Their kinsmen belonging to all the clans of Issachar were in all 87,000 mighty warriors, enrolled by genealogy. + The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three. + The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of fathers' houses, mighty warriors. And their enrollment by genealogies was 22,034. + The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher. + And their enrollment by genealogies, according to their generations, as heads of their fathers' houses, mighty warriors, was 22,200. + The son of Jediael: Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahish-ahar. + All these were the sons of Jediael according to the heads of their fathers' houses, mighty warriors, 17,200, able to go to war. + And Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, Hushim the son of Aher. + The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shallum, the descendants of Bilhah. + The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. + And Machir took a wife for Huppim and for Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters. + And Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. + The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh. + And his sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. + The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. + The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Ele-adah his son, Tahath his son, + Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to raid their livestock. + And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. + And Ephraim went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son. And he called his name Beriah, because disaster had befallen his house. + His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah. + Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, + Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, + Nun his son, Joshua his son. + Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer and its towns, Shechem and its towns, and Ayyah and its towns; + also in possession of the Manassites, Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel. + The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. + The sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who fathered Birzaith. + Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua. + The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the sons of Japhlet. + The sons of Shemer his brother: Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. + The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. + The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah. + Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. + The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. + The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. + All of these were men of Asher, heads of fathers' houses, approved, mighty warriors, chiefs of the princes. Their number enrolled by genealogies, for service in war, was 26,000 men. + + + Benjamin fathered Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, + Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. + And Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, + Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, + Gera, Shephu-phan, and Huram. + These are the sons of Ehud (they were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they were carried into exile to Manahath): + Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, that is, Heglam, who fathered Uzza and Ahihud. + And Shaharaim fathered sons in the country of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. + He fathered sons by Hodesh his wife: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, + Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers' houses. + He also fathered sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal. + The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns, + and Beriah and Shema (they were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who caused the inhabitants of Gath to flee); + and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth. + Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, + Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were sons of Beriah. + Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, + Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. + Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, + Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, + Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. + Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, + Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, + Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, + Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. + Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, + Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. + These were the heads of fathers' houses, according to their generations, chief men. These lived in Jerusalem. + Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, and the name of his wife was Maacah. + His firstborn son: Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, + and Mikloth (he fathered Shimeah). Now these also lived opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem, with their kinsmen. + Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal; + and the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah. + The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. + Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri fathered Moza. + Moza fathered Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. + Azel had six sons, and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. + The sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. + The sons of Ulam were men who were mighty warriors, bowmen, having many sons and grandsons, 150. All these were Benjaminites. + + + So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith. + Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants. + And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem: + Uthai the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, from the sons of Perez the son of Judah. + And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons. + Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their kinsmen, 690. + Of the Benjaminites: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah, + Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, Elah the son of Uzzi, son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah; + and their kinsmen according to their generations, 956. All these were heads of fathers' houses according to their fathers' houses. + Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, + and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God; + and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer; + besides their kinsmen, heads of their fathers' houses, 1,760, mighty men for the work of the service of the house of God. + Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; + and Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph; + and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. + The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their kinsmen (Shallum was the chief); + until then they were in the king's gate on the east side as the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites. + Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his fathers' house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the LORD, keepers of the entrance. + And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past; the LORD was with him. + Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the entrance of the tent of meeting. + All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were 212. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer established them in their office of trust. + So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, that is, the house of the tent, as guards. + The gatekeepers were on the four sides, east, west, north, and south. + And their kinsmen who were in their villages were obligated to come in every seven days, in turn, to be with these, + for the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted to be over the chambers and the treasures of the house of God. + And they lodged around the house of God, for on them lay the duty of watching, and they had charge of opening it every morning. + Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were required to count them when they were brought in and taken out. + Others of them were appointed over the furniture and over all the holy utensils, also over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices. + Others, of the sons of the priests, prepared the mixing of the spices, + and Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with making the flat cakes. + Also some of their kinsmen of the Kohathites had charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath. + Now these, the singers, the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night. + These were heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, according to their generations, leaders. These lived in Jerusalem. + In Gibeon lived the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, and the name of his wife was Maacah, + and his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, + Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth; + and Mikloth was the father of Shimeam; and these also lived opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem, with their kinsmen. + Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. + And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah. + The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. + And Ahaz fathered Jarah, and Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. And Zimri fathered Moza. + Moza fathered Binea, and Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. + Azel had six sons and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel. + + + Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. + And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. + The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. + Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. + And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. + Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. + And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them. + The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. + And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. + And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. + But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, + all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days. + So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. + He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. + + + Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. + In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.'" + So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. + And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. + The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. + David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. + And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. + And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. + And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him. + Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. + This is an account of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time. + And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. + He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. + But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD saved them by a great victory. + Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. + David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. + And David said longingly, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!" + Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the LORD + and said, "Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. + Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. + He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. + And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. + And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. + These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. + He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. + The mighty men were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, + Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite, + Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, + Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, + Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, + Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, + Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, + Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, + Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, + Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, + Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, + Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, + Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, + Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, + Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, + Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, + Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, + Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, + Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, + Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, + Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, + Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. + + + Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. + They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kinsmen. + The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth, + Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, + Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; + Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; + And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. + From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains: + Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, + Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, + Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, + Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, + Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh. + These Gadites were officers of the army; the least was a match for a hundred men and the greatest for a thousand. + These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west. + And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. + David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be joined to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you." + Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said, "We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you." Then David received them and made them officers of his troops. + Some of the men of Manasseh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, "At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.") + As he went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. + They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and were commanders in the army. + For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God. + These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the LORD. + The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops. + Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. + Of the Levites 4,600. + The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700. + Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers' house. + Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. + Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' houses. + Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were expressly named to come and make David king. + Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. + Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose. + Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. + Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. + Of Asher 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle. + Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war. + All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. + And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them. + And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. + + + David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. + And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and from the LORD our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. + Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul." + All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. + So David assembled all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. + And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD who sits enthroned above the cherubim. + And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. + And David and all Israel were rejoicing before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets. + And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. + And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. + And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza to this day. + And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, "How can I bring the ark of God home to me?" + So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. + And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had. + + + And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. + And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel. + And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters. + These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, + Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, + Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, + Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. + When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went out against them. + Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. + And David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand." + And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood." Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. + And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned. + And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. + And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. + And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines." + And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. + And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations. + + + David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. + Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever. + And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it. + And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: + of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; + of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his brothers; + of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers; + of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers; + of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his brothers; + of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his brothers. + Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, + and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. + Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule." + So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. + And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. + David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. + So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; + and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. + The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; + Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; + but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith. + Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. + Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. + Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. + So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. + And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. + David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. + So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres. + And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and rejoicing, and she despised him in her heart. + + + And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. + And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD + and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. + Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. + Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, + and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. + Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the LORD by Asaph and his brothers. + Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! + Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! + Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! + Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! + Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, + O offspring of Israel his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! + He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. + Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, + the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, + which he confirmed as a statute to Jacob, as an everlasting covenant to Israel, + saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your portion for an inheritance." + When you were few in number, and of little account, and sojourners in it, + wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, + he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, + saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!" + Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. + Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! + For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods. + For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. + Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. + Ascribe to the LORD, O clans of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! + Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; + tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. + Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" + Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! + Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. + Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! + Say also: "Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise. + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. + So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister regularly before the ark as each day required, + and also Obed-edom and his sixty-eight brothers, while Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. + And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon + to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law of the LORD that he commanded Israel. + With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever. + Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate. + Then all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to bless his household. + + + Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent." + And Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." + But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, + "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. + For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. + In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' + Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, + and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. + And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, + from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. + When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. + He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. + I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, + but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.'" + In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. + Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? + And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O LORD God! + And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. + For your servant's sake, O LORD, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. + There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. + And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? + And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God. + And now, O LORD, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, + and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,' and the house of your servant David will be established before you. + For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. + And now, O LORD, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. + Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O LORD, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever." + + + After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines. + And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute. + David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah-Hamath, as he went to set up his monument at the river Euphrates. + And David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for 100 chariots. + And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. + Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. + And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. + And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze. With it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze. + When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, + he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze. + These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines and Amalek. + And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. + Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. + So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people. + And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; + and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and Shavsha was secretary; + and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were the chief officials in the service of the king. + + + Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. + And David said, "I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me." So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him. + But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, "Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?" + So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; + and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return." + When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah and from Zobah. + They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. + When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. + And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. + When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. + The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. + And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. + Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him." + So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. + And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab's brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. + But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. + And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. + And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army. + And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites any more. + + + In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. + And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. + And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. + And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. + And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. + And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. + And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. + These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. + + + Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. + So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number." + But Joab said, "May the LORD add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?" + But the king's word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. + And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the sword. + But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab. + But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. + And David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly." + And the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, + "Go and say to David, 'Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.'" + So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Choose what you will: + either three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me." + Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." + So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell. + And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he relented from the calamity. And he said to the angel who was working destruction, "It is enough; now stay your hand." And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. + And David said to God, "Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house. But do not let the plague be on your people." + Now the angel of the LORD had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + So David went up at Gad's word, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD. + Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. + As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. + And David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the LORD- give it to me at its full price- that the plague may be averted from the people." + Then Ornan said to David, "Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all." + But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing." + So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. + And David built there an altar to the LORD and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. + Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. + At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. + For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon, + but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. + + + Then David said, "Here shall be the house of the LORD God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel." + David commanded to gather together the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God. + David also provided great quantities of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for clamps, as well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing, + and cedar timbers without number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar to David. + For David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it." So David provided materials in great quantity before his death. + Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. + David said to Solomon, "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. + But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. + Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. + He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.' + "Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken concerning you. + Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God. + Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. + With great pains I have provided for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. + You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working + gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The LORD be with you!" + David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, + "Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and his people. + Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the LORD." + + + When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. + David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. + The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. + "Twenty-four thousand of these," David said, "shall have charge of the work in the house of the LORD, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, + 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise." + And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. + The sons of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. + The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. + The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan. + And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. + Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father's house. + The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. + The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should make offerings before the LORD and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name forever. + But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. + The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. + The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. + The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. + The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. + The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. + The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. + Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. + The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three. + These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the LORD. + For David said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. + And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service." + For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. + For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. + Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. + And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the LORD, and likewise at evening, + and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the LORD on Sabbaths, new moons and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the LORD. + Thus they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the LORD. + + + The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. + But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. + With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. + Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers' houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar. + They divided them by lot, all alike, for there were sacred officers and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. + And the scribe Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the princes and Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites, one father's house being chosen for Eleazar and one chosen for Ithamar. + The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, + the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, + the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, + the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, + the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, + the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, + the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, + the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, + the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, + the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, + the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, + the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. + These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the LORD according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him. + And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah. + Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the chief. + Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. + The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. + The sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. + The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. + The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Jaaziah: Beno. + The sons of Merari: of Jaaziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri. + Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. + Of Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel. + The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers' houses. + These also, the head of each father's house and his younger brother alike, cast lots, just as their brothers the sons of Aaron, in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites. + + + David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: + Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. + Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the LORD. + Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. + All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. + They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. + The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to the LORD, all who were skillful, was 288. + And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike. + The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him and his brothers and his sons, twelve; + the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the fifteenth, to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the sixteenth, to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the seventeenth, to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the eighteenth, to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the nineteenth, to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the twentieth, to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the twenty-second, to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the twenty-third, to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; + to the twenty-fourth, to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve. + + + As for the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. + And Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, + Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. + And Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, + Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth, for God blessed him. + Also to his son Shemaiah were sons born who were rulers in their fathers' houses, for they were men of great ability. + The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad, whose brothers were able men, Elihu and Semachiah. + All these were of the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and brothers, able men qualified for the service; sixty-two of Obed-edom. + And Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, able men, eighteen. + And Hosah, of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him chief), + Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen. + These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men, had duties, just as their brothers did, ministering in the house of the LORD. + And they cast lots by fathers' houses, small and great alike, for their gates. + The lot for the east fell to Shelemiah. They cast lots also for his son Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north. + Obed-edom's came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the gatehouse. + For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate of Shallecheth on the road that goes up. Watch corresponded to watch. + On the east there were six each day, on the north four each day, on the south four each day, as well as two and two at the gatehouse. + And for the colonnade on the west there were four at the road and two at the colonnade. + These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Korahites and the sons of Merari. + And of the Levites, Ahijah had charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. + The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers' houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. + The sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and Joel his brother, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD. + Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites- + and Shebuel the son of Gershom, son of Moses, was chief officer in charge of the treasuries. + His brothers: from Eliezer were his son Rehabiah, and his son Jeshaiah, and his son Joram, and his son Zichri, and his son Shelomoth. + This Shelomoth and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts that David the king and the heads of the fathers' houses and the officers of the thousands and the hundreds and the commanders of the army had dedicated. + From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the LORD. + Also all that Samuel the seer and Saul the son of Kish and Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated- all dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelomoth and his brothers. + Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to external duties for Israel, as officers and judges. + Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, 1,700 men of ability, had the oversight of Israel westward of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the service of the king. + Of the Hebronites, Jerijah was chief of the Hebronites of whatever genealogy or fathers' houses. (In the fortieth year of David's reign search was made and men of great ability among them were found at Jazer in Gilead.) + King David appointed him and his brothers, 2,700 men of ability, heads of fathers' houses, to have the oversight of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manassites for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king. + + + This is the number of the people of Israel, the heads of fathers' houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters concerning the divisions that came and went, month after month throughout the year, each division numbering 24,000: + Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division in the first month; in his division were 24,000. + He was a descendant of Perez and was chief of all the commanders. He served for the first month. + Dodai the Ahohite was in charge of the division of the second month; in his division were 24,000. + The third commander, for the third month, was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the chief priest; in his division were 24,000. + This is the Benaiah who was a mighty man of the thirty and in command of the thirty; Ammizabad his son was in charge of his division. + Asahel the brother of Joab was fourth, for the fourth month, and his son Zebadiah after him; in his division were 24,000. + The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth the Izrahite; in his division were 24,000. + Sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; in his division were 24,000. + Seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, of the sons of Ephraim; in his division were 24,000. + Eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zerahites; in his division were 24,000. + Ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer of Anathoth, a Benjaminite; in his division were 24,000. + Tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai of Netophah, of the Zerahites; in his division were 24,000. + Eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah of Pirathon, of the sons of Ephraim; in his division were 24,000. + Twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel; in his division were 24,000. + Over the tribes of Israel, for the Reubenites, Eliezer the son of Zichri was chief officer; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah; + for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok; + for Judah, Elihu, one of David's brothers; for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; + for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel; + for the Ephraimites, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; + for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; + for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. + David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven. + Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count, but did not finish. Yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David. + Over the king's treasuries was Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah; + and over those who did the work of the field for tilling the soil was Ezri the son of Chelub; + and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; and over the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. + Over the olive and sycamore trees in the Shephelah was Baal-hanan the Gederite; and over the stores of oil was Joash. + Over the herds that pastured in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite; over the herds in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. + Over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite; and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite. Over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. + All these were stewards of King David's property. + Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding and a scribe. He and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni attended the king's sons. + Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend. + Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king's army. + + + David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors. + Then King David rose to his feet and said: "Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. + But God said to me, 'You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.' + Yet the LORD God of Israel chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. + And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. + He said to me, 'It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. + I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.' + Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever. + "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. + Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it." + Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; + and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; + for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the LORD; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the LORD, + the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, + the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, + the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, + and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; + for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. + All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan. + Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished. + And behold the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command." + + + And David the king said to all the assembly, "Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the LORD God. + So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. + Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: + 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, + and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?" + Then the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king's work. + They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. + And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. + Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. + Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. + Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. + Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. + And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. + "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. + For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. + O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. + I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. + O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. + Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision." + Then David said to all the assembly, "Bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and paid homage to the LORD and to the king. + And they offered sacrifices to the LORD, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. + And they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the LORD, and Zadok as priest. + Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. + All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. + And the LORD made Solomon very great in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel. + Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. + The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. + Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place. + Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer, + with accounts of all his rule and his might and of the circumstances that came upon him and upon Israel and upon all the kingdoms of the countries. + + + + + Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. + Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. + And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there. + (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) + Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the assembly resorted to it. + And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. + In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you." + And Solomon said to God, "You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. + O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. + Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?" + God answered Solomon, "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, + wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like." + So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel. + Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. + And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. + And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders would buy them from Kue for a price. + They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. Likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. + + + Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal palace for himself. + And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them. + And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: "As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. + Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the LORD our God, as ordained forever for Israel. + The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. + But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? + So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. + Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, + to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. + I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil." + Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, "Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them." + Hiram also said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. + "Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, + the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. + Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. + And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem." + Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. + Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work. + + + Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. + He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. + These are Solomon's measurements for building the house of God: the length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. + The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. + The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold and made palms and chains on it. + He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. + So he lined the house with gold- its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors- and he carved cherubim on the walls. + And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents of fine gold. + The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. + In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood and overlaid them with gold. + The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; + and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. + The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. The cherubim stood on their feet, facing the nave. + And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it. + In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. + He made chains like a necklace and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. + He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz. + + + He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. + Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. + Under it were figures of gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. + It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. + Its thickness was a handbreadth. And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held 3,000 baths. + He also made ten basins in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in. + And he made ten golden lampstands as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. + He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. + He made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. + And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house. + Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: + the two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; + and the 400 pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. + He made the stands also, and the basins on the stands, + and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. + The pots, the shovels, the forks, and all the equipment for these, Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the LORD. + In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. + Solomon made all these things in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not sought. + So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, + the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; + the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; + the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold. + + + Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God. + Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. + And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the feast that is in the seventh month. + And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. + And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. + And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. + Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. + The cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. + And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. + There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. + And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, + and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; + and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever," the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, + so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. + + + Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. + But I have built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever." + Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. + And he said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, + 'Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel; + but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.' + Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + But the LORD said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. + Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.' + Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel." + Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. + Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, + and said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, + who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. + Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.' + Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David. + "But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! + Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, + that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. + And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. + "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, + then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. + "If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, + then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers. + "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, + then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. + "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, + whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, + then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, + that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. + "Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, + hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. + "If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, + then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. + "If they sin against you- for there is no one who does not sin- and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near, + yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,' + if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, + then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. + Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place. + "And now arise, O LORD God, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness. + O LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one! Remember your steadfast love for David your servant." + + + As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. + And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. + When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." + Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. + King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. + The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the LORD that King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD- for his steadfast love endures forever- whenever David offered praises by their ministry; opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood. + And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat. + At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt. + And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. + On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity that the LORD had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people. + Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house he successfully accomplished. + Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. + When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, + if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. + Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. + For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. + And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, + then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.' + "But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, + then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. + And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?' + Then they will say, 'Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.'" + + + At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house, + Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them. + And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it. + He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath. + He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, + and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. + All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, + from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed- these Solomon drafted as forced labor, and so they are to this day. + But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen. + And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people. + Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy." + Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD that he had built before the vestibule, + as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts- the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. + According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded. + And they did not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries. + Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from the day the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. + Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. + And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there 450 talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon. + + + Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. + And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. + And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, + the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. + And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, + but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard. + Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! + Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness." + Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. + And the king made from the algum wood supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers. There never was seen the like of them before in the land of Judah. + And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants. + Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, + besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. + King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of beaten gold went into each shield. + And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; 300 shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. + The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. + The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests, + while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. + All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. + For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. + Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. + And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. + Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. + And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. + And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. + And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. + And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. + Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? + Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. + And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. + + + Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. + And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. + And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, + "Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you." + He said to them, "Come to me again in three days." So the people went away. + Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?" + And they said to him, "If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." + But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. + And he said to them, "What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?" + And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, "Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us'; thus shall you say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. + And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'" + So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, "Come to me again the third day." + And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, + King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions." + So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. + And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So all Israel went to their tents. + But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. + Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. + So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. + + + When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. + But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: + "Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, + 'Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.'"So they listened to the word of the LORD and returned and did not go against Jeroboam. + Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. + He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, + Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, + Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, + Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, + Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. + He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. + And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin. + And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. + For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the LORD, + and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. + And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. + They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. + Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, + and she bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. + After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. + Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). + And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. + And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them. + + + When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. + In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem + with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt- Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. + And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. + Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, 'You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.'" + Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous." + When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. + Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries." + So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, + and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. + And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. + And when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah. + So King Rehoboam grew strong in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. + And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. + Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. + And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and Abijah his son reigned in his place. + + + In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. + He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. + Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. + Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, "Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! + Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? + Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, + and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them. + "And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. + Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods. + But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. + They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him. + Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed." + Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. + And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. + Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. + The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. + Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. + Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. + And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. + Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down, and he died. + But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. + The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. + + + Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. + And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. + He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim + and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. + He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. + He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace. + And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered. + And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor. + Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. + And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. + And Asa cried to the LORD his God, "O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you." + So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. + Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the LORD and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil. + And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. + And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. + + + The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, + and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. + For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, + but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. + In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. + They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. + But you, take courage! Do not let you hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded." + As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD. + And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. + They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. + They sacrificed to the LORD on that day from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. + And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, + but that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. + They swore an oath to the LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. + And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around. + Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. + But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. + And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. + And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa. + + + In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. + Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the LORD and the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, + "There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me." + And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. + And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. + Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. + At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. + Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand. + For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars." + Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time. + The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians. + And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. + They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer's art, and they made a very great fire in his honor. + + + Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. + He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. + The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, + but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. + Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. + His heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. + In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; + and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. + And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the LORD with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. + And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. + Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute, and the Arabians also brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. + And Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, + and he had large supplies in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. + This was the muster of them by fathers' houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; + and next to him Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000; + and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, a volunteer for the service of the LORD, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. + Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; + and next to him Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. + These were in the service of the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. + + + Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. + After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. + Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" He answered him, "I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war." + And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word of the LORD." + Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king." + But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?" + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." + Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah." + Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. + And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.'" + And all the prophets prophesied so and said, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph. The LORD will give it into the hand of the king." + And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." + But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak." + And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And he answered, "Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand." + But the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" + And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'" + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" + And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. + And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. + Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, 'I will entice him.' And the LORD said to him, 'By what means?' + And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' + Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The LORD has declared disaster concerning you." + Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?" + And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself." + And the king of Israel said, "Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, + and say, 'Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.'" + And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!" + So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. + And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. + Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, "Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel." + As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; God drew them away from him. + For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. + But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded." + And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset he died. + + + Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. + But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the LORD. + Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asherahs out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God." + Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. + He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, + and said to the judges, "Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment. + Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes." + Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the LORD and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. + And he charged them: "Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart: + whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the LORD and wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. + And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the LORD be with the upright!" + + + After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. + Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar" (that is, Engedi). + Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. + And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. + And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, + and said, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. + Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? + And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, + 'If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you- for your name is in this house- and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.' + And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy- + behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. + O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." + Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. + And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. + And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. + Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. + You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you." + Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. + And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. + And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed." + And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, "Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever." + And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. + For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. + When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. + When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. + On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. + Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. + They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the LORD. + And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. + So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around. + Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. + He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. + The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. + After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. + He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. + Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish. + + + Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. + He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. + Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and valuable possessions, together with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. + When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel. + Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. + And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. + Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. + In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. + Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all his chariots, and he rose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. + So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers. + Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom and made Judah go astray. + And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, + but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than yourself, + behold, the LORD will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, + and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.'" + And the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. + And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king's house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son. + And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. + In course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. + He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one's regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. + + + And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. + Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. + He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing. + He even followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram, + and he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was wounded. + But it was ordained by God that the downfall of Ahaziah should come about through his going to visit Joram. For when he came there, he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. + And when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them. + He searched for Ahaziah, and he was captured while hiding in Samaria, and he was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, "He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom. + Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. + But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death. + And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land. + + + But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. + And they went about through Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. + And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, "Behold, the king's son! Let him reign, as the LORD spoke concerning the sons of David. + This is the thing that you shall do: of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers, + and one third shall be at the king's house and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. + Let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the LORD. + The Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever enters the house shall be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out." + The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions. + And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God. + And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. + Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, "Long live the king." + When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the LORD to the people. + And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!" + Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, "Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword." For the priest said, "Do not put her to death in the house of the LORD." + So they laid hands on her, and she went into the entrance of the horse gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there. + And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the LORD's people. + Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. + And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the LORD under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David. + He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. + And he took the captains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, marching through the upper gate to the king's house. And they set the king on the royal throne. + So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword. + + + Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. + And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. + Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters. + After this Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. + And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly." But the Levites did not act quickly. + So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, "Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the congregation of Israel for the tent of testimony?" + For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals. + So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the LORD. + And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. + And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished. + And whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king's secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance. + And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work of the house of the LORD, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. + So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it. + And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the LORD, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD regularly all the days of Jehoiada. + But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. + And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house. + Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. + And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. + Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention. + Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'" + But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. + Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!" + At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. + Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. + When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. + Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite. + Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of the rebuilding of the house of God are written in the Story of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place. + + + Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart. + And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. + But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, "Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin." + Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers' houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that they were 300,000 choice men, fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. + He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver. + But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. + But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down." + And Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this." + Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger. + But Amaziah took courage and led out his people and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 men of Seir. + The men of Judah captured another 10,000 alive and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces. + But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil. + After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. + Therefore the LORD was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?" + But as he was speaking, the king said to him, "Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel." + Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face." + And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. + You say, 'See, I have struck down Edom,' and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?" + But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. + So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. + And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. + And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. + And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, in the care of Obed-edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. + Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. + Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? + From the time when he turned away from the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. + And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. + + + And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. + He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. + Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. + He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. + He went out and made war against the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. + God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the Meunites. + The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. + Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them. + And he built towers in the wilderness and cut out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. + Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. + The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600. + Under their command was an army of 307,500, who could make war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. + And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. + In Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. + But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. + But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor, + and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God." + Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense. + And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the LORD had struck him. + And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land. + Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. + And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son reigned in his place. + + + Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still followed corrupt practices. + He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD and did much building on the wall of Ophel. + Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers on the wooded hills. + He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. And the Ammonites gave him that year 100 talents of silver, and 10,000 cors of wheat and 10,000 of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years. + So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. + Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. + And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place. + + + Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done, + but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, + and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. + And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. + Therefore the LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force. + For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 from Judah in one day, all of them men of valor, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. + And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son and Azrikam the commander of the palace and Elkanah the next in authority to the king. + The men of Israel took captive 200,000 of their relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria. + But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. + And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have you not sins of your own against the LORD your God? + Now hear me, and send back the captives from your relatives whom you have taken, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you." + Certain chiefs also of the men of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war + and said to them, "You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against the LORD in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel." + So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. + And the men who have been mentioned by name rose and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. They clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them, and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kinsfolk at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria. + At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. + For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives. + And the Philistines had made raids on the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there. + For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah act sinfully and had been very unfaithful to the LORD. + So Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. + For Ahaz took a portion from the house of the LORD and the house of the king and of the princes, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him. + In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the LORD- this same King Ahaz. + For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. + And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. + In every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the LORD, the God of his fathers. + Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. + + + Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. + In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. + He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east + and said to them, "Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. + For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned their backs. + They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel. + Therefore the wrath of the LORD came on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. + For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. + Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger may turn away from us. + My sons, do not now be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him." + Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; + and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; + and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. + They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves and went in as the king had commanded, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. + The priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it and carried it out to the brook Kidron. + They began to consecrate on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the LORD. Then for eight days they consecrated the house of the LORD, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. + Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the showbread and all its utensils. + All the utensils that King Ahaz discarded in his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and consecrated, and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD." + Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the LORD. + And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD. + So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and threw it against the altar. And they slaughtered the rams and their blood was thrown against the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and their blood was thrown against the altar. + Then the goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them, + and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. + And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king's seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the LORD through his prophets. + The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. + Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. + The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished. + When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. + And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped. + Then Hezekiah said, "You have now consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD." And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. + The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. + And the consecrated offerings were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. + But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished- for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. + Besides the great number of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings, and there were the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the LORD was restored. + And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had prepared for the people, for the thing came about suddenly. + + + Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. + For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month- + for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem- + and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. + So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. + So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, "O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. + Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. + Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. + For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him." + So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. + However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. + The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. + And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. + They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron valley. + And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. + They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. + For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD. + For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyone + who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness." + And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. + And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might to the LORD. + And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers. + Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. + For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers. + The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. + So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. + Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven. + + + Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession. + And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the LORD and to give thanks and praise. + The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD. + And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the LORD. + As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. + And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps. + In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. + When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. + And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. + Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, "Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left." + Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them. + And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second, + while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. + And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contribution reserved for the LORD and the most holy offerings. + Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests, to distribute the portions to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions, + except those enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upwards- all who entered the house of the LORD as the duty of each day required- for their service according to their offices, by their divisions. + The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upwards was according to their offices, by their divisions. + They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. + And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities, there were men in the several cities who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone among the Levites who was enrolled. + Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. + And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. + + + After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. + And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, + he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. + A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?" + He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. + And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, + "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. + With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. + After this, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, + "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, 'On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? + Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria"? + Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, "Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices"? + Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? + Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? + Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!'" + And his servants said still more against the Lord GOD and against his servant Hezekiah. + And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD, the God of Israel and to speak against him, saying, "Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand." + And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. + And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men's hands. + Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. + And the LORD sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. + So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. + And many brought gifts to the LORD to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward. + In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the LORD, and he answered him and gave him a sign. + But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. + But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. + And Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of costly vessels; + storehouses also for the yield of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds. + He likewise provided cities for himself, and flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great possessions. + This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. + And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart. + Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. + And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper part of the tombs of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place. + + + Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. + For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asherahs, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. + And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall my name be forever." + And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. + And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. + And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, + and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses." + Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. + The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. + Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. + And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. + He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. + Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. + And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. + He also restored the altar of the LORD and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. + Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. + Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. + And his prayer, and how God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and the images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers. + So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house, and Amon his son reigned in his place. + Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them. + And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more. + And his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his house. + But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon. And the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. + + + Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. + And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. + For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. + And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. + He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. + And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, + he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. + Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. + They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And they gave it to the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD. And the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD gave it for repairing and restoring the house. + They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. + And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music, + were over the burden bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers. + While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses. + Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. + Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, "All that was committed to your servants they are doing. + They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen." + Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it before the king. + And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. + And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, + "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book." + So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. + And she said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, + Thus says the LORD, behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. + Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched. + But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, + because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. + Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.'"And they brought back word to the king. + Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. + And the king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. + And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. + Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. + And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers. + + + Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. + He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. + And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the LORD, "Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel. + Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel and the document of Solomon his son. + And stand in the Holy Place according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers' household. + And slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the LORD by Moses." + Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; these were from the king's possessions. + And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls. + Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls. + When the service had been prepared for, the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions according to the king's command. + And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. + And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of the lay people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. + And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. + And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron. + The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them. + So all the service of the LORD was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah. + And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. + No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept. + After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates and Josiah went out to meet him. + But he sent envoys to him, saying, "What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you." + Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. + And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, "Take me away, for I am badly wounded." + So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. + Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. + Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the LORD, + and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. + + + The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. + Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. + Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. + And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt. + Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. + Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. + Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. + Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. + Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. + In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the LORD, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. + He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. + He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. + All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the LORD that he had made holy in Jerusalem. + The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. + But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. + Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. + And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. + And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. + He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, + to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. + Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: + "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.'" + + + + + In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: + "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. + Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel- he is the God who is in Jerusalem. + And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem." + Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem. + And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. + Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. + Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. + And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, + 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; + all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem. + + + Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. + They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: + the sons of Parosh, 2,172. + The sons of Shephatiah, 372. + The sons of Arah, 775. + The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812. + The sons of Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Zattu, 945. + The sons of Zaccai, 760. + The sons of Bani, 642. + The sons of Bebai, 623. + The sons of Azgad, 1,222. + The sons of Adonikam, 666. + The sons of Bigvai, 2,056. + The sons of Adin, 454. + The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. + The sons of Bezai, 323. + The sons of Jorah, 112. + The sons of Hashum, 223. + The sons of Gibbar, 95. + The sons of Bethlehem, 123. + The men of Netophah, 56. + The men of Anathoth, 128. + The sons of Azmaveth, 42. + The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. + The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621. + The men of Michmas, 122. + The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. + The sons of Nebo, 52. + The sons of Magbish, 156. + The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Harim, 320. + The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725. + The sons of Jericho, 345. + The sons of Senaah, 3,630. + The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973. + The sons of Immer, 1,052. + The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. + The sons of Harim, 1,017. + The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. + The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. + The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, in all 139. + The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, + the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, + the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, + the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, + the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, + the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, + the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, + the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, + the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, + the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, + the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, + the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha. + The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, + the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, + the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of Ami. + All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392. + The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, though they could not prove their fathers' houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: + the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, 652. + Also, of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name). + These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found there, and so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. + The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim. + The whole assembly together was 42,360, + besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. + Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, + their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720. + Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. + According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests' garments. + Now the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel in their towns. + + + When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. + Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. + They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening. + And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, + and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the LORD, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the LORD. + From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. + So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia. + Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the LORD. + And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers. + And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the directions of David king of Israel. + And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. + But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, + so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. + + + Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel, + they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here." + But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us." + Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build + and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. + And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. + In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. + Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: + Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, + and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. + (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) "To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now + be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. + Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. + Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, + in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. + We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River." + The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now + the letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me. + And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it. + And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid. + Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me. + And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?" + Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. + Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. + + + Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. + Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. + At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?" + They also asked them this: "What are the names of the men who are building this building?" + But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it. + This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the governors who were in the province Beyond the River sent to Darius the king. + They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: "To Darius the king, all peace. + Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. + Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus, 'Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?' + We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders. + And this was their reply to us: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. + But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. + However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. + And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; + and he said to him, "Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site." + Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.' + Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter." + + + Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. + And in Ecbatana, the capital that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: "A record. + In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, + with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. + And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God. + "Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. + Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. + Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. + And whatever is needed- bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require- let that be given to them day by day without fail, + that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. + Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. + May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence." + Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. + And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; + and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. + And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. + They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. + And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. + On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. + For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. + It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by everyone who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the LORD, the God of Israel. + And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. + + + Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, + son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, + son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, + son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, + son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest- + this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD the God of Israel had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. + And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants. + And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. + For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. + For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. + This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes for Israel: + "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now + I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. + For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, + and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, + with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. + With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. + Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. + The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. + And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury. + "And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, + up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. + Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. + We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. + "And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. + Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment." + Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem, + and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. + + + These are the heads of their fathers' houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: + Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush. + Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men. + Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men. + Of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men. + Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men. + Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men. + Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men. + Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men. + Of the sons of Bani, Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men. + Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men. + Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men. + Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men. + Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men. + I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi. + Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, + and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. + And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; + also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; + besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name. + Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. + For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him." + So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. + Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. + And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. + I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, + 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. + And I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers. + Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers' houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the LORD." + So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God. + Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. + We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. + On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. + The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded. + At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD. + They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God. + + + After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. + For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost." + As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. + Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. + And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God, + saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. + From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. + But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. + For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. + "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, + which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. + Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.' + And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, + shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? + O LORD the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this." + + + While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. + And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: "We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. + Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. + Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it." + Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. + Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. + And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, + and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. + Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. + And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. + Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." + Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, "It is so; we must do as you have said. + But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. + Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us." + Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. + Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers' houses, according to their fathers' houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; + and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women. + Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. + They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. + Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. + Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. + Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. + Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. + Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. + And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. + Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. + Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. + Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. + Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. + Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. + Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, + Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. + Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. + Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, + Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, + Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, + Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. + Of the sons of Binnui: Shimei, + Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, + Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, + Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, + Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. + Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. + All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children. + + + + + The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the capital, + that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. + And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire." + As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. + And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, + let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. + We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. + Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, + but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your dispersed be under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.' + They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. + O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." Now I was cupbearer to the king. + + + In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. + And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid. + I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" + Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. + And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." + And the king said to me ( the queen sitting beside him), "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. + And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, + and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. + Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. + But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah, the Ammonite servant, heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. + So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. + Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. + I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. + Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. + Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. + And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. + Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." + And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, "Let us rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work. + But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" + Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem." + + + Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. + And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. + The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. + And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. + And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. + Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. + And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River. + Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. + Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired. + Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired. + Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. + Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters. + Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. + Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. + And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king's garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. + After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men. + After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district. + After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. + Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. + After him Baruch the son of Zabbai repaired another section from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. + After him Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. + After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, repaired. + After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah repaired beside his own house. + After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress + and to the corner. Palal the son of Uzai repaired opposite the buttress and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh + and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. + After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. + Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. + After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired. + After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. + After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner. + And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired. + + + Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. + And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?" + Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building- if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!" + Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. + Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. + So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. + But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. + And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. + And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. + In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall." + And our enemies said, "They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work." + At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, "You must return to us." + So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. + And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes." + When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. + From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, + who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. + And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. + And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. + In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." + So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. + I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day." + So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand. + + + Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. + For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive." + There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine." + And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. + Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards." + I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. + I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them + and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say. + So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? + Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. + Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them." + Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. + I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. + Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. + The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. + I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. + Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. + Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. + Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. + + + Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it ( although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), + Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono." But they intended to do me harm. + And I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" + And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. + In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. + In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. + And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, 'There is a king in Judah.' And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together." + Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." + For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands. + Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night." + But I said, "Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in." + And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. + For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. + Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. + So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. + And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. + Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. + For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. + Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. + + + Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, + I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. + And I said to them, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes." + The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt. + Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: + These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. + They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: + the sons of Parosh, 2,172. + The sons of Shephatiah, 372. + The sons of Arah, 652. + The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818. + The sons of Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Zattu, 845. + The sons of Zaccai, 760. + The sons of Binnui, 648. + The sons of Bebai, 628. + The sons of Azgad, 2,322. + The sons of Adonikam, 667. + The sons of Bigvai, 2,067. + The sons of Adin, 655. + The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. + The sons of Hashum, 328. + The sons of Bezai, 324. + The sons of Hariph, 112. + The sons of Gibeon, 95. + The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188. + The men of Anathoth, 128. + The men of Beth-azmaveth, 42. + The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. + The men of Ramah and Geba, 621. + The men of Michmas, 122. + The men of Bethel and Ai, 123. + The men of the other Nebo, 52. + The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. + The sons of Harim, 320. + The sons of Jericho, 345. + The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721. + The sons of Senaah, 3,930. + The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, namely the house of Jeshua, 973. + The sons of Immer, 1,052. + The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. + The sons of Harim, 1,017. + The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the sons of Hodevah, 74. + The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. + The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138. + The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, + the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, + the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, + the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, + the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, + the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, + the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim, + the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, + the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, + the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, + the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha. + The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, + the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, + the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon. + All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392. + The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers' houses nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: + the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. + Also, of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). + These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. + The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise. + The whole assembly together was 42,360, + besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers, male and female. + Their horses were 736, their mules 245, + their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720. + Now some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests' garments and 500 minas of silver. + And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. + And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests' garments. + So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns. + + + And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. + So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. + And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. + And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. + And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. + And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. + Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. + They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. + And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. + Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." + So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." + And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. + On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. + And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, + and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, "Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written." + So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. + And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. + And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule. + + + Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. + And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. + And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. + On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. + Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, "Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. + "You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. + You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. + You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. + "And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, + and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. + And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. + By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. + You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, + and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. + You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them. + "But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. + They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. + Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies, + you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. + You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. + Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. + "And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. + You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. + So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. + And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. + "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. + Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. + But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. + And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. + Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. + Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. + "Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. + Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. + Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. + Even in their own kingdom, enjoying your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. + Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. + And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress. + "Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests." + + + On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, + Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, + Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, + Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, + Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, + Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, + Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, + Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. + And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; + and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, + Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, + Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, + Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. + The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, + Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, + Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, + Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, + Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, + Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, + Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, + Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, + Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, + Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, + Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, + Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, + Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, + Malluch, Harim, Baanah. + The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, + join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes. + "We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. + And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. + "We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: + for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. + We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. + We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; + also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; + and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. + And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. + For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God." + + + Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns. + And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. + These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property in their towns: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Sol-omon's servants. + And in Jerusalem lived certain of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez; + and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite. + All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 valiant men. + And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, + and his brothers, men of valor, 928. + Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city. + Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, + Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God, + and their brothers who did the work of the house, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, + and his brothers, heads of fathers' houses, 242; and Amashsai, the son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, + and their brothers, mighty men of valor, 128; their overseer was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim. + And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni; + and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who were over the outside work of the house of God; + and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who was the leader of the praise, who gave thanks, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. + All the Levites in the holy city were 284. + The gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were 172. + And the rest of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, every one in his inheritance. + But the temple servants lived on Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants. + The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the work of the house of God. + For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required. + And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's side in all matters concerning the people. + And as for the villages, with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, and in Dibon and its villages, and in Jekabzeel and its villages, + and in Jeshua and in Moladah and Beth-pelet, + in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its villages, + in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages, + in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, + Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom. + The people of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages, + Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, + Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, + Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, + Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. + And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were assigned to Benjamin. + + + These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, + Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, + Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, + Iddo, Gin-nethoi, Abijah, + Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, + Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, + Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua. + And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. + And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood opposite them in the service. + And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, + Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. + And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers' houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; + of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; + of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; + of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; + of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; + of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; + of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; + of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; + of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; + of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. + In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers' houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. + As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers' houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. + And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch. + Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. + These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe. + And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. + And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; + also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. + And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. + Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. + And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, + and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, + Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, + and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; + and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. + At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east. + The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, + and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. + So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; + and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; + and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. + And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. + On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. + And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. + For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. + And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. + + + On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, + for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them- yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. + As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. + Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, + prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. + While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king + and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. + And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. + Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. + I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. + So I confronted the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. + Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. + And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. + Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. + In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. + Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! + Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? + Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath." + As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. + Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. + But I warned them and said to them, "Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. + Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. + In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. + And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but the language of each people. + And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. + Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. + Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?" + And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. + Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. + Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; + and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. + + + + + Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, + in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the capital, + in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, + while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. + And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa, the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. + There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. + Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. + And drinking was according to this edict: "There is no compulsion." For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. + Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus. + On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, + to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. + But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him. + Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, + the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): + "According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?" + Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, "Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. + For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.' + This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. + If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. + So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike." + This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. + He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people. + + + After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. + Then the king's young men who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. + And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the capital, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. + And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so. + Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, + who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. + He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. + So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. + And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. + Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. + And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her. + Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women- + when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. + In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. + When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. + And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, + the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. + Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity. + Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. + Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. + In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. + And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. + When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king. + + + After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. + And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. + Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?" + And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. + And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. + But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. + In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. + Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. + If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries." + So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. + And the king said to Haman, "The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you." + Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. + Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. + A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. + The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. + + + When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. + He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. + And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. + When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. + Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. + Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, + and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. + Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. + And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. + Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, + "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law- to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days." + And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. + Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. + For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" + Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, + "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." + Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. + + + On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. + And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. + And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom." + And Esther said, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king." + Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked." So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. + And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, "What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled." + Then Esther answered, "My wish and my request is: + If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said." + And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. + Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. + And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. + Then Haman said, "Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. + Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate." + Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made. + + + On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. + And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. + And the king said, "What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" The king's young men who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him." + And the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. + And the king's young men told him, "Haman is there, standing in the court." And the king said, "Let him come in." + So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" + And Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king delights to honor, + let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. + And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.'" + Then the king said to Haman, "Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned." + So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor." + Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. + And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him." + While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared. + + + So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. + And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, "What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled." + Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. + For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king." + Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?" + And Esther said, "A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!" Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen. + And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king. + And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, "Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?" As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. + Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, "Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits high." + And the king said, "Hang him on that." So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated. + + + On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. + And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. + Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. + When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, + Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, "If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. + For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?" + Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. + But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked." + The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. + And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, + saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, + on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. + A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. + So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. + Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. + The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. + And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. + + + Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. + The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. + All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. + For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. + The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. + In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, + and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha + and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha + and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, + the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder. + That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. + And the king said to Queen Esther, "In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled." + And Esther said, "If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows." + So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. + The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. + Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. + This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. + But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. + Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another. + And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, + obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, + as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. + So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. + For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. + But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. + Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, + the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, + that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. + Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. + Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, + that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. + The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. + + + King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. + And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? + For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. + + + + + There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. + There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. + He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. + His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. + And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. + Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. + The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." + And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" + Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? + Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. + But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." + And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. + Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, + and there came a messenger to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, + and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, + and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you." + Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. + And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." + In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. + + + Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. + And the LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." + And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason." + Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. + But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." + And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life." + So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. + And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. + Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." + But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. + Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. + And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. + And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. + + + After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. + And Job said: + "Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, 'A man is conceived.' + Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it. + Let gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. + That night- let thick darkness seize it! Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. + Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry enter it. + Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan. + Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light, but have none, nor see the eyelids of the morning, + because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes. + "Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire? + Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? + For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest, + with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves, + or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. + Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light? + There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest. + There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. + The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master. + "Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, + who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, + who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave? + Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? + For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water. + For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. + I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: + "If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking? + Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. + Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. + But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. + Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? + "Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? + As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. + By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed. + The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken. + The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. + "Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. + Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, + dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. + A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. + It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: + 'Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? + Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; + how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth. + Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. + Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?' + + + "Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? + Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple. + I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling. + His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them. + The hungry eat his harvest, and he takes it even out of thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. + For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, + but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. + "As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, + who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: + he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields; + he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. + He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. + He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end. + They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night. + But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth and from the hand of the mighty. + So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth. + "Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. + For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal. + He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you. + In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. + You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. + At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth. + For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. + You shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing. + You shall know also that your offspring shall be many, and your descendants as the grass of the earth. + You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season. + Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! + For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash. + For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. + Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass, or the ox low over his fodder? + Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow? + My appetite refuses to touch them; they are as food that is loathsome to me. + "Oh that I might have my request, and that God would fulfill my hope, + that it would please God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! + This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One. + What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? + Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze? + Have I any help in me, when resource is driven from me? + "He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. + My brothers are treacherous as a torrent-bed, as torrential streams that pass away, + which are dark with ice, and where the snow hides itself. + When they melt, they disappear; when it is hot, they vanish from their place. + The caravans turn aside from their course; they go up into the waste and perish. + The caravans of Tema look, the travelers of Sheba hope. + They are ashamed because they were confident; they come there and are disappointed. + For you have now become nothing; you see my calamity and are afraid. + Have I said, 'Make me a gift'? Or, 'From your wealth offer a bribe for me'? + Or, 'Deliver me from the adversary's hand'? Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless'? + "Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray. + How forceful are upright words! But what does reproof from you reprove? + Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind? + You would even cast lots over the fatherless, and bargain over your friend. + "But now, be pleased to look at me, for I will not lie to your face. + Please turn; let no injustice be done. Turn now; my vindication is at stake. + Is there any injustice on my tongue? Cannot my palate discern the cause of calamity? + + + "Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand? + Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages, + so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. + When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. + My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh. + My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and come to their end without hope. + "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. + The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone. + As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up; + he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore. + "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. + Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me? + When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,' + then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, + so that I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones. + I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. + What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, + visit him every morning and test him every moment? + How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? + If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? + Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be." + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: + "How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind? + Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert the right? + If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. + If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, + if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation. + And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. + "For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out. + For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow. + Will they not teach you and tell you and utter words out of their understanding? + "Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? + While yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any other plant. + Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish. + His confidence is severed, and his trust is a spider's web. + He leans against his house, but it does not stand; he lays hold of it, but it does not endure. + He is a lush plant before the sun, and his shoots spread over his garden. + His roots entwine the stone heap; he looks upon a house of stones. + If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, 'I have never seen you.' + Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the soil others will spring. + "Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers. + He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting. + Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? + If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. + He is wise in heart and mighty in strength- who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?- + he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, + who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; + who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; + who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; + who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; + who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. + Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. + Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?' + "God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab. + How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? + Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. + If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. + For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause; + he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. + If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? + Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. + I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life. + It is all one; therefore I say, He destroys both the blameless and the wicked. + When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent. + The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges- if it is not he, who then is it? + "My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good. + They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey. + If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,' + I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. + I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain? + If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, + yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me. + For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. + There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. + Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. + Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself. + + + "I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. + I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me. + Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked? + Have you eyes of flesh? Do you see as man sees? + Are your days as the days of man, or your years as a man's years, + that you seek out my iniquity and search for my sin, + although you know that I am not guilty, and there is none to deliver out of your hand? + Your hands fashioned and made me, and now you have destroyed me altogether. + Remember that you have made me like clay; and will you return me to the dust? + Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? + You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. + You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit. + Yet these things you hid in your heart; I know that this was your purpose. + If I sin, you watch me and do not acquit me of my iniquity. + If I am guilty, woe to me! If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and look on my affliction. + And were my head lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion and again work wonders against me. + You renew your witnesses against me and increase your vexation toward me; you bring fresh troops against me. + "Why did you bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me + and were as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave. + Are not my days few? Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer + before I go- and I shall not return- to the land of darkness and deep shadow, + the land of gloom like thick darkness, like deep shadow without any order, where light is as thick darkness." + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: + "Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? + Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you? + For you say, 'My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God's eyes.' + But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, + and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. + "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? + It is higher than heaven- what can you do? Deeper than Sheol- what can you know? + Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. + If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back? + For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? + But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man! + "If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. + If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. + Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. + You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. + And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. + And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. + You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. + But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. + But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? + I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called to God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock. + In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip. + The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand. + "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; + or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. + Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? + In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. + Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? + Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. + "With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. + If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. + If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. + With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. + He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. + He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. + He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. + He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. + He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. + He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. + He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. + He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a pathless waste. + They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. + + + "Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. + What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. + But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. + As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all. + Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom! + Hear now my argument and listen to the pleadings of my lips. + Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him? + Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God? + Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man? + He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality. + Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you? + Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. + "Let me have silence, and I will speak, and let come on me what may. + Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand? + Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. + This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him. + Keep listening to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears. + Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be in the right. + Who is there who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die. + Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from your face: + withdraw your hand far from me, and let not dread of you terrify me. + Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you reply to me. + How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. + Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy? + Will you frighten a driven leaf and pursue dry chaff? + For you write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. + You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths; you set a limit for the soles of my feet. + Man wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. + + + "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. + He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not. + And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you? + Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one. + Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass, + look away from him and leave him alone, that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day. + "For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. + Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, + yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant. + But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he? + As waters fail from a lake and a river wastes away and dries up, + so a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep. + Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! + If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come. + You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands. + For then you would number my steps; you would not keep watch over my sin; + my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity. + "But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place; + the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man. + You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance, and send him away. + His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he perceives it not. + He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: + "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? + Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good? + But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God. + For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. + Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you. + "Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills? + Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself? + What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us? + Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, older than your father. + Are the comforts of God too small for you, or the word that deals gently with you? + Why does your heart carry you away, and why do your eyes flash, + that you turn your spirit against God and bring such words out of your mouth? + What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? + Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; + how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water! + "I will show you; hear me, and what I have seen I will declare + (what wise men have told, without hiding it from their fathers, + to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them). + The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. + Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him. + He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword. + He wanders abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand; + distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him, like a king ready for battle. + Because he has stretched out his hand against God and defies the Almighty, + running stubbornly against him with a thickly bossed shield; + because he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat upon his waist + and has lived in desolate cities, in houses that none should inhabit, which were ready to become heaps of ruins; + he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the earth; + he will not depart from darkness; the flame will dry up his shoots, and by the breath of his mouth he will depart. + Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment. + It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not be green. + He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine, and cast off his blossom like the olive tree. + For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery. + They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all. + Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? + I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you. + I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain. + "If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me? + Surely now God has worn me out; he has made desolate all my company. + And he has shriveled me up, which is a witness against me, and my leanness has risen up against me; it testifies to my face. + He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me. + Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me. + God gives me up to the ungodly and casts me into the hands of the wicked. + I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target; + his archers surround me. He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground. + He breaks me with breach upon breach; he runs upon me like a warrior. + I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust. + My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness, + although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure. + "O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no resting place. + Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high. + My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God, + that he would argue the case of a man with God, as a son of man does with his neighbor. + For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return. + + + My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me. + Surely there are mockers about me, and my eye dwells on their provocation. + "Lay down a pledge for me with yourself; who is there who will put up security for me? + Since you have closed their hearts to understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph. + He who informs against his friends to get a share of their property- the eyes of his children will fail. + "He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom men spit. + My eye has grown dim from vexation, and all my members are like a shadow. + The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless. + Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger. + But you, come on again, all of you, and I shall not find a wise man among you. + My days are past; my plans are broken off, the desires of my heart. + They make night into day; 'The light,' they say, 'is near to the darkness.' + If I hope for Sheol as my house, if I make my bed in darkness, + if I say to the pit, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'My mother,' or 'My sister,' + where then is my hope? Who will see my hope? + Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: + "How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and then we will speak. + Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your sight? + You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place? + "Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of his fire does not shine. + The light is dark in his tent, and his lamp above him is put out. + His strong steps are shortened, and his own schemes throw him down. + For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walks on its mesh. + A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare lays hold of him. + A rope is hidden for him in the ground, a trap for him in the path. + Terrors frighten him on every side, and chase him at his heels. + His strength is famished, and calamity is ready for his stumbling. + It consumes the parts of his skin; the firstborn of death consumes his limbs. + He is torn from the tent in which he trusted and is brought to the king of terrors. + In his tent dwells that which is none of his; sulfur is scattered over his habitation. + His roots dry up beneath, and his branches wither above. + His memory perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the street. + He is thrust from light into darkness, and driven out of the world. + He has no posterity or progeny among his people, and no survivor where he used to live. + They of the west are appalled at his day, and horror seizes them of the east. + Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, such is the place of him who knows not God." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words? + These ten times you have cast reproach upon me; are you not ashamed to wrong me? + And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself. + If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and make my disgrace an argument against me, + know then that God has put me in the wrong and closed his net about me. + Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice. + He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths. + He has stripped from me my glory and taken the crown from my head. + He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone, and my hope has he pulled up like a tree. + He has kindled his wrath against me and counts me as his adversary. + His troops come on together; they have cast up their siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. + "He has put my brothers far from me, and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me. + My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. + The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes. + I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer; I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy. + My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother. + Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me. + All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me. + My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. + Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! + Why do you, like God, pursue me? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh? + "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! + Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! + For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. + And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, + whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! + If you say, 'How we will pursue him!' and, 'The root of the matter is found in him,' + be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment." + + + Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: + "Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me. + I hear censure that insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me. + Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed on earth, + that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment? + Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds, + he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' + He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night. + The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him. + His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will give back his wealth. + His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust. + "Though evil is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue, + though he is loath to let it go and holds it in his mouth, + yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him. + He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly. + He will suck the poison of cobras; the tongue of a viper will kill him. + He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds. + He will give back the fruit of his toil and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment. + For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build. + "Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him. + There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure. + In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress; the hand of everyone in misery will come against him. + To fill his belly to the full God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body. + He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through. + It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him. + Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed. + The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. + The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God's wrath. + This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "Keep listening to my words, and let this be your comfort. + Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. + As for me, is my complaint against man? Why should I not be impatient? + Look at me and be appalled, and lay your hand over your mouth. + When I remember I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh. + Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? + Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes. + Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. + Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry. + They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance. + They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. + They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. + They say to God, 'Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. + What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?' + Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand? The counsel of the wicked is far from me. + "How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains in his anger? + That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away? + You say, 'God stores up their iniquity for their children.' Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it. + Let their own eyes see their destruction, and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty. + For what do they care for their houses after them, when the number of their months is cut off? + Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those who are on high? + One dies in his full vigor, being wholly at ease and secure, + his pails full of milk and the marrow of his bones moist. + Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of prosperity. + They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them. + "Behold, I know your thoughts and your schemes to wrong me. + For you say, 'Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?' + Have you not asked those who travel the roads, and do you not accept their testimony + that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is rescued in the day of wrath? + Who declares his way to his face, and who repays him for what he has done? + When he is carried to the grave, watch is kept over his tomb. + The clods of the valley are sweet to him; all mankind follows after him, and those who go before him are innumerable. + How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood." + + + Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: + "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. + Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? + Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? + Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities. + For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. + You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. + The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it. + You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. + Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, + or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. + "Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! + But you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness? + Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.' + Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod? + They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away. + They said to God, 'Depart from us,' and 'What can the Almighty do to us?' + Yet he filled their houses with good things- but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. + The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them, + saying, 'Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.' + "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. + Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. + If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, + if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent bed, + then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. + For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. + You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. + You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. + For when they are humbled you say, 'It is because of pride'; but he saves the lowly. + He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." + + + Then Job answered and said: + "Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. + Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! + I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. + I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. + Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me. + There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. + "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; + on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. + But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. + My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. + I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. + But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. + For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. + Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. + God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; + yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face. + + + "Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days? + Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. + They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge. + They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves. + Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children. + They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man. + They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. + They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter. + (There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.) + They go about naked, without clothing; hungry, they carry the sheaves; + among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil; they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst. + From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong. + "There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. + The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief. + The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, 'No eye will see me'; and he veils his face. + In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light. + For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness. + "You say, 'Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards. + Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned. + The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.' + "They wrong the barren childless woman, and do no good to the widow. + Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life. + He gives them security, and they are supported, and his eyes are upon their ways. + They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like the heads of grain. + If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?" + + + Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: + "Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven. + Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not arise? + How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure? + Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes; + how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!" + + + Then Job answered and said: + "How you have helped him who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength! + How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge! + With whose help have you uttered words, and whose breath has come out from you? + The dead tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. + Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. + He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing. + He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. + He covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud. + He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. + The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. + By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab. + By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. + Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?" + + + And Job again took up his discourse, and said: + "As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, + as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, + my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. + Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. + I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days. + "Let my enemy be as the wicked, and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous. + For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? + Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? + Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? + I will teach you concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal. + Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain? + "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: + If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword, and his descendants have not enough bread. + Those who survive him the pestilence buries, and his widows do not weep. + Though he heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay, + he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver. + He builds his house like a moth's, like a booth that a watchman makes. + He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone. + Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off. + The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. + It hurls at him without pity; he flees from its power in headlong flight. + It claps its hands at him and hisses at him from its place. + + + "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine. + Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore. + Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness. + He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives; they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro. + As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire. + Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold. + "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it. + The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it. + "Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots. + He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing. + He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light. + "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? + Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living. + The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' + It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. + It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. + Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. + No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above, pearls. + The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. + "From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? + It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. + Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.' + "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. + For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. + When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure, + when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, + then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out. + And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'" + + + And Job again took up his discourse, and said: + "Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, + when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, + as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent, + when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were all around me, + when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! + When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, + the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood; + the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth; + the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. + When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, + because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. + The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. + I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. + I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. + I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. + I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. + Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand, + my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, + my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.' + "Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. + After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. + They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. + I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. + I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners. + + + "But now they laugh at me, men who are younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. + What could I gain from the strength of their hands, men whose vigor is gone? + Through want and hard hunger they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation; + they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes, and the roots of the broom tree for their food. + They are driven out from human company; they shout after them as after a thief. + In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks. + Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they huddle together. + A senseless, a nameless brood, they have been whipped out of the land. + "And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. + They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me. + Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me, they have cast off restraint in my presence. + On my right hand the rabble rise; they push away my feet; they cast up against me their ways of destruction. + They break up my path; they promote my calamity; they need no one to help them. + As through a wide breach they come; amid the crash they roll on. + Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is pursued as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. + "And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. + The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. + With great force my garment is disfigured; it binds me about like the collar of my tunic. + God has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. + I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me. + You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me. + You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. + For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living. + "Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand, and in his disaster cry for help? + Did not I weep for him whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy? + But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came. + My inward parts are in turmoil and never still; days of affliction come to meet me. + I go about darkened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. + I am a brother of jackals and a companion of ostriches. + My skin turns black and falls from me, and my bones burn with heat. + My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep. + + + "I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? + What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high? + Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? + Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? + "If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; + (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!) + if my step has turned aside from the way and my heart has gone after my eyes, and if any spot has stuck to my hands, + then let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me be rooted out. + "If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door, + then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. + For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; + for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase. + "If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me, + what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? + Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? + "If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, + or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it + (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow), + if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering, + if his body has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, + if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate, + then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket. + For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have faced his majesty. + "If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, + if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, + if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, + and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, + this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above. + "If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him + (I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse), + if the men of my tent have not said, 'Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?' + ( the sojourner has not lodged in the street; I have opened my doors to the traveler), + if I have concealed my transgressions as others do by hiding my iniquity in my bosom, + because I stood in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors- + Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary! + Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown; + I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him. + "If my land has cried out against me and its furrows have wept together, + if I have eaten its yield without payment and made its owners breathe their last, + let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley." The words of Job are ended. + + + So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. + Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. + He burned with anger also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. + Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. + And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger. + And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: "I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. + I said, 'Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.' + But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. + It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. + Therefore I say, 'Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.' + "Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your wise sayings, while you searched out what to say. + I gave you my attention, and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job or who answered his words. + Beware lest you say, 'We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not a man.' + He has not directed his words against me, and I will not answer him with your speeches. + "They are dismayed; they answer no more; they have not a word to say. + And shall I wait, because they do not speak, because they stand there, and answer no more? + I also will answer with my share; I also will declare my opinion. + For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. + Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins ready to burst. + I must speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer. + I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person. + For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away. + + + "But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words. + Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks. + My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely. + The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. + Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand. + Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay. + Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you. + "Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words. + You say, 'I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me. + Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy, + he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.' + "Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. + Why do you contend against him, saying, 'He will answer none of man's words'? + For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. + In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, + then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, + that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; + he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. + "Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones, + so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food. + His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. + His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. + If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, + and he is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; + let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor'; + then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. + He sings before men and says: 'I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. + He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.' + "Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, + to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life. + Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. + If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. + If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom." + + + Then Elihu answered and said: + "Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know; + for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. + Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good. + For Job has said, 'I am in the right, and God has taken away my right; + in spite of my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.' + What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, + who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? + For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.' + "Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong. + For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him. + Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. + Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? + If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, + all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. + "If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. + Shall one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty, + who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' and to nobles, 'Wicked man,' + who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? + In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand. + "For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. + There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves. + For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. + He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place. + Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed. + He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see, + because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways, + so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted- + When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?- + that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people. + "For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more; + teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'? + Will he then make repayment to suit you, because you reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know. + Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who hears me will say: + 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.' + Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men. + For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God." + + + And Elihu answered and said: + "Do you think this to be just? Do you say, 'It is my right before God,' + that you ask, 'What advantage have I? How am I better off than if I had sinned?' + I will answer you and your friends with you. + Look at the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds, which are higher than you. + If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? + If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? + Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man. + "Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty. + But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, + who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?' + There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. + Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it. + How much less when you say that you do not see him, that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him! + And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not take much note of transgression, + Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge." + + + And Elihu continued, and said: + "Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf. + I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. + For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you. + "Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding. + He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right. + He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne he sets them forever, and they are exalted. + And if they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction, + then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly. + He opens their ears to instruction and commands that they return from iniquity. + If they listen and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness. + But if they do not listen, they perish by the sword and die without knowledge. + "The godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them. + They die in youth, and their life ends among the cult prostitutes. + He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity. + He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness. + "But you are full of the judgment on the wicked; judgment and justice seize you. + Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. + Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength? + Do not long for the night, when peoples vanish in their place. + Take care; do not turn to iniquity, for this you have chosen rather than affliction. + Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? + Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, 'You have done wrong'? + "Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung. + All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar. + Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable. + For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his mist in rain, + which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly. + Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion? + Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea. + For by these he judges peoples; he gives food in abundance. + He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark. + Its crashing declares his presence; the cattle also declare that he rises. + + + "At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. + Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. + Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. + After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. + God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. + For to the snow he says, 'Fall on the earth,' likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour. + He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he made may know it. + Then the beasts go into their lairs, and remain in their dens. + From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds. + By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. + He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. + They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. + Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen. + "Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. + Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? + Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, + you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? + Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror? + Teach us what we shall say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of darkness. + Shall it be told him that I would speak? Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up? + "And now no one looks on the light when it is bright in the skies, when the wind has passed and cleared them. + Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with awesome majesty. + The Almighty- we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. + Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit." + + + Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: + "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? + Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. + "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. + Who determined its measurements- surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? + On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, + when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? + "Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, + when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, + and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, + and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'? + "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, + that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? + It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. + From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. + "Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? + Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? + Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. + "Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, + that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? + You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! + "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, + which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? + What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? + "Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain and a way for the thunderbolt, + to bring rain on a land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man, + to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground sprout with grass? + "Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? + From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? + The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. + "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? + Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth1 in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? + Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? + "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? + Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'? + Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? + Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, + when the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick fast together? + "Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, + when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? + Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food? + + + "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does? + Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth, + when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young? + Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them. + "Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, + to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place? + He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver. + He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing. + "Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger? + Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you? + Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor? + Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? + "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love? + For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground, + forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them. + She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear, + because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding. + When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider. + "Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? + Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying. + He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. + He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. + Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear and the javelin. + With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. + When the trumpet sounds, he says 'Aha!' He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. + "Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south? + Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? + On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold. + From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it afar off. + His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he." + + + And the LORD said to Job: + "Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it." + Then Job answered the LORD and said: + "Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. + I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further." + Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: + "Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. + Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? + Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? + "Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. + Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is proud and abase him. + Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. + Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. + Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you. + "Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. + Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. + He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. + His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron. + "He is the first of the works of God; let him who made him bring near his sword! + For the mountains yield food for him where all the wild beasts play. + Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh. + For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him. + Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth. + Can one take him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare? + + + "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? + Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? + Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? + Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? + Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls? + Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? + Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? + Lay your hands on him; remember the battle- you will not do it again! + Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him. + No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? + Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. + "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame. + Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle? + Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. + His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal. + One is so near to another that no air can come between them. + They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. + His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. + Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth. + Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. + His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth. + In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him. + The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable. + His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the lower millstone. + When he raises himself up the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves. + Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. + He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. + The arrow cannot make him flee; for him sling stones are turned to stubble. + Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins. + His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire. + He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. + Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be white-haired. + On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. + He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride." + + + Then Job answered the LORD and said: + "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. + 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. + 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.' + I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; + therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." + After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. + Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." + So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job's prayer. + And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. + Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. + And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. + He had also seven sons and three daughters. + And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. + And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. + And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. + And Job died, an old man, and full of days. + + + + + Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; + but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. + He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. + The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. + Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; + for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. + + + Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? + The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, + "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." + He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. + Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, + "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." + I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. + Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. + You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." + Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. + Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. + Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM ABSALOM HIS SON. O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; + many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah + But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. + I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah + I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. + I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. + Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. + Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM OF DAVID. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! + O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah + But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him. + Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah + Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. + There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!" + You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. + In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: FOR THE FLUTES. A PSALM OF DAVID. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. + Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. + O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. + For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. + The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. + You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. + But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. + Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. + For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. + Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. + But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. + For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDING TO THE SHEMINITH. A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. + Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. + My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD- how long? + Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. + For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? + I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. + My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. + Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. + The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. + All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. + + + A SHIGGAION OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG TO THE LORD CONCERNING THE WORDS OF CUSH, A BENJAMINITE. O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, + lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. + O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, + if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, + let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah + Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. + Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. + The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. + Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous- you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! + My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. + God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. + If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; + he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. + Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. + He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. + His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. + I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. + Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. + When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, + what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? + Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. + You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, + all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, + the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. + O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MUTH-LABBEN. A PSALM OF DAVID. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. + I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. + When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. + For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. + You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. + The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. + But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, + and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. + The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. + And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. + Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! + For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. + Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, + that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. + The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid their own foot has been caught. + The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah + The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. + For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. + Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! + Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah + + + Why, O LORD, do you stand afar off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? + In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. + For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. + In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." + His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. + He says in his heart, "I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity." + His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. + He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; + he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. + The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. + He says in his heart, "God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it." + Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. + Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, "You will not call to account"? + But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. + Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. + The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. + O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear + to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID.In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, + for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; + if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" + The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test, the children of man. + The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. + Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. + For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE SHEMINITH. A PSALM OF DAVID. Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. + Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. + May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, + those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?" + "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the LORD; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs." + The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. + You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. + On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? + How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? + Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, + lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. + But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. + I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. + The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. + They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. + Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD? + There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. + You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge. + Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID.O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? + He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; + who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; + in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; + who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. + + + A MIKTAM OF DAVID.Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. + I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." + As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. + The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. + The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. + The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. + I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. + I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. + Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. + For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. + You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. + + + A PRAYER OF DAVID.Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! + From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! + You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. + With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. + My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. + I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. + Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. + Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, + from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. + They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. + They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. + He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. + Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, + from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. + As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, WHO ADDRESSED THE WORDS OF THIS SONG TO THE LORD ON THE DAY WHEN THE LORD RESCUED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL. HE SAID: I love you, O LORD, my strength. + The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. + I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. + The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; + the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. + In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. + Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. + Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. + He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. + He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. + He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. + Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. + The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. + And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. + Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. + He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. + He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. + They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. + He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. + The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. + For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. + For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. + I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. + So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. + With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; + with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. + For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. + For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. + For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. + This God- his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. + For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?- + the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. + He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. + He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. + You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. + You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. + I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. + I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. + For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. + You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. + They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. + I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. + You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. + As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. + Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. + The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation- + the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, + who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence. + For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. + Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. + Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. + There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. + Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, + which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. + Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. + The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; + the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; + the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. + More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. + Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. + Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. + Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. + Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! + May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! + May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah + May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! + May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions! + Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. + Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. + They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. + O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! + You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah + For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. + He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. + His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. + For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. + For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. + Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. + You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. + You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. + Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. + For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. + Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE DOE OF THE DAWN. A PSALM OF DAVID. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? + O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. + Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. + In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. + To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. + But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. + All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; + "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" + Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. + On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. + Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. + Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; + they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. + I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; + my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. + For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet- + I can count all my bones- they stare and gloat over me; + they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. + But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! + Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! + Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! + I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: + You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! + For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. + From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. + The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! + All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. + For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. + All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. + Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; + they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID.The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. + He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. + He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. + Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. + You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. + Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID. The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, + for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. + Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? + He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. + He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. + Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah + Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. + Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! + Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. + Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah + + + OF DAVID.To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. + O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. + Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. + Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. + Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. + Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. + Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! + Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. + He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. + All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. + For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great. + Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. + His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. + The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. + My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. + Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. + The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. + Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. + Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. + Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. + May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. + Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. + + + OF DAVID. Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. + Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. + For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. + I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. + I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. + I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, + proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. + O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. + Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, + in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. + But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. + My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD. + + + OF DAVID.The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? + When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. + Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. + One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. + For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. + And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. + Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! + You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." + Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! + For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. + Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. + Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. + I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! + Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! + + + OF DAVID.To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. + Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. + Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. + Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. + Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more. + Blessed be the LORD! for he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. + The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. + The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. + Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID.Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. + Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. + The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. + The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. + The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. + He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. + The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. + The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. + The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!" + The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. + May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! + + + A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. + O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. + O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. + Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. + For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. + As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." + By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. + To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: + "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? + Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" + You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, + that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! + Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! + For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; + you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. + Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God. + I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. + I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, + and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. + Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. + For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. + Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. + I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. + For I hear the whispering of many- terror on every side!- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. + But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." + My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! + Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! + O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. + Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. + Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! + In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. + Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. + I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. + Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. + Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! + + + A MASKIL OF DAVID. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. + Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. + For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. + For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah + I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah + Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. + You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah + I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. + Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. + Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. + Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! + + + Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. + Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! + Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. + For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. + He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. + By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. + He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. + Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! + For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. + The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. + The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. + Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! + The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; + from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, + he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. + The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. + The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. + Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, + that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. + Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. + For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. + Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. + + + OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR BEFORE ABIMELECH, SO THAT HE DROVE HIM OUT, AND HE WENT AWAY. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. + My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. + Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! + I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. + Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. + This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. + The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. + Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! + Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! + The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. + Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. + What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? + Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. + Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. + The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. + The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. + When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. + The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. + Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. + He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. + Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. + The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. + + + OF DAVID.Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! + Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! + Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, "I am your salvation!" + Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me! + Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away! + Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them! + For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life. + Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it- to his destruction! + Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation. + All my bones shall say, "O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?" + Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. + They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. + But I, when they were sick- I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. + I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. + But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing; + like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth. + How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! + I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you. + Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. + For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. + They open wide their mouths against me; they say, "Aha, Aha! our eyes have seen it!" + You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! + Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord! + Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me! + Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our heart's desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up." + Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me! + Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, "Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!" + Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD. Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. + For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. + The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. + He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil. + Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. + Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. + How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. + They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. + For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. + Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! + Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. + There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise. + + + OF DAVID. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! + For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. + Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. + Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. + Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. + He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. + Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! + Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. + For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. + In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. + But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. + The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, + but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. + The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; + their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. + Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. + For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. + The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; + they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. + But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish- like smoke they vanish away. + The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; + for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. + The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; + though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. + I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. + He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. + Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. + For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. + The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. + The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. + The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. + The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. + The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. + Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. + I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. + But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. + Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. + But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. + The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. + The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID, FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! + For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. + There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. + For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. + My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, + I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. + For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. + I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. + O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. + My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes- it also has gone from me. + My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. + Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. + But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. + I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. + But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. + For I said, "Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!" + For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. + I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. + But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. + Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. + Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! + Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: TO JEDUTHUN. A PSALM OF DAVID. I said, "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence." + I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. + My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: + "O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! + Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah + Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! + "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. + Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! + I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. + Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. + When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah + "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. + Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!" + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. + He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. + He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. + Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! + You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. + Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. + Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: + I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." + I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. + I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. + As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! + For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. + Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! + Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! + Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, "Aha, Aha!" + But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the LORD!" + As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; + the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. + The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. + As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!" + My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?" + And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. + All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. + They say, "A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies." + Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. + But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! + By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. + But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A MASKIL OF THE SONS OF KORAH. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. + My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? + My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?" + These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. + Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation + and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. + Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. + By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. + I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" + As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?" + Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. + + + Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! + For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? + Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! + Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. + Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A MASKIL OF THE SONS OF KORAH. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: + you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; + for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. + You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! + Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. + For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. + But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. + In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah + But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. + You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. + You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. + You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. + You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. + You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. + All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face + at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. + All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. + Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; + yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. + If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, + would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. + Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. + Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! + Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? + For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. + Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO LILIES. A MASKIL OF THE SONS OF KORAH; A LOVE SONG. My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. + You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. + Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! + In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! + Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you. + Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; + you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; + your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; + daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. + Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father's house, + and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him. + The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people. + All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. + In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. + With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. + In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. + I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A SONG. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. + Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, + though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah + There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. + God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. + The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. + The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah + Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. + He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. + "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" + The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! + For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. + He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. + He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah + God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. + Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! + For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! + God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. + The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted! + + + A SONG. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, + beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. + Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. + For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. + As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. + Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor. + By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish. + As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah + We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. + As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. + Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! + Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, + consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation + that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, + both low and high, rich and poor together! + My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. + I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. + Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, + those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? + Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, + for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, + that he should live on forever and never see the pit. + For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. + Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. + Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. + This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah + Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. + But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah + Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. + For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. + For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed,- and though you get praise when you do well for yourself- + his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. + Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. + + + A PSALM OF ASAPH. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. + Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. + Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. + He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: + "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" + The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah + "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. + Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. + I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. + For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. + I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. + "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. + Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? + Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, + and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." + But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? + For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. + If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. + "You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. + You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. + These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. + "Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! + The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!" + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. + Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! + For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. + Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. + Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. + Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. + Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. + Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. + Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. + Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. + Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. + Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. + Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. + Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. + O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. + For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. + The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. + Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; + then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A MASKIL OF DAVID, WHEN DOEG, THE EDOMITE, CAME AND TOLD SAUL, "DAVID HAS COME TO THE HOUSE OF AHIMELECH." Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. + Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. + You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah + You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. + But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah + The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, + "See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!" + But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. + I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MAHALATH. A MASKIL OF DAVID. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. + God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. + They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. + Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? + There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected them. + Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A MASKIL OF DAVID, WHEN THE ZIPHITES WENT AND TOLD SAUL, "IS NOT DAVID HIDING AMONG US?" O God, save me, by your name, and vindicate me by your might. + O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. + For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah + Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. + He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them. + With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. + For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A MASKIL OF DAVID. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! + Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, + because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. + My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. + Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. + And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; + yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah + I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." + Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. + Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; + ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace. + For it is not an enemy who taunts me- then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me- then I could hide from him. + But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. + We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng. + Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. + But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. + Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. + He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. + God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change and do not fear God. + My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. + His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. + Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. + But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE DOVE ON FAR-OFF TEREBINTHS. A MIKTAM OF DAVID, WHEN THE PHILISTINES SEIZED HIM IN GATH. Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; + my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. + When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. + In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? + All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. + They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. + For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! + You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? + Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. + In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, + in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? + I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. + For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A MIKTAM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM SAUL, IN THE CAVE. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. + I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. + He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! + My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts- the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! + They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah + My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! + Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! + I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. + For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A MIKTAM OF DAVID. Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly? + No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth. + The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. + They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, + so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter. + O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! + Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. + Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. + Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! + The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. + Mankind will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth." + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A MIKTAM OF DAVID, WHEN SAUL SENT MEN TO WATCH HIS HOUSE IN ORDER TO KILL HIM. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; + deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. + For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, + for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see! + You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah + Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. + There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips- for "Who," they think, "will hear us?" + But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision. + O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. + My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. + Kill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down, O Lord, our shield! + For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter, + consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah + Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. + They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill. + But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. + O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO SHUSHAN EDUTH. A MIKTAM OF DAVID; FOR INSTRUCTION; WHEN HE STROVE WITH ARAM-NAHARAIM AND WITH ARAM-ZOBAH, AND WHEN JOAB ON HIS RETURN STRUCK DOWN TWELVE THOUSAND OF EDOM IN THE VALLEY OF SALT. O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us. + You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. + You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger. + You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah + That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us! + God has spoken in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. + Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. + Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." + Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? + Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. + Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! + With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. OF DAVID. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; + from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, + for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. + Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah + For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. + Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! + May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! + So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO JEDUTHUN. A PSALM OF DAVID. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. + He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. + How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? + They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah + For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. + He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. + On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. + Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah + Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. + Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. + Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, + and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. + So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. + Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. + So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. + My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, + when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; + for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. + My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. + But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; + they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. + But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. + Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, + who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, + shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. + They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, who can see them? + They search out injustice, saying, "We have accomplished a diligent search." For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep! + But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. + They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. + Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. + Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. + O you who hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come. + When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. + Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! + By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; + the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; + who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, + so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. + You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. + You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. + You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. + The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, + the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A SONG. A PSALM. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; + sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! + Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. + All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name." Selah + Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. + He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, + who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations- let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah + Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, + who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. + For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. + You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; + you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. + I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, + that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. + I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah + Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. + I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. + If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. + But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. + Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM. A SONG. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah + that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. + Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! + Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah + Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! + The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. + God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG. God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him! + As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God! + But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! + Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him! + Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. + God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. + O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah + the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. + Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; you restored your inheritance as it languished; + your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. + The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host: + "The kings of the armies- they flee, they flee!" The women at home divide the spoil- + though you men lie among the sheepfolds- the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with shimmering gold. + When the Almighty scatters kings there, let snow fall on Zalmon. + O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! + Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the LORD will dwell forever? + The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. + You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. + Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah + Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. + But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways. + The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, + that you may strike your feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe." + Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary- + the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines: + "Bless God in the great congregation, the LORD, O you who are of Israel's fountain!" + There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. + Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us. + Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you. + Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war. + Nobles shall come from Egypt; Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. + O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah + to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. + Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. + Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel- he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO LILIES. OF DAVID. Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. + I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. + I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. + More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore? + O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. + Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. + For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. + I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons. + For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. + When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. + When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. + I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. + But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. + Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. + Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. + Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. + Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. + Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies! + You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. + Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. + They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. + Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. + Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. + Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. + May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. + For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. + Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. + Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. + But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! + I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. + This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. + When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. + For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. + Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. + For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; + the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID, FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING. Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! + Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! + Let them turn back because of their shame who say, "Aha, Aha!" + May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" + But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay! + + + In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! + In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! + Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. + Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. + For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. + Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. + I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. + My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. + Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. + For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together + and say, "God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him." + O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! + May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. + But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. + My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. + With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. + O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. + So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. + Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? + You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. + You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. + I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. + My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. + And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt. + + + OF SOLOMON.Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! + May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! + Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! + May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! + May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! + May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! + In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! + May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! + May desert tribes bow down before him and his enemies lick the dust! + May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! + May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! + For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. + He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. + From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight. + Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day! + May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field! + May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. + Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! + The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. + + + A PSALM OF ASAPH.Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. + But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. + For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. + For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. + They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. + Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. + Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. + They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. + They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. + Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. + And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?" + Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. + All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. + For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. + If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children. + But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, + until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. + Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. + How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! + Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. + When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, + I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. + Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. + You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. + Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. + My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. + For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. + But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. + + + A MASKIL OF ASAPH.O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? + Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. + Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! + Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs. + They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees. + And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. + They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. + They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. + We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long. + How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever? + Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them! + Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. + You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. + You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. + You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. + Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. + You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter. + Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name. + Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. + Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. + Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. + Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! + Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A PSALM OF ASAPH. A SONG. We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. + "At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. + When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah + I say to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horn; + do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.'" + For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, + but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. + For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. + But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. + All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM OF ASAPH. A SONG. In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. + His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. + There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah + Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains of prey. + The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. + At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. + But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? + From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, + when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah + Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. + Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared, + who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO JEDUTHUN. A PSALM OF ASAPH. I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. + In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. + When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah + You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. + I consider the days of old, the years long ago. + I said, "Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart." Then my spirit made a diligent search: + "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? + Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? + Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah + Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." + I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. + I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. + Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? + You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. + You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah + When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. + The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. + The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. + Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. + You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. + + + A MASKIL OF ASAPH. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! + I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, + things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. + We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. + He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, + that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, + so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; + and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. + The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. + They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. + They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. + In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. + He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. + In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. + He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. + He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. + Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. + They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. + They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness? + He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?" + Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, + because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. + Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, + and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. + Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. + He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; + he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; + he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. + And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. + But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, + the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. + In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. + So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. + When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. + They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. + But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. + Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. + Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. + He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. + How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! + They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. + They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, + when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan. + He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams. + He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. + He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust. + He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost. + He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts. + He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. + He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague. + He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. + Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. + He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. + And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. + He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. + Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, + but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. + For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. + When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. + He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, + and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe. + He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. + Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. + Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. + Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. + And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame. + He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, + but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. + He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. + He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; + from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. + With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. + + + A PSALM OF ASAPH.O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. + They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. + They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. + We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. + How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? + Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name! + For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. + Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. + Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake! + Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! + Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die! + Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! + But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO LILIES. A TESTIMONY. OF ASAPH, A PSALM. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. + Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us! + Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! + O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? + You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. + You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. + Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! + You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. + You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. + The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. + It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River. + Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? + The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. + Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, + the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. + They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face! + But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! + Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! + Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let your face shine, that we may be saved! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. OF ASAPH. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! + Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. + Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. + For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob. + He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known: + "I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. + In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah + Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! + There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. + I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. + "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. + So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. + Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! + I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. + Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. + But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." + + + A PSALM OF ASAPH. God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: + "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah + Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. + Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." + They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. + I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; + nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." + Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! + + + A SONG. A PSALM OF ASAPH.O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! + For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. + They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. + They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!" + For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant- + the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, + Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; + Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah + Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, + who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground. + Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, + who said, "Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God." + O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind. + As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, + so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane! + Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD. + Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace, + that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! + My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. + Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. + Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah + Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. + As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. + They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. + O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah + Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! + For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. + For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. + O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. + You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah + You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. + Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! + Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? + Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? + Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. + Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. + Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. + Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. + Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. + Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. + Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way. + + + A PRAYER OF DAVID. Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. + Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you- you are my God. + Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. + Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. + For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. + Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. + In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. + There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. + All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. + For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. + Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. + I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. + For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. + O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life, and they do not set you before them. + But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. + Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. + Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. + + + A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. A SONG. On the holy mount stands the city he founded; + the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. + Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah + Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush- "This one was born there," they say. + And of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; for the Most High himself will establish her. + The LORD records as he registers the peoples, "This one was born there." Selah + Singers and dancers alike say, "All my springs are in you." + + + A SONG. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MAHALATH LEANNOTH. A MASKIL OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE. O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you. + Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! + For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. + I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, + like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. + You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. + Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah + You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; + my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you. + Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah + Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? + Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? + But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. + O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? + Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. + Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. + They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. + You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness. + + + A MASKIL OF ETHAN THE EZRAHITE. I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. + For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness." + You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: + 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'"Selah + Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! + For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, + a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? + O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? + You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. + You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. + The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. + The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. + You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. + Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. + Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, + who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. + For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. + For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. + Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: "I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. + I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, + so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. + The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. + I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. + My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. + I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. + He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' + And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. + My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. + I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. + If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, + if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, + then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, + but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. + I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. + Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. + His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. + Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." Selah + But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. + You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. + You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. + All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. + You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. + You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. + You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. + You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah + How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? + Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! + What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah + Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? + Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, + with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. + Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen. + + + A PRAYER OF MOSES, THE MAN OF GOD. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. + Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. + You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!" + For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. + You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: + in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. + For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. + You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. + For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. + The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. + Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? + So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. + Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! + Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. + Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. + Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. + Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! + + + He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. + I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." + For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. + He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. + You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, + nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. + A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. + You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. + Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place- the Most High, who is my refuge- + no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. + For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. + On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. + You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. + "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. + When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. + With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." + + + A PSALM. A SONG FOR THE SABBATH. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; + to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, + to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. + For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. + How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! + The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: + that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; + but you, O LORD, are on high forever. + For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. + But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. + My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. + The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. + They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. + They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, + to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. + + + The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. + Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. + The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. + Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! + Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore. + + + O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! + Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! + O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? + They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. + They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. + They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; + and they say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." + Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? + He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? + He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge- + the LORD- knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. + Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, + to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. + For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; + for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. + Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? + If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. + When I thought, "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. + When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. + Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? + They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. + But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. + He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out. + + + Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! + Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! + For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. + In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. + The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. + Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! + For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, + do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, + when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. + For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways." + Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest." + + + Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! + Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. + Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! + For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. + For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. + Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. + Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! + Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! + Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! + Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity." + Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; + let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy + before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. + + + The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! + Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. + Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. + His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. + The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. + The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. + All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods! + Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O LORD. + For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. + O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. + Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. + Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! + + + A PSALM.Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. + The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. + He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. + Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! + Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! + With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! + Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! + Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together + before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. + + + The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! + The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. + Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! + The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. + Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! + Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them. + In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. + O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. + Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! + + + A PSALM FOR GIVING THANKS. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! + Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! + Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. + Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! + For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID.I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music. + I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; + I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. + A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. + Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. + I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. + No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. + Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD. + + + A PRAYER OF ONE AFFLICTED, WHEN HE IS FAINT AND POURS OUT HIS COMPLAINT BEFORE THE LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you! + Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! + For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. + My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread. + Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. + I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; + I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. + All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. + For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, + because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down. + My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. + But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. + You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. + For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust. + Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. + For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory; + he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer. + Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD: + that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth, + to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, + that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise, + when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD. + He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. + "O my God," I say, "take me not away in the midst of my days- you whose years endure throughout all generations!" + Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. + They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, + but you are the same, and your years have no end. + The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you. + + + OF DAVID. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! + Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, + who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, + who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, + who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. + The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. + He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. + The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. + He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. + He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. + For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; + as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. + As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. + For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. + As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; + for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. + But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, + to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. + The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. + Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! + Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! + Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! + + + Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, + covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. + He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; + he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. + He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. + You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. + At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. + The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. + You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. + You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; + they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. + Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. + From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. + You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth + and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. + The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. + In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. + The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. + He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. + You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. + The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. + When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens. + Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening. + O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. + Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. + There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. + These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. + When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. + When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. + When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. + May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works, + who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! + I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. + May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. + Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD! + + + Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! + Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! + Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! + Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! + Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, + O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! + He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. + He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, + the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, + which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, + saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance." + When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, + wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, + he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, + saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!" + When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, + he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. + His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; + until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. + The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; + he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, + to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. + Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. + And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes. + He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants. + He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. + They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham. + He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words. + He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die. + Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. + He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. + He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land. + He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. + He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number, + which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground. + He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. + Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. + Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. + He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. + They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. + He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. + For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. + So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. + And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil, + that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! + Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise? + Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! + Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, + that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. + Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. + Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red Sea. + Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. + He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. + So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. + And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. + Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. + But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. + But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; + he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. + When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, + the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. + Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. + They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. + They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. + They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, + wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. + Therefore he said he would destroy them- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. + Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. + They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD. + Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness, + and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. + Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; + they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. + Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. + And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. + They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, + for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips. + They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, + but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. + They served their idols, which became a snare to them. + They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; + they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. + Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. + Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; + he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them. + Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power. + Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. + Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. + For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. + He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. + Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. + Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD! + + + Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! + Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble + and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. + Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; + hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. + Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. + He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. + Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! + For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. + Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, + for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. + So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. + Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. + He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. + Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! + For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. + Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; + they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. + Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. + He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. + Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! + And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! + Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; + they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. + For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. + They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; + they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. + Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. + He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. + Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. + Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! + Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. + He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, + a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. + He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. + And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; + they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. + By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. + When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, + he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; + but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. + The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. + Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD. + + + A SONG. A PSALM OF DAVID. My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! + Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! + I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. + For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. + Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! + That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me! + God has promised in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. + Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. + Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." + Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? + Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. + Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! + With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. Be not silent, O God of my praise! + For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. + They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. + In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. + So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. + Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. + When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! + May his days be few; may another take his office! + May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! + May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! + May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! + Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! + May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! + May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! + Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! + For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. + He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! + He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! + May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day! + May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! + But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! + For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. + I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. + My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. + I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. + Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! + Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it! + Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! + May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! + With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. + For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." + The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! + Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. + The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." + The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. + He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. + He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head. + + + Praise the LORD!I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. + Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. + Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. + He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. + He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. + He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. + The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; + they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. + He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! + The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! + + + Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! + His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. + Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. + Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. + It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. + For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. + He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. + His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. + He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. + The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish! + + + Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! + Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! + From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! + The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! + Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, + who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? + He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, + to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. + He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD! + + + When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, + Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. + The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. + The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. + What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? + O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? + Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, + who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water. + + + Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! + Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" + Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. + Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. + They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. + They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. + They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. + Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. + O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. + O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. + You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. + The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; + he will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great. + May the LORD give you increase, you and your children! + May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! + The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. + The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. + But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD! + + + I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. + Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. + The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. + Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!" + Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. + The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. + Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. + For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; + I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. + I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted"; + I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars." + What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? + I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, + I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. + Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. + O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. + I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. + I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, + in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! + For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! + + + Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! + Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever." + Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures forever." + Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures forever." + Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. + The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? + The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. + It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. + It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. + All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! + They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! + They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! + I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. + The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. + Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, + the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!" + I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. + The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. + Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. + This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. + I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. + The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. + This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. + This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. + Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! + Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. + The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! + You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. + Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! + + + Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! + Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, + who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! + You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. + Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! + Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. + I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. + I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! + How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. + With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! + I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. + Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! + With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. + In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. + I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. + I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. + Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. + Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. + I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! + My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. + You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. + Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. + Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. + Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. + My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! + When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! + Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. + My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! + Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! + I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. + I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame! + I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! + Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. + Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. + Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. + Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! + Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. + Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. + Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. + Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! + Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; + then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. + And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. + I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, + and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. + I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, + for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. + I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. + Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. + This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. + The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. + When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD. + Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law. + Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. + I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law. + This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. + The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words. + I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. + When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; + I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. + Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. + At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules. + I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. + The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! + You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word. + Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. + Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. + You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. + The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; + their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. + It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. + The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. + Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. + Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. + I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. + Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. + Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. + Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. + Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. + May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame! + My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. + My eyes long for your promise; I ask, "When will you comfort me?" + For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes. + How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me? + The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law. + All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! + They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. + In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth. + Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. + Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. + By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. + If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. + I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. + I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. + The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. + I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. + Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. + Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. + I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. + I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. + I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. + I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. + How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! + Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. + Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. + I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. + I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! + Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules. + I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. + The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. + Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. + I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. + I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. + You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. + Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. + Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! + Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! + You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. + All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies. + My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. + I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. + Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. + My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. + Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. + I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! + It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken. + Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. + Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. + Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. + The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. + I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments. + Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. + Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. + Redeem me from man's oppression, that I may keep your precepts. + Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. + My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. + Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules. + You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. + My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. + Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. + I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. + Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. + Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. + Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. + With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statutes. + I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. + I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. + My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. + Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life. + They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law. + But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true. + Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever. + Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. + Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise! + Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. + Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules. + Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies. + I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands. + Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. + The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. + Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. + I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. + I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law. + Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules. + Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. + I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I do your commandments. + My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly. + I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you. + Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word! + Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. + My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. + My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. + Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. + I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. + Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. + I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. + Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. + What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? + A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! + Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! + Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. + I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war! + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? + My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. + He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. + Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. + The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. + The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. + The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. + The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF DAVID.I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!" + Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! + Jerusalem- built as a city that is bound firmly together, + to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. + There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. + Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they be secure who love you! + Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!" + For my brothers and companions' sake I will say, "Peace be within you!" + For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! + Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. + Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. + Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF DAVID. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side- let Israel now say- + if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, + then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; + then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; + then over us would have gone the raging waters. + Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! + We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! + Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. + As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. + For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. + Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! + But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel! + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. + Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." + The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. + Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! + Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! + He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF SOLOMON. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. + It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. + Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. + Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. + Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! + You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. + Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. + Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. + The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! + May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel! + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth"- let Israel now say- + "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. + The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows." + The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. + May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! + Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, + with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, + nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!" + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! + O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! + If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? + But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. + I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; + my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. + O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. + And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF DAVID.O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. + But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. + O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.Remember, O LORD, in David's favor, all the hardships he endured, + how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, + "I will not enter my house or get into my bed, + I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, + until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." + Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. + "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!" + Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. + Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy. + For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one. + The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. + If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne." + For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: + "This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. + I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. + Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. + There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. + His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine." + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF DAVID.Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! + It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! + It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. + + + A SONG OF ASCENTS.Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! + Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD! + May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth! + + + Praise the LORD!Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD, + who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God! + Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant! + For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. + For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. + Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. + He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. + He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast; + who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants; + who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings, + Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, + and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel. + Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages. + For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. + The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. + They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; + they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. + Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them! + O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD! + O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! + Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD! + + + Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. + Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. + Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; + the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; + the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; + and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; + with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; + and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; + but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever; + to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; + and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; + Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever; + and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; + and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever; + a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. + It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; + and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; + he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. + Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. + + + By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. + On the willows there we hung up our lyres. + For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" + How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? + If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! + Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy! + Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!" + O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! + Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock! + + + OF DAVID. I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; + I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. + On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. + All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, + and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. + For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. + Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. + The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! + You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. + You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. + Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. + You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. + Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. + Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? + If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! + If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, + even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. + If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," + even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. + For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. + I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. + My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. + Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. + How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! + If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. + Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! + They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain! + Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? + I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. + Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! + And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! + + + TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, + who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually. + They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah + Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet. + The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah + I say to the LORD, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD! + O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle. + Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further their evil plot or they will be exalted! Selah + As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them! + Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise! + Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily! + I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. + Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID.O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! + Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! + Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! + Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! + Let a righteous man strike me- it is a kindness; let him rebuke me- it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. + When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. + As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. + But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! + Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers! + Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely. + + + A MASKIL OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE CAVE. A PRAYER. With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD. + I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. + When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. + Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. + I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." + Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! + Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. + + + A PSALM OF DAVID.Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! + Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. + For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. + Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. + I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. + I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah + Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. + Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. + Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge! + Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! + For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! + And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. + + + OF DAVID.Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; + he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. + O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? + Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. + Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke! + Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them! + Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners, + whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. + I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, + who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword. + Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. + May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace; + may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; + may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets! + Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD! + + + A SONG OF PRAISE. OF DAVID. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. + Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. + Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. + One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. + On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. + They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. + They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. + The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. + The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. + All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! + They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, + to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. + Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] + The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. + The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. + You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. + The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. + The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. + He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. + The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. + My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. + + + Praise the LORD!Praise the LORD, O my soul! + I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. + Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. + When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. + Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, + who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; + who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; + the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. + The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. + The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. + The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. + He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. + He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. + Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. + The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground. + Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! + He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. + He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. + His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, + but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. + Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! + For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. + He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. + He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. + He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. + He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? + He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. + He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. + He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD!Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! + Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! + Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! + Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! + Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. + And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. + Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, + fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! + Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! + Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! + Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! + Young men and maidens together, old men and children! + Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. + He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD!Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! + Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! + Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! + For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. + Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. + Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, + to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, + to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, + to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD! + + + Praise the LORD!Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! + Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! + Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! + Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! + Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! + Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! + + + + + The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: + To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, + to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; + to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth- + Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, + to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. + The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. + Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, + for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. + My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. + If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; + like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; + we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; + throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"- + my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, + for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. + For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, + but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. + Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. + Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; + at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: + "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? + If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. + Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, + because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, + I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, + when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. + Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. + Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, + would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, + therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. + For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; + but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster." + + + My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, + making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; + yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, + if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, + then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. + For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; + he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, + guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. + Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; + for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; + discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, + delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, + who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, + who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, + men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. + So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, + who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; + for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; + none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. + So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. + For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, + but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it. + + + My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, + for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. + Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. + So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. + Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. + In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. + Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. + It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. + Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; + then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. + My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, + for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. + Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, + for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. + She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. + Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. + Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. + She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. + The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; + by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. + My son, do not lose sight of these- keep sound wisdom and discretion, + and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. + Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. + If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. + Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, + for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. + Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. + Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it"- when you have it with you. + Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. + Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. + Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, + for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence. + The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. + Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. + The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace. + + + Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, + for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. + When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, + he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. + Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. + Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. + The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. + Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. + She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown." + Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. + I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. + When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. + Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. + Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. + Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. + For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. + For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. + But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. + The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. + My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. + Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. + For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. + Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. + Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. + Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. + Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. + Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. + + + My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, + that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. + For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, + but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. + Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; + she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. + And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. + Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, + lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, + lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, + and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, + and you say, "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! + I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. + I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation." + Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. + Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? + Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. + Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, + a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. + Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? + For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. + The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. + He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray. + + + My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, + if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, + then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. + Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; + save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. + Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. + Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, + she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. + How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? + A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, + and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. + A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, + winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, + with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; + therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. + There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: + haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, + a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, + a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. + My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. + Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. + When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. + For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, + to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. + Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; + for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. + Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? + Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? + So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. + People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, + but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. + He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. + Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. + For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. + He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts. + + + My son, keep my wordsand treasure up my commandments with you; + keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; + bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. + Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, + to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. + For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, + and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, + passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house + in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. + And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. + She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; + now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. + She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, + "I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; + so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. + I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; + I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. + Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. + For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; + he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home." + With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. + All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast + till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. + And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. + Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, + for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. + Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. + + + Does not wisdom call?Does not understanding raise her voice? + On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; + beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: + "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. + O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. + Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, + for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. + All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. + They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. + Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, + for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. + "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. + The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. + I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. + By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; + by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. + I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. + Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. + My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. + I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, + granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. + "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. + Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. + When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. + Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, + before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. + When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, + when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, + when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, + then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, + rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. + "And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. + Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. + Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. + For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, + but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death." + + + Wisdom has built her house;she has hewn her seven pillars. + She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. + She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, + "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks sense she says, + "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. + Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight." + Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. + Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. + Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. + The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. + For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. + If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. + The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. + She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, + calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, + "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" And to him who lacks sense she says, + "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." + But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. + + + The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. + Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. + The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. + A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. + He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. + Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. + The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. + The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. + Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. + Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. + The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. + Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. + On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense. + The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near. + A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. + The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin. + Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. + The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool. + When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. + The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. + The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. + The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. + Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding. + What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. + When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. + Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. + The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. + The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. + The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. + The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. + The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. + The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. + + + A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. + When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. + The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. + Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. + The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. + The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust. + When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too. + The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead. + With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. + When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. + By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. + Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. + Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered. + Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. + Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure. + A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches. + A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. + The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. + Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die. + Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight. + Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered. + Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. + The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath. + One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. + Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. + The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. + Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. + Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. + Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. + The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. + If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! + + + Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. + A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of evil devices he condemns. + No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. + An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. + The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. + The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them. + The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. + A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised. + Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread. + Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. + Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. + Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. + An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. + From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him. + The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. + The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. + Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. + There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. + Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. + Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. + No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. + Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. + A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly. + The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. + Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. + One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. + Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth. + In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. + + + A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. + From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. + Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. + The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. + The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace. + Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked. + One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. + The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. + The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out. + By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. + Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. + Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. + Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. + The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. + Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin. + In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly. + A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing. + Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. + A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. + Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. + Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good. + A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous. + The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice. + Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. + The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want. + + + The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. + Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. + By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. + Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. + A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. + A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. + Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. + The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. + Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. + The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. + The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. + There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. + Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. + The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways. + The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. + One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. + A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. + The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. + The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous. + The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. + Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. + Do they not go astray who devise evil? Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness. + In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. + The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly. + A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful. + In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. + The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. + In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined. + Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. + A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. + Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. + The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death. + Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools. + Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. + A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully. + + + A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. + The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. + The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. + A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. + A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. + In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. + The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. + The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. + The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. + There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. + Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man! + A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. + A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. + The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. + All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. + Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. + Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. + A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. + The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. + A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. + Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. + Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. + To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! + The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. + The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow's boundaries. + The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure. + Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. + The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. + The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. + The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. + The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. + Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. + The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor. + + + The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. + All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. + Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. + The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. + Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. + By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. + When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. + Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. + The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. + An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. + A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work. + It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. + Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. + A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. + In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. + How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. + The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. + Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. + It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. + Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. + The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. + Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. + The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. + Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. + There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. + A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on. + A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. + A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. + A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. + Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass. + Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. + Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. + The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. + + + Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. + A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. + The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts. + An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. + Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. + Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. + Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince. + A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers. + Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. + A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. + An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. + Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly. + If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. + The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. + He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. + Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense? + A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. + One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. + Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction. + A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. + He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. + A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. + The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice. + The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. + A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. + To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. + Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. + Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. + + + Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. + A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. + When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. + The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. + It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. + A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. + A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. + The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. + Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. + The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. + A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. + Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. + If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. + A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? + An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. + A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great. + The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. + The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders. + A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. + From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. + Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. + He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. + The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly. + A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. + + + Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. + Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. + When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD. + Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. + A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. + Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. + All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. + Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. + A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. + It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. + Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. + A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. + A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. + House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. + Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. + Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. + Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. + Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. + A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. + Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. + Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. + What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. + The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. + The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. + Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. + He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. + Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. + A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. + Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools. + + + Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. + The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life. + It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. + The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. + The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. + Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? + The righteous who walks in his integrity- blessed are his children after him! + A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes. + Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"? + Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD. + Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. + The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both. + Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. + "Bad, Bad," says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. + There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. + Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners. + Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel. + Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. + Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler. + If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness. + An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. + Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. + Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good. + A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way? + It is a snare to say rashly, "It is holy," and to reflect only after making vows. + A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them. + The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. + Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld. + The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair. + Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts. + + + The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. + Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. + To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. + Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin. + The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. + The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. + The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just. + The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright. + It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. + The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes. + When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. + The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin. + Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. + A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath. + When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. + One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead. + Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. + The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright. + It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. + Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. + Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. + A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust. + Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. + "Scoffer" is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. + The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. + All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back. + The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent. + A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure. + A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways. + No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. + The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. + + + A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. + The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all. + The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. + The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. + Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. + Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. + The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. + Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. + Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. + Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. + He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. + The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor. + The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!" + The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry will fall into it. + Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. + Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. + Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, + for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. + That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you. + Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, + to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you? + Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, + for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. + Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, + lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. + Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. + If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? + Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. + Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. + + + When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, + and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. + Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. + Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. + When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. + Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, + for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you. + You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words. + Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. + Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, + for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. + Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. + Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. + If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. + My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. + My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. + Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. + Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. + Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. + Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, + for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. + Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. + Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. + The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. + Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. + My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. + For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. + She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind. + Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? + Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. + Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. + In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. + Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. + You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. + "They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink." + + + Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, + for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. + By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; + by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. + A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, + for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. + Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. + Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. + The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. + If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. + Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. + If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? + My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. + Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. + Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; + for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. + Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, + lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. + Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, + for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. + My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, + for disaster from them will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both? + These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. + Whoever says to the wicked, "You are in the right," will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, + but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. + Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. + Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. + Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. + Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done." + I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, + and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. + Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. + A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, + and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. + + + These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. + It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. + As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. + Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; + take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. + Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, + for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen + do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? + Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, + lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. + A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. + Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. + Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. + Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. + With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. + If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. + Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. + A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. + Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. + Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda. + If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, + for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. + The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. + It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. + Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. + Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. + It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory. + A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. + + + Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. + Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. + A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. + Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. + Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. + Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. + Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. + Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. + Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. + Like an archer who wounds everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. + Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. + Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. + The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!" + As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. + The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. + The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. + Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. + Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death + is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I am only joking!" + For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. + As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. + The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. + Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. + Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; + when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; + though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. + Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. + A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. + + + Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. + Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. + A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both. + Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? + Better is open rebuke than hidden love. + Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. + One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. + Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. + Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. + Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. + Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me. + The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. + Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress. + Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. + A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; + to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one's right hand. + Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. + Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. + As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. + Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. + The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. + Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. + Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, + for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? + When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, + the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. + There will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls. + + + The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. + When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. + A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. + Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. + Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely. + Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. + The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. + Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor. + If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. + Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. + A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. + When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. + Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. + Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. + Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. + A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. + If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; let no one help him. + Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. + Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. + A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. + To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. + A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him. + Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. + Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, "That is no transgression," is a companion to a man who destroys. + A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. + Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. + Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. + When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase. + + + He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. + When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. + He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. + By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down. + A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. + An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices. + A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge. + Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. + If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. + Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. + A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. + If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. + The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the LORD gives light to the eyes of both. + If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever. + The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. + When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. + Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. + Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. + By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond. + Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. + Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir. + A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. + One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. + The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing. + The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. + Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice. + An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked. + + + The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. + Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. + I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. + Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know! + Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. + Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. + Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: + Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, + lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. + Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you and you be held guilty. + There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. + There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. + There are those- how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! + There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. + The leech has two daughters; "Give" and "Give," they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough": + Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, "Enough." + The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. + Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: + the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. + This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have done no wrong." + Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: + a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; + an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. + Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: + the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; + the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; + the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; + the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces. + Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: + the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; + the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. + If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. + For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. + + + The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: + What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? + Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. + It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, + lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. + Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; + let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. + Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. + Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. + An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. + The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. + She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. + She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. + She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. + She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. + She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. + She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. + She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. + She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. + She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. + She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. + She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. + Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. + She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. + Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. + She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. + She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. + Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: + "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." + Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. + Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. + + + + + The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. + Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. + What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? + A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. + The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. + The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. + All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. + All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. + What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. + Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us. + There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. + I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. + And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. + I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. + What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. + I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge." + And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. + For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. + + + I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity. + I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?" + I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine- my heart still guiding me with wisdom- and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. + I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. + I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. + I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. + I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. + I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man. + So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. + And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. + Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. + So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. + Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. + The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. + Then I said in my heart, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?" And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. + For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! + So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. + I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, + and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. + So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, + because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. + What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? + For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. + There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, + for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? + For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. + + + For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: + a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; + a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; + a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; + a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; + a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; + a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; + a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. + What gain has the worker from his toil? + I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. + He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. + I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; + also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil- this is God's gift to man. + I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. + That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. + Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. + I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. + I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. + For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. + All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. + Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? + So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? + + + Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. + And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. + But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. + Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. + The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. + Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. + Again, I saw vanity under the sun: + one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business. + Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. + For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! + Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? + And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him- a threefold cord is not quickly broken. + Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. + For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. + I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king's place. + There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. + + + Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. + Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. + For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. + When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. + It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. + Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? + For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. + If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. + But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. + He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. + When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? + Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. + There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, + and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. + As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. + This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? + Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. + Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. + Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil- this is the gift of God. + For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. + + + There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: + a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. + If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. + For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. + Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. + Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good- do not all go to the one place? + All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. + For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? + Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. + Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. + The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? + For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? + + + A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. + It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. + Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. + The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. + It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. + For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. + Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. + Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. + Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. + Say not, "Why were the former days better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. + Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. + For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. + Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? + In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. + In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. + Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? + Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? + It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. + Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. + Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. + Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. + Your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others. + All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me. + That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? + I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. + And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. + Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things- + which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. + See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. + + + Who is like the wise?And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. + I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him. + Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. + For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?" + Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. + For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him. + For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? + No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. + All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. + Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. + Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. + Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. + But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. + There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. + And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. + When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, + then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out. + + + But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. + It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. + This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. + But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. + For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. + Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun. + Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. + Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. + Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. + Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. + Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. + For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them. + I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. + There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. + But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. + But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. + The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. + Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. + + + Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. + A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left. + Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. + If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. + There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: + folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. + I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. + He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. + He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. + If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. + If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. + The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. + The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. + A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? + The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. + Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! + Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! + Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. + Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. + Even in your thought, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. + + + Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. + Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. + If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. + He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. + As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. + In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. + Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. + So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. + Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. + Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. + + + Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"; + before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, + in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, + and the doors on the street are shut- when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low- + they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets- + before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, + and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. + Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. + Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. + The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. + The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. + My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. + The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. + For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. + + + + + The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. + Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; + your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. + Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you. + I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. + Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept! + Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? + If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds' tents. + I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots. + Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. + We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver. + While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance. + My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts. + My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi. + Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. + Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green; + the beams of our house are cedar; our rafters are pine. + + + I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. + As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. + As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste, + He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. + Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. + His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! + I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. + The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. + My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice. + My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, + for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. + The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. + The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. + O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. + Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom." + My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. + Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains. + + + On my bed by nightI sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. + I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. + The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?" + Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. + I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. + What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant? + Behold, it is the litter of Solomon! Around it are sixty mighty men, some of the mighty men of Israel, + all of them wearing swords and expert in war, each with his sword at his thigh, against terror by night. + King Solomon made himself a carriage from the wood of Lebanon. + He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple; its interior was inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. + Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart. + + + Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. + Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young. + Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. + Your neck is like the tower of David, built in rows of stone; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. + Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that graze among the lilies. + Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, I will go away to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. + You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. + Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards. + You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. + How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! + Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. + A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed. + Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, + nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices- + a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon. + Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits. + + + I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love! + I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night." + I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them? + My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. + I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. + I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. + The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls. + I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love. + What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us? + My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. + His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. + His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool. + His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. + His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires. + His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. + His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. + + + Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you? + My beloved has gone down to his garden to the beds of spices, to graze in the gardens and to gather lilies. + I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies. + You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners. + Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me- Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. + Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins; not one among them has lost its young. + Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. + There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number. + My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother, pure to her who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her. + "Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?" + I went down to the nut orchard to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom. + Before I was aware, my desire set me among the chariots of my kinsman, a prince. + Return, return, O Shulammite, return, return, that we may look upon you. Why should you look upon the Shulammite, as upon a dance before two armies? + + + How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O noble daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a master hand. + Your navel is a rounded bowl that never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat, encircled with lilies. + Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. + Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon, which looks toward Damascus. + Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses. + How beautiful and pleasant you are, O loved one, with all your delights! + Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. + I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its fruit. Oh may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the scent of your breath like apples, + and your mouth like the best wine. It goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding over lips and teeth. + I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me. + Come, my beloved, let us go out into the fields and lodge in the villages; + let us go out early to the vineyards and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. + The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and beside our doors are all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up for you, O my beloved. + + + Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother's breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and none would despise me. + I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother- she who used to teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranate. + His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! + I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. + Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor. + Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. + Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. + We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? + If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver, but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. + I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace. + Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. + My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred. + O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it. + Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. + + + + + The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. + Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. + The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." + Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. + Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. + From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. + Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. + And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. + If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. + Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! + "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. + "When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? + Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. + Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. + When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. + Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, + learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. + "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. + If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; + but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." + How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. + Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water. + Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them. + Therefore the Lord declares, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes. + I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. + And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city." + Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. + But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. + For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. + For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. + And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them. + + + The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. + It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, + and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. + He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. + O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD. + For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortunetellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. + Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. + Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. + So man is humbled, and each one is brought low- do not forgive them! + Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty. + The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. + For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up- and it shall be brought low; + against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; + against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills; + against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; + against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. + And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. + And the idols shall utterly pass away. + And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. + In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, + to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. + Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? + + + For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water; + the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, + the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. + And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. + And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. + For a man will take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying: "You have a cloak; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule"; + in that day he will speak out, saying: "I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; you shall not make me leader of the people." + For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence. + For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. + Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. + Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. + My people- infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths. + The LORD has taken his place to contend; he stands to judge peoples. + The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: "It is you who have devoured the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses. + What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" declares the Lord GOD of hosts. + The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, + therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts. + In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; + the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; + the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; + the signet rings and nose rings; + the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; + the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. + Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. + Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. + And her gates shall lament and mourn; empty, she shall sit on the ground. + + + And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach." + In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. + And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, + when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. + Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. + There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. + + + Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. + He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. + And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. + What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? + And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. + I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. + For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! + Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. + The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing: "Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. + For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah." + Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! + They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. + Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst. + Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her. + Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. + But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. + Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. + Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, + who say: "Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!" + Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! + Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! + Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, + who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! + Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. + Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. + He will raise a signal for nations afar off, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! + None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken; + their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. + Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can rescue. + They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds. + + + In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. + Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. + And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" + And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. + And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" + Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. + And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. + And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." + And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "' Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' + Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." + Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, + and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. + And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump. + + + In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. + When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with Ephraim," the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. + And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. + And say to him, 'Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. + Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, + "Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," + thus says the Lord GOD: "' It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. + For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a people.) + "'And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'" + Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, + "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." + But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." + And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? + Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. + He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. + For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. + The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah- the king of Assyria." + In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. + And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures. + In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River- with the king of Assyria- the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. + In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, + and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. + In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. + With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. + And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, 'Belonging to Maher-shalal-hashbaz.' + And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me." + And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, "Call his name Maher-shalal-hashbaz; + for before the boy knows how to cry 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria." + The LORD spoke to me again: + "Because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, + therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, + and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel." + Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered; give ear, all you far countries; strap on your armor and be shattered; strap on your armor and be shattered. + Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us. + For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: + "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. + But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. + And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." + Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. + I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. + Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. + And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? + To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. + They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. + And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. + + + But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. + The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. + You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. + For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. + For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. + For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. + Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. + The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; + and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: + "The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place." + But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. + The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. + The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts. + So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day- + the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; + for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. + Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. + For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. + Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. + They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, + Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. + + + Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, + to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! + What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth? + Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. + Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! + Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. + But he does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few; + for he says: "Are not my commanders all kings? + Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? + As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, + shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?" + When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. + For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. + My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped." + Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! + Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire. + The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day. + The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away. + The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down. + In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. + A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. + For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. + For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. + For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. + And the LORD of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. + And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat." + He has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron; at Michmash he stores his baggage; + they have crossed over the pass; at Geba they lodge for the night; Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled. + Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim! Give attention, O Laishah! O Poor Anathoth! + Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. + This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. + Behold, the Lord GOD of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low. + He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One. + + + There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. + And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. + And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, + but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. + Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. + The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. + The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. + The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. + They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. + In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples- of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. + In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. + He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. + The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. + But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. + And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals. + And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt. + + + You will say in that day:"I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. + "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." + With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. + And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. + "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. + Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." + + + The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. + On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. + I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones. + The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle. + They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. + Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! + Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. + They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. + Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. + For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. + I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. + I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. + Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. + And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. + Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. + Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. + Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. + Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. + And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. + It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. + But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance. + Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged. + + + For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. + And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. + When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, + you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: "How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased! + The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, + that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. + The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. + The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.' + Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. + All of them will answer and say to you: 'You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!' + Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers. + "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! + You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; + I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' + But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. + Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, + who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?' + All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; + but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. + You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. "May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! + Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities." + "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity," says the LORD. + "And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of hosts. + The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, + that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder." + This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. + For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? + In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: + Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent. + And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay. + Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. + What will one answer the messengers of the nation? "The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge." + + + An oracle concerning Moab. Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone. + He has gone up to the temple, and to Dibon, to the high places to weep; over Nebo and over Medeba Moab wails. On every head is baldness; every beard is shorn; + in the streets they wear sackcloth; on the housetops and in the squares everyone wails and melts in tears. + Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembles. + My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction; + the waters of Nimrim are a desolation; the grass is withered, the vegetation fails, the greenery is no more. + Therefore the abundance they have gained and what they have laid up they carry away over the Brook of the Willows. + For a cry has gone around the land of Moab; her wailing reaches to Eglaim; her wailing reaches to Beer-elim. + For the waters of Dibon are full of blood; for I will bring upon Dibon even more, a lion for those of Moab who escape, for the remnant of the land. + + + Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela, by way of the desert, to the mount of the daughter of Zion. + Like fleeing birds, like a scattered nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon. + "Give counsel; grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; shelter the outcasts; do not reveal the fugitive; + let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer. When the oppressor is no more and destruction has ceased, and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, + then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness." + We have heard of the pride of Moab- how proud he is!- of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not right. + Therefore let Moab wail for Moab, let everyone wail. Mourn, utterly stricken, for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. + For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah; the lords of the nations have struck down its branches, which reached to Jazer and strayed to the desert; its shoots spread abroad and passed over the sea. + Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased. + And joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field, and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no cheers are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses; I have put an end to the shouting. + Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab, and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth. + And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail. + This is the word that the LORD spoke concerning Moab in the past. + But now the LORD has spoken, saying, "In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be very few and feeble." + + + An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. + The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid. + The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the LORD of hosts. + And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean. + And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. + Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten- two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree, declares the LORD God of Israel. + In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. + He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense. + In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation. + For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger, + though you make them grow on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain. + Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters! + The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm. + At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us. + + + Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush, + which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters! Go, you swift messengers, to a nation, tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide. + All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear! + For thus the LORD said to me: "I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." + For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away. + They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them. + At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts. + + + An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. + And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; + and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; + and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts. + And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, + and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. + There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more. + The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water. + The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton. + Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. + The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"? + Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt. + The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger. + The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. + And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do. + In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. + And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them. + In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction. + In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. + It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. + And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. + And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. + In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. + In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, + whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance." + + + In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it- + at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. + Then the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, + so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. + Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. + And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?'" + + + The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land. + A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam; lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end. + Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. + My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling. + They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield! + For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. + When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently." + Then he who saw cried out: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights. + And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!" And he answered, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground." + O my threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you. + The oracle concerning Dumah. One is calling to me from Seir, "Watchman, what time of the night? Watchman, what time of the night?" + The watchman says: "Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again." + The oracle concerning Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites. + To the thirsty bring water; meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema. + For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the press of battle. + For thus the Lord said to me, "Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. + And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken." + + + The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops, + you who are full of shoutings, tumultuous city, exultant town? Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle. + All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away. + Therefore I said: "Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people." + For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the valley of vision, a battering down of walls and a shouting to the mountains. + And Elam bore the quiver with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. + Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gates. + He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, + and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, + and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. + You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago. + In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; + and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." + The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: "Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts. + Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: + What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? + Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you + and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master's house. + I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. + In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, + and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. + And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. + And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house. + And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. + In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken." + + + The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them. + Be still, O inhabitants of the coast; the merchants of Sidon, who cross the sea, have filled you. + And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations. + Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women." + When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre. + Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coast! + Is this your exultant city whose origin is from days of old, whose feet carried her to settle far away? + Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? + The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, to dishonor all the honored of the earth. + Cross over your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint anymore. + He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the LORD has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds. + And he said: "You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon; arise, cross over to Cyprus, even there you will have no rest." + Behold the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not; Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin. + Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste. + In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: + "Take a harp; go about the city, O forgotten prostitute! Make sweet melody; sing many songs, that you may be remembered." + At the end of seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. + Her merchandise and her wages will be holy to the LORD. It will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the LORD. + + + Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. + And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. + The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word. + The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. + The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. + Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. + The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. + The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled. + No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. + The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter. + There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished. + Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins. + For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done. + They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west. + Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. + From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, "I waste away, I waste away. Woe is me! For the traitors have betrayed, with betrayal the traitors have betrayed." + Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! + He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. + The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. + The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. + On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. + They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. + Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders. + + + O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. + For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners' palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. + Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. + For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, + like heat in a dry place. You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down. + On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. + And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. + He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. + It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation." + For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain, and Moab shall be trampled down in his place, as straw is trampled down in a dunghill. + And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim, but the LORD will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands. + And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down, lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust. + + + In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. + Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. + You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. + Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. + For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. + The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy." + The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. + In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. + My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. + If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD. + O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. + O LORD, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works. + O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance. + They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them. + But you have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land. + O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them. + Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD; + we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. + Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. + Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. + For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain. + + + In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. + In that day, "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! + I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day; + I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together. + Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me." + In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit. + Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain? + Measure by measure, by exile you contended with them; he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind. + Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing. + For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness; there the calf grazes; there it lies down and strips its branches. + When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without discernment; therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them; he who formed them will show them no favor. + In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the LORD will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. + And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. + + + Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine! + Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand. + The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot; + and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand. + In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, + and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. + These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. + For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left. + "To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? + For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." + For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, + to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear. + And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. + Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! + Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter"; + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.' + And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter." + Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it. + As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message. + For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in. + For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed- strange is his deed! and to work his work- alien is his work! + Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land. + Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech. + Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? does he continually open and harrow his ground? + When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border? + For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. + Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. + Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it. + This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. + + + Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts run their round. + Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and she shall be to me like an Ariel. + And I will encamp against you all around, and will besiege you with towers and I will raise siegeworks against you. + And you will be brought low; from the earth you shall speak, and from the dust your speech will be bowed down; your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost, and from the dust your speech shall whisper. + But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly, + you will be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. + And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night. + As when a hungry man dreams he is eating and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion. + Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink! + For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers). + And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed." + And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot read." + And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, + therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden." + Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" + You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? + Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? + In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. + The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. + For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, + who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right. + Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. + For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. + And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction." + + + "Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; + who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! + Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation. + For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes, + everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them, that brings neither help nor profit, but shame and disgrace." + An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them. + Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her "Rahab who sits still." + And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. + For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; + who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, + leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel." + Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, + therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant; + and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern." + For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, + and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses"; therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds"; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. + A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill. + Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. + For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. + And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. + And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. + Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!" + And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, + and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. + And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. + Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow. + Behold, the name of the LORD comes from far, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire; + his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray. + You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. + And the LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. + The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the LORD, when he strikes with his rod. + And every stroke of the appointed staff that the LORD lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight with them. + For a burning place has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it. + + + Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! + And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. + The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. + For thus the LORD said to me, "As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. + Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it." + Turn to him from whom people have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. + For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. + "And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. + His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic," declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. + + + Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. + Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. + Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. + The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly. + The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable. + For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the LORD, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. + As for the scoundrel- his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. + But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands. + Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. + In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the grape harvest fails, the fruit harvest will not come. + Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth around your waist. + Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, + for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers, yes, for all the joyous houses in the exultant city. + For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; + until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. + Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. + And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. + My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. + And it will hail when the forest falls down, and the city will be utterly laid low. + Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free. + + + Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor, whom none has betrayed! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying, they will betray you. + O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. + At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, + and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. + The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, + and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion's treasure. + Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. + The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities are despised; there is no regard for man. + The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves. + "Now I will arise," says the LORD, "now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted. + You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you. + And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire." + Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might. + The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" + He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, + he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. + Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar. + Your heart will muse on the terror: "Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?" + You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand. + Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken. + But there the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass. + For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us. + Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey. + And no inhabitant will say, "I am sick"; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity. + + + Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. + For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. + Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood. + All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. + For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. + The LORD has a sword; it is sated with blood; it is gorged with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. + Wild oxen shall fall with them, and young steers with the mighty bulls. Their land shall drink its fill of blood, and their soil shall be gorged with fat. + For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. + And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch. + Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever. + But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness. + Its nobles- there is no one there to call it a kingdom, and all its princes shall be nothing. + Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. + And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place. + There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow; indeed, there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate. + Seek and read from the book of the LORD: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the LORD has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them. + He has cast the lot for them; his hand has portioned it out to them with the line; they shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it. + + + The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; + it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. + Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. + Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." + Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; + then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; + the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. + And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. + No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. + And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. + + + In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. + And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. + And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. + And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? + Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? + Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. + But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"? + Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. + How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? + Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.'" + Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall." + But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?" + Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! + Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. + Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." + Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, + until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. + Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? + Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? + Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'" + But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him." + Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. + + + As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. + And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. + They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. + It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'" + When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, + Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. + Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'" + The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. + Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "He has set out to fight against you." And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, + "Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. + Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? + Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? + Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'" + Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. + And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: + "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. + Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. + Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, + and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. + So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD." + Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, + this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: "' She despises you, she scorns you- the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you- the daughter of Jerusalem. + "'Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel! + By your servants you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon, to cut down its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses, to come to its remotest height, its most fruitful forest. + I dug wells and drank waters, to dry up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt. + "'Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins, + while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown. + "'I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me. + Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.' + "And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. + And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. + For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. + "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. + By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. + For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David." + And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. + Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. + And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. + + + In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover." + Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, + and said, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. + Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: + "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. + I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city. + "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised: + Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. + A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: + I said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. + I said, I shall not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world. + My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end; + I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end. + Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety! + What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. + O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live! + Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. + For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness. + The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness. + The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD. + Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover." + Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?" + + + At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. + And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. + Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon." + He said, "What have they seen in your house?" Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them." + Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: + Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. + And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." + Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days." + + + Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. + Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. + A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. + Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. + And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." + A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. + The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. + The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. + Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" + Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. + He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. + Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? + Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? + Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? + Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. + Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. + All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. + To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? + An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. + He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. + Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? + It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; + who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. + Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. + To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. + Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. + Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? + Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. + He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. + Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; + but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. + + + Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment. + Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. + He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod. + Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. + The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. + Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, "Be strong!" + The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good"; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. + But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; + you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; + fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. + Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. + You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. + For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." + Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. + Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; + you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. + When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. + I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. + I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, + that men may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. + Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. + Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. + Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified. + Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you. + I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay. + Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words. + I was the first to say to Zion, "Behold, here they are!" and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. + But when I look there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. + Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind. + + + Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. + He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; + a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. + He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. + Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: + "I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, + to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. + I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. + Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." + Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. + Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. + Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands. + The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. + For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. + I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. + And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. + They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, "You are our gods." + Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! + Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD? + He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear. + The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. + But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, "Restore!" + Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? + Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? + So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart. + + + But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. + When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. + For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. + Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. + Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. + I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, + everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." + Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! + All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true. + "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. + I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. + I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and I am God. + Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?" + Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. + I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." + Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, + who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: + "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. + Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. + The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, + the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. + "Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel! + You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with frankincense. + You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities. + "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. + Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right. + Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me. + Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling. + + + "But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! + Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. + For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. + They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. + This one will say, 'I am the LORD's,' another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, 'The LORD's,' and name himself by the name of Israel." + Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. + Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. + Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any." + All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. + Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? + Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. + The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. + The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. + He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. + Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. + Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" + And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!" + They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. + No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, "Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" + He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" + Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. + I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. + Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. + Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, + who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, + who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins'; + who says to the deep, 'Be dry; I will dry up your rivers'; + who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'" + + + Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: + "I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, + I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. + For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. + I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, + that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. + I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things. + "Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it. + "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'? + Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' or to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?'" + Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: "Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands? + I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. + I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says the LORD of hosts. + Thus says the LORD: "The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: 'Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.'" + Truly, you are a God who hides yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior. + All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. + But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. + For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other. + I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right. + "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. + Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. + "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. + By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.' + "Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. + In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory." + + + Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts. + They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. + "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; + even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. + "To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? + Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! + They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. + "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, + remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, + declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' + calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. + "Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: + I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory." + + + Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate. + Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. + Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one. + Our Redeemer- the LORD of hosts is his name- is the Holy One of Israel. + Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms. + I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy. + You said, "I shall be mistress forever," so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end. + Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children": + These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments. + You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, "No one sees me"; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." + But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing. + Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. + You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you. + Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before! + Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have done business with you from your youth; they wander about each in his own direction; there is no one to save you. + + + Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. + For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name. + "The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth and I announced them; then suddenly I did them and they came to pass. + Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, + I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, 'My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.' + "You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known. + They are created now, not long ago; before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, 'Behold, I knew them.' + You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel. + "For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. + Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. + For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. + "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. + My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together. + "Assemble, all of you, and listen! who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans. + I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way. + Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there." And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit. + Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. + Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; + your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me." + Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!" + They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out. + "There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked." + + + Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. + He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. + And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." + But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God." + And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him- for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength- + he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." + Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." + Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, + saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; + they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. + And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. + Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene." + Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! for the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. + But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." + "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. + Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. + Your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you. + Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does. + "Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land- surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. + The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: 'The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.' + Then you will say in your heart: 'Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?'" + Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. + Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame." + Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? + For thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. + I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." + + + Thus says the LORD:"Where is your mother's certificate of divorce, with which I sent her away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. + Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst. + I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering." + The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. + The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. + I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. + But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. + He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. + Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. + Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. + Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment. + + + "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. + Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. + For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. + "Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. + My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. + Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. + "Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. + For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations." + Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, that pierced the dragon? + Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? + And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. + "I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, + and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? + He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. + I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD of hosts is his name. + And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'" + Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. + There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; there is none to take her by the hand among all the sons she has brought up. + These two things have happened to you- who will console you?- devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you? + Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God. + Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine: + Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people: "Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; + and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, 'Bow down, that we may pass over'; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over." + + + Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. + Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. + For thus says the LORD: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." + For thus says the Lord GOD: "My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. + Now therefore what have I here," declares the LORD, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the LORD, "and continually all the day my name is despised. + Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I." + How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." + The voice of your watchmen- they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion. + Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. + The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. + Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD. + For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. + Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. + As many were astonished at you- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind- + so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. + + + Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? + For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. + He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. + Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. + But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. + All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. + He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. + By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? + And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. + Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. + Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. + Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. + + + "Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married," says the LORD. + "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. + For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. + "Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. + For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. + For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. + For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. + In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. + "This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. + For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. + "O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. + I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. + All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. + In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. + If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you. + Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; + no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD." + + + "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. + Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. + Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. + Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. + Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. + "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; + let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. + For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. + For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. + "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, + so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. + "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. + Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." + + + Thus says the LORD:"Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. + Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." + Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from his people"; and let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." + For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, + I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. + "And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant- + these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." + The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, "I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered." + All you beasts of the field, come to devour- all you beasts in the forest. + His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. + The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. + "Come," they say, "let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure." + + + The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; + he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness. + But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman. + Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit, + you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? + Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things? + On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice. + Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your memorial; for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed, you have gone up to it, you have made it wide; and you have made a covenant for yourself with them, you have loved their bed, you have looked on nakedness. + You journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your envoys far off, and sent down even to Sheol. + You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, "It is hopeless"; you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint. + Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me? + I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you. + When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry them off, a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. + And it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way." + For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. + For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made. + Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. + I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, + creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the LORD, "and I will heal him. + But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. + There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." + + + "Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. + Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. + 'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. + Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. + Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? + "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? + Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? + Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. + Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, + if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. + And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. + And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. + "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; + then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." + + + Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; + but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. + For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. + No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. + They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. + Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. + Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. + The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. + Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. + We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. + We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. + For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: + transgressing, and denying the LORD, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. + Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. + Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. + He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. + He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. + According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment. + So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives. + "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD. + "And as for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring," says the LORD, "from this time forth and forevermore." + + + Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. + For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. + And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. + Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. + Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. + A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD. + All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will beautify my beautiful house. + Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? + For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful. + Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you. + Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. + For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste. + The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious. + The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. + Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. + You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. + Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness. + Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. + The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. + Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. + Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. + The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it. + + + The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; + to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; + to grant to those who mourn in Zion- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. + They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. + Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; + but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. + Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. + For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. + Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. + I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. + For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. + + + For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. + The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. + You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. + You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. + For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. + On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, + and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. + The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored; + but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary." + Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. + Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." + And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. + + + Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." + Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? + "I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. + For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come. + I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. + I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth." + I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. + For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely." And he became their Savior. + In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. + But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them. + Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, + who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, + who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. + Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name. + Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are your zeal and your might? The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion are held back from me. + For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. + O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. + Your holy people held possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. + We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name. + + + Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence- + as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil- to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! + When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. + From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. + You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? + We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. + There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. + But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. + Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. + Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. + Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins. + Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly? + + + I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that was not called by my name. + I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; + a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; + who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; + who say, "Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you." These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day. + Behold, it is written before me: "I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their bosom + both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together, says the LORD; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their bosom payment for their former deeds." + Thus says the LORD: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, 'Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,' so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all. + I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. + Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me. + But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, + I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in." + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; + behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit. + You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord GOD will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name. + So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. + "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. + But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. + I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. + No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. + They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. + They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. + They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them. + Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. + The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain," says the LORD. + + + Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? + All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. + "He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; + I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight." + Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy'; but it is they who shall be put to shame. + "The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the LORD, rendering recompense to his enemies! + "Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. + Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. + Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the LORD; "shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?" says your God. + "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; + that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance." + For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. + As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. + You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies. + "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. + For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. + "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD. + "For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, + and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. + And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. + And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. + "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. + From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD. + "And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." + + + + + The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, + to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. + It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. + Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." + Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." + But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. + Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD." + Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. + See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." + And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see an almond branch." + Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it." + The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north." + Then the LORD said to me, "Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. + For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. + And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. + But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. + And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. + They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you." + + + The word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD, "I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. + Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the LORD." + Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. + Thus says the LORD: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? + They did not say, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?' + And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. + The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. + "Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children's children I will contend. + For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. + Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. + Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, + for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. + "Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become a prey? + The lions have roared against him; they have roared loudly. They have made his land a waste; his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant. + Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head. + Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the LORD your God, when he led you in the way? + And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? + Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts. + "For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, 'I will not serve.' yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore. + Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine? + Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord GOD. + How can you say, 'I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals'? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done- a restless young camel running here and there, + a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her. + Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.' + "As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, + who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, 'Arise and save us!' + But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah. + "Why do you contend with me? You have all transgressed against me, declares the LORD. + In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion. + And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, 'We are free, we will come no more to you'? + Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. + "How well you direct your course to seek love! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways. + Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the guiltless poor; you did not find them breaking in. Yet in spite of all these things + you say, 'I am innocent; surely his anger has turned from me.' Behold, I will bring you to judgment for saying, 'I have not sinned.' + How much you go about, changing your way! You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria. + From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them. + + + "If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the LORD. + Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom. + Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; yet you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed. + Have you not just now called to me, 'My father, you are the friend of my youth- + will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could." + The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: "Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? + And I thought, 'After she has done all this she will return to me,' but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. + She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. + Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. + Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the LORD." + And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. + Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "' Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. + Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. + Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. + "'And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. + And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, "The ark of the covenant of the LORD." It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. + At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. + In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage. + "'I said How I would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me. + Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD.'" + A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God. + "Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness." "Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God. + Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains. Truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. + "But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. + Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God." + + + "If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, + and if you swear, 'As the LORD lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory." + For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. + Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds." + Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, "Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say, 'Assemble, and let us go into the fortified cities!' + Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction. + A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant. + For this put on sackcloth, lament, and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned back from us." + "In that day, declares the LORD, courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded." + Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'It shall be well with you,' whereas the sword has reached their very life." + At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, + a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them." + Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles- woe to us, for we are ruined! + O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you? + For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim. + Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem, "Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout against the cities of Judah. + Like keepers of a field are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me, declares the LORD. + Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart." + My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. + Crash follows hard on crash; the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, my curtains in a moment. + How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? + "For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'- in doing evil! But how to do good they know not." + I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. + I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. + I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. + I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. + For thus says the LORD, "The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. + "For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back." + At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. + And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. + For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, "Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers." + + + Run to and fro through thestreets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her. + Though they say, "As the LORD lives," yet they swear falsely. + O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. + Then I said, "These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God. + I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God." But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds. + Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great. + "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores. + They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife. + Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? + "Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD's. + For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the LORD. + They have spoken falsely of the LORD and have said, 'He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. + The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!'" + Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: "Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them. + Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, declares the LORD. It is an enduring nation; it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say. + Their quiver is like an open tomb; they are all mighty warriors. + They shall eat up your harvest and your food; they shall eat up your sons and your daughters; they shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; your fortified cities in which you trust they shall beat down with the sword." + "But even in those days, declares the LORD, I will not make a full end of you. + And when your people say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.'" + Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah: + "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. + Do you not fear me? declares the LORD; Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. + But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. + They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.' + Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you. + For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. + Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich; + they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. + Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?" + An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: + the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? + + + Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction. + The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy, the daughter of Zion. + Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her; they shall pitch their tents around her; they shall pasture, each in his place. + "Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen! + Arise, and let us attack by night and destroy her palaces!" + For thus says the LORD of hosts: "Cut down her trees; cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her. + As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me. + Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I turn from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land." + Thus says the LORD of hosts: "They shall glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel; like a grape-gatherer pass your hand again over its branches." + To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it. + Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary of holding it in. "Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly and the very aged. + Their houses shall be turned over to others, their fields and wives together, for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD. + "For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. + They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. + Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown," says the LORD. + Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' + I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not pay attention.' + Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. + Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it. + What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me. + Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish.'" + Thus says the LORD: "Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth. + They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!" + We have heard the report of it; our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in labor. + Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side. + O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth, and roll in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us. + "I have made you a tester of metals among my people, that you may know and test their ways. + They are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly. + The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, for the wicked are not removed. + Rejected silver they are called, for the LORD has rejected them." + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. + Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.' + "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, + if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, + then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. + "Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. + Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, + and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'- only to go on doing all these abominations? + Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. + Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. + And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, + therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. + And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim. + "As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. + Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. + Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. + For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. + But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' + But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. + From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. + Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. + "So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. + And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. + "' Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.' + "For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the LORD. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. + And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. + Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere. + And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, and none will frighten them away. + And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste. + + + "At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs. + And they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped. And they shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. + Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, declares the LORD of hosts. + "You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? + Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return. + I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. + Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the LORD. + "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. + The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them? + Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. + They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. + Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the LORD. + When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them." + Why do we sit still? Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. + We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror. + "The snorting of their horses is heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighing of their stallions the whole land quakes. They come and devour the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. + For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you," declares the LORD. + My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me. + Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from the length and breadth of the land: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and with their foreign idols?" + "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." + For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded; I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me. + Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored? + + + Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! + Oh that I had in the desert a travelers' lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men. + They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD. + Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. + Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. + Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. + Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? + Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. + Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? + "I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone. + I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant." + Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? + And the LORD says: "Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, + but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. + Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. + I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them." + Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come; + let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water. + For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion: 'How we are ruined! We are utterly shamed, because we have left the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.'" + Hear, O women, the word of the LORD, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; teach to your daughters a lament, and each to her neighbor a dirge. + For death has come up into our windows; it has entered our palaces, cutting off the children from the streets and the young men from the squares. + Speak, "Thus declares the LORD: 'The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.'" + Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, + but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." + "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh- + Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." + + + Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. + Thus says the LORD: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, + for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. + They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. + Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good." + There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. + Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. + They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! + Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. + But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. + Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens." + It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. + When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. + Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. + They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. + Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name. + Gather up your bundle from the ground, O you who dwell under siege! + For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will bring distress on them, that they may feel it." + Woe is me because of my hurt! My wound is grievous. But I said, "Truly this is an affliction, and I must bear it." + My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken; my children have gone from me, and they are not; there is no one to spread my tent again and to set up my curtains. + For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the LORD; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered. + A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!- a great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a lair of jackals. + I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. + Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. + Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not, and on the peoples that call not on your name, for they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation. + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant + that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, + that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day." Then I answered, "So be it, LORD." + And the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. + For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. + Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not." + Again the LORD said to me, "A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. + Therefore, thus says the LORD, behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them. + Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. + For your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to make offerings to Baal. + "Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. + What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile deeds? Can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult? + The LORD once called you 'a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.' But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. + The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal." + The LORD made it known to me and I knew; then you showed me their deeds. + But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." + But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. + Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, "Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand"- + therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, + and none of them shall be left. For I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment." + + + Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? + You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. + But you, O LORD, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. + How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, "He will not see our latter end." + "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? + For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, though they speak friendly words to you." + "I have forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. + My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted up her voice against me; therefore I hate her. + Is my heritage to me like a hyena's lair? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. + Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have trampled down my portion; they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. + They have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate, but no man lays it to heart. + Upon all the bare heights in the desert destroyers have come, for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace. + They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns; they have tired themselves out but profit nothing. They shall be ashamed of their harvests because of the fierce anger of the LORD." + Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: "Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. + And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. + And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, 'As the LORD lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. + But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the LORD." + + + Thus says the LORD to me, "Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water." + So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. + And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, + "Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock." + So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. + And after many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there." + Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. + Then the word of the LORD came to me: + "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. + This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. + For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. + "You shall speak to them this word: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Every jar shall be filled with wine."' And they will say to you, 'Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?' + Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.'" + Hear and give ear; be not proud, for the LORD has spoken. + Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness. + But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock has been taken captive. + Say to the king and the queen mother: "Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head." + The cities of the Negeb are shut up, with none to open them; all Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken into exile. + "Lift up your eyes and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock? + What will you say when they set as head over you those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you? Will not pangs take hold of you like those of a woman in labor? + And if you say in your heart, 'Why have these things come upon me?' it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up and you suffer violence. + Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. + I will scatter you like chaff driven by the wind from the desert. + This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you, declares the LORD, because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies. + I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen. + I have seen your abominations, your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will it be before you are made clean?" + + + The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: + "Judah mourns and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up. + Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads. + Because of the ground that is dismayed, since there is no rain on the land, the farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. + Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass. + The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no vegetation. + "Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you. + O you hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? + Why should you be like a man confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot save? Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us." + Thus says the LORD concerning this people: "They have loved to wander thus; they have not restrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not accept them; now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins." + The LORD said to me: "Do not pray for the welfare of this people. + Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." + Then I said: "Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'" + And the LORD said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. + Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, 'Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. + And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them- them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them. + "You shall say to them this word: 'Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound, with a very grievous blow. + If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.'" + Have you utterly rejected Judah? Does your soul loathe Zion? Why have you struck us down so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror. + We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against you. + Do not spurn us, for your name's sake; do not dishonor your glorious throne; remember and do not break your covenant with us. + Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things. + + + Then the LORD said to me, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! + And when they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: "' Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.' + I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. + And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem. + "Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare? + You have rejected me, declares the LORD; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you- I am weary of relenting. + I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people; they did not turn from their ways. + I have made their widows more in number than the sand of the seas; I have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday; I have made anguish and terror fall upon them suddenly. + She who bore seven has grown feeble; she has fainted away; her sun went down while it was yet day; she has been shamed and disgraced. And the rest of them I will give to the sword before their enemies, declares the LORD." + Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. + The LORD said, "Have I not set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? + Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? + "Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. + I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever." + O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. + Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. + I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. + Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? + Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. + And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the LORD. + I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. + For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who fathered them in this land: + They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. + "For thus says the LORD: Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy, declares the LORD. + Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them. + No one shall break bread for the mourner, to comfort him for the dead, nor shall anyone give him the cup of consolation to drink for his father or his mother. + You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink. + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. + "And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' + then you shall say to them: 'Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, + and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. + Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' + "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' + but 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers. + "Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. + For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. + But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations." + O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: "Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit. + Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!" + "Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD." + + + "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, + while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, + on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. + You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever." + Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. + He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. + "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. + He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." + The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? + "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." + Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. + A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. + O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water. + Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. + Behold, they say to me, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come!" + I have not run away from being your shepherd, nor have I desired the day of sickness. You know what came out of my lips; it was before your face. + Be not a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. + Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction! + Thus said the LORD to me: "Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, + and say: 'Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. + Thus says the LORD: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. + And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. + Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction. + "'But if you listen to me, declares the LORD, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, + then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. + And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD. + But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.'" + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." + So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. + And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. + Then the word of the LORD came to me: + "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. + If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, + and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. + And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, + and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. + Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 'Thus says the LORD, behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.' + "But they say, 'That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.' + "Therefore thus says the LORD: Ask among the nations, Who has heard the like of this? The virgin Israel has done a very horrible thing. + Does the snow of Lebanon leave the crags of Sirion? Do the mountain waters run dry, the cold flowing streams? + But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway, + making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head. + Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity." + Then they said, "Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words." + Hear me, O LORD, and listen to the voice of my adversaries. + Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them. + Therefore deliver up their children to famine; give them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle. + May a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet. + Yet you, O LORD, know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. + + + Thus says the LORD, "Go, buy a potter's earthenware flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests, + and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. + You shall say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. + Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, + and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind- + therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. + And in this place I will make void the plans of Judah and Jerusalem, and will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. I will give their dead bodies for food to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth. + And I will make this city a horror, a thing to be hissed at. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its wounds. + And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.' + "Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, + and shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended. Men shall bury in Topheth because there will be no place else to bury. + Thus will I do to this place, declares the LORD, and to its inhabitants, making this city like Topheth. + The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah- all the houses on whose roofs offerings have been offered to all the host of heaven, and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods- shall be defiled like the place of Topheth.'" + Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the LORD's house and said to all the people: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words." + + + Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. + Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD. + The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD does not call your name Pashhur, but Terror On Every Side. + For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall strike them down with the sword. + Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon. + And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. To Babylon you shall go, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely." + O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. + For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. + If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. + For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him." + But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. + O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. + Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. + Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! + Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, "A son is born to you," making him very glad. + Let that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without pity; let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon, + because he did not kill me in the womb; so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever great. + Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame? + + + This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, + "Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us." + Then Jeremiah said to them: + "Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. + I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. + And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. + Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' + "And to this people you shall say: 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. + He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. + For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.' + "And to the house of the king of Judah say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, + O house of David! Thus says the LORD: "' Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.'" + "Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the LORD; you who say, 'Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?' + I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her." + + + Thus says the LORD: "Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, + and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O King of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. + Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. + For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. + But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. + For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: "' You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city. + I will prepare destroyers against you, each with his weapons, and they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. + "'And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, "Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?" + And they will answer, "Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them."'" + Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land. + For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: "He shall return here no more, + but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again." + "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages, + who says, 'I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,' who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion. + Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. + He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD. + But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence." + Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Ah, my brother!' or 'Ah, sister!' They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Ah, lord!' or 'Ah, his majesty!' + With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem." + "Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed. + I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, 'I will not listen.' This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice. + The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity; then you will be ashamed and confounded because of all your evil. + O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!" + "As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off + and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. + I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. + But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return." + Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for? Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know? + O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD! + Thus says the LORD: "Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah." + + + "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. + Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. + Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. + I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD. + "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. + In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' + "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' + but 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land." + Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words. + For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right. + "Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD. + Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD. + In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. + But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah." + Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land." + Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. + They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.'" + For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened? + Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. + The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. + "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. + But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds. + "Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God afar off? + Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. + I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' + How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, + who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? + Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. + Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? + Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. + Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, 'declares the LORD.' + Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD. + "When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' you shall say to them, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the LORD.' + And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, 'The burden of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household. + Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, 'What has the LORD answered?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' + But 'the burden of the LORD' you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man's own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. + Thus you shall say to the prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' + But if you say, 'The burden of the LORD,' thus says the LORD, 'Because you have said these words, "The burden of the LORD," when I sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The burden of the LORD,'" + therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up and cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. + And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.'" + + + After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD. + One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. + And the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I said, "Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten." + Then the word of the LORD came to me: + "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. + I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not uproot them. + I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. + "But thus says the LORD: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. + I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. + And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers." + + + The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), + which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: + "For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. + You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, + saying, 'Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. + Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.' + Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. + "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, + behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. + Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. + This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. + Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste. + I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. + For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands." + Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. + They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them." + So I took the cup from the LORD's hand, and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: + Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day; + Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people, + and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines ( Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); + Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon; + all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea; + Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; + all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; + all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; + all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of Babylon shall drink. + "Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.' + "And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink! + For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.' + "You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: "' The LORD will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. + The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the LORD.' + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, disaster is going forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth! + "And those pierced by the LORD on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground. + "Wail, you shepherds, and cry out, and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come, and you shall fall like a choice vessel. + No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock. + A voice- the cry of the shepherds, and the wail of the lords of the flock! For the LORD is laying waste their pasture, + and the peaceful folds are devastated because of the fierce anger of the LORD. + Like a lion he has left his lair, for their land has become a waste because of the sword of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger." + + + In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: + "Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. + It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. + You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, + and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, + then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'" + The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. + And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die! + Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. + When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. + Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, "This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears." + Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. + Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. + But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. + Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears." + Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." + And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, + "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "' Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.' + Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves." + There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. + And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. + Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, + and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people. + But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death. + + + In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD. + Thus the LORD said to me: "Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. + Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. + Give them this charge for their masters: 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: + "It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. + Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. + All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave. + "'"But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the LORD, until I have consumed it by his hand. + So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortunetellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon.' + For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. + But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the LORD."'" + To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. + Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? + Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. + I have not sent them, declares the LORD, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you." + Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, 'Behold, the vessels of the LORD's house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,' for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. + Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation? + If they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, then let them intercede with the LORD of hosts, that the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. + For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, + which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem- + thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: + They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place." + + + In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. + Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD's house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. + I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon." + Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, + and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles. + Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. + The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. + As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet." + Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. + And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years." But Jeremiah the prophet went his way. + Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Go, tell Hananiah, 'Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.'" + And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. + Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.'" + In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died. + + + These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. + This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. + The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: + Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. + Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. + But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, + for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD. + "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. + For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. + Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. + You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, + I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. + "Because you have said, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,' + thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: + 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. + I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, + because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the LORD, that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the LORD.' + Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: + 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your eyes. + Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire," + because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the LORD.'" + To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, + 'The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons. + Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? + For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, "Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce."'" + Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Send to all the exiles, saying, 'Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, + therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.'" + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. + For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it." + These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: + "Thus says the LORD: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. + Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? + Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. + "And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. + But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. + "Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. + For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. + "For thus says the LORD: Your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous. + There is none to uphold your cause, no medicine for your wound, no healing for you. + All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you; for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant. + Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you. + Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured, and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall be plundered, and all who prey on you I will make a prey. + For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast: 'It is Zion, for whom no one cares!' + "Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be. + Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. + Their children shall be as they were of old, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all who oppress them. + Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the LORD. + And you shall be my people, and I will be your God." + Behold the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. + The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intentions of his mind. In the latter days you will understand this. + + + "At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people." + Thus says the LORD: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, + the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. + Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. + Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. + For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'" + For thus says the LORD: "Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.' + Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and her who is in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. + With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. + "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.' + For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. + They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. + Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. + I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD." + Thus says the LORD: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more." + Thus says the LORD: "Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. + There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country. + I have heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God. + For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I slapped my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' + Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD. + "Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities. + How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man." + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: "' The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!' + And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. + For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish." + At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me. + "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. + And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. + In those days they shall no longer say: "' The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' + But everyone shall die for his own sin. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. + "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, + not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. + But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. + And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." + Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD of hosts is his name: + "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever." + Thus says the LORD: "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD." + "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. + And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. + The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be uprooted or overthrown anymore forever." + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. + At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. + For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, "Why do you prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; + Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. + And he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed'?" + Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me: + Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.' + Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. + "And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. + I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. + Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. + And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. + I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, + 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.' + "After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: + 'Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who has made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. + You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, + great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. + You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. + You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. + And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. + And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. + Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. + Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, "Buy the field for money and get witnesses"- though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.'" + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? + Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. + The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. + For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD. + This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight + because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger- their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. + They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. + They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. + "Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence': + Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. + And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. + I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. + I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. + I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. + "For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. + Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, 'It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.' + Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD." + + + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: + "Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it- the LORD is his name: + Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. + For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: + They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. + Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. + I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. + I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. + And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. + "Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, 'It is a waste without man or beast,' in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again + the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD: "' Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!' For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. + In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD. + "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. + In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. + In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' + "For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, + and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever." + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, + then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. + As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me." + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Have you not observed that these people are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose'? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. + Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, + then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them." + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: + "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. + You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.' + Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you: 'You shall not die by the sword. + You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, "Alas, lord!"'For I have spoken the word, declares the LORD." + Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, + when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, Lachish and Azekah, for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained. + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, + that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. + And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. + But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, + 'At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.' But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. + You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, + but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves. + "Therefore, thus says the LORD: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. + And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts- + the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. + And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. + And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you. + Behold, I will command, declares the LORD, and will bring them back to this city. And they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant." + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: + "Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink." + So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites. + I brought them to the house of the LORD into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. + Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, "Drink wine." + But they answered, "We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, 'You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. + You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.' + We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, + and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, + but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. + But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, 'Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.' So we are living in Jerusalem." + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD. + The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. + I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, 'Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. + The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. + Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered." + But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, + therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me." + + + In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: + "Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. + It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." + Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD that he had spoken to him. + And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, "I am banned from going to the house of the LORD, + so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the LORD's house you shall read the words of the LORD from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. + It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the LORD, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people." + And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the LORD in the LORD's house. + In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD. + Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD's house. + When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, + he went down to the king's house, into the secretary's chamber, and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials. + And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. + Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. + And they said to him, "Sit down and read it." So Baruch read it to them. + When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, "We must report all these words to the king." + Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?" + Baruch answered them, "He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll." + Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are." + So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. + Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. + It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. + As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. + Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. + Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. + And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them. + Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: + "Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. + And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the LORD, You have burned this scroll, saying, "Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?" + Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. + And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.'" + Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. + + + Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. + But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. + King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Please pray for us to the LORD our God." + Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. + The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: + "Thus says the LORD, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, 'Behold, Pharaoh's army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. + And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire. + Thus says the LORD, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," for they will not go away. + For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'" + Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh's army, + Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. + When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are deserting to the Chaldeans." + And Jeremiah said, "It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans." But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. + And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison. + When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, + King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon." + Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, "What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? + Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land'? + Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there." + So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. + + + Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, + "Thus says the LORD: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. + Thus says the LORD: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken." + Then the officials said to the king, "Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm." + King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you." + So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. + When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern- the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate- + Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, + "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city." + Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies." + So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. + Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes." Jeremiah did so. + Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. + King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, "I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me." + Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me." + Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, "As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life." + Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. + But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand." + King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me." + Jeremiah said, "You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared. + But if you refuse to surrender, this is the vision which the LORD has shown to me: + Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying, "' Your trusted friends have deceived you and prevailed against you; now that your feet are sunk in the mud, they turn away from you.' + All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire." + Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die. + If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say to you, 'Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,' + then you shall say to them, 'I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'" + Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard. + And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken. + + + In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. + In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. + Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. + When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah. + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him. + The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. + He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. + The Chaldeans burned the king's house and the house of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. + Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. + Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. + Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, + "Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you." + So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon + sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived among the people. + The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: + "Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. + But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. + For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the LORD.'" + + + The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. + The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, "The LORD your God pronounced this disaster against this place. + The LORD has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. + Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. + If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go." So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. + Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land. + When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, + they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah- Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. + Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. + As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken." + Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, + then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance. + Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah + and said to him, "Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. + Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, "Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?" + But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, "You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael." + + + In the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah, + Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land. + Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there. + On the day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it, + eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the LORD. + And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, "Come in to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam." + When they came into the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and cast them into a cistern. + But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to death, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields." So he refrained and did not put them to death with their companions. + Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men whom he had struck down along with Gedaliah was the large cistern that King Asa had made for defense against Baasha king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. + Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. + But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, + they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at the great pool that is in Gibeon. + And when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced. + So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. + But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. + Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam- soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. + And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt + because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. + + + Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near + and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all this remnant- because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us- + that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do." + Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your request, and whatever the LORD answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you." + Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us. + Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God." + At the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. + Then he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, + and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him: + If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. + Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the LORD, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. + I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. + But if you say, 'We will not remain in this land,' disobeying the voice of the LORD your God + and saying, 'No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,' + then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, + then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die. + All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them. + "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more. + The LORD has said to you, O remnant of Judah, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day + that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and whatever the LORD our God says declare to us and we will do it.' + And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in anything that he sent me to tell you. + Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live." + + + When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them, + Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to live there,' + but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon." + So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah. + But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven- + the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. + And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they arrived at Tahpanhes. + Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes: + "Take in your hands large stones and hide them in the mortar in the pavement that is at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah, + and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them. + He shall come and strike the land of Egypt, giving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword. + I shall kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin, and he shall go away from there in peace. + He shall break the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt, and the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.'" + + + The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the disaster that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, + because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. + Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!' + But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods. + Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. + And now thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving you no remnant? + Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth? + Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, the evil of the kings of Judah, the evil of their wives, your own evil, and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? + They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers. + "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face against you for harm, to cut off all Judah. + I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed. In the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed. From the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine, and they shall become an oath, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. + I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, + so that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return to dwell there. For they shall not return, except some fugitives." + Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: + "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. + But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. + But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine." + And the women said, "When we made offerings to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands' approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?" + Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: + "As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them? Did it not come into his mind? + The LORD could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day. + It is because you made offerings and because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day." + Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. + Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! + Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the LORD, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, 'As the Lord GOD lives.' + Behold, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. + And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. + This shall be the sign to you, declares the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for harm: + Thus says the LORD, behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life." + + + The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: + "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: + You said, 'Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.' + Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up- that is, the whole land. + And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." + + + The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. + About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: + "Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle! + Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor! + Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and have turned backward. Their warriors are beaten down and have fled in haste; they look not back- terror on every side! declares the LORD. + The swift cannot flee away, nor the warrior escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. + "Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge? + Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He said, 'I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.' + Advance, O horses, and rage, O chariots! Let the warriors go out: men of Cush and Put who handle the shield, men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow. + That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, to avenge himself on his foes. The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. + Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you. + The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for warrior has stumbled against warrior; they have both fallen together." + The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt: + "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes; Say, 'Stand ready and be prepared, for the sword shall devour around you.' + Why are your mighty ones face down? They do not stand because the LORD thrust them down. + He made many stumble, and they fell, and they said one to another, 'Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, because of the sword of the oppressor.' + Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 'Noisy one who lets the hour go by.' + "As I live, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come. + Prepare yourselves baggage for exile, O inhabitants of Egypt! For Memphis shall become a waste, a ruin, without inhabitant. + "A beautiful heifer is Egypt, but a biting fly from the north has come upon her. + Even her hired soldiers in her midst are like fattened calves; yes, they have turned and fled together; they did not stand, for the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their punishment. + "She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees. + They shall cut down her forest, declares the LORD, though it is impenetrable, because they are more numerous than locusts; they are without number. + The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north." + The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: "Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. + I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the LORD. + "But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. + Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished." + + + The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza. + "Thus says the LORD: Behold, waters are rising out of the north, and shall become an overflowing torrent; they shall overflow the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. Men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail. + At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels, the fathers look not back to their children, so feeble are their hands, + because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains. For the LORD is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor. + Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has perished. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourselves? + Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still! + How can it be quiet when the LORD has given it a charge? Against Ashkelon and against the seashore he has appointed it." + + + Concerning Moab.Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste! Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; the fortress is put to shame and broken down; + the renown of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: 'Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!' You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you. + "Hark! A cry from Horonaim, 'Desolation and great destruction!' + Moab is destroyed; her little ones have made a cry. + For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distressed cry of destruction. + Flee! Save yourselves! You will be like a juniper in the desert! + For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials. + The destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD has spoken. + "Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them. + "Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. + "Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed. + "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break his jars in pieces. + Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. + "How do you say, 'We are heroes and mighty men of war'? + The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. + The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction hastens swiftly. + Grieve for him, all you who are around him, and all who know his name; say, 'How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious staff.' + "Come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant of Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you; he has destroyed your strongholds. + Stand by the way and watch, O inhabitant of Aroer! Ask him who flees and her who escapes; say, 'What has happened?' + Moab is put to shame, for it is broken; wail and cry! Tell it beside the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. + "Judgment has come upon the tableland, upon Holon, and Jahzah, and Mephaath, + and Dibon, and Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, + and Kiriathaim, and Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, + and Kerioth, and Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. + The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, declares the LORD. + "Make him drunk, because he magnified himself against the LORD, so that Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he too shall be held in derision. + Was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him you wagged your head? + "Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, O inhabitants of Moab! Be like the dove that nests in the sides of the mouth of a gorge. + We have heard of the pride of Moab- he is very proud- of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart. + I know his insolence, declares the LORD; his boasts are false, his deeds are false. + Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab; for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn. + More than for Jazer I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches passed over the sea, reached to the Sea of Jazer; on your summer fruits and your grapes the destroyer has fallen. + Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the wine presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy. + "From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they utter their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. For the waters of Nimrim also have become desolate. + And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the LORD, him who offers sacrifice in the high place and makes offerings to his god. + Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished. + "For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. On all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth. + On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the LORD. + How it is broken! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become a derision and a horror to all that are around him." + For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one shall fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab; + the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized. The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains; + Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people, because he magnified himself against the LORD. + Terror, pit, and snare are before you, O inhabitant of Moab! declares the LORD. + He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For I will bring these things upon Moab, the year of their punishment, declares the LORD. + "In the shadow of Heshbon fugitives stop without strength, for fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the house of Sihon; it has destroyed the forehead of Moab, the crown of the sons of tumult. + Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone, for your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters into captivity. + Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the LORD." Thus far is the judgment on Moab. + + + Concerning the Ammonites.Thus says the LORD: "Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then has Milcom dispossessed Gad, and his people settled in its cities? + Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will cause the battle cry to be heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it shall become a desolate mound, and its villages shall be burned with fire; then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him, says the LORD. + "Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! put on sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro among the hedges! For Milcom shall go into exile, with his priests and his officials. + Why do you boast of your valleys, O faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?' + Behold, I will bring terror upon you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts, from all who are around you, and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him, with none to gather the fugitives. + "But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the LORD." + Concerning Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? + Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time when I punish him. + If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves? + But I have stripped Esau bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and he is no more. + Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me." + For thus says the LORD: "If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink. + For I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes." + I have heard a message from the LORD, and an envoy has been sent among the nations: "Gather yourselves together and come against her, and rise up for battle! + For behold, I will make you small among the nations, despised among mankind. + The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle's, I will bring you down from there, declares the LORD. + "Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. + As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities were overthrown, says the LORD, no man shall dwell there, no man shall sojourn in her. + Behold, like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make him run away from her. And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? + Therefore hear the plan that the LORD has made against Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. + At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. + Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains." + Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are confounded, for they have heard bad news; they melt in fear, they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet. + Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in labor. + How is the famous city not forsaken, the city of my joy? + Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day, declares the LORD of hosts. + And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad." + Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down. Thus says the LORD: "Rise up, advance against Kedar! Destroy the people of the east! + Their tents and their flocks shall be taken, their curtains and all their goods; their camels shall be led away from them, and men shall cry to them: 'Terror on every side!' + Flee, wander far away, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor! declares the LORD. For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made a plan against you and formed a purpose against you. + "Rise up, advance against a nation at ease, that dwells securely, declares the LORD, that has no gates or bars, that dwells alone. + Their camels shall become plunder, their herds of livestock a spoil. I will scatter to every wind those who cut the corners of their hair, and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, declares the LORD. + Hazor shall become a haunt of jackals, an everlasting waste; no man shall dwell there; no man shall sojourn in her." + The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. + Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. + And I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come. + I will terrify Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, declares the LORD. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them, + and I will set my throne in Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the LORD. + "But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the LORD." + + + The word that the LORD spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet: + "Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, conceal it not, and say: 'Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.' + "For out of the north a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; both man and beast shall flee away. + "In those days and in that time, declares the LORD, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the LORD their God. + They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, 'Come, let us join ourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.' + "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold. + All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, 'We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their habitation of righteousness, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.' + "Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock. + For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. + Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, declares the LORD. + "Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage, though you frolic like a heifer in the pasture, and neigh like stallions, + your mother shall be utterly shamed, and she who bore you shall be disgraced. Behold, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. + Because of the wrath of the LORD she shall not be inhabited but shall be an utter desolation; everyone who passes by Babylon shall be appalled, and hiss because of all her wounds. + Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. + Raise a shout against her all around; she has surrendered; her bulwarks have fallen; her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done. + Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land. + "Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones. + Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing punishment on the king of Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria. + I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and his desire shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead. + In those days and in that time, declares the LORD, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none. And sin in Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. + "Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you. + The noise of battle is in the land, and great destruction! + How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations! + I set a snare for you and you were taken, O Babylon, and you did not know it; you were found and caught, because you opposed the LORD. + The LORD has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Lord GOD of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans. + Come against her from every quarter; open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain, and devote her to destruction; let nothing be left of her. + Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come, the time of their punishment. + "A voice! They flee and escape from the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, vengeance for his temple. + "Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. + Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, declares the LORD. + "Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord GOD of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you. + The proud one shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him up, and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it will devour all that is around him. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. + Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon. + "A sword against the Chaldeans, declares the LORD, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her officials and her wise men! + A sword against the diviners, that they may become fools! A sword against her warriors, that they may be destroyed! + A sword against her horses and against her chariots, and against all the foreign troops in her midst, that they may become women! A sword against all her treasures, that they may be plundered! + A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols. + "Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations. + As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the LORD, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her. + "Behold, a people comes from the north; a mighty nation and many kings are stirring from the farthest parts of the earth. + They lay hold of bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy. The sound of them is like the roaring of the sea; they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for battle against you, O daughter of Babylon! + "The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands fell helpless; anguish seized him, pain as of a woman in labor. + "Behold, like a lion coming up from the thicket of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make them run away from her, and I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? + Therefore hear the plan that the LORD has made against Babylon, and the purposes that he has formed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of their flock shall be dragged away; surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. + At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations." + + + Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai, + and I will send to Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land, when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble. + Let not the archer bend his bow, and let him not stand up in his armor. Spare not her young men; devote to destruction all her army. + They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and wounded in her streets. + For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts, but the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. + "Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the LORD's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her. + Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD's hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad. + Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed. + We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country, for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies. + The LORD has brought about our vindication; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. + "Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for his temple. + "Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the LORD has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon. + O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut. + The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: Surely I will fill you with men, as many as locusts, and they shall raise the shout of victory over you. + "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. + When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. + Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. + They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. + Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name. + "You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms; + with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider; with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer; + with you I break in pieces man and woman; with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth; with you I break in pieces the young man and the young woman; + with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team; with you I break in pieces governors and commanders. + "I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the LORD. + "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the LORD, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain. + No stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be a perpetual waste, declares the LORD. + "Set up a standard on the earth; blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations for war against her; summon against her the kingdoms, Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like bristling locusts. + Prepare the nations for war against her, the kings of the Medes, with their governors and deputies, and every land under their dominion. + The land trembles and writhes in pain, for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant. + The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting; they remain in their strongholds; their strength has failed; they have become women; her dwellings are on fire; her bars are broken. + One runner runs to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to tell the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every side; + the fords have been seized, the marshes are burned with fire, and the soldiers are in panic. + For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden; yet a little while and the time of her harvest will come." + "Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he has filled his stomach with my delicacies; he has rinsed me out. + The violence done to me and to my kinsmen be upon Babylon," let the inhabitant of Zion say. "My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea," let Jerusalem say. + Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry, + and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant. + "They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl like lions' cubs. + While they are inflamed I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk, that they may become merry, then sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the LORD. + I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and male goats. + "How Babylon is taken, the praise of the whole earth seized! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations! + The sea has come up on Babylon; she is covered with its tumultuous waves. + Her cities have become a horror, a land of drought and a desert, a land in which no one dwells, and through which no son of man passes. + And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and take out of his mouth what he has swallowed. The nations shall no longer flow to him; the wall of Babylon has fallen. + "Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every one save his life from the fierce anger of the LORD! + Let not your heart faint, and be not fearful at the report heard in the land, when a report comes in one year and afterward a report in another year, and violence is in the land, and ruler is against ruler. + "Therefore, behold, the days are coming when I will punish the images of Babylon; her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her. + Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for joy over Babylon, for the destroyers shall come against them out of the north, declares the LORD. + Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth. + "You who have escaped from the sword, go, do not stand still! Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come into your mind: + 'We are put to shame, for we have heard reproach; dishonor has covered our face, for foreigners have come into the holy places of the LORD's house.' + "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will execute judgment upon her images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan. + Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the LORD. + "A voice! A cry from Babylon! The noise of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! + For the LORD is laying Babylon waste and stilling her mighty voice. Their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is raised, + for a destroyer has come upon her, upon Babylon; her warriors are taken; their bows are broken in pieces, for the LORD is a God of recompense; he will surely repay. + I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The broad wall of Babylon shall be leveled to the ground, and her high gates shall be burned with fire. The peoples labor for nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire." + The word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster. + Jeremiah wrote in a book all the disaster that should come upon Babylon, all these words that are written concerning Babylon. + And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: "When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, + and say, 'O LORD, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate forever.' + When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, + and say, 'Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.'"Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. + + + Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. + And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. + For because of the anger of the LORD things came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. + And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. + So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. + On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. + Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, while the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. + But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And all his army was scattered from him. + Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. + The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah. + He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. + In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month- that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon- Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. + And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. + And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. + And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans. + But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. + And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon. + And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service; + also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. + As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight. + As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow. + On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates. + There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around. + And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold; + and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and seven men of the king's council, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the city. + And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. + And the king of Babylon struck them down, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. + This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans; + in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons; + in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600. + And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. + And he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. + So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, + and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king according to his daily need, until the day of his death as long as he lived. + + + + + How lonely sits the citythat was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. + She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. + Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress. + The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly. + Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe. + From the daughter of Zion all her majesty has departed. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer. + Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering all the precious things that were hers from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her, her foes gloated over her; they mocked at her downfall. + Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away. + Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. "O LORD, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!" + The enemy has stretched out his hands over all her precious things; for she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, those whom you forbade to enter your congregation. + All her people groan as they search for bread; they trade their treasures for food to revive their strength. "Look, O LORD, and see, for I am despised." + "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of his fierce anger. + "From on high he sent fire; into my bones he made it descend; he spread a net for my feet; he turned me back; he has left me stunned, faint all the day long. + "My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand. + "The Lord rejected all my mighty men in my midst; he summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. + "For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed." + Zion stretches out her hands, but there is none to comfort her; the LORD has commanded against Jacob that his neighbors should be his foes; Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them. + "The LORD is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word; but hear, all you peoples, and see my suffering; my young women and my young men have gone into captivity. + "I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength. + "Look, O LORD, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death. + "They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am. + "Let all their evildoing come before you, and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many, and my heart is faint." + + + How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. + The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers. + He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around. + He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set like a foe; and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire. + The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. + He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins his meeting place; the LORD has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest. + The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD as on the day of festival. + The LORD determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. + Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD. + The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. + My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. + They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom. + What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you? + Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading. + All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem; "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?" + All your enemies rail against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry: "We have swallowed her! Ah, this is the day we longed for; now we have it; we see it!" + The LORD has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word, which he commanded long ago; he has thrown down without pity; he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes. + Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite! + "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street." + Look, O LORD, and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? + In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity. + You summoned as if to a festival day my terrors on every side, and on the day of the anger of the LORD no one escaped or survived; those whom I held and raised my enemy destroyed. + + + I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; + he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; + surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long. + He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones; + he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; + he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. + He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; + though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; + he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked. + He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; + he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; + he bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow. + He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver; + I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the object of their taunts all day long. + He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood. + He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; + my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; + so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD." + Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! + My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. + But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: + The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; + they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. + "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." + The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. + It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. + It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. + Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; + let him put his mouth in the dust- there may yet be hope; + let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. + For the Lord will not cast off forever, + but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; + for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. + To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, + to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, + to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. + Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? + Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? + Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? + Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! + Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: + "We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven. + "You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity; + you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. + You have made us scum and garbage among the peoples. + "All our enemies open their mouths against us; + panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction; + my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. + "My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, + until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees; + my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city. + "I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause; + they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me; + water closed over my head; I said, 'I am lost.' + "I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; + you heard my plea, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help!' + You came near when I called on you; you said, 'Do not fear!' + "You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. + You have seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge my cause. + You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me. + "You have heard their taunts, O LORD, all their plots against me. + The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long. + Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the object of their taunts. + "You will repay them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. + You will give them dullness of heart; your curse will be on them. + You will pursue them in anger and destroy them from under your heavens, O LORD." + + + How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. + The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands! + Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. + The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. + Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. + For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her. + Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. + Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood. + Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field. + The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people. + The LORD gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. + The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem. + This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. + They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments. + "Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer." + The LORD himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. + Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. + They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered, for our end had come. + Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. + The breath of our nostrils, the LORD's anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations." + Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. + The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins. + + + Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace! + Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. + We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows. + We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought. + Our pursuers are at our necks; we are weary; we are given no rest. + We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough. + Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities. + Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand. + We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness. + Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine. + Women are raped in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah. + Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders. + Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood. + The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music. + The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned to mourning. + The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned! + For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim, + for Mount Zion which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it. + But you, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. + Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days? + Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old- + unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us. + + + + + In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. + On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), + the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the LORD was upon him there. + As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. + And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, + but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. + Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. + Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: + their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. + As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. + Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. + And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. + As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. + And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. + Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. + As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. + When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. + And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. + And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. + Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. + When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. + Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. + And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. + And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. + And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. + And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. + And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. + Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. + + + And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." + And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. + And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. + The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' + And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. + And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. + And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. + "But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." + And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. + And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. + + + And he said to me, "Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." + So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. + And he said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it." Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. + And he said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. + For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel- + not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. + But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. + Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. + Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house." + Moreover, he said to me, "Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. + And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' whether they hear or refuse to hear." + Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!" + It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. + The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the LORD being strong upon me. + And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days. + And at the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. + If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. + But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. + Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. + But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul." + And the hand of the LORD was upon me there. And he said to me, "Arise, go out into the valley, and there I will speak with you." + So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face. + But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself within your house. + And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people. + And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. + But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. + + + "And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. + And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. + And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel. + "Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. + For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. + And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year. + And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. + And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege. + "And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make your bread from them. During the number of days that you lie on your side, 390 days, you shall eat it. + And your food that you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from day to day you shall eat it. + And water you shall drink by measure, the sixth part of a hin; from day to day you shall drink. + And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung." + And the LORD said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them." + Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth." + Then he said to me, "See, I assign to you cow's dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread." + Moreover, he said to me, "Son of man, behold, I will break the supply of bread in Jerusalem. They shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. + I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and rot away because of their punishment. + + + "And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair. + A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city. And a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. + And you shall take from these a small number and bind them in the skirts of your robe. + And of these again you shall take some and cast them into the midst of the fire and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will come out into all the house of Israel. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. + And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, + therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. + And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. + Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. + Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. + A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them. + "Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD- that I have spoken in my jealousy- when I spend my fury upon them. + Moreover, I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach among the nations all around you and in the sight of all who pass by. + You shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations all around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious rebukes- I am the LORD, I have spoken- + when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread. + I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the LORD; I have spoken." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, + and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. + Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols. + And I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. + Wherever you dwell, the cities shall be waste and the high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined, your idols broken and destroyed, your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. + And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the LORD. + "Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, + then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. + And they shall know that I am the LORD. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them." + Thus says the Lord GOD: "Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. + He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. + And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. + And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to Riblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. + Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. + And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes. + An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes. + Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains. + Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. + And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD, who strikes. + "Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has come; the rod has blossomed; pride has budded. + Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them. + The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude. + For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life. + "They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. + The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour. + And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity. + All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water. + They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads. + They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. + His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them. + And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it. + I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place. Robbers shall enter and profane it. + "Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. + I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned. + When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none. + Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders. + The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are paralyzed by terror. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they shall know that I am the LORD." + + + In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. + Then I looked, and behold, a form that had the appearance of a man. Below what appeared to be his waist was fire, and above his waist was something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming metal. + He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. + And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north." So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. + And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations." + And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, dig in the wall." So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. + And he said to me, "Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here." + So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. + And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'" + He said also to me, "You will see still greater abominations that they commit." + Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. + Then he said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these." + And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east. + Then he said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their nose. + Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them." + + + Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, "Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand." + And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. + Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. + And the LORD said to him, "Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it." + And to the others he said in my hearing, "Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. + Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the house. + Then he said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out." So they went out and struck in the city. + And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, "Ah, Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?" + Then he said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.' + As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads." + And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, "I have done as you commanded me." + + + Then I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire, in appearance like a throne. + And he said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." And he went in before my eyes. + Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. + And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. + And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. + And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, "Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he went in and stood beside a wheel. + And a cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. + The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings. + And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling beryl. + And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. + When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced, the others followed without turning as they went. + And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around- the wheels that the four of them had. + As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing "the whirling wheels." + And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. + And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal. + And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. + When they stood still, these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. + Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. + And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. + These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim. + Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the likeness of human hands. + And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the Chebar canal. Each one of them went straight forward. + + + The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. + And he said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; + who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.' + Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man." + And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, "Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind. + You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and this city is the cauldron, but you shall be brought out of the midst of it. + You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord GOD. + And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. + You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the LORD. + This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, + and you shall know that I am the LORD. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you." + And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?" + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Go far from the LORD; to us this land is given for a possession.' + Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.' + Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.' + And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. + And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, + that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. + But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD." + Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. + And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. + And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. + And I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me. + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. + As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile's baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. + You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile. + In their sight dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it. + In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel." + And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight. + In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?' + Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.' + Say, 'I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.' + And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. + And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. + And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. + And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. + But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the LORD." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety. + And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay. In this way her land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. + And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the LORD." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, 'The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing'? + Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.' But say to them, The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision. + For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. + For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord GOD." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.' + Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord GOD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: 'Hear the word of the LORD!' + Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! + Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. + You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD. + They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. + Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, 'Declares the LORD,' although I have not spoken?" + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD. + My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. + Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, + say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. + And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the coating with which you smeared it?' + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. + And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD. + Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, + the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD. + "And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own minds. Prophesy against them + and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? + You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies. + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. + Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD. + Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, + therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD." + + + Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? + Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, + that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols. + "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. + For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the LORD will answer him myself. + And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the LORD. + And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. + And they shall bear their punishment- the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike- + that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord GOD." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, + even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD. + "If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, + even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. + "Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, + though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered. + "Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, + even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! + But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. + They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord GOD." + + + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? + Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? + Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? + Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. + And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. + And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord GOD." + + + Again the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, + and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. + And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. + No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. + "And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' + I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare. + "When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine. + Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. + I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. + And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. + And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. + Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. + And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD. + "But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his. + You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be. + You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. + And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. + Also my bread that I gave you- I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey- you set before them for a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord GOD. + And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter + that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? + And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood. + "And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord GOD), + you built yourself a vaulted chamber and made yourself a lofty place in every square. + At the head of every street you built your lofty place and made your beauty an abomination, offering yourself to any passerby and multiplying your whoring. + You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. + Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and diminished your allotted portion and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. + You played the whore also with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; yes, you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. + You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied. + "How lovesick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, + building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. + Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! + Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. + So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different. + "Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD: + Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, + therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. + And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. + And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places. They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare. + They shall bring up a crowd against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. + And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women. I will make you stop playing the whore, and you shall also give payment no more. + So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry. + Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord GOD. "Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations? + "Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: 'Like mother, like daughter.' + You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. + And your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. + Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. + As I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. + Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. + They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it. + Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. + Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have intervened on behalf of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. + "I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, + that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. + As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. + Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, + before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. + You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the LORD. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, + yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. + Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. + I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, + that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; + say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. + He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. + Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, + and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs. + "And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. + It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine. + "Say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. + Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it- wither away on the bed where it sprouted?" + Then the word of the LORD came to me: + "Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. + And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath ( the chief men of the land he had taken away), + that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. + But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? + "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. + Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. + He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. + I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me. + And all the pick of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken." + Thus says the Lord GOD: "I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. + On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. + And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? + As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. + Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. + "If a man is righteous and does what is just and right- + if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, + does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, + does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, + walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully- he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord GOD. + "If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things + (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, + oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, + lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself. + "Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: + he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, + does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, + withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. + As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity. + "Yet you say, 'Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?' When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. + The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. + "But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. + Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? + But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. + "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? + When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. + Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. + Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? + "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. + Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? + For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live." + + + And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, + and say: What was your mother? A lioness! Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs. + And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men. + The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. + When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. + He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men, + and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of his roaring. + Then the nations set against him from provinces on every side; they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit. + With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel. + Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water. + Its strong stems became rulers' scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. + But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered. As for its strong stem, fire consumed it. + Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. + And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation. + + + In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. + Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers, + and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God. + On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. + And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. + But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. + But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. + So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. + I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. + Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. + But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. + But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. + Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, + because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. + Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness. + "And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. + I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, + and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. + But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. + But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. + Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, + because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. + Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, + and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the LORD. + "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. + For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. + (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name is called Bamah to this day.) + "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? + When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. + "What is in your mind shall never happen- the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.' + "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. + I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. + And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. + As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD. + I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. + I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols. + "For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. + As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. + And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. + And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. + And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face toward the southland; preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb. + Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. + All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched." + Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'" + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel + and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am against you and will draw my sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. + Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. + And all flesh shall know that I am the LORD. I have drawn my sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again. + "As for you, son of man, groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes. + And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,'"declares the Lord GOD. + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord; Say: "A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished, + sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.) + So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer. + Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh. + For it will not be a testing- what could it do if you despise the rod?" declares the Lord GOD. + "As for you, son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times, the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, + that their hearts may melt, and many stumble. At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; it is taken up for slaughter. + Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. + I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the LORD have spoken." + The word of the LORD came to me again: + "As for you, son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to a city. + Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. + For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim; he looks at the liver. + Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. + But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken. + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear- because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand. + And you, O profane wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment, + thus says the Lord GOD: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. + A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. This also shall not be, until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him. + "And you, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter. It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning- + while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you- to place you on the necks of the profane wicked, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment. + Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. + And I will pour out my indignation upon you; I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of brutish men, skillful to destroy. + You shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall be no more remembered, for I the LORD have spoken." + + + And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. + You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! + You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. + Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult. + "Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. + Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. + You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. + There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. + In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. + One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. + In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD. + "Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. + Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. + I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. + And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. + As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. + I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. + As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have poured out my wrath upon you." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. + The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. + Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. + Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. + And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD has not spoken. + The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. + And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. + Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. + They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. + Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. + "Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors + clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. + She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. + She did not give up her whoring that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. + Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. + These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, when judgment had been executed on her. + "Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became more corrupt than her sister in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. + She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. + And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. + But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, + wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Bab ylonians whose native land was Chaldea. + When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. + And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust. + When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. + Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt + and lusted after her paramours there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. + Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed your young breasts." + Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: + the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. + And they shall come against you from the north with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. + And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. + They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. + Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, + and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring + have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. + You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. + Thus says the Lord GOD: "You shall drink your sister's cup that is deep and large; you shall be laughed at and held in derision, for it contains much; + you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow. A cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria; + you shall drink it and drain it out, and gnaw its shards, and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring." + The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. + For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. + Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. + For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house. + They even sent for men to come from far, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. + You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil. + The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort drunkards were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads. + "Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her! + For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! + But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands." + For thus says the Lord GOD: "Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder. + And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses. + Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. + And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD." + + + In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. + And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also; + put in it the pieces of meat, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones. + Take the choicest one of the flock; pile the logs under it; boil it well; seethe also its bones in it. + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. + For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. + To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. + Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up. + Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. + She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! + On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you. + I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD." + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. + Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men." + So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded. + And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?" + Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me: + 'Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. + And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. + Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. + Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.' + "As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, + on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. + On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. + Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Because you said, 'Aha!' over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, + therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. + I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + For thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, + therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Moab and Seir said, 'Behold, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,' + therefore I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. + I will give it along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, that the Ammonites may be remembered no more among the nations, + and I will execute judgments upon Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. + And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord GOD. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity, + therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast. + I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay my vengeance upon them." + + + In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,' + therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. + They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. + She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. And she shall become plunder for the nations, + and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers. + He will kill with the sword your daughters on the mainland. He will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound against you, and raise a roof of shields against you. + He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. + His horses will be so many that their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as men enter a city that has been breached. + With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. + They will plunder your riches and loot your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. Your stones and timber and soil they will cast into the midst of the waters. + And I will stop the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more. + I will make you a bare rock. You shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall never be rebuilt, for I am the LORD; I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. + "Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre: Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in your midst? + Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones and remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground and tremble every moment and be appalled at you. + And they will raise a lamentation over you and say to you, "' How you have perished, you who were inhabited from the seas, O city renowned, who was mighty on the sea; she and her inhabitants imposed their terror on all her inhabitants! + Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall, and the coastlands that are on the sea are dismayed at your passing.' + "For thus says the Lord GOD: When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you, + then I will make you go down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you to dwell in the world below, among ruins from of old, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set beauty in the land of the living. + I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more. Though you be sought for, you will never be found again, declares the Lord GOD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre, + and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrances to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord GOD: "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.' + Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders made perfect your beauty. + They made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. + Of oaks of Bashan they made your oars; they made your deck of pines from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory. + Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail, serving as your banner; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was your awning. + The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you; they were your pilots. + The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you, caulking your seams; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to barter for your wares. + "Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. + Men of Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they made perfect your beauty. + "Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares. + Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. + From Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares. + The men of Dedan traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony. + Syria did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and ruby. + Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm. + Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and wool of Sahar + and casks of wine from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise. + Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. + Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you. + The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold. + Haran, Canneh, Eden, traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. + In your market these traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure. + The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas. + "Your rowers have brought you out into the high seas. The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas. + Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your crew that is in your midst, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall. + At the sound of the cry of your pilots the countryside shakes, + and down from their ships come all who handle the oar. The mariners and all the pilots of the sea stand on the land + and shout aloud over you and cry out bitterly. They cast dust on their heads and wallow in ashes; + they make themselves bald for you and put sackcloth on their waist, and they weep over you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. + In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you and lament over you: 'Who is like Tyre, like one destroyed in the midst of the sea? + When your wares came from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. + Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you. + All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and the hair of their kings bristles with horror; their faces are convulsed. + The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.'" + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god- + you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; + by your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; + by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth- + therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, + therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. + They shall thrust you down into the pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas. + Will you still say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you, though you are but a man, and no god, in the hands of those who slay you? + You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD." + Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. + You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. + You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. + You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. + In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. + Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. + By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. + All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever." + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her + and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, and I will manifest my glory in your midst. And they shall know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments in her and manifest my holiness in her; + for I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets; and the slain shall fall in her midst, by the sword that is against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + "And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. + And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God." + + + In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; + speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, 'My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.' + I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales. + And I will cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your streams; you shall fall on the open field, and not be brought together or gathered. To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens I give you as food. + Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD. "Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel; + when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, + and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said, 'The Nile is mine, and I made it,' + therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. + No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. + And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, + and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. + It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. + And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD." + In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. + I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord GOD. + "On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Wail, 'Alas for the day!' + For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. + A sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Cush, when the slain fall in Egypt, and her wealth is carried away, and her foundations are torn down. + Cush, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya, and the people of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. + "Thus says the LORD: Those who support Egypt shall fall, and her proud might shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within her by the sword, declares the Lord GOD. + And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries, and their cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste. + Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have set fire to Egypt, and all her helpers are broken. + "On that day messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting people of Cush, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom; for, behold, it comes! + "Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. + He and his people with him, the most ruthless of nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land, and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. + And I will dry up the Nile and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it, by the hand of foreigners; I am the LORD; I have spoken. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis; there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt; so I will put fear in the land of Egypt. + I will make Pathros a desolation and will set fire to Zoan and will execute judgments on Thebes. + And I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the multitude of Thebes. + And I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium shall be in great agony; Thebes shall be breached, and Memphis shall face enemies by day. + The young men of On and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword, and the women shall go into captivity. + At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark, when I break there the yoke bars of Egypt, and her proud might shall come to an end in her; she shall be covered by a cloud, and her daughters shall go into captivity. + Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. + I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries. + And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded. + I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. + And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness? + Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds. + The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. + So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. + All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. + It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. + The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no tree in the garden of God was its equal in beauty. + I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, + I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. + Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it. + On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field. + All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day the cedar went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it, and restrained its rivers, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. + I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the world below. + They also went down to Sheol with it, to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were its arm, who lived under its shadow among the nations. + "Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD." + + + In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: "You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers. + Thus says the Lord GOD: I will throw my net over you with a host of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my dragnet. + And I will cast you on the ground; on the open field I will fling you, and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you, and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you. + I will strew your flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass. + I will drench the land even to the mountains with your flowing blood, and the ravines will be full of you. + When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. + All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord GOD. + "I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries that you have not known. + I will make many peoples appalled at you, and the hair of their kings shall bristle with horror because of you, when I brandish my sword before them. They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. + I will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them most ruthless of nations. "They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt, and all its multitude shall perish. + I will destroy all its beasts from beside many waters; and no foot of man shall trouble them anymore, nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them. + Then I will make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil, declares the Lord GOD. + When I make the land of Egypt desolate, and when the land is desolate of all that fills it, when I strike down all who dwell in it, then they will know that I am the LORD. + This is a lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord GOD." + In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit: + 'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.' + They shall fall amid those who are slain by the sword. Egypt is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and all her multitudes. + The mighty chiefs shall speak of them, with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: 'They have come down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.' + "Assyria is there, and all her company, its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, + whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living. + "Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. + They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain. + "Meshech-Tubal is there, and all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living. + And they do not lie with the mighty, the fallen from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose iniquities are upon their bones; for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. + But as for you, you shall be broken and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. + "Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit. + "The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. + "When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD. + For I spread terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, + and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, + then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. + He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. + But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. + "So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. + If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. + But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. + "And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: 'Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?' + Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? + "And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. + Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. + Again, though I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, + if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. + None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. + "Yet your people say, 'The way of the Lord is not just,' when it is their own way that is not just. + When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. + And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by them. + Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways." + In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city has been struck down." + Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.' + Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? + You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? + Say this to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence. + And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. + Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed. + "As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.' + And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. + And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. + When this comes- and come it will!- then they will know that a prophet has been among them." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? + You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. + The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. + So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. + My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. + "Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: + As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, + therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: + Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. + "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. + As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. + And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. + I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. + I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. + I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. + "As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. + Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? + And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet? + "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. + Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, + I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. + And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. + And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. + "I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. + And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. + And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. + They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. + And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. + And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. + And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, + and say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a waste. + I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD. + Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment, + therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you. + I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation, and I will cut off from it all who come and go. + And I will fill its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain with the sword shall fall. + I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities shall not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + "Because you said, 'These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them'- although the LORD was there- + therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will deal with you according to the anger and envy that you showed because of your hatred against them. And I will make myself known among them, when I judge you. + And you shall know that I am the LORD. "I have heard all the revilings that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They are laid desolate; they are given us to devour.' + And you magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and multiplied your words against me; I heard it. + Thus says the Lord GOD: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. + As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + + + "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. + Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy said of you, 'Aha!' and, 'The ancient heights have become our possession,' + therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Precisely because they made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became the talk and evil gossip of the people, + therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and the hills, the ravines and the valleys, the desolate wastes and the deserted cities, which have become a prey and derision to the rest of the nations all around, + therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Surely I have spoken in my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave my land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, that they might make its pasturelands a prey. + Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the reproach of the nations. + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach. + "But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. + For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. + And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. + And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. + I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of children. + Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, 'You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,' + therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord GOD. + And I will not let you hear anymore the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord GOD." + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. + So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. + I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. + But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.' + But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. + "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. + And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. + I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. + I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. + And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. + And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. + You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. + And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. + I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. + Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. + It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. + And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. + And they will say, 'This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.' + Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the LORD; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. + Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD." + + + The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. + And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. + And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." + Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. + Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. + And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD." + So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. + And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. + Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." + So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. + Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.' + Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. + And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. + And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.' + And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. + And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?' + say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. + When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, + then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. + And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. + They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. + "My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. + They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. + I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. + My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. + Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." + + + The word of the LORD came to me: + "Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him + and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. + And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. + Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; + Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes- many peoples are with you. + "Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. + After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. + You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme + and say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,' + to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. + Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, 'Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?' + "Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? + You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. + You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? + But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my wrath will be roused in my anger. + For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. + The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. + I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. + With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. + So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD. + + + "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. + And I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel. + Then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. + You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. + You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. + I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the LORD. + "And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. + Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken. + "Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bow and arrows, clubs and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, + so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons. They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord GOD. + "On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. + For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. + All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord GOD. + They will set apart men to travel through the land regularly and bury those travelers remaining on the face of the land, so as to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make their search. + And when these travel through the land and anyone sees a human bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. + (Hamonah is also the name of the city.) Thus shall they cleanse the land. + "As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. + You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth- of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. + And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. + And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,' declares the Lord GOD. + "And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. + The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward. + And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. + I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them. + "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. + They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, + when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. + Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. + And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD." + + + In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city. + In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. + When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. + And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel." + And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. + Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep. + And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. + Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. + Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. + And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. + Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. + There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. + Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other. + He measured also the vestibule, twenty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court. + From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. + And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees. + Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement. + And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. + Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side. + As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. + Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. + And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. + And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. + Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. + And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. + Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. + Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. + Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps. + Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. + Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. + Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others. + Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. + Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. + There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate, where the burnt offering was to be washed. + And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered. + And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. + Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter. + And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. + And hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid. + On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south gate facing north. + And he said to me, This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, + and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to him. + And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple. + Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate were three cubits on either side. + The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps. And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side. + + + Then he brought me to the nave and measured the jambs. On each side six cubits was the breadth of the jambs. + And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sidewalls of the entrance were five cubits on either side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits. + Then he went into the inner room and measured the jambs of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the sidewalls on either side of the entrance, seven cubits. + And he measured the length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across the nave. And he said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place." + Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits thick, and the breadth of the side chambers, four cubits, all around the temple. + And the side chambers were in three stories, one over another, thirty in each story. There were offsets all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side chambers, so that they should not be supported by the wall of the temple. + And it became broader as it wound upward to the side chambers, because the temple was enclosed upward all around the temple. Thus the temple had a broad area upwards, and so one went up from the lowest story to the top story through the middle story. + I saw also that the temple had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers measured a full reed of six long cubits. + The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. The free space between the side chambers of the temple and the + other chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side. + And the doors of the side chambers opened on the free space, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south. And the breadth of the free space was five cubits all around. + The building that was facing the separate yard on the west side was seventy cubits broad, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits. + Then he measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; and the yard and the building with its walls, a hundred cubits long; + also the breadth of the east front of the temple and the yard, a hundred cubits. + Then he measured the length of the building facing the yard that was at the back and its galleries on either side, a hundred cubits. The inside of the nave and the vestibules of the court, + the thresholds and the narrow windows and the galleries all around the three of them, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, from the floor up to the windows (now the windows were covered), + to the space above the door, even to the inner room, and on the outside. And on all the walls all around, inside and outside, was a measured pattern. + It was carved of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Every cherub had two faces: + a human face toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple all around. + From the floor to above the door, cherubim and palm trees were carved; similarly the wall of the nave. + The doorposts of the nave were squared, and in front of the Holy Place was something resembling + an altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, "This is the table that is before the LORD." + The nave and the Holy Place had each a double door. + The double doors had two leaves apiece, two swinging leaves for each door. + And on the doors of the nave were carved cherubim and palm trees, such as were carved on the walls. And there was a canopy of wood in front of the vestibule outside. + And there were narrow windows and palm trees on either side, on the sidewalls of the vestibule, the side chambers of the temple, and the canopies. + + + Then he led me out into the outer court, toward the north, and he brought me to the chambers that were opposite the separate yard and opposite the building on the north. + The length of the building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty cubits. + Facing the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court, and facing the pavement that belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. + And before the chambers was a passage inward, ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long, and their doors were on the north. + Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. + For they were in three stories, and they had no pillars like the pillars of the courts. Thus the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and the middle ones. + And there was a wall outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers, fifty cubits long. + For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those opposite the nave were a hundred cubits long. + Below these chambers was an entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court. + In the thickness of the wall of the court, on the south also, opposite the yard and opposite the building, there were chambers + with a passage in front of them. They were similar to the chambers on the north, of the same length and breadth, with the same exits and arrangements and doors, + as were the entrances of the chambers on the south. There was an entrance at the beginning of the passage, the passage before the corresponding wall on the east as one enters them. + Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers opposite the yard are the holy chambers, where the priests who approach the LORD shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall put the most holy offerings- the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, for the place is holy. + When the priests enter the Holy Place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court without laying there the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They shall put on other garments before they go near to that which is for the people." + Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate that faced east, and measured the temple area all around. + He measured the east side with the measuring reed, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around. + He measured the north side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around. + He measured the south side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed. + Then he turned to the west side and measured, 500 cubits by the measuring reed. + He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, 500 cubits long and 500 cubits broad, to make a separation between the holy and the common. + + + Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. + And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. + And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. + As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, + the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. + While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, + and he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, + by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. + Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever. + "As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. + And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out. + This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple. + "These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): its base shall be one cubit high and one cubit broad, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this shall be the height of the altar: + from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; + and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns. + The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad. + The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad, with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit all around. The steps of the altar shall face east." + And he said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it, + you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord GOD, a bull from the herd for a sin offering. + And you shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the rim all around. Thus you shall purify the altar and make atonement for it. + You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside the sacred area. + And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and the altar shall be purified, as it was purified with the bull. + When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. + You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. + For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. + Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it. + And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD." + + + Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. + And the LORD said to me, "This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. + Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way." + Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. And I fell on my face. + And the LORD said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall tell you concerning all the statutes of the temple of the LORD and all its laws. And mark well the entrance to the temple and all the exits from the sanctuary. + And say to the rebellious house, to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, enough of all your abominations, + in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations. + And you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep my charge for you in my sanctuary. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. + But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment. + They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. + Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their punishment. + They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. + Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it. + "But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord GOD. + They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge. + When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments. They shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within. + They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments around their waists. They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat. + And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers. And they shall put on other garments, lest they communicate holiness to the people with their garments. + They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads. + No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. + They shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. + They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. + In a dispute, they shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall keep my Sabbaths holy. + They shall not defile themselves by going near to a dead person. However, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves. + After he has become clean, they shall count seven days for him. + And on the day that he goes into the Holy Place, into the inner court, to minister in the Holy Place, he shall offer his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD. + "This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. + They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. + And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, that a blessing may rest on your house. + The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by wild animals. + + + "When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. + Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. + And from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, in which shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. + It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the LORD to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. + Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in. + "Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel. + "And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary + of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord GOD. + "You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. + The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. + The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina. + "This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, + and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths). + And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord GOD. + All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel. + It shall be the prince's duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary. + The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. + You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple. + "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. + On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. + And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. + And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil to each ephah. + In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil. + + + "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. + The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. + The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. + The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. + And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. + On the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish. + As a grain offering he shall provide an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. + When the prince enters, he shall enter by the vestibule of the gate, and he shall go out by the same way. + "When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead. + When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out. + "At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering with a young bull shall be an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as one is able to give, together with a hin of oil to an ephah. + When the prince provides a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall offer his burnt offering or his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out the gate shall be shut. + "You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. + And you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, one sixth of an ephah, and one third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour, as a grain offering to the LORD. This is a perpetual statute. + Thus the lamb and the meal offering and the oil shall be provided, morning by morning, for a regular burnt offering. + "Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance. + But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance- it shall belong to his sons. + The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their property. He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people shall be scattered from his property." + Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, to the north row of the holy chambers for the priests, and behold, a place was there at the extreme western end of them. + And he said to me, "This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, in order not to bring them out into the outer court and so communicate holiness to the people." + Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me around to the four corners of the court. And behold, in each corner of the court there was another court- + in the four corners of the court were small courts, forty cubits long and thirty broad; the four were of the same size. + On the inside, around each of the four courts was a row of masonry, with hearths made at the bottom of the rows all around. + Then he said to me, "These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people." + + + Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. + Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. + Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. + Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. + Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. + And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. + As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. + And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. + And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. + Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to En-eglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. + But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. + And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing." + Thus says the Lord GOD: "This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. + And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance. + "This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad, + Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. + So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side. + "On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Da mascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side. + "On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side. + "On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side. + "So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. + You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. + In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD. + + + "These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion. + "Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it. + The portion that you shall set apart for the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000 in breadth. + These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the LORD in the midst of it. + This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did. + And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites. + And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000. + They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the LORD. + "The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, + and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500. + And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. + The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. + And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. + The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city. + "What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst. + It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin. + "As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion. + Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion. + And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. + This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord GOD. + "These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, + three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. + On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. + On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. + On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. + The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD is there." + + + + + In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. + And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. + Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, + youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. + The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. + Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. + And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. + But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. + And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, + and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." + Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, + "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. + Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." + So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. + At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. + So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. + As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. + At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. + And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. + And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. + And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. + + + In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. + Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. + And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream." + Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." + The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. + But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." + They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation." + The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm- + if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation." + The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. + The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." + Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. + So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. + Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. + He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, "Why is the decree of the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. + And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. + Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, + and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. + Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. + Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. + He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; + he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. + To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter." + Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him, "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation." + Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: "I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation." + The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?" + Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, + but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: + To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. + But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. + "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. + The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, + its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. + As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. + Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. + "This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. + You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, + and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all- you are the head of gold. + Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. + And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. + And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. + And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. + As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. + And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, + just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure." + Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. + The king answered and said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery." + Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. + Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. + Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + And the herald proclaimed aloud, "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, + that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. + And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace." + Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. + Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. + They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! + You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. + And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. + There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." + Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. + Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? + Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" + Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. + If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. + But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." + Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. + And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. + Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. + Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. + And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. + Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." + He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." + Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. + And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. + Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. + Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way." + Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. + + + King Nebuchadnezzar to all peo- ples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! + It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. + How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. + I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. + I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. + So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. + Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. + At last Daniel came in before me- he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods- and I told him the dream, saying, + "O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. + The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. + The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. + Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. + "I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. + He proclaimed aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. + But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. + Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. + The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.' + This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you." + Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! + The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, + whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived- + it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. + And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,' + this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, + that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. + And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. + Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." + All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. + At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, + and the king answered and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" + While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, + and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will." + Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. + At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; + all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" + At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. + Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. + + + King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. + Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. + Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. + They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. + Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. + Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. + The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." + Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. + Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. + The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. + There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father- your father the king- made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, + because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation." + Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. + I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. + Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. + But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." + Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. + O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. + And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. + But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. + He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. + And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, + but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. + "Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. + And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. + This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; + TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; + PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." + Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. + That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. + And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. + + + It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; + and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. + Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. + Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. + Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God." + Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever! + All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. + Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked." + Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. + When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. + Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. + Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." + Then they answered and said before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day." + Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. + Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed." + Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!" + And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. + Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. + Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. + As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" + Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! + My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." + Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. + And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions- they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. + Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you. + I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. + He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions." + So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. + + + In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. + Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. + And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. + The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. + And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.' + After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. + After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. + I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. + As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. + A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. + I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. + As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. + I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. + And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. + "As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. + I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. + 'These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. + But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.' + "Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, + and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. + As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, + until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. + "Thus he said: 'As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. + As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. + He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. + But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. + And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.' + "Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart." + + + In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. + And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the capital, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. + I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. + I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. + As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. + He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. + I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. + Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. + Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. + It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. + It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. + And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. + Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, "For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?" + And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state." + When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. + And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision." + So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end." + And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. + He said, "Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. + As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. + And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. + As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. + And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. + His power shall be great- but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. + By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken- but by no human hand. + The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now." + And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. + + + In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans- + in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. + Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. + I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, + we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. + We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. + To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. + To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. + To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him + and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. + All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. + He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. + As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. + Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. + And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. + "O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. + Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. + O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. + O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name." + While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, + while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. + He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, "O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. + At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. + "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. + Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. + And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. + And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator." + + + In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. + In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. + I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. + On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river ( that is, the Tigris) + I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. + His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. + And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. + So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. + Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. + And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. + And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. + Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. + The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, + and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come." + When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. + And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, "O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. + How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me." + Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. + And he said, "O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage." And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." + Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. + But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. + + + And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. + "And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. + Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. + And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. + "Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. + After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. + "And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. + He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. + Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. + "His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. + Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight with the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. + And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. + For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. + "In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. + Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. + But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. + He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. + Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. + Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. + "Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. + In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. + Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. + And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. + Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. + And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. + Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. + And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. + And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. + "At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. + For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. + Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. + He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. + And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. + When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, + and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. + "And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. + He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. + He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. + He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. + "At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. + He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. + He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. + He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. + But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. + And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. + + + "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. + And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. + And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. + But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." + Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. + And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" + And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. + I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?" + He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. + Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. + And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. + Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. + But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days." + + + + + The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. + When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." + So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. + And the LORD said to him, "Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. + And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel." + She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. + But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen." + When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. + And the LORD said, "Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God." + Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." + And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel. + + + Say to your brothers, "You are my people," and to your sisters, "You have received mercy." + "Plead with your mother, plead- for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband- that she put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts; + lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a parched land, and kill her with thirst. + Upon her children also I will have no mercy, because they are children of whoredom. + For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.' + Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. + She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.' + And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. + Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness. + Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand. + And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts. + And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, 'These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.' I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them. + And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD. + "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. + And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. + "And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.' + For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. + And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. + And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. + I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. + "And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, + and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, + and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people'; and he shall say, 'You are my God.'" + + + And the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins." + So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. + And I said to her, "You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you." + For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. + Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days. + + + Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; + there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. + Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. + Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. + You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. + My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. + The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. + They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. + And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. + They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish + whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding. + My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore. + They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery. + I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. + Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and swear not, "As the LORD lives." + Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? + Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. + When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; their rulers dearly love shame. + A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. + + + Hear this, O priests! Pay attention, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment is for you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor. + And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter, but I will discipline all of them. + I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore; Israel is defiled. + Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the LORD. + The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt; Judah also shall stumble with them. + With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them. + They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD; for they have borne alien children. Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields. + Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; we follow you, O Benjamin! + Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. + The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water. + Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to go after filth. + But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah. + When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound. + For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. + I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. + + + "Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. + After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. + Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth." + What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. + Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. + For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. + But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me. + Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with blood. + As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together; they murder on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy. + In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim's whoredom is there; Israel is defiled. + For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore the fortunes of my people. + + + When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria; for they deal falsely; the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid outside. + But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face. + By their evil they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery. + They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. + On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers. + For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. + All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me. + Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. + Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not. + The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him, for all this. + Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria. + As they go, I will spread over them my net; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens; I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation. + Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me. + They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves; they rebel against me. + Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me. + They return, but not upwards; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. + + + Set the trumpet to your lips!One like a vulture is over the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant and rebelled against my law. + To me they cry, My God, we- Israel- know you. + Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him. + They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction. + I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? + For it is from Israel; a craftsman made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces. + For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no flour; if it were to yield, strangers would devour it. + Israel is swallowed up; already they are among the nations as a useless vessel. + For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers. + Though they hire allies among the nations, I will soon gather them up. And the king and princes shall soon writhe because of the tribute. + Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning. + Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing. + As for my sacrificial offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt. + For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; so I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds. + + + Rejoice not, O Israel!Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors. + Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. + They shall not remain in the land of the LORD, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. + They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners' bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD. + What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the LORD? + For behold, they are going away from destruction; but Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver; thorns shall be in their tents. + The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. + The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. + They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. + Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved. + Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird- no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! + Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them! + Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow; but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. + Give them, O LORD- what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. + Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. + Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death. + My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations. + + + Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars. + Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and destroy their pillars. + For now they will say: "We have no king, for we do not fear the LORD; and a king- what could he do for us?" + They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. + The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests- those who rejoiced over it and over its glory- for it has departed from them. + The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol. + Samaria's king shall perish like a twig on the face of the waters. + The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us. + From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah? + When I please, I will discipline them, and nations shall be gathered against them when they are bound up for their double iniquity. + Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will put Ephraim to the yoke; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself. + Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. + You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your warriors, + therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle; mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. + Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great evil. At dawn the king of Israel shall be utterly cut off. + + + When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. + The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. + Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. + I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. + They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. + The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates, and devour them because of their own counsels. + My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all. + How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. + I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. + They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; + they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD. + Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One. + + + Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. + The LORD has an indictment against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways; he will repay him according to his deeds. + In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God. + He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He met God at Bethel, and there God spoke with us- + the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD is his memorial name: + "So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God." + A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress. + Ephraim has said, "Ah, but I am rich; I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin." + I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast. + I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions, and through the prophets gave parables. + If there is iniquity in Gilead, they shall surely come to nothing: in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls; their altars also are like stone heaps on the furrows of the field. + Jacob fled to the land of Aram; there Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep. + By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was guarded. + Ephraim has given bitter provocation; so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds. + + + When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel, but he incurred guilt through Baal and died. + And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images, idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of them, "Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!" + Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window. + But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior. + It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; + but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. + So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way. + I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open. + He destroys you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper. + Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are all your rulers- those of whom you said, "Give me a king and princes"? + I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath. + The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is kept in store. + The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for at the right time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb. + Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. + Though he may flourish among his brothers, the east wind, the wind of the LORD, shall come, rising from the wilderness, and his fountain shall dry up; his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing. + Samaria shall bear her guilt, because she has rebelled against her God; they shall fall by the sword; their little ones shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open. + + + Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. + Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. + Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, 'Our God,' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy." + I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. + I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; + his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. + They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. + O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit. + Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. + + + + + The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: + Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? + Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation. + What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. + Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. + For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number; its teeth are lions' teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness. + It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white. + Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth. + The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the LORD. The priests mourn, the ministers of the LORD. + The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes. + Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. + The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man. + Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. + Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. + Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. + Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? + The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up. + How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer. + To you, O LORD, I call. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. + Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. + + + Blow a trumpet in Zion;sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, + a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. + Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. + Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. + As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. + Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. + Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. + They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. + They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. + The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. + The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it? + "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; + and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. + Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? + Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; + gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. + Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" + Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. + The LORD answered and said to his people, "Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. + "I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. + "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! + Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. + "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. + "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. + I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. + "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. + You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. + "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. + Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. + "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. + The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. + And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. + + + "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, + I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, + and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it. + "What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. + For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. + You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. + Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. + I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the LORD has spoken." + Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. + Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am a warrior." + Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD. + Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. + Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. + Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. + The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. + The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. + "So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. + "And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim. + "Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. + But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. + I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion." + + + + + The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. + And he said: "The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers." + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. + So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. + I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir," says the LORD. + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom. + So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds. + I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish," says the Lord GOD. + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. + So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds." + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. + So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah." + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. + So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; + and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together," says the LORD. + + + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. + So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; + I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes with him," says the LORD. + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. + So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem." + Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals- + those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; + they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined. + "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. + Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. + And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?" declares the LORD. + "But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, 'You shall not prophesy.' + "Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down. + Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life; + he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life; + and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," declares the LORD. + + + Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: + "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. + "Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? + Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? + Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? + Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? + "For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. + The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?" + Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst." + "They do not know how to do right," declares the LORD, "those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds." + Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary shall surround the land and bring down your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered." + Thus says the LORD: "As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed. + "Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob," declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, + "that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. + I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end," declares the LORD. + + + "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!' + The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. + And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon," declares the LORD. + "Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; + offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!" declares the Lord GOD. + "I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. + "I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; + so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. + "I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. + "I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. + "I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. + "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" + For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth- the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name! + + + Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: + "Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up." + For thus says the Lord GOD: "The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel." + For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; + but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing." + Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, + O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! + He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name; + who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. + They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. + Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. + For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins- you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. + Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. + Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. + Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. + Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: "In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, 'Alas! Alas!' They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation, + and in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through your midst," says the LORD. + Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light, + as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. + Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? + "I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. + Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. + Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. + But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. + "Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? + You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god- your images that you made for yourselves, + and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. + + + "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! + Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, + O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? + "Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, + who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, + who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! + Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away." + The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it." + And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. + And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, "Is there still anyone with you?" he shall say, "No"; and he shall say, "Silence! We must not mention the name of the LORD." + For behold, the LORD commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits. + Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood- + you who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, "Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?" + "For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel," declares the LORD, the God of hosts; "and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah." + + + This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. + When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, "O Lord GOD, please forgive! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" + The LORD relented concerning this; "It shall not be," said the LORD. + This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. + Then I said, "O Lord GOD, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" + The LORD relented concerning this; "This also shall not be," said the Lord GOD. + This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. + And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; + the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." + Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. + For thus Amos has said, "' Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'" + And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, + but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." + Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. + But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' + Now therefore hear the word of the LORD. "You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.' + Therefore thus says the LORD: "' Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'" + + + This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. + And he said, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me, "The end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass by them. + The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day," declares the Lord GOD. "So many dead bodies!" "They are thrown everywhere!" "Silence!" + Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, + saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, + that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?" + The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. + Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who dwells in it, and all of it rise like the Nile, and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?" + "And on that day," declares the Lord GOD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. + I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. + "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. + They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it. + "In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst. + Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria, and say, 'As your god lives, O Dan,' and, 'As the Way of Beersheba lives,' they shall fall, and never rise again." + + + I saw the LORD standing beside the altar, and he said: "Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape. + "If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. + If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. + And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good." + The Lord GOD of hosts, he who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn, and all of it rises like the Nile, and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt; + who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth- the LORD is his name. + "Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir? + Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD. + "For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. + All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, 'Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.' + "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, + that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name," declares the LORD who does this. + "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. + I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. + I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them," says the LORD your God. + + + + + The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: "Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!" + Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. + The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to the ground?" + Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD. + If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night- how you have been destroyed!- would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? + How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out! + All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you; they have prevailed against you; those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you- you have no understanding. + Will I not on that day, declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau? + And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter. + Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. + On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. + But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. + Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. + Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. + For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. + For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. + But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. + The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken. + Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. + The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. + Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's. + + + + + Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, + "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." + But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. + But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. + Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. + So the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish." + And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. + Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" + And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." + Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. + Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. + He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you." + Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. + Therefore they called out to the LORD, "O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you." + So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. + Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. + And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. + + + Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, + saying, "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. + For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. + Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; Yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.' + The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head + at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. + When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. + Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. + But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!" + And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. + + + Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, + "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." + So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. + Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" + And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. + The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. + And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, + but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. + Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish." + When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. + + + But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. + And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. + Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." + And the LORD said, "Do you do well to be angry?" + Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. + Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. + But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. + When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." + But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." + And the LORD said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. + And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" + + + + + The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. + Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. + For behold, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. + And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. + All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? + Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. + All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return. + For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches. + For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. + Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust. + Pass on your way, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out; the lamentation of Beth-ezel shall take away from you its standing place. + For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good, because disaster has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem. + Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. + Therefore you shall give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel. + I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. + Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of your delight; make yourselves as bald as the eagle, for they shall go from you into exile. + + + Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. + They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. + Therefore thus says the LORD: behold, against this family I am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster. + In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say, "We are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how he removes it from me! To an apostate he allots our fields." + Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the LORD. + "Do not preach"- thus they preach- "one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us." + Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Has the LORD grown impatient? Are these his deeds? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly? + But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war. + The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever. + Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction. + If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, "I will preach to you of wine and strong drink," he would be the preacher for this people! + I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men. + He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king passes on before them, the LORD at their head. + + + And I said:Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?- + you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people and their flesh from off their bones, + who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron. + Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil. + Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. + Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; + the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. + But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. + Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, + who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. + Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us." + Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height. + + + It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, + and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. + He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; + but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. + For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. + In that day, declares the LORD, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted; + and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. + And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. + Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? + Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. + Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, "Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion." + But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor. + Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; and shall devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth. + + + Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. + But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. + Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. + And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. + And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; + they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. + Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man. + And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. + Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. + And in that day, declares the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; + and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds; + and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes; + and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; + and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. + And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. + + + Hear what the LORD says:Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. + Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. + "O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! + For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. + O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD." + "With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? + Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" + He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? + The voice of the LORD cries to the city- and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: "Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it! + Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? + Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? + Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. + Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins. + You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. + You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine. + For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people." + + + Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. + The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. + Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. + The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. + Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; + for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. + But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. + Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. + I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. + Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets. + A day for the building of your walls! In that day the boundary shall be far extended. + In that day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. + But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds. + Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. + As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things. + The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; + they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall be in fear of you. + Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. + He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. + You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. + + + + + An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh. + The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. + The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. + He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. + The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. + Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. + The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. + But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. + What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time. + For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink; they are consumed like stubble fully dried. + From you came one who plotted evil against the LORD, a worthless counselor. + Thus says the LORD, "Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. + And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart." + The LORD has given commandment about you: "No more shall your name be perpetuated; from the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave, for you are vile." + Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off. + + + The scatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; dress for battle; collect all your strength. + For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches. + The shield of his mighty men is red; his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots come with flashing metal on the day he musters them; the cypress spears are brandished. + The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning. + He remembers his officers; they stumble as they go, they hasten to the wall; the siege tower is set up. + The river gates are opened; the palace melts away; + its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts. + Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry, but none turns back. + Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things. + Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale! + Where is the lions' den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to disturb? + The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh. + Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. + + + Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder- no end to the prey! + The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! + Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end- they stumble over the bodies! + And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. + Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. + I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. + And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her? Where shall I seek comforters for you? + Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall? + Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers. + Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains. + You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy. + All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs- if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. + Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. + Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold! + There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper! + You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away. + Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold- when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. + Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them. + There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil? + + + + + The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. + O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? + Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. + So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. + "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. + For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. + They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. + Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. + They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. + At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. + Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!" + Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. + You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? + You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. + He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. + Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. + Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? + + + I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. + And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. + For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end- it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. + "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. + "Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples." + Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, "Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own- for how long?- and loads himself with pledges!" + Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. + Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. + "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! + You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. + For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. + "Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! + Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? + For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. + "Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink- you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! + You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD'S right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory! + The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. + "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! + Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. + But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him." + + + A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. + O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. + God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. Selah + His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power. + Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels. + He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways. + I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. + Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation? + You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers. + The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. + The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear. + You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger. + You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah + You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. + You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters. + I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. + Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, + yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. + GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. + + + + + The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. + "I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. + "I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. + "I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, + those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, + those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him." + Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. + And on the day of the LORD's sacrifice- "I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire. + On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master's house with violence and fraud. + "On that day," declares the LORD, "a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills. + Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off. + At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.' + Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them." + The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. + A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, + a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. + I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. + Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. + + + Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation, + before the decree takes effect- before the day passes away like chaff- before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD. + Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD. + For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. + Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left. + And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks. + The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. + "I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory. + Therefore, as I live," declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them." + This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts. + The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. + You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. + And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert. + Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts; even the owl and the hedgehog shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare. + This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is no one else." What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist. + + + Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! + She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. + Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning. + Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law. + The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. + "I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant. + I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.' But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. + "Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. + "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord. + From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. + "On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. + But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, + those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." + Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! + The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. + On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. + The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. + I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. + Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. + At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says the LORD. + + + + + In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD." + Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, + "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? + Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. + You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. + Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. + You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. + Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. + And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors." + Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. + Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD's message, "I am with you, declares the LORD." + And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, + on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. + + + In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, + "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, + 'Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? + Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, + according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. + For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. + And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. + The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. + The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'" + On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: + 'If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'" The priests answered and said, "No." + Then Haggai said, "If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?" The priests answered and said, "It does become unclean." + Then Haggai answered and said, "So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. + Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD, + how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. + I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the LORD. + Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider: + Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you." + The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, + "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, + and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. + On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts." + + + + + In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, + "The LORD was very angry with your fathers. + Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. + Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.' But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. + Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? + But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us." + On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, + "I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. + Then I said, 'What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.' + So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, 'These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.' + And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, 'We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.' + Then the angel of the LORD said, 'O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?' + And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. + So the angel who talked with me said to me, 'Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. + And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. + Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. + Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'" + And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! + And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" And he said to me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." + Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. + And I said, "What are these coming to do?" He said, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it." + + + And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! + Then I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length." + And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him + and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. + And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" + Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the LORD. + Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. + For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: + "Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. + Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. + And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. + And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem." + Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. + + + Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. + And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" + Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. + And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." + And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by. + And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. + Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. + For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. + In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree." + + + And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. + And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. + And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." + And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" + Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." + Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. + Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'" + Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, + "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. + For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth." + Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" + And a second time I answered and said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?" + He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." + Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth." + + + Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! + And he said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits." + Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. + I will send it out, declares the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones." + Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out." + And I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the basket that is going out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land." + And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! + And he said, "This is Wickedness." And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. + Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. + Then I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are they taking the basket?" + He said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base." + + + Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. + The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, + the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses- all of them strong. + Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" + And the angel answered and said to me, "These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the LORD of all the earth. + The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country." + When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth. + Then he cried to me, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country." + And the word of the LORD came to me: + "Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. + Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. + And say to him, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. + It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."' + And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. + "And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God." + + + In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. + Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, + saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" + Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: + "Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? + And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? + Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?" + And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, + do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart." + But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. + They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. + "As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the LORD of hosts, + "and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate." + + + And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. + Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. + Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. + And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. + Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? + Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, + and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness." + Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. + For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. + But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. + For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. + And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong." + For thus says the LORD of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, + so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. + These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; + do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD." + And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. + "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. + The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' + Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. + Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" + + + The burden of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel, + and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. + Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets. + But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. + Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; + a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia. + I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. + Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes. + Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. + I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. + As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. + Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. + For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword. + Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. + The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. + On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. + For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women. + + + Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. + For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. + "My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. + From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler- all of them together. + They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. + "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. + Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. + "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. + Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. + I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them. + He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. + I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name," declares the LORD. + + + Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars! + Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled! + The sound of the wail of the shepherds, for their glory is ruined! The sound of the roar of the lions, for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined! + Thus said the LORD my God: "Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. + Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,' and their own shepherds have no pity on them. + For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand." + So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. + In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. + So I said, "I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another." + And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. + So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. + Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. + Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"- the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. + Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. + Then the LORD said to me, "Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. + For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. + "Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!" + + + The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: + "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. + On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. + On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. + Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.' + "On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. + "And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. + On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. + And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. + "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. + On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. + The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; + the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; + and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves. + + + "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. + "And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. + And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. + "On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, + but he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.' + And if one asks him, 'What are these wounds on your back?' he will say, 'The wounds I received in the house of my friends.' + "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. + In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. + And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" + + + Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. + For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. + Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. + On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. + And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. + On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. + And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. + On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. + And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. + The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. + And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. + And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. + And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. + Even Judah will fight against Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. + And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. + Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. + And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. + And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. + This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. + And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. + And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. + + + + + The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. + "I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have you loved us?" "Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved Jacob + but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert." + If Edom says, "We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins," the LORD of hosts says, "They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called 'the wicked country,' and 'the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.'" + Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, "Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!" + "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' + By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. + When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. + And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. + Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. + For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. + But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. + But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. + Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. + + + "And now, O priests, this command is for you. + If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. + Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. + So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. + My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. + True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. + For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. + But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, + and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction." + Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? + Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. + May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob, any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts! + And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. + But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. + Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. + "For the man who hates and divorces, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless." + You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?" + + + "Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. + But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. + He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. + Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. + "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. + "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. + From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, 'How shall we return?' + Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. + You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. + Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. + I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. + Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. + "Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, 'How have we spoken against you?' + You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? + And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'" + Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. + "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. + Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. + + + "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. + But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. + And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. + "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. + "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. + And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction." + + + + + The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. + Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, + and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, + and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, + and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, + and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, + and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, + and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, + and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, + and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, + and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. + And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, + and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, + and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, + and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, + and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. + So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. + Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. + And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. + But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. + She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." + All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: + "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). + When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, + but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. + + + Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, + saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." + When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; + and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. + They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: + "' And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" + Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. + And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." + After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. + When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. + And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. + And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. + Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." + And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt + and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son." + Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. + Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: + "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." + But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, + saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." + And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. + But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. + And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene." + + + In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, + "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." + For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight." + Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. + Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, + and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. + But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? + Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. + And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. + Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. + "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." + Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. + John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" + But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. + And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; + and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." + + + Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. + And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. + And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." + But he answered, "It is written, "' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" + Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple + and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "' He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" + Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" + Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. + And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." + Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "' You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" + Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. + Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. + And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, + so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: + "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles- + the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." + From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." + While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. + And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." + Immediately they left their nets and followed him. + And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. + Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. + And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. + So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. + And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. + + + Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. + And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: + "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. + "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. + "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. + "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. + "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. + "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. + "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. + "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. + "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. + Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. + "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. + "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. + Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. + In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. + "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. + For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. + Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. + For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. + "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' + But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. + So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, + leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. + Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. + Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. + "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' + But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. + If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. + And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. + "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' + But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. + "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' + But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, + or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. + And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. + Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. + "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' + But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. + And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. + And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. + Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. + "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' + But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, + so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. + For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? + And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? + You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. + + + "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. + "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. + But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, + so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. + "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. + But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. + "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. + Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. + Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. + Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. + Give us this day our daily bread, + and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. + And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. + For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, + but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. + "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. + But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, + that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. + "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, + but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. + For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. + "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, + but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! + "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. + "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? + Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? + And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? + And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, + yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. + But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? + Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' + For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. + But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. + "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. + + + "Judge not, that you be not judged. + For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. + Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? + Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? + You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. + "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. + "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. + For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. + Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? + Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? + If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! + "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. + "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. + For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. + "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. + You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? + So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. + A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. + Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. + Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. + "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. + On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' + And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' + "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. + And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. + And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. + And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." + And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, + for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. + + + When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. + And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." + And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. + And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them." + When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, + "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." + And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." + But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. + For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." + When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. + I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, + while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." + And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment. + And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. + He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. + That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. + This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases." + Now when Jesus saw a great crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. + And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." + And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." + Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." + And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." + And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. + And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. + And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." + And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. + And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" + And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. + And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" + Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. + And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." + And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. + The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. + And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. + + + And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. + And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." + And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." + But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? + For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? + But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"- he then said to the paralytic- "Rise, pick up your bed and go home." + And he rose and went home. + When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. + As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. + And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. + And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" + But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. + Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." + Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" + And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. + No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. + Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." + While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." + And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. + And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, + for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." + Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. + And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, + he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. + But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. + And the report of this went through all that district. + And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." + When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." + Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." + And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." + But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. + As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. + And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." + But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons." + And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. + When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. + Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; + therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." + + + And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. + The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; + Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; + Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. + These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, + but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. + And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' + Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. + Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, + no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. + And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. + As you enter the house, greet it. + And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. + And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. + Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. + "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. + Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, + and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. + When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. + For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. + Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, + and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. + When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. + "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. + It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. + "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. + What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. + And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. + Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. + But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. + Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. + So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, + but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. + "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. + For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. + And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. + Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. + And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. + Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. + "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. + The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. + And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." + + + When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. + Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples + and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" + And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: + the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. + And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." + As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? + What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. + What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. + This is he of whom it is written, "' Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' + Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. + From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. + For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, + and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. + He who has ears to hear, let him hear. + "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, + "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' + For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' + The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." + Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. + "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. + But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. + And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. + But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." + At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; + yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. + All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. + Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. + Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. + For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." + + + At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. + But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." + He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: + how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? + Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? + I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. + And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. + For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." + He went on from there and entered their synagogue. + And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"- so that they might accuse him. + He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? + Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." + Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. + But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. + Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all + and ordered them not to make him known. + This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: + "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. + He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; + a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; + and in his name the Gentiles will hope." + Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. + And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" + But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." + Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. + And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? + And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. + But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. + Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. + Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. + Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. + And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. + "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. + You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. + The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. + I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, + for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." + Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." + But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. + For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. + The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. + The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. + "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. + Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. + Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation." + While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. + + But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" + And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! + For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." + + + That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. + And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. + And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. + And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. + Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, + but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. + Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. + Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. + He who has ears, let him hear." + Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" + And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. + For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. + This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. + Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "' You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. + For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' + But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. + Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. + "Hear then the parable of the sower: + When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. + As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, + yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. + As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. + As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." + He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, + but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. + So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. + And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' + He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' + But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. + Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" + He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. + It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." + He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." + All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. + This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world." + Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." + He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. + The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, + and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. + Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. + The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, + and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. + "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. + "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, + who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. + "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. + When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. + So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous + and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." + And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." + And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, + and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? + Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? + And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" + And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." + And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. + + + At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, + and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." + For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, + because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." + And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. + But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, + so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. + Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter." + And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. + He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, + and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. + And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus. + Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. + When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. + Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." + But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." + They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." + And he said, "Bring them here to me." + Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. + And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. + And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. + Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. + And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, + but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. + And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. + But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. + But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." + And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." + He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. + But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." + Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" + And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. + And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." + And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. + And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick + and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. + + + Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, + "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." + He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? + For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' + But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, + he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. + You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: + "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; + in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" + And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: + it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." + Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" + He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. + Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." + But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us." + And he said, "Are you also still without understanding? + Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? + But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. + For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. + These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone." + And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. + And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." + But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." + He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." + But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." + And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." + She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." + Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. + Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. + And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, + so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. + Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." + And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?" + And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." + And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, + he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. + And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. + Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. + And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. + + + And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. + He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' + And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. + An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed. + When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. + Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread." + But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? + Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? + Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? + How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." + Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. + Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" + And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." + He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" + Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." + And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. + And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. + I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." + Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. + From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. + And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." + But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." + Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. + For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. + For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? + For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. + Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." + + + And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. + And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. + And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. + And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." + He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." + When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. + But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." + And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. + And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." + And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" + He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. + But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands." + Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. + And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, + said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. + And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." + And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." + And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. + Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" + He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." + + As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, + and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed. + When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?" + He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?" + And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. + However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself." + + + At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" + And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them + and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. + Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. + "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, + but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. + "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! + And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. + And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. + "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. + + What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? + And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. + So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. + "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. + But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. + If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. + Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. + Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. + For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." + Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" + Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. + "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. + When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. + And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. + So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' + And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. + But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' + So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' + He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. + When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. + Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. + And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' + And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. + So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." + + + Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. + And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. + And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" + He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, + and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? + So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." + They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" + He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. + And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." + The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." + But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. + For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." + Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, + but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." + And he laid his hands on them and went away. + And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" + And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." + He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, + Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." + The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" + Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." + When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. + And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. + Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." + When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" + But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." + Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" + Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. + But many who are first will be last, and the last first. + + + "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. + After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. + And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, + and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' + So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. + And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' + They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' + And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' + And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. + Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. + And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, + saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' + But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? + Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. + Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' + So the last will be first, and the first last." + And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, + "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death + and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." + Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. + And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." + Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." + He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." + And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. + But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. + It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, + and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, + even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." + And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. + And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" + The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" + And stopping, Jesus called them and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" + They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." + And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. + + + Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, + saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. + If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." + This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, + "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" + The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. + They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. + Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. + And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" + And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" + And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." + And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. + He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." + And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. + But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, + and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "' Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?" + And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. + In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. + And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once. + When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" + And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. + And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." + And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" + Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. + The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' + But if we say, 'From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet." + So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. + "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' + And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. + And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. + Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. + For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. + "Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. + When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. + And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. + Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. + Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' + But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' + And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. + When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" + They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." + Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "' The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? + Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. + And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." + When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. + And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. + + + And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, + "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, + and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. + Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' + But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, + while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. + The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. + Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. + Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' + And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. + "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. + And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. + Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' + For many are called, but few are chosen." + Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk. + And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. + Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" + But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? + Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. + And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" + They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." + When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. + The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, + saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.' + Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. + So too the second and third, down to the seventh. + After them all, the woman died. + In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her." + But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. + For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. + And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: + 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." + And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. + But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. + And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. + "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" + And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. + This is the great and first commandment. + And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. + On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." + Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, + saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." + He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, + "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'? + If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" + And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. + + + Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, + "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, + so practice and observe whatever they tell you- but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. + They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. + They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, + and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues + and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. + But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. + And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. + Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. + The greatest among you shall be your servant. + Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. + "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. + + Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. + "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' + You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? + And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' + You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? + So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. + And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. + And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. + You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. + You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. + So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. + "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, + saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' + Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. + Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. + You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? + Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, + so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. + Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. + "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! + See, your house is left to you desolate. + For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" + + + Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. + But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." + As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" + And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. + For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. + And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. + For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. + All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. + "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. + And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. + And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. + And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. + But the one who endures to the end will be saved. + And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. + "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), + then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. + Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, + and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. + And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! + Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. + For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. + And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. + Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. + For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. + See, I have told you beforehand. + So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. + For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. + Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. + "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. + Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. + And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. + "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. + So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. + Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. + Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. + "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. + As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. + For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, + and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. + Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. + Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. + Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. + But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. + Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. + "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? + Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. + Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. + But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' + and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, + the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know + and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. + + + "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. + Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. + For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, + but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. + As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. + But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' + Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. + And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' + But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' + And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. + Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' + But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' + Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. + "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. + To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. + He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. + So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. + But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. + Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. + And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' + His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' + And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' + His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' + He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, + so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' + But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? + Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. + So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. + For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. + And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' + "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. + Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. + And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. + Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. + For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, + I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' + Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? + And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? + And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' + And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' + "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. + For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, + I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' + Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' + Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' + And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." + + + When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, + "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." + Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, + and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. + But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people." + Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, + a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. + And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? + For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor." + But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. + For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. + In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. + Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." + Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests + and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. + And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. + Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" + He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" + And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. + When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. + And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." + And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" + He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. + The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." + Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so." + Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." + And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, + for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. + I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." + And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. + Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' + But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." + Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." + Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." + Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the disciples said the same. + Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." + And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. + Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." + And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." + And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? + Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." + Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." + And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. + So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. + Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. + Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand." + While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. + Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him." + And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him. + Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. + And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. + Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. + Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? + But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" + At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. + But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled. + Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. + And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. + Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, + but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward + and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'" + And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" + But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." + Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." + Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. + What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death." + Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, + saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?" + Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." + But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean." + And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." + And again he denied it with an oath: "I do not know the man." + After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you." + Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed. + And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. + + + When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. + And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. + Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, + saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." + And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. + But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money." + So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. + Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. + Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, + and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." + Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so." + But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. + Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" + But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. + Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. + And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. + So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" + For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. + Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." + Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. + The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." + Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" + And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" + So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." + And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" + Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. + Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. + And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, + and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" + And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. + And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. + As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. + And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), + they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. + And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. + Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. + And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." + Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. + And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads + and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." + So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, + "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. + He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" + And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. + Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. + And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" + And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." + And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. + But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." + And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. + And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. + The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, + and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. + When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" + There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, + among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. + When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. + He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. + And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud + and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. + Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. + Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate + and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' + Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." + Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." + So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. + + + Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. + And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. + His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. + And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. + But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. + He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. + Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." + So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. + And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. + Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." + While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. + And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers + and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' + And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." + So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. + Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. + And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. + And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. + Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, + teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." + + + + + The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. + As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, + the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." + John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. + And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. + Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. + And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. + I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." + In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. + And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. + And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." + The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. + And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. + Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, + and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." + Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. + And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." + And immediately they left their nets and followed him. + And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. + And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. + And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. + And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. + And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, + "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God." + But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" + And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. + And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." + And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. + And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. + Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. + And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. + That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. + And the whole city was gathered together at the door. + And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. + And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. + And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, + and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you." + And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." + And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. + And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." + Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." + And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. + And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, + and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them." + But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. + + + And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. + And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. + And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. + And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. + And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." + Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, + "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" + And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? + Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'? + But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"- he said to the paralytic- + "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." + And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" + He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. + And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. + And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. + And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" + And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." + Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" + And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. + The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. + No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. + And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins- and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins." + One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. + And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" + And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: + how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" + And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. + So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." + + + Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. + And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. + And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." + And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. + And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. + The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. + Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea + and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. + And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, + for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. + And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." + And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. + And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. + And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach + and have authority to cast out demons. + He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); + James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); + Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, + and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. + Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. + And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." + And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." + And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? + If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. + And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. + And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. + But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. + "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, + but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"- + for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." + And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. + And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." + And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" + And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! + Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." + + + Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. + And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: + "Listen! A sower went out to sow. + And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. + Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. + And when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. + Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. + And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." + And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. + And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, + so that "they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven." + And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? + The sower sows the word. + And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. + And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. + And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. Then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. + And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, + but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. + But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." + And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? + For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. + If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." + And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. + For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." + And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. + He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. + The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. + But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." + And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? + It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, + yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." + With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. + He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. + On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." + And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. + And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. + But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" + And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. + He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" + And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" + + + They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. + And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. + He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, + for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. + Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. + And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. + And crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." + For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" + And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many." + And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. + Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, + and they begged him, saying, "Send us to the pigs; let us enter them." + So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea. + The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. + And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. + And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. + And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. + As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. + And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." + And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. + And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. + Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet + and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." + And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. + And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, + and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. + She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. + For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." + And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. + And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" + And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" + And he looked around to see who had done it. + But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. + And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." + While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" + But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." + And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. + They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. + And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping." + And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. + Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." + And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. + And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. + + + He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. + And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? + Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. + And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." + And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. + And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. + And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. + He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff- no bread, no bag, no money in their belts- + but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. + And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. + And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." + So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. + And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. + King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." + But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." + But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." + For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. + For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." + And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, + for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. + But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. + For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." + And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." + And she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." + And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." + And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. + And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison + and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. + When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. + The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. + And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. + And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. + Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. + When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. + And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. + Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." + But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" + And he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." + Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. + So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. + And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. + And they all ate and were satisfied. + And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. + And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. + Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. + And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. + And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. + And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, + but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, + for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." + And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, + for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. + When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. + And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him + and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. + And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. + + + Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, + they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. + (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders, + and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) + And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" + And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "' This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; + in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' + You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." + And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! + For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' + But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God)- + then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, + thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do." + And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: + There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him." + + And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. + And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, + since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" ( Thus he declared all foods clean.) + And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. + For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, + coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. + All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." + And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. + But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. + Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. + And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." + But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." + And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." + And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. + Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. + And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. + And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. + And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." + And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. + And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. + And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." + + + In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, + "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. + And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." + And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" + And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." + And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. + And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. + And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. + And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. + And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. + The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. + And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." + And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. + Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. + And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." + And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. + And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? + Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? + When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." + "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." + And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" + And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. + And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" + And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." + Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. + And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." + And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" + And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." + And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." + And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. + And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. + And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. + But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." + And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. + For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. + For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? + For what can a man give in return for his life? + For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." + + + And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." + And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, + and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. + And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. + And Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." + For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. + And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." + And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. + And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. + So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. + And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" + And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? + But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him." + And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. + And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. + And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" + And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. + And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." + And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." + And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. + And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. + And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." + And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." + Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" + And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." + And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead." + But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. + And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" + And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." + They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, + for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." + But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. + And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" + But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. + And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." + And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, + "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." + John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." + But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. + For the one who is not against us is for us. + For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. + "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. + And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. + + And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. + + And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, + 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' + For everyone will be salted with fire. + Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." + + + And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. + And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" + He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" + They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." + And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. + But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' + 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, + and they shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. + What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." + And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. + And he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, + and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." + And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. + But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. + Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." + And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. + And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" + And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. + You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" + And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." + And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." + Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. + And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" + And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! + It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." + And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" + Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." + Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you." + Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, + who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. + But many who are first will be last, and the last first." + And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, + saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. + And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." + And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." + And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" + And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." + Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" + And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, + but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." + And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. + And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. + But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, + and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. + For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." + And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. + And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" + And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" + And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." + And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. + And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." + And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. + + + Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples + and said to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. + If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.'" + And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. + And some of those standing there said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" + And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. + And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. + And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. + And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! + Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" + And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. + On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. + And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. + And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it. + And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. + And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. + And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." + And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. + And when evening came they went out of the city. + As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. + And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." + And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. + Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. + Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. + And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." + + And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, + and they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?" + Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. + Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me." + And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' + But shall we say, 'From man'?"- they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. + So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." + + + And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. + When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. + And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. + Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. + And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. + He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' + But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' + And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. + What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. + Have you not read this Scripture: "' The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; + this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" + And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. + And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. + And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" + But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." + And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." + Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. + And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, + "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. + There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. + And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. + And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. + In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." + Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? + For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. + And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? + He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong." + And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" + Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. + And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' + The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." + And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. + And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." + And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. + And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? + David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "' The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.' + David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly. + And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces + and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, + who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." + And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. + And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. + And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. + For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." + + + And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" + And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." + And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, + "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" + And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. + Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. + And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. + For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. + "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. + And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. + And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. + And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. + And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. + "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be ( let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. + Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, + and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. + And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! + Pray that it may not happen in winter. + For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. + And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. + And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. + False christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. + But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. + "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, + and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. + And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. + And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. + "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. + So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. + Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. + Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. + "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. + Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. + It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. + Therefore stay awake- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or in the morning- + lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. + And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." + + + It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, + for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people." + And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. + There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? + For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her. + But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. + For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. + She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. + And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." + Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. + And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. + And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" + And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, + and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' + And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us." + And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. + And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. + And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." + They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" + He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. + For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." + And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." + And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. + And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. + Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." + And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. + And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' + But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." + Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." + And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." + But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same. + And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." + And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. + And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch." + And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. + And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." + And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? + Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." + And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. + And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. + And he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. + Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand." + And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. + Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." + And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him. + And they laid hands on him and seized him. + But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. + And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? + Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled." + And they all left him and fled. + And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, + but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. + And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. + And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. + Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. + For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. + And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, + "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" + Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. + And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" + But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" + And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." + And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need? + You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death. + And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards received him with blows. + And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, + and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus." + But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. + And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." + But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." + But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." + And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept. + + + And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. + And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." + And the chief priests accused him of many things. + And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." + But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. + Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. + And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. + And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. + And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" + For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. + But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. + And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" + And they cried out again, "Crucify him." + And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him." + So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. + And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. + And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. + And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" + And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. + And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. + And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. + And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). + And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. + And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. + And it was the third hour when they crucified him. + And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." + And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. + + And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, + save yourself, and come down from the cross!" + So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. + Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. + And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. + And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" + And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah." + And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." + And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. + And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. + And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" + There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. + When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. + And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, + Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. + Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. + And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. + And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. + Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. + + + When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. + And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. + And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" + And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back- it was very large. + And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. + And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. + But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." + And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. [SOME OF THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT INCLUDE 16:9-20.] + [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. + She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. + But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. + After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. + And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. + Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. + And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. + Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. + And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; + they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." + So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. + And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]] + + + + + Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, + just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, + it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, + that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. + In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. + And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. + But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. + Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, + according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. + And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. + And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. + And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. + But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. + And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, + for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. + And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, + and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." + And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." + And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. + And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." + And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. + And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. + And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. + After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, + "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." + In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, + to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. + And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" + But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. + And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. + And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. + He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, + and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." + And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" + And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy- the Son of God. + And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. + For nothing will be impossible with God." + And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. + In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, + and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. + And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, + and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! + And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? + For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. + And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." + And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, + and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, + for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; + for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. + And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. + He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; + he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; + he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. + He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, + as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." + And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. + Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. + And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. + And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, + but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." + And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." + And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. + And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. + And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. + And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, + and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. + And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, + "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people + and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, + as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, + that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; + to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, + the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us + that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, + in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. + And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, + to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, + because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high + to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." + And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. + + + In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. + This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. + And all went to be registered, each to his own town. + And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, + to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. + And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. + And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. + And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. + And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. + And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. + For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. + And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." + And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, + "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" + When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." + And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. + And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. + And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. + But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. + And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. + And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. + And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord + (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") + and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." + Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. + And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. + And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, + he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, + "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; + for my eyes have seen your salvation + that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, + a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." + And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. + And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed + (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." + And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, + and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. + And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. + And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. + And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. + Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. + And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. + And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, + but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, + and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. + After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. + And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. + And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." + And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" + And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. + And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. + And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. + + + In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, + during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. + And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. + As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. + Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, + and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." + He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? + Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. + Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." + And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" + And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." + Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" + And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." + Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." + As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, + John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. + His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." + So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. + But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, + added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. + Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, + and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." + Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, + the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, + the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, + the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, + the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, + the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, + the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, + the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, + the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, + the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, + the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, + the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, + the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, + the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, + the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, + the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. + + + And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness + for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. + The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." + And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" + And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, + and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. + If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." + And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "' You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" + And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, + for it is written, "' He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' + and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" + And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" + And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. + And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. + And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. + And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. + And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, + "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, + to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." + And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. + And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." + And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" + And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself.' What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." + And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. + But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, + and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. + And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." + When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. + And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. + But passing through their midst, he went away. + And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, + and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. + And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, + "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God." + But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. + And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!" + And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. + And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. + And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. + Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. + And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. + And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, + but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." + And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. + + + On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, + and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. + Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. + And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." + And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." + And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. + They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. + But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." + For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, + and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." + And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. + While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." + And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him. + And he charged him to tell no one, but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them." + But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. + But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. + On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. + And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, + but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. + And when he saw their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." + And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" + When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? + Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? + But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"- he said to the man who was paralyzed- "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." + And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. + And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today." + After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." + And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. + And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. + And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" + And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. + I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." + And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink." + And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? + The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." + He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. + And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. + But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. + And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'" + + + On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. + But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" + And Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: + how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" + And he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." + On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. + And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. + But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there. + And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" + And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. + But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. + In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. + And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: + Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, + and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, + and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. + And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, + who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. + And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. + And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. + "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. + "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! + Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. + "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. + "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. + "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. + "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, + bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. + To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. + Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. + And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. + "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. + And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. + And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. + But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. + Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. + "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; + give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." + He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? + A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. + Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? + How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. + "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, + for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. + The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. + "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? + Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: + he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. + But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." + + + After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. + Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. + When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. + And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, + for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." + And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. + Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. + For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." + When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." + And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. + Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. + As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. + And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." + Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." + And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. + Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!" + And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. + The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, + calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" + And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" + In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. + And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. + And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." + When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? + What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts. + What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. + This is he of whom it is written, "' Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' + I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." + ( When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, + but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.) + "To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? + They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "' We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' + For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' + The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' + Yet wisdom is justified by all her children." + One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. + And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, + and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. + Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." + And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." + "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. + When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" + Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." + Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. + You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. + You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. + Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven- for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." + And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." + Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" + And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." + + + Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, + and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, + and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. + And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: + "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. + And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. + And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. + And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, + he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' + Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. + The ones along the path are those who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. + And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. + And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. + As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. + "No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. + For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. + Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away." + Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. + And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." + But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." + One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side of the lake." So they set out, + and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. + And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. + He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" + Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. + When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. + When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me." + For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) + Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. + And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. + Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. + Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. + When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. + Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. + And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. + Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. + The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, + "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. + Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. + And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, + for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. + And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. + She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. + And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!" + But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." + And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. + And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." + While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." + But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." + And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. + And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping." + And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. + But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." + And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. + And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. + + + And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, + and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. + And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. + And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. + And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." + And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. + Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, + by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. + Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him. + On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. + When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. + Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place." + But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish- unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." + For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." + And they did so, and had them all sit down. + And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. + And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. + Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" + And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen." + Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God." + And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, + saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." + And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. + For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. + For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? + For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. + But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." + Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. + And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. + And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, + who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. + Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. + And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"- not knowing what he said. + As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. + And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" + And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. + On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. + And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. + And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. + And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not." + Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here." + While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. + And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, + "Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." + But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. + An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. + But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side + and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great." + John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." + But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you." + When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. + And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. + But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. + And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" + But he turned and rebuked them. + And they went on to another village. + As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." + And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." + To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." + And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." + Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." + Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." + + + After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. + And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. + Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. + Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. + Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' + And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. + And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. + Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. + Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' + But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, + 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' + I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. + "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. + But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. + And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. + "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me." + The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" + And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. + Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. + Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." + In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. + All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." + Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! + For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." + And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" + He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" + And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." + And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." + But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" + Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. + Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. + So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. + But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. + He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. + And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' + Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" + He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." + Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. + And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. + But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." + But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, + but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." + + + Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." + And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. + Give us each day our daily bread, + and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." + And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, + for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; + and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? + I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. + And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. + For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. + What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; + or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? + If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" + Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. + But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons," + while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. + But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. + And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. + And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. + But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. + When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; + but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. + Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. + "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' + And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. + Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first." + As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!" + But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" + When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. + For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. + The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. + The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. + "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. + Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. + Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. + If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light." + While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. + The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. + And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. + You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? + But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. + "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. + Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. + Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it." + One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also." + And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. + Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. + So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. + Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' + so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, + from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. + Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." + As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, + lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say. + + + In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. + Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. + Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. + "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. + But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! + Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. + Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. + "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, + but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. + And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. + And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, + for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." + Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." + But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" + And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." + And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, + and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' + And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. + And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' + But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' + So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." + And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. + For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. + Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! + And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? + If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? + Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. + But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! + And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. + For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. + Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. + "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. + Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. + For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. + "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, + and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. + Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. + If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! + But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. + You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." + Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" + And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? + Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. + Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. + But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, + the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. + And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. + But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. + "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! + I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! + Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. + For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. + They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." + He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens. + And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat,' and it happens. + You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? + "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? + As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. + I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny." + + + There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. + And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? + No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. + Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? + No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." + And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. + And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' + And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. + Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" + Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. + And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. + When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." + And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. + But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." + Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? + And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" + As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. + He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? + It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." + And again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? + It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened." + He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. + And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, + "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. + When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' + Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' + But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' + In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. + And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. + And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." + At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." + And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. + Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.' + O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! + Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'" + + + One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. + And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. + And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" + But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. + And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" + And they could not reply to these things. + Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, + "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, + and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. + But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. + For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." + He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. + But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, + and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." + When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" + But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. + And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' + But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' + And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' + And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' + So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' + And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' + And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. + For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'" + Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, + "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. + Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. + For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? + Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, + saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' + Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? + And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. + So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. + "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? + It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." + + + Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. + And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." + So he told them this parable: + "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? + And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. + And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' + Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. + "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? + And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' + Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." + And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. + And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. + Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. + And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. + So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. + And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. + "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! + I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. + I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' + And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. + And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' + But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. + And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. + For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate. + "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. + And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. + And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' + But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, + but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. + But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' + And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. + It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'" + + + He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. + And he called him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' + And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. + I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' + So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' + He said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' + Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' + The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. + And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. + "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. + If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? + And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? + No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." + The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. + And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. + "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. + But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. + "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. + "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. + And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, + who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. + The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, + and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. + And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' + But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. + And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' + And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house- + for I have five brothers- so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' + But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' + And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' + He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" + + + And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! + It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. + Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, + and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." + The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" + And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. + "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down at table'? + Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? + Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? + So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'" + On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. + And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance + and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." + When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. + Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; + and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. + Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? + Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" + And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well." + Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, + nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." + And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. + And they will say to you, 'Look, there!' or 'Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them. + For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. + But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. + Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. + They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. + Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot- they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, + but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all- + so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. + On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. + Remember Lot's wife. + Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. + I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. + There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." + + And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." + + + And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. + He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. + And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' + For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, + yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" + And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. + And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? + I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" + He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: + "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. + The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. + I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' + But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' + I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." + Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. + But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. + Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." + And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" + And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. + You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'" + And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth." + When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." + But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. + Jesus, looking at him with sadness, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! + For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." + Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" + But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." + And Peter said, "See, we have left our homes and followed you." + And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, + who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life." + And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. + For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. + And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." + But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. + As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. + And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. + They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." + And he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" + And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" + And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, + "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me recover my sight." + And Jesus said to him, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." + And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. + + + He entered Jericho and was passing through. + And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. + And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. + So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. + And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." + So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. + And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." + And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." + And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. + For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." + As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. + He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. + Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.' + But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' + When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. + The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' + And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' + And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' + And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.' + Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; + for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' + He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? + Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' + And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' + And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!' + 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. + But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'" + And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. + When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, + saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. + If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'" + So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. + And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" + And they said, "The Lord has need of it." + And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. + And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. + As he was drawing near- already on the way down the Mount of Olives- the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, + saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" + And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." + He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." + And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, + saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. + For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side + and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." + And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, + saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers." + And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, + but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. + + + One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up + and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority." + He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, + Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" + And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' + But if we say, 'From man,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." + So they answered that they did not know where it came from. + And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." + And he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. + When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. + And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. + And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. + Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' + But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.' + And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? + He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" + But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "' The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? + Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." + The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. + So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. + So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. + Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" + But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, + "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." + He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." + And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. + There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, + and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. + Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. + And the second + and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. + Afterward the woman also died. + In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife." + And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, + but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, + for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. + But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. + Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him." + Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." + For they no longer dared to ask him any question. + But he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son? + For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, "' The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, + until I make your enemies your footstool.' + David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?" + And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, + "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, + who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." + + + Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, + and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. + And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. + For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." + And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, + "As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." + And they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?" + And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. + And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once." + Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. + There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. + But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. + This will be your opportunity to bear witness. + Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, + for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. + You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. + You will be hated by all for my name's sake. + But not a hair of your head will perish. + By your endurance you will gain your lives. + "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. + Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, + for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. + Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. + They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. + "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, + people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. + And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. + Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." + And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. + As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. + So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. + Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. + Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. + "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. + For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. + But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." + And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. + And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him. + + + Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. + And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. + Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. + He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. + And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. + So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. + Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. + So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it." + They said to him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" + He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters + and tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' + And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there." + And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. + And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. + And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. + For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." + And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. + For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." + And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." + And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. + But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. + For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" + And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this. + A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. + And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. + But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. + For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. + "You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, + and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, + that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, + but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." + Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." + Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me." + And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing." + He said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. + For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment." + And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough." + And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. + And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." + And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, + saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." + And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. + And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. + And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, + and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." + While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, + but Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" + And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" + And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. + But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. + Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? + When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." + Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. + And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. + Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, "This man also was with him." + But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." + And a little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." + And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean." + But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. + And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times." + And he went out and wept bitterly. + Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. + They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" + And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. + When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, + "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, + and if I ask you, you will not answer. + But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God." + So they all said, "Are you the Son of God, then?" And he said to them, "You say that I am." + Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips." + + + Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. + And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king." + And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." + Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man." + But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place." + When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. + And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. + When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. + So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. + The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. + And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. + And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. + Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, + and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. + Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. + I will therefore punish and release him." + + But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas"- + a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. + Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, + but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" + A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." + But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. + So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. + He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will. + And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. + And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. + But turning to them Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. + For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' + Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' + For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" + Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. + And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. + And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. + And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" + The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine + and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" + There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." + One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" + But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? + And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." + And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." + And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." + It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, + while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. + Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. + Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" + And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. + And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. + Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, + who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. + This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. + Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. + It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. + The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. + Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. + + + But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. + And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, + but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. + While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. + And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? + He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, + that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." + And they remembered his words, + and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. + Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, + but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. + But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. + That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, + and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. + While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. + But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. + And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. + Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" + And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, + and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. + But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. + Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, + and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. + Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." + And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! + Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" + And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. + So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, + but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. + When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. + And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. + They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" + And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, + saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" + Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. + As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" + But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. + And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? + See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." + And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. + And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" + They gave him a piece of broiled fish, + and he took it and ate before them. + Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." + Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, + and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, + and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. + You are witnesses of these things. + And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." + Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. + While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. + And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, + and were continually in the temple blessing God. + + + + + In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. + He was in the beginning with God. + All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. + In him was life, and the life was the light of men. + The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. + There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. + He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. + He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. + The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. + He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. + He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. + But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. + who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. + And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. + ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") + And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. + For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. + No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. + And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" + He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." + And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." + So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" + He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." + (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) + They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" + John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, + even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." + These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. + The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! + This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' + I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." + And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. + I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' + And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." + The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, + and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" + The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. + Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" + He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. + One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. + He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). + He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). + The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." + Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. + Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." + Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." + Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" + Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." + Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" + Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." + And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." + + + On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. + Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. + When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." + And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." + His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." + Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. + Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. + And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. + When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom + and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." + This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. + After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. + The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. + And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. + And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade." + His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." + So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" + Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." + The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" + But he was speaking about the temple of his body. + When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. + Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. + But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people + and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. + + + Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. + This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." + Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." + Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" + Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. + That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. + Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' + The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." + Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" + Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? + Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. + If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? + No one has ascended into heaven except him who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. + And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, + that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." + For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. + For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. + Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. + And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. + For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. + But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God. + After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. + John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized + (for John had not yet been put in prison). + Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. + And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness- look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." + John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. + You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' + The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. + He must increase, but I must decrease." + He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. + He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. + Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. + For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. + The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. + Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. + + + Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John + (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), + he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. + And he had to pass through Samaria. + So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. + Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. + There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." + (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) + The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" ( For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) + Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." + The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? + Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." + Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, + but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." + The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water." + Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." + The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; + for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." + The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. + Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." + Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. + You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. + But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. + God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." + The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." + Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." + Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" + So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, + "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" + They went out of the town and were coming to him. + Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." + But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." + So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" + Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. + Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. + Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. + For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' + I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." + Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." + So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. + And many more believed because of his word. + They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." + After the two days he departed for Galilee. + (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) + So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast. + So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. + When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. + So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." + The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." + Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. + As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. + So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." + The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household. + This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. + + + After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. + Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. + In these lay a multitude of invalids- blind, lame, and paralyzed. + + One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. + When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" + The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." + Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." + And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. + So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed." + But he answered them, "The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'" + They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" + Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. + Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." + The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. + And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. + But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." + This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. + So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. + For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. + For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. + The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, + that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. + Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. + For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. + And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. + Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice + and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. + "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. + If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. + There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. + You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. + Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. + He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. + But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. + And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, + and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. + You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, + yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. + I do not receive glory from people. + But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. + I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. + How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? + Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. + If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. + But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" + + + After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. + And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. + Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. + Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. + Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" + He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. + Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." + One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, + "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" + Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. + Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. + And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost." + So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. + When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" + Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. + When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, + got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. + The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. + When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. + But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." + Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. + On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. + Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. + So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. + When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" + Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. + Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." + Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" + Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." + So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? + Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" + Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. + For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." + They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." + Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. + But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. + All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. + For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. + And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. + For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." + So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." + They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" + Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. + No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. + It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me- + not that anyone has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. + Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. + I am the bread of life. + Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. + This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. + I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." + The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" + So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. + Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. + For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. + Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. + As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. + This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." + Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. + When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" + But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? + Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? + It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. + But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) + And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." + After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. + So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" + Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, + and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." + Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." + He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him. + + + After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. + Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. + So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. + For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." + For not even his brothers believed in him. + Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. + The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. + You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come." + After saying this, he remained in Galilee. + But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. + The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, "Where is he?" + And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, "He is a good man," others said, "No, he is leading the people astray." + Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him. + About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. + The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" + So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. + If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. + The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. + Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" + The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" + Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel at it. + Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. + If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? + Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." + Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? + And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? + But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." + So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. + I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." + So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. + Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?" + The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. + Jesus then said, "I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. + You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come." + The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? + What does he mean by saying, 'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, 'Where I am you cannot come'?" + On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. + Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" + Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. + When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet." + Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? + Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" + So there was a division among the people over him. + Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. + The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" + The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!" + The Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? + Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? + But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed." + Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, + "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" + They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." [THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT INCLUDE JOHN 7:53-8:11] + [[They went each to his own house, + + + but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. + Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. + The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst + they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. + Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" + This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. + And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." + And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. + But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. + Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" + She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]] + Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." + So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true." + Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. + You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. + Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. + In your Law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. + I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me." + They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." + These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. + So he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." + So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?" + He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. + I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." + So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. + I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him." + They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. + So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. + And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." + As he was saying these things, many believed in him. + So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, + and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." + They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" + Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. + The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. + So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. + I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. + I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father." + They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham did, + but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. + You are doing what your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father- even God." + Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. + Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. + You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. + But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. + Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? + Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." + The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" + Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. + Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. + Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." + The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.' + Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?" + Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' + But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. + Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad." + So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" + Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." + So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. + + + As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. + And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" + Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. + We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. + As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." + Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud + and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. + The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" + Some said, "It is he." Others said, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." + So they said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" + He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight." + They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." + They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. + Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. + So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." + Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. + So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." + The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight + and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" + His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. + But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." + (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) + Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." + So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner." + He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." + They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" + He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" + And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. + We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." + The man answered, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. + We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. + Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. + If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." + They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. + Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" + He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" + Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you." + He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. + Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." + Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" + Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains. + + + "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. + But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. + To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. + When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. + A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." + This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. + So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. + All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. + I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. + The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. + I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. + He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. + He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. + I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, + just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. + And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. + For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. + No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." + There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. + Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" + Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" + At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, + and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. + So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." + Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, + but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. + My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. + I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. + My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. + I and the Father are one." + The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. + Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?" + The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God." + Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? + If he called them gods to whom the word of God came- and Scripture cannot be broken- + do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? + If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; + but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." + Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. + He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. + And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." + And many believed in him there. + + + Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. + It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. + So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." + But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." + Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. + So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. + Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." + The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" + Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. + But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." + After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him." + The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." + Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. + Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, + and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." + So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." + Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. + Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, + and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. + So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. + Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. + But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." + Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." + Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." + Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, + and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" + She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." + When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." + And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. + Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. + When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. + Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." + When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. + And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." + Jesus wept. + So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" + But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?" + Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. + Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." + Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" + So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. + I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." + When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." + The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." + Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, + but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. + So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. + If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." + But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. + Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish." + He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, + and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. + So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. + Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. + Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. + They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?" + Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. + + + Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. + So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. + Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. + But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, + "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" + He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. + Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. + The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." + When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. + So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, + because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. + The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. + So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" + And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, + "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" + His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. + The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. + The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. + So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." + Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. + So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." + Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. + And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. + Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. + Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. + If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. + "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. + Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." + The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." + Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. + Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. + And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." + He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. + So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" + So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. + While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. + Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, + so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" + Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, + "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." + Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. + Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; + for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. + And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. + And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. + I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. + If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. + The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. + For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment- what to say and what to speak. + And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me." + + + Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. + During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, + Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, + rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. + Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. + He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" + Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." + Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." + Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" + Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." + For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean." + When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? + You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. + If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. + For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. + Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. + If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. + I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' + I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. + Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." + After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." + The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. + One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, + so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. + So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?" + Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. + Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." + Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. + Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor. + So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. + When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. + If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. + Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' + A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. + By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." + Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward." + Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." + Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. + + + "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. + In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? + And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. + And you know the way to where I am going." + Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" + Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. + If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." + Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." + Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? + Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. + Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. + "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. + Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. + If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. + "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. + And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, + even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. + "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. + Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. + In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. + Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." + Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" + Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. + Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. + "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. + But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. + Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. + You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. + And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. + I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, + but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. + + + "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. + Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. + Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. + Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. + I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. + If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. + If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. + By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. + As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. + If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. + These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. + "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. + Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. + You are my friends if you do what I command you. + No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. + You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. + These things I command you, so that you will love one another. + "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. + If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. + Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. + But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. + If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. + Whoever hates me hates my Father also. + If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. + But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.' + "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. + And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. + + + "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. + They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. + And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. + But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. + But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' + But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. + Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. + And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: + concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; + concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; + concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. + "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. + When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. + He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. + All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. + "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me." + So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" + So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about." + Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? + Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. + When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. + So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. + In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. + Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. + "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. + In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; + for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. + I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father." + His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! + Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God." + Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? + Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. + I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." + + + When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, + since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. + And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. + I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. + And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. + "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. + Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. + For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. + I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. + All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. + And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. + While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. + But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. + I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. + I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. + They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. + Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. + As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. + And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. + "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, + that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. + The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, + I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. + Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. + O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. + I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." + + + When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. + Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. + So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. + Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" + They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. + When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. + So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." + Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." + This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." + Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) + So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" + So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. + First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. + It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. + Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, + but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. + The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." + Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. + The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. + Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. + Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said." + When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" + Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?" + Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. + Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." + One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" + Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. + Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. + So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" + They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." + Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." + This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. + So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" + Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" + Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" + Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." + Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." + Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. + But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" + They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. + + + Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. + And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. + They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands. + Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him." + So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" + When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him." + The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God." + When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. + He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. + So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" + Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." + From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." + So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. + Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" + They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." + So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, + and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. + There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. + Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." + Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. + So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" + Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." + When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, + so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." So the soldiers did these things, + but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. + When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" + Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. + After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said ( to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." + A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. + When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. + Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. + So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. + But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. + But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. + He who saw it has borne witness- his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth- that you also may believe. + For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." + And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced." + After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. + Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. + So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. + Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. + So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. + + + Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. + So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." + So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. + Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. + And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. + Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, + and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. + Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; + for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. + Then the disciples went back to their homes. + But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. + And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. + They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." + Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. + Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." + Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). + Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" + Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"- and that he had said these things to her. + On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." + When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. + Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." + And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. + If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld." + Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. + So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." + Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." + Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." + Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" + Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." + Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; + but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. + + + After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. + Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. + Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. + Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. + Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." + He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. + That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. + The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. + When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. + Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." + So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. + Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. + Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. + This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. + When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." + He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." + He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. + Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." + (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." + Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" + When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" + Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" + So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" + This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. + Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. + + + + + In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, + until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. + To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. + And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; + for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." + So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" + He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. + But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." + And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. + And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, + and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." + Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. + And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. + All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. + In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, + "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. + For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." + (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. + And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) + "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "' May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and "'Let another take his office.' + So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, + beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." + And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. + And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen + to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." + And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. + + + When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. + And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. + And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. + And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. + Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. + And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. + And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? + And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? + Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, + Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, + both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians- we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." + And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" + But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine." + But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. + For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. + But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: + "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; + even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. + And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; + the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. + And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' + "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know- + this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. + God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. + For David says concerning him, "' I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; + therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. + For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. + You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.' + "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. + Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, + he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. + This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. + Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. + For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "' The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, + until I make your enemies your footstool.' + Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." + Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" + And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. + For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." + And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." + So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. + And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. + And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. + And all who believed were together and had all things in common. + And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. + And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, + praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. + + + Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. + And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. + Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. + And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." + And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. + But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" + And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. + And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. + And all the people saw him walking and praising God, + and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. + While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's, astounded. + And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? + The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. + But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, + and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. + And his name- by faith in his name- has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. + "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. + But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. + Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, + that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, + whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. + Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. + And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' + And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. + You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' + God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." + + + And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, + greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. + And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. + But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. + On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, + with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. + And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" + Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, + if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, + let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead- by him this man is standing before you well. + This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. + And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." + Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. + But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. + But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, + saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. + But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name." + So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. + But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, + for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." + And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. + For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. + When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. + And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, + who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "' Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? + The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'- + for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, + to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. + And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, + while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." + And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. + Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. + And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. + There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold + and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. + Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, + sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. + + + But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, + and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. + But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? + While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." + When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. + The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. + After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. + And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much." + But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." + Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. + And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. + Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. + None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. + And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, + so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. + The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. + But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy + they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. + But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, + "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." + And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. + But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, + "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside." + Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. + And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." + Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. + And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, + saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." + But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. + The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. + God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. + And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." + When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. + But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. + And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. + For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. + After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. + So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; + but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!" So they took his advice, + and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. + Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. + And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. + + + Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. + And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. + Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. + But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." + And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. + These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. + And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. + And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. + Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. + But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. + Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." + And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, + and they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, + for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us." + And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. + + + And the high priest said, "Are these things so?" + And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, + and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.' + Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. + Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. + And God spoke to this effect- that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. + 'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.' + And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. + "And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him + and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. + Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. + But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. + And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. + And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. + And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, + and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. + "But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt + until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. + He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. + At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house, + and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. + And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. + "When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. + And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. + He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. + And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?' + But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? + Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' + At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. + "Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. + When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: + 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. + Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. + I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.' + "This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?'- this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. + This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. + This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.' + This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. + Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, + saying to Aaron, 'Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' + And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. + But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: "' Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? + You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.' + "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. + Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, + who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. + But it was Solomon who built a house for him. + Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, + "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? + Did not my hand make all these things?' + "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. + Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, + you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." + Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. + But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. + And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." + But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. + Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. + And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." + And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. + + + And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. + Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. + But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. + Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. + Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. + And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. + For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. + So there was much joy in that city. + But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. + They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." + And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. + But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. + Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. + Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, + who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, + for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. + Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, + saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." + But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! + You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. + Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. + For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." + And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." + Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. + Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place. + And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship + and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. + And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." + So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" + And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. + Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. + In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." + And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" + Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. + And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?" + + And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. + And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. + But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. + + + But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest + and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. + Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. + And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" + And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. + But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." + The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. + Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. + And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. + Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." + And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, + and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." + But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. + And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." + But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. + For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." + So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." + And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; + and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. + And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." + And all who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?" + But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. + When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, + but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, + but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. + And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. + But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. + So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. + And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. + And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. + So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. + Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. + There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. + And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. + And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. + Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. + In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. + Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay." + So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. + But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. + And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. + And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. + And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner. + + + At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, + a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. + About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius." + And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. + And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. + He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside." + When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, + and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. + The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. + And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance + and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. + In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. + And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." + But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." + And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." + This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. + Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate + and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. + And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. + Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them." + And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?" + And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say." + So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. + And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. + When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. + But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man." + And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. + And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. + So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me." + And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing + and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. + Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.' + So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord." + So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, + but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. + As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ ( he is Lord of all), + you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: + how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. + And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, + but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, + not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. + And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. + To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." + While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. + And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. + For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, + "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" + And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. + + + Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. + So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, + "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." + But Peter began and explained it to them in order: + "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. + Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. + And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' + But I said, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' + But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.' + This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. + And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. + And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. + And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; + he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' + As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. + And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' + If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" + When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life." + Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. + But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. + And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. + The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. + When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, + for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. + So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, + and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. + Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. + And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). + So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. + And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. + + + About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. + He killed James the brother of John with the sword, + and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. + And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. + So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. + Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. + And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. + And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." + And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. + When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. + When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." + When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. + And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. + Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. + They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!" + But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. + But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place. + Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. + And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there. + Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. + On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. + And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" + Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. + But the word of God increased and multiplied. + And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. + + + Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. + While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." + Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. + So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. + When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. + When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. + He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. + But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. + But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him + and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? + And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. + Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. + Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, + but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. + After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." + So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. + The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. + And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. + And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. + All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. + Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. + And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.' + Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. + Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. + And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.' + "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. + For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. + And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. + And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. + But God raised him from the dead, + and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. + And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, + this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, "' You are my Son, today I have begotten you.' + And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, "' I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' + Therefore he says also in another psalm, "' You will not let your Holy One see corruption.' + For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, + but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. + Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything + from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. + Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: + "'Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.'" + As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. + And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. + The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. + But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. + And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. + For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "' I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" + And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. + And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. + But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. + But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. + And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. + + + Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. + But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. + So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. + But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. + When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, + they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, + and there they continued to preach the gospel. + Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. + He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, + said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he sprang up and began walking. + And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" + Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. + And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. + But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, + "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. + In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. + Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." + Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. + But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. + But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. + When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, + strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. + And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. + Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. + And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, + and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. + And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. + And they remained no little time with the disciples. + + + But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." + And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. + So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. + When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. + But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses." + The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. + And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. + And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, + and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. + Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? + But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." + And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. + After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. + Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. + And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, + "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, + that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things + known from of old.' + Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, + but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. + For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." + Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, + with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. + Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, + it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, + men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. + We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. + For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: + that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." + So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. + And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. + And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. + And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. + + But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. + And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." + Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. + But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. + And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, + but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. + And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. + + + Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. + He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. + Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. + As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. + So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. + And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. + And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. + So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. + And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." + And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. + So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, + and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. + And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. + One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. + And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us. + As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. + She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." + And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. + But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. + And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. + They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice." + The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. + And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. + Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. + About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, + and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. + When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. + But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." + And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. + Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" + And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." + And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. + And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. + Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. + But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." + And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace." + But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out." + The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. + So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. + So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. + + + Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. + And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, + explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." + And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. + But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. + And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, + and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." + And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. + And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. + The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. + Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. + Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. + But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. + Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. + Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. + Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. + So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. + Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. + And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? + For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." + Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. + So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. + For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. + The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, + nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. + And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, + that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, + for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "' For we are indeed his offspring.' + Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. + The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, + because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." + Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." + So Paul went out from their midst. + But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. + + + After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. + And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, + and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. + And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. + When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. + And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." + And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. + Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. + And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, + for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." + And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. + But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, + saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law." + But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. + But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." + And he drove them from the tribunal. + And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this. + After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. + And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. + When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. + But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus. + When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. + After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. + Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. + He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. + He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately. + And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, + for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. + + + And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. + And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." + And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." + And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." + On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. + And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. + There were about twelve men in all. + And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. + But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. + This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. + And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, + so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. + Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus, whom Paul proclaims." + Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. + But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" + And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. + And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. + Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. + And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. + So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. + Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." + And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. + About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. + For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. + These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. + And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. + And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship." + When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. + But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. + And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. + Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. + Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. + But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" + And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? + Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. + For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. + If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. + But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. + For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion." + And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. + + + After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. + When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. + There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. + Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus from Berea, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. + These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, + but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. + On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. + There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. + And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. + But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." + And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. + And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. + But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. + And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. + And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. + For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. + Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. + And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, + serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; + how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, + testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. + And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, + except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. + But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. + And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. + Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, + for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. + Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. + I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; + and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. + Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. + And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. + I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. + You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. + In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" + And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. + And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, + being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. + + + And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. + And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. + When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. + And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. + When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed + and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. + When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. + On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. + He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. + While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. + And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" + When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. + Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." + And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "Let the will of the Lord be done." + After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. + And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge. + When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. + On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. + After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. + And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, + and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. + What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. + Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; + take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. + But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality." + Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. + When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, + crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." + For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. + Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. + And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. + He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. + Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. + Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. + And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, + for the mob of the people followed, crying out, "Away with him!" + As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek? + Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" + Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people." + And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying: + + + "Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you." + And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: + "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. + I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, + as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. + "As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. + And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' + And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' + Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. + And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.' + And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. + "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, + came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. + And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; + for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. + And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.' + "When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance + and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' + And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. + And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.' + And he said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" + Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live." + And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, + the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. + But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?" + When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." + So the tribune came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes." + The tribune answered, "I bought this citizenship for a large sum." Paul said, "But I am a citizen by birth." + So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. + But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. + + + And looking intently at the council, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day." + And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. + Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?" + Those who stood by said, "Would you revile God's high priest?" + And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'" + Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial." + And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. + For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. + Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?" + And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. + The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome." + When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. + There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. + They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. + Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near." + Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. + Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him." + So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, "Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you." + The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" + And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. + But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent." + So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, "Tell no one that you have informed me of these things." + Then he called two of the centurions and said, "Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. + Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor." + And he wrote a letter to this effect: + "Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. + This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. + And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. + I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. + And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him." + So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. + And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. + When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. + On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, + he said, "I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive." And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium. + + + And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. + And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: "Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, + in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. + But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. + For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. + He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. + + By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him." + The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. + And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. + You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, + and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. + Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. + But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, + having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. + So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. + Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. + While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia- + they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. + Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, + other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: 'It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.'" + But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case." + Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. + After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. + And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you." + At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. + When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. + + + Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. + And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, + asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem- because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. + Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. + "So," said he, "let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him." + After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. + When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. + Paul argued in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense." + But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?" + But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourselves know very well. + If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar." + Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go." + Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. + And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man left prisoner by Felix, + and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. + I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. + So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. + When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. + Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. + Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. + But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar." + Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," said he, "you will hear him." + So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. + And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. + But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. + But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. + For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him." + + + So Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: + "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, + especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. + "My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. + They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. + And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, + to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! + Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? + "I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. + And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. + And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. + "In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. + At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. + And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' + And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. + But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, + delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles- to whom I am sending you + to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' + "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, + but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. + For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. + To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: + that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." + And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind." + But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. + For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. + King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe." + And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" + And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am- except for these chains." + Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. + And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." + And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." + + + And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. + And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. + The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. + And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. + And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. + There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. + We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. + Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. + Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, + saying, "Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." + But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. + And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. + Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. + But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. + And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. + Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. + After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. + Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. + And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. + When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. + Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. + Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. + For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, + and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' + So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. + But we must run aground on some island." + When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. + So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. + And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. + And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, + Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved." + Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. + As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. + Therefore I urge you to take some food. It will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you." + And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. + Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. + (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) + And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. + Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. + So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. + But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. + The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. + But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, + and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. + + + After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. + The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. + When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. + When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." + He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. + They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. + Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. + It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. + And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. + They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed. + After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. + Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. + And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. + There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. + And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. + And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him. + After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, "Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. + When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. + But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar- though I had no charge to bring against my nation. + For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain." + And they said to him, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. + But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against." + When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. + And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. + And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: + "'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. + For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' + Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen." + + He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, + proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. + + + + + Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, + which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, + concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh + and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, + through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, + including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, + To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. + For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you + always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. + For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you- + that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. + I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. + I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. + So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. + For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. + For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." + For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. + For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. + For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. + For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. + Claiming to be wise, they became fools, + and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. + Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, + because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. + For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; + and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. + And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. + They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, + slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, + foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. + Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. + + + Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. + We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things. + Do you suppose, O man- you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself- that you will escape the judgment of God? + Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? + But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. + He will render to each one according to his works: + to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; + but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. + There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, + but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. + For God shows no partiality. + For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. + For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. + For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. + They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them + on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. + But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God + and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; + and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, + an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth- + you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? + You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? + You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. + For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." + For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. + So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? + Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. + For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. + But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. + + + Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? + Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. + What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? + By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." + But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? ( I speak in a human way.) + By no means! For then how could God judge the world? + But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? + And why not do evil that good may come?- as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. + What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, + as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; + no one understands; no one seeks for God. + All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." + "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." + "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." + "Their feet are swift to shed blood; + in their paths are ruin and misery, + and the way of peace they have not known." + "There is no fear of God before their eyes." + Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. + For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. + But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- + the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: + for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, + and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, + whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. + It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. + Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. + For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. + Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, + since God is one. He will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. + Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. + + + What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? + For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. + For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." + Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. + And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, + just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: + "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; + blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." + Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. + How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. + He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, + and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. + For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. + For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. + For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. + That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring- not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, + as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. + In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." + He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. + No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, + fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. + That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." + But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, + but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, + who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. + + + Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. + Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. + More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, + and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, + and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. + For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. + For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- + but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. + Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. + For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. + More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. + Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned- + for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. + Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. + But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. + And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. + If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. + Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. + For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. + Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, + so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. + + + What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? + By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? + Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? + We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. + For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. + We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. + For one who has died has been set free from sin. + Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. + We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. + For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. + So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. + Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. + Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. + For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. + What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! + Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? + But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, + and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. + I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. + When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. + But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. + But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. + For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + Or do you not know, brothers- for I am speaking to those who know the law- that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? + Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. + Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. + Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. + For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. + But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. + What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." + But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. + I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. + The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. + For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. + So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. + Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. + For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. + I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. + Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. + So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. + For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. + For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. + Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. + So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. + For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, + but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. + Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? + Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. + + + There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. + For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. + For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, + in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. + For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. + To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. + For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. + Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. + You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. + But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. + If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. + So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. + For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. + For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. + For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" + The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, + and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. + For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. + For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. + For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope + that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. + For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. + And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. + For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? + But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. + Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. + And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. + And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. + For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. + And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. + What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? + He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? + Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. + Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. + Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? + As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." + No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. + For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, + nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. + + + I am speaking the truth in Christ- I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit- + that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. + For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. + They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. + To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. + But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, + and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." + This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. + For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return and Sarah shall have a son." + And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, + though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call- + she was told, "The older will serve the younger." + As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." + What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! + For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." + So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. + For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." + So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. + You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" + But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" + Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? + What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, + in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory- + even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? + As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" + "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" + And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, + for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay." + And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah." + What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; + but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. + Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, + as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." + + + Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. + I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. + For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. + For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. + For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. + But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'"(that is, to bring Christ down) + or "'Who will descend into the abyss?'"(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). + But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); + because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. + For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. + For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." + For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. + For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." + But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? + And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" + But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" + So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. + But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." + But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry." + Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me." + But of Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." + + + I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. + God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? + "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." + But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." + So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. + But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. + What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, + as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." + And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; + let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever." + So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. + Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! + Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry + in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. + For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? + If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. + But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, + do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. + Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." + That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. + For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. + Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. + And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. + For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. + Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. + And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; + "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." + As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. + For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. + Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, + so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. + For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. + Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! + "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" + "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" + For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. + + + I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. + Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. + For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. + For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, + so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. + Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; + if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; + the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. + Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. + Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. + Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. + Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. + Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. + Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. + Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. + Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. + Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. + If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. + Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." + To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." + Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. + + + Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. + Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. + For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, + for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. + Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. + For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. + Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. + Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. + The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." + Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. + Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. + The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. + Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. + But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. + + + As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. + One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. + Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. + Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. + One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. + The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. + For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. + If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. + For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. + Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; + for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." + So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. + Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. + I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. + For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. + So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. + For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. + Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. + So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. + Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. + It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. + The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. + But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. + + + We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. + Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. + For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." + For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. + May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, + that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. + Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. + For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, + and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." + And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." + And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." + And again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope." + May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. + I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. + But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God + to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. + In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. + For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience- by word and deed, + by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God- so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; + and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, + but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." + This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. + But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, + I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. + At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. + For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. + They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. + When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. + I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. + I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, + that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, + so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. + May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. + + + I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, + that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. + Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, + who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. + Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. + Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. + Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. + Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. + Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. + Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. + Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. + Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. + Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. + Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. + Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. + Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. + I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. + For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. + For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. + The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. + I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. + Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. + + Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages + but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith- + to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. + + + + + Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, + To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, + that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge- + even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you- + so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, + who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. + God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. + I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. + For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. + What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." + Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? + I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, + so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. + (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) + For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. + For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. + For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." + Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? + For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. + For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, + but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, + but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. + For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. + For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. + But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; + God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, + so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. + He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. + Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." + + + And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. + For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. + And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, + and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, + that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. + Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. + But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. + None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. + But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"- + these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. + For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. + Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. + And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. + The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. + The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. + "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. + + + But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. + I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, + for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? + For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human? + What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. + I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. + So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. + He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. + For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. + According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. + For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. + Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- + each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. + If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. + If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. + Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? + If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. + Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. + For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," + and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." + So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, + whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future- all are yours, + and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. + + + This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. + Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. + But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. + I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. + Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. + I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. + For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? + Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! + For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. + We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. + To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, + and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; + when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. + I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. + For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. + I urge you, then, be imitators of me. + That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. + Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. + But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. + For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. + What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness? + + + It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. + And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. + For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. + When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, + you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. + Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? + Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. + Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. + I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- + not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. + But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler- not even to eat with such a one. + For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? + God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." + + + When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? + Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? + Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! + So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? + I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, + but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? + To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? + But you yourselves wrong and defraud- even your own brothers! + Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, + nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. + And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. + "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. + "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. + And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. + Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! + Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." + But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. + Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. + Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, + for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. + + + Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." + But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. + The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. + For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. + Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. + Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. + I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. + To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. + But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion. + To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband + (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. + To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. + If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. + For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. + But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. + Wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife? + Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. + Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. + For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. + Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. + Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. + For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. + You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. + So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. + Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. + I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. + Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. + But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. + This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, + and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, + and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. + I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. + But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, + and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. + I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. + If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry- it is no sin. + But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. + So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. + A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. + Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. + + + Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. + If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. + But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. + Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one." + For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth- as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"- + yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. + However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. + Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. + But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. + For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? + And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. + Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. + Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. + + + Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? + If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. + This is my defense to those who would examine me. + Do we not have the right to eat and drink? + Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? + Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? + Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? + Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? + For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? + Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. + If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? + If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. + Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? + In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. + But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. + For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! + For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. + What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. + For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. + To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. + To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. + To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. + I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. + Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. + Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. + So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. + But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. + + + I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, + and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, + and all ate the same spiritual food, + and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. + Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. + Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. + Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." + We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. + We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, + nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. + Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. + Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. + No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. + Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. + I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. + The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? + Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. + Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? + What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? + No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. + You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. + Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? + "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. + Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. + Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. + For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." + If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. + But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience- + I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? + If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? + So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. + Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, + just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. + + + Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. + Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. + But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. + Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, + but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head- it is the same as if her head were shaven. + For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. + For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. + For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. + Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. + That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. + Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; + for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. + Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? + Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, + but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. + If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. + But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. + For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, + for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. + When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. + For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. + What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. + For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, + and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." + In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." + For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. + Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. + Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. + For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. + That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. + But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. + But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. + So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another- + if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home- so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. + + + Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. + You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. + Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. + Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; + and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; + and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. + To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. + To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, + to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, + to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. + All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. + For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. + For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free- and all were made to drink of one Spirit. + For the body does not consist of one member but of many. + If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. + And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. + If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? + But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. + If all were a single member, where would the body be? + As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. + The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." + On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, + and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, + which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, + that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. + If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. + Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. + And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. + Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? + Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? + But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. + + + If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. + And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. + If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. + Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant + or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; + it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. + Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. + Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. + For we know in part and we prophesy in part, + but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. + When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. + For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. + So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. + + + Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. + For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. + On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. + The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. + Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. + Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? + If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? + And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? + So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. + There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, + but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. + So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. + Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. + For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. + What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. + Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? + For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. + I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. + Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. + Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. + In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." + Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. + If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? + But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, + the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. + What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. + If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. + But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. + Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. + If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. + For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, + and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. + For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, + the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. + If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. + Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? + If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. + If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. + So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. + But all things should be done decently and in order. + + + Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, + and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you- unless you believed in vain. + For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, + that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, + and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. + Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. + Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. + Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. + For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. + But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. + Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. + Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? + But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. + And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. + We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. + For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. + And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. + Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. + If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. + But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. + For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. + For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. + But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. + Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. + For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. + The last enemy to be destroyed is death. + For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. + When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. + Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? + Why am I in danger every hour? + I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! + What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." + Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." + Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. + But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" + You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. + And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. + But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. + For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. + There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. + There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. + So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. + It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. + It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. + Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. + But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. + The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. + As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. + Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. + I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. + Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, + in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. + For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. + When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." + "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" + The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. + But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. + Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. + + + Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. + On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. + And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. + If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. + I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, + and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. + For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. + But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, + for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. + When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. + So let no one despise and the speaker a foreigner to me, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. + Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. + Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. + Let all that you do be done in love. + Now I urge you, brothers- you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints- + be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. + I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, + for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. + The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. + All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. + I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. + If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! + The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. + My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, + who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. + For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. + If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. + Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. + For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. + Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. + He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. + You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. + For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. + For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and acknowledge and I hope you will fully acknowledge- + just as you did partially acknowledge us, that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. + Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. + I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. + Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time? + As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. + For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. + For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. + And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, + and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. + But I call God to witness against me- it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. + Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. + + + For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. + For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? + And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. + For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. + Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure- not to put it too severely- to all of you. + For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, + so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. + So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. + For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. + Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, + so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. + When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, + my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. + But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. + For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, + to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? + For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. + + + Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? + You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. + And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. + Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. + Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, + who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. + Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, + will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? + For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. + Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. + For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. + Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, + not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. + But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. + Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. + But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. + Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. + And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. + + + Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. + But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. + And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. + In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. + For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. + For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. + But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. + We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; + persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; + always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. + For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. + So death is at work in us, but life in you. + Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, + knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. + For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. + So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. + For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, + as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. + + + For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. + For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, + if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. + For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. + He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. + So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, + for we walk by faith, not by sight. + Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. + So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. + For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. + Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. + We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. + For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. + For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; + and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. + From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. + Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. + All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; + that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. + Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. + For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. + + + Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. + For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. + We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, + but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, + beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; + by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, + by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; + through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; + as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; + as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. + We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. + You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. + In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. + Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? + What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? + What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. + Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, + and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." + + + Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. + Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. + I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. + I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. + For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn- fighting without and fear within. + But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, + and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. + For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it- though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. + As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. + For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. + For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. + So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. + Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. + For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. + And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. + I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you. + + + We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, + for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. + For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, + begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints- + and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. + Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. + But as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you- see that you excel in this act of grace also. + I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. + For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. + And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. + So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. + For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. + I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness + your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. + As it is written, "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack." + But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. + For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. + With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. + And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. + We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, + for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. + And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. + As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. + So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men. + + + Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, + for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. + But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. + Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated- to say nothing of you- for being so confident. + So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. + The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. + Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. + And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. + As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." + He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. + You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. + For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. + By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, + while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. + Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! + + + I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ- I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!- + I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. + For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. + For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments + and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, + being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. + Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. + For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. + I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. + For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." + Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. + Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. + But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. + For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. We were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. + We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, + so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. + "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." + For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. + + + I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! + I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. + But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. + For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. + I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. + Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. + Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? + I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. + And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. + As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. + And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! + And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. + For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. + And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. + So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. + I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. + What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not with the Lord's authority but as a fool. + Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. + For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! + For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. + To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of- I am speaking as a fool- I also dare to boast of that. + Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. + Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one- I am talking like a madman- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. + Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. + Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; + on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; + in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. + And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. + Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? + If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. + The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. + At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, + but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. + + + I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. + I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. + And I know that this man was caught up into paradise- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows- + and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. + On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. + Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. + So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. + Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. + But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. + For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. + I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. + The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. + For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! + Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. + I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? + But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. + Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? + I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps? + Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. + For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish- that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. + I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced. + + + This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. + I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them- + since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. + For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God. + Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- unless indeed you fail to meet the test! + I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. + But we pray to God that you may not do wrong- not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. + For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. + For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. + For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. + Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. + Greet one another with a holy kiss. + All the saints greet you. + The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. + + + + + Paul, an apostle- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- + and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, + who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, + to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. + I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- + not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. + But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. + As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. + For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. + For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. + For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. + For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. + And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. + But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, + was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; + nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. + Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. + But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. + (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) + Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. + And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. + They only were hearing it said, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." + And they glorified God because of me. + + + Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. + I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. + But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. + Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in- who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery- + to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. + And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)- those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. + On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised + (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), + and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. + Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. + But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. + For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. + And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. + But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" + We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; + yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. + But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! + For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. + For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. + It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. + I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. + + + O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. + Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? + Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? + Did you suffer so many things in vain- if indeed it was in vain? + Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith- + just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? + Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. + And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." + So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. + For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." + Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." + But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." + Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"- + so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. + To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. + Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. + This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. + For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. + Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. + Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. + Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. + But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. + Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. + So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. + But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, + for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. + For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. + There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. + And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. + + + I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, + but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. + In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. + But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, + to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. + And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" + So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. + Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. + But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? + You observe days and months and seasons and years! + I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. + Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. + You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, + and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. + What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. + Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? + They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. + It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, + my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! + I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. + Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? + For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. + But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. + Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. + Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. + But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. + For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband." + Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. + But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. + But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman." + So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. + + + For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. + Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. + I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. + You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. + For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. + For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. + You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? + This persuasion is not from him who calls you. + A little leaven leavens the whole lump. + I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. + But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. + I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! + For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. + For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." + But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. + But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. + For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. + But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. + Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, + idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, + envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. + But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, + gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. + And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. + If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. + Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. + + + Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. + Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. + For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. + But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. + For each will have to bear his own load. + One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. + Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. + For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. + And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. + So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. + See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. + It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. + For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. + But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. + For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. + And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. + From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, + even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love + he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, + to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. + In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, + which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight + making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ + as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. + In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, + so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. + In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, + who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. + For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, + I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, + that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, + having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, + and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might + that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, + far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. + And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, + which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. + + + And you were dead in the trespasses and sins + in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- + among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. + But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, + even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- + and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, + so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. + For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, + not a result of works, so that no one may boast. + For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. + Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands- + remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. + But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. + For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility + by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, + and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. + And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. + For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. + So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, + built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, + in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. + In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. + + + For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles- + assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, + how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. + When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, + which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. + This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. + Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. + To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, + and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, + so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. + This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, + in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. + So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. + For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, + from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, + that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, + so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, + may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, + and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. + Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, + to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. + + + I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, + with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, + eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. + There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- + one Lord, one faith, one baptism, + one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. + But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. + Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." + ( In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? + He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) + And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, + to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, + until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, + so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. + Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, + from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. + Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. + They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. + They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. + But that is not the way you learned Christ!- + assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, + to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, + and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, + and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. + Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. + Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, + and give no opportunity to the devil. + Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. + Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. + And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. + Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. + Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. + + + Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. + And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. + But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. + Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. + For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. + Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. + Therefore do not associate with them; + for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light + (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), + and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. + Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. + For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. + But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, + for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." + Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, + making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. + Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. + And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, + addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, + giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, + submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. + Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. + For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. + Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. + Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, + that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, + so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. + In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. + For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, + because we are members of his body. + "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." + This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. + However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. + + + Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. + "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), + "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." + Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. + Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, + not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, + rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, + knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. + Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. + Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. + Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. + For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. + Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. + Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, + and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. + In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; + and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, + praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, + and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, + for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. + So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. + Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. + + + + + Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, + always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, + because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. + And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. + It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. + For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. + And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, + so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, + filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. + I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, + so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. + And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. + Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. + The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. + The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. + What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, + for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, + as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. + For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. + If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. + I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. + But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. + Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, + so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. + Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, + and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. + For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, + engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. + + + So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, + complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. + Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. + Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. + Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, + who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, + but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, + he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. + Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, + so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, + and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. + Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, + for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. + Do all things without grumbling or questioning, + that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, + holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. + Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. + Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. + I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. + For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. + They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. + But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. + I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, + and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. + I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, + for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. + Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. + I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. + So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, + for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. + + + Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. + Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. + For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh- + though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: + circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; + as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. + But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. + Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ + and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- + that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, + that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. + Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. + Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, + I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. + Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. + Only let us hold true to what we have attained. + Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. + For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. + Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. + But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, + who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. + + + Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. + I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. + Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. + Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. + Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; + do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. + And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. + Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. + What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. + I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. + Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. + I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. + I can do all things through him who strengthens me. + Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. + And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. + Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. + Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. + I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. + And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. + To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. + Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. + All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. + The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, + To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. + We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, + since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, + because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, + which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing- as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, + just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf + and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. + And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, + so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. + May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, + giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. + He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, + in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. + He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. + For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. + And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. + And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. + For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, + and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. + And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, + he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, + if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. + Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, + of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, + the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. + To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. + Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. + For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. + + + For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, + that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, + in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. + I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. + For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. + Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, + rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. + See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. + For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, + and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. + In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, + having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. + And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, + by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. + He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. + Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. + These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. + Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, + and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. + If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations- + "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" + ( referring to things that all perish as they are used)- according to human precepts and teachings? + These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. + + + If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. + Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. + For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. + When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. + Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. + On account of these the wrath of God is coming. + In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. + But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. + Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices + and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. + Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. + Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, + bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. + And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. + And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. + Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. + And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. + Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. + Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. + Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. + Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. + Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. + Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, + knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. + For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. + + + Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. + Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. + At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison- + that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. + Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. + Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. + Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. + I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, + and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. + Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions- if he comes to you, welcome him), + and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. + Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. + For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. + Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. + Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. + And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. + And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord." + I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. + + + + + Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. + We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, + remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. + For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, + because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. + And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, + so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. + For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. + For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, + and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. + + + For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. + But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. + For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, + but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. + For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed- God is witness. + Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. + But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. + So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. + For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. + You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. + For you know how, like a father with his children, + we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. + And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. + For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, + who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind + by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved- so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last! + But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, + because we wanted to come to you- I, Paul, again and again- but Satan hindered us. + For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? + For you are our glory and joy. + + + Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, + and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, + that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. + For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. + For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. + But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you- + for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. + For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. + For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, + as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? + Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, + and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, + so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. + + + Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. + For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. + For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; + that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, + not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; + that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. + For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. + Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. + Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, + for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, + and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, + so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. + But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. + For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. + For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. + For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. + Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. + Therefore encourage one another with these words. + + + Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. + For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. + While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. + But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. + For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. + So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. + For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. + But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. + For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, + who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. + Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. + We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, + and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. + And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. + See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. + Rejoice always, + pray without ceasing, + give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. + Do not quench the Spirit. + Do not despise prophecies, + but test everything; hold fast what is good. + Abstain from every form of evil. + Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. + He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. + Brothers, pray for us. + Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. + I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. + + + + + Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. + Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. + This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering- + since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, + and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels + in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. + They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, + when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. + To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, + so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. + + + Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, + not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. + Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, + who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. + Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? + And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. + For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. + And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. + The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, + and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. + Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, + in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. + But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. + To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. + So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. + Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, + comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. + + + Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, + and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. + But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. + And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. + May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. + Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. + For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, + nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. + It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. + For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. + For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. + Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. + As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. + If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. + Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. + Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. + I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. + The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, + To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. + As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, + nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. + The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. + Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, + desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. + Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, + understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, + the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, + in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. + I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, + though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, + and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. + The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. + But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. + To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. + This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, + holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, + among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. + + + First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, + for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. + This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, + who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. + For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, + who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. + For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. + I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; + likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, + but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works. + Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. + I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. + For Adam was formed first, then Eve; + and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. + Yet she will be saved through childbearing- if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. + + + The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. + Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, + not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. + He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, + for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? + He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. + Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. + Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. + They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. + And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. + Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. + Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. + For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. + I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, + if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth. + Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. + + + Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, + through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, + who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. + For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, + for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. + If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. + Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; + for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. + The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. + For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. + Command and teach these things. + Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. + Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. + Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. + Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. + Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. + + + Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, + older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity. + Honor widows who are truly widows. + But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. + She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, + but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. + Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. + But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. + Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, + and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. + But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry + and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. + Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. + So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. + For some have already strayed after Satan. + If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are really widows. + Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. + For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages." + Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. + As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. + In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. + Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. + (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) + The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. + So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. + + + Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. + Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. + If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, + he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, + and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. + Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, + for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. + But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. + But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. + For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. + But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. + Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. + I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, + to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, + which he will display at the proper time- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, + who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. + As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. + They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, + thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. + O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," + for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. + + + + + Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, + To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. + I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. + As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. + I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. + For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, + for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. + Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, + who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, + and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, + for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, + which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. + Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. + By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. + You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. + May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, + but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me- + may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!- and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. + + + You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, + and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. + Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. + No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. + An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. + It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. + Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. + Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, + for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! + Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. + The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; + if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; + if we are faithless, he remains faithful- for he cannot deny himself. + Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. + Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. + But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, + and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, + who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. + But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." + Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. + Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. + So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. + Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. + And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, + correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, + and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. + + + But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. + For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, + heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, + treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, + having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. + For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, + always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. + Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. + But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. + You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, + my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra- which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. + Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, + while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. + But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it + and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. + All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, + that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. + + + I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: + preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. + For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, + and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. + As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. + For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. + I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. + Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. + Do your best to come to me soon. + For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. + Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. + Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. + When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. + Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. + Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. + At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! + But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. + The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. + Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. + Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. + Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. + The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. + + + + + Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, + in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began + and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; + To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. + This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you- + if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. + For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, + but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. + He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. + For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. + They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. + One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." + This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, + not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. + To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. + They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. + + + But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. + Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. + Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, + and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, + to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. + Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. + Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, + and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. + Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, + not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. + For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, + training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, + waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, + who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. + Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. + + + Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, + to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. + For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. + But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, + he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, + whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, + so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. + The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. + But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. + As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, + knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. + When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. + Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. + And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. + All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. + + + + + Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker + and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: + Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. + I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, + because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints, + and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. + For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. + Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, + yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you- I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus- + I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. + (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) + I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. + I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, + but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will. + For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, + no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother- especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. + So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. + If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. + I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it- to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. + Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. + Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. + At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. + Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, + and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. + The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. + + + + + Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, + but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. + He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, + having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. + For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"? Or again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"? + And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." + Of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire." + But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. + You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions." + And, "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; + they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, + like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end." + And to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? + Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? + + + Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. + For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, + how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, + while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. + Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. + It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? + You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, + putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. + But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. + For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. + For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, + saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." + And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Behold, I and the children God has given me." + Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, + and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. + For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. + Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. + For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. + + + Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, + who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. + For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses- as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. + (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) + Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, + but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. + Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, + do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, + where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works + for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.' + As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" + Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. + But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. + For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. + As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." + For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? + And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? + And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? + So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. + + + Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. + For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. + For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. + For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." + And again in this passage he said, "They shall not enter my rest." + Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, + again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." + For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. + So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, + for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. + Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. + For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. + And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. + Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. + For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. + Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. + + + For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. + He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. + Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. + And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. + So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; + as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." + In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. + Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. + And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, + being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. + About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. + For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, + for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. + But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. + + + Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, + and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. + And this we will do if God permits. + For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, + and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, + if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. + For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. + But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. + Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things- things that belong to salvation. + For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. + And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, + so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. + For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, + saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." + And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. + For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. + So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, + so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. + We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, + where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. + + + For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, + and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. + He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. + See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! + And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. + But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. + It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. + In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. + One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, + for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. + Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? + For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. + For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. + For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. + This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, + who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. + For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." + On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness + (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. + And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, + but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'" + This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. + The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, + but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. + Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. + For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. + He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. + For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. + + + Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, + a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. + For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. + Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. + They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." + But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. + For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. + For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, + not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. + For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. + And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. + For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." + In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. + + + Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. + For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. + Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, + having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. + Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. + These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, + but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. + By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing + (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, + but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. + But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) + he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. + For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, + how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. + Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. + For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. + For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. + Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. + For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, + saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you." + And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. + Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. + Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. + For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. + Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, + for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. + And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, + so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. + + + For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. + Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? + But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year. + For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. + Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; + in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. + Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" + When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), + then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. + And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. + And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. + But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, + waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. + For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. + And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, + "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," + then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." + Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. + Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, + by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, + and since we have a great priest over the house of God, + let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. + Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. + And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, + not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. + For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, + but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. + Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. + How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? + For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." + It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. + But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, + sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. + For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. + Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. + For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. + For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; + but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." + But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. + + + Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. + For by it the people of old received their commendation. + By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. + By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. + By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. + And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. + By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. + By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. + By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. + For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. + By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. + Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. + These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. + For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. + If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. + But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. + By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, + of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." + He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. + By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. + By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. + By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. + By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. + By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, + choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. + He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. + By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. + By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. + By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. + By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. + By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. + And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- + who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, + quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. + Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. + Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. + They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated- + of whom the world was not worthy- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. + And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, + since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. + + + Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, + looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. + Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. + In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. + And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. + For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." + It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? + If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. + Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? + For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. + For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. + Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, + and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. + Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. + See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; + that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. + For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. + For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest + and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. + For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." + Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear." + But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, + and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, + and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. + See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. + At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." + This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken- that is, things that have been made- in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. + Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, + for our God is a consuming fire. + + + Let brotherly love continue. + Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. + Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. + Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. + Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." + So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" + Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. + Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. + Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. + We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. + For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. + So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. + Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. + For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. + Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. + Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. + Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. + Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. + I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. + Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, + equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. + I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. + You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. + Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. + Grace be with all of you. + + + + + James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. + Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, + for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. + And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. + If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. + But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. + For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; + he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. + Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, + and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. + For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. + Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. + Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. + But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. + Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. + Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. + Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. + Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creation. + Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; + for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. + Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. + But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. + For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. + For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. + But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. + If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. + Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. + + + My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. + For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, + and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," + have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? + Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? + But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? + Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? + If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. + But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. + For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. + For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. + So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. + For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. + What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? + If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, + and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? + So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. + But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. + You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder! + Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? + Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? + You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; + and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"- and he was called a friend of God. + You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. + And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? + For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. + + + Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. + For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. + If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. + Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. + So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! + And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. + For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, + but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. + With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. + From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. + Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? + Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. + Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. + But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. + This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. + For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. + But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. + And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. + + + What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? + You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. + You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. + You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. + Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? + But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." + Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. + Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. + Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. + Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. + Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. + There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? + Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- + yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. + Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." + As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. + So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. + + + Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. + Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. + Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. + Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. + You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. + You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. + Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. + You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. + Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. + As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. + Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. + But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. + Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. + Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. + And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. + Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. + Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. + Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. + My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, + let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. + + + + + Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, + according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. + Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, + to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, + who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. + In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, + so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. + Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, + obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. + Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, + inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. + It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. + Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. + As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, + but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, + since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." + And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, + knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, + but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. + He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, + who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. + Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, + since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; + for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, + but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you. + + + So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. + Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation- + if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. + As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, + you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. + For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." + So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," + and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. + But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. + Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. + Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. + Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. + Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, + or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. + For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. + Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. + Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. + Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. + For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. + For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. + For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. + He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. + When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. + He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. + For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. + + + Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives- + when they see your respectful and pure conduct. + Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing- + but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. + For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, + as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. + Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. + Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. + Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. + For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; + let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. + For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." + Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? + But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, + but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; + yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. + For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. + For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, + in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, + because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. + Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, + who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. + + + Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, + so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. + The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. + With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; + but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. + For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. + The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. + Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. + Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. + As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: + whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. + Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. + But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. + If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. + But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. + Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. + For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? + And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" + Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. + + + So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: + shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; + not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. + And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. + Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." + Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, + casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. + Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. + Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. + And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. + To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. + By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. + She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. + Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. + + + + + Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: + May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. + His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, + by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. + For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, + and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, + and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. + For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. + For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. + Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. + For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. + Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. + I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, + since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. + And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. + For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. + For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," + we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. + And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, + knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. + For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. + + + But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. + And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. + And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. + For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; + if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; + if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; + and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked + (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); + then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, + and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, + whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. + But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, + suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. + They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! + Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, + but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. + These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. + For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. + They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. + For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. + For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. + What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire." + + + This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, + that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, + knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. + They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." + For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, + and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. + But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. + But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. + The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. + But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. + Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, + waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! + But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. + Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. + And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, + as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. + You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. + But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. + + + + + That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- + the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- + that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. + And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. + This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. + If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. + But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. + If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. + If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. + If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. + + + My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. + He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. + And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. + Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, + but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: + whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. + Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. + At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. + Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. + Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. + But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. + I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. + I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. + I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. + Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. + For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions- is not from the Father but is from the world. + And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. + Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. + They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. + But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. + I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. + Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. + No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. + Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. + And this is the promise that he made to us- eternal life. + I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. + But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything- and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you- abide in him. + And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. + If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. + + + See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. + Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we will be like him, because we shall see him as he is. + And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. + Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. + You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. + No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. + Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. + Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. + No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. + By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. + For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. + We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. + Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. + We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. + Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. + By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. + But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? + Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. + By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; + for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. + Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; + and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. + And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. + Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. + + + Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. + By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, + and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. + Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. + They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. + We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. + Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. + Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. + In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. + In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. + Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. + No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. + By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. + And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. + Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. + So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. + By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. + There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. + We love because he first loved us. + If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. + And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. + + + Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whomever has been born of him. + By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. + For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. + For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. + Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? + This is he who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. + For there are three that testify: + the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. + If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. + Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. + And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. + Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. + I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. + And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. + And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. + If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life- to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. + All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. + We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. + We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. + And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. + Little children, keep yourselves from idols. + + + + + The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, + because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: + Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. + I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. + And now I ask you, dear lady- not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning- that we love one another. + And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. + For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. + Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. + Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. + If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, + for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. + Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. + The children of your elect sister greet you. + + + + + The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. + Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. + For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. + I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. + Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, + who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. + For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. + Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. + I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. + So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. + Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. + Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. + I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. + I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. + Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of them. + + + + + Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: + May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. + Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. + For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. + Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. + And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day- + just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. + Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. + But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." + But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. + Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. + These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; + wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. + It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, + to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." + These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. + But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. + They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." + It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. + But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; + keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. + And have mercy on those who doubt; + save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. + Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, + to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. + + + + + The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, + who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. + Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. + John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, + and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood + and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. + Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. + "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." + I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. + I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet + saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." + Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, + and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. + The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, + his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. + In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. + When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, + and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. + Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. + As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. + + + "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. + "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. + I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. + But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. + Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. + Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.' + "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. + "'I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. + Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.' + "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. + "'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. + But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. + So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. + Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.' + "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. + "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. + But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. + I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. + Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, + and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. + But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. + Only hold fast what you have until I come. + The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, + and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. + And I will give him the morning star. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' + + + "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. + Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. + Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. + Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. + The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' + "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. + "'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. + Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie- behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. + Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. + I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. + The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' + "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. + "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! + So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. + For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. + I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. + Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. + Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. + The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. + He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" + + + After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." + At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. + And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. + Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. + From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, + and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: + the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. + And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" + And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, + the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, + "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." + + + Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. + And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" + And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, + and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. + And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." + And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. + And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. + And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. + And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, + and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." + Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, + saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" + And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" + And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. + + + Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" + And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. + When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" + And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. + When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. + And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!" + When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" + And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. + When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. + They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" + Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. + When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, + and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. + The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. + Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, + calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, + for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" + + + After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. + Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, + saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." + And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: + 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, + 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, + 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, + 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed. + After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, + and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" + And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, + saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." + Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" + I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. + "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. + They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. + For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." + + + When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. + Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. + And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, + and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. + Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. + Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. + The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. + The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. + A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. + The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. + The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. + The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. + Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!" + + + And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. + He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. + Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. + They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. + They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. + And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. + In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, + their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; + they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. + They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. + They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. + The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come. + Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, + saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." + So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. + The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. + And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. + By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. + For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. + The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, + nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. + + + Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. + He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, + and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. + And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." + And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven + and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, + but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. + Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." + So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." + And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. + And I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings." + + + Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, + but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. + And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." + These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. + And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. + They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. + And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, + and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. + For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, + and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. + But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. + Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. + And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. + The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come. + Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." + And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, + saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. + The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth." + Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. + + + And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. + She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. + And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. + His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. + She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, + and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. + Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, + but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. + And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. + And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. + And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. + Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" + And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. + But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. + The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. + But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. + Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. + + + And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. + And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. + One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. + And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?" + And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. + It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. + Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, + and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. + If anyone has an ear, let him hear: + If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. + Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. + It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. + It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, + and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. + And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. + Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, + so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. + This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. + + + Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. + And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, + and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. + It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, + and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. + Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. + And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." + Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality." + And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, + he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. + And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." + Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. + And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" + Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. + And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." + So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. + Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. + And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." + So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. + And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia. + + + Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. + And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire- and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. + And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! + Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." + After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, + and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. + And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, + and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. + + + Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." + So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. + The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. + The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. + And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. + For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!" + And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!" + The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. + They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. + The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish + and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. + The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. + And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. + For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. + ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") + And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. + The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" + And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. + The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. + And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. + And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. + + + Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, + with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." + And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. + The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. + And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." + And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. + But the angel said to me, "Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. + The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. + This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; + they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. + As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. + And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. + These are of one mind and hand over their power and authority to the beast. + They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." + And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. + And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, + for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. + And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth." + + + After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. + And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. + For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living." + Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; + for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. + Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. + As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.' + For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her." + And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. + They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come." + And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, + cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, + cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. + "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!" + The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, + "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! + For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off + and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" + And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. + Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!" + Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; + and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, + and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. + And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." + + + After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, + for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." + Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." + And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" + And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." + Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. + Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; + it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. + And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." + Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. + Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. + His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. + He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. + And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. + From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. + On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. + Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, + to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." + And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. + And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. + And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. + + + Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. + And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, + and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. + Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. + The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. + Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. + And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison + and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. + And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, + and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. + Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. + And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. + And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. + Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. + And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. + + + Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. + And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. + And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. + He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." + And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." + And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. + The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. + But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." + Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." + And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, + having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. + It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed- + on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. + And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. + And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. + The city lies foursquare; its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. + He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. + The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. + The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, + the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. + And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. + And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. + And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. + By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, + and its gates will never be shut by day- and there will be no night there. + They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. + But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. + + + Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb + through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. + No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. + They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. + And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. + And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place." + "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." + I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, + but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." + And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. + Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." + "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. + I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." + Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. + Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. + "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." + The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. + I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, + and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. + He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! + The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. + + + diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 7c8ddec..6c2aa64 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1,26 +1,93 @@ -# Bibles and Songs for Openlp +# OpenLP Bibles and Songs -## BIBLES -| Bibles | Installation | Source | -| --- |:---:| ---:| -| American Standard Version | Import using Zefania format | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | -| Amplified Bible | Import using OpenSong format | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | -| King James Version | Import using OpenSong format | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | -| New American Standard Bible | Import using OpenSong format | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | -| New International Version | Import using OpenSong format | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | -| New King James Version | Import using OpenSong format | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | -| Revised Standard Version | Import using Zefania format | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | -| Yoruba Bible | Import using CSV format | [Github](https://github.com/gray-adeyi/pygconverter) | +This repository provides pre-packaged Bible texts and song files for easy import into **OpenLP**. +The content is organised into: + +- `Bibles/` – Bible texts in Zefania XML, OpenSong, and CSV formats. +- `Songs/` – Song files prepared for import using the OpenLP 2.x song format. + +--- + +## Getting Started + +### Prerequisites + +- OpenLP installed (version 2.x or later). +- This repository cloned or downloaded to your local machine. + +### Importing Bibles + +1. Open OpenLP. +2. Go to **Bibles → Import**. +3. Select the appropriate import format (for example, **Zefania XML**, **OpenSong**, or **CSV**). +4. Browse to the `Bibles/` folder in this repository. +5. Choose the file(s) for the translation you want to import (see the table below for file names and formats). +6. Follow the wizard prompts to complete the import. + +### Importing Songs + +1. Open OpenLP. +2. Go to **Songs → Import**. +3. Choose **OpenLP 2** as the import format. +4. Browse to the `Songs/` folder in this repository. +5. Select the song file(s) you want to import. +6. Complete the wizard to add the songs to your OpenLP library. + +--- + +## Bible Packages + +All Bible files are located in the `Bibles/` directory. Use the **Bibles → Import** wizard in OpenLP and select the appropriate format (Zefania XML, OpenSong, or CSV) as indicated below. + +### Available Bible Versions + +| Version | Files / Location | Import Format in OpenLP | Source | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | +| American Standard Version (ASV) | `Bibles/AmericanStandardVersion.xml` | Zefania XML | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| Amplified Bible (AMP) | `Bibles/AmplifiedBible.xmm`, `Bibles/AMP_2001.xml` | OpenSong / Zefania XML | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download), [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| English Standard Version (ESV) | `Bibles/esv.xml` | Zefania XML | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| King James Version (KJV) | `Bibles/KingJamesVersion.xmm` | OpenSong | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | +| New American Standard Bible (NASB) | `Bibles/NewAmericanStandardBible.xmm`, `Bibles/NASB.xml` | OpenSong / Zefania XML | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download), [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| New International Version (NIV) | `Bibles/NewInternationalVersion/`, `Bibles/The Holy Bible, New International Version®.xml` | OpenSong / Zefania XML | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download), [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| New International Reader's Version (NIrV) | `Bibles/NIRV.xml` | Zefania XML | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| New King James Version (NKJV) | `Bibles/NewKingJamesVersion.xmm` | OpenSong | [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | +| New Living Translation (NLT) | `Bibles/NLT.xml` | Zefania XML | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| Revised Standard Version (RSV) | `Bibles/RevisedStandardVersion.xml` | Zefania XML | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| The Message (MSG) | `Bibles/MSG.xml` | Zefania XML | [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | +| Yoruba Bible | `Bibles/YorubaBible/` (CSV files) | CSV (custom import) | [GitHub – pygconverter](https://github.com/gray-adeyi/pygconverter) | + +> **Note** +> Some translations are available in more than one format (for example, both OpenSong and Zefania XML). Choose the format that best matches your existing workflow in OpenLP. + +--- ## Songs -Songs can be Imported using OpenLp 2 format +All song files are located in the `Songs/` directory. + +- Format: OpenLP 2.x song format. +- Usage: In OpenLP, go to **Songs → Import**, choose **OpenLP 2** as the format, then select the desired song files from the `Songs/` folder. + +--- + +## Troubleshooting + +- **Import wizard fails or aborts** – Confirm you selected the correct format (Zefania XML, OpenSong, or CSV) for the file you are importing. +- **Unsupported or corrupted file** – Re-download this repository or re-extract the archive to ensure files are not partially copied. +- **Duplicate Bible entries** – If the same translation exists in multiple formats, remove/disable the ones you do not use from within OpenLP to avoid confusion. +- **Missing characters or accents** – Ensure OpenLP is configured to use UTF‑8 and that the system fonts support the script for the selected language. + +If problems persist, check the OpenLP log (via **Tools → Open Data Folder → logs**) for detailed error messages. + +--- + +## Credits + +| Source | Provides | +| --- | --- | +| [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | AMP, KJV, NASB, NIV, NKJV (OpenSong format) | +| [Zefania Bible Project](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | ASV, RSV, AMP 2001, ESV, MSG, NASB, NIrV, NLT, NIV (Zefania XML) | +| [GitHub – pygconverter](https://github.com/gray-adeyi/pygconverter) | Yoruba Bible (CSV) | -### Credits -| Link | Doc | -| --- | ---:| -| [OpenSong](http://www.opensong.org/home/download) | Amp, Kjv, Nasb, Niv, Nkjv | -| [Zefania](https://sourceforge.net/projects/zefania-sharp/files/Bibles/ENG/) | Rsv, Asv | -| [Github](https://github.com/gray-adeyi/pygconverter) | Yor |